Okorocha bows to pressure, restores Assumpta Avenue name

Imo State Government has bowed to the superior force of the Catholic Church and restored Assumpta Avenue street name.

The government action came barely a few hours after Vanguard hit the news stand with growing tension generated by what some respondents called “the unwholesome renaming of Assumpta Avenue”.

Confirming the restoration of the street name, the Commissioner for Information, Professor Nnamdi Obiaraeri, said that it was never government’s intention to rename the said strategic road, which he claimed spans from Assumpta Cathedral and terminates at Warehouse Roundabout.

“Assumpta Avenue is symbolic for both religious and historic reasons in Imo State, and these facts are not lost on the government and people of Imo State.

All inconveniences occasioned by the initial oversight or error of wrongly installing a Street sign, suggesting a renaming of the street is highly regretted”, Obiaraeri said.

In his own reaction, the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace, Dr. Anthony J. V. Obinna, said that there was no need to celebrate the restoration of the street name by Governor Rochas Okorocha.

“Catholics were already putting heads together to face the unwarranted and most uncharitable frontal attack on the Church, when he retraced his locus. His misdeed had already reached the ends of the earth before he did the needful”, Archbishop Obinna said.

Answering a question, the cleric wondered why Okorocha wants to destroy everything that predated his administration, including Assumpta Avenue.

In his own reaction, an Owerri based legal practitioner, Mr. Chikaodi Igbokwe,reasoned that “if a rabbit enters a hole with speed and jams a snake in that hole, it will reverse with a turbo speed”.

While saying that any leader who plays God will certainly commit deadly blunders, Mr. Igbokwe also opined that “this mistake exceeds the allegation of slapping a Revered Father”.

“After that rumour gained ground, nothing could save that government. As I said earlier, time will tell”, Igbokwe said.

Reacting also, a Catholic Knight, Sir McDonald Ebere said: ” Rochas
Okorocha has finally bowed to the power of Catholics. This is the beginning of the end and there shall be no end until the beginning ends”.

Meanwhile, Catholic laity have declared three days of fasting and prayers in Imo State.

According to an online directive, Catholics and their well wishers were asked to do this “for God to manifest His power in Imo State, and deliver His children from the evil leadership of Governor Rochas Okorocha”.

Catholics were asked to begin the fasting and prayer from December 29-31, starting from 6am-12noon, while recitation of the Rosary starts 12noon.

“Strict adherence to this call will go a long way to salvage Imo State.

Our Lady will surely crush the ugly serpent that is raising its head in Imo State now. Catholics stand up to your faith and win this spiritual battle. God is with us. We shall live to see the end of this evil. The heavenly beings are greater than all the principalities here on earth. We will surely overcome”, the directive added.

-Vanguard

Domestic Violence: British High Commissioner Says Men Also Have To Speak Out

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria Mr Paul Arkwright has advised women, as well as men, to speak out against domestic violence.

He said men, just like women are equally being abused and it has become a matter of urgency to bring an end to gender-based violence of any form and stigmatisation.

He made this position known while addressing the issue on Channels Television’s Sunrise on Saturday.

He explained further that while women are victims 90 per cent of the time, men are also vulnerable to various forms of abuse.

“The prevalence of violence in the society is huge; the prevalence of violence against women and girls, in particular, is very worrying – across the world but here in Nigeria it is a particular problem.

“A lot of that is violence within the family, people that they know and I think it is time to speak out, it is time to say: this has to stop and it is really important that men say that as well as women – so this isn’t a women’s issue, this is an issue about society.

“The perpetrators of violence against women and girls are almost by definition men and I think that is something that men need to recognize and stand up and say this has got to stop.”

He, therefore, asked that government at all levels must also act quickly to stop domestic violence in whatever form.

“It is a really important debate – a difficult debate. It cuts across boundaries of culture, ethnic groups. It is a debate that really has to be brought out in the open and discussed properly and then society, the government at all levels has to take action to stop it,” he stressed.

-ChannelsTV

Unity Must Exist Before We Talk About Restructuring – Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki has asked advocates of restructuring in Nigeria to prioritize the unity of the nation.

This, according to him, is because there must be unity before talks about the structure of the country can be held.

The Senate President said this on Saturday at the Southern Senators Forum’s retreat in Calabar, the Cross River capital.

“Indeed, unity must exist before we can even talk about restructuring or reform,” Saraki said, adding, “One of my messages to you today as I declare this retreat (open) is, how do we stay together? How do we deliver on the task entrusted to us at this critical time?”

There have been calls from across the country for the restructuring of the country with some arguing that doing that would bring an end to agitations in parts of the country.

Saraki, however, called for focus on unity.

“The only way for us to see ourselves is, first and foremost, as Nigerians; not as language, not as tribe, religion or region or any other consideration out there that serves to deflect our attention from national unity. We must see ourselves as Nigerians first,” he said.

The Chairman of the Forum, Senator Hope Uzodinma, told those at the retreat that its aim is to find solutions to issues threatening the nation’s unity.

“We in the Southern Senators Forum are using this unique platform to arrive at the surest and the most peaceful means of achieving national unity on all issues capable of destabilising our polity,” he said.

“A clamour for the restructuring of our federal structure is on the front burner at the moment. However, the Southern Senators Forum has an equal stake in every national, political, and economic challenge. As legislators, we cannot afford to be indifferent to any national issue.”

The host, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River, who is a former Senator, said the retreat is timely as it addresses many concerns.

He commended the forum for discussing major issues in the country, especially restructuring, stressing that it is the duty of elected officers in the country to create a direction and provide the focus it needs to thrive.

-ChannelsTV

PASTOR CHRIS CORRECTS APOSTLE SULEMAN'S WRONG TEACHING

I am here to correct an error made by one Pastor Suleman Johnson. I watched one of the videos where he spoke on divorce. He actually encouraged divorce and I cried in my heart.

I was so shocked when I watched the video. The most annoying part of it is the fact that he used the law court to support his teaching. In Christianity, it is very wrong to use the law as your basis of teaching. In Christianity, we use the Holy Bible as our basis of authority. So let us go to the Bible and correct the wrong teaching.

What has the Bible got to say concerning divorce? The first thing I would like you to know about marriage is that marriage is a covenant, a covenant between a man and his wife, and God confirms it. What I have just said now, can it be found in the Bible? Yes! In the book of Malachi 2:14, the Bible says that marriage is a covenant between you and the wife of your youth. And the Bible also says in that verse that the God is a witness in the covenant. In other words, when a man gets married, he has entered into a covenant with his wife and in that covenant, God is a witness. God confirms the covenant.

The next question is: Can a lie before a marriage dissolve the marriage covenant? The answer is no. The moment a person enters into a covenant, nothing can dissolve it. A covenant simply means an agreement. Once you enter into an agreement with someone and another person signs as a witness, then nothing can dissolve that covenant. So what I have just said, can it be found in the Bible? Yes!

In the book of Galatians 3:15, the Bible says, though it be but a man’s covenant yet if it be entered into and is confirmed, it can no longer be disannulled. The moment you enter into a covenant, it can no longer be dissolved. That is the simple truth.

The next question I would like to answer is this: is there any one that was deceived into marriage in the Bible? Let’s find out if someone like that exists and let’s find out whether the marriage was dissolved after the deceit or the marriage stayed. Somebody like that exists and his name was Jacob. Jacob was deceived into marrying Leah. He didn’t want to marry Leah. He hated Leah. He loved Rachael. He thought he was getting married to Rachael. He did not know it was Leah because Leah’s face was covered. In the morning, he realized it was Leah he got married to and there was nothing he could do about it because he was already married. He had already entered into the covenant, so he couldn’t do anything about it and the marriage stayed. It is very clear. In Christianity, we do not support people to divorce because the woman does not have a womb or because the man is impotent. That is very wrong. Rather than teaching them to divorce, it is better you pray for them. You should pray for the woman to have a new womb. You should pray for the impotent man to impregnate his wife. God is still in the business of performing miracles. He has not stopped performing miracles. Rather than asking people to divorce, pray for them and they will have their desired miracles. That is what Christianity is all about, especially if you are a man of God. You should pray for people to have their desired miracles rather than teaching them to divorce.

Do you know the extent of damage this wrong teaching has done to the kingdom, in the Christian community? Do you know how many people are planning to divorce now because of this wrong teaching?

I would like to state here that this is not a personal spite against Pastor Suleman Johnson. No! It is not at all. I don’t even know him personally. All I am doing is to correct the wrong teaching so that people are not led astray.

So why am I correcting it? Because it is a mandate from God. The next question is: Is this mandate in the Bible? Yes! It can be found in Book of 2 Timothy 4:2. In that scripture, the Bible says rebuke and correct wrong doctrines and that is exactly what I am doing. I also want to use this opportunity to sound a note of warning to others. Make sure you don’t teach wrong doctrines, especially in the area of marriage. Because if I hear any wrong doctrine that is being taught, I will correct it. And I will not correct it in the secret. I will correct it in the openly just as the Bible prescribes. Enough is enough! We are tired of wrong teachings. They are too many. The marriage institution has been destroyed today because of wrong teachings. Enough is enough! Let’s make sure that every message we teach is correct before teaching. If you are not sure it’s correct, please don’t teach it.

If you are not yet married, please understand that when you get married, you are not going to divorce. Divorce is not an option. Make sure you have understood it before going into marriage. Don’t just go into marriage if you are not sure. But if you are sure, then go ahead and get married understanding that you are not going to divorce your spouse.

And if you are married, please do not divorce your spouse because your spouse is impotent or because your spouse does not have a womb. God can give your wife a new womb. God can heal your husband if your husband is impotent. There are so many impotent people who have impregnated their wife. There are so many women who do not have womb but today God gave them new womb and they have children. There are so many like that.

Divorce is never the solution. Please don’t divorce your spouse. If Jacob was deceived into marrying Leah and that marriage stayed. The marriage was not dissolved because Jacob had already entered into the covenant. If you are already married, do not divorce your spouse. Look for solution to your problem. God will help you. Our God is a God of miracle. He will intervene and help you in the name of Jesus Christ. Don’t forget what Jesus said. He said for this reason shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they two shall be one flesh. And he said, wherefore they are no longer two but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man put asunder?

God bless you.

Reactions Trail Lawmakers’ Decision To Probe MMM Operations

Hours after the House of Representatives in Nigeria initiated a
process to probe the operations of a Ponzi scheme, MMM, Nigerians,
apparently those engaging in the scheme, are reacting to the decision.

The House had mandated its committee on banking and currency and
financial crimes to investigate the operations of the internet based
wonder bank, known as "MMM Nigeria scheme".

But some Nigerians took to Twitter, posting different tweets in
response to the initiated probe.

One of the tweets read: "Leave us alone…. We want to be scammed by
MMM. Our Reps have been scamming Nigerians ever since. Probe
yourselves".

Another tweet read: "MMM has kept the unemployed out of the street
seems they want them back@to be queening before their industry for
employment?".

-ChannelsTV

Reactions Trail Lawmakers’ Decision To Probe MMM Operations

Hours after the House of Representatives in Nigeria initiated a
process to probe the operations of a Ponzi scheme, MMM, Nigerians,
apparently those engaging in the scheme, are reacting to the decision.

The House had mandated its committee on banking and currency and
financial crimes to investigate the operations of the internet based
wonder bank, known as "MMM Nigeria scheme".

But some Nigerians took to Twitter, posting different tweets in
response to the initiated probe.

One of the tweets read: "Leave us alone…. We want to be scammed by
MMM. Our Reps have been scamming Nigerians ever since. Probe
yourselves".

Another tweet read: "MMM has kept the unemployed out of the street
seems they want them back@to be queening before their industry for
employment?".

-ChannelsTV

Cattle On The Loose Compete With Vehicles In Nigeria’s Capital

The indiscriminate movement of cattle around the Nigeria's Federal
Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has attracted a warning from the
administration of the FCT.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Muhammed Bello,
issued the warning on Saturday while reacting to the increasing
movement of herdsmen and their cattle within Abuja.

Mr Bello was reacting to the increasing presence of cattle in the city
centre of the nation's capital, which he said must not compete with
vehicular movement.

He asked the herdsmen to move only within bush paths and not in the metropolis.

The minister further assured Abuja residents that the FTC
administration was accelerating the development of the grazing
reserves for cattle.


Muhammed Bello says animals should not compete with vehicular traffic
on the street
While the residents express displeasure with the movement of cows in
the city centre, herdsmen say they have nowhere else to go, requesting
that the government should create grazing areas for them.

Movement of cattle within Abuja has become a familiar occurrence for
many residents of the FCT.

Cattle now co-habit with human beings, disrupting car movements and
littering the streets with their dung.

This has raised serious concerns among residents, with some insisting
that animals should not be moved around where people live and a city
like Abuja, the nation's capital where foreign could come into at any
time.

Cattle grazing is illegal in Abuja's city centre, but the recent surge
has raised questions on what the FCT administration is doing to
address the menace.

The Abuja Environmental Protection Board put together a taskforce that
includes security operatives to enforce the directive of the FCT
administration. But that has not yielded much result.

A total of 33,485 hectares have already been earmarked for grazing
reserves to cater for about seven million herds of cattle.

The reserves are Paikon Kore – 8,500 hectares, Karshi – 6,000
hectares, Kawu in Bwari – 9,000 hectares and Rubochi in Kuje which is
9,985 hectares.

==ChannelsTV

Tough Journey Through Owerri-Port Harcourt Expressway

A journey to the state through Imo State in the east use to be an
excitement in the minds of whoever decides to travel, but this joy and
excitement are gradually fading and turning into sadness, as a journey
to the oil city through Imo State now leaves commuters exhausted.

What use to be an exciting journey has now left residents of Umuapu in
Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State as well as commuters
in lamentation, with a passionate appeal to the Federal Government to
make their journey exciting once again.

Work had been abandoned for over four years, with the road now in ruins.

The users are asking the government to mobilise the contractors and
ask them to return to the road and resume work.

At a time that the Nigerian government is pushing economic
diversification, with so much focus on agriculture as the way out of
the economic recession, residents in the area are finding it had to
move their farm produce to cities where they can sell them.

The condition of the road is causing untold hardship for us, as it is
now difficult for us to transport our farm produce to consumers,
residents of the area said.

While farmers lament the hardship, commuters, who ply the road daily,
said the bad state of the road had made it easier for criminals to
perpetrate their evil acts on the road such as kidnapping, car
snatching and armed robbery.

They called on President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to
come to their aid and fix the road for the good of the people.

Over Four Hours Journey

The Owerri-Port Harcourt federal highway is one of the important
highways in the southern region of Nigeria, as it connects Imo State
to other South South states like Rivers, Cross River and Bayelsa.

During its good days, which is about five years ago, travelling from
Owerri to Port-Harcourt takes less than an hour.

Sadly, the once motorable federal road has now become a nightmare and
death trap on the Imo end of the road. One of such spots is the Umuapu
community in Ohaji Egbema, about four kilometres to the Rivers State
boundary. To get to Port Harcourt, it now takes over four hours with
heavy traffic.

A private car owner, Mr Derrick Nnamdi, told Channels Television that
"ordinarily, though, I drive fast, it takes me approximately 45 to 50
minutes between Owerri and Port Harcourt, but now it takes over two
hours to get to Port Harcourt.

"Sometimes if the community here have their market, you may spend
about 50 minutes' stand still in this community before you can pass.

"After the boundary, to Port Harcourt, it is a pretty smooth drive".

A public bus driver, who plies the roads on a daily basis said: "We
need road. No road for us. Every time we are suffering, especially on
this federal road. They told us that within eight years this project
will be completed when they started, but since that time and now there
is no difference and we are still suffering. Rain or no rain, every
day we suffer.

"If we buy car parts today after two days we go back to get new ones,
but before now when the road was good at least our shaft use to last
between four to five months before we get new ones but now only two
months we buy new shaft.

"So, we need help. They should help us. From Port Harcourt the road is
nice but once you enter Imo State, it is bad".

According to reports, the road was said to be awarded in 2009 by the
Goodluck Jonathan's administration through the Ministry of Niger Delta
Affairs to Arab Contractors at the rate of 23.1 billion Naira.

The people of the area claimed to have only seen Arab Contractors
working on few kilometres of the road from Owerri to Umuagwo, a
neighbouring community, where they stopped work. While the residents
of the area continue to wait for the contractors to resume work on the
remaining portion of the road, their wait has been to no avail.

An Indigene of Umuapu Community, Andrew Enyinnaya, gave his own side
of the story.

"Infact we have been dying not even suffer for this road. Arab
Contractors have been working on it. Two years ago, they stopped by
three to four poles away from here. And since they stopped work, we
have been dying not suffer. Even though the old road we use for
by-pass is bad, trailer and big lorries have spoilt everything. There
is no road, no way, no nothing. So, we have been suffering much"

"Please, you people should come and rescue us from this bad road and
many things come from here, food, garri, Akpu, cassava, everything but
no road to bring it to town. We are not receiving anything from the
government. I am telling you the fact. Without being told you can see
for yourself," Eyinnaya said.

Other commuters appealed to the Federal Government to resume work on
the road especially as the yuletide season is drawing closer so people
can travel freely to enjoy their Christmas and new year season with
their families.

In a quest to know what could be the challenges holding the execution
of the project, Channels Television visited the office of the
contracting firm handling the project but could not get any useful
information, as the public spokesman for Arab Contractors in the
state, Mr Mark Eke, refused to speak, maintaining that he had no
authority to speak on the matter.

Fortunately, the crew stumbled on the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs,
Usani Uguru Usani, at a workshop he attended in Owerri the Imo State
and he said that paucity of funds due to the dwindling nature nation's
resources has hampered the commencement of work on the road.

The minister said: "The development of infrastructure is not a moral
responsibility, it is a responsibility and duty anchored on variables
which cannot be assessed in casual terms. So, when I talk about budget
and development in building and construction, as a journalist, you do
not expect me to begin to give you time lines. You know our budgetary
allocation, It is in the website of budget and planning. So, we are
dispensing resources according to what is available and according to
certain laid down criteria. If we have all the money, we will give to
all the contractors but even the Federal Government doesn't have all
the money to sponsor all the projects that is why they are ongoing
projects.

"So, we are assigning resources as we receive. knowing fully well that
you cannot carry out anything beyond the budget line. All I can say is
that money given to us to work we will continue to apply it. We should
also be able to appeal to contractors sometimes to be able to execute
according to what they get, because sometimes the work is
under-performed relative to resources received."

"The situation about each road in Nigeria is not in isolation. It is
the fate of collapse of infrastructure in the country. So, that this
project is under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs is only by
assignment of responsibility.

"But it is not in any way different from what is happening about
infrastructure in the entire country. You know for more than seven
years the total infrastructure collapse has been there and you can see
that the government has made tremendous effort beginning from budget
appropriation to give 30% to infrastructure, rehabilitation and
development.

",So our situation is just the same but handicapped as you know our
work is determinable by availability of resources or lack of same" the
minister said.

When asked if there was any appeal the Federal Government had for the
commuters who have been complaining of the hardship experienced on the
road, the minister said:"Complaining about the Federal Government's
inefficiency in working on the road is loss of sense of history. How
long do you expect the road that has been dilapidated for 10 years to
be taken to repairs. Meanwhile, you know that the resource base of the
nation has dwindled for over many months, therefore it is difficult to
expect that the hen will lay eggs for the goose, each animal species
will lay its own egg, so if the public is quarrelling it is because
you the journalists are telling them to quarrel".

If there is anything to go by with what the minister has just
revealed, surely there seems to be no end in sight to the sufferings
and hardship of commuters plying the Owerri-Port Harcourt expressway,
as they will need to wait for a longer time before this road receives
attention of the Federal Government.

-ChannelsTV

Pastor Adeboye Promotes MMM in RCCG Church

For those that are still doubting the authenticity and spirituality of
MMM, hear from Pa Adeboye
General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor E.A
Adeboye, has said the Church is meant to take care of all aspects of
members life, both spiritual and physical and not one sided as against
the opinion of some people that the church is turning to a market
place.

He made this reaction days after outspoken OAP, Freeze called him out
over the activities of some of his parish pastors who allowed
marketing of money lending/interest platform called, 'Mavrodi Mondial
Movement' (MMM) inside one of the parishes of Redeemed church during a
Sunday service.
One of Daddy G.O's media aides, Pastor Olakunmi Oyewale, told Celeb
Police on Thursday November 3, 2016, after the complain got to the
hierarchy of the church that is not absolutely wrong to do so if it's
not against the law of the country and if the purpose is to empower
the members of the church.
"It depends on the purpose. If it's actually to empower the people of
the church, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I saw
something similar to that MMM you mentioned online, facebook, but I've
not been able to analyse it very well. If it's not against the law and
it's not something that is dubious, but to empower the church I don't
think it's bad because, you should understand that the church is not
just about taking care of the spiritual needs of the people alone. The
church cuts across every spheres of the member's life and so far it's
not something that's illegal or something that is not unscriptural."
On the allegation of turning the church to a market place, Pastor
Olakunmi said, "It's not really about turning the church to a market
place, people should understand that, like I said, the church is
multi-faceted, and when they focused on just one aspect of member's
life and does not take care of the other aspects, then the church
becomes one sided. So the church should be balanced in all areas."

Freeze had blasted the reverend man of God over the activities of his
pastors saying "The love of money and religion remain Nigeria's
greatest problems. If I talk now, you people will start saying
rubbish, if I call their G.O out, you people will say "touch not my
anointed, saying many of these churches are leading their members to
the slaughter, not the pasture."
MMM is real. MMM pays.

Give and Receive Financial Help: Join MMM Today

It's often difficult to easily accept new ideas especially when it
involves parting with money. I had my doubts too, until I gave it a
trial. Now I urge everyone to give it a trial too. Join MMM, you can
start with providing a little help if you have doubts. I assure you
that your confidence in it will grow, just like mine. Click on the
link below and register or contact me for guidance . God bless you
all.
http://nigeria-mmm.net/?i=ucheihejirika9@gmail.com

MMM is a community of people on internet, just like the Facebook is
online. In this case, registered participants provide financial help
to one another. The rule is that a participant must provide help
before he or she qualifies to receive one. A participant is qualified
to receive the amount he/she provided as help, plus 30% of it, plus
huge bonuses, especially if one refers other persons to join. For
example, if a participant provides nelp of N200k today to another
participant who needs it, in 30 days time, he will be qualified to
request for help as follows:
N200k+N60k+50 dollars welcome bonus + more bonuses if he/she referred
others to join.
You can register by clicking on "Register" after the link above opens.
The link contains my email address as the one who referred you to
join, also, I will help you register if you want to. I don't see
anything to fear in it, since there is no central fund that can be
stolen. People just pay the money into one another's bank accounts. I
assure you that you won't lose any amount you invest in it.. Do not
worry about whether you can refer people to it or not, as it is a
matter of choice.

Scientists develop Robot Judge that can give verdict on legal cases

Scientists have built an artificially intelligence,(AI) computer that
was able to look at legal evidence as well as considering ethical
questions to decide how a case should be decided. And it predicted
those with 79 per cent accuracy, according to its creators.


The AI judge has accurately predicted most verdicts of the European
Court of Human Rights, and might soon be making important decisions
about cases.

The algorithm looked at data sets made up 584 cases relating to
torture and degrading treatment, fair trials and privacy. The computer
was able to look through that information and make its own decision –
which lined up with those made by Europe's most senior judges in
almost every case.

The researchers say that the computer judge isn't likely to take the
place of judges any time soon. But it could be used to help them out –
prioritising cases that are clearly important or need to be heard, for
instance.

Lead researcher Dr Nikolaos Aletras, from University College London,
said: "We don't see AI replacing judges or lawyers, but we think
they'd find it useful for rapidly identifying patterns in cases that
lead to certain outcomes.

"It could also be a valuable tool for highlighting which cases are
most likely to be violations of the European Convention on Human
Rights."

The researchers found during the creation of the programme that the
European Court of Human Rights judges tended to look more at non-legal
factors than the strictly legal arguments made in the case. In law,
that puts the judges in the camp of "realists" rather than
"formalists" and fits with other courts like the US Supreme Court.

The developers were able to use information like that to find that the
court's decisions relied largely on the kind of language used, as well
as what topics were mentioned in the court texts.

Co-author Dr Dimitrios Tsarapatsanis, a law lecturer from the
University of Sheffield, said: "The study, which is the first of its
kind, corroborates the findings of other empirical work on the
determinants of reasoning performed by high level courts.

"It should be further pursued and refined, through the systematic
examination of more data."

UCL computer scientist Dr Vasileios Lampos added: "Previous studies
have predicted outcomes based on the nature of the crime, or the
policy position of each judge, so this is the first time judgements
have been predicted using analysis of text prepared by the court.

"We expect this sort of tool would improve efficiencies of high level,
in demand courts, but to become a reality, we need to test it against
more articles and the case data submitted to the court."

The findings are published in the journal PeerJ Computer Science

Curled from www.independent.co.uk

Be a Better Writer: Detect Plagiarism and Correct Errors with ‘Grammarly’

As interesting as writing can be, finding errors in a document can be
really disappointing to your readers, especially when your work
depends largely on preparing documents. Even if your writing or typing
is for academic purpose, submitting with errors could change your
intended meaning sometimes. Whether you are typing, writing at home,
work or school, for a personal, official or academic purpose, this
Google Chrome extension is a most have tool.

Grammarly is a writing application which corrects hundreds of complex
writing errors. It was built by linguistics and language lovers which
are the world's leading automated proofreader that checks for more
than 250 types of spelling grammar, punctuation errors. It enhances
vocabulary usage and suggests citation.

It is an online grammar and spelling checker that improves
communication by helping users find and correct writing mistakes. The
application covers all aspects of grammar, from punctuation to style.
Plagiarism detection tools are also added so the user can locate any
'borrowed' text before it gets them into a bad situation. Grammarly
also makes suggestions to improve wording to make sentences more
interesting to read.

The software can also help users locate words that are spelled
correctly but not utilised in the right context. Grammarly is entirely
web based, so the user does not have to download any kind of spell
check tools. The plagiarism checker includes an automated reference
creator. The web-based tool includes unique grammar checker such as
dangling modifiers, faulty parallelism, comma splices, run-on
sentences and subject.

Grammarly was introduced in February of 2010 and was designed to
provide users with an automated grammar checker tool. The company is
currently based in Seattle, Washington. The concept was intended to
produce an automated system that worked just like a human spellchecker
would. An academic version is available called Grammarly EDU and is
currently used by more than 300,000 students.

What makes Grammarly so appealing is the detail and depth it offers
users as it can find very specific issues that a basic grammar and
spellchecker would have missed. The Grammarly website welcomes users
with a textured, light blue header and white background. The homepage
includes the stylish Grammarly logo, which includes the site name with
a book and blue pencil hovering over the "G." The application itself
is very easy to use and provides users with a clean interface in blue
and silver. Other colors are used to highlight issues in text and
large, round buttons allow the user to begin a review, copy, paste,
cut or clear text.

A new user can try Grammarly without an account. To get the full
benefit of the application the user can register by clicking the "Sign
Up" link in the upper, right-hand corner of the homepage. The short
form on the next page asks for a name, email address (which will be
the account username) and preferred password. The user is also asked
what would be the mostly use the application for (the answer can be
chosen from a drop-down box). After submitting the information, the
user is asked to select a membership plan and payment method. New
users are given access for free for seven days.

Grammarly is helpful for anyone who writes regularly. Users can turn
to Grammarly as a personal grammar checking tool, Students and
teachers can also use Grammarly to improve their work. The application
is easy to use and works with many types of writing, whether you're
writing emails, essays, or social media posts; Gmail, Facebook,
Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, and nearly anywhere else you write on the
web.Grammarly is the world's most accurate grammar checker.

Grammarly is trusted by students, professional writers, business
people, bloggers, and people who just want to write better. No matter
what your writing situation is, Grammarly adapts to your needs, giving
you the confidence of mistake-free writing every time you write.

--TheNation

Nigeria’s internet users stand at 94m – NCC

Internet users on Nigeria's telecommunications networks increased to
93,591,174 as at August 2016, the Nigerian Communications Commission
(NCC) has said.

The regulatory body made this known in its monthly Internet Subscriber
Data, which was obtained on Saturday in Lagos.

The data showed that internet usage on the Global System for Mobile
communications (GSM) and the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)
networks increased by 167,819

It also said that 93,423,355 subscribers used the internet in July,
rising to 93,591,174 in August.

The data showed that of the 93,591,174 internet users in August,
93,524,398 were on the GSM networks, while 66,776 used the CDMA.

Of the 93,591,174 internet users on the GSM networks in the month
under review, the document showed that MTN Nigeria had 32,771,259
customers browsing on its network.

It stated that MTN suffered a decrease of 561,236 internet subscribers
in August, after it recorded 33,332,495 users in the month of July.

According to the report, Globacom has 26,984,974 customers browsing on
the internet in August, showing an increase of 164,098 from its July's
record of 26,820,876.

It also said Airtel Nigeria network recorded a rise of users with
18,519,233 internet users in the month of August, as against
17,910,307 customers in July.

The records further showed that Airtel Nigeria network users increased
by 608,926 in the month of August.

The data also showed that Etisalat had 15,248,932 internet users in
August as against the 15,274,493 in July, recording a decrease of
25,561 users in the month under review.

It also revealed that the CDMA operators (Multi-Links and Visafone),
had a joint total of 66,776 internet users on their networks in
August.

The record further showed that the two surviving CDMA networks in the
country recorded a decrease of 18,408 internet subscribers in the
month under review, from the 85,184 users they recorded in July.

Visafone had 66,772 customers surfing the internet in August, showing
a reduction of 18,408 users from its July record of 85,180 while
Multi-Links maintained the four internet users it recorded in July.

The report revealed the need for more Nigerians to embrace the
internet to speed up the country's progress towards achieving 30 per
cent broadband penetration by 2018.

--PNNews

Imo state gov't commences issuance of new designed Certificate of Occupancy

The Imo state government has commenced the issuance of the new
designed Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to property owners in Imo
state.

The issuance was done during the official flag off of the signing of
the new Certificate of Occupancy at the Imo International Conference
Centre in Owerri the Imo state capital.

The Imo State governor Mr. Rochas Okorocha represented by the
Secretary to the State Government, George Eche says the new C of O
will put an end to land racketeering and forgery in the Ministry of
Lands and will in turn boost the Internally Generated Revenue of the
state government.

The Commissioner of Lands, Survey and Urban Planning Mr. Law Eberuo
also disclosed that the new C of O is cheaper to acquire as the
processes have also been simplified.

He further revealed that the state government through the Ministry of
Lands has also introduced digitalization of ministry to ensure proper
data analysis and enhance express search of documents in the ministry.

Symptoms That Shouldn't Be Ignored

There is no doubt that seeking medical attention early is a great way
of detecting and preventing many fatal conditions. Not all can afford
periodic medical checkup that's why paying close attention to our body
for new sensations is highly necessary.

While there are some ailments that can be solved ourselves like minor
aches and cold, certain symptoms indicates the need of urgent medical
attention. These symptoms might seem harmless but could be
catastrophic if not evaluated and treated quickly.

1.)Chest Pains

Whether sudden or persistence shouldn't be ignored especially
accompanied by sweating, pressure and shortness of breath, should be
evaluated by a medical professional. It doesnt automatically means
something is terribly wrong but in this case, it is always better case
than sorry as it could be an indicator of heart attack or even a blood
clot.

2.)Unexplainable Weight loss

This should never be over looked. A weight loss of 5% or more over a
relatively short period of time is a serious problem as this is one of
the biggest symptom of cancer. Other possibilities include diabetes,
depression, liver disease, overactive thyroid or malabsorption
disorders.

3.)Sudden Onset of extreme pain in your head

Particularly if it feels worse than any headaches you've had before.
It could mean different things.

4.)Sudden Confusion, inability to concentrate or behaviour changes

Medical attention is definately needed. It could be an indicator of a
brain tumor, bleeding in brain, stroke or at the very least be a sign
of low blood sugar or dehydration.

5.)Shortness of breath

Some factors like extreme physical activity can cause this. If you
can't catch your breath for extended period of time especially if
accompanied with chest pain or gasping requires urgent medical
attention. It could be a sign of a blood clot or pulmonary disease.

6.)Persistent Fever or one that is abnormally high

Any fever more than 103 degree(103F or 39.4C) is very high. Fever
tells that your body is battling some kind of infection. A persistent
fever indicate a hidden infection. Possibilities include urinary tract
infection, meningitis or types of cancer like lymphomas or leukemia.

7.)Seeing flashes of light or oddities in your vision

Flashes could be presence of a large amount of floaters in your vision
which could be a sign of a detached retina. It could also be migraine.
It should be checked to avoid permanent loss of vision.

8.)Pelvis Pain

It could be sudden or sharp pain. Anyhow, you arent supposed to feel
any pain. This pain could be a sign of appendicitis, kidney infection,
hernia, nerve condition or possible broken pelvis incase of an injury.

9.)Excessive Urination

This could be a sign of diabetes, both type 1 and 2 or urinary tract
infection. It should be checked by a physician sooner than later.

10.)Unexplained changes in bowel habits.

Persistent diarrhea or constipation, bloody or black coloured stools,
etc, could be a signal of bacterial, viral or parasitic infection. It
could also be a sign of colon cancer.

11.)Serious and sudden pain in your stomach

It could be blood flows issues. If accompanied by nausea and vomiting,
could be a sign of painful gallstone. It must be examined by a medical
professional.

12.)Persistent Cough

We all get this once in a while but one that doesnt seem to go away
could be a kind of respiratory problem.

13.)Lots of Fatigue and always lossing your balance

Always feeling tired no matter how much sleep you get isn't normal.
Falling and lossing your balance unnecessarily could be a neurological
problem. Medical attention should be sought.