Poem of the day - crowded life by Gideon Nwaikwu

--------- crowded life- -----

:;

  Bitter surprise, you grasp nothing. ,
Having sweated from morn to night. ,
a weary creature, now panting. ,
With naught to show for it.

:;

Littered on the floor  of youth,
Are The porcelain jars of life..,
a thousand, thousand unkept dreams,
Fate of a crowded life!

:;

You stood on focus' broken  foot,
And sail on the sea of doubt. ,
and wear colors of confusion,
on the race of a crowded life!

:;

a million umpires by the side. ,
 cheering fans ,and jeering foes,
success flaunt as the perfect  bride ,,
  Failure is a woe.

:;

i know a crowded life. ,
Were nothing seems to grieve. ,
Whose soul in silence weep all night. ,
Before the morning light,

:;

it grieve and weep for leafy trees. ,
That will not learn to fruit,
it sobs in solemn agony,
For the span of wasted youth.

:;

a Crowded life stands on the grave of  dreams, 
a crowded life flies on broken wings,
 It builts her nest on facile fames.,
.,

 Crowded is a wilted life. ,
Amidst the cheer of friends. ,
Even a  rose can save her bloom,
Amidst the torid breeze of   eve,

:;

 Crowded is Grey hair with regret. ,
Handful of dead friends to blame?
a crowded life, a crowded life. ,
The price of empty fame.

Two million Nigerians currently receiving AIDS treatment — NACA

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) says about 1,090,233 people are receiving anti-retroviral drugs in Nigeria as at June this year.

The acting director, research, monitoring and evaluation of NACA, Gregoary Ashefor, made the revelation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

He spoke on the sidelines of a workshop organised by the federal ministry of health (NACA) and the Global Fund, an international financing group.

The theme of the three-day workshop is titled ‘Prioritisation of National Health Management Information System, Procurement and Supply Management and Laboratory Systems’ Interventions in the Resilient and Sustainable System for Health (RSSH) Proposal and Partners Mapping of Global Fund Support in Nigeria’’.

Mr Ashefor said that the U.S. President’s Emergency Plans for AIDS Relief was responsible for about 75 to 80 per cent of the treatment while the Global Fund was responsible for about 20 per cent.

“We have other initiatives like the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. They are responsible for about seven or eight per cent.’’

The acting director said the federal government was planning to include an additional 50,000 people from Taraba and Abia to receive treatment.

According to him, about 76,000 people are currently on treatment in Taraba and Abia for which the government is solely responsible for.

“The government has a scale-up plan, called fast-track plan to actually put more people on drugs.

“There are other interventions going on. The partners are also doing test and treatment in collaboration with the government.
Mr Ashefor said, however, that there was still a huge gap in terms of data management.

“How do we improve reporting? There are some data we are not capturing. The figures could be more than this.

“We are not capturing the initiatives and data from the private sector, hence a big gap in the data management system.

“Efforts are on to engage the private sector, so that we will know what they are doing. We want to ensure standards and we also want data.

“There are other interventions. For example, Global Fund is ready to support the RSSH, which is a way of promoting ownership and sustainability because one day partners will go and government will be left with all the patients.

“We are about to develop a sustainable plan. The government wants to own it, drive the process and make sure it is on top of everything,’’ he said.

(NAN)

One soldier killed, 16 missing in separate Boko Haram attacks on Nigerian forces

According to Premiumtimes, two attacks on Nigerian soldiers attached to Multinational Joint Task Force between November 5 and 6 left at least one soldier killed and 16 others missing, military sources told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday.

At least five soldiers were also wounded during the attack on a military camp in Kukawa village on November 5 and an improvised explosive device that went off on a moving military truck in Mallam Fatori on November 6. Both communities are in the northern fringes of Borno State, near the border with Niger Republic.

In the November 5 attack, the Boko Haram insurgents tried to overrun a military checkpoint manned by 101 Special Forces and 157 Battalion with five gun trucks around 5:40 p.m.

They managed to dislodge the troops and burned two armoured personnel carriers that were already in disrepair, and made away with one anti-aircraft gun and one light machine gun, military sources said.

The sources said the Boko Haram terrorists then proceeded to an abandoned secondary school nearby, where the MNJTF soldiers had been using as their base, and burned its administrative office and kitchen down.

The attack left one soldier wounded while 16 others were missing in action as of Wednesday night, sources said.

The insurgents fled after air support arrived. The Nigerian Air Force personnel pursued the terrorists with an attack helicopter, forcing them to withdraw into their enclaves.

Military sources said the Air Force is currently conducting an assessment of the damage, and would forward final findings on potential casualties to command headquarters afterwards.

The attack in Mallam Fatori involved troops of 119 Task Force Battalion who were moving back to their battalion headquarters in the border community when their vehicle hit a landmine planted by Boko Haram elements, military sources said while briefing PREMIUM TIMES on the aftermath of the incident.

One soldier was killed and four others were wounded in action in the attack, which occurred between Bosso, Niger Republic and Mallam Fatori, headquarters of Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State. It was not immediately clear whether the wounded have been taken to the hospital in Nigeria or Niger.

The Defence Headquarters announced last week it had taken new delivery of military equipment, boasting of a tough time ahead for insurgents.

The military has said it recorded tremendous gains in its counter-insurgency operations over the past three years, especially after managing to confine the insurgents to the fringes of Nigerian territories.

This was against the years before when the deadly Boko Haram terrorists held vast Nigerian lands across its North-east stronghold, occasionally spilling into North-west and North-central geopolitical zones.

Lagos State Police Commissioner order the closure of all beer parlours within the police community in the state

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, has ordered the closure of all beer parlours within the police community in the state. His order comes after a police officer in the command, Kadima Useni with appointment number 176219, was dismissed after a viral video of him showed him drunk while on duty around the Akowonjo, Dopemu area of the state.
The CP believes shutting down the beer parlours will avoid a recurrence of such and the dismissal of the officer will serve as a deterrent to others.
According to the state police command spokesperson, CSP Chike Oti, the Lagos police boss directed the officer in charge of the Command Provost Section to embark on tour of all police formations and barracks within the state with a view to identifying and shutting all beer parlours within the police community so as to prevent a reoccurence of such an embarrassment.
In the same vein, the commissioner warned against offering policemen alcoholic drinks while on duty by members of the public. He added that henceforth any policeman found drunk on duty will be visited with similar punishment.

Drunk Police Officer In Viral Video Has Been Dismissed.

  A drunk police officer who trended online has been sacked. In a press briefing released to the media,Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti stated that he was summarily dismissed to serve as a deterrent to others .

“The attention of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM mni, has been drawn to a video of Lagos policeman who got drunk at Akowonjo, Dopemu area of Lagos state. He therefore directed the state Commissioner of Police, CP Imohimi Edgal to fish out the erring policeman for appropriate disciplinary action.


“The policeman who was stupefied after guzzling large quantity of alcoholic beverage was located and apprehended yesterday 07/11/2018 at Police Mobile Force Squadron 22 Base, Ikeja, where he served by the Command Provost. He was identified as Inspector Kadima Useni with appointment number 176219.

“During interrogation, the officer affirmed that he was the one in the video, he was therefore tried in orderly room and summarily dismissed to serve as a deterrent to others.

“To prevent reoccurrence of this type of incident, the CP has directed the officer in charge of the Command Provost Section to embark on tour of all police formations and barracks within the state with a view to identifying and shutting all beer parlours within the police community.

In the same vein, the CP warns against offering policemen alcoholic drinks while on duty by members of the public. He added that henceforth any policeman found drunk on duty will be visited with similar punishment, ” he stated.

I am depressed by the killings in Nigeria says President Muhammadu Buhari

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said that he was distressed and depressed by the atrocious ethno-religious killings in the country, appealing to Nigerians to learn to live together in peace and harmony.







This is as Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State has warned that any traditional or religious leader that protects criminal elements in Plateau State, will have the government to contend with. President Buhari Receiving leaders of the Church of Christ in Nations, COCIN, led by Rev. Dr. Dachollom Datiri, at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, in Abuja, President Buhari urged religious, community and traditional leaders to do more in promoting peaceful co-existence among Nigerians at different walks of life.



 He said: “As an organised institution (COCIN), I have no reason to doubt your report on the atrocities being committed in your communities including the killing of Idris Alkali, a retired Major-General, the dumping of his car into a pond and the body of the deceased thrown into a disused well.


 “The communities (in Plateau) have lived long enough to know that there is nothing they can do without each other than to live together in harmony. “As leaders, we must persuade the upcoming generation, using every channel particularly the educational institutions, to live together with our neighbours.



“It is not all Muslims that are against Christians and neither are all Christians against Muslims. The leadership in the respective religions have to work harder to make sure they convince the coming generation that they have to live together in the same country.”


President Buhari assured the Christian delegation that he will continue to exert pressure on the Nigeria Police Force to do the needful in protecting lives and property. His words: “In our security arrangement, the police is in the frontline in making sure that communities, irrespective of ethnic or religious bias, live together in peace.”
from vanguard

Ekweremadu, wife, son, escape assassination attempt

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, his wife, and son escaped an assassination attempt at about 4am on Tuesday November 6th.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, the armed men discreetly evaded the security at Ekweremadu’s Apo Quarters residence, to gain entry into his house. The attackers could not immediately shoot in order not to attract the attention of the security personnel on duty. The gunmen took hold of his son, and commanded him to lead them the Senator’s bedroom.

It was at the Senator’s bedroom that a struggle ensued, leading to the arrest of one of the assailants with dangerous weapons and housebreaking devices, while the rest managed to escape.The arrested member of the gang has, however, refused to divulge any information on the operation and has been handed over to the police.

Ekweremadu, his wife, and one of his sons were in the house at the time of the attack.