Patience Jonathan flown abroad for treatment — Report

Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Patience Jonathan There are indications that the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, has been flown abroad for medical treatment in an undisclosed German hospital. Unconfirmed reports had it that the First Lady’s health might have relapsed, thereby necessitating her going abroad to receive fresh medical attention. Mrs. Jonathan was conspicuously absent at a Good Friday service held at the Aso Villa Chapel on Friday although her husband attended with his mother, Eunice. The President is currently in Lagos for the Easter break without his wife. Her last public appearance was in France where she received a Global Women Leader for Peace Award 2013. Our correspondent learnt that she returned to the country briefly after the event before embarking on a fresh trip. But unlike the trip to France, a presidency source who pleaded anonymity, said Mrs. Jonathan did not embark on the current trip with her full entourage. When contacted on the telephone, Mrs. Jonathan’s spokesman, Mr. Ayo Osinlu, confirmed that the First Lady was not in the country. Osinlu however denied reports that Mrs. Jonathan is abroad for medical attention. He said she was abroad attending to her foster mother who is sick. However, he did not disclose the country where the First Lady is attending to the ailing woman. But investigations by our correspondent showed that Mrs. Jonathan may be in Germany. It was further learnt that she is expected back in the country this week. The source however could not say exactly when she will be back. An online news medium, SaharaReporters, had reported on Saturday that Mrs. Jonathan was sick again and was shuttling between Spain and Germany in search of treatment. The report quoted a source as saying the First Lady was also contemplating receiving medical treatment from a United States hospital. Mrs. Jonathan disappeared from the country for several weeks last year to attend to her failing health. During the period, both the Presidency and Osinlu denied that the First Lady was receiving treatment abroad for an undisclosed ailment. Specifically, Osinlu said Mrs. Jonathan was vacating abroad after the rigour of hosting a conference of African First Ladies. But during a special thanksgiving service held in her honour recently at the Aso Villa Chapel, the First Lady admitted that she was sick and “died” for a week.

4 Well-Kept Secrets About Womanizers [EXPERT]

What you don't know might hurt you.

Plus: the difference between a player and a cheater.

Confession: I have been a womanizer for a long time, so I know something about womanizers in general. With that in mind, here are my best pieces of advice for single women about identifying and interacting with men like me:
1. There's a difference between players and cheaters. There are two types of womanizers, players and cheaters. One should be respected and the other should remain despised. There is an old saying, "Don't hate the player; hate the game." There is a lot of lighthearted validity to that adage. 

I distinguish players from cheaters because players have multiple female sex partners and they are upfront and honest with women about their desire to be sexually satisfied by more than one woman. This type of womanizer does not try to hide, deny or camouflage the fact that monogamy is just not his thing. Always appreciate men who are honest with women about their promiscuous desires.
Cheaters interact sexually with multiple women under false pretenses. They present a facade of wanting to be involved in a long-term, monogamous relationship with one woman, but deep-down they want variety in their sex lives. I have no respect for liars, manipulative game players, adulterers and cheaters. I simply do not like the idea of toying with someone's emotions.
2. Most men are only as faithful as their options allow. While I would not say that this assertion is 100 percent valid, it is valid more often than not. With that, I have three points to make. First, if you are a woman and you think a man is handsome, sexy, charming and worth dating, there is a 90 to 99 percent chance that dozens, if not hundreds of other women feel the exact same way about him. Women will literally compete with one another to secure this man's companionship.
Second, if a man develops a reputation for being very exciting and satisfying in bed with women, there is a 90 to 99 percent chance that his "stock" is going to rise in the eyes of many women. No woman wants a man who is a "dud" in bed. Third, it is very easy for a man to be faithful to one woman when he only has one woman offering him regular sexual companionship. But when a man has five, ten, fifteen or twenty-plus women offering him sexual companionship, it is much harder for a man to remain motivated to have sex with just one woman.
3. The side-chick rarely becomes the long-term girlfriend. Once you allow yourself to be relegated to the role of a man's "mistress," "woman-on-the-side," "jumpoff" or "booty call," there is a 99 percent chance you will never be upgraded to the role of "wife" or "long-term girlfriend." I just had this discussion with a female friend recently. There are a number of women who naively think if they start out as a man's "sexual play toy," sooner or later they will earn the right to be "upgraded" to that man's wife, or long-term romantic partner. That is highly doubtful ... not impossible, but extremely rare.
As a woman, you must familiarize yourself with what is known as the "Madonna-Whore Complex." I always tell women that understanding this concept first developed by legendary psychologist Dr. Sigmund Freud is the absolute first step to understanding why many men choose some women as long-term monogamous sex partners while interacting with other women only as short-term non-monogamous sex partners. Without getting too lengthy here, I will give you the very short-version: Most men want to date and marry women who remind them of their mothers. I cannot tell you how many men I know right now who are married or involved in a long-term relationship with a woman who has one or more similar attributes to that man's mother. If you remind a man of his mother, to one degree or another, that is when his conscious or subconscious mind places you in the category of "girlfriend" or "wife" material.
 f the primary quality that stands out about you is your sex appeal and nothing else, then nine times out of ten, that man is only going to look at you as "casual sex" material. If it is truly your desire as a woman to be a man's future wife or girlfriend, then the worst thing you can do is start off being that man's "mistress" or "woman-on-the-side" while he is currently involved with someone else. You automatically lose respect in that man's eyes. The chances of him ever upgrading you to the status of his number-one romantic companion are less than  one percent.
 4. You can't change a womanizer. Do not ever fool yourself into believing that you can change a womanizer into a monogamous "boyfriend" or "husband" type. You cannot.
So, from this point forward, stop telling your girlfriends, "I hate men! All of them are lying womanizers, cheaters and dogs!!" That is not the truth and you know it. Just accept the fact that if a man possesses a lot of highly desirable attributes, his romantic and sexual companionship is going to be in demand. The best thing for you to do as a woman is to ask him what his long-term desires, interests and intentions are.
Remember: As long as a womanizer is honest with you about what type of sexual relationship he wants ... don't hate the player. Only hate the game-playing of liars and cheaters.

8 Things You Shouldn't Do Before Bed

A good night's sleep is important for you — and your relationship.

Oh, the power of a good night's sleep. A whole gamut of positive benefits can be seen from getting enough rest, but for many of us, hitting the sack can be challenging. Getting enough rest doesn't just affect you — 
There's plenty of advice out there about what to do to get to sleep but what about what not to do? See some of the pre-bedtime activities that could be hurting you and your partner's chance at getting a good night's sleep.
1. Exercise
No, you don't get to ditch your yoga mat or running shoes all together. Exercise is a vital activity for your health, and can actually contribute to getting better-quality sleep. The problem, though, is that exercising within three hours of bedtime can raise your body temperature, and make dozing off more difficult. Breaking a sweat, then, is best left for earlier in the day!
2. Watch TV/Surf the Web
Studies have shown that pre-slumber screen time can impede your body's ability to fall asleep. The likely culprit? Well, the bright lights of these screens can hinder the development of melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep. So you and your partner should close those laptops and turn off that TV about an hour before bed.
3. Take a Hot Shower/Bath
Like exercise, hot showers and baths can actually help you fall asleep. The problem, however, comes out of taking one too close to the time you plan on hitting the sack. Being overheated or sweating can make it difficult to sleep. Let your body cool down before heading off to bed.
4. Drink Too Many Fluids
Caffeine, of course, and alcohol both make it difficult to get a good night's rest. But drinking a lot of any liquid within the last hour or two before you go to bed will lead to those dreaded late night bathroom breaks, and further disrupt your slumber. You shouldn't go to bed thirsty, however, as you'll likely wake up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water. Balance is key here.
5. Work
Whatever work or school issue it is, it can certainly wait until morning. Getting work done stimulates your brain and can cause you and your partner unneeded stress —pretty much the opposite of what you want to feel if you and your significant other are trying to fall asleep!
6. Read Engrossing Stories
Many of us have done this: you're reading a really interesting novel and you tell yourself, "Oh just one more page!" Suddenly, it's 2 AM and you have to be awake in four hours. Yep, reading a really interesting book, essay or novel before bed will make it difficult to get to sleep. Perhaps you can remedy it by finding the most boring thing imaginable to read?!
7. Cuddle With Your Pets
As a child, I always wanted to have my beloved pet chihuahua sleep in my (twin) bed. And then came the reality: it's amazing how much space a 6 pound creature can take up, and how grumpy chihuahuas can be when you disturb their slumber. The point is, sleeping with a pet in your bed can seriously disturb your sleep.
8. Have Serious Conversations
You've probably heard the phrase, "don't go to bed angry." And, as it turns out, it's totally accurate! Research has shown that sleeping directly after a fight or traumatic experience will effectively preserve your emotions until you awake. The human body is adverse to falling asleep in dangerous situations — it's a defense mechanism. Thus, you'll have a much harder time falling asleep after a big blowout. It's best to resolve conflicts before you hit the sack.

No big deal posing semi-nude –Ex-beauty queen, Sandra Iwu

Sandra

Sandra Iwu tells ’Nonye Ben-Nwankwo about her love for modelling

 How did modelling start?

My modelling career began in Lagos at Catwalk Studio, Ikeja. That was where I was groomed and I began runway modelling.

Before now, the profession was frowned upon. How were you able to convince your people that you wanted to be a model?

I was already in gymnastics before I became a model. So my parents felt that it was one of those extra-curricular activities that keep children going. So, I had no problem with them.

You were once a beauty queen, tell us what made you participate in in that pageant.

I had watched several beauty pageants and I felt that one day, it could become my turn to show the world what I have got. The interest and courage of stardom made me to contest and I did. Starting from my days at Lagos State University where I became the Most Beautiful Girl in LASU in 2006 and Miss Galaxy in 2007/2008.

It is believed that most beauty queens and models date prominent men? How true is this?

It is true and not true. True in the sense that a lot of prominent men do go out of their way to date a beauty queen just to prove to their friends that they can do it. They will spoil the girl with lots of gift, cars and money. It is also not true because not all models want to be seen with society men, especially married men.

Did the number of your admirers increase when you became a model?

Definitely yes. Even when I do not know them, yet they know me. Sometimes, it’s embarrassing, and at times, it’s fun.

Are there challenges attached to being a model?

Yes, so many. Starting from changing what you wear, to places you go to and things you do at events. Moreso, the kind of people that you go out with will also change. There are several changes that one may not be prepared for so soon.

Can you pose nude as a model?

Yes and no. It all depends on the job and scenario. I might pose semi-nude more likely, but not outright nude.

You are into fashion as well. Can you tell us the most expensive fashion item you have?

The most expensive fashion item I have is a wristwatch, a Rolex wristwatch and it cost me so much money. I bought it for N170, 000 or thereabout.

What can we never see you wear?

I can never wear a G-string on stage.

What do you love to wear?

I love short gowns and I wear them a lot.

Which part of your body do you see as your best asset?

I love my smile and I’ve got great legs.

How many pairs of shoes do you have?

I should have more than 50 pairs of shoes and still counting.

Is it a big deal to undress and change into another outfit at a fashion show where male models are?

Of course, it is not a big deal. We are used to it. It’s part of the profession.

Would you say being a model has been profitable?

Yes, it has given me fulfilment, exposure, connections, interactions, global tours and many more.

How come Nigerian models are not really appreciated like the ones abroad?

The nation’s economy is not the same as in Europe and America. So, the remuneration is not the same.

Do you intend to stay slim all your life in order to remain a model?

I can’t really say so; everything will change as I grows and the general changes of life which come naturally.

Do we see you having kids soon or do you think it will affect your shape?

I’m not having kids any time soon. It will come as God gives me the grace to finish with what I am into now and settle for life.

How much were you paid the first time you worked as a model?

It was an MTN campaign 2004 BY TBWA ad agency. We were paid N200,000 for a year exposure.

How come you decided to be a part of Gulder Ultimate search?

It was for the adventure, exposure and with a view to proving that I’m still sporty, strong and flexible.

Source:Punch

'We made love for two hours before she died' - Akolade Arowolo

Akolade Arowolo, the 31-year-old man standing trial for allegedly killing his banker wife, Titilayo, on June 24, 2011 said he and the deceased kissed and had sex for two hours on the day she died.

He said:

“That day she died was my birthday. I see birthdays as a new year in one’s life and I usually pray at the early hours of that day. I prayed till 3am but was woken by my wife’s kiss. We had sex for almost two hours and it was very good as we hadn’t done such in a while. We later prayed and talked about how we could improve on our relationship as well as business opportunities.”

Akolade said he only slapped his wife once throughout their three-year marriage, adding that their marriage was not a violent one as alleged.

Akolade, while being led in evidence by the defence counsel, Olanrewaju Ajanaku, told an Ikeja High Court on Thursday that he met his wife at Lagos State University in 2005 while he was taking classes for a postgraduate degree.

He said they grew close and became good friends and he got her pregnant in 2008 and they got married in November that year.

He said, “We were great friends and lovers but that is not to say that we didn’t have challenges. In the course of our relationship, there were times people commended us because we knew how to counsel people.

“We were everywhere together and I took her to work on many occasions while sometimes, I would leave the car for her to take to work while I would use public transport. Our challenges were like those of many young couples. We disagreed on many things.

“For example, a few months before our daughter, Olamide, was born, we were making plans for the baby when she demanded N500, 000 to buy all necessary things. I told her I didn’t have that much on me and she should accept N100, 000 but she refused and left for her parents’ home.”

Akolade described his wife as hot-tempered adding that she always flared up whenever she could not have her way, earning her the nickname, Thatcher.

He said a few months into the marriage, he noticed that his wife’s attitude had changed and he sought advice from a friend who told him to leave the house whenever there was an argument. He said one day, his wife got him very angry and he slapped her only once.

He said, “One Friday, I went for a vigil but did not come back the following morning. I went to stay with a friend because I wanted my wife to miss me. However I started missing her and I went back home that same day. On getting home, I met a man in the house whom my wife identified as her colleague. The man left immediately after.

“I went through her phone and noticed that she had called her father, George Oyakhire, an ex-boyfriend of hers and an unidentified number. Later, I asked her why she didn’t call me when I did not come home but she said she did not have airtime. I then asked her that where did she then get airtime to call the three people I noticed on her phone.

“She flared up and said I should never go through her phone again. She then started to call her ex-boyfriend in my presence. I got angry, grabbed her phone and smashed it against the wall. She took my phone and smashed it as well, so I slapped her. She immediately left the house and went to her parents’ place.”

He said his wife was also secretive and had even confessed to having an abortion without his consent adding that the abortion later led to menstrual complications.

Akolade, who claimed to be an ordained pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, said he was not jobless as reported but was an auditor and had even worked on big government contracts.

He maintained that his wife had on numerous occasions left him to be with her parents sometimes for months.

Justice Lateefa Okunnu adjourned the matter till May 22, 2013, for further hearing, standing down the case after Akolade broke down and could not continue with his testimony.

Source: PUNCH

Three burnt to death, 10 injured in Ogun accidents

Three persons were on Friday confirmed dead, while ten others were seriously injured in separate auto accidents on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

The first accident occurred at Sona Breweries in Ijoko area of Sango Ota while the second accident happened around Wasimi, Ewekoro Local Government Area on the same Abeokuta-Lagos route.

The three dead persons were burnt beyond recognition and three others were seriously injured in the first accident which occurred at about 7.20 am.

The Federal Road Safety Corps Unit Commander in Sango Ota, Richard Olutiriko, said the first accident involved a Volkswagen bus with registration number: LAGOS XM 587 EKY.

He said the cause of the accident was over-speeding by the driver, adding that the Abeokuta-bound bus rammed into the road divider in front of Sona Breweries and somersaulted three times before it started burning.

He said the burnt corpses and the injured victims had been evacuated to the Ota General Hospital in Sango.

The Itori Unit Commander of the FRSC, Fatai Bakare, confirmed that

in the Wasimi accident, seven persons were critically injured.

Bakare added that the accident involved a blue Ford bus with registration number AA 384 TAK and a white MAC truck with registration number Lagos KJA 113 XB.

The official, who said eight people were involved in the accident, attributed the cause to dangerous driving.

He said the injured victims had been admitted at the FRSC emergency clinic in Itori for treatment.

Tee-Y Mix Presents: April Tunes Day

Come the 1st of April 2013, Tee-Y Mix will be celebrating the month of April. Tee-Y Mix wishes to announce the start of a new trend. “April fools day” will now be known as “April Tunes Day”. This is going to be an annual event where fans are engaged in various activities such that on every 1st of April, people anticipate an April Tunes activity. Continue... For the entire month of April, 2013 Tee-Y Mix: the A-list Nigerian Music producer will be running an online singing duo competition to find Nigeria’s newest singing sensation. In addition, a Tuberculosis awareness campaign song will be produced by Tee-Y Mix to be released on the 24th of April (World’s TB Day). To participate in the singing competition, all you need to do is: Pair with a friend or a family member to form a DUO, Compose a short song with the theme: Friends Forever, Make a video using a phone or any video recording device without special effects or editing Then upload on the website beginning from the 1st of April. The website will be launched by Tee-Y Mix on the 1st of April. Watch out on social media platforms as well as radio stations in Lagos. Once you’ve uploaded your video, make sure you get your friends and family to view and vote for you as many times as possible (In other words, campaign for vote). The more votes you get, the higher your chances of winning. Note, votes carry 40% of total judges’ score. Judges are Kefee, Mannie, Sound Sultan, Tosyn Bucknor and Waje. By the 15th of April the 10 clips with the highest views and votes will be announced to enter for the final stage. At this point, the 10 finalist duo groups will be invited to record an acoustic verison of a self composed song which will be video recorded and uploaded on the website for voting. Only ONE duo being the winner will be rewared with a handsome cash prize and a music production contract with Tee-Y Mix. Don’t miss out in this amazing opportunity and be part of the first edition of ‘April Tunes’ brought to you by the Tunes’ man: Tee-Y Mix.

‘Dead’ Prostitute Comes Back To Life After Being Placed In Coffin

A prostitute in Bulowayo, Zimbabwe, is bringing new meaning to the term “killer sex” after authorities thought she died during an encounter with a customer. However, she came back to life just as officials placed her in a metal coffin. The incident occurred last week at the Manor Hotel and the escort, later identified as “Mandlo,” reportedly collapsed and died while having sex with a client, the Herald-Sun reported. But when authorities came to collect the body of the prostitute and put it in a steel coffin, she suddenly woke up in a panic screaming, “You want to kill me!” at the officers, according to NINEmsn.com. Seeing a woman presumed to be dead spring back to life shocked onlookers, many of whom ran away in fear, Bulawayo24.com reported. “It was like a movie,” a source told the website. “People were running away in different directions. It was a scary incident because we were all convinced that she had died because she was just cold. Miracles surely do happen.” Mandlo was taken home by another working girl and the unidentified john who allegedly “killed” her reportedly sneaked out of the hotel moments after the cops had left, according to AniNews.In. In my own opinion, I’d say she was pretending and knew what she was doing… Na who wan die?

Kanye West’s Song Titled ‘I Am a God’ and Not Album , Takes reference from Bible Psalm 82

Contrary to reports, rapper-producer Kanye West is not calling his album ‘I Am God.’ The rumor originally came from a BBC story and the Internet went into a tizzy.
The Huffington Post spoke to a “reliable source” who revealed that Ye’s upcoming single will be called ‘I Am A God’ not ‘I Am God.’ Furthermore, West’s album remains untitled.

“We would never be so presumptuous or sacrilegious to call ourselves the supreme being,” the source told the HuffPost.
According to the website, the song is in reference to the Biblical scripture Psalm 82, which reads: “I said, ‘You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High. But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.’”
This is further corroborated by West’s longtime collaborator, poet Malik Yusef, who posted in a tweet on Twitter directed towards Team Kanye Daily. “I am(A) GOD” FAMO #psalms 82,” he wrote.
So, West’s single will likely have a spiritual theme to it. Are we going to hear a song similar to his fiery anthem ‘Jesus Walks‘ or maybe ‘New God Flow‘? Who knows?
It will be interesting to hear what Kanye West brings to the rap game next.

‘Don’t depend on your certificate’

Mobola Adekunle-Pearse

Mobola Adekunle-Pearse is the owner of Peers Events. She tells ADEMOLA ALAWIYE why she went into the business and the challenges she faces

Why did you choose to go into business and not apply for a white-collar job?

After my masters’ degree programme, I tried getting a white-collar job but when I could not get one, I opted for business.

How long have you been in this business?

Peers Events is five years old. I started as an event planner for social and corporate gatherings, later I started having demand for accessories such as costumes, jewellery and so on. Initially, I was outsourcing these to professionals in that field but later, I thought I could do it if I got trained as well. So I decided to get the training and become empowered in that area. There’s consultancy for what to wear and use; how to wear and use it; also how to get what to wear and use for a complete event.

I began to map out costume and make jewellery embedded with beads and wire works, including bead bags and shoes.

How do you manage all these businesses?

All that I am today is by God’s grace, which is sufficient to keep me on. Determination, interest and hard work are also key factors

Who are your target clients and how do you hope to get them?

My target clients are both individuals and corporate bodies and I get them through referrals, most times.

Is the business capital intensive?

The event aspect of it is capital intensive but you could start little and as the demand for services comes in, you can get other things with time.

What is your advice to graduates in search of jobs?

My advice to the youth is that they should not depend or rely so much on white-collar jobs because there are not many out there. And even those who have pay jobs do not have job security.

They should also not depend too much on the certificate they have. They should always endeavour to have an option B.

How can government encourage young people to embrace entrepreneurship?

The government should embark on  programmes to encourage the youth to go into self-employment while in the college; this can be through seminars and workshops. The youth can also be encouraged to set up small companies during their service year. They could be given small revolving loans.

You have been in business for some time now, what major challenges should prospective entrepreneurs prepare their minds for?

A prospective entrepreneur is someone who nurtures the ambition to be self-employed and, in a matter of time, will be a boss to others. Such a person should expect some challenges that are likely to make or mar the kind of business he or she plans to set up.

The challenges vary, depending on the kind of business a prospective investor or entrepreneur intends to go into; for some, it could be electricity or power and this is a problem most entrepreneurs face. Insufficient supply or lack of electricity is capable of paralysing some businesses. Mobility could also be one of the challenges of a business. For instance, if you are in a distribution business for the supply of goods and services, if you are not mobile or do not have a delivery vehicle, this could be a big problem. You will find yourself having to spend a lot of money, time and energy to deliver the products to the customers or clients. Getting a loan for this may not be a bad idea but it may attract a high interest rate.

The strength of the capital involved even when you are not starting big is a challenge too. There are lots of people out there with beautiful ideas but have no money to start up. It is important to raise funds to get the basic requirements or materials for the business.

You have to welcome criticisms. It may be difficult to get the target clients to appreciate your products or services. If you don’t stand firm to absorb criticisms of your services, one sentence could get you off balance if you are the easily discouraged type.

From experience, a lot of marketing skills are needed to get people to believe in your products or services. A great amount of fortitude is needed to convince end users that your product is quite different from those that are already in the market. Basically, these are challenges a business starter could face. But they vary depending on the product or service to be launched to the public. And the kind of brand and packaging you give to your  service could stand you and your market out among your contemporaries.

How can entrepreneurs tackle these challenges?

The key word to whatever challenge an entrepreneur may face is thinking positively and thinking ‘out of the box.’

All I am trying to say, in essence, is do not allow yourself to be frustrated; do not allow your dreams to die. For every problem, there is a solution. You must be determined to execute the project.

What are the key investment principles your entrepreneurs like you must imbibe?

The key investment principles are numerous but an entrepreneur should bear in mind the following – Market appraisal or product survey is very important to  ascertain the degree of  demands and needs for that product in whatever location you are deciding on.

Also, identify your target clients: Not everyone needs your product; it is either meant for a few who understand its essence or for the general public who need it in their day to day activities. So identify the kind of people your  service meets their needs.

Another one is the desire and readiness to please the recipient of  your products and  services; this should be paramount in your mind.

You are not providing this service because you are less-busy but because you want to meet the needs of a selected class of people.

Your product should have standard, to stand the test of time. This will make you bold to stand up to defend what you represent among your contemporaries. You work hard to build the company to be able to turn capital over and not going into extinction a few years after launching the business.

Users’ satisfaction before profit is also important. The satisfaction of users should be your priority in launching into the market.

You must always be on your toes in order to create good ideas on how to bring the product closer to the clients; let it be within their reach like using e-marketing, door to door services.

Lastly, let your advertisement and jingles sell your product even when it is new in the market.

Copied from Punch

Please, pardon President Jonathan

Chido Onumah
| credits:

Nigerians are justifiably outraged at the pardon of Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, ex-governor of Bayelsa State. Alamieyeseigha was governor from May 1999 until December 2005, three months after he was detained in London on charges of money laundering. President Goodluck Jonathan had served under  Alamieyeseigha as deputy governor.

Instructively, in August 2005, a month before his arrest, Alamieyeseigha delivered a message, through his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan, at a seminar in Abuja on “Winning the War against Corruption”. The self-styled Governor-General of the Ijaw nation “commended government’s stride with the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Code of Conduct Bureau, and urged the bodies not to ignore the private sector”.

According to Alamieyeseigha, who called for those with criminal records to be barred from elective office, “It is only in Nigeria where people who looted banks to a distress situation are allowed to use such loot to open their own banks or are given high political appointments”. Alamieyeseigha’s paper titled: “Corruption Reduction Through Government Policies: The Bayelsa Experience”, highlighted “the various mechanisms put in place by the state government to check corruption as it was inimical to national growth and development and as such, must be abhorred by all and sundry”.

By the time Alamieyeseigha was arrested a month later in London, it was reported that the Metropolitan Police found about £1m in cash in his London home and later a total of £1.8m in cash and bank accounts. Alamieyeseigha jumped bail in December 2005 from the United Kingdom by allegedly disguising himself as a woman. He had hoped to continue in office as governor.  Even though that hope did not materialise, it was a good judgment call. Remaining in the UK would have been calamitous. Today, we know why.

On July 26, 2007, the fugitive governor pled guilty to six charges of making false declaration of assets and 23 charges of money laundering by his companies. He was sentenced to two years in prison. The following day, July 27, just hours after being taken to prison, he walked home a free man. In our convoluted justice system, the period he spent in detention had served to compensate for the prison sentence.

Reuben Abati, then chair of the editorial board of The Guardian and now presidential town crier had this to say about Alamieyeseigha in a 2005 piece titled, “Alami should go: It’s over”: “By running away from England under the cover of the night, away from the British judiciary which was probing him on charges of money laundering, by taking evasive action from the law and communicating with his feet, Alamieyeseigha, a man who until now was known and addressed as His Excellency, has shown himself to be a dishonourable fellow, unfit to rule, unfit to sit among men and women of honour and integrity, unfit to preach to the people that he leads about ideals and values…

“As for those persons who have been packaging Alami as a victim and who have been mouthing the asinine line: ‘If Ijaw man thief Ijaw money, wetin concern Tony Blair inside’, may the good Lord forgive them for they do not know what they are saying. All Ijaw must feel embarrassed for this is a difficult moment for them as a nation. They are being blackmailed emotionally to defend not a principled fighter, not a spirit of Ijawland, but an Ijaw leader who danced naked in a foreign land. The questions that would be asked are: What do the Ijaw stand for? Where is the ancient and modern glory of the Ijaw nation? These are difficult questions. Alami must save his own people the embarrassment by stepping aside. Let him return to England and act like an honourable man”.

Eight years later, nothing has changed, except that an Ijaw man is now President and Commander-in-Chief. “His Excellency, the (former) executive fugitive of Bayelsa State”, as Abati once described Alamieyeseigha remains a “dishonourable fellow, unfit to rule, unfit to sit among men and women of honour and integrity, unfit to preach to the people that he leads about ideals and values”. What a difference eight years makes. Today, thanks to his pardon, Alamieyeseigha is now “fit to rule, fit to sit among men and women of honour and integrity, fit to preach to the people that he leads about ideals and values”.

Astonishingly, it is now Abati’s job to repackage “Alami” as a victim and condemn those who accuse him of being an ex-convict and a danger to society. May the good Lord forgive all the idle Nigerians who are not only exhibiting “sophisticated ignorance”, but want to destroy an Ijaw man for pardoning another Ijaw man for stealing money belonging to Ijaw for they do not know what they are saying.

To understand Alamieyeseigha’s pardon is to understand the character of the Nigerian state. There is no case to make for his pardon other than to say it is what the doctors ordered. And by doctors, I do not mean the type our First Lady and sundry public officials scurry to in foreign countries. I refer to the ubiquitous marabouts and native doctors that have become an essential part of governance in Nigeria.

They are the ones goading President Jonathan and have convinced him that to secure a second term, he must of necessity pardon the Governor-General of the Ijaw nation.  That is the only way he can secure the support of the Ijaw. Evidently, in Nigeria, leadership is not about performance. What is uppermost now is that President Jonathan, the first president from the oily Niger Delta, has to, by any means necessary, complete his two terms of four years as the constitution stipulates.

A friend has likened President Jonathan’s dilemma, if we can call it that, to that of a managing director of a failed company who wants to remain MD even when his company is in the red. He will do whatever he thinks will help him keep his job, including cooking the books and satisfying every interest, no matter how vile.  Of course, President Jonathan is also a victim of the Nigerian tragedy.   Alamieyeseigha was set free many years ago when we had a certain Umaru Yar’Adua as president. The pardon on March 12, 2013, was just the icing on the cake.

I don’t think those who pardoned Alamieyeseigha thought or imagined that the tag “ex-convict” would ever leave him. Who cares really? Are we not witnesses to a senator winning an election while on trial? A few days after his pardon, there were feelers signalling that Alamieyeseigha will run for Senate in 2015. He doesn’t need to do anything to emerge the next senator representing his district. Like that other exemplar of perfidy in Akwa Ibom State, all the governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, needs to do at the behest of the President, is to remove the name of the winner and replace it with Alamieyeseigha’s, if necessary, for his great service to Ijawland.

Alamieyeseigha will be in good company when he joins the Senate in 2015. For me, that is the really troubling part of his pardon and why we must continue the quest to restructure Nigeria. Like Tafa Balogun, the rogue former Inspector-General of Police, Alamieyeseigha will no doubt make a case for the return of his property “confiscated” by the state.

Alamieyeseigha believes he is entitled to be a senator and much more; after all, not many in the “hallowed” chamber can boast a superior résumé. Ours is a system that survives on cronyism. Alamieyeseigha may emerge as senate president if he so desires. He may even return to Bayelsa State someday to complete his second term as governor.

The structure of our country makes this unwholesome atmosphere possible. That is why President Jonathan deserves our pardon for his latest political blunder!

Easter rush: Passengers stranded at Lagos airport

Airline

Hundreds of intending domestic air passengers heading for different various destinations to celebrate the Easter were on Thursday stranded at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos and other airports across the country following massive flight delays by airlines.

Passengers travelling to Enugu from Lagos as well as other South-East and South-South cities had their flights delayed by three to five hours, airport officials said.

Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the delay was caused by a major technical hitch to the passenger checking system of a major domestic operator at the General Aviation Terminal of the Lagos airport during the early hours of the day.

The development, it was gathered, affected several of the airline’s scheduled flights throughout the day as the remaining flights were delayed by three hours on the average as a result.

A top official of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria at the GAT said, “The airline’s server was bad in the morning. This affected the passenger checking-in system. The server did not pick up until three hours later. In fact, the airline officials were already issuing boarding passes through the manual method before the server picked up three hours later.

“The delay in the morning affected every other flight throughout the day. Lagos to Enugu, Enugu to Abuja and other flights were affected by the delay.”

Further findings revealed that other intending passengers who came to buy tickets for the day were forced to postpone their flights till the next day.

The PUNCH had reported exclusively reported that the Easter holidays would be marred by scarcity of flights as a result of the suspension of flight operations by Aerocontractors Airlines because of an industrial action by its workers.

The flight scarcity on Thursday led to a situation whereby passengers were struggling to get seats aboard the few available flights.

Airport touts, in connivance with airline officials, were having a field day as a result of the development, raising fares astronomically for desperate travellers, who were only interested in getting to their destinations.

It was gathered that the ticket for a one-hour flight was sold for N40,000 at the GAT instead of the average price of between N28,000 and N30,000.

The situation was the same at some other airports where a one-hour flight to places like Abuja and Port Harcourt was selling for over N40,000.

A visit to the GAT of the Lagos airport showed that one of the leading airlines actually capitalised on the increasing demand to hike its fares.

The suspension of operations by Aerocontractors, the second largest domestic airline by passenger traffic, due to internal labour crises, had left the airline grounded for almost two weeks.

The airline’s management is battling its almost 1,300 employees who are protesting against alleged poor condition of service among other issues.

The development has had an adverse effect on domestic air travel, which is dominated by Arik Air and Aero in terms of large route network.

Passengers have been facing hard times getting seats on the South-South and South-East routes operated by only Aero and Arik. Destinations on these routes are Benin, Calabar, Uyo, Owerri and Enugu.

Other domestic carriers such as Dana Air, IRS Airlines, Medview Airlines and Chanchagi Airlines operate from Lagos to Abuja and a few cities in the North.

Copied from PUNCH

Charlyboy: My Oga at the top; stop the rubbish

Charly Boy has finally weighed in on 'My Oga At The Top' saga. See it below...

It’s unfortunate, this article is coming in late. This is because I almost ignored the racket “ My Oga at the top” generated. However, because of some salient lessons in the whole joke, I have decided to hit you with this.

Even though, my ways may be very different from yours, I still believe we must be objective in our analysis, judgment, and conclusion about others. The NSCDC Commandant,  Mr. Shem’s experience in the hands of Nigerians and the Channel TV personalities cannot be too different from what many of us face on a daily bases.

Some of us have been arbitrarily judged, smashed, squeezed, criticized, and battered for several years because we have failed to be who they want us to be. Different darts and missiles have been thrown at us because they chose to judge us from the first impression they conceived about us. What insult haven’t we received? They will try to judge you by the few words they hear from your mouth. When you use signs and symbols to communicate national issues, they misconstrue every bit of it as you are either tagged the head of Nigeria Illuminati, or they may even try to put your sexuality to question. However, we still love them, and still fight for them even when they don’t really understand why we are here. Some have not even realized the need to hold on to the reality that confronts them today, instead, they are committed to producing gunpowder for the celebration of individual blunder, and they swiftly push national blunder aside.

Yes, the NSCDC Commandant goofed, he failed to give the correct NSCDC website, he wanted his oga at the top to announce that personally, hence he couldn’t go ahead to announce it, as his oga may end up announcing another one later. At first, it appeared to me as if he didn’t understand the question until he got to the point of providing the URL of the website, and then we all laughed when he was unable to provide the web address as demanded. We all laughed at his little or no IT knowledge, and not really because he is not competent enough to do his job. We all laughed because he had displayed some level of confidence right from the beginning of the interview till the point he was to give the website details.

However, is it enough to have made it a trending topic on twitter and on other social sites for days? I must say that we have all failed by pushing aside the lesson and the message of the controversial interview. If you don’t know, the message is simple; there is a systemic failure. We have all failed our country. We have even failed to channel our heavy online presence towards a more positive direction. We have failed to understand that the entire system has no structure as it stands now. If that is not the case, why were we not intelligent enough to see beyond Mr. Shem’s failure and begin to reflect over leadership failure, using the social media platform? It has always remained this way, where only few of us can speak our minds in a country where mediocrity reigns supreme. We have failed to see how mediocre now flood the civil service , but all we are now looking at ,is just Mr. Shem’s blunder. Why???

Members of staff in several organizations know little or nothing about their organization. They can’t even tell ‘categorically’ like Mr. Shem, whether they have an existing or functional website. How effective are various media units that are scattered across different Ministries in the country? NSCDC should even thank God that it was Mr. Shem who failed, and not their media unit, because such would have been possible. I know that majority of Nigerians that work in the civil service are not up to date with the internet social world, as they believe in doing things the old way. You won’t even blame Mr. Shem for not being able to give the correct web address or not being able to add dot.com, because the NSCDC Website, prior to the controversy was almost dormant. How would you expect one to know a website that doesn’t exist or non-functional?

But my pain is simply that we have all failed to tackle the most pressing issues of the day, falling into the trap and deception of the phrase “My oga at the top”. We have been so deceived and then became so careless about our safety, laughing hysterically; with our eyes gazed at “My Oga at the top” until the dreaded Boko Haram found a way to shoot us with their arrows. We laughed until we forgot that we have urgent national issues to address, and the faceless ones hit us hard again in the city of Kano.  What a shame!

While we were busy gossiping, creating cartoons, producing T. Shirts, and cooking beats in the studio to ridicule just a single individual, we lost millions of naira at the Murtula Mohammed Airport, Lagos to some armed men who stormed the airport, harassing both Nigerians and foreigners. I heard they had a swell moment at the airport. You can’t just imagine that armed robbers could succeed even in an International Airport. Where is safe then? “Yet, we were busy with My oga at the top”

While we took the joke to another level, the Boko Haram militants also saw our weaknesses and carefree attitude, and they hit us hard, killing well over 60 people in the Kano bomb attack. They beat all security apparatus in place in the volatile city, because, we refused to watch our back as we were laughing at “ My Oga at the top”

In our usual carelessness, when some people were demanding for amnesty for some faceless people, we kept mummed, because we were only interested in “Oga at the top.” We refused to ask questions on why some people should be advocating for this group.

As good, committed, and patriotic citizens, couldn’t we have embarked on a campaign against violence using the social media platform for that purpose? How many of us are willing to laugh at some of the ogas in the North who have sold the future of our children in the name of leadership tussle? How many of us have been able to tell the Northern leaders that they have failed their people for giving some terrorists the supports they really do not deserve? Yet, we still talk about “My Oga at the top”

These are no time for such jokes as we have better and serious issues to address as Nigerian youth and children. Enough of this “My oga at the top” Stop the rubbish now! Let’s ask them some questions on why we must continue to bury our ourselves.

Police intercept bomb-laden car in Kano

Culled from Punch

The police in Kano averted a planned bomb attack as the command intercepted a bomb-laden Golf car and other dangerous weapons.

Other items recovered from the car include an AK 47 Rifle, Assault Rifle, 238 live ammunition of different caliber, Rocket Launcher, AK 47 Magazines, seven Turkey oil—stuffed with remote-control bombs, two cylinder remote-control devices, 14 hand grenades, four rolls of wire connector and 12 power source.

Commissioner of Police, Musa Daura, told reporters on Wednesday that the command, acting on intelligence, engaged a group of terrorists in a gun battle on the outskirts of the city, injuring some of them and recovering abomb-laden Golf 3 vehicle, as well as arms and ammunition.

Daura said the occupants of the vehicle instantly opened fire upon sighting a police patrol van and a gun battle ensued,with the militants retreating after receiving bullet wounds.

The CP claimed that no policeman was hurt during the attack.

He said, “On Tuesday, on about 2130 hours, based on a tip-off, our men intercepted a Golf 3 Motor Vehicle with Reg. No. AG 701 KTN at an outskirt village here in Kano.

“The occupants of the vehicle on sighting the Patrol Vehicle opened fire and immediately, our men responded with superior power, which made the occupants to abandon their vehicle and escaped with bullet wounds.

“The intention of these hoodlums was to cause havoc and destabilize peace which will subsequently lead to economic and social sabotage in Kano state.

“However, my men sealed up the whole area with a view to identify and arrest the fleeing suspects.”

Federal Government has no plan to remove oil subsidy, says Okupe

The Federal Government stated yesterday that contrary to the speculation in the media that the government was planning to withdraw the remaining subsidy on petrol, such plan is not on its table for now. They said for now o! :-)
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, released the statement saying:

"We wish to state categorically that, the removal of oil subsidy is not on the table of the Transformation Agenda of the President. The statement made by President Goodluck Jonathan at the recent Economic Summit held in Lagos was a frank, intellectual and well articulated contribution by the President to the discussion on the Nigerian economy at the said summit, and it was from a honest and sincere leadership perspective."

See the rest after the cut...

"It is an undeniable fact that every responsible leadership, genuine stakeholder and patriot must be worried when a nation spends about  N1 trillion, an equivalent of about 20 per cent  of the national budget, on subsidy paid out to a few companies and enjoyed in the main by very few elites, while the common man benefits only minimally.

"However, it is an incontrovertible fact that sufficient allocation for fuel subsidy has already being made in the 2013 budget; therefore, there is no cause for alarm on removal of subsidy. The President and this administration are not insensitive to the plights of the Nigerian masses and will continue to pursue and execute policies and programmes that are in the overall interest of majority of Nigerians and that will bring the greatest good to the greatest number of our teeming population.

"Finally, for the avoidance of doubt and at the risk of being repetitive, this administration is not considering the issue of removal of fuel subsidy in the nearest future and certainly will not embark on any such programme without extensive consultations and engagements across the various segments, interests and stakeholders in the Nigerian polity."
Signed
Dr Doyin Okupe

Opinion: Democracy has enshrined bad leadership in Nigeria

by Simon Sylvester Shanum

Fast forward fourteen years later and we are still searching for one key ingredient needed for development and nation build – quality leadership.

The expectations of citizens for good governance were quite high when Nigeria returned to the democratic system of government in 1999. Nigerians were looking forward to reaping the dividends of democracy. The narrative was that the military was delinquent, corrupt and unaccountable, democracy would offer answers to critical matters such as unemployment, poverty, insecurity, absence of basic infrastructure, corruption etc.  Believing our politicians had picked a few lessons from the catastrophe of the first, second and third republics, we entered the fourth republic full of hope.
Fast forward fourteen years later and we are still searching for one key ingredient needed for development and nation build – quality leadership. It is true that the progress of any nation rests on the stature or standard of its leadership and how they can bring this to bear on the welfare of people of the nation. No nation can enjoyed lasting peace if her citizens live in abject poverty particularly if that nation is acknowledged as having the ability and substantial means to provide development and guarantee a good standard of living. Unfortunately, that is the tale of Nigeria. It is a tale of poor governance, insecurity and poverty in the midst of plenty.
A former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili while speaking at the 42nd convocation ceremony of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) stated that $45 billion in foreign reserves and $22 billion in the Excess Crude Account was unaccounted for by the YarAdua-Jonathan administration. In defence of this assertion she challenged the President Jonathan administration to a debate, which the presidency is yet to accept. Neither did the administration proffer credible and coherent evidence to refute her assertion.
Recently, President Jonathan granted presidential pardon to the former governor of Bayelsa state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and a few other persons. This puts a big question mark on this administration anti-corruption stance and rhetoric. One can’t help but wonder if democracy in Nigeria is supposed to mean the opposite of accountability. Do we now practice a democracy that thrives on impunity?
Nigeria has enjoyed several cycles of oil boom, but our rulers have in all ramifications failed to convert oil income into development of human capital and critical sectors such as the transport, infrastructure, health, education, agriculture or investment in foreign assets as other resource-rich countries have done with their oil income. Rather they have progressed in corruption and looting of public funds.  They introduced the politics of recycled succession where the first elected persons in this so called democracy have positioned themselves and recycled themselves around their political interests. That philosophy has made it grim for anybody, particularly young people, to rise from outside and become anything significant in our political space without acquiescing to the role of god fathers.
When the leadership of a nation persistently fails to achieve its primary obligation of providing safety and progress, and begins to struggle with preserving security and order within its territory and borders, such a leadership becomes a threat to itself and the nation. A democratic society must distinct its political power away from its economic power. Some people must be seen to clearly control political power without also necessarily having control of economic power. This way a synergetic correlation is fashioned. The political power containers know they have to deliver peace and stability and effective infrastructure if they must be buttressed by the economic power holders who guarantee the being of the political class through financing of campaigns and internal economic happenings that provide taxes to the government.
In Nigeria the power of the political class is determined by how economically robust one is just as one’s economic position is determined by one’s political power. It is clear that the more economically strong one is, the more politically powerful one becomes, and vice versa. This clarifies why our democracy just would not work. The rich and powerful will do whatever it takes to have, control and continue in power because to them it is the unquestionable way to economic breakthrough. Since a clearly distinct separation cannot be made between Nigerian political class and the economic class, individuals at the rudder of affairs do not feel grateful or obligated to any other class. So the absence of the middle economic class who by strategy of true democracy forces the political class to convey good governance permits the political class to eat their cake and have it.
We are progressively sick and worn-out of a democracy that has demonstrated to be worse than the military. If the political rulers linger in their ride of corruption, misrule, looting and failure to protect the citizen of its nation, the rising tendency to survive without the government will push the society further apart. In the end, it will not serve the government nor the people.
————————————
Simon Sylvester Shanum is a 300 Level Political Science student at the University of Abuja.

Mandela back in hospital with lung infection

Nelson Mandel

Former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa was readmitted to the hospital overnight because of a recurring lung infection, President Jacob Zuma said in a statement on Thursday, appealing to people around the world to pray for Mr. Mandela.

It was the third time in four months that Mr. Mandela, 94, South Africa’s first black president and former leader of the dominant African National Congress, had been hospitalized. He was admitted shortly before midnight on Wednesday, the statement said, but the authorities delayed the announcement for several hours.

Mr. Mandela spent 19 days in December hospitalized for a lung infection and what government officials described as the surgical removal of gallstones. He was readmitted earlier this month for what was termed a scheduled checkup.

Mr. Mandela has struggled with lung problems since he contracted tuberculosis during his 27 years in prison.

Details later.

2 choristers cut open another’s face with blades in fight over married choir-master (PICTURED)

by Rachel Ogbu

Okurabe (Photo: Punch)

Two women in their twenties were arrested and charged before a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ebute Meta on a three count of conspiracy, assault and grievous harm.
Temitope Abigeal, 26, and Temitope Remi, 28, who sing in the choir at a Cherubim and Seraphim church on Progressive Road, Ebute Meta, assaulted 18-year-old Hannah Okurabe on March 17 with blades just a few metres away from the church.
According to reports, the incident (at Abule Nla junction) that led to the assault was an earlier fight the ladies had over the church’s choirmaster, Joseph Unuigbe who is also a married dad. His wife, Folashade, goes to the same church in Lagos.
During proceedings, the charges were read:
“That you Temitope Abigeal and Temitope Remi at about 18.30 hours at Abule Nla junction, Apapa Road, Ebute Meta West, Lagos in the Lagos Magisterial District did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to with assault and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 409 of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.”
“That you, Temitope Abigeal and Temitope Remi in the aforementioned magisterial district did unlawfully use a razor blade to cut one Okurabe Hannah on her cheek, eyelid, left ear and back of her neck which caused her grievous harm and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 243 of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.”
The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Punch reports:

Their counsel, identified simply as Mr. Chukwudi, made a bail application.
The prosecutor, Mr. Ishola Samuel, objected to the bail application, saying that the complainant was presently admitted to the Lagos Island General Hospital.
Samuel said, “If bail is granted, the defendants are likely to abscond from the court and that would prejudice the interest of justice. In view of this, I ask this honourable court to discountenance the bail application of the defence counsel.”
The Magistrate, Mrs. M. O. Tanimola, ruled that the charge was a bailable offence.
She said, “Bail is hereby granted the two defendants in the sum of N200,000 each in like sum. Defendants are to produce two responsible sureties who are gainfully employed and with evidence of tax payments to the state government in the last three years.
“The sureties must be relatives of the defendants and their addresses are to be verified. Case is adjourned to the April 17 2013 for mention.”
The suspects are said to be currently remanded at the Kirikiri Minimum Prison.

Justin Timberlake and Jay Z tour beating Kanye West and Jay Z tour

According to reports, Jay Z and Justin Timberlake's Legends of Summer tour has been outselling Jay Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne tour by 5 to 1! Ouch!

Also, Justin Timberlake's new album, The 20/20 Experience, went platinum in it's first week. Kanye might not be feeling Suit and Tie, but it seems everyone else is....

D'banj parties with Wiz Khalifa, Common, at Big Sean's party

G.O.O.D music rapper Big Sean was given a surprise party for his 25th birthday on Monday March 25th at a restaurant in Beverly Hills, California and the Kokomaster was there to party with him. D'banj looking sexy with the beards...

Naeto C shows his new baby....

He posted the photo on his instagram page and wrote:

“Thanks 2 every1 for all the messages. Words arent honestly enuff to express this moment…its ironic especially for some1 like myself who is used 2 putting words 2gether…mayb later…but right now i’m just Thanking God w/my Family and enjoying my son’s company! I wish u all similar moments at some point(s) in your lives!“ 

Awesome!

Kim Kadarshians maternity style....

Comfortable maternity outfits with comfortable sandals, better?

Kardashians Might Sue Ford For ‘Disgusting & Offensive’ Ad

  

Ford profusely apologized for their ad depicting the Kardashians bound and gagged in the trunk of a car, but the Kardashians are buying it and are ‘exploring all of their legal options’ against the car company!
Kim Kardashian and her sisters don’t find Ford’s new car ad very amusing.
Kardashians released a statement saying: “The ‘leave your worries behind’ FORD ads are disgusting, vile and offensive to all women. It is unacceptable that FORD would align itself with an ad agency that would so carelessly release these ads. The Kardashians do not take this lightly and they are exploring all of their legal options.”
Wow, we wouldn’t want to make the Kardashians this mad!
Ford Apologizes For Offending The Family
Ford released this statement: “We deeply regret the publishing of posters that were distasteful and contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within WPP Group. These were never intended for paid publication and should never have been created, let alone uploaded to the internet. This was the result of individuals acting without proper oversight and appropriate actions have been taken within the agency where they work to deal with the situation.”
Ford also said: “We deeply regret this incident and agree with our agency partners that it should have never happened. The posters are contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford and our agency partners. Together with our partners, we are reviewing approval and oversight processes to help ensure nothing like this ever happens again.”

Two NSCDC Officers Killed By Nigerian Policemen In Lagos; Oil Vandals Freed At NNP

Two officers of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, were ambushed and killed by police officers attached to Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation according to information relived by eyewitnesses and also confirmed with the spokesperson of the NSCDC in Lagos, Okeh Emmanuel.
Two officers involved in anti-vandal activities were fatally shot as they drove in the NSCDC operational vehicle after arresting four vandals of pipelines belonging to the NNPC after they were caught siphoning fuel.
Some officers were also injured in the attack which took place in the Ikorodu axis of Lagos.
The vandals escaped after the fatal attack leading NSDCDC officials to believe the vandals were in cahoot with the police.
A wounded officer said the vandals made several phone calls to the police officers before they opened fire on the NSCDC patrol van. A police ID card, a gun and Walkie-Talkie belonging to one Inspector Sunday Gabriel were retrieved from the scene of the attack.
The Nigerian police spokesperson in Lagos did not respond to inquiries regarding the attack.
Earlier this year, Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun publicly accused officials of NNPC of conniving with pipeline vandals to undermine the Nigerian economy through theft of petroleum product.
His outburst followed the murder of 3 NNPC engineers last September near Arepo village in Ogun state.

Japheth Omojuwa: Nigeria’s Vision 20: 2020 and new realities.

The time has come to embrace this reality and do something different. The World Economic Forum’s global competitive index for Nigeria does not reflect any sign that our vision is being fulfilled as we go on.

The National Planning Commission is responsible for the planning and design of the National Vision 20: 2020 document. By its sheer design, scope and content, the Vision 20: 2020 documents represent a trust worthy path to development for a country like Nigeria that cries for development. That Nigeria has more than enough to succeed is an obvious reality, that Nigeria has never done enough to development is another painful reality.
The Vision 20: 2020 is simple enough. To make Nigeria one of the world’s top 20 economies by the year 2020. That is, to move into the elite of productive countries with global best practices and the attendant rule of law and other crucial appurtenances of development by 2020. Considering the fact that only six years separate us from 2020, one does not need a prophet to know that this vision will not be realized by its simple definition. We will not be amongst the top 20 economies by 2020.
2013 marks the end of the First National Implementation Plan (2010-2013). This particular benefited from the inputs of at least 5000 carefully selected Nigerians and foreign professionals. The three key pillars of NV20:2020 include

• - Optimizing Nigeria’s key sources of economic growth
• - Guaranteeing the productivity and wellbeing of Nigerians
• - Fostering sustainable development.

There are dimensions that guide the medium term objectives and they include:

• Institutional Dimension: Promote responsible leadership, deepen transparency, accountability and the rule of law. Guarantee adequate security of lives and property for Nigerians.
• Economic Dimension: Enhance productivity, diversification of the economy and a competitive business environment.
• Social Dimension: Improve Nigeria’s prospects for achieving the MDGs. Expand opportunities for sustainable employment generation.
• Environmental Dimension: Halt environmental degradation, promote the use of renewable energy and enforce regulations on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The plan has key assumptions that it believes if fulfilled will hasten the nation’s path to this vision. Some of the assumptions include the fact that the nation must produce at least 2.4 million barrels of crude per day in 2010, and 2.5 million barrels per day in the years 2011, 2012 and 2013. All of these assumptions did not hold. Nigeria has continued to suffer from preventable challenges that have sabotaged the nation’s ability to produce more. Only recently, one of the multinationals Shell, claimed that they were losing as much as 60,000 barrels per day to bunkering and oil thieves. The sheer volume of this suggest that the perpetrators are daring and must be counting on some state force to engage in such a humongous day light rape of a whole country. Another assumption that has failed to hold is our GDP growth rate. The economy in terms of growth has been doing relatively well by about 7% growth in the last five years. You know need to see the NV 20:2020 plan to know that even Nigeria expected to do better than this number. The projection was that we’d grow by 8.2 %, 10.9%, 11.8% and 13.1% in the years 2010 through to 2013. On that projection, we are far from where we planned to be.
The time has come to embrace this reality and do something different. The World Economic Forum’s global competitive index for Nigeria does not reflect any sign that our vision is being fulfilled as we go on. The degree of economic freedom for 2013 also suggest that we are still at our mediocre level in terms global best practices, the fight against corruption, the rule of law and other tenets of economic freedom that help to engender genuine development.
All home is not lost. We once dreamed and we can dream again. In planning a new national projection, it is important to embrace the fact that we are not where we desired to be but that is not enough to hands up and give up. All we need do is look at what we did wrong in the past and why we failed then project a new future with an obsessive desire to make change happen. At least now we know that being amongst the best economies in the world is not by mouth and colourful documents.
 Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only

Read Annie Idibia's wedding vows to 2face

She posted it on her Facebook page a day after their wedding. If you haven't read it already...enjoy..

"I stand before you today as open as I can ever be, humbled by the light and love in your eyes. 13 years ago, I met the most amazing man on earth! I flew on the wings of that love, uncaring, unheeding! Believing firmly that you are and will always be the wind beneath my wings

Life happened, oh yes Life happened but through it all my heart beat only for you!My heartbreak became my greatest joy! My strength! My life! Day after day I am more in love with you!

When people ask me what is love! I say Love is right here! This moment! This second! Today! Tomorrow! Love is you! Love is real! Love is my eternity with you Innocent Ujah Idibia

See the rest after the cut....

 
I give you all of me today knowing that in you and you only has this imperfect girl found perfection!!!I do 13 years ago when I met you, I do seven years ago, I do five years ago when we created our daughter! I do through all the blogs and tabloid headlines

 And on this day, at this very second I stand in front of the world and I say I do take you as my wedded husband! I love you!

I love you so much, so so much"
Annie Idibia.

See 2face’s vows below:
Many years ago I was farther than the eyes could see.
Now we are now in that future
When I look into your eyes, I still see
You came into my life and you lit it up
Like the sun, like the moon, like the stars
All the words in the dictionary
All the words in this world can not be enough
To say what my heart feels for you.
But all I can say is baby, my heart is like a stereo right now
And it will beat only for you till death do us part.
I love you baby.
Innocent Idibia

Terrorists' Lagos hideout owned by Bayelsa State Govt - Monarch

The house where security operatives arrested nine suspected terrorists, including a Chadian, in Ijora-Badia, a Lagos mainland suburb, belongs to Bayelsa State government, a monarch claimed. 

Yesterday Ojora of Ijora, Oba Fatai Oyeyinka Aromire, in whose domain soldiers attached to Lagos internal security outfit – Operation-MESA, arrested the suspects accused the government of Bayelsa State of complicity in the presence of terrorist suspects in Nigeria’s economic hub. 

Oba Aromire blamed the government for abandoning the property, a development he said encouraged miscreants to use it as a hideout.


He said all the efforts made in the past by him and security agencies to get the Bayelsa government to either demolish the building or lease it out, considering the dangers of leaving it empty, yielded no result.

There were no comments from the Bayelsa government whose official promised “to get back to” The Nation.

The royal father, who frowned at the discovery of ammunition, including two AK47 rifles in his community, said it was God who saved the state from the suspected terrorists.

The Ojora spoke during a courtesy visit of Hausa leaders, led by the Chairman of the Council of Arewa Chiefs in Lagos, Alhaji Kabiru Garuba, to his palace.
(The Nation Newspaper )

Michael Jordan Getting Married, But Mum’s The Word On Wedding Details

Former NBA star Michael Jordan is set to give marriage another go after his official divorce with Juanita Vanoy in 2006. Jordan proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto, on Christmas Eve, 2011, and now they are ready to walk down the aisle.

The guests on the invite list of Michael Jordan’s upcoming wedding to model Yvette Prieto have reportedly been asked to keep all details concerning the ceremony a secret.

Michael Jordan&Yvette Prieto

According to the Chicago SunTimes, those on the invite list were given specific orders not to bring any cameras or cell phones, to avoid the temptation of snapping photos. They were also asked not to speak to the press or family members who may spill any details.

Jordan and Prieto thought it wise to take precautions following accusations Jordan had fathered a son with a Georgia-based s*x instructor.

The wedding will take place in Palm Beach, Florida, on April 27.