10 Women A Christian Man Should Avoid When Considering Marriage

“I have perceived among the youths, a young
man lacking sense, passing along the street near
her corner, taking the road to her
house” (Proverbs 7: 7-8 )

Marriage - a lifetime covenant, an irrevocable oath reconized by GOD, man and spirits, separable only by death. With this truth in mind, a man has to be very careful and wise when considering marriage. And if you follow the counsel of GOD, HE will go before you to lead you to the right path.

NOTE: This is not a sexist post. It's only a guide for men intending to get married.

So here's the 10 women to avoid when considering marriage:

1. THE UNBELIEVER: Scripture is replete with
exhortations against such marriages (in both the
Old and New Testaments). Contrary to popular
misconception, God’s prohibition against
marriages to foreign women in the Old Testament
was not due to racism. Instead, God was simply
preventing the spread of idolatry. Israel, God’s
chosen people in the Old Testament, represented
what Christians would later represent in the New
Testament. Hence, God’s prohibition against
marrying an unbelieving woman in the New
Testament (2 Cor 6:14) is simply the extension of
God prohibiting a Hebrew man from from
marrying a Canaanite woman in the Old
Testament (Deut 7:3-4). “Do not intermarry with
them. Do not give your daughters to their sons
or take their daughters for your sons, for they
will turn your children away from following ME
to serve other gods, and the LORD’s anger will
burn against you and will quickly destroy
you” (Deut 7:3-4).
What then, is a believer? A Christian essentially
is someone who believes in the gospel of Jesus
Christ. What then, is the gospel? The gospel is:
1. God is holy, loving, and just. He therefore,
must condemn all sinners to punishment in the
flames of eternal hell; 2. You and I are all
sinners who deserve nothing but God’s wrath in
hell after our deaths; 3. God loved humanity so
much that He sent His only Son, Jesus (who was
fully God and fully man), to die on the cross for
your sins. Jesus paid the debt for your sins and
absorbed God’s wrath on your behalf. 3 days
later, Jesus resurrected from the dead; 4. If you
repent (turn from) all your sins and personally
put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord, God
and Savior, then you will have eternal life.


2. THE DIVORCEE: Jesus clearly taught that unless
the first marriage ended due to a partner’s sexual
infidelity, a second marriage is to be considered
invalid and adulterous. A divorced woman, therefore, is
off limits for a Christian man. Unrepentant
adultery being a sin that prevents one from
obtaining eternal life (1 Cor 6:9). “If she
divorces her husband and marries another, she
commits adultery” (Mark 10:12). “And I say to
you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual
immorality, and marries another, commits
adultery” (Matthew 19:9).


3. THE OLDER WOMAN: Not a sin, but certainly
not God’s ideal. God expects men to be the
spiritual leaders of the home (Eph 5:25) and it
certainly requires an extra measure of grace to
lead a woman who’s older than you. Again, if
you’re a man and you’re already in such a
marriage, then honor it till the day you die–it’s
still a valid marriage and divorce is not an
option! However, if you’re not yet married but
thinking about an older woman I want to remind
you that God intentionally (with good reason!)
created Adam before Eve in the First Marriage.
Scripture informs us that God created man first
chronologically for the sake of authority! Listen:
“I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise
authority over a man; rather, she is to remain
quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve” (1
Timothy 2:12-13). Evidently, within the First
Marriage, God intended chronology (age) to be a
reason for authority.
Apparently, even secular researchers are now
beginning to discover results that back up God’s
wisdom as demonstrated in the Bible:
“If you’re a woman two or more years
older than your husband, your marriage
is 53 percent more likely to end in
divorce than if he was one year younger
to three years older.” (Source: Rebecca
Kippen, Bruce Chapman and Peng Yu,
“What’s Love Got to Do With It? Homogamy
and Dyadic Approaches to Understanding
Marital Instability,” Melbourne Institute of
Applied Economic and Social Research,
2009.)


4. THE FEMINIST: There’s no room within
Christendom for the “Christian feminist.” Though
women and men have equal value in the eyes of
God (Gal 3:28), they certainly have different God-
given roles. Any woman who tries to usurp her
husband’s authority or even claims to be a co-
leader with her man is gravely dishonoring the
God who created her to be subject and obedient
to her husband (Eph 5:22, Col 3:18, 1 Pet 3:1).
Eve was distinctly created “for” man, a point that
the apostle Paul makes abundantly clear in 1
Corinthians 11 when he writes, “For man was not
made from woman, but woman from man.
Neither was man created for woman, but woman
for man.” (1 Corinthians 11:8-9). Men, your wife
is to be your “helper” (Gen 2:18)–not your leader
and certainly not your equal in terms of
authority. Look for a woman who agrees with
you in this very vital God-ordained relational
dynamic.


5. THE IMMODEST-DRESSER : Sexy might
inadvertently catch your eyeballs, but it
shouldn’t catch your heart. The way that a
woman is willing to expose herself says much
about her heart:

“And behold, the woman meets
him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of
heart” (Proverbs 7:10).

The text in Proverbs
explains that a woman will dress in a certain way
to catch a certain type of man. Don’t be that
man. Don’t be the fool who’s led by his
hormones instead of the Holy Spirit. Remember:
you want godly, not gaudy.


6. THE GOSSIPER/SLANDERER: Women may love to
talk, but there’s wisdom in looking for a woman
who speaks with wisdom. Gossip and slander are
not good things to have in your marriage.
Desperate housewives make for desperate
husbands. “Besides that, they learn to be idlers,
going about from house to house, and not only
idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying
what they should not.” (1 Timothy 5:13).


7. THE CHILDBIRTH AVOIDER: Do not marry a
woman who is not willing to have children of her
own. In the Christian worldview, there is
absolutely no room for two married, biologically
capable, human beings to remain intentionally
child-less. If you are adverse towards having
children, then there’s a simple remedy for that:
single-hood. However, if God has called you to
marriage, then He actually expects children.
Both the New and Old Testaments are very clear
on this teaching: “Did he not make them one,
with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And
what was the one God seeking ? Godly
offspring” (Malachi 2:15). “Yet she will be saved
through childbearing—if they continue in faith
and love and holiness, with self-control” (1
Timothy 2:15).


8. THE WANDER-LUSTER: There’s nothing wrong
with the occasional family vacation. There is
something very wrong with a girl who regularly
needs to be “out of the home.” The constant
desire for new experiences, new places, new
faces, and new forms of entertainment only
serves to clearly manifest the fact that the
woman has not found her rest in God. Believe it
or not, Scripture speaks repeatedly about such
women: “She is loud and wayward; her feet do
not stay at home ” (Proverbs 7:11); “Besides,
they get into the habit of being idle and going
about from house to house . And not only do
they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk
nonsense, saying things they ought not to” (1
Timothy 5:13).


9. THE CARIEER-FIRST WOMAN: Now, I want to
clarify something here. There is nothing wrong
with a woman who works (Acts 16:14), what’s
wrong is a woman who puts her career ahead of
her family. Modern society might hate
to hear this, but God made men to be the
providers and women to be the nurturers of the
home (in most instances). It’s okay for a woman
to be a doctor, attorney, or any other
professional. However, if her career is coming at
the expense of her home, then something is
wrong. If day-care is raising her young children
while she’s working, then something is wrong. I
understand that there might be a season of life
where the wife might have to be the main bread-
winner due to her husband’s unemployment, but
it should not be the desired norm. The woman
ought to be willing (and even desirous–to some
extent) to give up her job for the sake of raising
her kids in the Lord. “So I counsel younger
widows to marry, to have children, to manage
their homes and to give the enemy no
opportunity for slander” (1 Tim 5:14).


10. THE DEVOTION-LESS WOMAN : Is the woman
having a regular, daily devotional time with her
God? If she doesn’t love the Lord now, chances
are, she won’t love the Lord after marriage.
(Don’t delude yourself–you’re not going to
change her.) You want to marry a girl who has
an intimate relationship with Jesus. Jesus (not
you) has to be the first man in her life. Here are
some good questions to ask: Does she have an
active prayer life? Does she have a heart for
evangelism? Is she hungry for God’s Word?
What does her pastor think about her?
Do you remember this account from Scripture:
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a
village. And a woman named Martha welcomed
him into her house. [39] And she had a sister
called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and
listened to his teaching. [40] But Martha was
distracted with much serving. And she went up to
him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my
sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to
help me.” [41] But the Lord answered her,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled
about many things, [42] but one thing is
necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion,
which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke
10:38-42 ESV)
Marry the Mary (no pun intended). Such women
have picked “…the good portion, which will not
be taken away” from them. God be with you
men. Strong families start with strong wives.
Choose wisely and choose in the Lord!

Nigeria Vs Brazil : U-20 World Cup On Monday June 1 At 2am

In Brazil, the Flying Eagles face their stiffest opposition in the group stages. The Brazilian side is lacking in confidence having qualified for the mundial by finishing 4th at the Sudamericano Sub-20 tournament in Uruguay. After some stern and rather uncomplimentary words from Jose Maria Marin, the president of the Brazilian Football confederation (CFB), Coach Alexandre Gallos and his charges will be heading to Kiwi Land to try to prove a point.

Adopting a rather cautious approach this time round, Galos dropped all players he labeled as inexperienced and not lacking clear carrier paths, opting for a more experienced personnel. The Nigerian technical team would want to keep an eye in the heart of midfield where Manchester United’s Andreas Pereira and Atletico Paranaense’s Marcos Guilherme will be pitching their camps and firing ammunition at the Nigerian defense, while Real Madrid’s Jean Carlos and Fluminense little magician Kenedy will be sniffing around for mistakes from the backline and hoping to duly exact justice.


Date 01 june 2015

Time-2:00am

Venue- Taranki Stadium in Plymouth, New Zealand.

Star players to watch- Ihenacho, Awoniyi Sokari
Jean Carlos and Kenedy

Patience Never Wanted Jonathan In Politics – Alamieyeseigha

The first civilian Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, has disclosed that the immediate past First Lady, Patience Jonathan, never wanted her husband, Goodluck Jonathan in politics.

He recalled Patience initially stood against the ex-president ambition as a deputy governorship candidate in 1998, ahead of the elections in 1999.

Alamieyeseigha at a banquet organised by the Bayelsa State Government, as part of programmes for a civic reception in honour of the former President at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Yenagoa, said Mrs Jonathan was satisfied with her husband’s progress at the defunct Oil Minerals Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), where he was an Assistant Director.
Jonathan was Alamieyeseigha’s deputy from 1999 to 2005, when he took over as governor after his boss was impeached over money laundering charges.

Alamieyeseigha told the audience that Mrs. Jonathan resisted the proposal which he and the current chairman, Governing Board of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Gordon Bozimo, had taken to him at their home in Port Harcourt.

The former governor said Jonathan visited him in his Port Harcourt residence a few days later and announced his decision not to accept the offer.

“Patience was not happy that Jonathan was chosen to be my deputy governor. She said she would not like him to go into politics. She said they were comfortable the way they were,” Alamieyeseigha added.

He said Jonathan was a complex character who “does not talk. He can keep something in mind for 10 years and will not talk and he will be playing with you.”

Alamieyeseigha however stressed that the former President did well in good governance in Nigeria and that he achieved a lot in different sectors of the economy.

“He rendered momentous service to the nation. His exploits and achievements are good enough for the young people to learn.

“If he can rise to that peak (of being President of Nigeria), then there are many Jonathans in this hall. His humble background and dint of hard work had taken him there.”

Patience Jonathan was not seen at the banquet.

It was gathered that she failed to attend over the alleged political differences between her and Governor Seriake Dickson.

Wike Has A Short Time In Office – Rivers APC

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has vowed to unseat the newly inaugurated governor of the state, Nyesom Wike at the tribunal despite his assumption of office. Wike was declared winner of the April 11governorship election in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission. He contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but the All Progressives Congress, APC, is challenging his victory. However, APC chairman in the state, Davies Ikanya, in a statement on Saturday, argued that Wike was unjustly declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Davies counselled Wike not to embark on any long term project, adding that he (Wike) has a short time to stay in office. He also asked the governor not to change the curtains and furnitures in the Government House, because he has limited time to spend. “Mr. Wike was unjustly declared winner by the state INEC, which never hides its connivance with Rivers PDP. “He does not have the legitimate mandate of the good people of Rivers State to act as their governor. We remain confident that the Election Petition Tribunal will do the needful and sack him accordingly in view of the materials submitted to them, in view of the immorality associated with his occupation of the Government House and in view of the outcry of the people of Rivers State that he does not have their mandate to serve as their governor. “As we wait to reclaim the mandate of the Rivers State people, which was wickedly seized by INEC in their desperation to impose Wike as the governor of Rivers State, we wish to state that we will not allow the blood of our members spilled to be in vain. “We owe them and their families the duty to ensure that a God-fearing governor in the person of Dr. Dakuku Peterside is duly installed in the Government House based on the mandate of the good Rivers State people,” Ikanya said in the statement. Davies advised Rivers people to endure whatever hardship that may come from Wike’s administration, pending the restoration of the mandate.

My Life Threatened For Doing The Best For My Country – Diezani Alison-madueke

Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke has alleged that her life is being threatened by members of a powerful cabal who benefited from petroleum subsidy fraud. The Nigeria’s first female Minister of Petroleum Resources and first female President of OPEC, said the cabal is resisting the reform in the sector. According to her, despite her role in reforming the oil industry in Nigeria to the benefit of all, she found herself in the mucky water of Nigerian politics mostly in last few days of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. In a three phase interview in London with freelance journalist reporting for African Free Press, Allison-Madueke bares her mind on how she reformed the oil sector in Nigeria and why the oil cabals are on her throat Except Honourable Minister, thank you for granting me a few minutes of your time for this pressing discussion about the future of policy evolution in Nigeria. But I want you to quickly talk about the fuel scarcity that has come just weeks before the hand-over to the new administration. The time of my appointment as Minister of Petroleum Resources five years ago was a time when the nation was in the throes of many years of continuous fuel scarcity and the abandonment of our fuel facilities. This was having such an adverse impact on the masses especially in terms of livelihood and quality of life. This situation certainly affected me and my household. I was one of those who went out to queue at filling stations and what left an indelible mark on me was the plight of the many, many women who were queuing for this essential commodity for their families. We are looking at time when women where losing their lives as a result of adulterated products as kerosene stoves were exploding all over the country. So the problem was not just about getting access to the product but also purchasing the right quality products to ensure the safety of the households of my fellow women. It was a time when cars were ‘knocking’ engines, generators that cost hundreds of thousands of naira were also breaking down because of adulterated products. People around the country were losing many millions of Naira as a result of loss of business incomes and we are talking of taxi drivers, face-me-I-face-you traders in the market, the lorry drivers transporting food to the markets, the okada drivers – basically the engine room of the economy was affected. I am a mother and grandmother myself and I understand the pressure that women go through in order to put food on the table for their families. I am very sensitive to the struggles of the Nigerian woman. So, when granted the opportunity to serve the country as Petroleum Resources minister, I made this my first priority. Dealing with the fuel scarcity was a key issue that I resolved to address as soon as I stepped into office. Nigeria is a country that relies on access to petroleum products for businesses to thrive, for families to survive and for communities to evolve. For me it was a fundamental issue. I immediately set to the task. Several inter-ministerial committees were formed to get to the root of the matter including liaising with marketers and the unions. A few things were identified such as the process of payment to marketers as well as the improvement of the distribution and monitoring mechanisms. The Ministry of Finance is charged with addressing the payment process while the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and its parastatals tackle production, distribution and monitoring aspects. So what did you do in terms of tackling the issue of access to products? Firstly sectorial reforms were put in place, and an attempt was made to establish a uniform pricing regime across the country, which still requires task forces to be put in place to oversee its success. Secondly, an aggressive strategy was completed to build as well as refurbish over 23 Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depots across the country many of which had lain fallow for several years. This is the result of the determined efforts of the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the NNPC. The aggressive establishment of the depots occurred from Aba to Benin, from Gusau to Suleja, in an attempt to ensure a more robust delivery of products, to not only those areas but also all contingent areas. Thirdly many vandalized pipelines have been restored and expanded in addition, fuel products are now transported by rail where possible to ensure that the products get to the depots in good time to avert situations of shortage. Furthermore, NNPC now holds and maintains a 30-day stock of PMS, as part of the National Strategic Stock Reserve for products. The Ministry has also increased the flash point for DPK (kerosene) from 44 to 45 (curbing the incidences of kerosene cookers exploding) – I cannot remember the last time a kerosene cooker has exploded; implemented inspection of trucks at each NNPC Depot for cleanness (preventing contamination) and lab testing of truck samples for quality control. DPR also introduced colour coding for all trucks loading any petroleum product this means the trucks cannot be used for any other purpose apart from what it has been coded to load. Many Nigerians will attest to the fact that before now, the country has been “wet” with products with even filling stations in remote areas, able to dispense products. I also led the roll out of robust measures to identify and penalise those behind the activities of fuel adulteration as well as pipeline vandalism, in a joint effort between security agencies, the NNPC and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). The first joint meeting between the key parastatals, the Service Chiefs and Inspector General of Police took place at the Oriental Hotel. It was the first meeting of its kind in the history of the sector. So if all these measures have been put in place why has there been this crippling fuel crisis? The fuel scarcity that we see today I can only describe as the ‘fear of the unknown’ in these last few days before hand-over. It is also a backlog following the attempts by the government to stamp-out the subsidy fraud and clean the system in November 2011. Identifying and cutting out up to 92 marketers who had been round-tripping reduced the subsidy payments by about 50%. This also brought about a few delays in payment, as the investigations to identify erring marketers were robust and took time. We are faced with a situation where the marketers want this administration to pay them ALL the money they are owed before the tenure runs out on May 29. This is a difficult situation more peculiarly because this administration did not incur ALL the debt, which actually goes back 40 years. It is a rolling obligation. There has never been a time, when the debt obligations was reduced to zero it is cyclical. What the marketers are asking for is not just the outstanding amount to be paid but also for the exchange rate differential that they have incurred. This is in the light of the many conversations that are on going about deregulating the subsidy payments. The transition period is allowing the marketers to try to forestall any losses as a result of a change in regime, while this makes good business sense it is the polity that suffer. The Ministry of Finance and the presidency are giving this situation the priority it deserves. The fuel scarcity was mingled with strikes by different unions (Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) etc.) what is going on? The strike was about two things. First the union workers were demanding for salary increases at a time when the NNPC’s running cost is already extremely high. How are we going to increase salaries when we are currently looking at ways to cap expenses and more especially keep things in a consistent and clear state for the new regime that is coming into effect. Secondly, the strike by the NUPENG arm of NPDC has come about following the decision to move NPDC from a sole operator model to a joint operatorship model for some of its assets. This was done to increase the production volumes from those assets, which had remained consistently low for some time. The reason production has been low is as a result of the sheer cost that NPDC has had to bear in operating the assets. These joint venture partners that have been brought in to alleviate the cost pressure are operating under extremely stringent terms to ensure that the ownership of the assets remain with the government. The companies have also had to take out huge loans with moratoriums of up to 10 years in order to perform their activities to successfully meet the production volume expectations. So in many ways this situation can be regarded as a win-win for the government, NPDC and the JV operators, which would begin to yield great benefits for the generality of Nigerians, as the boost in volumes would inevitably lead to a boost in the nations revenue from the sector. I am sincerely pleased that the unions have come to this realization and taken into consideration the sufferings of many millions of Nigerians during the period of the fuel scarcity. It was truly a heartbreaking time for me… heartbreaking as fuel scarcity is one issue I consistently fought to avoid given its impact on women and their families as well as businesses. Yes, I am very happy that life will begin to return to normal across the country as we have the National Strategic Stock Reserve ready to be distributed across the country. Lets talk about some of the allegations that you face with regards ensuring stability of supply across the country more specifically about the debate on the subsidy. The memory of Occupy Nigeria is still distant but we see this same situation by marketers holding the country to ransom? Let me start by making the distinction that the decision as to whether subsidy payments are made or not is entirely economic and outside my purview as Ministry of Petroleum Resources. What we are responsible for is the production, distribution and marketing aspects. What we also do is give a view as to the status in terms of these 3 areas and the decision becomes an economic one from the Presidency. In terms of my direct actions in November 2011, following the high incidence of subsidy claims, with a stroke of the pen, I removed 92 throughput marketers from the PPPRA scheme because we believed that within the group were the round trippers who were causing problems for the country in term of the burgeoning levels of subsidy payments. As a consequence of this action, the amount of subsidy payments dropped by over 50%. A series of probes where kicked-off to investigate the transactions of these marketers and to begin to bring in a level of accountability and transparency into the system of subsidy payments. The lists of these marketers were also published in the local press and a series of probes ensued. The marketers had to justify their claims to the payments. This was the first ever-major cleanup of the subsidy programmes and yet again the ministry was vindicated and offending marketers are going through the legal implications of their actions. The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) was also restructured and the processes in place for the determination of subsidy payments were comprehensively reviewed. But these actions led to major push back by many with accusations of corruption against the ministry and NNPC to get us to back down. I am sure I stepped on the toes of the greedy cabals that have dominated the sector for years, upset at the change in the system. The push back has come from many other sources beyond the marketers. The funny thing is these are the same people that shout corruption the loudest but yet are unable to accept the reforms that are being put in place to make the sector more accountable so we are almost caught between a rock and hard place in the sector. [The minister at this point puts her hands on her head and sighs] In fact this is where the bane of my problems as a woman in government began. I wonder why people seem to want to put a tag of corruption against my name when all I have ever tried to do is to open the sector up for more Nigerians and make it work better for the benefit of the country. If I were corrupt would we have achieved the extent of reform that has occurred in the sector to date? Ah my brother, I have worked tirelessly to curtail the excesses while ensuring that the country remains wet with products and the sector run more efficiently. I have constantly ignored the viciousness and focused on my job. The most important point to make in terms of stability of supply is that today, marketers have a clear contract to deliver their products on specified dates. Marketers are put under strict terms to deliver products at dates specified if they miss the cut off date for delivery then their cargo goes into demurrage which in itself acts as an incentive to ensure supplies. More recently, as part of the transition activity I have instructed that all of the swap operators across the board provide detailed and clear reports about their export and import activities so that a reconciliation can be conducted and published for all Nigerians to see. These swap transactions involve extremely high volumes and huge cost obligations to banks. The contracts with these operators are very stringent indeed and delivery specifications clear. There are serious ramifications to the operators for non-delivery most especially by the banks for non-delivery this is dependent generally on the lines of credit arrangements. This is being done as part of my commitment to accountability and transparency to Nigerians. It will also put to bed the various claims in the press about different alleged practices by the operators that are being associated to me. The operators deal with the NNPC according to tight contractual agreements. All the swap operators were well vetted and passed as credible Nigerian corporations capable of executing such major stringent contracts with no room for any offences to the system. So when you have strict contracts in place and bank obligations it is surprising that mischief-makers can say that I am in league with some of these operators in acts of corruption! It shows that they have no idea how the system works and I would ask that they educate themselves before they speak. If Aiteo, or any other operator were cheating the NNPC it would be made public as the system has been reorganized to do this automatically. The publication of the reconciled transactions from the time the contracts were assigned to them will also be a testament to this commitment. Erring contractors will be made to face the legal implications of any wrongdoings that are uncovered.

PDP Leaders Who May Retire From Politics Following Buhari's Emergence

The victory of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, in the March 28 presidential election may force some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, into retirement from politics. Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP became the first incumbent Nigerian president to lose re-election after he lost to Mr. Buhari on March 28. The latter was sworn in as president on May 29. Some of the PDP leaders have given indications they would play very minimal role politically in Nigeria in the aftermath of the elections, while for others, the demystification of their relevance politically may influence their retirement. Among those that could retire or lose political relevance are Tony Anenih, Ibrahim Babangida, and Edwin Clark. Tony Anenih Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state was the first to declare that it was time to retire some “godfathers” in the PDP. According to the APC governor, recent elections have demystified the PDP leaders. One of those Mr. Oshiomhole was referring to is the immediate past chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Tony Anenih. It can be said that the governors’ prophecy has come to pass, because following Mr. Buhari’s victory, Mr. Anenih resigned as chairman of his party’s BoT. Mr. Anenih’s foray into mainstream politics can be traced back to 1981, when as the chairman of the ruling National Party of Nigeria, NPN, in the old Bendel State, he saw to the victory of Samuel Ogbemudia as governor of the state. He was also the national chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP in 1992/93 when late Moshood Abiola was elected as President in the June 12, 1993 election. In the PDP, the Esan chief was always in the thick of things whenever a need arose to “fix” an endemic problem and he has consistently delivered until recent times when he was apparently demystified, first by Mr. Oshiomhole in Edo State and finally by the 2015 general elections. Since its defeat in the 2015 general elections, leaders of the PDP hardly mention Mr. Anenih’s name as they go about trying to rebuild their party ahead the next elections. IBB Another major casualty of Mr. Buhari’s victory is former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, often referred to as IBB. The gap-toothed retired General has been a member of the PDP since inception in 1998 and has tried to run for the office of President under the platform of the party on three different occasions – 2003, 2007 and 2011. Although IBB has failed to get the ticket of the PDP each time he tried, he remained an influential member of the PDP and retained influence on persons elected on its platform. From Mr. Obasanjo to late Umaru Yar’adua and then Mr. Jonathan, all presidents elected under the PDP found it easy to “work” with IBB because he presented himself as a party member without leaning to any known faction or group within the party. When Mr. Obasanjo was in office, IBB never publicly criticized him even during the third-term debacle. He was also a confidant of President Goodluck Jonathan and sources at the State House say the President often “runs” to IBB whenever a matter was giving him “serious headache”. IBB led the coup that ousted Mr. Buhari as president in 1985 and although both men seem to have resolved their differences, the former is not expected to wield any influence on Mr. Buhari’s presidency. Edwin Clark Another prominent member of the PDP who could retire from politics is a former Federal Commissioner of Information, Edwin Clark. Apart from the fact that age is not on the side of the Ijaw chief, who is over 80 years already, his fanatical support of the candidature of Mr. Jonathan means that for him it was all or nothing. Tom Ikimi Unless he decides to retrace his steps to the APC, a party he helped form, former National Chairman of the defunct National Republican Convention, NRC, Tom Ikimi, may have seen his best days in politics. Mr. Ikimi was the chairman of the merger planning committee when the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, decided to dissolve and form the APC. He even hosted most of the meetings of the group in his personal residence in Abuja. However, he parted ways with the APC after failing to get the nod of the party to emerge as the national chairman. He subsequently rejoined the PDP, but has been quiet since then. The outspoken former Minister of Foreign Affairs is not likely to be relevant politically unless he returns to the APC. Tanko Yakassai At a period most of the leaders of the north turned their back on ex-president Jonathan, the controversial Kano politician, Tanko Yakassai, chose to support his re-election bid. To achieve his aim, Mr. Yakassai sought to break the ranks of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, who had been acting as the platform to aggregate the position of northern elders on national issues, by forming the Northern Elders Council, NEC. Mr. Yakassai has been in politics since the first republic as a member of the radical group, Northern Elements Progressive Union, NEPU. However, Mr. Buhari’s emergence coupled with Mr. Yakassai’s age could mean the latter could cease to be relevant politically. Ibrahim Shekarau The immediate past Minister of Education and former governor of Kano State successful broke the jinx of failure to win a second term in the state when he won re-election in 2007 under the ANPP. Mr. Shekarau became governor in his fist attempt largely on the back of the popularity of Mr. Buhari who was the ANPP presidential candidate in 2003. However, he fell out with Mr. Buhari and was one of the people who forced the president to leave the ANPP and form his own party, the CPC. The former governor and Mr. Buhari again found themselves on the same side in the APC after he chaired ANPP’s merger committee and played a prominent role in the formation of the new party. However, problems arose for Mr. Shekarau after Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and four other governors dumped the PDP and joined the APC in 2013. With Mr. Kwankwaso’s arrival to the APC and instantly becoming the leader of the party in Kano, Mr. Shekarau found it difficult to stay and moved in opposite direction to the PDP which saw him picking a ministerial slot from the state. Apart from the PDP’s loss in the presidential election in the state, Mr. Shekarau’s preferred governorship candidate, Sagir Takai, lost his bid to be Kano governor in the last election. The swearing-in of Mr. Buhari on Friday may be the final nail to Mr. Shekarau’s political coffin, unless he chooses to return to the APC. Bamanga Tukur Bamanga Tukur is one of the founding members of the PDP and was elected its national chairman in 2012. He was, however, forced to resign from office after he fell out with most of the PDP governors who found his style autocratic. His feud with the governors led to the departure of the famous five governors who eventually found themselves in the APC. Political commentators often ascribe the defection of the five governors as one of the strongest reasons why PDP lost the 2015 election. By the time the next election holds in 2019, Mr. Tukur would be 84 years old and opposition politics is expected to be the last thing occupying his time. Alex Ekwueme The former Vice President in the Second Republic is also one of the founders of the PDP. Although often sidelined in the affairs of the party, its leaders at various times run to the octogenarian whenever they fail to overcome one crisis or another. With the failure of the PDP in the last election, Mr. Ekwueme is effectively shut out of national politics and is expected to retire from active politics

Afdb: Okonjo Iweala Behind My Success, Saysb Adeshina

Afdb: Okonjo-iweala Behind My Success, Says Adesina

Dr Akinwumi Adesina, president-elect, Africa Development Bank (AfDB) has credited his success at the poll to the tireless work of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s Finance Minister. In a statement issued on Sunday, Adesina thanked outgoing president, Goodluck Jonathan and the newly sworn in president, Muhammadu Buhari but showered special encomium on Okonjo-Iweala. “I would like to specially thank Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for her vital role and tremendous effort in delivering this successful outcome. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, as Nigeria’s Finance Minister, worked passionately for our campaign, and our success would have been impossible without her tireless work shepherding support among many of the esteemed Finance Ministers and Governors at the AfDB. He then thanked all those involved in the process for electing him. “I am deeply humbled and honoured to have been entrusted with the great responsibility of leading the African Development Bank (AfDB) at a time that presents such great opportunities and also profound challenges for our continent. “The AfDB campaign and election has been an incredible experience, and I am grateful to all those who supported me along the way and to each and every person with whom I’ve met and exchanged ideas and hopes for inclusive economic growth on our continent throughout this process. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria's Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s Finance Minister “I am thankful to have been given the chance to travel to so many parts of the continent – small states, fragile states, and large states across Africa – to feel the pulse of African leaders and peoples. I met with young people and women – Africa’s greatest assets, with small- and medium-sized enterprises, and with Africa’s business leaders. From rural areas to burgeoning cities, I saw vast opportunities for a greater and more inclusive Africa. I am hopeful and excited about the prospect of building on the great work of President Donald Kaberuka at the AfDB,” he said. Adding that: “Together, we can build a stronger and more prosperous Africa, with smart infrastructure, energy for all, a strong private sector, new economic opportunities that will deliver quality jobs and hope for millions of youths and women, revival of Africa’s rural economies to lift many out of poverty, and regional integration for shared prosperity. “The shareholders of the AfDB from African and non-African countries gave strong support, for which I am deeply grateful. Together, we will build a new Africa with inclusive and green growth. “I commend all my colleagues who contested for the position, their countries, and supporters. They conducted great campaigns. They are all great assets to Africa. I am truly humbled by the support of many Presidents across every region of Africa. Africa is my home.” “I would like to give my special thanks to a few people in particular without whom this success would not have been possible: former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for his nominating me, his confidence, and his steadfast, enthusiastic support; President Muhammadu Buhari for his strong endorsement and rallying support for us.” “Our leaders rallied behind us in a historic display of unity of purpose and common commitment. I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon, former Vice President Namadi Sambo, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who worked determinedly to build support behind my candidacy among African leaders.” “I would especially like to thank all the people of Africa for your prayers, your well- wishes, and your belief in me. I am truly humbled by the outpouring of support I have received from all across the continent. I promise to work hard with all African governments to deliver more inclusive economic growth across our beautiful continent,” the statement read.

How Central Bank Officials Defrauded Nigeria Of N8 Billion – EFCC

Top officials of the Nigeria Central Bank, CBN, colluded with officials of private banks to defraud the country of about N8 billion, an anti-graft agency has said. The EFCC said on Sunday that it is ready to prosecute Patience Okoro Eye, Afolabi Olufemi, Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Muniru Adeola, Fatai Yusuf Adekunle, and Ilori Adekunle Sunday, all top officials of the Central Bank from various states, after concluding its investigations. Officials of private banks who colluded with the Central Bank officials will also be prosecuted, the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, stated in a statement. The scam involved the “theft and recirculation of defaced and mutilated currencies,” the anti-graft agency stated.The officials are set to be arraigned on Tuesday. Read the full statement below: EFCC To Arraign Six CBN Big Wigs,16 Others for N8billion Currency Fraud June 2 The Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC has concluded arrangement to arraign in court, five top executives of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, implicated in a mega scam involving the theft and recirculation of defaced and mutilated currencies. The suspects drawn from various business units of the apex bank are to be docked by the anti-graft agency before a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, from Tuesday June 2, 2015 to Thursday June 4, 2015. They include Patience Okoro Eye( Abuja) , Afolabi Olufemi( Lagos), Kolawole Babalola (Ibadan), Olaniran Muniru Adeola (Ibadan), Fatai Yusuf, Adekunle (Head, Security, CBN, (Ibadan) and Ilori Adekunle Sunday,(Akure). The remaining sixteen suspects are drawn from various commercial banks who were found to have conspired with the CBN executives to swing the heist. All the suspects who are currently in the custody of the EFCC are now ruing the day they literally allowed greed and craze for materialism to be loud their sense of judgement and responsibility, when they elected to help themselves to tones of defaced Naira notes. Instead of carrying out the statutory instruction to destroy the currency, they substituted it with newspapers neatly cut to Naira sizes and proceeded to recycle the defaced and mutilated currency. The fraud is partly to blame for the failure of government monetary policy over the years as currency mop up exercises by the apex bank failed to check the inflationary pressure on the economy. The lid on the scam which is widely suspected to have gone on unchecked for years, was blown on November 3, 2014 via a petition to the EFCC alleging that over N6, 575, 549, 370.00( Six Billion, Five Hundred and Seventy-Five Million, Five-Hundred and Forty-Nine Thousand, Three Hundred and Seventy Naira) was cornered and discreetly recycled by light manipulated top executives of the CBN at the Ibadan branch. The suspects, who were members of the Briquetting Panel, plotted their way to infamy on September 8, 2014, while carrying out a Briquetting exercise at the CBN Branch, Ibadan. In banking parlance, Briquetting is disintegration and destruction of counted and audited dirty notes. By this practice, depositor banks usually take mutilated notes to the CBN in exchange for fresh notes equivalent of the amount deposited. The depositor banks in this instance are Zenith Bank, FCMB, Wema Bank, Access Bank, First Bank, Skye Bank, Ecobank and Sterling Bank. But while carrying out the assignment, the team were alleged to have found one of the currency boxes filled only with old newspapers rather than 20 bundles of N1000 notes. A similar case, according to investigation, had been discovered on September 22, 2014 when a box that was supposed to contain N500 notes to the tune of N5billion was filled with old newspapers. Unlike in the past, this fraud could not be swept under the carpet, as a member of the Briquetting Panel from the Osogbo branch blew the lid on the illicit deal. In a statement, the informant stated that the exercise was designed to last between August 4 and 8, 2014. The 35-year-old, however, stated that she discovered a strange ‘sight’ while opening the third box on the second day of the exercise. It was a discovery that beat her ken. She added that she confronted the other members of the panel, including Eye, Head, Briquetting Panel; Treasury Assistant; Coordinator and Head, Security, CBN, Ibadan, who all assured her that they would look into it. But she later found out that it was all a ruse. She said she later found out that Eye not only maintained sealed lips over the matter but omitted it from her report. A five-count charge awaits the suspects as they prepare to face the wrath of the law.

Kindly Disregard Any Announcement Of SGF Or Any Other Position For Now

Kindly disregard any announcement of SGF or any other position for now. any such appointment will be made through official channels. I can authoritatively confirm no appointment yet

8 Mst Dangerous Prayer Lines

8 Most Dangerous Prayer Lines

There are different forms of Christian prayer, but whether you have a set prayer time or seek to communicate with God throughout the day (or some combination of both), here are 10 Christian prayers that are extremely dangerous to pray. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pray them … we should! It just means that when we pray them, we should watch out! 1. Teach me humility. After you pray this Christian prayer for humility, be ready for people to badmouth you, slander you, and drag your name through the mud. If you pray for humility, be ready for false accusations, for that “skeleton in the closet” to be revealed, or for people to belittle you and talk down to you as if you were inferior. The only way to learn humility is to be placed in humbling situations, so if you pray for humility, be ready! 2. Teach me patience. If you pray for patience, get ready to be surrounded by the most annoying people you have ever met. Get ready for your car to break down when you are late for an appointment. Get ready for your children to go bonkers. Get ready for prayers to not get answered. Get ready for setbacks, roadblocks, and pitfalls. Just like with all the other Christian prayers on this list, God teaches us patience by taking us through trying times. 3. Lead me wherever you want me to go. One way this Christian prayer is often prayed is with the words, “Here I am, Lord, send me.” Usually when we pray this Christian prayer, we think that God is going to send us into high profile ministry positions, places of honor and glory, and opportunities to be heard. This is why ministry leaders almost never “feel the leading of God” to go to smaller ministries and places of lesser significance. God always seems to “call” pastors and ministry professionals to bigger churches, richer ministries, and positions with greater power. While I do not deny that God sometimes leads people in these directions, I think that more often than not, God wants to lead us downward, but we refuse to go. Of course, this does not mean that we will stay in the gutter if God leads us there. God may very well lift us up out of the gutter to a place of prominence, but when He does so, He gets the glory instead of us. That’s why this is such a dangerous Christian prayer. We want to be used by God for great things in His kingdom, but God’s path to greatness usually does not mirror what we had in mind. God’s path to greatness usually leads to prison, death, and the gates of hell. Also (and this fits with #1 above), when we pray this prayer, we will often be faced with a choice between two ministry positions, one that leads to honor, glory, and fame, and one that leads to obscurity and insignificance. Though the temptation is to choose glory and honor, such decisions may actually be a choice to follow Jesus downward into humility. I once heard Francis Schaeffer say in an interview that if given the choice between two ministry positions, we should choose the one with less fame and glory. 4. Help me understand the plight of the poor. This Christian prayer is like asking God to make you poor. Yikes! How can you understand the plight of the poor unless you become poor yourself?! So do you like your nice house, your two cars, your steak dinners, and your Caribbean vacations? Don’t ask God to help you understand the plight of the poor. 5. Make me more like Jesus. In one way or another, this has been a constant life prayer of mine. A couple years back, I realized that this prayer ruined my life. I had my life all figure out, and it was all going according to my perfect plan. Then I started praying this prayer. Before long, all my hopes and dreams lay shattered around my feet. I often tried to pick up the pieces and glue everything back together, but God would come through with His baseball bat and smash it all to hell (almost literally… all of my plans and dreams deserved nothing more). When you pray to be like Jesus, God will begin to break down, burn away, and slough off anything and everything in your life that does not look like Jesus. This sounds nice until you begin to experience it. The purification of our life may be with God’s refining fire, but it sill burns!. 6. Give me more faith. Christians like our beliefs in nice, neat packages. But life is not like that, and neither is life with God. When Christians pray for God to give us more faith, we are likely to enter into some of the difficult and doubt-filled times of our lives. You will begin to question everything you have never known and everything you have ever believed. You may even begin to doubt God’s goodness and maybe even His existence. This is not bad. Embrace the doubts. Understand that if what you believe it true, it can stand up against all questions. Truth does not fear a challenge. There is no other way for your faith to grow than for your faith to be tested. 7. Give me victory over sin and temptation. How do you think victory comes, except through ever-increasing cycles of temptation? Sure, God does not send the temptations, and He never allows us to be tempted with more than we can bear, but if we pray for God to give us victory over sin and temptation, this is the same thing as asking God to strengthen us so that we can stand up under greater and greater temptations! So if you pray this Christian prayer, be ready for an onslaught of all the wiles of the devil. 8. Please help my annoying neighbor/ coworker come to Christ. This is a great Christian prayer. Except guess how God is going to help your annoying neighbor or coworker come to Christ? That’s right. He’s going to use you. I once heard a story of a Bible study group who decided to make a prayer list of all the people they “disliked” the most, and then pray for these people every week as part of the Bible study. Over the course of the next ten years, all but one of the people on that list became believers, and almost all of them became Christians because the members of that Bible study showed grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness to these “annoying” people. If you are going to pray for someone, be prepared to answer your own prayers.

5 Unsafe And Deadly Acts You Must Stop Doing While Using Your Tech Gadgets!!!

As the saying goes that beauty is in the eyes of a beholder, me I am saying that safety too is also in the eyes and hands of the beholder. There are certain unsafe practices that many of you often indulge in while making use of your tech gadgets that you must stop now, and here are they; 1. Using of Power Banks while plugged into an AC outlet You might have heard or read about the recent incidence that is currently breaking the internet on how a Ghanaian girl was electrocuted while using a power bank – and this was how it all happened; According to sources, the Ghanaian was making use of her Power Bank that was plugged into an AC outlet, and she did so to enable the Power Bank to charge up when power is restored. On the cause of using the power bank, she felt asleep and slept off while having the power bank on her chest. Then unfortunately power was restored and there was a surge in voltage and heavy current flowed into the power bank and she was electrocuted by the power bank stocked on her cleavage. Now this is an eye opener for all, that apart from this ugly incidence, it is totally unsafe to plug a power bank and still be using the power bank at the same time. 2. Plugging a phone and using the phone at the same time to be making/receiving call[ Many of you are also guilty of this particular act, and you should desist from it completely – similar case as the one above has been reported in the past where the victim plugged his phone and was making a call. The precautionary measure here is that when you plug your phone and want to use it to make/receive call, you should unplug the phone completely before using and then after making/receiving your calls you can then plug it back and leave it to charge. 3.Making use of your laptop directly on your lap close to your manhood/womanhood In as much as it is regarded as laptop, it doesn’t necessary mean that you should be using it on your lap in the manner that can endanger your health. Always avoid placing laptops directly without shield on your lap and more so keeping it very close to your manhood. The heat generated by your laptop on prolong usage can damage your manhood when you place it directly on your lap. Better still for convenience, you can easily place your laptop on a desk and if you must place it on your lap then you should be mindful of the proximity to your manhood/womanhood. 4. Putting your phone on loudspeaker while making use of it very close to your ear in making/receiving calls If you must make use of your phone on loudspeaker then you should avoid placing it very close to your ear. Sometimes there could be a surge in sound while making use of your phone on loudspeaker and the sound could come out loud enough to cause deafness. 5. Placing and making use of laptop on a bed Some of you are also guilty of this; you make use of your laptop while placing it on bed. This time around for the safety of your gadget, you should avoid this act totally. Your bed can easily block the vent of your laptop causing it to overheat and unlike when you place it on flat plane surface. Finally safety measures are important things you should always have at the back of your mind and not even only when making use of your tech gadgets but also in all ramifications of life. By so doing, you end up prolonging your life, equipment/gadgets and keeping a better environment.

Boko Haram Raids Towns,Steals Foodstuffs.

The Chairman of Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State, Alhaji Baba Abare, on Sunday told journalists that the Boko Haram sect attacked two Yobe towns, Fika and Ngalda, on Saturday. Abare said the militants shot sporadically at the two towns to scare away people so as to have ample opportunity to loot. He explained that the major targets of the militants were shops in which they looted several food items as well as beverages, saying, however, that no life was loss during the attack. Fika is about 150 kilometres west of Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, and shares boundary with Gombe State to the south. A resident of the area, Ibrahim Mohammed, who spoke on the telephone, said the terrorists first launched an attack on Ngalda, which is the Yobe/Gombe border town. He said they proceeded from Ngalda to Fika town, the headquarters of Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State. Mohammed said during the assault on Fika, the terrorists burnt down the local government secretariat, the magistrate court and the Divisional Police station. A policeman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to our correspondent, said the attackers invaded the two towns between 7.30 and 9am, looting several shops and cart away with several food items. He added that the militants stormed the areas in two Toyota Hilux vans and took away several motorcycles, which they stole in the area. The Yobe State Police Commissioner, Mr. Markus Danladi, declined to comment on the attack, saying the Military Joint Task Force was the only body that was authorised to speak on such matter. Fika and Ngalda communities have suffered several cases of Boko Haram attacks since the commencement of the sect’s violence campaign as the communities also share boundaries with Gujba and Gulani LGAs, which under the captivity of the militant group for so long before it was liberated few months back by federal troop

Buhari & Osibanjo Must Declare Their Assets Publicly__SERAP

By Abdulwahab Abdulah

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have been urged to declare their assets publicly in line with their promises for transparency and accountability.

In a statement issued by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and signed by its executive director, Tokunbo Mumuni, it stated that this will indicate their desire and commitment to end corruption in the country.

Already the President and Vice President have declared their assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau as required by the Constitution but not doing so publicly in line with their promises.

Mumuni said, “We welcome the official declaration of assets by the President and Vice President. This clearly complies with the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution as contained in Chapter VI Section 140. However, the declaration before the Code of Conduct alone falls far short of the commitment to publicly declare their assets.”

“SERAP recalls that the President had said before the election that he would publicly declare his assets and liabilities, and encourage all his appointees to publicly declare their assets and liabilities as a pre-condition for appointment. We now expect the President to fulfil this promise to the Nigerian people,” the organisation said.
OFFICIAL PORTRAITS OF BUHARI, OSINBAJO

OFFICIAL PORTRAITS OF BUHARI, OSINBAJO

It added, “SERAP trusts that the President and Vice President will move swiftly to publicly declare their assets and to publish widely the information on a dedicated website.”

“Public disclosure of assets will give the general public a true picture of the assets of the President and Vice President and will send a powerful message that it is not going to be business as usual with this government. This will also follow the best practice by former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, boost this government’s fight against corruption and impunity of perpetrators, and fully comply with the provisions of chapter two of the dealing with Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, which among others require the government to take steps to eradicate corrupt practices and the abuse of power.”

It also called on the President to urgently take measures to seek amendment of the law relating to declaration of assets to include the requirement of public disclosure so as to bring it in line with international standards and best practices such as the UN Convention against Corruption.
 

Talk Around The World: AMBODE Creates Ministry Of Employment,Two Other Of...

Talk Around The World: AMBODE Creates Ministry Of Employment,Two Other Of...: OUTGOING Governor of LagosState, Babatunde Fashwola, yesterday, handed over the administration of the state to Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, as th...

Talk Around The World: AMBODE Creates Ministry Of Employment,Two Other Of...

Talk Around The World: AMBODE Creates Ministry Of Employment,Two Other Of...: OUTGOING Governor of LagosState, Babatunde Fashwola, yesterday, handed over the administration of the state to Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, as th...

Fayose Hails Buhari's Inaugural Speech

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has hailed the inaugural speech of President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as a sign that the president is ready to serve all Nigerians, not minding their political affiliation. The governor said, “The content of the president’s speech showed a man who is desirous of making a success of his administration.” According to the statement issued by the governor’s Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor also hailed the immediate past president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, describing him as a good democrat. The governor said; “Nigerians, including those who voted and did not vote for President Buhari were eagerly waiting for his inaugural speech. “The speech, if followed in practice shows that he is ready to govern Nigeria. It is a sign that the President is ready to live above board and lead a government that accommodates all. “It is my prayer that the Almighty Allah will grant our President the courage and wherewithal to make a success of his administration and further deepen democratic governance, especially in a confederation like Nigeria by sustaining the rule of law.” Speaking further, Governor Fayose, who urged the president to make sure that his name was not used surreptitiously by anyone to muscle the opposition, added that as the President of Nigeria, he had the constitutional duty to protect all Nigerians, not minding the political party they belong to. While praising former President Goodluck Jonathan for his love for peace and progress of the country, Governor Fayose said; “With what Dr. Goodluck Jonathan did, history will never forget him as the man who laid an enduring foundation for democracy in Nigeria.” He said Friday’s event midwifed by Dr. Jonathan and President Buhari proved to the whole world that the black people of Africa were capable of piloting their own affairs. www.punchng.com/news/fayose-hails-buharis-inaugural-speech/

100 Days From Today:What NIgerians Expects From Buhari

Governor Nasiru El-Rufa’i of Kaduna State, on Friday said he would forfeit 50 per cent of his salary pending when the financial situation of the state improves. The governor stated this in his inaugural address, after he was sworn-in by the state Chief Judge, Justice Tanimu Zailani in Kaduna. He said that the pay cut would also affect the Deputy Governor, Mr Barnabas Bala. El-Rufa’i also declared that the administration would “guarantee free and compulsory basic education for every child up to JS3, regardless of gender, religion or ethnicity.” He said that in spite of the challenges facing the state, the administration would also “focus on jobs, security, education, and healthcare.” “The fact is that today Kaduna State cannot meet its obligations without handouts from the federal government. “We cannot comfortably pay salaries of our teachers and nurses and civil servants. And after struggling to pay salaries, we can do little else. “We cannot fix the schools, help our farmers, repair our roads, or treat the sick. We have arrived at a dead end. The patient is sick, and it needs radical therapy.” El-Rufa’i said the situation demanded for “difficult decisions”, adding that political office holders must sacrifice the comfort of their offices for the greater good of all. “In recognition of the difficult challenges we face, our deputy Governor and I have concluded that the sacrifices that change requires must begin with us. “We have decided to take a pay cut and donate 50 percent of our salaries and allowances, until our fiscal situation improves. “We understand that leadership by example is the most persuasive way to demand sacrifices from all of us as citizens. “We pledge to avoid ostentation and foolish bigmanism, and to value transparency, modesty and accountability. “We will obey the same rules that we demand of all of you; After all, the law is the difference between civilization and anarchy. “We submit ourselves to the principle that all are equal before the Law.” On security, the governor said he would work with law enforcement officials to drastically reduce violent crime in the state including “communal violence, cattle-rustling and armed robbery.” “We will reform the administration of justice to ensure speedy conclusion of cases and send a clear message that there will be sanctions for unlawful conduct.” He therefore solicited for maximum support from the people of the state to enable the administration deliver on its promises. “Four years from now, by the grace of God and the active support of you all, we will all be able to say that the leaders in whose care you have placed your affairs today have given their all for the brighter future that we all seek http://dailypost.ng/2015/05/29/el-rufai-deputy-to-forfeit-50-per-cent-salary/

AMBODE Creates Ministry Of Employment,Two Other Offices In Lagos

OUTGOING Governor of LagosState, Babatunde Fashwola, yesterday, handed over the administration of the state to Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, as the 8th elected governor of the state alongwith his deputy, Dr Oluranti Adebule at a colourful and well attended inauguration and swearing-in ceremony, held at TafawaBalewa Square, TBS, Lagos Island.

The dignitaries at the ceremony were former governors of the state; Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Rear Admiral Nduisi Kanu while former deputy governorsin attendance were; Mr. Femi Pedro and Adebisi Sosan.

Also Senator GbengaAshafa, Senator Remi Tinubu and Senator Solomon Adeola, Oba of Lagos Rilwanu Akiolu, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Captainsof Industries, state lawmakers, All Progressives Congress, APC, stalwarts, members of trade associations, students among otherswere in attendance.

Ambode, decked in white attire (Agabada) with a red cap to match, was sworn in by the Chief Judge of Lagos, Justice Funmilayo Atilade, at about 11.25am

Ambode:

Ambode’s deputy, Mrs. Oluranti Adebule, had been sworn in at about 11.19am by Atilade.

The governor, after inspecting the guard of parade mounted by members of the Nigeria Police Force, said, “As we collectively face the challenge to make Lagos abetter place to live in, we must recognize our strength in diversity. A common national identity where everybodycounts. I shall run an open government of inclusion that will not leave anyone behind. No matter your age, sex, tribe or any other Status, as long as you reside in Lagos, we will make Lagos work for you.

“I want to assure all of usthat I will make your taxes work for you. You will surely get a transparent and incorru-ptible government that will give you good value for your taxes paid.

“We shall embark on continuous reforms in the public service. I am determined to demonstrate that the government belongs to the citizens. You have put us here as servants to serve you and not you servingus. Today we are committed to that creed.Moving forward, the Civil Service will be strengthened and made to respond to the needs of all citizens in the same manner, quality services are rendered in the private sector.

Creation of new ministry, offices

Highpoint of the inaugural speech which attracted ovation from the crowd was the announcement by the newly sworn in governor of the creation of a new ministry and two offices.

According to Ambode “I want to assure the business community and corporate Lagos that the ease of doing businessin Lagos will be improved upon earnestly. Lagos is open for greater business.

To this end, a new Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment (LAGOS GLOBAL) shall be created under the Governor’s Office.

“We want you to fly into Lagos, start your business, find your way, live, work and enjoy in Lagos.

“As part of our reforms, a new Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment shall be established. This would specifically address the promise I made during the campaign on employment trust fund, labour exchange and entrepreneurship. This goal, we shall pursue vigorously.

“Allso, the Office of Civic Engagement shall be created under the Deputy Governor’s Office to strengthen and enhance our promise on government of inclusion. Everyone must have a voice in my administration.”

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/ambode-creates-ministry-of-employment-two-other-offices-in-lagos/

Fashola's Tenure, A Failure _PDP

 

The Peoples Democratic Party has described the performance of former Governor of Lagos, Babatunde Fashola, as dismal. The Lagos chapter of the party on Friday alleged that the administration of Fashola was largely based on propaganda. But in a swift reaction, Fashola’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, described the party’s statement as amusing. The PDP, however, admonished his successor, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, to govern the state with the fear of God in order to move the state out of its “make-belief” situation. In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Taofik Gani, the party stated that it did not expect Ambode to act differently in terms of running his administration based on propaganda. Gani said, “While we hope the best for Lagos State, it is our objective projection that Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode may not depart from the propagandist government now institutionalised in the state by Governor Fashola.” The PDP said Ambode should avoid the entrapment of ‘godfatherism’ for the Lagos State to prosper. The statement said, “It is, however, our wish that the state prospers and so we admonish Ambode to get close to God and jettison ‘godfatherism’ in order to make any appreciable success. By upholding this tenet, Mr. Ambode will implement policies for the people and not continue in the manner that (suggests) the state economy is in the hands of a godfather. “With monthly internally generated revenue of at least N27bn, no governor should fail in Lagos state. But former Governor Fashola left office leaving the state with the highest local and international debt profile in the federation. The former governor failed because of his over-dependence on a godfather and his own self-believe.” According to the Lagos PDP, there are many projects and policies abandoned by the Fashola administration. “Such include, lack of affordable low-cost housing, balkanised civil service with no minimum wage, unresolved Lagos State University crisis, economic and human rights violations. Others are shortage of road networks, hostile business environment, inability to bring down cost of living in the state, poor primary and secondary education standard, to mention a few,” the statement added. The party expressed confidence that through the ongoing governorship tribunal, its candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, might be declared the winner of the April 11, 2015 poll. In a text message sent to our correspondent in response to PDP’s assessment of Fashola’s tenure, Bello said, “It’s ironic that the PDP, a party that failed woefully at the national level could issue such a statement.” Also responding through a text message, the Lagos All Progressives Congress Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, said that the party should not be taken seriously. “Are you still listening to that dead party? Please stop wasting your precious gift of time on this totally irredeemable party that destroyed Nigeria. Did PDP in Abuja accomplish half of what Fashola accomplished in Lagos given the resources at their disposal? PDP Lagos should shut up forever in Nigeria. They gang- raped Nigeria for 16 years and posterity will never forgive them,” Igbokwe told Saturday PUNCH.

First Lady,Aisha Buhari Closes Beauty Parlour

Soft-spoken but extremely eloquent, there are many things that make Aisha Buhari, wife of Nigeria’s new president thick. Blessed with an infectious smile; many, often as a result of her warm disposition, underrate the power that lies in her.

Though, only soaring in popularity in recent months especially in the build up to the March 28 presidential elections where her husband, Muhammadu, a retired military general and former Head of State, coasted to an overwhelming victory, Aisha has always been a known face especially among people who seek to pamper their bodies. The First Lady, until recently, owned one of the biggest spas and beauty institute in the country. Situated along Camp Road, a high brow area of Ungwan-Rimi Government Residential Area in Kaduna State, Hanzy Spa and Hanzy Beauty Institute was always a beehive of activities all week long. It is the first beauty institute in Northern Nigeria and is a National Board of Technical Education accredited vocational training centre and registered by the Ministry of Education with the aim of exploring the untapped wealth in the emerging beauty industry.

However, since the victory of her husband in late March before his swearing-in in Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Friday, Aisha has since closed down the beauty parlour to take up the new role of Nigeria’s First Lady. The spa and beauty institute patronised by individuals across class, was sighted close to the private residence of the immediate past Vice President, Namadi Sambo. The institute was consulted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation/Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company to help train individuals under its Youth Empowerment and Skill Acquisition Programme.

But as popular and strategically-placed as the spa and beauty institute was, not many knew Aisha was the brains behind it. Like her more popular husband who is famed for shying away from limelight and prefers to stay at the background most of the time, she operated the business only as a professional and not as wife of a former Head of State at the time. Many clients, who visited the place and also came across her, attested to how simple and impressive at customers’ relations she was.

But Aisha didn’t just venture into the business of pampering people’s skin and bodies – she worked very hard to learn the tricks of the business and how to succeed in it. A trained esthetician who obtained a diploma in Beauty Therapy from the Carlton Institute of Beauty Therapy, Windsor, United Kingdom and a certificate course from the French Beauty School, Esthetique Academie Dubai, she is a member of the United Kingdom’s Vocational Training and Charitable Trust and the International Health and Beauty Council.

In an interview she granted Thisday Style last year, the beautiful Adamawa State-born mother of five said: “I’m a very busy person who does her things quietly. I keep to my profession as an esthetician, managing my spa and beauty institute both in Kaduna and Abuja. I also personally perform some advanced facial treatments like mesotherapy, gold facial and application of TCA etc. I have a number of documentations on my experience in this area including writing a book titled “The Essentials of Beauty Therapy.”

Though, now saddled with the bigger responsibility of giving her ageing husband the needed moral and emotional support required to bring massive transformation in a country craving for change, Aisha’s training and experience as a beauty expert could come to bear in the colouration of things within her control in the coming weeks. For neighbours close to the First Lady’s now closed beauty institute, they would miss the atmosphere she brought to the area.

 

Heavy Explosions ,Gunshots Rocks Maiduguri

BY NDAHI MARAMA, MAIDUGURI The heavy explosions from Rocket Propelled Launchers and grenade with sporadic gunfire that rocked the city of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, left four residents dead, several others injured and houses destroyed. The attack, coming barely 12 hours after the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari and other elected state governors, was carried out by suspected terrorists at about 12:30am, Saturday in an attempt to invade Maiduguri, a situation that led to exchange of fire between them and troops of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army. Sources said, “the terrorists after realising the heavy fire power from troops, started firing their rocket Launchers into the city, which led to the killing of a taxi driver, Mallam Bukar around Borehole area of Gomari airport of Maiduguri metropolis, while the three other residents died at different locations”.

Nigeria U-20 World Cup On June 12,2015

In Brazil, the Flying Eagles face their stiffest opposition in the group stages. The Brazilian side is lacking in confidence having qualified for the mundial by finishing 4th at the Sudamericano Sub-20 tournament in Uruguay. After some stern and rather uncomplimentary words from Jose Maria Marin, the president of the Brazilian Football confederation (CFB), Coach Alexandre Gallos and his charges will be heading to Kiwi Land to try to prove a point.

Adopting a rather cautious approach this time round, Galos dropped all players he labeled as inexperienced and not lacking clear carrier paths, opting for a more experienced personnel. The Nigerian technical team would want to keep an eye in the heart of midfield where Manchester United’s Andreas Pereira and Atletico Paranaense’s Marcos Guilherme will be pitching their camps and firing ammunition at the Nigerian defense, while Real Madrid’s Jean Carlos and Fluminense little magician Kenedy will be sniffing around for mistakes from the backline and hoping to duly exact justice.


Date 01 june 2015

Time-2:00am

Venue- Taranki Stadium in Plymouth, New Zealand.

Star players to watch- Ihenacho, Awoniyi Sokari
Jean Carlos and Kenedy

Stable Power Supply Underway,Says President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari says careful studies are already under way to identify the quickest , safest and cost- effective way to bring light and relief to Nigerians . Buhari made the remark in his inaugural speech on Friday in Abuja shortly after taking the oath office. According to him, no single cause can be identified to explain Nigerian ’ s poor economic performance over the years than the power situation. “It is a national shame that Nigeria spent close to 20 billion dollars on power in 16 years only generate 4 ,000 MW of electricity. “It is a national shame that an economy of 180 million generates only 4 ,000 MW , and distributes even less . “Continuous tinkering with the structures of power supply and distribution and close to $20 billion expanded since 1999 have only brought darkness, frustration , misery, and resignation among Nigerians . “We will not allow this to go on. “We intend to attack the problem frontally through revival of agriculture , solid minerals mining as well as credits to small and medium size businesses to kick – start these enterprises . “We shall quickly examine the best way to revive major industries and accelerate the revival and development of our railways , roads and general infrastructure,” he said . The president said that careful studies are under way during this transition to identify the quickest , safest and most cost- effective way to bring light and relief to Nigerians . Buhari promised to ensure that there is responsible and accountable governance at all levels of government in the country

I Submitted Onu's Name For SGF_Okorocha

Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has denied having any faceoff with a former Governor of Abia State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, over the choice of who becomes the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Okorocha cleared the air while addressing journalists at the Government House Owerri on Friday, adding that he has good relationship with Onu and that Onu’s name was among the three he submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for consideration for the office of the SGF. He said: “When Ndigbo lost the chance to produce the Senate President or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, which was initially zoned to the South-East, we then brought the idea of the SGF, I nominated Onu, Senator Chris Ngige and Prof. Anthony Anwuka (Secretary to Imo State Government). But this was before Buhari said he was not going to take any list from any governor.” He declared that his second term in office will see him carry out comprehensive review of his administration’s policies to enable it serve people of the state better. He, however, warned that the review may not go down well with the people. “I may have to carry out certain decisions that the people may not like but I have to do it because of passion for good service to the people,” he said. The governor asserted that it was not in the best interest of the people that major roads and streets in the state were covered by offensive refuse dumps, illegal motor parks, and street traders. To this end, he insisted that his administration would inevitably step on some toes in order to restore the state to her premier position as the cleanest state in the federation through the relocating of road side mechanics, street traders and car dealers to conducive places of operation. Okorocha posited that although he had won the affection of the people, he would not mind adopting any policy that would be tailored towards uplifting the well being of the people. He, however, noted that his administration would in this second term emphasize more on building of industries and creation of job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths. While debunking speculation in some quarters that he would soon abolish his “Free Education Programmme,” he stressed that the gesture was sacrosanct and not negotiable. The returned governor noted that the introduction of the Free Education Programme had tremendously assisted to reduce insecurity in the state assuring that “Free Education will continue and I will embark on policy education and also ensure that state’s parastatals are either effective and perform optimally or do not exist”. Disclosing that over 50 Turkish investors would soon arrive the state to establish factories and agricultural institutions, he said that the state government on its part would create an enabling environment for investors to come into the state believing that “you must have to daggle a carrot for investors to come.” At his inauguration for a second term at the Dan Anyiam Satadium, Owerri, Okorocha promised the people of the state to expect a vibrant government that would be committed to service, stressing that he kept his campaign promises to the people in the last four years. He said: “Four years ago, I gave you my word. I told you that my word was my bond. I gave my people my word when I assured them that I would keep the citizens safe and secure within the four walls of our peace-loving state. “In two years of the Rescue Mission, kidnapping, baby factory, armed robbery, including bank robbery and other violent crimes became a thing of the past. Those crimes have been eradicated from our great land”.

CAC PSTOR PREDICTS SARAKI,GBAJABIAMILA WILL EMERGE NASS LEADERS

A cleric, Prophet Christopher Owolabi, has predicted a rapid socio-economic development for Nigeria with President Muhammadu Buhari at the helm of affairs. Owolabi, is a Prophet in-charge of the Christ Apostolic Church, (CAC) Ori- Oke-Irapada, along Omu-Aran-Ilofa Express road, Omu-Aran in Kwara. He made the prediction during a special prayer organised by the Church for peace, good governance, stability and national development for the country on Saturday. Owolabi said what the president and its team needed most was the prayer, cooperation, perseverance and support of all stakeholders to achieve the desired change. He urged Nigerians in all spheres of endeavour to learn from their past mistakes, misdeed and shortcomings by embracing righteousness and godliness. “This second coming of the newly sworn-in President Muhammadu Buhari, no doubt, is clearly a divine intervention as revealed by God to salvage Nigeria’s battered socio-economic and security. “It is only left for us as citizens and non citizen alike to be alive to our responsibilities by giving the necessary supports needed by this administration to succeed,” he said. Owolabi, who had earlier predicted the emergence of Sen. Bukola Saraki and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as the next Senate President and Speaker House of Representative respectively, said the prediction still stands. The prophet, however, said the prediction was not borne out of love for any of the aforementioned leaders. According to him, it is based on God’s interest in directing the affairs of the country at this critical period of its history as it is revealed to me. “No matter any act of political commission or omission, God is the one presently in control and directing the affairs of the country,” he said. Owolabi, who was known to have made many predictions regarding Nigeria current affairs including the emergence of Buhari and other notable governors, urged politicians to eschew corruption and other fraudulent practices. He said election of leaders in the country presently has gone beyond personalities or individuals but through a divine intervention.