Pres. Jonathan wishes Mrs H.I.D Awolowo happy 99th birthday celebrations

The wife of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Mrs Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo will turn 99 tomorrow November 25th. The president just released a statement wishing her happy celebrations..

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan heartily congratulates Chief (Mrs.) Hannah Dideolu Awolowo on the joyous occasion of her 99^th birthday anniversary, tomorrow, Tuesday, November 25, 2014.

President Jonathan and his family join millions of admirers of the late nationalist, renowned political leader and sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in wishing his “Jewel of Inestimable Value” very happy birthday celebrations.

The President prays that God Almighty will grant Chief (Mrs.) Awolowo many more years of worthy service as the matriarch and moral compass of the great Awolowo political dynasty which continues to play a commendable role in national development and progress.

President Jonathan looks forward to personally participating in the celebration of Chief (Mrs.) Awolowo’s landmark 100^th birthday next year to honour the highly-revered spouse of one of Nigeria’s famous founding fathers.

He prays that God Almighty who has blessed Chief (Mrs.) Awolowo with remarkable longevity will grant her continued good health and very memorable birthday celebrations.

Reuben Abati

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

November 24, 2014

Pics: Chinese car company unveils $22,000 copy of Range Rover

Nothing wey China no dey copy...lol. UK giant car company Jaguar Land Rover is furious after a relatively unknown Chinese car company called LandWind unveiled a car that looked almost exactly like the Range Rover E-vogue which at $22,000 cost $48,000 less than the Evogue which is about $70,000. Above is the Evogue and below is the Chinese car. It was launched at a motor show in China last week. Continue...



Jaguar Land Rover say they may take legal action against the company. Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Dr Ralf Speth told Autocar magazine: 

‘The fact that this kind of copying is ongoing in China is very disappointing. The intellectual property (IP) is owned by Jaguar Land Rover and if you break that IP then you are in breach of international regulations.’

Explosion rocks PDP secretariat in Cross River..see more details

An explosion believed to be a bomb rocked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat along the Murtala Mohammed in Calabar, Cross River State, on Monday.
The incident which occurred at about 5:30am rocked several buildings in the vicinity.
Our correspondent who visited the scene at about 5: 50am saw heavily armed policemen and soldiers trying to restore order in the area.
A resident, who lives nine houses away from the secretariat where the incident occurred, said at the time he felt his house shaking.
“I heard a loud bang and everywhere started shaking. I thought the house was going to collapse,” he said.
In a compound that shares the same fence with the back of the secretariat, several glass doors and windows were shattered.
While speaking with one of those staying in the compound at about 10am, some policemen across the fence in the PDP secretariat ordered our correspondent to leave immediately.
A couple of them jumped over the fence with their guns and threatened to smash the correspondent’s phone and deal with him if he did not leave immediately.
The state chairman of the party, Mr. John Okon, said, “I understand they threw in a bomb or dynamite or something. The police are there and the anti-bomb squad is on the way. We would not be able to use the secretariat for the ward congresses. We would be using the Presidential Lodge.
All the electoral officers are collecting their materials and going to the field. The windows and other things inside the office were destroyed.”

NYSC Members in FCT Protest Over Non-payment of 6 Months’ Allowances

                               
NYSC Batch B corps Members in Kuje protesting over    non-payment of 6 months allowance on Monday 

                                                                         (24/11/14).

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in Kuje Area Council on Monday staged a protest over the inability of the council to pay six months allowances owed them.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the corps members, numbering about 60, barricaded the entrance of the council secretariat displying placards on which were scripted “pay us our six months allowances; we are hungry and starving.”

Edna Akpan, the leader of the corp members, told NAN that they had earlier written to the Kuje Area Council authorities demanding that their allowances be paid but the issue was not given the desired attention.

“We have not been paid for over six months and we don’t have good mattresses at the Corpers’ Lodge; we are starving in this place.

“Other corps members that served in this area council were not owed; it’s surprising that we are witnessing such during our time.

“The reason why we embarked on this peaceful demonstration is to show our grievances over the matter.”

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of council, Shaban Tete, told NAN that the council administration, together with the NYSC Coordinator, would hold a roundtable discussion to resolve the issue.

Tete said the inability to pay the corps members was due to the reduction in the councils’ allocation.

He, however, said that the council would ensure ensure that the corps member were paid their allowances.

“The councilors have not been paid their imprest and some allowances for over eight months because we have a shortfall in our allocation.

“Even in my office, we are entitled to some allowances but they are no longer available because we no longer get security vote in the area council,’’ the Chairman said.

Photo Credit: NAN-PHOTO

Ebola: Ministry of Agriculture Warns Against Smuggling of Frozen Chicken

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has warned Nigerians involved in the smuggling  frozen chicken to desist  from doing so as it could bring back the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) .

The warning was contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the Federal Department of Animal Production and Husbandry Services.

The statement noted that the importation of poultry and poultry products had continued to find their way into local markets through several land borders despite the ban on such products.

It quoted the USAID Agricultural Information Network as reporting that 90 percent of frozen chicken in Nigeria comes through Benin Republic and other West African countries.

It  also blamed the decline in the consumption of local chicken, loss of jobs provided by the poultry industry and decrease in national income generated from the poultry sub-sector on the illegal trade.

Although the statement acknowledged that the sale of frozen chicken had become a means of livelihood for some Nigerians, it stated that its continuous consumption posed a great health risk.

Some factors adduced by nutritionists for its health risk include the length of storage of frozen chicken before reaching Nigeria.

According to the statement the quality is usually very low due to the break in cold chain during several hours of land journey in Nigeria through illegal routes.

The statement also identified the absence of quality certification or standard of instruments used as another source of health risk.

Besides the above factors, the recent outbreak of EVD in some West African countries had shown that the handling of these products could transmit the disease, the statement said.

It said that people handling these frozen chicken were not known and as such, there were no checks on the storage facility and the mode of transportation.

The statement also claimed that the deaths caused by the EVD and burial places, may not have been properly reported in some of these West African countries.

It warned that Nigerians should not assume that all affected West African countries had achieved 100 per cent tracking and control of EVD as Nigeria had done.

“It is on this note that the Federal Department of Animal Production and Husbandry Services is calling on Nigerians smuggling chicken to desist from doing so.

“The department is also calling on the Nigerian Customs Service to step up surveillance to further curb this illegal trade.

“Similarly, agricultural and health watchdogs must keep a vigilant eye on poultry product to prevent contaminants in the product”, the statement further said.

Photo Credit: Natalia Rumyantseva/Dreamstime.com

Sika Osei, ‘Deyemi Okanlawon, Seun Ajayi & Shawn Faqua Star in ‘Saving The King’ | Watch the Trailer

‘Saving The King‘ is a film adaptation of Tunde Leye‘s story ‘If Music Be The Food of Love‘. First published as part of the 12 Days of Christmas series on The Naked Convos, the story has been made into a film by Ifeanyi Barbara Chidi.  The film was directed by Imoh Umoren and is scheduled to be aired on Christmas day on TV stations across Nigeria.

Saving The King stars Deyemi Okanlawon, Sika Osei, Shawn Faqua and Seun Ajayi and we can’t wait to see it.

Check out some Behind The Scene photos, as well as the trailer.

 

 Watch from here....

   

Pictures: Tortured Ugandan baby and parents at police HQ today

The Ugandan baby who was tortured by a maid and her parents met with Uganda's Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura, today November 24th where the IGP promised that baby Arnella will get justice. See more photos from the visit after the cut...


 



Photo credit: Uganda's Daily Monitor

Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola & Dr. Frannie Leautier to Headline as Keynote Speakers at The Future Africa Awards 2014

 

            Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola

Africa’s biggest youth event, The Future Awards Africa (TFAA) has announced the keynote speakers for its 2014 edition – they are the Governor of Africa’s largest city, Babatunde Raji Fashola, and Tanzania’s Dr. Frannie Leautier, who has been called “Africa’s queen of development”. The event holds on Sunday 7th December 2014 at the Intercontinental Hotels in Lagos, Nigeria.

“We are extremely excited to announce the confirming of these exemplary African leaders,” said Mohamed Diaby, from Abidjan, who is a member of the Central Working Committee for the awards. “They typify the theme for this year’s event, a call to action for Africa’s now generation to take charge and transform the continent. We are counting the days to the continent’s exclusive evening of inspiration“.

The Keynote Speaker for 2013 was Nigeria’s president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Dr. Frannie Leautier

Dr. Frannie Leautier

Dr. Leautier is the Chief Executive Officer of Mkoba Private Equity, a fund created to support small and medium enterprises in Africa. She has served as Vice President of the World Bank and Head of the World Bank Institute. She was also co-chair of the World Economic Forum in 2013 and had a successful career in the private sector.

In 2007, she founded the Fezembat Group, a company focused on risk management and leadership development, serving as its Managing Partner until 2009. Dr. Leautier was recently listed among the 100 most influential people in Africa. She is a board member of the Nelson Mandela Institute for Science and Technology in Africa (founding member), the Africa Institute for Governing with Integrity (founding member) and of UONGOZI, a leadership institute in Tanzania.

Governor Babatubde Raji Fashola

Governor Fashola’s track record in governance is widely regarded as peerless. Referred to by the UK Telegraph as “the man who tamed” Lagos, The Atlantic says of his leadership, “Lagos illustrates what is possible when the government enters into a social contract with its citizens“.

Having Nigeria declared Ebola-free has however been called “his biggest achievement in office“. Taking “personal charge of the operation to track down and quarantined nearly 1000 people feared to have been infected“, in a city with an estimated 17 million people, he successfully supervised “what would have been a formidably complex operation in any country,” according to the Telegraph.

“His insights on leadership and impact, which emphasize the capacity of Africans to lead and save Africa became even more important as TFAA drives the #StopEbola campaign to galvanize 1 million young Africans to fight the pandemic in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Mali,” said Mohamed Diaby.

The Governor is recipient of the 2009 Yitzhak Rabin Centre for African Development Governor of the Decade for Peace Award and the recipient of the 2010 Award of Excellence in Leadership of the Martin Luther King Jnr. Foundation.

“We need all hands on deck,” said Dr. Leautier. “This is a truly great initiative, with impressive results achieved in entrepreneurship development and getting the message of action out to young Africans. I look forward to the awards, and the next phase of impact.”

The Future Awards Africa 2014 is headlined by Vitafoam and presented in partnership with Microsoft, the  

Lagos Internal Revenue Service and the Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Official Media Partners are EbonyLife TV, AfricaMagic, Ventures Africa, and Y! Africa. Official Online Partners are MemeBurn, BellaNaija, Premium Times and 360nobs.

The official bloggers for 2014 are LindaIkeji, Omojuwa, LadunLiadi, Olorisupergal, Ameyaw, NigeriaNewsDesk and GidiTraffic. Country partners are The Trent, Information Nigeria, News Wire Nigeria, SabiNews and Pulse.ng.

Cool FM is the host radio station. Channels Television is the host TV station.

For more information, visit @TFAAfrica on Twitter/Instagram or the website: www.thefutureafrica.com/awards. The official hashtags for the 2014 awards are #TheFutureAwards and #TheFutureAwards2014.

FG bans the use of phones in Nigerian prisons

Following the recent jailbreak attempt in some Nigerian prisons in recent times, the Federal govt today banned the use of phones by both prisoners and prison officials within the prison premises.

The ban was pronounced by Minister of Interior Affairs, Abba Moro while speaking with some senior prison officials in Abuja.

"I have visited some prisons in other countries as the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Nobody, no matter how highly placed you are, you don’t come to prison with your phones, not even the minister of Interior as the supervising minister over the prisons. So, why are you an exception?. Henceforth, no matter who you are including myself, nobody goes into prison with telephones."

And so, as you are going from here, create a meeting platform where all the officers that work in the prisons as they walk into prisons, they submit their phones and collect them when they close.”

 The Minister also directed that all the phones on all inmates should be confiscated withing 30 days.

Pictures: Abuja Court reportedly frees alleged Nyanya bomber

A Federal High court sitting in Abuja has freed Aminu Oguche, the suspected mastermind of the Nyanya bomb blast which killed about 70 people in April.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the court in it's ruling, dismissed the two counts terrorism charges brought against him and freed him based on lack of diligent prosecution by the state.
                          

                          

                          

Aminu escaped to Sudan after allegedly coordinating the attack. He was apprehend and repatriated to Nigeria in July. More photos of him in court today after the cut...

                          

Smug & Patronizing? Top Selling Ebola Charity Single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” draws Controversy

                                       
“Do They Know It’s Christmas“, the Bob Geldof-led Band Aid 30 charity single is reportedly the fastest selling single of the year in the UK. The song is also currently the Number 1 song in the UK.

All proceeds from the single are going towards efforts to curb Ebola in West Africa. So why are people complaining?

The UK Independent reports that “Damon Albarn suggested the song patronises Africa, while Lily Allen called the collective effort “smug”.” Emeli Sandé whose father is from Zambia and features on the song, has now lashed out against the lyrics. Stating that she suggested rewrites which were rejected.

While some people agree that the lyrics evoke Africa as a dark place in need of help, others point out that the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa is a catastrophic situation. With over 5000 dead and entire countries in disarray. Therefore, lyrics and political correctness do not matter, as long as people are being helped.

emmanuel omobhude, We will love to hear your view! 

Watch the video and check out the lyrics below.

“

Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was written by Ure, Midge / Geldof, Bob – Lyrics
[One Direction]
It’s Christmas time there’s no need to be afraid
[Ed Sheeran]
At Christmas time we let in light and we banish shade
[Rita Ora]
And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy
[Sam Smith]
Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time
[Paloma Faith]
But say a prayer and pray for the other ones
[Emeli Sandé]
At Christmas time its hard but while you’re having fun
[Elbow]
There’s a world outside your window and it’s a world of dread and fear
[Dan Smith]
Where a kiss of love can kill you
[Angelique Kidjo]
And there’s death in every tear
[Chris Martin]
And the Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom
[Bono]
Well tonight we’re reaching out and touching you
[Seal]
Bring peace and joy this Christmas to West Africa
[Ellie Goulding]
A song of hope where there’s no hope tonight (ooh)
[Sinead O'Connor]
Why is comfort to be feared, why is to touch to be scared
[Bono]
How can they know it’s Christmas time at all
[One Direction]
Here’s to you
[Olly Murs]
Raise a glass to everyone
[Bastille]
Here’s to them
[Sam Smith]
And all their years to come
[Rita Ora]
Can they know it’s Christmas time at all
[Chorus - all singers]
Feed the world let them know it’s Christmas time again
Feel the world let them know it’s Christmas time again
Heal the world let them know it’s Christmas time again
Feed the world let them know it’s Christmas time again
Feel the world let them know it’s Christmas time again
Heal the world let them know it’s Christmas time again
Feed the world let them know it’s Christmas time again
Feel the world let them know it’s Christmas time again
Lyrics Source: Metro Lyrics

Pictures: President Jonathan vists Chadian President, Idriss Deby

President Jonathan pictured with Chadian President, Idriss Deby in Ndjamena, Chad today November 24th. See more photos after the cut...


                    

Rapper accuses Beyonce of stealing his video concept…

Beyonce broke the Internet last Friday November 21st with the fun video for her new single 7/11 and now some Atlanta rapper, OG Maco, is claiming that Beyonce stole his video concept and even said Solange played his song at her wedding reception. See his tweets after the cut...



 

Muslim body, MURIC, questions Jewish symbol on new N100 note

A Muslim body, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has released a statement expressing concern over what it termed a Jewish symbol on Nigeria’s new N100 note which was unveiled recently.

The Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, in the statement issued yesterday November 23rd, alleged the insertion of a Jewish symbol into the new currency, demanding explanation from the Federal Government. See the statement after the cut...

“The Federal Government, on November 12, 2014 unveiled the new design for the N100 commemorative centenary banknote which will be officially issued on December 19.

However, the office of the Muslim Rights Concern has been inundated with calls for action on the Jewish symbol on the new note. Nigerian Muslims are complaining that the Arabic writing in Hausa language (the Ajami script) that read ‘Naira Dari’ (i.e. one hundred naira) on the N100 note has been removed and replaced with the Jewish symbol, the Star of David.

As a faith-based human rights organisation which believes in the dialogue option, MURIC is duty bound to articulate the demands of Nigerian Muslims, particularly on matters which have to do with imbalance in treatment of the adherents of the different religions governments (federal or state).

MURIC recalls that Arabic inscriptions which have always been on Nigerian currency since independence were unceremoniously removed in 2005 from N5, N10, N20 and N50 denominations. They remained on N100, N200, N500 and N1,000 denominations.

Nigerian Muslims regard the latest action, namely, the supplanting of Arabic with Jewish symbol from the new N100 as a continuation of the campaign of elimination by substitution against Arabic language and, by implication, against Nigerian Muslims.

It is well known that a large section of the Nigerian population use the Arabic Ajami and removing it from the new note will deprive millions of users of the Arabic Ajami of the ability to recognise, identify and use the new currency.

Furthermore, putting the Jewish symbol on the new N100 falls short of international standard, as currencies worldwide are designed to suit each nation’s culture and history.

Where does the Jewish symbol fit in? Which Nigerian community speaks the Jewish language? The insertion of the Jewish symbol is, therefore, clannish and parochial. It is tainted with undisguised religious fanaticism.

There is nothing wrong for our president to like Israel as a nation, but it is another thing entirely to openly and brazenly promote Zionism at the highest office in this country when we are still struggling with the last vestiges of colonialism. Nigerian Muslims are becoming increasingly suspicious and very uncomfortable with the actions and inactions of President Jonathan.

Firstly, in spite of the preponderance of Muslims in the South West, he appointed no single Muslim as minister in the whole region for almost four years. Secondly, he marginalised Muslims in the deliberations which took place in the national conference by appointing a meagre 189 Muslims as against 303 Christians.

Thirdly, Mr President saturated the security system in Aso Rock with Israeli security operatives, a nation well known for its animosity towards Muslims. The supplanting of Arabic language with Jewish symbol is the fourth among Jonathan’s anti-Muslim policies.

If once is happenstance, if twice is a coincidence and if the third time is enemy action, what do we call the fourth time? We are sick and tired of our president’s hatred for us. He openly confronts Muslims and goads us to challenge him.

“But we will not be provoked. Neither shall we be intimidated by executive maladministration. As apostles of dialogue and advocates of peaceful coexistence, as tax-payers, voters and citizens of this country, we hereby ask President Jonathan to explain the Jewish symbol on Nigeria’s money.

We also demand to know why the presidency could not employ security experts from neutral countries like Britain or France instead of Israel, which is a sworn enemy of Muslims. Mr President may also deem it fit to tell us if there is no correlation between the Israeli security experts in Aso Rock, the Israeli caught with Nigeria’s N9.3 million arms money in South Africa and the Jewish symbol on the new N100 note.

Mr President sir, are you not gradually selling Nigeria to Israel? Are you sure this will not attract the wrath of Israel’s enemies to our dear country? Can this also be partly responsible for the viciousness of the Boko Haram phenomenon?

MURIC appeals to Muslims nationwide to await President Jonathan’s response to the above questions and to remain calm and law abiding. Islam teaches tolerance (Qur’an 3:134) and obedience to constituted authority (Qur’an 4:59)."

Boko Haram members disguised as traders attack market in Borno, scores killed

Many market men and women are feared dead after Boko Haram militants disguised as traders attacked a market in Damasak town in the Mobar Local government area of Borno state this morning.

According to reports, the sect members arrived the fishing and farming community around 11am, moved into the middle of the market and opened fire on unsuspecting buyers and sellers. Details later