FG Begs Parents, Students Over ASUU Strike

The Federal Government on Wednesday appealed to parents and students of the nation’s universities to bear with it in what it described as the unfortunate consequences of the closure of universities, while it worked hard to end the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, made the appeal while speaking with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.

Maku said the government had resolved to end the crisis because of the damages perennial strikes had inflicted on the nation’s education sector.

He said the perennial disruption of academic calendar as a result of strikes had become a source of worry to the government.

The minister, however, expressed the confidence that the negotiation being currently spearheaded by the Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu, and the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqqayat Rufa’i, would soon produce the desired result.

He said, “The Federal Government has been far more worried than you think concerning the strike in tertiary institutions, because of the disruption of the school calendar. So, the government is concerned and very worried, and since the outset of the strike, the government has been negotiating with ASUU through the Ministry of Labour and Productivity and the Ministry of Education.

“So, we are appealing to our people, particularly parents and children of this nation to bear with us; to show more understanding and we pray that this type of strike will not recur, because the public school system suffers a lot of damage with the perennial strikes.”

Meanwhile, ASUU said on Wednesday in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, that the Federal Government was financially buoyant to fund the implementation of the 2009 agreement with the union.

ASUU alleged that the government had, during this year alone, been selling crude at about 150 per cent of budget price and has since January this year collected about N500bn in excess of projected revenue from tax alone.

ASUU Co-ordinator in the South West, Dr. Adesola Nasir, stated this during a news conference in Ago-Iwoye on the five-week old strike by university lecturers.

Nasir, who is also the Chairman of Olabisi Onabanjo University branch of ASUU, stressed that the Federal Government had the financial means to honour the agreement.

He described the lingering crisis in the Nigerian university system as a reflection of the insensitivity of the Federal Government to the plight of Nigerians.

The union therefore said it was embarrassing to discover that the government had denied the existence of any agreement with the university lecturers.

It further stated that it was unfortunate that the progress made so far in resolving the lingering crisis over the non-implementation of the 2009 agreement, failed to match the required urgency required to arrest the decline in the country’s citadel of learning.

He said, “Our union had thought the government would save itself the embarrassment of being exposed as most insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.

“At the first meeting called by government representatives to address the aforementioned issue, our representatives got the shocker of all time when the Secretary to the Government of the Federation expressed the denial of the existence of the Memorandum of Understanding on the annual release of N400bn for three years as intervention fund for public universities in the country.”

From the Ibadan Zone of ASUU, five universities on Wednesday insisted that the ongoing strike by the union would not be called off unless the Federal Government met their demands.

The universities are University of Ibadan; University of Lagos; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye; Lagos State University and Tai Solarin University of Education.

The union, at a press briefing in LASU on Wednesday, also faulted universities that conducted Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations, despite the ongoing strike.

Some of the universities that have written their Post-UTME are Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; University of Ilorin, University of Lagos, Lagos State University and University of Nigeria, Nsuka, among others.

Zonal Coordinator, Ibadan Zone of ASUU, Dr. Adesola Nasir, explained that the union embarked on the strike to protest against the decline in the universities in terms of teaching, research, facilities, including students’ accommodation.       

BREAKING NEWSJonathan's Convoy In Nasarawa Auto Crash, 14 Injured

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Umar Shehu, has on Tuesday confirmed that the convoy of President Goodluck Jonathan was involved in an auto crash the day before, leaving 14 persons injured.
According to the eyewitnesses, three confessional policemen, three mobile policemen, one member of the civil defence corps, as well as one official of the state branch of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and six civilians were "seriously injured".
Mr Shehu claimed the state government had since released funds for the treatment of all the victims. He added that some of the victims have been discharged but those who have serious fracture were still at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia.
According to him, the accident happened when the vehicle of a prison officer ran into the convoy of the president and collided with one of the riders, who somersaulted and thereafter ran into the crowd.
"They are all responding to treatment at the hospital. Some have fractures on their legs.
"The prison officer sustained minor injury. He is still in police custody while investigation is ongoing," he said.
It will be recalled that the president was in Lafia for the inauguration of the newly constructed Federal High Court and Ta'al Model School constructed by the present administration in the state.
He was represented by Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

Pastor Adeoye Speaks On Why He Married 2Face Babymama

Pastor David Adeoye, General Overseer of Royalty Christian Centre, recently got married to Sunmbo Ajaba, a lady who had two kids for singer 2Face Idibia out of wedluck, despite opposition from "within".
At the end of the wedding Pastor Adeoye, who's aware of people's many complains, decided to open up on why he settled for Sunmbo as his life partner:
"I love this woman. With this woman there's no dull moment. She makes me complete. When you lose something and you regain it from somewhere else, you should know how it feels. She's the love of my life."
He turns to Sunmbo and say to her, "I will forever be there for you!"
Hummn...how sweet! You may wish to know that Pastor Adeoye lost his first wife in 2011

SHOCKING: 27-Yr-Old Killed By Friend Over Mobile Phone

A 27-year-old man was killed by his friend, weekend, over the ownership of a mobile phone charger.
The tragedy occurred at Isapodo area of Ijebu-Ife, in Ijebu North-East Local Government Area of Ogun State on Sunday.
The victim, Mr Dele Oje, described as an easy going person by his neighbours, was said to have been allegedly killed by his friend, simply identified as Muyideen after the latter requested for a phone charger from the former.
Investigations revealed that Oje had earlier argued with his friend over who owned the charger minutes before he was killed.
Shortly before his death, an argument had ensued between the duo, prompting neighbours in the two-storey building to intervene.
Unfortunately, the neighbours had barely left the scene of the argument, when Dele’s friend descended on him as the deceased attempted to have his breakfast and slashed his throat with a sharp object.
A neighbour of the deceased who did not want to be named, narrated what she described as an unfortunate incident, said: “We had earlier settled a seeming quarrel between the friends over the ownership of a telephone charger when Muyideen killed his friend’’.
‘We got there later only to see blood stains on the wall and floor of the building, an indication that Oje had attempted to escape from his assailant’’.
Another resident who identified himself as Abayomi Oyeyemi also said that after the murder, Muyideen fled only to be fished out in a near-by bush, three hours after.
The body has been deposited at the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital mortuary while Muyideen who was arrested by the youths in the community had been handed over to police at the Ogbere division.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, who said he was yet to be briefed by the Ogbere Divisional Police Officer, added that he did not have details of the incident.

Kenyan ‘Bad Girl’ Claims She Had Sex with Davido ... Last Weekend

Just when we thought Davido was finally free of controversy, the Pop star has been tangled up again, this time in East Africa…

A ‘Kenyan socialite’ is claiming she slept with the young Nigerian singer this past weekend while he was in the country for a performance at the Bombaata Festival which also featured Nigerian artiste Ice Prince, singer Victoria Kimani and some other Kenyan acts.

Staicey Brianar popularly known as Pendo is alleging she got to have a sexual encounter with the Davido hours after the concert ended, claiming to have hooked up with him at a Kenyan night club ‘Galileo’.

Pendo seemed to have a whole to say: the controversial young Kenyan lady in a lengthy chat with a Kenyan blog took time to narrate her experience with Davido.

Pendo says she met up with Davido hours before the show through HKN Gang’s Deekay. ‘I made my way there, got to at long last meet Deekay, my long-time pal from HKN and through him; I made my way to skyluxx for the play house party where all of us stuck up in the VIP area. I knew I had won my jackpot so there was nothing to worry about. As a matter of fact, he (Davido) had spotted me too; we talked in a way only the two of us could understand’, Pendo narrates.

Pendo says she wasn't worried if Davido was going to choose another girl to take back to his hotel room after the ‘after party’ so she didn’t even bother going for the show…

‘I had my fun n made my way home ready for the big day as I said I was not worried, so there’s was no time in me hustling to go to the backstage as other girls did…no! I had my food ready to eat, after the event, my friend Deekay (HKN) buzzed me and asked me to turn up that he (Davido) was asking for me. I made my way to Galileo with my girlfriends, I minded my own business until he spotted me and asked his DJ to come get me, I still had no rush to be seen hanging out with him or anything, so I sat down n had my drink that he offered’, she continues her story.

Pendo says when it was time to leave the hangout spot, the organizers thought it best for them to leave in separate cars just to avoid the media. ‘So David paid for my cab that followed them directly to the hotel located in Hurlingham. When I got there, he sent his deejay (DJ Olu) to give me his key card to his room as he talked to someone. He escorted me to the room and the rest is self-explanatory’.

Now, Pendo is known for spinning stories to get mentioned on blogs and social network (she’s also been mentioning @Iam_Davido on Twitter) so everybody is finding this story hard to believe. But then again, she must be one damn good storyteller too!

The young lady has even gone on to describe her alleged sexual encounter with the young pop star, revealing Davido is one of the best she’s ever done it with, describing him as ‘Perfect’.

‘He was perfect. He is much better than your ‘average Kenyan’. He is big. Both length and width and best part is he really knows what he is working with. He has crazy moves; he kept it fresh for a couple hours. I am impressed. Definitely the best, ok maybe not the best I ever had, but he is up there’, Pendo told another Kenyan blog, the African Eagle.

She also praised him for not only being a ‘good lover’ but also a gentleman…

‘Not only did he not publicise the affair, but he left me with some personal mementos to remember him. I don’t think a one night stand does that. Plus there is still communication going on. I’m not saying we are dating, but we are definitely still talking. He did not ‘hit it and quit it’.

Pendo also says she didn’t bother taking pictures and definitely didn’t do it for the money…

‘I didn’t get money from him. I didn’t want money from him. I did it simply because I find him hot and he is pretty legit in the music industry in Africa. Yeah, I am attracted by his talent, his fame, his power, but honestly, who isn’t?’, she said.

Now whether true or not, this isn’t the first or the second time Davido has gotten himself tangled in some hotel room controversy – in February 2012, an 18-year-old undergraduate Sonia leaked pictures of herself and Davido half-unclad in bed while in Ghana. Eight months and 17 days later, another set of bedroom photos showing Davido and some other girl leaked on the internet.

Davido’s manager Kamal has denied the story and explains that they were actually warned by the show’s publicist about the girl. He insists that Davido did not have any contact with Pendo.

NEWS UPDATE: Kano bombers disguised as fruit sellers

Hide bombs inside wheelbarrows laden with bananas, oranges
…My escape was divine, says motorist who went for car keys at drinking bar
More details emerged yesterday on Monday’s twin explosions by Boko Haram in Kano metropolis even as survivors recounted how they cheated death. The Joint Security Task Force (JTF) and the police said 12 people died while 12 others were injured. Ohanaeze Ndigbo disagreed with the figures, saying 45 people lost their lives.

It was confirmed yesterday that the lone bomber hid the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in a wheelbarrow, disguising as a fruit seller before they were detonated at New and Enugu/Igbo Road, all in Sabon-Gari, populated by non-indigenes, mostly the Igbos. One explosion went off at 41 New Road, the Christ Salvation Pentecostal Church at the peak of evening worship.

An eyewitness, Mazi Columba Ndubuisi, told Daily Sun that the Boko Haram bomber arrived in Enugu Road, with a wheelbarrow, adding that the terrorist pretended to be selling watermelon, oranges and bananas. According to him, the attacker hid the IEDs inside the wheelbarrow under the bananas and oranges, adding that after roaming innocently for a while, he parked the wheelbarrow near the shop of one Mama Ejima by the side of a parked Mercedes Benz car. Ndubuisi said he trades on fire -fighting equipment very close to the scene of the blasts, when the boy parked his wheelbarrow casually, some people were actually calling him to come and sell to them, but they surprisingly noticed that the boy, rather than selling, made his way to the main road, leaving his wares.

He said barely a few minutes after, the bomb exploded killing the woman (Mama Ejima) and several other people. Another witness, who is simply called Mr. Eddy, said typical of the fellowship, worshippers separated themselves from their children, adding that the kids were roaming about the scene when the first device exploded near their play-point. The witness, who was watching football in a nearby bar when the first blast occurred, recalled that following the shocking explosion, the whole scenario was thrown into confusion, with several people sustaining injuries, while many more died of the first blast.
He said that just minutes after the first blast, when they were trying to escape, the second exploded, trapping some people who had dared to run in the direction of the first blast.
Mr. Eddy, who resides in the same building where the church is located, said several people died on account of the blasts, including three persons who sat close to him at their drinking table.

“There was smoke everywhere. People were running everywhere, people were lying on the ground, many motorists jumped inside their cars and sped off. They came here with four pick-up vans to carry the bodies. I did not count them, but I know that they were many,” he added. Meanwhile, several families were yet to discover the whereabouts of their relatives. Daily Sun learnt that at least, eight wounded persons were hospitalized.

Speaking from his hospital bed at the Emergency Unit of the Armed Forces Hospital in the state capital, Mr Chika Ekenne said the blasts took them by surprise, adding that but for the mercy of God, he would have died from the explosion. Ekenne, who had deep wounds on his left shoulder in addition to several sharp cuts, said that he was hit by the second explosion that occurred in New Road area of Sabon -Garri Area.

According to the victim, who was wreathing in pains at press time, he was a resident of Abuja, who had come to the state to finish a business, adding that he went to the particular scene in the company of a friend to give some money to his daughter, who was to transfer the same to another of his children, who is in school.
Mr. Ekenne, who hails from Etiti in Mbaino in Imo State told Daily Sun that when the first bomb exploded by the side of the church, a number of people at the drinking bar escaped, adding that unfortunately, he forgot his keys when he fled in fright.
He recalled that in the midst of the thick billowing smoke, thinking that it was a single blast, he ran back, only to be hit by the second explosion which stuck him and threw particles at him.

While pleading that they should not tell his wife about his current state and tragedy, he noted that his wife may not be able to stand the shock.
Meanwhile, a statement signed by JTF spokesman, Capt. Ikedeche Iweha, said Boko Haram detonated the bombs which killed 12 people and injured 12 others, while 19 vehicles were destroyed.

According to the JTF, the incident could have been avoided if the residents had maintained vigilance by reporting to the authorities, strange objects. Capt. Iweha recalled that the task force had urged people to keep an eye on their environments as there was a tip-off that the terror group had planned to attack Kano.
Also, the state police command, in a statement by Mr. Magaji Magiya, confirmed the JTF’s casualty figures.

Reacting to the attack, president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Kano State Chapter, Chief Tobias Michael Idika, claimed that 45 people were killed even as he called on President Goodluck Jonathan to take urgent steps to strengthen security of lives and property of residents in the northern parts of the country.

In a statement, the apex Igbo group said: “Ohanaeze account can confirm 39 deaths in New Road and six in Enugu/Igbo Road, and an unspecified number of people who got injured. The terrorists invaded Sabon-Gari, an enclave carved out for non-natives and planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) which exploded almost simultaneously at Enugu/Igbo Road, near International Hotel and on New Road, directly opposite the popular Ado Bayero Square precisely at Nos 38, 39, 40 and 41.
“At 41 New Road, the Christ Salvation Pentecostal Church was also bombed at the peak of evening worship.” The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), through its state chairman, Bishop Ramos Bello, condemned the attack. He prayed God to receive the departed souls and comfort the wounded. He appealed for deployment of more troops in the state.

Meanwhile, the state government has condemned the attack. Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso who visited the scenes, described the attack as devastating. He promised to pay for the treatment of the injured victims.

Meet Richie Parker, the Armless Vehicle Engineer

30-year-old Richie Parker of Beaufort, South Carolina was born without arms, many people told him he couldn’t ride a bike, live on his own and have a successful job. Parker proved them all wrong and is a star Vehicle Engineer at Hendrick Motorsports.

Baby Weighing 6.10kg Born Without A Caesarean Section

A baby weighing almost a stone and measuring 22.6 inches long has been born in Germany. Baby Jasleen arrived on July 26 and weighed a massive 13.47 pounds (6.10kg). Babies her size are usually born via a caesarean section, but she was born naturally.

Statistically: Nigerians are the most educated in the US

For Woodlands resident David Olowokere, one of Nigeria's sons, having a master's degree in engineering just wasn't enough for his people back home. So he got a doctorate.

His wife, Shalewa Olowokere, a civil engineer, didn't stop at a bachelor's, either. She went for her master's.

The same obsession with education runs in the Udeh household in Sugar Land. Foluke Udeh and her husband, Nduka, both have master's degrees. Anything less, she reckons, would have amounted to failure.

"If you see an average Nigerian family, everybody has a college degree these days," said Udeh, 32, a physical therapist at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. "But a post-graduate degree, that's like pride for the family."

Nigerian immigrants have the highest levels of education in this city and the nation, surpassing whites and Asians, according to Census data bolstered by an analysis of 13 annual Houston-area surveys conducted by Rice University.

Although they make up a tiny portion of the U.S. population, a whopping 17 percent of all Nigerians in this country held master's degrees while 4 percent had a doctorate, according to the 2006 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition, 37 percent had bachelor's degrees.

Saudi Arabia : Blogger Faces 600 Lashes, Jail for Insulting Islam!

A Saudi court has sentenced a activist to seven years in prison and 600 lashes for violating the nation’s anti-cybercrime law, Human Rights Watch reported Wednesday.

A Jeddah Criminal Court found Raif Badawi, who has been in prison since June 2012, guilty this week of insulting Islam through his website and in television comments.

Reported Saudi paralysis sentence ‘outrageous,’ rights group says

“This incredibly harsh sentence for a peaceful blogger makes a mockery of Saudi Arabia’s claims that it supports reform and religious dialogue,” said Nadim Houry, the deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “A man who wanted to discuss religion has already been locked up for a year and now faces 600 lashes and seven years in prison.”

His lawyer, Waleed Abu al-Khair, told Human Rights Watch that Judge al-Harbi read the verdict Monday. The court is expected to send him a written notification by August 6. They’ll have 30 days to appeal.

Raif Badawi has been in prison since June

Ensaf Haidar, Badawi’s wife, said she’s devastated by the news.

“I don’t know what to do,” Haidar said Wednesday. “Raif did nothing wrong.”

Haidar and the couple’s three children now live in Lebanon.

Estranged from her family, Haidar said it would be impossible to take her children back to Saudi Arabia. The stigma is too strong there.

“You feel like everybody’s accusing you,” she said, close to tears, in an April interview. “Like everybody’s against you, at war with you.”

CNN has made several attempts to reach the Saudi Arabia government for comment but received no response.

Badawi’s legal troubles started shortly after he started the Free Saudi Liberals website in 2008. He was detained for one day and questioned about the site. Some clerics even branded him an unbeliever and apostate.

Last summer, Human Rights Watch released a statement urging Saudi authorities to free Badawi.

“Saudi authorities should drop charges and release the editor of the Free Saudi Liberals website for violating his right to freedom of expression on matters of religion and religious figures,” a statement from the group said at the time.

Rights groups accuse Saudi authorities of targeting activists through the courts and travel bans. Many were outraged when two of the country’s most prominent reform advocates, Mohammed Al-Qahtani and Abdullah Al-Hamid, were sentenced in March to 10 years in prison apiece.

Amnesty International called that trial “just one of a troubling string of court cases aimed at silencing the kingdom’s human-rights activists.”

Asked in January about accusations that Saudi Arabia is cracking down on dissent, Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Saudi Interior Ministry, told CNN, “At the Interior Ministry, our area of responsibility is security.”

He added, “My understanding is that these cases are being looked at by the courts now. Nobody will comment on cases being looked at by the courts.”

See Pastorwho's Sperm is A Sacred Milk

Valdeci Sobrino Picanto is a Brazilian Evangelical Pastor. He has been arrested after deceiving the faithful using the name of the "Holy Spirit", by saying foolish lies.

He said his joystick was blessed and that "the Lord had consecrated him with divine milk of the ''Holy Spirit" and, of course, he had to release it in order to "evangelize".

"He has convinced us that only God could come into our lives through our mouth and that's why he would do what he did". Often, after worship, pastor Valdeci would take us to where the funds were kept at the back of the Church and asked us to have Oral sex with him until the Holy Spirit would come through ***********". This is the testimony of one of his victims.
The pastor is already in jail, but said he intends to continue watering his cellmates with his sacred milk.