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
Business activities were on Friday disrupted at Artillery area of Port Harcourt following the solidarity march by members of the Indigenuous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The IPOB group, dressed in black and red attire with the defunct Biafran flag marched in batches from Oyigbo and Aba road to the Government House area, causing traffic jam on the busy road.
The group said the march was to show solidarity to the US President Donald Trump as he was being inaugurated.
Trouble started when a batch had an encounter with the police at Okporo road in the Artillery area.
An eye-witness, Mr Roland Joseph claimed that the fracas started when the group carried a corpse to Okporo Police Station alleging that the police killed the victim.
Joseph said that as they were approaching the police station, the police reacted by shooting teargas to disperse them.
IPOB members on solidarity march for Trump
"This caused serious confusion. Shops closed, people ran helter skelter and tension built up", he said.
Mr Emekah Uduma, another eyewitness corroborated Joseph's view, adding that the police needed to disperse the large crowds by shooting the teargas.
"The police started shooting to scare the crowds away from blocking the station and the major road, a lot of people sustained injuries and some shop owners were forced to lock their shops", Uduma said.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Nnamdi Omoni, told newsmen that nobody was killed by police.
"No, I am not aware that any Biafran protester was killed today. I'm yet to get the information", he said.
Pope Francis congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration Friday, urging the new president to keep fighting for the poor at a time of “grave humanitarian crises.”
Francis offered his “cordial good wishes” and hoped Trump would be granted “wisdom and strength in the exercise” of his office.
But the pontiff struck a cautionary chord in his message to Trump, imploring the former reality TV star to continue to help those who suffer the most.
“At a time when our human family is beset by grave humanitarian crises demanding farsighted and united political responses, I pray that your decisions will be guided by the rich spiritual and ethical values that have shaped the history of the American people and your nation’s commitment to the advancement of human dignity and freedom worldwide,” wrote Francis.
“Under your leadership, may America’s stature continue to be measured above all by its concern for the poor, the outcast and those in need who, like Lazarus, stand before our door.”
Earlier in Washington, Trump had placed his left hand on a bible used by Abraham Lincoln and recited the US presidential oath.
But in his inauguration speech, Trump gave little indication his thoughts matched the Pope’s as he vowed to put “only America first” and make the country “rich again”.
Gambia's army chief General, Ousman Badjie said he recognized new President Adama Barrow as the new commander-and-chief and would not fight a regional force poised to depose Yahya Jammeh.
"We are going to welcome them with flowers and make them a cup of tea," Badjie told Reuters in an interview today.
"This is a political problem. It's a misunderstanding. We are not going to fight Nigerian, Togolese or any military that comes."
#Gambia The Chief of Defence staff Ousman Badjie pledges solidarity to President Barrow and said his men won’t fight pic.twitter.com/AKTApTIbqd
Badjie had initially pledged loyalty to Barrow after the stunning announcement of his victory in the 1 December election.
He made a volte face again after Jammeh challenged Barrow's election.
The army chief was seen yesterday in the streets of Banjul jubilating with the people after the swearing-in of Barrow in Dakar Senegal.
His pledge of loyalty to Barrow came as Jammeh prepares to leave the country, although he missed the 4pm deadline given by ECOWAS. Some reports said he was writing a last note before he departs to Guinea Conakry on exile.
The following is the complete text of Donald Trump’s inaugural address delivered Friday after he was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States:
Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you.
We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.
Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for years to come.
We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.
Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent. Thank you.
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 20: President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. In today’s inauguration ceremony Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States. /AFP
Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another — but we are transferring power from Washington, DC and giving it back to you, the American people.
For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.
Washington flourished — but the people did not share in its wealth.
Politicians prospered — but the jobs left, and the factories closed.
The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.
Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation’s capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.
That all changes — starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you.
It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America.
This is your day. This is your celebration.
And this, the United States of America, is your country.
What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.
January 20th, 2017 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.
The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.
Everyone is listening to you now.
You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before.
At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens.
Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves.
These are the just and reasonable demands of a righteous public.
But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.
This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.
We are one nation — and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.
The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.
For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry;
Subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military;
We’ve defended other nation’s borders while refusing to defend our own;
And spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.
We’ve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon.
One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of American workers left behind.
The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world.
But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future.
We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power.
From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land.
From this moment on, it's going to be only America First. America First.
Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families.
We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.
I will fight for you with every breath in my body — and I will never, ever let you down.
America will start winning again, winning like never before.
We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.
We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.
We will get our people off of welfare and back to work — rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.
We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American.
We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world — but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.
We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow.
We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones — and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.
At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.
When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.
The Bible tells us, “how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”
We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.
When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.
There should be no fear — we are protected, and we will always be protected.
We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we will be protected by God.
Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger.
In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving.
We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action — constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.
The time for empty talk is over.
Now arrives the hour of action.
Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America.
We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.
We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.
A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.
It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American flag.
And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator.
So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear these words:
You will never be ignored again.
Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams, will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.
Together, We will make America strong again.
We will make America wealthy again.
We will make America proud again.
We will make America safe again.
And, yes, together, we will make America great again. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.
Defending champions the Ivory Coast had to come from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo Friday in a lively Africa Cup of Nations clash.
The result in the northern Gabonese town of Oyem kept the vibrant Congolese top of Group C with four points from two matches followed by the Ivorians with two.
Togo have one point and Morocco, their opponents later Friday in the second match of a double-header, are pointless.
Another defeat for Morocco, guided by twice Cup of Nations-winning coach Herve Renard, and they will be eliminated having gone down by a lone goal to DR Congo four days ago.
Neeskens Kebano and Junior Kabananga scored for the Congolese while Wilfried Bony and captain Geoffrey Serey Die got the Ivorian goals.
The fixture had a history of goals with four previous Cup of Nations meetings delivering 13, including four when the Ivory Coast won a semi-final 3-1 two years ago.
Ivory Coast’s midfielder Franck Kessie (C) challenges Democratic Republic of the Congo’s midfielder Merveille Bokadi and Democratic Republic of the Congo’s defender Chancel Mbemba (R) during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations group C football match between Ivory Coast and DR Congo in Oyem on January 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO
It was no surprise, then, that a lively first half in which both sides were committed to attack ended 2-1 in favour of the Congolese.
After only one goal in the opening two matches in Oyem, this was a welcome change for spectators seeking goalmouth excitement.
Kebano put twice champions DR Congo ahead on nine minutes with a sizzling shot across goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo into the far corner of the net.
The goal stemmed from a throw-in to Kabananga, who pushed it back to Kebano, whose first name stems from the respect his father had for former Dutch star Johan Neeskens.
DR Congo were looking sharper than the title-holders until recalled Bony began to make an impact from midway through the half with his aerial strength.
He nodded narrowly wide on 22 minutes and soon after equalised with a powerful glancing header past goalkeeper Ley Matampi following a corner.
The teams remained level for only three minutes, though, before Kabananga put the Congolese ahead again with his second goal of the tournament.
Unmarked at the far post, he soared to powerfully nod a cross past Gbohouo, who plays his club football in DR Congo with six-time African champions TP Mazembe.
Ivory Coast equalised again midway through the second half with a deflected shot from Serey Die leaving Matampi stranded.
Substitute Salomon Kalou thought he had snatched a stoppage-time winner for the Ivorians, but was correctly ruled offside.
Gambian President, Adama Barrow has confirmed that former and embattled President, Yahaya Jammeh has agreed to step down.
In a tweet some minutes ago, President Barrow, wrote, “I would like to inform you that Yahya Jammeh has agreed to step down. He is scheduled to depart Gambia today. #NewGambia.”
I would like to inform you that Yahya Jammeh has agreed to step down. He is scheduled to depart Gambia today. #NewGambia
Embattled Gambian out-gone President,Yahaya Jammeh is reportedly, currently writing an acceptance speech wherein he would agree to cede power and officially recognize Adama Barrow as his successor.
President Barrow, has confirmed this. On his twitter handle, he twitted, “I would like to inform you that Yahya Jammeh has agreed to step down. He is scheduled to depart Gambia today. #NewGambia.”
A France24 journalist in The Gambia, Nicolas Germain, also confirmed this in a tweet. According to him, Jammeh is “currently writing the statement where he accepts to leave, in the presence of Guinean officials.”
Recall that earlier today, Jammeh had asked a shift in deadline of midday to vacate office as ECOWAS soldiers closed in on him.
Government sources had said that the request was made when the leaders of Guinea and Mauritania arrived in the capital, Banjul, in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to get him to cede power.
Yahya Jammeh
The twitter handle of Charles Onyango-Obbot @cobbo3, a Ugandan journalist and author had equally reported that " Jammeh asks for deadline extension – from midday (local time) to 4pm!” “He's not done packing #Gambia.”
Meanwhile, after the inauguration of Adama Barrow, which held on Thursday, January 19, 2017, at the Gambian Embassy in Senegal, the presidential portrait of Yahya Jammeh was replaced with that of the internationally recognised President, Adama Barrow. The event happened at the UN Gambia's mission in the United State.
U.N replaces Jammeh’s portrait with Barrow’s
Recall also that a regional military force that crossed the border in support of his democratically elected successor, Adama Barrow, was awaiting orders on Friday.
The West African troops entered the Gambia on Thursday night, hours after Barrow was forced to hold his inauguration as president in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
De Souza said the west African force, which includes tanks, has so far met no resistance. Watch wideo of ECOWAS troops entering The Gambia:
Dozens of vultures spread their wings on the large ground outside State House, and a lone cyclist, perhaps one of the few remaining tourists in the country, made the most of the empty roads.
The country's chief of defence staff, Ousman Badjie, was seen speeding in the direction of Banjul. He has switched allegiance several times over the past month, and was celebrating with Barrow supporters in the streets last night.
Laura Ikeji, younger sister of popular blogger, Linda got married on Thursday to Ogbonna Kanu, who is the younger brother of Nigerian football legend, Nwakwo Kanu.
Laura and Ogbonna tied the knot at the Ikoyi registry in Lagos, in the presence of close family and friends who gathered to celebrate the union with the couple.
Linda, the bride’s sister was present and she shared pictures from the ceremony and a congratulatory message which read “My amazing younger sister, Laura Ikeji, got married at the Ikoyi Registry this morning Jan. 19th to her man, Ogbonna Kanu, who is the younger brother of legendary footballer Kanu Nwankwo. She’s now officially Mrs Laura Kanu… congrats to my darling sister!”
The couple got engaged on December 16, 2016 and the traditional wedding is scheduled to hold on January 28, 2017 at the bride’s family compound in Eziama, Imo State.
President Donald Trump vowed in his inaugural address Friday that every US decision would be guided by a vision that puts “only America first.”
“Together we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come,” said the 70-year-old Republican, before the nation’s top political dignitaries and hundreds of thousands of supporters massed on the National Mall.
“We will face challenges. We will confront hardships, but we will get the job done.”
“From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first,” Trump vowed.
“Today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, DC. And giving it back to you, the people,” he pledged.
“Together we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And, yes, together, we will make America great again,” Trump said as he concluded his address.
Trump says presidency will set course for America, world ‘for many years’
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 20: President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. In today’s inauguration ceremony Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States. /AFP
Trump vows to eradicate ‘radical Islamic terrorism’
Also Trump placed the battle against Islamic extremism at the heart of his foreign policy as he took office on Friday, vowing to work with allies to destroy the jihadist threat.
“We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth,” he declared.
Trump’s predecessors George W. Bush — who invaded Afghanistan and ousted the Taliban regime — and Barack Obama — who ordered the raid that killed Osama bin Laden — also fought extremism.
But Trump has gome further than both in his use of language suggesting that he sees the fight as a civilizational battle between America and a threat springing from the Islamic faith itself.
And, in an inaugural address otherwise very thin on policy specifics, his vow to form new alliances against terror suggests that he intends to work with Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
Moscow has deployed forces to Syria to protect Bashar al-Assad’s regime from Islamist rebels, but Obama’s administration has argued their brutal tactics alienate moderates and only boost support for the extremist Islamic State group.
President Trump thanks ‘magnificent’ predecessor Obama
President Trump promises ‘great national effort’ to rebuild America
Trump: We are transferring power from Washington to the people
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There are certain people you must not hide the truth from. They are not your spouse, parents or family members, yet, your relationship with them is so crucial such that you are bound to tell them the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, at all times, if your plan is to get the best out of the relationship. Indeed, whatever you say to them at any point can have great implications on your life and the opportunities they have to offer you. Your Doctor and your Lawyer are believed to be the closest individuals and professionals to you because of the services they offer.
In fact, these two people may be likened to the Catholic Priest who listens to the confessions of the faithful, counsels them and dispatches them back into the world, to go and sin no more. It is to them that we run, when we suspect that there is trouble. We believe so much in them and their competence, that we swallow everything they offer us hook, line and sinker, without questions. Thus, we tend to lower our natural guard when dealing with them as the relationship is based on trust. Their competence to get us out of our bad situation is never in doubt, unless they inform us otherwise or something goes wrong for unexplainable reasons.
Their strategic importance to us informs many people's decision to keep them as close as possible, even on retainer for a fee. No doubt the inefficiency of government to provide adequate health care facilities for citizens has also forced us to embrace medical practitioners like beautiful brides. Unfortunately, a few of them may be found wanting. God forbid that you come across one who will betray that trust.
When Wunmi met Lanre, a doctor in one of the government hospitals about two years ago, everyone was convinced it was a perfect match. The love between them was obvious for everyone to see. So, it was a great surprise when Wunmi suddenly announced that she was no longer interested in the relationship. According to her, she was sure she did not have the temperament to be a doctor's wife. She said she was not comfortable with the fact that he got to meet and be with women, young and old, all day long. This had caused her to develop a complex of sort.
Whenever they were together, she could not stop herself from asking about the women. How many he examined that day? If they were beautiful or not? Did he see their bum or boobs and if he enjoyed touching them or lusted after them? She said he was always cool about his responses and would sometimes gist her about any strange thing he noticed about the women. Rather than amuse her, his stories only infuriated her the more. Despite all the assurances that Lanre gave that he did not consider the women as real, but mere specimens or mannequins to work with, Wunmi said she was convinced that he was not being truthful. And so while many of us thought that wedding bells were about to start chiming, Wunmi dropped a bombshell on us. She'd called off the relationship as she was sure she could not cope.
From the accounts of many women, victims and witnesses alike, it is obvious that some doctors sometimes fall short of their calling, succumbing to the lure of the female flesh. Many incidents of abuse, molestation and indecent proposals abound from patients' accounts of their unwholesome experiences in the hands of some medical practitioners. I don't have the statistics of the number of male and female doctors in Nigeria but it is obvious that there are more men than women, either in private or government practice.
Breast implant …Doctor's advice is always vital
Thus, most women get to meet male doctors most of the time. Some can be randy and a few outrightly dirty, unprofessional and unscrupulous. While one cannot dismiss the possibility of an attraction or mutual chemistry between opposite sexes, there are also cases of doctors taking advantage of their patient's situation to get into their heads, minds and eventually their pants. It is only normal that a doctor will examine a patient based on the complaint before him. Given the laxity and level of corruption in the society, one may not be surprised to find ENT doctors asking patients to strip down to their underwear for examination.
But, honestly speaking, it must take great discipline and grace for a full grown, virile man to sit across a table and view, (not imagine oh,) women of various shapes, colours and sizes walk in, strip to various levels of undress, run his hands and fingers all over them and sometimes through them, then watch them dress up again and walk out as if nothing had happened! Though this is what is called professionalism and a relationship based on trust, but isn't the fact that some of these doctors are sometimes found wanting makes them human and vulnerable too? Wunmi's fears may not be totally unfounded, truth be told. Mrs. Gomez, a teacher and mother of two children lost her husband to a female nurse, widow and mother of five children who worked in the same office as her husband, a doctor.
There are salacious stories of Doctor versus Nurse romance in most hospital circles, the night shifts and emergency calls may not necessarily be serious duty calls sometimes. But while that may not be classified as a breach of trust since similar things also go on in other work environments, stories of doctors manipulating the situation of patient into unholy alliances sure are.
Susan, one of my young lady friends recently narrated a personal experience with their family doctor to me. She never knew that the old man, same age with her father, had eyes for her until she approached him for a favour. She was in her second year in the University and had fallen victim to peer pressure and unmanaged independence, when she found herself pregnant. Stranded because she did not have a boyfriend she could turn to for support and she was not sure she wanted to subject herself to the offers of her friends, she decided to turn to the only competent and reliable doctor she'd known almost all her life.
On establishing that her story was correct, he assured her of his willingness to assist without informing her parents but only on the condition that he also 'tops' the pregnancy. She said he hit the nail straight on the head and told her that since she was already pregnant, there was no fear of another pregnancy taking place. Once through, he would evacuate everything for her at no cost. Further boxing her into a corner, he told her she was free to walk away if she did not want him, but he could not guarantee his silence on the matter to her parents.
She left and met him two days later at a designated hotel in town where he confessed he'd had his roving eyes and dirty mind on her for a very long time. He bailed her out and they continued to meet secretly until a couple of months ago as she is now getting set for matrimony. Neither of their families and church members have a clue of what went down between them.
It is advised that you keep your secret to yourself as you can never be sure of the intentions of the person you divulge it to, but how much of your medical problem can you keep from your family doctor? If Susan was young and gullible, the same cannot be said of Funke, 49, mother of four teenage children who also got a proposition from their family doctor recently. "It must have stemmed from the fact that he is aware that my husband and I have not had a sex life for a long time now due to his illness. He probably thought I was sex starved and would fall into his arms like a pack of cards.
My husband has serious Prostate problems but its well under control now. Doctor Seye has been our family doctor for over 10 years now. We are well acquainted with each other's families though not intimately. So, I was surprised by his actions. He is fond of making small, dirty jokes but I had never given it serious thought. So, one day I walked in to complain about some sharp pains in my stomach. He asked me to lie down and as we were talking he asked me if I was examining my breasts regularly. I told him yes but he being an expert could also check for me since I was already on his table anyways. So, I took off my bra and he commenced his examination. But, soon I realised that it was no longer an examination as he kept fondling my breasts and kneading my nipples.
Though he was still talking as if he was doing a serious professional job, I noticed that his breathing had changed. I got angry and turned my face away, determined to teach him a lesson by ignoring him. Whatever his intention was, it was impossible that he would rape me in his office. We remained like that for a few minutes then suddenly I felt his hand on my skirt and grabbed it. I did not need to say a word but he got my message. He stepped back, apologised and asked me to dress up, walking back to his table. I could see the huge bulge in his trousers. He wrote out his report, then walked round the table again to stand over me. I quickly stood up and grabbed my bag. Then he laughed and said, "madam, e stubborn sha!". I took my file and walked out. I called him later that night and gave him a piece of my mind and he apologised. We are still using his services as I never told my husband bout it. Now, whenever I am there, there is always a Nurse in attendance.
Donald Trump became the 45th president of United States on Friday, ushering in a new political era that is cheered and feared in equal measure.
The 70-year-old Republican billionaire placed his left hand on a bible used by Abraham Lincoln and recited the 35-word oath spoken since George Washington, and then launched into a much-anticipated inaugural address.
“We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people,” Trump told a crowd of hundreds of thousands massed on the National Mall.
U.S President Trump and Vice President Pence
“Together we will determine the course of America, and the world, for many, many years to come,” he said.
“From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first.”
Trump’s inauguration caps the improbable rise to power of the Manhattan real estate mogul, who had never before held elected office, served in the government or the armed forces.
A crowd of hundreds of thousands looked on, including outgoing president Barack Obama and Trump’s defeated election opponent Hillary Clinton — who narrowly missed out on becoming America’s first female president.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” said Thomas Mendenhall, 68, a retired banker from Missouri. “We just want change.”
– Meteoric political rise –
When Trump descended the escalators of his glitzy New York tower in June 2015, his run for office was dismissed and even mocked.
His staff, many shunned by friends for supporting a man who has been labeled a racist and bigot by his critics, will become power players in the White House.
In the primaries, Trump dominated a crowded Republican presidential field with smash-mouth rhetoric and star power. He rode that same wave of anti-elite sentiment to victory over Clinton in the November election.
For Trump’s critics, there was disbelief that a man who 19 months ago hosted “The Apprentice” is now leader of the free world.
A short distance from the steps of the Capitol, where Trump was sworn in, police fired gas to disperse protesters. Stones were thrown and windows broken.
A 27-year-old financial worker from Tampa Bay in Florida, who did not want to give his name for fear of retaliation by his employer, said Trump’s election victory had left him fearful.
“There is nothing to hope for except for grassroots efforts to oppose him,” he said. A bigger anti-Trump rally is planned for Saturday.
– Time-honored traditions –
At 70 years of age, Trump is the oldest man ever to begin work in the Oval Office.
He has vowed to tear up Obama’s policies and re-examine decades-old alliances with Europe and in Asia.
Beginning Friday, his team plans a rolling series of daily executive orders to roll back Obama’s agenda.
But he enters office with a 37 percent approval rating, the lowest on record, according to a CBS News poll.
His inauguration was notably more sparsely attended than that of Obama in 2009 and 2013.
Many will look to Trump’s inaugural speech for efforts to unify a country divided by politics — and increasingly, by culture.
The most noted inaugural addresses had sought to lift Americans’ gaze up from the rancor and troubles of the day toward the horizon and a better tomorrow.
Inaugural addresses — from Lincoln to John F. Kennedy — echo across American history. Phrases like “malice towards none” and “ask not what your country can do for you” have been carved into the vernacular.
Trump aides are promising an address that is at once short — at around 20 minutes — and philosophical.
Earlier in the day, Trump had traced the steps of many presidents past, attending a prayer service at St. John’s Church before heading to the White House, where he was greeted warmly by Obama.
“Mr President-elect, how are you?” Obama asked his successor, after having deposited a letter in the Resolute desk and left the Oval Office for the last time.
After his speech, Trump will attend a luncheon inside the Capitol, before heading back to the White House to begin the business of governing.
"WHAT is it about middle age men and their libidos?" asked an exasperated Mariam at a recent chin-wag. In her middle age, she got divorced several years back from a husband she termed a serial adulterer. She went on: "The other day, I was commiserating with a friend whose portly husband of 28 years had abandoned her—and, apparently, all reason—for a woman his daughter's age. She is your typical home-maker-loyal, dependable and discreet.
She has quietly supported her businessman husband's career throughout their marriage. How could he have deserted her for a floozy after all those years of love and self-sacrifice? She was naturally bereft…."The big question is: What turns a typical 'for-the-baba-ke' into a fully-fledged, grade-A lothario? "I'll tell you," offered Mariam. "The lustre of his successful career has magically rendered him highly attractive to women. He may not have qualified as a contestant in a Mr. Nigeria contest, but he has a sharp brain and a successful career that sees him rubbing shoulders with the most powerful people in the country.
That's why impressionable young women are attracted to him—they wouldn't have found him nearly as alluring if he'd been some pen-pushing nonentity earning enough to cater for a small family in a flat! Power and money, as the cliche goes, are potent aphrodisiacs, and when allied to the status of a successful career the mixture is irresistible."
As the discussion raged, it soon transpired that what got these women virtually boiling with rage was the report of one of their husbands in advanced middle age making an arrant fool of himself. He was spotted by one of their adult children in ridiculously age-inappropriate sportswear, smooching at a disco party with his lissom personal assistant. What on earth was he thinking?
"Certainly not of his poor wife and mother of his four children," spat Mariam. "But then, we all know that decorum and common sense desert these daft men when they are in the grip of an infatuation with a young vixen in the
office. And it happens to men in all walks of life: bankers, lawyers, doctors, accountants—they all seem to fall prey to an office junior—beguiled by their power and desperate to get a career boost—who strokes their balding pate and massages their burgeoning ego.
"These men, gripped by a late—life surge of lust, seem to forget the sacrifices their spouse made towards their success. I've seen it again and again: men with devoted wives who raise their children, keep their homes spic and span and discreetly endure the decline in the physical side of their relationship—start acting like lust-obsessed adolescents the moment an impressionable young woman pays attention to them.
"Sadly, my own marriage came to grief over a similar scenario. When I first met Jide, my ex, we were both accountants in a big firm. He was my senior of course, and as soon as he could, left with two of his friends to found a firm of chartered accountants. The fourth of the group stayed behind to pass the company's work to the new firm.
"Once he's found the success he craved, it was as if he felt entitled to have it all: a happy home life with me and our children, and the thrill of an illicit office dalliance with whichever moppet was most flattered by the attentions of the man calling the shots in the office. So while I was ensconced at our home, raising our children, cooking the meals, keeping the house and somehow juggling my own career, Mr. hot pants frittered away money having a darn good time. Of course, wives and steady girlfriends are never invited to these shindigs, ensuring he could do whatever he wished with pretty office juniors.
"So what was in it for the girls? They may have believed it would advance their careers, certainly they would have enjoyed the intro into a sophisticated world and the association with movers and shakers. But was good sex the lure? Most unlikely! Because as my husband's professional success advanced, it seemed his sexual potency declined commensurately. I knew of his affairs but turned a blind eye until the last one—the one that precipitated the end of our marriage. Even when I found Viagra in his pocket, knowing it wouldn't be used for me, I kept mum. After all, I wouldn't be the only wronged wife with a faithless middle-aged husband who enjoyed the authority and conviction she brought to her role.
"I believe there is something undignified about men that past this physical prime, their sell-by date so to speak, making idiots of themselves with younger women. An affair may inflate their self-esteem for a while, but it usually does little for their career. The point is that men in their 50s behaving like sexually in-continent adolescents lose the credibility gained from their high-flying jobs. Tell me, how many successful women in senior position—captains of industry, heads of parastatal—are rendering themselves cheap by having affairs with office juniors? The idea of catching such women in a fumble with a messenger is laughable and preposterous. Yet successful men seem to think a liaison is not only a job perk, but also ultimate proof of their macho status. Well, it isn't.
So why do they think their egos need such bolstering? In the end, they must ask themselves how they want to be remembered—for their talent and achievements or for their petty sexual misdemeanours? Men like my friends' husband may enjoy the thrill of their illicit fling. They may even go on to marry their young bird-brained girls. But what happens when they reach
their drooling, incontinent dotage and their new wives are in their middle-aged prime? Will those trophy lovers stick around to push them in their bath-chairs and spoon-feed them? I doubt it!"
With Mariam spewing so much venom, she gives the idea that May-November relationships always end in tears. Some of them survive, leaving the bitter first wives reaching for their valium. I'm sure if Mariam were to cast aside her bitterness, she would discover that some top female executives are not aversed to the well-toned bodies of the male species. After all, they too, can afford to pay!!
The width of a woman's hips reveals her appetite for sex!
Hips may provide clues to a woman's sexual appetite, scientists said recently.
They found that curvaceous women tend to have more sexual partners as well as more one-night stands. The researchers suggested that women with larger hips may be less restrained because their anatomy makes it safer for them to have a baby. The scientists recruited 148 women aged between 18 and 26 from the streets of Leeds. Chosen because they were a variety of shapes, the subjects were measured in the city's university and quizzed on their sexual history.
The results revealed a link between hip width—the distance between the bones that jut out at the top of the pelvis—and number of partners. The difference between a generous hip width of 14.2 inches and above, and one of 122 inches or below was particularly dear. Researcher Colin Hendrie said: 'We found that smaller women tended to have a couple of sexual partners, which were mainly in the context of relationships.
The wider-hipped women also had a couple of relationships but they tended to have many more one-night stands. 'So they had a couple of relationships and maybe six, seven or eight one-night stands as well.' The study found that if one night stands accounted for at least three quarters of a woman's sexual partners, she tended to have hips at least 0.8 inches wider than a woman who mainly had long-term relationships. Waist size was found to be less important than hip size. Dr. Hendrie said that— because women decide when to have sex—the findings cannot be explained away by men finding large hips more attractive. Instead, he thinks that women with narrower hips are innately more cautious because childbirth is more dangerous for them.
'Childbirth is quite traumatic, particularly if you are smaller,' he said. 'The theory is that these women won't be having wild parties but have sex in relationships, so that if they do get pregnant, they have someone there to offer assistance and support.' He was writing in the journal Archives of Sexual Behaviour. Separate research has found that a typical woman needs four dates to assess a new boyfriend. During that time they will tick off a ten-point checklist to judge qualities such as their potential lover's trustworthiness, sense of humour and whether they 'click' together. Not until the fifth date will the average single woman consider having more intimate relations, according to the study for Singles247.com, a dating website.
Rising actress cum producer, Chukwurah Joy Favour popularly known as Joy Kingsley is currently disturbed as she has accused 'money bags' and quack producers, of hijacking the nation's movie industry.
Joy made this allegation against the backdrop of the prevailing trend in the industry, where the budding actors and actresses are indiscriminately compelled to pay for movie roles by the shylock producers.
Joy Kingsley
This ugly development, according to the actress, informed her decision to go into film production to encourage and discover fresh talents. She described the practice as "unethical"adding that it would in no small measure deprive the industry of great potentials in the future, as those who are highly talented but cannot afford to pay their way through, would be deprived of the opportunity to hit the limelight. To match her words with action, Joy who recently moved into her Lekki home after she bought herself a brand new car, is due to premiere her debut movie as a producer.
The graduate of Economics from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma said, she's leaving no stone unturned in her resolve to make a bold statement with her forthcoming movie. "I decided to delve into film production so as to give opportunities to fresh talents, taken into consideration that money bags have hijacked the industry. People now pay for roles, thereby limiting the chances of great potentials that are yet to be discovered,"she lamented.
As a promising actress, Joy Kingsley has acted in many movies including ''Bloody Young Money, My Helper. Caro and Alaro, the Evil Household, God Never Sleeps, Harvest of Hatred, Gadaffi, Love Meter, Car Wash Girl among others.
Meantime, several market men and women recently stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly protesting against alleged planned demolition of the Ojodu Retail Market.
The protesters urged the House to use its influence to stop the state government from implementing the policy, as the consequence would ruin many families and homes.
Alhaja Fadeke Bello, the leader of the protesters, told journalists that the traders were surprised, when some officials of the state government gave them only one day notice before demolition.
Bello, who is also the Treasurer of the Market Men and Women, Ojodu Retail Market Branch, explained that they represented several other traders who have been subjected to untold hardship.
"We heard that Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode ordered the demolition of parts of the market, which we did not agree to because the notice was short. They called us for an emergency meeting yesterday that they were coming today to demolish the market and we told them that we could not accept that because of the short notice.
"This was why we decided to come and inform the Governor, Speaker of the Assembly and our Iyaloja General, Alhaja Folashade Tinubu-Ojo. We are going to her office to see her now. They told us they would only demolish part of the market, but we don't know what they would do. They gave us a short notice," she said. The leader said that the market belongs to Ikeja Local Government and that it was established 32 years ago by the Marketing Board.
About 30 Dock Workers have staged a protest to the Lagos State House of Assembly over what they described as untold hardship meted to them on account of the failure of the management of ENL Consortium Limited to fulfill its obligation to all disengaged Dockworkers who were previously under its supervision in "Shed 6/Terminal D and C".
The protesters who carried placards some of which read: "Dockworkers demand democratic Union to defend workers' interest"; "Reverse Port Privatisation, Nationalise it under workers management"; "ENL must pay our 10 years terminal benefits now"; "Privatisation has worsened port problem, Capitalism is evil, socialism is better", lamented that the dehumanization by the management of ENL Consortiun was condemnable.
Spokesman of the protesters, Mr. Eseagu Gerard, explained that, the management of ENL Consortium Limited has failed to pay its disengaged workers for the past ten years.
According to him, about 650 workers have been subjected to untold dehumanization and slavery condition of work and denied their due and agreed entitlements and payments.
In a protest letter jointly signed by Gerard as coordinator and Adams Aminu as Secretary, they asked for, "payment of the balance of workers percentage and that of the management to our Pension Fund Administrator, PFN, to allow the PFA to commence the process for effecting their obligations to the disengaged Dockworkers.
"And also the payment of the unremitted contributory pension from 2006-2011 to our designated PFAs. "The payment of our annual leave allowance covering all of the ten years.
"Revisit and review of the payment of N350,000 Redundancy Terminal and Hazardous benefit, to determine the criteria for determining the figure that originally should be less than N850,000".
Addressing the protesters, the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa promised to take the matter up and ensure that it is investigated.
He advised them to be peaceful and not to take laws into their hands, while protesting.
Nigeria Peace Corps, NPC, said it has concluded plans to deploy the use of sophisticated high-tech tracking devices that would help its personnel to effectively tackle problem of cultism, bribery, kidnapping and other sundry challenging crimes in the country.
It also promised to recruit 2,000 youths in Lagos State to effectively carry out its functions as well as reduce rate of unemployment in the state this year.
The South-West Zonal Commandant of the corps, Mr. Mutairu Habib, disclosed this at a media briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, on the activities of the corps.
The Peace Corps of Nigeria is a new uniformed organization recently accorded recognition/affiliation by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Development. It is a volunteer programme run by the United States Government since 1961 and to date, nearly 220,000 Americans have joined the Corps and are serving in 141 countries.
According to him, "the corps has concluded plans to recruit 2,000 officers in Lagos State this year as part of efforts to reduce unemployment rate.
"We recognize and applaud Governor Akinwunmi Ambode's determination to empower the teeming youth population, provision of security and welfare of Lagosians in particular, which earned him recognition as the Best Performing Governor in New York last year.
"We have therefore decided to use the recruitment exercise to compliment the governor's efforts in the area of job creation as well as reduction of crime in the state", he concluded.
He however urged governments at all levels to work in tandem with the policies of the security outfit.
A British worker fell to his death from a suspended platform at a Qatar 2022 World Cup stadium site, a building contractor said Friday.
The 40-year-old Briton, as yet unnamed, suffered fatal injuries Thursday while working on the Khalifa International Stadium, which will also be the venue for the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, overseeing the organisation of Qatar 2022, announced his death hours after the incident took place but without giving a cause.
Further details were released in a statement on Friday issued by one of the stadium’s main contractors, Belgian construction giant Besix.
It said the accident happened when the man was on a platform “designed to manage technical functions relating to sound and light installations”.
“For unknown reasons one of the lever hoists supporting the platform failed, causing the fall of the worker, who was wearing all his safety equipment, including the safety harness,” Besix said.
“Sadly, the harness was cut during the fall with a fatal outcome. What caused the cut is subject to further investigation.”
Besix, the main contractor at the Khalifa stadium along with Qatari company Midmac, extended its “deepest condolences” to the victim’s family.
A spokesperson for the Belgian firm later told AFP that the British man was actually working for a German sub-contractor group.
Qatari World Cup organisers said the man’s family had been informed and an investigation launched.
“The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy shares our deepest condolences with the family for their loss,” it said in a statement.
A British Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are in contact with the local authorities following the death of a British national in Qatar and are ready to support their family at this very difficult time.”
Renovation work on Khalifa is set to be completed later this year, making it the first stadium to be ready for the World Cup in five years’ time.
The stadium is being increased in size from a current capacity of 40,000 to more than 68,000 and will be used up to the quarter-final stage in 2022.
The tragedy occurred at the same stadium where last year Amnesty International claimed some migrant workers had suffered abuse, including forced labour.
The death is the latest incident to hit the controversial World Cup.
Last October, a Nepalese labourer, Anil Kumar Pasman, died after being hit by a lorry while working at another Qatar World Cup stadium, Al-Wakrah.
Pasman’s death was the first “work-related” fatality announced by World Cup organisers in Qatar, which is home to an estimated 20,000 Britons.
The political terrain in Delta State has climaxed to a certain level where occurrences and issues are no longer new as every Deltan seems to be conscious of its daily affairs and activities.
It is no longer news that the state, especially some renowned local government has been abandoned as nothing seems to be feasible in terms of development and achievements. Suffice it to say that, these local governments have representatives that ought to pursue and project that which the communities requires to grow, but it turns out that the story remains same as the people they are supposed to represent are in dire need of a better phase.
A typical example of one of these local government is Aniocha South.
Prince Chux Davix Onyemaka
This is one of the oldest local government area of delta state with its enclave still basking in the euphoria of oldies and stagnation of any developmental stance. One will begin to wonder if this very local government which once had her nomenclature projected before the federal House of Assemblies for a new state in years past, has any representative from her constituency.
Going by the current wave of awareness and consciousness, one will agree that posterity will be so cruel on the part of any individual who consciously or inadvertently ignore the roles they ought to play in order to better their local government in particular and the state that birthed them.
It is in this regard that times and equation is no friend of man, hence, the beaming of torchlight for a possible and competent hand to manage the affairs of Aniocha South constituency.
Aniocha South must be liberated from political negligence and cruel abandonment. Basking in the euphoria of hope when efforts are not put in place will amount to making a mockery of the entire system.
However, if we are real about the craving for change, then we need to take proactive measures and ensure selfless individuals come to pier to deliver Aniocha South local government from marginalization and political cheats which has become a regular political religion over time
To this end, Barrister Daniel OBIOKOLIE comes to mind.
Having suffered series of neglect and under development even when there are representatives who ought to stand in defense and project her development to the upper political ayers, it seems nothing is working, therfore, it will be an act of self inflicted pain and anguish if we continue to watch things as they glide to the worst pace.
it’s high time, Aniocha South decides her fate and destiny and in whose hands her political dividends lies and entrusted.
Daniel OBIOKOLIE, through his philanthropic grass roots initiatives, (Daniels Grass roots initiative) has lifted many from the grounds of wants and needs. A youth with a large heart and always reachable. His framework is built around the survival of Aniocha South constituency in particular and Delta State in general.
Liberating Aniocha South from th depth of developmental forgetfulness can only be made positive by choosing and bringing this intelligent and quintessential gentle son of the soil to serve her motherland.
While we crave for a better Aniocha, we urge every indigenous sons and Daughter of Aniocha to project this new phase that has come to raise the standard of the local government and very willing to strive hard so as to an deliver the true dividends of democracy to the people.
Donald Trump took the first ceremonial steps before being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday — ushering in a new political era that has been cheered and feared in equal measure.WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 20: Supporters gather in front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. In today’s inauguration ceremony Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP
“It all begins today! I will see you at 11:00 A.M. for the swearing-in. THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES – THE WORK BEGINS!” the Republican billionaire tweeted before tracing his predecessors’ steps to St. John’s Church and the White House.
There he was greeted warmly by President Barack Obama, capping a transfer of power that has been peaceful yet rancorous.
“Mr President-elect, how are you?” Obama asked, after having deposited a letter in the Resolute desk and departed the Oval Office for the last time.
Hundreds of thousands of people will gather on the National Mall in the center of the nation’s capital to celebrate a man whose short 19-month political career has defied all predictions, and many norms.US President Barack Obama(R) and First Lady Michelle Obama(L) welcome Preisdent-elect Donald Trump(2nd-R) and his wife Melania to the White House in Washington, DC January 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON
In the cool Washington dawn, his most ardent supporters ignored intermittent light rain and began to make their way by metro, car and on foot to take part in history.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” said Thomas Mendenhall, 68, a retired banker from Missouri. “We just want change.”
When Trump descended the escalators of his glitzy New York tower in June 2015, his run for office and his supporters were dismissed and even mocked.
But shortly before midday Friday, Trump will place his hand on Abraham Lincoln’s bible, recite the oath of office on the steps of the Capitol and become the most powerful man on earth.
His staff, many shunned by friends for supporting a man who has been labeled a racist and bigot by his critics, will become power players in the White House.
In the primaries, Trump dominated a crowded Republican presidential field with smash-mouth rhetoric and star power. He rode that same wave of anti-elite sentiment to victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November election.
At 70 years of age, he is the oldest man ever to begin work in the Oval Office.
But the real estate mogul and one-time television reality star is also a political neophyte — he will be the first president never to have held elected office, served in the government or the armed forces.
For Trump’s supporters, that is a central part of his appeal.
“He’s somebody that’s not a politician” said 59-year-old Sandra Jackson-Carter, a salon owner from Bakersville, California.
“He’s going to unite the country and make America great again,” she said. “This is history. There’s nothing better.”
– Big changes –
For his critics, Trump’s arrival in Washington on Thursday onboard an Air Force jet was more like a hostile takeover than a traditional changing of the guard.
Small demonstrations popped up across the city center on Friday, with shouts of “not my president” and “No Trump, No KKK, no fascist USA.” Some tried to prevent Trump supporters from passing, but police intervened.
A much larger rally is planned for Saturday.
On Thursday evening, hundreds of protesters demonstrated outside a pro-Trump event, heckling and shouting at departing guests and lighting protest signs on fire before police used chemical spray on the crowd.
Trump enters office with a 37 percent approval rating, the lowest on record, according to a CBS News poll.
Most of Obama’s White House staff have cleaned out their desks and the normally busy corridors of the West Wing were unusually quiet Friday. Staffers expressed relief at the prospect of rest, but foreboding about the road ahead.
That sentiment is echoed across many of the world’s capitals. Trump has vowed to tear up Obama’s policies and re-examine decades-old alliances with Europe and in Asia.
One of Obama’s last acts in office was to speak to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and declare trans-Atlantic ties vital for the world order — a statement that would have been a banal platitude before this rocky transition.
After the Obamas and Trumps had morning tea at the White House, they will travel the 2.5 miles (four kilometers) down Pennsylvania Avenue to the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol.
– Addressing the nation –
After promising to “faithfully execute the office of president of the United States” and “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” Trump will deliver the most important speech of his life.
Inaugural addresses — from Lincoln to John F. Kennedy — echo across American history. Phrases like “malice towards none” and “ask not what your country can do for you” have been carved into the vernacular.
The most noted inaugural addresses had sought to lift Americans’ gaze up from the rancor and troubles of the day toward the horizon and a better tomorrow.
Trump aides are promising an address that is at once short — at around 20 minutes — and philosophical.
“It’s going to be a very personal and sincere statement about his vision for the country,” said incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer.
“He will discuss what it means to be an American, the challenges that we face, as members of the middle class, that they face,” he said.
“I think it’s going to be less of an agenda and more of a philosophical document, a vision of where he sees the country, the proper role of government, the role of citizens.”
After his speech, Trump will attend a luncheon inside the Capitol, before heading back to the White House to begin the business of governing.
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