Saturday, January 30, 2010

Judge awards ₦100m damages to Uzoma Okere

















Justice Opeyemi Oke of the Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere has awarded ₦100 million in damages to Uzoma Okere who was assaulted by four officers of the Nigerian Navy on November 3, 2008.

Ms. Okere sued Rear-Admiral Harry Arogundade, the four naval ratings in his convoy whom she said beat and stripped her on the stated date, when she refused to leave the road for the convoy.

As part of the judgement, the court also asked the respondents to write a letter of apology to the claimants, which must be published in at least four newspapers within one month of the judgement.
***

Source: 234next.com

Wow, fantastic news. You really can get justice in Nigeria if you try. But come o, who will give Uzoma the N100 million? The officers that beat her up, the officer that sent them, or the Nigerian Navy?

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Alicia Keys is reportedly engaged to Swizz Beats



Singer Alicia Keys is reportedly engaged to her rapper/producer boyfriend, Swizz Beats. Some pics hit the net of Alicia rocking a band on her left hand while on vacation with Swizz.

But no wedding anytime soon because Swizz is still in a heated divorce battle with his ex-wife, R&B singer Mashonda.


They look more like sibblings than lovers...cute together though.

The very angry mistress.



Check out this story.
The married president of the MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR company Oracle had a 8 year affair with a woman named YaVaughnie Wilkins. A few weeks ago he ended things with YaVaughnie for good, and she didn't take the break up very well.

So guess what happened next? YaVaughnie took out three one-hundred foot tall billboards - one in NY's Times Square, one in Atlanta, and one in San Francisco - showing her and Charles together.

The pics were meant to embarrass Charles and his wife, who are popular socialites in ALL THREE CITIES!!!























Charles and his wife

I don't understand what she was expecting, dump his wife for her?
*hiss*

She killed a cat and went to prison for two years. You either hate or love America!



















18 year old Cheyenne Cherry was sentenced to two years in prison some days ago; for helping roast a kitty in a 500-degree oven. Cherry and a 14-year-old accomplice trashed her former roommate’s apartment on May 6 2009. She stood by as the 14-year-old stuffed a little cat called Tiger Lily into the oven. Cherry, who later pleaded guilty, told cops after the incident that it was “just a joke.”

Cherry got two years, one year for attempted burglary and one year for animal torture – to run concurrently, while her younger accomplice got 18 months in a juvenile facility. Cherry is also barred from owning a pet for three years.

Going to prison for killing a cat? Damn!!!
Like I said, you either hate or love America...I love America!!!
lol.

You think her prison sentence is well deserved?

Monday, January 25, 2010

Obasanjo is an Honourable Man…

by Simon Kolawole
Honour has a new admirer. Morality has a new sweat heart. His name is Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Speaking at an event in Abuja on Thursday, Obasanjo released his most direct salvos against President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua since the ex-president honourably imposed the Katsina man as his successor in 2007 via elections that were globally considered to be too low for zero, even by Nigerian standards. Listen to Obasanjo: “If you take up an assignment, a job – elected, appointed, whatever it is – and then your health starts to fail and you will not be able to deliver to satisfy yourself and to satisfy the people you are supposed to serve, then there is a path of honour and the path of morality… and if you don’t do that, then you don’t know anything.”
Reacting to an accusation that he deliberately imposed a “sick man” as President to punish Nigerians for rejecting his third term project, Obasanjo launched into self-defence and self-justification in an unforgettable way, revealing all about the President’s kidney ailment and making every effort to reassure us yet again that everything he did while in office was in the best interest of Nigeria. Hear him again: “When in the year 2006, the idea came up as to succession, I was convinced in my mind that a Southerner succeeding me would not augur well for Nigeria… (by the way, that was a nice message for a predominantly Northern audience). Now, I was looking for [a person] who has three important qualities. One, he has enough intellectual capacity to run the affairs of Nigeria. Two, he has sufficient personal integrity to run the affairs of Nigeria. Three, he is sufficiently broad-minded enough – politically, religiously, socially, whatever to manage the affairs of Nigeria.”
Did you notice the fact that, in Obasanjo’s moral thinking, succession had nothing to do with the choice of the voters? He alone decided it was not good for a Southerner to succeed him; he alone listed the criteria of who would succeed him; and he alone decided who would succeed him – no matter how Nigerians decided to vote. We always said our votes never mattered, and the man of honour has confirmed our suspicion again. He was telling us, in other words, that he had pre-determined presidential election results. He’s an honourable man. He insisted he did not pick Yar’Adua as President so that he would not perform, maintaining: “How can I put so much into this country both in peace and in war and I will begin to run it down? If you have fear of God, you will not make that statement.” Those were the words of Obasanjo, the man who fears God.
Let me tell you something about Obasanjo and honour and morality. He is, typically, trying to extricate himself from the Yar’Adua impasse just to win public applause. When Obasanjo started plotting the third term project in 2004 with his political reform conference, he denied nursing any such ambition. Billions of naira went down the drain at the conference which achieved virtually nothing. As his constitutional term limit drew near in 2006, he adopted every tactic in the book to amend the constitution and get a third term. But he kept denying it. He manipulated the polity, unleashed EFCC on his political opponents and did everything he could to perpetuate himself in power. Lawmakers were being offered (or given) N50 million each to vote for third term. He has now indirectly admitted he did not start thinking of succession until 2006 – after the failure of the third term project. And Obasanjo is an honourable man.
While on a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign tour in 2007, Obasanjo openly said he would send EFCC after Dr. Olusegun Mimiko who was contesting for governorship in Ondo State against his party. Mimiko, on the ticket of the Labour Party, won the election, but INEC denied him his victory until the courts saved him. Adams Oshiomhole’s victory at the Edo polls was initially denied him, no thanks to Obasanjo. Rotimi Amaechi’s candidacy in Rivers State was truncated, no thanks to Obasanjo’s K-leg, although the Supreme Court eventually served justice hot and fresh. Obasanjo plotted and plotted against Dr Chris Ngige as governor of Anambra State to such a ridiculous extent that Ngige was kidnapped by Chris Uba, Obasanjo’s sidekick. Political thugs set the state of fire, burning the Government House in Awka, the state capital.
Obasanjo revealed, in an open letter, that Uba and Ngige were arguing in his presence at Aso Rock. “Uba told Ngige, ‘You know you did not win the election?’ Ngige said, ‘Yes.’ Uba said, ‘Chris, you know Peter Obi won that election? You know what we did to write the results in your favour’,” Obasanjo wrote in a letter to the then chairman of the PDP, Chief Audu Ogbeh. “I then told both of them to get out of my presence.” Obasanjo withdrew Ngige’s security, just to appease Uba, and claimed that Ngige was no longer a governor having resigned under duress. He eventually made Uba a member of the PDP Board of Trustees. He got Ngige expelled from the PDP. Lamidi Adedibu unleashed terror on Ibadan and orchestrated the removal of Rashidi Ladoja as governor of Oyo State for failing to deliver public funds to him. Obasanjo watched in conspiracy and applauded it all. And Obasanjo is an honourable man.
When Obasanjo came to power in 1999, he told us the refineries were not working because Gen. Sani Abacha was awarding fuel import contracts to his cronies and family members. During the entire eight years of Obasanjo, we were still importing fuel. The refineries were still down. Fuel import contracts were in trillions of naira. Who got the import contracts? Abacha’s cronies again? Obasanjo’s regime oversaw one of the most non-transparent eras at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Up till today, every attempt to probe the finances of NNPC has been frustrated.
Even the probe of the power sector, with all the billions of dollars that were pumped into it in Obasanjo’s eight years, has been politically frustrated. And Obasanjo is an honourable man.
He is a clever man, no matter your opinion of him. In the days of President Shehu Shagari, Obasanjo kept quiet until he saw a golden opportunity. When the economy began to crumble under the impact of a global economic meltdown, Obasanjo gauged the mood of the public and unleashed a ferocious attack on Shagari. He was applauded. In the days of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Obasanjo always carefully chose the moment. Anytime Nigerians were disenchanted with the government, Obasanjo always issued virulent statements to “align” with the people. Obasanjo likes to be seen as a fighter for the masses.
But for the eight years he was in government, he could not tolerate dissenting voices. People who criticised his government were labelled homosexuals, godless and corrupt. Now that he knows that the public mood is against Yar’Adua’s failure to allow Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan act in his absence, Obasanjo has “aligned” with the public again, preaching honour and morality. Good old Obasanjo.
But can Nigerians be deceived? You may say that we should separate the message from the messenger.
That would be a convenient argument. But anybody who knows Obasanjo very well will surely predict that the man is up to some mischief. He, no doubt, wants to extricate himself from the Yar’Adua debacle. He, no doubt, wants to wash off his hands like the Pontius Pilate, two-and-a-half years after imposing Yar’Adua as President. Let’s just hope that this is all there is to Obasanjo’s public statements of last week. Let’s hope he does not have anything up his sleeve again. Remember, Obasanjo is an honourable man.
And Four Other Things…
Maduekwe at it Again
I got a call late into the night on Thursday, but I was fast asleep. It was from a senior colleague of mine. He said he was in distress. “I was watching an interview Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, granted the BBC. I was thoroughly distressed,” he said. Thank God I did not watch it. One of Maduekwe’s most memorable answers, I was told, was when he was asked how he had been managing our foreign affairs. The Minister replied: “The important thing is to understand the President’s policies, his vision, his goals and once that is understood, and he believes that this Foreign Minister knows what those visions are… he expects the Foreign Minister to know what to do.” Lord have mercy!
Death on the Plateau
Two weeks ago, I wrote on religious crisis in Nigeria while commenting on the blacklisting of the country by the US. I wrote: “The religious conflicts that we experience in Nigeria are usually sparked off by an incident at a particular point in time, given that the atmosphere is permanently tense and polluted with hate, mistrust and resentment.” I was not surprised at all that the recent clashes between Muslims and Christians in Jos, Plateau State, was caused by a “minor” argument over encroachment on a plot of land. Even a little argument over somebody spitting on the road can spark off an orgy of killings. These tensions are permanently there. A little spark sets the city on fire. And Jos will never have peace until the political leaders stop taking sides. The Fulani always defend the Fulani, the Berom always defend the Berom. No conflict can ever be resolved that way. The time for home truth has come, no matter whose ox is gored.
Better Future ahead?
I was very, very delighted that the election in the Etsako constituency of the Edo House of Assembly held peacefully yesterday. The reports as at last night showed that there was no violence. Six persons were arrested for impersonation, which is not a terrible figure. I am saying all this because I was really afraid there was going to be bloodshed. Both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Action Congress (AC) had been talking tough before the election. The withdrawal of the military Joint Task Force (JTF) from the area was seen as a precursor to the rigging of the election by the PDP. I also got reports that parties had stockpiled arms. That there was no major incident is very encouraging. I wish this would be a sign of good things ahead for the electoral system.
Tenure Tinkering
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has now set the term limit for bank CEOs at a maximum of two five-year terms. I have my reservations on the policy, especially how it caught up with CEOs who had served in different banks and whose previous tenures were to be added together in line with the new policy. I agree totally that nobody should be CEO for life, but I still think there is some deficiency in the policy. I believe it should not have taken effect from dozens of years ago. But if it can be demonstrated that this will help in instilling the principles of corporate governance in the banking industry, we cannot argue against it. Let’s just wait and see.

Pictures from Pastor Odukoya wedding to Simangele Zulu


Odukoya, the founding pastor of the Fountain of Life Church, Lagos, wedded a South African, Simangele Zulu, at a subtly-elaborate ceremony that held at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Tuesday.

This was against a backdrop of longstanding speculations that bordered on his decision to walk down the aisle again.

Amidst heightening anxiety, Odukoya had announced to an astounded congregation last Dec. 27 about his readiness to give marriage a second shot.

He kept the identity of the bride under wraps until Jan. 3 when she was formally introduced to the congregation, who welcomed her with a stimulating applause.

Before unmasking Zulu, there had been widespread talks that purportedly had it that Odukoya was in a relationship with a divorcee and mother of two, who incidentally is a columnist in one of the national dailies.

In her 30s, the path of Zulu, who is a United Kingdom-based music director, and that of Odukoya first crossed over a year ago during one of his many trips overseas.

The wedding, held under tight security, was graced by prominent men of God, including the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye.

Pastor Bimbo, as she was affectionately addressed, lost her life in the ill-fated Sosoliso airliner that crashed at the Port Harcourt International Airport on Dec. 10, 2005.

A writer, popular televangelist, highly-sought conference speaker, youth mentor and marriage counsellor, she was one of several individuals chosen by Samsung to represent Nigeria in carrying the Torch for the 2004 Olympic Games.

At the time of her death, she was the associate senior pastor of The Fountain of Life Church and the president of Discovery for Women.

She was the host of Single and Married, a TV programme broadcast locally and internationally that dealt with practical issues people face in marriages and relationships guided with biblical principles.

The couple, who were married for over two decades, had three children – Toluwani, Jimi and Tobi.

What a beautiful and blessed couple they make! Wouldn't you say?Pi

Enough Is Enough !

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends”- Martin Luther King
The Lagos version of the Abuja walk by the Save Nigeria Group titled, “Enough is Enough” is taking place today at 10am. We’ll be moving from Arch Bishop Vinning Memorial Church to the Government house in Alausa. Our message has not changed, we are marching in peaceful protest against the current issues which stem from the same root -lack of good governance! Ever so often the intellectuals want to ask -why are you walking? Will this walk achieve anything? Are there no other risk free things that can be done? Is there a hidden agenda?  Intellectuals love to ask questions, and thankfully, I’m not un-intellectual as well, so I can answer what I can.
6 months ago, I stayed for many hours everyday at the intensive care unit of a Teaching Hospital, waiting outside in the sun everyday as my young mother struggled to live. Ever so often power would fail in the hospital, and I will hear the UPS of the most funded and most equipped room in the hospital beep as it neared its life’s end. Amazingly these life support UPS’ were no different from those used for small personal computers.  I sat and watched as many fairly clothed bodies got wheeled daily to the mortuary. It wasn’t rocket science, but it struck me, when power fails, people die!  My mind wandered back easily to the road accidents that I had seen on my many road travels over the past few months, and to the other thousands of lives lost uncelebrated. It’s real, that we are losing people who ought to be alive daily in this country!
Eventually my dearly beloved mum passed on, but she left me with the gift of a mind boggling realization! There is a death roll in this country and all our names are on it, and in silence and negligence we may all take our execution orders, either from our ailing roads, our ill equipped hospitals or from the hazardous interventions to substitute all forms of power!
We are here at this junction in our 49yrs plus history to say with one voice, Enough is Enough! To power failure, power vacuum, power ailment or power epilepsy!
I have asked myself quite regularly, who is responsible for killing all these people?
Is it the government that has regularly failed in its promise to provide power in any form?
Is it the senate who have refused to enact the laws allowing states to generate their power or for the constitution to be followed so we are not ruled by a leader who left in a hurry  and asked us not to worry that good luck can rule the country by taking orders from his blackberry?
Is it you and I, the people, who with our silence and negligence allow the wrong people to get the power?
Or is it our religious leaders who have so much influence and have refused to use it for our greatest common good?
Is it the good clean men who refuse to dirty themselves and have allowed the worst of us to rule the rest of us?
Or is it my good friends and brothers who are benefiting so well from the current decay that they have been rendered blind, mute and powerless.
I say yes to all! Everybody who has the capacity to lead us, who has the potential to be voted for, who is a leader and has earned the trust and respect of people in this nation, has committed a great offense. Our negligence has put the wrong people in power, made our hospitals unequipped, left our roads as deathtraps, and have assisted in killing, murdering and sentencing many young talents and future leaders to early graves! The silence of your pastor, your CEO, your mentor and yourself is the reason for our bad roads, is the reason for the deplorable state of power in Nigeria, is responsible for poverty and the death roll in this country, we have sinned!
Quote me if you want, but no matter how many dead your pastor or imam raises, he is by negligence, responsible for killing more. No matter how much good works we do, our silence has destroyed more! You and I are guilty as charged! Guilty Guilty Guilty! Our most influential man was counted because of the opposite of the reason that we are condemned as a nation! Our silence speaks loudly! Our silence and non-verbal endorsement of vision-less leaders, power vacuums and remote controlled leadership, have made our paradise potential nation a living hell! Our land is flowing with milk and honey and our people are living on dirt and leftovers!
If we do what we need to do for this country, we may die! If we run, we may live, at least for a while! But in days not far from today, we will die, on our beds, on hospital beds or on the deplorable roads! Are we willing to trade all the days and years, from now until that day, for once chance, just one chance, to gather ourselves together and tell those who place power vacuums over our heads, that they might take away our national cake, they may defraud our nation, they might even rape our land and empty it’s resources, but they will never take away our future!
Like the proverbial resilient frog, which gets cooked in water by raising the temperature 1 degree per hour, we have taken it all, but now the water visibly boils and our cup of patience full. With one voice today we shout. Enough is Enough!
Enough is Enough!
We will neither tolerate power vacuums in the PHCN nor in Leadership!
Enough is Enough!
We are not happy with a Plane load of 300 people dying in the streets of Jos in Religious wars because of inaction from a missing leader.
Enough is Enough!
We will not accept the label of terrorism bestowed on us by the 58 days inactivity of our president’s mobile phone.
Enough is Enough!
Leadership Vacuum is dangerous and is responsible for killings in the north, kidnapping in the east, Militants gang raping in the South South and intellectual indifference in the west.
Enough is Enough!
We the young people will no longer be represented by 50+ year old dying men who still claim to be youths.
Enough is Enough!
We demand to be lead according to the dictates of our imposed constitution until another is established. Please Mr. President, Vacate the Seat!
Enough is Enough!
We are neither fools nor kindergarten children, we refuse to be insulted by the Attorney Generals manifesting as atani Generals – meaning deceivers.
Enough is Enough!
We know that one lie requires 10 others to support it, and the 10 others require 10 each. Our Senate, Judiciary and leaders at large have built a pyramid of lies and a cacophony of deceit.
Enough is Enough!
We know that the fact that our hearts desire a New Nigeria is because one exists. We raise a proclamation against all those who shackle us.
Enough is Enough!
We refuse to accept the political coloration of our demographics that is designed to deceive us into believing that we are not enough!
Enough is Enough!
This is just the beginning, we shout with one final loud voice we say to all those who stand in the way of progress for this nation. All those who by silence, negligence, force or illness, you shall all be swept by the hands that put the stars in the sky.  And together we pray -
Enough is Enough!

Yar’adua’s Mobile Ambulance Arrives

In a desperate move to return an ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua home from Saudi Arabia before the expiration of the two weeks given by a High Court Judge, a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and the services of an air ambulance have been procured. The ambulance arrived in Lagos last week. Authoritative NEXT sources say it is of "utmost priority that the president should be in the country in whatever shape or form on or before this weekend," but close family friends are holding their breath.

Achebe looking back..














Achebe looking back on his troubled relationship with Nigeria here. I'm still pondering the kind of help he alludes to here:

"Nigeria needs help. Nigerians have their work cut out for them – to coax this unruly child along the path of useful creative development. We are the parents of Nigeria, not vice versa. A generation will come, if we do our work patiently and well – and given luck – a generation that will call Nigeria father or mother. But not yet."

Is it a call to parents to foster among their children a stronger sense of national identity (outside of issues of ethnicity, settler, indigene as I have been exploring in recent posts), or is it actually a call for a different relationship to Nigeria from the outside - the echo of a nostalgia for the "colonial masters" and British protectorate status?

Whichever (and perhaps it is both), Achebe seems still to be wounded, by the civil war and by the force of his own injuries. He cannot see outside of the injustice done to the towns of Igbo people (and who can blame him) and ultimately, he cannot dream of a Nigerian national identity. The beautiful ones are not yet born, I guess.

Why men shouldn't write advice columns...


















Hope you all can read it...
Lol

Women who swallow semen reduce the risk of cancer...
























Women who perform the act of fellatio and swallow semen on a regular basis, one to two times a week, may reduce their risk of breast cancer by up to 40 percent, a North Carolina State University study found.


Doctors had never suspected a link between the act of fellatio and breast cancer, but new research being performed at North Carolina State University is starting to suggest that there could be an important link between the two.

In a study of over 15,000 women suspected of having performed regular fellatio and swallowed the ejaculatory fluid, over the past ten years, the researchers found that those actually having performed the act regularly, one to two times a week, had a lower occurance of breast cancer than those who had not. There was no increased risk, however, for those who did not regularly perform.

"I think it removes the last shade of doubt that fellatio is actually a healthy act," said Dr. A.J. Kramer of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who was not involved in the research. "I am surprised by these findings, but am also excited that the researchers may have discovered a relatively easy way to lower the occurance of breast cancer in women."

"Only with regular occurance will your chances be reduced, so I encourage all women out there to make fellatio an important part of their daily routine," said Dr. Helena Shifteer, one of the researchers at the University. "Since the emergence of the research, I try to fellate at least once every other night to reduce my chances."
***
This study was reported in a Journal of Medical Research

Swallow semen? BS! Tell me something else...
What do you guys think of this?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Kamber...




can someone tell me what tiz iz ? NIce Tatoo though

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Funny language...lol


Is English really stupid or the people that invented the language???

Let's face it: English is a stupid language.
There is no egg in the eggplant, no ham in the hamburger, and neither Pine nor apple in the pineapple.
English muffins were not invented in England; French fries were not invented in France.

We sometimes take English for granted. But if we examine its paradoxes we find that Quicksand takes you down slowly, boxing rings are square and guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

If writers write, how come fingers don't fing?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn't the plural of phone booth be phone beeth.
If the teacher taught, why didn't the preacher praught.
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what the heck does a humanitarian eat?
Why do people recite at a play yet play at a recital?
Why do people Park on driveways and drive on parkways.

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language where a house can burn up as it burns down and in which you fill in a form by filling it out. And a bell is only heard once it goes!

People, not computers, invented English and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which of course isn't a race at all). That is why when the stars are out they are visible, but when the lights are out they are invisible.
And why is it that when I wind up my watch it starts but when I wind up this story it ends?

And there's more...

Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist, but a person who drives a race car not called a racist?
Why are "a wise man" and "a wise guy opposites"?
Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?

If horrific means to make horrible, does terrific mean to make terrible?
Why isn't 11 pronounced onety-one, since 22 is pronounced twenty-two?
If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked and dry cleaners depressed?

Why is it that if someone tells you that there are 1billion stars in the universe you will believe them, but if they tell you a wall has wet paint you will have to touch it to be sure?
If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does hebecome disoriented?
If people from Poland are called "Poles," why aren't people from Holland called "Holes"????

I REST MY CASE
Thanks.
Author unknown

Loves it!!!
LOL!

Actress Ini Edo is new face of Chivita

























Beautiful actress Ini Edo is the new face of Chivita drink. She put pen to paper late last year for the mouth-watering contract. Right now all arrangements have been planned and sealed to fly the amiable screen diva to India to shoot a world-class commercial.

Photo of the day



OBJ - Yar'Adua - IBB
Hmmmm....wonder what these three have in common...:-)

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Scammers are here again

Beware of the following numbers +881835211178, +1881935211088, +881935211087, +1239280593, +239211554, +881835211173, +18823462583. The victims of those numbers recount their experiences on how they call back and all their credits disappeared in seconds. I've never been a victim but,I receive flash from them every now and then. So don't be a victim!

Violence Stirs up In Jos, 20 killed, several others Injured

















For those who haven’t heard, violent clashes again erupted in Jos yesterday claiming about 20 lives while plenty others were injured. The clash started in Dutse-Uku area of the city in the morning when a band of youths attacked worshippers at the St. Michael Catholic Church, at about 7am. About 35 people were arrested, five of whom were wearing military uniforms without being officers of the Nigerian Armed forces. In a swift reaction to the crisis, the state government has imposed a curfew from 6pm-6am on the state capital.

Why again for heaven’s sake, why?

Single Mother Had Sex With Boy, 12, Almost 200 Times: And Marked Each Encounter

A single mother had sex with a 12-year-old boy almost 200 times - marking each encounter with a star in a sordid diary.

Angela Sullivan, 36, could face an indefinite jail sentence after admitting ten child sex charges.

Sullivan even bought the youngster a pair of trainers as a reward when the pair slept together for the 100th time, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Teesside Crown Court

In the dock: Teesside Crown Court where single mother Angela Sullivan after psychiatric assessment

She first seduced the boy by plying him with alcohol and performing a sex act on him, the court was told.

The pair went on to have a ten-month affair, which was only uncovered after rumours circulated at the boy's school about Sullivan being pregnant.

Investigators also discovered the schoolboy had been boasting to friends in internet chatrooms about his relationship.

The mother would often have intimacy with the youngster in her Middlesbrough home after sending her own son to stay with his grandparents.

When police arrested Sullivan in October, they found a diary filled with childish entries and 191 stars to mark each encounter.

She initially denied having sex with the boy and tried to explain away some of her diary entries - such as 'Angela loves (the boy's name)' - as innocent scribblings.

But when she appeared in court yesterday, Sullivan admitted ten specimen charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity - one for each month of the affair.

Her case was adjourned and Sullivan was remanded in custody so psychiatric and probation reports can be drawn up.

She will return to Teesside Crown Court to be sentenced next month.

Lawyer Andrew Turton, defending, applied for the psychiatric report.

Judge Tony Briggs said: 'I think that is likely to be necessary.'

Sullivan, who has no previous convictions, faces being placed on the sex offenders register.

She could also be jailed indefinitely for the protection of the public and .

Several windows at the unemployed mother's home have been smashed since she was arrested.

UNN shuts down over students fee hike protest

The authorities of the University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka in Enugu State yesterday shut down the institution, following the vandalisation and disruption of property, including the temporary residential quarters of the Vice Chancellor, Prof Barth Okolo and some senior staff quarters of the institution by protesting students. The violent protest embarked upon by the university students was to express their displeasure over a new fees regime introduced by the university authorities.

The closure of the institution, which was contained in a statement issued yesterday evening by the Registrar, Mr. I. Okonta, directed all the students to vacate the hostels and wait until further notice.

However, when THISDAY contacted Okolo on phone, he denied any increment in school fees. He said the students who were involved in the rampage were used by some elements in the university community to cause disorder.

He maintained that he did not know where the students got the information about increment in school fees, but explained that there could not have been any increment since the university council saddled with such powers has not taken any such decision.
But THISDAY gathered that the details of the new fees’ regime, showed that school fees was increased from N25,000 to N70,000, acceptance fees from N6,000 to N25,000 and convocation fees from N6,000 to N35,000.
The protest, which was initially peaceful but turned violent in the later part however, left several persons including staff and students of the institution with injuries,

Several students were allegedly shot by anti-riot policemen drafted from the Nsukka Police Division to quell the riot.
A first year female student, Onyinye Ngwu of the Department of Nursing Sciences, who participated in the protest march was shot on her leg by the police and was rushed to the university’s medical centre, while others who reportedly sustained injuries in the incident were taken to Bishop Shanahan Hospital for treatment.

Informed sources said a delegation of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) from Enugu Campus of the university had arrived Nsukka campus on Friday to dialogue with the Vice Chancellor and the management on the development but were avoided by the Vice Chancellor, who reportedly told them that the school’s decision was irreversible.

Okolo who was in the office when the student leaders arrived reportedly told the students that he had no time for the parley after they had waited for several hours. The VC’s action was said to have provoked the students into staging a minor procession from the SUG office to the Freedom Square to express their anger over the alleged “high-handedness of the Vice Chancellor”.

The students later dispersed with a threat to take their destiny in their own hands and to make good their threat to resist the new fees at all costs. As 6 am yesterday, the Students Union leaders started mobilising their colleagues from the Zik’s Flats which serves as the female hostels. From there, the procession marched to the Vice Chancellor’s quarters.

THISDAY gathered that security men at the VC’s quarters tried to prevent the protesters from entering the premises but they were overpowered by the rampaging students who ransacked all the rooms, carted away some of the personal effects of Professor Okolo and damaged all the vehicles parked on the premises before policemen could intervene.

Sources said the students while raining abuses on the Vice Chancellor who was not present at the time, vowed to “make things difficult for him in the university since he was not ready to embrace peace and dialogue in addressing the myriads of problems confronting the students” on the two campuses of the university.

After hours of shooting by the anti-riot policemen to disperse the students within the campus yesterday, they (students) took to the streets of Nsukka burning tyres and in the process damaged some vehicles.
Thousands of residents trooped out to hail the students as they marched through major roads in the town shouting “Okolo must go”.

Having successfully barricaded the Adani road and Obollo-Affor road, the students who were joined by hoodlums from motor-parks in the town, marched from Nsukka town up to Opi Junction of the 9th Mile-Oturkpo Highway, where they blocked the road disrupting vehicular movement for some minutes before they were confronted by mobile policemen and soldiers at the checkpoint.

Reports said several students were arrested but the police spokesman for Enugu Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the incident yesterday said he was yet to ascertain the exact number of people arrested.
He, however, said necessary measures had been taken to ensure that normalcy returned to the town.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Jayz and Queen B win Forbes list of top earning couples
























Forbes has named Beyonce and Jay Z the top earning celeb couple of 2009. Between June 2008 and June 2009 the couple earned a combined $122 million putting them squarely at the top of the annual Top-Earning Couples list.

*Beyonce out-earned Jay-Z, bringing in $87 million to his $35 million

*Harrison Ford and his girlfriend, Calista Flockhart, earned a combined $69 million.

*In third place: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The power couple earned a total of $55 million split about evenly between them both.

*Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, rank fourth with $48 million.

*Rounding out the top five are David and Victoria Beckham.The pair earned $46 million between June 2008 and June 2009.

Two LOve Birds

Adaeze Igwe and Joseph Yobo spoke exclusively with Abiola Aloba of Encomium magazine about their love story. Read it below...

























We would like to know your love story. How did you guys meet? Was it love at first sight?

Joseph Yobo “I think it was love at first sight. After we met, we became friends and later we found out we had something special and strong for each other. It was not one of those frivolous affairs. We knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. I believe I fell in love first and made the first move. But maybe she had fallen first and only just pretended not to be. But later she confessed.

Adaeze Igwe “When we first met, he kept staring at me that I almost thought there was something wrong with my outfit. Apart from that I can not really explain how it happened because we were both at how fast everything has happened.

Some have speculated that pregnancy might have been the reason for the quickness and hush nature of your wedding. Could they be correct?

Joseph Yobo “Wwhen I came to Nigeria for the summer, I had only intended to stay for a short time as I usually do, but then I met Adaeze and we fell in love. So, I spent the whole of my summer holidays in Nigeria, which I’ve never done before. To show how serious my intentions were, I even met with her family to assure them that she was in safe hands. Her mom immediately approved the relationship so we took it further from that moment onwards. It was never because of pregnancy. We have always talked about having a child together and had even joked on how beautiful the baby would look. But we could not do the wedding before now because of the nature of my job and also because of Ada not being around as she had a tight schedule in school. We wanted it special and the night of December 31, 09 was the only time all our family members were going to be around. After the date, I am going to be very busy at work till July 2010.

Adaeze Igwe "I can’t understand why that speculation would come up. I know in this modern world, people don’t get married because of pregnancy and apart from that, I am still very young to rush into marriage because of pregnancy. Meanwhile we had concluded other forms of marriage before the church wedding, though we had kept that to ourselves.

Some are of the opinion that Adaeze might still be too young and not experienced enough for the rigours of matrimony.
Adaeze Igwe “I don’t think I’m too young to get into marriage. I know that by the grace of God, I can handle it. Age is only but a number. I have realised since I met Joseph that he is all I want in a man and he’s my best friend. So there’s nothing to worry about. We learn every day.***

All the best to them...

Two LOve Birds

Adaeze Igwe and Joseph Yobo spoke exclusively with Abiola Aloba of Encomium magazine about their love story. Read it below...

























We would like to know your love story. How did you guys meet? Was it love at first sight?

Joseph Yobo “I think it was love at first sight. After we met, we became friends and later we found out we had something special and strong for each other. It was not one of those frivolous affairs. We knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. I believe I fell in love first and made the first move. But maybe she had fallen first and only just pretended not to be. But later she confessed.

Adaeze Igwe “When we first met, he kept staring at me that I almost thought there was something wrong with my outfit. Apart from that I can not really explain how it happened because we were both at how fast everything has happened.

Some have speculated that pregnancy might have been the reason for the quickness and hush nature of your wedding. Could they be correct?

Joseph Yobo “Wwhen I came to Nigeria for the summer, I had only intended to stay for a short time as I usually do, but then I met Adaeze and we fell in love. So, I spent the whole of my summer holidays in Nigeria, which I’ve never done before. To show how serious my intentions were, I even met with her family to assure them that she was in safe hands. Her mom immediately approved the relationship so we took it further from that moment onwards. It was never because of pregnancy. We have always talked about having a child together and had even joked on how beautiful the baby would look. But we could not do the wedding before now because of the nature of my job and also because of Ada not being around as she had a tight schedule in school. We wanted it special and the night of December 31, 09 was the only time all our family members were going to be around. After the date, I am going to be very busy at work till July 2010.

Adaeze Igwe "I can’t understand why that speculation would come up. I know in this modern world, people don’t get married because of pregnancy and apart from that, I am still very young to rush into marriage because of pregnancy. Meanwhile we had concluded other forms of marriage before the church wedding, though we had kept that to ourselves.

Some are of the opinion that Adaeze might still be too young and not experienced enough for the rigours of matrimony.
Adaeze Igwe “I don’t think I’m too young to get into marriage. I know that by the grace of God, I can handle it. Age is only but a number. I have realised since I met Joseph that he is all I want in a man and he’s my best friend. So there’s nothing to worry about. We learn every day.***

All the best to them...

Funny Weird baby

A lady was in the delivery room starting to deliver her baby. As the head came out it was dark and had an afro. The doctor said, "Madam, have you ever slept with a black man?"

"Well, yes, but only once."
"Once is all it takes" he replied.


Then the torso came out and it was yellow.
"Madam, have you ever slept with an oriental man?"
"Well, yes" she said, "but only once."

"Once is all it takes," he said.
When the legs came out they were red. The doctor asked her if she had ever slept with an Indian.
"Well, yes" she said, "but only once."
"Once is all it takes," he said.

He finally pulled the baby all the way out and held it upside down and slapped its bottom to make it cry. As it started to cry the woman exclaimed "Oh, thank God, at least it doesn't bark!

Funny Court Room Drama

Recently reported in the Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyers Journal, the following are 22 questions actually asked of witnesses by attorneys during trials and, in certain cases, the responses given by insightful witnesses:

"Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?"

"The youngest son, the twenty-year old, how old is he?"

"Were you present when your picture was taken?"

"Were you alone or by yourself?"

"Was it you or your younger brother who was killed in the war?"

"Did he kill you?"

"How far apart were the vehicles at the time of the collision?"

"You were there until the time you left, is that true?"

"How many times have you committed suicide?"

Q: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
A: Yes.
Q: And what were you doing at that time?

Q: She had three children, right?
A: Yes.
Q: How many were boys?
A: None.
Q: Were there any girls?

Q: You say the stairs went down to the basement?
A: Yes.
Q: And these stairs, did they go up also?

Q: Mr. Slatery, you went on a rather elaborate honeymoon, didn't you?
A: I went to Europe, Sir.
Q: And you took your new wife?

Q: How was your first marriage terminated?
A: By death.
Q: And by whose death was it terminated?

Q: Can you describe the individual?
A: He was about medium height and had a beard.
Q: Was this a male, or a female?

Q: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
A: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.

Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?
A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.

Q: All your responses must be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
A: Oral.

Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m,
Q: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time?
A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.

Q: You were not shot in the fracas?
A: No, I was shot midway between the fracas and the navel.

Q: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
A: I have been since early childhood.

Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for blood pressure?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for breathing?
A: No.
Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
A: No.
Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
Q: But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless?
A: It is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere

Yar’adua’s Men List No-go Areas For Jonathan

A cabal, believed to be loyal to recuperating President Umaru Yar’Adua, has drawn a list of ‘no-go areas’ for the Vice President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who seems almost certain to be the most clourful bride in the current power game in the country. The Nation learnt that the pro-Yar’Adua group is confronted with the emerging reality that if Yar’Adua could not continue to lead the country on health grounds, Jonathan may emerge as the personality that will run the affairs of the state, at least for some time to come.

The source hinted that the group is insisting that the Vice President must not tamper with certain key portfolio which the group currently controls. The sectors, the source hinted, include the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Petroleum, the Ministry of Internal Affairs which controls and determines the mechanism of state security and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. ‘It’s almost certain that VP Jonathan will emerge as the acting President. There is the need to protect the interests of this powerful group. These three sectors are believed to be the country’s most critical sectors. Anyone who controls these positions has the country in the pocket,’ the source claimed. As at press time, it was unclear how the group loyal to the Vice President will deal with the new challenge posed by the influential group.

Our correspondent learnt that the cabal is using the ‘no-go-areas’ as a negotiating weapon in the bid to protect its political bloc and sustain a strong foundation within the frame work of the emerging power equation in the country. The source said that with President YarA’dua recuperating, the group knows it is currently negotiating from the position of strength. It was learnt yesterday that the Minster of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Aondoakaa is supporting the position that the VP can act as the President in spite of the seeming contracdictions associated with the Federal High Court judgment.

However yesterday, in an unrelated development, the Vice President Jonathan opened up on the state of the nation warning that some highly placed individuals are bent on pulling down the adminstration.

He also cautioned Nigerians to beware of ‘mischief makers’ bent on causing disaffection in the country. He said this set of people are bent on bringing the current adminstration to its knees by all means, whether fair or foul. He said the sponsors of this ‘false and wicked campaign’ are well known to the Federal Government, and in due time, they will be exposed and brought to book. Meanwhile, there were indications yesterday that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) is now split along two sharply divided camps: those who support President Umaru Yar’Adua to remain in power in spite of his ill health and those rooting for Vice-President Jonathan to take over power on the grounds of the President’s dwindling health.

Investigation by The Nation revealed that although members of the FEC have been presenting a fasle facade to Nigerians that all is well, there is a deep division in the cabinet on whether the VP should be acting President or not.

In a statement signed on Saturday by the Senior Special Adviser to the VP, Mr Ima Niboro, the Vice President said it was obvious there is an on-going effort by some well placed individuals, within and outside the administration, to take maximum advantage of the unfortunate situation that Mr. President, through no fault of his, has found himself health wise, to cause deep-rooted disaffection.

The Vice President said the Presidency is aware that "these same people are sponsoring ridiculous stories in the media to the effect that the VP has already prepared a list of ministers and top executives of key parastatals to dismiss from the administration. ‘There is no need to state that these are obvious lies. The VP uses this occasion to state that key officers of government that are on top of their jobs need not harbour such fears. But those who, rather than focus on delivering this administration’s mandate to the Nigerian people, prefer to cause acrimony and disunity in order to advance personal aggrandisement have every reason to fear."

He denied reports that the VP has refused to act upon the Justice Dan Abutu ruling of Wednesday, 13

th January, 2010, to the effect that he can assume the duties of Mr. President in his absence in line with section 5(1) of the 1999 constitution, because he is awaiting a directive from the First Lady, Hajiya Turai Yar’ Adua.

The VP stated further ‘This report is entirely false. The VP wants to state clearly that the last time he spoke with the First Lady was on Tuesday, January 5

th, after he spoke with the president. Indeed, it was the First Lady that called back shortly after to exchange warm pleasantries with the Vice President.

There is no doubt that those who packaged the report are only attempting to paint non-existent pictures to the Nigerian public in the effort to create mischievous scenarios of indecisivesness on the part of the VP. If we may ask, what was the crucial significance of the Abutu judgement that went over and beyond the subsisting scenario of the VP holding forth in the absence of the president? What therefore would form the directive basis for desperately seeking Mr. President’s point of view in the light of that ruling?

The VP wondered what crucial functions of the president he has declined to take upon himself since the Wednesday ruling. He said barely 48 hours after the decision, the VP led the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chief Justice of the Federation and the service chiefs, to take the salute at the Armed Forces Remembrance Day."

However, The Nation learnt that some members of the cabinet are unhappy with Yar’Adua’s cronies who believe that there is no basis for the inauguration of an acting President.

It was gathered that some Ministers have been begrudging the affected loyalists of Yar’Adua as the brains behind the decision of the FEC not to invoke Section 144 of the 1999 Constitution to declare the President as incapable of performing his duties.

Sources claim that Yar’Adua’s supporters that have incurred the wrath of their colleagues and some godfathers in Jonathan’s camp are the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa(SAN), the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Mr. Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi; the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Abba Sayyad Ruma; the Minister of Finance, Dr, Mansur Muhtar; the Minister of Power, Dr. Rilwan Babalola; the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwan Lukman; the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sir Ufot Ekaette;, the Minister of FCT, Senator Adamu Aliero; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe.

Others who are considered as serving as backbone to the foot-soldiers are the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mrs. Farida Waziri; the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Mr. Dikko Abdullahi; the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo.

The camp divide of the National Security Adviser, Gen. Sarki Mukhtar, and the Director-General of the State Security Service, Mr. Afakirya Gadzama could not be ascertained as at press time.

Although some party bigwigs wanted the removal of these foot-soldiers, it was gathered that the Vice-President has been battling to keep the cabinet united.

A source said: "Interestingly while we are all engaging in cold war, the VP has been doing a yeoman’s job to keep the cabinet as one."

A Minister, who spoke in confidence with The Nation yesterday, said: "We are divided along Yar’Adua and Jonathan camps. Some Ministers are not happy with the conduct of Yar’Adua’s foot-soldiers in the cabinet and they want them sacked.

"The position of the Yar’Adua’s loyalists is that the President should not be betrayed at this critical period that he is attending to his health. That is why they are determined to fight to the finish and prevent Jonathan from being acting President.

"Apart from Yar’Adua’s loyalists in the cabinet, some ministers have always wanted Jonathan to be inaugurated. But they cannot come out openly to say so. Rather they give their support to the VP behind the curtains, a few others in the cabinet are just praying that the problem should be over.

"Among the Ministers, however, only the Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe does not mince words that he is solidly behind the VP who nominated him into the cabinet.

"The Yar’Adua Group is uncomfortable with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, who is said to be lobbying to emerge as the next VP if Jonathan becomes acting President.

"Already, Yayale has relocated his office to Aguda House within the precinct of the Presidential Villa.

"All I can tell you is that the battle line is drawn between Yar’Adua’s boys and Jonathan loyalists in and out of the cabinet."

Beside the division over acting Presidency, it was also learnt that there is a crisis of confidence between the SGF and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye.

A source added: "Since the introduction of tenure policy by the Head of Service, there has been a wedge in the relationship between him and the SGF.

"They only manage to greet each other when they have cause to interact at all. Yayale sees Oronsaye as rubbishing some his achievements in office as the Head of Service."

But the division in the cabinet, occasioned by Yar’Adua and Jonathan camps, has led to a series of meetings in the last 72 hours.

While a group of South-South leaders met secretly on Thursday night on the political situation in the country and last Wednesday’s judgement by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Dan Abutu, the Yar’Adua loyalists also met on Friday morning to strategise on how to consolidate their grip on power.

A highly-placed source added: "Many caucuses within the party, have taken judicious notice of the fact that some of these foot-soldiers do not want the VP to act for the President.

"The Yar’Adua Group in FEC is saying that there is already a judgement in place which cannot be changed overnight by any group.

"The pro-Jonathan camp felt the major impediment to the emergence of the VP as acting President is the current judgement of Justice Abutu. The camp has decided to give full backing to ensure that a counter-judgement is secured from another Federal High Court.

"But a major challenge is the fact that we are likely to have two conflicting judgements going by the seriousness with which Falana is pursuing his matter.

"The ‘war’ has shifted to the court while both camps are pretending that all is well in government circle. The position of Yar’Adua’s Group is that they cannot trust the VP because he might be hijacked by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s group which is speculated to be seeking revenge for some ‘sins’ committed by the President and some of his men."

Investigation revealed that the likelihood of conflicting judgements has made some cabinet members and PDP chieftains to woo the Attorney-General of the Federation, Aondoakaa, with an assurance of retaining his office.

But it was learnt that Aondoakaa, who is a die-hard Yar’Adua’s hatchet man, has refused to cooperate with any other group.

The source said: "To reach out to Aondoakaa, the Governor of Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Suswam, and some of his close friends were contacted. But Suswam could not do much because the governor is a loyalist of Yar’Adua like his bosom friend, Aondoakaa. Suswam said he is prepared to take the risk to remain with Yar’Adua.

"Why some of these people are targeting Aondoakaa is because his advice or decision is necessary and vital when there are conflicting judgements from courts of coordinated jurisdictions. The SGF may choose or recommend which of the judgements to honour."

The Vice President has appealed to Nigerians to ignore what it called ‘divisive strategies of those who do not wish the present administration well and are anxious to bring the government to its knees by all means, whether fair or foul. He said he remains eternally grateful to ‘fellow compatriots who have continued to demonstrate unflinching solidarity to the nation in spite of these difficult times.’ He also extends warm acknowledgments to the ‘vast majority of patriots and citizens’ who continue to pray for the restoration of Mr. President’s health and his safe return to Nigeria.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/articles/32849/1/YarAduas-men-list-no-go-areas-for-Jonathan/Page1.html

VP denies taking directive from Turai

       
 
Hajiya Turai Yar‘Adua


The Vice -President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, has denied media reports that he took directive from the wife of the president, Hajia Turai Yar‘Adua, saying the report was false.

The Vice-President who spoke through his media spokesman, Mr Ima Niboro, on Saturday said the last time he spoke with the President‘s wife was on January 5, 2010.

Part of the statement reads, ”This morning, a national newspaper published a report claiming that the Vice-President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has so far refused to act upon the Justice Dan Abutu ruling of Wednesday, 13th January, 2010, to the effect that he can assume the duties of Mr. President in his absence in line with section 5(1) of the 1999 constitution, because he is awaiting a directive from the First Lady, Hajiya Turai Yar‘ Adua.

”This report is entirely false. The VP wants to state clearly that the last time he spoke with the First Lady was on Tuesday, January 5th, after he spoke with the president.

Indeed, it was the First Lady that called back shortly after to exchange warm pleasantries with the Vice-President.

”There is no doubt that those who packaged the report are only attempting to paint non-existent pictures to the Nigerian public in the effort to create mischievous scenarios of indecisivesness on the part of the VP.”

But in a statement on Saturday, the management of Punch Nigeria Limited says it stands by its story. Part of the statement reads,

SATURDAY PUNCH is standing by its story, which it sourced from two sources close to the Vice-President: a minister of the Federal Republic and a senior special assistant in the Presidency, who cannot be named because of the sensitive nature of the report and the confidentiality that governs such journalistic endeavours.

Before going to press on Friday, SATURDAY PUNCH correspondents in Abuja and in the South-South made repeated efforts to speak to Mr. Niboro, but to no avail. One of our reporters called Mr. Niboro‘s lines on Thursday between 3pm and 4pm. Another repeated the calls on Friday, and got no responses.

This, however, did not surprise our correspondents as Mr Niboro has been in the habit of not taking our correspondents‘ calls for a while.

The claim by the VP‘s spokesperson that our newspaper only attempted to “paint non-existent pictures to the Nigerian public in the effort to create mischievous scenarios of indecisiveness on the part of the VP” is false.

Saturday Punch has consistently stood on the side of truth publishing balanced and fair stories since the departure of the President on a medical trip to Saudi Arabia.

None of its stories, especially, those involving the delicate issues surrounding the President‘s absence and calls from several quarters that the Vice-President should be empowered to act in his stead has shown bias.

The newspaper‘s consistency has been acknowledged by Nigerians including at least one of the Vice-President‘s closest associates who called our editor on the telephone on Wednesday to acknowledge our professionalism and to express his admiration of our editors‘ conduct in words. He also said that he had heard that we do not leverage any of our stories or privileged information for gratification from anyone.

During our investigations, we learnt that an adviser to the VP on Legal Matters acting under the instructions of the VP, worked with lawyers outside government during the Vice-Presidency‘s efforts to properly interpret the implications of the Abuja High Court judgement and decide on a way forward.

Impeccable sources also informed us that the Vice-President spoke to the President‘s ADC during his attempts to speak with the President, but he was routed to Turai, who said the President wasn‘t available, and that she would get back to him.

We acknowledge that the Vice-President as noted by the statement that ”the VP led the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chief Justice of the Federation and the service chiefs, to take the salute at the Armed Forces Remembrance Day” a purely presidential function.

However, we see this as a corroboration of our story. Reliable sources told our editors on Saturday that the VP only performed this function after receiving clearance from Saudi Arabia, to exercise presidential powers.

It is no secret that the Vice-President, personally, has chosen to play safe since the crisis occasioned by the President‘s departure started, even while his closest aides and associates work behind the scene to ensure that their principal is thus empowered. He has also done little to confront the President‘s powerful kitchen cabinet that has consistently striven to subvert the constitution.

Those who claim to understand this approach have defined it as a form of loyalty. We do not have a problem with the Vice-President‘s understanding of loyalty, even though we acknowledge that many Nigerians have variously interpreted this as vacillation. Our duty is only to publish news devoid of sentiments and based on facts, which is what we have done.

Could the refutal be because, as one of the Vice-President‘s aides who contacted our editors said, ”the report portrayed the Vice-President as a weakling?”

SATURDAY PUNCH has only published what is widely known in official circles in Abuja and it is standing by its story.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201001171114681