Welcome To Osamudiame Erhabor's Blog.

An Essay for Nigeria... Written by Akachukwu Odera Macfoy @oddymacfoy

2012-10-01T05:12:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 52^nd independence celebration of the motherland Nigeria, some say that it should be a day of sober celebration while others are of the opinion that as a nation we should count our blessings and carry on in total backwardness as we move forward.

For me I believe that as a Nigerian I am born of a great heritage free born and not a slave to a society created by capitalists and so I walk with my head up high though the lows at the moment outweigh the achievements still there is hope.

A century is a hundred years and we have reached the middle and are crossing over to the second half. I believe in the word of scripture that says and I paraphrase “better is the end of a matter than the beginning thereof” the nation shall and I quote “shall get better with age”.

It is not enough to be a wishful thinker, but It also takes a lot of courage to believe and hold a strong conviction to a certain belief, as a people we have come to know thirteen years of undisturbed democracy a first for our nation, we have had a few credible men in positions of power but still all of these are masked and overshadowed by the fact that we have a flawed system, a failed process which has been perfected over time.

Satisfaction can never be achieved by selective acceptance of law and rules, a transition must now be made into the new light for the age of darkness is at its End. “My fellow Nigerians” we are the problem and the solution, the key and also the door, the beginning and also the destiny to our desired end.

It is time to stop childish things and give up its ways for all must now come to see that destruction lies at the end of this tunnel, we must now sail gracefully with our flag hosted at full mast showing our proud colors of Green, White and Green as we hold dear to Our mother land, for a child must provide for its biological mother and so we Nigerians must do same for her.

She has given us Oil, fertile land, minerals and natural gas, she has provides us with diverse beauty of natural form and so it would be wicked for anyone to say “what has my Country done for me?” no parent is perfect but she is excellent for she protects her own.

It is time to stand up, time to take control of the roles set before us all. The battle is for the strong and not the weak hearted.

Happy birthday Mother, your son still has faith in you. “GOD BLESS NIGERIA”

CNN World Sports sits down with the Special One.

2012-09-30T03:35:00.002-07:00

If there is one man in the world of football who polarizes opinions, then that man is Jose Mourinho.

Ever since running down the touchline at Old Trafford during a memorable UEFA Champions League game for FC Porto, the Portuguese coach has reveled in being in the public eye.

Over the years, his brash and bold style on and off the pitch has made him many friends and quite a few enemies as well.

Love him or hate him, one thing is clear; you cannot ignore him. And you cannot ignore the fact he is a winner.

The 49 year-old has picked up a grand total of 20 trophies with Porto, Chelsea, Internazionale and Real Madrid and he has done it in style.

On the way, he shattered records for victories, goals, and press conference attendances. And you can be sure that Mourinho is a gift that will keep on giving.

As I prepared to interview “The Special One” or “The Unique One” or whatever you want to call him, it became apparent to me this may be the season he will have to be at his best in order to live up to expectations at Real Madrid.

Let’s face it, the campaign at the Bernabeu started poorly which means there is margin for error. Eight points behind Barcelona in the league and competing with three other European heavyweights in the Champions League’s “Group of Death”, every game is a must-win for Jose and Los Blancos.

As if there wasn’t enough pressure on the coach’s shoulders, he has also had to deal with a personal crisis affecting his best player.

Cristiano Ronaldo sent shockwaves through the world of football when he revealed he was unhappy at Real Madrid.

Furthermore, it seems he has a little bit of a dressing room rift to deal with. It is becoming clearer and clearer there is a certain amount of friction in the side between the Spanish players and the foreigners.

Why? There are a variety of reasons. According to what I have heard, it seems the Portuguese and South American contingent feel Ronaldo should be more influential in the team and become one of the captains, while the Spanish players think the likes of Alvaro Arbeloa, Raul Albiol and even Sergio Ramos should get more respect.

What does this all mean? Well, right now, Mourinho is dealing with quite an explosive situation. The victory over Manchester City diffused some of the tension, but if Real lose to Barcelona in 10 days time; all of the problems will bubble to the surface once again.

What you need to realize is that Real Madrid, politically, is one of the toughest teams to manage, especially if you are not Spanish.

There are many people in Spain who want to see Mourinho fail and that means every time the team fails to deliver the goods, he is blamed.

So can he deliver an elusive 10th European Cup to the Bernabeu? Is Ronaldo going to be happy? How long will he want to stay in Madrid? All questions I will be asking him this week. Send along yours as well if you like.

After the interview is done, and it airs on CNN, I am sure people will judge him once more. But hey, he doesn’t seem to mind the attention, does he?

Can Nigeria Save Blackberry???

2012-09-29T11:22:00.001-07:00

So this was an interview conducted in Lagos, Nigeria. And they said owning a (BB) as we call it in naija, means one has arrived... mscheew. You guys should sha watch and post your comments.

Patience Jonathan Battling Parkinson's Disease??

2012-09-28T11:18:00.001-07:00

Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan, is battling an onset of Parkinson’s disease that has complicated her recovery from a surgical procedure in Germany, several reliable sources have disclosed to SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters broke the news that Mrs. Jonathan was flown to a hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany close to a month ago to undergo emergency treatment after a botched procedure in Dubai.In interviews with three sources familiar with Mrs. Jonathan’s health status, SaharaReporters learnt that the Nigerian president’s wife is beset by Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative syndrome. The disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system. A medical source described it as “a fairly common disorder that occasions degeneration of the nervous system.” The source added that the disease leads to “progressive impairment and disorder of movement.” An online medical site notes that Parkinson’s “is characterized by progressive loss of muscle control, which leads to trembling of the limbs and head while at rest, stiffness, slowness, and impaired balance. As symptoms worsen, it may become difficult to walk, talk, and complete simple tasks.”

The bombshell revelation about the First Lady’s medical woes was first made by a source familiar with Mrs. Jonathan’s previous secret treatments in Spain and Italy. The source disclosed that Mrs. Jonathan had battled Parkinson’s for some years now. In addition, doctors had advised her to “do something urgent about her morbid body mass index (BMI),” said the source. She added that Mrs. Jonathan had indeed considered undergoing the kind of tummy tuck procedure that former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha once had.
Two other sources close to the Jonathans confirmed that the First Lady has been dogged by Parkinson’s. One said the disease was largely responsible for her clumsiness, drawling speech and slow movement at public events. He added that Mrs. Jonathan has been suffering serious trembling in the left hand. “That’s why she always uses her right to hold the microphone when speaking at public events,” the source revealed. Mrs. Jonathan also reportedly is affected by stiffness of the limbs and trunk which affects her movement.
A news staffer at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) told SaharaReporters that Mrs. Jonathan’s aides warned reporters covering her never to film her beyond her waist. “Her senior personal assistant told the crew covering her long ago: ‘Don’t ever film Madam’s waist. Show her face only.’ That’s been the code at NTA.”

Two of our sources stated that Mrs. Jonathan had made efforts to slow the disease that had started to ravage her. “She has been visiting a health farm in Italy on a regular basis since 2010,” one source revealed. “To alleviate her pain, she has been taking her medication religiously.”

A friend of Mrs. Jonathan’s said that the First Lady’s health maladies include anxiety, occasional memory loss and disorientation. In addition, her blood pressure often rises to dangerous levels, forcing her to take a cocktail of anti-hypertensive drugs.

Also, our sources said that some officials attached to the First Lady’s office described her as constantly depressed, prone to snapping at people at the slightest provocation. “The First Lady can just get angry at the slightest provocation and rain abuses at anybody in sight,” he said.

As happened during the health crisis of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the Nigerian Presidency’s reaction to Mrs. Jonathan’s health condition is to be mum. When SaharaReporters contacted a senior aide of President Jonathan on the matter of the First Lady’s illness, he sharply said, “I’m not saying anything. And please don’t mention that you spoke to me.” SaharaReporters learnt that officials of the Presidency are under a virtual oath of secrecy on the issue of Mrs. Jonathan’s health crisis.

NEW VIDEO!!!! Davido All of You

2012-09-28T09:42:00.001-07:00

Wondering who exactly he meant by "all of you"

‘Police killed my son, I want justice’

2012-09-28T09:19:00.005-07:00

Mrs. Chinwe Ozuah, the mother of Ugochukwu Ozuah, the man who was allegedly killed by policemen five days after his wedding, on Thursday in Lagos said the police should be held responsible for her son’s death.

Chinwe, who held back tears, recalled that she saw her son a day before the incident, lamenting that she did not know that was the last time she would see him.

She said, “The police killed my son and all I want for him is justice. The last time I saw him was last Wednesday and we spoke. He made so many promises to me but unfortunately he was killed.

Family members of the 36-year-old man have again berated the police for the alleged murder and insensitivity.

Ugochukwu’s family berated the police not only for the alleged murder but also for their inability to carry out proper investigation.

In view of this, the family expressed concern that the police might eventually cover up the case.

The deceased’s friend, Irikefe Omene, who was with the slain man, had told PUNCH Metro that Özuah was killed by policemen around UPS on Oworonsoki Expressway on September 20, 2012.

But the police denied the allegation immediately, attributing the incident to armed robbery.

The deceased’s elder sister, Nkechi Nnoyelu, berated the Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, for insensitivity.

She said, “The only son of the family has been killed and yet the police still remain insensitive. The PPRO, who has been granting press interviews, never even deemed it fit to condole with the family.

“The police are saying that my brother was attacked by armed robbers but his phones were not stolen, he had money in his wallet which was untouched and yet they call it a robbery.

“It baffles me that the police, were on the scene but they did not even attempt to take him to hospital or give any kind of care, they were all watching.”

Nkechi said denial by the police that Omene did not write any statement at the police station was an indication that their investigation would be shoddy.

Meanwhile, condolence register had been opened in honour of the slain man.

The deceased’s widow, Joan, sat mute on a chair when our correspondent visited Ozuah’s residence.

As at the time our correspondent left the home, nearly 80 condolence messages had been written in his honour.

Mrs. Ije Ekobay wrote, “Ugo, I just saw your smiling face two days ago. The devil is a liar! Death has neither say over you nor victory over you. May your sweet soul rest in perfect peace.”

Another friend, Tosin Adesina, wrote, “Brother, it was wonderful knowing you. You were a gentleman, intelligent, confident, generous, patient and very driven. I celebrate your life with a lot of pain in my heart.”

Perhaps, one of the most emotion-laden comments was written by Ugochukwu’s niece, Nina Ndu-Nwogu.

It reads, “Dear uncle Ugo, you were there even when I was in the womb and now you’re gone. I was the flower girl at your wedding and those memories I will cherish forever. When I heard of your departure, I believed you’re in a deep sleep and God needed the help of more angels so he called on you. You will always be in my heart. I will always love you.”

Ukomadu Gabriel wrote, “Oh not again. Another casualty of Nigeria Police Force. You were a quiet and lovely fellow. One would not have imagined this sort of incident. God knows it all, rest in peace.”

Our correspondent learnt that various human rights groups, including the Office of the Public Defender of the Ministry of Justice, had started working on the matter to ensure that police did not cover up.

Nkechi, who decried the rising cases of extra-judicial killings, said a foundation would be set up in honour of Ozuah.

She said, “I want a foundation set up in honour of my brother to help families of victims of police killing.

“Ugo used to be called, mummy’s handbag. Even when my dad was alive, he was too close to my mum. Even though he was my younger brother, he was our father.”

IG orders FCID to investigate murder

Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, has constituted a team from the Federal Criminal Investigation Department to immediately take-over the investigation of the murder from the Lagos State Police Command, with the mandate to identify and fish out the killer(s).

A statement by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba in Abuja on Thursday, explained that the IG’s decision was informed by the need to maintain “neutrality, professionalism, speedy and holistic dispensation of justice.”

While commiserating with the family, friends and relations of the deceased, the police re-assured the nation that they would ensure that the perpetrators of the crime were unmasked and brought to book.

The statement quoted Abubakar as appealing to members of the public, especially those who might have witnessed the crime, to come forward with useful information.

He said such information could be sent to policemonitor@npf.gov.ng.

The IG promised that the team would release dedicated phone lines for purposes of interaction with members of the public, as soon as they arrived in Lagos.

Abubakar appealed for calm, patience, understanding and support, while efforts are being intensified to unravel the crime.

“The IG also used this medium to dispel rumours making rounds, especially on the social media that he had earlier made a definite statement concerning the incident,” the statement added.