I`ll be going back to university to teach, Ruqayyatu Rufa’i said:

Abuja – Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, who was among the nine ministers relieved of their positions by President Goodluck Jonathan in a cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, says she will be going back to the university to teach.
*Education Minister, Prof Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa'I

Prof Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’I


She, who handed over the affairs of the education ministry to the Minister of State in the ministry, Chief Nyesom Wike, as directed by the president, told newsmen that she would be going back to continue with her job as a teacher.

Before her appointment as a minister, Rufa’i was a professor of Curriculum Studies at the Bayero University, Kano.

“I called you here to witness the handing over because as you are all aware my tenure as minister has expired along with eight others.

“I am going back to resume my job as a professor of Curriculum Studies at the Bayero University Kano, that is where I came from on secondment.

“We should know that a time like this will come because if it does not, death is surely an end.”

She expressed gratitude to the President for the opportunity given her to serve as a cabinet minister.

“I have enjoyed a close working relationship with the President.

“Of course, there were times we had our disagreements, but overall we enjoyed working together.”

Rufa’i, who also thanked Wike and other officials of the ministry for the support she enjoyed during her tenure in the ministry, tasked them not to relent in achieving the sector’s goal of Access and Quality.

In his remarks, Wike described Rufa’i's exit as ”painful” but said that “when we are not in control, there is nothing we can do”.

He said because of the cordial working relations between them, the two had never been summoned by the president to define their roles.

Wike thanked the former minister for her good leadership.

“I therefore implore you, please do not abandon the ministry, continue to give us the advice you would have been giving if you were here,” he said

Also in his remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr McJohn Nwaobiala, said the change was ”like being hit by a thunderbolt”.

Nwaobiala, who described Rufa’i as totally different, pledged that the ministry would build on the foundation she had laid. (NAN)

Jonathan sacks Minister of Education, eight others

 
President Goodluck Jonathan   Wednesday shocked members of the Federal Executive Council as he sacked nine members of the council.

The sacked ministers did not have any inkling of their impending sack as some of them attended the weekly federal executive council meeting Wednesday.

President Jonathan reportedly thanked the sacked ministers for their services to the nation and wished them well in their future endeavours.

Toping the list of Ministers sacked Wednesday was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru, Minister of National Planning,  Dr. Shamshudeen Usman-  and Professor Ruquyatu Rufai, Minister of Education.

others are Hajia Hadiza Mailafia (Environment), Ms. Ama Peppel (Housing), Minister of state for power Zainab Kuchi; Minister of state for defence Erelu Olusula Obada, Minister of state for Agriculture  Buka Tijani as well as  Minister of science and tech- Professor Ita Bassey Ewah.

More details later.

Continental appointment for Azuh Amatus

The cerebral editor of Entertainment Express and Sunday Express newspapers, Azuh Amatus has been appointed Media Consultant/Adviser to the prestigious Zulu African Film Academy Awards (ZAFAA), London, United Kingdom.

In the appointment letter, which was recently made available to the youthful editor, the Chief Executive Officer of ZAFAA, Prince Sam Anwuzia stated thus:

“As a global representative of ZAFAA, and your position as the editor of Entertainment Express and Sunday Express newspapers, we believe you can reach out to all and sundry and you are expected to work with and advise ‘Team ZAFAA’ to achieve the objectives of the awards.”
The organizers of the award –Nollywood Entertainment London, also the founders of ZAFAA Global Awards with headquarters in the United Kingdom, further hailed Azuh’s immense contributions to the growth of Nollywood and entertainment within and outside Nigeria, adding that he richly deserved the appointment.
“Our primary goal is to create more awareness for the African Film Industry, especially our home based Nollywood. Today, Nollywood is known all over the world and we are proud of the standard it has reached,” Anwuzia disclosed. 
Azuh, the winner of the keenly contested 2011 ZAFAA Best Entertainment Editor Award, has over the years received several other awards and accolades for his in-depth knowledge and insightful analysis/reportorial of the Nigerian motion picture industry globally known as Nollywood.

By JAMES EMMANUEL

FFK calls Bianca Ojukwu 'Jezebel' in new Facebook post:

The former minister posted this on his Facebook page a few minutes ago.. See the rest

Finally Miss World pageant moved out of Jakarta to Bali:

Days after an Islamic group staged a protest against the organizers of the 2013 Miss World pageant, demanding that the pageant should not be held in Jakarta as it runs against their culture, the pageant organizers have been forced to move the final of the pageant to Bali - where they said today that it would be 'impossible' to stage the finale there, because of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where world leaders and thousands of officials are expected to attend. The summit begins at the beginning of October while the pageant is scheduled to take place on September 28.

“I think people can appreciate how complex it would be to move everything to Bali. Just getting the venue and all the accommodation is impossible with APEC here" Nana Putra, executive director of organizer, told AFP.

The Miss World organizers have said they have no plans to cancel this year's event, vowing to petition Indonesian authorities to move the event back to Java. But also said they would use a back up venue in Indonesia if authorities don't change their mind.

No ‘Ogiame,’ no Atuwatse II – Itsekiri leaders of thought

WARRI — THE Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, ILoT, yesterday, asked the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II, to renounce his new edict, rejecting the ‘Ogiame’ title of the Warri monarch.

The leaders in a statement by their Chairman, Pa J.O.S Ayomike and Chief Isaac Jemide,  said Ogiame was synonymous with Olu (kingship) of Warri Kingdom and if wiped out, it would mean the Olu of Warri has been terminated.

Other leaders who signed the statement included the Secretary, Edward Ekpoko, A.S. Mene, O.P. Edodo, Prof. Nesin Omatseye, Julius Otiri, Tony Ede, J.E. Agbejule and Mr. D.O. Anomuogharan.

According to them, after due consultation with relevant stakeholders in Iwereland, the Itsekiri people want this new order renounced.
More on: Vanguard

Syria: Obama speaks to nation on chemical weapons; Video

 

US President Barack #Obama has held a televised address to the nation to explain US policy on #Syria's chemical weapons http://bbc.in/15PijID

He said the Syrian government was clearly responsible for the use of chemical weapons that killed more than 1,000 people last month.

 

He said the US would work with Russia on its proposal to persuade Syria to destroy its chemical weapons stockpile but would maintain the threat of force should diplomacy fail.

Live text: Obama speaks to the nation & reaction
http://bbc.in/15PijIz

 

Nollywwod Actress Ngozi Ezeonu shows off super slim figure ; photos

You’ll only be amazed by her new look if you remember what she used to look like. The Nollywood star actress, who usually plays mother roles in her movies, shared the photos on her Facebook page recently and said her weight loss has nothing to do with ill heath as some people who were amazed by her new look insinuated. Ngozi said the weight loss was just from the need to be healthy.

Amazing! More photos ;;;

Rapper DMX running naked down a hotel hallway

Troubled rapper DMX was caught on surveillance video running down a hotel hallway totally naked. TMZ got hold of the video which shows DMX causally stripping off his boxer shorts and doing a naked run down a Detroit hotel hallway last weekend. See the video after the cut. 18+ Lol...

Open Nigerian bisexual Yemisi Ilesanmi speaks out, says gays have a right

Well, she's open about her sexuality because she's not based here. Hehe. UK-based bisexual, Yemisi Ilesanmi, a single mother and an atheist, who has been fighting for the rights of gays for many years, recently granted an exclusive interview to TELL magazine where she spoke on issues surrounding homosexuality and its perception here in Nigeria.

Yemisi tells TELL: (tells Tell - lol)

Whether Nigerians accept it or not, LGBT rights are recognised human rights. Unless, you can prove that Lesbians, gays, biséxuals and transséxuals are not human beings, well, you have no reason to deny them their fundamental human rights. Unfortunately many Nigerians believe in the concept of sin. First, we must understand that sin is a religious concept. Not every Nigerian is religious. Your religion is also a personal matter, why drag other people into your personal relationship with Jesus, Mohamed or Obatala?

When I am told that homoséxuality is a sin, I just tell them their religion is not my law. The Bible or Quran is not my constitution, so why is that even coming up?

Yemisi Ilesanmi continues...

The very first thing we need to understand is that homosexuality, bisexuality, asexuality are all as natural as heterosexuality. Our sexual orientation differs; we are born with an innate ability to be emotionally or sexually attracted or not be sexually or emotionally attracted to same sex or opposite sex. Unfortunately, many African societies do not provide enabling environments to discuss sexual orientation. Sexual orientation does not harm anyone. A person who is attracted to opposite sex does not harm anyone so far it is a consensual adult relationship.

It is absurd when Christian gay bashers gleefully quote Leviticus 18:22 to justify why they want to jail and stone gays. Anyone who wants to quote from Leviticus should at least read the book to make sure they are not guilty of any of the things condemned in the book. Leviticus also says you should not shave, you should not interact with a woman in hermenstrual cycle, thou shall not eat shrimps or shell fish, Lev. 11:10,11:6-8 thou shall not touch the skin of a dead pig (therefore touching football without wearing gloves makes you unclean!) So, when Christians throw Leviticus at me, I simply throw Leviticus right back in their face.

My immediate family knows my sexual orientation, my father is late, and my mother is accepting of whom I am and has shown me love and support. To continue to be an important part of my life, you cannot be homophobic, biphobic or transphobic.

My atheism has nothing to do with my biséxuality. Atheism is simply a non-belief in God. My bisexuality is my sexual orientation, no connection. However, I must say, my atheism has helped me to stand up against religious bullies, who use the Bible and the Quran to justify their hate for gays, lesbians, transsexual and bisexuals.

Religion carries a lot of unwarranted weight in Nigeria and Africa generally. This should not be so. In fact, this is one reason the African continent is still very backward. When religion carried so much weight in Europe during middle Ages, it was wrought with wars, jihads,killings and ethnic cleansing.

Many religious Africans now use the ‘holy’ books to justify the oppression of members of their own society. Even when the original owners of the religion inform them that the book has been updated and some parts are no longer applicable, Africans still insist that it is must be applicable because it says so in the book they were given. How pathetic!

George Zimmerman threatened wife, her dad, she tells 911

(CNN) -- George Zimmerman was detained after his estranged wife told 911 that he had threatened her and her father with a weapon, Lake Mary, Florida, police told reporters Monday.
Zimmerman was being cooperative, Lake Mary police spokesman Zach Hudson said.
Shellie Zimmerman, who filed for divorce last week, called 911 just after 2 p.m. ET, Lake Mary Police Chief Steve Bracknell said. She told police that George Zimmerman was inside the house with a gun and was threatening her family, the chief said.
Bracknell added that Shellie Zimmerman claimed her husband "battered her father," according to the call report. It was unclear if he received medical treatment from first responders from the fire department.
George Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, told CNN, "There was heightened emotion, and a disagreement took place."
O'Mara said his client wasn't taken to police headquarters but was being questioned near the house, which is owned by his father-in-law, David Bryant Dean.
Bracknell said that as of 4 p.m., Shellie Zimmerman had yet to give a sworn statement to police, but she had spoken with her attorney.
The incident comes two months after Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, was found not guilty of murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.
Hudson said earlier that police are following procedure by placing Zimmerman in investigative detention.
"Anytime we have anybody suspected of doing anything, we place them in investigative detention until a complete investigation has been done," Hudson said.
George's brother, Robert, tweeted after his brother's detention that the public shouldn't "jump to conclusions."
Shellie Zimmerman filed for divorce last week in Seminole County, her attorney told CNN at the time.
That filing came after she pleaded guilty to perjury on August 28 for lying about the state of the couple's finances during a bond hearing in April 2012. She had claimed she and her husband were broke, when in reality they had collected about $135,000 in donations.
Since his acquittal on July 13, George Zimmerman has been in the headlines several times. In late July, he reportedly helped a family escape from an overturned SUV. A report from the Seminole County Sheriff's Office confirmed his involvement.
More recently, Zimmerman has been pulled over in traffic twice. The first time, he was given a verbal warning for a traffic violation in Texas and reportedly told officers he had a firearm in his glove compartment. The second time was in Florida last week, when he was issued a $256 ticket for speeding.

NIGERIAN LADIES feared over SCARCITY OF MEN

The recent alarm raised by the Catholic Women Organisation that husbands would become scarce in Nigeria in 2023 may just be right, according to a report this afternoon in the Lagos daily, P.M.NEWS. The paper said it “can confirm that many Nigerian spinsters are currently witnessing the no-husband syndrome,” adding:

“Within the last few weeks, some of the ladies who spoke with our correspondent reported serious apprehension, pressure and a total lack of peace as the consequence of their inability to get married.”

P.M.NEWS quoted one of the ladies, who preferred to be simply called Titi, as saying that she had taken the issue of marriage as a do-or-die affair due to “internal pressure” but that as much as she had tried, frustration had often been the result.

A 37-year-old businesswoman who sells clothes in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital in western Nigeria, told P.M.NEWS that she is not finding life easy.

“What is happiness without a man in a woman’s life?”she asked during a chat on Badoo, a relationship site on the internet.

She had dated several men with some promising marriage, but without fulfilling the promise. Hear her:

“You can’t imagine that in the last three years, I have dated about eight men, but the relationship was often short-lived simply because I ask for their commitment.

“I am not getting any younger and I cry every time I see my mates with their husbands and children.

“If at 37 I don’t have a child or a permanent man, when would I have them? Is it when my skin has wrinkled?”

P.M.NEWS also cited Chioma (surname withheld), 35, whom it said has found herself patronising many of the social interaction sites on the internet.

The banker told the paper that she is on Eskimi, 2go, Badoo, Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter as well as 4clique, a site that was launched in Nigeria days ago.

“We can’t tell the particular broom in the bunch that kills a fly,” she told P.M.NEWS on why she patronises such number of social interaction sites.

“I always change my name in the different sites but the ultimate goal is to get a husband,” she added.

Chioma told P.M.NEWS that she is really worried about the situation, adding that she lives comfortably (in a mini-flat and has a car), “but who do I have to enjoy this comfort with me?

“I have tried a hook up programme on a Lagos-based radio station, but my age is now a major factor hindering my dream of being married,” she lamented pleading with the reporter, a married man, whom she considered a bachelor, to “help dry my tears.”

A married woman, who gave her name as Mrs. Blessing Aguebor and resident in Oshodi, confirmed that the issue of lack of serious men for marriage is giving many ladies sleepless nights.

She narrated the touching story of her friend who was disappointed by her boyfriend of five years when it was time to “settle down”.

According to the woman, “My friend was 29 when he met this man in Benin and they dated for five years. The man was always giving the lady hope without her knowing the man had other plans. The year he fixed for their marriage was the year he travelled abroad without even informing my friend.

“It was later he called her and asked her to find another man because he still had many more years to hustle. My friend almost went mad.

“She is 36 now without a man. I had to convince her to relocate to Lagos so that possibly out of the population here, she would find someone. It is pathetic.”

A 38-year old business woman in Ketu, Mrs. Rita Adewunmi, narrated how she lost her first husband to a friend, Idayat, who was desperate for a husband.

According to Mrs. Adewunmi who remarried last year, Idayat was 36 and needed a husband but her search was endless. Her words:

“I was always encouraging her and made her a part of my family. She would always help me take care of the kids when I go to the market.

“With time, she took over my husband without my knowledge until the day I caught them red-handed and that was the end of my marriage. Ladies are like hunters these days.”

Asked why she was not married at 34, Blessing Osuoha, a nurse with a private hospital in Abuja, retorted: “That is why I’m on this social site. Why are you asking? Is it a bad idea if you propose to me?”

She explained that life was becoming unbearable without a husband.

“My friends and family members are aways asking when they would come and ‘chop’ rice, and I keep hoping,” she added.

A marriage counsellor in Lagos, Mrs. Victoria Aliu, told P.M.NEWS that scarcity of ‘real men’ is becoming a terrible condition for women ready for marriage.

She blamed the problem partly on the Nigerian economy, confusion among the bachelors on their choices of the women they want as wives and the attitudes of the spinsters.

“Many women, whether consciously or not, behave irritably sometimes, forgetting that the man just beside them at every point in time may just have been nursing how to start a conversation that could lead to marriage.

“Some other ladies are very choosy and unserious at their early stages of adulthood. They only open their eyes to discover that their friends are all married and that they are the only ones left at the bus stop. Then it becomes a terrible case for them,” she explained.