A dog on Sunday saved a family in Otuasega Community, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa from cobra attack. Mrs Catherine Isiki, who spoke in an interview on Tuesday in Yenagoa, described the attack as a “mystery to the family.” Isiki said that the cobra `invaded’ their home at about 1 a.m. on Sunday. “ I woke up as a result of alarm raised by my grand-daughter who was the first person to see the snake. “I am alive today because of a dog that saved me and my family; neighbours could not kill the cobra due its size. “Some of our neighbours could not even come near our compound due to fear; the Mastiff (dog) was awakened by the noise. “It was the dog that went straight to the room where the snake was and began to fight the cobra until it killed it. “I do not know how the snake managed to gain entry to our house because everywhere is tiled. “In fact, it would have been a tragic story if we did not have the dog as a pet in the house; yes, the dog finally killed the snake, but it was God’s intervention,” she said. Isiki appreciated God for sparing her family and encouraged people to keep dogs as pets. “Dogs can save you from any untold danger, just as my entire family was saved because I have a pet dog in my house,” Isiki said.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Akwa Ibom youths raze council secretariat over alleged marginalisation
Youths from Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state on Wednesday, invaded the council secretariat, sent workers away and set some office blocks ablaze over claims of marginalisation.
Ikpa Ikono is one of the three clans that constitute the local government area. The youths alleged that their people have been consistently skimmed out in the sharing of political offices in the area.
It was gathered that their action followed the refusal of the political blocs in the area and the Commissioner for Ministry of Local Government And Chieftaincy Affairs to act on their petition bordering on the composition of the current local government caretaker committees.
A youth from the area who spoke on ground of anonymity said that their action was to express their anger before government in order to correct the anomaly.
The source who is a member of Uyo Ikpa Ikono Welfare Union, one of the socio-political groups in the area said that people Ikpa Ikono Clan have been marginalised in the political offices sharing in the local government for two terms.
“There are four clans in Mkpat Enin namely, Ukpom Mminya, Ikpa Ibom, Ikpa Ikono and Ibiaku. The immediate past transition committee chairman, Ephraim Akpan came from Ibiaku and the present one, Mrs. Ekaete Usip who was the former secretary in Ephraim Akpan administration comes from Ukpom Mmiya.
Mr. Ekom Obong James, Coordinator of Advocacy for Peace and Justice at the Grassroots, in a statement in Uyo said, “What is happening in Mkpat Enin calls for questioning. We are not happy with the marginalisation of Ikpa Ikono in the political scheme of things in the area. We have been consistently been marginalised in the composition of the local government caretaker committee.“The issue is that of all the nine member current caretaker committee, the Akwa Ibom State government did not consider it necessary to include somebody from Ikpa Ikono and this was the case in the previous transition committee. So, we think, the present political arrangement in the state does not think there are qualified sons and daughters of Ikpa Ikono who could be trusted to hold leadership positions. So, what has happened is a food for thought for those who provoked this protest”, he stated.
“Last year, nobody from the clan was deemed fit to be part of the caretaker committee and now again, nobody from the clan is considered eligible to be part of the caretaker committee in a local government area. The sharing of political offices in Mkpat Enin rotates around three clans only.
“What has happened I think is a timely warning to the godfathers that this local government area belongs to all of us and not just a few individuals”, James said.
Efforts to speak with the police public relations officer, (PPRO) Cordelia Nwewa, regarding the incident were futile as she did not pick calls.
Real Madrid most valuable football club - Forbes
Real Madrid have been overtaken by the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys as the world’s most valuable sports team, according to Forbes magazine.
The La Liga giants had been on top of the rankings for the past three years, and the Cowboys’ jump marks the first time since 2011 a football club has not occupied the top spot.
Real remain the most valuable football club, however, with a calculated value of $3.65 billion (€3.29 billion), topping a list of eight clubs to make the rankings.
La Liga rivals Barcelona were spot behind Real on the list with a value $3.55 billion (€3.20 billion).
Rounding out the other football clubs were Bayern Munich at No. 12 ($2.68bn, €2.41bn), Arsenal at No. 23 ($2.02bn, €1.82bn), Manchester City at No. 28 ($1.92bn, €1.73bn), Chelsea at No. 36 ($1.67bn, €1.50bn), and Liverpool at No. 41 ($1.55bn, €1.40bn).Manchester United were the next football club ranked — fifth overall — with a value of 3.32 billion (€2.99 billion).
In addition to their value, Real Madrid also led all teams in revenue, generating $694 million during the 2014-15 season.
Reps. ask FG to release funds to Team Nigeria
The House of Representatives on Wednesday asked the Ministry of Finance to immediately release funds to the sports ministry so that it could mobilise Nigeria’s contingent to the forthcoming Rio Olympics.
The Rio Games will start August 5, but the House expressed shock on Wednesday that Nigeria had yet to mobilise its team to the global sporting fiesta to be held in the Brazilian city.
A member from Kano State, Abubakar Nuhu, who sponsored a motion on the development, told the House that the report of Team Nigeria not being mobilised was sickening.
Nuhu said a serious country’s team would have been going through vigorous camping with just weeks to the Games and not the unsavoury news of no funding.
Lawmakers, on listening to Nuhu, directed the Minister of Sports, Mr. Solomon Dalung, to liaise with his Minister of Finance colleague, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation as well as the Budget Office of the Federation to ensure that the funds were released urgently.He noted that part of the problem seemed to be “the challenges associated with the availability of foreign exchange which may also affect the level of preparations.”
The House said Nigerians would not accept any excuses that the team failed to excel in Rio due to lack of funding.
The motion secured the support of all members present at the session, which was presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara
AfDB Partners With Abia State Govt.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has started the process of initializing the implementation of critical infrastructure developmental projects in Abia State with an inspection visit to some of the deplorable roads at Aba the commercial hub of the state.
The bank’s representative, Mwila Katabula, during a visit to the Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, at the Executive Chambers of Government House, Umuahia, expressed their readiness to partner with the state in areas as stipulated by the government.
The aim is to upgrade and rehabilitate some collapsed roads amongst others so as to empower the people and thereby boosting and enhancing economic development of the state.
At the Obohia Road, the need to de-congest the city centre and issue of water challenge was at the front burner.
But at Ngwa Road Market, the road infrastructure had totally collapsed, as flood had entered most of the shops. The traders had to sweep the water out; a situation they hoped would end soon.
The partnership would allow the state assess a grant-aid of 200 million dollars to rebuild infrastructure but only when all the adequate facility as penned down by the bank are put in place.
It was the second visit of the team of Africa Development Bank to Abia State, after the last visit in 2014, this time to continue with the discussion in areas of work implementation.
A Chinese businessman, Su Bin has been jailed in the United States for stealing the US Military information.
He pleaded guilty to hacking sensitive military information and has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison in the US.
Su Bin admitted collaborating with hackers in the Chinese Military to steal data from US Defence companies between 2008 and 2014.
In a statement, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John Carlin said, “Su Bin’s sentence is a just punishment for his admitted role in a conspiracy with hackers from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force to illegally access and steal sensitive U.S. military information.”
The 51-years-old was arrested in Canada in 2014 and extradited to the US.
The arrest came after the Chinese government repeatedly denied any involvement in hacking foreign companies or governments.
In addition to the 46-month prison sentence, the Los Angeles court also ordered Mr Bin to pay a $10,000 fine.
Kate Middleton is beign congratulated on her third pregnancy
Congratulations are in order for Kate Middleton, who's pregnant with her & husband Prince William's third child!
