GAT Not Concessioned to Bi-Courtney, Says FAAN.

Thisday

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said that the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, was not part of the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) concession between Bi-Courtney Limited and the Federal Government.

In a statement signed by the General Manager, Corporate Communication of FAAN, Yakubu Dati, the agency alleged that there were distortions of the original documents signed by the Federal Government and Bi-Courtney.

“The authority is constrained to ask members of the public, especially aviation stakeholders, to discountenance that often bandied claim because it is false, misleading and mischievous, to say the least. We observed, with interest, quotations from questionable documents or portions of documents that suited their assertion about the duration of the BOT and government’s directive for the so-called takeover of the GAT,” the agency said.

It stated that whatever documents that would be considered, looking at the issues between Federal Government and the company would be the “only authentic document on the agreement limits the duration of the concession to 12 years and that the area of land occupied by the GAT is clearly outside the area of land granted Bi-Courtney for the concession. These facts have been stated for the umpteen time.”

FAAN alleged that “Bi-Courtney is only crying foul now because the Federal Government has decided that there should be transparency and fairness in all concession agreements with Federal Government agencies.”

The agency said that it was convenient for Bi-Courtney to deceive unwary Nigerians into thinking that the MMA Domestic Terminal I (named MMA2 by Bi-Courtney) controversy would discourage private investors in the industry but it forgets to add that “ill-motivated, manipulated and unbelievable concession agreements, skewed a
gainst the interest of the Nigerian people, cannot stand the test of time.”

“No amount of playing to the gallery, twisting the law and facts or appeal to undue sentiment can change this,” FAAN also said.

Reacting to the FAAN’s position, spokesman to Bi-Courtney, Steve Omolale-Ajulo,  said in a statement that by insisting that GAT was not Bi-Courtney’s and that “our concession tenure of 36 years is 12 years, despite court orders to that effect, they have further shown how lawless they are and their disdain for the judiciary. They should allow the Supreme Court hear their appeal over the concession agreement they signed with us instead of putting forward shallow and irrational argument.”

He also said, “We are aware of their grand conspiracy to render MMA2 useless, send over 2000 Nigerians into the job market and also render our billions of naira investment in MMA2 useless with the building of GAT. If they so much love Nigerians, they should answer the several summons of Nigerians’ representatives in d National Assembly to explain their Ministry’s activities. For now, GAT is ours and will continue to be until they are able to overturn that appellate court judgment,” the spokesman added.

Beyoncé Debuts Bangs.

Beyoncé is the latest celebrity to join the bang trend.

Snapped on Saturday, the singer was sitting courtside at the Brooklyn Nets home opener. Her husband Jay-Z is a part owner of the NBA team

Last month, X Factor's Britney Spears stepped out with bangs weeks after her fellow judge Demi Lovato debuted her banged updo.

Are you a fan of the trend? Whose face suits bangs better?

Lady Gaga: "Adele Is Bigger Than Me" But No One Talks About It.

Celebrity Shots

Lady Gaga feels she's been unfairly criticized for not maintaining a perfect physique.

The "Born This Way" singer admitted to packing on the pounds in a mid-September radio interview, and since then, she started a "Body Revolution" on her Little Monsters website, where she asked people to embrace their figures and focus on inner beauty. When the 26-year-old spoke with Stylist UK about the movement, she drew attention to another famously curvy musician: British soul singer Adele, 24.

PHOTOS: Lady Gaga's body evolution
"I was acutely aware of some photos on the internet -- my mom called me and was like, 'Did you gain weight?' -- everybody was telling me about it, and I didn't really care," Gaga recalls. "I thought, well I don't really care if they think I'm fat, because, quite honestly, I did gain about 30 pounds."

She continued, "Adele is bigger than me -- how come nobody says anything about it? She's so wonderful and I think her confidence is something I have to match. She has set the bar very high for a lot of woman. I need to be a confident woman and just say politically active things when I can that are helpful to young people." (Adele and her boyfriend, Simon Konecki, welcomed a baby boy in mid-October.)

The Grammy winner wishes more women would be supportive and encouraging instead of critical and demeaning. "We should all make an effort to be nice to one another all the time," Gaga says.

The native New Yorker (who's dating Chicago Fire star Taylor Kinney) also shared her beauty mantra with Stylist UK. "Sit in front of the mirror with all of the paints and colors and wigs that you have at your disposal, and just have a real talk with yourself. 'What do I not like about me?' And then, peer into the mirror -- and just f-cking draw right over it because that's what makeup is here for. We're not all perfect -- it's meant to be fun so we can bond as women, and say, 'You know, what? We don't all feel perfect, but did you try that lipstick? It's divine.'"

Halle Berry vs. Miranda Kerr — Fashion Faceoff.

Gorgeous Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry has often taken on the role of model. Her earliest acting gig was playing a model on the show "Living Dolls," a 1989 "Who's the Boss?" spin-off that only lasted for 12 episodes, and she's continued to strike poses in photo shoots for countless magazine spreads and for Revlon ads. Today, however, she'd better get ready for battle against someone who's one of the most successful models in the world: Miranda Kerr, the Victoria's Secret model that ranked No. 7 on Forbes magazine's latest list of the highest paid models. According to the list, which came out in July, the leggy Australian raked in $4 million between May 2011 and May 2012. One of Kerr's wardrobe changes during that busy year include Roland Mouret's Galaxy dress in black — the exact garment that sometimes-model Berry chose 18 months later. It's time for a particularly tough round of … who wore it best?!

We did not kill General Shuwa – Boko Haram.

 
 Channels (Maj-Gen Mamman Shuwa was gunned down on Friday in his house at Gwange in Maiduguri along with his guest.)

The fundamentalist group Boko Haram on Sunday denied allegations that it was behind the killing of Maj-Gen Mamman Shuwa and other politicians in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.


In a teleconference with newsmen in Maiduguri by one Abu Mohammed Abdul-Aziz, who claimed to be the spokesperson for the group, the sect said it regards late General Shuwa with high esteem as he has never said anything wrong about them.

The Boko Haram’s spokesman described the late General as a responsible person and warned those spreading rumors that the group is responsible for his killing to desist from such.
He also said the five persons nominated by the Boko Haram as mediators with the federal government as still the authentic people they trust can become witness in the event of any bridge of the negotiation.

General Shuwa, veteran and former member of the Supreme Military Council, was gunned down on Friday in his house at Gwange in Maiduguri along with his guest, shortly before the Juma’at prayer.
Forty other people were said to have been killed in a bloodbath in another part of Maiduguri on Thursday night.

The late General, who was buried at about 10:30 a.m on Saturday at Gwange Cemetery, was described by many as a leader who lived a life worthy of a statesman.

Sarah Jessica Parker's Day With Her Twins.

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick and their twin daughters, Marion and Tabitha Broderick, walk to the Plaza Athenee Hotel from Nello's restaurants on Madison Avenue in New York City. Tabitha and Marion are pushing Corolle dolls in strollers after a trip to F.A.O. Schwarz

Man Climbs Chicago Skyscraper With Bionic Leg.

A 31-year-old amputee has made history, becoming the first person to climb 103 floors of one of the world's tallest skyscrapers with a bionic leg.
Zac Vawter was wearing a prosthetic leg controlled by his mind Sunday when he participated in "SkyRise Chicago." The charity event raises funds for the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
The event marked the bionic leg's first test in the public eye.

As Vawter thought about climbing stairs, the motors, chains and belts in his leg synchronized the movements of its ankle and knee. Researchers cheered him on and noted the smart leg's performance.
Institute officials say the leg and its climber held up "fantastically."
Vawter finished the climb in about 45 minutes.

Seven Swing State Election Irregularities.

Abc news

National elections involve many moving parts and in swing states, where campaigns pour in with millions of dollars in ads and aides, the process can become even more complicated.
Out of this chaos, problems inevitably arise. In some cases, those problems appear to be maliciously motivated. In others, they're simple mistakes. Either way, state officials take them seriously, as any irregularity has the potential to deter someone from voting, depriving them of their right as an American.
Read on to see what irregularities have popped up across the country leading up to the 2012 election.

Pa. Priest Slapped With Embezzlement Charge.

The Rev. Caesar A. Belchez, 52, is shown in this undated photo (Abc news)


A priest accused of embezzling nearly $385,000 from his former church in rural Pennsylvania was arrested Thursday, Adams Co. District Attorney Shawn Wagner said.
The Pennsylvania State Police arrested the Rev. Caesar A. Belchez, of New Freedom, Pa., on three counts of felony theft after a prolonged investigation that began in 2011, after Belchez left Saint Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Bonneauville, Pa., after about five years presiding over the rural parish.
Belchez left the parish of about 400 families in 2011 in a routine transfer of priests, said Joseph Aponick, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg.
"That's when the new priest noticed things weren't the way they should be," Aponick told ABCnews.com. "He discovered what appeared to be malfeasance."
The parish's new priest, the Rev. Augusty Valomchalil, reported the financial irregularities to the diocese, which, in turn, contacted state police, Aponick said.
Police, the district attorney, and the diocese then launched an investigation, the diocese said. It discovered, among other irregularities, an unauthorized transfer of money between church accounts and accounts in Belchez's name, including an eTrade account, according to court documents. The documents charge that Belchez embezzled $311,983.95 and made an additional $72,766.81 in unauthorized credit card charges.
According to court documents, Belchez confessed to the crimes at the time of his interview by the Pa. state police.
Belchez has been released on $50,000 unsecured bail and was forced to forfeit his passport as he awaits a preliminary hearing later this month.
Belchez declined to request a public defender according to the court docket and it's unclear if he has hired an attorney. He has not entered a plea yet.
Aponick called the alleged crime an isolated incident.
"The bishop is very concerned," he said, "and wants to make it known that money entrusted to the church is used with absolute responsibility."

Oprah Winfrey Announces 2012 Favorite Things.

Getty Images (Abc news)

It’s that time of year, again. Get in line and try to score a seat at Oprah Winfrey’s special, “Oprah’s Favorite Things,” because the talk-show queen is shelling out some impressive gifts this year.
Each year, Winfrey creates a list of her favorite products and this year’s list has some pretty pricey pieces. There’s a $238 set of 14 soaps from Lafco Soap, a $4,999 Bose VideoWaveII and a $450 Pedestal Fan.
“Safe, adjustable, easy to clean, and remote-controlled, the Pedestal Fan was on at the Jenners’ place when I interviewed the Kardashians, and it was love at first breeze,” Winfrey wrote on her website.
The iPad is out for O. Winfrey touted Microsoft’s Surface as one of her favorite things, saying the $499 tablet “feels like a Mercedes-Benz.”
Winfrey’s list also includes a set of four Tom Ford lipsticks for $192 and a $3,099 Q37ci Elliptical Trainer, which you can get for $2,789 with a coupon. There’s also the fun Corkcicle, which can be frozen and put into any bottle of wine that needs to stay cold.
Winfrey will be showing off all of her favorite things in the December issue of O magazine. She’ll also tell fans how they can score all the items on the list.
“Oprah’s Favorite Things” is a two-hour, prime time special airing Nov. 18 on OWN.

Leadership Ratings Help Obama; 50 Percent Approval, Not So Much.

 Abc news        (President Barack Obama waves as he is introduced at a campaign event Saturday)


Barack Obama has maintained a sizable advantage over Mitt Romney in trust to handle a major crisis and regained his lead in being seen as the stronger leader, wielding the benefits of incumbency to stay competitive, economic discontent aside, in the razor-close 2012 election.
Obama also has managed essentially an even split with Romney in views of which candidate has better ideas on the size and role of government – another case, as with the economy, on which Romney has been unable to capitalize fully on a vulnerability of the president’s.

Pamela Anderson Sports Black Wetsuit.

Actress Pamela Anderson sports a black wetsuit as she helped to launch 'Operation Zero Tolerance' aboard the Sea Shepherd's SS Bridget Bardot at Fisherman's Village on Nov. 2, 2012 in Marina del Rey, Calif. The campaign is intended to save whales.

Child Mauled to Death by Dogs at Pittsburgh Zoo.

Abc news

A toddler was mauled to death today after falling into the African painted dog exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo.
The boy, who was around 3 years old, fell 14 feet over a railing and into the exhibit, said Barbara Baker, director of the Pittsburgh Zoo.
“Visitors alerted the staff immediately and they went into emergency response mode,” she said.
Zoo officials tried firing darts to scare the dogs away from the child, but the animals, which are pack hunters, did not immediately respond.
The dogs were eventually moved from the exhibit, with the exception of one, which had to be shot by a police officer after it continued to “be aggressive” to the boy, Baker said.
“Unfortunately by the time EMTs were able to get to him, the boy had passed away,” Baker said.
The zoo has been closed until further notice.
The identity of the boy, who Baker said was visiting the zoo with his mother and family friends, has not yet been released.
“We’ve had the exhibit up since 2006 and we have not had any issues with the dogs,” Baker said. “This is a tragic accident.”

Wife of Sgt. Robert Bales, Accused of Afghanistan Massacre, Says 'My Husband Did Not Do This': ABC News Exclusive.

On the eve of the most important court hearing U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales will ever attend, the wife of the man accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers maintains her husband's innocence.
"My husband did not do this. Did not do this," said Kari Bales in an exclusive interview with ABC News. "I truly believe from the bottom of my heart that my husband is not involved."
Kari Bales said it is simply "incomprehensible" to her that her husband and best friend, "Bob," faces 16 charges of premeditated murder.

Staff Sgt. Bales is accused of sneaking out of his combat outpost and single-handedly conducting a cold-blooded massacre of men, women and children in two remote villages outside of Kandahar, Afghanistan on the night of March 11, nearly 8 months ago.

The government's "Article 32 investigation" starts Monday: The proceeding is essentially a pre-trial hearing, in which military investigators lay out the case against Bales to determine if there is enough evidence for a court-martial to go forward. It will be conducted both from a tiny courtroom at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash. and via a satellite link from the villages where the killings took place. The Afghan witnesses who will testify -- women and children survivors of the attacks -- refuse to leave their homes. Kari Bales said she learned of the attack within hours from military officials:

"It must have been a mistake, is how I initially took it. It certainly wasn't, it wasn't my husband. That wasn't something, when I learned more about the details of how, what came out of it and all of that. It was disbelief. It could not have been my husband. It was just incomprehensible to me. I know my husband. I know him very well, and especially the talk about the women and the children. I knew that it wasn't my husband. So it was just incomprehensible to me."

A midnight call that night from her husband, she says, confirms to her that even Robert Bales does not know what really happened.
"He was like, 'What? What you talking about?' He had, he knew that something was going on, but did not know the extent of what was going on, and I was actually the one that had told him how many people had died, and that included women and children, and he was blown away. He did not know the details as they had been portrayed in the press."

Military investigators say they have two surveillance videos from the remote combat outpost that show Sgt. Bales returning to the base, putting down his weapon and surrendering. But Kari says she believes the truth has yet to come out.
"I don't think we have even begun to have the truth."

Meantime, Kari struggles to explain to the couples' 2-1/2-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter why their daddy sits in a jail cell just a little over a mile away on the same base where the young family is now sequestered.
"It's been difficult," she said. "I question myself, what is the right thing to say, what is the right thing to explain to them, what can they understand? And for me, I don't even really understand what is happening, so how can I possibly expect my kids to understand, right?"

Governor Dickson Inaugurates Bayelsa Social Media Committee.

 BSC photos of Inauguration.

 

It is now known that His Excelency, Hon Henry Seriake Dickson, Governor of Bayelsa State has formally inaugurated the BAYELSA SOCIAL MEDIA COMMITTEE today.
The Governor was represented by the secretary to the Bayelsa State Government, Prof. Edmond Allisson-oguru. The inauguration which took place at the conference room of the office of the SSG has the SSA on Research and Social Media Hon. John Idumange as the chairman, while Nwokedi Nworisara and Saint Mienpamo Onithsha are to serve as Secretary and Director of operations respectively.

Other members of the Committee includes:
(1) Mr. Ebi Brisibe
(2) Mrs. Anita Godspower Benakiegha
(3) Mr. Sekegha Oguara
(4) Ms. Blessing Oyanimigha.

The Committee has been mandated to recommend, identity and evolve strategies on how to use the social media platform to train champions, who will create awareness and sensitize the people of government policies and programmes. The Committee is to work in synergy with all relevant governments agencies to promote government policies.

 Responding on behalf of the newly inaugurated Committee, Hon John Idumange thanked Governor Henry Seriake Dickson for the unique opportunity given members to serve. He promised to evolve one of the most sophisticated Social Media infrastructure in Nigeria, pointing out that the Committee will discharge its assigned responsibilities with decorum, due diligence and high standing morality deserving of their calling. Several dignitaries were presents at the inauguration ceremony.

Surfer Escapes Shark By Punching It In The Head.

Sky news

A surfer fought off a shark by punching it on the side of the head - seconds after it had bitten him.

The attack in Eureka, California left Scott Stephens with eight deep lacerations, according to the Times-Standard
.
The 25-year-old was paddling on his board 150 yards further out than other surfers when the shark grabbed him and pulled him under water.
He estimates the creature was four feet long and believes it was a juvenile great white.
"The shark came from underneath me, grabbed onto my side, shook me a few times and pulled me under water," he told reporters from his hospital bed.
"I opened my eyes under water and punched the shark on the side of the head a couple of times until it released me. I saw a lot of blood."
He was able to get back onto his board and return to the shore.
Fellow surfers came to his aid when they heard him screaming for help and took him to St Joseph Hospital.
"I really didn't feel much at the time probably because I was in shock. I didn't feel too much pain until I woke up this morning," he said.
Doctors said the surfboard probably took some of the brunt of the bite, possibly keeping the shark's teeth from penetrating organs that would have made surgery riskier and more complicated.
Despite the traumatic experience, Mr Stephens said it will not keep him out of the water.
"I will be very scared, I'm sure," he said. "I'll definitely have some mental barriers to get through. I think it'll be worth it."

Alt-J Win Mercury Prize For An Awesome Wave.

Sky news

The Mercury Prize has gone to the hotly tipped indie quartet Alt-J for their album An Awesome Wave.

Joe Newman, Thom Green, Gus Unger-Hamilton and Gwil Sainsbury, who met at Leeds University in 2007, looked stunned as they collected the award - despite long being the bookies' favourites.
The genre-hopping electronic quartet beat acts such as rapper Plan B, real name Ben Drew, to win the £20,000 award at the Roundhouse in Camden, north London.
Singer-songwriter Richard Hawley, who was nominated for his album Standing At The Sky's Edge, narrowly missed out again - six years after claiming he was controversially "robbed" by the Arctic Monkeys.
Hawley, the oldest nominee, was also one of the favourites to win.
The singer-songwriter was one of 12 acts shortlisted for the prestigious prize.
But Alt-J beat established acts such as The Maccabees and Field Music, lesser known names and emerging acts such as Django Django.

Illinois Mom Stabbed Son and Girl 150 Times, Police Say

Abc news

The Illinois woman charged with the murder of her 7-year-old son and a 5-year-old girl she was babysitting stabbed them dozens of times in order to get attention from her husband, according to police.
Elzbieta Plackowska, 40, of Naperville, Ill., was denied bail by a Chicago-area court today on two counts of first-degree murder. She was ordered held in DuPage County.
Plackowska, who was babysitting Olivia Dworakowski, was arrested after the 5-year-old and her son Justin Plackowski, 7, were found by police slashed and stabbed "numerous, numerous times" at approximately 10:15 p.m. Tuesday at Dworakowski's family home.
Sgt. Lou Cammisso with the Naperville police department told ABCNews.com that it is believed Justin Plackowski was stabbed approximately 100 times and Olivia Dworakowski was stabbed approximately 50 times. When they were found, both children's throats had been slashed. Autopsies are being conducted today, Cammisso said.
Plackowska was found by authorities covered in blood at the nearby home of a friend, where her 20-year-old son was staying, police said. A bloody knife was found in her car.
"She first said something about being robbed," Cammisso told ABCNews.com. "Then they summoned police, and her story wasn't making sense. We asked about her child, and that's when she gave the address where we found both children."



Illinois Kids Fatally Stabbed in Home



 
Nanny Allegedly Stabs, Kills Two Children in NYC


 
NY Mom Finds 2 Kids Dead in Tub

Plackowska was taken to the hospital for superficial cuts on her hands, Cammisso said. Investigators from the Naperville Police Department and the DuPage County States Attorney's Office questioned her before charges were filed.

"She gave a variety of stories … things like that she was the victim of robbery, the victim of a stalker, that she was possessed, that the kids were possessed. She went through stories that detectives eventually shot down, until ultimately admitting the stories were lies and that she killed children to get attention from her husband," Cammisso said.
Plackowska's husband is a long-haul trucker who is frequently away, Cammisso told ABCNews.com. She is not a U.S. citizen, he said, and she arrived here 12 years ago on a vacation visa. Authorities are still trying to determine her immigrations status.
Cammisso said that Plackowska had called a church and left a voicemail saying she'd "done something very wrong, and needed help" the night the children were murdered. Police believe she then tossed her phone out the window of her car.
Authorities also found two dead dogs in the home that also were stabbed. Investigators said there was no reason to believe that any additional suspects were at large.
Plackowska frequently babysat Olivia, according to Cammisso. He said that she and the girl's mother lived about five miles apart, and they met on a Polish networking site when the girl's mother was looking for a sitter.
Olivia attended kindergarten at Brookdale Elementary School and Justin was a student at Scott Elementary School.
"This is an extremely difficult time, but this is an extremely strong community and I'm confident in this community and our school district that we will pull together and move through this tragic event," said Naperville School district Superintendent Dan Bridges.
Plackowski will appear in court next on Nov. 21, 2012.

Utility Crews Work Fast to Restore Power as Temperatures Dip.

Abc news

With concerns about hypothermia increasing — and another storm forecast for next week — nearly 64,ooo utility workers are now working around the clock to turn the power back on in a dozen states.
In remote areas of Appalachia, and from Ohio to New England, it’s been a race against time as temperatures drop into the 30s in places.

 Hypothermia or cold stress can strike anyone and can occur even in homes with temperatures in the lows 60s. It can also be deadly.
“It’s cold,” Elaine Collucio of Long Island, N.Y., said. “It’s dark.”
“We know this is a big deal,” said Michael Hervey of the Long Island Power Authority. “We know it’s cold out. We know we need to get lights on as quickly as we possibly can.”
Getting the lights on, however, means bringing in more than 40,000 workers from 49 of 50 states. In California, the Air Force began airlifting more than 60 utility vehicles to New York today aboard large cargo planes. One crew takes about two hours to replace and repair one pole, meaning the team can’t fix more than a half-mile of power line in 24 hours.
Tonight, workers from Alabama were helping out in hard-hit Atlantic City, N.J.
“Our crews really just, they understand the value of being able to serve others,” said Brian Lindsay of Alabama Power.
Immediately after the storm, more than 8 million customers had no electricity. That number now has been cut down by half. A million get their power back each day — better than after Hurricane Irene.
On Long Island, one crew had been working 16-hour days repairing a downed line for powerless residents. The crew’s homes are also without electricity.
“I saw the trucks down the street,” said Lorelei Walton. “I said, ‘I hope they’re coming my way.’”
The crew was coming to help Walton and moments later, her lights were back on for the first time since Monday.

First Patient Cured of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Epworth, Zimbabwe.

Mary Marizani and her family

In her home on the outskirts of Zimbabwe’s capital city, 48-year-old Mary Marizani says that, although she recently became the first Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) patient in the country to conquer multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), she now faces another challenge: “I have my appetite back and now I am eating everything in sight.”

Mary’s ability to joke has finally been restored following two grueling years of medical treatment for MDR-TB that included daily injections and a cocktail of highly toxic pills that made her vomit, lose her appetite, and hallucinate.“I felt like I had bugs crawling on the inside of my head,” she says.
Mary first showed the symptoms of tuberculosis (TB) in 2006, after caring for four members of her family who had the disease. After eight months of treatment (not with MSF), she was taken off TB medication by a doctor who declared she “looked much better” but never screened her to confirm whether the treatment had been successful.
In the months that followed, Mary was in and out of the hospital with fever and a dry cough she could not shake. Her condition gradually grew worse and she lost half her body weight. Finally, she took the advice of a neighbor and went to a clinic where MSF was treating patients with TB.
She was diagnosed with a strain of TB resistant to the usual drugs. At that time, no treatment was available for drug-resistant TB in Zimbabwe, but when MSF launched its MDR-TB project in Epworth, near Harare, in December 2010, Mary became its very first patient.
For Mary, the treatment came just in time, says Mary’s 24-year-old daughter, Shorai. “Just two days before the MSF doctors came to tell us the good news—that she would go on a new course of drugs—my mother had coughed up half a bucket of blood. It was terrible. I thought she was going to die.”
In Zimbabwe, there is massive stigma around TB, and many people wrongly believe that the disease is incurable. “Most of my family deserted me for two years while I was on MDR-TB treatment,” Mary recounts. “My own relatives didn’t come to visit me when I was on death’s doorstep. The only family I had left was MSF and my two children.”
It was a horribly difficult time. “I had to pass through hell to get to heaven,” says Mary, but she was able to see the treatment through to its end with the support of MSF staff, who also shared their knowledge with government doctors throughout Zimbabwe, most of whom had no previous experience of treating the disease.
“It’s extremely difficult to watch your patients try to cope with the horrendous side effects caused by this arduous two-year treatment,” says Kodjo Edoh, MSF health adviser for Zimbabwe. “We urgently need treatment for DR-TB that can cure people in less time and with fewer side effects.”
In the two years since Mary became Epworth’s first MDR-TB patient, the numbers of patients on treatment have grown. Currently, MSF is treating 40 MDR-TB patients at its projects across the country, benefiting from the introduction of a new test for TB drug-resistance, known as GeneXpert, which has cut the time it takes to diagnose someone from 42 days to just two hours.
Now cured, Mary is energetic and sociable again, and she is an inspiration for the other patients at Epworth. For them, she is living proof that the treatment works.
“The MDR-TB treatment was a miracle,” says Mary. “MSF lifted me up from my death bed and gave me back my life.”

Arik, Lufthansa to Establish Aircraft Maintenance Facility.

Thisday

Arik Air, Nigeria’s major carrier, is partnering Lufthansa Technik to establish an international Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in the country that would attract businesses from different parts of the world.

Nigerian airlines lose billions of Naira every year ferrying their aircraft overseas for repairs and sometimes when such MRO facilities are saturated with demands and work, the airlines will have to keep their aircraft waiting for space.

The Chairman of Arik Air, Joseph Arumemi Ikhide, disclosed the plan on Tuesday in Lagos during the ceremony to celebrate the airline’s 6th year of operation.

Arumemi Ikhide said that the facility would be built to meet international standards, including that of the International Aviation Safety Assessment Program (IASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States.

The facility when completed would be one of Lufthansa’s major MRO located outside Hamburg, Germany, the headquarters of Lufthansa Technik and it is targeted to carry out overall maintenance of New Generation aircraft; that is, modern aircraft.

“And the MRO we are setting up with Lufthansa is global. It is not strictly for Arik alone. I just want to make that one very clear. Lufthansa sent us to Malta; the base of Lufthansa is Hamburg, but they have this type of facility they want to build for us in Malta; they have in Budapest; they have in Asia.

“What we made very clear to Lufthansa is that we want an MRO that will be global. Someone can come from Philippines, some can come from France, but one problem that we have, which I don’t know, except government takes a very strong step; we are looking for NGs, Next Generation aircraft. We are thinking about the A330s; we are not thinking about B737=200. We won’t maintain all that, but we may maintain B737=400,” said the Chairman of Arik Air.

He also said the establishment of the facility is largely dependent on the support of government and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), adding that Lufthansa gave conditions that must be met by the Federal Government before the facility would be established.

“Lufthansa set some conditions, which they feel the government must abide by. We have to work with NCAA and they have to keep it to IASA standards and FAA standards. So it is going to benefit the whole country. Arik itself will be a customer of that MRO so there is going to be a difference between Arik airline and the MRO.”

On the timeline for the project, Arumemi Ikhide projected that it could be established from next year if all the conditions given by Lufthansa were met and the European company was also hopeful that the building of the facility could start as quickly as possible.

“So as soon as they get back to Germany and we are able to get NCAA not what we are going to do is that we are going to raise a new company and then that company will be the MRO. I think it is a plus for Nigerian aviation. Planes from France can come here. It will be manned by Lufthansa; everything will be done by their standard.

“And then of course they are going to train Nigerians. There are international standards for all these things. I think we and NCAA will have to work hand in hand. We need government input and government approvals for it. It is better for all of us to key to it and educate the public. The MRO is a very important thing to our heart,” he added.

The Director of Airworthiness and Standards, NCAA, Emmanuel Usifo, said that the agency would give full support to the project and ensure that there would be no hitches of the side of the regulatory to actualising the project.

Also the Chief Commercial Officer of Lufthansa, Alfred Nessel, told THISDAY that his company was poised to establishing the facility in Nigeria, adding that the country needed MRO to enhance and develop the aviation sector.

He also said that Lufthansa would embark on training Nigerians who would man the facility, noting that it would take about three years for the indigenes to acquire necessary certification, to be fully involved in the maintenance and overhaul services.

Tofa: Jonathan Has Right to Seek Re-election in 2015.

Alhaji Bashir Tofa  ( Thisday)

Former Chairman of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) Elders, Committee, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, has disclosed that President Goodluck Jonathan has the right to contest the 2015 presidential election if he wishes to do so.

He also said: “The decision to contest or not to contest the 2015 presidential election lies with President Goodluck Jonathan and no other person has the right to demand his exclusion from that race.”

Speaking in Kano Thursday, Tofa said: “The way I see it, if the President intends to seek re-election in 2015, it is his legal right, if he also decides not to contest again.”

He explained that it was also the President’s right, stating that the best anybody could do in the circumstance was to mobilise and wait for him at the polls and vote him out.
The committee’s chairman also condemned those calling on the President to resign from office on account of the state of insecurity in the county, adding that the call was “not only baseless but reckless.”

According to him, “there is no way you can ask the President of a country, who was voted into power and occupying the seat through popular mandate to vacate it.

“So, as far as I am concern he should ignore such calls or any other actions suggesting he should resign as the President of the country, he is an elected President and so no one individual or group have the people’s mandate to request the President’s exit from the Presidential Villa.

“One thing you cannot say about the President is that he is a dictator, he has been calm and cool despite the harsh and provocative comments against him, yet he has not thrown anyone in jail,” he said

$620,000 Bribe Scandal: House Committee May Exonerate Lawan.

Culled from Thisday                           ( Hon. Farouk Lawan)

  

The report of the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges that probed the allegations that the suspended chairman, House Ad Hoc Committee on the Monitoring of the Subsidy Regime, Hon. Farouk Lawan, collected bribe during its probe of fuel marketers, is ready for submission.

The report, which THISDAY gathered might exonerate the beleaguered lawmaker, who was also suspended as the chairman, House Committee on Education, will be submitted any time after the House resumes plenary on November 8.

The House in June had directed its Committee on Ethics and Privileges to probe the allegation that Lawan and the scribe of the committee, Mr. Boniface Emalano, collected $620,000 in three instalments from Chairman of Zenon Petroleum Limited, Mr. Femi Otedola, as part payment to remove Zenon’s name from the list of companies that collected foreign exchange from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) without importing petroleum products.
The $620,000 was meant to be part payment for the $3 million bribe Lawan had allegedly demanded from the oil chief to delist his company.

A member of the Ethics and Privileges Committee, Hon. Afam Ogene, told reporters yesterday in Abuja that the report had been ready for weeks.

Ogene, who is also the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, said it would be submitted to the House as soon as the legislative chamber resumed from its current recess.

Although Ogene declined to give further insight into the recommendations of the committee, a source said the report might exonerate Lawan.

Since the cash-for-clearance scandal broke, Lawan, besides appearing before the House Committee, has also been investigated by the police and is currently on administrative bail.

The embattled lawmaker, who had initially denied receiving the money from Otedola, changed the story as incontrovertible evidence of the scandal made its way into the public domain.

When he appeared before the House Ethics and Privileges Committee, Lawan, who gave his testimony in camera, admitted to collecting $500,000 from Otedola.

Otedola, on the other hand, refused to give evidence in camera when he appeared before the committee.

Sources told THISDAY that Otedola might have inadvertently given Lawan an escape route when he (Otedola) refused to hand over to the committee evidence to substantiate his allegations that Lawan and Emenalo received a total of $620,000.

Otedola had argued that the committee had ulterior motives by its insistence on conducting the investigation behind closed doors.

However, several probes have not been able to establish the whereabouts of the $620,000, as Lawan has stuck to his claim that he gave it to the House Committee Chairman, Narcotics Drugs and Financial Crimes, Hon. Adams Jagaba, while the latter has maintained that he did not receive any money from him.

Boko Haram: We’re Ready for Talks with FG.

Culled from Thisday    (General Buhari)

The leadership of Boko Haram Thursday expressed its willingness to suspend further terror attacks as a prelude to entering into dialogue with the Federal Government.

The group, which is demanding that talks between it and government must be held in Saudi Arabia, said in a telephone interview with journalists in Maiduguri, that it was ready for peace talks should government meet its demands.

It also suggested the names of former Head of State, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, and Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno, among others, to be on the government delegation that will meet with its representatives for dialogue.

The Federal Government, in a cautious reaction to the peace offer, restated its commitment to ensuring that peace reigns in Nigeria.

Self-acclaimed spokesman of the group, Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, who also laid claims to being the second-in-command (Amir) to the group's leader, Imam Abubakar Shekau, said it would embrace peace if former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, is arrested and prosecuted.

Abdulazeez also said that apart from the arrest of Sheriff, government should compensate the group and rebuild its places of worship, which were destroyed during the 2009 uprising.

In addition, all Boko Haram members in the custody of security agencies must be released with immediate effect, the group said.

He equally said all their wives, who were displaced following the crisis as well as their children, must be rehabilitated to allow their integration into the society.

The spokesman said for Boko Haram leaders to come out of hiding for dialogue, the Federal Government should allow the following people as mediators: Monguno, Buhari, former Yobe State Governor, Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Ambassador Gaji Galtimari, Mrs. Aisha Alkali Wakil and her husband, Mr. Alkali Wakil.

According to Abdulazeez, the dialogue must not take place in Nigeria but Saudi Arabia, stressing that the group chose to have the dialogue outside Nigeria because it does not trust the Federal Government, given alleged past betrayals.

He said the group had raised a five-member committee, comprising himself (Abdulazeez), Abu Abbas, Sheikh Ibrahim Yusuf, Sheikh Sani Kontogora and Mamman Nur, to meet with government if all the preconditions are met.

He dissociated the group from the spate of killings and wanton destruction of property being perpetrated recently in Maiduguri, saying that such attacks were politically motivated.

He accused politicians enmeshed in power struggle in the Borno Emirate Council, government or otherwise of being behind the violence.

The Federal Government in a swift reaction to the peace offer by the Islamic sect was non-committal.

Rather, it restated its commitment to ensuring that peace reigns in Nigeria.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, in a statement after the Boko Haram offer, said: “It is important to restate the position of government in this matter. The Federal Government is committed to peace and security for the benefit of all Nigerians.

“If what the proposed ceasefire is intended to achieve are the objectives of peace and security, then it is a welcome development. Don’t forget that President Jonathan had made it clear that if the people behind Boko Haram are ready to come forward, and table their grievances, then government will be willing to listen to those grievances.

“There have been attempts before now, by concerned persons to reach out to the Boko Haram through back channels, in response to government’s call that all efforts should be made to resolve the problem. I suspect that this latest development may be related to that.

“Definitely, government is determined to ensure peace, peace, and peace, and protect the rule of law, and at the same time, see that justice is done where wrongs have been committed.”

Meanwhile, Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, yesterday urged security agencies to thoroughly investigate allegations that some politicians are behind the Boko Haram operations, and if necessary, arrest those with proven links to the terrorist group.

The governor told State House correspondents after the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting that he was focused on how to curb the menace of Boko Haram.

He said while he would not like to take issues with security agencies that had accused politicians in the state of being behind the Boko Haram terror attacks, they should go out to fish out indicted politicians.

Kelly Osbourne made a major faux pas while hosting an E! event in Mexico City Oct. 17, forgetting to keep her legs together while wearing a black mini skirt

 

Penelope Cruz seems to have accidentally revealed her underwear while filming a scene from her new film "The Counselor" at Alicante Airport in Spai.

Khloe Kardashian's Revealing Top.

Khloe Kardashian Odom should've layered before stepping out as the new co-host of Fox's "The X Factor." The Kardashian sister left little to the imagination with a too-sheer blouse. On stage, she seemed unphased, but later tweeted, "I think I had a little nip action earlier. LOL."



 


Patrons who were waiting for their turn at a Beach Bum Tanning salon in New York City recently got an eyeful when Amanda Bynes came wandering out of her private room in search of goggles … completely nude!

lol

According to In Touch, the very troubled actress was all set for a Mystic spray tan when she suddenly decided to head to the lobby sans clothes, or even a towel to cover herself!
“She didn’t seem to care that everyone saw her naked,” one eyewitness tells the magazine. “She seemed totally out of it. She took her time walking back to the Mystic room, dragging her fingers along the wall and smiling at customers who passed her. There was definitely something wrong with her.”
Bynes, 26, has been pretty low-key lately. Despite a report in late September about her locking herself in a bakery restroom for 30 minutes to “fix her makeup,” the former child star has been on her best behavior in Manhattan, where she fled to after a string of fender benders in Los Angeles.
Still, a slew of troubles are waiting for her on the West Coast: Bynes has upcoming court dates for a DUI, two counts of hit-and-run, and two counts of driving on a suspended license. She has plead not guilty to all offenses

Was Chris Brown’s Halloween costume offensive?.........your guess is s good as mine.

 

Celebs in Disguise.

lol

 Ellen DeGeneres might just take our award for best Halloween costume thanks to her portrayal of the curvaceous Sofia Vergara on her talk show on Wednesday. The 54-year-old host poked a little fun at the 40-year-old "Modern Family" star and fellow CoverGirl spokesperson and even made sure the dress -- which Vergara donned at September's Emmys -- had a split down the back in a nod to the Colombian actress' headline-making "wardrobe malfunction" backstage. "I am easy, breezy CoverGirl from Colombia. Happy Halloween. As you can see, I put my pumpkins out," DeGeneres said on the show in Vergara's famous South American drawl, adding: "I get so much work with this fake accent." Vergara herself came out on stage to judge just how good of a job DeGeneres did with her "tribute." "Your a** looks huge," she joked.

Errant Email to Newt Gingrich Supporters Says 'Obama Is Going to Win'.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich,


An email message mistakenly sent to Newt Gingrich's list serve this morning told subscribers that President Obama would no doubt win in 2012 and that they should be more worried about Obama's winning in 2016.
That's right, despite the 22nd Amendment, which limits any one person to two presidential terms, the email that went out to Gingrich's supporters suggests President Obama would be running again in 2016, and possibly serve through 2020.
The email, titled "What's really at stake this Tuesday ..." came from Gingrich Marketplace and went out to people who'd given their contact information to the Gingrich campaign when the former speaker of the House was still in the presidential race. Bygone candidates, such as Gingrich and Herman Cain, regularly rent out their email address lists to advertisers.
"The truth is, the next election has already been decided. Obama is going to win. It's nearly impossible to beat an incumbent president," advertiser Porter Stansberry wrote in the email to Gingrich supporters. "What's actually at stake right now is whether or not he will have a third-term."

Gas Woes, More Bodies Mar Sandy Recovery.

 Abc news

New Jersey and New York, struggling to recover from the wreckage of Sandy, were staggered today by a gas shortage and an overwhelmed transit system as more victims of the deadly storm were found.

Four bodies were located on Staten Island, New York City's smallest borough and the one most exposed to the water. Two of the bodies were boys, aged 2 and 4, who were washed away from the roof of their family's car where their mother had put them to avoid the flood waters.
So far at least 19 people died from the storm on Staten Island. The deaths push the regional toll for Sandy's rampage to more than 80, according to the AP.
The region struggled to get back on its feet today and throughout New Jersey, the hardest hit state, motorists roamed for hours looking for a gas station that had power and still had gasoline. And when a station was located, the line to the pump could last two hours.
Joseph McGinn, a spokesman for Sunoco, cited power outages, closed roads and supply disruptions as obstacles to keeping their stations supplied.
"We are working diligently to get all of our affected retail locations in New Jersey and New York back to full service as quickly as possible," McGinn said.
Those with gas who had to commute into New York City encountered a major traffic jam at the Lincoln Tunnel, one of only two entrances to the city from New Jersey that hadn't been closed down because of damage from Sandy.
Tens of thousands of motorists tried to beat Mayor Bloomberg's edict that after 6 a.m. cars must have three people in them or be turned away, creating a pre-dawn line for the tunnel that was backed up for more than a mile.
Even travel within the city was gridlocked as the mayor's three-passenger rule extended to bridges into Manhattan, making a trip from Brooklyn or Queens into the heart of the city last several hours.

Pastor admits stealing iPad in Ibadan.

 
Channels

A 45-year-old pastor, Peter Oladiti, on Wednesday, appeared before an Ibadan Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing an iPad and other sets of computer set valued at over N240, 000, Premium Times reports.

According to the report, the prosecutor, Sikiru Opaleye told the court that the accused also allegedly stole an HP laptop computer valued at N85, 000 and a printing machine worth N8, 000, property of a secondary school principal.
Mr Opaleye said that the accused committed the offence on 7 October at Ile-Eja, Olohunsogo Area of Ibadan.
The prosecutor added that the offences contravened Sections 413 and 390 of the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo state of Nigeria 2000.
The accused pleaded guilty to the charges and his counsel, Philips Ojo, applied for out of court settlement of the matter.
The case was adjourned to 30 January 2013 for further hearing.

Chika Unigwe emerges winner of NLNG prize for literature.

 
Channels

Chika Unigwe, author of “On Black Sister’s Street” has emerged winner of this year’s NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature, carting away the coveted prize of $100,000.


The Belgium based Nigerian author was announced the winner of the prize on Thursday at a World Press Conference in Lagos by the Chairman of the Board of panelists chosen to screen entries for this year, Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo.

‘On Black Sister’s Street’ made the final shortlist of 3. The other two entries were ‘Only a Canvas‘ by Olusola Olugbesan and ‘Onaedo: The Blacksmith’s Daughter‘ by Ngozi Achebe.
The prize was instituted in 2004 by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited to promote and encourage authorship and the development of Nigerian literary culture and Ms Unigwe in the first Nigerian author based outside Nigeria to win the coveted prize.

Chika Unigwe holds a Ph.D in Literature from University of Leiden and has published short fiction in several anthologies, journals and magazines including Wasafiri (University of London), Moving Worlds (University of Leeds), Per Contra, Voices of the University of Wisconsin and Okike of the University of Nigeria.
In 2003, she was shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing.
In 2004, she won the BBC Short story Competition and a Commonwealth Short Story Competition award and her short story made the top 10 of the Million Writers Award for best online fiction.

Sorry, we are not from Africa – Williams sisters.

Channels
 
“I’d love to say I’m from Africa, but we’re from the United States and we’re proud to be from there as well,” she told newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday, after a Nigerian reporter asked if perhaps she was originally from Nigeria. But my Mom named my sister (Venus) after an African name,” she hastily added.

The Williams sisters and their mother are in Nigeria this week to promote women’s tennis and empowerment of women on the continent. For Venus, it is her first time in Africa.
Taking their own successes in women’s tennis, a sport which before them was dominated by white players, the sisters want to inspire women in the African continent to take up the sport and, more generally, to pursue their dreams despite whatever odds they face in male dominated societies.
“We were able to break the mould and win a lot of grand slams and change the face of tennis … when tennis was very dominated by white people,” 31-year-old Serena said three days after beating rival Maria Sharapova in the final of the WTA Championships in Istanbul.
“It doesn’t matter what your background is and where you come from, if you have dreams and goals, that’s all that matters,” she added.
The sisters later conducted tennis classes with some children at a Lagos sports club.
On Thursday [today], they will visit a school to discuss empowerment of girls then on Friday they will play an exhibition match against each other.“We’re very excited to be playing tennis here,” Venus said.“Of all the finals everywhere … this will be our final here in Nigeria.

“I don’t know who’s going to win but Serena just won the championship so I know she’s ready. I’ll have to play my best tennis.”

Inspiring young people

Earlier on the Williams sisters had paid a courtesy visit to the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola at Lagos House, Marina.
During the visit, Mr Fashola expressed hope that the visit of the award winning lawn tennis players would be a monumental turning point in inspiring young people to pursue their dreams the way the Williams sisters have done.
The governor said the Williams sisters have been a source of inspiration to many people for different things that they represent not just in terms of sports but also charity work they engage in and the image they cut.
He said there is a lot of work to be done in Nigeria with young people such as getting them back on track and providing opportunities to them.
He added that many people might not have realized how large a followership the Williams enjoy in Nigeria until the news broke on Tuesday night that they would be coming to Lagos because he received lots of enquiries and text messages about their programme in Lagos and messages the people want him to pass across to them.
Mr Fashola said part of the questions people would have loved to ask is whether they would be opening a tennis school in Lagos, if they are going to help young people and bring back tennis into prominence as well as speaking up on women rights issues.
According to the Governor, however, the biggest thing that they have done and which many people will benefit from is the inspiration and hope in what they are doing, stating that Lagos used to be the greatest tennis centre in the sub region which had about three to four ITF Tournaments years ago.

Fatal accident leaves three dead on Enugu/Onitsha expressway.

 
 Channels

OMG

 
A fatal motor accident after Umumba Junction along Enugu /Onitsha Expressway has claimed two lives leaving about seven persons with varying degrees of injuries.

The motor accident involving a Toyota Camry with registration number AL 578 AGU and a 504 station wagon with registration number AL 772 GGE allegedly occurred on Thursday at about 11:30AM leaving the two drivers dead on the spot while the injured seven persons were rushed to a nearby hospital at 9^th mile corner, Ngwo in Enugu state, where one of the injured later gave up the ghost.
Meanwhile, the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained as dead bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the hospital mortuary. Names and addresses of all the victims are not yet known.

Murray wastes match point in Paris defeat.

 Channels

Theres always a first.

Scot Murray lost focus as he served for the match in the second set and was then battered by the hard hitting Janowicz, who ended the contest with a forehand winner and collapsed in joy.
“He probably gained some confidence from that (match point saved) and started playing better,” Murray told a news conference.
“He played a good tiebreak, played aggressive, he hits a very flat ball, so when he’s hitting it well it comes through the court a lot.”
World number three Murray’s defeat against the world 69 means that for the first time since the 2010 Paris Masters was won by Swede Robin Soderling, a Masters title will be claimed by a player outside of the Big Four.
As another energy-sapping season draws to an end, world number four Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer opted not to play in the French capital while Serb Novak Djokovic was dumped out of the tournament by American Sam Querrey in the second round on Wednesday.
Argentine seventh seed Juan Martin del Potro will also have a few extra days to prepare for next week’s ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 in London as he was beaten 6-4 6-3 by local favorite Michael Llodra.
Janowicz face either the eighth-seeded Serb Janko Tipsarevic, who is looking to secure a World Tour Finals spot, or Argentine Juan Monaco, the ninth seed.

But that run was unlikely to stay intact against a grand slam champion and he fell 15-40 behind in the 11th game.
He saw off the first break point by following a big first serve at the net, only to double fault on the second.
The 21-year-old Pole, who stands at 2.03 meters, had not faced a break point in his first two Paris matches.

Boko Haram to declare ceasefire but gives three conditions to end insurgency.

 
Culled from Channels........excerpts of the story below.

Reports reaching us say the fundamentalist group, Boko Haram has proposed to dialogue with the federal government and in the plan outlined by a member of the group, a ceasefire will be declared before the dialogue commences.

 In what can be described as a drastic shift from the sects hard line position, the sect which has been staging insurgent attacks against the Nigerian government in northern Nigeria on Thursday offered to cease all hostilities if the federal government will arrest and prosecute the immediate past governor of Borno State, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff.
One Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz who claimed to be one of the leaders of the Islamic sect, made it known that the group will call for a ceasefire if the federal government arrests and prosecutes the immediate past governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
In a telephone press conference in Maiduguri the Borno State capital today, Abdulaziz told journalists that he was speaking for the sect as he has been directed to do so by the leader of the Jama’atul Ahlis Sunna Liddaawati wal Jihad widely known as the Boko Haram.
“If this former governor is arrested, this thing will end as we are highly offended with what happened three years ago”

He claimed that Sheriff (the former Governor) while in office sent securities to arrest and kill most of their members while practising their religion, adding most of them are at the moment languishing in various prisons across the country.
He called for compensation as most of their wives and children have been killed while their properties have also been destroyed.