HISTORY: MEET CAPTAIN ABIMBOLA JAIYEOLA 1ST FEMALE HELICOPTER CAPTAIN IN NIGERIA

Captain Abimbola Jayeola (Captain AB) became Nigeria's first ever female Helicopter Captain. She flies the ‘SIKORSKY S76’ for Bristow helicopters Nigeria. Here's a photo of her being decorated with her commanders epaulets. Congratulations to her...

I AM A PATRIOT...STATEMENT RELEASED BY ASIWAJU BOLA TINUBU

Statement Released by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding his withdrawal from consideration for the APC Vice- Presidential Position.

I am a Nigerian who loves his country and am hopeful about what it can become. I have seen and conducted myself as a patriot long before I thought of myself as a politician. I shall always walk this line and no other.

After all the political calculations are made and the dust of

competition has settled, it must be this nation and its people who stand first and foremost. The question becomes whether we stand strong, able to shape ourselves into our best future or will we stand frail and trembling, burdened by the abject failure to surmount the multiple problems confronting us.

It against this backdrop that I assess any action I take. Here I come to my name being placed in consideration as the Vice Presidential candidate for our party, the APC. I have labored hard to move this party from being merely an idea in the minds of a few into being a political organization that might win this election and govern the nation in way that gives the people the hope and opportunity they seek. Nothing is more important to me than to realize this dream not for myself but for the people of this land I so love.

I helped to build this party, giving no thought to seeking an elected office because of it. My contribution to the party was never based on the expectation of a later political handout. Nigeria is in trouble and we are well past the moment for such narrow, selfish games.

There came a time during the course of the events when our Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari offered the Vice Presidential slot to me. Being a normal human being, I was deeply moved and honored that he would consider me for the position. Being a patriot, I had to weigh my potential candidacy in all of its dimensions.

I have concluded that the interest of the party, our campaign and of the nation are better served if I retain my position as the National leader of the APC, allowing me to be a bridge builder across all divides. Although, I declined the position, I want to thank General Buhari for extending the honor to me. Despite all the noise and opposition around my possible selection, he stood firm and steadfast.

He showed the traits of a leader in holding to a decision he believed was right despite the errant plots against it.

When my name was raised, the political hatchet men tried to chop it down with rumor and lies. Over the years, I have developed a thick skin. The personal attacks did not bother me. I am used to them. While I have a thick skin, I don’t have a thick mind. There has been one form of attack that has troubled me. That is the attack based on religion. The PDP and others have stoked fear of a Muslim- Muslim ticket.

I have removed myself from consideration so what I now say cannot be seen as self-serving. I plead with the people of this nation to never allow the power lust of cynical politicians to set brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor. If you look at those politicians who raise this issue the most, they are the least devout and faithful to any religion other their self-interests.

Nigeria has too many secular problems – insecurity, economic collapse, poverty , corruption and misgovernance – to allow inept people to use religion to keep us from solving these challenges for the benefit of all.

Those who exploit religion should be wary. For there really is a God and he does not like it when you play with his people or use His name to do the opposite of what He intends.

I ask the people to remove religion from the electoral equation now that the tickets of both parties are mixed. I ask you to select the ticket best able to end the downward slide that Nigeria has endured since this government took over. I ask you to remember that too many Christians and Muslims are poor. Most of all, I ask you to remember that the true religion of the PDP is poverty, APC come to bring prosperity to the people. Please vote for that.

The Nigeria I see is a nation that shall overcome. The Nigeria I see is a nation ready to sweep aside the broken ways of our recent past and the government and politicians who impose distress upon us. The Nigeria I see and seek is one where each person, every man, woman and child may live free of terrorism, free of the despair of poverty and free of the fear that the government meant to serve and protect them has turned its back to them in cold and utter indifference.

I see and seek a Nigeria where progressive democratic governance creates the political and economic space needed for each of us to contribute to rescuing and retooling this nation. And, in the process of this benign endeavor, may each and every one of us share in the sound promise and good prosperity that shall describe the architecture of our national revival.

However, not everyone that shouts the name of Nigeria believes in this vision. There are many who would have you laid low and our future tossed asunder that they may persist in reaping the unjust reward of their selfish ways. There are wolves in sheep clothing and even jackals in wolf’s clothing. I have seen them but not as residents in some strange zoo. They populate the halls of this diminished government and the party from which this government was born.

We have come to the field of fateful choice. We have been brought to test the scales of weighty decision. Shall we lift this nation upward so that from its higher vantage point we may clearly see the road to our better destiny? Or shall we continue to march the march of fools into the dark of darkness. The current path has but one end. It shall take us into the den of national collapse. We have gone far enough down this wicked avenue to be aware of what its continuance portends.

We must awaken of our own accord, my dear people, before the bell of doom rings upon us. If we wait until that moment, we would have waited too long. Our future, our fate, our destiny would have been cast into the snare of utter misfortune. This is not the song of greatness. It

is the poetics of ruin.

For me, political ambition will never triumph over patriotic

conviction. This delicate moment affords no space for emotion to intrude to blind us from what is best. The APC is the best and only vehicle to enact the progressive and broad change this nation cries for. I eagerly lend myself to this fine cause without me having to be on the ticket.

This is a time for cohesion and an overriding sense of mission. We must defeat the foe before us and resist all temptations intended to entice us to fight among ourselves.

I sincerely commit myself to the rescue agenda of General Buhari and Professor Osinbajo.

I declare to you, I will work and dedicate myself so that our ticket succeeds and wins the 2015 election -- not for his good, not for my good, not even for the party’s good but for the good of the nation we inhabit.

Some may call what I have done a sacrifice. I call it otherwise. It is my patriotic contribution and duty. I do so with a happy and uplifted heart and clear conscience because I have committed myself to seeking the best for this nation before seeking what is good for myself. This is the creed of statesmanship I chose to follow. May this be the creed of our party as General Buhari leads us to historic victory in the 2015 elections.

May the light of a bright future always shine on you and on our beloved nation, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

-Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

December 17th, 2014

N11.1 MILLION SCAM: FAKE CUSTOMS COMPTROLLER JAILED FOR 10 YEARS

The Kano State High Court, yesterday, jailed a fake Customs Comptroller and sentenced him to 10 years and six months imprisonment without option of fine in a case of conspiracy, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.

The suspect, Ibrahim Hassan, better known as Comptroller Kangiwa, was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Dije Aboki of the Kano State High Court.

Hassan, who was prosecuted on a four count charge, allegedly obtained the sum of N11, 074,500.00 from one Alhaji Balarabe Sumaila, at Kano.

The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said: “The convict presented himself in company of his syndicate to Sumaila as Comptroller Husaini Suleiman Kangiwa from Zone C, Owerri Office of the Nigeria Customs Service in 2007. He told him that, he had 12 containers of textile materials auctioned by the Customs Service at the Tin Can Port, Apapa, Lagos, for sale.

“The complainant, together with the convict’s accomplices, thereafter travelled to Lagos, where he was shown some containers containing the materials as discussed. Without any scintilla of suspicion, Sumaila paid the N11, 074,500 to the convict for processing, clearance and transportation of the goods from Lagos to Kano. However, all efforts made by the complainant to get the goods delivered or his money paid back to him yielded no result.”

Justice Aboki found Hassan guilty of the charge and consequently convicted and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment for obtaining the money by false pretence, three years imprisonment for impersonation and another six months for conspiracy.

The sentence is to run concurrently.

The judge also granted the restitution application filed by the prosecuting counsel, Nasiru Salele and ordered the convict to pay the sum of N11m to the complainant.

YEMI OSIBAJO NAMED APC'S PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATE

The Redeemed Christian Church of God moments ago took to its twitter handle to celebrate the emergence of Prof Yemi Osibajo, an associate pastor of the Church, as the presidential running mate of the APC.....See the tweet..........

MS IGWE: APGA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE DIED SAME DAY HER NAME SUBMITTED TO INEC

Ms Eudora Igwe, a lawyer, died the very same day her name was submitted to INEC. Ms Igwe, was a senatorial candidate for The All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Orlu senatorial district in Imo State.

The National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh today confirmed her death. Until her death, she was a member of the Imo State House of Assembly on the platform of APGA.

Chief Umeh described Ms Igwe as a “grassroots mobiliser “who worked to empower women and youths. 

"We have lost a rare gem, who impacted positivity into the lives of her people. We pray the almighty God gives her perfect peace and we pray that the family she left behind be comforted with the fact that she lived a good and exemplary life worthy of emulation” he said

OGBONISM DOES NOT PREVENT YOU FROM BEEN A GOOD CHRISTAIN OR MUSLIM.....OLORI OLUWO

Francis Oluwagbenro Meshioye, is the ‘Olori Oluwo’  of the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity. Chief Meshioye, is a seasoned administrator and chartered accountantm in his current interview, he shed more on the fraternity, its roots from Nigerian culture etc.etc. Excerpts:

People perceive the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity (ROF) negatively but you joined and over the years rose to become the Olori Oluwo (Supreme Leader), what was the initial attraction for you?

I wanted to understand my culture, to know why I am here. Why was I not born in India as a Hindu or in China to embrace their culture and religion? This made me to begin to look within myself to know who I am and I extended this to what I have within my area. I am a firm believer in the Yoruba saying, ‘Animo ni peregun laso’ meaning you add to whatever you have. If that is the case, I wouldn’t leave what I have found within my environment to embrace other things. I do embrace other things, mind you, but I believe that there is something we inherited from our source.  I wanted to know why I am a Nigerian, a Yoruba man, what is my culture like and what is wrong with it amongst other things.

Aside these, I wanted to know God my own way because if you know God and His laws, you will be a better human being. Thereafter, I realised that what I wanted was in my immediate environment. I looked at my culture and realised that it is very useful to realise my oneness with God. Our culture does not cast aspersion on any other and I found out in the Bible – I was raised a Christian – ‘Thou shall not judge’. The bible also says ‘search all things, find out the one that is true and hold on to the truth.’ So, I looked at everything and opted for Ogboni. Incidentally, Ogbonism does not prevent you from going to the church or the mosque.

So, you still go to church?

Yes, Ogbonism does not prevent you from doing whatever you want to do. It is about understanding our culture which guides in living a better life and improving the society. These were the things that prompted me to go into our culture. I wasn’t particular about Ogboni but it satisfied my urge of knowing what we have in our culture to assist in living a better life, a respectable life. I love to be respected and I love to respect people and I like to be a noble character.

I had the same line of thought about Ogboni as the public before I joined. When I was contemplating joining, I had nobody to direct me because you don’t see them easily but I had heard about them; so I said if they are bad I will leave. I later found somebody who introduced me to a member and during the period before induction, they were observing me but I was also observing them. They love each other and are respectable people so I got interested and got glued to it. I found out that it is excellent and what I had been looking for.

What are the criteria for joining the fraternity?

You must be known by someone who is a member because we want people of good character. You must have a sponsor who will attest to your good character.  You must be an adult according to the laws of the land; you must have a verifiable source of livelihood and you must be industrious. You apply and your letter will be sent to the state where your sponsor lives; you will be investigated, apparently without your knowledge. If you are found lacking in those key areas during the investigation period, we will tell you sorry you can’t be our member. If you don’t have any shortcomings, you come for an interview. You meet people who will discuss with you and if you are successful at the interview you are on your way to joining.

That’s a rigorous process and from your explanations, it appears it’s not an all comers affair.

It is not because many are called but few are chosen. The criteria are to ensure that your lifestyle is acceptable to the fraternity. One of the first things you will be asked is do you believe in God? If your answer is no, you will be rejected at that point because that is contrary to our belief. We believe in God and an upright lifestyle. The willingness to live an upright life is vital and you can’t do that if you don’t have a good job, you are not industrious and don’t have a good character.

That’s a good point you raised about uprightness sir. When we were young, we heard stories of members of the fraternity being taken to court and being set free even when culpable by the judge because they both belong to the fraternity. How do you react to this?

We are not like that. We warn anybody that is coming in, you are close to me and we are one so to speak but if you deliberately want to go perpetrate a criminal act, you are on your own.  I have heard similar stories too but they are false. We tell people how to live a good life. If you are linked to the light, there will be no darkness. We are not perfect but we are striving to fine-tune our ways. Ogboni teaches you to be tolerant and respect other people’s viewpoints. We are taught to be law abiding. No judge, if he’s a member, would overturn a case involving a member who sets out to commit a criminal act.

When Archdeacon T.A J. Ogunbiyi started the fraternity on December 18, 1914, he named it Ogboni Onigbagbo. How did the name change to Reformed Ogboni Fraternity?

At that time, there were only few Christian members in the fold but soon after its inauguration, they realised it’s not meant for Christians alone. It’s a cultural heritage and you can’t restrict heritage to religion. In Yoruba culture, we have Christians, Muslims and other faiths. That was why it was changed to Reformed Ogboni Fraternity to accommodate people of different religious leanings, race and political affiliation. It is incorporated and recognised under Nigerian law.

Our past leaders include Sir Adeyemo Alakija, who was the first Olori Oluwo and he was followed by Sir Adetokunbo Ademola. We have had members including Chief Oladeinde Lawson, the late Archbishop Vining, Reverend David Mellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Sardauna, Ahmadu Bello, and Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola amongst others.

What’s the difference between Aboriginal and Reformed Ogboni?

I can say we have three types of Ogboni. There is Ogboni Ilu, the governing council of a town. In Yorubaland, the governing system in any reputable town is Ogboni Osugbo. So, we have Ogboni Ilu, Ogboni Aboriginal and the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity. However, the major difference between Reformed Ogboni Fraternity and the others is that it focuses on the core principles and tenets of Ogbonism without tilting to the right or left.

The fraternity will be celebrating its centenary on December 18, what are your expectations going forward?

We want people to have a proper understanding of what Ogboni is from the perception of the ROF.  It would be my wish that as many people as possible learn, understand, imbibe and practice the principles of Ogbonism of the ROF because it home-based culture and one’s culture matters a lot.

- See more at: http://esabod.blogspot.be/2014/12/being-ogboni-does-not-stop-you-

AFGHAN TALIBAN CONDEMN THE ATTACK ON PAKISTANI SCHOOL

The Afghan Taliban have condemned the killing of school children  by Pakistani Taliban on a military run school in Pakistan earlier today where more than 140 people were killed, 125 of them children.
In a statement released by its spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, Afghan Taliban said....

"The intentional killing of innocent people, children and women are against the basics of Islam and this criteria has to be considered by every Islamic party and government."
Pakistani Taliban are separate from but allied to the Afghan Taliban across the border. Both aim to overthrow their own governments and establish an Islamic state.