9 Ways You May Be Sabotaging Your Love Life

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">You've done it! You've landed a date, then a second date --- then a third, fourth and fifth date! -- and suddenly, before you know it, you're one half of an actual, honest-to-goodness couple.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But then five or six months later, the thrill is gone, you're sick of each other, and you're parting ways with yet another person you hoped would be The One.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We hate to be a Debbie Downer here, but have you ever stopped to think that you might be partly to blame for your less-than-stellar relationship record?</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It's not a easy thing to come to terms with, but there's legitimate value in taking stock of what you might be doing to stand in the way of finding lasting love.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">That's exactly what Redditors did recently, when user GlowWithTheFlow went to the AskReddit forum with a question that really cut to the bone: <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/23w3xu/whats_the_hardest_part_of_dating_you/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">"What's the hardest part of dating you?"</a></span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Below, nine of the most truthful and relatable things men and women had to say:</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. You're moody. </strong>"Some weeks I'm all about <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/23w3xu/whats_the_hardest_part_of_dating_you/ch152fz" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">going out and socializing</a> and then some weeks I wish there was a deep dark cave I could live in for a while to collect my thoughts. My girlfriend usually feels the opposite of what I feel like doing that week so it's a conflict."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2. You're paranoid.</strong> "I am incredibly insecure about myself and I have a <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/23w3xu/whats_the_hardest_part_of_dating_you/ch15fcm" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">difficult time trusting people</a>. From there, I am paranoid that I'm only in a relationship until the 'next best thing comes along.'"</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3. You've been hurt in the past so you push new love away. </strong>"The more I like you, the more <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/23w3xu/whats_the_hardest_part_of_dating_you/ch15plc" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">indifferent to you I act</a>. I'm always anticipating rejection, so if I feel us getting closer, I will do everything I can to push you away. I will never believe you actually like me. My first love screwed me up pretty badly."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4. You're passive aggressive.</strong> "I suck at talking about things that bug me and [give the] <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/23w3xu/whats_the_hardest_part_of_dating_you/ch15hhj" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">silent treatment when I'm angry</a>. It's the worst. Sorry, everyone who has dated me."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5. You don't call. </strong>"If I don't have anything to say, I <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/23w3xu/whats_the_hardest_part_of_dating_you/ch18e30" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">won't say anything</a> and I won't call."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6. You call <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">too</em> much. </strong>"I'm clingy. I care too much and I would like to talk to someone I'm dating every day. I want to know they care as much as I do."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">7. You're too busy doing you. </strong>"My priorities <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/23w3xu/whats_the_hardest_part_of_dating_you/ch162iw" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">lie with my work</a> and personal development (for now)."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">8. You don't want to meet the parents -- or anyone else in your significant other's life. </strong>"I have no real desire to <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/23w3xu/whats_the_hardest_part_of_dating_you/ch17jgz" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">meet your friends or family</a>. I like you, not them."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">9. Your insecurities get the best of you. </strong>"I will never be <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/23w3xu/whats_the_hardest_part_of_dating_you/ch1eu1q" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">convinced that you like me</a> as much as I like you. My love always feels unrequited even when it's not."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <em style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</em></div> </div>

9 Ways You May Be Sabotaging Your Love Life

You've done it! You've landed a date, then a second date --- then a third, fourth and fifth date! -- and suddenly, before you know...

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#Bring Back Our Girls: Where are our Juju men?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> -By Charles Dickson<div> <br /></div> <div> <a href="http://amebosayso.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/10268529_537246246397327_1845344859254187242_n.jpg" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Image" class="size-full wp-image" height="190" id="i-1818" originalw="190" scale="2" src="http://amebosayso.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/10268529_537246246397327_1845344859254187242_n.jpg?w=380" src-orig="http://amebosayso.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/10268529_537246246397327_1845344859254187242_n.jpg?w=190" style="border: none; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="190" /></span></a><br /><div> <br /></div> <div> <br /><div class="entry" style="border: 0px; clear: left; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Nigeria is the only country in the world where the best is impossible and the worst never happens.” </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">My friend Dr. Dabin is the PDP chairman in Plateau state, with him over the weekend, he told a story of the Igalas of Kogi state. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Igalas have a dancing festival, in which the community is supposed to dance all night, starting from mid-night to the next morning. The dance is supposed to be uniform by all dancers. However there is a caveat, as at some point as daybreak beckons, the beat changes. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And that’s where the danger lies, and the essence of the festival. If you miss the beat and don’t change your dance steps to the new beat and continue the old dance. You are used as a sacrifice/you are offered and killed to appease the ‘gods’.  </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While I ruminated over the narrative, for me, it was not about the killing, it was about the change of the beat and the naïve dancer. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So, its the five weeks, we are still looking to #bringbackourgirls, the United States one thought was going to wave the magical wand, storm chibok, niger, cameroun and chad and fish out Shekau and his bandwagon of insane goons. While that doesn’t seem to have happened, one thing though has occurred. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Okay, this is it; Rann is a border town with Cameroun and about 160 kilometers northeast of Maidugiri, the Borno state capital.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Boko Haram came calling, as usual with their Hilux vehicles and motorcycles laden with explosives, infact we are informed that they had the benefit of an Amoured Personnel Carrier APC (And by the way, I am beginning a campaign to ask car manufacturer Toyota how their hilux has become a terror operational vehicle for boko haram).<br /> </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The dreaded Boko Haram group was overpowered by vigilance group and what we know as Civilian JTF, this is the catch… “They foiled the attack on the town by confronting the suspected insurgents with weapons and CHARMS TO BLINDFOLD THEM FOR OVER HALF AN HOUR.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Infact at the end, over 200men of the Boko Haram group were killed, the story continued that about 10 or so of the insurgents with rifles and other ammunitions could not fire any shot. And please don’t ask me why…<br /><br />Before the attack the residents of the town we are told had fortified the town against any attack, so must of the towns and villages in the Kalabalge Local council have been fortified “spiritually” with dane guns, double barrel rifles and bow and arrows.<br /><br />Before going far, what strikes one about this story is that it was corroborated by a military that was near mutiny due to so many reasons including poor firepower against a seemingly more formidable foe.<br /><br />It happened while we were waiting for American commando and marines. It happened while #bringbackourgirls as a message or campaign had hit over 2million retweets. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My fear is that the beat may have changed and we are still dancing to the old tune, as we engaged on the propriety or otherwise of Mr. President not going to Chibok or going to Le’shibok in Paris, the conspiracy theorists spurn more stories. Shettima was in London doing CNN when none of the actors think much of our own NTA on this matter, not that I do either. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If the beat has or can change, the use of voodoo and or juju represents is part of the new beat to #bringbackourgirls. I am not asking you my reader to believe in african scud missile or baba ijebu skype that uses only a basin of water or mirror–no need for electricity or internet connectivity. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But its time I ask, where are the jujumen, the voodoo. Those juju men from Igala, the ijebus noted for their “I go show you” jazz.  Where are the Benin arrangement, una wan carry last. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Maidugiri as is Kano despite strong Islamic core have reputable seer zones, I know a place where policemen go in Zaria to get “cooked”. I mean fortified from bullets and all sorts. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Where are the prophets that see everything, and anything including why Jonathan should not contest. Can’t they see where Shekau is or is it that the Sambisa forest coordinates are too strong or have defied. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If voodoo worked in Rann, should our spritualists not be called to help, can’t our prosperity drone preachers weigh in, they perform miracles and magic, how about the mallams? We really need them now as the beat has changed. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We need that association of witches and wizards that endorsed Jonathan in the last election to fly their drones and help locate our girls and destroy Shekau.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So, while we ‘politik’ on security, on state of emergency, across party lines etc. I end this admonition on this note. </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When I was in elementary school, I got into a major argument with a boy in my class. I have forgotten what the argument was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson I learned that day.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I was convinced that “I” was right and “he” was wrong – and he was just as convinced that “I” was wrong and “he” was right. The teacher decided to teach us a very important lesson.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">She brought us up to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on the other. In the middle of her desk was a large, round object. I could clearly see that it was black. She asked the boy what color the object was. “White,” he answered.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I couldn’t believe he said the object was white, when it was obviously black! </span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Another argument started between my classmate and me, this time about the color of the object.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.8em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The teacher told me to go stand where the boy was standing and told him to come stand where I had been. We changed places, and now she asked me what the color of the object was. I had to answer, “White.”<br />It was an object with two differently colored sides, and from his viewpoint it was white. Only from my side it was black.<br /> <br />Have we done enough to #bringbackourgirls, or just arguing about who stole what, what is the color of Shekau’s canvass. The beat has changed, let’s call the jujumen, the bokas, or else, would I be still writing on chibok–only time will tell. </span></div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

#Bring Back Our Girls: Where are our Juju men?

-By Charles Dickson “Nigeria is the only country in the world where the best is impossible and the worst never happens.”  My friend...

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Why we’re slow in rescuing Chibok Girls – Presidency

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h1 class="entry-title posttitle" itemprop="name headline" style="border: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 2819px;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><time class="meta-time updated" datetime="2014-07-25T00:08:34+00:00" itemprop="datePublished" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">July 25, 2014</time><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">  /   in</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/category/national-news/" rel="category tag" style="-webkit-transition: background-color, border-top-color; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;" title="View all posts in News">News</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-size: small;">12:08 am</span> </span></h1> <div class="metaStuff" style="background-image: none; border: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: -23px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div class="metaStuff" style="background-image: none; border: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: -23px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div class="metaStuff" style="background-image: none; border: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: -23px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">By Henry Umoru</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" class="twitter-share-button twitter-tweet-button twitter-share-button twitter-count-horizontal" data-twttr-rendered="true" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.1404859412.html#_=1406264686260&count=horizontal&id=twitter-widget-0&lang=en&original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanguardngr.com%2F2014%2F07%2Fslow-rescuing-chibok-girls-presidency%2F&related=vanguardngrnews&size=m&text=Why%20we%27re%20slow%20in%20rescuing%20Chibok%20Girls%20-%20Presidency%20-%20Vanguard%20News&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanguardngr.com%2F2014%2F07%2Fslow-rescuing-chibok-girls-presidency%2F&via=vanguardngrnews" style="border-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 107px;" title="Twitter Tweet Button"></iframe></span></div> <div id="entryContainer" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="entry entry-content" itemprop="articleBody" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 6px 0px 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">ABUJA—THE Presidency, yesterday, gave an insight into why the Federal Government was slow at rescuing the over 200 Government Secondary School girls kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents in Chibok, Borno State, on April 14.</span></div> <br /> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Presidency also disclosed that plans were being put in place by the Federal Government to block domestic and international sources of funds for the insurgents group.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to the Presidency, the present slow and steady method became imperative to avoid a repeat of the 2004 experience when 300 children were killed in an attempt by Russians to free hostages held by Chechens in the North Caucasus region of Russia.</span></div> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_447534" style="border: 0px; float: right; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 422px;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/05/presidency-angry-cds-badeh-chibok-girls-sighting-claim/bringbackourgirls-3/" rel="attachment wp-att-447534" style="-webkit-transition: background-color, border-top-color; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and President Jonathan " class="size-full wp-image-447534" height="250" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/BringBackOurGirls8.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.247059) 1px 1px 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="412" /></span></a></div> <div class="wp-caption-text" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and President Jonathan</span></div> </div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Speaking yesterday at a Chatham House lecture series held at the Royal institute of International Affairs in London, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, said that the Nigerian military, other security agencies as well as their international allies, have the wherewithal to secure the freedom of the over 200 Chibok girls from their abductors, but would like to thread with caution because making Nigeria and Nigerians happy at the end of the day would be to bring back the girls alive to reunite with their families.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Dr Okupe who spoke on <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Priorities and Progress in Nigeria: Imperatives for stability and Growth</span>, described tackling the current insecurity in the North Eastern part of the country as the major priority of the Federal Government. He, however, lamented that the various acts of insurgency were slowing down growth in other equally important sectors of the economy.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to Okupe: “We are taking advantage of the offers from our international military and intelligence allies to get a greater understanding of the landscape and identify key locations . We are working with our neighbours to secure the borders and limit the movements of the Boko Haram fighters, building on the agreements reached at the recent summits in Paris and London”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While speaking on the various milestones attained by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan in the last three years, Dr Okupe said the reduction of Nigeria’s food import bills by half as well as successful implementation of reforms in critical sectors of the economy are crucial to the attainment of social and economic stability.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The presidential aide asserted that since Nigeria attained independence in 1960,no administration has done so much as the Jonathan administration in guaranteeing food sufficiency, better power output,effective transportation and general macro economic stability.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said, “ Consequent upon the faithful implementation of the transformation agenda , by the end of 2013 Nigeria’s nonoil exports had increase ten fold over two years, reaching almost 3 billion dollars from 276 million dollars in 2011. Nigeria is once again the world’s largest producer of cassava, a major rawmaterial in the European and Asiatic food markets, and also accounted for thirty six per cent of the total global cocoa exports in 2013″</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While describing the reforms carried out in the transportation sector in the last three years as unprecedented , Okupe said, “President Jonathan inherited a road transport network that was near total collapse. Critical economic roads, such as the Lagos Ibadan expressway, the Shagamu Ore Benin road; the Kano Maiduguri expressway, the Abuja Abaji Lokoja expressway, the Enugu Port harcourt road, and the East West road, were in a state of total or near total disrepair resulting in countless accidents and needless loss of life with the attendant extreme frustration of commuters who spend countless hours travelling across the country but massive reconstruction and rehabilitation which were embarked upon ensured that well over 60 per cent of Nigeria’s total existing road network have been repaired or are undergoing rehabilitation.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to him, that train services which were almost non existent in 2011 had been revitalised with old rail lines rehabilitated and new modern ones being constructed, adding, “The trains now provide means of transportation to over four million Nigerians annually. There are new gauge lines under construction from Ajaokuta to Warri, Abuja to Kaduna while the Eastern axis of railway from Portharcourt to Maiduguri is nearing completion”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">On the reforms carried out by the Jonathan administration in the Power sector, Dr Okupe said it was significant that Nigeria rose from a power generation capacity of less that three thousand megawatts in 2011 to almost five thousand megawatts in 2013.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said the completion of ten new power plants as we’ll as successful privatisation of the power infrastructure have increased the capacity of the Nigerian power sector to gradually meet the needs of the 165 million Nigerian population and that within the next few years most Nigerian cities would be having a minimum of 18 hours uninterrupted power supply.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">On the forthcoming 2015 general elections, Okupe said President Jonathan remains committed to ensuring that the vote of every Nigerian counts in deciding who occupies which elective office and that the President would not waiver in his resolve to maintain the independence and integrity of the Electoral body.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Chatham House lecture was chaired by The Director, Area studies /International Law and Head of the Africa Programme of the Chatham House, Alex vines .</span></div> <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-browser="safari" data-dynload="" data-ob-mark="true" data-os="ipad" data-src="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/slow-rescuing-chibok-girls-presidency/" id="outbrain_widget_0" obdone="true" style="border: 0px; clear: both; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="ob_brnBox_cont NA" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span class="ob_empty" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></wbr></span><span class="ob_org_header" style="border: 0px; float: left; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> </div> </div> </div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/slow-rescuing-chibok-girls-presidency/#sthash.clj31DWR.dpuf</span></div>

Why we’re slow in rescuing Chibok Girls – Presidency

July 25, 2014     /   in   News   12:08 am   By Henry Umoru ABUJA—THE Presidency, yesterday, gave an insight into why the Fede...

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