There are confirmed reports that a Nigerian Cargo-plane has crashed while trying to take off in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. The details of the incident is still unclear but we gather the airplane hit a bus loaded with people.
It is unclear the actual number of casualties but a local news channel, Peace FM says, “three people have perished in the wreckage”. We are still waiting for official reports from relevant authorities involved in the rescue operations.
More details shortly…
Monitored reports indicate that the 788 sacked public hospital doctors in Lagos have been recalled after the intervention of former governor of Lagos, Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Both Gov. Fashola and Tinubu rose from a meeting to speak on the decision. However, Mr. Hakeem Bello, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Lagos State governor, said the decision to recall the doctors followed several pleas from the national and state leaders of the Action Congress Party (ACN), traditional leaders in the state and other concerned leaders in the country.
Details of the agreement remain sketchy but we shall bring it to you as events unfold.
More later…
Reports reaching of us indicate that thousands of students of the University of Lagos are protesting the change of name of the school announced this morning by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The students are chanting anti-government slogans, saying the president’s decision is the worst he had ever taken. They vowed to resist the renaming of the institution.
The protesters are heading towards the school gate and are about pouring into the streets.
The school was renamed after the late businessman, politician and philanthropist.
*PremiumTimes*
President Goodluck Jonathan, governors, ministers and top government officials on Sunday failed to demonstrate a public commitment to the fight against corruption.
At the interdenominational church service held at the Ecumenical Centre, Abuja, to commemorate the 2012 National Democracy Day, the guest preacher and immediate past Prelate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, Most Reverend Peter Akinola, in his sermon, challenged the congregation to join him in the fight against corruption in the country by committing perpetrators to God.
But the congregation, including the President, who was accompanied by his wife, Patience, the Governor of Bayelsa, Seriake Dickson and Kaduna, Patrick Yakowa, Deputy Governor of Nasarawa state, Dameshi Luka, as well as some ministers failed to respond to prayers to take corrupt officials “to the court of God.”
Apparently, expecting to hear a thunderous YES from the congregation, the Reverend, who instead got a deafening silence, exclaimed: “There you go! Oh, corruption! So, you are not ready to fight it, because you are all beneficiaries of it. Whether you steal in a small or big way, stealing is stealing.”
Apparently disappointed with the response he got, the clergyman shot angrily at Mr. Jonathan and his delegation, “See, it is very clear. You are not interested in fighting corruption. If you do, let us take our case to the court of God, if you dare. Who is deceiving who? You are only deceiving yourselves, not God. And you who is stealing government funds, subjecting the poor to untold hardship; you who steal oil subsidy money, making Nigerians pay for fuel through their noses; you who steal funds meant for improving our power supply, deliberately making Nigerians live a life in utter darkness, will you repent today? I doubt it!”
Before throwing the challenge at the president and other officials at the Service, Mr. Akinola had delivered a homily on the destructive impact of corruption on Nigeria.
“This hydra headed monster (of corruption) has literarily taken over the soul and eaten up the fabric of Nigeria,” Reverend Akinola said. “Officials steal our public funds openly by the pen, while others steal by the power of the gun. Successive governments have declared half-hearted war against corruption to no avail. We know only too well that the fight against corruption is largely selective directed at those opposing the government, with no strong political connection.
“Many of those fighting it (corruption) in police and judiciary have no clean hands. When any National Assembly Committee or any government agency is inviting anybody for questioning it is because those being investigated have not yet given the agency inviting it their due share of the booty.
“Worse still, those who have cleverly made away with public funds and are living above their legitimate incomes are those who are being honoured by traditional rulers, who make them chiefs and high chiefs. Recently, our universities have joined the queue by inviting those people and giving them some baseless honorary doctorate degrees. Sadly, therefore, corruption will continue in full gear, because Nigerians and the government only pay lip service to its eradication. But, I believed as a Christian, as a preacher, as one who reads the Bible, there’s a way out.”
He continued, “Corruption in a narrow sense is another name for stealing. Stealing is a sin God commands us all not to commit. As you know every soul that sins and fails to repent shall die in his sin and end up in hell. So, let us resolve here today to take to the court of God, beginning from this place, all those thieves, who have failed to repent. Will you join me?
“You who steal the money for road construction, leaving our roads in a state of disrepair, causing several accidents and untimely deaths of thousands of our people, their blood is crying to the creator. You who steal the money earmarked for healthcare delivery, thereby running down and turning our hospitals into mortuaries; you who have destroyed our educational system, because the money meant for schools never got to them; you who make laws to inflate costs included in the budget, are you listening to me?
“All of you, whoever you are, greedy, arrogant politicians and officials who are in government only for what you can steal from it and virtually nothing to contribute to national development and has turned Nigeria into a wretch, repent today, and make reparations and God will have mercy on you. Don’t say Amen, only if you repent.
“It is true that ICPC, EFCC, the Police, judiciary may not catch you stealing. But believe me, the all-seeing, all-knowing, all-wise and the almighty God sees you very clearly. But, He is patiently waiting for you to return to the path of sanity and righteousness.”
*Culled from SaharaReporters*
United States has said that despite the fact that the nation’s law provides criminal penalties for official corruption, government does not implement it effectively, “and officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity”.
The US also said though the constitution provides for an independent judiciary, the Nigerian judiciary “remained susceptible to pressure from the executive and the legislative branches, and the business sector”.
These verdicts were contained in a new report titled: “Department of State’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011″, which was submitted to the Congress Thursday by the Secretary of State, Mrs Hillary Clinton.
The report lamented that, “Official corruption and lack of will to implement court decisions also interfered with due process. The law provides for access to the courts for redress of grievances, and courts can award damages and issue injunctions to stop or prevent a human rights violation. However, the decisions of civil courts were difficult to enforce.”
In the report, US also noted last year’s suspension of the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Ayo Isa Salami, by the National Judicial Council (NJC) over his refusal to apologise to the NJC and the then Chief Justice of Nigeria (NJC), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, and his compulsory retirement by President Goodluck Jonathan, who acted under his constitutional authority.
The report however noted that, “The case raised questions regarding the partisan nature and level of independence within the judiciary.”
Click HERE to get more details of the report…
A man has been arrested today with bombs – 3 hand grenades and bullets and some round of ammunitions at the venue of the ministerial platform at Radio house, Area 10 Abuja – the venue of the ongoing ministerial briefings.
The briefings, which has been holding for the past two weeks is coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Information – as part of their preparations for May 29 Democracy Day celebration.
Security operatives screening visitors to the building, which also houses the Federal Ministry of Information, the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Voice of Nigeria and Kapital FM, suspected the bag he was carrying at the point of screening. On further scrutiny, they found a grenade and some rounds of ammunition. When he was challenged, he said he was given the bag by an unnamed woman – who asked him to deliver it to someone at the venue of the briefing.
The Chief Security Officer at Radio House, Mr. James Akindele, told reporters that the suspect was arrested at the main entrance.

Akindele said, “This afternoon, our operatives arrested a man with rounds of 7.7 mm live ammunition and three 86 hand grenades, all concealed in a polythene bag and put in a black bag. He said “We have not interrogated him, we just apprehended him. What we want to do now is to hand him over to the police for further investigation and then you will all get to know more about his case.”
“I was given the bag by a woman to deliver to someone in Abuja, and on getting to Abuja I discovered that the bag contained the explosive materials and that is why I brought it to Radio House to pass a message to the woman so that she could come and claim it,” the bomber, who has been identified as John Akpabu, claims.
*Culled from omojuwa.com*
You might recall that a few days ago, Prophet TB Joshua indicated on Emmanuel TV that Chelsea fans should pray hard because God had revealed the first half of the champions league final to him and the result wasn’t favourable to Chelsea.
Prophet TB Joshua said. “From what I’ve seen so far, Chelsea need more prayers than Bayern”.
Indicating that he was a Chelsea fan, the Man of God stated that in the first half, he saw a tall black man on the Bayern side deliver a fine cross which was converted by a bald man. I understood this to mean Jerome Boateng delivered a cross which Arjen Robben scored.
Prophet TB Joshua emphasised that judging by the first half, Chelsea fans must intensify their prayers if they wanted to see their team win the Champions League for the first time.
Most important, Prophet TB Joshua indicated that he would pray to God to allow him watch the second half of the match, after which he would make a prediction.
Last week many observers expected him to watch the second half and make that prediction, but the Prophet didn’t.
Publicists of Prophet TB Joshua have indicated clearly that all TB Joshua prophecies can seen on Emmanuel TV and accessed at SCOAN’s media social media platforms.
But I haven’t heard any such thing on Emmanuel TV. Nothing like that is on the SCOAN website, the SCOAN Youtube channel and the TB Joshua Facebook page.
Essentially, per the information we have now, Bayern seem to be ahead, having scored a goal in the first half Prophet TB Joshua watched.
*Culled from Samuel Obour’s blog*
