Push APC into Atlantic Ocean, Agbaje tells Igbo

Mr. Jimi Agbaje The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has urged Igbo across the state to push the All Progressives Congress ‘into the lagoon’ by voting for him on Saturday. Agbaje said this while addressing Igbo traders at the Alaba International Market on Thursday. The PDP candidate urged them to ignore the threats made by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, that if they do not vote for the APC governorship candidate on Saturday, they would die in the lagoon. “Nobody can push you into the Atlantic Ocean. Rather, you should use your votes to push the APC into the Atlantic Ocean by voting massively for the PDP on Saturday,” Agbaje said. He urged the people to ignore the scare tactics being marshalled by the APC, saying, it was the antics of a drowning party. Agbaje said, “Election is like a snake. You have to make sure you win by killing the snake completely by using your votes to drive the APC out of power. The reason why they are harassing you is because they fear Igbo votes. They will try to do ‘shakara’ for you but you must vote massively for the PDP and protect your votes.” Agbaje, who was accompanied by his running mate, Alhaja Safuratu Abdulkarim; and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, said the APC had become arrogant because the party had been in power for too long. He said, “In the last 16 years, the APC has been full of arrogance. This arrogance must end once and for all. Saturday is the time to say enough is enough.” Counselling the audience to eschew violence and refuse to be intimidated at the polling venue, Agbaje urged them to guard their votes. He said, “God is on our side and power will change hands on Saturday and life will be better for you and your businesses. There will be no oppression again because this election is about freedom from bondage Mr. Jimi Agbaje Mr. Jimi Agbaje The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has urged Igbo across the state to push the All Progressives Congress ‘into the lagoon’ by voting for him on Saturday. Agbaje said this while addressing Igbo traders at the Alaba International Market on Thursday. The PDP candidate urged them to ignore the threats made by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, that if they do not vote for the APC governorship candidate on Saturday, they would die in the lagoon. “Nobody can push you into the Atlantic Ocean. Rather, you should use your votes to push the APC into the Atlantic Ocean by voting massively for the PDP on Saturday,” Agbaje said. He urged the people to ignore the scare tactics being marshalled by the APC, saying, it was the antics of a drowning party. Agbaje said, “Election is like a snake. You have to make sure you win by killing the snake completely by using your votes to drive the APC out of power. The reason why they are harassing you is because they fear Igbo votes. They will try to do ‘shakara’ for you but you must vote massively for the PDP and protect your votes.” Agbaje, who was accompanied by his running mate, Alhaja Safuratu Abdulkarim; and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, said the APC had become arrogant because the party had been in power for too long. He said, “In the last 16 years, the APC has been full of arrogance. This arrogance must end once and for all. Saturday is the time to say enough is enough.” Counselling the audience to eschew violence and refuse to be intimidated at the polling venue, Agbaje urged them to guard their votes. He said, “God is on our side and power will change hands on Saturday and life will be better for you and your businesses. There will be no oppression again because this election is about freedom from bondage

Boko Haram Militants Appoint Emir For Captured Gwoza As Women Bury Their Dead

With most of their menfolk killed or on the run, women in the town of Gwoza, Borno State, have taken on the grim task of burying dozens of residents massacred in last week’s assault by insurgents belonging to the Islamist group, Boko Haram. In telephone interviews, two sources in the town said the women of Gwoza were burying men, women and children who lost their lives when a vicious band of Boko Haram fighters descended on the town last week in an orgy of death and destruction. “We are very fatigued,” one of the women told our correspondent. She added, “We are almost resigned to fate in our tedious and unusual work of burying scores of dead bodies that still litter our town.” Another female source said it became necessary for them to bury the dead because “the men in our town and surrounding towns have either been slaughtered or have fled for fear of being killed.” The source said the town was now peopled by trapped women, little children and the elderly who were spared by the Boko Haram fighters. The insurgents have seized the Emir’s residence as well as a government lodge in Gwoza, and have appointed a replacement for the town’s fleeing Emir. Our sources added that Boko Haram’s black flags have been hoisted at different locations in the town as a mark of the sect’s authority. A source also stated that the sect had introduced strict Islamic laws in the seized emirate. A soldier involved in a counter-insurgency operation corroborated the accounts of the situation in Gwoza. He said some women and youths who arrived in Madagali, Adamawa State, after fleeing Gwoza and traveling through the rough terrain of hills painted terrifying portraits for military officials who interviewed them. A senior military officer told SaharaReporters that the Nigerian Army was drawing up a strategic plan to execute “a multi-dimensional offensive in a bid to dislodge Boko Haram from Gwoza and surrounding villages.”

Anti-Terrorism Offensive: Nigeria Orders 40 Helicopters

rnment of Nigeria has ordered 40 attack and transportation helicopters for the Nigeria Air Force, PRNigeria reported today, in what was described as a determined effort to eliminate terrorism by routing insurgents from their hideouts in parts of the North East and North West once and for all. Global Aviation Images PRNigeria said the orders were placed in the United States and Russia, and that some of the aircraft will arrive in the country next month and the others before the end of the year. The report drew attention to the frustration in themilitary and other security forces about their inability to storm the notorious Sambisa Forest where BokoHaram militants are keeping the abducted Chiboksecondary school girls, and which also serves as operational headquarters of the group. Text of the report is below. Anti-Terrorism: 40 Attack, Transport Helicopters Arrive Soon In a determined effort to eliminate terrorism by routing insurgents from their hideouts in parts of the North East and North West once and for all, the Federal Government has placed purchase orders for 40 helicopters for attacks and transportation from the United States and Russia. Reliable security sources confided in PRNigeria that some of the aircraft will arrive in the country as early as next month while the remaining will be received certainly before the end of the year to boost the Nigerian Airforce. Some military and other security forces are currently frustrated about their inability to storm the notorious Sambisa Forest where Boko Haram militants are keeping the abducted Chibok secondary school girls and also serving as operational headquarters of the group. The reason, according to PRNIgeria findings, is that security operatives are not only aware of the locations of the girls but are also closely monitoring the way that the girls are being moved around but are afraid of the backlash should any harm befall the girls in the course of a forced rescue. Past incidences during attempts to rescue British and Italian nationals in Sokoto and SETRACO workers which boomerang are the reasons that the security forces have been reluctant in storming the forest and rescuing the girls. “Oh I wish we could have a consensus of opinion from Nigerians that we should storm the forest and rescue the girls. The day Nigerians decide that enough is enough in one voice, to clear the forest will take less than one week,” a top security source bemoaned. Already, security forces have succeeded in ridding Zamfara, Kaduna, Jigawa and part of Bauchi states of Fulani cattle rustlers. “These have been completely eliminated”, the source declared. The officers gave the assurance that although terrorism like any asymmetric wars have proven to be difficult to combat anywhere in the world, the Nigerian security forces would have found it easier to deal with had there not been politicisation of the issue. Nonetheless, we learnt that Damboa will soon be rescued from terrorists who recently took over the town after killing scores of residents. A special unit of terrorism forces have just been trained under an international agreement and are ready to be fully deployed to volatile and prone areas of terrorism activities. “Let me tell you some communities are peculiar in the war on terror as some of their residents supported Boko Haram in the ambush and attacks on our troops. In the past, they gathered at a square to cheer the insurgents whenever a military personnel was captured and was being murdered. Young ones in the town even play with severed heads of victims. “That is why we always warn Nigerians to report activities of these devils because giving them support is like dining with the devil or simply riding on the back of the tiger as they now turn against them. That was why some soldiers were reluctant to lay down their lives in some communities where innocent troops who were out to protect them were being misled for ambush. The situation is changing now as community leaders and youths are supporting the military offensives.” the source declared. By PRNigeria

Nigerian Troops Kill Sheik Zakzaky’s Son, Others In Zaria

SaharaReporters has just confirmed that Mahumd Ibraheem Zakzaky, the son of Sheik Ibraheem Zakzaky, was among those gunned down by Nigerian soldiers in Zaria as a group held a rally in support of Palestinians on Israel’s invasion of Gaza. Mahmud Zakzaky and a few other demonstrators were killed in the shooting this evening in the ancient town of Zaria. In a statement issued by Ibrahim Musa, editor of the movement’s weekly magazine Almizan, and sent to the New York office of SaharaReporters, the Islamic group accused the military of killing several of its members with impunity. The statement also claimed that more than 40 other members sustained serious injuries. “Reports reaching our news desk now indicated that some soldiers of the Nigerian army have opened fire on the tail end of the Quds procession held after Jumaat prayers in Zaria, Kaduna State. The procession, which took off from Sabon Gari Jumaat Mosque, reached Kofar Doka peacefully with no incident. However some soldiers attacked the procession [at the] PZ junction in Zaria. “They shot Mahmud Ibraheem Zakzaky, but [his body] was taken away by the Muslim brothers. But several [other] Muslim brothers were shot by the security agents. “As at the time of writing this report, there is no confirmation on the number of Muslim brothers shot or killed by the soldiers, but our says say five people were killed. The Quds procession was held today peacefully in more than 10 Nigerian cities. Why the attack on the Zaria procession? Shiites embarking in Ashura Sahara Reporters Media “[The] latest report on the attack by soldiers on Quds peaceful procession is that ten Muslim brothers were gunned down by the soldiers, among them Mahmud Ibraheem Zakzaky, son of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, and a Muslim sister with her child on her back. There are over 40 Muslim brothers’ casualties with different degrees of gunshots by the soldiers. The story is still unfolding, with reinforcement of soldiers coming from Kaduna, according to our news sources.”

Liberian Man Diagnosed With Ebola Disease Dies In Lagos

The Lagos State Government on Thursday evening confirmed the presence of the Ebola Virus in the state, following the admission of a Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, at a private hospital in the Obalende area of the state. However, Mr. Sawyer’s death was confirmed on Friday afternoon, although a medical source who spoke with SaharaReporters under condition of anonymity said the death occurred on Thursday night. Sawyer came into Nigeria on Sunday from Liberia, where Ebola cases have recently been on the rise. Sierra Leone and Guinea are other countries in the West Africa sub-region with high cases of Ebola infections. The World Health Organisation said earlier in the month that 888 Ebola cases had been reported in West Africa since February, and 539 of those have died. Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Public Health Dr. Yewande Adeshina, who confirmed the presence of the virus in the state, assured the public that government had taken adequate measures to prevent its spread. She said the Liberian, 40, was receiving treatment at First Consultant Medical Centre, Obalende, Lagos, and the hospital had been cordoned off. But the source who informed SaharaReporters of Sawyer’s death said it was unclear if the Liberian was the only one infected or if his was just the only known case. “The Liberian whose Ebola infection went public on Thursday has died," he said. “However, no one can say yet if anyone else is infected. That we know of Sawyer’s case does not mean that there are no other cases, we just don't know." Ebola is a very deadly virus that manifests and can kill within two weeks of infection. Experts say 90 percent of Ebola patients die of the disease.

Diplomat proposes change of nation’s name to Naijiria

TO stave off the embarrassments suffered Nigeria suffers internationally, a former United Nations (UN) Assistant Secretary General and founder of Okali Seminal Ideas Foundation for Africa (OSIFA), Dr Agwu Ukiwe Okali, has proposed a change of the name “Nigeria” to Naijiria.

   In his submission at a press conference at the venue of the 2014 National Conference in Abuja Tuesday, Okali said the height of the various embarrassments arising from the name, Nigeria, was the erroneous hoisting of Niger Republic flag in place of Nigeria’s at the opening of the ongoing World Cup in Brazil.

   According to Okali, the name “Nigeria” lacks African content, unlike many other African names. He traced the origin of “Niger” to a Latin word that he said also means “nigger,” saying the colonialists probably drew the nation’s name from there.

   Another delegate, Prof Chinedu Nwajiuba, said he was going to make the proposal to the plenary, adding that since Nigerian youths in their music and arts have already keyed into the name, Naija, it becomes imperative to recommend it to the Federal Government.

   Meanwhile, another delegate, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, disclosed yesterday that the Federal Government’s ceding of the oil rich Bakassi peninsula to Cameroun was a litmus test in sealing the Green Tree Agreement.

   In her contribution on the report of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Diaspora Matters yesterday, she said the ceding arrangement, ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague and carried out by Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, was just to show to the world that both countries could settle their dispute without necessarily spilling blood or pursuing legal proceedings perpetually.

   Ita-Giwa said it would have been a misplaced priority had the issue led to war between both countries, adding that all that the people needed was a better resettlement through compensation.

   To that end, she appealed to Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to facilitate adequate compensation to the people of Bakassi, even though they have been relocated.

   However, irked by the recent bomb expulsion in Kano on Monday by suspected members of the Islamic terrorist sect, Boko Haram, a delegate, Sani Zoro, has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of bias against states administered by opposition political parties in his condolence messages.

   Zoro, who represents the media at the parley, yesterday drew the attention of the conference to the failure of the Presidency to commiserate with the people of Kano State over the blast. Also reacting, Senator Adefemi Killa urged the government to declare total war on terrorism.

     Responding, conference Vice Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, said “the bombing in Kano is a very disturbing phenomenon, it is one too many, but let us be careful not to politicize tragedy.”

   He recalled how he was insulted by one of the victims of a bomb blast in Kano, but when the victim later opened his wound, it was clear he was under pressure, and his aggression justifiable.

   He also mentioned how his team was attacked by Boko Haram in Borno State while on a visit to commiserate with victims of terror attacks but was saved by the military.

   The conference thereafter agreed to send a condolence letter to the victims of Kano blast, the Kano State Government and the Federal Government.

   Okali added: “We think that the occasion of the centenary and the national conference affords us the opportunity, in fact imposes on us a responsibility to use the occasion to tidy up some of the legacies of our colonial past that are still hunting us,” he said. “One of those is ‘Nigeria,’ as it is written.”

  

 “During the opening ceremony of the ongoing World Cup, there was a very embarrassing incident. This incident was that the flag of Niger was displayed as the Nigerian Flag. Now, many people may wonder why. The reason is that the way those countries’ names were written makes it very easy to confuse and requires a high level of concentration to differentiate.”

   Noting that sometimes the nation’s national anthem is not played at international events because of the same confusion, he said that “Nigeria,” with its undertone of “nigger,” has been derogatorily applied to Nigerians in many instances by the white.

   “The second problem is the way it is spelt. It should be pronounced as Ni-ge-ria. In any African language, including your own, and in many other languages in Africa, that is the case. So, what happened is that it now becomes associated with Nigger-Area and as you know, the word “nigger” is the most derogatory term you can use on a black person, as far as racism is concerned. 

   “Our name suggests it and we are saying this is absurd, the greatest black African country is flirting with the worst word that you should be using for a black person.”

World’s Fattest Woman – Charity Pierce

Charity Pierce has garnered both praise and criticism for the decisions that she has made throughout her life, but no one can accuse her of not totally committing to them. Currently completely housebound, Charity weighs an absolutely enormous amount of 56.4 stone. That’s just slightly less than a car. She finds it very difficult to stand up, and it is almost impossible for her to walk. You could be forgiven for being amazed that one person could get to that weight, but the trouble is that Charity’s diet is just terrible: she regularly consumes more than ten thousand calories every day, which is enough for a family of four.

Sadly, however, Charity was not always this size. She was certainly a curvaceous teenager when she was younger, but nothing like the weight that she is now. So what has brought on this huge amount of weight? Obviously the food is not helping, but why did she not start exercising when she realised that her weight gain was getting a little out of control? That answer lies in her medical records. As she started to put the pounds on, Charity developed a lymphedema in her leg. This is a swelling in one part of it: an incredibly painful thing to happen, but also a very unsightly one. Charity says that she was so embarrassed by the lymphedema, and so uncomfortable, that she did not want to exercise and began to refuse to leave the house because she was convinced that people would be staring at her.

She is now thirty eight years old, and has finally realised that she wants so much more from her life than just lying in bed, unable to move, and stuffing her face full of food that she doesn’t need. After discussing her case with her medical advisors, it was decided that Charity would need to lose twenty stone, or around 40% of her body weight before she was ‘light’ enough to safely have a gastric bypass operation. This operation would help her to lose more weight by physically restricting just how much her stomach would be able to hold, and many people around the world have found it very potent and useful in losing even more weight. Charity therefore has the carrot of this operation lying ahead of her, but there is more. Charity also has another reason why she is committed to losing the weight.

Charity is getting married to Tony Sauer, who is twenty one years old. They first met when she was twenty five and he was eight, and because of the age gap they did not really take any notice of each other. After all, Charity was dating Tony’s older brother Jimmy who was much older, and within months they conceived. Although the relationship broke down after Charity gave birth to their daughter eighteen years ago, she still kept a vague contact with the family. Three years ago, the two families met again, and Charity met Tony as an adult. They realised that they wanted to be together, and according to Charity they were having sex four times a day. Now, however, it has become almost impossible to be intimate because of her weight. Charity and Tony are instead concentrating on planning their wedding. Charity wants to be able to walk up the aisle (in cowboy boots, as per their theme), and so she has reduced her diet to around 1200 calories a day. No one is sure how long it will take her to lose the weight, but when she does she will lose her title of the fattest woman alive