Police confirm attack on Oshiomhole’s convoy

The police in Edo State on Friday blamed the students of the Institute of Technology and Management, Usen, for Thursday night’s armed attack on Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s convoy in the town.

Oshiomhole had held a rally in the town and was heading back to Benin City when his convoy was attacked.

A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Anthony Airhuoyo, said the police had commenced an investigation into the incident and the burning of a police station by the students.

The statement said Oshiomhole had met with the students briefly and promised to address them on his way back from his campaign before the attack.

The statement reads, “After the campaign at about 6.15 pm, the governor decided to address the students on another day because it was already getting late.

“But the students barricaded the expressway on the outskirts of Usen in order to compel the governor to visit their institution.

“When their demands could not be met, they resorted to throwing stones and other missiles at the governor’s convoy.

“In the process of dispersing the riotous students, two of them were injured and are currently receiving treatment.

“Nobody was killed in the process. The students later regrouped and went to Usen Police outpost and vandalised the place.

“Investigation has commenced as the area is closely being monitored by the police.”

In another statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Louis Odion, the Edo State Government alleged that thugs loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party had opened fire on the governor’s convoy shortly after he paid a courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of the area (Onogie) Oluogbe II, in his palace.

But the PDP promptly denied involvement in the attack through its Publicity Secretary in the state, Mathew Urhoghide.

I Collected Money Not Bribe —Farouk Lawan

Member of the House of Representative and suspended chairman of the House Ad-Hoc Committee on the Monitoring of Subsidy Regime, Hon. Farouk Lawan, has began defending himself in the ongoing investigation into a $620,000 bribery allegation levelled against him by business mogul Mr. Femi Otedola, Chairman, Zenon Oil and Gas.

Lawan, who was interrogated behind closed doors by the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which began investigation into the allegation yesterday, said what he collected was money and not a bribe.

Restating his earlier statement to the media, Lawan said he collected $500,000 from Otedola not as a bribe but as exhibit that he planned to use as evidence of the attempt by the oil marketer to influence the report of the subsidy probe.

Otedola, in his account of the transaction between the duo, had claimed that Lawan made repeated demands of him for money to stop the ad hoc committee from indicting his company, adding that he had to bring in security agents who advised him to play along with the lawmaker in a bid to nail him.

The security agents, he added, provided the serialised dollar bills that were given to Lawan, who collected the money without knowing that he was being recorded.

A source told THISDAY that Lawan appeared confident throughout his session with the Ethics Committee, but he was rather evasive when asked about the whereabouts of the money he admitted to have collected.

Unlike in the past when he claimed that the money was with the Chairman, House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Hon. Adams Jagaba, Lawan said the security agencies would establish the whereabouts of the money during their investigations.
On his part, Jagaba in different letters to the House Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal and acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, had denied Lawan’s claim.

THISDAY checks showed that besides his oral testimony, Lawan also tendered documents said to contain call logs obtained from a telecommunication service provider to substantiate his claim that Otedola initiated the transaction and not him.

It was learnt that the committee might recall Lawan to give further clarifications on his testimony as the investigation progresses.

Earlier, Lawan, who had arrived at the venue of the committee at 1.05 pm, expressed surprise at the heavy media presence. He expressed pleasantries with his colleagues and reporters before taking his seat.

Chairman, House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Hon. Gambo Dan-Musa, gave a synopsis of the case under investigation and shortly after, ordered reporters to excuse the committee to enable it interrogate Lawan in camera.

Dan-Musa said the committee’s mission was to establish the facts of the bribery allegation and after a series of meetings, it decided to invite Lawan, Otedola and other stakeholders involved in the matter to appear before it at different times.

“The committee is set to carry out its assignment with a very high sense of commitment. We shall strive to be fair and just to all parties involved. It is our belief that at the end of the day, our report will meet the expectations of the House and indeed that of the Nigerian public,” Dan-Musa said.

Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Zakari Mohammed, who addressed reporters later, said the decision to conduct the investigation secretly was to create a conducive atmosphere for Lawan and others to give their testimonies freely and without distraction.

“You know that it is an investigative hearing and we want to avoid a situation where his (Lawan) presentation would bungle certain people’s submissions.

“Of course, the police are doing their own investigations and they are doing that in camera. So we believe that this also should be done in camera to at least give everybody some protection and the freedom to say all that he or she knows.

“If you are sure there are cameras, there might be certain things witnesses might want to hide. So it is not as if we are trying to hide anything but we want to ensure that we do a thorough job of this investigation,” Mohammed said.

-ThisDay News

Creflo Dollar denies punching, choking daughter

 Megachurch pastor Creflo Dollarstaunchly denied Sunday that he punched and choked his 15-year-old daughter in an argument, telling his congregation the allegationsmade in a police report are nothing but "exaggeration andsensationalism."

"I will say this emphatically: I should have never been arrested," Dollar said in his first public appearance two days after police charged him with misdemeanor counts of simple battery and cruelty to children.

The pastor got an enthusiastic ovation from the packed church as he took the pulpit Sunday at the World Changers Church International in metro Atlanta. He addressed the criminal charges head-on for several minutes before moving on to his sermon.

"I want you all to hear personally from me that all is well in the Dollar household," Dollar said.

The 50-year-old Dollar is one of the most prominent African-American preachers based around Atlanta, with 30,000 members in the Atlanta area and a ministry of satellite churches across the U.S.

He was arrested after his 15-year-old daughter called 911 at about 1 a.m. Friday and told a Fayette County sheriff's deputy that she and her father argued when he said she couldn't go to a party. A police report says the girl told a deputy her father charged at her, put his hands around her throat, began to punch her and started hitting her with his shoe. The deputy noted a scratch on her neck.

The report said the deputy also interviewed Dollar's 19-year-old daughter, who said her father grabbed her sister's shoulders and slapped her in the face and choked her for about five seconds. She said her sister tried to break free, but did not fight back. When her father threw the 15-year-old on the floor, the older girl ran to get her mother. Dollar's wife, Taffi, told the deputy she did not see the fight.

Dollar launched into a lengthy denial of the allegations from the pulpit Sunday.

"The truth is that a family conversation with our youngest daughter got emotional," he said. "And emotions got involved and things escalated from there."

He said the mark on his daughter's neck had been there for about 10 years and was caused by a skin condition, eczema.

"The truth is she was not choked, she was not punched. There were not any scratches on her neck," Dollar said. "But the only thing on her neck was a prior skin abrasion from eczema. Anything else is exaggeration and sensationalism."

Dollar's 15-year-old daughter is the one who called authorities and told them her father punched and choked her. Her 19-year-old sister corroborated the story. But Dollar didn't publicly display any anger toward his children.

"I will never put any fault on my children, as Jesus would never put any fault on me," he said.

Dollar's wife, Taffi, is a co-pastor at the church. She addressed the congregation before her husband but did not touch on the allegations.

Dollar's congregation appeared supportive Sunday, giving him sustained applause as he took the stage. As he spoke, people in the sanctuary yelled encouragement: "We love you!" and "We've got your back!" As he talked about the difficulty dealing with teenage children in a "culture of disrespect," many in the crowd nodded in agreement.

Members of the church seemed to close ranks around Dollar even before he addressed them from the pulpit Sunday. Dozens of people approached by The Associated Press as they arrived for the service declined to comment, and the few who did expressed support. After the service, many were still reluctant to comment, but those who did said they were satisfied with their pastor's comments.

"When I first heard what he was accused of, I didn't believe it. I knew there had to be more to the story," said Phyllissa Wolley, 23, a daycare worker who has attended the church for about five years. "I felt like he addressed the accusations today, and I believe what he said. To hear from him personally, I really appreciated that. I was glad to hear his side of the story."

Others said the media blew the accusations out of proportion without having all the facts and they felt vindicated after hearing Dollar speak.

"I think you're looking at a bunch of sensationalism," said George Blake of Ellenwood, adding that he thought the media rushed to tell the story without knowing the full story. The 49-year-old said he never questioned his pastor of eight years.

"It's not up to me to me to be satisfied with what he had to say," Blake said. "This is a man of God spreading the word of God."

Dollar, who has five children, is a native of College Park and says he received a vision for the church in 1986. He held the first service in front of eight people in an elementary school cafeteria. His ministry grew quickly and the church moved into its present location, an 8,500-seat sanctuary, on Dec. 24, 1995.

Dollar said in a 2007 interview with The Associated Press that he renounced his church salary, and his income only comes from personal investments, including a real estate residential property business and horse breeding company called Dollar Ranch. He's also published more than 30 books, focusing mostly on family and life issues, including debt management.

He said he also sometimes got up to $100,000 for a single appearance on his packed schedule of speaking engagements.

Along with Bishop Eddie Long, Dollar is one of the most prominent African-American preachers based around Atlanta who have built successful ministries on the prosperity gospel, which teaches that God wants to bless the faithful with earthly riches. Ministers in this tradition often hold up their own wealth as evidence that the teaching works. http://news.yahoo.com/creflo-dollar-denies-punching-choking-daughter-154645000.html

Fuel scarcity looms in south west / south south

http://www.punchng.com/news/fuel-scarcity-looms-in-swest-ssouth/

Otaosese: After the Wedding Ceremony, What matters to you?

Otaosese: After the Wedding Ceremony, What matters to you?: Women and Men undoubtedly speak different languages, that is just how life is. You get married and then, all of a sudden you want to change ...

After the Wedding Ceremony, What matters to you?

Women and Men undoubtedly speak different languages, that is just how life is. You get married and then, all of a sudden you want to change your spouse without taking responsibility for your own actions in the marriage. When we choose to stop being so self righteous and consider the needs of our spouse, we get the feeling of peace deep within us. Recently, i wrote about How to become the woman that every Nigerian man wants and Women noted the key points necessary to attract and keep that man. Now, its time for men to take note: If you do not know what matters to your wife, it could seriously dent your marriage.


In his book, Straight Talk for Men About Marriage: What Men Need to Know about Marriage (And What Women Need to Know About Men); Martin G. Friedman revealed some fabulous tactics for a great marriage.


So, what really matters to you after marriage?


1. Complete Love against Respect: Every wife yearns for limitless affection, and unconditional love. They want their husbands to display such emotions regularly. She desires that you express your love for her daily. Think about how it would feel if your wife didn't respect you. Terrible, right? The same is true for women who feel unloved.

What matters: Show your wife you love her as often as you can by being physically close to her, buying gifts and caring for her with tenderness. Display your affection for your wife by saying "i love you". Exhibit all your affection to her and she will most likely give you all her respect. 

2. Appreciation: Both men and women often feel a deep sense of being under appreciated. However, Women want "Thank you" for the numerous activities they co-ordinate on a daily business. Their acts of kindness, cooking, tending to the house, motherhood and being by your side. 

What matters: Declare your praises for her. The value is almost instantly realized when your wife hears "i am proud of you". This is a show of appreciation for her.

3. Sex and Sensation: Sex and sensation go together. Your wife wants you to treat her as an emotional being. Women are not wired up like men. Women feel more connected and committed to their husbands through sex. She feels loved when you crave her with love and lots of affection.

What matters: Make sensation a priority in your sex life. See sex as an emotional connection.

How to become the woman every Nigerian Man wants

Nigerian men may be considered demanding and most of them set high standards for their ideal woman. However with the following steps, you could find yourself being "The woman every Nigerian man wants"!

1. Always be well-mannered and presentable: Generally, women who carry themselves with good manners and groomed appearances normally command attention from men. Most of the time, being well groomed gives you an air of elegance which also calls for respect. A typical Nigerian Man loves grace in a woman (even though, they may not admit it). In addition, he wants a woman who he believes is capable of showing respect to his family by default. Psychologically, people relate our carriage to be an interpretation of our personalities. Looking presentable at all times is not necessarily pricey. So, take some time to review your closet and evaluate your manners. While assessing your wardrobe, ensure that you have decent pieces that emphasize your prominent features and make their heads turn. The effect of this is that your "market" will definitely become hotter!


2. Be a good cook: Like our mothers always say ... "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach". If you are a good cook, you've got that Nigerian man! Good cooking as appreciated by Nigerian men refers to well prepared soups, stews, swallows etc. It is never too late to start though, if you aren't a good cook you can still try your hands at experimental approaches to prepare those dishes. Good food has been proven to be dramatically powerful on men - especially Nigerian men.


3. Have a good sense of Humor: A good sense of humor is not only a great personality trait, but it is also a force for attraction. One thing i found out about Nigerian men is that they appreciate a woman who can make them laugh and laugh at herself. A friend of mine told me that the first thing that attracted him to his girlfriend was her ability to pay attention to his jokes and laugh really hard even though the jokes were directed at women. This is because, Nigerian men don't take things in actuality as we women are likely to.


4. Do NOT... I REPEAT, Do NOT Be CLINGY: The fact is Nigerian men love women who are self - sufficient enough to take care of themselves.

5. Read as much as you can: The type of Nigerian men that are worth knowing expect you to display a level of intelligence in comparison to theirs. Men sometimes categorize dummies as perpetual girlfriends. Our focus is on secure men, and this class always align well with smart women. If you're currently stuck with an insecure man, now may be good time to discard him before he puts a dent on your self esteem and self worth. There are quite a number of IQ tests online, take advantage of them. The contents of what you read and watch make you more interesting to a man.


6. Be a God fearing woman: When it comes to successful relationships, God fearing women have a higher score than women who solely take matters into their own hands. A God fearing woman is easily more attractive because she understands what it means to experience love first hand due to her relationship with God. Develop a relationship with God, and you will notice that it will cause you to smile more often which which maintain a consistent glow on your face. Carry on like this and he will look forward to seeing you anytime, any day.