August 20, 2012 by Jude Owuamanam and Mustapha Salihu
 
Eid-el-Fitr celebrations were disrupted in Kano and Plateau states on Sunday after gunshots were heard in Kano metropolis and in Farin Gada, North Jos Local Government, where 12 cars were also destroyed.
 
A policeman was reportedly injured when suspected Boko Haram members fired at a military roadblock along Maiduguri Road, Kano, while the police foiled a violent confrontation between Muslim youths and some residents of Farin Gada.
 
Trouble was said to have started when some Muslims youths, while returning from the Eid prayers ground, allegedly hauled stones at residence of Farin Gada, Jos.
 
It was learnt the youth, who also allegedly brandished guns, stopped at the Redeemed Christian Church of God at Farin Gada and allegedly destroyed no fewer than 12 cars parked on the church premises.
 
Their action angered youths of the predominantly Christian area, who poured out to revenge. It took the intervention of the Special Task Force who shot into the air to scare them away.
 
The Plateau State Police Command, in a statement by the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Danjuma Azikiti, condemned the act which it described as “unfortunate”.
 
While confirming that no life was lost and no church or mosque was burned, the police urged leaders of both Christians and Muslims to caution their members.
 
Army spokesman, Lt. Ikedichi Iweha, said the attack on the military checkpoint in Kano was repelled.
 
After shooting the policeman, the gunmen were said to have aimed at other security personnel who returned fire.
 
The gunmen resorted to shooting sporadically into the air before escaping into the Kundila Estate from where they said to have emerged from.
 
Immediately they escaped, the entry and exit points of the estate as well as the neighbouring Daurawa Quarters were condoned off by soldiers.
 
An eyewitness also told The PUNCH that the gunmen opened fire at the security personnel when stopped to be searched.
 
via Punch


http://www.punchng.com/news/12-cars-vandalised-gunshots-in-jos-kano-clashes/

Written by Saliu Gbadamosi, Bauchi Monday, 20 August 2012
 
THE Bauchi State government, on Sunday, sealed up a clinic where the two kidneys of a 23-year-old man, Abubakar Buba, were allegedly removed by a doctor who operated on him to treat malaria and typhoid fever.
 
The clinic, Aminchi Clinic, located on Yakubu Wanka Street in the Bauchi metropolis, was sealed up by the state Ministry of Health, which also suspended the operating license of the clinic, pending the outcome of investigations into the allegation of professional misconduct levelled against its owners.
 
According to a press release from the office of the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the state governor, Mr Ishola Adeyemi, which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Sani Malami, while sealing up the clinic, stated that the action came on the heel of a complaint against the clinic from one of the victims, who said his two kidneys were allegedly removed by a doctor in the clinic during a surgical operation performed on him.
 
The commissioner, who was in company of other officials of the ministry, added that the action became imperative, to enable the investigative panel set up by the state government over the allegation, perform its duties and submit report for action.
 
The release added that Malami admonished all the patients currently receiving medical treatments in the clinic to vacate the premises in line with the relevant laws governing medical practices in the country, which he said was in their own interest.
 
While assuring that the panel set up would give each of the persons complained against a fair hearing during its sitting, the commissioner said anyone found wanting would be prosecuted in accordance with the laws regulating medical practice in the country.
 
He, however, declared that if at the end of the investigation, the allegation was not proven against the persons indicted, the premises would be unsealed and allowed to resume operations.
 
via Tribune


http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/46197-minister-of-power-inaugurates-power-unit-in-ughelli

In Jos, some Muslim youths returning from the prayer ground, attacked Christians who were on their way to attend church service.
 
They smashed cars parked in some of the worship places at Farin-Gada area of the Plateau State capital.
 
Eyewitness account said the youths, packed in trailers, were returning from their prayer ground with stones and other dangerous weapons which they brandished as they chanted war songs.
 
The timely intervention of security personnel contained the situation from escalating as youths from the area predominantly occupied by Christians attempted to retaliate the attack. But security men shot into the air to scare away the youths from the major road.
 
Plateau police spokesman Danjuma Azikiti in a statement said “it is disheartening to note that in spite of series of parleys with religious leaders and youths and the stern warning issued on the use of abusive and provocative language and carrying of dangerous weapons, some misguided youths still went ahead to foment trouble on the day of celebration.”
 
The statement condemned the act and described the situation as unfortunate. It added that no life was lost and no church or mosque was torched
 
Services were held at the various churches with good turnout of worshipers and the Muslim faithful were seen going about their visits without any incident.
 
There was heavy security presence at the various Eid praying grounds within Kaduna metropolis and environ yesterday as Muslims observed the Eid –el Fitri celebration to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
 
There was heavy traffic build up in the early hours of the day throughout the city as there were check points around the city. Christians also attended their usual Sunday services.
 
At the Sultan Bello Eid ground in the Anguwar Sariki area of the metropolis, vehicles were not allowed to park near the ground while all roads leading to the place were blocked . Worshipers forced to park their vehicles far away and trek to the praying ground.
 
One of the worshipers and Chairman of the Kaduna state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Mallam Yusuf Idris, said the security arrangement was excellent, noting that it inspired confidence in people.
 
He said: “all the roads leading to the mosque were blocked and vehicles were not allowed anywhere close to the mosque. I think this is a very excellent security arrangement and the security agencies must be commended. Everything went peacefully and we really thank God for that”.
 
There was also heavy security presence at the Murtala Square where the Eid –el Fitri prayers were also held. But at the Praying Ground, near the Kaduna Capital School in Malali area of the metropolis, there were no security presence except the one put in place by worshippers.
 
At the Sheikh Muhmud Gummi College Praying ground in the Tudun Wada area of the metropolis, there was also no security presence at the mosque, although prayers were conducted peacefully.
 
The Nation gathered that due to the security arrangement, the security agencies were over stretched as they had to provide security to both mosques and churches at the same time.
 
Security sources said being a Sunday, it was not possible to provide security to all places of worship because of the problems of manpower and logistics.
 
“What we did was to identify the danger-prone areas and deployed our men there because Kaduna is not a small city. There are also other major towns in the state and so we had to evolve strategies to beef up security at mosques and churches. It was hectic because we overstretched our men, but we thank God that everything was peaceful” he said.
http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/news/58389-bloody-sallah-averted-in-jos.html

PDP National Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur has said he would not disown his son, Mahmud, over his involvement in the alleged fuel subsidy scam.
 
Tukur said he is not perturbed by the  criticisms expressed  by the public and would wait for the outcome of the trial.
 
He spoke with reporters at the State House, Abuja, shortly after a visit of the Muslim community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), led by Vice President Namadi Sambo, to President Goodluck Jonathan.
 
The PDP chairman said if the court finds his son guilty of the alleged charges,  Mahmud would face the wrath of the law.
 
Mahmud is facing trial with others for  allegedly stealing the oil subsidy fund.
 
Tukur said his son is an adult, who is old enough to take responsibilities for his actions.
 
He said: “He is my son and I will never disown him. My son is an adult andit is only the court that can determine whether he is guilty or not. Justice is not about public opinion, it is about the court’s verdict. Whoever is found guilty would be so dealt with. If he is not, we will know.’’
 
On the Eid-el-Fitri celebration, Tukur described this year’s fasting as “very unique”, noting that the Ramadan month had five Fridays, which he said could  take about  50 years to occur.
 
He said the celebration was also unique because the day fell on a Sunday, so both Muslims and Christians are praying together for peace, unity and progress in the nation.
 
Tukur said: “All religions have asked us to pray for peace.  May be God has shown us the key. In the Bible, it is said that ‘knock and I will open’. In the Quran, it is ‘if you call me, I will answer’. So this is very unique. We pray to Almighty God for this country to have peace and unity.’’


http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/news/58379-my-son-will-face-the-music-if-found-guilty-says-tukur.html

•12 people still missing •Govt demolishes shanties to save lives

 Kuramo Beach – the Lagos fun spot and home of an army of petty traders - where one person died and 15 went missing at the weekend is no more.
 
The beach was demolished yesterday after the government evacuated its residents.
 
An ocean surge that ravaged the beach on Saturday triggered the demolition, which seems to have worsened the situation of the occupants.
 
Many of them were yesterday  mourning the loss of their properties and loved ones, who were swept away when the Atlantic Ocean tore through its banks.
 
Three bodies, believed to be of those carried away by the receding surge, were found on the Bar Beach, raising the number of recovered bodies to four.
 
Fifteen persons were reported missing after the surge on Saturday.
 
The recovered bodies were those of two adults and a girl identified as Bisi, daughter of  Tunde Kolawole, a resident of the beach.
 
Officials from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have been combing the beach for the missing persons.
 
The authorities said the demolition was necessary to forestall further loss of lives.
 
Midnight on Saturday, the peak period for fun-seeking patrons of the beach, the Atlantic Ocean surged, tearing through the 20 metre-wide beach at the midpoint, to link with the Kuramo Lake on the other side, making about half of its length inaccessible.
 


 “Remember it even happened on midnight on Saturday when the beach is bubbling”, he said.
 
A man, who claimed to have lost his means of livelihood” to the surge, said about 40 cabins would have been lost.
 
After inspecting the ruin at the weekend, the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Prince Adesegun Oniru, announced government’s decision to demolish all the remaining cabins and gave the occupants till 12 noon of yesterday to leave.
 
He described the demolition as necessary to pave the way for state government’s intervention project of “pushing back the ocean.”
 
He said: “If you were here yesterday (Saturday)”, he told reporters yesterday; “you cannot stand where we are now. Sand from the Atlantic City was brought to fill up this place and made it accessible. So, the people can pack their valuables. Now, they have to leave so we can complete the barricade.”
 
When it dawned on them that they had barely 24 hours to relocate, the urge to survive overtook the pains inflicted by the quit notice. They quickly dashed in to pick whatever they considered valuable.
 
The evacuation was intensified yesterday morning as mattresses, locally-made alcoholic drinks, and sound systems – depicting the social of the residents, were hauled away.
 
The bulldozer commenced the demolition at about 11:40am but as the dust of the exercise settled about one hour later, the suppressed pain and grief seeped out and tears flowed freely on the occupant’s faces.
 
“I have lost about five of my men to this incident and the best thing they can tell me is to leave here for nowhere,” said Edwards.
 
 He went on: “We know this beach is no longer safe to do business but the least the government can do is to give us an ultimatum rather than order us out.”
 
With tears, 80-year-old Olatunji Adetoro, who claimed to have been living on Kuramo for 54 years, begged the government to “give us another place to settle down.”
 
A woman who declines to mention her name criticised the demolition as inhuman.
 
She said: “I can take care of myself and daughter if they have given us time to move out. I have been doing that without any help from government. Now if I join prostitution, they will still arrest me. “This business took me six years to setup but they destroyed it in 30 minutes.
 
“I was selling gold at Mushin market before it got burnt,” said a woman who identified herself as Margaret Johnson.
 
“Many of us here have lived our lives without any government help and we are not begging government to provide for us. Our annoyance is that the management should have consulted with government to give us like two weeks to move. Why then are we paying that much?, she said.
 
The Nation investigation showed that there were about 110 cabins on the beach and about 20 people fend from each cabin. Cabin operators, depending on the location of the cabin, pay between N50, 000 - N70, 000 per month to the beach’s management and local government.
 
Edward said: “There is nobody in government today that has not come here to canvass for vote. We risked our lives for them during the election.
 
“See the way they treated us like common dog now. Look at the vehicle of the chairman [of the beach], the number plate carries a chieftaincy crest of Eti-Osa local government. So, they cannot claim we are here illegally.
 
“Now, more than 2000 people have been rendered useless and they may not have a choice than to take to crime because what they built with sweat was destroyed illegally.”
 
For the avoidance of doubt, “Kuramo Beach is gone,” said the commissioner, making the famous beach the third to be sacked by ocean surge, after Bar and Alpha beaches.
 
“The entire Lagos coastline, whether the plush Lekki environs or the poor Okun Alfa, lies under this natural threat, and demands urgent interventions to curtail the ocean, like the embankment project done by the Lagos State government on the Eko Atlantic City and Bar Beach. The project has saved the entire Victoria Island and Ikoyi from being submerged.”
 
Allaying the fear that the surge could have been fueled by the multi-billion naira Eko Atlantic City project for which the state plans to recover about nine kilometre  lost land from the ocean, with an intention to build a world-class city estate of about 250,000 housing units.
 
Oniru had on several occasions said that the Eko Atlantic City would not have any environmental impact on the area as the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been duly conducted and certified okay.
 
He recalled: “When President Goodluck Jonathan visited this area after the July 10, 2011 flood, we were happy that soon there will be solution to this environmental threat but unfortunately nothing has happened since then.”
 
 He therefore blamed the disaster on the neglect by the Federal government saying the problem would have been solved a long time ago if the apex government had redeemed its promises to assist Lagos state government to solve the ocean problem.
 
 “You will recall that we came here about three months ago with the president Goodluck Jonathan to show him the enormity of the ecological disaster looming on the water front here. From that time till now we have lost about 10 metres of our land to the ocean surge and people’s lives and properties are constantly been threatened by the surge.
 
 “What we need here is permanent solution to the problem like we did on the Bar Beach. That is why you see the whole of Ahmadu Bello Way is not flooded. This problem is not a Lagos problem it is a national problem. The Federal government should come to the aid of the state government. Huge amount of money is required to put permanent solution and the state government alone cannot finance this.”                         
 
LASEM’s General Manager Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the state had launched frantic search for 12 persons who were declared missing in the aftermath of the surge.
 
The victims, according to him are petty traders at the waterfront who reside in the makeshift shanties located within the Kuramo area.
 
He said the recovered bodies were deposited at the Isolo General Hospital Morgue.
 
http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/news/58392-more-lagos-ocean-surge-victims%E2%80%99-bodies-recovered.html

An eighty-year old woman, Madam Mary Omorogieva, narrowly escaped being raped by a suspected Fulani herdsman in her farm at Iguobazuwa Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State.
 
Reliving the ordeal, the victim said: “I was on my farm, gathering firewood, when I felt a hand behind me asking me to lie down.
 
“I started shouting wetin now, when my attacker said he wanted to sleep with me. In the ensuing struggle, he placed a cutlass on my throat.
 
“He later put his fingers in my mouth, which I bit. I lost a tooth. As I bit his fingers, he got up and ran.”
 
Madam Omorogieva said she saw his face; that the person was short and black and had tribal marks.
 
The Divisional Police Officer, A.A Ehidero, said the matter has not been officially reported to him.
 
via The Nation


http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/news/58343-octogenarian-escapes-rape.html

■A Statement By The Federal Ministry Of Finance
 
PREAMBLE - This statement is being issued to apprise Nigerians of some key developments in the management of fuel subsidy payments which are important to
 
understanding the approach adopted by the Federal Government on this issue which understandably has attracted a lot of public attention. 
 
PAYMENT OF MARKETERS

 

The position of the Federal Government on fuel subsidy payments is clear: We will do our best to encourage honest efforts by genuine companies engaged in fuel importation but we will not fall for the cheap blackmail of indicted marketers who are using all kinds of subterfuge to escape sanctions.
 
We know that Nigerians are fully in support of this position because the money belongs to all Nigerians and it is important that the correct steps are taken to protect the public interest.
 
We would also like to stress that marketers with legitimate and unencumbered claims have been paid and will continue to be paid as these details show:
 
Between April and May 2012, Batches D/12 and E/12 involving 14 oil marketers with a claim of N17 billion were fully settled.
 
In addition, since early July 2012, N25.6 billion worth of claims have been fully settled.
 
In all, between April and August this year, in respect of 2012 PMS claims, N42.666 billion have been paid to 31 oil marketers. 
 
These are incontrovertible facts which confirm government’s commitment to ensuring that issues concerning genuine marketers with legitimate claims are dealt with expeditiously.
 
COMPANIES UNDER INVESTIGATION ON SUSPICION OF FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES 

Following the work of the Presidential Committee on Fuel Subsidy Payments led by Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, the following firms are being investigated based on evidence that they may have engaged in fraudulent activities under the fuel subsidy regime:
 
1.ALMINNUR RESOURCES LTD

2.BRILLA ENERGY LED

3.CAADES OIL AND GAS LTD

4.CAPITAL OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY LTD

5.CONNOIL PLC

6.DOWNSTREAM ENERGY SOURCE LTD

7.ETERNA PLC

8.EURAAFRIC OIL AND GAS LTD

9.LUMEN SKIES LTD

10.MAJOPE INVESTMENT LTD

11.MATRIX ENERGY LTD

12.MENON OIL AND GAS LTD

13.MOB INTERNATIONAL SERVICES

14.MRS OIL AND GAS LTD

15.NASAMAN OIL SERVICES LTD

16.NATACEL PETROLEUM LTD

17.OCEAN ENERGY TRADING AND SERVICES

18.PINNACLE CONTRACTORS LTD

19.SIFAX OIL AND GAS COMPANY

20.TONIQUE OIL SERVICES LTD

21.TOP OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD 

The Report recommended that these firms refund various amounts to the national treasury. 
 
COMPANIES WITH LESS SEVERE CASES TO ANSWER

There is a second group of companies with infractions which are relatively minor. These are in discussion with government for a quick resolution of their issues. Government is prepared to settle their claims under the following circumstances.
 
1.For oil marketers under investigation for possible refunds to the government, their 2012 outstanding claims will be netted out against their expected refunds to government and those with a positive net balance i.e outstanding claims greater than expected refunds will be processed and paid.
 
2.For marketers with a negative balance with government, i.e they owe Government more in refunds than Government owes them, the Aig-Imoukhuede committee will accelerate review of their documents after the Sallah break so that their claims can be processed and settled, if cleared, without further delay. 
 
3.For others that may not be in the above categories but who have other issues or claims, their claims will also be attended to with the same despatch.
 
CONCLUSION 

It is clear that those behind the strikes are marketers being investigated for possible fraud. These elements have now resorted to hiding behind the unions to unnecessarily antagonize Government and create hardship for Nigerians.
 
We want to make it clear that Government will fully investigate their activities and if found guilty, bring them to book and recover all public funds fraudulently obtained, in the guise of fuel subsidy claims. No degree of blackmail will stop the Government from doing its work. Government will, therefore, pursue justice and ensure that those who are found guilty are appropriately sanctioned.
 
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE, ABUJA

A pretty Ghanaian lady married to a Nigerian and living in Lagos with her family met her sudden death last night when unknown gunmen shot her and her husband.
 
Faustina Adigwe, a mother of two minors, died after two men said to be riding on a motorcycle fired at her from close range in the Randle area of Surulere, not too far from Ojuelegba. The husband survived and is presently in hospital.
 
“She was leisurely cruising around the Ranlde area with her husband when two men on an okada drew close and fired repeatedly at the driver’s side,” said a source who spoke with Transport & Business Express. “She was the one driving the car, which has tinted glass, and it is doubtful if the killers clearly saw the person they were firing at,” the source added.
 
Friends of the family who spoke with Transport & Business Express described the incident as very unfortunate.
 
“She was a very gentle and jovial lady who could not hurt a fly. She couldn’t have been involved in any shady business, so I can’t understand why someone could do this,” one of them said.
 
Transport & Business Express learnt that Tina (shown in photo) was an enterprising trader who shuttled between her native Ghana and Nigeria while her husband is into events management. It could not be immediately confirmed if the case has been reported to the police.


Source TBE

http://www.transportandbusinessexpress.com/news/detail.php?news=202

An eleven-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan who was accused of desecrating the Quoran is facing the death penalty after she was arrested following pressure by irate Muslims.
 
Police were said to have arrested the unnamed after an angry crowd of up to 1,000 surrounded her family’s house and demanded punishment for the girl.
 
The girl is believed to be suffering from Down’s Syndrome and there is no proof that she committed the alleged crime. Her ordeal started when she was accused by a Muslim of having a bag of ashes believed to be burnt pages of the Muslim Holy Book, the Quoran.
 
“Her parents have been taken into protective custody following threats and hundreds of other Christian families have been forced to flee the unrest in their neighbourhood,” said one report.
 
“Officials said the girl could not properly answer police questions after she was held under Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law - which carries a potential death penalty,” the report added.
 
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has ordered a probe into the arrest of the girl, which was took place last week in a Christian area of the capital Islamabad.
 
It would be recalled that a Christian couple in Pakistan were jailed for 25 years two years ago after they were accused of touching a Koran with unwashed hands.

*Photo, courtesy Daily Mail UK, shows some Pakistani Christians praying at a church. There are tensions between the religious groups and Muslims

Source: www.transportandbusinessexpress.com

http://www.transportandbusinessexpress.com/news/detail.php?news=203

In his article, “The Looting of Nigeria: BIG OIL’s $140 Billion A Year and Counting”, Thomas C. Mounting said:
 


As western oil companies loot some $140 Billion a year of Nigeria’s black gold, two thirds of the country’s population live on less than $2 a day. “Official” oil production figures show about 3 million barrels a day being pumped from oil fields into western tankers. However, informed observers have estimated up to one-third of all Nigerian oil is actually ‘stolen’, secretly loaded onto oil tankers after bribes are paid to corrupt government officials. If 4 million barrels of oil are being shipped out of Nigeria daily at $100 a barrel, times 30 days a month times 12 months (4x100x30x12) you arrive at almost $150 Billion a year in potential oil revenues for Nigeria, he explained."

The problems is not just theft of the oil but the fact that the western oil companies are literally looting Nigeria’s oil, paying as little as a 9% royalty. Do the math: 9% of $150 Billion (is about $15billion) minus the one third oil that is stolen (5billion) thus, the Nigerian government only receives about $10 billion a year of this amount. Simply put, at $100 a barrel the western oil companies get $91 and Nigeria only gets $9. Or more shockingly, Big Oil makes $140 billion a year vs. Nigeria’s $10 Billion”, he concluded.
 
Now what are Nigerians doing about this? Nothing!  

Nigerians would rather debate the unending conflicts between Islam and Christianity.
 
I read what Mr Eghes Eyieyen posted on his facebook:

"Last night, on NTA's 1am News, I watched Vice President Namadi Sambo being shown in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, representing President Goodluck Jonathan at the meeting of Heads of Government of members of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) into which Gen. Ibrahim Babangida surreptitiously and illegally took Nigeria during his tenure as President.
 
"I never cease to be amazed at the blatant manner the secularity of the Nigerian state which is enshrined in the Constitution is continually undermined by the Federal Government and some northern State Governments by consistently projecting Islam as if it were the preferred religion despite the fact that Nigerians are a multi-religious people.  
 
Nigeria's quest for true unity and peace will remain elusive until religion is kept in its proper place as a strictly personal matter."
 
Yes to Nigerians, religion is more important that seeking to solve the real problems besetting the nation
 
Yesterday I read something by a fellow Nigeria, Dr Valentine Ojo from Tall Timbers. He said
"Interesting what Nigerian intellectuals discuss!

"Religion is now about who may have sex with whom - and we have to go into the library to dig up obscure authors to make our point!
 
"In the meantime, billions are being LOOTED everyday, millions of Nigerians are dying of preventable diseases and accidents, Nigeria has one of the highest infant and maternal moralities in the world, no real hospitals, millions of Nigerian children are roaming the streets as beggars (Alamjiris), or hawking fruits and dirty water on roadsides - when they should be in school!
 
"Rather than address these REAL ISSUES, we are busy researching into "Qurtuby Vol. 3 pp 460", 'a book by Ibnl Jawzy, (I think the name of the book is Akhbarunnisa’a- stories of women', "(John McClintock, James Strong, "Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature" [Harper & Brothers, 1894], p. 782)", " (Matthew B. Schwartz, Kalman J. Kaplan, "The Fruit of Her Hands: The Psychology of Biblical Women" [Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2007] , pp. 146-147) ", etc.
 
"In the meantime, other nations - even Muslim nations like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, the Emirates, Indonesia, Malaysia, even Saudi Arabia - are busy building modern nations, well-equipped schools, introducing computers and modern technology, winning Olympic Gold Medals!
 
"Nigerian intellectuals are discussing what the Bible and the Koran have to say about having SEX with SLAVES!
 
"This is indeed the PATH to national development. Please gentleman, continue this your highfalutin intellectual discuss which will not put any food on the table of any Nigerian, or send any Nigerian child to school.
 
"The world is indeed admiring Nigeria's religious pseudo-intellectualism!"

And they want to be one out of 20 most developed nation on earth. If you ask them how they intend to achieve that, they say "God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform"!
 
Tufiakwa!!!

Ogbuefi Ndigbo

[PUNCH] Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Thursday said the Federal Government was willing to negotiate with oil marketers indicted for subsidy fraud in order to encourage them to import fuel. The minister said the indicted marketers considered qualified for dialogue with the government were those whose infractions
 
were not “too grievous”. She said this even as she insisted that government would not submit to blackmail by oil marketers who had queries over subsidy payments made to them in the past.
 
Okonjo-Iweala said at a media briefing in Abuja that, “Those who we consider their infractions not too grievous, we are willing to talk to them and if they are willing to work with us, we would also be willing to settle their claims so that they can go and import.
“But to some of those who are bent on blackmailing the Federal Government even though they have committed very serious infractions in the subsidy, we are not willing to pay them when they have not cleared their case.”
The minister said this while reacting to allegations by some marketers that they were being owed billions of naira for imported fuel.
Okonjo-Iweala said government, after the verification exercise, had been making payments to genuine marketers, adding that only those being prosecuted have their funds withheld.
She threatened that the government would publish the names of marketers who had received the payments within the period in question and those confirmed with infractions.
The minister said, “We will not pay those who had queries as to whether the subsidy payments made to them were really due to them. Those under investigation or have question marks from the committee were not paid. We paid those that had a clean bill between April and August.
“Now what has happened is that some of those who have been told that they have a case to answer have organised and want to hold the nation to ransom. As Nigerians we have said that we want to do the right thing; and we are trying to do the right thing, we have had this investigation.
The minister’s reaction came just as some oil marketers met with her to find a lasting solution to the fuel crisis being witnessed in some parts of the country.
Those present at the meeting were the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Yerima Ngama, the Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation Dr Bright Okogu; the DG, Debt Managament Office, Mr Abraham Nwankwo, representatives of Nipco Plc, Oando Plc, Energy Oil, Folawiyo Group, Sahara Group, among others.
 At the meeting, parties agreed to appraise the issues surrounding the outstanding claims with a view to finally determining the net payments due each of the importers.
The Minister explained that government was willing to listen to all marketers with genuine claims and attend to them as a way of forestalling any crisis that might be caused by some indicted marketers that have embarked on cheap blackmail in the downstream sub-sector of the petroleum industry.
She explained, “We are talking about the fact that they have outstanding claims which have not been paid and that is the basis of the dialogue and as I have said to you earlier, yes they have outstanding claims, we also have claims outstanding against them and that is what the dialogue is all about.
“So, we will dialogue with each other on these claims and hopefully at the end of this, we will be able to come to some agreement about the net claims that will be paid and then we will be able to move on. We are very willing to listen if there are genuine people that want to talk with government.”
Meanwhile, fuel stations in Abuja on Thursday did not sell to motorists, thus worsening the queues noticed around the Federal Capital City since Monday.
One of our correspondents who went round the city observed that motorists turned to black marketers who have taken over the major streets of Abuja, selling Premium Motor Spirit in jerry cans.
Many of the black marketers were seen in different parts of the city, including the Central Area, Garki, Wuse and in the suburbs like Kubwa and Nyanya.
Total and Connoil filling stations located opposite the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation headquarters were empty of vehicles on Thursday.
It could not be ascertained whether they had no fuel or they were just unwilling to sell to vehicle owners.
 At Total petrol station along Arab Road, Kubwa, a long line of vehicles were noticed.
 However, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Thursday assured Nigerians that there would be no fuel scarity in the country.
She said the NNPC has enough fuel in its reserve that would last the country for 45 days.This was contained in a statement from the NNPC, quoting the minister to have spoken at the inaugural meeting of the newly constituted Board of the NNPC.
 
Alison-Madueke explained that the hitch in distribution currently being experienced had nothing to do with shortage in supply but unresolved issues between the Ministry of Finance and petroleum marketers.
 
 

She expressed optimism that the issue would be resolved as soon as the government seized the control of the situation.

Non-governmental organisations in Akwa Ibom State, Young Humanistas Network and Child Rights Rehabilitation Network, have accused pastors and stepmothers of conniving to label children witches.
 
The NGOs said they arrived at such conclusion after finding out that many of the children rescued from churches were those living with their stepmothers.
 
Field Administrator and Head of the Home, YHN, Mr. Emmanuel Okon, said this in Esit Eket, Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday.
 
He also accused some pastors of telling their congregations that NGOs, like the Young Humanistas Network, were occultist groups and should be ignored.
 
Okon said, “When we went to Ibaka, we met over 70 pastors during their church programmes, who lined up children they claimed were witches. We told them that the present Child Rights Law in the state would not take it kindly with them and advised them to jettison the practice.
 
“If you send invitations to them and tell them that you are an NGO and would like to visit their churches; they will turn it down, accusing you of occult practices.
 
“They said we are unbelievers. When we had seminars with a few of them sometimes ago, we told them that we have members from Deeper Life Christians Ministry, Redeem Christian Church of God, Latter Day Assembly and much more who work with our organisation. We informed them that our organisation is not biased religiously.”
 
It was learnt that about 200 children tagged witches were moved from the home in May 2011 by the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare.
 
Although YHN and CRRN had been shut down by the government, members of neighbouring communities and the host community still take stigmatised and abandoned children to the centre.
 
Meanwhile, four boys, Samuel Monday, Okon Ita, Benji Michael, and Asuquo, whose ages range between 6 and 11 were seen at the home.
 
Okon said the children would be handed over to the Motherless Children Home, Uyo.
 
One of the children, Michael, while answering question whether he was a witch, said, “I don’t know what form or colour witches look like. I don’t know anything like that, but my parents abandoned me saying that I am a witch.”
 

via Punch


http://www.punchng.com/metro/pastors-stepmothers-connived-to-call-children-witches-ngo/

A 66-year old driver, Lasisi Saka has been murdered inside his one-room apartment at 31, Ekimogun Street, Off Kokumo Street, Moshalasi, Alimosho near Iyana Ipaja, Lagos State, southwest Nigeria.
 
Residents told P.M.NEWS correspondents that they suspected that Saka, a father of two who lived alone in his room was murdered by a co-tenant who had been arrested by the police.
 


They argued that the suspect had been engaged in quarrels over Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN electricity bills in the past.
 
The deceased’s neighbours also alleged that the suspect’s wife also quarrelled with the late driver, adding that the suspect once beat up Saka which led to his arrest and detention at Gowon Estate Police Station.
 
The late driver’s brother, Akinbowale Emmanuel told P.M.NEWS that Saka had severals times reported to his family that the suspect had threatened his life over payment of PHCN bill and sundry issues.
 
He said: “Saka’s first wife died some years ago. On Saturday, he called the woman he is now courting to bring him food that evening. But the woman said it was late that day.
 
“When the woman got to the house the next day, she saw Saka drenched in his blood.
 
She screamed and called his friend, a pastor, on phone. It was his friend that called me when he saw him dead. I went with a friend to confirm his death and it was glaring that he was murdered.”
 
The suspect was eventually arrested and he has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, C I D, Panti,Yaba Lagos for further investigation.
 
Meanwhile, the deceased has been buried in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
 
—Ayodele Lawal & Oluwole Adeboye
 
via PM News


http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/08/15/tenant-killed-over-phcn-bill/