Netherlands close 8 prisons due to lack of criminals

 


As prison populations surge in the UK, with overcrowded cells and repeat offenders, the opposite is happening in the Netherlands.
The country is actually to close eight prisons because of a lack of criminals, the Dutch justice ministry has announced.
Declining crime rates in the Netherlands mean that although the country has the capacity for 14,000 prisoners, there are only 12,000 detainees, reported the nrc.nl.
The decrease is expected to continue, the ministry said, with Deputy justice minister Nebahat Albayrak saying that natural redundancy and other measures should counter any forced lay-offs.
A report last year on prison overcrowding said that surging populations undermined the rehabilitation of prisoners and risked increasing reoffending in the future.
The Criminal Justice Alliance (CJA), which represents more than 60 organisations, called for the government to urgently limit “the unnecessary use of prison, ensuring it is reserved for serious, persistent and violent offenders for whom no alternative sanction is appropriate”.
It came after Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick said the rising pressure on prisons from budget cuts and increasing numbers cannot go on indefinitely.
Read more: Huffington post
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Judging 'controversy' can't steal Floyd Mayweather's thunder in lopsided win over Canelo Alvarez

 Not everyone goes home from an evening in Vegas $8,000 in profit but Cynthia J. Ross did just that on Saturday night. And even though Ross, a ringside judge, pocketed approximately 5,000 times less than Floyd Mayweather, it is hard to argue that she deserved a cent of it.

While every pay-per-view customer around the world, every fan at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, both Mayweather and his opponent, Canelo Alvarez, and even the guy with the wonky eyesight squinting from the nosebleed section saw that this was one of the biggest blowouts in recent boxing history, a lady with one of the best seats in the house missed it.

Ross scored the contest, if you can call it that, as a 114-114 draw, handing six rounds to each fighter. To all other witnesses, it seemed like the Mexican youngster barely landed six convincing punches, let alone did enough meaningful work to deserve a judge's nod.
In Ross' defense … (crickets).
Horrendous judging does nothing for the credibility of boxing and her reported paycheck of $8,000 should at least demand a certain level of competence. Mayweather's response when the decision was announced – "What the [expletive] is that?" said it all. Of course, boxers are routinely able to delude themselves over the actual veracity of the decision-making but there should have been no confusion here.
"It was so one-sided," boxing legend Bernard Hopkins said. "I don't care who it is, when it is not right, it is not right. I don't know where it came from."

 Just as Mayweather knew that he had convincingly won just about every round, so too was Alvarez well aware of how badly he had been beaten. The 23-year-old's corner even told him at the midway point that he needed to win every round from that stage onwards, evidence that they believed he had been shut out until then. 

Even the cards of Dave Moretti (116-112 to Mayweather) and Craig Metcalfe (117-111) left something to be desired. Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole scored it 120-108, while all three Showtime television experts gave Alvarez no more than two rounds. 

The official statistics showed that Mayweather landed a total of 232 punches, compared to 117 for Alvarez. He was especially dominant with the jab, connecting with 139 to 44.
"He was simply too good," Alvarez conceded after the fight.

That sentiment was obvious to everyone except Ross, who incredibly gave Alvarez rounds 1, 3, 8, 9, 11 and 12 was also one of the judges that gave Timothy Bradley a laughable decision over Manny Pacquiao last June. 

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer was furious that boxing's biggest fight of the year was tainted by such ludicrous judging. Ross was appointed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which selects all judges for fights within its jurisdiction.

"The whole world was watching and obviously that scorecard was a disgrace," Schaefer said. "How that judge could be appointed after the decision of Bradley and Pacquiao is not a question I can answer. How can that happen? Is it going to happen again?"
For his part, Mayweather took the high road (sort of) when asked about the judging controversy.

"The best commission in the world is the Nevada commission, so I’ll leave it in their hands," Mayweather said. "[Ross], I think, could be older. I believe it’s a woman, she could be kind of older."

Alcohol, smoking rule night life at motor parks

In major cities and towns across the country, villages strategically located along highways, there are up to more than 3000 motor parks and joints in  which travellers eat, drink and smoke without mandatory closing time, from morning through the night till day break.

Licensing authorities at any level of government are not in place to regulate and control the establishment and activities of these kiosks, stores, drinking palours, joints, restaurants, open spaces with tables and chairs mounted to sell alcohol- all within a few blocks in some cases, around the neighbourhood or vicinity.

In the Lagos metropolis for example, these motor parks for both intra and inter-state travelling can be found at Ojota, Maza-Maza, Mile 2, Mile 12, Jibowu, Ojuelegba, Oshodi, Iyana-Iba, Iyana-Ipaja, Agege, Oworo, Sango-Otta, Abule-Egba and Ikotun.
A Lagos motor-park

A Lagos motor-park

Others are at Lekki, Obalende, CMS, Owode, Ikorodu, Epe, Volks, Ajah and other places with high concentration of people across Nigeria.

At most of these motor-parks and major bus stops, operators of the drinking spots are usually women and young girls. All sorts of alcoholic drinks are sold. From soft drinks to beer, stout, wines, brandy, gordon gin, chelsea, Bertola, illicit gin locally known as “ogogoro” in various components.

Cigarettes of different brands including Indian hemp (marijuana), cocaine, heroin are also not left out. Majority of the customers are bus and taxi drivers, tricycle operators, conductors, motor-cyle riders and Agberos when they want to cool down after running up and down extorting money from private commercial transporters.

In addition, there are numerous travellers,  day and night, boarding buses to different destinations in the East, West, South and North, and even to neigbbouring countries in the sub-West  African region.

Some people preferred night travels inspite of the danger involved as  armed robbers could disguise as genuine passengers only to pull out guns while on the journey. Armed robbers may operate on the highway, shooting and dispossessing passengers of their goods, luggages and money.

Before the journey commenced, travellers often waited for the night buses to load which could depart between 10pm and 12 midnight. They will relax at these joints to drink and eat before departure time.

Some of these inter-state bus drivers often consumed excessive liquor before hitting the road on a trip that could last for five, eight, twelve hours and above.

According to a traveller at Maza-Maza park going to Abuja, a lot of accidents are caused by reckless druken drivers. “There are no government guidelines  on alcohol consumption especially for commercial drivers in this country. The Police should crack down on the patrons and the bars around motor parks who sell alcohol indiscriminately.

“We don’t have restrictive time for sale of drinks and it’s particularly wrong for drivers to be under the influence of alcohol while driving. By this, they are putting the lives of passengers in grave danger.”

Reports have showed that thousands of Nigerians die annually on road accidents due to reckless driving. Moreover the government itself seems to lack a coherent alcohol policy.

Investigation by Saturday Vanguard showed that  many people  are against unlimited sale and use of alcohol by commercial transport operators, preferring a ban outright of alcohol sale in motor parks. The government has not found a way out of this to address the growing concern from the public on this  issue. “We are building a big problem ahead if we don’t really find a workable solution to alcohol-related road accidents in our country”, said Mr. Kennedy Tosin, a textile dealer, a frequent traveller.

“A minority of dealers in alcoholic drinks at motor parks are responsible for the carnage on our highways. A staggered closing hours for sale of drinks to commercial drivers will reduce the number of accidents on the roads. Varied hours can help and consumption pegged at tolerable limit,” he suggested.

According to Tosin, “if you allow people to drink more, they will drink more and that could lead to more antisocial behaviour, crime and more abuse of alcohol.”

He added: “A lot of people share this view. In a typical Friday night around motor parks thousands of people roll up to over 300  restaurants, bars, beer palours, disco clubs, licensed and unlicensed to sell alcohol. They serve drinks, chicken and fried meat from 5pm to as late as 5a.m. in some cases.”

It has been discovered that at times, violent crimes and kidnapping are hatched from these spots. Prostitution also flourished as women of easy virtue stayed around looking for customers who will take them home.

No wonder Police often raided such places in search of criminals who hang around these “dark spots”.

Some people, after spending time at the motor parks, proceed to night clubs in quest of more fun. It’s like having good time around the clock. Those without permanent places of abode, could move into nearby places with facilities for toilet and bathing to clean up and start another day afresh.

Some travellers are however compelled to stay very late at the motor parks which have also become transit zones for those who arrived a city late in the night without immediate connecting transportation to their eventual destination.

Truck and trailer drivers conveying haulage goods from the west to the north and East could stop at Ore, Oluku  junction, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode to rest and re-fuel. In the course of the long journey, they make use of the entertainment facilities in the motor parks to relax, eat, drink and socialise within the environment.

So these motor parks provide ‘safe haven” for genuine travellers, “shelter” for travellers in transit, drinks and food for many, and hide outs for the criminally minded. Therefore, the good and the bad, often availed themselves with what the motor parks  can offer.

In the first half of 2013, about 1,397 persons were killed in road accidents in different parts of Nigeria. Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC Corps Marshal Osita Chidoka who disclosed this recently said that the frequency of these accidents were due to “non-compliance with traffic laws, especially overspeeding by motorists”, adding, “the current situation calls for urgent steps to deal with the menace of road traffic crashes.”
SOURCE

Costa Concordia: How cruise ship tragedy transformed an island paradise

  
Giglio, Italy (CNN) -- Father Lorenzo Pasquotti keeps hundreds of cards and letters from the passengers and crew members who survived the wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise liner on a shelf in the rectory of the brick-faced Church of the Madonna of Giglio, just up the narrow street from the island's only port.

Many of the letters, handwritten in English, German, French and Italian, are addressed simply to "Giglio, Italy 58012" to no one in particular, almost as if the island itself is a person. When the postal carrier brings the mail over on the morning ferry from the Italian mainland, he either leaves the new letters with Mayor Sergio Ortelli or at the church with Father Pasquotti. After all, Giglio has always been the type of place where the mailman knows exactly who is around and who is not.

 READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Ifeanyi Uba gives Agulu a new Igwe: Obienyem..

 During The flag-off of Labour party campaign, Ifeanyi Ubah, whose Capital Oil is now being managed by AMCON for over 160 Billion Naira he is owing to banks and ehseprivate jet is up for sale by the same AMCOM, typical of him, got one charlatan from Obe village, Agulu, Mr. Julius Ilo, an Ichie, to pretend to be the Igwe Of Agulu. We do not know what he paid him. Is this the character of a person that will govern Anambra State?

The real Igwe, HRH, Igwe Innocent Obodoakor was throughly embarrassed. He called his Cabinet meeting immediately and Julius was suspended as an Ichie. There will be another meeting today, where he will most probably be removed as an Ichie, for lack of character.

With the report to the Police, the Ichie got wind that he might be arrested, prosecuted and jailed for impersonation is already on the run.

We shall feed you as details unfold.

So gentlemen, what do you think about Ifeanyi Uba?

By Valentine Obienyem

Kim and Kanye inspect construction of their $11million mansion

Kim and Kanye, who have been living with Kim's mum since welcoming their daughter, were seen yesterday inspecting on-going construction of their $11million mansion in Bel Air. Kim bought the stunning Mediterranean-style mansion brand new last month but wanted some renovations before moving in.

Monalisa looking stunning as she gets ready for her birthday party

Monalisa Chinda is a year older today and I hear there's a party going down tonight. Happy birthday Ms Chinda.

Former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Agagu passes on at 65

Former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Agagu has passed on. Agagu, who also served as minister of power under Obasanjo administration reportedly slumped and died this evening Friday September 13th at his home in Lagos. He was 65 years old. May his soul rest in peace...amen.

Court sentences 4 men to death for gang rape and murder of student

The four Indian men who attacked and raped a 23 year old student on a Delhi bus on December 16th 2012, have been sentenced to death by hanging. An Indian court ruled today Friday September 13th that the men deserved to die for the vicious attack which left the victim with such severe internal injuries she died two weeks later. 

The victim and her boyfriend had been returning from a movie date when they encountered the rapists inside one of India’s many private buses. The driver of the bus and four friends had taken the bus out into the night, looking for sex. Unfortunately the victim and her boyfriend got into the bus not knowing what would happen next.

According to court documents, the men attacked the couple, beating them before taking the woman to the back of the bus and raping her one by one, then penetrating her body with iron rods. She died at a hospital in Singapore several days later. The bus driver, Ram Singh, committed suicide in his jail cell in March. The judge said in court today that they are hoping the sentence will serve as a ‘strong deterrent’ to others in a country where crimes against women, especially rape, is on the rise.

2015: Jonathan kicks off campaign

 

The presidency has picked holes in the rumours making the rounds that the sack of nine Ministers by President Goodluck Jonathan had political undertones.

Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak explained that the decision to unseat the ministers was far from being connected with the current crises rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan

Speaking while inaugurating a 44 member Elders Committee, Gulak at the behest of the Goodluck Support Group (GSG) stated that the unity of the country remained paramount over and above parochial interest of persons or group of individuals in the polity.

According to him: “This is the decision of Mr. President. It is his constitutional power to hire and fire. The ministers were working for Mr. President and it has nothing to do with the PDP misunderstanding and disagreement. I believed that ministers who were relieved of their appointments had already contributed their own quota.

Apparently referring to members of the “New PDP” faction,  Gulak who is the national coordinator of the GSG noted that the PDP-led administration would not be intimidated with the presence of any viable opposition political party.

Charging members of the committee to work assiduously to keep both the PDP and the country at peace, he said: “There are some few people who believe that power must always belong to them and who believe you and me cannot lead this country. But we know that in this country, it is God that decides what he wants. No human being is a partner to God.

Anybody who tries to assert himself above where God has put us in Nigeria’s political development is only dealing with himself.

Power belongs to God.
Reacting, former Deputy Senate President, Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu who was one of the Elders assured that with the constitution of the elders committee, the PDP now enmeshed in internal crises would reenact its potency ahead of the 2015 poll.

Among members of the 44 elders committee were former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, Sheik Dan Zangar, Rev Yusuf Turaki, Bishop Thomas Okpor, Maj Gen Patrick Aziza (rtd), Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, Bishop C.N William, Sheik Dahiru Bauchi, Prof Jibril Aminu, Gen Yakubu Usman (rtd), Gen Haladu Hananiya (rtd), Prof Jerry Gana, Dr Olusegun Agagu, Dr Okwesileze Nwodo, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, Chibudom Nwuche, Saidu Umaru Kumo, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, Chief Solomon Lar, Alhaji Abba Dabo, Lili Gabari, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, Bode Olajumoke, Prof Jibril Aminu, Senator Umar Hambagda, Alha Musa Liman, Aisha Aliyu Zamfara, Aisha Alhassan, Sam Ode, Senator Ayoola Agboola, Patricia Etteh, Dr Eze Kano and Alhaji Danlkadi Maidugu.

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU, Abuja

BBA The Chase star Beverly Osu debuts Colourful Hairstyle

Beverly Osu is definitely one of this year’s break out star.

The Big Brother Africa season 8 housemate has constantly been making headlines since she returned from the competition in South Africa.

The model/video vixen is currently making media rounds in cities like Abuja and Calabar with her fellow Nigerian housemate Melvin Oduah.

With the spotlight constantly on you, switching up your style is key and that is what Beverly did. She recently debuted a new hairstyle.

From her long brown hair, she is now rocking dark wavy locks with green highlights. Check out recent photos of the star at an event in Abuja and the Ebony Life TV studio in Calabar.

Yay or Nay?

Photo Credit: www.twitter.com/melvin0duah

Breaking News: Catholic priests to be allowed to marry if..

 

In what is an unprecedented move, the Vatican has opened the door to the possibility of Catholic priests being allowed to marry.

For centuries Catholic Church tradition has required celibacy from priests and the Canon Law of the church clearly states: “Clerics are obliged to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, and therefore are bound to celibacy, which is a special gift of God by which sacred ministers can adhere more easily to Christ with an undivided heart and are able to dedicate themselves more freely to the service of God and humanity.”

However, Archbishop Pietro Parolin, the incoming No. 2 in the Catholic Church when be becomes secretary of state next month, has declared that priestly vow of celibacy derived from an age-old rule but was not Catholic dogma.

“It’s not a dogma of the Church and it can be discussed because it’s an ecclesiastical tradition,” Archbishop Parolin told El Universal in Venezuela, where he is completing his term as Papal Nuncio.

This has been interpreted to mean that the church under reformist-minded Pope Francis I would welcome married priesthood if most Catholics so desire.

The number of priests has been declining steadily partly because of the rule on celibacy. In the United States alone, about 30,000 priests have left because they wanted to pursue a relationship.

“I think it would be an enormously welcome conversation,” Thomas Groome, a professor of theology at Boston College, USA, told interviewers. “I think Catholics, certainly American Catholics, but Catholics of the world, have been waiting for this conversation.”

Groome said that the idea of complete celibacy among the clergy only started to become standard practice in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries, adding:

“As far as we can tell from the Gospels, all of the apostles were married, with the possible exception of John.” VIA Times Of London.