OBASANJO'S LETTER TO GOODLUCK JONATHAN

Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, recently stirred up a storm with an explosive letter to President Goodluck Jonathan detailing what he perceived to be the president’s shortcomings. The 18-page letter entitled “Before it is too late” warned that the nation was fast losing its moorings and drifting into chaos and uncertainty. Obasanjo, in the controversial missive that is still generating ripples in the polity, alleged that Jonathan   failed in five key leadership areas. These include leadership of the ruling party; headship of the Federal Government; Commander-in-chief of the military; Chief Security Officer of the nation; and the political leadership of the country.
The former president alleged that   Jonathan agreed to serve for only one term in office before he was elected president in 2011. He also accused him of having 1000 Nigerians on a security watch list, an alleged killer squad and high-level corruption in the oil sector.
While some Nigerians have applauded Obasanjo for the bluntness and timeliness of the letter, others queried his moral authority to raise the issues he did, since he was equally guilty of similar steps while in office. The exposure of the letter to the public also drew the ire of many.
The presidency, in an early reaction, described the letter as highly provocative and mischievous. Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, however, explained that  “while many patriotic, objective and well-meaning Nigerians have already condemned the leaked letter as self-serving, hypocritical, malicious, indecent and very disrespectful of the highest office in the land, Jonathan has directed that none of his aides or any government official should join issues with Chief Obasanjo over it.”
There is no arguing the fact that Obasanjo, as a former head of state and an elder statesman, could have found a more decent way to convey his views and fears to President Jonathan, other than the blistering letter that made the headlines of virtually all national newspapers in the country. A communication that is truly designed to alert the president to perceived developments in the polity in the best interest of the country does not have to be leaked to the entire country, no matter the circumstances. This is more so as the former president played a pivotal role in the emergence of the Jonathan administration.
Obasanjo’s moral right to judge the Jonathan administration is also questionable as he is equally guilty of almost all the accusations he made against the president. It is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. For example, the former president did not only exercise his constitutional right to a second term in office, he went ahead to scheme for a third term, which Nigerians vehemently rejected. His power sector reform could not give Nigerians stable power despite billions of naira pumped into it.
Obasanjo’s anti-graft agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), were better known for the witch-hunt of his political enemies, and not necessarily for fighting corruption.
His regime also witnessed political assassinations, including those of former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, Harry Marshall and Funsho Williams. It was during his regime that Odi and Zaki-Biam were leveled by government troops. The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also witnessed many crises during the period. The regime was also engulfed in corruption. The former president raised funds from both public and private functionaries to build a presidential library while still in power. All these question his grandstanding on Jonathan’s perceived vices.
The ex-president should, therefore, not heat up the polity unnecessarily by public ventilation of his misgivings. He should find more acceptable ways of getting his views across to the president. On the fears that Jonathan might be training snipers ahead the 2015 polls, we expect Obasanjo to be more specific, instead of dishing out thinly veiled speculations on such a serious matter.
But then, that is not to say that there is no substance to Obasanjo’s letter. As a matter of fact, most of the issues he articulated are already public knowledge, with the exception of the accusation that the president has placed politicians on a watch list and is allegedly training killer squads reminiscent of the regime of the late General Sani Abacha. It is, therefore, okay that he has boldly spoken the minds of many Nigerians on these issues.
Although Jonathan has asked his aides and other political office holders not to respond to Obasanjo’s letter, we think that the president owes Nigerians some explanations on some of the concerns raised by the letter, especially the watch list and the killer squad. Jonathan will not be helping himself and his government by keeping mum over the sundry allegations against him.
Besides, the president should regard the letter as a wake-up call to his administration to address the issues of good governance, corruption, security, as well as party and country leadership. Some of the issues raised in the letter capture the feelings and thinking of many Nigerians about the Jonathan presidency. The only snag is that the message is coming from the wrong person, and some of the allegations should have been substantiated. Past Nigerian leaders and our other statesmen should refrain from making inflammatory statements capable of destabilising the nation. Obasanjo has unfettered access to Jonathan. We doubt that he has any genuine reason to make the letter public, except to paint the president in bad light before all right thinking Nigerians. This is more so as some of the weighty accusations in the letter are largely speculative and inconclusive.
We enjoin the president to respond speedily to this letter to   reassure the people on the weighty allegations made against him.

WE MUST GIVE URGENT ATTENTION TO TEENAGERS- PA AYO OGUNJOBI

WE MUST GIVE URGENT ATTENTION TO TEENAGERS- PA AYO OGUNJOBI
 
Pa Ayo Ogunjobi, a retired chattered Accountant, minister of God is the founder of Project Hope, a church based initiative targeting teenagers from various segments of the society. Pa Ogunjobi believes that teenagers are at a very vulnerable stage of their lives and therefore required the attention of both the church and the society at large. He is convinced that when teenagers are properly handled and given proper mentoring most of the evils in our society will be nabbed in the mud before they rear their heads. In this interview, he speaks with Yemi Olakitan on the various aspects of Project Hope and his mode of operations. Excerpts.

·         What is Project Hope?

It is a concept that talks about hope for our generation if we return to God and do what is necessary to regain the future. We are targeting the teenagers because they are at a very vulnerable stage of their lives. We believe that it is at this state that characters and destinies are shaped and if we give quality attention to them. We will succeed in saving our society from decadence.

·         Is Project Hope a church for Teenagers?

No, it is not a church but it is a church based project. It is anchored by a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God called The Lords Portion, Awoyaya. We are focusing on teenagers because God has laid it on our hearts to do so. If we do not do something about this young people we will experience the collapse in morality and cultural values which western nations are currently experiencing. Our aim is to address issues of morality, leadership and individual potentials. We are dealing with vices in the society such as drug addiction, drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, teenage pregnancy and prostitution. These vices are common to African youths.

·         How do you plan to achieve your objectives? What are your modes of operations?

We are sending evangelists to churches, schools and wherever teenagers are gathered. It is a non denominational project and we are addressing non- Christians as well, As we are part of the same society.  We are using the medium of seminars, workshops and conferences to achieve our aim and objectives. There are counselors and facilitators that would mentor them in various issues of life using bible based materials that would develop their leadership abilities.We also believe that the media can also help is achieve our goals.

·         Who are your partners in this project?

Like i said earlier, it is a church project of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, The Lord's Portion Parish, Awoyaya. In addition, we have identified people that have the same ideology with us. We also have a programme that is tagged: Training The Trainers. We are partnering with schools, faith based organizations and corporate entities that may be interested in joining us. We believe that it will take the collective efforts of the society at large to make changes in the lives of our young ones.

·         What about the parents and Guardians?

We have a project that will include both the parents, guardians and the teenagers themselves. This strategy will have far reaching impacts on tour young people. The parents will also be able to lend their support to our efforts. Take the problem of cultism for example, one of our key members is into child psychology and he is a parent. As we expand, we would bring in more facilitators, resource persons, educationists to support what we are doing.

·         What really inspire you to start this project.

It is the need for it. If we keep quiet. What is happening in advanced countries will happen here. In fact it is already happening.  There is high level moral breakdown among young people abroad, promiscuity, homosexuality, drug addiction and abuse, cultism. All these vices are occurring because of the neglect of the society to pay special attention to the formative years of young people. This is why the church must act urgently. We must set positive standards for young people and help those who are in need; particularly teenagers who are in abject poverty and have no-one to help them.

Tackling Hidden Hunger By Yemi Olakitan

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Tackling Hidden Hunger

By Yemi Olakitan

      Hundreds of farmers gathered at Akinale, an ancient town in Ewekoro Local Government area of Ogun state recently to collect cassava stems that was delivered to them by HarvestPlus, a Washington based international organization, dedicated to eradicating ‘Hidden Hunger’ from the planet. According to Paul Ilona, Country Manager of Harvest Plus in Nigeria. Millions of people around the world including Nigeria suffer from ‘Hidden Hunger’ or micronutrient malnutrition. This means that they do not get enough micronutrients required to lead healthy productive lives from the foods that they eat regularly. According to him, Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals (such as vitamin A, zinc, and iron), which are absolutely essential to good health. Micronutrient malnutrition can lower IQ, cause stunting and blindness in children, lower resistance to disease in both children and adults, and increase risks for both mothers and infants during childbirth. Hidden Hunger might not be outwardly visible but it is often the cause of various illnesses.  These cassava stems have gone through biofortification and contain Vitamin A, which is highly essential to health and wellness.  Ilona explained this extensively in layman terms and in Yoruba language to the farmers who listened attentively.  ‘‘It is not enough to fill up the stomach. We must have adequate nutrients for healthier life’’ he said.

  According to him both children and adults suffer from hidden hunger and both need micronutrients to enjoy better health. HarvestPlus is willing to work with the Government, farmers and the private sector to significantly scale up vitamin A cassava dissemination in Nigeria.

    Traditional ruler of Akinale Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, the Towulade of Akinale who facilitated the event thanked Harvest Plus for making the cassava stems available to farmers. He said it was a very important milestone in Akinale because it was the first time the team is coming to Ogun state and Akinale was the first place on the list. He encouraged the farmers to take advantage of the new cassava and spread the good news to surrounding villages.

  Dr Samson Odedina of Envoy Envoy Consult and Agric Product Ltd, a major partner of Harvest Plus in Nigeria sad “that biofortified staple food crops such as vitamin A cassava can contribute immensely to health and wellness in Nigeria. He called on Ogun state Government and other stakeholders to show active involvement in making sure that more farmers receive such stems in large quantity in the state. According to him, the dissemination of vitamin A cassava was launched in Nigeria on July 30, 2012 under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akin Adesina, alongside in Akwa-Ibom state to over 2,000 farmers. ‘‘The project has now spread to eight states and Ogun is new on the list’’ he said.

    In a chat with Chief Salako Yawe, Baale of Jaguna village, he thanked the companies and expressed his appreciation for the good work done. Another Chief Isiaka Eleyele was also full of accolades for Harvest Plus and partners. He however requested that the organization to follow up on other towns and villages in Ogun state so that the new cassava can be embraced by all. The farmers were treated to a taste of the cooked Vitamin A cassava. There were cassava cakes, Fufu, Eba, cassava chips that were all prepared before hand for the crowd to taste.

   Harvest Plus Reports say, the vitamin A cassava can meet 25 percent of the daily vitamin A needs of consumers in a country where vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a serious public health concern.  VAD affects nearly one in three Nigerian children under five, increasing their vulnerability to immune system weakness. The cassava is the culmination of work by scientists from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and the National Root Crop Research Institute of Nigeria (NRCRI) under the HarvestPlus program. The project, led by HarvestPlus, has expanded to eight states, and expects to reach more than 100,000 farming households in a few years.

    HarvestPlus leads a global effort to improve nutrition and public health by developing and disseminating staple food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals. The organisation work with public and private sector partners in more than 40 countries. Its science is carried out by 15 research centers in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations around the world. The HarvestPlus program is coordinated by two of these centers – the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Great article BY BAYO OGUNMUPE How To Fulfill Your Dream

On The Path Of Winners

BY BAYO OGUNMUPE

How To Fulfill Your Dream

THIS period of the 21^st century is a wonderful time to be alive. This is because there have never been more opportunities for more people to accomplish more of their dreams than exist today. And indeed, if anything, our situation is getting better and better with each passing day.

  The simplest answer these happenings is that we know more today on how to achieve better results in more areas of life than we have ever known before. And this knowledge of the ages, these insights are flowing everywhere, available to anyone willing to use them.

  The wonderful thing about information is that it is ever effective in enriching anyone who applied it to his use. Moreover, knowledge is cumulative. Once you have it, it does not leave you. Each breakthrough in knowledge creates new opportunities for expanding and multiplying the knowledge so exploited.

  The driving force behind the expansion of knowledge and creativity is competition. The winning edge in your effort to fulfill your dream must be created from your personal repertoire of wisdom and skills leading you to high achievement. Your aim in life should be to acquire and develop the winning edge in your goals. Today, strategies and techniques for fulfilling your dream are more widely available than at any other time in human history. All you need is acquire and apply them to your condition.

  The ability to make decisions and stand by them in the face of all terror, is the key to success in life. Sir Winston Churchill, the British War hero once said: “Courage is rightly considered the greatest of the virtues, for upon it all others depend.” You must muster the courage to take decisions in the face of doubt and uncertainty. You develop courage by acting courageously.  Never back away from decisions for fear, because if you do not do the thing you fear, then fear controls you.

  The two obstacles to achieving your dream are the fear of failure and the fear of criticism. However, great success is often preceded by many failures. It is the lessons you learn from failures and your ability to rise above criticism that pave the way for your triumph in life. Thomas Watson, the founder of International Business Machine (IBM) once said, “If you want to be successful faster, you must double your rate of failure. Success lies in the far side of failure.”

  Make a habit of confronting your fears. Treat every anxiety as a personal challenge. Do the thing you fear and fear will disappear. The leader in a group is the person not afraid to take responsibility for his actions. Audacity is the best form of action. Audacity may get you into trouble on occasion but even more audacity will get you out. When you are faced with dangers, one in front and the other at the back, it is always better to go forward.

  Resolve today to move out of your comfort zone. Great success comes from taking risks, from trekking where others fear to tread. Set big, hairy audacious goals for yourself. Never be satisfied with the status quo. Whenever you see a great business success, it means someone once took a big chance. Remember, no matter how well you plan, life is a continuous succession of problems. The mark of leadership is never to allow yourself the luxury of discouragement and self-pity. The leader does not complain or make excuses. Failure is merely an opportunity to begin again. Courage isn’t the absence of fear, it is the control and mastery of fear.

  As a way of realizing your dream, one, imagine that you could wave a magic wand and achieve any goal you set yourself. Then, begin from today, acting as though your success were guaranteed. Two, identify a specific fear in your life and confront it. Always act as if it were impossible for you to fail, and it shall be. You are successful in life to the extent to which you internalize what works and then apply the principle that is appropriate to gain your goals.

  Our champion for this week is Buzz Aldrin, born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. on 20 January, 1930. He is a former American astronaut, the second man to walk on the moon. He was the lunar module pilot on Apollo II, the first manned lunar landing in history. He set foot on the Moon on July 21, 1969 following mission commander Neil Armstrong. Aldrin is also a retired United States Air Force pilot.

  Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, USA, to Edwin Eugene Aldrin, a career soldier and his wife Marion (nee Moon). He is of Scottish-German ancestry. After High School, Buzz Aldrin turned down a full scholarship offer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and went to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. His name Buzz originated from the younger of his two elder sisters mispronouncing brother as buzzer. Aldrin shortened it to Buzz, making it his legal first name in 1988.

  Buzz Aldrin graduated third in his class at West Point in 1951, with B.S. in mechanical engineering. He was commissioned second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and served as a fighter pilot during the Korean War. He flew 66 combat missions and shot down two Mikoyan MiG-15 aircraft.

  After the war, Aldrin was assigned as an instructor at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Next he became an aide to the dean of the United States Air Force Academy. Then he joined the Bitburg Air Base, Germany as a flight commander. He was in the 22^nd Fighter Squadron. After a PhD in astronautics in MIT in 1963, he applied for and was selected as an astronaut – by the National Aeronautics and Spare Administration (NASA). In July 1969, Aldrin became the second person to walk on the Moon following Commander Neil Armstrong.

  After leaving NASA, he was assigned as the Commandant of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in California. In March 1972, Aldrin retired from active duty after 21 years of service. His autobiographies, Return to Earth, published in 1973 and Magnificent Desolation published in 2009, and he is married to Lois Driggs Cannon. In 2009, Aldrin said he was skeptical humans caused the current global climate change. He thinks climate has been changing for billions of years.

Graduation Pictures of Greaters Scholars International

10th gradution and prize giving day of greaters Scholars international school which took place at the school auditorium  on 4th July,2013.
The school is situated at road 401,Greater scholars drive,Abraham Adesanya estate,Lekki,Ajah.

NAUTH Crisis: Group asks Jonathan to sack Health minister

NAUTH Crisis: Group asks Jonathan to sack Health minister

Concerned Progressive Professionals, CPP, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to sack the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu over his alleged refusal to make public, the substantive Chief Medical Director of the Nnamdi Azikwe Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi, Anambra State.
CPP had alleged that there was confusion over who is the authentic Chief Medical Director, CMD, of the health institution which it claimed has crippled activities at the hospital, and had called on the Health Minister to publish or allow the publication of the substantive CMD as a way of solving the problem.
The group noted that the refusal of Prof Chukwu to announce the substantive head of the teaching hospital has made the three frontliners in the context - Dr. Ogonna Oguejifori, Dr. Obi Nwosu, Dr. Anthony Igwegbe, to be laying claims to the position.
In an open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, and signed by the Chairman, Barr. Bony Obunadike and Secretary, Pharm. Acada Okongwu, the group insisted that the Health Minister has “flouted with impunity the Constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 as amended which he swore to uphold", and threatened to take legal action if the minister fails to do the right thing.
“President Goodluck Sir, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended made it clear that all issues of ACTING CAPACITIES in public institutions has a tenure of three (3) months unless renewed by the appropriate authorities except on the issue of the State of Emergency Proclamation which has a tenure of six (6) months and can be renewed only by the National Assembly (section 305)
“Our investigations reveal that Dr. Anthony Igwegbe resumed as acting CMD in January 2013 and should vacate office in March 2013, when the substantive CMD should resume. Health Minister Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu conducted all the due processes leading to the appointment of the substantive CMD, and based on his submission, we gathered that you duly appointed one since March 2013. The result of which is a public document and should be released to the public, published, and gazzetted, but the Health Minister has refused to do so, for reasons best known to him.
"Mr President Sir, as we speak Nnamdi Azikwe Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Nnewi has neither the acting C.M.D because Dr. Anthony Igwegbe tenure has expired, nor the substantive C.M.D because he has not resumed even though you have make the appointment. There is therefore Administrative collapse which is counter productive to your transformational Health plans.
"For the Health Minister to have allowed Dr. Anthony Igwegbe to continue in office when his tenure has expired and was never confirmed is illegal and unconstitutional. Mr. President sir, we therefore humbly call on you to sack the Health Minister - Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu who has demonstrated to be a clog in the wheel of your well- thought - out health agenda for the people for so long a time."

Clean Water will safe lives in Nigeria—Ron Moser By Yemi Olakitan

By Yemi Olakitan 

The need for clean and safe drinking water for all is one of the important goals of humanity. According to the World health organization in 1996, more than five million human beings die from illnesses associated with unsafe drinking water. Pacific Institute reported that at the current rate as many as 135,000,000 people might die annually from dirty water by 2010. Most developing countries have whole populations without access to clean, safe drinking water that is so crucial to life. According to a report, safe water is difficult to come by in many rural areas in Nigeria. This explains the popularity of sachet water the cities. Ron Moser, CEO of Revelations Water Technology whose background is in Chemical Manufacturing and Engineering said he was determined to provide clean and safe water to Nigerians through his technology the Primeau water filter.  Primeau ensures that there is no need to boil water no matter the source even if it is from the gutter.

    Experiments have proved that the Primeau water filter can make the dirtiest water clean. The filter destroys bacteria and makes water as safe as possible. It is something you could dip into a lake, fill with rainwater, or utilize in a well and be able to filter that water. One filter will last over 2000 litres, which means someone could use it for at least 6 months to a year before they would need to replace the cartridge. Primeau water filter technology is being made available in association with various government agencies in Nigeria. Moser believes that safe, clean water will eradicate diseases, particularly in the northern part of the country where most of the people in the inner villages cannot access safe, clean water.

      In the late 1980s, Moser was part owner and Executive Vice President with Northwestern Carbon in the United States. He said, ‘‘we were already developing filters for a lot of major corporations in the United States when, in 1985, we received news of a massive earthquake in Mexico City. News reports showed people who couldn’t access drinking water and were using buckets to get whatever water they could find, often straight from the gutter. It occurred to me that we could provide filters that could filter that dirty water and make if safe for consumption. I wanted to make a filter that wasn’t just for potable water, so I began to put some designs together in my mind as to how it would work. We needed something that an individual could pick up and carry with them. We decided somewhere around a gallon would be a perfect size. We made some prototypes, and went into production, but never went to market as we were still growing as a company at the time. In 2000 we sold the company, but the idea for this filter stayed with me. I came up with a newer, better prototype that implemented nanotechnology, which allowed the filter to kill bacteria and viruses. We spend over a year in development and testing so that we could come up with just the right model that would do the job for us, he said.

     On why he had decided to come to Nigeria with the product, Moser said that he was considering Mexico initially but decided on Nigeria because Africa needed such technology at this time and Nigeria is the first point.  Nigerians want clean, safe drinking water at the right price. This explains the popularity of sachet water even in the cities.  Primeau water filter provides the world’s best portable water filter that transforms dirty contaminated water into safe clean drinking water at an affordable cost, using the best available technology. Improving the quality of life of children and people globally; by using advanced nanotechnology water filtration processes and achieving this through the provision of affordable water filtration for individuals with in-home and industrial systems. Moser enumerated the benefits of the filter as follows: advanced nanotechnology filtration process, it Kills 99.99% of bacteria and viruses that can cause Typhoid, Cholera and other waterborne diseases. It costs under 5 NGN per litre, filters 2000 litres before filter cartridge replacement, backwashing-extends life of the filter, electricity is not needed, no batteries needed, no boiling water, no running water needed. The company introduced a potable water filter called Primeau into the Nigerian market with the primary objective of helping people get safe drinking water in a consistent and affordable manner.
       From the demonstration of the system at the unveiling of the four litre capacity product, which has backwash capability, in Lagos recently, the machine was able to filter mixture of water and ink to pure drinking water.  Convinced on the equipment, Nigerians at the venue demanded for a bigger version of the equipment.  Ron Moser emphasized that there is nothing more important than the business of life, adding that water is about the most crucial component of life. “There isn’t much anyone can do without water, yet millions of people all over the world do not have access to safe drinking water. Some who do have access, do not consistently enjoy safe drinking water,” he said adding that the various issues associated with drinking water inspired the design and production of the water filter.  Going by the brand name, Primeau, the water filter has eleven stages of filtration using the most advanced form of nanotechnology. Water filtered through these eleven stages is guaranteed safe to drink as the filter removes taste and odour as well as kills 99.99 per cent of bacteria and other microorganisms that can cause typhoid fever, cholera and other water-borne diseases. 

    According to Moser, the ability to kill bacteria, remove harmful organic compounds, heavy metals, particulate matter, cysts, and giardia from water, and greatly improve the taste and odour, turning dirty water into clean water, clearly sets Primeau above and apart from other drinking water solutions. “Providing this at the most affordable price with the right size, making it readily available to all groups of people, Primeau water filter is a solution for every household, office, school, etc,” he reiterated.

     Moser hoped that the filter gets into the hands of the people who really need it. ‘‘The product can last for a year before it can be replaced. The government can do so much. They can buy it and give to the people. Particularly in places where there is no access to drinking water. Our dream is to see them take advantage of this technology,’’ he said.