Ekiti Deputy Governor embarks on three-month sick leave

By Feyi Afisunlu 

The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Funmilayo Olayinka, on Monday joined the list of Nigerian top officials travelling abroad for treatment or for other pressing issues.
Olayinka has proceeded on a three-month leave to attend to an undisclosed health issue. Sources told DailyPost that the treatment would commence as soon as he leaves the country.
A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the State Governor, Mr Olayinka Oyebode confirmed that the Deputy Governor will be away from duties to attend to health issues.

Sources revealed that a Special Adviser in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Bamitale Oguntoyinbo has since been performing the duties of the Deputy Governor.
DailyPost

Hacker Distributes Confidential Memos Sent To Hillary Clinton On Benghazi Attack, Libya

A hacker, known only as "Guccifer," has reportedly distributed confidential memos that were sent to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and dealt with various developments in Libya, including the Benghazi terrorist attack. The hacker has apparently sent four of the recent memos to congressional aides, politicians and journalists across the globe, the Smoking Gun reports.It was over the weekend that the hacker reportedly distributed the memos, which were sent to Clinton by one of her longtime confidants and former White House aide, Sidney Blumenthal. His AOL email account was hacked last week. One memo, sent to Clinton on Sept. 12, was labeled "Confidential."
The Smoking Gun has more details:
The hacker's e-mails went to hundreds of recipients, though the distribution lists were dotted with addresses for aides to Senate and House members who are no longer in office. But many of the addresses to which the Blumenthal memos were sent are good (though it is unclear whether karl@rove.com is a solid address for the Republican mastermind).
Most of the e-mail recipients were sent four separate memos that were e-mailed to Clinton by Blumenthal during the past five months. Each memo dealt with assorted developments in Libya, including the September 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi. One memo marked "Confidential" was sent to Clinton on September 12.
As TSG reported last week, after Blumenthal's e-mail account was compromised, the hacker searched it for e-mails sent to Clinton, and further sorted the mail to segregate any attachment–like Word files–that were included in Blumenthal's correspondence to Clinton. Many of these pilfered documents were memos to Clinton on foreign policy and intelligence matters.
In another stunning twist, the emails disseminated by "Guccifer" over the weekend appear to have been sent from the hacked AOL account of an unidentified Hollywood actor's wife. The hacker has apparently has used similar tactics in the past to shield his or her identity.
What exactly is revealed in the confidential memos remains a mystery. The Smoking Gun did not divulge any of the information included in the correspondence, however, the site did provide a screengrab of one of the hacked emails.
Additionally, authorities don't know where "Guccifer" is currently located. While several of the IP addresses associated with the hacker have reportedly been traced to the Russian Federation, it could be a dead end as hackers regularly hide their tracks using proxies, IP spoofing and various identity-concealing software.
The hacker "did show some familiarity with the Russian media in Saturday's e-mail blast. While the majority of the journalists to whom he sent the Blumenthal memos are based in the U.S., 'Guccifer' also sent the documents (in a separate e-mail) to about two dozen reporters working for Russian outlets like Pravda, the Moscow Times, The St. Petersburg Times, and the RT news channel," according to the Smoking Gun.
 TheParadigm

$25,000 SCAM: EFCC Arraigns Three Pastors In Lagos

By Wilson UwujarenThe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,  on Monday March 18, 2013 arraigned Pastor David Nnanso Eshiet, Pastor Samson Okemona Ugbara, Pastor Adesanmi Richard Aderoju and Prince and Zion International Services Limited before Justice Adebisi Akinlade of the Lagos High Court on a seven count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain money under false pretense; issuance of dishonoured cheques and forgery contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, No. 14, 2006.
They were alleged to have obtained the sum of $25,000(Twenty-Five Thousand United States Dollars) from Angel Estate Residents Development Association, Ojo, Lagos as processing fees for sourcing foreign loan for them to purchase an expanse of land at Nkwelle Ezumaka Estate in Anambra state.
One of the charges reads:  "that you Pastor David Nnanso Eshiet, Pastor Samson Okemona Ugbara and Pastor Adesanmi Richard Aderoju and Prince and Zion International Service Limited on or about 27 October, 2011, at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judiciary Division with intent to defraud obtained the sum of $25,000 (Twenty Five Thousand United States of America Dollars only) from Angel Estate Resident Development Association of D10/58 ASPAMDA Trade Fair Complex, Ojo Lagos by falsely representing that it is part payment of the cost of processing $100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million United States of America Dollars) foreign loan you had sourced for them for the purchase of an expanse of land  at Nkwelle Ezumaka Estate, Oyi Local Government, Area of Anambra State, which representation you knew to be false."
Another charge reads: "that you Pastor David Nnanso Eshiet, Pastor Samson Okemona Ugbara, Pastor Adesanmi Richard Aderoju and Prince and Zion International Service Ltd on or about 28th February, 2012, at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division with intent to defraud forged Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation sales contracts papers titled "sales & purchase contract agreement CIF Crude Oil with the aim of facilitating your obtaining money from the public".
When the charge was read to the defendants, they pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution counsel, Ben Ubi asked for trial date and prayed the court to remand the accused persons in prison custody. But counsel to the defendants, F.O Udokporoh, however urged the court to admit his clients to bail.
Justice Adebisi fixed March 27, 2013 for hearing of the bail applications and May 22, 2013 for trial. She ordered that the accused persons be remanded in Kirikiri maximum prison.
TheParadigm

Tomas Young, Dying Iraq War Veteran, Pens 'Last Letter' To Bush, Cheney On War's 10th Anniversary

The Huffington Post  |  By Nick Wing  

Days after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Tomas Young, then a 22-year-old from Kansas City, Mo., made a decision repeated by many other Americans around the country: He was going to enlist in the military in hopes of getting even with the enemies who had helped coordinate the deaths of nearly 3,000 men, women and children.
Less than three years later, Young's Army service placed him not in Afghanistan -- where then-President George W. Bush had told the nation the terrorist plot had originated -- but in Iraq. On April 4, 2004, just five days into his first tour, Young's convoy was attacked by insurgents. A bullet from an AK-47 severed his spine. Another struck his knee. Young would never walk again, and in fact, for the next nearly nine years, he would suffer a number of medical setbacks that allowed him to survive only with the help of extensive medical procedures and the care of his wife, Claudia.
The incident turned Young into one of the most vocal veteran critics of the Iraq War. He has, however, saved his most powerful criticism for what he claims will be his last. Young says he'll die soon, but not before writing a letter to Bush and former Vice President Cheney on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War.
From Young's letter, published on TruthDig:

I write this letter, my last letter, to you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney. I write not because I think you grasp the terrible human and moral consequences of your lies, manipulation and thirst for wealth and power. I write this letter because, before my own death, I want to make it clear that I, and hundreds of thousands of my fellow veterans, along with millions of my fellow citizens, along with hundreds of millions more in Iraq and the Middle East, know fully who you are and what you have done. You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans—my fellow veterans—whose future you stole.

Young goes on to attack the "cowardice" of Bush and Cheney for avoiding military service themselves, and to encourage them to "stand before the American public and the world, and in particular the Iraqi people, and beg for forgiveness."
(Read Young's entire letter here.)
Young was the subject of the 2007 documentary "Body of War," which was about his recovery process and the Iraq War. At a February screening of the film, Young told the audience that he planned to end his life in April.
According to the Ridgefield Press, Young announced that he would stop taking all nourishment and life-extending medications at that time. He's since said that the deterioration to his body from the injury and ensuing complications would make it physically impossible for him to commit suicide in any other way.
"It's time," he told the audience over Skype, while seated beside his wife. "When I go I want be alert and aware."
Young spoke more about his decision in a recent interview with journalist and Iraq War critic Chris Hedges.
“I made the decision to go on hospice care, to stop feeding and fade away," he said. "This way, instead of committing the conventional suicide and I am out of the picture, people have a way to stop by or call and say their goodbyes. I felt this was a fairer way to treat people than to just go out with a note."
For the rest of Hedges' interview with Young, click here. For the rest of The Huffington Post's coverage on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War, click here.

Henry Bromell Dead: 'Homeland' Producer Dies At 65

Henry Bromell, a veteran TV writer and producer, has died after suffering a heart attack, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Bromell, who worked on Season 2 of Showtime's "Homeland," was 65.
"We were lucky to work with Henry on and off for the past 18 years. He was a supremely talented writer and as kind and warm a person as you could ever meet. He will be deeply missed at the studio and on 'Homeland.' Our hearts and prayers go out to his wife and children," Twentieth Century Fox TV and Fox 21 said in a statement.
Bromell was an executive producer on "Homeland" and wrote the episodes "Broken Hearts," "Q&A," "Representative Brody" and "The Good Soldier." He also worked on "Rubicon," "Chicago Hope," "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "Northern Exposure."
The veteran producer took home a Golden Globe and Emmy for his work on "Homeland" and received a Writers Guild of America award for the "Homeland" episode "The Good Soldier."
"We are deeply saddened at the loss of our dear friend Henry Bromell, who has been a part of the Showtime family for over a decade," Showtime said in a statement. "Henry was an immensely talented and prolific writer, director and showrunner, and his work on 'Brotherhood' and 'Homeland' was nothing short of brilliant. His passion, warmth, humor and generosity will be greatly missed. Our hearts and thoughts go out to his wife and family."
Bromell had relatives in the intelligence field and spoke with HuffPost TV in December 2012 about the research he and the other "Homeland" writers do to make the show's depiction of intelligence work as realistic as possible.
"It'll make you crazy because of the conflict in your own head, just trying to hold all these pieces together and trying to make decisions based on fragments," he said. " What is it like to be these people and to really, really understand that your job is to keep something hideous from happening, and you're probably going to fail?"

Alamieyeseigha’s Pardon: Reverse Decision within 7 Days or we will Mobilise 1 Million Nigerians – VGOCC

The Veteran Group for Operation Clean Crusade (VGOCC), a non-governmental organisation, has demanded urgent revocation of prerogative of mercy granted ex-governor of Bayelsa State, Chief D.S.P Alamieyeseigha, within seven days. The VGOCC threatened to go on peaceful demonstration with one million people, if the decision was not rescinded.
This was made known in a press statement signed by its national coordinator and secretary general, Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman and Abioye Abass Onikoyi respectively. The group condemned the undue state pardon given to the former governor.

According to VGOCC, the actions of President Goodluck Jonathan “depicts that corrupt leaders should continue to corruptly enrich themselves as state pardon is awaiting them. The action just make the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) and the ICPC (Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission) as mere toothless dog, which cannot really fight corruption in Nigeria.
“VOGCC strictly demands for the urgent revocation of prerogative of mercy/state pardon given to Chief Alamieyeseigha within seven days, otherwise we will go on peaceful demonstration with one million people march in Abuja, Lagos and Oyo states.”
InformationNigeria

The Glass Balls Of Life And Marriage

Sandy Malone

You've probably heard somebody, at some point, use the example about life being a series of balls -- some are rubber and bounce back if you drop them, some are glass and they shatter and break if you don't give them enough attention and accidentally drop one. School, social clubs, community commitments, work (usually) are all rubber balls. Meaning that if you get too overwhelmed and one of them gets away from you, the worst case scenario is that you have to chase that sucker like one of those little crazy balls until you get life back under control.
Your health, your family, your spouse/marriage, your friends and a few other things are glass balls. Because life is unfair, you also have to keep balancing all of these balls in the air at the same time that you keep everything else aloft. And these are far more important balls because they are made of glass... some maybe even of the finest crystal. And if you look away for too long, you will drop AT LEAST one and it will shatter and break. Irreparably. These are things you can never replace if you destroy them, however accidentally.
So what's a modern woman to do? Lately I haven't been blogging much about marriage because I don't feel like I'm very good at it, and I definitely shouldn't be claiming any expertise. Don't get me wrong -- we're happily married (to the best of my knowledge), but I feel like I'm not keeping that particular ball terribly well supported. And I blame it on life. I'm expected to run my business, keep my commitments to my community, spend time talking to friends I live too far away from and miss terribly, keep my house clean, keep in touch with a somewhat extended family AND be a good wife. Is that even possible? And it's not Bill who is being hard on me about this -- my husband is 100 percent supportive 99 percent of the time. It's me who sees my shortcomings and doesn't like it.
I was talking with a groom this week who was hanging out while his new bride shopped in our boutique, and we were laughing about the one requirement they'd had for their destination wedding -- absolute, 100 percent privacy. They wanted us to be witnesses at the wedding, they wanted a photographer and a chef for dinner... they just absolutely positively didn't want anything or anyone to interfere in the slightest way in what was clearly the most important and intimate moment they will ever share in their lifetimes. And they wanted a fab villa with no visible neighbors. We were able to execute all of their requests and they were happy.
Why was it so important to be alone on their big day? Both have busy jobs and don't ever feel like they have enough time together, so they made their wedding week an extended vacation all about themselves. They spent time daydreaming about their next 50 years together and they made plans for the future. Nothing was allowed to interfere. It was their week. I was so jealous by the end of the conversation.
Marriage is a hard job in its own right. It's about learning when to speak up, and when to shut up. You pick your battles, and sometimes you start wars you never meant to finish. Sometimes the best laid plans go awry, and sometimes you can't fix the things you mess up. It's a little bit scary when you think about it like that. It's very easy after a long, hard day at the office to go home and forget that your partner might have had the same day, and that he or she might need whatever you need back from them as badly as they do. But you're both too darned tired to see the forest for the trees. Or rather, to see what each other needs and be there for each other.
So what's the solution to this one? In this world where most of us work full time and all of us are worried about money and the future? Obviously, nobody can juggle all those balls successfully all of the time. Family and work are the trickiest ones because your family is always willing to forgive you for ignoring them... or are they? Work is sneaky because it masquerades as Baccarat crystal when really it's a recycled giant ball of rubber bands that will probably dry rot on you eventually anyway, no matter how much attention you give it. And yet, how many of us find ourselves using work commitments as an excuse when we should really be doing something with one of those legitimately fragile globes? How many times have you postponed plans with someone you love to fulfill the wishes of someone who pays you?
Alright, enough with the bad metaphors. Do you spend enough time with your husband or wife? Does he or she complain that you don't? In this day and age, if you're hearing complaints, it's probably legit. Face it, aren't almost all families double job, double income nowadays? So we're all like ships passing in the night because nobody has the exact same schedule, nobody has the same deadlines, and nobody has the same sorts of worries that keep them up all night long. A very famous and brilliant political consultant name Bob Goodman once told me that if I ever owned my own company, I'd never sleep another solid night again. Damn, I hate that Bob is always right. What I didn't ask him about when he was explaining how to grow my career and build success was how to make sure I had time to spend with my husband and other people I love at the same time. Is it even possible? I see other people doing it. Why is it so hard for me? Is it easy for everybody else? Or does it just look that way.
It doesn't matter how everybody else is doing it. What matters is that we (you, me and all the other married couples out there) have to figure out a way to make it work. We have to make time for our life partners. We have to make time for our health (if you think you don't like the dentist, you'll like him even less if you skip your appointments for a few years). It's not okay to forgo visits to your elderly relatives when you finally have a moment to yourself that you'd rather spend doing anything else -- reality check, they aren't going to live forever. Everything I've just mentioned is a glass ball. And there are so many, many more of them depending on who you are as an individual. The list is pretty scary when you really start to think about it. It seems insurmountable. But it's not. Partially because, in the scenarios I'm referring to, you are not alone. You are fortunate enough to have a husband or wife who loves you and is there to share the burden... or to help you juggle. If you let them.
The moral of the story -- put your spouse and marriage first. It's the ball that's really made of fragile, irreplaceable crystal and it's the one that needs the most love, attention and diligence. If you keep your relationship happy and healthy, you will automatically have a stronger foundation for everything else you're trying to juggle. Remember, four hands are far more effective than two.
Until next time, happy wedding planning from Weddings in Vieques and Weddings in Culebra!
Sandy
HuffingtonPost