NSE Lists 6.3 billion Champion Breweries Shares

By Eromosele Abiodun

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has admitted a
total of 6.3 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each
belonging to Champion Breweries Plc to trade on the
exchange.
The NSE said the listing followed the  company’s
recently concluded rights issue which closed on
September 10th, 2014, thus increasing the issued
quantity of the company’s share to 7.2 billion.
Under the rights issue, the company offered the
shares, which have now been admitted for trading, to
investors in a bid to raise N11.65 billion.. The shares
were offered  to existing shareholders in the ratio of
seven new ordinary shares for every ordinary share
held as of the close of business on Wednesday, May 7,
2014 at N1.85 per share.
Champions Breweries had announced plans to
recapitalise its operations earlier in the year.
In July this year, the company announced that it had
concluded arrangements to raise N11.65 billion via
rights issue, having received the approval of its
shareholders to raise up to N13.7 billion additional
capital at its annual general Meeting, which was held
on May 16, 2014.
“The net proceeds of the issue will be used to repay
the company’s existing debt and reduce the interest
burden which will potentially enhance the company’s
operations and reposition it for profitability and
growth,” it said in a statement.
The statement had quoted the Chairman, Board of
Directors, Champion Breweries, Chief Senas Ukpahah,
as saying at the signing ceremony in Lagos that the
rights issue, when concluded, would be key to
transforming the company and ensuring its growth.
He said, “The successful outcome of the rights issue
will signify a huge step towards the implementation of
Champion Breweries’ turnaround programme which
is crucial in reversing the fortunes of our company.”

Source: Thisday newspaper

2015 wallpapers already out.

With less than 12hours to new year, 2015 posters and pics are everywhere. Here's a few collections

CPFR message: Akwa Ibom must be free!

Akpabio presents N462 billion budget to Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly

Akwa Ibom Government has presented a budgetary
allocation of N462 billion for 2015 financial year to the
state House Of Assembly for deliberations and
approval.
This is against N498.54 billion approved for this fiscal
year made up of N74.24 billion for Recurrent
Expenditure, N333 billion for Capital Expenditure
while Consolidated Revenue Fund Charges was N91.30
billion.
A breakdown of 2015 budget tagged: Budget of
Actualization and Continuity shows that Recurrent
Expenditure is given N94.74 billion, Capital
Expenditure has N253 billion while Consolidated
Revenue Fund Charges is allocated N114.26 billion.
Chief Godswill Akpabio, who presented the budget
proposal Tuesday to the state House of Assembly in
Uyo, remarked, "The 2015 proposed budget seeks to
build on the successes and achievements recorded so
far. We intend to complete on-going projects and use
the budget proposals to build a strong bridge between
my administration and the incoming administration
such that the uncommon transformation, which we
have so energetically pursued, will be sustained, so
that our past labours will not be in vain.
"The budget would touch all sections of
infrastructures and security in the state. It will
develop strategic plans for the development of the
state, create more jobs for the teeming youths, the use
of direct labour and improved human capacity,
promote women empowerment and improve the
education standard of every Akwa Ibom child, among
others", he stated.
Commending the state House of Assembly for
supporting his administration, he remarked, "There is
nothing I can say here which can be more precious
than what you have done here. When the story of the
Uncommon Transformation of our state will be
properly documented on the petals of our history, it
would be noted that this House was the factory we
brought our ideas to incubation and production.
According to him, "It was here we gave our ideas
wings to fly. It was here that the bird of uncommon
transformation soared to heights of acclaim. As you
know it takes two wings to fly and the two wings in
this case were the Executive wing and the Legislative
wing. Akwa Ibom State appreciates your patriotism
and effective representation.
"Let me pay special tribute to the Hon. Speaker, Rt.
Hon. Sam Ikon and the leadership of this great House
for providing vision, purpose, direction and
motivation for developmental legislation in this
Chamber. We appreciate all members of this great
Assembly for lending their hands and souls to the
struggle to transform our state".
"The last seven and a half years have been times of
dramatic transformation and you have all risen to
every challenge of making our social fabric stronger,
our people healthier, our society safer and more
prosperous, and providing state-of-the-art
infrastructures for all Akwa Ibom people and foreign
investors who need superb investment destination",
Akpabio narrated.
Calling on the people of the state to always imbibe the
spirit of love, peace and unity, he remarked, " I have
taken every action to give the good people of our state
the tools and conditions to build a new Akwa Ibom
State founded on love, brotherhood and unity.  I have
stayed on the course of values, which define the Akwa
Ibom promise, and we have sought to turn this state
into a veritable specimen of peace and development".
"Today we stand on Zion Hill. God has taken us across
turbulent seas and raging rivers. He has taken us
through the wilderness of decayed infrastructures and
into the land of our ancestors’ promises. But when the
children of Israel entered the Promised Land, their
travails did not stop. They had to fight the giants in
the land, and up till now they are still fighting for
their land. We must keep fighting the demons of
ethnicity and tribalism, to prove that we are worthy
of the uncommon transformation God has bequeathed
to us.
"Each generation will have something to fight against,
but for us we have three fights to embark upon today.
One, we must bury our differences and fight to
sustain the tempo of development encapsulated in the
uncommon transformation of our state.  Two, we
must ensure that the ills of jealousy, hatred and envy
which constituted a clog in the wheels of our
development are never allowed to rear their heads
again in our land.  Three, we must acknowledge that
the Akwa Ibom person has acquired a new status and
greater esteem in our country and we must fight to
maintain this new status in our country", he noted.
Governor Akpabio who called on every Akwa Ibom
person to see himself as a stakeholder in the state
projects, stressed that every Akwa Ibom person is a
shareholder with equal shares in the Akwa Ibom
dream, calling Akwa Ibom persons to see themselves
as the owners of the many infrastructures that his
administration has built in the last seven and a half
years, which hoped that some of them would be
completed.
He said his administration would have certainly done
more for the state but due to circumstances beyond
their control, disclosing that the original estimate was
N498.5 billion, but they realized N221.4 billion only –
about 44 percent, with a benchmark of 73 per barrel of
oil, while the production target was N2.5, which he
said was not met as a result of pipeline vandalisation
and oil theft.
Akpabio who hinted that his administration had
invested in the resources of the state on those
infrastructures and projects critical to the emergence
of a new Akwa Ibom ready to take up the role of a
major player in the nation’s political economy,
believed that prosperity is not a matter of luck,
neither is it a gift, stressing that the people of the
state must take their destinies in their own hands and
take decisions, which he said, would keep the society
prosperous and to keep flying and soaring in the orbit
of glory.

Source: Akwa Ibom Government House press release

Why are dictionaries called dictionaries?

One could argue that dictionaries are called as such
because they tell the user how to say things. Or you
could say that the Latin word dictio means ‘a word’,
and so a dictionary might be seen as a compendium of
words.
In fact, the word ‘dictionary’ (in its Latin form
dictionarius ) appears to have been coined by the
Englishman John of Garland in the early 13th century
as the title of a children’s textbook written as a guide
to Latin composition, and Garland makes clear in his
introduction that he is thinking of dictio not so much
in its sense ‘word’ but in its sense ‘connected
speech’, because by using his guide the learner will
be able to put words together to form connected
speech.

INEC Releases Guidelines for Screening of Candidates

• Jonathan, Buhari, others face INEC verification c’ttee
Jan16-18
By Chuks Okocha

Preparatory to the National Assembly and state assembly
elections expected to hold February 14, the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) will commence the
verification of the credentials submitted by the political
parties on behalf of their respective candidates.
In the same manner, the verification exercise for
presidential candidates of 10 political parties for the
February 14 presidential election is expected to hold
between January 16 and 18 next year.
INEC, it was gathered, would be using the provisions of
the constitution and the Electoral Act for the screening
and verification of the documentation presented by the
various candidates of the political parties.
In this regard, INEC would set up committees for the
verification of candidates vying for national and state
assemblies and members of these committees will be
visiting the states to verify the personal particulars of the
candidates between January 4 and 14.
However, the presidential and governorship verification
exercise as well as the clearance committee will conduct
its screening at the commission’s headquarters, Abuja,
from January 16 to 18.
As penalty for candidates with false credentials, INEC is
threatening to impose a fine of N500,000 on parties that
present such candidates.
The guidelines for the screening and verification exercise
were posted on the INEC website yesterday.
The guidelines state: “Parties are requested to ensure that
the candidates they intend to sponsor at the elections are
available with the originals of all their credentials at the
respective venues for the exercise, in case they are
required.
“The attention of parties and their candidates is also
drawn to Section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2006, which
disqualifies any candidate who provides false information
in his/her affidavit (Form CF 001) from contesting
elections.
“Furthermore, a political party which presents such a
candidate that is guilty of the offence, is liable to a fine up
to N500, 000.”
The INEC form 0001 that contains the personal details are
displayed in all the state and local government offices of
the commission in the constituencies of the candidates.
The guidelines further state that “any person who has
reasonable grounds to believe that any information given
by any candidate is false, or that the candidate is not
qualified, or should be disqualified from contesting the
elections should notify the commission in writing within
seven days of this publication”.
The presidential candidates expected to contest the
February presidential election, as released by INEC, are
President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), Major-General Muhammadu Buhari of the All
Progressives Congress (APC), and a woman, Prof. Comfort
Oluremi Sonaiya of Kowa Party.
Others are Ambrose Albert (Hope Democratic Party);
Ganiyu Galadima (Allied Congress Party of Nigeria); Rafiu
Salau (Alliance for Democracy); Godson Okoye (United
Democratic Party); Dr. Nani Ibrahim Ahmad (African
Democratic Congress); Martin Onovo (National Conscience
Party); Tunde Anifowoshe-Kelani (Action Alliance); and
Chekwas Okorie (United Progressive Party).
Their running mates are: Vice-President Namadi Sambo
(PDP); Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (APC); Haruna Shaba (Hope
Democratic Party); Balarabe Ahmed (Allied Congress Party
of Nigeria); Prof. Clinton Cliff Akuchie (Alliance for
Democracy); Haruna Adamu (United Democratic Party);
Obianuju Murphy-Uzohue (African Democratic Congress);
Ibrahim Mohammed (NCP); Saidu Bobboi (Kowa Party);
Comrade Paul Ishaka Ofomile (Action Alliance); and Bello
Umar (United Progressive Party).

Culled from Thisday

Five reasons why Buhari will lose again Says, ‘Power won’t shift to North in 2015, Jonathan will be re-elected’

From the First Republic, Chief Richard
Akinjide (SAN) has been an active
participant in Nigerian politics. A
former Attorney-General and Justice
Minister, he strongly believes that
President Goodluck Jonathan will be
re-elected in 2015. The First Republic
Federal Minister of Education and
member, Board of Trustees (BoT) of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
advises former Head of State, Major
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), to quit
politics because if he contests for the
presidency 10 times, like he did in
2003, 2007 and 2011, he can never be
president. Akinjide, in this interview
with AYODELE OJO and TEMITOPE
OGUNBANKE, also said Governor
Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State should
forget his return to the Agodi
GovernmentHouse, Ibadan. Excerpts:

As an active participant in all the
republics, how would you assess the
state of the nation?

Excellent. In my view, there is nothing
to worry about. As long as we obey
the wordings of the constitution, we
have nothing to worry about.

There are threats and counter-threats
about President Goodluck Jonathan’s
re-election and the 2015 elections.
How do you feel about the
development?

In my view, what decides an election
is the result. Politicians must talk
politics; whether they are from the
South or North or from the East or
West. Nobody should worry about
that. They say even worse things in
France, Germany, England, USA and
South Africa. So, I don’t see why
people are worried about that. In
politics, you must jaw-jaw, not war-
war; no violence, no killings. As long
as you obey the law, we have nothing
to worry about.

As a leader in the PDP, do you see
your party winning South-West in the
2015 elections?

We will. We will follow the law, the
Electoral Act, the electoral rule and
the PDP will win. I don’t think
anybody should worry about the party
controlling the states in the South-
West or not controlling it. I don’t
want to go into details of that but
those who perpetrated atrocities in
past elections; they have suffered for
it and they would continue to suffer
for it. I don’t want to comment on
that. Once the electoral tribunal
makes pronouncement and it is final,
whether it is right or wrong, we have
to obey it. But let us wait for the
result of the next election and see
who is going to win and see who is
going to lose.

With the All Progressives Congress in
firm control of five of the six states in
the South- West, do you see
President Jonathan winning the 2015
election in the zone?

There was a time Chief Obafemi
Awolowo was controlling the whole
South-West and when we did the
federal election in 1954/55, the NCNC
won; Awolowo’s party was defeated.
Yet Awolowo’s party was in control of
the Western Region at that time. That
was when Chief Kola Balogun became
a Federal Minister, Adegoke Adelabu
became Federal Minister and other
people from South-West became
Federal Ministers. There is no
permanency in politics. A party in
power today may not be the party in
power tomorrow. It is not a permanent
fixture. In England, the Labour Party
had been in power and they are now
in opposition. There had been time
when the Conservative had been in
power and the Labour came in. The
same thing happened in Germany,
France and USA. So, I don’t see why
people should be unnecessarily
nervous about 2015. The party in
power today may be in opposition
tomorrow.

You have not answered the question:
will Jonathan be able to win in
South-West come 2015?

I am 100 per cent sure that once the
election is conducted in accordance
with the Electoral Act, Jonathan will
win; he will become President again. I
have no doubt about that. In 2011,
when he won the election, how many
states did PDP control in the South-
West? And his win was total and the
same thing is going to happen in the
next election. The crisis in the PDP is
going to be settled and you will see
how things will emerge. We have now
got an excellent man as national
chairman of the party, Adamu Muazu;
who believes in unity, democratic
norms and that would change the
equation of politics in the South-
West and in Nigeria as a whole. But
people felt the mutual alliance
between Jonathan and Bola Tinubu
helped the president in the 2011
election. I don’t accept that analysis.
Jonathan won because people voted
for him and he will win again because
people will vote for him. It is as
simple as that. I have no doubt that
PDP will come to power in South-
West. Do you foresee Governor
Ajimobi returning to office in 2015?
No. I don’t see him coming back. I
see the PDP winning the election.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
has threatened to withdraw from PDP
activities if Buruji Kashamu remains
the party leader in South-West.

Do you feel comfortable with
Kashamu being the party’s zonal
leader?

In the first place, former President
Obasanjo has not withdrawn from
PDP. If you have a complaint, it is
your duty to complain to leaders of
the party or to the chairman of the
party and that is what he (Obasanjo)
has done. Isn’t that better than
stoning yourself or fighting each
other? It is all politics. It has come
and it will go away. For me, I don’t
see him leading the party in the
South-West. A magazine has
published the details of his case
(drug) in America, which he denied.
He said he had no case in America.
The PDP believes in democratic
norms; we obey the rule of law and
anything contrary to law, we will not
go over it. I don’t see him ruling us
in the South-West. Kashamu ruling
us would be a disaster. He (Kashamu)
said many of the leaders that are
opposing him are no longer relevant
in the politics of South-West….

What relevance has he got himself? I
want anybody to tell me. I don’t even
know him. I have never seen him
before. He should be very careful the
way he makes statement. And that is
perhaps why he had problem in
America and has been exposed by the
American authorities. I don’t think
you should attach much importance
to his statement. He should be very
careful.

Recently, Jonathan and Obasanjo
were engaged in public spat; is there
any process in place to reconcile the
duo?

I don’t see any altercation. I saw
exchange of letters. It is normal in
politics that you exchange words
either in writing or by words of
mouth. Which political party does not
do that? Even the party in government
in the South-West does the same
thing. In the North, they do the same
thing. In South-South, they do the
same thing. It is normal in politics;
just don’t fight each other, only
exchange words. As long as you do
that, there is no problem. Writing
letters is healthy but stoning yourself
or fighting is not healthy. If people
exchange letters, that is normal in
politics. Don’t forget that we inherited
this system, we did not create them.
It was brought by the British,
Americans and the Europeans
generally and we are doing it here the
way they do it there. So, why should
anyone get worried, except somebody
who is suffering from political
ignorance.

Do you think some of the issues
raised by Obasanjo are really germane
or out of place?

It all depends on, one; your politics.
Secondly, how you look at it and
thirdly, where you are going. The
former President said corruption has
grown in Jonathan administration. He
also talked about clannish issue; that
the Ijaws have taken over the
government and the rest.

Are these issues real or just
imaginary?

There is no politics in Nigeria that is
controlled by a particular group. The
Presidency has the whole
constituency as his electoral base.
Therefore, to be elected, you need
people from Sokoto, Oyo, Ijaw, North-
East, North Central and the Igbo to
support you. Many people making
statement are making them out of
sheer ignorance and political
incompetence. If I may say so. There
is nothing happening that has worried
me at all. So, you feel there is no
need to reconcile the two?

What is the meaning of reconciliation
when you exchange words in the
papers, on television or radio?

That is normal. The Germans, British,
Americans and Japanese do the same
thing. This politics we are doing is
not in our history; we inherited it from
the British, Americans, Japanese and
other people. So, why should
anybody blame us? The North is
angling for power shift in 2015.

Do you support power shift?

There is nothing wrong about that,
even you asking to be President of
Nigeria. It is normal. There is nothing
wrong even for people from Benue or
Anambra to say that they want to be
President. It is normal to say such
things. I have no problem about that
at all. So, you don’t have any
problem with power shift in 2015 to
the North? Shift to where? I am
supporting Jonathan 100 per cent to
contest election again, win and
remain President.

Why are you supporting Jonathan?
One, his performance. Two, the
people of his area have seen
something they have never seen
before in the history of the country.
We have had Yoruba as President,
Northerners as Presidents and we had
Igbo as Governor-General of this
country. So, if we have an Ijaw
occupying the same place, I don’t see
anything wrong in that.

But some critics like the APC feel
there is nothing on ground to show
that the President has done well.

That is arrant nonsense. Look at what
he has done about power. Look at
what he is trying to do about the
aviation industry. Look at the roads
he is doing; the expressway he is
doing between Ibadan and Lagos, in
the North and in the East. If you
inherited any problem of 10-15 years,
there is no way you can solve them
within a short time, it takes time.
How do you see the defection of PDP
governors and lawmakers to APC and
what is the implication of the move?
This is just internal politics and it is
going to be corrected before long.
You just watch out. The constitution
is quite clear on that. If you contest
election on the platform of a political
party and you want to leave and go
to another political party, you have to
resign and contest again. If you don’t
do that, then you are doing
something that is wrong and I don’t
see that happening. I believe that the
PDP will put its house in order and
there is no question of defection
being total or final.

Do you see a Northern candidacy
defeating Jonathan in 2015?
The politics of Nigeria has moved
away from North and South or East
and West. Anybody who is reading
Nigerian politics in that context must
be very ignorant. We now have 36
states. Before, we had three regions,
then 12 states, then 19 states. How
can you talk of North and South in
that context? It is not possible. The
politics of North and South has
changed forever. In the event former
head of state, General Muhammadu
Buhari, emerges as APC presidential
candidate, do you see him defeating
President Jonathan in 2015? If Buhari
stands for any election 10 times, he
will lose.

Why?

He hasn’t got the electoral advantage
to win an election. He has done a lot
of things in the past, which shows
that he hasn’t got democratic norms.
For instance, the government of
Lagos State was to do the railway
system and we know what he did
about it. Nigeria has one of the worst
railway systems in Africa today.
Lagos State was going to do water
system; he (Buhari) cancelled it. He
even cancelled the railway system
(metroline) in Lagos State. The
railway system was approved by
Shehu Shagari and the agreement was
vetted by me as the Attorney-General
and Lagos State deposited $50 million
to a French company, which they
forfeited and then they were asked to
pay damages again in arbitration.
Buhari was told that and he didn’t
care. His belief was that South would
be better developed than the North.
Anybody who thinks like that is not
worthy of being President of this
country. That is one of the reasons he
has no political advantage for any
political party. We all know what he
did about human rights abuses. He
imprisoned many political leaders. Is
that why he has contested in the last
three presidential elections and lost?
Let him contest again. If he does
again, I don’t see him winning and I
mean it. But Buhari fought corruption.
There is nobody in this country who
has not fought corruption, one way or
the other. But if you remember when
he became Head of State, he was from
the North, the Vice President was
also from the North (Kwara) and the
Secretary to the Federal Government
was also from the North, as if South
did not exist at that time. That is a
serious wrong political arithmetic.
People will not forget that and I mean
it. But when he left power through a
military coup against him, Gen.
Ibrahim Babangida came to power and
he took as Number Two people from
Abia and later Edo State. So, we had a
fair balance at that time. If you are
doing Nigerian politics, you must
have a fair balance. Anybody that
made that mistake again as Buhari
did, he will lose election.

So, you don’t see him winning
election even though he contests 10
times?

I have repeated that several times.
The mathematics of Nigerian politics
is against him and I don’t see any
electoral advantage that he might
have. Then, who in the APC do you
think poses a serious threat to
Jonathan’s re-election? Nobody. I say
that categorically and seriously, there
is nobody. The dominance of
Jonathan now is total and as time
goes on, we will see that he will
emerge as the dominant person to
win the presidential election.

How do you feel and do you have any
regrets in politics?

I have never regretted being in
politics. I started being in politics
when I was a law student in England.
So, in practice, and in theory I learnt
it in England. I used to go to the
House of Commons and House of
Lords to see how they did it and
when I came back to Nigeria at the
age of 24, I went straight into politics
and three years after that, I was a
Member of the Parliament in my 20s.
You spent some months in prison
after the First Republic coup… All
politicians virtually were detained
then and I was one of those
politicians detained.

How do you feel about your prison
experience?

Delightful. That was the
First Republic when there was an
unnecessary military coup and a
Prime Minister was killed; a Minister
of Finance killed and some Premiers
lost their lives. But after that, things
were corrected and those of us who
were thrown out of power came back
to power again. It was after that that I
became the Attorney-General again.
So, the democratic norms remain
intact and correct. And those who did
that coup at that time had been
proved to be wrong. Today, Tinubu is
more or less seen as the leader of
Yoruba. I don’t accept that. Nobody
has elected anybody as leader of
Yoruba. People have been rising that
they are this and that. They may be
leader of their party, but leader of
Yoruba, no way.

Is he not qualified to
be leader of Yoruba?

I can’t comment
on that. Chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission, Prof.
Attahiru Jega, has said he can’t
guarantee perfect elections in 2015.

What is your take on this?

If an
election is perfect, there would be no
election petitions in Electoral Act.
There have been election petitions in
USA, England, France and Germany. It
is normal; that is part of democratic
norms so that where there is mistake,
it can easily be corrected. I don’t
have any problem with what they are
doing and I have no problem with
what we are doing here. It is normal.
Nigeria is 100 years.

Some feel the
country should disintegrate while
others believe we stay together. What
do you feel?

The marriage of 1910 and
the other marriage of 1914 and the
independence we had in 1960 are
total. I have strong reasons to believe
that that marriage will remain forever.
We are now one family; marrying each
other, being educated together, and I
don’t see such things breaking.

*New Telegraph

Akwa Ibom State 2015 Elections Update

Details of Akpabio and G22 Meeting in Abuja
*G22 Reject Udom, Akpabio and Assam almost fight
After bribing Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf of Abuja, High
Court to illegally vacate the injunction by Chief Ime
Ekanem, the G22 hero, Godswill Akpabio still have not
known peace. On afternoon of Friday, Godswill Akpabio
invited the G22 to come to Governor’s Lodge, Abuja for a
meeting. They refused. Akpabio then said let us meet at
Transcorp Hotel, Abuja. They refused. Akpabio now went
that evening to meet them at their base in Maitama, Abuja.
Akpabio went with Udom.
Akpabio pleaded with G22 to accept Udom. They said no,
Udom cannot win election against a strong APC Candidate
like Umana. Akpabio asked Udom to plead with the G22.
They said Udom is a stranger in Akwa Ibom politics.
Ashamed, Udom couldn’t speak. Next, Akpabio offered G22
$100,000 (N18.9Million) each. They said, to hell with your
money.
Next, Akpabio and Assam Assam got into a serious
argument. They almost fought. The others settled them.
Tempers cooled down. Akpabio then asked the G22 to
follow him to attend his 9,999 Choral Night. They
said no, that the same Akpabio in his tricky style would
use that against them and say that they have accepted
Udom.
Finally, all sides agreed that the G22, Akpabio and the
PDP National Leadership should meet with the President
to agree on an acceptable governorship candidate.
Akpabio agreed to facilitate the meeting after he returns to
Abuja tomorrow. Before they agreed, Akpabio said the
President should be left out of the meeting. The G22
insisted and Akpabio agreed.
This same Akpabio has tried in vain to divide the G22. He
met with 9 of them on Sunday to lobby support for Udom.
But Patrick Ekpotu, Benjamin Okoko and 7 others told him
off. They briefed the rest of the G22.
I want to use this opportunity to salute the 8 heroes from
Oro Nation who are part of the G22. They are Ekpenyong
Ntekim, Effiong Abia, Asuquo Asuquo Okpo, Larry Esin,
Jerome Isangedighi, Effiong Usin, Chris Abasieyo and
Peter Esuh. Bravo G22 for your unity and steadfastness.
--
Abia Ante / MediaWorld Nigeria LTD
Obufi, Okobo LGA, Akwa Ibom State

Akwa Ibom 2015 – Umana Picks Engr Ben Ukpong as Running Mate, As State APC Exco Congratulates Him

The APC governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State,
Mr. Umana Okon Umana has presented his
governorship running mate, to the state Working
Committee of the party. In a meeting with the party
SWC, Mr. Umana presented Engr. Ben Ukpong as his
running mate for the 2015 governorship election.
Presenting Engr Ukpong, the governorship candidate
said that the party settled for Engr Ukpng in a
response to the yearnings of the people of the state
for a sense of belonging to all parts of the state,
balanced with capacity, experience and character.
He said that the choice of Ukpong was reached after
very wide consultations with the party hierarchy,
opinion leaders and stakeholders in the Akwa Ibom
project. He described Engr Ukpong as a tested
professional, a man with immense experience, a
community leader and Akwa Ibom patriot.
The SWC chaired by the Akwa Ibom state APC
chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Atta, congratulated Mr. Umana
for emerging victorious at the APC party primary
conducted on December 4, 2015 and thanked the
party’s national headquarters for affirming the
democratic decision of the party members. The
further praised the NWC of the party for eventually
submitting the name of Umana Okon Umana to the
Independent National Electoral Commission as the
party’s flag bearer in Akwa Ibom state.

In accepting the nomination of Engr Ukpong as the
party’s governorship running mate for the 2015
governorship election, the SWC described the choice
of Ukpong as a master stroke in its determination to
bring change to the people of the state, who have
been shortchanged in governance in the last seven
and half years. The party promised to continue to
spread appointments and positions to reflect the
diverse segments of the state and ensure that never
again would the people be subjected the type of
lopsidedness experienced in the state under the PDP
government in the state.
Engr Ben Ukpong, a retired Deputy Director of the
Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Abuja,
is a COREN-registered civil engineer and Fellow of
the Nigerian Society of Engineers. He comes from
Urue-offong/Oruko local government area of Oro
nation in Akwa Ibom State.
Engr. Ukpong brings to the Akwa Ibom APC ticket a
rich background of experience in public service,
quality education in some of Nigeria’s best
educational institutions and a distinguished track
record in community service and philanthropy.
Engr. Ukpong holds a Master’s degree in Water
Resources and Environmental Engineering from
Ahmadu Bello University; a Master of Business
Administration degree from Olabisi Onabanjo
University (formerly Ogun State University), Ago-
Iwoye and a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree
from University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
He has more than 28 years of work experience in the
Engineering Profession, covering various scopes of
engineering designs, construction supervision, and
project management.

Money moves everyone should make in 2015

DECEMBER 28, 2014 BY AGENCY REPORT

Leave a Comment
The end of the year is finally on its way, and you know
what that means: It’s time to reflect on how your
financial goals and dreams panned out in 2014. Did
everything go as planned?
If you’re like most people, many of your financial
aspirations simply fell to the wayside as the year
progressed. Still, if you hope to make a positive financial
change in 2015, you’re not alone. A recent study from
Fidelity found that 54 per cent of Americans say they
consider financial resolutions.
Whether you’re happy with the direction you’re headed
or not, nearly everyone has some room for improvement.
Fortunately, the dawning of the brand new year can
serve as an opportunity for a fresh start when it comes
to your financial goals. Here are five financial moves
everyone should consider making in 2015:
Raise your standards (and your savings rate) . According
to the Fidelity 2014 New Year Financial Resolutions
Study, which surveyed over 2,000 adults ages 18 and
older, the biggest financial goals for Americans
consistently involve saving more money. And it’s easy to
see why. Having more money saved and invested could
lead to increased financial security, the ability to
weather financial storms and even the privilege to retire
earlier than planned. No matter your financial situation,
raising your savings rate is always a noble goal — and
one worth exploring.
Leave debt behind. For most people, 2015 will be
brighter and more prosperous if they can leave their
debts behind for good. If becoming debt-free is one of
your goals, start by taking a hard look at your monthly
spending and seeing if there are any obvious expenses
you can cut. Look for the low-hanging fruit — how much
money you’re spending at restaurants, for example, or
how much money you’re shelling out for entertainment.
Look for places you can save, and throw any extra
money you can find toward your debts until they’re gone
for good.
Revisit your retirement plans. A recent study from
Bankrate found that 36 per cent of Americans aren’t
saving for retirement at all. So if you’re saving for
retirement in any sort of capacity, you’re already ahead
of the game.
Still, it might not be enough. If you save for retirement
in a work-sponsored 401(k) plan, start by making sure
you’re saving at least enough to get your full company
match. After that, push your retirement saving
percentage upward as far as it can go — just until it
feels uncomfortable. Save, save and keep saving. One
day you’ll be glad you did.
Create a monthly budget. A monthly budget is the
cornerstone of any successful financial plan. Why?
Because having a budget forces you to plan how you
spend your hard-earned dollars — before they
accidentally spend themselves. To get started, sit down
and list your monthly expenses and compare it against
your monthly income. Create reasonable spending limits
for the categories that cost you the most — things like
groceries, entertainment and transportation. Explore any
areas where you might be able to save, and make plans
to do just that.
Start an emergency fund. If you don’t have an
emergency fund, you’re already at a disadvantage.
Because as we all know, life happens: cars break down,
furnaces quit working and surprise medical bills
materialize when we least expect them to. Having an
emergency fund with three to six months worth of
expenses can protect you from falling victim to life’s
uncertainties. So when life happens, you’re prepared.
The end of 2014 can be much more than that; it can also
be a new beginning — a time to think about what you
really want out of life and create actionable goals to
help you get there. So craft your goals wisely and set
yourself up for a year of success. Meanwhile, don’t let
last year’s failures continue into the newyear and
beyond — the past should stay there.
Make the right moves, and you could end the year in a
much better place than where you started, but only if
you keep moving forward.

Source: usnews.com

14-yr old ISIS suicide bomber volunteer hands himself over at mosque he was sent to blow up (Photos)

a Syrian boy escaped from Isis - by volunteering as a
suicide bomber and then handing himself in at the
mosque he was meant to blow up.
Usaid Barho had a bomb vest strapped to his body
before travelling to a Shi'ite mosque in Baghdad, Iraq
where he was supposed to detonate the explosive
device.
But rather than killing himself and countless others,
he took the brave decision to defy his orders by
unzipping his jacket and handing himself in to guards
standing nearby.He had reportedly walked up to the
gates of the mosque in the Bayaa district of Baghdad
before telling guards he did not want to blow himself
up. According to NYTimes , he said
“They seduced us to join the caliphate,“I believed
in Islam.They planted the idea in me that Shiites
are infidels and we had to kill them,” .If he did
not fight, he was told, Shiites would come and
rape his mother
The newspaper describes how he was taken to a
training camp before being given a choice of becoming
a fighter or a suicide bomber. He chose the latter
hoping he could immediately surrender.
The teenager reportedly said:
'I raised my hand to be a suicide bomber.If I
were a fighter and tried to surrender to security
forces they might kill me, with my gun in my
hand.'
Usaid was reportedly transferred from one Isis
operative to another as he made his journey towards
the mosque before he was finally given his target and
informed of his target.
It is believed that the teenager is currently being held
at an Iraqi intelligence site.

Senator Ita Enang- The Story Of A Shameless Lawmaker (A MUST READ)

Senator Ita Solomon Enang was born on August 23,
1962. He hails from Ididep, in Ibiono Ibom Local
Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Enang became
a councilor in 1987, and a member of the Akwa Ibom
State House of Assembly in 1992. He was elected to
the House of Representatives in 1999 where he
served for three consecutive terms (1999-2011). After
spending 12years in the House of Representatives,
he was elected to the Senate in 2011 to represent the
Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District of Akwa
Ibom State.

On Saturday December 27, 2014, Sen. Ita Enang
granted an unprecedented two hours interview to a
private radio station in Akwa Ibom State, Planet
Radio 101.1 FM Uyo. For the first time in over
15years as a federal legislator, Sen. Enang spoke
frankly about the state of affairs in Akwa Ibom State
and took a sweep at the Governor Godswill Obot
Akpabio-led administration and openly opposed the
governor’s unholy third term agenda using his
stooge, Udom Emmanuel, as a veil.

The interview as expected has generated so much
controversy and debate especially on social media
within and outside Akwa Ibom State. This is so
because the now vociferous and outspoken Ita Enang
has always been a pro-establishment politician. His
incurable leaning towards the prevailing unjust
system is very notorious.

However, in terms of intellectual erudition, legislative
dexterity and clear appreciation of the dynamics of
law making, Senator Ita Solomon Enang is the best
that Akwa Ibom State has ever produced, and one of
the finest lawmakers in Nigeria. Admittedly, Enang
knows it all when it comes to the workings and
operations of the legislative arm of government.

There is absolutely no basis of comparison between
Ita Enang and Obong Bassey Albert, the former
Finance Commissioner in the Akpabio regime, that
the PDP has chosen to replace him in the upper
chamber in 2015. That is if at all the PDP wins at the
poll given the obvious popular anger against the
party by the masses in the state. To compare Albert
with Ita Enang is equivalent to comparing a primary
school pupil with a university professor.

However, Ita Enang is a very selfish, unprincipled
and greedy politician. Though Bassey Albert is
equally an unprincipled and very greedy politician,
unlike Enang, Albert understands the magical effect
and importance of the politics of stomach
infrastructure; a bane that is fast eroding the
remaining modicum of sanity in our polity and
electoral culture.

All these while, Ita Enang had closed his eyes to the
evils of the Godswill Akpabio regime. He preferred to
dance to the tunes of the little god of Akwa Ibom
State when his people needed his articulate voice the
most. Enang had practically mortgaged the rights of
those he was elected to represent for personal
political aggrandizement.

When the goings was good, he clapped for the
emperor without any sense of decency and iota of
shame. Then, he never whispered against the
atrocities committed by his ally and saw nothing
wrong in the crude looting of Akwa Ibom State. He
went about as if there was nothing wrong in his
state. As far as he was concerned, Akpabio had done
so well for Akwa Ibom State.

Now that he has been denied the opportunity of
going back to the Senate for a second term, he has
suddenly remembered that Akpabio’s performance is
not in any way commensurate with the huge
allocations accruing to the state. He now wants us
to ask probing questions and rise against the
Akpabio dynasty.

What a wicked, hypocritical and shameful cacophony
of an expired politician! Our people are no fools, they
know that his vituperations are self-centered and
utterly frivolous. We cannot carry placards for him
because he was never, he is not, and will he will
never be our hero. Let him suffer the afflictions
brought on him by the ghost of stewardship alone.

When Godswill Akpabio in a shameless display of
nepotism robbed Ita Enang’s constituents of the
presence of the newly approved Federal Polytechnic
for the state which was originally approved for and
meant to be cited in Enang’s hometown in Ididep,
Ibiono Ibom LGA of Uyo Senatorial District, and
wickedly hijacked it to his own village in Ukana Ikot
Ntuen in Essien Udim LGA of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial
District he kept quiet and played ‘Mr. Loyalty’ in the
hope of getting a second term.

Today, the same Enang is angry that Akpabio
frustrated all federal lawmakers from the state from
getting PDP return tickets to the National Assembly,
except those from his District and tribe.

The same Sen. Ita Enang that is today saying that the
Akpabio’s stooge, Udom Emmanuel, is not acceptable
to the people had previously endorsed Udom as the
right man for 2015. Then, Udom was not Akpabio’s
third term agenda.

We, the sensible and liberated people of Akwa Ibom
State, do not need a Senator Ita Enang to tell us that
Akpabio is evil. We do not need his tutelage on the
mass looting of Akwa Ibom State by Akpabio and his
family. We do not need Ita Enang to speak for us. We
have always known all the things that he is making
arrogant and selfish noises about. So this teacher
should stop teaching us nonsense (apologies to
Fela).

This should be a lesson to the political class; that
betrayal is not good. As the most popular legislator
from Akwa Ibom, Ita Enang have all it takes to call
Akpabio to order but he never did.

As a proud indigene of Itu Local Government Area of
Akwa Ibom State that Ita Enang has been
“representing” since 1999, I know how unpopular he
is. Ita Enang is known and celebrated in Abuja but
hated at home. He has never won in a free and fair
election. Effective representation is more than
speaking fanciful and seductive English in Abuja
without more, it encompasses defending the
interests of the constituents.

During the massively rigged 2011 general elections, I
was one of those that played a significant role in
ensuring that Sen. Enang lost at my pooling booth.
Of course, he lost woefully. In the end, he was
declared the winner by INEC despite the known fact
that he was defeated on ground.

Ita Enang is claiming that he has given out
scholarships to his constituents and that he will
never be tempted to publish names of the
beneficiaries. But that is a big lie. Throughout my
university days in the Faculty of Law, University of
Uyo, I never heard of any such scholarships.

I did not just passed through the university, the
university passed through me. So there is no way
such scholarship scheme would have existed for
students of my constituency that Ita Enang has been
“representing” for the past 15 years without my
knowledge.

Though on principle I do not accept scholarship
grants from politicians and the government, I would
have at least knew one beneficiary of Sen. Enang’s
scholarship scheme.

Ita Enang is completely out of touch with his
constituents. He should first account for the huge
constituency allowances he has received since 1999
as a National Assembly member before asking
Akpabio to account the billions that has accrued to
Akwa Ibom State in allocations.

How can a lawmaker that does not have any
traceable pedigree of standing on the side of his
people suddenly call for mass action against the very
monstrous, corrupt and oppressive regime that he
had always dined with?

What a wicked, hypocritical and shameful cacophony
of an expired politician! Our people are no fools, they
know that his vituperations are self-centered and
utterly frivolous. We cannot carry placards for him
because he was never, he is not, and will he will
never be our hero. Let him suffer the afflictions
brought on him by the ghost of stewardship.

Our mumu don do!

By Inibehe Effiong- Inibehe Effiong is a Human
Rights Activist based in Lagos, Nigeria.

AirAsia flight from Indonesia to Singapore missing

An AirAsia flight travelling from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to
Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control, the company has said.
Indonesian media say 162 people were on board.
The aircraft, flight number QZ8501, lost contact with air traffic control just
after 07:00am local time, AirAsia tweeted.
The company said that search and rescue operations were under way for
the missing plane.
An official with the transport ministry, Hadi Mustofa, told local media the
plane lost contact over the Java sea, which lies between Surabaya and
Singapore.
Culled from BBC

Fayose gives two-month ultimatum to landlords without toilets

By Gbenga Ariyibi, Ado-Ekiti

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose has read riot act to
landlords and landladies whose houses are without toilets
in any part of the state to make amends or face the
consequences.
The governor spoke while featuring on his monthly Radio
and Television programme tagged “Meet your Governor” in
Ado-Ekiti yesterday. He issued a two months ultimatum to
the defaulters to provide the facility in their homes or face
prosecution. The ultimatum will elapse on February 2015
“If by the end of February 2015, we still have landlords
who build or live in houses without considering toilet
facilities, such landlords will be apprehended and be made
to face prosecution under the state environmental law.
“I also want to add that tenants who rent such faulty
houses stand the risk of facing similar penalty with their
landlords”, Fayose declared.

Christmas Horror: Cultists Hold Sway In Bayelsa, Kill Policeman

Gunmen shot at a police patrol team in Yenagoa,
capital of Bayelsa State, killing one and injuring
several, security and other sources have
disclosed.

The attacks happened on Christmas Eve at Tombia. Our
sources said the attackers also wielded machetes as
they killed their victim in broad daylight, causing panic
as residents ran helter-skelter.
A spokesman of the Bayelsa Police Command, Asinim
Butswat, said that armed men attacked a police patrol.
“The gunmen opened fire on our patrol team and injured
our men.” He said three police officers were injured, but
added that no policeman was killed. “One of them
[officers] has been discharged, while two are receiving
treatment,” said Mr. Butswat.
But a police source told our correspondent that
rampaging gunmen murdered a policeman about 12 p.m.
on December 25 as some police officers carried out a
routine patrol near the Nigerian Law School campus in
the Agudama-Epie area of the state.
The source added that the killing of the police officer
and several armed robbery attacks had created panic in
Agudama, Kpansia and other areas of the state.
Several residents blamed the tense atmosphere on a
renewed war between members of rival cult groups
called Highlanders and Icelanders respectively. A
security source confirmed that the bloody conflict
occurred in the afternoon along Salvation Road,
Agudiama. He said guns boomed in the area during the
violent confrontation, causing panic and confusion in
the area.
“There were gunshots. In the end, two members of the
rival cult groups, the Highlanders and the Icelanders,
were found dead at the spot. They had been shot and
killed,” the source said.
A traditional ruler of the Agudama-Epie, Wisdom
Franklin, confirmed the shooting between policemen and
unidentified gunmen, but declined further comment.
Meanwhile, the killing of the police officer has triggered
a series of police raids in the area.
Residents of Kpansia, Obele and Agudama areas of the
Bayelsa State capital have decried the dangerous armed
attacks on their homes by suspected cultists. “We now
sleep with one eye closed,” one resident said. He added:
“The cult boys, armed with dangerous weapons, enter
any chosen street and snatch phones, cash and other
valuables from victims,” said one resident. He added,
“We have notified the State Police Command but they
have left the people in a helpless state.”
SOURCE: SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK

Xmas day tragedy: Man drowns, 16 families rendered homeless in Lagos

A 23-year-old cook cum cleaner, on Christmas
day, drowned in a swimming pool while many
families were rendered homeless in different fire
incidents
The deceased, identified as Sodiq Ojomu, had
reportedly jumped into a swimming room at 3/5
Durosinmi Etti Street, Victoria Island, and drowned
before he could be rescued.
Saturday Tribune gathered that the suspect had
gone to the eight-storey building, where he was
to be employed as a caterer and cleaner, when he
lost his life.
The image maker of the South West zone of the
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),
Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed the incident to
Saturday Tribune.
Farinloye stated that the deceased and others had
reportedly been warned not to swim but that he
suddenly removed his clothed and jumped into
the swimming pool.
The body of the drowned man had reportedly
been taken away by policemen and deposited at a
mortuary, while investigations into the incident
commenced immediately.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 16 families were
rendered homeless in separate fire incidents that
occurred in Okota, Ejigbo, Ifako Ijaiye and on the
island of the state.
The apartments of a two-storey building situated
on Modupeola Street, Ejigbo, were early Friday
destroyed by fire but no life was lost.
The timely intervention of fire-fighters from the
Lagos State Fire Service prevented the fire from
spreading to other apartments on the lower floors
The director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak
Fadipe, confirmed the fire incidents and added
that fire-fighters from other stations responded to
more than four incidents.
Farinloye added that about 16 families had been
rendered homeless in the fire incidents.

Lawyers ask Akpabio to release Odudu Ukpanah

Lawyers in Nigeria, under the aegis of Public Interest
Lawyers League (PILL), have asked the governor of
Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio to release
Odudu Ukpanah, the only son of Albert Ukpanah, a
PDP chieftain who was shot dead at his home in Abak,
March this year.
Mr. Odudu Ukpanah, accused by the state of killing his
father, has spent more than seven months in prison
custody, even as the family declared him innocent of
the crime and has been campaigning for his release
from prison where he is awaiting trial.
The findings of the Investigating Police Officer (IPO),
Sergeant Ibidero, have proven that Odudu Ukpanah
did not kill his father, the lawyers said in their open
letter to Governor Godswill Akpabio.
The letter dated 22 December, 2014 and signed by the
group’s president, Abdul Mahmud, quoted the police
investigation report as saying “Since investigation
into the case is still on, it is wise to nose around for
more information that may reveal the real killers of
Albert Ukpanah, as the killing might be politically
motivated”.
The group urged the governor to compel the
Commissioner for Justice to discontinue with the trial
of Odudu Ukpanah.

Wedding Car Decorated With Traditional Beads Causes Major Stir In Lagos (See Photos)

Bugatti wedded Ferrari in Lagos last weekend. This
wedding car got everyone staring when it stepped
out in Lagos, rocking beads. lol. ‘Gotta Have’ or
‘Make It Stop’, guys?
See more pics after the cut :

Shocking: Baby falls off mum’s back on Okada, crushed by truck (Must Read)

UGHELLI—A heavy duty truck, conveying crates of
soft
drinks, yesterday, at the Okorodafe Roundabout in
Ughelli,
Delta State, crushed a four-month-old baby girl, who
had
fallen off the back of her mother travelling on a
commercial
motorcycle, popularly known as Okada.
According to witnesses, the mother of the baby, who
is in
her 30s and simply identified as Ese, was said to
have been
struggling to adjust the wrapper with which she
strapped
the baby to her back, while the Okada was in motion.
One of the witnesses, identified as Efemena
Okiemute, told
Vanguard that the baby fell on the middle of the road
and
was immediately crushed by the truck, which was
directly
behind the Okada.
When Vanguard visited the scene, officials of Ughelli
Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission,
FRSC,
were seen clearing the remains of the dead baby
from the
road.

Culled from Vanguard

Buhari to meet 22 aggrieved A’Ibom PDP aspirants – Punch newspaper

All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj.
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), is to meet with 22
Peoples Democratic Party aspirants, who have been
aggrieved over the conduct of the PDP’s governorship
primary in Akwa Ibom State.
An aide to one of the aspirants, who preferred to be
anonymous, told our correspondent in Uyo on
Monday that the aggrieved aspirants, otherwise
known as G22, had been under intense pressure to
defect to the APC.
He stated that the G22, who had earlier ignored the
calls to defect to the opposition party by the party’s
governorship flag bearer in the state, Mr. Umana
Umana, were said to be reconsidering their position
as they were reportedly not satisfied with how the
national executive had handled their grievances over
the governorship primary, conducted on December 8.
According to the aide, the planned crossover to the
APC is being facilitated by one of the APC governors
in the South-South.
The source said, “The APC presidential candidate, Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has expressly requested
to meet with the 22 aggrieved PDP aspirants from
Akwa Ibom State. The move is being facilitated by an
of the APC governors in the South-South.
The aggrieved aspirants, who are expected to dump
the PDP for the APC, include former Akwa Ibom State
Deputy governors, Obong Nsima Ekere and Patrick
Otu; a senator representing Akwa Ibom South, Helen
Esuene; former Nigerian Ambassador to Russia and
Belarus, Assam Assam, SAN; former Attorney-General
of Akwa Ibom State, Ekpenyong Ntekim; former
Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftain
Affairs, Effiong Abia; Asukwo Okpo, Larry Esin’ Prof.
Richard King and Chris Abasi Eyo.
Others include Okpolump Ette, Aniedi Ufot, David
Okpon, Dr. Samuel Udonsak, Jerome Isangedighi, Dr
Peter Esu, Ita Udoh, Ime Ekanem, Micheal Etuk,
Benjamin Okoko, Ime Akpanebe and Effiong Usin.
Culled from Punch

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Footballer Vincent Enyeama

Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has recently been
named on the five-man shortlist for the BBC African
Footballer of the Year 2014, along with Yacine Brahimi,
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Gervinho, and Yaya Touré.
The current Lille OSC player is known as one of the best
goalkeepers in the game, giving him the unusual shot
at the Footballer of the Year award, which is rarely given
to goalkeepers. Here are 10 things you didn’t know
about footballer Vincent Enyeama.

While playing for Enyimba International F.C.,
Enyeama was always substituted before penalty
shootouts
In 2001, Enyeama joined Enyimba International football
club in the Nigerian Premier League, playing under
manager Idris Ikhana. While he was the club’s first-
choice goalkeeper, Ikhana made the decision to always
sub out Enyeama before penalty shots. The tactic
seemed to work. Enyimba won two CAF Champions
League titles while Enyeama played for them.

He won a Player of the Year as goalkeeper despite not
playing for the championship-winning team
During the 2008-2009 season while playing for Hapoel
Tel Aviv in the Israeli Premier League, Enyeama was
named the Player of the Year. This was quite unusual.
Goalkeepers rarely receive the award, and Hapoel did
not win the championship that season.

Enyeama kept a clean sheet for 1,062 minutes in his
first Ligue 1 season with Lille OSC
For his first 11 matches for Lille OSC, Enyeama didn’t let
in any goals, playing 1,062 minutes with a clean sheet.
Enyeama eventually let in a goal on Dec. 8, 2013, against
Bordeaux. He came within 114 minutes of Gaëtan
Huard’s 1993, 1,176-minute goalkeeping record without
conceding a goal.

He was involved in a fatal car crash in 2004
In 2004, Enyeama was a passenger in a car in Uyo,
Southeast Nigeria, that hit two motorcycle riders. The
two motorcyclists died and the driver of the car was in
critical condition. Enyeama came out with several
bruises – amazing, given that the car somersaulted
twice as it swerved to avoid the motorbike.

He has played for the Nigerian Super Eagles for more
than a decade
Enyeama first debuted for the Nigerian national team in
2002, and has since racked up 95 appearances for the
Super Eagles. He has played in three FIFA World Cup
tournaments (2002, 2010, and 2014), and several Africa
Cup of Nations tournaments, including the 2013 edition
in which he was captain and helped secure Nigeria’s
championship win.

At the 2010 World Cup, Enyeama shut down
Argentina’s Lionel Messi
In his second FIFA World Cup appearance, Enyeama was
named Man of the Match in Nigeria’s opening match
against two-time world champion Argentina. Nigeria
won 1-0. Enyeama made six spectacular saves, four from
football legend Lionel Messi. After the match,
Argentinian manager Diego Maradona said Enyeama was
the reason Messi was unable to score a goal, giving
Nigeria the victory.

He attributes some of his critics’ comments to anti-
tribal sentiment
Enyeama is from Akwa Ibom state in South Nigeria, and
believes that many of his critics are hard on him due to
his ethnicity. He said, “My critics will remain as long I
am still with the national team. I am criticized because I
am not Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo but I am not worried…
Critics make the game sweet so why should I be angry?
When they criticize me, they only make me stronger so I
give them thanks. I also thank God for giving me
strength.''

Enyeama said Ebola makes the Africa Cup of
Nations too risky
Though he said he will play in the tournament, Enyema
also said he believes that Ebola has made the Africa Cup
of Nations tournament too risky. He said, “I really wish
it doesn’t happen with all the people that will be moving
around. But I’m not CAF. I’m not the one who calls the
shots…It’s risky for everyone because you go to Africa
and then everyone is hugging you and shaking you, and
what can you do? You’re at risk…But if it happens I will
play, if we qualify.”

He backtracked on a promise to strip naked if Nigeria
won the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in 2013
Before Nigeria won the 2013 AFCON tournament,
Enyeama said he would dance nude if that happened.
Afterwards, however, he backtracked, saying, “I never
said I would strip but I remember I did say I would take
(off) my jersey but would celebrate with my underpants
on but I was advised by well-meaning people against
doing so and I changed my mind.”

In 2014, he helped lead Nigeria to its first World Cup
win in 16 years
During the group stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup
tournament, Enyeama kept a clean sheet in Nigeria’s
first two matches, resulting in a 0-0 draw with Iran and
a 1-0 victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina –
Nigeria’s first World Cup win since the 1998 tournament.
Though he gave up three goals in their last group-
match game against Argentina resulting in a 3-2 defeat,
Nigeria still qualified for the round of 16 for the first
time in 16 years.

Drama as Akwa Ibom PDP Peace Meeting Ends in Uproar- As Akpabio asked G-22 to write him why Udom should not fly

A peace meeting between the group of 22 aggrieved
People Democratic Party (PDP) governorship
aspirants in Akwa Ibom state and Governor Godswill
Akpabio in Abuja was almost marred ut became
engulfed in an uproar on Saturday, a source at the
meeting disclosed.
The meeting, which took place at the instance of
Akpabio, was initiated as an avenue for the group of
22 to sit at a roundtable with governor Akpabio to
iron out their grievances over the December 8
governorship primary in the state which the
aspirants had described as being “fraudulent and not
transparent.”
According to the source, the meeting which was from
that point moderated by Engineer Patrick Ekpotu, a
former deputy governor in the state, who is also one
of the aggrieved, began with the governor’s speech
pleading with them to accept Emmanuel Udom as the
governorship candidate of the PDP in the state, a
position that was outrightly rejected by the group.
The source said: “The group’s rejection of Udom as
communicated to the governor was “because the
process that threw him up was faulty, not transparent
and toxic. The December 8 exercise was everything
but democratic and this has resulted in several
litigations which ought not to be had the process
passed credibility test. At a point in the meeting,
Akpabio called on Udom, who was also present to
plead with the other aspirants. Udom in his speech,
insiders in the meeting say, likened his case to that
of Jesus who was initially rejected by his people but
later turn out to become the saviour.
“The allusion to Jesus reportedly infuriated the
house as he was variously castigated for his lack of
humility. The group of 22 also told Akpabio that
Udom cannot win election with such attitude,
warning that the PDP would be throwing away its
chances of retaining the governorship seat with him
as candidate. “They however promised to work for
the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan, but
vowed to do everything within their power to stop
Udom.
Apart from pursuing the substantive suit in the
earlier court injunction that was vacated on Friday,
December 19 in Abuja, sources also said that the
group will on Monday, December 22, also appeal the
vacation of the injunction.
“Akpabio requested that the group write him a formal
letter stating the reasons why they think Udom
should not fly the flag of the PDP in the February
election, promising to approach the party leadership
and the president with the letter for further
deliberation’” the source said.
Culled from killer punch

SHOCKING NEWS: THE EX- MUSLIM PRIEST SAID THAT ”ALL MUSLIM MUST CHANGE TO CHRISTIAN TO AVOID HELL FIRE”

While I was working in a muslim mosque as
an imam, as a parish priest, I preach in my
parish that Jesus Christ is not God, for me,
God was only Allah, and I believed Allah
never got married, so no sons for Allah. So I
preached there that Jesus is not God. Then
somebody ask me, who is Jesus?’’ from the
crowd. Maybe a muslim, but he asked me,
who is Jesus?’’ I was preaching he is not
God, but the question is who is he? To know
who is Jesus? I read the entire Koran once
again: 114 chapters, 6666 in the Koran when
I read it, the name of prophet Muhammad. I
found it in Koran 4 places, but the name of
Jesus I found in 25 places. There itself, I
was a little confused. Why does the Koran
give more preference to Jesus? And second
thing, I could not see any woman’s name in
Koran: the Prophet Muhammad’s mother’s
name, or wife’s name, no, in the Koran, there
is only one woman’s name that i found is
Mariam, the mother of Jesus no other
woman’s name. And in the holy Koran
chapter 3, the name of the chapter is family
of Mariam,’’ and holy Koran chapter 19, the
name of the chapter itself is ‘’MARIAM’’ one
chapter is ‘’MARIAM’’ so I was very curious
to know why does Koran says all these
things about MARIAM, holy Koran chapter 3
verse 34 onwards says that Mary was born
without original sin, she never committed
any sin in her life, she was ever virgin.
Koran chapter 50 verses 23 say that she went
to heaven with her physical body. Even the
assumption is writing in the holy Koran and
then about Jesus, when I read chapter 3
verses 45 to 55 verses, there is 10 point
which the Koran makes about Jesus. The
first thing Koran says (kallimatulli) the arabic
word which means ‘’the of God’’ and second
thing is ( ahimokuli ) which mean spirit of
God and the third (isa masi) which means
Jesus Christ so Koran give the name for
Jesus WORD OF GOD, SPIRIT OF GOD, JESUS
CHRIST. And then Koran says that Jesus
spoke when he was very small, like 2 days
old. after his birth he began to speak , Koran
says that Jesus created a live bird with mud.
He took some mud, he formed a bird; when
breathed into it, it became a live bird. So I
think Jesus can give life because he gave life
to mud, clay, and then Koran says that Jesus
cured a man born blind and a man with
leprosy, e.t.c
Curiously, the Koran says that Jesus gave
life to dead people; Jesus went to heaven;
he is still alive and he will come again. When
I saw all these things in the Koran I taught of
what Koran says about Muhammad,
according to the Koran, prophet Muhammad
is not the word of God, not spirit of God he
never spoke when he was 2 days old, he
never created any bird with mud, he never
cure any sick people, he never raised any
dead people, he himself died, and according
to Islam he is not alive and he will not come
back. So there is a lot of different between
these two prophets. I didn’t call Jesus, God,
you know my idea was ‘’He is a prophet but
he is a prophet greater than Muhammad; so
one day I went to my teacher, the one who
taught me 10 years in Arabic college, and I
ask him, teacher, how did God created the
universe? Then he said God created the
universe through the word,’’ THROUGH THE
WORD. Then my question is: ‘’WORD’’ is
creator or creation? He must clear this, my
question is whether the WORD of God is
creator or creation. Koran says Jesus is
WORD of God. If my teacher says word of God
is creator, which means Jesus is the creator,
then muslim must become Christian suppose
if he says the word is creation he will be
trapped. You know why? He said everything
was created through the word. Suppose if he
said the word is creation, then how did God
created the word? So he cannot say that the
word is creator, or creation, so he was quite
angry he push me out of his room and said
word is not God, not creator or the creation
you get out of here, ‘’he said
The reason why Muslim doesn’t accept to be
Christian is because they are blinded with
the wrong teaching of their priest, Imam.
They said that the word is creation they try
to prove it wrongly…… they say the word is
not creator, not the creation, but not God.
And no creation also. They don’t equal with
God, that all their problem. So when he said
that I told my teacher, word is not the creator
or the creation.’’ So, that is why Christian
says the word is son of God. Then he told me
if there is son for God, I must show him the
wife of God. That without wife no chance of
having a son then I showed him a portion
from the Koran. Koran says that God can see
without eyes, God can talk without tongue,
God can hear without ears. It is writing in
the Koran. I said if that is the case, so God
can have a child without a wife. I took my
Koran, I put it on my chest, and I said
‘’Allah’’, tell me what I should do because
your Koran says Jesus is still alive, and
Mohammad is no more. Tell me whom should
I accept.’’ after my prayer I opened the Koran,
I didn’t asked anyone, I asked only my Allah.
When I opened Koran, I saw chapter 10
verses 94. You know what Koran says? It
says if you have any doubt in this Koran
which I give to you, go and read the Bible,
or ask the people, those who read the Bible.
The truth is already revealing that.
I beg all muslim to give their life to Christ
because he is the only way to the kingdom
of God. Please don’t perish like other
muslims that is serving the god they do not
know. I welcome you into Christ Jesus as
you change your mind to accept him today.
God bless you.