Tuesday 21 January 2014
ACT OF DISOBEDINCE
ABUJA — Members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the House of Representatives, yesterday, vowed to disobey a court order restraining them from effecting leadership changes in the House today.
Rising from an emergency meeting late evening, the lawmakers said they would change the House leadership today, barring any last minute change of decision, upon the plurality attained by the party after the defection of 37 members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the APC last December.
The legislators insisted that the court order did not come to them as a surprise because they had prior knowledge of its outcome.
The ruling PDP had on January 7, filed a suit seeking an order to stop APC lawmakers from making any leadership change in the House.
Joined in the suit were the Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, his deputy, Emeka Ihedioha, House Leader Mulikat Akande-Adeola, her deputy Leo Ogor and Chief Whip, Isiaka Bawa, among other principal officers.
Justice Adeiyi Ademola in entertaining the case, yesterday, issued an order restraining the principal officers and other lawmakers from making any leadership change, by maintaining the status quo ante.
However, APC Representatives rejected the court verdict.
An APC lawmaker, Rep Ali Sani Madaki from Kano State, who attended yesterday’s meeting told Vanguard that the court lacked the jurisdiction to issue such an order, describing it as “a black market judgement.”
He said: “Hopefully, we will make the changes today at plenary since we now have the majority and are expecting more members to join us.
“Yes, the order has been issued, but our decision is that we will not accept this black market judgement.”
“This is illegal, and as lawmakers we won’t accept any illegality. This will not be accepted anywhere in the world.”
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/01/apc-members-vow-disobey-court-leadership-changes-house-reps/#sthash.wZ3XRWFQ.dpuf
General Gusau To Become New Minister of Defence, Source Says
General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, a former Chief of Army Staff and several times National Security Adviser, has accepted an offer by President Goodluck Jonathan to become Nigeria’s next Minister of Defence.
With this development, Gusau will fill a portfolio that has been vacant since Jonathan sacked Dr. Halliru Mohammed Bello on 22nd June, 2012.
A competent source close to General Gusau confirmed to SaharaReporters that he accepted the offer after extensive consultations with his family, associates and other interests.
The source added that the general’s name and those of other ministerial nominees will soon be forwarded to the Senate as is the normal practice, for confirmation.
The source said, “He has accepted and now ready and soon, you will hear the whole story. He has accepted to work for the interest of the country and for no any political or personal interests. This is what you should know please.”
The source refused to answer further questions, instead saying SaharaReporters should pose them to the 71 year old retired military officer from Zamfara State directly.
Gusau’s nomination puts to rest suggestions that the former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur could become the Minister of Defence, following comments by President Jonathan that he will give Tukur tough assignments.
Insiders within security cycles say Gusau’s main focus will be to work towards containing the Boko Haram insurgency and repositioning the Nigerian armed forces and security organizations on the basis of his vast experience, contacts and industry.
With this development, Gusau will fill a portfolio that has been vacant since Jonathan sacked Dr. Halliru Mohammed Bello on 22nd June, 2012.
A competent source close to General Gusau confirmed to SaharaReporters that he accepted the offer after extensive consultations with his family, associates and other interests.
The source added that the general’s name and those of other ministerial nominees will soon be forwarded to the Senate as is the normal practice, for confirmation.
The source said, “He has accepted and now ready and soon, you will hear the whole story. He has accepted to work for the interest of the country and for no any political or personal interests. This is what you should know please.”
The source refused to answer further questions, instead saying SaharaReporters should pose them to the 71 year old retired military officer from Zamfara State directly.
Gusau’s nomination puts to rest suggestions that the former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur could become the Minister of Defence, following comments by President Jonathan that he will give Tukur tough assignments.
Insiders within security cycles say Gusau’s main focus will be to work towards containing the Boko Haram insurgency and repositioning the Nigerian armed forces and security organizations on the basis of his vast experience, contacts and industry.
JEGA TO NIGERIANS....................2015 elections won’t be perfect – Jega??
Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, yesterday, asked Nigerians not to expect next year’s general elections to be perfect.He said that the time- table for the election would be released this week.He spoke when the United States Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. James Enwhistle paid him a courtesy visit at the INEC’s headquarters in Abuja.“We are not promising a perfect election in 2015, but we are confident that we will do our best,” he said, but added that the conduct of the election would be better than than the 2011 polls.He further stated that the commission would embark on a retreat this week during which the commissioners would prepare: time-table for the 2015 polls; budget for the continuous voter registration to be conducted later this year and address other issues that are relevant to the forth-coming polls.According to Jega, the commission had taken steps to ensure credible polls.He cited improved staff training and re-organisation as some of the steps taken by INEC to ensure that the 2015 elections were free and fair.Said he:”We have also embarked on strategic planning and improved our relationship with our development partners.“It is our responsibility under the Electoral Act to do voter education and even political education generally. But it has always been challenging because the resources available to discharge that responsibility are usually insufficient, given the enormity of the task of dealing with a large illiterate population and getting them really understand what to do, not only during voting but also on the larger issues of choosing good candidates and so on. So there is a lot of things the CSOs can do.”
NIGERIA IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.......Gay-Marriage Law: US threatens to sanction Nigeria
Abuja—Leading western countries piled pressure on the Federal government, yesterday, following President Goodluck Jonathan’s signing of the Same-Sex Prohibition Act 2014. The latest country is the United States of America, whose Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle threatened that the United States will scale down its support for HIV/AIDS and anti-malaria programmes in response to the Federal Government’s position on the gay rights issue.
Member countries of the European Union and Canada have expressed their objection to the law but United States Ambassador to Nigeria said he was worried about “the implications of the anti-same sex marriage law which seems to restrict the fundamental rights of a section of the Nigerian population.”
This came as a former Nigerian Ambassador to US, Dahiru Suleiman, yesterday, described homosexuality and lesbianism as “animalistic and degrading to humanity.”
Also yesterday Christians in the northern part of Nigeria under the aegis of Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 northern states an Abuja, hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for signing into law the anti-gay bill, urging him to ignore criticisms from Western nations, saying all religions in the country are united in their condemnation of same-sex marriage.
In a reaction to the recent move of government to outlaw homosexuality from this country, the Public Relations Officer of Northern CAN, Elder Sunday Oibe told Vanguard that Christians from the North and their counterparts in other religions have unanimously expressed gratitude to the president and the National Assembly for passing the Anti-Same Sex Marriage despite opposition from Europe and the US.
Speaking to news men in Abuja, yesterday, the American envoy said his interpretation of the new law was that “it could negatively affect the nation’s fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic”. Although the US envoy denied that his country plans to impose sanctions on Nigeria, he said: “We and other donors are looking at the issue of funding for HIV/AIDS. As you know, we put millions of dollars in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
“Although I am not a lawyer, I read the bill and it seems to me that it may put some restrictions on what we can do to help fight HIV/AIDS in this country. These are the issues we are looking at as we consider the law.”
The signing of the Same sex Prohibition Act by President Jonathan on January 7, 2014 has provoked negative reactions from member countries of EU, Canada and now the United States all of whom have alleged that the law is a violation of the fundamental human rights of Nigerians with same sex orientation.
Ambassador Entwistle said he was aware that “the issue of same-sex marriage was very controversial all over the world, including within the United States where 17 states out of 50 had endorsed it, but others still reject its legality”. According to him, “the issue that we see and I am speaking as a friend of Nigeria is that as I read the bill, it looks to me that it puts significant restrictions on the freedoms of assembly and expression; in my opinion which applies especially in advanced democracies, once government begins to say something in these areas, freedom no longer applies. It seems to me that this is a very worrisome precedent.”
Anti-gay diplomacy
A lecturer at Covenant University, Professor Kayode Soremekun said: “What is happening demonstrates the low level that the US treats its relation with Nigeria”.
He said every Nigerian should feel insulted that the US is threatening to stop assisting us on areas where we have the resources and human capacity to contend.
Said Professor Soremekun, “even when the West had their misgivings about Russia’s anti-gay law, they have not gone threatening them with sanctions and punitive action. We are not reckoned with in the international arena where we are getting assistance for HIV/AIDS, Malaria treatment drugs, polio virus crusade among other mundane issues”.
He continued: ”Nigeria is still a conservative society and the anti-gay law has united the ruling class and Nigerians outside government at this level of our national development. The US and its EU partners should be discussing serious issues; the leadership showed pro-activeness in trying to save the society from getting exposed to practices that are antithetical to our culture.
“We should be focussing on the items on the Bi-National Commission between both countries, but these threats show that we are nonentity in global arena. When the US is discussing with Iran on nuclear issues, they are threatening us on mundane issues”.
According to Soremekun, “we should be able to make the US and its EU allies realise that they cannot go to China to dictate their laws. China is still a communist country and they are falling over them selves to go to China and do business. We should make them realise what General Abacha did when he opened the door to China and Asian countries in the 1990s.”
Propaganda war
Vanguard learnt that the US is committing “substantial” resources to fund the emergence of gay clubs and advocacy groups across Nigeria.
The Canadian Government had cancelled a planned state visit by President Jonathan which had been scheduled for next month. The Canadian government’s action which came within a week after the bill was signed into law is widely believed to be that country’s reaction to the President’s action of assenting to the bill which has so far enjoyed popular support in the country.
Homosexualism, lesbianism animalistic.
However, former Ambassador Suleiman, yesterday, described homosexuality and lesbianism as animalistic acts, degrading to humanity. Suleiman served as Nigerian envoy in several countries, including Pakistan, Brazil, Angola, United States of America, Ivory Coast, Poland, Australia and Sudan, among others.
Reacting to US threat of sanctions against Nigeria over the anti-gay law, Suleiman stressed the need for Nigerian leaders not to be dependent on foreign assistance for governance.
He said: “Homosexuality and lesbianism are offences against God; if any body wants to do it, he should do so secretly. It is not only animalistic but diminishes mankind.”
“If it is the money the US gives to us, let them keep the money. Nigeria is rich enough to take care of her people unlike other countries.”
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/01/gay-marriage-law-us-threatens-sanction-nigeria/#sthash.hr6l2u9q.dpuf
Member countries of the European Union and Canada have expressed their objection to the law but United States Ambassador to Nigeria said he was worried about “the implications of the anti-same sex marriage law which seems to restrict the fundamental rights of a section of the Nigerian population.”
This came as a former Nigerian Ambassador to US, Dahiru Suleiman, yesterday, described homosexuality and lesbianism as “animalistic and degrading to humanity.”
Also yesterday Christians in the northern part of Nigeria under the aegis of Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 northern states an Abuja, hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for signing into law the anti-gay bill, urging him to ignore criticisms from Western nations, saying all religions in the country are united in their condemnation of same-sex marriage.
In a reaction to the recent move of government to outlaw homosexuality from this country, the Public Relations Officer of Northern CAN, Elder Sunday Oibe told Vanguard that Christians from the North and their counterparts in other religions have unanimously expressed gratitude to the president and the National Assembly for passing the Anti-Same Sex Marriage despite opposition from Europe and the US.
Speaking to news men in Abuja, yesterday, the American envoy said his interpretation of the new law was that “it could negatively affect the nation’s fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic”. Although the US envoy denied that his country plans to impose sanctions on Nigeria, he said: “We and other donors are looking at the issue of funding for HIV/AIDS. As you know, we put millions of dollars in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
“Although I am not a lawyer, I read the bill and it seems to me that it may put some restrictions on what we can do to help fight HIV/AIDS in this country. These are the issues we are looking at as we consider the law.”
The signing of the Same sex Prohibition Act by President Jonathan on January 7, 2014 has provoked negative reactions from member countries of EU, Canada and now the United States all of whom have alleged that the law is a violation of the fundamental human rights of Nigerians with same sex orientation.
Ambassador Entwistle said he was aware that “the issue of same-sex marriage was very controversial all over the world, including within the United States where 17 states out of 50 had endorsed it, but others still reject its legality”. According to him, “the issue that we see and I am speaking as a friend of Nigeria is that as I read the bill, it looks to me that it puts significant restrictions on the freedoms of assembly and expression; in my opinion which applies especially in advanced democracies, once government begins to say something in these areas, freedom no longer applies. It seems to me that this is a very worrisome precedent.”
Anti-gay diplomacy
A lecturer at Covenant University, Professor Kayode Soremekun said: “What is happening demonstrates the low level that the US treats its relation with Nigeria”.
He said every Nigerian should feel insulted that the US is threatening to stop assisting us on areas where we have the resources and human capacity to contend.
Said Professor Soremekun, “even when the West had their misgivings about Russia’s anti-gay law, they have not gone threatening them with sanctions and punitive action. We are not reckoned with in the international arena where we are getting assistance for HIV/AIDS, Malaria treatment drugs, polio virus crusade among other mundane issues”.
He continued: ”Nigeria is still a conservative society and the anti-gay law has united the ruling class and Nigerians outside government at this level of our national development. The US and its EU partners should be discussing serious issues; the leadership showed pro-activeness in trying to save the society from getting exposed to practices that are antithetical to our culture.
“We should be focussing on the items on the Bi-National Commission between both countries, but these threats show that we are nonentity in global arena. When the US is discussing with Iran on nuclear issues, they are threatening us on mundane issues”.
According to Soremekun, “we should be able to make the US and its EU allies realise that they cannot go to China to dictate their laws. China is still a communist country and they are falling over them selves to go to China and do business. We should make them realise what General Abacha did when he opened the door to China and Asian countries in the 1990s.”
Propaganda war
Vanguard learnt that the US is committing “substantial” resources to fund the emergence of gay clubs and advocacy groups across Nigeria.
The Canadian Government had cancelled a planned state visit by President Jonathan which had been scheduled for next month. The Canadian government’s action which came within a week after the bill was signed into law is widely believed to be that country’s reaction to the President’s action of assenting to the bill which has so far enjoyed popular support in the country.
Homosexualism, lesbianism animalistic.
However, former Ambassador Suleiman, yesterday, described homosexuality and lesbianism as animalistic acts, degrading to humanity. Suleiman served as Nigerian envoy in several countries, including Pakistan, Brazil, Angola, United States of America, Ivory Coast, Poland, Australia and Sudan, among others.
Reacting to US threat of sanctions against Nigeria over the anti-gay law, Suleiman stressed the need for Nigerian leaders not to be dependent on foreign assistance for governance.
He said: “Homosexuality and lesbianism are offences against God; if any body wants to do it, he should do so secretly. It is not only animalistic but diminishes mankind.”
“If it is the money the US gives to us, let them keep the money. Nigeria is rich enough to take care of her people unlike other countries.”
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/01/gay-marriage-law-us-threatens-sanction-nigeria/#sthash.hr6l2u9q.dpuf
Expanding the Limits: Brain Damaging Habits You Must Stop! ...
Expanding the Limits: Brain Damaging Habits You Must Stop!
...: Brain Damaging Habits You Must Stop! 1. No Breakfast People who do not take breakfast are going to h...
...: Brain Damaging Habits You Must Stop! 1. No Breakfast People who do not take breakfast are going to h...
Brain Damaging Habits You Must Stop!
Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain
1. No Breakfast
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.
2 . Overeating
It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.
3. Smoking
It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.
4. High Sugar consumption
Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.
5. Air Pollution
The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our 20 body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.
6 . Sleep Deprivation
Sleep allows our brain to rest.. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells..
7. Head covered while sleeping
Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.
8. Working your brain during illness
Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.
9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts
Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.
10. Talking Rarely
Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain
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