POLICE UNCOVER 12 HOUSES OPERATING ILLEGAL OIL WELLS

Report said owners of the houses built shallow oil wells to steal diesel from pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

The Lagos State Government has uncovered 12 houses with illegal oil wells in Abeokuta Ibadan Streets in Ilasamaja area of the state.

Report said owners of the houses built shallow oil wells to steal diesel  from pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

As contained in a statement issued by the State’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Steve Ayorinde, the wells were discovered on Friday, August 12.

According to the Commissioner, the oil wells were built purposely for illegally scooping of diesel.

He said some of the affected landlords built pumping machine and boreholes to perpetrate the crime on a large scale.

Ayorinde said a combined team from the police command, the Ministry of Environment, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Lagos State Fire Service and Sole Administrator of Isolo Local Council Development Area carried out a thorough inspection of the entire area and discovered nothing less than 12 of the illegal oil wells.

Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni said three suspects have been arrested.

Owoseni explained that "the men of the Lagos State Police Command in the area who were on routine patrol said they saw a woman around 12 midnight with keg of diesel and when an attempt was made for her to be accosted, she fled, a development which alerted the police of something fishy.

“The police immediately pursued the woman and accosted her, after which she eventually took them to number 12, Abeokuta Street, off Ilasamaja, one of the houses housing the illegal oil wells."

The Commissioner added that upon getting to the said house, those inside shut the door and prevented the police from gaining entrance.

“The officers thereafter left the scene with the arrested woman, and they later came back disguising as potential buyers of diesel, while those inside opened the door.

“It was at that point that the illegal oil well was discovered at the house, after which about 10 more wells were discovered in other houses in Abeokuta and Ibadan streets.

“At the last count there, we have seen about 12 houses that had wells dug behind the house and the only thing that they scoop out of the wells is diesel but not water.

“It is believed that almost all the houses within that vicinity had this same thing.

“We have arrested some of the landlords and we have also asked the tenants whether they have the knowledge that they were compromising their lives and property?” Owoseni said.

Ilasamaja community is a densely populated area in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State.

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54-YRS OLD CATHOLIC PRIEST SACKED FOR MARRYING 2 WIVES

54-Years old Very Reverend Father Peter Zuni of the Queen of Apostles Catholic Church, Kakuri parish, Kaduna State, has been disrobed by Catholic church in Kaduna.

According to a report by Sun Newspaper, the priest's secret marriages was blown open by one the wives, who is reportedly nursing a child for the priest.

It was further reported that Zuni, was engaged in a secret marriage to two women - one late and the other living.

Sunday Sun gathered that one of the wives is already late, while the surviving one who blew the whistle about three weeks ago over the secret marriage is said to be nursing a child for the embattled priest.

Speaking on the act that has left him disgraced, Zuni said: “I find it difficult myself to believe what people are saying about me. I will not comment on it now. I will follow due process to invite you for an interview, but I am afraid, the newspaper of the archdiocese, The Cross News, may carry this story before you (Sunday Sun).”

The Bishop of Kaduna Archdiocese, Bishop Ndagoso Manoso, confirmed that Zuni, who was his classmate in the Seminary, had a relationship with two women who had children for him, an act considered to be an abomination and grave sin against the Catholic doctrine.

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WHY IT’S HARDER FOR A FALLEN NIGERIAN ARTISTE TO RISE BACK UP

Artistes who are on a comeback campaign have it harder than the upcoming acts, and this is due to a lot of factors.

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IMO CRISES: 3 DEAD IN AKOKWA INTER ETHNIC CLASH

3 dead as persons in Akokwa inter-ethnic clash
Enwerem said the problem has been brought under control, adding that normalcy has returned to the area.

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MARRIAGE IS NOT AN ACHIEVEMENT. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO LIFE THAN BEING SOMEONE’S WIFE....LINDA IKEJI

Linda Ikeji, Chigul, Betty Irabor speak on the pressure to marry before 30

In a recent chat with Genevieve Magazine, publisher Betty Irabor, comedian/actress Chioma ‘Chigul’ Omeruah and celebrity blogger Linda Ikeji shared their thoughts on the pressure women face to get married before the age of 30.

Linda Ikeji: 

MARRIAGE IS NOT AN ACHIEVEMENT. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO LIFE THAN BEING SOMEONE’S WIFE.

Get married please, but don’t be pressured into it. I don’t know how many of you single girls are under pressure to get married but I am. Pressure from family, friends and people who just can’t mind their business. The pressure is so intense right now I feel like going to husband market – if there is any such thing- to buy myself some breathing space.

Give me a break you people.

Chigul: 

In my opinion, the pressure is not a fabrication. It is very real! After you have worn asoebi about a million times, you begin to wonder when it is going to be your turn to sell asoebi too! And when you factor in mums and aunties constantly reminding you of the shelf life of women.

It gets to you, even if it is just a bit. People may even suggest some very strange things to you to do to ‘earn’ marriage. Well, I have come to realize that we allow ourselves to be pressured. The decision to get married should not be taken because you are being pressured, that could lead to a disaster.

Don’t let anyone make you go into anything you are not ready for or your joy may be short-lived. And to those mounting pressure on others to go and get married, there is simply no justification for your behaviour

Betty Irabor:

I don’t think women should be worried about being married before 30 because many women before that age have not yet gone through the school of life which prepares them for marriage

From my desk at SurulereWatch, I know being single, sexy, and 30 isn’t the most attractive thing to be as a lady and it can be a daunting task walking around town with confidence. The pressure isn’t as much on the man as it is on the women … because of their ‘shelf-life’ as Chigul puts it.

It could be your partner or parents who keep dropping heavy hints about walking down the aisle, but whoever it is, being pressurized to get married is very stressful – but how can you handle the situation with tact?

Try these tips if you’re under pressure to get married and let posterity be your judge.

Never give in: When you’re on the hot seat, it would be a serious mistake to give in. Both partners have to be 100% into the idea or you’re heading for problems. Never pressurize your partner if he/she gets uncomfortable whenever you bring up the topic because agreeing to get married just to keep the peace will make you feel resentful in the future.

Already committed: Many parents put pressure on their children to get married because of religious reasons or because they feel children should be born only within a marriage. But whether you decide to have children or not, you can still just be as committed to someone without a legal ceremony; and marrying someone wouldn’t cement a shaky relationship, but mess it up for good.

When you’re ready: Even if you want to get married, the time may not be right for you just yet. Tell people you’ll get married only if, and when you’re ready; you’ll have to be resolute and thick-skinned because emotional blackmail may be used, and that’s just cheap.

Different views: Sometimes, family and friends can push you into marriage and this can lead you into the wrong hands. Marriage is a personal commitment and you might not just be interested in it. If so, explain calmly that you hold different views on the subject and you can’t get married just to please someone else. You respect their views but those are their views, and you’re equally entitled to have your own opinions – which may be different.

Stressful: It could really be depressing when you’re always asked irrelevant questions (that they already know the answer to) or when you’re constantly being teased about marriage. An old aunt of mine kept teasing me whenever we attended family weddings like, “hmmmn … Ubong, I can’t wait to come and eat jollof rice at your wedding o”. She stopped the day I gave her a little nudge at a burial ceremony we attended, “ … hmmnnn – aunty, I can’t wait to come and eat jollof at your burial o”

Even gentle hints about mother of the bride outfits and wedding venues can get irritating if heard often enough. Ask them to stop because its stressing you out. It’s more complicated when your partner is the one pressurizing you, but try to explain that although you are not ready or don’t want to get married, you still love them.

Divorce statistics: Finally, you may have to be blunt and point out that divorce statistics are very high. A massive 65% of Nigerian marriages fail, and most girls I know that got married early complain to me that they were immature and if they had known what they did now, they wouldn’t have married at the time.

So marriage doesn’t guarantee that a relationship will last any longer than an unmarried one. Marrying someone you love, (especially a friend) is a wonderful experience but you can’t get married to please someone else. You must be completely sure he/she loves you back, and confident that you have found the right person for you.

Visit our blog for more views on marital pressure

www.citiwatchng.blogspot.com

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HOW TO TEACH YOUR CHILD GRATITUDE

Have you ever lived or worked with someone with a very sour attitude – who just finds something to be grumpy about? If it’s not the food, then it’s the weather, or the boss, or the fact that today is not yesterday. It can be draining dealing with such people, and it makes one wonder how they ended up being the way they are. Is it that they don’t know any better or something went terribly wrong along the line?

As parents, we desire to raise mature children, whose presence wherever they are, will be a blessing, an addition and not a problem or deduction. Also, having a positive presence, or just being happy is crucial to the level of influence anyone can have. It is our responsibility as parents to train and equip our children with the insights required to live life on a higher plane – the height of gratitude, positivity, and influence. We do not intend to put us under any form of pressure, but to highlight simple everyday activities that we can take as parents to groom our children for positivity and happiness.

The Good In Each Day – Anyone can have seemingly horrible, no-good days and sulk about it, but it takes another, with a higher level of awareness to see the good in everyday and celebrate it. These people are those who truly reign in life. Make it a point of duty to share something good that happened each day with your children and ask them for theirs too.                                                                                                         We have higher propensity for bad news; hence, we might be quicker to share the unfavourable events that happened – the biker you almost ran into, the colleagues that got the brunt of your boss’ anger, e.t.c., and sometimes by sharing, especially with our children, we hope there’s a lesson in the story for them to learn or even try to highlight the lessons for them.

What we need to realize is that it is not only from unseemingly bad events that one can draw lessons from; our children can also learn from the good events too. Help them tune their antenna to receive that kind of signal/frequency to see the good and the positive in others so that they grow up noticing the good, and are quick to share it. This does not mean that we should raise them in a cocoon, shielding them from the bad.  Of course, we can share the bad events we go through, but we should always try to see the good in every day and get our kids to see them too. If they are not going to give up on life too early, they need that positive energy that gratitude gives in other to thrive in life.

The Good You Have – Research has shown that the happiest and most effective people are those who have learnt to focus on what they have. Every day, endeavour to share what you are grateful for and encourage others to do likewise. It could be simple blessings that are taken for-granted that would’ve helped them realize that gratitude shouldn’t just be for the seemingly extra-ordinary things, but for every blessing, no matter how minute we think they are. Kids could even be better at this than adults as they see the good in very minute things we laugh off, so encourage this tendency in them.

The Good You Can Do – Everyday share something good you have done, with an attitude of gratitude. Help your kids realize that one of the greatest blessings of living is the privilege to do good to others. The benefit of this is that it helps the children not to tune their happiness to what they need, but to shift their focus off themselves and truly live. Teach them to be grateful for the opportunity to be good to others – and let them know it is not bragging right but a privilege to be good to someone every day.

Happiness lies in being grateful for who we are, what we have, and the good we can do. Strengthen this perception in your kids, and you just might be on your way to raising the happiest kids ever

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DONNIE MCCLURKIN ENGAGES FELLOW GOSPEL SINGER, NICOLE MULLEN

Ace gospel singer, Donnie McClurkin has announced his engagement to Nicole C Mullen [also a gospel singer] on the “Praise The Lord” TV show on the Christian broadcasting station.

McClurkin, 56 who is a single father stated that the only thing missing in his life is marriage.

Donnie McClurkin was the musical guest on TBN's long-running "Praise the Lord" ministry show Thursday night where it was revealed that he and Nicole C. Mullen are getting married.

Matt Crouch and his wife, Laurie, were joined on the show by guests A.R. Bernard and McClurkin where the former revealed that he would be giving McClurkin marriage counseling in the near future.

Rumors that McClurkin and Mullen were dating started circulating after the two attended this year's Stellar Awards together. But the gospel singers never made an official announcement about their romance until Thursday's episode of "Praise the Lord."

Bernard hinted at McClurkin's engagement during a discussion about his new book, What Women Want From Men. Crouch then stood up and announced that the 56-year-old "We Fall Down" singer and Perfecting Faith Church pastor is, in fact, on course to getting married.

"OK, are you ready for something? You want me to just drop something on ya?" Crouch asked the audience as he shouted, "Donnie McClurkin's getting married! Come on!"

The audience erupted with praise as the camera zoomed in on a stunned McClurkin who was possibly not aware that Crouch was going to make the announcement on an international television show. Laurie, afraid that her husband had spoken too soon, asked if they should consider editing the information out of the program but McClurkin then proceeded to explain his decision.

"Well praise God," McClurkin responded. "Honestly, the only thing in my life that is missing is marriage. The only thing that is missing in my life that can cause real family, is marriage. Financially, I'm there. Spiritually, I'm almost there. Emotionally, I'm getting it together. But the only thing that's missing out of everything that I'm doing locally, cross country and globally is that aspect that makes family, family — is that wife that would make man whole, that element that brings favor to man."

The pastor went on to quote Proverbs 18:22. The verse says "he who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." And that is what McClurkin says he's looking forward to in this season of his life.

"I have a lot of great things, but I don't have a good thing, and there's favor that can only come through marriage to a man," he continued.

The New York-based minster talked about spending his nights watching Cartoon Network until 2 a.m. and confessed that he has come to realize the missing part of his existence is to have a help mate.

"To have someone that I can love. I'm not saying to love me, 'cause there's a lot of people that love me. I want someone that I can love, heal and comfort, protect and secure. That's what I want," he said.

Bernard agreed that a wife is the accountability partner that God gives to men to help them in the maturation process. The show then progressed to become an on the spot premarital counseling session for the Grammy Award-winner.

Twenty-three minutes into the program, Crouch asked McClurkin to name his future bride. McClurkin then described how God brought him and Mullen together on an flight to Africa in December 2015.

McClurkin said that even though they've known each other for 15 years, the first time they really had a chance to talk was when they were seated next to each other on a flight to the Ivory Coast, during which they spoke for eight hours.

Both singers have been open about their love lives in the past. Mullen was previously married to CCM singer-songwriter David Mullen, before they announced their divorce in 2014.

While McClurkin has never been married, the single father has been open about his struggles with his feelings of loneliness.

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