BREAKING NEWS: 42 Dead, 100 Missing in Niger Boat Wreckage

At least 42 people were drowned in a boat mishap on River Niger close to Malilli Village in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State on September 27, 2013, Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that 100 others on board were missing in the wreckage which occurred at about 2 p.m.

Mr. Ibrahim Hussaini, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), confirmed the incident in a telephone interview on September 28, 2013, Saturday.

He said the details were sketchy, but the boat which had over 150 passengers capsized midway and drowned 42 people, while 100 others were missing.

The spokesman said that local divers from Malili Village had recovered 42 corpses, while efforts were being intensified to rescue possible survivors or the corpse of those drowned.

“At the moment search and rescue is ongoing on the river.

“I will make the details of the incident later, but the agency has dispatch its officers to assist the villagers in the rescue efforts,’’ he said.

Mr. Hussaini said the recovered corpses would be given mass burial close to the river bank, adding that neighbouring villages had been alerted to look out for floating corpses.

Saidu Ndako, the Secretary to the State Government, also confirmed the boat mishap.

“I received the information late in the night that a boat had capsized and 42 persons have drowned in the incident, while rescue operation is ongoing.

“We believe that the boat was overload because the boat’s capacity was put at 60 passengers, but over 150 passengers were said to be on board during the incident.

“The debris in the swollen river may also have been responsible for the incident,” Mr. Ndako said.

Mr. Ndako said that the government condoled with the family of those who had lost their loved ones, and pray that Allah grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

(NAN) 

Architect of the brink: Meet the man behind the government shutdown

By Leigh Ann Caldwell, CNN

The game is the same, but many of the players have changed. Congress and the president are facing off in another supreme spending showdown. If they don't agree on a funding bill by the end of September 30, much of government will shutdown. This last happened in 2011, when Congress avoided a shutdown by passing a spending measure shortly after the midnight deadline hit. Who controls what happens this time? Take a look at the key players who will determine how this fight ends: 

-- From CNN Capitol Hill Reporter Lisa Desjardins. CNN's Deirdre Walsh and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.

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Key players in the shutdown debate

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• A little-known, freshman congressman is flexing his legislative muscle in Congress
• Mark Meadows insisted on strategy of defunding of Obamacare as a condition of new spending
• Local tea party organizer says Meadows "is becoming our poster boy"

Washington (CNN) -- One of the most prominent developers of the plan that could shut the government down is a little-known congressman who has been in office only eight months.

This newly elected tea party aligned lawmaker downplays his position, saying he has relatively little influence. But in reality, his efforts have pushed Washington to the brink.

U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-North Carolina, speaks during the "Exempt America from Obamacare" rally on Capitol Hill earlier this month.

At issue is the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Some Republicans are demanding that it be dismantled -- or at the very least delayed - and they think the best way to do that is attach it to a must-pass bill to fund the government.

The idea has rankled Washington for more than a week and exposed fissures in the Republican Party.

So who is the lawmaker quietly influencing the debate?

Sen. Ted Cruz, who staged a 21-hour talk-a-thon on the Senate floor disparaging Obamacare, would be a good guess. But it would be wrong.

The persuasive

The answer? Mark Meadows, who represents the western part of North Carolina and has wielded his influence behind the bright lights of the television cameras and the hot microphones.

In August, while lawmakers spent time in their districts, Meadows wrote a letter to his Republican leaders suggesting they tie the dismantling of Obamacare to the bill that funds the government for the next year.

Government shutdown 3 days away

Gov't shutdown and debt ceiling

A goverrnment shutdown looks like this

Bill Clinton on Ted Cruz

The letter read: "James Madison wrote in Federalist No. 58 that 'the power over the purse may, in fact, be regarded as the most complete and effectual weapon... for obtaining a redress of every grievance...'"

Meadows successfully convinced 79 of his colleagues to sign on to his letter. And he went further, leading a group of 40 lawmakers to demand that the continuing resolution, or the short-term government funding bill at issue, zeroes out funding for President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy achievement so far.

Republican divisions force delay in Boehner's debt strategy

In a lengthy interview with CNN, Meadows explained his case.

"Our intent has never been to shut down the government," Meadows said. "It's to stop the [health care] law."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called those advocating for such a plan "anarchists."

A "bad day for government is a good day for the tea party," Reid said on the Senate floor last week.

Meadows vs. the GOP

Republican leaders in the House were reluctant and dismissed the plan -- at first. Speaker John Boehner and many Republicans believed the strategy could lead to shutdown as the Democratic-led Senate would never agree to such a plan.

Additionally, leaders believed that Republicans would be blamed for a shut down. Polling backs up their concern. A recent CNN/ORC International Poll indicated that 51% of respondents would blame Republicans. That's a political risk that leadership didn't want to risk.

Even though Meadows' letter doesn't represent a majority of the caucus, it was a factor in persuading Boehner to reverse course and put forward a plan that funds the government but defunds Obamacare.

Running against politics

Meadows said he understands that "leadership has a different responsibility." And that leadership is responsible for thinking about the party. "This type of vote could potentially hurt our long term goals. I understand that," he said.

But he said that's not his concern.

"My job first is to make sure I represent the people back home," Meadows said. "I don't believe that when I get here that people expect me to look at the political implications. That's for somebody else to focus on."

For him, getting rid of Obamacare is priority No. 1. "[T]o ignore that would be to ignore our duty to represent the people back home," he said.

'Persona non grata'

"For me it's about representing the 749,000 people I was elected to represent," Meadows told CNN in his small Capitol Hill office. He said his constituents want him to fight against Obamacare "regardless of consequences."

Meadows represents a conservative constituency. He was elected in 2012 and succeeded Democrat Heath Shuler, who decided not to run for reelection after the latest round of redistricting made the district swing heavily Republican.

Meadows won by 15 percentage points. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney won the district with 61% of the vote, an impressive outcome in a state he won by 1 point.

Exclusive: Romney disagrees with House GOP 'tactics' on Obamacare

But there's more to the story. Meadows works very closely with the tea party groups and he is a conduit to their agenda.

In fact, his catapult from local businessman to elected official was launched with the help of local tea party groups. He underwent a vigorous interview process with the North Carolina-aligned tea party groups that included an intense vetting and interviewing process.

Jane Bilello, head of the Asheville, North Carolina, tea party group and its separate political action committee, said it is to ensure candidates "truly represents who we are and what we want them to do."

Bilello is pleased with Meadows' job performance so far. She said Meadows is "turning out to be our poster boy."

On the issue of Obamacare, "he truly represents us," Bilello said.

Well-funded national tea party-aligned organizations, such Freedom Works, are also watching closely.

Like Bilello's organization, they hold lawmakers accountable. Not only do they keep scorecards of how lawmakers vote on legislation, they are keeping track of what letters they sign on to and their role in every step of the legislative process.

Republican leaders are well aware of the influence of these organizations.

Republican Rep. Lee Terry of Nebraska, who was elected in 1998 and finds himself between the new generation of tea party-aligned groups and the more traditional Republican leadership, said the tea party groups "impacts everybody."

Billelo said that Meadows hosts conference calls with the groups' members to explain what's happening in Congress, including the challenges that he faces promoting their agenda.

She said he told them he's "persona non grata" around the halls of Congress. Bilello said she and her members remind him: "They don't elect you. We do." They also offer assurance: "We have your back. We will support you," Bilello said she tells him.

Meadows relayed a similar sentiment. "There's nobody in Washington, D.C., who ever voted for me and there's no one in Washington, D.C., who will ever vote for me," Meadows said. "So it's about representing the people back home."

The non-leadership leader

"I think everybody wants me to pick a fight with leadership," Meadows said. But he contended that he isn't about playing the rebel, but finding results.

Are his tactics working? Meadows said yes.

"The Senate for the first time is having to vote ... on Obamacare," Meadows said. "That's why we had to do this."

The House has now voted 42 times on either defunding or repealing all or parts of Obamacare.

Many Republicans in the Senate thought the idea was a lost cause, including Texas Republican John Cornyn, who said Friday that the strategy "won't work."

The Senate eliminated the health care portion of the bill on Friday before sending a revised spending plan back to the House for consideration over the weekend. A shutdown would occur Tuesday, if there is no spending plan in place.

But Meadows successfully convinced a reluctant Boehner to go along with his plan. And then after it became clear the Senate wasn't going to play ball, the speaker hoped to move past the fight and pass a funding bill that would be able to pass the Senate, meaning it wouldn't defund health care.

But Boehner's Republican caucus, once again with Meadows in the forefront, rejected that plan.

Boehner's now working on a plan that will appease members such as Meadows.

What do shutdown and debt limit have to do with Obamacare?

Meanwhile, Meadows vowed to hold his ground.

"If there is a real plan to make sure we can accomplish it through some other means, I'm willing to look at that," he said. But he said it must involve "at least delaying" the implementation of Obamacare.

If it doesn't, he is willing to buck his leadership and oppose any bill he doesn't think goes far enough.

He admits some will have to take "some tough votes" to take. But for him he's right where his constituents want him to be.

"It's a safe place for me to be," Meadows said.

Polarizing Washington

Meadows rejected the idea that he is adding to the gridlock in Washington. He said Washington politicians have lost their way, but it's not because of their inability to compromise.

"Pragmatism has been at the cost of principle and principle has been at the cost of pragmatism," he said.

Still, Meadows asserted that he is willing to compromise with the Democrats.

"My ultimate success will be viewed by whether there is something we can accomplish," he said.

CNN

Treat Us Like Human, We Are Not Animals, Catholic Priests To FG

By Lanre Oguntoyinbo:

 :

The Federal Government has been called upon to stop treating Nigerians like animals in the parks.

In what looks like what Christian Association of Nigeria CAN should be doing but the charge was given by the Catholic church in the country which stressed that even animals have rights to good life.

Fr. Evaristus Bassey, the Director of Church and Society of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, who conveyed the church message on Friday while briefing newsmen in Calabar to mark the World Tourism Day, decried the deplorable condition of the nation’s roads and the ongoing deforestation of  large reserves including water resources, adding that such would endanger economic growth in rural communities.

Fr. Bassey, who doubles as the Executive Secretary of Caritas Nigeria/JDPC, said this year’s World Tourism Day with the theme “Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future,”  is  aimed at promoting a friendly environment for the well being of especially the poor in our society.

He said: “The holy father, Pope Francis and the bishops of Nigeria enjoin all to inculcate environment friendly approaches in the exploitation and use of natural water resources, forest reserves, green belts, game reserves etc to enhance economic growth for the well- being of all especially the poor in our society today and for future generations.

Water always has a link with sanitation and sanitation has a link to health.“Deforestation is causing many water sources to dry up.  Rivulets that were before now protected by a canopy of trees are now exposed to sun that quicken their dryness.

Provision of good drinking sources of water enhances the well being of citizens.“Neglected tropical diseases, many of which emerge from poor water sources are by so doing tackled as well through provision of adequate and accessible supply of potable water.

Some states have good water access per population. Many states still have very poor access especially in the rural areas. We anticipate the occasion tomorrow and call on government at all levels to initiate small water schemes in rural areas.”

Calling on the Federal Government to give special attention to communities that have limited their livelihoods because their forests have been declared national parks, forests or games reserves, Bassey said: “Government should stop treating the people of these areas as if they are part of the animals in the parks, even an animal has rights."

According to him, “since the vegetation contributes to the well-being of the planet, communities in national parks, for instance the three axis of the Cross River national park, should have their infrastructure developed as a matter of urgency.”

He decried the deplorable condition of the roads leading to Ekang and the border community with Cameroun, that passes through the Oban East axis of the Cross River National Park, saying: “It is impassable, and the people have been treated as if they were part of the flora and fauna.”

He, however, commended Governor Liyel Imoke for patching up certain sections of forest roads across the state.

Paradigm

Read This – A Letter From A Mother To Her Daughter.

Dear Daughter,

“My dear girl, the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through.

If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don’t interrupt to say: “You said the same thing a minute ago”… Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep.

When I don’t want to take a bath, don’t be mad and don’t embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl?

When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don’t look at me that way… remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair and dealing with life’s issues every day… the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through.

If I occasionally lose track of what we’re talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can’t, don’t be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you.

And when my old, tired legs don’t let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked.

When those days come, don’t feel sad… just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love.

I’ll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I’ve always had for you, I just want to say, I love you… my darling daughter.”

- MAMA

InformationNigeria

Extramarital Affair: Should You Help A Friend Hide Their Infidelity?

By Kanya DaleyBetrayal. Seeing red. Unforgivable. Unbelievable. These are words people often use to describe how they feel when they find out that friends knew their spouse was having an affair. But there's often another element of upset that hurts as much as the affair itself — the cover-up. The cover-up occurs when friends know about an affair and fib for their friend as they lie and sneak around.
When I was in my early twenties, I was out with friends and saw my cousin's husband out in a group. I noticed his reflection in the mirror over the bar and knew that something was going on. Ned usually seemed annoyed or bored at family gatherings, but tonight he looked happy; charming even. I turned and saw him sitting at a table of people... but all of his attention was going to the blonde to his right. They weren't kissing or even touching but I knew instantly that what I was seeing spelled trouble for my cousin and her family.
The next day I confided in my father about the incident and asked what I should do. "Don't say anything," was his response. I was relieved and confused at the same time. "But Dad, I think Ned may be having an affair." Dad's response was that he might indeed be having an affair — but marriage was complicated and since I wasn't sure of what I had seen, I should just keep it to myself. That was almost 30 years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday. Was Ned having an affair? Yes; and it ended my cousin's marriage. He married the woman I saw him with at the table that night, and is still married to her today. While I never said anything to my cousin about what I saw, I still wonder if I made the right choice.
The pain of finding out your spouse has had an affair is inconceivable. Research shows that fidelity is still one of the most sacred aspects of marriage. But according to a
Rutger's University study
, most people who have affairs report being happy in their marriages. Does this translate to being more open with their friends about their affairs? If so, how does that transparency affect their spouse when they find out friends knew?
I was interested in finding out what people thought: could you be friends with someone who knew about your spouse's infidelity, or worse, helped to cover it up? So I asked around. I asked single people and married people. I asked people who were married for a few months and people who had been married for decades. I asked people who had affairs and people whose spouses were unfaithful. While some of the people I interviewed said an affair wouldn't necessarily end their marriage (more so in the couples who had been married a long time), I could not find one person who would be comfortable being friends with someone who had known about an affair.
One person explained, "I have a different level of responsibility to try to work things out with my husband, but I don't have a responsibility to work something out with a friend. If one of my friends knew my husband was having an affair and didn't tell me, I'd be fine never talking to that person again."
I have a client, Sue, who had an affair after 15 years of marriage. Sue isn't proud of the affair but in a weird way it did improve their relationship. "Things had been so bad between the two of us for so long, I just wanted to feel something again. I was really naïve when someone started to pursue me. It felt like I had been walking in the desert for a long time and someone was offering me a glass of water. I wish I had thought of the long-term consequences to my marriage. It took us a long time to rebuild, but we did it. While I'm really proud of the marriage we have now, I wish we could have gotten there a different way."
However, there is one casualty of this affair that won't get fixed: Sue's friendship with her college roommate Mary Ann. "Once my husband found out that Mary Ann knew, and even covered for me, he just couldn't tolerate me being friends with her. He felt like she had given me permission to have the affair instead of telling me to work it out with him. I can't even bring up her name without him fuming."
People often have affairs because they imagine that the liaison will give them something that they are not receiving in their marriage. This can be the case, but people often minimize the effect it will also have on their spouse and family. For example, as one of my interviewees explains, "I was shocked at Mary's reaction to my affair. We hadn't been intimate for years and had all but said the marriage was over. When I told her about Nancy and that I was leaving, she just fell apart. I remember looking at her and having the realization that she loved me. I hadn't felt that in so long I kind of forgot that we had loved each other. If I had realized there was still hope for our marriage, I never would have started the affair."
Being attracted to someone else can be a good thing... when you use that as motivation to improve your marriage. It can reconnect you to something you and your partner no longer share. If you find yourself the confidant, you will most likely assume your friend feels that he or she doesn't have the energy or resources to fix their marriage — so what is the harm in having a little fun? While it will take a lot to fix the marriage, the reality is the energy they will expend dealing with the fallout of an affair is far bigger than they can even imagine. It will affect everyone in the family, and will always be a part of the fabric of the relationship. Granted, some marriages are over long before affairs begin, but why not just end the marriage first?
What is a friend to do when they find out about a dalliance or infidelity? There is no clear cut answer, though most agree that they don't even want to get involved in the first place. Everyone must decide for themselves, and much of your decision will depend on your own set of values.
One thing I would recommend; think through the consequences of covering for your friend — or asking a friend to cover up for you. It is a slippery slope from finding out about the affair to being part of the cover-up. Decide what works for you, and let your friends know your limits as you work to ameliorate the situation. Do your best to help your friend keep some degree of clarity in this process. If you find yourself living vicariously through your friend's affair, look at your own marriage or relationship and do something about it before it becomes its own casualty of an affair.
InformationNigeria

Na God! Woman Survives Her Car Being Crushed By A Container (See Photos)

This happened to a Chinese who woman made a miraculous escape after her car was crushed by a giant container as she was driving alongside a lorry carrying the huge, orange box, which suddenly listed to one side.

The container fell off the side of the lorry, flattening the top half of the car which came to a halt on the road in China.

Firefighters were called to the scene just 1pm on Saturday, but had to wait almost twenty minutes for a crane powerful enough to life the container off of the car.

Rescuers and members of the crowd which had gathered were then astounded to hear a voice from inside the car shouting for help.

They were able to cut the car open with tools and pull the woman, who had sustained no serious injuries, to safety.

Its simply impossible! How can one survive this scenerio as seen in the picture when its not a movie?

NaijaUrban

Deportation: Fashola Did Not And Should Not Apologize To Igbos — Femi Fani Kayode

Mr. Fani-Kayode accused the Lagos governor of double standards.

A former Minister of Aviation has lashed out at Babatunde Fashola, the Lagos State Governor, over the latter’s decision to apologize to the Igbos following the deportation of beggars and destitute people to Anambra State.

Femi Fani-Kayode, on Friday, said that the only redeeming factor is that the apology was designed to calm “frayed nerves.”

“There can be little doubt that the relocation of the 19 Igbo destitutes from Lagos state a few months ago was a lawful exercise and that it was done in the interest of Lagos State,” Mr. Fani-Kayode said.

“Consequently I do not believe that Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola ought to have tendered any form of apology whatsoever to the Igbo for what he did,” he added.

Speaking at an event to mark the Silver Jubilee of Aka Ikenga, an Igbo socio-cultural body, on Thursday, Mr. Fashola had tendered an “unreserved apology” to the Igbos for the row generated by the deportation.

Lagos Gov. Raji Fashola

“I came here to say thank you for the honour done to my family and the memory of my late father,” Mr. Fashola told the gathering of Igbo statesmen.

“People who clearly do not understand the actions taken and words spoken are those I owe an explanation. I cannot take the Igbos for granted because we have built a relationship based on tolerance, mutual respect, love and trust.

“That relationship was built by our ancestors and I put a lot of value in that relationship.

“I offer an unreserved apology if the actions taken had been misunderstood,” Mr. Fashola had added.

Mr. Fani-Kayode insisted that the Lagos State governor did not apologize for the deportation.

“The only redeeming factor is the fact that the apology was obviously designed simply to calm frayed nerves and I commend Fashola for that gesture if nothing else,” the former minister said.

“I say this because my understanding is that he apologised NOT for the deportation itself but for ‘the misunderstanding that arose from it’. There is a world of difference between the two,” he added.

On July 24, the Lagos State government had deported about 70 destitute people to Onitsha, Anambra State; a move that sparked a heated row between the two states as well as scathing criticisms on both state governors.

Another dimension was added to the debate after Orji Kalu, a former Abia State governor, termed Lagos a ‘no man’s land,’ an appellation that added fresh fury to the conversation.

Mr. Fani-Kayode accused Mr. Fashola of betraying the Yorubas who stood by him doing the row generated by the deportation.

“If I were Governor of Lagos state I would never have apologised for the execution of a legitimate and lawful exercise which was absolutely necessary and which was done in the interests of my state and my people, no matter how many cows I had been offered or given by the kinsmen of those affected,” said Mr. Fani-Kayode.

“What Fashola has done, albeit inadvertently, is to betray those amongst his Yoruba kith and kin that stood by him and defended him when he took that historic and controversial decision to deport the Igbo destitutes.

“He has also fuelled the erroneous impression that is held by most of the Igbo that the Yoruba people and their leaders are bumbling and inconsistent cowards that cannot stand firm when put under pressure and when faced with threats and hardship.”

Mr. Fani-Kayode further said that it is important for the Lagos State governor to consider the long term implications of his purported apology to the Igbos.

“The truth is that in life perception counts for everything. And rightly or wrongly the perception that most people have, particularly amongst the Igbo, is that Fashola has indeed apologised for the deportations.

“This perception is supported by misleading newspaper headlines which were drafted and written by journalists who did not bother to read the text or properly decipher the statement…

“In any case now that dishing out apologies is the order of the day and he has set the precedent, the question has to be asked – will Peter Obi take a cue from that, be a gentleman and apologize for deporting the people of Akwa Ibom from his Anambra state as well?

“Is Obi that reasonable or charitable? Do those that think like him believe that what is good for the goose is good for the gander? I doubt it very much.

“Again will Fashola apologize to the numerous northerners that he deported from Lagos as well and will he apologize to his Yoruba kith and kin from Oyo and Osun for deporting them too? I really do wonder how far this new-found large-heartedness and seasonal expression of regrets will go? Will it be spread everywhere or is it exclusively reserved for the Igbo?”

The ex-minister further accused Mr. Fashola of double standards, capitulation of values, and a revocation of principle.

“You don’t apologise for government policy just to appease a certain group of people no matter how bellicose, violent, loud and aggressive they may be,” Mr. Fani-Kayode said.

“It is better to lose a million elections outside Yorubaland than to concede even one inch of Yoruba territory to those that seek to lay claim to that which is not theirs. A word is enough for the wise.”

NewsRescue