Lagos State Gov. Fashola Opens Up Register For Sex Offenders

The Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola has signed a bill to create a register for all sex offenders in the state. Fashola also identified Alimosho, Kosofe, Agege and Oshodi-Isolo as the areas with the highest cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in the state.

The governor signed the bill on Monday, December 1, and the sex offenders register, along with the already instituted crime data register, will enable law enforcement agents to better prosecute sexual offences committed within the state.

 “I will like to tell those perpetrating the act in these local governments-Alimosho, Kosofe, Agege and Oshodi-Isolo to desist now because we would be coming after them.

We will combat these crimes so that they do not become big crimes in the state,” Fashola said. “Also, in order to ensure that criminals are monitored, we have created a crime data register which states everyone who has engaged the criminal justice system of the state, and we have close to 100, 000 offenders on that register.”

“And very soon, we would start deploying people to the data rooms in the police stations across the state to gather the bio-data of offenders including their photographs and others. This was why we have asked everyone to register so that before you employ anyone, you will know his track record,” the governor added.

Governor Fashola also called for collective effort to combat sexual crimes in the state “And this is the time for everyone especially women to speak against it.

This is the time for us to have a local enforcement unit; either we call it state police or whatever name we wish to call it, to protect the women from frequent abuse from their opposite gender,” the governor said. The Attorney-General of Lagos, Ade Ipaye also stated at the event that no fewer than 113 cases of sexual violence were currently being prosecuted in High Courts across the state.

Boko Haram Takes Over Lassa LGA in Borno State

The Boko Haram sect Sunday night took over Lassa town in Askira/Uba local government council, Borno State, leaving many persons dead and many worship and residential houses burnt down.

The attack, according to reports from Lassa, was resisted by the villagers who engaged the attackers with locally made rifles, bows and arrows.

The insurgents who were said to have come with all sorts of modern weapons were said to have overpowered the locals after a brief exchange of fire. As it is now, Boko Haram is fully in charge in Lassa town and has declared the town a caliphate.

This is the first town in the Southern part of Borno that Boko Haram has taken over. Lassa is a predominantly Christian community.

SOURCE

Meet Rihanna's Lookalike Making Big Bucks From Endorsements

Meet Rihanna's look alike Andele Lara who is getting endorsements in place of Rihanna.

Rihanna(left), Andele Lara(Right)

This 22-year-old may look like Rihanna, but it’s actually Andele Lara, a student from Boston, Massachusetts. She’s frequently mistaken for the sexy pop star, but as a kid Lara wasn’t always so keen on her looks. “Growing up, I was a very shy girl,” Lara told the Daily Mail. “I was known as the skinny girl with the big forehead.” But after experimenting with her hair and swapping her school uniform for more trendy clothes, her classmates started noticing her likeness to the Barbadian singer with the hit song “Umbrella” on the radio. “The comments started in my sophomore year. My friend had a magazine with Rihanna on the cover. He held it up to my face and was like, ‘You look like her!’”

Myles Munroe, His wife and Daughter Dies in Bahamas Plane Crash Landing

Breaking News; Dr. Myles Munroe, internationally-known author, bible teacher, governmental consultant and leadership mentor, was one of nine passengers on a plane that crashed in Grand Bahama on Sunday afternoon, according to multiple news reports.

 

A Lear 36 executive jet left the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) for the Grand Bahama International Airport, the Department of Civil Aviation reports.

The plane departed at 4:07 p.m. and carried nine people. The vessel crashed while making its landing approach, the Department of Civil Aviation said.

News reports indicate his wife, Ruth, and daughter were also killed in the crash. Myles Munroe's ministry was not immediately available for comment as at the time this post was made.

Stay tuned to Amebo News for an update to this story.

And please keep his family in your prayers.

Gov. Okorocha Says "Boko Haram Can Be Defeated in 2 Months"

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, has said that the menace of the dreaded Boko Haram sect could be stopped in two months, only if visionary and efficient leadership is encouraged at the highest level of power in Nigeria. Okorocha, stated this on Friday, during a dinner he organised for media executives and nominees from across the country, who were in Owerri for the Nigeria Media Merit Award 2014, noted that the problem had remained intractable because some people were benefiting from fighting the insurgents.However, he said no president of Nigeria had plans to fail in governance, noting that leaders of the country since independence never had bad intentions.

Chief Rochas blamed the mrnace on leaders’ inappropriate usage of both the human and material resources, which he said also, contributed to government’s inability to tackle insurgencies in the country. “No nation is poor in terms of human and material resources, the problem has always been about leadership,” he said.

Okorocha advocated a bottom-up approach to power, stating that this is what will reduce excessive power of the president which hinders power distribution among the federating units.“The president is too powerful while the masses continue to suffer. We need leaders who can give jobs to the people. Vision is very important to surmount most of the challenges facing the country, this is why my administration placed great premium on education by making it free from primary to university levels.”

He, however, said that decentralisation of power was germane to solving the challenges facing the country. The Imo governor, also challenged journalists to rise up to the challenges of their profession, admonished them to ask political leaders about their activities in government, noting that “the media profession has lost the culture of investigative journalism.” “I’ve always waited for an opportunity to confront journalists on their role in the leadership question and the need for the fourth estate of the realm to engender good governance by tasking would-be leaders on plans they have for Nigeria,” Okorocha said.

This guy get mouth!!!

Sun News

INEC Fails In The Distribution of PVC in Lagos, Tinubu.

National Leader of the All Progres­sives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu yester­day took the Indepen­dent National Electoral Commission to the cleaners, declaring that the electoral body failed in the distribution of the permanent voter’s cards (PVC) in Lagos State.

Asiwaju Tinubu spoke yesterday at a press confer­ence held by the Lagos State Chapter of the APC. In every one of the 11 lo­cal governments in the state where the first phase of the distribution of the PVC was monitored by key party of­ficials including the Lagos APC chairman, Otunba Henry Ajomale, Tinubu said the reports brought back were unanimous that INEC’s performance was abysmally poor.

He emphasized that the best thing for INEC to do was to start afresh, stat­ing that what has happened smack of a collusion to rig the election in favour of the government at the centre. His words: “This is a co­lossal failure and it has erod­ed my confidence in INEC to be able to midwife a success­ful 2015 election.”

On the reduction of the number of registered vot­ers in Lagos to 4.8, Tinubu challenged INEC to publish the names of the individu­als who engaged in double registration, stressing that the electoral body lacks the power to disqualify anybody on that basis given that it is not a court. “INEC must publish names of close to 2 million excluded voters, INEC is not the court of law. You cannot exclude Nigerians from ex­ercising their franchise.

You cannot automatically without the court of law disqualify them. If you fail to publish and give reason you are also violating their constitutional rights. “To me this exercise has failed and we reconsider it as a dry run, a rigging ex­ercise, INEC has colluded with the Presidency, they are closing party to rig the election from beginning to the end.

If for four years you are not ready with PVC and few months to election, PVC is not ready and you have not been able to start capturing those who are now18 years and you have 30 days minimum to display voters’ register before elec­tion, how are we sure INEC is prepared?”

Source: Sun News

Number of Ebola Cases Surpasses 10,000 in W/Africa: World Health Organisation

The World Health Organization has said in its new report that the number of cases in the Ebola outbreak has surpassed 10,000 and the death toll has reached 4,922 in West Africa.

The reports said that Liberia remains the worst affected country with 2,705 death cases while Sierra Leona and Guinea had 1,281 and 926 fatalities respectively.

According to the BBC, Nigeria has recorded eight deaths and one in Mali and one in the United States. Mali became the latest nation to record a death wherein a two year old girl died.

The WHO said that the number of cases were 10,141 but the figure could be much higher. The treatment centers in West Africa are also getting over crowded due to which many families were keeping the patients at home, said the WHO.

A Nigerian Drug Trafficker Left to Die Over Ebola fears

A Nigerian drug trafficker has died at a Spanish airport after cocaine bags inside his stomach split open and airport staff did not touch him over Ebola fears.

The man, who had arrived at Madrid-Barajas airport on a flight from the Turkish city of Istanbul on October 18, succumbed to the symptoms of a cocaine overdose and started shaking on the floor, Russia Today (RT) reported on Saturday.

However, nobody approached the man for at least 50 minutes as he was thought to be an Ebola patient.

 

Airport officials reportedly called medical specialists who found the man “unconscious with a weak pulse and suffering breathing difficulties.” Minutes later, it turned out that the man was not infected with the virus, and finally, he was taken to hospital. It was, however, too late and he died 25 minutes after arriving at hospital.

His wife said the Nigerian had not travelled to his homeland in the last four years. Ebola is a form of hemorrhagic fever whose symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected blood, feces or sweat.

It can also be spread through sexual contact or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the deadliest Ebola epidemic on record has infected 10,141 and claimed 4,922 lives so far.

Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia have taken the brunt of the spread of the disease, which is running amok in West Africa. The media hype over Ebola comes at a time when thousands of people in Africa and other parts of the world die every day from hunger and preventable diseases.

Mainstream Western media, however, pay very little attention to such issues

What a news!!!
 

D'Banj Sets to Plan First Musical Movie in Nigeria to Celebrate His 10th Year Music Career

This year, 2014, will make D'banj's 10th year in the Nigeria's music industry and he's preparing to celebrate it big!

First he revealed that Don Jazzy will be producing some tracks on the upcoming album to mark the feat.

Now, the Kokomaster will be dropping Nigeria's first ever musical movie and we are already excited about it because we can't wait to see what it looks like.


To bring that to life, he has a deal with Apple which involves making a musical movie about his 10-year journey as a musician.

 

D'banj who called from Los Angeles, revealed this to Beat FM presenters, Olisa Adinua and Maria, : ‘Most people have the wrong impression that Dr Dre was the one that signed me, but the contract I have says ‘APPLE’ and to take it further, my management, DKM Media in conjunction with Apple is working on a musical movie.

I’m going to act in the movie and play the role of D’banj’, he said. D’banj is currently taking acting lessons in preparation for the role; ‘Yes o, I’m currently taking acting lessons, initially, I didn’t know I would need acting lessons to play myself in the movie but they want to make it very professional and very well done.’

CREDITS : Daily Times

South African Pastors Welcome T.B Joshua's Donation

According to a South African new source, Nigerian preacher TB Joshua's pledge to donate R50 000 to the families of the victims of his church's collapse is welcomed, the Mahikeng Ministers Fellowship (MMF) said on Saturday.

 

“Mahikeng Ministers Fellowship has welcomed the donation of over R4-million announced by the Synagogue Church of All Nations to assist families of victims of the church building collapse in Nigeria meet funeral expenses...,” chairman of MMF Zandisile Mpame said in a statement.

“The announcement of aid to the families that lost their loved ones during the tragic incident does not come as a surprise to those of us in the church who are familiar with Prophet TB Joshua's global humanitarian and philanthropic activities which have contributed over US200 million over the years towards various causes to alleviate the plight of those in need.”

On Friday Joshua's church released a statement saying a R50 000 donation would be paid towards funeral expenses of each family of the victims of the church building collapse.

The church's spokesman Kirsten Nematandani said they had done a full audit of each family's financial needs and assisted with various household expenses as many of the deceased were breadwinners. He said household expenses varied from rent money to school fees and groceries.

It is believed 85 people from South Africa were among those killed when a multi-storey guesthouse attached to the church, run by Joshua, collapsed in Lagos on September 12.

On Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe announced that DNA samples of the 116 victims had arrived at a laboratory in South Africa for analysis.

The DNA process was in the hands of the Nigerian authorities, who had appointed a laboratory in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, to do the analysis.

Nematandani said the church had travelled to all provinces in the past few weeks to visit, counsel and assess families' financial needs and assist where possible.

What is your view on this?

 

Liberia's Gay Population Is Being Blamed For Ebola, And Punished With Violence

Anti-gay discrimination has reared its ugly head again, this time in Liberia, one of four countries currently stricken with Ebola. Why this time, you ask? Well, for causing Ebola, obviously.

Local Christian leaders have said that Ebola is God’s punishment for homosexuality, and since then, members of the community have been harassed, physically attacked, and even had their cars destroyed.

Reuters reported that Liberian LGBT campaigner Leroy Ponpon said he stays at home, fearful of both catching the deadly virus and being attacked for his sexual orientation:

Since church ministers declared Ebola was a plague sent by God to punish sodomy in Liberia, the violence towards gays has escalated. They’re even asking for the death penalty. 

We’re living in fear. In a July meeting of the Liberian Council of Churches, religious leaders put out a statement that said “God is angry with Liberia,” adding: Ebola is a plague.

Liberians have to pray and seek God’s forgiveness over the corruption and immoral acts (such as homosexualism, etc.) that continue to penetrate our society.

An Amnesty International representative in West Africa, Francois Patuel told Reuters that there were reports of threats and violence against the LGBT community in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, since Christian leaders weighed in on the Ebola outbreak. He said,

 

Amnesty has received pictures of cars that reportedly belong to gays with their windows smashed as well as reports that gays have been forced from their homes and had to go into hiding.

  According to BBC World, Liberia is the country worst hit by the Ebola epidemic — about 50 new cases are reported everyday in Monrovia. With its healthcare system in shambles in large part due to the virus outbreak, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, told Reuters that the country “entered the epidemic with only about 50 doctors for 4 million people” — a imbalance so stark that it actually made me gasp.

Back in 2012, Liberia’s president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, sent shockwaves throughout the international community when she said in an interview that she would not decriminalize homosexuality, citing the preservation of traditional values in their society. President Sirleaf is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Africa has not been kind to the LGBT community. Jay Michaelson at The Daily Beast reported that of the 78 countries that ban homosexuality, “almost all anti-gay laws are a vestige of European colonialism, and date back approximately 150 years.” Funnily enough, anti-gay leaders in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone have denounced gay rights and homosexuality as a “Western” concept that must be opposed to preserve “traditional African values.”

  

Uganda gained notoriety a few years back for a video of one Pastor Martin Ssempa denouncing gay sex as his research showed him that it involved, among other things, eating the “poo poo.” Seriously. The video has garnered over eight million views, and was subject to ridicule and criticism when it came out. Ironically, Pastor Ssempa was recently accused of promoting “gayism” through his lectures and gay porn screenings at churches.
The rise of anti-gay sentiment in Africa is in large part due to the spread of American evangelism. Kapya Kaoma, a priest and human rights activist, wrote in an LA Times Op-Ed of the homophobia exported from the U.S.:

In recent years, millions of dollars have been funneled from anti-LGBTQ evangelical conservatives to Uganda, funding local pastors and training them to adopt and mirror the culture-war language of the U.S. Christian right. 

And of course, trust the Christian right to convey a similar hate-filled, discriminatory narrative on the Ebola outbreak back here in the U.S., too. In August, conservative radio host Rick Wiles said in his talk show that there was a silver lining to the epidemic:

Now this Ebola epidemic can become a global pandemic and that’s another name for plague. It may be the great attitude adjustment that I believe is coming. Ebola could solve America’s problems with atheism, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, pornography and abortion.

Source: 

Do You Think Churches and Other NGOs Should Be Taxed?

For some time now it has been all over the news, that churches and other NGOs should be taxed because of the rate of income these Non-Governmental Organisations make from their activities.

 

 

Some days back, it was on air and some Nigerians called to speak their minds on this issue. Some called to say that Churches, Mosques and other NGOs should be taxed because some of these organisations make hell of money from church offerings and donations, which are neither used to better the lives of members of the organisation nor the members of the society.

Some also called to say these NGOs should not be taxed, except in cases where these NGOs are engaged in extra activities such as running Educational Institutions, Cyber Cafe and other money making activities that that brings in extra income.

 

Others said that these institutions should be left alone and should not be judged by whether their leaders make money or not from their activities, it should be between them and their Creator.

Now as we all can see this case is a sensitive one which can hardly lead to a conclusion.

What is your own take concerning this issue of taxing these NGOs, Should they be taxed or not?

Let us hear the Voxpop!!!

Baby Born With a Qur’an In His Hand, Ibadan Mother Claims

An Islamic preacher in Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr Dawood Amoo, has described the birth of a baby boy holding a pocket-size Qur’an in his hand.

Amoo told journalists that the boy was unique, because mini Qur’an contained all the 114 chapters in the holy book. The baby’s mother went to deliver him at a church because she feared of hospital bills.

 

The woman who took the boy saw the ‘strange’ object and threw it away as something devilish, but soon the baby became restless and continued to clutch and empty fist.


The child’s parents who were not practicing any religion before, now say they will revert to Islam as this was a sign directly from Allah.

The baby, who was named Ismael, attracted huge crowd when the news filtered around town that he was born with a holy book.

The residence of the baby’s parents has become something like a mecca as Ibadan people go there to have a glimpse of the little boy.

 

Nigerians react in different ways to such ‘wonder’. Some of them believe that wonders shall not end.

 

Really, Wonders shall not end!

source

NYSC Members to Get Increment in Allowances- House of Reps

The House of Representatives on Thursday in Abuja passed for second reading a bill seeking an improved welfare package for members of the National Youth Service Corps.

  

The bill seeks to amend the NYSC Act No 51 of 1993 by making provisions to enhance the welfare of corps members, encourage acquisition of special business and commercial skills at the end of the annual service year.


Moshood Mustapha (All Progressives Congress – Kwara), who sponsored the bill, expressed regrets over unemployment and poverty rate bedeviling the country.

He said the proposed amendment would encourage self-employment.

Section 7(3) of the proposed amendment seeks to increase state governments annual subvention from N500,000 to N50m, to enable NYSC to cater adequately for the welfare and skill acquisition needs of corps members.

It said such minimum subvention shall be provided before the commencement of the service year, for which it was intended. Section 18 (2) also seeks to increase minimum accommodation allowance from N250 per month to N5,000 while transport allowance might be increased from N150 per month to N5,000.

The sponsor added, “The bill seeks to amend the NYSC Decree 51 of 1993 to provide for the training of corps members to acquire skills and business. “It would enable them to seek other means of sustainable livelihood and fend for themselves other than the white collar jobs that are in acute shortage.” 

If you are a corps member or a potential corps member or you have someone who is serving or is about to serve, what is you take on this new changes?

Source
 

Power Surge Causes Fire Outbreak at Lagos International Airport

Fire on Thursday took over the second floor of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMA) terminal but was quickly put off before a major damage was done.

  

THISDAY gathered that the fire started in the commercial department of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on the second floor of the terminal.

Passengers and other airport users at the departure hall started running helter-skelter when they saw smoke wafting from the floor above in the building but it was quickly put off.

THISDAY learnt the fire was ignited by power surge during a heavy but brief rainfall. The General Manager, Corporate Communications of FAAN, Yakubu Dati, explained: “There was a minor smoke incident at the departures hall of the international terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 11:45 a.m. today."


“The smoke was quickly traced to the electric panel room on the second floor of the terminal by a combined team of FAAN’s electrical engineers and fire officers. “Preliminary investigation reveals that the incident was caused by a short circuit at the panel room which was quickly arrested by the engineers on duty. 

“The authority wish to assure the travelling public and other airport users that there was no immediate danger to anyone as a result of the incident neither did it affect flight operations at the terminal. 

“The authority has directed the Directorate of Engineering and Maintenance to commence immediate investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the said short-circuiting of the cables,” he said.

If you have any comment concerning this, Please use the comment box. Thank you for visiting!
 

Williams Sisters Recieves Apology for Being Called Williams Brothers by Coach Shamil Tarpischev

Wow what a great story to share with you today. Sexism and chauvinism still exist in sports? Hear what this guy called the Williams Sisters in this story and later apologized for doing so.

 

Serena Williams has said she and her sister Venus have received a written apology from the head of the Russian tennis federation after he caused a storm by calling them the "Williams brothers".

Williams said on Thursday Shamil Tarpischev, who has been fined $US25,000 ($28,600) and banned for a year by the Women's Tennis Association over the remarks he made on a TV chat show, had "reached out" over the controversy. "He has reached out to apologise to both myself and my sister," she said at the WTA Finals in Singapore, after her 6-1, 6-1 win over Eugenie Bouchard. "It was written. No, I did not speak to him." 

Williams had earlier slammed Tarpischev's comments, which also earned a strongly worded rebuke from WTA chief Stacey Allaster and condemnation from Russia's world No.2 Maria Sharapova. "His comments, I thought, were very insensitive. I thought they were extremely sexist as well as racist at the same time, and I thought they were in a way bullying," Williams said on Sunday.

Tarpischev, a vastly experienced coach and administrator, has also issued a public apology for his remarks but he insisted his "joke" did not merit the attention it has received.


The controversy cast an unwanted shadow over the start of Williams' Finals campaign, which remains in the balance following her stunning 6-0, 6-2 defeat to Simona Halep on Wednesday. Despite Thursday's strong recovery against Bouchard, the defending champion still needs Halep to win at least a set in her final group match against Ana Ivanovic if she is to reach the last four.

But Williams insisted she would not "stress out" over her fate – and may go and watch a Mariah Carey concert rather than see whether Halep can help her into the semi-finals on Friday.

Ebola , Now Close to New Jersey, USA

To Beth Norcia, Superintendent Maple Shade School District New Jersey, USA Dear Mrs. Norcia, I was raised in metro-Atlanta, Georgia, where the DeKalb County School system nurtured me. I attended a number of schools within the district. At Jolly Elementary School, I tasted green eggs and ham for the first time, climbed trees and played with earthworms. At Rockbridge Elementary School, I learned how to do a cartwheel with my legs straight up in the air because I used to watch my classmate, April, do hers like a graceful gymnast. I wanted my hair tossed in the air like April's hair, but mine was too short and curly.

I joined the 4-H Club at Hambrick Elementary school, joined my peers in making a pond outside. I dug through the Georgia red clay, helped place a huge liner over the hole, then filled it up with water. Then, I carried medium-sized stones and pebbles along the liner, along with potted plants and flowers. And then when we dumped brightly colored fish into the water, I remember swelling with pride and glee. It was childhood bliss at its best.

At Stone Mill Elementary School, I wore an ivory lace dress to my sixth grade graduation. Plastic flowers surrounded the scrunchie in my hair. My stomach fluttered each time I walked up to the podium to receive another certificate and trophy and to shake the principal's hand.

My parents took my siblings and I to Pizza Hut to celebrate. That was the end of my elementary school years. Those were my formative years. I was a very shy student. My third grade teacher, Mrs. Harshman encouraged me to come out of my shell of timidity.

She invited me and other academically-well-performing students to her home for a pool party. I jumped right in, even though I didn't know how to swim. She said she liked my bathing suit. She offered me brownies. She was my friend. I befriended many of my elementary school teachers and in turn, they guided me and helped shape my perspective on life. My sixth grade homeroom teacher, Mrs. Kathleen Hobbs had a profound effect on me. She encouraged me to write, and I did, and eventually became a journalist. So, essentially, my career path budded in elementary school.


The mind and education of a child is so precious, so crucially precious. That is why I was disappointed to hear what happened at Howard Yocum Elementary School in regards to the two Rwandan children who have been delayed from starting school due to Ebola fears. I now live in Nigeria, having moved from the United States two years ago to work as a journalist.

Nigeria had its own Ebola outbreak after a Liberian-American man flew into the country in July. Nigerian health workers handled 20 Ebola cases. On Monday, the World Health Organization declared Nigeria Ebola-free attributing some of Nigeria's success to "world-class epidemiological detective work."

The mass hysteria that seemed to have risen after the school nurse at Howard Yocum Elementary School sent a letter to the staff to inform them of the arrival of students from Rwanda was uncalled for. Rwanda has not been affected by Ebola. East Africa has not been affected by this current Ebola outbreak. However, one of the parents of a Howard Yocum Elementary School student was quoted as saying, "Anybody from that area should just stay there until all this stuff is resolved. There's nobody affected here let's just keep it that way."

I am compelled to ask: What area is this parent talking about? Because from this parent's reasoning, it seems the parent is talking about the entire continent of Africa as an Ebola-affected area. Let's not forget that Africa is a continental mass with a total land area of more than three million hectares, three times the size of the United States.

This is the true size of Africa: see map. Why create unnecessary panic? Why breed paranoia? I understand the Howard Yocum Elementary School's nurse explained that she was following guidelines from the Burlington County's Health Department and protocol from people arriving in the United States from "an Ebola affected area."

But according to one reporter: The school nurse acknowledged Rwanda "is not an area identified as a country with an Ebola outbreak," but said she planned to take the children's temperature three times a day as a precaution against "a severe and often fatal viral illness." Here are the facts:

* Rwanda, an East African country, is about 2,879 miles (4633km) away from Liberia.
*Africa has 54 countries and 3 of them (all in West Africa) are battling Ebola: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
*New Jersey is about 1,365 miles from Dallas, Texas, an area that is experiencing its own bout of Ebola. (That means New Jersey is closer to an Ebola-hit "area" than Rwanda is.)
* Spain, France, Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom have all handled cases of Ebola, whereas, Rwanda has no reported cases of Ebola. *

The World Health Organization has already stated that the spread of Ebola in Europe is "quite unavoidable." Now, considering these facts, will the Maple Shade School System create another round of panic if a student arrives from Geneva in Switzerland which is less than 700 miles from Madrid, Spain? What about students coming from Greece? Will the nurse at Howard Yocum Elementary School release another letter if a student arrives from any European country? What about students coming from Texas? The most important issue here is that young minds are at stake.

Are we promoting ignorance and hysteria? The widespread ignorance of Africa among the American population could pose a challenge on public health workers' efforts to spread awareness about Ebola in the United States. Africa is a continent, not a country. It's absurd to refer to a continent as an area. The students of Maple School District have a right to know this.

They have a right to be enlightened, not misguided. The wonder of the elementary school system is that teachers have a chance to enrich children's minds.The school is a nursery for growing intellects, not an arena for fear-mongers.

Howard Yocum Elementary School should not have allowed parents to set the school's agenda concerning the Rwandan kids. What message is the school administration sending when it enabled two youngsters from Rwanda to stay at home because they came from a country where an Ebola outbreak is affecting three other countries almost three thousand miles away? Are we blacklisting Africa? Is this a case of stigmatizing two children simply because they come from Africa?

Thank you for your time,

 Mrs. Norcia. Sincerely,

Chika Oduah, Journalist

chika.oduah@gmail.com

Twitter@chikaoduah

SOURCE: HUFFPOST

FG to Now Pay N500 Daily Feeding Allowance to Corps Memebers

As I was going through Kemi Filani's Blog I saw this wonderful story and decided to share it with you on Amebo House.


The federal government has allocated N500 as daily feeding allowance for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). This was disclosed yesterday by the Director General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi.

 

He made the disclosure at a House of Representatives Committee on Public Petition investigative public hearing on the N4,000 online registration fee imposed on prospective corps members by the corps...but the question now is, "was there no feeding allowance before? If there was, how much was it? will this lead to an increase in the monthly allowee which is currently N19,800?"

What is you view on this new improvement?

 

House of Rep Approves N4,000 NYSC Online Registration

THE House of Representatives Committee on Youth Development has endorsed the N4,000 for the online registration of members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC. Chairman of the committee, Rep Kamil Akinlabi, revealed this while giving update on the investigation into the new policy, during a media chat with House of Representatives Press Corps.


Akinlabi said the fund would be used for installation of equipment at the NYSC offices nationwide adding that the fund would enable the contractor handling the project is expected to recoup its investment within five years.

After the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hassan Saleh, the House directed NYSC management to suspend forthwith the policy requiring prospective corps members to pay N4,000 with effect from 2015 to access their call up letters.

 Akinlabi said: “from the onset, when the matter was brought to our attention, the first thing we felt was the way you are feeling but after constructive engagement, we discovered that it was an innovation that we can’t run from. First, it was not the responsibility of the NYSC to mobilize respective corps members to get their call-up letters, it is the responsibility of the parent. If somebody schooled in Lagos but lives in Kano and to get his call-up letter he has to travel to school. He ädded “so you will discover that it’s time consuming, risky and very expensive. So what the NYSC has done is to partner with a consultant that is already handling similar project for JAMB and WAEC that has eliminated similar risks to partner with them through PPP arrangement. And that PPP arrangement will be on Built Operate and Transfer.”

When you served, how did it go? let's hear your view on this new introduction. Is it needed in our system or irrelevant?

11-Year-Old Girl Raped By Gun Men In Imo State

Uneasy calm has enveloped the sleepy, rural Ehume autonomous community in Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State, following the gang-rape of an 11-year-old girl. Vanguard gathered that the girl (names withheld), who hails from Amaiyi, Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area, but resides at Ehume with her parents, was raped when her parents sent her to the popular Onuimo Rescue Market, Umungwa, Obowo.




Vanguard was told that the girl decided to take a commercial motorcycle to and from the market. “That was how she boarded the motorcycle piloted by 35-year-old Onyekachi Nwankwo, a native of Umunachi, Obowo,” the girl’s father told Vanguard.

The obviously angry father also said soon after the suspect picked Ngozi at the entrance to the market, he told her that he intended to pick his friend, Chike Njoku, who was waiting for him at Ekeja Market in Ehume, Obowo. he said: “My daughter innocently agreed.

The story suddenly changed when Onyekachi picked his friend, veered off the road into a track leading to the boundary river between Umunachi and Umuagu communities at Obowo.” Explaining her experience in the hands of the rapists, the girl said: “When I saw all the weapons they were holding, I had no option than to follow them.


"They parked the motorcycle inside the bush, pulled off my dress and had sex with me, one after the other and left me to my fate thereafter.” Efforts made to get a confirmation of the incident from the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, proved abortive as his mobile line could not be reached at press time. What do you think about this sad story? Place your comment below....

Pastor Adeboye Defends Oritsejafor Over $9.3 Million Arm Deal

According to The Vanguard Newspaper today, GENERAL Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, yesterday, defended the national president of the Christian Association, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, following the controversy surrounding the seizure of $9.3 million arms purchase funds by South Africa.


Pastor Adeboye who spoke in London during an ecclesiastical visit said, “Pastor Ayodele Joseph Oritsejafor is a man of God I trust and I can personally vouch for him. I believe on the issue of his aircraft being chartered and the purpose it was used for he had no prior knowledge.

I’m sure God will continue to build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail in Jesus name. One anointed cannot attack another anointed. A pastor cannot attack another pastor. Touch not my anointed is what God said. Some Nigerians have questioned the use of Pastor Oritsejafor’s private jet by the Federal Government to convey the money to South Africa, accusing him of involvement in money laundering.”

The Federal Government had to come out in defence of the CAN president, arguing that Oritsejafor who is also the founder of Word of Life Bible Church has no hand in the deal.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan (Public Communication), Dr. Doyin Okupe, told newsmen in Abuja: “Oritsejafor is the President of CAN and head of all Christians in Nigeria who is representing at least, 50 per cent of people in this country. When it comes to a man like that, people should be cautious and circumspect.”

Okupe also advised Nigerians to stop playing politics with every issue of national concern, saying it is not in tandem with patriotism.

What is your view on this issue?

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Ebola Case: 60% Survived in Nigeria, W.H.O Says

The World Health Organisation (W.H.O), yesterday, declared Nigeria free of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, a no mean achievement given the deadly and delicate nature of the disease. Nigeria lost eight persons to the disease including the index (first) case, Mr Patrick Sawyer, the late Liberian-American who brought the disease to Nigeria on July 20, 2014. -


Nigeria had 20 cases of Ebola after Sawyer flew into Lagos and collapsed at the airport. Health care workers treating Sawyer were infected, and as it spread it ultimately killed eight people, a low number next to the thousands of cases and deaths in other countries. With the development, the disease killed 40 per cent of those affected in Nigeria. The WHO estimates that 90 per cent of those affected die from Ebola.

Through sheer determination and care on the part of the government and the citizenry, Nigeria ensured that only 20 persons out of a population of 167 million were affected and 60 per cent of the victims survived the disease.

The record is bettered by Uganda, which in 2007 had 149 cases and 37 deaths (25 per cent fatality) and Cote d Ívoire that had one case and no death in 1994.

Since the outbreak of the disease in four West African countries- Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria, late December 2013 and this year, Spain and the United States of America about 9000 cases have been reported with about 4500 deaths (50 per cent fatality). The breakdown of the figures in West Africa is as follows:

Liberia – 4262 cases, 2484 deaths, 58.28 per cent fatality 

Sierra Leone – 3410 cases, 1200 deaths, 35.19 per cent fatality 

Guinea – 1519 cases, 862 deaths, 56.75 per cent fatality

Nigeria – 20 cases, eight deaths, 40 per cent fatality. 

Nigeria is by far the most populous of these countries with a population of 167 million and yet recorded the least number of cases, an indication of the professional manner the government and the citizenry handled the challenge. The populations of the other countries are: Uganda (37 million), Cote d Ívoire (16 million), Guinea (10 million), Sierra Leone (six million) and Liberia (3.5 million), whose total of 73 million is about half of Nigeria’s population.

SOURCE: VANGUARD

Police Grabbed a 35-Year-Old Man For Stealing LAWMA Uniform

The Police have nabbed a 35-year-old man, Ali Jaafaar for allegedly stealing Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, uniform and an international passport belonging to one Ibrahim Alhassan at Idi Araba, Lagos.

The Police also arrested a 20-year-old gateman, Abdullahi Usman, for allegedly stealing properties of his employer at 20, Alhaji Azeez Street Ago-Okota in Lagos. It was learnt that after the close of work, the victim parked his Kia truck with, registration number, DF352APP in front of his residence at 13 Haruna Street.

Vanguard learned that when he woke up in the morning, ready to go to work, he discovered that his LAWMA uniform, MP3 and international passport he left inside his truck had been stolen.


SOURCE: VANGUARD

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Peace Talk With the Boko Haram Sect Splits them Into Two Groups: We Hope God is Working In Nigeria!

According to The Punch, following the ceasefire deal the Federal Government entered into with Boko Haram, the violent fundamentalist sect has split into two. While one faction wants peace, the other doesn’t. It was gathered on Sunday that the Federal Government might have entered into the ceasefire with the faction interested in the cessation of hostilities in the North-East. A reliable source in government told The PUNCH in Abuja that the leaders of the pro-peace faction of the sect , were the ones who took part in the negotiations with representatives of the Chadian, Cameroonian and Federal Government in Ndjamena, Chad last week.

 

Federal Government and Boko Haram representatives are expected to fine tune the details of the ceasefire at another meeting in Ndjamena on Tuesday. Our source said he believed that the attacks on Shafa in Borno State and Sina, Adamawa State on Friday, could have been carried out by the faction not be interested in ending the violence.

He said “The Boko Haram faction that carried out the attack is the one that wants the insurgency to continue. It is made up of hardcore elements who believe their goal of imposing Sharia on the whole country has not been achieved and for them, the violence must continue until they win the war or perish in their quest.”

There had been reports of disagreements among the top members of the sect following the clamour by some of its commanders for an end to the insurgency. A yet to be verified report had said that unknown sect members died a few weeks ago in a shoot-out between the pro-peace and the pro-Jihad factions.

The military is however keeping its side of the peace deal by suspending all hostilities against the insurgents, The PUNCH learnt. This, according to a top military source, was a direct outcome of a directive issued by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh. Badeh had on Friday ordered the suspension of all on-going aerial and ground offensives against the sect. Our source, who pleaded not to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, said the military did not consider the latest attacks as a violation of the ceasefire. He explained that it was very likely that the operatives of the terrorist cells who carried out the attacks were not aware of the peace deal. The source said, “One cannot say the peace deal has been violated; it is the nature of most terrorist organisations to act that way, and it should be expected because they have several layers of operation.

“They have such a long chain that it takes time for them to communicate with the top unlike the military where you are very quick communication channels. “Another thing is that each of the cells operates independent of the other. So those who carried out the attacks in the villages in might not even be aware of the deal.”

He however explained that security forces would not allow the other faction to exploit the peace deal to violate the security and safety of the people. It was learnt that while the security forces would not be on the offensive, sustained efforts would be made to prevent crimes from being committed against the people.

The PUNCH gathered from another source that the military had ensured the suspension of aerial and land offensive in compliance with the CDS’ directive to give peace a chance. He said, “We will not be watching any violation of the security and safety of our people, we will not be on the offensive but we won’t allow crimes to be committed. “The air operation is suspended for the duration of the ceasefire; we will not be on the offensive; we really need to comply with the peace agreement at least to give peace a chance.” Investigations confirmed that soldiers have remained in their areas of deployment in the North-East. Another security source warned that soldiers would be left with no option than to act if attacked. He said while the troops fighting the terrorists learnt of the ceasefire from the media, they were awaiting briefing from their commanders. He said, “This is ceasefire does not say pull back soldiers; so soldiers have not been pulled back. It is logical, if soldiers are attacked, they would fight back; they won’t sit and watch but soldiers have not gone for any operation since the ceasefire.” Efforts to speak with the Director Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade,on the latest developments did not succeed as calls to his mobile telephone line did not connect. But other sources in government said that the government was still expressing cautious optimism in its dealings with the sect. This, it was learnt, was the reason behind its decision to refrain from making a categorical statement on the ceasefire since the news broke on Friday. A top official, who pleaded anonymity, said the government has so far decided to keep a dignified silence to “see how the matter plays out during the week. This, according to him, was the reason why the government was not surprised about the attacks after the ceasefire agreement became a public knowledge. He said, “The government does not want to jump into the fray. It is true that discussions are ongoing but the government is watching the situation critically. “The thinking is that once the process scales through, the government will make a public pronouncement. “Hopefully, once the Tuesday meeting is successful, the government will talk. For now, we are watching events.” Efforts to get the reaction of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, did not yield result of the time of filing this report. Sect captures another Borno town, beheads six On Sunday, members of the sect captured another Borno community, Abadam, after laying siege to it. They also beheaded six people along the Biu – Garkida Road in the state. It was gathered from security sources that the insurgents, numbering 100, invaded Abadam on Friday night and took it over on Sunday morning. They said the heavily armed terrorists arrived in the town in a convoy of about 50 Toyota Hilux vehicles and motorcycles. They however did not give a casualty figure but a resident told journalists in Maiduguri on the telephone that he saw six corpses, including that of his friend, while fleeing the town. He said, “Boko Haram gunmen entered Abadam on Friday night and shot at any resident in sight for almost two days until the early hours of Sunday when many of us started to flee to our farmlands, bushes and border areas of Bosso in Niger Republic. “I escaped by crossing River Kumadugu to Diffa and from there, I boarded a bus to Damasak before arriving in Maiduguri today (Sunday). “Among the people killed was my friend. My parents and other relations I believe are still in the bush and I do not know their state as I speak to you .”

The resident added that there was no security presence in the town throughout the period of the attack. Another resident also told journalists that the sect members, as in other places they had captured, hoisted their black and white flag in three strategic locations in the community. He lamented the possibility of the town, being declared an Islamic Caliphate. Some communities in the state under the control of the sect are Dikwa, Gwoza, Marte, Damboa, Banki, Bama, Wulgo, Kirenowa. Our correspondent in Borno State also gathered that the insurgents beheaded six people on the same road where the Emir of Gwoza, Idrissa Timta, was killed a few months ago.

The Executive Director of Stefanos Foundation, Mr. Mark Lipdo, said on Sunday that the terrorists left the bodies of the slaughtered victims lying on the road for a long time. He said the son to one of the victims was injured by the insurgents when he attempted to remove his father’s body from the scene. Lipdo said, “Information says in spite government ceasefire agreement with the insurgents, six innocent civilians were held hands bound and slaughtered on the Biu Garkida Road of Borno State on Friday.”

The #BringBackOurGirls group, has however asked the Federal Government to continue to secure lives and properties of Nigerians in the areas under Boko Haram attacks. It also urged the government to maintain a delicate balance in its negotiation with the sect. The spokesman of the group, Rotimi Olawale, said the government should have asked for the release some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls as a proof that the negotiation was being done with the real Boko Haram leadership. Olawale said,

“For us in the #BringBackOurGirls, the government needs to maintain a delicate balance in its negotiation with Boko Haram because the recent statement credited to principal secretary to the President says the negotiation is still going on. “I think they should continue to negotiate with Boko Haram on that platform and secure the release of all those abducted. “The initial question would be, is the government negotiating with the right group? I don’t know, government needs to take necessary caution. “For me, the first thing would have been for the group to release some of the girls, so that we can be assured that they are the right group.”

Senator cautions FG The lawmaker representing Borno Central Senatorial District in the Senate, Ahmed Zannah, has advised the Federal Government to be cautious in implementing any ceasefire with Boko Haram. Zannah, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Maiduguri on Sunday, said the government must exercise high level of wisdom and discretion in dealing with the issue. He said, “I do not think it is true, because Boko Haram insurgents are still attacking communities in Borno.

The insurgents attacked villages in both northern and southern Borno on Saturday.” Zannah said if the ceasefire was real , the insurgents would not have attacked the villages.

When contacted, the Borno State Government declined comments on the issue. However, a media associate of Governor Kashim Shettima, Isa Gusau, told journalists on Sunday that the governor had no comment on the issue. He said, “Governor Kashim Shettima has no comment on the issue for now. Shettima, whose state has been at the centre of Boko Haram attacks since 2009, says he has no comment for now over the reports, but he will speak at the appropriate time.”

Property Worth N1bn Got Burnt as Fire Takes Over Shop in Owerri

Goods and property estimated at about N1 billion were yesterday consumed by a raging fire that gutted a two-storey building at Lobo Extension, Owerri. Although no life was lost in the incident, Vanguard gathered that the traders who owned foam shops were in their respective residences and most occupants of the building had left for Sunday service when the fire started.

A Volvo station wagon vehicle, vital documents, including certificates and archival artifacts, were reportedly lost in the inferno, while many were seen weeping uncontrollably, bemoaning their fate.

SOURCE: VANGUARD

See the Confession of a Woman Who Abducted, Killed and Burried Her Stepdaughter in Soakaway

The police in Lagos have arrested a woman, Aminat Akanni, for allegedly abducting two of her stepchildren and murdering one of them because she claimed her husband refused to provide Sallah clothes for her own son. PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect killed one of the kids, Nofisat, by pushing her into a soakaway.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Aminat was arrested by the police at CMS Bus Stop, Lagos Island, on October 9. Our correspondent learnt that prior to the arrest, seven-year-old Lateef and four-year-old Nofisat had been declared missing on Friday, October 3- a day to the Sallah celebration. It was learnt that the father of the missing children, Moshood Mubo, who is also the suspect’s husband, had raised the alarm and reported the case to the Adeniji Adele Police Division on Friday, October 3. However, after the suspect’s arrest, she confessed to have abducted the two kids from Church Street, Lagos Island where they lived.

 

She further confessed to have also killed the younger, child, Nofisat, by pushing her into soakaway beside a mosque in the Orile area. Our correspondent gathered that Lateef and Nofisat were pupils in Primary 1 and Nursery 2 classes respectively in a private school. Speaking with PUNCH Metro on Sunday, Moshood who hails from Ilorin, Kwara State, said his second wife, who he rented an apartment for in the Orile area, abducted the kids claiming that she wanted to “punish him for not buying Sallah clothes for her own son.” He said, “I married Aminat in 2010. In order to avoid a crisis at home, I rented an apartment for her at Mosalashi Street, Alakara in Orile. She has only one son for me.

His name is Yusuf. She does not come to Church Street, Lagos Island where I live with my first wife. “What happened was that on the evening of Friday, October 3, when I returned from work- just a day to the Sallah celebrations- I sent the two children to go buy biscuits in front of the street. That was around 7pm.

We expected them till around 9pm. I was shocked. I quickly rushed to the Adeniji Adele Police Division, and reported the incident. “Believe me, I and their mother, Funmilayo, could not sleep all through that night. We were walking around throughout the night from one police division to the other, repeating the same thing.

The whole Sallah celebration was a sad one as I looked for my two children. Little did I know that it was my second wife who sneaked into our area to abduct them.” Moshood, who spoke to our correspondent while fighting back tears, added that Aminat had called him the following day, and made a suspicious comment. He said, “The following morning, around 11am, Aminat called me and heard me crying on the phone.

I told her that we were looking for Lateef and Nofisat, she simply said, ‘All I know is that no one can kidnap my own son.’ I was shocked at her statement, but I never thought she was the one behind the whole trouble. “It was six days later when the police arrested her that she then confessed that she committed the act because she claimed I was not taking care of her, and I had not bought sallah clothes for her son, which is not true. She had sneaked to our area, and asked the two kids to follow her to Orile. This is unimaginable for me.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that as the search for the two children continued, which took Mubo and his first wife to travel to Ilorin, Kwara State to consult their relatives and get ‘spiritual help’, a friend had called them on Thursday, October 9, that she saw Lateef with Akanni around the CMS Bus Stop, Lagos Island. The police were then invited who trailed her movement and arrested her.

The mother of the two children, Funmilayo, told PUNCH Metro that Aminat had bottled up grievances against her for a long time. She said, “Aminat killed my daughter. She made us to have a sorrowful Sallah.

We were running around police stations. She said she wanted to punish me and my husband because she was having issues with us. So, why did she not come after us, why after my two children?”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident, adding that Aminat was now in police custody. He said, “Aminat Akanni is the second wife of the complainant. Investigation revealed that the corpse of Nofisat was recovered by the Orile Division in a sudden and unnatural death. “The suspect confessed to have drowned the child and dropped the corpse at Orile. The case has now been transferred to the Orile Division for further synchronisation and action.”

SOURCE: THE PUNCH