Wednesday, 13 July 2016

Reasons women stop loving their husbands


Here's how you push her to move out of your life.


  

Yes, she loves you to death but take her for granted and stretch it a bit too much and you shall lose her forever. She’ll love you recklessly, care for you selflessly and even trust you blindly. But don’t forget, underneath all this lies her self-respect which may be on the backburner since the day she fell in love with you. If you cross the line, the self-respect is going to pop-up and that’s when her brain will win over the heart so that she can move out of your year, decade or lifelong relationship.
Here are some reasons why women leave the men they have loved immensely:
1. She has lost respect for you: Respect is one of the pillars of a strong relationship and if she doesn’t respect you anymore, every single minute spent with you will feel like a punishment. Your approach to the underprivileged, your thought process about social issues that matter or even small things like your views about the opposite sex. Women want to look up to the man they love and if you aren’t the one, the love may not matter so much.
2. You cheated on her: Some women stay even despite the cheating and give the love of their lives a second chance. But if your cheating was deliberate and not something that happened in the spur of a moment, she’s not going to tolerate it. Nothing hurts her more than seeing her trust being shattered by the most important person in her life. Women hate emotional infidelity more than physical?
3. There’s a lack of commitment: She’s been in love with you since childhood and has even proposed you. Make a note, you are one lucky guy. Invest in the relation as much as she does. After all, she didn’t hold you on a gunpoint to say yes. Women put in their heart and soul in a relationship. But if there is no reciprocation, she will soon realise you aren’t worth her efforts. Commit wholeheartedly and give her your time and attention if you value her.
4. She needs personal space: You can go out with the boys at night or party with colleagues at office. Aren’t these rules applicable for her? Just because you are insecure that you are going to lose out on such an amazing person? Women crave for personal space.  After giving in so much of their energy and emotion in the relation, they need some time out too. She loves you but that doesn’t mean she unfriends the entire world to be with you and only you. If she misses her personal space too much and finds you unjustifiably insecure, there is no chance she is staying back.
5. You take her for granted: It’s pretty common for men to treat their ladies like convenience stores. They will be all over them when there is nothing else to do or they need the emotional support. And then, when there’s sunshine, she takes a backseat. I have even observed men break up with their partners and return only when they have lost something important in life or are facing a setback because they know that this woman will give them the courage and standby, no matter what. Women are not convenience stores and though she may continue loving you, she certainly won’t live with you after this.
6. Demeaning her: NEVER demean your wife or girlfriend. Just because she cannot fix an electric appliance doesn’t mean she is good for nothing. Or just because she was unable to understand some technical stuff related to your work doesn’t mean she is dumb. The day she starts pointing out your follies, you will have no face. If you need her and want to be with her, value her.

Nigeria’s Diaspora an asset to us – UK envoy


Nigeria’s Diaspora an asset to us – UK envoy
John Howell
 
Nigeria’s Diaspora in the UK, the second largest in the world, is an asset to the UK’s trade and investment activity, the UK Trade Envoy to Nigeria, John Howell, says.
Howell stated this in his speech to the first Nigeria Trade and Investment Road Show in London, holding from July 11 to 15.
He said: “In 2013, UK was home to 184,000 of the 1.1 million officially registered first generation Nigerian Diaspora, second only to the US.
“Around 18,000 Nigerian students come to the UK, which is around 10 per cent of total foreign students to the UK, the third largest after India and China.
“Nigeria’s Diaspora is an asset that can support the UK’s export and investment activity.”
According to Howell, new areas of opportunity are emerging across a variety of sectors as Nigeria develops and grows.
“Opportunities exist across sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, technology, solid minerals, education and training, among others,” he said.
Howell said the successful 2015 presidential election had helped to solidify Nigeria’s democratic credentials, adding with just over a year in government, the administration had made meaningful strides.
He said: “The extent of success for trade and investment will of course also depend on the success of President Muhammadu Buhari’s reforms.
“We welcome the Central Bank of Nigeria’s announcement that Nigeria will move to a more flexible foreign exchange rate policy.
“This is positive news that international business have been waiting for to encourage greater investment in Nigeria.”
Howell said the UK, with its strong historic links to Africa, had so much to offer and pledged to build the business links between the two countries for economic growth.
He said: “Nigeria remains an attractive export and investment destination for the UK because of its scale, resource wealth and location potential.
“In 2015, Nigeria was named the third fastest growing economy in the world.
“Nigeria’s economy is expected to grow between five per cent and seven per cent per year by 2030.
“UK businesses are well placed to succeed in Nigeria.
“Nigeria is only six hours away from UK, which is a relatively short flight.”
According to Howell, Nigeria has a familiar legal system, adding: “The Nigerian judiciary and legal system are based on the UK’s.
“This simplifies business set up processes and provides guidance in potential disputes.
“Nigeria is also a member of The Commonwealth, which means we share a lot of similarities.”
The UK envoy welcomed Buhari’s commitment to tackling corruption in Nigeria, saying it is critical to the country’s economic prosperity and security, and to reducing poverty and inequality.
According to him, corruption creates barriers to doing business and the threat from money laundering and fraud directly impacts the UK.
He commended the UK Trade and Investment, Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission and PricewaterhouseCoopers teams for organising the road show.
Howell said: “I’ve only recently been appointed as the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria and I’m very excited to be taking on this new role.
“This is because the bilateral relationship between the UK and Nigeria is of great importance to our country.”
Nigerian Ministers – Okechukwu Enelamah (Trade and Investment), Rotimi Amaechi (Transportation), Audu Ogbeh (Agriculture and Rural Development) and Hadi Sirika (Aviation) – are attending the road show.

Signs that your lungs are in trouble

Chest pain, prolonged breathlessness and chronic cough are some of the common symptoms of lung damage.

  
lungs

Changes in the urine colour – sign your kidneys are in trouble.
Chest pain – sign that the heart is in trouble.
Yellowing of the skin – sign that the liver is in trouble.
But how can you know that your lungs are in danger?
While we consciously take care of most of the organs, we seldom do anything to care for our lungs. Isn’t it wrong to take for granted the organ that is responsible for supplying oxygen to the blood cells? Any infection or injury to the lungs not only affects our breathing but can also increase the risk of various respiratory tract diseases like asthma and tuberculosis. Dr Gyanendra Agrawal, Consultant, Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine, Jaypee Hospital, Noida, shares a few key signs that indicate your lungs are in danger and that you need to consult a respiratory specialist.
1. Prolonged breathlessness: Whether climbing stairs or performing day-to-day chores, if you feel breathless after physical exertion, it could be a cause of concern. Also, if you find it difficult to run or suffer from breathlessness most of the time, even when lying on a bed, then it is a sign of lung problem. Prolonged breathlessness can be a sign of many respiratory ailments, it can be due to bronchitis, asthma, COPD or cardiac ailments (in severe cases).
2. Excessive mucus production: We usually ignore a productive cough or a cough with sputum. However, if you suffer from productive cough for more than three months, then consult your doctor as it could be a sign of chronic bronchitis. If this is coupled with wheezing or shortness of breath, then it could be a sign of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Hence, if you have been coughing for long, consult your doctor immediately.
3. Blood in the sputum: Another key symptom that indicates lung disease is the presence of blood in the sputum. While changes in the colour of the sputum or mucus can reveal a lot about the health, right from bacterial infection to pneumonia, presence of blood can be a sign of tuberculosis. If you suffer from prolonged cough, low-grade fever and have found streaks of blood in the sputum, get tested for tuberculosis. Here are some possible causes of coughing up blood.
4. Chest pain: You are wrong if you thought that chest pain always signifies heart attack as there’s more to chest pain than a heart attack. If you experience a sharp shooting pain in the chest when you breathe, cough or sneeze, it can be due to a lung infection caused by bacteria or virus. In rare cases, it can signify a blood clot in the arteries of the lungs, blocking blood flow to the lungs, knows as pulmonary embolism. Find out the causes of chest pain and deal with it accordingly.
5. Wheezing: A whistling or rattling sound in the lungs or wheezing is undoubtedly a symptom of decreased lung function. It indicates that the lungs are finding it difficult to breathe due to narrowing of the airways or arterial block due to foreign particles. In most cases, wheezing is associated with inflammation due to asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, allergic reaction or physical obstruction caused due to a tumour or a foreign particle.
6. Chronic cough: Last but the most important sign that the lungs are in danger is a chronic cough. While a cough is a common occurrence due to a viral infection or common cold, it should start to improve after two –three weeks. However, if it fails to do so and lasts for more than eight weeks, then it is a sign of concern. This is the time you should go to a respiratory specialist and get tested to diagnose the underlying cause of the condition. Some of the common causes of a chronic cough include bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia and tuberculosis. Here’s more on when should you start worrying about  persistent cough.

Tuesday, 12 July 2016

West Ham sign Fletcher from Manchester United


Promising striker Ashley Fletcher has agreed a four-year contract with West Ham, having seen his Manchester United deal expire.
West Ham have announced the signing of striker Ashley Fletcher on a four-year deal from Manchester United.
The 20-year-old, who spent part of last season on loan with Barnsley in League One, completed a medical with Slaven Bilic's side on Tuesday before finalising the move.
"I am very excited to be here. West Ham are a massive club and I am just happy that I can come and further my development here at West Ham," he told the club's official website.
"I think it is a club with a lot of ambition. They have a lot of good players and it was a special final season. They managed to finish the campaign very well.
"West Ham are a club built on traditions of giving youngsters a run and hopefully I can get my chance as well."
United and West Ham must now finalise the details of his transfer, with Fletcher's contract at Old Trafford having expired at the end of last season.
"Everyone at Manchester United would like to wish Ashley the best of luck in his future career," United said in a statement confirming the news.
Fletcher, who scored in the League One play-off final win over Millwall, follows Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore in joining West Ham since the end of last season.
He is the third player from United's youth academy to leave the club on Tuesday, after Tyler Reid joined Swansea City and Joe Rothwell signed for Oxford United.

Bernie Sanders officially endorses Hillary Clinton

 


Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders stand side-by-side (Reuters) Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders stand side-by-side (Reuters)
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Bernie Sanders has officially endorsed Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee for the US Presidency.
For the first time, the Vermont senator stood side-by-side with Clinton at a rally in New Hampshire.
He acknowledged his race for the White House was over and is vowing to do everything he can to help Clinton beat Donald Trump.
"This campaign is about the needs of the American people and addressing the very serious crises that we face, and there is no doubt in my mind that, as we head into November, Hillary Clinton is far and away the best candidate to do that," he told a raucous crowd in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
With Clinton nodding in agreement, Sanders put their bitter primary campaign behind them and said she would take up the fight to ease economic inequality, make college more affordable and expand healthcare coverage for all Americans.
"I intend to do everything I can to make certain she will be the next president of the United States," the Vermont senator said.
His endorsement, coming five weeks after Clinton became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, brought the most prominent holdout in the party's liberal wing into her camp.
Sanders threw Clinton his support less than two weeks before the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, where she is to be formally nominated.
"I can't help but reflect on how much more enjoyable this election will be now that we are on the same side," Clinton said.
"Thank you, Bernie, for your endorsement, but more than that, thank you for your lifetime of fighting injustice."
In a statement, the Trump campaign said Sanders was now officially part of the rigged system he had criticised during his long primary battle with Clinton.
"Bernie's endorsement becomes Exhibit A in our rigged system - the Democrat Party is disenfranchising its voters to benefit the select and privileged few," said Stephen Miller, a senior policy adviser to Trump.
Clinton hopes the joint appearance will help her win over Sanders supporters, some of whom carried Sanders signs into the rally and frequently drowned out her backers.
In recent Reuters/Ipsos polling, only about 40 percent of Sanders backers said they would back Clinton, and the crowd at Tuesday's rally made it clear she still had work to do.
"I am absolutely certain I will not vote for Hillary Clinton," said Gale Bailey, a Sanders supporter and an unemployed graphic designer from Rochester, New Hampshire, who attended the rally in a Sanders T-shirt.
"She's a crook, and I'm not going to vote for a crook," Bailey said, adding that she would write in Sanders' name on the November ballot.

CCT shifts hearing in cases involving Saraki, Orubebe


CCT shifts hearing in cases involving Saraki, Orubebe, othersThe Code of Conduct Tribunal has postponed the trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, earlier scheduled to resumed on Wednesday, till after its annual vacation in September this years.
Also to be affected are cases involving former Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, former Deputy Controller General, Rasheed Taiwo and all other cases earlier scheduled for July and August.
Saraki, Orube and Taiwo are being triaed for alleged false declaration of assets. The tribunal had scheduled judgment for July 19 in the Orubebe case and ruling in Taiwo’s trial for July 28.
CCT’s spokesman, Ibrahim Al-hassan said, in a statement, that although members of the tribunal were not immediately proceeding on vacation, the postponement of the tribunal’s sittings was informed by an on-going training involving its members and other stakeholders both from within and outside the country.
He said: “The Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, Hon Danladi Yakubu Umar on Tuesday adjourned all sittings scheduled for this week and those to come within July and August till after the resumption from recess to be embarked by the tribunal’s Judges soon.
“The decision was taken due to the ongoing Roundtable Discussion involving the CCT and other critical stakeholders within and outside the country, to develop the Code of Ethics and Practice Directions for the Code of Conduct Tribunal to ensure fair and speedy trials, sponsored by European Union (EU) and implemented by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, (UNODC) .
“He however, assured litigants currently with cases before the court, would have their new dates shortly after the vacation in September, 2016, which would be communicated to them, appropriately.
“The tribunal regrets the pains caused by the sudden change.”

Beyonce And Jay Z Are The World's Highest-Paid Celebrity Couple Of 2016



Family Business: Jay Z and Beyonce earned more than any other celebrity couple on the planet. (Photo: ADAM DAVY/AFP/Getty Images).
BeyoncĂ© continues to live up to her royal nickname: Queen B and husband Jay Z are this year’s highest-paid celebrity couple, raking in a regal $107.5 million over the past year.
The sultry songstress pulled in $54 million, good enough to claim the No. 34 spot on our upcoming Celebrity 100 list—the annual ranking of the world’s top-earning superstars, which will be released tomorrow morning. Jay Z finished a smidgeon behind, taking the No. 36 slot with a $53.5 million tally.
Both got a boost from BeyoncĂ©’s sixth No. 1 album, Lemonade, which debuted exclusively on Jay Z’s Tidal streaming service (his wife and several other Celebrity 100 members are co-owners). But BeyoncĂ© edged her husband in annual earnings by playing 19 shows during our June-to-June scoring period, easily topping Jay Z’s grand total of two.
“I’ve never met anyone that works harder than me in my industry,” the songstress once told FORBES.
Though Jay Z didn’t tour over the past year, he was plenty busy behind the scenes with other projects. He continues to make millions on his Armand de Brignac champagne, D’UssĂ© cognac and entertainment company Roc Nation. The multifaceted organization includes a record label, artist management and a sports agency that represents the likes of Kevin Durant and Robinson Cano.
Jay Z didn’t release an album during our scoring period, either. In fact, he hasn’t put out a solo record in three years. That’s by design, if his words in the past are to be believed.
“There was a time in music where a hit solved everything,” he explained to Steve Forbes in 2010. “That’s no longer true. I think the music business is still stuck in that place because we haven’t figured it out. One of the biggest things in business is to open yourself up for change.”
The FORBES Celebrity 100 list measures pretax earnings for front-of-camera celebrities across the globe; we do not deduct for fees paid to agents, managers or lawyers. Our numbers are determined by gathering data from the likes of Nielsen NLSN +0.66%, Pollstar and BoxOfficeMojo, as well as from interviews with industry insiders and some of the stars themselves.
The only other couple on this year’s Celeb 100: Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen. The former’s Deflategate fiasco didn’t flatten his earnings—he led the NFL in merchandise sales in 2015 and signed a contract extension in March with a $28 million signing bonus—en route to a $44 million total payday and the No. 54 spot on the list.
Bundchen claimed the No. 99 slot, boosted by fragrance and beauty deals with Chanel and Carolina Herrera, as well as her own lines of lingerie and skin care. Though her $30.5 million total is the lowest of any member of either top-earning couple, she made the list for the sixteenth time, easily more than Brady (5), Beyoncé (9) or Jay Z (10).
What about last year’s top-earning couple—Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris? They would have kept their crown, each pulling in more than the aforementioned four stars, but parted ways before this year’s list launched. Tune in tomorrow to see just how much they made.

APC to win Edo governorship election – Oyegun


APC to win Edo governorship election – Oyegun
John Odigie-Oyegun
The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said that the party cannot afford to lose the Edo gubernatorial election holding on September 10.
Odigie-Oyegun made the statement in Abuja on Tuesday after presenting the certificate of return to Mr. Godwin Obaseki, the party’s flag-bearer in the poll.
Odigie-Oyegun said “there is nothing to capture in Edo, we are just going to go ahead and win.
“We cannot afford to lose Edo State, that thought must never arise because it is significant…it is no longer local politics.
“By God’s grace we will win the election,” he said.
Commending the Gov. Aminu Masari-led election committee, Obaseki said: “the team was truly professional.”
The chairman pledged to unite the party, saying ”of the 11 opponents at the primary, only one has not agreed to work with us.’’
Speaking to newsmen afterwards, Obaseki cleared the ‎air over the ongoing rumour about controversies surrounding his proposed deputy, Hon. Philip Shuaibu.
There are reports that since Gov. ‎Adams Oshiomhole is from Edo North, Obaseki from Edo South, his deputy should be from Edo Central but Shuiabu, the proposed deputy, is also from Edo North.
“We had far-reaching consultations with party members, had meetings with the leadership of the party and looked at his credentials before we arrived at this decision.
“Nobody is going to be marginalised over this issue.”
On whether he views the opposition as a threat in the upcoming election, Obaseki, who heads Oshiomhole’s economic team, said: ”we don’t believe we have opposition in Edo State.
“We beat ‎them in every election as opposition in Edo. They don’t have much to campaign on, we contested against them in the past and we won so they don’t stand a chance.”
Obaseki also debunked the story that the incumbent administration had run the Edo economy and civil service aground.
“They are used to running fiction and lies, for them to insinuate that about the civil service I think is fraudulent.
“Even if we forgive them for the money they stole‎ we will never forget what they did to our bureaucracy. Building Edo back is our priority.
“In 10 years they barely recruited, they removed top civil servants while the junior ones had nobody to learn from and ‎did not employ.
“We have built back moral, paid pension ‎to those they retired without paying and so on. Once we finish, Edo will be the model city we dreamed of.”

Foursquare Gospel Church, Asokoro, Abuja




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The Sprawling Edifice

The Foursquare Gospel Church Asokoro which started in October 2002 is a part of the church planting initiative of former General overseer, Rev Dr Wilson Badejo. Then,  there was this vision God gave him called Barley Harvest, which was a church planting initiative to plant about 2000 churches all over Nigeria. Foursquare Gospel Asokoro was one of the churches planted in that era.

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Resident Pastor, Rev. Julius Msheliza

UNIQUENESS
Foursquare Gospel church asokoro is unique in the sense that, it is one of the mega churches that foursquare intended to plant. The vision is to have mega churches in cities in Nigeria and Asokoro happens to be part of the initiative.
Secondly, Foursquare Gospel church Asokoro is unique in location. In the words of the resident Pastor, Rev. Julius Msheliza, “God planted us in a strategic location in the city of Abuja very close to the seat of power and to me that is not a coincidence. God did that because he wants us to be part of what He is doing in the country in terms of governance as a gateway church, not only to Nigeria but nations of the world.

Senior Pastor, Rev Babajide Olowodola and wife, Rev. Mrs. Shola Olowodola
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Associate Pastor, Rev. Adeolu Odusote and wife, Rev. Mrs. Ibukun Odusote

Since we started, we’ve planted five churches which we have released to Ado Keffi District. We also have four other churches we are planning to start all over Abuja. In fact, one will soon be inaugurated. We also have what we call THE OMEGA 2 PROJECT  which is a mission project where we partner mission agencies to raise missionaries and send them to unreached groups all over the world.”
E-governancetoday also sought to know why the church is not growing at an alarming rate considering the rate of new worshippers that throng the church every Sunday. The Resident Pastor replies,
“The issue of church growth….no one comes to the Father except he who the Father draws. Well in our own effort, we advise members to invite people to the church; we also have some outreaches being organized by the church to reach out to our mediate neighbourhood and catchment areas. Our prayer is that the whole seats will be occupied because the seats are meant for people to sit on and hear the gospel. As it is now, we  have every reason to thank God because He has really increased us.
The church is involved in many Kingdom projects every day through various church services and meetings.

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Worship Session
EVERY SUNDAY
7a.m. – WORKERS’ PRAYER MEETING
7.30a.m.- WORKERS’ DEPARTMENTAL MEETING
8a.m.- LIVING SPRING
9a.m.– SUNDAY SCHOOL
10a.m. – MAIN WORSHIP SERVICE

FOURSQUARE GOSPEL CHURCH is located at 1902, YAKUBU GOWON CRESCENT , ASOKORO, ABUJA (by the popular A.Y.A. round about). E-mail: pastor@asokoro foursquare.org.
WELCOME TO THE ASSEMBLY OF HIS EXCELLENCY

source: e-governancetoday.com

Ebonyi State governor, Umahi set to empower 2,400 youths



Gov. Dave-Umahi
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, weekend said his administration will next month deploy over N600m to empower at least 2,400 women and youths in the state.
Umahi, who stated this while assenting to three bills recently passed into law by Ebonyi State House of Assembly added that he would soon send a letter to the lawmakers requesting for approval of part of the money.
He explained that the plan was part of his administration’s effort to ensure that women and youths were made to engage in productive activities to fend for their families and contribute to the development of the state.
“The administration wants to deploy N600 million in the month of August towards ensuring that at least 2,400 of our youths and women have something doing in this state. So the request will be coming to you,” the Governor told the Assembly members who were present as he signed the bills.
Umahi commended the lawmakers for the speedy passage of the bills which he said would enhance development of the state.

Anita Oyakhilome: Beware of fake men of God

Anita-Oyakhilome 



When people talk about winning souls these days, I feel absolutely concerned for the so-called souls. It looks to me like a lion on a breakfast mission, in search for his hunt; he hides behind the grass for an unwise lamb that would wander away from the herd in search of fresh grass. This will be an easy catch and good feast for the lion’s plate.


When I hear these people talk about winning souls, I feel sorry for the souls who have no idea of what they are getting into. It sometimes sounds to me like blood-thirsty people desperate to count the number of innocent, ignorant people who will give their blood to be sucked. These souls are classified, as the needy, can undoubtedly be gullible in their search for solutions and wanting to identify or belong to a community. These souls are caught when they are most vulnerable maybe they have lost a loved one, in a bad relationship with their parents or family, in need of healing or desperate for a change. At this point they will give anything and do anything without a second thought.
When caught by the wrong hands, they will start running in a wheel. Initially, the souls will be treated with some measure of care, so they do not detach. This will be short lived to prepare them to be trained as unconscious servants. Once the attachment is built, they would start attending endless meetings till they begin to be unavailable for their loved ones and disassociate from their families over time.
These souls will eventually give their energy away and with time they begin to feel tired, unhappy, sick, financially drained and depleted. Unknown to them, this new community and friends may be superficial. The souls might observe that sweet and bitter method of sucking their blood has gradually robbed them of their self worth. They might realize they have given their energy to somebody else and they are now hanging in the spider’s web.
They are tied up with daily and weekly responsibilities but if you look closely, their main leader is seating in a place of convenience by handling brief monthly meetings (not weekly) or occasional gatherings.
When I hear about souls, I have sympathy for those who give their blood to be sucked. They are simply prey to be used as objects in some people’s game. Incidentally, some of these souls have become wiser in seeking the opportunity to reap the reaper in his own game, like the buffalo who challenges the tiger.
Mt 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
An aggressive soul winner is hungry like a hunter; he goes with all manner of tools and uses different technique to capture his prey.
An aggressive soul winner is like a fisherman who uses a net. This method of fishing is solely for material or commercial purposes. On the other hand a fish can also be caught by using a fishing rod with baits or on the hooks to entice any fish that ventures near to bite off the attractive bait. Unfortunately, if caught by a commercial fisherman the fish is not going anywhere after all that effort, it must be eaten.
However, if caught by a hobbyist, he will admire the fish and put it back where it belongs, in its natural habitat. Thank God for regulatory organizations helping to stop brutal killings of animals whether on land or sea.
Soul winning alone will not take you to heaven; you win a soul by living the God life and your personal interest in bringing somebody to the knowledge of Christ. You have to be in a good frame of mind first, not under fear or compulsion that if you do not win souls you will go to hell.
There should be no ulterior motives like getting the soul’s money eventually, you want a position or seeking to be rewarded with treats or awards. There are people who reach out to others daily not for any earthly reward but to direct the souls to their own churches, for benefits or for any selfish reason. These people recommend and make available other authors, ministers and local assemblies for the interest of the soul alone.
Every man should learn to take care of himself first. He should learn to use his initiative and study for himself otherwise he might become somebody’s big catch or ‘meat’. At that point he would have no one to blame.
I have written this for those who have asked me questions on soul winning and their fears.
“And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Mat 24:11-14
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” 2 Tim3:1-5

source: e-governancetoday.com

The Question of Mimesis - note on pro. Akwanya's lecture

This is based on the lecture note of Pro. Amechi Akwanya of English department, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.



Amechi Akwanya's profile photo
Pro. Akwanya
Lukacs’s opinion of mimesis is that it is in terms of imaging the structure of society. Unlike him, Peter Rabinowitz sees it in a bad sense – that of pretending to be what one is not. According to him, ‘All representational art is “imitation” in that it pretends to be what it is not.’
Mimesis and Similitude
The history of drama is divided into two phases by Lukacs – the pre French revolution (Aristocratic drama) and the post –French revolution (bourgeoisie or modern drama). His account of the two phases is based on that of change. Lukacs’ account is such that in the bourgeoisie or modern drama, change is qualitative in that bourgeoisie tragedy is struggle in which something old is got rid of that the new may emerge, while in the Aristocratic drama, change is quantitative. However, in both dramas, struggle is fundamental, and distinguishes tragedy from comedy. In comedy, Lukacs’ view is that it portrays society, the men rooted in it, and the relationships against which they [are] incapable of successful struggle. On the other hand, tragedy portrays great personalities who challenge and struggle against relationships – ‘though it may mean ruin.’ Lukacs further stresses that comedy is an available option in a tragedy in as much as the character accepts his situation but it becomes a tragedy when he challenges it.
                This is what we see in Bacchae where the chorus is not ready to challenge what others do but to readily follow them. For Lukacs then, the chorus is on the comic plane. To the chorus, what the common people do is the correct and fixed order.
                On the other hand, the struggle is a tragic one for Pentheus since he chose to stay aloof of what the common men do thus rejecting the chorus and their society. Discourse Analysis provides us with the idea that Sophia provides self-knowledge, and the lack of this quality is the ultimate cause of Pentheus’ confrontation with the god.
                Lukacs’ modes of struggle differ in both the Aristocratic and the bourgeois drama. Aristocratic drama involves a universe which rests upon ‘solid metaphysical foundations.’ Due to this, the hero is never in doubt as to what is the correct course of action. His whole life is already circumscribed by a closed system of belief. Further for Lukacs, tragedy usually results from acting in a manner contrary to those moral dictates. Though the deed could be explained by his soul’s condition – no amount of reasoning could provide absolution. Though, Lukacs’ argument is not always seen in Greek tragedies. His proposition here is vital for the identification of two kinds of great figures associated with epic and tragic drama. On one hand is the sage like Tiresias who articulates the governing laws of the moral universe or the saint such as Odysseus who possess wisdom in a divine degree and in whom the laws governing history and the lives of states and individuals function flawlessly, without interference by individual will. On the other hand is a leader who is aware of the obstacles standing in the face of his desire to shape events by the force of his will.
                The moral integrity in the Bacchae is glib. This is because the conflict over the cult of Dionysus lies in the fact that it is new and not previously known in Thebes. As pointed earlier, what Sophia (wisdom) does is to provide the individual involved with self-knowledge. It is however, this lack of self-knowledge by Pentheus that is the cause of his confrontation with Dionysus. The question of whether one knows who one is or not does not arise for Pentheus for he is certain of whom he is but his certainty is a dangerous one.
                Humility – Sophrosunc in Greek – and moderation keeps the individual in relation with an order outside himself, his self-awareness is conditioned by his awareness of other realities. These other realities exercise greater force than the individual’s. Pentheus again is not aware is not aware of these other realities unlike Cadmus who is aware of other realities the greatest of which is divinity (the gods), thus his reverence for the gods. However, his choice to honour Dionysus is not shared by all. Pentheus becomes the representative individual outside the society. But the punishment pronounced on him by Dionysus is also that of Thebes as a whole.
                Murder in the Cathedral reconstructs the struggle between systems but it must share both of the history of the scene of the action and the time of writing. Unlike in The Bacchantes where there is no question in the matter of precedence between religious and political power (authority) but a resentment and rejection of priestly power by the state already exists, there is no confusion in Murder in the Cathedral as to what must be done. Thomas Becket already knows what is required of him and proudly proclaims it but despite his rejection of political power, the confusion of inner and outer reality arises with the appearance of Fourth Tempter.
                For Aristotle, the notion that tragedy is set off by who one is and not by what one has done is out of place. He maintains that ‘happiness and unhappiness are bound up with action’ and the ‘change from bad fortune to good, or from good fortune to bad’ in tragedy is tied ‘to the sequence of events, and follow from this ‘according to the law of probability and necessity.’ What this appears to be for him is that right action ought to ensure happiness for the doer. For Becket, he knows differently that his action in the end will not bring him ‘happiness.’ In the end it is difficult to tell whether he has been seeking self-glorification in martyrdom or he submits to facts following his mature wisdom.
                Meanwhile, Lukacs’ theory has its short-comings in that it marginalises other characters since it focuses on the hero who struggles. It thus reduces other characters as mere helpers.
Mimesis and its other
Rabinowitz in ‘What’s Hecuba to us?’ brings up two perspectives in audiences of literary borrowing that which permits us to see the work as an object and that as the thing it pretends to be. These two views give rise to two audiences. The first is the ‘authorial audience,’ and the second, ‘narrative audience.’ His view is that at the point of writing the writer has a specific audience in mind.
                The authorial audience sees the work as a whole, designed by the author, such that each of the individual elements in it has a functional role. What embodies the authorial audience is the intention behind the design. On the other hand, the narrative audience is an imitation of the authorial audience. The difference between the two audiences is that the narrative audience receives the work as a sequence of individual actions, and the participants, not as ‘characters’ as such but as full psychological activities, with a past and a future beyond the moment of the set of actions they are entangled in. Rabinowitz’s notion of criticism consists in reconstructing the intention of the writer.

(c)Stanley Chuck (note on 2012 lecture)
                 

Tuesday, 21 June 2016

It is illegal to freeze Fayose's account

Lawyers say freezing of governor’s account by EFCC is illegal

Two lawyers, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa and Kayode Ajulo have said that the freezing of Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose’s account is illegal.

Ekiti state Governor, Ayodele Fayose Ekiti state Governor, Ayodele Fayose


Fayose’s account was frozen by the anti-corruption agency on Monday, June 20, 2016.
“For the court to make an order, there must be papers (court process) filed in court and signed by the judge. Section 308(1)(a) says no suit can be instituted against Fayose in any court in Nigeria. So, no process of court can be issued, signed or served, if it bears Fayose’s name, in his personal capacity,” Adegboruwa said according to Daily Post.
“By sections 26-34 of the EFCC Act, a suspect must have been arrested for his account to be frozen. By section 308 of 1999 Constitution, Fayose cannot be arrested and his bank account cannot be frozen. We must encourage EFCC to act according to law, or else we go into full blown dictatorship.
“There is no controversy in this matter. EFCC should de-freeze the account, pile up its investigations and wait for Fayose to complete his tenure. Pure and simple,” he added.
Ajulo made his response via a statement. It reads:
This indeed came as a shock considering the personality involved, a sitting governor that enjoys immunity till the determination of his office as governor of a State in Nigeria.
It is the law that to freeze an account, there must be an order of court for the attachment of the bank account. It is also trite that for the court to make such order, there must be papers (court process) filed in court and signed by the judge.
By the provision of Section 308(1)(a) of our Constitution as amended no suit can be instituted against Ayodele Fayose and/or any Nigerian governor in any court in Nigeria.
Therefore, no process of court can be issued, signed or served, against Ayodele Fayose in his personal capacity, whereas the bank account in question is his personal account as such in his personal name.
Moreover, sections 26-34 of the EFCC Act, established a process to be followed that is, a suspect must have been arrested for his account to be frozen however section 308 of 1999 Constitution, exempted Ayodele Fayose from those could be arrested and his bank account cannot be frozen.
It behoves on all right thinking Nigerians and law abiding individuals and corporate entities to ensure and insist that EFCC acts according to the law of the land and adheres to best international standard and practice. It should be warned that EFCC is gradually turning into an unchecked tyrannical monster.

Mats Hummels: 'I turned down Manchester United due to lack of Champions League'

Mats Hummels celebrates his equaliser during the Europa League quarter-final between Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool on April 7, 2016
New Bayern Munich defender Mats Hummels has suggested that Manchester United's lack of Champions League football was the reason why he turned down the chance to move to the club this summer.
The Red Devils were heavily linked with the 27-year-old Borussia Dortmund captain, but he instead opted to move back to the Allianz Arena, where he began his career.
Hummels refused to name United as the club he was close to joining, but strongly hinted that they were just short of the "overall package".
"Fundamentally, England, Spain and Germany were the relevant leagues I could see myself playing football in. But at this stage there just was not that one English club where the overall package was fitting," the Germany international told Suddeutsche Zeitung.
"The overall package means - a club which fascinates me; a club I have always wanted to join, and where the sporting constellation is right, and which of course plays Champions League football next season. And because of the latter one club was ruled out, and you can envision which club that was."
United have since signed Eric Bailly from Villarreal after missing out on Hummels.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Wants ‘Revenge’ Over Pep Guardiola


The Sweden striker played under incoming Manchester City coach Guardiola at Barcelona.



Guardiola and Ibrahimovic
Pep Guardiola, left, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Camp Nou stadium, Barcelona, February 6, 2010. Ibrahimovic's agent says he wants "revenge" over Guardiola. LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty
Manchester United target Zlatan Ibrahimovic is keen to inflict “revenge” on his former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, according to the Swede’s agent.
Former Paris Saint-Germain striker Ibrahimovic played under the Spaniard while at the Camp Nou from 2009 through 2011, but the pair had a notoriously difficult working relationship.

With Guardiola taking charge at Manchester City, an Ibrahimovic move to Old Trafford would see another rivalry reignited after Jose Mourinho took charge at United earlier this month.
The 34-year-old’s agent, Mino Raiola, has suggested the opportunity to beat Guardiola makes Ibrahimovic keen on a move to Manchester.
"I think he wants revenge on Guardiola, although he does not live for it because you shouldn’t have two graves — one for him and one for the enemy,” Raiola told Marca.
“You learn more from defeats than you do from victories, and Zlatan learned a lot from what happened with Guardiola.”
Ibrahimovic won the La Liga title with Guardiola but has since criticized his former boss’ treatment of him, once saying he “bought a Ferrari but drove it like a Fiat.”
Raiola added: “Zlatan admits he is a great coach and I can think it but refuse to admit it.”
Ibrahimovic is not expected to announce his next club until after his Euro 2016 is complete.

New police boss, Idris, arrives Aso Rock



The new acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. I.K Idris, is currently meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Idris, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police arrived the Presidential Villa in company with the outgoing IGP, Solomon Arase, at about 2.20pm.
However, the Presidency has yet to issue a formal statement on his appointment.

Naira crashes to 288/dollar at new official market



Ifeanyi Onuba and ’Femi Asu
The naira plunged by 31 per cent to 288.85 against the United States dollar on Monday at the close of trading at the newly established interbank market.
The local currency also depreciated at the parallel market where it closed at 346 to the greenback, down from around 330 and 335 on Friday.
The Central Bank of Nigeria had last week introduced new guidelines for the nation’s foreign exchange market with the adoption of a single structure through the interbank/autonomous window.
The naira, which was pegged at 197-199 per dollar before the emergence of the new forex policy, closed at 288.85 to the dollar on Monday, with the forces of demand and supply coming to play to determine the value of the nation’s currency after the CBN allowed it to float freely.
The CBN said it cleared a total foreign exchange demand backlog of $4bn with a dollar exchanging for N280 at the foreign exchange market.
The apex bank, in a statement issued on Monday by the Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the market on its first day.
The statement reads in part, “Nigeria’s new foreign exchange market made a robust take-off on Monday, June 20, 2016, clearing all the backlog of $4bn pent-up demand for foreign exchange, with the naira exchanging at 280 to the United States dollar.
“The objectives of the CBN to clear the forex demand backlog, perform its role as strictly a market intervention participant, and re-launch a functioning and efficient interbank market were met.
“The CBN, in line with its desire to promote a transparent, liquid and efficient market, and in order to engender market confidence and ensure credible price formation, intervened in the market through a special secondary market intervention sales addressing the issue of the FX demand backlog by clearing $4.02bn through spot and forward sales.
“This served in no small way to stimulate price discovery, with the determination of a marginal rate of $/280.00 through the special SMIS process. So, we can state to you categorically that the FX demand backlog has now been cleared and behind us for good.”
Okoroafor assured market participants and the general public that the bank was committed to making the FX market globally competitive, credible, transparent, liquid and efficient.
Our correspondents gathered that the naira was trading around 270 to a dollar in the early hours of trading on Monday with no deals consummated by the banks as dealers were only interested in buying.
A currency analyst at Ecobank, Mr. Kunle Ezun, said when the market opened in the morning, the naira went up to 285 to the dollar and later came down to 255 to 260 before the CBN intervened in the market by selling over $500m at the rate of N280 per dollar.
He said, “We didn’t have any firm deals; no deal was consummated until when the CBN intervened and gave the rate at 280 and that became the rallying point for the market. We saw price discovery; different banks were quoting on two-way quote for the naira and dollar.
“We saw a lot of quotes today; banks were willing to quote but everybody was willing to buy, not to sell until the CBN came to the bank later in the day to sell. When the CBN sells to you, you are expected to sell in the market. So that created activity in the market.
“What we had today (Monday) is more like a market depreciation of the naira to 280. Tomorrow (Tuesday), you may see appreciation of the naira or further depreciation. It depends on how much the CBN is willing to supply to the market. If they are able to supply what they supplied today in two or three times consecutively, the market will be calmed and the naira will appreciate in the next few days.”
The Head, Research and Investment Advisory, Sterling Capital, Mr. Sewa Wusu, said the naira closed at 288.85 after a little bit of oscillation, adding, “The interplay of demand and supply has started. I think the proper value of the naira will be determined as time goes on and more dollars will also come.”
He, however, said foreign portfolio investors might still be on the sidelines to watch developments to see how the current mechanism would play out before they would begin to have some level of comfort on the level of dollar liquidity.
The President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, said the naira fell to 346 against the dollar at the parallel market, because “the interbank market has not effectively taken off.”
He said, “There is no way demand can reduce at the parallel market now because the 41 imported items are still banned from accessing official forex market,” he said, adding that the backlog of dollar demand was far higher than $4bn.
“Up untill now, many correspondent banks have yet to send their unmet obligations to the Central Bank of Nigeria. And for the foreign inflow that we are expecting, there is still lack of confidence by the investors as to how liquidity is going to be sustainable so that when they want to move out, they won’t have the problem of dollar scarcity. So, they are watching to see how liquid the market will be, and that will take a couple of weeks before this can be unravelled,” Gwadabe explained.
There may be “higher volatility until the market becomes more functional,” Bloomberg quoted the Head of Africa Strategy at Standard Chartered Bank Limited in London, Samir Gadio, as saying in an e-mailed response to questions.

Saturday, 4 June 2016

According to Pope Francis, Gays are not not living in sin

Pope says Gays aren’t “Living in Sin,” asks Followers for Tolerance

Pope says Gays aren’t “Living in Sin,” asks Followers for Tolerance

Pope Francis put his shoulder to the doors of the Catholic Church and shoved them open a little wider Friday, calling for the church to be more tolerant in practice while not changing any official doctrines.He urged priests around the world to be more accepting of gays and lesbians, divorced Catholics and other people living in what the church considers “irregular” situations.
“A pastor cannot feel that it is enough simply to apply moral laws … as if they were stones to throw at people’s lives,” Francis writes in a sweeping paper outlining his stance on family matters.
He urges more common sense and less unthinking following of rules.
“By thinking that everything is black and white, we sometimes close off the way of grace and growth,” he writes.
He emphasizes that “unjust discrimination” against gays and lesbians is unacceptable, downplays the idea of “living in sin” and suggests that priests should use their own discretion on whether divorced Catholics in new marriages can take Communion.
One would think that, of all people, the most fundamental Catholic would be the Pope, but its become ever more clear by the day that that simply isn’t the case. Whether the Pope is saving his church by pushing into a new era, or damning it by watering down its values remains to be seen, but he’s clearly bent on making a change.

Source: CNN

“Message To Our Brothers In The Struggle” - Niger Delta Avengers

Niger Delta Militants
Niger Delta Militants

Niger Delta Avengers release another statement




Th Niger Delta Avengers responsible for attacks on petroleum facilities in the Niger Delta region has released yet another statement titled “Message To Our Brothers In The Struggle”.
Read the full text of the statement below:
MESSAGE TO OUR BROTHERS IN THE STRUGGLE
Good Afternoon Niger Deltans. The liberation of the Niger delta people has taken a new swing with the daily emergence of new groups all over the region. The avengers are calling on all groups in the region to be strong and resolute as it is obvious that God is on our side.
The groups are much now both real and unreal but if you really fighting for the liberation of the Niger delta people. The high command of the avengers is calling on you not to attack any soldier and those claiming to have anti aircraft missiles should deist from targeting any aircraft.
Let us be careful not offend God in the process of trying to liberate our people from the shackles of the Nigerian government because we need God more than anything right now. We also need the international communities as well. Hence, we must desist from any life threatening actions that will derail our genuine struggle for our people.
All groups are hereby discouraged from indulging in harassing oil workers and soldiers. We urge you all to help any oil workers or soldiers you see in distress.
The military warplanes hovering round our towns and villages have not strike a soul or destroy any property, so those groups with anti aircraft missiles should dry their gunpowder.
When it is time to engage the military in combat the whole world will know they started the war not the Avengers. The Niger delta avengers high command will pass the message round that its time to engage on gun battle when the time comes. So far, we have not engaged the Nigeria military in combat; despite the heavy presence of military on the pipelines. we still find way to carry out our actions without attacking soldiers. The avengers will deal with any group that refuses and attack military.
The high command is calling on all groups in Rivers, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom to not indulge in any act of kidnapping and attacking of soldiers. The war is on oil installations; “Operation On Flow of Oil”
God is our strength; he is going to see the people of Niger delta through.
God bless the Niger delta republic.
Brig.Gen Mudoch Agbinibo
Spokesperson