WORLD BANK : No reliable data on Nigeria’s poverty rate, reports are mired in controversy.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim

The World Bank has said there is no reliable data with which to correctly measure the decline or increase in Nigeria’s poverty rate.

In a video press conference to mark the release of Africa’s Pulse, an analysis of issues shaping the continent’s economic future, the World Bank’s Chief Economist for the African region, Mr. Shanta Devarajan, said the poverty rate in the continent’s resource rich was reducing slower than in non-rich resource nations.

Answering a specific question on Nigeria’s poverty rate, Devarajan said the subject was very controversial and suggested that the country should invest more in the production of statistics that were reliable.

“We (World Bank) don’t know Nigeria’s poverty rate. We don’t know whether it is going up or coming down. There is a lot controversy surrounding it. There is need to invest in data,” he said.

The National Bureau of Statistics had in February released figures that showed that the nation’s poverty level was increasing. The report was mired in controversy as it was rejected by the Federal Government.

The Statistician-General of the Federation, Dr. Yemi Kale, had said, “It remains a paradox … that despite the fact that the Nigerian economy is growing, the proportion of Nigerians living in poverty is increasing every year.

“NBS estimates that this trend may have increased further in 2011 if the potential positive impacts of several anti-poverty and employment generation intervention programmes are not taken into account.”

According to him, the poverty rate in Nigeria may have risen to 71.5 per cent, 61.9 per cent, and 62.8 per cent using the relative, absolute and dollar-per-day measures, respectively, adding that the picture would become clearer when the Annual Socio-Economic Survey would be completed later in the year.

Devarajan, however, said the continent needed to translate the high growth rate it was enjoying into poverty reduction, adding that job creation remained an important instrument for poverty reduction.

He said the continent had a large young population that could make it a powerhouse in the future, but regretted that with the slow rate of job creation, the young people might end up working in the informal sector as their parents.

In a statement issued at the end of the conference, the World Bank said Africa was expected to grow at 4.8 per cent for all of 2012.

Excluding South Africa, the continent’s largest economy, growth in sub-Saharan Africa was forecast to rise to six per cent.

African exports rebounded notably in the first quarter of 2012, growing at an annualised pace of 32 per cent, up from the 11 per cent recorded in the last quarter of 2011, it said.

The statement read in part, “African countries have not been immune to the recent bout of market volatility stemming from the Euro area crisis, as well as the growth slowdown that is occurring in some of the largest developing economies, in particular China, which remains an important market for Africa’s mineral exporters.

“However, consistently high commodity prices and strong export growth in those countries, which have made mineral discoveries in recent years, have fuelled economic activity and are expected to underpin Africa’s economic growth for the rest of 2012.”

With the global economy still in fragile condition, Africa’s Pulse warned that the continent’s strong growth rates could yet be vulnerable to deteriorating market conditions in the Euro-zone.

It stated, “In addition, recent spikes in food and grain prices are a cause for concern. An unprecedented hot and dry summer in the United States, Russia and Eastern Europe led to reduced yields on both maize and wheat production worldwide. Africa’s Sahel region is already suffering from higher food prices, high rates of malnutrition and recurring crisis and insecurity.

“Furthermore, swarms of desert locusts and the ongoing conflict in The Sahel also undermine the region’s food security. Countries like Mali and Niger are already suffering from locust invasions with a possibility that the swarm could move to neighbouring countries such as Mauritania and Chad.”

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LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Hello everybody, LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX Proverbs 4:23, Proverbs 6: 23-27 be careful what you take in, the music and movies you watch could desensitizes you to the truth. It is the truth you know that will set you free. Colossians 3:5-6 you are to honour God with your body, sex is not allowed outside marriage. Even though Nike may say 'Just do it!" You are not to have SEX! The simple thought of sex crossing your mind is not a sin but the desire for sex is the sin! Sex goes beyond the physical, it's spiritual and emotional! In the bible, when a man sleeps with his wife the bible says "He knew his wife" but when a young man sleeps with an unmarried woman the bible says "He laid with her" Don't let anybody deceive you, you can know them by their words. e.g "You don't need to tell anybody what we are about to do!" If a guy comes to you with a condom, he is a con(artist) and you are dumb! Virginity is something you give away and not what is taken from you by force! If you were violated and tampered with, only your virginity is broken, you destiny isn't, so don't mess up yourself! You are still so precious in God's sight. God values you; He values your body so honor Him with it! 85% of those who live together before getting married end up divorced. 50% of marriages in UK and 80% of black marriages in US end up in divorce! If you sell yourself cheap, you end up being treated anyhow. A man who cannot treat you like a lady doesn't deserve you and any woman who cannot treat you like a prince doesn't deserve you! Don't start what you can't handle! The skin is only a few centimeters deep and beneath that skin, there are 18million nerves passing information round. Whenever someone touches you sexually, your nerves sends info that are stored somewhere in your brain. That's why when you see the person later you remember the touch! You have imprints of people on your life through sexual relationships. Don't let anyone touch you in a way that is not holy. From hugs to kissing and then the deed happens unplanned! Once you mess up your sexual life, it messes up your spiritual life! Get it right! Exodus 26, 27 gives a summary of the Tabernacle. It was divided into the outer court, the Holy place, Holy of Holies. As a human being, your body is the outer court, your soul the holy place and your spirit the holy of holies! The outer court gave access to many levities and they brought their sacrifices there. Your body is your outer court many people will have access to you, you'll meet many boys/girls but be careful, many will come and go. Proverbs 4:23 Only a priests were allowed into the holy place. The holy in your body is your soul. Your emotions are conceived there. Before you let anyone touch your soul, be very careful! The reason many broken relationship ends up a soul tie is because they let someone else make an impact on their soul and no matter how much they try to forget the person it is difficult. Guard your soul; don't let just any nice person get in. The holy place had a lamp stand in it, anyone who must get into your holy place was be a lamp. Ladies, any man that wants to court/date/marry you must have more light than you already have! He needs to be the lamp! Don't settle for less! Only the High priest was allowed to enter into the holy of holies (Hebrews 9:7) ! He had to break through the veil to get in. There is only man allowed to get into you and that is your husband! When a man sleeps with a virgin, it's more than just sex! It's spiritual, it's a blood covenant! Guys note, everywhere you go as a man and have sexual releases, your testicles will testify against you! The reason God gave you two testicles is because the bible says out of 2 or more witnesses, a statement is established (Deuteronomy 17:6). There is a point when sexual activities go beyond the physical, it becomes a demonic activity! It is spiritual! Easy sex does not make more romance; it neither gives you joy and happiness! When you have sex while waiting to be married, you crush the foundation of your marriage. Don't let anyone blackmail you to stay in a relationship! After giving your life to Christ break away from every ungodly relationship! Titus 2:11-12 To get out: It requires the decision to maintain your integrity! It requires a bold step to confront ungodly relationship you are in! Break away and make a vow to be pure! Keep yourself and honour God with your life! No sex is safe sex! Desire change, deny yourself. I urge you to spread this message now and my God will richly bless you.
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FG names new CDS, service chiefs

New Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Ibrahim
| credits: nanngronline.com

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday named Vice Admiral Ola Ibrahim as the new Chief of Defence Staff.

According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, Ibrahim, who is from Kwara State, replaces Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, who retires from service.

Until his new appointment, Ibrahim was the Chief of Naval Staff.

The President also named Rear Admiral Dele Ezeoba as the new Chief of Naval Staff. Ezeoba is from Delta State.

Until his new appointment, Ezeoba was the Chief of Administration at the Defence Headquarters.

Jonathan also named Air Vice Marshall Alex Badeh from Adamawa State as the new Chief of Air Staff.

Badeh was until his new appointment the Air Officer Commanding Training Command, Kaduna.

The President however retained the incumbent Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, from Abia State.

Jonathan thanked the outgoing service chiefs for their meritorious and commendable service to the nation and wished them well in their future endeavours.

Ibrahim, the new CDS, was born on June 15, 1955.

A graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna and the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, he trained with the Royal and Indian Navies.

Ibrahim is a Navigation and Direction Specialist.

He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Ahmadu Bello University.

In 2002, he was at the Royal College of Defence Studies, United Kingdom and at the Department of War Studies and Public Policy, Kings College, University of London for his Masters’ degree.

Ibrahim had tours of duty on Nigerian Naval Ships in various capacities and is decorated with the Command of Sea Badge for successful command at Sea on various Nigerian Naval Ships.

He was a Directing Staff and a Chief Instructor at the Department of Maritime Warfare, Armed forces Command and Staff College, Jaji. He was Secretary to the Chief of Naval Staff before being appointed to command the Naval operations base, Nigerian Naval Ship BEECROFT in 2001.

In 2003, Ibrahim served as Commander Naval Task Group, Operation HARMONY in the Eastern Naval command, Calabar before he went to the National Defence College as a directing staff later same year.

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Taraba State house of Assembly impeaches Deputy Governor, Sani Abubakar for '' gross misconduct''

Sani Abubakar

Alleged Misconduct
Taraba State house of Assembly impeaches Deputy Governor, Sani Abubakar for '' gross misconduct''  But in a swift move that caught not a few people unawares, a notice of allegations of gross misconduct was presented to the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Istifanus Gbana, on the floor of the Assembly by over two-thirds of the members of the Assembly on the September 4. This signalled the commencement of impeachment proceedings against the deputy governor. The house drew three allegations against the deputy governor, which he is expected to respond to within 14 days.

In the notice, dated September 4, 2012 and signed by 19 out of the 24 members of the Assembly, the house drew three impeachable offences against Danladi who they accused of using his office to, among other things, loot and divert public funds. The legislators also accused him of lacking the capacity to function as the deputy governor of the state.
Out of the 21 members that attended the September 4 sitting, only two – Dr. A.A. Jugulde, representing Sardauna Constituency, and Hon. Aminu J. Umar, representing Jalingo II on the platform of Congress for Progressive Change – refrained from signing the document while another member, Hon. Emmanuel Dame, representing Ardo-Kola Constituency was absent during the sitting.

Alleged Diversion of  Funds
In the particulars of the allegations, the deputy governor was accused of using his office and influence to divert Millennium Development Goals facilities such as ICT Centre, motorised borehole and solar lights to Yagai Academy, a private school owned by him. By so doing, according to the legislators, Danladi denied the underprivileged members of the state access to and use of the facilities, thereby contravening the oath of office he swore to observe and protect. He was said to have perpetrated the acts in 2010.

The Assembly also accused the deputy governor of using his office to acquire a large expanse of land in Jalingo, the state capital, on which he built Yagai Academy  and other multi-million naira business ventures, among which are Yagai Water, Yagai Printing Press, and Yagai Restaurant, which in the estimation of the house are worth over a billion naira.

The legislators held that Danladi engaged in sharp practices in government to unlawfully enrich himself with the funds with which he and his company used in acquiring, building and funding Yagai Academy, which unarguably has the best facilities among private schools in the state.

According to the signatories to the notice, the total emolument of Danladi as deputy governor cannot justify his investments and in so doing, they said, he not only breached the code of conduct for public office holders but also created in the minds of the people of the state the impression that the government condones, with impunity, the looting and diversion of public funds.

Furthermore, the legislators stated that the declared assets of the deputy governor as at the time of his assumption of office was not more than N56 million and that Yagai Academy was incorporated in 2009 with a share capital of N2 million. They stressed that before he became the deputy governor in 2007 he was neither in business nor owned any business that could yield reasonable income.

Capacity Issues
On his alleged lack of capacity to discharge his functions as deputy governor, the Assembly noted that since assuming office as Chairman of the State Boundary Commission, he had failed, neglected or refused to call any board meeting in the face of several community rivalries/disputes bordering on boundary delineation, which is the statutory responsibility of the board of the commission.

Besides his alleged refusal to properly discharge the functions of his office, according to the members of the House of Assembly, Danladi engendered disaffection, favouritism and undue interference in the running of government contrary to the oath of office he took just. He was accused of unduly interfering with the postings and transfers of indigenes of Karim-Lamido local government, where he hails from, in circumstances that has caused disaffection among the people and portrayed the government in bad light.

Signatories
The notice of allegations of gross misconduct was signed by Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Abel Peter Diah, representing Mbamnga Constituency; Majority Leader, Hon. Charles Maijankai, representing Karim 1 Constituency; and 17 other members of the Assembly.
Other signatories of the impeachment notice were Hon. Daniel Ishaya Gani (Wukari 11); Hon. Mohammed D. Gwampo (Yorro); Hon. Ibrahim Adamu Imam (Jalingo1); Hon. Yahaya Abdulraham (Gassol 11); Hon. Bonzena K. John (Zing); Hon. Edward G. Baraya (Karim 11) and Hon. Gambo Maikudi representing Bali 1 Constituency.

The notice was also signed Hon. Hamman’Adama B. Abdullahi (Bali 11); Hon. Haruna Tsokwa (Takum 1); Hon. Iratsi Yohanna Adaki (Ussa); Hon. Joseph Albasu Kunini (Lau); Hon. Josiah Sabo Kente (Wukari 1); Hon. Adamu Tanko Maikarfi (Gassol 1); Hon Mark Useni (Takum 11); Hon. Mohammed Abdulkarim (IBI) and Hon. Mohammed G. Umar (Gashaka) as well as the only female member of the House, Hon. Rashida Abdullahi representing Nguroje Constituency.

Subterranean Influence
However, there are insinuations that the members of the Assembly are not alone in the move to impeach the deputy governor today . They are alleged to be acting the script of the state governor, Mr. Danbaba Danfulani Suntai.
“The drama playing out in the state House of Assembly can be described as the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob. There is no way members of the House of Assembly would unanimously move to impeach the deputy governor without the consent and approval of the governor. In fact, the house can be described as an appendage of Government House,” stated a civil servant in the state who simply described himself as Mr. Haruna.

Despite the myriad of allegations levelled against him, we gathered that the move to impeach Danladi might not be unconnected with the current faceoff between the governor, on one hand, and Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan, Senator Abubakar Tutare, and the immediate past PDP chairman in the state, Alhaji Abdulmumini Vaki, on the other.

Though members of the same political camp, Alhassan fell apart with the governor during the last PDP congresses in the state where herself, Tutare, and Vaki accused the governor of sidelining them in the composition of party executives in their various wards. Vaki is also said to be aggrieved over the governor’s decision to throw his weight behind the present chairman of the party, Chief Victor Bala Kona.

We investigations revealed that the deputy governor was alleged to have held a meeting with the trio in Saudi Arabia during the last Ummura, though associates of the deputy governor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, debunked the allegation. They insisted that Tutare did not go for Ummura while Vaki had already returned to Nigeria before Danladi went for the religious exercise just, as they maintained that Alhassan was in Dubai for a knee operation while the deputy governor was in the holy land.

Jolly Nyame Factor
  A PDP chieftain in the state, Emmanuel Ando, told THISDAY that the decision to impeach the deputy governor was part of the conditions given by former Governor Jolly Nyame before his return to PDP with his supporters. Though, supporters of the governor insist that the last thing he would do is to accept to be given conditions by the Nyame camp before they return to the party.

Meanwhile, We gathered that a former chairman of Jalingo Local Government Area and immediate past special adviser to the governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ali Sani Kona, is being tipped as the replacement for Danladi.
Ali Sani Kona, who played a very prominent role in Suntai’s re-election last year, is said to have tremendous goodwill across the state based on his above-average performance as Chairman of Jalingo local government and Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, a position that gave him leverage at the grassroots and within the traditional institution in the state.

Honour Bound
The raging hostility between the deputy governor and his boss notwithstanding, both men have been named as awardees of this year’s national merit award. This, many believe, is in apparent recognition of their collective contributions to the development of the state in the past five years. While Suntai would be conferred with the award of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), Danladi would receive the award of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR). The awards would be given by President Goodluck Jonathan at a colourful ceremony in Abuja tomorrow. It is an event that may draw the curtain on a hitherto cordial relationship between the governor and his deputy. 

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FG to challenge ICJ judgment on Bakassi

Abuja – President Goodluck Jonathan has set up a committee to look at the option of appealing the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Bakassi peninsula.

The decision was reached at a meeting between the President, the leadership of the National Assembly and other stakeholders at the State House in Abuja.

The meeting which started late Wednesday night ended in the early hours of Thursday.

Cross River’s governor, Liyel Imoke, told State House correspondents after the meeting that the committee would also consider how to take care of the displaced people of Bakassi.

Imoke who did not disclose the composition of the committee said it would work within a specified time.

Nigeria has an Oct. 9 deadline to appeal the ICJ ruling which ceded the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to neighbouring Cameroon was delivered on Oct. 10, 2002.

Imoke said Jonathan had shown great leadership quality by convening the meeting and standing firm on some of the decisions taken.

Speaking also, the Senate President, Sen. David Mark, said the executive arm of government and the lawmakers were now on the same page on the Bakassi issue.

He said they would work together to achieve results.

A former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Prince Bola Ajibola who was at the meeting, said the federal government had shown candid concern on the Bakassi issue.

He commended the move by government to follow dialogue, the rule of law and diplomacy in ensuring that Nigeria gets justice and the people were not wrongly dealt with.

Ajibola expressed optimism that the committee set up would handle the matter accordingly and in good time.

The meeting was attended by Vice President Namadi Sambo, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, and some other principal officers of the National Assembly.

Also in attendance were Akwa Ibom governor, Godswill Akpabio, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, and the Minister of Justice and AGF, Mohammed Adoke.

Some leaders and representatives of selected groups from Bakassi, as well as presidential aides, were also in attendance.

The Senate had last week unanimously passed a resolution mandating the federal government to appeal the ICJ ruling because of the new facts which had emerged over the matter.

The motion which gave rise to the resolution was sponsored by Sen. Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi Central).

He had argued that it would be wrong for Nigeria not to appeal the judgment because there was still opportunity to do so before the statutory expiration time.(NAN)
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