7 Principles of an Eagle - Dr. Myles Monroe

PRINCIPLE 1
Eagles fly alone at high altitude and not with sparrows or other small birds. No other bird can go to the height of the eagle. Stay away from sparrows and ravens.

Eagles fly with Eagles

PRINCIPLE 2
Eagles have strong vision. They have the ability to focus on something up to five kilometers away. When an eagle sites his prey, he narrows his focus on it and set out to get it. No matter the obstacles, the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until he grabs it.

Have a vision and remain focused no matter what the obstacle and you will succeed.

PRINCIPLE 3
Eagles do not eat dead things. They feed only on fresh prey. Vultures eat dead animals, but eagles will not.

Be careful with what you feed your eyes and ears with, especially in movies and on TV. Steer clear of outdated and old information. Always do your research well.


PRINCIPLE 4
Eagles love the storm. When clouds gather, the eagles get excited. The eagle uses the storm’s wind to lift it higher. Once it finds the wind of the storm, the eagles uses the raging storm to lift him above the
clouds. This gives the eagle an opportunity to glide and rest its wings. In the meantime, all the other birds hide in the leaves and branches of the trees.

We can use the storms of life to rise to greater heights. Achievers relish challenges and use them profitably.

PRINCIPLE 5
The Eagle tests before it trusts. When a female eagle meets a male and they want to mate, she flies down to earth with the male pursuing her and she picks a twig. She flies back into the air with the male pursuing her.
Once she has reached a height high enough for her, she lets the twig fall to the ground and watches it as it falls. The male chases after the twig. The faster it falls, the faster he chases it. He has to catch it before it
falls to the ground. He then brings it back to the female eagle.

The female eagle grabs the twig and flies to a higher altitude and then drops the twig for the male to chase. This goes on for hours, with the height increasing until the female eagle is assured that the male eagle has mastered the art of catching the twig which shows commitment. Then and only then, will she allow him to mate with her.

Whether in private life or in business, one should test commitment of people intended for partnership.


PRINCIPLE 6
The Eagle Prepares for Changes: When ready to lay eggs, the female and male eagle identify a place very high on a cliff where no predators can reach. The male flies to earth and picks thorns and lays them on the crevice of the cliff, then flies to earth again to collect twigs which he lays in the intended nest. He flies back to earth and picks thorns laying them on top of the twigs. He flies back to earth and picks soft grass to cover the thorns. When this first layering is complete the male eagle runs back to earth and picks more thorns, lays them on the nest; runs back to get grass it on top of the thorns, then plucks his feathers to complete the nest. The thorns on the outside of the nest protect it from possible intruders. Both male and female eagles participate in raising the eagle family. She lays the eggs and protects them; he builds the nest and hunts. During the time of training the young ones to fly, the mother eagle throws the eaglets out of the nest. Because they are scared, they jump into the nest again.

Next, she throws them out and then takes off the soft layers of the nest, leaving the thorns bare When the scared eaglets again jump into the nest, they are pricked by thorns. Shrieking and bleeding they jump out again this time wondering why the mother and father who love them so much are torturing them. Next, mother eagle pushes them off the cliff into the air. As they shriek in fear, father eagle flies out and catches them up on his back before they fall and brings them back to the cliff. This goes on for sometime until they start flapping their wings. They get excited at this newfound knowledge that they can fly.

The preparation of the nest teaches us to prepare for changes; The preparation for the family teaches us that active participation of both partners leads to success; The being pricked by the thorns tells us that sometimes being too comfortable where we are may result into our not experiencing life, not progressing and not learning at all. The thorns of life come to teach us that we need to grow, get out of the nest and live on. We may not know it but the seemingly comfortable and safe haven may have thorns.

The people who love us do not let us languish in sloth but push us hard to grow and prosper. Even in their seemingly bad actions they have good intentions for us.



PRINCIPLE 7
The Eagle Knows when to Retire: When an Eagle grows old, his feathers become weak and cannot take him as fast as he should. When he feels weak and about to die, he retires to a place far away in the rocks. While there, he plucks out every feather on his body until he is completely bare. He stays in this hiding place until he has grown new feathers, then he can come out.

We occasionally need to shed off old habits & items that burden us without adding to our lives.

100 People feared killed as oil war enters second day

Operation Hurricane Barbarossa, an oil war declared by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, entered its second day on Monday with the death toll put at 100 by Reuters.


Reuters, which attributed the figure to two security sources, also reported that Armoured Personnel Carriers and more troops had been deployed in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Reuters, a global news agency with a strong presence in Nigeria however, did not give a breakdown of the figure. MEND and the military authorities have since the “war” began on Sunday claimed inflicting heavy casaulties on one another.

The Associated Press, which described the oil war as the heaviest between MEND and troops of the Joint Task Force, otherwise known as operation Restore Peace in the Niger Delta, so far, quoted its correspondent as saying that Port Harcourt was “on edge.”

The AP correspondent said, “I drove into Port Harcourt from the neighbouring state of Imo. It’s a distance of about an hour and 30 minutes by road and I counted no less than 20 checkpoints manned by heavily-armed police and troops.

“Within the city of Port Harcourt itself, there are sandbags protecting government installations. There are troops on pick-up trucks with machine guns.

There are APCs deployed at strategic parts of the city. People are moving around, but there’s some kind of tense situation. It’s a city on edge.”

MEND on Monday attacked the Alakiri Flow Station, a major oil platform operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company.

A community guard was killed and four others injured in the incident. The attack forced the SPDC to withdraw more of its workers from the Niger Delta.

MEND had, in an e-mail to THE PUNCH, said it burnt down the flow station around 12.15am on Monday.

It also claimed in the statement by its Spokesman, Mr. Jomo Gbomo, that scores of oil workers and soldiers, who violated its order to vacate facility, perished inside it (facility).

The statement reads in part, “Heavily armed fighters from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta stormed the facility and have razed it to the ground as promised.

“Resistance was non-existent as the soldiers fled their dug-in positions leaving behind their colleagues and the workers inside the facility to their fate. The foolhardy workers and soldiers who did not heed our warning perished inside the station. The facility was still burning when we left.”

MEND also warned that any oil vessel that violated its advice not to sail into the Niger Delta would be blown up.

The Director of Public Relations, Defence Headquarters Brig.-Gen. Emeka Onwamaegbu, dismissed MEND’s claim that it killed some soldiers.

He said, “There is absolutely no truth in the claim by MEND. MEND is employing propaganda to achieve its aims.

“There is an encounter quite alright between our men and MEND. We have just two of our men that were injured. I hope the MEND or whoever is behind all these will embrace dialogue. We have no reason not to disclose casualties if we have any.”

The JTF Spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, who spoke with one of our correspondents said the militants in 10 speedboats attacked a military post located at the facility.

He claimed that during the gun duel that lasted for about an hour, some of the militants probably died while detonating dynamites.

Musa said, “It is greatly feared that the flow station might have caught fire due to crossfire during the encounter.

“No casualty was recorded on the side of our forces and the situation is being closely monitored and is under control. The battle lasted for one hour, with the militants using dynamite and bombs, but the attack was repelled.‘”

Musa wondered how soldiers would be killed without their corpses being found anywhere.

He said, “The claim that soldiers were killed is just a wild propaganda. The so-called militants should know that the time is up. They are advised to come to terms with reality as the status quo will be reversed for the good of all.”

The Public Affairs Adviser of the SPDC, Mr. Tony Okonedo, confirmed the killing of the guard and the wounding of four others during the attack.

Okonedo said, “We confirm that our Alakiri flow station was attacked by unknown gunmen, and regrettably, a community guard was killed in the incident. Four other people also sustained injury during the attack and are being treated in our facility in Port Harcourt.

“As a precautionary measure, we have down-manned facilities in some of the field locations. That is, we have reduced the number of men in such facilities.

“The SPDC is aware of the difficulty the security situation places on staff and continues to monitor developments.”

He, however, refused to say how much production was shut down as a result of the attack.

Okonedo, who denied that the facility was torched, said, ”We cannot talk about production shut down because we do not give out our production figures. But I can tell you that the flow station was not raised.”

Also on Monday, MEND claimed in another e-mail statement that it had killed more than 17 soldiers since its repraisal attack on the JTF began on Saturday.

Another of its spokespersons, Cynthia Whyte, said most of the soldiers were shot dead while engaging in illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta.

The statement reads in part, “On behalf of the larger coalition of the heroic combatants of the MEND, we wish to declare the ongoing success of operation Hurricane Barbarossa which began an hour after midnight of September 14, 2008, leaving in its trail about 17 to 24 dead soldiers of Northern Nigeria stock, many of whom are engaged in illegal oil bunkering across the creeks of the Niger Delta.

“This operation will continue and will remain undeterred. Our strategic objective will be to question the supposed might of the armed forces of the Nigerian state especially bandit units of the JTF who believe that they occupy our lands, rape our women, attack fishermen and render our lands desolate. They will fail.”

MEND also said that it would not surrender to the “violent approach” by the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and vowed to bring him to his knees through serial attacks on strategic locations.

It said, “We wish to remind the Supreme Court-appointed Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Amaechi, that this will not be over in a while. He chose the path of force and violence and that is what he will get.

“To the bandit soldiers of the Nigerian state, we will meet in the creeks. Welcome to the new edition of The Rumble in the Creeks.”

Fighting started on Saturday in Elom Tombia, Rivers State, when the suspected hideout of a militant leader, Mr. Farah Dagogo, was pounded by troops during an aerial and maritime onslaught.

In a reprisal action, MEND attacked the Soku Gas Plant and Chevron facility at Kula, where it said many soldiers sent as reinforcement were ambushed, killed and dispossessed of their weapons.

It also claimed that its men blew up several points on a major crude trunk pipeline at Nembe Creek.

The JTF has since denied the claim.

Meanwhile, the Association of Licensed Customs Agents of Nigeria on Monday said that activities of militants in the Niger Delta had slowed down the work of its members.

The Zonal Eastern Ports Chairman of the association, Mr Emenike Nwokeoji, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt, that people were scared to go and bring many cargo vessels on the sea into the wharf.

Nwokeoji said that the militants obstructed the activities of his members in several ways, adding that it was expensive to provide security for the vessels.

EU BUDGETS N100B FOR NIGERIA IN FIVE YEARS

The European Union (EU) is to commit about N100 billion for execution of developmental projects aimed at building structures that could effectively tackle poverty, assist Nigeria to attain the Millennium Development Goals and also strengthen democratisation between 2010 and 2015. The union had spent about N82 billion between 2002-2007 in the execution of projects in the areas of water supply, state reform and anti corruption, support to democratic process and implementation of Micro-Projects in nine states of the Niger Delta. Minister of National Planning, Senator Sanuai Daggash, who disclosed this when he received European Commissioners responsible for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Mr. Louis Michel and his Energy Counterpart, Mr. Andris Piebalgs who were on a visit to Nigeria said that out of the amount, only 50 per cent has been utilised while the remaining part might be released between now and December 2008. He stressed that EU is the greatest support of grant in Nigeria, adding that the country has an agenda to fight poverty as well as attain a double-digit growth and would adopt a pragmatic approach to actualise the dream. In his address the Head of Delegation Amb. Robert van der Meulen said that the partnership between Nigeria and European Commission, which dates back to 1976, is aimed at assisting the country's economic, political and social development, with an increasing focus on good governance. He observed that a lot has been achieved over the years ranging from EU support to Nigeria's 2006 national population and housing census, micro economic projects in the Niger Delta and the ongoing polio eradication actions. Meulen stressed that the partnership between EU and Nigeria is increasingly becoming one of crucial strategic importance for both sides, adding that the commission is working to develop an enduring partnership with Nigeria, built on mutual trust and respect and exemplified through regular and high level political and economic contacts. The ambassador said that as the 2002-2007 country support strategy agreed between EC and Nigeria comes to an end, a new strategy would soon be put in place with renewed expectation for the enhancement of mutual cooperation for both sides. Guardian.

4 THINGS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW YOUR MOBILE PHONE COULD DO

4 THINGS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW
YOUR MOBILE PHONE COULD DO
There are a few things that can be done in
times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone
can actually be a life saver or an emergency
tool for survival. Check out the things that you
can do with it:

One: Emergency One: Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is
112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area
of your mobile; network and there is an
emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search
any existing network to establish the emergency
number for you, and interestingly this number
112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked.
Try it out.

Two: Have you locked your keys in the car? Two: Have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry? This
may come in handy someday. Good reason to
own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car
and the spare keys are at home, call someone at
home on their mobile phone from your cell
phone.

Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car
door and have the person at your home press the
unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone
on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves
someone from having to
drive your keys to you. Distance is no object.
You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you
can reach someone who has the other 'remote'
for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the
trunk).
Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it
unlocked our car over a mobile phone!'

Three: Hidden Battery Power Three: Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your mobile battery is very low. To
activate, press the keys *3370# Your mobile will
restart with this reserve and the instrument will
show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will
get charged when you charge your mobile next
time.

Four: How to disable a STOLEN mobile
phone?
Four: How to disable a STOLEN mobile
phone?
To check your mobile phone's serial number, key
in the following digits on your phone!: * # 0 6 #,
a 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This
number is unique to your handset. Write it down
and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone
get stolen, you can phone your service provider
and give them this code. They will then be able
to block your handset so even if the thief
changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally
useless.
You probably won't get your phone back, but at
least you know that whoever stole it can't
use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there
would be no point in people stealing mobile
phones.

This is the kind of information people don't
mind receiving, so pass it on to your family and
friends

POWER EMERGENCY: GOVT, OIL MAJORS SET FOR SHOWDOWN

Can the rules of a game be changed midstream? This is the poser that multinational oil companies are raising as the Federal Government is set to order them to divert a great percentage of their gas exports to the local market. This is part of the government's efforts to meet its power emergency target. Sources told the Nigerian Compass that the companies are set for a showdown with the government, noting that the plan will result in huge financial losses to them. The companies believe that the government's plan is "an ambush," and a "strange" introduction into their operational agreements with Nigeria. The plan, it was further learnt, will badly hurt the revenue targets of the companies. They are already exploring the options available to them, which may include litigation. State assemblies have begun to pass power emergency spending budgets, which will enable the Federal Government to spend $5.5 billion to complete various independent power projects scattered across the country. President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua is currently working on how to compel the international oil companies (IOCs) to divert a greater portion of gas from exports to domestic use. The plan has been acknowledged by the Economic Adviser to the President, Tanimu Yakubu, who said that to Yar'Adua, "emergency power declaration is about seizing gas from the exporting companies to meet our energy needs." Yakubu made the declaration during his recent visit to Moscow, Russia, to witness the endorsement of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and a Russian multinational company, Gazprom. He said: "The President has fulfilled all the necessary conditions precedent to declaring a state of emergency in the power sector. He has now stabilised power generation at more than 3000 megawatts (MW), his threshold before emergency power declaration which, for him, is about seizing gas from the exporting companies to meet our energy needs." Yakubu added: "Power output is now heading towards 4000MW. He would not tell it himself. He hates that he deserves accolades for being so performance biased." The Special Adviser on Energy, Dr. Rilwanu Lukman, also confirmed the development, disclosing that the government was in the process of reviewing "the oil contracts in place to provide for periodic review and renegotiation (and) that time has arrived." Presidency sources told the Nigerian Compass that Yar'Adua was particularly "convinced that more gas must be put into the domestic market to overcome chronic electricity supply problems, but the multinational companies, whose investments are based on exporting, are less convinced". The Federal Government Committee on Emergency Gas Supply Strategy to Power Plants and the Domestic Sector submitted that gas should be prioritised for emergency supply to power plants and homes. A source at the NNPC expressed doubts about the possibility of the President realising his plan, noting that some of his advisers are canvassing the discontinuation of some gas projects initiated by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. Nigerian Compass front page.

EU DUMPS RUSSIA FOR NIGERIAN GAS

Worried by last month's invasion of Georgia by Russia, the European Union (EU) is pinning its hope of regular gas supply in the future on the planned $10billion trans-Saharan gas pipeline project. The project, through which Nigerian gas will be piped into Europe via the Sahara desert, is seen as the safest alternative to Russian gas. Five European Union members are wholly dependent on Russia for their natural gas. Four others receive more than 50 percent of their natural gas from Russia. A third of all EU oil imports come from Russia. Russia is turning out to be a bully in the region and energy experts believe that it will not hesitate to use energy as a weapon. On December 1, 2006, Russia cut off natural gas supplies to and through Ukraine because of a contract dispute. With about 80 percent of the natural gas Europe imports from Russia passing across Ukraine, the effects were felt not just in Ukraine, but as far as Italy. In May last year, Russia cut off delivery of oil products and coal to Estonia because the country decided to move a monument to the Red Army to a less prominent location. EU Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, who expressed deep interest in plans to develop the 4,300-kilometre trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline from Nigeria through Niger and Algeria en route the Mediterranean, admitted that it could help the group diversify its energy sources. Piebalgs, who is in Nigeria, ahead of talks on energy projects and peace in the restive Niger Delta said: "Nigeria is already very important for our security of supply — 20 percent of their oil and 80 percent of their gas goes to Europe". Nigerian gas is currently shipped to Europe as liquefied LNG. A pipeline is therefore seen as improving security in Africa's transit regions, thereby reducing the flood of migrants to Europe. "The development of a trans-Saharan project with 20 billion cubic metres a year that might arrive to Europe by 2015 and increase the security of supply of Nigeria itself and the countries it crosses, makes it a very interesting project for Nigeria and Europe," said Piebalgs. Nigeria has the world's seventh-largest proven gas reserves, but has been unable to develop its gas industry to anywhere near its full potential because of a lack of funds and regulation. The EU is not alone in courting Nigeria for its oil and gas reserves. Last week, Russian gas giant, Gazprom signed an oil and gas exploration agreement with Nigeria with the hope of developing LNG exports to North America. Nigerian Compass front page.

Laila Ali a Knockout Mom

Laila Ali has motherhood down for the count.

The comely boxing champ and American Gladiators cohost has welcomed her first child with hubby Curtis Conway, son Curtis Muhammad Conway Jr.

Their new addition, whose middle name references his iconic grandpa, Muhammad Ali, arrived Aug. 26, according to a statement on Ali's website.

"He's a healthy baby boy who weighed 6.8 pounds and measured 19 inches long," the statement read. "Mama and baby are resting!"

Tara Reid Ain't Getting Hitched

Tara Reid has no plans for marriage right now.

The 32-year-old actress' rep is shooting down a tabloid report that Reid and her fashion executive boyfriend, Julien Jarmoune, are engaged.

"Not true," the rep says. "It's just a bunch of lies and rumors."

The rep did, however, confirm that the two are dating.eonline

EU CONDEMNS OPEC OVER PRODUCTION CUT

The European Union (EU) is rankled by Tuesday's announcement by Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) that it would cut oil production by 520,000 barrels per day, a development that initially led to a marginal rise in international prices of crude. The EU Commissioner for Energy, Mr Andris Piebalgs, who made this known to energy correspondents in Abuja yesterday, said the action by OPEC, which supplies 40 per cent of global oil output, was not in the interest of EU. However, Brent crude fell back below $100 a barrel yesterday as signs of weaker global oil demand have offset OPEC’s decision to reduce output levels, the BBC reported yesterday. Piebalgs said the EU and OPEC substantially disagreed on that move. “We believe that OPEC should not reduce or increase its production into the market,” he said. “Let market forces determine the price, as we still know that there is very high demand for oil by China and many emerging economies. This practice is what makes the world to look as if OPEC is responsible for high crude prices.” He said the market was still very volatile as a result of many factors, “so OPEC announcing a cut in production is adding to the volatility and is bad for the market”. He stated that too high price of crude and very low price of crude is bad for both the EU and OPEC. “This is one area we disagree with OPEC,” he said, “but I have tremendous respect for the professionals in OPEC, especially for the analytical dept at understanding the fundamentals for oil future.” Crude price shortly before the OPEC meeting slumped by $3.08 to $103.26 a barrel after peaking at $149 in April. But the announcement yesterday led to a marginal rise of about a dollar in crude futures supply. The EU Commissioner of Energy will again address the Press today after meeting with Nigerian Ministers of Energy. But despite initially rising following OPEC's announcement, Brent was down $1.67 to $98.67 by yesterday evening in Europe. US light crude was also lower, falling $1.41 to $101.85 a barrel. After talks in Vienna, OPEC’s member states decided to cut daily production levels by 520,000 barrels, starting within 40 days. While the news initially saw oil prices rise, they then fell back, helped by the International Energy Agency (IEA) cutting its estimate for global oil demand this year and next. The IEA - which had asked OPEC to keep its output unchanged - said consumers in industrial nations were changing their lifestyles in response to high prices.

DOLLAR FALLS ON U.S. ECONOMIC WORRIES

The dollar weakened against other major currencies yesterday as investors worried about the health of the U.S. economy after the nationalisation of two mortgage finance giants over the weekend. The euro rose to $1.4134 around 2100 GMT from $1.4129 late Monday in New York. Against the Japanese currency, the dollar fell sharply to 106.89 yen from 108.27 yen on Monday. The dollar on Monday had hit an 11-month high against the euro at $1.4045 on news of the federal bailout Sunday of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), which underpin nearly half of the US housing sector. But the euphoria faded, leaving markets on edge. The unease was exacerbated by fears of a meltdown at investment firm Lehman Brothers that prompted heavy selling on Wall Street. "While the news of the U.S. government's seizure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac led risky assets to gain throughout the financial markets, we've seen investor confidence dwindle as traders become skeptical of the long-term benefits of the intervention," said Terri Belkas, analyst at Foreign Capital Markets. Andrew Busch at BMO Capital Markets underscored the unforeseen implications of the extraordinary government action. "As the smoke clears and cooler number crunchers prevail, the take-over/ conservator ship of the GSEs is getting some skeptics," Busch said. "From the taxpayer footing the bill to the expansion of the U.S. government into the financial markets, worries hang over the longer term implications are swirling." Some dealers said the plan could also become costly for the U.S. taxpayer without repairing the fundamental problems of the housing market. "There are many areas in the government's plan that remains unclear and fresh concerns have cropped up over the U.S. economy, including its finances," said Chuo Mitsui Trust Bank chief strategist Yosuke Hosokawa. "Markets are questioning: is the U.S. really alright?" In late New York trade, the dollar fell to 1.1265 Swiss francs from 1.1311. The pound rose to $1.7611 from 1.7582. Guardian.

Yar’Adua Creates Ministry of N’Delta

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua yesterday stepped up ongoing moves to revamp the machinery of his government with the restructuring of the federal ministries under which a Ministry of Niger Delta has emerged.
Also, Aviation, Transport, Works, Housing and Urban Development, Water Resou-rces, as well as Agriculture and Rural Development are now substantive ministries.
THISDAY had reported exclusively last month that a plan to restore them as full-fledged ministries was under way.
Addressing State House Correspondents at the end of yesterday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, said the new Ministry of Niger Delta which will have two ministers, would lead and coordinate environmental and youth empowerment policy initiatives as well as reinforce the administration’s commitment to the overall development of the region.
He said there would not be any duplication between the new ministry and the Niger Delta Development Commis-sion (NDDC) as the latter will be a parastatal under the ministry.
“To make sure that the workload is given the necessary focus, two ministers are being proposed. One will be in charge of development of Niger Delta area whereby construction of roads, electricity, etc instead of being handled by ministry of works or power will now be aggregated in this new ministry for better focus, quick implementation to demonstrate the seriousness and commitment of this administration.
“The minister of state will take charge of youth empowerment because the Niger Delta has a twin problem of development of youth empowerment,” he said.
Similarly, the Ministry of Police Affairs has been restored to give necessary attention to the security imperatives of the nation within the ambit of the Seven-Point Agenda of the present regime.
“It is in line with the reform of the police as an institution and also because the police is the largest employer of labour in the public sector now. There are nearly 400,000 police officers and men, which must be given the necessary focus and attention,” Ahmed said.
The Ministry of Energy has also been broken into two ministries - the Ministry of Power to be manned by a substantive minister and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources with a minister and a minister of state.
Furthermore, the ministers in the Ministries of Education, Mines and Steel Development, Science and Technology have been reduced by one each.
Under the new arrangement, there will be 28 ministries and 42 ministers in all.
A committee that will determine the new mandates of the ministries, their roles and relationship is expected to be inaugurated today by the SGF.
The committee is also to come up within one week the actual structure in terms of the number of departments and parastatals in each ministry.
The review of the current structure, according to the SGF, is predicated on the need to streamline and strengthen the mechanism for service delivery without sacrificing the objectives of the Public Service Reforms carried out in the twilight of the last administration.
Ahmed said: “Under this new structure which is expected to engender greater flexibility, direction and focus, there will be 28 ministries and 42 ministers to cover the constitutional requirements for federal character while addressing the issues of equity and affirmative action.
“Other ministries in the new dispensation are Finance, Health, Justice, Commerce and Industry, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Information and Communications, Labour and Productivity, Youth Develop-ment, Women Affairs and Social Development, Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Interior and Federal Capital Territory Administration. The National Planning Commission and National Sports Commission retain the same structure.”
He said President Yar’Adua had directed all ministers to re-articulate the mandates of their ministries and departments in line with the requirements of the Seven-Point Agenda under the guidance of the SGF and Head of Service.
The next FEC meeting will hold on Wednesday September 24, to allow the President enough time for the implementation of the restructuring exercise.
The restructuring is part of efforts to fast-track and effectively co-ordinate the implementation of the Seven-Point Agenda of the President.
Yar’Adua had decorated the new service chiefs last Monday, his first official assignment after he returned from a two-week sojourn in Saudi Arabia performing the lesser hajj.
And moments after the ceremony, the former SGF, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, was sacked and replaced by Ahmed who was formerly Minister of Defence. guardian..."WILL THIS SOLVE THE ON GOING CRISIS IN NIGER DELTA"?....this is one question i would love to ask mr president.

EU gives terms for intervention in Nigeria energy crisis

Thursday, September 11, 2008

EU gives terms for intervention in Nigeria energy crisis
From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja

THE European Union (EU) yesterday gave conditions that must be met if Nigeria is to enjoy intervention in the energy sector from its member countries.

Among such conditions, according to the European Commissioner for Energy, Mr. Andris Piebalgs, is the establishment of a strong legal framework to protect reforms and investments in the sector.

Piebalgs, who is in Nigeria with his team to hold talks with government authorities and other stakeholders in connection with the Africa-EU Energy partnership, stressed that Nigeria is an important country for the European Union, especially since all the member countries are present in Nigeria.

During a chat with some newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, Piebalgs noted that Nigeria has a 580 Million Euros financing window under the European Development Fund (EDF). This, according to him, does not include country support from member states. He also canvassed Nigeria's support for the EU-Africa Energy Partnership programme.

However, Piebalgs noted that though Nigeria is aware of the enormous funding potentials from the EU, the country has never placed energy as a priority area for assistance in its bilateral relationship with EU.

He said: "Nigeria has never asked us for assistance in the area of energy. Rather, it had placed sanitation and institutional support, among others in its priority in its relationship with the EU. If Nigeria does, we will be glad to assist. We do not go into sectors that countries do not ask for assistance in.

"To be able to establish a working relationship with Nigeria in its electricity sector, we need to understand the reforms in the sector. We need to understand the privatisation plan for the electricity sector, the whole reforms, whether they can be sustained.

"We also need to get assurances that legal stability matters will be put in place for Nigeria to be able to access millions of Euros available for energy funding. For instance, how competitive is the electricity sector pricing, and how sustainable is the recently introduced reforms in that area?" the UN official added.

Answering questions on the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, he disagreed sharply with the cartel over its reactions to happenings in the international oil market.

Piebalgs explained: "I disagree with the policies of OPEC. Countries suffer from the problem that we suffer-volatility of prices. It is a nightmarish situation. The solution is not to cut production or increase production as the case may be. It should be a matter of allowing each country to produce to its capacity. It gives the wrong impression. These cuts and increases are not helpful. It is not good for anybody. The oil price is really high. Demand is strong and will always be there. Let's establish normal markets." guardian.

NEVER GO TO HR FOR HELP!!!

After 2yrs of selfless service, a man realized that he has not be promoted, no transfer, no salary increase, no commendation and that the company is not doing anything about it. So he decided to walk up to his HR manager one morning and after exchanging greetings, he told his HR manager his observation. The boss looking at him, laughed and asked him to sit down saying;"My friend, you have not worked here for even one day". The man was surprised to hear this, but the manager went on to explain.
Manager: How many days are there in a year?
Man: 365 days and some times 366.
Manager: How many hours make up a day?
Man: 24hours
Manager: How long do you work in a day?
Man: 8am to 5pm(1 hour break).i.e. 8 hours a day.
Manager: So what fraction of the day do you work in hrs?
Man: (He did some arithmetic and said 8/24hrs i.e. 1/3.
Manager: That is nice of you! what is one-third of 366 days?
Man: 122(1/3*366=122 in days).
Manager: Do you come to work on weekends?
Man: No sir.
Manager: How many days are there in a year that are weekends?
Man: 52 Saturdays and 52 Sundays equal to 104 days.
Manager: Thanks for that. If you remove 104 days from 122 days, how many days do you now have?
Man: 18 days.
Manager: Ok! I do give you 2 weeks sick leave every year. Now remove that 14days from the 18 days left. How many days do you have remaining?
Man: 4 days.
Manager: Do you work on New Year day?
Man: No sir!
Manager: So how many days are left?
Man: 3 days sir!
Manager: Do you come to work on the Independence Day?
Man: No sir!
Manager: So how many days are left?
Man: 2 days sir!
Manager: Do you work on Xmas Day?
Man: No sir!
Manager: So how many days are left?
Man: 1 day sir!
Manager: Do you come on Boxing Day?
Man: No sir!
Manager: Let's even forget all the other public holiday. So how many days are left?
Man: None sir!
Manager: So, what are you claiming?
Man: I have understood, sir I did not realize that I was stealing company money all these days.
Moral: NEVER GO TO HR FOR HELP!!!
HR- HIGH RISK.

DON'T SPY ON YOUR GUY

A couple was invited to a masked costume Halloween
party. The wife got a terrible headache and told her husband to go to
the party alone.

He, being a devoted husband, protested, but she argued
and said she was going to take some aspirin and go to bed, and there
was no need for his good time to be spoiled by not going. So he took
his Batman costume and away he went.

The wife, after sleeping soundly for about an hour,
awakened without pain, and, as it was still early, decided to go to
the party.

In as much as her husband did not know what her
costume was, she thought she would have some fun by watching her
husband to see how he acted when she was not with him.
She put on a Goldilocks costume.

So she joined the party and soon spotted her husband
cavorting around on the dance floor, dancing with every nice chick he
cuddle and copping a little feel here and a little kiss there.

His wife went up to him and being a rather seductive
babe herself, he left his new partner high and dry and devoted his
time to her.

She let him go as far as he wished, naturally, since
he was her husband. After some more to drink he finally whispered a
little proposition in her ear and she agreed, so off they went to one
of the cars and had a quickie in the back seat.

Just before unmasking at midnight, she slipped away
and went home and put her costume away and got into
bed, wondering what kind of explanation he would make
up for his outrageous behavior.

She was sitting up reading when he came in, so she
asked what kind of time he had.
"Oh, the same old thing. You know I never have a
good time when you're not there."

Then she asked, "Did you dance much?"

He replied, "I'll tell you, I never even
danced one dance. When I got there, I met Pete, Bill Brown and some
other guys, so we went into the spare room and played poker all
evening."

"You must have looked really silly wearing that
Batman costume playing poker all night!" she said with unashamed
sarcasm.

To which the husband replied, "Actually, I gave
my Batman costume to your Dad. Apparently he had a whale of a time.

He told me he got lucky with a hottie in a Goldilocks outfit"

Haaaa!

SOFTWARE CAUSED LONDON EXCHANGE FAILURE

The London Stock Exchange has said a computer software glitch was the reason trading was paralyzed on Monday. Traders could not connect to the LSE’s system for nearly seven hours, wiping out most of the day’s trading. Business resumed on Tuesday and without incident, but the Exchange missed out on what could have been one of its busiest days of the year. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation News it came at a time when the LSE was facing increasing competition from new rival exchanges. A spokeswoman for the LSE said the problem had now been fixed. She denied that the problem had been related to the high volume of trading first thing in the morning. Strong trading had been predicted for London and other European markets on Monday after the United States government stepped in to rescue troubled mortgage firms, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, over the weekend. Since new European Union rules came in last year, the LSE no longer has a monopoly on share trading and new rivals have sprung up. One of their competitors, Chi-X, said the incident highlighted that the system needed a “root and branch change”, with trading prices taken from a variety of sources. Its Chief Executive, Mr. Peter Randall said, “We have newer software and more modern technology and offer real time market data for free.” Punch

Nigerian housemate having a nice time.

It seems that the Nigerian housemate is having a good time in the house. When BBA 3 started Uti was a little bit quite and some how boring. If one was asked to be the judge of who would take the cash home, you would have voted for Mimi, Rico or the SA housemate Thami.

Now things have changed and Uti is becoming more popular. He seem to be getting on well with the other housemates, he is creative, does not talk too much, he respects the other housemates, he apologized to Lucille and above all the Nigerian does not sleep around with any girl.

He seems not to be in a hurry when it comes to the relationships matters. He takes time to study events in the house and then takes the action. Although Biggie is still young, right now if biggie came to an end bet me the cash would go to Nigeria.

Kingibe hands over, says ‘I knew I would vacate SGF office one day’

Former Secretary to the Government of Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe
Speaking while handing over to his successor, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, in Abuja, Kingibe said the pictures of his predecessors in his former office served as constant reminders that no position was permanent.

He said, “Every morning that I entered into my office, I looked up at the 14 pictures of my illustrious predecessors hanging on the walls.

“ The pictures of (these) men…all serve as daily reminders that one day, God’s appointed time will come for everyone to leave office. The time for me is now.”

The ex-SGF, who also served notice of his intention to return to active politics, said like Ahmed, he had personal loyalty to the nation and to the President.

He said, “I do not have capital to buy a farm or own a farm. I will continue to do what I know best: mobilising people of goodwill behind our national endeavour to make sure that this country fulfils the promise of greatness through President Yar’Adua.”

Turning to the new SGF, he said, “As you know, it was Yar’Adua alone who took the decision to appoint me. This singular consideration was always uppermost in my mind in all my actions and will abide with me always.”

He described Ahmed as a worthier and more meritorious successor.

“I know your experience, capabilities, dedication to duty and tenacity in the pursuit of set goals,” he the former SGF said.

‘These qualities and those of patriotism, love, and personal loyalty to the President which we both share, have more than well prepared you for this office and the onerous responsibilities that go with it,” he added.

Responding, Ahmed described the handover as emotional.

“Never in my life have I come to an assignment as difficult and emotional like this,” he sdaid.

He said as a brother, he would continue to tap into Kingibe’s wisdom.

The new SGF, who until his appointment was the Minister of Defence, promised to serve the Yar’Adua administration to the best of his ability.

Kingibe was removed on Monday by Yar’Adua shortly after his return from Saudi Arabia. punch ng.

GENEVIEVE NNAJI

She is the stuff of which legends are made. A strong woman who, against all odds rose to become a dazzling success that fiction loving individuals get to read about in Jackie Collins or Barbara Taylor- Bradford novels. But her story is for real. Genevieve Nnaji is undoubtedly, Nollywood's most dazzling diamond yet.

Nollywood, the pet name for the Nigerian motion picture industry, has captured global fascination and is touted as being the third largest movie producing country after America's Hollywood and India's Bollywood, respectively. Nollywood has more fans outside, spread across Africa and other parts of the world than in Nigeria itself. It is in this buoyant industry that a home video is hardly produced without Nnaji on the cast list. She has acted major roles in nearly 200 home videos. Her earnings from a home movie is reportedly in six digits. She lives in the posh Ajah district in Lagos. And she moves about in the latest sleek cars. She has become not just a star but, a super star.

Her status received the mega star title when in addition to acting she released a musical album. Titled Hot Stuff, the album was first released in Ghana before its subsequent release in Sierra Leone. Her first musical performance in Sierra Leone took place at Old School Entertainment Complex at Abereen, west of the capital Freetown, on May 6 and at the National Stadium Lagos on May 7. She appeared at the event alongside Mohamed Kallon, Sierra Leonean international striker. Kallon remarked that Genevieve's album is a delightful blend of Afro beat and western lyrics. At the initial launch of the album in Ghana, different groups jostled for hosting the show with some of them offering 12,000 dollars for it.

Her super stardom was consolidated recently. Unilever, the international conglomerate, recently appointed her as the new face of Lux, a toilet soap. Her appearance in the television advertisement confirmed her star status; she was the star any young girl would aspire to be. Apart from the television advertisements, she also featured in the billboards advertisements.

Popularly called 'Genny' by her friends, Nnaji was born in 1979 to an engineer father and a mother who was a teacher. She attended Girls Secondary School Akwakuma, Owerri, Imo State. It was while in secondary school that she exhibited her artistic bent. Contrary to earlier protestations, she refused to forgo her fantasy of becoming a film star.

In order to actualise her dreams and not just fantasise about it, she left for Lagos. Initially, the roles were not forthcoming. But, she started with minor roles in Palace and Broad Street, two television soap operas. This opened the door for roles in Nollywood productions like Most Wanted, Agony, The Only Nigerian Girl, Camouflage, Fire Dancer, Mark of the Beast and so on. From her scintillating performance in these movies, her rating and popularity soared. She has been hailed as Nigerian Halle Berry and Africa's Janet Jackson.

Fans are already gearing up to witness her transition to Hollywood. Her innocent natural looks, petite figure and charisma in addition to her ability to let characters come to her easily brand her as Hollywood stuff! However, Nnaji is lukewarm about that. "Of course, it's not easy climbing up the ladder in Hollywood … Will I be able to cope with their professional standards? Will I be able to cope with the beauty rave and madness of Hollywood? Will I do my nose, do my chin, have breasts implant or enlarge my lips? Hmmm, questions that need answers!," she said. Completely assured of her abilities, she rather thought it is Hollywood that should be priming itself for her. She said, "the GOD I serve does not sleep... if He wills it, I will go to Hollywood and if He lets me get there, it's to make an African statement with my African-ness. The question should be "IS HOLLYWOOD READY FOR GENEVIEVE?"

Her characteristic bluntness on issues makes her unpopular with some people who mistake it for arrogance. But she takes such comments in her stride.

Rather, she takes solace in youngsters looking up to her. Her story gives many aspiring youngsters out there a chance to believe that they can also become what they want to become. It is no surprise she has got a lot of youngsters considering a career in the movies. She personifies everything they want to achieve in the movie business; she is beautiful, she is talented, she is famous and shooting upward every minute like the proverbial northern star. Everyone dreams of shinig like a star. The star today is Genevieve Nnaji.I LIKE THIS CHARMING LADY....DONT YOU?

OIL PRICES RISE ON HURRICANE FEAR

Oil prices rose on Monday on fears that Hurricane Ike would disrupt oil production in the Gulf of Mexico. United States (U.S.) light, sweet crude climbed $1.41 to $107.64, and London Brent crude gained $1.19 to $105.28 in early trading. Prices also rebounded on hopes that the U.S. government's rescue of mortgage firms Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae would prevent a further economic slide. Traders were also awaiting a decision on production from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). OPEC is expected to hold current production levels at a meeting in Vienna on Tuesday. "I don't believe there is any possibility we will change production levels," said Ecuador's oil minister Galo Chiriboga on Sunday. However, there has been growing speculation that some members such as Venezuela might want to lower output. Saudi Arabia, OPEC's most powerful member, is yet to comment. Oil prices had been falling over the last week. On Friday, the price in New York reached $106.23 a barrel, its lowest level in five months. Some analysts expect prices to continue to rise, with a number of rigs in the Gulf of Mexico under threat from Hurricane Ike. The rigs produce some 25 per cent of U.S. oil output and supply about 15 per cent of its natural gas. On Sunday, Hurricane Ike weakened slightly as it approached Cuba. However, U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency officials predicted it would gain strength as it entered the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, prices also reacted to the news that the U.S. government would bail-out mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. There had been worries that, were the problems affecting the U.S. mortgage market to worsen significantly, U.S. consumers would face an additional financial burden on top of rising of food and energy costs. This would have caused them to tighten their belts, reducing demand for oil from motorists, transport firms and factories. Guardian, p. 23.

NIGERIA,EU OFFICIALS TO HOLD TALKS ON ENERGY

Two European Union Commissioners are due in Nigeria this week to hold talks with Federal Government officials on the EU/Nigeria energy relations. Besides, the visitors-EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Mr. Louis Michel, and his Energy counterpart, Mr. Andris Piebalgs- are expected to hold talks with officials of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other stakeholders on a number of issues of mutual concern, especially the Africa-EU Energy Partnership. Charge d'Affairs of the Delegation of the European