Over 7 Dead as Pro-Biafra Rally Turns Bloody in Onitsha

Nigeria - What started as a peaceful rally of
the Movement for the Actualization of
State of Biafra (MASSOB) members on
Sunday in Onitsha turned bloody
following intervention of the Nigerian
Police and soldiers.

It's unclear how trouble started but
reports said soldiers and policemen shot at
the crowd.
According to reports, over 7 protesters
were shot dead during the struggle and
many others were injured.
It's believed that stray bullets hit lot of
protesters and the death toll is expected to
rise.

Source. Nigerian Bulletin .

Re-run of Delta governorship election likely

The overwhelming evidence emanating from the Delta
Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Asaba, the Delta State
capital, seems to indicate that a possible re-run may be the
last option for the choice of who takes over the soul of
Delta, one of the most politically volatile states in the
country. The election which was conducted on April 11,
2015 and produced former Senator Ifeanyi Okowa of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner is being
challenged by the candidates of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and Labour
Party, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru.
Ordinarily, Emerhor, whose party now rules at the
Presidency, cannot lay claim to victory at the polls, even
Great Ogboru who won in four local government areas going
by the results released by the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), and has been a champion in the
tribunal war since the days of the immediate past Governor,
Emmanuel Uduaghan. Their contention, as it seems, is that
Okowa, supported by Uduaghan, rigged his way into victory,
hence he cannot be declared winner of an allegedly rigged
election. Evidences being released at the tribunal are
suggestive that Okowa manipulated the votes, settled a lot
of grounds, increased the figures of voters more than
accredited persons, consequently, he won with outrageous
votes.
The contention of Emerhor and Ogboru therefore is that the
tribunal should invalidate the election and then call for a re-
run. In the election which was conducted throughout the
nation on April 11, Okowa was said to have polled 724, 680
votes, Ogboru of Labour Party polled 130,028 votes while
O’tega of APC scored 67,825 votes. Ogboru won in four
local government areas while Okowa won in 21 local
governments leaving APC with none. But contrary to figures
which gave Okowa victory, facts emanating from INEC
headquarters in Abuja indicate that prior to shutting down
the central server as at April 29, only 709,000 persons were
reported accredited and at the expiration of the shutting
down of data upload, the final tally stood at 715,393
accredited voters in the state.
But reports say Delta INEC office put the figure of
accredited voters above 900,000, exceeding the actual
accredited number as revealed by the report obtained from
the central server at INEC Abuja headquarters. Emerhor and
Ogboru are therefore contending that there was a
compromise at the collation centres in connivance with
INEC officials at the Delta office. They are now arguing that
if total accredited voters from the INEC is 715,393 and
Okowa alone scored 724,680, exceeding number of voters
accredited by INEC, where then comes the 130,082 and
67,825 persons that voted for the Labour Party and the APC
candidates?
At the tribunal which now sits on daily basis in Asaba, with
Justice Nasiru Gunmi as Chairman, there are always
fireworks as the Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) hired
by Okowa, Ogboru and Otega and heavily paid to prosecute
their cases argue both in favour and against issues raised
by the three parties. But evidences pouring in from those
invited by the tribunal to testify are hair raising as they all
point to the fact that the election was maliciously rigged to
favour the PDP candidate.
Two INEC officials, an Assistant Director in the ICT
Department from Abuja headquarters and Chief Planning
Officer, Delta State office, were directed to give testimony
on the conduct of the April 11 election, following the request
by Emerhor. Apart from the accreditation report which is
one undeniable evidence, other documents tendered by the
INEC officials at the commencement of hearing, included
manual for election officials 2015; INEC’s April 2, 2015
press statement making accreditation through use of card
readers only mandatory for the governorship elections; and
guidelines and regulations for the conduct of 2015 general
elections.
They told the tribunal that “the card readers recorded no
sustained failure during the governorship election in Delta
State and that as the accreditation was in progress, the
central server was recording the number of persons from
the various states. This appears to be unknown or ignored
by the parties in contention as the election progressed in the
state. In Nigeria’s technology driven 2015 elections, INEC
central server generated real time data from card readers
across polling units. This was to detect malpractices,
especially inflation of figures. Although Okowa’s legal team
objected to the admissibility of the documents presented by
the INEC officials, their objection was overruled by the
tribunal.
The objection caused a mild drama at the tribunal as the
witness’ testimony was strongly in favour of the opposing
candidates. The Abuja official was subpoenaed by the court
to confirm the credibility of the Card Readers as used Unit
by Unit during the governorship elections in the state. This
was to show, verify and authenticate the record of how the
election was conducted and the result generated from the
polling units.
But lead counsel to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Mr. Alex Iziyon
(SAN), the counsel to PDP, Timothy Kehinde, as well as
counsel to INEC, had argued that the witness, who happens
to be an Assistant Director of INEC, Mrs. Abimbola
Oludunjoye, cannot tender any document because it was
neither certified nor contained in the petitioner’s grouse.
However, their objections were overruled as their plea fell on
deaf ears.
The INEC staff who claimed to have put up 16 years in the
commission and stood by her testimony on oath, told the
tribunal that the server for the uploading of information from
the Card Readers was shut down after six weeks of the
conduct of the election. According to her, the commission’s
headquarters communicated to all the Heads of
Departments across the country before it was shut down.
When she was confronted with the question that the Card
Readers may contain incorrect information or tampered with
by the field workers before it was uploaded, Mrs. Oladunjoye
said: “The information in the Card Reader cannot be
tampered with.” Besides the INEC staff who testified at the
tribunal, all arguments so far raised at the tribunal have
never been in favour of the sitting governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
The sitting, which rotates between Ogboru and Emerhor
taking their turns to present their cases, runs from 9.am
through to 6pm on daily basis with adjournments in
between days on few occasions.
The struggle is getting tense on daily basis as the PDP
battles to retain its power hold on the state. A source close
to the State PDP Chairman, Edwin Uzor, confirmed that PDP
structures across the state have been put on red alert in
early preparations for possible re-run election. The fear
gripping the PDP is not unconnected with the confirmation
of INEC staff that 709,000 voters were accredited for the
April 11 governorship election in the state.
What this means is that if only Okowa’s votes exceed the
709,000 voters captured, it appears that Deltans did not
vote for the other candidates that participated in the
election. The PDP source further hinted that this
development has crashed the hope of the PDP legal team
who are currently battling to strangulate the trial process
through crafted legal technicalities that appear not working
as planned. PDP is parading three high flyer Senior
Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) with a view to intimidating the
opposing candidates to pull out of the tribunal.
Unlike previous tribunals where justices were biased and
ruled under the influence of Abuja powers, the Justice
Nasiru Gunmi-led tribunal has been fair in his dealing with
all the parties involved in the tribunal. One thing that may
turn the table against Okowa is that he has no one at the
Abuja power house who could press any button for him,
unlike the days of Uduaghan and Ogboru where PDP was
controlling the presidency and the state. Then, it was wide
knowledge that the influence of former President Goodluck
Jonathan had overpowering effect on the outcome of the
tribunal that tried the case between Ogboru and Uduaghan.
But the ongoing tribunal has Okowa and his friends in Delta
alone as the presidency and the judiciary are now under the
control of APC.
As it is now, Deltans are in high spirit waiting for the
outcome of the tribunal in the coming weeks. On daily basis,
the crowd that gather at the tribunal in support of their
prefer candidates is always intimidating. Some leave the
venue with broad smiles with anticipation of victory, others
leave with bowed head as fear grips some hearts over the
possible outcome of the tribunal. Going round Asaba, the
state capital, many are already anticipating an outcome that
will lead to a re-run, while a few are of the opinion that it
might favour the sitting governor, Okowa, as it has always
been. Some have also said even if the election is conducted
many times in Delta, Okowa will emerge governor as he has
all the strongmen in the state.
But others are of the view that going by some programmes
already put in place by the governor and some pains he has
caused some persons, especially the civil servants he has
sacked which he refused to call back and other government
officials he has relieved of their appointments, the free
health scheme which he is converting to compulsory
contributory health insurance scheme, the alleged
introduction of school fees to public schools beginning from
next academic session, Deltans may turn their hearts away
from him. While a few are of the opinion that with the
appointments he has made so far and the ongoing youth
empowerment programme, he has touched many lives
which could work in his favour if the tribunal eventually
calls for a re-run. While the argument continues among
Deltans and the legal fireworks reign in the tribunal, time
and event will tell who rules Delta as the wind of change
blows across the nation
•Photo shows Governor Okowa.
Source News Express

Delta @ 24: Emerhor says deltans celebrating poverty, high debt profile, Looting •Okowa calls for commitment to develop state

All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the April 11
governorship election, Olorogun Otega Emerhor in Delta
State, has decried the sorry state of infrastructural decay,
acute poverty, ever increasing debt profile, high rate of
unemployment and gross underdevelopment in Delta State,
particularly in the “past 16 years of reckless looting of
financial resources by the successive administrations of the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”
Emerhor, in a statement made available to journalists, said
it is painful that the PDP wasted precious 16 years which is
more than enough to build standard socio-economic
structures and financial empire for the overall development
of the state, and for the enjoyment of Deltans throughout
the three senatorial districts.
He further asserted that PDP dashed the hope and
aspirations of Deltans so much so that the populace now
wallows in abject poverty and sorrowful state of standard of
living.  In the statement, the APC chieftain urged the people
to partner with the APC to end the 16 years of PDP misrule
so as to open a new vista opportunity for good governance
and overall development of the state.
Emerhor said at 24, Delta State has little or nothing to
celebrate, pointing out that the oil rich state which rakes
billions of naira on a monthly basis ought to be a pacesetter
in the area of industrialization, job creation, quality
healthcare, good roads, free and standard education at all
levels, social welfare and other social services anchored on
sound government policies.
Emehor urged Deltans to continue to support President
Mohammadu Buhari's administration and the Delta APC so
as to rescue the state from the firm grip of economic
strangulation perpetuated by the PDP.
He said the APC is hopeful that there will be a re-run after
the legal tussle with the PDP at the election tribunal, hoping
that APC’s victory at the polls will enable the good people of
Delta State to recover their stolen mandate.
An inter-denomination thanksgiving service was held
Thursday to mark the 24th anniversary of the creation of the
state, with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa calling on the people to
be more united and committed to the development of the
state.
The inter-denominational service took place at the St.
Philip’s Anglican Church, Asaba and was attended by
former Military Administrator of the state, Navy Commander
Walter Feghabor, former Deputy Governor of the state, Chief
B. S. C. Elue, top government functionaries, political
leaders, and captains of industry.
In his remarks at the church service, Governor Okowa
observed that the people deserves to celebrate 24 years of
oneness, peaceful co-existence and progress, observing that
there was the need for the people to engage more on
actions that will strengthen the unity of the people of the
state.
“This is the time to build peace in our state, it is time for us
to be more united for the common good of all Deltans,” the
Governor said, assuring that his government was open to
constructive criticism, suggestions on the way forward in
the interest of the state.
He emphasised that the fear of God by the people would
bring about speedy development and unity asserting,
“wherever you find yourself, fear God, keep his
commandments and you will excel, if l and all office holders
fear God, nobody need to tell you to be dedicated, you don’t
need to be fraudulent, you don’t need to condone ghost
workers.”
“Times are hard but if we fear God, we will be able to
manage our lean resources for the development of our
states and of our people,” he reiterated.
The Governor disclosed that the dwindling revenue from oil
resources have thrown up a new challenge for government
in the country on the need to diversify the economy.
According to him, “The Lord is teaching us a lesson that we
cannot depend on oil alone for revenue, we are developing
other resources of the state, we have inaugurated the youth
empowerment programme at Songhai-Delta, Amukpe and I
want to assure you that the Songhai-Delta cannot be idle
through-out my tenure and the graduates from the
empowerment programmes will become entrepreneurs and
employers of labour because the youths need to be re-
directed to become employers of labour.”
While stating that it was important for Deltans to celebrate
their oneness as a people, the governor called on the people
not to relent in partnering with his administration in
delivering the needed democratic dividends, reiterating, “l
have always asked God to help me take decisions for the
greater good of the state, because every decision you take
some people will be happy others will be sad but l believe
that our decisions will always serve the general interest of
the people.”
Earlier in a sermon at the service which was presided by
Bishop Justus Mogekwu of the Anglican Communion, Rev.
Gideon Oyibo, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria
(CAN) Delta State said that the fear of God should be the
bedrock of everybody in position of leadership so that the
prosperity for all Deltans initiative can be achieved.
He stated: “The fear of God will make us always remember
the consequences of God’s judgement, in all our dealings
we will be more dedicated and honest with our fellow men
and the state and of course, the revenue and resources of
the state will improve and attract quality execution and
costing of projects.”

•Photo shows Emerhor.

Source News Express

Pastor and His 480 Church Members Converts to Islam

According to a Facebook user, Salim Mikdad who shared
these pictures online, he made it known that a Rwandan
Pastor and his 480 worshippers converted to Islam on
Tuesday, August 25th 2015.
They didn’t only embrace Islam, they changed the church to
their Masjid (Mosque).

NEMA Issues Flood Alert As Cameroon Set To Open Lagdo Dam

Barely three years after excessive water was
released from Lagdo dam in Cameroon which
caused serious flooding in Nigeria, the National
Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has
alerted the state governments and communities
along River Benue of another possible flood
following information from Cameroonian
authorities to release excess water from the dam
again.
Director General of NEMA, Alhaji Muhammad
Sani Sidi in a statement issued in Abuja on
Thursday said that the Cameroonian authorities
in Garuoa have indicated that between now and
November 2015 there would be routine release
of water from the Lagdo dam due to excessive
amount of water presently contained in the
dam.
Sani Sidi said the authorities have also warned “
all those living around the dam and along River
Benue in Garoua up to Nigeria side should be
alert and be ready for evacuation in case of
possible flooding”
He called on the frontline state governors, State
Emergency Management Agencies, first
respondents and relevant authorities to alert the
communities at risk, prepare safe locations for
possible evacuation and adequate preparedness.
The DG NEMA said the agency has dispatched
the alert to the effected state governors and is
following up with appropriate advocacy.
It would be recalled that the release of excess
water from the dam in 2012 contributed to
massive flooding of communities along the
river.
Consequently, in 2013, the two countries
reached an agreement that Cameroun was to
give early warning to enable Nigeria put in
place proactive measure to prevent destruction
of lives and properties

Nigeria has poorest exclusive breast feeding rate in Africa – Perm Sec

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Linus Awute, says Nigeria has the poorest
exclusive breastfeeding rate in Africa with only 17 per cent of the children being exclusively breastfed.
Awute made this known at the ministerial launch of the 2015
World Breastfeeding Week in Abuja on Monday.
Represented by Dr Bridget Okoeguale, Director Public
Health, Awute said many women fed their infants with
breast milk along with water.

“All the water the child needs is contained in the breast milk;
there is no need to give the child water or any other liquid,’’
he said.
According to him, exclusive breast feeding means that water
or other liquid is not given to the child, except oral
rehydration solution, drops or syrups of vitamins, minerals
and medicines.
“The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that
infants be exclusively breast feed for the first six months of
life to achieve growth,’’ he said.
DOWNLOAD: Daily Post Android App
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of
this year’s celebration is ‘Breastfeeding and Work: Let’s
make it Together’.
He stressed the need to support women to combine
breastfeeding with work whether in formal, informal or
home setting.
The permanent secretary called on the private sector to
encourage breastfeeding mothers through the provision of
crèches and breastfeeding rooms in work places and
flexible working hours for mothers.
Dr Wapada Balami, Director, Family Health Department in
the ministry, said supporting women of reproductive age in
optimal breast feeding would ensure developmental
milestone of the first 1,000 days of the child.
He added that exclusive breast feeding would prevent
irreversible damage to full potentials in the pre-school age
of the children.
According to Balami, Nigeria joined the global community to
celebrate the week which aimed at galvanising multi-
dimensional support to enable women everywhere work and
breast feed.
“It also promotes actions by employers to become baby
friendly and actively facilitates and supports employed
mothers to continue breast feeding,’’ he said. (NAN)

WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK (Coordinated by WABA) 1-7 August 2015

This World Breastfeeding Week, WABA calls for concerted
global action to support women to combine breastfeeding
and work. Whether a woman is working in the formal, non-
formal or home setting, it is necessary that she is
empowered in claiming her and her baby’s right to
breastfeed.
The WBW 2015
theme on working
women and
breastfeeding
revisits the 1993
WBW campaign on
the Mother-Friendly
Workplace Initiative.
Much has been
achieved in 22 years of global action supporting women in
combining breastfeeding and work, particularly the adoption
of the revised ILO Convention 183 on Maternity Protection
with much stronger maternity entitlements, and more
country actions on improving national laws and practices.
At the workplace level, we have also seen more actions
taken to set up breastfeeding or mother-friendly workplaces
including awards for breastfeeding-friendly employers, as
well as greater mass awareness on working women’s rights
to breastfeed.
The Innocenti Declaration (1990) recognised that
breastfeeding provides ideal nutrition for infants and
contributes to their healthy growth and development. There
is much that remains to be done despite 25 years of hard
work, particularly on the fourth Innocenti target that calls on
governments to “…enact imaginative legislation protecting
the breastfeeding rights of working women and establish
means for its enforcement”.
WABA calls for:
concerted global action to support women to combine
breastfeeding and work, whether in the formal sector, non-
formal sector, or at home
ratification and implementation of maternity protection laws
and regulations by governments, in line with the ILO
Maternity Protection Convention
inclusion of breastfeeding target indicators in the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
With the WBW 2015
campaign, WABA
and its partners at
global, regional and
national levels aim to
empower and
support ALL women,
working in both the
formal and informal
sectors, to
adequately combine work with child-rearing, particularly
breastfeeding. (We define work in its broadest form from
paid employment, self-employment, seasonal and contract
work to unpaid home and care work).
Various strategies exist to support women working in your
country or community from long-term actions to short-term
actions. Together, we can make it work!
Here are a few ideas to kick off your WBW 2015 planning
process:

The WABA Coordinated World Breastfeeding Week is part of
the gBICS (Global Breastfeeding Initiative for Child Survival)
Programme entitled: "Enhancing Breastfeeding Rates
Contributes to Women's Rights, Health, and a Sustainable
Environment". The gBICS Programme aims to contribute to
the achievement of sustainable development - beyond the
Millennium Development Goals - by scaling up breastfeeding
and infant and young child interventions and transforming
Policies into Practice which contributes to efforts aimed at
addressing climate change and gender inequality in the
framework of human rights. WABA is grateful to NORAD
(the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) for its
support of gBICS.
WABA would also like to acknowledge the support of the
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and World Health
Organisation (WHO), as well as the participation of our Core
Partners - Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM),
International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN),
International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA), La
Leche League International (LLLI), and Wellstart
International - in the successful coordination of World
Breastfeeding Week.

19 things you should know about Timaya’s rape allegations

Timaya was accused of rape by a woman identified as Shella B, on July 25, 2015.

Below are 19 things you should know about all that happened…

1. Timaya has been having a conversation with the said lady for about a year.
2. The lady acted to be really into Timaya during all that transpired between them.
3. She promised to blow out Timaya’s mind with sex, and yeah, she did.
4. They had sex in a hotel in Atlanta.
5. She requested to attend a show with Timaya as a couple, but he refused. 6. She interrogated Timaya with her phone not leaving his face.
7. While in the hotel in Atlanta, Timaya realized that she was recording, grabbed her phone and struggled to delete the videos.
8. Timaya wasn’t sure she had any video left, but he deleted the ones he found on her phone. 9. He called the hotel security and explained what had happened to them, told them to open her phone so he could see what she had left but she refused and was making a scene and the hotel management told her to get out, a decision which Timaya wasn’t satisfied with.
10. She filled cases against Timaya, the same day that she was allegedly raped 11. Truly the ‘Bum Bum’ singer was scared of what she might have recorded and he insisted on calling the Police but the hotel cautioned him, that he might be arrested for holding her hostage in his room.
12. She called him to claim rape.
13. Timaya tried to play it cool by begging her to drop the allegation of rape.
14. She demanded that Timaya pay her 50k dollars to forget about it.
15. After her demand for $50k, he stopped calling her or taking her calls and even changed his number.
16. After she couldn’t reach Timaya, she got frustrated and went on the internet to publicize the matter.
17. Timaya has claimed he is not a rapist.
18. Timaya revealed her real Instagram handle is @officialshella_b. Although she initially revealed what transpired between them using a dedicated account, ‘ExposingtherealTimaya’.
19. Her original Instagram account @officialshella_b is set on private.... 

Read More at thenet.ng/2015/08/19-things-you-should-know-about-timayas-rape-allegations/

How Can I Deal With Stress

How much stress are you under?

    Stress? I don’t even know what that is
    I can handle it
    I’m at my limit
    I’m drowning in stress

HANDLING stress is like pulling a heavy shipping container. A large truck can haul it across the country with ease. But a car cannot. Pulling such a load even a short distance could ruin a car’s engine. The same could be true of your “engine” if you’re overwhelmed with stress.

Is the situation hopeless? Not at all! To keep from burning out, you’ll need either to lighten your load or to get a more powerful “engine.” Actually, you can do both. Let’s see how.
Lighten Your Load
THE CHALLENGE: Overscheduling.

    “Someone will ask me to help out with something or to socialize when I really have things that I need to do. I just don’t want to let anyone down.”—Karina. *

THE REMEDY: Learn to say no.

“Wisdom is with the modest ones,” says the Bible. (Proverbs 11:2) Modesty, or accepting your limitations, empowers you to say no when the load will be too heavy for you to carry.

Of course, saying no isn’t always an option—for example, when your parents remind you about your chores! But if you let everyone add to your load, you’ll eventually give out. Even the biggest trucks have a load limit.

Tip: If it’s hard for you to turn down someone outright, try saying, “Let me get back to you.” Then, before giving a definite reply, ask yourself, ‘Can I really afford to invest the time and energy needed for this activity?’
THE CHALLENGE: Procrastination.

    “If a task seems difficult, I’ll put it off. But then I’ll worry about the fact that I still have to do it. When I finally start on it, I have to rush, which stresses me out.”—Serena.

THE REMEDY: Get started—even if you don’t finish now.

“Do not loiter at your business,” advises the Bible. (Romans 12:11) Confronting a hard task is bad enough, so why add to the load by procrastinating? That just keeps it before you longer!

To create incentive, make a to-do list. Break down big tasks into manageable sizes. “I love lists,” says a young woman named Carol. “Usually I put the things I dislike the most first, and then as I check them off, it gets easier. Before you know it, you can move on to the things in your life that are more fun!”

Tip: If you struggle to get started on a task, set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and begin working on it right away. When the alarm goes off, you’ll have 10 or 15 minutes of the job completed. Now that you’ve started, you might be surprised at how much easier it is to do more on the task.

Cut out the clutter! When you have to rifle through chaos to find your homework or clean clothes to wear, you raise your stress level. For a less hectic morning, set aside five minutes to tidy up before going to bed
Get a More Powerful “Engine”

Make sure your “engine” can handle your load
Take care of your body.

Experts agree that a healthful diet, regular exercise, and proper sleep will help you to get more done. * Don’t worry—taking care of your body isn’t all that complicated. A few simple steps will get you started. Take sleep, for example. Try the following.

    Get enough sleep. Set regular times to go to bed and to get up, at least on school days and workdays.
    Allow yourself enough time to unwind. Don’t exercise within three hours before going to bed, and avoid heavy snacks and caffeine as bedtime nears.
    When it’s time to go to bed, try to make your bedroom dark, quiet, and comfortable.

Connect with others.

Don’t hesitate to turn to your parents and friends for assistance. Will that really help? Yes, for studies show that emotional support reduces the damage that increased stress can cause to your heart, blood vessels, and immune system.

Those findings agree with the Bible, which says: “Anxious care in the heart of a man is what will cause it to bow down, but the good word is what makes it rejoice.” (Proverbs 12:25) When “anxious care” weighs you down, true friends can offer you a “good word” of encouragement, which may be just what you need to make it through.

Do you still need help in coping with stress? See the following chapters in the book Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work, Volumes 1 and 2, published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

VOLUME 1

    Chapter 18: How Can I Cope With Stress at School?
    Chapter 21: How Can I Manage My Time?

VOLUME 2

    Chapter 26: How Can I Control My Emotions?
    Chapter 27: Why Do I Feel That I Have to Be Perfect?

Source : jw.org

Buhari, Osinbajo :: ‘No requirement for appearance at Code of Conduct verification,’ Presidency

Following the revelation by the Chairman of Code of
Conduct Bureau, Sam Saba that two months after been
sworn into office, President Buhari and Vice President
Osinbajo are yet to visit the bureau for asset
verification » , the presidency has responded.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and
Publicity, Garba Shehu , » however told The Punch that
Buhari and Osinbajo are not required to appear before the
Code of Conduct Bureau for the verification of their assets.
In his words, ‘Nigerians should be fair to the President and
the Vice President. There is no requirement for them to
appear for verification.
‘It is an intelligence exercise that should be done discreetly.
They have declared their assets and have also promised to
make it public within their 100 days in office. People should
not sensationalise this issue unnecessarily,’ he said.

Source: Pulse.

Young People Ask:: What Can I Expect From Marriage?

http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201209/expect-from-marriage/

Young people ask: What Is a Real Man?

“My father died when I was three years old. Sometimes I feel envious of boys who grew up with a father in their life. They seem to be a lot more confident than I am.”—Alex. *

    “My relationship with my father is minimal. I’ve had to learn on my own what it means to be a real man.”—Jonathan.

CAN you relate to the statements of the young men quoted above? Do you fear, for one reason or another, that you’ll never learn what it means to be a real man? If so, don’t despair!

Consider how you can overcome two common challenges.

CHALLENGE 1: Popular misconceptions about manhood

What some people say:

    Real men are tough; they don’t cry.
    Real men don’t let anyone tell them what to do.
    Men are better than women.

Another way to look at it: Manhood is the opposite of boyhood—not the opposite of womanhood. You become a real man when you leave behind the traits of a child. The Christian apostle Paul wrote: “When I was a babe, I used to speak as a babe, to think as a babe, to reason as a babe; but now that I have become a man, I have done away with the traits of a babe.” (1 Corinthians 13:11) In other words, the more you replace childish ways of thinking, speaking, and acting with  mature ways of thinking, speaking, and acting, the more you prove yourself to be a real man. *

Try this: On a sheet of paper, write down your answers to the following questions:

    In what areas have I already made progress in putting away “the traits of a babe”?
    In what areas can I improve?

Suggested reading: Luke 7:36-50. See how Jesus proved himself to be a real man by (1) standing up for what was right and (2) treating others—including women—with respect.

    “I admire my friend, Ken. He is a strong man—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—but also a kind man. His example has taught me that a real man doesn’t put other people down just to raise himself up.”—Jonathan.

CHALLENGE 2: Lack of a wholesome father figure

What some people say:

    If your father isn’t in the picture, you’ll never really learn what it means to be a man.
    If your father set a poor example, you’re doomed to repeat his mistakes.

Another way to look at it: Even if you’ve had a less-than-ideal childhood, you are not doomed to fail! You can rise above your circumstances. (2 Corinthians 10:4) You can choose to follow King David’s advice to his son Solomon: “Be strong and prove yourself to be a man.”—1 Kings 2:2.

Admittedly, it can be difficult to grow up with an inattentive father—or no father at all. “Not knowing your father is a huge  disadvantage in life,” says Alex, quoted at the outset. “I’m 25, but I feel as if I’m just now learning things that I should have learned in my early teens.” If you feel similar to the way Alex does, what can you do about it?

Try this: Find a mentor—someone who sets a good example as a man. * Ask him which qualities he believes are especially important in a real man. Then ask him how you can develop those qualities in yourself.—Proverbs 1:5.

Suggested reading: Proverbs chapters 1-9. Notice the fatherly advice that can help a boy to grow into a wise, spiritual man.

    “I’m proud of the man I’m becoming. Although I wish my father had been a part of my progress, I’m optimistic about the future. I’m convinced that I am not doomed to fail.”—Jonathan.

BOY VERSUS MAN

A child can often be . . .

    rude.
    self-centered.
    focused on having fun.
    ruled by his emotions.

A real man endeavors to be . . .

   * respectful.—Romans 12:10.
   * self-sacrificing.—1 Corinthians 10:24.
   * responsible.—Galatians 6:5.
   * in control of his emotions.—Proverbs 16:32.

Source: Awake December 2012.

Crime:: Murder at dusk: Female teacher shot dead in Nsukka

Tension mounts at the University town of Nsukka, Enugu
state, following last week’s gruesome killing of a female
classroom teacher at about 200 meters to her residence
while returning from the state capital where she attended
the swearing- in ceremony of newly appointed
commissioners in the state.
Crime Guard gathered that the teacher identified as Princess
Uzoamaka Onyishi, nee Ugwuokwor, 40 , hailed from Mbu -
Akpoti in Isi- Uzo local government area of the state. She
had accompanied one of her relations , Mrs. Eze, to attend
the swearing-in ceremony of her husband, Mr M.E Eze, who
was appointed Attorney -General and Commissioner for
Justice in the state, only to be assailed by unknown
gunmen, very close to her Uwani-Ugwu residence in Nsukka
metropolis.Investigations revealed that
Princess Onyishi drove herself to Enugu, venue of the ceremony in company of her Kano- based sister, Mrs Ndidiamaka Nnaji, to attend the ceremony.Reports said
that soon after the ceremony, both of them cruised in a blue -coloured Toyota Corolla of the deceased back home. It was
gathered that after she had dropped her sister at the family house along Ogurugu road in Nsukka, picked up her cousin,
Miss Jacinta Okwor, who stays with her and headed to her residence at Uwani- Ugwu, tragedy struck. She was shot
dead by two unknown gunmen.
The attack Eyewitness account said the two gunmen ambushed the
princess at a flooded spot on the pretext that their motor cycle had problem along the lonely road around 8.30 pm.
Reports said the unsuspecting Princess fell victim to the bullets of her assailants as she tried to offer help by
directing her head lamp towards the passable side of the road only for one of them to point gun at her and without
demanding anything from her, pulled the trigger and shattered her skull. The assailants fled under the cover of darkness. Visit to son at the campus
Further investigations revealed that the deceased who is the daughter of late Igwe Gabriel Ugwuokwor, the traditional
ruler of Mbu Akpoti, a neighbouring community in the area
and mother of five children, also visited her first son,
Chidera Onyishi, a first year student at the Department of
Political Science, at the University campus, unknown to the
boy that it was the last he will see her mother. With the joy
of the swearing in celebration, the deceased was reportedly
singing songs of praises that their relation and close
acquaintance had been elevated as a commissioner only for
her to be assailed by yet -to -be identified gunmen.
Visit to the family house
When Crime Guard visited the family house at Ogurugu
road, members of the family wore gloomy faces, wailing
and confused over the fate that befell them. Her elder sister,
Uzoamaka. Nnaemeka Ugwuokwor, told Crime Guard
amidst tears that the entire family has been thrown into
confusion by the killing of their sister.
According to her, ‘’My sister just returned from Enugu where
she attended the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed
commissioners. One of our relations was amongst them. On
arrival at Nsukka, she drove to the family house to see our
mother, Lolo Josephine Ugwuokwor. When she was through
with her, she went to see her son at the campus. As she
was just driving into her house later, she met two young
men carrying a motor cycle, trying to manoeuvre their way
in the flooded area of the road. When she tried to evade the
young man dragging the motor bike, another young man
emerged from the bush, pointed gun at her and shot her,
straight on the forehead. She died on the spot. Before she
met her untimely death, she was teaching at Urban Boys
Secondary school, Nsukka. She was the kind that hardly
could hurt a fly. What prompted her killing still remains a
mystery to the family that just buried their father, Igwe
Gabriel Ugwuokwor. She was driving herself when the
incident happened. She never joined politics for one day.
Her only business in politics was to attend the swearing-in
ceremony of the newly appointed commissioner. The
incident has been reported to Nsukka police division who
promptly responded to the call put across to them when she
was shot. Both the police and some clergy men assisted in
taken her to Bishop Shanahan mortuary where her corpse
was deposited. Presently, the matter has been transferred to
Enugu state police headquarters. The gruesome killing of
our sister has taken the family to a devastating point of
agony, mourning, confusion and pity. She is the most
endearing in the hearts of members of the family. She was
humble, amiable and loving to the people that interacted
with her. We are not suspecting any person for now,. Our
only prayer is for God to bring out the killers of our sister.
She was a mother of five, two boys and three girls. The first
is a first year student at UNN, the second will be writing the
post UME, the third is in SS 3, the fourth is in SS 1 while the
last one is in primary five.
Appeal to the police
“We look up to the police to unearth the circumstances
surrounding the wicked killing of our sister. We believe the
police will stand to the challenge to fish out perpetrators of
the heinous crime and bring them to book. We are equally
appealing to the general public to assist us in our moment of
grief to give information, if any, about the killing. We cry for
help from any quarter to assist us fish out those that
assailed our sister to death. We have sent messages across
to various communities within Nsukka and beyond to report
any suspected person to the nearest police station in
connection with the killing. It was pure assassination as the
killers never demanded anything from her, neither her car
key, nor cash, nothing whatsoever.
Mother reacts
Amidst tears, Lolo Josephine Ugwuokwor, 55, the mother of
the deceased managed to speak with Crime Guard. She
narrated her unbearable traumatic ordeal ‘’ The killers of my
daughter will never go unpunished. It is too painful to me
that my daughter was carelessly killed by unknown gunmen.
I am appealing to the police to investigate and arrest her
killers with the fear of God. We have reported to our
community and everybody is waiting for the outcome of
police investigation. I spoke with her immediately she
returned from Enugu unknown to me that it was the last to
speak with her before she went to UNN to see her son,
Chidera.
Eye witness account
The lady who was with the deceased when the ugly incident
happened, Jacinta Okwor, narrated their travail. “ I was in
the vehicle with her when the people emerged and shot her.
The two men demanded nothing from her, only pointed gun
and shot her instantly. When she was shot, she fell on my
laps. I did not know she was dead. When the two men left, I
started calling her to wake up for us to go, unknown to me
that she was dead. As my efforts to wake her failed, I took
the bush part and ran to a house not too far from the scene
and informed her husband that aunty has been shot dead
just now. The killers did not demand anything from her. I
sat with her in the front seat. It was a horrible experience. I
have not recovered from the trauma. The cloth I wore that
faithful day is still soaked with the blood of my aunty. God
will never forgive her killers. I am an apprentice tailor under
my sister’s care but now they have killed her. One of the
two men was dragging motor cycle and she flashed light to
help him only for another to emerge from the bush and shot
her, point blank without uttering a word to her.”
Husband laments
Husband to the fair- complexioned princess, Sunday
Onyishi, 57, lamented the circumstances that surrounded
the gruesome murder of his wife. “The whole thing still
sound strange to me. I still could not believe that my wife
was killed like a common thief. We have been married for
the past 22 years and blessed with five children.
I am a transporter. Nobody has ever complained to me that
she had problem with her. I don’t know why she was killed.
When my sister in- law rushed to me and broke the news of
her death, I rushed shouting, neighbours joined me, we
combed the entire place but could not see the killers. Then
we invited the police to see what happened. I am not
suspecting anybody but the killers of my wife will definitely
be brought to book. We moved in into our own building five
months ago. Her killers did not allow her enjoy the house
she laboured for all these years of hardship. I want the
police to unearth the surroundings of her killing by faceless
two young men,” he stated amidst tears.

Jonathan’s aides, Abati, Adegbe, Obua, others stripped of passports

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North
TWO months after leaving power,  no fewer than 12 close
aides of former President Goodluck Jonathan have been
stripped of their official passports.
A competent source told Saturday Vanguard that the
decision to withdraw the official passports of the former
aides of Dr Jonathan was to prevent misuse and conflict
with new aides and officials of President Muhammadu
Buhari, who assumed duties on May 29, 2015.
It
could
not
be
established last night whether the affected officials were
ordered by the Presidency to surrender the passports or
whether they did so voluntarily.
But Saturday Vanguard learned that the affected former
aides of Jonathan had already returned the passports to the
Presidential Villa preparatory to being handed over to the
Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS.
Abati, Adegbe, Obua, 9 others affected
Among those whose passports have been retrieved are
former Special Adviser to the President on Media Reuben
Abati; former Aide-de-Camp, Col. Ojogbane Adegbe and
former Chief Security Officer, Gordon Obua, who is
currently hospitalised over poor health arising from his
recent incarceration by security agents.
Nine other key officials of the Jonathan Presidency who
were also issued with official passports have also been
stripped of the travel documents.
It was gathered that the former officials had been asked by
the Presidency to relinquish their official passports to the
Villa within a stipulated time-frame for onward return to the
NIS, which issued them.
Questions to answer
However, another source hinted that the withdrawal of the
former president’s henchmen’s travel documents was to
prevent some of them who have some issues to explain to
the new administration from leaving the country and being
given preferential treatment at their destinations.
“Don’t forget that some of these officials may be needed
here to answer some questions relating to their tenure,” the
source said.
No ill-motive –NIS
However, the Nigerian Immigration Service said last night
that there was no ill-motive in withdrawing the official
passports of  government officials who had completed their
assignments.
NIS Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joachim Obua, explained
that it was normal for officials of government to surrender
their official passports at the end of their tenure.
“It is important for the position to be made clear that official
passports are not the property of anyone holding it. Once
you complete your assignment you have to return it to the
NIS,” he explained.

Source : Vanguard

Japan arrests MtGox Bitcoin head over missing $387m Police detain Mark Karpeles, allegedly implicated in disappearance of almost $390m worth of virtual currency.

Japanese police have arrested Mark Karpeles, head of the
collapsed MtGox Bitcoin exchange, over the
disappearance of about $390m worth of the virtual
currency.
The global virtual currency community was shaken by the
closure of MtGox, which froze withdrawals in February
2014 because of what the firm said was a bug in the
software underpinning Bitcoin that allowed hackers to
pilfer them.
Karpeles is suspected of having accessed the exchange's
computer system to falsify data on its outstanding
balance, Kyodo News and public broadcaster NHK said on
Saturday.
Police did not immediately confirm Karpeles' arrest but
local television footage showed authorities taking him into
custody.
MtGox, which once boasted of handling about 80 percent
of global Bitcoin transactions, filed for bankruptcy
protection soon after the cyber-money went missing,
admitting it had lost 850,000 coins worth $387m.
Karpeles later said he had found about 200,000 of the lost
Bitcoins in a "cold wallet" - a storage device such as a
memory stick that is not connected to other computers.
Answers demanded
Bitcoins are generated by complex chains of interactions
among a huge network of computers around the planet
and are not backed by any government or central bank.
A cloud has been hanging over the Tokyo-based exchange
and Karpeles as investors have demanded answers, and
called on the firm to publicise its data so that hackers
around the world can help analyse what happened at
MtGox.
"They say it's under investigation. That's all they say," a
French investor told the AFP news agency last year at a
creditors' meeting in Tokyo.
"They seem to refuse to make public more precise
information about MtGox's own [information] and how
and when it was stolen, if it was really stolen."
Karpeles had reportedly refused to travel to the US, where
he was being asked to appear for questioning in
connection with MtGox's collapse.
Related: Understanding Bitcoin
Regulators have scrambled to respond to the use of
Bitcoins, with the European Banking Authority last year
calling on the region's banks not to deal in virtual
currencies until rules are developed to stop them being
abused.
Launched in 2009 by a mysterious computer guru, Bitcoin
offers a largely anonymous payment system and can be
stored either virtually or on a user's hard drive.
Backers say virtual currencies allow for an efficient and
anonymous way to store and transfer funds online.
But regulators argue the lack of legal framework
governing the currency, the opaque way it is traded and its
volatility make it dangerous.
After MtGox, Bitcoin's reputation was also damaged when
US authorities seized funds as part of an investigation into
the online criminal enterprise Silk Road that made millions
of dollars from drug sales and other criminal enterprises.
During the trial of the man accused of masterminding the
network, a witness said investigators once suspected
Karpeles of running the online black market - a claim he
denied.
Source: AFP

18+: Porn sites accessed 20,000 times a month on parliament computers

Parliament of UK

Almost 250,000 attempts to visit porn websites were made
on parliamentary computers last year.
Some 42,000 visits were made to pages classed as
pornographic in April – more than 1,300 a day.
The second most popular month was October when there
were more than 30,000 hits.
In the previous year there were 350, 000 hits to restricted
websites.
The figures emerged in a Freedom of Information disclosure
to Express.co.UK
Jonathan Isaby , Chief Executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance,
said: “ Some of these 'visits' are no doubt the product of pop-
ups beyond anybody's control, but the number is absolutely
staggering".
"One would hope that those attempting to access these sites at
Parliament could keep their extra-curricular activities safely
within their own four walls, as it's not an appropriate use of
time when it's on the taxpayers' tab ."
After the 2013 figures were revealed, a House of Commons
spokeswoman said: "We do not consider the data to provide
an accurate representation of the number of purposeful requests
made by network users due to the variety of ways in which
websites can be designed to act, react and interact and due to
the potential operation of third party software."
It comes after David Cameron vowed to block hardcore porn
from " the darkest corners of the internet ".
In 2013 he said: "For a lot of children, watching hardcore
pornography is in danger of becoming a rite of passage.
"I will do whatever it takes to keep our children safe. "
Source: Telegraph

Shocking : Priest divorces wife to marry a younger man

Rev. Juan Andres Quevedo-Bosch

One churchgoer revealed that many parishioners severed ties to the church after Quevedo-Bosch came out as gay at the pulpit a month ago



An Episcopal priest shocked his Queens congregation recently when he left his wife and married someone else — a much younger man.

The Rev. Juan Andres Quevedo-Bosch, 59, the archdeacon of Queens and rector of the Church of the Redeemer in Astoria, announced over Facebook last week that he got married in a Los Angeles church.

The Cuban-born prelate was pictured on a beach with the caption: “I’m in Miami Beach with my new husband. God is good.”

One churchgoer said many parishioners severed ties to the church after Quevedo-Bosch came out as gay at the pulpit a month ago.

“Most of the people aren’t coming anymore,” the elderly woman said. “Because he’s homosexual, people have stopped coming.”

But she said Quevedo-Bosch also has supporters among his flock at the church, which holds Spanish-language services for a largely Hispanic congregation.

They started a petition to urge him to stay when he publicly offered to resign, the woman said, adding that she signed the petition.

Quevedo-Bosch has not been seen at the church for the last month, she said.

Attendance has dwindled, she said, with many parishioners instead going to Mass at a satellite church a few blocks away.

Saturday services have been canceled, and only seven worshippers showed up at Wednesday’s Mass.

Some of the faithful remain in the dark. One told The Post that Quevedo-Bosch is “a wonderful husband” to his wife, Adria, 73, and seemed puzzled when told the pastor had married a man.

Quevedo-Bosch’s bio on the church’s Web site still says he “lives with his wife, Adria, enjoys house music and enjoys watching dance break.”

On a different, older Facebook page in his name, he and his wife are pictured in a 2011 photo illustration as Santa and Mrs. Claus standing in front of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

Quevedo-Bosch would not answer any questions about his wife or divorce, and he revealed little about his new union to The Post.

“I am aware that there have been concerns regarding my divorce and subsequent remarriage and have been in touch with my bishop and my congregation about them,” Quevedo-Bosch told The Post.

In a post on Twitter last week, the priest announced that he would be keeping his personal and professional lives separate from now on.

The Episcopal Church consecrated its first openly gay bishop in 2003.

“Priests who wish to enter into same-gender marriage are approved to do so in the Episcopal Church and in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island,” said Bishop Larry Provenzano, head of the Long Island diocese, which includes Queens.

Provenzano said that he had been in touch with Quevedo-Bosch “as is customary in personal matters that involve divorce and remarriage” and that the priest has his full support.

Before becoming a priest, Quevedo-Bosch worked as an economic planner for the city of Havana in the early 1980s, his LinkedIn page says. He studied to be a priest in his native country.

Source:New York Post

Ali Baba Popular comedian allows groundnut seller share spot on Instagram

Atunyota Alleluya Akporobomerere, yes, that is the full
name of Nigeria's number one comedian, Ali Baba. » He is
so many things rolled into one: philanthropist, motivational
speaker and mentor.
The ace humour maker » recently encountered a young
groundnut hawker who begged him to make her as popular
as he is and he did not hesitate to take a photograph with
her and posted on his Instagram page, about his encounter
with her.
This is what he wrote:
"That's the babe that sells me 'granorth'. Very witty too. She
said, 'OGA Ali, make me sef popular naaaa!'
I hope this does it for her. A handsome former governor in the
south south, who also goes through my Instagram, with a very
filthy mind, just asked me if the '2 nuts she is holding are
mine.'
I said yes before I realized what he meant. Never mind. Please
if you ever drive pass the front of Cool Fm, ask after her... For
your own 'granorth'."