The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) said it sealed 131 Private Guard Companies between January 2011 and December 2012. This is contained in a NSCDC document made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja Reacting...
The Federal Government is conducting a Needs Assessment Survey to deepen Statistical Agencies and Planning Commissions in 12 states, Dr Kabir Usman, the lead survey’s consultant, has said. Usman, who is also the Director General of Centre for Man...
A 26-year old man, Akinola Oluwafemi, on Monday appeared before an Ado-Ekiti Magistrates' court for allegedly assaulting two ladies.
The Police Prosecutor, Cpl Cutis Enabulele, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Jan. 5 at Ajilosun Street, Ado-Ekiti.
According to Enabulele, the accused unlawfully and indecently assaulted Omotola Ibrahim and Sadiat Ibrahim by forcefully removing their pants, with intention to have canal knowledge of them.
He said on the same date, time and place, the accused unlawfully assaulted Sadiat by biting her and incurred harm on her.
Enabulele said that the offence contravened section 355 of the Criminal Code of Ekiti State, 2012. However, the accused, who was not represented by any counsel, pleaded guilty to the charge.
Magistrate Taiwo Ajibade ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison custody. She adjourned the case to Jan 13. for judgment.
The Minister of State for FCT, Ms Olajumoke Akinjide, has said that 8,000 indigenes from nine communities in the territory will be resettled in June. This is contained in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja and signed by Mr Oluyinka Akintunde, the Sp...
The Controller of Immigration in Kaduna State, Haruna Dawoop was on Monday charged with alleged abetment and criminal misappropriation before a Kaduna Chief Magistrates' Court 1.
Dawoop was charged along with one Ellie Jaounde, a Lebanese of No 11A Suleiman Crescent, Kaduna.
The complainant, Hussaini Jallo, said through his counsel, Malam Abdul Ladan, that the two had conspired and ``intentionally'' defrauded him.
He said they did this by ``dishonestly'' inducing him to deliver to them, the contract documents for the construction of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences of Kaduna State University.
The counsel said the 1st accused person, Jaounde, undertook to pay the complainant the sum of N35 million as the 20 per cent of the contract sum but failed to do so.
He told the court that the 1st accused allegedly gave him a dude Cheque No 23924515 dated May 31, 2012 in the sum of N1.2 million as part payment, which was not honoured by the bank. According to the counsel, the two conspired to criminally misappropriate N35million belonging to his client.
He said the offences were contrary to Sections 83, 96, 320, 311 and 308 of the Penal Code.
When the charges were read, only the 1st accused person was present in court and he pleaded not guilty.
His lawyer, Mr Dzever Steven urged the court to grant him bail as the offence was bailable.
The presiding officer, Chief Magistrate Nasiru Idris, granted Jaounde bail in the sum of N1 Million with two sureties in like sum.
The court said the sureties must be residing in Kaduna, have substantial means of livelihood and valid government issued ID card.
One of the sureties was expected to deposit his passport photograph with the court. In addition, Jaounde was ordered to deposit his International Passport with the registrar of the court until the conclusion of the case.
The chief magistrate said the accused shall be kept on remand at the Central Prison Kaduna, as provided under section 353 of the Criminal Procedure Code, until he meets the bail conditions.
He advised that the immigration controller, who is the second accused person, be properly served and arraigned by the next adjourned date.
Idris then adjourned the case till Jan. 14, for mention.
President Gooodluck Jonathan in Abuja on Sunday admonished the Church to champion the course of nation building through character moulding of the citizenry.
The President gave the charge in Abuja at the 30th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service of John Cardinal Onaiyekan’s, Episcopal ordination as a Bishop and appointment to the College of Cardinals.
``The church, the government and the political actors have the same responsibilities and we believe that the church is at the centre of society building. ``Some of the challenges we faced today is because of the character our people have. If the church moulds the people, especially starting from the children, Nigeria will be a better place,’’ he said.
The president also seized the occasion to appreciate efforts of the church at promoting inter-religious dialogue in the country. He recalled that in March 2012, the Pope sent a Cardinal in charge of inter-faith dialogue at the Vatican to Nigeria for inter-face in inter-religious cooperations.
``There is no doubt that immense progresses have been made in this critical area and I am grateful for all the work that had been done by the church. ``We all know that no religion preaches or encourages violence. The two major religions in our land preach brotherhood, love and peaceful co-existence which are their foundation.
``Those who do otherwise, do not worship God because it cannot be the same person, who worships God that will encourage killing people, who are also created by God. ``We believe that God created all of us and anybody who raises weapon to kill the very one created by God cannot be said to be worshipping God.’’
Jonathan noted that the appointment of Onaiyekan to the position of cardinal was a clear recognition by the Vatican of the immense contributions of the church in Nigeria to the worldwide catholic movement.
``I see in his appointment as a recognition for those who work and toil for peace, bringing hope to their people and building bridges for reconciliation among men. ``I also see it as a great privilege to our country at this time, and in particular to me, since I am serving as the president now.’’
He described the cleric as ``a simple, humble and totally unassuming man yet a man of great distinction, learning and knowledge who always sees himself as a citizen and of course a messenger and servant of God’’. Jonathan noted that the smooth progression of the cleric in the church hierarchy stood him out as a man of great piety and intellectual strength.
The president expressed the hope ``that one day, and I pray it will not be too long, we will also celebrate a Papal Father from Nigeria’’. Earlier, in a sermon, Onaiyekan said the circumstances of the birth of Jesus Christ, a ruler of justice and peace, should be a great lesson for the country, particularly in the area of religion.
The sermon was centred on the story of Epiphany and circumstances of the birth of Jesus Christ, ``the infant king of Bethlehem’’. Onaiyekan noted that a true religion ``must be open to all, embrace peace and devoid of blood shedding.
That Nigeria is deeply religious is a precious asset. ``It is, however, sad that our image abroad is tainted with fanatism, religious intolerance, killing and shedding of blood. ``We must not allow this to continue. We have to strive to live in peace in our nation with our differences of tribe, culture, tradition, language and religion.
``We must see the image of God in everybody around us and apply the golden rule that we should do to others only what we can do to ourselves,’’ the cardinal said. He said that the congratulatory messages he had received since his appointment cut across religion, tribe, business and politics.
He said the thanksgiving service was in commemoration of his 30 years of ordination as a Bishop and his appointment into the College of Cardinals by Pope Benedict the XVI. He recalled that on Jan. 6, 1983, he was ordained Bishop by Pope John Paul II at St. Peters’ Basilica in Rome.
Onaiyekan said 14 of them were ordained on the fateful day among which were two Nigerians and four Archbishops. The cleric also noted that the date Jan. 6 was significant in his life as remarkable things in his life had fallen on that date.
According to him, he was ordained a Deacon on Jan. 6, 1969; Bishop on Jan. 6, 1983; took over as Bishop of Ilorin Diocese Jan. 6, 1985, Bishop of Abuja Diocese on Jan. 6, 1992 and the thanksgiving on his elevation to Cardinal on Jan. 6, 2013.
The Senate President, Sen. David Mark, in a goodwill message said the church in the country was faced with many challenges brought about by few disgruntled elements.
He, however, said the challenges could be addressed with the prayers, understanding and unity in the church. Mark thanked the president for sending him as head of the Federal Government's delegation to the Vatican for the consecration of Onaiyekan.
The Deputy Governor of Kogi, Chief Yomi Awoniyi, who represented Gov. Idris Wada at the service, said the occasion was a moment of pride for the government and people of the state.
He said Onaiyekan, who hailed from the state, rose from a humble beginning to the peak of his Episcopal career. The Coordinator of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), Prof Ishaq Oloyede, who represented the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar at the service, underscored the need for religious tolerance and cooperation among various religions.
He described Onaiyekan as a ``genuine man of God, academician per excellence, promoter of peace and a pride to the nation and Africa’’.
Born on Jan. 29, 1944 in Kabba, Kogi, Onaiyekan attended St. Michael Secondary School, Aliade, Benue, and later enrolled at the Major seminary of St. Peter and Paul, Ibadan, Oyo State, and ordained Priest on Aug. 3, 1959.
He was consecrated into the prestigious College of Cardinals on Nov. 24, 2012 in Rome and five other cardinals from the US, Lebanon, Colombia and Philippine. Onaiyekan is the fourth Nigerian Catholic priest to be appointed a cardinal.
Those that preceded him are late Dominic Ekandem, Francis Arinze and Olubunmi Okogie.
Cardinals are the Pope"s closest aides in the Vatican, running in key departments around the world where they head dioceses to oversee the more than 1.2 billion members of the Roman Catholic Church.
NAN also reports that Onaiyekan was the immediate past President of the Christian Association of Nigeria and former President of English Speaking Bishops in Africa among others. (NAN)
The Commissioner for Education in Cross River, Prof. Offiong Offiong, said that the State Government spent N1.2 billion on the provision of laboratory equipment in 60 Schools in 2012. Offiong told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar that the ex...
Alhaji Sambo Sulaiman, the Sarkin Tukur-Tukur in Zaria, Kaduna State, has died at the age of 82. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sulaiman died in his residence on Saturday night after a protracted illness. Alhaji Sabo Sulaiman, Manager, Q...
The Director-General, National Automotive Council of Nigeria, Mr Aminu Jalal, on Sunday in Lagos said the Federal Government needed to enhance the nation's automotive industry for sustainable economic growth. Jalal told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that this was necessary because the current state of the industry was discouraging. He said capacity utilisation in the industry had dwindled from 90 per cent in 1981 to 10 per cent currently.
``There were more than 50 auto component manufacturers in Nigeria before, some of which were original equipment manufacturers (OEM). ``But many of them have closed down due to lack of demand and infrastructure,’’ Jalal said. He said the installed capacity of the Nigerian automotive industry surpasses the annual vehicular demand as indicted by data from the Nigerian Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA).
``Annual installed capacity in the assembling/manufacturing is 150,000 units, valued at N550 billion, while 70,000 new and 200,000 used vehicles valued more than N400 billion were imported annually since 2008.
``The potential value added, if imports were locally assembled, will be N145 billion with additional value incidental, if local content programmes are vigorously pursued,’’ the director-general said. He said the automotive sector, at full capacity, could employ 70,000 skilled and semi-skilled workers and 200,000 in indirect employment.
``But unfortunately the total current operating capacity for the local assembly plants by value is just six billion Naira,’’ Jalal said. He urged the Federal Government to urgently address the issues of low demand, competition from China and India and lack of infrastructure so as to revive the sector.
``These are some of the challenges that affect the sector, and if they can be eliminated, the sector will benefit the economy through jobs, wealth-creation and technology-acquisition. ``The automotive local content generates many Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and high-paying jobs and that is why both developed and developing economies nurture and protect their automotive industries,’’ the director-general said.
Jalal said with an annual auto import bill of more than N400 billion, the automotive sector in Nigeria was well positioned to improve the nation’s economy.
``Large employment generation, effective utilisation of local raw material and resources, acquisition of technological know-how, foreign exchange savings and earnings are just some the gains if the sector operates at full capacity.
``The industry has the potentials to turn Nigeria into the auto manufacturing centre for the ECOWAS sub-region and beyond,’’ he said.(NAN)
Farmers in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi have appealed to the Federal Government to provide seedlings and relief materials to cushion effects of the 2012 flood disaster.
The farmers, in separate interviews in Ibaji on Sunday, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they lost all their crops and granaries to the disaster. NAN reports that Ibaji Local Government Area was the worst hit area in the state by the 2012 floods.
This had led the Federal Government into evacuating all residents to Idah town in the state. The area is a border riverine community between Kogi and Anambra, comprising no fewer than 34 villages with farming as the major occupation of inhabitants. Mrs Eke Emeje, a farmer at Odeke village, told NAN that she left grains she recovered from her granary behind during evacuation of the area because rescue boats refused to carry goods.
"I waited for three days with some grains I took from my granary, but the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) refused to take any goods.
So, I had to leave everything to save my life. "At the camp in Idah we were not given enough food and when the flood receded we came back home to see that all our farms and granaries had been washed away. "Now, we are hungry and there is famine in our land.
The farming season is approaching and we have no seeds to plant. "Most of our houses collapsed and we are living in danger. Government should save us from starvation," she pleaded.
Pastor Jude Atta of the Glorious Faith Ministry, Idah and a cassava farmer at Ugwoda, told NAN that he lost about five hectares of cassava farmland to flood. He said he presently has no cassava stems to plant in the new cropping season. "We were expecting a bumper harvest then, but the flood came overnight and destroyed everything.
I lost crops spanning over five hectares. "Our granaries were washed away, and seedlings is a major problem we are now having," Atta said. He said one Mr Dave Ogwu, out of goodwill, had distributed seedlings to a few farmers in the area to alleviate their sufferings. Atta however noted that the seedlings could not reach all the farmers.
He called on the Federal Government to rescue the community by providing seedlings and relief materials to assist the inhabitants in agricultural activities. Another farmer, Pastor Peter Oyaka of Grace of God Mission at Enweli, told NAN that he lost both crops and economic trees to the flood.
He expressed regrets that relief materials did not get to some farmers and appealed to government to come to their assistance. "There is no hope for the planting season because our seedlings were washed away and we thought we were going to get improved seeds from the government.
"We heard of the relief funds but it did not reach the real farmers because what was meant for us were diverted. "It is very appalling and disheartening and I have been crying every day since the floods, hoping I can meet President Goodluck Jonathan to tell him the plight of farmers here," Oyaka said.
Mrs Lilian Amabi, a farmer at Unale, told NAN that her family escaped being wiped out at the farm settlement when their house collapsed. "Government said we should not take anything but now we have returned to nothing. How can we survive the hardship if government does not help us?" she demanded.(NAN)
New things are bound to happen in a new year, and one thing to avoid when it comes to relationship are gossipers. Blessing Ukemena writes on how doing away with such people could enhance relationship.
Gossip is unconstrained and often derogatory conversation about other people, and can involve betraying a confidence and spreading sensitive information or hurtful judgements. Research shows that people who gossip the most have very high levels of anxiety.
They are generally not particularly popular, because they cannot be trusted. Spreading private information or negative judgements is painful to others, and reflects poorly on the gossiper. Gossip has been known to destroy relationships time and again. In the new year, it is best to focus on developing one’s self and ignoring matters that are not related to us.
Olufemi Joseph, a single guy who resides in the FCT, told LEADERSHIP SUNDAY that he was once in a beautiful relationship with a lady three years ago called Hannah. They were both undergraduates in the University of Abuja, and they had met in school. They later broke up because his friends had said somethings that were untrue about her. He had gotten angry and left her, and refused to listen to her pleas.
Till today, he still regrets his action as he was yet to find another love like hers and would gladly marry her today if she agrees. He still kept contact with her even when she was engaged to be married to someone else. Some would say that men do not gossip, but rather discuss other people. Gossiping is gossiping, no matter how it is described.Both men and women gossip.
Why people gossip
Certainly, there are a lot of reasons people gossip and they include:
To Feel Superior: People who don’t feel good about themselves temporarily feel better when they judge others negatively.
Out Of Boredom: When people can’t generate interesting discussions, based on knowledge or ideas, gossip can rouse people’s interest.
Out Of Envy: People gossip in order to hurt those whose popularity, talents, or lifestyle they envy.
To Feel Like Part Of The Group: People gossip to feel as though they belong to the group. Yet, when acceptance is based on being “in on a secret,” it is not based on a person’s identity, but on exclusion or maliciousness.
For Attention: A person gets to be the centre of attention temporarily while divulging a piece of gossip. Yet, spreading gossip or rumours is like buying attention; it’s temporary and has little foundation.
Out Of Anger Or Unhappiness: A person can derive a sense of retribution with disparaging remarks.
It is wrong to always talk about others
There are times when we cannot just help hearing a little juicy tale of what happened to somebody, but you have been dying to meet up close and personal. Most people have a natural curiosity about what’s going on among people in the community.
Some of the best books are biographies that tell the life stories of other people. They are not based on one-sided, offensive judgements of the person. Gossip, especially as it concerns relationships, is negative.
What to do? In any case, when you happen to walk into a gossip group, do the following:
1. Firstly, you need to be prepared not to participate in gossip in any shape or form. This means not being the first person to introduce a new gossip topic, and it also means not adding fuel to the fire, by joining in any gossip. This can be hard as we are surrounded by lots of gossip, but take one day at a time, and soon, it will become easier. Make it clear to others that you will not participate in gossip and that you don't want to listen to any gossip. This can be scary, as gossip is often a (unhealthy) way of bonding friendships and groups. Be courageous and stand your ground. Don't be a willing participant.
2. It’s best to simply change the subject. If they were talking about Jane for example, here are some other possible responses:“I notice that you talk about Jane a lot. I’m curious why she interests you so much?” “Let’s take a look at it from Jane’s side.” “I am more interested in what you are up to.” “Let’s talk about something more positive or decide what we’re going to do this afternoon.”
“I feel uncomfortable listening to negative judgements about people, unless we figure out how to help them.”
In conclusion, gossiping shows others the gossiper’s insecurity and meanspiritedness. It also leaves everyone involved feeling as though they’ve just eaten a bad apple.
Ultimately, the right insight into the intricacies of human relations and behaviour is more interesting, uplifting, and enlightening than one-dimensional judgements and rumours. In case it's one of your habits, make a decision to change it this new year. So, have a refreshing and gossip-free new year.
Do you know that the most beautiful place to spend your leisure is in a garden? A well decorated garden, with beautiful flowers, enhances the quality of air that circulates in the environment.
Gardens are usually situated in a serene environment and encircled with both scented and beautiful flowers, basically for relaxation after the hard day's work.
Due to the aesthetic nature of gardens, they are used for different occasions such as birthday, wedding, child dedication, burial and other social events.
Before creating a garden, one should consider the soil texture available in that particular location. Apart from the soil texture, you should also consider the availability of water in the area, because for the garden to look charming, it must be watered regularly.
You must also consider the type of flowers and plants to cultivate that will hardly breed mosquitoes, and at the same time, attract patronage from customers.
Maintaining The Garden
It is very essential to water the garden at least twice daily, preferably morning and night so as to prevent the plants from withering.
Always consult a horticulturist for the maintenance, since it’s their area of specialty. However, the plants should be treated with insecticides to prevent pests and insects from eating up or destroying the flowers which may likely shrivel.
Give attention to the flowers and plants by trimming them at least once a month so as to retain that beautiful and charming looks.
Do not dispose hot liquids or foods on the flowers. It withers immediately just like vegetables.
Do not play with sharp objects or spray harmful chemicals that are not meant for plants, in order to increase the lifespan.
Skin types vary, and it is important to remember to wear your makeup in line with your skin type. Blessing Ukemena writes with report from WebMD.
One problem with oily skin is that they can attract dirt more than other skin types, and are thus more prone to breakouts. Now, just because you've got oily skin, that doesn’t mean you have to forever forego makeup. It's a matter of knowing what works with your skin type.
These eight ideas, from a makeup artist and a dermatologist, are expert solutions for wearing makeup if you have an oily complexion.Is your skin parched? You can nourish it while keeping your makeup looking fresh all day. Some types of cosmetics will help more than others, but the difference starts with how you care for your skin before you reach for your makeup.
One valuable tip to remember is that no matter how oily your skin is, always moisturise. After each wash, always moisturise before putting on your makeup. Yes, it's tempting to just skip it, but the key is for your makeup to stay on, and by this, it will help perfect your look.
You want to always stick to oil-free moisturisers, and make sure it is water based. One of the recommended moisturisers is Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturising gel for oily skin. From then on, you just apply your makeup. These eight strategies will get you started.
First, apply foundation
After your foundation is applied, let it set in for 5-10 minutes before you apply a translucent powder or a setting powder. (You can be on to eye makeup during this time!) Using a face powder brush, you want to sweep the powder lightly onto the face, making circles on the cheeks. Make sure to target the forehead and bridge of the nose as well. We use powder so that the oils on our face will set in. You want to be sure it is a light powder that is in the shade according to your foundation to make it more natural.
Prepare your eyes
To cut down on eye makeup creasing, avoid priming your lids with concealer. Something, that, Warren says, many women with dark circles or redness do. Instead, use a primer specifically designed for eyelids. The base creates a perfect canvas for eye shadow and liner while absorbing crease-causing oils throughout the day.
Don't overdo powdering
It sounds like the right thing to do to pile on the face powder. But going overboard could backfire by making your pores push out more oil. Apply powder just on areas that are shiny. Use a matte translucent formula, which can cut shine on any skin tone. If you do apply too much powder, dampen a makeup sponge and blot it over the over-powdered areas.
Carry blotting papers
No matter how flawless and matte your makeup looks in the morning, if you’re prone to oiliness, you’ll spot shine by midday. Some blotting sheets simply lift the oil from your skin. Others deposit a bit of powder to sop up the oil. The trick to using blotting papers without taking off all of your makeup is to press the paper where you’re oily and then roll it off your skin, instead of rubbing the paper on your skin.
Go oil-free
Since your skin naturally produces more than enough oil, invest in makeup products (especially foundation and blush) that are oil-free and noncomedogenic, which means they don't clog your pores. Also, use face cleansers and toners that are infused with glycolic acids, which cut down on excess oil, says Elizabeth Tanzi, MD, a cosmetic dermatologist in Washington, D.C.
Look for 'long wear'
Water and oil can do the same things to makeup: make it smear, smudge, or slip. That's a reason to stick to eye products that are waterproof, water-resistant, or long-wear. One of the best, long-wear combos is water-resistant eyeliner and cream eye shadow over an eye primer.
Think soft skin, not slick skin
Those heavy, anti-ageing creams are fine for nighttime use, but before you put on your makeup, reach for a lighter moisturiser that hydrates without being greasy. Don't forget your sunscreen – look for an oil-free formula. After you’ve put it on, place a tissue flat on your face and press gently to remove any excess before applying your makeup base.
Use a mask
Once or twice a week, use a treatment mask. Those made with kaolin or bentonite clay are best for oily skin types, as they naturally absorb oil and impurities while calming irritation. Apply a little amount of the mask with your fingers. Leave it on for 10-15 minutes, and then, rinse it off with warm water for an immediate matte finish.
Onion can serve as ornamental, vegetable, spice or medicine. It’s good for vegetarians.
It is effective for curing many bacterial infections including bacillus subtilis, salmonella, and E. coli.
Onion is not as potent as garlic, since the sulfur compound in onion is only about one-quarter the level found in garlic. There are many different varieties of onion such as red, yellow, white and green. The species has both mild and strong flavour. Onion can be eaten raw, cooked, fried, dried or roasted. It is commonly used in salads, soups, pastries and other dishes.
Health Benefits Of Onions
According to healthdiaries.com, onion fights bacterial and urinary tract infections.
During World War II, the swap vapours of onion paste were used to reduce the pain as well as accelerating the healing of soldiers' wounds.
The high content of iron in onion makes it beneficial for the treatment of anemia.
Just by eating half a medium raw onion daily can significantly lower cholesterol and help prevent heart attacks.
The anti-inflammatory agents in onion are useful in reducing the symptoms of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and gout.
Onions help to lower blood pressure naturally. It also thins the blood, dissolves blood clots and clears the blood of unhealthy fats.
It helps to reduce the risk of tumours developing in the colon.
Add plenty onions in your cooking as it helps to relieve chronic constipation and flatulence.
Chromium in onion helps diabetic cells respond appropriately by bringing down the insulin level and improving the glucose tolerance.
Studies revealed that by applying onion juice on the scalp twice a week for two months will enhance hair growth.
The pungency increases blood circulation and causes sweating. It is useful in cold weather to ward off infection, reduce fever and sweat out colds and flu.
Mix equal amounts of onion juice and honey. Take 3-4 teaspoons of this mixture daily. It helps dissolve mucus and prevents its further formation. It is also one of the best preventive mixtures against common cold.
Vincent Alade is the founder of Alvince Couture, a Lagos-based fashion outfit that is known for its vintage cuts and classy wears for fashion-forward men. He takes Kehinde Ajobiewe through his journey so far in the fashion business. Who is Vincent Alad...