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Nigerians have been charged with keeping hope alive by praying ceaselessly for the present hardships and violent crimes weighing the country down to come to an end in the new year.

This charge was given by Pastor Opeyemi Ajayi.

''Nigerians should continue to pray ceaselessly for an end to the present hardships and spate of killings, ritual killings, armed robberies, rape and other violent crimes in the new year. The challenges Nigerians are passing through today will soon be over. It is a matter of time and at the end of it all we shall have cause to rejoice and be happy. Nigerians should be optimistic that the new year will bring good tidings,'' Pastor Ajayi stated.

Similarly, labor leaders in Nigeria have been castigated for keeping mute in the face of the hardships being experienced, particularly by workers and generally by Nigerians.

This castigation was given by a former chairman of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''We protested to demand that the labor movement should wake up from their slumber because we believe that the leaders of the Nigeria Labor Congress and Trade Union Congress are in a deep sleep and it is as if the labor movement in Nigeria is in a state of coma. Why can the labor leaders keep quiet in the face of the fuel crisis and the sky-rocket costs of living? Nigerians are suffering, our sufferings are no longer in silence. We are protesting the general hardships confronting Nigerians; their incomes are static while the prices of goods and services have gone beyond their reach,'' Comrade Emelieze concluded.

When confronted with difficult and hard times, stiff challenges and major disappointments, identify and hold on to those who offer encouragement and hope, if at all, they are brothers, sisters or friends.

Galatians 6 : 1-5

''1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden.''

For Further Information, Contact: Assistant U. S. Attorney Mark Conover (619) 546-6763  Honolulu, Hawaii – Edmond Abordo of Honolulu was arrested by the FBI today in connection with a federal grand jury indictment charging that he forged the signature of a federal judge in order to trick a woman into paying him thousands of dollars for bogus legal services. According to the indictment, Abordo used the forged signature and a federal court seal to create a phony court order, which he then used to prove to the victim that he’d pulled her Ewa Beach, Hawaii, home out of foreclosure. Abordo allegedly claimed to be a legal expert, which he was not. The case was initiated when the Clerk's Office of the District Court, District of Hawaii learned of the forged court order containing the signature and seal of U.S. Chief District Judge Derrick K. Watson. The FBI began investigating. The indictment alleges that Abordo first met the elderly victim in late 2017 and described himself to her as a “non-licensed attorney” who could help her prevent foreclosure. Abordo, who is not a lawyer and has no legal training, claimed that he had expertise on several legal subjects, including mortgages and adverse possession. He convinced the victim to file a federal lawsuit challenging foreclosure of her home. Nearly each time that Abordo met with the victim, he demanded a cash payment of $1,000 to $3,000 dollars. Abordo ultimately convinced the victim that the federal judge assigned to the lawsuit had awarded her possession of her home, the indictment said Abordo stated that he would not give her the court order until she paid him additional money. In reality, the victim’s home had been lost to foreclosure and the federal lawsuit had been dismissed months earlier. The victim, believing Abordo had a real court order, paid him thousands of dollars in exchange for the forged court order. The forged court order was a two-page document dated June 26, 2019 and titled “Order Granting Plaintiff’s Motion For Adverse Possession Pursuant HRS § 657-31.5 Adverse Possession and 43 U.S. Code § 1068 Lands Held in Adverse Possession.” The document contained the caption of the federal lawsuit as well as the purported signature of U.S. District Judge Watson, and the seal of the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. Abordo assured the victim that the forged court order was a genuine court document and that the judge’s signature on the forged order was genuine, and that the forged court order gave legal possession of the Ewa Beach property to the victim. In reality, and as Abordo then well knew, the forged court order was not genuine, was never issued or signed by the judge, and did not confer any property rights to the victim. “We will always act to protect the integrity of the court and seek justice for victims of fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman of the Southern District of California. Grossman applauded the work of the prosecution team and the FBI in this matter. “Trust in our court system is paramount to our society,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “When individuals forge court documents and victimize our kupuna, the FBI will aggressively pursue those individuals to maintain the public’s confidence in the court system and protect the vulnerable.” Abordo was arraigned on the indictment by U.S. Magistrate Judge Kendal Newman and entered a plea of not guilty. Judge Newman detained Abordo temporarily and ordered him to appear before U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill on January 19, 2023, at 9 a.m. for a motion hearing. *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. DEFENDANT Edmund Abordo 67 Honolulu, HI SUMMARY OF CHARGES 18 U.S.C. § 1343, Wire Fraud Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison, $250,000 fine, forfeiture and restitution 18 U.S.C. § 505, Forgery Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine, forfeiture and restitution 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1), Aggravated Identity Theft Maximum Penalty: Two years consecutive to underlying count   AGENCIES Federal Bureau of Investigation *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source-FBI

The Gubernatorial candidate of the National Rescue Movement(NRM)in Oyo state, Dr. Raymond Adegboyega has declared that the lingering fuel scarcity shows that Nigeria lacks responsive and responsible governments at all levels. Dr. Adegboyega made this declaration on Thursday in a chat in Ibadan, Nigeria.

''Different petrol stations are sold at different prices, some people are creating bottlenecks and benefitting from the scarcity. They have brought Nigerians hardships. We don't have responsive and responsible governments at all levels. If the government wants to increase the price of petrol, there is a way to do it. I foresee the government increasing the price of petrol. The government does not care. This may result in crises before the elections. It is a bad omen,'' he stated.

During remarks at the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit today, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced that the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) signed an agreement to establish guidelines to provide for the effective and efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country. This is the first update since the early 1990s to a memorandum of understanding between the agencies. The announcement is being discussed during a panel featuring Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta at the Summit. The Summit provides an opportunity for Administration and Tribal leaders from the 574 federally recognized Tribes to discuss ways the federal government can invest in and strengthen nation-to-nation relationships as well as ensure that progress in Indian Country endures for years to come. “This agreement is a crucial step to advancing public safety for American Indian and Alaska Native communities,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with the Department of the Interior to investigate Indian Country crimes, including reports of missing or murdered Indigenous people, quickly, effectively and respectfully. We are grateful to the Tribes that provided input into this new policy.”   “The FBI is committed to ongoing and continued collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Affairs,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI has a crucial role in successfully addressing matters in the nation’s Indian Country communities and this updated MOU affirms our dedication to the mission of protecting all Americans. The FBI will not waver in its support of our Tribal law enforcement agency partners and our coordination with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.” “Interagency coordination is absolutely critical given the complexities of jurisdiction in Tribal communities. This agreement supports an all-of-government approach to addressing federal responsibilities and Tribal needs in Indian Country,” said Assistant Secretary Bryan Newland for Indian Affairs. “All federal agencies share a treaty and trust responsibility to protect Tribal sovereignty and revitalize Tribal communities. This partnership will further support our efforts to keep Native people safe in their homes and communities.” Under the agreement, the BIA Office of Justice Services and the FBI will cooperate on investigations and share information and investigative reports. The agencies will also establish written guidelines outlining jurisdiction and investigative roles and responsibilities for investigators from the BIA, FBI and Tribal law enforcement agencies. The agreement also requires that all BIA, FBI and Tribal law enforcement officers receive training regarding trauma-informed, culturally responsive investigative approaches. This agreement will support the unified response to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis, and the Missing and Murdered Unit launched by Secretary Haaland. It defines responsibilities for FBI, BIA and Tribal investigators to ensure that missing person cases are entered into the National Crime Information Center, National Incident-Based Reporting System and other appropriate federal criminal databases, and that DNA is submitted to the National Missing Person DNA Database when appropriate and available. The agreement also specifies that the FBI will take an initial primary role in the investigation of any BIA or Tribal law enforcement officer-involved shootings and in-custody death incidents. The BIA will concurrently conduct separate internal administrative investigations of any BIA or Tribal law enforcement officer-involved shootings and in-custody death incidents. The mission of the BIA Office of Justice Services is to uphold Tribal sovereignty and provide for the safety of Indian communities by ensuring the protection of life and property, enforcing laws, maintaining justice and order, and by ensuring sentenced American Indian offenders are confined in safe, secure, and humane environments. Ensuring public safety and justice is arguably the most fundamental of government services provided in Tribal communities.

Source-FBI

The lingering fuel scarcity in Nigeria has brought about untold hardships on Nigerians.

This assertion was made by the chairman of the National Union of Allied Health Professionals(NUAHP), Oyo state council, who doubles as the chairman of the University College Hospital(UCH) branch of the union, Comrade Oladayo Olabampe.

''Our leaders have brought untold hardships on us. People are suffering. We Nigerians are known to be rugged people and whatever our leaders throw at us, we find a way of maneuvering and coping. So we are coping. The filling stations are selling the Petroleum Motor Spirit(PMS) at very high prices and there are also those selling kegs along the road, the black market, for those who can afford them. People spend as long as a whole day in petrol stations just to get fuel. We should not forget about those who don't have cars and rely on public transport. The transport fares have gone up beyond their reach.''

''Nigerians are paying because they have no choice, while others who cannot afford the very high transport fares have resorted to trekking long distances to their destinations. The last fuel scarcity was attributed to flooding, but now that the scarcity persists, no reason has been given for it.''

Comrade Olabampe lamented that the issue of subsidy removal ''seems to be like a mustache that you remove and later grows again.''

He noted that Nigerians no longer asked questions, saying,'' the more you look the less you see. Only God knows where we are heading to. If care is not taken, workers will revolt. Everything is on the high side and salaries are still where they were years back. What Nigerians want is the improvement of the economy. We want to see improvement in the economy, otherwise workers will revolt.'' 

Similarly, the chairman of the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Riders And Owners Association(ACOMORAN), Comrade Solomon Oulgbode described the increase in the price of PMS as wicked, saying, ''the increment in the fuel price for whatever reason is wicked, it is not a masses friendly policy, especially this time when the festival period is fast approaching, people are going through a lot of stress. The cost of fuel, which hovers around N185.00, N280.00 and N300.00, this has affected the rate at which passengers are conveyed to their destinations. People spend a reasonable part of their time searching for fuel. The high cost of motorcycles and instalmental payments have made life unbearable for both transporters and commuters. This should be a lesson for us. We cannot continue this way in 2023. We should carefully look at those we want to be voted into office.''

Seek the mercy, grace nd wisdom of God to achieve your spiritual potential and triumph in all spheres of human endeavor.

Matthew 7 : 7-11

''Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?''

The Oyo state government recently announced the derecognition of 50 secondary schools in the state for examination malpractices. 26 of the schools are government owned while 24 are privately owned. The Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke in this piece expresses his views on the development.

Excerpt:

Examination calls for a process of strict invigilation and supervision underlined by the highest level of discipline to protect the integrity of the alumni of every school. The desire of parents to have their children in a choice of professions and universities, the pressure on children to pursue courses in which they have no aptitude, pressure on teachers who want to gain favor, overcrowded sitting arrangements, parental upbringing, peer group effects, mushroom schools promising good results among others all contribute to examination malpractices. These fundamental causative factors need to be addressed properly by stakeholders-parents, teachers, counselors and the media. If sensitization on the need to instill discipline in the conduct of examinations had been thorough, the shameful act would not have been so embarrassingly great. However, the truth of the matter is that mushroom private schools are endangering the quality of education in Oyo state. They go into partnership with registered schools to register WAEC candidates for examinations without thoroughly taking care of the needs of the students, rather they promise them assistance while writing examinations. Such schools end up indicting the host school that accommodated their students through their inappropriate measures to make their students pass WAEC conducted examinations and other examinations. Another area of serious concern which WAEC itself needs to tidy up is that these students are able to observe examination malpractices through their unholy association with business centers and web operators who sell WAEC questions and answers online with payments via transfers and recharge cards to have access to such questions and answers online. Host schools taking care of candidates from unregistered schools for WAEC or NECO take the risk of indictment because these schools adorn the uniforms of the accredited schools that have accommodated their students to write their WAEC examinations in their schools, giving no room for excuses that perpetrators of the malpractices are not students of the accredited schools, were the examinations were written. School authorities of accredited schools should learn a lot of lessons from this sad experience by putting in place compliance with the rules and regulations guiding education,-WAEC and others. Unregistered schools and those that are registered ones need to cooperate with the Ministry of Education, the government and WAEC on the guiding rules for conducting worthwhile, fraud-free examinations by sensitizing the teachers,students and members of the public on the implications, consequences and penalties. Generally, there is the need to note that leakages of WAEC questions and answers online usually takes place when school authorities connive and through online links share among students in the examinations. The prohibitive amount charged as fines is enough deterrent for offending schools. This should be a lesson for others who are yet to be detected. In the course of building, our nation we must all recognize with passion that the effect of examination malpractices on national development has always been very negative. This is visible in the quality of the educational manpower the country has produced while the educational system strives to inculcate a high level of discipline, diligence, morale and love for others. A country that has become notorious for examination malpractices loses credibility, as evident in the value of the certificates outside Nigeria. Individuals through fraudulent means in educational pursuit are likely to face on-the-job challenges of dismissal, termination, lose of positions, lack of self-confidence and eventual suffering and embarrassment. Products of examination malpractices offer the nation, prevalent bank failures, budiling collapses, economic sabotage vandalizm, kidnapping for ritual and ransome, drug trafficking, fak drug manufacturing and sales! Are these not practical effects of moral decadence emanating from examination malpractices? The fight against corruption will only be realized if examination malpractices are curtailed. Future leaders equipped with a system characterized by academic fraud and dishonesty would certainly manifest questionable behavior in any organization they find themselves. Those who passed examinations by cheating would cheat to get employed, have spouses and even to win elections through electoral violence or their sharp practices. Finally, we must realize that education is a right according to the United Nations Children's Fund(UNICEF). The government must, therefore, realize that education is the bedrock of every society for appropriate development. Let us all do the needful.