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Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Obama leads with 8 Percent in US presidential debate

President Barack Obama had another face off with Dominican Republic candidate Mitt Romney for being defensive on foreign policy in their final presidential debate on Monday.
With two weeks left until Election Day, the high-stakes debate strayed frequently into domestic policy, with Romney seeking to bolster his argument that Obama had bungled the U.S. economic recovery.
While tamer than the second debate last week in New York state, the matchup had its share of zingers and putdowns, most of them doled out by an aggressive president eager to stop a surge in polls by the former Massachusetts governor.
“I know you haven’t been in a position to actually execute foreign policy, but every time you’ve offered an opinion, you’ve been wrong,” said Obama.
“Attacking me is not an agenda,” was Romney’s frequent retort, alluding to Republican accusations that Obama had not laid out enough of a policy plan for a second term.
Snap polls declared Obama the winner, but 60 percent of people in a CNN survey said Romney was capable of being commander in chief, accomplishing a key goal set out by his advisers.
A CBS News poll said 53 percent believed Obama won the debate, versus 23 percent for Romney and 24 percent calling it a draw. The CNN poll put Obama as the winner by 8 percentage points.

Transcript of the Third Round of the Obama-Romney Presidential Debate, October 22, 2012.....Part 3

ROMNEY: Well, my strategy is pretty straightforward, which is to go after the bad guys, to make sure we do our very best to interrupt them, to -- to kill them, to take them out of the picture.

But my strategy is broader than that. That’s -- that’s important, of course. But the key that we’re going to have to pursue is a -- is a pathway to get the Muslim world to be able to reject extremism on its own.

We don’t want another Iraq, we don’t want another Afghanistan. That’s not the right course for us. The right course for us is to make sure that we go after the -- the people who are leaders of these various anti-American groups and these -- these jihadists, but also help the Muslim world.

And how do we do that? A group of Arab scholars came together, organized by the U.N., to look at how we can help the -- the world reject these -- these terrorists. And the answer they came up with was this:

One, more economic development. We should key our foreign aid, our direct foreign investment, and that of our friends, we should coordinate it to make sure that we -- we push back and give them more economic development.

Number two, better education.

Number three, gender equality.

Number four, the rule of law. We have to help these nations create civil societies.

But what’s been happening over the last couple of years is, as we’ve watched this tumult in the Middle East, this rising tide of chaos occur, you see Al Qaida rushing in, you see other jihadist groups rushing in. And -- and they’re throughout many nations in the Middle East.

ROMNEY: It’s wonderful that Libya seems to be making some progress, despite this terrible tragedy.

But next door, of course, we have Egypt. Libya’s 6 million population; Egypt, 80 million population. We want -- we want to make sure that we’re seeing progress throughout the Middle East. With Mali now having North Mali taken over by Al Qaida; with Syria having Assad continuing to -- to kill, to murder his own people, this is a region in tumult.

And, of course, Iran on the path to a nuclear weapon, we’ve got real (inaudible).

SCHIEFFER: We’ll get to that, but let’s give the president a chance.

OBAMA: Governor Romney, I’m glad that you recognize that Al Qaida is a threat, because a few months ago when you were asked what’s the biggest geopolitical threat facing America, you said Russia, not Al Qaida; you said Russia, in the 1980s, they’re now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because, you know, the Cold War’s been over for 20 years.

But Governor, when it comes to our foreign policy, you seem to want to import the foreign policies of the 1980s, just like the social policies of the 1950s and the economic policies of the 1920s.

You say that you’re not interested in duplicating what happened in Iraq. But just a few weeks ago, you said you think we should have more troops in Iraq right now. And the -- the challenge we have -- I know you haven’t been in a position to actually execute foreign policy -- but every time you’ve offered an opinion, you’ve been wrong. You said we should have gone into Iraq, despite that fact that there were no weapons of mass destruction.

Monday, 22 October 2012

I’m ready to die for doing the right thing – Oteh


AWKA —Director-General of The Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Ms Arunma Oteh, said, weekend in Awka,  Anambra State that she was prepared to die for doing the right thing to save the Nigerian Capital Market.
Speaking after she was honoured by the Anambra State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Oteh said many people in the country were afraid that with the return of sanity at the capital market, they would lose their strangle hold on the economy, adding that she would continue to do her best to ensure that the ugly past did not return.
She said: “People have said that I am very courageous and I believe that I am courageous because I am an Igbo. When I got the letter that the Anambra State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists wanted to honour me as the most courageous woman of the year, I almost shed tears. This is because despite what people are doing to bring us down, there are people somewhere who are appreciative of the good work we do.
“I am not afraid to say that I will always do the right thing as the Director General of The Securities and Exchange Commission. I am not moved by what people are doing trying to pull me down, so long as I know that I am doing the right thing. In the past, we had a Capital Market where people wore suits and sat down to steal money belonging to peasants.
“But when I came in, I told myself that all these have got to stop. We must sanitize our Capital Market and build a trust that will let the poor man put his savings in it and be assured that it will not be stolen by people. What I am doing at the SEC, I am ready to die for. I am not afraid to die so long as I am doing the right thing.”
And I am very emboldened by the fact that people are watching. No matter the level of conspiracy against one, people are seeing your efforts and at the right time, one will be rewarded for every good work.
“We should learn from the horrible things that happened in the past when people lost everything after selling all they had to invest in the Capital Market Even up to 2010 it was still happening. People were told that their money will just double, and many of our people are crying today because they sold their houses, took their life savings and put them there. That is not what we are saying today.
“What we are saying is that if you want to invest, you must ask questions. It is not enough for us to just tell the people that once you put your money, it will double. You must go to meet financial experts and ask them questions before you invest.
It is your right to ask questions, but please don’t wait for people to come from other countries and invest today and when you are ready to invest, it would be that prices have gone to the top”.

10 BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS: BE AWARE




1. No Breakfast: People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.
2. Overeating: It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.
3. Smoking: It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.
4. High Sugar Consumption: Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.
5. Air Pollution: The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air
decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.
6. Sleep Deprivation: Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will
accelerate the death of brain cells.
7. Head covered while sleeping: Sleeping with the head covered, increases the concentration of
carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging
effects.
8. Working your brain during illness : Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a
decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.
9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts: Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.
10. Talking Rarely: Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain.

Send this message to all your friends, you may save someone today who is living in ignorance.


CJN to discuss Salami's fate with the president, whether he should retire or resign



Plot to stop Salami’s recall thickens
The National Judicial Council (NJC) may urge President Goodluck Jonathan to allow the recall of Court of Appeal President Isa Ayo Salami. He will, thereafter, go on retirement, sources said yesterday.
The Federal Government is sticking to the August 18, 2011 letter from the NJC, which recommended that Justice Salami should either go on suspension or retirement.
Our correspondent learnt that the NJC, last Thursday, decided to resolve the crisis in the Appellate Court “to move forward”.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “In line with the exercise of its powers, as in sections 153, 158 (1) and paragraph 21 (9) of the third schedule to the 1999 Constitution and Section 238 (5), the NJC actually decided to recall Justice Salami but he will thereafter proceed on retirement.
“Justice Salami is expected to withdraw all the suits in court against either the NJC or the government before these decisions can be effected.
“But the NJC Chairman, Justice Maryam Aloma-Mukhtar, is expected to discuss with President Goodluck Jonathan these options. This is the case because NJC wrote the President last year, recommending either the suspension or retirement of Justice Salami.
It was learnt that Justice Mukhtar could not discuss the resolutions of the NJC with Justice Salami as expected last Friday.
Another source, however, said: “Actually, Justice Salami was at the CJN office, but he could not have an audience with Justice Aloma-Mukhtar because she was trying to clear her desk to travel out of the country the same day.
“But Justice Salami will be briefed on the options after the Sallah break.
“I think the NJC is trying to resolve the matter amicably without any conflict with the Executive.”
A senior government official, who pleaded not to be named, said the government’s position is for Justice Salami to proceed on retirement. “The government may not be disposed to his reinstatement,” he said, adding:
“That is a grey area which the NJC and the Executive would have to address. Do not forget that the same NJC asked the President to suspend or retire Justice Salami. That letter is still subsisting whether it was an error on the part of NJC or not.”
As at press time, it was gathered that some anti-Salami forces might file a suit today before a Federal High Court in Abuja to stop either the NJC or the Federal Government from recalling the PCA.
It was learnt that the plot to stop Justice Salami from coming back to office was hatched last Thursday immediately the NJC’s decisions got leaked.
It was gathered that some counsel have been engaged to stop Justice Salami, until he attains the statutory retirement age next year.
“The anti-Salami forces have not given up. They have sharply disagreed with the NJC. They want Salami retired instead of being recalled,” a source, who also pleaded not to be named, said.
“The suit will be filed on Monday. The essence is to put fresh legal hurdles before Justice Salami so that the NJC and the President will not take subjudicial actions,” he said.
Justice Salami was suspended from office by the NJC on August 18, 2011.
Although the NJC later reversed itself, issues surrounding the reinstatement of Justice Salami attracted a spate of litigations.
The last of such cases was on October 2 when the NJC said President Goodluck Jonathan has no disciplinary power over any Justice of the Court of Appeal or its President.
The Council also claimed that the Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Dalhatu Adamu, cannot be reappointed after three months without its consent or approval.
The NJC made the submission in a written address submitted to the court through its counsel, Usman Isa Kana and Co.
The council is one of the defendants (3rd in particular) in a matter filed before a Federal High Court by 11 plaintiffs for themselves and on behalf of registered Trustees of the Centre for the Promotion of Arbitration.
The plaintiffs are Mr. Jitobo Akanike; Mr. Idris Musa; Mr. Allens Agbabiaka; Mr. Ibrahim Bawa; Princewill Akpakpan; Mr. Obruche Ayeteni; Mr. Nosa Ihaza; Mr. Timothy Odumosu; Mr. Stewart Salomi; Engr. Egogo Lawrence; and Maxwell Adeniran.
Through its lawyer, Usman Isa Kana, the NJC told a Federal High Court that President Jonathan has no disciplinary power over any Justice of the Court of Appeal or its President

Army arrest Suspected killers of UNIPORT student and ex-corper in Port Harcourt




The Nigerian Army , the Nigerian Army say they have arrested three of those who carried out the dastard act, who brutal murdered  three persons including a UNIPORT student and an ex-corps member, who passed out of the programme that same day and was believed to have served in the state
The men are suspected to be members of a six-man syndicate involved in last thursday’s assasination Thursday at Rumuchakara village in Choba community, the major host community of the University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
Army Public Relations Officer, 2 Brigade/Sector Two Joint Task Force, Maj. Mike Etete, made the announcement while parading the suspects before newsmen on Sunday in Port Harcourt.
He said that the suspects, (named withheld), were arrested after a stop and search operation was carried out by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Task Force at Rumuochara Village in Choba, near Aluu Community in the state.
He said, “Following the killing of three persons at Rumuochara Village in Choba on October 18, a manhunt was launched for the arrest of the gunmen.
“At about 1:45 a.m. this morning, troops of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Joint Task Force intercepted four gunmen at Choba Junction.
“An exchange of gunfire ensued between the soldiers and gunmen; consequently, one of the gunmen was killed instantly, one was injured and two others escaped with injuries. Our soldiers did not sustain any injury in the course of this operation.”
Mr. Etete added that after the gun battle, soldiers cordoned-off the area and apprehended two other suspects who allegedly came to support their gang members. He said the suspects were arrested while investigation revealed that the two suspects were supplying arms and ammunition to reinforce their gang members.
He named items recovered as three AK 47 rifles, 272 rounds of 7.2mm live ammunition and 16 magazines. Others include an ash coloured Toyota Avalon car with registration numbers Kano AG 320 MDG, four Nokia phones and one Blackberry phone and identification cards.
Etete called on the public and hospitals to report persons with gunshot wounds to security agencies in the state.
He declined attempt by reporters to speak with the suspects, stating that such could jeopardise ongoing investigations.