JOB SEEKING TIPS: 5 Innovative Ways You Can Stand Out

Job seekers looking for 'shortcuts' ask whether systems can be manipulated to get them selected; the answer is: Don't be a fool. The more honest and resourceful job seekers ask if there are things they can be doing to stand out. The answer is -- Yes.

Here are the five things professionals recommend:

1. Find Ways to Let Your Creativity Shine. As every HR manager will tell you: resumes say very little. How much information can people really fit in onto a single piece of paper? Once you achieve satisfactory grades, undertake relevant internships and participate in impressive extra-curricular activities, your resume blends into others just like it. Resumes in their traditional form made sense before technology allowed people to express themselves in other ways. Today you can do better.

This means: utilize technology. Do something that makes you stand out. Do something that lets your qualities shine. Videos are a great way to do this. In a video you can show enthusiasm and passion for a position or product in a way no resume can. It also lets you highlight other qualities employers prize.

Don't send an hour-long monologue, though. Remember that recruiters only have a limited time. Ideally, employers will already have a video or audio option built into their hiring process. If they don't, keep it short and compelling.

Find a way to highlight your talents. Otherwise your application will sit alongside hundreds like it.

The bottom line is: stand out by letting those qualities that can't be seen on your resume, but that you want the employer to know, shine.

And, of course, companies will question: If you can't market yourself, then how are you going to market your products?

2. Think Outside the Box. Go against the grain. Alec Brownstein created an online ad that would appear every time employers he was targeting (New York creative directors) searched their own names. It cost him $6. He got hired.

Ads won't necessarily get you a job, but doing something people aren’t expecting, or that hasn't been done before, will get you noticed.

Demonstrate that you are willing to learn new things, undertake challenges, and have different experiences. In the weeks leading up to an application, do something you've never done before and mention that.

3. Social Media Espionage. Facebook is for friends, Twitter is for catching news, and LinkedIn is for job seeking — right?

Wrong. Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools allow you to study, connect and interact with prospective future employers and colleagues.

Learn their likes, dislikes and priorities. Interact. Seize the opportunity to get noticed and even build a relationship, before you're officially interviewed. Remember, likeability has always been a key factor in people getting hired. Positive social interactions can only help.

Of course, your social media interactions can work against you, too. Most college guidance counselors remind you to delete those embarrassing Facebook photos before applying, but also remember that foolish post-college tweets are just as damaging. A good HR department will know.

4. Study the Company's Top Performers. If you're seeking to replace someone who has moved on, or if you're hoping to join an expanding team, look at the qualities the company prizes –- the ones the top employers have –- and see how they match yours.

Emphasize where they match, and boost yourself in those other areas. Thats what employers are looking for.

5. Be Proactive. If you know the company you want to work for, don't wait for any official job posting.

Many companies -– the more creative ones who want talent to find them –- accept resumes at all times. Being proactive means you can get noticed before the race has officially begun. This is a perfect moment to send a tweet "pitch" and to make sure you get seen early on.

And when you apply, show why they should take you even if they don't have a current open position. How do you do that? Reread point 1.

If success in real estate is location, location, location, success in job seeking comes from standing out, standing out and standing out. The top employers today understand that, and are adjusting their recruitment processes to let applicants shine and to focus their search on identifying the qualities that mean the most to them. This process saves them time and money in recruiting, and in the long term, gets them the best employees.

Job seekers can learn from that process to jump to the top of the line.

Ask Naij: "I Can't Say No To Sex"

I keep having sex with the guys I serve at the cafe where I work but I always feel cheap and used afterwards.

I’m a single woman of 28. I’ve worked as a waitress for the past three years. Most of our customers are lorry drivers. Some of them flirt with me and ask about “extras”. I give them my phone number and meet up with them after work.

The sex is mostly very passionate but in the morning I wake up in a stranger’s lorry, or with some guy in my bed and no idea of who they really are.

There was one guy last week I really liked. We had the most amazing sex. As soon as we got through the door we were ripping each other’s clothes off and kissing wildly. He was gentle but it was really passionate.

Afterwards we got dressed almost without a word. As he turned towards the door he said he’d see me around. I knew he wasn’t serious about seeing me again. It’s what all the guys say and sadly he was no different.

But I just can’t seem to stop myself sleeping with guys I’ve just met. Sometimes it feels like I’m trying to prove a point but I always end up feeling cheap and used. I want to stop this.

I’d love to find a guy to settle down and have a family with but I can’t say no to sex, even though sometimes I’d prefer just a kiss and a cuddle. It’s always the same. I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong.

Why can’t I keep a guy for more than one night?

Ikeja Police Barracks: Shame Of A Nation (PHOTOS)

The sorry state of police barracks all over the nation, especially Ikeja Police Barracks located around the Ikeja axis of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway should be a matter of concern to all Nigerians, considering that these are men and women who are supposed to help maintain law and order in the society.

The Ikeja Police Barracks building

Presently most of the buildings are in a decrepit state. The roofs of some of the buildings are weak and sagging, the windows and doors of most of the buildings have been damaged, some buildings have no roofs at all, while some of the residents use mats to cover their windows.

An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) who pleaded anonymity, said: “Since the buildings have fallen into disrepair, things have been difficult for me and my colleagues, as we have no hope that something would be done soon.

Here in the barracks, if we think we have security, it is a pure lie, because when you are sleeping in a place that has no windows and doors, automatically, our lives are not safe because we can’t sleep with our two eyes closed.

When we are talking about the shape of the Senior Officers’ Blocks which are called SPOs, what would you say about the buildings that house the rank and file? Most of the buildings are beyond renovation so the authorities have to pull them down and re-construct them one after the other.

Our own situation is still better but to talk of the rank and file, how much is their salary? If we (officers) are tired of staying in the barracks, we can afford to rent an apartment outside, but the rank and file cannot. How much do they earn that they would rent an ordinary room outside?” 

Stinking surrounding

NANS President: "Gunmen Searched For Me, Robbed Me -- For Supporting ASUU"

National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Prince Miaphen, has alleged threat to his life for declaring support for university lecturers who have vowed not to resume work until agreements reached with the federal government are met.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities will enter the fourth week of its industrial action over unimplemented terms, and meetings with government officials and federal lawmakers have failed to resolve the issues.

The students' body, NANS, last week declared support for ASUU's decision to resume work only after the government implements the entire agreement both sides reached since 2009.

Mr. Miaphen expressed fears for his life on Saturday in a press statement, and said unidentified armed men had stormed his resident in Jos, and catered away his valuables.

"On the 19th of July 2013, at about 1pm to 2pm, a white color Jeep entered my house at Wamba Road GRA in Jos, with armed men and catered away almost all my properties worth hundreds of thousands, after searching for me tirelessly to no avail; fortunately for me, I had traveled to Ekiti state where I am schooling," he said.

Mr. Miaphen said his aide, who escaped being attacked by the suspected assassins, informed security agents about the incident and police visited the scene of the incident and took inventory of the items remaining in the house.

He said he has also informed the State Security Service of the threat to his life.

Items removed from his apartment include "two 36-inch flat screen television set, one 16-inch television set, a complete set of home-theater, one 56-inch refrigerator, micro-wave gas cooker and other valuables with an undisclosed sum of money."

Mr. Miaphen said he was not in contention for anything with anyone, and wondered why the attack on his person was coming barely hours after NANS leadership expressed its opinion over the ongoing industrial action by ASUU, and called for the sack of the Minister of education for incompetence.

Early Hours Attack: Gunmen Killed By Locals in Southern Kaduna

A senior security source has confirmed to SaharaReporters that about three gunmen suspected to be members of an unknown militant Islamist group were killed by local residents in southern Kaduna in the early hours of today. The fierce fight happened in an area known as Fadan Kaje, close to Zonkwa in Zangon Kataf local government.

The source added that the gunmen had specialized in carrying out night attacks in the volatile southern Kaduna area of Kaduna State. According to our source, some of the locals who repelled the attacks suffered some injuries.

Several residents say that the whole area was agog with gunshots throughout the night. Our security source said, "We are still gathering information from the scene, but the fact is that about five of the gunmen who attacked the village have been killed by the indigenes of the area."

He added that this was the first time gunmen menacing the area suffered casualties since they commenced their guerrilla attacks in the area.

A retired senior military officer who lives in the area said he was aware of the development but added that he had not been briefed about the casualties suffered by the gunmen.

"Their luck finally ran out," said the retired officer.

Last Thursday, another set of gunmen attacked a police station and killed two officers in Kaura town, close to the scene of today's gun battle.

Senator Yerima And The Marriage Age Controversy

The last time the Nigerian Constitution was in the news like this, the spotlight was on Section 145. And, that was in 2010.

It took the Senate President, David Mark’s ingenious “Doctrine of Necessity” to resolve the matter. Three and half years later, it’s Section 29 that’s in the news.

This is what happened last week. The Senators, having previously voted, as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment, to expunge Section 29 Part 4b (S29(4)b), which introduces an element of ambiguity into the age at which a female is considered old enough to be able to renounce Nigerian citizenship, succumbed to the opposing arguments of Senator Ahmed Yerima (ANPP/APC; Zamfara West), and repeated the vote.

At this second vote, those in support of the deletion failed to muster the required two-thirds majority; meaning that the clause will now stay in the amended constitution.

This is what that controversial section says:

S29(1): “Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation.

S29(4): “For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section.

(a) ‘full age’ means the age of eighteen years and above;

(b) any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.”

S29(4)b is therefore to be interpreted to mean that a female who less than 18, and who wishes to renounce her Nigerian citizenship, shall be able to do so, as long as she is married. Senator Yerima’s stance is of course connected to the fact that he believes that on the basis of his religion, Islam, he is allowed to marry a girl of any age. In 2010, he married, in Abuja, a 13-year-old Egyptian girl.

The controversy throws up a number of interesting issues:

One. S29(4)b is primarily to do with the conditions under which a person can renounce their citizenship of Nigeria. It was not intended by the Constitution to prescribe anything relating to marriage or marriage age. Looking at it again, S29(4) starts out by restricting the scope of its interpretation to S29(1) – renunciation of Nigerian citizenship. In other words, it does not expect to be applied outside of the consideration of the conditions under which a person can renounce their citizenship of Nigeria.

Two. That section of the constitution was written at a time when it was permissible in Nigeria for a person younger than 18 to be married. Now that there is a Child Rights Act in place which clearly states that, “No person under the age of 18 years is capable of contracting a valid marriage, and accordingly, a marriage so contracted is null and void and of no effect whatsoever”, S29(4)b has been rendered irrelevant, and should indeed have been deleted. The failure of the Senate to delete it is no doubt worthy of condemnation, and suggests the worrying possibility that a good number of our lawmakers are wallowing in ignorance of the laws of the land.

Three. Interpreting what happened in the Senate last week to mean that underage marriage is now legal or authorised in Nigeria does not seem to me an accurate, useful, or insightful response.

The Nigerian Constitution, apart from investing the Sharia Court of Appeal with the “(competence) to decide any question of Islamic personal law regarding a marriage concluded in accordance with that law”, does not by itself prescribe any minimum age of consent for marriage.

What it does is recognise, via S29(4)b, the possibility that the minimum age for marriage could be less than 18 (In England, Wales and Scotland for example, the minimum age is 16 – England and Wales have parental consent requirements for persons younger than 18; Scotland doesn’t, which means that 16 and 17-year-old English and Welsh youths can circumvent their home laws by travelling to Scotland to marry without parental consent).

The refusal of the Constitution to stipulate a minimum age of marriage is in my opinion an acknowledgement of the fact that there should be other laws whose duty is to deal with such matters as marriage. I do not think it is the duty of the Constitution to descend to the level of enacting rules for matters of human relationships that can and should be taken care of by specialised laws.

In the case of a minimum age for marriage, such a specialised law exists. In 2003, the National Assembly passed the Child Rights Act which is unambiguous in its prescriptions, and is intended to clear the confusion arising from the profusion of laws relating to the minimum age at which a person can be married in Nigeria.

According to Sections 21 to 24 of the Act:

21. No person under the age of 18 years is capable of contracting a valid marriage, and accordingly, a marriage so contracted is null and void and of no effect whatsoever.

22.—(1) No parent, guardian or any other person shall betroth a child to any person. (2) A betrothal in contravention of Subsection (1) of this section is null and void.

23. A person—
(a) who marries a child; or

(b) to whom a child is betrothed; or

(c) who promotes the marriage of a child; or

(d) who betroths a child commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N500,000 (five hundred thousand naira) or imprisonment for a term of five years or to both such fine and imprisonment.

Now, this is where the problem starts. The Child Rights Act does not automatically apply across Nigeria. It has to be “domesticated” on a state-by-state level. State Houses of Assembly have to adopt the legislation in their states. Alas, in the decade since the law was passed at the Federal level, up to 12 states have failed or refused to adopt it. (You will realise that the list of Senators who voted against the deletion of S29(4)b significantly coincides with the states that have yet to adopt the Child Rights Act. That tells you where the problem lies). Meanwhile, a state like Lagos is already working hard to further strengthen the provisions of the Act – the state House of Assembly is currently debating stiffer penalties for sexual abuse of children.

So, what is the way forward?

This is what I think. We should be putting pressure on the Houses of Assembly and governors of the states that have refused to adopt the Child Rights Act; and on the judiciary and law enforcement agents to ensure the implementation of the law in every state in which it’s already in force.

We should also put pressure on the Nigerian government to sign up to the United Nations’ Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages, which compels signatories to “take legislative action to specify a minimum age for marriage” and empowers such a legislation to supersede all “customs, ancient laws and practices” inconsistent with it.

Now that the Senate – through the decision of Senate President David Mark to revisit an already settled matter – has done its worst, all concerned citizens, irrespective of religion, class or ethnic group need to immediately shift the battleground to the state Houses of Assembly in the 12 or 13 states that have yet to adopt the legislation.

And this is where First Lady Patience Jonathan ought to step in. The Office of the First Spouse, if there is any of such, exists, in my opinion, for a time as this, to bring its considerable influence to bear on matters that affect the lives and welfare of society’s most vulnerable.

And this controversy ought to provoke some soul-searching amidst us, regarding our attitudes towards child labour. It is the height of hypocrisy to condemn the Senate for what just happened, whilst we ourselves are keeping and maltreating 11-year-olds in our homes in the name of “house-help”. Standing up for children’s rights means standing up for all the rights of a child – not just the right to not be married off, but also the right to be given an education, and to be treated with dignity and respect.

Finally, in a secular state like Nigeria, politicians need to stop using religion as a political tool (Yerima seems adept at this; recall he kick-started the Sharia controversy in 1999).

In ending this, let me also just point out one interesting fact: Available statistics indicate that Zamfara State, the state where Yerima was governor for eight years, and is now a Senator, has the second-lowest school attendance rate in Nigeria. But the man isn’t losing any sleep over that disgraceful scenario.

The only thing capable of making him stay awake at night, it seems, is any attempt to get him to see the impropriety of insisting on marrying teenage girls. Who needs a Senator like that?

By Tolu Ogunlesi

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Child Marriage: Northern Youths Lash Out At Senators

Upset by Senate bid to peg official marriage age in Nigeria at 18, northern youths, yesterday, lashed out at the lawmakers, warning them not to stoke the embers of religious war over the controversial legislation.

The Senators had last week voted in favour of amending the Nigerian Constitution to set the marriage age at 18, a decision that was promptly challenged by former Zamfara governor, Ahmed Yerima, who described the decision of the lawmakers as anti-Islam.

Apparently joining forces with Yerima, who also initiated Sharia in his state when he was governor, Arewa youths asked the Senators to desist from taking action on the matter so as not to further heat up the polity along religious, ethnic and political lines and create avoidable cold war.

 

The President of the Arewa Youth Forum, Alhaji Gambo Gujungu, said in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, that the Senators had missed the point in amending the law and exposed themselves as people who were confused on what to do to justify their presence in the upper chambers of the National Assembly.

 

“The approach by the Senate to this matter shows how grossly insensitive and poorly equipped they are in the rudiments of legislative functions and totally insensitive to the critical challenges Nigerians are facing as a people,” the AYF leader said.

 

“The Senate must be told in plain terms since it has lost focus, that their core function as parliamentarians is not to debate, moderate or decide religions for Nigerians, or to divide Nigerians on Christian-Muslim basis or North and South factions.

 

“They must also be made to know that their function does not include breeding religious war from their politicization of the Constitution Amendment exercise but to make laws for peace, good governance, stability and indivisibility of the Nigerian Federation as contained in Part II, Section Four (1,2,3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

“The senators must be told that what Nigerians expect is basically principled oversight functions to address insecurity tearing the country apart, the increasing unemployment rate, collapse of health, education, agriculture and dilapidated infrastructure.

 

“Another expectation of Nigerians from the Senate is to address monumental corruption being perpetrated with impunity by elected public office holders and top government officials that has stifled Nigeria any meaningful development in Nigeria for decades.

 

“But we are sad to note that the Senate has been painfully reduced from that honoured pedigree to a mere religious moderation centre and place of petite issues that tend to divide the citizens along religious and ethnic lines and not an arm of government that should confront our national challenges.

 

The youths warned the lawmakers to abandon the attempt to further instigate friction in Nigeria by ensuring that every Nigerian has the religious Freedom to practice their faith without harassment, limitation and intimidation. 

Three Boko Haram Suspects Killed In Failed Mosque Attack

Three suspected Boko Haram members who had the intention of killing Islamic cleric, Modu Mustapha while preaching during Tafsir (Ramadan preaching), were lynched by angry mob.

The Boko Haram memebers who allegedly came from Bama council area, Saturday evening stormed the El-Amin Daggash Mosque in Government Reserved Area in Maiduguri, Borno State.

It was gathered that the terrorists came in a Golf Saloon car and one tricycle armed with AK47 rifles and a pistol before they met their untimely death.

The incident was said that have occurred at about 4pm, when the Tafsir programme was going on.

According to a source, the terrorists were beaten after someone sighted one of the terrorists with a pistol sitting among the congregation, and alerted others who apprehended him.

It was gathered that immediately the suspect was nabbed, a mob swooped on him and beat him to death, while the other two suspects who were also inside the mosque were arrested in the process of attempting to escape.They were equally beaten to death some few metres away from the mosque.

However, the Joint Task Force (JTF) ‘Operation Restore Order’ in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, has said it was not a Boko Haram attack, saying it was an error of judgment by a policeman on duty who pursued someone who allegedly stole a Keke Napep and a bag of rice and drove off towards the mosque.

A statement by the JTF spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, said: “The incident was not a terrorist attack as insinuated, rather, it was an error of judgment by a policeman on duty that pursued someone who allegedly stole a tricycle and a bag of rice and drove off.

The policeman was in mufti, wore Police reflective jacket, pursued the alleged thief and fired two gun shots.”

"Nigeria Is In Danger"

Our Senate is in the caves. We have a duty to save it, from itself, and for Nigerians.

How can the Senate in the 21st century be proposing that Nigerian girls can be married at an indeterminate age? The Senate is shamelessly broadcasting its determination to insert the profane provision into the Constitution.

Those limiting impacts of the Senate’s decision that girls are ready for marriage at any age they are married to abuse of the girl child massively miss the point about its implications for the future of our society.

What would a society be where children are meant to raise their own children? How can a girl by law attain womanhood once someone marries her? Is the Senate banning childhood for girls?

Our laws recognise adulthood at 18 – for rights of litigation, voting, and the definition of “minor”. A woman married at less than 18, according to the Senate, would be an “adult” by an act that has telling effects on the health of the girl child.

At what age would the “senate adult” have any legal rights? Is a definite age for adulthood unimportant? Is it not discrimination, contrary to Section 42 of the Constitution, to have different adulthood age for female and male Nigerians?

Under Section 29 (4a and 4b) of the Constitution, a woman shall not be qualified for marriage until she is 18 years of age. The Senate, on Wednesday, proposed to change that provision to ‘a woman is deemed to be of full age once she is married’, irrespective of the age she did so. What importance does this provision have for the welfare of the society? Is the provision for pleasures of some gentlemen, who delight in marrying children under guises of religion, culture and personal preferences?

A senator is facing charges for allegedly marrying an under-aged girl. Would the Constitution also be retroactive to protect him? Is the provision for those who harbour similar ambition?

Granted, most of the proposed changes in the Constitution are self-serving, it would be stretching things to shattering for Nigerians to permit this provision.

Further protections for the girl child are in Articles 21 (2) of the African Charter on Rights and Welfare of the Child, Article 6 (b) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Section 21 of the Child’s Rights Act of Nigeria (2003), Article 18 (3) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Nigeria will be in perpetual danger if provisions like these are in the Constitution. It would damage our demographics beyond immediate contemplation. Nigerians have to stop this provision and other obscenities the National Assembly can insert into the Constitution.

Edo Chiefs Call For The Removal Of The Archbishop Of Benin Catholic Diocese

Crisis rocking the Catholic Church in Edo State took a turn for the worse as Edo chiefs of Bini extraction, led by Iyase (Prime Minister) of Benin, Chief Sam Igbe, on Friday, called for the immediate removal of the Archbishop of Benin Catholic Diocese, Augustine Akubeze.

The call, according to Igbe, becomes necessary over thealleged refusal by the Archbishop to conduct mass in the local dialect and his disrespect for the Benin monarch.

A group, Edo Liturgical Group, had last year called on the Catholic Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, to remove Akubeze, who is of Igbo origin. It also demanded use of Bini language in church officiating.

Igbe, in a prepared speech, called on the pope to urgently effect Akubeze’s transfer out from the diocese.

The statement read in part, “We, the Edo people see the archbishop’s appointment as a conquest of the Benin archdiocese and we want our honour restored, we cannot allow a missionary tribal ruler priest to dilute the moral strength of the Church.”

Igbe stated that Catholic priests of Bini origin were being overlooked, while others were imported from Eastern Nigeria.

He said, “We find it unacceptable that the Catholic Church and Augustine  Akubeze decided to treat our revered king and our people with such disdain and disrespect. In consideration of all these and the desire to create an enabling environment for honest evangelisation, we have come to the inevitable decision that Akubeze cannot continue to remain as a shepherd of the Catholic Church in Benin."

2015: Six Northern Groups Merge Against Jonathan

No fewer than six northern groups have merged to checkmate the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

Under the plot, which according to information was perfected in Kaduna last week, they accepted to retain their identities but to work as a team.

Secretary General of the Northern Elders’ Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi, who confirmed the development, said that the move was deliberately initiated to bring the six groups under one umbrella for easy mobilisation and control as the race to the Villa gathers momentum.

He said: “We noted that all the groups, ranging from Arewa Consultative Forum to Northern Elders Forum and the Middle Belt Forum, have basically the same agenda. “We, therefore, decided to harmonise opinions and to operate as members of a Joint Action Committee, JAC, with immediate effect.

“At any point in time a representative of JAC can report back to their groups with a view to ensuring that everyone is carried along in the new move that will ensure the return of the Presidency to the north.”

It will be recalled that no fewer than three northern groups converged on Kaduna last week and brainstormed on how best to wrestle power back to the region.

Your Adolescent Girl Isn’t Ripe For Marriage

In 2010, the then 49-year-old polygamist ex-governor of Zamfara State and currently a senator of the Federal Republic, Alhaji Sani Yerima, married a 13-year-old Egyptian girl, for whom he paid $100,000 bride price.

The Nigerian constitution pegs the age of consent at 18; while the Nigerian Child Rights Act 2003 forbids marriage to anyone under 18.

Though Nigerians no longer talk about the incident, the senator seems to still have an axe to grind with his critics and he chose the ongoing constitution review exercise to get even.

As the members of the National Assembly prepared to vote on certain sections of the constitution last Tuesday, the two-time governor attempted to arm-twist the Senate to reverse a vote that had sought to outlaw underage marriage.

Section 29(1)(a) of the constitution provides that “full age” means 18 years up; and the constitution review committee had proposed the removal of S.29(4)(b) that says “Any woman that is married shall be deemed to be of full age.”

Senators overwhelmingly backed the recommendation for its removal, giving the prospect of final passage if accepted by the two-thirds members of House of Representatives and two-thirds members  of each state House of Assembly.

Yerima would have none of that and he questioned why the particular section should be of interest to his fellow lawmakers. He introduced religious sentiment, describing the senators’ move as “un-Islamic.”

He argued that under the Islamic tenet, a woman is of age once married; and that if the senators expunge the clause, they would be in violation of another section of the constitution ­— Second Schedule, Part 1, Item 61 — asking the National Assembly to steer clear of issues relating to Islamic marriage.

“The constitution says the National Assembly shall legislate on marriage, except those under Islamic rites. Islam says once a woman is married, she is of age,” Yerima argued.

Senate President, David Mark, initially rejected Yerima’s argument, but he allowed a second vote after other proposed amendments had been concluded, acknowledging the “sensitivity of the matter, as it concerns religion.”

At the repeat vote, Yerima’s camp lost, 35 to 60. But there’s no cause to cheer, as the controversial section stays, since constitution amendment requires two-thirds of the entire members’ vote, which would have been 73 of the 109 senators.

Underage Marriage Petition: Activist Gathers 15,000 Signatures

A US-based online activist, Eme Awa, has collected more than 15,000 signatures needed to petition the United Nations over the  Senate’s passage of a resolution to retain the provision of Section 29 (4) (b) of the 1999 Constitution.

Under the section, a married underage girl is deemed to be an adult. With the retention of the contentious provision in the constitution, the section can be interpreted to mean that even a day old child,  once married, would be considered to be an adult.

Awa started the collection of signatures on July 17 on change.org, a go-to site for web protests.  International organisations, such as Amnesty International and the Humane Society, have at one time or the other hosted their petitions on the website.

 The petition organiser says she has made contacts with a top official at the United Nations who,  according to her,  is willing to assist with a formal presentation of the online petitions when the required number is attained. The petition is titled, United Nations: Stop The Nigerian Senate from Making Under-Age Marriage Law.

“Keep urging others to sign up. The more in number we are, the better the outcome. We are making progress with this petition. Please share it, take it with you to churches or mosques. Let’s make the people’s power count for once,’’ Eme explains on the website.

 Many Nigerians have been besieged with the web link on their BlackBerry Messenger, electronic mail box, Facebook and other social networking sites to join the campaign and ultimately append their signatures to the petition.

 Bloggers such as Linda Ikeji and Ladun Liadi also featured the link to the petition signing website on their blogs, a move that has seen the campaign attract an appreciable level of support from Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora.

 One of those who signed the petition, Okiemute Patrick, who according to information provided on the site, is based in Lagos, says, “I do not understand why right thinking grown up men will allow for this perversion. What possible gratification can one get from marrying or sleeping with a child?

 “I do not get it. Shouldn’t more pressing things be passed into law? Please, let us allow children be children and not rob them of their innocence simply because there are ‘men needs!”

ASUU STRIKE: We Are Ready To Remain Shut For Three To Five Years — Prof Iyayi

Prof. Festus Iyayi former National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) explains his views and thoughts regarding the ongoing industrial action by ASUU.

Excerpts:BENIN ASUU has gone back to the trenches with the Federal Government. Why are you on strike?

The short answer is this: Government believes that Nigeria should continue to be not just a second rate country but a third rate country because the quality of development, the kind of society you have depend on the kind of education that the people have and the quality of education that exists in the country. In 2009, ASUU reached an agreement with government on how to rehabilitate and revitalize the universities.

That agreement was a product of three years of negotiation, from 2006 to 2009, and government agreed that it will provide funding for universities to bring them to a level that we can begin to produce graduates that will be recognized worldwide, and our universities can also be classified and rated among the best in the world.

People keep talking about universities rating, but no Nigerian university features among the first 1,000 in the world because of the issue of lack of facilities. So, from 2009 to 2012, ASUU waited for the Federal Government to implement that agreement and what government did was to believe and present the argument that what ASUU was looking for was money, and so, they implemented part of the salary component; they did not implement the agreement on funding. As academics, if you pay us N10million a month and we do not have the tools to work with, that money is worthless because we want to be able to conduct research, teach students the latest that is available in the world of knowledge.

Those tools were not available and are still not available. So, in 2011, precisely in December, ASUU went on strike to force government to implement the funding part of that agreement. What did the government do? They apprehended the strike in January 2012 and the Secretary to the Federal Government invited the leadership of ASUU for a meeting in his office. We went there, discussed with them on the basis of which on 24 January, 2012, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the government under the title, “MEETING OF THE SECRETARY OF THE GOVERNEMNT OF THE FEDERATION WITH THE ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES “and signed by Prof. Nicholas A. Damachi, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education on behalf of the Federal Government.

The most important of the items signed was 3.0, that is, “FUNDING REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITIES”. And this is what the Federal Government said it would do: “Government reaffirms its commitment to the revitalization of Nigerian universities through budgetary and non- budgetary sources of funds; government will immediately stimulate the process with the sum of N100billion and will beef it up to a yearly sum of N400billion in the next three years”.

As we speak now, not a Kobo, not an iota of intervention has taken place in the universities. Yet, government itself, in the various studies it has done, said it recognizes the pathetic state of the universities. In order to implement this agreement, government first gave a reason saying, ‘oh, for us to apply the funds, let us first of all identify the areas of priorities to which the funds will be applied’. Government also said, ‘we are not going to give the money to the universities, what we are going to do is to identify the projects, we will them call on government agencies such as the CBN, PTDF, ETF to deliver the projects to the universities that would then be estimated’.

So the money is not coming to the universities, government will do the costing and get people to come and do all those things such as the rehabilitation of the laboratories, classrooms and a variety of other things.

Now what should be those things: Government set up a committee called the NEEDS ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE and it went round the universities and what it found was shocking. First, it found that the students – teachers ratio was 1-400 on the average instead of being 1-40. It found out that the classrooms were grossly inadequate and could accommodate only about 30 percent of the number of students that needed to enter those classrooms; they went round and found students standing in their lecture theatres with other students writing on their backs; they found lectures going on under trees in some of the universities; they went to laboratories where they found people using kerosene stoves instead of Bunsen burners to conduct experiments; they found specimens being kept in pure water bottles instead of the appropriate places where such specimens should be kept.

They found chemistry labs without water; they found people doing examinations called theory of practicals and not the practicals and you will imagine what the practical ought to be. And when the report was eventually presented to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Federal Executive Council, we understand that Jonathan said that he was embarrassed and did not know that things were all that bad. No intervention It was on that basis that they said that this money should be spent.

As we speak, the money has not been provided, no intervention has taken place and the academics are tired. We negotiated for three years, 2006-2009, we went on strike in December, 2011 and government apprehended that strike; we signed an MoU in January 2012, between then and now, nothing happened. That is why we are on strike. We are saying, ‘look, rehabilitate the universities’. As a reporter, you can go round our classrooms and you will see what our classrooms are like.

In this era, it is the quality of knowledge that you acquire that will determine the position you occupy in any part of the world. We did this and government did not do anything. A professor came from Bayelsa State recently to the University of Benin, looking for journals. We went to the library because we have an e-library and he could not do anything there because there was no light for two days in the library. If you go round here now, lecturers have generators in their offices to be able to work, every department has two or three generators to be able to do their work.

Is that what a university should be like? If you go to the students’ hostels, they in a sorry state, they live 12 in a room; they are like piggery; they now have what they called short puts, they excrete in polythene bags and throw them through the windows into the fields because there are no toilets. If you come into this building (faculty building), there are no toilets and, if walk round, you will find faeces sometimes in the classrooms because students have no place to use.

And it is like that in all other universities. Enough is enough Academic staff has said enough is enough, we cannot continue to work under these conditions, especially when government gave commitment in 2012 that this matter would be addressed but up till now nothing had happened. We had several meetings between 2012 and now and they will say ‘next week this one will happen; in two weeks time that one will happen, give us one month, this one will happen’, nothing has happened.

And when students leave here, they apply for progammes in the United Kingdom, United States and other countries for their master degrees, PhD or other postgraduate programmes and they are told that they cannot be admitted because their degrees are suspect. Shell here in Nigeria spent millions of dollars re-training graduates, people who made First Class and, when they test them, they found out that they have problems. How can you take an engineer who has not conducted an experiment, all he did is the theory of practical? He does not know how the equipment works? If you want a properly educated student population, you have to provide the facilities.

Boko Haram Ceasefire: Leaders Disagree Over Dialogue With FG

The Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Imam Shekau, and his deputy, Muhammad Marwana, have reportedly disagreed over the issue of dialogue and ceasefire with the Federal Government.

Shekau, in a message sent through YouTube, said that that there was no dialogue or ceasefire pact with the Federal Government, while the deputy leader of the sect, Marwana, in his own statement disclosed to the Voice of America (VOA) that Shekau's comment via YouTube was his personal opinion and not that of the sect.

"Shekau speaks his own opinion," he told the VOA.

Marwana, in a comment he sent to the VOA via email, he said the sect was fully ready to meet with the committee on dialogue.

He stated some of the actions the security agencies took against Shekau's family and said, "That is why we took verdict for retaliation."

Marwana, however, said: "There is a need to meet with the committee and let's forgive one another and make sure that there is no rivalry between us and the populace."

Marwana also urged Nigerians to shun any statement made by Shekau, especially as they relate to attacks.

"Anybody that hears issue of attack from Abubakar Shekau should go and sleep; nothing will happen by the grace of God," he added.

National Assembly Members Requested to Declare Salaries

Journalists, under the aegis of the Nigerian Young Journalists Forum (NYJF), have requested the Senate and House of Representatives to declare the salaries and constituency votes of their members.

The group, in separate letters addressed to the two chambers under the Freedom of Information Act, also asked the legislators to declare their assets.

The letters, jointly signed by NYJF National President, Mr. Ayodele Samuel, and General Secretary, Mr. Zacheaus Somorin, were received by the two chambers on July 18.

The letter read in part, "We request the leadership of the National Assembly to make available the salaries and allowances of members of the senate in order of hierarchy; the total amount expended by the House of Senate and Representatives from June 2011 to June 2013; constituencies votes of members of the House of Senate and Representatives from June 2011 to June 2013 with names of the members and the their constituencies; proof of compliance of the members of the House of Senate and Representatives with statutory law on asset declaration by public officers."

"The information is requested for proper media reportage on salaries and constituency votes of members of the National Assembly which have been subject of public debates and misrepresentations in recent times. It will enhance correct, factual and unambiguous reportage on statutory budgetary allocations and expenses of the Nigeria’s legislative arm of government."

NYJF urged the lawmakers to provide the requested information to enable the FoI bill, passed in May 2011, serve the purposes it was enacted for.

It said, "We are of firm conviction that disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest as it will contribute significantly to engendering trust and understanding between the National Assembly and the general public.

"NYJF wishes to again commend the National Assembly for delivering on Freedom of Information Bill in meeting popular demand for transparent and accountable governance in Nigeria. NYJF advocates responsible journalistic engagement and therefore committed to meaningful and constructive reportage with the view to investing our democracy with popular participation from all sectors of the public."

Governor Rochas Okorocha Sacks Nkiru Sylvanus

22 July, 2013

Famous Nigerian actress Nkiru Sylvanus has been relieved from her job at the cabinet of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.

She served as the Special Assistant on Lagos Affairs for the Imo State Government. She was sacked following a cabinet dissolution which affected all commissioners, special advisers, senior special assistants and special assistants in the cabinet.

A statement from the government of the state explains that the ‘the dissolution was necessary to give room for more capable hands into the system in order to fully actualize the rescue mission agenda of the State Government.’

A lot of eyebrows were raised when Okorocha appointed the Abia State-born ‘Final Tussle’ star as Special Assistant on Lagos Matters in July 2011.

Lagos Commissioner Chases NEMA Officials Out Of Collapsed Building Site

The rivalry between the federal and Lagos state Emergency management agencies has escalated on Sunday when the former accused the latter of chasing it out of a collapsed building site.

After the unfortunate events when a two storey building collapsed in on Sunday morning at 29 Ishaga Road, Surulere Lagos which killed three people and five victims taken to the Lagos State University Teachinh Hospital, Ikeja.

As rescue efforts continued, Ibrahim Farinloye, NEMA South West Spokesperson, said that the agency was “chased out” of the accident scene by Wale Ahmed, the Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties. “NEMA (was) chased out of rescue site by Lagos Commissioner for Special Duties after we have rescued 3 alive and 4 dead,” Mr. Farinloye said .

“He said he will ask his people to deal with us if we are not careful,” he added. Mr. Farinloye said he was granting an interview to a Nigeria Television Authority reporter when Mr. Ahmed, who arrived alongside the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), threatened to send the Rapid Response Squad after him.

“I contacted headquarters and they said I should leave for peace to reign,” Mr. Farinloye added. However, when contacted, Mr. Ahmed said that it was not true. “I only told him it was quite premature to start granting interview when we were yet to know what was still under the rubble,” Mr. Ahmed said in a response to a text message enquiry.

Sunday’s incident revealed a deep seated animosity between the two government agencies. At the last collapsed building site, about ten days ago, a disparity in the casualty figures released by both agencies highlighted the chasm in their operations.

While NEMA said that seven people, including two children aged two and four, were rescued from the rubble, as well as seven dead bodies recovered; LASEMA said ten people were injured while four, including a child, died in the collapse. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, General Manager of LASEMA, described NEMA as “our secondary responder.”

“It is the primary responder (LASEMA) that is supposed to give you the exact figure. We are in a better place to inform you people what is going on. “We work hand in hand with NEMA, they are our secondary responder. But there is no how a secondary responder will know more than the primary responder,” Mr. Oke-Osanyintolu added.

Eneramo Undergoes Heart Surgery

Besiktas forward Michael Eneramo has undergone a heart surgery and may be out of action for up to five weeks.

The former Esperance of Tunisia skipper was discovered to have a heart beat rhythm disorder, but was later cleared after a third round of examinations.

According to Fanatik, Football Federation of Turkey will make the final decision about the future of the big Nigeria striker.

The federation’s medical board report is expected next week.

Besiktas reached an agreement with Eneramo for a two-year deal after his contract at another Turkish club Sivasspor ended this summer.

The top Istanbul club are currently in Austria for pre-season training ahead of the forthcoming campaign.

2015: We Will Not War For Jonathan's Re-election - Ijaw Elders

The elders of the Ijaw extraction in  the South-South region, Ijaw National Congress (INC) has revealed that its intention not to take violent or extreme action against perceived opposition against the push for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

According to the Ijaw elders, though the use of abusive and derogatory words against President Goodluck Jonathan by opposition politicians and groups was provocative, the elders of the South-South region would lead a delegation on peace and dialogue mission to the Arewa Consultative Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) over the need for Goodluck Jonathan second term in office.

State commissioner for culture and Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolor during an interactive session with the INC elders said that the Ijaw Leaders were set to lead a delegation to meet with the northern and southwest elders to ensure a safer and more acceptable decision for the re-election of GEJ.

The elders, made up of Chief Francis Doukpola, Chief.T.K Okorotie, Barr. J.M Aseh, Professor K. Alagoa, Professor Nelson Brambayefa, Prof. Francis Sikoki Sir Patrick Erasmus, Chief Tam Mitin and the vice-president of the INC, Chief Austin Lugbeniwei, declared that "the INC leadership will network with other regions to ensure a safe course for our son in 2015."

The duo of Chief T.K Okorotie and Chief Francis Doukpola insisted through a motion at the meeting that though the good performance of President Goodluck Jonathan was noticeable in spite of tirades of attacks on his person and administration, the struggle for his re-election should start with the Ijaw leaders reaching out to friends in the north and the southwest.

Doukpola said "the Ijaw Nation is not going to war with any region over 2015.We will get the second term for the president by not fighting, but by dialogue and diplomacy."

Why Nigerian Doctors Abroad Want To But Can't Always Return - U.S. Based Doctor

Dr. Abdulrasheed Abassi recently led six U.S. based doctors to the free health mission organised by Senator Babafemi Ojudu and provided healthcare services to about 8,000 residents of Ekiti Central Senatorial District.

What is your perception about healthcare system in Nigeria?

I think the biggest problem is the healthcare personnel. After seeing the way we attended to them, the people were complaining about the local medical doctors’ attitude.

What do you think is responsible for this?

It is partly structural and partly selfish. We have laws in the U.S. that protect patients and ensure they are treated like humans that they are. The selfish part is that we see patients as the source of our livelihood so we must respect them and show compassion. If I don’t do that as a doctor, a patient can sue me or complain to the state health board. U.S. is a country of rule of law.

Must we have that legislative premise before our doctors can be compassionate?

Good point. I wish our local doctors will realise they might be the patient tomorrow. I must admit they are poorly paid and do not have the ideal operating environment but they should not take this out on the patients. It is in our culture to be naturally humane. But so many things demand our compassion which we don’t do. You see an accident victim and turn a blind eye. This is why we need the appropriate laws that compel us to be humane.

And unfortunately, our lawmakers are not making the right laws. Let’s go back to your perception of the healthcare For whatever the government might have done, they have achieved nothing. This is the opinion of my colleagues also. It appears we are the first set of medical doctors the people have ever seen. They may have structures and equipment but as long as these do not translate into better healthcare delivery, it is nothing.

On the first day, we did glucose check for more than 500 people and for many of them, it was their first time. This test should be standard. None of the 500 people have ever been tested with any Oximeter before. In fact, none of the local doctors have seen it before.

This is an equipment that costs just about $500 (there are affordable versions that costs just about $50) but which can tell if someone is about to have a heart attack.

What’s your reaction to that?

It is shocking and it is good Senator Ojudu has promised this would happen annually. So we have seen some pitfalls that we would correct the next time.

What are those pitfalls?

The medications; we ran out of our American medicine just after two days. We need to ship more drugs and do that on time so we can avoid the NAFDAC and Customs. Senator Ojudu provided money for us to buy drugs for all the other days. It is disheartening. If Senator is someone without the connections he has, the person will be frustrated and may leave and the people continue to suffer as if there is no helper.

We’re Ready To Receive Amaechi – Presidency

The Presidency on Friday said it was in the best interest of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State to heed the advice of the All Progressives Congress governors asking him to meet President Goodluck Jonathan on the crisis rocking the state.

The governors said this when they paid a visit to Amaechi and discussed the volatile security situation in Rivers on Thursday.

The governors were Mr. Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); Dr. Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Senator Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo); Mr. Rauf Aregbesola (Osun); and Senator Ibikunle Amosu (Ogun).

The entourage also had deputy governors; Mr. Eze Madumere (Imo); Dameshi Barua Luka (Nasarawa); and Alhaji Muktar Ankar (Zamfara), who represented their principals during the solidarity visit.

 Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, while reacting to the visit by the opposition governors to Port Harcourt in an interview with one of our correspondents, said the Presidency had no problem with the visit to Amaechi because free movement was part of the governors’ constitutional right.

According to him, the Presidency would receive the governor if he decides to visit Aso Rock.

 He said, “The governors who visited Amaechi have the constitutional right to move freely and decide who they will associate with.

 “Don’t forget that before that latest visit, four PDP governors from the North had paid a similar visit although they had issues with the people of the state who felt they were the ones pushing their governor.

 “I think the eight governors advised him properly by asking him to seek ways of resolving the impasse.

 “I am happy they told him the truth that media war will not solve the problem and that dragging the name of the President into it won’t solve the crisis.

 “I hope the governor will not squander the goodwill and that he will listen to the words of reasoning his colleagues gave him.”

When asked whether the Presidency did not view the visit as an indication that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party might have lost Amaechi to the yet-to-be registered All Progressives Congress, Gulak said nobody was forcing the governor to remain in the PDP.

He said although Amaechi’s claim to be a PDP member by face, the governor had for long been romancing opposition parties.

 Gulak said, “I have always been saying it that nobody is forcing him (Amaechi) to remain in the PDP. He has the constitutional right to join any party he wants. It is his constitutional right.

 “Everybody knows that he has a face of PDP but deep in him, he has been romancing opposition parties.

 “But my advice for him is that he should not forget the 2007 court ruling on the basis of which he is occupying that seat. The verdict was that it was PDP that won the governorship seat and not Celestine Omehia.

 “That means he is indebted to the PDP and the only way he can pay that debt is to continue to be loyal to the party.”

On Friday, Amaechi, who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH through his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, confirmed he would heed the advice of the APC governors.

The governor said there was nothing wrong with what his fellow governors had advised him to do.

Amaechi, however, did not state when he intended to visit the President.

President Jonathan Running A 'One-Man Show' In PDP – Amaechi

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of turning the Peoples Democratic Party into a “one-man show” and of condoning “impunity and authoritarianism” in an effort to ensure re-election in 2015.

Amaechi, in an interview he granted the Financial Times of London, added that the President and his wife, Patience, were bent on removing him from office.

 

He traced his travails to a perceived fear in the Presidency that whoever was in charge of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum had the capacity to influence the presidential election in 2015.

 

The embattled governor said, “There is this fear in the Presidential Villa that whoever chairs the governors’ forum will influence the presidential election,” Amaechi told FT in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

 

In a report posted by FT on Sunday, he alleged that “what has happened has been engineered to the point where the President and his wife are trying to remove me from office.”

 

“We are seeing an absence of law and order that can breed anarchy. It seems those at Federal Government level are not interested in democracy, but impunity and authoritarianism. The President needs to check this,” the governor added.

 

Amaechi also told the FT that he had not decided on his plans for 2015. He said that efforts by some in the PDP leadership to claim that he had lost the governors’ forum vote, despite him obtaining 19 votes to his challenger’s (Jonah Jang of Plateau State) 16, was a concerning sign ahead of 2015.

 

“If they can accept 16 over 19, people should be worried,” he said.

 

But spokesman for the President, Reuben Abati, denied that Jonathan and his wife were in any way involved in Amaechi’s travails.

 

“This is all local Rivers politics,” Abati said. “It’s convenient to drag the President into this, but it is not true. All these allegations are baseless.”

Wedding Vendors Nationwide Gear Up for WED Expo Abuja

Just like WED Expo Lagos where hundreds of wedding vendors gathered to give potential brides and grooms a great time and deals that were jaw dropping, WED Expo Abuja is heating up already.

In October 2013, the nation’s capital will play host to the largest wedding exhibition in Nigeria, WED Expo Abuja. The event is scheduled to hold at M&M Event Center (Beside Nicon Luxury Hotel Abuja), 900 Herbert Macaulay Way, Abuja from October 19th to 20th and will attract hundreds of wedding vendors within Abuja and its environs. As is always the norm with this unique event organized by WED Magazine, the foremost wedding magazine in Nigeria, WED Expo will attract thousands of visitors who will visit the stands of the wedding vendors and have the opportunity to interact with them in a comfortable environment.

Vendors will include but is not limited to providers of: Bridal wear, grooms wear, bridal party wear, traditional wear, aso-oke, occasion wear, shoes, accessories, honeymoons, cakes, flowers, makeup, styling, décor, sound & AV, staging, finance, favours, sweets, gifts, photographers, videographers, hotels, bespoke venues, magazines, hair & beauty, entertainment and caterers.

SHOCKING REVELATIONS: Pastor TB Joshua Is The Man Behind Al-Mustapha's Release - You Won't Believe His Reasons

Sources have revealed that last week’s “judicial decision” which set free of murder charges Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer to late Nigerian dictator, Sanni Abacha, is owed to President Goodluck Jonathan, who was following a “spiritual” fortune-telling that would enable him to win the 2015 election.

Controversial Lagos sect leader, Pastor TB Joshua, who has Mr. Jonathan eating out of his hands, has been identified as the person who told the Nigeria leader that his political fortune rests with setting Al Mustapha free.  

In addition, Mr. Joshua has also told Mr. Jonathan if he is to win in 2015, he needs to bring back to Nigeria James Ibori, the former Delta State governor who is currently serving a 13-year jail term in the United Kingdom.

After Mr. Joshua's spiritual “forecast” was told to Mr. Jonathan, SaharaReporters sources say he instructed the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke to take care of the judges involved in the case, giving him a war chest of $2 million.  

But a judge, Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, a Northern Muslim, who was earlier contacted to do the dirty job, refused to accept the bribe and removed himself from consideration of the plan.

Cardiff's Joe Mason set to join Bournemouth

CARDIFF striker Joe Mason is set to join Bournemouth on a season-long loan.

Joe Mason is leaving Cardiff

Tuesday Transfer Zone: Arsenal let United sign Fabregas, Rooney and Ibrahimovic to Chelsea

BIT of luck that transfer window is open… you'd be damn hot on a day like this without it!

Arsenal won't make a move for Cesc Fabregas

But if the summer sun isn't enough to warm you up, have a read of the latest names to be linked with big moves in the Tuesday Transfer Zone.
The Gossip
Arsene Wenger has stepped back to allow rival David Moyes to land Cesc Fabregas. The Gunners will pick up a proportion of the transfer fee if Barcelona decide to sell.
Chelsea and Manchester City are lining up some shock business of their own. They could be about to bring wantaway PSG hitman Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the Premier League.
Wayne Rooney is still in Jose Mourinho's sights too. Eden Hazard has told the United star he'd be welcome at Stamford Bridge.
As for Hazard, Mourinho reckons he can become a special one.
City will knock back interest from Juventus and Inter Milan for Aleksander Kolarov while Steven Gerrard has signed a new two-year deal with Liverpool.
The Reds are desperate to keep hold of Luis Suarez and have told him to stay and fulfill his Champions League dreams at Anfield.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be set for the Premier League

Christian Eriksen rejects Bayer Leverkusen in favour of Liverpool

CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN has paved the way for a move to Liverpool after rejecting the advances of Bayer Leverkusen.

Christian Eriksen lifts the Eredivisie Championship trophy

The 21-year-old Denmark star is regarded as one of hottest prospects in European football and has just a year left on his Ajax contract.
Leverkusen were keen to lure him to Holland while Zenit St Petersburg have also shown an interest.
But Eriksen has shown both of them the cold shoulder, fuelling speculation that he's holding out on for a move to Anfield.

“Christian will only leave Ajax on sporting grounds, that's his main criteria”

Eriksen's agent

Eriksen's agent Martin Schoots told Dutch newspaper Voetbal International: "Christian will only leave Ajax on sporting grounds, that's his main criteria."
Ajax want to sell the midfielder now, otherwise he can walk out and leave for nothing when his contract runs out.
Eriksen is in talks with a number of clubs but their boss Frank de Boer hinted Liverpool were leading the race to sign him.

Eriksen was a huge part of Ajax's league-winning side

He said: "It is up to Christian what he wants. If he feels good going to Liverpool, then it is up to him.
"I would want nothing more than having him with us for a few more years.
"But we realise the interest in this kind of player is huge. And I can also understand that he wants to make another step in his career. I can't stop him."