As Administration Decides On Keystone, U.S. Experiences Two Tar Sands Spills This Week

By Rebecca Leber 

One week after the Senate held a symbolic vote in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline, the U.S. saw two different oil spills involving Canadian tar sands crude oil.

An ExxonMobil pipeline ruptured Friday, leaking approximately 10,000 barrels of tar sands crude in an Arkansas town. As a result,22 homes have been evacuated as officials clean up of the world’s dirtiest oil:

Exxon shut the Pegasus pipeline, which can carry more than 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil from Pakota, Illinois, to Nederland, Texas, after the leak was discovered on Friday afternoon, the company said in a statement.

The Keystone XL pipeline would carry almost nine times the barrels of oil as the Pegasus pipeline.

The first oil spill came Wednesday, when a train reportedly carrying tar sands oil spilled 15,000 gallons in Minnesota. Also this week, Exxon was hit by a $1.7 million fine for a pipeline that dumped 42,000 gallons of oil in the Yellowstone River in 2011 (the fine itself is a small hinderance for a company that earned $45 billion profit last year).

As one of the companies to profit from Canadian tar sands, Exxon often takes to its blog to defend its so-called safety. Big Oil lawmakers then repeat those myths despite evidence to the contrary. On Friday, the same day as Exxon’s oil spill, Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) claimed the pipeline is a “no-brainer” and passes environmental “muster.” The State Department recently issued a draft report claiming the pipeline will have no environmental impact, authored by a contractor with extensive ties to oil companies.

TP

Alams Pardon: Nigeria Is In Emergency Ward; Radical Revolution Inevitable-Dino Melaye

Dino Melaye

It is pathetic that Nigeria is not only sick but equally suffers from a dreadful continental abnormality. The powers of the president to grant pardon in the constitution should be taken away because it has been grossly abused by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Mr. President has grown from being a weak President to a wicked president. He lacks capacity,intellectual mobility, courage and dexterity to move us forward. The granting of pardon to Alams by president Jonathan signifies his endorsement, romance, marriage and love for corruption. Stealing under president Jonathan has grown from the stealing of millions to billions and now trillions. This government is behaving as if they have no legacy intentions. Nigeria is now like a car been driven by a drunken driver.
The worst in the recent national pardon granted by our president is the pardon granted major Magaji, a man who committed sodomy. A man who slept with four men and lost his case both at the court of appeal and Supreme Court. The Supreme Court in her judgement against Magaji described the man's act as a brazen bizarre and barbaric. That his the man our president granted national pardon.
Our country is now in the emergency ward. The amount of tax payers money wasted on the prosecution of this criminals through the anti graft agencies is now wasted. What history and lessons for the future generation? Will these satanic pardon for instance vacate the international warrant on Alams? I dare him to travel to U.K and flash
Jona's pardon at Heathrow. No single politically exposed person has been successfully prosecuted and jailed under Jonathan.
Today all the high profile cases of corruption are buried and forgotten, examples of Halibouton, Siemens, National I.D card, Malabu Oil deal, subsidy fraud, e.t.c. But we shall not keep quiet till the day of reckoning comes.
The battle to salvage Nigeria is the battle of no retreat no surrender. Radical and bloodless revolution is inevitable in Nigeria.
We must all come out of our cocoon and do something before something do us. The minister of petroleum has been indicted by four reports yet she is still elegantly attired and fashioned every Wednesday in diamonds attending the federal executive council meetings under the watchful eyes of an unperturbed President.
Nigeria Omase ooooo. ( Faruk Lawal , imoukode ,Ribadu and NEITI reports). Orubebe and co's international jet setting lifestyle  is being subsidized by the masses. We can not continue like this.
Government protecting criminals like Maina of pensions against the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Every Nigerian must decide to either walk in the light of creative altruism or we perish in the darkness of relative selfishness. Above all we shall overcome.
 Dino Melaye
 Executive secretary
 Anti Corruption Network
 Abuja.
Saharareporters

War Between Kate Henshaw and Genevieve Nnaji

Saying these actresses rank among the best in their industry is stating the obvious. Apart from A-list, they are the most sought after and their wide range of endorsements tell their success story.

But unknown to their fans , they do not see eye-to-eye as a no love lost situation exists between the duo. They avoid each other like a plague. While Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, who was allegedly at daggers drawn with Genevieve, has since mended fences, with the later it remains to be seen what will become of Genevieve’s frosty relationship with Kate.

Punch Nigeria

“Who’s Your Daddy?” van offers Baby Daddy DNA tests on the go

In this tough economy, people are looking for creative ways to make money. One man, Jared Rosenthal, came up with the idea of selling DNA tests from a van. 

Rosenthal drives his van around in New York City, offering men the chance to find out whether or not they are the father of a child, while offering women an easy way to find the father of their child. 

Rosenthal parks the van at different locations on the streets of New York. If you spot the van and you want to have a DNA test, just flag it down and the van will stop at the side of the road to give you a DNA test and peace of mind. If one wants to be more discreet then they can have the van come to their home to do the DNA test. 

The test costs between $299 and $575. The test includes giving the person a cheek swab and a blood test, and the results are available after a couple of days.

Rosenthal has witnessed many heartbreaks, but he has also witnessed happy moments when fathers find out that they are the biological father of the child they love. If you ever watched the “Maury Show”, you know the heartbreak of a father who finds out that the child he loved and cared for since birth, turns out not to be his, or the joy of a father who finds out that his beloved child is indeed his.

Rosenthal says that "Who’s Your Daddy?" has helped reunite a 44-year-old father from Harlem with his long lost 20-year-old daughter. He had seen the “Who’s your daddy?” van driving around town so he decided to take action. He might be 20 years late but better late then never. Now he can build a relationship with his daughter. 

Sadly the service provided by "Who’s Your Daddy?", is in high demand. ”It’s not something people talk about, but there is a big need for it,” Rosenthal said.

TalkOfNaija

Arsenal Cancels Proposed Pre-Season Trip To Nigeria As Terror Attacks Deepens

English Premier League side Arsenal Football Club has revealed reasons the club scrapped plans to play a friendly match in Nigeria in July.

The Daily Star on Sunday attributed the scrapped plan over the fears of terrorism in Nigeria, where Boko Haram and its brother terror-group, Ansaru have killed over 3,000 people since they declared war against the state in 2009.

Arsene Wenger’s side were set to play the Nigerian national team, after cancelling a trip last year.

The Gunners pledged to honour an agreement to play the match this July and even sent star players Tomas Rosicky, Bacary Sagna, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski to Nigeria to help publicize the encounter.

InformationNigeria

E-X-P-O-S-E-D. IMO State Deputy Governor's Impeachment.

**corruption allegation against impeached Deputy Gov, Agbaso is bogus.
**N458 million bribe money traced to Lebanese contractor's Bank accounts.
**Gov Okorocha's Special Adviser is a share holder of the Lebanese Company in center of this bribe saga.

Following his removal Thursday's evening, the House immediately screened and approved the erstwhile chief of staff to Governor Rochas Okorocha, Prince Ezeakonobi Madumere who was nominated by the governor as the new deputy governor.
Before developments climaxed in Owerri yesterday evening, it emerged that the N458 million bribe money at the Centre of the controversy had been traced to two banks in Lebanon and Dubai.

The transfer of the money according to details of forensic investigations obtained by Vanguard yesterday, however, showed that the funds were transferred to two accounts in the name of one of the officials of the company, who ironically, accused the erstwhile deputy governor of receiving the bribe money.

Elder brother of the former deputy governor, Chief Martins Agbaso who briefed newsmen in Lagos yesterday also made available certified true copies from the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC of the ownership structure of JPROS Limited, the company at the centre of the bribe allegation.

The share structure revealed that a serving Special Adviser to Governor Okorocha was appointed as a director in JPROS after the award of the controversial road contract to JPROS Limited in 2012.

”According to the findings of the investigators, the N458 million (Four Hundred and Fifty Eight Million) alleged to have been paid as gratification to the Imo State Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso was actually sent by the official to his company accounts overseas.

“The findings of the investigators revealed that, the official first paid the sum of Three Hundred and twenty five million Naira into Three Brother’s Concept Ltd. GTB Account. The money was used to raise the sum of $1,930,000 which was subsequently transferred through Dubai, on February 21, 2012 to the official’s account No LB55001400002302300179018010 with the Kaslik Branch of BLOM BANK SAL in Lebanon.

“The purpose of the transfer as stated in the transfer document was “to import construction equipment. “The second tranche of N133,000,000 was similarly paid into the IHSAN BDC Ltd’s account No. 1015334698 with the UBA by the official. Again the money was used to raise $800,000 and transferred to the official’s account No. AE360200000036374395130 with HSBC Middle East Ltd at Dubai Internet City, Sheik Zayed Rd, Dubai.”

Noting the irony, Agbaso said: “So, while the official was accusing the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Sir Jude Agbaso of demanding and receiving a bribe of N458 million, the said money had been converted by the official himself and his associates, and paid into the official’s foreign accounts in Lebanon.”

Gunmen Invade Checkpoint, Kill Soldier, Snatch Machine Gun

A gang of suspected kidnappers have invaded the military check point mounted by the Joint Task Force, JTF at Agidigbo junction on Okpai/Aboh road in Delta State, killing an armed solider and also snatched a machine gun, just as unknown assailants shot two brothers while asleep at Abbi.

The invasion of the military check point according to an eye witness took place in the early hours of last Friday while the shooting of the two brothers took place same day at Abbi.

It was gathered that the armed gang who swooped on the soldiers opened fire while the soldiers retaliated and at the end of the fierce gun duel, one of the soldiers lost his life and his machine gun was taken away by the gunmen.

One of the gunmen was fatally wounded in the process and arrested as he was unable to flee along with his colleagues.

The entire area has been cordoned off while the soldiers were conducting frantic search for the fleeing gunmen and the possible recovery of their machine gun. A number of road blocks had been mounted and residents, ostensibly afraid of any form of manhandling chose to remain indoors.

A resident who pleaded an anonymity told our reporter that "that area leading to the gas plant had been witnessing a lot of kidnap cases. In short, Kwale, Beneku and environs in Ndokwa West local government area of Delta are now under siege following the killing of a soldier at a military check point by gunmen", he stated.

Contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Famous Ajieh said he was yet to get details of the invasion of the military check point.

However on the shooting of the two brothers, PPRO Ajieh said that "report from Abbi village stated that one Akadibo Sunday, male aged 42 was shot at the back dead while asleep at night while one Chukwunalu Sunday 27, of same address was also shot in the chest wounded by unidentified assailants while trying to ascertain what was happening to the deceased.

He added that "detectives have visited the scene and moved the wounded to the hospital and corpse to morgue while preliminary investigations are on".

Naij.com