Genevieve Nnaji runs 5miles for breast cancer awareness -

Genevieve shared the photos on her instagram page today. She ran five miles for a breast cancer awareness charity project spearheaded by Mrs Onari Duke. P-Square’s Peter Okoye was also present at the race this morning.

Please go check yourself for breast cancer. I did mine two weeks ago. See more photos after the cut…
 

Wizkid involved in car accident, new Porsche car damaged ,

https://www.faceofagulu.blogspot.com

Wizkid was involved in an accident around 3: 30am this morning in front of GET Arena as he left the Nokia Lumia Beat party which held at the Oriental Hotel in Lekki. Fortunately, the only thing damaged in the accident was the Porsche Panamera S car worth about N10m which he recently bought. Wizkid and other passengers in the car were unhurt.
According to my paparazzi who witnessed the accident and took the photos, the accident was caused by a burst tyre. Wizkid, who wasn’t the one driving, was quickly taken away in another car. His bodyguard stayed behind to get the vehicle towed.

Waking up to urinate could decrease your productivity – Study

Do you know that waking up to urinate could actually decrease your productivity?
This is what elderly persons  who have difficulty sleeping may
discover, especially if they find that their problems worsen if they
have to get up in the middle of the night to urinate, according to new
research.
The problem is known as nocturia, and according to the researchers, it
has been linked not only to sleep disruptions but to “significant
reductions” in both work productivity and leisure activity as well.
They polled 261 women and 385 men who suffer from the condition over a
14-day period, asking them about the impact it has on their ability to
perform their work-related and other daily tasks.
As it turns out, nocturia decreased on-the-job productivity by 24
percent and the ability to perform recreational activity by 34
percent.
 A paper detailing the results of the research is published  in the
Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine on March 15.
Researchers also reported that more than half (54 percent) of all
nighttime sleep disruptions were associated with the need to urinate,
and that people who woke up remained awake an average of 11.5 percent
longer on nights when they had to make a trip to the restroom.
“Nocturia is a common problem affecting around a third of adults, but
its burden is underestimated and it is often dismissed as being less
serious than other chronic conditions in terms of impact on quality of
life and societal costs.
Data show that nocturia negatively affects both sleep and daytime
performance and its impact on work productivity is in line with many
other chronic conditions. Patients with nocturia should seek specific
treatment for this debilitating condition.
It is expected that proper treatment of insomnia might reduce the
occurrence of nocturia.

Marketers jostle for Afrocandy’s soft-porn movie

It is not a rumour, but reality. Some movie marketers are jostling to win the right to sell Afrocandy’s controversial “Destructive Instinct’ movie in Nigeria.
The American based Nollywood actress cum singer confirmed this development to HVP yesterday morning when she was contacted via facebook.

Afro Candy

“Destructive Instinct” which is currently being greeted with mixed-reactions from fans features the 41-year old mother of 2 completely nude in sexually explicit positions as she tries to make a daring impact on the industry
HVP gathered that some reputable marketers are already giving Afrocandy the headache in choosing who will eventually win the right to distribute her movie in the country. The film was premiered in America recently. Those who graced the premiere said, it was well attended.
Meanwhile, it is unclear if the censors board will pass the film for sale in Nigeria.

Nollywood wedding saga: ‘The actor undergoing emotional healing’

Nollywood actor, Solomon Akiyesi who was in the news for the wrong reason about two months ago when he got involved in an aborted wedding at a living Church in Lagos, has decided to bury the hatchet and allow peace to reign in his home again.
This is because, according to the actor, the healing process in respect of the damage caused by the scandal is in progress, and talking about the incident again will only amount to opening old wounds and hurting the sensibilities of the parties involved.

*Solomon Akiyesi

Solomon had attempted to get married to one UlomaAgwu in Overcomers Church, Surulere, Lagos, when Lilian, his alleged legal wife stormed the wedding venue with her family and some thugs to disrupt the ceremony, claiming that Solomon was legally married to her, and that she was pregnant for him.
The incident made headlines in major national dailies and soft-sell magazines. But the embattled Solomon reportedly blamed his action on his wife’s nagging attitude which he said, almost made him commit suicide.
Chatting with HVP, via facebook during the week, Solomon said “ The wedding incident is not something I wanna tender in public again. The healing process is going on for all involved including myself. So, I wouldn’t want to open old wounds and hurt anybody’s sensibility now.”
On how the scandal affected his career, the embattled actor said, “My career is my career. I don’t allow personal missteps to affect whatever I’m doing. If I could be on set when the favourite person in my life, my mother died, I doubt if anything else can stop the show from going on. This is my passion.” Solomon is currently on location in Abuja.
 By Benjamin Njoku

Soldiers asked my son to run…then shot him dead on the back – Widow

By Simon Ebegbulem,Benin-City
…’My other child watched in horror as they executed his brother’
Francisca Nkemcho, a widow from Ota Orhionmwon local government council of Edo State, is not a happy woman. Reason: The alleged extra-judicial killing of her 25-year- old son, Chukwudimedi Nkemcho, by some soldiers in Agbor, Delta State, penultimate Wednesday. The deceased was said to have been paraded as an armed robber by the soldiers  and  shot dead hours later. The body was taken to the police station in Agbor but, when the family rushed to identify the corpse, they were told it  had been buried in an unknown grave.
Madam Francisca, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard on her sick bed, insisted that her son was never a criminal or a cultist. She cried for justice, saying that as a widow and sick, she had not been able to petition  relevant agencies on the issue. The widow,  from Ogwashu Uku in Delta State but married to an Edo man who died in 2007, said it would be unfair if she was not able to get justice.
This is the second time allegations of extra-judicial killing are being levelled against security agents in the South-south. Mid last month, a DPO in Edo State was accused of killing an innocent student of University of Benin. The case is under investigation by the police. The widow in the latest incident  narrated her story to Sunday Vanguard.

Mrs Nkencho and her deceased son Chukwudimedi

“The incident happened on Wednesday, 8 of May, 2013 in Agbor. My son went out between 2pm and 3pm.  Before  that day, he had not been able to leave the house because he was ill. I still have the drugs he was taking with me. So I was happy that he was able to go out that day. He did not come back at about 6pm and we called his number but it was switched off”, the bereaved mother said.
She continued: “So I called his siblings and told them to go and search for him. But they all assumed that he might be charging his phone somewhere. When at about 9pm he was still not back, I went to bed because I was not feeling fine. Early the following day, I sent people out to look for him. I was really down so I could not go with them. So my other son and others took Okada to look for him. But on getting close to the army base in Agbor, my son said he noticed people running towards the place and he tried to find out what was happening. Somebody now told him that soldiers were parating some armed robbers.
“He rushed to the place but the crowd was too much and because of the crowd he could not get closer. But from where he was, he was able to see his brother and two others whom they said were armed robbers. But the soldiers later asked one of them to leave, my son and one other boy remained. “To the surprise of my son and others who were there, they said the soldiers ordered my son and the other boy to run and they were shot from the back  in the presence of the crowd. My son said he wanted to shout but because of fear that he may also be arrested,  he ran away and went somewhere to call us.
“He could not even speak on phone, so he decided to take Okada to run back home. Some persons who were there saw  my son; so they started calling us.  They took the pictures and sent to us. We were told that after they shot them, they took the bodies to the police station. At about 5pm, we went there but could not find the bodies. The soldiers said they were criminals while the police branded them unknown cultists. My son is not a robber or a cultist;  we have been managing together since the death of his father and he never stole. He was my first son out of the four children I have”.
While demanding for justice, Mrs Nkemcho stated: “They have no right to murder my son like that. All the allegations were untrue. Let the public know that my son was murdered by the soldiers innocently. I am even afraid to come out because I don’t know if it is a plot to wipe out my family. My son was ill and for two days he never went out until that day. He graduated from  a computer school and our prayer was that when we had  money he would  attend  a higher institution. After the death of his father, I enrolled him in the computer school. And since he completed the computer programme, he had been going  out to work as a bricklayer, assisting builders. He was a very obedient son and was never a thief or a cultist. I am appealing to Nigerians to help me demand for justice.
The soldiers cannot kill my son and go scot free because we are poor. His spirit will haunt them and God Almighty will never forgive them. Look at me, a widow, how do I fight this cause? People should help me. After killing my son, the police went to bury him in an unknown grave, they did not even give us the opportunity to see him for the last time before they buried him. This is injustice, this is wicked. I am appealing to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, the governor of Delta State, to help me ask the soldiers what happened to my son. The IG of Police, President Jonathan, please give me justice”.
When contacted, the DPO at Agbor police declined to comment but a top police officer there explained:  “The police have no hand in the killing. What happened was that some soldiers brought two corpses to the station and asked that we should bury them but the DPO insisted that he must know the cause of death. The soldiers said they were killed during exchange of fire with robbers and that they were found with an AK 47 rifle”. The DPO was said to have asked the soldiers to produce the gun before accepting the corpses, but they declined, saying `Soldiers don’t surrender guns to the police; that the gun was in their custody”.
The police officer further told Sunday Vanguard:  “It was after the argument that the DPO now said they must give him a report on the cause of death, so the officer that led the soldiers  wrote a short report and they left.  So people should not drag the police into this. Only the asoldiers  what happened”. Meanwhile a lawyer, R.O Okpiavbe Esq., on behalf of  the family. In a petition to the Inspector General of Police, the family accused the army of extra judicial murder and called for thorough investigation.

Umeh Appeals To APGA Members To Allow Peace To Rein

The National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, has urged its members to be truthful to return it to the path of peace and greatness.

Umeh told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aguluzigbo, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra on Friday that returning the part to the path of peace would enable the members to work together for the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

He said the crisis in the party resulted from some members' desire to subvert the truth and disobey its constitution.

``The person who is wrong is the person doing things that are contrary to the party’s constitution. We have to respect the party and the decision of the courts.

``What I am saying in effect is that I want everybody to come together under one leadership that made APGA what it is today.

``As for the coming election, I am calling on all those who are rebelling against the party to return to the party and let’s work together to produce the next governor in Anambra.

``Truth is imperishable; anything anybody does in life that infringes on truth is wrong, so people should go and search their conscience and examine whether what they have done is wrong or right,” he said. (NAN)

Mbadiwe’s Campaign for Obasanjo: By. Valentine Obienyem

Mbadiwe’s Campaign for Obasanjo (Archives, first published in Thisday newspaper of 10th may, 2005))
Valentine Obienyem

I thought I would resist the temptation to write on Ambassador Greg. Mbadiwe. I have the feeling that upon reading this article and numerous articles on him, he may be pleased with himself. Indeed, history shows that some people come to limelight by holding or proposing views or measures some people may take as outlandish. This was how Alcibiades, who was the talk of the Athenian city many centuries ago cut the tail of his beautiful dog and said the reason was for people to talk about him.

Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe is now the talk of the town for championing that Chief Olusegun Obassanjo should stay forever. I am only surprised that Nigerians are paying so much attention to such distractions much as I would have been if we do not occasionally witness the dawn of such characters. For the record, Mbadiwe has not done something odd since to affirm the contrary is to pretend that we have forgotten the Abimbola Davies and the Daniel Kanus of Nigeria . He is still a good example if we seek to prove that man is a mosaic of contradictions that neverthless contribute in making life lively.

Why is Mbadiwe coming under the assault of sharply pointed, sometimes poisoned pens of Nigeria journalists? As far as I am concerned, he has not broken any law nor acted contrary to the law. Under General Ibrahim Babangida and General Sani Abacha, highly placed Nigerians proposed that life presidency should become part of our politics. Some Nigerians, even those old enough to be Abacha’s fathers marched to Abuja in what was called a “2-Million Man March”, all in the bid to persuade Abacha to continue as the President. I am not concerned whether their action was justified or not, legal or illegal, my concern was that even in an era when Nigerians were harassed by the army through novelties of tortures such that freedom of speech/expression were understood to depend on quiescence, some people still were free clamouring for the perpetuity of their governments. Now we have a democratic government, I detest people being hounded for expressing their right to freedom of speech/expression.

The question to ask is: Does Greg mean to achieve his aim by subverting the constitution? If yes, that is where one ought to be worried, but facts on ground show that he is determined to follow due process. In defending toleration, Voltaire said: “Do I propose, them, that every citizen shall be free to follow his own reason and propagate whatever his enlightened or deluded reason shall dictate to him? Certainly provided he does not disturb the public order.”

But the curious thing is that most Nigerians are ready to swear that Mbadiwe is not speaking out of conviction or professing what he sincerely believes in, but only seeking political appointment, by trying to deceive Obasanjo that he is one of those who are ready to die for him. Who made them censors of Mbadiwe’s inner thinking? But can a man gamble with his reputation because of a political appointment? Evidence abounds that Nigerians are not bothered and can actually do anything to gain power and retain it.

Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe is the scion of the famous Dr. K. O. Mbadiwe. In the reckoning of great Nigerians, Mbadiwe somewhat merits a space. If you look again at the sons and daughters of most great Nigerians, you notice that they are not particularly spectacular. I have come to believe that most of them suffer the handicap of having great/rich parents and assured and comfortable places. Thus, neither the fear of hunger nor the resentment of subordination stirs them to achievements.

Let us face it, where are the sons of the Ziks, the Awolowos, the Akintolas, etc of Nigeria . Some were on the verge of becoming useless, in no metaphorical sense, to themselves and to the country before Chief Olusegun Obasanjo decided to rehabilitate them. This is one of the suppositions on which we can venture an explanation for the appointment of the scions of the Ziks, the Mbadiwes, the Awolowos, the Akintolas, and the Adesanyas to “serve” the country in various capacities.

Nigeria is not alone in the general degeneration observable among some of the sons of influential people. I have noticed that most geniuses do not give birth to geniuses. I have often sought for the reason. Why? Is it that the genius spends most of his energy in doing great work that he reserves weak energy for procreation? Is it that the energy that goes into great work dilutes the vital forces that play part in reproduction? Is it that the gamble of genes that produces a genius is so complicated that it occurs successful once in many years? Why?

If you look around you, you will notice that the rehabilitated sons of the famous men are not doing well in their posts. Nigeria has abundance of human resources, especially those who have proved their mettle unaided, those who have shown that by sheer hard work, one can rise from obscurity to popularity. It is unjust when such proven characters are neglected in preference to people whose only credential is being accidentally borne to great men. If that is the idea of governance, them one has every reason to be disappointed.

Mbadiwe has every right to what he is doing today. With saxophones and talking drums, he is dancing around Obasanjo. I suspect he is being grateful to the man who saw reason to rehabilitate him and his ilk. My suspicion, however, is only a surmise. I say this because Mbadiwe is neither deaf nor dumb; he tells us that he is being realistic for the greater glory of the country. In his calculation, since Obasanjo is the anointed one of God as evidently manifested in the good work he is doing, Nigerians should allow him to continue. Who will have the guts to carry out such far-reaching reforms as Baba is doing? On this logic he frequently rests his case.

If we debate about Mbadiwe’s antics just within the realm of logic and rationalization, I see a no-win situation. After studying the nature of man, I have noticed that nothing is beyond rationalization. I once told of a woman who knew, but failed to tell her husband that he had a disagreeable breath. The man was a tyrant and did not welcome any opinion that did not celebrate him. Eventually, a foreign woman who slept with him had the courage to tell him. Threateningly, he questioned his wife why he did not tell him even when she had a better opportunity of knowing. Rationalizing, the wife said she had not come near any man that he thought that was how all men smelt. The man was disarmed.

Talking about rationalization, the famous Emperor Caesar once sat down, contrary to traditions, to receive Roman Senators. Tongues wagged, the Senators felt humiliated. One of Caesar’s aides explained that he had a running stomach and was careful not to stand up to avoid the careless movement of his bowels at so unpropitious a moment. Rationalization!

Consider the story of a Frisian King, when they were just being converted to Christianity. They were however not pleased to be told that their unbaptised forebears were in hell. The King, having learned this as he stood on the brink of baptism, turned away saying that he preferred to spend eternity with his ancestors. It was also a Frisian who saw divine design in bedbugs, for they do us the service of preventing us from oversleeping.

But what have all these stories got to do with Mbadiwe. The man has been busy rationalizing on why Obasanjo should rule forever. Like his fellow “rationalists,” he can give us excellent reasons to support his thesis. Let Mbadiwe note the reasons given by the woman whose husband had disagreeable smell; it was a clever one, that of Caesar’s aide was an afterthought, while that of the Frisians sounded foolish. Let Mbadiwe be worried on how his own rationalization will be classified. Is he telling us that no other Nigeria is capable of ruling?

With Obasanjo’s pronouncement that he would not stay beyond 2007, we are persuaded to believe that he has realized that those wishing him to stay forever are actually not his friends. Once a leader has inner conviction, not even the clamour of a million Mbadiwes will make him take a path of dishonour. Let each man, as Voltaire said, be free to follow whatever his enlightened or deluded reason shall dictate to him? But please let it not be to the detriment of democracy, peace and fairness. The events in Togo , Republic of Congo , and some other countries are enough specimens in the laboratory of history.

GOVERNOR OKOROCHA ROASTS CORN BY THE ROADSIDE

Owelle Rochas Okorocha has lived a life of populism but his latest stunt “has no part two” – to use a popular Nigerian phrase.
In the accompanying photo, the multimillionaire Governor of Imo State is seen roasting corn – a favourite seasonal Nigerian snack – by the roadside. He is driving through a street and sees a woman, her little child on her laps, roasting corn for sale to eke out a living.
To everyone’s surprise, Governor Okorocha orders his driver to stop, hops down, walks briskly to the woman’s business spot and takes over the roasting of the corn. What is more, he also carries the woman’s son as he roasts the corn – just as the woman had been doing – to the admiration of the gathering crowd.
News Express could not immediately confirm in which part of the state the incident took place and when – although it appears to have happened very recently. News Express repeatedly called the governor’s spokesman, Mr. Ebere Uzoukwa, but he did not pick. The photo has gone viral on the social networks.
 A wealthy businessman who habours presidential ambition, Okorocha is well known for populist acts. Long before he became governor, he built well-equipped boarding schools where brilliant children of indigent parents were offered full scholarship and enjoyed the best of facilities.
While campaigning for governor ahead of the April 2011 elections, Okorocha freely mixed with the masses, riding in tricycles known locally as Keke NAPEP during his street campaigns. It proved to be a masterstroke in the face of the then government’s refusal to allow him to use the state’s electronic media or public venues to campaign.
The 50 years old Okorocha came to power on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) but has joined the emergent mega oppostion party, All progressives Congress (APC), as a founding member.
Source News Express

Gaddafi millions heading back to Tripoli

 


Cape Town – The South African Treasury has confirmed that an agreement, to repatriate the millions of dollars held in South Africa by the Muammar Gaddafi regime, has been reached with the Libyan Government.
Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, said the transfer of “what is thought to be about one billion dollars”, would be done under the terms of the UN Protocol.
The assets are in the form of funds held by local banks as well as gold bullion stored at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.
Gordan met with a high-level Libyan Government delegation tasked with locating all assets taken out of Libya by Gaddafi and his aides.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Gaddafi’s former Chief of Staff, Bashir Saleh, who is on Interpol’s most-wanted list, had surfaced in South Africa.
It appeared he assisted the deposed Libyan leader and his family to stash the money in South Africa.
The official opposition Democratic Alliance said Saleh was spotted at the 5th BRICS summit in Durban earlier this year.
It expressed concern at claims that he is able to fly regularly – without being detained – between South Africa, Swaziland and Niger.
It called for Saleh to be arrested and a full investigation conducted “so that the world knows that South Africa will not allow itself to become a safe haven for international criminals’’. (PANA/NAN)

Fally Ipupa, Olamide, 2face to join D'banj for DKM 5-star concert

African superstar entertainer; D’banj is set to paint the city of Lagos red with a five-star DKM concert to celebrate his recent achievements in the entertainment industry with his fans here in Nigeria and to herald the launching of his DKM album which is set to be released later in the year.

The concert which is set to take place at the prestigious Eko Hotel and Suites on the 23rd of June, 2013 will feature appearances from some of the finest stars from the African continent and beyond.

Fans are set to witness electrifying performances from D’banj and his friends, including Fally Ipupa (DRC), 2face Idibia (Nigeria), Olamide (Nigeria) and , 2Chainz (USA) and many other big names.

In the words of the MOBO and BET award winning hit-maker in our exclusive interview with him, he says: “My fans should get ready to see the best of ‘Eja Nla’ because that is what they deserve. This DKM concert in collaboration with Ndani TV will be the best Nigeria has ever seen. Oooooossshhheee!!!”

The big-budget concert will also feature DB Records acts KaySwitch, JSol, JSleek and others.

'It'll be my first time in Nigeria and I can't wait', 2Chainz says in a video drop released by D'Banj. 'My birthday is in September but I’ll act like it's my birthday', he adds jokingly. The rapper is mostly known worldwide for his mega hit 'Birthday Song'

D'banj is an ardent supporter of Arts and Entertainment as it helps build the spirit of camaraderie among the teeming populace of Nigeria. The concert is a part of his resolute efforts, to contribute to the development of Nigeria through the organization of relevant initiatives to promote the Entertainment Industry.

"Once purity is a year old, labour room here I come again' - says Mercy Johnson

When asked if she had any plans for more babies in the future, the mother of one told African Magic: "Yes of course, once Purity is a year old, labour room here I come again."