PDP remains the party to beat, says Jonathan

Paris - President Goodluck Jonathan has said
that the crisis rocking the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) notwithstanding, it
remains a party to beat in the country.
The President made the disclosure on Saturday in
Paris in an interview he granted to the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and France 24 Radio.
The President granted the interview shortly before
departing Paris to Abuja at the close of a two-day
summit on peace and security in Africa, hosted by
President Francois Hollande of France.
Jonathan was reacting to the recent defection of
some of the seven aggrieved governors of the
PDP to the opposition All Progressive Congress
(APC).
He said that while the party would continue to
pursue the paths of reconciliation, the move by
the governors would not hamper the success of
the PDP in future elections.
"We want those governors to come back to PDP,
but in an event where some of them feel it is
better outside, they can also go and try.
"We will work harder to make sure that we get
more supporters so that at the end of the day,
that equilibrium will be maintained.
"But I still believe that in Nigeria today, PDP is
still the party to beat.
"As they are leaving the ruling party to the
opposition, there are other key political actors
who are ready to come to PDP.
"At the appropriate time, we will also receive
them."
The President said that "the game of politics is
dynamic and a governor elected by the people
must not see himself as a king who can lord
himself over the electorate.
"I was elected by Nigerians and I will not say
because I am the President of Nigeria now, 100
per cent of Nigerians are for me and when I am
moving to the left or right I will be moving with the
whole 100 per cent.
"When you are moving you should know that you
are an individual, not all your supporters will want
to move with you.
"They are not your employees, therefore, some of
your supporters might stay."
Jonathan hinted that "in some cases, the deputy
governors in the states are saying they are not
ready to move.
"It will be an interesting thing, and I have said that
let us see how it will play out.
"However, in politics any party will want
everybody in its camp and in PDP we want
everybody."
The President clarified that not all the seven
aggrieved governors have moved to the
opposition party.
He said they have some grievances with the
party and some of them said they were going to
leave.
"But so far, two have openly declared that they
are not leaving the party and we are talking to
them.
"Out of the remaining five, two appears that they
have actually moved to the other political parties,
while some are still on the fence.
"I believe in a couples of weeks, it will not be too
long. it will be very clear whether they are leaving
or not.’’
The seven aggrieved governors are Sule Lamido
(Jigawa), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rotimi Amaechi
(Rivers) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).
Others are Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Gov.
Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Gov. Aliyu
Wamakko (Sokoto).
Lamido and Aliyu had openly declared that they
were not part of the announced merger of the
group with the APC.

Rodgers: Suarez is priceless

Liverpool - Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers
says that he will never put a price on Luis
Suarez's head as he never wants to see the
striker leave the club.
Suarez scored his 14th Premier League goal this
season as Liverpool beat West Ham United 4-1 at
Anfield on Saturday.
It was the fourth time in a row that the Reds had
scored four goals at home and Suarez was again
one of the shining lights.
"I don't think you can put a price on him and I
wouldn't want to," Rodgers said of a player who at
one point seemed destined for pastures new
during the close season.
"He has two and a half years here left on his
contract and if you look at his consistency and
how he is playing, at this moment in time, he is up
there with the best players in the world.
"Most teams in the world would want Luis
Suarez. I wouldn't swap Suarez for anyone. I get
the chance to work with him every day and what
he gives is a relentless desire.
"When you have that, you don't want to let him
go. It has been a real privilege to work with him. It
hasn't always been smooth sailing. He is a very
humble man. Beneath it all, he is a real good guy
who is a true professional.
"His will and desire oversteps the mark
sometimes, but he is a brilliant player to have."
Guy Demel turned into his own goal before half-
time to give Liverpool the lead before France
international Mamadou Sakho scored his first goal
for the Reds just after the break.
Martin Skrtel then gifted West Ham a lifeline when
he inadvertently sent the ball past team-mate
Simon Mignolet and into the Liverpool goal as he
tried to cut out a clearance.
But Suarez scored with nine minutes to go with a
powerful header before dispatching a shot that
Joey O'Brien deflected in for another own goal,
thereby securing victory.
Liverpool had some tough moments in the game
when West Ham clogged up the midfield, but they
were deserving winners, with Philippe Coutinho's
creative play and Suarez's threat complemented
by Joe Allen's intelligence in midfield.
The win moved Liverpool up to second place in
the Premier League, but there was concern after
captain Steven Gerrard was forced off in the
second half with a hamstring injury.
"I think we just need to assess Steven's injury,"
Rodgers said. "Hopefully it is just a strain."
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce bemoaned
Kevin Nolan's late dismissal for a nasty challenge
on Jordan Henderson, having earlier seen Stewart
Downing forced off by injury at half-time.
"Kevin Nolan shouldn't have lost his cool, but he
did, and Stewart Downing is in hospital having his
Achilles and calf stitched up from a nasty
challenge from (Jon) Flanagan," he said.
The east London club are now only above the
relegation zone on goal difference, but Allardyce
does not believe they deserved should a heavy
defeat.
"I think it was a harsh scoreline," he said. "I think
we showed in the first half that we didn't deserve
to be 1-0 down.
"Suarez scores the third and it shows you how
ruthless this league is when you miss
opportunities. When you play Liverpool, your
opportunities are going to be limited."

President tips Super Eagles for victory in Brazil 2014

Paris - President Goodluck Jonathan has said
that the Super Eagles will have a victorious outing
in the 2014 FIFA World Cup to be staged in Brazil.
Jonathan was reacting to the group draw for the
preliminary stages of the World Cup tournament
held in Costa do Sauipe, Brazil on Friday night.
Nigeria emerged in Group F with Argentina, Iran
and Bosnia.
"We are quite hopeful that Nigeria will do very
well.
"We have won the Olympic gold in soccer before,
we have won under-17 thrice and we have been
doing quite well in the U-22.
"So, I believe and the world knows that Nigeria is
a football nation even though we have not had the
opportunity or luck of winning the World Cup,’’ he
said.
Jonathan added that the team will perform well,
particularly at the preliminary stage of the
tournament.
"Within the zone that Nigeria will play, Argentina is
a strong soccer nation but, Nigeria is also
strong,’’ he said.

Nigeria declares days of mourning for Madiba

Abuja - President Goodluck Jonathan has
declared three days of national mourning
following the death of Nelson Mandela, South
Africa’s first democratically-elected president.
The revered former statesman and ant-apartheid
activist passed away on Wednesday evening at
his Johannesburg home aged 95.
He had been critically ill for some time.
"President Jonathan has declared 3 days of
national mourning for former South African
President, Nelson Mandela who passed away
yesterday," stated the presidential special
assistant on new media, Reno Omokri.
He said the national flags would be flown at half
mast during the period.
“Flags are to be flown at half-mast across
Nigeria during the period. President Jonathan
urges Nigerians to unite in solidarity with South
Africa,” said Omokri.
"The President also calls for special prayers in
mosques and churches in Nigeria during the
period of mourning which begins today, for the
peaceful repose of Dr Mandela’s soul."
The president had earlier expressed immense
sadness over the death of the former South
African President.
In a condolence message to President Jacob
Zuma, President Jonathan conveyed the
sympathy and solidarity of the Federal
Government and people of Nigeria to him and all
South Africans.
He added that Mandela served as a source of
inspiration to the oppressed peoples all over the
world and will always be remembered and
honoured by all mankind.
It was reported South Africa would declare ten
days of mourning for the late statesman.

Mandela: Flag at half mast in South African High Commision

Abuja - The South African flag was at half mast
on Friday at the High Commission of South Africa,
as hundreds of people mourn the death freedom
fighter, Nelson Mandela.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria,
who visited the high commission reports that a
condolence register was opened at noon. The high
commission was located at 71 Usuma St.,
Maitama, Abuja,
NAN reports that hundreds of people, including
members of non-governmental organisations,
queued to sign the register.
In a condolence message, Dr Nkosazana
Dlamini-Zuma, the African Union Commission
Chairperson, described Mandela, the first black
South African President, as a symbol of pan-
africanism.
The condolence message was made available to
newsmen at the high commission.
"Mandela has fought a good fight and bowed out
with great reverence. His passing on is a great
loss to his family, our continent and indeed to
humanity. At this time of sorrow, our hearts are
with his widow, Graca Machel, his ex-wife, Winnie
Madikizela-Mandela, his children, grand and
great-grandchildren and the people of South
Africa and Africa. Tata Madiba Mandela will
forever be missed,“ she said.
She urged Africa to continually honour Mandela.
NAN reports that the revered statesman and
Nobel Peace Prize winner died peacefully in his
home in Houghton in northern Johannesburg
before 9p.m. on Thursday.
President Jacob Zuma announced his passing to
the nation and the world.Mandela was born on
July 18, 1918. He was an anti-apartheid
revolutionist, a politician and philanthropist.
He served as President of South Africa from 1994
to 1999, and was the first South African president
to emerge through a fully representative election.

7 die in Philippine store fire

Davao - Seven store employees were killed in the
southern Philippines when a paint shop burned
down while they were sleeping inside, the
provincial police chief said on Friday.
The fatalities - three men and four women - died
when the Palomares Paint Store in the rural town
of Manay in Mindanao island caught fire late on
Thursday, said Senior Superintendent Jose
Carumba.
"The victims were stay-in storekeepers and
helpers. All of them were burned beyond
recognition when found," he said.
The bodies were found still in their beds,
indicating the fire spread quickly due to the paint
and other flammable materials in the store,
Carumba added.
Police are eyeing faulty wiring as the cause of the
fire, he added.
It is common in the Philippines for people with
low-paying jobs to "stay-in" or sleep in their
place of work.
This has led to tragedies including a fire in a
department store in the southern Philippines in
May 2012, which killed 17 employees sleeping
inside.

Hit show tells tough truths about Nigerian wealth

Lagos - With its tales of infidelity, backstabbing
and money-grabbing, "Lekki Wives" has become
one of the most talked-about television
programmes in Nigeria.
But the edgy portrayal of life in one of Lagos'
newest suburbs is far from imagined -- and a
sharp turn for an entertainment industry long
shaped by outlandish plots and, at times,
supernatural storylines.
Instead, the series dives straight into key issues
facing the country, notably "the ills of what people
do for money", said its creator Blessing Egbe.
She wanted to show how Nigeria's so-called
economic boom has brought untold riches to a
lucky few but left life unchanged for most.
"We have pushed the envelope," she told AFP.
"We didn't try to be nice about it."
And the scripts push the limits in this largely
conservative, God-fearing country, as one where
a character seeks a partner to indulge his need
for sado-masochistic sex.
Smoke and mirrors
With Africa's biggest population and largest oil
industry, Nigeria has averaged more than seven
percent economic growth over the last decade,
among the highest rates in the world.
But poverty has worsened since 2004, the
government conceded last year. And while the
middle class has expanded, a good part of the
wealth is concentrated at the very top.
The show's tension is driven by such nuances --
how all is not what it seems: a tiny minority have
gotten rich quickly but many are just faking
wealth. Destitution largely remains the norm.
Egbe said her plotlines were "99 percent" inspired
by real stories of people craving to be seen as
elite, even if the show -- whose title was inspired
by the US hit "Desperate Housewives" -- is
highly stylised. Characters deliver monologues
straight to the camera and performances could
not unfairly be described as over-the-top.
Public reaction has been largely positive and the
next season, currently being edited, will be even
bolder than the first.
"I hope I don't get chased out after season two,"
Egbe said.
Like a visa to America
A blue tollgate spanning a six-lane expressway
marks the entrance to the real Lekki, one of
Lagos' fastest-growing and most-coveted
neighbourhoods.
Banks, hotels, shopping centres and mega-
churches line the well-paved roadway. Many of
the buildings are under construction and others
look brand new.
The expressway's exits lead to gated
communities, partly filled with US-style suburban
homes.
Rents in Lagos's posh neighbourhoods have long
been astronomical and Lekki is no exception: a
studio apartment can cost $24,000 (18,000 euros)
per year, with payment due in full up front.
Egbe, a 37-year-old mother of three, moved eight
years ago to Lekki, a community she says is full
of people "who will do anything just to be seen,
just to be looked upon as wealthy".
But the pretence does not always hold up.
"You see a big mansion and you go in there and
maybe there is no electricity, empty rooms, or
maybe the living room is so well-furnished and
when you go into the rest of the house there is
nothing. It is not real," she said.
Blogger Chigo Compere, who has written about
the show, said that for some Nigerians, a Lekki
address is "not quite a visa to America" but
considered a decent consolation prize.
She recounted a widely shared story about a man
who supposedly cannot afford to live in Lekki but
has chosen to sleep there in his used Range
Rover, parking it in a different location every night
to avoid notice.
"Not everyone in Lekki is crazy" and parts of the
show are embellished, said Compere, but she
calls it a much-needed departure in a domestic
industry which can be "very conservative".
Huge demand
Cast member Kiki Omeilli, 29, who plays the bed-
hopping Lovette, said Nigerian film and television
creators tend to "shy away" from basic realities
about society.
"Even if everybody knows what is going on,
nobody wants to put it out there," said Omeilli,
admitting it's Lovette's extra-marital antics that
allow the character to maintain a luxurious
lifestyle.
As for the show's popularity, the actress said she
is constantly stopped on the street.
"People used to recognise me from past
productions but nothing like this," she added.
Egbe, herself, is "shocked" by the broad appeal of
season one, which was first broadcast online in
April, then on DVD.
When it caught fire, satellite television provider
DSTV took notice and began broadcasting an
episode each week.
"I thought I was feeding the upper class but I
ended up feeding everybody," said Egbe of the
appeal, which cuts across socio-economic
groups.
The ramshackle DVD shop run by 29-year-old
Uchenna Theelar in Lagos' Obalende market is a
good example. Demand for the "Lekki Wives" has
been overwhelming and she has been sold out for
three months.
"People are still asking me for it," she said.

fifa 2014 world cup Final Draw reveals intriguing groups

Spain, the Netherlands, Chile and Australia will make
up the proverbial ‘group of death’ at the 20th FIFA
World Cup™, while Uruguay, Italy, England and Costa
Rica will comprise another intriguing pool.
Germany, Ghana, USA and Portugal will make up
Group G, while hosts Brazil have Croatia Mexico and
Cameroon for company in Group A,
Colombia, Greece, Côte d'Ivoire and Japan, along with
Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras and France, appear to
be in wide-open sections.
The Final Draw took place at the luxurious Costa do
Sauípe in Salvador. It was conducted by FIFA
Secretary General Jérôme Valcke, assisted by Cafu,
Fabio Cannavaro, Alcides Ghiggia, Fernando Hierro,
Sir Geoff Hurst, Mario Kempes, Lothar Matthaus and
Zinedine Zidane, who were representing the eight
World Cup winners.
Brazil and Croatia will participate in the opening match
at the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo on 12 June
2014. Germany, meanwhile, will become the first team
to reach 100 World Cup matches when they face
Portugal five days later.
The Final will unfold at the cathedral of Brazilian
football, the iconic Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, on 13
July.
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C: Colombia, Greece, Côte d’Ivoire, Japan
Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria
Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic

Wonders shall never end, group ask court to recognise chimps as humans

NEW YORK (AFP) – Walking, talking chimpanzees
may be TV comedy gold but now three courts in
New York are being asked to recognize four chimps
as “legal persons” with fundamental rights.
The move would allow the animals to be released
into sanctuaries where they could live out the
reminder of their days in freedom, says the
Nonhuman Rights Project behind the initiative.
On Monday it petitioned a court in Fulton County
Court, New York State, in the name of Tommy, a
chimpanzee held captive in a cage at a used trailer
lot in nearby Gloversville.
On Tuesday it did the same for Kiko, a 26-year-old
chimpanzee who is deaf and living in a private
home in Niagara Falls.
The group will Thursday lodge a similar petition on
behalf of Hercules and Leo, who are owned by a
research center and used in locomotion
experiments on Long Island.
“The lawsuits ask the judge to grant the
chimpanzees the right to bodily liberty and to order
that they be moved to a sanctuary,” the organization
said in a statement.
There the animals can live out their days in an
environment as close to the wild as is possible in
North America, it added.
The challenge is based on the principle of habeas
corpus, which the petitioners said was used in New
York and allowed slaves to challenge their status
and establish their right to freedom.
Under habeas corpus, a person being held captive
can petition a judge to have the captors explain why
they think they have the right to hold that person.
“Our legal petitions and memoranda, along with
affidavits from some of the world’s most respected
scientists, lay out a clear case as to why these
cognitively complex, autonomous beings have the
basic legal right to not be imprisoned,” the
statement added.
The courts can decide whether or not to take up the
petitions but if they refuse the organization has the
right of appeal.
The Nonhuman Rights Project works to change the
common law status of at least some animals to
“persons” who possess fundamental rights such as
bodily integrity and bodily liberty.
The organization’s web site features what it calls
bios of the four chimps at the center of the lawsuit.
It said that the day its investigators visited the
chimp named Tommy, the temperature in the shed
was about 40 degrees below what it would be in his
native land.
“The only company he had was a TV that was left
on for him at the other side of the shed,” the
organization said.
As for the one called Kiko, the Nonhuman Rights
Project said he is partially or totally deaf because of
abuse he suffered while on the set of a Tarzan
movie before being acquired by the current owners.
“He suffers from an inner ear condition that
requires him to take anti-motion sickness
medication from time to time especially during
changes in barometric pressure,” the group’s web
site says.

President goodluck Jonathan to leave abuja for france

President Goodluck Jonathan will leave Abuja
tonight for Germany en-route to Paris, France
where he is scheduled to participate in the Summit
on Peace and Security in Africa.
About fifty heads of state and government are
expected to participate in the Elysee Palace Summit
which will be hosted by President Francois Hollande
of France.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki
Moon, heads of European institutions and leaders of
Africa’s sub-regional and continental organizations
such as the African Union and ECOWAS will also
participate in the summit which has  economic
partnerships,  sustainable development and climate
change on its agenda as well.
President Jonathan will be accompanied by the First
Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, relevant ministers
and the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo
Dasuki (rtd.).
He will stop-over in Germany for a private visit on
his way to Paris and return to Abuja at the
conclusion of the summit on Saturday.

Unilag, LASU lecturers say they will not resume work

Lagos - Lagos State University
(LASU) branch of ASUU, on
Tuesday said its members would
not resume duty unless so directed
by its national chapter.
The Chairman of the branch, Dr
Idris Adekunle, announced this at a
news conference in Lagos on
Tuesday.
Adekunle said the LASU branch of
ASUU had resolved to continue
with the indefinite strike.
He said that members had also
resolved not to sign any register if
the university’s management
decided to open any.
“The Congress unanimously
resolves that if for any reason the
management opens any register,
no member of ASUU shall sign
such.”
“ASUU, particularly LASU chapter,
is as solid as ever and will not be
moved by any threat.”
“We are not having serious
problems with the management
because we have been educating
them on the developments,” he
said.
Adekunle said that the lecturers
had also resolved not to attend the
academic meeting called by the
Governing Council of LASU.
“ASUU LASU resolves that no
member shall attend the meeting
called by the LASU Governing
Council because we are still on
strike,” he said.
On the reopening of some
universities, the chairman said it
was “mere propaganda” as they
were not closed in the first
instance.
“University gates have never been
closed since the strike started
because research work and
community service have been
going on.”
“We have been working, but only
suspended the teaching aspect, we
still do our research and
community service,” he said.
The ASUU chairman said although
the lecturers had not been paid for
months, they were joyfully going
on with the strike because it was a
community service in the interest of
the nation.
Adekunle said that the threat by the
government to sack lecturers “was
an empty one, as the philosophy of
ASUU is “Sack one, sack all and an
injury to one is an injury to all.”
According to him, although the
directive by the Federal
Government is to federal
universities, state universities are
in support of their members in the
federal institutions and are not
backing out.
“Our rank and file do not
discriminate between state and
federal universities because we are
one,” he said.
He urged the State Government to
reduce school fees and make the
institution affordable for the
common man.
Meanwhile, two students who were
seen on the campus said they were
there to do other things and there
was no circular on when the school
would resume.
The Acting Director, Information,
Press and Public Relations Unit of
LASU, Dr Sola Fosudo, had told
NAN on Monday that the
management would have to meet
to decide on the issue.
“The decision of the management
would be relayed to the public as
soon as the meeting is held”, he
had said.
At the University of Lagos, there
was no sign of lecturers ready to
resume work.
NAN reports that apart from a few
fresh students who were carrying
out their registration, there was no
trace of academic activities.
Most of the lecturers’ offices and
the lecture theatres were locked.
Business activities on campus
remained low as there were no
customers to patronise the various
operators.
NAN also reports that there were
no registers for the lecturers to sign
on the campus.
Dr Olubunmi Ajibade, Senior
Lecturer, Mass Communication
Department, said that there would
be no academic activities come
Dec. 4, in the institution.
He said that the lecturers could not
be forced into carrying out services
against their wishes, going by the
federal government’s directive.
“As far as lecturers in Unilag are
concerned, the strike continues
until government does the needful,”
he said.
Dr Samuel Ugo, of the Political
Science Department of the
institution, said lecturers would
work with the directive issued by
the National Executive Committee
of ASUU.
Ugo noted that the universities had
been open all through the strike but
that the lecturers had withdrawn
their services.
He said that it was a
misconception for people to say
that the universities were closed.
“Students have been directed by
NEC to also steer away from
classes,” Ugo said.
The Federal Government had
directed Vice Chancellors to reopen
federal universities and that those
who did no resume by December 4,
automatically ceased to be
employees of the institutions.
The deadline had now been shifted
to December 9.
ASUU had, however, vowed to
continue with its five month old
strike.
-    NAN

Tecno launches latest Phantom

Lagos - Tecno Mobile has
launched the latest addition to its
popular Phantom series of phones-
Phantom A111 - into the local
market.
Through such products, the
Jordan-based company said it was
hoping to intensify its smartphone
penetration and market share
expansion in Nigeria with the new
phone.
Speaking at the launch of the phone
in Lagos, Arif Chowdhury, Vice
President, Tecno Group, said that
the device was designed with a
passion to give everybody access
to innovation.
He explained that the new addition
is part of Tecno’s unwavering effort
in expanding its offering which can
be seen in the superior and
innovative phone.
The Phantom AIII smartphone is an
upgraded version of the TECNO
Phantom
A+. It has a sleeker body and bigger
screen than that of its A
+predecessor, it comes with 6.0”
captivating HD touch screen, 4.2
android operating system. It has
3.75g network capability, with 1.5
GHz quad core processor.
It is equipped with memory
capacity of 16 GB RAM, 13 MP rear
camera and 8 MP front camera.
The smartphone also has social
media application like Facebook,
Whatsapp and Palmchat.
Meanwhile, Chowdhury announced
a new collaboration with
BlackBerry, which allows
customers to purchase Tecno
devices, pre-loaded with the
famous BBM application.
Also speaking at the launch,
Boukali Mounir, Digital Marketing
and Public Relations Manager West
Africa at Tecno, said the Phantom
AIII came with free monthly 500
MB free data for 12 months from
Etisalat.

Burna boy was part of a gang that stabbed some one to death?

I did a double take after reading this
report on Thenet.ng. According to
the investigative news portal, singer
Burna Boy was part of a gang that
stabbed someone to death in the
UK in 2010. See it below...
Burn Boy’s ‘uncontrollable’
mannerism and persona didn’t
just start yesterday; NET
investigations and sources
have linked him to a criminal
past, a period of his life he
would rather not make public
knowledge.
We are told on good authority
that while in the UK back in
2010, Burna Boy was arrested
by London Police for allegedly
being part of a gang and
stabbing someone to death.
He was tried as a minor and
sent to jail.
After 11 months, he was
released and given two
months parole plus
community service on the
grounds of being of ‘good
behaviour’. But Burna is said
to have disobeyed authorities
and travelled back to Nigeria
where he signed a record deal
with Aristokrat.
He later travelled back to the
UK but was arrested at the
airport and deported to
Nigeria. He is currently barred
from the UK for the next 15
years.
Oh wait, or did they say he was the
one who stabbed someone to
death? Oh dear..

Ann njenanze on older husband issue.

In a recent interview with
Leadership Newspaper, actress Ann
Njemanze admitted being older
than her new husband, Silver
Ojieson. Ann and Silver got married
on Saturday Nov. 9th after courting
for several months.
"Yes he is (younger), with a
few years. My husband and I
do not share up to 5 years
difference and he is not
bothered about it." Ann said in
the interview
She also talked about how they met
and how he proposed. Find that
after the cut...
How did you meet your husband?
My husband, Silver Ijieson is a
lecturer. I met him at a lecture
organized by the University of
Lagos some 3 years back. Dr.
Barclays Oyakeruma was supposed
to give a lecture that day titled,
‘Nollywood and its effect on
globalization’. My colleagues who
were at the lecture encouraged me
to come back and further my
studies, I gave the excuse of no
time. But Dr Oyakeruma urged me
to enroll so as to broaden my
knowledge. So a senior colleague of
mine, Martins Odaji introduced me
to my husband and we exchanged
pleasantries and he said that if I
needed help with my studies, I
should not fail to call on him. A
year later we met at the point of
registering for my program.
When did he propose?
He proposed to me early this year;
he just said he was going to marry
me. I took it for granted, like he was
just joking about it. I never saw the
possibility because then he did not
know much about me. I thought he
just saw a woman he could
exchange a lot of ideas with. He
proposed to me properly seven
months later, he gave me a ring. He
was shaking all over like a leaf. He
is light complexioned, so as he was
proposing, he was all read. I love
him so much because he is very
courageous.
Has he ever been married before?
No, he’s never been married, no
way. This is his last marriage in
Jesus name. He is the only son of
his parents too from Edo State.
Do you regret your first marriage?
Regret it? My daughter is taller and
finer than I am. She is the headgirl
of her school. In less than 2 weeks,
she is going for a photo shoot. At
16, she has started earning money.
She is writing for a magazine and
you ask if I regret it? I thank him
(Segun Arinze)!! Without him I
would not have met my Silver.
Are you not afraid that your
marriage might crash again?
No! I reject it. We have our
differences, just like other couples
do, but it is not enough to say, we
no do again. Before we got married,
we told ourselves that divorce and
separation are no option.

US Rubee fans caused earthquake

Fans cheered a touchdown by
Seattle Seahawks defensive end
Michael Bennett (left) during a game
on Monday
A celebration by football fans in the
US city of Seattle grew so loud on
Monday evening it registered as a
minor earthquake, a research group
has said.
Raucous fans jumped up and down
during an early first-quarter
touchdown in the game between the
Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans
Saints.
The Pacific Northwest Seismic
Network detected the vibrations,
measuring between a magnitude 1
and 2 earthquake.
The Seahawks won the game at
CenturyLink Field 34-7.
Pacific Northwest Seismic Network
director John Vidale told CNN his
staff recorded five separate seismic
events during the game.
It was not the first time fan
celebrations shook Seattle. In 2011,
the response to another US football
touchdown registered at nearby
seismic recording stations.
CenturyLink Field, which is open to
the air, also set a Guinness World
Record for noise in September.

Brazil grounds to miss fiffa deadline

Three stadiums being built for the
2014 World Cup in Brazil will not be
ready for the deadline of the end of
the year, according to Fifa.
Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, Curitba's
Arena da Baixada and Sao Paulo's
Arena Corinthians stadium are all set
to to miss the 31 December date.
Two workmen were killed in an
accident in Sao Paulo last month.
"We're feeling sad for the families.
Sao Paulo will be ready for the
opening match," president Sepp
Blatter said.
"We deplore the loss of the two
people who lost their lives."
Blatter added that the issues with the
stadiums are "so small we can close
our eyes".
The 43,000-seater Arena Pantanal,
where a plan for a retractable roof
has been abandoned, and the 41,000
Arena da Baixada are also behind
schedule.
But Fifa general secretary Jerome
Valcke says they will all be ready by
February.
Valcke said: "We don't know when
the green light [to resume work] will
be given [in Sao Paolo].
"We are not in a crisis mood, looking
at an alternative to Sao Paulo but
Curitiba is facing the most problems
and clearly won't be delivered before
February 2014.
"The people from Curitiba attended a
meeting [on Monday] and promised
to organise themselves to get the
stadium ready by the end of February
2014."
The draw for next year's tournament,
which starts on 12 June in Sao
Paolo, takes place on Friday.

Americans see US in decline

For the first time in 40 years, a
majority of Americans say the US
plays a less important and powerful
role in the world than it did a decade
ago.
The Pew survey also found that 70%
of Americans saw the US as less
respected than in the past, nearly the
same (71%) as under President
George W Bush.
More than half of Americans (52%) -
for the first time in 50 years - said
the US should "mind its own
business".
Some 56% disapproved of President
Barack Obama's foreign policy.
Fifty-three percent of the public felt
the US played a less important or
powerful role as a world leader than
a decade previously. The last time
more than half of the public held that
view was in 1974.
A decade ago, just 20% of Americans
felt the same way.
International disengagement
In Tuesday's survey, only 17% of
Americans said the US had a more
important or powerful role in world
affairs than 10 years ago.
Republicans were more likely to view
the US as having declined in
influence - 74% of them thought so.
But 55% of independents said the
same thing, up from 23% in 2004.
The survey also showed support for
a less active US in world affairs.
Some 51% of respondents said the
US does "too much" to solve world
problems.
Fifty-three percent of Republicans,
46% of Democrats and 55% of
independents said the US should
mind its own business.
The public also thought the US
should be less engaged
internationally.
A plurality of respondents (39%)
believed the US should be less
involved in seeking to resolve the
Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Some 36% thought Washington's
current level of engagement in that
issue was enough.
But the survey did not suggest an
entirely isolationist outlook was
taking hold among Americans.
US support for more participation in
the global economy has increased, it
found.
Some 77% said the growing trade
and business ties between the US
and other countries was a good
thing.
However, there was a mistaken belief
among many that China is the
world's top economic power - 48% of
respondents thought so. Just 31%
correctly said it was the US.
America's gross domestic product is
nearly twice that of China, according
to World Bank data, although the
gap between the two has been
closing.
President Obama's foreign policy
was approved of by only 34% of
respondents in the Pew survey.
The public overwhelmingly viewed
dimly his handling of Syria, Iran,
China and Afghanistan. Only on
terrorism did more respondents
approve (51%) than disapprove of
his approach.
While Islamic extremist groups such
as al-Qaeda were still considered
the top threat by survey respondents,
70% ranked cyber-attacks from other
countries as a major threat, placing
them on par with concerns about
Iran and North Korean's nuclear
programmes.
The survey of the general public was
conducted between 30 October and 6
November among 2,003 adults, said
Pew Research Center.

Americans see US in decline survey

For the first time in 40 years, a

majority of Americans say the US

plays a less important and powerful

role in the world than it did a decade

ago.

The Pew survey also found that 70%

of Americans saw the US as less

respected than in the past, nearly the

same (71%) as under President

George W Bush.

More than half of Americans (52%) -

for the first time in 50 years - said

the US should "mind its own

business".

Some 56% disapproved of President

Barack Obama's foreign policy.

Fifty-three percent of the public felt

the US played a less important or

powerful role as a world leader than

a decade previously. The last time

more than half of the public held that

view was in 1974.

A decade ago, just 20% of Americans

felt the same way.

International disengagement

In Tuesday's survey, only 17% of

Americans said the US had a more

important or powerful role in world

affairs than 10 years ago.

Republicans were more likely to view

the US as having declined in

influence - 74% of them thought so.

But 55% of independents said the

same thing, up from 23% in 2004.

The survey also showed support for

a less active US in world affairs.

Some 51% of respondents said the

US does "too much" to solve world

problems.

Fifty-three percent of Republicans,

46% of Democrats and 55% of

independents said the US should

mind its own business.

The public also thought the US

should be less engaged

internationally.

A plurality of respondents (39%)

believed the US should be less

involved in seeking to resolve the

Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Some 36% thought Washington's

current level of engagement in that

issue was enough.

But the survey did not suggest an

entirely isolationist outlook was

taking hold among Americans.

US support for more participation in

the global economy has increased, it

found.

Some 77% said the growing trade

and business ties between the US

and other countries was a good

thing.

However, there was a mistaken belief

among many that China is the

world's top economic power - 48% of

respondents thought so. Just 31%

correctly said it was the US.

America's gross domestic product is

nearly twice that of China, according

to World Bank data, although the

gap between the two has been

closing.

President Obama's foreign policy

was approved of by only 34% of

respondents in the Pew survey.

The public overwhelmingly viewed

dimly his handling of Syria, Iran,

China and Afghanistan. Only on

terrorism did more respondents

approve (51%) than disapprove of

his approach.

While Islamic extremist groups such

as al-Qaeda were still considered

the top threat by survey respondents,

70% ranked cyber-attacks from other

countries as a major threat, placing

them on par with concerns about

Iran and North Korean's nuclear

programmes.

The survey of the general public was

conducted between 30 October and 6

November among 2,003 adults, said

Pew Research Center.

President Obama rallies support for healthcare

PDP NWC Pay Condolence Visit To Fashola

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Sunday implored Nigerians, especially those who knew his late father, Alhaji Ibrahim Bayo Ademola Fashola, to propagate the virtues of deep love for humanity and very strong moral values which he espoused during his lifetime.

Governor Fashola, who spoke while playing host to members of the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by the Acting National Secretary, Dr. Charles Remi Akitoye, who paid him a condolence visit at Lagos House, Marina, while thanking the visitors, declared, “The only other point to make is to implore those of you who knew my father to do whatever little you can to continue to propagate the ideals that his life history represented;”.

Governor Fashola, who reiterated some of the virtues that his father displayed while alive including a very deep love for humanity and very strong moral values, as has been testified by many people about him, declared, “Those were things that were never worth the trouble for him when it divided humanity or when it devalued honour and so for me I hope that those are ideals that we can all connect to as we seek better side of the promise for our State and our nation”.

Urging all and sundry to put honour and value ahead of every other thing, Governor Fashola declared, “Everything we strive to build would stand or fall in the presence or absence of those virtues. They start from the family and they are translated to the community and from the community they spread into much more formal government structures like states, local governments, political parties and in that way we can express a stronger side of who we are as Nigerians”.

He further  noted, “I know there are very many people in this country and in this state who believe in those virtues and those values; values where, in the midst of all that may be wrong, they still stand for the good course”.

Governor Fashola thanked the delegation for the courtesy of the visit and expressed gratitude to the PDP National Chairman for the honour he accorded to the memory of the late Alhaji Fashola through the Committee.

His words, “On behalf of the Fashola family, we thank you very much and we thank Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and those of you who have also taken the responsibility to personally bear the condolence message. It is a great honour for our father and our family and on their behalf I express gratitude to you”.

He prayed that the Almighty God would honour members of the delegation both collectively and individually in the way they had honoured the memory of his father.

Speaking earlier, leader of the delegation and Acting National Secretary, Dr. Remi Akitoye said the Committee was sent by the National Chairman of the Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, whom he said was very a close friend to late Alhaji Fashola, to express his deep condolence to the Governor and the Fashola Family over the passage.

Extolling the virtues of the late Alhaji Fashola, the Acting National Secretary noted that the deceased was a strict disciplinarian and also a lover of children recalling how the late octogenarian used to rebuke them as children if he caught them misbehaving adding that immediately after; he would offer them sweets.

“I benefitted from his disciplinary attitude because I remember in those days we were children in school, he would call us to order and scold us when we misbehaved. But he would soon after call us back and offer us sweets. I learnt from it that he rebuked us because he loved us”, Akitoye said.

He prayed, on behalf of the PDP National Chairman, for the repose of the soul of the departed and that the Almighty Allah would grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

Also among the delegation were Chief (Mrs.) Aduke Maina, State Chairman of the PDP, Captain Shelle (rtd), Chief Ola Apena, Deputy State Chairman, Chief (Mrs. ) Bukky Ajomo, Mr. Ebitare Otrofanowei, representing South South, Mrs. Agnes Igbanoi and Alhaji Bode Oyedele among others while the State Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Hon. Oyinlomo Danmole, joined the Governor in receiving the delegation.

APGA confirms prof. charles soludo as governoship candidate

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Governorship Appeal Panel has reaffirmed the disqualification of the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Charles Soludo and five others who were disqualified by the screening panel on Friday.
The six aspirants disqualified by the party’s Governorship Screening Committee at the weekend appeared before the panel to contest their disqualification.
The panel, chaired by Chief Tony Ojielo ruled that their appeals lack merit and that the committee had no other option than to affirm their disqualification.
The six aspirants that failed the screening include, Emmanuel Nweke, Ogbuefi Tony Nnaechetta, Chinedu Francis Idigo, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, immediate past secretary to the Anambra state government, Oseloka Obaze and Prof. Soludo.
The aspirants were disqualified for not meeting some requirements of the party’s constitution ranging from non-possession of voter’s card, tax clearance, lack of evidence of sound financial muscle to unresolved issues with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The panel however said that seven other aspirants were successful.
The successful aspirants are Hon. Chukwuemeka Emmanuel Nwogbo, Paul Odenigbo, Hon. Uche Lillian Ekwunife, Chief Willie Obiano, John Nwosu, John Okechukwu Emeka and Nwachi Patrick Obianwu.
The candidates had indicated intentions to run for the party’s ticket in the governorship election of Anambra state which will take place in 2014.

mexican drug master. ramirez is arested.

Mexican troops have captured one of the country’s most wanted drug gang leaders.
Mario Ramirez Trevino shown in this photograph, known as X-20 or “The Bald one” is said to be the head of the cocaine and marijuana smuggling Gulf Cartel.
According to the spokesperson of the Mexican government security office, Eduardo Sanchez, Ramirez is considered to be one of those highly responsible for the violence generating in Tamaulipas. He’s been characterized for his use of extreme violence and he is most likely responsible for ordering attacks with weapons and explosives against police installations causing the deaths of a number of elements (policemen) and he has also been shown to be the intellectual author of various kidnappings, particularly two in the state of Veracruz.
Washington believes Ramirez’s cartel controls most of the cocaine and marijuana trafficking from Mexico to the US and offered a five billion dollar reward for information leading to his arrest

jeeez. former nigeria super falcons player now living as a man

Former Super Falcons striker Iyabo Abade lived for many years as a hermaphrodite - a person with male and female organ. She/he had surgery in the US in 2004 and is now living as a man named James Johnson. Punch caught up with him recently and he opened up about his life

Now that you are a man, has it been easy playing men’s football?

I thank God for how far He has brought me. I have made every effort to get to the top as a footballer but there is no support from anywhere, even the Nigeria Football Federation. I am just trying on my own to get to the top but it hasn’t been easy. You go for trials and you do well and you are recruited but after sometime, they will start acting funny; they use my past against me. I try to ensure that I don’t let clubs know who I am.  I don’t like telling them that I am the former Iyabo Abade; I have to go there like every other normal player and fight for a place in the team. But when they hear that former Iyabo Abade has signed for either Crown FC or Plateau United, they start discriminating against me. 

Meanwhile I got there as James Johnson but they keep asking, “Can she cope in the midst of guys?” They have forgotten that I am a man and I met their requirements before they signed me up. Once they now know my past, they won’t allow me to play anymore. Were they blind when they signed me? With that, I feel frustrated and discriminated against so I decided that there was no need disturbing myself and I decided to quit. I am praying that God helps me so that I can continue my career abroad. I think things will be better over there.

Has the society accepted you for who you are?

Some do but some have not. Everybody cannot like you for who you are, so you just have to take life the way it is. My colleagues who we played together in the women’s league all welcome me. Some people want to be my friends even when they don’t know who I am and even when they know that I am the former Iyabo Abade turned James Johnson, they are still happy to be my friends. I am happy with that. There is no need for me to be feeling sad that God created me the way I am. So, I am happy with life but I feel sad because some people are out there to cut short your happiness. I will be happy playing football but some people don’t like it.

What is your relationship with your Falcons teammates?

Some of them still welcome me; they see me just like every other person. They don’t discriminate against me; we grew up together and did things together even though I am no more in their group. I am so happy about that. When the news first came out, a lot of them were shocked because they didn’t even know anything about hermaphrodite. But later, they sympathised with me; they said I am not God and didn’t create myself. That was how it went and we are still friends till now.

Your rehabilitation should be in stages. How far have you gone?

I am still on it. After I went for check-up in 2009, I am due for the next stage, where a surgery will be carried out to enable me become a full man and live a normal and perfect life. But every effort has been futile; nothing is really happening and I am looking up to God to intervene in this issue. I have made every effort and gone to the NSC but they did nothing. I took a letter there and was going there for about seven months. So I have to look elsewhere to enable me complete the surgery. I also wrote to NFF when Sani Lulu was the head and he gave me hope. He said, ‘Bring your letter and we will see what we can do.’ But at the end, they said, ‘We don’t know what happened to your letter.’ When it gets to releasing money, that is when the letter gets missing. Only Family Worship helped me a great deal to go for the check-up.

How much do you need for the surgery?

I will need about N12m for the final surgery. My doctor says I have to stay in the US for one year, so that he can monitor the final process. Aside the surgery, I will have to pay for accommodation for one year and other things like feeding and transportation.

Now that you haven’t finished the rehabilitation, would you say you are living a man’s life?

I would say I am living happily but my joy will be to complete the whole stages of the rehabilitation. Then I can boast of myself as a real man just like other guys. I will say I still need the final surgery before I can answer your question further.

You once had the ambition of becoming the first person ever to play for the female and male national teams of a country but the dream seems dashed. How do you feel?

I feel rejected and frustrated because football is my life but the NSC and the NFF are not in support of my ambition. If we had a good sports commission, I won’t be in this situation. Do they want me to cry to the US government? That will be a disgrace to Nigeria.

Who are those that stood behind you during your trying times?

I want to thank former FCT ministers Abba Gana and Nasir el-Rufai; they were very helpful. I wrote to the former First Lady, Turai Yar’Adua, and Patience Jonathan, who was then Second Lady. Though I didn’t get money from the First Lady but I was given the opportunity to enter Aso Rock. Unfortunately, her husband fell sick and she couldn’t attend to me. She asked some people to attend to me but I didn’t hear from them. The present First Lady has not done anything to help me despite all the efforts I have made to reach her, a fellow Niger Deltan like her. If northerners can show concern for me, why not her? Family Worship also gave me money for my check-up as well as the Redeemed Christian Church of God. I appreciate all of them.

Would you accept if the US says you should naturalise and play for them?

I will accept it with both hands. It’s everybody’s dream to be a US citizen, so I will jump at the opportunity.

What is your advice to other hermaphrodites, who are ashamed to come out or don’t have the opportunity you have?

I have some already and I have given my doctor in the US their contacts. They are two and they are into female football. They say a problem shared is half solved. If people don’t know your problem, you will die with it, so they just have to come out and let the world know what they are passing through. They need to look unto God. If not for God, I would have been a forgotten issue because at times, I feel like committing suicide. You will want to run into a moving truck but I thank God for being in charge of my life. I am happy today and everybody wants to mingle with me. So, life goes on.

Are you thinking of setting up a foundation for hermaphrodites?

Yes, so that many people with such issues can be treated. I hope to make it a worldwide foundation. There are a lot of hermaphrodites but they are shy or afraid to come out. There was a case that happened in Delta State when they almost killed a hermaphrodite. They said she is a witch. But it is not proper because these people didn’t create themselves. They should use me as a sign of hope. They can also be treated and be happy just like myself. I won’t blame them for not coming out because the support is not there in Nigeria. If they come out, they will be discriminated against.

When ladies you approach realise later that you were once like them, do they run away?

I am loved by women, there’s no doubt about that. They want to be my best friend. Everywhere I go, women always appreciate me because of my looks even when they later get to know about my issue. They always want to grab the opportunity to date someone like me. Some of them are happy to be with me because they have never seen such a person before. Every woman is mixing with James Johnson.

How was your trip to the US in 2012 with the Marasata Soccer Academy?

Marasata Soccer Academy brought me back to life because I felt so frustrated when I was neglected. The academy brought me in to lead the female team because I once played female football. That was how I became head of the coaching crew and with time, I will get to the top. The trip to the US last year was a success.

Aside not having a club side, do you still play football?

Of course yes. Football is part of me and I play every now and then, even with my boys in the academy. I derive joy in football; I play with Karo All Stars in Abuja and we play so many competitions.

If you look back now, is there a time you will recount with joy while playing female football?

Sometimes I feel sad that I didn’t continue what I know how to do best in the midst of the girls but I ignore it and let go. It’s not over, I still feel I will play for this country one day as a man but whether I play or not, I am happy with life. I was excluded from the 1999 Women’s World Cup but when the team returned home, my club FCT Queens had a match against Pelican Stars, which paraded all the superstars like Ann Agumanu, Mercy Akide, Eberechi Opara and Stella Mbachu. I was the only star in my team. It’s a game people still talk about. We were 2-1 down and I scored an incredible goal from the flank. That goal helped us beat Pelican 3-2 and they were complaining that why did they allow me to play the game after it was discovered that I am a hermaphrodite. People still say it was the best game they saw me play. My goal gingered my teammates to beat them. I will never forget that game. FCT Queens also won the Challenge Cup and I was one of the team’s trainers. That was how I got help to go for surgery. We were hosted in Sheraton and the then FCT Minister Nasir el-Rufai sponsored me to the US for the surgery.

Initially, was it easy blending from a female to male?

It was not easy in the beginning playing with the men but I took up the challenge. I didn’t get support as a male footballer. If I had remained as a female footballer, I knew where I would be now. In men’s football, it’s all about who you know. If you don’t have someone to back you up, forget it, no matter what you play. I felt there was no need going to a club and telling them that I was Iyabo Abade. I wanted to be there on merit but after signing, I faced discrimination.  I played for NEPA and Plateau United. At Plateau, they brought me in always as a late substitute because they didn’t believe I could play. But we were five they selected out of over 100 players that came for trials. If I was not good, why did they pick me from such a large number of players?

Do you sometimes feel like being a woman?

I chose to become a man because it is what God wants me to be. I didn’t use money as my priority in opting to be a man. If it was for money reasons, I would have remained as a woman because I was getting to the top of female football in Nigeria. I am happy with the decision I took. If I became a female, I probably wouldn’t have been happy with my life. So I just decided to move on. I am not regretting the step I made. I can tell you, women are running after me like Usain Bolt and I think it is better for me. I like it that way. I never expected it that way. Today, I am pleased that people want to know me.

We know you have been very close to Agatha Agu for a very long time. Are you planning to get married to her?

She is a very good person and if God says she is going to be my wife, I will be the happiest man because she deserves it; she has always been there for me right from our days in female football. She has been my backbone even when things are not working well. I know by His grace, we will get there.

Can you tell us your best moment?

I don’t have any yet until I wear the colours of the national team. If I cannot play for the main Eagles, at least I can for the home-based Eagles. I will appreciate if I get the opportunity.

If the home-based Eagles camp is thrown open ahead of the 2014 CHAN, do you think you can make it?

With God, I will make it. I am so sure of myself.

What is your word for coach Stephen Keshi?

I wish him the best. He has won the AFCON trophy, so we should appreciate him even if he is making some mistakes. We shouldn’t be criticising him always. He is a good coach and he needs our support

omg miss cossy is heart broken. lolz...

 Lol. Cossy and drama!

dancing queen kaffy and hubby xepecting there second baby.

Energetic dance queen and choreographer, Kafayat Shafau Ameh and her husband Joseph Ameh are expecting their second baby. (It's my job to know these things... hehe). Kaffy is said to be in her second trimester and is really excited to be pregnant again. Kaffy and Joseph welcomed their first child Kamal Ameh in December 2011 and got married in June 2012. Big congrats to them. Now looking for baby bump pics

hmmm big girl, genneviev flaunts her $10,000 lego clutch bag

Ms Nnaji was spotted at a friends wedding on Saturday rocking Chanel's Plexiglas Lego clutch bag. The bag, which is available in yellow, green and red, is $10, 000. Yep you heard right. And when you convert that to Naira - that's a cool N1.58million. You have to be loaded to be able to afford one...

Fashola denies presidential ambition

Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has dissociated himself from an advertisement published in Nigeria’s newspapers, rallying support fro the governor in the 2105 presidential elecetion.
A statement by the governor’s special adviser on media and publicity, Hakeem Bello described the advertisers as “unknown persons”
“This is to disclaim and dissociate the Governor and the State Government from this unsolicited and unwarranted venture.
“This is against the backdrop of the fact that Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) is focused on sustaining the high tempo of development engendering governance right till the end of his second tenure in Office and therefore cannot yield to distractions by any individual or group of mischief makers.
“Members of the public are hereby implored to ignore the said advert and also be wary of the antics of people with such dubious intentions. Please be vigilant”, concluded the statement.

Turkey protests: Clashes continue despite PM's warning 11 June 2013 Last updated at 22:25 Clashes between Turkish police and protesters have resumed in Istanbul's Taksim Square, despite a warning from PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he would not show "any more tolerance". Police firing tear gas cleared the square on Tuesday morning, but protesters returned later in the day. Istanbul's governor, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, said operations would go on night and day to clear the square. Protests began 12 days ago over the redevelopment of nearby Gezi Park. The protests then widened, with demonstrators accusing Mr Erdogan's government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state. "We will continue our measures in an unremitting manner, whether day or night, until marginal elements are cleared and the square is open to the people," Mr Mutlu said in televised comments. But he also said the action would "be conducted with care, in front of our people's eyes, in front of televisions and under the eyes of social media, with caution and in accordance with the law". The BBC's Jeremy Bowen in Istanbul says that more demonstrators are pouring into Taksim Square, and more action by police can be expected. This looks as if it will go on all night, our correspondent says. 'It's over' Mr Erdogan defended the police intervention on Tuesday, saying that an environmental movement had been hijacked by people who wanted to harm Turkey. In a televised speech to members of parliament belonging to his Justice and Development Party (AKP) that was frequently interrupted by applause, he asked: "They say the prime minister is rough. So what was going to happen? "Were we going to kneel down in front of these [people]? "If you call this roughness, I'm sorry, but this Tayyip Erdogan won't change." "To those who... are at Taksim and elsewhere taking part in the demonstrations with sincere feelings: I call on you to leave those places and to end these incidents and I send you my love. "But for those who want to continue with the incidents I say: 'It's over.' "As of now we have no tolerance for them." Nationwide protests Early in the day, police made loudspeaker announcements, telling protesters to withdraw from the square, before using water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets to clear them. Bulldozers were sent in to clear barricades and shelters. Tuesday morning's operation was seen as a show of force by the Turkish police Protesters in Taksim Square were targeted with tear gas and water cannon Police lines also came under attack Most protesters fled after the police moved in, some seeking refuge in Gezi Park After protesters returned to the square later in the day, police tackled them again, firing more tear gas Clashes continued late into Tuesday evening They also removed protesters' banners from a building overlooking the square, replacing them with the national flag and a portrait of the father of the Turkish state, Kemal Ataturk - who has also been used as a symbol by demonstrators. The protests began on 31 May. The Turkish Human Rights Foundation says four people have been killed, including one policeman. Some 5,000 protesters have been treated for injuries or the effects of tear gas, while officials say 600 police have also been injured. Protests have also occurred in the capital, Ankara, with smaller demonstrations in many other cities. Police in Ankara have used water cannon and tear gas to break up demonstrations almost every night.

The EU is demanding assurances that Europeans are not having their rights infringed by a massive US surveillance programme. Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding plans to raise the concerns with US Attorney General Eric Holder on Friday. Last week a series of leaks by a former CIA worker led to claims the US had a vast surveillance network with much less oversight than previously thought. The US insists its snooping is legal under domestic law. The Obama administration is investigating whether the disclosures by former CIA worker Edward Snowden were a criminal offence. More revelations promised Mr Snowden's employer, defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, said on Tuesday it had fired the 29-year-old infrastructure analyst for violating its ethics code. US officials say the snooping programme known as Prism, revealed in last week's leaks, is authorised under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa). It gives the US National Security Agency (NSA) the power to obtain emails and phone records relating to non-US nationals. But details about the individuals targeted under the act remain secret, and there are concerns the NSA is overstepping its powers. Documents leaked to the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers claimed the US authorities had direct access to the servers of nine major US technology firms, including Apple, Facebook and Google. Mr Snowden told the Guardian that individual operatives had the power to tap into anyone's emails at any time. Although the firms have denied granting such access, saying they agreed only to legal requests, US officials have admitted Prism exists. Russia 'consider' asylum One of the Guardian journalists who wrote the Prism stories, Glenn Greenwald, has promised "more significant revelations" to come. In the US, the controversy has focused on the possibility that conversations of US citizens may inadvertently be captured. But overseas, governments and activists point out that US law provides foreigners with no protection. Justice Commissioner Reding tweeted : "This case shows why a clear legal framework for the protection of personal data is not a luxury but a necessity." Mr Snowden is believed to be in hiding a day after he reportedly checked out of a Hong Kong hotel. In the US, Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, said the person responsible for the leak should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. He said privacy concerns were understandable, given the scope of the programmes, but added it was hard to comprehend why Mr Snowden would give information to US enemies. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate intelligence committee, said the American authorities were "aggressively" pursuing him. The California Democrat also accused Mr Snowden of "an act of treason". The top Republican in the US House of Representatives, Speaker John Boehner, labelled Mr Snowden a "traitor". In other developments on Tuesday: A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would consider granting asylum to the American, should he ask for it Google asked the justice department to release every government information request to prove it did not give officials "unfettered access" to user data The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a liberal advocacy group, has filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration challenging the legality of its phone surveillance programme The government began wireless wiretapping after the 9/11 attacks, but the surveillance policy expanded under President Barack Obama.

Femke Becomes Funke: Celebrating Mediocrity In Nigeria By Femke van Zeijl

Femke Van Zeijl By Femke Van Zeijl I used to think corruption was Nigeria’s biggest problem, but I’m starting to doubt that. Every time I probe into one of the manyissues this country is encountering, at the core I find the same phenomenon: the widespread celebration of mediocrity. Unrebuked underachievement seems to be the rule in all facets of society. A governor building a single road during his entire tenure is revered like the next Messiah; anaveragely talented author who writes a colourless book gets sponsored to represent Nigerian literature overseas; and a young woman with no secretarial skills to speak of gets promoted to theoga’s office faster than any of her properly trained colleagues. Needless to say the politician is probably hailed by those awaiting part of the loot he is stealing; the writer might have got his sponsorship from buddies he has been sucking up to in hagiographies paid for by the subjects; and the young woman’s promotion is likely to be an exchange for sex or the expectancy of it. So some form ofcorruption plays a role in all of these examples. But corruption per se does not necessarily stand in the way of development. Otherwise a countrylike Indonesia—number 118 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, not that far removed from Nigeria’s 139—would never have made it tothe G-20 group of major economies. An even more serious obstacle to development is the lack of repercussions for underachievement. Who in Nigeria is ever held accountable for substandard performance? Since I came here, I have been on a futile search for a stable internet connection that does what it promises. I started with an MTN FastLink modem (I consider the name a cruel joke), and then I moved on to an Etisalat MiFi connection (I regularlyhad to keep myself from throwingthe bloody thing against the wall),and now I am trying out Cobranet’s U-Go. I shouldn’t have bothered: equally crap. And everyone knows this. They groan and mutter and tweet about it. But still, to my surprise, no one calls for a class-action suit against those deceitful providers. A one-day conference I attended last year left me equally puzzled. Organisation, attendance and outcome left a lot to be desired, if you ask me. But over cocktails, after the closing ceremony, everyone congratulated each other over the wonderful conference—that started two hours late, of which the most animated part was undeniably lunch, and in which not a single tangible decision had been made. This left me wondering whether we had attended the same event. I thought these issues to be unrelated at first, but gradually I came to see the connection. Nigeria is the opposite of a meritocracy: you do not earn by achieving. You get to be who and where you are by knowing the right people. Whether you work inan office, for an enterprise or an NGO, at a construction site or in government, your abilities hardly ever are the reason you got there. Performing well, let alone with excellence, is not a requirement, in fact, it is discouraged. It would be too threatening: showing you’re moreintelligent, capable or competent than the ‘oga at the top’ (who, as a rule, is not an overachiever either) is career suicide. It is an attitude that trickles down from the very top, its symptoms eventually showing up in all of society, from bad governance to bad service to badcraftsmanship. Where excellence meets no gratification, what remains to be celebrated is underachievement. That is why it is not uncommon tofind Nigerians congratulating eachother with substandard results. Itis safer to cuddle up comfortably in shared mediocrity than to question it, since the latter mightalso expose your own less than exceptional performance. Add to this the taboo of criticising anyone senior or higher up and itexplains why so many join in the admiration of the emperor’s new clothes. I have been writing this column for the last year, and after ten months I realised my angles were getting more predictable and my pieces less edgy. I figured newcomers do not remain newcomers forever and thereforedecided to round up the ‘Femke Becomes Funke’ series this month,a year after it started. Ever sinceI announced the ending, tweeps have been asking me to change my mind and in comments on the columns and through my website Iget songs of praise that make mefeel my analyses of Nigerian society are indispensable. If I had no sense of self-criticism, I might be tempted to reconsider my decision to discontinue the series and start producing second-rate articles. Who would point this out to me if I did? The hardest thing to do in Nigeriais to continue to realise there is honour in achievement and pride in perfection. I imagine the frustration of the many Nigerians who do care for their work, who take pride in their outcomes and who feel the award is in a job welldone. When you know beforehandthat excellence will not be rewarded, you are bound to do the economically sane thing and limit your investments to accomplishing the bare minimum. This makes Nigeria a pretty cumbersome place for anyone striving for perfection.

Femke Becomes Funke: Celebrating Mediocrity In Nigeria By Femke van Zeijl

Femke Van Zeijl By Femke Van Zeijl I used to think corruption was Nigeria’s biggest problem, but I’m starting to doubt that. Every time I probe into one of the manyissues this country is encountering, at the core I find the same phenomenon: the widespread celebration of mediocrity. Unrebuked underachievement seems to be the rule in all facets of society. A governor building a single road during his entire tenure is revered like the next Messiah; anaveragely talented author who writes a colourless book gets sponsored to represent Nigerian literature overseas; and a young woman with no secretarial skills to speak of gets promoted to theoga’s office faster than any of her properly trained colleagues. Needless to say the politician is probably hailed by those awaiting part of the loot he is stealing; the writer might have got his sponsorship from buddies he has been sucking up to in hagiographies paid for by the subjects; and the young woman’s promotion is likely to be an exchange for sex or the expectancy of it. So some form ofcorruption plays a role in all of these examples. But corruption per se does not necessarily stand in the way of development. Otherwise a countrylike Indonesia—number 118 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, not that far removed from Nigeria’s 139—would never have made it tothe G-20 group of major economies. An even more serious obstacle to development is the lack of repercussions for underachievement. Who in Nigeria is ever held accountable for substandard performance? Since I came here, I have been on a futile search for a stable internet connection that does what it promises. I started with an MTN FastLink modem (I consider the name a cruel joke), and then I moved on to an Etisalat MiFi connection (I regularlyhad to keep myself from throwingthe bloody thing against the wall),and now I am trying out Cobranet’s U-Go. I shouldn’t have bothered: equally crap. And everyone knows this. They groan and mutter and tweet about it. But still, to my surprise, no one calls for a class-action suit against those deceitful providers. A one-day conference I attended last year left me equally puzzled. Organisation, attendance and outcome left a lot to be desired, if you ask me. But over cocktails, after the closing ceremony, everyone congratulated each other over the wonderful conference—that started two hours late, of which the most animated part was undeniably lunch, and in which not a single tangible decision had been made. This left me wondering whether we had attended the same event. I thought these issues to be unrelated at first, but gradually I came to see the connection. Nigeria is the opposite of a meritocracy: you do not earn by achieving. You get to be who and where you are by knowing the right people. Whether you work inan office, for an enterprise or an NGO, at a construction site or in government, your abilities hardly ever are the reason you got there. Performing well, let alone with excellence, is not a requirement, in fact, it is discouraged. It would be too threatening: showing you’re moreintelligent, capable or competent than the ‘oga at the top’ (who, as a rule, is not an overachiever either) is career suicide. It is an attitude that trickles down from the very top, its symptoms eventually showing up in all of society, from bad governance to bad service to badcraftsmanship. Where excellence meets no gratification, what remains to be celebrated is underachievement. That is why it is not uncommon tofind Nigerians congratulating eachother with substandard results. Itis safer to cuddle up comfortably in shared mediocrity than to question it, since the latter mightalso expose your own less than exceptional performance. Add to this the taboo of criticising anyone senior or higher up and itexplains why so many join in the admiration of the emperor’s new clothes. I have been writing this column for the last year, and after ten months I realised my angles were getting more predictable and my pieces less edgy. I figured newcomers do not remain newcomers forever and thereforedecided to round up the ‘Femke Becomes Funke’ series this month,a year after it started. Ever sinceI announced the ending, tweeps have been asking me to change my mind and in comments on the columns and through my website Iget songs of praise that make mefeel my analyses of Nigerian society are indispensable. If I had no sense of self-criticism, I might be tempted to reconsider my decision to discontinue the series and start producing second-rate articles. Who would point this out to me if I did? The hardest thing to do in Nigeriais to continue to realise there is honour in achievement and pride in perfection. I imagine the frustration of the many Nigerians who do care for their work, who take pride in their outcomes and who feel the award is in a job welldone. When you know beforehandthat excellence will not be rewarded, you are bound to do the economically sane thing and limit your investments to accomplishing the bare minimum. This makes Nigeria a pretty cumbersome place for anyone striving for perfection.

Femke Becomes Funke: Celebrating Mediocrity In Nigeria By Femke van Zeijl

Femke Van Zeijl By Femke Van Zeijl I used to think corruption was Nigeria’s biggest problem, but I’m starting to doubt that. Every time I probe into one of the manyissues this country is encountering, at the core I find the same phenomenon: the widespread celebration of mediocrity. Unrebuked underachievement seems to be the rule in all facets of society. A governor building a single road during his entire tenure is revered like the next Messiah; anaveragely talented author who writes a colourless book gets sponsored to represent Nigerian literature overseas; and a young woman with no secretarial skills to speak of gets promoted to theoga’s office faster than any of her properly trained colleagues. Needless to say the politician is probably hailed by those awaiting part of the loot he is stealing; the writer might have got his sponsorship from buddies he has been sucking up to in hagiographies paid for by the subjects; and the young woman’s promotion is likely to be an exchange for sex or the expectancy of it. So some form ofcorruption plays a role in all of these examples. But corruption per se does not necessarily stand in the way of development. Otherwise a countrylike Indonesia—number 118 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, not that far removed from Nigeria’s 139—would never have made it tothe G-20 group of major economies. An even more serious obstacle to development is the lack of repercussions for underachievement. Who in Nigeria is ever held accountable for substandard performance? Since I came here, I have been on a futile search for a stable internet connection that does what it promises. I started with an MTN FastLink modem (I consider the name a cruel joke), and then I moved on to an Etisalat MiFi connection (I regularlyhad to keep myself from throwingthe bloody thing against the wall),and now I am trying out Cobranet’s U-Go. I shouldn’t have bothered: equally crap. And everyone knows this. They groan and mutter and tweet about it. But still, to my surprise, no one calls for a class-action suit against those deceitful providers. A one-day conference I attended last year left me equally puzzled. Organisation, attendance and outcome left a lot to be desired, if you ask me. But over cocktails, after the closing ceremony, everyone congratulated each other over the wonderful conference—that started two hours late, of which the most animated part was undeniably lunch, and in which not a single tangible decision had been made. This left me wondering whether we had attended the same event. I thought these issues to be unrelated at first, but gradually I came to see the connection. Nigeria is the opposite of a meritocracy: you do not earn by achieving. You get to be who and where you are by knowing the right people. Whether you work inan office, for an enterprise or an NGO, at a construction site or in government, your abilities hardly ever are the reason you got there. Performing well, let alone with excellence, is not a requirement, in fact, it is discouraged. It would be too threatening: showing you’re moreintelligent, capable or competent than the ‘oga at the top’ (who, as a rule, is not an overachiever either) is career suicide. It is an attitude that trickles down from the very top, its symptoms eventually showing up in all of society, from bad governance to bad service to badcraftsmanship. Where excellence meets no gratification, what remains to be celebrated is underachievement. That is why it is not uncommon tofind Nigerians congratulating eachother with substandard results. Itis safer to cuddle up comfortably in shared mediocrity than to question it, since the latter mightalso expose your own less than exceptional performance. Add to this the taboo of criticising anyone senior or higher up and itexplains why so many join in the admiration of the emperor’s new clothes. I have been writing this column for the last year, and after ten months I realised my angles were getting more predictable and my pieces less edgy. I figured newcomers do not remain newcomers forever and thereforedecided to round up the ‘Femke Becomes Funke’ series this month,a year after it started. Ever sinceI announced the ending, tweeps have been asking me to change my mind and in comments on the columns and through my website Iget songs of praise that make mefeel my analyses of Nigerian society are indispensable. If I had no sense of self-criticism, I might be tempted to reconsider my decision to discontinue the series and start producing second-rate articles. Who would point this out to me if I did? The hardest thing to do in Nigeriais to continue to realise there is honour in achievement and pride in perfection. I imagine the frustration of the many Nigerians who do care for their work, who take pride in their outcomes and who feel the award is in a job welldone. When you know beforehandthat excellence will not be rewarded, you are bound to do the economically sane thing and limit your investments to accomplishing the bare minimum. This makes Nigeria a pretty cumbersome place for anyone striving for perfection.

Samsung is set to launch adevice in its flagship premium smartphone range, expected to be named the Galaxy S4.

It follows the S3, a handset that has sold more than 40 million units. The Galaxy handsets are seen as the closest competitor to Apple's iPhone. Analysts predict software that tracks where users are lookingand automatically scrolls down the page as it is read, without it being touched. There is also expected to be a souped-up camera and processor. But crucial to Samsung's futuresuccess, analysts say, is how the South Korean company plans to turn its strong position in the smartphone market into greater success with other devices such as tablets. Prior to Thursday's launch in New York, Samsung has unleashed a huge advertising campaign, including a series of videos involving a small boy tasked with looking after a"top secret" box

Samsung is set to launch adevice in its flagship premium smartphone range, expected to be named the Galaxy S4.

It follows the S3, a handset that has sold more than 40 million units. The Galaxy handsets are seen as the closest competitor to Apple's iPhone. Analysts predict software that tracks where users are lookingand automatically scrolls down the page as it is read, without it being touched. There is also expected to be a souped-up camera and processor. But crucial to Samsung's futuresuccess, analysts say, is how the South Korean company plans to turn its strong position in the smartphone market into greater success with other devices such as tablets. Prior to Thursday's launch in New York, Samsung has unleashed a huge advertising campaign, including a series of videos involving a small boy tasked with looking after a"top secret" box

China's new pressident

Mr Xi, appointed to the Communist Party's top post in November, replaces Hu Jintao, who is stepping down. Some 3,000 deputies to the National People's Congress, the annual parliament session, tookpart in the vote at the Great Hall of the People. The new premier - widely expected to be Li Keqiang - is scheduled to be named on Friday, replacing Wen Jiabao. While votes are held for the posts, they are largely ceremonial and the results veryrarely a surprise. Mr Xi, who bowed to the delegates after his name was announced but made no formal remarks, was elected by 2,952 votes to one, with three abstentions. He was named general secretary of the Communist Party on 8 November and also given the leadership of the topmilitary body, the Central Military Commission

Pope Francis is beginning his first day at the helm of the Catholic Church, attempting to set out his vision for his papacy amid a testing schedule. He will lead cardinals in his first Mass, begin appointing senior Vatican staff and may visit his predecessor, Benedict, Pope Emeritus. The first Latin American and Jesuit pope has received a flood of goodwill messages fromaround the world. But the Argentine also faces a series of tough challenges. The Church has been dogged by infighting and scandals over clerical sex abuse and alleged corruption. Thursday morning saw Pope Francis begin the day with a visit to a Rome basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore, for a private prayer

Share this page Email Print 3K Share Facebook Twitter Amazon suspends sales of SimCity video game SimCity game screen Cities built by players are part of larger online regions

The web retailer stopped sales late on 7 March as players reported continued problems with the city building title.
The latest version of SimCity was launched on 5 March and, like many current games, demand players stay online as they play.
EA has also taken steps to fix login delays by turning off some features to lighten the load on game servers.
Prior to this latest release, SimCity was a stand-alone game, but EA has added the online element to infuse the title with more realism.
Now player cities exist as part of online regions and share some characteristics of those virtual environments such as pollution, crime and essential resources.
The online requirement is also seen as an attempt to curb piracy of the title as a web connection is required even if a player shuns the chance to connect their cities to others.
However, the requirement for all players of the game to be connected has led some to wait 30 minutes or more to play. The server problems have led to sluggish response times, crashes and other bugs.
Amazon's sales suspension of the downloadable PC version of the game only lasted a few hours, but it has put a warning note on the product page about the "issues" with the game. These have contributed to the one-star score purchasers have given SimCity on Amazon.

Amazon has posted a warning about the ongoing problems with SimCity

In official discussion forums and on its Twitter feed EA has apologised for the trouble players have had.
In one of its latest messages, an EA spokeswoman said it had added server capacity and rolled out a quick fix to SimCity servers to speed up game play and get more people into the game.
To lighten the load on its back-end servers, EA turned off some features including leader boards and achievements. It has also removed the option to run the game at its fastest setting, known as "cheetah speed". Instead, all cities will now run at the lower "llama speed".
In a message posted to the official EA discussion forums, SimCity's senior producer Kip Katsarelis said the launch week had been "challenging" for the company.
'Growing pains' However, he added, there was a positive side to the delays.
"What we saw was that players were having such a good time they didn't want to leave the game, which kept our servers packed and made it difficult for new players to join," he wrote.
Games journalist Nathan Grayson, writing on the Rock Paper Shotgun website, praised EA for keeping players informed through Facebook, Twitter and discussion forums about the problems. However, he wondered why games firms were still so unprepared for the launch day deluge of players.
Games makers may laud the always online requirement as the future, he said, but so far no studio had got it right or used that permanent link to do more with a game.
"I haven't seen a single one of these things stick their initial landings or catapult a pre-existing series to new heights," he said. "I have quite a bit of trouble declaring these things 'growing pains' when I barely see any, you know, growth."