UNESCO, FCT to train 50,000 women

The Director, FCT-Agency for Mass Education,
Alhaji Musa Yakubu, said on Saturday in
Abuja that UNESCO had arranged to train
50,000 women on literacy and different skills
acquisition by June.
Yakubu told the News Agency of Nigeria that
the training would cover the FCT and Rivers.
According to him, the training will be
organised by UNESCO in collaboration with
and agency and its Rivers’ counterpart.
“The training, which will last for three years,
is a pilot programme. It will commence in
Abuja and Rivers by June. They will learn
through the use of radio and television.
“They will teach them on how to read and
write through the ICT. 20,000 women will be
trained in the first year, 10, 000 for FCT and
10,000 for Rivers.
“They will not only be taught how to read and
write, they will also be taught some basic
skills such as catering services, tailoring and
soap making, among others.”
The director said that UNESCO would provide
instructional materials for the programme,
which would be coordinated by Procter and
Gamble (P and G), makers of sanitary pads.
“P and G is handling the programme because
most of its products, such as sanitary pads,
are being used by our women and girls. They
want to empower them. I think it is like
payback time.”
He said on its part, the agency would create
awareness, provide facilitators and arrange
for the venue of the programme.
“We have trained some facilitators already.
UNESCO is not giving us money. They will
support the training, facilitators and learners
with instructional materials.
“The project started in Dakar, Senegal, and it
was successful. That is why they want to
replicate it in Nigeria.”
He said the agency, with 582 centres in the
six area councils, had the mandate to provide
literacy to those that did not have the
opportunity to access formal education in
earlier in life.
“Our mandate is to make sure that every adult
is literate, including the youths that are out
of school,” he added.

Jonathan did not promise amnesty for Boko Haram – Presidency

The Presidency on Saturday said there was
nowhere in his speech on Democracy Day that
President Goodluck Jonaathan declared
amnesty for members of the Boko Haram
sect.
Special Adviser to the President on Media
and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said this
while addressing State House correspondents.
Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Boni
Haruna, had on Thursday said Jonathan has
announced amnesty for members of the Boko
Haram sect as parts of his administration’s
youths-friendly programmes and policies.
While giving an overview of youth’s position
in the present administration’s
transformation agenda at a special event
tagged “A day with young leaders of Nigeria”
to mark the nation’s Democracy Day in
Abuja, the minister said series of integration
programmes have been lined up for members
of the sect who would surrender their arms
and embrace peace.
But Abati said the President did not use any
word like amnesty.
He said what Jonathan said was that
opportunity had been created for those who
want to denounce terrorism through the
Presidential Fact-Finding Committee and
Presidential Committee on Dialogue and
Peaceful Resolutions of Conflict in the North
Eastern part of Nigeria.
The presidential spokesman said, “Let me
refer you to the speech by the President. If
you read the speech line-by-line, you will see
that it contains the very message that the
President wanted to put across.
“In that speech, if you look at it, I don’t think
the President used amnesty, instead he spoke
about those who are willing to renounce
terrorism and those who are willing to
embrace peace.
“Opportunities have been created for them
through the fact-finding committee and
through the Presidential Committee on
Dialogue and Peaceful Resolutions of Conflict
in the North Eastern part of Nigeria. So I will
refer you basically to the speech by the
President.”
Abati said the President was sad when he
heard about the Friday killing of the Emir of
Gwoza, Alhaji Idrisa Timta, who was one of
the three emirs ambushed by members of the
sect on Biu-Azare-Garkida Road in Borno
State.
He said the incident had further portrayed the
insurgents as people who are desperately
threatening the peace and stability of the
country.
He however reiterated Jonathan’s position
that he would not rest until the days of peace
are restored in the country.

Nigerian Soldiers In Fierce Battle With Boko Haram Militants In Zhur Forest

Nigerian soldiers and members of Boko Haram
sect are currently engaged in a fierce battle in
a forest in between Garkida town under Gombi
local government in Adamawa state and Hawul
local government area of Borno state,
according to reports coming out of Maiduguri.
Dailypost reports that a top security source,
who did not want his identity revealed, stated
that the battle is taking place at Zhur forest
close to Sangere, a Fulani settlement.
It was gathered that some Boko Haram
militants pitched there tent in the area and
are terrorizing villagers and travellers along
Borno, Adamawa route.
The source informed that he entire Garkida
town is currently in panic and residents of the
town are scampering for safety. He added
that the Nigerian military has however,
dispatched its men to the area to calm the
people of the town.
* Members of Nigerian military on duty
"There are Nigerian soldiers in Garkida now
but you know the people have never
experienced the sound of war, they are all
afraid. We blocked the road so that people do
not get entangle or rush to unsafe places.
Network also has been showdown except for
GLO line to allow for communication in
Garkida," he said.
The source also opined that the security
operatives found out that the insurgents have
been going to villages in the area to collect
money from residents and also force their
young men to join the terror group or they get
killed.
*File photo of Boko Haram militants
"Last week, we received report that they
(militants) went to Shaffa, although they did
not cause trouble but they collected money
from some people and asked them to get
more money within a period of two weeks
otherwise they would come and run down the
whole village.
"The two weeks would elapsed tomorrow
(Saturday), but report came that they were at
Zhur with their fighters and the battle is taken
to their door steps," he said.
As at the time of compiling this report, the
Nigerian military has not made an official
statement concerning the attack.
Meanwhile, the Boko Haram insurgents were
reported to have killed over 50 people on
Thursday in a village in Borno State, north-
eastern Nigeria.

Bishop Oyedepo's message to Jonathan

Popular Nigerian clergyman, Bishop David
Oyedepo, has advised the Federal Government
on the wave of terrism being perpetrated by
the Boko Haram insurgents across Nigeria.
Punch reports that the founder and
Chancellor, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun
State, told President Jonathan to find means
of resolving the crisis rocking some states in
the North so as to prevent the country from
turning into a war zone during a workshop
organised by the African Leadership
Development Centre on the university campus
early in the week.
Speaking on the theme: "The Leadership
Imperative: Conflict Management and Conflict
Resolution Demands for Inspiring
Transformation and Driving Change", Oyedepo
stated that though conflict was unavoidable in
any part of the world, it was important that
the leadership of the country dealt with such
in order to avoid a state of war.
* Bishop Oyedepo
"War is a sucker. It sucks the resources of a
nation. Only those who don't know its cost
propagate it. We must not have war in
Nigeria. We should not even think of it. Its
consequences are unimaginable. War is a
crime against humanity. It erodes human
dignity, destroys and devastates. It is staring
at us in the face but we must avoid it.
"I once saw a family in Iraq who were feeding
on leaves from graveyard. That is what war
can do. It destroys the humanity in us. There
is no life in war," he added.
Commenting further, the religious leader said:
"Nigeria must not see war again. This is not a
prayer but a clarion call for a new way of
thinking. Let us have real value for human
lives. We are human beings. We need to start
placing the appropriate value on human lives
again.
* Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau
"That is why we have to start to engage in a
new way of thinking. Nigerians need to start
building character, courage and capacity if we
want to avoid war breakout."
The Boko Haram insurgents have been
reported to have claimed at least 4,000 lives
since 2009 .
The terror group are currently holding no fewer
than 276 schoolgirls they abducted at the
Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok,
Borno State on 14 April, 2014.
In spite of calls for the militants to release the
girls, the leader of the group, Abubakar
Shekau, said they would only free the girls in
exchange for some of their members captured
by the Nigerian military.
* Some of the abducted Chibok girls
The Nigerian government has since stated
that its not going to negotiate with the
terrorists on the release of the schoolgirls,
promising to do whatever it takes to rescue
them.
With seven weeks elapsed since the girls'
abduction, Nigerians and the international
communities are hoping that the girls would
regain their freedom at the earliest possible
time.

How The Emir Of Gwoza Was Murdered In Open Street By Boko Haram

The Borno State Government has announced
the murder of the Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrissa
Timta, by gunmen believed to be members of
the Boko Haram militant sect.
A statement signed by Ambassador Baba
Ahmed Jidda, the
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), said
the emir was killed at about 9am today along
Tashan Alade on the way to Biu town,
headquarters of Biu Local Government Area in
Southern Borno.
He was in the company of the Emir of Askira,
Alhaji Abdullahi Ibn Muhammadu Askirama
and Emir of Uba, Alhaji Ali Ibn Ismaila Mamza,
on their way to the funeral in Gombe today of
the late Emir of Gombe. The emirs had elected
to drive in the same vehicle to Biu to pick up
the Emir of Biu to travel with them.
The SSG gave the sequence of events as
follows: “The late Emir of Gwoza had visited
his counterpart, the Emir of Uba yesterday and
passed the night in Uba ahead of their
planned trip today. The two Emirs were this
morning, joined by the Emir of Askira. The
three drove in the same vehicle with the
intention of going to Biu to be joined by their
counterpart in Biu. Unfortunately as they were
driving in convoy to Biu, they were ambushed
by gun men around Tashan Alade, soon after
passing Garkida. The gunmen came after the
convoy, specifically targeted the vehicle
conveying the three Emirs and opened fire.
The Emir of Gwoza was unfortunately killed by
the attackers while the Emirs of Askira and
Uba escaped unhurt. A policeman in the
convoy was shot by the attackers but he
survived the attack.”
He described Alhaji Timta, a first class emir
following his recent elevation by Governor
Kashim Shettima, as a great man who worked
very hard to promote peace and progress in
Gwoza.
“He was a pillar and one of the rallying points
in Borno State,” the statement said, adding
that he has visibly worked very hard in the
search for peace in Gwoza since the
insurgency began.
“Borno State Government is terribly shocked
by this incident,” the SSG said. “The
Government prays that Allah admits the late
Emir into aljanna Firadaus and give family,
members of the Gwoza Emirate Council, the
people of Gwoza, the State Council of Chiefs
and the entire people of Borno State the
fortitude to bear this very traumatic loss
especially at a time the State is still dealing
with equally disturbing issues related with
security challenges in the State.”
He prayed for accelerated and lasting peace in
Borno State and the rest of Nigeria.

Hmm... Holy Divorce?! My Wife Is Always Angry And Bitter – Pastor Chris Says Of Anita Oyakhilome

Reports indicate that the famous couple cum
pastors of Love World Assembly aka Christ
Embassy Church, Pastor and Mrs. Oyakhilome
are having trouble in their marriage and may
have already separated or a divorce is in the
works. According to fresh reports from the
United Kingdom -where the couple resides –
members of the Christ Embassy Church over
there have begun to register concerns over the
absence of the wife, Rev. Anita Oyakhilome
from church. Pastor Chris while addressing
the pastors and Deacons of Christ Embassy in
the UK was said to have declared his
displeasure with the way his wife was running
the UK headquarters.
He allegedly said, “I already
started Christ Embassy before I married her. I
didn’t marry her and said we should start
Christ Embassy. I was already Pastoring. I
already set my sail and knew my direction
before I married her. I only said come and help
me. Be careful of the friends you keep. My wife
keeps friends who bring out the worst in her
and help her see the worst in people instead
of keeping friends that will help
hervision especially as the wife of a global
pastor like me. Bitterness is prolonged and
accumulated anger. My wife is always angry
and bitter. Allegations are either false or
twisted information. The current situation is
not as a result of what I did or what I didn’t
do. I didn’t do anything to have caused an
upheaval. You don’t join a woman to fight her
husband. I’m not teaching you what is wrong,
at least I have 2 girls who will one day marry
and I want to them to enjoy it.”

Boko Haram Kidnap 2 Borno Emirs

By Kareem Haruna
— May 30, 2014
Members of the Boko Haram sect on
Friday kidnapped two Borno Emirs, Emir
of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrisa Timta and the
Emir of Uba, Alhaji Ismaila Mamza.
They were abducted at about 10am
today.
They were on their way to attend burial
of Late Emir of Gombe who died two
days ago when they were abducted.
They were kidnapped near Shaffa town
in Hawul local government area of
Borno State.
A top officer at the Department of State
Services confirmed it.
The two emirs were elevated to first
class status by Borno State governor
early this year.
Details later.

Warning Signs of Cancer:

Warning Signs of Cancer:
By Nima Shei, MD
Edited by Stephanie Dawson
Cancer is a strange disease: Cancer cells are
mysterious, they show all kind of erratic
behavior. They are strange, because almost
every cell has the potential to become
cancerous, but many cells are too modest to
become a monster. Even our approach to
cancer is strange: We have access to
thousands of amazing remedies in nature
that many of them even have been tested
and proved to be effective, but our
pharmaceuticals of course are not interested
to produce mass-affordable less-profitable
drugs, and our scientist are too ignorant to
the fact that we can learn from nature.
Now we all have strange emotions when we
hear the word “ cancer “. Sadness, panic,
grief, fear, all sorts of negative emotions…
But we are PositiveMed and our mission is
to dig deeper and make positive energy
around the most stressful health conditions,
such as cancer and chronic diseases. Let me
first tell you that you’re not alone… We all
have lost a dear one to cancer. So let’s put
those emotions aside when talking about our
own risk of cancer. Don’t ignore yourself! We
all have cancer cells in our bodies.. Yes, You
heard it correctly: WE ALL HAVE CANCER
CELLS IN OUR BODY . This doesn’t
necessarily means we all have cancer. Our
immune system has the capacity to kill
“almost all” cancerous cells. Unfortunately
“almost all” is not necessarily 100 percent,
and those cells who skip the immune system
filter have the potential to form tumors.
Many factors can affect the number of
skipper cells. It’s very simple: The stronger
the immune system, the less skipper cells
and the less risk of cancer… You know the
rest: unhealthy diet, sitting too long,
smoking, etc…increase the risk of cancer.
BUT we have a very important tip for you. If
a cancer is detected earlier, it’s way way
better. When the tumor is smaller and
there’s not metastasis of tumor to other
organs, your body has all the power to fight
it back. But how to detect a cancer earlier?
You should know your body, your own body
and see for anything strange, any change
that is weird. This is the key… Don’t close
your eyes to these changes and simply
ignore them.. You know children think when
they close their eyes, nobody sees them… So
they close their eyes to hide… Some of us
think if we close our eyes to the changes in
our body, we can hide from cancer. Be an
adult! Be alert and watch out for anything
strange that is going on. Here we have
summarized very important warning signs of
cancer that you should always check out:
If you have any of these warning signs of
cancer, I strongly recommend seeing a
doctor for further evaluation. Remember,
you’re not alone. There’s always help for all
of us.
We have previously published an article that
talks more about each one of these warnings
signs of cancer. You can find the “ warning
signs you might have cancer” here .

Jobs vacancy For Senior Sales Officer at Phonic 2014

Phonic is one of the leading Pro Audio
companies in the world and noted for design
and marketing high quality audio equipment.
We currently are in need of Senior Sales
Representative at major location to help our
company expand the connection in Nigeria/
Ghana/ Morocco. This position is responsible
for region’s business development, identifying
sales opportunities and revenue growth
strategies. As a Senior Sales Representative,
you will partner with distributors and develop
your customer base through prospecting, cold
calling, and networking. We are looking
forward to having dynamic individuals to join
our team.
SENIOR SALES OFFICER
RESPONSIBILITIES
Prospect and obtain customers to achieve
target sales growth
Recognize sales opportunities and implement
sales strategies.
Build rapport and cultivate relationships with
distributor representatives and customers
through professional demeanor and strong
interpersonaskills
Provide outstanding customer service by
leading and educating customers throughout
the sales process
Keeps management informed by submitting
activity and results reports, such as daily call
reports, weekly work plans, and monthly and
annual territory analyses.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Account Management with commitment to
develop new business.
Over 5 years of proven sales experience or
related business degree.
Effectively translating sales strategy into
applicable sales actions for the internal sales
division.
Building a collaborative relationship with HQ
sales managers and external sales force
members, and fostering teamwork across the
entire sales division.
TO APPLY
Interested and qualified candidates should
send their resume or CV to:
christianlien@asystems-sys.com
DUE DATE: 27 June, 2014

HPZ Limited Vacancies 2014

HPZ Limited is a joint venture between PZ
Cussons Nigeria (Thermocool brand) and
Haier Group, Nigeria consumers have trusted
the thermocool brand since the 1970′s and
have selected it as the preferred choice. The
Haler home appliances branch has also
experienced phenomenal growth and is
currently the 3 largest white goods
Manufacturer and first in refrigeration
worldwide. Producing over 30,000 products
including Television, DVD, Freezers,
Refrigerators, Generators, Washing machines,
Microwaves etc.
The partnership between these two world-
famous companies through the Haier
Thermocool brands aims to deliver quality,
reliability, service, Innovation and customized
solutions to all Nigeria Household and
beyond.
And as Nigeria No. 1 for cool, we offer to our
customers the followings:
World Class Warranty, 12 month on all
products for parts and services,
3 years on Refrigerators, Freezers and Air
conditioners cabinets and compressor.
World Class National After-Sale Network.
Due to our rapid growth and increasing
markets share, Vacancies exist for experienced
and result-driven professionals in our field
sales as: Commission Sales Executives (CSEs).
COMMISSION SALES EXECUTIVES (CSES)
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Support the sales team by developing sales
plan and strategy for the effective growth,
increased turnover and penetration of products
in various industries.
Maintain and develop relationships with
exiting customers via personal meetings,
telephone calls and e-mails (Key Accounts
Management).
Give weekly reports of prospects interpreting
trends to facilitate planning and forecasting of
future sales volumes.
Gain a clear understanding of customers
businesses and requirements.
Analyze the competitive environment to
ascertain product performance against
competition and advice on winning strategies.
Conduct Industry research and once a quarter
price audit and reporting promptly.
Generating and developing opportunities.
Ensure zero Bad Debts.
ADDITIONAL ROLES
Required in a specified cluster and or
geographical area on a daily basis.
Required to generate, follow and close leads
and work on monthly yearly target agreed.
Agree to travel plan at the beginning of the
week,.
Discuss and participate in weekly Meeting.
Attendance to this weekly meeting is
compulsory.
Ensure all visit information are well
documented.
THE PERSON
Possess a relevant degrees in Social Sciences,
Engineering and Management.
Have 5 years minimum work experience as
Insurance Agents, Banking Marketing agents,
Financing (Car loan/Home loan)
Direct selling experience is key for the success
of the job
All candidates are required to have the
following:
A CAN DO attitude, exhibiting our core values,
Courage, Accountability, Networking, Drive and
Oneness.
Good Microsoft office computer skills
especially in Ms word, Excel and Power Point.
TO APPLY
Interested candidates should send their CVs
to: HPZrecruitment@hpz.com.ng Note: Only
shortlisted candidates would be contacted.
DUE DATE: 10 June, 2014

Women charm Boko Haram terrorists

BY NDAHI MARAMA, MAIDUGURI
Residents of Attagara village, in  Gwoza Local
Government Area of Borno state on Friday
evening repelled attack on their community by
suspected Boko Haram who invaded the area.
Attagara, a border community with Cameroon
Republic is about 10 kilometres south- east of
Pulka District, Gwoza Local Government Area
of the state and about 130 kilometres drive
from Maiduguri, the state capital.
Vanguard sources said the attacker invaded
the village on motorcycles but met some
women as they were entering the village.
“They wanted to hit the women with the stick
in their hands but their hands were hung in
the air. Three of the insurgents fled but seven
were not lucky when the women alert the
people,” a resident of the area who returned to
Maiduguri told journalists
He said the vigilante group in the community
rushed to the scene and disarmed the seven
insurgents, adding that the Boko Haram men
were lynched by the residents who also
destroyed their motorcycles. “Seven of the
insurgents died,” he said.
Also a  Boko Haram leader, Hassan Ali, who
was reportedly arrested by the local vigilante
in Maiduguri three weeks ago, has confessed
that he got “married” to two of the abducted
Chibok schoolgirls in Sambisa forest.
According to reliably source leadership.ng
Hassan Ali, a native of Kwapchi-Kilakise
village who was said to have killed his
biological father, Mallam Hassan Arigizhe, and
his uncle, Zakariya Ali, was also said to have
sanctioned the killing of his younger sister
whom he forcefully took to Sambisa when she
refused to accede to the sexual demands of
one of the Amirs (leaders) in Sambisa, an act
that elevated him to the position of Amir too.
leadership.ng quoting officials of the Vigilante
Group of Nigeria in Borno State, said Hassan
was arrested by the Civilian-JTF and members
of the VGN when he was spotted in a car
trying to leave Maiduguri for Benisheik, along
the Damaturu-Maiduguri highway.
A VGN official said: “It was on the first day
that we mobilised to Pilgrims Camp when we
wanted to be given permission to go to
Sambisa in search for the missing girls. When
he was asked to identify himself, he pretended
to be a dumb person. But those that knew him
said he was lying and they started to beat him
up; it was when he sensed death that he later
confessed that he was a member of Boko
Haram, and that he was sent to come to
Maiduguri to buy yams worth N200, 000. He
said he had finished his transaction and the
truck had since left for Sambisa.
“When we asked him about the abducted girls,
he said they were all fine, that none of them
was being hurt or molested; he said as a
matter of fact he was betrothed to two of them
as wives due to his position as Amir. He said
they eat good food there – mostly canned
foods and canned drinks; they eat spaghetti,
rice, smoked fish and yam.
“I was the one that personally interviewed him
when he was arrested near Njimtilo at the
outskirts of Maiduguri, towards Damaturu. I
even took some jotting of his statement before
we later left him with the Sector-6 officials of
the Civilian-JTF. I did not take his
photograph but some of our local hunters who
had camera phones did. Unfortunately, all of
them had gone back to their various localities
after the state government had disbanded us
last week.”
LEADERSHIP cannot independently verify this
report, even though many members of the
Civilian-JTF in the state attested to such
incident happening. None could tell the
whereabouts of the Boko Haram kingpin,
Hassan Ali.

Onaiyekan Writes On Sultan, Nigeria Muslims And Boko Haram

John Cardinal Onaiyekan
— May 30, 2014
Terrorism has no place in Islam….We
must rise up as always, with one voice
to condemn all acts of terrorism,
condemn those terrorists wherever they
are and try our best as Muslims to
ensure peace reigns in our community.”
— Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III
This is the core of the message of the
Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad
Abubakar III, and President-General of
Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic
Affairs (NSCIA) during a special prayer
session last weekend organised by the
same NSCIA at the Abuja National
Mosque, an event that was widely
covered by the Nigerian media. It was
also given very wide and positive media
coverage here in Rome, starting from the
Vatican Radio. I congratulate the Sultan
for his bold statement. This has given
me the courage to voice out, with all
good intention, a reflection that has
been going through my own mind for
some time now.
For a long time, we used to pride
ourselves as Nigerians for the generally
good relations between our two major
religious communities. We described
ourselves as “the greatest Islamo-
Christian nation in the world”. This is to
highlight the fact that there is no nation
in the world with so many Christians
and so many Muslims living together in
almost equal numbers and largely
peacefully.We saw cases of “inter-
religious” conflicts with loss of life and
property. But we tended to dismiss them
as anomalies occurring a few days in
the year. We attributed this anomaly to
the actions and utterances of a small
group of extremists on both ends of the
religious divide. At other times, we
blame the manipulation, misuse and
abuse of religion by people with other
aims and objectives, political, ethnic
and social. Often, all these factors
merge.
But we soon began to wonder at the
chronic repetition of such “anomalous”
incidents. The role of religion became
ever more evident, whether directly or
indirectly. Most of the violent religious
conflicts featured Muslim extremists
targeting Christian objectives. It has
also been largely a Northern affair. The
records on this are clear.All this has
become drastically exacerbated with the
emergence of the Boko Haram. They
have raised the level of destruction and
ruthlessness to inhuman dimensions.
They have also been carrying out their
murderous activities calling the name of
“Allah” and giving Islam a bad name.
We do not know how many they are, but
they are enough to constitute a major
danger to the entire nation. Like poison,
you need only a little portion to kill
many people. They have also become a
cause of concern for the international
community, having now acquired the
dubious merit of a mention at the
United Nations’ Security Council.
How do we get out of “this very serious
situation” as the Sultan rightly
describes our present predicament? The
abduction of the over 250 schoolgirls is
no doubt very serious, and we pray that
our daughters will return home soon.
But it is only a tragic symptom of the
wider issue of terrorism, which needs to
be addressed from the roots. The
complexity of the problem calls for
many-sided approaches, military, yes,
but also political and economic. Beyond
all this, the religious dimension is what I
particularly want to draw attention to in
this reflection. The government must key
this dimension into its strategies for a
lasting solution to the problem.
Government should abandon its
tendency to close its eyes to the
religious issues. Too little effort is being
made in this direction.
The Muslim community has come out
several times in the past to condemn
the Boko Haram. That is commendable
but not enough. It is also certainly not
helpful to maintain that the terrorists
are not Muslims because they are doing
things that are clearly contrary to what
the majority of Muslims hold. If there is
ever to be any channels of dialogue and
peace-making with the group, it will
necessarily involve Muslim elements
with access to them, people they respect
and will listen to. We see here the
wisdom and importance of the call of
the Sultan.
To go beyond mere condemnation, it
seems to me that there is an urgent
need for an in-house dialogue within the
Nigerian Muslim community. Such a
dialogue would make it possible to
courageously and sincerely deal with
currents and movements that create the
kind of religious climate and atmosphere
in which Boko Haram and similar
groups emerge and thrive. It is not
enough to condemn market bombing,
killing in villages and places of worship
and abduction of innocent schoolgirls.
All this is expected of any right thinking
person. But it is also necessary to
condemn extreme and intolerant
religious positions and attitudes, which
make peace with others impossible. It is
not enough to merely tolerate people of
other faiths, considered perhaps as
undesirable. It is also necessary to
respect the religious convictions of
everyone and accept the reality of our
multi-religious nation as being in the
plan of the One God whom we all
worship.
Our freedom of religion has to do with
freedom to speak the truth of our faiths.
It cannot be license to insult and
denigrate others, less still to foment
violence and hatred. It is surely the duty
of the state to enforce and ensure good
order and deal firmly with all
troublemakers. But it is the greater duty
of religious authorities to promote peace
and harmony among God’s children in
our nation.Every effort in this direction
deserves the encouragement of the
entire nation, starting with government.
The Christian community too should
welcome and support such efforts, with
a view to “close ranks as Nigerians”, as
the Sultan has wisely suggested. In this
regard, we must say that this is hardly
the time for the Nigerian Inter-religious
Council, (NIREC) to go into a slumber.
We should all wake up to salvage our
nation, before it becomes too late.
Cardinal Onaiyekan is the Roman
Catholic Archbishop of Abuja and Co-
Chair, World Council for Religious
Leaders (WCRL). This piece is the fourth
in the series of his “Letters from Rome.”

Chibok Girls: New Documents Dispute WAEC, Police Claims

Leadership Editors
— May 30, 2014
Contrary to insinuations by the West
African Examination Council (WAEC)
that it had warned the Borno State
government against conducting
examinations in Chibok, Borno State,
fresh facts have emerged from the
Borno State government indicating that
there was no such warning from the
examination body before the unfortunate
abduction of over 200 school girls in
Chibok.
On Friday, May 2, 2014, the head of the
national office of the WAEC in Nigeria,
Charles Eguridu revealed that the WAEC
had specifically warned that Chibok
wasn’t safe for the May/June 2014
West African Senior School Certificate
Examinations (WASSCE) but that
Governor Kashim Shettima overruled the
warning and insisted that the
examinations be held, as he was going
to provide adequate security.
Documents made available to
LEADERSHIP FRIDAY show that, while
the examination body requested for
security measures at examination
centres, it did not single out Chibok as
it claimed earlier in the month. A copy
of a letter written by the WAEC, with
reference number MD/ZO/OA/10/203,
dated March 19, 2014, and signed by
F.M Gaiya, zonal coordinator of the
exam body who wrote on behalf of the
council’s national headquarters, suggest
that the council did not single out
Chibok as “unsafe”, while the council
actually made preparations alongside
the state government to conduct
examinations in all centres. It was,
however, true that the council raised
issues of security which it did by
requesting the Borno government to
provide security in all the centres. By
the documents, it is clear that there was
no particular emphasis on Chibok as
Eguridu, other federal officials and
politicians, including the national
chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic
Party (PDP), Ahmad Adamu Muazu,
seemed to imply.
In the letter, titled “urgent intervention
towards the conduct of the May/June
2014 WASSCE in Borno State,” the zonal
coordinator, whose letter was directed to
the Borno State deputy governor,
Zannah Umar Mustapha, said “Your
Excellency (deputy governor); following
my visit to your office with the
honourable commissioner for education
in the presence of the director, ERC, on
ways of conducting a hitch-free 2014
WASSCE in the State, I wish to
passionately make the following request
for the duration of the examination
(copy of time table attached); Provision
of three (3) pick-up vehicles to convey
security (sensitive exam) materials on
three routes from Maiduguri-Biu (daily);
Maiduguri-Auno (daily) and Maiduguri
to Askira-Lassa-Chibok (twice weekly).”
Communications between the council
and the Borno State government show
that Government Girls Secondary School,
Chibok, was among other schools where
the council planned to conduct its
examination.
Also, correspondence between the Borno
State government and the commissioner
of police show that in a letter dated
March 20, 2014, with reference number
SEC/282/GH/T.I/109, signed by M. M
Gana, the chief administration officer,
special services (security) at the
Government House Maiduguri, it is
evident that the Borno State government
promptly wrote to the Borno State Police
Commissioner, Lawal Tanko, requesting
for security to be provided for all
examination centres in the state
(including Chibok),for the duration of
the May/June 2014 WASSCE
examinations.
This is contrary to statements by the
Borno State Commissioner of Police,
that the police was requested to provide
security in Chibok, only during the day.
Meanwhile, another letter sent from the
office of the minister of state for
education which the supervising
minister claimed he used in warning the
Borno State government against
conducting the WASSCE in Chibok was
said to have focused entirely on ‘Unity
Schools’ – requesting the Borno State
government to move SS3 students from
all federal colleges in the state to
Maiduguri for the May/June exams –
given that they are relatively fewer than
those in government-owned schools. By
the letter, the minister keyed into the
model adopted by the Borno State
government, which collapsed students in
fewer examination centres as against
over 100 located in over 80 public
secondary and private schools across
the state.
The minister has neither controlling nor
advisory powers over schools owned by
Borno State government and, as such,
he couldn’t have directed the Borno
government not to conduct exams in
Chibok.
Last week, the supervising minister of
education, Nyesom Wike, reportedly said
that he wrote, advising the state
government not to hold examinations in
Chibok.
Also relating to the Chibok incident, the
council had written another letter to the
Borno State government with reference
number MD/ZO/OA/10/204, dated May
10, 2014,titled “May/June 2014
WASSCE-logistics for conduct of
examinations,” and signed by the WAEC
zonal coordinator, F.M. Gaiya, as a
follow-up, showed that the council made
a submission to the Borno State
government, demanding the release of
N1.668m out of which the government
released N1.5m which the zonal
coordinator received.
All the correspondences seem to
suggest that both the WAEC and the
Borno State government did not
anticipate any form of security
challenges in Chibok.

The Latest Cervical Cancer News and Info

Cervical Cancer Statistics
12,000 – estimated number of
U.S. women diagnosed with
cervical cancer in 2010
4,120 – estimated number of
U.S. women who died from
cervical cancer in 2010
500,000 – approximate number
of women worldwide diagnosed
with cervical cancer every year
25,000 – approximate number
of women worldwide who die
from cervical cancer every year
1 in 147 – chances a woman
will be diagnosed with cervical
cancer at some point in her life
70% –  percentage of cervical
cancers caused by preventable
HPV types
20 million – approximate
number of Americans (men and
women) currently infected with
HPV
1 in 2 – chances that a
sexually active American will
get HPV at some point in their
life
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Overall, the good news surrounding cervical
cancer continued in 2010. For yet another
year, while incidences of cervical cancer
remained the same, deaths resulting from the
disease were down in the United States. What
was formerly a mystery is now very well
understood. In fact, cervical cancer is now
considered the easiest female cancer to
prevent; all it takes is regular screenings.
However, that doesn't mean doctors and
medical researchers are just sitting on their
hands when it comes to cervical cancer. They
continue to aggressively research ways to
maintain the steady decline of cervical cancer
complications.
Screening
Until recently, it was thought that a Pap test
(or " Pap smear ") was the best way to screen
for cervical cancer. But in April of 2010, the
British Journal of Cancer published a study
showing that for women over 30, HPV tests—
which look for signs of the human
papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted
infection that causes most cases of cervical
cancers—make much more effective primary
screening tools. HPV tests are more likely to
catch potential cervical abnormalities.
Because of their higher effectiveness—and due
to the fact that cervical cancer is slow-
growing—HPV tests would only have to be
administered every five years or so to be
effective.
The Vaccine
There is now an effective HPV vaccine
available that prevents 90 percent of genital
warts and 70 percent of cervical cancers . In
2009, one year after the Federal Drug
Administration (FDA) approved a very first
HPV vaccine, Gardisil, a second— Cervarix—
was approved for the U.S. market.
The good news is that more and more people
are learning of the HPV vaccine and the rate
of vaccination is increasing; the bad news is
that it is not increasing nearly fast enough.
Research done over the last year has revealed
that even though the HPV vaccine is known to
be safe and effective, vaccination is still not
quite par for the course. In fact, according to
a report out of the Washington University
School of Medicine, only about one in every
three young women (ages 13 to 17) who
should get the vaccine are being vaccinated.
That report was published in June; a study
published in November showed that fewer than
30 percent of those women eligible for the
HPV vaccine were choosing to get it, and only
about a third of those who began the
vaccination process completed the three doses
needed for the vaccine to be fully effective.
The primary reasons for the lack of
participation in vaccination programs seem to
stem from social pressures. For example,
minority women were less likely to follow
through on their vaccination. In addition,
young women have a more difficult time
getting vaccinated than older women.
Although national guidelines encourage
doctors to recommend the vaccine to girls
starting at age 11, many doctors are hesitant
to do so. A significant number of doctors
surveyed stated that "parent opposition for
moral or religious reasons" was a significant
barrier to stronger vaccine recommendations.
The perception among some parents and
guardians is that vaccination against HPV
would lead to increased sexual behavior
among teens.  Public health officials, however,
strongly argue that this is a misguided belief
and continue to call for the fostering of
increased participation in vaccination
programs and the elimination of barriers to
the vaccine for young women and minority
women.
Cervical Cancer Around the World
Worldwide, cervical cancer incidence and
death rates have not improved with the
steadiness that they have in the United States.
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer
for women in Central America, sub-Saharan
Africa, and in many parts of South America
and Southeast Asia. Worldwide, a woman dies
of cervical cancer approximately every two
minutes.
Public health professionals are out to improve
these numbers. Among other developments,
scientists have developed a needle-free
delivery system for the HPV vaccine—a dry
powder that goes directly to the mucous
membranes in the respiratory tract or the
mouth. Unlike needle injection, the powder is
not susceptible to contamination and will be
easier to store and transport in developing
countries. Health professionals predict that a
needle-free vaccine could lead to a significant
increase in women participating in a
vaccination program.
Another 2010 development that bodes well for
the international outlook was the release of a
study done by researchers at the Duke
Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy. It is
well known that many easy-to-make vaccines
(such as the vaccine for polio) are
manufactured in places like India for relative
pennies compared to their cost in the U.S.
Apparently, the same could soon be the norm
for the HPV vaccine as well. The researchers
analyzed patents worldwide and discovered
that "biosimilar" vaccines that would protect
against HPV could be legally produced in
India. The result could be cheap, generic
vaccines that would be affordable even for
third-world populations.
Health professionals believe that these, and
other developments on the horizon, will soon
result in positive trends in cervical cancer
worldwide that will eventually match those in
the United States.

Islamic militants claim American carried out suicide attack in Syria

(CNN) -- A truck is loaded with munitions,
then driven up a hillside in northern Syria.
Moments later, there is a massive blast
followed by cries of "Allahu Akbar," or God is
great in Arabic, as well as the rattling of
gunfire.
Suicide bombings like this are not new in war-
torn Syria . But what could make this one
different is the man who radical Islamists say
played a part in pulling it off.
An American.
Abu Farouk al Shamy, a spokesman for the
rebel Suqour al-Sham battalion, told CNN the
Sunday attack was executed in coordination
with the al-Nusra Front, an al Qaeda-linked
organization that the U.S. government has
blacklisted as a foreign terror organization.
One video on YouTube, with the title "the
American martyrdom from al-Nusra Front,"
identifies the suicide bomber as Abu Hurayra
Al-Amriki. This video and several
other social media posts feature a
picture of a bearded man with that
name, smiling and holding a cat.
The man's full and true identity is
not known, and CNN cannot
independently verify an American
by any name recently died in Syria.
But a U.S. law enforcement official
concurs the man likely has an
American connection.
It's not known if he might be a
U.S. citizen or resident, though.
And the official pointed out any
identity can't be confirmed until
remains are recovered or examined, something
that would be difficult, given the size of the
explosion.
U.S. concern about Americans fighting in Syria
Syrian activists say the video is from Sunday
and shows militants' preparations and
ultimate attack on Syrian military checkpoints
in Jabal Al-Arba'een, near the city of Ariha in
Idlib province and believed to be along a key
rebel supply route.
According to Syrian activists and social media
postings, four vehicles laden with explosives
were part of the attack. One YouTube video
says the American detonated the biggest one,
which contained 17 tons of explosives,
including artillery shells. It is not clear what
exactly this man's involvement was, including
whether he was driving an armored truck, a
tanker or some other vehicle.
Even if he clearly did not act alone, it is the
man identified as Abu Hurayra who has gotten
a lot of attention on websites and social
media venues tied to radical Islamists.
This includes a tweet by a man with the
handle Abu Suleiman al-Muhajer, whose bio
identifies him as belonging to al Qaeda in the
Levant, the umbrella organization for the al-
Nusra Front. His tweet, which was published
on the radical Islamist website Hanein,
features the alleged American's picture and
the words, "Abu Hurayra Al-Amriki performed
a martyrdom operation in Idlib, Jabal Al-
Arba'een. May Allah accept him."
The name Abu Hurayra, which is popular
among Sunni Muslims, offers little clue as to
the man's identity. Abu Hurayra was a
companion of the Islamic prophet Mohammed
and the narrator of Hadith.
Regardless, if his U.S. nationality
could somehow be confirmed, it
wouldn't be a total surprise.
U.S. intelligence and law
enforcement officials have
expressed concerns about
Americans joining the fight in Syria,
including with groups like the jihadist al-
Nusra Front. The worry is that they and other
Westerners might pose a threat when they
return a home.
"There's going to be a diaspora out
of Syria," FBI Director James
Comey said last week. "And we are
determined not to let lines be
drawn from Syria today to a future
9/11."

Skin Cancer Information that Could Save Your Life

All About Skin Cancer
Non-melanoma is the most common type of
skin cancer, this group of cancers includes
all types of skin cancer except malignant
melanoma, which develops from
melanocytes.
CAUSES OF SKIN CANCER:
• Excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation
(UV) the main source of which is sunlight.
The degree of exposure to radiation depends
on the intensity of light, exposure time, and
if the skin was protected. People living in
areas where they are exposed year round to
intense sunlight are at greater risk. Being
outdoors for extended periods without
appropriate protection dramatically
increases risk.
• Tanning beds are a source of UV radiation
that increase risk of skin cancer.
• Continuous exposure to chemicals such as
arsenic, industrial tar, coal, paraffin, and
certain oils
• Exposure to radiation like those produced
by X-rays
• Injuries, serious or prolonged skin
inflammations, or damage caused by
inflammatory skin diseases
• Treatment of psoriasis with Psoralen and
UV light
• Rare inherited conditions that reduce the
skin’s ability to repair DNA damage as a
result of exposure to sunlight, those with this
disorder often develop a number of skin
cancers, starting in childhood.
SYMPTOMS OF SKIN CANCER:
As part of routine cancer prevention a doctor
may carefully examine your skin, but we
should check our own skin once a month. Be
aware of any moles, blemishes, freckles, and
other marks in order to spot any changes.
Examine all areas, including the palms and
soles of feet, lower back, and back of legs.
The melanoma may have the appearance of
skin tags. The primary warning signs are the
appearance of a new lump, a growing spot
or bump, or a sore that does not heal within
3 months. Other types of carcinomas appear
as red, flat, and scaly, or small waxy, shiny,
and translucent to highlight areas that may
bleed with a minor injury color. There may
be one or more irregular blood vessels
visible, or areas of blue, black, or brown.
Always check for the ABCDEs of skin cancer!
Check for the following changes on your
moles, birthmarks or any spots on your skin:
PREVENTION OF SKIN CANCER:
• The best way to reduce skin cancer risk is
avoiding unprotected exposure to sunlight
and other sources of ultraviolet light. The
easiest way to avoid exposure to UV light is
to keep out of the sun and stay in the shade
whenever possible. This is particularly
important at noon, when UV light is more
intense.
• Protect yourself with clothing, including a
shirt and a wide-brimmed hat. Tightly woven
fabrics offer the best protection against the
sun. Sunglasses that offer good coverage,
with UV absorption of 99% to 100% protect
your eyes and the skin around them.
• Use sunscreen with a protection factor of
SPF 15 or higher on areas of skin exposed to
the sun, particularly when sunlight is
intense. People with paler skin burn more
easily and should apply sunscreen.
Follow instructions when applying
sunscreen. To be effective it should be
applied 30 minutes before sun exposure, and
on all areas of exposed skin. Many
sunscreens stop working when a person
sweats or goes swimming and should be
reapplied to offer maximum protection. Use
protection even on hazy or cloudy days, UV
light can penetrate most cloud cover.
Stop using tanning beds, a healthy or safe
tan does not exist. Tanning is a defense
mechanism, the damage has already
occurred.
Sunscreen should be used year round, not
only in the summer. Sand, water, and snow
reflect the sun’s rays and increase risk of
damage.UV light is most potent between
10am and 4pm, there is still risk when the
sun is out.
SUN PROTECTION FACTOR (SPF)
This number measures the minimum
exposure time needed to produce sunburn
with or without sunscreen when exposed to
direct radiation, for example if a person
takes 10 minutes to burn without sunscreen,
with use of protective SPF 20 it should take
200 minutes.
This measurement method is approved by
the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in
the USA. To Find out how to choose the
right sunscreen visit this article: ” Which
SPF is Right For You? ”
Healthy attitudes towards sun:
• Choose shade when possible, under a tree,
roof, umbrella, or tent
• Wear appropriate clothing and accessories
for protection: a cap or wide-brimmed hat,
tightly woven clothing, and sunglasses with
UVR filters
• Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen (that
protects against UVA – UVB) with SPF of 15
or greater to all exposed skin 30 minutes
before going outside and reapply every 2
hours and after swimming.
• Do not expose children under 1 year to
direct or indirect sun. After 6 months child-
friendly sunscreen can be applied for limited
sun exposure.
• Avoid direct sun exposure from 10 am to 4
pm, when UV rays are most intense
• Some medications can cause skin reactions
from sun exposure, ask your doctor
Melanoma (Left) vs. Normal Mole (right)
Sources
Ferguson, A. (2013). Skin Cancer &
Sunscreen. Business People, 116-117.
You Know Everything about Sun Care.
(2014). Prevention, 66(5), 75-83.
Sepkowitz, K. (2013). Sunny With a Chance
Of Cancer. Newsweek Global, 161(22), 1.
DEHAVEN, C. (2014). SUNSCREENS: WHAT
YOU (AND YOUR CLIENTS) NEED TO
KNOW. Skin, Inc, 26(4), 34-44.
Stanford Cancer Institue

Edward Snowden's interview: 10 things we learned

(CNN) -- Traitor or patriot? Low-level
systems analyst or highly trained spy?
Slammed by top U.S. government officials and
facing espionage charges in the United States,
former National Security Agency contractor
Edward Snowden described how he sees
himself during an interview with NBC "Nightly
News" broadcast Wednesday. And he defended
his decision to leak documents about
classified U.S. government surveillance
programs .
We've heard from Snowden a few times before,
but the NBC interview with anchor Brian
Williams inside a Moscow hotel was his first
on an American television network .
Here are 10 key points from the
interview with the 30-year-old
former NSA contractor:
1. Snowden thinks he's a patriot.
"I think patriot is a word that's
thrown around so much that it can
be devalued nowadays," he said.
"Being a patriot doesn't mean prioritizing
service to government above all else. Being a
patriot means knowing when to protect your
country, knowing when to protect your
Constitution, knowing when to protect your
countrymen, from the violations of and
encroachments of adversaries. And those
adversaries don't have to be foreign
countries."
That assessment drew a sharp response from
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who spoke
with NBC earlier Wednesday.
"Patriots don't go to Russia. They don't seek
asylum in Cuba. They don't seek asylum in
Venezuela. They fight their cause here," Kerry
said. "Edward Snowden is a coward. He is a
traitor. And he has betrayed his country. And
if he wants to come home tomorrow to face
the music, he can do so."
2. Snowden says he was trained as a spy.
U.S. President Barack Obama famously
referred to Snowden as a hacker last year , and
other officials have described him as a low-
ranking analyst. That's misleading, Snowden
said.
"I was trained as a spy in sort of the
traditional sense of the word -- in that I lived
and worked undercover, overseas, pretending
to work in a job that I'm not -- and even
being assigned a name that was not mine,"
Snowden said.
"Now, the government might deny these
things. They might frame it in certain ways,
and say, oh, well, you know, he's a low-level
analyst. But what they're trying to do is
they're trying to use one position that I've had
in a career, here or there, to distract from the
totality of my experience."
3. Russia isn't where he expected to end up,
but he's managing.
"I personally am surprised that I ended up
here," Snowden said. "The reality is I never
intended to end up in Russia. I had a flight
booked to Cuba onwards to Latin America,
and I was stopped because the United States
government decided to revoke my passport
and trap me in the Moscow airport."
There's a culture gap, and it's been an
adjustment.
"But even though I didn't choose to be here,
even though circumstances really trapped me
here, I can adapt. I can live life as an
American more or less. That's the beauty of
the Internet is that we're no longer tied to our
communities by physical connections," he
said.
4. Like a lot of us, he's been spending his free
time watching old episodes of "The Wire."
"I'm really enjoying it," he said, though he
added that the second season is "not so
great."
5. He's not happy about some things the
Russian government is doing.
Snowden says he has no ties with the Russian
government, and he isn't happy with some of
its policies.
"It's really frustrating for someone who's
working so hard to expand the domain of our
rights and our privacy to end up stuck in a
place where those rights are being challenged
in ways that I would consider deeply unfair,"
he said.
There's no good reason, for example, for a
recent law requiring bloggers to register in
Russia, he said.
"I can't think of any basis for a law like that,
not just in Russia, but any country," he said.
"The government shouldn't regulate the
operations of a free press."
So why doesn't he do something about it.
"There's so much that needs to be defended
here in Russia, but I'm limited by my inability
to speak Russian, and so on. It's an isolating
and frustrating thing."
6. It only takes a cell phone for spy agencies
in the United States and other countries to
find out a lot about you if they want to.
And that's even if you're just Googling
something simple, Snowden said, like a sports
score (Williams told Snowden he'd recently
searched for the score of a New York Rangers
game).
"The NSA, the Russian intelligence service, the
Chinese intelligence service, any intelligence
service in the world that has significant
funding and a real technological research
team can own that phone the minute it
connects to their network," Snowden said.
They can turn on a phone remotely if it's off,
he said. And even a detail like a Google
search for a sports score can reveal a lot
about you.
"You probably speak English. You are
probably an American. You are interested in
this sport. They might know what your habits
are," Snowden said. 'Where were you in the
world when you checked the score? Do you
check it when you travel? Do you check it
when you're at home? They could tell your
pattern of life. Where are you doing these
activities? When do you wake up? When do
you go to sleep? What other phones are
around you? Are you with someone who's not
your wife? Are you someplace that you
shouldn't be?"
7. He wants to return to the United States
someday.
"If I could go anywhere in the world, that place
would be home," he said.
But he responded with a series of questions
rather than specifics when asked what he
missed about home.
"What don't I miss? What would you miss?
What wouldn't you miss?" he said. "I miss my
family. I miss my home. I miss my colleagues.
I miss the work."
8. So why doesn't he come back to the United
States to face charges? Snowden says that's a
fair question, but an ignorant one.
Because he was charged under the Espionage
Act, Snowden says he has no chance to make
a public defense of his case.
"You are not allowed to argue based on all
the evidence in your favor because that
evidence may be classified," he said.
"When people say, 'Why don't you face the
music?' I say, 'You have to understand the
music is not an open court and a fair trial.'"
9. Why did Snowden leak classified
documents? He says he had no choice.
"The reality is, the situation determined that
this needed to be told to the public. The
Constitution of the United States had been
violated on a massive scale," Snowden told
Williams. "Now, had that not happened, had
the government not gone too far and
overreached, we wouldn't be in a situation
where whistleblowers were necessary."
The U.S. government, Snowden said, is using
the threat of terrorism "to justify programs
that have never been shown to keep us safe
but cost us liberties and freedoms that we
don't need to give up and our Constitution
says we shouldn't give up."
10. He says he tried to go through official
channels before leaking information but met
dead ends.
Among the people he contacted, Snowden
siad, was the NSA's general counsel office.
"I reported that there were real problems with
the way the NSA was interpreting its legal
authorities," Snowden said. "And the response,
more or less, in bureaucratic language was,
'you should stop asking questions.'"
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• Reply •
Joe California • 9 hours ago
I am a liberal but agree with my libertarian
friends that this man is a patriot. The CIA and
NSA were way out of line and needed to be
called out. No one else had the guts to do it,
but he did. He appears to be an exceptionally
brave and intelligent young man who had the
best interests of the American people in mind
when he did this. He is a brave defender of the
US Constitution. Thank you, Ed Snowden, and
one day you will come home and live in
freedom. By the way, the Espionage Act
should be found unconstitutonal, and the
Patriot Act as well for that matter. The actions
of the CIA and NSA were also
unconstitutional. If Obama had guts, he would
do the right thing and pardon Ed Snowden.
115 △ ▽
• Reply •
BB • 8 hours ago > Joe California
No need to apologize Joe. A liberal is one who
believes in the liberties of all people, liberty to
their own decisions and proper limits to power
over them. Just because a liberal believes
that the people can come together to form a
government for common good & welfare does
not mean he should worship the same govt.
when it violates its cause, purpose &
commitment to assuring state security,
tramples on freedoms & rights or creates vile
systems ripe for abuse.
33 △ ▽
• Reply •
James B • an hour ago > BB
There is more to the political spectrum than
liberal and conservative. There is authoritarian
and libertarian. There are libertarian
conservatives and authoritarian liberals. Mass
surveillance is pure authoritarian, and has
little to do with either liberal or conservative.
8 △ ▽
• Reply •
Alexander WJ • 2 hours ago > BB
no a liberal is someone who thinks big
government should guarantee them a good
life... corporations looking for handouts and
bailouts are more liberal than conservative...
tea party would rather see giant banks
bankrupt. Liberals are the ones who think they
should be allowed to make mistakes and have
government pick up the tab. They don't want
liberty to make their own decisions, they want
the right to make their own decisions...
difference being demanding to do this or that
without having worked hard to gather the
resources to fund those decisions.
8 △ ▽
• Reply •
derpstermcgee • an hour ago > Alexander WJ
The founding father's were classical liberals.
Liberal and Conservative have come to mean
two very different things in the context of
American politics than in any other context.
In America
Liberal=left=socialist
Conservative=Right=Capitalist
In most other places they have a different
metric because the linear one side or the other
thing really is pretty pathetic and only serves
to let one side say we are good and they are
bad. Basically what you just did there, the
idea that you can split the world into two even
groups and so concretely apply these values
to them is absurd at best.
Some places use a square or diamond, others
use a circle. Because there are people on the
right, who call themselves conservative, who
want big government, and people on the left
who want less government. The dichotomy of
simply doesnt work.
6 △ ▽
• Reply •
thinkclearly67 • an hour ago > BB
You are joking, right. A liberal believes in the
liberties of all people? LOL. wow. enjoy your
koolaid.
5 △ ▽
• Reply •
Guest • an hour ago > thinkclearly67
No I'm not joking. Liberals believe in liberties
for people, not in forcing them to follow
religion, rules that they don't feel like
following. That's liberty in thought, word,
action.
7 △ ▽
• Reply •
Joe • 30 minutes ago > Guest
So liberals hate Obamacare? What kind of
"liberty" is being forced to continuously
purchase a product from a company because
you are living or else be fined?
5 △ ▽
• Reply •
JB Smith • 21 minutes ago > Joe
Obama care is in place to give the government
access to your medical records. They have
begun genocide in Virginia. They are
implanting innocent citizens with biochips and
murdering them with the active denial system.
They target our military veterans. The Virginia
state police are the largest domestic cell of
murdering terrorists in the nation. They call
the heart attacks natural causes, but if you
check out their bodies, you will find the
biochip and know they were murdered.
▽
• Reply •
KimZeee • 11 minutes ago > JB Smith
Ok, don't forget the tinfoil hat. They don't
need Obamacare to have access to your
medical records. Who are they allegedly killing
and why? If they are trying to reduce costs,
why not bump off seniors - they use more in
Medicare and Social Security costs and easier
to believe they would die from heart conditions
or other natural causes. What a nut.
2 △ ▽
• Reply •
thinkclearly67 • an hour ago > Guest
LOL. Hilarious.
1 △ ▽
• Reply •
thatnormaldude
• 43 minutes ago
> thinkclearly67
A classical liberal is essentially the same as a
modern libertarian. The most liberal person in
Congress right now is Rand Paul. Feinstein
and her party would be considered, by the rest
of the world. liberal democrats (and some
socialist). However, the media in the US has
shortened it to "liberal" instead of "liberal
democrat", bastardizing the original meaning
of the word.
2 △ ▽
• Reply •
Guest • an hour ago > thinkclearly67
What's so funny?
1 △ ▽
• Reply •
Joe • 28 minutes ago > Guest
A liberal trying to sell being a liberal, without
mentioning racial pandering/division and
government handouts.
2 △ ▽
• Reply •
blag • 18 minutes ago > Guest
The rattling of his empty skull.
▽
• Reply •
quietwoman • 6 hours ago > Joe California
I am liberal.The guy is scum.
39 △ ▽
• Reply •
Joe • 27 minutes ago > quietwoman
Just the deep, well thought out, meaningful,
insightful and unbiased analysis one would
expect from a liberal.
2 △ ▽
• Reply •
BOB • 4 hours ago > quietwoman
Amen!
7 △ ▽
• Reply •
thinkclearly67 • an hour ago > Joe California
He is a traitor.
9 △ ▽
• Reply •
Alexander WJ • 2 hours ago > Joe California
yes... and the next guy to get the US nuclear
launch codes and put it on twitter gets a gold
star!
6 △ ▽
• Reply •
thinkclearly67 • an hour ago > Alexander WJ
Snowden has made it ok for them to do that if
he is forgiven. He is a traitor. Period.
8 △ ▽
• Reply •
That Guy • 7 minutes ago > thinkclearly67
And you're a blind puppet that would rather
live in ignorance of what your own government
is doing to infringe upon your own privacy and
civil liberties.
▽
• Reply •
David • 3 minutes ago > Joe California
You've been brainwashed by a high school
drop out with delusions of grandeur.
▽
• Reply •
alexinSH • 9 hours ago
Snowden did it for a better world!
He just wants to make US back to his real
core value.
He is a brave man and real hero.
103 △ ▽
• Reply •
chattycathy123 • 2 hours ago > alexinSH
I am thinking that you fools who call him a
hero are only doing it because you feel that
somehow all this is President Obama's fault. It
doesn't matter to you that this all started 40
years ago. Nope, it only started when Snowden
came forward. That is all. I am thinking in two
years you fools will have a white man in the
white house and then, all your opinions will
change. All of them. And of course all
Americans because they have a freedom of
speech, you believe can say anything at all --
tell other countries -- like Russia -- about
what the U.S. is doing and of course they are
still heros. I believe Snowden would love all
you morons to come stay with him in Russia.
Hey, then you can have real freedom!
11 △ ▽
• Reply •
SlothSays... • 2 hours ago > chattycathy123
Cathy, you are too chatty today. Are you so
concerned with snowdens status as a TRUE
american hero that you do not realize the
atrocities YOUR government commits against
your liberties every single day? Are you so
pre-occupied with the color of our presidents
skin to not understand that our government is
stealing from you, spying on your every move,
tracking your information, poisoning your
food, limiting your rights and basically
defecting from our constitution? Not to
mention...while we are told our rights and
liberties are being infringed upon to protect us
from "terrorists" the real terrorists are on
capital hill!!! the USG are the terrorists to the
rest of the world!!!
27 △ ▽
• Reply •
ham89 • 2 hours ago > SlothSays...
Cathy is not too smart.
8 △ ▽
• Reply •
Diggerjohn111 • 2 hours ago > ham89
Typical. Someone disagrees with your narrow
view of the world,you accuse them of being
dumb. The arrogance is baffling.
▽
• Reply •
muad'dib • 41 minutes ago > Diggerjohn111
Typical. Someone on the internet is having a
conversation and you jump in and tell them
that calling names is wrong, and then proceed
to resort to name calling.
1 △ ▽
• Reply •
derpstermcgee
• an hour ago
> chattycathy123
Yes and when we fount out about COINTELPro
people were upset and there were some pretty
high level resignations. This particular
program has only been active about 10 years
and was started under Bush as a response to
9/11.
Actually the funniest part of your post is that
before Obama took office something like 75%
of all Democrats were against the program,
Obama takes office and that jumps down to
around 50. Conversely the republicans were
primarily for the program until Bush left office.
2 △ ▽
• Reply •
jfinch • 42 minutes ago > chattycathy123
I think you are confused. No one thinks this is
Obama's fault. People just realize he kept the
NSA programs completely intact after he took
office, despite his campaign promise of
transparency. I am sure Snowden would rather
be in Hawaii with his hot girlfriend, than in
Russia.
1 △ ▽
• Reply •
Mr.Pozzum • 2 hours ago > chattycathy123
The Tea Party would vote for Putin over a
black man.....Watch and see. As soon as the
President retires the tea party will go away
1 △ ▽
• Reply •
Marla Hughes • an hour ago > Mr.Pozzum
The Tea Party movement started under the
Presidency of GWBush and TARP. You really
should study up on recent history.
3 △ ▽
• Reply •
iPheral • 2 hours ago > Mr.Pozzum
Nope, not a chance.
▽
• Reply •
blag • 16 minutes ago > chattycathy123
You think no one who hates what the NSA has
been doing knows this started before Obama?
You chat before thinking. Therefore only drivel
comes out.
▽
• Reply •
Carne Asada • 4 hours ago > alexinSH
Then destroy your cell phone if you really
mean it.
12 △ ▽
• Reply •
Sjanders • 2 hours ago > Carne Asada
What is the connection between core values
and cell phones? Does that mean you can not
value community if you have a cellphone?
Does that mean you can not value education if
you have a cellphone? "Ah crap, I have a
cellphone, now I have to stop having values."
9 △ ▽
• Reply •
Alexander WJ • 2 hours ago > Sjanders
doesn't stop other nations from hacking your
phone... not to defend the NSA but youre
targeting the ways we try and defend
ourselves from that external threat.
2 △ ▽
• Reply •
derpstermcgee • an hour ago > Alexander WJ
That is kind of a cop out argument, the
argument isn't that we shouldn't have these
defenses its that we should have different less
intrusive defenses.
These massive intrusions have an absurd
potential for abuse that the NSA has
themselves admitted to, with thousands of
violations a year and agents looking up
personal relations. The FISC Court that
approves the NSA's requests has reprimanded
the NSA for their behavior in misrepresenting
their technology to get warrants they shouldnt
have and then violating the terms of those
warrants countless times. The NSA has no
idea what snowden took or how he took it.
The only reason the NSA needs such sweeping
power is to compensate for their own
ineptitude and that they could not get the job
done with the tools they had before even
though they could have.
2 △ ▽
• Reply •
darkspire • 2 hours ago > Carne Asada
God, what a stupid thing to say. Why destroy
your cell phone if you really mean it? Because
the NSA is doing something they shouldn't be
doing? YEAH! MURICA! FREEDOM! Clearly our
american education system has failed you.
6 △ ▽
• Reply •
thinkclearly67 • 2 hours ago > alexinSH
He is a traitor, a coward and deserves to be in
prison or shot for his crimes.
1 △ ▽
• Reply •
blag • 15 minutes ago > thinkclearly67
I wish we could do that to you for such stupid
posts.
▽
• Reply •
disqus_GSAq0pFyfD
• 23 minutes ago
> alexinSH
To label ES as a hero is disgraceful to the real
heroes of this world. The men and women in
our military that give their lives for our
freedom, the firefighters in California who lost
their lives (WILLFULLY) while attempting to
save hundreds of homes, the first responders
who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks doing
what they CHOSE to do to save the lives of
others. Please, do NOT disgrace the real
heroes of this world.
▽
• Reply •
teebs • 10 hours ago
Right or wrong, what Snowden did was
necessary for so many reasons. We live day to
day with the understanding that the
government powers, have our best interests at
heart, when deep down, we all know that's a
lie. The government needs to have these
people in place for certain reasons but, can
then quickly deviate from a just cause to a
"any excuse to get a system in place".
Snowden leaked the files, but the reason he
was able to, was because of a US gov. that
has so many underlying secrets they're not
sure what is true anymore. I highly doubt that
as a "low level analyst" he was able to walk
into the "secret room with no passcode"
upload files and then walk out of a non-secure
building to book a flight to (fill in the blank).
This gov. is famous for one thing, how to cover
up a mistake. SIMPLE!
34 △ ▽
• Reply •
winston • 8 hours ago
He is a patriot. Although what he did was
illegal what the NSA is up to, is far more
troubling, disturbing and illegal. He had a
moral obligation to speak publicly. And just
like today we consider Daniel Ellsberg, the
leaker of the Pentagon Papers, a patriot for
having done so. At the time he was called a
traitor.
31 △ ▽
• Reply •
BB • 8 hours ago > winston
Whistle blowing by its very nature requires
some form breaking the law because often,
policies are in place to prevent such people
from speaking out. He's a patriot & hero.
20 △ ▽
• Reply •
Alexander WJ • 2 hours ago > BB
whistleblowing involves breaking some laws,
whether federal, state or just contractual...
that doesn't make every crime that dislodges
information beneficial to the US public
whistleblowing.
otherwise, I'd just publish all of monsatos
proprietary technology files and include a few
lines about tax evasion ... and boom, I'm
helping their rivals and I would have immunity
via whistleblowing laws
▽
• Reply •
WstCstCtyGrl • 43 minutes ago > BB
Actually, there are specific policy's and laws
protecting whistle blowers within the
government - including in the classified
realms of the government. If Snowden were a
true hero he would have worked within the
system to raise the issues and concerns. He
did not. He instead leaked classified
information and jeopardized the lives of true
heroes. Their is nothing heroic or patriotic in
that. Furthermore, were he to return to the US,
he would undergo a trial through the
Department of Justice - which would include
processes for of addressing classified evidence
without it being disclosed to the public, and
risking the lives of true heroes and patriots.
▽
• Reply •
99rider • 7 hours ago > winston
Yes, and Daniel spent some time in prison to
earn that right to be regarded in history as
something more than a simple traitor.
4 △ ▽
• Reply •
hgflyer • 2 hours ago > winston
If what the NSA did is illegal, why haven't the
NSA Director or his boss, the President, been
indicted? If there were laws broken, then he
had a moral (and legal) obligation to REPORT
it...not to speak publicly: just like Daniel
Ellsberg and Bradley Manning. The United
States and its Constitution are greater
institutions than ourselves and our
governments, and one person's personal
feelings do not take precedence over them.
2 △ ▽
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De Niro opens up about his gay father
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Part of complete coverage on
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Edward Snowden's
interview: 10 things we
learned
By Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN
May 29, 2014 -- Updated 1226 GMT (2026
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Snowden: 'I was trained as a spy'
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Home Remedies for Stretch Marks

Home Remedies for Stretch Marks
By PositiveMed-Team
Edited By: Stephanie Dawson
Potato Juice
Potato juice is a great remedy for stretch
marks, it fosters growth and restores skin
cells. Slice a potato and rub the pieces on
your stretch marks for a few minutes
covering the entire affected area. Rinse with
lukewarm water after a few minutes.
Vitamin C and Sugar
Sugar can be used to exfoliate your skin. Mix
one tablespoon raw sugar, some almond oil,
and a few drops of lemon juice. Mix well and
apply to stretch marks, massage for about
10 minutes on your skin before taking a
shower. Keep doing it for a month or so and
feel the difference. For better results, you can
dab a cotton ball in the mixture and apply
on your stretch marks.
Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter works best for stretch marks
that occur post-pregnancy. Apply to your
hips, thighs, buttocks, and abdomen in the
morning and before bed. Its good at
penetrating the upper skin layer and
reaching the dermis.
Carrot puree
Mash some soft steamed carrots and make a
paste, apply to stretch marks and let it sit
for as long as possible then rinse with
lukewarm water. (Caution: In lighter skin
tones it may temporarily turn you orange)
Aloe-Vera
Aloe-vera is helpful for many skin problems,
it has essential nutrients and active
compounds which can be used to treat minor
burns as well. Because of its healing and
soothing properties, it works well on stretch
marks. Directly rub the aloe vera gel on your
marks and let it dry for a few minutes, then
wash off with lukewarm water.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is rich in nutrients and antioxidants
that help improve various skin problems
including stretch marks. Dab a cotton ball or
a soft cloth into olive oil and apply it to the
affected areas, this improves circulation and
reduces stretch marks to a great extent. You
can leave it to soak in so that your skin
absorbs the vitamins A, D, and E present in
the oil. You can also mix olive oil with water
and vinegar and use it as night cream to
keep your skin moisturized.
Grapes
Grapes are one of the best moisturizers, the
extract from grapes protects and beautifies
your skin as it hydrates and revitalizes the
effects of dry skin. You can apply it as a
mask, Let it dry for 20-30 minutes then rinse
with lukewarm water. It will eliminate the
stretch marks and will also prevent
reoccurrence.
Tea Tree Oil
One of the best oils for your skin is tea tree
oil. Tea tree oil has amazing antibiotic,
antiviral, and anti-inflammatory benefits
which make it an effective remedy for many
skin problems. You can apply it once a day.
It has a medicinal strong smell which some
people might not like, but the odor does
fade.

Policeman to die by hanging for killing a man in Osun

A police sergeant, Adamu Baruwa, has been
sentenced to death by hanging by a High
Court in Ilesa, Osun state for killing a man.
Sergeant Baruwa, was arraigned over his
involvement in the death of Kehinde Awoyedo
who was shot dead in Ilesa.
The convicted sergeant was said to have shot
and killed Awoyedo with an AK-47 rifle at
Ilesa on 20th August 2008, he however
pleaded not guilty to the one count charge of
murder levelled against him by the state
prosecution when he was arraigned on May
11, 2012
Reports say:
The prosecution team from the state
Ministry of Justice led by Barr. Moses
Faremi, according to the judge, had
proved beyond doubt that the trigger-
happy policeman shot and killed
Awoyedo.
The prosecution had during the hearing
called five witnesses including the
relatives of the deceased and the duo of
Amos Awoyelu and Akintola Awoyelu
among others.
A consultant pathologist at Obafemi
Awolowo University Teaching Hospital,
Ile-Ife, Dr. Omoniyi Esan, had presented
to the court the post mortem report of
the deceased and equally gave evidence
on the cause of Awoyedo’s gruesome
death.
The presiding judge, Justice
AbdulRasazak AbdulKareem sentenced
Sergeant Adamu Baruwa to death owing
to the convincing evidences made
available by the prosecution.
Delivering his judgement, Justice
AbdulKareem sentenced the convict to
death by hanging to serve as deterrent
to other trigger-happy rank and file of
the workforce like Awoyedo.