Myrlie Evers-Williams, Widow Of Medgar Evers, To Deliver Invocation At Obama's Inauguration

Myrlie Evers-Williams attends the premiere of the film "The Help" in Los Angeles in August 2011.

Myrlie Evers-Williams, the widow of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, will deliver the invocation at President Barack Obama's inauguration later this month, organizers announced Tuesday.
Evers-Williams, also a civil rights activist in her own right, is reportedly the first woman and non-clergy member to deliver a president's inaugural invocation.
In contrast with the untraditional selection of Evers-Williams, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced that the Rev. Louie Giglio, a conservative evangelical who is the pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta, will deliver the benediction at the inauguration. Giglio is the founder of the Passion Conferences, a student-centered Christian movement that raises awareness about human trafficking.
The president's official swearing-in for his second term is Jan. 20, but the ceremonial events organized by the inaugural committee are Jan. 21.
In a statement released by the inaugural committee, Obama said that Evers-Williams and Giglio's "voices have inspired many people across this great nation within the faith community and beyond" and reflect ideals of "justice, equality, and opportunity.”
Evers-Williams, 79, is the former chairwoman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the founder of the Medgar Evers Institute in Jackson, Miss. Evers-Williams is the widow of Evers, who was murdered by a white supremacist in 1963. He was the NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi and worked to overturn segregation at the University of Mississippi, among other causes.
"I am humbled to have been asked to deliver the invocation for the 57th inauguration of the President of the United States—especially in light of this historical time in America when we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement,” Evers-Williams said in a statement.
Giglio, 54, began his Passion Conferences in the mid-1990s. The most recent conference at the Georgia Dome gathered 60,000 Christian youth to worship, pray and strategize ways to combat modern-day slavery.
“During these days it is essential for our nation to stand together as one ... May we all look up to our God, from whom we can receive mercy, grace and truth to strengthen our lives, our families and our nation. I am honored to be invited by the President to lead our nation as we look up to God, and as we look ahead to a future that honors and reflects the One who has given us every good and perfect gift," he said in a statement.
Four years ago, Obama ignited controversy when he chose the Rev. Rick Warren, the California megachurch pastor criticized for speaking out against homosexuality and same-sex marriage, to deliver the invocation. The selection of Evers-Williams and Giglio, known for championing less contested issues, so far has not brought similar controversy.
HuffingtonPost

Ondo Poll: Akeredolu Challenges Mimiko With 46 Lawyers

The Ondo State Chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and its Governorship Candidate, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, have presented 46 lawyers that will prosecute their petitions against Governor Olusegun Mimiko at the Governorship Election Tribunal.
The legal team, headed by Akin Olujinmi, has concluded its physical inspection of the documents used by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct the October 20 Governorship Poll.
The findings are expected to be used at the trial of the case.
Sources within the ACN alleged that the options being exploited by the state governor and Labour Party candidate, Olusegun Mimiko, and the Labour Party is to kill the petition on technical grounds.
Many objections have been filed to this effect by the Respondents including a cross petition to the result declared by INEC in Irele and Ilaje to prevent any of the Petitioners/opposition candidates from being declared the winner without a rerun.
Mr. Mimiko’s legal team is led by Wole Olanipekun while that of the Labour Party is led by Yusuf Ali.
ACN, Accord challenge tribunal jurisdiction
The ACN and Mr. Akeredolu have also challenged the jurisdiction of the Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Akure to make use of the reply filed by Labour Party.
The objection was filed by their lawyers led by three Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Akin Olujimi, Oladipo Okpeseyi and Lasun Sanusi.
ACN is contesting the competence of the Labour Party’s petition filed by Wahab Egbewole, allegedly a full time employee of the University of Ilorin, an Educational Institution financed by the Federal Government.
The party noted that paragraphs 1&2(b) of the filth schedule of the constitution forbids Mr. Egbewole, who is a public officer, from offering his service to any other person except his employer.
It maintained that Mr. Egbewole has no ‘locus standi’ to sign Labour Party’s reply to the petition and the reply signed by him is a nullity and should not be used by the Tribunal.
ACN also prayed the Tribunal to strike out all the motions filed by the Labour Party challenging the Tribunal Jurisdiction.
It argued that by virtue of Electoral Act all objections raised in Respondent’s Reply shall be heard along with substantive suit and not by motion at the Pre-hearing session.
Similar applications were filed by the Accord party challenging the reply filed by Wahab Egbewole. The applications will be heard on Thursday, January 10.
The Tribunal at its last sitting hinted that it may consolidate all the petitions before it.
The petitions were filed by ACN, Accord Party, Peoples Democratic Party, People for Democratic Change, and the Congress for Progressive Change.
Naij

Immigration in Ireland: Approximately 88,000 visa applications received in 2012

In total, approximately 165,700 immigration related requests were made in 2012.

Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence Alan Shatter (file photo)

Image: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

THERE WAS A six per cent increase in the number of people applying for Irish visas in 2012, figures released by the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter have shown.
Of the approximately visa 88,000 applications received, 91 per cent were approved.
The top five nationalities that applied for visas were as follows:

1. India (16 per cent)
2. Russia (14 per cent)
3. China (11 per cent)
4. Nigeria (eight per cent)
5. Turkey (five per cent)

These applications formed part of the approximately 165,700 applications received, which included visa, residence, protection and citizenship requests.
Decisions were reached by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) in almost 175,000 cases, which included decisions relating to applications from previous years.
Requests to remain in the State
Over 96,700 requests were granted by the Garda National Immigration Bureau. Approximately 115,000 people who are not from the European Economic Area (EEA) are currently registered and allowed to remain in the State as a result of this, a drop of over 10 per cent on 2011.
The top six registered nationalities were as follows:

1. India (11 per cent)
2. Brazil (10 per cent)
3. Nigeria (9 per cent)
4. China (eight per cent)
5. USA (eight per cent)
6. Philippines (seven per cent)

Citizenship
Over 25,000 applications for citizenship were decided on in 2012 compared to 16,000 in 2011 and fewer than 8,000 in 2010.
There were 38 citizenship ceremonies held in 2012.
Students
There are approximately 31,400 non-EEA students currently registered for study in Ireland. Of these, 38 per cent are in degree courses, 26 per cent in non-degree courses, 28 per cent in language courses and nine per cent in other study, which includes secondary level education.
Protection and Asylum
Provisional figures show there were 950 submissions for asylum, down from 1,290 in 2011.
At its peak in 2002, the number of applications for asylum totalled 11,600.
At year-end, approximately 4,750 people who had sought international protection were accommodated in direct provision centres in the State, a decrease of 650 on 2011.
Deportations
Deportations totalled almost 2,700 in 2011, of which 2,260 were refusals at various ports of entry.
A further 467 people who would otherwise have been issued with a deportation order chose to return home voluntarily in 2012.
In cooperation with the UK, the fingerprints of over 3,000 Irish visa applicants were cross-checked with the UK’s immigration fingerprint database.
Separately, the fingerprints of 1,750 failed asylum seekers were checked against immigration records in the UK, where nearly 30 per cent of them matched their records, showing up discrepancies  such as the same person having previously entered the UK under a different identity.
Looking to the year ahead, Shatter said that he hoped that Ireland’s immigration system would continue to be reformed:

Reform of the immigration system will be sustained in 2013 and I will be focusing on major legislative and procedural measures such as the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill and further civilianisation of Immigration Officer functions at Dublin Airport.

International cooperation will be a central theme of 2013. In the context of the Common Travel Area, I will be prioritising cooperation with the UK on initiatives such as a Common Travel Area visa, which is of potentially significant economic and tourism value, and systems for improved collection and sharing of visa data.

Similarly, Ireland’s hosting of Presidency of the EU is an opportunity for enhanced practical cooperation on immigration issues at EU level.

Thejournal.ie

Nigeria’s 23-man List For Africa Nations Cup; Ideye, Dike Dropped

By Aderonke Ogunleye

Super Eagles team for the battle against Liberia is expected to be unveiled next week, Brown Ideye and Bright Dike are the notable absentees in Nigeria’s final list for the Africa Nations Cup holding in South Africa later this month.
The list is expected to be officially announced either later on Tuesday or on Wednesday.
The final 23 players that will represent Nigeria at the tournament are listed below.
1.       Vincent Enyeama
2.       Austin Ejide
3.       Chigozie Agbim
4.       Elderson Echiejile
5.       Juwon Oshaniwa
6.       Joseph Yobo
7.       Efe Ambrose
8.       Azubuike Egwuekwe
9.       Kenneth Omeruo
10.   Godfrey Oboabona
11.   John Mikel Obi
12.   Nosa Igiebor
13.   Ogenyi Onazi
14.   Raheem Lawal
15.   Obiora Nwankwo
16.   Fegor Ogude
17.   Reuben Gabriel
18.   Ahmed Musa
19.   Emmanuel Emenike
20.   Victor Moses
21.   Ikechukwu Uche
22.   Ejike Uzoenyi
23.   Sunday Mba

Saharareporters

Bamanga Tukur’s Days As PDP Chairman Numbered, As 10 NWC Members Rise Up Against Him

Bamanga Tukur

By SaharaReporters, New York

The days of  Bamanga Tukur as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be numbered, as 10 members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) today disowned his actions concerning the running of the party in Adamawa, his home state.

The NWC has12 members, including Tukur himself, and it was he and the Deputy National Secretary of the party, that were absent at today’s emergency meeting of the NWC where the decision was taken.

In a statement following the meeting, the NWC said it was “surprised, shocked and embarrassed” to learn of purported ward, local government and state congresses said to be on going in Adamawa State, and that they were neither authorized by the NWC nor monitored and/or supervised by the National Secretariat.

“In the history of the PDP only the National Secretariat of the PDP conducts state congresses,” they said.

“Based upon the above therefore the NWC hereby declare the purported congresses null, void and of no effect whatsoever,” the NWC added in the statement, which was read by the Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Sama Jaja, who spoke to reporters in the company of the National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola other national officers.

The actions of the 10 NWC members are said to be due to the determination of the governors to remove all the NWC members and replace them with caretaker committees.

“Let us all fasten our seat belts,” a political analyst told SaharaReporters upon learning of the latest developments, “because this signals a fresh round of turbulence within the PDP ahead of the 2015 national elections, which is just two years away.

“Recently, a wing of the party was disclaiming the party’s reviewed constitution, which was already in circulation.  A few days ago, it was the PDP Youth Council that was blasting away at the president; now, it is a revolt within the NWC against the indolent and corrupt Tukur leadership, which has already been rejected by many of the governors.”

The following is the statement read by Dr. Jaja:
T
he emergency NWC decided to announce the following:

(1)     The NWC in its 325th meeting of Wednesday 12th December 2012 had rescinded the dissolution of the PDP Adamawa State Executive.

(2)     The NWC had earlier dissolved the Adamawa State Executive under Article 29(2)(b) wherein we acted on behalf of Article 31(2)(e) powers of the NEC. But it is instructive to note that the Ward and Local government executives of Adamawa State were never dissolved.

“In fact at its 314th meeting of 29th August 2012 the NWC had upheld the March 2012 ward and local government executives except for one LGA which was later ratified.

“(3)     The NWC is therefore surprised, shocked and embarrassed to read in the Newspapers of the purported ward, local government and state congresses said to be on going in Adamawa State.

“(4)     For the records, the National Working Committee, hereby dissociate the Party leadership from the purported congresses which were neither authorized by the NWC nor monitored and/or supervised by the National Secretariat.

“In the history of the PDP only the National Secretariat of the PDP conducts state congresses.
“Based upon the above therefore the NWC hereby declare the purported congresses null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

“Consequently we hereby declare that the only state executive committee constitutionally recognized by this Party is the Kaugama Executive lawfully elected in March 2012 and endorsed by the National Convention.
    Dr. Sam Sam Jaja                         Prince  Olagunsoye Oyinlola
Deputy National Chairman                             National Secretary

I heard Tonto Dikeh was responsible for my illness – Nollywood actress, Biola Ige

If you’re looking for the most controversial actress in Nollywood just look the direction of Tonto Dike. For the light skin actress, 2012 was a year of one controversy to the other and from all indications it seems she’s not ready take a break this year.
Few days after she got a sarcastic open letter from one Onyeka Nwelue, Tonto is the news again. The issue of her alleged “involvement with the devil” has been brought to the fore again.
After actress Biola Ige’s sickness defiled orthodox medical treatment in Nigeria she was flown to India for ‘spiritual help’. But what many did not know is that accusing fingers was pointed at Tonto Dike’s direction. Rumours have it that something happened that caused Biola and Tonto to be at loggerheads.
However, Biola said she finds it hard to believe that Tonto would ever want to hurt her. Here is what she told a report with regards to the issues: “When I was sick, there were lot of stories flying here and there that Tonto Dike was responsible for my sickness. But l didn’t believe it because we were not even friends before I fell sick. And why would Tonto Dike want to harm me when she has made a name for herself?”
 DailyPost

15 Russians arrested for smuggling arms into Nigeria

The Nigerian Navy on Monday handed over a 15-man Russian crew to the Nigeria Police to be prosecuted for weapons smuggling.
A reliable source had reported the arrest of the vessel on October 20, 2012, at the Lagos Roadstead of the nation’s waterways by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Shi, Andoni,for illegal entry into the nation’s waterways.
The Navy also arrested the crew for non-declaration of cargo and possession of cache of arms and ammunition.
About 8,598 ammunition, 14 AK47 rifles and 20 Benelli MRI rifles were recovered from the Russian ship, Merchant Vessel Myre Sea Diver, Avatiu, after the ship was searched.
On Monday however, the Navy handed over the Russians and the recovered arms to the Nigeria Police.
The crew was formally handed over to the men of the Special Fraud Unit, Force Criminal Investigation Department at the Western Naval Command, Apapa, Lagos.
Commanding Officer, NNS Beecroft, Commodore Martin Njoku, said the handing over of the suspects was necessary because the Navy did not have the power to prosecute them, adding that the service had faith in the ability of the police to carry out thorough investigation.
Njoku said the Navy released only the crew members to the police and not the vessel and ammunition.
While receiving the crew members, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, SFU, Bashiru Muazu, said the police would complete the investigations and prosecute the crew if found culpable.
He said, “For the navy to have handed over the suspects to the police, it means the suspects have a case to answer and we will ensure that a thorough investigation is carried out.
“We will also ensure speedy and quality investigation as well as prosecution of the suspects if need be. But for now, we will detain the Russians until we complete our investigation.
“So far, we have no clue as to the owner of the arms and ammunition or where the suspects were carrying them to; but that is what we intend to find out.”
 DailyPost