Pope Francis, Chris Oyakhilome: The Difference Is Clear, By Yusuf Ozi-Usman

November 23, 2017

Pope Francis is the leader of about 1.2 Billion Roman Catholics, the largest Christian denomination in the world. He is based in Rome.
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome is the leader of a few million pentecostal (modern Christians), through his Believers’ Loveworld Incorporated, also known as Christ Embassy, a Bible-based Christian ministry, with headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria.
Of course, one of the things that is similar between the two, despite the wide gap in their status, is that they are both Christians. Another one is that they are leaders in their own right.
In the absence of any other known similarities, it is obvious that what differentiate them and put them apart are things of this world.
While Pope Francis distances himself from the worldly grandeurs, Pastor Oyakhilome embraced them with passion.
Quite co-incidentally, the reactions of the two Christian leaders to surprise gifts they got between last week and this week are very instructive in this discourse.
While the Pope got a gift of a first-class car, Oyakhilome got a gift of an aircraft. The gift for Pope Francis was a white-painted special edition of Lamborghini Huracan. The cost of the car was put at about 180,000 Euros (N76 million).
Pope received the car, blessed it, signed its hood and promptly handed it over to Sotheby to auction off the Huracan on his behalf to raise money for charity.
Pastor Oyakhilome, on his part, embraced aircraft, which cost nearly a billion. The aircraft gift was given by the Loveworld Music and Art group, an arm of the Christ Embassy, trained to produce world class, worded and faith-filled gospel tunes as well as highly skilled and energetic kingdom dancers.
After embracing the aircraft gift, the Pastor said: “I am particularly very excited that this laudable and auspicious gift is coming just from a Department in Church, a department of very young successful people in Church.
“I am very excited again that this is happening at a time like this when some sense-ruled folks are crying over ten percent tithe and offering. Unfortunately for the folks, they have been left behind groping in the dark. “Their wisdom has failed them because it will always come to naught. The more we sow into the anointing, the bigger we become and the more they complain and profane against the anointing, the smaller and worse they become.”
The aircraft gift was not part of the other private jets Pastor Oyakhilome had been enjoying. Indeed, there are numerous other unhidden heavenly comfort he is enjoying here on earth.
Now, the differences between the Pope and Pastor Oyakhilome are not only clear but provide some unanswered but obvious questions on what really we are here in the world to do, and to achieve. Just thinking.
[myad]

I Won’t Sleep Well Until PDP Returns To Power, Ex President Jonathan Promises

Greenbarge Reporters

November 23, 2017

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that he would not know sleep until the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), regain power at the centre.
The former President actually admitted that he was responsible for the defeat the party suffered in the 2015 elections, where he conceded victory to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Dr. Jonathan, who spoke when a national chairmanship aspirant, Bode George paid him a visit at his country home, Otuoke in Bayelsa state, said: “whether I like it or not, I must take responsibility for the defeat because I led the party to the election. The only thing that will make me sleep well is to ensure that PDP comes back to power.” The former president said that he is working with other stakeholders to ensure that the party is well organised, to achieve this purpose, although he prefers to work from the back seat.
Jonathan insisted that the party must begin to take the right steps, in the right direction, to regain the confidence of the electorate and ensure mistakes of the past were not be repeated
Earlier, Bode George who was a former PDP deputy national chairman and currently on a nationwide campaign for the chairmanship election in December, congratulated Dr. Jonathan on his 60th birthday anniversary.
He advised the former President, to, as the leader of the party, ensure that the party emerges stronger from the forthcoming national convention.
He said that failure to apply the micro zoning principle to the chairmanship position this time around had caused ripples that are capable of dividing the party.
He lamented that the party appeared to be drifting as there was no reasonable justification offered by the Senator Makarfi led National Caretaker Committee for jettisoning the principle which was applied to all previous elections to the position. [myad]

PDP Vows To Punish Senator Buruji Kashamu For Alleged Anti-Party Activities

Greenbarge Reporters

November 23, 2017

National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has indicated moves by the party to apply appropriate punishment on the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial district, Buruji Kashamu, for what he called anti party activities.
Senator Buruki Kashamu has been at logger head with the party’s caretaker committee.
The PDP’s spokesman made it clear that senator Kashamu would not escape sanction for alleged anti party activities.
In a statement, Adeyeye said that Kashamu, in a bid to evade sanction, recently obtained a court injunction restraining the PDP from sanctioning him.
“The party will take a decision at the appropriate time on Senator Kashamu. It may take long but justice will be done.
”We need to remind PDP members and Nigerians that it was Senator Kashamu and those he was bankrolling that conducted parallel congresses in Edo and Ondo States. They did not stop there but took us up to Supreme Court and in the end openly endorsed and campaigned for our opponents. Their actions made us to loose the elections.”
On the just concluded Anambra governorship, the PDP spokesman said the party lost the election as a result of division in its ranks in the state. [myad]

Solid Minerals Ministry Seeks For 50 Vehicles For Special Mines Surveillance Task Force

Greenbarge Reporters

November 22, 2017

Minister of solid minerals, Kayode Fayemi

The federal ministry for Solid Minerals has sought the and got approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), to procure 50 Hilux Vehicles for members of the Special Mines Surveillance Task Force for their work at monitoring and curbing of illegal mining activities in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The move, according to the Solid minerals minister, John Kayode Fayemi, is also aimed at supporting the collaboration between the State and Federal Governments via the Mineral Resources and Environmental Committees that the Mining Act has allowed to be set up in all the states.
Minister Fayemi told news men shortly after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, today, Wednesday, that the memo he presented at FEC was aimed at showing the immense contribution of mining to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He said that in the latest figure of GDP, there is significant improvement in the industrial contribution after agriculture, as was released by the National Bureau for Statistics (NBS).
“It states that 8.97 percent increase has happened and the bulk of the contribution from the industry is from mining and quarry activities.
“But the primary reason for this memo is the fact that mining could still do a lot more in terms of its contribution.
“NEITI has just released its report and that report made it clear that in 2014 and 2015, what we lost to illegal mining operation was somewhere in the region of about $9 billion, particularly from illegal gold exportation.
“There were other things that were illegally taken out: lead, zinc, tin and coal.
“You recall that in the roadmap which the Federal Executive Council approved last year, there is the establishment of the Special Mines Surveillance Task Force.
“This memo that went to Council requested from Council the approval of the procurement of 50 Toyota Hilux Vans for the sum of N987 million at a set piece of about N19.3 million per vehicle. But it just forms part of an over-reaching framework because Council also underscores the fact that this one vehicle per state cannot solve all the problems but in order to begin to tackle the issues, we need to start from somewhere. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that we deploy technology to monitor the illegal activities across the length and breadth of the country and through the security services.
“The Special Mines Surveillance Task Force is made up of all security agencies. The DSS, the Police, the Civil Defence, EFCC and the National Security Adviser’s Office.”
Fayemi said that over the course of last year, the Police have established Mines Police “and we now have a Commissioner of Police in-charge of Mines Police. We have a Commandant from the Civil Defence also exclusively deployed for mines activities.”
The minister said that if Nigeria could stop the spate of illegal activities by Nigerians and some foreigners, the country would significantly improve the revenue that would come from the sector, increase the contributions to GDP, increase the royalty to government and provide more jobs for the citizenry.
“The other side of reducing illegal and informal activities is the formalisation of small scale miners and artisan miners and you may all be aware that recently, we placed N5 billion in the Bank of Industry to support the activities of Artisanal and small scale miners to formalise their operations, form into cooperatives and then get more capacitated by government.”

Police Boss Places Officers On Red-Alert Against Boko Haram, Bandits

Greenbarge Reporters

November 22, 2017

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim K. Idris has ordered all Commissioners of Police in charge of State Commands, Assistant Inspectors General of Police and other Police Formations nationwide to be on red-alert with effect from yesterday, November 21 against Boko Haram insurgents that had recently launched attacks on soft targets.
Such targets including
Mosques, Churches, markets, schools, motor parks, farm lands, settlements, villages, towns and cities in the Northeast states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
The police officers were ordered to also quell the recent attacks by armed bandits in Zamfara State and other vulnerable states in the country.
The IGP also asked the officers to provide adequate security for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camps and liberated areas in the states that are affected.
The Police boss said that while the ongoing Joint Operations between the Police and other Security agencies in the States of the Northeast is being sustained, additional deployment of Police Personnel from Police Mobile Force (PMF), the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Police Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD), Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID) Personnel, Attack and Sniffer Dogs Section have been made to the States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
He said that this would bring new impetus to the fight against insurgency, expressing sympathy to the Government and People of Adamawa and Zamfara States over the recent killings in a Mosque in Mubi and attack in Numan local government area, as well as Shinkafi and Maradun local government areas.
“The Force also wishes to implore the people in the affected States to be vigilant and more security conscious most especially during periods of worship.
“A significant number of worshippers should be assigned and rotated to screen and watch over the praying venues to complement Police Personnel deployed to protect them. They are to promptly report suspicious acts or persons to the nearest Police detachment or station to avert untoward incidents.
“Furthermore, the Commissioners of Police in the affected States have been redirected by the Inspector General of Police to make additional posting of Joint Police Team to patrol mosques and churches and other vulnerable locations on Twenty Four (24) hours bases to ensure that no such attack occur again.
“The Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and other Commanding Officers in the Area Commands, Divisions in the towns and villages are under strict instructions to work with the people in the localities and sustain Police Visibility Patrols in the mentioned States.”
A statement by the Force Headquarters spokesman, Jimoh Moshood said that a new Commissioner of Police who was previously Commissioner of Police, Federal Operations has been redeployed to Zamfara State and has since resumed duty.
He said that Police Personnel comprising 20-Units of Police Mobile Force, 10-Cells of Counter Terrorism Unit, and Special Police Forces and two Thousand (2000) conventional Police Personnel in compliance with the Presidential directive have equally been posted to the State.
The statement said that the new Commissioner of Police has been mandated by the Inspector General of Police to re-gird the security architecture of the State and quell the recent attacks by armed bandits on villagers and other innocent Nigerians at Shinkafi and Maradin Local Government Areas of the State and restore lasting peace, security and normalcy to the state. [myad]

Buhari Swears To Account For Recovered Looted Funds In Accurate, Transparent And Logical Manner

Greenbarge Reporters

November 22, 2017

President Muhammadu Buhari has made it clear that his government is determined to account for the recovered looted funds and assets in an accurate, transparent and logical manner.
The President, who today, Wednesday, inaugurated the Audit Committee on the recovery and management of stolen assets in and outside Nigeria vowed that his government would not create new room for dishonorable conduct to exploit by any individual or agency.
“Members of the committee may recall that pursuant to the resolve of this administration since its inception to pursue a strong and effective anti-corruption regime, and in view of the multiple cases of mis-managed and misappropriated national assets identified by this administration upon our assumption of office, the Federal Government embarked on tracing and recovery of all such stolen assets within and outside Nigeria using all legal and diplomatic resources at our disposal.
“The gains of our initiatives over the past two and a half years have been very obvious to all Nigerians. This is clear from the level of investigation, prosecution and forfeitures involving both public and private sector officials in the country. The message has therefore been passed loud and clear that never again as a nation are we going to allow the wanton diversion and embezzlement of public funds to private pockets.
“Nigerians will further recall that pursuant to requisite directives, recovered assets are progressively being returned to designated accounts by the anti-graft agencies and other agencies of Government involved with the process.”
President Buhari said that in the course of implementing the exercise and given the number of agencies who are concurrently pursuing specialized initiatives and making recoveries for Government, “it has become obvious that fundamental gaps still exist in ensuring that the recovered assets are accounted for.”
He recalled that he had directed, earlier in the year, that all agencies should send in detailed reports of all their recovered assets as at March, 2017, adding that the decision to inaugurate the Audit Committee on the Recovery and Management of Stolen Assets within and Outside Nigeria is the next step in ensuring that all returns filed by the various agencies are accurate and consistent with actual recoveries made.
“The Committee, in essence, is therefore expected to judiciously undertake an audit of all recovery accounts established by government agencies from the date of opening such accounts up to 10th April, 2017. The details of the Committee’s functions are as set out in your Terms of Reference.”
The President asked all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Banks, and Companies to give the Committee full cooperation as its assignment is crucial not only to the harvesting of needed resources for the national development but also in setting out a fresh template of public accountability.
“Where it becomes necessary, the Committee will of course rely on existing laws to compel the production of information and will also have the benefit of necessary interventions by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in obtaining such information through legal processes, where so required.”
Buhari gave the Committee a time frame of four weeks to finish the assignment and submit its Report to his office.[myad]

Boko Haram Suffers Major Setback As Air Force Destroys Its Bomb-Making Facility In Konduga

Greenbarge Reporters

November 22, 2017

Boko Haram has suffered another major set back as the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), under the Operation LAFIYA DOLE, has destroyed its facility for manufacturing of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
Information reaching us said that the destroyed facility is in a place known as YIWE Forest and is located 23 kilometres south of Konduga in Borno State.
The information said that previous NAF Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions had revealed the location to be a Boko Hharam’s hideout, from where the Maiduguri suicide bombing of 18 November was reportedly planned.
Available Human Intelligence also revealed that the hideout contained IED-making facility for the insurgents’ suicide bombing attacks.
The Director of Public
Relations and Information, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, confirmed one Mi-17 Helicopter, 2 x Alpha Jet and 2 x F-7Ni aircraft were detailed to carry out air interdiction on the target over a 2-day period. ‘Overhead the location, the aircraft took turns to deliver a combination of bombs, rockets and cannons on the target.
“The subsequent Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) revealed that the strikes had destroyed the IED-making facility and other Boko Haram’s structures, killing an unspecified number of insurgents in the process.”
The Army spokesman said that the air strikes also caused a huge flame within the settlement, owing to the cache of IEDs stored by the Boko Haram Terrorists, while a few fleeing insurgents were further strafed with cannons and rockets.[myad]

Legal Battle: Journalist, Shuaib Floors Federal Govt As Court Orders His Reinstatement In NEMA

Greenbarge Reporters

November 22, 2017

A senior Journalist and former Spokesperson of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Yushau A. Shuaib has gained the job he lost over for years ago, as Justice David Isele of the National Industrial Court (NIC) ordered his immediate reinstatement.
Yushau A. Shuaib was believed to have been forceful retired In 2013 over an opinion article he wrote on the former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Shuaib had, through Barrister James Ode Abah of Bamidele Aturu Legal Chamber, sued the Finance Minister, Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) and Federal Ministry of information over the purported retirement.
Delivering the Judgement, Justice Isele declared that the letter retiring Shuaib from service has no force of law and is therefore illegal, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect whatsoever being in flagrant violation of the civil service rules.
The judge also declared: “the premature retirement of NEMA spokesperson by the Federal Government without conducting any investigation, without giving him an opportunity to defend himself and without complying with the condition precedent for retirement is contrary to section 36 of the 1999 Constitution and therefore illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and null and void.”
The court, therefore, ordered the immediate reinstatement of Yushau Shuaib to his duty post as the Chief Information Officer without any loss to seniority, salaries, position and other emoluments.
The judge orderd the Federal Government to compute and pay within 30 days (before Xmas/New Year) all Shuaib’s salaries, allowances and other emoluments due to him from June 2013 to the judgment date (November 22, 2017) and interest at the prevailing commercial bank’s rate on his total package.
The case centred on the illegal and unlawful retirement of Shuaib over an allegation of criticizing a former Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in an opinion article on lopsided appointment in the public service. Early in his statement of defence before the court, Shuaib had stated that Public Service Rule 030421 gave him the right to write an article. The section states that “Nothing in this rule shall be deemed to prevent an officer from publishing in his own name, by writing, speech or broadcast matters relating to a subject of general interest which does not contain a critic of any officer.” He also cited Section 39 (1) of the 1999 Constitution which states that “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including the freedom to hold opinions and receive and impart ideas and information without interference.”
Shuaib, an award-winning writer, was offered automatic employment by Delta State and Federal Government after winning State and Presidential Awards of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) scheme in 1993.
He had served at various organisations as Public Relations Officer and Press Secretary, including Delta State Government House, Asaba; Ministry of Information, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), National Press Centre, and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
After his purported compulsory retirement, Shuaib activated PRNigeria, a press release platform for critical institutions in Nigeria, serving the Military, Security, Intelligence and Response Agencies among others.[myad]

Buhari Declares War On Bandits In Zamfara, Sends Army After Them

Greenbarge Reporters

November 22, 2017

President Muhammadu Buhari and Chief of Army staff, Lt. Tukur Yusuf Burtai

President Muhammadu Buhari has declared a formal war with bandits operating in rural communities in Zamfara State, ordering a military crackdown on them.
The President was angered by another round of fresh attacks which the faceless bandits launched on some communities in Shinkafi and Maradun Local Government Areas.
A statement by the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said that Buhari has given enabling impetus for the army to carry out the mandate.
The statement said that the President has approved the request of the minister of Defence, retired Brigadier General Mansur Dan Ali for the stationing of a full battalion of Special Forces in Zamfara State, and the operationalization of the newly-established 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto in the new Order of Battle (OBAT).
The President is reported to have also approved the movement of the 1 Brigade of the Nigerian Army from Sokoto to Gusau upon the take-off of the 8 Division.
“To tackle the desperate actions of Boko Haram terrorists in the Northeast, through the use of mostly female, underage girls as suicide bombers, President Buhari has equally approved the setting up of an intelligence fusion centre in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for the purpose of gathering and sharing intelligence among the security agencies in the country.
“This phase of the war will be intelligence-driven and the new centre is expected to intensify the harvesting and sharing of intelligence so as to bring to an early closure, the desperate last-minute activities of the terrorists.” [myad]

Veteran Nigeria Football Striker, Aiyegbeni, Hangs Boots

Greenbarge Reporters

November 22, 2017

The 35-year-old veteran striker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who played in England for Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, Leicester City, Blackburn Rovers and Reading, has called it quits.
Aiyegbeni has however, remained without a club since he left Coventry City after just three games in April.
Announcing his retirement, the versatile footballer said: “I would like to officially announce my retirement from professional football today,” he told SkySports.
“Firstly, I would like to thank God for the career I have had. I would like to thank the entire Nigerian Football Federation and my Nigerian national team-mates for all the memorable years I had been playing for the Super Eagles.
“I would also like to thank all the football clubs I played for. The managers, all club staff, owners, fellow players and my dearest family and friends who immensely supported me throughout my career.
“When I started my career at Julius Berger in Nigeria, all those years ago (1997) I could only have dreamt of the success that was to follow years after.
“Also playing in England, especially helped me grow as a player and as a person so much that I am now settled here. I feel the time is right for me to now focus on the next chapter in my life.”
Yakubu played over 50 games for Nigeria’s Super Eagles, with his debut coming in a 4-0, 2002 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win against Eritrea.
He featured at the 2000 Olympics, in four Afcons, and at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, having been overlooked for the tournament in Germany four years earlier. [myad]

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