ANOTHER BOMB BLAST IN KANO...

Two series of explosions rocked Nigeria’s second city of Kano on Monday night, killing at least six people and sparking off panic in a neighbourhood previously targeted by Boko Haram Islamists.

The Sabon Gari area of Kano, where four blasts were reported, is full of outdoor bars and eateries and known for its bustling nightlife. Sabo Gari, which literally means visitors quarters has a high concentration of christian elements from the Southern parts of Nigeria. 

“We have had some explosions in Sabon Gari this evening. The explosions happened at open-air beer parlours, where people were playing snooker,” Kano State Police Commissioner Musa Daura reported.

“I can confirm six dead and six others injured,” he said, adding that the cause of the blasts was not yet known.

The blame was likely to fall on Boko Haram, the insurgent group which says it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north.

Residents described the area as being littered with the personal belonging of those who ran in fear once the explosions began.

“There is confusion all over the place,” said Chinyere Madu, a fruit  vendor. “There were four huge explosions, so huge that they shook the whole area. Everywhere is enveloped in smoke and dust.”   

She reported that the scene was too chaotic to assess the extent of the damage, but said she “saw one person carrying someone on his shoulders with bleeding legs.”   

“My house is not far from there,” resident Kola Oyebanji told AFP. “All my windows are shattered.”   

Idika Tobias, who also lives in the area, told AFP he had visited the blast site and stood amid a “litter of personal effects left behind by people fleeing the area.”  

“Shoes, bags, cellphones” and other items were scattered around, he explained.

A small church sandwiched between two bars was among the targets,Tobias added.

Another resident who requested anonymity said he heard gunshots ring out after the series of explosions.

Soldiers were reported to have cordoned off the area.

Boko Haram, which has carried out waves of bombings across northern  Nigeria, was blamed for coordinated suicide blasts at a bus park in Sabon Gari in March that killed at least 41 people.

Fashola Impressed By The Skills Of Hawkers In Traffic

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, yesterday marveled at the ingenuity and the entrepreneur skills displayed by highway hawkers in some Nigerian cities, especially Lagos.

He described the traits displayed almost simultaneously while selling on the highways as misused skills.


The governor said there is nowhere in the world where youths dominated the highways with such entrepreneurship skills.

He said: “I have travelled a little bit and I am not sure if there are many places in the world where we will find young people, running through traffic, balancing their wares on their heads, chase the moving cars and selling their goods, calculating how many they have sold and doing mental sums and giving you change.

“If you just pause to think on the skills displayed, the flexibility and adaptability that is required to carry out those functions. I don’t know how many of us can do it.

“So, let nobody come and tell me that Nigerians are not skillful, let them not also come and tell me that they are not enterprising. If that is not a display of skills and a display of enterprise then you know what it is.”

Governor Fashola, however, lamented that such skills were unfortunately wrongly deployed to unsustainable business, adding that the state government is determined to divert such skills and enterprise to a more promising and sustainable business model.

"The Royal Baby Is The Antichrist"

The royal baby is the Antichrist, or so claims Mark Dice, a prolific writer who focuses on the Illuminati and the Antichrist from the Bible.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Kate Middleton’s royal baby was announced to the delight of both the British and Americans.

But the royal baby hasn’t been popular with everyone. BBC presenter Simon McCoy bitterly related the announcement as “not that it’s news.” But Mark Dice is making a claim about the royal baby that would probably have most of the British population angry.
Mark Dice gain limited fame last Black Friday when he called American consumerists “brain dead, materialistic morons.” He’s more famous for going around asking people to sign a petition that says Obama supporters should have immunity for their President’s actions. Now Mark Dice is calling the royal baby an Antichrist.

Mark Dice calls the royal baby a baby Baphomet, which is probably not one of Kate Middleton’s top baby name choices. Starting by calling the English “brain dead Brits,” following with “Moloch worshiping moronic Americans,” Mark Dice slices into the royal family of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Mark Dice claims the Windsor family secretly believes themselves the lost tribe of Dan from the Bible. The Windsors supposedly believe themselves the “true chosen people of God” over Jews, something Mark Dice compares to Nazi beliefs and their supposed ancestry with the lost city of Atlantis.
When the royal baby becomes the King of England, Mark Dice proposes the royal baby will be the Antichrist, or at least an Antichrist of the “new world order” or the “new British empire.” Mark Dice says people like the royal baby are worshiped because of their power, linking back to Egyptian history and how royal families used to claim they were descendants of the gods due to their royal blood.

President Mugabe Tells Obama You Were Born of Man And Woman Not Homosexuality

President Mugabe Tells Obama You Were Born of Man And Woman Not Homosexuality

President Mugabe has taken a swipe at United States President Barack Obama for trying to “arm twist” African countries into submission by reportedly tying aid to African countries to the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

Mugabe criticised US president Barack Obama’s conditional aid and said western countries have targeted him for his stance on homosexuality. Addressing thousands of party supporters at a campaign rally in Mutare, President Mugabe reminded Obama that he was not born of out of homosexuality. 

President Mugabe

“Then we have this American president, Obama, born of an African father, who is saying we will not give you aid if you don’t embrace homosexuality,” President Mugabe said.

“We ask, was he born out of homosexuality? We need continuity in our race, and that comes from the woman, and no to homosexuality. John and John, no; Maria and Maria, no. Kana zvirizvo, tovavharira five years mumba imwe, murume nemurume, vobuda vane vana two. If they don’t, we will cut their heads off.

“Ndoimwe nyaya yavakandivengera. I told them they are worse than dogs and pigs, yes worse than dogs and pigs. I keep pigs and the male pig knows the female one, haudzimanikidze, dzinozivana, chero shiri dzesango . . . vanhu vokurirwa pfungwa nemhuka? They have a whole community of gays advocating human rights? Unhu ipapa huri pai? Kuno uku hatidi, hatidi, hatidi. Munoziva zvekuita navo.”

President Mugabe has been criticised too for pointing a finger at others when prominent officials in his party, Zanu Pf are allegedly gay.

The "Attack Lion" Gets A BMW Car Gift From President Goodluck Jonathan

Dr. Doyin Okupe, The "Attack Lion" Gets A BMW Car Gift From President Goodluck Jonathan

 By SaharaReporters, New York

For all his 'attacking' against perceived opponents of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, also known as " Attack Lion " received a brand-new  bimmer (BMW car) from president Goodluck Jonathan.
The new ride is already working wonders and Mr. okupe who recently went into recess on the account of low patronage
from the presidency has resumed his full attacking role.

Top PHCN Official In ICPC Net

Top PHCN Official In ICPC Net: Demanded N100,000 To Install Official Transformers

Posted: July 25, 2013 - 00:12

 

 

An Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) sting operation has netted a top official of the Power Holding Companies of Nigeria (PHCN), Engineer Omololu Olusesi Gabriel, who allegedly demanded a bribe of N100,000 from a PHCN customer to install two transformers.
Omololu, who held the position of Principal Manager, PHCN Abuja Distribution Company Wuse Zone 4, is to be prosecuted for contravening Sections 8 and 10 of the ICPC Act 2000.

A statement by ICPC’s Head of Media, Folu Olamiti, said the petitioner had applied to purchase and install two transformers: a 100 KVA/33/0.415 KV and a 50 KVA/33/0.415 KV, and had filed his application through the Principal Manager (PC and M) at the PHCN office.
Upon receiving the application, the petitioner alleged, Omololu demanded a bribe of N100,000 for the release of one of the transformers, and subsequently took a down payment of N50,000.
Infuriated by Omololu’s insistence on collecting the balance of N50,000 as a condition for releasing the second transformer, the petitioner then turned to ICPC, which put the sting operation into play and arrested the engineer after he collected marked money.

“Mr. Omololu’s schedule of duties as a public officer, include among others: protection of PHCN installations, testing of electrical equipment and preparation of permission letter for release of transformers, none of which required him to demand a fee from customers,” Mr. Olamiti said.
He added that the ICPC operatives were able to establish that the petitioner had indeed submitted two applications for permission to purchase and install the two transformers, and that he collected one of the approvals upon payment of the N50,000.00 demanded by the suspect.
They also established that the petitioner was denied the second approval because he would not provide the balance of N50,000.00.

Olamiti urged members of the public who face a similar situation to call the commission for immediate support on their toll-free lines:
•    0803120280
•    08031230281
•    08031230282
•    07056990190 and
•    07056990191.

Nigeria Governors Forum Irrelevant - Presidency

The Presidency Has Declared That The Nigeria Governors Forum Is Irrelevant - what do you think?

The presidency has denied any involvement in the political crisis in Rivers State, saying it will not deliberately engage in any act of destabilization of any state the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).

Denouncing the moves of some Northern governors, one of whom declared this week that he is ready for the “burial” of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it described them in a statement signed by Doyin Okupe as “intended to create fear, despair and sense of apprehension among the citizenry are grossly unfounded, misplaced and a deliberate over sensationalization of the situation.”
It argued that contrary to insinuations and statements, Rivers State is calm and peaceful, and that residents continue to go about their various businesses, religious, social and political activities under peaceful atmosphere.

It also described the situation in the State as “purely a localized political matter” with no dangerous or far reaching consequences for the peace and security of the nation.
“Developments in Rivers State do not pose any threat to our democracy,” Okupe said. “Our democracy remains robust, alive and well. In politics as in every sphere of human activity, different shades of opinion on issues are not uncommon within the polity but often get resolved either politically or through legal channels.”
He likened the issue of the NGF to the political development in Rivers State, dismissing it as essentially an affair of the 36 state governors with the outcome of elections in the body as “inconsequential” to the orderly governance of the country by the presidency.”

If President Goodluck Jonathan actually believes that, Okupe did not say why he has never spoken up for the candidate who won the election.
Rather, said Okupe, “The choice of who becomes leader of the body clearly has no significant ramification on the wider political calculation of who becomes President of the country as events in our recent history bear out.”

Full text of the statement:

PRESS STATEMENT BY SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT (PUBLIC AFFAIRS) ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN RIVERS STATE    

We are compelled to react to the unfolding political drama emanating from recent activities of some Governors from the northern part concerning political developments in Rivers State. These political moves, which are clearly intended to create fear, despair and sense of apprehension among the citizenry are grossly unfounded, misplaced and a deliberate over sensationalization of the situation.
We therefore wish to state as follows: Insinuations and statements suggesting that Rivers State is on fire are grossly unfounded. So far, as is it evident to every discerning observer of political developments, the state is calm and peaceful. Residents of the state continue to go about their various businesses, religious, social and political activities under peaceful atmosphere. A key pointer to the prevailing peace in the state is the fact that Governor Amaechi, the Chief executive and Chief security Officer of the state, felt confident enough to travel to the United Kingdom on official assignment. It is doubtful he would have had the luxury of leaving the country if his state is in turmoil as is being canvassed.
The situation in Rivers State is purely a localized political matter and has no dangerous or far reaching consequences for the peace and security of the nation. Since our return to democratic rule in 1999, It is on record that not less than twelve states have witnessed incidents of attempted impeachment of Speakers of Houses of Assembly in Nigeria and none has posed any threat to peace and security in the country even when our democracy was not this established.

Govt Makes Offers To Varsity Teachers

There seems to be no end in sight to the ongoing university lecturers’ strike, with the Federal Government saying yesterday that the 2009 agreement it signed with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) cannot be implemented.

The union went on strike early in the month over what it called the failure of the government to fully implement the agreement. It vowed not to go back to work, until the government implements the agreement. The government said the complexity of the agreement had been responsible for the continued breakdown of negotiations between the two parties.
Labour Minister Emeka Wogu stated this while briefing the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the activities of his ministry. It was at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. Wogu, however, said the government had entered into another round of talks with the varsity teachers, making some undisclosed offers to the teachers.

“We have made offer to ASUU. It is as complex as presented. Negotiation is ongoing. The National Assembly is equally involved. We believe they will soon call off the strike. I personally and passionately appeal to them to call off the strike. “It will not affect the negotiation, if they call off the strike. It is better for them to be inside than outside. Students have equally appealed to them.”
The minister added: “I inherited an agreement signed by the Federal Government with ASUU and that agreement is practically impossible for any administration to implement. We are still discussing with them. If I leave here, I am going to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) where we are meeting with them. I hope that very soon, we will resolve it.”

Wogu expressed the government’s reservations about the agreement it earlier signed with ASUU, which has necessitated the setting up of yet another negotiation team, headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim. The nine-point agreement the government entered into with ASUU include: funding requirements for the revitalisation of Nigerian universities; Federal Government’s assistance to state universities; establishment of NUPEMCO; and progressive increase in annual budgetary allocation to the education sector to 26 per cent between 2009 and 2020.

Other components of the agreement are: payment of earned allowances; amendment to the pension/retirement age of academics non professorial cadre from 65 to 70 years; and reinstatement of prematurely dissolved Governing Councils. Also included in the agreement are: transfer of Federal Government’s landed property to the universities and setting up of research development councils and provision of research equipment to laboratories and classrooms in the nation’s universities.
On job creation efforts of the government, Wogu told the PDP leadership that the Community Service Scheme Women and Youth Empowerment Programme of the Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) of the Federal Government had already engaged 120,000 persons out of the 185,000 targeted for employment this year. He said since social security is an evolving structure, Nigeria is still basically trying to grow the concept to an acceptable international standard. “We are at the stage of putting in place a social security policy that would reflect the nation’s needs and level of economic development, taking into consideration the traditional as well as the modern socio-cultural values and norms,” he said.

With the passing of the Employee Compensation Act in 2010, he said the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund was resuscitated and currently functioning, adding that it has the new mandate to provide social security services to the disadvantaged and vulnerable members of the society. Wogu said the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) was in the fore-front of job creation, especially in skills acquisition and empowerment of unemployed people.