Assemblies Of God Crisis: Okoroafor Faction To Appeal Court Ruling

THE faction of the Assemblies of God Church Nigeria, led by Dr. Chidi
Okoroafor, will appeal a recent court decision, which ruled that Rev.
Paul Emeka remains the authentic General Superintendent of the church;
and that Okoroafor should stop parading himself as Acting General
Superintendent (GS).

The ruling had declared null and void a purported meeting held on
March 6, presided by the retired General Superintendent of the Church,
Rev. Charles Osueke, where he (Emeka) was allegedly suspended from
office, even as it ordered those occupying any of the offices
illegally on account of the suspension to vacate them without further
delay.

The court presided by Justice Anthony Onovo had held that Emeka was
never removed as the General Superintendent of the church, stressing
that the meeting that took the decision was illegal because it was
convoked without regards to the constitution of the church or law.

Okoroafor insisted that the ruling of the court centred on when he
was acting GS, stressing that the church had since held a convention
in which he was elected as the substantive GS.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Owerri, Imo State, he said the
tenure of Emeka ended in October, and that he (Okoroafor) was elected
by about 8,000 delegates of the Assemblies.

He said: "It is clear that the church is marching on. I was voted in
a single nomination. I am no more acting. After the election, I became
the GS. This church is moving on. The sweat of our founding fathers
cannot be destroyed. They (those who attended the meeting) instructed
the legal team to appeal. The church rejects the Enugu High Court
ruling.

"The Assemblies of God started n Umuahia. It still reserves the right
to remove the headquarters from Enugu. But we have not done that. The
AG believes in two-third majority. The crisis has revealed that we
have masquerades in the church. This is our time of crisis; we shall
overcome it. We shall come out of it 10 times better."
--vofn

Man City Wins, Draws Level On Points With Chelsea

Manchester City showed their title credentials as they swept aside
Crystal Palace's threat to draw level on points with League leaders
Chelsea.

Jason Puncheon had a chance to hand the visitors a surprise lead very
early on, but his left footed shot from outside the box was blocked.
No sooner did James Milner find Yaya Touré, however, his effort was
too high.

The home side found the first initiative in the second half, with the
returning David Silva getting his name on the scoresheet. Pablo
Zabaleta pass met the diminutive Spaniard in the box, his tame shot
was deflected to the bottom corner to send the home fans into
raptures.

It got even better for the 28-year old, as he was at the end of a
Aleksandar Kolarov cross following a corner to double the advantage.

The pressure from Manuel Pellegrini's boys was telling and it was only
a matter of time before they sealed the victory. Milner found Toure
inside the box, and the Ivorian buried his effort into the top left
corner.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini:"It was a very good win. A
very good performance. I enjoyed the way the team worked the whole
week - to work in a different way without strikers.

"Palace are a team who know how to defend. It was a great job to score
three goals. They are also dangerous on the counter. We had two clear
chances in the first half - the way we had chances is by moving the
ball. David Silva is a top player with lots of quality. We are not
just Sergio Aguero - we work hard every day. We have strikers out and
Vincent Kompany is injured.

"I did think December is a key month to be in the fight for the title,
and if you want to be involved you must be very near the top of the
table. I hope we continue playing like this. The fight for the title
was not just one team. There are so many games in November and
October. We must continue working."

Malawian Fan Attacks Davido On Twitter For Charging $80k For A Show

A fan in Malawi has called Davido out on Twitter for demanding for
very large sums of money for a show in the country.

Nerdy Nigg, who tweets through the handle: @thinithini wrote:'S/o to
all the ladies who been crushing on davido. Guess what he ditched your
asses for Ugandan ladies, Heard Davido demanded 80000 usd for his
show. Nigga gat be f**ked up. He can't even make that on his album
sales.'

Not long after, Davido replied Nerdy, saying, 'No be by force o' in
apparent reference to the fact that it is about the money which is
currently about N14m according to the current exchange rates.

Davido recently performed in Kampala, Uganda on December 6, 2014 and
it has now become clear that he would have performed in Malawia around
the same time but for lack of agreement on the financial details.
--infonaija

Fayose Shares Christmas Rice, Chicken, Money To Ekiti People

In the spirit of yuletide, Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has
distributed food items and money to the people of the state.

According to reports, Fayose gave out about 80,000 chickens, 100,000
bags of rice and cash gifts for the Christmas celebration on Thursday,
December 18 and Friday, December 19, 2014 under the stomach
infrastructure progamme of his administration.

My Quotes

"I think Arsenal last season had a very similar number of points as
Chelsea have now." --Pellegrini

Okorocha Makes Secret Moves To Choose New Running Mate For 2015 Election

Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is about ruffling feathers
in his All Progressives Congress party (APC) following his unclear
moves to get a running mate for the 2015 elections.

Trumpeta had in its last edition reported that the two frontline
favourites, the Deputy Governor and Chief of Staff, Prince Eze
Madumere and Chief Jude Ejiogu respectively, have been shoved aside in
the running mate race as Okorocha is favoured to pick someone from
Mbaise clan.

Following the outbreak of the governor's plan, Trumpeta further learnt
that the governor has recoiled to himself preferring to handle the
matter secretly to avoid disaffection in his political party. The
earlier permutation that his campaign Director General and
Commissioner serving in the state, Hon. Alaribe may likely be favoured
to run with Okorocha since he is from the same political bloc with the
PDP candidate, Emeka Ihedioha.

Fresh reports reaching Trumpeta is that Okorocha is reconsidering the
Mbaise factor for some reasons. The newspaper gathered that picking
any person outside the aforementioned able lieutenants may cause
disaffecrtion and spell doom for the party in the state in the coming
elections. The government House sources revealed that should Okorocha
go ahead to dump Madumere and Ejiogu, he may not continue to enjoy
quality leadership and loyalists from the said office holders, hence
his decision to adopt subterranean means for the search of a running
mate.

To erase mutual suspicion, the source stated that a secret search for
a candidate from Okigwe zone has begun in earnest. The Okigwe zone
agenda is to leave Owerri zone to Ihedioha and carry the favour of
Okigwe which will be added to his Orlu zone to emerge victorious.

Another factor that is said to be a major hindrance to Okorocha's
Mbaise deputy is the fact that the state party chairman, Chief Hilary
Eke is also from Mbaise. The idea of giving Mbaise the party Chairman
and Deputy Governor position is said to be counter productive, capable
of rousing protest votes in other parts of Owerri zone like Mbaike and
Owerri Federal Constituency where the major contenders, Madumere and
Ejiogu are from.

The source further revealed that Okorocha has gone underground in the
search for a running mate as it is no longer a subject for discussion
in Government House.

"It has become a secret matter, nobody is talking about the Deputy
Governorship position again because it is strictly the decision of the
governor. He is going about it in a secret way.

"I can inform you that no top shot in government circle or in
Okorocha's camp is aware of what the governor is doing about the issue
of running mate," the source added.
--Trumpeta

Imo Guber Battle: Submit Ihedioha's Name To INEC, Court Tells PDP, Why Ihedioha Picks Nnaji As Running Mate

The struggle over who won the Dec 8 2014 governorship primary of the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has taken deep root in the judiciary
with Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha going to court asking PDP not to submit the
name of any person except him.

On Wednesday, an Oguta High Court granted an interim injunction
restraining PDP from submitting any name order than the name of
Ihedioha as the duly elected candidate of the Imo PDP for the 2015
Guber election, having been declared the winner. The matter was then
adjourned to the 23rd of December for hearing of the motion for
interlocutory injunction.

Trumpeta learnt that this latest move is calculated to counter any
legal moves to stop the submission of Ihedioha's name.

The motion was moved by Ndukwe Nnawuchi (SAN) and was granted after an
exhaustive legal argument.

It would be recalled that Araraume had two days before approached a
Federal High Court in Abuja seeking expert order to restrain INEC from
acting upon the name of Ihedioha as the authentic Imo PDP guber
candidate for 2015 election. The Court while refusing Araraume's
application asked that the parties be put on notice while it adjourned
to the 9th of December 2014, for hearing on the motion for
interlocutory injunction.

Elders and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State
cutting across the three Senatorial zones of the state have warned
defeated governorship aspirant, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume to abide by
the outcome of the primaries and strictly explore internal party
mechanisms for addressing grievances instead of engaging u anti-party
activities.

In a statement yesterday, the PDP elders and leaders expressed
disappointment in Ararume for "engaging in lawlessness" after giving
an undertaking to abide by the rules and regulations of the PDP and
not to go to court on party primaries.

The statement threatened to recommend severe disciplinary action
against him while calling on law enforcement agents to restore order
to the party secretariat in Owerri..

The statement was signed by Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, member PDP
Board of Trustees; Chief I.D Nwoga, former Minister and former Imo PDP
state chairman; and Chief Levi Oguike, former member House of
Representatives, all from Owerri Zone. From Orlu zone, Chief Arthur
Nzeribe, member PDP Board Trustees; Dr. Douglas Acholonu, former
Deputy Governor, Imo State; and Dr. Walter Ofonagoro, former Minister
and Delegate at the governorship primaries. From Okigwe Zone, Chief
Ozichukwu Chukwu, former National Vice Chairman, PDP; Chief Ebere
Udeagu, former Deputy Governor and Rt. Hon. Maxwell Duru, former
Speaker, Imo State signed the Statement.

Part of the statement reads:
"In the past few days, leaders and members of the PDP have watched
with dismay and sadness the attempt by Senator Ifeanyi Ararume to
destroy the electoral prospects of the party at the 2015 elections, in
Imo State.

"It has therefore become necessary to let the entire PDP members, Imo
State citizens and the general public understand the true position.

"The PDP as a party has a constitution that guides its activities and
also guidelines for primaries approved by National Working Committee
of the party and this was sent to all the states. The same guidelines
were used in all the elections- Governorship, National Assembly, and
State House of Assembly primaries.

"The governorship primaries in Imo State was conducted by an electoral
panel sent from PDP National Headquaters, made up of persons of
integrity. The panel declared Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, winner of the
Governorship primaries and we have expected Chief Ararume to petition
the Appeal Panel rather than engage in lawlessness.

"We wish to recommend that in future elections, candidates should not
administer Oaths on delegates as this offends our religious
sensibilities. In particular, we advice Senator Ararume to conduct
himself in this regard as a distinguished Senator and should not
continue to cause disaffection and division in Imo PDP.

Meanwhile, The process leading to the emergence of Chief Chuma Nnaji,
from Njaba LGA of Imo state as running mate of the PDP governorship
winner Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, can now be ascertained.

With a day to the end of the date stipulated for submission for
candidates, a statement from project 2015, Ihedioha's campaign
organization stated that the former Deputy Speaker of the Imo State
House of Assembly and two time lawmaker is the running mate for the
2015 election.

Trumpeta learnt that several factors and underground forces led to the
emergence of Nnaji. It was learnt that a fresh political marriage
between Ihedioha and the former governor of the state, Achike Udenwa
was instrumental to the nomination of Nnaji.

Xmas Rice Scandal Rocks Imo Ministry, As Workers Lament Over Commissioner's Greed

Few days ago, reports have it that Christmas activities have been
grounded in the State Ministries, Parastatals and Agencies because of
no payment of salaries, especially the November salaries with which
the workers make up their co-thrift savings.

A visit to the state secretariat now would showcase beehive of
activities as workers are busy with smiling faces sharing food items
which money they have been saving since January preparatory to this
period.

But Trumpeta reports that staff of block One in the State Secretariat
are not smiling because their commissioner has almost carried away the
bags of rice meant for the staff this Christmas.

Sources informed Trumpeta that this particular ministry which bye
product has to do with physical exercises had budgeted 90 bags of rice
to the delight of about 74 workers that make up the ministry for
Christmas. As they expected at least a bag each.

But the faces of the workers suddenly changed when it was discovered
that the helmsman alone took 10 bags while the Permanent Secretary
took 7 bags leaving officers from levels 12-15 with 2 bags each. Other
categories of workers are to get a bag each in groups of 4, 5 or 6.

The source said even the orderlies of the helmsmen are included in the
staff share instead of from the helmsman's supply. Some of the workers
who spoke to our reporter at the secretariat said the "oga" has even
instructed his orderlies to deal with any staff who agitates over the
rice sharing formular.

Meanwhile, at the ministry of finance, the story is a different kettle
of fish altogether. The staff said that their commissioner was
magnanimous enough to release some of his own share just to ensure
that at least every worker got a bag of rice for Christmas.

Some workers who reacted to this development wondered when the common
man would receive fair treatment in the hands of the powers that be in
the state.

Meanwhile any moment from now, the rescue mission government led by
Owelle Rochas Okorocha will commence the distribution of Christmas
goodies to the rural communities through the CGC.

A source hinted that the Governor has sat with CGC officials over the
Christmas gifts.

The Governor will also extend his gifts to Imo workers at the appropriate time.

In a similar development, the Deputy Governor of the state, Prince Eze
Madumere has treated staff of his department to lavishing gifts.
Reports say he extended similar gesture to his home community Achi
Mbieri.

Lagos To Pay 15 Per Cent Salary End-Of-Year Bonus To Workers

The Lagos State Government will pay its workers 15 per cent bonus in
the December salary as an end of the year gift, the State Head of
Service, Mrs Oluseyi Williams, said on Friday.

Williams spoke at the end of the year get together and appreciation
party for principals and directors in the Ministry of Education.

She said that the bonus would be paid along with the December salary
any moment from now.

According to her, the bonus is to show that the government is
committed to the welfare of workers.

"Some states are owing their workers up to four months salary but that
is not the case in Lagos.

"I was discussing with some HOS and they told me they are looking for
money to pay their workers salaries.

"Our workers will receive their December salary any moment from now
and I am happy to say it that it will come with 15 per cent bonus.

"Government appreciates your service to the state and urges you to
continue to put in your best.

"Wherever you get your daily meal, it is good to put in your best;
your reward is on earth," she said.

The HOS urged the principals and directors to re-double their effort in 2015.

Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye, Lagos State Commissioner for Education said
that party was to thank the principals and directors for their
wonderful performance in 2014.

She urged them to do more in their duties, adding that to whom much is
given, much is expected.

"You are a veritable member of the education family and we are here to
celebrate you and thank you for taking care of our children in your
care.

"As you take care of the children, God will reward you all.

"We are not there yet but with your support, we will get their
together," she said.

Mr Segun Raheem, NUT Chairman, Lagos branch commended the government
for appreciating the contributions of the principals and directors.

Raheem also commended the government for introducing Eko project, a
World Bank supported project, saying it has improved students
performance in many areas.

He said that teachers in Lagos were grossly inadequate and the
available ones were not evenly distributed.

"We have few teachers in English, History, Music and Geography.

My Quotes

"For example, the game vs Hull was a good game (winning 3-0). We
dominated for 90 mins and I want to see more games like that." --Van
Gaal

Nigerian Peacekeeper Cured Of Ebola In Netherlands

A Nigerian UN peacekeeper infected with Ebola and brought to the
Netherlands for treatment has been cured, the Dutch authorities said
on Friday.

"The Nigerian patient who was admitted on December 6 has been cured of
Ebola," the Dutch public health institute RIVM said in a statement.

The soldier was infected while working as a peacekeeper battling the
deadly disease in Liberia.

He was flown to the Netherlands at the request of the World Health
Organisation in a specially equipped plane and treated at the
university hospital in central city Utrecht.

He was the first Ebola patient to be treated in the Netherlands and
will stay at a military hospital until he can return home, the RIVM
said.

Ebola has killed more than 6,900 people, almost all of them in west Africa.

Liberia tops the number of fatalities at 3,290 deaths but Sierra Leone
earlier this month overtook it as the country with the most
infections.
--AFP

Pedro's Hat-Trick Sends Barca Through In Copa del Rey

Pedro scored a hat-trick in Barcelona's 8-1 humiliation of third-tier
Huesca in the second leg of their Copa del Rey round of 32 tie.

Sergi Roberto, Andres Iniesta, Adriano, Adama Traore and Sandro
complemented scores to help the Catalans advance into the last 16 by a
12-1 aggregate win. Galvez Burgos scored Huesca's consolation.

Barcelona will next play either Elche or Valladolid in the round of
16, where they join fellow La Liga rivals Real Madrid, Sevilla and
Valencia.

Barca are Through to the Last 16 of the Copa del Rey.

Pedro proved he has the qualities to compete with Luis Suarez for a
first-team shirt by opening scores via a header, despite being off
balance. He then sent a neat left-footed shot into the net and
completed his treble before the 23rd minute. He has now scored five
goals this season.

Other Results

Valencia 4-4 Rayo Vallecano (6-5 agg)

Almeria 2-1 Real Betis (6-4 agg)

Celta Vigo 3-1 Las Palmas (4-3 agg)

Nigerian Soldier Sentenced To Death For Mutiny Cries Out On FB

Fahat Fahat is one of the 64 soldiers sentenced to death for not
fighting Boko Haram. He explains that it's because they were not well
equipped.

Protesting Youths Burn APC Symbol In IMO

Thousands of youths under the auspices of the Imo Grassroots for
Goodluck Jonathan Organisation (IGGO), yesterday staged a solidarity
march along major streets of Owerri, the Imo State capital, in support
of the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 election.

The youths, who moved from Egbu Road through Wetheral Road, burnt
brooms, the symbol of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in front of
the Imo state government house, declaring the party dead in the State
and thereafter, marched to the state secretariat of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, along Okigwe Road. where they declared total
support for the re-election of President Jonathan 2015.

Speaking on behalf of the youths before the state executive of the
PDP, the national Coordinator of IGGO, Samuel Otuibe, said they
carried out the rally as a way of continuing their sensitization of
the Imo populace to support the re-election of President Jonathan in
2015. According to him, President Jonathan has done a lot for Imo
State and South East in general especially in the areas of education,
youth empowerment, agriculture and other salient areas.

He lamented that most of the projects done by the federal government
in all the tertiary institutions in the state were being claimed and
credited to the APC-led government in Imo State. Otuibe used the
opportunity to commend the PDP for hearkening to the voice of the
group by giving him the party's presidential ticket to continue in
office for a second term in 2015.

"We held a similar rally in February this year when we called on the
PDP and Nigerians to allow President Jonathan to continue his
transformation of Nigeria. The party listened to us and we are also
here to thank you for hearkening to our prayer", he said adding that
by giving Jonathan a second term ticket, the PDP had only shown that
all Nigerians have opportunity to aspire to the highest office in the
land.
--New Telegraph

Okorocha Declares 2 Weeks Holidays For Imo Civil Servants

Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has declared December 19,
2014 to January 5, 2015 as holidays for civil servants in the state to
mark the Christmas and New Year.

Owelle Okorocha made the announcement during his live broadcast to Imo
people on his achievements and Christmas/New Year message at the
Government House Owerri.

He assured Imo people and those visiting the state this festive period
that all necessary machinery has been put in place to ensure adequate
security in all nooks and crannies of the state while he urged all to
be of good conduct and help fish out criminals in their localities.

The Governor said "there is every reason to celebrate." He said that
the total transformation in all facets of the state in the past three
years and seven months could not have been possible but for the
intervention of God and the insistence of Imo people in electing the
leader of their choice in 2011.
--vofn

Di Maria Hopeful For Villa Clash

Louis van Gaal has revealed Angel Di Maria is in contention to be on
the bench for Manchester United's trip to Aston Villa on Saturday.

Di Maria has not featured since United's 3-0 win over Hull City on
November 29 due to a hamstring injury, but Van Gaal revealed in his
press conference on Friday that the Argentina international has now
resumed full training.

"Of course Angel Di Maria has trained this week with us, so it's
always dependable how I have to compare with other players because
he's not match fit after one week," the Dutchman told reporters.

"So maybe I will select him for the bench or maybe not. I have to make
my decision because we have to train, so one training [session] to
go."

Van Gaal also confirmed that Radamel Falcao is back in the reckoning
for a starting spot against Villa, having last featured from the
beginning in United's 2-1 win over Everton on October 5.

"He has shown fitness," Van Gaal added when asked about Falcao. "Maybe
I shall select him for the bench, maybe for the line-up."

Africa's First Fact-Checking Website Hits Million Visitors

Africa's first independent fact-checking website Africa Check,
launched two years ago to promote accuracy in public debate and the
media, announced Thursday that it had hit a million visitors.

Crossing the million mark "is symbolic for us", said Africa Check
editor Julian Rademeyer.

"It is reaching a milestone moment in the number of readers."

The main point of the website is to promote transparency and push for
"accuracy in public debate, and encourage honesty of politicians", he
said.

Through a network of researchers spanning the continent, the
organisation checks facts pronounced by politicians, business leaders
or in the media, verifying them and then publishing their findings.

It has over the past two years published over two hundred guides,
factsheets and reports casting a critical eye on fake health cures,
water quality exposés, and the effect of gun control legislation on
murder rates.

"We had a number of cases where changes have been made," following
some of the exposés, said Rademeyer.

"It's a way of checking claims made by public officials.

"It's holding them to account. It gets people to interrogate the
claims that have been made," he said.

The africacheck.org website was set up by the AFP Foundation, the
non-profit media training arm of Agence France-Presse, in October 2012
with seed money from Google.

It operates in partnership with the prestigious University of the
Witwatersrand's journalism department and a core team of researchers
based in Johannesburg.

Modelled on similar lines to US and European websites such as
FactCheck.org, it also features a guide for identifying fake "facts".

Most of its readers are from the continent, with the majority drawn
from the sub-Saharan Africa's three largest economies -- South Africa,
Nigeria and Kenya -- but users are also recorded from Europe and the
United States.

Tribunal Upholds Fayose's Election

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on the Ekiti State
governorship election has dismissed the petition filed by the All
Progressives Congress, APC, challenging the declaration of Mr. Ayodele
Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as winner of the
election.

Fayose had defeated Dr. Kayode Fayemi in the June 21 Ekiti
governorship election but while Fayemi, who was the incumbent accepted
the outcome, his party - APC - rejected it and approached the tribunal
to have the election nullified.

Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Mohammed Ibrahim-Siraju, who
dismissed the petition on all grounds, pointed out that the petitioner
failed to substantiate the allegations with evidence.

The APC had, among others prayers, demanded that the election of
Fayose be nullified because it was heavily militarized and that its
officers and members were arrested, molested and detained during the
election.

It also claimed that Fayose was not qualified to have stood for the
election in the first instance, having been indicted by a probe panel
and impeached during his first term in office for breach of code of
conduct.

But Justice Siraju, in his judgement that lasted over four hours, held
that the petitioners failed to prove all the allegations raised
against the governor.
--infonaija

Super Eagles Placed 43rd In New FIFA Rankings

In the latest edition of the monthly FIFA rankings released today the
Super Eagles have dropped by one spot as the team was ranked 42nd in
the previous rankings.

The Super Eagles was ranked 43rd best national football team.
The national team, who is yet to recover from their failure to qualify
for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Afcon, in Equatorial Guinea have
equally lost ground on the continent.

The Eagles are now ranked 9th in Africa.

The Desert Foxes of Algeria remains the highest world-ranked African
team in 18th place and are followed by fellow North Africans, Tunisia
in the 22nd spot.
Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ghana, Guinea, Cape Verde Islands, Cameroon,
Nigeria and Zambia complete the list of the top ten teams in Africa.

There were no changes in the top 20 teams in the world; as Germany
still sits on the number 1 spot.

This is the second time since 1993 that the Germans have finished a
year on top and they were greatly helped with the massive points
amassed en-route winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

In its statistical breakdown, FIFA revealed that a total of 834
matches were taken into consideration in the course of the year.

More than half of those games were friendlies -468, plus 302
qualifiers for continental final competitions and 64 World Cup
contests.

The next FIFA/Coca-Cola World ranking, the first for the New Year,
will be published on January 8, 2015.

Anglican Church Opposes Catholic-Catholic Ticket In Enugu Guber Race

The Anglican Communion Bishops in Enugu state have opposed the
Catholic-Catholic Gubernatorial ticket of the PDP in the state for
next year's general election.

Speaking to newsmen in Enugu under the aegis of the Enugu
Ecclesiastical Province yesterday Dec. 17th, the Anglican Bishops led
by Archbishop of the Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev Emmanuel
Chukwuma demanded that the Enugu chapter of the PDP, zone the
governorship running mate slot to one of its members otherwise they
stand the chance of loosing the Anglican Church's votes in next year's
election.

The Bishops said they welcomed the party's consensus gubernatorial
candidate, Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who is a Catholic but are opposed to
the Catholic/Catholic governorship ticket of the party..

"We the Anglican Bishops are crying and appealing that Anglicans in
Enugu state will not tolerate marginalisation and should be giving the
position of deputy governor of the state. For the position of
governor and deputy governor to be Catholic/Catholic will not be
acceptable to us. In the Federal level, people are not happy with
Christian/Christian ticket, hence the president has taken a very good
stand to return as President and pick a Moslem as his running mate.
Why should Enugu State, therefore, nominate a Roman Catholic
governorship candidate who we are not against and wanting again to
nominate a Roman Catholic as the running mate? We Anglicans say no to
this kind of arrangement. We are not in minority in Enugu state and we
totally reject that intention and are warning that if they want peace
to reign in this state and for them to enjoy our cooperation, it
should not be Roman Catholic/ Roman Catholic ticket"the bishops said.

The Bishops went further to say that
"Former Governor of the State, Chimaroke Nnamani who served from 1999
to 2007 is a Methodist. He picked Okechukwu Itanyi, a Catholic as his
Deputy. Nnamani handed over to Sullivan Chime who is Roman Catholic.
Sullivan choseSundayOnyebuchi, a Methodist or so, not an Anglican as
Deputy. As they are going out, all those who want to become governor
are Catholics and in the PDP, they are plotting to make their running
mate a Catholic. We are saying give us an Anglican Deputy, otherwise
you are looking for our trouble".
--LIB

Boko Haram Militants 'Kidnap Over 100 Villagers'

Militants have stormed a remote village in north-eastern Nigeria,
killing at least 33 people and kidnapping at least 100, a survivor has
told the BBC.

He said that suspected Boko Haram militants had seized young men,
women and children from Gumsuri village.

The attack happened on Sunday but news has only just emerged, after
survivors reached the city of Maiduguri.

Meanwhile, Cameroon's army says it has killed 116 Nigerian militants
who had attacked one of its bases, AFP reports.

After killing our youths, the insurgents have taken away our wives and daughters

Gumsuri resident

Residents told the BBC the armed militants attacked the border town of
Amchide on Wednesday, arriving in two vehicles with many others on
foot.

They raided the market area, setting fire to shops and more than 50 houses.

No group has said it carried out either attack but officials have
blamed Nigerian-based Boko Haram militants.

More than 2,000 people have been killed in militant violence this year
alone, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria, near the border with Cameroon.

More than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped by the group in April.
--BBC

Meet Nigeria's First Female Helicopter Captain

History was made today when Captain Abimbola Jayeola (Captain AB)
became Nigeria's first ever female Helicopter Captain. She flies the
sikorsky S76 for Bristow helicopters Nigeria. Here's a photo of her
being decorated with her commanders epaulets. Congrats to her.
--LindaIkeji's blog

Boko Haram Leader, Shekau, Releases New Video; Threatens To Attack Emir Sanusi

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened to attack the Emir
of Kano, Muhummadu Sanusi II, in reaction to the emir's call on
Nigerians to be prepared to arm themselves in defence against the
terrorist sect.

In a new video released weekend, Shekau said his group does not
consider the emir, who is second in terms of protocol and stature
among Nigeria's Muslim rulers only to the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu
Sa'ad Abubakar, true Muslim, and will attack him whenever the
opportunity presents itself.

The Emir had earlier issued a call to arms after a series of deadly
attacks by suspected Boko Haram militants rocked the city of Kano.

Speaking at the weekly recitation of the Holy Quran as part of prayers
for peace in the country last month, the Emir charged the people of
Kano to arm and defend themselves against the sect, which is
responsible for more than 13,000 deaths.

About two weeks after his call to arms, suspected terrorists launched
a deadly assault on the Kano Central Mosque where the emir usually
prays and delivers Islamic teachings, detonating multiple bombs and
shooting worshippers to death.

Over 100 people died in the attack, which was believed to have been
targeted at Mr. Sanusi.

The Emir, who was out of the country at the time, visited the Mosque
on his return, and re-affirmed his vow that Kano people will not
succumb to the threat posed by terrorists.

In a 19-minute new video first released Saturday, Shekau, who did not
claim responsibility for the Mosque attack, however, reiterated his
group's commitment to fight and kill anyone who challenges its
ideology, and all non-Muslims and "fake" Muslims like the emir.

"Before I start talking to my brothers who believed in me and the
religion of Allah not the religion of democracy, not that of western
education, those who believed in the religion of the Quran not that of
the constitution and not religion of the Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido
Sanusi, Jonathan, Obasanjo, Atiku, Babangida, Obama, Bush, Clinton,
but the religion of Allah", he said.

"Now listen to me Emir of Kano. I am talking to you and only you
because of your recent utterances. Let me inform you now that you are
late, you are should know that you are only but the King of Kano, King
of Central Bank, King of money, you are only Sanusi Lamido", he said.

Mr. Shekau denounced the emir's religion as religion based on
constitution, idol worship and homosexuality.

"Our own government is defined as government of the Allah by the Allah
and for the Allah not as you define you own government as the
government of the people by the people and for the people", he said.

The terrorist leader also said his group will fight local vigilantes
and hunters, who have successfully resisted the advance of his
fighters in some parts of northeast Nigeria.

"Emir of Kano Sanusi you are late, that our triumph is just for a
period of time so you said. Even your predecessors who are renowned
idol worshipers in Islamic history like 'Abujahal' could not succeed
fighting Islam.

"Yes you can say that our success is for a period of time, because you
are a king of Bank and a loyal citizen of his country", Mr. Shekau
said.

He added that members of the sect are ready to be slaughtered and
killed so they can rest in heaven.

"Because you are made the Emir of Kano that is why you got angry and
was calling on the Vigilante groups and hunters to attack us. Let me
tell you that the hunters and the vigilante groups will fail and you
will also fail", he said.

Shekau denounced all other Islamic sects in the country calling them pagans.

He said the Izala, Tijjaniyya, Qadiriyya and Shiite Islamic groups are
pagans and his group will continue to kill their followers.

He also condemned the government of Saudi Arabia, saying they will all
perish in hell.

"We will kill you people, we will capture hostages and keep selling
some", Shekau boasted.
--infonaija

Ebola-Free Nigeria: Catholic Church Restores Handshakes During Mass

Following the news of Nigeria being declared Ebola free by the World
Health Organisation, the leadership of the Nigeria Catholic church has
ordered the return of handshakes as a sign of peace during masses.

According to Thisday¸ the Nigerian Catholic Bishops Conference at the
weekend also ordered all its priests and the faithful to revert to the
normal practices of receiving Holy Communion through the tongue, a
practice that was stopped before because of the threat of the Ebola
Virus. The Bishops also directed that holy water founts at the
entrance of churches be filled again with holy water and never to be
allowed to go dry any more.

All these practices were stopped after the outbreak of the Ebola Virus
Disease in July when the Bishop's Conference met and issued a circular
banning all these practice in a bid to curb the spread the deadly
virus.

Now in a new circular that was signed by the Archbishop of the
Catholic Diocese of, Alfred Adewale Matins, the Bishop's Conference
has instructed all Catholic churches in Nigeria to revert to the
normal practices.

"I refer to our special circular of August, 2014 on the outbreak of
Ebola Virus in which we directed that the 'sign of peace' through
pastoral handshake be omitted, and the holy water fonts be left dry
and permitted in the interim, the reception of Holy Communion in the
hand, as an extraordinary practice while the Ebola alert was on. We
thank God that the steps we took to contain the spread of the Ebola
Virus, have been most helpful as Nigeria is now declared an Ebola free
nation. To this end, we hereby direct that the church reverts to the
normal and ordinary practices prior to the Ebola disease saga," the
statement reads.

The Bishops also praised God for the zero case status of the Ebola
Virus Disease in Nigeria and urged Nigerians to pray for the countries
is still battling the virus.

Banks Close Shop Over Security Threats In Imo State

Bank customers in Okigwe and Orlu towns , Imo State are passing
through hard times as banks in the emerging towns have remained shut
since two weeks ago following alleged threats by criminals to raid
them.

Reports have it that after soldiers who were drafted to the towns at
the height of kidnapping and insecurity about four years ago were
withdrawn, security situation in the towns became an issue of public
concern.

A resident who pleaded not to be mentioned for security reasons said
all banks in Okigwe had
remained closed about two weeks ago when soldiers were withdrawn from the town.

He said that banks in the area alleged that they got 'love letters'
from robbers that they would soon visit them to pick their Christmas
gifts.

The rumour according to him caused panic among banks operating in the
area as they quickly closed their doors against all visitors, a
development that forced their customers to either go to Owerri or
Umuahia for bank transactions.

Another resident who also pleaded anonymity told reporters that
residents of the town have been living in fear since soldiers pulled
out, and pleaded with government to come to their rescue.

He said security situation in the town was increasingly becoming
frenzy following rumours of imminent attack by robbers.
--vofn

Church Of England Names Its First Female Bishop

Reverend Libby Lane has been announced as the first female bishop for
the Church of England, just a month after a historic change to canon
law.

She will become the new Bishop of Stockport, a post that has been
vacant since May.

Mrs Lane has been the vicar at St Peter's Hale and St Elizabeth's
Ashley, in the diocese of Chester, since 2007.

The general synod voted to back plans for female bishops in July and
formally adopted legislation on 17 November.

The appointment will end centuries of male leadership of the Church
and comes 20 years after women became priests.

Mrs Lane was ordained a deacon in 1993 and a priest in 1994, serving
her curacy in Blackburn, Lancashire. Since 2010 she has also held the
role of Dean of Women in Ministry for the diocese of Chester.

'Unexpected and exciting'
This is an historic appointment
David Cameron, Prime Minister

Speaking at Stockport town hall the new bishop, whose role was
approved by the Queen, said it was a "remarkable day for me and an
historic day for the Church".
"This is unexpected and very exciting," she said.

"I'm honoured and thankful to be called to serve as the next Bishop of
Stockport and not a little daunted to be entrusted with such a
ministry."

Prime Minister David Cameron congratulated Mrs Lane and said: "This is
an historic appointment and an important step forward for the Church
towards greater equality in its senior positions".
Mrs Lane will be consecrated as the eighth bishop of the town at a
ceremony at York Minster on 26 January.

The first women priests were ordained in 1994, but to date women have
not been able to take on the Church's most senior roles.

Legislation to fast track women bishops into the House Of Lords will
be introduced to Parliament on Thursday.

But Mrs Lane will not be able to enter the House of Lords, as the post
she is taking up is a junior or suffragan appointment within the
Diocese of Chester, the BBC's religious correspondent Caroline Wyatt
said.

The first women bishop eligible to take up a seat in the Lords is
expected to be announced in the new year.

Mrs Lane, who was schooled in Manchester and then the University at
Oxford, before training for ministry at Cranmer Hall in Durham,
dismissed suggestions her appointment was just a symbolic gesture by a
Church still predominantly run by men.

The bishop and her husband, who is also a priest, were one of the
first married couples in the Church of England to be ordained
together.

Mrs Lane's interests include being a school governor, supporting
Manchester United and learning to play the saxophone, according to her
church's website.

Church of England women priests
7,798
full-time C of E priests
1,781
are women
100 male C of E bishops

The general synod, the Church's law-making body, gave the final seal
of approval to the legislation on women bishops after it passed
through Parliament in October.

After the change was approved, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin
Welby said that the Church was entering into a "completely new phase
of our existence".

But divisions still remain in the church between Anglicans who feel
the change is consistent with their faith and traditionalists who
disagree.

One of the first crucial steps towards appointing female bishops came
in 1975 when the general synod voted that there was "no fundamental
objection" to the ordination of women to the priesthood, but it did
not pass a second motion asking for the legal barriers to women's
ordination to be removed.

In 1985, a vote allowed women to become deacons, and in 1992 women
were officially permitted to be ordained in the priesthood, but the
first women priests were not announced until two years later.

In November 2012, the vote to allow female bishops failed by six votes
in the House of Laity. But in July 2013, it voted 152 in favour of the
motion, with 45 against, and five abstentions.

Gloucester, Oxford and Newcastle are also among the dioceses where new
bishops will also soon be appointed, and interviews for the vacancy as
bishop for the Southwell and Nottingham diocese took place at the
start of December.

Churches in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland already allow women
as bishops, but haven't appointed one yet.
--BBC

Nwobodo's Son Finally Buried

The remains Dr Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, the late son of a former
governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, was on Tuesday laid
to rest.

The deceased, who died of cancer related illness, was interred in his
late uncle's compound, John Nwobodo at Amechi Awkunanaw.
In his funeral message, the Archbishop of Enugu Anglican
Ecclesiastical Province, Dr Emmanuel Chukwuma, decried the controversy
that trailed the burial of the deceased.

Chukwuma said the church had done its best by according the late
Nwobodo a befitting burial.

"The corpse was rejected and abandoned, but God will not abandon him.
God allowed things to happen that way so that people will know the
truth," he said.

The clergy man recalled how a petition was sent to the Primate of the
Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, His Eminence Nicholas Oko, and
the inspector general of police.

He said the petition alleged that he, Chukwuma, had tried to bury the
deceased without his father's consent.

The burial was earlier slated for Dec. 5 but was put on hold following
family squabbles over the burial site.

Some of the dignitaries that attended the burial included the Enugu
State Deputy Governor, Rev. Ralph Nwoye, and a one-time gubernatorial
candidate of Accord Party, Chief Ugochukwu Agballa.
--Vanguard

APGA Suspends Governorship Aspirant, Four Others In Imo

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Imo State has suspended
four of its members including Mr Okey Ezeh, a governorship aspirant in
the just concluded governorship primaries of the party in the state.

Addressing journalists at the party's secretariat in Owerri the Imo
State capital, the State Chairman of the party, Mr Peter Ezeobi
maintained that the suspension is in line with Article 21 of the
party's constitution.

Mr Ezeobi further disclosed that the party took the decision in order
to put an end to all forms of distractions and internal issues rocking
the party which incidentally is being spear headed by the suspended
members, as their actions are capable of disturbing and truncating the
chances of the party in winning any elective seat in the 2015 general
elections in the state.

He said however, a seven man disciplinary panel has been set up to try
the members for further actions.
--ChannelsTV

'Who Is The Victim?' Bill Cosby's Wife And Daughter Come To His Defense

Bill Cosby has kept quiet as sexual assault allegations against him
have piled up, but now his wife and one of his daughters are publicly
defending him.

"He is a kind man, a generous man, a funny man," Cosby's wife Camille
said in a statement first reported by CBSon Monday. "A different man
has been portrayed in the media over the last two months. It is the
portrait of a man I do not know."

Cosby's youngest daughter, Evin, followed up by praising her parents
in a lengthy Facebook post.

Then, in a statement obtained by Access Hollywoodon Tuesday, Evin said this:

"He is the father you thought you knew. The Cosby Show was my today's
TV reality show. Thank you. That's all I would like to say :)"

Evin went into more detail on Facebook, saying, among other things,
"Rape is a serious allegation and it is supposed to be
takenveryseriously but so is falsely accusing someone. When someone
rapes a person they go to prison.Thatshould also happen to the person
that has wrongfully accused an innocent victim."

She also questioned how women who say they were drugged by Cosby can
remember the details of the incidents.

And she thanked people who have been supportive of her family.

"There will always be jealous, vengeful and crazy people out there to
break anyone down," Evin wrote. "Every day we wake up and appreciate
the love and support from everyone."

In her statement on Monday, Camille Cosby also went into some detail,
invoking Rolling Stone's reexamined story of rape at the University
of Virginiaand comparing her husband's current crisis to the one
going on at Rolling Stone.

"The story was heart-breaking, but ultimately appears to be proved to
be untrue," Mrs. Cosby said, referring to the magazine's story. "Many
in the media were quick to link that story to stories about my husband
-- until that story unwound."

Over the last month, many women have come forward to accuse Cosby of
committing sexual assaults, a crime the star has never been officially
charged with.

The accusations have remade Cosby's public persona and resulted in
cancelled projectsand scrappd tour dates.

Mrs. Cosby's statement came days after Bill Cosby himself broke his
silenceto Stacy Brown, a freelance reporter for the New York Post and
other outlets.

On Monday, Mrs. Cosby's statement asked the public to think about who
could be the true victims of these allegations -- clearly insinuating
that she and her husband are.

"None of us will ever want to be in the position of attacking a
victim," she wrote. "But the question should be asked -- who is the
victim?"
--CNN

Reactions To Retirement Of Thierry Henry

Former France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry announced his
retirement on Tuesday at the age of 37. Following is reaction to the
news from around the football world.

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas:

"Sad to see the end to the career of one of the best players I've ever
played with. A true legend @thierryhenry! ;-)"

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil:

"Once you enchanted all of us - now I can only say: Thanks for
everything! @ThierryHenry #ArsenalLegend."

Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel:

"@ThierryHenry congratulations on an amazing career...one of the best
I've faced over the last 23 years! Good luck with your next
adventure!"

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott:

"A true inspiration to me in my career. Thank you @ThierryHenry & good
luck in your new path."

Former England striker Gary Lineker:

@Congratulations to @ThierryHenry on a truly wonderful career. One of
the great footballers of our time and a top bloke. Bonne chance."

Arsenal forward Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain:

"Was an honour to have played alongside this man! My idol and a big
inspiration to my career... #KingHenry."

Stoke City and former Barcelona midfielder Bojan Krkic:

"You've been a very special person in one of the most wonderful stages
of my life. An example of professional & person.A LEGEND. Thanks
Titi!"

Thierry Henry:

"Overwhelmed by all your messages and support. Thank you to all."
--Daily Mail

Google Releases Annual List Of Top Global Searches In 2014

Google has released it's annual Zeitgeist. The list tells the most
searches and trends at the year ending on the popular website. These
are the highest ranking global searches.

Top Trending Global List of People Searched on Google:

1. Jennifer Lawrence
2. Kim Kardashian
3. Julie Gayet
4. Tracy Morgan
5. Rene Zellweger
6. Jared Leto
7. Lorde
8. Matthew McConaughey
9. Amal Alamuddin
10. Donald Sterling

Top Trending Weddings:

1. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West
2. George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin
3. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
4. Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard
5. Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker
6. Lauren Conrad and William Tell
7. Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo
8. Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson
9. Solange Knowles and Alan Ferguson
10. Kaley Cuoco and Ryan Sweeting

Top Trending Song Lyrics:

1. Say Something
2. Anaconda
3. Fancy
4. Happy
5. Blank Space
6. Royals
7. Dark Horse
8. Bang Bang
9. Counting Stars
10. Wrecking Ball lyrics

Top Trending Global Searches on Google:

1. Robin Williams
2. World Cup
3. Ebola
4. Malaysia Airlines
5. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
6. Flappy Bird
7. Conchita Wurst
8. ISIS
9. Frozen
10. Sochi Olympics

Top Trending Red Carpet Looks on Google:

1. Rihanna
2. Lorde
3. Lupita Nyong'o
4. Madonna
5. Pharrell
6. Zendaya
7. Kingsley
8. Solange Knowels
9. Lebron James
10. Kesha

Top Trending Losses:

1. Robin Williams
2. Joan Rivers
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman
4. Maya Angelou
5. Jan Hooks
6. Harold Ramis
7. Shirley Temple
8. Lauren Bacall
9. Mickey Rooney
10. James Avery

Omotola Reacts To Cheating Rumours: "I Have Not Granted Any Interview to Vanguard In Years"

Reports have it that the superstar actress, Omotola Jalade granted
Vanguard an interview where she talked about how male admirers have
been trying to get in bed with her.

She allegedly spoke about how she almost cheated on her husband.

Omotola heard about the news and she took to her Twitter page to
debunk the rumour.

Read her tweet above.

Ten House Of Reps Members Defect Across Party Lines

With less than four months to the end of the 7thNational Assembly, ten
members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday defected from their
respective parties to others.

Speaker Aminu Tambuwal read out the announcement of the defectors at
plenary today.

Five lawmakers from Ogun State - Babatunde Ogunola (Ado-odo/Ota),
Adekunle Adeyemi (Ifo Ewekoro), Olumide Osoba (Abeokuta North/
Obafemi- Owode/Odeda), Abiodun Abudu-Balogun (Ogun Waterside/Ijebu
North /East) and Taofik Buraimoh (Remo Federal Constituency) - moved
from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Social Democratic
Party, SDP.

While four members - Isau Mohammed (Adamawa) Ibrahim El Sudi,
(Taraba,) Jagaba Adams, (kaduna) Herman Hembe (Benue) - also moved
from the People's Democratic Party, PDP to APC.

The only defecting female, Aisha Ahmed Dahiru (Adamawa, Yola
North/South, Girei), moved from the PDP to People's Democratic
Movement, PDM.

Pengassan, Nupeng Go On Strike

Nigeria's two main oil workers' unions have begun a nationwide strike,
threatening to hurt the output of Africa's largest oil producer.

Long queues have formed at many petrol stations.

The unions, Pengassan and Nupeng, said the strike would continue until
the government addressed its concerns.

These include the adoption of the delayed Petroleum Industry Bill,
aimed at overhauling the sector and maintenance work on oil
refineries.

The unions frequently go on strike or threaten to strike.

This time, the two unions were initially demanding the reinstatement
of representatives who had been dismissed by oil companies, but now
their list of complaints has grown.

They are now protesting that the government has allowed Nigeria's oil
refineries to fall into disrepair and that the poor state of the
country's roads is hindering the transport of oil.

They are also asking for the price of petrol to be reduced and oil
theft to be stopped.

"We've commenced the strike. It will affect oil production, since all
operations are on strike," Pengassan chief Babatunde Oke told Reuters.

However, an oil executive said the strike was not expected to affect
output, because it would require the co-operation of large numbers of
workers at production sites who would be unwilling to go that far.

"It's very difficult to shut them down, and once they do, it would
take them a week to get them back up. They never do it. That's the
last thing anyone wants," an oil executive told Reuters.

The BBC's Will Ross in Lagos said most of the unions' demands seemed
"unrealistic, especially with an election looming".

"The refineries are not suddenly going to be fixed because of this
strike. Some oil industry watchers suggest the unions are simply
trying to force the government to pay them off and get a hefty
Christmas present," he added.

A strike in September had little impact on oil production.

Many Nigerians, whether Christian or Muslim, travel home over the
Christmas and New Year holidays and so they are stocking up on fuel
now, in case of shortages in the next couple of weeks, analysts say.
--BBC

Buhari Picks Osibanjo As Running Mate

The APC Presidential flag-bearer has finally put an end to
speculations on who becomes his Vice with the adoption of Yemi
Osibanjo as his running mate ahead of other candidates thrown up for
the position like Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State.
.
--DailyTimes

Again, TB Joshua Missing At Building Collapse Hearing

Pastor and televangelist TB Joshua on Monday again failed to appear at
a coroner's inquest into a building collapse at his Lagos church which
killed 116 people, including 81 South Africans.

TB Joshua had been called to give evidence at the hearing but his
lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi, asked for him to be excused because of a
pending high court application.

Lawyers for Joshua, who has claimed the collapse may have been
sabotage, are attempting to stop the inquest, arguing that the coroner
has exceeded his powers to call him as a witness.

The high court hearing will be held next Monday, the inquest was told.

Coroner Oyetade Komolafe accepted Joshua's absence pending the high
court session.

"Let your client go to the high court and come back," he told Fagbemi.

Joshua was summonsed twice to appear at the inquest before the
application to stay proceedings was made.

The engineer of the collapsed building was in court but said he could
not give evidence because he was ill. Komolafe warned him that he
faced jail if he did not appear on Friday.

Expert witnesses have told the hearing that there was no sign of an
explosion or sabotage of the building, which housed foreign followers
of Joshua's Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).

The Lagos state government has said the building did not have planning
permission and that an inspection had found that other structures on
the sprawling SCOAN site were shoddily built.

On Joshua's theory of aerial sabotage from a low-flying plane, Rafiq
Arogunjo, of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), said the
aircraft seen over the building was on a training mission.

The Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft, flying at 1,100 feet (335
metres), was operating "normally in line with aviation rules" on the
day of the tragedy, September 12, he said.

NAMA officials reviewed security camera footage of the plane released
by church officials and said the aircraft banked left on four
occasions without flying directly over the building.

Air traffic control at the nearby Lagos international airport directed
the pilot to divert to allow four incoming flights to land, he added.

The inquest was adjourned until Wednesday.
--ChannelsTV

Armed Men Take Hostages In Australia Center Biggest City

Australia center biggest city has been locked down on Monday by the
Australian police after an armed man walked into a busy downtown
Sydney cafe, took hostages and forced them to display an Islamic flag,
igniting fears of a Jihadist attack.

Police, including paramilitary officers, cordoned off several blocks
around the cafe as negotiators tried to defuse one of the biggest
security scares in Australia for decades.

Snipers and a SWAT team took up positions around the cafe and police
helicopters flew overhead.

At least five hostages have been released or escaped since the
mid-morning siege began, with terrified cafe workers and customers
seen running into the arms of paramilitary police.

Reports gathered form Reuters, indicated that about 15 hostages could
still be seen inside the cafe, with gunman rotating hostages, forcing
them to stand against windows, sometimes 2 hours at a time.

The suspect has been seen inside the cafe wearing a backpack and a bandana.

News organisations say he has contacted them to issue demands, which
police have urged media not to report.

News footage also showed hostages holding up a black and white flag
displaying the Shahada - a testament to the faith of Muslims. The flag
has been popular among Sunni Islamist militant groups such as Islamic
State and al Qaeda.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who has warned of militant plans to strike
Australian targets, said there were indications the hostage-taking was
politically motivated.

"This is a very disturbing incident. I can understand the concerns and
anxieties of the Australian people," Abbott told reporters in
Canberra.

The incident forced the evacuation of nearby buildings and sent
shockwaves around a country where many people were turning their
attention to the Christmas holiday following earlier security scares.

Muslim leaders urged calm, with the Australian National Imams Council
condemning "this criminal act unequivocally" in a joint statement with
the Grand Mufti of Australia. An inter-faith prayer meeting at one of
Sydney's grand mosques passed off peacefully despite threats of
protests from far-right groups.

Currency market traders said the hostage news may have contributed to
a dip in the Australian dollar, which was already under pressure from
global risk aversion as oil prices fell anew.

Several media outlets reported they had been contacted by hostages
passing on claims and demands from the gunman, including the possible
presence of explosives in the building and elsewhere in the city.

Police said they were aware of media reports but said the "situation
is contained in one area".

Concerns about an attack in Australia by Islamists have been growing
for more than a year, with the security agency raising its national
terrorism public alert to "high" in September.

That month, a spokesman for the Islamic State urged supporters in
Western nations, including Australia, to attack civilians or military
personnel at home.

For Ladies - Reasons High Heels Are Not The Best For You

It is not very hard for fashionable women to sacrifice comfort for
fashion. High heels are a classic example of this. A number of studies
have illustrated the detrimental effects of high heels. Dr. Ava
Shamban, a certified dermatologist and author of Heal Your Skin, says,
"High heels put all your body's weight on our forefoot, causing you to
adjust the rest of your body to maintain balance." These studies have
revealed that they tend to add extra pressure on the inside of your
knee, alter muscles and tendon structure. So, read on to know more
about how this fashion fad is slowly damaging your body.

Should you shun your stilettos?

High heels tend to place excess force on the inside of your knee, also
known as medial meniscus. This is a known risk factor for joint
degeneration and osteoarthritis. High heels also tend to alter your
posture, which causes your ankles to tilt inward and destabilises your
ankle joints.

Studies have revealed that the knee joint pressure increases by almost
25% when a woman wears high heels. They also tend to impair your
balance, thus exposing you to a greater risk of falling. You could end
up with a broken or a sprained ankle because of that.

This fashion comes at a price

It is hard not to feel strong, confident and sexy when you slip on a
pair of high heel shoes but it affects your feet, back and posture in
more ways than one.

High heels force your foot into a painful position and could lead to
hammertoes, corns and bunions as well.

They lead to benign growth of nerve tissues at the base of your foot,
also known as Morton's neuroma. This leads to terrible pain and
numbness in your toes.

Long exposure to high heels also increases the risk of joint pain in
the ball of your foot, medically known as Metatarsalgia.

It also adds pressure on your forefoot.

Your calf muscles tend to contract and adjust to the angle of high
heels leading them to shorten or tighten, and subsequently causing you
pain.

Should you ditch those heels?

Poorly constructed shoes or slippers with heels can wreak havoc on
your feet. However reasonable, comfortable heels can make you look
elegant and cause little pain to your feet. Shorter (1 1/2 to 2 inches)
heels reduce the severity of such aches and pains.

Here are some more ways in which you can protect yourself from the
harmful havoc your shoes wreak on your body:

Use comfort insoles or cushions, if you cannot resist heels on a daily basis.

Only wear high heels when you are attending events where you do not
have to stand for a long period of time.

While going for high heels, always opt for good brand names. This way
you have more chances of finding ergonomically designed shoes, which
would be more comfortable.

Go for shoes in natural materials, such as suede, leather and rubber.
These would fit your feet better.

Always try shoes on both the feet and walk around for a few seconds,
before buying them.

Shoes with pointed toes are likely to cramp your toes and cause more
damaging effects. So, go for wide toe shoes.

--Bollywoodshaadis.com

Drone, Manufactured By Corps Member, Deployed In NYSC Camp

(photo: Olaolu Ayoola, displaying the drone he built.)

Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, watched in
admiration how a drone built by a corps member posted to Osun State
took off and carried out surveillance of the parade ground at the
Permanent Orientation Camp of the National Youth Service Corps on
Monday.

The corps member, Olaolu Ayoola, a graduate of Computer
Science/Engineering of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology,
Ogbomoso, stole the show with his invention during the closing
ceremony of the orientation course for the 2014 batch 'C' of corps
members deployed in the state.

The drone, which soldiers and other security agents present at the
event, described as a good invention, flew for about 10 minutes before
it landed.

The device is fixed with surveillance camera, and can stay in the air
for 20 minutes and is capable of flying up for 500 meters.

The device with remote control has 2.4G radio transmitter and carried
out live recording of the event which was monitored on a black berry
phone.

Ayoola told Punch correspondent in an interview that his love for
aeronautics drove him into engaging in the device.

Apart for military use, Ayoola said that the drone could also be used
by politicians to hoist their flags and could also be used to monitor
activities on large farms.

He said, "This type of drone, if fully developed, could be used by
farmers. You can deploy it to fly round a farm of about 20 hectares
and you will monitor what is going on on the farm right from where the
remote control is.

"It can be used to monitor traffic situation and in case of flooding,
the drone can monitor the area.

"I spent over N20,000.00 to build this but I can do something with a
bigger capacity and which will stay for more hours in the air if fund
is available."

The deputy governor who said she was impressed with the drone said the
corps member should assembly youths anywhere he was posted to serve
and teach them how to do this kind of invention.

The State Coordinator, Mr. Abada Okpiroro, also commended the corps
member for the drone.
--PUNCH

Guinea Worms Spent 4 Years In Man's Foot --Doctors

Medical experts in Australia said a parasitic worm removed from a
man's foot was likely inside his body for at least the past four
years. UPI report:

Dr. Jonathan Darby of St. Vincent's Hospital said the man, who moved
to Melbourne from Sudan about four years ago, came into the hospital
with a swollen foothe said had been causing him pain for about a year.

Darby said an X-ray discovered there were two segments of
Dracunculiasis medinensis, or "guinea worm," in his ankle and foot.
Doctors writing in the journal Pathology said the worm, which can grow
to more than three feet in length, likely died inside the man's foot
and split into pieces.

The doctors said the man was likely infected before he left Sudan. The
guinea worm infects humans through the water they drink and borrows
through the body to exit through the foot, doctors said. The exit
often creates a burning sensation that leads patients to submerge the
affected foot in water, allowing the worm to infect the water with its
larvae.

Uganda Maid Who Beat 18 Month Old Baby Sentenced To 4 Years In Prison

The Ugandan maid who was secretly filmed beating, kicking and stamping
on an 18 months old baby has been sentenced to 4 years in prison for
assault on a child.

22 year oldJolly Tumuhiirwe was sentenced this morning December 14th
in a Kampala high court after pleading guilty to the crime of assault
last week.

The court dropped charges of torture which would have given her at
least 10 years in prison. 4 years is good enough. Lesson learnt.
Justice served!

Miss South Africa Wins Miss World 2014 Pageant

Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss has won the Miss World 2014 pageant.
Miss Hungary and Miss US were 2nd and third runners up respectively.

The Headies Awards 2014 - Full List Of Winners

The 2014 Headies Awards took place at the Eko Hotels and Suite,
Victoria Island, Lagos... The award saw big wins from... The award
everyone looks forward to, Next Rated was won by Patoranking, he walks
home with an SUV car beating Skales, Runtown and Yemi Alade to the
award.

The 24 year old reggae singer says he used to be a rat poision seller
and a former bricklayer during his acceptance speech.

See more winners below

1. BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR

A non-voting category for the best single recording by an artiste or
group in year under review.

1.IYAWO MI- TIMI DAKOLO
2.LET SOMEBODY LOVE YOU- 2FACE IDIBIA
3.ALWAYS ON MY MIND - NOSA
4.ORDINARY PEOPLE - COHBAMS ASUQUO** Winner

2. PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

An individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or
album in the year under review.
1.DON JAZZY - DOROBUCCI** Winner
2.PHEELZ - ELEDA MI O
3.T SPIZE - AYE
4.LEGENDURY BEATZ - CARO
5.SHIZZY - SKELEWU
6.DEL B - PULL OVER

3. BEST MUSIC VIDEO

A voting category for the best conceptualist, best directed and most
exciting video in the year under review. This award goes to the video
director.

1.ADA ADA BY FLAVOUR - CLARENCE PETERS** Winner
2.TOH BAD BY NIYOLA - KEMI ADETIBA
3.JUST LIKE THAT BY RAYCE - AJE
4.OYA NOW BY JOE EL FT. ORITSE FEMI - UNLIMITED LA

5.PERSONALLY BY P-SQUARE - JUDE "ENGEES" OKOYE & CLARENCE PETERS

4. BEST R&B/POP ALBUM
A category for the best R&B/Pop Album in the year under review (by
single individual or group).
1.THE JOURNEY - SEAN TIZZLE** Winner
2.TAKEOVER - KCEE
3.ONCE UPON A TIME - TIW SAVAGE
4.ME, MY MOUTH & EYE - SOUND SULTAN
5.L.I.F.E - BURNA BOY

5. BEST R&B SINGLE

A category for the best R&B single in year under review (by single
individual or group).
1.LET SOMEBODY LOVE YOU- 2FACE IDIBIA** Winner
2.IYAWO MI- TIMI DAKOLO
3.PLAN B - WANDE COAL
4.DON GORDON - BURNA BOY

6. BEST POP SINGLE

A category for the best pop single in year under review (by single
individual or group)
1.DOROBUCCI - MAVIN CREW** Winner
2.AYE - DAVIDO
3.JOHNNY - YEMI ALADE
4.PULL OVER - KCEE
5.DOUBLE WAHALA - ORITSE FEMI
6.CARO - STAR BOY FEATURING WIZKID AND L.A.X
7.SURULERE - DR. SID

7. BEST REGGAE/DANCEHALL SINGLE

A category for the best Reggae/Dancehall single in year under review
(by single individual or group).

1.GIRLIE O REMIX - PATORANKING** Winner
2.LEAD ME ON - CYNTHIA MORGAN
3.STINKING SH#T - CHOPSTIX FEATURING ICE PRINCE, YUNG L AND ENDIA.
4.BAD GIRL - JESSE JAGZ FT. WIZKID
5.MURDA - SEYI SHAY FT. PATORANKING & SHAYDEE

8. BEST RAP ALBUM

A Non-Voting Category for the Best Album By A Rap Artiste Or Group In
Year Under Review.

1.NO GUTS NO GLORY - PHYNO
2.ALAGA IBILE- REMINISCE
3.BADDEST GUY EVER LIVETH - OLAMIDE*** Winner
4.THY NATION COME - JESSE JAGZ

9. BEST COLLABO

A voting category for the best R&B, Pop or Hip-hop collaborative track
(including cameos).

1.OYA NOW - JOE EL FT. ORITSE FEMI
2.EMERGENCY - WIZZY PRO FEATURING SKALES, PATORANKING AND RUNTOWN** Winner
3.SURULERE - DR. SID & DON JAZZY
4.PASS YOU BY - BLACK MAGIC FT. ORITSE FEMI
5.GIRLIE O REMIX - PATORANKING
6.DOROBUCCI - MAVINS

10. BEST RAP SINGLE

A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap song.
1.PARCEL- PHYNO** Winner
2.DOPE MONEY - OLAMIDE FT. PHYNO
3.SHOTZ ON SHOTS - ICE PRINCE FT. SARKODIE
4.RAP IT UP - POSLY TD
5.DEAF - EVA ALORDIAH
6.WTF - ILL BLISS

11. BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE)

A non-voting category for the single male artiste with the most
outstanding vocal performance on a single song or album.
1.IYAWO MI - TIMI DAKOLO** Winner
2.DOUBLE WAHALA - ORITSE FEMI
3.WHY YOU LOVE ME - NOSA
4.ORDINARY PEOPLE - COBHAMS

12. BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)

A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most
outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.

1.LOVE TO LOVE YOU - NIYOLA FT. BANKYW** Winner
2.WANTED - TIWA SAVAGE
3.WINDOW - MONICA OGAH
4.GOOD MAN - RUBY

13. NEXT RATED

This category is a voting category for the most promising upcoming
officially unreleased (or signed) act in the year under review.

1.PATORANKING** Winner
2.RUNTOWN
3.OREZI
4.SKALES
5.YEMI ALADE

14. HIP HOP WORLD REVELATION

A voting category for the best new artiste in the year under review.

1.TIWA SAVAGE - ONCE UPON A TIME
2.SEAN TIZZLE - THE JOURNEY
3.BURNA BOY - L.I.F.E
4.KCEE - TAKE OVER** Winner

15. LYRICIST ON THE ROLL

A non-voting category for the Rap Artiste with the best lyrical depth
and performance on a single song or album.

1.SHOTS ON SHOTS - ICE PRINCE
2.RAP IT UP - POSLY TD
3.GOD ON THE MIC - JESSE JAGZ** Winner
4.KPANSH - YUNG 6IX
....