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Eye Witness Defends Kumiyi’s Son’s Wedding! Says Pictures Were Altered

She says;
As a friend of the couple, I can’t keep silent anymore. The picture being circulated is not what the bride looked like on the wedding day, it was digital altered to destroy the lives of the new couple and may you all be forgiven for the damage you caused the church of God and the new couple. As someone that attended the wedding, the pictures arousing such controversy looks nothing like the bride on her wedding day.

No white-looking makeup or blush
No earring
No lipstick
No fake eye lash
No mascara
No relaxed hair (blow drier & flat iron can do that! by the way, her hair is that long)
No colored eyebrow
No eye shadow
No ring on finger

You compare earlier pictures of a deeper life bride with a turban covered hair. In the Caribbean generally, the thick turban covering is associated with a satanic worship church. Can you imagine? No!! Ignorance is bliss. Is that what you want the new couple subjected to because of your lack of understanding? A joining that appears to be like under Satan because of hair covering as you understand it in your side of the world? God forbid!

If you want to accuse the bride of the gown, is it showing any body parts? I thought this was the idea of modesty. Let not thy indecency be discovered.. Love is also not John’s lover/heartthrob/girlfriend or any other careless language, these two were brought together led of The Lord though from thousand of miles apart and I’m sure they went through the deeper life church marriage committee process from their countries.

I hope you feel guilty enough to stop all the lies and great damage you have caused a new couple trying to begin a life together hard school of marriage, and added to that has to live with scrutiny on a public scale, all influenced by lies and doctored images from the haters.. Let each man run their own Christian race, not with eye service or an envious mind.

Congrats to the new couple and may God soothe the irreparable damage caused by online social media.
P.s there are so many other good things online about Love Odih, not just some fabricated and baseless scandal.

I don't  know who to believe now. Abeg, drop your Comments joor.

Pastor Kumuyi Sons Wedding

hmm!

PDP Must Win At Least 23 States – Jonathan

The political drama in the Peoples Democratic Party ended on Thursday in Abuja with President Goodluck Jonathan and the party’s National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, proving that they were, indeed in control of power.


Jonathan and Tukur, deploying the awesome influence of their  offices, silenced some governors of the party, who  had vowed  to ensure that the National chairman was booted out of office during the 61st National National Executive Committee meeting.

While Jonathan boasted that the PDP must win at least 23 states during the 2015 general elections, a more confident Tukur  had a message for all the PDP members, especially governors: You must respect the President.

Prior to  the NEC meeting at the Wadata Plaza national headquarters of the PDP in Abuja, some governors in the Rotimi Amaechi-led faction of the Nigeria Governors’Forum had  vowed that Tukur must not retain his job as national chairman.

They had accused  him of being responsible for the crises rocking the party. The crises which made Jonathan to set up a presidential committee formed the major plank of Thursday’s NEC meeting.

 • Jonathan on 2015
During the  meeting,  the President recalled that there was a time  the PDP  was in control of more than 23 states, but regretted that the party had  lost some of them.

Challenging members to ensure that the number of states in control of the party  did  not go below the present 23 ,   he said he  was happy  about  the formation of the PDP Governors’ Forum.

 He  said the forum was put in place to put a stop to the decline in the party’s fortune and   to galvanise the interests of the party before its members went  for any meeting, like that of  the NGF.

“One  thing I have to appreciate the party and especially the PDP governors is the formation of the PDPGF. 
It has really helped to stabilise the polity,” Jonathan noted.

He added, “Governor Godswill Akpabio, (who) spoke first said it all; that at the beginning, there was no need for PDPGF but now that we have reduced in number to 23, definitely, this should be the least.

“We cannot shrink below this level. We must build up. So, looking at the number of PDP governors, it becomes very clear that they  need  to have their own thing because we have realised that governors of other political parties used to meet before coming for NGF  meetings.

“But PDP being the elephant among them did not really bother much. But over the period, we have realised that there is the need for them to also meet because politics is politics. Politics is a game of interest.”

The President also advised against defying the Independent National Electoral Commission’s  ban on any form of politicking for now.

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Twin baby stolen from hospital.

A Free State mother is devastated after a woman stole one of her newborn twins in an Odendaalsrus hospital.

“Please bring back my baby alive. We won’t prosecute. We are devastated. My arms are empty,” pleaded Anna Sekota, whose little boy was stolen on Friday from the Thusanong Hospital, reported Volksblad.

The baby boy and his twin sister were born on Friday afternoon.

A woman came into the mother’s room and pretended to be a pregnant nursing student. She asked which mother had twins.

When a mother answered that she had twin daughters, the woman went to Sekota and asked the same question.

She told Sekota she had been asked by a nurse to fetch the boy, supposedly as a doctor wanted to compare the boy with another baby boy who had breathing problems.

Sekota said she had no reason to distrust the woman and believed her children were safe in hospital.

“The woman stood in my room and turned her face, pretending to talk to the nurse in the corridor.”

But when nursing staff came to discharge Sekota and her twins, they realised the baby boy was gone.

Family spokesperson Johannes Sekota said either the woman pretended to be pregnant to get a child or she was pregnant with a girl and the child’s father wanted a boy.

“The woman knew exactly what she was doing and what was going on at the hospital. How is it possible that something like this can happen? The hospital’s camera system works but the cameras are set in the wrong direction.”

Mandela 'asleep' when Zuma visited

Johannesburg - Nelson Mandela's condition in a Pretoria hospital remained critical for a second straight day on Monday, as President Jacob Zuma said the former president was "asleep" when he visited him late on Sunday night.

Zuma told at least 60 foreign and South African journalists that doctors are doing everything possible to ensure the 94-year-old's wellbeing and comfort on his 17th day in the hospital.

The president repeated some of the content of a presidential statement issued on Sunday and refused to give any details about Mandela's condition, saying: "I'm not a doctor."

"Madiba is critical in the hospital, and this is the father of democracy. This is the man who fought and sacrificed his life to stay in prison, the longest-serving prisoner in South Africa. He is one of those who has contributed to democracy," Zuma said.

"All of us in the country should accept the fact that Madiba is now old. As he ages, his health will ... trouble him and I think what we need to do as a country is to pray for him."

Zuma, who in the past has given an overly sunny view of Mandela's health, briefly described his visit to the hospital and seeing Mandela.

"It was late, he was already asleep," Zuma said. "And we then had a bit of a discussion with the doctors as well as his wife, Graca Machel, and we left."

Mandela was hospitalised on 8 June for what the government said was a recurring lung infection. This is his fourth hospitalisation since December.

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First Lady On An Illegal Podium.

PATIENCE Jonathan, the First Lady and Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa State Civil Service, a position to which she was promoted last year to national outrage, is in the news again for the wrong reasons.
Having decided to now conduct her public outings with an official podium of “First Lady” complete with the country’s coat of arms and national colours, it seems there is no limit to the odium Nigeria would endure in her hands. For the wife of the President, occupying a ceremonial office that is unknown to Nigeria’s constitution and laws, to use the coat of arms in the manner she does amounts to a desecration of national symbols and disrespect to all Nigerians. This odious practice should be stopped immediately and President Goodluck Jonathan should lead the way as the man who has sworn to abide by the constitution and uphold its tenets. It is bad enough that the First Lady’s deviation from the norm is manifesting in the President’s household, it is doubly sad that he has seen nothing wrong with it. No doubt, Madam Jonathan deserves praise for her tireless efforts at improving the lots of Nigerian women. Her campaigns on the political scene did more a lot to impact on her husband’s political fortunes. She is indeed a force for good. But introducing a seal of her own is a little over border.

It all seemed a joke when, in February, Patience Jonathan, surrounded by her friends and family members, first made her address on a customized podium adorned with the country’s official seal. From all indications, the practice appears to be her new fancy, disrespectful as it is of the country’s sovereignty and cherished ideals. Naturally, the question that has necessarily been provoked is: on what basis could the ‘office’ of the First Lady, unrecognised by the constitution, carry a seal bearing the nation’s coat of arms and the national colours?

This is a joke taken too far and a clear violation of the constitution of Nigeria. It is surprising that this indiscretion escaped the attention and advice of the civil servants or, perhaps, worse still, enjoyed their approval. Whatever the case, this saga is a clear demonstration of how much erosion dignity and professionalism have suffered in the nation’s civil service. Besides, if those who are expected to guide the first wife on the unconstitutionality of her actions failed in their duty, can the President himself claim ignorance of his spouse’s debauchment?

Notably, this is not the first time Madam Jonathan would be involved in conducts unbecoming of her station as the President’s consort. Her several goofs in public are now well documented in an unedifying diary of her person and position. She often behaves like an all-conquering empress as she takes on governors and elected leaders at the slightest opportunity in ways that embarrass the nation. Sometime in the middle of last year, the Governor of Bayelsa State Seriake Dickson elevated the First Lady to the rank of permanent secretary without a portfolio in the civil service of Bayelsa State, ostensibly in accordance with the constitutional power conferred on him but certainly in total disregard of decency.

On her part, the beneficiary justified her promotion on the point that she had been a teacher in the state, when in reality, she had been away from her job since her husband was elected Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, and up to his ascension of office as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. On another occasion, she sent the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Serah Ochekpe, to represent her at a book launch in honour of President Olusegun Obasanjo at the latter’s Presidential Library in Abeokuta.

These episodes bring to the front burner issues of law and ethics in governance, and they constitute avoidable pressures on the polity. The First Lady has no power to commandeer a serving minister to do her bidding. A minister is a servant of the state, appointed by the President, not his wife. That action was a clear violation of sections 147 and 148 of the 1999 Constitution which vests in the President the power to appoint a minister who may be assigned a “responsibility for any business of the Government of the Federation, including the administration of any department of government.” Surely the First Lady’s office does not fall into the category stipulated by the constitution.

Patience Jonathan’s actions are not only too brazen but clearly unconstitutional, an act for which the President could be held accountable. The time has, therefore, come to remind Mr Jonathan that Madam Jonathan has stepped out of bounds, this time adorning her ceremonial station with the seal of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and she must be reined in immediately.

Her action ridicules Nigeria in the comity of nations and President Jonathan needs to demonstrate that he understands the implication of the leadership position he occupies and back it up with corresponding action.
Truly, Nigeria has been unlucky to have many leaders seemingly incapable of appreciating basic ethics of governance even when they are ever so quick to cite precedents for their actions from countries like the United States of America. This, however, is often done dishonestly. The  ‘First Lady’ has no place in the constitution and clearly is a ceremonial position from which the lucky spouse is expected to use her personal comportment to enhance her husband’s image. In America where it evolved in the nineteen century, it was manifestly for delivering some public good, especially those involving charity and humanitarian exertion. First Ladies in America never seek to interfere with the President’s job, never dare attempt to usurp the powers of their husbands, let alone drag them to the dangerous grounds of infringement of the basic laws of the country and the consequent threat of impeachment.

In Nigeria, the impunity now being displayed by those saddled with the responsibility of running the nation’s affairs has rendered the country a fertile ground for breeding the improbable. The Patience Jonathan First Ladyship, in its power grab, is one such absurdity.

First Lady’s status is a moral pulpit from which the highest of values cherished by a nation are expected to be espoused, especially by example. It is no podium for unconstitutional actions, substantive or symbolic.

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Passengers Escape Death As Power Cut Stops Arik Plane From Landing In Uyo

What could have amounted to another major air disaster in the country was averted on Friday evening when an Arik aircraft aborted landing at Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital barely about 500 meters from the tarmac due to power cut at the airport.

The sudden power outage forced the pilot to hurriedly terminate his landing plan and fly back to the sky where it hovered for about 30 minutes before flying back to Abuja because the person to turn on the alternative power source was not available.

The passengers on Arik Flight W3 533, including the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi odinkalu, and some unnamed federal lawmakers, said to be heading to Uyo for a retreat.

Mr Odinkalu confirmed the incident to Premium Times. Contacted on the telephone early this morning, he said, “Thank God we survived. If it had been a rainy night with thunderstorm, anything could have happened to us. Some people need to answer questions over that incident.”

The flight, originally scheduled for 6:25 pm, left Abuja at about 7 pm. It returned to Abuja at 9: 35 pm. after hovering in the sky for over 30 minutes in expectation that authorities at the Uyo airport would be able to light the runway to enable it to land.

This incident appears to confirm reports of probes by aviation authorities into air crashes in the country which have blamed most of them on avoidable human errors.

The Nigeria’s Aviation Investigation Bureau (AIB) had in some of its reports blamed avoidable human errors and dereliction of duty by public officials working in the aviation sector as major reasons for the loss of hundreds of lives in air crashes in Nigeria.

The bureau, which is saddled with the responsibility of investigating air accidents in the country, stated these in its reports after the crashes involving two airlines, Sky Executive Aviation Services (SEAS) and Sosoliso airline in 2002 and 2005 respectively.

Some of the human errors identified by the AIB as causes of plane crashes include non-lightening of runways and airfields (as it happened last night), poorly constructed drainage culverts, inaccurate information by the control tower, lack of proper certification of radio operators and poor supervision of aircraft imported into the country.

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Luddar'b Promo Pictures.

Luddar'b, Adebayo Olajide, musician and model releases his hot new promo pictures.
Twitter Handle: @luddarb

What manner of love: Tambuwal declares to Jonathan, “I am Your Property”

The caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is supposed to be a bland collective of elderly folks brimming with political wisdom, gathering to trash out such issues as the harmonisation of the relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government and the coordination of their activities and those of the party. But at the meeting on

Tuesday, there was a bit of a mild drama.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu

Tambuwal has been conspicuously out of the public eye at major federal government-organised events, whereas he has been showing up rather frequently at those organised by the opposition.

So, when President Goodluck Jonathan holding the hand of Tambuwal, asked the Speaker quizzically where he had been all along, Tambuwal laughingly answered: “I am your property Mr. President. I am not hiding.”

Tambuwal had been absent from a meeting the president had with the leadership of the National Assembly and the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, earlier on Tuesday.

In his defence, deputy Senate President, Ike Ekwerenmadu, had rationalised the absence of his boss, David Mark, Tambuwal and other principal officers of the National Assembly by saying that the evening meeting was ‘impromptu.’

In his words, “We have contacted all of them and they are all coming back.”

“You know we are on break and some have travelled. But because of the consultation going on, some are on their way back. The Speaker is on his way back to Abuja, the Senate President ought to have travelled to China, he is also on his way back. He has changed his plans to come back. The Senate Leader is also on his way back from Calabar, the House Leader is also on her way back.”

That should convince Mr. President. No?

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Must reads: Abacha and peace in Africa, the dynamics of the Syrian war + more

Medical tourism, the need to bring our medical personnel back home, and how foreign hospitals rip Nigerians off. ThisDay

This is how the late Sani Abacha contributed to the peace in Africa. Leadership

Just so you know, we’re supposed to like the new Hassan Rouhani, President-elect of Iran. Slate

Exploring the dynamics to the Syrian civil war. Economist

Back to America and their PRISM; where the private has become public. New Yorker

The Colleges where Tuition is Free.

Students at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Sciences in New York City are still protesting the school’s decision to start charging up to 50% of its annual $38,000 tuition fee. Since it was founded in 1859, it had covered total tuition for all of its approximately 1,000 students. But in April, administrators announced that financial demands made it impossible to continue the policy. Students subsequently staged an occupation of President Jamshed Bharucha’s office. They vow to stay there over the summer and into next year, unless the school reverses its decision. At this year’s commencement in May, when President Bharucha got up to speak, many graduates turned their backs. The school did announce that it will continue need-blind admissions, and students who can’t afford it will still be able to attend tuition-free. But the era of guaranteed free tuition at Cooper Union has come to an end.

[More from Forbes: 10 College Diplomas With the Highest Pay]
Cooper Union is not the only school that gave students a free tuition ride. Eight colleges, from the expensive, elite Curtis Institute of Music to the relatively inexpensive Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, Ky., still do not charge any tuition at all, though some schools have a work requirement. They all have fewer than 2,000 students, and some are tiny, like Deep Springs College in Big Pine, Calif., a two-year college with only 26 students. Deep Springs also covers room and board, a scholarship valued at some $40,000 a year.
There are also the five U.S. military academies—the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy—where tuition, room and board are all free. But graduates pay a price through their service obligation, which starts at a minimum of five years. Still, the military academies are arguably a great deal. A West Point spokesman says its four-year degree is equal to an “equivalent scholarship value” of $205,000. West Point’s service requirement includes five years of active duty and three years in the reserves.


Outside the military academies, here are eight schools where tuition remains free:
Alice Lloyd College, Pippa Passes, Ky.
Undergraduates:  598
Tuition: $4,460

The school covers tuition for students from 108 counties in central Appalachia. Students are expected to work 10 hours a week in campus jobs that include cutting grass, serving as lifeguards and staffing the on-campus day care. Students from outside the no-tuition zone can make up to $1,160 in campus jobs to offset their tuition bills.

Barclay College, Haviland, Ks.
Undergraduates: 198
Tuition: $11,000

Since 2007, this four-year bible college has offered free tuition to full-time students who pay to live in the dormitories. Known for its ministry degrees, it also offers degrees in education, business administration, and psychology and family studies.

Berea College, Berea, Ky.
Undergraduates: 1,661
Tuition: $22,100

Berea guarantees each student the equivalent of a four-year full-tuition scholarship. Students are required to work a minimum of 10 hours a week in campus jobs.

College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Mo.
Undergraduates: 1,377
Tuition $18,030

Students work 15 hours a week at one of 80 campus jobs, including milking cows, gardening and staffing the school’s hotel and restaurant. They are also expected to put in one 40-hour work week a semester. If they want to cover the cost of room and board, they can take on a full-time campus-provided job over the summer.

Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, Pa.
Students: 165
Tuition: $36,500

All students automatically receive full merit-based tuition scholarships. They must pay room and board, but some 125 students also get some type of financial aid to help cover those costs.

Deep Springs College, Big Pine, Calif.
Undergraduates: 26
Tuition, room and board: $50,000

At this alternative, two-year college, students work a minimum of 20 hours a week either in campus jobs or on the cattle ranch and alfalfa farm attached to the school. Jobs range from washing dishes to delivering calves. Deep Springs covers room and board as well as tuition. The school was all-male until it voted to admit women starting in 2013,  though that decision has been delayed by a legal challenge from one of the trustees. Most Deep Springs students transfer to four-year colleges, including top schools like Harvard and Yale.

Macaulay Honors College at the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, N.Y.
Undergraduates: 1,730
Tuition: $5,730

To get the full-tuition scholarship, students must be New York state residents. Macaulay students are spread out over eight campuses in five boroughs. In addition to the tuition coverage, each student gets a laptop, free tech support and a $7,500 “opportunities fund,” to encourage study abroad, internships and community service. Out-of-state students admitted to the program pay tuition of $15,300

Webb Institute, Glen Cove, N.Y.
Undergraduates: 85
Tuition: $41,000

The highly selective school covers complete tuition. All do a double major in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Students are also required to work in some aspect of the marine industry for two months, in January and February. Students keep what they earn in the internships.

Full List: The Colleges Where Tuition Is Still Free

Final Days of Fatai Rolling Dollar

School proprietor nabbed for allegedly defiling 11-yr-old pupil.

A 40-year-old school proprietor in Ado Ekiti , the Ekiti State capital, Mr Tunde Ibitoye, has been nabbed by the police for allegedly having canal knowledge of 11-year-old pupil .

Ibitoye, owner of  God is Great Nursery and Primary School located in Kajola area of Ado Ekiti was caught in the act at a location in Agric Olope, Ajilosun Area, Ado Ekiti by a mechanic, one Mr Kayode Ayeni.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Mr Victor Babafemi, confirmed the arrest, saying the randy proprietor had taken the victim to bed on four different occasions.

The police image maker said the suspect was detained at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Police headquarters, to assist police in their investigation.

According to the image maker, the suspect was a regular caller  at the new market being constructed by Governor Kayode Fayemi administration, which had become a hideout for criminals in recent times.

He further revealed that the suspect was conveying the victim and one other pupil to their respective homes, Monday, in his private car, and suddenly stopped at the new market on the pretext that he wanted to defecate, but with  alleged intention to defile the girl.

He said: “After five to 10 minutes in the bush, the proprietor called the pupil to bring tissue paper for him.

But unfortunately for him, someone was watching. And out of curiosity, the man went there and met the two of them naked. He then raised alarm, which attracted people to the spot.”

The girl, according to him, was taken to University Teaching Hospital for check-up, saying the outcome is being expected to guide them on the next line of action.

The PPRO said further that;  “The  man had continually denied ever having canal knowledge of the pupil but we are not buying such from him.”

He said the father of the victim confirmed that the pupil had come home several times with bloodstains, which he said was mistaken for monthly menstrual flow.

“All other pupils in the school will be quizzed and critically examined to ascertain the level of sexual relationship between them and the suspect.

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Homosexuals protest members trial in Anambra.

There was a mild drama, yesterday, at the Atani Chief Magistrate Court in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State as some people who claimed to be homosexuals nearly disrupted court proceedings in solidarity with two suspected gays standing trial for allegedly committing same sex offence.

As early as 9 .00 a.m, a large number of men with feminist look started gathering at the court premises to the surprise of the people around and it was only then that it became obvious that they came to identify with two of their members who were arrested by the police and charged to court for same sex violation.
Members of the group, who chanted anti-police songs, said it was wrong for the police to interfere with their fundamental rights and freedom of association.

They demanded unconditional release of the two persons standing trial on a two-count charge of violating the law, insisting that they would continue to fight for their rights in Nigeria despite what they described as “the challenges the group was facing in the National Assembly.”

Despite their protests, however, the court remanded the two suspects in prison custody on the ground that it had no jurisdiction over the matter.

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Banks required to report Boko Haram financial dealings.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed banks and other financial institutions to report all business dealings with the now outlawed Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

According to a letter entitled: “Terrorism Prevention, Proscription Order Notice 2013, signed by the Acting Director of the CBN’s Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Mr I. T Nwaohe and addressed to financial institutions operating in the country, the apex bank said the directive was in line with the recent declaration of both Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’awati Wal Jihad (Boko Haram) and a similar group, the

Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan, as terrorist organisations.

Banks and other financial institutions will be required to check their data base for links with the two terrorist organisations and that of their associates and report to it, adding that “where no account or business relationship are maintained for any of the proscribed names or their associates, a nil return should be rendered.”

It will be recalled the Goodluck Jonathan administration recently declared the activities of the Boko Haram sect illegal and as acts of terrorism.

“The proscription order warned the general public that any person participating in any form of activities involving or concerning the collective intentions of the said groups will be violating the provisions of the Terrorism Prevention Act,” Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, announced in a statement.

Section 5 (1) of the act prescribes a term of imprisonment of not less than 20 years for any person who knowingly, in any manner, directly or indirectly, solicits or renders support to the commission of an act of terrorism or to a terrorist group.

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Group of 16 want Suntai out, and they are in court just to make sure

The 16 plaintiffs through their counsel, Yahaya Mahmood (SAN), want the court to determine whether the provision of section 189 of the 1999 Constitution and the present health condition of the governor put the Assembly under a constitutional obligation to declare him “incapable of discharging the functions of his office”.

Section 189 provides that “The Governor or Deputy Governor of a State shall cease to hold office if by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of all members of the executive council of the State, it is declared that the Governor or Deputy Governor is incapable of discharging the functions of his office.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Attorney General of the Federation, Attorney General of the state and the state House of Assembly are the other defendants in the suit.

However, when the case came up Wednesday, the trial judge, Justice Elvis Chukwu, ruled that the suit should have been filed at the Taraba Division of the court, since there was no security threat in the state.

Following the plane crash on October 25, 2012 in which Suntai sustained injuries, the state chapter of the party has remained deeply fragmented.

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Scrap Plane Causes Panic in Lagos As Rumours Of Crashed Plane Circulate Social Media

The rumour circulating on social media Thursday morning about a plane crash in Lagos is one of the “evils of social media,” the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, said Thursday.

Social media was awash with unconfirmed reports of an aircraft crashing at Igando, a Lagos suburb; with a particular tweet saying that the “plane crashed breaking its two wings.”

Ibrahim Farinloye, NEMA Spokesperson for South-West, debunked the rumour saying that it was a scrap aeroplane being evacuated from the airport. He clarified that the aircraft was at Mangoro and not Igando as was being circulated in social media.

“It was just the scrap of an aircraft that was being evacuated from the airport, the federal government had issued a directive that all scrap aircraft be evacuated from all airports, as well as scrap ships from our waterways,”.

Mr. Farinloye said that the rumour was “one of the evils of social media.”
“The evacuation is usually done at night to forestall this kind of public misinformation by mischief makers. We were there at 11.20 p.m. yesterday,” he added.

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Facts about Nigeria

• Nigeria is officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
• The country was named "Nigeria" after the River Niger.
• Niger River is Africa's third largest river.
• English is the main language of Nigeria. Apart from that, over three hundred languages are spoken in the country.
• Nigerian Naira is the official currency of Nigeria.
• The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a member of the Commonwealth.
• The highest point in the Federal Republic of Niger is Chappal Waddi (2,419 m).
• The main religions in Nigeria are Islam, Christianity, Yoruba Orisha or Orisa veneration and Ifá.
• Apart from being a regional power, Nigeria is also listed amongst the "Next Eleven" economies.
• Nigeria has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with the International Monetary Fund projecting a growth of 9% in 2008 and 8.3% in 2009.
• Archaeological evidence shows that human existence in Nigeria has a history which starts from 9000 BC. The Nok civilization (around 500 BC-200 AD) is the earliest known civilization here.
• Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach Nigeria (1472).
• Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the eighth most populous country in the world.
• Oil was discovered in Nigeria in 1956, at Oloibiri (Bayelsa State).
• Port Harcourt, on the Niger Delta, is the center of Nigeria's oil industry.
• Nigeria is a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), with petroleum accounting for 95 percent of its export income.
• Nigeria is the 12th largest producer of petroleum in the world and the 8th largest petroleum exporter. The country is also evolving as one of the major telecommunication markets in the world.
• Nigeria has the 10th largest proven reserves of petroleum, in the world. Petroleum plays an important role in the country’s economy and contributes to around 40% of Nigeria’s GDP and accounts for around 80% of government earnings.
• Nigeria has been ruled by military for most of the 47 years of its independence from Britain.
• The main rivers of Nigeria are the Niger and the Benue, which meet and empty into the Niger Delta, one of the largest river deltas in the world.
• Football is Nigeria's national sport.
• Nollywood is the name for Nigerian film industry which is now the second largest movie producer in the world, behind the Indian film industry and ahead of Hollywood.
• Nigeria is an important center for biodiversity.
• It is widely believed that the areas surrounding Calabar, Cross River State, contain the world's largest diversity of butterflies.
• The drill monkey is only found in the wild in Southeast Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon.
• Nigeria has the second largest newspaper market in Africa (after Egypt), with an estimated circulation of several million copies daily (2003).
• Nigeria has the highest rate of twin births in the world, compared to any other country

Nelson Mandela responding to Treatment.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela is recovering from a collapsed lung and could be released from hospital as early as Friday.

The 92-year-old anti-apartheid icon was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital on Wednesday for what his foundation described as routine tests.

"Mandela was treated by military doctors and should be discharged tomorrow".

There has been no official word from the hospital, government or Mandela's foundation on the nature of his illness.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation declined to comment on his health on Thursday but said in an earlier statement: "He is in no danger and is in good spirits."

President Jacob Zuma and the ruling African National Congress appealed for calm on Thursday after the hospitalization set off speculation in local media about Mandela's health.

"President Mandela is comfortable and is well looked after by a good team of medical specialists," Zuma said in a statement. The ANC said there was no cause for alarm.

"He is a 92-year-old and will have ailments associated with his age, and the fact that he stayed the night should not suggest the worst," ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu said.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a collapsed lung, pneumothorax, is "the collection of air in the space around the lungs," making it more difficult to breathe.

Treatment can vary from allowing the body to repair the problem on its own to placing a tube in the chest to relieve the pressure.

Several members of Mandela's family, including his wife Graca Machel, visited the hospital after his admission.

Police were called in to control traffic at the Milpark Hospital in a leafy Johannesburg suburb as scores of journalists, photographers and television crews converged on it.

LOOKING FRAIL
Mandela has not been seen in public since the soccer World Cup final in July last year.

Mandela retired from public life in June 2004 before his 86th birthday, telling his compatriots: "Don't call me, I'll call you."

Since then he has rarely appeared in public and when he did, he appeared increasingly frail. In addition to the World Cup, Mandela appeared at a couple of ANC rallies before general elections in 2009.

Mandela was treated in the 1980s for tuberculosis and later had an operation to repair damage to his eyes.

In 2001 he had treatment for prostate cancer.

South African Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu said this week he had met Mandela last week. "He was all right, I mean, he's 92, you know. And he's frail."

Tutu told reporters in Bloemfontein on Thursday: "What more do we want from him? We want him to remain forever, but you know... anything can happen..." .

Mandela -- known by his clan name of Madiba in South Africa -- has been on holiday with his wife

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New Bride Of Kano Ministry Director Strangled To Death In Husband’s Home

Wife of the Director of Information in the Kano State Ministry of Information and Sports, Hajiya Hadiza Usman was on Wednesday night strangled by unknown assailants.

The incident which happened at their residence in Sabon Gandu, Kano, left people of the area in shock.


Hadiza, 21, described as calm and easy-going, recently got married to her husband, Usman Yakasai.

A relative said the assassins stormed Usman’s house at about 10 a.m. Wednesday and strangled the young woman when no one was at home.

Confirming the incident, spokesman of Kano State Police Command, ASP Magaji Musa Majiya, said some suspects have been arrested, while investigation is in progress.

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The Composer of the Nigerian Anthem is Dead.

The composer of the current National Anthem, Arise O Compatriots, Pa Benedict Odiase, MON, is dead.

Mr Odiase died Tuesday night in his sleep. He composed Arise O Compatriots” in May 1978.

Pa Odiase retired in 1992 as a Deputy Commissioner of Police after being the Director of Music with the Nigeria Police Band.

“Arise, O Compatriots” replaced Nigeria, We Hail Thee. The lyrics are a combination of words and phrases taken from five of the best entries in a national contest.

The words were put to music by the Nigerian Police Band under the directorship of Pa Odiase.

Rest in Peace Sir. We will hail thee forever Sir.

More photos of the Girl with three Breast.

According to Wikipedia:

Accessory breasts, also known as polymastia, supernumerary breasts, multiple chest syndrome, or mammae erraticae, is the condition of having additional breasts. Extra breasts may appear with or without bosoms or areolae. It is a condition and a form of atavism which is most prevalent in male humans, and often goes untreated as it is mostly harmless. In recent years, many affected women have had a plastic surgery operation to remove the additional breasts, for purely aesthetic reasons.

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Oldest man in history Jiroemon Kimura dies at 116

KYOTANGO, JAPAN : In this handout image provided by Kyotango City government, the world's oldest person Jiroemon Kimura speaks to granddaughter-in-law Eiko Kimura as he celebrates his 116th birthday at his home on April 19, 2013 in Kyotango, Kyoto, Japan. Kimura was born in 1897, has 7 children, 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren.

A Japanese man recognised as the world's oldest living person, and the oldest man recorded in history, has died aged 116, local officials say.

Jiroemon Kimura died of natural causes on Wednesday in a hospital in Kyotango, Kyoto, a government statement said.

In December, Guinness World Records recorded Mr Kimura as the oldest man ever verified to have lived.

Rest in Peace Sir.

BREAKING NEWS: Fatai Rolling Dollar Is Dead

It has been reported that veteran highlife musician Fatai Rolling Dollar, is dead.


Born 22nd July 1926, Rolling Dollar was known for his verve and dexterity on the guitar.

His zest for life and energy, even in old age, was also a marvel to all who beheld him perform.

The 85-year-old highlife music icon who had his career revived at a point when it seemed all hope was lost, is reported to have passed away today June 12, 2013 at Ahmadiyya hospital located in the Igbado-Iyaiye environ of Lagos.

He was admitted into the local hospital weeks ago, although he came out last week to say he’s back on his feet and warming up to perform again.

Condolences are already streaming in via social media Twitter, Facebook and several blogs.

A few popular names in the Nigerian showbiz industry are already mourning, with many OAPs, musicians, actors and journalists sending out condolences on different platforms.

He made highlife music very popular in the 60s and 70s. He had his career revived and made a comeback in the late 90s revamping the evergreen classic ‘Won kere si number wa’.

May his soul rest in peace.

Anini and His Gangs.

Lawrence Nomanyagbon Anini (1960 – March 29, 1987)  was a Nigerian bandit who terrorised Benin City in the 1980s along with his sidekick Monday Osunbor. He was captured and executed for his crimes.

 Anini was born in a village about 20 miles from Benin City in present day Edo State. He migrated to Benin at an early age, learned to drive and became a skilled taxi driver in a few years. He became known in Benin motor parks as a man who could control the varied competing interest among motor park touts and operators. He later dived into the criminal business in the city and soon became a driver and transporter for gangs, criminal godfathers and thieves. Later on, he decided to create his own gang and they started out as car hijackers, bus robbers and bank thieves. Gradually, he extended his criminal acts to other towns and cities far north and east of Benin.

The complicity of the police is believed to have triggered Anini's reign of terror in 1986. In early 1986, two members of his gang were tried and prosecuted against an earlier under-the-table bribe induced agreement with the police to destroy evidence against the gang members. The incident, and Anini's view of police betrayal, is believed to have spurred retaliatory actions by Anini. On August, 1986, a fatal bank robbery linked to Anini was reported in which a police officer and a child were killed. That same month, two officers on duty were shot at a barricade while trying to stop Anini's car. During a span of three months, he was known to have killed 9 police officers. He wrote numerous letters to media houses using political tones of Robin Hood-like words to describe his criminal acts.

On December 3, 1986, he was caught at a house off a main street of Benin City in the company of a girl friend. Anini was shot in the leg, transferred to a military hospital, and had one of his legs amputated. The country's military leader, Ibrahim Babangida, demanded a speedy trial. Anini was convicted of most of his charges and was executed on March 29, 1987.

A reply to Sheik Ahmed Gumi.

I like the sheik’s position on some matters here but I totally Stand at the other side of of the divide concerning SOE being an instrument of politics. Cannot the sheik see the level of success achieved now through this method? Can he not see that the boko haram is not an insect? Can he truly not see that boko haram is not civilian? Can he not really see that the boko haram does not only use bomb-laden vehicles but have the weapons to shoot down aircraft? Can he not see that the boko haram is a different nation in Nigeria using their indecent flag? can he possibly not see how these killers can penetrate military bases and police h.q, even diplomatic offices? Can the sheik truly say these people should be by policing? They have declared war on Nigeria as a whole.
A message for the sheik-SIR, THANK GOD YOU ARE NOT THE PRESIDENT.

And i am speechless. Drop your Comments.

Death is a Leveller-Femi Fani-Kayode

Death is a leveller. I have come to the conclusion that life is far too short for us to waste our time on distractions and on inconsequential issues and people that add no value to our existence.

We must drop such people and such distractions like hot potatoes and we must dump them as quickly as possible. We must cast out every rotten apple that was ever in our lives and we must live for our loved ones and for our God alone.

We must let go of the venal and the accursed things that offend God and that attract His wrath. We must let everyone know their place in the scheme of things and we must let water find it's level.

We must always remember that betrayal, gossip, slander, backbiting, murmuring, ingratitude and deceit are the language of slaves. The wicked shall no longer eat our bread and we must stop the slaves from eating at our table.

We must not allow the terrible mistakes of yesterday and the unfortunate choices of yesteryear to affect our today and to blight our tomorrow.
And finally we must always remember that treachery always kills those who initiate it. This is wisdom.

Sheik Ahmed Gumi, an Islamic Scholar addresses Boko Haram.

A prominent Islamic scholar, Sheik Ahmed Gumi, said Saturday, that the Boko Haram group will not succeed in their plan to destroy the country.

In an interview with Leadership at his Kaduna home he said that the insurgents’ “cannot kill someone and expect peace; they will not live to enjoy the killings they did; they have only destroyed themselves”.

“I am calling on all those killing people including the Boko Haram members to stop that; they are destroying themselves, and they can never succeed,” he said.

Having said that, Gumi believes that the recent declaration of state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states was politically motivated.

“The state of emergency is a political decision done in necessity of war because the army, police security checkpoints and the rest have all the facilities to fight the Boko Haram without imposing such law.

“In fact, it is my idea that engaging the army might be like killing a fly with a hammer, because Boko Haram is entrenched within the civilian population. Very good intelligence can fish them out.”

“The Boko Haram group does not have the firepower; they only load a car with explosives somewhere and explode it. The Boko Haram members only need good policing; a well-equipped police, good intelligence can curtail their activities. And if the situation gets worse, get the officers in the armed forces to fish them out.”

Gumi further said that “Nigerians must live in peace; everyone needs good health, shelter, education and a better future for their children. We need tranquillity. Leaders should not be biased at all level; they should serve all Muslims, Christians, and in fact they should serve the whole country”.
Interesting.

Shocking: Boko Haram ranks 2nd. Nigeria 5th in New Global Terror Ranking.

Only Afghanistan’s Taliban were ahead of Boko Haram on a list of global perpetrators of terror according to a recently obtained report commissioned by the United States government.
Just last week, the U.S. State Department announced a $7 million bounty for information that will lead to the capture of the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau.

An annex to the 2012 U.S. government report on terrorism, but which was recently made available to the press, shows that besides the Taliban in Afghanistan, Nigeria’s Boko Haram had the highest number of terror attacks last year and killed also the second highest number of people.

The report called the ‘Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism‘ or START conducted by the University of Maryland for the American government on global terrorism in 2012 contained some startling figures.

The Taliban killed 1,842 people in 525 attacks last year, easily topping the infamous ranking, while Boko Haram came second having killed 1,132 people in 364 attacks.

Both the Taliban and Boko Haram caused more casualties than Iraq’s Al-Qaeda, India’s Maoists, Somalia’s Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula among other global terrorist groups.
The statistical report also revealed that of the top 10 countries with the most terrorist attacks last year, Nigeria placed a shocking fifth.

Also, Nigeria ranked fourth in number of deaths from terrorist attacks. in 2012, there were a total number of 546 terror attacks in Nigeria with 1, 386 casualties.

Boko Haram accounted for a staggering 81.67% of that number.

The report observes that “the average lethality of terrorist attacks in Nigeria (2.54 deaths per attack) is more than 50 per cent higher than the global average of 1.64.”

The statistical report revealed that in 2012, the majority of highly lethal attacks – 159  in  all - took place in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Nigeria and Syria, killing a total of 2,880 people.

START was conducted by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, based at the University of Maryland. The consortium is affiliated to the US Department of Homeland Security.

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Saturday, June 12, 1993 is a date that will never be forgotten in the history of Nigeria and Nigerian politics. Together with the October 1, 1960, Independence Day if you’ve forgotten and May 29, 1999 when the military went back to the barracks, hopefully forever, it ranks among the most significant dates in our history.

If the elections adjudged to be the freest and fairest we’ve ever witnessed, had not been annulled, it would have been just another election. But instead, the military president at the time, General Ibrahim Babangida thought it ‘wise’ to annul the elections that were so free and fair that the presumed winner, M.K.O. Abiola won in the home state of his opponent, Bashir Tofa – Kano.

For a lot of people, especially in the South-West, it served as confirmation that Northern politicians were not willing to relinquish power at the centre.

The events of the 1979 elections when as Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo (in)famously declared that the best candidate might not win, an apparent reference to party favourite Obafemi Awolowo who eventually lost to Shehu Shagari was still fresh in their memories.

Predictably, the most vocal resistance to the annulment was in the South-West; starting with the riots in Lagos, and ending with providing the bulk of pro-democracy activists such as the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) which was a thorn in the side of military dictator, General Sani Abacha, until his death four days before the 5th anniversary of the annulment.

It was as a result of the annulment that for the first time in Nigeria’s history, the usually political North ceded the presidency to the South-West as ‘compensation’, to the extent that no Northerner contested in 1999 presidential election.

It was also the annulment of the election that led to the emergence of socio-political groups like Afenifere and their more militant variants such as the O’odua Peoples’ Congress. Afenifere was to later back the Alliance for Democracy political party which controlled all six states in the South-West from 1999 until 2003 when a PDP tsunami swept all but Lagos.

It was from the smouldering remains of the AD that former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu built an immense political machine in the form of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that has since regained all the lost states of the AD (except the Labour Party-led Ondo State) and even added Edo to its war chest.

Without June 12, 1993, the political landscape would have continued to be dominated by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC), our own imitation of the American Democratic and Republican parties, strangely funded by the government and famously described by General Babangida as “one a little to the left, the other a little to the right.”

Without June 12, 1993, Abiola would be alive, Nigeria would have successfully elected a democratic government that paid no heed to religious affiliation – Abiola and his running mate Babagana Kingibe were Muslim – and the political landscape as we know it would have been totally unrecognisable. No one knows if it would have been for the better, but it would have been different.

But June 12 happened, and 20 years on, is fresh in all our memories, whether we saw or we were told. Continue to Pray for Nigeria.

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Child Labour Rampant In Egypt; 5-year Olds Work

About 9.3 per cent of Egypt’s children as young as five work, according to a report by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS), suggesting shortcomings in legislation to prevent child labour.

According to the report, issued ahead of the World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June, the number of working children between the ages of five and 17 is 1.59 million, or 9.3 per cent of all children.

“Hundreds of millions of girls and boys throughout the world are engaged in work that deprives them of adequate education, health, leisure and basic freedoms, violating their rights. Of these children, more than half are exposed to the worst forms of child labour such as work in hazardous environments, slavery, or other forms of forced labour, illicit activities such as drug trafficking and prostitution, as well as involvement in armed conflict,” a recent report by International Labour Organisation (ILO) reads.

In Egypt, children are extensively put to work in agriculture, according to Ghada Barsoum, assistant professor at the American University of Cairo, and an expert in the field of youth, gender and work.

“Employers hire children because they accept the least paid jobs which adults would not take,” Ghada said, adding that blocking children from that sector would lead to a hike in food prices.

The campaign for World Day Against Child Labour will target domestic workers this year. “Because of the hidden nature of much domestic work and because labour laws are commonly not applied in the sector, there are particular vulnerabilities,” a statement specifically addressing domestic child labour by the ILO said. “Stories of abuse of domestic workers are common and children are particularly vulnerable.”

“Egypt has very little data on domestic workers, whether children or adults. We do not have any specialised surveys in the field,” Ghada stated. The 2013 World Day Against Child Labour calls for action to encourage a global movement to fight child labour. It also addresses legislative and policy reforms in an attempt to combat child domestic workers and to ensure proper work conditions and protection of young workers.

“Mostly male children are sent to the field; they handle pesticides though they are not supposed to, and work under very harsh conditions. Female children stay home and look after family animals. In very poor families, females are sent outside for work,” Ghada said.

“The latest government project on child labour was Susan Mubarak’s ‘Red Card Campaign to Child Labour’. No significant governmental projects have been carried out in the field since then,” Ghada added.

The ILO called for measures to reduce poverty as a way to combat child labour.

Governments should also improve education and ensure child labour is included in national surveys, according to the ILO. The organisation also stressed the role of employers, workers organisations and civil society in acting against child labour.

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Woman Arraigned For Torturing Maid To Death In Dubai

A woman has been accused of torturing her two maids and causing one of them to die of pneumonia, while she kept them unfed and locked in her Al Rashidiya home for more than a month.

The surviving maid, a Filipina, alleged that the 45-year-old Emirati woman, Roha M.(real name withheld), beat them with sticks while unclad, banged their heads against the wall until they bled, and also forced them to drink cleaning products. She told the court her Ethiopian colleague was so hungry she searched for food in the garbage.

Prosecution records said the severity of the torture and conditions of their confinement led to the Ethiopian’s death and caused the 29-year-old Filipina, Emma(name withheld) to suffer severe injuries.

Dubai Police’s forensic expert, who examined the injuries of the Ethiopian confirmed that she had been tortured consistently for more than a month.

The examiner said keeping her without medication worsened her health and caused her to develop pneumonia.

“The fact that she was made to drink a pesticide quickened her death,” said the examiner.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said Roha M. also failed to provide the maids with medical care that led to the Ethiopian’s death while the Filipina suffered serious injuries.

Roha’s husband was also charged with aiding and abetting his wife by preparing a room at the top of his villa and sealing its windows from outside to confine the maids.

The Emirati husband and his wife entered a not guilty plea when they defended themselves before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

Roha said with a jittery voice: “No… that did not happen. I swear to God. I did not touch the maids. I knew nothing about their injuries.”

Presiding judge Ali Atiyyah Sa’ad rejected Roha’s bail request and adjourned the trial to hear witnesses on July 1. The husband remains out on bail.

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Unions Ramp Up Support of Immigration Bill

As the Senate begins debate on an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws, organized labor is picking up the pace of its advocacy for the bill.

The Service Employees International Union, which claims over two million members, said it had bought more than $1 million in television advertising on cable networks nationwide this month.

Five ads feature police officers, Republicans and small-business owners — not traditional supporters of labor — calling on Congress to stop fighting over immigration and to “fix what’s broke” in the system. The ads call for a pathway to citizenship for 11 million immigrants in the country illegally.

The A.F.L.-C.I.O., the nation’s largest labor federation, said it would bring 50 union leaders from 27 states to Washington on Wednesday to lobby in the Senate and the House. The organization said it was starting a call-in campaign by union members focusing on about two dozen senators, from states including Alaska, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee, who have not made public their positions on the legislation.

Richard L. Trumka, the federation’s president, was among an array of supporters who appeared with President Obama when he spoke from the White House on Tuesday morning to urge the Senate to pass the bill.

Immigrant workers, especially Latinos, have brought growth to unions that have struggled for years with declining membership. The A.F.L.-C.I.O reached a hard-fought agreement with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in March on a temporary program for low-skilled foreign workers that is included in the Senate bill.

Carlos Padilla, 21, from Seattle, with his mother, Josefina Hernandez Madrigal, at the border fence. She went to Mexico in 2008 and has not been able to re-enter the United States

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Immigrants Reach Beyond a Legal Barrier for a Reunion.

Three young immigrants had a jubilant and painful reunion here on Tuesday with parents who had been deported from the United States, sharing hugs through the steel bars of the border fence that separates this American town from its Mexican twin.

The young adults are part of the movement of immigrants who grew up in this country without legal status who call themselves Dreamers. Their parents traveled to the Mexican side of the fence from Brazil, Colombia and Guadalajara, Mexico, seeing their children in person for the first time in many years.

The meeting, under a searing borderlands sun, was a new piece of the highly personal political theater that young immigrants have used to dramatize their support for a bill in the Senate to overhaul the immigration system. Hours before the encounter here, President Obama spoke at the White House to urge Congress to move quickly to pass the bill. Suggesting the growing influence of the youth movement in the debate, the president framed his remarks — both literally and politically — with Dreamers.

A young woman from Nigeria, Tolu Olubunmi, introduced him, and during his speech he singled out another young immigrant, Diego Sanchez from Argentina. Evoking the sympathetic narrative of young people who found themselves in this country illegally after coming as children, Mr. Obama said opponents of the legislation had no rationale for blocking them from a path to citizenship.

“This is not an abstract debate,” Mr. Obama said. “This is about incredible young people who understand themselves to be Americans, who have done everything right but have still been hampered in achieving their American dream.”

Organizers of the Nogales reunion said it was a coincidence that it happened on the day of the president’s speech, since they had been raising funds for the parents’ airplane tickets for two months. 

“This is not about the president,” said Carolina Canizales, a leader of United We Dream, the national group that organized the family meeting. “Today is about reunifying families and what that really looks like to us.”

Following a prearranged plan, just before 10 a.m. the parents and their children approached, from opposite sides, a section of the fence on the edge of Nogales where the poles are set a few inches apart. After deportation, the parents cannot enter the United States, and the young people — who traveled to the border from Seattle, Boston and Orlando, Fla. — do not have legal status that would allow them to leave and return.

Reaching their arms through, parents and children embraced, wept and laughed.

The mother of Renata Teodoro, 25, passed family photos to her, as well as a soccer T-shirt from Rio de Janeiro and a letter from a younger sister who also returned to Brazil when the mother was deported six years ago. Ms. Teodoro, who had come from Boston, gave her mother a bottle of nail polish, a joke between them, and displayed the card showing that she had received a deportation deferral under a program 

Mr. Obama started last year — her first official immigration document.

Her mother, Gorete Borges Teodoro, 52, was overwhelmed with emotion, but quickly reverted to maternal mode.

“I pray for you guys to get the papers, go to college,” Mrs. Teodoro said in English. Her daughter said she had arrived in the United States when she was 6 years old and had refused to return to Brazil with her mother in order to finish her undergraduate studies at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Mrs. 

Teodoro was ordered deported after her husband’s asylum petition was denied.

The mother of another young immigrant, Carlos Padilla, 21, from Seattle, said she was “glad and sad at the same time: glad to be here next to him, sad because the fence is between us.” Mr. Padilla said his mother, Josefina Hernandez Madrigal, went to Mexico in 2008 to take care of ailing relatives and had not been able to obtain a visa to re-enter the United States.

A Border Patrol vehicle parked nearby, and an officer stayed to observe but did not intervene.

The Senate bill would offer significant gains for young immigrants like those in Nogales, but not for their parents. It includes a version of the Dream Act, the measure from which the young immigrants take their name, which would give them an expedited five-year pathway to American citizenship. Young immigrants like 

Ms. Teodoro and Mr. Padilla who had received deportation deferrals would have a faster application process for provisional status, the first step along that pathway.

The Senate bill would also allow some deportees to return to the United States, including children, spouses or parents of United States citizens or legal permanent residents, and youths who would have been eligible for the Dream Act. It does not have any measure allowing the return of deported parents of unauthorized immigrants. Several Republican senators have raised strong objections to any return of deportees, and that provision is considered one of the most endangered in the floor debate.

According to a recent study by Colorlines, a news Web site focusing on racial issues, about 205,000 people who were deported between 2010 and 2012 had children who were American citizens and living in this country. There are no solid estimates of the number of deportees’ children who are not citizens.

Ms. Teodoro said the re-encounter with her mother was frustrating. “When you get awards, you graduate from high school, it makes me a little angry to have to show her these through the fence,” she said. “Really angry, actually.” 

In a protest, Renata Teodoro, right, and her mother, Gorete Borges Teodora, who was deported in 2007, met at a Mexican border fence.

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