Tuesday, 3 February 2015

Expressing Valentine's love at the polls

2015-02-03 17:28
It is not an exaggeration to say that whenever Valentine’s Day celebration is mentioned that what comes to mind are Roses, Cupid’s arrows, chocolates, cards and even romantic feelings.

While it is not arguable that the foregoing are collectively synonymous with Valentine’s Day celebration, it is not laughable to say that the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) that are been lopsidedly distributed to duly registered voters across the country has somewhat become a paraphernalia of Valentine’s Day as the much-awaited presidential election is scheduled to hold on the day the Lover’s Day is traditionally celebrated all over the world.

The beauty that is inherent in the coincidence of the conduct of the presidential election and the celebration of the widely celebrated Lover’s Day come February 14, 2015 cannot be far-fetched when seen from the prism of the fact that the love which Saint Valentine exhibited while on his earthly journey can be emulated at the polls to make the presidential election that coincided with Lover’s Day, including the governorship and state house of assembly elections scheduled to hold on February 28, 2015, are peaceful elections that would make any book on Nigeria’s political history a must-read for political students and gurus across the world.

At this juncture, one is compelled to ask, how can voters express Valentine’s love at the polls to make the election peaceful? First and foremost, voters and party s would not go to the polls to be involved in the nefarious activities of ballot snatching and snuffing. Given the undiluted love which St. Valentine professed and exhibited, it can be argued that there is no justifiable reason that would make any voter to be enmeshed in the labyrinth of electoral violence that comes in the similitude of clashes among supporters of rival candidates.

Secondly, voters that purposely left their homes to vote for their choice candidates would in the spirit of Valentine not forsake their choice candidate and accept monetary gifts from supporters of other candidates at the polls in order to buy their consciences and usurp their freedom of choice. There is no denying the fact that the expression of Valentine’s love at the polls would make voters that are truly patriotic not to take up the cudgels for their choice candidates. The voters that truly understand the essence of Valentine’s love may not on the day of its celebration think of even hurting his or her neighbor; not to talk of going to the polls to foment trouble and engage in electoral malpractices.

One may not be wrong to say that some readers of this opinion article may have disagreed with the views expressed herein. However, the truth of the matter remains that “There is no fear in love; but perfect love cast out fear…” The foregoing biblical scripture is the word of encouragement in the book of 1st John chapter 4 verse 18 on the need for the expression of love under any situation and circumstances as it is capable of engendering peace.

With this in mind, one can say that it would not be out of place for politicians and electorates to express love at the polls come February 14, 2015 and beyond in order to let peace reign on the nation’s political landscape. At this juncture, one cannot deny the fact that expressing the kind of love which St. Valentine exhibited throughout his earthly journey in order to engender peaceful coexistence has become an indispensable panacea for all Nigerians of votable age come February 2015. The spirit of Valentine’s love should be exhibited on the day of presidential election to enable peace to reign.

When viewed from another perspective many Nigerians have no doubt developed apathy, and to a large extent, hatred towards some politicians that are wont to see the game of politics as a dubious means of amassing ill-gotten wealth to themselves. Rather than been compelled to stay away from the polls by the spirit of apathy and hatred which they have overtime developed towardthe politicians, they should resort to expressing Valentine’s love by going to the polls and vote for the candidates of their choice. Nigerians of votable age who have already developed apathy should remember the admonitions of Abraham Lincoln that says “The ballot is stronger than the bullet“ and that of William E. Simon that says “Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don’t vote.”

Translated to suit our environment, it can be said that “Bad politicians are sent to Abuja by good people who don’t vote.” Permit me to say that this piece would not be brought to conclusion without admonishing desperate and greedy politicians that being elected into one political office or another would make them to be fulfilled in life. If some of them who are Christians should go through the book of Ecclessiastes, it would clearly dawn on them that their collective thinking is erroneous. The scriptures in chapter 6 verse 1 and verse 2 has it that “There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men; A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth and honour, so that he wanted nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.”

Against the foregoing backdrop, it is expedient for politicians that are destined to obtain victories in various political positions come February 2015 to hold on to the love which St. Valentine demonstrated rather than thinking of how to carry out nefarious activities at the polls.

Finally, politicians should endeavor to be expressing Valentine’s love toward the country growth in all ramifications rather than thinking of how to milk her dry.
- MyNews24

12 extremists killed in French operation in Mali

2015-02-03 16:28
Bamako — A Malian official says that a French military operation killed 12 extremists in far northern Mali, amid renewed violence in the region.

The French Defense Ministry says that French troops put a dozen fighters "out of action" after moving in on the group in the rugged Adrar des Ifoghas area Saturday. A local official in northern Mali confirmed Tuesday that the 12 were killed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

The French ministry said no French troops were killed.

French and U.N. troops remain in the region after France intervened in former colony Mali two years ago and dispersed Islamic extremists who had taken control of the arid north. Recent months have seen repeated attacks by extremists and rising tensions with the Tuaregs.

Political thugs kill three in Lagos

2015-02-03 16:28
Lagos - Suspected political thugs, have killed three persons in separate clashes in the Ajegunle and Lagos Island areas of Lagos, Punch reports.

The thugs, who reportedly belonged to a cult gang known as Campos boys, caused mayhem at Akindele and Apata streets in Amukoko on Sunday.

One of the two victims in the Amukoko, Ajegunle area was identified simply as Raimi, the deceased in the Lagos Island incident was identified as Ahmed Igbagbo. The third person had yet to be identified.

Two factions clashed in the area, and had a gun duel during which Raimi was shot in the chest.
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Policemen from the Amukoko Police Division were said to have arrived the scene to curtail the crisis.

Read more at Punch

Ronaldo 'won't leave Real Madrid' - agent

2015-02-03 17:17
London - Cristiano Ronaldo will finish his career at Real Madrid, the Portuguese superstar's agent said Tuesday as he put a 300 million ($452 million, 298 million euros) price-tag on the world footballer of the year.

"He is the best player ever in the world. You can't compare him with anybody else," agent Jorge Mendes said of Ronaldo in an interview with the BBC.


"If for any reason the club decide to sell him tomorrow for 300 million, someone will pay," Mendes added.
But the agent said there was no danger of his 29-year-old compatriot, voted the world's best player for a third time last month beating Barcelona's Lionel Messi to the award leaving Real's Bernabeu Stadium.

"Cristano Ronaldo? One billion. His buyout clause one billion, so it is one billion. It is impossible to find someone like him."

Asked if Ronaldo, who joined Real from Manchester United for a world record 80 million in 2009, would end his career with the Spanish giants, Mendes said "for sure".
"He will not leave Real Madrid," Mendes insisted.

Couple has sex in office and entire bar witnesses it

2015-02-03 17:17

Lagos – Two colleagues who were involving themselves in some extracurricular activities after hours at work were caught with their pants down when they forgot to turn the lights off and patrons at the bar across the street were privy to their affair, Daily Mail reports.

The duo work at an insurance company in Christchurch, New Zealand, which unfortunately for them is right opposite Carlton Bar and Eatery.

According to patrons at the bar, the couple provided them with a show as many people filmed the event while watching from the windows and posted the proof to Facebook and Twitter. Apparently at one point, the band in the bar stopped playing to watch the rendezvous.

The insurance company, Marsh Ltd, said the company was taking the matter seriously and the pair have been identified and will be dealt with accordingly.
Read more at Daily Mail

To the youths who are still sleeping!

41 minutes ago
George Chuks Comments: 17 Article views: 102
I wonder the people they said that they are the leaders of tomorrow! 80 percent of all the youths in this country share the same belief and these are religious, ethnic, social background and bias mindsets.

This is the reason why the youths of this country has not made head ways. I read most of the comments from news agencies, social media's, group discussions and all I hear and see is youths pointing fingers at each others over APC and PDP, over President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan known as GEJ and General Mohammed Buhari also known as GMB.

How GMB is better than GEJ and how GEJ is better than GMB! I ask, in a country where the population of the country is highly constituted with the youths and yet their leaders are from 60s to 70s and 80s. And to crown it all this same youths don't see the need to canvas for change whereby leadership of the country can return to 30s, 40s and 50s.

It is time to wake up and stop killing yourselves over old men and women who don't want to retire and leave your space so that you can occupy.

A better country if the youths will support themselves and eject these old men and women to the house of resting till death comes and take them away.

God bless!
- MyNews24

68.8m PVCs ready for collection –INEC


Election, vote
(Picture: Sapa)
 
INEC - Despite the controversy over the collection of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday said 68.8 million PVCs had been produced and ready for collection by duly registered voters in the country.

INEC also said the PVCs of those who were affected when the commission had data losses were ready for collection.

The commission said this category might include the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, Governor Babatunde Fashiola of Lagos State and many other registered voters whom INEC had said  their cards were not among those initially produced when their data was mistakenly deleted.

Also ready for collection are the PVCs of those who participated in the recent continuous voters’ registration.

This was disclosed during the one-day workshop for journalists organised by the commission in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kaduna.

The Deputy Director (Publicity), Nick Dazang, who made this known, said all the cards had been distributed to the collecting centres across the country.

He stressed that so far, 65 per cent of the PVCs had been collected, stressing that with the one-week extension, it was expected that almost all of the PVCs would have been collected.

Dazang also announced that some states had recorded about 80 percent collection.

He said: “At a point in time, the contractor who was producing these cards had machine failure but after sometimes, we overcame it and was able to boost level of production per day from 350 000 to 600 000 per day.

“The one we sublet outside was able to produce 1.4 million on daily basis and that explained why we keep telling people that we have confidence that we will produce this card and every one will get it.

“Now as we speak the PVCs for those whose bio-data were captured during the Continuous Voters’ Registration, that is, those whose data were lost, their cards are available for collection.

“Of course the cards of those who registered in 2011 had always been there on the ground.”

He said these PVCs had been distributed to respective states for collection, “if the owners visit the distribution centres they can collect these cards.’’

He also appealed to Nigerians to go to the respective centres to pick up their cards as he maintained that the voting would only be done with the PVCs.

Reacting to reports that politicians are buying up PVCs, Dazang said it was an exercise in futility as there was no way any other person would be able to use such PVCs because of the card readers that would be deployed for the elections.

He therefore appealed to those buying PVCs not to disenfranchise the electorate by their actions.

Dazang also announced that 152 000 polling officials would be deployed to at the 120 000 polling units in the country.

He explained that all the card readers are polling unit specific, hence can only be used at specified polling unit.

INEC, he also said was still awaiting supply of another 32 000 card readers.

He further urged the public to report any INEC staff who demanded for money before issuing the PVC.

In his remarks, the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) media consultant to INEC, Isa Modibbo, said democracy would be better for it if the people were properly educated; stressing that in this case the media has a major role to play.

He said: “The continuity of our democratic process is better enhanced if we do whatever is within us to educate participants in the democratic process such that they will be in a position to make informed choices.

“I wish to enjoy our colleagues that their reporting will be such that they help build our humanity,’’ he said.

UNDP, Modibbo said would continue to ensure that the capacity of the media was built in such a way that it would continue to be partner in progress.

-   NAN