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Vol 7 Issue 3

African Community News

Esther Sewordor Wins Miss Culpeper Scholarship Pageant

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A Man With A Vision And A Mission Rev. Emmanuel Agormeda Of Royal House Chapel International

Afrikan Post

March 2015

From the Editor

O u r G r ea tes t G lor y is n o t in n ever f a llin g b u t in r is in g ever y time we f a ll .

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D E PA R T M E N T S Vol 7 Issue 3

CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Nadia Buari Gives Birth to Twins Pg. 28

MCC Signs $2.8 Million Compact with Liberia Pg. 15

Ivory Coast Former First Lady Sentenced to 20 Years Pg. 5

Who Counsels You? Pg. 20

SPORTS

Mount Vernon Wrestler Adusei-

Poku Wins 138-Pound State Title Pg. 39 UPDATE

10-Year-Old British-Nigerian Accepted at UK University Pg. 28

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He relocated to the United States to pursue a master’s degree in International affairs but shifted his focus to divinity. His was compelled to deviate from his cherished dream of becoming a diplomat for the world to be a diplomat for the Kingdom of God. His personal mission ties into that of the overall mission of the Royalhouse Chapel International “Touching Our Generation with the Power of God.” As the Apostle in charge of Royalhouse Chapel International Churches in North America it is the goal of Rev. Agormeda to establish a branch of Royalhouse Chapel in every state with multiple churches in each State. In addition to the Maryland Mission, Royalhouse currently has branches in New Jersey; Raleigh, North Carolina; Greensboro, North Carolina; Connecticut; Bronx New York; Brooklyn, New York, Texas, and Virginia.

The Maryland Mission where he pastors constitutes a congregation from about 24 nations. In July of every year the Church hold their biggest conference known as Convention of Saints and wrap up with the International Women’s Conference in November.

It is the passion of the seasoned man of God to make his ministry relevant to the community and to be involved economically and spiritually. As part of the community involvement initiative the church in liaison with the Prince Georges County Social Services visits families that are in need to provide them with basic necessities of daily living. With his 40th birthday coming up Rev. Agormeda said “As much as I am grateful to God for the gift of life and the opporRev. Emmanuel Agormeda is the Senior Pastor of Royal tunity to touch lives I want to spend it with residents house Chapel International, Maryland in the United States. of the homeless shelter.”

He also doubles as the Apostle in charge of Royal house There are times he leads the church to provide hot Chapel Churches in North America. He holds a degree in meals for community shelters and fellowship with Political Science and a Master of Divinity with Pastoral Studies emphasis, He currently studying at the Oral Roberts the residents. With his growing deep and growing passion for the needy the man of God wants to set up University for his Doctor of Ministry degree. a center where people can seek counseling, offer Sharing his thoughts and vision with Afrikan Post at his Maryland Office he said “My personal vision and passion is after school programs and assist with career opportunities. This would also be of immense benefit to the equipping people for a victorious and successful Christian youth he is nurturing and empowering. His advice life on earth as well as preparing them for the second comfor the youth is that they should not consider the ing of our Lord. I always look for opportunities to disciple color of their skin, their accent, and unfortunate situpeople into Christian leadership.”

Rev. Agormeda discovered his potential as a kid growing up ations in the past and parental background as a limitation to what they can to achieve in life. at Kotobabi, a suburb of Accra. He would be called by the Rev. Agormeda a native of Ada in the Ga Adangbe older people to pray for them and as a kid he would lay his district of Ghana is married to First lady hands on them just as he sees it being done in Church. He Wilhelmina and they are blessed with three adorable recalls his days rebellion from the church; as his manner children. Mrs. Wilhelmina Agormeda affectionately was instead of going to church he plays soccer with his called Mama Mina is the leader of the Women’s friends and broke his arm with a compound fracture of the wing of the ministry and also heads the marriage left radius and ulna. He broke his arm in the course of the counseling department. game and had to be hospitalized for two months. Rev. Korankye Ankrah who is now his spiritual father sent one of Finally Rev. Agomeda’s word to the community is that “As Christians our lives and conduct must his pastors to pray for him at the time. It was during this reflect the life of Jesus and who Jesus is. Human period of incapacitation that he reflected upon his life and beings are fallible and make mistakes whether you took a firm decision to surrender his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. In his words “I gave my life to Christ in 1993 and I are a Christian or not you are human. Even in our imperfections the arm of the Lord is open to us. We have been on fire for the Lord from that time through my should therefore strive to look to the Lord and not University days till today.” man regardless of the circumstances” Even though Rev. Agormeda has served in many positions including Youth President, Usher, prayer warrior, protocol officer, Cell Group leader and leader of Royal House University of Ghana Campus Fellowship it was not until 2003 that he succumbed to the call as a minister.

March 2015

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Afrikan Post

March 2015

Rev. Ossei Mensa Sapong

Sunday

9:45-10:55

Sunday School

9:00am - 12:30pm

Weekly Services Monday - Thursday: Prayer line 9pm-10pm

Every Friday 10pm-12:00 midnight - All Night Prayer Meeting

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Te l : ( 5 7 1 ) 2 8 2 - 3 5 2 1 / ( 5 7 1 ) 4 9 0 - 6 0 4 9 Worship Service

5 6 4 9 - L G e n e r a l Wa s h i n g t o n D r i v e , A l e x a n d r i a VA 2 2 3 1 2

Ivory Coast Former First Meet Josephine Agwu, the Lagos Airport Lady Sentenced to 20 Cleaner that Returned N12m to Owner Years March

Afrikan Post

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ing a sum of N12 million to the owner.

Tribune Newspaper reports that the House of Assembly took the decision to invite Josephine to appear before it at a later date during its sitting following resumption from a month long recess.

It has, therefore, requested the Clerk of the House, Segun Abiru, to put everything in place to invite the lady to the House.

Abiru said that the affected lady, who earns a monthly salary of N7,800, was given just $50 the second time she found and returned a lost money.

Speaking on the incident Josephine said, “If I had taken what doesn’t belong to me, God will punish me. I am contented with my N7, 800 monthly salary. It was not my money. I believe when it pleases God, He will bless the work of my hand and will make me rich.”

Reports state that Agwu has returned lost money and items to owners on two previous occasions.

Posted by chukwudi iwuchukwu

Ivory Coast's former first lady Simone Gbagbo waves as she arrives at the Court of Justice in Abidjan, Feb. 23, 2015

Ivory Coast's former first lady Simone Gbagbo has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in 2011 post-election violence.

A court in Abidjan on Tuesday found Gbagbo guilty of undermining state security and organizing armed gangs in violence that left 3,000 people dead. She and her husband Laurent Gbagbo disputed the 2010 election that gave a presidential victory to Gbagbo's challenger, Alassane Ouattara.

In December, the International Criminal Court said Ivory Coast must hand over the former first lady to face charges of genocide from the country's civil war.

Ivory Coast has refused to turn her over to the Hague-based tribunal in the past, in favor of trying her in a domestic court.

The Ivory Coast government submitted a legal challenge to the ICC request for Gbagbo in September. December's ruling was the defeat of that challenge.

Former President Gbagbo and youth leader Charles Ble Goude are already in the ICC detention center.

Source: VOA News

One Miss Josephine Agwu, a cleaner with one of the cleaning concessionaires at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos is to be rewarded by the Lagos State House of Assembly for finding and return-

Arik Air Staff Caught Stealing At Lagos Airport

Mr. Osita Chidoka, the Aviation Minister, on Monday February 16 said the ministry has arrested three staff of Arik Air for stealing fuel from a plane Premium Times reports.

Chidoka disclosed this on his official Facebook page that, a group of three people, Blessing Dugbe, Samuel Asuquo and Isaac Ajakaiye were arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, during a security patrol operation on Sunday February 15 around 3 a.m.

He said the three people were stealing Jet A1 fuel from Arik Air plane, with registration number: 5N-MID into six kegs for sale at a cheaper price to other unsuspecting airline operators.

“A development that has capacity, to threaten safety and security of airplanes. Meanwhile, the three (3) suspects were handed over to the Crime Investigation Bureau (CIB), AVSEC MMIA for further action,” he said.

Chidoka said that in the aviation industry’s fight against corruption and security breaches, other chief security officers and heads of aviation security have been alerted and directed to intensify patrol and surveillance operations at various airports across the country.

He said considering the importance of the crime to the security and safety of airplanes, the chief security officer of the Lagos airport has been asked to ensure that the sus-

pects are handed over to the airport police for adequate prosecution.

This is not the first time that Arik staff are accused of theft. Passengers have often lamented the loss of one item or the other aboard the airline’s flights.

In an exclusive report by Premium Times in June 2014, some passengers complained how they lost items from iPad, jewelries, clothes to perfumes.

Popular Nigerian blogger, Japhet Omojuwa, once accused the airline’s flight attendants of stealing his iPad aboard one of its planes.

The airline is yet to officially comment on the latest incident.

However it would be recalled that a Nigerian passenger, who was traveling on Business Class from Abuja to Enugu aboard Arik Air was caught stealing mid air.

READ MORE: http://www.naij.com/386418-arik-air-staffcaught-stealing-at-lagos-airport.html http://www.naij.com

Ghana's 58th Independence Anniversary in Washington DC March

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Be patient with the Gov’t Ambassador Smith entreats Ghanaians

The Ghana Ambassador to the US Lt Gen. Rtd J.H Smith has called on Ghanaians to exercise patience with the current government because there are better days ahead. He noted that the government is working frantically to address the current energy crisis that has bedeviled the country.

Ambassador Smith, in celebrating the 58th anniversary of mother Ghana, said this is an opportunity to reflect on developments during the past years and brace the challenges that lie ahead.

He noted that the bilateral relations between Ghana and the U.S. cannot be over looked, adding that the vibrant partnership existing between the two countries need to celebrated.He said the partnership has been expanded and matured since Ghana gained independence from the British in 1957.

In 1957, Ghana became the first African nation to declare independence from European colonisation. This made the country a symbol of black achievement and an inspiration for African independence movements. It also had a major influence on Pan-Africanism and the Black Pride movements in the United States of America.The word Ghana means "Warrior King" in Mande.

Ghana has a population of approximately 27 million, from a variety of ethnic and religious groups.

His Excellency Ambassador Smith and wife welcoming guests to Ghana's 58th Independence Anniversary in Washington DC

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Ghana Ambassador, Lt General Joseph Henry Smith, Celebrating Ghana's 58th Independence in Washington DC

Members of the Ghanaian Ministers Fellowship

Nana Amuah-Afenyi VI, known informally as King Peggy

Cultural drumming and dancing

HE Prof. Adebowale Adefuye, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States and other diplomats

John Dumelo ( a Ghanaian actor, far right) and friends

Embassy Staff Welcoming Guests

Foreign Security Personnel and guests

In the middle is Ekow Spio-Garbrah a Ghanaian diplomat and Ghana's current Minister for Trade and Industry

Anniversary Celebrants

Deputy Ruler Of Dubai Honors Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative With The Dubai International Award For Best Practices

Five New African Ambassadors Present Letters of Credence at White House March 2015

Credence to President Obama at an Ambassador Credentialing Ceremony in the Oval Office at the White House.

They are: * His Excellency Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu, Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa * Her Excellency Hassana Alidou, Ambassador of the Republic of Niger * His Excellency Madjid Bouguerra, Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria * His Excellency Garang Diing Akuong, Ambassador of the Republic of South Sudan * His Excellency Miguel Ntutumu Evuna Andeme, Ambassador of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea

AMIP News

On Monday, February 23, 2015, five new African Ambassadors to the U.S. presented their Letters of

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai presenting the certificate of merit to Winnifred Selby, Co-Founder of Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative . Looking on is Mr. Hussain Nasser Lootah, DirectorGeneral of Dubai Municipality, and Bernice Dapaah, Executive Director of Ghana Bamboo Bikes with the Barjeel award.

The Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative has been awarded the prestigious Dubai International Award for Best Practice to Improve the Living Enviroment. Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative was selected as one of eleven project winners for the Dubai International Award for Best Practice 2014 chosen by an independent jury of international experts from a pool of more than 400 applications from almost 100 countries.The initiative was presented with the award in the best practices transfer category by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance. As well as a Barjeel(traditional wind tower) and certificate of merit, the organization received a generous cash prize which will enable further innovative work to be carried out to improve the bamboo bike production and scaling up of its bamboo charcoal and briquettes production.

The award was granted for the work that Ghana Bamboo Bikes lnitiative has carried out through the leadership and support of the initiative’s Co founder’s Bernice Dapaah,Winnifred Selby and Kwame Kyei, this includes the use of bamboo as a community based sustainable alternative transportation, promotion of inclusiveness and gender equality through the training and recruitment of women and creating innovative world class products.

As a result of the unrelenting efforts of the entire team at Ghana Bamboo Bikes, the initiative has quickly become a key international player in promoting the bamboo

bikes worldwide and transferring of the technology of bamboo bike making to youth organizations worldwide. Bamboo bikes and frames produced by the initiative are exported to the international markets and use the waste generated from the bamboo to manufacture charcoal briquettes as an alternative to wood-fuel that does not only addresses the energy needs of households in the rural areas but reduces indoor air pollution and helps in the restoration of already destroyed forests.

The UN urbanization program, UNHABITAT, awards a prize every two years along with Dubai City to ten city projects which improve the living conditions of their citizens.

Criteria such as innovation, social integration and sustainability play a large role in the awarding of the prize.

All submissions will be added to the UN-Habitat Best Practices database to help in the sharing of knowledge and transfer of best practices to other communities around the world.

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The presentation of credentials is a traditional ceremony that marks the formal beginning of an Ambassador’s service in Washington.

Source:amipnewsonline.com

Mugabe Gets First Car as Gift on 91st Birthday

The black vintage Ford that Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was given at his 91st birthday party last week was actually the first car he owned, according to a news report on Sunday.

Loyal supporters of the president tracked down the black Ford Zephyr in South Africa, the Sunday Mail reported. Mugabe last saw the car in 1963.

"We wanted to find a befitting gift for the president," Zimbabwean businessman Kumbirayi Mangwanda told the newspaper.

Mangwanda said he contacted the Friends of Joshua Trust, a local charity set up in memory of the late vice president Joshua Nkomo. The group is involved in research into Zimbabwe's history.

The businessman told the Sunday Mail: "We sat down with them and the idea of locating the vintage

gift was adopted."

The Ford Zephyr was reportedly being held as a tourism piece under the Vintage Society of South Africa. It has had three or four owners in the intervening 51 years. Mangwanda says he paid for it, the newspaper said.

The new number plate on the car is RGM1963.

Mugabe's initials are RGM. The G stands for Gabriel. "[Mugabe's] pure pleasure in seeing his first love was unmistakeable," the Sunday Mail reported.

"The car's engine is still running like a beauty."

Source:http://allafrica.com

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DNA Expert Reveals 4 Out Of Every 10 Nigerian Men Are Not The Fathers Of Their First Child

A Lagos-based DNA expert, Dr. Oyinwola Oni, has stated that 40% of men do not know that they are not the biological fathers of their first child.

He said this while recounting a rather personal event in his life where a former girlfriend attempted to force a set of twins on him. Speaking with City People, he said:

“How I got into doing DNA is an interesting story which all man should learn from. I lost my wife about 6 years ago. About that time there was a lady I have known for long in Nigeria but who now lives in the UK. I now said I will be in Germany on so,so date , can you come and see me? She came in November and we were together for four days. She left. I left. I got back home. I lost my wife four weeks after that. Then she became pregnant. She didn’t tell me. She waited for a year.

After a year, she said she just wanted me to know what she did in Germany, that she now has twins for me-a boy and a girl. I said now that I can’t say anything. I am bereaved. Give me time. How do you want my in-laws to react. Do you know at the 1st year birthday, I was in London with a friend. We did one year birthday for the kids. They were pulling trolleys around with the baby. After 2 years I bought her a car. After 4 years of loosing my wife, I now said let us now review the situation and see whether we can marry. As God will have it, I knew in my mind that I will do DNA before I marry her. Infact, we were even getting a room ready for her in my house. The carpenter was working. She was in the UK dictating what she wanted. I traveled to the UK. I carried her mother.

Before I left, I told my brother this is what is happening. I am going to carry this woman to have a DNA test to check if these children were mine. I will now ask them to come for the Ileya festival. We got there she was happy. I took her sample, took the children’s sample. We submitted the sample at the DNA center. We went to Italy together. We went for dinner together. Then I came back. When she was going home one night, I said let me check my mail. I did. The result of the DNA had come. I was not the father of the twins. Haa! I failed with 0%. If not for the medical lab scientist, those children will be in my house now, with me thinking they are my children. I can tell you this happens to so many men. Do you know that 40 percent of most of the 1st born don’t belong to their so called biological fathers, all over the world. Reason? Most of there ladies often have one or two boyfriends”he said

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“I told her, lady from the result, I am not the father of your kids but I will help you. I explained to her, we met in November, you gave birth in August, perfect.

That is the time. You can’t force that on any clinical person. Any pregnancy month minus 3 will give to the AAA. We got 9(Day 9). I asked her a few questions. So how come? She was to confess to me that because I said she should take the next available flight from Heathrow to Cologne, the first flight was 6pm and where she was, was very far. She had to stay with a male friend that was living close to Heathrow and that was her day 10. She said one thing led to another and she had sex with the guy. She came to meet me on the 11th and she ovulated around that period. She didn’t know. Atimes women know, atimes they don’t. A woman ovulates only one day in a month and it last for about 10 hours. And sperm can stay in a woman for 48 hours. So a lady can have 2 to 3 types of sperm in her system and when she now ovulates, any sperm that is fertilised can immediately hit that egg. That was what happened to her. So, the sex she had on the 9th of that month, the sperm was still there till 11th when she now ovulated.

Before we met on the evening of the 11th, the egg had been fertilised. There are so many homes where they have this kind of problems”

Source: http://news2.onlinenigeria.com

March 2015

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Africans Take Seat at Democratic National Committee (DNC) Ethnic Council – NDECC African Diaspora on the Council. Mr. Okere has a proven history of being a top leader in the African Diaspora in the United States, representing his community at the national, state and local level. He continues to amplify the African Diaspora’s voice through his political engagement and issue advocacy, and stands for the values of the Democratic Party.

His strong leadership and organizing skills will allow the Democratic Party to better engage African Diaspora voters across the country as we prepare for the 2016 election and beyond. We are thrilled about this important partnership and having Mr. Okere on our team,”

File Photo Dr. Okere Pictured with Honorable Nancy Pelosi (D-CA / House Minority Leader)

By Frederick Nnoma-Addison

In an effort to live true to its core objective of representing the interests of all ethnicities, races and national origins, the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Council (NDECC) http://www.democrats.org/people/ethnic_council of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has voted unanimously to welcome African Diaspora representation on the council.

Notable African Diaspora leader and community activist Dr. Sylvester Okere was fittingly appointed to fill Africa’s seat on the council and represent the African Diaspora community in the United States. His appointment as the African Representative takes immediate effect and he is tasked with mobilizing his constituents across the nation in the spirit of the Democratic Party’s proud and enduring tradition of community development, opportunity and empowerment. He will concurrently serve as the NDECC’S liaison to the DNC’s Black Caucus.

Three representatives of the council issued separate statements to commemorate the occasion.

“In recent decades, immigrant communities from Africa have grown in importance across the United States. Like other ethnic immigrant communities before them, they have organized their talents and resources and achieved great success. And like other ethnic communities, immigrants from Africa believe in the values of family, community, hard work, and respect for their heritage and traditions. They also know that the same government that guarantees their freedom and opportunity also plays an important role providing for the common good through public education, health care, Social Security, and the protection of the environment and the rights of consumers. These are the values of our Democratic Party and these are the values that made our country great. We are, therefore, proud to count immigrants from the African continent as members of our National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Council”

Dr. James Zogby | Chair of the DNC Ethnic Council and Co-Founder of the NDECC

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Sylvester Okere to the NDECC and to have strong representation of the

Alexandra Chalupa | Co-Convernor of the NDECC

“Congrats! Glad to have you officially as part of the team!”

A’shanti F. Gholar | African American and Youth Engagement Desk (DNC) Community Engagement Department

Dr. Okere is best described as a silent and effective giant for the African community in the United States, especially in the Washington, DC area. Among the many roles and positions he holds, he is the Director of the Continental Africa Leadership Council of the Maryland Democratic Party, member of the Executive Committee of the Maryland Democratic Party, Chairman of the African Entrepreneurs’ Coalition, and advisory board member of the Maryland Sister-State Program. He was the head of the Africa for Obama campaign in 2012, the first African immigrant in Maryland elected delegate to the DNC convention (2012), and one of the first African immigrants to speak on a national platform at the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington – August 2013.

Dr. Okere has been interviewed several times on major TV and radio networks like VOA, NTA, CNN, Channels TV, (Africa’s largest network), Swedish Network, South African Times, Eminent Leaders Magazine, and The Voice. He is also a successful businessman whose business was named one of the “Top 100 Diversity Owned Businesses” in Maryland in 2009. In 2013 he received the African Heritage community economic empowerment award from Montgomery county, Maryland.

The NDECC constitutes a broad coalition of proven, recognized leaders representing Democratic networks organized along immigrant/ethnic lines from all background, faiths, ethnicities and demographic or geographic origins. It serves as the forum for coordination, cooperation and consensus building among these diverse groups, as well as the vehicle for the public assertion and advancement of their shared aspirations. The invitation to the African Diaspora community and Dr. Okere’s appointment to the council could not have come at a better time.

Source:www.amipnewsonline.org

Car Built By Nigerian Students Passes International Evaluation March

Abuja - Nigeria has recorded a major feat in automotive technology innovation with a car called "Tuke-Tuke", produced by students of the University of Benin.

The car has passed international technical evaluation in Rotterdam, Netherlands, a statement said.

The statement was signed by the Media Manager of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), Mr Precious Okolobo on Thursday in Abuja.

It said that the car was now qualified to race at the 2014 Eco Marathon in Netherlands with cars from 25 countries, mostly advanced countries.

It said that the SPDC Joint Venture (JV) was sponsoring University of Benin and University of Lagos to the event in Dutch city of Rotterdam from May 15 to May 18.

The statement said that the marathon would start on Friday with an opening ceremony and the cars would race for the winning price on Saturday, May 17.

According to the statement, the two Nigerian universities are participating in the 2014 edition of Shell Ecomarathon Europe, the first teams from Sub-Saharan to enter the global event.

It said that the car built by students from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) was still undergoing thorough technical evaluation and its results would be announced on Friday.

The company was optimistic that the UNILAG car would also do well, the statement said.

"Shell Eco-marathon challenges student teams from around the world to design, build and test ultra-energy efficient vehicles. The winners are the teams that go the furthest using the least amount of energy.

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"The events spark debate about the future of mobility and inspire young engineers to push the boundaries of fuel efficiency.

"All cars are expected to pass a strict technical inspection to check that they are fit for purpose and safe before they are allowed to race," the statement said.

It said that students from the Ahmadu Bello University, University of Lagos and University of Benin attended Shell Ecomarathon Europe as observers of the 2013 edition on SPDC JV sponsorship.

"Since then, the students from Lagos and Benin have successfully built cars that are being sent to Rotterdam this week in line with the main objective of Shell Eco-marathon.

"The objective was to challenge students from around the world to design, build and race fuel-efficient vehicles," it said.

The statement said that the judges would be looking to reward the cars that would drive farthest with the least amount of fuel.

According to the statement, the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Mr Ben Van Beurden, commended Nigerian students for the innovation.

"We have been doing this for over 30 years. It started in France and it has gone all around the world. It is fantastic to see the scale that we have now.

"The energy, the enthusiasm and the innovation that has taken place, and the fact that we have a Nigerian team here participating is an incredibly milestone," Beurden said.

(NAN)

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Edusei Foundation Partners With University Of Maryland On Food Security In Africa

Afrikan

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ture, natural resources, and environmental biology; to provide service to the campus, agricultural professional community DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCE (NFSC) The mission of the NFSC at UMD is to advance nutrition, food safety and health by innovative research, progressive and high quality education of undergraduate and graduate students and creative outreach education disseminated to the citizens of Maryland, the United States and the global marketplace.

Students at the University of Maryland (a section of students shown left in the picture) had a unique opportunity to undertake an informative educational seminar on global food security issues in Africa with a case study on Ghana. The event organized by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR), Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences (NFSC) in partnership with the Edusei Foundation, was hosted by the University of Maryland and moderated by Dr Margaret Udahogora, the Dietetic Program Director of UMD.

In his speech, Dr Kwame Bawuah Edusei noted the efforts of UMD in advancing nutrition, food safety and health by innovative research and high quality education of undergraduate, graduate students and outreach education programs disseminated in African Countries. He mentioned the role of the youth in food security programs, skills development in education and the donation of tons of food by the Edusei Foundation to the urban poor in Ghana to alleviate hunger.

tural growth, the largest source of employment for Ghanaians, dominated by small farm holders.

Present at the event were faculty and students from University of Maryland, delegates from Howard University, National 4-H Youth groups and non-profits with agriculture projects in Ghana. The event is being presented on UMD Campus Adobe Connect system reaching many other departments.

The audience lauded the visionary initiatives of Dr Kwame Bawuah Edusei and University of Maryland for such an opportunity to learn so much at the seminar, its enormous projects and assistance to the people and humanitarian work in Ghana.

The prominent panelists who made the presentations (from right) were, Ambassador Islam Siddique former Obama Administration Chief US Trade Negotiator in Agriculture, The student gathering learned about the vision of the Feed the Emmy Simmons, former Assistant Administrator for Future projects in Africa and Ghana in particular, as well as the Economic Growth, USAID; Dr James Oehmke, Senior details of the Ghana’s Medium Term Agriculture Sector Food Security and Nutrition Advisor, USAID, Dr Robert Investment Plan (METASIP 2010-15). Mention was made on Jackson, Chair of NFSC, Dr Evelyn Copper, Acting Dean the need to increase production of food despite resource conAGNR; Dr Margaret Udahogora, Director of DPD programs straints. With an objective to increase availability of food, atten- at the University and Mr. Bosompem, a Consultant Urban tion was drawn on the need to focus on areas where productivi- and Regional Planner. ty gap exists and that could see biggest gains, provided markets and infrastructure are developed to get food into the hands of In closing, Dr Kwame Edusei thanked the University for the consumers and prevent post harvest loss. The agriculture value invitation and partnerships with the Edusei Foundation in its chain, relationships between food security, nutrition and agriwork and efforts on food security in Africa. cultural development in Ghana were also discussed. The event showcased an overview of the agriculture potentials, food secu- EDUSEI FOUNDATION (EF) rity industry and opportunities for the urban population and The mission of the Edusei foundation is to facilitate youth Northern and Upper Regions of Ghana in particular. development in the United States, Ghana and the Diaspora in a positive manner to improve their knowledge, behavior The seminar also explored the important role of agriculture in and health. the national development framework and Ghana’s Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy (FASDEP II). They COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL paid much attention to the efforts made by USAID Feed the RESOURCES MISSION, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND Future and Ghana’s steady growth with record poverty reduc(AGNR) tion over the past 20 years. The latter, which has been due to an The mission of the College of Agriculture and Natural increased Gross domestic product (GDP) mainly due to agricul- Resources at the University of Maryland, College Park, is to provide education and conduct research related to agricul-

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MCC Signs $2.8 Million Compact with Liberia

Photo: MCC Twitter Account

Office of the Spokesperson Department of State Washington, DC February 24, 2015

Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Heather Higginbottom and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) CEO Dana J. Hyde will welcome Liberian Finance Minister Amara Konneh in the Treaty Room of the U.S. Department of State for an MCC compact development signing ceremony marking MCC’s engagement with Liberia post-Ebola at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25, 2015.

The ceremony will formalize $2.8 million in compact development funds for Liberia, as it begins its post-Ebola recovery, helping it achieve lasting economic growth. Liberia was re-selected to continue compact development at MCC’s most recent board meeting, chaired by Secretary of State John Kerry, on December 10, 2014.

Remarks by MCC CEO Dana J. Hyde at the Compact Development Signing Ceremony with Liberia

Thank you all for being here.

We are delighted to be here to celebrate and open a new chapter in the longstanding partnership that we have heard so much about between the United States and Liberia.

At the Millennium Challenge Corporation, we know and have known that Liberia is an emerging champion for development and trade and investment in West

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Africa, and the agreement that we are about to sign creates the funding that we can help take that to a new level.

We can help unlock the economic potential that exists in Liberia and we are delighted to do so.

Since 2010, when MCC first signed a threshold program with Liberia, we have had a front row seat to the changes and the commitment that the government and the people of Liberia have made: promoting democracy, expanding economic opportunity and achieving sustainable development objectives.

So, as we sign these resources, these resources will allow us to undertake the diligence and preparatory efforts that are necessary to look at what are those barriers to economic growth, how do we unlock those barriers, and how do we seek to achieve poverty reduction.

Our teams are eager to get started. Under the leadership of the Ambassador we have already had some good ground work over the last four or five weeks and throughout our partnership Liberia’s minister of Finance and Development Planning has played an instrumental role.

So, we are fortunate to benefit from his leadership and his insights as we look to the future of our partnership of what we can create together.

It is therefore my pleasure to introduce Liberia’s Minister of Finance. Please welcome Minister Konneh.

Afrikan

Ghanaian Media Fraternity in the USA Pays Courtesy call on Ambassador March 2015

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HE Ambassador Smith continued saying that, putting Ghana first requires a commitment to security, service and sacrifice. He expressed his confidence in the future of Ghana by identifying some gains of the Government which is evident in the economic prospects of the county. According to him “Ghana is doing well economically since Ghana has met the requirement to receive compact 2 of the Millennium Challenge Account, about 85% of which would go into the energy sector”.

Members of the Ghanaian Media fraternity in the United States on Wednesday February 23rd paid a courtesy visit to Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency (HE) Lt. General Joseph Henry Smith at the chancery in Washington DC. The mission for the visit was to officially welcome the newly appointed ambassador to office and to discuss areas of collaboration between the embassy and the media by way of dissemination of information and bridging the gap between the embassy and the Ghanaian community.

In welcoming the media men Ambassador Smith reiterated his pride in the peace, stability and security in Ghana as a pace setter in the sub region. As much as he commended the media men for the work they are doing he also advised them to work with a professional decorum and verify their information before publication. He also emphasized the need to avoid smear attacks and misconstruction of statements made by public personalities, something which is staining the image and trust of the media.

The Ambassador charged the media men to put their commitment to Ghana as a country first and to educate the community as well. He said “We should look forward and examine ourselves, put the past behind us and stop the blame game. We all have a role to play. The future is bright for Ghana and requires all of us to come on board to help educate Ghanaians and help change the attitude of your colleagues in Ghana”.

In late February of 2015 an agreement was struck between Ghana and the International Monetary Fund for a three-year deal worth around US$1 billion (645 million pounds) aimed at restoring fiscal stability in the Ghanaian economy noted the Ambassador who also mentioned the floating of Eurobonds by the Government of Ghana which had been oversubscribed.

Ambassador Smith announced that a Diaspora Affairs Bureau to serve as a communication platform between Ghanaians and the Government has been established at the embassy in Washington DC. This initiative will document the grievances of Ghanaians in the Diaspora on issues like high vehicle importation taxes, the economy and various issues affecting the Ghanaian Community in the Diaspora.

Solutions were being worked on to figure out was to expeditiously deal with challenges faced by the embassy according to HE Ambassador Smith, he explained that the inability for the consular session of the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC to deliver passports and visas in a timely fashion due to the frequent breakdown of the passport processing machines was one of such challenges.

“We are doing everything within our power to clear all backlog applications and urge Ghanaians to be patient” appealed the Ambassador. He said with the increased acceptability of biometric passports by most countries, plans are far advanced within the mission to begin issuing such passports.

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Lt. General Smith emphasized that this is a temporal problem that will be fixed within 3 months to allow for processing of passports to resume in earnest. He said the embassy staff are ready to go the extra mile to clear the pile of applications to avoid further inconveniences to applicants. Touching on the infrastructural upgrade of the embassy, Ambassador Smith revealed that the entire embassy is under restructuring to meet the growing demands of the Ghanaian community, tourists and potential investors. He said the embassy has embarked on intensive education of the staff in all departments within the consular section and that within three months there would be massive transformation at the embassy. Ambassador Smith further disclosed that his office is open to all and urged Ghanaians to feel free to call on him. He said regardless of anyone’s political affiliation, he is ready to work with all for the good of mother Ghana. The media practitioners commended the information and public affairs section of the embassy headed by Jojo Bruce-Quansah on the changes his outfit has implemented since last year which include the opening of a library and the printing and distribution of a quarterly newsletter by the embassy. They pledged their commitment to collaborate effectively with the information and public affairs section of the embassy in bridging the gap between the embassy and the Ghanaian populace. Before the end of the meeting Mr. Charles Nimo Ntiamoah Mensah of 3G Media who has been appointed as an Ambassador for Peace by the Universal Peace Federation of New York presented his citation to the Ambassador. HE Ambassador Smith commended him for the achievement and urged Ghanaians in the Diaspora to continue to excel in their various areas of endeavor

George Bright-Abu, editor of the Afrikan Post Newspaper, Joseph( Sonny) Vandepuye, editor of the New Ghanaian Newspaper and Sunlight Radio and Yaw Ansah of Highlife Media were among the group that paid the courtesy call on the Ambassador. The rest were Naa Amerley Tagoe of Sankofa Media, Gifty Bandoh, Rev. Dr. E.K. Nkansah of Hognet Radio, Kwame Boakye Danquah of Ghana Tourist Coach Radio, and Charles Nimo Ntiamoah Mensah popularly known as ‘Mr CNN’ of 3G Media

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SHOCKING: Pastor Washes Sins Of His Congregation With Water, Detergent, And Bleach.

A video circulating on the internet supposedly shows a pastor washing the sins of his congregation with water, detergent, and bleach.

March 2015

Prophet Impregnates 20 Women Of His Congregation, Claims The Holy Spirit Told Him To Do It

A self-styled 53-year-old pastor from Nigeria who impregnated more than 20 members of his congregation, including several married women and young girls, claiming that the Holy Spirit told him to have sex with them has been arrested for sexual abuse.

Ebere Amaraizu, DSP, a spokesman for the Enugu State Police Command told NaiJ that general overseer of Vineyard Ministry of the Holy Trinity, Pastor Timothy Ngwu, was arrested for abusing his female members.

"The pastor claims to be obeying prophetic/spiritual injunction to do the will of God, which is to impregnate any one chosen and revealed by the Holy Spirit, irrespective of whether the woman is married or not," said Amaraizu.

This is the latest in a series of strange methods introduced by some clergymen. Recall the pastor who made his congregation eat grass. And the Ghanaian cleric who stepped on and kicked a pregnant woman’s stomach to cure her.

Source: http://news2.onlinenigeria.com

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pound littered with children of different sex and age," he lamented.

"How can an educated man of his status reason like an unrefined man? All members of the vineyard are fools, how can a woman abandon her husband for another man in the name of worshiping God and practice adultery? I cannot get myself involved in this matter; Vero has opened the vessel of worms in the vineyard. Let them sort themselves out with thepolice but I want the ministry to be shut down completely," he added.

Ngwu told NaiJ that he has approximately five wives with 13 children along with concubines he acquired by the prophetic will of God.

He said he never had sex with any of the married women unless their husbands agreed with the request of the Holy Spirit.

"When the woman is delivered of the baby, the child remains in the ministry with the mother for life," he added.

Calista Omeje and Assumpta Odo, two of the women who left their husbands to live with the According to a Vanguard report, Ngwu was pastor said they did so based on the pastor's reported to the police by his estranged wife, prophetic anointing.

Veronica Ngwu, who got tired of his lascivious behavior after he impregnated her young niece.

Calista, who has 10 children with her husband, said Ngwu had impregnated her but the baby A brother of the pastor, who did not want to be died. She also revealed that she gave her daughidentified, told Vanguard that he had been warn- ter to him. Odo, a mother of eight, said Ngwu ing Ngwu and his family about his behavior for impregnated her and her daughter. a long time but he refused to listen. The arrest, he said, was God's wrath falling on his brother.

"Let me tell you, God's anger has befallen my brother, we have severally appealed to him to stop what he was doing but he refused. He has colonized our compound, bearing children with recklessness. He accused us of being jealous of him because he is doing the will of God," the brother told Vanguard.

"Look at these buildings here," he said pointing to the church compound. "He (pastor) has converted all of them to himself in the name of vineyard. I can't say exactly what informed his spirit to the devilish act in the name of God. He sacked his betrothed wife who has three children for him and embarked on impregnating married women and young girls. Look at the whole com-

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Source:http://www.bigtinz.com

South Africans Perform First Successful Penis Transplant

Nollywood Stars That Have Died In The Last Decade March 2015

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These demised stars would always be remembered for their role in one way or the other in the development of the Nigerian movie industry- Nollywood.

It’s not an understatement to assert that their death shook Nollywood to its core at the time each of their demise occurred.They are however remembered for the legacies they left behind. Source: stories.com.ng

DAVID IHESIE The actor died in January 2012 at age 73.

The world's first successful penis transplant has been reported by a surgical team in South Africa.

The 21-year-old recipient, whose identify is being protected, lost his penis in a botched circumcision.

Doctors in Cape Town said the operation was a success and the patient was happy and healthy.

The team said there was extensive discussion about whether the operation, which is not life-saving in the same way as a heart transplant, was ethical.

There have been attempts before, including one in China. Accounts suggested the operation went fine, but the penis was later rejected.

Penis replacement

The man was 18 and already sexually active when he had the circumcision.

The procedure is part of the transition from boyhood to adulthood in parts of South Africa.

The boy was left with just 1cm of his original penis.

Doctors say South Africa has some of the greatest need for penis transplants anywhere in the world.

Dozens, although some say hundreds, of boys are maimed or die each year during traditional initiation ceremonies.

Long

Surgeons at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital performed a nine-hour operation to attach a donated penis.

One of the surgeons, Andre Van der Merwe, who normally performs kidney transplants, told the BBC News website: "This is definitely much more difficult, the blood vessels are 1.5 mm wide. In the kidney it can be 1 cm."

The team used some of the techniques that had been developed to perform the first face transplants in order

to connect the tiny blood vessels and nerves.

The operation took place on 11 December last year. Three months later doctors say the recovery has been rapid.

Full sensation has not returned and doctors suggest this could take two years.

However, the man is able to pass urine, have an erection, orgasm and ejaculate.

Preparation The procedure required a lot of preparation.

The team needed to be sure the patient was aware of the risks of a life-time of immunosuppressant drugs.

SAM LOCO EFE The death of Sam Loco really got the entertainment industry in Nigeria shaking because he was very popular with his comic roles. Loco died in a hotel room in Owerri where he was editing a film, in August 2011, at age 66.

Also some patients cannot cope with a transplant if they fail to recognise it as part of their body.

"Psychologically, we knew it would have a massive effect on the ego," said Dr Van der Merwe.

It took "a hell of a lot of time" to get ethical approval, he added.

One of the concerns is a heart transplant balances the risk of the operation against a certain death, but a penis transplant would not extend life span.

Dr Van der Merwe told the BBC: "You may say it doesn't save their life, but many of these young men when they have penile amputations are ostracised, stigmatised and take their own life.

"If you don't have a penis you are essentially dead, if you give a penis back you can bring them back to life."

Source: http://news2.onlinenigeria.com

AMAKA IGWE The very popular Nollywood producer died of asthma attack in Enugu, in April 2014. She was the writer and producer of the most popular TV soap ever to be aired in Nigeria, Checkmate.

ASHLEY NWOSU The top actor died in April 2011 after a brief illness.

JUSTICE ESIRI The Village Headmaster star actor died in February 2013 at age 70. He died of complications from diabetes in a Lagos hospital.

JT TOM WEST The River state born actor died in September 2006.

Tom-West was involved in a fatal auto-accident, while he was returning from a location after a late night film shooting with two of his colleagues.

PETE ENEH Pete Eneh died in November 2012 after one of his legs was amputated at age 68.

ENEBELI ENEBUWA Enebeli became popular staring as Andrew in a popular TV programme many years ago. He died in an Indian hospital in December 2012. He died of stroke at age 66.

GERALDINE EKEOCHA The popular actress died in September 2011 during a fibroid operation at age 56.

Muna Obiekwe was a Nigerian actor. He was one of the most popular actors in Nigeria. On January 18, 2015, Obiekwe died from kidney disease.

March 2015

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Afrikan Post

Who Counsels You?

Her Page

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be wise not to become like Rehoboam and at the same time, we might do their best to counsel you when you approach them with these

have to be careful not to fall for the likes of Hananiah. So the concerns and questions, but it is Christ, seeing and knowing all and par-

question is: who counsels you?

ticularly knowing what the future holds, who can properly counsel you

While we are all individuals with our own minds and will, in such instances. Once, a parent told his daughter who wanted to marry

we are highly susceptible to the influential words of others, par- a particular young man that marriage is about luck and he could not tell

ticularly those whom we trust, respect and admire, people to her whether or not to marry the young man. For this parent, who had

whom we are partial. When we need direction in an area of our already divorced three times, he had not been lucky at love or marriage.

Dr. Miriam C. Gyimah

lives, we often automatically consult with these people, hoping to One might think a parent would have better advice for his offspring, but

receive wise and reasonable words that will direct us on our path. this is what this one parent offered to his daughter. Now is that the kind

And while we might receive those words, we have to be careful of counsel you need? But it is the kind you might get if you do not seek My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to to ponder whether or not we went about seeking such advice the guidance from the omniscient Father of Heaven and Earth Himself, the your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will right way and from the right place. very one who established marriage. chastise you with scorpions" (1 Kings 12:14). The precedGood counsel from God can be gotten also from reading His word.

Many of us are familiar with the following declaration “

ing words were spoken by Rehoboam, son of Solomon, about the birth of Christ in Isaiah 9:6, For unto us a child is born, When we read the Bible, we are taught lessons such as the story of “The when he ascended the throne after the death of his father. unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his Prodigal Son,” lessons about how we should not have the love of money, Rehoboam spoke these words to the children of Israel shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The how we should obey and honor our parents and not provoke our chilwhen they asked him to lessen their tax burden.

His Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” We dren. We are taught that we should be committed to the things of God father’s seasoned and god-fearing advisors counseled him recount these words around Christmas time in celebration and and store our treasure in Heaven and not on Earth. We are taught to pay towards an appropriate and wise response, but Rehoboam affirmation of Christ’s birth, but the fact is that while we do our tithes and offering and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are

ignored their advice and foolishly took that of his young acknowledge Christ as being wonderful, a mighty God, an ever- taught not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers and to refrain from peers. Consequently, Rehoboam was overthrown by force, lasting father and the Prince of Peace, we do not seriously consid- ungodly speech. The word of God counsels us and guides us daily. Do losing a considerable portion of his kingdom. He lost 10 er Him as the Counselor that He is. Rather, we tend to forget we accept this counsel or do we rather listen and adhere to the fashions

of the 12 tribes, ruling only over the tribes of Judah and about that role and attribute.

Benjamin.

and current cultural dictates of a demoralizing world? It is our decision

I believe that most of us don’t habitually and instantly to make. It is up to us to determine who will be our counselor.

Further down the road in history, King Zedekiah, seek God’s counsel in our life’s decisions. Take a moment and Additionally, seeking counsel from God includes listening to the ruler of Judah, needed to hear from the prophets about honestly ask yourself if you always seek His counsel first when words and direction of your pastor. A truly called pastor is God’s what God had in store for his kingdom. There was one you need advice or direction or do you habitually and perhaps appointed servant of a church and he bears both the right and responsiprophet whose prophecies were not to his liking, while naturally consider a parent, sibling, friend or mentor? I am not bility to teach and guide you in the things of the Lord. He is the shep-

there were other prophets who told him what he preferred suggesting that seeking advice from others is wrong, but what I herd while you are the sheep. As a church member, you are not only to to hear. Enter the prophet Hananiah. Hananiah prophesied am suggesting is that we should always seek His counsel first in seek his counsel, but also, you are to submit yourself to his leadership to the king and to the hearing of Jeremiah and all the any and everything. He is not only our savior, but also, He is our and instruction as directed by the word of God. However, more and

priests and people that within two years, God was going to counselor and as such, part of His role is to guide us towards the more, it appears Christians seek the teachings and guidance of leaders defeat the king of Babylon on behalf of Zedekiah. But right path, so that we will arrive at the place that He has planned from other ministries or independent prophets and preachers instead of God, knowing that He had not spoken through this false for us and accomplish the goals that He knows we can accom- their own and then run the risk of embracing, repeating and practicing

prophet, sent His true prophet Jeremiah to Hananiah say- plish. For after all, it is this same God who states in Jeremiah faulty doctrine and advice. So you invite the counsel of Hananiah and ing, “Listen now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, 29:11-13 that, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to pros- what’s worse, you do not only keep this erroneous counsel to yourself to and you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus per you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ruin not only your life, but bring it to your congregation and there spread

says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am about to remove you from Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will lis- such thoughts, causing confusion and threatening the stability of a minthe face of the earth. This year you are going to die, ten to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with istry. All in all, the point is that if you do not desire and respect the because you have counseled rebellion against the LORD.’” all your heart”. Clearly, what God has planned for us and what counsel of your own pastor, then it is time for you to move on to anoth-

So Hananiah the prophet died in the same year in the sev- He is able to do for us cannot be surpassed by any other intention. er church where you can easily submit to the leadership. Spiritually, it enth month (Jeremiah 28:15-17).

Thus, it is only wise to perceive and seek Him as our counselor. is the sound thing to do so that you will not be found wanting in a church Like Rehoboam, we stand to lose what we cannot Seeking God’s counsel occurs in two main ways, first, and under leadership in which you no longer have confidence. But you

afford when we do not take the right counsel. There is a going to Him in prayer about a particular issue on which we need must be careful to be certain that you are making the right decision, only right counsel and there is an erroneous one. The right one to make a decision. Here, we pray to Him to direct our path, to after seeking counsel from the Lord Himself. will obviously fare you well, while the wrong one—well— tell us what to do. Is that man/woman I want to marry the right When all is said and done, it remains that on a daily basis, you

could cost you too much, such as your wealth, health, fam- one for me? Will he/she be able to endure the tough times that will require guidance and direction for your personal life, your family, ily, success and rightful future. The Kingdom of Israel was will come our way? Will I be able to love him/her uncondition- your career and so on. Where do you begin and where do you end? divided as a result of one man’s pursuit of the wrong coun- ally and continue to sacrifice for him/her? Is the love I feel for What will you decide and to whose counsel will you submit? Before sel. And in the case of Hananiah, one who falsely claims this person the true love required to weather the storms of sick- you decide, remember the Lord is not only your savior but also your

to hear from and speak for God—well—God dealt with nesses and financial hardships? Will I be able to blend in well Counselor and best of all, He has “plans to prosper you and not to harm him in the way that only God could. Not only did He take with his/her family and forge a united and happy extended fami- you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). away Hananiah’s voice, but He also took his life. The ly?

truth, the power and the purity of God’s counsel is just that

It is God who we have to go to in order to get the most and one must not assume to possess it falsely. We ought to honest and spiritually insightful answers. Your parents or friends

JOKE OF THE DAY!

An old farmer wrote a letter to his son in prison."

Son this year I will not plant cassava and yam because I can't dig the field, I know if you were here you would have helped me". The son replied his father "Dad don't even think of digging the field because that's were I burried the money I stole".

"GHANA POLICE" on reading this letter went early in the morning to the house, dug the whole field in search of the money but nothing was found. The next day the son wrote his father again "Dad you can now plant your cassava and yam this is the best I can do from here.

Dad replied " haaa my son you are too powerful indeed ,even in prison you still command police men to work for me,I was so suprised to see the IGP and team holding hoes and shovels, digging my farm. I will write to you when I want to harvest.

Teacher: why are you late.

Boy: A man lost his money.

Teacher: So you were helping him find the money.

Boy: No I was standing on it.

My One And Only

Joke Center

The Engineer

An Engineer was unemployed for long time. He could not find a job so he opened a medical clinic and puts a sign up outside: "Get your treatment for $500, if not treated get back $1,000."

One Doctor thinks this is a good opportunity to earn $1,000 and goes to his clinic.

Doctor: "I have lost taste in my mouth."

Engineer: "Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth."

Doctor: "This is Gasoline!"

Engineer: "Congratulations! You've got your taste back. That will cost you $500."

The Doctor gets annoyed and goes back after a couple of days later to recover his money.

Doctor: "I have lost my memory, I cannot remember anything."

Engineer: "Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth."

Doctor: "But that is Gasoline!"

Engineer: "Congratulations! You've got your memory back. That will cost you $500."

The Doctor leaves angrily and comes back after severRoger, who was 19 years old, was buying an expen- al more days. sive bracelet, to surprise his girlfriend on Valentine's Day, at a very smart jeweller's shop in Hatton Doctor: "My eyesight has become weak."

Garden, London.

Engineer: "Well, I don't have any medicine for this.

The jeweller inquired, 'Would you like your girlTake this $1,000." friend's name engraved on it?'

Doctor: "But this is $500..."

Roger thought for a moment, grinned, then answered, 'No, instead engrave "To my one and Engineer: "Congratulations! You got your vision back! only love".'

That will cost you $500."

The jeweller smiled and said, 'Yes, sir; how very romantic of you.'

Roger retorted with a glint in his eye, 'Not exactly romantic, but very practical. This way, if we break up, I can use it again.'

Valentine Dreams

One morning Emma woke up with a start. Her husband Jim asked what was the matter, she told him, "I just had a dream that you gave me a pearl necklace for Valentine's day. What do you think it means?"

"You'll know tonight," Jim said.

That evening, Jim home with a small package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, Emma opened it - only to find a book entitled "The meaning of dreams".

March 2015

Yakubu had a dream in which someone murdered him. Next day he closed his bank account .You know why? Because the slogan of the bank was "WE MAKE YOUR DREAM COME TRUE

DAD: honey am going to work CHILD: daddy pls wen u are comin buy me biscuit DAD: i will only buy if u can spell biscuit CHILD: eeeeeii daddy den buy me PK

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Ultimate Keepers Nurse Training Services March 2015

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US missionary Reverend Phyllis Sortor freed after kidnapping in Nigeria

Esther Sewordor Wins Miss Culpeper Scholarship Pageant March 2015

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A 71-year-old American missionary has been released after being held for almost a fortnight by kidnappers in Nigeria.

Reverend Phyllis Sortor, of the Free Methodist Church, was abducted by gunmen on 23 February and her kidnappers demanded a ransom of $300,000.

According to the Kogi State Police Commissioner the missionary’s freedom was secured, as far as the police were aware, without any ransom being paid to the kidnappers.

"We are deeply grateful to all who prayed for Phyllis' safe return and praise God the family representative was able to secure her release," David W. Kendall, for the Board of Bishops, said.

The church also said in a statement: "Phyllis was aware there were risks associated with her ministry, but also knew there are very few places in the world without risks and dangers.

“As a matter of sound policy, and to help protect the many, many people who helped secure Phyllis’ freedom, we will have no comment concerning the efforts that were undertaken to secure her release.”

Rev Sortor was handed over to the Nigerian authorities and church leaders following her abduction from the Hope Academy compound in Emiworo, in Kogi State, where she was the administrator.

Five gunmen, two of them masked, had carried out the abduction after scaling fences surrounding the Hope Academy compound.

The kidnappers had originally demanded $300,000 in ransom money but a day later reduced it to $180,000.

Kidnapping is a major problem in Nigeria where it is a lucrative business for criminals, making them millions of pounds each year. The country has one of the worst records in the world for kidnapping.

Criminal gangs have kidnapped scores of expatriates in southern and central Nigeria over the years. Central Kogi state has also had low level activity by Islamist militants linked to insurgent group Boko Haram, security sources said.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk

Miss Culpeper Scholarship Pageant is an annual contest to recognize the talent, intelligence, poise, and appearance of the young ladies of Eastern View and Culpeper County High Schools.

28 young ladies from Eastern View and Culpeper High Schools initially auditioned to make it to the finals of the Miss Culpeper Scholarship Pageant!

12 Talented finalists showcased their beauty and intellect on stage during the sixth annual Miss Miss Culpeper Scholarship Pageant on Saturday, March 6th, to compete for college scholarships. It was a great night of fun and entertainment

The program opened with a dance number, followed by a question/answer segment where contestants draw questions and then need to answer spontaneously, and then the talent portion.

This year’s participants included Esther Sewordor whose parents are from Ghana in West Africa.

The judges evaluated the participants in four areas: group dance performance, question/answer session, individual talent and the formal dress/gown competition.

Judges also considered each contestant’s grade point average as part of their score, At the end of the contest Esther Sewordor was crowned the Winner of the 2015 Miss Culpeper Scholarship Pageant Esther Sewordor said she’s feeling amazing on the heels of winning first place and Miss Congeniality during the 2015 Miss Culpeper Scholarship Pageant.

The first place winner took home $2,000, second place $750 and third place $250.

The Council for Ghanaian Associations (COGA) 58th Independence Dinner Dance and Fundraiser

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The Council for Ghanaian Associations (COGA) is an umbrella group for all Ghanaian Associations in the Washington Metro Area. The objectives of the Council include :The promotion of Ghanaian customs and culture through educational programs, Serving as the mouthpiece of all member-organizations .Coordinating activities of member-organizations, Resolving conflict among member-organizations, Establishing and maintaining relations with other umbrella Ghanaian organizations in the United States and Canada, Celebrating Ghana’s Independence, and Holding jointly sponsored activities. COGA has adopted the Otoase Orphanage in Ghana which would be the beneficiary of the fundraiser. The special guest of honor was Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States , HE. Lt. Gen (RTD) Joseph Henry Smith. The occassion was Chaired by Nana Kofi Boateng, Asantefuohene of Washington Metro Area.

Special guests and their spouses, HE. Lt. Gen (RTD) Joseph Henry Smith, Nana Kofi Boateng and Dr. Osei Dankwah

Remarks by one of the major Sponsors ARIK Airlines

Premier Financial Alliance (PFA) Representaives. One of the Sponsors

Dancing and Fun Time

Nana Kofi Boateng, Asantefuohene of Washington Metro Area addressing the guests

Ambassador Koby Koomson (RTD) and his wife

Cutting the commemorative cake

Cultural Drumming and Dancing

Jerry Wiafe of Virginia Black Stars and Guests

Media Crew, From Left-Yaw Ansah,Dr. Asanka, Abeiku Yankah,AJ, Kusi Mensah Capito and Afrikan Post Publisher

Afrikan

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Mo Ibrahim Prize: Namibia President Pohamba Gets $5m Award

Namibia Gets First Female Prime Minister March 2015

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Kuugongelwa-Amadhila's composure and ability to play her political cards very close to her chest is seen as one of the key reasons for her rise up the power ladder.

She is known to fight her battles but hardly mingles with those involved in the factional infighting that has plagued the ruling party for years.

The outgoing Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba has won the world's most valuable individual award, the Mo Ibrahim prize for African leadership.

The $5m (ÂŁ3.2m) award is given each year to an elected leader who governed well, raised living standards and then left office.

But the previous award was the fourth in five years to have gone unclaimed.

Mr Pohamba, a former rebel who fought for his country's independence, has served two terms as Namibian president.

He was first elected in 2004, and again in 2009. He is due to be succeeded by President-elect, Hage Geingob.

Mr Pohamba was a founding member of the South West Africa People's Organisation (Swapo), an armed movement that waged a decades-long campaign against South African rule.

Since the country won independence in 1990, Swapo has dominated politics, usually winning huge majorities in elections.

Mr Pohamba was named recipient of the 2014 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership at a ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya.

Mo Ibrahim is a British-Sudanese mobile communications entrepreneur and philanthropist who made billions from investing in Africa.

He launched the prize to encourage African leaders to leave power peacefully.

The inaugural prize was awarded in 2007 to Joaquim Chissano, Mozambique's former president, who has since acted as a mediator in several African disputes.

The $5m prize is spread over 10 years and is followed by $200,000 a year for life.

Source: http://www.myjoyonline.com

Amadhila decided to abandon her ambitions of becoming a medical doctor, hoping to become a central bank governor one day, but little did she know what life had in store for her, nor did she know that she would one day be at the helm of government.

President-elect Hage Geingob's decision to announce Kuugongelwa-Amadhila as the next Prime Minister means she will add one more 'first' to her list of records and accomplishments and distinguished career in government.

She became the first woman Director General of the National Planning Commission and the youngest at the age of 27. She was also the first female finance minister; the first to record a surplus in the 2006/7 financial year; the longest-serving finance minister so far and soon to become Namibia's first female Prime Minister.

Her glowing career is not only credited to her government roles but also her work for the ruling party. When she became the Swapo secretary for economic affairs, she inherited a party business empire that was on its knees.

Those in the know gave the example of Kalahari Holdings that was N$30 million in the red when she took over, but now the party's largest company is worth more than N$200 million.

But it would appear that a glowing career as finance minister was not the only thing President-elect Geingob looked at when he opted for Kuugongelwa-Amadhila as Prime Minister.

Geingob even described her as a "bright young and beautiful implementer who knows finances very well."

In 2012, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila's star within Swapo started waning. At the party's elective congress that year, she failed to be elected into the politburo, a seat she had held since 2002. Her exclusion was seen as a move to sideline leaders who hail from the Omusati region. They were labelled as the powerful Omusati clique. At the same congress, home affairs minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana and youth minister Jerry Ekandjo lost out to Geingob for the party vice-presidency.

Geingob was backed by Pohamba and many felt they had been victimised by the Omusati clique.

Many of Pohamba's loyalists fared well and made it into the central committee and the politburo that year. President Pohamba later appointed Kuugongelwa-Amadhila back into the politburo to ease the growing perception that there was a purge on those from Omusati.

Those in the know said the fact that Kuugongelwa-Amadhila nominated Iivula-Ithana to run for party vice-president in 2012 could have affected her performance in the race for the politburo that year.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila is also known as one of Founding President Sam Nujoma's favourites.

Her ascendance could be attributed to the fact that Geingob and Nujoma have rekindled their relationship, which took a knock in 2002 with Geingob's demotion from Prime Minister to a less powerful local government portfolio.

But Kuugongelwa-Amadhila also enjoyed a cordial working relationship with Pohamba, so much so that talks of her becoming Prime Minister already started in 2010 when Pohamba appointed his second Cabinet.

Afrikan

Ghanaian Ministers Fellowship in the Washington Metro Area Join Hands to Exalt The Lord Post

As part of activities marking Ghana’s 58th Independence Anniversary The Ghanaian Ministers Fellowship (DC, MD, VA) organized a Praise and Worship service under the theme “GHANA EXALTS THE LORD” on Saturday March 6th at the Faith Family Ministries Auditorium in Woodbridge, Virginia .

The colorful event, which was well-attended, was the needed spiritual booster Ghana badly needs to break through into rapid development at this time in our history.

The audiences were treated with songs from Faith Sanctuary Choir of Faith Family Ministries, Crossover Choir, End Time Glory Choir with special performances by the Faith Dynamics and Crossover cultural group. Okyerema Asante the legendary master drummer put up a splendid display of musical choreography to the admiration of the crowd General Apostle Edwin K Otabil of End-Time Glory International, President of GMF spoke about the necessity of lifting up Jesus for God to lift up a people.

Apostle Edwin Otabil, admonished the gathering to pray for mother Ghana so that the will of God will be established in the country. He also encouraged Ghanaians to train their children to be proud of their Ghanaian heritage.

Lawyer Kwaku Ofori of Maryland based Ofori Law Firm who was the guest speaker recounted aspects of Ghana’s history that demonstrated God’s bountiful mercies on the nation. Comparing it to the current situation in Ghana he called for a concerted effort to pray for Ghana.

Minister Hughes Teye-Doryormu of the Church of the Living God led the audience to pray for Ghana.

The event was spiced with a special “Test your knowledge on Ghana” He spoke about how the Father set the example for us by lifting up Jesus above every other person. Rev. Edwin Otabil said the lifting of self, no matter who or where always produces corruption and disappointments. Ghana should therefore exalt the Lord so his Presence can fill our churches and his Glory will fill the nation with rapid development.

GHANA EXALTS THE LORD is the event for the Ghanaian community to express gratitude to God and to seek Him for a brighter future.

The GHANAIAN MINISTERS FELLOWSHIP(DC, MD, VA) have broken new grounds and set the pace in lifting up Jesus for Him to show himself alive to us with infallible proofs.

To contact the GHANAIAN MINISTERS FELLOWSHIP

call: 571-278-1216, 703-855-6836, 571-594-3771, 703-628-6993.

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America School of Nursing & Allied Health

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March 2015 Page

Begin Your Nursing Education Today

Classes Offered

Nurse Aide Training Medication Aide Training Home Health Aide Phlebotomy Training Pharmacy Technician Practical Nursing (LPN)

LPN Classes start on Jan. 3, 2015 MorningMon-Thursday 8am-2pm Evening 5pm-10pm Weekend Classes Start on August 31, 2015 8am-2pm

Call 703-490-8402 or Visit us at www.asnahonline.com 14910 Jefferson Davis Highway Woodbridge, Virginia 22191 Fax: (703) 490-8403

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Actress Chika Ike Lose One Leg To Accident

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The Fast rising Nollywood actress Chika Ike is currently receiving treatment at an Undisclosed Hospital in Lagos.

Eye witness confide in Vibenaija.com News crew that she was involved in Car accident and lost one of her leg .

Calls made to her manager prove abortive as his line was switched off.

10-Year-Old BritishNigerian Accepted at UK University March 2015

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It would be recalled that Chika Ike was recently paid millions of Naira to go bald in a Movie, she has been trending in the News lately.

Meanwhile Check out the Picture and say your prayer for her..

Source:http://m.peacefmonline.com

Actress Nadia Buari Gives Birth To Twins

Photo: Vanguard

By Amaka Abayomi, With Agency Reports

Ten year old Esther Okade, one of UK's youngest students from Nigeria, has been accepted to start her maths degree at the Open University. Esther, who enrolled three weeks ago, is already top of her class, scoring 100 per cent in a recent test.

Esther's mother, Efe, said the process of applying to the university was 'an interesting one because of her age.

she said "We even had to talk to the VC and after they interviewed her, they realised that this has been her idea from the beginning.

From the age of seven Esther has wanted to go to university.

"But I was afraid it was too soon. She would say, 'mum, when am I starting?', and go on and on and on. Finally, after three years, she told me, 'mum I think it is about time I started university now."

Esther applied in August, and after a phone interview, an essay and a maths exam, she finally got the news in December that she had been accepted onto the course.

Though she watches cartoons and plays with barbie dolls, Esther's aim is to get First Class honours degree in two years and start a PhD programme. She also intends to run her own bank.

Ghanaian actress Nadia Buari has given birth to twins, Myjoyonline.com can confirm.

The actress, who has been absent from the entertainment scene for some time now, was delivered of two bouncy baby girls last week. The delivery probably explains her hiatus from the movie and the media scene.

Father of the actress Alhaji Sidiku Buari confirmed the news to Myjoyonline.com Monday morning.

He said “It’s true. She brought forth twins alright, that is true. I’m confirming [it] as the father.”

Alhaji Sidiku Buari also disclosed that she gave birth outside the country but won’t disclose where.

It’s unclear who the father of the babies is but the actress has for sometime now been linked to ‘Bad boy’ Nollywood actor Jim Iyke.

After months, probably years, of speculations, Jim Iyke proposed to Nadia Buari in March last year. The actor proposed to the actress on one of the editions of his hit reality show, Jim Iyke Unscripted.

Jim proposed with a six-carat-diamond ring while having dinner with Nadia, who didn't hesitate to say "Yes".

Source:: http://www.myjoyonline.com

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GHANA @58 INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY BALL AND AWARDS NIGHT March 2015

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On March 14, 2015 KM PRODUCTIONS organized An Elegant Black Tie, Red Carpet event hosted by Jackie Appiah at the Hollywood Ballroom in Silver Spring as part of activities marking Ghana’s 58th Independence Anniversary. There were special performances by Kamah Thoronka, Koby Maxwell, Chris Deshields, Paco Collins, Clarice Adele and MC Chido. Special awards were given to some Africans Business Entrepreneurs

Jude and Mrs. Onyegbadu of High Quality Care

Jackie Appiah, the Special Guest appreciating her fans

Ethiopian Airlines Donated an airline ticket to a random draw winner

Koby Maxwell Performing

Chris DeShields entertaining the audience

MC Papa Lincoln and Co MC

Kamah Thoronka Performing

KMP 2015 Award Recipients

Henok Tesfaye, owner of U Street Parking

Irene Osei of Lifeline Homecare receiving an award

Mr Bah from Sierra Leone receiving an award for his contribution to the Community , KMP 2015 Recipient of African business entrepreneurship Award

Dr. Oluremi Ilupeju MD

Kevin Onyona, Swahili Village restaurant chef and owner

DDA Super Heat And Fire Interdenominational All-NightMarch Edition In Pictures March 2015

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The March Edition Of DDA Super Heat And Fire Inter-Denominational All-Night Took Place At The Shebah Temple On March 6th, 2015 At 10pm. The Fire Of Pentecost Was Burning Afresh!

There Was An Overdose Of The Anointing With Incredible Testimonies!. The House Was Packed To Capacity. Apostle Dr. Daniel Armah, The President Of Dda , Delivered A Sermon On "Overcoming The Strong Man" And Led God's People Into Jungle Warfare Prayers Full Of Fire. The Anointed Apostle Then Entered Into A Deep Prophetic And Deliverance Time Full Of Fire.

The Oil Was Too Much.

Are You Looking For A Holy Environment Of Prayer And Fire? Do You Need Deliverance From The Power Of Darkness? Do You Need A Prophetic Word From The Lord? Join Other Believers For The Next DDA Super Heat And Fire All-Night On Good Friday April 3rd, 2015 At 10pm This Will Be Your Best Easter Gift. Come And Taste Pure Fire!!

DDA - Touching The World With Power And The Church With Fire!!!! www.danielahiaarmaah.org. www.Kingslightchapel.org TELEPHONE:571-337-9185 / 703 401-9727

Meet Female Graphic Designer/Photographer Turned Queen MotherNana Ama Kukudam I

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March 2015

Ghanacelebrities.com: Since you were not born here, how did the people of Ajumako Eshiem discover you and enthroned you as a Queen mother?

Nana Ama: I would say that the way they discovered me was truly through God and the ancestors. I met my chief there and over time became close to the royal family as if it were predestined. I’m the descendant of African slaves taken from Ghana, Nigeria and other parts of Africa during slavery.

When they gave me the offer to become Nkosuo Hemaa, I was much honoured and also began to think about how my mother had always told me that we came from kings and queens in Africa. When I accepted it, I vowed to do all I could to help our people in Ghana and America (African-Americans and Ghanaians) as we are the same people.

Right now I’m working on beginning an NGO for my town as well as seeking out donors to build a primary school in the town. I’ve also been taking up collections for reading and school books as well as other materials to ship there in the coming months

Discovering people who are impacting positively and celebrating them is one credo Ghanacelebrities.Com pride ourselves with.

Through our research, we fortunately chanced on one humane and kind hearted African-American lady by name Nana Ama Kukudam I who was trained as a Graphic Designer and Photographer but has turned Nkosuo Hemaa – – helping a community in Ghana.

Ghanacelebrities.com: As a Christian, how did you reconcile the idea of accepting participation in bloody rituals which comes with being a Queen mother before the offer was sealed?

Nana Ama: I have a great respect for the ways of our ancestors. So I respect those who still abide by them. At the same time, my stool is not a black stool and although I went through all of the full rights that any other Queen Mother may have gone through with being enthroned, I did not have to go through the blood rituals like those who sit on a black stool.

All the same, I do not look down on it because the traditional practices are what our ancestors left behind. I think that while we are also Christians. we We decided to talk to her about how she became Nkosuo Hemaa in Ghana, have to have respect and tolerance for other practices and beliefs. There are many chiefs and Queen considering the fact that she was not born in Ghana even…

Mothers who sit on a black stool and went through with the blood rituals and they are practicing Ghanacelebrities.com: give us a brief background of yourself.

Christians.

Nana Ama: My real name is Joy Lee Tyrice Lillian Mary Inez Williams but Joy Williams for short. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised between Baltimore and New York. I went to a Catholic elementary school I think they are able to either practice both or choose one. I find that each royal is different. I’m a and finished that in 1989. From there I attended the Baltimore School for believer of Christ but I respect and tolerate all relithe Arts where I majored in Visual arts and completed in 1997. gions. One thing we all have in common is our belief in God.Ghanacelebrities.com: Having been I followed up to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County where I majored in BA Graphic Design and Photography and completed in 2002. A trained in the arts – Graphic Designing and Photography, why did you leave that field for other few years later, I completed my MBA in General Management at the things such as becoming a Queen mother?

Metropolitan College of New York in Manhattan in 2008.

On work experience, I’ve previously worked for the NYC Department of Education’s Office of Teacher Recruitment as part of a team of people who recruited teachers for all 5 boroughs of NYC. I was there for almost a decade before leaving to focus on my business and my Queen mother assignment.

Ghanacelebrities.com: What kind of family were you born into and how was growing up like?

Nana Ama: I was born into a middle class home but my father left my mother, me and my younger sister when I was 5. At that time my mother struggled to raise us on her own. I was partially raised in the projects. But I went to the very best schools and loved very richly.

Nana Ama: Good question. I worked within graphic design and photography for a few years and was doing quite well in my job as well as in a small business on my own. But when I was in my mid 20s, I realized that the job was draining the creativity out of me and I decided to pursue my business interest. I still have both passions and I plan on doing both.

As of now I own a small business which sells all natural African herbal products from Ghana and other parts of Africa. I plan on rebranding and utilizing my graphics skills to do so. Other than that, I

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will tweak and carry on my skills artistically instead of through a 9-5 job. Who knows, you may see my pieces in an exhibition somewhere in the future.

Ghanacelebrities.com: How far did you go with your art leanings and any traveling experiences?

Nana Ama: I’ve won medals from the NAACP in Silver and Gold for Photography. I’ve traveled the world: Ghana (every 3 to 6 months for the past 13 years), Paris, France; London, England, Senegal, amongst other parts of the world.

Ghanacelebrities.com: What has becoming a Queen mother greatly changed about you?

Nana Ama: Prior to becoming a Queen Mother I was always actively giving myself to those in need financially and emotionally. That has not changed. I also hope that people will see me and say hey, this lady is an African-American who’s been in the culture for over 2 decades! Who loves Africa and Ghana so much and who also shares the same ancestors as us!

Ghanacelebrities.com: You grew up in the West and know they have a negative perception of Africa – do you have any take on that?

Nana Ama: I think the negative perceptions the West sometimes have about Africa are the same negative perceptions Africa has about Africa. When I was growing up, I was also called an African booty scratcher by my fellow peers because of my dark color/complexion.

During slavery, many black people were told that black was ugly and light was right. When I began being in the various African cultures from the late 90s till now and I also started traveling to the continent 13 years ago, I realized that the same mentality existed amongst our native African brothers and sisters.

They are also bleaching their skin, following European beauty standards and cultures blindly. So both perceptions are the same.

Even when I’m in Africa, people think that all black people in America are ghetto and living in poverty. We are all thinking negatively of each other because of the media and because of what friends, relatives and others tell us.

It has to change and I hope that by spreading my brand and representing my brand that I can serve as an outlet for both sides to realize that these perceptions must change.

Ghanacelebrities.com: How long have you been the Queen mother of Ajumako Eshiem and what specifically have you done to help the community grow/develop?

Nana Ama: I’ve been the Queen Mother of Ajumako Eshiem for just one and a half years now. In the past year, I’ve sent clothing donations and have collected books and other learning materials.

I’ve also begun 2 crowd – funding accounts to receive monetary donations from people who would like to give to the needs of my town and the surrounding areas.

I’ve moved towards registering an NGO in the towns name in order to provide people who donate with a tax incentive through a US government approved 501c3 account. That way, they will see that we are legitimate. Those who donate will receive documentation for their donation that they can receive a credit on their taxes during tax time.

This will also encourage more monetary giving. With that money, once we begin it, we will begin the building of our school, then the community center redevelopment as well as other programs.

Nana Ama Kukudam I

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Ghanacelebrities.com: We gather you are not married – does your status and personae scare potential suitors from approaching you to propose love and or marriage?

Nana Ama: (Laughs) it seems many men were intimidated by me even before my enthronement. Sometimes making good money and being educated and a self thinker scares off men so I’m used to it and it doesn’t bother me. I won’t stop being myself

Ghanacelebrities.com: Does your non-residence here not impede the effective work you are expected to do as a Queen mother?

Nana Ama: I’m in Ghana every 3 to 6 months and I was traveling there just as frequently even before my enthronement. Sometimes my trips are 2 weeks and sometimes 1 month. I try to accomplish as much as I can while I’m there and if I cannot complete everything, I meet with my chief and make sure that we communicate on our next steps. I think I’m doing very well for a new queen.

Ghanacelebrities.com: Can you speak any of our local languages and how well have you learnt our culture and its lore?

Nana Ama: Although I’ve been around the local languages since the 90s, I’m not fluent and I only speak basic Twi. Being around English most times makes it more difficult but I’ve tasked myself to become fluent this 2015. I yearn to speak with my people in Twi, Fante and other native tongues.

But the lack of fluency should not be mistaken for not knowing the cultures. I’m very knowledgeable about the culture and have been told by many native Ghanaians throughout the years that they would even think I’m a native Ghanaian judging by how much I know.

Ghanacelebrities.com: What does your stool name means, especially the Kukudam?

Nana Ama: Yes Kukudam means powerful, knowledgeable and string and I believe that I am the epiphany of the meaning not only as a Queen Mother but as a woman and a human being. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth but at the same time I’ve accomplished things that others only dream of. That is the strength behind Kukudam.

Ghanacelebrities.com: How would you describe yourself?

Nana Ama: I’m a people person and I love meeting new people, helping people and learning as much as I can about various subjects.

Ghanacelebrities.com: Are you looking at retiring someday in Ghana till you exit this world and why?

Nana Ama: I plan to retire in GH and that my mother and I wish to make it our home half of the year eventually as I move towards accomplishing more for our people in both countries and throughout the world. If I have anything else to add I hope it’ll be ok to let you know.

I’ve had a love for travel and for my ancestry and Africa at a very young age. Even my mother, who grew up in the Bronx, New York, had the same interests when she was younger. She was part of an African dance Troup and also had a talent in the arts as well as writing.

Ghanacelebrities.com: Any shout out or credit to some personalities?

Nana Ama: My Aunts Tyrice Parker and Lillian Faison of the Bronx, New York; My cousins Michelle Cunningham, Darryl Cunningham and the rest; Rashid Salifu of Takoradi, Kwame Afrifah based in Atlanta Georgia, Fred Oteng Ofori of the Ghana Police Service.

Star Edwards of Alabama, who is just one of the many AfricanAmericans who loves our homeland Ghana just as much as I do; Ashley Smith of Baltimore, Maryland; Denise Mathias of Brooklyn, New York. And last but not least, I’d like to give shout outs to Kwame Owusu Bright of the Kwaku area (but raised in Dansoman Accra), Joseph Mensah also known as Nana Yaw of Mamprobi Accra, Mr. Otoo, CEO of Capital 02 All Natural Herbal Company for their friendship and love.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF BIBLE INTERPRETATION The Principle of Progressive Revelation 2 March 2015

Rev George K. Annan Ph.D.

In the first part of this principle we underscored how God’s revelation was progressively handed out to man. In this edition we will explore how self-acclaim messiahs, false prophets and teachers have intelligently usurp the progressive principle and forced certain books and teachings to be accepted as part of the canon and prove how their claim is false, unaccepted and subjective.

Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses is an 18th- or 19th-century writings allegedly written

by Moses, and passed down as hidden (or lost) books of the Five Books of Moses or Pentateuch. These books claim that the miracles performed by Moses were the result of magic and so the text contains magical incantations which aim to instruct the reader in the spells used to create the miracles recorded in the Judaeo-Christian Bible. These writings contain Talmudic magic names, words and incantations and depicted with diagrams of "Seals": magical drawings accompanied by incantations intended to perform various tasks, from controlling weather or people to contacting the dead.

Response: At the end of his writings Moses emphatically declared the end of his writings and gave instructions to Joshua his successor and the Levites to keep the Pentateuch locked up in the Ark of the Covenant.

Deuteronomy 31:24-27 And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?

Historically there was a leader in the person of Joshua and no one could touch the Ark of the Covenant on his own volition and live not even the Levites. They have to be clean according to God’s standard.

These 6th and 7th books of Moses which can only be traced to 18th-century German pamphlets, and made popular through printing in 1849 in the 19th century, spread through Germany and Northern Europe, to German immigrants in the United States and eventually

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helped popularize the texts among African Americans in the South and Caribbean, and Anglophone West Africa. It influenced European Occult Spiritualism, as well as popular religious movements in the American South (Hoodoo), the Caribbean (Rastafarian), and West Africa are nothing but an attempt to claim legitimacy for the miracles duplicated by Pharaoh’s magicians of all the miracles God performed through Moses.

Theses text only leads to bondage, dangling in the occult and eventually losing your soul to Satan.

Paraclete Paraclete comes from the Koine Greek word παράκλητος ‘paráklētos’, which signify "one who consoles or comforts, one who encourages or uplifts; hence refreshes, and/or one who intercedes on our behalf as an advocate in court").

Many Muslim writers have argued that “another Paraclete” (John 14:16) used in reference to the Holy Spirit actually refers to Muhammad. A few Muslim commentators, such as David Benjamin Keldani (1928), have argued that the original Greek word used was periklytos, meaning famed, illustrious, or praiseworthy, rendered in Arabic as Ahmad, and that this was substituted by Christians with parakletos. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraclete Response: Muslim accounts say the Quran began in the year 610 when Gabriel appeared to Muhammad in the cave Hira near Mecca, reciting to him the first verses of the Sura Iqra (al-`Alaq). This was 500 years after compilation of the Christian text and the canonization of the Bible in the 5th century. So the Bible was a prerecorded text from which any people can make substitutes and falsify some of the text to suit their teaching and not vice versa as claimed by Islamic scholars.

All scripture is inspired In 2 Timothy 3:16 we read that all scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching and instruction in righteousness. Many have taking the progressive principle to mean once God revealed or inspired the scripture then it’s meant to be practiced.

Response: The Pharisees in Jesus’s day took the same progressive stands and questioned Jesus if it was right for a man to put away his wife as was allowed

by Moses. In answering the Pharisees Jesus made a distinction between ‘permissive will’ and ‘perfect will’ of God. Jesus reminded them it was the hardness and rebelliousness of their heart that made Moses grants them permission through the writing of a bill of divorcement. He however reiterated God’s plan from the beginning of creation that ‘What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder’ with regards to marriage Mark 10:1-9. Every scripture that is written by inspiration according to the apostle Paul was written for our learning (Romans 15:4) to decipher which part is authorized as God’s perfect will for conduct.

Apocrypha The word Apocrypha means works, usually written works that are of unknown authorship, or of doubtful authenticity. There are Old and New Testament writings considered as Apocryphal. These books have been refuted and rejected as lacking inspiration, authenticity and authorship and therefore have never been accepted as authentic and were not included in the books of the Bible.

Response: The 66 books that make up the Bible were canonized by Jewish rabbis and scholars and later by early Christian’s leaders. The term “canon” is used to describe the books that are divinely inspired and therefore belong in the Bible. Ultimately, it was God who decided what books belonged in the biblical canon. The process started between AD 170 and finally at Council of Carthage A.D. 397.

When the last book of the Bible was concluded Jesus Himself sign off and gave a strong warning with consequences to whoever will try to add to or remove from the prophecy of the Scriptures. Revelation 22:16-19.

Progressive revelation of the scriptures does not suggest that there is room for additions or misinterpretation of the scriptures. There are checks and balances put in place by Jewish and church fathers committed to preserving the scriptures from unscrupulous fingers.

For more information visit www.redemptionnews.org

Afrikan

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THE DECODED BENEFITS OF LIFE INSURANCE and FINANCIAL PLANNING

Hello Reader,

We’ve crossed path on this platform of information sharing again. I am excited to write this piece of literature to you. As you would recall, on the previous article, we discussed the foundation and the importance of life insurance. I trust the message has echoed in your spirit. I would like to re-emphasize that life insurance policy is not just for when you are dead and your loved ones enjoy the proceeds. Rather, life insurance is protecting yourself should you suddenly face any life threatening illness such as disability or chronic or terminal illness; you can enjoy the benefits of the life insurance policy as well while still providing a financial fund stream for your family. Depending on the type of life insurance policy you have, you can also use it as an investment tool for future retirement or as an educational plan to support your children’s education. There are various uses for life insurance and it carries a tax free benefit.

Now let’s talk about the various types of life insurance policies.

Term life policy: provides temporary coverage with affordable premiums. Anyone can afford this type of insurance that provide security and peace of mind for yourself and your family.

Though, there are various policies that ascribe to the term life insurance policies, let’s look at a specific product such as the Mortgage Protection Insurance that would have an immediate impact in your life. The Mortgage Protection Insurance policy is a term insurance that protects your house in case you suddenly become disabled or deemed chronically ill. This is not the same insurance as the Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) that you pay with your mortgage. The PMI protects the lender should you default on your mortgage.

However, this Mortgage Protection Life Insurance protects YOU, the homeowner should something happen to you, your family will be able to carry on the mortgage and still enjoy the home you left behind.

Whole-life policy: it is a permanent life insurance policy that provides life coverage with an investment fund. It is a policy that part of the premium goes toward building cash value from investment and pays a stated fixed amount when you are called to glory. As the policy is in force and has build up cash value, you can borrow money against the build up cash in the policy without being taxed; you enjoy this benefit while you are still living.

Within the arena of permanent life policies, there are Universal Life and Variable Life.

Universal life policy combines term insurance with money market type investment that pays a market rate of return. Basically, it is a policy that has a death benefit and builds up cash value that can be borrowed from while you

are still alive. Then, there are the Variable life and Variable Universal life policies that have investment fund tied to a stock or bond mutual fund investment.

Life insurance policies have immeasurable benefits that can be enjoyed while you are still on earth and when you are called to glory.

The essence of writing this to you is to broaden the depth of your thinking and to show you that there are wealth of information available to you for your financial planning and future. Over the years, the community has experienced sudden tragedies and over and over, it seems that we have not prepared for these events.

We are a people that do not plan; we wait for events to suddenly overtake us and then we react. We need to learn the new way of emerging into the Western culture, where planning is essential. It worries and saddens me to see that we are perishing for lack of knowledge. Having a life insurance policy does not sentence you to death; it shows you take pride in your life, your future and your family that will someday succeed you. It creates and gives a peace of mind that you and your family will be taken care of in an unplanned dire situation(s) in life.

Please note that this is to give you a general overview of life insurance policies.

To get a complete understanding and enjoy the tax free benefits contact me for a FREE financial consultation.

Until next time, blessings in full portion.

Anita Bediako Life Insurance Agent Contact: 571-229-6694 Email: divineconsultingmultiservices@gmail.co m

MOST COMMON REAL ESTATE BUYER QUESTIONS March 2015

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Answer: The credit score criteria defer from lender to lender. There are lenders who will look at credit score as low as 580. However, for the home buying transaction to succeed you must pay off any outstanding debts on your credit report.

Anita A. Bediako- REALTOR® – Licensed in the Common Wealth of Virginia Prince William County-Local Expert CONTACT 571-229-6694; Email: abediako@pwrealty.com

Dear Reader,

It is always a pleasure to have this opportunity to ink these articles to you. I anticipate you have had the opportunity to read some of the past real estate articles I have put forth in this paper titled: “Why People of African Descent Must Invest in Real Estate”, “The Joy of Home Ownership”, “A Comeback from Short Sale or Foreclosure”, Simple Steps to make Home Ownership a Reality”, and “Tips on Buying a Home After a Short Sale”; just to name a few.

From these articles, I have had several readers contacted me asking important questions pertaining to the home ownership process.

These questions posed by readers such as you gave birth to the following questions and answers. Here we go!

Question: What are the benefits of home ownership?

Answer: A home is an investment. When you rent, you are throwing money away.

You write a monthly check and that money is gone forever. But when you own your home you enjoy a lot of benefits such as writing of your mortgage interest, you can deduct a room in your home as home office business expense and biggest advantage is the principle you pay on the mortgage is like putting money in the bank in the form of equity. Home ownership allow you landscape your yard/backyard how you want it, decorate/paint or renovate your house as you please without dealing with obstinate landlord. The joy of home ownership is priceless.

Question: What documents are required?

Answer: Copies of bank account statements; most recent paycheck stub detailing your earnings; copies of your last 2 years' income tax returns; statement of any investments, list of debts on loans and employment verification.

Question: What credit score do I need?

Question: I have a bad credit can I buy a house?

Answer: Having a bad credit now should not deter you from your dreams or goals or destiny of home ownership. It will require some work on your part to bring you to a credit worth buyer. You can contact me and discuss the strategies that can be taken to reach this goal.

Question: How much down payment is needed?

Answer: The amount of down payment required will depend on the type of loan you are qualified for. There are government programs that requires 0% down payment; however there are eligibility guidelines set for one to be approved. There are Veteran Administration (VA) loan and Conventional loan. However, FHA is the most common type of loan. Typically, FHA requires a 3.5% down payment of the loan amount or the total sale price of the transaction.

Question: In addition to the mortgage payment, what other costs will I be responsible for?

Answer: Well, if you are renting and utilities are covered in your rent, this might be new to you. As a home owner you will be responsible for paying your gas, electricity, water, insurance, property taxes, and possible homeowner association (HOA) fees. Typically, property taxes are rolled into your mortgage payment.

Question: I have foreclosed/short sale in the past, can I still buy now?

Answer: Yes, it is definitely possible to come back to buy a house again after foreclosure or short sale of a property.

I hope this addresses some of the burning questions you have for making the bold decision to emerge into the idea of home ownership.

For more information about your real estate needs (buying, selling, and leasing/renting a house) call me at 571-229-6694 and I will help you get started. Blessings in full portion!

Anita A. Bediako- REALTOR® –Licensed in the Common Wealth of Virginia Prince William County-Local ExpertCONTACT 571-229-6694; Email: abediako@pwrealty.com

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Afrikan

Mount Vernon Wrestler Adusei-Poku Wins 138Pound State Title

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Atlanta Silverbacks Resign Sierra Leone Forward Shaka Bangura For Upcoming Season

6236 Oscar Court Woodbridge VA 22193

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editor@afrikanpost.com

A gn es Ow u s u - Brigh t CEO

Amy AnsongMount Vernon wrestler Bill Adusei-Poku used his loss in the 2014 132-pound state championship match as motivation entering his junior year.He hasn’t lost a VHSL match since.

Adusei-Poku capped an undefeated junior season by winning the 5A 138pound state title on Feb. 20 at during the VHSL state meet at Robinson Secondary School. Adusei-Poku defeated Kempsville’s Kobe Laxa via 53 decision in the state final.

The win improved Adusei-Poku’s 2014-15 record to 33-0. “[It] just made me more motivated to win,” Adusei-Poku wrote in an email, “and to work harder to accomplish my goals.”The state championship was Adusei-Poku’s second in three years. As a freshman, he won the AAA 126-pound championship.“It felt great being back on top of the podium,” Adusei-Poku wrote, “and I can’t say that it felt better than the last because they’re both great feelings.” Matoaca won the 5A team championship with a score of 78. Broad Run finished runner-up (67), followed

by Hickory (52),Great Bridge (51) and Mountain View (43).Mount Vernon tied for 14th place with 19 points. In the 6A tournament, West Potomac’s Joshua Carter placed fourth in the 160- pound bracket. Carter, a 6A North region champion, lost to Riverbend’s Alex Miller, 9-3, in the third-place match. The Wolverines finished 26th in the team standings with eight points.

— Jon Roetman

The former Crystal Palace youth product, Michael Boateng, was jailed for 16 months in December 2014 and issued with a lifetime ban from the English FA, which has now been extended by world governing body Fifa, after he accepted charges relating to his time at Whitehawk FC.

A statement on Fifa's website read: A lifetime ban imposed by The Football Association (The FA) against British player Michael Boateng (from England) in relation to match manipulation has been extended by FIFA to have worldwide effect.

The Federation of International Football have handed Ghanaian player Michael Boateng a worldwide liftetime ban from football after he admitted accepting a bribe to fix a match in the Conference South.

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Man agin g Ed it or G eorge Br ight- A bu Email:editor @af r ikanpos t.com

Ghanaian Youngster Handed Lifetime Ban By FIFA

Source: http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/

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Pu b lis h ed By Brigh t Ho u s e Prod u ct io n s

By: SEM Contributor on March 2, 2015.

Just days after his 29th birthday, Sierra Leonean forward Shaka Bangura was announced by the Atlanta Silverbacks. Bangura appeared in six matches – starting five – with Atlanta in 2014. Bangura joins Jaime Chavez and Matt Horth to construct a three-headed strike force for 2015.

“Shaka is a terrific addition that adds natural pace and the ability to put real fear into defenders by getting into aggressive areas beyond the back four,” Silverbacks head coach Gary Smith said. “He has a genuine desire and hunger that is reflected in how he trains and how he affects players around him.

“He is another creative addition that I’m sure the fans will be excited to see in a Silverbacks shirt again this coming season.”

Bangura offers a wealth of football experience across the globe, boasting a resume featuring runs in the Indonesia Super League, Cypriot First Division, Thai Premier League and U.S. Soccer’s third-tier USL. Before representing Atlanta, he most recently played with PS Barito Putera in the Indonesia Super League, scoring four goals with four assists. In 2013, he moved to the Thai Premier League where he scored 12 goals in all competitions for Samut Songkhram FC a year after scoring once and adding four assists in the Cypriot First Division with Anagennisi Deryneia.

Bangura played at Montreat College in North Carolina, scoring 59 goals with 31 assists en route the Appalachian Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and two AAC Player of the Year honors. He signed his first professional contract out of college in 2010, becoming a member of the Puerto Rico Islanders in the NASL. A year later he moved to the USL’s Richmond Kickers, where he netted eight goals and eight assists.

He stated, “I’m very happy to resign with the Silverbacks, It’s always good to play at home especially in front of my family and friends.” Bangura won the NASL (US division 2) Championship with the Puerto Rico Islanders in 2010 is looking forward to achieve the same goal and more this year. “I am looking forward to scoring a lot of goals and helping the team win the Championship this year,” he said. Bangura who recently celebrated his 29th birthday concluded that his signing was the best birthday present anyone could ask for.

March 2015

Michael Boateng admitted to charges laid against him by The FA for several breaches of The FA Rules, including accepting a bribe, gift, reward or other consideration which was, or appeared to be, related to seeking to influence the outcome or conduct of a match or competition. The player also admitted to the charge of failing to report the offer made to him.

The charges relate to matches in the Conference South in the sixth tier of the English football league system in 2013.

Source: ITV

A s s ociate Editor

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