There are at least two reports of what may be a disturbing new protest trend against President Obama: Empty chairs hanging from trees.
A blogger who spotted a hanging chair with an attached sign reading “Nobama” in Centreville, Va., writes: “This appears to be a crude metaphor for the lynching of President Obama.”
A blogger in Texas wrote about a similar display in Austin.
The owner of the house in Virginia told WJLA-TV that he has taken down the chair and said the idea was inspired by Clint Eastwood’s performance at the Republican Convention, in which the actor “interviewed” an empty chair meaning to represent Obama.
“I loved Clint Eastwood’s speech,” said Doug Burger, adding that the display has no racial connotations.
“I know how to build a noose,” Burger said. “Really. If I wanted to make a noose, I could do that. I did not. I had no intention for that to occur.”
The criticism is “really an attack on free speech,” he added.
NBC News reported that the Secret Service is looking into the empty chair incidents.
“The Secret Service is aware of this and will conduct appropriate followup,” spokesman Brian Leary told NBC.
Hundreds of Japanese nationalists have marched through the streets of Tokyo in protest against Chinese foreign policy, as the diplomatic row between the two countries over an archipelago in the East China Sea threatens to spiral out of control.
Marshaled by Ganbare Nippon, a right-wing advocacy group famous for its attention-catching public actions, a group of at least 800 people, carried placards reading “Sink the Chinese boats in our waters” and “Do not give in to the Beijing terrorists” as they walked through the central shopping district, before arriving at the Chinese Embassy.
“Come on out of there!” shouted some of the protesters, as police had to restrain them. The building was forced to close due to the action.
The demonstration was a response to the mass anti-Japanese rallies held in Chinese cities around the country, which led to the attack of several Japanese-owned stores, and led Japan’s Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda, to call for his counterpart to secure the safety of his countrymen in China.
The cause of the dispute is a stretch of tiny uninhibited islands between the two countries, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China that have been the subject of an intermittent diplomatic dispute since 1971 and an ever-intensifying diplomatic spat for the past year.
Controlled by the Japanese since 1895, the islands provide rich fishing grounds and possible mineral resources, as well as drawing an economic and political border between Japan and China.
China, which says it has a claim to the islands dating back to ancient history, has repeatedly sent ships to their vicinity in a show of strength and its citizens have previously tried to land there to hold protests (with counter-protest landings made by nationalist Japanese).
The latest chain of events was set off when the Japanese government purchased the islands off a private family ten days ago – under threat that the owner was going to sell them to the staunchly anti-Chinese governor of Tokyo.
China immediately sent several patrol and fishing ships to the area, with Japan also bolstering their naval presence.
Meanwhile, the Japanese embassy in Beijing suspended its services following intense protests outside, while Japanese businesses shut their front doors after several attacks and arson incidents. Some Japanese contractors said Chinese partners had cancelled their orders. Workers at several Japanese-owned factories also went on strike. The combined losses from these incidents, has been estimated to exceed $100 million already.
In a series of symbolic gestures, Chinese booksellers stopped stocking Japanese literature, while the Japanese national air carrier JAL severely cut the number of flights to China.
Japanese armed forces and US marines also performed a joint drill in which they “re-captured” a “Japanese” island that had been “invaded”. The exercises were labeled “provocative” by Beijing, and in response the Chinese have staged a live-ammunition drill of their own.
In recent days, protests have simmered down in China and officials there say they will protect Japanese businesses on its territory. The economic transactions between the two countries amounted to $349 billion last year.
Nonetheless, the conflict looks nowhere near a definitive resolution, with Beijing calling for Japan to “repent its mistakes” and return the islands, and Prime Minister Noda insisting that Japan possesses an “unwavering resolve to defend its territorial lands and waters.”
A 28 year old single mother and four other suspected drug traffickers have been apprehended over alleged ingestion of 398 wraps of narcotics. The drugs weighing 7.1kg consist of 1.1kg of methamphetamine and 6kg of cocaine. The suspects were caught by men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja.
NDLEA Commander at the Abuja Airport, Mr Hamisu Lawan gave the names of the suspects as Udoka Peace Egbuchelam, 28 year old single mother who ingested 73 wraps of methamphetamine weighing 1.1kg; Ezechi Chinedu Nwabueze, 45 years old who ingested 95 wraps of cocaine weighing 2kg and Uzoukwu Uzomba Joel, 54 years old who ingested 85 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.5kg. Others are Obiora Boniface Okechukwu 36 years old who ingested 91 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.6kg and Eze Onyebuchi Everest 32 years old who swallowed 54 wraps of cocaine weighing 900 grammes.
According to Hamisu, apart from Udoka Peace Egbuchelam and Ezechi Chinedu Nwabueze who were to board Ethiopian Airline flights to Malaysia and Istanbul other suspects were caught during inward screening of passengers.
The only female among the five suspects said that she wanted enough money to pay for tuition fees of her 5 year old daughter. In her words, “I wanted to pay the school fees of my daughter. Since my arrest, I have been worried because I do not know how she is coping without me. The people that gave me the drug promised to pay me the sum of 2,700 dollars” Udoka stated. Udoka Peace Egbuchelam hails from Mbaitolu Local Government Area of Imo State. She attended Nza Central School Uzobulu and Girls Secondary School Uzobulu.
Ezechi Chinedu Nwabueze a trader that sells shirts in Benin Republic ingested 95 wraps of cocaine weighing 2kg. He hails from Uzowani Local Government Area of Enugu State. “I am the only child of my parents. My problem began when my shop got burnt and nobody was willing to help me. I was to deliver the drugs in Istanbul, Turkey” he stated.
Another suspect, Uzoukwu Uzomba Joel left Brazil with 85 wraps of cocaine weighing
1.5kg in his stomach. His reason for smuggling cocaine according to him is frustration and sickness. He left Sao Paulo, Brazil, to Doha, Cairo and Abuja. Other suspects that attempted smuggling drugs from Brazil are Obiora Boniface Okechukwu and Eze Onyebuchi Everest.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade said that the single mother would have been killed if she was caught outside the country because of the capital punishment for drugs in Malaysia. He urged members of the public to avoid drug trafficking. “We are happy to prevent the untimely death of another Nigerian over drug trafficking” Giade stated.
The Ohaneze Ndigbo Kano State chapter has distanced themselves from what it termed a mischievious attempt by persons in Kano State to use the name of Ohaneze Ndigbo to achieve a criminal objective.
Today, September 22, 2012, a group of Muslims protested in Kano against the American film that depicted the Prophet Mohammed [SAW[ in a negative light.
The President of Ohaneze Ndigbo Kano State Chapter, Chief Tobias Idika in reacting to the protest rally held by Muslims in Kano over the film on Prophet Mohammed [SAW] told 247ureports.com- that a group of persons dressed in Ohaneze regalia joined the protest match [see picture above] carrying placards indicating that Ohaneze Ndigbo Kano had sent them on the match. The group held placards stating “Ohaneze Ndigbo na sopulu Mohammed“.
Chief Idika was quick to distance the kano state chapter from the actions of the group claiming be from Ohaneze. The Ohaneze Ndigbo Kano State chapter president made it clear that he was not aware of the said protest. “We have no part in this“
Barely a year after hosting its maiden edition at the Imo state popular Concorde Hotel, the organizers of New Nigerian Diva, Viewtrend Entertainment is set to host the second season of the reality show.
The three – in – one event: reality show, beauty pageant and talent hunt is aimed at discovering and nurturing talents inherent in young female Nigerians in the areas of acting, modeling and singing, thereby helping them actualize their dreams by providing them with the requisite platform/latitude to leverage on.
According to the Executive Producer of the show who doubles as the CEO of Viewtrend Entertainment Limited, Mr. Dozie Eboh, said this year’s edition promises to be more exciting and extremely engaging, adding that much preparation have been made as the star prize is a plot of land in Lagos state (which is sponsored by Prestige Virtue Court and publishers of Royalty International Magazine), modeling contracts, a return ticket to a foreign country of the winner’s choice plus recording deals.
Speaking on the challenges and the overall success of the maiden edition which had Miss Vanessa Mong beating fourteen other finalists to emerge the first ever New Nigerian Diva, Eboh notedthat preparations are in top gear to have a zonal auditions in South –South, South – East, North and South –West this time so to enable other interested female Nigerians to be part of its second edition.
However, he added that registration is currently on and that it will be closing by September 30, 2012 before the zonal audition dates that would be announced after the closure.
Also recalling, the National screening that held last year wrapped up with the selection 30 contenders that were camped at White House hotel in Lagos, and after thorough screening by its jury, only fifteen made it to the grand finale that held in Imo State with an award of excellence presented to some personalities in the country.
The last year’s grand finale which was hosted by the Imo State Government had some notable dignitaries and celebrities in attendance. As personalities like Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha (Deputy Speaker, Federal House of Representative), Rt. Hon. Ben Uwajimogu (Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly) , Dr. Mrs. Angela Uwakwem (Chief Medical Director, FMC, Owerri), Chief Emeka Offor, Sen. Osita Izunaso and host of others.
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will leave Abuja tomorrow to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 67th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York which has the peaceful resolution of international disputes, a theme endorsed by him in his statement to the 66thGeneral Assembly last year, as its main focus.
The President of the 67th Assembly, Mr. Vuk Jeremic of Serbia announced at its opening on Tuesday that having consulted widely on the matter, he has chosen“bringing about adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations by peaceful means” as the overarching theme for the General Assembly’s work over the next 12 months.
It will be recalled that President Jonathan had in his 2011 address to the General Assembly called on the international community to muster the political will to promote preventive diplomacy for the peaceful resolution of international disputes through mediation.
“For too long, the international community has focused too little attention on mediation and preventive diplomacy and far too much effort and resources on military aspects of peace and security. Yet, measures to address the root cause of conflict, including dialogue and mediation, can be far more effective as means to achieving sustainable peace and stability.
“As I see it, our goal should always be to present the peaceful alternative as a less costly and effective way of achieving political and social objectives. By focusing on mediation as a tool for conflict prevention, we are able to address the real triggers of conflict, without which we cannot achieve sustainable solutions,” President had declared in his address to world leaders at the United Nations last year.
The President’s delegation to New York includes Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Philip Aduda, Honourable Isa Ashiru Mohammed, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and the Minister of Trade and Investment.
In addition to participating in the 67thSession of the General Assembly, President Jonathan is also scheduled to meet with other world leaders including the Presidents of China, France, South Korea, Brazil, Bulgaria, Finland and Switzerland in New York.
He will also deliver a statement to the High-Level Meeting on the Rule of Law at the United Nations Headquarters and join the Prime Minister of Norway, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg with whom he currently serves as co-Chairperson of the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children in presenting its report to the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon.
President Jonathan will also attend a High-Level Meeting on the Nigerian Economy, meet with the Chairman and top executives of the global oil giant, Exxon-Mobil, attend a reception hosted by President Barack Obama of the United States and the Secretary-General’s High-Level event on the eradication of Polio.
Recognized nuclear weapon states oppose Iran, Egypt, which wanted language on nuclear disarmament at IAEA.
VIENNA – Western states defeated an Iranian proposal at the UN nuclear agency’s annual assembly on Saturday to amend their draft resolution on a policy area central to its work in preventing the spread of atom bombs.
The draft text was adopted in a vote shortly after midnight after days of closed-door negotiations failed to achieve the traditional consensus, with divisions between a small number of countries led by Iran and a much larger Western-dominated group.
Diplomats said Iran and Egypt had wanted to include language in the resolution suggesting the UN agency should have a role also in nuclear disarmament, apparently reflecting frustration on their part at the lack of faster progress on this issue.
This was opposed by a large majority including the United States, Britain, France and Russia – four officially recognized nuclear weapon states – which believe the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is not the right forum for this, they said.
The West accuses Iran of trying to develop a nuclear weapons capability in secret. The Islamic Republic denies the charge.
Tehran often hits out at the United States over its atomic arsenal, and also criticizes Iran’s arch foe, Israel, and that country’s assumed nuclear weapons.
The annual General Conference of the 155 IAEA member states traditionally adopts several resolutions, setting out general and often vaguely worded policy aspirations and guidelines, during a week-long meeting in Vienna.
As in 2011, the most contentious issue was a text regarding the IAEA’s activities in seeking to make sure nuclear material is not diverted for non-peaceful purposes, a crucial task for the UN agency under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Last year, the gathering failed to agree the resolution on “strengthening the effectiveness and improving the efficiency of the safeguards system” submitted by some 30 Western states.
Safeguards refer to measures undertaken by UN inspectors to discover any attempt by non-nuclear weapons states to use atomic technology or material for developing weapons – for example regular visits and camera surveillance of sites.
This year, Iran said a paragraph saying IAEA “safeguards are a fundamental component of nuclear non-proliferation” should be amended to add “and nuclear disarmament.” This was rejected by 55 votes against and nine for. The resolution then passed by 89 for, no vote against and 16 abstentions, including Iran.
Several countries, including South Africa and Brazil, stressed their support for nuclear disarmament even though they voted against the Iranian proposal.
Under the NPT, a 1970 pact, the five recognized atomic bomb “haves” agreed to work toward eliminating their nuclear weapons, and the “have-nots” pledged not to pursue them.
Critics say there has been more emphasis on meeting the non-proliferation goal than getting the five major powers – the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain – to fulfill their part of the deal.
The battle-line has become drawn between Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, and the country’s biggest airlines, Arik.
The war between both camps got messier this morning with the minister dismissing Arik as “a floundering enterprise” that is “groaning from a crippling N85.4 billion debt overhang.” She also denied allegations of conflict of interest made against her by Arik Management, which two days ago blamed their decision to suspend domestic operations on the hostility and unprofessional demands of the minister and some other unnamed ministry officials.
Replying this morning through her Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Joe Obi, the Aviation Minister (shown in photo) said she has started the process of suing Arik. Entitled “Arik Airlines’ Conflict of Interest Allegation Laughable, Diversionary”, the statement said in full:
“The attention of the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, OON, has been drawn to a fabrication credited to the Management of Arik Airlines, to the effect that the Minister demanded a 5 percent equity holding in the airline. The story alleged a Ministry of Aviation hostility against Arik on account of the so-called equity demand that it claimed to have turned down!
“The first impulse is to totally ignore this groundless falsehood. Except that it will send the wrong signals to the general public. Therefore, the sole intent of this release is to put the records straight.
“The 5 percent equity story is without any foundation whatsoever. It is absurd, malicious and ultimately laughable. The Honorable Minister of Aviation could not have contemplated acquiring a stake in any airline, let alone Arik Air that is groaning from a crippling N85.4 billion debt overhang.
“The time is ripe for Arik Air to change its business module that ‘thrives’ on unprecedented accumulation of debts and liabilities. The futile attempt to impugn the integrity of the Aviation Minister by inferring a conflict of interest against her is at best diversionary. It should be obvious to the management of Arik Air that blackmail is not a panacea for a floundering enterprise.
“The Honourable Minister of Aviation has directed her lawyers to seek legal redress for this malicious allegation by Arik Air.”
Governor Peter Obi said necessary measures were being put in place to reduce State vulnerability to environmental and ecological disaster. Governor Obi stated this at a stakeholders meeting and launching of the State Flood, Erosion Control and Water Conservation Technical Guidelines, at J. Jumal Hotel, Awka.
The Governor, who said the State Government was working with the UNDP on the programme, explained that the policy document aimed at providing information on flood Management, techniques and Measures to protect the environment from devastation.
Governor Obi urged the people to be alert and conscious of the official warning from the National Emergency Management Agency on threat of usual flooding which he noted is already manifesting in Ogbaru, Anambra East and West, stressing that communities should take precaution and measures while soliciting for external intervention.
The Governor announced the cancellation of all bids for school projects in various communities and emphasized that henceforth, contracts for school and primary health centre projects in any community will be executed by people from the communities involved. He explained that this will enable government to hold people of the community responsible if anything goes wrong.
The State Chairman, MDGs Implementation Committee and Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Prof. Chinyere Okuna said government decision on contracts would encourage communities to take full ownership of the projects. Prof. Okuna assured that those who have already paid would be refunded their money.
The Transition Committee Chairman, Onitsha North, Mr. Eddy Okosi said Governor Obi administration had remained responsive and is taking necessary measures against impending disaster.
An Environment Consultant, Mr. Austin Nwangwu stressed the need to take preventive measures on erosion through conservative practice and proper collection of flood water from buildings and compounds.
It might surprise some watchers of Anambra State politics to begin to read about Governor Peter Obi’s monument; and for the less endowed in the white man’s language, particularly those of them resident in Anambra State, passion might run wild in defense of the Governor’s current mandate. While the first group might merely be confounded by the speed of time, the second just would not see their Governor and his Government as issues that are at the threshold of history – at the verge of being permanently reported in the past. Why talk of a monument whose making is unfolding still? There is yet a third interest-class; cynics who would bite, claw and shout in efforts to attain their sworn conclusions to emasculate the novel patterns adorning the political space of Anambra State. ‘What monument?’, they would ask. But in all of these dispositions, the reality of passing time and its compelling dictates in sifting the bedrock of history prevails.
Before the end of March, 2014, Governor Peter Obi would have served Anambra State the maximum statutorily allowable period of eight years, representing two terms of four years each. This is an uncommon privilege unprecedented in the State where the political landscape is replete with ‘men and women of timber and calibre’, who in deference to their high sounding (many a time bizarre) aliases, very often jump into a fray merely for the satisfaction of drawing blood. Even in fights they could neither sustain nor win.
Having taken a token look at the peculiarities of Mr. Obi’s Anambra, one begins to appreciate better the value of the Governor’s resilience, doggedness, ruggedness too. How else would one explain Mr. Obi’s stubborn resistance of the monster that President Obasanjo’s the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) foisted on and sought to perpetuate in Anambra State? Indeed, the PDP nausea, exemplified by the stolen mandate, seemed a blessing for Ndigbo as it exposed the post war conspiracy of clannish pretenders who not only sought to subdue Ndigbo physically but to kill their spirit. Even ‘in the very before’ of the totem of Igbo consciousness (apologies to Chika Okpala, Chief Zebrudaya Okoroigwe Nwogbo Alias 4.30) the people’s mandate was stolen by impostors to the people’s cause.
What would have been left of Ndigbo if Mr. Obi failed to lead the battle for the rescue of the heartland of the Igbo nation? The Governor’s clear headedness, his sublime understanding of the character of the deprivation and his utmost commitment to resistance, made the unyielding Ikemba of blessed memory to declare uncommon support for a young man whom he identified as fighting hegemony against an endangered nation. Mr. Obi stood, fought and conquered the marauding bunch whose resolve was a systematic emasculation of Ndigbo, using Anambra State as a pilot scheme. This early struggle signaled the relevance of Mr. Obi among Ndigbo; added to this is his seminal managing of human and material resources both in governance of Anambra State and in other spheres of leadership wherever duty calls.
Having served Anambra State for over six of an eight years stretch, and judging from the transparent structure of his government, Governor Obi’s scorecard could be reviewed with reasonable degree of accuracy. The indices for measuring success or failure are located in the responsibilities of government and to what extent government fulfills or neglects such duties.
Anambra State is one of the States in Nigeria that hardly go without press reportage. Its prominence derives from its huge pull of human resources and the inputs of Ndi-Anambra, dead or living, in the making and sustenance of the country. But for a greater part of Anambra’s 21 years as a political entity, it recorded greater negative publicity owing to loss of direction among the crop of leaders that ran its affairs. This deviation manifested in the collapse of the system while very few individuals got so robust they could sustain parallel structures that mocked the institution of government. That was why the ‘Eselus’ for instance could boast of installing what served as government in the state between 2003 and 2006, just as the ‘Offors’ did, years earlier.
While the strains over the ownership of government raged, the entire gamut of the responsibilities of the state went prostrate: education was abandoned, the health sector was comatose; there was comprehensive infrastructural decay and unrest of every kind marked the sociopolitical clime of the state. It remained largely so until the unprecedented judiciary intervention that nullified the celebration of absurdities and declared Mr. Obi of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) as the authentic governor of the state in March, 2006. From the date of that epochal declaration till date, Anambra State, under Governor Obi, has persisted in its march to recover the lost years and firmly situate itself among the comity of states with both vibrant economy and civilised polity. Pointers to this growth are identifiable in the resuscitation of all the sectors of the State’s economy through the vehicle of Anambra Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS), which ensures a comprehensive and effective design, budget and implementation of simultaneous development in all sectors of the state’s economy.
The health sector for instance now has some government as well as private owned hospitals and institutions accredited by relevant censor organisations. Onitsha General Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Ihiala; Anambra State School of Nursing and Midwifery, Npor; St. Joseph’s Hospital, Adazi-Nnukwu; Iyi-Enu Hospital, Ogidi and Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha are representational of such interventions in the health sector. The construction and inauguration of Anambra State University Teaching Hospital, Awka, is also a phenomenal entry in the credential of Governor Obi’s government.
The Civil Service has its own gains from the current government of the state. Apart from workers’ increased pay package which compares favourably with what obtains in some rich states, an imposing new State Secretariat (Chief Jerome Udoji State Secretariat) which today represents the pride of Anambra State workers, stands to the credit of this administration which conceived, constructed, equipped and effectively put it to use. Today, the operations of government are run from a single pool of ministries which makes for speed and efficiency. Today, government ministries have necessary enablement like vehicles for optimal performance.
The education sector too has recorded enormous gains from the present State Government. Both primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state have variously benefited from the commitment of the government to sanitise the sector in a bid to preserving the future of the society. Over one hundred and fifty secondary schools have received brand new buses; many more schools have received computers and internet facilities, water boreholes, power generating set, sports equipment and many other items to enhance acquisition of knowledge. School buildings have been reconstructed, new buildings erected and school compounds fenced. Missionary schools forcefully acquired from the owners have been returned to their original owners with grants to facilitate the rehabilitation of dilapidated structures.
If today one seeks the monument of Mr. Peter Obi in Anambra, the new look Anambra State where reputable donor agencies jostle to identify with the success story of Mr. Peter Obi’s administration beckons.
