For two days, the entire Benuestate stood still for women of the state, when the First Lady of the state, Arc. Mrs. Yemisi Suswam led other women from across the state to mark the seventh edition of the annual ‘Celebrate the Benue Women’.
The two-day colourful event was heralded by Mrs. Suswam when she led women from the 23 local government areas of the state and top government functionaries in a two kilometer walk around Makurdi town against the dreaded cancer disease.
At the end of the walk, the Governor’s wife engaged the women in a talk where she lamented the menace of the disease in the country, stressing that “cancer remains the number one killer of women in Nigeria.”
According to her, no fewer than 80,000 Nigerians die annually from various forms of cancer pointing out that of this number, over 10, 000 were women.
She disclosed that the International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC, had predicted that by 2030, there would be more than 21 million new cases of cancer, with 13 million cancer deaths every year.
Mrs. Suswam who provided free cancer screening centres at the venue of the gathering also distributed over 10, 000 free cancer testing kits to the women.
She lamented that “the scourge of cancer among Nigerian women is becoming a worrisome development which should be “a source of concern to everyone of us; hence this walk will help is an awareness campaign against the disease in order to stem the scourge in the state.”
She maintained that “early detection of cancer can save lives, and it is for this reason that I am offering free screening for all women in the state and I urge you to avail yourselves of the opportunity.
”Don’t wait until you are 50 years before you get yourself screened. Seek for medical check-up until you are pronounced fit. Join the crusade of early detection through screening’, she advised.
The governor’s wife further counseled the people on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the state, advising that the people join the onslaught against the virus in the state.
Earlier, a survivor of breast cancer, Mrs. Elizabeth Gbadamosi who recounted her cancer ordeal urged women to regularly undertake medical examination in order to avoid falling victim to the disease.
”Early detection of the disease is vital because it will offer you an opotunity to seek proper medical attention at the early stage of the disease; hence if all women make out time to check themselves regularly, it will save us the pains of losing our daughters, mothers and wives to cancer.” Mrs. Gbadamosi said.
The second day of the festivities was kick started with a colourful match-past by women drawn from the 23 local government areas of the state and a display of various farm produce cultivated across the state.
This was followed by the free distribution of over 300 wheel chairs and clutches to disabled persons and the handicapped.
In her speech, Mrs. Suswam said the distribution of the walking aid was a deliberate effort by her to enhance the capacity of the less privileged disabled persons in the society.
She further added that “it is also in consonance with the annual celebration of the Benue Woman which is intended to give hope to the hopeless, to give voice to the voiceless and to uplift the living conditions of downtrodden especially the hitherto forgotten women of Benue state.”
She added that “the annually event was initiated by me in order to avail the women of Benue state a platform to aggregate ideas for the good of the state.
“The festivities also avails our women an opportunity to converge in Makurdi to appraise each other and at the end of the day, share thoughts of how to better ourselves.”
Mrs. Suswam maintained that “we also gathered annually to share ideas, identify our weakness and challenges we face as women in order to transform them to our strength and opportunities to better our society, communities, states and country as a whole.
“We all know that as women, we must learn to take our destiny in our own hands if we must excel in a male dominated world.”
In his speech at the occasion, Governor Gabriel Suswam urged governments at all levels to allow more Nigerian women greater opportunities to participate in all spheres of decision making and policy implementation in the country.
Suswam noted that “it is by so doing that the country would be able to harness the invaluable potentials of the Nigerian woman, which will be of immense benefit to our country especially at this trying times.”
”It is not in doubt that Nigerian women have continually proven their mettle even in the face of challenges and therefore deserved to be encouraged to do more.”
The celebration was climaxed with Governor’s wife cooking for dignitaries in her executive kitchen and the award of a brand new Hyundai Ascent to Mrs. Mwuese Tyokaa who emerged the winner of the cooking competition and the award of prizes to other categories of winners in various competitions.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Beautiful and curvaceous Nollywood actress and singer, Anita Joseph renowned for her controversial nature is back in the news. This time around she is not raising the dust about anybody but herself, particularly about her body overly serrated with tattoos.
In a chat with WG Anita revealed she is frustrated with her tattoos, crying “ I regret my tattoos. It is something I wish I never had” she said “ it’s so addictive. You do one, you would do again and again.
Anita said she has tattoos in six parts of her body: back of her palm, waist, top of her boobs, left leg, neck and arm. When asked if the tattoos connote anything or mean anything to her, she replied “Not necessarily, I just loved tattoos. But that was when I haven’t grown up and never knew it’s wrong in God’s sight” Untypical of Anita Joseph you would say, but the talented actress actually confirmed she is a born-again Christian now and added she has now realised “tattoos are unsightly before God”, even quoting the Bible to back her position.
She said she wished people who are yearning to do so would desist from the sinful act, saying she is ready to clean hers out. Her desire to speak out against this trend (tattoos) which is most common among entertainers is born out of an encounter with a fan, whom Anita said told her she wanted to have tattoos as Anita’s because she sees Anita as her mentor and woulddo anything Anita does. “ She said I love everything about you and so whatever you do I want to do. I begged her not to have tattoos because tattoos are addictive. She was happy and thanked me for telling the truth. At the end of the day, I was happy I touched someone positively.
That told me that whatever I do, someone, somewhere wants to do it, so now I am careful of what I do now” she said. On her work, she said movies have taken over her time to produce music but said her fans should expect release of her album soon
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Dear Sir, I am trying so much at this point to phrase this write-up with a certain sense of respect because you rightly deserve it as an elder. But sir, did I hear that you uttered atrocities in your church, and about the Catholic Church? Tell me sir, are these your words: “All Catholics will go to hell”, “They are not Christians and have never been”, “The Pope is an anti-Christ and the Catholic Church will soon declare for Satan”, “They don’t believe in heaven. They believe in purgatory, the purgatory they invented”?
If the above are not really your words, then, I am sorry, you may ignore the following, but if they are indeed your words, Mr. Okotie, then I am sorry you may wish to consider the following:
First, your case reminds me of the pitiable and miserable condition of many Christians in this country, and indeed beyond. The deceit in which they have been plunged into in the name of Christ is indeed appalling. The desire for God has been shifted to the desire for pride, for success and for wealth, which the so called pastors and preachers preach in many forms, but this time instead of God being the end, He has become the means. A lot of times I hear people quote the passage of the scriptures that states: “Seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven, and its righteousness and every other thing will be added unto you”. Matt. 6:33, and yet give to this passage another meaning, one that focuses the attention more on the things to be added than the God to be sought. And so they read into the passage, ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, BECAUSE every other thing shall be added unto you’. Not only that, people no longer desire or seek for sound doctrine, for the truth of scripture, but are comfortable wherever it is said that all is well, wherever miracles are performed, or wherever their conscience finds an apparent peace as a result of not being pricked by the word of God that is indeed sharper than a two-edged sword.(Heb 4:12). This reminds me of the fact that it was even prophesied by the apostles and writers of the scriptures, and that of St. Paul especially, in 2Timothy 4:3, “For a time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings”.
This is seen in the very fact that these days and since the time of the protestant reformation, everyone is a teacher, everyone is called by God, and everyone has been told to found a Church. A lot of Churches now exist, not on the foundation of Christ as founder but on the ideas, beliefs and teachings of one man or a group of men, who not only have abandoned the teachings and traditions of the apostles themselves but have created their own and what they feel is right, and many follow them today. These pastors have even claimed infallibility more than the pope himself has ever claimed, they have even claimed impeccability, something which the Pope has never claimed in the 2000 year history of the Church, yet they accuse the Catholic Church when she teaches that the Pope is infallible. Not to go into a lot of other issues, I rather address your statements and their consequences.
YOU HAVE PUBLICLY SHOWN THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW THE SCRIPTURES, yes, because if you did, you would have known that it is one of the central teachings of Christ whom you claim to preach that it belongs to no one, except God, the prerogative to judge the state and the fate of any man’s soul. It may help to remind you that our Lord taught, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not and you will not be condemned”. (Luke 6:37, Matthew 7:1). It belongs therefore to no man, to seize the prerogative of God to judge. It belongs to God alone. But what have you done sir, you have proclaimed judgment upon all Catholics by that atrocious statement, “All Catholics will go straight to hell”, you have therefore implicitly proclaimed yourself judge over their souls, omniscient as to know their fate in the future and at the end of time. I am sorry sir, but that prerogative does not belong to you in any way. And hence, that statement was futile and useless. It holds no water. I would also like to use this opportunity to remind all Christians that when our Lord taught about not judging, he not only meant that we shouldn’t be the judge of others, he also meant and the scriptures teach, that we also shouldn’t be the judge of ourselves, no matter how much we think we have done, or no matter how good and righteous we think we are, it is humility not to proclaim that our souls will go to heaven on the last day, because we have a master, we should live a life of total surrender to him for it is he who knows and sees all things even our most secret thoughts, he knows us more than we know ourselves and also we are not omniscient as to know the consequences of all our actions. No man is perfect! Even the popes whom you condemn know this, Pope John Paul II throughout his life, was very frequent at the confessional, making reparations not only for his sins but also for the sins of his flock. He understood that we all are sinners in need of God’s constant grace and mercy in our lives, and there never comes a time in our lives when we will have had enough of it. So “who are you to judge whether he stands or falls. And stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand”. (Romans 14:4). The scriptures also say, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. (Rom. 3:23). “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us”. (1 John 1:8). “For we all make many mistakes”. (James 3:2). Even St. Paul has this to say, “… but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the lord who judges me”. It is to you therefore that St. James addresses when he writes, “have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:4). In all these, sir, you have erred by your statement.
Secondly, sir, it may pay to remind you that our lord also said, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye’, when there is the log in your own eye?” (Mathew 7:3-4). I am trying so hard at this point not to cast accusing fingers at you for your many public and open defilements of the teaching of Christ in cases like divorce, (Matt. 5:32, Matthew 19:6, Mark 10:9) which you have been involved in twice, because I am not perfect, and I am guilty of many sins. But from the passage of scripture above, it is clear that our Lord warns us to look rather introspectively and discover the unworthiness within each one of us, and realize that we really are not lord over others, or better than them morally speaking. Your case is a typical example. It reminds me of the Pharisees against whom our Lord spoke in the scriptures.
Again, an extension of this point, which many Christians, especially in Nigeria, are guilty of is the fact that in panic at the end times, which shouldn’t be, they point accusing fingers at people, naming them the Anti-Christ, leaders and governments, people they really do not know anything about. The Anti-Christ is an enemy of Christ, against his principles, his teachings, indeed, his person, his mission, and his vision. The Anti-Christ is associated with the Devil and his angels, but these are not the only things that are Anti-Christ. There are also many things in our lives that are anti-Christ, telling lies, stealing, cheating, greed, pride, selfishness, quarreling, fighting, jealousy, envy, malice, slander etc, all these are definitely anti-Christ, against Christ’s teachings, principles, vision and mission. Christ is the enemy of sin. This is the more reason why all Christians should quit searching for or pointing accusing fingers at others and naming them anti-christs when deep inside of them, they carry one thing or another, one fault or sin, belonging to the original Anti-Christ- the devil.
A final note on this issue, and a major one, is that you, sir, do not know the Bible so well, as to know that not everything revealed by God are to be found in its pages. The authors of the scriptures did not write everything they knew, or wanted to communicate. This is essentially because their prerogative was to go and teach all nations, cf Matthew 28:19-20, and this, not exclusively by writing. We read in the sacred pages that they went about preaching, with word of mouth and not even all of them wrote, they didn’t go about writing because Christ did not say to them, ‘go and write to all the nations’. The few apostles that wrote didn’t even write everything and they know themselves that they didn’t write everything. They wrote sometimes in answer to questions raised where they had already gone to preach or as catechesis to teach the sayings and works of Jesus, what we now call Gospels, or to settle disputes, and give instructions in places they didn’t have enough time to stay and preach. We see this clearly in the scriptures because the authors themselves admit it. We read in John 21:25, “But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written”. Sometimes we fail to realize that Our Lord spent three solid years with his apostles, and in his mission, years too much for the relatively little accounts of his works as relayed in the Gospels. We read also that there were several things the apostles wanted to relay but didn’t consider writing the best option. An example is in 2 John 1:12, “There are several things I have to tell you, but I have thought it best not to trust them to PAPER and INK. I hope instead to visit you and talk to you PERSONALLY so that our joy may be complete”. Also read 3 John 1:13-14, “I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon and we will talk together face to face”. This is not all, we read as St. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:15, “Hold to the TRADITIONS which were taught by us, either by WORD OF MOUTH or by letter”. We also read, “Maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you”. (1Cor 11:2). And yet again in 2 Tim 1:13, we read, “Follow the pattern of the SOUND WORDS which you have HEARD from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus”. You may also wish to read 2 Thess. 3:6. All these buttress my point. In line with all these, the Catholic Church has always taught that both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, as handed down by the apostles, constitute equally the sacred deposit of the Word of God. Taking one alone and excepting the order would lead to a misinterpretation, and hence a misunderstanding of the divinely revealed message. The more you understand this, sir, the more unlikely it would be that you would repeat the mistakes which you have already made in this respect.
Yet, o! fan of the Bible, you accuse the Catholic Church of unscriptural practices, I only wish you could show me, where in the scriptures, a beauty pageant was done in the house of God.
YOU HAVE PUBLICLY SHOWN THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW CHRISTIANITY. Well, that is already obvious, from the fact that your statements show a next to nothing idea of Christianity’s origins, and its history. If I may guess, you probably picked up the bible and scanned through its pages, and maybe read a few critics. The statements you made were those I, as a young child asked many years ago, and have long ago answered, or rather, gotten answers to. Though you are much older, it’s not too late to do the same. An idea of Christianity’s history would have let you know that the belief that Christ is truly present in the sacred host, the bread and wine, after the consecration, the thanksgiving, which in Greek means EUCHARISTIA, from where the Catholics, get the word, Eucharist, stemming from the fact that four of the scripture writers describe that whenever Christ undertook this miraculous process he gave thanks. (Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20, and 1 Cor. 11:23-29), that this belief was present from the very beginnings, and essentially characterized Christian worship cf Acts 2:46. In fact, we read that when Christianity entered the Roman Empire and faced terrible persecutions from the Emperors of Rome, one of the accusations hauled against them was that they were cannibals, that they gathered together to eat the flesh of a man. This goes to even show that the Eucharist was at the heart or center of their worship, for the Romans to have picked on this so easily.
Christ himself had told us in John 6:53-57, and very explicitly, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me.” Probably Sir, you would be among those who would leave Jesus as in John 6:66, saying, “this teaching is too hard, who can accept it”. (John 6:60). Like you said it is a ritual, a sacrifice, you mean that in the way the unbelievers meant it in John 6:53, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”, and yes it is indeed the sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ, the same sacrifice performed on the cross of Calvary for our sins, a sacrifice which every one stands to benefit from, to be put right before God, to be sanctified and made whole in the Spirit. And like those who walked away from Christ as he taught this, Christ will not call you back because he was not mincing words, he meant what said, and said what he meant.
Secondly, if you knew Christianity, you would have known that Christ built his Church on a confessor, not a confession, a rock, whom he named, a man, whom he called, Peter. Of course Christ is the chief cornerstone and the head of his body the Church, but he himself built his church on Peter when he said, ‘You are Peter’, (Matthew 16:18) from the Greek petros which means rock, remember that it was Christ himself who gave Simon the name Peter, and it takes a simple study of the Bible to show that whenever God changes someone's name, a responsibility is usually attached to it. Such responsibilities involve and are usually geared towards the fulfillment of the coming of his kingdom on earth. You will do well to remember at least the change of Abram’s name to Abraham. We see that Christ was also meant to establish or found a Kingdom of God’s People even in the Old Testament, in the prophecies about Christ in Isaiah chapter 7, when it was said that his kingdom will have no end. Christ was to establish a kingdom, and that which he has established when he said, ‘I will build my Church’, (Matthew 16:18) from the Greek ecclesia.
Again Christ says to peter; ‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven’, (Matthew 16:19), we see a similar situation in Isaiah 22:15, “Thus says the Lord God of hosts, ‘Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him’” Thus the Lord cursed the self-seeking steward of the house of Judah and appointed a new one in his place, and then we read in verses 20-22, about this new steward of the kingdom, ‘in that day I will call my servant Eliakim the Son of Hilkah and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your belt on him, and will commit your authority to his hand; and he shall be a servant to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. AND I WILL PLACE ON HIS SHOULDER THE KEY OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID; HE SHALL OPEN AND NO ONE SHALL SHUT; AND HE SHALL SHUT AND NONE SHALL OPEN’. Not only this, he says to peter again, ‘whatever you shall bind on earth is bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth is loosed in heaven’, a very clear indication that Christ is speaking clearly to peter, giving to Peter the authority to exercise, as pastor and shepherd of his flock in his name. We also see this in John 21:15-17, when he says to peter three times to feed, tend and look after His sheep. Trying to get round it or twist it to suit a purpose is wrong and untruthful. The pope sir is a name meaning papa, or father, which we give to the successor of that shepherd of Christ’s flock, who today is Pope Francis. Seeing that neither you nor your Church can trace her origins to the early apostles, the Catholic Church is more verified than your Church and the Pope more consolidated in the authority of Christ than you are or have ever been.
YOU HAVE PUBLICLY SHOWN THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. Your statements about what the Catholic Church believes are even outrageous. This shows that you have not even taken time to study the catholic faith, but are only acting on hearsay or ignorant assumptions. This is very absurd and demeaning for someone who aspires to head a country someday. If you decide to criticize someone or something, the simplest thing one can do is to find out what the person has to say about himself first, or rather understand what the person is trying to say, before launching blind and uninformed attacks. How can an elite pastor say that “Catholics do not believe in heaven”, when there is a whole section devoted to the topic in the Catechism, when priests, bishops, and even popes have talked about that heavenly abode for centuries, when one distinguishing characteristic of the catholic church is the veneration of the Saints, the Church triumphant, who are in heaven? Yes, we believe that there is, for the souls who die in a state of grace and friendship with God but still yet not perfectly sanctified or purified by the Holy Spirit, a place or state in which that sanctification is completed before they enter heaven, a place or state we call purgatory, but even the idea of purgatory presupposes a belief in heaven, for what else is the goal of purgatory than to make an unfit soul fit for heaven? And by the way, this is not an invention in any way, it is a truth of faith, which the Bible clearly teaches in the following passages, Rev. 21:25-27, 1 John 5:17, Matt. 16:27, Rev. 22:12, 2Maccabees 12:45, Matt. 25:34, 41, and 1 Cor. 3:11-15 amongst others. I will treat the issue of purgatory later. This belief is also present in the Jewish Religion that of God’s chosen people of the Old Covenant, from which Christianity takes its roots.
It is also stunning that in some way you feel there is this competition between Our Lord and his mother for our attention. Pity! Unlike you, we Catholics believe that all of us, the people of God are bound together in bond of communion, with Christ as our center. A bond to which death is no barrier, a bond in which we all to a certain degree share in the one mediatorship of Christ, wherein that in Christ, we can pray for one another, and also ask one another to pray for us. Holding a special place in this bond of communion is that woman of virtue, the Mother of God, and rightly so because she gave birth to Our Lord Jesus Christ who is God and has always been even before his conception. She is our Mother, our Queen, Our patroness, and just like all the saints in heaven but to a higher degree, she intercedes for all the elect, all the chosen people of God. (Rev. 5:8, 12:1,17, 6:9-10). That is the family we are born into through baptism, a lovely family where everyone matters and contributes to the well being of the other in Christ. A family, so big, because it does not only cut across nations, it cuts across the boundaries of life and death, of heaven and earth. So sir, it is Christian to entrust myself to the Mother of my redeemer just like it is Christian to entrust myself to my pastor as director of my soul, just that what she and the saints in heaven can do for me, no man on earth can do.
Finally sir, when I think of all the good people in the Catholic Church, men and women who have given their very lives as a testimony, a marturia, to the greatness and transforming power of the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who have spent their whole lives in the service of the poor, the needy, the destitute, the orphans, children and the aged. When I also consider the good the Popes have done and how many a time they have put their lives on the line, in furtherance of the gospel, I only marvel at your statements. Because they remind me of the same accusation laid against Our Lord Jesus Christ as he went about doing good. they attributed the good he did to the devil in Mark 3. And so the Church, the body of Christ must continue to endure allegations such as yours, attributing her good works to the devil and hence blaspheming against the spirit of the Church, the Spirit of God himself. The Catholic Church must tow the lines of her master and groom for she is his body and he is her head. She is the only Church that is infinitely loved and infinitely hated, just as Christ is infinitely loved and infinitely hated.
But sometimes I wonder, Satan is not Charitable, Satan does not love, and Satan will not give his life for the cause of Justice, reconciliation and peace. Satan will not even encourage anyone to do so. But if you still found reason after considering these to say the Catholic Church declares for Satan, then good luck to you, I only would laugh in CHINESE!!! Have a nice day!!!
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Top actress, Hilda Dokubo, is back in love again with her estranged husband, Karos Mrakpor – after years of living apart. The re-united couple shared the goods news with some friends recently in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, where Hilda is doing well as a member of Pastor David Ibiyeomie’s Salvation Ministries. Hilda and Karos had parted ways acrimoniously some years back. In fact, it was so bad then that both of them settled for new partners. Karos even went on to marry another lady who bore him a child. Allegations and counter allegations of ‘jazz’ had trailed the solemnization of the new union until its collapse.
Hilda Nwachinemereogo Dokubo is one of those that started what the world is celebrating today as Nollywood. Obviously in her late 40s, her parents are Benibo and Stella Edmund. The dad was from Buguma, Rivers State and her mother, Umuahia, Abia State. She attended Breadfruit International School, London, St. Mary’s State School, Port-Harcourt, Government Girls Secondary School, Port-Harcourt (where she started acting) and the University of Port-Harcourt where she eventually read Theatre Arts.
She was also at the Royal College of Arts, London where she bagged a PGD in Dance and Choreography. Always remembered for her roles as Nengi and Urenma in Goodbye Tomorrow and Forever respectively, she has indeed come a long way. Now based in Port-Harcourt, where she first struck gold working for former Governor Peter Odili, her back-in-her-life husband, Akarose Mrakpor is Urhobo, from Otu-Jeremi, Delta State. They met at UNIPORT in 1986, but got married many years later. The marriage later failed – but now they are back again. Hilda and Karos have one son, Tuvi. But before then, Hilda had had a boy, Isosia, who is said to be in the university now.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
A 15-feet (4.572 metres)- snake has been killed by a 23-year-old herdsman, Bayo Ibrahim, close to the Ado-Afao-Ekiti road in Ekiti State.
Spectators called it various names, including “Aminurin”, “Ojola” and “Ako Monomono”, which are all Yoruba names for a massive snake.
It was learnt that the snake had been killing domestic animals, including dogs, sheep, goats and chickens.
The size of the snake attracted spectators from as far as Odo-Ado, Oke-Ila, Basiri, Nova Road and GRA in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, to the sparsely-populated Afao road, turning it into a Mecca of sorts.
The spectators said: “We have never seen anything like this”; “Is this what we have been living with?” and “This is the wonder of the year in Ekiti”.
They pushed one another to catch a view of the snake, which some said was big enough to feed, at least 40 sturdy men.
Ibrahim, who hails from Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, said he saw three snakes while grazing his herd close to the road and killed them with a cutlass.
He said: “I am a cattle rearer. I saw three snakes in a small bush and killed them with my cutlass. I sold two yesterday for N10,000 each. I have also sold this last one for N10,000 to that man.
“I have killed about 12 of such snakes. They always kill our dogs and goats. But they have not killed any person. They do not kill by biting. They roll round their prey and suffocate it, until it dies. If you want to kill them, aim for the head and do not miss it, because if you do, it can be fatal. If you are scared, do not go near it, but if you are sharp and quick, you will kill it easily.”
Many spectators said it was strange to see such a long and thick snake.
Ajayi Adekunle said: “To me and most of us here, it is new. I have seen such snakes many times in movies, but never in real life. It will easily kill and swallow humans. You can see how big it is. Even a car cannot kill it. I urge people living in this area to be careful, as more of this snake may still be around here.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
In a new national survey conducted by the federal government for the 2012 National HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Survey-Plus (NARHS Plus) Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is now 3.4 per cent.
However, Rivers State leads other states in the country with a prevalence rate of 15.2 per cent.
NARHS is conducted to monitor the HIV/AIDS epidemic among the general population in the country. It involves other sexual and reproductive health indicators and behavioural tendencies.
The Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Sani Bala, at the national dissemination of the survey findings said the result of the survey reflects the efforts of the federal government in the fight against HIV in the country.
Bala explained: "The HIV prevalence situation compared with 3.6 per cent in 2007 about 3.4 per cent of Nigerians is currently living with HIV/AIDS with 3.2 per cent in urban and 3.6 per cent in the rural areas and 2.9 per cent among young people aged 15-19 years."
A cursory look at the new survey indicated that Taraba State ranked second with a prevalence rate of 10.5 per cent; followed by Kaduna State with 9.2 per cent. Nasarawa State has 8.1 per cent while the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) 7.5 per cent. Ekiti State however has the least prevalence rate of 0.2 per cent, Zamfara 0.4 per cent, Bauchi 0.6 per cent and Ogun 0.6per cent.
Addressing journalist, the Technical Assistant to the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nyemenim Michael, said: "We are here today to take a look at the figures that have been made available reflecting the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the whole country and also in the individual states, Rivers State has had a prevalence rate of 3.1 per cent, but today we are seeing a prevalence rate of 15.2 per cent.”
"We are terribly worried and alarmed by these figures. This is because to the best of our knowledge, these figures do not reflect the true health position. Not from our hospital services, not from activities we have in our outreach programmes.”
"We were thinking that Rivers state should not have gone anywhere between 3.1 per cent and 3.5 per cent. As a matter of fact, we expect to come lower than that. This is because, over the years, Rivers State has been one of the states that have been very consistent with carrying out HIV programmes.”
He further explained that "as a matter of fact, when other states do not seem to have regular supply of drugs, but Rivers State has it. The man power inbuilt into our health system has been so much recognised to the extent that it is impossible for us to see this kind of astronomical rise in the prevalence rate.”
"We do not have any war in Rivers State, we do not have any influx and we do not have any epidemic and the health care system in Rivers State is has not broken down for us to have these figures. So we are a little bit worried.”
"We do not have any problem with Anti-Retroviral drugs and we do not lack facility."
On whether they state will protest the result, he said: "We just want to make a point that these figures are just not right.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
ABA- A truck driver Thursday, at Ogbor Hill area of Aba, Abia state, lost control and rammed into a classroom killing 7 school children.
Fifteen other school children also sustained various degrees of injuries during the accident. They were pupils of Glorious International Academy located on 42 Opobo road, Aba.
The truck with Registration number, Akwa Ibom AA 702 KTA was said to be on its way to Ovom waterside to evacuate sand when it lost control and rammed into the fence of Glorious International Academy located on 42 Opobo road.
The pupils were said to be having their morning devotion in a classroom when the incident occurred.
According to eyewitnesses account, the pupils have concluded their examinations and were said to have returned to the school to have their end of the year party.
When Vanguard visited the school, police and operatives of Federal Road Safety Corps were seen inspecting the scene of the accident even as sympathizers were seen in groups discussing the development.
Blood stains covered the floor of the classroom, just as broken desks, biscuits, plates which were to be used for the end of the year party for the pupils.
Also, some parents and relations who lost their children and wards were seen weeping uncontrollably while others were making inquiries regarding the whereabouts of their children and wards.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
President Goodluck Jonathan Thursday conferred the Nigerian National Order of Merit awards on three professors.
The professors are Seth Sunday Ajayi, award in Science category, Francis Abiola Irele, award in Humanities category, and Hilary Inyang Inyang who bagged the award in Engineering/Technology category.
The president was represented at the investiture by the Vice-President, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, at the Presidential Villa.
The Nigerian National Order of Merit Investiture is held on December 5 of every year and is meant for Nigerians both in and outside Nigeria who have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields.
At the ceremony, Jonathan charged the recipients to tow the lines of their predecessors by being role models for young generations.
He disclosed that the award, which was initiated 30 years ago, has had 70 recipients so far, adding that it was a prestigious and highest award at it celebrates excellence.
The president, who congratulated the recipients, also urged them to contribute their services to both political and scientific development of the country.
He equally enjoined Nigerian youths to emulate the feat and good examples shown by the recipient, with a view to working hard and contribute to the development of the country.
Jonathan lauded the Governing Board of the Nigerian National Merit Award for doing a good job, saying their requests would be given attention.
He announced that the federal government would co-opt Prof Ajayi into the Greenworld project where his experience in afforestation would come in handy.
The Chairman, Governing Board of NNMA, Prof. Oluwafeyisola Sylvester Adegoke, had earlier urged the recipient to always be a beacon of excellence and hope for all Nigerians, saying the nation was expecting a lot from them.
On behalf of NNMA, Adegoke pleaded that the federal government should set up Nigerian National Research Development Fund, among other requests.
The chief host of the award, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, said the award was a celebration of excellence, commitment and achievements.
He announced that cash to awardees was approved by Jonathan and jerked up from the initial N5 million to N10 million with effect from 2010 to promote excellence.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Martin Elechi, Thursday maintained that his state will never support the clamour for state police as they would be doomed, noting that Nigeria has remained one in spite of its security challenges.
Instead, he said adequate funds should be made available to the force to discharge its duties in the country.
Elechi stated this while inaugurating a six-man Police Reform Committee in the state.
Members of the committee included the governor himself as chairman; Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Jonathan Johnson (Zone 6) as Vice-Chairman; Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Timothy Odaah, as member; the state Commissioner of Police, Dikko Maigari, as member; a representative of the Ministry of Police Affairs and Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Fide Mbam, as Secretary.
The governor said he had inaugurated the committee pending when the federal government would bring the operational manual.
He noted that the Nigeria Police Force had been facing a lot of challenges which included inadequacy of funds, logistic and operational problems, training and retraining of police personnel.
The governor stated that it was because of the obvious need to improve the welfare of the police that the National Economic Council approved that all states and local government areas in the federation should pay one per cent of their allocation into special account exclusively for the police.
He expressed confidence that the committee shall handle the problem of police in the state, even as he pointed out that the state had paid the one per cent for two months.
He said: “So many people are clamouring for state police, others are asking for improvement in the welfare of police. We in Ebonyi State do not support the clamour for state police. It will be to our doom.”
“I even told the immediate past Inspector General of Police (IG) to transfer away from Ebonyi State all police personnel of Ebonyi state origin. And I expected him to do so in every other state so that that national outlook which we expect of our policemen will be maintained.
“The meeting of National Economic Council in June this year attended by IG that one per cent of each state allocation and local government should be paid into special account exclusively for the police. Ebonyi State has done that for two months now.”
“We look forward to improved performance of the police with the help of this new committee such that when a tyre of a vehicle requires to be changed, Commissioner of Police will go cap in hand asking for money either from the government or anybody else to enable him change of the vehicle.”
The AIG Johnson said if not because of their commitment to the nation, the force would have collapsed because they are working with nothing.
The AIG expressed optimism that with the funds available, one-third of police problems must have been solved.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has embarked on moves to get five of its governors who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) back under its umbrella.
THISDAY gathered yesterday that the party has reopened discussion with them with the aim of resolving the issues that pushed them to join the opposition party.
Besides, the presidency has joined forces with the party to engage the five governors who defected from the PDP in November so that they could return to the ruling party.
The defected governors are: Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).
However, amid speculations over a plot by the PDP to remove the five governors, the APC Thursday warned the ruling party against any attempt to remove them, saying this would not bode well for the peace of the country.
Also, Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, who along with the five governors and others who factionalised the PDP by forming the New PDP, explained yesterday why he did not follow his five colleagues to dump the ruling party.
He said he decided to stay back in PDP because his people did not want him to leave the party.
A source told THISDAY yesterday that the presidency and the PDP leadership have been reaching out to the five governors to see if they could rethink their defection.
It was learnt that the party and the presidency have commissioned some people to convince the governors with a promise that a compromise could be reached in resolving their grievances.
One of the governors who was contacted a couple of days ago while in Lagos for a meeting with the APC leadership had granted audience to the emissary of the PDP but told him that a change of mind was late as any such move would be suicidal.
"They also know it's not possible and I told him so. How can we change our mind now? It's late. We're gone and gone for good. Even those who have not left, they can't change their minds, much less those of us who have gone and gone for good," he said.
The governor explained that it was not a matter of pride but a question of risk elimination, which does not add up at this stage of the struggle to combat the rudderless leadership of the PDP.
"We've been on this for many months now and they could not do anything to stop us. Instead, what we were confronted with was a very arrogant leadership that thought everything started and ended with them. But this decision is to prove them wrong. So, any move to change us now is futile," he added.
In an apparent confirmation of the new rapprochement between PDP and the defected governors, the party in a statement yesterday said it was holding talks with them along with all major stakeholders of the party to end the festering crisis in the party.
The party also debunked reports in some sections of the media that some senators walked out on its National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, when he visited the Senate to meet with PDP senators on Wednesday.
Perhaps it was in light of the new peace efforts to assuage the feelings of the defected governors that Tukur during his visit to the Senate, told reporters that he was not aware that Amaechi and others had left the party.
"Have they defected? They have not gone yet," he had said in response to the reporters' inquiry.
According to a statement by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in Abuja, the party will do all within its powers to engage all its aggrieved members so that their grievances can be addressed and peace return to the party.
The party restated the commitment of its National Working Committee (NWC) to resolve all the issues fuelling crisis in the party and to "ensure that all issues are handled along the lines of these ideals and in accordance with the provisions of the PDP constitution, the constitution of Nigeria and the laws of the land. We reiterate that no unlawful means will be used under any guise whatsoever in handling the issues.”
The party urged all its members to remain calm and focused, adding that it would come out of the current challenges stronger than ever.
On the report that some senators walked out on Tukur, Metuh described it as untrue, saying it is “totally false and deliberately planted by the enemies of the PDP to mislead the public and impede efforts by the leadership to achieve total reconciliation in the party.”
Notwithstanding the olive branch to the defected governors, APC yesterday warned PDP against any attempt to remove them from office because they switched political allegiance.
The party threatened to use its rumoured majority in the National Assembly in the wake of the defection to checkmate any further acts of impunity by PDP and the presidency.
The party said apart from being illegal and smacking of double standard, such a move could plunge Nigeria into chaos.
In a statement by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said any attempt by the PDP to act in desperation and declare the governors' seats vacant would be met with an unprecedented show of people's power that would end, once and for all, the impunity of the PDP and the presidency.
"We have irrefutable evidence that the PDP is desperately shopping for a pliant judge who will be heavily induced to declare vacant the seats of the five governors who recently defected to the APC. We also have the name of the lawyers who have been retained by the PDP for this hatchet job," it said.
APC said it was aware of the various legal options being explored by PDP and the presidency in a desperate bid to remove the governors.
"We hereby serve a strong notice to the duo that any attempt by anyone through any means other than what is provided for in section 188 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, will not only have grave consequences but will leave the polity severely bruised.
"We know the PDP and the presidency are anarchic and nihilistic, and will not mind to pursue any narrow and selfish objective, even if doing such can plunge the nation into a crisis. But their cup is gradually getting full.
"We wish to state unequivocally that should the PDP go ahead with this plan, there will be widespread repercussions as the APC has resolved that henceforth, every act of impunity of the PDP and the presidency will be met with stiff resistance in the form of a vociferous telegraphing of people's power, the likes of which have not been witnessed in these parts," the opposition party added.
The party also warned against any attempt by the PDP and the presidency to roll back reforms in the judiciary by suborning a judge to unseat the governors.
"We recognise the efforts of the present CJN to sanitise the judiciary since she assumed the mantle of leadership but she should not allow any black leg to reverse the gains that have been recorded on the altar of unmitigated avarice. This is because if that happens, Nigerians will hold the judiciary vicariously liable for the catastrophic consequences that may follow," it said.
Accusing the PDP of engaging in double standard, APC said: "For all of 14 years, elected members of the state Houses of Assembly as well as the National Assembly have been defecting mostly to the PDP and no court has ever declared their seats vacant.
"The late Senator Wahab Dosunmu and Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, then of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), blazed the trail when they decamped to the PDP within a year of their election. Since then, scores of elected lawmakers at state and federal levels have defected to the PDP without any eyebrows being raised or anyone declaring their seats vacant.
"When Governors Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State and Theodore Orji of Abia State, both elected on the platform of the PPA, and Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, who was elected on the platform of the ANPP, defected to the PDP, nobody declared their seats vacant.
"As a matter of fact, the PDP under the late President Umar Yar'Adua organised an elaborate reception to welcome Governor Yuguda to the PDP.
"Why then should the case of the five PDP governors who have joined the APC be different? Why is the PDP suddenly afraid of taking the same medicine it has been administering to others? Does it mean that all the bravado that has been displayed by the PDP, which says it is not bothered by the defection of the five governors, is just a facade to hide its deep pain at the monumental loss?"
It asked the PDP to be guided by the ruling of the Supreme Court after the ruling party attempted to make the then Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to lose his seat and to also strip him of his privileges following his defection to the defunct Action Congress (AC).
One of the aggrieved governors of the ruling party, Aliyu, however explained yesterday why he did not follow his colleagues to join APC.
He said in Minna that he decided to stay back in PDP because his people did not want him to leave the party.
"Majority of my people prefers that we stay in PDP and we will stay and make it work. It is about my people. There is no way I'll take any decision without coming back to my people to seek for their views," he told a delegation of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), led by the Country Vice-President, Ms. Hauwa Shekarau, which visited him.
Aliyu, in his first remarks since the defection of the five governors, denied an allegation that he betrayed his colleagues by not defecting to APC.
Speaking on the reason behind the formation of the G7 Governors, Aliyu said: “The idea was that we saw some actions that were happening and some people were taking the success of the PDP that have been elected since 1999 for granted.
“There was need to make people understand that you cannot take people’s support for granted. And you really need to reinvigorate it so that it comes back to be properly accepted by the people."
According to him, everyone has made his decision and his own decision to remain in PDP should be respected.
"I led the so-called G7 as a result of a reform we were looking for in our party. The idea was not to leave our party; the idea was to reform it. The fight is not about me, it is not a one-man show, it is not about my ambition. It is about my people.
"If along the line of the struggle, some people find it more expedient to leave the party, that is their decision and I respect that. Those of us who felt we still need a reform and we felt that we should remain, I think our views and actions should be respected," he added.
Speaking earlier, Shekarau lamented the increasing level of violence against women and children in the country.
She however solicited for appropriate laws to check the incident.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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