Gunmen kill four police, kidnap six in Nigeria oil region

Yenagoa (Nigeria) (AFP) - Gunmen on a speedboat in Nigeria's oil-producing south killed four policemen and kidnapped six Nigerian employees of the Agip energy firm, in the latest unrest to hit the restive region, the security forces said Tuesday.

The attack happened on Friday in the Nembe Creek area of Bayelsa state, which was one of the most violent regions of the delta at the height of an insurgency that formally ended in 2009.

"Four policemen who were escorting a boat were attacked and killed. Six oil workers were abducted in the incident," said Mustapha Anka, spokesman for the military's Joint Task Force in the region.

National police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu told AFP that three officers were killed but multiple reports from the region put the death toll at four.

A security source in the delta identified the hostages as employees of the Nigerian subsidiary of the Italian energy firm Agip, which is controlled by ENI, one of the world's largest oil companies.

Criminality, especially ransom kidnappings, has persisted in the delta since a 2009 amnesty deal with militant leaders ended the formal rebellion.

But there is widespread concern over escalating violence in the region, with the amnesty deal set to expire next year.

Officially, the peace deal offered job training and other benefits to militants who voluntarily gave up their arms.

But experts say that in practice the deal amounted to massive cash payouts to gang leaders who could resume fighting if the money is shut off.

The Niger Delta, home to Africa's largest oil industry, is made up of a network of rivers and creeks.

Criminal groups have a track record of speeding around on small boats and launching gun attacks on the security forces and oil workers.

Both foreign and Nigerian hostages have typically been released following a ransom payment.

Yahoonews

Diamond Bank appoints Uzoma as CEO

By Babajide Komolafe

The Board of Dia-mond Bank Plc, has announced the appointment of Mr. Uzoma Dozie  as Managing Director/Chief Executive following the  voluntary resignation of  Dr. Alex Otti, from the bank Friday. The appointment of Uzoma is subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In an official statement released by the Bank’s Corporate Communications Department, Chairman of the Board of Directors, HRM Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, Obi of Onitsha, announced the changes in management.

Uzoma Dozie

Speaking on the outgoing GMD/CEO, the chairman said he would be sorely missed, adding that Dr. Alex Otti’s achieved enviable landmarks during his time. He described his tenure as, “the brightest years of Diamond Bank’s 24 year-history”.

“Dr Alex Otti is a fine gentleman with an outstanding career in the Nigerian Banking industry. We are pleased with the time he spent at the helms of affairs of Diamond Bank Plc and wish him every success in his future endeavours,” Igwe Achebe added.

Under Dr. Alex Otti’s stewardship, Diamond Bank made a remarkable return to profitability and has continued to record  growth across all performance indicators year-on-year.

After writing off toxic risk assets which resulted in the loss of N16 billion in 2011, the Bank posted a profit before tax of N28.36 billion in 2012 and N32.5 billion Naira in 2013.

The Bank also saw its total assets rise from N564.9 billion in February 2011 to N1.18 trillion by December 31, 2012 and N1.52 trillion on December 31, 2013.

He is credited with creating the office of the Chief Risk Officer and designating an Executive Director to head the department.

Vanguard Newspaper

Hubbard indicted on 23 felony corruption charges by Lee County Grand Jury

MONTGOMERY, Alabama --- Mike Hubbard, speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives and a powerful leader in the state Republican Party, has been indicted by a grand jury and charged with 23 counts, including using his office for personal gain and soliciting things of value. 

If convicted, Hubbard faces a maximum penalty of two to 20 years in prison and up to $30,000 in fines for each count. 

Hubbard, 52, who led a historic Republican takeover of the state Legislature during the 2010 election, was charged after an investigation in his home county that has lasted more than a year.

The charges against Hubbard include 23 class B felonies. Those charges include:

Four counts of using of his office as Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party for personal gain;Eleven counts of soliciting or receiving a thing of value from a lobbyist or principal;Two counts of using his office as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives for personal gain;Four Counts of lobbying an executive department or agency for a fee;One count of using state equipment, materials, etc. for private gain.

According to the indictment, Hubbard solicited favors from some of Alabama's rich and powerful. They include former Alabama Governor Bob Riley, Business Council of Alabama CEO Billy Canary, Hoar Construction CEO Rob Burton, Great Southern Wood CEO Jimmy Rane, former Sterne Agee CEO James Holbrook, lobbyist Minda Riley Campbell, Harbert Management Corp. vice president Will Brooke and political operative Dax Swatek.  

Most gave Hubbard what he wanted, according to the indictment, including major investments into Hubbard's company, Craftmaster Printing. 

The special grand jury was called last year. Attorney General Luther Strangerecused himself from the investigationand appointed former St. Clair County District Attorney Van Davis to oversee it.

A letter from Strange to Davis made public in court records named Hubbard as the focus of the probe.

Hubbard has denied wrongdoing and has said the investigation is politically motivated.

The indictment does not remove him from office or his position as speaker.

Earlier this year, the investigation resulted in charges against two other state lawmakers.

Rep. Greg Wren, R-Montgomery, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of using his office for personal gain. He resigned his House seat, was ordered to pay $24,000 in restitution and agreed to cooperate with investigators.

Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, was charged with perjury and giving false statements. Prosecutors accused Moore of lying to the grand jury in January.

Moore has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial beginning Oct. 27 in Lee County Circuit Court.

Source: Www.al.com

Ekiti Debt Profile: Fayemi Replies Fayose

The immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has urged his successor, Ayodele Fayose, to study the handover notes before passing unfavourable comments on his administration.

The former governor described as “reckless,” comments credited to Governor Fayose in his inaugural speech suggesting that the debt profile now stands as N84 billion.

Speaking on behalf of the ex-governor in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Tayo Ekundayo, Fayemi’s Commissioner for Information, said all credit facilities obtained by the former administration were not only documented but were equally made public.

According to him, Fayemi formally approached the capital market to obtain a N25 billion bond which he used in financing various landmark projects in the state.

He also claimed that the Federal Government owed Ekiti State as much as N20 billion under the immediate administration.

“Fayose should study the handing-over note carefully before making unnecessary noise about the debt profile of Ekiti. I have heard him saying that the debt profile of Ekiti State now stands at N84 billion. I want to say that it is nothing near that figure. We have noticed that tendency in the past but we have refused to join issues with him.

“It is too early for Fayose to be talking about us. He should understand that there is difference between being a candidate of a party and executive of a state,” he said.

According to Ekundayo, over N14 billion has been paid out of the N25 billion.

“Fayose should know that he has assumed a new status now, which is quite different from where he was before now. What I will advise him to do now is to settle down and see how he would improve on the legacies of Kayode Fayemi administration,” the former commissioner said.

Source: AIT

Premature Ejaculation Explained

Premature Ejaculation, just the very word strikes fear in most men. What many men do not realise is that it is surprisingly common.

Premature Ejaculation (PE) is when a man ejaculates too early on during sex. It is often just as the man penetrates the vagina or seconds after. This can cause a lot of embarrassment and frustration as in some cases, sex can be nearly impossible. So much so, that many men prefer to avoid sex altogether causing anger and frustration between partners which ultimately has negative effects on a relationship.

What Causes PE?

There are many factors for PE; the good news is many of the underlying causes for Premature Ejaculation are psychological.

Stress – At work, home or otherwise can have an impact on your sex life.

Performance Anxiety – This is especially common with someone new, the pressure to perform and satisfy can be so overwhelming that nerves take over and this interferes with performance.

Masturbating too often – While not a bad thing, if done excessively, the body soon ends up climaxing quickly in habit.

Confidence issues and low self-esteem- Insecurity with body image, penis size or other reasons can affect confidence and sexual performance.

Physical reasons may include hormonal imbalances (though this is not common) inexperience and even abstinence, where you have gone a long time without sexual activity.

What Can Be Done?

 Premature Ejaculation can be treated very successfully once the cause is established. Severe cases of PE that do not respond to psychological and self-help techniques or natural therapies can be treated by medication prescribed by a doctor.

For the occasional or mild PE some things you can try to prevent or lessen the chances of PE include:

·         Natural based supplements, especially those containing Zinc and L-Arginine, these are scientifically proven to help to increase blood flow and strengthen and promote the general health of the penis resulting in longer-lasting erections.

·         Local anaesthetic gel. Some men like to apply this to the shaft of the penis just before intercourse to desensitize to prevent PE, however, if you are sensitive or allergic to the ingredients it can cause irritation, stinging and redness and can make sex less pleasurable for your partner. Special condoms containing anaesthetic, usually Benzocaine can also be used.

·         The Stop-Start technique. This is where the man masturbates to the point of climax and then stops. It should be repeated three times, allowing himself to ejaculate on the fourth time. If practiced regularly this can help to control ejaculation.

Some couples benefit from sexual therapy. Visiting a sex therapist can help you to learn new ways to control PE, build your confidence and get back on the road to start enjoying sex again.

Whatever method of treatment you choose; rest assured that Premature Ejaculation is treatable and it does not have to get in the way of an enjoyable sex life.

Source: www.healthhotsolution.com

The 'Sinister Side' Of Silicon Valley Egg Plan

In Silicon Valley they call it the 'Dave Rule'. The insider joke goes that if you've got as many women on a team as blokes called Dave, you've got gender equality.

It’s a reminder of how under-represented women are in the tech industry. Only 15% of Facebook’s tech staff is female, and they make up fewer than one in four managers.

Among measures to address the issue, Facebook and Apple plan to fund female employees to harvest and store eggs. Is this "empowering women" as Apple claims or is it a reflection of the darker side of Silicon Valley?

For a start, what kind of message does it send to employees? That if you become pregnant you're letting down the company? That it's okay if you become a mother when you're "older" as by then you're less valuable anyway? Let’s not forget older workers are also a rarity in the Valley.

As this comes under the banner of employee benefits, presumably Facebook and Apple would be aware of who had taken up the offer and who have not.

Could workers feel pressured to freeze their eggs to demonstrate commitment? Might those who haven't (or who are having their eggs thawed for use) fear the impact on their career prospects?

And what of the freezing process? It's more successful, both in terms of harvesting and pregnancy after re-implantation the younger the woman.

At age 40, the chances of pregnancy with a re-implanted egg after one round of associated IVF is less than 13% while the chances of conceiving naturally are around 20% on average, although it falls quite rapidly from there.

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine: "Marketing this technology for the purpose of deferring childbearing may give women false hope."

In a statement, Apple said: "We want to empower women at Apple to do the best work of their lives as they care for loved ones and raise their families."

Isn't this an insult to fathers who are increasingly taking their share or more of childcare? Why not ditch the gender stereotype and instead of paying for freezing eggs, why not invest in areas that would help all parents, for example, workplace nurseries or flexible working?

While some have called it a "ground-breaking perk," Emma Barnett, Women’s Editor at The Daily Telegraph, says the "the upshot of it could be very sinister".

This is one Facebook status update that not everyone will 'like'.

By Dharshini David, Business Presenter

Okupe: Buhari, Atiku Are Perpetual Failures

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe has described the declarations by the former head of states General Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar to contest the nation’s number one seat as a huge joke.

Okupe said both Buhari and Atiku are serial failures who cannot withstand Jonathan in 2015 if he decides to contest the presidential elections.

Speaking with state House correspondents Wednesday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe also dismissed reports in an online website that alleging that the president was trying to use the excuse of the insurgency in the north east to elongate his tenure saying “this is not the president that would do a thing like that”.

According to him, owing to the huge pressure being brought to bear on President Jonathan from diverse quarters for him to contest the 2015 election, the president would make necessary consultation and make his decision known “soon”.

Speaking on General Buhari and Atiku Abubakar’s declarations, Okupe said: “You know Yoruba people have one proverb which says it is the biggest Masquerade that comes out last. The declaration by the opposition is not really something new. Most of the candidates of the opposition are serial failures. Atiku (Abubakar) has tried twice and has failed,(Gen Mohammadu) Buhari has done it four times and he has failed. If you present yourself for an election, first, second, third and fourth times, what new things are they bringing? Have they gone to school or are they bringing new things?

“We are absolutely unperturbed. The president is going to contest against serial losers. People who never win election. People who have no leadership quality and it is even now worse for them because this president has been given four years, during which he has demonstrated his administrative capability, efficiency and delivery. It is unarguable that these people in the APC, it is a new and good party, they would become relevant from 2019 upward, not now”, he said.

“This is something that is not true, this type of false information is quite characteristic and it is the hallmark of Sahara reporters in particular. But still, in order that the world is not misled, I want to state categorically here that there is no iota of truth whatsoever in that statement. There is nothing like that. And this is not the president that would do a thing like that and there is no reason whatsoever for this president to do that.

“This is the same president that, as you must have heard recently, over 12 million Nigerians have signed asking him to come out and run. All the stakeholders in his party, the PDP , have endorsed him and are actually asking him to come out and make his declaration to run and it is quite a logical thing to do because there is no reason of changing the winning team.

“Again, the issue also is that as it is everywhere in the world, endorsement itself is not undemocratic because it is a normal pattern in democratic parlance that when you have a sitting president. And he is interested in a rerun, usually he is given the first choice of refusal and the president is yet to make public his desire, but this news from Sahara reporters is absolutely untrue,it is falsehood and we deny it in all its entirety because it is part of the calculated attempts by the opposition to throw everything into the arena to embarrass this president”.

On when the president would formally make his intention known, the aide said it is “my believe that it will be after due consideration that he will take an appropriate decision that would be in the larger interest of the party and the nation, but I don’t see this being too long from now”

AIT News

Ebola outbreak: UN worker dies in Germany hospital

UN employee infected with Ebola has died at a hospital in Germany.

Doctors at the hospital in Leipzig said the man, 56, died in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The outbreak has killed more than 4,000 people since March - mostly in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria.

The World Health Organization described it as the "the most severe, acute health emergency seen in modern times". The US and UK are among countries to have introduced scanning at airports.

The man had been working as a UN medical official in Liberia - one of the worst affected countries by the outbreak - when he caught Ebola. He arrived in Germany last Thursday for treatment.

"Despite intensive medical measures and maximum efforts by the medical team, the 56-year-old UN employee succumbed to the serious infectious disease," a statement from St Georg hospital said.

He was the third Ebola patient to be treated for the deadly virus in Germany, Der Spiegel newspaper reports.

One patient is still receiving treatment in a hospital in Frankfurt, while a third was released from a hospital in Hamburg after five weeks of treatment, it adds.

BBC News

Nigeria Not Implicated In the $15 m seized by South Africa!

Within the past three weeks the Asset Forfeiture Unit in the office of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in South Africa seized two tranches of fund totaling $15million being payment for the alleged purchase of arms by the Federal Government. Initially, the sum of $9.3 million smuggled into South Africa by an Israeli and two Nigerians was seized last month. The suspicion surrounding the transaction was fueled by the disclosure that the South African company involved in the deal is not a licensed arms dealer and that the jet used to ferry the money belongs to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, who is very close to the Presidency. The CAN has since said the plane which was bought for evangelism was converted and leased to another company to raise some money!

Since the Federal Government could not justify the brazen violation of the money laundering law of South Africa by the three suspects it decided to engaged in the diplomatic resolution of the embarrassing incident. However, while the " diplomatic 
row" was yet to be resolved another sum of $5.7 million wired by a Nigerian company to South Africa from Abuja for the purchase more arms was also seized  last week. Convinced that the latest seizure could not be justified the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd)  lambasted the South African Government and the fifth columnists in Nigeria who are bent on frustrating the Federal Government in prosecuting the war on terror. According to Mr. Karounwi Adekunle, the spokesperson for the office of the NSA, "a business transaction actually took place between a legitimate company in Nigeria and another legitimate company in South Africa through the bank. In the course of events the South African company could not perform and decided to refund the 
money. What is illegitimate in this transaction done through the bank?"

 It is interesting to note that the NSA has not said that it was the Federal Government that transferred the controversial fund to South Africa. Neither has the NPA indicted the Federal Government for the alleged criminality associated with the transaction. In fact, the NPA has not questioned the legal status of both companies. What is being investigated by the NPA is the legitimacy of the receipt of $5.7 million by Cerberus Risk Solutions of South Africa whose license to deal in arms had expired before it entered into the contract. In actuality, it was the Standard Bank through which the fund was transferred which reported the "suspicious transaction". And the NPA promptly applied for and obtained an order of the High Court 
for the seizure of the fund. Both companies-Cerberus Risk Solutions of South Africa and it's Nigerian counterpart, Societe D'Equipments Internationale are yet to challenge the interim order for the confiscation of the fund. 
 

Therefore, contrary to the mismanagement of information traceable to the office of the NSA the Federal Government did not place any direct order for the importation of arms from South Africa. The fact that the NSA signed the End User certificate for the arms importation is not a license for the companies involved in the deal to breach the laws of South Africa. In other words, the Israeli and two Nigerians who were arrested last month for smuggling the sum of $9.3 million and the Nigerian company involved in the transfer of the $5.7 million to South Africa are not public officers.  As independent contractors they were awarded contracts for the supply of arms by the Federal Government and paid accordingly. It is indubitably clear that the suspects were negligent for failing to conduct due diligence.

Hence, they were dealing with companies that are not authorized to trade in arms in South Africa. By the way when was the responsibility of purchasing weapons for the armed forces of Nigeria  transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the office of the NSA?

However, since the Federal Government cannot be held vicariously liable for the alleged criminal activities of the suspects the office of the NSA ought not to have embarrassed the nation by giving the erroneous impression that Nigeria had breached the law of another country. As a sovereign entity the Federal Government can place orders for the purchase of arms either from another government or from independent arms dealers. But when the office of the NSA decided to award contracts to private corporate bodies for the supply of arms it could not have clothed them with immunity or license to breach local or foreign laws.  Instead of exposing Nigeria to further ridicule the Federal Government should stop accepting responsibility for the alleged criminal actions of the suspects indicted in the alleged laundering of the sum of $15 million. 
 Having regard to the facts and circumstances of this shameful episode  there is substantial evidence to prove that the suspects breached the terms of the deal for the supply of the arms. To that extent the Federal Government is perfectly entitled to sue them with a view to recovering the entire contract sum of $15 million. Notwithstanding their inexplicable negligence the suspects should be advised to contest the order of  the High Court which authorised the seizure of the fund. To show that there was no mens rea to breach the law of that country the NSA may wish to testify for the suspects.

By threatening to deal with the South African government over the breach of the law by the private businessmen and corporate bodies involved in the suspicious transactions the office of the NSA has called to question the moral integrity of the Federal Government. By asking South Africa to reciprocate the gesture of allowing  MTN and DSTV to operate  in Nigeria is the Federal Government saying that both South African companies are allowed to breach the law of the land? Regrettably, the National Assembly treated this matter of urgent national importance so cavalierly and in the process left many questions unanswered. Otherwise how could both chambers have failed to examine the statement of the NPA that the official explanations for the suspicious transactions are riddled with contradictions. Instead of grandstanding over the criminal enterprise the Federal Government should apologize to Nigerians and call the NSA to order for dragging the name of Nigeria through the mud.

-Femi Falana SAN.

Ebola: Liberian health workers plan strike

Liberian health officials are appealing to nurses and medical assistants not to go ahead with a national strike, as the Ebola epidemic continues.

The National Health Workers Association wants an increase in the monthly risk fee paid to those treating Ebola cases.

In the US, President Barack Obama has directed more steps to be taken to ensure high safety procedures when dealing with suspected Ebola patients.

A health worker treating an Ebola victim has herself caught the virus.

Liberia's Assistant Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah said a strike would have negative consequences on those suffering from Ebola and would adversely affect progress made so far in the fight against the disease.

The government says the scale of the epidemic means it now cannot afford the risk fee originally agreed.

The risk fee is currently less than $500 a month, on top of basic salaries of between $200-$300. Staff are now seeking a risk fee of $700 a month.
The health workers also want personal protective equipment and insurance.

Ninety-five of their colleagues have so far died from Ebola. Liberia is one of the countries worst affected by the epidemic.

More than 4,000 people have so far died in the outbreak.

A new UN centre to co-ordinate the fight against the epidemic is being set up in Ghana.

UN aid workers and logisticians are being flown in to Accra, the BBC's Mark Doyle reports. Ghana itself has not so far seen any Ebola cases.

Six months after the epidemic began in west Africa there are still only about a quarter of the treatment beds required to tackle it.

Food is now in short supply as markets are disrupted in some parts of the three countries worst affected: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

In Liberia, elections have been postponed because the gathering of people

US ENQUIRY

How Fayemi lost to Fayose remains a big mystery – Wole Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has described as a ‘mystery’ the loss of incumbent governor of Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi, to governor-elect, Ayo Fayose.

Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress party, lost the Ekiti governorship election of Saturday, 21 June to Fayose, who contested under the Peoples Democratic party.

Soyinka, who is usually outspoken in his beliefs, commented on the outcome of the Ekiti polls, on Sunday, 12 October, at the inauguration of the new Government House, “Ayoba Villa” in Ado Ekiti.

According to the Nobel laureate, “Somewhere, something went wrong and it has to be corrected. That is the message I have for all of you. Be patient but at the same time be watchful.”

“Many people within and outside Ekiti were mystified. There is a clarity in my mind. That clarity has been demonstrated today and has been manifested in the four years of Fayemi,” he added.

He also advised the people of the state to get past the mysterious outcome of the elections, and build on the foundation put in place by the outgoing governor.

He said, “My own message is that, put the mystery aside and the emotional attachment. Continue to build on the foundation that has been laid by him. The state has been resurrected in a way that all of us should be proud of. I’m glad that there is no sadness on the face of anybody. I’m happy I do not perceive any iota of regret on the face of anyone. That is the way it should be.”

Fayemi, while responding, stated that the legacy projects inaugurated in his last days in office was in service to the people of Ekiti, adding that it was done so that the incoming governor could build on them.

“For us, everything that has happened is about the service to our people. It is about putting our people forward. It is about making the fundamental differences in the lives of our people and making their lives more abundant. The Ekiti we are leaving is far better than the Ekiti we met. Those who are coming behind us can build on this in a sustainable manner,” Fayemi said.

He also went philosophical, saying that Nigerians were on a journey to get the best out of the nation.

“We are on a journey, we are not in a destination yet. That journey would have remarkable progress, undulating lines, we would go into valleys, we would face challenges, and the triumph of it is to see opportunities in those challenges and to keep moving on until a better and greater Nigeria of our dream comes to fruition in our country,” he added.

Source: Ynaija

Doctor cleared of Ebola virus feeling better

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A doctor admitted to a Massachusetts hospital this weekend for an apparent respiratory infection after surviving the Ebola virus was in stable condition and feeling better Sunday, but still has a fever and cough, hospital officials said as they awaited Ebola testing results.

Officials at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester said Dr. Richard Sacra remained in isolation as a precaution. He was admitted Saturday and is being treated for an upper respiratory infection that doctors believe is not related to Ebola he contracted in Africa.Dr. Robert Finberg, who is leading Sacra's medical team, said at a news conference Sunday that doctors are confident Sacra's symptoms are not related to the Ebola he contracted in Africa.

Finberg and hospital President Patrick Muldoon stressed that there is no threat to the public and that the hospital is operating under normal conditions.Finberg said results of Ebola testing by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should be available within the next two days."

People are very concerned, that's why we're being extremely cautious," Finberg said. "We're not taking risks with Dr. Sacra and his caregivers."Asked why doctors believe Sacra's symptoms are not related to Ebola, Finberg said he was not aware of any case of Ebola recurring in surviving patients, and Sacra is feeling better and eating."People with Ebola don't feel like eating. They feel like throwing up," Finberg said. "

The fact that he's eating and he feels pretty good, I think is a very good sign."Finberg said Sacra was just being responsible when he decided to go a hospital.Sacra, of Holden, returned to Massachusetts on Sept. 25 after weeks of treatment at an Omaha, Nebraska, hospital.He spent much of the last two decades in Liberia, working with a missionary group.

He also works at Family Health Center of Worcester.Bruce Johnson, president of the SIM USA missionary group, said in a news release that Sacra first visited a Boston-area hospital emergency room Saturday morning because of a persistent cough and low-grade fever and concern that he might be getting pneumonia.

Johnson said Sacra was transferred to UMass Memorial for observation as a precaution under CDC guidelines.Muldoon said the CDC advised hospital officials to keep Sacra in isolation until the Ebola testing results come in. Muldoon said UMass Memorial is well-quipped to handle infectious diseases.

Yahoonews

Nigerian government wants EU to invest in proposed Development Bank

The Federal Government has urged the European Union, EU, to invest in the proposed Wholesale Development bank through the union’s development financing outfit, the European Development Bank, EIB.The Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, made the call while receiving a delegation of the European Union led by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Michel Arrion.Mr. Yuguda said the bid to set up a Wholesale Development bank has raised significant interest among global funding agencies.According to him, the World Bank has pledged about $500 million to the proposal, while other development-oriented financial institutions like the African Development Bank, ADB, have also committed some funds for the take-off of the bank.The minister explained that the aim was to boost the growth of the real sector by ensuring long term financing and drastically cutting down interest rate, adding that the federal government would soon be embarking on a road-show to some specific countries to raise more capital.“We are developing a whole sale development bank in Nigeria,” he said. “The idea of the bank is to give long term financing to SMEs and increase their source of borrowing. We did a study of the informal sector, which showed that the sector constituted 45 percent of our gross domestic product (GDP).The federal government, he said, has a firm belief that if it was able to increase their access to funds, especially long term, that would go a long way in increasing the GDP of this country and integrating them into the formal sector of the economy.The EU envoy had earlier hinted that EIB is already well established in Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal as a development financier would like to boost their activities in Nigeria by funding long term projects.Consequently, Mr. Yuguda urged the bank to take advantage of the investment opportunities open in the proposed bank and thanked the bank for its rigorous procedure in ensuring that the facilities they grant Nigerian banks were aligned to the nation’s development priorities.“We know that EIB has been helping Nigeria banks. We are also aware that before they grant any facility to any bank in Nigeria they would normally seek for authorisation through your office (EU envoy) from the National Planning Commission, and I went through many of them while serving as the supervising Minister of National Planning.”Mr. Yuguda, who earlier in 2014, brokered the deal for the EU’s grant of 512 million Euros (about N112 billion) towards supporting agriculture and rural development in the north as well as electricity and governance nationwide further welcomed Arrion’s request for EU to boost its support to the presidential Initiative for the North-East, PINE, in the rebuilding of the North East zone.He said, “For Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Finance, we are handling the safe school initiative which is a very big programme. We appreciate your concern in this regard and will be prepared to provide the necessary support to ensure that your efforts were in tandem with the Presidential intervention programme.”

Florida Man Convicted of Murder in Dispute Over Rap Music

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Florida man was convicted Wednesday in the 2012 fatal shooting of an unarmed teenager amid a dispute over loud rap music blaring from a car.Jurors in the racially tinged retrial deliberated for about five hours before finding Michael Dunn guilty of first-degree murder.It was the second time that Mr. Dunn, 47, a software developer who claimed self-defense in the death of Jordan Davis, 17, faced a jury.

In February, a jury convicted Mr. Dunn of three counts of second-degree attempted murder – one for each of the surviving teenagers in the Dodge Durango — a crime for which he could receive a 60-year prison sentence.But that jury could not unanimously agree whether Mr. Dunn killed

Mr. Davis in self-defense or in a fit of rage on Nov. 23, 2012. The mistrial prompted the county’s top prosecutor to retry Mr. Dunn for first-degree murder.From the start, the case was infused with racial overtones and stirred the nation’s debate about racial profiling and its possible consequences.

Mr. Dunn is white and the teenagers black.With Mr. Davis’s death coming months after the killing of another unarmed black teenager, Trayvon Martin, the shooting brought renewed focus to Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” laws, which in 2005 made it easier for people to claim self-defense if they had a reasonable belief their lives where threatened, whether the threat proved real or not.George Zimmerman was ultimately acquitted of Mr. Martin’s murder.

Ferdinand: Moyes is a great man

The QPR defender called the Scot's tactics while Manchester United boss "embarrassing" in his autobiography but insists that he would be happy to talk his arguments over in person

Rio Ferdinand says that he would like to meet with David Moyes to discuss his Manchester United reign and claimed the Scot is a "great man", despite his criticism of the manager in his autobiography.

The QPR defender claims that Moyes had him "doubting everything" that he knew due to his preference to train United to stop the opposition, while slamming his "embarrassing" tactics of resorting to a long-ball game.

Moyes was sacked by the Red Devils in April, to be succeeded by Louis van Gaal, having failed to guide the club into Europe, yet Ferdinand insists that he has no problem with the Scot and would welcome the chance to speak with him.When asked if he would like to talk with Moyes, Ferdinand told CNN World Sport: "Yes, of course, I've got nothing against him as a person."I'm saying that he's a gentleman, a great man.

I've never had any bad words to say about him at all in that respect as a person."Ferdinand rejects claims that Moyes inherited a squad in decline when he took over from Sir Alex Ferguson, insisting that the players at his disposal were good enough to replicate their title success of 2012-13."I don't understand how people can say [that]," he remarked. "You've got some great players throughout the squad. You win the league by 11 points.

You've got to be a top team to do that."So [Ferguson] goes and then it all falls apart? So that's his fault? How can people say that? I don't think the buck stops with Sir Alex Ferguson at all. I think you leave and you win a trophy. There's not many better ways to go out than that."

Goal.com

JAIL ESCAPE IN WASHINGTON NOT DETECTED FOR 2 DAYS

MARYSVILLE, Wash. (AP) -- An inmate's escape from a jail in Washington state went undetected for two days last week until the man's defense lawyer stopped for a visit and he couldn't be found.

Rhyan Vasquez, 19, was back in custody in Marysville City Jail, north of Seattle, facing a possible escape charge along with a previous robbery allegation, The Daily Herald reported (http://bit.ly/1rqrM8S ).

His absence wasn't noticed until last Wednesday when his lawyer asked to see him, court papers said.Jail staff checked surveillance video and saw that Vasquez had backed out a door and into a hallway on Sept. 22 while a group of inmates was returning from a Bible study class held in a visitation area.Vasquez was booked back into jail Friday.

He was tracked down by two detectives who questioned his associates, said Robert Lamoureux, a police spokesman.Defense lawyer James Feldman says another attorney from his office was representing Vasquez in the municipal case.

That lawyer wasn't available Tuesday.Feldman said all he knew was the lawyer went to the jail and Vasquez wasn't there."We obviously weren't involved in the planning," Feldman said.---I

Information from: The Daily Herald,http://www.heraldnet.com