Nelson Mandela: The Soul Of Africa Has Departed, And There Is Nothing Miraculous Left In The World-Wole Soyinka

In a rare and short tribute to former South African president and anti-apartheid hero, Nelson Mandela, Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka had this to say "
 "The soul of Africa has departed, and there is nothing miraculous left in the world."

A woman sodomizes for alleged stealing, This is pathetic

                                                          This injustice is too much, where is this world turning to?

Jonathan to ASUU: Go back to work or get sacked

President Goodluck Jonathan has told university teachers to choose between returning to work on Wednesday, or get sacked.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs Dr. Doyin Okupe, sent the President’s warning to the lecturers yesterday at a news conference.
The President’s aide described the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as rigid and insensitive, adding that ASUU was out to undermine the Presidency and subvert the Federal Government.
Okupe said: “The negative disposition of the ASUU leadership is unarguably a pre-conceived and calculated treacherous plot pointedly intended to undermine the Presidency and subvert the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“This is clearly a hallmark of a leadership that is determined to employ subterfuge in an attempt to hold government, students and their parents and other stakeholders to ransom in a reckless and irresponsible display of insensitivity, lawlessness and absolute lack of patriotism and even the fear of God.
“Unfortunately, all this is perpetuated using unsuspecting but otherwise loyal, patriotic and responsible members of ASUU whose families are also sad victims of this reprehensible and callous attitude of their leadership.
“From all indications therefore and other information available to government, it has become obvious that this is no longer an altruistic strike borne out of good intentions and aimed at improving the welfare of students and staff of the universities and the standard of our educational institutions.
“Rather, it is an evil programme motivated by selfish political interests and motivations within the polity.”
The government lamented what it described as ASUU’s intransigence despite the various concessions made to the lecturers, stressing that the teachers have pushed the government to the wall.
“Given the fact that government had reached agreement with ASUU to make available N100 billion for the provision of infrastructure on campuses of 61 universities covered in the needs assessment of universities, with a further commitment of another N200 billion over the next two years, and N40 billion of the N90 billion Earned Allowances demanded by the lecturers one would have expected them to reconsider their stand.
“This was despite the fact that the ASUU leadership in the meeting with President Jonathan failed curiously to articulate the basis of the calculation of the demanded N90 billion earned allowance, which has been on the table since 2009.
“It becomes crystal clear therefore that the Federal Government has shown good faith and commendable commitment by acceding to most of the demands of ASUU.
“This ordinarily ought to be a thing of pride and an outstanding achievement to the ASUU having been able to secure these unprecedented concessions as a direct benefit of the prolonged and painful five month strike.
“Given this dangerous and invidious tendency, no right thinking government sworn to protect the welfare of its citizens will fold its arms and watch the situation deteriorate any further.
“History has shown that when governments worldwide are pushed to the wall, they take whatever lawful steps that are necessary to protect the interests of its people and the state over which they govern.
“This is why we make bold to state that there is absolutely nothing dictatorial, draconian or undemocratic in the order by the Federal Government for striking lecturers to return to work or face dismissal.
“You may wish to recall that on the 5th of August 1981, Ronald Reagan then American President, sacked 11, 345 air traffic controllers after a two-day strike. Reagan took the decision after the striking workers turned down an 11 per cent wage increase he had offered them.”
Okupe stated that the demands of the ASUU leadership unwittingly questioned the integrity of the President, adding that the ASUU leaders went into negotiation with the government with a mindset.

Source: The Nation

Bayelsa Govt Sends 250 Youths To Asari Dokubo’s University In Benin Republic For Training

The Bayelsa Government has sent 250 youths from the state on automobile technology, cinematography, photography and design in a bid to patronize the academy set up by former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo, one of President Jonathan’s supporters for his re-election bid in 2015 polls.
The scheme was announced in Yenegoa at a reception for 200 Bayelsa graduates of a six- month agricultural training programme at the Songhai Integrated System, Cotonou.
The training programme will be held at the Amachree Royal Academy, Benin Republic, which is owned by ex-militant leader,  Alhaji Asari Dokubo.
Although the cost of the contract was not disclosed, SaharaReporters gathered that the scheme is calculated to empower Dokubo for the job of harassing Mr. Jonathan’s opponents before the 2015 Presidential Polls.
It will be recalled that the ex-militant leader had a brush with the authorities in Benin Republic last week, but was released days later following the intervention of Nigeria leader Goodluck Jonathan.
At the reception, which also doubled as a send-off orientation for the 250 youths going for the vocational training, Dickson declared his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment, and charged them to take their training seriously.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Thomas Commander, congratulated the graduates for the successful completion of the programme in spite of some challenges.

He expressed the state government’s desire to engage some of the graduands, but disclosed that those who intend to be self-reliant, would be encouraged and supported by the government.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr Parkinson MacManuel, said the 250 trainees would depart for Benin Republic on Dec. 1

Source: sahara reporters

Walkout on President Jonathan, a coup - Tukur

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, says that last August’s walk-out on President Goodluck Jonathan by dissenting party members during the controversial convention of the party amounted to a coup d’etat.
Tukur made the remark in a response to the assertion of the Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, that Mr. Tukur is a ‘virus’ that must be removed from the party.
A statement signed by Lamido’s Media Adviser, Prince Oliver Okpala, however said that Tukur agreed to being a virus, but described him as a “positive virus” in the party.
"Tukur agreed with Governor Sule Lamido that he is a virus in the party but a necessary virus for the entrenchment of democratic culture, discipline and good governance in the party and the country.
"He hoped that Governor Sule Lamido will soon catch this necessary virus for the good of the PDP and the country."
The National Chairman remarked that the virus that Lamido identified is a necessary virus in any democratic political structure for sustenance and continuity of the country’s nascent democratic dispensation.
He said if the virus had spread enough the likes of Governor Lamido would not have walked out on the President of the country and other party chieftains during the party’s last convention.
The actions of the governors, he said, amounted to a political coup and secession which should be condemned by every right thinking Nigerian as an insult on the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Source: Sahara reporters

Super Eagles defeat Ethiopia 2-0 to become first African country to qualify for Brazil 2014

Victor Moses and Victor Nsofor scored from set-pieces, as Nigeria confirmed their spot in next year’s World Cup in Brazil.
The Super Eagles came into the game, with a healthy 2-1 advantage over the Ethiopiansand started brightly, with Emmanuel Emenike testing the goalkeeper and Brown Ideye failing to score from pointblank range.
However, in the 20th minute, the referee adjudged that a Walya Antelope defender had handled the ball inside the area and pointed to the spot. Moses, who is on loan at Liverpool, stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way, deflating the East Africans’ hope  of an unlikely comeback.

The hosts seem to relax, after extending their advantage and failed to convert some of the good chances they had, until Nsofor was summoned from the bench. With his very first kick, he curled a majestic free-kick into the top corner, to seal Nigeria’s place at Brazil 2014.
It will be the West African country’s fifth World Cup in the last six editions – they lost out to Angola in 2006.

Anambra GuberPoll: PDP candidate could not cast his vote

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Comrade Tony Nwoye could not cast his vote in the election.
Nwoye could not find his name in the voters’ register in his Abitor square, Nsugbe ward 1 polling unit.
He had first arrived the square for accreditation when he met other voters who were complaining of their names not being in the register.

Though he was assured that the matter will be resolved, Tony was still unable to vote when he returned at the polling unit.
A disappointed Tony told journalists that he was not happy that on the same polling unit he voted in previous election, he could no longer vote.
He said that himself, his father and uncle could not vote because their names were not on the register.
A community leader, Mr Ugwu Okaa said that INEC had shown incompetence on its part that it could not conduct election in one state.