From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
A Federal High Court yesterday quashed a fresh 50-count charge of
corruption slammed against former governor of Bayelsa State and
governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre
Sylva and three others on the grounds that the charges constituted an
abuse of court process.
In the fresh charges, Sylva is charged alongside Francis Okokuro, Gbenga Balogun, and Samuel Og-
buku. They allegedly used three companies – Marlin Maritime Limited,
Eat Catering Services Limited, and Haloween-Blue Construction and
Logistics Limited to move about N19.2 billion from Bayelsa State coffers
between 2009 and 2012, under false pretence of using the withdrawn
money to augment salaries of workers.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed the
fresh charges against them two days after Justice Ahmed. Mohammed of the
Federal High Court dismissed the 42-count charge of stealing brought
against Sylva and his co-accused by the EFCC on the grounds that the
prosecution’s application to consolidate the charges against the
defendants amounted to an abuse of court process.
On June 1, 2015, Justice Evoh Chukwu, also of the Federal High Court,
Abuja, struck out other case against Sylva following the applica- tion
by the Ministry of Justice to withdraw it.
Delivering judgment yesterday, Justice Ademola agreed with counsel to
the accused persons that indeed the fresh charges against his clients
were a clear case of an abuse of court process.
Besides, Justice Ademola held that the mere fact that a court of
coordinate jurisdiction dismissed the action had robbed his court of the
jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter.
The court, which frowned at what it described as the desperate
attitude of the prosecution to convict the accused persons, said the
criminal charge is a complete case of an abuse of court process.
You are at:Home»COVER»Biafra: DSS men want to kill Nnamdi Kanu in detention –Sister raises alarm
Biafra: DSS men want to kill Nnamdi Kanu in detention –Sister raises alarm
From OKEY SAMPSON, Aba
PRINCESS Chinwe Kanu, the younger sister of detained Director of
Radio Biafra and leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi
Kanu, has raised the alarm over the health condition of her elder
brother, saying that personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS)
want to kill him in detention.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Sun at her father’s compound in Afara
Ukwu, Umuahia, Abia State, Princess Kanu said what she saw of her elder
brother when she attended his trial in Abuja on Monday made her to
conclude that the DSS wants to kill him while in their custody.
“Honestly, the way they are going about this case I’m not comfortable
with it because when I saw my brother, he looked like a shadow of his
former self. He looked pale and anaemic and he has physical pain as a
result of torture, starvation and the hardship he is going through in
the hands of the DSS operatives,” she alleged.
“After the court session, when he (Nnamdi) came out, as the IPOB
members and the Biafrans were outside the gate while some were in the
court premises hailing him and chanting: “Nnamdi, Nnamdi ka anyi
ga-eso”, the way the DSS man roughhandled him, he almost fell down. I
don’t know what his reasons were, but I’m happy Nnamdi never challenged
him.
She said the DSS should know that her brother was not a criminal, but
only a prisoner of conscience. “They held him so tight that he screamed
and I felt bad. Because his health is deteriorating by the day, I am
calling on rights activists, the international crime code, the Amnesty
International, the UN and the British commission to come and rescue
their citizen in the hands of the DSS. They are so mean and wicked, they
will kill him if care is not taken”, she pleaded.
Expressing joy that she saw her brother in high spirits inside the
courtroom which she said the family was not allowed to enter if not for
the intervention of their law- yer, Princess Kanu said she has
confidence that God will set the director of Radio Biafra free in the
next adjourned date.
“I have confidence in what Eze Chukwuokike Abiama (God) will do
because He is not a man that He will lie neither is He a man that He can
disappoint us or deceive us and because His word is yea and Amen and
because He is the one that brought His son out, He will not abandon or
leave him that’s what I believe in,” Kanu said.
She said it was a shame the DSS that was supposed to serve and
protect the citizen, on the contrary, it is torturing and starving them
to death. “My brother was assaulted publicly in the court premises and
I’m standing here with an evidence to show the world what is going on
the injustice and nepotism that is going on in Nigeria. I’m afraid of my
live and that of my family with the way things are going”.
Princess Kanu said it was wrong for the Federal Government to have
charged his brother with terrorism, noting that this was the height of
tyranny. “Will someone help tell President Muhammadu Buhari that this is
a democratic dispensation, not autocratic government where he was the
General?
She said charging Nnamdi with terror- ism means equating him with
Boko Haram members, saying it was the height of injustice and a way to
continue in humiliating and assaulting an unarmed civilian which she
said was not the right thing to do
It's always said, shine your eye as you come into lasgidi as its called.
Lagos is a city of surviver to all who come into it, but it all depend on you, some come empty and go full but some come full and go empty... some are carried away by the fun n live in the city and at that process they loose focus.
Life is always what you plant you reap.. if you fail to plant you won't reap. But if you plantvyou will reap.
So many people join different secret family as to make it in this city called Lagos. So hold to God and they are made... while you live in this city Lagos, all you need do is believe in yourself and work for greater hight.
You are blessed of God and no one can change it, except you, so all you need do is remain focused and don't allow distractions and it's family to drag you out for shame.
For God has given us power to make wealth and prosper in the land.
The bible said that where ever we go we shall possess even to the gate of our enemies...... so believe and it's yours.
Professional singers treat their voices a bit like athletes treat their bodies, writes singer and broadcaster Mary King.
The
best protection is a good posture and sound vocal technique. Voices
always need to be supported by the bigger muscles in the body - poor
posture can lead to muscular tension and vocal strain. There are also
other factors which might be less obvious.
Singers need to keep
their bodies hydrated, so that the delicate vocal folds (or cords) can
be kept supple. They would probably drink between two and three litres
of water spread out throughout the day. The water would be at room
temperature, rather than ice-cold.
A number of factors contribute
to dryness, so singers avoid caffeine, red wine and, wherever possible,
air-conditioning. Smoke, of course, in whatever form, is a really bad
idea.
Hydration in the form of steam (head over a bowl of boiling
water, with a towel over your head), is seen by many singers as the very
best way to get the folds hydrated, and to shift thick mucus which
might clog them up. Menthol products are too strong for the delicate
membranes, so singers choose to keep it pure.
A singer's
lifestyle is very different from the average person - they need to have
enough energy for a performance, but not eat so much that they fall
asleep. Eating late at night, however - after a performance, for example
- can produce problems with acid reflux.
This condition causes
stomach acids to rise up the oesophagus during sleep, backing up against
the vocal folds, causing discomfort, and eventually, damage. For this
reason also, singers tend to avoid spicy or acidic foods - eg apples or
tomatoes - and fizzy drinks, and often sleep with the bedhead raised.
Singers
will regularly spend some time on "vocal rest" - total silence, with no
speaking for a period of 48 hours, giving their vocal apparatus time to
recover. The rule with sore throats, and particularly laryngitis, is no
speaking and no whispering - the very worst thing that you can do in
this situation.
Singers can be compared to sportsmen and women - they are the athletes of the voice. Sunday Feature: An Anatomy of Singing broadcasts on BBC Radio 3
at 18:45 BST on Sunday 21 June as part of the Classical Voice Season
and will be available to catch up on iPlayer for 30 days. Radio 3 is
resident at the Royal Welsh College of Music Drama from 19-21 June. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.
Police in central China have arrested 13 people after hundreds of villagers attacked a police station on Friday.
Residents of the village, in Hunan province, were reportedly angry about the handling of a young woman's death last month.
Officials say the death was caused by pesticide poisoning, but relatives have accused her husband of involvement.
Her relatives beat the husband and took local officials hostage when they attempted to intervene.
In
a statement reported by state media, the police said that the trouble
began on Thursday after the family displayed the woman's corpse in her
mother-in-law's house.
When police attempted to defuse the
situation they were attacked and forced to kneel before the deceased
woman, the statement adds.
Hundreds of villagers joined the bereaved relatives the next day to protest and attack the local police station.
The police say that hundreds of officers were called in to restore order.
Egypt reopened Saturday the
blocked Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip for three days in both
directions for the first time in three months, which is considered as a
sign of improvement between Egypt and the Islamic Hamas movement.
Since the ouster of Egyptian Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July
2013, the Egyptian government has kept the crossing largely closed,
while occasionally reopening it partly for humanitarian cases.
Cairo accused the Gaza-ruling Hamas group, an offshoot of the
outlawed Muslim Brother organization, of interfering in Egypt’s internal
affairs and aiding militants targeting the Egyptian army in Sinai.
Meanwhile, the Crossings and Borders Corporation of the Interior
Ministry of Hamas, which rules the coastal enclave, confirmed the
opening of the crossing, saying that only patients, holders of foreign
passports, students and some Palestinians with visas can cross the Gaza
Strip into Egypt.
Maher Abu Sabha, director of the crossing on the Palestinian side,
told reporters that up to 14,000 Gazans have applied to exit through
Rafah, noting that, however, only 400 people can leave Gaza each day.
Last month, the Egyptian government reopened Rafah crossing for two
days in one way to enable stranded Palestinians in Egypt to enter the
coastal enclave.
The terminal is the only window to some 1.8 million Palestinians in
Gaza to the outside world, except two other crossings with Israel which
are subject to strict restrictions since Hamas’ violent takeover of the
seaside territory in 2007.
Relations between Hamas and the new military-backed government of
Egypt worsened to unprecedented levels after Hamas opposed the ouster of
Morsi, a Hamas patron, in July 2013 following nationwide protests
against his one-year rule.
However, an Egyptian appeal court canceled earlier this month a previous verdict labeling Hamas as a terror organization.
It was on the beautiful afternoon while the sun shined so bright and the heat was much on people....
that these fellows can out and were protesting at ladipo bus stop oshodi agege motor road... they were asking for their long awaited amnesty that have not be paid since the year 2011, they said that the federal government kept promising them but were not showing any effort to pay them.... they however matched from ladipo down into Ikeja gra n went on protesting n pleading that they should be paid....
NZEH: Church Is Worried About Islamic Tendencies Associated With Okorocha
By KODILINYE OBIAGWU on March 22, 2015
85
Rochas-okorocha• Catholic Church Does Not Tell Voters Who To Vote For In Imo
How did JDPC become part of the political process in Imo State, to
the extent of organising a political debate cum interactive forum for
governorship candidates in the state?
THE JDPC, as an arm of the Church, sees through affairs between the
Church and the state. The Commission has a strong presence in the
Church. For a while now, it has been taking care of voter education,
enlightening the people, mobilising them for the purposes of sensitizing
them in matters of human rights, their civic responsibilities, all
geared towards maintaining the dignity of the human person. It has also
become a permanent part of the election monitoring team since 2003. In
the last election and in Owerri alone, JDPC sent out not less than 600
people to observe the election. And JDPC reports have been tendered and
accepted as evidence in the tribunals. This is an indication of the
credibility of the JDPC. It has become a force to be reckoned with in
electoral and democratic matters.
The 2015 interactive forum for governorship candidates and the electorate, which the JDPC convened was botched. What happened?
There is no simple answer to why the forum was disrupted. The
stakeholders, candidates, security agencies, electorate witnessed
whatever happened. For us in JDPC, we have always told the voters to be
guided by their conscience and not to vote under duress, fear or
intimidation and looked to create a forum where the voters can hold
their leaders accountable. We only pray that the disruption is not
repeated in the election.
This is actually the third edition of the forum after we held it in
2007 and 2011. We started planning for this botched debate since 2013 at
the end of a seminar held on the 2015 elections and the sustenance of
democracy. One of the resource persons has laid out the plan on how the
JDPC should approach the 2015 election. It was a wonderful idea and the
ideas were subsequently explored at other seminars and fora. It was the
success of the 2011 edition of the debate that elevated the forum in the
eyes of stakeholders in the state. It hadn’t looked nearly impossible
to bring together the governorship candidates under one roof. But for
us, it was an event where the candidates were required to see one
another as brothers, shake hands and campaign in peace, knowing that
only one person would eventually win.
For the 2015 Public Forum, we meant well as usual; encouraging people
to practice what they preach as politics in good faith, without rancour
or acrimony. It was a forum where they were supposed to tell the voters
what their plans are for the state and the masses. For the incumbent,
it was also an opportunity to say what he has done and what he plans to
do if voted into office again. And for the others, it offered an
opportunity to show how they intend to be better than the incumbent. It
wasn’t supposed to be a war front for anyone. And then it was an
opportunity for voters to weigh the candidates with their manifestoes
and be guided accordingly.
It was said that the disruption came about when a political party
felt that the Church had already taken sides and was using the forum as a
charade…
The Church is not partisan and wouldn’t have taken sides. We meant well
and carried everyone along. What would be the excuse to take sides? If
we had taken sides, then the supposedly aggrieved party should have
waited, observed and seen how much sides we have taken or how the
proceedings were going before using that fear to disrupt the forum. The
speculation has no foundation in reality.
How do you view the belief that whomsoever the Catholic Church
supports or has sympathy for is likely to win the election and that
whomever the debate favours is likely to win in the election?
Anyone saying that is still not correct. We don’t judge, we are not
in the field campaigning with them, we only take sides with what is
right and tell the people what their rights are. Winning or losing an
election depends on the ability of the candidate. I don’t believe this
forum has such influence. We organised it to contribute to the
development of democracy.
If people are attaching such significance to it, then it is in their
imaginations. Those who believe that whoever triumphs in the debate goes
on to win certainly are looking at the outcome of the 2011 debate where
the people felt that Rochas Okorocha, then of the All Progressives
Grand Alliance (APGA) impressed them against the incumbent governor
Ikedi Ohakim. Okorocha won the election. This is debatable and my
question is whether those who think like that are also considering the
case in 2007? I am certain that the fate of the candidate is more in his
hands than in the hands of the Church. How can the Church take the
responsibility of picking a candidate for the people of Imo? Is the
governor accountable to the Church or the people?
What did you expect to hear from the candidates?
They should explain themselves to the electorate; explain what they are
doing and what they will do in the next four years if elected. They
should tell the people how they want to take care of the poor masses.
There is a lot of poverty in the place and it is only a few that are
having it better and no one seems willing to want to address this and
the Church is on the side of the poor masses. And this is why we are
speaking out and defending the poor people. The expectation must be that
of quality and not quantity. If any candidate is asking for their
votes, they should look for what is right in that person; this is what
the Church preaches.
The Church is on the level of Justice and common good. We only
educate the people get to keep their eyes open and be guided by their
feelings to vote freely and wisely.
Is there going to be another debate?
This is unlikely. The time is short and it is possible the tension might
still be high given the nature of the disruption. But in a way, the
debate has been held and anyone who knows his contribution to the
disruption would know where he stands before the people of Imo. In
affirmation, the debate has been held in the presence of thousands of
people who were there watching the disruption. And I’m sure, they would
have announced the result themselves. And those who disrupted it,
whether out of fear, not being confident in their abilities or plain
mischief, have shown the electorate how well-meaning they are.
Many non-Catholics believe that during your homilies on the Sunday
preceding the election, priests are enjoined to tell the congregation
where to vote. They cite incidents when Catholic faithful say their
priests told them to vote for a particular candidate.
No priest will do such a thing. A priest might sell his personal opinion
on how he will vote, but it is not true that that he will campaign that
the congregation should vote for that particular candidate. Justice and
fair play will not allow that.
Where will you place the Catholic Church, especially in Imo, in terms of the development of political awareness?
The Catholic Church ranks first. We have a strong media arm. The Leader
newspaper for example is stronger than most national dailies in its
coverage and acceptability. Then the JDPC through its multiple layers of
seminars and workshops does mobilisation of the people for
enlightenment and education. The JDPC never fails to let the people know
their rights and educate them on what democracy means in their pursuit
of their wellbeing.
The Church as it is in Imo is a watchdog and that is where the
Archbishop comes in very strongly or cries out when things are not done
alright. And the JDPC, as the mouthpiece of the people, toes that line
of thought. We have been part of the democratization process in Nigeria
and Imo since the advent of democratic rule.
Can the Catholic Church in Owerri claim to be impartial when its
head, Archbishop Anthony Obinna has an undisguised soft spot for APGA?
The Archbishop has a soft spot for the Igbo cause. He has been in the
vanguard of the propagation of Igbo language, culture, identity and
survival. He started the Odenigbo Lecture series as far back as 1996 and
the focus is on Igbo culture. And this is why he has a soft spot for
APGA because it is the acclaimed Igbo party. He is not identifying with
the candidates, just the spirit of what the party claims to represent.
He will embrace and have a soft spot for any gathering that preaches the
sustenance of the Igbo cause. And if APGA represents that cause, he
will embrace it without apologies. He believes that APGA is the Igbo
party and will protect the Igbo cause and the Igbo people.
Everyone knows that he had been supporting APGA, not as a
card-carrying member. When Okorocha became the party’s candidate in
2011, Obinna didn’t know him, but he only was supporting APGA. Did he
tell the people of Imo to vote for Okorocha? Has the Archbishop now
followed Okorocha to the All Peoples Congress (APC)? The Archbishop will
always stand with APGA, knowing that he has a right to identify with an
ideology. Should he be crucified for it?
And has that made him partisan to the extent that his sympathy for APGA translates into the victory of APGA candidate?
What is the expectation of the Church in this election?
The expectation of the Church is not different from that of most
other institutions. Let the winner emerge through a credible, free and
fair process. The Church has nothing to suffer or lose. The Church is
only concerned about these same masses who will cry when there is bad
governance. The Church is always on the side of the poor masses and the
policies that make them suffer and get poorer will always get the
attention of the Church.
The Leader newspaper recently wrote of an Alhaji in Government House,
apparently referring to Okorocha. What is the discomfort of the Church
with the governor?
The Church is worried about the observance of some Islamic tendencies
associated with the governor. The Catholic Church and the larger
Christian Church should defend her faith. And if there are tendencies
that are at variance with its faith, it should raise it.
As a matter of fact, the church didn’t raise these issues, but
concerned people brought the attention of the church to these things.
The Church investigated and asked for a clarification. The Leader
newspaper mentioned how the governor donated millions of naira to 17
Christians who converted to Islam, while hailing their decision. The
government has tried to clarify those things, but the Church is not
satisfied with the clarifications. The Church has complained that there
is an ongoing romance between the incumbent government and Islam. There
are facts and the Church listed them; they are in the public domain.
The church is not in contest with any individual politician. The
position of the Church is that voters should vote wisely and to do the
right thing. The Church is worried about the observance of some Islamic
tendencies associated with the governor. The Catholic Church and the
larger Christian Church should defend her faith. And if there are
tendencies that are at variance with its faith, it should raise it. As a
matter of fact, the church didn’t raise these issues, but concerned
people brought the attention of the church to these things. The Church
investigated and asked for a clarification. The Leader newspaper
mentioned how the governor donated millions of naira to 17 Christians
who converted to Islam, while hailing their decision. The government has
tried to clarify those things, but the Church is not satisfied with the
clarifications. The Church has complained that there is an ongoing
romance between the incumbent government and Islam. There are facts and
the Church listed them; they are in the public domain
Its up for download again, i've come to praise by DON BUCHI and D ROYAL AMBASSADORS OF CHRIST.... It was released a week ago, and can be downloaded from mp3.com, reverbnation.com and www.artistecard.com/donbuchi.... join them in praising God with this song a word from don buchi....
speaking with d crew spokes person, ambassador moses jollyking, he said they look forward blessing people with their songs, and that they are working hard to make make sure that the album to be released by their leader don buchi is a success..... he concluded by saying that he's beging nigeria youths to stay away from violence and be good citizens, and he said that the crew is looking for sponsors in the concerts they have this year 2015, that will kick off aprail, HE'S ALIVE CONCERT, is an easter concert to celebrate the resurrection of CHRIST JESUS from the grave... and its dated 10th aprail 2015... don't miss it he said...... love you all from the house of d AMBASSADORS..
speaking with DON BUCHI he said that his vision is to see his generation worship GOD in all that they do.... these world should know that God loves them and come back to him.. he said that there are other songs that are been recorded in the studio and will be droping soon, which include ''come in and stay holy spirit, worthy GOD and unworthy me'' get ready to start downloading and worshiping God with us he said..... love you all
Its out to bless you and me, Awesome God by Don Buchi. You can download it from www.mp3.com or www.artistecard.com/donbuchi also on www.reverbnation.com/donbuchi .... God bless you as you support him
US adds 252,000 jobs in December
January 9, 2015 4:11 PM
The construction sector added 48,000 jobs in December
The US economy added 252,000 jobs in December, while the unemployment rate fell to 5.6% from 5.8%, according to Labor Department figures.
In addition, figures for the number of jobs created in October and November were both revised upwards.
The jobless rate is now at its lowest since June 2008.
But weak wage growth and low inflation are likely to give the Federal Reserve pause for thought over raising interest rates.
The increase in jobs was higher than expected with the strongest growth in professional and business services, construction, healthcare and food services, according to the data released by the US Labor Department.
However, there was little improvement in December for part-time workers wishing to work more hours, and average hourly earnings fell by 5 cents after rising 6 cents in November.
The fall in the jobless rate was largely due to a drop in the number of people seeking work.
Over the whole of 2014, job creation averaged 246,000 a month.
Rates prospects
The figures highlight the contrast between the US economy which continues to pick up pace and that of the eurozone which this week slid into deflation.
Whilst eurozone policymakers are considering expanding their stimulus measures to include government bond-buying, or quantitative easing, the US jobs data will encourage expectations of an interest rate rise later this year.
"This is probably a good enough number to allow the Fed to stay on course in terms of adjusting policy, but it probably won't cause them to change their timing from mid-year," said Peter Cecchini, chief market strategist at Cantor Fitzgerald in New York.
Lower oil prices and weak inflation will take the pressure off the Federal Reserve to raise rates soon.
US 'recommends charges' for Petraeus
January 10, 2015 2:07 AM
Mr Petraeus reportedly began an affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell in 2011
US prosecutors have recommended bringing charges against ex-CIA director David Petraeus for providing classified information to a former mistress, the New York Times reports.
The paper cites officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
A decorated former general, Mr Petraeus resigned as CIA chief in 2012 after details of his affair with Paula Broadwell emerged.
He was a commander of US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan before taking the role.
A US Justice Department investigation is focusing on whether Mr Petraeus gave Ms Broadwell access to his CIA email and other classified information while director of the organisation, the paper says.
FBI agents discovered classified documents on her computer after he quit, according to the New York Times.
The recommendations to press criminal charges from the FBI and US Justice Department would leave Attorney General Eric Holder with a decision on whether to seek an indictment, which could see the former CIA chief jailed if found guilty.
The FBI searched Ms Broadwell's home in 2012, removing boxes and computers
A lawyer for Mr Petraeus did not comment.
But Mr Petraeus has said he never provided classified information to Ms Broadwell, according to the paper.
The affair reportedly began in 2011, while Ms Broadwell was working on a biography of Mr Petraeus.
In the same year, Mr Petraeus resigned from his commanding position in Afghanistan to take on the CIA role.
Mr Petraeus resigned from the CIA in 2012, saying he had shown "extremely poor judgment" in conducting the affair.
President Obama paid tribute to him at the time, saying he had "provided extraordinary service to the United States for decades".
Mr Petraeus was a highly regarded decorated former general
Its been months since he came up with with his single... tittled awesome God, Speaking with Don Buchi this evening he revealed that his new track I've come to praise to praise... will be officially released on 9th January 2015...he said he's been working with D Royal Ambassadors of Christ.... and he looks forward to greater height in this year 2015.... the songs will be up 4 download on different music sites such as MP3.com, reverbnation.com, artistecard.com/donbuchi, and many other that will be included in time to come.... don't be left out....
Follow him on Twitter @donbuchi1 Facebook: Don Buchi, instagram @donbuchi1... Skype:Don Buchi... and so many other finx.
Don't be left out see u soon.......
Love you all in Christ
