Welcome to Paul Umoren's Blog

No fewer than 10 persons were killed in a ghastly motor accident involving an Nyanya Mass Transit bus and a trailer lorry along the Lafia-Akwanga Road yesterday. According to an eyewitness account, the two vehicles had a head on collision about 11a.m., resulting in the death of the 10, while several others suffered injuries. Witnesses attributed the accident to excessive speeding and dangerous driving. Meanwhile, officials of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Akwanga unit command were seen conveying the injured and the dead to a private hospital in Akwanga, as doctors at the Akwanga General Hospital had joined nationwide doctors’ strike.

The amnesia that characterised the political firmament of Delta State as far as the 2015 governorship elec­tion is concerned, recently turned into a sort of buzz following the speculated en­dorsement of Mr. Tony Obuh as the likely candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Obuh who is hails from Ika axis of Delta north (Anioma nation), at present, is the Permanent Secretary, Govern­ment House and Protocol, Asaba, and his purported endorsement is said to have received the blessings of the vari­ous power blocs in the state, as well as at the federal level. Before now, matters of who succeeds the incumbent Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Udu­aghan are discussed in subdued tones, with the fear of heating up the political space partly responsible for the obvious apoliti­cal approach. A deluge of aspirants, most especially from the north senatorial district where the governorship ticket is believe

The Department of State Services (DSS) has warned the general pub­lic to be wary of persons of questionable charac­ters who may disguise in Catholic Church Reverend Sisters’ regalia to perpe­trate heinous crimes on innocent citizens. According to a release signed by Deputy Director, Public Relations (DSS), Mari­lyn Ogar, msi, the warning became necessary following the alleged theft of some pieces of Catholic Church Reverend Sisters’ regalia at Sabon Gari, Kano, by unidentified persons, and the possibility of using same to launch terrorist attacks on the innocent citizens. It reads: “On 20th August, 2014, about 0400 hours, some unidentified persons broke into a tailoring shop located at No.55 Odutola Street, Sabon Gari, Kano, and stole about thirteen (13) pieces of Catholic Church Reverend Sisters’ re­galia. With the recent trend of female suicide bombings in the country, the theft of th

A major health cri­sis may have hit Europe with the fresh outbreak of Salmonella enteritidis. The disease which is report­ed to have claimed three lives with hundred of others seriously ill, according to The Telegraph, has been linked to have been caused by eggs imported from Europe. Public Health England is quoted to have confirmed that number of cases from Salmo­nella poisoning linked to the outbreak has now reached 247. According to the paper, DNA analysis of samples has shown that they are all linked despite being spread across the coun­try in Hampshire, Merseyside and London. Sunday Sun un­derstands that dozens of people have also fallen ill in France and Austria. A consultant epidemiologist at PHE, Dr. Paul Cleary was quoted to have said there is evidence to suggest the infec­tion came from a single source of eggs that been distributed around Europe. Salmonella, according to Centers for D

The Chairman of the Cross River State Wa­ter Board, Mr Gershom Bassey, has broken his silence over his speculated ambition to succeed his friend and political ally, Senator Liyel Imoke. He spoke against the back­drop of the widespread report that the governorship slot had been zoned to the North Sena­torial District of the state. There have been some disquiet within the ranks of the Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP) as to whether or not Bassey who hails from the Southern part is qualified to contest for the office since the party had already zoned the seat to the North Senatorial District. Already, two other members of what is popularly known in the state as the three muske­teers-Donald Duke (from the South Senatorial District) and Liyel Imoke (Central Senato­rial District) have occupied the office. Addressing the media on the issue, Bassey did not however say whether or not he was going to

President Jonathan, who is currently in Germany, is pictured above speaking on the phone with Nigeria's U20 Falconets who are participating in the 2014 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup in Montreal, Canada. The footballers will be playing against their German counterparts today August 24th in the finals of the football tournament. In the phone conversation, President Jonathan acknowledged that the Falconets have done very well to reach the finals, urged them to beat Germany and promised them a heroine welcome. "You have done very well by getting to the final. I urge you to crown your efforts with ultimate victory tomorrow by playing with the greatest possible artistry, discipline, determination and patriotic zeal. I look forward to receiving you at the Presidential Villa with the winners’ trophy and you can be assured of the immense gratitude of the Federal Government and the very appreciative people of Nigeria,” he said. He promised them that he

1. Pray together Prayer has to be your steering wheel, and not your spare tire. It is very easy to fall into the trap of using prayer only when things are going bad versus making it a daily part of your day. Each morning my wife and I, before we awake, say a short 30 second prayer over one another to set the tone for the rest of our day. It was a challenge to do it at first, but now it has become an expected moment we have each morning. Prayer is not an option, it is an requirement that will cause you and your spouse to focus on one another’s deeper issues and be able to give them to God.   2. wash the dirty laundry I’m not sure how you run things in your home, but dirty laundry can only sit for so long before it begins to smell through the whole house. This is the same with built up frustrations, issues, or disagreements that have not been dealt with. This truly disrupts the atmosphere of a home, because just like laundry can smell overtime, suppressed

A woman in Merced, California, has been arrested on trespassing charges after she and an unnamed man allegedly twice triedsneaking into a hospital maternity ward using dolls as decoys. The woman, identified by ABC30.com as Tonya Whitney Boehs, first tried getting into Merced’s Mercy Medical Center’s obstetrics unit last Saturday with her male companion. They doted on the fake babies by changing them and posing for photos, the station reported. The suspects were turned away by a suspicious guard  who snapped photos of them carrying the lifelike dolls,  the Los Angeles Times reports. Merced police are investigating if the pair sought to abduct a newborn, according to the Times. The couple, clutching a diaper bag and carryall, apparently tried again on Monday. Boehs allegedly wore hospital scrubs, according to ABC30.com, but she aroused suspicion because the outfit didn’t match the hospital’s uniform. They also got tripped up by claiming to have a non-existent a

1. Take better care of your health. So many of us have this “superwoman” syndrome, and we think everyone in our lives will be better off if we just do more. Do you want the truth? Everyone in your life isn’t your priority, your kids are, and they will be better off if you are in good health. Make medical appointments and keep them. Eat well. Exercise. Do all the things you want your children to do one day. Your kids will determine what their priorities should be by watching you. 2. Work on your marriage . We tend to neglect our marriages and put all of our focus on our children, but our marriages need our attention, too. We assume that if we just focus on meeting all the needs that our children have, our marriage stuff we work itself out. That doesn’t happen, though. Remember, if your marriage is unhappy or it begins to fall apart, it will have a negative impact on your children. Plus, improving your marriage minimizes the stress in that area of your life, and it also gi

Photo Police officers pointing weapons at protesters in Ferguson, Mo., last week. Credit Joshua Lott/Reuters WASHINGTON — Jolted by images of protesters clashing with heavily armed police officers in Missouri, President Obama has ordered a comprehensive review of the government’s decade-old strategy of outfitting local police departments with military-grade body armor, mine-resistant trucks, silencers and automatic rifles, senior officials say. The White House-led review will consider whether the government should continue providing such equipment and, if so, whether local authorities have sufficient training to use it appropriately, said senior administration and law enforcement officials. The government will also consider whether it is keeping a close enough watch on equipment inventories, and how the weapons and other gear are used. The

Second-half strikes by Diego Costa and Eden Hazard helped Chelsea seal their first home win of the new season against Premier League returnees Leicester City. Jose Mourinho stuck with the same line-up which dismissed Burnley last Monday except for striker, Fernando Torres, who was not named on the bench. Nigel Pearson made two changes to the Leicester team which drew 2-2 with Everton on the opening day, with the introductions of midfielder Dean Hammond and Jeff Schlupp in place of Danny Drinkwater and Anthony Knockaert. After a sluggish first-half, Chelsea’s £32m summer signing from Atletico Madrid, Costa, broke the deadlock from just his second shot on target in the new season. Diego Costa Pumps His Fist After Scoring His Second Goal of the 2014/15 EPL Season. Image: Getty. Midfielder Hazard then blasted the ball under goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel- his first goal of the campaign. The win was sufficient to keep Mourinho’s side on top of the log after jus

Marilyn Ogar The Department of State Security (DSS) has called on members of the public to be on the look out for female suicide bombers they may disguise in the traditional Catholic Sisters’ regalia to bomb some unsuspecting targets. A statement on Saturday signed by the spokesman of the DSS, Ms. Marilyn Ogar said some unidentified persons broke into a tailoring shop located at No. 55, Odutola Street, Sabon Gari, Kano. According to the DSS, the invaders stole 13 pieces of the regalia from the shop and had since disappeared. “With the recent trend of female suicide bombings in the country, the theft of these regalia heightens concerns about the possibility of terrorist elements using same to perpetrate acts of terror. “Consequently, this Service wishes to draw the attention of the public to this development and to call on all citizens to be more circumspect and exercise greater vigilance with users of such peculiar attires. “We therefore enjoin all to conti

  I join in celebrating with you from Jos, Plateau State, as I thank God for adding one more year to your existing and pray for your heart desires and continuous blessings on your families and POWER entire CREW. Much Love. Paul Umoren

High flying Nigeria U-20 Women team, the Falconets have stormed Montreal ahead of their final match against Germany tomorrow. Having left Moncton after their 6-2 whitewash of the Democratic Republic of Korea in their semi final match played on Wednesday, the girls seem set for the ultimate battle and are confident that the Germans would fall. According to Elizabeth Carr, the team’s media officer, the Nigerian del­egation are currently staying at Sheraton Hotels Montreal with all the players in high spirits. “All our players are in good condition with no injury worries. The girls had two training sessions today as part of preparations for the finals,” she said. Nigeria defeated Korea Republic 2-1, England 2-1 and drew 1-1 with Mexico in the group stage. They thrashed New Zealand 4-1 in the quarter finals to pro­ceed to the semi finals where they edged out Democratic Peoples Republic of korea 6-2 t

■ Demand public honour for Dr Adadevoh Hundreds of Nigerians and citizens of other nations have endorsed a petition to Pres­ident Goodluck Jonathan demanding that he should publicly honour Dr Stella Adadevoh who lost her life last Tuesday after treating the late Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer who brought the deadly Ebola virus disease, EVD to Nigeria. The petition initiated by a London-based Nigerian, Ayo Oyinloye has as at Friday evening generated about 2000 signatures across the world on the website of a US- based Change.org . The petitioners noted that Dr Adadevoh and another member of her team, Nurse Ejelonu at the First Consultants Medical Centre in Lagos paid the ultimate sacrifice in protecting Nigeria and Nigerians from a worse outbreak of Ebola, adding: “Their vigilance and dedication meant that the Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer did not have the opportunity to spread the virus furth

The embattled leader of the Movement for the Actualiza­tion of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MAS­SOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, yesterday obtained court injunc­tion from an Owerri High court restrain­ing the Commissioner Police, Imo State and his agents from car­rying out their threat of arresting or declar­ing him wanted should he fail to honour their summons over the cri­sis rocking the group in which four persons died. The Imo State police command had on Thurs­day during press briefing summoned the MASSOB leader to appear before the commissioner within 24 hours to explain his role or involvement in the fracas that had resulted in the death of four members of the group at the Okwe Freedom House, Head­quarters, or be declared a wanted person in the state. However, Chief Ralph Uwauzurike in his appli­cation for an order for the enforcement of his funda­mental right, maintained that the pol

■ They raped my wife almost every day and I could not raise a finger, says man who spent 3 months in Islamist sect’s custody The Boko Haram insurgency is far be­yond the problem of the North East people as families in other parts of the country are now equally battling the bitter taste of the sect’s rampaging ac­tivities. One of such is Alhaji Mustapha Oy­eyinka who is now cursing the day he decid­ed to relocate to Nigeria from Europe where his family has been doing fine. Today, he has not only lost his sight to the insurgents but live with an agonizing memory of seeing his wife raped along with other women almost on a daily basis for three months in one of the camps of the deadly sect in Kaduna State. Excited about his return to Nigeria, the victim sometime in February 2011 decided to take a trip to Kaduna with his wife, Rachael to attend a wedding ceremony. Unknown to him, that trip will

Swedish – Nigerian forward, Kennedy Igboananike, is being chased by two Spanish clubs – Cordoba and Deportivo La Coruna, allnigeriasoccer.com reports. AIK has sold several players in the summer and has not ruled out Igboananike’s departure before the end of the transfer window. Cordoba has presented its offer for the striker, while La Coruna is also showing interest. Both clubs are newcomers in La Liga. While Cordoba wants to buy Igboananike outright, Deportivo is seeking a loan deal, with a purchase option.