Nigerian Navy promises more security on water ways

Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin

Rear Admiral Obiora Medani, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, said on Sunday that the Nigerian Navy would sustain security patrol on Calabar-Akwa Ibom water ways to prevent oil theft.

Medani gave the assurance in Calabar during the Nigerian Navy fleet review evacuation exercise.

NAN reports that the exercise was part of the activities to mark the 58th anniversary of the Nigerian Navy.

Medani said there was an improvement by men of the Nigerian Navy in providing security on Calabar-Akwa Ibom water ways.

“The present Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Usman Jibrin, has said that oil theft would no longer be business as usual.

“This is because he has put in a lot of resources in place to ensure that our water ways are free from criminals.

“The Chief of Naval Staff leadership has brought a lot of changes; and that is why you can see that everywhere is calm and peaceful,” he said.

He described the exercise as a success, saying that there was no breakdown of any ship during the process.

“The exercise has gone very well, 10 ships and two helicopters participated, and we don’t have any breakdown.

“The gun-ray exercise, anti-piracy operation and helicopter operation, among others, have gone very well,” he said.

He assured the maritime sector that the Nigerian Navy would continue to provide adequate security.

APC condemns Emir’s killing, says Boko Haram is an enemy

Alhaji Lai Mohammed

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the killing of the Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrissa Timta, by suspected Boko Haram gunmen, saying it confirms the terror group as the enemy of the whole of Nigeria, rather than a group set up by some imaginary opposition political party or elites to bring down the Jonathan Administration.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday 1 June by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the atrocious killing of the Emir is the clearest indication yet that the Jonathan administration has misdiagnosed the Boko Haram menace from the onset.

It recalled that when the indiscriminate activities of Boko Haram are placed side by side with others facts: that the group started in 2002 when Obasanjo was President and flared in 2009 when Yar’Adua was President, one would realize how deceitful and diversionary it is for anyone to portray it as an attempt to make Nigeria ungovernable under Jonathan.

“Boko Haram is not a northern response to a southern presidency, as some would have us believe. Boko Haram is an enemy of Nigeria; whether Christians or Muslims, southerners or northerners, the lowly or the elite, the young or the old, the poor and the rich.

They must be seen for what they are: fringe elements who happen to have linked up with other terror groups around the world to acquire training and weapons which they are now using to terrorize a whole nation.

“That Emirs, who are Muslims and symbols of power in the north, can be so dastardly attacked, with deadly consequences, should convince those who would rather engage in blame game than fight the bandits that what the country faces is neither a strictly religious nor elite war, and make them to change their jaundiced mindset

“If indeed Boko Haram was sponsored by the so-called northern elites against Jonathan, how come they are not even sparing the same elites? If indeed Boko Haram is sponsored by the north against Jonathan, why are their deadly attacks concentrated in the north, where they have killed thousands and destroyed facilities and infrastructure worth billions?

“Let us all see Boko Haram for what it is, and come together as a people to fight the insurgents, rather than engage in denial, blame game and finger pointing that can only weaken our resolve as a nation to tackle this fringe group squarely,” the statement read.

The party said the insurgency has festered because the government started off by not seeing it for what it is, thus losing valuable time to combat it, adding that when it started dawning on the government that the nation faced a serious problem, it responded by seeking to make political gains out of it.

“Those who saw Boko Haram, erroneously, as a political trump card have now suffered a boomerang, and today the Jonathan Administration is seen globally as incompetent, clueless and rudderless largely because of its inept handling of the Boko Haram insurgency, especially the unfortunate abduction of innocent school girls which has lingered. This is what you get when you play politics with a serious national problem,” it said.

APC restated its demand for a national security conference, as different from a gathering of all political parties, to help forge a common front against Boko Haram.

“We also reiterate our offer to join hands with the government in a non-partisan effort to battle the menace of Boko Haram, even though the government has yet to reach out to us since we made that offer,” the party said.

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MMM Recordz (John Mikel Obi’s imprint) proudly presents a smashing single by its frontline act, Charass, an artiste personally rated among the best new names in the industry over the last year or so. His “Coco Butter” single is still blazing the airwaves, with a star-studded remix set to drop in the near future.

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Gulbis shocks Federer in Paris

Switzerland’s Roger Federer

Ernests Gulbis condemned Roger Federer to his worst French Open defeat in a decade on Sunday while Milos Raonic became just the fourth Canadian man to reach the last eight of a major.

Gulbis, the controversial Latvian, beat the fourth seeded 2009 champion 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 as Federer, 32, suffered his earliest loss in Paris since 2004 when he was demolished in the third round by Gustavo Kuerten.

Victory on Sunday would have put Federer into a record 42nd Grand Slam quarter-final and 10th in a row in Paris, but 25-year-old Gulbis showed no fear as he set up a last-eight clash against Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych.

He unleashed 13 aces and 53 winners with Federer undone by an uncharacteristic 59 unforced errors as he lost a five-setter in Paris for the first time.

“I was all over the place,” admitted Federer. “I am disappointed not to win. I have a lot of regrets.

“But he did a good job of hanging around and coming back. I knew what to expect, I know how he plays. I just wish I could have played better.”

Gulbis, who took a controversial medical timeout at 2-5 down in the fourth set, was delighted by his win.

“It’s the biggest win of my career,” said the Latvian, whose only other Grand Slam quarter-final appearance came in Paris in 2008.

“It was a tough match and I’m sorry as I know that most of you wanted Roger to win.”

Gulbis, the 18th seed, was a break ahead in the first set at 4-2 before Federer retrieved it in the seventh game. The Latvian was also a mini-break to the good in the tiebreaker but still could not convert.

After surrendering the advantage of an early break again in the second set, Gulbis was warned for breaking his racquet by stamping it into the Paris dirt.

However, his pressure on Federer eventually yielded rewards in the second set tiebreak and then in the third set through which he romped with breaks in the sixth and eighth games.

Federer wasn’t finished as Gulbis, as so often in his colourful career, went spectacularly off the boil with the Swiss levelling the contest by taking the fourth set.

The Latvian incurred the wrath of the pro-Federer centre court crowd when he took a medical timeout to treat lower back pain at 2-5 down.

He thrived on the atmosphere, upping the pace and the seven-year age gap between the two men told on Federer who was quickly 3-0 down in the decider.

Gulbis set up two match points with his 13th ace and claimed his famous victory when Federer slapped a backhand wide.

- Federer’s diminishing returns -

It was a sobering loss for Federer whose last three appearances in Paris have resulted in steadily diminishing returns with a semi-final loss in 2012 followed by a quarter-final exit last year and then Sunday’s fourth round exit.

Berdych made the quarter-finals for the second time with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over 10th seed John Isner who was bidding to become the first American to reach the last eight since Andre Agassi in 2003.

“There were quick breaks in each of the sets. That’s something which really helps through all the match, especially with a guy like John,” said 2010 semi-finalist Berdych.

Raonic became just the fourth Canadian man in history — and first in the Open Era — to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final when he defeated Spain’s Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

Eighth-seeded Raonic, 23, fired 53 winners and goes on to face either world number two Novak Djokovic or French 13th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in the semi-finals.

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray battled to a four-hour 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 12-10 win over Philipp Kohlschreiber to reach the fourth round.

The British seventh seed, who next faces Spanish left-hander Fernando Verdasco, had been level at 7-7 with the German 28th seed when the match was halted on Saturday night.

When the pair reappeared, Murray squandered a match point at 9-8 but wrapped up the match in the 22nd game of the decider in a clash which featured 18 breaks of serve and 123 unforced errors.

It was the longest fifth set of Murray’s career and the first time he had been taken the full distance since defeating Verdasco from two sets to love down in last year’s Wimbledon quarter-finals.

The 30-year-old Verdasco, seeded 24, reached the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win over France’s 12th seed Richard Gasquet in another third round tie held over from Saturday.

New breast cancer recurrence drug shows promise

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In the file: Prescription drugs

A new treatment option is more effective than tamoxifen at preventing a return of breast cancer in young women, according to the results of two international trials released Sunday.

The findings show that exemestane, given along with treatment to suppress the function of the ovaries, reduced the risk of breast cancer’s return by 34 per cent, and cut the risk of a subsequent invasive cancer by 28 per cent.

Exemestane is an aromatase inhibitor that until now has largely been used in older women who have reached menopause, since it requires women to have a low level of estrogen in order to work.

Tamoxifen, meanwhile, is commonly prescribed to women who have had breast cancer as a way to prevent its return.

“For years, tamoxifen has been the standard hormone therapy for preventing breast cancer recurrence in young women with hormone sensitive disease,” said lead study author Olivia Pagani, clinical director of the breast unit at the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland.

“the findings indicate that exemestane is better than tamoxifen, when given with ovarian function suppression, but longer follow up of these young women will be important to assess survival, and any long-term side effects and fertility.”

The results presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference were the joint analysis of two trials, including a total of 4,690 women, average age 43, who were randomized to receive either tamoxifen plus ovarian suppression therapy or exemestane plus ovarian suppression therapy.

The cancer-free survival in the exemestane group was 91.1 percent, compared to 87.3 percent in the tamoxifen group.

“Tamoxifen has been a gold standard for decades and has significant benefits,” said ASCO president Clifford Hudis.

“Now, with ovarian suppression, aromatase inhibitors are an option offering further reduction in the risk of recurrence.”

No amnesty for Boko Haram militants- Presidency

Dr Reuben Abati

Nigeria Presidency said on Saturday that contrary to recent reports, President Goodluck Jonathan has not declared amnesty for members of the Boko Haram militant sect.

Reuben Abati, special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Media and Publicity told reporters at the Presidential Villa that the claim that President Jonathan had decided to grant amnesty to members of Boko Haram who agreed to abandon the insurgent group is false.

Boni Haruna, the Minister of Youth Development had at an event organised to mark the Democracy Day in Abuja last Thursday said the federal government will grant amnesty to members of the insurgent group who agree to abandon their violent ways.

The Minister consequently on behalf of the Federal Government, called on the members of the Boko Haram sect to embrace the government’s gesture and key-in to amnesty programme.”

However, the Presidential spokesperson said while the government is not offering members of the insurgent group amnesty, the government had lined up series of integration programmes for the members of Boko Haram that are willing to surrender their arms and embrace peace.

While making reference to the Democracy Day nationwide broadcast by the President, Abati said the President never used the term amnesty.

“In that speech, if you look at it, I don’t think the President used amnesty, instead he spoke about those who are willing to renounce terrorism; those who are willing to embrace peace, opportunities have been created for them through the fact-finding committee, through the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolutions of Conflict in the North Eastern part of Nigeria. So I will refer you basically to the speech by the President.”

Chibok Girls: 2face Idibia ‘Breaks The Silence’

2face Idibia

Amidst international campaign for over 230 secondary school girls abducted in Chibok, over a month ago, African R n B sensation, Innocent Idibia popularly known as 2face Idibia, has broken the silence by releasing a single calling for the release of the girls and the restoration of peace in the country.

The single titled: ‘Break The Silence’ featured a host of foreign artists like Samini (Ghana), K-Slim, PKD, Squadee (Ghana), Spyke, Sound Sultan, Essence, Righteousman, Joe El, Ferre Galo (DRC) and Machel Montano (Trinidad & Tobago).

The song which cries for the restoration of peace in Nigeria, was produced under 2face Idibia’s Million Voices for Peace (MVP) project, established to raise funds to support the work of the Nigerian Red Cross.

The song released hours ago, has already gone viral on many of Nigeria’s blog sites.

A reliable source close to the media team of 2face confined to P.M. NEWS, that the song was not meant for download but to be viewed via YouTube.

“The song is not meant for download, just Youtube views but you know ‘Naija’, they are already putting it on their blogs for free downloads,” he said.

Since the kidnap of the girls 2face along with other artists have been calling for the safe return of the Chibok Girls.

“This is just another step in the journey towards the promotion of peace and unity in our nation and the world,” 2face said on the release of the song.