Cynthia Osokogu’s Murder: Hotel Receptionist, Porter, Lodged Suspects With Forged Receipt to Defraud Hotel

By SaharaReporters, New York

Vivian Emenike, a receptionist at the hotel where Cynthia Osokogu was murdered, today explained to the court how she manipulated hotel records to exclude the presence of the suspects.
Ms. Emenike, 28, told the court that the room was originally booked by a couple who vacated the premises early, leaving some hours unused. When the suspects arrived and wanted a room, she gave them that room, ;issuing a fake receipt to them and making no official hotel record in respect of that transaction. She stated that the shady act was with the connivance of the hotel porter with whom she normally shared the proceeds from such deals.
The testimony contradicted an earlier statement she made to the police that the suspects were younger brothers of the original person who had booked the room, but who left use of the accommodation to his brother until the booking expired.
Ms. Emenike further revealed that her action was with the connivance of the hotel porter, whereby fake receipts were issued to new customers lodging in a room that had been checked out from, but the booking for which still had time on it. The same tactic, she said, was applied in granting accommodation to the suspects in Cynthia’s murder.
At the hearing, defence lawyers today lost ;a stay-of-proceedings bid for the second time, failing to persuade the judge that their clients would not get a fair hearing because of the wide media reportage of the matter. The court ruled out their application, saying it failed to see the effect of media coverage on fair hearing in court.
Cynthia, a student, was allegedly murdered by some of her Facebook friends last year.
Justice Akinlade, presiding, adjourned ;the hearing to March 22.

It’s in South-East’s interest to back APC – Annie Okonkwo

 

By CLIFFORD NDUJIHE
…•Says doubting Thomases’ll be disappointed…
Senator Clement Annie Okonkwo, who represented Anambra Central Senatorial District in the Sixth Assembly, led the delegation of a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the merger talks with other opposition parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC). In a chat with reporters, Okonkwo said it was in the interest of the South-East to join other regions in the push to rescue Nigeria from the shackles of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
You were quoted as saying that your party, APGA was dead following the formation of APC. What informed that view?
I was misquoted. I made my point clear that the major political parties in the country are surrendering their party to form one strong platform and that if the merger works the political parties involved will cease to exist and this is what the law says. This is the first time that this has happened. What we use to have is alliance and not merger. I never said that APGA is a dead party. But the truth of the matter is that if the merger talk is successful there won’t be anything like APGA. Some people on their own have destroyed the party.
To be specific, a sponsored court order by the governor of Anambra State has kept APGA in an impotent condition from the national to state level. Today it has become very difficult for somebody to do anything that will yield good result in APGA. Most of them are in PDP but are still pretending to be in APGA. I will like to thank the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha as the only governor from the South-East that supported the merger of the major opposition parties into one strong platform, APC because there is no way this country can be rescued from the hands of the greedy and selfish PDP members.
So, to ensure that this does not continue, the people of the North have surrendered their major opposition parties, the oldest political party, the All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP and the leading political party in the area, the Congress for Progressives Change, CPC; the South-West has also sacrificed their own party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. So, I don’t see any reason we in the South-East should not support the merger talk. I commend Okorocha for his courage to support the merger and this will make APC a strong political party because it has received the support of all the zones in the country. And each zone also has a governor.
The North-Central has a governor; the North-East has a governor, the North-West also has. In the South-West, there are governors, South-South, there is a governor and the South-east cannot be left aside, we also have a governor. So, people who are thinking that the merger will not work will be disappointed at the end of the day. I see APC as a party that is going to rescue this country from the problem of insecurity, corruption and others that the PDP government has failed to solve because of their selfish leadership system.

Sen. Annie Okonkwo

Do you think Ndigbo stand a chance of producing the president on the banner of the APC?
When we were talking of the Igbo president, a lot of people thought we weren’t serious. As far as I am concerned, I believe that APC is the only party that can compete and defeat the PDP in any election. So, the opportunity is that as time goes on, we are going to contest the presidential primary election and if we win, we will have the opportunity of producing the president. One of the policies of the party is that internal democracy must be maintained and once it is maintained we will progress.
In PDP, there is no hope for the Igbo nation. Presently, from the president, vice president, Senate President and the Speaker there is no Igbo representative. The Vice President, Namadi Sambo is from the North, the Senate President, David Mark is from the North and the Speaker of the House of Representatives is also from the North and they are all PDP members. Tell me, is that how we will achieve the Igbo dream of producing the President?
APC is dominated by the South-West and North. With APGA already divided, don’t you think the South-East would be a minority in the party? As the President of C21, how do you hope to convince the Igbo to buy into it?
Our people find it very difficult to believe in reality. The truth is that it will be difficult to convince people to move in at the same time but when they start seeing result, they will be convinced to join the movement. What we want to do is to put an enlightenment programme to enable them understand our plan. I believe that by the time we are through with that, the Igbo will understand that the only political party where we can achieve our vision is the APC.
How are you tackling the problem of logo facing APC, which was occasioned by the crisis in APGA?
Everybody is aware that for the past six months, there have been crisis in APGA which has also witnessed several court cases. So, it will be very difficult for any merging political party to accept an APGA logo because they will believe that it will attract a lot of litigations. But we are still making our case very clear to ensure that all the parties are accommodated.
With APC merger talk still in progress, are you still going to contest for Anambra governorship under its platform?
The major thing we are doing is to build the party. For me, I am still in still contesting the election but it is not a do-or-die affair. The most important thing is to make sure that APC wins the next election in Anambra State. So, if the party supports my ambition I will fly the flag of the party.
APC fielding candidates, how do you think the 2015 election would look like?
This is the kind of election that Nigerians have been waiting to witness. A lot of unimaginable things will happen. PDP will lose a lot of states. For 14 years of PDP leadership at the federal level, the masses have been suffering one problem or the other. You can imagine how many families that have lost their loved ones either through Boko Haram attacks, Niger Delta militants’ attacks, kidnapping or plane crash. It means that something is wrong somewhere. With the birth of APC, the country will witness another style of leadership that will end the sufferings of the people. A leadership that will provide jobs for the people, a leadership that will provide security for the people, a leadership that will provide electricity for the masses of this country and of course, a leadership that will develop this country in all aspect.
What gives you the confidence that APC will beat PDP at the presidential and state elections?
PDP is a failed party. They don’t care about the masses and with the kind of people in APC, PDP is going nowhere.
What is responsible for the problem that Chief Victor Umeh is facing in APGA?
Everybody is aware that the crisis is sponsored and masterminded by Governor Peter Obi who believes that he has nothing to do with APGA again and thinks the best way to pay the people of APGA the good thing they did for him is by destroying the party. Unfortunately for him, we have moved on.
Obi will be rounding up by next year, how would you assess his achievement so far?
I don’t like discussing people. But honestly, people are scared of going to Anambra State because the insecurity there is too high and it was caused by unemployment in the state. We have thousands of graduates roaming the streets of Anambra and the state government is not doing anything about it.

Vanguard

The Counterfeit Christian Church 2

 

By Femi Aribisala

Most of today’s Christians do not have the kind of faith Jesus is looking for.

Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like putting yeast in a large portion of dough. (Matthew 13:33).  While pastors with limited understanding of kingdom dynamics see this yeast as beneficial on the grounds that it is designed to promote the rapid numerical growth of the church; those with better insight see it as spiritually counter-productive precisely because it leads to the exponential growth of the church.  This growth is contrary to God’s design.

Abnormal church

Yeast in the bible is a metaphor for a corrupting agent.  The yeast “infects” the dough and makes the bread puffed up and “proud.”  Therefore, yeast was required to be thrown away at the Passover. (Exodus 12:15).  No meal offering was acceptable with yeast. (Leviticus 6:17).  Jesus himself uses yeast to characterise the duplicitous doctrine of the religious leaders.  He warns: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” (Luke 12:1).

As the church grew from a tiny seed into a small mustard bush, it was as God designed it.  But over time, with the yeast of pastors, it mutated into a large tree, something God never intended.  It became a freak giant of a tree not in keeping with its genetic-code.  It therefore ceased to be God’s church when we perverted the doctrines of Jesus on the altar of church growth.  It became a counterfeit of the true church, even though it still claimed to be “Christian.”  It formed an unholy alliance with Rome and took on many facets of pagan mystery religions.

Jesus defined the acceptable parameters of his church.  It is small in size: “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32).  Its workers are small in number: “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few.” (Luke 10:2).  Its membership is a small elect: “Many are called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:16).  Its pathway is found only by a small number of people: “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:14).  Therefore, the crowd should not be confused with the church.  

Jesus says: “When the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).  Since according to the reputable Pew Research Centre there are now over 2 billion Christians on earth, more than any other religion, the conclusion is inescapable.  Most of today’s Christians do not have the kind of faith Jesus is looking for.

Demonic church

In effect, Jesus’ parables portray the current deviant form of the kingdom of God.  His mustard tree not only experiences aberrant growth; the birds of the air nesting in its branches are demons.  They are messengers of Satan: “the wicked one,” with the objective to steal the word of God from men’s hearts. (Matthew 13:4/19; Mark 4:4/15; Luke 8:5/12).  Jesus’ portrait is therefore identifiable in its perverseness as the end-time “mystery Babylon” which represents today’s Christian church. (Revelation 17:5).  The church is “a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!” (Revelation 18:2).

Jesus says: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat.” (Matthew 13:24-25).  Accordingly, the modern church is overrun by demons who plant weeds among God’s wheat.  These weeds now occupy strategic positions as pastors, bishops and general overseers.  They are revered as “father,” “papa” and “daddy,” in contravention of Jesus’ directive to call no one father but God. (Matthew 23:9).  God allows this to happen, just as he allowed Satan to tempt Job; just as Jesus was led of the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil; and just as Jesus allowed Satan to sift Peter like wheat. (Luke 22:31).

Out of this adversity, God is nevertheless determined to bring forth his true children.  Jesus says: “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46).  This presents another remarkable kingdom dynamic.  The pearl is the only “jewel” that is not buried in the earth.  It comes from a living organism: the oyster.  The first thing of note about the oyster is that it is not kosher.  It is forbidden food in the Law of Moses. (Deuteronomy 14:10).  The second thing of note is that oysters only produce pearls in response to irritation.  When the oyster gets hot and bothered, it produces the pearl in self-defence.

Even so, those who seek the Lord even in the counterfeit church will become his pearls.  They will be rescued from their inconvenient places of growth and become God’s glorious adornment: “‘They shall be mine,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘on the day that I make them my jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.” (Malachi 3:17-18).

Counterfeit church

Therefore, what we see all around us today is the false church headed by false popes, pastors and bishops.  This counterfeit church is large, flamboyant and worldly.  But God’s true church is a “little flock” of “little ones” led by one Good Shepherd. (Luke 12:32; Matthew 18:14).  By presenting the kingdom of God as a mustard seed which grows to become a tree, Jesus was giving a prophecy about the coming perversion of church growth, which is already upon us.

Thus, Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed is designed to dispel all grandiose mythical and self-serving expectations of the kingdom of God.  But thanks to “Nicodemus pastors,” the myth has once again recaptured Jesus’ true portrait.  We are back again to planting cedars of Lebanon everywhere.

What we have now in the churches is the kingdom of pastors, which has little to do with the kingdom of God.  There, personal empires are built through the distortion of the scriptures for the sake of collecting as much tithes and offerings as possible.  Jesus says: “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” (Matthew 21:13).

Our so-called “men of God” now include jet-flying, designer-suited internationally-acclaimed superstars.  However, true “children of God” are despised and rejected by the people. (Isaiah 49:7).  The authentic ministry of Christ is not glamorous: it is humiliating and frustrating.  The Messiah himself laments: “I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand, and my reward is with my God.’” (Isaiah 49:4).  Therefore, today’s celebrated pastor is a contradiction in terms.

This is the Lord’s final verdict: “Many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Vanguard

The Counterfeit Christian Church I

 

By Femi Aribisala

The modern Christian church, with its mega-pastors and highfalutin cathedrals, is nothing but a counterfeit of the true church of Christ.

One day, the Lord asked me one of those questions that turn my faith upside down.  ”Femi,” he said, “does a mustard seed ever become a tree?”

The question was confusing.  Jesus himself says: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32).  Nevertheless at your word Lord Jesus, I decided to investigate.  Does the mustard seed actually become a tree?

The answer was so unexpected, it made me angry.  The mustard seed never becomes a tree.  At best, it grows to become a shrub.  Mustard trees don’t exist; except of course in Christian circles where they are planted fictitiously by “Nicodemus” pastors and televangelists.

Double-edged parables

The disciples asked Jesus why he spoke to the people in parables.  Why not just speak plainly to them?  Jesus replied that since they don’t want to understand what he was saying, he was also going to make sure they don’t understand. (Matthew 13:10-15).

Jesus’ parables are often designed to conceal and not to reveal.  In the portrait of the kingdom of God, his parables turn everything upside down.  The despised Samaritan, and not the “godly” priest or Levite, turns out to be the righteous hero of the story of the Good Samaritan.  Jesus’ Good Shepherd is so reckless; he leaves ninety-nine sheep unattended while looking for just one lost sheep.  In another parable, the despised tax collector is justified, while the presumably “godly” Pharisee is condemned.  In the story of the Prodigal Son, a party is thrown for the sinful prodigal son, instead of for the older, more faithful son.  In yet another parable, a master commended an unrighteous servant for his unrighteousness, and proclaimed him to be wise.

That is kingdom dynamics.  The first become last and the last become first.  Jesus’ parables confound our preconceptions by telling us what we know the way we have never known it.  This is because the ways of the kingdom are not the ways of men.  Therefore, his parables expose many religious myths as false answers to life’s hard realities.  They shatter our comfortable social sensibilities by confounding accepted norms and values.  Unfortunately, we are no longer offended today because the myths have reclaimed the parables once again.

True to form, very few things about Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed conform to reality.  The mustard seed is not the smallest of all seeds.  That distinction actually belongs to the orchid seed.  The mustard is a herb, so it never grows into anything like a tree.  All the varieties of the mustard family have thin stems and branches.  At best, they grow to become shrubs.  Most birds would not be inclined to build their nest in a mustard plant because of the stinging aroma.

Of course, Jesus is aware of these anomalies.  But true to form, he is a rock of offence to the sensibilities of the Jewish farmer.  To expose the falsehood of a myth, a story must sometimes be outrageous and offensive.  The mustard is appropriately a biting, irritating and disturbing condiment.  It is therefore well-suited to the gospel, which irritates and disturbs those at ease in this world.

Cedars of Lebanon

The Jews believed the kingdom of God would bring about the restoration of Israel to its former power and glory.  The symbol of this expectation was the cedar of Lebanon.  With the advent of the kingdom, it was anticipated that Israel would be restored as a mighty cedar, head and shoulders above its neighbours. The cedar was magnificent by all accounts.  It grew straight up, sometimes for two to three hundred feet.

This expectation seemed to be confirmed by the vision given to Daniel: “I was looking, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.  The tree grew and became strong; its height reached to the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.  Its leaves were lovely, its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, the birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.” (Daniel 4:10-12).

However, no sooner had Daniel received this vision than the Lord asked that the tree be cut down. (Daniel 4:13-14).  Ezekiel notes that the counsel of the Lord is to bring down the high tree and exalt the low tree. (Ezekiel 17:24).  Isaiah also gives a similar message: “The day of the LORD of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up- and it shall be brought low.” (Isaiah 2:12-17).

So, when Jesus told the parable of the mustard seed, he actually wanted his listeners to know that the kingdom of God does not come as a tree, growing high up into the sky.  On the contrary, it grows like a weed.  It grows as under-bush.  It spreads out on the ground.  The kingdom of God is like a little mustard seed that is sown in us.  It is growing, but it is not going to turn us into cedars of Lebanon.  We would be doing excellently well if we were to become modest shrubs.

The modern Christian church, with its mega-pastors and highfalutin cathedrals, is nothing but a counterfeit of the true church of Christ.

Invisible church

Jesus wants Christians to think small and not big.  The tasks before us are not accomplished by filling huge stadiums and mausoleums or by making intercontinental television broadcasts.  God’s great works are not done on such vainglorious levels.  Jesus says: “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21).

It is Bethlehem Ephratah which, though little among the clans of Judah, is nevertheless singled out to bring forth great things. (Micah 5:2).  The kingdom is accomplished in us in the mundane details of everyday life, with its ups and downs.  It is fulfilled by small acts of love and kindness; encouraging the afflicted; supporting the weak.  Nothing about this will be carried in the news, proclaimed on billboards or extolled on television.

Those things that meet the approval of men are not God’s idea of success.  In his eyes, they constitute abject failures. (Luke 16:15).  The greatest works of the kingdom are accomplished in secret.  They are unseen and unsung.  They are reflected in our beatitudes.

Thus, God says to the counterfeit Christian church: “Quit your worship charades. I can’t stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings- meetings, meetings, meetings- I can’t stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that.  I hate them! You’ve worn me out! I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening.” (Isaiah 1:13-14).  (Continued)
Vanguard

Corruption is Nigeria’s biggest problem Akinyemi

 

By Dayo Johnson,  Akure
A FORMER External Affairs Minister, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, yesterday, fingered corruption as Nigeria’s  biggest  problem.
According to him, “No one can be a billionaire in this present Nigeria without being corrupt.
”To be a millionaire is still alright but if you are a billionaire, you are corrupt and that means you are cutting corners”.
Akinyemi spoke in Akure at a lecture, to herald the inauguration of Governor Olusegun Mimiko for second term entitled, Leadership, Democracy and Development; A paradigm relationship of Governor Olusegun Mimiko second term in office.
He lamented that in Nigeria of today there are no more values to hold on to unlike in the 60s.
”Parents not only encourage their children to cheat to beat the system, they aid and abet the children in the nefarious activities,” the former minister said.
”Akinyemi continued: No one believes anymore in the concept of society. In my youth, to be accused of theft or any other criminal offence was tantamount to being banished from society. To be convicted was tantamount to suicide. But now no one asks for the source of the wealth.
”People in jail,accused of murder, run for and win elections. More than a score of members of the Nigerian Senate have EFCC court cases against them. Only in Nigeria do you steal billions and escape with less than a million naira fine.
”To move forward, the political elite must make a conscious effort to arrive at a consensus that will be the outcome of negotiation, give and take,compromises.
” The system to be put in place should not reflect temporary advantages secured through a temporary monopoly of power.
He asked Mimiko to maintain the tempo of developmental projects put up by his administration in the last four years.
The lecturer, who insisted that the governor  must score Grade A during his second term, congratulated him for his encouraging achievements in his first term in  office and charged him not to relent on his oars.
”At the same time, I commiserate and feel sorry for him because having set such high standards of achievements, he is going to be under considerable pressure to maintain that high level of achievements for second term.,”Akinyemi stated.
”Now that Governor Mimiko has scored a distinction in the first term, I am also expecting another Grade A performance during this term.
”I know what Ondo State looked like in the 50s at least as seen through the eyes of a young adult. I have seen what it looked like in the 1990s and what it looks like now. I am impressed by what I see.”

Vanguard

The President’s men’s hammer on NGF

By his age, he is old enough to be the father of President Goodluck Jonathan. He once declared himself as the president’s godfather and the President has described him as his father. Chief Edwin Clark, a former Minister of Information, is seen by many as one of those who speak the President’s mind. Not a few believe that once he speaks, his sentiment can be taken as the President’s.
There are other men, who share such slot with the elder statesman. One of them is Minister of Niger Delta Godsday Orubebe.
Of recent, both men have attacked the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and its leadership, Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Clark, in a recent open letter to the NGF, described it as undemocratic and practically called for its ban.
He said: “The Governors’ Forum is now acting as an opposition party to the Federal Government. It deliberately breaches with impunity the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the constitution of the PDP, without any challenges. The Forum has now become a threat to the peace and stability of Nigeria. Most of the governors today are more dictatorial than the then military governors.
“The over-bearing influence of the Governors’ Forum in the polity has become a matter of serious concern. The activities of the PDP Governors Forum, in particular, have become very disturbing and call for urgent correction as they are fast eroding the authority and the supremacy of the party and posing a serious threat to our democracy. The forum has become a powerful tool in the hands of the governors who now use it to pursue and promote their individual and collective interests with little or no regard to the letter and spirit of the Party’s Constitution and supremacy.”
Orubebe, who was nominated by Clark into the cabinet, was more frontal in his attack. He went straight for Amaechi’s jugular.
He said: “Unfortunately, the man (Amaechi) has forgotten that it was by the grace of God that he became the governor of Rivers State. He has forgotten so soon. He has arrogated to himself, powers that he does not have. It is God that has powers.
“Today, he sees himself as the governor of governors and he begins to feel that he is even bigger than the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But I want to let him know that God is still God. He must have respect for the Presidency. He must have respect for the President of this country.
“It is sad. It is unfortunate that people from the South-South, even governors, particularly Governor Rotimi Amaechi, have no respect for the President of this country. I think this is the right time we should let him know and I have decided to speak because this is the time to speak.”
Amaechi, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, David Iyofor, said: “Contrary to his madcap vituperations, Governor Amaechi has tremendous respect for the office of the President of Nigeria and President Goodluck Jonathan. The office of the President of Nigeria is a big institution that deserves utmost respect and it would be grossly irresponsible for anyone to disrespect Mr. President, which unfortunately Minister Orubebe is doing by dragging the President’s name into his inability to deliver on the East –West road.
“Minister Orubebe seems to suffer from a severe form of selective amnesia as he conveniently forgets that the same Amaechi he (Orubebe) now contemptuously, disgracefully and insolently disparages and flippantly accuses of not respecting Mr. President led Rivers people to overwhelming vote for and gave President Jonathan the highest votes by any state in the country at the last presidential elections. Minister Orubebe should please tell us, what respect, regard and show of love is bigger than that?
“Minister Orubebe’s imprudent and reckless attacks on the person of Governor Amaechi are a dubious but obvious attempt by the minister to divert attention from his abysmal failure to deliver on the East- West road. This callous attempt to drag the President’s name into it is what is most disrespectful and irresponsible.
“I challenge Minister Orubebe to show the world projects he started and completed in the Niger-Delta as Minister of Niger-Delta Affairs. I challenge Minister Orubebe to show the world one project he started and completed in Rivers State with the huge resources allocated to his ministry. “Or is Rivers State not part of the Niger-Delta, Minister Orubebe?”
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. Jibril Aminu has also attacked the NGF, calling it an oppressive group. He said the governors were not practising democracy in their states.
He said: “It is very strange. I worked in many countries and have not seen anything like such a forum. The Governors’ Forum is what is used to oppress everybody, including the President.”
He said it was difficult to fathom that governors wanted to have their way in everything, “including nominating who becomes an ambassador or member of the National Assembly. I don’t know how the forum came about in this country. And if it is not checked, it will put the country in serious trouble, as the state chief executives unite to challenge the Federal Government.”
NaijaCenter

God Told Me To Go — Pope Benedict

In an emotional goodbye to 100,000 supporters, the Pope revealed on Sunday that he was stepping aside because God told him to do so.
In a voice raw with emotion, Benedict XVI told pilgrims in St Peter’s Square that he was resigning on February 28 because God had called on him to devote himself to prayer. He said God had told him ‘to climb the mountain’.
Mail Online reports that pilgrims filled the piazza to witness a historical moment and thank the Pope for his eight year Pontificate at the Angelus Prayer, his penultimate public appearance as the Pontiff.
Despite recently looking tired and frail, he spoke in a clear, strong voice, repeatedly thanking the faithful for their closeness and affection as they interrupted him, again and again, with applause and cheers. Police estimated some 100,000 people turned out.
Benedict insisted he was “not abandoning the church.” Instead, speaking in Italian, he said he would serve the church with the same dedication he had until now, but would do so “in a way more suitable to my age and my strength”.
He also said he would continue to serve through meditation and prayer after his historic abdication.
He completed the last Angelus of his tenure by saying he would always be close to the Church and its people.
A child in the crowd held up a sign on a yellow placard, written in Italian, ‘You are not alone, I’m with you’. Other admirers held signs simply saying ‘Thank you’.
Heavy rain had been forecast for Rome, and some drizzle dampened the square earlier in the morning, but when Benedict appeared, to the peal of church bells as the clock struck noon, blue sky crept through the clouds.
‘We thank God for the sun he has given us,’ the Pope said.
The 85-year-old will spend his last years in seclusion in a cloistered monastery within the confines of Vatican City.
The Pope officially steps down on Thursday. He resigned two weeks ago, saying he no longer had the mental or physical strength to lead the world’s 1.2bn Catholics. It is the first time a Pope has stepped down in 600 years.
Vatican-watchers have speculated that his declining health is a key factor.
It has subsequently emerged that the Pope had had a secret heart operation to replace a pace-maker three months ago.
Naij.com