Jonathan’s main problem, by axed CBN boss Sanusi

Tambuwal, Amaechi, APC, ACF condemn suspension

Suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi yesterday described President Goodluck Jonathan as a simple man trying to do well but undermined by” incompetent and fraudulent aides”.

Sanusi, widely respected by economists in Nigeria and abroad, was suspended by the President last Thursday over alleged financial misconduct. He denied any wrongdoing.

Sanusi accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of failing to account for $20 billion, an allegation that is being probed by the government. The NNPC denied that any cash is missing.

In an interview with the French news agency (AFP) in Lagos, Sanusi said many of the people advising Jonathan are sycophants who do not speak frankly about the extent of corruption in the government.

“When you sit with President Jonathan himself, he appears a nice, simple person who is trying to do his best,” Sanusi said, adding: “His greatest failing obviously is that he is surrounded by people who are extremely incompetent, who are extremely fraudulent and whom he trusts.”

When Sanusi was removed, just four months before his tenure was set to expire, analysts voiced concern that Jonathan was seeking to sideline an increasingly vocal critic of his administration’s record on corruption.

Sanusi learnt of his suspension while in Niger Republic for a regional meeting. He immediately returned to Lagos, where intelligence agents from the Directorate of State Services (DSS) seized his passport.

On Friday, he secured a temporary order from the Federal High Court in Lagos barring the DSS agents or police from arresting him.

“I thought taking away my passport was the beginning of infringement on my fundamental human rights,” Sanusi told AFP, explaining why he had already sought court protection.

Regarding the allegations against him, Sanusi said he earlier this year heard of a report condemning his performance and wrote to Jonathan in “June or July” asking if an explanation was needed, but received no reply.

The first time he was formally notified about the allegations was the day he was suspended, he said.

He argued that it would be too simple to describe his removal as payback for his attacks on the NNPC.

“Since 2009, I have been annoying the government… You’ve got people who think I have the wrong friends, people who think maybe I have not distanced myself enough from people who are seen to be opposition figures,” he added.

The list of Sanusi’s enemies may have been built up over years, but the NNPC affair appeared to be the final straw.

The NNPC has become notorious as one of the most opaque oil companies in the world, but Sanusi said the extent of the graft may have reached an historic high.

“I think everybody has known that NNPC is rotten. I don’t think it has ever been as bad as this,” he said.

He has levelled various accusations against the NNPC, but an alleged kerosene subsidy payment scam has received increased attention.

Even though the NNPC pays subsidies to kerosene vendors, Nigerian consumers still pay full market price for the product.

According to Sanusi, the so-called kerosene subsidy money, in fact, pays for “private jets…yachts… and expensive property in Beverly Hills and Switzerland”.

Sanusi has ruled out running for elected office, but said he may still have a future in public service.

In the short term, he voiced readiness to face any attacks that may be coming from those committed to preserving the status quo in the country.

“If I am sacrificed in whatever way, my freedom or my life… if it does lead to better accountability it will be well worth it,” Sanusi said.

Ige’s son: ministerial nominee Adesiyan has questions to answer on ex-minister’s death

WHEN he appeared before the Senate to be screened for a ministerial job, Abduljelili Oyewole Adesiyan was all tears.

He said he had no hand in the murder of former Attorney-General and Justice Minister Bola Ige – as he had been widely accused.

Alhaji Adesiyan swore that he had no reason to kill Chief Ige who he said loved him so much.

But the speculation about his role in the December 23, 2001 murder – Ige was assassinated in his Ibadan, Oyo State capital home – has refused to go away.

The late Ige’s son, Muyiwa, has some questions for Adesiyan

•why did he flee his home with his family the night Ige was killed?

•what was his role in the December 15, 2003 assault on the late Ige, eight days before he was assassinated.

According to the young Ige, these are fundamental issues Adesiyan should resolve before telling Nigerians that he did not kill Ige.

Adesiyan, a ministerial nominee from Osun State, was before senators on February 13, 2014 for screening.

He (Adesiyan) was asked to say what he felt the Senate should know about him that was not stated in his CV. Adesiyan suddenly burst into tears, saying he did not kill Ige.

Muyiwa, who spoke with The Nation in Ibadan at the weekend, described the statement by Adesiyan’s denial – that he did not kill Ige – as “deceitful” and a “deliberate cover-up”.

“He lived four houses away from my father’s house. His building is a distance away to Chief Bola Ige’s Bodija Ibadan residence. He was our neighbour. What informed his sudden disappearance from his house the night Chief Bola Ige was killed? He fled his home with members of his family the moment the act was done.

“Let him explain why he ran away.

Again, the assault on Ige on December 15, 2001 eight days before his assassination; he should explain his role in the assault on Chief Bola Ige at Ile-Ife, whether overtly or covertly. For him to say that Chief Bola Ige gave him money and sponsored his education is nothing.

“On the day Chief Bola Ige was assassinated, why did he suddenly move his family and fled; he should tell Nigerians. Though he was arrested and tried, unfortunately they botched the trial.

“Those crocodile tears on the floor of the Senate were staged managed.

It is obvious that the spirit of Bola Ige continues to hunt them, “he said.

The young Ige said all those who plotted and executed his father’s murder would not know peace, as the spirit of Ige would continue to torment them.

Besides, Muyiwa Ige, who is the Commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning in Osun State, also flayed the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) choice of Adesiyan for ministerial post, adding that the choice fittingly confirmed that the party is “a nest of killers”.

Tambuwal visits Obasanjo, faults Sanusi’s suspension

L-R Aminu Shagari, Tambuwal, Obasanjo, Kawu Sumaila and Ajibola Muraina

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, visited former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Sunday morning in consultation with him on vital “national issues.”

Tambuwal who arrived Obasanjo mansion at Olusegun Osoba Hill – Top, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, by 10: 35am in a convoy of four vehicles – all marked NASS, quickly went into a close door meeting.

In his entourage are honourables: Deputy Minority Leader; Kawu Sumaila(Kano), Ajibola Muraina(Osun) and Aminu Shagari (Sokoto)

About 37 minutes earlier, the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Ado Ibrahim, Kogi State, had also arrived the former President’s residence by 9:58am in convoy of of three Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and left, before Speaker Tambuwal’s convoys entered.

When the Speaker emerged by 11:45am after an hour – long meeting , he fielded questions from reporters waiting for him within the Obasanjo’s expanse compound on the suspension of the Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and other issues.

He said the suspension of the CBN Governor by President Goodluck Jonathan portends grave danger to the economy as it could erode investors’ “confidence” in the nation’s financial institution.

Tambuwal said: “well whether it is lawful, legal or illegal, the personality involved has told everybody that he is going to court and I believe that he is already in court on that suspension.

” On the implications on the economy, I’m not an economist but I personally feel that will definitely send wrong signals to investors because, you need to have confidence in financial institution, particularly the independence of the financial institution of a country, before investors will consider such a country worthy of their investments. So, I have my concern about that.”

Sleep Naked! If You Want To Feel Better

A recent study showed that less than 10 percent of Americans sleep in the nude. Whaat?! How is this number so low? I sleep in the nude just about everyday.  Not only does it make me feel super-sexy, experts swear sleeping naked is actually good for you.

Take a look at the top reasons you should ditch those pajamas for good!

According to experts, sleeping naked can:

1. Help Air Things Out
Jennifer Landa, MD, author of The Sex Drive Solution for Women, says that sleeping naked can be healthier for your private parts. While it’s totally normal to have yeast and bacteria down there, the warm environment can sometimes cause an overgrowth. One way to prevent infections is to “air it out.” For men, it has also been found to increase fertility by keeping the testes at adequate temperature and retaining sperm quality.

2. Keep You Sexy

According to naturopathic therapist Natasha Turner, best-selling author of The Hormone Diet, being too warm at night disrupts the release of your main anti-aging hormones into your body.

“As your body temperature drops, growth hormones are released and work their regenerative magic,” she says. And that keeps your skin and hair looking healthy…and SEXY.

3. Promote Weight loss

Dr. Natasha Turner says that you can reset your fat loss hormones by sleeping naked! Sleeping naked can help melt your fat because it helps your body to cool down. As your body cools down, it releases fat-burning hormones. These hormones also rebuild skin cells, bone cells, and muscle cells as you sleep.

4. Help You RELAX

Feeling anxious or stressed? GET NAKED! A hectic day can often prevent you from getting the deep, quality sleep that your body needs. However, sleeping naked can ease tension and help promote a better sleep quality. In fact, medical research has shown that sleeping naked is good for those suffering from insomnia.

 

Latest Cancer Information [Must Read and Share]

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE CANCER, FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY … Must Read and Share

 

 1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. 

 

When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.


11. An effective way to battle cancer is to STARVE the cancer cells by not feeding it with foods it needs to multiple.

What cancer cells feed on:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Note: Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.


b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells will starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes t o nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.

To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water--best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines will become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.

Anger, unforgiving and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

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Is Crossing Legs a Bad Habit, Unhealthy or Sexy?

Believe it or not the subway propels the mind. Take a ride and be your own judge.

Crossing legs or “cut ten”, as I often say, seems to be the craze among subway commuters.  I guess there are those who cross their legs conscious or unconsciously whereas others will do it for comfort or custom.  They will sit erect or slouch with their legs crossed in various ways, particular at the knees or ankles.  The most popular is the legs crossed at the knee.  While this position seems to be the favorite, it is evident that the leg that crosses over the knee has little restrain on its movements and can be a nuisance to other commuters as they move or stand along the narrow aisles of the train.  Expect a swift kick once the speeding train rocks and tunnels its way.

When crossing legs, the long skinny ones seem the perfect choice to maneuver this custom.  Amazingly as I travel the subway I have discovered that this is not the case.  It is evident that the fittest of the fit comes in all forms.  I have seen commuters who are pleasingly plump in stature cross their legs with ease.  Their dexterity is mindboggling.  It is then no wonder that I should find it necessary to abort the “F” or “B” word when referring to them.  In today’s world where sensitivity surrounding physique is at its peak, it would behoove us to substitute the words “fat” and “big” with pleasing plump, voluptuous or well-built.

Seeing the vast amount of commuters crossing their legs, as they ride the trains, had me contemplating on several occasions to do the same.  Try it; I would hear my inner voice saying. Your legs look more appealing compared to the ones in your view, it prodded. Unfortunately my inner voice hasn’t been much of an influence to eradicate or override the old school teachings.  As it were, back in the day, leg crossing was forbidden among the females in my village.  Words such as vulgar, rowdy and loose were used to describe the guilty one.  The scorn sometimes went beyond your wildest imagination when it came to the house of worship.  There would be a cry against irreverent and ungodly behavior especially if the female indulging in such custom was a member of the church.  Rest assured that she would be brought before the helpers committee board regarding her conduct and the possibility of being suspended from one round of Holy Communion. 

The elders were very alert.  They had an aptitude for the tiniest detail.  They also never ceased to amaze me when they used their eyes as minds. They became incongruously suspicious about any female who crossed her legs and then discreetly constricted her muscles to hold her legs tightly together.  “Take down that cross! And what are you squeezing?” they would yell.  Or, at another time, depending on what their eyes are telling them, they would say, “stop cutting ten and rubbing out the seat.  Keep still!”  As far as the elders were concerned ladies should not lift their legs higher than the steps they take when they walked.  The proper and polite way for a lady to sit was in the upright position with shoulders squared, knees together, feet planted on the ground, hands in laps and chin up.  

Listening to the elders was imperative but as time went by I began to associate crossing legs with status.  The affluent and hoity-toity ladies were always sitting with their legs crossed.  I was fascinated by this deportment so the minute I entered High School I decided that it was time for me to begin crossing my legs.  To my surprise I did not know that the sharp eyes of the elders had extended beyond my village as I sat perched on a stool in my Home Economics class with my legs crossed and shaking my body.  “Don’t,” my teacher said, looking at me stunned.  “Girls should not cross their legs nor shake their bodies”.  I bowed my head, ashamed, thinking that the only time girls could cross their legs and get away with it was when they had to delay their pee due to the lack of immediate convenience.  Consequently I kept wondering what was so damning about females lifting their legs to cross them.  It was acceptable for the male to throw their legs anywhere and anyhow but not females.  Were the elders practicing double standards?  Going a little further, perhaps if it weren’t for the beliefs and principles of the elders, I could have been the Kristi Yamaguchi of my genre.  Maybe I could have served up cartwheels, and mind boggling flips and turns at many Olympic Games and elsewhere.  I could have been a gymnast, a ballerina.  The sky could have been the limit for me.

Talking about limit, there is none surrounding on what materializes on the trains in the subway from day to day.  For example, some commuters will indulge in their exercise routine.  I recall riding the ‘Q” train, one morning, where I witnessed a man sitting in the lotus position looking wide-eyed and busy tail so to speak.  He had scooped his entire body and fitted it on the narrow seat.  I kept my eyes on him and then decided that he was a show off and not in a meditative mode as the pose would have implied.  The thought gave credence that a Humpty Dumpty fall would be proper as the train tumbled along but to my surprise he held his balance extremely well.

Looking at the way some commuters cross their legs this brings to mind the many unofficial talks about the ill effects of crossing legs.  High blood pressure, poor blood circulation, varicose veins and back pain are some of the examples. In the field of superstition it has been mentioned that a pregnant woman should not cross her legs because the child will be born with knotted intestines or with legs crossed, obviously adopting the mother’s behavior.  Crossing legs can reveal what’s going on in the mind.  Actually some people have alluded to the fact that it is easy to read a person’s body language depending on how the legs are crossed.  A man will cross his legs to hide an erection.  A female will cross her legs to maximum tightness against a male who wants to use her as his sexual thorough fare.  I have observed that some subway commuters will cross their legs at the knee and rock back and forth in their seats even when it’s not warranted.  It’s interesting to watch the look of glee and then giggle with caution.  Adding to that sometimes I wonder if there is a mini Picasso in their bodies stirring up blood and doing some mad dash brush strokes flushed to the faces which reminds me of a variegated garden of flowers.  Clearly the elders back in the day didn’t want the females to discover the Picasso in them.   Hence, is crossing legs a bad habit, unhealthy or sexy?  The choice is yours.

Steps to Step-parenting & Uniting the Families

What is step-parenting: it’s when you marry someone with kids but you are not the father or mother of them.

How to Bond with Stepchildren and Deal with Stepfamily Issues

When families "blend" to create stepfamilies, things rarely progress smoothly. Some children may resist changes, while parents can become frustrated when the new family doesn't function like their previous family. While changes to family structure require adjustment time for everyone involved, these guidelines can help blended families work out their growing pains and live together successfully. 

Planning a blended family

You and your partner have decided to make a life together and form a new, blended family that includes children from one or both of your previous relationships. Congratulations. What lies ahead can be both a rewarding and a challenging experience. It can take a long time for a blended family to begin to feel comfortable and function well together.

While you as parents are likely to approach remarriage and a new blended family with great joy and expectation, your kids or your new spouse’s kids may not be nearly as excited. They’ll likely feel uncertain about the upcoming changes and how they will affect relationships with their natural parents. They’ll also be worried about living with new stepsiblings, whom they may not know well, or worse, ones they may not even like. To give yourself the best chance of success, it’s important to start planning how a blended family will function before the marriage even takes place.

Laying the foundations for a blended family

Having survived a painful divorce or separation and then managed to find a new loving relationship, the temptation can often be to rush into remarriage and a blended family without first laying solid foundations. By taking your time, you give everyone a chance to get used to each other, and used to the idea of marriage.

• Too many changes at once can unsettle children. Blended families have the highest success rate if the couple waits two years or more after a divorce to remarry, instead of piling one drastic family change onto another.
• Don't expect to fall in love with your partner’s children overnight. Get to know them. Love and affection take time to develop.
• Find ways to experience “real life” together. Taking both sets of kids to a theme park every time you get together is a lot of fun, but it isn’t reflective of everyday life. Try to get the kids used to your partner and his or her children in daily life situations.
• Make parenting changes before you marry. Agree with your new partner how you intend to parent together, and then make any necessary adjustments to your parenting styles before you remarry. It’ll make for a smoother transition and your kids won’t become angry at your new spouse for initiating changes.
• Don’t allow ultimatums. Your kids or new partner may put you in a situation where you feel you have to choose between them. Remind them that you want both sets of people in your life.
• Insist on respect. You can’t insist people like each other but you can insist that they treat one another with respect.
• Limit your expectations. You may give a lot of time, energy, love, and affection to your new partner’s kids that will not be returned immediately. Think of it as making small investments that may one day yield a lot of interest.

Given the right support, kids should gradually adjust to the prospect of marriage and being part of a new family. It is your job to communicate openly, meet their needs for security, and give them plenty of time to make a successful transition.