Sunday 30 April 2017

Pope Francis Urges U.S and North Korea



Pope Francis Urges U.S. and North Korea to Step Away from the Brink

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt meeting with Pope Francis on Friday in Cairo.EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY, VIA REUTERS

"I call on them, and I will call on them, as I have on leaders of different places, to work to resolve their problems through diplomatic avenues," Pope Francis said, speaking aboard his plane as he returned to Rome from a trip to Egypt. Noting that North Korea's missile program was not a new concern, he added that "things have gotten too hot" and suggested that "the United Nations has the duty to reassume, a little, its leadership because it's been watered down."

During a 30-minute news conference on his plane, Francis, steadying himself through rough turbulence, touched on a number of topics. He said he still had not received a request for a meeting with President Trump; he defended his appearance with the authoritarian president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi; and he again called refugee camps in Europe "concentration camps."

Francis partly deflected a question about how he would advise French Catholics taking part in next month's presidential election, especially with Marine Le Pen, a far-right candidate with an anti-immigrant platform, on the ballot.

The pope said he did not know enough about French politics to respond, but, he said, "Europe is in danger of breaking apart, this is true." He noted that the migrant crisis fueled fears that destabilized the Continent, "but we mustn't forget that Europe is made 

Mr. Trump is scheduled to make his first trip abroad as president in May. His exact itinerary is unclear, but he is expected in Taormina, Sicily, for a meeting of the world's leading economic powers at the end of the month. A visit with the pope is standard for American presidents traveling to Italy, but the two world leaders have a rocky history.

In February 2016, Francis responded to a question about Mr. Trump by saying, "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not a Christian."

The pope's view does not seem to have changed. In one of his Cairo speeches, Francis said: "Demagogic forms of populism are on the rise. These certainly do not help to consolidate peace and stability."

All of that has led to doubts about whether a meeting will actually happen. During a news conference at the White House this month with Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni of Italy, Mr. Trump said, "I look very much forward to meeting the pope." Immediately after, Mr. Trump's spokesman, Sean Spicer, acknowledged that no meeting had been scheduled.

That was still the case as of Saturday evening.

"I still haven't been informed by the secretary of state that a request has been made," the pope said, "but I meet every head of state who asks for an audience."

Francis began the day celebrating an open-air Mass outside Cairo. He told a crowd of 15,000 people who had filled about half of the locked-down Air Defense Stadium that "the only fanaticism believers can have is that of charity."

"Any other fanaticism does not come from God and is not pleasing to him," he said.

The pope's message echoed his strong and extensive remarks during the first day of his two-day trip to Egypt, when, in one of the most influential centers of Sunni Islamic learning, he spoke out against radicalism and the use of religious language as a cloak for terrorism and violence.

On Saturday, he continued in that vein, saying that true faith required "first crucifying our narrow notions of a God who reflects only our own understanding of omnipotence and power."

"It is better not to believe than to be a false believer, a hypocrite!" he added.

People in white hats emblazoned with the message "Pope of Peace in Egypt of Peace," waved Egyptian flags and released yellow and white balloons, representing the Vatican colors. Above them, military helicopters circled and Republican Guards in dark camouflage patrolled the perimeter.

"I'm so happy," said Nabil Shoukry, 55, who wore a scarf adorned with an image of Francis' face. Mr. Shoukry, a Coptic Orthodox Christian, said he was taking part in the event "for praying."

That has been a courageous act for Coptic Christians of late, as suicide bombers have attacked their churches, killing scores of worshipers. Francis mourned those victims on Friday night in a haunting ceremony at a cathedral. Saturday's open-air Mass took place far east of Cairo, amid long arid stretches of rock, garbage piles and desert in the June 30 Stadium. The stadium is named in honor of the 2013 street protests that preceded Mr. Sisi's ouster of his predecessor, who was supported by the Muslim Brotherhood, and the military takeover of the country.

Antonios Aziz Mina, a Coptic Catholic bishop of Giza, called the pope's visit a blessing that showed solidarity with Egypt's Christians, especially those killed in recent months by Islamist extremists. But the bishop showed similar deference to Mr. Sisi, who has cracked down on civil rights and dissent in Egypt, often with the support of the country's Christian leaders.

"If the Muslim Brotherhood were still around, where would we be?" he said. "We were saved by the skin of our teeth. The Christians and the Muslims, Sisi saved us all."

On his plane hours later, Francis suggested that his visit to Egypt should not be interpreted as a sign of support for Mr. Sisi. He did not intervene in local politics, the pope said.

"I speak of values," Francis explained, adding that everyone could judge if the country "brings those values forward."

Cuban Military Plane


Cuban military plane crashes, killing 8 troops on board




cuba, cuba plane crash, cuba crash, plane crash today, cuba news, indian express news, world news
In November 2010, an AeroCaribbean flight from Santiago to Havana went down in bad weather as it flew over central Cuba, killing all 68 people aboard (Source: Google 

A Cuban military plane crashed into a hillside Saturday in the western province of Artemisa, killing eight troops on board, the government said. Cuba's military said in a statement that the Soviet-made AN-26 took off from the Playa Baracoa airport outside Havana at 6:38 a.m. and crashed outside the town of Candelaria about 40 miles (65 kilometers) away.

The weather was clear and sunny. The military said a special commission would investigate the cause of the crash. Officials did not immediately release any further information. "At about 7 a.m. I was sitting in front of the cafe and I saw an airplane, which I watched because it looked slow, almost touching the palm trees," said Regla Maria Gallardo in Carambola, a community in Artemisa surrounded by mountains. "After a bit I heard what had happened


Thousands March in Washington

Thousands march in Washington to protest against Donald Trump's policy on climate change

Demonstrators march on Pennsylvania Avenue during the People's Climate March in Washington DC
Demonstrators march on Pennsylvania Avenue during the People's Climate March in Washington DC CREDIT: JOSE LUIS MAGANA/AFP

Asea of protesters swarmed in front of the White House on Saturday to voice displeasure with President Donald Trump's stance on the environment and demand that he rethink plans to reverse the climate change policies backed by his predecessor.

The Peoples Climate March, the culmination of a string of Earth Week protests that began with last Saturday's March for Science, coincides with Trump's 100th day in office, the end of the traditional "honeymoon" period for a new president.

As temperatures rose above 90 degrees Fahrenheit under hazy skies in the nation's capital, tens of thousands of people marched from the grounds of the U.S. Capitol and passed the White House en route to the Washington Monument for a rally.



Egypt's Eman: 'world's heaviest woman' moved to UAE after India surgery


NEWS

Egypt's Eman: 'world's heaviest woman' moved to UAE after India surgery

Egypt's Eman: 'world's heaviest woman' moved to UAE after India surgery

The Saifee Hospital in the Indian city of Mumbai confirmed on Thursday April 27, 2017; that the Egyptian reputed as the world's heaviest woman has left the facility to the United Arab Emirates to continue her recovery after a groundbreaking weight-loss surgery.

The hospital said Eman Ahmed's surgery was a 'proud moment in Indian medical history,' and that as at when she was leaving India her weight had dropped to 176.6 kg.

She weighed 500 kg in September last year and arrived in India on a chartered cargo plane but flew out of the country as a passenger in Business Class.

As the treatment here concludes she is being shifted to Burjeel hospital in UAE. Secondary physiotherapy will continue over there as it is closer to home for Eman and her family.

''The team of doctors at Saifee Hospital have done a fabulous job and her recovery has been unprecedented. She is stable and all parameters are under control. She will continue to need neurological rehabilitation and physiotherapy,'' head of the Saifee hospital's bariatric surgecy section said.

In explaining the decision to move her to the UAE, Dr. Aparna Bhasker said, ''As the treatment here concludes she is being shifted to Burjeel hospital in UAE (A hospital initially introduced to the family by Dr. Lakdawala).

''Secondary physiotherapy will continue over there as it is closer to home for Eman and her family,'' he added. He described Eman as an inspiration to critically obese persons around the world and added that they wished her well.

The journey for an Indian surgery

Eman was admitted to the Indian hospital in February 2017 after a Mumbai-based surgeon, Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, raised funds to have her flown over for treatment.

Reports indicate that her weight is due to gland imbalance which caused an accumulation of liquids. Her family says she has not been able to leave home for 25 years.

"Eman didn't live life as everyone does, she didn't enjoy her childhood or youth. She's been battling with her illness for 36 years." her younger sister and caretaker, Shaimaa Ahmed, told CNN.

The Indian surgeon, said he believed that Eman suffers from obesity-related lymphoedema which causes swelling of her legs.

It took the intervention of the surgeon who tweeted at India's foreign minister before the Indian embassy in Cairo agreed to issue her a visa. The hospital built a special facility to enable the weight reduction surgery.


Saturday 29 April 2017

Why African farmers are part of the climate change equation'

Why African farmers are part of the climate change equation'

    In its deliberations over which projects to fund, the international climate community has not prioritised Africa and has largely ignored agriculture, Africa's biggest source of jobs and a crucial contributor to human welfare on the continent.

    These funding gaps reveal a significant oversight in the world's response to climate change. So does the underfunding of so-called adaptation projects, which help communities cope with the changing climate. Faced with the choice of putting climate funds into Africa or into more developed regions, donors and investors don't hesitate: the developed regions get the money. Likewise, mitigation projects, which aim to reverse rather than adapt to climate change, get funded before adaptation projects, and pretty much everything else (certainly anything related to renewable energy) gets funded before agriculture. Africa's needs haven't been considered bankable.

    The good news is that this "triple gap" – the underfunding of Africa, agriculture, and adaptation – is starting to be seen for the problem it is. At the United Nations' 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP22), held in Marrakesh in November 2016, the risks of not funding these areas were important topics of discussion for the first time in the history of these climate change conferences.

    The new focus on the adaptation of African agriculture stems from the international climate community's emphasis on food security, starting at the Paris climate change conference in 2015 (COP21) and continuing in Marrakesh. Over the past decade, food security has been a concern in Africa. The continent never had anything like India's "green revolution," when modern agronomy techniques led to a big increase in food production. On the contrary, African agriculture has suffered from a lack of interest and investment, which contributed to the food crisis late in the last decade and has left Africa in a perilous position in terms of food sources.

    Climate change is an added threat. The scientific consensus is that a 2°C rise in temperature – the do-not-exceed goal set at the Paris conference and ratified in the days leading up to Marrakesh – will reduce agriculture yields in Africa 15% to 20% by 2050. With the expected doubling of Africa's population to an estimated 2 billion by 2050, agriculture production might have to triple to meet demand.

    Lately, a new possibility has increased the stakes: namely, that Africa's food security issues could become a cause, as well as an effect, of climate change. Africa is the world's second-biggest continent, with vast expanses of soil and millions of square kilometres of forest. As such, it should be considered a global common good. A carbon-aware agricultural segment in Africa – following practices such as zero tillage and forest preservation – could do a lot, through a process known as CO2 sequestration, to keep carbon from escaping into the atmosphere. From that perspective, adaptation and mitigation are two sides of the same coin: supporting agriculture projects in Africa helps cope with the effects of climate change while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

    But Africa's size also creates a potential risk for the world's climate control efforts. Consider the consequences if Africa's agriculture yields do fall. Some African countries might be forced to turn parts of their forests into farms, and to adopt techniques that would exhaust their soil, in order to feed their growing populations. Africa, which has not been a big emitter of greenhouse gases, could become one. That would have a direct impact on the world's goal of keeping temperature rises below 2°C between now and 2100.

    In the past year, the concerns over agriculture and food security have given rise to an initiative known as the Adaptation of African Agriculture, or Triple A, which is led by Morocco and supported by a large coalition of African countries, development finance institutions, non-governmental organisations, and companies. Toward the end of COP22, then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and King Mohammed VI of Morocco spoke in support of the Triple A initiative. The king pointed out the risks Africa faces, including the 10 million people who have already been turned into climate refugees, and asked other African nations to join Morocco in undertaking large-scale transnational adaptation projects. 

    The challenge is using the visibility created by Triple A to attract more funds to Africa's agricultural adaptation projects. The projects that are most urgently needed – those that address the consequences of rising temperatures for Africa's soil, water, and irrigation systems – still aren't seen as good investments by the people who control climate funds.

    African countries need to design their climate-related agriculture projects in ways that lower the risks and increase the returns – and that get the money flowing. Rich countries have pledged to mobilise $100bn a year starting in 2020 to help poor countries address issues created by climate change. One hopes that the political upheaval that has swept the world in recent months won't affect this vital source of funds. But no matter what happens, African farmers should rightly make the case for a bigger share of the money that's available. They aren't the only ones with a stake in the outcome. What happens in Africa will affect the whole world.

    By FirstNews

    Friday 28 April 2017

    Jilted soldier makes wife eat his faeces


    Jilted soldier makes wife eat his faeces
    Harare – A jilted Zimbabwean soldier who made his wife eat his faeces after she had asked for a divorce was dragged before the Mutare Magistrate's Court facing abuse charges, it was reported.
    According to SUPPLIER , Machisi Jani, 30, pleaded guilty to the charges and will remain in custody pending sentencing.Jani serves in the Zimbabwe National Army's 3 infantry brigade at the headquarters.When he was asked why he committed the offence, Jani said that he failed to control his temper after a misunderstanding with his wife Shella Mudzimiri, 25.
    The court heard that the couple had a matrimonial dispute on April 11 at around 08:00, Mudzimiri told the suspect that she wanted a divorce.This reportedly infuriated Jani, leading to him to beat his wife and bite her once on the right hand.  Jani then took his own faeces out of his pants, and forced it into his wife's mouth. Mudzimiri reported the matter to the police leading to Jani's arrest.
     
     
     

    .Buhari Missing at Juma’at Prayer .

    Buhari Missing at Juma'at Prayer

    There are strong indications that President Muhammadu Buhari did not attend Juma'at prayer at Aso Rock mosque on Friday, April 28, 2017.

    The reason for the president's absence remains unknown as at press time.

    Vanguard Newspaper is reporting that Governors Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun State); Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara State) and Abdulahi Ganduje (Kano State) were amongst those that worshiped at the Villa Mosque.

    The State House had on Thursday issued a statement that the president was recuperating at his private residence, a reason why he is rarely seen in the public.

    Aso Villa also assured Nigerians yesterday that there is no need for panic over the health of the president despite concerns being raised in the media.

    This will be the first time that the president will be absent at the mosque since he returned to the country after a 49-day medical vacation in the  UK.

    Corrupt Officials in Buhari's govt



    Ghana MPs face British travel bans over visa fraud


    Ghana MPs face British travel bans over visa fraud

     
     
    Accra - Three members of Ghana's parliament and a former lawmaker are facing travel bans to Britain over apparent visa irregularities, according to a leaked document seen by AFP on Wednesday.
    Britain's High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, wrote to parliament Speaker Mike Oquaye that the four had apparently been involved "in visa fraud directly affecting the United Kingdom".
    Former MP George Boakye obtained a visa for his daughter, who then overstayed her visa for more than three years and only returned to Ghana this January at Britain's insistence.
    Another, Richard Acheampong, secured a visa for a woman he said was his wife. But more than a year after she travelled to Britain, supposedly for a two-week holiday, she was still there.
    The MP failed to declare her illegal presence, provide documents proving he was married to the woman or give information allowing her to be tracked down, the three-page letter read.
    Both Boakye and Acheampong were unlikely to be issued with further visas for travel if they applied again, Benjamin wrote.
    Joseph Benhazin Dahah was banned from Britain for 10 years after initially applying for a visa for his wife and niece, he added.
    When the application for his niece was refused, the MP applied to the Republic of Ireland, changing his wife's name and making his niece his daughter.
    The fourth MP, Johnson Kwaku Adu, travelled for a two-week holiday to London in July last year with his wife and 16-year-old daughter.
    He returned after two days but his wife and daughter are thought to be still in Britain.
    "This is in some ways the most serious of the cases outlined in this letter, given the possibility that... Adu knowingly facilitated the movement of a minor - who cannot be traced - into the United Kingdom," wrote Benjamin.
    "That has been noted with alarm by UK authorities."
    He added: "The British High Commission considers the actions outlined above to be completely unacceptable. In some cases these behaviours may arguably be criminal in nature."
    The mission in Accra said in response to the letter: "We cannot comment publicly on leaked documents or individual visa cases.
    "We take any allegations of visa fraud extremely seriously, and will always investigate such allegations and take action where appropriate."
    Boakye, Adu and Dahah are members of President Nana Akufo-Addo's ruling New Patriotic Party while Acheampong belongs to the main opposition National Democratic Congress.
    Benjamin said in the letter that party affiliations were "irrelevant".
    Ghana's foreign minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway described the allegations as "very serious... and unfortunate" and promised to act on the findings after the speaker had dealt with the issue.
    That could include withdrawing the MPs' diplomatic passports, she told local radio station Citi FM

    Poverty Must Be Defeated


    Poverty Must Be Defeated 

    Poverty Must Be Defeated


    Poverty Must Be Defeated 

    Why the Queen Will Not Wear Her 3-lb. Crown for the First Time Since 1974


    Why the Queen Will Not Wear Her 3-lb. Crown for the First Time Since 1974
     
     
     
     
     
     
    .
     
    On Thursday, the palace said there would be "reduced ceremonial elements" at the annual state opening of Parliament, which is set to take place on June 19 due to the recently called general election in the U.K. That means the 91-year-old monarch will travel to Westminster Abbey by car (rather than horse-drawn carriage) -and for the first time since 1974, she will not wear a crown to the ceremony.
    Because the state opening is taking place on June 19, the annual Order of the Garter parade and service at Windsor Castle - which sees Elizabeth lead plumed knights, including her grandson Prince William - is being canceled.
    Although the Queen will not wear her Imperial State Crown (which features a 317-carat diamond!), it will still appear at the state opening ceremony - carried in to the House of Lords by the officers of state along with the other instruments of state, the Sword of State and Cap of Maintenance.
    The Garter ceremony at St. George's Chapel and Windsor Castle marks one of the Queen's favorite periods, the week of horse racing at Royal Ascot. But royal sources tell PEOPLE that it was important for the Queen to put the continuation of state business first.
    The revised calendar means less ceremonial fanfare because it was felt that there would have to be state opening rehearsal during the early morning of June 16, followed by Trooping the Colour on Saturday and the actual state opening on Monday. It was deemed that the ceremonial assets of carriages from the royal mews and horses and troops would be placed under too much strain given the accelerated timetable
     

    Thursday 27 April 2017

    THE POWER OF IDEAS


    THE POWER OF IDEAS

    Many years ago, in a small town in the United States, a doctor climbed his horse and road to a chemist's shop. He went in through the back door. He carried in his hand an old fashioned kettle and a wooden paddle. He brought these items to the shop clerk with a sheet of paper on which was written the formula for a drink. Both of them began to bargain and eventually the clerk gave the doctor five hundred dollars for the items that he had come to sell. What the doctor sold to the clerk was worth a fortune to the young clerk but not to the doctor who gave away the items for just five hundred dollars.

    The content of the kettle has been heard or drink in more places on the earth. Somehow, the young clerk added something to the kettle the paddle and the formula. That thing, I believe, is an idea. Today the content of that kettle is the greatest consumer of sugar in the world. It is sustaining sugar plantations, the workers and their families around the world. It is one of the world's greatest consumers of glass and has turned the fortune of many men around. The name of this content is coca - cola, and the name of the clerk is Asa Candler.

    The same thing that the doctor placed a value of five hundred dollars on has today assumed a value that is difficult to estimate. But the difference between the doctor and the clerk was on idea. The doctor did not realise that all the while he was holding the kettle, the paddle and the formula, billions of dollars were potentially lying in his hands. But one young man caught the idea and was able to release the potential for the billions. I share this story with you to make you understand one of the basic principles of life. Before creation, this whole world and the people in it were just an impression on God's mind. Everything was sleeping quietly in an idea. When you understand, that simple foundation, you lay hold on a principle that can see you through to the fulfillment of your destiny. A great future awaits all of us, but I want to tell you that this future is waiting for you and I on the thought that God wants to transfer into your mind. Some of us have caught some ideas, some have not, but our future is sleeping quietly inside our ideas.

    God did not finish creation, but only started it. He did not turn into physical reality all of the things that were real in His mind, he gave Him translate into physical reality the remaining of those things that are reality in the spiritual realm. Do you know God could have created 20 million people at same time? He could have built the skyscrapers we have around, the fastest aircraft, the biggest ship and many more things. But he left all these for us. What He said in Genesis 1:26 was to make us have the fulfillment of being Co-Creators with Him. Creation begins with an idea. Since He built us in His own image, He has made us with the capacity to produce thoughts and ideas, and the capacity to turn them into physical reality.

    Ideas are more powerful that the brains that produce them because they usually outlive those brains. The day an idea is introduced into your mind is the day creation begins. Everything visible today first of all existed in the form of an idea in someone's mind, e.g Cars, Microphones, Planes and so on.
    Every human being is potentially wealthy and prosperous. The poor person is one who does not have ideas because ideas are the seeds that guarantee a future harvest. A mango seed is ultimately a mango forest but this will never come into being until the mango seed is planted and it grows into a tree. This process, when consistently repeated, transforms, the mango seed into a mango forest. I want you to understand that lying within the range of the faculty of your mind is a great destiny. Take time out this week to pray and ask God to give you a winning idea.

    Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers ( 3 John 2) you and I will succeed. 

    If any man loves not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema, Maranatha 
    (1 Cor. 16:22).
    By Olufemi Samson Aduwo

    US man calls police to search for heroin


    US man calls police to search for heroin
    Police say a man from the US state of Ohio called 911 to request a police dog to help track down heroin allegedly stolen from him.WEWS-TV reports a 20-year-old man in Bath Township, near Akron, made the call in January. The recording was released this week.
    When the call operator asks why the caller needs a police dog, he replies that a female stole heroin from him.Bath Police Chief Mike McNeely says it's among the most bizarre things he's heard in four decades of policing.
    McNeely says the man is expected to face a drug charge after he pulled a brown, waxy substance from his pants while being interviewed by police.The substance was seized and sent to a lab for testing. The caller was released

    Why I Ejected Punch Reporter” …Buhari’s CSO


    Why I Ejected Punch Reporter" …Buhari's CSO



    Reference Number: PRES/CSO/163/A/722.

    Date: April 25, 2017.

    ACTIVITIES OF THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER STATE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: OLALEKAN ADETAYO

    1. You may recall that on 13th April, 2017 at the Press Gallery, Presidential Villa, Abuja, an interactive session between the State House Security Department, led by the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the President, C-in-C, and members of the State House Press Corps was held during which it was agreed that members of the press would conduct themselves professionally and would always be objective in their reports in the best interest of the nation.

    2. However, Olalekan Adetayo, the State House correspondent for the Punch Newspaper, in his Saturday column of 22nd April, 2017, titled 'Seat of powers event centres going into extinction", reported that currently there has been less or no activity at the seat of power. Adetayo mentioned that important venues such as Council Chambers, Presidential Banquet Hall and State House Conference Hall have been left empty for a long time and are all gathering dust.
    He also claimed that no event had been held in the Council Chambers in at least the last two months. "Similarly, he claimed not to have remembered the last time the president received letter of credence from newly posted Ambassadors and High Commissioners at the Presidential Banquet Hall. "He, however, failed to state whether there had been any instance where a newly posted diplomat was denied access presenting his letter of credence to the president.
    Also, subject mentioned guest house in the Villa, House seven, and claimed that political meetings were held there by the last administration and faulted that no such meetings have been held there since the inception of this administration. He, therefore, hoped that the proposed law for unoccupied buildings in Abuja will not affect the buildings in the Presidential Villa, and posited that the development is a sign of the end of time,

    3. Consequently, he was invited by the CSO to explain the motive behind his write up and another lead story in the Sunday Punch titled 'Fresh Anxiety in Aso Rock over Buhari's poor health". In response, subject accepted that he was wrong in reporting things that were not true and pleaded for leniency, promising that he will not repeat such "grievous" mistake.
    This he said in the presence of the Chairman of the State House Press Corps, Ubale Musa. On the lead story in the Sunday publication of the paper, subject stated that he was not the author of the story but was only asked and pressurised by his editor to get the State House reaction to make up the story which he did by enquiring from the Special Adviser to the President on Media, Femi Adesina.
    However, when asked to put his explanation and plead into writing, he maintained that what he wrote in the Saturday column was purely based on his observations.

    4. Meanwhile, it would be recalled that Adetayo of all the reporters in the Presidential Villa, he was the only one carrying mischievous news items without ascertaining his facts, or verifying to be sure of what he was to feed the public. It would be recalled that in 2016, he reported on several occasions on the non-payment of Risk Caution Allowance (RCA) to security personnel without balancing his story with the view of the government's side. He featured this story several times. He also wrongly reported incidences of "accidental discharge" without getting details to understand what actually transpired.
    All these were reeled out with the mischievous intent especially as he championed the stories in spite of being cautioned and advised by his colleagues as well as the chairman of the State House Press Corps to be circumspect and objective in his reportage.

    5. Arising from the above, the CSO, C-in-C summoned him in the presence of the chairman and counselled him on the need to be patriotic, objective and honest in his reports as he has, live every citizen and indeed journalist, a responsibility to safeguard and protect this country from anything that could threaten the security of the nation. He appreciated and promised to adhere to the ethics of his profesion and partner with the security department to ensure peace and stability.

    COMMENT

    Aggregating the foregoing and the interactions with the reporter smack of irresponsibility and mischief as Adetayo's stories in Saturday column of the Punch Newspaper of April 22, 2017, lacked objectivity which is one of the cardinal principles of journalism.

    Similarly, his belligerence and non-repentance on his ways suggest his desperation to satisfy some subterranean interests of certain individuals who are bent on undermining the government.

    In view therefore, Olalekan Adetayo is deemed to have lost the privilege of representing his media outfit in the State House.
    You may wish to advise the Punch Newspaper that it reserves the right to send a more matured, professional and patriotic representative that will work in the overall interest of the nation rather than self-serving and parochial interests.

    B. Abubakar, fsi.

    Chief Security Officer to the President, C-in-C.