A recent United Nations report on drug use reveals drug trends around
the world, including which countries have the highest rates of
cannabis use.
The United States, Canada,Nigeria, and Australia rank the highest,
with over 10% of the population over age 15 admitting to using the
drug.
Western European countries also see fairly high rates of marijuana
use, but did not rank in the highest category.
Although much of America's pot comes from Mexico, the southerly
country has a surprisingly low rate of use, according to this data.
Check out the map above:
--businessinsider.com
Saturday, 10 January 2015
Suicide Bomber Kills 20 In Maiduguri Chicken Market
major market in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, after an attack
by a suspected Boko Haram sect member on Saturday
The blast also injured 18, the Police Public Relations Officer of the
Borno State Police Command, Gideon Jubrin, said.
According to him, the incident occurred at about 12.30pm at a section
of the Monday market.
The market has become a target of the Boko Haram female suicide
bombers as the Saturday bombing marked the third time that the market
would be attacked in the last three months.
In a statement, the police spokesman said, "20 persons were killed in
the attack, including the female suicide bomber, with 18 others
injured at the market."
The death toll may however be higher as aid and emergency agency
workers were still busy evacuating the dead and the injured from the
scene of the attack.
The spokesman for National Emergency Management Authority, AbdulKadir
Ibrahim, said workers from the agency were at the market to render
assistance, but declined to give the casualty figure.
It was gathered that a female suicide bomber attacked the market at
about 12.30 pm Saturday.
The attack was at the Yen-Kaji area of the market where chickens are sold.
--PUNCH
Bail Set For Bishop Heather Cook
George Conger
The Rt. Rev. Heather Cook (58) surrendered to police today after
Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced the bishop was
facing felony charges in connection with the death of cyclist Richard
Palermo on 27 Dec 2014. Bishop Cook has been charged with vehicular
manslaughter, criminal negligent manslaughter, texting while driving,
driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident. The
State Attorney told a 9 Jan 2015 press conference the bishop is
alleged to have swerved onto the bike lane whilst texting on her
cellphone hitting cyclist Richard Palermo from behind. The collision
propelled Palermo onto the hood and windshield of the car and then on
to the pavement.
The bishop then left the scene of the accident for approximately
thirty minutes, Ms. Mosby said, and then returned to the scene of the
collision but drove away again. She then returned to the scene a
second time and was arrested by police. The prosecutor alleged Bishop
Cook was intoxicated at the time of the accident and stated the
results of a breathalyzer test conducted by the police indicated her
blood alcohol level was .22, (three times the legal limit in
Maryland). After arraignment bail of $2.5 million was set by the
court.
(Photo: Baltimore City Police)
Categories:
News
Provinces:
Episcopal Church of the USA
Recent Comments
Milton Finch
If "bishop" Heather is what the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland is
putting out there as the bestest and the finest....that particular
diocese needs to be sued out of its earthly existence.
Bail set for Bishop Heather Cook · 1 hour ago
aterry
Very sad. Prayers for Mr. Palmero's survivors.
Virginia bishops respond to Cook indictment · 5 hours ago
Milton Finch
From looking at her supposed size, and estimating her weight, she had
to have ingested between 12 and 15 liquid ounces of whiskey that day.
That would be about a full pint of whiskey. That would be...
Bishop Cook charge with Manslaughter DUI · 7 hours ago
Syttende Mai
ALL in the "community" are NOT hurting.
Maryland statement on Bishop Cook manslaughter indictment · 7 hours ago
Demon Teddy Bear
Good. Not charging her would have been scandalous.
Let us remember at this point that these are accusations, not verdicts.
Bishop Cook charge with Manslaughter DUI · 9 hours ago
Flu Epidemic Outbreak Kills Four In Greece
four deaths recorded so far, according to the Greek Center for Disease
Control and Prevention.
KEELPNO experts said six people had been hospitalized with the flu and
were still under observation at intensive care units this week.
Health officials noted that the flu epidemic would continue to develop
over the next three months and the number of severe cases was expected
to rise.
Experts stressed that a mutated strain of the virus was not covered by
the flu vaccine, but advised everyone, especially the most vulnerable,
to be very careful and follow precaution measures, including getting
the anti-flu shot.
Among the most vulnerable groups, the elderly population and young
people suffering from cardiovascular or respiratory illnesses are most
at risk.
According to KEELPNO figures, a total of 329 flu virus cases were
treated in intensive care units last year, of which 145 resulted in
death.
--PUNCH
DSS Revelations On Discovery From APC Data Centre Vindicates Us --PDP
yesterday's revelation by the Department of State Security Services
that the All Progressives Congress, APC, planned to compromise the
electoral process by hacking into INEC's data base, with the aim of
rigging the February general elections.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh in a statement on
Wednesday, said Nigerians and the international community can now see
that the ruling party was not crying wolf when it earlier raised an
alarm that the opposition party was cloning INEC's Permanent Voters
Card, PVC, and utilizing technologies to hack into the commission's
data base.
"When we alerted Nigerians that the APC is on a sinister mission
against this country some people dismissed us as crying wolf and
playing to the gallery. Now that they have been exposed, the world can
see that the APC is indeed a party of criminals in desperate quest for
power.
"Everyone now knows on what strength a party which lacks genuine
followership among the people has been boasting that it will emerge
victorious in the elections with threats of violence if it loses.
"It is shocking that while other parties are working hard to win
votes, the APC was busy procuring hacking equipment and training their
members on how to subvert the will of the people and steal their
mandate. This is indeed a slap in the face of Nigerians and the worst
assault on our democracy.
"What can the supporters of the APC say now that they have been
exposed? What can they say now that the true colour of a party, which
has been parading itself in a messianic robe has finally been
revealed?
"The APC and its leaders, especially its Presidential candidate,
General Muhammadu Buhari, with his so-called moral credentials, are a
huge disgrace to our nation. They have proven to be persons of
questionable character who should not be entrusted with leadership.
They should hide their faces in shame and seek forgiveness from God
and the people", the statement said.
Calling on Nigerians to continue to be vigilant, Metuh urged the
security agencies not to rest on their oars while charging INEC to
ensure that "it is not complicit in this heinous crime against the
Nigerian state and its people".
The ruling party also urged that all those found culpable in the
criminal plot should be made to face the full wrath of the law.
--infonaija
Yemeni Al-Qaeda Claims French Magazine Attack
Al-Qaeda's Yemeni branch has claimed responsibility for the deadly
attack on the French Charlie Hebdo magazine, saying the shooting was
an operation to teach the French the limits of freedom of expression.
Abu Hareth al-Nezari, an senior member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula (AQAP), made the claim in an audio recording published
online late on Friday.
"Some French were not polite with the prophets and that was the reason
why a few of the believers, who loved Allah and his prophet and loved
martyrdom, went to them to teach them how to behave and how to be
polite with the prophets and to teach them that the freedom of
expression has limits and boundaries," al-Nezari said in the
recording.
Wednesday's attack on the magazine's office, that left 12 people dead,
and ensuing hostage seizes have shocked France and triggered a massive
seucity operation. In addition to those killed at Charlie Hebdo, three
civilians and two police officers have been killed.
One of the attackers, Said Kouachi, claimed to have been trained and
financed by al-Qaeda in Yemen.
Yemeni intelligence officials confirmed to Al Jazeera that he had
indeed been in Yemen in 2011, fighting with al-Qaeda, and had been
deported.
If confirmed, the attack would be the first time al-Qaeda's branch in
Yemen has successfully carried out an operation in the West after at
least two earlier attempts.
Said, 32 and his 34-year-old brother Cherif Kouachi were killed
northeast of Paris on Friday, while a gunman who took several hostages
at a supermarket in the east of the capital was also shot dead in a
standoff with police.
At least four hostages held at the kosher grocery store in Porte De
Vincennes also died on Friday as police stormed the site.
French police are still hunting for Hayat Boumeddiene, suspected of
involvement in the kosher store siege and the shooting of a
policewoman.
Police said Boumeddiene was the wife of Amedy Coulibaly, who laid
siege to the supermarket.
--Al Jazeera
Tail Of Crashed AirAsia QZ8501 Lifted From Seabed
have lifted the tail portion out of the Java Sea, two weeks after it
went down, killing all 162 people on board.
It was not immediately clear if the cockpit voice and flight data
recorders were still inside the tail or have been detached when the
Airbus A320 plummeted into the sea on December 28. Their recovery is
essential to finding out why it crashed.
The tail was hoisted on Saturday from a depth of about 30 metres using
inflatable bags that were attached to the rear of the aircraft and a
crane to lift it onto a rescue ship.
Intermittent underwater ping-like sounds were picked up on Friday
about a kilometre from where the tail was located, but it was unclear
if they were coming from the recorders located in the back of the
aircraft. It was possible the signals were coming from another source.
No metal was detected at the ping location, and Nurcahyo Utomo, a
National Commission for Transportation Safety investigator, said the
sounds could not be confirmed.
The discovery of the tail on the ocean floor earlier this week was a
major breakthrough in the slow-moving search that has been hampered by
seasonal rains, choppy seas and blinding silt from river runoff.
Officials were hopeful the black boxes were still inside.
--BBC
Buhari Is A 'Medieval' King Who Can't Remember His Own Phone Number --Jonathan
took a swipe at the presidential candidate of the All Progressives
Congress candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), saying the former
head of state cannot remember his own mobile phone number.
The president, who spoke extempore, was apparently responding to
previous statements made by Buhari and accused the APC presidential
candidate of deceiving Nigerians by promising to revive the economy
without explaining how he would go about it.
He further wondered how Buhari, who could not develop the country's
economy when he was head of state from 1983 to 1985, would develop the
country's economy now.
"Is it now that Buhari cannot even remember his own phone number that
he can change the economy of the country", Jonathan asked.
The Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate said that although
he did not like to "go personal during campaigns," "sometimes
circumstances demand that certain things must be said."
Taking his attacks further against his political opponent, the
president described Buhari as belonging to the medieval age, adding
that the APC candidate intended to run the Federal Government as a
medieval king.
He said, "We cannot run the government as if we are in the medieval
age; we cannot run a government where somebody said he would throw
people into jail.
"You are not a medieval king - a medieval king can throw you into jail
but we have to follow the rule of law because we cannot go back to the
old days".
President Jonathan not done yet, read a speech by Gen. Ibrahim
Babangida (rtd.) after he overthrew Buhari's regime through a military
coup on August 27, 1985 to justify his claim that the APC candidate is
not one that keeps his promises.
Babangida, in the portions of the address read by Jonathan, justified
Buhari's overthrow by pointing out that the latter did not live up to
the promises he made to Nigerians when he ousted a democratically
elected civilian government headed by Alhaji Shehu Shagari in a
military coup.
Noting that Buhari "deceived Nigerians" from 1983 to 1985, Jonathan
quoted Babangida as saying, "The initial objectives of Buhari's
intervention were betrayed as there was a general deterioration of
standard of living in the country".
The PDP presidential candidate also pointed out that Babangida accused
Buhari of being "too rigid in his attitude to national issues" and
"became alienated from the people" in the course of his stay in power.
He, therefore, challenged Buhari to tell Nigerians how he intends to
revive the economy.
Jonathan said, "They are telling young Nigerians that they are going
to change the economy but they have not told us how they want to
manage the economy more than us.
"If they say they want to change agriculture, they should tell us the
weak links in the agriculture value chain and what they want to do
about it.
"I said in Lagos that I want to work with young people, not to deceive people.
"I am not going to run the government based on my habits, I am going
to run the government according to global best practices".
The president also reiterated his commitment to the fight against
corruption. "There is no government that has fought corruption more
than we do", he said, noting that some previous administrations
pretended to be fighting corruption while oppressing their enemies.
He recalled that Buhari jailed some prominent Igbo sons while in
office as head of state, including former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme
and former governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo.
Stressing that Buhari jailed politicians on trumped up charges,
Jonathan said, "You can no longer carry people and put them in prison
for 301 years".
The president also accused his opponent of having a wrong idea of
corruption because he (Buhari) believes that every wealthy Nigerian is
corrupt.
He said, "If a Nigerian businessman has a private jet, then you are
corrupt but if a South African has a private jet then you commend him.
"If you have a good house, then you are corrupt; if you have a good
car then you are corrupt - that is his definition of corruption".
In what looked like a veiled attack not only at Buhari but former
President Olusegun Obasanjo, Jonathan accused some unnamed persons of
making spurious claims against him especially as it concerned
corruption and the external reserves.
The President said, "They are saying that government is corrupt but
they are not telling us what they are going to do to stop corruption.
Let them go back to their consultants to coach them, then I will
listen to them.
"They should tell us how they are going to manage the economy better than we do.
How Boko Haram Uses Diabolical Means To Conscript People --Member Confesses
attacks and killings around towns and villages of Borno State were
arrested yesterday at a refugee camp in Maiduguri, Borno state.
They were said to be faking to be part of the Internally Displaced
Persons, IDPs from Baga, Leadership reports.
According to the Civilian-JTF operatives deployed to provide security
for the arriving displaced people of Baga after the terrorists attacks
last week, said the arrested men had joined other IDPS to enter
Maiduguri with the intention of spying for their colleagues in the
bush.
Giving his confession, one of them, Gambo Muhammed, a 27-year-old
native of Gaya in Kano State said he was forcefully conscripted into
the sect through diabolic means, adding that he was never a lover of
the sect.
Muhammed, who was fished out by another conscripted but non-combatant
Boko Haram member who was helping the Civilian-JTF to identify members
of the sect that may have disguised as IDPs said he had only killed
six people since he was forced to join Boko Haram last year.
He explained that he was forced to join the Boko Haram sect after some
members of the group threatened him and several others to kill them
and their family if they refuse to pick up arms and fight against
non-members.
"I and over 40 other young men were forced to become Boko Haram
members in Baga town when Boko Haram gunmen came to round us up in the
mosque.
"When we were taken to a bush camp near Konduga we were given some
water that was used to wash off some Arabic inscription from a wooden
tablet, and we were also given a fresh date that was rubbed with some
substance to eat. After eating mine, I felt some internal heat, and
then I began to sweat profusely; that was all that I could remember
and I became a full member of the sect doing everything other members
were doing including killing people.
"I killed only six people...and I swear it was not more than that
figure; in fact I was even forced to do it when we went to Konduga and
we wanted to forcefully take some people's livestock of which the
owners said they won't allow us go with them even if it was for the
purpose of doing "God's job. So, one of our leaders asked me to step
out with my gun and ordered me to kill the people and he warned that
if I refused to do as commanded, they would shoot me. So I had to
shoot them all," he said.
According to the Provost of the Civilian-JTF, Lawan Zanna, who led the
team that arrested the three Boko Haram suspects, his team had so far
arrested about 270 of such Boko Haram members who would join the IDPs
to the camp either to escape being arrested or as spies.
He added that the three arrested Boko Haram members are still being
investigated with a view to revealing where some of their members who
may have sneaked into the state capital could be fished out.
Last weekend, Boko Haram launched an attack in Baga and 18 Nigerian
female soldiers were reportedly kidannaped.
Boko Haram militants were said to have razed at least 16 Borno State
towns and villages in another series of multiple attacks.
However, the coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike
Omeri said Nigerian troops have launched a serious offensive against
the deadly Boko Haram sect in an attempt to reclaim Baga and other
parts of Borno State overrun by the insurgents.
--infonaija
UN Appoints Nigerian General Head Of Liberia Mission
appointment of Major General Salihu Uba of the Nigerian Army, as the
Force Commander, UN Mission in Liberia, UNMIL.
The appointment was contained in a statement issued by UN Spokesman,
Stephane DuJarric, in New York.
The statement quoted Ms. DuJarric as saying that Major General Uba
would succeed Major General Leonard Ngondi of Kenya, who would
complete his tour of duty on February 25.
He noted that the Secretary-General had thanked Mr. Ngondi for his
dedicated and exemplary service during his tenure with UNMIL.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that before his appointment,
Nigeria's Mr. Uba served as the Commander of Training and Doctrine
Command, Nigerian Army and the Commandant of the Nigerian Army
Peacekeeping Centre from 2013 to 2014.
Born in 1959, and a graduate of War College, Nigeria, Mr. Uba served
as Director of Veteran Affairs Department in the Nigerian Ministry of
Defence between 2012 and 2013.
He also served as Sector Commander with the UN Mission in Liberia,
UNMIL, from 2010 to 2012 and Company Commander with UN Protection
Force, UNPROFOR, from 1992 to 1993.
Mr. Uba has Master's degrees in Strategic Studies, Business
Administration and Peace and Conflict from University of Ibadan, Imo
State University, and the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)
respectively.
He is married and has three children.
--(NAN)
You Do Not Fight Corruption By Throwing People Into Jail --Jonathan Tells Buhari
fought corruption more than other past administrations in the
country, asking the opposition All progressives Congress, APC, to tell
Nigerians how it would tackle corruption if voted into power in the
country.
Jonathan spoke in Enugu while flagging off his second term
re-election and governorship campaign at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium.
The South East flag- off rally attracted a large crowd of party
supporters from the five south east states of Anambra, Abia, Imo,
Enugu and Ebonyi States.
The President, however, tongue lashed the presidential candidate of
the APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, saying that the former head of state
wanted power to throw people into jail as was the case in 1983, when
he threw into jail, Igbo politicians like the former Vice President,
Alex Ekwueme, the former governors of old Anambra and Imo States,
Chief Jim Nwobodo and late Chief Sam Mbakwe respectively among others
out of sheer wickedness.
His words, ''Chief Alex Ekwueme; Sam Mbakwe were all thrown to jail by
Buhari. Chief Jim Nwobodo was jailed 301 years before the successive
administration released him. Corruption is fought by blocking loop
h***s where public funds are looted from.
"We are fighting corruption through Information Commun-ication
Technology,ICT. Our method is technology driven. We have changed the
way we do government businesses. The fertiliser distribution scheme,
which go directly to farmers is a key example.
"We have also modernised the system of salary disbursement through
technology. This is one of the ways we are fighting corruption in the
system. You do not fight it by locking people in Kirikiri and closing
down their businesses. That is why the economy collapsed under
Buhari's watch.
GENDER FRIENDLY
Jonathan urged women in the country to vote for his re-election,
saying that Buhari never appointed a woman in his cabinet as military
head of state.
He however, commended the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, governorship
candidate in Enugu State Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for towing his line by being
a gender friendly governorship candidate.
Cecelia Ezeilo is the running mate of Ugwuanyi.
"Buhari never appointed any woman into his cabinet. Our women had all
the qualifications and experience at that time. If you make the
mistake of voting him, you will not be liberated. You will remain in
the kitchen and die,'' he said.
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
Jonathan enumerated the achievements of his administration in the
south-east geopolitical zone especially Enugu State to include the
upgrading of the Akanu-Ibiam Airport to an international status saying
that the airport would commence full international operations in 18
months.
"I visited the international terminal as I landed. I told the
contractor handling the project to shorten the completion time so that
our people who are commerce driven can fly to any part of the world
from Enugu. We have flagged off the Enugu-Port Harcourt inter-city
passenger mass transit train quiet recently.
"We have completed over 2,000 kilometres of roads in the region and
built irrigation dams that will boost agriculture in the area. Our
auto-mobile policies have been friendly that is why Innosson and
ANAMMCO are now rearing up their heads; assembling cars in the state.
PVCs
The President assured Nigerians that the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, had been directed to issue Permanent
Voters' Cards, PVCs, to all registered voters nationwide to enable all
voters exercise their franchise during the forthcoming election.
--Vanguard
Friday, 9 January 2015
Messi,Neymar And Suarez All Score To Ease Pressure On Crisis-Hit Barcelona
thrashing of Elche to all but seal their place in the quarter-finals
of the Copa del Rey.
Despite the speculation surrounding his future in recent days, Lionel
Messi captained the side on his return to the starting line-up and
scored from the penalty spot after goals from Neymar and Luis Suarez
had already put the hosts in command.
Jordi Alba added a fourth after the break before Neymar rounded off
the scoring in style with a powerful drive from 20 yards out.
Barring a meltdown in the return leg on January 15, Barca will face
the winners of the tie between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in the
last eight.
Messi and Neymar were among eight changes made by under fire coach
Luis Enrique from the side that lost 1-0 at Real Sociedad on Sunday.
The two South American stars looked keen to make a point to their boss
from the off and Neymar was unlucky to see a penalty appeal turned
away 10 minutes in when he was bumped to the ground by Damien Suarez.
Dani Alves was then inches away from a spectacular opener as he
returned a punch from Elche 'keeper Przemysław Tyton back towards goal
from 30 yards out, but the ball flew just wide.
Neymar also came close when he lifted a wonderful pass by Messi over
the onrushing Tyton only to see the ball fly also just beyond the far
post.
However, Barca finally made the breakthrough 11 minutes before
half-time when an enticing low cross by Suarez was smashed home at the
far post by Neymar.
The Uruguayan found the net himself moments later with a brilliant
individual effort as he rolled his marker before cutting inside and
fooling Tyton with a near post finish.
Messi's name was chanted regularly by the sparse Camp Nou crowd in a
sign of support after a difficult few days for all those at the club,
and he added his name to the scoresheet from the spot after Neymar had
been upended by Enzo Roco.
The one way traffic continued after the break as another sumptuous
pass from Messi freed Alba inside the area to fire low past Tyton to
make it 4-0.
Yet, the best was still to come from Enrique's men when Neymar cut
inside onto his favoured right foot and thumped home his second of the
night off the underside of the bar from 20 yards.
The Brazilian was denied the chance to grab his second hat-trick of
the season, though, as he was replaced by Pedro Rodriguez with 23
minutes remaining after suffering another heavy challenge from Suarez.
Earlier, Sevilla took a big step towards securing their place in the
last eight with a 2-1 win at Andalusian rivals Granada.
Goals from Barca loanee Gerard Deulofeu and Kevin Gameiro either side
of half-time put the visitors on course to victory, but Lass
Bangoura's injury time strike on his Granada debut gives Joaquin
Caparros's men a ray of hope heading into next week's return leg at
the Sanchez Pizjuan.
—AFP
My Wife Demands Money For Sex, Retiree Tells Court
love to her, a retired civil servant, Mr. Chibuzo Obiedefu, told an
Igando Customary Court, Lagos, yesterday.
Obiedefu, 50, told the court that his wife, Philomena, whom he married
seven years ago, was denying him of sex.
He said: "My wife is always starving me of sex and if she will allow
me, she will ask me to pay for it. And if I refused to give her money
and demand to sleep with her by force, she would hit me with any
dangerous weapon she could lay her hands on."
The petitioner accused his wife of infidelity, alleging that she was
dating a policeman.
"Philomena is cheating on me; she is having an affair with a policeman
and whenever I caution her, she will flare up," Obiedefu said.
The petitioner said his wife had created enmity between him and his children.
He said: "My wife is telling my children not to come close to me
because I am a bad man. My children now distance themselves from me
and I am now like a stranger to them."
He pleaded with the court to dissolve his seven-year-old marriage
because he was tired of the relationship and he was no longer in love.
Responding, the 40-year-old businesswoman denied all the allegations.
"My husband has sex with me anytime he feels like and I only demanded
for feeding money from him," Philomena said.
The respondent claimed that she was not dating the policeman.
"The policeman is only a friend; no strings attached," the mother of four said.
She urged the court not to grant her husband's plea because she was
still in love.
The President, Mr. Rufus Adeyeri, adjourned the case till January 21
for judgment.
--Vanguard
YayaToure Wins Fourth African Player Of The Year Title In A Row
be named Confederation of African Football African Footballer of the
Year four years in a row.
Toure, 31, was nominated after playing a pivotal role in winning the
Premier League and League Cup.
He also helped Ivory Coast qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Toure beat off the challenge of Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang and Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.
Midfielder Toure scored 20 goals in City's title-winning campaign and
also netted the equaliser in the 3-1 Capital One Cup final
victoryover Sunderland at Wembley last March.
He has nine goals in 26 appearances for City in all competitions so
far this season, including six goals in his last nine outings.
Toure also made the Fifa shortlist for the 2014 Ballon D'Orprize in October.
However, he has also had to contend with the disappointment of being
part of an Ivory Coast side that lost two out of their three World Cup
games. He was given the news of his brother Ibrahim's death only hours
after the team lost their second World Cup match 2-1 to Colombia.
He also hit the headlines in May as a row over a birthday cake
threatened to bring an end to his Manchester City career.
Everton striker Samuel Eto'o is the only other player to win the
African Footballer of the Year award four times but his achievement
was not in successive years.
Full list of winners:
*.African Player of the Year:Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast and Manchester City)
*.African Player of the Year - Based in Africa:Firmin Mubele Ndombe
(DR Congo and AS Vita)
*.Women's Player of the Year:Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria and River Angels)
*.Youth Player of the Year:Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria and River Angels)
*.Most Promising Talent:Yacine Brahimi (Algeria and Porto)
*.Coach of the Year:Kheireddine Madoui (Entente Setif)
*.National Team of the Year:Algeria
*.Women's National Team of the Year:Nigeria
*.Club of the Year:Entente Setif (Algeria)
*.Referee of the Year:Papa Bakary Gassama (Gambia)
*.Football Leader of the Year:Moise Katumbi - President of TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
*.African Legend award:Oryx Club (Cameroon) - winners of the maiden
edition of CAF Champions League 1964 and Stade Malien (Mali) - runner
up of the maiden edition of CAF Champion's League 1964
*.Platinum Award:Dr Kwame Nkrumah (First President of Ghana) and His
Excellency Goodluck Jonthan (President of Nigeria)
*.CAF team of the 2014:Goalkeeper:Vincent Enyeama
(Nigeria)Defenders:Jean Kasulula (DR Congo), Mehdi Benatia (Morocco),
Stephane Mbia (Cameroon), Kwadwo Asamoah (Ghana)Midfielders:Yaya Toure
(Ivory Coast), Yacine Brahimi (Algeria), Fakhreddine Ben Youssef
(Tunisia), Ahmed Musa (Nigeria)Forwards:Asamoah Gyan (Ghana),
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)Substitutes:Raïs M'Bolhi (Algeria),
Firmin Mubele Ndombe (DR Congo), Ferdjani Sassi (Tunisia), Gervinho
(Ivory Coast), Abdelrahman Fetori (Libya), Akram Djahnit (Algeria),
Roger Assalé (Ivory Coast)
--BBC
Toure Is A Worthy Winner --Enyeama
Yaya Toure was a worthy winner of the 2014 African Player of the Year
award.
Yaya won the title for a fourth straight time after polling 175 votes
against 120 by Aubameyang while Enyeama settled for third-place with
105 points.
Speaking during the post-award conference, the Lille goalkeeper said
his inability to win the coveted crown was not a question of the Super
Eagles' failure to reach the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations while
supporting the decision of the Confederation of African Football to
name the Manchester City star as Africa's best.
"It doesn't count. It pains me that Nigeria will not be at the Africa
Cup of Nations and for the award, I support the decision of tonight, a
big congratulations to him [Yaya] and I thank God for him," said
Enyeama.
Enyeama becomes the first goalkeeper to make the top three shortlist
of the award since its induction by CAF in 1992. Kanu Nwankwo last won
the award for Nigeria in 1999 dusting off challenge from Samuel
Kuffour and Ibrahima Bakayoko.
My Quotes
"I can't find any prediction by anyone in the US government that
Nigeria will break up in 2015" -- US Ambassador Entwistle
Nigeria will break up in 2015" -- US Ambassador Entwistle
Asisat Oshoala Wins Woman Player Of The Year 2014
winning the 2014 Glo/Caf African Women Player of the Year to be
announced on Thursday.
The Rivers Angels forward will battle with compatriot Desire
Oparanozie and Cameroonian star Annette Ngo Ndom of the female version
of Africa's best player.
The 20-year-old prodigy, who won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot award
with seven goals at the Fifa U20 Women's World Cup in Canada expressed
her delight making the top three of the award and is hoping to go a
step further winning the crown.
"It means a lot to my career and it's a very good thing to me as an
individual," Oshoala toldGoal.
"The joy of every player is to be at the top at every point in time.
Being nominated is a good thing and should I go a step further to win
the award that will be an extraordinary thing for me.
"As I have always told myself, it's good to always strive harder at
any level. Winning the African Women player will help me get to the
next level and that will be a massive boost for my career," she
concluded.
Oshoala was voted the Most Valuable Player and won the Silver Boot
scoring four goals for champions Nigeria, after they defeated central
African rivals Cameroon 2-0 in Saturday's final of the 2014 African
Women Championship in Namibia to secure their seventh African title.
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
Barcelona Warns Chelsea That Lionel Messi Is Not For Sale
called forward elections that were not due for another year in a
further show of instability.
Club president Josep Bartomeu will stand as one of the candidates at
the end of the current season and former president Joan Laporta is
expected to stand against him.
Asked about Messi, Bartomeu said: 'Leo Messi has a contract here that
was recently renewed. We are calm about the situation.'
But the current Barcelona president would 'not speculate' on what the
player would decide if another club came in with a £196million offer.
Such a bid would meet Messi's buy-out clause and oblige the club to
sell if it was the player's will to leave the Nou Camp.
'I speak with Messi regularly,' Bartomeu insisted.
'We don't go for coffee together but I am in contact with him and from
what I see on the pitch he is happy at the club.
'He is our leader and as I have said before we want to build the team
around him.
'He is playing as well this season as he was last season.'
The comments about Messi's demeanour on the pitch do not reflect the
27-year-old's body language in recent matches, but Bartomeu insisted
his most important player is satisfied.
The Barca president continued by insisting any tension between Luis
Enrique and the player should remain in the dressing room.
And Bartomeu refused to comment on why Messi decided to follow Chelsea
on Instagramon Monday - the same day he failed to train - amid
suggestions of a fallout with the coach.
'I'm sure a lot of clubs would love to have Messi but he is our
player,' he added.
Bartomeu said he sacked Andoni Zubizerreta because confidence was lost
in the sporting director but backed Enrique, insisting the 44-year-old
was still the man for the job.
He denied the manager wanted to fine Messi for not training on Monday
and refuted claims he had given the coach two games to keep his job.
Enrique himself was previously forced to deny he had received an
ultimatumafter their 1-0 defeat against David Moyes's Real Sociedad
and an apparent fallout with Messi, who started on the substitutes'
bench.
Enrique refused to comment on rumours of a row with Messi but said: 'I
have not received any ultimatum, if I had it would have been the first
time in my short career, but I have not.
'I am not here to deny or confirm any of these stories. My job is to
coach the first team. We are still in all the competitions and I am
optimistic about the rest of the season.'
There have been accusations Enrique has lost the Barcelona dressing
room and that he has two games to save his job against Elche in the
Copa del Rey and Atletico Madrid in La Liga.
'I have the same relationship with him (Messi) as when I joined the
club, and it's the same as with all the players,' he continued.
'Coaches always depend on results but I do feel backed by the players
and by the board.
'I have nothing to be sorry for in terms of how I treat the players. I
am piloting the ship as I see fit. And I'm not going to comment on all
the stories that have come out in the last couple of days.'
Asked if he talks to Messi on a daily basis, he said: 'I talk to all
the players. He is the best player in the world but I have said that
so many times I don't need to repeat it.'
Luis Enrique is a club legend at Barcelona and a highly respected
young coach, but after falling out with Lionel Messi there is usually
only one direction for a manager at the Nou Camp. Plus there's his
history at Real Madrid.
We've Not Received Reports Of Threat To Fr Mbaka's Life --Police
Catholic priest who is also the founder of Adoration Ministry, Enugu,
Rev. Father Camillus Ejike Mbaka, that his life is in danger.
The cleric had alleged that some people were threatening his life
after he blasted President Goodluck Jonathan's government on New Year
eve.
He had claimed that Mr. President Jonathan surrounded himself with
very corrupt public officials, hence he turned blind eye to their
corrupt activities while millions of Nigerians were suffering daily in
abject poverty and endless insecurity.
Mbaka made the declaration while delivering a sermon tagged, "From
Good luck to Bad luck" during the end-of-year Adoration mass which
held from night till dawn at the Adoration Ground, Emene, Enugu.
But reacting to the cleric alleged threat to his life, Enugu state
Police command, dismissed the claims as baseless insisting that 'if'
Mbaka's life was in danger, he should have reported to the Police for
appropriate action.
Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere
Amaraizu,DSP, said, "We do not have any report by Fr. Mbaka over
threat to his life. We have not received any complaint from him."
--Vanguard
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
US Charges 2 Men In Connection With Failed Gambia Coup
government of Gambia, in the latest fallout from last week's failed
coup attempt in the small West African nation.
Papa Faal, a US-Gambian dual national, and Cherno Njie, a US resident,
were arrested in the US after they returned from Gambia, where they
had travelled to help launch a December 30 coup attempt against
President Yahya Jammeh's government, according to the US Justice
Department, which released the criminal complaint against the two men.
Faal, 46, was expected to make an initial appearance in court on
Monday in Minneapolis, Minnesota, while Njie, 57, was to appear the
same day in the US District Court in Baltimore, Maryland.
"These defendants stand accused of conspiring to carry out the violent
overthrow of a foreign government, in violation of US law," Eric
Holder, US attorney general, said in a statement.
"The United States strongly condemns such conspiracies. With these
serious charges, the United States is committed to holding them fully
responsible for their actions."
Last month's attack on the presidential palace in Banjul was repulsed
by Gambian security forces, and at least three suspected attackers
died during the fighting, according to unconfirmed reports.
On January 1, President Yahya Jammeh, who has ruled Gambia with an
iron fist for 20 years, blamed unidentified foreign dissidents and
"terrorists" for the assault.
According to the criminal complaint, an FBI agent interviewed Faal,
who described his own participation "as a member of a group of
fighters responsible for the attempted coup".
Faal also identified Njie as one of the coup's leaders and main
financiers, and told the FBI agent that "Njie was also planning to
serve as the interim leader of The Gambia upon the successful
completion of the coup".
The men are charged with conspiracy to violate the Neutrality Act,
which prohibits US citizens or residents from taking up arms or
plotting against a nation at peace with the US, and conspiracy to
possess a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
--VICENews
N21.8b Appeal Fund Not For Jonathan's Campaign Alone --Prof Jerry Gana
Democratic Party Fund-raising Committee, Prof. Jerry Gana, has said
the controversial N21.8b donated to the ruling party by individuals,
serving governors and private consortium at a recent Fund-raising
event held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja about a month ago was
not meant for the presidential campaign of President Goodluck Jonathan
alone.
The donation, which came even from governors of the party who have not
been able to pay salaries of civil servants in their states up till
now, had received condemnation across the country.
The main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress and eminent
individuals in the country, including Seniors Advocates of Nigeria,
have expressed concern over the donation, which was done inside the
Presidential Villa.
Some said it was an infraction on the 2010 Electoral Act, (as
amended), while others said the names of the donours must be made
public.
In response to these accusations, the National Secretary of the party,
Prof. Wale Oladipo had told THE PUNCH in an exclusive interview that
the party had the right to raise funds for its campaigns.
He said the donations were within the law.
But addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, Gana who spoke in the
midst of members of the party's fund-raising committee, said the
abandoned site of the party's permanent site, would also benefit from
the money.
Gana spoke at the party's permanent site located at the Central Area of Abuja.
He said the purpose of the fund-raising was also to raise money for
the completion of the party's permanent site and not for Presidential
campaign alone.
Gana said, "This administration of the party under our able chairman
resolved that we must complete this project so that we can move there
and so, part of the preparations for this year's campaign is for us to
raise funds and I had the honour of leading a very distinguished team
of Nigerians to prepare for the fund raising.
"We raised about N21 billion on that day and the purpose of this press
conference is to say that right from the start, we were raising money
for the PDP and the project of the party, the documents and letters
said so, the speeches confirmed it and during the day of the fund
raising, in my own speech and the speech of the Vice President who
happens to be an architect, there was a specific focus on this
building, that this is one project we want to complete.
"The Vice-President being an architect gave graphic details of where
we were on this project and how we desire to be, therefore, the
central aim of the fund-raising is to empower the party to complete
this building and other projects.
"The second is of course, to empower the party to campaign for its
candidates, not for the President alone but for others. The
Presidential candidate has the right to raise fund for his campaign
quietly.
"I am not the chairman of that fund raising team but I am sure the
president will appoint somebody and I am sure they are already working
hard and being a humble Nigerian, he wants to do it quietly and people
will donate, people who believe in his victory as the candidate of the
PDP.
"So, we want to make it clear that the money raised was for the PDP
and a substantial part of it will be for the completion of this
building."
He said that N10 billion was needed for the completion of the party's
permanent site.
According to him, "As already noted, we need over N10billion to
conclude it and so, even if we raise and we hope that we are going to
raise more, half of the money is already going to be for the building
and other projects.
"So, we want to lay to rest all the permutations and the discussions
and all what is going on in the media about us raising more than the
law allows for our candidate, that is not the correct position.
" We set out to raise funds for PDP project and the committee worked
so hard and we succeeded. The committee did much more than we
expected."
--PUNCH
Indonesia Suspends Aviation Officials After AirAsia Crash
allowed to take off from Surabaya, Indonesia, even though it did not
have all the required clearances from regulators to fly that day, the
Indonesian Transportation Ministry said on Monday.
The ministry said it was suspending several officials for allowing the
flight to take off. And it said it had issued regulations requiring
airlines operating in Indonesia to brief their pilots on weather
conditions before each takeoff, a practice followed in many other
countries,New York Timesreports.
Djoko Murjatmodjo, the ministry's acting director-general of civil
aviation, said at a news conference that the new regulations were
issued December 31. The cause of the crash has yet to be determined,
but experts say it appeared that stormy weather encountered by the
plane may have played a role.
Murjatmodjo said the ministry ordered the Surabaya airport to suspend
officials who were on duty in key positions related to flight
operations and air traffic control when Flight 8501 took off bound for
Singapore. AirAsia officials declined to comment on the suspensions.
Officials have said that AirAsia had permits to fly the popular
Surabaya-Singapore route on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays, but later changed its schedule to fly on other days of the
week, The Associated Press reported. Flight 8501 took off on a Sunday.
Murjatmodjo said that while Singapore officials had approved the
Sunday flight, Indonesia had not, and the aviation agency used
incorrect information in granting Flight 8501 a takeoff slot.
He said other airlines and airports across the country will also be
scrutinized to see if they have been cutting corners in similar ways.
"Who knows if other airlines are also doing the same thing?" he
toldThe Associated Press.
Indonesia has banned AirAsia from flying between the two cities until
the investigation of the permit issue is complete.
Flight 8501, an Airbus A320 jetliner, crashed less than an hour after
takeoff, and all 162 people who were on board are believed dead.
Searchers contending with bad weather recovered three bodies from the
flight on Monday, all still strapped to their seats, bringing the
total found so far to 37.
Sonar has identified five large objects on the seafloor that are
thought to be pieces of the aircraft's fuselage, but strong currents,
silt and mud have kept divers from seeing or reaching the objects,
news agencies reported.
The captain of an Indonesian naval patrol vessel, quoted byReuters,
said that one of the objects might be the aircraft's tail.
No signals have yet been heard from the aircraft's cockpit voice and
flight data recorders, and the weather has kept searchers from using
underwater ping locaters to spot them.
The head of AirAsia's Indonesian affiliate, Sunu Widyatmoko, toldThe
Associated Presson Monday in a text message that the airline would
cooperate with the Indonesian government during the investigation, but
would not comment on the permit allegations until the process was
complete.
Alvin Lie, a former Indonesian lawmaker and aviation analyst, told the
news agency that if AirAsia were found to be operating the Sunday
flight without permission, the families of passengers killed in the
crash would have a stronger legal case for compensation.
Usher Gets Into Fight At A Club
E11even and shared a pic of his bloody red eye on his instagram page,
writing that the guy he fought with came out worse. Well, a source
told MTO what happened:
Usher was in VIP with his girlfriend, and some drunk white guy was
screaming disrespectful things towards Usher, trying to get his
attention. When that didn't work, he started saying nasty things about
his [fiancee, Grace]. The guy called her ugly. To Usher's credit, he
didn't act like a b*tch. He broke through security and started
fighting the guy. Usher f*cked him up. It was like a four piece -
Usher must be a boxer or something because the punches were very fast.
I don't know how Usher's eye got like that because I didn't see White
dude even tough Usher.
BIZARRE: Why I Made My Husband Impotent --Woman
A middle-age childless housewife in Ekwuoma community, Delta State,
identified as Mama Patience, has allegedly rendered her husband, a
62-year-old farmer, impotent after she reportedly fed him with a
prepared concoction.
Reports said that the housewife, a well known beans cake seller
("akara") ,had on Sunday, confessed to using what was described as
'remote control' via concoction to inhibit the function of the
husband's genitals after they had disagreed on inexplicable issues.
It was reliably gathered that Mama Patience, as she is fondly called,
had in October 2014 threatened to make life unbearable for the husband
whose second wife had complained of abandonment and lack of conjugal
attention from the husband, for over five years, a threat that
resulted in family meeting where the woman (Mama Patience) was fined
two goats and some tubers of yam to appease the gods of the land.
While their quarrel lasted, there were allegations and
counter-allegations of telepathy powers being used by Mama Patience,
which she dismissed as the handiwork of her enemies.
Sources said that Mama Patience had been married for 24 years to the
husband but could not bear a child, a situation that led the husband
to take a second wife.
Expectedly, her husband's marriage to another woman generated bad
blood as accusing fingers were allegedly pointed at different
directions.
Confessing before a large crowd of persons, the woman said: "Yes, I
mixed up a concoction to prove a point to my husband when he told me
that he can no longer sleep with me and would rather go back to the
second wife. The concoction, which was prepared for me by a native
doctor in a neighbouring community, was to render him impotent. He
took it and there was result."
Speaking on the incident, a family member, who did not want his name
in print, said that the family resolved to banish her from the
community.
--Leadership
identified as Mama Patience, has allegedly rendered her husband, a
62-year-old farmer, impotent after she reportedly fed him with a
prepared concoction.
Reports said that the housewife, a well known beans cake seller
("akara") ,had on Sunday, confessed to using what was described as
'remote control' via concoction to inhibit the function of the
husband's genitals after they had disagreed on inexplicable issues.
It was reliably gathered that Mama Patience, as she is fondly called,
had in October 2014 threatened to make life unbearable for the husband
whose second wife had complained of abandonment and lack of conjugal
attention from the husband, for over five years, a threat that
resulted in family meeting where the woman (Mama Patience) was fined
two goats and some tubers of yam to appease the gods of the land.
While their quarrel lasted, there were allegations and
counter-allegations of telepathy powers being used by Mama Patience,
which she dismissed as the handiwork of her enemies.
Sources said that Mama Patience had been married for 24 years to the
husband but could not bear a child, a situation that led the husband
to take a second wife.
Expectedly, her husband's marriage to another woman generated bad
blood as accusing fingers were allegedly pointed at different
directions.
Confessing before a large crowd of persons, the woman said: "Yes, I
mixed up a concoction to prove a point to my husband when he told me
that he can no longer sleep with me and would rather go back to the
second wife. The concoction, which was prepared for me by a native
doctor in a neighbouring community, was to render him impotent. He
took it and there was result."
Speaking on the incident, a family member, who did not want his name
in print, said that the family resolved to banish her from the
community.
--Leadership
Jonathan's Re-Election: Catholic Church Disagrees With Father Mbaka
over the strong criticism of President Goodluck Jonathan by Rev Father
Ejike Mbaka of Adoration Ministries in Enugu, accusing him of
double-speaking.
The church said it did not authorise Mbaka to speak on its behalf,
insisting that it is wrong for Mbaka to endorse the president and
later warn the electorate not to vote for him during the February 14
presidential poll.
The church added that it did not have an official position on whose
candidate the Catholic faithful should vote for, saying that as the
largest Christian group, it is illogical for it to direct members to
vote for certain candidates as the voters have the prerogative to
exercise their inalienable rights in such a situation.
A catholic faithful, Mr Callistus Ebue, disclosed this during an
interview with LEADERSHIP last night in Enugu.
He said, "The Catholic Church did not authorise Rev Father Mbaka to
speak on its behalf. There is no way the church, with millions of its
members, make a pronouncement on who to vote for during the February
14 presidential election. The church does not have an official
position in this regard. The decision to vote for any candidate is the
prerogative right of the church faithful just like any other
Nigerian."
While some of the Catholics in Enugu argue that Mbaka might have been
led by the Holy Spirit in his pronouncement over Jonathan's
re-election bid, others said that the cleric ought not to have dabbled
into the murky waters of politics.
According to a Catholic knight, Sir Abuchi Anueghiagu, Mbaka was
initially inspired by the Holy Spirit to endorse the re-election of
Jonathan, saying, however, that whatever Mbaka pronounced during his
homily at the Adoration Ministries ground on December 31, 2014, was
also a function of the leading of the Holy Spirit.
According to him, as an ordained priest in charge of a parish, Christ
the King Parish, and the spiritual director of Adoration Ministries,
nobody is qualified to challenge any sermon he delivers from the
altar.
But another knight of the Catholic Church who spoke to LEADERSHIP on
condition of anonymity condemned Mbaka of speaking from both sides of
his mouth.
He said that having previously blessed Jonathan on his re-election
bid, he ought not to have made a volte-face. He advised priests to be
cautions of their pronouncements from the altar, as whatever they say
has a way of affecting their followers either negatively or
positively.
The Catholic bishop of Enugu Diocese, Rev Dr Calistus Onaga, could not
be reached at the time of filing this report last night.
Lionel Messi Fuels Barcelona Exit Talk By Following Chelsea On Instagram
with an open doors training session for Barcelona's first team. Leo
Messi couldn't make it, because of gastroenteritis. During the
afternoon, the club fired Andoni Zubizarreta and the Carles Puyol
quit.
Then, after this tsunami of developments, around 7pm, Lionel Messi
began to follow Chelsea on Instagram and two Blues players, Filipe
Luis and Thibaut Courtois. Several users of twitter and facebook have
been sharing this information.
Obviously it's not a sign of anything concrete - Leo Messi follows 97
people on Instagram - Argentina, Adidas, Beyonce, among others, as
well as Manchester City.
But amid the rest of the news from Barcelona on Monday, is it any
surprise that this has raised suspicions?
That said, we've seen signing announced in some strange ways, but for
now a follow on instagram or a like on facebook is not, as far as we
know, contractual.
Judicial Workers Go On Nationwide Strike Over Financial Autonomy
The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), yesterday, embarked on
an indefinite strike, shutting down courts across the country.
The strike was hinged on the failure of state governments to implement
the orders of an Abuja Federal High Court, which granted financial
autonomy for judiciaries across the country.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola had on January 14, 2014, following a suit by
JUSUN, restrained the Federal Government and the 36 state governors
from holding on to funds meant for the judiciary. He held that funds
meant for the judiciary should instead be disbursed directly to the
heads of court and not to the executive arm of government.
Addressing journalists yesterday, JUSUN National President, Adamu
Marwa, however blamed the office of the Accountant General of the
Federation for the failure of the Federal Government to implement the
court judgment.
He lamented that the union had held meetings with representatives of
the various governments 20 times since the verdict was delivered as
well as signed seven Memoranda of Understanding, MoU.
"There is no going back until they respect the court judgment. This
strike is indefinite."
an indefinite strike, shutting down courts across the country.
The strike was hinged on the failure of state governments to implement
the orders of an Abuja Federal High Court, which granted financial
autonomy for judiciaries across the country.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola had on January 14, 2014, following a suit by
JUSUN, restrained the Federal Government and the 36 state governors
from holding on to funds meant for the judiciary. He held that funds
meant for the judiciary should instead be disbursed directly to the
heads of court and not to the executive arm of government.
Addressing journalists yesterday, JUSUN National President, Adamu
Marwa, however blamed the office of the Accountant General of the
Federation for the failure of the Federal Government to implement the
court judgment.
He lamented that the union had held meetings with representatives of
the various governments 20 times since the verdict was delivered as
well as signed seven Memoranda of Understanding, MoU.
"There is no going back until they respect the court judgment. This
strike is indefinite."
Jonathan Postpones Inauguration Of Presidential Campaign C'ttee Due To Sister's Death
his presidential campaign committee, earlier slated for 2:00pm,
following the death of his younger sister, Mrs. Nancy Jonathan-Olei.
Mrs. Jonathan-Olei died on Sunday at the age of 52 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa
State after a brief illness.
Dignitaries, who had gone to the Legacy House, the Peoples Democratic
Party, presidential campaign headquarters in Maitama District, waited
until 3:00pm for the arrival of the president, only to be informed
that the inauguration had been suspended.
Announcing the suspension of the event, Special Adviser to the
President on Political Matters, Prof. Rufai Alkali, said in view of
the demise of the president's younger sister, the campaign
organisation decided to suspend the inauguration.
He said the inauguration has, accordingly, been shifted to Tuesday, by 11am.
The political adviser implored the gathering to observe a minute
silence for the late Nancy.
Boko Haram Seize Army Base In Borno, Troops Flee
force made up of troops from Nigeria, Niger and Chad, from its base,
killing scores of soldiers and civilians in the process.
According to fleeing residents, who escaped on canoes, some people
drowned in Lake Chad, while running from the attack on the key base
situated on Nigeria's border with Chad.
"They came in their hundreds driving several Hilux patrol vehicles,
trucks and some were on motorcycles and immediately began to throw
explosives and bombs," fisherman Audu Labbo told UK's The Guardian on
phone, Sunday night.
The insurgents were said to have also fired rocket-propelled grenades
and automatic assault rifles. Some soldiers removed their uniforms and
threw away their rifles, Labbo said.
Troops from Nigeria and neighbouring Chad, Cameroon and Niger
reportedly fought on Saturday until they ran out of ammunition.
A senior security officer in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state,
confirmed to the Guardian that the military base at Baga, 125 miles
from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, was under the control of the
Boko Haram insurgents. According to him, the multinational force fled
because it received no reinforcements despite holding out for several
hours.
Maina Maaji Lawan, senator representing Borno North, however believes
the military abandoned their base.
"There is definitely something wrong that makes our military abandon
their posts each time there is an attack from Boko Haram," the senator
told BBC World Service.
Baga was the last town in northern Borno under government control.
With the town now under the control of the militants, fears have
heightened that they could use it as a base to attack Maiduguri.
Boko Haram has been fighting to create an Islamic State since 2009.
The campaign has led to the loss of thousands of lives and
displacement of over one million people.
Mikel Wins African Player Of December Award
African Player of the Month of December.
In a statement by the organisers New African Soccer, Mikel was voted
and selected ahead of West Ham's Cameroonian Alex Song and Southampton
striker, Senegalese Sadio Mane in a tight vote process.
Awards Director 'Tunde Adelakun said "as always, it was a difficult
choice, but a lot of factors came into consideration before we
selected Mikel".
"Mikel has endured a difficult start to the season, falling down the
pecking order in a star-studded Chelsea team that is riding high in
the Premier League. After all, we all know that no one likes changing
a winning team. However, the spirit of professionalism which he
displayed in waiting for his chance, and taking it well with some
solid performances in a difficult month, tipped the award his way this
month" Adelakun said.
Commending the performances of Alex Song and Sadio Mane, the statement
said "Mane has settled into his role in the Premier League as if he
has always been here. The way he took his goals against Crystal Palace
and the might of Chelsea proves that the Senegalese will be a force in
this League for some time to come. And as for Song, he is just solid
as ever; and if he was not rested in some of the games over the
festive period, he would have made the decision even harder for us".
Adelakun commended the level of the African performance in the English
Premier League this season so far, stating that "the Africans have
been a real credit to the continent, and when we watch them in the
League, it is with pride'.
The presentation of MIkel's award will be done in the coming days.
The statement also added that the New African Soccer Awards has been
merged with the Africans Abroad Recognised (AAR) Charter, which seeks
to recognise the exploits of Africans in Diaspora in all walks of
life.
Sunday, 4 January 2015
AirAsia Flight Not Licensed For Route --Officials
Surabaya-to-Singapore route on Sunday that ended in tragedy, it has
been revealed.
The airline was approved to fly the route four days a week but it did
not include Sunday.
Indonesia's Ministry of Transport has announced a full investigation
and suspended Indonesia AirAsia flights between the two cities. It
will also check all other airlines operating in the country to make
sure they were complying with license agreements.
AirAsia search turns up big parts in Java Sea
Indonesia AirAsia CEO Sunu Widyatmoko was quoted on local television
as saying the airline would cooperate fully with the investigation and
would not be releasing any statement until the results were known. He
has not returned calls from CNN.
AirAsia Indonesia is a subsidiary of the Malaysian-based AirAsia
group. The parent company owns almost 49% of the Indonesian operation.
The investigation will focus on the operations of AirAsia Indonesia
and state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura 1, which manages
Surabaya airport.
Transport Minister Ignatious Jonan described the airline's breach as a
"serious violation."
"How could they fly? Who would they have to approach to be able to
make that flight. It would have to be the airport management or lobby
air traffic control."
He said the investigation is expected to take about a week.
"It's not complicated. There is a checklist of what should and should
not have been done."
He said penalties ranged from AirAsia losing the right to fly the
Surabaya-Singapore route through to grounding the entire operation,
"depending on the evidence from the investigation."
Flight QZ8501 took off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya a
little after 5:30 a.m. last Sunday. Just after 6:12 a.m., one of the
pilots radioed air traffic control requesting permission to climb from
32,000 to 38,000 feet and turn left to avoid bad weather. Permission
was given to turn but not to increase altitude. That was the last
communication with the plane. At 6:18 a.m. it disappeared from radar.
In an statement earlier, the transport ministry said the airline "has
violated the agreement on route given."
"Indonesia AirAsia route Surabaya-Singapore was operated outside of
the permitted license, namely among others on Sunday. And Indonesia
AirAsia did not submit a request to alter operational day to the
Directorate General of Air Transport. This is a violation against the
agreement in the route provided," the statement said.
Aviation expert Geoff Thomas, an author on aviation issues and editor
of airlineratings.com, which writes on airline safety worldwide, said
it was "highly unusual" to fly without approval.
"If it was not authorized it could realize legal and insurance
implications," he said. "In most jurisdictions, it is highly unusual.
An airline will have to apply for a new flight."
Thomas added that in countries with an open-skies policy, airlines
could add or subtract flights as they saw fit if there was the
capacity at the airports, but Indonesia does not operate an open-skies
policy.
AirAsia was founded by Tony Fernandes, currently the CEO, in 2001. It
has had a spotless safety record until now.
Airline safety in Indonesia, one of Asia's fastest growing aviation
markets, has improved in recent years. The last fatal accident
involving a commercial jetliner was in 2007, according to the analysis
group Flightglobal.
Jonan said he had been in touch with Fernandes via email and that the
he had accepted the suspension of the airline.
--CNN
ISIS Fighters Might Have Contracted Ebola --WHO
militants have been showing up at an Iraqi hospital with Ebola.
According to a report on MailOnline, an undisclosed number of
militants displaying signs of the disease attended a hospital in the
ISIS-held city of Mosul, 250 miles north of Baghdad.
While the reports remain unconfirmed, WHO spokesman Christy Feig said
the group are trying to reach out to officials in ISIS-held areas to
offer help.
United Nation workers are currently banned from entering
ISIS-controlled areas in both Iraq and Syria so it is unlikely an
operation in the area could be carried out.
The disease was reporteldy brought to Mosul by 'terrorists' arriving
'from several countries' and Africa.
Mosul has been under control of ISIS since June 2014 and over the past
few weeks militants have reportedly executed more than a dozen doctors
for refusing to treat injured fighters.
--MailOnline
Denrele Edun Steps Out Like A Responsible Man In New Photos
still love him.
Denrele Stepped out in nice wears for the first time. He was invited
as a guest onEbonylife's "Moment with Mo" and he was forced to drop
his weird look for this show.
--GistReel
7-Year-Old Girl Walks Away From Plane Crash; Four Others Killed
Kentucky Friday night that killed four others.
The small Piper PA-34 reported engine trouble and lost contact with
air traffic controllers as it was flying over the southwestern part of
Kentucky about 5:55 p.m. CST, the FAA said.
About a half hour later, a Lyon County resident called 911 and told
dispatchers that a 7-year-old girl had walked to his home and said she
had been involved in a plane crash, said Sgt. Dean Patterson of the
Kentucky State Police.
This girl came out of the wreckage herself and found the closest
residence and reported the plane crash,"Patterson said."It's a miracle
in a sense that she survived it, but it's tragic that four others
didn't."
The girl was in emotional distress and taken to a hospital with
non-life-threatening injuries, Patterson said. At that point,
authorities launched a search for the crash site and also confirmed
with the FAA that they had received a distress call.
INEC List: No Guber Candidate For PDP In Imo
Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday conspicuously had the name of
the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) candidate omitted, as Governor
Rochas Okorocha for the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Captain
Emmanuel Ihenacho for the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA)
surfaced.
LEADERSHIP Weekend reports that the inability of INEC to display the
PDP governorship candidate's name may not be unconnected to a court
injunction obtained at an Abuja high court by one of the governorship
aspirants, which stopped the commission and other interested parties
from carrying out further actions on the matter until the
determination of the suit, which comes up for hearing on January 14.
INEC's position on the controversial guber primary held in Imo State
did not come as a surprise to many in the state, following the barrage
of protests that followed the outcome of the election.
Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, one of the aspirants who was announced as
runner-up to the declared winner, the deputy speaker, House of
Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, had protested that the election was
manipulated in favour of the latter.
Araraume, who polled 336 votes in the election, against Ihedioha's
346, had earlier complained of injustice after the announcement of the
result at the state secretariat of the party, before heading to court.
Meanwhile, Okorocha, who was speculated to have issues with INEC over
his purported late submission of his name to the election body's
headquarters, after a hurriedly conducted primary the same day he lost
the APC presidential primary, has been cleared by INEC, just as
Ihenacho, who has had a running battle with one of the APGA aspirant,
Okey Ezeh, after a purported parallel election in the party, also
scaled through.
--Leadership
Woman Kidnapped In Gumsuri Escapes From Boko Haram Camp
together with 184 other females and children, miraculously escaped
from the captors.
It would be recalled that the insurgents killed 32 and allegedly
abducted scores in Gumsuri town, Borno State, located close to the
infamous Chibok where more than 200 school girls were kidnapped in
April, 2014.
According to the latest update by Daily Trust, one woman managed to
flee the camp.
The victim, who is currently safe in the state's capital Maiduguri,
described her escape as "miraculous" and prayed God to pave way for
other mates to regain their freedom.
She narrated how people were used by the abductors.
"We were kept in a camp at Zongare village and there is vast farmland
there. We work morning and afternoon on the farmland, sieving beans
and packaging it into bags. Our captors do a lot of exercises, they
also practice handling of firearms. Sometimes, some of them would
disappear for one or two days and then reappear. Captives are being
forced to eat only beans."
Meanwhile a residents of the town said with reference to the woman's
words that only 4 militants had been guarding the hostages and the
others had gone for an operation, BBC Hausa Service reports.
Violent actions have been recently observed in the area around Chibok.
December 29, Boko Haram were said to have killed at least 15 people in
Kautikari village, situated close to Chibok and to Cameroon border.
--Daily Trust
Turkey Gives Go-Ahead For First New Church In Century
Turkey's Islamic-rooted government has authorised the building of the
first church in the country in nearly a century, officials said
Saturday.
The church is for the tiny Syriac community in Turkey and will be
built in the Istanbul suburb of Yesilkoy on the shores of the Sea of
Marmara, which already has Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic
churches.
The announcement came after Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met
Turkey's religious leaders in Istanbul on Friday and said no faith
that has lived in the country could be regarded as foreign.
"It is the first (new church) since the creation of the republic (in
1923)," a government source told AFP.
"Churches have been restored and reopened to the public, but no new
church has been built until now," he added.
Turkey, which once had large Christian minorities, is now 99 percent
Muslim and critics of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
have accused it of trying to Islamicise its officially secular
society.
However, as part of its bid to join the European Union, Ankara has
made efforts to widen minority rights and return some seized property
as well as restore churches, monasteries and synagogues.
Christians now make up less than 100,000 of Turkey's population of 76
million and are sometimes the target of attacks.
But the prime minister insisted that the ruling AK Party "does not
discriminate between our citizens... the principle of equal citizenship
continues to be our characteristic trait," he added.
He condemned recent attacks on mosques in Europe and urged the
religious leaders he met with Friday to "speak up together against
Islamophobia".
The country's ancient Syriac minority, which now numbers less than
20,000, live mostly in the southeast and tend to be either affiliated
to the Orthodox or Catholic churches.
But their numbers have swollen in recent years by thousands of Syriac
refugees first forced out of Iraq by war and sectarian violence and
later by others fleeing the fighting in Syria.
During his visit to Turkey in November, Pope Francis denounced what he
termed the current wave of "Christianophobia" in the Middle East,
accusing Islamist radicals of "hunting" Christians.
The various Syriac churches are among the oldest surviving Christian
denominations, and use Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ, in their
services.
The new Istanbul church will be built on land given by the local
council and paid for by a Syriac group, the government spokesman said.
first church in the country in nearly a century, officials said
Saturday.
The church is for the tiny Syriac community in Turkey and will be
built in the Istanbul suburb of Yesilkoy on the shores of the Sea of
Marmara, which already has Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic
churches.
The announcement came after Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met
Turkey's religious leaders in Istanbul on Friday and said no faith
that has lived in the country could be regarded as foreign.
"It is the first (new church) since the creation of the republic (in
1923)," a government source told AFP.
"Churches have been restored and reopened to the public, but no new
church has been built until now," he added.
Turkey, which once had large Christian minorities, is now 99 percent
Muslim and critics of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
have accused it of trying to Islamicise its officially secular
society.
However, as part of its bid to join the European Union, Ankara has
made efforts to widen minority rights and return some seized property
as well as restore churches, monasteries and synagogues.
Christians now make up less than 100,000 of Turkey's population of 76
million and are sometimes the target of attacks.
But the prime minister insisted that the ruling AK Party "does not
discriminate between our citizens... the principle of equal citizenship
continues to be our characteristic trait," he added.
He condemned recent attacks on mosques in Europe and urged the
religious leaders he met with Friday to "speak up together against
Islamophobia".
The country's ancient Syriac minority, which now numbers less than
20,000, live mostly in the southeast and tend to be either affiliated
to the Orthodox or Catholic churches.
But their numbers have swollen in recent years by thousands of Syriac
refugees first forced out of Iraq by war and sectarian violence and
later by others fleeing the fighting in Syria.
During his visit to Turkey in November, Pope Francis denounced what he
termed the current wave of "Christianophobia" in the Middle East,
accusing Islamist radicals of "hunting" Christians.
The various Syriac churches are among the oldest surviving Christian
denominations, and use Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ, in their
services.
The new Istanbul church will be built on land given by the local
council and paid for by a Syriac group, the government spokesman said.
Ex-Super Eagles Star Found Dead In His Home
home in Enugu.
According to AfricanFootball.com, Orjinta was found dead on New
Year's eve by neighbors who had noticed his absence. No other
information surrounding his untimely death has been received.
Until his death, the tough-tackling central defender was a coach. He
was capped by Nigeria at full international level and posted a brief
stint in Norway in his playing days. He was aged 33 years old.
May his soul rest in perfect peace!
--infonaija
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