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
By Levinus Nwabughiogu ABUJA-Nigeria on Saturday won the hosting right of 2018 World Congress of the International Press Institute, IPI.
The IPI is a global organisation dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of journalism practices. Founded in October 1950, the IPI has members in over 120 countries.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu stated that the development followed a successful bid made by the Nigerian Chapter of the IPI led by its Chairman, Kabiru Yusuf, the publisher of the Daily Trust newspapers and Malam Isma’ila Isa, a long standing member of the world Executive Committee of the IPI in Germany.
Shehu in the statement stated that Nigerian team showcased the rich cultural heritage and democratic advancement of Nigeria in a video presentation to win the conviction of the stakeholders.
He added that the bid was unanimously approved by both the Executive Board of the IPI and the General Meeting which ended in Hamburg.
“In making a strong case for Nigerian hosting of the world congress, the Nigerian team showed a six-minutes video showcasing the rich social and cultural heritage of the country and its outstanding values of media freedom, rich diversity and free flow of news.
“In a video message, a former Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, himself a one-time chairman of the global media body and Alhaji Lai Mohammed the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism both called for support for Nigeria’s bid and invited editors, journalists and media executives around the world to come to Nigeria to witness an African country’s dedication to quality and independent journalism and the change that is happening within through a democratic process”, Shehu stated.
In a short response to the decision, the Chapter Chairman, Kabiru Yusuf said Nigeria was happy with the hosting right unanimously given.
“It will help to change a lot of wrong perceptions about our country. We won’t take this lightly because it means a lot for Nigeria”, he said
FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, left, duels for the ball against Celta de Vigo’s Pablo Hernandez during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Real Madrid 37 28 6 3 104 41 90
Onyenike an author and publisher, needs investors and sponsorship to publish his new titles. 08060339706
Henry a graduate from Awka with no job for years, but learned hand work, needs the sum of N120, 000, to enable him buy equipment and tools.08188286584
Don 28, a graduate and resides in Abuja, needs well meaning Nigerians to help him financially so thatb he can start up a business. 09079142280
Ade 30, a graduate and resides in Igando, Lagos, needs someone to support his ice block making business by helping purchase the equipment and 125KVA diesel generator for the business.08097904512,
09081152091
Bamidele humble and hardworking needs someone to sponsor his project. 08186219324, 08137743632
Links
Alfred Meslore from Delta state, wants to link up with his friends, Sunny Okpalefe and Matthew Atie, both rom Delta state. 08034365542
Friends
Searching Male
Philip 31, needs a mature female, for friendship, aged 38-50, in Abuja. 08098495345
Oluchukwu 39, and resides in Lagos, needs a decent and pretty average height female friend, aged 30-37. 08037439394
Oladapo 24, resides in Ibadan, needs a nice female friend.08131619323
Emeka 28, good looking, Christian, honest, humble and kind, needs a female friend, who is a Christian, honest, humble, intelligent, mature and good looking, for friendship.07089672077
Lovers
Searching Female
Mercy 23, from Ughelli, Delta State, needs a God fearing, employed and fair in complexion man, aged 33-35, who can take care of her for a serious relationship. 08155120016, 09065678347
Esther from Akwa lbom state, and a single mother, needs a widower who is God fearing, for marriage. 09093873809,08038690682
Cozd 22, romantic and has big bum, needs a man, aged 29-45, who will take care of her, for a relationship. 07082173120
Cy 23, chocolate in complexion, plump, caring a catholic and resides in Anambra state, needs an employed, nice, sincere and caring man, for a serious relationship that will lead to marriage, aged 29-35.
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Searching Male
Tonero 28 resides in Ibadan, needs a beautiful and busty lady, aged 22-29, for a serious relationship. 08033294558
•Martins 31, tall, slim and fair in complexion from Imo state, in Owerri, and employed, needs a reasonable lady, aged 20-38, for a serious relationship that will lead to marriage. 08038483256
Ify employed and a widower with three kids, needs a matured, educated and humble lady who is also employed, in paramilitary government agency, for a relationship.08171342647
•Fred 40, handsome, caring, chocolate in complexion and a businessman, in Lagos, needs an employed lady, from any part of the country, aged 30-50, for a relationship. 08104052989,09072796881
•Mike 30, employed and from Delta State, needs a God fearing and employed lady, aged 21 and above from Delta State, for a serious relationship.08084912889
•Oluwaseun 23, needs a lovely and romantic lady, for a serious relationship, aged 18-22, preferably within Lagos and Ogun State.09033191057
Chuks 37,Ibo,God fearing ,a humble Christian, self employed and a music artist, needs an employed virtues lady, aged 40-45,for financial assistant to enable me round up my album and ready for marriage.08182125090
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Nwogu a businessman, from Owerri, needs a God fearing lady, for marriage, aged 25-35. 07031002073
Valoura 32, tall, handsome , a graduate, employed and resides in Edo state, needs a self employed lady or a tailor with good character for marriage, aged 20-32. 09051290397
Ayomide from Oyo state, and a businessman, needs a serious lady who is God fearing for a serious relationship. 08132122896,09054425482
•Oluwatobi a businessman, from Ondo state, needs a God fearing lady, for a serious relationship.08035990851
•Bemson 43, a single father, from Akwa Ibom state , but resides in Benin, needs a lady from AKwa Ibom State, aged 30-35, for marriage. 08161234252
Ifedayo 30, slim, tall, a graduate and resides in Ondo state, needs a responsible Christian lady, for a serious relationship, aged 18-30. 08147666362
Olanrewaju 37, employed and resides in kwara state, needs a lady for a serious relationship 08059114927 08055520900 BBM d619205d
Kingsley 38, employed and from Imo state, needs an employed lady, for marriage, aged 35. 07034382149
Sugar Cares
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Val from Enugu Nsukka to be precise, needs a caring sugar mummy.07063016037
Victor 33, from Lagos state, needs a rich and sex starved sugar mummy for a romantic relationship. Age is no barrier. 07037177183
Samuel 30, needs a sugar mummy.07018387308,08069664826
Abel 25, handsome, dark in complexion, sexy, romantic and resides in Edo state, needs a caring and sexy sugar mummy for fun andsupport.0816667817
Kingsley 29, 5.8ft tall and resides in Abuja, needs a rich and caring sugar mummy, aged between 35-60.08165221082
Kelvin 26, needs a well to do sugar mummy, who is a social person that can understand and cope with anyone.07039136652
Steve tall, handsome and gentle, needs a sugar mummy of any age to shower love, care and affection. 0806769063
Aaron 25, chocolate in complexion, an athlete and a student, needs a caring and loving sugar mummy. 07060553775
Arobafin 32, a graduate, and resides in Gombe, needs a rich sugar mummy, that can take care of him. 09095871109
Disclaimer!
Dear readers, please note that we neither operate, nor are we an affiliate of any match–making agency in or outside the country. Any reader who transacts business with any one claiming to be our agent does so at his/her own risk. Our mission is only to provide a platform for social networking.
Also note that neither Vanguard, nor Yetunde Arebi will be liable for any error in the publication of requests which may result in any form of embarrassment to any member of the public. We therefore request that text must be sent through at least one of the numbers for contact. This notice is necessary to enable us serve you better in our refreshingly different style. You can send your requests to 33055. For enquiries, text or call 08026651636
After much pressure from my fans online, I have decided to reveal 3 foods anyone with eye issues should be taking regularly to improve their eye sight.
Even if you have been diagnosed of glaucoma, cataract et al, these fruits can help improve your vision so you should read this to the very end.
So without wasting time here are the 3 foods you must add to your diet
1) Carrots
Why? All fruit and vegetable get their colour from betacarotene – a precursor of vitamin A. It helps to absorb the light energy that passes into the eye and to adjust to low light levels at night.
How much? Aim for one carrot a day or a helping of sweet potato, pumpkin or butternut squash. Try cooking them with a little olive oil, as studies have found this helps break down the vegetables' thick cell walls and makes it easier for the body to absorb the nutrients.
2) Oranges
Why? These are full of vitamin C. One study found women who took a vitamin C supplement for 10 years or more experienced a 64% cut in the risk of developing cataracts.
How much? One a day, with plenty of other C-rich fruit and veg such as tomatoes and red peppers.
3)Almonds
Why? These nuts are filled with vitamin E, which research shows may protect the eyes from free radical damage. This means it helps protect cells in the body from oxidation, which may slow the progression of cataracts caused by UV exposure and decrease age-related macular degeneration.
How much? Sprinkle a handful of chopped almonds on your cereal or eat whole ones as a snack.
Adding these fruits to your diet is a great start to improving your sight and curing glaucoma and cataract.
If You Would Like To Improve Your Eye Sight and Get Rid off All eye defects ,Like Glaucoma,Cataract,Long/Short Sightedness Naturally.
I would recommend a natural supplement that has helped over 750 Nigerians take completely Cure All Eye Defects
This Natural Supplement works on the following conditions:
Cataracts – cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. Most cataracts are related to aging. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half have a cataract or have had cataract surgery.
Myopia – Nearsightedness, or myopia, as it is medically termed, is a vision condition in which close objects are seen clearly, but objects farther away appear blurred. Nearsightedness occurs if the eyeball is too long or the cornea, the clear front cover of the eye, has too much curvature. As a result, the light entering the eye isn't focused correctly and distant objects look blurred.
Glaucoma – is a condition that causes damage to your eye’s optic nerve and gets worse over time. It’s often associated with a buildup of pressure inside the eye. Glaucoma tends to be inherited and may not show up until later in life. The increased pressure, called intraocular pressure, can damage the optic nerve, which transmits images to the brain. If damage to the optic nerve from high eye pressure continues, glaucoma will cause permanent loss of vision. Without treatment, glaucoma can cause total permanent blindness within a few years.
Diabetic Retinopathy – Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. In some people with diabetic retinopathy, blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In other people, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision. If you have diabetic retinopathy, at first you may not notice changes to your vision. But over time, diabetic retinopathy can get worse and cause vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy usually affects both eyes.
Hyperopia (Far-Sightedness)
Lazy Eye (Amblyopia)
Cross-Eye (Strabismus)
Eye strain
Macular Degeneration
Astigmatism
Presbyopia (Old-Age Sight)
Light Sensitivity
Poor Night Vision
“Old-age Sight” (presbyopia)
Tension Headache
Dyslexia
If you are suffering from any of the above eye conditions, then you would benefit from what I have to show you. Whether you are wearing glasses already or your eyesight is getting worse and you think you may need glasses in the future…
Here’s The Natural Remedy to Improve Eyesight Naturally I’m Talking About.
Introducing…
FOREVER VISION.
Forever Vision is a good supplement for eye.
This is the Original Forever Vision™;it is a dietary supplement with bilberry, lutein and zeaxanthin, plus super antioxidants and other nutrients. Bilberry, a popular traditional herb, can support normal eyesight and improve circulation to the eyes. Lutein, a common carotenoid found in many vegetables and fruits, can help protect the retina. Zeaxanthin and Astaxanthin are other carotenoids that are important to the eye's macular health.
Our vision is a precious sense, and one that we should not take for granted. While we may supplement our diets with nutrients to enhance our overall well-being, we tend to overlook our eyesight as a necessary part of our health to maintain.
With just 2 tablets per day, Forever Vision™ is an easy way to help you keep looking clearly into the future!
Instructions for use: Take two tablets daily as a dietary supplement.
Benefit of Forever Vision.
Maintain optical clarity
Prevent ocular toxicity
Improve and increases visual acuity
Improve blood circulation of the eye
Nourishes the eye with all useful nutrient
Improve blurred vision, glaucoma, cataract and night blindness
PLEASE NOTE: This product is not sold in any Store and this product is far different from any other one you might see elsewhere on the internet (THIS IS THE ORIGINAL FOREVER VISION). The others you might have seen for a cheaper price might be the same but the quality isn't the same. THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS FROM UNITED STATE (USA). DO NOT COMPARE THIS WITH THE FAKE ONES OUT THERE. OUR PRODUCT IS DIRECTLY FROM THE COMPANY THAT PRODUCES IT. Some of this product are Fake and are being sold at a cheaper price. Do yourself good today. Do not be deceived by cheaper price. THIS IS THE ORIGINAL FOREVER VISION.
In fact, I was able to get this product for 50 USD in USA for each, which is 50USD x 400/$ = 20,000 Naira for each and the shipping fee to Nigeria is not included. Though, I won't charge that much. I'm approaching 37 now, so I still want the whole world to know about my unique, life-changing discovery.
Before I continue , let me quickly share with you few of the unsolicited testimonial we get via email and sms from buyers of this amazing solution.
Another one from a satisfied buyer
And yet another
Here's what FOREVER VISION Can Do To Help You:
Improve and perfect your eyesight so that you don't need your "readers" nearby every single time you need to read the newspaper, a report, a book, or a document.
Strengthen your eyes and focal muscles, eliminating the painful burning sensation in your eyes at the end of every single day.
Use a computer or watch TV without pain and suffering anytime, anywhere, and as long as you want.
Improve ALL aspects of your vision. Whether you're nearsighted or farsighted, the condition can be cured! See road signs from far away, watch a movie, play catch or read a book with just a lamp on, without stressing about carrying your glasses around everywhere!
Start your day comfortably, without worrying about taking half an hour to pop your uncomfortable contacts in, or scrambling to find your glasses.
Save THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of dollars. I can't stress enough how expensive glasses and eye drops are getting nowadays, and the prices just keep INCREASING. If you spend 20,000 Naira – 100,000 Naira a year on glasses and eye drops, imagine how much money you'd have to spend on things like vacations and luxuries over the 40-50 years you have to KEEP buying them!
Tens of Thousands Of People Have Corrected Their Vision Naturally With This Product. And I haven't heard from a single person who tried this product, and didn't see improvements. Because it just works!
It's like picking up a brand new set of eye balls!
So please, stop wasting money on expensive eyeglasses and eye drops, or contemplating dangerous laser eye surgery, and grab FOREVER VISION SUPPLEMENT without ANY risk whatsoever. Because if you're unhappy with it for any reason, I'll send you a refund, no questions asked!
Of course, when you start USING this FOREVER VISION and AFTER 90 DAYS you can't see any significant RESULTS, Notify US and your Money will be refunded to your bank account.
So what're you waiting for?
This is the best possible investment that you can make for your health, your life, and your well-being. Begin healing your eyes naturally and permanently NOW.
Now, I know you can’t wait to lay your hands on this GUARANTEED solutions…
I bought 500 pieces, now I'm left with JUST 305 pieces!
And it's Up to you to grab it today or risk never getting this amazing solution forever. As I don't plan to import more of this package due to the High rate of dollars, so I'm sorry for you if you leave this page without placing your order.
So how can you get it?
Here is How to Get Forever Vision that I and many others used…
100% safe, no side effect… and gives a lasting result.
As you can see above, if we are to calculate the normal cost of the 1 Month Treatment (1 Bottle) the 2 months treatment and the 3 month treatment, the cost is more than the discount price. That’s not big money for those who know what it means to have been going through this. I can recall i spent N49, 500 on a product that didn’t give me desired result.
This definitely gives result! You will only have to pay;
THE MOST RECOMMENDED TREATMENT IS THE 3 BOTTLES (3 MONTH TREATMENT), YOU'LL GET YOUR DESIRED RESULT WITH THAT.
ORDER NOW – BONANZA PRICE
Delivery is FREE & it's Payment on Delivery.
Is This Approved And Legal To Use? Absolutely, Aside from the fact that this is approved by NAFDAC itself, it has also been approved by various agencies round the world including the Kosher Seal which is the highest form of approval in the world that any product can have.
So you need to hurry, act fast, place order and get this solutions right now…
No Need To Fear If This is real or Not because…You only pay when the product has been brought to you face to face by our courier company within 2-4 days after placing your order. And secondly, we do not charge you any extra fee for delivery (shipment), we bring it down to your doorsteps anywhere you live in Nigeria at no extra cost – WE CALL These, FREE DELIVERY AND YOU PAY ON DELIVERY.
Here’s How to Order your own Forever Vision at a Discount Price today
How to Place Your Order Now!
Hurry Up & place your order like this…
Send a Text Message (SMS) to => 080-9471-9400 <= with the below details:
* Item Name: (Forever Vision, The number of bottle(s) you're ordering e.g Forever Vision 3 Bottles) * Your Full Name * Your Phone Number (Provide 2 numbers if available) * Full Address (Home or Office, we deliver to anywhere you want)
Send Text Message (SMS) to this number ==> 080-9471-9400
NOTE: Your address Must Include Local Government and State. Detailed Enough to make it traceable by our courier company that will come around to deliver to you.
DELIVERY TIME:
Once, we received your details to place an order through text message (SMS), and your details are correct, you will receive sms confirmation from us. Your products will then be sent to our courier service partner (the delivery company we use to deliver products). You receive it within 2-4 business days… and pay the dispatch person upon delivery.
For orders in Lagos, expect your item to get to you within 1 – 2 days, once your order has been confirmed and shipped out. While for orders outside Lagos, depending on the state/city, you will receive your items within 2 – 5 working days.
According to a research published by the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology; proofs that 80 percent of Men who took Ginseng to treat weak erection saw a massive improvement.
I suffered from Premature ejaculation for Years and couldn't even find a good solution no matter how Hard I tried until I found Help with Libiron Herbal Capsule.
"Libiron Herbal Capsule"
… From Lasting 2 minutes To Lasting Up To at least 30 Minutes In Bed!
Libiron Herbal Capsule is made of a pure herbal ingredients in capsule form, there are 60 capsules in it, produced to boost male sexual performance. The main mechanism of Libiron is to improve sex appeal is increase reflection of nerve condition. With Libiron as I fondly call it, you enjoy bigger and harder erections,increase in libido and complete cure to your quick ejaculation!
NO SIDE EFFECT OF ANY KIND Approved By NAFDAC A7-5794L
The Libiron Herbal Capsule Kill Premature Ejaculation The Same Way Ota Pia pia kills Mosquito.
Try Libiron Herbal Capsule today and say Bye Bye to your sexual worries for ever and ever.
The Libiron Herbal Capsule Has been Evaluated and Approved by NAFDAC With Registration Number A7-5794L
Some Interesting Facts About The Libiron Herbal Capsule
The Libiron Herbal Capsule, Is a Specially Formulated Herbal Ingredients that will Make you Last Longer than 35 Min In Bed when having sex.
The Libiron Herbal Capsule Is Strong at Boosting and giving you harder ERECTION So you can penetrated better, The Harder the Better.
You will have erections when you ready to have sex, and be able to maintain a rock-hard erection that gives her mind blowing sex.
Watery Sperm? Don’t Worry! The Libiron Herbal Capsule Will Ensure your system is up to date and Watery Sperm will be thing of the Past in your Life. Just Take The Libiron Herbal Capsule With Pure Natural Horney.
You will be able to give your woman more rounds of deep satisfying sex and last longer for up to 35 minutes…
No more embarrassing yourself or disappointing your woman due to cumming quickly…
You will finally save your marriage or relationship with your spouse. She won’t look outside trying to cheat on you with another man, because you will be the only one that she craves for and satisfy her completely.
And, the good thing about this solution is that…
You Start to See Results… IMMEDIATELY!
I mean, IMMEDIATELY!
The 60 Capsules inside a pack of Libiron is enough to completely cure your quick ejaculation and give you harder erection, increase libido in male and female. It corrects weakness of the penis, lost of sexual desire, quick ejaculation. It boosts sperm count and give a super hard rock erection for better sex enjoyment.
This No side Effect Natural herbal SolutionAlready Helped over 1500 Men To Last Longer, Correct Penis weakness,& Double Their Penis Size.
See their unsolicited testimonies:
If you have ever wondered how to increase your man-hood size without pills and make the enlargement permanent.
This Japanese made enlargement oil is the answer.
"Here Is the Japanese Made Penis Enlargement Oil That I Used To Increase The Size Of My Penis…and has helped over 1,500 Nigerian men
Believe me; I measured several times to make sure this was for real.
I took out a measuring tape and measured my penis…It had increased from the tiny 3.7 inches to a surprising 5.6 inches… in less than 3 weeks!
Now, I know you can’t wait to lay your hands on these GUARANTEED solutions…
Hence, I’m ready to further make it easier and cheaper for you; if not for anything, to show you that the solutions actually work and will work for you guaranteed.
We have Only 100 bottle pack of Libiron herbal capsule and MK Oil Available And Its Strictly First Come First Serve!
If you are lucky enough to be among those that will order for It today Friday, May 19, 2017, you will pay just N16,000. But If you will be ordering from May 20, 2017…The price is N19,500 flat.. You can still enjoy N3,500 discount if you order today!
The Libiron Herbal Capsule is N16,000 payment On delivery If you Order Today!
Here is the break down of the price if you are ordering today
Libiron Herbal Capsule only is N16,000
2 packs of MK Oil only is N12,000
So, if you order for the 2 solutions together today, you pay only N22,000instead of N28,000 (that’s a extra discount of N6,000)
if you order for the 2 solutions together today, you pay only N22,000
Do you want to continue to suffer from the shame and frustration caused by premature ejaculation and small penis…when you can do something about it now?
Or…Would you rather pay higher later… when you can easily get it for the low amount today?
Of course, I know you will make the smart choice!
So, you have to hurry up to be among the lucky few, and place your order NOW
And to help you sweeten the deal am giving you an amazing bonus that you cant get anywhere else if you order today.
Here’s how:-Once you place your order for both of them today at N22,000.You will also get the amazing product that cures STDs and other infections related to sex. Bonus : “Togacin Broad Spectrum Antibiotic”
The ultimate solution for stds like; stapph, gonorhea,clamdyia.
The one reason why this is very important is that; most times premature ejaculation is always caused my infections. And without treating them you only sabotaging your efforts.
Best part is that you get this 100 percent herbal antibiotic for free when you place order today.
However, I must warn that ONLY those who place their order right away gets this STD killer “Togacin Antibiotic“. If you procrastinate further, you may not get it.
So, this is a no brainer… Get the 2-in-1 solution now, get the extra FREE bonus.
To erase the fear of been scammed we now offer Cash on delivery to any part of Nigeria.
You will only pay when this product has been physically brought down to you face-to-faceby our courier company. We call it ==> Pay on Delivery.
A. All Shipments are sent in discreet packaging without images or text that could suggest the contents. The shipping documents and invoice are discreet as well.
That is all you have to do, you get your man-hood to the size you have always dreamt of, and last longer than you ever imagined.
The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) says its Ethics and Professionalism Division received 136 petitions with claims that amounted to N27.6 billion from bank customers in 2016.
The institute made this known in its 2016 Annual Reports and Accounts signed by the Registrar, Mr Seye Awojobi.
The report was released on Saturday in Lagos.
It said that 79 cases were fully resolved out of the 136 petitions, translating into a total refund of three billion naira.
The CIBN said that it also raised N439.58 million as annual development fund and corporate subscription during the year under review.
The institute noted that the figure was lower than the N443.38 million expected in 2016.
It said that the payments were received mostly in the first quarter of the year, thereby increasing its portfolio of investible funds.
The body also noted that the figure represented a balance of N3.8 million representing 0.86 per cent as outstanding at the end of the 2016 financial year.
CIBN said that regulators and commercial banks paid N400 million, development banks, six million naira; mortgage banks, N1.2 million; and microfinance banks, N2.2 million.
It added that the institute's individual membership grew from 118,802 in 2015 to 122,680 in 2016.
The figure is an increase of 3,893 new members which represented 3.36 per cent into various categories which include honorary fellows and seniors as well as students and ordinary members.
On corporate members, the institute said it registered additional 16 microfinance banks in 2016, and that they were issued certificates in line with CIBN Act No. 5 of 2007.
It said that micro-finance banks which it had registered were 363 out of the 979 microfinance banks licensed by the Central Banks of Nigeria.
There were emotional scenes Saturday as 82 kidnapped Chibok girls released by Boko Haram Islamists earlier this month were reunited with their parents.Reunion of 82 Chibok in Abuja
At the reunion held in Nigeria’s capital of Abuja, fathers gripped their daughters in tight hugs, while mothers shrieked with joy, wiping away tears streaming from their eyes.
One beaming father picked his daughter up and swung her around in the air.
They hadn’t seen each other since April 2014, when the jihadists snatched over 200 schoolgirls from their dormitories in northeast Nigeria.
“I’m feeling very happy, I was dancing with her, she’s very happy,” said Yakubu Nkeki, whose niece Maimuna — who he has raised as his own child — was among the 82 released.
“Everyone was dancing today, even the old ones, everyone was dancing,” Nkeki told AFP.
“All of us had lost hope, we thought the girls would not be returned.”
– High profile victims –
Nkeki, who represents the Chibok parents, said that they would attend a church service with the girls on Sunday, before returning home early next week.
In the meantime the girls would stay in a government facility in Abuja where they are receiving therapy and vocational training.
Nigeria’s minister for women Aisha Alhassan has said that the government’s goal is to have all the rescued Chibok girls back in school by September.
But the Nigerian government has been criticised for keeping the girls in their custody and limiting access to their parents.
“Authorities should clarify to families whether the rescued girls are being held in preventive detention or as criminal suspects,” said Human Rights Watch in a May statement.
The human rights organisation added that the Nigerian government should also be working to secure the release of those kidnapped by Boko Haram, not just the schoolgirls.
“While the Chibok girls are the highest profile victims of Boko Haram’s abductions, authorities should extend the negotiations for release to other missing adults and children,” it said.
– Ongoing negotiations –
Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and young girls in its quest to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.
Boko Haram seized 276 girls from the remote town of Chibok in April 2014, triggering global condemnation and drawing attention to the bloody insurgency decimating the region.
A #BringBackOurGirls hashtag campaign went viral, endorsed by A-list celebrities and politicians alike, putting pressure on former president Goodluck Jonathan to tackle the Islamists.
In the immediate aftermath of the kidnapping, 57 girls managed to escape. Of the 219 who did not manage to flee, 106 have either been released or found.
The group of 82 girls was released in May in exchange for five Boko Haram commanders following months of negotiations brokered by the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Twenty-one of their classmates were freed in October last year, while three others had previously been found or escaped.
The Nigerian government has said it is still in talks to release the remaining 113 girls in captivity.
Since the time of the Chibok kidnapping in 2014, Boko Haram has lost significant swathes of territory to the Nigerian government.
Yet the Islamists still pose a threat to the ravaged region, which is suffering from a food crisis as a result of the eight-year insurgency that has left at least 20,000 people dead and displaced more than 2.6 million from their homes.
The Nigerian Army has denied the allegation by IPOB that soldiers molested and arrested IPOB Women at a meeting at Abiriba in Abia State.
Biafra women protest alleged soldiers’ molestation
The army in a statement signed by Deputy Director Army Public Relations 82 Division, Colonel Sagir Musa read thus
”The attention of 82 Division Nigerian Army has again been drawn to a comical allegation by IPOB of “Soldiers Molested And Arrested IPOB Women” at a meeting at Abiriba, Abia State. This allegation, funny as it is, is contained in a statement issued in Awka, Anambra State by IPOB publicity secretary and published by many media platforms.
‘Let me make it clear that the drama and the allegation that follow are deliberately staged by IPOB. The allegation, just like others before it, – is false, sheer IPOB’s propaganda to discredit the Nigerian Army, which at the moment, they will not succeed. Hence, I was able to confirm from the Officer in Charge of patrol of Abiriba and its environs, Major Danjuma Ali and the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Abiriba, Superintendent Titus Ugwuoke who briefed me – there was no truth in IPOB’s accusation. Details of what transpired are/were;
‘That on Thursday 18 May 2017, at about 1705 hours, soldiers of 14 Brigade Ohafia on routine patrol in Abiriba general area, received a distressed call alerted them of massive presence of IPOB women wing in Abiriba township stadium. Most of them (the women) were carrying Biafran flags, banners and other insignia. Majority were dressed in Biafran T – Shirts.
‘Instant intelligence revealed that majority of the women came from Aba, Awka, Onitsha, Owerri and Port Harcourt axis as reflected on the various banners exhibited in the stadium.
‘By Friday 19 May 2017, at about 0930 hours, women in large number surged towards the stadium. At that point, the patrol team moved close to the arena, with intent to monitor them further. On sighting the team, the women run out, removed part of their dresses and converged in an alternate venue where the Divisional Police Officer, Abiriba and His Majesty Eze Ogbu of Abiriba addressed the gathering. After the Eze’s address, they peacefully dispersed to their various destinations.
‘His Royal Majesty Eze Ogbu has since briefed the Local Government Chairman and members of the Local Government Security Council on the matter, and there was nothing to suggest the women were rough handled or arrested.
‘On the basis of the declared details, it is reasonable to portend, there was no contact between army personnel and the hilarious IPOB women in Abiriba or in any part of the south eastern Nigeria. So, it is the position of 82 Division Nigerian Army, that no woman was harassed, molested or arrested as comically alleged.
It is pertinent to state that the leadership of the Division is doing much to train troops further on civilian protection/respect for human rights in and out of conflict situations.’
A member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Abiodun Olasupo, representing Iseyin/Iwajowa/Kajola/Itesiwaju federal constituency of Oyo state under the All Progressives Congress, APC, has said that Ex-President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan developed the Whistlblowing policy, the Treasury Single Account, TSA, the Bank Verification Number, BVN, and other anti-corruption mechanisms but lacked the will to use them to fight corruption to its knees.
The lawmaker made the statement while commissioning some projects at the inauguration of some projects in his constituency on Friday.
According to him, "You should not be surprised that all the measures used in the anti-corruption crusade today were developed by President Goodluck Jonathan's administration."
"The Jonathan administration developed the policies of whistle blowing, Bank Verification Number (BVN), Treasury Single Account (TSA) but lacked the political will to implement them."
Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu Buhari
"You can see that the implementation by President Muhammadu Buhari's administration is bringing the desired results."
The implementation of the Biometric Verification Number (BVN) as unique identity number for bank customers as well as the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) are all part of the cost-saving and anti-corruption agenda being aggressively championed by President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
The Finance minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun once highlighted the gains of TSA as such:
In practice, TSA is an essential reform for any government wishing to pursue fiscal sustainability and prudent management of its resources. It increases accountability and transparency, improves the processing of payments and collections and reduces borrowing costs.
TSA at the federal level has allowed, for the first time, visibility of the total quantity of government funds at any point in time. The balance, which changes daily as MDA's remit revenues and make payments, according to the latest reports from CBN exceeds N2.2 Trillion. I can report that work is now ongoing within The Treasury, to determine how much of these funds can potentially be utilised to part fund the 2016 budget and how much relates to pending commitments. This, of course, will reduce the amount to be borrowed.
The TSA has provided us with financial information on the revenues of agencies funded by government and has reduced revenue suppression. This information is being used to drive our programme to enforce compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act and ensure that Revenue Generating Agencies generate expected surpluses and remit to the Federal Purse.
TSA has eliminated opportunities for brokerage and other corrupt practices that previously encouraged agencies to accumulate funds with commercial banks rather than apply them to their intended uses. We believe that this will reduce payment delays to contractors, minimise late payment penalties and will consequently improve project completion times and service delivery.
TSA has corrected the practice of government borrowing short term funds at high rates of interest, whilst simultaneously having idle funds in various bank accounts. By reducing the number of accounts in operation, monitoring and control has significantly improved.
Mrs Right Guy' is a romantic comedy directed by South Africa based Nigerian director Adze Ugah. The film opens with Gugu Hlatshwayo (Dineo Moeketsi), a beautiful and young bride who has been abandoned by her husband during their honeymoon in the Seychelles. She's left to work, buy a ticket and return home to a divorce. The experience leaves her emotionally scarred, vulnerable and antagonistic towards men. Love comes knocking when she meets Joe (Lehasa Moloi) who becomes her perfect candidate for the marketing company she works for. However, the new boss Dumile (Thapelo Mokoena) is also interested in Gugu. We're taken on a journey of discovering who breaks her heart and who makes her believe in love again.
Hits
My right guy crew
-Picture. Adze Ugah's 'Mrs Right Guy' is a beautiful picture. From the cinematography to the lighting, we're given a healthy slice of South Africa's tourism potential.
-Locations. From the picture perfect beaches to the suburbs, the film lacks nothing for location. Ugah takes us from Johannesburg to Maboneng to Orlando. We see the fast paced city life as well as the slower more tranquil township life.
-Product placement. You will almost miss the product placement because it is so beautifully woven into the narrative that it does not come across as advertising.
-Costume. As expected with the genre of romcoms, the wardrobe department holds nothing back. The ladies came to slay, and slay they did – from the designer heels to the makeup but what do you expect from people in working in the creative space.
-Soundtrack. The music selections were warm and contemporary which further solidified the romantic and dreamy themes of 'Mrs Right Guy.'
Misses
-Script. While the romcom genre is very predictable, the script could have been further developed to allow for more characterisation especially the lead, Gugu. The transformation of character in the film is rushed and becomes unbelievable at a point. Also, the issue of her fair complexion is raised at the beginning of the film but it is neither revisited or expanded.
Ado-Ekiti- President Muhammadu Buhari, has named the Federal University, Oye Ekiti after the late military governor of the old Western Region, Major General Adeyinka Adebayo.
The President said the honour was done to immortalize Adebayo for his immense contributions to the unity and development of the Nigerian nation.
President Buhari, who was represented by the Acting President Yemi Osinbanjo at the funeral service held at All Saints Anglican Church, Iyin Ekiti, said General Adebayo fought relentlessly for the unity of the country during the civil war that ravaged the country between 1967 and 1970, saying the late general mooted the suggestion that the federal government should opted for dialogue rather than the use of force.
The town was agog as top Nigerians from all walks of lives, including state governors, business moguls , politicians and foreign national had besieged the town to honour the Iconic Nigerian.
Osinbajo while making the pronouncement said the Pesident , who had harmonious relationship with General Adebayo would have loved to be here but for the present situation at the presidency, tactically referring to the president's medical vacation in London.
In his words, "This is a celebration of life of sacrifice and dedication to one's community and nation. General Adebayo was a fine gentleman and the 1st indigenous Chief of Army Staff who Mr President had harmonious relationship with.
"To let you know how respectable this man was to President Buhari, the President personally instructed me to be here. General Adebayo had demonstrated that one must learn how to impact on the community where he has the opportunity of serving. As a military officer, he did well and a military governor, he served the people selflessly.
"As a military officer in 1967, he fought hard to prevent the rebel army from making incursion into Lagos, the then Federal Capital Territory. He headed the post war conciliation committee for the integration of the Igbos back to Nigeria. In fact, his military trajectory was a case study in Nigeria.
"General Adebayo did not only serve Nigeria, he served with integrity. In the struggle for democracy in Nigeria, General Adebayo was a member of National Democratic Coalition(NADECO).
"Knowing the value of development on the wellbeing of the generality of the people, General Adebayo since 1999 had been encouraging southwest governors on the need to bring back the old glories, because he didn't like the way the southwest was falling behind in education and agriculture.
"General Adebayo had left the right inheritance, and this was not money but good character and I want he coming leadership to emulate what his iconic life represented", he concluded.
The primate of Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh, described Adebayo as a man of great "human disposition , forthright , disciplined and focused" , saying these sterling qualities helped his career in no small measure. The cleric warned Nigerian leaders against corruption and massive looting of the treasury, saying these won't prevent them from the cold hands of death.
"Nigeria is in trouble because our leaders are self-serving . But remember that only God has the power of life and death. With over 98 billion dollars you have stolen, this won't deliver you from the hands of death.
"There are so mush sufferings in the land, unemployment is increasing, people are dying and jobless, so all these were enough for our leaders to cater for rather than looting the treasuries for personal gains".
The Archbishop urged Nigerian leaders to learn from the life of the late Macedonian Leader, Alexandre the Great , who refused to acquire wealth as a military officer just because of the believe that the world is a vanity.
Okoh added that General Adebayo impacted positively on the southwest and Iyin Ekiti during his time as a military governor , saying "this is the kind of leader Nigeria needs. Those that will be humble with power and see the people as the right constituents that must be taken care of".
The Cleric added further: "General Adebayo was an harbinger of peace even as a military officer. He was a Yoruba man par excellence . One thing marvels me about his administration, if someone can see presiding over Ekiti, Ondo, Osun as a problem, what shall we then say about someone ruling over the whole southwest region.
Former Governor Niyi Adebayo and son of the deceased thanked Nigerians for the support the family had got since the patriarch died on March 8. 2017.
"Though the show my father left behind might be too difficult for me ,but I promise to live up to expectation. I will do my best for my father to be happy with me in heaven
A set of trending photos on social media has shown a Nigerian man claimed to be Igbo by tribe alleged to have gotten married to a Muslim lady in Malaysia.
As claimed, the Nigerian Igbo man identified as Collins tied the knot with his Muslim bride in a wedding ceremony held in Jasin District in Melaka, Malaysia.
The report also claims Mr. Collins' friends and some members of his family were present to grace the occasion alongside his girlfriend's family members.
Igbo man weds Muslim ladyIgbo man weds Muslim ladyIgbo man weds Muslim ladyIgbo man weds Muslim ladyIgbo man weds Muslim lady
Come the d-day, we set off at the crack of dawn. By the time we arrived Mark's town house, some wizened old people were already gathered for the ceremony.
Abigail looked as if she was on auto-pilot and I stood determinedly by her side.
Our other two friends looked fierce and I smiled secretly to myself. A ceremony that was supposed to be joyous could swing the other way any minute. We were dressed to the nines and were made so much fuss of. Decked in a "heavy' lace outfit Mark moved towards Mariam, the new mother, also adorning an identical lace as she walked in with the new baby wrapped in a shawl. As she knelt to greet us, Abigail sprang up, took a peek at the baby and shrieked, "Mark! How could you look at this child and call him yours? He doesn't look anything like any of your other children when they were infants. Are you so desperate to prove your virility that you'll take on any child as yours?" On and on she raved, letting the frustration of the past months take their toll on her.
Calmly, I shushed her and the embarrassed guests got ready to start the ceremony.
With a long-drawn hiss, she walked out on us all and went to sit in the car. She refused to budge until some of the elders rounded on her, calling her wicked and selfish. She was shocked at their hostility. Reluctantly, she sat stone-faced through the brief ceremony and we all left when we decently could. Abigail was like a woman possessed through most of the ride back to Lagos. I had to bring her to the flat with me.
She calmed down after a few drinks and she later agreed to come on a visit to Franka, " a good friend who just came back from a short trip abroad. She'd called to ask me to collect the things I asked her to pick up for me. Out of all our friends, she is the most daring. She had a 'non-interference' agreement with her husband – he does what he likes and she dances to her own brand of music. Both successful in their own rights, they're unrepentant adulterers. Mother of two adorable kids, she's long sworn off having more children. All she wants now is fun, fun and more fun.
" Aren't you worried about what people are saying about you?" I asked her once as she effortlessly wangled a date off a man at a party with his wife sitting a few chairs away. "Why should I be?" she asked, her well made-up face looking mischievous.
"Let them talk all they want to. Life is short and if my' escapades bring a little excitement into their lives, why should I begrudge them that?"
As she gloated over her escapades during this last trip, she waited dramatically for a few seconds before declaring: "I went into an Ann Summers Shop!" My eyes widened. The last time we were all together abroad, we'd sneaked into a branch of the shop at an arcade. Years back, Ann Summers, an outlet famous for the sales of sex-enhancing gadgets, had taken sexy lingerie and sex toys out of the Smutty Shops in Soho and brought them into the bright lights. Why be ashamed of whatever gives you pleasure? Eyes bulging, we'd tittered at the interesting display of various shapes and sizes of vibrators and sexy undies. Franka picked a few items and urged us to buy some, but we wouldn't dare. I guess none of us wanted to be a witness to what we might get up to in the privacy of the bedroom! "I brought the Vibrating love eggs," she said cooly. If I recalled, these were two tiny pink rubber balls joined together with a cord. We'd discreetly read the back of the packet: "Ready to insert for a discreet thrill." it said. Not knowing quite what to do with it, we'd moved on to view other interesting items…
"They're meant to be inserted,"Franka said. "As soon as they're in, they tickle with a wonderful thrill all the time. Believe me, it's a worthwhile investment! Would have gotten you girls some, but I was skint, and they don't come cheap. You know my husband, it's now down to once a fortnight and it lasts for a few minutes if I'm lucky. With these miracle eggs, I feel rejuvenated and when you're in the car on a bumpy road, woah! I'd almost forgotten about the real thing until hubby wondered why I wasn't panting for it after a long time away. I had to lie that I had some business problems that made me unhappy then let him have his way. As soon as he was through, the eggs were back! In fact, I'm wearing them as we speak! I'm like a junkie needing a fix every day. The zing and tingle they give is out of this world! I have to make sure I remember hubby once in a while or he might think I'm having affair…"
Is this girl normal or is she some sort of a nympho ? I wanted to voice out my thought as I drove Abigail home when she turned to me. "Do you think we should get some eggs too?" she asked. "Did you notice how Franka skin glowed? How she looked so happy? I could ask my sister to buy us some you know? Why wait until the next time we travel abroad? The way I feel about my husband right now, I need all the love eggs I can get!"
When we got back to my flat, I decided to tell' Abigail some home truths. She is only 50, but she's had her kids and they're settled, she tends to let herself go. Wearing bubus and kaftans most of the time sucks, I told her. So does wearing the native wrapper and buba with her generous boobs almost resting on her stomach. First, she must invest in a few bustier-bras that would 'jack' up her boobs as if they'd been pumped by a vulcaniser! She should also lose some weight and maybe improve on her make-up, get a few eye-popping shoes instead of the comfy mules she favours, and match them with interesting handbags. She looked a bit hurt as I went on, but I reminded her that her husband has given her cause to fight her rivals. 'Who knows, in the process of doing just that, she might just find herself a juicy bit-on-the- side! This perked her up immediately.
As she reached for another helping of her favourite tipple, gin and tonic, I told her to cut down on the booze. From now on, if she must drink, anything with plain soda water as mixer should replace the fizzy ones she usually favoured – that should get rid of her craving for sugar! Apart from the usual natter on the phone, I didn't see Abigail until a few weeks after our 'talk'. I nearly burst a vein when I saw her. She had on a trendy skirt suit, with her boobs almost clawing her throat! I told her to slow down on the 'jack up,' helped her re-adjust her bra and wow!
"The girdle is killing me though," she mourned. I told her she would get used to it and feel more comfortable when she loses weight. "I was at my brother's yesterday," she told me excitedly. She met her husband through this particular brother. "Jake was also there!" She'd had the hots for Jake for years. Her brother's junior by far at secondary school, Franka is just a year older than he is. The boy's rule, however, was that none of them should graze close to each other's homes and Jake had tried to respect the rule."
” As soon as my brother went out of the living room, leaving us alone for a while, Jake slipped me his business card and I gave him mine", Abigail confessed. "Moments later, bros came in and I left, barely giving Jake a glance. He pretended to be engrossed in the gyrating of some silly girls on MTV Base! So now, I have his number and he has mine. If he calls, we'll see what develops. If he doesn't, too bad. I'm not so desperate that I'd be lusting after a reluctant lover!"
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose and the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo in Iyin-Ekiti for the burial service of Late General Adeyinka Adebayo on Saturday.
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and Ondo State governor Akeredolu in Iyin-Ekiti for the burial service of Late General Adeyinka Adebayo on Saturday.Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and Ondo State governor Akeredolu in Iyin-Ekiti for the burial service of Late General Adeyinka Adebayo on Saturday.Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and Ondo State governor Akeredolu in Iyin-Ekiti for the burial service of Late General Adeyinka Adebayo on Saturday.Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and Ondo State governor Akeredolu in Iyin-Ekiti for the burial service of Late General Adeyinka Adebayo on Saturday.Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and Ondo State governor Akeredolu in Iyin-Ekiti for the burial service of Late General Adeyinka Adebayo on Saturday.
The Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi state has adjourned till May 31st, the ongoing trial of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, youth leader and a blogger,Comrade Austin Usman Okai to rule on the motion whether the prosecution has the right to amend charges pressed against the accused person. The adjournment was sequel to the arguments canvassed by both parties representing the prosecution as well as the accused person after the motion was served by the prosecuting counsel on the defence counsel,Mr J. S Okutepa SAN.
At the proceeding counsel for the state attempted to file a motion for amendment of charges earlier brought against the accused person, which was opposed by the defence counsel.
In his argument, Mr Okutepa,a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) argued that the prosecuting counsel has no power to amend a motion without the approval of the court. “The prosecuting counsel is unqualified to amend charge,section 216 of the administration of Criminal Act stated clearly how a charge can be amended.
“How can a police who is charged with the responsibility of protecting the life and property of citizens turned himself to be a judge,my lordship there’s no charges to amend” he submitted.
The defence counsel therefore appealed to the presiding judge to ” strike out this worthless paper they titled amended charge ”
Earlier Mr okutepa SAN,informed the court that the life of his client is been threatened by the agent of the state.
According to him, the report has become necessary in view of the importance of the life of his client:
“I am reporting to my Lordship that the life of my client is been threatened by some Governor’s aides on both their Twitter and Facebook accounts “We’ve written a petition to the Inspector General of Police and copied the State Commissioner of police and other relevant security agencies in the state “he explained
He therefore submitted that his client be granted leave not to appear in court physically until trial readily commence; ” that for the safety of my client my Lord, my client should be excuse from appearing in court as he cannot face trail after he is killed in view of the life of my client I appeal to my lordship to grant my application ” he submitted.
The prosecuting counsel, who objected to the application without quoting authority from the law appealed to the presiding judge to discountenance the application.
The case has been adjourned to the 31st of May 2017 for ruling on the motions.
The court proceeding was witnessed by Mr Okai supporters who turned out as early as 8 am to witnessed the court proceedings which begins at 9.15 am.
Former Netherlands forward Dirk Kuyt has announced his retirement from professional football after an illustrious 19-year career that included spells in England and Turkey.
Dirk Kuyt
The 36-year-old made the announcement after leading Feyenoord to their first Dutch Eredivisie title in 18 years on the weekend. Kuyt will now move into a role with the club's technical management team.
A veteran of three FIFA World Cup™ tournaments, Kuyt was part of the Netherlands side that finished runners-up at South Africa 2010 and claimed third place at Brazil 2014. He sits sixth on the Oranje's all-time appearance list with 104 caps, having scored 24 goals during his international career.
A top goalscorer, Kuyt started his career at Utrecht, where he won the Dutch Cup before moving to Feyenoord for the first of two spells in 2003. After being the top scorer in his first three seasons with the Rotterdam club, Kuyt moved to English Premier League giants Liverpool in 2006. He scored 71 goals in 285 appearances during his six seasons with the Reds, leading them to an English League Cup title in 2012. The forward then had a three-year spell with Fenerbahce, where he won the Turkish Super Lig, Turkish Cup, and Turkish Super Cup titles. He returned to Feyenoord in 2015 and won a second Dutch Cup winners medal before leading the club to the Dutch league title this season.
"Throughout my career, I have always followed my heart when taking decisions and that goes for this one too," Kuyt said in an announcement on Feyenoord's official website. "To me, this feels like the right time to retire. I have had two fantastic years here since returning to Feyenoord, with this season's title as the absolute pinnacle. I had the dream of winning trophies and becoming a champion with Feyenoord. All my dreams have come true."
Let me start this piece by congratulating former President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida on the marriage of his daughter, Halima, to her beau, Auwal Abdullahi.
It goes without saying that the wedding would be the talk of Nigeria for aeons to come because of the kind of crowd it pulled.
In case you missed the news, let me inform you that no fewer than thirty private jets landed at Minna airport last weekend on account of this wedding that locked down Nigeria!
Thirty private jets. I do not even know what to exclaim! This is more than wow! Gosh does not even come close to the exclamation I wanted to express when I first read of this private jet convention in Minna! Gobsmacked is the only word that comes close, but even it does not quite capture the reaction I had.
Thank God former President Goodluck Jonathan, who was amongst the wedding guests, does not have a private jet, because that would have been the major topic of the day. The propaganda loving All Progressive Congress would have capitalized on that to rubbish Jonathan. Lai Mohammed would have been hyper ventilating with excitement at the character assassination possibilities if such had been the case.
But the lesson Nigerians may want to take from this is that few, very few of those who arrived Minna in private jets have any sort of productive business venture that generates and sustains jobs in Nigeria.
Yes, there were a couple of folks made rich by oil and gas at the Minna private jet convention, but these are not people that did anything constructive, productive or job creating that gave them wealth. Some were given oil blocks or allocations, others were given allocations to import petroleum products. Even a monkey would prosper if given such oligarchic opportunities. But how does that sort of business create jobs or adds value to Nigerians?
Others amongst them are government contractors, supplying sundry items to the various governments at federal, state and local government level. They are basically suppliers. They buy and resell to the government. But how does that sort of business create jobs and adds value to Nigerians?
Yet, they have private jets, private jetties, private yachts and even private body guards!
Nigeria has one of the lowest, if not the lowest, tax to GDP ratio in the world. In a country of 190 million people, only 214 individuals in the entire country pay tax of 20 million naira or more. This is according to the very latest official figures from the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
Norway has a population of just 5.2 million people yet they have more than 100 times the amount of people paying tax of $65,000 of more (the equivalent of 20 million naira).
But the story does not end there. Norway has never had a private party or private wedding or any private celebration that attracted 30 private jets!
The funniest thing is that Norway gives Nigeria financial aid every year!
We have a political and economic elite that are so rapacious and parasitic and who only think of what they can suck from Nigeria and could not careless that they are surrounded by some of the poorest people in the world according to official figures from the 2016 United Nations Human Development Index released on the 21st of March, 2017.
Norway is number 1 on that list. Nigeria is 152 out of 188 nations. Libya (102) and Iraq (121) both of which are war torn nations, outrank Nigeria. But most embarrassingly, Syria that has been enmeshed in probably the worst humanitarian crisis the world has seen in at least 10 years also outranks Nigeria (149)!
And almost all our elites are involved in this. President Muhammadu Buhari likes to be seen as the only good person in Nigeria but we have not forgotten so soon how, according to Daily Trust (which also happens to be the President’s favorite paper) his own daughter, Zahra Buhari, received pre wedding gifts worth 47 million Naira from her then suitor and now husband, Ahmed Indimi.
This same Ahmed Indimi likes to fly in private jets, pictures of which dot Nigeria’s social media landscape. I can assure you that Ahmed Indimi is not one of the 214 Nigerians who pay tax of over 20 million Naira.
Yet right there in Indimi’s Borno state, right there in Maiduguri where their palatial family house is a sprawling tourist attraction, there are millions of Internally Displaced Persons without food to eat and medicine for their ailments. Perhaps it is this sort of wickedness that Mohammed Yusuf saw and which made him conclude that Boko (book) must be Haram, if it can make people so oblivious to the suffering around them.
It is this same Indimi family that likes to marry and be married to Nigeria’s high and mighty (President Ibrahim Babangida was also once their in-law via the marriage of Mohammed Babangida, his first son, to Rahama Indimi).
Many Nigerians are not aware that if you isolate Borno state from the rest of Nigeria, that state becomes the poorest region on planet earth BAR NONE!
Borno has the highest unemployment rate in Nigeria and the second lowest primary school enrollment rate in Nigeria. What has her private jet loving, high and mighty marrying elite done to change that?
I was in Anambra once and the type of community spirit I saw there impressed me. They may not have a lot of private jets in Anambra, but in Anambra, they have community associations that give scholarships and business grants to those who are commercially inclined. There is NO poverty in Nnewi, one of the communities where this community spirit is most prevalent.
They build their own primary and secondary schools through community effort. I am dead serious. If you go there you will not believe your eyes! They have well tarred modern roads that were built through their private efforts. All over Anambra, the various towns and villages copy the Nnewi model.
I daresay that there is more evidence of private and community development in Anambra than there is of any type of federal government presence. Anambra does not even have an airport! Borno does. Anambra does not even have a publicly built federal university!
The only so called Federal University in Anambra, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, was built by the state government with contributions from private citizens and then compulsorily taken over by the military government of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida via Decree No. 34 of July 15, 1992. But in Borno, they have a massive federal university WHOLLY built with Federal Government funds.
If any state deserves to be poor from lack of Federal Government presence, that state is Anambra. If any state deserves to be rich by reason of the existence of Federal Government presence, that state is Borno. But Borno is poor while Anambra is rich! Why?
Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are sponsoring immunization and other medical interventions in Borno state. They are together the richest people on earth. Yet their life styles is nowhere near as lavish as Nigeria’s private jet loving parasitic elite.
Both Gates and Buffet are known for their frugality. Both of them have shown more concern for Nigeria’s poor than any of the owners or leasers of the 30 private jets that converged in Minna last week.
In fact, Bill Gates has personally visited with many of the poorest Nigerians and has administered vaccines to their children with his own hands!
If those thirty private jet owners or leasers could do in their communities what Nnewi people do in theirs, then most assuredly Nigeria would not be in recession today.
Jeff Bezos of Amazon is worth $67 billion, Mark Zuckerberg is worth $55.5 billion. Both of them are young people who made their money by dint of hardwork, yet none of these two billionaires had a wedding as spectacularly opulent as either Zahra Buhari’s or Halima Babangida’s weddings. Mark Zuckerberg actually got married at a simple ceremony in the backyard of his home in Palo Alto, California in front of 100 guests.
The British charity, Oxfam, recently released a report on inequality in Nigeria. According to Oxfam, the combined wealth of the five richest Nigerians, put at about $29.9 billion, could end extreme poverty in the country!
According to Oxfam, in recent years the number of millionaires in Nigeria has increased by 44% while the number of those living in poverty has increased by 69%!
And instead of the shameless Federal Government of Nigeria to appreciate Oxfam, not just for its years of charity work in Nigeria, but for this new report which distills the issues militating against Nigeria’s efforts to increase human development, it turns around to condemn the report and accuse Oxfam of ‘inciting’ Nigerians against her elite!
It is becoming clearer and clearer that Nigeria, as currently designed, can hardly produce young people with the mindset of Bezos or Zuckerberg.
You see, if we do not redesign Nigeria and ensure that the wealth of the nation is more equitably redistributed, we will find out soon enough that Nigeria, as it is currently designed, is designed to fail.
Nigeria has such a high unemployment rate because the wealth of the nation is trapped in the hands of carpetbaggers, rent seekers and influence paddlers who flaunt their wealth at the masses without even giving them token employment.
And it is not as if Nigerians are not willing to work. We are. Strive Masiyiwa, the Zimbabwean founder of Econet, famously revealed how stunned he was when he found out how willing Nigerians were to work.
When he came to Nigeria in 2001 and wanted to hire staff for his new company, Econet Wireless Nigeria, he advertised for jobs seeking people with telecommunications experience who had electronic engineering degrees and a minimum of five years relevant experience.
Mr. Masiyiwa, a dollar billionaire with experience working all over the world was stunned at the response.
Let me allow him tell his story because I cannot possibly tell it better than him.
“I came into the office to find postal bags, piled to the ceiling!
“I only want to see the applications from people who meet our requirements, and not from chancers who aren’t qualified,” I complained.
“Sir, these are the ones we have vetted.”
“What?! You mean there were more than this?”
“Thousands, sir.”
Then I came up with an idea: “Why don’t you separate for me, the most qualified academically. Set aside people with MBAs, and even PHDs.”
A day later, another postal bag of applications was delivered to my office. I was staggered!
There were thousands of people with qualifications in just this one discipline with MBAs and PHDs! Many had qualified in the best universities around the world. There were also GSM-qualified Nigerians working internationally, including in America and Europe, wanting to return home!
I was blown away by the qualifications. I thought to myself: “You can start almost any business or industry here. I wish investors would one day discover the wealth of this nation.”
Whenever I hear people talk about the wealth of Nigeria in terms of oil, I shake my head to say: “You have no idea what you’re talking about!”
The true wealth of Nigeria is its extraordinary human capital, and passion for education. Unleash that and no one can stop them!”
The funniest thing is that Strive Masiyiwa, a dollar billionaire who made his money from a productive industry like the telecommunications sector and who provided enduring jobs for literarily tens of thousands of Nigerians, does not live as large as many Nigerian elite.
No wonder that the exploitative carpetbagging elite of Nigeria chased him out of Nigeria!
Strive Masiyiwa is the antithesis of the exploitative Nigerian elite who epitomize at least six of the seven deadly social sins:
Wealth without work. Pleasure without conscience. Knowledge without character. Commerce without morality. Science without humanity. Religion without sacrifice. Politics without principle.
The only one they do not epitomize is Science without humanity because that involves work and intellectual and creative abilities which many of our elite lack. If it were cleverness and guile, they would supersede even the best!
Ango Abdullahi
Ango Abdullahi has no basis for saying that the North would not allow Professor Yemi Osinbajo succeed Muhammadu Buhari in 2019. The North does not decide for Nigeria. Nigerians decide for Nigeria.
What Ango Abdullahi seems to have forgotten is that it was Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu that God used to make Muhammadu Buhari President in 2015. If the Northern Elders Forum could have made Buhari President, they would have done so in 2003, 2007 and 2011 when Buhari tried unsuccessfully to become President.
Nigeria has changed. Unfortunately, people like Ango Abdullahi and Junaid Mohammed, who add very little value to Nigeria and exist only to make provocative statements should realize that should their words precipitate crisis today or in 2019, both they and those they represent will be the biggest losers because they have more to gain from a united and peaceful Nigeria founded on the rule of law than others.
Nigerians will famously remember Ango Abdullahi as the liar who said that money from the North was used to develop the oil industry in the South. His exact words in 2014 were as follows:
“It is the North that developed the present day oil industry in this country. It is Northern money; it is the Northern leadership that developed the oil industry.”
Since Ango Abdullahi purports to be a professor and since he is from the North, let me use the words of another Northerner who happens to be a professor to respond to him.
On Saturday the 6th of May 2017, Farooq Kperogi wrote thus:
That money from the North funded oil exploration in the South. Professor Ango Abdullahi actually repeated this lie recently. He said this, ironically, while exhorting Emir Sanusi II to "go and read history." The truth is that not a dime of northern Nigeria's money contributed to oil exploration in the Niger Delta.
When oil was discovered in commercial quantities in Oloibiri in 1956, Shell bore the financial burden for the exploration. Other Euro-American oil companies later joined in oil exploration. It wasn't until 1973 that the Nigerian federal government acquired 30 percent shares in oil companies. By 1973, Northern Nigeria had ceased to exist; it had been divided into states.
In any case, colonial records show that the biggest motivation for amalgamating northern and southern Nigeria was because northern Nigeria wasn't financially self-sustaining and the British Imperial Government said it would never subsidize colonial administration anywhere in Africa. So Lord Lugard amalgamated the two regions and used the surplus from the south to sustain the north. It's illogical to say that a region that wasn't financially self-sustaining financed oil exploration in the Niger Delta.
It is a very sad day when a character like Ango Abdullahi is called an elder statesman. I think a better word for his ilk would be an agbaya! Professor (?) Abdullahi can ask Farook Kperogi to tell him the meaning of that word!
Reno’s Nuggets
Never marry just because plans are at an advance stage. If there is doubt in your heart, call it off. Embarrassment is better than a wrong union. It is easier to change I dont into I do than to change I do to I don’t. And be aware that the sexier the woman, the higher the maintenance.
The lovelier the woman. The lower the maintenance. Sexy is expensive. Love is not. Finally, do not be moved by beauty. With fake hair, fake lashes and fake eyes, any girl can be fine. Focus on character. It has no fake #RenosNuggets
Reno Omokri is a Christian TV talk show host and founder of the Mind of Christ Christian Center and the Helen and Bemigho Sanctuary for orphans. He is the author of three books, Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God, Why Jesus Wept and Apples of Gold: A Book of Godly Wisdom. His upcoming fourth book, Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years: Chibok, 2015 and Other Conspiracies, is set for release in June.
In spite of the country's 18 unbroken years of democracy, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, said on Saturday in Kabba, Kogi, that many Nigerians were still ignorant of the role of the legislature as a vital arm of government.
Dogara said the glaring ignorance on the part of many Nigerians had continued to put the legislature under "tremendous pressure and challenge".
"Constituents inundate legislators with requests and demands that are clearly outside the functions of the parliament," said Dogara, who was in Kabba to inaugurate some projects initiated by Rep. Tajudeen Yusuf.
He urged Nigerians to be abreast of the constitutional duties of the parliament, saying its role is purely law making, oversight and representation.
Dogara said the 8th Assembly would continue to intervene in critical areas of infrastructural across the country.
"It is in realisation of this national call to service that many legislators through the Zonal Intervention Initiative provide some incentives and projects that are expected to drive the economic activities in our various constituencies.
"As a parliament, we are fully committed to making laws that will improve the well-being of Nigerians, ensure meaningful growth and development as well as promoting peace, unity, fairness, equity and justice," the speaker said.
Dogara lauded Yusuf for initiating the projects which, he noted, would impact on the lives of the people at the grassroots and urged residents of the communities where the project are located to make the best use of them.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dogara inaugurated three skill acquisition centres and information communication centres.
Yusuf, who represents Kabba/Ijumu Federal Constituency in the House, said the facilities and the empowerment tools were provided in fulfillment of his electoral promises to the people.
"I have always had a pro-people approach to issues. For me, my passion and commitment to the general well-being of the people is non-negotiable. I have kept faith with this principle."
