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  • Contributory Pensions- Future with PFAs Bleak-Public and Civil Servants

    Value 1Workers in the University College Hospital(UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria, and other Federal Government institutions have expressed reservations over the attitude of Pensions Funds Administrators(PFAs). 

    The workers, whose names are withheld, to avoid victimization stated,

    '' The Pensions Funds Administrators have not lived up to expectations. In the first few months of their operations, all went well, but afterward, it has been one complaint or the other. The future is bleak with the PFAs.'' Interestingly, in his reaction, the chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union(NASU), University Colege Hospital(UCH), Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria, Comrade Kehinde Abiona disclosed that his union paid for data recapture for its members by the Pension Commission(PenCom). ''We wrote to the PenCom and they wanted details of our members, and for the purpose it licensed agents. We paid these agents for data recapture, it was for just two days. PFAs did not do this. They are not forthcoming.''

    ''As salaries are paid the PFAs go to offices appealing to our newly employed workers to open accounts with them, as soon as an account is opened by an employee, the PFAs generate Pension Enumeration Number. Sadly, on data recapture, the PFAs are yet to respond because they do not want workers to move forward. We have done what we can do from our end, but the financial implications that are very obvious, we cannot do more than what we have done.''

    Comrade Abiona lamented that workers who are unable to do the data recapture would have difficulties accessing the contributory pension funds.
    ''We contriBute monthly to the National Housing Fund. It is mandatory. However, if one wants to deal with an estate developer, the requirement includes a 10 percent deposit. Workers cannot afford this. But the contributory pensions allow workers to access 25 percent of the funds, provided that they have done data recapture,'' Comrade Abiona disclosed.

  • Be in Control of Information and Communication Technology(ICT)

    Tech 1 1Be conscious and discretionary in the use of Information and Communication Technology(ICT). The prospects are wide.

     Ensure you devote just enough time to sorting out your emails, but do not allow this task to overwhelm you. Be in control by fashioning out time for every task.

    For Responses, send sms-federationews2day@gmail.com

  • Resist Evil and Abnormalities-Pastor Ajayi to Nigerians

    Evil 4Nigerians have been called upon to resist all the evil and abnormalities that have characterized daily living by putting their hopes in God. 

    This call was made by a Christian cleric, Pastor Opeyemi Ajayi in a chat with Poverty Line.

    ''Nigerians must be upright by resisting all the evil and abnormalities in everyday living. Don't join the abnormalities. Evil is increasing by the day, but we should not lose hope. No matter how the evil planters press on with evil and diabolism, there shall soon be a total cleansing. Nigerians should not despair,'' Pastor Ajayi stated.

  • Three Arrested for Conspiracy and Obstruction of Criminal Prosecution in the US

    Black Friday Treasure Hunt

    Charges Include Conspiracy to Forcibly Repatriate PRC Nationals, Attempted Obstruction of a Criminal Prosecution, and Conspiracy to Act as an Illegal Agent of a Foreign Country In three separate cases in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the District of New Jersey, the Justice Department has charged 13 individuals, including members of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) security and intelligence apparatus and their agents, for alleged efforts to unlawfully exert influence in the United States for the benefit of the government of the PRC. In the Eastern District of New York, an eight-count indictment was unsealed on Oct. 20 charging seven PRC nationals – two of whom were arrested on Oct. 20 in New York – with participating in a scheme to cause the forced repatriation of a PRC national residing in the United States. The defendants are accused of conducting surveillance of and engaging in a campaign to harass and coerce a U.S. resident to return to the PRC as part of an international extralegal repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging two People’s PRC intelligence officers with attempting to obstruct a criminal prosecution in the Eastern District of New York. The defendants remain at large. In the District of New Jersey, an indictment was unsealed today charging four Chinese nationals, including three Ministry of State Security (MSS) intelligence officers, in connection with a long-running intelligence campaign targeting individuals in the United States to act as agents of the PRC. “As these cases demonstrate, the government of China sought to interfere with the rights and freedoms of individuals in the United States and to undermine our judicial system that protects those rights. They did not succeed,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by any foreign power to undermine the Rule of Law upon which our democracy is based. We will continue to fiercely protect the rights guaranteed to everyone in our country. And we will defend the integrity of our institutions.” “The actions announced today take place against a backdrop of malign activity from the government of the People’s Republic of China that includes espionage, attempts to disrupt our justice system, harassment of individuals, and ongoing efforts to steal sensitive U.S. technology,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The men and women of the Department of Justice will continue to defend the United States, our institutions, and our people from foreign threats that violate the law — no matter what form they take.” “These indictments of PRC intelligence officers and government officials – for trying to obstruct a U.S. trial of a Chinese company, masquerading as university professors to steal sensitive information, and trying to strong-arm a victim into returning to China – again expose the PRC’s outrageous behavior within our own borders,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI, working with our partners and allies, will continue to throw the full weight of our counterintelligence and law enforcement authorities into stopping the Chinese government’s crimes against our businesses, universities, and Chinese-American communities.” “These cases highlight the threat the PRC government poses to our institutions and the rights of people in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We will not tolerate these brazen operations: the harassment and attempted repatriation by force of individuals living in the U.S.; the effort to corrupt our judicial system; and the attempt to recruit agents for the PRC under the cover of a front academic organization. Countering such threats is a cornerstone of the mission of the National Security Division.” United States v. Quanzhong An, et al., Eastern District of New York An eight-count indictment was unsealed on Oct. 20 in Brooklyn charging a total of seven nationals of the PRC – Quanzhong An, 55, of Roslyn, New York; Guangyang An, 34, of Roslyn, New York; Tian Peng, 38, of the PRC; Chenghua Chen of the PRC; Chunde Ming of the PRC; Xuexin Hou, 52, of the PRC; and Weidong Yuan, 55, of the PRC – with participating in a scheme to cause the forced repatriation of a PRC national residing in the United States. The lead defendant, Quanzhong An, allegedly acted at the direction and under the control of various officials with the PRC’s government’s Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection (Provincial Commission) – including Peng, Chen, Ming, and Hou – to conduct surveillance of and engage in a campaign to harass and coerce a U.S. resident to return to the PRC as part of an international extralegal repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” Quanzhong An and Guangyang An were arrested on Thursday and were arraigned that afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes Jr. The remaining defendants remain at large. “As alleged, the defendants engaged in a unilateral and uncoordinated law enforcement action on U.S. soil on behalf of the government of the People’s Republic of China, in an effort to cause the forced repatriation of a U.S. resident to China,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “The United States will firmly counter such outrageous violations of national sovereignty and prosecute individuals who act as illegal agents of foreign states.” As alleged in the indictment, the defendants participated in an international campaign to threaten and intimidate John Doe-1, a resident of United States, and his family to force John Doe-1 to return to the PRC. These efforts were part of “Operation Fox Hunt,” an initiative by the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security to locate and repatriate alleged fugitives who flee to foreign countries, including the United States. The PRC government has targeted these alleged fugitives and their families to compel cooperation with the PRC government and self-repatriation to the PRC. The PRC government has taken such law enforcement actions on U.S. soil in a unilateral manner without approval, of or coordination with the U.S. government. Quanzhong An, who is a businessman operating in Queens, New York, and the majority shareholder of a hotel in Flushing, acted as the primary U.S.-based liaison for the Provincial Commission’s targeting of John Doe-1 and his family members, including his son, John Doe-2, both in the United States and in the PRC. As part of the scheme, various PRC-based conspirators forced a relative in the PRC (John Doe-3) to travel from the PRC to the United States in September 2018 to meet with John Doe-2 and convey threats that were intended to coerce John Doe-1’s return to the PRC. Yuan – John Doe-3’s superior at the PRC’s State Administration of Taxation – escorted John Doe-3 from the PRC to the United States, under the guise of a visit with a tour group. PRC-based defendants and coconspirators also engaged in a pattern of harassment targeting John Doe-1’s family members. In November 2017, Hou wrote John Doe-2 warning him that “coming back and turning yourself in is the only way out.” Hou further threatened that “avoidance and wishful thinking will only result in severe legal punishments.” The PRC government also harassed John Doe-1 and John Doe-2 through the filing of a lawsuit in New York State court, alleging that John Doe-1 had stolen funds from his former PRC based employer and that John Doe-2 had knowledge of and benefitted from his father’s scheme. In a series of recorded meetings in 2020, 2021, and 2022, Quanzhong An repeatedly met with John Doe-2 and attempted to persuade John Doe-2 to cause the return of John Doe-1 to the PRC. In these meetings, Quanzhong An acknowledged that he is a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which enforces the rules and regulations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) abroad. At various times, he attributed his instructions to Chen, Ming, and Peng and acknowledged that the Fox Hunt operation was motivated by the PRC government’s need to “save their faces” and repatriate as many fugitives as possible. Quanzhong An admitted that he was acting as an agent of the Provincial Commission to increase his standing in the PRC. During his meetings with John Doe-2, Quanzhong An repeatedly transmitted threats on behalf of the PRC government. If John Doe-1 did not return, the PRC government would “keep pestering you, [and] make your daily life uncomfortable,” in addition to actions to “target and monitor” John Doe-1’s relatives in the PRC. On another occasion, he stated that “they will definitely find new ways to bother you” and “it is definitely true that all of your relatives will be involved.” As set forth in the detention memorandum, Quanzhong An met with John Doe-2 again on Sept. 29, 2022. During this meeting, Quanzhong An pressed for John Doe-1 to execute an agreement to return to the PRC in advance of the CCP’s 20th National Congress, which began on Oct. 16, 2022. As part of such agreement, Quanzhong An sought a written confession from John Doe-1, which would be submitted directly to the PRC government. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of acting as agents of the PRC, Quanzhong An faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The money laundering conspiracy charge against Quanzhong An and Guangyang An carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The remaining charges, including conspiring to act as agents of the PRC and conspiring to commit interstate and international stalking, carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Sara K. Winik, and Antoinette N. Rangel and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Morris of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters. United States v. Dong He, et al., Eastern District of New York A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging two People’s Republic of China (PRC) intelligence officers with attempting to obstruct a criminal prosecution in the Eastern District of New York. The defendants remain at large. According to court documents, Dong He, aka Guochun He and aka Jacky He, and Zheng Wang, aka Zen Wang, allegedly orchestrated a scheme to steal files and other information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to the ongoing federal criminal investigation and prosecution of a global telecommunications company (Company-1) based in the PRC, including by paying a $41,000 Bitcoin bribe to a U.S. government employee who the defendants believed had been recruited to work for the PRC, but who in fact was a double agent working on behalf of the FBI. “Today’s complaint underscores the unrelenting efforts of the PRC government to undermine the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “As alleged, the case involves an effort by PRC intelligence officers to obstruct an ongoing criminal prosecution by making bribes to obtain files from this Office and sharing them with a global telecommunications company that is a charged defendant in an ongoing prosecution. We will always act decisively to counteract criminal acts that target our system of justice.” Dong He and Zheng Wang are charged with attempting to obstruct a criminal prosecution of Company-1 in federal district court in the Eastern District of New York. Defendant He also is charged with money laundering based upon a bribe payment of $41,000 in Bitcoin made in furtherance of the scheme. According to the complaint, the defendants are PRC intelligence officers conducting foreign intelligence operations targeting the United States, on behalf of the PRC government and for the benefit of Company-1. Starting in 2019, they directed an employee at a U.S. government law enforcement agency (GE-1), whom they believed they had recruited as an asset, to steal confidential information about the criminal prosecution of Company-1 in order to interfere with that prosecution. In actuality, GE-1 was working as a double agent on behalf of the FBI. In September 2021, the defendants tasked GE-1 with reporting about meetings that GE-1 was purportedly having with prosecutors in Brooklyn at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. In written communications, the defendants said they were particularly interested in knowing which Company-1 employees had been interviewed by the government and in obtaining a description of the prosecutors’ evidence, witness list and trial strategy. In October 2021, GE-1 used an encrypted messaging program to send the defendants a single page from a purported internal strategy memorandum from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York regarding the Company-1 case. The document appeared to be classified as “SECRET” and to discuss a plan to charge and arrest two current Company-1 employees living in the PRC. Dong He responded that the document was “exactly what I am waiting for” and that he was “waiting for the feedback from some guys” about whether there were any questions about the document. Dong He then paid GE-1 approximately $41,000 in Bitcoin for stealing that document. GE-1 also asked the defendants for any feedback about the “SECRET” document. In November 2021, Dong He stated that “[Company-1] didn’t give me specifically feedback now yet, but they are obviously interested in it, and my boss and they need further information.” Dong He further told GE-1 that “[Company-1] obviously will be interested” in GE-1 stealing another part of the strategy memorandum, and “maybe will offer more” for that information. In December 2021, in response to a further request by GE-1 for feedback or guidance from Company-1 about “what they want me to get,” Dong He explained that “they didn’t give me any positive feedback yet and demanded to communicate with you directly.” Dong He said that he refused Company-1’s request to speak directly to GE-1 because “it’s too dangerous.” The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Dong He faces up to 40 years of imprisonment and Wang faces up to 20 years of imprisonment. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Meredith A. Arfa and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. United States v. Wang Lin et al., District of New Jersey A federal indictment was unsealed today charging four Chinese nationals, including three Ministry of State Security (MSS) intelligence officers, in connection with a long-running intelligence campaign targeting individuals in the United States to act as agents of the PRC. As alleged in the indictment, from at least 2008 to 2018, Wang Lin, 59; Bi Hongwei, age unknown; Dong Ting, aka Chelsea Dong, 40; Wang Qiang, 55, and others engaged in a wide-ranging and systematic effort to target and recruit individuals to act on behalf of the PRC in the United States with requests to provide information, materials, equipment, and assistance to the Chinese government in ways that would further China’s intelligence objectives. These recruitment efforts included targeting professors at universities, a former federal law enforcement and state homeland security official, and others to act on behalf of, and as agents of, the Chinese government. As part of the conspiracy, MSS intelligence officers Wang Lin, Dong Ting, and others used a purported academic institute at Ocean University of China – referred to as the Institute for International Studies (IIS) – as cover for their clandestine intelligence activities. Acting under cover as the purported director of the IIS, Wang Lin, in coordination with other MSS operatives operating under the guise of academics at the IIS, targeted professors at American universities and others in the United States with access to sensitive information and equipment. According to the indictment unsealed today, MSS intelligence officers Wang Lin, Bi, Dong, and others, acting for and on behalf of the MSS and the Chinese government, systematically targeted United States persons, including but not limited to a coconspirator who was a resident of the state of New Jersey and a second individual who was a former federal law enforcement officer and state homeland security official and a professor at an American university. Among other things, the conspiracy targeted the second individual by inviting the individual in 2008 and 2018 on all-expenses-paid trips to China sponsored by the IIS. During those trips, Wang Lin, Dong, and others sought to recruit this individual as a human source, requesting that the individual provide sensitive fingerprint technology, information, and assistance with stopping planned protests along the 2008 Olympic Games torch route in the United States, which the conspirators expressed would be “embarrassing” to China. The individual also was requested to sign a contract for purported consulting services with a Chinese company whose “core value” was the “national interest and national security” of China, with an objective to “protect the national interest and Chinese enterprises’ overseas interest[s]” and to “build sources and channels to collect security information.” Recognizing Wang Lin, Dong, and others as Chinese intelligence officers, the individual refused these requests and reported them to law enforcement. The conspiracy also targeted the coconspirator in New Jersey by tasking the coconspirator to take specific action in the United States in furtherance of the MSS’ intelligence objective. Wang Qiang coordinated a meeting in 2016 between the coconspirator, Wang Lin, and Bi Hongwei in the Bahamas, at which time MSS intelligence officers Wang Lin and Bi directed the coconspirator to obtain U.S. currency and provide it to a designated individual in New Jersey. The coconspirator returned to New Jersey and did as Wang Lin and BI instructed. Wang Qiang then visited the coconspirator in New Jersey, at which time Wang Qiang and the coconspirator discussed in detail their and others’ activities taken on behalf of the Chinese government in the United States. Lin, Bi, Dong and Qiang, all are nationals and residents of the People’s Republic of China. They each are charged in the indictment with conspiracy to act in the United States as agents of a foreign government, namely, the People’s Republic of China, without prior notification to the Attorney General of the United States, as required by law, and to direct such unlawful action by others in the United States. The conspiracy charge carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Brendan Day, Attorney in Charge of the Trenton Branch Office, and Joyce M. Malliet, Chief of the Office’s National Security Unit. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    Source-FBI

  • Seek God's Guidance in Decision Making

    BLACK FRIDAY

    In the process of making difficult decisions, ask God to guide  you to avoiding making mistakes; and be confident that God is working out His will in your life.

    1 Samuel-23 : 1-5

    Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.

    2 Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.

    3 And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?

    4 Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

    5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

  • SWOT Analysis : A Tool for Achieving Religious Uprightness by Prof. Sabitu Olagoke

    Rel 1Prof 8Presently, all over the world, the debate is on the relevant status of religion in the present era of moral decadence. It is surprising to see the defectiveness of the rule of law or sharia in the developed world as it is measurable through a high degree of orderliness and productivity. It is equally surprising to note that religion is never a dominant factor in these countries. Objective observers from Islamic perspectives submit that in this context, Islam by the scripture is at work in the developed world with low or no number of Muslim population, but in countries where religion dominates to determine the politics, economic and social affairs of the people; Muslims dominate without Islamic tenets via the stand of the scripture portending no Islam. People erroneously conclude that religion has failed humanity, whereas it is mankind that treats religion with impunity to the detriment of the expected benefits of offering just worship. The common factor for the lapses is falsehood in place of truth. If we are to go by the dictates of the Holy Quran 2 : 42-44, ''Cover no Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know what it is. And be steadfast in prayer, give zakaat and bow down in worship. Do ye enjoy right conduct in the people, and forget to practise it yourselves, and yet ye study scripture? Do ye not understand?''

     

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    There is a need for all of us to SWOT analyze ourselves and identify our class for ease of adjustment into adaptive learning for maximum development of our body and soul. The Holy Bible Mark 4 : 11-12 is a good reference to this with the implication of fatal consequences on any act of disobedience to the command of God via scripture upholding the religion of one's choice, realizing that no religion teaches evil. ''11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.'' All of them are to correct aberrations and set us on the path of righteousness driven by moral discipline, I and you to achieve due process with zero tolerance for corruption and institutional indiscipline. Finally, therefore, the Holy Quran 2 : 45-46 must become our watchwords to walk the talk to maximally achieve our socio-spiritual desires. ''Nay seek Allah's help with patient perseverance and prayer : It is indeed hard except to those who are humble, who bear in mind the certainty that they are to meet their Lord, and that they are to return to Him.''

  • The Flood in Nigeria

    The lack of political will, the reactionary approach of the government and the failure by the citizenry to heed to early warnings resulted in the caualities recorded at flood ravaged parts of Nigeria, while food shortages loom.

     

    Fashion For Days

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  • Uphold Spiritual Values

    IsaiahBe painstaking when :

    1) You respond to God's faithfulness rather than impulse.

    2)You read God's Word to evaluate the contents of your spiritual food and to find fulfillment in life.

    3) You take into account the ''budget'' beyond the grace of the supplies.

    Above all, don't settle for temporal pleasures and superficial relationships.

    Isaiah 55 : 1-11 1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. 4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. 5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. 6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.''

  • FBI Warns Voters on Election Crimes Ahead of the November 2022 Midterm Election

    Free and fair democratic elections are one of the founding pillars of the United States. The FBI is committed to protecting every eligible citizen’s right to vote. Consistent with past practice, the FBI is providing this information to educate voters about Federal election crimes and how to avoid them, and to encourage voters to report suspected violations to your local FBI field office.

    Election Crimes

    Election crimes threaten the integrity of elections and undermine public confidence in our democracy. Election crimes fall into broad categories:

    Ballot/voter fraud

    Campaign finance violations

    Civil rights violations, such as voter suppression or voter intimidation

    While individual states and localities have the constitutional authority and responsibility to manage their own elections and election laws, an election crime becomes a federal crime when one or more of the following occurs:

    A ballot includes one or more Federal candidates

    Election or polling place officials abuse their office

    The conduct involves false voter registration

    The crime is motivated by hostility toward protected minority groups

    The activity violates federal campaign finance law

    Examples of Federal election crimes include, but are not limited to:

    Giving false information when registering to vote

    Voting more than once

    Changing ballot markings or otherwise tampering with ballots

    Vote buying

    Threatening voters with physical or financial harm

    Intentionally lying about the time, manner, or place of an election to prevent qualified voters from voting

    Political fundraising by federal employees

    Campaign contributions above legal limits

    Conduit contributions/straw donor schemes

    Contributions from foreign or other prohibited sources

    Use of campaign funds for personal or unauthorized purposes

    Distinguishing between legal and criminal conduct is critical for ensuring the integrity of U.S. elections. The following activities are not federal election crimes:

    Giving voters rides to the polls or time off to vote

    Offering voters a stamp to mail a ballot

    Making false claims about oneself or another candidate

    Forging or faking nominating petitions

    Campaigning too close to polling places

    Honest mistakes by poll workers

    Lack of immediate election results while ballots are counted

    The FBI plays an important role in preventing violations of your constitutional rights, including your right to vote. Report any instances of potential election crimes to your local FBI field office, and ask to speak to an election crimes coordinator.

    Voter Suppression

    Intentionally deceiving qualified voters to prevent them from voting is voter suppression—and it is a federal crime.

    There are various methods which can be used to spread disinformation about voting. Such methods are social media platforms, texting, or peer-to-peer messaging applications on smartphones. Additionally, bad actors may provide misleading information about the time, manner and place of voting. This includes inaccurate election dates or false claims about voting methods like, voting by text, which is not allowed in any jurisdiction.

    Do you know when, where, and how you will vote? If not, there are many reputable places you can find this information, including eac.gov and usa.gov/how-to-vote. However, not all publicly available voting information is accurate, and some is deliberately designed to deceive you in order to suppress turnout.

    Always consider the source of voting information. Ask yourself, “Can I trust this information?” Look for official notices from election offices and verify the information you found is accurate.

    Help defend the right to vote by reporting any suspected instances of voter suppression—especially those received through a private communication channel like texting—to your local FBI field office and ask to speak to an election crimes coordinator.

    Scam PACs

    Making political contributions can be a powerful way to exercise your First Amendment rights. But some individuals and groups soliciting contributions are bad actors trying to enrich themselves at your expense.

    In every election cycle there are billions of dollars invested in political spending. This attracts criminals who use deception to cheat Americans out of their hard-earned money. The FBI assesses that seniors are at a high risk of being targeted.

    Scam PACs are fraudulent political action committees designed to reroute political contributions for personal financial gain. This is a federal crime. Signs that a PAC is a scam include the PAC and its website disappearing, and the phone number going out of service.

    If you or someone you know has been targeted by a scam PAC, contact your local FBI field office and ask to speak to an election crimes coordinator.

    How to Protect Your Vote

    Know when, where, and how you will vote.

    Seek out election information from trustworthy sources, verify who produced the content, and consider their intent.

    Report potential election crimes—such as disinformation about the manner, time, or place of voting—to the FBI.

    If appropriate, make use of in-platform tools offered by social media companies for reporting suspicious posts that appear to be spreading false or inconsistent information about voting and elections.

    Research individuals and entities to whom you are making political donations. If something seems suspicious, reconsider the donation.  
     

    Victim Reporting and Additional Information

    The FBI encourages the public to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to their local FBI field office. For additional election-related assistance and resources, please visit the following FBI webpages:

    Election Crimes and Security

    Protected Voices

    Source-FBI

  • Endorsements-Nigerian Workers Be Vigilant-Ex-Officio TUC

    Democratic 1The divided tones of labor leaders in Nigeria as the 2023 general elections approaches has been described as a dangerous signal for workers in the country.

    This assertion was made recently by an Ex-Officio of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), who is a former chairman of the union in the state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

    ''Why should labor leaders be singing discordant tunes? Selfish interests, of course, are dangerous for Nigerian workers, and the proliferation of endorsements can lead to a divided labor movement in Nigeria. Workers should be vigilant,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

  • Growing in Our Faith

    HebrewsMeeting together with other believers, ensures that we honor the Lord, grow in our faith, and give a strong witness to the world.

    Hebrews 10 : 19-25

    19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

  • Bribery-Former FBI Agent Docked

         LOS ANGELES – A Bay Area man and former FBI special agent was found guilty today by a federal jury of conspiring to accept at least $150,000 in cash bribes and other items of value in exchange for providing sensitive law enforcement information to a corrupt lawyer with ties to Armenian organized crime.

              Babak Broumand, 56, of Lafayette, California, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, two counts of bribery of a public official, and one count of monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.

              United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner scheduled a January 30, 2023 sentencing hearing, at which time Broumand will face statutory maximum sentences of 15 years in federal prison for each bribery count, 10 years in federal prison for each unlawful monetary transactions count, and five years in federal prison for the conspiracy count.

              Judge Klausner ordered Broumand remanded into federal custody.

              Broumand, an FBI special agent from January 1999 until shortly after search warrants were served on his home and businesses in 2018, was responsible for national security investigations and was assigned to the FBI Field Office in San Francisco.

              According to evidence presented at his 11-day trial, from January 2015 to December 2018, Broumand accepted cash, checks, private jet flights, a Ducati motorcycle, hotel stays, escorts, meals, and other items of value from an organized crime-linked lawyer – identified in court papers as “E.S” and each man acted to conceal the true nature of their corrupt relationship.

              In return for the bribe payments and other items of value, Broumand conducted law enforcement database inquiries and used those inquiries to help E.S. and his associates avoid prosecution and law enforcement monitoring. Specifically, Broumand informed E.S. whether a particular person or entity was under criminal investigation by stating that E.S. should “stay away” from that person or that they were “OK.”

              To conceal the nature of their corrupt relationship, Broumand made it falsely appear that E.S. was working as an FBI source. Broumand wrote reports after the fact to make it falsely appear that he conducted legitimate law enforcement database inquiries.

              In exchange for the illegal inquiries, E.S. paid Broumand at least $150,000 in cash and check bribes, including a Ducati motorcycle and accessories valued at more than $36,000. The bribes were deposited into the accounts for Love Bugs LLC, a Lafayette-based lice-removal hair salon business that Broumand and his wife started in 2007.

              Soon after the bribery scheme began, E.S. asked Broumand to query the FBI database for Levon Termendzhyan, an Armenian organized crime figure for whom E.S. had worked. The database search “rang all the bells” and revealed an FBI investigation in Los Angeles, according to court documents, which note that Broumand accessed the FBI case file on Termendzhyan repeatedly in January 2015. Broumand also allegedly accessed the Termendzhyan FBI case file in May 2016.

              Termendzhyan, a.k.a. “Lev Aslan Dermen,” was found guilty in March 2020 in federal court in Utah on criminal charges related to a $1 billion renewable fuel tax credit fraud scheme. He awaits sentencing.

              In December 2015, at E.S.’s request, Broumand searched a confidential FBI database for information about Sam Sarkis Solakyan, a medical imaging companies CEO, and later warned E.S. to “stay away” from Solakyan, who was “trouble,” meaning that Solakyan was under law enforcement investigation. Solakyan eventually was charged, tried, convicted and sentenced to five years in federal prison for running a scheme that submitted more than $250 million fraudulent claims through California’s workers compensation system.

              In May 2016, Broumand interfered with an FBI investigation into Felix Cisneros Jr., a corrupt special agent with Homeland Security Investigations who also had ties to Termendzhyan. Cisneros was convicted at trial in two different cases. The first trial, in 2018, resulted from Cisneros’s corrupt acts for Termendzhyan. The second trial, earlier this year, resulted from Cisneros’ corrupt acts for E.S. Cisneros is scheduled for sentencing on October 17.

              “Ensuring public confidence in those who investigate and enforce the law is paramount,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “By taking bribes and gifts from a person he knew was linked to organized crime, Mr. Broumand breached the public trust placed in him and violated his oath of office, something which simply cannot be tolerated. The FBI’s agents and staff work tirelessly every day to keep us safe, and I am proud that they partnered with our Office to ferret out this corruption.”

              “The conviction of Mr. Broumand, a veteran FBI agent who chose greed over integrity and turned his back on the oath he swore to uphold, is proof that the FBI will root out corruption of any kind, to include veteran agents within its ranks,” said Don Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “This prosecution was the result of hard work by multiple partner agencies to work through the painful truth of having to investigate one of its own.”

              “Broumand conspired with the very types of criminals he was trusted to investigate. Today’s guilty verdict sends a clear message that no one is above the law, and any Department of Justice employee who participates in these types of schemes will be brought to justice,” said Zachary Shroyer, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Los Angeles Field Office.

              “All of us in law enforcement are held to a higher standard and this is no exception,” stated IRS Criminal Investigation Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Pearson. “The American public places high expectations on law enforcement to uphold and defend the law. While today is a blemish in our community as Babak Broumand, a former FBI Agent, was found guilty for conspiring, bribery, and money laundering; I want to emphasize and highlight the exceptional professionalism, integrity and dedication demonstrated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents, the Office of Inspector General, DOJ, the United States Attorney’s Office – CDCA, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, for their commitment to upholding the law and seeing that justice is sought in all cases regardless of a person’s affiliation. I want to thank our partners for entrusting us with this investigation, and hope that the American public sees our efforts as an example of what the good men and women in law enforcement represent.”

              The jury today also found Broumand not guilty of one count of bribery of a public official and one count of monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.

              The FBI, the United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter and were assisted at trial by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General.

              Assistant United States Attorney Ruth C. Pinkel of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Morse and Juan M. Rodríguez of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.

    Source-FBI

  • Report Unbecoming Behavior of Officers and Men-Customs PRO to Nigerians

    Nigerians have been called upon to report any negative observations about officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service for prompt action.

    This call was made by the Public Relations Officer(PRO) of the Oyo /Osun Command of the service, Mr. Kayode Wey. ''To the public, if they have observed any unbecoming behavior of officers and men, they should forward a proper report to the command. The command will investigate and do what is necessary. Men and officers have been trained to abide by the rules laid before them.

    Mr Wey also disclosed that the command had zero tolerance for indiscipline saying, ''the commander ensures that our emblems, uniforms, souvenirs are not sold to unauthorized persons and those who cannot identify themselves with their identity cards. The Customs Police Unit have very effective in their investigations to nip unfortunate circumstance in the bud.

  • Technical Education for Technology Advancement : A Veritable Tool for Nation Building by Pro. Sabitu Olagoke

    Prof 7Unfortunately for Nigeria's basic education, there is a dearth of facility to drive Technical Education for our students to be technically sound to meet up with the challenges of technology advancement that drives the present ady knowledge economy.

    Technical education drives the economy of all nations currently, but for Nigeria, our economy is artisan driven to the detriment of our political management which b y polarization is hoodlum driven, exposing us to the whims of quackery in all facets of huma endeavor.

    This is because of the deficiency of meeting up with the quality and standard expected of every nation in domesticating international instrumnets on global best practices. Quackery and sysem collapse during or after completion has direct correlation based on facility design, specification and materials of inferior quality.

    Education must prepare our students for the global market. In Nigeria, education is highly underfunded and has resulted in the myriad of challenges confronting the country presently.

    1)We fail to operationalize the affective domain, producin g literature that are deficient content that can inspire change for the better.

    2)we blindly commercialize education to the detriment of effecting a cognitive domain that would have launched us into research appreciation for development.

    3)We equally neglect the area of pyschomotor domain to produce graduates of rhetoric in the face of the challenges of desing and construction for infrastrcuturer and real development.

    4)Our science lack the intellectual and practical ability of observation, mehtod, procedure and experiment for systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural word to the detriment of our benefit.

    5)Our engineering lakc home patronage of our graduates for employability challenge of desing, building that are mathematics driven for our graduates to use with relative ease, enignes, machines and structure with retraing through foreign partners.

    6)Wile our technology lacks fulk technical education to develop products and produce for the nation due to poor scientific knowledge base to the detriment of right application to change or transform our society for right and correct management of the people and environment.

    The whole world,today, goes for quality and standard concept with global best practices. Graduates are trained to be abl;e to compete favorably in the global market.

    Where are we in the situation of hoodlum hijacked politics/ democracy and artisan driven economy?

    Professionals must be respected to have regard for orgainzational and professional ethics for sanity sake and must equally be respected to be part of decision making for ease of implementation by the government, which must adequately fund education.

    The fellows are not effectively utilized by the government while the artisans are not incorporated despite creating a viilage for them. Fellows need to be consulted for services while the orientation of teh artisans need to be changed through short term proficiency courses to benefit the nation.

  • Motivate the Workforce-NASU UCH Chairman to Govt

    Work 1The Federal Government has been charged with motivating its workforce as a step towards ensuring high productivity. This charge was given on Monday by the Chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions(NASU),University College Hospital(UCH)branch, Ibadan, Comrade Kehinde Abiona.

    ''The Federal Government should do the needful when it comes to the motivation of its workforce. The government should also make the work environment conducive. But sadly, gardeners still make provisions for provisions, cutlasses them, they buy it themselves. Medical laboratory staff make do with outdated equipment, the same goes for those in accounts, who still apply old methods,,'' Comrade Abiona stated.

    He advised members of the union to be contented with their present situation, saying, '' take things easy, don't expect too much, accept what life brings to you and make do with what nature allows you to achieve in life''.

    Comrade Abiona appealed to the Federal Government to wake up to its responsibilities, adding,'' we were assured that we would receive the new hazard allowance in January 2022. That is September. We have yet to receive it, we have continued to borrow to sustain our families.''

    Similarly, members of NASU at the University of Ibadan have condemned the decision of the Federal Government not to pay them for the period that they were on strike.

    They made this position known through their chairman, Comrade Malachy Etim. ''Despite the fact that we fulfilled all the processes before proceeding on strike and despite the fact that we have called off the strike and have since resumed work, the Federal Government is still insisting that it would implement the No Work No Pay rule. This is condemnable. The government is still holding on to our salaries. This is inhuman and insensitive.''

    In the same vein, a former Vice President of the Senior Staff Association of Universities(SSANU), Western zone, Comrade Alfred Jimoh advised the government to desist from inducing strike actions, saying, ''human beings are not made for law, law is made for human beings. The Federal Government should apply the law with a human face. Even though we have called off the strike, the government is still holding on to our salaries. How does the government want us to continue working when there is no money?''

    In a related development, members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria(ASCSN) have again called on law enforcement agencies to put an end to the cases of corruption going on in the union.

    The concerned members lamented,''we bring to your notice some of the challenges confronting us. Deductions have been made from our salaries by our union and there is nothing to show for it. The rising high cost of living and inflation that we are experiencing in Nigeria HAS NOT HELPED MATTERS. It has been extremely very difficult for us to make ends meet and, as such, workers have gone borrowing. Kindly look into the account of ASCSN.''

  • Leadership and Governance by Prof. Sabitu Olagoke

    ImagesOrganization and professional ethics are important elements of governance or corporate governance.

    The elite now trample upon the Fundamental Human Rights of the impoverished masses, who have become mere pawns in their(elite) hands for the ease of manipulation to win elections.

    The present dividends of democracy include insecurity, poverty aggravation due to unemployment and high prices of commodities beyond the reach of the teeming population, avarice and greed exemplified through the blood of Timocracy running through the system of our politicians driving them crazy into Kleptocrarcy and deceptive plea bargaining; increasing the fold of cabal, cartel and the vicious cycle of the corrupt people's clubs in Nigeria.

    In all processes involving governance, leadership by appointment, promotion or election, the effective participation of the people matters at all levels of identification, selection, and electoral processes involving voters' registration and the collection of the Permanent Voters Cards(PVC), party manifesto, campaign training and the voting exercise and monitoring, election results, collation of results and the declaration of results.

    The aftermath of this continues to call for effective participation of people in keeping the environment of peace for ease of governance.

    Leaders must be above the parochial sentiments of statism, ethnicity, tribalism, ego-centeredness, materialism, but be spiritually rejuvenated in due process without religious bigotry in dispensing power and service.

    Governance and leadership cuts across all systems for idea and product generation for the purpose of enhancing productivity and sustainable development. Whatever your professional discipline- religion, politics, media practice, broadcasting, business or entrepreneurship, entertainment, medicine, engineering etc.

    We must all be skillful as professionals for us to be able to serve with ethical guidance that will eventually give competence in leadership and credence to due process in governance.

    This will equally enhance effective participation of people for a better society. Leaders must be prepared and trained through the agents of socialization-the home, school, vocation and right empowerment.

    Our educational orientation must be geared towards realizing this for leaders with all authority and confidence to be on the field when challenged to assume office and with outstanding and credible performance.

    However, when we take for granted leadership training needs by allowing people to assume leadership duties, roles and responsibilities, they will lack the ethics and procedures of due process to end up disappointing the people in the discharge of his or her duties, as would be evident in the lack of the rudiment of Management, Administration and Governance.

    Corporate governance under democratic norms is, therefore, recommended since it will instill discipline to enhance efficiency in productivity with high goodwill of peace and sustainable development in an environment that is safe and secured where nobody is denied of his/her right of access and right of justice.

    Prof. Olagoke delivered this paper on Wednesday September 7, 2022 at the Jagaban Commincations Internaitonal 2022 Mega International Summit in Ibadan

  • Elect a Leader that shall cater for Poor Nigerians-Prophet Arabambi

    Nigerians have been advised to elect a leader that shall cater for the needs and expectations of poor Nigerians in the 2023 general elections.

    This advice was given on Wednesday by the General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church(CAC)Worldwide, Reformation land, Ile-Atunse, Ibadan, Prophet Timothy Abass Arabambi at an event tagged 2022 Mega International Summit in Ibadan, Nigeria.

    ''Nigerians should vote in a leader that would carry everyone along. A leader that would lead by example, a leader that would take good care of poor Nigerians. Mu advice to politicians, let them move closer to God for all to be well,'' Prophet Arabambi concluded.

  • Nigeria needs a Selfless President-Dr. Farounbi

    A former ambassador to the Philippines, Dr.Yemi Farounbi has declared that Nigeria urgently needs a President that is conversant with the needs and expectations of Nigerians.

    Dr. Farounbi made this declaration on Wednesday at an even tagged 2022 Mega International Summit in Ibadan, Nigeria.

    ''A leader ought to prepare his country for the challenges ahead. The leader must be creative and visionary and must have his legs on ground. But when your leader travels by helicopter or aeroplane, he does not know hunger, he does not know poverty because his feet is not on ground, he does not also know the fate of the poor.'' ''What kind of President do we need in 2023? What re the problems the President must solve? We need a well educated and rounded person, it is not whether it is my turn or your turn, it is not whether it has been my life time ambition. Can you solve the problem of electricity? Can you solve the problem of education? Can you change the mentality of the education administrators? Do you have intellectual resilience? It is not whether I have been competing since 1992; it is not every leader that is good at implementation, competence is very important. He called for the restoration of family values, while lamenting that,''family values in Nigeria have broken down, we need spiritual regeneration and the restoration of family values.''

  • Reject Doubt

    Holding onto God's word is faith

    Matthew 14 : 22-32

    22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

  • God shall Enable you

    The Lord has made effective leaders and teachers of people who never envisaged that they would,ouucpy leadership positions.

    Judges 6: 1-6

    6 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of lMidian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and mthe caves and the strongholds. 3 For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and nthe Amalekites and othe people of the East would come up against them. 4 They would encamp against them pand devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come qlike locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in. 6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel rcried out for help to the Lord.''