G7 govs meet to seal defection to APC

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• As Amaechi’s NGF retreats in Sokoto Saturday…
• Buhari, Tinubu parley IBB, Abdulsalami
• PDP’ll lose 2015 elections if, … – Oyinlola

By Lawrence Olaoye, Abuja & Yakubu Mustapha, Minna
As the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), under the chairmanship of Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, prepares for its retreat in Sokoto on Saturday, the seven aggrieved governors on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would equally use the opportunity to finalize their terms for possible defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Contacted for comments on the agenda for the retreat, the NGF’s Director General, Asishana Okauru, said the governors would be discussing ‘key national issues’, alongside resource persons sourced both locally and internationally.
According to him, they would be brainstorming on issues bordering on the nation’s economic management, revenue generation and sharing, national security, good governance, and also compare
notes among themselves.
He added that they would also consider possible cooperation and the maximization of their areas of comparative advantage in order to ensure delivery of democratic dividends in their various states.
Asked whether political issues would feature on the agenda, Okauru said: “The governors are politicians and it would not be out of place if they choose to discuss politics at the retreat. But, our plan at the secretariat is to assemble resource persons, sourced both locally and internationally, to deliver lectures on those areas I mentioned earlier.”
But, our source, a serving senator, told our reporter that political horse trading is ongoing between the governors on the platform of the opposition party and those seven PDP aggrieved governors who are billed to be in Sokoto on Saturday for the retreat.
The source said the PDP G7 governors, who were instrumental in installing Governor Amaechi by shifting their support in his favour to defeat their party’s preferred candidate, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau, would seize the opportunity of the Sokoto retreat to work out agreeable terms for decamping to the APC.
They are expected to be joined by other stakeholders in the breakaway PDP such as senators and members of the House of Representatives.
The G7 governors are Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto and Abdulfatai Ahmed of Kwara.
Part of the conditions, according to the source, is that they would extract the assurance that the governors and their supporters in the new PDP would not be treated as equal stakeholders with older members of the APC.
In a related development, the leadership of the opposition mega party yesterday stormed Minna abodes of two former Nigeria leaders, Generals Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (aka IBB) and Abdulsalami Abubakar, to woo them to their party.
Those APC leaders were the Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, General Muhammadu Buhari, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari, former Minister of Works, Alhaji Hassan Lawal, the party’s National Women Leader, Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, alongside party leaders in the state.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Babangida said: “Nigeria is bigger than PDP. They came to talk about Nigeria and how to move the nation forward.”
IBB disclosed that his door would remain open to anyone wishing to consult him on how to move Nigeria forward, adding that the APC leaders were concerned about the current state of affairs in the country.
“The APC leaders visited me to discuss the welfare of the country which should be the responsibility of every Nigerian. Whether you belong to a party or you do not have a party. You have an assignment
assigned to you to protect the integrity of the country.
“People who come to talk about Nigeria and the way forward will always be welcome by me. We have to find a way forward for this generation; what we are doing is for this generation.
“The meeting had to do with the welfare, well-being, education, security and economic well-being of the country. Anything that would promote and move the country forward would be encouraged by me,” he said.
However, former Head of State, General Abubakar, who also spoke to newsmen after his meeting with the APC leaders disclosed that he could not be wooed by the APC as he has never been a politician. “I am not a politician, I am not a partisan politician and I don’t need to be wooed,” he said.
He disclosed that the APC leadership visited to brief him on the amalgamation of the new party, how they were doing, how far they have gone and how things are moving, adding that he has given them his advice.
“What I told them, they have already heard. I’ve advised them on how all of us need this country and to make sure that we maintain peace in the country.”
He added that Nigerians should be allowed to exercise their rights by joining any party of their choice, while urging the APC chieftains to do what was right for their party.
Abdulsalami said: “Whether you are in opposition or in government, in the various ways of your manifesto, you are serving the country. So, whatever role any party finds itself, they should play that role very well”.
The APC chairman, Chief Akande said they were in the state to consult with the former leaders. “We need to pick the brains of former rulers in this country in order to be wiser than we were before we came here”, he said.
Meanwhile, the embattled reinstated National Secretary of the PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has said that the ruling party will lose the 2015 general elections if it fails to put its house in order by reconciling with its aggrieved members ahead of the polls.
Oyinlola who addressed newsmen over his purported suspension by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), said his reinstatement by the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur led exco would have paved the way for reconciliation with the aggrieved members of the party.
The former Osun governor condemned the refusal of the Tukur exco to obey the Appeal Court ruling reinstating him as the authentic PDP scribe. “I remain the secretary and I must be allowed to perform my duty because anything done in the name of secretary without my signature is absolutely illegal and will face the legal test at the court, and we don’t need to put our party into such ridicule and problems.
“They said that myself (Oyinlola), Baraje, Jaja and Kazaure were the pillars of New PDP, how can that be? How can Oyinlola be a leader of a faction where you have seven serving governors? I want to believe that they added these other people, the target was Oyinlola to circumvent the judgement of the Court of Appeal. They just added others so that it will not be too naked. Who is Oyinlola? Yes, a former governor; we have seven serving governors, what we committed should also follow them. Why have they not served the anti-party something on them?
“I have taken a number of steps to ensure that peace reign. Ruling with impunity and treating the party as if it is a subsidiary of somebody’s company is not the way to run a party and that is exactly what we are saying. What did the Constitution say? Let’s abide by it.
“We all know that factionalisation of a ruling party will have a collateral damage on the unity of the country, more so when we have been in power in the last 14 years. To have a new beginning now means stepping backward in terms of development. And that is why we were making efforts to make sure that it is reconciled. Somebody who wants a united family cannot say others can go to blazes.
“I want to pray and believe that reason will prevail and will bring the crisis to an end. If it is not done, that may mean the end of PDP as a ruling party”, he stressed.
Oyinlola, who faulted his suspension by the Tukur led Exco, maintained that the action taken was null and void, citing the provisions of Section 57 (6&7) of the PDP Constitution.
He also said his referral to the Alhaji Umaru Dikko led Disciplinary Committee was of no effect because the committee has yet to be ratified by the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC).

PeoplesDaily

Oduagate: President Jonathan Goads Committee To Absolve Minister, Make NCAA Officials Fall Guys

President Goodluck Jonathan and Stella Oduah 

 

By SaharaReporters, New York

Members of a committee handpicked by President Goodluck Jonathan to investigate the purchase of two BMW armored cars at a whopping cost of $1.6 million are being intensely pressured by the president to deliver a watery recommendation that exonerates Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah.
The disclosure came from a source familiar with the president’s efforts to tailor the committee's work towards a conclusion that minimizes the minister’s responsibility for the scandalous deal.
SaharaReporters broke the news that Ms. Oduah had pressured the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority to take out a loan from First Bank of Nigeria to buy the two overpriced cars. Apart from the outlandish cost of the cars, investigations by SaharaReporters as well as various committees of the National Assembly have raised serious doubt that the cars were ever delivered, even though the NCAA paid fully for them. In fact, SaharaReporters was told by two sources that Ms. Oduah received a kickback of N112 million on each of the two cars.  
Our source said the Presidency was bent on teleguiding the committee investigating the armored car scandal to blame a few officials of the NCAA for allegedly “misguiding the minister.”
Our source said that Mr. Jonathan, contrary to the impression he gave in public, is hell bent on absolving the minister of any blame as well as retaining her as minister. He disclosed that the so-called presidential probe panel met two days ago and was urged by the Presidency to recommend the firing of a former NCAA director, Joyce Nkemakolam, but to absolve the minister of any blame for the scandalous purchase of the two BMW armored cars that cost the NCAA N255 million ($1.6 million).
Our source added that the president was intent on allowing Ms. Oduah to oversee the completion of a series of airport renovation projects across the country, even though some aviation insiders have questioned the costs of the projects as well as the bidding procedures used by the minister in awarding the contracts.
One sign that President was applying pressure in favor of Ms. Oduah emerged today as the Nigerian Senate shelved its earlier decision to have the minister appear before senators today to discuss recent air mishaps, the safety of the Nigerian airspace, and the BMW car purchase. In a move that stunned the public, Senate President David Mark approved a strange motion to rescind the decision to invite Ms. Oduah to appear before the Senate. Instead, she is now to appear only before the Senate’s aviation committee.
This about-face comes as the aviation committee had suddenly and inexplicably stopped its probe of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), another aviation agency under Ms. Oduah’s ministry. Investigations had revealed that FAAN also obtained a loan from First Bank of Nigeria to purchase two exorbitant, bullet-proof Lexus Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for the use of the minister. Senator Hope Uzodinma, who heads the aviation committee, is known to be extremely close to the minister, and may have decided to shelve all investigations into her role in the car buying scandal.
Last week, the Senate suddenly cancelled a scheduled appearance of Ms. Oduah, offering the excuse that the Senate President, David Mark, would love to personally attend the hearing. A day before, Mr. Mark was suddenly tipped by President Jonathan to travel to Abu Dhabi to cheer the Nigerian Golden Eaglets to victory at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who had traveled with Mr. Jonathan on a much-touted religious visit to Israel, had been recruited to handle the “reaching out” to lawmakers to persuade them to drop the idea of probing Ms. Oduah. Our sources disclosed that both Ms. Oduah as well as the Presidency had provided bribe funds to enable Mr. Ekweremadu to neutralize lawmakers and scuttle any serious investigation.
In the end, it was only the aviation committee of the House of Representatives that conducted a public hearing. The committee’s report was submitted last week to the whole House, but was never released to the public. The plenary session of the House has so far failed to deliberate on the committee’s secret report.
The committee set up by President Jonathan was given two weeks to submit its final report. Although the committee’s deadline has long expired, its members have yet to submit a report. Colonel Sambo Dasuki (ret.), Mr. Jonathan’s National Security Adviser, is a member of the committee. He was also part of Mr. Jonathan's delegation to Israel.
 

 

5 Ways the Prosperity Gospel Is Hurting Africa

The prosperity gospel isn't really helping the people of Africa. 

I’m not an African, but in 2008 some Nigerian friends gave me a Yoruba name (“Akinwale”) because I have been to that country so often. My visits there, along with trips to Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa and Egypt, planted a deep love for Africa in my heart. My first grandson’s arrival this year from Ethiopia made the connection even stronger.
I’m often asked to describe how God is moving in Africa today. Since I’m an optimist, I usually tell of the large churches, the passionate praise and the intense spiritual hunger that characterizes African Christianity. But there is also a dark side, and I think it’s time we addressed one of the most serious threats to faith on the continent.
I’m talking about the prosperity gospel. Of course, I know a slick version of this message is preached in the United States—and I know we are the ones who exported it overseas. I am not minimizing the damage that prosperity preaching has done in my own country. But I have witnessed how some African Christians are taking this money-focused message to new and even more dangerous extremes.
Here are five reasons the prosperity message is damaging the continent of Africa today:
1. It is mixed with occultism. Before Christianity came to Nigeria, people visited witch doctors and sacrificed goats or cows to get prosperity. They poured libations on the ground so the gods would hear their prayers. Today similar practices continue, only the juju priest has been replaced by a pastor who drives a Mercedes-Benz. I am aware of a pastor who buried a live animal under the floor of his church to win God’s favor. Another pastor asked his congregants to bring bottles of sand to church so he could anoint them; he then told the people to sprinkle the sand in their houses to bring blessings. The people who follow these charlatans are reminded that their promised windfall won’t materialize unless they give large donations.
2. It fuels greed. Any person who knows Christ will learn the joy of giving to others. But the prosperity gospel teaches people to focus on getting, not giving. At its core it is a selfish and materialistic faith with a thin Christian veneer. Church members are continually urged to sow financial seeds to reap bigger and bigger rewards. In Africa, entire conferences are dedicated to collecting offerings in order to achieve wealth. Preachers boast about how much they paid for suits, shoes, necklaces and watches. They tell their followers that spirituality is measured by whether they have a big house or a first-class ticket. When greed is preached from the pulpit, it spreads like a cancer in God’s house.
3. It feeds pride. This greedy atmosphere in prosperity churches has produced a warped style of leadership. My Kenyan friend Gideon Thuranira, editor of Christian Professional magazine, calls these men “churchpreneurs.” They plant churches not because they have a burden to reach lost souls but because they see dollar signs when they fill an auditorium with chairs. A selfish message produces bigheaded opportunists who need position, applause and plenty of perks to keep them happy. The most successful prosperity preacher is the most dangerous because he can convince a crowd that Jesus died to give you and me a Lexus.
4. It works against the formation of Christian character. The prosperity message is a poor imitation of the gospel because it leaves no room for brokenness, suffering, humility or delay. It offers an illegal shortcut. Prosperity preachers promise instant results and overnight success; if you don’t get your breakthrough, it’s because you didn’t give enough money in the offering. Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and follow Him; prosperity preaching calls us to deny Jesus and follow our materialistic lusts. There is a leadership crisis in the African church because many pastors are so set on getting rich, they can’t go through the process of discipleship that requires self-denial.
5. It actually keeps people in poverty. The government of Malawi is currently under international scrutiny because of fraud carried out by top leaders. The saddest thing about the so-called “Cashgate” scandal is that professing Christians in the administration of President Joyce Banda have been implicated. One of these people stole millions of kwacha from the government and hid the cash in a teddy bear! Most people today in Malawi live on less than $1 a day, yet their leaders have been known to buy fleets of cars and huge plots of land with money that was not theirs. Sadly, the prosperity gospel preached in Malawi has encouraged pastors and leaders to follow the same corrupt pattern. As a result, God’s people have been financially exploited.
When Jesus described false prophets as wolves in sheep’s clothing, He warned us to examine their fruit. Matthew 7:17 says, “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit” (NASB). What is the fruit of prosperity preaching?
Churches have been growing rapidly in many parts of Africa today, yet sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world where poverty has increased in the past 25 years. So according to the statistics, the prosperity gospel is not bringing prosperity! It is a flawed message, but I believe God will use selfless, broken African leaders to correct it.
J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of the Mordecai Project. You can follow him on Twitter at @leegrady. He is preaching in Kenya this week.

CharismaMagazine

Be Smart WITH Antibiotics (MUST READ AND SHARE)

Antibiotics are powerful medicines that should be reserved for situations that demand them, for instance, when the immune system cannot contain a bacterial infection or when a bacterial infection establishes itself in a vital organ like the heart, lungs, or brain.

Antibiotics not only kill harmful bacteria that are making you sick, they also destroy the beneficial flora in your gut, and can promote the development of resistant organisms in your body. There's even evidence that without normal "friendly" bacteria in the digestive tract, our immune system wouldn't function properly, and we would be less resistant to harmful bugs.

To restore the helpful organisms, be sure to take supplemental probiotics while you're on antibiotics. Acidophilus is the general name for dried or liquid cultures of the living lactobacillus bacteria that aid digestion. Always check the expiration date to help ensure that the acidophilus product you choose is still viable. Take one tablespoon of the liquid culture or one to two capsules after meals, unless the label directs otherwise. I recommend taking acidophilus to restore "friendly" cultures even when on antibiotics for just a few days. And I particularly recommend products containing lactobacillus GG or bacillus coagulans 30 (BC-30), two strains proven to survive passage through the strong acid in the stomach.

CAN suspends Bishops for dabbling in politics

By Ameh Comrade Godwin 

 

Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, South-South zone, Archbishop God-Dowell Avwomakpa has suspended some bishops in the Niger-Delta region.
Avwomakpa who is also the head of bishops in the Niger/Delta region suspended the bishops for reportedly wadding into the ongoing power tussle between the Presidency and the aggrieved seven governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
He made this known through his media adviser, Ovie Edomi, after a meeting with bishops from the zone.

According to Avwomakpa, “there is nothing wrong with clergymen initiating or brokering peace between two factions but for some bishops to do so in the name of a body that l head and other executives were not consulted gives a wrong signal and suggests a dangerous trend in the body of Christ. It means there are people with political interest or ambition in our fold. lt also means that we have clergymen who join different Christian groups or forums with selfish interest.”
The cleric added that the situation in Nigeria needs urgent prayers and intervention but clerics must not allow themselves to be used by politicians.

DailyPost

Why My Teammates Are Conspiring Against Me - Eto’o

Samuel Eto’o has alleged that some of his team mates are conspiring against him ahead of the playoff against Tunisia.
Cameroon host Tunisia on Sunday at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé in a 2014 FIFA World Cup final leg play-off with the scores 0-0 from the first leg.
The Indomitable Lions’ skipper made the allegations on Wednesday during a press conference that he attended together with Coach Volker Finke alongside vice-captains Nicolas Nkoulou and Enoh Eyong.
The Chelsea striker said rumours of a conspiracy against him by some of his teammates are true and alleged that instructions had been issued not to pass the ball to him whenever he is in a good scoring position.
“It is sad to say but it is true. And as the coach is present, I am asking him to make sure it does not happen anymore in our national team. If we were not about to play such a crucial game, I would have asked you to have a look at some of the matches yourselves,” Eto’o said.
And Eto’o went on to explain why he had played so often out of position during the first leg in Radès.
“If I moved back so much towards the midfield against Tunisia, it is before I knew about it already. I had to play like that and I did it, but on Sunday we are talking about Cameroon, about our country. We must put our problems behind us and play for Cameroon,” Eto’o said.

Naij.com

SCANDAL: Nigerians Insulted Again by Obamacare Program Fighters

It appears that President Barack Obama haters in the U.S.A. got used to picking Nigerians as soft targets in their campaign against Obama’s healthcare programme (Obamacare).

Last month a Republican, Sen.Ted Cruz, compared the glitches plaguing the website for Obama’s signature health care law to the methodologies of “Nigerian e-mail scammers”.
“You may have noticed that all the Nigerian email scammers have become a lot less active lately. They all have been hired to run the Obamacare website,” Sen. Cruz said, according to the Houston Chronicle.
This comment drew the diplomatic anger of Nigeria and an apology was exacted from the Senator.
And now another American has run riot with her pen.
Ann Coulter (pictured), a rabid conservative ideologue, in an article posted on Yahoo!, also ridiculed Nigerians, and also in connection with Obamacare. The excerpt of what she wrote is given below:

“Nigeria, for example, leads the world in criminal enterprises. Every level of Nigerian society is criminal, with the smart ones running Internet scams, the mid-range ones running car theft rings, and the stupid ones engaging in piracy and kidnapping. At the University of Lagos, you can major in credit card fraud…
“There were almost no Nigerians in the United States until the 1970s. Today, there are nearly 250,000 Nigerians in the U.S. (committing the cyber-crime Americans just won’t do!). In 2011, we took in more immigrants from Nigeria than from the United Kingdom (9,246 from the U.K. and 9,344 from Nigeria)”.

InformationNigeria