PDP Blasts Bello For Donating To Aisha Buhari's Book Launch

Following allegations that many APC Chieftains made secret donations to Aisha Buhari's book launch,PDP has taken a swipe of Gov Bello of Kogi state.According to PDP,Gov. Bello secretly donated N70m to Aisha Buhari despite not paying salaries to workers since he assume office as governor.

Source: http://www.trezzyblog.com/2016/04/pdp-blasts-yahaya-bellomadness-kogi.html

South African Victim: TB Joshua Left Me High And Dry

Promised help by the church has yet to materialise – after almost 18 months.

Almost 18 months after a building collapse at the church of self-proclaimed prophet TB Joshua in Lagos, Nigeria, left 116 dead and scores injured, a young South African survivor has given up hope of receiving aid.

Vusi Makwele, 27, said he last heard from a Synagogue Church of All Nations (Scoan) representative in October 2014. That was shortly after he returned to South Africa following the tragedy. The church had allegedly promised to help him following his injuries.

Makwele, a human resource honours graduate at the time of his visit to the Scoan in September 2014, said he had gone to the church to change his life. “In that plane, all I was thinking of was my family,” said Makwele.

“I wanted to pray for their problems to go away. But things turned ugly. The trip changed my whole life.” Two days later, Makwele’s life changed forever when a six storey guest house at the church collapsed. Of the close to 120 people who lost their lives, more than 80 were South Africans.

Speculation was rife that the building did not meet construction standards and families of the victims and deceased wanted the popular televangelist to be held accountable. Makwele, who previously worked in a sales department at a retail store, said the tragedy nearly robbed him of his dreams.

“With the job that I had, I was able to pay my bills,” he said. “I was able to support my family. But now, I’m part of the unemployment statistics.” Makwele said of the fateful day: “It was really traumatising, it still is.” He said he did not know how he survived because his injuries were very severe.

“I lost a lot of blood on that day. I’m still scared of storey structures.” He was in hospital for three days in Nigeria, but said he had to pretend to be fine, “just to get out of that city and come home”.

But little did he know how different it would be. Makwele said he had to use crutches to get around. “I could not even walk and as a result, failed to perform my duties at work. I had to be released from my job.”

He refused to go for counselling because he was still confused and in shock, but feels that traumatic incident “messed up” his mind. Makwele says after losing his job, he never received anything from the church.

Church’s response:

Kirsten Nematandani, Scoan representative in South Africa, told The Citizen at the time of the collapse that the church focused more on those who lost their lives. “We only focused on ensuring that processes of the funerals were dealt with.”
The families of the deceased each received R50 000.
However, it is understood that people who were severely injured were given more money than the families of those who lost their lives.


Source:http://citizen.co.za/1074009/tb-joshua-has-left-me-high-dry/

Lightning Kills Women In Church In Imo (photo)

From NGOZI UWUJARE

IN a bizarre case of ill fate, two women, 25-year-old Chioma Jonathan, a native of Obiangwu in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area and Chinonye Anyanwu, aged 26, from Ahiazu Mbaise LGA, both in Imo State, died when they were struck by lightning.

The unfortunate incident happened when the two women went to participate in the regular Holy Ghost Hour prayer session of Heavenly Sure Charismatic Church, a Pentecostal church, usually held in the premises of Comprehensive Secondary School, Emekuku in Owerri North LGA, Imo State.

Also affected in the lightning strike was the 54-year-old General Overseer of the church, Pastor Luke Nwokocha, who led the short-lived prayer session. He temporarily lost consciousness and was rushed to a hospital by his wife and another member of the church, where he was revived. In addition, he sustained injuries on his leg.

At the headquarters of the police command in Imo State, Pastor Nwokocha recounted to Sunday Sun, what happened. “We always have fellowship every Tuesday. On the fateful day, we had our ‘Holy Ghost Hour’.

We were five members in the church. The two deceased sisters, including the sister that swept the church premises; Evangelist Solomon and myself were arranging the benches. Around 4.30pm heavy rain started falling. I started praying for the programme.”

Then there was a sudden lightning flash followed by the deafening sound of thunder. The two women, who were in the direct path of the electric field created by the lightning flash died instantly, when they were struck by the streak. Nwokocha, who apparently was off the direct path of the streak received a much lower jolt of electricity, which, however, was strong enough to throw him across the room, cause temporary loss of consciousness and physical injuries on his leg and hands.

“My wife, Pastor Eucharia Nwokocha and the other church member rushed me to the hospital for medical treatment,” he said.

Nwokocha who hails from Umuakuru Emekuku in Owerri North LGA further explained: “I have been in this ministry for 26 years. I have never experienced anything like this. I was called into ministry in 1990.

Until that time, I was a policeman and served in the Imo State Police Command and retired at Akwa Ibom Police Command in July 2007. Following my retirement, I decided to focus on my ministry fulltime. I do not understand how it happened, its only God who understands and knows all.”

Following the incident, the elder brother of Chioma Jonathan reported the case to the Owerri North Divisional Police Station, from where the case was transferred to the homicide department at the headquarters of the Imo State Police Command, Owerri, the state capital.

The Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu who confirmed the incident said it was a strange occurrence. He added that the cleric was undergoing interrogation at the State Criminal Investigation Department while the corpses of the dead women had been deposited at the mortuary of the Holy Rosary Hospital, Emekuku.

One of the elders of Emekuku community, Godwin John told Sunday Sun that the whole thing was a mystery.

“We know Pastor Luke usually holds the ‘Holy Ghost Hour’ prayer session. What happened to Pastor Luke Nwokocha and the lightning strike that killed two members of his church is an abomination. We will consult the elders,” he said.

Meanwhile Lakanu has reassured relations of the deceased women that proper investigation would be carried out by the officer in charge of the homicide section of State Criminal Investigation Department, Supol Innocent Obi, who is working hard with the detectives under him to ensure that there is no miscarriage of justice

http://sunnewsonline.com/shocking-lightning-kills-2-women-during-prayer-session-in-church/

The Man Who Claimed To Be Jesus EDIDEM BASSEY From Ikot Ekpene Akwa Ibom State

The Untold Story of Jesus of Ikot-Ekpene, EDIDEM BASSEY

This is story back in time. It is a story of a man who lived like an emperor, who lived as if the world would never end but about whom very little is known. This piece attempts to amalgamate the most reliable information found on him.

He proclaimed himself as Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour and the Lord. While some viewed him as raving mad, his ‘madness’ attracted hordes of devoted worshippers to his territory. Soon, news spread all over and beyond Eastern Nigeria, of a strange man named Edidem Bassey, revered by his followers and branded the Jesus of Ikot-Ekpene.

Today, the city of Ikot-Ekpene is located in Akwa Ibom State, a state that has the densest concentration of churches on earth. Ikot-Ekpene is regarded as the cultural and political centre of the Annangs and Ibibios and it is represented in the Nigerian Senate by a former governor of the state, Godswill Obot Akpabio Now, let’s roll back in time.

When the Christian missionaries arrived Nigeria, Ikot-Ekpene was one of the first destinations. And they arrived with fire and brimstone, their goal was to convert everyone from what they regarded as African paganism to Christianity.

The influence of Christianity is still very strong and visible in Ikot-Ekpene till date. However, since the native people already had their own set of traditional beliefs, what later emerged over time in some areas of Ikot-Ekpene was a blend of Christianity and African traditional religions, leading to a curious strand of syncretism that produced people like Edidem Bassey

3 Shares

Primate Ayodele: Buhari Can’t Take Us To Promise Land, Nigeria Will Break Up

The Spiritual Leader of INRI Spiritual and Evangelical Church, Oke-Afa, Isolo, Lagos, has once again reaffirmed his prophecy that President Muhammadu Buhari is not the person to lead Nigeria to the promised land.

Like the biblical Moses, Ayodele said, Buhari will only lay the foundation for a new Nigeria but won’t be the one to lead the country to the desired promised land.

Speaking with Vanguard, the controversial prophet said he was teaming up with several prophets to offer prayer for Nigeria.

According to him, “What Buhari has come to do is not to take Nigeria to the Promised Land but to pave the way for it to happen. He will lay the foundation for a new Nigeria.”

Speaking further, Ayodele said he foresaw many republic springing up from this entity called Nigeria.

His words, “Nigeria may not be one again and we will then have a regional system of government whereby each region will operate on its own and I see a situation where different republics come out of Nigeria because we failed to find drastic solutions to our problems. May be there is security report to that effect or not, I don’t know.”

On the ongoing scarcity of petrol nationwide, the cleric said, “You remember I said in one of my interviews in the past that Nigerians would buy fuel for N200, N250. Has it not come to pass now? It is the same thing I am saying now, many people may not believe. I said that some states would collapse economically and that Buhari would become President but that his government would be fluctuating.”

Asked what the way forward is, the Apostle said, “Now, the solution is this, the prophets have to come together. There are differences between prophets and pastors. I have been taking steps for prophets to come together and pray for this nation through their anointing. The country needs prayers. What is happening now to the nation is more than the government can do alone.”

http://dailypost.ng/2016/04/17/buhari-cant-take-us-to-promise-land-nigeria-will-break-up-primate-ayodele/?utm_source=nnd&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=nnd

Northern Elders Write Buhari "2016 Budget Not Favourable To The North

Northern elders cry to Buhari
— 17th April 2016
Say region shortchanged in 2016 budget
Want Biafra crushed
We’ll open up discussion to accommodate all grievances –Reps

From Iheanacho Nwosu and Fred Itua, Abuja

NORTHERN elders have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to upwardly review capital allocations to the North in the 2016 budget, claiming that the region was shortchanged.

This is as the elders advised the president not to buckle in dealing with the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), and urged him to ensure that the full weight of the law was brought against the agitators.

The elders in a five-page letter signed by elder statesman, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Sule equally enjoined President Buhari to continue to show sympathy to initiatives that channel “funding and expertise to the North from the country as well as from international financing and other support sources.”

The letter entitled ‘Advice on National Issues ‘was written under the aegis of Northern Elders Forum (NEF) on March 7. Describing allocations for capital projects given to the North-­east, North-­west and North-­west as inadequate, the group claimed that the region was shortchanged.

It reminded the president that the backbone of his administration is the North and cautioned that if the allocations were not upwardly reviewed, it would pose a huge problem for his government.

NEF said: “We have conducted some analysis on the 2016 budget estimates which Mr President submitted to the National Assembly. We are concerned over the absence of equity in the allocation of capital spending. The three geo-­political zones in the North are severely shortchanged.”

The group continued: “For a region deserving greater resources and attention as well as being the political backbone of your administration, this situation will pose serious problems for your administration.

“We advise Mr President to review the proposed allocations in consultation with the National Assembly.”

The Northern elders said the South already had advantage over the North in terms of the number of federal civil servants, a situation it said meant that the south would enjoy allocations for recurrent votes.

The forum further contended: “We wish to draw Mr. President’s attention to the fact that over 75 percent of all Federal Government public service employees are from the three geo-political zones in the South. This means that virtually the same percentage of recurrent spending will go to Nigerians from the South.”

On the government structure, the verdict of the NEF was damning. The forum described

Buhari’s team as weak, urging him to immediately establish an

Economic Management Team. The group wrote: “We have

noted the need for improvements in the human and institutional

capabilities which aid Mr. President in governing the nation.

As economic difficulties and demands for good governance

become more challenging, the quality of advice and support

Mr. President will require will need to be substantially raised.

“We urge Mr. President to establish an Economic Management Team and conclude

Appointments of key officers and advisers. Where there are

evident weaknesses and gaps in skills, competencies, experience and integrity, we urge Mr. President to take steps to address them.”

On national security, NEF urged President Buhari to look into allegations that Boko Haram “still has substantial presence in

many areas near Maiduguri and other towns and villages.” The elders called for measures that would help improve the “quality of intelligence and integrity of the leadership of the Armed

Forces.” Focusing specifically on what it called the threat posed by

IPOB to national security, the forum said: “We commend Mr

President’s stand and disposition towards the threats posed by the

Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and advise that in addition to allowing full weight of the law to be deployed against these threats, Mr. President should support initiatives which

isolate this threat among Igbo people.”

Recommending on ways of rehabilitating the Northeast

ravaged by insurgency, the body called for the establishment of North-­east Development Commission in addition to other development strategies.

It counseled that the commission should be well funded and deliberately assisted to function effectively.

On what the president should do to revive the economy of the North, NEF said: “We recognize that Mr President has a national mandate and we do not intend to ask for what does not belong to the North. However, the level of poverty, which is increasing particularly in relation to the rest of the country, represents a serious threat to the region and the unity and survival of our dear country.”

The group charged the president to continue to give special attention to economic and welfare needs of the region.

In a reaction to the issues raised by the Northern elders in

respect of the 2016 budget, the House of Representatives last

night gave assurance it would look into the grouse of the North

In a telephone chat with a Sunday Sun correspondent, Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulrazak Saad Namdas, promised that every gray area would be addressed in fresh negotiations with the Presidency in respect of provisions in the budget for capital projects.

“We are still awaiting response from Mr. President on the budget before we open further discussions,” Namdas said.

Further efforts made to speak with some other notable lawmakers were unsuccessful as they did not pick their calls or respond to text messages as at the time of filling this report.

Also reacting to the request to the president on Biafra agitators

last night, the National Leader of a faction of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Uchenna Madu dismissed it as nonsense.

Madu described the northern elders as a bunch of old men talking nonsense.

He added: “By the letter to Buhari, they have accepted the failure of their kinsman in governing the country and now acting in frustration.

“They should not deceive themselves in the old Biafra.

The new Biafra runs in the blood of every Igbo man and nobody can stop it. The letter asking Buhari to deal with Biafra agitators has no meaning because they cannot crush or stop Biafra. The Northern elders or whatever they call themselves can go to hell.”

http://sunnewsonline.com/northern-elders-cry-to-buhari/

Senate Buys 108 Jeeps At Twice Price.

The Senate has started taking delivery of 108 Toyota Land Cruiser Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) it ordered for members at the cost of N3.8 billion, Daily Trust on Sunday has gathered.

Our correspondent learnt that the first set of the cars, numbering 36, was delivered last Tuesday and distributed to senators last Wednesday. There are indications that the Senate purchased the vehicles at double the price of each in the showroom in Nigeria. The lawmakers purchased each for N35.1 million, but checks by our reporter indicated that a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV V6 2016 model is sold at N17 million.

The delivery is coming in spite of the controversy surrounding the purchase of the vehicles. The cars, it was further gathered, were distributed the same day some senators told the Senate President Bukola Saraki that standing committees could no longer perform their statutory functions as a result of paucity of funds.

Saraki had, in February, acquired official cars at the cost of N330 million. The cars were purchased despite reservations expressed by prominent Nigerians.

A source privy to the delivery of the cars told Daily Trust on Sunday that one senator had been given from each of the 36 states of the federation.
“Since only 36 were delivered at a meeting on Tuesday, it was agreed that one senator should be given from each of the 36 states of the federation. They were given the cars on Wednesday,” the source said.

It was gathered that another set of 36 cars would be delivered in two weeks and the supplier would deliver the last batch of same number in early May.
In all, a total of 108 cars would be supplied by the contractor and each senator, excluding the Senate President, is expected to get one. It would be recalled that the senators, in August last year, received car loans.

Speaking on the delivery of the cars, a senator said the contract for the supply of the cars had been reviewed upward in view of the foreign exchange crisis.

“The cars were initially pegged at N35 million but now it has been reviewed upward to N55 million. They will soon bring the remaining cars but most of the senators close to Saraki have been given. My friend started driving his own on Thursday, “ he said.
He decried the decision by some of his colleagues to sell theirs in order to pretend as if they never received them. “Nigerians should watch out. Our colleagues have started receiving the cars but some have decided to sell theirs because they don’t want their people to know about them.

“If you collect the cars and you think you are doing the right thing, why won’t you drive it? Are they [Senators] not the ones who insisted on buying the cars? If it is legal and right, let them drive the cars to their constituencies,” he said on the condition of anonymity.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Senate, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the cars were a necessity, and not luxury.

“Let us face the reality, if Special Advisers can use cars like this as official cars, then why the noise about ours? A senator is representing a constituency, a district. Do you expect him to be trekking to discharge his duties? These cars are not a luxury, the cars are a practical and absolute necessity,” he said in a phone interview.

On the paucity of funds bedevilling committees, he said: “It is not far from the problem everybody knows. It is not that the committees are not working; it is the quantum of the work; because one committee could organize five public hearings. So it is the quantum of work and limited resources.

“The cars are capital projects, while the public hearings are not. There is a difference between capital and recurrent expenditure,” he said.
It would be recalled that senators, during their sitting on Wednesday, told Senate President Bukola Saraki that paucity of funds was hindering the discharge of their legislative duties.


Commenting on the purchase of the cars, Barrister Audu Bulama Bukarti of the Bayero University Kano (BUK) said the senators were unaware of the public perception about them.

“In my opinion, the Senate’s purchase of these exotic cars at a time Senate standing committees are finding it difficult to carry out their constitutional and statutory functions over alleged paucity of funds is, to say the least, unpatriotic, selfish, contemptuous, callous and ill-timed.

“One cannot help but wonder where the Senate got the money from, since the budget is yet to be passed. Do they have the powers to spend such a huge sum without appropriation and authorization? Or are they just daring Nigerians?

“From the Senate’s action on the CCB, CCT Act and ACJA Amendments, their attitude to the 2016 budget and purchase of these cars, I am compelled to conclude that the senators are unmindful of public perception and our senators can go to any length to achieve their goals even at the expense of Nigerians,” he said.

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/senate-buys-108-jeeps-at-twice-price/142766.html