Chidom's Blog: October 2015

Saturday, 31 October 2015

Reds reduce Mourinho to Ordinary One

Reds reduce Mourinho to Ordinary One
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By Our Reporter on November 1, 2015 Sports
BY GEORGE ALUO
Chelsea manager, Jose “The Special One” Mourinho, was literally reduced to the Ordinary One yesterday by Liverpool as he (Mourinho) led the Blues to lose her sixth premiership game of the season.
While Mourinho mourned, new Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp popped champagne as the victory was his first for the Reds in the EPL since taking charge at Anfield.
It is recalled that Mourinho was recently given the backing of Chelsea’s hierarchy after their poor start to the season – but whether their faith remains after yesterday’s defeat remains to be seen.
Chelsea made the perfect start when Ramires headed them into the lead after only three minutes but Liverpool’s confidence was not dented and Philippe Coutinho equalized spectacularly in first-half stoppage time.
Coutinho put Liverpool ahead with a shot that deflected off John Terry with 16 minutes left before substitute Christian Benteke wrapped up a victory Klopp’s side thoroughly deserved.
Mourinho who was not his boastful self after the game stated that there are fights one can not just win. His words: “The fans know why they are getting bad results. The fight goes on, but sometimes there are fights very impossible to win.”

Reds reduce Mourinho to Ordinary One

Oliseh: Rebuilding Eagles without plan

Oliseh Whistle

Oliseh: Rebuilding Eagles without plan
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By Our Reporter on November 1, 2015 Sport
BY GEORGE ALUO
FOR Nigeria, the race to the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup will begin later this month when the Super Eagles storm the Swazi city of Lobamba to face soccer minnows, Swaziland in the first round of the qualification series.
Relatively new Eagles head coach, Sunday Oliseh last week released the list of players he intends to use to prosecute the game which ordinarily should be a walk over for Nigeria.
The Swaziland national team, the King’s Shield (Shilangu) is rated 135 in the current FIFA ranking and it is on record that the side has not made any impact in the round leather game at the international level. The only thing going for the team as it prepares to face Nigeria is the fact that she made a mincemeat of her fellow minnow, Djibouti 8-1 in the prelims before being drawn to face the Eagles in round one.
Although the immediate task ahead for the Eagles is on paper an easy one, the coach, Oliseh can not afford to take any chances as doing so could turn out to be a costly mistake. Football is one game in which anything, just anything can happen if a team goes into a match ill prepared or decides to underrate her opponent.
History of the game is replete with occasions where obscure teams sprang the mother of all surprises. One that readily comes to mind and interestingly at the biggest stage was the 2-1 defeat debutants Algeria handed almighty Germany at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
So one can understand why Oliseh must go to Lobamba with the nation,s best legs. Beyond that match, for the Eagles gaffer, the encounter is another opportunity to continue the team’s re building process which he started since taking over from Stephen Okechukwu Keshi.
And it is that rebuilding process that some of us as stakeholders are interesting in.The question to ask is this: Is Oliseh rebuilding with solid materials and with a well drawn out plan or is he rebuilding on a shaky ground?
Given the way the coach has gone about the job right from his very first game against Tanzania, one would without mincing words say he (Oliseh) is rebuilding without any plan. The coach has remained inconsistent. He would say one thing which people will applaud only to do the opposite when it comes to execution.
First, before the game against Tanzania, Oliseh said he would be calling up only players that are playing for top European clubs and that bench warmers should forget about the Eagles. When he released his list of invited players for the match, what we saw was players plying their trade in the Russian league, while the likes of Odion Ighalo, Victor Moses and Mikel Obi were left out.
He went to Tanzania, saw and failed to conquer. In fact, Oliseh was saved the humiliation of outright defeat in his first outing by the heroics of goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme whose brilliant saves denied Tanzania victory.
After that shambolic performance against Tanzania, Oliseh faced another litmus test in the international friendlies against Congo and Cameroon in Belgium. The coach did not come out of it without exposing his inexperience. His bust up with Vincent Enyeama over the Eagles captaincy has since led to the Eagles keeper quitting the national team. Agreed, Oliseh has the right to name a new skipper moving forward, but he went about it the wrong way. Again, the same Oliseh who said he decided to strip Enyeama of the captain’s band since he is on the verge of retirement has recalled a player, Obafemi Martins, who “retired” from the Eagles three years back. His argument being that Martins is scoring goals in the American League (M LS)- a league that is meant for players who could pass for “pensioners.” The question to ask is this: How come the same coach who wants a captain that will remain in the team for a long time in Ahmed Musa now be going for a striker, Martins, who soccer wise has reached menopause? What else could pass for inconsistency? Is Martins also among the players Oliseh plans to rebuild with or is he merely pressing the panic button? Questions begging for answers, no doubt.
On the young players in the team, one finds it irreconcilable a situation where Oliseh thinks Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi deserves a place in the Eagles while Kelechi Iheanacho should wait for his time.
While one is not against Iwobi’s invitation, but it sounds absurd for a player who is in Arsenal’s junior team to have a place in a team in which a Manchester City senior player is being told to wait for his time. Haba Oliseh!
It would be noted that Oliseh did not initially include Iheanacho’s name on his 23- man list for the Swazi game. Iheanacho’s call up was only an after thought and one won’t be surprised if he plays no role when the chips are down in Lobamba.
Moving forward, one would advise that Oliseh sticks to whatever criteria he has spelt out for the invitation of players. He should go for the nation,s best legs as that is what he needs to shame critics who in the first place believe he is not “ripe” for the Eagles coaching job. Inviting players based on “paddy paddy arrangement” won’t help him. Some of us are not unmindful of the fact that four of the “journeymen from Russia” he (Oliseh) called up against Tanzania are players whose soccer careers can be traced to the amateur club of his sibling, Churchill Oliseh.
Oliseh must realize that there is no grammar he and the NFF would speak to convince Nigerians on why the Eagles must not land in Gabon for AFCON 2017.
Given the nation’s soccer pedigree, qualifying for the Nation’s Cup and even the World Cup should be our birth right. The same way nobody can talk about afrobasket (basketball) without Angola or African athletics championship without Kenya.

Chile 2015:Brazil can’t stop Eaglets World Cup dream, Amuneke declares

Chile 2015:Brazil can’t stop Eaglets World Cup dream, Amuneke declares
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By Our Reporter on November 1, 2015 Sports
BY JOE APU
Nigeria will today continue her campaign in the chase to retain the FIFA World Cup for U-17 Men and a fifth in the series when the high scoring Golden Eaglets file out against Brazil in a quarter-final encounter.
Nigeria’s coach, Emmanuel Amuneke is however confident that the Brazilians will fall to the superior play of his boys who painted Australia with goals in the Round of 16. He says his team has what it takes to stop the Brazilian team in the quarter final of the ongoing Chile 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The encounter against Brazil will not be an easy one given the fact that the South Americans fell to the Eaglets in the pre World Cup tournament in South Korea.
The Eaglets met Brazil in a pre-World Cup tournament tagged Suwon Invitational Four-Nation Championship in South Korea where the Nigerian lads beat Brazil 2-1 in one of the matches, and Coach Amuneke is sure nothing has changed since then noting that his boys are battle ready to shock the Brazilians again as they did in Suwon.
“My boys are in high spirit to take on Brazil. We met them in Suwon and we beat them 2-1. We are aware that this is a World Cup situation; we will come up with a good plan to play Brazil. We are candidates to win the title and so are the Brazilians. We will work to put up a good fight. We’ll continue to work and believe in ourselves and through hard work and commitment; we will get there,” he said.
The coach, a former Super Eagles winger has however warned his players not to be carried away by the victories recorded so far in Chile, adding that they have not gotten to their desired destination until the ultimate trophy is won.
“We are not there yet, the road to the final is still far. I want to assure that we will give a good account of our work against Brazil,” said the coach. Amuneke hailed the support his team is receiving from football fans in the country and like Oliver Twist, he is asking for more as the World Cup is getting tougher.
“I’m grateful to Nigerians for giving me the opportunity to serve. They should continue to believe in us. We’re together in this and we’ll work collectively to win the World Cup again,” he said.
President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick is also confident that the Golden Eaglets will do Nigeria proud.
“I must start by pouring encomiums on the players and officials of the Golden Eaglets, not just for the victory over Australia that has taken us closer to the objective of retaining the trophy, but also for their general comportment and discipline which has been acknowledged by all at the World Cup in Chile.

Beloved, go through this story and then I pray that you will see the REASON TO BE GRATEFUL!!!

Beloved, go through this story and then I pray that you will see the REASON TO BE GRATEFUL!!!
A man reached 70 years of age and was affected by a disease which made him unable to urinate.
The doctors told him that he needs an operation to cure the disease.
He agreed to do the operation as the problem was giving him severe pain for days.
When the operation was completed the doctor gave him a bill which covered all the costs.
After looking at the bill, the man started crying. Upon seeing this, the doctor said "If the cost is too high then we could make some other arrangements for you.
"The old man replied, "I am not crying because of the money but I am crying because God let me urinate for 70 years and He never sent me a bill!"
Beloved, have you thanked God for His countless blessings today?
Have you thought about the cost of oxygen in the hospital? Yet, God has given us free oxygen (air) since we were born.
Is all that God does for us not worth thanking God for? Can we not see that God is so gracious, merciful and full of compassion?
If you are truly grateful to God for your life, share this message with others, not because you expect a blessing but because you are grateful.
I'm grateful!!!

Job Opportunities in American embassy, Nigeria

Job Opportunities
Human Resources Office (HRO)

The Human Resources Office is responsible for providing a full range of personnel services for American and Locally Employed Staff (LES) members. The HRO is responsible for implementing HR policies and procedures for the American diplomatic Mission Nigeria. The HRO provides guidance on all HR related programs
Job Openings
Listed below are current job opportunities at the United States Embassy in Nigeria. Please click on the link to learn more about the specific opening. For more information about job opportunities, you may email the U.S. Embassy Human Resources Office at HRNigeria@state.gov (Please note that this address is only for inquiries about job opportunities. Questions about Consular or other issues will not receive a reply.)
All Interested Candidates

Closing Date: November 13, 2015
Position: Refrigeration/Air-Conditioning Mechanic (PDF 244 KB)
Closing Date: November 12, 2015
Position: Human Resources Clerk (PDF 113 KB)
Closing Date: November 10 , 2015
Position: Nurse Practitioner (PDF 240 KB)
Closing Date: November 9 , 2015
Position: Program Assistant (PDF 234 KB)
Closing Date: October 30, 2015
Position: Property Supervisor - Lagos (PDF 168KB)
Notice: Employment opportunities which are open only to currently employed Embassy local staff or the family members of Americans assigned to the U.S. Mission in Nigeria are listed on the Embassy’s internal website, available through the U.S. State Department’s OPENNET system. All others should apply to HRNigeria@state.gov

Application forms for Federal Employment:
•Application Form for Employment as a Locally Employed Staff or Family Member (DS-174) (PDF 1.78 MB)
•Instructions for Completing DS-174 (PDF 2.40 MB)

Disclaimer

An Equal Opportunity Employer
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation. The Department of State also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs.
The EEO complaint procedure is not available to individuals who believe they have been denied equal opportunity based upon marital status or political affiliation. Individuals with such complaints should avail themselves of the appropriate grievance procedures, remedies for prohibited personnel practices, and/or courts for relief.

California doctor convicted in overdose deaths of 3 patientsAssociated Press 19 hrs ago

California doctor convicted in overdose deaths of 3 patientsAssociated Press 19 hrs ago
BRIAN MELLEY

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles-area doctor was convicted of murder Friday in a landmark case for killing three patients who overdosed on what a prosecutor called "crazy, outrageous amounts" of painkillers she prescribed.
The second-degree murder convictions of Dr. Hsiu-Ying "Lisa" Tseng were the first against a U.S. doctor for recklessly prescribing drugs, the Los Angeles district attorney's office said.

It's rare to bring homicide charges against a physician, but the case came amid a prescription drug abuse epidemic that has led lawmakers to try to rein in so-called pill mills that dole out medications with little scrutiny.
"You can't hide behind a white lab coat and commit crimes," Deputy District Attorney John Niedermann said. "Writing a prescription to someone knowing that they're going to abuse it and potentially die was the theory of second-degree murder that we had."
A dozen of Tseng's patients died, though prosecutors only brought three murder charges because of other factors involved in some of those deaths, such as drugs prescribed by other doctors and a possible suicide.
Tseng, 45, showed no emotion as the convictions were read out loud, though her lawyer said she was emotional and very upset later. Jurors deliberated for 10 days before reaching the verdicts.
She was also convicted of illegally writing prescriptions for two of the deceased patients and 16 other people, including two undercover agents who were investigating how easily she prescribed addictive pain pills after brief office visits. She was acquitted of illegally writing a hydrocodone prescription to a third undercover officer.
Tseng prescribed "crazy, outrageous amounts of medication" to patients who didn't need the pills, Niedermann told jurors in Los Angeles County Superior Court during closing arguments.
The doctor repeatedly ignored warning signs even after several patients died as she built a new medical clinic in Rowland Heights with the money she made from them, earning $5 million in one three-year period. One patient even overdosed in her office and had to be revived.
"Something is wrong with what you're doing if your patients are dying," Niedermann said.
Tseng's lawyer said her client naively trusted her patients. Defense lawyer Tracy Green said patients testified they were legitimately in pain and later became dependent on the drugs, hiding their addictions by seeing other doctors and picking up prescriptions from different pharmacies.
Green had asked jurors to acquit Tseng on all but one drug count.
Tseng shouldn't have been convicted of anything more than manslaughter and plans to appeal, Green said after the verdict.
"It's disappointing," Green said. "I don't think it bodes well for doctors in America."
Tseng faces up to life in prison when sentenced Dec. 14.
She was convicted of killing Vu Nguyen, 29, of Lake Forest, Steven Ogle, 25, of Palm Desert, and Joseph Rovero, 21, an Arizona State University student from San Ramon. The three died of overdoses between March and December 2009.
Tseng barely kept any records on the three men until she was contacted by the Medical Board of California. She then fabricated charts to make it look like she kept thorough records of diagnoses and noted she was weaning them off drugs, Niedermann said.
Tseng ignored pleas from family members of patients who demanded she stop prescribing drugs to them.
April Rovero, who lost her son almost six years ago, said she had waited for justice so long that she almost couldn't believe it when she heard the words "guilty" uttered repeatedly.
She said her son and others were culpable at some level, but they had lost the ability to stop themselves and Tseng took advantage.
If her son were alive today, she'd tell him that his bad choice led to an outcome that could have a broader impact.
"This is something that could make a difference as we turn this doctor overprescribing situation around," Rovero said. "I wish he was here, certainly, but his life has made a difference."
___
Corrects previous version that said patient died who overdosed in doctor's office.

Ex-addict who became prominent pastor found dead in churchAssociated Press 23 hrs ago

Ex-addict who became prominent pastor found dead in churchAssociated Press 23 hrs ago
IRVINGTON, N.J. (AP) — A former heroin addict who turned to religion and became a prominent pastor after he was released from prison was found dead Friday in the church where he preached and ministered to those who walked in his shoes.
A family member found the Rev. Ron Christian inside the Christian Love Baptist Church, the Essex County Prosecutor's office said. Foul play was not suspected, but officials were awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause and manner of death.

Christian, 51, was a prison guard who battled heroin addiction before he lost his job and was sentenced to prison in 1996 for theft. Upon his release in 1997, he joined a church in Newark where his father, a retired pastor, was working.
He decided to follow in his father's footsteps and became a minister, which led him to this community where drugs and violence are daily problems. He became pastor of Christian Love Baptist Church in 2000. The church, which had just a dozen members, has since grown to a congregation of 6,000.
One of those congregants was Shalga Hightower, who met Christian after her daughter, Iofemi, was killed along with two other college-bound friends in a Newark schoolyard in 2007 in a crime that made national headlines.
Hightower called Christian "an awesome man of God" who helped her through the difficult times after her daughter's death, which included a period of homelessness.
"He was there for me through my ups and downs," she said. "He was my best friend, my confidant, my mentor. Just a giving, loving person."
He was known for being a pastor to whom wanted murderers, drug dealers and other criminals could turn: Christian would encourage them to do what was right and turn themselves in.
"Regardless of how incorrect or how bad the circumstance was, there needs to be a place where you are honest with God," he told The Star-Ledger in 2008.
In a statement, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said Christian's energetic sermons, dynamic personality and kind words inspired everyone he met. "It didn't matter who you were because Rev. Ron welcomed people from all walks of life into his church and into his own life," he said.
Christian is survived by his wife and five children.

Russia sceptical of IS claim that it shot down airliner over EgyptAFP 2 hrs ago

Russia sceptical of IS claim that it shot down airliner over EgyptAFP 2 hrs ago
Moscow (AFP) - Moscow cast doubt Saturday on claims by the Islamic State group's Egyptian affiliate to have downed a Russian passenger jet that crashed in the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people onboard.
"This information cannot be considered accurate," transport minister Maksim Sokolov said in comments cited by Russian news agencies.

"We are in close contact with our Egyptian colleagues and aviation authorities in the country. At present, they have no information that would confirm such insinuations," he added.
The IS affiliate, which is waging a deadly insurgency in the Sinai, had circulated a statement on social media claiming responsibility for the crash, saying it brought down the aircraft in revenge for Russian air strikes against militants in Syria.
"The soldiers of the caliphate succeeded in bringing down a Russian plane in Sinai," its statement said.
Several military experts contacted by AFP said it was unlikely that IS militants in Sinai would have missiles capable of shooting down a plane flying at 30,000 feet.
But they did not discount the possibility that a bomb may have been planted on the plane, or that it could have been hit by a rocket or missile as it lost height due to technical problems.

Man Killed When He is Ejected From Car onto California Freeway Sign after CrashInside

Man Killed When He is Ejected From Car onto California Freeway Sign after CrashInside Edition 23 hrs ago
Caitlin Nolan

A 20-year-old man was killed when he was ejected from his car during a crash and landed on a California freeway sign, Highway Patrol officials said.
The man, whose identity is being withheld pending family notification, was driving on the southbound 5 Freeway when he and another vehicle collided in the Griffith Park area about 7 a.m. local time Friday, California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer Chad Guin said.

Read: Victim, 2, of Oklahoma Parade Crash Named as Lawyer Questions Suspect's Mental Health
The man’s compact Ford, which was reported to be traveling at a high rate of speed, rolled over several times and he was ejected from the car, landing on a freeway sign for Exit 142, Colorado Street, which was in three-quarters of a mile, the spokesman said.
No one in the other vehicle was injured, he said.

Happy Days’ actor Al Molinaro dies at 96

Happy Days’ actor Al Molinaro dies at 96
By AFP on October 31, 2015 6:37 pm

(Left) Al Molinaro. Photo: theguardian
(Left) Al Molinaro. Photo: theguardian
Al Molinaro, known for playing “Big Al” Delvecchio on the hit US sitcom “Happy Days,” died Friday, reports said. He was 96.
Molinaro passed away in a California hospital from complications of a gall bladder infection, his son Michael told the Los Angeles Times.
Molinaro played the owner of the 1950s Arnold’s Drive-In on the popular TV show “Happy Days,” which ran from 1974 to 1984.
It was here that the main characters would gather — including leather-jacketed bad boy Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli, played by Henry Winkler, and the clean-cut Richie Cunningham, depicted by Ron Howard.
Molinaro played Delvecchio in more than a 100 episodes, according to the LA Times, which quoted him as saying: “When you live with a character as long as I have, you know how he would talk in almost any situation.”
Molinaro also starred in the “Happy Days” spinoff “Joanie Loves Chachi,” as well as in “The Odd Couple,” and appeared in commercials later in life.
Molinaro also co-founded a chain of diners called Big Al’s in a bid to capitalize on his on-screen success, the Washington Post reported. The diners eventually went out of business.
Born in Wisconsin, Molinaro was the son of Italian immigrants.

Expert wants FG to declare state of emergency on cancer in Nigeria

Expert wants FG to declare state of emergency on cancer in Nigeria
By NAN on October 31, 2015 3:19 pm

A cancer victim
Prof. Francis Durosinmi-Etti, the President, Cancer Education and Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (CEAFON), has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on cancer in Nigeria.
Durosinmi-Etti told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Saturday that the state of emergency should be in the areas of cervical and breast cancer.
He decried the inadequate equipment in the care and treatment of cancer, noting that it was fast contributing to major deaths caused by non-communicable diseases.
The CEAFON president said there was the urgent need for a National Task Force on cancer to combat the situation
According to him, the number of cancer patients’ in the country cannot match up the available equipment for its care.
“With cancer incidence in the country, we are expected to have about 105,000 cancer patients that will require radiotherapy treatment in one year.
“That means we need at least 260 mega voltage machines to meet up with this population.’’
He said that a recent statistics by Globacon data revealed that 42.3 per cent of cancers in Nigeria are women, with breast cancer accounting for 26.7 per cent’’.
“Incidence of breast cancer in Nigeria had increased significantly in the past decade, hence the need for proactive interventions’’.
He added that a good synergy of all stakeholders was required to achieve optimal care and desired results in cancer care.
Durosinmi-Etti noted that the country was lacking efficient infrastructure on cancer care as well as manpower.
“There is deficient National Cancer Registry in our country, lack of political will, and the government needs to partner with private sectors, NGOs to fund cancer management.
“No priority is given to cancer care management at all levels, a large part of the populace lack cancer awareness and where there is knowledge, poverty becomes an issue’’.
“Access to radiotherapy is crucial and we need to make sure it is safe and effective”, he said.
The expert noted that there was also the need to check the present status of cancer treatment facilities in the country to ensure strategic plans were on to address the problem.
He added that more than 50 per cent of cancer cases in the world occurred in Africa and among low income countries, which was expected to rise to about 70 per cent by the year 2030.
Durosinmi-Etti urged the government to deploy every approach to assist cancer patients, especially breast cancer patients.
“The National Health Insurance Scheme should consider cancer care in its treatment of health issues and multinational companies should rise and be involved in managing cancer patients.
“Implementation of National Health Act and private public partnership in cancer care is very paramount’’.
“We need to enlarge the existing components of cancer treatment both infrastructural and manpower, add new centres, as well as train and retrain health workers in cancer care’’.
“Nigeria is in need of a functional cancer registration to cover all states and funding of cancer treatment should be done as it was done in the case of HIV/AIDS”, he said.
NAN reports that October was set aside by the UN to create awareness for Breast Cancer Prevention internationally.

Thousands in Paris anti-racism rally mark 2005 riots

Thousands in Paris anti-racism rally mark 2005 riots
By AFP on October 31, 2015 5:30 pm

Condemning racism and police heavy-handedness, thousands of people attended a “march of dignity” rally in Paris on Saturday to mark a decade since the deaths of two youths sparked nationwide riots.
The pair were electrocuted at a power substation on October 27, 2005 as police investigated a reported break-in at a building site in the northern Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois, which has a sizeable immigrant population.
Their deaths were the trigger for three weeks of riots across France as tensions already simmering over high youth unemployment and police harassment of youths from poorer housing estates boiled over.
The government was forced to declare a state of emergency and by the time calm was restored on November 17, 10,000 cars had been burned, 300 buildings destroyed or vandalised, two policemen shot and injured, and 6,000 people arrested.
Saturday’s march set off with a group of women at their head under the banner “march for dignity against racism.”
Participants, many of whom had travelled to the capital from around the country, called for “justice, reparation, unity” as they descended on the northern Barbes district for a rally called by women’s collective Mafed, backed by US civil rights campaigner Angela Davis, as well as anti-racist and anti-discrimination associations.
“Today in France, if you don’t have the right skin colour … you can die at the hands of the police,” said Mafed spokeswoman Amal Bentounsi, who said her brother was killed by a policeman in 2012.
“They stigmatise and disdain people from working class districts,” said Bentounsi.
Organisers said they wanted to highlight “increasingly deplorable social conditions and the harassment and humiliation of local people (which) constitute daily life for black people, Arabs, Roma and working class white people.”
Despite a decade of government initiatives to revitalise underprivileged suburbs, many residents say little has changed and this week the deputy mayor of Clichy-sous-Bois warned conditions were right for riots to happen again.

Chief Lucia Onabanjo At 90 Says: ‘I Am Contented Always’

Chief Lucia Onabanjo At 90 Says: ‘I Am Contented Always’
By DEBO OLADIMEJ on October 31, 2015 5:48 pm

ONABANJO-2--31-10-2015HER house at Fidipote, Ijebu-Ode is open to everybody in the neigbourhood. No fence, garage or garden. The two-storey building is adjacent to an uncompleted building overgrown with weeds.
From time to time, you hear the honks of vehicles and commercial motorcycles from the nearby busy roads.
“This is the house of your father”, said Chief (Mrs) Lucia Onabowale Onabanjo before granting this interview on Wednesday. The place was besieged by visitors, both black and white, who came to felicitate with her. Some came from as far as Germany to celebrate with her . They were all happy to dine and wine with Mama who is the women leader (Iya Ijo) of St. Sebastian Catholic Cathedral, Ijebu-Ode where she marked her birthday on Monday.
Asked how she feels about attaining the age of 90, she said: “I feel good. I eat good food. I am elegant. I serve the Lord in the way that I should. I was overwhelmed during the celebration on Monday. It was a beautiful day. I saw many people who I have not seen for a long time.”
She said her greatest achievement is knowing God and getting married to her husband, the first civilian governor of Ogun State, the late Olabisi Onabanjo.
“I had many suitors but I chose him because I knew he was a truthful man, well educated. My husband was very intelligent. He used to top his class at Baptist Academy, Lagos. I said to him: ‘I will be your girl friend.’ I fell in love with him and we got married.”
The marriage is blessed with two boys, two girls before the death of her first daughter, Victoria Adetoun Onabanjo which she said pained her. “She was my confidant. She loved me. She was in government. She was able to do what she could before she went to the Lord.”
Born in Ijebu-Ode, she said: “This is my town. I went to school in Lagos. I left Ijebu-Ode at the age of 10 under the Irish Sisters. They were nuns. I was trained under them. After sometime, I went to Teachers Training College in Yaba, Lagos. I was trained as a teacher. At the end of the training called Standard Six which is equivalent to a university now, application forms were sent to the school when I was passing out for us to apply for further studies.”
But she opted to be trained as a nurse at Lantoro, Abeokuta. “The Rev. Sister who was the principal in charge of the school, after going through my application form, said: ‘You are going to be a teacher.’
She later started her career as a teacher from one school to another until she eventually retired after putting in 22 years of active service. She said her husband at a time worked with a newspaper in Zaria. “I was there with him. I was teaching at a school in Tundunwada then. After a couple of years, we came back to Lagos. He continued practicing his journalism profession. I never complained about his work. Life has taught me to trust in God and to be honest.”
She laments that a lot has changed in the upbringing of children today. “I remember a cousin of ours who came to visit me. His wife came with their little son. I put aside four bottles of Amstel Malta so that I can give to them when they are going. This boy turned round and round and later took one of the bottles of the Amstel Malta, opened it and was drinking it. Her mother said ‘If I stop him, he will cry.’
“When we came into this world, the first noise that we made was ah ah ah. Crying that we had arrived. Therefore, I wonder what the world is turning to if a kid of six years will cry because his mother refused to give him what he wanted?”
She identified lack of education, lack of care as the source of the problem. “But good training starts from the home. If you don’t train a child from home, he or she will join bad company. Most of the parents of nowadays are not always at home. Both husband and wife have to go to work. That is the problem the government has created for us. If there is good food in the house, good work that people can do, parents will not be hustling.”
Onabanjo disclosed that she chose to be a teacher because she knew that after school hours, she would have the time to go home and stay with her children. She never regretted it. “At a time, one of the missionaries, one Rev. Sister came to my school where I was teaching in Surulere, Lagos then. That was the school where I retired after 22 years of teaching. She said: ‘I have good news for you. Because you are a hard worker, a disciplinarian, I have secured a scholarship for you to study in England for three years.
“I said no. And her eyes became very red. I said: ‘I can’t go to England for three years. My mother is an illiterate. My husband is a journalist. He doesn’t come home until about 10pm to 11 pm. If I go on scholarship, where will I leave my children! Who will look after them the way I want to look after them?’ And I never regretted the step that I took. Today, if I tell my children I want to see you in Ijebu-Ode tomorrow for an important talk, they will come. They know they are going to gain from my intelligence.”
She said that although some parents are doing their best to take good care of their children, most are a bit careless. “Some will say: ‘I don’t care, I am going to work.’ It is very tough for them to balance work and family but some of them manage to stress themselves to do that.
“Let us talk about Lagos. People are living very far from their working places. They have to wake up at about 5am to take a bus or to drive their cars to work. By the time they get home at 10 pm, they are very tired. Some won’t even eat well before they go to sleep.” She urged parents not to do the sort of work that will take them out of the home for long hours.
Onabanjo explained that the secret of longevity first of all depends on God and then individuals. “What you like to do may not suit your life. I take myself as an example. When I was in Lagos, I didn’t have friends except the few friends I had at work or in the church. I didn’t like anybody intruding into my home to tell me that my husband is not doing this and that. Leave that to me. I married him. I know how to handle that. I don’t listen to gossips about my home.”
Also, she is a lover of local staple foods such as rice and gari, with good soup and vegetables.
“I keep to that. I don’t eat outside much. Even when I was able to go to parties with people celebrating one thing or the other, when I leave the church, I come to the house and eat whatever I like however poor. That is my life and I am contented always. I don’t copy how people do their things.”
She disclosed that civilisation has added more to people’s problems. “They want to be like the other woman next door or the door after the next; not contended with what God has given to them. I want to be myself. You must have noticed that this is a very simple house. People used to ask me long ago, especially when my husband was alive: ‘Is this the only house you have?’ I live among rural people here. I appreciate them. What do you want to do with the wealth? This house was built a long time ago before my husband became the governor.”
She said that the first floor of the house has three rooms, the second floor has two rooms and a sitting room. “This year, I have never gone to the second floor. What I am going to do there? Except for visitors or the children whenever they come home. I stay in my room. I was with my husband in our room when he was alive. When he passed on, I remained in that room. I don’t need earthly things that will distract me from my home.”
She recalled that when her husband was in government, she focused her attention on his health. “I cooked his food, I supervised the washing of his clothes. After leaving the office, he came back home.
She is worried about the level of insecurity in the North eastern part of the country. “We pray for peace. Only God knows what will happen tomorrow. How did Boko Haram people manage to establish themselves in this country that every day you hear on the radio that Boko Haram has killed 20 or 100 people? Or they have taken away our children from the school.
“I know that the solution will come through good government. President Muhammadu Buhari must have made up his mind that when he gets there, he will bring about changes. That was his slogan, ‘Change.’ when he was campaigning”.

UNAIDS board adopts new strategy to end AIDS epidemic

UNAIDS board adopts new strategy to end AIDS epidemic
By NAN on October 31, 2015 3:39 pm

Mutated-Strain-of-HIV-that-Leads-to-AIDS-within-3-Yrs-Found-in-CubaThe Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Programme Coordinating Board on Friday adopted a new strategy to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.
This is contained in a statement issued by the agency at the end of the board’s 37th meeting in Geneva.
It stated that the UNAIDS 2016–2021 Strategy is one of the first in the UN system to be aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs).
The SDGs is a framework for global development policy over the next 15 years, including ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
It added that the strategy maps out the UNAIDS Fast-Track approach to accelerate the AIDS response over the next five years to reach critical HIV prevention and treatment targets and achieve zero discrimination.
Members of the Board from across all regions called the strategy bold, ambitious, yet achievable and praised the highly inclusive and consultative process to develop it.
In his opening address, Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, described the strategy as an urgent call to front-load investment and to increase financing for HIV prevention.
Sidibé also said that the strategy would ensure that the health of the 22 million people living with HIV who are not yet accessing treatment are protected.
He said that the strategy would be an instrument for social justice and dignity.
The director said:”Our transformative strategy pushes us to cover more ground than ever before.
“It obliges us to address the critical linkages between health, injustice, inequality, poverty and conflict.”
The Board also approved UNAIDS’ operational framework and the Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework (UBRAF) for 2016–2021, which will translate the strategy into action at the national, regional and global levels.
It added that the strategy and UBRAF are powerful tools to accelerate the global AIDS response and guide the work of the Joint Programme.
The Board also underlined the importance of innovation and partnership in tackling complex interconnected development and health challenges and stressed that the space the strategy and UNAIDS provides for discussion is unique.
It stated that the board discussed the importance of shared responsibility and global solidarity for an effective, equitable and sustainable HIV response.
NAN reports that it was agreed that the most critical next step for achievement of the SDGs will be to have clarity on the means of implementation.
Representatives of Member States, international organisations, civil society and nongovernmental organisations attended the meeting, which was chaired by David Parirenyatwa, Minister of Health and Child Care of Zimbabwe. Switzerland served as Vice-Chair and Ukraine as Rapporteur.
At the meeting, Switzerland was elected as the 2016 Chair, Ghana as Vice-Chair and Ecuador as Rapporteur.

Agency Arrests Four Boko Haram Suspects In Damaturu

Agency Arrests Four Boko Haram Suspects In Damaturu
By Mohammed Abubakar, Damaturu
The Yobe State Emergency Management
Agency, Executive Secretary, Musa Jidawa, has
confirmed the arrest of four
insurgents who attempted to
enter the Pompomari Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Damaturu.
He disclosed this to newsmen
in Damaturu, the Yobe
State capital.
According to him, two of the suspects
disguised as visitors, who came to see their relations at the camp.
Jidawa further explained that the two others, who came separately after were equally
arrested while trying to gain entry into the camp.
The agency chief however said, “security
operatives and some IDPs
screening entries and exit from
the camp identified the suspects, who were later confirmed as
insurgents by the IDPs from
their communities.”
He also disclosed that the last suspect came to the camp where his father, mother, wife and child
were all taking refuge.
The SEMA chief, while referring to one of the suspects, said, “A member of his Turo Kura village identified the
suspect and raised an alarm,
saying he belongs to the sect and
the suspect’s father, also an IDP at the camp, confirmed it, which led to his arrest.”
The suspect’s father, who
pleaded not to be identified, told journalists that he narrowly
escaped from his son in the village when he targeted to kill him.
The father said, “I have nothing
to do with him; he should be
arrested and killed just like he
killed others.”
The SEMA secretary said the agency had reinforced security
checks and means of
identification to ensure that
non-members do not slip into
the camp.
The Boko Haram members have in the past carried out attacks in IDP camps in the north-eastern states.

DPC Urges Buhari To Swears In Ministers Immediately

DPC Urges Buhari To Swears In Ministers Immediately

DPC Urges Buhari To Swears In Ministers Immediately
The Democratic People’s Congress (DPC) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately swear in his ministers following successful screening and confirmation of their nominations by the Senate.
This is contained in a statement signed by the party’s National Chairman, Mr Olusegun Peters, on Friday in Abuja.
The party said that Nigerians could not wait longer for the ministers to assume duties and support the president in repositioning the country.
“Since one man cannot be an island, the need for collective effort and team work in effective governance cannot be emphasised.
“DPC therefore urges Buhari, in-coming ministers, and indeed, all public office holders, to imbibe team spirit in carrying out their constitutional duties,’’ it stated.
It urged that national interest should at all times supersede partisan politics, mundane consideration and personal interest.
DPC also stated that patriotism should be the watchword in revamping the nation’ s economy, fight against corruption and terrorism.
“It is time to redefine governance and meet the yearnings of impoverished Nigerians, longing for a better and secured nation.
“The task ahead is enormous and calls for diligence, perseverance and managerial acumen,’’ the party added.
It urged Nigerians to embrace the party as the “third leg in the nation’s political tripod.’
“As a mass movement and foremost opposition party, DPC will at all times point the way forward in building a great nation which future generations will be proud of,’’ it said

BEREAVED TENNIS STAR: My Mum’s Killer Must Die Too

BEREAVED TENNIS STAR: My Mum’s Killer Must Die Too
For 14 years old Angel Macleod, October 26, 2010 may remain indelible in her mind for that was the day that a policeman murdered her 38 years old mother, Beauty Nwankwo, at a Lagos hotel.
A rising Chevron tennis star, Angel had returned from Accra, Ghana, the previous day, after participating in a tournament and mother and daughter were lodged at a guest house somewhere at Victoria Island.
Circumstances surrounding the gruesome murder are still shrouded in mystery but reports said that the late Beauty may have had an altercation with the killer mobile policemen and in the scuffle that ensured, the armed man cocked his weapon and fired point blank, killing the woman in cold blood.
Angel is actually yet to come to terms with the development as she still finds it difficult to believe that she will never see her beloved mother again, forever. And to compound her problems, Angel does not really know who her father is, that is if one actually still exists. “I just keep thinking that it’s not true,” Angel cries, noting that, “every time I think about it, I just break down and life feels strange without her. My father is not here. I don’t know where he is. I don’t know who will replace my mother.
“When my mum did not come back the next day, I tried calling her and all of a sudden, my auntie, auntie’s husband, my mother’s friends came to my room and asked If I was okay and I said yes. I asked them where my mum was and they all looked at each other and said that she had gone to the village but was not picking up her phone calls. I said okay. Then every ten minutes, the receptionist would come and ask if I was okay and in case I needed anything, I should come and ask her. It was really strange. I tried to call my mum for the last time but she didn’t pick and I called my auntie to verify if my mum was in the village and she said that she was leaving the village now.
“It was then I knew that something was wrong because my mum can’t just go to the village and be on her way just like that. It takes hours and hours to go the village and she would not go without telling me.”
Apart from her dream to rule the world of tennis, the late mother was all she had. Beauty had prodded her on, leading her to various tournaments both within and outside the country, preparing Angel for a possible role in the future as a tennis star.
“The killer doesn’t deserve to live any minute longer,” Angel said adding that “the only way he can pay for his crime is to pay with his life because what he did was devilish and evil and I can’t believe that a policeman can kill my mother just like that.”
She got the news of the killing a day after the incident and she felt as if the world had come to an end. “We did everything together, went out together, attended tournaments together. She helped me with my studies and was virtually my engine room and I don’t know what I am going to do without her. I don’t know how I will cope without her around me again.”
Still in tears, Angel wants to see the corpse of her mother before burial, “to actually confirm that she is dead.” Then she has another request – to see the policeman who killed her mother. “I am not going to do anything to him. I just want to see who killed my mum,” hopefully before he faces the wrath of the law.
In about three years from now, Angel is expected to go professional, a development which may attract global attention as in fact, she says she is determined to be the Maria Sharapova of African tennis. “Just because my mum died does not mean I am going to stop doing the thing I love most, playing tennis. Since I was a kid, she was the one who brought me into tennis. She always pushed me to struggle harder for success and I am going to keep on fighting. Her death won’t bring my head down as far as tennis is concerned. Her death will push me on because that is her dream for me.”
“I try not to think of it but every day, I get phone calls from people around, in Africa, my mum’s friends, some of the coaches who trained me, contacted me after reading the news. It’s hard not think of it, knowing she died at an early age. She is with me in the spirit.”
-vanguard

Kidnap: Police Free Four Abducted Children, Arrest Two In Bauchi

Kidnap: Police Free Four Abducted Children, Arrest Two In Bauchi
The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested three suspected kidnappers accuse of abducting four children in Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relation Officer of the state Command, DSP Haruna Mohammed who disclosed this in a statement made available to Newsmen on Saturday said the four rescued children have been and re-unite with their family.
He said the arrest of the suspects was due to the proactive action of the anti kidnaping unit of the command.
Mohammed said ” on the 3/10/2015 and 12/10/2015, Gunmen numbering about Seven stormed Yalo Village in Alkaleri LGA and abducted four Children and demanded for One Million Naira as ransom.
“Investigation by the special Anti kidnapping unit of the Command led to the arrest of three suspects and all the victims were rescued safely.
Exhibits recovered from the suspects according to Mohammed include Two face mask and one cutlass.
The Police Spokesman said all the three Suspects were charged to CMC VII Bauchi for prosecution while effort is being intensified to apprehend other fleeing suspects.

27 Die At Romanian Nightclub Firework Blaze

27 Die At Romanian Nightclub Firework Blaze
A blaze started by a firework at a nightclub in Bucharest has killed at least 27 people, with as many as 180 others wounded.
The fire, according to Skynews, unfolded at a Halloween party at the Colectiv club, and up to 400 young revellers were packed into the building’s basement.
It is believed that pyrotechnics used during a live rock concert inside the venue misfired because they were poorly fitted.
The spark ignited an acoustic pillar cased in polystyrene, causing fire to spread to the ceiling and the club to fill up with smoke.
There was only one emergency exit available, and many revellers did not immediately react because they thought the flames were part of the show.
“It took two or three seconds to ignite the whole roof,” Alexandru Alexe told Sky News.
The social activist alleged that “valuable time was lost” as firefighters entered the burning building from the wrong entrance – and also claimed ambulance crews took 30 minutes to arrive after the first emergency call was made.
Teenagers as young as 14 were inside the club when the fire began, and have been treated by specialists.
Overnight, 155 people were being cared for across 10 hospitals – and at one treatment centre, 14 patients are in a critical condition.
Another hospital has nine people in a serious condition, while a third facility has three people in intensive care who suffered severe burns.
The drummer and bassist of the band on stage are among those seriously hurt, it has been reported.
Romanian prime minister Victor Ponta has decreed three days of mourning.
One woman inside the club told Romanian TV there was fire “all over the place”, adding: “I saw people changing their mood from happiness to deep panic.”
Sixty ambulances and fire engines were at the scene, and some victims were being resuscitated on the street outside.
An Interior Ministry spokesman has warned the death toll is likely to rise, and many victims are yet to be identified.
“We have many people with burns, intoxicated with smoke and people squashed,” Raed Arafat added.
One eyewitness said that there was a stampede of people running out of the club after the fire, in one of Bucharest’s worst incidents for decades.
Another added: “People were fainting from the smoke. It was total chaos, people were trampling on each other.”
The country’s president, Klaus Iohannis, has expressed his “complete sympathy and solidarity with the families of those affected”.
Prime Minister Victor Ponta is cutting short a visit to Mexico and flying home in light of the tragedy.
An investigation into the incident has begun, and an emergency meeting of cabinet ministers is taking place this morning.

The owner of the nightclub is helping police with their inquiries.
.Source: Skynews

Court convicts 95 sanitation offenders in Edo

Court convicts 95 sanitation offenders in Edo
By NAN | Publish Date: Oct 31 2015 3:19PM | Updated Date: Oct 31 2015 3:24PM
Court convicts 95 sanitation offenders in Edo
Edo state governor Oshiomole

Two Mobile Courts sitting in Benin on Saturday convicted 95 people for various sanitation offences in the state monthly environmental sanitation exercise.
Chief Magistrate Ihenyen Aigbediofe convicted 60 people at Kilometre 6, while Magistrate Osamudiamen Afe, convicted 35 people at Oredo.
While some were convicted for not participating in the exercise, the others were convicted for wandering and obstructing sanitation officials from discharging their duties.
The presiding Magistrates sentenced the accused persons to various terms of imprisonment or an option of fines of between N5, 000 and N7,000, respectively.
The Chief Prosecution, Mr Pius Oiwoh, advised the people to always obey sanitation laws to avoid conviction.
Mr Yusuf Osagie, the Chairman of the Edo State Committee on Environment, described cleanliness as next to Godliness
Osagie said the punishment would serve as a deterrent to others who deliberately violate sanitation law, adding that the offences contravened the Edo State Sanitation law.
He advised churches to close from their prayer programmes early before the commencement of the exercise.(NAN

Kano Emir Sanusi sued by uncle over demolition

Kano Emir Sanusi sued by uncle over demolition
By Yusha’u A. Ibrahim, Kano | Publish Date: Oct 30 2015 9:29PM | Updated Date: Oct 31 2015 5:09AM
Kano Emir Sanusi sued by uncle over demolition
Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II

A Kano State High Court yesterday issued an interim injunction restraining Emir Muhammadu Sanusi ll from demolishing any historical structure in the palace pending the determination of a substantive application before it.
Sanusi’s uncle, Alhaji Salim Abubakar Bayero, filed the suit challenging alleged plans by the emir to demolish some historical structures in the palace to build offices for district heads. The plaintiff is a grandson of the 10th Emir of Kano, late Sarki Abdullahi Bayero.
“That an order for interim injunction is hereby made restraining Emir Muhammadu Sanusi ll and Kano Emirate Council, the 1st and 2nd dependents in the case from demolishing and/or tampering with any structure in the Kano emir’s palace (Gidan Rumfa) by virtue of being ‘Yan Fulani or Bayin Sarki pending the determination of the substantive application,” said a one-page statement signed by the state director litigation, a copy of which was obtained by Daily Trust.
Other parties in the case are Kano Emirate Council and the state Attorney-General. The plaintiff claims that the emir was bent on demolishing some structures at Ka’iya and Kachako sections as well as the graveyard of some past emirs within the palace. He told the court that the purpose for the demolition was to build offices for district heads, arguing that such action has never happened in the history of Kano where district heads have their offices within the palace.
Abubakar further informed the court that quit notices have already been issued to some occupants of the marked sections by the emir, adding that the demolition would disfigure the entire place. The plaintiff therefore, sought for an order to uphold the custom guiding and regulating the preservation, residing and maintenance of the palace and another declaration that the first and second respondents have no power, authority, right or privilege to destroy, demolish or in any way whatsoever temper with the ancient structures.
Abubakar further sought another declaration restraining the emir and the emirate council from evicting anybody residing within the palace. Justice A.T Badamasi adjourned the case to November 12 for hearing.

Tension in Lagos, as Customs retire 34 officers

Tension in Lagos, as Customs retire 34 officers
By Simon Echewofun Sunday & Eugene Agha, Lagos | Publish Date: Oct 30 2015 9:29PM | Updated Date: Oct 31 2015 5:06
Tension in Lagos, as Customs retire 34 officers
Comptroller General of Customs retired Col Hameed Ali

Thirty-four officers of the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) yesterday vacated their office in the ongoing reorganisation of the Service. Top on the list are five Deputy Comptrollers General, including the erstwhile acting Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), DCG John Atte, who headed the finance department.
NCS spokesman Wale Adeniyi, said in a statement that the reorganisation was one of the core mandates of the new CGC, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd). He said the retirements were part of measures to kick-start the repositioning of the NCS for improved performance.
Daily Trust had exclusively reported the voluntary retirement of the five DCG - Ibrahim Mera, Musa Tahir, Austin Nwosu, AkinadeAdewuyi and Mr. Atte. Three others in the rank of Assistant Comptroller-General were also affected in the re-organisation exercise.
They are Madu Mohammed, Secretary to the Nigeria Customs Board, Victor Gbemudu, Zonal Coordinator Zone ‘A’ and Bello Liman, who was at the headquarters. The statement said the rest are of the rank of comptrollers serving at the headquarters, zonal offices and various area commands.
Meanwhile, palpable tension hovers around the various Lagos and Ogunstates NCS formation over the retirements. At Apapa, PTML, Lilypond, Seme and the Federal Operation units, officers were seen in groups discussing the issue, noting that the full list of those retired was yet to be released.
A senior officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the tension was heightened by the fact that many of the top officers still around were not sure whether their names were on the list or not. He said officers were glued to their computers all through the better part of yesterday expecting to see the list

Liverpool defeat Chelsea 3-1

Liverpool defeat Chelsea 3-1
By . | Publish Date: Oct 31 2015 4:14PM | Updated Date: Oct 31 2015
Liverpool defeat Chelsea 3-1

Philippe Coutinho scored twice as Liverpool came from behind to beat Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge and pile pressure on under-fire manager Jose Mourinho.
The Blues have endured a torrid start to the season – winning just three times – and headed into the game with questions persisting over Mourinho’s future, though Ramires opened the scoring with a fourth minute header.
The Reds hit back, however, with Coutinho curling a brilliant effort past Asmir Begovic from the edge of the box to level the scores prior to half-time.
Coutinho then grabbed his second in the 74th minute, his effort deflecting off John Terry, before Christian Benteke completed the scoring with a low finish from just inside the box 10 minutes later.

Nigeria telcos lose 357, 993 customers, as active subscribers reduce to 150m

Nigeria telcos lose 357, 993 customers, as active subscribers reduce to 150m
By NAN | Publish Date: Oct 31 2015 3:55PM | Updated Date: Oct 31 2015 4:03PMActive lines in the country which was 151,018,624 for the month of August, reduced to 150,660,631 as at September 2015
Nigeria telcos lose 357, 993 customers, as active subscribers reduce to 150m
NCC CEO, Prof Umaru Damabatta

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Saturday said that active lines in the nation’s telecommunications industry reduced to 150,660,631 in the month of September.
The commission made this known in its Monthly Subscriber Data.
Active lines in the country which was 151,018,624 for the month of August, reduced to 150,660,631 as at September 2015.
With the reduction in number, service providers in the industry lost a total of 357,993 subscribers.
According to the data, the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) network which had 148,708,160 in August, was now left with 148,427,043 active customers in September.
The GSM network operators, which comprises of MTN, Airtel, Globacom and Etisalat, lost 276,117 users, in the month under review.
The Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators lost 83,926 active users, as their 2,125,941 customers recorded in the month of August reduced to 2,042,015 in September.
However, the monthly subscriber data showed that the Fixed Wired/Wireless networks’ consumers increased to 191,573 as against 189,523 in August, hence, they added 2,050 customers to their networks in the month of September.
The chart revealed that the teledensity of the country’s telecommunications industry also reduced by .26 per cent, from 107.87 per cent in the month of August, to 107.61 per cent in September.
NAN reports that the teledensity statistics measure the percentage of a country’s population with access to telecommunications services, as determined from the subscriber base.
Nigeria’s teledensity is currently calculated by the NCC on a population of 140 million people.
NAN also reports that the reduction in the number of active subscribers in the month of September is as a result of the instruction given to operators by the NCC in August, to deactivate improperly registered SIM cards. (NAN)

Kogi: Labour orders workers to stay home over non-release of bailout fund

Kogi: Labour orders workers to stay home over non-release of bailout fund
By NAN | Oct 31 2015 5:16PMThe directive is contained in a statement issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), in Lokoja on Saturday.
Kogi: Labour orders workers to stay home over non-release of bailout fund
Kogi governor Wada

Public service workers in Kogi State have been directed to stay off work on Nov. 2 to protest against non-release of bailout funds by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The directive is contained in a statement issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), in Lokoja on Saturday.
The statement, signed by the State Secretary of the NLC, Mr John Faniyi, and his TUC counterpart, Mr Joseph Kolawole, expressed dissatisfaction with the non- release of the N50.8 billion bailout fund due to the state.
``This directive is to serve as protest against the non-release of the money.’’
In the statement, the unions said they were surprised over the silence by the CBN/the Federal Government.
While asking workers to fully comply with the order, the labour unions warned commissioners, permanent secretaries, directors and other categories of senior public offices not to report for work to avoid embarrassment. (NAN)

US offers $250,000 grants for community projects in Nigeria

US offers $250,000 grants for community projects in Nigeria
By Abdullateef Salau | Publish Date: Oct 30 2015 9:29PM | Updated Date: Oct 31 2015
US offers $250,000 grants for community projects in Nigeria
From left: U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Enwistle, presents a certificate of an award to the Project Director, Nature Preservation and Human Development Foundation, Mr Clifford Kekong, at the presentation of small grants by the U.S. Mission in Nigeria to assist groups, neighbourhoods, villages, and communities to help themselves, in Abuja yesterday.. With them is the U.S. Embassy’s Manager of Small Grants Programme, Mrs Olayinka Balogun.

The United States Embassy in Nigeria yesterday awarded $250,000 grants to 35 local Non-Governmental Organisations covering 20 states for community-based projects under the Ambassador’s Small Grants Programme. The programme, according to US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James F. Entwistle, provides one-time small grants to community development projects.
The funds, Entwistle said, is expected to cover projects ranging from construction of classrooms, health clinics, community centres, food processing mills to boreholes and latrines. The funds would also provide economic, nutritional and hygienic needs of some communities affected by HIV/AIDS, he added.
Mrs. Margaret Ologuntoye of the Foundation for Social Justice and Development, who spoke on behalf of the grantees, expressed appreciation to the US government and promised to be transparent and judicious in spending the grants.

'All dead' as Russian plane carrying 224 crashes in Sinai

'All dead' as Russian plane carrying 224 crashes in Sinai
By AFP | Publish Date: Oct 31 2015 3:27PM | Updated Date: Oct 31 2015 3:41PMThe plane with 214 Russian and three Ukranian passengers, and seven crew, had taken off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in the south Sinai bound for Saint Petersburg. It lost contact with air traffic control 23 minutes later.
'All dead' as Russian plane carrying 224 crashes in Sinai

A Russian charter plane carrying 224 people crashed in a mountainous part of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula Saturday, killing all on board, Egyptian security and medical officials said.
The plane with 214 Russian and three Ukranian passengers, and seven crew, had taken off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in the south Sinai bound for Saint Petersburg. It lost contact with air traffic control 23 minutes later.
Egyptian security and medical officials said there were no survivors, and that the bodies of the passengers and debris were spread out over an area of five square kilometres (two square miles).
The Russian embassy in Cairo said: "Unfortunately, all passengers of Kogalymavia flight 9268 Sharm el-Sheikh-Saint Petersburg have died. We issue condolences to family and friends."
The Egyptian government said 15 bodies had been recovered and transferred to a morgue so far.
The wreckage was found roughly 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of the North Sinai town of El-Arish, Egyptian officials said.
There was no official word on the cause of the crash.
State television reported that Prime Minister Ismail Sharif was headed to the accident scene.
The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Moscow's emergency ministry to dispatch rescue teams to Egypt.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his French counterpart Francois Hollande said they had sent their condolences to Moscow.
The Russian emergency ministry published a list of names of the passengers, ranging in age from a 10-month-old girl to a 77-year-old woman.
A senior Egyptian aviation official said the plane was a charter flight operated by a Russian firm, and was flying at an altitude of 30,000 feet when communication was lost.
At Saint Petersburg's Pulkovo airport, anxious family members awaited news of their loved ones.
"I am meeting my parents," said 25-year-old woman, Ella Smirnova, seemingly in shock. "I spoke to them last on the phone when they were already on the plane, and then I heard the news."
"I will keep hoping until the end that they are alive, but perhaps I will never see them again."
A senior Egyptian air traffic control official said the pilot told him in their last communication that he was having trouble with the radio system.
Russian aviation official Sergei Izvolsky told Interfax news agency that the plane operated by Russian carrier Kogalymavia had departed Sharm el-Sheikh at 5:51 am (0351 GMT).
He said the Airbus 321 did not make contact as expected with air traffic controllers in Cyprus.
- Communication lost -
"Communication was lost today with the Airbus 321 of Kogalymavia which was carrying out flight 9268 from Sharm el-Sheikh to Saint Petersburg," Izvolsky told Russian television networks.
"The plane departed Sharm el-Sheikh with 217 passengers and seven crew members. At 7:14 Moscow time the crew was scheduled to make contact with... Larnaca (Cyprus). However, this did not happen and the plane disappeared from the radar screens."
The flight was scheduled to land at Saint Petersburg at 0912 GMT, he said.
Kogalymavia, which operates under the name Metrojet, says on its website it has two A320 planes and seven A321s, and that it transported 779,626 passengers in the first nine months of 2015, according to the Russian aviation agency Rosaviatsia.
Russia has a dismal air safety record, with charter operators often under pressure to book to capacity on ageing jets in a bid to cut costs. Kogalymavia is a small regional carrier that flies mostly international charter services.
Russia's regional airlines are especially notorious, and the crash is likely to raise renewed concerns about the safety of air travel in a country where experts have sounded the alarm over the ageing fleet of passenger jets.
The last major commercial airliner crash in Egypt happened in 2004, when a Flash Airlines Boeing 737 plunged into the Red Sea after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh.
The 148 people aboard that flight, most of whom were French, were killed.
Millions of tourists, many of them Russian, visit the resort, one of Egypt's major attractions for holidaymakers looking for pristine beaches and scuba diving.
It and other resorts dotting the Red Sea coast are heavily secured by the military and police, as an Islamist militant insurgency rages in the north of the peninsula, which borders Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Militants in the north who pledged allegiance to the jihadist Islamic State group have killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen since the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Hardship, wickedness of neighbours pushed me into robbery, says suspect

Hardship, wickedness of neighbours pushed me into robbery, says suspect

Hardship, wickedness of neighbours pushed me into robbery, says suspect

ONE of three armed robbery suspects paraded by the police in Lagos, Babatunde Segun, aged 21, who resides in Ayobo, a suburb of Lagos, has confessed that wickedness and selfishness of neighbours and people he met in Lagos pushed him to armed robbery. The unending hardship that wheelbarrow pushers go through in the course of daily duties was another factor, he added.
His accomplices are Bala Mohammed, 19, and Toheed Ashimiyu, 18, from Lafenwa community in Ogun State.
According to the police, the three-man gang were wheelbarrow pushers before they allegedly embraced armed robbery for quick money. They specialised in tearing down the mosquito nets on windows and doors of victims who are mostly tenants in ‘face me I face you’ rooms, one bedroom and parlour arrangement, rooms with facilities en suite called ‘self-contained apartment’, one-bedroom flats, two-bedroom flats, three-bedroom flats and shops.
The police also revealed that the alleged robbers usually cart away moveable items like expensive phones, laptops, ipad, gold necklace, money in cash, ATM cards, wristwatches, gold rings, expensive shoes, clean good shirts and pairs of trousers, canvas shoes and sandals.
The source added that the three suspects operated on October 15 at about 3.30 a.m. at Johnson Joseph and Akinlade Streets in the Ashipa area of Ayobo, Lagos. When they reportedly turned into a nuisance with incessant armed robbery criminal activities, the officers and men of Ayobo Police Division captured one of the suspects and transferred him to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Further investigations by operatives of SARS led to the arrest of two other suspects, Babatunde and Bala. All made confessional statements and would soon be charged to court, said the source.
Exhibits recovered from them include a pair of scissors, cutlass, razor blades and two cellphones.
Explaining the role he played in the affair, the first suspect Babatunde said: “It is the wickedness and selfishness of our neighbours and the kind of people we met in Lagos, including hardship that we go through everyday in doing our ‘barrow pushing and the harassment we are subjected to every day by different Task Force who either ask us to pay costly ticket , and outright seizure of our ‘barrow sometimes that pushed us into armed robbery business. If you are hungry, nobody is ready to listen to you not to talk of helping you with a loaf of bread.”
The second suspect, Bala, said: “We are not armed robbers. We don’t carry guns. We carry cutlass just to force victims to submit whenever they want to attack us. Normally, our victims do not know that we are operating because we do it quietly. It’s only those who don’t sleep deeply that see us sometimes and we run away without challenging them. We don’t even like to do anything that can awaken them to avoid alerting neighbours that we are operating.”
The third suspect, Toheed, said: “My brothers refused to help me so I decided to push ‘barrow to do ‘kaya’ work at Alaba International Market area and other areas I could get load to carry.”
It was the Indian hemp that we normally smoke before we start work and at close of work that made me to join Babatunde and Bala to form net-tearing gang. I had wanted to stop but the phones and money we used to get in every operation made net-tearing work better than ‘barrow pushing.”

LAGOS ON RED ALERT

LAGOS ON RED ALERT

LAGOS ON RED ALERT
•VI, Ikoyi residents fret over reports of aborted bomb attack
•Govt, police allay Boko Haram fears, say no cause for alarm
Things are no longer at ease for most residents of Lagos, particularly those who live in the highbrow estates that pimple the city. Their fears follow a recent revelation by operatives of the Directorate of State Security (DSS) that Boko Haram insurgents were plotting to bomb some highbrow residential estates in the state.
The revelation, which came on the heels of the recent surge in the activities of the deadly sect in Borno, Adamawa and other North-East states and the arrest of 45 suspected members of the sect identified by the DSS as the brains behind the deadly plot, has created panic among residents.
Investigations conducted by our correspondents revealed that residents of high brow estates in Ikoyi, Lekki and Victoria Island areas of Lagos were visibly shaken by the development and were doing whatever they could to guard against any ugly trend.
According to information gathered, the executive of the residents’ association of Ikoyi and Victoria Island under the aegis of Victoria Island and Ikoyi Security Trust (VIISET) are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to forestall any attack. They had therefore held series of meetings in this regard.

A top member of the group, who attended one of such meetings held during the week, told one of our correspondents that the reported plot by suspected insurgents to bomb the high brow settlements had sent jitters down the spines of the residents.
He said that one of the immediate measures being considered by the security group was to send people who hawk in traffic away from the axis.
He said: “There is no way one would hear such an unpleasant story and handle it with levity. We were alarmed and seriously disturbed when we heard the news.
“But I must say that we are not leaving any stone unturned in our determination to make sure that terrorists don’t succeed in wreaking havoc in any part of Ikoyi and Victoria Island.
“We know that the security agencies are on top of the situation and are doing their best to provide security for the generality of the people, but we would not leave it to them alone.
“We are also looking at what we the residents can do to make sure the security of lives and property is guaranteed.
“I must confess to you that we have come up with a number of measures that would enhance our security. One of these measures is to send all the people that are hawking in traffic in the entire area packing. It is very easy for a terrorist to mingle with them and wreak havoc without anybody suspecting him.
“By the time we rid the roads of these guys, the coast would be clear and one would be able to monitor the movement of motorists and other passersby. The move may appear callous but we cannot sacrifice our security on the altar of being nice to these guys.”
The Executive Secretary of VIISET, Alhaji Abdulazeez Muse, said the body was working round the clock to make sure that lives and property of residents were safe.
He said: “We often hold meetings to brief our members about the security situation in the area. We also have formal relationship with security agents.
“From time to time, we do call the police to draw their attention to dark spots. We also urge our members to constantly observe their environments and report back to us.
“We are working on having a database for every resident in the area, and that would be rounded off as soon as possible.”
He added that the efforts to rid the axis of street hawkers have nothing to do with Boko Haram’s plot.
“It has been an ongoing thing and has nothing to do with the issue of Boko Haram. It is part of our general efforts to bring sanity to the area. We have always worked with the local government authorities to raid these people and bring sanity to our environment,” he said.
Checks on estates like Dolphin, Osborne, Victoria Garden City (VGC) and Oniru, among others, revealed that residents have beefed up security in and around the estates to ward off danger.
At Dolphin Estate, for instance, checks showed that one of the gates leading into the area is now under lock and key since the threat to its security was reported last week. A resident, who did not want his name in print, told The Nation that it was imperative for them to beef up security to make sure no terrorist attack happens in the area.
The resident said: “We have actually stepped up our security arrangement, but they may not be visible to people out there. What we have now is totally different from what we had before now. We are not taking the report likely because whatever is capable of threatening human lives cannot be treated with kid gloves.
“With the new security arrangement on ground, we monitor everybody that comes in and moves out of the estate both on foot and in vehicles. This is the much I can tell you because it is not proper to let out our security plans on the pages of a newspaper. The arrangement is top secret which every responsible member of the estate should keep to his heart.”
An official of the estate’s residents’ association, who pleaded anonymity, said the association had always given the matter of security the priority before now, adding that the revelation of a plot by Boko Haram to bomb highbrow estates had led to a better security arrangement by the estate.
“Even before now, we have always treated security matters with all seriousness. So, this latest revelation has only made us to increase our efforts and put in place more measures that will prevent any attack by any group,” the official said.
A female resident of Osborne Estate said she had been fear-stricken since the matter was reported last week.
She said: “I have not been sleeping with my two eyes closed since last weekend when the issue was reported. My fear stems from the fact that there is no security arrangement that you can put in place that can stop bomb explosion.
“I am not sure there is any technological device in place to stop bomb explosion. In the last one week, I have been preoccupied with the thought of the safety of my children when they go to school. Whenever they are not back when they should, I would be apprehensive and keep calling. If a tyre bursts anywhere around, your blood pressure will shoot up because you would think it is bomb. This past week has been full of anxiety for me because of the news. The whole thing is better imagined than experienced.”
Another resident, who identified himself as Benjamin, says although he appreciates the efforts of the various residents’ associations to beef up security in the area, he would rather put his confidence in divine security.
He said: “The various associations are doing well by working round the clock to upgrade the security arrangement in the area and I really give them kudos for their efforts.
“But I must say that every human security arrangement, no matter how solid, can be breached. This is my firm belief, and developments around the world and even here in Nigeria attest to this fact.
“For this reason, I will rather look up to God for my security than putting my confidence in human arrangement, which is susceptible to all manner of manipulations. It is worrisome that many security providers even compromise at times because of pecuniary gains.”
For Femi, a resident of Victoria Island, Lagos, moving out of the area is not an option to the challenge posed by the threat. Beyond beefing up security in the axis, he advised that security agencies should spread their dragnets across the state to make sure that people with ulterior motives are flushed out.
He said: “Moving out of the environment is not an option at all because security threat is all over the country. The problem shouldn’t be the concern of those of us living in Lekki, Victoria Island and Ikoyi alone; iIt is a challenge that the entire state should rise up to.
“Before the report last week that there was a plot to bomb this area, there had been reports about the arrest of Boko Haram members in different areas on the mainland. So, if everybody begins to move when such developments are reported, where would they all be running to at the end of the day?
“This simply tells us that nowhere is safe from the threat, and the earlier we begin to look at a collective solution the better for us. If you secure the island and leave the mainland without security, you will find out that the area you consider secure will eventually not be safe.
“I want to appeal to the state government to come up with fresh security arrangement to secure the entire state. We must not wait to have Sambisa forest where people can be kidnapped and kept before we start doing something. The police, army and other security agencies should immediately be sent out to comb shady areas across the state.
Oniru Estate
At Oniru Estate, an upscale neighbourhood on the Lekki-Ere Expressway, most of the residents who spoke to The Nation said they were aware of the reported threat by Boko Haram insurgents to bomb parts of Lagos.
The Chief Security Officer of the estate, Mr. Julius Bamidele, said: “We are well aware of Boko Haram and other kinds of security threats. We are constantly on patrol doing different kinds of security checks around the estate.
“A few days ago, we did a clampdown on all empty plots of land and uncompleted buildings on the estate, since these are the likely places that hoodlums could take advantage of. We have evicted those who are squatting in such uncompleted buildings and we have stepped up security consciousness in such areas.
“We are also constantly studying any possible loophole. Oniru Estate, as you can see, is gated. We do not have loose roads. We will intensify efforts to have only one entrance throughout the estate.
“For now, we are liaising with the police to beef up security on the estate. While we have not had such negative indices in this estate, we are calling on the Lagos State Government to intensify security on the expressway around us. Incidents of early morning robbery have been regularly reported, especially in traffic. This has become rampant and also recent. We need more RRS presence.”
Also speaking, the administrator at White Oak Preparatory School, Mrs Dayo Ade, said authorities of the school place high premium on security matters.
She said: “We have always been vigilant with our safety rules. Like you saw, the whole place is under security surveillance. We are on the alert. We are constantly regulating our procedures and we are also liaising with others in the estate on furthering security measures.”
The Nation also observed that authorities of the British International School, located on Oniru Estate, had stepped up security checks around the institution, with latest security gadgets used to frisk visitors.
Speaking on the new measures, the Protocol Officer of the school, Gbolahan Farri, said: “We have our own standard access procedure which we follow very strictly. We believe that our access procedure could checkmate whatever infiltration there could be.
“We have different levels of security in place to withhold all kinds of threats. Obviously, we are well prepared. Our external security body is well trained and equipped and knows what to look out for. Around the estate generally, there is general alertness.”
A resident, who identified himself as Dami, said most residents of the estate feel secured. He described the security measures put in place by the residents’ association as impregnable.
Lagos urges residents to remain calm
In its reaction to the threat, the Lagos State Government urged residents of the state to remain calm but vigilant. The state government, in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, expressed confidence in the combined efforts of the DSS, police and other security agencies to keep the state free of terror attacks. He also vowed that the government would not relent in its constitutional duty to ensure the safety of lives and property across the state.
He said: “Our appeals go to all schools, housing estates, religious houses, markets and shopping complexes, hotels and restaurants and sporting arenas to take issues of security and personal safety more seriously these days and to work with both the government and security agencies in promptly reporting any persons with suspicious activities or unusual gatherings that may compromise security. Care must also be taken in how domestic servants and house aides are employed.”
The spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr Joe Offor, told The Nation: “The Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Oowoseni, has held several meetings with community leaders, leaders of the Arewa community and the leadership of various transport unions. The essence of the interactions is to sensitise people on the need to be wary of suspected members of the terrorist group.
“I want to tell you that the initiative has yielded result with the arrest of some suspected Boko Haram members in parts of the state. Members of the Arewa community were able to identify some of the suspects and we discovered that those arrested had earlier been declared wanted for participating in terrorist acts in Adamawa and Yobe states. They have since been repatriated to the states to face the wrath of the law.
“We did not parade them because of the sensitive nature of their case, in order not to create panic in the minds of the residents. The Lagos State Police Command is on top of the situation and we will arrest any Boko Haram member anywhere they try to hide in Lagos. We are quietly but seriously proactive in forestalling the influx of insurgents into a cosmopolitan state like Lagos.’’
The police spokesman also admonished residents to feel free to work with the police in combating crimes, including terrorism, by reporting strange or queer elements in the society.
He said: “People should feel free to report any act of suspicion or people with questionable character and we shall take care of the situation. We have had cases like that when people reported the suspicious movement of some persons and we discovered after profiling them to be criminals.
“Therefore, security is not a matter of choice but a necessity. Hence, everyone must be involved in the process to ensure law and order in the society. And I want to use the opportunity to appeal to members of the public not to panic, but to have confidence in the police in our battle against acts of terrorism and other heinous crimes in Lagos.”
Security experts speak
Following the rise in the spate of arrests of suspected Boko Haram members outside the northern parts of the country, particularly the north east believed to be their stronghold, security experts have warned that the southern part of the country could be the sect’s next target.
Former Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olayinka Balogun, said: “Terrorism is an advanced form of other crimes. Currently, security agencies are doing their best, but they should prop up the machineries to fight crimes. There is a need for adequate government support, provision of more equipment, raising intelligence gathering with little seriousness added to it.
“Let the Nigeria Immigration Service also help by launching massive manhunt for illegal immigrants as well as preventing the influx of unlawful aliens to Lagos. That way, the insurgents would be prevented from gaining access into Lagos or any other parts of the South West.”
Dr. Dipo Okeyomi, an international security consultant, described the insurgents as a crop of people who have fallen and would not mind pulling others down.
He said: “With the level of bombardment that the terrorists have suffered in the hands of the military in recent times, their next line of action would be to shift base. In shifting base, the next place they would have in mind would be the south. They would be all out to attack the south so that their desire of setting the country on fire could be achieved.
“This is why it is urgent for governors in the entire southern part of the country to put sentiments aside and work together to flush the insurgents out of the zone. We should not in any way deceive ourselves by thinking that they are not already in the south. They are here and have mixed with the people. But they can be fished out if proactive steps are taken by the security operatives.”
Advising the residents of highbrow estates in Lagos, he said: “There is an urgent need for them to beef up security in their areas. They must put modern technological devices that can detect bombs and other dangerous weapons from afar.
“They should engage the services of experienced security experts who would be on surveillance 24/7, feeding the authorities with developments.
“Aside from that, they could also employ private police to monitor security situations in the area. Adequate attention must be paid to commercial motorcyclists from the north, because it is easy for these insurgents to mix with them and use the opportunity to unleash terror on innocent people.
“Residents themselves should not keep quiet whenever they observe any strange person or developments around them.”
Okada riders on the alert
Also, as part of the efforts to check any planned influx by suspected Boko Haram members into Lagos, the leadership of the association of commercial motorcycles operators in the state, under the aegis of Motorcycle Operators Association of Lagos State (MOALS), has commenced new regulations among its members to ensure that only trusted and responsible people are allowed to operate.
A chieftain of MOALS at the headquarters of the association in Abule Egba area of Lagos State, who pleaded anonymity, said the association was aware of the threat posed by Boko Haram and had put measures in place to check it.
He said: “We are not unaware that some Boko Haram members who fled the North-East as a result of the intensity of the ongoing battle against terrorism by the security forces are moving into the southwest states, including Lagos, hence, circumspection is being deployed in taking new commercial motorcyclists of northern extraction into our fold.
“As a rule, new members are taken based on recommendation. We also ensure that we ascertain where they live before accepting them as members in order to discourage fleeing terrorists from infiltrating our parks. We are monitoring our members as well as new members of northern origin to discourage fleeing insurgents from disguising as okada riders in order to perpetrate evil.”
Another chieftain of the association in Oja Oba Area of Orile Agege, who spoke in confidence, said the Lagos State Police Command had given okada riders some security tips to stave off any act of terror.
He said: “We have many northerners as members, but we have been told during an interactive session with the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State to look out for strange objects or items around our parks. We have been told that such items may be explosive devices being disguised as refuse or disused objects. We were warned not to pick or move such items, but to inform the nearest police division.”
Arewa youths speak
Reacting to the arrest and arraignment of the suspects, the Chairman, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Comrade Shettima Yerima, said: “The suspects should be tried and convicted if found guilty. It is time we started doing things the way they should be done. Everybody has realised that the group is a threat to our national security and existence.”
He, however, allayed the fears of the people that commercial motorcyclists of northern extraction could be used to unleash terror in Lagos State. Such insinuation is not right and it is very unfair to us,” he said.
“We, the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, in conjunction with Arewa Council of Chiefs, under the leadership of Alhaji Aminu Yaro and other northern groups, have been doing everything possible to make sure that every northerner in the state is on our register.
“We do take the inventory of every person that comes into the state and have mandated our people not to harbour anybody without taking his inventory. Our coordinators are always moving around to apprehend strangers and hand them over to the law enforcement agents. We have, by this effort, curbed criminality everywhere you find our people. This is why there is no tension and panic everywhere you find our people.
“Terrorism is a collective problem and that is how all of us must see it. We should no longer see it as a northern problem. We should therefore work together to expose the perpetrators.”

Obama to drop Burundi from trade benefits program

Obama to drop Burundi from trade benefits program

President Barack Obama notified the United States Congress on Friday that he plans to drop Burundi from the African Growth and Opportunity Act trade benefits program as from January 1 next year because of violence related to a political crisis in the country.
“In particular, the continuing crackdown on opposition members, which has included assassinations, extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and torture, have worsened significantly during the election campaign that returned President (Pierre) Nkurunziza to power earlier this year,” Reuters quoted Obama as saying in a letter to Congress.

Russian plane crashes in Egypt

Russian plane crashes in Egypt

Egyptian authorities have confirmed the crash of a Russian plane carrying more than 200 people in the central Sinai Peninsula of the country.
The office of Prime Minister Sharif Ismail confirmed the crash in a statement on Saturday.
According to the Civil Aviation ministry, the search and rescue teams have found the site of the crashed Russian passenger plane in the Hassana area, south of Arish, Sinai.
The ministry said the plane was at an altitude of 9,450m when it vanished from radar screens.
It was learnt that the pilot of the plane requested clearance for an emergency landing at Cairo airport due to a technical malfunction.