Lagos CP Owoseni Finally Bows Out… Hands Over To New Police Boss

Lagos State Police Command has finally announced a change of guard as Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, handed over to a new Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi.

Controversies had on Wednesday trailed the appointment of Imohimi as Owoseni’s successor, as the former CP had maintained that he was still in charge of the command.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, in a statement on Thursday, however, said Owoseni at no point refused an order of the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to vacate office for his successor.

He said, “CP Fatai Owoseni wished the officers and men of the command all the best under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Ag/COMPOL Edgal Imohimi, at the officers’ mess during a conference of senior officers, Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers and Head of Departments.”

The PPRO said Owoseni advised policemen in the state to work with the new CP to make Lagos a peaceful and crime free state.

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Young Lady Shot Dead in Rivers State on Her Way to Abuja to Get UK Visa

The sad news was shared Gabriela Okwara…

‘One of my juniors in secondary school, a young promising girl who was traveling to Abuja alongside her mum to get their visas and head back to the U.K. was shot dead by the trolls on Elele road and some insensitive clowns here are telling me to not raise alarm on the high rate of insecurity on East west road in other not to paint Rivers State bad, are you kidding me? Where is your conscience? Instead of you to lament, stage protest and demand that the security personnels at state and federal level do their jobs, you are there talking plenty! God have mercy on you.

Rest In Peace Faith Chuku! Sail on Hallel instrument’

May God grant her mum and other members of the family the fortitude to bear this loss. How sad!

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What To Do When Life Is Harder Than You Expected

I have a great, big imagination that I thank God for because it brings immense creativity to my life. However, there is a downside to it. I can see a lot of wonderful scenarios happening in my future. Some of which give me a direction to walk toward and may even be from God. But others may simply be of my own mind and not a plan for my future. I can want a lot of things that may not actually be the best for me.

God seems to sort through the multiple scenarios that get caught in my head. Some of them may come to be and some of them won’t. The expectations that aren’t from God will dissipate over time. The ones that are from God will grow over time.

This growth requires patience, faithfulness, and even self-control… 

God uses trials in life to grow this fruit in my life. Not everything that I can dream will come to fruition. Life is harder than I expect. And this is a good thing.

A good thing? How can that be?

Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

He doesn’t say to enjoy the trials. He knows that a lot of them will be sorrowful. But when I see them, I can take heart (or be encouraged) that Jesus has overcome them by giving me the ability to withstand those disappointments and go forward to something better.

Jesus overcomes these obstacles of disappointment by using them to grow my faith and dependence on Him. The more I see my botched expectations, the easier it is to go in the exact direction that God planned for me all along.

Disappointments in life are tests that help me to develop my “God sight.” If something doesn’t turn out like I expected, it’s an opportunity to see a little bit more of God’s plan. Seeing what doesn’t work helps me to see what does. Of course, sometimes it’s my own stubbornness that causes me to have to learn things the hard way, and the hard way almost always contains disappointments.

But… Jesus has overcome all of this! He gives me the strength every day to make new choices when my initial expectations don’t work out.

My growth in the areas of patience and faithfulness leads to strengthened endurance. James 1:4 says that when my endurance is fully developed, I will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? But perfect, complete, and not needing anything doesn’t mean independent. Independence and my pride is what gets me into a lot of trouble — that’s my before picture. My after picture (or at least the one that I am striving for) is one of complete and utter dependence on God and this is how I become complete and whole.

Jesus’ death and resurrection overcame the world’s evil and gave believers like me the strength to overcome my trials and problems. I overcome by living a different way — His way — instead of my own way.

But then there’s another problem. Life isn’t just hard when I do things my own way and then reap the consequences. It’s also hard even when I am trying to follow God’s way.

Trials come when I go my own way and when I follow God. Faith and obedience don’t guarantee a smooth life with no disappointments.

Life can often be harder than we expect when tragedies happen: 

• You’re diagnosed with a debilitating illness or even paralysis and are bedridden. 
• Your child dies way before his or her time. 
• You watch a loved one slowly fade away from cancer. 

Any of the above can happen to believers and unbelievers. No one is immune from life’s tragic moments. Life is very fragile, as well as precious.

Disappointments can come simply because it’s a fallen world. Satan does everything possible to distract people from following God. He can’t really stop you from living your life for God but he can place obstacles in your way that hinder you. He can whisper doubts that can go straight to your heart if you let them. And if those doubts imbed themselves within your mind, they can take root as bitterness. Bitterness comes out in the form of anger, self-pity, and even depression, all of which halt your ability to walk along God’s path for your life.

But… let me repeat… God has overcome all of that! 
The phrase “But God…” appears a lot in the Bible for a very good reason. Disappointments will happen but God is with you to comfort and help you walk through them.

When disappointments seem to block my way, I can hurdle them and continue on my way. Occasionally though, it’s not that simple. Some disappointments are bigger than others. Those may require me to step off the path for a bit and nurse my wounds by reading God’s Truth and connecting with other people for extra encouragement. But then… I can get back on the road and go forward.

Life is always going to be harder than I expect. My expectations and God’s ultimate plan often look different.

Bring God all of your expectations.
Stay near to Him.
Learn from Him through it all.

And… the sum of your life will be better than you expect no matter what elements go into it.

“Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.” (Romans 12:21)

[written by Jennifer Heeren]

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4 Smart Ways To Attract New Customers To Your Business

Attracting new customers to your business can be tasking, especially when your business operates in a competitive industry. However, there are some helpful ways to attract new customers to your business quickly. 

Jumia Travel shares 4 of these ways.

Have a Precise Definition of Your Target Audience 
Many businesses find it difficult to attract new customers because they simply don’t know their target audience well. This is why some businesses approach their target audience in ways that are less than appealing and that delivers weak results in terms of attracting the audience to their business. It’s necessary for businesses to first create a detailed profile of their target audience so it can develop more effective strategies for attracting them.

Have a Flash Sale 
Another way to attract customers quickly is to put up a flash sale. This gets your business the immediate attention of your target audience and helps to create a memorable event in your customers’ subconscious mind.

Strategic Alliance 
This is one step above a partnership and basically involves a commitment between two or more businesses to produce streams of referral business for the business ventures involved. An example of this is, when a Web designer and an ad agency send each other referrals for clients who need the others’ added service.

Consider Direct Response Marketing 
This type of marketing reaches out to customers using tactics aimed at encouraging them to complete a specific action related to a business’ product or service. Direct response marketing can be done by creating ads and marketing materials that attract a business’ target audience by giving them something of value, giving them something for free or by creating compelling messages that illustrate that the business venture is the fastest, cheapest and best option to meet their needs.

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Sad Story Of How Lady Burnt Herself & Her Lover To Death In Lagos

It was a pathetic scene. Suddenly, a young man full of life, and without any sign of sickness was lying lifelessly like a smoked goat, burnt to death.

That was the case of Mr. John Emeka Obodoechina, a 36-year-old man whose life was brought to a painful end allegedly by the lady he had wanted to marry. 

It was gathered that the lady, identified as Blessing, who has since passed on, burnt her lover to death because the latter decided to quit the relationship.

The Sun learnt that John had dated Blessing for over a year, and she had moved in with him. Close sources informed that at a point, John introduced Blessing to his siblings.

He was advised to study the lady for some time and decide if the family should formally go to Blessing’s family for dowry payment. John was said to have intimated the girl of his intentions to meet with her family, but the meeting was suspended at the instance of the lady’s family.

A relative of John’s, who pleaded anonymity, informed the reporter that over time, John started noticing some unacceptable behaviour from Blessing. Some of the couple’s neighbours also reported that at the slightest misunderstanding, Blessing would lock the door, pull a kitchen knife and threaten to stab John.

John’s elder brother, Chief Obodoechina snr, explained that John told him that he had met Blessing in his office, and that he had been helping Blessing in the business she was doing with the company from where they became intimate.

“After about three months, Blessing started taking some of her belongings into John’s place. At that time Blessing did not know whether anyone was John’s sister or colleague in the office, so any calls from a female caller was seen as a taboo.

That was when John started introducing Blessing to his sisters and colleagues. But when all that also failed to guarantee peace, John felt that marriage between Blessing and himself might be disastrous, so he decided to end the relationship. He therefore informed Blessing that both of them should part ways in peace. But Blessing, apparently didn’t like the idea.

There was a day John came to my house at an odd hour and complained bitterly about Blessing. I advised him that if they were not compatible, they should go their separate ways before something dreadful would happen.

It was gathered that when John couldn’t bear it any longer, he called Blessing and told her to relocate elsewhere, promising to give her some money to help her get another apartment.

The situation climaxed on August 1. That was the day John gave Blessing N100,000 to help her secure an apartment, it was gathered. One of the neighbours who pleaded anonymity said John returned from work that morning and, while washing his clothes, would intermittently shout ‘Jesus.’ He said he heard him scream like that up to three times. Another neighbour also said he overheard John and Blessing talking after he had given her N100,000.00 to enable her relocate.

John’s sister, Angela Ibrahim who lives in Badagry, said that morning, she was invited to John’s office by the management of the African Fertilizer &a Chemicals (Big) Ltd in Agbara, Ogun State. She said she was aware that since the previous week, John had been going to the wharf to clear the company’s goods and would always stay there overnight. He would then come home in the morning and to observe some rest before proceeding to the office.

She said the invitation surprised her, and she quickly raced to the office. She said further: “There, I was told that Blessing Ohare Ukhurebor, a girl from Edo State, who John had wanted to marry, burnt him alive. I could not understand that because it was not up to four days that the girl left my house and did not show any signs of an impending violence.

That was when I started calling my brothers. When we got to John’s house, we saw John bent on the bed, totally burnt. There was no electricity and the gas cooker in the kitchen was not affected. The two phones were there. There were no signs that the gas cooker or phone caused the fire. It was only John and the area he was sleeping that was burnt.

The neighbours that we met told us that some people had taken Blessing out, as she was also affected. But they said she was not dead. The neighbours went and reported the incident to the Baale of the area who ordered some of the palace chiefs and John’s neighbours to report the incident to the police.

“On getting to the Police Station in Agbara, the police said they could not do anything unless a relation of the deceased was around. When my brothers came, initially they could not hold themselves to follow the processes of investigation. After some logistics and protocols at the police station, the corpse was taken to the Badagry General Hospital for preservation in the morgue.

All our efforts to get to see Blessing to know how she was affected and find out what happened were rebuffed by Blessing’s uncle who was rather threatening us. A few days after John’s interment, we got a call from the same Blessing’s uncle, telling us that Blessing had also died.”

Angela also said Blessing was a very violent woman while the lady dated John. She informed that John confided in her that since he made his intentions known to her she became agitated.

“She had her chance on August 1, by 7:45am, while John was sleeping, That was when Blessing, who already had her plans worked out, poured fuel on John and lit the match. Unfortunately, because fuel is inflammable, she was also affected,” Angela lamented.

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5 Unhealthy Actions That Are Destroying Marriages

Most often it seems that the worst habits to keep are the easiest ones to form. Maybe that’s because it requires less effort to go through a drive-thru rather than cook a healthy meal at home, or to watch one more show instead of exercising. Forming and keeping the healthiest habits requires intention and dedication, whether it’s in tending to our physical and emotional health, or the health of our relationships.

Without intention and dedication, we will form unhealthy habits that will negatively impact our marriage. Bad habits in our relationship can pull open the door to divorce, even if ever so slightly. 

The good news? A bad habit can be reversed! 

Here are five unhealthy habits that, over time, can be detrimental to a marriage.

1. Belittling Your Spouse 
Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me! This old adage is only partially true: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words willalso hurt us. You should be your spouse’s biggest source of support and encouragement. When we make verbal jabs at our spouse, we are slowly deconstructing the safe and supportive environment a marriage should be. Oftentimes, these belittlements come in the form of jokes but, at their core, they simply are not funny. If you’re using a “joke” in an attempt to speak to a real issue (such as laziness, for example), then have a serious and kind conversation with your spouse about it. Words carry weight, especially when they are belittling words coming from the person who is supposed to build us up. Over time, the words you and your spouse exchange will grow in bitterness rather than kindness.

2. Improper Priorities 
Where does your spouse land on your list of priorities? If they are not second, only after God, then something is off. Your spouse should come before your children, your job, your ministry, or your friends. Our pursuit of God first and foremost will lead us to pursue our spouse with His love and selflessness. Any priority that comes before God and spouse will almost immediately become a wedge in your marriage. This will require sacrifice; sometimes your work or friendships will have to be put aside for the sake of your marriage — this is so worthwhile! Where do you think your spouse is on your list of priorities? Where would they say they land in your priorities?

3. Lack of Intimacy 
If apathy invades a marriage, it becomes evident in the level of intimacy spouses are experiencing. This is including, but not limited to, physical intimacy. Spouses should be s*xually active with one another! Delight in this gift God gave us, free from shame or worry. S*x will strengthen and re-strengthen the connection you have with your partner. Intimacy outside of the bedroom is just as important. Are you spending one on one time with one another? It might be a date night or a late night bowl of ice cream after the kids go to bed. Carve out time when you and your spouse can be together in a quiet setting, enjoying one another’s presence.

4. Disinterest in the Events of Your Spouse’s Day or Week 
Whether it’s actual disinterest or a level of busyness that keeps you from revealing your interest, spouses can grow distant when they stop hearing what is happening for one another while they are apart! Make the time to ask how your spouse’s day at work or with the kids went. Maybe this takes place at dinnertime or while you’re getting ready for bed, but remaining invested in hearing about your partner’s day will prevent you from feeling like strangers in your relationship. The stories you share may very well be the most mundane parts of life, but they will keep you two feeling connected even during the hours you are apart.

5. Little to No Communication About Your Relationship 
How often do you ask your spouse how fulfilled they feel in your marriage? How long has it been since you two discussed the areas of your marriage where you’re feeling strong, and the places that need work? A marriage will never just be perfect — areas to improve upon will always remain! Those areas, however, will have a hard time being brought into the light if they are never discussed. When the state of the marriage is never discussed, room is created for bitterness to build as one or both spouses begin to fill “missed” or unsatisfied in the relationship. When a fluid conversation is maintained regarding the health of the marriage, it will be easier to identify and work on areas of weakness.

If one or more of these bad habits has formed in your marriage, don’t be discouraged. Oftentimes, the hardest part is in noticing where we have grown apathetic or inattentive in our marriage — and now we can begin making steps to reverse our unhealthy habits. Start small, knowing that bad habits can take time to break and good habits can take time to grow. Remember that our God is in the business of redemption; He makes all things new! Invite Him to work with you and your spouse as you build healthy habits leading to a lasting, happy, God-centered marriage.

[written by Mallory Redmond]

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U.S. Investigates Oil Firm For Bribing Nigerians With $100m

Indications emerged Wednesday that the China Petroleum and Chemical Corp., known as Sinopec, is being investigated by the United States’ authorities over allegations of bribe payments totalling $100 million to Nigerian officials to resolve a business dispute.

According to Bloomberg investigations, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Justice Department, are investigating claims that lawyers acting as middlemen for Sinopec allegedly funnelled illicit payments to the yet-to-be-named Nigerians from its Swiss unit through New York and California.

The report noted that the payments were allegedly meant to resolve a $4 billion dispute between Addax Petroleum unit in Geneva and the Nigerian government over capital costs like drilling, tax breaks and royalties between the company and Nigeria’s oil corporation, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

Sinopec bought Addax in 2009 for about $7.8 billion in order to build a corporate presence in Geneva and expand its oil production in Africa.

Earlier, beginning in 2001, Addax had been operating in Nigeria under a deal with the Nigerian government which saw it benefit from a Side Letter agreement that granted it tax breaks and reimbursement for capital costs.

But trouble started in 2014 when the Nigerian government decided that the Side Letter should no longer apply and demanded repayment of $3 billion of past benefits from Addax.

By the end of 2014, details of the investigations revealed that Addax had filed a lawsuit against the government to protest the decision as it also sought reimbursement of at least $1 billion from the Nigerian authorities, contending that the NNPC, in a practice known as “overlifting”, had taken more than its share of crude allotments.

Little was known about the case until allegations of bribery surfaced in January of this year after Deloitte, an auditing firm, resigned as Addax’s auditor because it couldn’t obtain “satisfactory explanations” for $80 million paid to an engineering company for Nigerian construction projects in 2015.

The auditing firm said that amount appeared excessive for the work performed “and their purpose and timing raise issues which have not been resolved.”

Investigations, however, revealed that on May 25, 2015, shortly after many of those payments were allegedly made, Addax and the Nigerian government reached a settlement that was approved by the Nigerian High Court.

Sahara Reporters, a Nigerian online platform, reported that former President Goodluck Jonathan, with just three days left in office, approved the settlement at the urging of the then Attorney General, Bello Adoke. Mr. Jonathan’s agreement validated the original terms of the Side Letter, effectively nullifying Nigeria’s demand that Addax repay $3 billion, a source told Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, left the original terms of the Side Letter intact but planned to revoke its terms effective Jan. 1, 2016, a decision that would deny Addax at least $1 billion in future benefits and end reimbursement claims.

It is, however, unclear if there’s any other litigation pending between Addax and Nigeria.

When contacted, officials of the Nigerian government and the NNPC declined comments.

Payments details 
In its filing, Deloitte revealed additional payments made by Addax from 2015 exceeding $20 million, ostensibly to “legal advisers” in Nigeria and the U.S. from bank accounts in Nigeria and the Isle of Man, a British crown dependency.

“(Deloitte) received a number of whistle-blowing allegations from within and outside Addax, some of which allege that such payments have been made to bribe foreign government officials and that certain amounts have been embezzled by certain members of management within Addax Petroleum Group,” the firm said.

Trouble started in February when Geneva prosecutor Yves Bertossa began a probe into Deloitte’s allegations, prompting Swiss law enforcement officials to conduct a raid on the Geneva offices of Addax in March.

Addax CEO Zhang Yi and Chief Legal Officer Guus Klusener were jailed under preventative detention, as allowed under Swiss law. They were, however, released three weeks later.

Barely four months later, Mr. Bertossa closed the probe but neither the company nor its executives were charged. Although he criticised the company for what he called sloppy accounting, he said that no criminal intent could be established, adding that Addax had taken steps to overhaul its staffing and anti-corruption processes.

But the U.S. authorities are looking into whether payments handled by an unidentified Nigerian lawyer who is a member of the California bar were used to pay some of the alleged bribes. A source told Bloomberg that the lawyer was hired to advise Addax executives on the terms of the settlement with the Nigerian government.

According to a Bloomberg’s source, the U.S. probes are in their early stages, and no action is imminent. The SEC is handling its inquiry through its Los Angeles office, and the Justice Department investigation is being led by the U.S. attorney’s office.

Earlier in November 2012, Total of France agreed the $2.5 billion sale of a minority stake, put at about 20 per cent of its stake in a Nigerian oilfield, to Sinopec.

The OML 138 oil block includes the Usan oilfield, which began producing in February 2012, and is jointly owned with Chevron, Exxon and Canada’s Nexen.

In January 2017, the NNPC awarded its 2017 crude oil term contracts to 39 companies.

The contracts covering about 1.31 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil were awarded to 18 Nigerian companies, 11 international trading houses, five foreign refineries, three national oil companies and two “NNPC Group trading arms,” the firm said in a statement. Sinopec was among the winners.

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