EFCC takes over Diezani’s Abuja residence …after London

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani
Alison-Madueke
Operatives of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission
have taken over the residence of the former Minister of
Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, in
Asokoro, Abuja.
The operatives stormed Alison-Madueke’s residence on
Friday shortly after she was arrested by the police in the
United Kingdom.
The EFCC officials, who were fully armed, were sighted in
two buses at the gate of the residence as of 8pm on Friday.
They had earlier stormed the place with three trucks, one
of which was marked ‘police.’
Earlier, the former minister was arrested by the operatives
of the National Crime Agency in London, the United
Kingdom.
Investigations revealed that Alison-Madueke was arrested
in relation to offences bordering on fraud and bribery.
The Spokesman for the UK High Commission in Abuja, Joe
Abuku, confirmed to one of our correspondents that five
persons were arrested by the agency.
The International Corruption Unit of the NCA, on its
website, also confirmed the arrest of five people across
London as part of an investigation into suspected bribery
and money laundering activities.
The ICU is mainly responsible for investigating
international corruption affecting developing countries.
Findings also revealed that her arrest was connected with
her alleged mismanagement of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation and missing funds in the
corporation.
It was learnt that the Seizure Organised Crime Agency
within the National Crimes Agency of the UK was responsible
for arresting Alison-Madueke over the ongoing probe of
allegations against her.
It was also learnt that Alison-Madueke was picked up by
operatives of the SOCA at the instance of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, which had also been probing
her in Nigeria, discreetly.
Saturday PUNCH investigations revealed that the SOCA has
a working agreement with the EFCC in the area of
investigation of allegations of financial crimes and
proceeds of such crimes.
The source said, “It is true that the former Minister of
Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Alison-Maduake, has been
arrested by the UK’s National Crimes Agency, not the
Metropolitan Police.
“There is an agency within the National Crimes Agency
called the Seizures Organised Crimes Agency. She was
actually arrested by operatives of SOCA because the agency
has a working agreement with the EFCC.
“We have been cooperating with SOCA on a number of issues.
“I can tell you that Diezani is being quizzed over allegations
of bribery and fraud by the UK police.”
Investigations further revealed that the EFCC dispatched a
team of crack investigators to Alison-Madueke’s residence
at Frederick Chiluba Avenue, Asokoro, Abuja, moments
after the commission was alerted that the investigation
had commenced from the UK’s end.
It was further gathered that the EFCC operatives were still
searching her residence as of the time of filing this report.
A relation of Alison-Madueke, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, confirmed her arrest to one of our
correspondents on Friday.
Our correspondent could not get the Head of Media and
Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, to comment on
the issue as repeated calls to his mobile telephone line
indicated that it was either switched off or in an area
outside network coverage.
Speaking to one of our correspondents on the telephone, an
official of the NCA, who didn’t disclose his identity, said he
could not comment on an ongoing investigation.
“I’m afraid I cannot comment on an ongoing
investigation,” he said. Another official of the ICU, who
also didn’t disclose his identity, told Saturday PUNCH on
the telephone that he could neither confirm nor deny that
the former petroleum minister was arrested.
“It is part of our policy not to disclose information like that
to anyone, so I cannot confirm nor deny that she has been
arrested,” the official said.
Another official at the Press Office of the Department for
International Development said he would get in touch with
Saturday PUNCH on the development, but he had yet to do
so as of the time of publishing this report.
The ICU, however, said it was stepping up its work to
investigate cases of international corruption affecting
developing countries. Its International Development
Secretary, Justine Greening, on the agency’s website, said,
“Corruption is not only picking the pockets of the poor, it is
an enemy of prosperity and a brake on a country’s
development. Through the international corruption unit,
the best of British law enforcement will step up our aid
work combating corruption head on across the developing
world.”
The Joint Head of the ICU, Jon Benton, also said the work
the agency was doing was absolutely vital for helping
developing countries get back what is rightfully theirs.
“The UK has zero tolerance for overseas bribery and
corruption,” he said.
Meanwhile, a source at the EFCC confirmed to The Cable, an
online newspaper that the commission carried out a raid on
Friday at the residence of the former minister.
The raid took place just few minutes after the ICU
arrested the former minister, the report said.
“The raid on her [Alison-Madueke] residence today
(Friday) yielded vital information that will help in the
prosecution of the case. Many agencies across several
countries are involved in this investigation. Anti-money
laundering agencies in Austria, France, Switzerland,
Nigeria and the UK are working together on it,” the source
was quoted to have said.
The former petroleum resources minister’s arrest came two
days after President Muhammadu Buhari announced
himself as Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum.
He had vowed to recover all looted funds worth several
millions of dollars that were allegedly stolen in the
petroleum ministry under the watch of Alison-Madueke,
who had become an object of attacks from Nigerians over
scandals that rocked the ministry during the former
administration.
For instance, in June 2008, Alison-Madueke was subjected
to a Senate probe after it emerged that as Transport
Minister, she had paid N30.9bn ($263m) to contractors
between December 26 and 31, 2007. She is said to be worth
over N1bn.
However, she has never been officially charged or tried for
these allegations and has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
She was alleged to have spent billions of dollars
inappropriately on private jets and responsible for some
$20bn, reportedly missing.
She is also widely accused of reckless spending of
government funds. When contacted, the Special Adviser to
the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina,
said, “I have no comment or information on it. It is a
security matter.”
Meanwhile, EFCC operatives also stormed the home of Jide
Omokore, one of her business allies while she was the oil
minister.
Omokore owns SPOG and Atlantic Energy and is said to be
involved in multi-billion dollar oil deals, including kerosene
scam that denied Nigeria’s treasury by over $6bn.
It was reported by Sahara Reporters that Omokore’s 9
Turnbull Street home in Ikoyi, Lagos and his Glover Street,
Ikoyi office were raided by the EFCC operatives.
It was, however, learnt that the former minister was
granted bail hours after she was detained by the ICU.
A report by Channels TV said that the London Police
confirmed that she had been charged to court for money
laundering and she’s expected to appear at the Charing
Cross Police Station for questioning on Monday.

Former Nigerian minister arrested in London today

Former Nigerian minister arrested in
London today
According to a reliable LIB source, a former Nigerian
minister was arrested in London today and will be
extradited to Nigeria to answer questions on allegations of
corruption. I can't mention any names until an
announcement has been made...and when it's announced,
remember you read it here first! :-)

4-year-old Indian boy reportedly beheaded in human sacrifice

A 4-year-old Indian boy was reportedly beheaded
Wednesday September 30th in a ritual in a southern
coastal region of the country in what was believed to be an
offering to a deity.
The New Indian Express reported that the boy had been
studying when he was kidnapped in the Prakasam district.
The family grew alarmed when the boy, named L.
Manusagar, failed to return home that afternoon.
A friend of the boy told his mother that he was taken by a
man named Tirumala Rao, the report said.
The mother arrived at the man’s house and reportedly
found the body of her son in an otherwise empty home. He
was decapitated and the report described a “utensil” that
was filled with blood. The paper said it appeared to be an
offering to a deity.
The villagers learned about the killing by the screams of the
mother and were reportedly irate. They located the
suspect, tied him up and set him on fire, the report said.
He was rescued by police and taken to a local hospital in
critical condition.

Photos: Woman finds maggots in her in-flight meal

Van Heerden and her family, from Pretoria, South Africa
were on board the 09:15am Air Mauritius flight MK851
headed for OR Tambo on Thursday morning when she made
the nauseating discovery.
The Van Heerden's had just enjoyed a 9-day Sugar Bay
beach break on the island of Mauritius but unfortunately it
was not about to end well.
"It was really upsetting for me, as I had eaten half of my
meal already," said Van Heerden. "I believe they came
from the mushrooms, I looked down, asking myself, 'What
is this? I took a photo with my iPad and enlarged it. That's
when I saw it was a maggot and said 'no this can’t be?'."
"Maggots!?” After bringing it to the flight attendants
attention, Van Heerden said he explained it might be some
“kind of spice”. "He tried to cut it in front of me and then
agreed that it definitely was not a spice. It was a maggot.
I didn’t even think to get the flight attendants name, as I
was too busy concentrating on not throwing up."
According to Van Heerden, the male flight attendant was
very apologetic, saying how sorry he was when he took the
meal away. But it was the attitude of a female flight
attendant that disappointed Van Heerden the most. "She
did not apologise, she only brought me a form and said she
would bring the issue to the attention of the catering
company. They didn’t even bring me water or offer me Eno
even though I was clearly feeling very ill and even told
them I was feeling sick. Instead, I had to take two nausea
tablets from a lady who was sitting two rows down from
me," Van Heerden said.
Air Mauritius is investigating the matter and will respond
with comment as soon as possible.

Parents, proprietors rise against book with controversial

Some foreign kindergarten books, novels and instructional
materials available online are the latest source of concern
for parents and educationists. The educational resources,
which are said to have homosexual undertones, are
generating debates of morality and cultural acceptance.
Educationists, who spoke with our correspondent on
Thursday, expressed fears that such instructional materials
might soon be part of the curricula in some elitist schools in
the country.
Findings by our correspondent revealed that the
“offensive” materials were targeted at preschoolers and
pupils in both the junior and senior secondary school
grades.
Some of the books include When Kayla was Kyle, It’s Okay
to be Different, Mommy, Momma and Me, Who is in a
Family?, among others. Others meant for older pupils
include Conversations with God by Neale D. Walsch, Tango
Makes Three by Justin Richard, as well as Heather has Two
Mummies and A Tale of Two Daddies, both by Lesley
Newman.
Our correspondent, who checked out Conversations with God
online, found out that the author tried to answer questions
from children, while posing as the voice of God.
When a girl asked, “Why am I a lesbian?” Neale, answering
the question, said it was because she was born that way,
urging her to celebrate her differences.
Speaking with our correspondent on Thursday, the
principal, Preserved Generation Schools, Amuwo-Odofin,
Lagos, Mrs. Chioma Akin-Adekeye, said some of the books
were being promoted by some popular international
organisations.
According to Akin-Adekeye, the themes of the books are
not compatible with African culture, urging stakeholders to
act fast before the materials arrive in the country.
The educationist also noted that colouring worksheets and
drawing books from some foreign authors also have
homosexual underpinnings.
“These worksheets are on the Internet, from where 60 per
cent of schools in Nigeria take them. School heads must
supervise worksheets before they are sent home.
“Parents must make time to check children’s homework and
the sites they surf for materials. Religious bodies must also
be involved. Nigeria must say no to the adoption of the
Comprehensive Sexuality Education curriculum that an
international organisation is trying to force down the
throat of countries in the world,” she said.
Speaking on the issue, the President, National Parent-
Teacher Association of Nigeria, Mr. Haruna Danjuma, said
the practice of homosexuality was not consistent with the
cultural and religious dispositions of most Nigerians.
Danjuma, who said private schools were culpable, urged the
Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council,
the agency in charge of formulating and implementing
policy on books and curriculum, to look into the issue.
He added, “According to our findings, only private schools
have the tendency of bringing such books into the country.
If the books are already in the country, I am sure they did
not pass through NERDC.
“Besides the fact that such books are against everything
our country stands for, we at NAPTAN have always
wondered why some private schools do not consider the
Nigerian curricula good enough.
“Why is it that these schools cannot use Nigerian curricula?
We have discussed this issue with the Ministry of Education
repeatedly. For instance, these foreign books are not in the
Nigerian curriculum. It was approved in a country and some
of our schools have adopted their curricula. We have
decided to table the mater again at our next national
council meeting in Abuja.”
Danjuma also said that parents should pay attention to
what their children watch on television and the Internet.
He added that they should be aware of the music they
listen to and the books they read.
Attempts to reach the Executive Secretary, NERDC, Prof.
Ismail Junaidu, as well as Theresa Oresanya, the Head of
Public Affairs, on Wednesday were not successful as their
lines were switched off.
Meanwhile, proprietors in Lagos State have urged the state
government to check the influx of certain learning
materials with the potentials of promoting homosexuality
among pupils.
However, the Director General, Lagos State Office of Quality
Assurance, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo, has assured that no such
books would be in use in schools in the state.
Soyombo spoke recently at a stakeholders meeting with
private school proprietors in the state.
According to her, the Nigerian curriculum is not inferior to
any other one and should not be allowed to play second
fiddle.
“I agree that such books are against our culture and I
would like to say that they will not find a place in Lagos
State,” she said.

I can’t quit politics – Fasehun

Dr. Fredrick Fasehun
The National Chairman of the Unity Party of Nigeria, Dr.
Fredrick Fasehun, who recently turned 80, says he cannot
quit politics.
He, therefore, denied media reports that he said he had
quit politics.
Fasehun, who is also the founder of the Oodua People’s
Congress, said this in a statement on Wednesday.
He said, “I am a democrat to the core. And I cannot just
on my own say ‘bye-bye’ to politics. No! It will be a
collective decision by my party and my associates. Although
I turned 80 last week, I have been especially blessed with a
virile constitution, great health and sound mind. And it
would be a disservice to God, humanity and the nation for
me to be quitting active politics at this time.
“What I actually said was that with the good age and
health that God has blessed me with, I am counted as one
of Nigeria’s elder statesmen and I would be available
henceforth to provide non-partisan and cross-partisan
direction for the benefit of nation-building.”
Fasehun admitted that at some point, he would no longer
head the UPN but explained that he will not quit the party
until a succession plan is put in place.
Fasehun said, “Of course, I have no intention of heading
the UPN for life. In time, we shall work out a succession
plan, but it would be in consonance with the authentic
leaders of the UPN.
“I count it an honour to walk in the footsteps of Chief
Obafemi Awolowo and lead this legacy party. But I will not
leave the party in crisis. We shall resolve all issues and set
the party into its historical role within the Nigerian political
milieu.”

Olive oil, chilli pepper, others slash cancer risk by 68%

*New book reveals positive effects of soy,
broccoli, beetroot, sage, sesame seeds
IT is believed to protect against heart disease,
Alzheimer’s and depression and is hailed as
the secret to a long, healthy life.
Now, researchers have found a Mediterranean
diet can help breast cancer at bay.
A new study found eating the diet
supplemented with extra virgin olive oil was
associated with a ‘relatively lower’ risk of
breast cancer.
Spanish women who followed the diet reduced
their risk of the disease by 68 per cent,
compared to women told to follow a low-fat
diet.
The Mediterranean consists of plant-based
foods such as vegetables, legumes, fruit, nuts,
seeds and olives, lots of extra virgin olive oil,
fish, and moderate red wine intake.
It also involves a low consumption of
processed food, processed carbohydrates,
sweets, chocolate and red meat.
The researchers recruited 4,282 women, aged
60 to 80 who were at a high risk of developing
a cardiovascular disease including heart
disease or a stroke.
They were randomly assigned to the
Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra
virgin olive oil, the Mediterranean diet
supplemented with nuts, or the control diet in
which they were advised to reduce their intake
of fat.
Those following the Mediterranean diet were
given one litre per week of their extra virgin
olive oil for themselves and their families or
30 grams of mixed nuts, made up of 15 grams
of walnuts, 7.5 grams of hazelnuts and 7.5
grams of almonds.
The researchers found that women eating a
Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra
virgin olive oil showed a 68 per cent relatively
lower risk of malignant breast cancer than
those allocated to the low-fat diet.
Women eating a Mediterranean diet
supplemented with nuts showed a reduction in
their risk that was not significant compared
with women in the group told to reduce their
fat intake.
The researchers noted a number of limitations
in their study, including that breast cancer
was not the only disease suffered by the
women recruited for the study.
They said the study cannot establish whether
the beneficial effect they observed could be
attributed mainly to olive oil or its
consumption within the context of the
Mediterranean diet.
But lead author Dr. Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez,
of the University of Navarra, Spain, added:
‘The results suggest a beneficial effect of a
Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra
virgin olive oil in the primary prevention of
breast cancer. Preventative strategies
represent the most sensible approach against
cancer.”
The intervention studied in the trial –
following a Mediterranean diet with olive oil –
provides a ‘useful scenario’ for preventing
breast cancer because it can be carried out in
primary health care centres and offers a range
of beneficial effects on different health
outcomes, he continued.
He added: “Nevertheless, these results need
confirmation by long-term studies with a
higher number of incident cases.”
Dr. Mitchell Katz, a deputy editor of JAMA
Internal Medicine, where the study was
published, said of the findings: “Of course, no
study is perfect. This one has a small number
of outcomes – only 35 incident cases of breast
cancer, the women were not all screened for
breast cancer with mammography, they were
not blinded to the type of diet they were
receiving, and all were white, postmenopausal
and at high risk for cardiovascular disease.
“Still, consumption of a Mediterranean diet,
which is based on plant foods, fish and extra
virgin olive oil, is known to reduce the risk of
cardiovascular disease and is safe. It may also
prevent breast cancer. We hope to see more
emphasis on Mediterranean diet to reduce
cancer and cardiovascular disease and
improve health and well-being.”
Also, scientists have discovered how a
compound found in chilli peppers can kill
prostate cancer cells.
A study found capsaicin – the compound that
gives the peppers their heat – binds to the
cells’ membranes – it’s protective outer shell.
In a high enough doses, the capsaicin pulls the
membrane apart, triggering the cell to ‘commit
suicide’, they found.
Finding out how the compound works could
help experts harness it’s power and transform
it into an effective pill or injection to treat
prostate cancer.The news follows a study
published last year, which found eating chilli
could also reduce the risk of developing bowel
cancer.
Researchers gave capsaicin to mice genetically
prone to developing multiple tumours in their
gastrointestinal tract. It triggered a pain
receptor in the cells lining their intestines,
setting off a reaction that reduced the risk of
growing colorectal tumours.
Scientists publishing their work in the Journal
of Clinical Investigation found the treatment
extended the lifespan of the mice by more
than 30 per cent.
Meanwhile, scientists have revealed the latest
weapon in the fight against cancer – flower
power.
Also, a new book by one of Britain’s leading
cancer surgeons has revealed what to eat to
cut your risk of breast cancer. Dietary
recommendations include eating soy, broccoli,
beetroot, sage, and sesame seeds.
As consultant breast cancer surgeon at
London’s Royal Free Hospital, I know first-
hand the impact of this illness on women and
their families. But avoiding it isn’t just about
luck.
Working with nutritionist Dr. Claire Robertson
and biochemist Dr. Miriam Dwek, from the
University of Westminster’s Against Breast
Cancer Unit, we have come up with a simple
set of dietary recommendations that will
improve your health – and might just save
your life.
WHAT TO EAT MORE OF
Aim to eat at least five portions (400g/1 lb) of
vegetables and fruit per day. Here’s why:
Vegetables and fruit are rich in antioxidants
which prevent a process called oxidation
(where oxygen molecules join with other
chemicals to create gene damage in cells)
which can lead to cancer development.
They are an excellent source of dietary fibre
which, studies suggest, can reduce the risk of
developing breast cancer.
Plants such as soy contain phyto- estrogens,
which mimic the oestrogen found in your
body. These may modulate the body’s own
production of the hormone in a way that
prevents cancer cell growth.
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale and
cabbage are a particularly excellent source of
plant nutrients which have been shown to
prevent the formation of cancer cells and stop
the spread of cancer.
Beans and pulses are a great source of fibre,
vegetable protein – which can help your body
repair any damage imposed by cancer
treatments – calcium, iron and B vitamins.
Increase your consumption by adding canned
pulses to soups, stews and salads or blitz them
to make dips.
Dark leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale
and beetroot are loaded with a B vitamin,
which can strengthen your DNA and so reduce
cancer risk.
WHAT TO EAT LESS OF
Red meat. Saturated fat is associated with the
risk of developing post- menopausal breast
cancer and poorer survival after breast cancer
diagnosis.
Eat less than 70 to 90g per day and try to
avoid overcooking meat. Be careful not to char
your food on a grill or barbecue as this can
produce carcinogenic chemicals.
Cakes, biscuits and pastries. Watch out for the
‘hidden fats’ in treats and avoid trans fatty
acids (hydrogenated fat), which increase total
cholesterol and lower the ‘good’ (HDL)
cholesterol.
Sugar. Refined sugar raises blood glucose
levels and elevates insulin concentrations – a
known risk factor for breast cancer
development.
Processed meats. Some preservatives that are
used in the production of processed meats
(bacon, ham and hot dogs, for example) are
thought (but not proven) to be carcinogenic.
TIME TO LOSE THE BOOZE
Alcohol consumption has been linked to an
increase in both the risk of developing breast
cancer and the likelihood of breast cancer
recurrence, even in light drinkers.
SIX CANCER-FIGHTING SUPERSTARS
SESAME SEEDS: Packed with healthy
unsaturated fats, all seeds are an excellent
source of omega-3s and omega-6s. They also
provide soluble fibre, phytochemicals and
plant sterols, which can protect against many
diseases, including cancer.
KEEP FIT AND STAY SLIM : About five per cent
of breast cancer cases could be avoided by
simply maintaining a healthy body weight.
Several studies confirm exercise’s link to
reduced risk, possibly as it lowers oestrogen
levels, modifying ways we store and process
what we eat.
EDAMAME BEANS: These bright green soy
beans are a good source of vitamins, minerals,
fibre and phytoestrogens, thought to inhibit
the growth of cancer cells), and the only
vegetable regarded as a complete protein food
because they contain all nine essential amino
acids.
BEETROOT: Beetroot is delicious eaten raw,
finely shredded, roasted, or cooked and
pickled. The purple colour comes from
betacyanin, a compound shown in studies to
have anti-carcinogenic properties. Leaves can
be eaten like spinach and are packed with
iron, calcium, and vitamins A, C and E.
SAGE: This common herb is rich in
phytochemicals and a good source of vital
nutrients, including vitamins A, C and K and
several B vitamins, as well as important
minerals.
TOMATOES: A powerful source of the
antioxidant lycopene, which has the potential
to inhibit breast cancer by stopping cancer cell
growth. Lycopene becomes more potent after
cooking and processing, so try our recipes
below.
SALMON
Oily fish such as salmon, sardines and
mackerel – which are rich in omega-3 – help to
decrease inflammation (and blood pressure),
and provide a source of vitamin D to promote
calcium uptake by the bones. Salmon may also
contain natural chemopreventative agents that
can inhibit or impede cancer.
Aim to eat oily fish once or twice a week.

Ambode urges patriotism, selfless service, others at Independence

LAGOS State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode,
on Wednesday urged Nigerians on the values
of patriotism and selfless service as the
country marks 55th independence
anniversary.
Ambode, in his congratulatory message, said
the commemoration must not be lost on
anyone, but should be another opportunity for
Nigerians to rededicate themselves to the pride
and service of the nation as exemplified by the
founding fathers.
He said there was need to rekindle the flame
that ignited the determination of the founding
fathers to fight for and obtain independence,
coupled with the pride they had in serving the
country. He there was no better time than
now to reawaken the waning glory of the
nation.
According to him, “You would recall that
Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar
Tafawa Balewa, had on that memorable day,
55 years ago, in his Independence
Anniversary speech, admonished everyone to
dedicate their life and service to our country.
This, for me is the springboard that can help
us return to our glorious past that the likes of
Pa Anthony Enahoro, Chief Obafemi Awolowo,
Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Herbert Macaulay
and a host of others helped to build in their
time,” the governor said.
Ambode described the recent 2015 elections as
the period that handed Nigeria a lifeline to put
her back on track and reclaim its waning
glory as the giant of Africa. He, therefore,
urged all Nigerians irrespective of party
affiliation, religious belief or ethnic leaning to
join hands with the government of the day to
salvage the nation.
He also called on Nigerians to support the
ongoing efforts by President Muhammadu
Buhari’s administration to rebuild the nation’s
foundation, saying such efforts could not be
left to the government alone.
He expressed optimism that the Buhari
administration would succeed in its quest to
reduce the rate of poverty, fight corruption,
change the economic fortunes and stem the
tide of insecurity in the country especially in
North East Nigeria, saying it would however
require all hands to be on deck

10 ways to drastically change your daily existence

How we think about something often determines our
experience thereof and it all depends on what or how we
think about it. One of my favourite quotes smartly sums
this up: “ If you change the way you look at things, the
things you look at change. ” – Wayne Dyer
We’re faced with challenges throughout our lives. Now, we
can either think about these challenges as great
inconveniences OR we could realise that they are perhaps
opportunities for personal growth.
A couple of weeks ago, I thought I had been robbed of my
purse. I couldn’t find it anywhere.  My driver’s license,
ID, medical aid card and debit card were all gone. Talk
about an inconvenience.
I endured the tedious process at Home Affairs TWICE –
first for my temporary ID then the permanent one.  I
then went to the bank where I cancelled my missing debit
card and was kindly reissued a new one. I then applied
for a new driver’s license card and endured an intensive
glare from a police woman who, after some questioning,
let me fill out an affidavit declaring that my purse was
indeed missing.
Two weeks later, I look under my desk, and what do I
find? My purse of course.
I went completely blank; I was shocked, stunned, and
speechless. If it weren’t for my boss, who said to me that I
now at least have duplicates of everything – one to store
safely and the other to carry with me - I would have
probably been more angry about the fact that I had spent
my entire Saturday sorting out my legal existence.
A classic example of either seeing the glass half empty or
half full. Life really is mind over matter and what we
think greatly effects the quality of life we live.
This all sounds fantastic in theory, but first, disrupt the
following 10 thinking-patterns to improve your quality of
life:
1. Always thinking of the worst case scenario. This is a
rather common way of thinking that causes you
unnecessary trauma, drama and stress. Such negativity
only breeds more negativity. It is also such a tragic waste
of imagination because you’re creating a series of events
that are highly unlikely to happen.
Firstly, chill. Deal with what IS happening, rather than
figuring out a modus operandi for what isn’t.
2. Never living in the now. If you’re guilty of the point
above, chances are you’re pretty much guilty of this one
too.
“You can’t change yesterday, but you can ruin today by
worrying about tomorrow.”– I could not have stated this
any more effectively.  Kudos, Mind Unleashed.
3. Jumping to conclusions. Have you ever walked into a
break room at work, found a group of colleagues suddenly
go quiet and you probably thought they’re talking about
you?
Chance are they weren’t, but this goes to show just how we
jump to conclusion. There’s always more to life than
meets the eye and sometimes it’s good to remind yourself
that the world does not revolve around you. There are
many, many, MANY more topics.
4. Being unforgiving of your mistakes. I cannot stress
enough the importance of forgiving yourself of your
mistakes because dwelling on them will only cause
bitterness.
Don’t imprison yourself like that, rather learn from the
error of your ways and make peace. Let the past be
forgotten for you no longer living there.
5. Mental filtering. People often tend to filter out
anything and everything great about whatever is
happening to them only to persuade themselves out of it.
I don’t know why people do this –perhaps it’s fear?
If you’re doing this to yourself to avoid people, events or
situations, remember that the only things you ever regret
is the things you don’t do. So, live and love openly.
6. Allowing the doubt of others to direct your life.
Relationships and friendships aren’t eternally
guaranteed, but living with who are you is. So, do what’s
in your heart because you can’t live without your heart.
7. Taking things personally. Do you often find yourself
feeling offended by what people say or do?  Don’t,
because what people say or do has more to do with who
they are than you.
8. Trying to compete with everyone else. Realise this:
When competing with others, you become bitter, but when
you compete with a previous version of yourself, you will
become better.
9. Emotional reasoning. When we feel bad, we reflect
this emotion into reality and suddenly everything
happening around us seems bad.
Separate what you feel from everything else that is
happening and deal with it. You’ll then open yourself up
to accept all the good life has coming your way.
10.    Take responsibility. Believe and accept that you’re
in control of your life. Ultimately, if you are unhappy
with an aspect in your life, it is up to you to correct it –
peacefully and happily.

Dollar slightly stronger against emerging market currencies

The dollar was little changed against most of
its Asia-Pacific peers on Friday as foreign
exchange dealers looked ahead to closely
watched US employment figures released later
in the day.
The exceptions were the Malaysian ringgit and
the South Korean won, which both shedded
more than half a percent against the dollar as
most regional equity markets paused after a
two-day rally marking the beginning of the
month.
With analysts expecting a fresh clue from the
US jobs report on whether the Federal Reserve
will change its monetary policy this year, the
greenback edged up against a handful of other
currencies from emerging economies.
“Today’s US payrolls number has once again
been labelled a ‘much watch’,” Chris Weston,
chief markets strategist at IG Markets, said.
“To be fair, I think traders are getting a bit
exhausted of these event risks which are
supposed to carry so much weight that they
can alter the investment landscape.”
Equity markets have seen a spike in volatility
since China suddenly devalued its yuan
currency in August, triggering the largest
quarterly selloff since 2011.
The turmoil in financial markets was a key
factor the Fed held off raising near-zero
interest rates in September, but investors still
expect the hike to come before the end of the
year.
The ringgit declined 0.80 percent against the
US unit, while the won was down 0.53
percent.
Other Asia-Pacific currencies also lost against
the dollar: the Singapore dollar fell 0.26
percent, the Thai baht lost 0.36 percent and
the Australian dollar edged 0.02 lower to
70.29 US cents.
The Indian rupee rose 0.11 percent, while the
Taiwan dollar and the Indonesian rupiah
traded flat.
With the unemployment rate expected near
seven-year lows, a strong reading in the
unemployment figures will likely add to calls
for the US central bank to start raising rates
gradually, putting further pressure on
emerging economies as investors take out
their cash to seek better returns in the US.
The US unit rose to 119.94 yen from 119.93
yen Thursday in New York, while the euro
traded at $1.1174 and 134.02 yen from $1.1187
and 134.16 yen in US trade.

MY 20 HOURS OF HELL!

NANDI Dladla had to spend 20 hours with her dead
baby inside her after nurses allegedly told her to
deliver it herself!
The 22-year-old from Mayville, west of Durban, said
her horrific ordeal started when her doctor gave her a
letter saying doctors at Addington Hospital should
operate once she started feeling labour pains.
“This was because there wasn’t enough water in my
womb and my baby’s life was at risk.
“On Sunday, I felt pains and rushed to the hospital,”
said Nandi.
“I felt the baby kick at 1am but at 6am on Monday
morning, I was told my baby was dead.
“Nurses said they couldn’t remove the baby and I had
to wait for it to come out itself or speak to a social
worker first.”
Eventually the baby was removed.
“Carrying my dead baby inside me was a long and
painful experience.”
Her sister, Nokukhanya Ntuli (43) said the nurses were
cruel.
“First of all, it was their fault the baby died.
“If they had acted fast the baby might still be alive. We
want the health department to investigate what really
happened.
“We are angry as we were looking forward to having a
new baby in our family,” she said.
KZN Health Department spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi
said he couldn’t discuss clinical matters with people not
involved unless authorised to do so.
“Healthcare users who have queries or concerns are
advised to raise them through the established
complaints mechanism of the department,” he said.
“These include raising their concerns with the
management of the health institution concerned or the
ombudsman of the department.
“Without disclosing the name of the person involved,
the person can continue to receive medical attention.”

Health benefits of corn

Health benefits of corn include controlling diabetes,
prevention of heart ailments, lowering hypertension and
prevention of neural-tube defects at birth. Corn or maize
is one of the most popular cereals in the world and forms
the staple food in many countries, including the United
States and many African countries.
The kernels of corn are what hold the majority of corn’s
nutrients, and are the most commonly consumed parts of
the vegetable. The kernels can come in multiple colors,
depending on where the corn is grown and what species or
variety they happen to be. Another genetic variant, called
sweetcorn, has more sugar and less starch in the nutritive
material.
Nutritional value of corn
Corn not only provides the necessary calories for healthy,
daily metabolism, but is also a rich source of vitamins A, B,
E and many minerals. Its high fiber content ensures that it
plays a significant role in the prevention of digestive
ailments like constipation and hemorrhoids as well as
colorectal cancer. The antioxidants present in corn also act
as anti-carcinogenic agents and prevent Alzheimer’s
disease.
Corn provides many health benefits due to the presence of
quality nutrients within. Besides being a delicious addition
to any meal, it is also rich in phytochemicals, and it
provides protection against a number of chronic diseases.
Some of the well-researched and widespread health
benefits of corn are listed below.
Rich source of calories: Corn is a rich source of calories and
is a staple among dietary habits in many populations.
Thecalorific content of corn is 342 calories per 100
grammes, which is among the highest for cereals. It is why
corn is often turned to for quick weight gain, and combined
with the ease and flexibility of growing conditions for corn,
the high calorie content makes it vital for the survival of
dozens of agricultural-based nations.

Jonathan spent N64bn on independence anniversaries –El- Rufai

Former President Goodluck Jonathan
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has hailed
President Muhammadu Buhari for budgeting N70m for the
Independence Day anniversary.
El-Rufai noted in a Facebook post on Thursday that under
former President Goodluck Jonathan, the Federal
Government spent billions every year on Independence
Day.
He noted that between 2011 and 2014, Jonathan spent over
N64bn celebrating Independence Day.
Curiously, in 2010 Jonathan budgeted N10bn for Nigeria’s
golden jubilee celebration.
He wrote, “This is the APC/PMB change we voted for.
Independence anniversary expenditure for the past five
years: 2011 – N13bn; 2012 -N15bn; 2013 – N14bn; 2014 –
N22bn; 2015 -N70m
In a separate post titled, ‘Our chance for national rebirth’,
el-Rufai urged on the people of Kaduna not to lose hope.
He noted that the nation was not yet where it ought to be
but with purposeful leadership, things would get better.
The governor subsequently pardoned some convicted
prisoners.
He said, “On this occasion, the Kaduna State government
decided to extend mercy to prisoners. Pursuant to Section
212 of the constitution, the prerogative of mercy was
exercised in favour of 14 prisoners.
“The government commuted the death sentences of five
convicts, who will now serve prison time. Five prisoners
serving sentences of three years and above were released
on the basis of good behaviour or time served already.
“In addition, three prisoners were released on the basis on
age while one person was released due to ill health. In
doing our duty to show mercy, the government warns that it
will not tolerate crime and threats to security.”
He said one of the highpoints of the last 55 years was the
2015 general elections which saw the defeat of his former
party, the Peoples Democratic Party, and the victory of the
All Progressives Congress which will ensure the needed
change.
He thanked Nigerians, specifically the people of Kaduna
for voting for change and steering the nation to the path
of greatness.
El-Rufai said, “We can celebrate because 2015 is the year
that the people of this country decided it was time to begin
the rebirth of a nation. Against the most concerted
campaign ever mounted by a government to divide the
people it was meant to lead, Nigerians refused to be set
against one another.
“I pay tribute to the many sacrifices that were made to
make the historic elections of this year possible. What the
voters of 2015 did was to make democracy a bulwark of
patriotism. In other words, the people cast their votes for
their country. May we never again be saddled with people
who (rated) themselves above the country.”
The former minister said education remained the key to
development.
He, therefore, declared a state of emergency in the
education sector.
He said, “Education is emancipation! Education is freedom
from want and disease! The provision of free basic
education in decent schools and with skilled teachers is one
of the priorities this government will accomplish in its four-
year term.
“We have spent the past few months planning school
repairs, the provision of school furniture and the training
of teachers. Today, we move to declare a state of
emergency in education. We ask for your support as we
begin to implement extraordinary measures in the
educational sector.”

Ondo promises free boat service to pupils

Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko
Ondo State Government says it has concluded arrangement
to offer free boat service to pupils in riverine communities
in the state.
The state Commissioner for Education, Mr Jide Adejuyigbe,
stated this while receiving officials of the Anambra State
Ministry of Education in his office.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate
Omenugha, led the delegation.
Adejuyigbe said the free boat initiative, particularly at
Ilaje and Ese Odo local government areas, was to replicate
the free shuttle bus gesture already in place other councils
in the state.
He said, “Our goal is to provide qualitative education for
our pupils and the government is doing everything possible
to achieve this. We are making sure that our schools have
facilities that would be conducive for learning. That is why
our pupils are performing well in both internal and external
examinations.
“The government has built 51 mega schools, just as it has
provided 90 free shuttle buses for the pupils. It has also
concluded plan to provide speed boats for pupils in riverine
communities where there are no roads, to take them back
and forth schools.
“The idea is to increase punctuality rate and check pupils’
drop-out level in the state. Again, education is free; now
parents have no excuse not to send their children to school.
We have deployed about 850 local government employees in
schools to teach. This administration believes in qualitative
education.”
Omenugha commended Ondo State for its achievements so
far in the sector, especially at the primary education level.

Contestant for Ooni stool in alleged N400m fraud, forgery

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has begun
investigation into allegations of forgery, fraudulent
conversion and obtaining the sum of N400m by false
pretence against Mr. Adeyeye Ogunwusi and his firm,
Metropole Interproject Limited.
Ogunwusi is one of the contestants for the vacant stool of
the Ooni of Ile-Ife, Osun State.
In a petition written by the chambers of Rotimi Jacobs & Co.
dated September 7, 2015, Messrs Sijuwade Holdings Limited
stated that in 1993, it purchased a parcel of land
measuring 30,000 square metres from the Ojomu
Chieftaincy Family at the Lekki peninsula, Lagos, and duly
obtained the Governor’s Consent to the transaction.
Thereafter, SHL claimed it entered into an agreement with
Metropole Interproject Limited for the latter to sand-fill
the entire parcel of land, and that upon completion of the
sand filling, Metropole would be given 7,500 square metres
from the land “to serve as the company’s fees.”
The petition stated that after the completion of the sand-
filling, Metropole offered to develop the remaining portion
of land for SHL, adding that the offer was accepted on the
condition that the development would be in phases.
The responsibilities of Metropole as stated in the
Development Mandate Agreement included the funding of
the development and procurement of all necessary permits
from the federal and Lagos State governments; as well as
the funding/construction of 24 duplex units on the 7,500
square metres and this was to form the basis of Metropole’s
equity in the project entitling the developer to 16 units out
of the 24.
The petition stated, “Our client (Sijuwade Holdings) gave
Mr. Ogunwusi the title document (which was in our client’s
name), including the tax clearance of two directors to
process the necessary permits required for the construction.
After the completion of phase 1, our client requested copies
of the approvals and consent, but Mr. Ogunwusi refused to
provide them.
“Our client engaged the services of a town planner (TG
Marchnata) to conduct a search at the offices of the Lagos
State Physical Planning and Development Authority. The
town planner got copies of all the documents submitted by
Mr. Ogunwusi/Metropole for the purposes of procuring the
building permits for the construction.
“To our client’s surprise, the search revealed that Mr.
Ogunwusi/Metropole had forged the title documents by
superimposing the name of Metropole Interproject Limited
as a co-owner of the parcel of land. The signature of
Professor Olawoyin, SAN, who prepared the title document
was also forged by Mr. Ogunwusi/Metropole.
“Mr. Ogunwusi also submitted a forged Certificate of
Incorporation with the name: Metropole Interproject &
Sijuwade Holdings Limited. He also forged some documents
belonging to the Lagos State Government and uttered same
to the Lagos State Physical Planning and Development
Authority.”
The petition further stated, “Meanwhile, before our client
got to know about the fraudulent activities of Mr.
Ogunwusi/Metropole, our client had, in line with the
agreement it had with Mr. Ogunwusi/Metropole, issued title
in favour of Metropole and its nominees for the units due
to the company.
“Apart from the forgery earlier complained about, Mr.
Ogunwusi/Metropole has also sold the eight duplex units
that ought to have accrued to our client and he converted
the proceeds, running into N400m, to his personal use.”
The petitioner, therefore, asked the EFCC to investigate the
circumstances under which the title documents were
allegedly forged.
In a letter with reference CR:3000/LS/EGC-1/VOL. 6/409
and dated September 17, 2015, the EFCC asked the legal
firm of Olawoyin & Olawoyin to confirm if the agreement
allegedly submitted by Metropole for the building permits
was prepared by the firm.
The EFCC’s letter was signed by one Abubakar R. Madaki on
behalf of the Head of Operations, and stated that the
request was made pursuant to Section 38 (1) (2) of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment)
Act, 2004; and Section 21 of the Money Laundering
(Prohibition) Act, 2012.
While responding to the EFCC request, Olawoyin & Olawoyin
stated in a letter dated September 23, 2015, “We wish to
state that the agreement (a copy of which was attached to
your letter under reference) was NOT prepared by our firm.
We have taken the liberty to attach to this letter a copy of
the actual document that was prepared by our firm and
draw your attention to the following differing aspects of
the agreement:
(a) The front page of the agreement attached to your
letter contains Metropole Interproject Limited as a party to
the agreement of sale, while in the actual document
prepared by our firm, Metropole Interproject Limited is not
a party.
(b) The signature on the front page of the actual document
prepared by our firm is that of the undersigned, Prof.
Gabriel Olawoyin, SAN, while the signature attached to the
front page of the document attached to your letter is NOT
that of Prof. Gabriel Olawoyin.
(c) Page 1 of the agreement prepared by our firm does
NOT make any reference to Metropole Interproject Limited,
while the document attached to your letter makes
reference to Metropole Interproject Limited.”
When contacted to authenticate the content of the petition,
Mr. Rotimi Jacobs of Rotimi Jacobs & Co. confirmed that his
firm sent the petition to the EFCC on behalf of Sijuwade
Holdings, but refused to comment further.
Similarly, Olawoyin confirmed his firm’s response to the
request by the EFCC but declined further comments.
Ogunwusi, on his part, denied the allegations levied against
him and Metropole Interproject Limited, saying he was
being maliciously targeted for negative press because of his
interest in the vacant stool of the Ooni.
He said, “Why are they trying to write damaging reports
about me now and why not two, three years ago? The heart
of man is full of wickedness. What they are saying is a lie;
we have resolved it. They are using it to smear my name.
“Oba Akiolu (of Lagos) and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu are aware
of the issue. We have resolved it and I don’t know why they
are doing this. It is a lie that I put Metropole Interproject
Limited as a co-owner of the land; they are trying to
expose what they are not; if they chose to fight dirty, I will
meet them.”
Ogunwusi later made a conference call to a man purported
to be Prince Deremi Sijuwade, who said, “I heard something
about the petition and I will say it should be
discountenanced. I am not sure those things written in the
petition are correct; we will come up with an official
statement in that regard.”
The head of the kingmakers and the Obalufe of Iremo
quarter, Ile-Ife, Oba Solomon Omisakin, when contacted on
the telephone by one of our correspondents, said he was not
aware that a petition had been written to the EFCC against
Ogunwusi or any of the contestants for the throne.
“I am not aware of such a petition. It is not to my
knowledge,” he said.
Asked if the kingmakers could use such a petition to screen
out the contestant, Omisakin stated, “Until I get to know, I
won’t make any comment.”
Ogunwusi had on September 19 distributed transformers
worth N250m to some communities in Ile-Ife, which had
been in darkness for a long period due to faulty
transformers.
Mr. Leke Ijiyode, who represented him at the ceremony,
said Ogunwusi did not distribute the transformers in order
to be selected as the next Ooni, but because he had been
involved in philanthropic gestures in the community before
now.
He said the contestant had been involved in assisting
indigenes of Ile-Ife in tertiary institutions and other
forms of humanitarian services long before the demise of
Oba Okunade Sijuwade.

Cats, bats can also transmit rabies

Monday, September 28 was the United Nation’s World
Rabies Day. This date marked the anniversary of the death
of Louis Pasteur, a scientist who, with the collaboration of
his colleagues, developed the first effective rabies vaccine.
During the World Rabies Day, the United Nations and other
international human and veterinary health organisations
raise awareness on how to prevent the disease that kills
more than 55,000 people worldwide every year.
Rabies is not a challenge in foreign countries only. In
Nigeria, more than 10,000 people are still at risk of
contracting this disease that is deadlier than HIV/AIDS.
During the celebration, local human and veterinary
organisations such as the Nigerian Veterinary Medical
Association, K-9ine World Limited, Lagos Dog Breeders Club,
etc., all came up with several awareness campaigns and
free anti-rabies vaccination for pets.
Here is the myth and the truth about the common
misconceptions of rabies:
Myth: Exposure to a rabid animal will result in death
Truth: Exposure to a rabid animal does not always result in
death if the exposed individual promptly receives
treatment. However, if symptoms appear before treatment,
the disease will progress rapidly and the infection will
probably lead to death.
Myth: A person who a suspected rabid dog bites will take 32
injections.
Truth: I heard this myth a lot when I was a child. However,
I have grown up to find out that it’s not true. A person who
is exposed and has never been vaccinated against rabies
would get four doses of rabies vaccine.
The first dose will be given immediately, and another shot
called the rabies immune globulin will be infiltrated around
and into the wound.
Additional doses of the rabies vaccine will then be
administered on the third, seventh, and 14th days.
Altogether, that will be five shots.
Myth: Rabies injections are administered on the buttocks.
Truth: Rabies vaccinations are usually administered in the
deltoid muscle (a rounded, triangular muscle located on
the uppermost part of the arm and the top of the
shoulder). This is the part of the arm where children are
given immunisation.
Myth: All dogs have rabies.
Truth: Not all dogs have rabies. Rabies is only contacted by
dogs when the virus in the saliva or brain tissue of an
infected animal or person enters the body through a bite,
scratch or open wound.
Myth: All aggressive dogs have rabies.
Truth: Some dogs may be aggressive because aggression is a
common behavioural problem in dogs. However, it is not all
aggressive dogs that have rabies. Aggression is just one of
the signs that are displayed by a rabid dog. Other signs of
rabies in an infected animal include change in normal tone
of barking, difficulty in swallowing, excessive or frothy
salivation, unusual aggression towards people and
stationary objects, and inability to coordinate the muscle
movement.
Myth: A person who contacts rabies will bark like a dog.
Truth: The virus that causes rabies loves to live in the brain
and spinal cord. So, in a rabid person, the muscles that are
around the spinal cord (back bone) usually contract
periodically. This gives the affected individual the same
feeling as that of an athlete who has a ‘muscle pull’; but,
this time, a ‘muscle pull’ in the back. The sudden pain
causes the person to bend and stretch backwards. During
this painful process, the person lets out a sound that is
similar to when a dog is growling. That is why they say a
rabid person barks.
Myth: A rabid dog is always aggressive.
Truth: It is not every rabid dog that is aggressive. Some
may be calm. It all depends on the stage in which the virus
has developed in the affected animal. In the early stages,
the animal may appear anxious, aggressive or more
friendly than normal. As the disease progresses, the brain
becomes affected, and there may be paralysis of the
nerves that control the head and throat. This paralysis will
make the dog look dull and calm. Eventually, the animal
goes into respiratory failure and dies.
Myth: If a dog that has rabies bites a person, it will die
within seven days.
Truth: A rabid animal may live for up to 7-10 days before
it starts manifesting the clinical signs of rabies. However, if
the animal lives beyond the 10th day, it can be said with
certainty that it was not shedding the rabies virus at the
time that the bite occurred. If the animal dies before the
10th day, it can be tested for rabies. If the test is positive,
a bite victim will still have enough time to receive post-
exposure vaccinations and prevent the disease.
Myth: Only dogs can transmit rabies
Truth: Rabies can also be transmitted by cats, bats, humans
and very rarely, cattle.
Myth: Rabies is only transmitted by bites
Truth: The virus that causes rabies is found in the saliva
and brain tissue of an infected animal. So, rabies can be
transmitted when the saliva or brain tissue of an infected
animal enters the body through scratch or open wound.
If you have any questions or comments about this topic,
please do not hesitate to send me an email. Above all,
please call or schedule a trip to the veterinarian to make
sure that your pet’s rabies vaccination is up to date.
Have a splendid weekend.

Buhari’s ministers must declare assets publicly –Kukah

The Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, says
there is a need for President Muhammadu Buhari’s
ministers to publicly declare their assets just as Buhari did
last month.
Kukah, who is also a member of the National Peace
Committee, said this at an annual programme titled, “The
Platform,” which was organised by the Covenant Christian
Centre in Lagos, on Thursday.
He said, “Buhari has an opportunity now. I don’t think
many of you have been to Buhari’s house in Kaduna but I
have been there and I know what it looks like. You heard
about his declaration of assets. He must, therefore, make
minimum demands of moral conduct and probity from his
ministers. As Nigerians, we must ask ourselves what drives
corruption.
“Corrupt people are not necessarily bad people. A lot of
them are not bad people because they do a lot of good
things. But we live in a country where too many good people
are doing too many bad things.”
The cleric said Buhari must set standards for his ministers
on the kind of lifestyles they and their families must live.
He said for instance, it would be good if the President
demands that all the children of his ministers must school
in Nigeria.
Kukah added, “For me, if you are a minister of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, your children must have their
education in Nigeria. That will be good.”
While delivering his lecture titled, “Hysteria, euphoria and
amnesia: Nigeria’s long walk to freedom,” Kukah said
Nigeria had failed to develop because the country had
continued to make the same mistakes.
Defending his stance that ruling Nigeria should not be only
about jailing corrupt people, Kukah said all coups including
the first one of 1966 were perpetrated under the pretext of
fighting corruption.
He, therefore, argued that restructuring the system and
plugging all loopholes remains the best way to fight
corruption.
He said, “If you take the worst Nigerian President and
Americans are patient enough to vote for him and he rules
America for 20 years, he will not be able to steal up to
$50,000 no matter how long he rules because of the kind of
system that operates there.
“But if you take a British Prime Minister or American
President and make him the President of Nigeria, the
moment he wants to set up an anti-corruption agency, he
will have to bribe the National Assembly.”
Kukah said the proliferation of churches or mosques in a
country did not necessary imply that the nation would have
a high moral standard or development. He said unlike
Nigerian leaders, former South African President, Nelson
Mandela, was never seen in a church.
While comparing former President Olusegun Obasanjo with
Mandela, Kukah said the circumstances in the nation
prevented Obasanjo from being like Mandela.
He said, “Both of them went to prison and became
Presidents when they were released but we know that if
Mandela had gone to a Nigerian prison, he would have died
there.
“When Mandela came out of prison, there was a structure
in place. His party had been in existence since 1912. It had
a doctrine, discipline. When Mandela came out of prison on
February 11, 1990 and when he was approached, he said he
would have to consult with Oliver Thambo. Mandela was
already a party man.
“Compare this with President Obasanjo who came into power
through the PDP. Look at the circumstances of the
formation of the party. Mandela was also fortunate to
inherit an economic and bureaucratic system that had been
in place for long. Obasanjo inherited a system that was
severely weakened.”

GREG DYKE CRITICISES MOURINHO OVER CARNEIRO

The FA chief says the Blues boss "made a mistake" and
adds that although he has not broken any rules he has
made an error of judgement in his handling of the
saga
Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has criticised
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and says he should
have apologised to Eva Carneiro for his behaviour.
The Blues’ boss has been cleared by the FA of any
wrongdoing after he was accused of using abusive
language towards Carneiro, the club doctor, during
Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Swansea.
Mourinho was angered by Carneiro's treatment of Eden
Hazard, which left the Blues temporarily with nine men,
and the 42-year-old has subsequently left her job
after being downgraded from her role.
Dyke is clearly unimpressed with the Portuguese's
behaviour and says he owes Dr Carneiro an apology for
his actions.
"I don't think Mr Mourinho comes well out of the whole
saga - he clearly made a mistake in the heat of a
game, and should have said so and apologised," Dyke
said in a letter to FA Council members
"Instead he has said very little and Miss Carneiro has
lost her job.
"Our regulatory team have investigated this and whilst
Mr Mourinho has breached no rules, it was clearly a
failure of his personal judgement and public
behaviour."

Female suicde bombers attack mosque in Borno

Female suicde bombers attack mosque
in Borno
At least 5 people have been confirmed dead after 2
female suicide bombers attacked a mosque along Ajilanri
cross in Maiduguri, Borno state.
According to reports, the first female suicide bomber was
waiting outside the mosque for the Muslim faithfuls to
leave the mosque so she could detonate the bomb but
fortunately prolonged prayers kept people inside the
mosque.
The female bomber eventually blew herself up, and killed a
few people who were outside the mosque. The second
female suicide bomber detonated hers few meters away
from the mosque.
40 people are said to have been injured and are receiving
medical attention at State Specialist Hospital Maiduguri.

LVG wary of Arsenal backlash

Louis Van Gaal is wary of a backlash from Arsenal when
Manchester United visit the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
While United were victorious this week in the Champions
League against Wolfsburg, the Gunners suffered a
surprising defeat on Tuesday when they lost 3-2 at home
to Olympiakos.
With back-to-back games against Bundesliga champions
Bayern Munich looming, Arsenal have it all to do to
qualify from Group F.
Despite Arsenal's struggles, Van Gaal is expecting a stern
test of United's title credentials from Arsene Wenger's
side on Sunday.

"We are happy but I think Arsenal can come back from a
defeat," Van Gaal said. "They have shown that a lot of
times.
"Arsenal are technically and tactically the best team in
the league. Nevertheless, they haven't won so much, so
you have to look for that improvement with that team."
One worry for Van Gaal heading into the game is the tight
turnaround from Wednesday's clash with Wolfsburg.
Michael Carrick is fit to face Arsenal on Sunday
The United manager confirmed he will have midfielder
Michael Carrick available for selection but he has not yet
decided to what extent he will rotate his squad.
"The solution is recovery, recovery, recovery," Van Gaal
stressed. "That is why it's so difficult to prepare for the
match against Arsenal.
"As a manager you want to prepare on the pitch and you
cannot do it because players need to be fresh.
"The other solution is to change your squad so we have to
see how the evaluation is from my fatigue specialist."
Louis van Gaal celebrates victory victory over Wolfsburg
with Chris Smalling
Chris Smalling was the hero for United on Wednesday
when he guided home Juan Mata's sublime flick to give
the home side all three points.
The England international has developed into one of the
club's most important players under Van Gaal but the
Dutch boss insists the only person who deserves credit for
that is the player himself.
"When he does things, he does it always by himself," Van
Gaal said. "I help him with advice, demands and training
sessions, and by showing images to improve him.
"But he has to be open and he has to perform on the
pitch. He does everything himself. The greatest
compliment you have to make is to Chris and not to me."

‘Star Trek Beyond’: New Photos Reveal Major Spoilers About The Enterprise

Buckle up, ‘Star Trek’ fans. Big stuff is
happening in ‘Star Trek Beyond.’ New, spoiler-
filled photos have been leaked from the set and
reveal shocking clues about the plot. Click to see
the pics!
Star Trek Beyond is not hitting theaters until 2016, but new
photos that have surfaced from the set give us a glimpse
of what’s to come. If you want to know what’s going down
in the super secretive third movie, including what happens
to the Enterprise, you’re going to want to see these set
photos!
The new Star Trek movie appears
to shooting alien planet scenes,
according to TMZ . A special
effects stage was also set up to
film interior shots of the USS
Enterprise, which endures nasty
damage in the third film. CLICK
TO SEE THE PICS !
It’s really hard to tell what is
exactly going on in the photos, but
it’s clear that it’s something big.
The entire cast, including Chris
Pine and Zachary Quinto , have
been tight-lipped about plot
details.
Many stars from the first two reboot films are also
returning for the third film, including Zoe Saldana , Anton
Yelchin , Simon Pegg and John Cho . Idris Elba will play the
villain in the highly-anticipated Star Trek Beyond.
He wouldn’t spill anything about the plot except that he
has scenes with Spock! His character is a completely new
character, and Idris admits it’s a “groundbreaking role.”
“Simon [Pegg] and the team have written a very
interesting, complex journey for my character,” Idris told
MTV. “You’ve never seen me play a character like this… “I
think ’Star Trek’ has prided themselves as being quite
classic when it comes to villains, like ’he’s a guy who wants
to end the world,’ there’s no doubt about that. But in this
version of the film, there’s a slightly different twist to
that. It’s quite an interesting journey, which I think is
groundbreaking for the franchise. But, it still keeps with
the ’classic bad guy is a classic bad guy’ tone.”

Mata back to his best?

Is Juan Mata returning to the form which saw him win
back-to-back Player of the Year awards in his first two
seasons at Chelsea? Nick Wright takes a look at his
impressive start to the campaign ahead of Manchester
United's Super Sunday showdown with Arsenal…
In the frenzy of excitement surrounding Anthony
Martial, Juan Mata's role in lifting Manchester United to
the summit of the Premier League has been rather
understated. But the Spaniard took centre stage in the
Champions League on Wednesday night, scoring the first
from the spot and then providing a delightful assist for
the second in United's 2-1 win over Wolfsburg.
It's a continuation of his fine start to the season. As well
as this Champions League brilliance, Mata has scored or
assisted half of his team's 12 Premier League goals so
far, and there was plenty to enjoy about his performance
in Saturday's 3-0 win over Sunderland too.
The quick-thinking and vision of his assist for Memphis
Depay's opener against the Black Cats was classic Mata.
Most players would have tried to volley Daley Blind's
raking pass beyond Costel Pantilimon, but United's No 8
had already calculated a safer route to goal. He took
Sunderland's goalkeeper out of the game by shaping to
shoot, before cushioning the ball across the six yard box
for the untracked Memphis to score.
Mata got the goal his performance deserved in the final
minute of the game, and it was another example of what
he does best. Ashley Young's deflected cross was fiercely
struck, but Mata stopped the ball dead with a brilliant
first touch before lifting his finish high into the net. Time
appears to slow down for Mata at times like these, but it
all happened in a split second. Sunderland simply
couldn't keep up.
Mata celebrates scoring Man Utd's third goal against
Sunderland
"Personally, I enjoyed it, especially in the second half,
and I was lucky to score at the end," said Mata after the
game. "I'm feeling very comfortable in this start of the
season, and as soon as the week goes by I'm already
looking forward to the next one, to keep enjoying myself
and competing."
Mata has directly contributed more goals (29) than
anyone at United since his £37.1m move from Chelsea in
January 2014, but it is only recently that he has really
flourished. The 27-year-old was irresistible as Chelsea's
No 10 prior to Jose Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge,
but at United he has been remoulded as a "false right
winger".
Mata has the freedom to drift into central areas, making
him difficult for defenders to pick up and leaving
Matteo Darmian or Antonio Valencia to charge down the
flank on the overlap.

Naomi Campbell: ‘Empire’ Star Strips Naked & Reveals Perfect Body At 45 — See Pics

And THIS is why Naomi Campbell is
still one of the world’s top supermodels. At 45
years old, she’s looking better than ever, and
proudly flaunts her amazing figure in a
new photo shoot…completely naked!
Naomi Campbell isn’t going anywhere! The 45-year-old
proves why she’s been in the modeling game for so long in
this new photo shoot for Lui magazine, in which she strips
down and shows some serious skin. And, seriously — it’s
amazing!
In one shot, which the Empire star posted to her instagram
page, she wears nothing but a leather vest, exposing her
right breast, along with another unmentionable area.
Remaining modest, Naomi made sure to cover up with star
icons, but there’s no hiding her perfect physique, which
only seems to keep looking better with age. ( SCROLL DOWN
TO SEE THE PICS ).
The French magazine’s cover features a close-up shot of
Naomi with the vest zipped up, revealing just the top
portion of her nipples. Ever the professional, the
supermodel gives a fierce look at the camera, sporting
dark eyeliner and beaded, dangling earrings. SO fierce, as
usual!
In
another naked shot, Naomi wears nothing but a trench
coat, which is falling over left shoulder, revealing the
entire right side of her bare body. Even her plethora of
necklaces isn’t enough to distract from her fabulous
figure, fully on display once again.
Naomi’s career in modeling began before she was even 16
years old, so she’s been at this for more than 30 years now,
and we love that she’s not caving into the standard that
models have to be “young.” Plus, now that she’s scored
huge roles on Empire and upcoming surefire hit American
Horror Story: Hotel , there’s more to Naomi than ever
before.

Alli and Ings in England squad

England manager Roy Hodgson has included Tottenham
midfielder Dele Alli and Liverpool striker Danny Ings in
his squad for the first time for the forthcoming Euro 2016
qualifiers with Estonia and Lithuania.
Alli has enjoyed a superb start to the new season with
Spurs, having joined the club from Championship side MK
Dons.
The 19-year-old has featured in all but one of
Tottenham's fixtures this campaign, scoring his first
Premier League goal for the club in the 1-1 draw with
Leicester City back in August.
Roy: Sturridge decision my call
Roy Hodgson says he made the
decision to leave Daniel
Sturridge out of the England
squad...
He has featured only twice for the England Under-21s
and is joined in the squad by Liverpool forward Ings, also
receiving a senior call-up for the first time.
However, there is no place for Ings' Liverpool team-mate
Daniel Sturridge , even though he has fully recovered from
his hip injury.
Rise of Dele Alli
Tracking the rise of England
new boy Dele Alli with the help
of those who know him best.
Sturridge has yet to feature for England since a 1-0
friendly victory over Norway in September 2014.
In-form Leicester forward Jamie Vardy, who is currently
the Premier League's top scorer with six goals, is also
included.
Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand is recalled to the
squad in place of Luke Shaw. The Manchester United
defender featured for England in last month's victories
over San Marino and Switzerland, but misses out after
breaking his leg in two places during the Champions
League defeat to PSV Eindhoven.
How should England line up?
Alan Curbishley and Stuart
Pearce gave their views on the
England team to Sky Sports
Now...
England squad to face Estonia and Lithuania:
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland (Stoke City), Joe Hart
(Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley).
Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill
(Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Kieran Gibbs
(Arsenal), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones
(Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester
United), John Stones (Everton).
Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley
(Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Adam
Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Jonjo Shelvey (Swansea
City), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).
Forwards: Danny Ings (Liverpool), Harry Kane
(Tottenham Hotspur), Wayne Rooney (Manchester
United), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Theo Walcott
(Arsenal).

‘Empire’ Recap: Lucious Is Finally Released From Jail Thanks To His Shady Lawyer

Well, Lucious’ time in jail didn’t last
very long. After being behind bars for three
long months, the head of Empire is finally back
and ready to reclaim his kingdom!
Lucious ( Terrance Howard ) is a free man, all thanks to his
shady new lawyer Thirsty Rawlings ( Andre Royo). While
Lucious and Jamal ( Jussie Smollett ) celebrate his newly
found freedom, Cookie ( Tarji P. Henson) is busy starting
her own Dynasty.
While Lucious may have had a happy ending at the end of
the episode, he was actually having a rough time before his
release. While in jail, Lucious had been receiving medicine
to try and keep his ALS symptoms to a minimal.
Unfortunately that was taken away from him all because
the prosecution was trying to play dirty! Super shady,
right?
Ludacris ’ was a guest star on this episode and his
character, Officer McKnight, definitely has something
against Lucious. As the singer continues to suffer in jail,
his wifey is plotting revenge on his Empire.
Cookie Starts Her Own ‘Empire’
This is one Lyon that can’t be tamed! After being thrown
out of Empire by Jamal, Cookie decides to start her own
company with Hakeem and Andre. The three of them
conspire via phone calls and eventually meet up at the
ghetto studio where Jamal was seen recording “Dollar Bill”
in the first season. Andre was so unhappy about what he
was seeing, but he decided to continue with the plan.
While they’re all setting up, Hakeem decided to throw
around the idea of starting a girl group. He totally has his
own music to worry about, but the rapper thought it would
be a good thing to do for their un-named label. Cookie
agrees with the idea and allows Hakeem to go and find his
perfect group instead of getting him to record his last few
songs for his album.
Hakeem holds auditions and a familiar face shows up!
Valentina ( Becky G ) obviously nails her audition and
impresses Hakeem, but she’s totally blindsided by the fact
that it was a casting for a girl group. She claims the
Instagram posting — casting via Instagram? The struggle
is kinda real — didn’t mention anything about a girl group.
Unfortunately, the gal sitting beside Hakeem said there
definitely was and Valentina was not happy. In fact, she
bluntly told Hakeem, “With or without you, I shine.” Becky
was right, her character is certainly the mini version of
Cookie . Did I mention Hakeem wants to name his three-girl
girl group “Rainbow Sensation?” Because that also
happened.
Lucious Teams Up With A New Lawyer
Jamal visits Lucious in jail and asks his father to give
Hakeem his album back. After their business talk, Jamal
notices his father wasn’t feeling too well and a lawyer by
the name of Thirsty Rawlings overhears their conversation.
He immediately gives Jamal his card and offers up his
services to the singer. Obviously after much thought,
Lucious decides to take his chances and run with this new
guy.
When he teams up with Thirsty, Lucious then starts to
receive a little bit of special treatment. He was able to get
the meds he needed and on top of that, time to record a
new song while in jail! One of the prison guards who was
escorting Lucious to the private room revealed that Thirsty
has connections inside the jail and that’s why Lucious was
able to receive his medication along with many others.
The singer meets up with his crew from the courtyard and
starts recording a new song. Shortly after they finished,
Officer McKnight and other guards came in to detain the
inmates. That little stunt earned Lucious some time in the
“hole.” While Officer McKnight and Lucious are talking,
Lucious basically threatened the guard and he held true to
his word.
Everything went from zero to 100 real quick. Officer
McKnight was out and about when he was ambushed by two
guys who we can only assume were working for Thirsty.
They beat him up until the guard gave them what they
wanted, the computer that Lucious recorded his song on.
That item was given to Thirsty to do whatever he wanted
with it.
Andre Tries To Return To Empire
After talking to Lucious, Jamal decided to ask Hakeem to
return to Empire one last time before ultimately giving his
younger brother his unfinished album. Hakeem decided to
take things into his own hands and leak it all online. This
move causes Andre become upset and to leave the start-
up company.
He goes to visit Lucious in jail to ask for his forgiveness.
Andre apologizes for being a part of the hostile takeover
with Cookie, Hakeem, and Anika. Sadly, Lucious says to his
eldest son, “Pray for God to forgive you, because I don’t.”
Stone cold. Andre doesn’t give up and asks why his dad
hates him so much. This takes us to a flashback with Kelly
Rowland as Lucious’s mother. It’s a sweet and creepy
memory, but it definitely caused me to wonder if Lucious’
mom also suffered from bi-polar disorder and seeing
Andre deal with the same disorder hurts him.
Not too long after the album leak, Hakeem goes to see
Jamal to tell him the news along with the fact that he isn’t
returning to Empire. Jamal gets upset — over the leak of
the album and threatens to sue Hakeem. There’s a little
banter between the two, but then Hakeem drops the news
by revealing the name of their start-up company, “Lyon
Dynasty.” Jamal called it corny, but Hakeem dismissed him
by saying, “our little dynasty is going to crush your
Empire.”
Lucious Drops A New Song From Prison & Gets
Out Of Jail
“Damn, that’s hot,” Cookie said after hearing Lucious’ new
song on the radio. You know a song is hot when Cookie says
so! After all, she did help Lucious start his career. “There’s
not much he can do to us right now before he gets out of
jail.” Sadly that was a short-lived moment for Cookie
because in the next scene, we see Lucious being released
from jail.
Thirsty was able to gather some incriminating photos of the
judge presiding over Lucious’ case. This causes him to
release Lucious on a $1 million bail. We wonder how Cookie
will react to this news once she finds out Lucious is out! Not
to mention she’s barely done starting-up her dynasty. She
and Hakeem have a lot of sweeping to do!
HollywoodLifers , what did you think of this episode? The
music? Let us know if everything lived up to your
expectations in the comment section below!

Ronaldo's 501 goals

Cristiano Ronaldo is now Real Madrid's joint-top
goalscorer in their history
Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League brace against
Malmo took him to 501 goals for club and country and
level with Raul as Real Madrid's all-time top scorer.
Ronaldo's remarkable goal haul has come in 753
appearances for Real Madrid, Manchester United,
Sporting Lisbon and Portugal.
The records continue to tumble for the FIFA World Player
of the Year, and here, with the help of our friends at
Opta, we crunch the numbers behind his astonishing
scoring feats…
Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his 500th career goal
against Malmo
Ronaldo's recent scoring heroics have put him on 323 from
308 appearances for Madrid. His last-minute goal
equalled Raul's tally despite the Portuguese having
played over 400 fewer games.
His recent five-goal haul against Espanyol and his treble
against Shakhtar took him to 37 hat-tricks for club and
country, and he is also five goals clear of Lionel Messi in
the Champions League, with 82 goals making him the
competition's all-time leading scorer.
While the bulk of Ronaldo's 500 goals have come in a Real
Madrid shirt, he also reached triple figures for
Manchester United. In six seasons at Old Trafford
Ronaldo smashed 118 goals, and he previously netted five
times for Sporting Lisbon as a teenager. At international
level, Ronaldo has 55 goals in 122 appearances for
Portugal.
Ronaldo netted twice in Sweden to level Raul's Real
Madrid record
Ronaldo's lethal right foot has accounted for 326 of his
total, with 90 coming on his left and 83 with his head. The
30-year-old can score all kinds of goals from all kinds of
angles. Eighty-three of his total have come from outside
the box, and he has also scored 81 penalties and 45 direct
free kicks.
Home advantage makes little difference to Ronaldo,
whose 213 away goals account for 43 per cent of his total.
He has scored 272 at home, with the final 16 coming in
neutral locations.
The stats also show he is most dangerous between the 76th
and 90th minute, a period in which he has scored 116
goals. His second-most prolific period is the 16th-30th
minute, during which he has scored 87 times.

So who are Ronaldo's favoured opposition? Sevilla must be
sick of the sight of him. The Portuguese powerhouse has
scored 21 times against the Andalusian side, while he also
enjoys playing against Getafe, against whom he has
scored 18 goals.
Ronaldo also has a habit of scoring in El Clasico, with 15
goals against Barcelona putting them joint-third with
Atletico Madrid in his list of favoured opposition. As for
English teams, Ronaldo has been most prolific against
Aston Villa (nine goals) and Tottenham (eight).
And what about top assist makers? Well, over the course
of his career, no player has provided more goals for
Ronaldo than Karim Benzema with 31. Arsenal's Mesut
Ozil ranks second having made 27 assists to Ronaldo
during their four-year spell at the Bernabeu together.
Manchester United flop Angel Di Maria assisted Ronaldo
22 times, while his current team-mate Gareth Bale is on
20. At Manchester United, Ryan Giggs was his top assister
with 16, while Wayne Rooney was next on 10. His former
United and current international team-mate Nani is just
behind Rooney on nine assists.
Ronaldo's most prolific season was the 2011-12 campaign,
when he scored 69 goals for club and country, and he has
surpassed the 60-mark in each of his last two seasons.
Ronaldo's appetite for goals is greater than ever, and
Atletico Madrid will have their work cut out to stop him
from adding to the 501 at the weekend...