3 Policemen killed as gunmen raid Police Station In Yobe, Steal Police guns and ammunition

Suspected Islamist gunmen attacked a police station in Nigeria's northeastern Yobe state on Friday, killing three officers and stealing guns and ammunition, the police said.

Radical Islamist sect Boko Haram has killed hundreds in bomb and gun attacks in the northeast since it launched an uprising there in 2009, mostly targeting people who work for the government.

"In the early hours of today, gunmen attacked the police station at Bonny Yadi in Gujba local government area. Three policemen were killed and some arms carted away," said Lazarus Eli, a spokesman for Yobe police.

The gunmen stole 25 AK-47 assault rifles, eight handguns and large quantities of ammunition, a police source told Reuters, asking not to be named.

Gujba is close to Damaturu, a town that Boko Haram has attacked several times this year, while Yobe is next to Borno state, a remote region bordering Niger and Cameroon regarded as the cradle of the Boko Haram insurgency.

Styled on the Afghan Taliban, the sect's purported leader Abubakar Shekau has said he wants to impose sharia, Islamic law, on the country of 160 million people, around half of whom are Christians and the other half Muslim. His movement has become the number one security threat to Africa's top energy producer.

A recent military crackdown appears to have reduced Boko Haram's ability to launch deadly attacks of the kind seen earlier this year, but violence in the northeast is still an almost daily occurrence.

Western governments are concerned about Boko Haram linking up with other militant groups in the region, including al Qaeda's north African wing.

Two Chinese construction workers were shot dead by unknown gunmen in Borno on Wednesday.

PHOTO: File Photograph of President Jonathan taken as a youth

Young Ebele Jonathan

Fast Rising Priest Appointed Head Of Anglicans Worldwide After Only One Year As Bishop

A former oil executive with experience in conflict resolution has been chosen to lead a global Anglican Communion riven by sharply divided views on gay people and their place in the church.

Prime Minister David Cameron announced Friday that Justin Welby, 56, a fast-rising priest with only a year's experience as a bishop, had been picked to succeed Rowan Williams as archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans.

Welby, the 105th holder of a post that stretches back to the 6th century, will take over after Williams retires in December.

Welby said he felt privileged, and astonished, to be chosen to lead the church at "a time of spiritual hunger."

"It's something I never expected," Welby told reporters, saying he had been "overwhelmed and surprised" to be offered the job.

"My initial reaction was 'Oh no,'" he said.

Welby said he supported the ordination of women as bishops, and indicated his thinking on same-sex marriage — which he has opposed — was evolving.

"We must have no truck with any form of homophobia in any part of the church," he said, adding that he planned to "listen to the voice of the LGBT communities and examine my own thinking."

Cameron welcomed the selection of Welby, who was chosen by a church commission and formally approved by Queen Elizabeth II.

"The Church of England plays an important role in our society, not just as the established church, but in the provision of education, help for the deprived and in furthering social justice," Cameron said. "I look forward to working with the Archbishop in all of these areas and I wish him success in his new role."

Welby, appointed last year as bishop of Durham, worked for 11 years in the oil industry, rising to treasurer of Enterprise Oil, before deciding he was called to the priesthood.

Even before formally becoming archbishop, Welby could face a test of his mediation skills later this month when the church's governing General Synod votes on allowing women to serve as bishops. Welby supports that change, but the latest proposed compromise has drawn fire from activists on both sides of the issue — either as being too weak or going too far.

He was recently appointed to the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, which is examining possible reforms of the industry, and he serves as ethical adviser to the Association of Corporate Treasurers.

Welby has denounced multi-million executive pay packages in big British companies as "obscene" and has said the Occupy movement "reflects a deep-seated sense that something is wrong."

His views on corporate responsibility, he has said, "came out of working in an extractive industry often in developing countries where ethical questions were very frequent."

Before seeking ordination, Welby spent six years with French oil company Elf Aquitaine and then as treasurer of exploration company Enterprise Oil in 1984. He resigned in 1989 to study for the priesthood.

"During my time there I came to realize there was a gap between what I thought, believed and felt was right in my non-work life and what went on at work," he said.

Following ordination in 1993 he was a parish priest for nine years before moving to Coventry Cathedral, as co-director of international ministry. In 2005, he became co-director of the cathedral's conflict reconciliation ministry in Africa, where he had experience in the oil industry.

He has spoken of having to "establish relationships with killers and with the families of their victims, with arms smugglers, corrupt officials and more."

In 2007 he was appointed dean of Liverpool Cathedral, Britain's largest church. He caused a bit of controversy there by allowing the tune of John Lennon's "Imagine" to be played on the cathedral bells.

Welby was schooled at Eton College and Cambridge University. His mother was a private secretary to Winston Churchill. But his father went to the United States during Prohibition and became a bootlegger, the Mail on Sunday newspaper quoted Welby as saying.

Welby and his wife, Caroline, have two sons and three daughters. Their first child, a 7-month-old girl, was killed in a traffic accident in 1983.

Reports suggest top Boko Haram member escaped from custody Thursday

A drama is playing out in the nation’s capital, Abuja, as yesterday, Thursday, news reports circulated that a top Boko Haram commander, Sani Mohammed, reportedly escaped from the SARS headquarters, Area 11 Garki Abuja, where he was been held.
The suspect who was arrested with another Boko Haram kingpin, Kabir Sokoto in January, 2012, allegedly escaped from the cell where he was kept with other terror suspects.
Though, the Force Headquarters claimed that no terror suspect escaped, security sources confirmed that Mohammed absconded from custody.

The details of his escape was however sketchy as at the time of filing this report.
In his reaction, Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said no terror suspect escaped from its custody, adding that a check of its records showed no such name as Mohammed Sani or Sani Mohammed on its list of detainees.

He said, “The police authority hereby informs the public that the information being circulated by a TV Station is totally untrue and should be disregarded in its entirety.”
It would be recalled that a similar incident happened early this year when Kabiru Sokoto, the alleged mastermind of the Christmas Day bombing of Saint Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, escaped from police custody enroute Abaji, a satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory.
Arrested at the Borno State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja, Sokoto was said to have escaped while being taken for a search of his apartment 24 hours later. A development which sealed the fate of Hafiz Ringim as Inspector General of Police.

Boko Haram: Presidency Points Accusing Fingers On Buhari, CPC

The sour relationship between the Presidency and former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, took a further downward spiral, yesterday, when the seat of power took exception to the allegation by the former head of state that the Boko Haram sect was a creation of the PDP-led government and that he shouldn’t be roped into its problems.

Buhari had addressed the press in Abuja on Wednesday and absolved himself of any link with the sect as well as declined an offer from the group to mediate in its reconciliatory talks with the Federal Government.
The Presidency was infuriated by the general’s statement and has asked him to explain why the sect chose him and not another former head of state to lead its talks.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said it was amazing that the sect named Buhari as one of its leading mediators with the government.
Okupe said: “What amazes me here is the fact that they mentioned Gen. Buhari  to be one of the mediators. So things are beginning to fall into place.

“And the reaction from the CPC does not help matters at all after all an elder statesman, Dr. Ali Mongunu, was also mentioned and the man has neither rejected nor said anything wrong but the CPC quickly disowned Boko Haram in a very suspicious and questionable manner.
“From my own perspective, it would appear to me that with the statement that is coming from Gen. Buhari that Boko Haram is a creation of PDP and that they should go and fix it, that he is economical with the truth.
“How does that apply to Boko Haram inviting him to mediate in its talks? Is it the government that asked Boko Haram to invite him? And even if it is PDP that created Boko Haram, why should they be asking for Buhari to mediate?”

Do not negotiate for Boko Haram, CPC warns Buhari

The Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, has advised its leader and former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, to reject his alleged nomination by the Boko Haram sect as a mediator in negotiations with the Federal Government.
The National Chairman of the party, Tony Momoh, gave the advice on Tuesday in Abuja.
“There is no need for any other person to attend a meeting between the Federal Government and Boko Haram for whatever grievances they say they have.
“We in the CPC do not see where Buhari comes in; we are concerned by the way the name of Gen. Buhari is being dragged into this affair.
“Another thing is that nobody reached out to Gen. Buhari to say they have been nominated or is being nominated along with others, to mediate or be witnesses to discussion between Boko Haram and the Federal Government,” he said.
Mr. Momoh said that the former Head of State had not told anybody or the party that he was interested in the nomination.
A man claiming to be a spokesperson for the militant sect, Boko Haram, reportedly called some reporters in Maiduguri where he mentioned Mr. Buhari as one of the people the sect would be willing to negotiate with.
The national chairman however stated that his party would not associate with issues that involved criminality.
He said that it was important for the government to maintain “true democracy” by providing adequate security and welfare to the citizens.
“We believe in one country which must remain together and move together in the direction of peace, justice and fair play,” Mr. Momoh said.
He said the abuse of the democratic system is the result of some challenges confronting the country.
“Any abuse of this democracy is unjust.
“We have chosen a two-legged approach: democracy and social justice, and we want to achieve social justice by using a system of government called democracy,” he said.
Mr. Momoh said that for the nation to witness true democracy, “all hands must be on deck” to tackle corruption in the country.

Full texts of President Obama's Wednesday Victory Speech

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.
Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward.
It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family, and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people.
Tonight, in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come.
I want to thank every American who participated in this election. (Cheers, applause.) Whether you voted for the very first time or waited in line for a very long time — (cheers) — by the way, we have to fix that. (Cheers, applause.) Whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone — (cheers, applause) — whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a difference. (Cheers, applause.)
I just spoke with Governor Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign. (Cheers, applause.) We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future. From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service. And that is a legacy that we honor and applaud tonight. (Cheers, applause.) In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward.
(Cheers, applause.)
I want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, America’s happy warrior, the best vice president anybody could ever hope for, Joe Biden. (Cheers, applause.)
And I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. (Cheers, applause.) Let me say this publicly. Michelle, I have never loved you more. (Cheers, applause.) I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you too as our nation’s first lady. (Cheers, applause.)
Sasha and Malia — (cheers, applause) — before our very eyes, you’re growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women, just like your mom. (Cheers, applause.) And I am so proud of you guys. But I will say that for now, one dog’s probably enough. (Laughter.)
To the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics — (cheers, applause) — the best — the best ever — (cheers, applause) — some of you were new this time around, and some of you have been at my side since the very beginning.
(Cheers, applause.) But all of you are family. No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together. (Cheers, applause.) And you will have the lifelong appreciation of a grateful president. Thank you for believing all the way — (cheers, applause) — to every hill, to every valley. (Cheers, applause.) You lifted me up the whole day, and I will always be grateful for everything that you’ve done and all the incredible work that you’ve put in. (Cheers, applause.)
I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly. And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics who tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests. But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turned out at our rallies and crowded along a rope line in a high school gym or — or saw folks working late at a campaign office in some tiny county far away from home, you’ll discover something else.
You’ll hear the determination in the voice of a young field organizer who’s working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity. (Cheers, applause.) You’ll hear the pride in the voice of a volunteer who’s going door to door because her brother was finally hired when the local auto plant added another shift. (Cheers, applause.)
You’ll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of a military spouse who’s working the phones late at night to make sure that no one who fights for this country ever has to fight for a job or a roof over their head when they come home. (Cheers, applause.)
That’s why we do this. That’s what politics can be. That’s why elections matter. It’s not small, it’s big. It’s important. Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy. That won’t change after tonight. And it shouldn’t. These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty, and we can never forget that as we speak, people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter — (cheers, applause) — the chance to cast their ballots like we did today.
But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America’s future.
We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers — (cheers, applause) — a country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation — (scattered cheers, applause) — with all of the good jobs and new businesses that follow.
We want our children to live in an America that isn’t burdened by debt, that isn’t weakened up by inequality, that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet. (Cheers, applause.)
We want to pass on a country that’s safe and respected and admired around the world, a nation that is defended by the strongest military on earth and the best troops this — this world has ever known — (cheers, applause) — but also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being.
We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America open to the dreams of an immigrant’s daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag — (cheers, applause) — to the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner — (cheers, applause) — to the furniture worker’s child in North Carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a diplomat or even a president.
That’s the — (cheers, applause) — that’s the future we hope for.
(Cheers, applause.) That’s the vision we share. That’s where we need to go — forward. (Cheers, applause.) That’s where we need to go. (Cheers, applause.)
Now, we will disagree, sometimes fiercely, about how to get there. As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts. It’s not always a straight line. It’s not always a smooth path. By itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won’t end all the gridlock, resolve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward.
But that common bond is where we must begin. Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. (Cheers, applause.) A long campaign is now over. (Cheers, applause.) And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you. I have learned from you. And you’ve made me a better president. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead. (Cheers, applause.)
Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. (Cheers, applause.) You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours.
And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together — reducing our deficit, reforming out tax code, fixing our immigration system, freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We’ve got more work to do. (Cheers, applause.)
But that doesn’t mean your work is done. The role of citizens in our democracy does not end with your vote. America’s never been about what can be done for us; it’s about what can be done by us together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self- government. (Cheers, applause.) That’s the principle we were founded on.
This country has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military in history, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our university, our culture are all the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores. What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on Earth, the belief that our destiny is shared — (cheers, applause) — that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations, so that the freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights, and among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That’s what makes America great. (Cheers, applause.)
I am hopeful tonight because I have seen this spirit at work in America. I’ve seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbors and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job. I’ve seen it in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb and in those SEALs who charged up the stairs into darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back. (Cheers, applause.) I’ve seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York, where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm. (Cheers, applause.)
And I saw it just the other day in Mentor, Ohio, where a father told the story of his 8-year-old daughter whose long battle with leukemia nearly cost their family everything had it not been for health care reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care. (Cheers, applause.) I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father but meet this incredible daughter of his. And when he spoke to the crowd, listening to that father’s story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes because we knew that little girl could be our own.
And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright. That’s who we are. That’s the country I’m so proud to lead as your president. (Cheers, applause.)
And tonight, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future. (Cheers, applause.) I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We got your back, Mr. President!

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I’m not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the road blocks that stand in our path. I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight. I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. (Cheers, applause.)
America, I believe we can build on the progress we’ve made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunities and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founding, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love (ph). It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, abled, disabled, gay or straight. (Cheers, applause.) You can make it here in America if you’re willing to try.
(Cheers, applause.)
I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and forever will be, the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.)
And together, with your help and God’s grace, we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on earth. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you, America. (Cheers, applause.) God bless you. God bless these United States. (Cheers, applause.)

PHOTO: Lagos policemen kill an Okada rider trying to seize his motorcycle

Witnesses say Police this morning shot an Okada operator in Lagos, Nigeria in an attempt to arrest the fleeing man and seize his motorcycle in a bid to enforce the new Lagos law, banning the operation of commercial motorcycling in certain areas of Lagos.

 According to an eye witness to this police brutality. The young man below was shot in the chest this morning around Ilupeju Byepass in Ilupeju by policemen from the Ilupeju Police Station who were chasing him and trying to seize his Okada.

The Okada guy was trying to escape arrest when one of the policemen chasing him shot him in the chest.

After the shooting, the policemen entered their van and sped off. Passersby then rushed the young man to Teju Hospital which is just adjacent to the where the incident happened.

The young man was eventually confirmed dead by medics  in the hospital.

PHOTO: Obama Cries As He Concludes His Campaign

Barack Obama was last night overwhelmed with emotion during the final campaign performance of his career as he was forced to wipe away a tear in front of a huge crowd in Iowa.
Seemingly swept up in the significance of the event in Des Moines, the usually-stoic President appeared to weep from his left eye as he made his last plea to voters last night.

Biafra Leader is charged for Treason after naming himself "President". 500 other supporters charged and remanded in prison

The Enugu Procession

LEADER of Biafra Zionist Movement, BZM, Mr. Benjamin Onwuka, and about 500 members were, yesterday, charged for treason by an Enugu Magistrate Court for allegedly committing treasonable felony.

The court, however, remanded them in prison custody since the police did not have enough space to keep custody of the accused persons.

State Police Public Relations Office, PPRO, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed the arraignment in a statement but did not give details of the arraignment done in secret.

The suspects had earlier been arrested by heavily armed policemen near Central Police Station on Coal Camp-Old Park Road during a peaceful procession that preceded what the group called formal re-declaration of independence of the Republic of Biafra in the early hours of yesterday.
Onwuka had, after his declaration speech, announced himself as the President of Biafran Republic, saying the ministers that would pilot the affairs of his government would be announced in due course.

Hundreds of diehard Biafran supporters attended the rally held at a football field at Mbanugo area of Coal Camp, Enugu.

The supporters wore vests bearing Biafra inscription and carried different flags, including those of the defunct Biafra Republic, United States and Israel as they sang pro-Biafra songs and danced around the arena.

After the ceremony that lasted for about an hour, Onwuka and his members embarked on a peaceful procession from Mbanugo, heading towards Ogbete Main Market area, acknowledging cheers from residents and motorists along the road.

But as they approached the Central Police Station, CPS, the Biafran supporters, who were mostly elderly men in their late 60s, who participated in the Nigerian civil war, were halted by policemen, led by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, Ikechukwu Mba. - VANGUARD

America Votes. Obama Or Romney? Facts, Figures, Photos. Everything is covered

 
You want close? We've got close!

Seven of the eight national polls released since Sunday indicate the race for the White House is in a dead heat, like most have shown for weeks.
More importantly, it's a similar story in the key battleground states that will decide whether President Barack Obama or Republican nominee Mitt Romney will be victorious on Tuesday.
According to the final CNN/ORC International poll released before the election on Sunday night, 49% of likely voters questioned in the survey say they support the president, with an equal amount saying they back the former Massachusetts governor.
But it's not just the horse-race numbers that show how equally divided American voters are over the two candidates.
 Battleground blitz of swing states McKinnon explains the independent factor How will we know the election is over? What do the latest campaign polls mean?

Obama: Makes the calls

According to the CNN poll, the president's favorable rating stands at 52% in the poll, with Romney at 51%; 51% say they agree with Obama on important issues and 50% say the same thing about Romney; 56% say that Obama has the personal qualities a president should have, with 55% feeling the same about the Republican nominee.

Does either party have an edge on enthusiasm?

Romney: Makes the plans

"The CNN survey indicates the answer is no. Seventy percent of registered voters who describe themselves as Democrats say they are extremely or very enthusiastic about voting, with an equal amount of self-described Republicans saying the same thing," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.
Margin of error: Two candidates, two journeys, one race of lost dreams
And the survey indicated that 49% say they will vote for the GOP candidate for Congress in their district; with 48% saying they will choose the Democrat.
That's where the similarities end. There are also some stark differences.
When it comes to the racial breakdown, 40% of white voters questioned in the CNN poll said they are supporting Obama, with 57% backing Romney. The vote by race could be crucial to determining which candidate wins the White House.
"The formula for victory for Obama is to win at least 80% of minorities and around 40% of whites, if minorities represent the 26% of voters that they constituted last time," said CNN Senior Political Analyst and National Journal Editorial Director Ron Brownstein.

Poll of Polls: Margin is thin in New Hampshire, Iowa

"The final wave of public polls all show Obama running right around that tipping point, among both whites and minorities, which means nothing looms larger than the racial composition of the electorate."
Obama obviously benefits if the minority share of the vote increases even by a point or two. The flip side is that if the minority share declines at all, the math gets better for the GOP challenger.
"And if it remains unchanged, we're on the knife's edge," Brownstein added. "But just remember, the minority share of the vote has increased, and the white share has decreased, in every presidential election since 1992. Just holding the minority share steady, much less seeing it decline, will require a huge turnout among older and conservative whites, which is the last hope for Republicans looking at most public polls showing Obama holding a narrow, but steady, edge, especially in the battleground states."

CNN Poll of Polls: Ohio a close contest on eve of election

The CNN poll was one of seven national nonpartisan, live operator surveys released Sunday and Monday to indicate the battle for the presidency either a dead heat or virtually tied. A Politico/George Washington University survey has it tied at 48%; an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll indicates Obama at 48% and Romney at 47%; the latest ABC News/Washington Post tracking poll puts Obama at 49% and Romney at 48%; Gallup's latest daily tracking poll had Romney at 49% and Obama at 48%; American Research Group had it deadlocked at 49% and Monmouth University had it all tied upat 48%.
A Pew Research Center survey released Sunday indicates the president at 50% and the GOP challenger at 47%, which is within the survey's sampling error.
While the national polls are revealing, the battleground state surveys are what matter most, since the race for the White House is a battle for electoral votes. And it's the eight swing states that will end up determining which candidate comes out on top on Tuesday.

Of all the toss-up states, Ohio and it's 18 electoral votes has gotten the most attention because many scenarios see the election being decided there. Both the president and the former Massachusetts governor hold campaign rallies in Columbus, the state's capital, on Monday, the final day of campaigning.
Provisional ballots could be key if Ohio margin razor thin

A new CNN Poll of Polls compiled and released Monday show Obama at 50% and Romney at 47% among likely voters in the Buckeye State. The CNN Poll of Polls is an average of three Ohio polls of likely voters conducted in the last week: Ohio Poll/University of Cincinnati; CNN/ORC International and NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist. The Poll of Polls does not have a sampling error.
Florida, where 29 electoral votes are up for grabs, is also getting outsized attention and two polls released on Friday tell very different stories.

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist survey gave the president a razor-thin 49%-47% edge, within the poll's sampling error. But a Mason-Dixon survey conducted for many of the Sunshine State's major newspapers indicated Romeny ahead 51%-45%.

Four years ago Obama become the first Democrat to capture Virginia in a presidential election since 1964. The battle for the state's 13 electoral votes appears to be extremely close this time around. An NBC/WSJ/Marist survey released early Monday morning indicated Obama at 48% and Romney at 47%.
The president closes his campaign on Monday night in Iowa. Then-Sen. Obama's victory in the 2008 Iowa Democratic caucuses launched him towards the White House. The Hawkeye State is also a general election battleground, and a new CNN Poll of Polls that averages all three non-partisan, live operator surveys conducted over the past week indicates Obama with a 48%-45% edge.

Romney closes his campaign Monday night in New Hampshire, the state were he officially launched his bid for the White House nearly a year and a half ago. Besides holding the first in the nation primary, the Granite State is also a general election battleground, and a new CNN Poll of Polls that averages all three non-partisan, live operator surveys conducted over the past week indicates Obama with a 50%-38% edge.
In the two Western battlegrounds, the most recent polls in Colorado (by CNN/ORC and American Research Group) indicated the race all knotted up. And in Nevada, an NBC/WSJ/Marist survey indicated the president with the edge and an ARG poll gave Romney a slight advantage.
The only state where the president appears to have a solid single digit advantage according to public opinion polls is Wisconsin, home to GOP running mate Rep. Paul Ryan. A CNN Poll of Polls of the three most recent surveys indicates the president with a seven point advantage in Wisconsin.
Of course the only numbers that really matter are the numbers we'll get on Today.

Why Castrated Men Live Longer - Experts

Castrated men tend to live much longer than fully endowed men, according to a new study published in Current Biology, that could offer clues on how to extend the male lifespan.

Experts say possible negative consequences of castration include “decreased libido,depression and loss of physical strength.

Researchers say eunuchs lived 14 to 19 years longer than other men
did. Three even lived to 100 or more, a feat of longevity that remains relatively rare among men even today.

Castration allegedly extends lifespan by reducing male sex hormones -
testosterone is known to increase the incidence of coronary heart disease and reduce immune function in males.

Due to this immune function suppression, eunuchs could be better able to resist infections and are less prone to physically dangerous situations that could put them at risk.

The researchers  plan to examine the lifespan of eunuchs in other cultures, but few expect young men to willingly undergo castration in order to have lengthier lives.

We are executing condemned criminals - Gov. Oshiomole

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has said that two death row convicts in the state deserve to die, saying he owes no apology over his stance which he said was in exercise of his duty as governor.

In a robust defence of his position, Oshiomhole, in an  interview, said that even though he had the choice of exercising the prerogative of mercy on the convicts, he had chosen not to do so, given the nature of the offence of the two men whose convictions were upheld by the Supreme Court.

He said: “God can have mercy on them, but I am unable having regard to the overall circumstances of the case, namely, killing and dismembering the body of your victim and wanting to sell some of the parts and you ask me in the name of human rights, let him live.”
The two death row convicts, Daniel Nsofor and Osayinwinde Agbomien, are presently at the centre of an international human rights campaign to be freed from execution following the governor’s assent to their execution following the affirmation of their guilt by the Supreme Court.

Nsofor was convicted on  June 19, 1996 for torturing his female victim and killing her while Agbomien was found guilty of robbing, killing and dismembering the body parts of his own victim.

Oshiomhole noted: “I am convinced that those people need to die. In the interest of society they need to die under the law. The rule of law is different from resolutions by some NGOs and nations are not governed by NGO resolutions.

“As a governor, I subscribed to an oath of office which says that I shall obey the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including all laws without fear or favour. I cannot be afraid to sign the death warrant of a man who has been found guilty of murder.

“I have no apologies, I didn’t sentence them to death. I am not the one who accused them, they were accused by those they harassed. They have been tried, they have taken advantage of the appellate courts all the way to the Supreme Court of the land and they were found guilty. The law also says that having been found guilty and sentenced to death, the governor could exercise prerogative of mercy, but I say that I have no mercy on those who kill. Why should you compel me to have mercy on those who kill?”

“We must have a balanced view of human rights in which the rights, not only of the man they killed, but the right of his relations and much more importantly, to send a clear message to would be murderers, that when you kill a human being and you are caught, you are likely to die. If you don’t want to die, then abstain from killing. If criminals abstain from killing, fewer people would be killed by robbers and other murderers and that is the truth.

“If you tell me that the man killed and has a right to life, I refuse that. Amnesty should not be hypocritical about it, we have the records worldwide. Nations are governed by their national values and it is debatable whether those who excuse murderers in the eyes of God whether they are better human beings than those who insist that ‘if you kill that you too should be killed if found guilty of killing’.

“The second person was a man who killed a woman. He robbed the woman, raped the woman and killed her. And then he was found guilty of this offence by the Supreme Court of Nigeria and you tell me, though he has killed, let him live. I say no. If he has killed, let him die too. I am not the one who says he should die, it is the law.

All I have done is that the law says I should sign and I have obeyed the law by signing because even the government is under the law.”

Governor Oshiomhole, however, said that he had in the recent past also exercised the prerogative of mercy on some other convicts who did not kill in the course of their activities.

Osaze Odemwingie: I’m Never Playing For Nigeria Again

 

Osaze

Head coach of the Nigeria national team, Stephen Keshi has revealed to supersport.com that West Bromwich Albion star, Osaze Odemwingie wants out of the Super Eagles.

Keshi has now revealed that he spoke to the WBA forward a week before Nigeria’s second leg final round 2013 Afcon qualifying game against Liberia on October 13 and that Odemwingie told him that he had decided not to play for Nigeria again.

“I spoke to Osaze before the Liberia game and he told me that he had decided not to play for Nigeria anymore,” Keshi told supersport.com.

The former Togo and Mali national team coach said Odemwingie took the time to explain the reasons for his decision not to play for the Super Eagles again.

“Osaze told me that he has no problems with me as a person and that he took his decision even before I assumed position as national team coach.

“He said he was unhappy at how he was treated in the past in the national team. He explained that prior to Nigeria’s participation at the 2010 Fifa World Cup, he played in all the qualifying games but was dropped at the finals.

“He said he was angry at the treatment meted out to him but did not discuss it with anyone. I told him that was not the best way to handle issues and that if he had already decided not to play for the national team, he should have opened up to me when I invited him to play,” Keshi said.

Keshi went on to reveal that he had an extensive discussion with the striker and tried to explain why things may have gone awry for him at the 2010 mundial.

“I told him that if the (Nigeria) coach (at the 2010 World Cup) benched him, he must have a reason for doing so and that things should have been handled differently.

“I told him that he should have spoken up and let me know. The coach has a reason and you can’t play in every game,” he said.

On Odemwingie’s future at the international stage, Keshi said he was still ready to accommodate the player in his squad while explaining that the final decision would still lie with the 31-year-old.

“I told him that he has to give me the room to work with him; for us to work together and if he does not like the way I work and the atmosphere in the camp, then he can decide to stop playing.

“Deciding that you don’t want to play for Nigeria because of what happened in the past is not the best.

“I understand his feelings. I think he might change his mind but I really don’t know. The ball is in his court,” Keshi concluded.

Odemwingie last played for Nigeria in a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda on February 29 in Kigali.