A Nigerian newspaper and Online version of the Vanguard, a daily publication in Nigeria covering Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion,lifestyle human interest stories, etc
The South South Zonal Head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Ishaq Salilu, on Wednesday January 18, 2017 called for an enhanced collaboration between the EFCC and the Nigeria Immigration Services, NIS, in checking the menace of criminals and fraudsters in the country.
Salihu made this remark when he received the Comptroller of Immigration, Rivers State , A. B. Yarima who paid him a courtesy visit in his office. "We pray for a deepened collaboration. We are very ready to partner with you" he said.
According to Salihu, the Nigeria Immigration Service is such a critical organization in the country that an enhanced collaboration will enable the Commission track fraudsters who despite having their international passports seized by the Commission are still able to sneak out of the country through other means. "How they disappear remains a mystery to us," he said.
Earlier A.B Yarima, said he had visited other sister agencies and felt it was imperative that he visits the EFCC. He said there was need for a synergy between the Commission and the NIS to rid the society of crimes. "We are ready and willing to continue the existing relationship between NIS and the EFCC," he said.
The Rivers State Comptroller was accompanied by other top officers of NIS including GB Dilosi, S.E. Legglack, both Deputy Comptroller, K. A. Saqiq, Assistant Comptroller, and a hosts of others.
Senegal, a neighbouring country to Gambia has given President Yahaya Jammeh till midnight to step down otherwise military action would be engaged to oust him.
To make true the warning, Senegalese troops have been seen moving towards the Gambian border in what seams a show of might to further signal to Jammeh he would be ousted militarily if he refuses to step down.
“Our troops are on alert… The ultimatum takes effect at midnight,” when Jammeh’s mandate is due to expire, army spokesman Colonel Abdou Ndiaye said. “If a political solution fails, we will engage” in operations in The Gambia, he said, confirming that troops were heading to the border.
Recall that the Gambian parliament has extended Jammeh's stay in office for another 90 days, a move that has further added fuel to Jammeh's clinching to the country's presidential seat eventhough Wednesday is supposed to be his final day in office as the Gambian president.
Yahya Jammeh
However, Nigerian Government has equally sent in some air, naval and will also send ground troops to join forces with the Senegalese troops to ensure President-elect, Adama Barrow is installed as The Gambia's President on Thursday.
Also, The U.N has equally backed the West African nations in the bid to ensure either a peaceful handover in The Gambia or use military force to archieve same should Jammeh insist on clinching to power.
Jammeh who had called Barrow to concede defeat after losing in the December 1, 2016 election held in the country later made a volte face, refusing to accept the outcome of the election and has since voiced strongly that he would not allow the President-elect, Barrow installed as the country's president unless a fresh election is conducted. He claimed many of the Gambian citizens were disenfranchised.
Jammeh has been the country's president since taking power in a bloodless coup in 1994.
Meanwhile, thousands of Gambians have fled the country while UK and Dutch tourists are being evacuated from the tiny West African state, which is popular with European holidaymakers because of its beaches.
Abuja – Some telephone subscribers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Wednesday, expressed displeasure over the inability of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to stop unsolicited calls and messages from service providers.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had directed that Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) from July 1, 2016, activate the 'Do Not Disturb' (DND) facility which gives subscribers the freedom to choose what messages to receive from the various networks.
The NCC had placed a N5 million fine on any MNOs that fails to comply with the directive.
With this directive, the operators have been mandated to dedicate a common short-code (2442), which will enable subscribers take informed decisions.
They said that in spite of the "Do Not Disturb" Code the unsolicited calls and messages had not stopped.
Mrs Amina Kabiru, a resident of Lugbe in the FCT told NAN that the "Do not Disturb'' code was not working as she had tried severally while still receiving such messages and calls.
"I don't understand it, if I need service from the network provider, I should be able to say I need this service from you, can you provide it?
"A lot of people have more important things to do than being disturbed by unsolicited calls and messages, so I think they need to work on it and stop disturbing people,'' she said.
On his part, Mr Obi Chika a trader at UTC, Area 10 said that he was tired of being distracted with incessant calls and messages by the MNOs.
Chika said that sometimes they send some promotional text messages "that your number has won something; I want to believe these messages are fake because I did not subscribe to any promo.''
"So I want to advise the regulatory body to take this issue seriously as subscribers are bored with these calls and messages.
"Sometime they send `to opt out send Do Not Disturb to 2442′ at the end of the message and if even you do, they keep sending the messages,'' she said.
Miss Henritta Ogbodu also a trader in UTC, Area 10 however said that the frequency of the messages and calls had reduced a bit.
She said that though she still received such messages and calls but it was not as frequent as before.
She however called on NCC to put in more efforts to end the act so that people could be at peace, adding, "it can be quite disturbing and distracting."
Miss Ene Baba, a stylist in Lugbe said that she still received unsolicited messages and calls, adding that network providers should try and address the issue.
"I still receive a lot of these messages and calls and it is not fair on us, please I want the network providers to address the issue quickly.''
However, Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, had assured that the Commission was at the stage of enforcing the DND directive given to MNOs.
"When the commission gets the report, it will do two things; ensure the credit deducted from the consumers for the unsolicited services is returned to the consumers and invoke the N5million fine on the MNOs to ensure total compliance,'' he said. (NAN)
Many get into the New Year with different Resolutions and I am sure you have one or more already for 2017 as you're reading this. The problem with resolutions is that they often fail because we’ll never reach these unreasonable and unrealistic goals. We're entrepreneurs; we always try and conquer the unconquerable!
However, if you set goals that are achievable and you stretch yourself, New Year Resolutions can help you gain perspective and achieve goals that can make you a stronger individual both personally and professionally.
For me, New Year Resolutions can be a valuable assist in determining my long-term success. Here are 10 New Year Resolutions that every entrepreneur should consider as they journey through 2017.
Understand your finances: Don't think that understanding the basics of accounting is unnecessary just because you have an accountant or even your own accounting department. The thing is, all entrepreneurs should familiarize themselves with at least accounting basics since this will help them;
Make financial predictions by examining future revenues, future operating costs, and assets needed to service future demand.
Pay off your bad debts: Lower your expenses as much as possible (both personal and business). Measure the progress of your business so that you know whether or not you're hitting targets.
File: Entrepreneurs
Improve your health: How do you expect to effectively run a business if you're exhausted and burnt out? You need to be healthy mentally, physically and emotionally. Give your immune system a boost. When you eat healthy and exercise; you are more productive and happier. That means you'll have fewer sick days and get tasks accomplished on time. Good health habits help you avoid chronic diseases including hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
Become a stronger leader: One of the biggest challenges that entrepreneurs face is being an effective leader. This means delegating tasks, rallying the troops when morale is low, creating an environment that welcomes creativity and outside-of-the-box thinking, never losing sight of where you want your business to go.
Get more social: If for some reason you believe social media is unimportant, Ive got some bad news for you — you're 100% wrong! Social media is one of the best ways to engage and interact with customers, spread brand awareness and connect with influencers and investors in your industry. If you have a Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn account that is dormant, spend the next year being active and optimizing these channels. It is very necessary.
Spend less time in the office
Working 60 hours per week might work for someone, but for most of us, that is just not feasible or desirable. Spending almost every waking minute in the office is a surefire way in getting burnt out and losing sight of why you became an entrepreneur.
Make time for yourself, friends and family. Step out of the office from time-to-time to clear your head, refresh and improve your overall health. Trust me. The place isn't going to burn down just because you took a vacation or a long weekend.
Keep up with current events: Paying attention to the news keeps you cultured and assists in starting conversations. It provides entrepreneurs with insights into their markets so that they can make more informed decisions. Remember, we live in a small and connected world now. Whats going on around the world impacts your business. So stay updated!
Hire smarter: Hiring the right people is crucial for business owners. They'll bring out the best in you and your current team. They'll help your business grow because they'll be your biggest brand advocates. And, low turn over keeps costs low.
Hiring isn't easy, but attracting and retaining talent that fits in your company's culture greatly increases your chances of success.
Be more empathetic: Empathy is the feeling that you understand and share another person's experiences and emotions; and the ability to share someone else's feelings. It is one of the most beneficial traits an entrepreneur can possess. Communicating empathetically with customers, employees, shareholders and investors helps your business succeed. You'll understand whats important to them and they will appreciate that you care enough about them to make that a priority.
Social media is a big deal today especially if you are using it to market your business and get potential customers. Regardless, you will want to ensure that your social media marketing efforts get to the right audience. This will no doubt make it very effective.
Expectedly, since you are not paying to sponsor or promote your business, you will still want your message to get to your target audience. Jumia Travel gathers ways you can effortlessly create a social media buzz for your brand and it will get to the persons interested in the message.
You have to define your target market
This will largely depend on the service you are offering. You have to first of all determine or decide who the people who need your services are. What gender? Age? This is the first thing you should do. So, if you want your social media campaign to bring results, you have to define your target market.
Determine where to find them on social media
Since you have defined your target market, the next thing you should probably do is to determine where you will find them on social media. Are they on twitter, Facebook or Instagram? After you have found them, you can now develop interesting content targeted at them.
Check what your competitor is doing
Competition is good for any business. It encourages you to do something different and you can also get sterling ideas from them. How is your competitor reaching their market? You can determine this by looking at their followers on twitter and the groups they joined on Facebook. On your part, you can also follow them or join the groups.
Don't stop refining
Social media is very dynamic. It keeps changing and if you don't keep tabs with these changes, you may discover that your present target audience is outdated or a whole lot of people who need your service have joined social media. So, if you don't refine your target audience, you will miss out. The rule of thumb is that you should regularly refine your target search.
By Levinus Nwabughiogu ABUJA-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has revealed that plans had been concluded to launch the economic recovery plan of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration in February.
He also stated that the federal government was critically considering the option of tapping into the Pension Funds for massive investments in infrastructures.
Osinbajo spoke while fielding questions at two separate panels tagged “panel of Building Africa” and “International Business Interaction Group of investors” focused exclusively on Nigeria on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday.
He said that massive investments in the people and their skills would bring about economic prosperity.
Osinbajo’s presentations were encapsulated in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Laolu Akande.
“The Vice President noted that the Buhari administration is “committed to investing more in infrastructure,” than in previous times by ensuring that 30% of the budget goes into capital expenditure.
Vice President Osinbajo“Besides, he disclosed that the government is working on how to tap into Nigeria’s huge Pension Fund to finance infrastructure in the country.
“To do this he stated that “we have to first derisk” such financing models for infrastructure.
“An active engagement with, and encouraging the private sector, he said, is also of a great deal, referring to the example of the 650,000bpd refinery project of the Dangote Group, which is going to be the largest single-line refinery in the world.
“Assuring that the Buhari administration is very confident about the recovery of the Nigerian economy, Prof. Osinbajo said “it is not difficult to get out of where we are if we understand why we are where we are.”
“He reminded his audience that the Nigerian economy remains indisputably the biggest in terms of size of the economy.
“Speaking at the Business Interaction Group attended by several international and local investors and business interests, and hosted by the Nigerian delegation, the Vice President assured that the newly developed Economic Recovery Growth Plan of the Buhari administration has been specifically designed to take the country out of recession and in the long term continue to grow the economy.
“He said the planning of the 2017 was based on the ERGP, which he said would be formally launched next month.
“Prof. Osinbajo gave the example of the Federal Government’s Social Investment Programme where for the first time half a Trillion Naira is being budgeted by the Federal Government for Social Investment Programmes.
“It is about investment in people, in their skills, in youths, that we have a N500B allocation in our budget last year and proposed for this year also.
“It is an investment in education and educating large numbers of people in a short time, it’s a radical thing to make that kind of serious investment in education.
“He also referred to the planned N100,000 supporting grants to students of higher institutions in Science, Technology, Enginerring & Maths, STEM”, the statement stated.
Abuja – The National Judicial Council on Wednesday tendered the petition it received against Justice Adeniyi Ademola from a litigant in an FCT High Court.
Ademola was among the seven Justices in the sting operations carried out by the Department of State Services (DSD) on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9.
He is standing trial alongside his wife Olabowale and Mr Joe Aji (SAN) on a 16-count of criminal conspiracy to receive gratification in various ways.
The offences contravened Section 8(1)(a) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000.
On the resumed hearing, Mr Eugene Odukwu, Director of Administration in the National Judicial Council (NJC), tendered a copy of the petition filed by Mrs Fatima Shaibu against Ademola.
The NJC is an executive body established by Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution as amended to enforce discipline among judicial officers. Odukwu also tendered a certified true copy of the proceeding of the Council arising from the petition and their report.
Odukwu is fourth in the 14 prosecution witnesses that the prosecutiing counsel, Mr Segun Jegede, intended to call to prove his case. All the defence counsel did not object to the documents tendered.Justice Ademola and his wife, Olabowale at Abuja court recently.
Also, Ojima Etuh, a research assistant in the Federal High Court who worked under Ademola in his court that she had never received any gratification from anyone on behalf of Ademola.
Etuk said under cross examination Ademola's counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu that she never paid any proceeds of any gratification to his principal's account. She said that Ademola presided over anti terrorism case against Sanni Shaibu Teadi, which led his wife Fatima to petition the NJC.
Etuk said that Teadi allegedly forged birth certificate to perfect bail condition when cross examined by Mr Jeph Njikonye, counsel for Aji. She also said that the case was later dismissed by NJC.
The fifth witness, Christie Ende, Deputy Registrar, Litigation, Federal High Court, Abuja, also tendered some documents which were not objected to by the defence.
The sixth prosecution witness, Mr Malik Babatunde of Guaranty Trust Bank could not tendered the document from the bank due to objections from all the defence counsel.
Ikpeazu, Chief Robert Clarke (SAN) and Njikonye counsel to the defendants all argued that the witness was not front loaded in the prosecution's proof of evidence.
Jegede submitted that the prosecution has met the requirements of Section 379 of ACJA
The judge, Justice Jude Okeke, said " considering the fundamental nature of the case, the court will give considered ruling on the matter" Okeke adjourned the case till Jan. 30 for the ruling on the tendering of the document and continuation of trial. (NAN).
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted for the second time in as many games but Africa Cup of Nations hosts Gabon were again held to a 1-1 draw by Burkina Faso in Libreville on Wednesday.
Prejuce Nakoulma silenced the Stade de l’Amitie as he gave Burkina Faso an early lead but Aubameyang soon levelled from the penalty spot after he had been fouled inside the area.
Gabon had chances to win the game late on but this was the third 1-1 draw in as many matches in Group A, with Cameroon and Guinea-Bissau meeting at the same venue later on Wednesday.
Regardless of what happens in that match, qualification for the quarter-finals will now be decided in the last round of group games on Sunday.
Gabon had been dealt a blow ahead of the match with the loss of Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina to an injury that could rule him out of the rest of the tournament even if the Panthers were to go all the way.
Gabon’s forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (C) walks off the pitch at the end of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations group A football match between Gabon and Burkina Faso at the Stade de l’Amitie Sino-Gabonaise in Libreville on January 18, 2017. / AFP PHOTO
Burkina Faso lost one of their key men, Jonathan Pitroipa, to injury early on but it was his replacement Nakoulma who grabbed the opening goal midway through the first half.
The Kayserispor player latched onto a long punt downfield and held off both Johann Obiang and Merlin Tandjigora as he charged into the box before poking the ball past Didier Ovono in goal.
Obiang then went off hurt for Gabon but Jose Antonio Camacho’s side were back on level terms seven minutes before the interval.
Goalkeeper Herve Koffi came charging off his line and took out Aubameyang. The Borussia Dortmund star appeared to have pushed the ball too far in front of him but the Gambian referee had no choice but to point to the spot.
Aubameyang coolly converted the penalty for his second goal of the tournament after his effort against Guinea-Bissau at the weekend.
The match was drifting towards the draw in the second half before Gabon rallied towards the end.
However, when Denis Bouanga met Aubameyang’s knockdown with a first-time effort eight yards from goal, Koffi made a superb block with his foot to divert the ball behind.
Substitute Serge Angoue then headed wide from Bouanga’s cross as the game ended level.
Abuja – The Federal Government on Wednesday in Abuja assured of the full implementation of its 2009 agreement with the non-academic staff unions of Nigerian universities.
They are National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Non – Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, gave the assurance at a reconciliatory meeting with The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the unions.
The unions had jointly declared their intention to embark on a five – day warning strike effective Jan. 16, 2017.
Ngige said the issues in contention were not different from those of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), adding that government was handling the issues holistically.
"The essence of this meeting is for us to agree to suspend your strike; we are doing so because, we know that you are very patriotic citizens of the country.
"You will understand that man hours lost in any industrial disputes is never easily recoverable. You know that a lot of the issues in disagreement and in contention are being addressed by the Ministry of Education.
"But what was just lacking was that you were not communicated that a formal meeting where these issues will be discussed as par social dialogue as recommended by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), did not take place.
"I want to assure you that I have no doubt that after we have discussed the issue in contention; you will find that it is very necessary for you to suspend the strike as the issues raised by your unions are being addressed.
The issues raised by the unions are poor governance and administrative lapses in the university system, poor funding of universities, shortfall in payment of staff salaries and increasing corruption in the university system.
Also listed were inadequate physical infrastructure and abandoned projects, lack of adequate teaching and learning facilities and the non-payment of Earned Allowances being product of the 2009 Agreement, among others.
Mr Sani Suleman, Acting Chairman of JAC said that the unions decided to embark on the strike because "we have written letters to the Ministry of Education but no response or acknowledgment.
"The last one we wrote was on Dec. 8; we gave 35-day ultimatum so as to allow them to have enough time and even call us for a meeting but to no avail.
"So, after consultation with our principals, we decided to express our displeasure to government by declaring a five-day warning strike.
"We also want to express our displeasure on what was allocated for education in 2017 budget, it has continued to drop.
"It is our responsibility to ensure that we have resources for education so that our universities can be recognised worldwide", he said.
He called on the minister to ensure that all issues in the 2009 agreement were fully implemented.
Mr Peters Adeyemi, Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said the strike declared by the unions was to draw government's attention to issues in the university system.
Adeyemi said that the unions were willing to collaborate with the Federal Government in ensuring that the issues were resolved.
The representatives of Ministry of Education and National Universities Commission, among others, attended the meeting.
A 15-year-old boy shot at his classmates at a high school in northern Mexico on Wednesday, injuring at least five people including himself, officials said.
The pupil opened fire at Northeastern College in the city of Monterrey, civil protection official Oscar Aboytes told AFP.
He said the school initially told the civil protection service that three people had been killed, but when experts arrived at the school, they found those victims to be “extremely seriously” injured.
The shooter unsuccessfully tried to kill himself, Aboytes said.
In total five people were hurt, four seriously, including the shooter, state security secretary Aldo Fasci told reporters.
He said there was a video showing the boy shooting at a teacher and another pupil before shooting himself.
Mexico suffers regular gang violence but so far nothing appeared to indicate that the school shooting was gang-related.
“It is an unprecedented situation. Nothing like this has happened before” in schools in the surrounding state of Nuevo Leon, Fasci said.
Wednesday’s attack came as the northeastern state of Quintana Roo, hundreds of miles from Monterrey, reeled from two shootings, thought to be linked to gangs or drug dealers, that left nine people dead.
In 2014, 43 students from a teacher training college in southern Mexico went missing and are believed dead.
*Army’s over 500 troops depart for Senegal By Joseph Erunke ABUJA-THE Nigerian Air Force, yesterday, airlifted 200 personnel to Senegal to join troops of the Economic Community of West States for onward movement to Gambia for the enforcement of the country’s December 1 presidential election where the incumbent president, Yahya Jammeh reportedly lost to his Adama Barrow.
The airlift of the Air Force personnel is expected to be followed by the Nigerian Army, which Vanguard gathered, would airlift more than 500 troops today (Thursday) for the Gambian task.
A military source said the Army troops will be airlifted by the C-130 transport plane.
Recall that the Nigerian Navy had on Monday, in like manner, deployed its newest battle ship, NNS Unity to the tiniest West African nation.
The troops’ deployment to Gambia was a mandate of the Economic Community of West African States,ECOWAS, to enforce the results of the December 1,2016 presidential election in that country.
The Air Force personnel were airlifted from Kainji to Dakar in Senegal. The troops which included the Special Forces, Combat Support Group, Technicians, Medical officials, among others, were airborne in the Hercules C-130 military transport plane.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who addressed the troops, urged them to keep Nigeria’s flag flying by being professional and to conduct themselves to the Air Force high standard.
“You have been given the task which is very well defined, and we have put together all the air assets that we think are necessary to ensure that we are able to to successfully conduct this operation and that is what we have on ground here,” Abubakar said.
Among the platforms being deployed to the Gambia included fighter air planes, helicopters, C-130 and the large utility helicopter which will also be useful in the conduct of the operation.
“What we have here are men that are highly trained, highly skilled they know their job and they know their task, and as a professional service the commander of the air assets will work together with other commanders and they will come up with what is required in terms of plans, to be able to execute their tasks and come back home,” Abubakar said.
Member House of Representatives and Chairman, House committee on Rural development, Honourable Oladipupo Adebutu has referred to as wild speculation rumours that he has defected to the All progressive Congress.
A statement by Arole Afeez Bello, the legislative aid to Adebutu debunking the rumour reads: “Our attention has just been drawn to an online publication which purports a planned defection of Honourable Oladipupo Adebutu, Member House of Representatives, and Chairman, House Committee on Rural Development to the All Progressive Congress (APC).
“For the avoidance of doubt, and especially for the sake of our teeming supporters who might be hoodwinked into believing the said story to be true. The publication is false in all matters particular, there is no iota of truth in it and the suggestion or assumption can only exist in the wild imagination of the writer.
Ladi Adebutu
“We are not unmindful of the political undercurrents behind this false publication, and this goes on to confirm the rising profile of Hon. Adebutu in the political landscape of Ogun State and Nigeria in general. We need to remind our people about the obvious missing links in the said write up; it does not add up logically that Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu who was elected popularly on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), holding an unprecedented overwhelming mandate of the people, did not join the APC even when there was hope of a successful governance by the ruling party, and it fails logic and reasoning that he will do so now that the party has demonstrated lack of capacity to govern.
“Perhaps this wild speculation would have looked possible and plausible if the APC had shown compassion for humanity which is the hallmark of Hon. Adebutu’s brand of politics, but sadly the welfare of the people appears not to be on the core agenda of the ruling party.
“It also needs reemphasizing that in his over thirty years in politics, having been elected into the House of Representatives on the platform of the Social Democratic Party, in 1992, Hon. Adebutu does not play politics of convenience. As a progressive politician, his brand of politics is governed by social Democratic ideals and ideology which are encapsulated in the social and economic freedom of the people and general improvement in the people’s welfare.
“However, one thing we have been able to take away from this false report is that Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu has climbed to such high pedestal in the politics of Ogun State so much that his name must be drawn into an obvious political propaganda warfare by all aspiring politicians, and we have no option than to wish them luck as we have strong faith in the capacity of the very enlightened people Ogun State to discern truth from falsehoods at all times”.
Enigmatic Nigerian electro-funk musician William Onyeabor died in his sleep this week, his record label Luaka Bop announced on Wednesday.
Onyeabor, a Nigerian star who exploded onto the international stage late in his career, was 70 when he died at his home in Enugu, in the country’s southeast.
From 1977 to 1985, Onyeabor released nine albums of electro-funk, which he recorded, pressed and printed at his personal pressing plant, Wilifilms Limited, according to Luaka Bop.
An old photo shows Onyeabor, dashing in a pin-striped suit and a black fedora decorated with a white feather, sitting in a nest of recording equipment with each hand on a different electronic keyboard.Late William Onyeabor
Onyeabor, referred to as “The Chief”, stopped making music in 1985 when he found religion and retreated to his mansion in the country, refusing to talk about his former life.
One of the songs by Onyeabor
But his career made a comeback when Talking Heads frontman David Byrne’s label Luaka Bop, which specialises in world music, reissued a compilation of his hits in 2013.
A film documentary followed along with a global tour of a band playing Onyeabor’s tracks on US late night talk shows and in London’s Barbican.
Despite his newfound fame, Onyeabor didn’t speak much in public.
In a rare interview with the New Yorker in 2014, Onyeabor said: “I’m happy that a new generation is discovering my music.”
A pro-Biafra group on Wednesday announced its intention to hold a rally in Nigeria in support of Donald Trump on his inauguration day as US president.
Hundreds of protests against Trump are expected to take place around the world on Friday when the billionaire businessman is sworn into office as 45th president of the United States.
But the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement is bucking the trend, choosing instead to rally on the Republican’s behalf in Nigeria’s southern oil hub, Port Harcourt.
IPOB released a statement inviting people to participate in a “peaceful solidarity rally for the United States president-elect Donald J Trump,” saying they “welcome civil and pragmatic democracy anywhere we find it”.
IPOB is part of a wider secessionist movement that advocates an independent state of Biafra, a region in southeast Nigeria that unsuccessfully fought for independence in a brutal three-year civil war that ended in 1970.
Early on in the US presidential race, IPOB threw its support behind Trump in the belief he would recognise their independence movement.
Soon after Britons voted to leave the European Union in a referendum last July, the group pushed for its own version of “Brexit” from Nigeria that it dubbed “Biafrexit”.
Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the brother of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who has been held by the Nigerian government since October 2015 on treason charges, said of Trump: “He supports the right to self-determination.”
Separatist sentiment has grown in the months since Kanu’s arrest and sparked bloody clashes with security forces that have since been condemned by human rights groups.
Former Governor of Abia, Dr Orji Kalu on Wednesday urged Nigerians to stop killing one another, as the country cannot afford another war.
Kalu gave the advice while speaking with newsmen in Minna in response to a question on the killings in Southern Kaduna, shortly after a condolence visit to the family of the deceased former governor of Niger State, Abdulkadir Kure.
He urged both the federal and Kaduna State governments to find a lasting solution to the crisis in the Southern part of the state.
The former Abia governor, who said Nigeria could not afford another war, urged politicians to desist from making utterances that were capable of causing disunity in the country.
"What is going on in Southern part of Kaduna is not right. People should stop killing each other.
Orji Kalu
"We are all Nigerians; politicians should manage information properly and stop dishing out rumours.
"People should stop writing all kinds of nonsense on social media to impress anybody.
"Nigeria is our home and we have no other place to go,'' he said.
Speaking on the late Kure, Kalu said the deceased made meaningful contributions toward nation-building.
"Kure was one of the people that fought against then President Olusegun Obasanjo's 3rd term bid.
"Kure and I stood up and said no to the 3rd term agenda. We went through a lot with the state security service just because we stood against it.
"Kure was a great partner in that fight. Without that fight, there wouldn't be former President Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu Buhari administrations.
"There were people, who supported the 3rd term bid.
"I lost everything in the process, because I fought for democracy; but I give thanks to God, because everything that glitters is not gold,'' he added.
Kalu described the late governor as more than a friend, a relationship, which he said led to his being honoured with a traditional title in the state.
By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA – Apparently irked by criticisms of its violations of its own constitutional timelines, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has finally kowtowed to demands to convene a National Executive Council NEC meeting where the decision to hold the party’s second national convention would be taken.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi in a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja, said the decision to ensure that the convention holds not later than April was taken at a meeting of the National Working Committee NWC of the party held earlier in the week.
“The National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will hold not later than April 2017”, Abdullahi declared.
He said the meeting of the NWC which was chaired by the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has outlined the processes leading to the National Convention which will commence with the Congress to fill vacancies in the State Party structures across the country.
The the party also described as regrettable, Tuesday's accidental bombing of an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Rann, Borno State.
Party spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi in a statement offered “deep condolences to the families of IDPs and humanitarian aid workers affected by the unfortunate accident”.
APC urged aid workers as well as the military not to be deterred by the incident.
The party also sympathised with the Borno State government, praying God to grant the souls of the dead eternal rest and the injured speedy and full recovery.
“Although Tuesday's accident is regrettable, the Party urges humanitarian aid agencies not to be deterred in their noble and selfless mission to bring succour to the IDPs in the Northeast.
“We also urge the Nigerian military to remain focussed on its ongoing final mop-up operation of Boko Haram terrorists in the North East so that inhabitants of the insurgency-ravaged areas can quickly return safely to their normal and productive lives”, APC advised.
The Edo Commissioner of Police, Mr Haliru Gwandu, said the command would recommend a serving Inspector being investigated for extra-judicial killing for `discharge' from service if found guilty.
Gwandu, who stated this at a news a conference on Wednesday in Benin, said "there is no sacred cow in the force''.
He also disclosed that the command had in the last one week arrested 27 suspected criminals in different hideouts in the state.
He said police detectives arrested the suspects with various dangerous arms and ammunition.
The commissioner said those arrested included six suspected armed robbers, five suspected kidnappers, 13 suspected cultists and three cyber crime suspects.
He listed some of the arms and ammunition recovered from them to include cut-to-size guns, cartridges, pistols, locally made short guns, double barreled gun and pump action gun.
He restated the command's preparedness to combat crime in the state and stressed that Edo was no longer a safe haven for criminals.
Gwandu enjoined all residents of the state to be law abiding and cooperate with the Police by volunteering useful information that would assist the command in taming criminal elements.
He said all the suspects would be arraigned in court as soon as investigations into the cases were concluded.
The commissioner further disclosed that the command had arrested no fewer than 40 persons for flouting the state government's directive on the ban on collection of illegal taxes and revenue.
A good marriage is best friends with passion. Without the passion, you just have a friendship. For some, being companions is sufficient. But for most, it is not. One of the major casualties of the harried pace of modern marriage is the loss of sexual intimacy. It is too steep a price to pay. Many marriages collapse because the couples had shy away from one of the most vital issues in marriage, that is sex. You need to know that sex is what cements a marriageand keep the couples together even if they having other issues. Having the right sex will help them trust each other and overcome their challenges. Problems in the bedroom can lead to deep dissatisfaction. A marital sex problem is like a canary in a coal mine — a warning alarm that danger lies ahead.
Start with arousal patterns. Men are quick to be aroused and relatively quick to achieve orgasm. The "spike" rises sharply and drops off just as sharply. Men are especially aroused visually; brain research documents this. So looking at other women, at magazines, videos, and online pornography play a much bigger role in the sexual life of men; Women are aroused more slowly and after achieving orgasm, tend to remain at a high plateau of arousal before dropping off. These are very different physiological patterns. No wonder it is a challenge for couples to really experience mutual satisfaction. These differences must not be ignored; instead they must be incorporated into the lovemaking process.
We'l continue from here next week, but lets take some questions from some of our customers
Hello Viewden, I used Boss Rhino Gold gotten from you some months back and I discovered it worked perfectly well for me in that it gave very strong erection without any side effects even though im a hypertensive person. Thank you so much can I have another pack? Ola
Ola, thank you sovery much, Boss Rhino Gold has also been discovered to be safe and effective for Hypertensive and diabetic individuals just like Manup, Rhino 5, Rhino7 and libimax plus and yes, you are welcome to place your order anytime.
Iam a 55 year old and I have a4 inch penis and I want to enlarge it , but im not sure what product to start with that will give a fast result that is permanent without any side effect, cos one of my friends got Vigrx plus and plump cream from you and he got a good increase on his penis. Can I also take the two together or what do you advise? Etaghene
Hello sir, your penis size is quite small so I must say at this point that the rate at which you'll get result will be a bit slow because your initial size is a bit small. I"ll advise you start with Penis pump , which will bring out the penis faster but temporarily and you can now combine the Penis pump with Vigrx plus and the plump cream which will give a more permanent result when used for about 2 to 4 months.
I got Vigrx plus from you 3 weeks ago to correct libido loss and weak stamina and im so glad to let you know that my urge for sex is better now and I have very good stamina for sex alongside with strong erection. Can I try Rhino 7? I heard it enlarges the penis and also gives very strong erection even though I'm 62 years- Bayo
Vigrx plus is very potent in correcting weak erection, loss of libido and weak stamina in men and some people use it for strong erection on demand and very safe for people with health issues like the diabetics. Yes Rhino 7 is very potent in that it gives strong erection and one capsule last for seven days, it also enlarges the penis for the period of sex; so note that it doesn't give a permanent enlargement aid if you feel like trying out a new thing, you can go for Rhino 7.
I need some vibrators from your store that are quite cheap about 6 or 7 types. What are the ones you can suggest I take for that category? Beauty
Our small vibrators that are also realistic ( i.e feels like the real skin) but are also affordable includes; Erotic beaver, Tickle your fancy, Carousel cravings, Buzzing Beaver,Buzzing baby rabbit, Vibrating mini make-up brush to mention but a few. You can visit our site for more on sextoys.
These are all we can take for this week. Adults who needs these aphrodisiacs can call 08034666358, 07059294782 between 8am and 6pm from Monday to Friday and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays, or place your order at www.viewden.com. For further enquiries, send an email to us at: vieweden@yahoo.com, viewden@ymail.com.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has described as utterly tragic the accidental bombing of a civilian community in Rann, Borno State, by a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) jet, causing deaths and injuries.
In a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister sends his condolences to the families of those who died in the unfortunate bombing and prays for quick recovery for the injured.Minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai mohammed (M); a leader of the Bring Back Our Girls Organisation (BBOG), Dr Oby Ezekwesili (R); and a member of BBOG, Aisha Yusuf, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja on a trip to Sambisa forest and some parts of the North-East on Monday (16/1/17).
Alhaji Mohammed, who recently led members of the BBOG and the media to Yola, where the Air Component of the fight against Boko Haram is based, said he was particularly saddened because the accidental bombing is not a true reflection of the level of professionalism that he witnessed during the visit
”One of the things we went away with after spending about 48 hours at the Tactical Air Command in Yola is the strict adherence to operational guidelines and the high level of professionalism of the officers and men, especially the young pilots who fly high-risk missions day and night.
”Among others, we witnessed pre- and post-mission briefings for the pilots, the high attention paid to details, especially concerning emergencies and weather, and the evacuation plan in case of accidents. We heard that on several occasions during their sorties, fighter pilots have had to hold their fire after observing the movement of women and children in Sambisa. We also witnessed the same careful disposition when we flew to Sambisa with the pilots.
”It therefore came to me as a rude shock to learn, a few hours after leaving Yola, that one of the fighter jets has accidentally bombed civilians, including aid workers,” he said.
The Minister urged the NAF to continue to take the necessary measures to avoid civilian casualties, as it carries out its challenging task of keeping Nigerians safe.
No comments:
Post a Comment