John Dramani Mahama was inaugurated President of Ghana on Monday in a ceremony boycotted by the opposition over claims of electoral fraud.

Mahama, 54, was sworn in at a ceremony attended by numerous Heads of State and a crowd of Ghanaians in Accra's Independence Square.

``I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of Ghana and I'll preserve and protect the constitution of the Republic of Ghana, so help me God,” said Mahama in taking the oath.

Mahama, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party, won 50.7 per cent of Ghana's election on Dec. 7.

His 68-year-old opponent, Nana Akufo-Addo, of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), received 47.74 per cent.

The NPP, which alleged vote rigging in the wake of Mahama's narrow win, boycotted the swearing-in ceremony.

The party had earlier filed a petition at the Supreme Court challenging the results that declared incumbent Mahama the winner, claiming that 700,000 to 1 million votes were added in his favour.

 The inauguration was attended by various dignitaries, including the Presidents of Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa and Equatorial Guinea, as well as the Chairman of the AU.

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)

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.