PDP Writes Off Brain-Damaged Governor of Taraba State, Danbaba Suntai

Scene of the crashed aorcraft and Governor Danbaba Suntai inset

By SaharaReporters, New York

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is considering its options in replacing Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State as it is becoming clearer he is unlikely to recover from his head injuries.
The governor, who was in a plane crash at the Yola International Airport in Adamawa two months ago, is currently in hospital in Hanover, Germany.
Several sources have told SaharaReporters that the party is working with the Presidency to find a suitable replacement for the governor.
According to one source, several party leaders including PDP chairman Bamanga Tukur, Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and Senate President
David Mark, have all visited the ailing governor and concluded that he could never recover from brain injury to run the state.
A separate delegation led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, failed to set eyes on the governor during an attempted visit two weeks ago as he had been moved to the intensive care unit and on life support. He and his four companions could only leave a get well message with Mr. Suntai’s doctors.
SaharaReporters has also learned that last week, Mr. Suntai’s personal doctor visited Nigeria and confided in family members and friends that the governor is unlikely to recover from his head injuries anytime soon.
But as in the case of the late Nigerian president, Umaru Yar’Adua, members of Mr. Suntai’s family have pressurized state officials to engage in propaganda that the brain-damaged governor is “making dramatic” improvements and speaking by telephone to some people in the state.  Party officials have contracted that, however, telling SaharaReporters that Suntai does not know the difference between day and night.
Last Saturday, the Taraba State Commissioner for Information, Emmanuel Bello, told SaharaReporters the governor wasn’t brain-damaged, but when SaharaReporters asked him to provide evidence, he only said the governor had spoken to a Senator.
Our source said none of the state officials have visited the governor in Germany since he was airlifted from Nigeria.  Other members of his government who were hurt in the air crash have left hospitals in Germany and returned to Nigeria.
On October 4, three weeks before Governor Suntai’s plane crash, the Taraba House of Assembly impeached Deputy Governor Sani Abubakar Danladi following allegations of “gross misconduct" leveled against him by a judicial panel.
On October 5, Alhaji Garba Umar was sworn in as Deputy Governor after he signed an undertaking with the governor not to run as a candidate for governor in any elections.
On November 14, the House of Assembly, invoking Section 190(2) of the Nigerian Constitution, empowered Umar to act as governor.
With the party performing poorly in many states and at the centre, the PDP is anxious not to lose Taraba to other political parties.
A source at the presidency said the party has been mandated to make formal announcements after the holiday seasons regarding the status of Mr. Suntai.
Meanwhile the acting governor appears working fully as governor already by making internal changes and putting structures in place to run the state as the defacto governor.
 

Pardon Me Sir, But Aren’t You a Dictator? Ghanaian Journalist Asks ‘Democrat’ Olusegun Obasanjo

Olusegun Obasanjo

By SaharaReporters, New York

At the preliminary press briefing of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the outcome of Ghana’s 2012 at the Best Western Hotel in Accra on Saturday, a local journalist forced former Nigerian leader Olusegun Obasanjo, the ECOWAS Head of Mission, to re-examine his credentials as a democrat.
The occasion was the Question and Answer segment that followed the presentation of the preliminary report presentation of the Commission by the Deputy Head of Mission.
As one of the Commission's recommendations curiously calls for a media framework to curtail the “excesses” of the media in election reporting, the first time such a recommendation has found its way into an official ECOWAS document, a journalist in the gallery sought clarification on the proposed the media framework, in a question addressed to “General” Obasanjo.
The immediacy of the attack was not lost on Obasanjo, who promptly tackled the reference, in the process exposing himself as the author of the anti-freedom of information recommendation.
"My friend, I don't know why you address me as General Obasanjo,” the two-time Nigeria leader said.
“In Nigeria where I am the former president, it is my political opponents that address me as “General” Obasanjo when they want to show me as a dictator. My party call me Chief Obasanjo. It now depends on which side you belong".
The exchange threw the whole room into uncontrollable laughter before Obasanjo turned to the request for him to expatiate on his media framework proposal which is regarded among journalists and other election observers as reactionary and repressive.
Obasanjo said he believes there used a law to "curtail the excesses" of the Ghanaian media in the reportage of election process, and tried to distinguish between "right of information" as opposed to "freedom of information" in journalism and access to information.
In Ghana, Obasanjo’s assessment and position contradicts the popular verdict of independent, local and international observers of the election.  It is believed that the proactive, efficient, timely, accurate and popular reportage of developments at polling units and transmission of verified results for public consumption is the missing recipe for transparent, popular, free and fair election in many African countries, including Nigeria.
In this regard, Ghana has over 1500 FM radio stations, community radios inclusive. Correspondents and reporters have been in polling units across the country, transmitting certified results live to their stations.
It is believed that the positive influence of such media participation does not meet with Obasanjo’s approval, as he is known to cherish secrecy in the election process that can be manipulated at the last minute as has been widely-done in his Peoples Democratic Party in Nigeria.
In 2006, Obasanjo single-handedly chose his party’s presidential ticket, and superintended a rigged election that brought Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan to power.

$100 Registration Fee: TB Joshua Insists On Refund Of Monies To Those Who Have Paid

Prophet T.B Joshua ministry, Synagogue Church Of All Nations, SCOAN, was charging $100 as registration from groups and individuals to facility their easy access to him.
But the easy speaking Prophet has condemned the move saying his Christian ministry was not a concert show where people would pay to go and enjoy themselves.
According to a statement sourced from TB Joshua Ministries on Facebook, “I have received many emails and newspaper reports on the internet complaining of registration fees of $100. What then makes us an evangelist? When people go to concerts, they also register with $100,” the statement, which was posted to over 500,000 fans of “TB Joshua Ministries”, read.
He maintained that co-ordinating visits to The SCOAN was evangelical and not finance-orientated, warning those involved that collecting undue money from vulnerable people was tantamount to partaking in their troubles.
“If we are evangelists, co-ordinating for God’s sake, all our concerns, aspirations and heart desires must be subjected to the Gospel through works of charity, by helping the sick, distressed and unsaved, instead of collecting registration fees of $100 from them before giving succor. I mean, attending to them. This cannot be justified; it amounts to taking a portion of their situation.”
The popular cleric insisted that money-making should not be the focus or drive of such co-ordinators, but rather care for the sick and distressed in society. “If we are focused on making money only, a large slice of life will pass us by. We should spend less on ourselves, and more on others,” he exhorted, reminding them of Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:40-45. “Don’t forget your promise when you were called to be co-ordinators. Your promise, if I may remind you, was to give rest to the sick, distressed and unsaved,” the statement read.
The statement ended with Joshua’s insistence that any money collected for registration should be immediately returned. “Those who have already paid $100 for the registration should be refunded, for God’s sake. I am impressed by the prompt action of the co-ordinators in Tanzania and Zimbabwe, who have been refunding the $100 paid by each person as a registration fee. I believe all others will act likewise.”
Citing Matthew 10:41, he concluded, “He who honours a prophet, because he is a prophet, will receive a prophet’s reward.”
InformationNigeria.org

Photo: Burmese Woman Breastfeeds Tiger Cubs Because…

Two tiger cubs, one male, one female were taken from her mother when she killed the third one in her litter. They are now been breast fed by a wet nurse, Hla Htay, at the Yangon Zoological Gardens in Burma and by breastfed, we mean literally, straight from her mammary glands.

Ms Htay, 40, the partner of an employee at the zoo, told local newspapers this week she felt sorry for the animals and offered her services, at least until the cubs grew teeth.
The two are now being raised on bottled milk as well as Hla Htay’s milk four times a day.
 InformationNigeria.org

Tuface Speaks On Why He Chose Annie Over His Other Baby Mamas

If you were wondering why African Queen singer Innocent ‘Tuface’ Idibia chose his present wife above the other women in his life and why he had to make their wedding a secret affair, the jury is out – by the man himself.
While speaking to a correspondent of PUNCH’s LIF&BEAT, Tubaba as he is fondly called said, “Annie is my first and true love. I had known her before I met the other women in my life. As a Christian, I had to marry one woman and it just had to be Annie.
“We had a secret wedding after we had reached an agreement and amicable understanding about the mothers of my children. It was a tough decision to make, one of the toughest in my life.
“I secretly married her because I have so much respect for my other babies’ mothers; I cannot afford to hurt their feelings with a sudden society wedding with Annie, not now. I chose her above the others because she has been through it all with me.”
InformationNigeria.org

Nigerian Citizens In Greece Allege Racist Attacks By Extremists

By SaharaReporters, New York

Nigerians in Greece are increasingly living in fear as they are targeted by extremists, especially the neo-fascist group known as Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn), which blames them for the country’s economic problems.
Last September, two Nigerians returning to their homes following a weekend away were the victims of one a racist attack with put one of them in the hospital for four days.
Igwe Chijioke and Osama Ojo Osaro John, leaving Omonia Metro Station in the city, were walking towards Patission Road when they were chased by six young Greeks on three motorbikes.
In a letter to the Nigerian ambassador, Chijioke said, “After a long chase they finally apprehended us on the street not too far from the Omonia Police Station and they started beating us and finally they pulled out knives and other sharp objects from their motorbike as they started stabbing my friend and I with the intention of killing us.”
He said in the letter that he identified their attackers as members of the Golden Dawn party from their outfits.
“After a while, they left us on the street in our own blood as they rode off while some group of Nigerians try coming to our rescue by calling the police.”
He said the police arrived at the scene 45mins later and he was rushed to ATHENS Laiko General Hospital where he was admitted on account of his injuries from September 23 to 27 before being discharged.
“The Greek society I thought I knew over the years both in the daylight and its nightlife has presented me with an everlasting/unforgettable memory of my entire life,” said Chiojioke.
“I am a Nigeria Citizen on Passport Number A00494423 that resides in Greece legally with all required legal residence permit (NO. A2621335 – F.NO: 4/166245) with the Greek government,” he wrote, begging the Nigerian ambassador for help to obtain justice from the Greek police and to stop further attacks upon Nigerians in the country.
Chijioke’s wrote his appeal to the ambassador on October 2, 2012. So far, he has not heard from his country’s diplomatic representative, and other Nigerian citizens say that attacks on them have continued.
 

Laptops, LCD TVs Given At Sambo’s Daughters’ Wedding

The wedding of Huwaila and Aisha, the charming daughters of Vice President Namadi Sambo, was everything it was programmmed to be as the first leg of the two-city ceremony, a Mothers’ Night, was held at the exclusive International Conference Centre, Abuja on Saturday December 1, with  Nigeria’s who is who in attendance.

With all the entrappings of a royal ceremony, the event was compered by Dayo Benjamins-Laniyi while stand up comedian, I Go Dye was on hand to keep the atmosphere enlivened.
Former First Lady, Hajia Maryam Abacha and wife of Benue State governor, Doorshima Yemisi Suswam, led a long list of dignitaries to the event whose wedding Nikkai is about holding now in Kaduna. Today’s event is expected to draw a longer list of attendees as hundreds of guests who attended the Mothers’ Night have gone to town with the tale of how laptops and LCD TVs alongside other nice souvenirs were given out.
Aisha is wedding Mukhtar while her sister, Hauwila, will be joined with Awalu.
InformationNigeria.org