Beware! ...Handset gun out

Beware!!!
The handset being used by the man sitting next to you in the bus may be a weapon of destruction – gun.
The invention of the mobile gun phone is already causing some ripples in the security circle, because of its propensity to increase crime rate such as armed robbery and murder/assassination.

The gun phone was discovered recently by the Italian Police Force.

The mobile phone was said to have been seized in an operation against the Camorra, the Naples-based mafia. It is described as a .22 calibre weapon, which is capable of firing four shots in quick succession through the antenna, using buttons on the keypad as the trigger.
What is the implication of this deadly product to Nigeria and Nigerians? This is against the backdrop of Nigerians’ taste for ostentatious products and flamboyant life style.Another major source of worry is the increasing crime wave in the country, ranging from armed robbery, kidnappings, assassinations, political thuggery, among others.

Some people said if the Federal Government doesn’t take steps to prevent the importation of the killer-phone, the country is going to witness crime explosion. Those spoken to by Daily Sun are, however, pessimistic about the ability of the government to stop the deadly phone from finding its way into the country.

Their reasons are as follows; Nigeria, being a large market and target of foreign investors and manufacturers, the producers of the gun would like to target Nigerian market. Second, like car manufacturers, who target Nigerian market for sale of very expensive and posh cars, the manufacturers of the killer-phone would like to penetrate Nigerian market because of high taste of its citizens, for expensive products.



Third, the increase in crime wave is another reason the government should be concerned about the gun phone.

Fourth, the porous nature of Nigerian borders and the corruption among the security agencies, especially, the Nigerian Customs, which was supposed to check the importation and exportation of goods into or out of the country. Products that were banned in the country, including arms and ammunition still find their way into the country on daily basis, because of corrupt securitymen who make fortunes from importers and allow any manner of product to come into the country.

Recently, the Cross River State Police Commissioner, Mallam Mohammed Bala, alerted members of the public on the presence of the gun phone in the country. There is allegation that some of the militants already have gun phone in their possession.Bala Ahmed told Daily Sun in his office that intelligence reports have revealed that the deadly phone were manufactured in America and some countries in Europe.The Police Commissioner said the European law enforcement agencies, had condemned Global System Mobile phone manufacturers for inventing the decoy, which he said, security operatives were still battling to stop its production and distribution.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Cross River State Police Command, Mr. Etim Dickson, who took his turn to comment on the phone, said there was need for members of the public to be vigilant, in order to report any person found with the phone in Nigeria, to the nearest police station or any other security agency.Worried about the situation, Mr. Dickson said the Nigeria Police had already taken steps to check the distribution of the phones in the country, as security activities were said to have been beefed up at various airports, sea ports and other entry points, to screen every mobile phone that may be imported into the country.

According to the police image maker, the keypad of the phone has digits number 5 to 8 as the trigger, with high destructive power.At first sight, he said, the gun appeared to be like normal cell phone, but has extra weight when handled, explaining that the weapon has an in-built bullet magazine.He said: “We want to draw the attention of members of the public to the existence of the mobile phone gun that is now being sold to armed robbers and other men of the under world. We are calling on members of the public to cooperate with the police in our stop-and-search operations at various checkpoints, in order to fish out those who may have acquired the deadly weapon.”He said another feature of the phones was, short barrels, which appeared like camera, phone lens, as well as short antenna, which was said to be one of the components of the gun.

Mr. Charles Fakrogha, who also spoke with Daily Sun, however, said the gun phone would be useful to security operatives. He said if allowed to be imported into the country, its use should be restricted to the security agents. He said even if government wants to allow people to have access to the gun, it should be given to those who have licence.“Allowing such product into the country now is like making mess of the amnesty programme.

The Customs should take full charge to prevent the item from getting into wrong hands.Also Pius Agbamukoro said it would be dangerous to allow such phone to get into the country. “Why will they tell militants in the Niger Delta to lay down their arms and still encourage the importation of such items,” he queried.To Chidi Chukwudubem, government should not give the product any chance to be imported into the country.

Career - Vacancy

Position Type: Accountant
Employment type: Full time
Reporting Line: Managing Director/COO
Requirements:
* Compliance- Tax, Monthly Reports, Salary Schedule, VAT, withholding tax, Payee
* Knowledge of Peachtree
* Financial Management- Budgets, Performance Management, Costing, Project support
* Compilation of Accounts
* Budget Accounting
* Preparation of MISReconciliation of Accounts
* Finalization of Accounts
* Analyze capital needs
* Effectively contribute to tax planning and assist in tax planning of direct and indirect taxation.
* Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements by approving and filing statements and report, filing returns of taxes.
* Finalization of Balance Sheet

Position Type: Financial Analyst
Employment Type: Full time
Reporting Line: MD/Head, Analyst Services
Proshare is looking to add an Analyst for the Global Subscriber Team. Candidates must have a minimum five years post MBA experience as a buy/ sell side analyst with diversified industry/ sector experience, and a demonstrated record of investment and stock picking ability.
Description: The Senior Financial Analyst will report directly to the Head Analyst Services on all matters of relating to fundamental analysis, technical analysis and portfolio screening. This is a multi-faceted job opportunity that requires a strong financial background, personal initiative and flexibility with competing priorities requiring a strong adherence to best practice.
The unit will function independently from the operational and management structure and will relate only on purely professional terms as would be expected of an analyst service. The Analyst will drive the existing team to deliver a professional service including conducting confidential analysis and special projects for the firm pertaining to training education facilitation, analyst report on public offers, private placement memorandums and other financial matters.
Supervisory Responsibilities: Coordinate and assign tasks to co-workers within a work unit and/or project. Coordinate the work to be completed and may be responsible for formal supervision of employees..
Requirements:
* Candidates should possess the following qualifications:
* Minimum 2 years post MBA experience as a buy or sell side analyst.
* Diversified industry or sector experience.
* Strong bottom up fundamental approach to research
* Rigorous analytical approach
* Demonstrated track record of investment success and stock picking ability.
* Possess intellectual curiosity and a passion for the Nigerian Capital Market.
* Strong work ethic and attention to detail
* Strong interpersonal skills and experience in a collaborative team based results oriented environment.
* Ability to make decisions under uncertainty
* Effective communications skills, both written and oral
* High level of proficiency in spreadsheet (Excel) and Microsoft Office suite/Word processing software required, including financial modeling experience.
* Ability to self-direct and set priorities
* Strong academic track record with CIS/CFA (or in view) preferred

Position Type: NETWORK AND WEBSITE ADMINISTRATOR
Employment Type: Full time
Reporting Line: COO/MD
The main purpose of the role will be to assist with the maintenance and development of the server infrastructure as well as manage any infrastructure-based projects.
Provide technical support for all IT functions and specific projects on a daily basis to ensure stability and optimum performance of services and will be required to monitor server/server services loadings and execute maintenance routines to maximize service uptime.
The primary focus of the role will be to provide technical support for all IT functions and specific projects on a daily basis to ensure stability and optimum performance of services. He/She will be expected to proactively monitor server/server services loadings and execute maintenance routines to maximize service uptime and will also be relied upon to continually evaluate products and make recommendations where appropriate to ensure the appropriate use of best fit technology. SQL database administration will be a key focus of this role. LAN and WAN issues, TCPIP and any IP addressing experience.
Proactive Monitoring - Running diagnostics and monitoring the network to find and fix faults before they occur and Reactive Monitoring He/she will be responsible to maintain log details of any faults, perform basic troubleshooting in order to fix faults
This is a hands-on role and the successful candidate should be able to demonstrate appropriate technical project management experience. Candidate should be flexible and be able to prioritize work and deal with changing time scales and workloads.
The ideal candidates will be educated to at least degree level standard in a relevant related subject and will have proven experience of working in a comparable IT environment.

Position Type: Business & Market Editor
Remuneration: Competitive
Employment Type: Full time
Reporting Line: MD/COO
Responsibilities:
1. News Generation, Processing & Dissemination:
* Act as Editor of the Firm’s publications unit – Online, Print & Media.
* Set up a functional team of news reporters, investigators and media desk officers;
* Generate news content that is reliable, accurate, timely and relevant to investors for the web, print and special publications;
2. Relationship Management
* Attend all press engagements for and on behalf of the firm and disseminate the news of such outings based on pre-agreed laid out editorial criteria on a ‘breaking news’ approach/basis;
* Be a point of contact with the market at public events and gatherings on capital market activities;
* Relate with all Fund Managers, Stock Brokers and professional advisers/analysts in sourcing for and confirming news, investigations and articles/analysis on quoted companies in the market;
* Maintain cordial relations with all media publications – online, print, radio, and TV;
3. Interviews Management
* Conduct interviews with CEO’s and Investor Relations Managers of all quoted companies;
* Investigate developments in quoted companies and build up a rich database of contacts loyal to the firm;
* Be responsible for transcribing interviews conducted by the unit in a format relevant for the platform;
4. Research & Investigations
* Lead research and investigations into special stories meant for online publication and print;
* Provide support and investigations to enquiries from the customer fulfillment unit – This is very key and would involve task and relationship management skills;

Requirements:
* A post-graduate from a recognized institution in Journalism / Mass Communication / Business Communication
* Be a self-starter, with initiative, energy, commitment, and eagerness to learn.
* Flexibility, adaptability to different working styles and open to ideas from others.
* Ability to work under pressure and to deadlines; bothØ independently and in a team.
* Excellent interpersonal skills.
* Proficient in computers and use of technology, including Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Word
* Strong written and verbal communication skills is a must
* Must have strong time management and organizational skills to prioritize and manage high volume of work load
* Proven analytical and problem solving skills
* Understanding / working knowledge of business finance would be an added advantage.


Position Type: Business Development Officer
Remuneration: Competitive
Employment type: Full time
Reporting Line: Head, Business and Market/MD
Responsibilities
1. Adverts, Sponsorships and Campaigns:
* Understanding of all Advert requirements and marketing imperatives online and most especially the proshare platform;
* Be actively involved in the design, planning and implementation of new initiatives online to recognize and capture market realities for the proshare website;
* Production of Post Intervention Reports as at when due without fail;
* Preparation of marketing proposals and PowerPoint presentations for easy use by the marketing team;
2. Special Projects:
* Deploy project management tools to deliver on all special projects/assignments to ensure that client goals are met.
* Deliver the project on time and at budget (or below).

3. Marketing Function
* Design, implement and facilitate an annual marketing plan/budget for the firm;
* Development and maintenance of marketing strategies to meet organizational objectives;
* Conduct performance appraisals based on the individual performance contracts signed for the units under your management;
* Organize and implement client relations including client fulfillment surveys and client development activities;
* Supervise the firm’s marketing procedure and process to deliver prompt buy in from existing and prospective clients;
* Design standardized formats for PROPOSALS along each of the business lines and assign responsibilities for measuring feedback from such proposals sent out;
* Ensure that client visits are regular by instituting a schedule of client contacts that allows for monthly coverage of all identified key targets in any given month;
* Participate in planning and presentation sessions, when assigned;
* Assisting Marketing Executives in strategic planning for client presentations and meetings;
* Oversee corporate and marketing communications and public relations efforts;
* Deploy a marketing admin unit to handle all client promises and commitments as well as maintain internal financial records of billings, invoices, receipts, payments and outstanding commitments.
* Develop and administer marketing database which includes client and prospect information, mailing list applications, access to financial reports, etc.
Requirements
* 2+ years of hands-on marketing experience
* MBA or equivalent from a reputed institution;
* Expertise in both offline, online, direct, guerilla marketing/advertising
* Experienced in public relations, media and relationship management
* In-depth understanding of the Nigerian market, the opportunity/culture and various online/mobile/offline opportunities
* Well-networked in the advertising, Internet/mobile, finance industries
* Balanced mix of skills: creative and analytical, innovative and quantitative
* Developed mix of the 5 Is: Intellect, Initiative, Industry, Integrity and Interpersonal Skills
* Understanding of the online and offline local search and classifieds markets
* Strong organization and leadership skills required to work effectively with peers
* Demonstrated ability to analyze services, opportunities, consumers and capability to develop marketing strategies that help product and sales teams succeed

Position Type: Share Support Services Administrator

Remuneration: Competitive
Employment type: Full time
Reporting Line: Head, Analyst Services/MD
Responsibilities:
* Organize physical files and complete the initial investor checklist, including billing, correspondence management, check for completeness, original documentation, and verification of signatories on documents and mandates needed to engage service providers.
* Identify and track gaps in investor documentation and liaison with service providers before attempting to resolve issues necessitating our engagement.
* Conducting company, industry and country-specific research and analysis.
* Keeping subscribers informed of NSE/SEC capital market developments and trends related to their needs.
* Manage relations with stockbrokers, registrars, issuing houses, CSCS, SEC and NSE
* Client account set-up, mapping of investor and related parties, including engagement records.
* Management of the subscription service for weekly market reviews and analyst investor reports.
* Ensuring compliance with regulations, statutory compliance and render proper accounts of engagements..
Requirements:
* Minimum 2 years experience in a registrar back office processing function with strong investigative/enquiry skills needed for follow through on share purchase, disposal and dividend warrants management experience.
* Proficient in computers and use of technology, including Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Word (knowledge of web-based tools is a definite asset)
* Strong customer service, written and verbal communication skills is a must
* Must have strong time management and organizational skills to prioritize and manage high volume of work load
* Proven analytical and problem solving skills
Position Type: Client Service Manager
Remuneration: Competitive
Employment type: Full time
Reporting Line: Head, Analyst Services/MD
Responsibilities:
* Manage the interface between the client and the firm and respond to clients enquiries and needs on time and professionally;
* ensuring that all contacts with the company are of the highest quality and in line with our client fulfilment ethos;
* Control and take ownership of the client fulfilment plans.
* identifying and escalating issues and risks related to the completion of sales and marketing support activities;
* Support sales rep activities, support marketing activities, event coordination, sales reports and client relations;
* Collation of feedback and enquiries of clients to be forwarded to the appropriate units for necessary action;
* Communicate and liaise verbally and in writing between customers/visitors/enquirers and relevant staff, and interpret and respond clearly and effectively to spoken requests over the phone or in person, and to verbal or written instructions;
* Establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, superiors and the general public;
* Review and edit existing promotional materials for marketing effectiveness, cross-selling implications and adherence to brand guidelines
Requirements:
* BSc/HND in any discipline with at least 2years experience;
* High level of commitment and ability to work with minimum supervision;
* Strong flair for marketing;
* Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Suite applications;
* good communication and driving skills;
* MBA/Professional qualification will be an added advantage.
ALL RESPONSES SHOULD GO TO admin@proshareng.com

JOB TITLE: PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO MD/CEO
Job Objective* To provide support and assistance to the CEO on strategic, administrative and operational matters
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS Position
Type: Client Service
Manager Reports to: Managing Director / CEO
Direct Reports: Executive Secretary
PRIMARY INTERFACESInternal: MD/CEOExecutive SecretaryExternal:
* Board members
* Senior Management
* Staff * Clients
* Government agencies
* Consultants
* Other stakeholders Duties & Responsibilities
* Assesses and recommends various courses of action based on decisions and recommendations
* Acts as the cleaning house for requests for information, requiring knowledge of the different roles in the organization
* Coordinate the performance management framework for MD/CEO�s direct report
* Analyses operational data and prepare accurate and timely report for MD/CEO
* Responsible for Financial Analysis of reports in line with best practice for decision making
* Assists the MD in collating and presentation of budgets and monthly returns from departments and outstations as well as annual financial and other reports
* Reviews and analyses performance vis-�-vis budget
* Ensures proper and timely follow-up on reports from units, departments and divisions* Anchors relevant financial analysis, recognition of issues and variances, and makes recommendations in line with business objectives
* Improves turn-around time for enquires/response from the MD �s office
* Articulates the MD�s speeches and presentations
* Manage and co-ordinate staff in the Executive office Job RequirementsEducation Good first degree in a numerate or business related discipline
Experience A minimum of 7 years experience in enterprise development functions

Gunmen Kill Guardian Journalist

Guardian Newspapers, Bayo Ohu

A frontline journalist with the Guardian Newspapers, Bayo Ohu has been shot dead by unknown gunmen at the Egbeda area of Lagos.Daily Sun gathered that at about 7 am on Sunday, about four gunmen who dressed in Muslim attire stormed the premises of Ohu at House No. 9 Oyeniyi Street, Odukoya Estate, Egbeda.It was also gathered that the gunmen who pretended to be visitors in Sallah celebration mood, knocked on the door of Ohu’s flat.The journalist was said to be at home with his children as the wife was not at home.

The gunmen were said to have shot him on his chest after a minor argument and the man died instantly.The gunmen abandoned the Toyota Camry with registration number HH 50 EKY in which they came along the road.At the premises of Ohu, family members who spoke on condition of anonymity said they suspected that the assistant political editor was assassinated.However, the state police spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, who was on the spot in company of the Area ‘G’ commander, Mr. Bolaji Adesonye vowed that the force would fish out those who committed the dastardly act.

He revealed though the gunmen took away Ohu’s laptop and handset, the police was extending its investigation beyond robbery. “We are not working on one premise. We leave our investigation open. But what I am assuring Lagosians is that the killers must be fished out soon.”He called on the members of the public to assist the police with information that would lead to the arrest of the gunmen.

A journalist with Thisday newspapers, Mr. Abayomi Ogunjobi was shot dead by unknown gunmen at the same Egbeda axis barely a year ago.The death generated a lot of controversies; while his family members pointed fingers at the police, the police claimed the foremost journalist was felled by armed robbers. The circumstances surrounding the murder is yet to be determined by the police.

THE PROCLAIMER.........

THE PROCLAIMER
IS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, LAWANSON.

JULY-SEPT. 2009.
www.coclawanson.org

For more info :

coclawanson@yahoo.com

Tel: 08035035079

2009 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS

ETHosted by: Russell Brand Location: New York, NY After a number of years out wandering around the country, the MTV Video Music Awards are coming home to New York! The retaking of Manhattan will take place on Sunday, September 13, 2009, and mark these words: this city will never be the same again.Call it a takeover, if you will, because the 2009 VMAs will have performances staged all over Manhattan including in the storied Radio City Music Hall where we popped our Moonman cherry way back in 1984. After that one, we were surprised they'd have us back, but they did. So did New York City. In fact, 2009 will mark the 14th time that Gotham will serve as the backdrop for the VMAs.Our VMA homecoming also marks the return of Russell Brand, who will host the show for a second year in a row. That's right.
The same Russell Brand who pulled an unwitting Britney Spears into a golf cart after her third VMA win and whisked her away to watch Kanye West in the final performance of the night. Brand also managed to freak out Jonas Brothers fans everywhere when he got all sorts of nasty discussing the Jo Bros' purity rings. He's funny.But no homecoming would be complete, even with great jokes, without reminiscing and celebrating MTV's historic past. So, MTV royalty Janet Jackson will kick off this year's VMAs with a musical tribute to the life and career of her brother Michael Jackson. The man who helped shape MTV from the beginning and provided many memorable VMA moments, of course, deserves to be honored at the top of the show.It might be hard to follow up a tribute to one of the greatest performers of our generation by his iconic sister, but a couple of New York City's hometown heroes will do their best. Providing the soundtrack for the VMA's triumphant return are acclaimed rapper Jay-Z and international pop phenom Lady Gaga.And if you think viewers will get hyped for Lady Gaga and Jay, just wait until Sasha Fierce takes the stage. That's right, Beyoncé Knowles will be joining hubby Jay-Z on the performers list.You already know Green Day, P!nk, Taylor Swift and Muse are lined up to rock the VMA stage. Now, rapper Wale and legendary go-go band UCB have been tapped as the show's official house band.

They'll be collaborating throughout the night with artists like The All-American Rejects, Pitbull and 3OH!3 to put his unique spin on the biggest songs of the year. Whew! That's a lot of star power. But don't let the excitement over the performances eclipse the Moonmen! After all, the awards are the reason for this yearly extravaganza. This year we will be handing out statues for classic categories like Best Female Video and Video of the Year. We also threw some new categories into the nominee mix like Best Breakthrough Video and Best Video (That Should Have Won A Moonman). Voting is closed for all categories except Best New Artist, which you can keep voting for even after the ceremony starts.You see, the MTV Video Music Awards is nothing short of the most musically driven, celebrity-packed, insanely thrilling and, ultimately, the most-talked about awards show on television. Hands down. You can't beat this one. People have tried, but they've failed miserably. There's a reason this is the party to attend, no matter where we throw it. It's flat out awesome.Mark it on your calendars so you don't miss a single memorable moment live on Sunday, September 13. The events start at 8PM ET with the 2009 VMA Preshow.

New Moon's Ashley Greene will join MTV's Sway and Tim Kash on the red carpet as the celebrity fashion correspondent, bringing you all the action happening outside Radio City Music Hall. And the show follows immediately after, at 9PM ET on MTV. Hablas Español? We've got you covered. MTV Tr3s will air the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards con subtítulos en español on September 20th at 5PM ET. See, no excuses. Just watch!

Video Of The Year
Beyoncé"Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Directed by Jake Nava
Take a catchy hook with a female empowerment theme, add Beyoncé in a butt-hugging leotard, then toss in some intricate choreography and you have a strong VOTY contender.

Best New Artist
Lady Gaga"Poker Face"
Directed by Ray Kay
The newest queen of the charts turned out this bass-bumping follow-up to "Just Dance." We're not bluffing when we say the Lady is hot in this video.


Best Hip-Hop Video
Eminem"We Made You"
Directed by Joseph Kahn
Eminem doesn't pull any punches—or shy away from impersonations—when it comes to slamming Hollywood stars in his videos. This is no exception.

Best Male Video
T.I. f/ Rihanna"Live Your Life"
Directed by Anthony Mandler
The entire video for "Live Your Life" is shot in a Memento-like reverse chronological order. If that doesn’t hold your attention, T.I.'s hot co-star Rihanna will.

Best Pop Video
Britney Spears"Womanizer"
Directed by Joseph Kahn
The music video for "Womanizer" gives you a chance to see what it's like to be in a sauna with a naked Britney Spears. Yes, it's worth it.

Best Rock Video
Green Day"21 Guns"
Directed by Marc Webb
Green Day shows that a barrage of gunfire is enough to make any lovers quarrel seem minor by comparison in their video for "21 Guns."

Best Female Video
Taylor Swift"You Belong With Me"
Directed by Roman White
It's a classic love story as old as the She's All That storyline. The school nerd, but closet beauty, is in love with her best guy friend, but he’s in love with the popular girl. OMG! What's a talented country music star to do?

Best Video (That Should Have Won A Moonman)
Beastie Boys"Sabotage"
Directed by Spike Jonze
Listen, all of y'all. It's Sabotage! The throwback video that parodied 1970s TV crime dramas was denied its glory in 1994.

Breakthrough Video
Matt And Kim"Lessons Learned"
Directed by Taylor Cohen & Otto Arsenault
The video for "Lessons Learned" opens with Matt and Kim calmly getting out of a van in the middle of Times Square in New York City. Then they go streaking.

Best Art Direction
Lady Gaga"Paparazzi"
Art Direction by Jason Hamilton
Every opulent detail of a starlet's rise and fall is present in Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" video. Right down to the gold-plated forearm crutches.

Best Choreography
Beyoncé"Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Choreography by Jaquel Knight & Frank Gatson Jr.
It's the clip that had everyone—including Justin Timberlake and a Jonas Brother—trying to shake it like this not-so-single lady did in her vid.

Best Cinematography
Green Day"21 Guns"
Cinematography by Jonathan Sela
A grimy apartment, lit only by the light coming through bullet hole-filled walls, is the perfect image for the disillusioned ballad "21 Guns."

Best Direction
Green Day"21 Guns"
Directed by Marc Webb
Green Day is under attack in their video for "21 Guns." Who knew rocking out in a dingy apartment was so dangerous?

Best Editing
Beyoncé"Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"
Edited by Jarrett Fijal
The intricate choreography seems to go on and on, thanks to the slick editing that transformed those sexy moves into a single sequence. Leaves you out of breath just watching!

Lady Gaga"Paparazzi"
Special Effects by Chimney Pot
Don't worry. Lady Gaga only looks like she is being thrown several stories from a balcony by her lover in the "Paparazzi" music video. Her dancing a couple of scenes later proves it.

PUT AN END TO SNORING!!

If you already have some idea of which remedy you should try, select from one or more of the categories below:

Lifestyle changes
All the usual vices worsen snoring: alcohol, smoking, overeating, under exercising, caffeine. What did you expect?!

Snoring and Lifestyle
Your mother is right again...add one more negative consequence of eating too much, drinking too much alcohol and smoking: they all make your snoring worse.
Some of the factors that can increase your snoring are:
sleeping on your back
increasing body weight
alcohol consumption
tobacco consumption
eating heavy meals late in the evening
sleeping tablets or mood-altering drugs
Before you launch into some of the more drastic snoring cures, your doctor will usually recommend "conservative" therapy; i.e., change your lifestyle. He or she will probably offer advice like this:

Sleep posture correction
Many of us snore especially loudly when we sleep on our back. Various pillows and strap-on devices are available to get you unsupine.

Homeopathic remedies
Some people have had success with natural remedies available in health food stores and over the Net.

Throat sprays
These coat the soft tissues of the throat with lubricating oils, allowing the air to move more freely and lessening the noisy vibration.

Nasal dilation
These include adhesive strips which hold open the airways of your nose, plastic devices to hold open your nostrils, and nasal sprays which reduce congestion or the swelling of nasal tissues.

Mouth breathing correction
Many people would snore less if they would just learn to breathe through their nose. This page lists products that will shut your mouth...

Mouthpiece devices
Devices are available — some custom-fitted by your dentist — which pull your lower jaw or tongue forward, thereby creating enough space in the throat to prevent breathing obstruction.

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airways Pressure)
Machinery which blows air through your nose via a mask, preventing disruption of breathing and eliminating snoring.

Palatal implants: Pillar® Procedure
Pillar implants, together with your body's natural response, stiffen and add structural support to the soft palate, reducing the vibrations that cause snoring sounds.

Palate stiffening by scarring
You can achieve palate stiffening and reduce noisy vibrations by injecting a scarring solution (injection snoreplasty) or surgically by creating scarring with laser or scalpel.

Radiofrequency Tissue Reduction: Somnoplasty and Coblation
Radiofrequency Tissue Reduction (RFTR) consists of piercing the tongue, throat or soft palate with a needle connected to a radio frequency generator. Inner tissues shrink, but outer tissues, which contain your taste buds, are left intact.

Surgery
Various surgical procedures with names like uvulopalatoplasty are available which remove or shrink palate and throat tissue, making it easier for you to breathe.

Hypnosis, aromatherapy and other alternative approaches
These pages collect any off-the-wall remedy we come across. We don't endorse any snoring remedy on this site, but we try to document them all.

You'll find hundreds of cures for snoring, some more reputable than others, certainly some that are more effective than others. Before you invest in any solution, take our questionnaire, which will help you determine which remedies are more likely to work for you.

http://putanendtosnoring.com/questionaire/questionaire.cfm

Nigeria begins vast river dredge

Nigeria has started a vast operation to dredge the River Niger to enable boats to carry goods from the Atlantic Ocean to remote villages in the interior.


The 36bn naira (£140m, $233m) project will remove silt from hundreds of miles of the river - Africa's third-longest.
The government says it will bring communities together and secure the flow to hydro-electric plants.
Activists have previously said the dredging could damage the livelihoods of villagers along the river.

The BBC's Chris Ewokor, in Abuja, says the project has been in the pipeline for four decades, but has been put off by successive governments.
At the signing-off ceremony in Lokoja, President Umaru Yar'Adua said the dredging - which is expected to take six to eight months - would ensure "all-year-round navigability".

"It will provide an attractive, cheaper and safer means of haulage of goods, while engendering linkages and promoting trading activities between adjoining communities," he said.
About 572km (355 miles) of the river will be dredged - from Baro in central Nigeria to Warri in the Niger Delta.

Our correspondent says the build-up of silt on the river bed has reduced the Niger's retention capacity, resulting in floods and limiting the possibilities of transportation.
Officials are also concerned that the silt build-up is limiting the amount of electricity generated by the Kainji dam in north-western Nigeria.

Anti-bodies that stop HIV from turning into AIDS found

Scientists were able to isolate two antibodies responsible for resistance to the disease in an African patient. The discovery could be key to the development of a vaccine.

About 1.3m people in Zimbabwe live with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS
After nearly two decades of futile searching for a vaccine against the AIDS virus, researchers are reporting the tantalizing discovery of antibodies that can prevent the virus from multiplying in the body and producing severe disease.

They do not have a vaccine yet, but they may well have a road map toward the production of one.
A team based at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla reports today in the journal Science that they have isolated two so-called broadly neutralizing antibodies that can block the action of many strains of HIV, the virus responsible for AIDS.


Crucial to the discovery is the fact that the antibodies target a portion of HIV that researchers had not considered in their search for a vaccine. Moreover, the target is a relatively stable portion of the virus that does not participate in the extensive mutations that have made HIV able to escape from antiviral drugs and previous experimental vaccines.

"This is opening up a whole new area of science," said Dr. Seth F. Berkley, president and chief executive of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, which funded and coordinated the research.

At least 33 million people worldwide are infected with HIV, and at least 25 million have died from AIDS, according to the World Health Organization. Two large trials of experimental vaccines have failed -- the most recent, in 2007, because the vaccine apparently made people more susceptible to infection.
To find the neutralizing antibodies, researchers collected blood samples from more than 1,800 people in Thailand, Australia and Africa who had been infected with HIV for at least three years without the infection proceeding to severe disease. Such individuals are most likely to produce antibodies that interfere with the replication of the virus.

Researchers at Monogram Biosciences in South San Francisco studied the samples most resistant to infection, then a team from Theraclone Sciences in Seattle isolated the antibodies responsible for the resistance.
They ultimately isolated two antibodies, called PG9 and PG16, from one African patient. The antibodies were able to block the activity of about three-quarters of the 162 separate strains of HIV they tested it against.

Immunologist Dennis Burton of Scripps and his colleagues then showed that the antibodies bind to regions of two proteins on the surface of the virus, called gp120 and gp41, that help the virus invade cells. These regions had never before been considered as targets for vaccines.
Researchers still have a long way to go to produce a vaccine, however.

The antibodies themselves could potentially be used as a treatment for infected patients who develop severe disease.
But the long-term hope is to find molecules, either synthetic or natural, that can stimulate the body to produce the broadly neutralizing antibodies. Such molecules could potentially be the basis for a successful vaccine.

Actress RUKKY's -Birthday

Pretty light skinned actress RUKKY was a year older on Sunday August 23,2009 and to make her day memorable, she had a costume party with her friends.

Enjoy the Pictures!

Makeover for SA gender-row runner 'Semenya'

South African runner Caster Semenya, whose gender was queried by athletics officials, has defended her looks and taken part in a makeover in a magazine.

Ms Semenya, the 800m world champion, posed for the cover of South Africa's You magazine.
"I am who I am and I am proud of myself," the 18-year-old said.
"I'd like to dress up more often and wear dresses but I never get the chance," she said as she was photographed in several outfits.
The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says the outfits show a softer side of Ms Semenya, who most of the world has seen only in a green-and-gold running outfit and training shoes.

The outfits included black leather trousers with a sequined top, a grey knee-length dress worn with a grey cropped jacket and a black-and-white cocktail dress worn with stilettos.
The controversy over Ms Semenya's gender has angered many in South Africa, including her family who insist she is female.
Now that I know I can look like this I'd like to dress like this more often
Caster Semenya

Some felt she should not have been "improved" while others said it was a "great look".
Ms Semenya, who has said very little about the gender controversy surrounding her, says she is not bothered by the negative publicity following her gold medal at the Berlin World Championships last month.

"I see it all as a joke, it doesn't upset me. God made me the way I am and I accept myself," she said.
"I've never bought my own clothes, my mum buys them for me, but now that I know I can look like this I'd like to dress like this more often," she added. The magazine said it was "under strict obligation not to comment" on the makeover, but said the cover has sparked a lot of international interest.

CHEVRON RESUMES PRODUCTION IN DELTA STATE

Chevron Nigeria Limited, a unit of US Chevron Corporation, says production has resumed on its onshore operations in Delta State after a three-month shut down.

Femi Odumabo, Chevron's general manager policy, government and public affairs, confirmed this in an email response to NEXT. "Yes, our operation has returned to normalcy," he said.
Chevron suffered several attacks in late May and early June, during sustained attacks by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), against the oil industry in its onshore production located mainly in the state.

One of the company's pipelines in the Abiteye area of the state was blown up, resulting in a production shut-in of 100,000 barrels per day of oil from the company's swamp operations. The Utonana production facility, also in Delta State, was attacked in June.
About 150,000 barrels per day of oil meant for export from the Escravos export terminal was delayed to September from August, due to production shut-in.

The Federal Government's amnesty offer to militants, who lay down their arms, seems to be yielding results, as oil companies have been able to increase their output levels because of improved security situation in the Niger Delta. This was confirmed last week by the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, Mr. Barkindo said for the first time in over seven months, total crude oil and condensate production has gone up to 2.3 million barrels per day, while crude oil production stood at 1.7 million barrels per day.

But in spite of these encouraging figures, oil companies and industry sources say Nigeria still has more than 800,000 barrels per day of crude oil shut-in, mainly due to sabotage attacks on oil facilities.

Nigeria's Repairmen in Local Areas

Flat screen
In a dusty, oily alley in the heart of Wuse market in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, 25-year-old Joshua Ejike sits with the guts of a flat screen TV in his lap.

"There's nothing we can't handle" he says. “LCD screens, DVDs anything.”
He came to the capital three years ago from rural Abia state after finishing secondary school.
He has never studied any technical or science subjects.

'Pop'
Power-cuts are common in Nigeria, often followed by power-surges when generators are turned on.
“Our light [electricity] is not stable and even surge protectors can’t handle it,” says Joshua.
A “pop” sound from your TV or expensive new DVD player could mean you need the skills of a repairman.
But most repairs are only temporary and it might not be long before the smell of burning diodes fills the room again.

Boss
Napoleon is the boss of these repairmen.
He rents part of the shop behind them where reconditioned sound systems are sold. Each of his workers makes around 3,000 naira ($25) a day.
“I have been in this business five years. I served under a master, now he set me free and I set up for myself,” he says.
“Give me anything dead, I will rewind it.”

Music
"China” specialises in CD players.
He brought out a dusty wreck he said he had just finished working on.
It looked like it had just been dropped from the roof and kicked about.
“Don’t mind the dust, I will clean it. It works.”
He fired up the generator and music came out of the speakers.

TO WHAT EXTENT DO THINK CAREER CAN HELP OUR YOUTH?

Nigeria: New Submarine Internet Cable Lands in Lagos

The arrival of the GLO-1 submarine cable in Lagos this weekend has West African bloggers excited. GLO-1 connects Nigeria and 13 other West African countries to the global telecommunications system via Europe, bringing new bandwidth to the region.

GLO-1 is Africa's newest submarine cable.

In late July, damage to the SAT-3 cable — which until last weekend was Nigeria's only link to the global communications system — crippled bank services and Internet access throughout the country. Approximately 70 percent of the country's bandwidth was affected.

According to the Chief Operating Officer of Globacom Limited, which financed the GLO-1 project, the new system will be able to meet all of Nigeria's broadband needs for the next 15 to 20 years. Bloggers are looking forward to faster speeds and cheaper and more reliable access.

Does brain training really work?

Scientific experiments and their findings should be evaluated by independent experts in a process called "peer review". This is the minimum standard by which the quality of any research is judged.
Very little research on commercial brain trainers has been peer reviewed.
Instead, manufacturers often link to white papers and conference reports, or quote unsupported testimonials from "satisfied users".
None of these are acceptable substitutes for peer review.
Several companies use pictures of brains lighting up to support claims that their brain training is effective.

BRAIN IMAGING 'NOT PROOF'
Brain scans and other imaging may look good, but what do they really show?
It is a very persuasive technique, but in reality only shows how hard the brain is working, rather than how effective the training is.
Dr Jessica Grahn, a neuro-imaging expert at the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, said: "What we are looking at with these brain scans is simply a measure of the energy that the brain is using while performing the tests.
"It does not constitute evidence that the brain is being trained, or indeed altered, in any way."

CONTROL GROUPS
A proper "control group" is the backbone of any valid scientific study.
Without a control group, it is hard to tell whether results are down to brain training, or simply because the participant is doing something - anything - to stimulate their brain.
With a brain training study, the control group of participants should do the same amount of a mental activity as the brain-training group, but using a "non-brain training" activity such as a crossword or Sudoku.
Scientists should then be able to compare the results from the two groups to see how genuinely effective the brain training tasks were.

Studies that have been used to support the claims made by commercial brain trainers often have no control group at all, or a control group that is not as mentally active as the trained group.

THE BENCHMARKING TEST
In order to see how much you have improved, you need to know where you were at the start. To do this, scientists use a "benchmarking test" - the same test, taken at the beginning and end of an experiment.

Studies used to support the claims made by commercial brain trainers often use tests for benchmarking that are identical - or very similar - to the tests used during training.
Research has suggested Tetris can help reduce traumatic stress.

But all this proves is that practice makes perfect: if you played Tetris for a month and got better at it, should we conclude that playing Tetris is a useful form of brain training? Probably not.
Benchmarking tests should be different from the brain training tasks. This way, scientists can see if the effects of brain training are transferable to other mental tasks. If you played Tetris for a month and found, say, your memory was suddenly much better, it would indicate that playing Tetris has improved your brain in some way other than making you good at Tetris.

WHAT WORKS FOR ONE MIGHT NOT WORK FOR ANOTHER
Does the research show the brain trainer is effective in participants who are similar to you?
Just because a system claims to improve the memory of a group of elderly participants, for example, it does not necessarily mean that it will have the same - or indeed any - effect in younger users. The BBC's Brain Test Britain experiment, created with the Medical Research Council's Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit and the Alzheimer's Society, has made sure it meets all the accepted standards for a scientifically valid study.

By Dr Adrian Owen Medical Research Council, Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit

Gani Fawehinmi Death and Burials

The body of Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi at his residence at GRA Ikeja during the lying in state. Photo by Lamidi Bamidele

LAGOS—Just as the funeral rites of the late legal luminary and human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) who died last Saturday, began Monday at his Ikeja, Lagos residence, his eldest son, Mohammed told Vanguard exclusively among others, that the man known as the Senior Advocate of the Masses, SAM, bought his own casket about six years ago, even before he was diagnosed of cancer of the lungs, which eventually led to his death.

From left: Dr. (Mrs.) Hafsat Oni, daughter of the late Gani Fawehinmi; Mrs. Abike Fawehinmi, widow and Alhaja Ganiyat Fawehinmi, widow, before the lying in state.

A cross-section of Gani's children at the lying in State. Photo: Diran Oshe

Fiery advocate of the masses, Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi (SAN), is dead.
He died in the early hours of this morning at Lister Medical Centre, Ikeja, Lagos where he was receiving treatment for lung cancer. He was aged 71.
Sources in his house confirmed to P.M.News this morning that the popular human rights activist breathed his last this morning at the hospital.

The late activist, who returned to the country recently from a London hospital where he had been battling lung cancer for the past two years, was celebrated by friends and members of his family during his 71st birthday on 22 April, 2009 at his residence in Ikeja.

Even though he was not present, eminent Nigerians, including the former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mohammed Uwais, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour of the Court of Appeal, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), Mike Ozekhome, Wahab Shittu, Oluwole Kehinde and Chairman of the Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dave Ajetunmobi, graced the occasion.
From the civil society came former President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Mr. Frank Ovie Kokori, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, leaders of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Faseun and Gani Adams and the leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, Ledum Mitee.

The spiritual head of INRI Evangelical Mission, Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele, in his book titled Warnings To The Nations, had predicted that Nigerians should pray against the death of an elder statesman.
“This year 2009, let’s pray against the demise of a prominent politician that will pass away. We should also pray for all our elder statesmen, especially in South-South and South-West so that none of them will pass on.

“We also need to pray against sudden death in the judiciary,” Primate said in the book released some months ago.
The late Chief Fawehinmi dominated the legal space like a colossus. Those who ignored him did so at their own peril.
He was Nigeria’s foremost human rights activist and lawyer.
He was a philanthropist who put smiles on the faces of indigent students by giving them scholarships.

Forty students benefitted from his scholarship awards on Thursday, 27 February, 2009, when each of them got N100,000 from Chief Fawehinmi to further their education.
As at the time of filing this report, hundreds of mourners had besieged his Ikeja home to commiserate with his family.

With his boundless energy he tenaciously and uncompromisingly pursued his beliefs, principles and ideals for the untrammelled rule of law, undiluted democracy, all embracing and expansive social justice, protection of fundamental human rights and respect for the hopes and aspirations of the masses who are victims of misgovernance in our country.
In 1986, while Chief Fawehinmi was Dele Giwa’s lawyer, the latter was killed with a parcel bomb under suspicious circumstances .

As a result of his activities, Chief Fawehinmi was arrested, detained and charged to court several times. His passport was also seized on many occasions. His residence and chambers were searched several times. He was beaten up many times and was imprisoned in various parts of the country to prevent him from being listened to by the masses. His books were confiscated by the Federal Military Government and and his library in Surulere, a suburb of Lagos was set ablaze. Even his chambers at Anthony Village, Lagos State, was attacked and invaded by persons suspected to be agents of the government on 26 August, 1994. The invaders shot his chambers’ guards and seriously wounded two of them.

In the course of his crusades for the rule of law, the hopes and aspirations of the poor and the oppressed, he fought many battles against the military dictatorship as a result of which he was arrested several times by the military governments and its security agents. He was dumped in many police cells and detained in several prisons between 1969 and 1996.
His supporters call him “the scourge of irresponsible governments, a thermometer with which the blood pressure of dictators is gauged, the veritable conscience of the nation and the champion of the interest and causes of the masses.”

His promotion to the status of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria was delayed as a way of victimising him. Eventually, he got the award in 2003.

In 2008, Chief Fawehinmi rejected the highest order that can be bestowed on a citizen by the Nigerian government—Order of the Federal Republic (OFR)—to protest misrule since independence.