Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Estonia to become 17th EU country to use euro
Monday, December 27, 2010
...Oritsejafor, Kumuyi charge FG
The fiery preacher who is also the national leader of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) said he was pained that certain individuals could deliberately attempt to truncate the peace that was beginning to evolve in Jos after a spate of violent crises.
“I must tell you that that was the worst devastation that I have heard since the beginning of the year, especially knowing that people could detonate bombs in Jos on the eve of Christmas. It was as incredible as it was shocking and that is why I will like to call on the Federal Government to urgently arrest the brains behind the act of terrorism,” he said.
Similarly, Pastor Kumuyi, General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, said the incident was an unfortunate commentary on the ability of government to stem the tide of fanaticism and unbridled religious convictions.
According to him, a situation in which intra-sect feuds easily led to the burning of churches and needless killings of church ministers and innocent citizens was an abhorrent trend, which must not be allowed to continue.
Addressing journalists at the Deeper Life Conference Centre, Mowe, Ogun State, the cleric said the perpetrators of such acts must not only be apprehended but must be visited with the full weight of the law promptly, adding that the initiative rested on the doorsteps of the security agencies to bring this unfortunate trend to an end.
His words: “The repeated flare-ups of such crisis is an unfortunate commentary on the ability of government to stem the tide of fanaticism and unbridled religious convictions. Perpetrators of such acts must not only be apprehended, they must be seen to be visited with the full weight of the law promptly.”
Kumuyi decried the state of the nation saying it was a mixed-bag of successes and drawbacks. “Clearly, our country could have progressed more than we are witnessing but for lapses on the part of everyone. Ours is a nation of manifold human and material resources, but the repeated failure to harness these resources harmoniously for our collective good, has served to hinder our march to progress in every facet,” he stated.
He observed that whichever way one looked at every sector, be it education, health, transportation, energy and so on, they people were yet to fully mobilise the latent potentials, which were begging to be exploited for the collective good and this, according to him, was the long-standing challenge facing the people as a nation.
Oritsejafor who described the twin violent uprisings in Jos and Maiduguri, Borno State, as both political and religious, warned that if the government did not swiftly and decisively arrest the growing trend of terrorism in parts of the North, there might be greater devastation.
He said it was obvious that the blasts were the evil machinations of certain powerful and influential individuals in the society who were determined to truncate the current political transition if they could not get their hearts’ desires.
Oritsejafor called on the
Christian community to remain calm while he was still making efforts to reach President Jonathan on how best to deal with the matter and assuage the victims of the bomb blasts by way of adequate compensation.
He alleged that certain powerful individuals in the society hadperfected plans to destabilise the nation’s polity by provoking the Christian community to reaction and cause chaos and in the aftermath of the chaos make the country ungovernable.
Oritsejafor, therefore, implored the Federal Government to take decisive steps to tame the growing trend before few disgruntled elements plunged the country into a theatre of another war, warning that no nation had ever survived two civil wars.
“We can no longer allow this group of disgruntled elements to get away with these acts of terrorism in Nigeria,” he said, stressing the need for the Federal Government to urgently begin a process of training the nation’s security outfits on how to combat terrorism.
He reiterated his appeal to the Christian community in the country to stay calm to avoid playing into the hands of people who were out to destabilise the nation for their
selfish designs.
He disclosed that there were earlier security reports that were not promptly acted upon and hence scores of Nigerians were sent to their untimely death and denied the opportunity to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
He maintained that Christmas reminded Christians of “the
birth of hope, the birth of peace and the birth of true reconciliation.”
Oritsejafor also used the occasion to urge the Christian
community, who he said, were desirous of free and fair
elections next year, to actively participate in the entire process.
The CAN president said Christians must come out to register during the voters registration exercise, noting that they must select credible candidates who had impeccable pedigree and after voting for such persons they should stay to defend their votes.
On the 2011 elections, Kumuyi said, “it is ennobling that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has resolved to deliver a process that will be both credible and fair. It behoves all Nigerians to fully cooperate with the agency so that we can once and for all abandon the spectre of electoral manipulations and the attendant consequences on the socio-political and economic outlook.
“Our politicians must know that Nigeria is a resilient and unique country, which has weathered successfully the severest of storms. They must also learn from history that those who abort the popular will have always stood on the wrong side of history and ultimately lose out in the process. Let us, therefore, learn from history and with the fear of God, position this nation where it ought to be as a respected member in the comity of nations.”
He, therefore, appealed to the leaders to seriously consider the defined interest of the nation and place it beyond the restricted confines of self-interest. This, he said, had become even more imperative as Nigerians prepare for the elections of next year with the attendant tension and stress being engendered.
“If the striving for leadership position is all about service to God and to humanity, then the acrimony and sometimes intemperate language being used by political actors must be substantially toned down. This negative trend is raising the political temperature of the country unnecessarily when democracy, as we know it, is all about popular participation, transparency, openness and liberty. Whatever detracts from these ennobling concept is counter-productive and must be avoided,” he advised.
He further appealed to the political actors at all levels to employ a more elegant and elevated language of discourse during political campaigns.
“What the nation does not need for now is an over-heated climate that could further compromise an already tenuous fabric. The focus should be on concrete, measurable, verifiable and achievable programmes that will justify the huge resources with which our country is endowed. I believe those aspiring for political offices must discuss issue-oriented and people-centred policies and programmes as against sabre-rattling and name-calling which are clearly counter- productive.”
He stated that the examples of some sister countries here in the West African sub-region, which successfully underwent a relatively stress-free political campaigns and elections should serve as a beacon to Nigerians that they could also repeat the same feat with same grit and determination.
The cleric also noted that political parties themselves had decided to raise the bar of prerequisites of those aspiring to contest for offices as those who wished to govern the people must possess the highest moral and intellectual credentials, which would spur them to emphasise service to the nation over and above pecuniary and parochial considerations.
“As we stand on the threshold of a new year, there is need for us as individuals and collectively to take an introspective look at the conduct of our lives thus far and consider the amendments we must undertake to make our lives worthy of God’s endowments. It should not take anyone time to recognise the need for more of God in our lives, even as we strive to overcome by His grace, those things, which serve to draw us apart from Him. If we are thinking of making a success of our earthly sojourn, it is of utmost importance that ·we submit to the majesty of God’s counsel,” he added.
Source:sun
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Milk of human kindness
A female baby lion-tailed macaque drinks human breast milk from a feeding incubator at the Guangzhou Zoo, Guangdong Province on December 10. The monkey, classified as a threatened species, on the IUN(International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List, was born on November 3, but its mother rejected it.
"It was born thin, and because its mother did not feed it, the situation was very dangerous," said a zoo worker surnamed Yang who looked after the baby.
When zoo employees discussed how to feed it artificially, a vet who was a 2-month-old father at that time thought that his wife's breast milk might be helpful. His wife agreed. "When my husband told me his idea, I was happy to try, hoping my breast milk would help the baby monkey grow healthy." She used a breast pump to store milk and her husband took it to the zoo. The monkey is thriving now and another zoo worker who recently gave birth is also donating some of her milk.
"It was born thin, and because its mother did not feed it, the situation was very dangerous," said a zoo worker surnamed Yang who looked after the baby.
When zoo employees discussed how to feed it artificially, a vet who was a 2-month-old father at that time thought that his wife's breast milk might be helpful. His wife agreed. "When my husband told me his idea, I was happy to try, hoping my breast milk would help the baby monkey grow healthy." She used a breast pump to store milk and her husband took it to the zoo. The monkey is thriving now and another zoo worker who recently gave birth is also donating some of her milk.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Panel invites ex-Gov Oni over ‘missing’ 593 cows
Briefing newsmen weekend in Ado Ekiti shortly after the end of the visit to the dairy farm , the chairman of the panel, Mr Ranti Adebisi, said his panel was able to see just 107 out of the 700 cows in the farm, noting that the ousted administration may have mismanaged the farm.
The RATF Chairman, said if Oni was unable to give a satisfactory answer to the whereabout of the cows that he would be compelled to pay damages over the alleged mismanagement of the dairy over which his administration spent hundreds of millions of naira without a tin of milk to show for their importation.
The panel boss said Oni and other officials connected with the importation of the cows must be made to explain why only 107 cows are left in the dairy farm out of the 700 imported from South Africa early 2009.
Adebisi also disclosed that the state governor, Engr Kayode Fayemi, has ordered that the remaining 107 cows be sold out to interested buyers to save them from dying of starvation.
Besides, Adebisi also demanded that all contractors and consultants of the dairy farm project be summoned to come and explain their roles in the importation of the cows which were brought to the site to be starved to death.
While expressing deep regrets about the state of health of the remaining 107 cows, Adebisi maintained that all the officials of the sacked administration must be called to question to prevent a repeat of such mismanagement and waste of public funds.
The massive death of the cows has heightened fears of epidemic and other heath hazards in Ikun community which is now overtaken with horrible odour emanating from the decomposing cows.
The supervisor in charge of the farm, Mr Yaya Idris was said to have explained to the team that the Oni_led government abandoned the farm to the extent that some time, throughout a month, the cow would not be fed while no medication for them.
All these, Idris explained, resulted in their untimely death saying there was a time that the death of the cows became a daily occurrence owing to the neglect of the ousted administration.
“We have invited the former governor to come and see things for himself, but he has refused to come. He did not bother about how this place was being run” Idris said.
Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com
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Nine years after, progressives honour Ige
Nine years after his murder by unidentified persons, progressive politicians on Sunday converged on the Esa-Oke, Osun State hometown of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige (SAN), where they paid tributes to his memory.
The National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Bisi Akande, led many other politicians, included Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, to the tomb of the departed politician in the family house known as Solemilia Court to offer prayers for the repose of his soul.
Akande, who attended a remembrance service held at the Saint Paul’s Anglican Church, Esa-Oke, said Ige’s political disciples would not depart from the philosophy of selfless service.
The deputy leader of pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, was murdered in his Bodija residence in Ibadan on December 23, 2001, while serving as the AGF in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Chief Iyiola Omisore, and some other politicians arrested for alleged involvement in the murder were set free by the court.
While in prison custody, Omisore ran for the Osun East senatorial seat on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party and won.
Speaking at the tomb, Aregbesola said Ige’s killers had not been able to silence his ideals, stressing that the late Yoruba leader was victorious in death.
The governor said, “Uncle Bola Ige may no longer be physically present here with us, his spirit is alive. His ideas are living. Uncle has proved to us that even in death, there is victory.
“There is victory in death and that victory is scored when an individual devotes his life to the development and advancement of his people, his community, his country. Whenever he drops dead, the world will always remember him. That means he is victorious even in death.”
Aregbesola said if Ige were still alive, he would have supported the plan by Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states to develop a joint railway project, assuring that the ideals of the defunct Western Region would be re-enacted by progressives in the South-West.
Among dignitaries at the ceremony were Ige’s eldest son, Muyiwa; daughter, Funso; the Chairman of the ACN in Osun State, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; a former member of the House of Representatives, Prof. Sola Adeyeye; an ACN chieftain, Mr. Ayo Afolabi, and Mr. George Adedeji. Read more...
Winter storm leads to flight cancellations at NYC-area airports
Passengers leave the John F. Kennedy International Airport as snow falls in New York, the United States, Dec. 26, 2010. A blizzard hit New York on Sunday, causing flights delay or cancellation.
Aquiculture farmers make dried fish products
An aquiculture farmer airs fish in Zhuji City of east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 26, 2010. The best time to harvest fish in Zhuji started in the last ten-day of December, and many fish farmers would like to salt and air their fish to make dried fish products.
Ex-NBA boss assassinated in Ogun
Baderinwa was reportedly shot dead close to his residence in Mowe, Ogun State, on December 22.
The development came just as the family of a late female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs. Sylvia Shinaba, announced the deceased‘s burial plans.
Shinaba drowned last Thursday at Oniru Beach, Lagos, while trying to save her receptionist, Ms. Victoria Odunaiya, who was struggling with the waves. They had both gone for Shinaba’s chambers’ end-of-year party.
Our correspondents gathered that Bolarinwa’s assailants drove his car away. The Lagos Branch of the NBA through its chairman, Mr. Chijioke Okoli, has called for investigation into his death, saying his assassination signified ”the total collapse of the security apparatus of the Nigerian State.”
Shinaba‘s family said burial arrangements for the deceased SAN would begin on December 30 with a Service of Songs while lying in state and interment will hold on December 31.
Meanwhile, prominent lawyers, including Mr. Emeka Ngige(SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, Ms. Ayo Obe, Carol Ajie, and Mrs. Stella Ugboma, have extolled the virtues of Shinaba, saying that her demise was a great loss to the legal profession.
Ngige said, “I knew Sylvia Shinaba (nee Ekpo) when she was a junior counsel with Kehinde Sofola Chambers in the mid 80s. She was a real tiger at the Bar, a very brilliant lawyer, very erudite and yet very friendly. She brooked no nonsense and was an epitome of discipline. It was no wonder she later became the chairperson of FIDA Nigeria.”
For Falana, “The deceased was a brilliant lawyer. It is a big shame that on a yearly basis people get drowned on Lagos beaches due to failure of government to provide lifesaving jackets. I hope that the NBA will take advantage of this unfortunate incident to demand that all the beaches in the country are equipped with lifesaving jackets.”
Obe, who is a former President of Civil Liberties Organisations, said, “I remember Shinaba from her early days in practice, starting out with Kehinde Sofola and Co. I remember her darling little daughter whose birth came just soon enough after mine for us to exchange tips. We are all so very sad but what a noble end.”
Ajie said, “The sad news has just been broken to me by a colleague. She (Sylvia) was a rare breed, brilliant, dedicated, committed learned friend. Even in death, she took the risk to help humanity. She was a shining legal star and held her own particularly as a distinguished member of the Census Tribunal, Abuja where she gave rulings that the brightest of lawyers found unimpeachable.”
The International President of FIDA, Mrs. Stella Ugboma, said Shinaba‘s death was a sad way to end the year, adding that the deceased was a lawyer who handled many probono cases.
Source:punchng.com
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Police begin crack-down on users of fireworks
Police begin crack-down on users of fireworks
The police said users of bangers and other fireworks in the state must first apply to the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, and get permission before using them.
Spokesman of the command, Mr. Frank Mba, said the measure became imperative in order to monitor the security situation in the state throughout the Yuletide and New Year celebrations, as well as save the police from wasting much time and manpower on false distress calls.
Mba said criminal elements often operated where bangers were freely used, adding that the people would subsequently find it difficult to differentiate between sounds of guns and bangers. He added that in such cases, the robbers often went scot free.
He said,”It is not only that; we have had many cases where people call the police and on getting there, our men discovered that what the distress callers were calling robbery operation were just some youths throwing bangers and other fireworks.
“There is also health hazard involved in this thing. Some old people have suffered health problems thinking that robbers are after them, whereas it was just sound of bangers they were hearing. If people must use bangers and other fireworks, let them apply to the command. They should state why, where, when and how they want to use the fireworks and then the police will know what is going on in that area.”
The police spokesman also said that the CP had ordered massive deployment of marine policemen to beaches in the state till the New Year. “This is meant to prevent drowning, sudden and unnatural death,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mba said that three cases of road accidents were recorded in the state during the Christmas period.
“In all, four persons died, while about five others sustained injuries. The cases are under investigation,” Mba said.
Source:http://www.punchng.com
Ex-beauty queen loses N1.4m to housemaid
A Camerounian ex-beauty queen, Carole Balmain, has accused her 27-year-old housemaid, identified simply as Christiana, of stealing her $10, 000 (N1.49m).
She said Christiana, who had been living with her for the past two and half years, took the money from her apartment on December 7, 2010.
Balmain, who won the Miss Cameroun beauty pageant few years ago, said that she received the money in the evening and had planned to lodge it into her bank account the next day, adding that she was shocked when she discovered that the money was missing.
Balmain said she initially reported at Ikoyi Police station but the matter was presently being handled by Area F, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
“Chinyer’s sister has been threatening to kidnap me and demand N500,000 ransom before I would be releasedo. The girl and her sister, who were living in my boys’ quarters, left and rented a three-bedroom flat for N600,000. I am happy with the Nigeria Police Force for its efforts in handling the matter,” she said.
Balmain said that Chinenye denied taking the money but expressed hope that the matter would be taken to court after the police had concluded their investigation.
She regretted that Chinenye, who she treated like a sister, could steal her money, adding that even when she was not at home, she allowed the housemaid access to her bedroom.
Balmain wondered who would have stolen the money when Chinenye was the only person around with her and who had knowledge that she brought in money.
Besides, the ex-beauty queen said there was no incidence of burglary, adding that her children, who were also at home when she brought in the money, were minors.
She said the housemaid left the house without informing her even when she had not been accused of stealing the money.
Balmain, “The girl fled when she noticed that I have begun a search for the money. She was nowhere to be found. But I have a detailed information about her. I reported the matter to the police; she was apprehended on Sunday by the police from Ikeja at Protea Hotel, Ikeja GRA, where her sister is working.
“Chinenye is claiming that she does not have knowledge of the missing money. But I will do whatever is necessary to get my money back.
“I am prepared for her. If she does not want to tell the truth and return my money, she will go to jail. I don’t want to sound unruly, what I need now is my money.”
She added that she would use every legal mean to get her money back, adding that it was unfortunate for a working mother to go through this sort of ordeal.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, said he had not been briefed on the issue. But he promised that the command would give the ex-beauty queen all the necessary assistance provided her case was genuine.
However, a source at Area F confirmed that the matter was being investigated, adding that ”we will take the necessary steps after we have concluded our investigation.”
Source:http://www.punchng.com
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Teresa Teng memorial hall launched in Beijing
A portrait of late Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng is displayed at a theme museum in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 25, 2010. The Beijing Teresa Teng memorial hall, which has eight exhibition sections, was launched here Saturday.
Foreign students learn acrobatics in N China
Seventeen-year-old Nigerian Adeola (2nd L) dances with her classmates to celebrate Christmas Eve at Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School in Wuqiao County, north China's Hebei Province, Dec. 24, 2010.
Under the Chinese government-sponsored exchange programs, twenty-four students from five African and Asian countries, including Egypt, Nigeria, Liberia, Mauritius and Myanmar, began in November their one-year training of acrobatics in Wuqiao Acrobatics Arts School, a vocational school well-known for its acrobatics performance in Wuqiao of north China's Hebei Province.
Daily training began in a training hall as large as about two tennis courts in the morning of cold winter. Various basic skills of acrobatics, such as hand-stand, splits, straddle and somersault, were new to these starters, not easy at all. Repeating days after days and guided by their Chinese instructors with simple English words and various gestures, these students learnt Chinese acrobatics and sharpened their skills little by little.
Boring seems the acrobatic training, not their daily life on campus. Playing card games, listening to folk music and learning Chinese songs, surfing online to watch home movies or chat with families, and enjoying Chinese food or even ice creams at winter time, enriched their limited but relaxing spare time.
On the Christmas Eve, the school board held a party for these students with a small Christmas tree and some cakes in the dining hall. African students sang and danced while Myanmar students stayed quieter.
Known as the hometown of acrobatics, Wuqiao has received nine groups of foreign visiting students interested in this ancient Chinese culture since 2002. Among the total of 168 graduates so far, some turned to pillar actors or coaches in circus and some even started their own acrobatics school in their hometown, becoming cultural ambassadors on acrobatics promotion.
Under the Chinese government-sponsored exchange programs, twenty-four students from five African and Asian countries, including Egypt, Nigeria, Liberia, Mauritius and Myanmar, began in November their one-year training of acrobatics in Wuqiao Acrobatics Arts School, a vocational school well-known for its acrobatics performance in Wuqiao of north China's Hebei Province.
Daily training began in a training hall as large as about two tennis courts in the morning of cold winter. Various basic skills of acrobatics, such as hand-stand, splits, straddle and somersault, were new to these starters, not easy at all. Repeating days after days and guided by their Chinese instructors with simple English words and various gestures, these students learnt Chinese acrobatics and sharpened their skills little by little.
Boring seems the acrobatic training, not their daily life on campus. Playing card games, listening to folk music and learning Chinese songs, surfing online to watch home movies or chat with families, and enjoying Chinese food or even ice creams at winter time, enriched their limited but relaxing spare time.
On the Christmas Eve, the school board held a party for these students with a small Christmas tree and some cakes in the dining hall. African students sang and danced while Myanmar students stayed quieter.
Known as the hometown of acrobatics, Wuqiao has received nine groups of foreign visiting students interested in this ancient Chinese culture since 2002. Among the total of 168 graduates so far, some turned to pillar actors or coaches in circus and some even started their own acrobatics school in their hometown, becoming cultural ambassadors on acrobatics promotion.
India communication satellite launch fails
India's launch of its latest communication satellite failed Saturday afternoon after the rocket GSLV-F06 carrying it developed a technical snag soon after its take-off from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota, Dec. 25, 2010.
India's launch of its latest communication satellite failed Saturday afternoon after the rocket GSLV-F06 carrying it developed a technical snag soon after its take-off from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota, sources said.
"The rocket geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) carrying communication satellite GSAT-5P exploded mid-air just moments after it took off from the Sriharikota rocket launch center. The launch at 16:00 p.m. failed due to the technical fault in the first phase," the sources said.
The satellite GSAT-5P, powered by Russian engine, was expected to serve the needs of the telecommunication sector and the weather department and would have eventually replaced the INSAT-2E satellite that was sent up in 1999.
The GSAT-5P is a satellite with 36 transponders which can be used for beaming television and radio programs and telephonic conversations, for conducting telemedicine and tele-education programs and organizing banking services.
This is the second failure this year, after a GSLV mission rocket plunged into the Bay of Bengal on April 15.
Source:http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/
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India's launch of its latest communication satellite failed Saturday afternoon after the rocket GSLV-F06 carrying it developed a technical snag soon after its take-off from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota, sources said.
"The rocket geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) carrying communication satellite GSAT-5P exploded mid-air just moments after it took off from the Sriharikota rocket launch center. The launch at 16:00 p.m. failed due to the technical fault in the first phase," the sources said.
The satellite GSAT-5P, powered by Russian engine, was expected to serve the needs of the telecommunication sector and the weather department and would have eventually replaced the INSAT-2E satellite that was sent up in 1999.
The GSAT-5P is a satellite with 36 transponders which can be used for beaming television and radio programs and telephonic conversations, for conducting telemedicine and tele-education programs and organizing banking services.
This is the second failure this year, after a GSLV mission rocket plunged into the Bay of Bengal on April 15.
Source:http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/
Heavy snow strands travellers across N France
Source:http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/
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Saturday, December 25, 2010
Russian spy nude in January issue of Playboy
Playboy will be running nude photos of the red-haired Russian spy Anna Chapman in its January issue. The sexy spy did not pose for the magazine; the pictures were released by an ex-boyfriend and are part of a series that appeared online.
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Friday, December 24, 2010
SAN drowns in Lagos beach trying to rescue secretary
While the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident were still hazy, eyewitness account stated that the late Sinaba, who was a member of the Census Tribunal, drowned with the secretary she had tried to rescue.
It was learnt that the late senior advocate had joined other members of staff of her chamber for the end of year party of the legal firm.
“Her Legal Secretary, who was swimming, was struggling with the wave and she got in to rescue her. In the process, they both got taken by the high wave at the beach,” the source, who craved anonymity, said.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Lagos Police Command, Mr. Frank Mba, who spoke with SATURDAY PUNCH on Friday on the telephone, confirmed that the incident.
Mba, a Superintendent of Police, said the command did not have the details of the incident.
“We just heard that a SAN drowned at the Oniru Private Beach but we have not been fully briefed. So, we cannot make any comments on it until we complete our investigation into what had happened. A legal practitioner, Mr. Festus Keyamo, described the late Sinaba as an outstanding lawyer.
“She was a rare breed, brilliant, dedicated, committed learned friend. Even in death, she took the risk to help humanity. She was a shinning legal star,” he said.
Source:http://www.punchng.com
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Family, govt hide Ojukwu’s whereabouts in London
The family of the sick former leader of the defunct Republic of Biafra, Chief Emeka Ojukwu, are keeping the London hospital where he was admitted on Thursday to their chest.
So also is the Anambra State Government, which is believed to be bearing the cost of the overseas’ treatment of the Nnewi-born former warlord.
Ojukwu’s eldest son, Emeka Jnr., told SATURDAY PUNCH that his father was taken to one of the leading hospitals in London, the United Kingdom.
Asked to comment on the state of facilities in the hospital where his father was admitted in London, Emeka laughed and asked, “Are you not satisfied with the sensational stories you journalists have written so far on my father’s health? Do you still want to write more?”
He said, “So, the idea of you calling me is to source this information?
“The best I can reveal to you is that he was flown to London in England, which is in the United Kingdom.
“His condition wasn’t as bad as what was reported in the papers. Right now, his state of health has greatly improved and I can tell you that he is in safe hands.”
But the Senior Special Assistant to the Anambra State Governor, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, confirmed that Ojukwu and the party that accompanied him abroad landed safely in London.
He said he was immediately moved to a hospital, whose identity, he said, he would not give to avoid Nigerians in London stampeding the hospital.
Obienyem told SATURDAY PUNCH, “We can authoritatively confirm that the air ambulance carrying (Dim Chukwuemeka) Odumegwu-Ojukwu landed safely at the London airport at 9 pm.
“You know our people. They are so passionate about Dim, and they will just lay siege to the place. So, we will not disclose the hospital for now.”
Ojukwu was on Thursday flown out of Nigeria to a London hospital for further treatment for stroke.
He was accompanied on the trip by his wife, Bianca and Chief of Staff, Prince Bob Onyema.
The Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, only made repeated the call for prayers by Nigerians for the elder statesman, whom he described as still very valuable to Nigerians.
He said, “I am aware that Nigerians would want to know the hospital and that many people will even be willing to forfeit the celebration of Christmas and travel to London to see him.
“The truth of the matter is that once the name of the hospital is disclosed, Nigerians resident in the UK will flood the place. Ojukwu you know, as well as I do, has the infinite capacity to pull a crowd any time, any day no matter his condition.
“All I can assure you is that he is being handled by the best neurologists in the UK.”
Obi was at the Enugu Airport on Thursday to witness the take-off of the air ambulance that flew Ojukwu to London.
When one of our correspondents visited the Ojukwus’ residence at GRA, Enugu, the place was deserted and the two young men who sat directly opposite the compound would not say anything.
After much persuasion, one of them replied in Igbo, “We have been severely warned not to say anything to anybody about Ikemba’s health, especially journalists.”
Further questions were rebuffed as the men became hostile and cautioned the security man on duty not to allow any intruder into the compound.
But a relation of the Ikemba and an economics lecturer, Prof. Ukwu I. Ukwu, said, “Where he was taken to is not the issue, we only pray he recovers from the ailment. We would not want to count him among those who have left us.”
Source:www.punchng.com
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World's oldest panda to celebrate 37th birthday
Giant panda Dong Dong is to celebrate its 37th birthday soon, which is said to be equivalent to human being's 144 years old, in Guangzhou Chime-Long Xiangjiang Safari Park, said the Wolong Giant Panda Protection Studies Center on Thursday.
Dong Dong is the oldest living giant panda in the world and it has had 54 offspring all together.
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Dong Dong is the oldest living giant panda in the world and it has had 54 offspring all together.
I used to sleep with five men in a day – 14-year-old prostitute
14-year-old prostitute, Uduak
When 14- year old Uduak (surname withheld) from Oron, Akwa Ibom State, suddenly found herself in Lagos about two years ago, she probably thought she had found a new home where she would continue with her education. But she was wrong.
Prior to her unplanned arrival in Lagos, she was a primary five pupil at St. Mark Catholic Church, Oron.
By her account, she was abducted from school two years ago by a man she identified simply as Goddy. She said Goddy brought her to Lagos and handed her over to a woman identified as Queen Gbeburu, also known as Iyawo olopa (policeman‘s wife).
Although Gbeburu gave Goddy some money after he handed over Uduak, the teenager was still not sure of her mission in her new home.
She later realised that she had been sold to a prostitution syndicate headed by Gbeburu. She was 12 years then and despite her young age, she became a sex machine in the hands of men at Imowonla Village, Ijede in Ikorodu area of the state.
Uduak told PUNCH METRO, “Goddy handed me over to a woman, who has been using me for prostitution since then. At times, I would sleep with a man throughout a night and he would pay my madam, N1, 500. At times I would sleep with five men in a night and each of them would pay my madam N500. She was arrested but she is no longer in police detention now.
“The police later learnt about my predicament and came to rescue me. I want to be reunited with my parents. I am really sad and tired of life of prostitution. I am not happy that I have not been attending school since two year ago.”
A source, who did not want her name mentioned, said all the money Uduak realised from prostitution went to her madam, adding that Uduak got pregnant and Gbeburu allegedly aborted the pregnancy.
It was learnt that the bubble burst when Gbeburu attempted to sell Uduak to another woman. Gbeburu demanded N150,000 but the other woman was willing to pay N100,000. During the negotiation, Uduak overheard the two women and became apprehensive because she thought she was about to be sold to ritual killers.
Uduak raised the alarm, which attracted curious neighbours. One of them reported the matter at Ijede Police Station.
PUNCH METRO learnt that one of the police officers on duty, Mrs. Toyin Ogunsanya, co-opted her husband, who posed as a customer who wanted Uduak’s service for the night. But Gbeburu suspected that the man was not a genuine customer. She told him that the girl was not around.
However, following a tip-off that Uduak was still in Gbeburu‘s compound, Ogunsanya and a team of policemen stormed the compound last week Tuesday and rescued the girl.
Police later discovered that Gbeburu ran a syndicate, which lured girls into prostitution.
The source added, “Somebody came and reported at Ijede Police Station that there was a syndicate where girls were being bought and sold. The policewoman with the assistance of other policemen, stormed the place and found Uduak in a room where she was locked up and rescued her.
Uduak is now at the police station. She told our correspondent that her utmost priority was to reconcile with her parents, adding that she was tired of prostitution.
An official of Akwa Ibom Liaison Office in Lagos, who declined to mention his name, told our correspondent on the telephone that he had not been briefed by the police on the matter.
He said, “I have not been briefed about the matter. I will wait for the police report. There is still no information in my office in respect of that. The police know what to do. They should officially get an extract and send it to us. We will then know the person that brought her and maybe the person will be prosecuted by the ministry.
“The police should liaise with us, give us report on what happened and the people involved. Then they should help us to make sure that the person who brought the girl is taken back to the scene of crime, which is Akwa Ibom, and then we will hand him over to the Ministry of Women Affairs, which is in a position to prosecute such a case. I am just hearing about the case for the first time.”
The Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association, Lagos Branch, Dr. Teniye Banisan, also in a telephone interview said the girl must have been traumatised, adding that chances were high that she might have contracted sexually transmitted diseases.
“There is a psychological complication; she has been traumatised. The chances that she might have contracted sexually transmitted diseases, even HIV, are very high. The girl needs to be brought for medical examination. She needs a psychologist that will work on her to get out from that state,” he said.
A constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said the act was a serious offence, which attracted years of imprisonment.
“It is a serious breach of the Child Right Act and also a breach of laws on human trafficking. It attracts many years of imprisonment, particularly when the victim is a child. It is a double offence. There is human trafficking and using of the child for such an illegal and immoral purpose,” he said.
The Lagos State Police Command spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, in a telephone interview confirmed that the girl was in the custody of the police, adding that investigation had commenced.
He said the police were discreet in handling the matter because of the underage status of the victim and would bring the culprits to book as well as explore ways to rehabilitate the victim.
Mba said, “I can confirm the fact that an under-aged girl was picked up from somewhere in Ijede, Ikorodu axis of Lagos. Because of the age of that girl, the approach of the police has been to try to investigate the case discretely and see how we can also rehabilitate her and also bring whoever must have been responsible to book.
“The girl, from investigation, obviously is less than 18. She is about 14 years. We are therefore being very careful not to expose her to the public and further cause more psychological harm to her. But the case is under investigation and at the end of investigation, we will obviously bring those responsible to book while also looking for ways to rehabilitate the girl.”
Source:http://www.punchng.com
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Saturday, December 4, 2010
Queen Elizabeth "shed tears" at Narnia film ending: Neeson
Britain's Queen Elizabeth meets the cast of ''The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'' at the Royal Premiere in Leicester Square, central London November 30, 2010. |
It appears Her Majesty approves of the new Narnia film.
Describing a poignant scene toward the end of the third film in the blockbuster series, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," actor Liam Neeson said he became emotional during its royal world premiere earlier this week.
"I shed a tear the other night and I was told the Queen shed a few tears as well," he told a news conference on Thursday.
Neeson provides the voice of the animated lion Aslan in the movies, based on the children's classics by C.S. Lewis.
Studio backer Twentieth Century Fox will keep a close eye on how the movie performs at the box office when it opens widely next week, having taken over from the Walt Disney Co.
When the first Narnia picture "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" came out in 2005, it earned $745 million in global ticket sales and was the third biggest movie of the year.
But Prince Caspian, the second Narnia picture released in 2008, recorded global box office takings of $420 million.
Mark Johnson, a producer on all three Narnia films, told the briefing that he would like to extend the franchise further.
"It's certainly no secret that we'd like to make one more, and actually, we'd like to make several more," he said.
"I think a lot depends on the future. Obviously we'll see how well the audience embraces The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but yes we would love to keep going and do all seven."
Source:http://www.chinadaily.com.cn
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