Friday, 17 May 2013
Welcome to Naija Gist: 11 Women Arrested For Shooting Porn Movie With Dog...
Welcome to Naija Gist: 11 Women Arrested For Shooting Porn Movie With Dog...: Eleven women and one foreign man have been arrested after they were caught shooting an adult movie with a dog in Nyali, Mombasa. The 12 ...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Nigerian Senator Caught At A Night Club Last Night...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Nigerian Senator Caught At A Night Club Last Night...: 64 Years Old Senator Ita Giwa was captured at a Night Club partying harder just like a “RockStar”. Her recent chieftaincy title presen...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Cell phone service cut in NIGERIA...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Cell phone service cut in NIGERIA...: A convoy of military vehicles heading out of Abuja as thousands of troops deploy to Borno, Yobe and Adamawa stat...
11 Women Arrested For Shooting Porn Movie With Dog
Eleven women and one foreign man have been arrested after they were caught shooting an adult movie with a dog in Nyali, Mombasa.
The 12 are said to have been engaging in sex with a dog while the camera was on.
According to Mombassa boss, the area has been infested with foreigners who come with different motives. Others are said to have come for tour while others come to engage in prostitution.
The 12 were caught performing one of the most embarrassing sexual crime ever. The man was capturing the Kenyan ladies on tape as they had sex with his Dog, a German Shepard.
The police boss noted that many ladies have turned into such acts for money. He confirmed that the camera was confiscated and will be used as evidence. The 12 will be arraigned in court to answer to the charges.
Nigerian Senator Caught At A Night Club Last Night [PHOTOS]
Cell phone service cut in NIGERIA...
. Curfew imposed on Adamawa
. House-to-house search in Maiduguri. US warns FG on use of excessive force
Mobile phone service was turned off yesterday in Borno and Yobe, stifling social life and business activities in two of the three states affected by the proclamation of state of emergency on Tuesday.
Daily Trust’s correspondents reported that services of all the GSM networks—Airtel, MTN, Glo and Etisalat—were unavailable since early morning yesterday, obviously turned off as part of the military operation aimed at ridding the areas of insurgents.
There was no official statement on why the cell phone services were turned off, but insurgents were believed to have used mobile phones to remotely detonate bombs in the past.
Fighter jets and thousands of troops have been deployed to Borno and Yobe, as well as to Adamawa State which is also under emergency rule, to try to dislodge insurgents whose uprising caused the death of thousands since 2009.
“I think the cell phone service cut was taken in order to give way for soldiers to launch unhindered onslaught on suspects in targeted areas,” a Maiduguri resident said.
Cell phone service disruption is not new to some parts of northern Borno, as many towns in Gubio and Monguno local government areas have been without service since last year when insurgents destroyed cell towers there.
But for the first time, southern Borno including Biu, Hawul and Bayo local government areas have been affected following yesterday’s cut of mobile phone services.
Grema Babagoni, who came into Maiduguri from Biu, said the cell phone service shut down affected social and economic lives of the people.
Motorists who came to Maiduguri from the border towns of Gamboru Ngala and Marte said Cameroonian authorities also turned off telecommunication signals that reach those communities.
“We relied on Cameroon (for network services) for a very long period of time but we woke up today (yesterday) and found out that all the signals are gone,” a motorist said.
Bus drivers who came to Damaturu motor park from various locations in Yobe State also told our correspondent that GSM services were turned off across the 17 local government areas.
Malam Samaila Sule, a bus driver from Gaidam, said he noticed the service failure around 3am when he intended calling home to know the condition of his sick child. “I was worried when I discovered the shutting down of GSM services, because I left my child terribly ill,” he said.
Some recharge card sellers in Maiduguri said their source of livelihood has been affected and so most of them were forced to remain at home. “This is a big problem as I have not sold a single recharge card since morning,” Mohammed Gobir said.
But internet facilities not reliant on cell phone companies were running yesterday in the two states.
Telecoms operators told Daily Trust they were aware of the services cut but declined to say if this was caused by military activities. Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr Gbenga Adebayo, said members of the organisation were working on the problem.
An official at telephony regulator Nigerian Communications Commission confirmed to our reporter that military operations led to the cutting off of cell phone services.
But spokesman for the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, denied this.
“You should know that even before now there were difficulties in telephone services in the area because the insurgents have destroyed several telecommunication facilities. As soon as you leave Maiduguri, you will be experiencing network problems until you get to Chad,” he said.
Curfew in Adamawa
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army yesterday imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Adamawa State following the presidential declaration of the state of emergency.
It is the first major change witnessed in the state since the declaration of the state of emergency on Tuesday.
A statement signed by the army public relations officer in Yola Lt. Jaaru Mohammed Nuhu said the decision followed the imposition of the state of emergency in the state and neighbouring Borno and Yobe.
The full statement reads: “Sequel to the Presidential Declaration of a State of Emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, a 6pm to 6am curfew has been imposed on Adamawa State with effect from 16 May 2013. All law abiding citizens are advised to abide by the curfew”.
Lt. Nuhu later told Daily Trust that even before declaration of the state of emergency, the army has been actively involved in security operation in the state, and that the same operation would just continue.
There has not been any visible change in troops’ deployment in Yola yet since the declaration of the state of emergency.
At the 23 Brigade headquarters in Yola, our correspondent did not see any obvious increase of troops.
The army spokesman declined to say whether some have been sent to other parts of the state after the declaration. He said troops’ movement has been going on in the state even before the declaration.
In the state capital, Yola, people are still going about their businesses as usual, but many expressed worries over the imposition of the curfew, saying it was unnecessary.
House-to-house search in Maiduguri
In Maiduguri, residents said security operatives have stepped up house- to-house search throughout Wednesday night and yesterday.
Baba Musa of Kula Gumna area said soldiers had surrounded the area in the early hours of yesterday and searched houses. Similar activities took place in Tashar Gwoza, Lawan Bukar, Mairi, Gomari airport and Bulunkutu areas, Daily Trust learnt.
Travellers coming into Maiduguri had to pass through thorough screening at Jimtilo, the main entrance for motorists from Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and southern part of Nigeria.
Vehicles had to wait for hours in gridlocks along the Bauchi-Maiduguri road before they got screened.
A bus driver who took off from Bauchi around 6am yesterday said it took him over ten hours to get to Maiduguri, a journey that would normally have lasted about five hours.
“This is a new phase of difficulty for us. All the passengers in my vehicle were asked to go out from the vehicle at the entrance of Potiskum, Damaturu and Maiduguri. They were asked to identify themselves while their luggage was searched,” he said.
But the Yobe State capital Damaturu remained calm, even though the cell phone service cut has caused hardship for the people.
Elsewhere, the sight of troops scared locals, said Malam Baa Aji Geidam who came to Damaturu from Gaidam. “The soldiers were staying calm in their camp, and did not harass anybody,” he said.
Meanwhile, the United States yesterday reiterated its call on Nigerian authorities to avoid high-handedness in the military operation against insurgents.
At a daily briefing in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, acting deputy spokesman of the State Department, Mr. Patrick Ventrell, said: “Nigeria’s security forces must protect civilians in any security response in a way that respects human rights and the rule of law…. we have made clear to the Nigerian government that its heavy-handed response to insecurity in northern Nigeria and the failure to address human rights violations will potentially affect our ability to provide security assistance going forward. So we’ve made that message clear to the Nigerians.”
Welcome to Naija Gist: 28.2 Million Americans May Have Committed Adultery...
Welcome to Naija Gist: 28.2 Million Americans May Have Committed Adultery...: 28.2 Million Americans May Have Committed Adultery Without Even Realizing It When it comes to cult TV shows, it's impossible to ...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn’s Relationship Heats ...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn’s Relationship Heats ...: Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn’s Relationship Heats Up Tiger Woods (WENN) Lindsey Vonn (WENN) Despite last week's literal s...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Umbrella-toting Marines protect Obama, Turkish PM ...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Umbrella-toting Marines protect Obama, Turkish PM ...: Umbrella-toting Marines protect Obama, Turkish PM from raindrops When you're the president of the United States, you don'...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Huge, world-record cod taken by German fisherman
Welcome to Naija Gist: Huge, world-record cod taken by German fisherman: Huge, world-record cod taken by German fisherman 103-pound fish caught off Norway donated to Norwegi...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Man finds $4.85 million Lotto ticket in cookie jar...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Man finds $4.85 million Lotto ticket in cookie jar...: Man finds $4.85 million Lotto ticket in cookie jar By Mike Krumboltz | A man facing foreclosure on his Geneva, Ill., house fo...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Huge, world-record cod taken by German fisherman
Welcome to Naija Gist: Huge, world-record cod taken by German fisherman: Huge, world-record cod taken by German fisherman 103-pound fish caught off Norway donated to Norwegi...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Man finds $4.85 million Lotto ticket in cookie jar...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Man finds $4.85 million Lotto ticket in cookie jar...: Man finds $4.85 million Lotto ticket in cookie jar By Mike Krumboltz | A man facing foreclosure on his Geneva, Ill., house fo...
Welcome to Naija Gist: David Beckham, a true one of a kind, retires
Welcome to Naija Gist: David Beckham, a true one of a kind, retires: David Beckham, a true one of a kind, retires David Beckham announced his soccer retirement on Thursday, bringing down the curtain on...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Monster Texas tornado kills six, seven people miss...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Monster Texas tornado kills six, seven people miss...: Monster Texas tornado kills six, seven people missing View Photo Reuters/Reuters - A trailer blown into a home on Lindsay Lane i...
Welcome to Naija Gist: NYC artist's secret photos raise privacy issues
Welcome to Naija Gist: NYC artist's secret photos raise privacy issues: View Photo Associated Press/Bebeto Matthews - A visitor views the photography of Arne Svenson on Thursday, May 16, 2013 at...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Only 2 of 13 small SUVs do well in crash tests
Welcome to Naija Gist: Only 2 of 13 small SUVs do well in crash tests: Only 2 of 13 small SUVs do well in crash tests This undated image provided by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows a 201...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Parents of Kids Allegedly Killed by Nanny Are Expe...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Parents of Kids Allegedly Killed by Nanny Are Expe...: Parents of Kids Allegedly Killed by Nanny Are Expecting a Baby Good Morning America - Parents of Murdered Children Are Expecting ...
Welcome to Naija Gist: NYC artist's secret photos raise privacy issues
Welcome to Naija Gist: NYC artist's secret photos raise privacy issues: View Photo Associated Press/Bebeto Matthews - A visitor views the photography of Arne Svenson on Thursday, May 16, 2013 at...
Welcome to Naija Gist: 'The Bling Ring' Broke Into Paris Hilton's House ....
Welcome to Naija Gist: 'The Bling Ring' Broke Into Paris Hilton's House ....: 'The Bling Ring' Broke Into Paris Hilton's House ... Again! Paris Hilton's house is seen here in 'The Bling Ring&...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Umbrella-toting Marines protect Obama, Turkish PM ...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Umbrella-toting Marines protect Obama, Turkish PM ...: Umbrella-toting Marines protect Obama, Turkish PM from raindrops When you're the president of the United States, you don'...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn’s Relationship Heats ...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn’s Relationship Heats ...: Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn’s Relationship Heats Up Tiger Woods (WENN) Lindsey Vonn (WENN) Despite last week's literal s...
Welcome to Naija Gist: 28.2 Million Americans May Have Committed Adultery...
Welcome to Naija Gist: 28.2 Million Americans May Have Committed Adultery...: 28.2 Million Americans May Have Committed Adultery Without Even Realizing It When it comes to cult TV shows, it's impossible to ...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Parents of Kids Allegedly Killed by Nanny Are Expe...
Welcome to Naija Gist: Parents of Kids Allegedly Killed by Nanny Are Expe...: Parents of Kids Allegedly Killed by Nanny Are Expecting a Baby Good Morning America - Parents of Murdered Children Are Expecting ...
Huge, world-record cod taken by German fisherman
Huge, world-record cod taken by German fisherman
103-pound fish caught off Norway donated to Norwegian fishing museum
A German fisherman and his group were just about to give up after a slow and unproductive day of fishing off the Norwegian island of Soroya when a huge, world-record fish changed their plans.
Michael Eisele of Kiel, Germany, hooked into a monster Atlantic cod that had his knees shaking when the fish breached the surface after having battled it for more than 30 minutes.
So big was the fish, two of Eisele’s friends kept ahold of him for fear he’d be pulled overboard. The fisherman also needed help from the two to heave the behemoth fish onto the boat.
The fish was 5 feet long and weighed a whopping 103 pounds, making it the biggest cod ever landed by a recreational angler. If approved by the International Game Fish Association as a world record, the fish would supplant the current world record of 98 pounds, 12 ounces, caught 44 years ago off New Hampshire.
“It was an indescribable feeling,” Eisele told the UK Daily Mail. “It was a fish of a lifetime. I am a little proud to have the record.”
To give an idea how impressive the catch was, consider that the record for the biggest cod caught in British waters is 58 pounds.
The UK Telegraph reported that an owner of two fish-and-chip shops calculated that a fish the size of Eisele’s record fish would provide 200 portions of the iconic British meal.
But the fish won’t be headed to anybody’s plate. Eisele is donating the cod to the Norwegian Fisheries Museum in Bergen where it will be stuffed and mounted for all the world to see.
Photos used by permission of Michael Eisele
Man finds $4.85 million Lotto ticket in cookie jarBy Mike Krumboltz
Man finds $4.85 million Lotto ticket in cookie jarBy Mike Krumboltz |
A man facing foreclosure on his Geneva, Ill., house found a solution to his problem in the unlikeliest of places—the cookie jar.
Richard Cerezo was going through his old lottery tickets, which he kept in a cookie jar, the Chicago Tribune
reports, and took them to the 7-Eleven to see if he had any winners.
For one of them, it turned out, he needed to file a claim, which,
according to Cerezo, meant the ticket was worth at least $600.Excited, he returned home and checked the numbers on his computer.
From the Chicago Tribune:
“As each number kept matching, the smile kept going higher and higher. And when I realized we had all six numbers, it was that shocking moment of, ‘Whoa, can this really be?’” he said in a news conference on Wednesday. “Fast forward to the next day, Monday: Called in sick ... went down into Chicago. It’s one of feelings where it’s okay if they fire me.”Cerezo spoke to lottery officials, who told him the ticket was worth $4.85 million. Cerezo told reporters that he purchased the ticket in February, which meant he'd been sitting on the fortune for months without realizing it.
“It couldn’t have happened at a better time," Cerezo said, according to the paper. "I just thought, this is how God works."
Cerezo said he plans to use part of the winnings to pay off his home.
David Beckham, a true one of a kind, retires
David Beckham, a true one of a kind, retires
David Beckham announced his soccer retirement on Thursday, bringing down the curtain on a unique career that cannot be defined by any usual standards.
The past 20 years of the Beckham show cannot be measured in simple
statistics, although nearly 800 games, 10 league championships and
participation in three World Cups tell a compelling story of a man who
operated at the top of his profession in a career largely spent with
some of the biggest clubs in the world.Beckham's reach was greater than that though, transcending even the most globally popular of all sports. His looks, good naturedness and marriage to Spice Girl Victoria created a fascination with the now 38-year-old that saw his face adorn billboards in over 100 countries and represent charities and leading brands alike.
England's David Beckham celebrates his goal against Azerbaijan in 2005. (REUTERS)That
level of attention lavished upon an athlete is always going to bring
some suspicion about their commitment to the game, but Beckham remained a
fierce competitor, and for all the celebrity shoulder-rubbing and
glitzy photo shoots, soccer success never dimmed in its importance to
him.
[Related: Sky Sports weighs in big time on David Beckham retirement]His announcement Thursday came after his current and final club, French side Paris St Germain, clinched its first title in 19 years. After two more games to close out the French season, Beckham will hang up his cleats once and for all.
"I'm thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level," Beckham said in a statement.
American fans will naturally remember him most for what he gave to the game in the United States over the course of five and a half years with the Los Angeles Galaxy, culminating in back-to-back MLS Cup titles in 2011 and 2012 and establishing that franchise as the heavyweight of the league.
The impossible task of putting the game on a popularity par with the long-established American sports was ultimately beyond him, as it was always going to be, yet there is no doubt he served to heighten the game's overall reach and left an imprint on the pubic consciousness.
Merely coming to the States, while in his early 30s and still capable of performing at the highest level, sent a powerful statement about the future upside of MLS, and the league continues to build upon that boost of attention and credibility.
If Beckham is honest, he will admit there were moments of regret during his first two seasons, as the Galaxy floundered on the field and the whole experiment threatened to collapse.
Yet he came to love American soccer and society and the energy he put into the Galaxy's cause in his final two years left no doubt that he had found peace in Los Angeles.
A clause in his Galaxy contract that allows him to purchase an MLS franchise at a knockdown rate means American soccer has almost certainly not seen the last of him.
[Related: Is an MLS franchise in David Beckham's future?]
Indeed, Beckham may be as busy in retirement as he was as a player. He has already agreed to a lucrative deal to become an ambassador for Chinese soccer, as that nation seeks to increase its soccer profile, and it is likely he will also perform a similar role for the Qatar group that owns PSG and several other worldwide soccer properties.
His brand is so powerful that it is sometimes easy to forget that for a period towards the end of the last millennium and into the new one, Beckham truly was one of the best in the world.
He finished runner-up in the World Footballer of the Year voting in 1999 and 2001 and was a key part of Manchester United's extraordinary late fightback to beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in 1999.
United was where he started his professional career
and it is fitting that his retirement comes just a week after his
mentor, legendary United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, announced his own retirement.
The pair had a famous falling out towards the end of Beckham's United
stay when a ranting Ferguson kicked a stray cleat in the team's locker
room and it struck the player above the eye, though the relationship was
mended on both sides in the years that followed.
By then Beckham had moved on, joining Real Madrid's collection of
international superstars in 2003 and ultimately helping them to the
Spanish league title before his departure in 2007.All the while, he represented England's national team, accumulating 115 appearances – a record for an outfield player, with 58 of them as captain. World Cup glory eluded him, with quarterfinal runs in 2002 and 2006 the closest he and England came, as well as a quarterfinal exit in the 2004 European Championship.
Many felt Beckham may retire after extending his Galaxy contract one more year to take in the 2012 campaign. However, having decided on one more challenge at PSG, the opportunity to go out on top was too much to resist.
He could have plodded on for another season and there would have been no shortage of interested parties, but in reality, time was catching up with him physically.
He managed 11 games in the second half of PSG's season, including going head-to-head with Barcelona in the Champions League, but the aches and pains in his legs could not be ignored any longer.
Going out a winner fell neatly with the blueprint for a man whose career has always had an element of fairytale about it, and PSG's joyous title-winning celebration was the perfect way to bow out.
Soccer's timeless history rolls on and over the generations that follow there will be others who win titles and command huge salaries and take their talents around the globe.
It may be a long time, however, before we see another who can compete with the finest on the field, then step into a suit to meet political heavyweights, go party with the biggest celebrities on the planet, then finish it off with a waltz down the catwalk.
Beckham, in that sense, is truly one of a kind.
Monster Texas tornado kills six, seven people missing
Monster Texas tornado kills six, seven people missing
- View PhotoPete Alaniz assesses the damage …
- View PhotoA trailer blown into a home on …
By Jana J. Pruet
GRANBURY, Texas
(Reuters) - Six people were dead and seven missing after a powerful
tornado ripped through a neighborhood that included housing for the poor
in the north Texas town of Granbury, marking the deadliest severe storm outbreak in the United States so far this year.Authorities were assessing damage and searching through rubble on Thursday afternoon, hoping to find survivors among the twisted metal and splintered wood of flattened homes.
"This tornado was a monster," said Hood County Commissioner Steve Berry. "It's just devastating."
The tornado, which brought winds of 166-200 miles per hour, was rated an EF4 by the National Weather Service (NWS), the second-most powerful level for such a storm, said NWS meteorologist Mark Wiley.
EF4 tornadoes are rare and can blow away a well constructed wood or brick home, according to weather service ratings.
Granbury, a town of 8,000 people about 35 miles southwest of Dallas-Fort Worth, took the hardest hit.
Officials counted six dead in Hood County, where Granbury is located, said county spokesman, Tye Bell. Another seven were missing and at least 45 people were injured, with most of the victims coming from the Rancho Brazos subdivision of approximately 110 mostly single-family homes.
HID IN CLOSET
Ronna Cotten, 38, was home with three of her four children when the sirens went off. She and the children, ages 14, 12 and 8, hid in a hallway closet as the twister ripped the roof off their home. When she emerged with her children after the storm passed, Cotten saw "bodies everywhere," she said.
"We're trying to figure out what to do one step at a time," she said.
Frank Gamez, a construction worker in Granbury, said he found the body of a friend as he and other people searched the neighborhood after the tornado hit Wednesday evening.
"We lost one of our friends. We found him laying on the ground," Gamez said.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry issued a statement saying he was "deeply saddened" by the deaths, and that state officials were assisting with local needs.
"The thoughts of 26 million Texans are with those suffering today," Perry said.
The area hit included 61 homes built by Habitat for Humanity, the charity said on its website. Habitat for Humanity uses volunteers to build and repair homes for low-income residents.
Gamez said one Habitat for Humanity home that was to be officially presented to a poor family this weekend, was completely destroyed.
"There's nothing there but concrete slabs," he said.
Angela Jackson, 47, said her home, which was built by Habitat for Humanity 11 years ago, suffered roof damage and broken windows but was still standing.
"We've had high winds before and hail but nothing like this," Jackson said. "It was a freak storm."
In nearby Parker County, about 14 homes and farms had severe roof damage and other structural damage and a few buildings were destroyed, said Parker County Judge Mark Riley. No injuries or deaths were reported.
Preliminary reports showed that the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Granbury 26 minutes before the twister struck, according to Wiley. That is an unusually long lead time as the average warning time is 10 to 12 minutes, he said.
Until Wednesday, the tornado season had been unusually mild so far in 2013 after two years of intense activity. Only three people have died in tornadoes so far in 2013, according to weather service statistics.
The deadliest tornado year in decades was 2011 when 553 people were killed, including 161 from a massive tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri in May that year.
In March 2012, at least 39 people were killed in a chain of tornadoes from the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico. A total of 70 people were killed in tornadoes last year.
The tornado season in the United States typically starts in the Gulf Coast states in the late winter, and then moves north with the warming weather, peaking around May and trailing off by July.
More stormy weather is expected later on Thursday in northeast Texas, southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana, but not in the area of Texas hit by tornadoes on Wednesday, the weather service said.
(Additional reporting by Ian Simpson, Barbara Goldberg, Paul Thomasch, Corrie MacLaggan, Lisa Maria Garza and Marice Richter; Writing by Carey Gillam; Editing by Greg McCune and Sofina Mirza-Reid)
NYC artist's secret photos raise privacy issues
NEW YORK (AP) — In one photo, a woman is on all fours,
presumably picking something up, her posterior pressed against a glass
window. Another photo shows a couple in bathrobes, their feet touching
beneath a table. And there is one of a man, in jeans and a T-shirt,
lying on his side as he takes a nap.
In all the photos, taken by New York City artist Arne Svenson from his second-floor apartment, the faces are obscured or not shown. The people are unidentifiable.
But the residents of a glass-walled luxury residential building
across the street had no idea they were being photographed and they
never consented to being subjects for the works of art that are now on
display — and for sale — in a Manhattan gallery.
"I don't feel it's a violation in a legal sense but in a New York, personal sense there was a line crossed," said Michelle Sylvester, who lives in the residential building
called the Zinc Building, which stands out with its floor-to-ceiling
windows in a neighborhood of cobblestone streets and old, brick
warehouse buildings.
Svenson's apartment is directly across the street, just to the south,
giving him a clear view of his neighbors by simply looking out his
window."I think there's an understanding that when you live here with glass windows, there will be straying eyes but it feels different with someone who has a camera," Sylvester said.
Svenson's show, "The Neighbors," opened last Saturday at the Julie Saul Gallery in Chelsea, where about a dozen large prints are on sale for up to $7,500. His exhibit is drawing a lot of attention, not for the quality of the work, but for the manner in which it was made.
Svenson did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press, but says in material accompanying the exhibit that the idea for it came when he inherited a telephoto lens from a friend, a birdwatcher who recently died.
"For my subjects there is no question of privacy; they are performing behind a transparent scrim on a stage of their own creation with the curtain raised high," Svenson says in the gallery notes. "The Neighbors don't know they are being photographed; I carefully shoot from the shadows of my home into theirs."
That explanation has done little to satisfy some residents of the Zinc Building, where a penthouse was once listed at nearly $6 million. In an email circulating among the building's owners and renters this week, a resident whose apartment was depicted in Svenson's photographs suggested legal recourse against the artist.
"I am not an expert in this area of the law, but I do think we may have some rights and the ability to stop this," the email reads. "I love art, but find this to be an outrageous invasion of privacy."
Civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel said that according to New York civil rights law, there may be a way for Svenson's subjects to challenge him in court but the case will depend entirely on context.
"The question for the person who's suing is, if you're not identifiable, then where's the loss of privacy?" he said. "These issues are a sign of the times. How do you balance the right of privacy vis-Ã -vis the right of artistic expression?"
Linda Darcia, an exchange student from Colombia living with a family on the sixth floor facing Svenson's studio, said she had no idea whether or not she was depicted in any of the pieces but she was anxious to go to the gallery and find out.
"I'm not really upset about it because that's his job," she said. "But maybe he should have asked before the gallery opens. Everybody's talking about it."
Only 2 of 13 small SUVs do well in crash tests
Only 2 of 13 small SUVs do well in crash tests
- This undated image provided by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows a 2014 Subaru Forester during a small overlap frontal crash test. Subaru's 2014 Forester is one of only two of 13 small SUVs that are getting passing grades in front-end crash tests done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Popular models such as the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape and Jeep Wrangler received only "marginal" or "poor" ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. (AP Photo/he Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
DETROIT (AP) — Only two of 13 small SUVs performed well
in front-end crash tests done by an insurance industry group, with
several popular models faring poorly in the evaluations.
Subaru's 2014 Forester was the only vehicle to get the top "good"
rating in the results released Thursday. The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander
Sport was rated as "acceptable." But fast-selling models such as the
Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Jeep Wrangler received only "marginal" or
"poor" ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.Small and midsize SUVs, which get decent gas mileage and have the cargo and passenger space of larger SUVs, are among the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. auto market. Sales grew 50 percent from 2005 to last year, when U.S. consumers bought more than 2.5 million of them, according to Ward's AutoInfoBank.
The IIHS ratings are influential because many auto shoppers find them while researching vehicles on the Internet. The group says its crash tests and ratings are designed to get automakers to improve the crashworthiness of their vehicles.
The ratings are for the institute's "small overlap" crash test that covers only 25 percent of a vehicle's front end. The test was added to the IIHS evaluations last year, with the institute aiming to push automakers into bolstering the crash resistance of their vehicles.
The group's tests are more stringent than the U.S. government's full-width front crash test. The institute says that in many vehicles, a crash affecting one-quarter of the front end misses the main structures designed to absorb the impact of a crash. Yet such crashes account for nearly a quarter of the collisions that cause serious or fatal injuries to people in the front seats, IIHS said.
The new Ford Escape, the top-selling small SUV so far this year, got a "poor" overall rating, while Honda's CR-V, the No. 2 seller, got a "marginal" rating. Toyota's RAV-4, another big seller, hasn't done the testing yet because Toyota asked for a delay to improve the vehicle's structure, the IIHS said.
Other SUVs getting "poor" ratings were the Jeep Patriot, Buick Encore, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tuscson, the institute said. The BMW X1, Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen Tiguan and Jeep Wrangler two-door all got "marginal" ratings.
Ford said in a statement that the Escape is safe because it is equipped with advanced safety features and a structure designed to manage the impact of a crash. But the company said it takes new developments in crash performance seriously.
The Forester and Outlander Sport each received the IIHS' coveted "Top Safety Pick Plus" award because they performed well in multiple tests including the small offset crash. Many of the other SUVs, including the Escape and CR-V, won "Top Safety Pick" designations, but didn't get the "plus" due to their performance in the small offset tests. Only 20 vehicles across all car segments have received the IIHS "Top Safety Pick Plus" award.
"With the redesigned Forester, Subaru's engineers set out to do well in our new test, and they succeeded," Joe Nolan, the institute's vice president of vehicle research, said in a statement. "This is exactly how we hoped manufacturers would respond to improve protection."
All SUVs tested, except the Forester, were 2012 or 2013 models. The institute said tests of 2012 models were valid because no significant design changes were made between model years.
Honda said in a statement that the CR-V earned a Top Safety Pick award, which was the best when it was introduced in 2011. The company would not comment when asked if it's reworking the CR-V so it does better in the small offset test.
Chrysler said the Wrangler and Patriot both meet or exceed all government safety requirements and perform well in real-world driving. Like most of the vehicles tested, both were designed before the IIHS added the small offset test.
The IIHS tests have a big impact on car-buying decisions because people are concerned about safety when they shift to smaller vehicles, said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of auto sales forecasting for LMC Automotive, an industry consulting firm. People buy the small SUVs, which also are called crossovers, or CUVs, because they perceive them to be safer than cars, he said.
The test results "could impact sales of these models, but more so with families and with parents purchasing these for their kids," he said in an email.
IIHS conducts its small offset test by crashing vehicles into a fixed 5-foot-tall barrier at 40 mph to simulate collisions with a utility pole or tree. The institute gives vehicles demerits when the structure intrudes into the passenger compartment, or if a crash dummy suffers injuries to head, neck, chest or other parts of the body. The group also measures how well seat belts and air bags protect people. "Good" is the top rating, followed by "acceptable," then "marginal" and "poor."
28.2 Million Americans May Have Committed Adultery Without Even Realizing It
28.2 Million Americans May Have Committed Adultery Without Even Realizing It
Binge-watching shows together can be a very intimate experience. If you start The Wire together, it means you have to finish it together, watching every episode side-by-side, riding the emotional roller coaster that comes from watching Omar's exploits in Baltimore. That's where "Netflix Adultery," a term recently coined by The Cut, comes in. Think about that one time you knew your husband wouldn't be able to watch another episode of your current fix with you for three whole days, but you just had to know what happened next, so you hit play. Then, when he was finally ready to watch, you had to feign surprise at that one character's beheading - but you were totally faking it. Or he might have figured it out just from loading the series on Netflix; it automatically syncs to your most recently-watched spot, broadcasting your betrayal.
Parents of Kids Allegedly Killed by Nanny Are Expecting a Baby
Parents of Kids Allegedly Killed by Nanny Are Expecting a Baby
Nearly eight months after two of their children were stabbed to death allegedly by their nanny, Marina and Kevin Krim announced today they are expecting another child.
The couple made the announcement on the Facebook page for the Leo and Lulu Fund, a fund for arts education dedicated to the memory of their children. The Krim family also have a third child, 4-year-old Nessie, who was unharmed.
"We are very happy to let you know that Marina is expecting a baby in
the fall," the family wrote in the post. "Nessie can't wait to welcome
her new baby brother. We are filled with many emotions as we look to the
future, but the most important one is hope."
In October Marina Krim
returned home with her daughter Nessie to find the bodies of her son
Leo, 2, and daughter Lulu, 6, in a bathtub. Their nanny Yoselyn Ortega,
50, is charged with their murder.
The family's Lulu and Leo Fund was created weeks after the death of
their children. On the fund's Facebook page the couple have posted
reminisces of their children and described different ways they've dealt
with their grief.
Marina Krim wrote a post on Mother's Day recalling a family trip where her children picked up sand dollars to bring home. She also posted a picture of the sand dollars now mounted on her wall.
"Mounting [the sand dollars] on the wall this morning was therapeutic for me and a perfect way to connect with my angels this Mother's Day," Krim wrote.
Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn’s Relationship Heats Up
Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn’s Relationship Heats Up
Tiger Woods (WENN)
Lindsey Vonn (WENN)Despite last week's literal stumble, Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn's relationship appears to be on cruise control.
Woods, 37, was photographed this week hanging out with a bikini clad
Vonn, 28, at his home in Palm Beach, Florida. The athletic duo was
spotted fishing on Woods's million-dollar yacht — ironically named
Privacy — with his daughter Sam, 6, and son Charlie, 4. These are
Woods's two children with ex-wife Elin Nordegren, who actually lives
nearby. Vonn and Woods's romance must be getting serious if she is
spending quality time with his kids.The Olympic skier and golf champion made their official red carpet debut as a couple at last week's Met Gala in New York City; however, it was their behavior at the afterparty that had everyone buzzing. Woods apparently got a little too tipsy and fell down the stairs, embarrassing Vonn in front of the A-list crowd, according to Us Weekly.
It all appears to be boozy water under the bridge, though. Vonn was spotted supporting her beau at the Players Championship last weekend, which Woods won.
This isn't the first time Vonn has met Woods's kids … her brother gave Sam and Charlie ski lessons in Colorado last fall.
'The Bling Ring' Broke Into Paris Hilton's House ... Again!
'The Bling Ring' Broke Into Paris Hilton's House ... Again!
Paris Hilton's house is seen here in 'The Bling Ring' (Photo: A24/Inset: Getty Images)
Have you ever wanted to take a look inside Paris Hilton's mansion?
All you have to do is watch "The Bling Ring," debuting today at the
Cannes Film Festival in France.The 32-year-old hotel heiress is now speaking out about being the victim of the so-called Bling Ring burglaries that took place four years ago in her Hollywood Hills home – a home wherein she allowed Sofia Coppola to film a movie about the events.
Hilton let Coppola shoot several scenes inside her unique home. "Sofia came to my birthday party last year," Hilton told The Hollywood Reporter. "She loved my house and said it couldn't be re-created in a set."
Paris Hilton's real shoe closet is seen here in a scene in 'The Bling Ring' (Photo: Screengrab/A24)
Maybe
that's because Hilton's design aesthetic is truly matchless and can
only be compared to that of fictional character Elle Woods from "Legally
Blonde." Hilton's mansion has pictures and likenesses of her virtually everywhere on the property. There is also a whole lot of pink décor. Judging from images of Hilton's swank pad, her walk-in shoe closet and other massive closets are beyond compare. Her place houses so much high-end stuff, Hilton reportedly didn't realize her belongings were missing until one of the Bling Ring burglars stole about $2 million-worth of her jewelry.
Scenes in 'The Bling Ring,' seen here, were shot inside Paris Hilton's real home (Screengrab/A24)
Hilton's house was broken into at least five times by a group of
young people – mostly privileged teens – in the late 2000s. Other
celebrity victims of the so-called "Bling Ring" burglaries include
Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr, Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox,
Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Bilson, and Audrina Patridge. The case created
widespread media coverage and involved the theft of roughly $3 million
in cash and property.When it came to filming in her home, Hilton indicated she wouldn't have trusted any other director, according to THR. "I really admire her, an intelligent independent woman who's a director. Sofia knows everything about these kids now -- stuff I didn't know," Hilton acknowledged. She also told the Sun it was important for her to retell the story: "I wanted to help the filmmakers get across just how serious this crime is and how frightening and hurtful it is for the victims."
She also spoke of a traumatizing – though unrelated – home invasion that happened around the same time as the Bling Ring burglaries, when a crazed man tried to break into her mansion. "It was terrifying. I had never experienced anything like that before and it really shook the foundations of my world," she told the Sun in her first interview to date about the incident.
Hilton credited her then-boyfriend, Cy Waits, with saving her life. “He got his gun, went outside and put it to the man’s head. Cy forced him to the ground and held him there until the police arrived," she told the Sun.
After that ordeal, the Bling Ring burglaries, and yet another home invasion by a stalker, Hilton had enough and decided to withdraw from the public eye "before anything worse happened."
She says she is no longer interested in reality television and is instead focusing on building her business: "I’m growing my empire around the world."
Check out the trailer for 'The Bling Ring':
Umbrella-toting Marines protect Obama, Turkish PM from raindrops
Umbrella-toting Marines protect Obama, Turkish PM from raindrops
When you're the president of the United States, you don't hold your own umbrella. Highly trained Marines do it for you. There was an unexpected bit of rain during a joint news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the White House Rose Garden on Thursday.
As drops fell on the two world leaders, President Barack Obama asked for some protection from the elements. "Why don't we get a couple of Marines," he said. "They're gonna look good next to us. Just 'cuz I've got a change of suits, but I don't know about our prime minister. There we go. [Gestures to press.] You guys, I'm sorry about."
Two dedicated Marines swooped in like hawks, open umbrellas at the ready. Those attending the news conference were presumably on their own.
The mockery began on Twitter almost immediately. One self-identified conservative posted a picture with a caption reading: "OBAMA CALLS IN MARINES TO HOLD HIS UMBRELLA."
🇺🇸Obama calls in the MARINES to Hold his Umbrella❗ 👉#tcot #USMC #Troops #Vets #OpSLAM #teaparty #lnyhbt #Benghazi twitter.com/ChristiChat/st…
— Conservative❤ (@ChristiChat) May 16, 2013
But umbrella etiquette isn't new. Some might say it's a bipartisan issue. Behold Ronald and Nancy Reagan getting a rainy day assist from a member of the White House staff.
Reagan's umbrella guy had some great side burns. twitter.com/BuzzFeedAndrew…Others on Twitter extended their sympathy to the Marines tasked with the unenviable job.
— Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) May 16, 2013
The Few. The Proud. The Umbrella Holders. weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-ca… — David Burge (@iowahawkblog) May 16, 2013
I'm sure these Marines were happy they went through Parris Island just so they could hold an umbrella for PRESBOshar.es/Zqtb4 — wayne (@travelbond) May 16, 2013
CNN reports
that Marines being asked to hold umbrellas is "extremely rare,"
according to Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Greg Wolf. For one, it makes
it difficult for the Marines to properly salute.
After several minutes, Obama judged the rain to have passed and asked the Marines to return to their posts.
President Barack Obama decides he no longer needs umbrella help. (REUTERS/Jason Reed)
Security Forces Raid Boko Haram Camps in Borno
Security Forces Raid Boko Haram Camps in Borno
Nigerian soldiers
By Our Correspondents, with agency reports
With Tuesday’s declaration of state of emergency in Adamawa, Yobe and
Borno States and the subsequent deployment of more troops to the states,
the military has moved to the next stage of dislodging Boko Haram
terrorists who have carved a fiefdom for themselves in the troubled
north-eastern flank of the country.
It was gathered Thursday that some of the 2,000 troops deployed in
Borno in the aftermath of the presidential proclamation, have begun an
offensive to retake territory seized by the Islamist insurgents by
raiding camps in a game reserve in the state.
The Agence France Press (AFP) quoting a military source, said the
troops raided the terrorists’ camps in the Sambisa Game Reserve, located
in northern Borno, early on Wednesday to flush out members of the
terrorist group who have killed about 4,000 people since 2009 when they
took to arms struggle following the extra judicial killing of the sect
leader, Mohammed Yusuf.
Where necessary, the military could also resort to air strikes as it
confirmed Thursday that it was ready to launch air strikes against the
Islamists.
“The entire Nigerian military is involved in this operation, including
the air force,” defence spokesman Brigadier General Chris Olukolade told
AFP. “Definitely, air strikes will be used when necessary,” he said.
A force of “several thousand” soldiers along with fighter jets and
helicopter gunships have been deployed for the offensive in Borno, Yobe
and Adamawa States, he added.
While the military has vowed that the operation will “rid the nation’s
border territories of terrorist bases,” there are doubts as to whether
the security forces have the capacity to end the insurgency.
“The military is already overstretched,” former US ambassador to
Nigeria John Campbell said Wednesday in an article for the Council on
Foreign Relations.
The north-eastern borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger are also
porous, with criminal groups and weapons moving freely between
countries.
Analysts warn that despite the military build up, Boko Haram could scatter and find new safe havens.
However, in a bid to boost the military operation, a contingent of
police-anti-terrorism personnel has been moved to Borno and Yobe States
to beef up military personnel deployed to uproot the members of the
dreaded sect from the two states.
In Adamawa State, the military has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the
state while the state Governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd), in a state
wide broadcast, queried the rationale for including Adamawa on the list
of states on which the president imposed emergency rule.
The military raid came on the heels of the decision by the Senate to
begin consideration of the request by President Goodluck Jonathan to
approve the declaration of emergency rule in the three states on
Tuesday.
However, the House of Representatives is yet to decide when to begin
debate on the proposal as the president, by Thursday, was yet to
transmit to the legislature the official gazette on the proclamation as
provided under Section 305 of the constitution.
As the National Assembly gets ready to decide on the proclamation, the
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which is opposed to the imposition of
emergency rule on the three states, Thursday softened its stance.
The nation’s leading opposition, which on Wednesday in its initial
reaction to the proclamation, had urged the National Assembly to reject
it, modified its position by calling on the legislature to carefully
consider the president’s request before deciding whether to reject or
approve it.
But the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in its reaction to the
ACN’s position, urged the National Assembly to ignore the opposition
party’s advocacy.
While the politicians were squabbling over the imposition of emergency
rule on Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, the military Thursday launched a
sweeping operation to flush out Boko Haram fighters from their enclaves.
A military source, who requested anonymity, told AFP that operations
had started in at least one area of Borno State, the epicentre of the
insurgency.
“Our men raided some terrorist camps in the Sambisa Game Reserve,” in northern Borno, early on Wednesday, he said.
The source added that 2,000 troops had been deployed to Borno but
declined to comment on the number of forces sent to Yobe and Adamawa.
Army spokesman, Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru, refused to discuss figures.
However, Olukolade, giving THISDAY an update on the military operation in the affected states, explained that troops surge and deployment were ongoing, making it difficult to give a precise number of troops that would be used for the operations.
However, Olukolade, giving THISDAY an update on the military operation in the affected states, explained that troops surge and deployment were ongoing, making it difficult to give a precise number of troops that would be used for the operations.
He said: “It is improper for me to tell you the actual number since troops are still being deployed.
“But the operation has started in earnest. The push is on... and we will give details of our achievements later not now.”
Military sources confirmed that several arrests had been made with a
massive manhunt still ongoing for the insurgents through cordon-off and
search operations.
“The efforts by the security forces on the ground are also being
supported by aerial surveillance of the terrorists’ movement,” the
source said.
It was also learnt that the troops deployed to Borno and Yobe States
had already reached the border towns of Ngala, Marte, Mafa and Konduga
in Borno State; and Geidam, Gashua and Yusufari border towns of Yobe
State with Niger Republic by Wednesday.
To prevent the insurgents from fleeing their training camps, all the
facilities of all the four telecom service providers—MTN, Etisalat,
Airtel and Globacom—were shut down in the early hours of Thursday in
Borno and Yobe States.
A Maiduguri resident told THISDAY that they started noticing the lack
of signals from the service providers at about 4.30 am Thursday.
The deployment of more troops to the two states, according to a senior
military officer, has been split into the two targeted areas of training
camps and the border communities where the insurgents live and from
where they launch attacks on military, police and Nigerian Immigration
Service (NIS) formations and posts in the two states.
Speaking on the targeted training camps, the military officer said in
Borno State, there are four camps at Mafa, Marte, Gomboru/Ngala and the
Sambisa Game Reserves, comprising Damboa, Gwoza and Konduga Local
Government Areas.
In Yobe State, he added there are four training camps at Gujba, Geidam, Gashua and Yusufari.
The Police Counter Terrorism Squad (CTS) has also been redeployed to
Borno and Yobe States to add to the security forces already on the
ground in the battle to uproot the sectarians from the two states.
Ten vehicles, comprising trucks and luxury buses, were seen in Maiduguri bringing in the men of the CTS on Wednesday evening.
A security source, who did not want to be named, told THISDAY: “As I
speak to you, there is a serious battle between the military and the
terrorists at their various camps.
“The military and the police were deployed to the area to level the
camps and capture the insurgents and that should be done within little
time we hope.”
Despite the declaration of emergency rule, a blast went off at the
Maiduguri Monday Market on Wednesday and forced many traders to
hurriedly close up their shops and flee the market for safety.
According to one of the traders, the Improvised Explosive Device (IED)
was placed in a black plastic bag in the roadside gutter. Two persons
were killed in the explosion while a passerby was disembowelled.
Meanwhile, residents in all three states have reported seeing an increased number of military personnel.
Zangina Kyarimi, who lives in the remote town of Marti in northern
Borno, leading to the border with Chad, told AFP that “large military
teams” arrived late Wednesday.
“I saw dozens of military vans and trucks accompanied by tanks,” he
said by phone from the town, which is considered a Boko Haram
stronghold.
“We are afraid of what might happen in the coming days. We are thinking of leaving,” he added.
The security forces Thursday told banks in Gashua, Yobe State, to close, a resident, Musa Saminu, said.
“Around 30 military vans passed through the town... They were heavily
armed. Some of them went to the banks and asked them to close as a
precaution,” he added.
Red Cross spokesman, Nwakpa O. Nwakpa, said the organisation was
prepared to offer relief to civilians impacted by the military
operation.
More details on the emergency rule in the three states may be out on
Tuesday when the Senate is expected to deliberate on the presidential
proclamation with a view to either approve or reject it.
Senate President David Mark appealed to his colleagues during plenary
Thursday to make next Tuesday’s session a date with history, explaining
that their attendance that day would be crucial to an urgent national
decision to be taken.
Also Thursday, the Clerk of the Senate, Mr. Benedict Efeturi,
circulated a notice to all senators, informing them that the plenary of
next Tuesday “will consider matters of urgent national importance.”
The notice added: “All senators are by this notice, requested to attend this crucial session of the Senate at 10.00 am prompt.”
But it was unclear Thursday why the Senate fixed Tuesday for a session
on the emergency rule, as the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba,
told journalists that the president was yet to transmit the official
gazette on the proclamation in the affected states, to the senate.
Responding to a question on whether Section 305(6) of the constitution,
which stipulates the transmission of the official gazette to the
National Assembly as well as debate and resolution of two-thirds of each
chamber of the legislature within two days of the proclamation, as part
of the process to ratify the president’s decision, had not been voided,
Ndoma-Egba, a lawyer, said the proclamation would only take effect from
the day it is published in the official gazette.
According to him, what the president did on Tuesday was not the
official proclamation stated in the constitution, but only a broadcast
which he said announced the president’s intention and described it as a
mere part of the process.
He said: “The best we can make of what the president has done is that
he has declared his intention to declare a state of emergency. That is
what he has conveyed to Nigerians. He has conveyed his intention to
declare a state of emergency.
“That state of emergency will be actually declared when an instrument proclaiming it is published in a gazette.
“The constitution did not say that the president must publish the
gazette within 24 hours, 48 or 72 hours. So whenever the president
publishes the gazette, then the two days or 10 days as applicable begin
to run.
“For the purposes of the constitution, it is not a broadcast that
proclaims a state of emergency. It is the instrument published in the
gazette.”
It was however gathered that the president’s wide consultations with
stakeholders, particularly the leadership of the National Assembly,
before the proclamation of emergency rule was what saved the democratic
structures in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.
Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Afam
Ogene, told reporters Thursday in Abuja that the collaboration between
the executive and legislature influenced the departure from the past in
the declaration of the state of emergency.
“We are aware that the president before the declaration did interface
with the leadership of the National Assembly, and I can tell you that
the input of the National Assembly has led to the management of the
situation such that we do not have a complete state of emergency that
would have swept away democratic structures in the concerned states as
we had in the past,” he said.
However, Ogene explained that the House could not consider the
president’s decision yet because it had not received any presidential
correspondence on the proclamation on emergency rule.
Like Ndoma-Egba, Ogene said the perception the president had breached
the constitutional process of proclaiming a state of emergency by not
transmitting the official gazette to the National Assembly, 48 hours
after his broadcast, would be wrong and hasty.
Faulting the imposition of emergency rule on his state, the Adamawa State governor, in a broadcast that marked his first official reaction to the declaration, wondered why the state, which, he said, had been declared the most peaceful among the six states in the north-east region, was included for emergency rule.
Faulting the imposition of emergency rule on his state, the Adamawa State governor, in a broadcast that marked his first official reaction to the declaration, wondered why the state, which, he said, had been declared the most peaceful among the six states in the north-east region, was included for emergency rule.
According to him, Adamawa is a peaceful state and has been judged as
the most peaceful in the north-east region by international and national
peace groups.
Irrespective of his reservations about the inclusion of Adamawa, Nyako
pledged support to the troops and urged residents of the state to remain
calm and prayerful during the period.
The military, meanwhile, imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the state with effect from Thursday.
A statement by the Nigerian Army spokesperson in the state, Mohammed
Nuhu, advised all residents to abide by the curfew that will last from
6pm to 6am daily.
A day after it called on the National Assembly to reject the
declaration of state of emergency in three states, the ACN Thursday
reviewed its position and urged the legislature to carefully consider
Jonathan’s proposal before taking a decision on it.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, the party urged members of the National Assembly to study
details of the emergency rule proclamation carefully to enable them make
an informed decision on the issue.
“Members of the federal legislature, as the true representatives of the
people, must decide - purely based on facts rather than sentiments -
whether or not the emergency rule is the best option to resolve the Boko
Haram crisis.
“Truly understanding the proclamation will enable them make an informed
decision when the issue is brought before them,'” the party said.
Obviously worried by the discordant notes from opposition parties over
the new security measure, ACN said a better understanding of the
situation would show that democratic structures would not only be
sidelined but castrated in the states affected by the martial law.
ACN alleged that the Jonathan administration, realising the groundswell
of opposition that would be triggered if the governors and the Houses
of Assembly members in the affected states were sacked, deceived
Nigerians by leaving the elected officials in place.
It said its rejection of the imposition of emergency rule was because
the democratic structure in the three states could be made subservient
to the military superintending over the emergency rule.
However, the PDP urged the National Assembly to ignore the ACN’s suggestion and approve the emergency rule.
PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, Chief Olisa Metuh, chided the ACN
for imputing political motives in all its comments, adding: “The state
of emergency imposed on the affected north-eastern states is aimed at
ensuring security of lives, property and sovereignty of the Nigerian
state and has nothing to do with politics.
“As the National Assembly awaits when the proclamation letter would be
sent to them, it is the hope and position of the esteemed lawmakers that
they will not turn down the proclamation of the state of emergence
because it was done in the overall national interest,” the PDP said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)