SSS Declares Nasir El-Rufai Wanted!

The State Security Service, SSS, has finally secured a warrant of arrest for the Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Nasir El-Rufai, and has now launched a manhunt for him, the spokesperson for the agency has said.
 
This is even as armed operatives of the Service again stormed a second house in Abuja believed to belong to the former minister in their desperate bid to arrest him.

They had earlier in the afternoon invaded his first house in the Maitama District of the nation’s capital, but could not find him as he had reportedly gone to pick his children from school. They were said to have tried to force their way in to arrest the former minister. Continue...



In the latest siege on another property, also in the Maitama District, the operatives were said to have beaten up some private guards for refusing them entry.

The spokesperson of the SSS, Marylyn Ogar, confirmed that the operatives visited Mr. El-Rufai’s second house to arrest him, but denied that anyone was beaten.

“I hate cheap blackmail,” Ms. Ogar told Premium Times on telephone. “We went to the first place, nobody was beaten up. How will we go to the second place and beat people up?”

She explained that the SSS got an arrest warrant demanded by Mr. El-Rufai, but could not find him to personally serve him the document.
“We extended a friendly invitation to him,” the SSS spokesperson said. “He was invited honourably to come and make some explanations about the comments attributed to him.
“He said he wanted an arrest warrant. We have now obtained that from a competent court and we are wondering why he is running.
“We want to serve it on him. Or is there any Nigerian that is above the law?
“The president has said his ambition is not worth any Nigerian’s blood. So why will anyone else be making provocative statements?”

The manhunt for the former minister followed his refusal to honour an invitation from the SSS on Thursday.

He cited his pending suit against the Service over his detention in a hotel in Awka during the Anambra State Governorship last November 16 as the reason for refusing to honour the invitation.
Mr. El-Rufai also insisted on seeing a warrant of arrest before he could go to the SSS office.
The invitation of the APC chief was in connection with his remarks at a conference in Abuja on Wednesday that there might be violence if the 2015 general elections were not credible.

Meanwhile, Mr. El-Rufai, in statement by his media advisor, Muyiwa Adekeye, on Friday, confirmed that armed SSS officials stormed his home in Abuja following his rejection of the attempt by the organization to compel him to report at their office without a valid warrant.

The statement said the former minister had on Thursday firmly told the Director General of SSS that he would be exercising his right not to go to the SSS offices except a warrant mandates him and offered to meet the SSS officials in his home or office.

“The armed invasion of his house is a clear indication that the SSS imagines itself as an agency immune from respecting fundamental rights, behaviour akin to a gathering of toughs before whom every citizen must quake,” the statement said.

“The SSS agents did not produce any warrant to back their invasion of his premises.
“The assault on El-Rufai’s house continues a sorry tradition of serial violation of his rights by the SSS which has arrested him at airports and hotels.

“The most recent was the action of the SSS in violating his right to freedom of movement in Awka during the Anambra elections. Without any just cause or formal charge, the Directorate of State Security Services (SSS) had unlawfully detained El Rufai, the Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the premises of Finotel Hotel, Akwa, Anambra State, from the 15th day of November, 2013 to the 16th day of November, 2013.”

The statement said during the period, Mr. El-Rufai was not only restricted to the hotel, he was denied access to his congregational prayer as a devout Muslim, and kept incommunicado without access to anyone and or the press.

It stated that in order to remedy the flagrant violation of his fundamental rights as enshrined in sections 35, 39, 40 and 41 of the Constitution, the former minister sued the SSS, seeking eight reliefs, including an injunction to restrain the SSS from further infringing on his fundamental rights. Continues Reading.....

Winners’ Chapel Introduces Payment Of Tithes Using Phone Dial Codes

Na wa ooh, I haven’t confirmed this report, but the photo of the above billboard was spotted in Covenant University. When it comes to church issues, i try to say as little as possible.
After all, the good book says that one should not judge their neighbor.
P.S: By now you all must have heard that Pastor Chris Okotie has decided to run for president of Nigeria again, claiming that God asked him too AGAIN!!!
See More

Police Shooting: Two Persons Killed, Others Injured in Port Harcourt

Police this afternoon shoots residents in Rumuola, Port Harcourt Rivers State mercilessly with all sorts of weapon killing two persons leaving many injured and properties destroyed. The weapons used according to witnesses were Tear Gasses, English pestles, Double Barrels, Even AK47. confirming from residents who are also eye witnesses, said the policemen who Came to the place with two Armourd Vehicles were sent as a result of stopping APC from holding their meeting. According to report we gathered, the Policemen were sent by one of PDP member (Name Wit held)

The police are said to have stop APC Party Members from holding their meetings why shoot residents? We will continue to investigate until we get the whole truth. Now residents are complaining that the Policemen where just shooting any how as if they where not trained, "how could a trained Policeman shoot directly on mere residents instead of shooting the air" Obinna one of the resident said. AfterEffet.com Team

Obasanjo sends letter to PDP withdrawing from party activities

All these drama with our politicians, leaders and political parties is becoming quite silly. They all just seem so confused. One of the founding members of the ruling party and former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo has sent a letter to the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, where he gave a notice of his withdrawal from activities of the party.

In the letter, Obasanjo said although he is still a card carrying member of the party, he will withdraw his activities with PDP at local, state, zonal and national level until a person he describes as a criminal wanted abroad to face criminal charges is removed as the party's South West zonal leader.

Obasanjo proceeded to add that he was forwarding with the letter, “recent documents” on the alleged activities of the person. The letter, dated January 7th, was obtained by Tribune. See More

Chime Declares Support For Jonathan, Says APC Will Not Campaign In Enugu

Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has pledged his support for President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 election.

He declared his support for the president Saturday at the inauguration/swearing in ceremony of 17 local government chairmen in the state at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu.
While assuring the president of the support of the people of the state if and when he decides to run for a second term, Chime warned that Enugu would be off-limits to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
“We pledge our total loyalty to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, we support him and all his programmes.
“As long as he continues in this business, we are solidly behind him; he will not need to come to Enugu State to campaign, if and when he declares to contest in 2015.
“He should not border to come and campaign in Enugu; APC will not come, so he should not border”, he said.
The governor also said he was praying for a successor that would perform better than he did in 2015.
“My prayer for Enugu State is to have a much better person than myself. If you produce somebody like me as a successor, we are not improving. I don’t want the next Governor to be like me”, he stated.
Chairman of Enugu East Council Area, Prince Cornelius Nnaji, who spoke on behalf of the 17 council chairmen, assured the Governor of their unalloyed loyalty and promised to deliver quality projects to the electorate.

Widows Of Police Officers Killed By Boko Haram Beg For Jobs

Some wives and children of policemen killed by Boko Haram insurgents, on Saturday appealed to the government and the Nigerian Police to provide them with vocational training and jobs.
The widows and other members of their families made the appeal in Kaduna during the distribution of bags of rice, vegetable oil and a cow by the Inspector General of Police.
Mrs Margaret Ishaya, the wife of one of the deceased officers said the widows were ready to accept job as cleaners.
She said that it would go a long way to enable them fend for their families and appealed to the police authorities to consider members of their families during recruitment.
The wife of late Ins. Sunday Badeh, who died in the process of detonating a bomb, urged the police to fast track the payment of benefits to the affected families.
Mrs Badeh, however commended the support from the police authorities following the demise of her husband.
Also speaking, the widow of Sgt. Yakubu Musa, who was killed on 18 April, 2012 at Rigasa said some of them needed jobs to have a steady income.
The Insp. Gen. of Police, Mohammed Abubakar assured the widows and other families of deceased officers of the Police continuous support for them.
Abubakar, represented by the Commissioner of Welfare, Mr Usman Yakubu, said the distribution of food items was aimed at alleviating the hardship the families of the deceased officers were facing.
He said that the police have so far distributed food items to families of deceased and injured officers affected by the insurgency in 10 states.
“Though they have paid the supreme price so that Nigeria and Nigerians can live in peace you will continue to be regarded as active members of the Nigeria police family,” he said.
The Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Mr Olufemi Adenaike, said that the command recently distributed N10, 000 each to families of the 29 policemen killed between 2011 and 2013.
Adenaike said that the effort was aimed at providing them with succour during the yuletide and New Year. [NAN]

SEE MORE

Shut-up if You Don't Want to be Disgraced’ – Okogie Told Chris Okotie

A retired Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, has warned the Senior Pastor of the Household of God Church International, Lagos, Chris Okotie, against speaking out of ignorance or face public ridicule.

The cardinal was reacting to a recent controversial comment credited to Okotie that “all Catholics will go to hell”.

The flamboyant Okotie had while criticizing the Catholic Church in a sermon, said the church was “a counterfeit church set up by Satan”, adding that Catholics “bow to idols and crucify Jesus every Sunday when they eat bread claiming they are eating Jesus’ body”. SEE MAIN SOURCE

The comment has since generated widespread condemnation from Catholics, who fumed over the propriety or otherwise of such a comment. But Okotie stood his ground saying “Truth is bitter”, in apparent response to the reaction his sermon generated.

Describing the Catholic Church as “a counterfeit church set up by Satan,” Okotie said, “They (Catholics) are not Christians and have never been. They don’t know Jesus. They believe that when they eat bread on Sundays, they are eating the body of Jesus. its ritual”, he added.

Okogie, however, flayed the comment saying it was wrong for the 55-year-old pastor to speak on what he knew little or nothing about.

He said, “It is always good to talk on what you know, not on what you do not know. The problem we have today is that a lot of people put their mouth in what does not concern them because they want people to know that they too are there; that they can be reckoned with.

“I don’t think that is the way to do things, no. I think the best thing is to always put your mouth where God puts it, if you don’t want to be disgraced”, Okogie warned.

Boko Haram: CAN Urges FG To Take Latest Threat Seriously

The Northern section of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged the federal government and security agencies to take the latest threat against Christians by the Boko Haram terrorist group with all seriousness, to avert further destruction of lives and property.

The religious body also urged Christians all over the country to be vigilant, prayerful and to take the security of their environment very seriously.

The Northern CAN, covering the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in a reaction to recent threats by the leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau, maintained that Christians have always believed that the Islamic sect was out to wipe out Christianity and urged the Presidency and its security apparatus to buckle up before the sect and its sponsors plunge the country into chaos.

Reports said Shekau sent an email to some journalists, declaring that the sect was fighting President Jonathan and his Christian brethren, and that Nigerians should be under no illusion that the sect was not fighting a religious war. SEE MAIN SOURCE

“They try to brainwash the people that we are fighting an ethnic war. No, we are fighting a religious war, we are fighting Jonathan, we are fighting Christians”, Shekau was reported to have said in the email.

Reacting to the development however, spokesman of Northern CAN, Mr. Sunday Oibe said the Christian community in Nigeria has never been deceived from the fact that the issue of Boko Haram is a religious war against Christianity.

“We have been saying this loud and clear that Boko Haram is out to eliminate Christianity but some people, who want to play politics out of this, said Boko Haram is not a declaration of war against Christianity.

“Now what the Islamic group is saying is a confirmation of what we have always believed. But the question we want to ask is this: what has Christians done to them? We have tolerated them (Boko Haram) for a long time and we want to tell them that there is a limit to which we can tolerate the killing of Christians and the destruction of their property.

“We want to tell them that no country survives a religious war and they should not plunge this country into any of that”, Oibe said.

Speaking further, he noted, “the fact that Christians have tolerated all murderous and destructive activities of Boko Haram for too long do not mean they would be allowed to continue with their evil, inhuman and ungodly act.”

Oibe, who said the threat was a declaration of war against the Nigerian society, therefore called on the Presidency and the security agencies to take the threat very seriously.

He also appealed to Muslim leaders in the North to call the sect members to order and stop them from attacking Christians, adding that Christians were not the problem of the North.

“If it is the issue of poverty in the North, it is not the Christians that are responsible for that; it is the Northern Muslims that rule this country for many years that should be held responsible for the poverty in the North, not the Christians.

“In fact the Christians are the most disadvantaged people, particularly in the north. They deny us of things that will make life meaningful to us. Christians in the North are being marginalised and discriminated, so why is Boko Haram declaring war on Christians.

“We are using this opportunity to call on the international community to take this latest threat with all seriousness by cooperating with the Nigerian government to protect the lives and property of Christians and flush these people out of our society.

“We urged Christians in every community across the country to be very vigilant, to be prayerful and to take the security of their environment very, very seriously.

“This was how they issued their threats in the past and they carried out their attacks. The federal government and the security agencies and indeed well-meaning Nigerians must not allow Boko Haram, their agents and sponsors to succeed again in their evil deeds,” Oibe said.

(First Lady) Patience Jonathan changes name to Mama Peace

The first Lady of Nigeria said yesterday at an event in Abuja that she no longer wants to be called Patience but Mama Peace...

Speaking during the inauguration of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme Maternal and Child Health known as MAMA Project, Patience Jonathan explained why she now wants to be addressed as Mama Peace. The First Lady said:

"My name is no more Patience but now Mama Peace because I believe that without peace, there will be no more women, no more children and no more health sector. Without peace, the international community will be afraid to come and invest in our country. Peace is from the heart and not from the tongue or lips; not what you say but what is in you. We pray for genuine peace because peace is the key to our arriving at our desired destination as a nation.

“We are approaching the new year which is a year of peace, progress and so many good things to come. 2014 is going to be a year of no militancy and no Boko Haram because God will shower peace and make us take a U-turn from disaster.”

Amen. Una hear...? She's now to be addressed as First Lady Mama Peace...:-)

Obasanjo's letter unbecoming, self-serving &provocative - Presidency says

The presidency has responded to former president Obasanjo's letter to President Jonathan where he accused the current president of taking actions calculated at destroying Nigeria. See the State House press release below...

We have noted the publication on several websites today of a letter recently written by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

The Presidency acknowledges that it has indeed received the said letter from Chief Obasanjo.

We however find it highly unbecoming, mischievous and provocative that a letter written by a former Head of State and respected elder statesman to President Jonathan  has been deliberately leaked to the mass media in a deplorable effort to impugn the integrity of the President and denigrate his commitment to giving Nigeria the best possible leadership.

While many patriotic, objective and well-meaning Nigerians have already condemned the leaked letter as self-serving, hypocritical, malicious, indecent, and very disrespectful of the highest office in the land, President Jonathan has directed that none of his aides or any government official should join issues with Chief Obasanjo over it.

The President himself will, at the appropriate time, offer a full personal response to the most reckless, baseless, unjustifiable and indecorous charges levied against him and his administration by the former Head of State.

Reuben Abati

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

December 11, 2013

Obasanjo writes 18-page letter to President Jonathan

Premium Times claims to have obtained an 18-page letter written by an angry and frustrated former president Olusegun Obasanjo to president Jonathan, accusing the current president of 'ineptitude and of taking actions calculated at destroying Nigeria.'

“Nigeria is bleeding and the hemorrhage must be stopped,” Mr. Obasanjo said in the 18-page letter titled “Before it is too late” dated December 2, 2013

In the letter Obasanjo said President Jonathan has 'failed to deliver on his promises to Nigerians, stem corruption, promote national unity and strengthen national security.'

You can read the full letter HERE or continue to read the full exclusive report by Premium Times...


From Premium Times

He said in the letter titled that rather than take steps to advance Nigeria’s interest and up the standards of living of Nigerians, Mr. Jonathan had betrayed God and the Nigerian people that brought him to power, and has been pursuing selfish personal and political interests based on advice he receives from “self-centred aides”.

In the detailed letter, dripping of anger , frustration and what appears a genuine concern to rescue a nation on the brink, Mr. Obasanjo lamented that Mr. Jonathan had become terribly divisive and clannish, destroying his own party, polarizing the country along regional and religious lines and ridiculing Nigeria in the comity of nations.

Without mincing words, Mr. Obasanjo blamed Mr. Jonathan for the crises tearing the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, apart.

He said apart from using party chairman Bamanga Tukur to cause multiple crises and divide the ranks of the party, the president’s failure to keep a promise he made not to seek a second term is also generating tension within the ruling party.
“It would be unfair to continue to level full blames on the Chairman (Tukur) for all that goes wrong with the party,” Mr. Obasanjo said. “The chairman is playing the tune dictated by the paymaster (Jonathan). But the paymaster is acting for a definitive purpose for which deceit and deception seem to be the major ingredients.

“Up till two months ago, Mr. President, you told me that you have not told anybody that you would contest in 2015. I quickly pointed out to you that the signs and the measures on the ground do not tally with your statement. You said the same to one other person who shared his observation with me. And only a fool would believe that statement you made to me judging by what is going on. I must say it is not ingenious. You may wish to pursue a more credible and more honorable path.”
The former President said Mr. Jonathan told him before the 2011 election he would not seek a second term, and made the same promise to governors, party stakeholders and Nigerians.

The president’s refusal to keep that promise cast him as a man without honour, Mr. Obasanjo said.
Saying it would be “fatally morally flawed” for Mr. Jonathan to contest in 2015, Mr. Obasanjo added, “As a leader, two things you must cherish and hold dear among others are trust and honour both of which are important ingredients of character. I will want to see anyone in the Office of the Presidency of Nigeria as a man or woman who can be trusted, a person of honour in his words and character.”
Mr. Obasanjo also accused Mr. Jonathan of anti-party conducts – supporting opposition parties’ candidates in governorship elections in Lagos, Ondo, Edo and Anambra states at the detriment of PDP’s own candidates –, and of pitting party members against one another.

Saying the President had failed to address the underlying causes of the Boko Haram menace, Mr. Obasanjo urged Mr. Jonathan to adopt a carrot and stick approach in dealing with the insurgency explaining that “conventional military actions based on standard phases of military operations alone will not permanently and effectively deal with the issue of Boko Haram”.

Mr. Obasanjo also tackled Mr. Jonathan for allegedly being clannish. “For you to allow yourself to be “possessed”, so to say, to the exclusion of most of the rest of Nigerians as an “Ijaw man” is a mistake that should never have been allowed to happen. Yes, you have to be born in one part of Nigeria to be Nigerian if not naturalized but the Nigerian President must be above ethnic factionalism. And those who prop you up as of, and for ‘Ijaw nation’ are not your friends genuinely, not friends of Nigeria nor friends of ‘Ijaw nation’ they tout about.

“To allow or tacitly encourage people of ‘Ijaw nation’ to throw insults on other Nigerians from other parts of the country and threaten fire and brimstone to protect your interest as an Ijaw man is myopic and your not openly quieting them is even more unfortunate.

Two Ijaw men, ex-militant Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, and a former federal commissioner for information, Edwin Clark, who carries himself around as the political godfather of the president, are known to talk down on people opposed to the president.

Mr. Obasanjo also accused Mr. Jonathan of placing over 1000 Nigerians on political watch list and “training snipers and other armed personnel secretly and clandestinely acquiring weapons to match for political purposes like Abacha and training them where Abacha trained his killers”.

He wondered why the Presidency was providing assistance for a murderer to evade justice.
“Presidential assistance for a murderer to evade justice and presidential delegation to welcome him home can only be in bad taste generally but particularly to the family of his victim,” Mr. Obasanjo said. “Assisting criminals to evade justice cannot be part of the job of the presidency. Or, as it is viwed in some quarters, is he being recruited to do for you what he had done for Abacha in the past? Hopefully, he should have learned his lesson. Let us continue to watch.”

Mr. Obasanjo did not mention the name of the murderer he accused the President of protecting but he seems to be referring to Hamza Al-Mustapha, a former security aide to late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, who is facing trial for allegedly masterminding the killing of Kudirat Abiola, the wife of Moshood Abiola, the winner of the annulled 1993 presidential election.

Mr. Al-Mustapha was freed by the appeal court in July but the Lagos state government has since appealed the judgment at the Supreme Court.

The former President also called on the National Assembly to rise up and take decisive action over the recent allegation in the country that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation failed to remit billions of dollars in proceeds of crude oil sales to the federation account.
“This allegation will not fly away by non-action, cover-up, denial or bribing possible investigators,” Mr. Obasanjo told the President. “Please deal with this allegation transparently and let the truth be known.

“The dramatis personae in this allegation and who they are working for will one day be public knowledge. Those who know are watching if the National Assembly will not be accomplice in the heinous crime and naked grand corruption. May God grant you the grace for at least one effective corrective action against high corruption which seems to stink all around you in your government.”
Mr. Obasanjo said he wrote the letter in the national interest, saying nothing, at this stage of his life, would prevent him from standing up for whatever he considers to be in the best interest of Nigeria, Africa and the world.

He said he was ready for whatever backlash his letter would provoke from the presidency.
“Knowing what happens around you most of which you know of and condone or deny, this letter will proke cacophony from hired and unhired attackers but I will maintain my serenity because by this letter, I have done my duty to you as I have always done, to your government, to the party, PDP, and to our country, Nigeria…,” Mr. Obasanjo said.

“I have passed the stage of being flattered, intimidated, threatened, frightened, induced or bought… Death is the end of all human beings and may it come when God wills it to come

Reuben Abati responds to Speaker Tanbuwal

Yesterday the speaker of House of Assembly Aminu Tanbuwal said that President Jonathan's body language is encouraging corruption in Nigeria. The speaker said the president is encouraging corrupt practices by 'failing to act on corruption cases revealed by the National Assembly.'

“Take the subsidy probe, the pension, the SEC probe and recently the bullet proof car cases. After the House of Representatives did a diligent job by probing and exposing the cases, you now see something else when it comes to prosecution." Tabunwal said while responding to questions at an anti-corruption seminar organized by NBA, in Abuja.

President spokesperson, Reuben Abati has replied Tanbuwal. See his tweets below...

See more tweets after the cut...

Presidency denies President Jonathan checked into German hospital

According to a report by Sahara Reporters, President Jonathan and First Lady Patience Jonathan, checked into a German hospital on December 4th. The president left Abuja yesterday to attend a summit on Peace and Security in Africa organized by the French Government but Sahara Reporters claim a source in the presidency told them that the president left Nigeria due to health problems..

Contrary to the impression created that the trip was exclusively for the French-sponsored security summit, Mr. Jonathan and his wife will undergo tests and receive treatment in the same German hospital where his wife spent several months last year.

Our source added that the Nigerian president had been feeling unwell since returning from a recent trip to London where he was hospitalized for a serious stomach-related ailment. SaharaReporters had disclosed that the president fell seriously ill after a bout of bingeing on alcohol in celebration of his birthday.

Our source revealed that plans were made for the president to receive medical attention in Germany after Mr. Jonathan suddenly fell ill last weekend in his home-state of Bayelsa during a visit there. The president’s sudden illness almost led to his emergency evacuation to Germany, our Presidency source said. Mrs. Jonathan is also expected to receive follow-up medical treatment in the German hospital.

The Presidency has denied this report, saying it's a complete fabrication. See a statement after the cut..

Saharareporters Story on President Jonathan is a Complete Fabrication.

My attention has been drawn to the story on Saharareporters alleging that the President left Nigeria abruptly due to health challenges sustained as a result of alleged "heavy drinking". This story is another lie that saharareporters has become known for.

The Summit on Peace and Security in Africa which holds in Paris France between Thursday and Friday this week was scheduled months in advance and President Jonathan had confirmed attendance.

How can travel plans to attend a Security summit scheduled in advance with 50 Heads of State be "abrupt"? Did the President also "abruptly" arrange the attendance of the United Nations Secretary General, French President, Francois Hollande and fifty other Heads of State in Paris this week?

As was already indicated in the presidency's press release from two weeks ago, there was no "bout of bingeing on alcohol in celebration of his birthday" or on any other day.

The Nigerian public watched on live television as the President attended the 2nd North-East Economic Summit in Gombe, Gombe state,  on Tuesday the 3rd of December and visited the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Usman Abubakar immediately thereafter before returning to Abuja for travel on the same day. Are these the actions of a man who suffers from "abrupt health challenges"? 

The public will note that Saharareporters' story does not provide any proof beyond referring to an unnamed "source". Again, I reiterate that this story is entirely false and we challenge them to produce even the slightest evidence to buttress their claims. 

Reno Omokri,

Special Assistant to the President (New Media).

Regards,

Why Edo Widow Ignored N250,000 Offer by PDP

Mrs. Joy Ifijeh, the widow who was abused by the Governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomhole, said she ignored the offer of N250,000 by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because she was satisfied with the apology, job offer and N2m by the Governor.

‘Go and die’ widow, as she is often called on social media, further noted that she was not ready to be used as a pawn by the PDP on the chessboard of politics, advising the party to give the said money to another widow instead.
Mrs. Ifijeh disclosed this during the presentation of her letter of appointment into the Edo State War Against Indiscipline at the Government House in Benin City, December 3, 2013.

“I want to thank Oshiomhole sincerely for this appointment and I wish to state that I have forgiven him from the bottom of my heart. And for the money promised me by PDP let them give it to other widows. I do not need the money,” Mrs. Ifijeh said.

She described the governor’s gesture as humane and promised to support the government policies and programmes in the state.
Mr. Kassim Afegbua, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, said during the presentation of the appointment letter that this gesture was in fulfilment of Comrade Oshiomhole’s promise to offer the widow employment into the service of the Government.
The Adviser added the appointment was effective from 3rd December. 2013, stressed that she would be expected to resume conform to the ethics of her position.

TB Joshua On President Jonathan, God’s Talking To Him, Private Jets, Going To Restroom … And Many More

Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua of the Synagogue Church of all Nations opens up on multiple controversies surrounding him and his ministry.

On being humble:  If you have passed through what I have passed through, you will even be more humble than I am.
I have good health, and God shows me what I would have been in terms of sickness and death; it humbles me, and I want to use my good health for him. At times, God shows me how people are suffering and the thought that it could have been me keeps me humble. For instance, if I did anything wrong during this interview, when you may have left, God will caution me. If I am not humble, I will be out of track. If I was not in the house of God, I would be one of the touts in the motor parks.
On his ministry being seemingly more popular outside Nigeria than in Nigeria: I want to offer the same prayer for you: that God should make you more popular outside your country than in your country.
Let other countries introduce you to your country. I think that is better. As it is written in the Bible, a prophet has no honour in his country. I am not an evangelist or a pastor, I am a prophet. It is the word prophet that was used in that scriptural passage, not evangelist or so. If my people had understood the work from the beginning, it could have affected the glory of God in my life today. If people understand your vision from the beginning, you may not go far. It is better they don’t, they will understand later, and by then, you would have been very strong and God would have strengthened your desire. Praises and adoration can make you a local champion.
Where are the people that Nigerians praised from the beginning? I can mention some – even men of God, who are no longer living today, so many founders – CAC, Cherubim and Seraphim, Church of the Lord and so on. We should get this understanding that those who were local champions in the past did not reach international recognition.
Look beyond the ministry job to the secular world, was it Nigeria that introduced Prof. Wole Soyinka to the world? But when he became a Nobel Laureate, he became more powerful; when he talks, everyone wants to listen. Whereas there were some other local champions that even when they were dying, nobody took their news to CNN. They don’t know them.
God has a way of raising people by throwing the image to the international community. Even the footballers that are notable became acceptable to Nigerians when they belong to international clubs. I may not be accepted by some people in Nigeria but my acceptance in the world has been announcing me to my world. When you look at the people working with me, you see that the ratio of Nigerians working with me are not more than 10 per cent.
On special attraction that brings heads of government to synagogue: You have said it all, where there is demand, there is supply, and in that place, there would be enough anointing to do the work. God will not allow people to go to a place where there is no supply. It is not possible. I observe that if three chairs are added to this church today, you suddenly find people filling it and if four are removed, it is just the number of people that will fill the chairs that will come.
I have studied that from the beginning. Sometimes, when I see some ministries printing handbills, using signboards to advertise the church, I say those things are not necessary. God is the one inviting people, if you allow him to do it, the solution to their problems will be waiting for them. But if you take it upon yourself to do the advertisement, people that God is not expecting will come along with them and there will be crisis and trouble.
You just continue doing your work and leave the advert for God, then those that God didn’t invite will not come and there will be peace and tranquillity. You should not go out to start saying ‘I can heal, I can deliver.’ At synagogue, our critics are our advertisement. They are people that don’t want to hear about us. They tell other people that ‘that church is devilish;’ unknowingly, some of the people they tell get inquisitive and they will want to come here and see what a devil looks like since they haven’t seen one before.
God has been using this as advertisement for us. Ninety per cent of people who come here do so in the bid to come and verify what they had heard about this church. When some of them get here, they will sit at the back, fearing that they could be hurt. Some put on dark glasses or disguise in a way that will not allow people that know them to recognise them. But before the service is over, some of them will pick up their bags and move to the front seats. They eventually become my prayer warriors.
Let me tell you something that amazes me and that I always thank God for – those who are with me are more than those that are against me. They keep supporting me all over the world. I have more, more, more people around the world. Whenever I say this, tears flow from my eyes (sobs for a while). These are tears of joy. I get so sad when I hear people’s confession when their eyes become open to what God is doing here. Some say, “I wish I had known this, my mum would not have died. She asked me to bring her here but because of what I was hearing about this place, I refused until she died. I hope that she will forgive me.”
On President Goodluck Jonathan’s involvement: When it comes to relationship, I think he would be in the best position to answer that question. Since what we are doing is creating impact around the world, you should expect Nigeria’s president to also be part of it. We are praying for the nation and being a Christian acknowledges it.
If Jonathan had been here, it would have been shown on our Emmanuel Television network. No president has ever visited this place in secret. The Bible says that if you confess me before men, I will confess you before my father in heaven. I am not a witch doctor; we have nothing to hide. If you have not read in the newspapers that your president came here, then that is that.
Anytime presidents of other countries come here, Jonathan is usually aware. If he doesn’t believe in what we are doing, he would have told them that we constitute security risks.
On “instructing” the nation: I say it on the television and all over the world. I accept that is not enough; it is better to see him one on one.
But what is the essence of a President’s visit if he won’t follow what I will tell him? This kind of trend keeps staining my name. I will not mention anybody, when they leave here; they do not obey the instructions.
What are presidents looking for in the church: The reason why people visit a man of God is to receive instructions, his opinion about them or their country. But if they don’t follow it, yet the whole world knows that they are close to TB Joshua, it has no benefit.

It is no big deal. Except they obey the counsel given to them, it has no benefit. It is not something to be proud of. At least, seven presidents have visited this place since inception. But each time presidents come to this place, I get query from God. When they come around, you won’t have time to attend to other people. They will block the road with their security and at the end of the day, they won’t do what you advise them to do.
On allegations that his generosity is what woos people to the church: How much will I give to the president of a nation to come here? Even when they come, I don’t get any financial gain but I incur cost because I want to ensure that they are well cared for. That is all; I even prefer to spend my time with the poor than to be with the presidents.
If a president visits this place today, the whole of the day will be devoted to that visit, I would have lesser time for the poor people, who need my attention. God has been warning me over this trend so much that when some presidents said that they wanted to visit me, I said no. I said it would be better for me to visit them in their countries. Each time they visit this place, I receive query from God because of my time that should have been used to attend to the poor and the needy that are waiting for me.
One soul is not superior to the other, why should I continue to receive query? Really out of three presidents that may visit, there will hardly be one that will show good example of the counsel that they received from me. If the needy are more receptive to God, it is better to give them more of my time.
Why he still asks people to display the items given to them live on camera: We do so to encourage other people to do likewise. Some of them are physically-challenged or indigent people who do not even have bank accounts, so we have to give them cash. We don’t want them to be duped, but we don’t do that often anymore.
It is not a deliberate advertising.
Every man of God has his own habit. Habit is a gift from God. Like Daniel, whenever he wants to pray, he will open his window, that is his habit. The disciples of Jesus prayed six times a day; that is their habit. It is not that we are showing off. When people see what we are doing, they learn how to be good givers.
If you do everything privately, what will people write about? Jesus fed the 5,000 people in the open, not in secret. That is why it could be written. When the tax collectors came to him, he did not hide to say, ‘I don’t want them to see that they want to collect money from me.’ Even when he healed a man and they asked him how he did it, he asked them to go and ask the healed man.
On how God speaks to him: Faith must first be in the heart before there could be an accepted confession. That means faith must first be in the heart before there could be an acceptance of prayer, request, talk from God. Faith is of man’s heart, which is spirit. Heart literarily means a different thing from the spirit. You use your faith to put a demand.
I use my faith to place a demand. You don’t understand what I am saying. Let me put it this way, faith is a channel through which the anointing flows. That means you use your faith to put a demand and ask for whatever you want. If there is faith in your heart, you can close your eyes and make a demand that you want to know what is happening around the world and before you know it, you will see the vision.
There is what you call a measure of faith – deep, deeper, deepest faith. I don’t know which level you belong. Faith grows as we hear the word and obey it. We are not all at the same level, but all things are possible to him that believes. What is possible for you may not be possible for me.
On people believing he is not a follower of Jesus Christ, but a member of some other sect: We don’t get power, it is faith we have. The power in our life is released by faith through our mouth. The issue of getting power is wrong. We don’t talk about getting power here. If you don’t have faith, power will remain dormant. In Mark, Jesus said this kind won’t be possible but by prayer and fasting. The disciples had power but lacked faith to release it.
Nigerians cannot tell me who I am. The percentage of my people around the world is more than those in Nigeria. I am celebrated around the world. Go on the internet, Emmanuel TV is the most watched. Forget about anybody, I don’t need to promote myself. Even Jesus could not win everybody’s soul.
The word Christian is a title. How do you know that those people talking believe in Jesus Christ when Christianity is a matter of the heart?
That is what I am correcting you about; that someone said he is a Christian doesn’t mean he is. If somebody says he belongs to this or that fellowship, only God knows. It is not about confessing that I am a prophet, a pastor, only God knows who is serving him. A mango tree cannot bear coconut. What you believe radiates around you. I’m more than that kind of confession. If anyone doesn’t believe me, they would when the time comes.
Christianity is not an association. Let us talk about Christianity. I don’t celebrate religion. I am a follower of Jesus; I am a Christian, that is all I know. I will invite you to come and worship here this Sunday. I am known by my love, not by my association, so whether Pentecostal, Catholic, Charismatic, Methodist, who is serving God? I don’t judge people but people can judge me. All I know is that my persecution has been a blessing; I have been tamed by it. It has strengthened me. I am a Charismatic.
I have told you about faith. You know that Elijah anointed Elisha, but can you tell me who anointed Elijah? So you see God can choose to do it the way He wants. Because I don’t want to hurt you, I don’t know which circle you belong to, maybe your own pastor was anointed by a man.
On Jim Iyke: Oh please, don’t drag me into that. All I can say is that if a person needs to see a doctor, he should be free to do so. I like the young man. He has been defending himself on the internet. Is he not enjoying a better life now? Are things not working for him?
On his family members: I don’t expose my family. I hear people saying that I don’t have a wife and that I have no child. That is the news everywhere. You have seen my wife, and this is a photograph of my daughter.
My wife is a very wonderful woman. She believes in receiving her own call. She does not just want to hold microphone because her husband is a pastor.
Men of God need to take care of their children. My daughter studied Law she is doing her PhD in Harvard and she is coming back home to preach the gospel. She loves to preach.
On his looks and if his wife is responsible: I love to look good, too; it is 50-50 anyway. She has been a great woman to me. She has been a great source of encouragement in the midst of my challenges. She is different in the sense that she said I was the one God called, so she is waiting until she is called by God to be a pastor. That is unlike what most men of God do, they believe that once they are called, their wives must be pastors too.
On when he is going to buy his own private jet: When one is at the airport to catch a flight, you see that many have become like Molue. They could disappoint you by saying the flight has been cancelled. Even when you eventually get on board, people keep thronging you for one reason or the other. The person serving you the meal may be someone that needs deliverance, by giving you food, she will deliver you.
There was an experience I had when travelling by air for a trip of about nine hours. I was pressed but couldn’t go and ease myself because I had to queue like other people before I could use the restroom. Besides, I thought that some of those people could go to the toilet immediately after I had used it in expression of faith, so I remained glued to my seat all through the journey. That would not have been if I was flying a private jet.
Or if you are a man of God that snores and they see the pastor sleeping and snoring, they will think he shouldn’t snore. Meanwhile, he is human. So a man of God should have a private jet if the situation demands it.
If the use is for the church, the church should buy it, own it and manage it. It should not be bought in the pastor’s name. When he is no longer there, the jet remains the church’s.
On what inspired him to owning a football club: It is the desire to help people realise their dreams. There are other social platforms that we use to help people.
Is God not too busy to talk to him about that? The same God speaks about everything. God is aware of everything. It is all about the faith that you have; it manifests even in small things. We need to know how much we need God.
Source: Punch Nigeria

Asari Dokubo released in Benin Rep., flown to Abuja in private jet

Asari Dokubo has been released two days after he was arrested in Benin Republic. The leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force was reportedly released early this morning after President Jonathan intervened on his behalf with the President of Benin Republic, Yayi Boni.

Sahara Reporters reports that President Jonathan then deployed a private jet to ferry Mr. Dokubo to Abuja a few hours after his release

Police To Start Arresting Monarchs Over Plateau Attacks

Following incessant attacks on communities in the state, the Plateau state police command on Wednesday threatened to arrest traditional and tribal leaders in the state whose domains continued to record attacks by unknown gunmen.
Disclosing this in Jos at a stakeholders’ meeting with various tribes in Plateau North Senatorial zone, Mr Chris Olakpe, the Commissioner of Police in the state, debunked the claims by the leaders that the attacks were carried out by unknown gunmen.
According to him, the police had resolved to arrest the leaders as accomplices because as custodian of the society, no crime would happen without their knowledge.
“The command hereby gives the Berom and Fulani traditional leaders in Barkin Ladi seven days within which to produce the perpetrators of the recent killings.
“The Berom leaders must produce the 120 cows rustled and those that killed the three Fulani boys while grazing cows in Foron village.
“The Fulani leaders should also produce those behind the killing of over 300 people in Hypang area of Barking Ladi Local Government recently.”
The police commissioner said that after the expiration of the seven days and the criminals were not produced, the traditional rulers would be arrested and charged to court.
Olakpe condemned the situation where the traditional rulers and the parents had failed to exposed the perpetrators of the nefarious acts in the area.
He expressed concern that youths in the area were no longer under parental control and advised the parents to always guide their children so that peace would return to the area.
“The command hereby directs the traditional rulers not be afraid of the youth in their area as the police is ready to give them protection.
“Any youth that commits any offence within their domain should be reported to the police or soldiers for possible arrest and prosecution.
“Any parent or guardian whose ward is involved in any criminal activity and he fails to report to the police will be arrested as an accomplice.”
The commissioner regretted that women, children and pregnant mothers were worst hit victims of the faceless criminals.
Olakpe said also that most of the victims were poor rural folks while the children and wives of elite were shielded.
He called on the Pastors and Imams not to relent in preaching peace messages in order to inculcate good moral behaviours on the youth.
Mr Patrick Dangal, a Berom village head, promised that they would be up and doing in monitoring the community with a view to exposing the criminals.
Dangal appealed to the police to give them all the necessary protection in order for them to discharge their duties without fear or favour.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that leaders from the Muslim and Christian sides also pledged to give the police the necessary support.
NAN reports that 40 people recently lost their lives in multiple attacks by unknown gunmen in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state. [NAN]

Asari Dokubo arrested in Benin Republic

Just got a press release from lawyer Festus Keyamo explaining that his friend and client, ex-militant Asari Dokubo was arrested in Benin Republic today. Read the press release below...

Today, Tuesday, November 26, 2013, my friend and client, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, was arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic, around the hours of 1:00pm and 2:00pm by the country’s gendarmes (Police Force).

He was picked up around the Lubeleyi roundabout and taken to an unknown destination. We want to emphasise that Alhaji Dokubo-Asari carries on legitimate business and has been living partly in Benin Republic for many years now. In fact, he owns houses, schools and an academy in that country. All these places have been searched as at this evening and nothing incriminating was found.

We think his arrest and detention is a ploy by certain forces in Nigeria in unholy alliance with the Beninoise government to keep him away as 2015 approaches.

We call on the Nigerian government to immediately intervene and ensure that no harm befalls Alhaji Dokubo-Asari and to use all diplomatic means to secure his immediate release and safe return to Nigeria.

Meanwhile, we shall be liaising immediately with our colleagues in that country to enforce his fundamental rights.

Thank you.

 FESTUS KEYAMO, ESQ.

ASUU Agrees To Suspend Strike After Secret Meeting, Gives Jonathan Three Conditions

University lecturers in Nigeria have agreed to end the five-month old strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, if the federal government agrees to three conditions, according to the Nigerian Eye.
The three conditions are expected to be made known to President Goodluck Jonathan today, after which the strike will be called off and if an agreement is reached.
Although, ASUU has forbidden its local chapters and zonal chairmen from talking to the press until the end of the session. A source, who was part of the ASUU session, which was held at Mambayya House in Kano, however revealed the conditions as:
1. Commitment from the President that any review or reconsideration or renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement will not substantially affect the pact which is the cause of the ongoing strike;
2. Immediate payment of all outstanding salary arrears and allowances of varsity teachers without victimization; and
3. A written commitment from the President that the Federal Government will commit N225 billion annually to the funding of universities for the next four years.
According to the source, “Our leaders are meeting with the President on Monday to table these conditions. Once the President accepts these three terms, the strike will be called off.
“In principle, members voted about 60-40 per cent to call off the strike, but they added a caveat – that ASUU leaders should extract a commitment (signed and sealed) from the President.”
“It became imperative for ASUU to makes these demands, as it became obvious that the FG wanted the 2009 Agreement to be renegotiated.
“If ASUU had accepted to renegotiate the entire Agreement, it means there will be no basis for the ongoing strike. The worst that can happen is either having the abridged version of the 2009 Agreement or a phased implementation of the document,” the source added.
He also added that the conditions are not just three, but the fourth is “personal” to ASUU.

How President Jonathan Was Hospitalized In UK For Chronic Stomach Pain (READ SHOCKING DETAILS)

Visit: Aftereffet.com

Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan, has reportedly remained hospitalized at an undisclosed London hospital to which he was taken early today after complaining of chronic stomach pain.

“The President woke up to get ready for the business of the day only to complain of serious stomach pain”, one presidency source said.
The personal doctor to the President, Fortune Fibresima, reportedly administered some medicines but as the pain escalated, Mr. Jonathan was reportedly rushed to a hospital.  Presidency officials hoped he would be released to participate at an Investor’s Council Meeting taking place at the Hilton Hotel in Central London, about five minutes from the InterContinental Hotel where the Nigerian president is lodged.  The meeting is the objective of his visit.

Several presidency sources have confirmed to SaharaReporters that the President and several government officials partied heavily into the early hours of this morning as they celebrated Mr. Jonathan’s 56th birthday.
The Nigeria leader is accompanied on the trip by several Ministers and officials, but three state governors who were invited to accompany him did not show up.  They include the Governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan, who opted to go to Poland.  He was reportedly afraid the London Metropolitan Police might pull him aside for questioning concerning his role in the money laundering fraud that led his cousin and predecessor as governor, James Ibori, into jail in the United Kingdom.
Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang and his Borno State counterpart, Kashim Shettima, were also both invited on the trip both they did not show up.
Last February, during another visit to London, Mr. Jonathan came down with an intestinal disorder described as Amoebic Colitis and he underwent testing at the London Clinic on Harley Street.  It is unclear if his new troubles are related to that experience.
President Jonathan is said to have a taste for ogogoro, a local gin that is widely-enjoyed in the riverine areas of Southern Nigeria.  Presidential spokesman Reuben Abati has however denied that alcohol is served in the presidency.
Source: Sahara Reporters