Gowon Slams Obasanjo Over Jonathan Attack

President Goodluck Jonathan got a big backer yesterday in his row with former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the government’s approach to the Boko Haram insurgency.
To former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Obasanjo’s criticism of the Jonathan administration’s handling of Boko Haram is “highly irresponsible”.

The doyen of accounting, Mr. Akintola Williams, also lashed out at Obasanjo.
Both spoke in Lagos on the sideline at the launch of a book, “Stay at the top”, authored by a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN), Mr. Omoniyi Komolafe.
Other eminent Nigerians at the book launch included the Head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, the former Chief Medical Director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. Samuel Olowe, the Vice Chancellor of Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Prof. Sola Fajana and representatives of Lagos, Osun and Ogun governors.

Speaking to The Nation, Gen. Gowon said: “Obasanjo is highly irresponsible to have made such comments about the present government.
“Many people have condemned what he (Obasanjo) did in Odi and Zaki Biam.
So, it was irresponsible for him to defend it or accuse the present administration.”

Gen. Gowon urged Nigerians to support the government so that the current challenges can be tackled collectively.
He said: “I know people are concerned about the security situation in the country, but I can assure you that the government is doing everything possible to tackle the situation.
“I remember during my time as Head of State, when we also had grave challenges. Some people said it was impossible to unite Nigeria and that we could not achieve it. Some also said we could not move the state capital from Lagos to another city.

“But, eventually, we were able to subdue the security challenges. I can tell you, we would not have been able to do it, if we did not enjoy the support of Nigerians.
“I urge our people to love and defend the unity of this country at all times. The government should be given the needed support so that it will be able to function.

“I am not saying government should not be criticised when it is doing wrong, but we should not say or do things that will cause more tension and confusion in our land.”
In Williams’ view, Obasanjo should be more circumspect.

“I am sure if he considers his statements, he would not say such things.
“When I was in practice, I had confrontations with him, but we grew to respect each other.
“I would have expected him to observe complete silence, especially commenting on offices now held by somebody else other than himself.”
Obasanjo, speaking in Warri last Thursday at one of the events, marking the 40th anniversary of Rev. Ayo Oritsejafor, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), said President Jonathan’s response to Boko Haram’s insurgency is tepid.

Obasanjo said when faced with such a situation, he nipped it in the bud, saying Dr. Jonathan should have tackled the insurgency at the outset.
“My fear is that when you have a sore and you don’t attend to it early enough, it festers and becomes very bad. Don’t leave a problem that can be bad unattended,” Obasanjo said.
But President Jonathan chose the occasion of his Media Chat on Sunday to respond to Obasanjo’s criticism, saying Obasanjo’s administration’s military attack on Odi in 1999 after some policemen were killed, was a disaster, which failed to achieve its objective.
Jonathan alleged that contrary to Obasanjo’s claim, no militant was killed in the invasion.

He said as the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor at the time, he and (then) Governor Dipreye Alamieyeseigha visited Odi. They saw “some dead people, mainly old men and women and also children. None of those militants was killed. So, the bombardment of Odi was to solve the problem but it never solved it.”
Obasanjo’s former Adviser, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, On Tuesday replied Jonathan on behalf of his principal.
He said: “The truth is that the killing of security agents and soldiers with impunity by Niger Delta militants virtually stopped after the operation in Odi.”
Gen. Gowon, in his address as chairman of the book launch, said he was fascinated by the title of the book, adding that trust and transparency are qualities a good leader must possess.
“As Head of State, I religiously ensured that I reached out to people across all strata through contacts and visits in order to determine how government was perceived or to see how government fared.

Shonekan, who was the guest of honour, said the book was devoted to value reorientation.
He said the author had also brought to the fore the fact that it is never easy for anybody to get to the top in any field of endeavour. It requires a lot of humility, sagacity, commitment to duty and diligence to realise such lofty dreams.
“From experience, I can say that staying at the top is more difficult because for a number of factors, those at the top often lose their staying power. Their successes often get into their heads, their values become warped and sometimes, they cannot move with the dynamics of the time and in the process, they are overtaken by other contenders for the top position.”

Prof. Fajana reviewed the book.
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/gowon-slams-obasanjo-over-attack-on-jonathan/

Mikel Obi Charged With Misconduct

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has been charged by the FA over the Mark Clattenburg race row after the referee was found to have no case to answer.

Mikel accused Clattenburg of using racist language towards him during Chelsea's defeat to Manchester United last month.

Mikel was charged for alleged use of threatening and/or abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour in or around the officials changing room.


The Nigerian stormed into the ref's room after the match after being told by team-mate Ramires that Clattenburg had called him a 'monkey'. Mikel did not hear anything at the time.

He does not deny the charge but will request a personal hearing to explain the mitigating circumstances. There has been no apology from the club.

Clattenburg hasn’t refereed a game since and is now clear to return to official duty. He will be named on Friday for one of the fixtures next midweek.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2236958/Mark-Clattenburg-cleared-John-Obi-Mikel-charged-FA-race-row.html

Ten Personal Ordeals That Women Face In Life

1. Not spending enough time with your children

A startling majority of working moms feel like they haven’t struck the right balance between their work and children. If you’re at work worrying about the children, work isn’t getting the best out of you and the kids aren’t getting anything. You should give your full dedication depending on where you are, whether at work or with the kids. That way everyone, including yourself, benefits.

2. Not losing extra weight

More than 70 per cent women report being on a diet at any one given time, regardless of whether they are actually overweight or not. If you want to look gorgeous and slim, choose to change your situation and make time to go to the gym or a slimming group. Recognise it is your choice and no one else is to blame.

3. Spending money on yourself

Going on a shopping spree may be fun, but the after effects can send some into a spiral of self-loathing and guilt. However, if you rationalise your reasons for spending money on a spa break because you need the downtime, or a new business suit because it will help you in your work, then you have no reason to feel guilty.

4. Your partner is unhappy

If you do feel guilty that you’re not doing enough to make your partner happy, then it is suggested that you both sit down and look at your timetables and agree on how you can make more time for each other. Discuss it and come up with a change in your behaviours that will make you both happier as a couple.

5. Always being late

Sometimes, situations arise which will make us late, no matter how well prepared we are, prompting feelings of guilt and panic. Sitting on a train and getting aggravated about what you could be doing if you were there already is a waste of energy. Ask yourself how you can use the moment? You could write out a full shopping list, rehearse what you want to say in the meeting or call your mother. Sitting there winding yourself up hurts only yourself and no one else.

6. Not being able to play the perfect hostess

Many women say they would like to put on the perfect dinner party or a drinks bash but they often set themselves high standards that they then fail to meet. The desire for social excellence derives from our need to be perfect all the time. Go on, host your party and be a bad party hostess. The moment you accept you can do it, but do it badly, it takes the pressure off. We give ourselves a lot of ‘I should be the perfect dinner party host’. Everyone has a different perception of everything so you can try to host a dinner party but you have to do it your way.

7. Forgetting birthdays

It’s not deliberate. Some of us are running about for 18 hours a day and have a million things to do. If you do feel guilty then simply tell yourself you know you’re doing your best, apologise and make clear that it wasn’t something done deliberately. If the person chooses to take umbrage, then that’s up to them.

8. Taking out some me-time

Living up to the ‘superwoman’ image that many women wish to maintain, can lead to terrible feelings of guilt over giving themselves time off to get their hair done or read a book. But doing nothing is very important in allowing us to physically and mentally recharge. But it is very difficult for other people to see you doing nothing and allow yourself to do it. Tell people the truth. That you need a break because you are at your limit – then accept that the world is not going to fall apart without you.

9. Letting your parents down

Women can inherit guilty feelings through the generations of not doing enough for their elders and in some way failing their parents. Learn to accept that your parents will love and judge you no matter what. Obviously do try and be sensitive but if you go your own way and you are successful and happy, then if they are decent human beings, they’ll be happy for you in any way.

10. Saying ‘No’

Saying ‘no’ is hard because we don’t want to be seen as the baddie and because women are taught from a young age to put others first. The first thing to do is to give yourself time to think about each request and it is suggested that you say something noncommittal like, ‘That sounds interesting, give me half an hour and I’ll get back to you on it’.
If you really don’t want to do what they ask, then give the person other options to help solve their problem.

70-yr-old Farmer Makes N2m Annually From Maize Farming

http://www.osundefender.org/?p=71089

A 70 years old mechanised farmer in the country has called on Nigerians to take farming seriously, saying he makes N2 million annually from maize farming alone.

“I have seven children who are all graduates and I catered for them through farming. One of my sons has joined me in farming and we make an average of N2 million annually from maize farming alone,” said Pa. Isaiah Oladejo, whose farm is based in Osogbo, Osun State.

He enjoined the youths to stop considering themselves as unemployed and waiting endlessly for white collar jobs that may never come, stressing: “Through farming, you will feed yourself, family and Nigeria.”

Pa Oladejo explained that farming requires passion and good sense of planning as a profession and encouraged the youths to come into it as most of the present farmers are growing old and becoming weak to actively continue.
According to him, the notion that agriculture does not sustain your livelihood is untrue. “Do you know the impact on food production if 10,000 Nigerian graduates engage in agriculture?”

Oladejo, recalled that he first came to the Osun Farm Settlement in 1963, and said since then farming has become a way of life for him, and he now manages 50 acres of farmland, where he cultivates different food crops.

The farmer of over 50 years experience identified access to fertilizer and tractors as a major challenge facing the farmers in increasing their yield.
He praised the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo whose leadership as the Governor of the Old Western Region led to the creation of Farm Settlements across the region.

He also charged those in leadership position to initiate projects that would impact on the lives of their electorates. He called for issue-based and people-focused leadership which he said would position the country on the right directi

CAF Reveal Final Five For African Footballer Of The Year- Mikel Obi Missing!

Dede Ayew, Demba Ba, Didier Drogba, Alex Song and Yaya Toure are the final five nominees for the Confederation of African Football's Player of the Year award.

Ivory Coast and Manchester City's Toure won the accolade last year.

Caf initially named 34 players who they were considering for the award before cutting that down to 10 names.

The final nominees were decided by votes from the head coaches and technical directors of the football associations affiliated to Caf.

The 2012 Caf African Footballer of the Year will be crowned at an awards ceremony in the Ghana capital, Accra, on 20 December.


What happened to our own Chelsea Midfielder, John Mikel Obi

BBC Sports.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20463587

Omotola Is The Highest Earning Actress In Nollywood

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde continues to prove that there is more to her than her curve-ridden figure as she emerges biggest box-office actress of the year.

The actress was recently honoured in the UK as the first-ever African BEFFTA (Black Entertainment, Film, Fashion, Television and Arts) Film Icon for her contribution to the film industry in Africa, Europe and globally.

The year 2012 will be one in which the duo of Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and film maker Obi Emelonye won’t forget in a hurry as the duo grabbed the headlines in spectacular fashion judging by the quality of the kind of jobs they both did.

The movie, Last Flight to Abuja produced and directed by award winning Obi Emelonye first grabbed the headlines when it reportedly sold more than 8million in its first week at the cinema!

Omotola’s popularity and box-office credibility was put to test when the movie, opened at the cinema. The premiere till date remains the biggest premiere of any movie with six packed halls, a record no premiere has beaten. Last Flight to Abuja also starred Hakeem Kae Kazeem, Jim Iyke, Jide Kosoko and others.

Last Flight to Abuja is still showing at the cinema and it has already grossed 24 million, thereby making it the highest box office earner this year! No other movie has come close to this record so far.

It would be recalled that the same movie director produced Mirror Boy a movie that made 18 million at the cinema..

The year 2012 has been incredible for super star, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde; from being the highest paid actress to being the busiest on locations of big budget movies, now famously called “the new Nollywood” Omosexy has had a full calendar and bag as well.

It will be recalled that the sexy superstar starred in the acclaimed Ties That Bind alongside Hollywood’s Kimberley Elise, Kofi Adjorlolo, ama K, Khareemar Aguiar among others..

Still in 2012 Omosexy as she’s fondly called played the leading role in the High budget Tarila Thompson’s movie ,”Up Creek “still in post production. She was also on call for Teco Benson’s film “Blood on the Lagoon” also in post production.

The multiple award winner thereafter went on to star in the movie AMINA alongside British actor Wil Johnson and Vincent Regan , a movie written, produced and directed by Christian Ashaiku, where she plays the character of a woman suffering from mental disorder. The movie recently premiered at the prestigious Empire Leicester square London to great reviews.

As icing on the cake the actress was recently Honored As the First ever African BEFFTA Film Icon for her contribution to the film industry in Africa, Europe and globally. BEFFTA (Black Entertainment Film Fashion Television and Arts) award is Europe’s biggest award ceremony celebrating achievements of black and ethnic personalities in showbiz globally.

Omotola is a United Nation World Food Programme Ambassador and Amnesty International Activist. The talented actress is a role model who gives back to the youths through her own charity, Omotola Youth Empowerment Programme (OYEP)

http://gidileak.com/ent-omotola-jalade-is-the-highest-earn-actress-in-nollywood/

Exclusive Pictures of Pastor Oritsejafor’s Jet

http://www.lanreclassic.com/2012/11/exclusive-pictures-of-pastor.html

History of the aircraft
According to sahara reporters, Pastor Oritsejafor’s jet is a Canadian-made Bombardier jet with US registration number N431CB. The jet was manufactured in 1994 and previously belonged to two different owners in the US,records revealed. The private jet was last used in New Jersey by C R BARD IN of Murray Hill, New Jersey

The jet was flown out of the US from Morristown, New Jersey in September 2012 ostensibly to be retrofitted and serviced before delivery last week to Mr. Oritsejafor.

Records accessed on the Internet indicated that the jet’s owners in New Jersey listed it for sale in July 2012. The data also showed that the jet had once been upgraded to give it more engine power. The jet’s interior is furnished with gold accents in the toilet and bathroom area.