Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Chelsea agree £32m transfer for return of former player David Luiz from PSG
Stop Deploying Officers As Personal Security Of Individuals, IGP Warn commissioners
The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has warned police commands across the states of the federation to stop sending Police officials as security attache to influential individuals.
The IGP made this warning while addressing senior officers at the monthly conference of the police command in Abuja, as he also ordered the dismantling of all roadblocks on the highways across the country.
In his address, Mr Idris also empowered civilians to report Police officers that are corrupt to appropriate authorities especially those that ask for bribes during bail as he reiterate that bail is free.
He continued by instructing the commands to ensure visible policing in order to deter criminals.
Earlier, the IGP had presented cheques worth 192 million Naira to families of police personnel who lost their lives while in service.
The conference, which continued behind closed doors, is also expected to examine strategies for curbing the increasing cases of kidnapping and murder by herdsmen across Nigeria.
President Buhari To Visit Osun On Thursday
All appears to be set for the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Osun State on Thursday, September 1. Major Roads leading to Osogbo, the capital of the south-western Nigeria State, is receiving a face-lift, as men of the Osun Road Maintenance Agency (ORMA) are doing some patch work on the potholes along the roads.
Security is also receiving a boost, with security personnel being deployed on patrol around the city.
President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to commission Osogbo High School, along Iwo Road in Osogbo during the visit.
Residents Allege Deceit
Meanwhile, residents in the state have divergent views on the expected visit of the President.
A resident, Olatunji Gbolahan, said it was deceitful for the government to consider repairs of bad road because the president was coming.
“The way I see it, it is a kind of deceit. Why is there a face lift now because the President is coming?
These potholes have been there for long without government doing anything. So, because of the President’s visit, we are covering the potholes, politicians are deceitful,” he said.
Mr Gbolahan suggested that the President should pay an unannounced visit to states to get the true pictures of things.
Another resident, Damilola Adeyemi, believes the anticipated visit of the President has triggered quick completion of some abandoned projects to show that the government was working.
“Traffic is beginning to build up everywhere because of the emergency patching of the road leading to the venue of the ceremony, all these is just to impress the president,” he pointed out.
For Gideon Loyede there is merriment across the state. “It is a welcome visit we should have this kind of visit every month. If this is all it takes to take care of our bad roads, we welcome Mr President to Osun State.”
The Osogbo High School expected to be commissioned by President Buhari is under the O-Schools Programme of the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Source: Channels
Photo: Teenager arrested in Ikorodu for allegedly selling bar of soap as mobile phones
The suspect was arrested by the RRS men on routine patrol of Ikorodu Motor Park yesterday at about 19:50 hrs, while trying to defraud a young man at the motor park.
Upon his arrival at RRS’s Headquarters, the suspect confessed that before he was caught on Tuesday, he had duped one person of N3,500 who wanted to buy the phone.
He noted that he was lured into the fraud after he was duped through a similar means about a year ago.
“My
action was prompted when I was swindled by two guys about a year ago by
this way. I had intention of buying a phone but unknowingly to me it
was a cut-to-size bar of soap just looked similar to a phone shape… The
two guys approached me on my way to work, then, I was learning a
plumbing work somewhere around Ikorodu… I bought the phone which was
advertised to me as ‘London used phone’ for N2, 500… As I left the
place, I checked the phone I bought, to my surprise, I discovered it was
a soap I bought for such amount… That very moment I promised myself to
revenge by doing same to the people,” he revealed.
Explaining
how he mastered the tactics to swindle unsuspecting members of public
through that means, he said “after I discovered that it was a
cut-to-size soap I bought as phone, I learnt that tactics by
understudying the material…. The item contained cut-to-size soap, carton
and wrapped all together with a cello tape.”
The
suspect who lived at 81, Oriwu Road, Ikorodu, Lagos State, further
revealed how he perpetuated the fraud under the false pretence of
selling a genuine phone.
“What
I usually do is called exchange. My prospective victims will have the
mind of buying handset from me but unknowingly to them I would have
changed the real handset to soap wrapped with cut to size carton put
inside an envelope… I will engage them in discussion after showing them
real phone initially, and in the process of bargaining for the price, I
will change it with the aid of white handkerchief to fake phone… And, I
will tell them to keep the phone inside their pockets immediately that
people are watching us. As soon as the buyer left the spot, I will
immediately change my location by moving to another place.”
The suspect further stated that the demise of his master who was teaching him plumbing work, also led to his criminal act.
While
confirming the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO),
Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, warned the general public to
be weary of individuals who approach them to buy phones on highways in
order not to fall victim of con men.
Items such as fake phones, key soap cut to
size, shirts, some amount of money, packet of envelopes and cut to size
cartons were recovered from him. The suspect has been transferred to Lagos State Task Force on Environment for prosecution
Nigeria to experience solar eclipse tomorrow, public advised to remain calm
A press statement by the Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr Felix Ale, appealed to the general public not to panic or attach any spiritual interpretations to this event. He said the eclipse cannot be observed with naked eyes, as this could cause damage.
In the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, there will be a partial eclipse, with an obscurity of 60 per cent, and the first contact at about 7:17am, with maximum eclipse at 8:32am and end at 10:00am.
Lagos will experience its first contact with the eclipse at 7:15am, with a maximum eclipse occurring at 8:32am and ending at about 10:00am. The Agency has arranged a viewing centre tomorrow to enable members of the public, pupils and students from various schools to view the eclipse using specially designed viewing instruments provided by the space Agency.
The viewing centre which has been set up by the Agency will be open to the public on Thursday 1st September, 2016 from 6:45am for school pupils and students to observe the annular eclipse as part of its continuous programmes to expose Nigerians and students to matters concerning astronomical environment.
NaijaTwitter Your eye on Nigeria See how Mark Zuckerberg described his meeting with Nigerian celebrities
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Court Gives SSS, Police Opportunity To Justify Kashamu’s Extradition To U.S
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that an application against the extradition of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu, to the United States, be served on the State Security Services and the Police.
The court, on Tuesday, withheld its decision on whether to restrain the SSS from extraditing Mr. Kashamu to face drug-related charges in the U.S.
Justice Okon Abang directed the applicant to serve the motion on the director-general of SSS, Inspector-General of Police and Oladikupo Adebutu.
He gave the order after counsel to Mr. Kashamu, Godswill Mrakpo, argued the application in favour of his client.
“It is my view that the court should give the respondents opportunity to show cause why restraining order should not be granted against them.
“The court shall give them time to respond, I want to hear from the respondents”, he said.
Mr. Abang refused a prayer seeking to serve the respondents through a substituted means.
He said the applicant did not place any material before the court to show he made any effort to serve the respondents which did not yield any result.
The senator was asking the court to restrain all the respondents and their agents from arresting and detaining him.
Mr. Abang adjourned hearing in the suit till Sept. 8 to enable the applicant to serve all the respondents with motion on notice. (NAN)
3 Healthy Carb Ideas For Breakfast
Here are 3 healthy carbs that are a must for a well-balanced diet.
1. Start your day with steel-cut oats
Oats are rich in the dietary fiber beta-glucan, which has been found to help reduce cholesterol levels.
2. Pop up some air-popped popcorn
This low calorie snack has been found to contain higher levels of disease fighting polyphenols than fruits or vegetables. With only 93 calories and 3.5 grams of fiber in 3 cups.
3. Serve up a sweet potato
Sweet potatoes are packed full of carotenoids, orange and yellow pigments that may support heart health, help fight diabetes and prevent eye disease.
1. Start your day with steel-cut oats
Oats are rich in the dietary fiber beta-glucan, which has been found to help reduce cholesterol levels.
2. Pop up some air-popped popcorn
This low calorie snack has been found to contain higher levels of disease fighting polyphenols than fruits or vegetables. With only 93 calories and 3.5 grams of fiber in 3 cups.
3. Serve up a sweet potato
Sweet potatoes are packed full of carotenoids, orange and yellow pigments that may support heart health, help fight diabetes and prevent eye disease.
ASUU Threatens Nationwide Strike Over Unpaid Allowances, Others
The
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to embark on
a nationwide strike to press home its demands for the implementation of
its 2009 agreement with the Federal Government.
The ASUU Lagos Zone Coordinator, Olusoji Sowande, said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
Mr. Sowande said that the union was planning to toe this part after several efforts to ensure that the government address the pending demands, proved abortive.
He said that the 2009 FG/ASUU agreement, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on funding of state universities, breaches of the conditions of service and re -negotiation of the agreement, were still pending.
The coordinator also mentioned other demands like the exclusion of Nigerian universities from Pension Management Company and non-release of NEEDS Assessment Intervention Fund.
He said that funding of state universities, earned academic allowance and renegotiation of the agreement were parts of the outstanding issues.
Mr. Sowande recalled that the union had embarked on strike in 2012 and 2013 as part of the efforts to make the government implement the agreement, adding that the issues remained unresolved.
He said that the 2009 agreement provided for a periodic review after every three years which had not been done.
“The review of the agreement should have been undertaken in 2012 and 2015 but that did not happen.
“The implication is that our union has shown enough patriotism and understanding on these matters in the last four years.
“We are perplexed and disappointed that both the Federal and State Governments are not responding to our consistent appeals to bring about genuine transformation in the education sector, ‘’ he said.
According to him, embarking on strike has never been a favourable choice as the Students and ASUU members have always suffered the pains more.
“It is unfortunate that the only language government appears to respect and listens to is that of industrial action like strike,’’ he said.
The don said that the National officers of the union had met with the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu on May 10 and tabled ten-point demand.
He said that the minister had promised that the issues would be resolved within two weeks but nothing had been done till now.
Mr. Sowande said that based on MOU signed in November 2013, “Nigerian universities requires N1.3 trillion to revitalise the system’’, adding that the government was already in arrears of N605 billion as at the third quarter of 2016.
He said that the government had refused to release N128 billion and N250 billion respectively for the earned academic allowance of three years after the MoU was signed.
“In order to forestall this avoidable crisis, we appeal to all genuinely progressive individuals and groups to prevail on both the Federal and State Governments to commence release of funds for the listed purposes.
“This is to arrest the brewing and potentially combustible situation in the Nigerian university system before it degenerated into a serious conflagration,’’ he said.
Source: NAN
The ASUU Lagos Zone Coordinator, Olusoji Sowande, said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
Mr. Sowande said that the union was planning to toe this part after several efforts to ensure that the government address the pending demands, proved abortive.
He said that the 2009 FG/ASUU agreement, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on funding of state universities, breaches of the conditions of service and re -negotiation of the agreement, were still pending.
The coordinator also mentioned other demands like the exclusion of Nigerian universities from Pension Management Company and non-release of NEEDS Assessment Intervention Fund.
He said that funding of state universities, earned academic allowance and renegotiation of the agreement were parts of the outstanding issues.
Mr. Sowande recalled that the union had embarked on strike in 2012 and 2013 as part of the efforts to make the government implement the agreement, adding that the issues remained unresolved.
He said that the 2009 agreement provided for a periodic review after every three years which had not been done.
“The review of the agreement should have been undertaken in 2012 and 2015 but that did not happen.
“The implication is that our union has shown enough patriotism and understanding on these matters in the last four years.
“We are perplexed and disappointed that both the Federal and State Governments are not responding to our consistent appeals to bring about genuine transformation in the education sector, ‘’ he said.
According to him, embarking on strike has never been a favourable choice as the Students and ASUU members have always suffered the pains more.
“It is unfortunate that the only language government appears to respect and listens to is that of industrial action like strike,’’ he said.
The don said that the National officers of the union had met with the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu on May 10 and tabled ten-point demand.
He said that the minister had promised that the issues would be resolved within two weeks but nothing had been done till now.
Mr. Sowande said that based on MOU signed in November 2013, “Nigerian universities requires N1.3 trillion to revitalise the system’’, adding that the government was already in arrears of N605 billion as at the third quarter of 2016.
He said that the government had refused to release N128 billion and N250 billion respectively for the earned academic allowance of three years after the MoU was signed.
“In order to forestall this avoidable crisis, we appeal to all genuinely progressive individuals and groups to prevail on both the Federal and State Governments to commence release of funds for the listed purposes.
“This is to arrest the brewing and potentially combustible situation in the Nigerian university system before it degenerated into a serious conflagration,’’ he said.
Source: NAN
Lionel Messi is back with Argentina team! Pictured training today
There are many Mark Zuckerbergs in Nigeria- Ben Murray-Bruce
Youths Beat Catholic Priest To Coma in Anambra
A tragic incident took place yesterday as Youths of Obubo community in Anambra State attacked a Priest, Rev. Father Fidelis Ifeanyichukwu Ugozo of the St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Ugbenu, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, beating him to a state of coma.
According to Anambra Broadcasting Service, (ABS),the priest and some of his followers were carrying out a rosary procession around some of the villages when they were stopped by one of the youth leaders in the village, Gabriel Ikegbunam, who felt the clergy man and his followers were out to burn down their deity.
Mr. Ikegbunem insisted that they will not enter his village, and when they overpowered him, he started making contacts, calling some youths from the village to attack the priest and others who were mainly women and children.
The Catholic priest who was severely beaten and stabbed in the face was rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Ebenebe after the attack but was later transferred to St. Joseph’s hospital, Adazi Ani by the Ebenebe Deanery Chaplain.
A former catechist at St. Raphael’s parish Ugbenu, Cletus Nwankwo, said Obubo village is known
for adulterous acts, adding that the youths suspected that the Rosary procession was aimed at destroying their deity shrine.
“They moved from Agueke village to Obiagu and decided to branch at Obubo before Ikegbunam blocked them and in the process, he called some of them and told them that Catholics are coming to burn their shrine. Soon the youths trooped out, wielding dangerous weapons such as axe, gun and machetes.
“They grabbed the Blessed Sacrament from our Parish Priest, hit it on the floor and used the Monstrance to hit our Parish priest on his hand before stabbing him on the face and other parts of the body” he said.
The Traditional ruler of Ugbenu town, Igwe Lawrence Egwuonu, while speaking to newsmen said his wife, Lolo Egwuonwu was also beaten by the youths, stating that Gabriel Ikegbunam, Israel Egwu and two others stormed his palace before the incident occurred to complain that their shrine and other sacred symbols were burnt by Christians.
“After investigation, I discovered that they were all liars. None of their shrines were burnt and I can defend it anywhere.
“It was Ikegbunam that incited others to attack the priest and other Christians.
“Their greatest mistake was touching the priest and destroying the Blessed Sacrament. It is a sacrilege and they will pay for it,” he said.
Two amongst the rampaging youths, Anthony Anigbogu and Humphrey Ekwenye, have been reprimanded and are currently in the custody of the State CID, Awka, while other accomplices are still at large.
Source: Dailypost
Donald Trump's Campaign Is Bankrupting the Republican Party
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Virtually every category of receipts shows a decline this year. Contributions from individuals where the amount given is less than $200 (the “unitemized” category) is less than half what it was in July of 2004, 2008 and 2012. There is a similar decline in direct contributions of larger amounts where specific information about the donor is included in the report. These itemized contributions total much less than July 2004 and 2008 and are even smaller than July 2012 when joint fundraising became much more important.These joint fundraising efforts where the presidential campaign works together with the national party and state parties around the country are increasingly important, and the RNC total from those efforts also lags in July compared with 2012 and 2008. The Trump campaign has talked about huge joint fundraising successes, but neither the campaign nor the RNC has received all that much from this process so far comparatively.The Politics USA website explains:
People often look at cash balances and the end of the month to get a feel for how a committee is positioned for future spending. Here too, the RNC on July 31 was strikingly short of its own status on the same date in past campaigns. At a time when $70 to $90 million is the norm, the RNC finds itself with only $34.5 million in the bank.
The Trump campaign bragged about their uptick in fundraising, but a deeper look inside the numbers shows that the RNC only has $15 million in usable cash. That is $15 million for every race, data operation, voter registration, and get out the vote effort in the country. Donald Trump’s refusal to build a campaign operation in all 50 states has resulted in the RNC having to spend their resources. Trump doesn’t have a data operation, so the RNC is using party resources for that too.In other words, Trump is bleeding the GOP dry. He isn't doing anything to create a political machine. Everything has to be organized and paid for by the RNC.
As a result, the Republican Party has little to nothing to spend on senatorial and congressional races -- races that, unlike the presidential election, can actually be won.
If the RNC doesn't intervene now -- by basically cutting Trump loose and forcing him to take care of his own campaign -- a wipeout is coming in November. Responsibility for that epic defeat will rest on the shoulders of Trump and Reince Priebus.
The only question is: While we know that Trump will disappear after November, what will happen to Priebus? Will he be allowed to stay put? Or will the Republican Party finally get its act together and fire this disaster of a man?
What is a Born Again Christian?
All agree that when Jesus went to the cross, He brought in the means of salvation for everyone who will accept it. But what really happened at Calvary? What can it do for me? How do I accept what was done there in my own personal life?
At Calvary, there were three steps to the work of Christ: death, burial, and resurrection (I Corinthians 15:1-4). It is very easy to see that these three steps make up the act of being born again spoken of by Jesus (John 3:1-5); to die, to be buried, and to rise again—that is to be born again. So we see that Jesus, through His death, burial, and resurrection, bought for us the plan of being born again spoken of in John 3:3, whereby we receive salvation.
The fact that Jesus purchased a plan of salvation for us is the greatest news the world has ever received. The thing we must understand is that not only was it necessary for Jesus to do something, but also it is absolutely essential for us to act upon what He did. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).
Now the astonishing thing is that Nicodemus was a religious leader of his day; yet, he had no concept of what it meant to be born again! We find that the very same thing is true in the day in which we live. Many men and women who fill positions of spiritual leadership in our world have no real understanding of the born again experience. Nicodemus inquired of Jesus in John 3:4, “How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”
Jesus answered, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” You can’t be born again of a woman. The second birth is a spiritual birth.
Notice that Jesus said without being born again we cannot see or enter the kingdom of God. In other words, we cannot be saved. On the day of Pentecost when Peter preached the first message after Calvary, the men cried out, “What must we do?”
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). Peter was giving them the plan of salvation: repentance, baptism, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. If being born again is to be saved, Peter was evidently talking to them about being saved.
Remember, there were three steps to Calvary: death, burial, and resurrection. The way to accept Calvary in our individual life is to accept the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We don’t have to literally die, be buried, and rise again. Jesus was our substitute and did this for us. All we must do is accept what He did by spiritually dying, symbolically being buried, and spiritually rising again.
Repentance
We take on His death by repentance, which is spiritual death. When a person truly repents, he dies out to his own will, renounces it forever, and vows to live from that time on according to the will of Jesus Christ.Baptism
We take on His burial by baptism in water, by immersion into His name. Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism”. Baptism must be done by immersion; for something cannot be buried by sprinkling a little dirt on top of it. That burial, after a few days, would certainly prove to be insufficient! Furthermore, every baptism of which we have biblical record was administered by immersion. That alone should determine our course of action on this matter.Infilling of the Holy Ghost
Finally, we partake of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by the infilling of the Holy Ghost. This is the new life that enables us to live as a Christian should.We see then that being born again means to spiritually die—repent; symbolically be buried—baptism; and spiritually rise again—receive the Holy Ghost. Thus, in plain language an individual must repent of his sins, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ by immersion, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. It says in I John 5:8, “And there are three that bear witness in the earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” What is the one thing in which the spirit, water, and blood agree? Is it not the new birth? Blood covers our sins at repentance; the waters of baptism wash them away, thus making us clean for the Spirit to come into our lives to dwell. When the Roman soldiers thrust the spear into Jesus’ side after He died, the scripture tells us that there came forth blood and water (John 19:34). This was for cleansing of the nations. It takes blood and water to eradicate sin. Blood is the cleansing agent, and water is the flushing agent. When a jar is washed for canning, soap AND water are necessary to cleanse that jar so that it might be filled with good fruit. Likewise, blood and water are necessary to cleanse the human soul so that it may receive the Spirit of Christ, which is the Holy Ghost. This teaching was verified by Peter when he said, “Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Repentance and baptism are both absolutely essential for the remission of sins!
Paul taught that the three steps of Calvary is the gospel that we should preach. In I Corinthians 15:1-4 he tells us,
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I have preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”Paul went on to say in II Thessalonians 1:7-8, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul told us that the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. How can we obey the death, burial, and resurrection? We obey by repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost as we have previously explained. Notice that the Lord Jesus is to appear “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel.” It is absolutely necessary for every human being to obey the gospel by being born again. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.” (John 3:7).
The Old Testament Speaks of the Born Again Plan
Let us consider another biblical lesson given to us concerning this subject. The Bible teaches us that the things of the Old Testament were types and shadows of the things to come. When the priests of the law ministered by offering sacrifices, there were three major steps to their duties.First they slew the animal to be offered on the brazen altar. The blood here was shed and caught into a container for use in the Holy Place. The flesh of the animal was to be consumed by fire. This teaches us the first step of salvation—repentance. When we repent, we present our bodies a living sacrifice, and our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus.
After the shedding of blood, the priests were ordered to wash at the laver and to cleanse themselves with water in preparation for entering the Holy Place. The laver, a round fountain-like structure, was overlaid in the bottom with a looking glass. When the priest bent over to wash, he was able to see himself so that he could be sure that he was clean. When an individual is baptized, he should examine himself to be sure that he is leaving the world behind once and for all.
We see then that the second step of the tabernacle ministry plainly teaches us of water baptism. Blood and water were used to cleanse and prepare them for entry into the Holy Place, even as blood and water cleanses us in preparation of receiving the Holy One into our lives!
After cleansing, the priest would take the fire from the brazen altar and enter through the veil into the Holy Place. The Holy Place had no doors or windows through which light could come. The only light would come from the golden candlesticks. These candlesticks consisted of seven wicks fed by oil from seven bowls. The wicks had to be lit with the fire brought by the priest from the brazen altar. The uniting of the oil and fire at the candlesticks to produce light is a perfect type of the Holy Ghost and fire promised to New Testament believers (Matthew 3:11). Without the light of the Holy Ghost we could not see to live in the Holy Place, which is where every Christian should live.
God spoke of His great plan of redemption in the Old Testament in types and shadows; and then in the New Testament He spoke plainly to us so that we would have no doubt of His will! Once again we recall the words of 1 John 5:8, “There are three that bear witness in the earth, the spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one.” This Old Testament lesson beautifully reaffirms to us the absolute necessity of the full born again plan in each life for salvation!
Common Misconceptions About Salvation
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
Acts 16:30-31 reads this way, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Many have taken this scripture to teach that all that is required for salvation is to believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world; and from that point on the individual is saved. It is definitely true that an individual must believe that Jesus is the Savior in order to be saved. However, Paul, who spoke these words in Acts 16, has some further teaching on the subject in Romans 10:13-15.Let’s consider the text: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” If we wanted to be absurd, we could take this thirteenth verse to teach that all an individual must do for salvation is to call out the name of Jesus one time and he has received salvation. Paul tells us they can’t call on him in whom they have not believed. Furthermore, he said that they couldn’t believe in him of whom they have not heard. We cannot merely believe. We must believe something about Christ. When Paul told the jailer in Acts 16 to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, he went on to speak unto him the word of the Lord (verse 32). The word which Paul spoke was apparently the gospel; for the result in verse 33 was that the jailer and all his house were baptized at midnight. That’s how essential baptism is for salvation. Paul took all these people out at midnight and baptized them!
Some would object here by saying that we are saved by faith alone. It is true that we are saved by faith, but it is also true that true faith always produces action on the part of the believer. Let’s study from James 2:14-22 to verify this point.
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or a sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thus how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?”
When an individual believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, what do they believe about Him? They believe the gospel, which is the death, burial, and resurrection (I Corinthians 15:1-4). James teaches us that faith without action is dead, or it is not really faith at all. When a sinner hears the true gospel and truly believes, he will obey the gospel. An individual obeys the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ by repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking with other tongues. (see our booklet “Tongues—Devilish or Divine?”). This is the salvation of Calvary! “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (made complete).
If you are still having trouble conceding to this teaching because of the element of works involved, let’s reason concerning one more point. Being born again —repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost is not considered by God to be a work. In Titus 3:5 we are taught, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost”. This scripture tells us that regeneration, which is being born again, is not a work of righteousness.
Concluding this matter, we will cite a familiar biblical example. In the great revival at Samaria in Acts 8:5-23, a sorcerer named Simon heard the preaching of Philip. He believed and was baptized and continued with Philip beholding the signs and miracles that were done. Many people would say that because Simon believed, he was saved. Yet the Apostle Peter said of him in Acts 8:23, “For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.”
It is impossible for anyone in the bond of iniquity to be saved; for the scriptures tell us, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Simon believed and was baptized, but he had not received the Holy Ghost; therefore, he was not born again. We cannot be half-born and survive. The entire work of Calvary is necessary for our salvation.
The Thief on the Cross
Many have asked, “If an individual must repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost for salvation, how was the thief on the cross with Jesus saved?” (Luke 23:38-43). First of all, it was impossible for anyone to be born again at that time, for the born again plan was not yet complete. Jesus had not died, been buried, and risen again. God has always had a plan of salvation for each dispensation of time. In Noah’s day the only way of salvation was to get into the ark. In Moses’ day the only plan was the law. In the church dispensation, the only way to be saved is to be born again. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Ye MUST be born again.”Conclusion
May we point out as we conclude this study that we have been given the first church and the Apostles after which to pattern our teaching and practices. In each recorded account of conversions under the Apostles’ ministries, the three steps of being born again are evident. In Acts 2:38 it was repentance, baptism, and the Holy Ghost. In Acts 8:12, Acts 10:44-48, and Acts 19:1-6, we find the born again experience taught and received. Why should we vary from this practice when we are to be built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone?Do not allow anything to turn you aside from this truth: you must be born again. If you haven’t as yet, you should do so today!
By Irvin Baxter
Monday, August 29, 2016
And The No. 1 Scrabble Nation In The World Is ...
World Scrabble champion Wellington Jighere, 33, (right) is
one of Nigeria's many masters. His strategy: "When you are expecting me
to do the traditional thing, I will just choose to do something that is
uncharacteristic."
Ofeibea Quist-Arcton/NPR
The Scrabble world champion is Wellington Jighere. He's 33, has a soft voice, a slow smile and a penchant for fedoras, earning him the nickname "the Cat in the Hat." Jighere acknowledges that he's taciturn by nature, but also has an explosive, infectious laugh, though he considers Scrabble is serious business.
"You can't afford to waste too much energy doing unnecessary chatter," he says. "During a tournament, I see it as business time. And that is no time to be joking around." Jighere plays chess to relax, "and for fun," he says.
Jet-lagged and weary, Jighere was crowned the world Scrabble champ last year in a grueling 32-round competition in Australia. Up to 30 of the top 100 global players are from Nigeria, which has the highest percentage of any country in the top 200. The Nigerians' apparent collective strategy — short words that rack up the points.
Nigerians have been credited with perfecting that tactic under the tutorship of senior team coach, Prince Anthony Ikolo. He says Nigerians are passionate about Scrabble and the short word method gives them an edge. Many put Nigeria's towering Scrabble prowess down to its players ability to "choke the board" as they say, with this defensive play.
"The game of Scrabble is actually built around short words — especially five letter words," says Ikolo. "If you have such a word base, then you are good to go. But it would be a very big mistake for the world to think our players only know short words, especially five-letter words," he warns.
The coach says "the short words help you to be defensive [by blocking longer words from opponents], but when it's time to be offensive, we know those long words also. Nigeria is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to Scrabble," says Ikolo.
Ikolo, who's also a university mathematician, came up with lists of five-letter words and distributed them to his players, including Jighere the world champion, to train them how to block the board. The coach says, armed with these, the Nigerians could take on and beat competitors playing seven-eight- or even nine-letter words.
The other strategy was to gather his players at a hotel, before the tournament, and have them play two days of nonstop Scrabble. It appears to have worked.
Jighere though says his personal strategy is to have "no strategy at all. I play a fluid kind of game. Yah. I really don't have a particular kind of style that you can pin me to, "he says. So, when you are expecting me to do the traditional thing, I will just choose to do something that is uncharacteristic. It's what sets me apart from everyone else."
Jighere should know. He and team Nigeria triumphed at the World English-Language Scrabble Players Association world championship in Australia in November 2015. They fully intend to hang onto that success when they defend those titles next year in Kenya, he says.
Nigeria's president, Muhammadu Buhari, phoned Australia to congratulate him, says Jighere with a big smile. "It felt so warm to have him speak with me right then and there. It was a very, very important experience. He told me how proud he is of my accomplishment and how proud I have made the nation as a whole, not just the nation but Africa as a whole. And that it has really gone to prove that we are truly the giants of Africa."
Jighere bested a Briton in Perth, while Team Nigeria dethroned the U.S., which had been at the pinnacle for about decade, with Nigeria yapping at its heels, determined to topple the Americans.
"We are currently ranked No. 1 nation in the world for Scrabble," says the champ. "In the world we have the highest number of persons in the top 100 rated Scrabble players. We have as many as 20 to 30 tough masters in Nigeria that can really give you a tough fight any time any day."
Ikolo, the coach, will attest to that. Jighere's friends and fellow Scrabble masters cut him no slack, in the jovial, noisy and garrulous atmosphere during the Lagos tournament.
Ikolo gleefully told NPR that, until the Nigeria National Scrabble Players competition, in the main city Lagos, at the tail end of July, Jighere had failed to win any significant tournament after his success in Australia last year.
"Since he became the world champion, he has been beaten blue and black by his colleagues. It tells you how strong Nigeria's Scrabble is. It tells you that the Scrabble scene we have here is a very tough one. It's highly competitive and nobody can boast tomorrow that I'm going to win this, I'm going to win that when it comes to Nigerian Scrabble playing."
So why Scrabble? "Ah, I didn't exactly choose Scrabble," says Jightere. "I ran into some friends who were tournament players and I beat them. They told me 'Ah, if I could do this well against them, that means I should come to the next tournament.' " He adds, "And I was like, "Ah, you mean they play this in tournaments? OK, let's go. And the rest, as they say, is history." And he laughs.
That was in 2002. Today, Jighere sits atop the global Scrabble tournament ladder. He describes how he had to overcome fatigue and jet lag to win in Australia. Learn those words, commit them to memory and stay cool – and awake.
Scrabble was given official recognition as a sport in Nigeria in the 1990s. But local players, coaches, parents, officials and tournament organizers say government assistance has been patchy and more must be done to support, sponsor and finance Scrabble.
"Why will the government and corporate firms not look the way of Scrabble?" laments coach Okolo. "Government and corporate firms should come to the aid of Scrabble."
The Lagos State government provided the venue — Teslim Balogun stadium for indoor sports — for the recent tournament, as well as organizing some logistics.
But senior team coach Ikolo says while cash prizes are welcome, the authorities — and corporate sponsors — should do more to capitalize on Nigeria's global success at Scrabble. "We don't value that Nigeria is ranked the best Scrabble playing nation in the world," says Ikolo, "and we have the world Scrabble champion, Wellington Jighere."
Angela "I'm not very shy!" Osaigbovo, 10, of Nigeria came in
second in a recent youth tournament, and triumphed at Scrabble camp in
August. She'd hoped to win the MSI World Youth Scrabble Championship in
Lille, France, this weekend, but was refused a French visa.
Ofeibea Quist-Arcton/NPR
She's been playing Scrabble since she was 5 and began competing at age 6. "Scrabble for me is a fun way of using my academics, to help me in my hobbies and afterschool life," says Angela with a big smile. Thrusting her Scrabble board into the air, she then shakes her bag of tiles, and tells me, "I'm good in Math and Literacy. And I think it's due to Scrabble."
As a scrabbler, she likes using "premiums, or bingos, which are 7-letter words – such as zaniest, quiting and players."
Relaxed and confident, Angela sits next to Vincent Okere, who's 13. The teen won the local players championship and the trophy in the youth category in Lagos. He spent most of the tournament weekend prowling around the Masters, watching every Scrabble move by the veterans and, no doubt, learning.
But no hard feelings, says Angela, who came in second. She was working hard in the build-up to the youth championship at the Mind Sports International (MSI) global tournament in Lille, France, starting Saturday.
Every other year, MSI organizes a championship for all-comers, while WESPA holds its tournaments the other years.
"Yes, I'm very excited. I'm aiming to win the WYSC – which is World Youth Scrabble Championship" in Lille at the end of August, Angela told me, adding. "I'm not very shy!"
Her mother, Toyin Osaigbovo, is delighted that Angela loves Scrabble and says her daughter possesses what Nigeria has in abundance — focus and determination.
"Nigerians are very determined and dogged people," says Osaigbovo. "And once we set our minds to something, we achieve it."
Angela had this warning for their global competitors — "Watch out, because Nigeria is coming, with force!"
However, Angela's disappointed mother told NPR her daughter was refused a French visa, so won't be able to compete in Lille since the youth championship began Saturday.
The champ, Wellington Jighere, announced yesterday that most Nigerian players who applied had also been denied visas to travel to France. Social media has been twitching with outrage. Now Jighere says they've been told to report to the French Embassy on Monday morning to be issued with visas.
So Scrabblers, you're warned, Nigeria's champions are on the warpath!
"God will soon declare me god" Bishop Obinim claims as he vows to 'spiritually' deal with his accuser and mockers
In a interview with Joy FM, Bishop Obinim who is currently under
separate investigations for an alleged GHC11.6 million fraud and
assault after publicly flogging two teenage members of his church over
alleged fornication and attempted abortion, said an encounter with Jesus
Christ convinced him that he will soon be declared a god.
"I saw Jesus Christ in my dreams who said: ‘Collect this angelic gift.’ So, if I’m faithful to Jesus Christ, maybe the next spiritual gift He will confer on me will be a replica of what happened in Exodus Chapter 7 in the Bible where God told Moses that: ‘Now I’ve made you God, so whatever you say is final. But now God has not made me God. Maybe the next time God will say: ‘Obinim, now I’ve made you a god, you can even conjure up money’,"
The controversial pastor also vowed to ruthlessly deal with his accuser and everybody who made mockery of him after his arrest.
"The Bible says: ‘Touch not my anointed.’ To those who contracted my accuser to disgrace me, I leave all of you to Jesus Christ in heaven. That Bismark Kusi who accused me, his family and those who appeared as witnesses, I will deal with them spiritually; my father Jesus Christ who you disgraced will never allow you to have peace. You will see what will happen to you," he said.
Angel Obinim also revealed that he has enough properties, including 20
houses and several cars which makes it strange for anybody to accuse
him of fraud.
"I have more than 20 houses given to me by Jesus Christ. I had about eight Range Rover cars which I gifted to my pastors. I had five Infinity SUVs and three Chryslers which I also gifted to my pastors because my car is ‘AUTOBIOGRAPHY’, meaning the car’s brain power is superior to that of a human being. If you cross that car, it stops automatically, and its door is not slammed, it shuts by itself. It is also bulletproof" he boasted.The Bishop was granted bail on Thursday, August 25, after two nights in police cells.
Photos: Flood ravages some communities in Niger state
Some communities in Niger state have been ravaged by flood following
rainfall that lasted well over 24 hours. The rainfall began on Friday
August 26th and did not stop until late Saturday August 27th. Many
farmlands in the affected communities have been destroyed by the
flood. See more photos after the cut.
The Butchers from the North by Femi Fani-Kayode
The butchers from the north are better known as the Fulani militants and herdsmen. They have unleashed horror and levied war against the people of Nigeria over the last one year. The saints are the Christians that they have slaughtered all over the country in that same period of time.I consider every single saint that they have killed as a martyr because they died for their faith. I honor them with this essay and I dedicate it to their memory.
On 24th August 2016 Mr. Phil Smart wrote the following on Facebook:
"Catholic seminarian butchered, pregnant woman's stomach cut open....as Fulani herdsmen continue killing in Enugu".
The words were accompanied by a picture of a Catholic priest whose body had been shredded into pieces like fresh mincemeat or a Japanese sirloin steak.
There was another of a pregnant woman whose stomach had been slit open right down the middle and whose unborn foetus and guts were hanging out for all to see. Clearly she had been carefully and clinically gutted.
Many other bodies were strewn all over the burnt out fields and compounds of the village and some were so badly mutilated and chopped up that it would have been difficult to convince anyone that they once belonged to human beings. Not even babies were spared.
In truth this was not the work of men but rather of demon-possesed hybrid entities that the famous British conspiracy-theorist Mr. David Icke describes as "shape-shifting reptilians" and sociopathic beasts.
Worse still this was the second time in a matter of weeks that the relative tranquility of Enugu was desecrated by the prescence of these nomadic beasts and murdering bastards.
On the previous occassion they caused as much havoc, slaughtered as many people and engendered as much consternation and outrage as the succeeding one.
Yet it doesn't stop there. On the very same day that the latest attack in Enugu was going on other Nigerians were being attacked and "burnt alive" by people of the same radical Islamist bent and spirit in far away Zamfara for "blaspheming against Islam".
Other similar attacks by the same fanatics and jihadists took place on that day in southern Kaduna, Benue, Niger, Ondo, Plateau, Delta and various other parts of the country.
If the truth be told this carnage and butchery has now become a daily occurence in our country and it is always the same people, namely the butchers from the north, that perpetrate them.
The worst aspect of it all is that no-one has ever been arrested, prosecuted or brought to justice by the govermment for these hideous crimes mainly because President Buhari himself is a Fulani and consequently the authorities seem to have cultivated a soft-spot for them.
Indeed Buhari is actually the life Patron and "protector-in-chief" of the umbrella organisation of all the Fulani Herdsmen in Nigeria which is known as Miyetti Allah.
There is of course another view which is that the herdsmen are actually a tool of conquest who are being carefully cultivated, co-ordinated, controlled, organised, armed and funded by a sinister and dark hidden hand: that they are something akin to a Fulani "death squad" or armed militia.
Those that share that view, and yours truly is amongst them, often refer to the butchers from the north as Nigeria's "Janjaweed", after the ruthless camel-riding Arab Muslim militia which Sudanese President Al Bashir commissioned, armed and employed to decimate, slaughter and commit genocide against over one million defenceless black African Sudanese Christians in the vast region of Darfur for many years.
It is also why the U.S.-based Global Terror Index describes them as the "Fulani Militants" and has designated them as the "fourth most deadly terrorist organisation" in the world.
Whatever one chooses to call them, whoever is behind them and whatever their motives may be one thing is clear: their actions are outrageous and barbaric and such behaviour has no place in a civilised society.
I feel a deep sense of anger and outrage on the one hand and utter shame and frustration on the other about what is going on in our country today and what these butchers from the north are doing to our people.
Theirs is a scorthed earth policy and they take no prisoners. They rape, kill, abduct, kidnap and terrorise people and they rob, burn down, destroy and pillage their homes, churches and farmlands at will.
Worse still they commit these atrocities with total impunity and without any fear of the law enforcement agencies or security forces.
And all this is done in the name and under the guise of herding cows and looking for grazing land for their cattle.
I feel a deep sense of anger and outrage towards President Buhari and his government, because they seem to believe that the constant spilling and shedding of innocent Christian blood is something that brings them good fortune.
It also appears to give them immense pleasure and joy otherwise they would have put a stop to it long ago.
I feel shame and frustration because the Nigerian people themselves seem wholly incapable of standing up to that which is nothing less than pure evil.
They seem incapable of protesting against anything, no matter how bestial and barbaric that thing may be.
I wonder who has bewitched us? Is this the work of the "mai chanji" sweeping broom brew?
Have the Nigerian people been charmed? Are we under a spell? Are we like the biblical Galatians who the Apostle Paul says were "bewitched"?
Our people appear to be wholly incapable of resisting and facing down those that have enthroned sadism and wickedness in their hearts and that take pleasure in indulging in mass murder, genocide and ethnic cleansing in our land.
It is not only the government that has failed but the political leaders from all the opposition parties, the traditional rulers, the clerics, the religious leaders, the media practitioners, the publishers, the columnists, the writers, the human rights activists, the editorial boards of newspapers, the bloggers, the intellectuals, the businessmen, the teachers, the students, the writers, the elites, the middle class, the workers, the unions and the ordinary people themselves have all failed too.
They have all been gripped by the spirit of fear. They have been bullied, intimidated, brow-beaten and shocked into pitiful submission and a sickening and cowardly timidity.
They have all failed to defend and speak up for the defenceless, the weak and the vulnerable in our midst.
They have failed to protect and shield the thousands that are hacked to pieces and burnt alive on a regular basis by the rabid islamist beasts and terrorists in our midst for no just cause other than the fact that they are perceived as being nothing but Christian, Middle Belt and southern slaves.
I am going to say some hard things and speak some home truths in this conbtribution and frankly I do not care who takes offence, whose ox is gored or who feels hurt by it.
People are being killed by the demons in flesh, the tsetse flies and the religious and ethnic bigots in our land every day. Buhari's Nigeria is awash with blood and most of it is Christian blood that is being shed by his misguided and dark-hearted Fulani kinsmen.
It is time to speak the truth no matter how ugly that truth may be and no matter how politically incorrect it may be to speak it.
It is time to stand up to the evil in the land, to damn the consequeces and to bear the threats and insults that always come for speaking and exposing the truth in what has essentially become a police state.
It is time to coin that famous Ghanaian phrase that says "all die be die" and to remember Shakepeare's words when he wrote "even though the heavens fall, let the truth be told and let justice be done".
And that truth is that the evil that has seized our land has two columns, two heads and two primary sources of motivation. The first is the forceful and bloody quest for Fulani supremacy, ethnic hegemony and racial domination.
The second is the morbid obsession by the radical Muslims of core northern Nigeria to shed innocent blood, to take life in the name of their god, to effect Jihad against those that do not share their world view, to wipe out Christianity, to enslave our people and to islamise our country.
The truth is that every single CORE northern Muslim leader that has ever ruled this country has either died on the throne or been removed from power in a military coup. Not one of them ended well.
Whether the second coming of Buhari will end any differently remains to be seen. One thing that is clear to me though is that the whole thing is spiritual. It is being orchestrated and effected by the finger of God and not by any man.
It is God's way of saying that they were never meant to rule and be there in the first place and that He has rejected them. It is the work of the Ancient of Days and the Lord God of Hosts.
They believe that they were "born to rule" but in actual fact they have been rejected by the Living God.
Those that employ mass murder, ethnic cleansing and genocide as a tool of conquest and a legitimate weapon of war, that consider their fellow Nigerians to be sub-human and that believe that those fellow Nigerians are nothing but chattel and serfs that are destined to be ruled over by some distant caliph are in grave error: they have not fully understood God's plan and purpose for this country.
They cannot comprehend or understand what is slowly unfolding. They do not appreciate the fact that no matter how much evil they visit on the rest of us that God is at work and His counsel alone will stand over our people and in the affairs of our nation.
The truth is that the Lord regards them as nothing more than unbelieving slaves and they are far below us. They are of the darkness and we are of the light.
The bible describes it is a "great evil under the sun" when "the children of slaves ride on horseback" whilst "the sons of Kings walk around barefoot".
That is what has been happening in Nigeria since 1960. The children of the "bonded woman" have been riding on horseback whilst the children "of promise" have been walking around barefoot.
This is indeed "a great evil under the sun". It is a spiritual affliction. It is witchcraft. It is an abomination. It is unacceptable.
It is a total reversal of the way things ought to be. It is a rejection, usurpation and total corruption of God's original plan. It is ungodly and it is anti-Christ.
I blame no-one but the leadership of the body of Christ in Nigeria for this mess.
There are a few good ones amongst them who stood firm and spoke out when it mattered the most but sadly there are others who are more interested in collecting tiny crumbs from the President's table and buying fine clothes, expensive jewelry, fast cars and private jets than they are in standing up for their flock and effecting God's purpose and plan for Nigeria.
Worst still there is also a small handful, like that short and vocal Rev. Father from Enugu, who have chosen to sell their souls to the devil, collaborate with the enemies of Christ and serve as the principal cheerleaders to the tyrant.
If our men and women of God were bold and courageous and if they were doing their job properly the radical Muslims could not have turned Christians in Nigeria into second class citizens and toilet paper and a sharia-loving, Muslim-fundamentalist, closet- jihadist and Fulani supremacist like Buhari would never have been in power today.
The bottom line is this: if you are not ready to die for Christ or to lose your life or liberty for defending and protecting the gospel, God's children or the faith then you are not worthy of being called a Christian.
We must help the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to stand firm and strengthen their collective resolve but we must not leave it at that.
We must also organise ourselves as well, not only in the political arena, but also by setting up strong Christian militias and defence squads to protect our churches and our people from the terrorists and butchers.
We must aspire to emulate the Christian Phalange militia in Lebanon which was formed just before the Lebanese civil war broke out in the '70's and 80's.
They were disciplined, well organised, gallant and courageous and they defended the lives of their people and the honor of their faith. The truth is that had it not been for the Phalange the Christians of Lebanon would have been wiped out by the Muslims in that war.
I abhore violence and neither do I advocate its use. However we must accept the fact that,
whether we like it or not, ultimately this matter will be settled not just by prayers, politics, long essays and press statements but also with guns and bullets.
This is because violence is the only language that the butchers from the north appreciate and can comprehend. If the state is either incapable or refuses to protect the Christian community in Nigeria we will be left with no choice but to defend ourselves and protect our own.
Permit me to conclude this contribution with the following.
I would urge all those that still love and support this government to take a long hard look at the pictures that are strewn all over the internet of their fellow Nigerians that have been mutilated and carved up like Christmas turkeys and sallah goats. This is the work of Buhari's kinsmen, the Fulani militias and herdsmen.
He has refused to arrest any of them let alone bring them to justice. Instead he has ruined our economy, impoverished and destroyed the lives of our people and aborted their God-given destiny, divided our nation on religious and ethnic lines, demonised us before the international community and labelled every Nigerian, apart from himself, as being incompetent and corrupt.
This is a man that spends his time pontificating about corruption with long and boring speeches and pointing fingers at others. This is a man that told Mr. Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan at the Tokyo summit in Nairobi just yesterday, that Nigeria's "business environment is not friendly to investors" and that consistently tells other world leaders how supposedly "corrupt" his own people are.
He has conveniently refused to tell those same world leaders how his presidential campaign was funded, how much money those that ran his campaign paid Mr. David Axelrod, President Obama's campaign advisor and publicist, and how many cars and how much "allowance" he collected from Col. Sambo Dasuki, President Goodluck Jonathan's National Security Advisor, before being "elected" President.
The Bible says "let he who is free of sin cast the first stone". Nigerians may not know the truth today but God does and He cannot be mocked. Let Him judge between us.
Yet the truth is that President Buhari's administration is not only essentially hypocrital but they also have no shame. All those that continue to support them and cheer them on are equally shameless.
Worst still their supporters are cowards because they cannot find the courage to admit that they were wrong in supporting a government that is manifestly divisive, insensitive, incompetent, corrupt and intolerant of criticism and dissent.
They are the ones that we must hold responsible and accountable for what has happened to those unfortunate people in all those pictures.
They are the ones that we must blame for what has been happening to thousands of others at the hands of the Fulani militants and herdsmen all over the country for the last one year and three months.
I say this because they are the ones that have encouraged the beast and cheered him on. They are the ones that have fed his blood-lust and encouraged him in his morbid quest to steal, kill and destroy. They are the ones that wanted, and still want, "mai chanji".
I say a pox on all their houses! Shame on them and shame on the beast and tyrant that they worship.
May the souls of all the saints, believers and Christian martyrs that were cut short by the butchers and barbarians from the north rest in peace and may the Lord God of Hosts avenge them speedily.
Shalom.
'Rohr doesn't have the pedigree to coach Super Eagles, he'll lead them to failure' - Ex FIFA chief Amos Adamu
Gernot was appointed the technical adviser of the Super Eagles and signed a two-year contract that will reportedly pay him $47,000 a month to lead Nigeria through the 2018 World Cup qualifiers .
Adamu, a member of the organizing committee for the 2010 South Africa World Cup and an Executive Committee member of CAF and FIFA before he was banned said Franco-German coach, Rohr does not have the pedigree to handle the Super Eagles and will lead the team to failure.
“He does not have the pedigree, I don’t know him,” Adamu told Hot FM Abuja. For now, we do not have a coach. He will just damage us and then he will leave.”Adamu also questioned how the coach was recruited by the NFF and said he doesn't expect NFF president Amaju Pinnick to resign despite the clamour for him to do so .
It is not in our culture to resign even if it is the right thing to do, He should take responsibility for his action, but it won’t happen. Who will enforce? Who is in that ministry to enforce it? We are also suffering from a culture of poverty and so people asking for him to resign will be bought over and before you know it, they will be singing a different song.”
How Michelle Obama’s involvement in #BringBackOurGirls frustrated rescue of Chibok girls — Aisha Wakil
Excerpts from the interview below
What do you think is the prospect of rescuing the rest of the Chibok girls?
Assuming I had clue that they were going to kidnap the girls, I would have been in Chibok sleeping. Then I would have been in that hall and everybody would be kidnapped. I didn’t know about it. When I heard about it, I told the government to calm down. They should keep quiet. I was able to pass the message across. I said ‘please start releasing them’. It did not take time before some of the girls were released. So by the time I knew it, the whole thing was in the media. Boko Haram now called me and said mama we are no more releasing. The Chibok girls have become diamond and gold. I asked why? They said even Obama’s wife is carrying ‘Bring Back Our Girls’. They now knew that they are very important as the whole attention was focused on them.
After that I became really disturbed. I started tracing them in the bush to see whether I could get to where the girls were. I slept in the bush. Then later they told me where to come and pick 50 of them. I was heading there with Dr. Steven Davis and one general. We slept in that bush. So by the time we got there, civilian JTF alerted them in the bush and was chasing them in the bush and they now took off. I went there with the ambulance. They called me in front of the general and requested that I should come to a certain location the following day and pick 50 girls. They said we should have 14 ambulance buses on standby. I said ‘okay’. They also told me to come with shai which means tea with milk and put plenty sugar. This is because some of the girls were very weak and one with a broken hand.
So Dr. Davies and that high-ranking general now decided to go with University of Maiduguri vans and some doctors and nurses. They warned me never to come with a military and if I do they would slaughter me in front of the military.
So we were making the preparation. The general with us received a message on his telephone: “Chibok girls sighted.” So we rushed. By the time we got there civilian JTF had seen them and gave them a hot chase.
By the time we got there they had driven them too far. I was calling on the telephone but their lines were switched off. It was later in the night I got them and they asked me: mama what happened? Did you tell anyone? I said ‘no I did not’. Civilian JTF chased them and there was a massacre.
They killed so many of them —up to 400— that time. We lost them, We slept in that bush with the military and commander of the military know me and everything. They were so happy that I could take this risk.
Early morning, they called me and asked ‘mama where are you?’ I said ‘I am somewhere’. They now said the roads were dangerous that we should pass through Monguno on our way back to Maiduguri. That was how we lost that one. If they had not chased them. If they had not sighted them we could have just finished this thing. Those 50 girls would have been in our custody. everything would have been over by now.
So in your opinion, President Obasanjo’s comment that the girls could not longer be rescued was greatly exaggerated?
Yes. It was exaggerated. When he made that statement, they called me. You know they read everything —they read a lot. They go on the Internet and read a lot of things. They called me and said mama go to the newspapers. Tell them they are alive. I said why don’t you come so that two of us will say that they are alive? He said ‘no mama. Please do this. Nigeria will curse us. So I now came out in the newspaper and narrated story saying they are alive. Nobody believed it. Now I kept on pushing them. What they want is proof of life. So when we get there, I will cross the bridge of showing the proof of life. So it is very easy, What are they doing with them? Even though they are married come out with your wives we will settle you.
The English premier league table after match day 3 (photo)
Man U will face Man city in a fortnight after the international break, a
game that'll have a huge effect on how the season pans out for Jose
Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.
Woman dumped by wealthy husband after she lost her breast to cancer storms venue of his wedding to younger woman
On Saturday, August 20, a wealthy elderly real
estate manager John Njuguna Ng’ang’a and his young new wife Anne
Wairimu were celebrating their wedding at her Ruiru home when the man's
first wife Jane Njeri Njuguna, armed with a court injunction, stormed
the scene accompanied by the Officer
Commanding Ruiru Police Station. (Pictured: John at Ruiru Police Station. Inset: Jane Njeri and John during their wedding)
While the two women engaged in a scuffle, the old man was
whisked off to Ruiru Police Station where he spent the night. According to Njeri, her husband opted for a second wife because
one of her breasts was surgically removed due to cancer and that at one
time, he even insulted her that she no longer has anything special for
him.
"He has a right to marry even 10 wives, but what I want is the
property I acquired with him. It is painful to see another woman
enjoying my sweat after I have endured a lot of ridicule," said Njeri
Another
relative who declined to be named said, "We were shocked and ashamed
when our mum revealed how Njuguna insulted her that she is useless now
that she has nothing on her chest for enjoyment."
Njuguna refused to speak to Sahara Tribune at the police station,
instead he just laughed off the matter. Njeri claims she was shocked to
learn that Njuguna had found a
younger woman to marry just days to the secret wedding, forcing her to
seek intervention from the courts.
"When the order was delivered at the woman’s house where the wedding
was supposed to be held, he was not around, but he later signed it," a
close relative told The Nairobian. "We thought he would obey the order,
only for word to reach us that the wedding was going on. Luckily, we
arrived in time and saved the situation."
Njeri, a mother of six, says she met Njuguna in college in Machakos and that their love
blossomed in Kakamega where he was posted as a clinical officer and
where she worked briefly as a nurse. The two tied the knot at a church
wedding in Thika following her transfer from Kakamega.
"I decided to quit the government after we got married. We opened our
own clinic to allow us to settle down and raise a family like anyone
else,"
With money rolling in, the couple lived on the fast lane, raising
their children and investing in plots and other businesses until
misfortune struck in 2004.
"I realised I had a lump in my right breast and upon further
investigation, it was confirmed that I had breast cancer,” Njeri said, adding that she opted for a mastectomy to save her life.
Njuguna was
initially supportive, Njeri admitted and when he was attacked by thugs
who seriously injured his
limbs and left him confined to wheelchair for three years, she took care
of him until he healed. Things started falling apart when in 2012,
Njuguna teamed up
with a close relative who works in real estate and deals in houses of
high-profile figures in government and with time rose to the position of
a manager of the company.
"Around 2013 and 2014, he started changing and would even step away
from me whenever he received a phone call. Things moved from bad to
worse when, in August 2015, he came home and found me in bed. I remember
he insulted me about my body and kicked me out of the house saying his
home was not a hospital ward and I ought to find one," said Njeri.
Fearing for her life, Njeri says she left for her parents’ home where she
opened a small business to sustain her life before Njuguna’s brother
intervened and brought her back home.
"I returned to my matrimonial home briefly but fled when he arrived in a foul mood and attempted to attack me,” she claimed.
Source: saharatribune.com