Idris Elba As Nelson Mandela: Trailer Released For Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

British actor Idris Elba stars as Nelson Mandela in the first full length trailer for the biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
Idris, 40, is tipped to win an Oscar for his portrayal of the anti-apartheid hero.
The film is based on Mandela’s own 1994 autobiography and follows his life from childhood to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.
The new trailer begins with explosive shots of Mandela’s violent opposition to the apartheid state.
The freedom fighter is then seen giving a rousing speech to a crowd of supporters.
We also get a peek of the love story between Nelson and his second wife Winnie Mandela - played by fellow Brit and Bond girl Naomie Harris - as they share a romantic kiss.
Mandela’s passionate court battle and following incarceration at Robben Island is also teased.
Idris – famous for his role in The Wire – said it meant a great deal to be given the chance to play Mandela.
The star admitted: “It’s a massive opportunity to be part of a true legend’s life and, more importantly, for the film to re-educate people on this legend.”
Nelson Mandela celebrated his 95th birthday yesterday in hospital having been admitted with a lung infection last month – with doctors saying his health is ‘improving’.

Malabu Oil Deal: Adoke Dares Reps

Irked by his invitation by the House of Representatives to appear before it and answer questions on his role in the controversial sale of the Malabu Oil-owned $1.3bn oil bloc, OPL 245, to Shell and Agip, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, has fired back at the lawmakers for daring to probe him further on the matter.
The House of Representatives had on Tuesday ordered the minister to appear before it next week and explain who cleared him of complicity in the multi-million naira oil deal, whose outcome is resonating across the world, with one case being filed in London by an aggrieved Nigerian, Emeka Obi.
Adoke is asking Malabu to pay him $200 million for successfully sourcing for the buyers of the oil bloc, who paid the whopping $1.3 billion.
But sounding unapologetic, Adoke accused the lawmakers of poke-nosing into a private company’s deal, which should be handled by the courts and its shareholders.
The minister said that he knew those who were behind the call for his probe and promised to confront them at the appropriate time.
The AGF warned the lawmakers not to drag the Federal Government and its agencies and officials into a purely commercial dispute between Malabu and its purported partners.
Adoke said: “We also know those secretly beating the drums for masquerades dancing in the market square. We shall confront them at the appropriate forum.
“How else can one explain why the ownership of shares in a private company would generate sufficient interest among members of the legislature so as to merit a resolution of a committee that certain persons or companies are entitled to ownership of shares in a private company, when the courts are the appropriate venue for the ventilation of such disputes between share holders (if any).”
The minister insisted just as he did during an earlier appearance before the legislators, that he had no pecuniary intention in facilitating the settlement of the long-running dispute between the parties and the Nigerian Government in the controversial oil deal, which has now spread to the United Kingdom.
Adoke in a statement released in Abuja, explained that contrary to the claim of any misdeed in the respect of the oil deal, he only assisted to resolve lingering legal disputes between Shell and Agip on one hand and Malabu and the Federal Government on the other hand.

How Reuben Abati Saw Things In 2010: "Dame Patience, Our President's Darling Wife"

This article was first published in The Guardian of Thursday, 27 August, 2010, before Mr. Abati was appointed a special adviser to the President

Dame Patience, our president’s darling wife

The Guardian Thursday, 27th Aug 2010

Opinion – By Reuben Abati

Democracy is readily associated with freedom: the freedom to be free in many respects and increasingly in Nigeria, many of our compatriots, particularly persons in positions of privilege and authority confuse this with the right to be disagreeable. The sober truth is that democracy is about rights and responsibilities, a democratic dispensation therefore cannot be a licence for disagreeable conduct as a norm; just as the possession of power in any form does not guarantee the right to be reckless or to ignore the etiquette required of office holders. Anyone in the corridors of power, either by chance or right, or appointment, is expected to behave decorously.

Dame Patience Jonathan, as she is now referred to, our President’s wife, failed the test this week in Okrika, Rivers State. It is trite knowledge that there is a critical difference between Yenagoa and Abuja, and a world of difference between being the wife of a Deputy Governor/Governor/Vice president and being the wife of Nigeria’s No 1 citizen. When people suddenly find themselves in such latter position, prepared or unprepared, anywhere in the world, they are taken through a crash programme in finishing and poise and made to realize that being the wife of an important man comes with serious responsibilities lest they sabotage the same person that they should be supporting.

If Dame Patience went through such re-orientation, the course was incomplete. This week, we got a feedback drawn from her visit to Rivers state to launch her NGO – the Women for Change Initiative, when she ended up in Okrika, her home town. This homecoming became an egoistic show-off as she openly contradicted the state Governor, offering him unsolicited lessons on how to develop the Okrika water front and school system, in addition to pointed comments on the use of the English language. The Governor had reportedly insisted that his administration must demolish some houses which adjoin the schools in Okrika in order to create a proper learning environment. Dame Patience disagreed.

She then gave an unsolicited lecture on the land tenure system telling the Governor: “I want you to get me clear. I am from here. I know the problems of my people so I know what I am talking…” The Governor tried to explain his administration’s policy and the larger public interest. The Dame reportedly cut him short: “But what I am telling you is that you always say you must demolish; that word must you use is not good. It is by pleading. You appeal to the owners of the compound because they will not go into exile. Land is a serious issue.” Wao! “that word must..is not good.” We must all commit that to memory as we re-learn Practical English according to Patience Jonathan!

If it is in the place of the President’s wife to teach a state Governor how to run his state, it is definitely not in her place to veto a state policy (the reason the governor used the word “must”), not even her husband has such powers. It seemed as if Dame Patience Jonathan was determined to impress her kith and kin. She told them she had directed the governor not to demolish their houses. Then, she left straight for the airport obviously having overstayed her welcome and having behaved like a bad guest. She was scheduled to visit the prisons to grant amnesty to some inmates (is that really her duty or something that should be in her itinerary? ); she was also meant to commission some projects. The face-off between her and the governor put paid to all that.

On the eve of her arrival, a group which calls itself “the Okrika Political Stakeholders Forum” and “the people of Kirikese” had actually placed an advert in the papers welcoming “our amiable daughter and sister…to Rivers state and your home town Okrika.” They also brought up the issue of “the land reclamation and shore protection project at Oba Ama, Okrika being undertaken by the Rivers state government.” (Daily Sun, August 23, 2010, p. 2). Either on the strength of this advertorial or private consultations, Dame Patience must have felt compelled to be a partisan stakeholder and intercessor. She needed to put Rotimi Amaechi, the state Governor in his place and that was what she did. She recommended “pleading,” – that advice is actually meant for her. A state Governor is a duly elected official; and in a Federal system, he is not answerable to the President, and nowhere is the president granted the powers of a Headmaster over state governors. In Okrika, Dame Patience behaved so impatiently and spoke to Governor Amaechi as if he is on the staff of the Presidency. It may not be her fault though. Amaechi caused it all by bringing himself to such level by undertaking to debrief Dame Patience about his administration’s programmes and activities in the misguided hope of getting cheap political endorsement. He should have asked his wife to attend to her. On the issue of land, Dame Patience should be reminded that the Land Use Act, Section 1 thereof, says the state Governor holds the land in trust for the people. Land matters in the state are beyond the ken of the wife of the President!

The wife of the President of Nigeria, or a state Governor, or a local council chairman, is not a state official. The same applies to husbands if the gender is reversed. He or she is unknown to the constitution or the governance structure. Recent history has however made it a convention to have the spouses of persons in such positions under the guise of providing support, play some ceremonial roles. This has been routinely abused. Under the Jonathan presidency, Dame Patience Jonathan even got a special allocation in the original budget for the 2010 Golden jubilee anniversary whereas she has no official, financial reporting responsibilities! The international standard is that spouses in these circumstances must not only appear but be seen to be above board like Caesar’s wife. They must not misbehave like Marie Antoinette.

When Cherie Blair, wife of former British PM, Tony Blair started buying up houses, apartments and antique furniture, the public raised questions. It didn’t matter that she was a professional in her own right, a Queen’s Counsel with a traceable source of income. There were also questions about the scope of Hillary Clinton’s influence during her husband’s Presidency: Americans wanted to be sure that it was the man they elected that was in charge, not his wife. A couple of weeks ago, the American public was up in arms against Michelle Obama and her poll rating dropped drastically after a visit to Spain where she and her daughter reportedly stayed in a $7, 000 a night hotel.

Much earlier, Nancy Reagan was also the butt of public criticism, with people asking: who is she? And this is not a female thing. In Britain, Prince Phillip, the Queen’s husband, is constantly criticized for putting his foot in his mouth. He once said for example that “British women can’t cook.” He told a visiting Nigerian President, all dressed up in babariga (name withheld): “you look like you’re ready for bed.” During a state visit to China, he told British students: “if you stay much longer, you’all be slitty-eyed.” Prince Phillip’s supporters insist that he is honest, but the majority ask: how is the Queen coping with such a man who is perpetually saying something offensive? There may be persons who defend Dame Patience’s aggressive style, but some of us ask: how is the President coping?

Since Dr Jonathan assumed office, he and his wife have been practically on the road. The Dame has travelled from one state to the other, under the auspices of the Women for Change Initiative. In every state she tells the women to vote and “make sure your vote counts if you like my husband.” Is she now a partisan politician? The Jonathans must be told that Nigeria does not have a co-Presidency. We have only one president and his name is Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. And by the way, what does Dame Patience Jonathan do for a living? She obviously does not have to deal with the challenges of rotation and zoning in her home, unlike the three wives of the Adamawa Governor, Murtala Nyako for whom zoning and rotation have become topical subjects or the wives of South African President Jacob Zuma – that is why she can afford to be so meddlesome!

When she misbehaves as she did in Okrika, she creates the impression that her husband is not in control of his own home. First ladies are prominent figures but their conduct is an eternal subject of public interest. In Nigeria, there was Victoria Gowon, there was also Ajoke Muhammed: dignified and restrained. There was Maryam Babangida – she was influential but no one could accuse her of verbal recklessness; Mrs Abdusalami Abubakar was a court judge, totally self-effacing, No major social party was complete without Mrs Stella Obasanjo, yet she controlled her tongue. Mrs Turai Yar’Adua was described as the power behind the throne and she proved that during the period of her husband’s illness but she was carefully reticent. At the state level, there was Remi Tinubu in Lagos state and Onari Duke in Cross River state who have both conducted themselves responsibly in and out of office. The new First Lady likes to travel, party, and talk outside the script. People are beginning to learn to read her lips in order to understand her husband. Dame Patience must not push her Goodluck.

British National Kidnapped In Nigeria

A British national was kidnapped in Nigeria this week shortly after leaving the international terminal of Lagos airport, the British High Commission (BHM) said.

A statement said: "The BHM is working closely with others to secure the release of the hostage. Because of the nature of this incident, the BHM is not going into further detail about it."

Cop Knocks Woman’s Teeth Out For Walking Past Him In Texas

Another cop in Texas has been arrested and jailed for not only illegally arresting a woman but for knocking her teeth out in the process. The incident took place after the 22-year old victim had the audacity to walk past this cop after he had made a traffic stop. This is certainly not an isolated incident as the several graphic and disturbing videos from similar incidents within the past year alone clearly show.
A police officer in San Marcos is in jail after arresting a pedestrian who police say didn’t break the law.
Corporal James Angelo Palermo, 40, conducted a traffic stop on May 29 during his midnight shift patrol near 126 S. Guadalupe Street.
According to the arrest affidavit, Palermo stopped a Toyota Prius shortly after 1:00 a.m. for driving the wrong way on a one-way street and began questioning the driver.
A pedestrian walking by was called over by Palermo and asked why she was walking by his traffic stop. He then asked for the woman’s identification.
When the woman insisted she had done nothing wrong Palermo slammed her against the Prius; then onto the concrete driveway near his patrol car.
Upon further investigation supervisors found the woman had lost two teeth and suffered a concussion during the illegal arrest.
Palermo was arrested for aggravated assault by a public servant. The woman is currently being treated for her injuries and could require further surgery, according to the affidavit.

Pope Francis Offers Reduced Time In Purgatory For Catholics That Follow Him On Twitter

ONE HELL OF A DEAL!
Salvation – or at least a shorter stay in Purgatory – might now be only a tweet away with news that Pope Francis is to offer “indulgences” – remissions for temporary punishment – to the faithful who follow him on the social media site.
Around 1.5 million are expected to flock to Rio de Janeiro to celebrate World Youth Day with the Argentine pontiff later this month. But for those who can’t make it to Brazil, forgiveness may be available to contrite sinners who follow Francis’s progress via their TV screen or social networks.
The Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican court that rules on the forgiveness of sins, has said that indulgences may be given to those who follow the “rites and pious exercises” of the event on television, radio and through social media.
The Penitentiary said that Pope Francis' Twitter account, which has already gathered seven million followers, would be one such medium.
Vatican officials, noted however, that to obtain indulgences over the internet or otherwise, believers would first have to confess their sins, offer prayers and attend Mass.
“You can't obtain indulgences like getting a coffee from a vending machine,” Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, head of the pontifical council for social communication, told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Brad And Angie Living Like 'Hobos'

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are said to live like "hobos".
The multi-millionaire couple's mansion is strewn with pizza boxes and discarded food, according to their housekeepers.
The couple may appear spotless when gracing red carpets and 'Best-Dressed' lists, but reportedly let their six children run riot with "toothpaste wars", according to their disgruntled staff.
A source told Star magazine: "They live like a couple of hobos, with pizza boxes around them, food left out to spoil, and toothpaste and crayon marks on the walls. It's actually pretty disgusting."
Brad is also described as a "hoarder", keeping an overwhelming number of books and magazines at home.
The source added: "He's a total hoarder. He's collected so many books and magazines, he's just running out of space to store everything. Things just get stashed everywhere and anywhere he can find."
Brad recently gushed about his chaotic family life with partner Angelina, 37 and their children, Maddox,12, Pax, nine, Zahara,eight, Shiloh, seven, and twins Vivienne and Knox, both five.
He said: "There is a constant chatter in our house , whether its giggling or screaming or crying or banging. I love it. I love it. I hate it when they're gone. I hate it.
"Maybe it's nice to be in a hotel room for a day - Oh nice, I can finally read the paper. By then, by the next day I miss that cacophony , all that in my life."

Mugabe Lashes Out At 'Insane' Washington

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe branded the United States "absolutely insane" on Thursday for voicing concerns about a 31 July election, although neighbouring South Africa joined Washington in criticising chaotic preparations for the vote.
Speaking to thousands of supporters in Chinhoyi, 115km northwest of Harare, the 89-year-old also rejected calls for reform of partisan security forces, saying his main rival, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, could make changes if he won.
"In America they are saying Zimbabwe has gone for an early election without reforms. Americans must be mad and absolutely insane," Mugabe said in an address that last more than 2-1/2 hours, confounding speculation his health is failing.
The vote is meant to end five years of fractious unity government under a deal brokered by regional power South Africa following violent and disputed polls in 2008 but with its credibility already being questioned, those hopes are waning.
The United States said this week it was deeply concerned by a lack of transparency, suggesting Washington was in no mood to ease sanctions against a victorious Mugabe even if he wins without violence.
Tellingly, it is not just Mugabe's long-time foes in the West rounding on the continent's oldest head of state, who has run the southern African nation since independence from Britain in 1980.
In unusually strong criticism, South African President Jacob Zuma's top Zimbabwe expert, Lindiwe Zulu, said Zuma had telephoned Mugabe to tell him he was "not pleased" with the run-up to the poll.
"We are concerned because things on the ground are not looking good," Zulu told Reuters.
South Africa wants to avoid a repeat of the 2008 violence, which brought a flood of refugees into the country and added a further burden on stretched state finances.
Mugabe called the election on 31 July in compliance with a Constitutional Court order but the move was criticised by his opponents and Pretoria as too soon to allow proper preparations.
Zulu's comments are likely to infuriate Mugabe, who labelled her "stupid and idiotic" at a rally this month after she called for a delay of a few weeks to ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible.
Advance voting for 70 000 police officers and soldiers on Sunday and Monday compounded fears of a chaotic poll, raising the prospect of a disputed result and civil unrest in a country with a history of election violence.
In the special voting, long lines formed at polling stations and some people were unable to vote because ballot papers did not turn up at all - one of several logistical challenges acknowledged by the Election Commission.
Pretoria's verdict on the quality of the vote has added significance because election observers from the European Union and United States are barred from entering Zimbabwe.
There have been no formal opinion polls but most analysts see Mugabe's Zanu-PF as the favourite given its monopoly of state media and the problems with voter registration encountered by many young, urban Zimbabweans - Tsvangirai's support base.
Britain has also said its misgivings about the election justified maintaining European Union sanctions imposed more than a decade ago for suspected vote-rigging and human rights abuses.
"We are concerned that a number of important electoral and other important democratic reforms have not been completed," a Foreign Office spokesperson said.
While sanctions remain in place, Zimbabwe has no chance of rescheduling billions of dollars of defaulted World Bank and IMF debt, leaving it unable to access the multilateral credit needed to rebuild its economy.
Britain's former Africa minister, Peter Hain, said Mugabe's methods had changed from 2008, when at least 200 people, almost all of them Tsvangirai supporters, were killed, but that the entrenched president's disdain for a free and fair vote had not.
"In the past, he's relied more on brute force and violence. This time it's all sorts of double-deeds," Hain told Reuters. "It will be very hard for sanctions to be lifted if the outcome is as it looks to be - namely an election by bribery and constitutional chicanery."

Lamar Odom Trashes Paparazzi's Car And Cameras Over Infidelity Questions

As a member of the Kardashian clan he courts publicity - even starring in his own breakout reality show.
But it seems Lamar Odom, 33, finally tired of the attention as he turned on the paparazzi in dramatic fashion on Wednesday, just as a bus full of tourists drove by.
The towering 6ft 10 basketball player lost his temper as he walked up to a photographer's car and threw all of his equipment out onto the road, while the stunned sightseers looked on.

It came after the photographer repeatedly asked him about claims he cheated on Khloe Kardashian. (A woman all she had a year-long affair with him in a US tabloid this week).

He initially remained calm despite his irritation, saying: 'I would never cheat on my wife, that's why I wear my wedding ring.'

But after persistent questioning, he asked the photographer for his name and then said: 'I'm gonna step out the car and I'm gonna talk to you.'
Later, when the photographer pleads for his equipment back, he replies: 'Shut up.'
Photographs show the reality star rifling through the back of a car belonging to one of the photographers and furiously throwing his camera and equipment into the middle of the street.
Lamar then walked over to another photographer's car holding what looked like a tripod while the cameraman stood by, allegedly smashing the car.

He then proceeded to pick up the equipment from the middle of the street and put it in his own car, while carrying the metal rod.
Witnesses claimed Odom snapped after demanding to speak 'man to man' with the paparazzi who Khloe later tweeted had allegedly 'violated their private property' after sneaking into their gated area.
She also claimed the photographer was same pap involved 'in a hit and run' with brother Rob.
When they continued to take his photo, it is claimed, Odom turned on them.
A group of people in a celebrity tour bus happened to be driving past, and the delighted tourists stopped to watch and film the commotion.
Oddly a fan jumped out of her car after the incident to have her picture taken with the star - and taking a break from his rage he politely obliges.

Lamar's angry behaviour is especially bizarre considering the fact he and his wife and her family are known for actively courting the press.
A publicist for the family did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the photos.
However sources close to Lamar's wife Khloe have told MailOnline that the split rumours couldn't be further from the truth.
'They're more in love than ever,' a source explains.
They added: 'Khloe did not kick Lamar out of the house, they are 100% fine.'
According to Star magazine, Khloe had kicked Lamar out of the house after discovering he had been cheating on her since at least January last year.
The report named 29-year-old brunette Jennifer Richardson, who Lamar supposedly met at the Stadium Club strip club in Washington D.C. after he played a game for the Dallas Mavericks.

Rivers Assembly Fracas: Soyinka, Falana Slam Jonathan

As the crisis rocking the Rivers State House of Assembly degenerated with the removal of soldiers guarding Governor Rotimi Amaechi, the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and Femi Falana this morning criticised President Goodluck Jonathan’s handling of the matter.
Addressing a press conference this morning, both of them agreed that the country had passed this road before and is not what the country should be doing now.
Soyinka said: “I’m insulted by what is going on in Rivers State. We have been through this before. Why is the Presidency boring us. There are serious issues confronting us.
“This is the time the president should be mobilizing the entire country for positive things. This is the time the President should worry about how to protect our little children being murdered in their schools.
“Instead, he’s busy reducing the authority of an elected governor in Rivers State.”
He asked rhetorically: “will no one rid me of this pestilence?”
He also condemned Jonathan, saying his silence and indifference have created an enabling environment for his followers who are acting in Rivers State with impunity.
In his own comment, Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana cited various sections of the constitution which condemn what is going on in Rivers State.
He said an elected Speaker of the House of Assembly can only be removed by 2/3 majority of members of the House.
Falana explained that the Supreme court made it clear that any business conducted outside of the legislature can’t stand. He cited the cases of Plateau and Oyo states to buttress his point.
He said what is going on in Rivers State is absurd and odious. According to him, the silence of the President wherever he may be is a confirmation of what is going in Rivers State.
He then called on the Inspector General of Police to remove the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mr. Joseph Mbu, who has violated the code of conduct of the police.
He insisted the officers should be removed, not transferred.

Source: PM News

Amaechi Raises Alarm Over Safety After Soldiers, APCs Are Removed From Govt House

The embattled governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi, has raised the alarm about his safety after military authorities abruptly withdrew soldiers detailed to the Rivers State Government House on Wednesday in a new twist to the political tumult that has enveloped the state.
Mr. Amaechi told PREMIUM TIMES late Wednesday that while police and State Security Service operatives remained with him, he could not predict how things might turn out within the next hours in an utterly fast-paced set of events unfolding in the state since Tuesday.
“Although I feel safe at this time, you never can tell what may happen even this night,” the governor said Wednesday night in response to a PREMIUM TIMES telephone enquiry.
His fears resonated as the over more than two dozens soldiers attached to his office and residence were suddenly withdrawn on Wednesday, leaving behind a police detachment that has been accused of indifference, or even complicity, in the series of crises bedeviling the state for months.
The soldiers were reportedly asked to leave on the orders of the state Brigade Commander. It is not clear who ordered the commander to withdraw the officers.
Army spokesperson, Brigadier General Bolaji Koleoso, did not comment when reached by PREMIUM TIMES. A man who answered our call on his behalf said Mr. Koleoso was away and would respond to our enquiries on his return. He is yet to return our call.
The withdrawal of the soldiers came several hours after federal lawmakers at the Senate and the House of Representatives spent the entire legislative sessions Wednesday discussing the crisis that began after five members of the state House of Assembly, opposed to Mr. Amaechi, moved to impeach the Speaker who enjoys the backing of 27 members.
The Speaker, Mr. Otelemaba Amachree, survived the plot. But the impeachment call by lawmakers led by Evans Bipi, who himself sought to take over the office, only manifested months of repressed acrimony; and the violence that followed left four lawmakers hospitalized.
At the centre of the crisis is the spat between Mr. Amaechi and President Goodluck Jonathan over the 2015 election. The renegade legislators are said to be backed by a faction of the state Peoples Democratic Party supported by the president.
An infuriated National Assembly passed separate motions sternly condemning the turn of events, especially how only five lawmakers could claim to have impeached a speaker, and how the state police commissioner failed to stem the violence in the chamber.
The House asked for the immediate redeployment of the police chief, Joseph Mbu; and invoked its constitutional powers to assume the legislative functions of the crisis-ridden state assembly.
The Senate said it needed further investigation to be certain of an appropriate response, but warned of tougher actions and a willingness to defend the constitution “even if it means sacrificing” members’ blood.
As the deliberations held, reports of gunfire near the state government house in Port Harcourt emerged, stoking fears of a large-scale breakdown of law and order- a concern the House of Representatives cited as reason for what some view as a hasty takeover by the House.
That decision, meanwhile, will require the concurrence of the Senate to be effective.
But hours after the vote, Mr. Amaechi and other state officials told PREMIUM TIMES the soldiers were recalled from their posts and the Armoured Personnel Carrier positioned closed to the Government House driving away. As commander-in-chief, Mr. Jonathan receives briefing on such decisions, but it is not clear whether he is privy to the actions taken by the Brigade Commander in Port Harcourt
The president, who is away on a state visit to China, has not sent in a comment on the events 48 hours after.
But after an opposition party, Action Congress of Nigeria, accused the president of having a hand in the crisis, calling for his impeachment, a presidential spokesperson, Doyin Okupe, scrambled a response, denying Mr. Jonathan’s culpability.
“The President is not, has not and will never engineer any act that can cause disaffection between Governor Rotimi Amaechi or any other Governor and the state legislature or any other institution of government,” Mr. Okupe said.
Meanwhile, a security source in the state said the violence in the state might worsen in the days ahead if urgent steps were not taken to check the influx of cultists and militants into Port Harcourt.
He said information at his disposal suggested that 10 flying boats and four busloads of fully armed militants had invaded the city in the past 24 hours and might wreck havoc if not checked.
PREMIUM TIMES was unable to independently confirm the claim.

Source: Premium Source

HORRIBLE: Baby Without Brain Born In Kaduna

A woman believed to be in her 30’s yesterday gave birth to what appears to be a baby without a brain at the General hospital Kagarko, Kagarko local government area of Kaduna State.
It was gathered that the woman delivered her baby early yesterday morning in the hands of nurses and midwives at the hospital.
Recall that only on Monday, a woman had given birth to a monkey-like baby at the same hospital. A health worker at the hospital told our correspondent that the baby which later died after delivery was born abnormal.
“The events of the past two days are making everybody scared in the area. We cannot understand why things like these are happening in our local government,” he said.
“What is happening requires medical explanation. We need to know whether it is human error or a miracle.”
When contacted on phone, the medical director of the hospital, Dr. Habila Kambai, said that the baby was born with a “very small head.”

China And Nigeria Sign $1.1bn Deal

Nigeria and China, on Wednesday, signed five agreements to boost financial, trade, economic, technical and cultural relations between the two countries.
Both President Goodluck Jonathan and President Xi Jinping of China presided over the signing of the agreements in Beijing in the course of the ongoing state visit by President Jonathan to the Asian country.
According to a Presidency statement issued in Abuja, on Wednesday, the agreements, which were signed after bilateral talks between the two leaders and their delegations included the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Financial Cooperation In Support of Nigeria’s Economic Development and a Preferential Buyer Credit Agreement for Nigeria’s Four Airports Expansion Project.
Others were a new Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between Nigeria and China, an agreement on Mutual Visa Exemption for holders of diplomatic and official passports from both countries and an agreement for the Prevention of the Theft, Illicit Import and Export of Cultural Property.
Speaking before the commencement of the talks, Jonathan thanked President Jinping and the people of China for the warm reception accorded him and the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, since their arrival in Beijing on Wednesday.
The statement said that Jonathan assured his host that the Federal Government was fully committed to sustaining and developing the strategic partnership between Nigeria and China for the mutual benefit of the two countries and their people.

BREAKING NEWS!!!

The Army In Sokoto Is Currently In A Gun Battle With Some Gunmen. Shootings And Explosions Could Be Heard All Over The Area. Details Later! 

3-Storey Building Collapses In Kaduna

Residents of Hadeja Road in Kaduna metropolis have been thrown in wailing and mourning, following the collapse of a three-storey building.
LEADERSHIP gathered that several persons have been trapped in the collapsed building and rescue is yet to commence even after two hours..
Members of the public that could have helped to rescue victims, are also scared of going close to the scene, as our correspondent reports that the building is still collapsing.
Meanwhile, four persons who sustained severe injuries have been rescued by some brave youths and are presently receiving treatment.

FG Targets 18 Hours Uninterrupted Power Supply In 2014

The Federal Government on Wednesday said Nigerians will enjoy 18 hours uninterrupted power supply from 2014 when most of the current investments in the sector would have been completed.
Yerima Ngama, minister of state for finance, stated this while briefing State House correspondents shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo.
Ngama, who spoke against the background of recent allegations from the House of Representatives that government was starving the power sector of fund, stressed that the “Ministry of Power has enjoyed tremendous release of funds” from the finance ministry and that Nigerians should be patient with government as it gradually rolls out the power projects that will guarantee up to 18 hours of electricity to consumers by 2014 as promised.
He declared also that the power sector had enjoyed the best of attention from the current administration, adding that the Ministry of Power actualises its mandate of providing adequate electricity supply for Nigerians.
He also cited the oversubscribed $1 billion bond floated by the Federal Government to fund electricity infrastructure in the country, as well as release of appropriate funds for power sector reforms.

Suspected Terrorist Killed In Joint Army, SSS Operation In Sokoto

A suspected terrorist has been killed in Sokoto after a shoot out with soldiers and operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) on Thursday, the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports.
Brig.-Gen. Tasi'u Ibrahim, the Commander, 1 Brigade, Nigerian Army, said the suspect was killed in the operation which lasted for about six hours at Gidan-Dare, near Kalambaina area of the city.
He also said one suspect was captured alive, while 11 members of the suspects' family, ``were rescued and secured''.
Ibrahim told a press conference in Sokoto after the operation that, six of those rescued were children while five were women, adding also that two of the women were pregnant.
The pregnant women are now receiving ante-natal care at the Brigade’s clinic," he said.
The commander disclosed that the joint operation was carried out following a tip-off, adding, ``the house was being used as a terrorist hide-out''.
The operation was clinically and carefully carried out in line with the existing global rules of engagement,’’ he assured.
Ibrahim listed some of the weapons recovered from the house to include: Six AK 47 and one pump action rifles, 13 IED Prima clocks and an Abuja vehicle plate number, EL 295 ABJ .
Other items were : 13 ammunition magazines, 7 Improvised Explosive Devices making materials, 32 (9 volts) batteries, one axe, four handsets, 56 SIM cards, three memory cards, 10 cartons of milk and N76, 685 cash, among others.
This group of people do not wish Nigeria and the state well. In this Holy month of Ramadan one may wonder how these people are bent on breaching the peace.
All well meaning and law abiding Nigerians will continue to be protected and secured. The Army will make every effort to ensure that the innocent do not suffer,'' he said.
Ibrahim commended the people of the state for their sustained cooperation to the security agencies, but cautioned them against renting their houses to unknown persons,
NAN reports that the house was immediately demolished and set ablaze after the operation.
The press conference was attended by the Commander, 55 Forward Operation Base, Nigeria Air Force, Sokoto, Air Commodore Hanbali Tukur, Commissioner of Police Shu’aibu Gambo and Director SSS Jubril Danmalam.