Nnaji didn’t commit any offence –Jonathan

Stakeholders from Anambra State yesterday urged the President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to re-present himself for the 2015 presidential election.
They made the appeal during a Town Hall meeting in Onitsha, Anambra State, with President Jonathan where he revealed the circumstances surrounding the resignation of the immediate past Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji.

Jonathan insisted that Nnaji did not commit any offence.
An oil magnate, Arthur Eze, an engineer, said the President must present himself to seek once again the Office of the President of Nigeria.
Eze, who gave instances of past presidents, urged Jonathan to take another shot at Aso Rock to enable him deliver on his campaign promises while advising him to remain focused.
Addressing the stakeholders after commissioning some projects executed by the state government and some private individuals yesterday at the Government Lodge, Onitsha, the President disclosed that the intrigues following the controversial resignation of Nnaji from his cabinet were captured on issue of credibility.
He said in fact, the erstwhile minister is a very competent and respected professional in the area of Robotic Engineering, but that in the privatization of the Federal Government agency, which he was supervising, certain things happened that had consequences of impinging on his credibility, adding that somebody had to step aside.
Jonathan told an assemblage of Anambra elite and indeed the entire South-East leaders, that he was using the opportunity of being in their midst to exonerate the minister.
He noted that the country is facing challenges, which saw mistakes made in some of the privatization exercises already carried out, and noticed that things were changing hands and people were suffering, a reason he said he didn’t want to superintend over an exercise that will worsen people’s plight.
Jonathan said his administration will still source for another competent person for the ministry, who will continue from where Nnaji stopped because the work must go on.
He said energy and power still remained top priorities among his administration’s programmes, stressing that the rehabilitation of the coal industry will be of benefit to the people of Anambra, Enugu, Benue and Kogi States.

Kris Humphries Denies Giving Woman Sexually Transmitted Disease

The NBA player sued by woman who claims to have been infected by him.

After being slapped with a shocking lawsuit from a woman claiming she’d contracted herpes, Kris Humphries is reportedly telling friends there’s no way anyone could have contracted the incurable venereal disease from him because he’s tested negative.

Radaronline reported that Kayla Goldberg was suing the NBA player after the two had unprotected sex two years ago and she developed symptoms for herpes four to five days later. She was officially diagnosed on September 8, 2010, through an examination and swab test.

But a source close to Humphries says that the accusation is not true. "Kris tested negative for it though and for any other sexually transmitted disease,” the source said, “and he is absolutely steadfast that he has never given anyone herpes. Kris plans on vigorously fighting the lawsuit filed against him by Goldberg and is considering counter-suing her for defamation."

Humphries is currently entangled in an ugly divorce trial with his wife of 72-days, Kim Kardashian.

LOL.... In Yoruba... screaming *NKAN BEE*

Chris Lighty, Legendary Hip Hop Manager, Has Died

The NY Daily News is reporting that Lighty was found dead at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday morning in his Bronx apartment with a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the head.


The hip hop world is in mourning in the wake of the sudden death of Chris Lighty, the legendary manager and CEO of Violator Entertainment.
Lighty, 44, got his start carrying crates for fellow Bronx native DJ Red Alert back in the '80s, before landing a coveted gig at Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen's Rush Management. Lighty was closely linked to the Native Tongues movement in its early days, even dropping a rhyme on "Pass the 40" from Black Sheep's classic 1991 debut, Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. But he became an industry icon when he started Violator Entertainment, the management firm, record label and marketing company that guided the careers of 50 Cent, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes and more. He helped build his massive stable of artists into a branding empire, snagging deals that included commercials, endorsements as well as video games, fragrance, beverage and clothing lines.

Many rappers and industry figures expressed their sadness on Twitter.

"R.I.P CHRIS LIGHTY THE MAN THAT SAVED MY LIFE!!!" Fat Joe wrote.

"RIP Chris Lighty --- a very Sad day in Hip Hop and Life itself --- my brother is gone," DJ Whoo Kid tweeted.

Though initial reports have claimed the cause of death is suicide, that has not yet been confirmed. Stay tuned here for details on this tragic story as they emerge.

Secret wedding for Adele!

The rumours about Adele’s secret wedding to boyfriend Simon Konecki are true, the UK singer is married!

A guest who attended the low-key wedding confirmed the news saying it was a ‘fabulous occasion’.

‘They did get married, and I was present. It was a fabulous occasion. Adele was dressed in a classic attire and Simon looked very smart and joyous’, a source close to the star told the MailOnline.

The rumours of the wedding began when Life & Style Magazine published photos of the 24-year-old wearing a gold band on her wedding finger.

‘She’s an old-fashioned girl and can’t wait to be part of a family unit. She just wants to focus on the baby and the man she loves’, a friend reportedly told the mag.

It seems Adele has a thing for keeping her personal life away from the public – she also kept the news of her pregnancy on the low.

The singer and Simon (who has been previously married) are expecting their first child.

Joseph Yobo Signs N1.6B Deal with Turkish Team

Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo has finally sealed a deal of 3 years with the Number 1 team in the Turkish League- Fenerbahce Fc of Turkey. 

The deal would cost the Turkish team $10Million which is about N1.6 Billion in Nigerian currency. He will also be entitled to another $1m bonus yearly. 

PHOTONEWS: Fire Razes HIV Clinic At The Lagos University Teaching Hospital

Culled from: Saharareporters

An outpatient clinic for HIV/AIDS patients, APIN Clinic, at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital [LUTH] was totally razed this evening in Lagos.
A plumber in the teaching hospital who helped carry water to quell the fire said an electric spark might have caused the fire.
The fire began about 6.40pm Nigerian time but the Lagos State fire service arrived the scene without water waited for more than one hour and watched while the fire razed the whole building before other agencies including NEMA arrived with water tankers to put out the fire.
 Items destroyed at wood-padded clinic include patient documents, laptops belonging to doctors, medical equipments and other electronic gadgets including air conditioning units.
There are no casualties according to hospital personnel and emergency official, however, a fire service worker was seriously injured and hospitalized

1, 500 Nigerian students face deportation in UK

Around 2,600 foreign students could be deported from Britain after their university was stripped of its ability to sponsor visas for pupils beyond the European Union, the government announced Thursday. The move provoked dismay from students and accusations that the move by the Conservative-led government, which is bent on reducing immigration, could damage Britain’s global reputation.
 
London Metropolitan University has lost its “highly trusted status” because a survey found significant problems with the qualifications of many of its foreign students, Immigration Minister Damian Green said.

In a “significant proportion” of cases, there was no documentation that students had a good standard of English, Green said, and there was no proof that half of those sampled were attending lectures. He said the sampling of the university’s foreign students indicated that more than a quarter did not have current permission to be in the country.

“Any one of those breaches would be serious,” Green told BBC radio. “We found all three of those breaches at London Metropolitan.”

A degree from a U.K. university is highly prized by many students abroad, and those from outside the European Union often pay higher fees than residents. The British government, which has cracked down on immigration in multiple ways, has pointed to student visas as a category ripe for abuse by those who may instead be looking for work.

London Metropolitan has 30,000 students, and 2,600 are affected by the government’s decision, said university spokesman Nick Hansen. Students from other European Union countries don’t need visas.
The affected students will have 60 days to find new sponsors once they are formally notified by the government, or they could be deported. A task force has been set up to help genuine students who otherwise qualify for visas, Universities Minister David Willetts said, but with the fall term imminent students have little time to find new sponsors and courses.

Nigeria Secret Police Details Leaked

Culled from: Ap

Personnel records of former and current members of Nigeria's top domestic spy agency, including home addresses and names of immediate family members, leaked onto the Internet in a threatening message that claimed to come from a radical Islamist sect that's killed hundreds of people this year alone, The Associated Press has learned.
The leak of personal data of more than 60 past and current employees of Nigeria's State Security Service remained easily accessible on the Internet for days and had details about the agency's director-general, including his mobile phone number, bank account particulars and contact information for his son. Many of agents listed who could be reached by the AP said they received no official warning from the spy agency that their information had been posted online nor been otherwise alerted. The material has been deleted from the comment section of a website, but the security breach astonished veterans and calls into question whether Nigeria's intelligence community, whose agents already have released suspected terrorists out of religious and ethnic sympathies, are too compromised from within to stop the violence now plaguing Africa's most populous nation.
"This is a national embarrassment," said one Nigerian intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as information about the leak was not to have been made public.
Marilyn Ogar, a spokeswoman for the State Security Service, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday about the leak.
The State Security Service, created in 1986 by then-military ruler Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, monitors domestic dissent in Nigeria, an oil-rich nation of more than 160 million people. Though geared toward stopping terrorism and destabilizing coups, the agency routinely faces criticism for targeting government critics. In Abuja, Nigeria's capital, the agency operates out of cars made to look like the many green taxis that roam the streets. Plain-clothed agents of the service routinely question foreign journalists at airports, border crossings and on city streets if they see reporters conducting interviews. Agents carrying assault rifles often guard major events in the country.
Many agents for the typically secretive agency are preoccupied with concealing their identities, as most try to blend unnoticed into society.
The information leak came in two postings earlier this month on a website that provides rewritten news on Nigeria. The first posting threatened to kill agents of the State Security Service on behalf of Boko Haram, a radical Islamist sect responsible for more than 660 killings this year alone in Nigeria. The second posting simply offered a block of text containing biographical and other details about the agents.
Though the comments have been removed, the AP is not identifying the website involved as cached versions of the comments remain online and intelligence service agents have been killed by Boko Haram members in the past.
The list includes former and current agents across the country, including Director-General Ekpeyong Ita. Those reached by the AP who were willing to talk expressed disbelief that sensitive information like that could make its way to the Internet.
"I was shocked to see my details posted on the Internet," said one former agent, who declined to be named out of safety concerns. "I've not heard anything from anybody. I was surprised that such information could be leaked."

She Deserves plaudits... and She's family... Applauds for Crystal Owonubi

"I am a white American that married a Nigerian.

I grew up in Bauxite, Arkansas. I have lived in Nigeria for the past 7 years with my husband. We have two children together. We have been married for 12 years now. My father has never met my husband and has refused to accept my children also.

When I had my first baby, a little girl that is now 12 years old. I called my father and said that I wanted to come and see him for Christmas with my baby. He said, "I don't want any black people in my home!" and hung up the phone!

I grew up in an all white school with only one mixed girl in the school. I was treated horribly in school because I dated a black boy that lived in the next town at the age of 16. My father told me that he would disown me and to this day, I have never received a phone call from him.

I was called nigger lover in school and nobody wanted to sit by me. I knew what it felt like to be rejected. I was sent away to several different homes for troubled children because my mother did not want me to be with a black person. She would lock the phone up in her room. But, today I live in the blackest nation, Nigeria. And today I am happy that I did not end up racist like them or should I say ignorant."

 

I am holding back my tears. I thank God that he gave me a family of my own! He has blessed me with a wonderful man that understands me and loves me for who I am. He has blessed me with a wonderful family that accepts me regardless of my skin color and regardless of where I come from. 

 

Even though my mother and father in law are both deceased now, I thank God for their lives and how they were able to show me love before they went on to be with the Lord. Many people have been amazed that I am been able to stay in Nigeria for this long, but now I am ready to share my story. This is not the full story nor is it the ending of the story, so watch out for my book......coming soon! God wrote my story, but I wrote the book. I pray that many peoples lived will be touched by my story and that lives will be changed. 

Guardian UK review of D'banj's Hammersmith Apollo, London concert

 

As he's the figurehead of Nigerian Afrobeats, it feels appropriate that D'banj's debut UK headline show takes place on the final day of the Notting Hill carnival. Alongside the usual dancehall and soca, a good proportion of the anthems that fuelled this year's sound systems and floats are the hits that have propelled the rise of Afrobeats in the UK: Atumpan's The Thing, Ice Prince's Oleku and, of course, D'Banj's own Oliver Twist, a song of such popular reach that it even made it on to EastEnders.



Keeping that carnival spirit going is D'Banj's MO tonight, as is that of a significant proportion of the audience, who have hotfooted it down the road from the carnival. As an entertainer, D'Banj treads the line between suave and rambunctious with ease: his dapper yellow-lapelled blazer is swiftly shed as he starts to rival his own dancers in snake-hipped, low-grinding ability, and the gold chain follows as he plunges off stage for a spot of crowd-surfing. By the show's climax, D'Banj is half-naked and essaying moves that seem to refer mostly to the title of his forthcoming album, Mr Endowed.

After a late entrance compounded by technical difficulties leaves the crowd slightly restless, D'Banj may feel putting that level of work in is necessary – but it transpires that the music does the trick just as well. "This is not a fluke," he announces midway through the show, perhaps mindful that not everyone present is aware of his seven-year career before Oliver Twist. Tonight, though, his older material goes down almost as well, from the call-and-response of Why Me to the lovelorn Scapegoat, and D'Banj bridges the gap between his more lilting, organic songs and his recent tougher, trancier dance-floor anthems with ease. His between-song patter has a tendency to ramble, but the show's culmination in Oliver Twist is stellar proof that an international hit can be engineered with ease if based around a resonant, inarguable statement such as "I like Beyoncé".

Written by for Alex Macpherson for Guardian UK

LL Cool J Burglar Pleads Not Guilty

Intruder makes first court appearance since run-in with the hip hop star.

The transient man who broke into LL Cool J's home, and was subsequently beaten up by the rapper, appeared in court yesterday and entered a plea of "Not Guilty," TMZ reports.

Jonathan Kirby, 56, has been charged with first degree burglary with a person present in the incident. Since he is a third strike offender, he could get up to life in prison if convicted.

Kirby sported two black eyes in the courtroom Tuesday. LL, who was upstairs sleeping when Kirby broke in, reportedly broke the intruder's nose upon discovering him in his home.

Bail has been set at $1.1 million with a preliminary hearing scheduled for next month.

Video Premiere: Itz Tiffany – Fake London Boy

Finally, Itz Tiffany drops a video for her massive hit single, “Fake London Boy”.

New Video: Da Grin Feat. Style P, Nasty Jay & SDC – If I Die Remix

The video was directed by Kemi Adetiba on location in Lagos and New York. The single “If I Die Remix” which features US Rapper, Styles P of the LOX, Nasty Jay and Show Dem Camp is slated for Dagrin‘s post-humous album.

That money is mine – Andy Uba lays claim to $15m Ibori bribe

There’s a new twist in the contest in who owns the $15 million bribe that is reported to have been given by the convicted James Ibori, former Delta State governor, gave to former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Nuhu Ribadu.

According to Premium Times, Andy Uba, former special adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and two time governorship candidate in Anambra State has today laid claims to the bribe money.

Dr. Andy Uba has gone to court with the hopes of recovering what he claims is his.

Mo’Cheddah romances Ondo prince

Culled from: Thenetng.com

Mocheddah and BK at the singer's graduation-birthday party, February 2012.

There are a lot of unanswered questions surrounding Mo’Cheddah’s love life but NET can now confirm the pop singer is in a hot romance with an Ondo prince.

Mo’ (real name Modupe-Oreoluwa Oyeyemi) has been dating BK Olateru-Olagbegi for more than two years we learn. Very reliable sources told us today, that the pair are so close, that both families are acquainted, even though BK (short for Bukunyi) hasn’t proposed yet.

The pair, who often travel and spend almost every possible time together, were spotted in South Arica recently, during the production of Mo’s new video.

BK, an Ondo prince from the popular Olateru-Olagbegi family in Owo is the younger brother of popular BEAT FM 99.9 On-Air-Personality Gbemi. He is a young businessman with interests in Oil and gas, real estate and entertainment. We’ve been told he’s also an aspiring politician.

NET placed a call to BK who said he has ‘No comments. I absolutely have no comments please…!’.

The pop singer was however willing to explain, ‘Yes I can confirm that we’re close friends and partners. But I do not plan to put my relationship in the public eye. People can believe what they want to believe; all I can say is that BK and I share a special friendship that’s been on for many years, and he’s someone that has been very instrumental to whatever the Mocheddah brand has become today…

Mo’Cheddah recently released three singles and a follow up video after parting ways with former label Knighthouse in February 2012.

Mo and BK spending some time at the beach

NLC Welcomes Exit of Prof. Nnaji as Power Minister

Culled from: SaharaReporters, New York

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed pleasure over the exit of Prof. Bart Nnaji as Minister of Power.
In a statement signed by Chris Uyot, its Acting General Secretary,  the NLC said Prof. Nnaji was “a major problem to renewed effort aimed at reactivating the power sector having compromised the Office of the Honourable Minister of Power with his personal business interests, and being oblivious and a stumbling block to industrial peace and harmony in the industry.”
It called on President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately institute a thorough investigation into Nnaji’s tenure, citing the former Minister’s financial recklessness, high handedness and diversion of major businesses meant for PHCN to his private companies as well as companies he has vested interests.
“We also call on Mr. President to create an atmosphere of fairness and justice for speedy resolution of all outstanding labour matters in the process of disengaging some PHCN employees, which Prof. Nnaji stalled before his exit,” the statement said.
While the issue of severance benefits is not one that cannot be resolved through dialogue, the union said Prof. Nnaji chose to heat up the system by blocking every avenue for dialogue and inviting armed military personnel to intimidate workers under spurious pretences.  It expressed the hope that the ongoing dialogue between labour and government will resolve those issues as quickly as possible if the government is willing to accept meaningful dialogue in appreciation of the Condition of Service of the workers.

Entertainment Editor of Vanguard Newspaper Dies

                                         The late Amadi in the middle receiving an award

The Entertainment Editor of Vanguard Newspaper, Mr Ogbonna Amadi is dead. He passed on yesterday evening of asthma attack in his car. May his soul rest in perfect peace.

UK Amends Immigration Rules on Nigerians & Other Foreigners Visiting for Child Delivery

Culled from. BellaNaija.com

Following allegations that a Nigerian woman received treatment for the delivery of her babies in a United Kingdom hospital without paying anything, the UK government has said it will no longer tolerate the abuse of its National Health Service by Nigerian women.
According to media reports, Bimbo Ayelabola, received treatment for the delivery of her babies totalling £10,000 but returned to the country without paying anything.

Here’s how Channels TV reported it:

Ayelabola, 33, reportedly took a fertility drug (Clomid) overdose in order to aid conception after losing her first pregnancy.

As soon as she found out she was pregnant, the woman allegedly relocated to the UK to be able to take the needed rest outside of the hustling and bustling of Lagos.

While in the UK, she underwent a scan which revealed that she was expecting four babies in the first instance before it was discovered during the delivery that there was a fifth baby.

It was learnt that she was put on an emergency NHS programme which as at July last year, had depleted the scheme’s purse to the tune of £200,000 ($320,000).

The heavily pregnant woman was said to have travelled from Lagos to Manchester because she was concerned about the standard of treatment she would receive in Nigeria.

She was said to have gone straight from the airport to Wythenshawe Hospital where she told staff that there were complications with her pregnancy.

Two midwives, two consultant urologists, a radiology consultant, two consultant obstetricians and two anaesthetists were reported to have been involved in her treatment before her healthy babies were born by emergency Caesarean section last two weeks.

Prior to her discharge from hospital on Monday, staff were said to have informed her that the cost of her treatment was around £10,000 and asked her for billing details.

The woman was reported to have left without paying anything.

This prompted the UK Health Minister, Simon Burns to say “We won’t tolerate abuse of our National Health Service. The NHS has a duty to anyone whose life or long-term health is at immediate risk but it is not there to serve the health needs of the globe.
“Hospitals have a legal duty to recover any charges made to overseas patients. The Government has also recently amended the immigration rules so that anyone with an unpaid debt to the NHS of £1,000 or more can be refused a new visa.”
Photo Credit: www.ucl.ac.uk

Spiritual Nuggets: PARTIES INVOLVED IN A COVENANT by Kenny Folarin

Numbers 23:18-19 The Christian life and experience is all about the covenant. A covenant is an agreement or contract that is legally binding. When we don’t understand the meaning of a covenant, there is no way we can enjoy or benefit from any covenant relationship. The surest guarantee of divine intervention and victory is the Blood Covenant. God intentionally struck a covenant relationship with man so that we do not have to beg for anything and to make things objective not subjective; if you do your part of the covenant you would benefit the blessings attached to the covenant. Unlike the idols served in Africa which have to be appeased through shedding of blood to generate blessings and prosperity, God is a God of principles not just sacrifice. There are two dimensions in which covenants operate are: Between two people of equal status; this involves two organizations coming together to overcome the market and attract more consumers. Second, between two people of unequal status; this is the relationship man has with God. This type of the covenant is usually initiated by the stronger party because he wants to offer protection to the weaker party. The effectiveness of the covenant is determined by the integrity of the covenanters.

When there is no integrity in a covenant, the covenant will fail. In the covenant arrangement the integrity of God is intact; God has so much that it doesn’t take Him anything to bless us, the only problem God has with man is how to manage him. God is a covenant keeper. He is powerful, The Ultimate, The King of Kings, (psalm 62:11).  When God says something He will do it, He is too powerful not to keep His covenants! He has all resources at His disposal; He can marshal all resources to do His will! When God steps in your life and situation, no decree, human being or force can stop Him because the wisdom and understanding of God is unsearchable; no human being can fathom it, (Isaiah 40:21-28).To appreciate the covenant, we must understand that God cannot lie. Numbers 23:19 says, ‘God is not a man that He should lie,’ and Hebrews 6:13 explains how God swore by Himself to show Abraham that He cannot lie or change His mind. Whatever God says it is, it is correct. The Bible also says, ‘Far be it for God to lie.’ It is not in God’s nature and character to lie. The other party involved in the Unequal Covenant is man. In Genesis 17:1, God spoke to Abraham saying, ‘Walk before me and be blameless.’ In other words God was saying do your part of this covenant and I will do my part. If you stand on God’s covenant- like Daniel -God’s promise will find expression in your life.

Game Renames New Album Jesus Piece

The rapper’s fifth studio album will follow a more religious path.

With his new album, Game has found Jesus. The West Coast rapper recently announced that he's renamed his upcoming fifth studio album from F.I.V.E (Fear Is Victory's Evolution) to the pithier and more sacrosanct Jesus Piece.

Game, who was baptized last year, says he first decided to make the change after observing a trend of other artists using the number five in their own album titles.

"Trey Songz came with his album Chapter V, and of course 50 [Cent] had 5 (Murder by Numbers), I just felt like I should jump off that wagon," he said in an interview with Vibe.

The "Red Nation" rapper had recorded a song called "Jesus Piece" with Kanye West that inspired him to move in a new direction.

"So I went back into the studio and started doing songs that leaned more towards the title. I think people gon’ appreciate the concept once they hear the music," he said.

As the concept of a "Jesus piece" implies, Game says his album will blend religious and street values.

"I'm a Christian but I'm not 'holier than thou,' " he said. "Jesus Piece gives me an opportunity to speak about situations that people like me who love God but are still street and still wanna remain themselves without going the Pastor Mase route. It gives the opportunity to know that it’s somebody out there that feels them."

The album is currently slated for release later this year. Game recently released a Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony sampling lead single "Celebration" featuring Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, Tyga and Lil Wayne

Report: Amber Rose Is Pregnant

Culled from RadarOnline

Amber Rose is officially in the family way.


Radaronline.com is reporting that the model and her fiancé, Wiz Khalifa, are expecting their first child together. A source said while Rose and Khalifa are excited about the upcoming bundle of joy, the pair unexpectedly got pregnant. The two are “really happy to be starting a family together.”


Like all new moms-to-be, the idea of having a baby is definitely a game changer, and it’s especially the case for the voluptuous blonde beauty. The source continues, “Amber’s already had to make some big lifestyle changes, like not smoking cigarettes anymore. As a model, she’s used to having a thin waist, so this is going to be an adjustment for her.”


MediaTakeout, which announced Amber’s pregnancy on Monday, says the model is due in January 2013 and because of that the couple plan to move their wedding date to October 2012.

Photos: Genevieve Nnaji rocks Las Vegas

Genevieve in Las Vegas:

What happened in Vegas somehow found its way down to us through Genevieve’s instagram account where she posted photos from her road trip through the Sin City.
She looked radiant in the pictures and she seems – of-course – to be enjoying every bit of her time in the US.
She gave updates of her trip with pictures from the Aria Resort she visited and also gave us a lovely view from her room.
See the photos below:

On the road with Genevieve.

From Las Vegas with Love (Notice the ring on her finger): Genevieve blows kisses to her fans.

Las Vegas, Nevada

$620,000 subsidy bribe: Farouk returns from Saudi-Arabia, reports to police

Culled from: Vanguard Newspapers

 ABUJA— Erstwhile chairman of the fuel subsidy probe panel of the House of Representatives who had been on an elongated visit to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, on Monday reported to the Police headquarters in Abuja to announce his return to the country and readiness to face the charges that would be preferred against him when the case comes up in court.

Farouk Lawan who was accused of collecting $620,000 as bribe from oil magnate, Mr. Femi Otedola was granted permission to travel for his religious obligation and given a specific time frame to return to the country.
Recall that Police authorities investigating bribery allegations against Lawan have since (four weeks ago) completed their investigations and sent the report of the investigation which sources said overwhelmingly indicted Lawan, to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation for legal advice. The AGF’s office is, however, yet to take action on the report.
Police sources said the former chairman, House Committee on Education, later signed the police register that he has reported in accordance with one of the conditions of his bail.
Police sources told Vanguard that Farouk and the secretary to the committee, Boniface Emenalo may soon appear before the court.

Haunted By His Past, Okupe May Hire Keyamo To Defend Him

Culled from: SaharaReporters, New York

These are not the best of times for Doyin Okupe, a medical doctor recently hired by President Goodluck Jonathan to step into the role of presidential “attack dog.” Since his appointment, Mr. Okupe has faced a barrage of criticism over his involvement in several contract scams. At least two state governments, Imo and Benue, have accused the new presidential aide of failing to execute contracts that were awarded to his company.
The criticisms have taken a toll on Mr. Okupe’s integrity, calling his suitability to be a public official to question.
“It’s honestly embarrassing that the Presidency would appoint somebody like Dr. Okupe as a special assistant to the President on public communications without vetting his credentials and examining his past,” said a vocal civic rights advocate based in Abuja.
Mr. Okupe, who once served as spokesperson for former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is accused of bolting away with N634m worth of contract in Benue State when George Akume was the governor of the state. The Benue State Commissioner of Works and Transport, Benjamin Ashaver, has said that the state has reported Mr. Okupe to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for recovery of the mobilization fees paid to Okupe’s company for work that was never done.
Last Sunday, the embattled Mr. Okupe hosted several bureau chiefs of media houses in his hotel room at Hilton Hotel, Abuja. A source familiar with the meeting told SaharaReporters that the presidential aide told the reporters that he wanted their cooperation in the midst of widespread attacks questioning his integrity.
The source revealed that Mr. Okupe was visibly rattled when one reporter asked him to explain what he knew about the contract. “Having carefully selected those who were invited to the parley, Dr. Okupe did not expect the question and showed that he was taken aback,” said our source. Mr. Okupe merely said he had hired a Lagos-based legal practitioner, Festus Keyamo, to issue a statement on the matter. He stated that Mr. Keyamo’s statement would be released by Monday.
“My lawyer, Festus Keyamo, will speak on the matter, please. For now, let me face my job,” he told the reporters.
However, a source in the Benue State government told SaharaReporters that Mr. Okupe has no credible defense for taking the state’s funds and then absconding. “If he’s claiming that Keyamo is going to issue a statement, he is merely begging for time, hoping that Nigerians will soon forget about the matter,” the source asserted.

Nigeria's Nnaji resigns as Power Minister

Professor Bartholomew Nnaji has resigned from his position as the Minister of Power.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati in a short press statement issued on Tuesday said “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has accepted the resignation with immediate effect of the Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji.
“President Jonathan thanks Prof. Nnaji for his services to the nation under the present administration and wishes him well in his future endeavours.”
Details of the circumstances surrounding the resignation of the Ministers were not available as at the time of publishing this report.
Since his appointment as the Minister of Power, Prof Nnaji, a graduate of physics at St John’s University had canvassed for major reforms in the Nigeria comatose power sector.
As part of his reforms programme, the Minister has embarked on a scheme to privatise Nigeria’s power generation plants as well as the country’s transmission company. This move have pitched Prof Nnaji against the electricity workers, who felt threatened that the private companies would sack them if they assume management of privatised companies.
Prof Nnaji is the director and a founder of the Automation and Robotics Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He was made a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering in 1992.
He is also the founder of the first indigenous owned power generating company in Nigeria and was also a former minister for Science and Technology in the country.
He ran in the 2007 Nigerian presidential election as the candidate for the Better Nigeria Party.

Nigeria is the world’s next economic success story – Obama

 
The president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, has asserted that the progress of Africa is invariably linked to Nigeria’s.

He also emphasised that Nigeria was the world’s next economic success story and that is why the US government is doing all it can to assist its Nigerian counterpart in removing barriers to trade and investments.
Obama made this known at the ongoing US-Nigeria Trade and Investment Forum, which is being put together by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDOA), in the US capital, Washington DC, where he was represented by Ambassador Eunice Roddick.
“As we support these efforts, the Diaspora can play an important role in contributing to a strong, vibrant and economically prosperous Nigeria” he said.
He also noted that the US, will assist the Nigerian government, as it seeks to diversify its economy from oil to other sectors like agriculture. The successes of the US-Nigeria Bi-national agreement noting the joint Commission’s achievements in the integration of civil society during the last general elections and other key developments were also highlighted.
“Some key outcomes of the Bi-national Commission so far have been successful integration of civil society into the electoral process prior to the 2011 elections, sustained and elevated dialogue with energy sector officials on energy policy, reforms to increase investment, and agreement to support the development of a civil affairs training centre in the coming year,” he reportedly said.
“Energy and Investment, the subject of one of the four working groups of the Bi-national Commission, is critical to Nigeria’s present and future.”

I thought they predicted doom for us as Nigerians before 2015?? Separation of the Country and all?? Spare us the compliments!!

Sovereign Wealth Fund kicks off as board is unveiled

culled from: ChannelsTv.com

The Federal Government on Tuesday moved closer to joining most of its OPEC partners in steering oil revenues into longer-term investment, announcing a top management team for its new Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF).
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the Federal Government has approved the appointment of Mahey Rasheed, a member of the board of First Bank, as the board chairman of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority while Uche Orji, UBS executive and former JP Morgan head is to serve as the managing director of the institution.
Other members of the board, according to the Minister include: Arnold Ekpe, Jide Zeitlin, Bili Awosika and Bisi Soyebo, Hassan Usman and Stella Onyejeli who is to serve as the Chief Risk Officer.
Mrs Okonjo-Iweala said that the institution has three main aims: saving money for future generations, funding infrastructure and defending the economy against commodity price shocks.
She said the fund would start with a cash hoard of around $1 billion.
Nigeria is one of only three OPEC member states that do not have an SWF, and the new fund is being keenly watched by global markets and investors in the country.
Sovereign wealth funds are essentially government-run investment portfolios that buy into anything from mainstream assets such as stocks and bonds to direct foreign investment.

Nigeria, pumps over 2 million barrels of oil a day but has frittered much of it away over the years on government wages, other recurrent spending and corruption, ills that Mrs Okonjo-Iweala quit her World Bank job to come back and tackle.
Auditor and consultancy firm KPMG helped hire the SWF board.
Mrs Okonjo-Iweala said she hoped by the end of the year the team would lay out plans for the $1 billion but did not say when investments would start.
“I think the sovereign wealth fund will make Nigeria more attractive for investors,” she said.
She said she hoped more money would be paid in later, adding that 20 percent of the fund would go to each of its three targets and the board would decide how to invest the other 40 percent.
President Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill into law in May last year authorising the SWF, but powerful state governors originally blocked the fund, saying it was unconstitutional.
They later agreed to it going ahead, albeit with an initial limit of $1 billion, a fraction of the $7 billion savings that are in Nigeria’s Excess Crude Account (ECA).
Many state governors fear the SWF will mean less money for them to spend than the current ECA system for saving oil cash.

“The battle was long but I think the country stands to gain and I think it was worth it,” Mrs Okonjo-Iweala said on Tuesday.
The SWF is meant to replace the ECA eventually but the Minister of Finance told Reuters last week the two will run side-by-side until people get comfortable with the SWF.
Critics say the ECA is opaque and can be too easily used.
The account contained $20 billion in 2007 but fell to $3 billion after a presidential election last year, despite five years of high oil prices. It has since risen to $7 billion.
Statement from Ministry of Finance on the constitution of the new board and management team of Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Fresh bomb attacks in Maiduguri injure JTF members

A bomb planted at the West End roundabout in Maiduguri has injured several members of the Joint Task Force in Maiduguri.
According to eye witnesses, the large bomb embedded at the West End roundabout, which was remotely controlled, exploded around 10 am on Tuesday. A second blast was reported at Sabon Layi area in Gwange Ward.
The JTF spokesperson, Lt. Col Musa Sagir, confirmed that there were explosions in the city but said a full briefing will be made to the media as the JTF was still actively patrolling the city to determine those responsible for the attacks.
Details to come soon

Culled from: ChannelsTv

Buhari Blasts IBB, Obasanjo, Jonathan For ‘Killing’ Nigeria’s Oil Industry

Former Head of State and presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 general election, General Muhammadu Buhari, today blamed President Goodluck Jonathan, as well as former rulers Ibrahim Babangida and Olusegun Obasanjo, for killing the nation’s oil industry.
He also heaped blame for the security challenges now besetting the nation on the insincerity of Nigerian leaders.
General Buhari was speaking in Kaduna while playing host to leaders and members of the CPC, led by the House of Representatives member from Funtua/Dandume Federal Constituency of Katsina State, Dr. Mansur Abdulkadir.  They were on a courtesy visit to the party leader ahead of the forthcoming local government elections in Katsina, Buhari's home state.

He said that the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida was responsible for the high level of corruption and destruction in the petroleum industry, and added that the corrupt practices in the oil sector during the eras of Babangida, Obasanjo and Jonathan was to enslave the masses.

Looking forward, he called on Nigerians to come up with trusted leaders to steer the affairs of the nation if she is to move forward and realize its quest for development.
"The biggest challenge of Nigeria is for adequate security to be in place and ways in which we can protect the riches of this country and provide job opportunities for the youths in the country, so that we can build more industries as it was before,” he said.  “Inability of these industries to work has brought mistrust and corruption to Nigeria. Therefore, our leaders have to be sincere and lead with the fear of God and carry all along for Nigeria to be a better place.”

He challenged the nation’s leaders to honour promises made to the people, stressing that Nigeria cannot move forward if things that are supposed to be put in place are not.
In that regard, he stressed that the money which was siphoned in the recent pension scam and the petroleum industry scam must be brought back into the government’s coffers for good leadership.

He warned that all those that want the masses to vote and be voted for should go to the masses and get their mandate, and that the era of using force or bribing the masses to get political office is gone.

"A leader that wants to be a good leader must [look at] the needs of the people, the suffering, and the humiliation, and proffer solution to those problems and together we shall achieve greatness," he said.

D’banj’s Oliver Twist features on ad for international brand

Nigerian pop star, D’ banj must be full of smiles now especially as his exploits in the U.K seems to be paying off.

His Oliver Twist single was recently featured in the new ad for the ‘Mr Moon’ campaign of the popular rum drink, Malibu Black. The track was featured based on its growing acceptance within the UK community and its theme.

The monetary details were not made public but would definitely have caused a smile on the pop star’s face, as well as the producer of the song, Don Jazzy.

Watch Below:

 

Kristen Bell To Appear In Gossip Girl’s Final Season! Did You Know She Is The ‘Gossip Girl’?

She’s provided the voice of the titular character since Gossip Girl began, and now Kristen Bell could actually appear on-camera as the show nears its final season.
Speaking to a fan who won the chance to question her for Pop Sugar, the actress said she is open to the idea of being seen for the first time.
Asked if there are any plans, she said: “I certainly would if they asked me. It really depends on how the characters unfold and if they want to villainise someone or give someone the champion stick of being Gossip Girl in the end other than me.
“Die hard fans know it’s me, but I think normal people who watch the show care a lot more about the characters they see every week. There’s a lot of variables.”
The show, which has seen its ratings tumble in recent years, is being given one final victory lap this season with a reduced episode order.
It made celebrities out of stars Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Ed Westwick, Chase Crawford and Taylor Momsen.