Akpabio confirms SSG Umana’s sack, appoints Udom Emmanuel as his replacement

Akpabio confirms SSG Umana’s sack, appoints Udom Emmanuel as his replacement It is no more news that erstwhile Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, Obong Umana Okon Umana was relieved of his appointment on Monday (well, you can read it HERE if you didn’t), what is news is the appointment of a Zenith Bank director, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel as his successor. www.connoisseurNG.com learnt that Governor Akpabio while flying back to the state today from Abuja drove straight to Obong Umana’s Ewet Housing residence where they held a closed door meeting for about an hour. The outcome of the meeting is yet to be known. But meanwhile, this is the press release by the Akwa Ibom State government on Udom’s appointment. PRESS RELEASE APPOINTMENT OF NEW SECRETARY TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, CON has approved the appointment of a new Secretary to the State Government with immediate effect. He is Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel who hails from Onna Local Government Area of Eket Senatorial District, Akwa Ibom State. Mr. Emmanuel, a great Ibibio son until his appointment was an Executive Director on the board of Zenith Bank Plc from December 2006. Mr. Emmanuel also doubled as Non-Executive Director, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) from 2008 to date and Director, Nigerian Interbank Settlement Systems (NIBBS) from 2009, Non-Executive Director, Zenith Bank, United Kingdom; Zenith Bank – Gambia; Zenith Bank – Sierra Leone; Zenith Insurance; Zenith Pensions and Custodian; Zenith Securities; Zenith Trustees and Zenith Registrars. A corporate strategist and an experienced private sector player, Mr. Emmanuel has wide experience in various blue-chip organizations such as Price Water House and Diamond Bank plc. His Excellency, Chief Godswill Akpabio expressed appreciation of the Government and the good people of Akwa Ibom State to the erstwhile Secretary to Government, Obong Umana Okon Umana for his dedication and contributions to the uncommon transformation of Akwa Ibom State. The Governor further described Obong Umana Okon Umana as a brother and a friend who displayed exceptional competence in the discharge of his duties in the last six years. He wished Obong Umana Okon Umana success in his future endeavours whilst congratulating the new appointee, Mr. Udom Emmanuel. Signed Aniekan Umanah Hon. Commissioner for Information and Communications

Spurs put MASSIVE £126m price-tag on Gareth Bale

TOTTENHAM have slapped a £126m price-tag on Gareth Bale, claim Spanish newspaper Marca.

The Madrid-based paper say that is the fee that Real Madrid will have to pay to land the 24-year-old star. The front page of their paper today is graced with a huge picture of the Welshman and the headline "Una Locura", which means "crazy". That fee would blow the current transfer record out of the water, with Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Manchester United for £80m back in 2009. Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas has described Bale as "one of the top three or four players in Europe" as the Spanish giants continue their pursuit to sign him. Casillas said: "Every transfer is controversial in its own way, for better or worse, but we are speaking about a very good, decisive player. "I'm sure we'll make another signing before the transfer window shuts." Marca have also claimed both Manchester United and Paris St-Germain have bid for the Welshman.

Petroleum Minister, Allison-Madueke, Lied On Subsidy Fraud

The Petroleum Minister Diezani Allison-Madueke recently spiritedly denied that she offered fuel importation contracts to companies indicted for fraudulent fuel subsidy claims. However, an investigation has revealed that Ms. Allison-Madueke lied to Nigerians. As part of Sahara Reporters investigation, we obtained the list of companies to which the minister, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPRA) and the Petroleum Ministry have granted juicy petroleum import contracts in the third quarter. The roster of fuel importers reveals that several rogue businesses that had defrauded Nigerians by making hugely inflated subsidy claims benefited from current import contracts. “I can tell you that the minister personally authorized each and every beneficiary,” a source in the Petroleum Ministry told our correspondent. He added: “Madam [Ms. Diezani Allison-Madueke] has tight control of every contract given out within the ministry, the NNPC, and other agencies in the oil industry.” Included in the third quarter allocations awarded by the ministry is also a company owned and run by a relative of Reginald Stanley, the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPRA). One of the beneficiary companies, NEPAL Oil, was referred to the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Police for investigations relating to extensive fraud. The company was accused as one of the participants in a massive fuel subsidy scam that cost Nigerians $6.5 billion. The fuel subsidy scam came to light early in 2012 shortly after Nigerians rose in massive protests against the decision by President Goodluck Jonathan to remove fuel subsidies in January 2012. NEPAL Oil was later charged along with Anonsyke Group by the EFCC. In 2012, the EFCC charged both companies with forgery and obtaining money under false pretense. Even though the trial is ongoing, Ms. Allison-Madueke personally approved the allocation of an import volume of 30,000 metric tons to NEPAL Oil in the second and third quarters. Mr. Stanley of PPPRA attended the official launching of a small tank farm established in Oghara last May. Another indicted company, IMAD Oil, which was referred to the police for investigations, received fuel import allocations at Ms. Allison-Madueke’s instance. Two other companies, Matrix Energy and Masters Limited, were originally investigated, but the police later issued letters clearing both companies of involvement in fuel subsidy scams. Sahara Reporters discovered that a company, Rahamaniyya Oil and Gas Company, received ministerial allocation to import fuel despite the fact that the EFCC is still investigating the company for subsidy scam. Owner of Rahamaniyya, Abdulrahaman Musa–Bashir, a Sokoto-born oil dealer, was one known as the future bridegroom of Aisha Yar’Adua, a daughter of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. However, he abandoned the would-be bride as soon as her father died. Last year, the oil businessman caused a stir within the Yar’Adua family when he wrote a letter to Mr. Yar’Adua’s widow, Turai Yar’Adua, demanding that she refund $3 million he reportedly gave her in preparation for the aborted wedding. Also on the list of fuel import beneficiaries is Blacklight Limited, an oil company owned by Lucky Igbinedion, a former governor of Edo State. Mr. Igbinedion is a convicted felon, found guilty of fraud during his tenure as governor. In 2008, the EFCC struck a controversial plea deal with the ex-governor, clearing the way for a judge of the Federal High Court in Enugu to give Mr. Igbinedion a paltry fine of N3 million that was widely condemned as a slap on the wrist. “So why is the government rewarding a man like Lucky Igbinedion whose track record is one of corruption, fraud and scam?” asked a labor leader based in Abuja. He added: “This administration promised to address the irregularities in fuel importation. That has not been done. They promised to pursue the building of new refineries and to revamp existing ones. That, too, has not been done.” Two sources in the Petroleum Ministry told Sahara Reporters that the award of allocations to companies indicted for fraud was not the only problem. “If you look at the recent allocations, you will notice something skewed in the manner certain marketers are favored with huge allocations which runs at variance with their ability to store the imported products,” said one of them. He stated, “That’s a major reason why so many of them were able to scam the Nigerian government of billions of dollars over three years.” For instance, Conoil, owned by Mike Adenuga, reportedly owns huge storage tanks in Lagos and Port Harcourt. In the latest round of allocations, Conoil was awarded 60,000 metric tons. By contrast, companies like A-Z, run by Chika Okafor, Shorelink, which is run by Obiamarije Stanley, a cousin to the PPPRA’s Reginald Stanley, and Nkechi Peter Obi’s Techo Oil, got huger allocations of 80, 000, 75,000 and 60,000 metric tons respectively. A-Z does not have any known storage tank farms. Another source at the Petroleum Ministry pointed to the fact that the beneficiaries topping the list of ministerial allocations are the same players who were offered massive bribes to several legislative committees and security agencies to shield them from indictment. These big-time players include Mr. Adenuga, Femi Otedola, Sayyu Dantata of MRS Oil and Gas, and Mr. Rahamaniyya. A different aspect of the scam is that all the big players named above, and a few others, were in 2009 named by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as huge debtors to commercial banks. SaharaReporters found out that none of the businessmen ever paid the hundreds of billions of naira they borrowed from banks. Instead, the Federal Government and CBN struck a shady deal with the debtors under which a bogus agency called Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), run by Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi, took over some assets owned by the debtors in lieu of payment. But AMCON’s management of the debts was so bad that the International Monetary Fund earlier this year called for the scrapping of AMCON. “The AMCON deals were simply meant to free the billionaire debtors from their debt obligations,” a Lagos-based financial analyst told SaharaReporters. He explained: “Under the deal, each of the debtors handed one or two assets of their assets to AMCON. The shady part of it, then, was that AMCON officials overvalued each asset, making it possible for possible for the debtors to wriggle free of their debt obligations, leaving the creditor-banks out in the cold.” The analyst disclosed that most of the debtors had originally obtained the bank loans ostensibly to finance fuel imports. “This is one of the worst scams in Nigerian history,” he said. “The fuel was often not imported, but these businessmen claimed fuel subsidies – and they failed to pay back the loans they took.”

Naija Babe Sets Her Boyfriend’s Range Rover JEEP On Fire For Cheating On Her...

Some girls are really mean, as in wicked to the bone! How can you set your boyfriend’s Range Rover Jeep on fire simply because he cheated on you with another girl? Seriously, do you guys think this girl’s action is justifiable? Is cheating a good enough reason for her to take the laws into her hands and wreck the guy’s life to the extent? Guys, will you accept her plea: if she does this to you?

Over 30 People Killed In Latest Kano Bomb Blast...

Over 30 People Killed In Latest Kano Bomb Blast Posted by: Our Reporter on July 29, 2013 in Exclusive Leave a comment Over 30 have been reportedly killed while others ran hellter-skelter in Sabon Gari, Kano, northwest Nigeria as a twin-bomb exploded at Igbo Road/Enugu Road and on New Road, opposite Ado Bayero Square. Security agencies confirmed the incident but said they were still gathering details at the time of filling this report. The first blast occurred at 9:12 p.m. at Enugu/Igbo Road near International Hotel, while the second blast followed three minutes later, at exactly 9:15 P.M. Residents panicked as thousands, including fun-seekers were running for dear life. The Spokesman of the Joint Task Force, Captain Ikedichi Iweha confirmed that there was such incident, and warned residents to remain calm. Heavily armed security operatives have cordoned off the area as at the time of filling this report. Though there were rumours of death, Pointblanknews.com reports that so many people were wounded.

Militants Warn Soyinka, Falana To Keep Off Rivers

A militant group, Ijaw Freedom Fighters (IFF), and a non-governmental organisation, Ijaw People’s Development Initiatives (IPDI), yesterday, warned Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), to steer clear of Port Harcourt on Tuesday. Several civil rights groups have scheduled a rally for that day in the city to protest against what they see as repeated assaults on democracy in the state by some people. IFF and IPDI said they cannot guarantee the safety of Soyinka, Falana and other non Niger Deltans if they decide to participate in the protest. The two groups described the position of the civil rights groups on the Rivers crisis as vexatious. IFF leader, Sese Gideon, in a statement, entitled ‘We will not take your coming to Rivers kindly’ said: “We are a group of youths along the creeks, waterways and uplands of the states in the Niger Delta region. We are committed to the protection of rights, privileges and freedom of the Niger Delta people. “We met and observed with interest the continued frivolous and vexatious statements credited to perceived egg heads and civil activists like Wole Soyinka, Femi Falana and many others on the current crisis rocking the Rivers State House of Assembly. “While we blame the political class in Rivers and Abuja for allowing such comments due to their indiscretion and show of shame, we will not allow non-Niger Deltans to add insult in a matter that can be settled without bloodshed. We have listened to the name-calling and tongue-lashing of the President and his wife by the civil society but what we will not take kindly to is the invasion being planned by the non-Niger Deltans in Rivers State. “If the people of Rivers want to protest, they should protest and demand for what is right. But when it is shown, as clearly displayed, that it is targeted to ridicule and further discredit the South-South and its quest for Presidency in 2015, we cannot guarantee anyone’s safety again. We are not interested in who impeached whom but we will not fold our hands and allow the sponsored onslaught in the Niger Delta under the guise of civil society gathering. “We cannot guarantee the safety of anyone interested and plotting to throw Rivers or any other Niger Delta States into turmoil”. He said his group has met with over 50 civil society groups in Warri, Delta State and appealed to the people Rivers State to shun the protest to avert further bloodshed. Professor Soyinka and Mr. Falana had previously condemned the Presidency, the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, the state Police Command and the five anti-Amaechi members of the State Assembly for their roles in fuelling the crisis in the state.

5 Signs You Are Not as Smart as You Think

It’s a concept that can be difficult to come to terms with, but like it or not our intellect (or our perceived intellect) can often work against us in life. The indications are all there once you have the eyes to see them. Have you fell into the “I think I’m too smart for my own good” trap? Don’t worry the big part of correcting a mistake is realizing it exists! Check out these 5 signs you are not as smart as you think you are and see if any or all apply to you. Coming quickly to terms with them and correcting this kind of self-defeating behavior can make you truly smarter fast! And perhaps more importantly, much happier too. Lack of Professional Success Opinions are by their nature subjective – think of beauty as being in the eyes of the beholder as a classic example – while end results, like numbers in a pay check are very much objective and impossible to argue with. Smart people leverage their intelligence into professional success. If you are thirty five years old, consider yourself brilliant yet are living in your parent’s basement it’s pretty clear you are not as smart as you think you are. Smart people figure out a way to make money not make excuses! Always Being in the Center of Conflict Smart people, truly smart people that is, don’t spend every waking moment wasted in argument, conflict and debate. The need to prove how correct you are at the expense of co-workers, friends, family and the majority of people you meet on the street reveals a insecurity that truly intelligent people rarely have. It’s a flashing neon sign that tells the world you are not nearly as smart as you think you are! Avoid unneeded conflict and watch the energy you save get utilized for positive projects and to fuel constructive behavior. Now that’s a sign you are getting smarter! You Are Always Rushing Around and Way too Busy Do you find most of your days fighting the clock and running from crisis to crisis? Time and energy management is a skill all truly smart people quickly learn to manage to make the most out of life, minimize stress and out produce their less smart peers. Ask yourself if you are so intelligent why are you always running around in a panic like a chicken without a head? Occasional bouts of overwork may be unavoidable aspects of our professional or home lives, certainly, but if this is a reoccurring nightmare you are hardly as smart as you may like to think you are. Smart people know this is hardly a way to live or to produce up to a person’s true highest potential! You Talk Much More than You Listen What do you think of when you are around someone who just won’t stop talking to even catch a breath? Don’t images of scam artists, unscrupulous used car salesmen and high school air heads flash to mind? Certainly not people with true intelligence who understand there’s much more benefit and lasting power in the sometimes lost art of listening rather than talking. Which category do you most often fall it – the endless babbler or the active listener? The answer says a great deal about just how smart you really are. Listen more and talk less. Your Reading Habits are Hardly Challenging If you needed to find one top quality shared by all truly intelligent people you could do much worse than focusing on the love of reading. Real reading about difficult and thought provoking subjects – not escapist low brow entertainment. Reading is an essential tool in the quest for continued self development and it’s embraced by all the truly smart. If you consider yourself in this category, but spend your free time zoned out in front of the television or wasting time reading foolish crime novels it may be time to reconsider. A few hours of challenging reading a night can help expand your intelligence and creativity in astoundingly magical ways and move you quickly towards being smart for real. Adopting this habit alone can be a true game changer you will have no choice, but to thank yourself for a year from now. Don’t hesitate to act on it if you’d like to be smart rather than just think you are smart!

Music video director Aswad Ayinde, 55, who won an MTV award for directing The Fugees’ ‘Killing Me Softly’ in 1996, has been sentenced to 90 years in prison for repeatedly raping his six daughters and fathering six children with them. *spits out* how disgusting is this guy? Aswad Ayinde is accused of raping his daughters to create a “pure” bloodline, fathered six kids with them from the mid-1980s to 2002 – and delivered the babies himself, the court heard during his trial last Friday “He said the world was going to end, and it was just going to be him and his offspring and that he was chosen,” his ex-wife, Beverly Ayinde testified at a pre-trial hearing. Prosecutors said Ayinde kept the kids from blabbing about the rape by beating them and isolating them from other children. All his daughters were home schooled. “I was afraid to ever accuse him of being demented or being a pedophile,” Beverly Ayinde, who had 9 children with him told the court. “I knew the word, but I wouldn’t dare use it because it would result in a beating.” Prosecutors revealed that Mr. Ayinde began having sex with his second daughter from the time she eight-years-old, impregnating her four times. He faces three more trials over the alleged assaults.

Why I Didn’t Take Over Power As Soon As Abacha Died – Al-Mustapha Opens Up

A lot of political under-current went into the process that brought up Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar as Head of State following the controversial death in office of late Gen Sani Abachi. But why didn’t Abacha’s dreaded CSO, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha used his overbearing influence to take over the government immediately, considering it would have been very easy for him? The former Chief Security Officer to late Abacha said: God used him to stabilise the country from the possible turmoil that could have followed Abacha’s death. Al-Mustapha stated this when he visited the Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Asari Dokubo, in his Abuja residence at the weekend. He said he chose not to assume power during the death of Abacha, lamented that some people capitalised on his humility and loyalty to the service of Nigeria to punish him unjustly. In his words: “Ours is to serve, preserve the country and so I did. If I had wanted, after the death of General Sanni Abacha, this country was to witness another thing. But in our character, ours is to serve the country and I did. Nobody fired one bullet the day General Abacha died. God gave me the courage. But there was so much confusion, so many agitations at that time. “But God used me to stabilize a course and it is the course that gave birth to this democracy. So, if I had not done so that time, we would have changed the course of history. But because we kept quiet, we were humble and committed to the country, people now turned it around.” His host, Alhajia Asari Dokubo urged Al-Mustapha to, “Forgive them. It is when you forgive that you gain more benefits from Allah.”

UK Visa £3,000 Bond: Nigerians Must Pay Or Forget London

Irrespective of the outcry against its £3,000 visa bond by Nigerians, Britain will commence the scheme in the six listed Commonwealth countries as scheduled, the Home Office has said. But we gathered that some London businessmen are complaining against the police on behalf of Nigerians because, according to them, many Nigerians spend a lot of money buying things in their shops whenever they visit the UK. The Commonwealth countries to be affected by the policy which was announced in June are Nigeria, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The affected countries are considered to be source of “high risk” tourists to the UK. According to official data, these 6 countries accounted for more than half a million visa applications in 2012. Some visitors from the six countries, under the scheme, will be asked to pay a £3,000 cash bond in return for visitor visas that allow them to stay in the UK for up to six months. There have been out-pour of anger by governments of the affected countries, especially Nigeria and India against the policy. The Federal Government, through Foreign Affairs minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, in June expressed “the strong displeasure of the government and people of Nigeria” over the “discriminatory” policy. Ashiru warned British High Commissioner Andrew Pocock at a meeting in Abuja, barely 24 hours after the policy was announced, that the move would “definitely negate” the two country’s relationship.

17 Children Rescued From Child Traffickers

Child traffic victim 17 Children Rescued From Child Traffickers The Benue state Police Command has rescued 17 under aged children from a suspected child trafficking syndicate who specialized in picking children from Benue and neighboring states for distribution to yet to be identified persons in Lagos, Abeokuta and Ibadan. Also arrested by the command, were eight members of the gang who were nabbed along Otukpo-Enugu while conveying their victims to unknown persons around the country. Parading the suspects and victims at the state command Headquarters in Makurdi, Benue state capital, Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adams Audu said “few days ago, my men on stop and search duty along Otukpo-Enugu road intercepted three mini buses loaded with 55 persons among them 17 children of ages between five to seventeen. “Among them were ten boys and seven girls and upon interrogation, the suspects confessed that they were taking the children to Lagos, Abeokuta and Ibadan. The suspects confessed to have taken the children away from their parents at Oju in Benue state and Yala in Cross River state and they were to be given out to strangers who subject them to child labour, prostitution and hawking in return for money for both parents and the suspects who take the trade as their means of livelihood.” The Commissioner of Police also sued for assistance of the public in its bid to apprehend the fleeing members of another child trafficking syndicate who recruit medically deformed children for begging and prostitution along streets in major towns in the country. He said, “ Tyotyev Tarchill and Tyodoo Yamuer were liaison of the child trafficking syndicate in Benue state who collude with parents to send out their children for begging and prostitution in urban cities. He said, the Police in Lagos in collaboration with an NGO of the former Inspector General of Police, ”Hands that Care Foundation” arrested the victims and suspects led by one Chigozie Amechi, who operates from Lagos and Port Harcourt with links to other suspects in Benue state. Mr. Audu said he has ordered full scale investigations into the matters pleading for cooperation with members of the public in its constitutional responsibilities of protecting the lives and property of the people of the state.