What is Genetically modified organism

Genetically modified organism (GMO), organism whose genome has been engineered in the laboratory in order to favour the expression of desired physiological traits or the production of desired biological products. In conventional livestock production, crop farming, and even pet breeding, it has long been the practice to breed select individuals of a species in order to produce offspring that have desirable traits. In genetic modification, however, recombinant genetic technologies are employed to produce organisms whose genomes have been precisely altered at the molecular level, usually by the inclusion of genes from unrelated species of organisms that code for traits that would not be obtained easily through conventional selective breeding.

Genetically modified (GM) barley grown by researchers on a site belonging to Giessen University (Justus-Liebig-Universität) in Germany. The GM barley was investigated for its effects on soil quality.Ralph Orlowski/Getty Images

GMOs are produced through using scientific methods that include recombinant DNA technology and reproductive cloning. In reproductive cloning, a nucleus is extracted from a cell of the individual to be cloned and is inserted into the enucleated cytoplasm of a host egg. The process results in the generation of an offspring that is genetically identical to the donor individual. The first animal produced by means of this cloning technique with a nucleus from an adult donor cell (as opposed to a donor embryo) was a sheep named Dolly, born in 1996. Since then a number of other animals, including pigs, horses, and dogs, have been generated by reproductive cloning technology. Recombinant DNA technology, on the other hand, involves the insertion of one or more individual genes from an organism of one species into the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of another. Whole-genome replacement, involving the transplantation of one bacterial genome into the “cell body,” or cytoplasm, of another microorganism, has been reported, although this technology is still limited to basic scientific applications.

Genetically modified organisms are produced using scientific methods that include recombinant DNA technology.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

GMOs produced through genetic technologies have become a part of everyday life, entering into society through agriculture, medicine, research, and environmental management. However, while GMOs have benefited human society in many ways, some disadvantages exist; therefore, the production of GMOs remains a highly controversial topic in many parts of the world.

GMOs in agriculture

Genetically modified (GM) foods were first approved for human consumption in the United States in 1994, and by 2014–15 about 90 percent of the corn, cotton, and soybeans planted in the United States were GM. By the end of 2010, GM crops covered more than 10 million square kilometres (3.86 million square miles) of land in 29 countries worldwide—one-tenth of the world’s farmland. The majority of GM crops were grown in the Americas.

Genetically modified corn (maize).© S74/Shutterstock.com

Engineered crops can dramatically increase per area crop yields and, in some cases, reduce the use of chemical insecticides. For example, the application of wide-spectrum insecticides declined in many areas growing plants, such as potatoes, cotton, and corn, that were endowed with a gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, which produces a natural insecticide called Bt toxin. Field studies conducted in India in which Bt cotton was compared with non-Bt cotton demonstrated a 30–80 percent increase in yield from the GM crop. This increase was attributed to marked improvement in the GM plants’ ability to overcome bollworm infestation, which was otherwise common. Studies of Bt cotton production in Arizona, U.S., demonstrated only small gains in yield—about 5 percent—with an estimated cost reduction of $25–$65 (USD) per acre owing to decreased pesticide applications. In China, where farmers first gained access to Bt cotton in 1997, the GM crop was initially successful. Farmers who had planted Bt cotton reduced their pesticide use by 50–80 percent and increased their earnings by as much as 36 percent. By 2004, however, farmers who had been growing Bt cotton for several years found that the benefits of the crop eroded as populations of secondary insect pests, such as mirids, increased. Farmers once again were forced to spray broad-spectrum pesticides throughout the growing season, such that the average revenue for Bt growers was 8 percent lower than that of farmers who grew conventional cotton. Meanwhile, Bt resistance had also evolved in field populations of major cotton pests, including both the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) and the pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella).
Other GM plants were engineered for resistance to a specific chemical herbicide, rather than resistance to a natural predator or pest. Herbicide-resistant crops (HRC) have been available since the mid-1980s; these crops enable effective chemical control of weeds, since only the HRC plants can survive in fields treated with the corresponding herbicide. Many HRCs are resistant to glyphosate (Roundup), enabling liberal application of the chemical, which is highly effective against weeds. Such crops have been especially valuable for no-till farming, which helps prevent soil erosion. However, because HRCs encourage increased application of chemicals to the soil, rather than decreased application, they remain controversial with regard to their environmental impact. In addition, in order to reduce the risk of selecting for herbicide-resistant weeds, farmers must use multiple diverse weed-management strategies.
Another example of a GM crop is “golden” rice, which originally was intended for Asia and was genetically modified to produce almost 20 times the beta-carotene of previous varieties. Golden rice was created by modifying the rice genome to include a gene from the daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus that produces an enzyme known as phyotene synthase and a gene from the bacterium Erwinia uredovora that produces an enzyme called phyotene desaturase. The introduction of these genes enabled beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the human liver, to accumulate in the rice endosperm—the edible part of the rice plant—thereby increasing the amount of beta-carotene available for vitamin A synthesis in the body. In 2004 the same researchers who developed the original golden rice plant improved upon the model, generating golden rice 2, which showed a 23-fold increase in carotenoid production.
Another form of modified rice was generated to help combat iron deficiency, which impacts close to 30 percent of the world population. This GM crop was engineered by introducing into the rice genome a ferritin gene from the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, that produces a protein capable of binding iron, as well as a gene from the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus that produces an enzyme capable of digesting compounds that increase iron bioavailability via digestion of phytate (an inhibitor of iron absorption). The iron-fortified GM rice was engineered to overexpress an existing rice gene that produces a cysteine-rich metallothioneinlike (metal-binding) protein that enhances iron absorption.
A variety of other crops modified to endure the weather extremes common in other parts of the globe are also in production.

How and Who Wrote the King James Bible?

© Hemera/Thinkstock

“Let there be light.” “My brother’s keeper.” “Fight the good fight.” A number of the most well-known phrases in the English language originated not in novels, plays, or poems but in a seminal translation of the Bible, the King James Version (KJV), which was published in 1611 at the behest of King James I of England. It is likely the most famous translation of the bible and was the standard English Bible for nearly three centuries. Many people think that it’s so named because James had a hand in writing it, but that’s not the case. As king, James was also the head of the Church of England, and he had to approve of the new English translation of the Bible, which was also dedicated to him.
So if James didn’t write it, who did? To begin with, there’s no single author. One individual—Richard Bancroft, the archbishop of Canterbury—was notable for having the role of overseer of the project, something akin to a modern editor of a collection of short stories. The actual translating (writing) of the KJV was done by a committee of 47 scholars and clergymen over the course of many years. So we cannot say for certain which individual wrote a given passage.
One person who most assuredly did not write the KJV, although he had been long rumored to have done so, is William Shakespeare. There is no evidence that Shakespeare participated in the project, and, while both his works and the KJV are among the greatest literary feats of all time, his elaborate metaphor-heavy style and that of the KJV (which has minimalist and direct text) are vastly different. Moreover, there is little reason to believe that a group of 17th-century religious leaders would welcome a prominent playwright into their midst when theater at the time was widely thought—by devout Britons, at least—to be immoral.

Finally, It is now Revealed of How Stormy Daniels Says She ‘Technically’ Didn’t Sleep With Donald Trump

President Trump’s lawyers have threatened Stormy Daniels with a $20 million lawsuit in advance of her “60 Minutes” interview.

But it is her Twitter account that should make them nervous.

The adult film star, who gained worldwide notoriety following reports that she had an affair with Donald Trump years ago, slammed her critic Tuesday, as she hurled some interesting tid-bits about her relationship with the president. And boy, can she throw serious shade.

Responding to a tweet suggesting Daniels should “just disappear,” because “no one cares you were a slut and slept with POTUS 12 yrs ago,” Daniels gave an epic clapback:

“Technically I didn’t sleep with the POTUS 12 years ago. There was no sleeping (hehe) and he was just a goofy reality TV star.”

When another critic told her 15 minutes were almost up, Daniels — whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford —  responded with this:

“Do you seriously think I give a flying f— if people “like” me?” I’d have become a kindergarten teacher if that was my goal in life.”

Daniels is embroiled in a fierce legal battle with Trump and his lawyers over a non-disclosure agreement she signed right before the 2016 presidential election, aimed at silencing her about her relationship with the president before he took office.

Through her lawyers, Daniels claimed that the NDA — for which she was paid $130,000 — is null and void because Trump never signed it.

Trump has denied the accusations. His personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, filed papers with in Federal Court, claiming he has the right to seek $20 million in damages for at least 20 violations of the nondisclosure agreement.

But if Daniels is worried, you wouldn’t know it by looking at her Twitter feed, where’s she’s spilling lots of Trump tea.

Responding to an online critic who asked whether she had “no shame,” Daniels said: “Shameless….which is also my favorite Garth Brooks song.”

When a particularly spelling-challenged critic tried to diss her, saying “all americans know you will do anything for money and you are so jellioys of milania you cant stand it,” Daniels responded with: “Too easy.”

It seems Daniels is well aware of her trolling talents.

To a fan who wrote: “I know you’re technically an adult film star, but you’re a hell of a troll slayer too!,” Daniels hit back with this gem: “Everyone needs a hobby.”

You can check out more of her tweets here (NSFW).

If the drama has you glued to the screen, worry not. Daniels promised in her Tuesday Twitter storm: “I am NOT going anywhere.”

Finally Good Luck Jonathan Proved Osinbajo to Be FATHER Of ALL LIARS and The Highest Liar in Africa in General

Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo

Osinbajo on Monday at a business forum in Abuja alleged that the money in local and foreign currencies was fretted away by a few elements in the Jonathan-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration.

“In one single transaction a few weeks to the elections in 2015, N100 billion and $295million were just fretted away,” Osinbajo said.

He also alleged that promoters of the companies involved in the Strategic Alliance Contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) made away with close to $3 billion.

Specifically, Osinbajo stirred the hornet's nest on Monday when he further alleged that whereas the Jonathan administration spent only N153 billion on infrastructure in the three years preceding 2014, N150 billion was shared in just two weeks before the 2015 elections.

He described corruption as a cankerworm that had become systemic in the country.

In a swift reaction, the PDP challenged the vice president to name those involved in the allegation, otherwise his claim would be regarded as part of the "figure propaganda and blame game" the ruling party has adopted to cover its ineptness since it assumed power in 2015.

In a statement by his former spokesman, Reno Omokri yesterday, Jonathan accused Osinbajo of repeatedly lying, saying the "vice-president has again surrendered his lips to Satan to be used to spread slander and lies."

"Nigerians may recall that lying is the most consistent achievement of Prof. Osinbajo's almost three years as vice-president.

"On this most recent allegation, let me state categorically that Jonathan did not share N150 billion two weeks to the 2015 election. If Osinbajo has proof that Jonathan did so, then we challenge him to publish his proof. He is a professor of law and ought to know that he who alleges must prove.

"Again, it is a lie from the pit of hell that the Jonathan administration spent only N14 billion on agriculture and N153 billion on infrastructure in three years as alleged by the fallacious Osinbajo," the statement read.

On infrastructure, Omokri said the Jonathan government performed far better than the way it was assessed by the current administration, adding that in less than three years, the APC-led government had borrowed more than PDP did in 16 years.

"The Jonathan administration budgeted and spent over $10 billion on infrastructure in the 5 years between May 6, 2010 and May 29, 2015.

"The Buhari administration, which in less than three years has borrowed more money than the PDP borrowed in 16 years, cannot point to even one major project they have started and completed.

"Both President Buhari and Osinbajo keep accusing the Jonathan administration of being corrupt and claim that they run an anti-corruption government," Omokri said.

Meanwhile, the presidency has refrained from providing insight into what the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government is doing to recover the billions of dollars allegedly frittered away.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, yesterday simply told The Guardian to direct its enquiries to the office of Osinbajo.

The Guardian had through an sms sought to know how much of the money had been recovered and what efforts the current administration was making to arrest those who stole the billions, with a view to prosecuting them.

But the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the vice president, Laolu Akande, did not reply to the enquiries on the matter.

The Buhari administration has continued to make claims of mindboggling looting of the public treasury without coming out with specifics or publishing factsheets of audited accounts.

One point which seems to cast a hallow of doubt on such claims is that the PDP held a fundraising prior to the 2015 general elections for the presidential poll and its permanent secretariat building.

The party disclosed then that N1.2 trillion was realised from the fundraising, without going into specifics, even as no mention was made of the money after the party lost the election.

However, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to accuse PDP of mindless looting and associate the immediate past administration with wasting national wealth.

The ruling party has been accused of using the allegation of looting to divert attention from its own shortcomings, including the non-disclosure of the total cost of prolonged medical vacation of the president as well as the names of looters of the national treasury, the amount looted, how much has been recovered and on what terms.

Priest publicly wishes for Pope's quick death because of his views on immigration and Islam

Pope Francis

A Catholic priest from Poland is facing rebuke after calling Pope Francis a "foreign body" in the church and implying the Pope should pass away soon if his views on refugees and non-Christian beliefs don't change.
"I pray for wisdom for the pope, for his heart to open up to the Holy Spirit. And if he does not do that, I pray for his quick departure to the House of the Father," Father Edward Staniek said during a homily in Krakow last month, according to an English transcription of his words.
"I can always ask God for a happy death for him, because a happy death is a great grace," he said.
During the homily, the prominent priest and theologian also took issue with some of the Pope's more liberal ideas on immigration, divorce and Islam.
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Of Muslims, Staniek said there is "no way to dialogue with them."
"In the name of mercy, [Pope Francis] calls parishes and dioceses to open the door for the followers of Islam," he said during his homily. "As a religion, they are hostile to the Gospel and the Church. They murdered millions in religious wars...We can show mercy to those Muslim believers who are dying of hunger or thirst. The doors of the diocese and the parish may be open only to believers in Jesus Christ."
Staniek's words were censured by the Archbishop of Krakow, Marek Jedraszewski.
"It is with great pain and sorrow that I have heard of the remarks about Father Francis by Fr. prof. Edward Staniek during his homily at The Church of the Felician Sisters in Krakow. I raised this matter during my personal conversation with him," the statement reads.

Source: CNN

Finally Africa’s only female president,Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, resigns

Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resigned on Saturday after being embroiled in a scandal over her use of a credit card to buy luxury personal items, in an abrupt change of heart after vowing she would not stand down.
Gurib-Fakim, Africa’s only female head of state, submitted her resignation in the “national interest,” her lawyer Yousouf Mohamed told reporters.
He said her resignation would take effect on March 23, a move that will bring down the curtain on a saga that has gripped the Indian Ocean archipelago for weeks.
Gurib-Fakim had vowed to fight the accusations that first appeared in local newspaper L’Express — that she used a bank card provided by an NGO to make personal purchases, including jewellery and luxury goods worth at least 25,000 euros.
Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth announced a week ago that Gurib-Fakim had agreed to resign, with a date set for her departure after last Monday’s ceremony celebrating the Indian Ocean archipelago’s 50 years of independence.
But on Wednesday, a statement from the presidency lashed out at “weeks of attacks and false allegations” and said Gurib-Fakim planned to clear her name and would not go.
It is not clear what prompted her about-turn, but her lawyer said Saturday she was “relieved” she had made the decision to resign after enduring a “difficult” time in recent weeks.
– Links to Angolan billionaire –
Gurib-Fakim, whose role is mostly ceremonial, is a scientist and biologist of international renown, and in 2015 joined the London-based Planet Earth Institute (PEI) to try to develop scientific capacity in Africa.
The presidency said that in May 2016, she received a credit card from PEI to pay for travel and logistical expenses linked to her role but inadvertently used it for unrelated personal expenses.
Gurib-Fakim said she immediately informed the PEI and paid back the amount, as well as all expenses paid by the PEI for her missions.
Source:

Finally , 20 Yr Old Ghanaian Singer Dies In Horrific Car Crash

20-year-old Ghanaian singer, Ebony Reigns, whose real name is Priscilla Opoku-Kwarteng, has reportedly been killed in a car accident in South Western Ghana. 

20-year-old Ghanaian singer, Ebony Reigns, whose real name is Priscilla Opoku-Kwarteng, has reportedly been killed in a car accident in South Western Ghana. 

According to police, the singer's Jeep reportedly collided head-on with a VIP bus while driving with her best friend and Youtube personality, Franky Kuri, as well as two military escorts, heading to Accra on Sunyani-Kumasi road. All four riders lost their lives in the accident.
She was rushed to Bechem Government Hospital where she later died from her injuries.
The VIP bus driver is still being treated in the hospital.
Reigns was one of Ghana's most popular rising stars, with her song Poison reaching number one on the singles chart. She released her latest album in December 2017 called Bonyfied.
She was discovered by musician and entrepreneur Bullet, a member of the popular group Ruff n Smooth, after she sent him a recording of her voice.
Fans took to Twitter to pay tribute to the young musician following news of her death.

But If I Finally Come Out With Allowances Of National Assembly Leaders, Nigeria Will Blow Up - Sagay

 The senior advocate said the polity might explode when he released the details of their allowances.

The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), says the N13m allowances being received by senators is only a tip of the iceberg as Nigerians will be shocked when he releases details of the allowances of the principal officers of the National Assembly.

Sagay said this during an interview with a correspondent of The Punch newspaper.
The PACAC chairman was responding to revelations by the lawmaker representing Kaduna-Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, that senators receive N700,000 monthly and a separate N13.5m as running costs.
Sagay, who has for several years accused federal lawmakers of receiving outrageous allowances, said principal officers of the National Assembly, including the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the majority and minority leaders of both chambers, are receiving far more than what Sani revealed.
The senior advocate said the polity might explode when he released the details of their allowances. Professor Itse Sagay, Chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption
He said, “There are many things the press doesn’t know yet. If you come to know the allowances that the leadership of the two houses are getting… My God! It will blow up the country. What is the Senate President getting? It is not the ordinary N13m.

Finally UK Declares Oyakhilome’s Christ Embassy Church Insolvent

The United Kingdom branch of Christ Embassy, owned by popular Nigerian televangelist, Chris Oyakhilome, is broke and has been declared insolvent by the Charity Commission, the agency that regulates charity organisations in the country.

The ministry also admitted in its belated 2015 financial statement (the church’s last annual return, which it published in 2017) that its subsidiary, Christ Embassy Limited, valued with a net asset of more than N1 billion (£2 million) entered into liquidation from November 1, 2016.

On its website, the Charity Commission flagged Christ Embassy as “charity insolvent”. According to the commission, a charity is considered as being insolvent when it is “unable to pay its debts.”

“In practice there are two separate tests for insolvency and failure of either might be an indication of insolvency: The charity cannot pay its debts as they fall due for payment; The value of its liabilities exceeds its assets.

“Charities will be flagged as insolvent on our register when we are made aware of an insolvency situation and we are provided with verification from a qualified, independent insolvency practitioner.” the commission explained.

The church’s present financial problem is another episode in a series of crisis that has plagued the church since 2013.

According to Premium Times, in 2014, Oyakhilome lost a fierce power tussle over the church in the UK with his ex-wife, Anita. Though she, now known as Anita Ebhodaghe Schafer, was the head of the UK branch of the church, Oyakilome presided over the charity’s board of trustee since inception until he was forced to resign in 2014.

After he was kicked out of the church’s board of trustees, the former flamboyant couple went their separate ways in a bitter divorce five months later.
In 2013, the UK government set up an inquiry into possible financial misplacement of the church’s fund between 2008 and 2012. Government-appointed auditors later raised eyebrows over suspicious payments worth N2.14 billion (£4.28 million) made to companies and organisation closely related to the church in 2013.

Though the Charity Commission did not immediately respond to request for further details about the circumstances leading to the church being declared insolvent, a peep into its financial history showed that the church started bleeding about 16 months before Oyakhilome was removed as a trustee of the church.

In 2012 Christ Embassy, UK was in perhaps its best position financially. Its membership was growing in multiples and donations including tithes and offerings were ballooning. New chapters were opened all across the UK. In England, new chapters were opened in Bridgend, Peterborough, Swindon, Stockton and a third chapter in Manchester. Similarly, in Scotland, new chapters were opened in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow.

Though in the year, its expenditure was N4.49 billion (£8.88 million), the church had an income of N8.43 billion (£16.72 million), which left it with a surplus of N3.96 billion (£7.84 million) excluding a gift of over N1 billion (£2 million) in net asset donated to it by its subsidiary, Christ Embassy Limited.

“The ministry is therefore in a comfortable position to meet all financial commitments and projections for the coming year,” the church boasted.

The first whiff of problem appeared after the church turned in its financial statement in 2013. The church’s income was N7.1 billion (£14.1 million) which was a drop of N1.3 billion (£2.6 million) from the income of the previous year.

However, its expenditure rose drastically to N8 billion (£15.9 million), which is an increase of N3.5 billion (£7 million). Thus, from a surplus of N3.96 billion (£7.89million) the previous year, the church slumped into a deficit of N961.6 million (£1.9 million).
Despite the drastic slump in income, the church was still optimistic about its future: “The Ministry remains in a comfortable position to meet all its financial commitments and projections for the coming year,” it stated.

In 2014, the church’s income continued on its downward trajectory while its expenditure stayed high. Its income dropped to N6.7 billion (£13.2 million). But due to cuts in its expenditure, the church managed to make a surplus of N506 million (£1 million).

In 2015, Christ Embassy took its biggest hit. Income for the year was N2.3 billion (£4.7 million) from the N6.7 billion (£13.2 million) the previous year, while expenditure rose to over N5 billion (approximately £10 million). Thus, its deficit for the year amounted to just over N1.7 billion (£3.2 million).

The fees paid to Rod Weston of the international audit and accounting firm, Mazars LLP, who was appointed by the Charity Commission to take over the management of the church, may cause the increase in the church’s expenditure in 2014 and 2015.

The ministry’s annual return for both years indicated that a total of N7.6 billion (£15.1million) was paid to the interim manager. The church still has an outstanding fee of N1.1 billion (£2215,914) to pay the interim manager in 2015.

When reached for comments, an official of the church, who refused to identify himself, was furious that this newspaper wanted to do a story about the church.

“Why do you need the information? What story? Who gave you the story to work on? Why are you calling?, he asked.
When told that ethically journalists are required to talk to the subjects of their stories to write balanced reports, he said there was no need to ask the church any question.

“If you are a journalist and you got your story from anywhere why do you need to balance it, you go ahead. There is no need to clarify,” he said.

Worried by the ministry’s sudden increase in expenditure, on 11 August 2014, the Charity Commission side-lined the church’s board of trustees and appointed an interim manager, Rod Weston of the international audit and accounting firm, Mazars, to take over the management of the church.

Before setting aside the church’s board of trustees, the commission had discovered controversial payments worth N1.8 billion (£3.6 million) to foreign entities between 2008 and 2012.
The Charity Commission explained at the time that the statutory inquiry would investigate Christ Embassy over “a number of serious concerns relating to the use of charitable funds, in particular large connected party payments and the potential misapplication of grant funding”.
The commission said the church might have been imprudent in managing its finances.
Subsequently, the UK tax authority, HM Revenue and Customs, held back N1.36 billion (£2.7 million) due to the church in donation between 2008 and 2012 until the conclusion is resolved.
But details of the 2013 financial statement, which was approved on January 22, 2016 show that the church’s suspicious spending did not stop in 2012.

Jacob Cavenagh and Skeet, the independent auditors, discovered that part of the church’s £15.9 million expenditure in 2013 was made to companies and organisations with close relation to the church.
The auditors particularly raised eyebrows over the N1.35 billion (£2,679,980) paid to Loveworld Limited for transmission of the church’s broadcast. Interestingly, a trustee of the church, Obioma Chiemeka, is the director and sole shareholder of Loveworld Limited. Mr Chiemeke, a pastor, however resigned as a trustee on October 15, 2015.

Also, purchases worth N22.7 million (£44,925) were made from Ventaja Ltd for decorating and the construction of a stage. The auditors discovered that a pastor of the church, Tony Obi, was the sole shareholder of the Ventaja and his wife Georgine Obi, an employee of Christ Embassy, was a director of the company. Mr Obi, however, resigned as a trustee of the church on November 6, 2015.

The auditors said they were also not convinced about the reason for a grant of N506.9 million (£1,000,973) given to Healing School, Canada. A trustee of the UK branch of the Church. Ray Okocha, a reverend, is also a trustee of Healing School Canada.

Healing School is the branch of the church in charge of faith healing and miracles sessions. It regularly hosts events in Johannesburg, South Africa; and Toronto, Canada.

The auditors said they could not obtain “complete and accurate” information on the transactions because the church could not provide explanations and information they requested during the audit.
“The audit evidence available to us are limited because we were unable to obtain sufficient evidence to enable us to conclude whether material amount of expenditure made by the charity were charitable expenditure,” the auditors stated.

“The audit evidence available to us are also limited because we were unable to obtain complete and accurate information on related parties. As a result of this we were unable to determine whether further disclosure of related parties and related party transaction should be made in financial statement.

“The audit evidence were also limited because a number of explanations and information requested during our audit could not be provided,” it said.

How Kukah Blasts Northern Muslim Elite, Says They Have Used Religion and Power to Under-develop Northern Nigeria Without Remedy

    

Matthew Hassan Kukah

• Says region remains backward, poorest in the country

By John Shiklam in Kaduna
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has accused the Northern Muslim elite of using religion to hold onto power to the detriment of their people and the larger society.

Kukah also criticised Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State for his handling of the bloody violence and destruction of property in Southern Kaduna in 2017, which resulted in the deaths of several people in that part of the state.
Speaking in Kafanchan at the burial Sunday of Joseph Bagobiri, the late Catholic Bishop of the Kafanchan Diocese, Kukah maintained that despite its access to power for years, the North still remained backward and the poorest part of the country.
Kukah said: “It is sad that the Northern Muslim elite has used religion to hold onto power to the detriment of even their own people and the larger society.

“For despite holding onto power for all these years, the North is still the poorest part of the country, nearly 15 million Muslim children are on the streets with no future in sight. We are, as the governor of Borno would say, the poster child of poverty.”
He said Nigeria was facing a very serious crisis more than ever before.
According to Kukah, “Death, destruction and destitution have become our lot and nowhere is this more expressed than in Northern Nigeria.”
He noted that “today, Boko Haram and the herdsmen and farmers’ clashes are phenomena that are peculiar to the North and Islam”, adding: “We cannot run away from this.”

He warned that the world was changing and Nigerians have a country to build, observing: “Even Usman Dan Fodio (Islamic preacher and founder of the Sokoto Caliphate) said that a society can live with unbelief, but no nation can survive with injustice.”
Kukah said the late Bagobiri had lived at a time when clearly the foundation of unity and justice in Kaduna, in particular and Nigeria in general, seemed threatened, stressing that he fought against the marginalisation of the Southern Kaduna people.
He declared that no religious leader worth his salt can stand by in the face of visible injustice, stressing that “it will be a mortal sin” to remain aloof to the glaring injustice.
According to him, the people of Southern Kaduna had suffered the injustice of deliberate exclusion from all the rungs of local and national politics in the current administration.
He said: “They have got to where they are now by the sweat of their brows. We do not ask for pity or sympathy from anyone. We have come so far, not through the state, but in spite of the state in Northern Nigeria.

“That is why, as you leave this stadium (in Kafanchan), whether you are going to Abuja, Jos or Kaduna, please look left and right and note if you will see one single federal or major state government structure on the highway.
“All the structures you see as you drive along are the result of the sweat from the brows of our people.
“The federal and state governments are absent, Bishop Bagobiri was in the middle of all this.”

He, however, commended the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the former governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, for developing Southern Kaduna, and for appointing qualified Southern Kaduna indigenes into positions of authority.
He described the late clergyman as a great pastor and a builder of human capital, adding that Bagobiri made his contributions in the development of Southern Kaduna by trying to close the gap left by the neglect of the state and the federal governments.
Recalling his (Kukah’s) role in trying to find solutions to the killings in the state, Kukah said he had reached out to the National Peace Committee (NPC) led by former military head of state, General Abdusalami Abubakar (rtd), following which a meeting was held with el-Rufai, and after which the committee undertook a visit to Southern Kaduna.
“We wanted to hear from the governor. Essentially, the thrust of his comment was the fact that he was determined to end impunity and that for years, people had gotten away with so much.

“But I was taken aback by his (el-Rufai’s) combative mood and worried if he really and truly understood the issues.
“I had already gotten Gen. Abdusalami to agree that after seeing the governor, we would go to Southern Kaduna and he agreed… Next, we went on to Kafanchan the same day and met with a cross-section of leaders from civil society groups – CAN, JNI, etc. Everyone was quite delighted and offered very useful suggestions,” Kukah disclosed.
According to Kukah, however, more that one year after the peace committee had submitted its report, there has been no official response from the state government.
He said this explanation was necessary to set the records straight and respond to the allegations made by el-Rufai against religious and traditional leaders to the effect that they were somehow part of the problem, stressing that the governor may be right, “but the evidence before me leads to a different conclusion”.
Kukah also recalled that in an interview with Channels Television during the crisis, el-Rufai had levelled two accusations against religious leaders of promoting “a policy of exclusion”.
Kukah said the governor had also alleged that some church leaders had collected money from missionaries abroad to bury their dead and to rebuild thousands of churches that had been destroyed.
Speaking further, the bishop said: “I am not sure which religious leaders he was speaking of, but at least the two of the most prominent religious leaders in Southern Kaduna would be (late) Bishop Bagobiri and the Emir of Jema’a.
“It is interesting that when the interviewer pressed the governor for evidence on the graves and the damaging allegations he had made against these leaders, he seemed rattled and simply said the security agencies were gathering the information and that people (who had carried out the killings) will soon be prosecuted.”
Kukah went on to state that the 2019 elections were looming and no one was being prosecuted for the violence in Southern Kaduna last year.

“The elections are coming and still we have not commenced prosecution. As I have said, my encounter and experience with both the Emir of Jema’a and Bishop Bagobiri led me to a totally different conclusion…
“By his own admission, the governor said that a thousand churches had been destroyed in Southern Kaduna and that people had lost their lives.
“Yet, his one grouse was that these leaders were collecting money from good wishers abroad to bury their people.
“This was a clear case of self-indictment by the governor. First, did he expect that the people of Southern Kaduna would wait for him to come and supervise the mass burial of their people after burying the Shiites in mass graves?
“By casting aspersions on missionary assistance, the governor betrayed troubling ignorance of the causes of the crisis we have faced.
“The work of missionaries may be a problem for him today, but for the people of Southern Kaduna, the message of Christ is steeped in their blood.
“Without the missionaries, they would be no better than slaves, mere beasts of burden. Without the missionaries, the history of Northern Nigeria would be pathetic and the region would still be in the dark ages…
“There is neither retreat nor surrender because this is the faith of our fathers. It has given us the tools, the courage and the confidence we require to take our rightful place in our society.

“Apart from Barewa College, which other prominent institution in Kaduna State does not owe its origin to the missionaries? All the so-called government schools in Kaduna State are products of the criminal and unjust takeover of missionary schools by the state government,” he added.

Why Buhari’s Re-election Declaration is Delayed and Nigeria Future Cannot be Ascertain

By Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

The presidency at the weekend in Abuja disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to keep Nigerians in suspense on his re-election bid was a deliberate ploy to avoid sabotage.
Making this disclosure in an interview with select State House correspondents, the Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the president would continue to keep his intentions close to his chest because those opposed to his re-election could exploit his declaration to sabotage the country.

According to him, the president declaring his ambition about a year to the next election would only give such saboteurs a lot of time to sabotage the country economically and politically, among others.
“You know the peculiarity of Nigeria, particularly now. If the president speaks too early, it’s a problem. There is a lot of sabotage in the country.
“You have also heard so many have said, ‘don’t run,’ because they know that if the president runs, other people would just run away because they don’t have the foggiest chance in hell of beating him. So, they want to discourage him from running.

“Now, if he tells you, ‘I’m going to run,’ and elections are still one year away, it gives them one year to sabotage the entire country from all fronts – politically, socially, economically – they would throw everything at him just to dissuade him from running.
“So, when you know that, why then speak early? I think it makes a lot of sense for you to keep things close to your chest till it is time for you to then say, ‘ok, I’m running’ by which time they can do less damage,” he explained.
Although the president has alluded to re-contesting the presidential election in 2019, he has not declared it definitively, keeping Nigerians on the tenterhooks on his real intentions.

One instance when he dropped a hint on his interest in seeking re-election in 2019 was when he paid a state visit to Kano last year. He had said: “Kano is in my pocket.”
The state voted overwhelmingly for Buhari in the 2015 elections, giving him 1.903 million of the 2.13 million valid votes cast.
Also, while on a visit to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire last year, the president said he arrived late to a meeting with the Nigerian community because he had insisted on coming with two governors, as doing so could be a vote for him in the future.

Adesina also explained the reason the president had proposed a visit to Rivers State, despite its criticism by the state governor, Nyesom Wike, who had said the state was crisis-free.

Adesina said the president’s intention was to condole with the families of victims of various killings in the state, saying a state where people were beheaded could not be devoid of crisis.
“If he (Wike) doesn’t understand, the rest of the country understands. We understand. Other Nigerians understand. Even people in Rivers State understand because on new year’s day, a minimum of 24 people were killed in Omoku.
“So, is that not a crisis? And can you count the number of people that have been beheaded in Rivers State in recent times?
“People were killed and heads cut off and the assailants went away with the heads. So, can anybody say that there is no security issue in that kind of place?
“It’s left to the governor, he’s the chief security officer. If he says there’s no security crisis in his state, good luck to him.
“But the president is visiting so that he can condole with people who lost their loved ones, 24 people minimum, were killed in Omoku.

“So, those people are the reason. Those people and the many beheaded; relations of those beheaded and their heads taken away are the reason the president is visiting the state,” he explained.