FCT Police Raids Blackspots, Arrest 60

The FCT police command yesterday carried out an early morning raid on some black spots in the nation’s capital where they arrested over 60 commercial motorcyclists for operating within the city centre.
The Commissioner of Police FCT Command, Mr. Aderenle Shinaba, who led the operation said the suspects violated the ban on operating commercial motorcycle in the metropolis.
Fifty of the operators were arrested at Area 1, while 10 were picked up at AYA roundabout, Asokoro.
Shinaba said the raid was part of efforts to rid the city of hoodlums and criminals during the yuletide period, adding that it would be sustained throughout the festivities. According to him,the effort would ensure a crime-free Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“It is our mandate to ensure that residents of the territory have crime-free Christmas and New Year,” he said.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had imposed a ban on commercial motor from operating in the city centre, limiting them to the satellite towns.
Naijaurban

Goodluck and God

President Jonathan cannot use God as an excuse for incompetence

The disturbing tendency for President Goodluck Jonathan to utter statements which amount to a virtual abdication of responsibility made an unwelcome reappearance at the 2012 Holy Ghost Congress of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), where he announced that he had entrusted Nigeria to God’s care.

In addition, he reassured the congregation, comprising thousands of worshippers, public office-holders and prominent clerics that he would continue to ensure that his administration is transparent and expressed the conviction that the nation would overcome its challenges. He also attributed his victory at the 2011 elections to the RCCG’s respected General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and the support of the church’s teeming followers.

At first glance, it would seem that the President did not do anything out of the ordinary. National leaders routinely invoke the protection and blessings of God upon the countries they lead. Regular reassurances that a people will eventually overcome difficult times are a staple of committed governance in most participatory democracies. If the country in question is one in which strong religious beliefs are common, as is the case in Nigeria, the constant invocation of God’s name is certainly in order.

However, as is so often the case with President Jonathan, a virtue has become a vice. At the RCCG event, he appeared to have forgotten that while Nigerians fervently worship God, He was not on the ballot in 2011. The person they voted for was Goodluck Jonathan. The President did not remember that he made several promises on the campaign trail. He forgot that he swore a solemn oath to work for the upliftment of Nigeria and its people. Instead of taking responsibility for his extremely well-paid office, he sought to turn the burden of governing over to the Creator, while keeping the considerable perks of office for himself and his cronies.

Turning his presidential responsibilities over to God is only the latest in a continual stream of statements in which Jonathan has sought to dodge hard choices and avoid responsibility. When Abuja was bombed during the Independence Day celebrations of 2010, he claimed that terrorism was a global phenomenon and that it was now Nigeria’s turn to experience it. When the Boko Haram menace began to spread, he complained that the fundamentalist sect had infiltrated his government without giving any indication of what he was doing to resolve it. As disappointment with his policies became widespread, he told the nation in a recent media chat that he never promised to end poverty.

Far from reassuring a populace that is becoming increasingly sceptical about his capacity to lead, the President’s remarks at the RCCG convention simply increased growing doubts about his leadership. He spoke about a continuing commitment to transparency and to doing “what is right,” but has lamentably failed to demonstrate this commitment in practice.

Throughout 2012, a succession of scandals in pensions administration, the capital market and the oil subsidy programme provided Jonathan with golden opportunities to demonstrate his adherence to transparency, accountability and the rule of law. Instead of grasping them with both hands, he has shamefully failed to live up to expectation. As can now be seen, his main tactic is to deflect attention from the issues and play for time by setting up committees to investigate scandals, only to undermine them and thereby ensure that their findings are never implemented. It happened in the Dana crash report, the Lawan-Otedola subsidy bribe scandal, the privatisation of power stations and the Ribadu committee report.

To make matters worse, President Jonathan decided to turn a purely religious gathering into a political convention by his dubious references to the alleged support of Pastor Adeboye and the RCCG as a whole in his political campaign. Regardless of what he may think, neither Adeboye nor the RCCG is on record as having endorsed Jonathan’s presidential campaign; to imply that they did so is disingenuous and dishonest. His poor judgement is all the more amazing, given the tensions which currently characterise Nigeria as a multi-religious entity.

Such manipulations like this should serve as a warning to the nation’s religious leaders not to get too close to politicians, especially those holding public office. Such is their fixation on elections that they will use anybody whom they think can help them to achieve popularity. Nigeria’s clerics should follow the example of an individual like South Africa’s Bishop Desmond Tutu, whose commitment to political freedom and social justice was not tainted by any intimacy with those in power.

As for President Jonathan, he should realise that the citizenry is tired of promises, excuses, explanations and committees. He was elected in his own recognition to lead Nigeria to a brighter tomorrow of freedom and prosperity. It is time for him to start leading. God is a hard-working God and He has been playing His part in the country’s affairs; President Jonathan should play his.

TheNation

ARP accepts de-registration, says INEC’s actions are completely justified

The African Renaissance Party (ARP) in a surprising move yesterday, threw its weight behind the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the latest de-registration of political parties.
The electoral body only a fortnight ago axed 28 political parties. It went ahead to strike out three more parties on Friday; they include: African Renaissance Party (ARP), National Democratic Party (NDP) and National Transformation Party (NTP).
A statement by INEC Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Kaugama, said: “the action was in continuation of the exercise of the powers conferred on it by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).”
According to him, the composition of the National Executive Committees of ARP, NDP and NTP failed to meet the requirements of Section 223(1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended).
The ARP, rising in defense of INEC, said “the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] was completely justified and blameless in de-registering the party.”
The party in an apparent acceptance of the penalty noted that it has no grounds to object as it “did not win any seat at either the national or any state Assembly.”
Below is a full text of the statement :
The African Renaissance Party [ARP] which was de-registered yesterday by the Independent National Electoral Commision [INEC] wishes to state in unequivocal terms that the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] was completely [100%] justified and blameless in de-registering the party.
First of all, the law upon which INEC acted in de-registering the party was a law made by the National  Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not by INEC. Secondly, the law was made about 2 years ago and therefore, Nigerian political parties [including the African Renaissance Party] had more than enough time to have challenged the law in court and gotten the law declared null and void as being inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution, but the parties did not.
Turning around now to blame and insult INEC is not only stupid but unpatriotic.
The last convention of the ARP was done right there at the real last functional secretariat of the party at No.10, 53 {fela Anikulapo} Kuti Road, 5th Avenue, Gwarimpa Estate, Abuja. But when the landlord [Isa Mudi] increased the rent from N650,000 [six hundred and fifthy thousand Naira] to N1,700,000 [one million and seven hundred thousand naira] and further demanded that we pay two years up front, we had no option than to quit.
When INEC came for verification on the 17th of December 2012, we received them at number 13, Yaounde street, Wuse zone 6, Garki, Abuja where we had hurriedly arranged. How can we now say that INEC deregistered us out of spit or any such nonsense.
The world knows that we further did not win any seat at either the national or  any state assembly.
I am the founder and the National Chairman of the party, and I hail from Oghe in Ezeagu local government area of Enugu state. Where I come from, truth is sacred. The African Renaissance Party for as long as I lead, would prefer to die on the path of truth than to live on the side of lies and falsehood.
As for us in the African Renaissance Party [ARP] we shall double our efforts, try and overcome our inadequacies indicated by INEC in the letter of de-registration and reapply to INEC for re-registration. In the meantime, we thank INEC and the good and long suffering people of
Nigeria for giving us such a golden opportunity to take active part in the task of national development.
DailyPost

Our Love Is Tall: World’s Tallest Teen Finds Love

It is difficult to believe that Elisany da Cruz Silva, is just 17, and she holds the record of the world’s tallest teen girl at 6ft 8in. But if you think that will make the boys feel intimidated by her height you got it wrong because Elisany is in a relationship with Francinaldo da Silva Carvalho, 22, who stands at 5ft 4in.

IN LOVE… ELISANY DA CRUZ SILVA WITH HER BOYFRIEND FRANCINALDO

And such love comes with a high price – he has to practically stand on his toes and crane his neck to get a kiss.
The construction worker said: “My friends say things like, ‘How do you hug her?’. I say, ‘There’s a way of doing everything’.”
Elisany, an aspiring model from Salinopolis, Brazil, is just an inch taller than Stoke City’s Peter Crouch — she has a form of gigantism due to a tumour on her pituitary gland.
She grew faster than her seven siblings from the age of 11 and hit 6ft 9in when she was 14. But her sudden growth caused pain in her limbs and joints.

TALLEST OF THEM ALL … ELISANY DA CRUZ SILVA WITH MUM, LEFT, AND SISTER

Surgeons removed the gland two years ago and she shrank by an inch — but she could still not fit on the school bus and had to quit school due to teasing.
But she’s happy now with Francinaldo. She said: “What really attracted me was his personality, the way he acts with people and the way he acts with me.
“The only thing that really affects us is when we hang out holding hands — it seems like he is my little brother or son.”

TIPTOES … THE PAIR SHARE A KISS

InformationNigeria

I Sang National Anthem For 10-Years To Be Treated Like This – Osaze Blasts Off On Twitter

UNHAPPY OVER NATIONS CUP EXCLUSION

Super Eagles prolific forward, Peter Osaze Odemwingie has taken to Twitter to pour out his heart on his recent exclusion from the squad that will prosecute the nation’s games at next year’s Orange African Cup of Nations in South Africa.
The West Brom striker who is capped 55 times with 9 goals for Nigeria, is unhappy at his exclusion and has decided to clear the air ‘for the fans’ so that ‘they don’t think I don’t care or too proud.’
Not one to shy away from controversy especially when it comes to the way football is being run in the country, Osaze, 31, once again showed his passion for the game that has brought him fame as he raised very salient issues that might just give a hint to the real reasons behind his exclusion from coach Stephen Keshi’s 32-man squad list as well as other run-ins he has had in the past with football administrators in the country.
See his tweets below…

InformationNigeria

“Governor Yakowa had been killed spiritually for a long time” – Cleric reveals

A cleric has revealed that the Bayelsa air mishap that led to the death of Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State and five others had long been foreseen and foretold.
According to the Man of God who wouldn’t want his name mentioned, a group, under the aegis of National Intercessors had some months ago foretold a serious tragedy involving Governor Yakowa
The revelation, according to the cleric would have forced Nigeria to pray, “as that was the desire of the power mongers who plotted the tragedy in the first instance.”
The pastor explained that the tragedy was orchestrated by some powerful political forces in the North and the Maghreb regions, who had vowed to deal with their political enemies.
He said, “It was revealed to us that three persons were specifically targeted. The three persons are President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State and the late Governor Patrick Yakowa. The place they went has this pond with potent powers.
He further added that it was revealed to them that while the spirits of President Jonathan and Governor Jang refused to appear, that of Yakowa stood out of the pond.
“We made efforts to get in touch with the governor. Not only that, we also ensured that a prayer chain was formed. Prayer sessions were held in Kaduna for many days by a selected group of pastors.
“The pastors were coming to Kaduna to offer prayers based on a schedule. The prayer sessions were held for almost a year to avert the tragedy, because we realised that former Governor Yakowa had been killed spiritually by those people,” the cleric disclosed further.
“Whether or not the governor took the message was not known to us. You know, he was a Catholic and might not have believed in the revelations,” he explained, adding that from their own end, they did what they needed to do, but it was unfortunate that he had to die in the crash.
“From what we saw, the forces had killed him since that time,” he stated.
DailyPost

Former RCCG Pastor Attacks Adeboye For Turning Holy Ghost Congress To Political Congress

A former pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Bankole Solomon has taken on the General Overseer (GO) of the church, Pastor E A Adeboye for allegedly turning the yearly Holy Ghost Congress into a political congress.

The former pastor said in a post that the yearly spiritual programme, which attracts millions of visitors to the Redemption camp venue of the congress located along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, is gradually becoming a place where politician come to deceive worshippers with ‘fake’ promises.Bankole, who claimed to have resigned as a pastor of RCCG in 2010 due to some rights discrimination, stated in his post that it was wrong for President Jonathan to have stood on the ‘once sacred altar’ to speak to the congregation when he knew he was not being truthful with what he was promising Nigerians.Bankole’s full post reads
“I know this post will attract a sharp condemnation because I worship in RCCG and I was once a pastor before I resigned voluntarily because of rights violations in the name of religion. I resigned in December 2010 but I am still worshipping there as an ordinary member. So, whatever. I have here is without prejudice.“Holy ghost congress of our great church is now a political congress where all shades of corrupt leaders will mount our altar to fool Nigerians on what they will do.
“Holy Ghost congress is now a supermarket where all kinds of people like charlatans and political opportunist come shopping turning God to father Christmas to give dem end of d year bonus.
“Jonathan was even there turning our once sacred altar to political podium talking deceitfully and indirectly campaigning for 2015. My question is this? On what ground was president Jonathan allowed to speak to people. Is he a pastor? Because the gathering is purely a spiritual gathering and event.
“I’ve been a pastor in Redeemed for the past 10 years and I’ve not got any opportunity to sit on dat altar not to talk of holding mic. If because Jonathan is a President and he is recognised, it means some are more equal than others.
“Immediately I left camp on Saturday morning, I looked at the camp very well because I know that would be the last time I willl set my foot to that Eagle Square called Redeemed camp.”
Do you think Bankole is right?
Naijaurban