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A housewife, Mrs Tosin

Adekunle, 28, on Wednesday sued her

husband, Tope Adekunle, for divorce at a

customary court in Ado-Ekiti, over

allegations of adultery, battering, lack of

affection and neglect of their two children.

She told the court that her husband had

also failed to perform his conjugal

responsibilities.

Tosin said that Tope had beaten her to

point of death and had thrown her

belongings out of their matrimonial home.

She alleged that her husband impregnated

their pastor’s daughter.

According to her, she can no longer bear

the negative attitude of her estranged

husband.

However, Tope did not show up in court

to defend himself on the allegations.

The President of the court, Mr Joseph

Ogunsemi, adjourned the case to Nov. 4

for further hearing.

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A woman identified as Hajiya Lanti Danfulani visited a community in Soba Local Government Area of Kaduna State ‘to administer traditional medicine on the sick,’ but ended up allegedly stealing a 10-day-old baby boy. She was also said to have changed the baby’s facial features and renamed him

Barely 10 days after his birth and two days after his naming ceremony, Abdul-Shakur was stolen from his parents. A woman identified as Hajiya Lanti Danfulani allegedly stole the baby boy from his parents in Maitankadi village in Soba Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The suspect was said to have arrived in the village, administering traditional medicine to clients before she allegedly made away with the baby.
Weekly Trust gathered that Hajiya Lanti after allegedly stealing Abdul-Shakur, relocated to Saminaka in Lere Local Government Area, where she reportedly changed his facial features by administering a tribal mark on his face and re-naming him Hassan.
Hassana Badamasi, the boy’s biological mother, told Weekly Trust that Abdul-Shakur was her eighth child and was discovered missing on May 7, 2013, exactly 10 days after his birth.
She said the little boy was discovered three months after, in another woman’s house in Saminaka.
In Saminaka, it was gathered that Hajiya Lanti, who had left her husband’s house for a long time, surprisingly returned with a male child, claiming she gave birth to twins, but one of them had died.
The biological mother of the baby said “she came to our house claiming that she foresees danger in the life of our new born baby. She then gave me three different traditional medicines that I should bathe with them, burn another one in our room before sleeping and also administer the other one on my child. She said I should not close my door if I want to burn the medicine in my room.
“At about 7pm when she gave me the medicine, I did not use it as she said until the evening of the next day. I fell asleep at about 8pm and when I woke up, I could not find my child,” Hassana said.
Hassana continued: “his father was not even at home. There were no clothes on him, because he had urinated and because of the deep sleep I fell into, I removed his clothes without replacing it with another before he was stolen. I came out of the room shouting that I can’t find my child and my co-wife came out of her room to ask what the problem was, I told her I can’t find my child. In few minutes, people gathered and informed our traditional ruler about what happened and he asked everyone in the community to pray about it.”
Weekly Trust gathered that few months later, there were rumours in the community that a woman in Saminaka who used to visit Maitankadi village, administering traditional medicine, may likely be the one who stole the child.
“Some members of our community went to Saminaka to investigate. They discovered that the woman who always visited our community to give out traditional medicine was with the child. They asked her about the owner of the child, she replied that the child was hers. But people in her community (Saminaka) said they are not aware about the time she gave birth. They collected the child and gave it to our people,” Hassana said, adding that “the woman went wild, insisting that it was her child and that she gave birth to him in another community.”
It was further learnt that when the child was brought to Hassana after his retrieval from the suspected thief, three months after, she looked at the child for several hours before recognizing him, because of the second tribal mark on his face given to him by Hajiya Lanti.
“The woman, Hajiya Lanti had given my son another tribal mark and a name. This is the mark we gave him and here is the one she gave him,” Hassana said, pointing at the mark.
Hajiya Lanti, who allegedly stole the baby, admitted that she gave out traditional medicine to Hassana (mother of the child), adding that she took the baby with the consent of his father who owed her N20, 000 in connection with traditional medicine she gave him.
“I visited the community to condole with them over the death of an old woman, when I met with the father of the child and he promised to give me N20,000 to give him traditional medicine. He said a night before the boy was born, he (the father) heard strange movement at the back of his house and was suspecting a foul play,” Lanti said.
“But I encouraged him to pray. I did not go back that day. He asked me to take the child away, because he was scared that something might happen. When I reached the house, he told me that the naming of the child was conducted yesterday, but that I should wait till the following day. I came back and carried the child and left on a motorcycle,” Hajiya Lanti said.
Hajiya Lanti, Weekly Trust learnt, had lied to her husband Danfulani that she gave birth to twins while she was away, claiming that one died, so that she could keep the stolen baby.
“I left his house with pregnancy, but I lost it. I told my husband that the child was his so that he can allow me stay in his house. I even told him that doctors said the child should not drink ordinary water except bottled water and we named him Hassan and gave him a tribal mark to tally with that of my husband’s relations. Few months later, I was called by some people who asked me about the owner of the child. I told them the child was mine because of the agreement I’ve had with the father in Maitangadi village,” she said.
“They said we should go to my house so that they will see the child. When we reached my house, before I could talk, one of them forcefully collected the child from my hands,” she said.
Kaduna Police spokesman Aminu Lawan said the police were contacted at Saminaka concerning a missing child. “The police commenced investigations and she was traced. The mother of the baby claimed she fell asleep when the baby was stolen and we commenced investigation”.
“The woman who allegedly stole the baby said she carried the baby with the consent of the father. The father of the child, however, denied the allegation, saying he never gave out his new born baby to any person for whatever reasons.
“I am not in the picture of what she is saying,” the father of the stolen baby said.
“We are still investigating, because there is yet another child and she claims to be the biological mother. As soon as we finish, she will be charged to court,” Lawan added.

Source WeeklyTrust

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What has Chuddy K been up to recently?
I’ve been working with both my management team in setting up Kent records and also making good music.

It seems you relaxed a little after the release of ‘gaga Crazy’ and ‘Brazilian hair’. Was it because they were doing well in the market?
I would beg to differ because I was actually on various international tours promoting those songs.

Having had many popular songs, which would you say really gave you prominence?
I would say ‘Slow Slow’. The song enjoyed huge acceptance across the length and breadth of the continent and for this I am eternally grateful to my many fans across Africa and the rest of the world.

What was the inspiration behind the song?
It’s more like your typical boy loves girl and the feeling is not mutual and the boy is suffering and confused. I’m sure we’ve all experienced this (laughs).

Now that you are one of the artistes that Nigerians look up to for good music, how do you intend to keep your fans satisfied?
I intend to do this fully by continuing to meet their demand for good music, I’ve got massive tunes that will be dropping soon under Kent records.

Critics thought you were only good at singing slow R n B songs until you came out with Gaga Crazy. Why did you decide to change genres?
Good music is from the soul which I believe has no genre. I also decided to try something different, which was a huge success.

‘Gaga Crazy’ was really accepted across the continent and beyond. How did you come about the title of the song?
It’s what you want to do when you are really having a good time at the club after a long week on a Friday, you just want to let loose, unwind and go ‘gaga’. It’s crazy in here, ‘gaga crazy’.


A lot of people compare you and Wande Coal...What is your take on this?
Not much, it’s expected. After all, we were both in the same Acapella group called ‘Salvation boiz’ and a lot of people say we sound alike.

What type of music does Chuddy K do?
Good music

What were your greatest musical influences growing up?
Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, Usher.


What challenges have you faced in your craft and how do you intend to overcome them and become one of the most sought after artistes in Nigeria?
What I intend to do is to simply continue making and effectively promoting my music so that I can meet the demand of my fans and together with my team here at Kent records, all I can say is that my fans should get ready.

What is your take on the recent endorsements of your colleagues in the industry?
I love making good music and that’s my major focus.

Critics say these endorsements may discourage the upcoming artistes as the sudden wealth may make the endorsed artistes snub their yet-to-be endorsed artistes. Could this be true?
I don’t think this is true, as having an endorsement means that you are more talented or you make better music. This shouldn’t discourage anyone because as long as you keep making your music, opportunities will continue to open up to you.

Being a ladies’ man, how have you been able to steer clear from scandals?
Na God o, because man proposes and he disposes

Is Chuddy K single?
I am in a relationship

What is your ideal kind of woman?
A home maker who is confident in herself

What’s your normal day like?
Chilling with friends, listening to good music and playing fifa 13 on ps3

Tell us something no one knows about you.
Hmm, I once sold pure water on the streets of Lagos

What would you have been if not an artiste?
A footballer

Tell us a bit about your early life and education?
I grew up in a Lagos suburb called Ajegunle where I attended my primary education at Queens care nursery/primary school, I later moved out of Ajegunle to Agboju Amuwo near Festac Town, where I had my secondary education at Awori Ajeromi Grammar School and then I moved to Upper College, Aiyetoro-Ijaninkin where I wrote my WAEC examinations. My life as a youth was not a very pleasant one, which contributed to my moving around to get educated. My parents were divorced some few months after my birth and I was left to stay with my dad at that tender age. I even did some other odd jobs to see myself through school and life.

Describe your early family life.
I started singing at a tender age of 12 back then in Ajegunle where I grew up appreciating the likes of Daddy Showkey and Daddy Fresh, who started their careers around me as a kid in the ghetto called Iya Ojo, in Ajegunle.
As music started paving good ways for them, I started having aspirations of becoming a star like them. I later became a teenage chorister in the church I was attending back then; I was upgraded to the lead vocalist in a short time due to my musical prowess.
I attended musical contests and concerts with the church choir (Victory Christian Church) but later left Ajegunle for Agboju, where I met with a friend called Jerry who introduced me to some of his friends who had just formed a gospel group called the Salvation Boiz.


Your most memorable moments in your musical career?
Every day of my music journey has been memorable.

Your most embarrassing moments?
When I was punked in a mall in South Africa.

Culled From Tribune

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A fan who is crazily in love with Mary johnson tweeted saying "I will love to be taken care by u and u alone, plz am just a guy of 18yrs and am ready to do whatever u want, I promise"

And Mercy Johnson gave him the best reply ever by telling him that he needs Jesus

I really belive the guy need Jesus 4real!!!

Whats ur view on this???

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Nigeria’s representative at this season’s edition of big brother ‘the chase’ Beverly and Melvin did a little tour of Abuja radio stations in company of Denrele, Uti, Selly from Ghana and made a major stop at hot 98.3 Abuja where Denrele revealed he helped Beverly fill her form which earned her the spot to represent Nigeria at the competition.

Most people had expressed disgust at Big Brother’s choice of Beverly as Nigeria’s representative, arguing that she is not a representation of a true ‘Nigerian Girl’…

*Denrele

Denrele says “I had a lot of people come to me during the ‘Beverly season’ funny thing is that we filled Beverly form in Goldie’s house, Goldie was in US at the time, I had filled 12, then another 12 infact close to like 50 people, everybody had their own personality and I had to make it special for everyone.

‘In her (Beverly) own case, I kept telling her oya (sic) start writing, she was a little non-challant, before we even got Beverly to write it was difficult, others took it seriously, we just need people to give us that extra push in this country which is what we lack, the industry is wide enough for everyone.

Big Brother House mate Oneal from Botswana was quoted to have said ‘he was in the studio and they came to pick him up for the Competition’

Story by Cheezy Charles

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A Berlin man has become the first in Germany to give birth to a baby.

He identifies as male, but has a female reproductive system.

The baby boy was born on March 18th this year in a home birth, as hospitals are required to write the name of the mother in their records when a child is born.

It was delivered with the help of a midwife in the Neukölln area of Berlin.

On government records the new father, who is transgender, is registered as a man.

This makes him the first male in Germany to give birth, Berlin newspapers reported on Monday.

He reportedly became pregnant through a spérm donation.

Officially the child does not have a mother, only a father.

The case is reminiscent of transgender Thomas Beatie who has given birth to three children in the US.

Transgender people are able to give birth to children because even when a woman undergoes hormone therapy to become more physically masculine, they can retain female séx organs.

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PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh
| credits: trends.com.ng

The Peoples Democratic Party has said that the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), is not the best governor in Nigeria.

The PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, who said this in an interview with journalists in Abuja, said there were PDP governors who had done better than Fashola.

“I disagree with the view that Fashola is the best governor in Nigeria. There are PDP governors who did better than Fashola in terms of delivering dividends of democracy to their people. Have you been to Akwa Ibom, Jigawa, Cross Rivers and some other states that are being ruled by PDP governors?” Metuh said.

He said the seven governors who left the PDP performed better that Fashola and that the party was still proud of them despite their disagreement with the Bamangar Tukur-led executive.

He said, “The seven governors that said they had left the PDP are all great achievers. They have done well in their respective states and we are proud of them.

“The only grievance we have against them is that if they express the same commitment with which they transformed their states to the PDP, our party would have been greater.

“How can you say Fashola has performed better than our governors? I think the problem is that we don’t go to the media to shout. You need to visit those states and see the kind of development I am talking about.”

He said the PDP would not remove Tukur as a pre-condition for reconciling with its aggrieved members and that members of the party seeking for the chairman’s removal as a precondition for reconciliation without recourse to due process was not only undemocratic but unfair.

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Mike Ozekhome

Sources close to the family of the kidnapped human rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, have said that the legal luminary has not been released by his abductors due to the family’s inability to pay the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.

Our correspondent learnt that the kidnappers insisted on collecting N100m before they could release the legal luminary.

It was gathered that the kidnappers rejected the money offered to them by Ozekhome’s family, claiming that he had the capability to pay the required ransom.

A family source, who pleaded anonymity reportedly said, “They [the kidnappers] were saying that the lawyer is a very rich man, and N100m should be a ‘chicken change’ to him. They said they were aware that he made so much money from election tribunals’ litigation.”

Meanwhile, the kidnapped All Progressive Congress chief in Edo North, Mr. Athanasius Ugbome, who was kidnapped alongside Ozekhome, was on Sunday set free by the abductors.

His family allegedly paid N10.4m to facilitate his release.

The duo were kidnapped along the Benin-Auchi Road on August 23, before Ugbome regained freedom around 1am at an undisclosed place on Sunday.

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Mr. Gboyega Adesida

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has apprehended a car dealer, Mr. Gboyega Adesida, for allegedly obtaining money under false pretence.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect, who is the younger brother of Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adesida, allegedly defrauded one Abolade Shittu, of N10m.

The victim’s lawyer, Adefila Shittu, told our correspondent that his client had given the suspect five cars to sell for N10m.

He told PUNCH Metro that after selling the cars, the suspect refused to give the victim his money

He said, “Abolade approached Gboyega some five months ago and gave him five vehicles to sell for N10m. After weeks of waiting, he called Gboyega to know how far he had gone with the business but Gboyega said he had sold all the vehicles on credit to someone in Port Harcourt.

“This sounded suspicious because no wise businessman sells five vehicles on credit at the same time. Abolade continued to hassle Gboyega for the money but he was not forthcoming.

“One of Gboyega’s workers then disclosed that Gboyega had actually been paid in full but was only refusing to remit the money.”

Adefila told our correspondent that as Gboyega continued to dilly-dally; life became hard for his client, who had tied down all his money on the business.

He said, “Abolade imported the vehicles and was hoping to pay his licensed customs clearing agent from proceeds he had anticipated from selling the cars. Unfortunately, he also defaulted due to Gboyega’s dilly-dallying.

“The agent got Abolade arrested and he was detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, for two weeks.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that after Abolade’s release, he set out to get his money from Gboyega.

It was learnt that he went to see Gboyega and he (Gboyega) issued two cheques worth N10m.

“When the cheques were presented, they bounced. At that point, we had no choice but to involve EFCC because the said N10m was received through bank loan and we could not continue to owe,” Adefila said.

It was alleged that Gboyega continued to remain inaccessible for months as several visits paid to his office by Abolade proved abortive.

EFCC operatives were said to have traced his home in Ibadan and arrested him on Thursday.

When contacted on the telephone, the Head of Operations, EFCC, Iliyasu Kwarbai, confirmed Gboyega’s arrest to our correspondent.

He said the suspect had been released on bail.

When Gboyega was contacted on the telephone, he denied being a fraudster.

He told PUNCH Metro that he had only received the vehicles three months before.

He said, “I am not a fraudster. I am an honest businessman. The man (Abolade), gave me the car just about three months ago. I sold the cars on hire purchase and I told him to wait for another three months but he refused. I have even paid over N1.8m to him.

“He used EFCC to harass me but I was later released because they found out that I had no criminal intention. I will pay him his money.”

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Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji
| credits: File copy

The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has condemned the kidnapping of the Archbishop of the Niger Delta Province of the Anglican Communion of Nigeria, Ignatius Kattey, and his wife, Beatrice.

The cleric and his wife were abducted in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Friday night.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Adebayo, the Speaker said the development was sad and sacrilegious.

He said, “The sad news of the kidnapping of the Archbishop of the Niger Delta Province of the Anglican Communion of Nigeria, Archbishop Ignatius Kattey and his wife in Port-Harcourt is very sad and an unfortunate incident in our country at this period.

“The kidnapping of anybody at all is something that ought not to occur in any civilised society, not to even talk of kidnapping a man of God.

“The kidnapping is indeed a sacrilegious act that should be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians.”

Ikuforiji observed that the incident had, once again, underscored the need for state police, stating that a centrally-controlled policing system could not guarantee security in the country.

He said, “This unfortunate incident again goes to underscore the reason why we at the Lagos State House of Assembly have always strongly added our voice to those who have been calling for state police in our polity since it has become obvious that the Federal Government alone cannot guarantee the security and safety of all Nigerians with a centrally-controlled policing system anymore.”

The Speaker appealed to the cleric’s abductors to show human kindness on the man of God by “releasing him without any further delay.”

He added, “The fact is that such an evil act like this can only keep tarnishing the image of our great country, while also driving would-be investors away from Nigeria. And the implication of that is increased poverty and backwardness in the land.”

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Boko Haram members
| credits: File copy

No fewer than 17 people were killed and 17 others injured when suspected Boko Haram sect members attacked some members of the civilian vigilance group in Benisheik village, near Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Saturday night.

The attack came barely 48 hours after the Nigeria military raided an Islamic insurgent camp and killed about 50 sect members in the North.

While the 12 vigilance group members were killed, five Boko Haram members lost their lives and four AK-47 rifles were also retrieved in the clash.

According to an operative of the Civilian Joint Task Force Vigilance Group, Zannah Fannami, the vigilance members were killed while repelling Boko Haram’s attack on the town.

The 27-year-old operative, with the Civilian Joint Task Force vigilante group, who is receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for a bullet to his right thigh said, “We heard that they would be coming since Friday and had been keeping vigil all nights.

“Late Saturday night, when we least expected it, we heard a thunderous sound like that of a bomb coming from the direction of a soldiers’ post, then we decided to advance toward the sound and the Boko Haram gunmen, carrying sophisticated arms, opened fire on us, killing 12 of our members.”

The survivor explained that the vigilance group, which was formed to fight the Boko Haram insurgents, killed five of the sect members and took possession of four of that AK-47 rifles.

Another injured Civilian-JTF operative, 32-year-old Muhammed Abuwar, blamed the military for the attack, saying the soldiers refused to shield them from the “expected” attack.

Borno State Government labour adviser, Garba Ngamdu, who also hails from Benisheik, said one of vigilance members had died in the hospital as doctors tried to remove bullets from his body.

He also confirmed the death of the five Boko Haram members at the hands of vigilance members with machetes and said their corpses were on the outskirts of the town

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Gareth Bale

It was “incomprehensible” that Real Madrid paid Tottenham Hotspur €100m ($131.86m) to sign forward Gareth Bale as no player is worth that amount of money, former France striker Zinedine Zidane said on Sunday.

Bale, 24, joined the Spanish club on Sept. 1 in a world record transfer after months of speculation.

Zidane, who is now Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant coach at Real, joined the nine-time European champions in 2001 for a then record fee. He felt at the time that fee was over the top and cannot comprehend the money involved in Bale’s move.

“Ten years ago I was bought for €75m ($98.69m) and I said I was not worth this,” Zidane told French TV channel Canal Plus.

“Now I would think that a player is not worth this. It’s football, unfortunately it’s incomprehensible with what is happening to pay so much.”

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IF there is any good any Nigerian, irrespective of tribe, religion, colour or political persuasion could do for this country at this very moment is simply to support genuine efforts towards halting insurgency and other nefarious activities capable of threatening our continued existence as a nation.

Like other nations, Nigeria is not immune to insecurity. No country presently can deny the fact that it is not battling with one form of security challenge or the other. It is not peculiar to Nigeria.

The difference, however, is how an individual nation handles its own. Interestingly, while citizens of other nations play key roles in ensuring the protection of lives and property by voluntarily supplying security establishments with vital information for necessary actions, the reverse appears to be the case in our own society. Citizens of such nations have since realised that security is everyone’s responsibility and not that of government alone.

It appears some individuals are yet to accept the obvious fact that the dreaded Islamist group, Boko Haram, is not just an enemy of the government, but our common enemy as a people. We have every cause to be worried by the number of innocent Nigerians we have so far lost in different attacks orchestrated by the group. I sincerely do not expect anyone to be comfortable with the alarming state of insecurity in the country.

Recent revelations have shown that the Boko Haram group and its faceless adherents are enemies of both Muslim and Christian faithful.

It is, therefore, shocking when Kaduna based civil rights activist, Comrade Shehu Sani, blatantly faulted the Joint Military Task Force’s claim that Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, may have died during a gun duel with the JTF. Comrade Sani, who in the said press conference in Kaduna challenged government to present the late Shekau’s corpse if at all government wants to be taken serious, picked holes in government’s avowed determination to tackle insecurity frontally.

His action is not just uncalled for, but rather an attempt to portray the Nigerian military and the Federal Government as liars. The question is, what is Comrade Sani out to achieve? Is it relevance or recognition? One cannot but admit that Comrade Sani has indeed betrayed the confidence many had reposed in him in the years gone.

Expectedly, the flurry of condemnations that have greeted Comrade Sani’s unpatriotic disposition is an indication that most Nigerians are happy with what the government is doing to stamp out terrorism in the country.While right thinking Nigerians have no problem with Comrade Sani’s resolve to be heard, especially for his new found political party which he claimed he would use to contest for the post of governor or senator, must he play dirty politics to the detriment of our security and innocent young civilian volunteers who are assisting the military in apprehending the volunteers.

Many are rather disappointed by his resolve to be a cog in our wheel of progress, especially in the fight against insurgency, a development that has cost Nigeria both human and material resources.

As part of deliberate effort to get to the root of our security challenges, the President Goodluck Jonathan government has indeed opened its doors to all Nigerians to contribute their quota. The government believes strongly in the fact that all Nigerians should be part of running the affairs of the country. A landmark move made a few months back was the setting up of a Peace and Reconciliatory Committee headed by the Special Duties Minister, Tanimu Turaki. The committee comprised of eminent Nigerians cut across the length and breadth of the country. You will recall that government had included Comrade Sani in the said committee, but shockingly, the Comrade rejected his nomination for reasons that were not made public. Expectedly, many Nigerians, including this writer faulted Comrade Sani’s action. Many had expected him to offer his sound thoughts as well as enrich the committee’s deliberations by supplying them useful information. Instead, he turned down the offer. It never came to be so as he chose to distance himself from the committee.

Having distanced himself from the committee for reasons only known to him, we had expected him to allow the committee handle its assignment without distraction. Comrade Sani’s present claims are rather in bad taste. His present standpoint presents him more as one who is so pleased with Boko Haram’s continued attacks on innocent Nigerians. This, no doubt, is in sharp contrast with what Comrade Sani professes. A human rights crusader cannot afford to watch any human being, no matter how lowly placed, to be treated like an animal or being killed unjustly.

In sane societies, where much premium is attached to human life, a life lost is seen as a fatal blow on humanity. We have every reason to be worried. This mindless bloodletting must be halted. This is simply not the Nigeria that our founding fathers fought for with all they had to put in place. It is high time we stopped playing politics with lives. It is not about the government of the day, it is about the innocent lives that are being sent to early graves in different parts of the country.

Since Comrade Sani had declined to be part of those selected to bring the Boko Haram carnage to an end, he should not frustrate genuine efforts to end insurgency in Nigeria.

Mr. OLA LOOKMAN , member Youths Against Disaster Initiative, wrote from Abuja.
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Chief Olisa Metuh, the national publicity secretary of the Bamanga Tukur led Peoples Democratic Party, PDP spoke to newsmen at the weekend on the unfolding crisis in the PDP and efforts being made to resolve it. Frank, forceful and almost always forthright, Metuh who has had a large role in reinvigorating the publicity machinery of the PDP affirmed that the party needs a formidable chairman in the like of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur even as he was unapologetic on the party’s support for the Jonathan administration. Excerpts:

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

What is the state of affairs of things in your party?
The present crisis rocking the PDP has shown clearly that we do not have credible opposition party in the country. There’s no viable opposition in Nigeria politics. Definitely we have issues and few challenges. The issues have been PDP and about PDP (and) so long as we are able to resolve our differences we will still fight our interest on a common front.

Whatever opposition (that is there) is minimal and insignificant and ineffective whatsoever. What the crises has shown is that there is no viable opposition in Nigeria politics. They have no effect on the political setting at the national level except in some local government areas and states.

We as a party because we’re big, we had challenges in terms of interpretation of the constitution, procedure to run the party, ideas like people believing this is what we should be doing. We appreciate that some colleagues, governors want internal democracy.

The National Chairman is committed and the NWC are totally committed to internal democracy in the party. But it depends on description of internal democracy. Internal democracy and entrenching free and fair mechanism does not mean complete opposition to the party.

Don’t you think that it is a matter of honour for the president to abide by the alleged one term agreement he reached with governors?

Let us be honest. Is there any tape, any recording anywhere where the president of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan while he was campaigning ever said that he would run for one term.

But he never denied it when Obasanjo said it?

 

Are you aware that the issue of whether he can run or not is in court? There is a judicial interpretation being awaited. It will go to Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

Truncation of policies
So, why don’t you wait for the courts of our land to give their interpretation? So for now, the issue is not on the cards. For me assuming the president was not even going to run, it would have been completely impolitic for him to have said so last year, this year or two years ago. He would have been a lame-duck president, nobody would have obeyed him and his policies would be truncated.

 

 

Olisa Metuh

So, there is no way you come on board and you start from your first day and say you are not going to run. So, let us leave Mr. President to make up his mind, come up with his decision before the issue of the interpretation of his own decision can be given.

Why was Col. Oyinlola not reinstated along with others at the national convention?

Oyinlola’s matter is subjudice and the party merely stated that it would await the decision of the Court of Appeal. Oyinlola appealed and because he is in court there was no way we could take a decision.

But others…
The truth is that Oyinlola is my friend and I am one of those that believe that Oyinlola should have been the national secretary. He is a competent man and he did very well as national secretary and administratively. I sympathise with him about the fact that his own brothers, his own people went to court against him and it had nothing to do with the national secretariat. We hope it is resolved but now that he is saying that he belongs to a faction it is another thing.

Before we resigned we held a meeting and we were told that because of the INEC problem that we should resign and come for election at the national convention and that they will encourage all of us to run and that the people who do not make it because of one thing or the other that they will try and compensate them with appointments.

It has been claimed that your national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is not a member of the party as he was not formally readmitted after he was expelled in 2002?

Excuse me! You cannot just come out and say Bamanga Tukur should go like that. There are mechanisms for achieving that. You cannot say a national chairman of a ruling party should go like that. If you have anything against his person, you need to wait for mid-term convention and you give the man a vote of no confidence by voting him out.

Those calling for his removal are being unfair. They should tell us what they want and not that Tukur should go because he is supporting the president in the administration of the country. Every president in the history of this country worked with his party’s national chairman. Why should Tukur’s own be an exception?

Former presidents in this country have worked with their party’s chairmen and the National Working Committee of the party and the governors at the state level are being supported by the State Chairmen and the state executive committees of the party.

Resolving problems
Why is it now that there is a condition that Tukur should go? Is it because of his support for President Jonathan’s administration? It is undemocratic; it is unfair and un-political for anybody to give that as a condition.We should try and resolve our problems with things that are tenable, practicable and things that we can achieve.

On Tukur’s membership, let us not go into details whether Tukur is expelled as a member or not. Any member of our party, if he is very much aware, would remember that in 2006 and 2007, we had the Ekwueme Reconciliatory Panel that gave blanket amnesty to all members of this great party.

Whatever happened in this party pre-2006 and 2007, the Ekwueme’s Panel pardoned everybody and restored them to their original positions prior to that crisis. Anybody that is knowledgeable about history of our party and is truthful will stop talking about whether Tukur was expelled in the past or not. I am not aware of it and it is immaterial to me because all that happened in the p arty before setting up Ekwueme’s Panel had been overtaken by the recommendations of that panel.

Is Alhaji Umaru Dikko a member of the PDP and if yes, when did he join the party?

Alhaji Umaru Dikko is not from my zone, I could not say much about him for now. But, for him to be appointed to be the Chairman of the party’s Disciplinary Committee, he must be a member.

It was alleged that those of you that were brought back into the party’s NEC were brought back with an agreement to work for the president’s alleged ambition in 2015. Is it true?

I am working for the success of his administration. I have nothing to be ashamed of this. I am working in support of the president to achieve the mandate we have given him. If and when he decides to run, my job as an elected official of the party would be to ensure enabling environment for competitors and whoever the party brings up we’ll support him. Whoever wins the primaries, we’ll support him for election.

What amazes me is that some people are playing it up that the president is not having opposition at the national level of the party. The fact is that some governors and some other people are opposing what he is doing. Even at state level, the governors also have some people within the party that are also opposing them. We are not playing it up.

The fact that you are part of the opposition at the national level does not mean some people are not against them in their states. So people should be careful about how this issue is handled otherwise, we’ll continue to have opposition down to the local government level, and to the family level too. It should not be played up.

Olisa Metuh

Suspension of Amaechi
I will not want to comment because the matter is still subjudice. Yes, our constitution says that if you are suspended that after 30 days if the NEC does not give a ruling that automatically, it lapses. But our constitution does not make any pronouncement if the matter is in court after those 30 days.

On PDP governors
It is a fact that as governors of PDP they have done very well in their states. The party is proud of their performance in their states and their people are happy with them. Now, our grouse is that the same amount of commitment that they have given to developments in their states that they should transfer it and be loyal to the constitution of the party and to the organs of the party.

That is the only difference that we have. If they can use the same energy in terms of obeying party organs and being committed to the progress of this party and to the growth of this party, we will not have any problem. That is the challenge that we have for them.

If you look at it, these are some of the best governors in Nigeria and everyday you tell me about Fashola. Fashola is not the best governor. As far as I am concerned, when one look at the popularity being enjoyed by Governor Babatunde Fashola here in Lagos and the whole country, one will want to believe that he is the best governor in the present dispensation whereas he cannot be compared to some PDP governors.

With the high IGR being generated in Lagos and the publicity enjoyed by Lagos government, I don’t see the effect when I arrive Lagos. It is almost 10 years that I left Lagos but I have not seen much difference here. For those of us that travelled far and wide across this country, we have seen a lot of development in many PDP controlled states like Akwa-Ibom, Jigawa, Kano State and others but people there are not making noise.

On the demand for Tukur’s removal
They have not told us anything that he has done to warrant his removal from office. There are ways to remove him constitutionally. For now, he is in office, he is in charge, he is working well and we in the working committee are happy with him and we are happy with the direction and the way he is going. At this critical moment, we need a strong and firm chairman to pilot the affairs of this party so that we do not sink. The captain must be firm, must be strong and Tukur has shown strength and he is firm on the issues.

On APC
The APC as presently constituted has no capacity, no power to have any influence whatsoever in the challenges in the party and they have no consequences whatsoever and we do not pay any attention to them. They have no power, no influence, no position, no capacity to influence anything that is happening in the party. What is happening is purely an internal party dispute that we are trying to resolve and the APC is insignificant and unimportant in this matter and what we are focused on

The APC is insignificant and they are unimportant in the scheme of things. What is important to us as a party is to resolve with our brothers and to have a final resolution of this matter, to be in one accord and have unity with our brothers so that the PDP can continue to rule. We do not pay attention to the APC as a body and the individuals therein. They are of no consequence whatsoever.

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New Iranian President Hassan Rowhani
wished Jews a happy Jewish new year, or
Rosh Hashanah, in a message on his Twitter
feed.“As the sun is about to set here in
Tehran I wish all Jews, especially Iranian
Jews, a blessed Rosh Hashanah,” the
English-language tweet said.
The message signals a change of tone in
Tehran from a leader who took over a
month ago from hard-line former president
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
During his time in office, Ahmadinejad
referred to the Holocaust as a “myth.”
Earlier on Wednesday Rowhani urged Iran’s
conservative clerics in the Assembly of
Experts to change their “narrow-minded”
approach to society in a world that has
become interconnected through satellite
television and the internet.(dpa/NAN)

Read More »

The President of the Dangote Group,
Aliko Dangote, said about 8,000 engineers
would be needed for the smooth take off of
the nine- billion- dollar Dangote Refinery/
Fertiliser plant in Ondo.
Dangote told State House correspondents on
Wednesday in Abuja that the project, when
completed, would provide direct and
indirect jobs for 85,000 Nigerians.
He said the group had secured a 3.3 billion-
dollar credit facility from a consortium of
banks for the project.
According to him, importation of petroleum
products will end by 2016 as the plant will
commence production in the next three
years.
He said his plan was to make the country
self-reliant in petrochemical and petroleum
products, as well as make it an industrial
giant.
“Now, Nigeria is going to be taken out of
the list of countries that import petroleum
products. We will produce 20 million metric
tonnes which is equivalent to what Nigeria
consumes currently.
“Today, we did the signing ceremony, the
vice-president came to witness the signing
but we insisted on coming to thank Mr
president for his policies .
“Without good government policies, there is
no way the private sector can invest in
Nigeria, because we are not Father
Christmas at all. The policies have to be
right,’’ he said.
According to Dangote, Nigeria currently
spends about 30 billion dollars annually on
importation of petroleum products.
He said the complex planned by his group
would make Nigeria a net exporter of
petroleum products, including diesel and
aviation fuel, as well as poly-propylene and
fertiliser. (NAN)

Read More »

Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities, Kogi State University Chapter,
Sylvester Osakwe Ukwuteno, has said that
the ongoing strike by the union will
continue because the Federal Government
has not strengthened its vision for the
sector.
Ukwuteno who spoke with Vanguard
Learning via telephone interview, explained
that if there are plans for the sector,
government would have speedily concurred
with the plea to innovate the sector being
pursued by the union, adding that the
pursuit of the union is to ensure that the
country meets up with the international
standard of education.
“We hope this would be the last strike that
will surface on this particular discourse,
hopefully if the government cares for
education because we will not budge until
our demands are met. The much emphasis
of ‘no money syndrome’ is all lies as the
president could convey over 300 entourage
including himself, to China coupled with
their allowances, welfare and other
incentives, they should tell Nigerians where
the money is coming from.
“The quest is not money motivated as
speculated, but to ensure that facilities and
other necessary equipment needed to
update the students are made scalable for
effective learning. Universities are currently
operating with little or no equipment in the
labs, making the labs non-functional for
practicals, thereby sterilizing what is
supposed to be practically inclined.
“It took Ghana a year and some months
strike before the government came to their
senses and the outcome is currently
obvious, we would do even more till our
request is granted.”
He therefore urged the public to join in the
struggle by mounting pressure on the
government to hasten up in its decisions
because the students are the casualties
now, but will be the benefactors if eventually
granted.

Read More »

Ghanaian act Sarkodie courts with
controversy in a fresh interview granted to a
UK based radio station in which he claims to
be the originator of the famous Azonto
slang.
He says he was the first to do a free-style
recording using the word ‘Azonto’ even
before street dance gangs in Ghana worked
the dance moves which is featured heavily
in Fuse and Wizkid’s very famous ‘Azonto’
singles (Fuse currently gets all the credit for
being the first artist to do a song with
Azonto).
Sarkodie claims the dance moves and
singles from Fuse and Wizkid came after his
free-style version was released and became
an instant hit…
Watch the rest of the interview here
Do you agree with Sakodie? Anyone knows
about this freestyle he did?

Read More »

As registration for participation in the 2013
edition of the Gulder Ultimate Search reality
show closed last week, a documentary on
the past episodes continues to run on major
TV stations. According to information from
the organisers - Nigeria Breweries Plc, the
documentary aims at refreshing viewers'
memory, while also preparing them for the
coming edition.
The Marketing Manager, Gulder, Legend and
Life, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mr. Emmanuel
Agu, says in a statement that the 'Unending
Search' documentary, feature the reality TV
programme's selection processes,
participants, memorable moments, evictions,
the terrain of the various locations, the
tasks, winners on each season of GUS,
amongst other elements.
He says in a statement, "There is no better
way to whet the appetite of viewers for the
10th anniversary edition than to revamp the
elements of the previous nine seasons,
including the celebrity edition. The past
episodes have evoked feelings of nostalgia,
judging by some of their comments."
Since 2004, when the show made its TV
debut, till date, nine seasons have been
aired each year, while nine champions have
been crowned. Each edition of the Gulder
Ultimate Search is themed, with Ezeugo
Egwuagwu making history by winning the
maiden edition when he found 'The Legend
of Captain Kush'.

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A 21-year-old woman, Rebecca Bassey, has
been arraigned before an Ebute Meta
Magistrate's Court, Lagos State, for allegedly
killing her husband's niece, Deborah Bassey.
PUNCH Metro had reported on August 2, that
the defendant allegedly beat up the
deceased for vomiting and defecating on
herself.
Police sources had said young Deborah,
who lost her mother in 2010, had been sent
by her father to stay with his brother.
On the said date, Deborah was said to have
woken up with a high temperature and
started vomiting.
This was said to have angered the
defendant, who reportedly beat her up
instead of administering medical treatment.
It was reported that the victim started to
bleed from the head before some
neighbours rushed her to Ahmadiyya
Hospital, where she was referred to Orile
Agege General Hospital. She died at the
hospital.
The incident occurred at Powerline Street,
Ijaiye Ojokoro area of Lagos State.
Rebecca was subsequently arrested and
charged with murder.
The police told the court on Tuesday that
Rebecca killed the three-year-old by hitting
her head on an iron chair.
The one count murder charge read, "That
you, Rebecca Bassey, f, on the July 22, 2013
at about 0600hrs, at No 158, Powerline
Street, Ijaiye Ojokoro, Lagos, in the Lagos
Magisterial District, did unlawfully kill one
Deborah Uduak Bassey, f, aged 3 years, by
hitting her head on an iron chair and
thereby committed an offence punishable
under Section 221 of the Criminal Law of
Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011."
The police added that the accused made
confessional statement, and although
investigation was still on, there was finger
print evidence to nail the accused.
Her plea was not taken.
The prosecutor, Inspector Frank Inah, filed
application for the remand of the defendant
pending the advice from the Director of
Public Prosecution.
Counsel for the defendant, Mr. Olabisi
Kolawole, urged the court to grant bail to
the defendant.
He said, "The charge does not represent the
true facts of the case. The scripture says
spare the rod and spoil the child. It was a
mere spank that led to the death of the
deceased. She has been taking care of this
child for a very long time."
The magistrate, Mr. O.A Komolafe, however,
remanded the defendant in prison pending
the DPP's advice.
The matter was adjourned till October 2.

Read More »

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Jamaican track star Usain
Bolt is considering retiring after the 2016
Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he said
Wednesday.
But any plans for going out to grass at the
age of 30 would come after three more
years of domination that might include a
pop at the Commonwealth Games next year
and another shot at bettering his own
200m world record.
Bolt has dominated the competitive world of
sprinting since claiming three gold medals
at the 2008 Beijing Games but hinted ahead
of Friday’s season-ending Diamond League
meet in Brussels that Rio would be his third
and last.
“After the 2016 Olympics: that seems to be a
good idea, retiring when I’m still on top of
my career,” said the six-time Olympic gold
medallist.
“But again, if I want to continue to
dominate on the track I can’t afford an off
season, that is a lesson that I have learned.
This wasn’t a perfect season for me. I won
but it was not in a ‘Usain Bolt fashion’.”
‘Usain Bolt fashion’ or not, the 27-year-old
Jamaican still claimed a treble gold at last
month’s world championships, taking his
world gold medal haul to eight.
“Now that I’m getting a bit older, I know
that I have to stay injury free, maintain focus
and act responsible,” he said.
Bolt added that any plans for the 2014
season, a year with no global
championships, would be taken in October
after he had taken some time off.
“I will prepare for the next season very well.
First, I encouraged my coach (Glen Mills) to
turn it down a bit but he convinced me that
that is a bad option,” he said.
“You need to continue working hard,
reduce the risk to get injured and not
having to pick it up from scratch.
“So in 2014 I will be racing like I did in any
other season. The Commonwealth Games?
I’ve never been there before but I’ll leave it
up to my coach to decide on my competition
programme.”
Bolt also hinted that bettering his own
world record of 19.19sec in the 200m, his
favoured event, could be on the cards as
well.
“The 100m world record (which he also set)
is the hardest to break because it is more
technical,” Bolt said.
“In the 200m, if I can master the bend and
stay injury free, there is room for
improvement.
“As I said, I will prepare well to race as fast
as possible in 2014, and with no
championships on my mind I can
concentrate on just trying to race as fast as I
can.”

Read More »

Award winning artistes Ice Prince, Wizkid
and Tiwa Savage have all landed hot spots in
the just released Best African Acts
nominations at the Music of Black Origin
MOBO Awards 2013.
The acts will go head to head with other
best selling African artists: Spoek Mathambo
from South Africa, Mafikizolo from South
Africa, Bombino from Niger and Fuse ODG
from Ghana.
The lists of nominees for the 2013 MOBO
Awards are…
Best Newcomer
Daley
Elli Ingram
Etta Bond
Fuse ODG
Jacob Banks
Jahmene Douglas
Krept and Konan
Sam Smith
Shakka
Stylo G
Best Male Act
Disclosure
Naughty Boy
Rudimental
Wiley
Wretch 32
Best Female Act
Jessie J
Jessie Ware
Laura Mvula
Lianna La Havas
Rita Ora
Best Video
Aluna George – ‘Attracting Flies’
Dizzee Rascal – ‘Bassline Junkie’
Fuse ODG ft Wyclef – ‘Antenna’
Laura Mvula – ‘Green Garden’
Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith – ‘La La La’
Rizzle Kicks – ‘Lost Generation’
Best UK Hip Hop/Grime
Akala
K Koke
Tinie Tempah
Wiley
Wretch 32
Best Album
Angel – ‘About Time’
Disclosure – ‘Settle’
Laura Mvula – ‘Sing To the Moon’
Rudimental – ‘Home’
Wiley – ‘Ascent’
Best R&B/Soul Act
Angel
Daley
Jessie Ware
Laura Mvula
Lianne La Havas
Best Song
Disclosure feat. Aluna George – ‘White Noise’
Naughty Boy – ‘La La La’
Rudimental – ‘Waiting All Night’
Wiley feat. Chip – ‘Reloaded’
Wretch 32 ft Shakka – ‘Black Out’
Best International Act
Ciara
Iggy Azalea
J. Cole
Jason Derulo
Jay Z
Justin Timberlake
Kanye West
Kendrick Lamar
Miguel
Robin Thicke
Best African Act
Spoek Mathambo
Ice Prince
Mafikizolo
Tiwa Savage
Bombino
Wizkid
Fuse ODG
Best Jazz Act
Sons Of Kemet
Courtney Pine
Soweto Kinch
Jazz Jamaica
Lineage

Read More »

US President Barack Obama said in
Stockholm on Wednesday that the
international community “cannot be silent”
following Syria’s alleged use of chemical
weapons against its own people.
“I discussed our assessment and (Swedish
Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt) and I are in
an agreement that in the face of such
barbarism the international community
cannot be silent,” he said.
AFP

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The Central Bank of Nigeria, yesterday, said it
will resist pressure to devalue the naira
since it retains ample funds to defend the
currency.
Mr. Ugochukwu Okoroafor, CBN
spokesperson said the apex bank Governor
is expected to stay the course until his term
is up in 10 months.
The naira has fallen in recent months,
trading outside the CBN’s target band of
150-160 naira to the U.S. dollar since June,
initially due to foreign investors booking
profits on their naira assets, and on
importers buying dollars.
Okoroafor said by telephone that the
institution remained committed to the band.
“We have the resources to meet demand.
We are still determined to keep within that
band,” he CBN Deputy Governor, Kingsley
Moghalu also said there were no plans to
change the band in an interview with
Reuters in London on Tuesday.
“We are comfortable with the band as it is
currently – we do not have any intention of
doing anything spectacular,” he said.
But a similar naira weakness, partly caused
by excessive spending prior to 2011
national elections, forced the central bank to
lower the target band from 145-155 naira
to the dollar in November that year, after
months of struggling to prop it up.
Pressure on the currency will worsen next
year as elections loom again in 2015 –
traditionally at a time when government
expenditure becomes very loose, pumping
excess liquidity into the banking system.
“It’s the case all over the world –
governments tend to spend a lot leading up
to elections,” Moghalu said.
The unit has hovered around the 162-163
level in recent months, on strong demand
for dollars. It touched a 20-month low of
163.70 naira to the dollar last week.
It closed at 163.10 naira to the dollar on
Monday, after it became clear the central
bank would not intervene again to prop it
up. By 0910 GMT on Tuesday it had
rebounded to 162.90.
“We believe that the probability of (moving
the trading band) is slim in the coming
months,” said Gaimin Nonyane, an
economist at Ecobank, adding that the bank
had ample funds.
“Such a move would … increase inflationary
pressures. Given the central bank’s
commitment to promoting price … stability,
we think the current rate … will be
maintained.”
Nigeria’s consumer inflation ticked up to 8.7
percent in July, though Moghalu said he
expected it to stay in single digits this year.
Central bank governor Lamido Sanusi has
repeatedly warned that excessive election
spending poses an inflation risk that he is
ready to counter with tight monetary policy.
Analysts expect Sanusi will stick to that path
until his planned departure next July when
his five-year term expires. RISKS OF
DEVALUING
“The central bank will continue to defend
exchange rate stability … as long as
governor Sanusi remains in charge,” said
Standard Bank’s Samir Gadio.
Sanusi has spent billions of dollars of
foreign reserves over the past months in
keeping the naira, which has lost 4.6
percent since the year, within its target
corridor.
But Nigerian foreign exchange reserves
stood at $46.85 billion by Aug. 29, down
only 0.23 percent month-on-month from
July, so they are not being rapidly depleted.
“Nothing about the central bank’s recent
guidance or behaviour suggests that is
about to allow a devaluation of the naira,”
said Alan Cameron, economist at CSL
Stockbrokers.
The bank tightened liquidity significantly in
July, slapping a 50 percent reserve
requirement on public sector deposits, up
from 12 percent previously. That sucked 1
trillion naira out of the banking system and
although the effect on the naira was
shortlived, it showed the lengths to which
the bank will go.
Moghalu said, however, that the purpose of
the reserve requirement hike was to
encourage banks to lend more, rather than
to boost the currency.
“We would like to see more real economy
lending and an expansion of the deposit
base, and higher deposit rates, so that
people can save,” he said.
Another factor, said Charles Robertson,
economist at Renaissance Capital, was that
pressure on emerging market currencies
generally could subside in the coming
weeks, so the naira may start to recover all
by itself.
“We are comfortable,” said Moghalu. “The
naira has appreciated a bit in recent days.”

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A 25-year-old man, Leroy Ugaga, has been
arrested by security operatives at the Benin
City airport for allegedly attempting to
stowaway in an aircraft.
Sources said the suspect was arrested at
the tarmac.
Yesterday’s arrest is coming less than two
weeks after Daniel Ohikhena boarded a
Lagos-bound Arik flight in the landing gear
compartment.
It was not, however, confirmed if the
suspected trespasser was one of those
walking through one of the pathways at
the airport.
According to the General Manager,
Corporate Communications, Federal Airports
Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Yakubu Dati, the
trespasser was sighted and observed for a
few minutes by members of the patrol
team.
Dati said as the trespasser tried to enter the
airside, he was apprehended and handed
over to the police for further interrogation.
He explained that after the incident of the
stowaway on August 24 at the Benin
Airport, the authority has introduced
additional security measures to curb the
challenge of runway incursion.
He said: “A joint perimeter patrol by FAAN’s
security staff and Air force officials at the
Benin Airport is one of the additional
security measures taken by FAAN to forestall
runway incursions at all airports.
“FAAN hereby appeals to the public,
especially youths, to avoid the risk of
attempting to gain unauthorised entry into
restricted areas of airports, as doing so is
extremely dangerous.
“Trespassers are likely to be severely dealt
with if the security patrols have cause to
suspect violent intentions.”

Source: The Nation

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Mrs Evelyn Ohikhena, the mother of
Daniel Ohikhena, the teenager who stowed
away on an Arik flight from Benin to Lagos,
has confirmed the return of her son to
Benin.
Ohikhena told newsmen in Benin that she
got a call from an MTN line Tuesday morning
inviting her to the state Ministry of Women
of Affairs.
Arik-stowed
“I went to the office and was told that my
child has been taken to the Directorate of
State Services (SSS). I went there and saw
Daniel.
“But they (SSS) did not allow me to touch or
greet him, but he was looking good.
Ohikhena said that after a short session
with the SSS, she was asked her to go and
wait at the Ministry of Women Affairs.
NAN recalled that on Aug. 24, Daniel
stowaway on a Lagos bound Arik aircraft
from Benin. (NAN)

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Big brother Africa 2011 Winner, Karen Igho experienced an unfortunate incident last night, she was robbed of all her valuables. Accurate information about the robbery is currently unknown , we got to know she was robbed via her tweets today, we sympathize with her;

@karenigho @Karen_Igho
If you are trying to reach me on my phone don't bother I was robbed last night
11:22 AM - 2 Sep 2013

@karenigho @Karen_Igho
Thank God I'm alive..

Lovely hairdo Anyway!!! 



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He is the second Richest Artiste in Africa!!! see list HERE

He is the second Richest Artiste in Africa!!! see list HERE

Read More »

 

 

Gospel Singer, Temitope Alabi can easily be seen as one of the most controversial gospel singer in the country.

It seems everywhere she goes, whispers and controversy follows. Recently, she got tongues wagging for her mode of dressing.

According to her;

“My current marketer (Galaxy) released a life performance, Amazing Grace, where City People gave me an award as The Best Gospel Singer For the Year. People started criticizing me from churches, telling me that the way I dressed in that video was inappropriate.

They even said because I now apply makeup that I would go to hell. And funny enough I have been putting on earrings since I came out with Oore Ti O Common, I have been putting on trousers to follow my husband wherever we go, except church programmes.But what about my husband, won’t I dress to satisfy him?

My husband does not complain. He actually complains whenever I put on something like (Iro and Buba).

He prefers it when I wear western clothes. He will even come back home and tell me whatever he saw ladies put on outside that he will like me to wear.

I can’t be going out shabbily dressed because I am singing gospel music” she squealed.

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The Nigerian Army on Tuesday
declared that it has commenced
investigations into the killing of some
members of a youths’ vigilance group called
Civilian JTF by suspected Boko Haram
militants in Monguno, Borno.
Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, the spokesman of the
Joint Task Force (JTF) on Operation Restore
Order (ORO) said in Maiduguri that the army
was disturbed about the situation.
“The military high command is aware of the
killing and it is disturbing, the Nigerian Army
Brigade in Monguno has been mandated to
carry out investigations into the matter,”
Musa said.
He blamed the problem on the group which
embarked on a trip without military backing.
“We have always made it clear to the
vigilantes that they should not operate on
their own but should always seek for
military backing.
“They are just supporting the security
agencies with information; the real battle
should be left in the hands of security
agents.
“We will continue to appeal to them not to
conduct any operation without armed
military escort,” Musa said.
The 26 civilians were killed in Monguno,
headquarters of Monguno Local Government
Area while in search of Boko Haram
militants. (NAN)

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It was recently revealed that Lamar Odom is battling a drug problem, and that he uses both crack and cocaine. Now one of his drug dealers have been interviewed by Radar Online, and he says his addiction is out of control.

"In my experience, he literally likes cocaine. He is a cocaine guy. He likes to smoke it", the dealer revealed. The man also claims Lamar has taken drugs before important NBA games, and that he's spent over $50,000 on it the past three years

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Now that Kim Kardashian has given birth to her daughter North West, she wants to do a nude photo shoot with Playboy. The reality star revealed her plans on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, while she was still pregnant. "As soon as I pop this thing out, I want to do Playboy or some nude shoot", she said right before North was born.

Kim posed for the magazine in 2007. "It was an independence thing for me. I was always by the book, such a straight arrow when it came to pleasing my parents and being a good daughter", she said about her last shoot.



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Two years after hitching its fate to
Microsoft’s Windows Phone software, Nokia
collapsed into the arms of the U.S. software
giant, agreeing to sell its main handset
business for 5.44 billion euros ($7.2 billion).
Nokia, which will continue as a maker of
networking equipment and holder of
patents, was once the world’s dominant
handset manufacturer, but was long since
overtaken by Apple and Samsung .
Nokia’s Canadian boss Stephen Elop, who
ran Microsoft’s business software division
before jumping to Nokia in 2010, will now
return to the U.S. firm as head of its mobile
devices business.
He is being discussed as a possible
replacement for Microsoft’s retiring CEO
Steve Ballmer, who is trying to remake the
U.S. firm into a gadget and services company
like Apple before he departs.
In three years under Elop, Nokia saw its
market share collapse and its share price
shrivel as investors bet heavily that his
strategy would fail.
In 2011, after writing a memo that said
Nokia was falling behind and lacked the in-
house technology to catch up, Elop made the
controversial decision to use his former firm
Microsoft’s Windows Phone for
smartphones, rather than Nokia’s own
software or Google’s ubiquitous Android
operating system.
Nokia, which had a 40 per cent share of the
handset market in 2007, now has a mere 15
per cent market share, with an even smaller
three per cent share in smartphones.
The sale of the handset business is not the
first dramatic turn in the 148-year history of
a company which has sold everything from
television sets to rubber boots.
But it was felt as a hard blow in its native
Finland, even among hard-nosed investors
who saw the sale as a final chance to
salvage value.
“I have mixed feelings, because I’m a Finn.
“As a Finnish person, I cannot like this deal.
It ends one chapter in this Nokia story,” said
Juha Varis, Danske Capital’s senior portfolio
manager whose fund owns Nokia shares.
”On the other hand, it was maybe the last
opportunity to sell it.”
Varis was one of many investors critical of
Elop’s decision to bet Nokia’s future in
smartphones on Microsoft’s Windows
phone software, which was praised by tech
reviewers, but never caught on with
consumers.
“So this is the outcome: the whole business
for five billion euros. That’s peanuts
compared to its history,” he said.
Finns lamented the decline of their former
champion.
Alexander Stubb, Finland’s minister for
European Affairs and Foreign Trade, said on
his Twitter account: “For a lot of us Finns,
including myself, Nokia phones are part of
what we grew up with. Many first reactions
to the deal will be emotional.”
It is also a pivotal moment for Microsoft,
which still has huge revenues from its
Windows computer operating system, Office
suite of business software and the X-Box
game console, but never managed to set up
a profitable mobile device business.
Microsoft’s own mobile gadget, the Surface
tablet, has sold tepidly since it was launched
last year.
“It’s a bold step into the future — a win-win
for employees, shareholders and consumers
of both companies,” Ballmer said in a
statement.
”Bringing these great teams together will
accelerate Microsoft’s share and profits in
phones and strengthen the overall
opportunities for both Microsoft and our
partners across our entire family of devices
and services.”
The move leaves the Finnish company with
Nokia Solutions and Networks, which
competes with the likes of Ericson and
Huawei in telecoms equipment, as well as a
navigation business and a broad portfolio of
patents.

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