Osayemi to undergo rehab in USA

Sports minister, Alhaji Issa Bio, has thrown his weight behind Damola Osayemi who failed   drug test at the India 2010 Commonwealth Games, disclosing that she would undergo rehabilitation in the United States of America (USA).

Bio who said the nation could not afford to abandon the sprinter said the former Queen of the tracks, Mary Onyali Omagbemi, had been mandated to take charge and ensure
that Osayemi overcome her present problem.

In Bio’s words:”The lady (Osayemi) is really down and weeping non stop. She has refused to eat and talk to anybody. But we have resolved to do everything possible to ensure she gets out of the trauma. What was found in her system was not really a banned drug.

She only took a supplement and that unfortunately landed her in trouble. We have concluded arrangements for her to undergo rehabilitation in US and Mary Onyali will coordinate that.”

Meanwhile, Osayemi was yesterday ejected from the games village and her medal stripped from Nigeria. She was sent packing alongside Samuel Okon who also tested positive to the supplement.
Despite the drug scandal the Nigerian camp is bubbling as the performance here is considered a good one.

Nigeria at the moment has won 10 gold, 10 silver and 13 bronze medals. The outing in India remains the country’s best at the games in the last 20 years. Bio said yesterday that the athletes had done the country proud and will be treated to a reception when they return home this weekend.

Effective leadership principles of Prophet Muhammad

It is a well-known fact that the Prophet of Islam (saw) was the supremely successful man in the entire human history. But he was not just a hero, as Thomas Carlyle has called him. According to the Qur’an, he was the best example for all mankind.

He has shown us the way of achieving supreme success in this world. By studying the life of the Prophet (saw), we can derive those important principles which were followed by the Prophet (saw). Indeed, the Prophet of Islam (saw) was a positive thinker in the full sense of the word.

All his activities were result-oriented. He completely refrained from all such steps as may prove counter-productive.
First Principle: To begin from the possible.

This principle is well explained in a saying of Aishah. She said: “Whenever the Prophet had to choose between two options, he always opted for the easier choice.” (Al-Bukhari) To choose the easiest option means to begin from the possible, and one who begins from the possible will surely reach his goal.

Second Principle: To see advantage in disadvantage
In the early days of Mecca, there were many problems and difficulties. At that time, a guiding verse in the Qur’an was revealed. It said: “With every hardship there is ease, with every hardship there is ease.” (94:5-6).

This means that if there are some problems, there are also opportunities at the same time. And the way to success is to ignore the problems and avail the opportunities.

Third Principle: To change the place of action
This principle is derived from the Hijrah. Hijrah was not just a migration from Mecca to Medina. It was to find a more suitable place for Islamic work, as history proved later on.

Fourth Principle: To make a friend out of an enemy
The Prophet (saw) of Islam was repeatedly subjected to practices of antagonism by the unbelievers. At that time the Qur’an enjoined upon him the return of good for evil. And then, as the Qur’an added, “You will see your direst enemy has become your closest friend” (41:34). It means that a good deed in return of a bad deed has a conquering effect over your enemies. And the life of the Prophet(saw) is a historical proof of this principle.

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ACN raises alarm over ‘Right of First Refusal’ clause in Electoral Act

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has raised an alarm over the danger posed to the nation’s democracy by the plan to insert a ‘Right of First Refusal’ clause for members of the National Assembly in the 2010 Electoral Act.

In a statement issued in Ilorin on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said if the plan succeeded, Nigeria could as well say goodbye to democracy, while the legislators would have simply succeeded in subjecting the citizens to perpetual servitude.

“We have learnt that the federal lawmakers are planning to insert this clause in response to the executive’s proposals on the Electoral Act’s amendment, which includes the use of party caucus to choose candidates for the 2011 elections.

“Our reaction is that both proposals are like the devil’s alternative. Whichever one sails through will sound the death knell of our democracy. We, therefore, call on Nigerians to reject both proposals, which have no precedent in any democracy in the world,” it said. ACN warned that if the lawmakers succeeded in inserting the ‘Right of First Refusal’ clause in the amended Electoral Act, it would become law and stay that way until amended, adding: “Of course, it will not be amended because it favours the same lawmakers who inserted it in the first place and who also have the power to amend it.”

It said even without a clause to ensure a tenure in perpetuity for them, the National Assembly members have yet to impact positively on the people. “Once they insert that clause and wriggle free of party control, they will become monsters. Only their whims and caprices will guide them in what laws to make. Of course, they would have succeeded too in shutting out every other aspirant to that office. That is democracy PDP-style,” ACN said.

It added that the lawmakers could as well extend such to members of the State Houses of Assembly, governors and even the president, thus handing over the nation’s democracy to a few fat cats.
ACN said the only reason the lawmakers were emboldened to even think of inserting such a devilish clause in the 2010 Electoral Act was the docility of Nigerians, who sat by while these people allotted to themselves obscene salaries and allowances in contravention of the Constitution.

The party said the continuing effort to constrict the democratic space was the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) legacy to Nigerians, after a decade of democracy. “PDP controls the executive and the legislature, and has been using this control to perpetually torment and suffocate Nigerians. All we have received from this house of cards called the PDP are useless arguments about zoning, bombings and kidnappings that are now spreading across the nation, a failed third term bid and the manipulation of the constitution for parochial interests, just to mention a few,” ACN said.

Jackson brothers hail MTN

It was praises galore for telecoms giant MTN, from the brothers of the late pop music icon, Michael Jackson, for its successful sponsorship of this year’s ninth annual Ofala Festival.

The brothers, who were members of the defunct famous Jackson 5 musical group, were excited to be part of the festival at the palace ground of the Obi of Onitsha, Anambra State. They equally expressed satisfaction at the level of organisation of the ceremony and the immense support from MTN.

The eldest of the brothers, Tito Jackson said: “It’s been a very exciting experience. This is a very colourful and well organised festival and it is interesting to see a corporate organisation like MTN providing support for the festival, which is what the people like. Everybody here is happy with MTN which is very good for the company.”

The three-day celebration, which started on October 7, witnessed the gathering of sons and daughters of Onitsha both at home and in the Diaspora, and notable guests from across the world. It reflected the rich cultural heritage of the Onitsha kingdom and its people. Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, his wife, Margaret, traditional rulers, members of the Anambra State House of Assembly, political stalwarts and business figures were some of the dignitaries that graced the event.

Apart from the Jackson brothers, other international dignitaries at the event were: the Mayor of Inkster Michigan, Mayor Hill Hampton; historian, Bruce Bridge and Hollywood actor, Walter James Jr. and Mrs. Gloria Williams. The Ofala Festival is an annual celebration of the cultural values and heritage of the Onitsha people which reflects the bond between them and the celebration of a renewed hope for peace and prosperity in Onitsha Kingdom.

The festival featured a variety of colourful activities and cultural displays. The highpoint of the event was the royal dance by the Igwe and members of the royal cabinet who filed out gracefully around the palace ground three times before the cheering crowd of excited indigenes, tourists and well wishers, greeting and wishing them well.

Over the years, MTN has championed the sustenance of various cultural festivals within the country in a bid to demonstrate its brand promise of offering ‘so much more’ and ‘enriching lives.’ This year alone, the company has sponsored 16 cultural festivals nationwide.

Abia kidnap kingpin on the run ...Declared wanted…Accused of abduction of 15 pupils

A suspected kidnap kingpin believed to be terrorising Aba, Abia State, Mr. Obioma Nwankwo (aka Osisi ka Nkwu) has been declared wanted by the state Police Command.

Nwankwo had allegedly caused residents of Aba and the police nightmare as no day passed without news of members of his gang allegedly killing a policeman or abducting a resident of the city.

His reign of terror climaxed when his gang allegedly abducted 15 pupils of Abayi International School, Osisioma and took them to his camp in Ugwuati in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State, which incidentally was his hometown.
Nwankwo, who is about 35 years old is believed to be the mastermind of high profile cases of kidnap that had taken place in Abia State in the past three years including that of the 15 pupils who were freed by soldiers at a camp in Ugwuati believed to belong to the wanted man.

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