Navy Arrest 9 Oil Thieves With Crude Worth N1bn

Men of the Nigerian Navy have arrested nine suspected oil thieves in Bayelsa state over crude oil theft.

The nine suspects were arrested aboard a vessel laden with 66,000 barrels of suspected stolen crude oil, after a tip-off at Ekremor field in Brass River area of Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.

The vessel, MT Dera 1, belonging to an oil exploration and production company, was said to have gone to the Ekremor field for product testing but was later discovered to have illegally loaded 66,000 barrels (11 million) litres of substance suspected to be crude oil.

Commodore Salisu Jubril, who paraded the nine-member crew put the value of the crude oil at over N 1billion.

Nigeria loses billions daily to oil theft, a menace that has persisted for too long. The stolen crude fuels a lucrative black market.

Indian among 3 workers kidnapped in Nigeria

The victims were taken from the Emakalakala town in the Ogbia council area, a few miles from their construction base, The News online reported. LAGOS: An Indian is among three expatriate construction workers who were kidnapped in Nigeria's Bayelsa state, media reported on Saturday.

Passengers Protest Arik Flight Cancellation At Abuja Airport

A protest broke out on Sunday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja (NAIA), Abuja, on one of Arik Air’s flights scheduled for Ilorin, the capital of Kwara state.

According to the Protesting passengers, Arik was in the habit of cancelling flights schedule to Ilorin airport at will.

Sources at the airport told Thisday that the travellers became infuriated when the airline announced that its second flight to Ilorin had been cancelled.

“The only way to make our position known is through this mild demonstration and mild protest to send the right signal to the airline management and government,” a passenger was quoted as saying.

Arik has been accused by many passengers in the past of poor customer service, despite being the costliest local airline. Several delays and cancellations have made several passengers look for alternative airlines.

“I was waiting for my 5:30 flight when Arik workers came to ask if I could join a delayed flight that was just leaving some minutes past five. I was delayed in the rain for several minutes before I was allowed to enter the aircraft. That was not the first time I have experienced such treatment at the hands of Arik,” a business man recounted his experience while returning to Lagos from a meeting at Abuja.

Arik spokesman Mr. Banji Ola, however explained that the incident in which a domestic carrier veered off the runway at the Ilorin Airport on Saturday, prompted the control tower to direct the carrier to cancel the flight.

Boko Haram: 200 Igbo People Have Been Killed In Borno – Group

A socio-cultural group for Igbo people residing in Borno State, Igbo Welfare Association (IWA), weekend, said more than 200 members of the Igbo community have been killed and their property worth millions of naira destroyed since insurgency began in the state.

President general of the association in the state, Chief Maclaw Nwaogu, said this during the inauguration of the new executives and award ceremony at Barwee International Hotel in Maiduguri, the state capital.

He therefore appealed to Governor Kashim Shettima to assist the Ndigbo who have become widows and orphans as a result of the attacks, as well as other non-indigenes. Many of them, according to him, had migrated but still suffers destitution as a result of the loss of their breadwinners to the Boko Haram insurgency.

Borno is one of the states in Nigeria’s northeast hardest hit by the Boko Haram insurgency, which has claimed more than 10,000 lives in the country.

Boko Haram lnsurgency Will soon End – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday assured Nigerians that Book Haram insurgency in the country will soon end.

The president made this known in Lagos when he hosted some Igbo market and town union leaders under the auspices of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria led by billionaire businessmen Arthur Eze and Ifeanyi Ubah.

“I just want to tell Nigerians that this phase will surely pass,” said Jonathan, who lamented the Kano bomb attack where about 200 people were killed on Friday.

“This intimidation will not last. We will continue to improve on the technology needed to combat terrorism,” he added.

The president said further that other countries have faced terrorism and have overcome. This he said shows that Nigeria will also overcome its challenges.

He thanked the Igbo leaders who represented the 158 recognized markets in the state, as well as the town unions in Lagos, for vowing to deliver all Igbo votes in the state to the PDP in the 2015 presidential election.

Speaking earlier, Prince Arthur Eze urged Igbos to continue mobilizing votes for Jonathan because he has the fear of God and sincerity to work for the nation.

4 New Year's Resolutions You Could Start Tomorrow

With the holidays just around the corner, many business owners are looking forward to taking their foot off the gas, spending quality time with family and reflecting on their year as entrepreneurs. No doubt they'll be celebrating some highs, bemoaning some lows and thinking about what needs to happen differently in 2015 based on what they've learned over the last 12 months.

Although Jan. 1 is the official date to kick off any new resolutions, here are four productivity ideas to put into practice ahead of time and gather a head of steam before the new year:

Related: 5 Ways to Turn Your Workstation Into a Workout Station

1. Stand up and live longer.

Sitting down at a desk may literally be killing people, according to new research. Companies all over the United States are starting to supply standing desks to their employees in an effort to increase productivity and keep their staff living longer.

I bought a VariDesk Pro at the beginning of this year and love it. I find I get more done, I’m more alert and my posture has improved. So many desks are on the market that it can be difficult to choose one but there are options to match different budgets. You won’t regret how quickly you start ripping through your to-do list while staying fit and healthy.

2. Take five before posting on social media.

With 284 million Twitter users worldwide vying for attention, getting heard on that social channel is becoming hard. The key to engagement lies not just in what you’re saying but how you say it.

Kevan Lee outlined on Buffer how to create the perfect Facebook post for increased reach and interaction by using links, offering brief updates (character-wise), publishing at non-peak times and by being timely and newsworthy.

Spend five minutes thinking about how you’ll frame your next Tweet or Facebook update and not just five seconds. Check out posts by the competition. How smart have other players been and how can you stand apart with whatever you’re sharing? If your followers see your update, will they think “so what?” or will they take action?

3. Read more and prosper.

When it comes to reading, I try to alternate between tucking into business books and fiction throughout the year. While it’s important to keep up-to-date with new trends and thinking on professional topics, many businesspeople need to give their brains a break and let their imagination find inspiration in the story a novel might have to tell.

I’ve recently become a fan of getAbstract. Users sign up to receive business books that have been distilled into four- or five-page synopses. Their editors extract the essence of the authors’ ideas and provide key takeaways from the book, all in an easily digestible format. Now I can keep up with 15 to 20 new business concepts and thought leaders over 12 months instead of the five or six my schedule has allowed in recent years.

4. Get more from travel.

When you’re a superbusy entrepreneur, travel is often a big part of your life. Frequent travel can be unhealthy -- as well as expensive, according to Concur. So ensuring that you maximize the return on investment from trips should a be a big priority. Obvious ways to enhance the bottom line might be to seek cheaper airfares and hotel rates. But what about you have planned for the trip?

If you’re speaking at a conference, have you optimized your appearance for maximum reach by employing some shrewd digital PR tactics?

Have you picked out a few people you know are going to the event and reached out beforehand with a view to some one-on-one networking? If you’re landing in a city that has clients or potential clients within a few miles of the convention center, why not set up a lunch or extend your stay by a day so you can catch up in person?

Full list of winners - Channel O Music Video Awards 2014

Channel O, the 17 year old pioneer African music video platform, held its annual Music Video Awards for 2014  in Johannesburg in South Africa yesterday night. 

Diamond and Cassper Nyovest packed the majority of the award for the night while Nigerian artistes including Tiwa Savage, Kcee and Olamide walked away with an award each also.

Full winners list below...

MOST GIFTED MALE
CASSPER NYOVEST – DOC SHEBELEZA*** Winner
DAVIDO – AYE
RIKY RICK FT OKMALUMKOOLKAT – AMANTOMBAZANE
K.O. FT KID X – CARACARA
SARKODIE – ILLUMINATI
MOST GIFTED FEMALE
THEMBI SEETE – THUNTSHA LEROLE
BUCIE FT HEAVY K – EASY TO LOVE
LIZHA JAMES FT UHURU – QUEM TI MANDOU
TIWA SAVAGE FT DON JAZZY – EMINADO** Winner
SEYI SHAY – IRAWO
MOST GIFTED NEWCOMER 
DREAM TEAM FT TAMARSHA, AKA & BIG NUZ – TSEKEDE
CASSPER NYOVEST – DOC SHEBELEZA
EMMY GEE FT AB CRAZY & DJ DIMPLEZ – RANDS AND NAIRAS
DIAMOND – NUMBER ONE** Winner
PATORANKING – GIRLIE O (REMIX)
 MOST GIFTED DUO, GROUP OR FEATURING
UHURU FT OSKIDO & PROFESSOR – Y-TJUKUTJA
DJ CLOCK FT BEATENBERG – PLUTO (I REMEMBER)
R2BEES FT WIZKID – SLOW DOWN
K.O. FT KID X – CARACARA
KCEE FT WIZKID – PULL OVER** Winner
MOST GIFTED DANCE
UHURU FT OSKIDO & PROFESSOR – Y-TJUKUTJA
DAVIDO – SKELEWU
DJ CLOCK FT BEATENBERG – PLUTO (I REMEMBER)
P SQUARE – PERSONALLY
BUSISWA FT VARIOUS – NGOKU** Winner
MOST GIFTED RAGGA DANCEHALL
BUFFALO SOULJAH – BASAWINE** Winner
OREZI – RIHANNA
JESSE JAGGZ FEAT WIZKID – BAD GIRL
PATORANKING – GIRLIE O (REMIX)
SHATTA WALE – EVERYDOBY LIKES MY TING
MOST GIFTED AFRO POP
DAVIDO – AYE
MAFIKIZOLO FT MAY D – HAPPINESS
DIAMOND – NUMBER ONE** Winner
FLAVOUR ADA ADA
IYANYA – JOMBOLO
MOST GIFTED KWAITO
UHURU FT OSKIDO & PROFESSOR – Y-TJUKUTJA** Winner
CHARACTER FT MONO T & OSKIDO – INXEBA LENDODA
BIG NUZ FT KHAYA MTHETHWA – INCWADI YOTHANDO
DJ VETKUK VS MAHOOTA – KHABA LENJA
DJ CNDO – YAMNANDI INTO
MOST GIFTED R&B
2FACE FT T PAIN – RAINBOW
JIMMY NEVIS FT KWESTA – BALLOON
GB COLLECTIVE FT BRIAN TEMBA & REASON – CHOCOLATE VANILLA
DONALD – CRAZY BUT AMAZING** Winner
NIYOLA – TOH BAD
MOST GIFTED HIP HOP
CASSPER NYOVEST – DOC SHEBELEZA
KHULI CHANA FT DA L.E.S & MAGESH – HAPE LE HAPE 2.1
PHYNO – ALOBAM
K.O. FT KID X – CARACARA
AKA – CONGRATULATE** Winner
MOST GIFTED SOUTHERN
DJ CLOCK FT BEATENBERG – PLUTO (I REMEMBER)
CASSPER NYOVEST – DOC SHEBELEZA** Winner
AKA – CONGRATULATE
ZEUS – PSYCH
K.O. FT KID X – CARACARA
MOST GIFTED WEST
R2BEES FT WIZKID – SLOW DOWN
DAVIDO – AYE
BURNA BOY FT D’BANJ – WON DA MO
OLAMIDE – TURN UP** Winner
DR SID FT DON JAZZY – SURULERE
MOST GIFTED EAST
SAUTI SOL – NSHIKE
DIAMOND – NUMBER ONE** Winner
NAVIO – NO HOLDING BACK
EDDY KENZO – SITYA LOSS
ELANI – KOOKOO
MOST GIFTED VIDEO OF THE YEAR
EMMY GEE FT AB CRAZY & DJ DIMPLEZ – RANDS AND NAIRAS
DAVIDO – AYE
K.O. FT KID X – CARACARA
BURNA BOY – RUN MY RACE
TIWA SAVAGE FT DON JAZZY – EMINADO
DR SID FT DON JAZZY – SURULERE
RIKY RICK FT OKMALUMKOOLKAT – AMANTOMBAZANE
CASSPER NYOVEST – DOC SHEBELEZA** Winner
SARKODIE – ILLUMINATI
DJ CLOCK FT BEATENBERG – PLUTO (I REMEMBER)
AKA – CONGRATULATE
DIAMOND – NUMBER ONE

Pres Jonathan to be Served Impeachment Notice on Dec 3

According to Rep. Mohammed Tahir Monguno, President Goodluck Jonathan is to be served with impeachment notice when the House of Representatives reconvene on Wednesday.

Senators and members of the House of Representatives had commenced collecting signatures for the removal of the president after the November 20 security siege on the National Assembly. During the siege, the speaker of the House Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and other lawmakers were teargased by the
police. House members began collecting signatures that same day while senators followed suit two days after. And already, 200 members and about 60 senators were said to have thrown their weight behind moves to oust the president.

Monguno, a former Attorney General of Borno State told Sunday Trust that he was one of the 200 members who signed the impeachment motion on November 20, saying, “some newspapers published names of those who signed the motion but my name was conspicuously omitted.” Arguing that president Jonathan had no reason to remain in office anymore having failed to protect Nigerians against Boko Haram insurgents, Monguno said:
“The federal government led by President Goodluck Jonathan has woefully failed to discharge these responsibilities. The government which is solely responsible for the security of the people has failed to protect the lives and property of my constituents. For five years now there have been consistent Boko Haram attacks in various parts of my constituency leading to the displacement of a whole local government in the constituency. Jonathan has woefully failed to provide for the security and welfare of my constituents that was why I signed the motion to oust him.”
The lawmakers further accused the Jonathan administration of “monumental” corruption, saying, “for any development to take place there is the need for dividends of democracy to reach the people but because of the monumental corruption that has characterized this government, development is no longer reaching the people at the grass root and the federal government has clearly demonstrated lack of capacity to fight corruption. The executive arm of government led by President Jonathan is a massive failure.

Of all the alleged constitutional breaches by the president, Monguno said the security siege on national assembly was the final stroke that broke the camel’s back hence, the move to impeach Jonathan.
“We need only one third of the members of the House to serve the president impeachment notice and so far we have got far more than that so as we resume the motion will be formally tabled for the president to be notified. It is only the removal that requires two third. When we reconvene on December 3rd the president will be served impeachment notice,” he explained.

ICPC Officials Trained On Weapons Handling

About 335 officials of ‎the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), were, yesterday, presented with certificates for weapon handling and intelligence gathering.

Chairman of the commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who spoke during the presentation ceremony at the ICPC headquarters, said with the training, the officers and men of the commission were better in a better stead to tackle crimes as law enforcement agents.

Mr. Nta recalled that when he first assumed office as the chairman of the commission, members of staff were operating without proper field expertise and always required the services of other security agencies to handle cases.

He, however, pledged ‎that further training would be intense as the commission had concluded plans to take delivery of 250 computers for its e-learning centre just as plans have also been put in place for the implementation of physical exercise as compulsory for staff of the commission.

While commenting on the importance of the training, the secretary of ICPC, Elvis Oglafa, noted as an agency that required intelligence gathering, the training would assist the commission in handling some of its own cases where its staff were sometimes faced with attacks and hostility associated with the nature of the job.

The ICPC scribe further noted that the training would improve the aspect of discipline in the commission as the staff had now been trained to behave and respect seniority as it is the practice in security agencies.

It was gathered that the presentation of certificates for weapon handling was performed by the commandant of the 177 Guard Battalion, who was represented by Ben Ikpolo.

In his remarks, Mr. Ikpolo congratulated the officials on the successful completion of the three months training that held from November 2013 to February 2014, adding that the training reinforced the need for improved security in the face of the current security challenges.

PHOTOS: Busta Rhymes suffers head injury after nosediving into crowd

Busta Rhymes suffered a head injury during a recent performance in New York.The rapper fell off the stage in New York's Webster Hall early Friday morning.He was leaning into the pit when he slipped off the platform and into the crowd ...According to TMZ, following the fall, he rushed backstage to get his wound treated and never returned to the stage.
See pictures below...

It was a normal flight to Ilorin - Overland Airways

According to report wish was published earlier the management of the aircraft has come out to debunking the rumour. In their statement:  Overland Airways, operator of the ATR 72 aircraft that veered off the runway shortly after it landed at the Ilorin Airport yesterday, said the aircraft was airworthy and has sufficient insurance cover.

The airline, in a statement yesterday, said:” Our ATR 72 aircraft with registration mark 5N-BPG and flight number OLA 1186 departed Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja to llorin Airport at 1543hrs with 59 passengers and 4 crew on board.

“It was a normal flight to Ilorin and standard procedures of flight were followed. The aircraft landed safely at Ilorin Airport at 1645hrs as scheduled and decelerated to a low speed and in turning off the active runway, veered off the pavement.

“At the directive of the Pilot- in- Command, our cabin crew calmly evacuated all the 59 passengers safely and they were moved to the airport terminal.

“No passengers or crew sustained any injuries whatsoever. Our Ilorin passengers have since collected their baggage and gone home while the Ibadan Airport bound passengers will continue on Overland Airways to Ibadan Airport.

“Overland Airways confirms that the aircraft was fully airworthy and insured.

“Overland Airways wishes to clarify that it was not a crash landing or an emergency landing.

“It was a smooth and normal landing and the passengers were safely and procedurally disembarked.
“We wish to assure all our esteemed passengers and public that Overland Airways will continue to operate within the strictest standards of safety.”

BREAKING NEWS: Plane crashlands in Ilorin

Overland Airlines plane from Abuja on Saturday reportedly crash-landed in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Details later…

Top PDP Members Dump Party For APC In Lagos

A former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Rafiu Jafojo and some chieftains of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the state on Saturday defected to All Progressives Congress (APC), reports Vanguard.

The PDP members who defected said they left the opposition in the state because of lack of internal democracy, adding that they joined the APC because they see the party as a prosperous one.

“We defected based on lack of internal democracy in the PDP and our aim is winning the presidential election by APC,” said Dr Oluyomi Finnih, former Lagos State Chairman, Elders Council of PDP. Chief Tunde Daramola, former state secretary of the party also defected to the APC.

Chief Henry Ajomale, the State Chairman of APC welcomed the new members at the APC secretariat in the state. He assured them they have made a very good decision. He promised them that they will not experience what made them leave PDP in their new party, as the APC would be fair to them.

Also speaking, Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) said that the party was happy to welcome the new members. He urged them to ensure that they put the party’s interest above their personal interest,promising them a level playing ground.

In its reaction to the defection of its top members, the state chapter of the PDP described it as welcome development for the party.

“The defection ceremony today is just a charade for people who have long left our fold,” said Gani Taofik, State Publicity Secretary of the PDP.

“Finnih and his group have long been out of PDP,” he told the News Agency of Nigeria.

“Finnih and his group had always worked against the PDP even when they were our members.

“Their roles of playing moles and fifth columnists in our party have been extinguished. They had no choice but to be part and parcel of the APC, their real party.”

Taofik said the exit door was wide open for other members of the party who are not ready to remain loyal and abide by its rules.

Photos: Peter Obi shops at a local market

Former Anambra state governor Peter Obi spotted shopping at a local market…and we had to see the pics…:-). See more photos below

Victor Moses returns to Chelsea

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has confirmed that winger Victor Moses has returned to parent club Chelsea after suffering a thigh injury.

Assistant manager Mark Bowen had earlier revealed that he thought Moses would be out for between six to eight weeks and now in his press conference before the game against Liverpool Hughes has said that Moses has returned to Chelsea.

Moses joined the Blues from Wigan but he failed to work his way into the first team and last season went out on loan to Liverpool. .

However he struggled there as well and hardly featured yet his time with Stoke has definitely been more successful.

He is considered a key player by the management and his absence will be a huge blow for Hughes and his coaching staff.

It is currently unclear whether or not the loan has actually been terminated but it seems as if Moses has just gone back for treatment.

Fashola writes Jonathan over federal task force activities

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has written to President Goodluck Jonathan over the legality of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme and Federal Road Maintenance Agency, SURE-P/FERMA task force and for occupying the old toll gate axis of the state without observing due process.

Fashola disclosed this yesterday while addressing police officers, businessmen and others, at the Eight Town Hall meeting on security, themed, “Maintaining our collective resolve in fighting crime,” held at the City Hall, Lagos Island axis of the state.

The new development came after barrage of attacks from the state government and the All Progressives Congress, APC on the SURE-P/FERMA task force, which was expected to commence operation before the end of this year, 2014.

The governor who spoke at the event organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF, lamented that the presence of the SURE-P/FERMA task force without any Government official accounting for their presence showed the laxity in the central government plan to fight insurgency.
He said: “I have written to President Goodluck Jonathan and I want action to be taken immediately. This is because when you gather people like that, without any clear mandate, it is a worrisome assembly.”

“And lately, they (SURE-P/FERMA taskforce) brought out their responsibilities and they said that part of their responsibilities was to manage the federal highways. And one would ask, what happens to the Federal Road Safety Corp, FRSC. They also claim that they would be controlling the erection of advert billboards. But that was a local government responsibility in the country.

“It is obvious that little regards is paid at the centre to the ‘broken window’ theory, a theory that propounds that small acts disrespect for the law, unaddressed over a long period will ultimately snowball and lead to a break-down of law and order.”

6 Things You Should Never Compromise On In A Relationship

We’ve all been in relationships where we compromised on things that we clearly shouldn’t have. We’ve all bent our most fundamental principles for someone who was cute or cool enough. Somewhere in your life, each of us has all but pretended to be an entirely different person to seduce someone we thought was out of our league, and acted like we didn’t care about things that are actually super important to us.

But as we get older, and (hopefully) gather more self-esteem, it’s important to pick the things that are just not okay to bend on, no matter how attracted we are to the person in question. Never again should we be in relationships where we basically hate ourselves at every moment for someone else’s temporary approval. Here, the six things you should always stay strong about:

1. YOUR GROUP OF FRIENDS

It’s natural for social groups to evolve (and, ideally, improve) over the course of a relationship, but one of the most common signs of an unhealthy relationship is “isolation from people you used to love.” Being slowly encouraged to abandon friendships is shockingly common, and many of us have dated someone at least mildly emotionally abusive, who insisted that we not hang out with our old friends because “they don’t know you like I do.” It’s a good way for insecure people to exert their influence over their partner, by convincing them that they don’t really need the friends they’ve had in their life forever.

So, to prevent that awful grey area where you start cutting out friends for your significant other, know up-front that your social group is not a compromise. You have the people you love, you chose them for a reason, and leaving them behind because the person you’re dating is weirdly jealous or bitter about you being close to anyone else is Not. Okay.

2. YOUR BODILY INTEGRITY AND PERCEPTION OF BEAUTY

If someone doesn’t love the way you look when they start dating you, you shouldn’t date them. They’re not going to magically enjoy your body/appearance in a way they didn’t before, and even if they did, who would want to be with someone who had to get used to the idea of finding you attractive? If you are dating someone, and feel that you should constantly be losing ten pounds, or not be seen without makeup, or dressing in a way that feels uncomfortable to you, you’re never going to be truly happy. And if someone slowly convinces you over the course of a relationship that you are not okay the way you are, and you need to change your standards of beauty to meet theirs, that is simply a bad relationship.

3. YOUR CAREER

This one is less universal, because I know a lot of couples who have changed their career paths for the benefit of making a relationship work. Some of these couples are still together, some are not. But in general, even if the individual job/position/location might change, your overall dreams of what you want to do with your professional life should not be compromised. If your dream is to be a successful actress, while you might have to edit your pathway to success slightly to accommodate a long-term relationship, giving up on your dream entirely because of your significant other is a one-way ticket to resenting them, and hating yourself.

Ultimately, things change, and you might even find that you don’t want the same things you did five or ten years ago. But you want things for a reason, and you shouldn’t change those profound personal desires for anyone but yourself—because if someone truly loves you, they will want you to pursue what makes you truly happy.

4. YOUR SELF-RESPECT

If you are being talked down to in a relationship, or treated like they are doing a favor by dating you—and you know when that is happening—you need to get out. Yes, it can be intoxicating to date someone who feels way out of your league, but your self-respect, and the respect you demand from others, is not something you should be compromising on. If you do, you will quickly devolve into a needy, dependent-on-someone-else-for-self-worth, tragic person, which will (ironically) only make them respect you less. Only date people with whom you feel a mutual sense of deserving and appreciation.

5. YOUR HOBBIES AND INTERESTS (THAT DON’T INVOLVE BEING A COUPLE)

There is nothing sadder than people who have a lot of activities/hobbies that quickly fizzle out once they get into a relationship. Whether it’s a sport, a game, an instrument, or just a fun meetup that you do with friends where you read magazines together or whatever, it’s important to keep those things going when you find someone to date.

And sometimes it’s not even intentional; You just get caught up in this new person, and want to give all your free time to them and things that involve them—but it’s still not good. If you let everything fall to the wayside once your only new activity is “being a person in a couple,” you will soon find yourself in a relationship that has passed the honeymoon stage, and none of the fun things you used to take pure, platonic joy in doing. And that is no fun.

6. YOUR “ME” TIME

Beyond hobbies and interests and other friends, you need to just have your time to chill and be by yourself. If you can’t find time to just curl up in your bed and watch eight episodes of trash reality TV, or read a book, or eat the weird food combinations you don’t want anyone else to know about, you’ll go crazy. Wanting a healthy amount of “me” time has nothing to do with how much or how little you love your partner, and couples who get all weird about doing everything together are honestly just wrong. Compromising on the restorative, deeply personal life you live by yourself is a recipe for disaster, because no matter how much you love someone, you will eventually get sick of them if you cannot have a moment by yourself to just do the weird things only you can enjoy. You need the alone time to fully appreciate the together time.

source: bustle.com

Pele condition 'improves' - hospital

The health of Brazil football legend Pele "improved" on Thursday but he remained in a special care unit at the Sao Paulo hospital where he had been admitted three days ago.

Boko Haram suspected after Emir of Kano’s mosque bombed

Two bombs exploded at the mosque of one of Nigeria‘s top Islamic leaders Friday, a week after he issued a call to arms to fight Boko Haram.

The blasts happened at the Grand Mosque in Kano, the biggest city in the Muslim north of the country, just as Friday prayers had got under way at about 2:00 pm (1300 GMT). The mosque is attached to the palace of the Emir of Kano, Nigeria‘s second most senior Muslim cleric.

The explosions came after civilian vigilantes in the northeastern city of Maiduguri said they foiled a bomb attack against a mosque, five days after two female suicide bombers killed over 45 people in the city.

“Two bombs exploded, one after the other, in the premises of the Grand Mosque seconds after the prayers had started,” worshipper Aminu Abdullahi said.

“A third one went off in a nearby road close to the Qadiriyya Sufi order. The blasts were followed by gunshots by the police to scare off potential attacks.”

His account was backed up by another witness, Hajara Tukur, who said she lives nearby.
National police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu told AFP he was waiting for a briefing from officers at the scene and declined further comment. There was no official word on casualties.

The emir, known officially as Muhammad Sanusi II, last week said at the same mosque that northerners should take up arms against Boko Haram, which has been fighting for a hardline Islamic state since 2009.

He also cast doubt on Nigerian troops’ ability to protect civilians and end the insurgency, in rare public comments by a cleric on political and military affairs.

– Influential figure –
The Emir of Kano is a hugely influential figure in Nigeria, which is home to more than 80 million Muslims, most of whom live in the north.

Officially the emir is the country’s number two cleric, behind the Sultan of Sokoto, and any attack could inflame tensions in Nigeria’s second city, which is an ancient seat of Islamic study.
Sanusi was named emir earlier this year and is a prominent figure in his own right, having previously served as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Caf Officials to Inspect Pillars’ Sabongari Ground

The Confederation Africans Football (Caf) will inspect Kano Pillars home ground, Kano Pillars Stadium, Sabongari, on Monday ahead of the 2015 Champions League.

“We are expecting Caf Officials to inspect our stadium on Monday and we are hopeful it will be approved to host Champions League matches next year,” the club’s spokesman Idris Malikawa said.

Pillars preferred home ground, Sani Abacha Stadium- also in Kano, is still under renovation.

Kano Pillars Fans Awaits Team Arrival at the Club Ground.

Glo Premier League champions Pillars and runners-up Enyimba are Nigeria’s two representatives in next year’s Champions League after their top-flight finish this season.
Pillars best performance in the continental championship came five years ago when they reached the last four.

Lord Of Ajasa Says What He Needs To Be Famous Again

Once upon a time, Lord of Ajasa was one of the wave-making artistes in Nigeria with hits like Esa Lobade.

But that wasa  long time ago. These days, nothing much has been heard about the talented singer. Granted he has new singles which featured Olamide and Kinihun, the songs didn’t bring him back to the level he was before.

In a chat with Saturday Beats recently, the rap artiste said he wants to use Olamide to get back to the top same way Olamide used him years ago when he was unknown.

“It is normal because anybody can use anybody to climb to the top. When Olamide started his music career, he used me because I featured in one of his song and nobody knew him then. I was very popular then but I humbled myself and I helped him. That is the kind of person that I am. I feel that he is the one reigning in town now and people like him, so if I feature him on my album, it would be a good marketing strategy. I can use him to move up and be famous again,” he said.

The dark-skinned artiste debunked rumours that he has any misunderstanding with Olamide, claiming that he is happy that he is successful.

He said, “There is no ‘beef’ between me and Olamide. It is rumour mongers that create such news but the truth of the matter is that we don’t have any issue. In fact, we will soon shoot a video for the song we did together. We should have done it a while back but he has been busy performing at various shows within and outside the country. Why would I ‘beef’ him? It is his time and everybody has their own time. He did not do anything to me, so I cannot ‘beef’ him. Instead, I am celebrating him as he has become successful.”

We did not stone President Jonathan - OAU students

The President, Students Union Government of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Mr. Isaac Ibikunle, has described as falsehood the report in some quarters that students of the university hurled stones and other missiles at President Goodluck Jonathan during his visit to the campus on Friday.

The SUG president spoke in an interview with our correspondent in Osogbo on Saturday.

He said that students of the university insisted on discussing with Jonathan on the increment of the fees charged by the school and the President obliged.

He said, “We read some reports that the President was stoned, booed and harassed when he came to our campus. This is not correct.

“Security personnel initially prevented us from seeing the president but we insisted that we wanted to discuss with him and we were allowed to see him.

“We told him that the increment was too high, and gave him a petition concerning the exorbitant fees and he assured us that he would act on it fast.

“I asked Mr. President to come down from the car and address us and he came down. He is our president, we did not harass him.”

Ibikunle added that the President was even hailed by the students and those present when his helicopter was taking off at the university’s sports centre.

He also said that no traditional ruler was embarrassed contrary to the reports in some online media.

Some Yoruba leaders held a summit at the Oduduwa Hall of the OAU and Jonathan was invited as a special guest of honour at the event which had the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade and other prominent obas and Yourua leaders in attendance.

Jonathan Condemns ‘Heinous’ Attack On Kano Central Mosque, Urges Nigerians Not To Despair

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has extended his heartfelt condolences to the people and Government of Kano State over the heinous attack on the Central Mosque in Kano, on Friday.

Suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers had detonated IEDs outside the mosque during Juma’at prayers and as worshippers were scampering for safety in the ensuing confusion, some gunmen opened fire on them.

The number of deaths was officially put at 35 with over 100 injured but other reports suggest those that died in the attack are over 92.

In a statement yesterday evening by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, the president commiserated with all the families who lost their loved ones.

“The president calls on relief agencies and medical personnel to deploy every possible effort to assist the injured, and the general public to heed the call for the donation of blood by the hospitals where the injured are being treated.

“The president has further directed the security agencies to launch a full-scale investigation and to leave no stone unturned until all agents of terror undermining the right of every citizen to life and dignity, are tracked down and brought to justice.

“The president reaffirms that terrorism in all its forms and manifestation is a despicable and unjustifiable threat to our society. He reiterates the determination of the government to continue to take every step to put an end to the reprehensible acts of all groups and persons involved in acts of terrorism.

“President Jonathan calls on all Nigerians not to despair in this moment of great trial in our nation’s history but to remain united to confront the common enemy.

“The President is confident that no terrorist act against fellow citizens will destroy the Nigerian spirit to remain positive, resolute and united in the quest for lasting peace and security in the country.

“He appeals to all Nigerians to remain vigilant and cooperate actively with our security agencies to win the on-going war against terror”, the statement said.

Skales Marks One Year Anniversary With Girlfriend

Nigerian music star — Skales has a lot of things to be thankful for.

He recently signed a deal with Baze music for a hefty 150 million naira and also marked his 1 year anniversary with his girlfriend.

Skales who has previously had a lot of girlfriend issues is celebrating his one year anniversary with his girlfriend, Sasay.

In a post on his Instagram page, the ‘Shake Body’ singer posted a picture of him and Sasay with the caption “Happy 1st gurl …cheers to more.”

Skales was formerly in a public relationship with Kondja who hails from Namibia, but they broke up last year amidst claims that the rapper/singer leaked her unclad pictures online.

Mercy Aigbe’s Husband Gets The Beating Of His Life For Trying To Dupe His Business Partner

I know some of you can recall that he was accused of duping a business partner some time ago. Well, the husband of Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe, Lanre Gentry reportedly got the beating of his life few days ago.

A very reliable source reports that the husband of Nollywood actress Mercy Aigbe, Lanre Gentry, had a rough time with one of his business partners who gave him the beating of his life at his Ikeja based hotel, in what is seen as business gone sour.

According to our source, the guy who flogged Gentry to a pulp is a Special Assistant to Ondo State Governor, Segun Mimiko, named Bashorun Akinloye Akinboni.

See the source reports it: –

The cause of the fight had to do with Gentry’s attempt to play a fast one on the guy who had paid for a house owned by the actress’ husband, only for him to turn around and rent the same place to Yoruba gospel artiste, Atorise.

When Bashorun Akinboni went to the hotel to enquire about the arrangement, he coincidentally met Atorise there and an argument ensued.

Bashorun Akinboni lost his temper and pounced on Larry Gentry, allegedly beating him to a Pulp.

When the beating got too much and blood was gushing from all his body, Atorise took to his heels, leaving the venue in one piece.

At the end of the day, Gentry ended up with lots of bruises and was taken to a hospital where he had bandages wound all over him.

Another insider said: – “Lanre is in the habit of duping people and had no right to take his money and give someone else the house. He has been doing this to several people and needs to be stopped.”

Source: Information Nigeria / by Haliwud

Olamide’s Story For The Gods: A Nigerian Song That Promotes R*pe? – Eseoghene Al-Faruq Ohwojeheri

This is perhaps the most difficult article I’ll ever write. It is difficult because I write with a frustrating reality in mind that I am most likely wasting my time. For once I write about an evil, so evil it is unspeakable, yet I feel there is no hope; no one will come to my aide, no one will come to the aide of the women who were violated and their dignity taken away so much so that death will feel better. No, people will celebrate the culture and people will dance to its tunes. Oh, I feel hopeless!

Nigerian hiphop star, Olamide
We heard, and some others watched, the other day when some undergraduates took turns to r*pe a fellow student and videotaped it somewhere in South of Nigeria. And we heard, and some watched, as she begged them to kill her; oh she would have been relieved if only they would oblige her and sniff life out of her; it was better than this horror, this pain, this hurt, this humiliation, this violation, and this absolute damage. Oh, death is not this bad she must have thought; for once she must have desired it, instead of this. Just anything instead of this. I can’t imagine, if you have not been defiled, you also cannot imagine. If you could imagine and if we, as a people, could imagine we would not promote songs that praise r*pe no matter how subtle

I first heard Mr. Olamide Adedeji’s song “Story for the Gods” in a cab. The driver kept repeating the song so I was forced to notice it. Any person with a musical background will notice the wittiness of the producer and the smoothness of the artiste but for my religious convictions I decided to ignore, as I will usually do. Two days later the song kept playing in my head and as I try to fight it I gave a thought to the lyrics of what was coming to my head and I was shocked. In curiosity I searched for the lyrics, got a translation from a Yoruba friend for the Yoruba parts and my mouth dropped open. What? A song praising r*pe? I died!

Mr. Adedeji begins his song by telling his fans how he took alcohol and weed and then he proclaims “I want to do Sina today”. The translator described “Sina” as a street slang for “fornication/adultery” but that is what he knows. Sina is how some Yoruba persons will pronounce “Zina” which is the technical term for fornication and adultery in Islamic jurisprudence. So he was not only boasting about fornication as a lot of his colleagues do, he was calling it a religious name to make his point clearer and more grievous.

The fellow goes ahead to narrate how the girl with whom he wants to fornicate with is giving excuses. He spoke of how she said she can’t wait, how she said it is getting late, and how she said she wants to faint, and he dismissed this excuses as “story for the gods” meaning he is not going to take no for an answer, he is not going to listen to her, he MUST do this today and nothing, not even the absence of her consent will stop him

In case that was not convincing enough he continues so that there will be no doubts. He narrates how the lady started saying he is in trouble, “he has broken my back, he has broken my arm” and he again dismiss this again as story for the gods, meaning not even the back breaking and arm breaking or the trouble he is threatened with will stop him from having his way with her. He MUST do this and he must do so by force. Oh God! Our people did not stone him, they did not even say please we do not want this; they accepted this obvious and heartless glorification of r*pe. What have we turn into?

By telling us her excuse yet insisting he must force her, Mr. Olamide is telling the world and teaching his fans one of two things. It is either she wants it but she is lying because that is how they lie, or ‘she does not want it’ must not be a good reason for “big boy” not to have it. You may think the latter is more clearly r*pe but ironically the former is even more popular among defilers; they assume the no of women mean yes. If a musician of his caliber endorses this then what happens to the millions of youths who want to do everything he does? When will they ever hear a “no” and take it as such? How many girls will be defiled for this wicked orientation? And who will give them justice?

Someone said r*pe is the most easy accusation to make and the most difficult to prove. This explains why even in the so called advanced countries about 90% of rapeincidents are not reported. The victim either “end it all” or enters into prostitution thereafter and/or she becomes enslaved for life, often, to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), flashbacks, sleeping and eating problems, dissociative personality disorder, guilt, feeling of worthlessness, among other countless psychological problems. All of these while dealing with the usual physical challenge of painful s*xual intercourse, urinary infection, Uterine Fibroid, and whatever sexually transmitted disease her defiler has to offer. All of these while Mr. Olamide makes his money, drinks more alcohol and encourage the public to r*pe more girls

I do agree with those who say r*pe is the crime in which a person is left with the most violation. What violation can be more than being a victim of r*pe and hearing a songpraising r*pe everywhere around you because the people do not care neither does the government

As if this impunity was not enough, Mr. Olamide goes ahead to make a video of this song. A video so painfully humiliating to women you will excuse the song itself. He tops all these atrocities with a display of lesbianism whereas the law of the land says:

“The public show of same s*x amorous relationship directly or indirectly is prohibited. A person who registers, operates or participate in gay clubs, societies and organisation, or DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY MAKES PUBLIC SHOW OF SAME s*x AMOROUS RELATIONSHIP IN NIGERIA COMMITS AN OFFENCE AND IS LIABLE ON CONVICTION TO A TERM OF 10 YEARS IMPRISONMENT.” – Same s*x Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2013 stated in Section 4&5, subsections 2

But then after presenting all these facts to me I asked my Secretary why such a man has not been arrested and he gave me an answer that broke my heart. He said “sir, he has a lot of money, so nothing will happen”

While innocent Nigerians spend years in detention without trial for as much as being accused of stealing water melon, we are watching to see what will happen now that the boastfully wealthy is on record promoting r*pe and bullshiting the law. We truly hope something happens this time around. We truly hope that Mr. Olamide withdraws this evil of a song and apologises to everyone or the police does the needful. None of these two seem likely however. I guess the r*pe (mind the “e”) Ambassador will laugh within wine and tell his boys how this is yet another story for the gods….and nothing will happen.

I am glad God Almighty is not man and I am glad He has promise to pay everyone back in their own coin. There is hope after all

Eseoghene Al-Faruq Ohwojeheri

(Director, Moral Project)

Benin City.

 

Police May Arrest Tambuwal

According to Punch, the police may arrest the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, over Thursday’s crisis at the National Assembly in Abuja. Sources told Saturday PUNCH on Friday in Abuja that the Inspector- General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, had ordered that the Speaker should be “invited” over the crisis.

The Department of State Services was said to have given a similar order asking that the Speaker
should be invited by any of its commands. This was sequel to information that Tambuwal was sighted in Sokoto State on Thursday evening where had gone to pick the All Progressives Congress governorship expression of interest and nomination forms for the 2015 governorship election.

But the Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said, the IGP had yet to give an “express order” for the Speaker’s arrest. Ojukwu said the officers investigating the crisis would determine those to be arrested for prosecution.

A source at the police headquarters confided in one of Punch's correspondents that the signal from the IGP’s office specifically directed the Federal Capital Territory and Sokoto State commissioners of police to invite Tambuwal and that if he resists, he should be arrested.
“The involvement of Sokoto State Commissioner of Police is likely because the Speaker was in Sokoto yesterday to pick the APC’s governorship form to contest the 2015 election,” the source said.

LINDA IKEJI in trouble AGAIN!

Apparently, Linda Ikeji made a post about Femi Kuti’s children not being his and this outraged him to vent his anger on twitter..
See the whole gist below...

No Permanent Voters Card (PVC) for Fashola, Wife.

The names of the number one citizen of Lagos state, Governor Babatunde Fashola and that of his wife, Abimbola and all residents who registered at the governor’s polling unit were missing on the register of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and could not collect their Permanent Voters Card, PVC. Yesterday.

The PVC Collection which was earlier billed to take place from November 7 to 9th 2014, The collection was later postponed to the 28th of November.

The governor, who after arriving at his Ward G3, polling Unit E002, State Junior Secondary School, Surulere, where he had registered with his wife, Dame Abimbola in 2010, did not sight any INEC official at the scene at about 2:00 p.m.

The governor, after waiting at the scene for a while sighted a notice pasted on the entrance of the school, advising residents who had registered at the polling unit to revisit the unit next month for another registration exercise.

The notice placed at the gate notified that all those who registered at the polling unit, including Fashola and his wife would not get their PVCs as there was no provision for such.

“We regret to inform you that those who registered in this polling unit do not have permanent voters’ cards. Please come back between 3rd and 8th December 2014 for fresh registration,” the notice informed.

Fashola however reacted angrily to the fact that his name was missing on INEC’s database, thus denying him and others from collecting their PVCs, saying the umpire body represented the biggest threat to the nation’s democracy.

“We have seen that INEC is the biggest threat to our democracy. They set date for the distribution of PVC, the state mobilised its residents for the exercise. We put all machinery in place only for the electoral body to change the date of the exercise. They said that the distribution and registration of voters would be done in 11 councils and not the 20 local governments.

“While the 11 had been handled in an unsatisfactory way, now the exercises in nine local governments are not ready. If I the governor of the state cannot vote, it shows what the electoral body had done. They came in the midnight and said that we should all come back and register on 3rd December 3rd, 2014. We registered and voted in that place. And there are evidences to show that,” he decried.

According to Fashola, “now, there are questions that must be answered by INEC; was the PVC for those units which they have cancelled printed? And if yes, who have they given them to?”

He said one could not wipe datas gathered like that, saying he wanted INEC to know that he still had his temporary voter’s card and that he expected all those who still had theirs to keep them, adding that “INEC registered us and they cannot deregister us because we are still alive.”

He said if the electoral body could not provide the PVC, it must allow those who had the temporary cards to vote.

“It is disgraceful to say the least. This shows how we organise the affairs of this country. Everything that had happened under Jega’s tenure, it has been characterised by mistakes from his very first election. Promises have been made and broken. It is a disappointment. We will participate in the election whether they like it or not. I feel sad when I visited India and I saw how the country was organising elections for population more than ours without hitches,” he said.

News Source / by NigerianEye

PDP Has Derailed From What We Intended For It – Atiku

Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, one of the founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the party has derailed and it is now working for itself.

Atiku, a presidential aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), stated this on Friday in Calabar, Cross River State, when he visited APC delegates in the state to solicit their support ahead of the party’s primaries.

“I know PDP more than any one of them,” he said. PDP of today was not the PDP we formed. It has derailed and it is now working for its own interest instead of the interest of the larger society.”

He also gave reasons for the underdevelopment in the Niger Delta region, saying, “The reasons the policies of the Niger Delta are not working are because those implementing the policies of the region are not the originators.

“I developed the blueprint for Niger Delta which contained the amnesty programme, creation of Ministry of Niger Delta and master plan for the development of the Niger Delta, so I know the region very well because I had employed more than 25,0000 people,” he added.

Atiku also urged the APC in Cross River to work together as one, as this would guarantee them victory at the polls in 2015.

He promised to support whoever gets the party’s presidential ticket, should he fail to win the primaries.

“There will be no anti-party issue among us because we have agreed. I will give my full backing to any one of us who gets the ticket,” he said.

Atiku also boasted that all the presidential aspirants on the platform of the APC are better and more credible than President Goodluck Jonathan.

EXCLUSIVE: Brendan Rodgers nears Liverpool exit

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers would be shown the exit door if he fails to win important upcoming games, Information Nigeria understands.

The Reds have picked up only one point from their last four games, while Liverpool sit 12th in the Premier League, 18 points behind League leaders Chelsea.

The team’s frail mental state was illustrated in the Uefa Champions league on Wednesday, as they succumbed from a comfortable lead to a draw against Ludogorets Razgrad.

Sources have told Information Nigeria that the Liverpool hierarchy are reportedly displeased about the club’s recent demeanor and are preparing to sack the Irish man if results don’t improve in the coming weeks.

The Boss himself has also expressed concerns about his future at the helm.

“A few months ago I was the manager of the year, now I’m favourite to get the sack,” He said speaking to BBC

“It’s part and parcel of this wonderful life of working in football.”

“All you can do is focus on the immediate job, on what you can control,”

“For me, it’s about working with the players, providing even more clarity in their roles and the function of the team.” added Rodgers.

Mancini is on the frontline to replace Rodgers

The Reds welcome Stoke City on Saturday in the Barclays Premier League, and failure to secure all points could further exacerbate the dire situation.

On the front line for his replacement is former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini. The Italian recently expressed his desire return to England.

Obasanjo’s Criticisms Detrimental To Nigeria’s Unity – Ozekhome

Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Human Right Activist, Chief Mike Ozehkome has slammed Former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his criticism of President Goodluck Jonathan. He said Obasanjo’s criticism is doing more to disintegrate Nigeria than re-engineer it.

“I disagree with Obasanjo’s penchant for either public letter writing or infamous statements in a way and manner that can cause tension, fear and scaremongering among the Nigerian populace. It is not helping to re-engineer Nigeria at all. Rather, he is helping in every way possible to disintegrate it,” said Ozekhome, in an interview with Vanguard.

The lawyer made the comment while reacting to Obasanjo’s allegation of corruption at the public presentation of a book by the former President of the Court of Appeal and ex-Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that the former president’s action does not behold well of an elder statesman.

“There are more decent ways and manner in which a former president can channel his grievances to a sitting president and the National Assembly, all of which are open to him without question.

“Have you ever heard of a past president of America, publicly criticize a sitting president- like Obama and take him to cleaners especially in a way and manner that situate the country in very bad light before international circles?

He therefore described Obasanjo as a spoiler who does not want to sit in the podium of great and revered political leaders across the world.

Ozekhome admitted that Obasanjo may be right about some of his allegations, but there are certain question that need be asked, starting with how he himself performed as President of Nigeria.

“Was it not in his time that corruption was elevated to a doctrine and a fundamental objective and directive principle of state policy?

“Was it not during his time that Ghana Must Go bags where seen being physically carried from House of one legislator to another either to remove an existing Senate President or to perpetuate his third-term agenda.

“Was it not during his time that the greatest economic and financial scandal in Nigeria’s history, the Siemens and Halliburton scandals were re-enacted? Was it not during his reign that the Petroleum Trust Fund and Petroleum Equalisation fund became a nest of indelible corruption?

“Was it not during his time that two major towns in Nigeria- Odi in Bayelsa and Zaki Ibiam in Benue State where mindlessly destroyed and levelled to the ground by rampaging military men in a manner that portended genocide, where many people, animals and properties where wiped out from the fave of the earth?

“Was it not during his time that Nigeria won the Gold, Silver and Bronze trophies in corruption under the Transparency International Corruption index?” Ozekhome asked.

Speaking further, the human rights lawyer asked more questions: “Did he not say much earlier that he could meet the Boko Haram leaders to stop the mindless holocaust against Nigeria? As a former president, did he require any presidential nod to help Nigeria?

“To me, the timing is also suspicious as every one knows that there is no love-lost between his former protégé, President Jonathan, and the National Assembly. Having said this, in order not to miss the message by going after the messenger, I will call on president Jonathan to immediately tackle the state of insurgency with immediate alacrity, as the Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces, and attack corruption frontally so that it will not become the faceted monster that devours its creator.

“If we do not kill corruption now, corruption may kill us all. As for the National Assembly, I also advice them to keep there art together and engage more in legislative activities than in politicking between PDP and APC, all of which do not add value to our democratic experimentation or put food on the table of Nigerians,” he said.

He noted that more focus has been placed on politics and politicking in Nigeria at the expense of real governance.

Deputy comptroller of Nigeria Prisons Service bags Prison Term.

In a case of a Jailer getting Jailed, The EFCC Today released a press statement concerning the Conviction of a deputy comptroller of the Nigerian Prisons Service.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on  Friday 28, 2014, secured the conviction of a top prison officer as Justice J.J Majebi of the Kogi State High Court, Okene, convicted and sentenced Joseph Friday Idachaba, Deputy Controller of Prisons, to 7 years imprisonment for offences bordering on obtaining money by false pretense. 

Joseph Friday Idachaba, The convict is to pay the sum of N1, 403,114.09 in restitution to Nigeria Prison Service.

He was Arraigned in 2012 on a three-count charge, the convict was found guilty on count three of the charge by the trial judge, who, however, acquitted him on two remaining counts.

Count three of the charge reads: "That you Joseph Friday Idachaba (m) being a deputy comptroller of Nigeria Prisons Service, and Onoja D. Ruth (IP) also a staff of Nigeria Prison Service, sometime between July, 2012 to February 2013 at Lokoja, Kogi State did with intent to defraud obtained N1,403,114.09 only from the Federal Government of Nigeria via the Nigeria Prison Service with pretence that same amount was the payment of monthly salaries from Nigeria Prison Service, which amount was credited into the UBA Plc account No 2054047736 belonging to one Opia Mohammed Ugbade (now at large), through NIGSS electronic fund transfer (NEFT) between July 2012-to February 2013, that the said Opia Mohammed Ugbade’s name found in the Nigeria Prison Service electronic payroll is not a staff of the Service which pretence you knew to be false and hereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) paragraphs A&B and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Free Fraud and Other Related Offences Act."

10 soldiers, 35 hunters killed in road explosion in Borno

No fewer than10 soldiers and 35 hunters were this evening 6pm killed after a bomb planted along the Mararaba road near Mubi in Adamawa state went off. The soldiers and hunters were on a routine patrol of the area around 6pm when the bomb went off.

Meet the Man Behind Some of the World's Most Famous Water Fountain

If Mark Fuller’s parents hadn’t already realized their son’s engineering and creative potential, his waterfall and fish pond project—which he worked on through high school and college with his grandfather—would have been a dead giveaway. Rather than install standard fish ponds in his family’s backyard, Fuller connected them by an underground tunnel managed via a secret control panel. 

“We used the pumps and guts of old washers,” says Fuller, who went on to start WET, which designs large-scale, tech-driven water features, including the iconic dancing fountains at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The creations—there are more than 300 in 20-plus countries—feature water, lights, music, fog and even fire, cavorting in awe-inspiring permutations.

Fuller founded WET in 1983 with two other former Walt Disney Imagineers, Melanie Simon and Alan Robinson, using funds pulled together from 13 credit cards. Fuller’s small condo was the company’s first office, and Robinson’s backyard was used for experimenting. 

Today WET is housed on a sprawling 140,000-square-foot campus in Los Angeles that includes high-tech chemistry and optics labs, a state-of-the-art wood shop and 45 custom fabrication machines. On any given day, some 300 employees—graphic designers, scientists, engineers, animators and architects—are at work on the 18 to 21 projects that will launch in the next three years.

A typical project has a team of 50, who take it from concept to completion in one to two years. After that, WET offers clients support ranging from annual site visits to periodic tuneups; in some cases, WET staff will remain permanently on-site to operate and maintain the feature. High-profile assignments have included the restoration of the iconic Prometheus Fountain in New York’s Rockefeller Center, the cauldron for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City and what’s billed as the world’s largest performing fountain, with water reaching heights of 450 feet, in Dubai.

The company is on track for at least $50 million in revenue this year, Fuller says, while next year could bring in $70 million to $75 million, thanks to projects in Beijing, Shanghai, Chicago, Dubai, Istanbul, Mexico City, Las Vegas, the Bahamas and Kuwait. 

WET’s first major project came in 1986: Fountain Place in Dallas, a collaboration with architect I.M. Pei and landscape architects Dan Kiley and Peter Ker Walker. It was the “first-ever fountain on planet Earth where the jets didn’t come out of the pool,” Fuller says. 

But growth after that was slow, until Steve Wynn asked Fuller to dinner to discuss creating a never-before-seen attraction for his new Las Vegas hotel. The conversation led to the Fountains of Bellagio, which started dancing in 1998. The project marked a milestone for WET, proving that the company installations could become destinations in themselves, drawing tourists and their dollars. 

“The fountains have become synonymous with our resort,” says Jenn Michaels, senior vice president of public relations for MGM Resorts International. “We know visitors come from around the globe to see our signature attraction. And then they come inside to enjoy everything else we created at this very special hotel.” 

In 2013, the Fountains of Bellagio was named the top U.S. landmark by Trip-Advisor’s Travelers’ Choice Attractions awards. “People see that single image and know immediately that it represents Las Vegas and it represents the Bellagio,” Michaels says. “It is an amazing feat when a single image can be so meaningful in the eyes of people around the globe.”

WET is exploring other elements in projects set in Las Vegas—which, after all, is the capital of spectacle. At the Mirage, water and fire tango to create the world’s largest daily artificial volcanic eruption. And at CityCenter Las Vegas, frozen columns of ice slowly emerge from a shallow pool, providing visitors a welcome respite from the hot desert sun. 

All very cool. 

Inventive Endeavors

WET has been an innovator for 30 years, but pioneering a new field can be a blessing and a curse. The company often comes up with never-before-seen ideas but then is expected to up the wow factor for its next client. Co-founder Mark Fuller offered us his tips for moving forward without repeating the past. 
Keep it exciting. “We keep working on a design until we can’t stand that it’s not built yet,” Fuller says. He knows a project is on the right track when its designers can’t wait to see it built. “If we’re not feeling that, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m ready to wet my pants so we can go out and see this fountain in real life,’ we know we haven’t gotten far enough yet.” 
Embrace teamwork. Creating a WET project involves people from myriad disciplines, from chemistry to mechanical engineering. Everyone is encouraged to speak up. “People must be championing their ideas, bubbling with vigor about expressing what they want to see the project come to—or something is wrong,” Fuller says.
Encourage learning. “We never fire anyone here for making a mistake,” Fuller says. WET’s leaders foster curiosity, exploration and learning—and the missteps that come along with them. The company’s WET YOU program offers free classes ranging from physics to stand-up improvisation, meant to broaden employees’ horizons.
Be fearless. “We look for challenges that scare us,” Fuller says. “We tackle things that we suppose are doable, but are not obviously so.” The experimental mindset allows WET’s designers to test ideas using the company’s extensive resources, which include a 3-D printing lab, woodworking shop and a network of equally creative, involved colleagues. 
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How to End Your Day on a Positive Note

Do you spend your evening stressing about the events of earlier in the day? Bringing the stresses of work home with can not only have a negative impact on your home life, but can affect your productivity in the days that follow as your mind and body are never quite able to de-stress. Theresa Glomb, a work and organizations professor at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, says it’s important to put yourself in a positive mindset before closing the office door.

“Good things are about three to five times more frequent than bad things at work, but bad events have about five to 10 times the impact as good things,” says Glomb.

Although your day could go perfectly fine, one negative interaction can have you stressed out all day and night. “We pay so much attention to the negative things,” says Glomb, “we sometimes fail to notice the positive things that are going on in our work lives.”

She offers up four micro-interventions, small tasks that can be done at the end of the workday in five minutes or less, that can help to leverage the positive events that occur in our workdays:

1. Keep a positive journal.

Just spending a few minutes jotting down the day’s positive events can help you to detach from work and lower stress levels. Glomb conducted a research study in which participants were asked to write about three good things that happened to them each day. “What we found was people had lower stress levels in the evening. They had lower physical and mental-health complaints. They were more able to detach from their work and they were more able to concentrate in the evening,” says Glomb.

The three good things don’t have to be work-related. In fact, Glomb says about 40 percent of participants wrote about a positive family interaction. “The whole focus of this intervention is getting people to re-orient on the positive,” says Glomb, who notes the exercise has forced her to take notice of positive events when they happen. “When something good does happen during the day, I’m more likely to latch onto that moment and really try to remember what happened because I want to write about it later,” she says.

But, it’s not enough to simply think about the positive experiences. Writing them down is an important part of this exercise. “There’s something about the writing process causes you to have to consolidate, think about and organize these experiences,” says Glomb. Plus, writing them down allows you to re-live the experiences. If you’re having a particularly bad day in which you’re feeling like nothing is going right, you can flip through your positive journal and be reminded of all the positive things that have happened during the past week or month. “Really what this intervention is about is amplifying the goodness that we’re getting out of these positive experiences,” says Glomb.

2. Take five minutes to meditate.

A brief mindful meditation before you walk out the office door can help you to detach from work and reduce your stress, ensuring you start off your evening in positive state of mind. Mindful meditation allows you to turn your focus inward, concentrating on your breathing and isolating parts of the body to relieve tension.

3. Send a gratitude email.

Glomb says that helping others is a great way to boost your mood. Before closing your email for the day, have the last email you send out be a gratitude email. Send an email to an employee, telling that you’re appreciative of the work that they’re doing, or thank a client for their business. “It does springboard your evening into a more positive one because you’ve left your workplace on a more positive note,” says Glomb.

4. Review your day’s to-do list.

Research shows checking off our accomplishments helps to put us into a more positive mood. Before leaving for the day, review your to-do list and check off all of the tasks you accomplished that day. Didn’t make a list? Make a list for the next day, starting off with a few things that you already accomplished and cross those off before leaving. “One of the key drivers of being in a good mood at work is making progress on your work tasks,” says Glomb.

Prepare yourself for success the next day by prepping your workspace according to the items on your to-do list. If there’s an article you want to read, pull it up on your computer and leave it on the screen so you see it as soon as you open your computer the next day so you can be sure you’ll check off that item from your list before getting sucked into the email abyss.

Related: Learn Warren Buffett's '2 List' Strategy and Master Your Priorities

Fayose Lambasts Obasanjo Over Jonathan Criticism

Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, on Friday tongue-lashed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his criticism of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The ex-president had during the week in Abuja berated the Jonathan-led administration for its handling of the economy, Boko Haram insurgency, youth unemployment and rising level of corruption, among others.

Reacting to Mr. Obasanjo’s remarks, Fayose said the ex-president was corrupt and so lacked the moral right to criticise President Jonathan.

Fayose, who was impeached as Ekiti Governor in 2006, during the height of Obasanjo’s reign as civilian president, spoke at the Yoruba Progress Summit, which held at the Oduduwa Hall of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State.

The governor alleged that then President Obasanjo shared a huge sum of money to people he did not name during his failed third term bid.

He said, “If you give your blood to Obasanjo, he will not support you. He doesn’t want anybody with independent mind.

“You (Jonathan) did not level Borno and Yobe the way he levelled Odi; for that, he will not like you. We know how he was when he came out of prison and how rich he was when he was leaving office”.

Fayose said his wife, who predicted his return to office as Ekiti governor, had told him that Jonathan would win the 2015 presidential election.

Information Nigeria / by daniel

OAU students protest over President Jonathan's visit

Students of Obafemi ‎Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on Friday expressed their frustration with the ‘unfavourable’ condition they were subjected to over the presence of President Goodluck Jonathan in the institution.

Jonathan is attending a conference with South-West traditional rulers and politicians at the OAU.

It was gathered that public buses were not allowed into the school premises and majority of the stud‎ents had to trek long distances to their examination hall.

In one of the instances, ‎a Post Graduate Diploma student was seen arguing with security personnel after she refused entry.

Though she explained that she had exam, the security officials refused her plea.

Students were also seen protesting at the front of Oduduwa Hall where the meeting was holding.
The placard-carrying protesters were heard shouting “thief” on all the politicians that storm the venue.

Among the inscription on their placards are, “Education is our right, give us credible leadership, all we want is standard education.”

According to the students, they suspect that the leaders are in the school to endorse the president for 2015, despite “his failure to develop the educational sector.”

They also claimed that the meeting subjected them to suffering and was ill-timed because they are writing their examinations.

Some of the students also alleged that the buses provided by their union to ease movement were disturbed by politicians.

One of them identified as Isreal, said, “This is ‎rubbish. Is the president or politics more important than our lives? How will they subject us to this kind of suffering. Buses were denied entrance and we have to start trekking.”

Another student added, “All in the name of presidential visit, all activities are put on hold. We can’t do anything. They should not have brought this kind of meeting here. They should know OAU students don’t like oppressors. ‎They have the gut to come here after increasing our school fees exorbitantly.”

When contacted, the President of the Students Union of OAU, Isaac Ibikunle, said buses have been provided to aid the movement of the students.