"Trust in Nigeria's Future"

"Trust in Nigeria's Future"
#GOODLUCKNIGERIA2015

Monday 23 September 2013

Drake talks about Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Kim Kardashian and more.

Drake talks about Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Kim Kardashian and more...


With his new album "Nothing Was The Same" about to be released on Tuesday, September 24, Drake is currently doing a promo run on various TV and radio shows accross the US.

During "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", the host showed Drake various photos of famous ladies and asked the artist whether he's "dated her", he's "dating her now" or he's "kissed her once".

Pictures of Kim Kardashian, Tyra Banks and Nicki Minaj were displayed but Rihanna's photo was the one, which seems to get the rapper nervous. The two reportedly dated and their relationship lead into a fight between Drake and Rihanna's former boyfriend Chris Brown.

When showed the picture, the Canadian artist's reply was: "Yeah, great girl ... We had our moment. Always support and have love for her and yeah ..."

Many Ijaw are not proud of Jonathan – Prof Afejuku

*Afejuku

TONY AFEJUKU is a Professor of English and Literature in University of Benin. A  former ASUU leader,  Afejuku, in this interview, says he is happy in his “ little world of poverty.” He also speaks on the recent sacking of some Itsekiri villages in Warri North local government area  of Delta State, his perception of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan  and the need for President Goodluck Jonathan to do things rightly.

Excerpts:

You are a man of many parts: poet, critic, scholar, educationist, journalist, activist, trade unionist, mystic, humanist, public intellectual, etc. Why don’t you think of going into politics to help your people and Nigeria? Your experiences in these spheres would be of great benefit to us.

Politics is not my calling. I don’t have talents for intrigues and lies. Every man has his gifts. Intrigues are not part of mine. I am a straight talker, a straight shooter. Bluntness is part of my talents. Betrayal, back-biting, back-stabbing  in order to gain this or that advantage or to scheme a qualified person out of contention or a position he is clearly and eminently qualified for are foreign to my God-given peculiarities.
*Afejuku

*Afejuku

I am not Janus-faced. Let me use my present talents to the best of my abilities and to the glory of my Maker. Politics is not the only way to help mankind. Give Caesar his due, and God His. The typical Nigerian politician never says what he means, and never means what he says. Politics, Nigerian type? No way. I am happy in my little world of happy poverty. I can’t be a party to inflated and over-inflated contracts. Obviously, I must therefore be a  danger to the Nigerian politician of the current dispensation. Leave me to be a teacher who never can be bribed with a manor house or  a whole village. I am happy in my little world of poverty.

You are a very loud critic of President Jonathan. What do you have against the President from your region? Do you dislike him because he is Ijaw?

I don’t dislike President Jonathan. By my calling I must say truth to power. He is the first Ph.D holder  to preside over the affairs of Nigeria. He is also the first person from the Niger Delta and the first Ijaw to be in charge of Nigeria’s affairs. We wanted him to correct  the  errors of the past rulers, justly, so that we can nod  in affirmation that a Ph.D holder  like me and a fellow Niger Delta man came on board to teach others who were there before him how  to  do the job.

We wanted him to be the gem Nigeria had been waiting for. We assumed that he would be the EXEMPLARY leader we all clamoured for. He is not and we are still in the woods. The northerners are even saying now that they will never cede power to the South again, all because of the way he is  carrying on.  I don’t dislike him because he is Ijaw. It might you to know that I have Ijaw friends who are equally not happy with his presidential posture.

Recently, some Itsekiri communities in Warri North local government area of Delta State were allegedly  attacked by some Ijaw youths, leaving on their  trail destruction of lives and properties. What is your reaction?

To begin with, the action of the attackers is, to put it mildly, disappointing in the sense that whatever grievances the so-called Egbema youths had should have been resolved in a lawful and orderly manner. But we are in an age of neo-barbarism. The Niger Delta, in fact, Nigeria as a whole is going through transition, the kind of transition that respects no law and order in all frontiers, hence the acts of barbarism we have just witnessed.

The governments at the local, state and federal levels should do everything to  track down the attackers. If they don’t do so now, another wrong signal would be sent and more acts of barbarism would be committed. Nobody should take  government for granted anymore. But do we really have a government? Do we really have an effective government that should really live up to its billing and responsibilities? That being the case,  I would like to commend the way the  Itsekiri, my people, have reacted. They restrained themselves  from making it  a tit-for-tat. I also would commend them for the comments and advertorials in which they have drawn  attention  to the  aggression.

The complaint  of the Ijaws of Warri North has been that elective and appointive positions have been lopsided despite  the fact that the local government is  45 percent  Ijaws and 55 percent  Itsekiris.

Honesty speaking, I don’t understand  what they mean. Their ancestors lived in peace with our ancestors. Why  is it that those complaining  can’t do the same thing now with the Itsekiri in their homeland? Who owns the land? Are the people complaining  saying that Itsekiri should not be in full  control of their God-given homeland of Warri as other ethnic groups in the Niger Delta and elsewhere in Nigeria are in control of their respective homelands? In any case, if their complaints are genuine, can’t they seek redress in appropriate quarters like the court of law. Or can’t they engage in  lobbying that will benefit democratic principles and doctrines and their status as citizens of civilized communities?

Now I must commend the representative of Warri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Daniel Reyenieju, for what he has done so far. I want to believe that through his action, the House of Representatives has taken a very civilized posture on the  on the Itsekiri people. Itsekiris may be a minority people in their territory, but they deserve to live and be in charge of their affairs. I think the House of Reps has endorsed the Itsekiris  right to live unmolested in their homeland when the members unanimously condemned the unprovoked attack on my people.

But some of the Ijaw leaders came out openly to condemn the action  of the youths.

I read some statements issued by some of these Ijaw leaders. But I have not seen any statement, even a mild one, by the big Ijaw leaders denouncing the attack. At least, for this reason I, as an Itsekiri man, will not be foolish to accept everything the Ijaw leaders you referred to said. If they meant what they said, they should help the Itsekiris and the government to fish out the culprits from their dens.

One of the issues raised by the Ijaws in Warri North is the need for a round table conference on how to share the political and elective positions in the area.

There is nothing wrong in that but what are they prepared to give? Must Itsekiris keep meeting the demands of compromise in their homeland? Are they saying that the Itsekiris are not entitled to have people that will govern them rightly or wrongly in their homeland?  What are they bringing to the round table conference they are calling for?

Governor Uduaghan did say, in his reaction  to the crisis, that he will not  take  a  decision on thecrisis based on sentiments.  What is your take in this?

I support the governor. He also said that he will not negotiate under duress.  I endorse fully his submission. But the governor should have gone ahead to ask: Why is it that this only happens in Itsekiri territories? What are the aggresors  trying to prove? In Warri South-west, the havoc against Itsekiris is still very much green in our memories. In Warri South, we also know what Itsekiris are experiencing. As I said before, what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

What is the way forward?

The way forward is to preach the gospel of peace that borders on fairness, justice and the doctrine of do-unto-others-as-you-will-be-done-by. Might is not right and it will never be right.  We have a lot to gain by toeing the path of peace that prospers all.  Ijaws should let Itsekiris live  and Itsekiris should let Ijaws live in their respective homelands as worthy neighbours committed to the great ideal of prosperous justice, love, fairness and togetherness. And we need to realize that he who is strong today is strong because who will beat him has not come.
By GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE BENIN

Friday 20 September 2013

I don’t owe Blackface, i invited him to my wedding - Tuface

 

After several years of a palpable cold war between them, Tuface Idibia has finally opened up on the lingering war involving him and estranged ‘brother’, Blackface.
 Idibia also debunked tales emanating from the camp of his former singing partner, especially the allegation that Blackface was not invited to his wedding in Dubai. He also made it known that Blackface was fully paid for his contributions in their joint hit song, African Queen.
 Speaking recently on Rubbin Minds, a programme on Channels TV monitored by our reporter, the Benue State-born singer in setting the record straight, vehemently denied the claims of his former band mate on the many allegations leveled against him. "I actually invited Blackface for my wedding," he revealed.
 Meanwhile, prior to the talk of the town wedding, Blackface had revealed on Twitter that he was not invited to the fairytale nuptial that was star studded.
Asked why he was not in Dubai for the wedding, Blackface replied
“I nor dey go where I nor dey invited. But I wish dem all they wish themselves.”
While countering the claim of the latter, the former said during the interview that he invited Blackface to the wedding but he chose not to show up.
Tuface also made it clear he was not owing or indebted to Blackface in any form, adding that the former had been paid in full, all the money accruing from their joint ownership of the song.
He also disclosed that he had assisted Blackface financially in the past without knowing what he did with the “huge sum” he gave him.
“I don’t owe Blackface and will never owe him. He has been paid for our joint song, African Queen”
 The relationship between the two seems to have swiftly declined over the years since the breakup of their music group Plantashun Boiz.
 Rumours of a rift between the duo was confirmed when Blackface in an interview with Entertainment Express revealed that he was being owed money from their joint hit song ‘African Queen’ which he co-wrote.
“I know the song has generated lot of revenue. Right now, I and Tuface have joint ownership of that song. But from the inception it was not like that. All the funds the song has been generating I’m supposed to have 50% of it, which I’m not getting and I don’t just know what is happening,” he disclosed.
 Innocent Ujah Idibia (Tuface Idibia) and Ahmedu Augustine Obiabo (Blackface), together with Chibuzor Oji (Faze), were members of the defunct music group, Plantashun Boiz. The group split in 2004 to launch their respective solo careers.
 
By STEVE DEDE

Two men allegedly sacrificed their children on the altar of anger and money ritual



IN separate cases, two men in Plateau State allegedly sacrificed their children on the altar of anger and money ritual.

The state Police Command arrested the men along with 13 other suspects, who committed other crimes ranging from car theft, criminal conspiracy, and armed robbery to attempt to steal a vehicle with fabricated master keys.

One of the suspects, Fwangmun Habakuk, 25, from Mangu Local Government Area was said to have allegedly beaten his two year-old female child (names withheld) to death in a fit of anger, for urinating on the bed.

However, blaming the devil for his action, Habakuk said he regretted his action.

Similarly, 20-year-old Polycarp Tajan from Maikatako Village in Bokkos, confessed in an interview with newsmen in Jos, the state capital, that he suffocated his three-month-old baby boy (names withheld) to enable him cut off his tongue for money-making ritual.

Native doctor’s  demand

Tajan said his quest for money took him to a native doctor, who asked him to bring the tongue of his first-born child for the ritual.

He equally blamed his action on the devil, influence of alcohol and greed.

He said: “I was really in need of money and someone told me about money ritual. I went to meet a native doctor, who demanded the tongue of my first-born child.

“When I came home that day, the baby was on the bed and my wife was cooking in the kitchen. I used the pillow to suffocate the baby.”

Police sources said Tajan’s wife raised the alarm that led to the suspect’s arrest. The native doctor was still at large.

Robbers nabbed

In another development, a four-man gang in Shendam local government robbed a victim of his N119,000, a digital camera, DSTV decoder, DVD and two Techno handsets. They also raped the robbery victim’s wife.

The gang members were, however, apprehended by the police while trying to dispose of the decoder.

This was even as a key fabricator, Yahaya Abdullahi of Dilimi in Jos was also arrested for producing master keys used by car thieves in the area.

His accomplice, Annas Yunusa, reportedly attempted to use one of the keys to open a Honda Civic car parked along Ahmadu Bello Way in Jos, where he was arrested.

Teenagers rob Marwa operator

However, a tricycle (Keke NAPAEP) operator narrowly escaped death when a gang of four youths, three boys and one girl, who boarded his vehicle put a rope on his neck from behind, with which they allegedly dragged him down and took the tricycle away.

Other suspects were nabbed over alleged unlawful possession of AK-47 rifles and trans-border car theft.

While parading the 15 suspects, state Police Commissioner, Chris Olakpe said the feat was possible due to the synergy and collaboration between the security agencies and the public.

He advised people to secure their vehicles and warned spiritualists to stop “crimes as money does not come through human parts but through hard-work and prayers.”  SOURCE

Thursday 19 September 2013

IGWE AGULU DESCRIBES THOSE THAT ATTENDED UBAH’S CAMPAIGN FLAG-OFF AS IMPOSTORS


 
 

The Traditional ruler of Agulu, Igwe Innocent Obodoakor said the community has sanctioned those who impersonated him at a political rally to flag-off the campaign of Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah at Onitsha. Igwe Obodoakor who was speaking to journalists in Awka said the impostors who were ordinary titled men, but pretended to be Igwes had been suspended pending the determination of the issue by the General Assembly of the town.
  
 Igwe Obodoakor regretted that people should be desperate to go to the extent of impersonating a traditional ruler in their quest for easy money and pointed out that royal fathers by the virtue of their position do not play politics nor be involved in such political rally. Igwe Obodoakor said contrary to claims by the impostors, Governor Obi more than any other Governor in Anambra State had recorded unprecedented achievements that had remained a source of pride to the people of Agulu and Anambra State in general.
 
He explained that the Governor has uphold the policy of equity and fairness in distribution of democracy dividends across the State and Agulu community has received its own fair share of democracy dividends.
 
It will be recalled that Ichie Julius Ilo from Obe Village in Agulu had led two other Ichies to the flag-off of Ifeanyi Ubah political campaign, where he spoke as the Igwe of Agulu, when the Igwe, at that time, was not even in State.
Condemnation has continued to trail their action. Commenting on the matter, Chief Stephen Okeke, also from Agulu condemned the action of Iloh and his co-travellers and wondered how much a politician should give to a titled man to bring the name of a town into disrepute. He also said that Ifeanyi Ubah’s campaign organization, but arranging such a façade, has proved that Ubah is not fit and proper for leadership in a civilized and decent society.
— with Valentine Obienyem.

Wednesday 18 September 2013

Happy birthday to 2face Idibia, see his wife's loving birthday message


Happy birthday to music superstar 2face Idibia. Wishing him many more successful and happy years ahead. Check out Annie Macaulay Idibia's loving message to him. Sweet! 

 

2 cars containing 6bodies that sank a decade apart are found in a lake after 40 years

They had lain undiscovered under an Oklahoma lake for fifty years. And now the discovery of two rusting vintage cars containing five bodies has reignited the mystery of how three teenagers and one man and his friends vanished more than four decades ago. One of the cases is believed to be connected to the disappearance of Jimmy Allen Williams (top right), Thomas Michael Rios, (top left), and Leah Gail Johnson, (bottom right), all went missing after going for a drive in Jimmy's blue 1969 Camaro on November 20, 1970. 

Dive teams were at Foss Lake conducting training with sonar when they came upon the vehicles last week. They went back and did a scheduled dive yesterday and when they pulled the cars out of the water, they found human bones. Continue...



The discovery of two rusting vintage cars containing six bodies has reignited the mystery of how three teenagers and three other people vanished more than four decades ago. 

Highway patrol officers testing their sonar equipment Foss Lake near Elk City, Oklahoma on Friday stumbled upon the rusting 1969 Camaro and a Chevrolet dating back to the 1950s. 

Inside the Camaro were three bodies believed to be of local teenagers who vanished after going out for a drive in 1970. Inside the Chevrolet were three more bodies – thought to be a 69-year-old man and his two friends who went missing in the state in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

Police say the Camaro matches the vehicle associated with the three missing teenagers who disappeared on November 10 1970. They say they have confirmed the identity of at least one of the victims however details are yet to be released.

Authorities have not formally identified all of the remains belong to but the local paper has made a clear connection between the discovered Camaro and the teens.
 
Jimmy Williams poses next to his then brand-new Camaro as a 16-year-old in 1970
The latest reports by local station KFOR states that one of the victims in the car thought to have belonged to the teenager has been identified but they are waiting to notify all of the relatives of the victims involved before releasing any names. 

Jimmy Allen Williams 16, Thomas Michael Rios, 18, and Leah Gail Johnson, 18, all went missing after going for a drive in Jimmy’s blue 1969 Camaro on November 20, 1970. 

They are still listed as missing persons and were thought to have been headed to a football game in nearby Elk City but also could have detoured to go hunting at Foss Lake.
 Local woman Kim Carmichael was a friend of the Camaro's owner, 16-year-old Jimmy Williams. She told Oklahoma's Newsnine.com: 'I just remember how devastated everybody was 'We lived in a little town ... Nothing like that ever happened in Sayre.
At the time of the disappearance, Ms Carmichael's father was the undersheriff in nearby Beckham County where the teens were last seen.  He died in 2003 never knowing what happened. Ms Carmichael added: 'He said there was nothing ... There were no leads, no nothing. He said it was just like they vanished into thin air.'I can't imagine what [Williams'] family was going through if I could see what my dad was going through.'
Oklahoma Highway Patrol said they are hoping the discovery will offer some relief to families who may have gone decades wondering where a missing loved one was.

Source: UK Daily Mail

Tweet of the day - from Davido

Billionaire boy talking. Don't jealox him please...! Lol

Paul Okoye proposes to his longtime girlfriend, Anita Isama



A few weeks after Peter Okoye proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Lola Omotayo, his twin brother has followed suit. A few hours after he returned from his US/Canada tour, (they returned just this morning) Paul Okoye proposed to his longtime girlfriend and baby mama, Anita Atokwu-Isama. He proposed to her this afternoon somewhere on the Island in front of family and friend. Big congrats to them.. 

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Let’s forget the past, Mohammed Abacha pleads


Late General Sani Abacha
Alhaji Mohammed Abacha, the son of the late dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, has pleaded with Nigerians and the people of Kano State, to forget the past.
Mohammed was at the headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja on Monday where he declared that he had rejoined the party, which he left in 2010 for the Congress for Progressive Change.
He was a staunch member of the defunct CPC in Kano State and aspired to be its governorship candidate.
Though he was said to have won the primary, but the national leadership of the party, led by a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammad’s Buhari (retd) said there was no way the party would allow the son of the former head of state to flag the party’s flag during the election.
When Mohammed was asked whether the role played by his father in the politics of Nigeria was responsible for what befell him in CPC, he resorted into preaching.
He said, “History is for yesterday. Whatever has happened,  happened yesterday. Yesterday belongs to history and it is one of the things we have left behind.
“We must forget the past and move on. We need not to talk about it as if we can forget.”
It will be recalled that many Nigerians were either killed or imprisoned unjustly during the regime of the late general.
Some members of his family also looted the national treasury, but the Federal Government was able to recover some of the funds, majority of which was kept in foreign countries.
Mohammed is believed to be eyeing the governorship ticket of the PDP in 2015.
He, however, said he has yet to inform the Governor of the state, Alhaji Rabiu Kwakwanso about his return to the party.
But he said he had been given assurances that things would work out well in the party, which he said he left due to lack of internal democracy, during his second coming.
He said, “I did not consult the governor before returning to the party. Power belongs to God.
“We left the PDP in 2010 due to lack of internal democracy but we have had so many experiences and have come to realise that there is no other party that captures Nigeria, every tribe and religion like the PDP.”
Asked if be party had promised to give him a waiver, Mohammed said it the issue of waiver was not discussed.
The PDP constitution says a returnee to the party will have to wait for two years before he could be allowed to contest using its platform, unless he is granted waiver by either the National Working Committee of the party or its National Executive Committee.

Gunman kills 12 and injures 15 at Washinton Navy Yard rampage

Aaron Alexis (pictured right), opened fire and killed 12 people this morning Monday September 16th at the Washington Naval Yard in Washington DC before being shot and killed by responding officers. The 34-year-old who worked as a civilian I.T contractor at the military base, entered the complex's cafeteria around 8.30am brandishing an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, shotgun and handgun and began shooting. It is thought that he used another employee of the base's identification card to gain entry to the heavily secured Building 197, where he carried out his deadly attack. Aaron killed 12 people and injured at least 15, who are all in critical conditions.

Aaron, from Fort Worth Texas, served in the U.S. Navy for almost four years before being kicked out in January 2011 for 'misconduct'. The motive for the killing has not been revealed though there are speculations that it could be connected to his dismissal from the U.S. Navy. RIP to those who lost their lives. Read the full story HERE

Obi to Spend N40B on MDGs, Pays 1.5 Billion Naira to Churches

Obi to Spend N40B on MDGs, Pays 1.5 Billion Naira to Churches to Rehabilitate returned secondary Schools
The Anambra State governor Peter Obi is to spend a whopping sum of 40 billion naira to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The governor who stated this yesterday while handing over a cheque of one billion four hundred and sixty million naira to churches for the infrastructural development of primary schools in their care, said it was in fulfillment of his earlier promise to invite stakeholders of the state to meaningful events.
According to the governor, N5 billion each would be spent on each of the eight MDGs in order to ensure a secure future for the children of the state.
Cheered on by hundreds of school teachers and schoolchildren at the Women’s Development Centre Awka Obi announced plans by the government to employ an additional 4000 teachers in both primary and secondary schools while 2000 people would be employed in the state civil service.
He also announced his government’s decision to give every secondary school a brand new bus in addition to those given to some schools before as well as providing 450 generating sets to every secondary school in the state including those earlier given because of their population.
His largesse to schools also include the provision of N1.2 million to every secondary school for laboratory; provision of N.75 million to every secondary school for their library and another one for sports development.
Gov Obi also announced government’s decision to provide fire fighting trucks to all the fire stations in the state spread across the three senatorial zones, even as N1 billion had been made available for micro credit facilities.
He assured the people that money for the maintenance of the mission schools had been secured and would run till the end of 2015, while the salaries of the new staff to be recruited would be provided for the next one year in order to assist the next government.
Obi however harped on the importance of being succeeded by a worthy person in order to continue with the strides already made by his government.
Speaking earlier the commissioners for education and local government as well as the chief of staff all recalled the strides of the present government in the state which they said started with nothing but had succeeded in turning around the state’s fortunes and making it a haven for investors.
The national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chief Sir Victor Umeh extolled the governor’s prudent management of resources which had given the state a new face.
He noted that Obi was doing things people had hitherto thought impossible because of his prudence and said it was the reason why he had fallen out with some people who wanted the state’s lean resources to be shared among them rather than the funds being deployed for public good like Obi was doing.
In his remarks the Anglican bishop of Aguata Bishop Christian Efobi said the state was reaping the fruits of Obi’s focused, dynamic and committed leadership anchored on the fear of God.
He described Obi as the only Igbo man he had seen who had used public funds for public good and prayed for the emergence of a worthy successor.
In his own remarks the Catholic archbishop of Onitsha Arch Diocese, Arch Bishop Valerian Okeke described Obi as a visionary leader, pointing out that what the state needed at this time was someone who would be like Obi so that the state could build on the foundation already laid in order to make it a pace setter in the country.