"Rivers At 50: Before The D-Day"

The creation of Rivers State on May 27, 1967, amongst 11 others from the old regional arrangement, was the climax of the series of anti-minority movements or agitations by the burgeoning leaders in a region now known as South-South geopolitical zone.

In the broadcast that gave birth to the states on that date, the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), reasoned that “creation of States is the only possible basis; for stability and equality” in the country.

Indeed, the creation of states gave the minorities immeasurable sense of belonging and paved the way for self-actualisation. It also weakened the attitude of dominance of the majority tribes.

Popular and prominent platforms used in advancing the cause in that period of our history were the Rivers Chiefs and Peoples Conference (RCPC), the Rivers Leaders of Thought (RLT) and the Niger Delta Congress; a political party founded and led by Chief Harold Dappa­Biriye.

In the forefronts of the quest for states in this part of the zone were irresistible men like Chiefs Harold Dappa-Biriye, Nwobudike Nwanodi, Emmanuel Oriji, Wenike Briggs, Ashirim Unosi, M. D. Selema, Richard Woyike and several others, yet to be celebrated.

They came from different ethnic backgrounds, political affiliations and ideological leanings, but were united by a common faith and cause. They were focused, committed and undoubtedly altruistic in their pursuits.

They were driven by a rare passion and saturated with a desire to liberate their people from years of unjustifiable neglect, social and economic deprivation, as well as political emasculation, experienced even before independence in 1960. They saw in the creation of Rivers State “the salvation of the Niger Delta Peoples and their environment, where there will be parity of opportunities for all citizens irrespective of the size”.

The emergent pioneer administrators, under the leadership of a vision-driven governor, Commodore Alfred Papapiriye Diete-Spiff (rtd), now Amanyanabo of Twon Brass in Bayelsa State, were thinkers and brilliant in their different callings. They were clear in their vision, and as pioneer state builders, laid the solid foundation for the rapid growth and development of the young state.

Following the sudden termination of the glorious era of the pioneer state builders in 1976, the state came under a succession of military dictators led by non-indigenes that did not only fail to sustain the pace of development but also truncated the dream of the founding fathers.

Notwithstanding, the achievements of the era of the founding fathers were the envy of other states. In the course of time, Rivers State became one of the most notable and populous states in the federation, even after the creation of Bayelsa State in 1996.
At the wake of democracy in 1999, a new chapter in the socio­economic and political history of the State began. It was a new dawn for the State and its people. Hope was rekindled and aspirations ran high.

Expectations were equally high among the citizenry who desired a breath of fresh air after long period of military administrations.

The political leadership from 1999 to date tried to reverse the decades of anomalies perpetrated by the military junta in collaboration with some unpatriotic citizens.

Unfortunately, some, if not most of the elected men and women, lacked the profound emotion, “cast of mind” and commitment that characterized the first generation leaders.
Nevertheless, Rivers State today stands out as one to be reckoned with in terms of infrastructural development, social, economic and political relevance amongst states in the federation.

May 27, 2017, the state that once held and still holds the hope for many will be 50 years old. By Providence, the Golden Jubilee anniversary will rest on the shoulders of the present administration under the leadership of Governor Nyesom Wike.

Interestingly, it is happening at a time when, many believe, the state is undergoing reckonable socio-economic changes; a kind of renaissance that has rekindled hope, restored confidence in governance and bolstered pride of the people.

The celebration, no doubt, will transcend fanfare and merry making. Obviously, it will take stock of the diverse milestones in the life of the state and its people, as well as launch a sustainable development graph that would prepare future generations for the challenges of statehood. In addition, it will showcase visible achievements of the present administration, including investment opportunities that abound in the state.

Already, some on-going projects have been earmarked to commemorate the event. Two of such landmark projects include the Ecumenical Centre and the Port Harcourt Pleasure Park; a project apparently intended to promote a culture of recreation, without ruling out the fact that it will be a very good source of revenue for the state.

While the Rivers State Government is working round the clock to have a befitting and memorable Golden Jubilee celebration of the creation of Rivers State, it should be supported as one celebration that would touch the hearts of our political and other leaders and bridge the yawning gap or divisiveness created by unhealthy politics.

Above all, the Golden Jubilee celebration, is expected to heal wounds, promote peace, love and unity, and inspire a deep appreciation of the sacrifices of our founding fathers in the attainment of our cherished common heritage.


Tonye Ezekiel-Jenewari

Nigerian Army announces date for regular recruit intake screening

The Nigerian Army has announced that it would conduct the zonal screening for its 76th regular recruitment intake for trades/non trades men and women from May 27 to June 9.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Friday by its Chief of Administration, I. M. Alkali, a Major-General.

An earlier statement in January by Army spokesman, Sani Usman, a Brigadier-General, had disclosed that the screening initially scheduled to hold from January 22 to 3 February 2017 had been postponed due to the activities of fraudsters demanding money from applicants.

“The Nigerian Army wishes to announce to the general public that 76 Regular Recruits Intake Zonal Screening Exercise earlier postponed will now hold from 27 May- 9 June 2017,”Mr. Alkali said in the new statement.

He said successful candidates from the pre-screening examination are to attend the zonal screening at the designated zonal centres for their respective states.

“Candidates are advised to come along with a pair of white vest, a pair of blue short, white canvas, white socks, original/photocopy of credentials, four passport photographs, two full size post card photographs and writing materials”.

“Note that candidates selected after the zonal screening exercise will commence training immediately at Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria,” he added.

Chelsea bid €64m for Marco Verratti

Chelsea offered £55m (€64m) to bring Marco Verratti from Paris Saint-Germain, but the Italy star is also wanted by Juventus, Inter and Milan.

According to The Sun, Antonio Conte is “desperate” to have the midfielder at Stamford Bridge next season, especially after winning the Premier League title and entering the Champions League.


It’s believed PSG won’t even listen to any proposal below €80m for the 24-year-old, who is under contract until June 2021.


Verratti has repeatedly stated he is happy in Paris and does not want a transfer, but his agent Donato Di Campli regularly complains to the media that the club must win more than just Ligue 1 – something they didn’t even manage this season.

Juventus are among the main candidates should Verratti leave PSG, as he is a self-confessed Bianconeri supporter.

Inter, Milan, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid are also options.

football-italia.net

Footballone

[Photos]: Kanu pays tribute to Biafra warlord; speaks about protest

Nnamdi Kanu paid a visit to Biafra warlord, Col. Joseph Achuzia. He described him as one of the greatest combatant in the 20th century. He urged igbos to honour him and other Biafra heroes by staying at home on May 30

Nnamdi Kanu has paid tribute to a Biafra warlord, Colonel Joseph Achuzia as he celebrates his 90th birthday describing him as one of the greatest battle commanders in the 20th century. Sources close to leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra in an exclusive report to NAIJ.com said he paid a visit to Achuzia.

He reportedly described Achuzia as a brave soldier who with fewer soldiers was able to defeat the Nigerian soldiers during the Biafra war.

The family source said Kanu reiterated that it was important to honour those who fought during the Biafra war by staying at home on May 30. He said: "His name is Col. Achuzia "Air Raid". He defeated the British-backed Murtala Muhammed led Nigerian Army at the famous Abagana battle. He was to repeat that feat later when he got the order to lead the Biafran counter offensive that recaptured Owerri from the British sponsored Nigerian Army with fewer men and ammunition. Marshall Zhukov of the Soviet Red Army is the only commander comparable to Achuzia in the last 100 years.

"Col. Achuzia and Brigadier Timothy Onwuatuegwu are the finest soldiers the world has ever known and they are Biafrans. We celebrate him today and must honour his colleagues on the 30th of May with sit-at-home."

"I will dump the PDP if Sheriff becomes chairman" Fayose

Governor Ayodele Fayose has promised to leave the PDP if Modu Sheriff becomes chairman of the party. The governor said he would not work with Sheriff if he wins at the Supreme Court. He has removed the PDP logo from from the party secretariat

Governor Ayodele Fayose has revealed that he will leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if Senator Ali Modu Sheriff wins at the Supreme Court as chairman of the party. The party has been involved in leadership tussle with Senator Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi taking the case to the Apex Court to determine who deserves to be the true chairman of the party.

According to Channels TV, Fayose who belongs to the Makarfi-led faction has declared that he would leave the PDP if Sheriff ultimately wins. Fayose insisted that although at the moment he remains a core PDP member, he would not hesitate to dump the party if Makarfi does not win at the Supreme Court.

Fayose removed the logo and name of PDP from his campaign office at Olora junction, Adebayo, Ado-Ekiti.. The one storey building was repainted white, with every insignia of PDP removed. Before repainting, the building had Fayose’s picture embossed on PDP logo with the inscription: “Fayose Our Leader, Architect of Modern Ekiti.” The billboard, with Fayose’s portrait, reads: “Ekiti 2018: Support Continuity, Fayose Leads, We Follow. Again, It’s Going To Be 16-0.”

Osinbajo confirms freedom of another Chibok girl

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday confirmed that another Chibok schoolgirl had been found, barely 12 days after the release of the 82 abducted girls by their captors.

​The development came about 2 weeks after Boko Haram release 82 Chibok girls.​

Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, ​told​ State House correspondents in Abuja, ​that the recovery of the girl was announced by the acting president during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting​.​

According to h​im​, the girl has been brought to Abuja to join her colleagues who were rescued from captivity.

“​A​t the Federal Executive Council’s meeting, the Vice-President broke the cheering news to members of the cabinet and after that I have also spoken to defence people who confirmed it.

“The details are yet to fully unravel . But in terms of is it true- yes, it is true. I learnt she is already being brought to Abuja, but I have not seen her​”.​

The presidential aide expressed the hope that the remaining Chibok schoolgirls and other Nigerians in captivity would soon be rescued.

He also dismissed the assertion that members of the Boko Haram sect had started regrouping in the Sambisa forest, saying that the Federal Government had the capacity to confront any security challenge arising from any part of the country.

“One thing you can be sure of is that this government has the capacity to confront any security challenge that arises.

“So, if they are regrouping they will be flushed out again.

“I believe that we have seen the worst of that insurgency. We are in a mopping up process and I believe the mop up would be completed.’’

FEC summons INEC chairman over voters’ registration

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday, invited the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, over the ongoing voters’ registration.

This was dislcosed by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, while briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

“We invited the chairman of the INEC to address council on the ongoing voters registration and to let know the challenges he is facing and the import of the exercise.

“I think the council was very satisfied with the presentation. First, he made it known that this is the first time we are going to have a real continuous voters registration, not the one that comes on before election or registration that goes on only in some parts of the country.

“He also explained why it is not possible for the exercise to be conducted on pooling unit basis because we have about 119,000 plus polling units. We need a minimum of five personnel to man each unit and the cost cannot be accommodated by their budget.

“Of course, the next preferred option would have been to take it to the local governments which again, because of paucity of funds, they could not accommodate.

“That’s why they are doing it at the local government basis. But the important thing is that it is continuous. It will go on for the next 90 days and then continue for another 90 days,” Mohammed said.

Osinbajo cannot replace Buhari in 2019 if president dies – Northern Elders

Chairman of Northern Elders Forum, Professor Ango Abdullahi, has maintained that should President Muhammadu Buhari’s failing health prevents him from seeking re-election in 2019, the North must retain the presidency.

Abdullahi stressed that the region must be allowed to field a presidential candidate through the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2019 should Buhari fail to seek re-election.

The don said in the situation of any eventuality, the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo should be allowed to complete the current tenure but will not be allowed to contest in 2019.

Speaking with New Telegraph, Abdullahi said, “The constitutional provision says that in the event that the president dies in office or becomes incapacitated for one reason or the other and cannot perform the duties of his office, he will be succeeded by the Vice president.

“But no one is in a position to know at what point he is going to recover fully and come back to office, or whether the unexpected could happen.The northern elders insist that Osinbajo cannot replace Buhari in 2019

“If the worst case scenario happens, and Buhari is not back on seat, the constitution is very clear that the vice president takes over.

“And what we then expect is that he will take that tenure to its logical end and from there, the politics of power sharing will take precedence over anything else.

“When the unexpected happens, in 2019 we will be back to our position that the north should be treated equitably and fairly.

“And we expect that another northern candidate will emerge as presidential candidate on the platform of APC.”

Jonathan’s six years as Nigeria’s president a wasted opportunity for Ijaws – Governor Dickson

Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson has said the six years Goodluck Jonathan spent as Nigeria’s president, was a wasted opportunity for the Ijaws.

Dickson alleged that this was because some Ministers and other presidential aides from Bayelsa were after selfish interests.

The Governor said this while speaking at the Ijaw House, Yenagoa, where Ijaw leaders and youths gathered for the annual celebration of their hero, Major Adaka Boroh, on Tuesday.

Dickson claimed those who served in the Presidency for six years, failed to work with him in the quest to bring development to the state, because “they suffered from the Bayelsa-Ijaw disease of pulling-him-down syndrome.

“It is true that we are celebrating Boroh, but ask yourself whether you are doing your bit. Boroh came, saw and did his bit and has gone. I and my team have come and we have taken up the battle from where Boroh stopped and we are doing our duties.

“Each of us must examine ourselves and to be frank we have not done very serious examination in this state and in the Ijaw nation. We cannot blame God. God has been very merciful and kind to us particularly of late,” he added.

[Video]: Tonto Dikeh son's nanny claims she was never beaten by her husband

Popular Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, may have lied about her marital issues following shocking revelations made by her son's nanny.

Tonto Dikeh recently revealed that her marriage to Olakunle Churchill had packed up owing mainly to domestic violence on his part. Following the revelation, the actress enjoyed overwhelming support from fans and friends alike, this was before a woman who was a nanny to her son, King Andre, showed up with claims that Tonto abandoned her at the hospital. Following the claims which Tonto made an effort to debunk, the nanny has made a shocking revelation, claiming that the actress had lied to the public about her marriage and was the one who was actually violent towards her husband.

The nanny identified as Mgbechi Enyinnaya, spoke to the New Telegraph after she was discovered at a hospital by an NGO. Mgbechi said all the allegations made by the popular actress against her husband were false. She said: “I never saw two of them fight, talk of Churchill to beat her. For my own eyes as old woman, I never see one day Churchill carry hand. When they argue too much, she herself (Tonto) will raise her hand on Churchill. I never see him beat her, he did not. She herself was even beating Churchill and pushed his mother down.”

The nanny was asked if she would go back to work for Tonto who reports claim threw her things out since she went public. She said: “No! God will keep King (Tonto and Churchill’s son), give her the grace to take care of King." The nanny also revealed how she refused to help Tonto lie that Churchill was usually violent towards her. She said: “Tonto dey vex because she tell me say make I go lie against her husband, make I go tell the world or record my voice say ‘your husband dey beat you’, although she know say I never see say her husband beat her. Make I talk, even if say I now do any other thing for am, make I do that one. I no gree. Is that why she dey vex for me? Ahh. Na was oh. Make she just change.”

See video of the nanny making the revelations below:

Multiple blessings! Woman gives birth to sextuplets after 17 years of marriage (photos)

Nigerian couple Adeboye Taiwo and wife have been married for 17 years with no child.In May, the wife finally gives birth to a set of sextuplets: 3 boys and 3 girls

Facebook user Chris Kehinde Nwandu posted the photos and the story of a Nigerian couple Mr and Mrs Taiwo were recently blessed with sextuplets after 17 years of marriage. His story says: "Miracle! Woman delivers sextuplets after 17 years of marriage. She is seeking support. Mr Adeboye Taiwo has been married for 17 years ,the wife got pregnant. He was expecting a baby but God gave him the greatest surprise of his life, not one or two, she delivered six kids (3 boys,3 girls)."

"All of them are alive.he is is seeking the support of well meaning Nigerians at home and abroad for support. Taiwo told CKN News: 'I and Ajibola my only wife had been married for 17 years. This is our first kids. All we were asking God for is at least a child and we never knew they were six until we had an ultrasound."

"I was short of words when the babies came because God surprised me. The babies were delivered on the 11th of May 2017 at the Labor and Delivery department of Virginia Commonwealth University Teaching Hospital (VCU) Richmond VA. USA". "My wife is not employed she is a mere housewife. I will need the help of God and support of people to raise these six kids at the same time." Mr Adeboye can be reached on 08033775025, 08126279928. Account Number :Mrs Ajibola Taiwo 0026572547, ACCESSBANK.

Biafra: Why Igbo people can be identified as proper fools – Ezeonwuka

A member, Board of Trustee, BoT, of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka has noted that Igbo people are truly the cause of their predicaments in Nigeria.

Chief Ezeonwuka was reacting to the sit-at-home announced by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

He stated that the problem with Ndigbo was that Biafrans themselves had not helped themselves.

He noted, “If you call yourself an Igboman or a Biafran, you must have heard that only 20 pounds was released to every Igbo man shortly after the civil war, and their properties were forcefully taken away from them in some parts of the country in the name of abandoned properties, yet they managed to survive.

“However, it is quite unfortunate that the same Ndigbo who suffered these deprivations have not learnt our lessons from it, to the extent that after surviving the post-civil war trauma, they still went ahead to invest all their monies outside Igboland where their monies and properties could be abandoned for the second time in the event of another outbreak of war or possible break-up of the country.

“I presume that Ndigbo cannot be identified as fools with their first mistakes but with this second mistakes of continuing to invest massively in other parts of the country, as they are doing now in their numbers, they can be identified as proper fools and as such, the step could be likened to an Igbo adage which states that first fool is not fool but second fool is proper foolishness.”

Apostle Suleman: A lot of people will go down – Daniella Okeke finally speaks

Nollywood actress, Daniella Okeke has finally responded to allegations that she had an affair with the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleman.

Ms. Okeke was mentioned by Suleman’s self-proclaimed lover Stephanie Otobo, as one of the pastor’s many girlfriends.

Suleman was alleged to have bough a Mercedes Benz 450 GL for the actress.

Ms. Okeke has now taken to her Instagram page, to respond to the allegations, describing them as “lies” and “fake stories”.

She said: “In adherence to my lawyers counsels, I’ve been mute since I read some funny fallacies. My lawyers will do the talking.

“But for sure a lot of people will go down for getting my name involved in something I had no business with. So be careful about what you say or write. My being mute is for legal reasons.”

Victor Moses becomes highest-paid Nigerian footballer in Europe with new Chelsea deal

Nigerian forward and Chelsea wing-back, Victor Moses on Wednesday penned a new deal with the Blues reportedly worth over 100, 000 pounds a week.

By this he becomes the highest paid Nigerian player in Europe.

The 26-year-old former Wigan Athletic player has established himself as a regular in the side this season, playing an integral role in the club’s pursuit of silverware under Italian gaffer, Antonio Conte.

The two-year extension deal will see him stay at Stamford Bridge until 2021.

He said after signing the contract, “I feel very excited. I’m delighted to be here for another few years now and to sign a new deal. Now it’s time to concentrate on the team and keep working hard to make sure we win games and try to win the Premier League this season.

“We’re having a great season, I’m enjoying my football and we have a good manager here that has given every single one of us confidence. I just want to keep on enjoying it and working hard for the team.”

Also Chelsea’s Technical Director, Michael Emenalo, noted, “We are extremely pleased Victor has chosen to extend his contract with us. He is enjoying an excellent season and, under Antonio’s leadership, has proved to be an important member of the squad.

“This new contract is testament to Victor’s hard work and dedication to succeed at Chelsea and we believe he will be a big part of our future success.”

Former PDP chairman, Ogbulafor reacts to alleged plan to join APC

A former National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, said on Tuesday that he had no plan to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ogbulafor said this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia.

He said there was no truth in a media report that he was holding talks with chieftains of APC in Abia on how to defect to the party.

Ogbulafor, however, recalled that when APC won the presidential election in 2015, he visited the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, to congratulate him.

He said the gesture should not be misconstrued, adding that he had no intention of joining APC.

The former national chairman said, "I am still in PDP and I have not discussed with any other person on plans to defect to APC.’’

On the judiciary, he said, “I have confident in the judiciary. It has given us victory in Abia with the affirmation of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu as governor and it will give us victory in PDP."

Ogbulafor further said that he had implicit confidence in the nation’s judiciary to deliver judgment, in a fair manner, in the party’s leadership crisis.

He further said that PDP remained popular and leading political party in all the 774 local government areas in the country.

“The judiciary appreciated that it is not good for Nigeria to be a one-party state because it appreciates that one party system is not good for the nation’s democracy.”


NAN

Biafra: Why Igbo people should be allowed to leave Nigeria – ECA

The Deputy Publicity Secretary of the Eastern Consultative Assembly, ECA, Dede Uzor A. Uzor has given his reasons why Ndigbo should be allowed to leave Nigeria.

In his statement, Dede Uzor declared that the ECA had decided to throw its weight behind the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu and others to fight for a state of Biafra.

He said the current administration does not recognize Ndigbo in any way.

According to him, “Going by the position of the present administration of General Muhammadu Buhari’s appointment of Nigerian citizens into various strategic positions, Ndigbo remain grossly marginalized and disappointed.

“The effect of what led to the civil war remains unresolved till date.

“For instance, no Igboman is in top four echelon in the strategic security apparatus of the nation, ranging from Chief Of Army Staff, COAS, Chief Of Defence Staff, CDS, Insoector-General of Police, IGP, Director-General of State Security Services, D-G SSS, Specurity Adviser, SSA, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, Immigration Service, Prisons Service, NAFDAC, NIMASA, Aviation, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, among others.

“Does it mean that no Igboman is qualified or educationally sound to hold such a strategic positions? These are the issues behind the continued agitation of ndigbo for restoration or actualization of Biafra.

“Since these fundamental issues are yet to be addressed, we in the ECA would want to align ourselves with some prominent Igbo personalities like Dr. Alex Ekwueme, second republic vice president who are in support of Nnamdi Kanu’s continuation with his clamour for the restoration of Biafra.


“We want the Yorubas and other like-minded people, including the South outh to continue to throw their weight and support behind Ndigbo since no individual or group have regretted supporting Ndigbo and I must emphasize that Ndigbo remains trusted allies to any group of individual who wishes to align with them.”

120 countries to celebrate May 30 Biafra Heroes Day – IPOB

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB has stated that over 120 countries and territories around the world outside Biafraland will participate in the heroes day march declared by its leader, Nnamdi Kanu to honour those who lost their lives during the civil war.

IPOB stated this in a press release by its Media and publicity Secretary Comrade Emma Powerful.

He said the group plans a total shutdown of Biafra’s territories during the march which will be observed with a sit-at-home protest.

Part of the press release reads, “The remembrance of our fallen heroes and heroines on 30th of May 2017 will go down in history as one of the greatest events the world would ever witness. IPOB will use this event to conclusively prove to the whole world that we are ready for the upcoming referendum for Biafra sovereignty.”

Powerful said that countries outside Nigeria would stage a peaceful march during the event, but in Nigeria, all Biafrans were expected to stay indoors and avoid any march or protest as this may give security agents reason to shoot at them.

He added that so far, their members in most countries of the world have secured the permission of the authorities in those countries to hold the protest march, and have been allotted venues.

“IPOB families in the UK, Europe, Asia, Middle East, USA and many others across the world have managed to secure marching permits from their relevant authorities because of this historic 30th of May event.

“In almost all countries where IPOB has presence, including Angola, Mozambique, Congo DRC, Namibia and Tanzania have respectfully perfected their own arrangements to honour our heroes and heroines on that particular day.

“In UK, IPOB has secured their venue at Trafalgar Square, London for a rally. It is however interesting to note that the Deputy National Coordinator of IPOB UK reported that the British Metropolitan Police gave express permission for the march on Trafalgar Square, saying that he knows the group and its leader and that they were not violent.

“He said that he knows that since Mazi Nnamdi Kanu started his street protests in London, there had never been any breach of public peace compared to similar protests by others groups that have always degenerated into scuffles and altercations with law enforcement agencies in the London area.”

Pep Guardiola: It was a perfect day for our performance

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has set his sights on a third-place finish after comfortably dispatching West Brom and moving ahead of Liverpool in the race for Champions League football.

Goals from Gabriel Jesus, Kevin de Bruyne and Yaye Toure propelled City two points clear of Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, who occupy fourth place in the Premier League.

Victory in their final match of the season at Watford on Sunday would guarantee City third place, which in turn would avoid the Champions League qualifying round next term which the team finishing fourth would be required to navigate.

“It was a perfect day for our performance, victory and three points, which help us be closer to our target,” said Guardiola.



“We are third and it’s in our hands to finish third, so we have to travel to Watford and win the game.”

City opened the scoring on 27 minutes when De Bruyne latched onto a cheeky Sergio Aguero flick and picked out Jesus for a simple tap-in.

Seconds later De Bruyne doubled the lead as City poured forward, angling a first-time curling effort from the edge of the penalty area beyond helpless West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster.

The hosts all but settled matters shortly before the hour mark when Toure exchanged passes with Aguero before slotting clinically past Foster.

The Baggies notched a consolation strike on 87 minutes as Hal Robson-Kanu netted from close-range finish following Allan Nyom’s centre.

cityam.com

Gov. Fayose Announces Plan to Dump PDP

Chairman of the PDP governor's forum, Ayodele Fayose might be dumping the main opposition party for an undisclosed direction following the leadership crisis in the party.

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has said that he will dump the People’s Democratic Party if the Supreme Court ruling does not favour the Makarfi-led caretaker committee in the leadership face-off with Sherrif.

According to a media report by Channels TV, Fayose said this to newsmen on Tuesday while reacting to media reports that he had removed the name and logo of the PDP from his campaign office and mini signposts mounted on Ado and Ikere-Ekiti roads.

Fayose, however, stated that he remains a bona fide member of the PDP until the outcome of the court ruling.

Despite reconciliation efforts, the governor has stated several times that he does not recognise Senator Ali Modu Sheriff as the party’s leader.

On February 17, a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had ruled that the caretaker committee headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi was illegal and could not act on behalf of the PDP.

Meanwhile, the governor also met with youths in the state where he called for more support for his administration and enjoined them to come out en masse on May 19 to honor the late former Governor of the Southwest region, Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo.

Ebola is Back! Kenya Issues Serious Alert on Ebola Outbreak

Following the outbreak of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya has issued a serious alert to its people.

Kenya’s health ministry on Tuesday released an alert on Ebola outbreak following the disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Director of Medical Services at the Ministry of Health, Jackson Kioko said the government has reactivated the rapid response teams for enhanced surveillance and follow up of travelers with elevated body temperatures and asymptomatic cases with history of travel from DRC.

“We wish to assure Kenyans that there is no suspected case of Ebola virus in the country and they should remain vigilant.

“They should look out for any such illnesses and report to the nearest health facility without delay for immediate verification and investigation,” Kioko said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

He noted that travelers from the affected areas will be required to provide minimum package of information to guide investigations.

Kioko noted that the government has an adequate stock of Personal Protective Equipment which is stored in strategic regional hospitals for use if needed.

These include at least 5,000 special full body suits used in situations of highly infectious material.

He said that the ministry has reactivated the multiagency outbreak coordination committee comprising of public health experts in government and development partners to assess the situation.

He said holding rooms at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport have been reactivated to isolate Ebola virus disease suspected cases identified to be high risk while awaiting possible transfer to isolation facilities after thorough assessment.

“The government will remain committed to ensure appropriate and effective measures are instituted in order to protect Kenyans and the general public from imported Ebola Virus,” he added.

He however said that the outbreak has occurred in a remote zone in DRC and that with timely effective responses in place, the disease is unlikely to spread widely in the region.







-Xinhua/NAN

JAMB Releases 57,000 Results of the Computer Based UTME Test Held on Saturday

More than 57,000 results of students who participated in Saturday's UTME have been released by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board.

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has released the result of the Computer Based Test of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, for the 57,000 candidates that wrote the examination on Saturday, Vanguard reported.

This was disclosed on Monday by the Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede. He said that the results of over 57,000 candidates had been released.

He also said that the examination could not go on at the Lagos State University of Technology, LAUTECH because of the ongoing strike in the institution, saying that if the strike was not called off by today (Monday), the authorities of JAMB will have no other option than to relocate the candidates to University of Ilorin which he said was the nearest centre from Ogbomosho.

It has also been revealed that racketeers have allegedly duped some of the candidates by selling fake examination questions they tagged, ‘origi’ for N200,000 which JAMB latter discovered that the questions were the JAMB questions in 1984.

Meantime, security operatives have arrested one of the “candidates”in Aba, Abia state for allegedly attacking the JAMB officials that prevented him from gaining entry into the exam centre.

Indian hemp vendor remanded for assault

A Senior Magistrate Court sitting at Gyadi-Gyadi, Kano state has remanded a suspected Indian hemp vendor in prison for allegedly causing grievous hurt on a member of vigilante group.

The suspect, Munzali Rabi’u Mohammed, a resident of Karkasara quarters in the state metropolis, was arraigned for two-count charge of causing grievous hurt and possession of wraps of Indian hemp contrary to sections 242 and 404 of the Penal Code.

Karkasara was brought to the police by a member of vigilante group, Lawal Ibrahim for allegedly smoking and selling dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp inside Karkasara Secondary School.

The Prosecution Counsel, Inspector Sadiq Na’abba told the court that Karkasara was also accused of stoning a member of the vigilante group, one Kabiru Mohammed and injured him in his eye.

He also told the court that the suspect was a habitual vendor of dangerous intoxicants in the area.
When the charge sheet was read to the accused, he pleaded guilty to the two-count charge.

In view of that, the presiding judge, Senior Magistrate Hajara Garba ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to 25th of May, 2017 for summary trial.




Daily Times

Nigeria Will Never Split - Emir Sanusi Tells Agitators

The embattled Emir of Kano has reiterated the formidable unity of Nigeria in the face of cultural diversities.

Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi ll has said that Nigeria will remain one and indivisible country, and appealed to those agitating for the country’s split to have a rethink.

Sanusi said this on Monday when he received the newly installed Garkuwan Hausawa in Ogun, Otunba Rotimi Paseda, in his palace.

Emir Sanusi said if Nigerians respect each other, they would continue to remain as one entity irrespective of their tribes, religion and cultural differences.

“This is what we, the traditional rulers are promoting among our subjects. So, we should ignore our difference and help in building one country.”

He called on Hausa community residing outside the North to respect the culture, tradition and norms of their host communities for peaceful co-existence.

“You should be good ambassadors of the north and ensure that you leave in peace and harmony with your host communities. Nigeria will remain one and indivisible country and Nigerians will continue to be one family".

“I was delighted when I learnt of your goodwill to Hausa people in Ogun state. I am not surprise of the good testimonies I hear about you taking cognizance of the fact that you are from a ruling house.

“Oba Awujale of Ijebu Land is my personal friend. We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship; and I feel happy for the role you are playing as the Garkuwan Hausawa to ensure cordial relationship between my people and the Yorubas.”

The Garkuwan Hausawa, Otunba Rotimi Paseda, said he was at the palace to pay homage to Emir Sanusi and receive his blessings as the newly crowned Garkuwan Hausawa.

Paseda, also the national leader of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) said, he had enjoyed fruitful relationship with the Hausa people living in Ogun state.

“They are my brothers. I ensure that they are happy and I can testify to you that they have remained good ambassadors of the Hausa race in the state.

“They live in peace with us and I will ensure that the status quo is maintained,” he added.

Critical stakeholders in Makarfi-led PDP will defect if Sheriff wins Supreme Court appeal – Fayose

kiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said "critical stakeholders" loyal to Senator Ahmed Makarfi’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will defect to another party, if Senator Ali-Modu Sheriff wins the appeal at the Supreme Court.

The governor stated this in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday while responding to questions from journalists.

Fayose said he has no intention to leave the PDP, adding that should he wants to, no law prohibited him from defecting if the party can’t be a veritable platform for him to advance his political frontiers in 2018.

He said: “I am still a member of the PDP and still the Chairman of the PDP governor’s forum, there are no two sides to it. But the strategy for 2018 poll is strictly my own business. No law says I should not run on the platform of another party if the PDP is no longer a right direction depending on circumstances.

“If they are bent on destroying the PDP, let them go ahead but I will never have anything to do with Senator Sheriff. The party is like a vehicle and the vehicle can’t be more important than the driver.”

He added: “They robbed our party in Edo State and same in Ondo State. Nobody can steal our votes here in Ekiti, because I am on ground and I will tell them I am the master of the game”.




Daily Trust

Why Beautiful, Smart Ladies Fall in Love With Silly, Ugly Guys

If you have ever wondered why some smart and really beautiful ladies fall in love with guys who appear dumb, then this may be the answer you seek.

The reasons why every individual engages in certain things like making the choice of lovers is mostly personal. In essence, what works for you might not work for someone else. No doubt, this is a recent trend in the world of relationships.

Below is a question from an anonymous reader on why beautiful and smart ladies fall in love with men that are silly and ugly.

The Question

Hi Dating Nerd,

I have been noticing a recent trend in the dating world. Why are women attracted to such unintelligent men? Do they get a sense of power out of it or is it a lark?

I have a few friends who are not the sharpest tool in the shed but yet manage to get laid every night. The women, however, are intelligent. I have spoken to many different women about this issue, and they think dating dumb men is really a turn-on.

The women I have asked have such careers as doctors, lawyers, stock brokers, etc. My point is these women are not stupid. So what the hell is going on with this current dating trend? Please shine some light on it for me, because I refuse to dumb myself down for any person.

– Unappreciated Genius

The Answer

Hi Unappreciated Genius,

I get why you’re confused. After all, intelligent men are inherently superior, right? Why would a woman want to date some dumb jock when she could date a guy who quotes Proust and understands the motion of molecules? Wouldn’t she miss the scintillating debates? Wouldn’t she get frustrated that she couldn’t talk about her dissertation?

Well, not necessarily. See, there’s a shaky assumption at the heart of your question, which is that smart men are inherently superior. And this is incorrect, for two reasons.

First reason: Women don’t need men to provide intellectual stimulation. They can get that on their own. Look around you. If you hadn’t noticed, women are now lawyers, doctors, marketing sharks, insurance executives, and captains, so to speak, of industries.

Many, many smart women are occupying demanding roles in the information economy. Increasingly, women spend long workdays absorbing avalanches of data and issuing complicated recommendations.

And nobody — well, almost nobody — wants to keep their brain turned on all the time. If you’re a smart woman with a high-powered job, it’s perfectly reasonable that you’d want to hook up with an intellectually relaxing dude-bro, rather than an intellectually demanding guy like you.

If this seems implausible, that’s only because it runs counter to some of the hoariest old relationship stereotypes. Y’know, like the one about the 1950s husband figure who does a complicated job and comes home to a simple, loving wife.

Or the one about the private equity fund genius who dates a slew of European models. Dating someone who’s felicitous but a bit dim is not a new trend. It just seems more novel when the gender roles are switched up.

And if this doesn’t seem fair, well — reader, look inside yourself for a second…

Aren’t you attracted to the girl you met at the gym who isn’t necessarily exceptional at trigonometry, but probably looks great on a dance floor, or, more to the point, a bedroom floor? Don’t you find a certain kind of giggly, un-snobby femininity attractive?

Don’t lie to me, now. All nerds nurse crushes on cheerleaders. It doesn’t seem right to judge women for having similar attractions.

The second, more important reason is this: A lot of smart guys really suck with women. As we all know, intelligence doesn’t necessarily translate to emotional skills. Especially because a lot of intellectual dudes didn’t necessarily get a positive social experience growing up. Many dorky, sweet men are just unpracticed in terms of how to flirt, or date. And then there are straight-up terrible smart dudes: condescending pseudo-intellectuals and bitter PhDs.

Surely, you’ve heard of the term ‘mansplaining.’ Y’know, the thing where men pepper their co-ed conversations with explanations of extremely basic phenomena as if the women they were talking to had never left their houses. Whatever you think of the word itself — whether or not you think it unfairly categorises the male gender — it is a very real phenomenon. Lots of women are tired of having men lecture at them about whatever.

And usually, I don’t think it comes from a bad place. Men want to impress women. We’re under the impression that knowledge itself is impressive. And it is often said to be a quality women want in men. So we get the unhelpful impulse to brandish it at random. Also, the main genre of dude conversation is the hours-long exchange of minutiae and trivia. It’s not like mansplainers think, “Well, it’s time to be sexist now…” and then launch into their thing.

But those good (or at least benign) intentions don’t change a thing. Mansplaining is still, at best, tiring. Every woman I know well is fed up with being on the receiving end of male rambling. They’ve all practised the pained but polite facial expression required when some software engineer goes on a monologue about how Radiohead’s last few albums were unappreciated. And maybe you’ve never done such a thing, ever. Maybe it isn’t you. But you can’t blame women for being wary of self-styled intellectuals.

After all, compare that to your friendly gym-rat type of guy. He’s chill, easygoing, and doesn’t feel the need to speak in paragraphs about his existential crises. If he has a philosophy, it’s probably along the lines of “stay hungry,” or “be nice to people.” Also, he was probably popular in high school and is thus comfortable in conversation, self-assured, fond of making compliments, and pretty good in bed. His reflex isn’t to tell women all about seismology. He just says dumb sh*t to get a laugh. And it works.

Everything I’ve said so far has been a condemnation of smart dudes. Even if you agree with me, I still haven’t given you any usable advice. But now I will do that. You might not like it, though.

My advice is this: Learn from the dumb dudes.

By that, I don’t mean suppress your intellect, or act stupid. What I mean is, change up your game a little. Upon meeting a lovely woman, is your first instinct to say something profound about a giant novel you just read? Well, maybe don’t do that. Instead, ask her some questions about herself. Say something silly. Keep it light. Don’t make the interaction laborious.

Rather than being worried about displaying your intelligence, try hard to find a common connection with the woman you’re talking to. Look for shared interests, or opinions, or just something you can both laugh about. Be warm and genuine first, and verbose later. And, crucially, on your online dating profile, don’t write six paragraphs about all the smart stuff you think because you’re so smart. That’s just tedious. (I have done the same thing in the past, for what it’s worth.)

Also? Those dudes of mediocre brainpower who are landing all those chicks probably have good style, and they’re probably in good shape. All the grey matter in the world won’t make up for a horrific outfit, a ridiculous haircut, or being in hideous physical shape. Get that stuff locked down. It’s as important as anything intellectual. Maybe much more.

There’s a larger lesson here. When you see women being interested in men who aren’t like you, don’t just scratch your head, and assume that they should want what you’ve got instead. Instead of judging, observe. You’re being given important information about women’s needs. A man of your intellect should know how valuable that is.


********



Via: The Nation

How Babangida Sent a Bag of Money to Buhari in 1988 - Biographer Reveals

Excerpts from Buhari's biography shows he was apparently bribed by Babangida with a lump-sum as he left prison custody to enable him kick-start his life again.

Controversies over the contents of President Muhammadu Buhari’s authorized biography are not going to be over soon.

Allegations of money exchanging hands between the president and the man who toppled him in 1985, General Ibrahim Babangida, are in the book titled “Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria.”

According to accounts on page 35 of the book, after General Buhari was released from detention in 1988, IBB sent him “a bag of money” which he (Buhari) “distributed to the poor.”

“Buhari had married Safinatu Yusuf in 1971, and they had five children, a son and four daughters. In the end, Buhari and Safinatu would be divorced in 1988. He would marry Aisha Halilu in 1989, after his release from detention. They would also have five children.

“After the death of his mother in December 1988, Buhari was released and travelled to Daura for the mourning. When he arrived in Daura, he found his farm much as he had left it. His senior brother (the father of Mamman Daura), along with the Barden Daura, had managed the cattle, sheep, and horses in his absence, although a number of cattle had been sold off to pay for feed during the drought.

“Buhari was still in debt to the bank for building his home. Yet now he had no income. At that time there was no program to provide retirement funds for former heads of state. Babangida agreed to a policy to pay Buhari his military pension, a modest 1,643 naira per month for ten years.

“Babangida had originally sent Buhari “a bag of money,” but Buhari refused it and had it distributed to the poor. Buhari had negotiated his pension funds with Air Vice Marshal (rtd) Hamza Abdullahi, a military governor of Kano, who acted on behalf of Babangida,”the biographer wrote.

The book also contained details of how Buhari was arrested by two soldiers in his bedroom in consummation of the August 27, 1985 coup.

“By late spring of 1985, the number of “big men” going to jail had increased. The tribunals were open and transparent. Buhari was insistent that the courts do their duty without fear or favor. Two-thirds of those arrested and charged came from the north, that is, from the NPN base.

“As noted above, by the summer of 1985, splits were beginning to appear within the top military circle. Babangida had been part of every coup in Nigeria since 1967 and began to consider his options. He was very close to General Aliyu Gusau, who was in charge of security. As the summer unfolded, Buhari became aware that Gusau was trading in import licenses on the side. Gusau was retired by Buhari, a move that apparently upset Babangida.

“Buhari confronted Babangida and asked what he would have done in the matter of Gusau’s retirement. Babangida agreed that Gusau had to have been retired. A few days later, however, there was a knock on Buhari’s bedroom door. He opened the door and was met by two soldiers, who told him, “General Buhari, sir, you are under arrest.” Buhari would spend the next three years in detention in Benin. But at least he was alive.

“The question has arisen subsequently as to whether Buhari knew about the countercoup in advance. Given his “appreciation” of complex situation, it is argued by some, how could he not have known?

Life in Detention

“Buhari was housed in a well-guarded small bungalow in Benin City. He was not harassed by soldiers or cut off from all communication. He was given a small television set that could pick up one or two channels, plus daily newspapers and he was provided three meals a day. He was allowed visitors, but only on the specific authorization of Babangida In most cases, his visitors were members of his family, although because they lived in the north of the country, and Benin was in Edo State in the south, travel was a problem.

“Buhari’s daily routine was much the same every day. He would get up around 5a.m. for Muslim prayers, and then go back to bed; get up again around 8 or 9a.m. and have breakfast; read; have lunch; rest; exercise; pray; eat dinner; read; and sleep. The only exercise he could get was to jog around outside the house.

“He read not only newspapers, but also novels, history books and the Qur’an. His chief uncertainty in detention was when he would be released. If Babangida had wanted to kill him, he realized, he would be dead by now. Hence, he had to endure not so much anxiety as a continual sense of boredom.

"He was used to a Spartan lifestyle and so he did not miss material comforts But he did miss his family, and he felt acutely the loss of his freedom. He had absolutely no intention of ever re-entering Nigerian political life.

“In the end, after more than three years in detention, it was the death of Buhari’s mother in December 1988 that led to his release. News of her death generated public pressure on Babangida to let Buhari return to Daura. Babangida acceded to the pressure, allowing Buhari to go back to Daura, where he would have to start his new life as a retired major general,” the author wrote.

So Weird: Meet the Man Who Conducted a Funeral Service For His Dead Chicken

A man has stunned many people with his rather bizarre act after performing burial ceremonies for his dead chicken.

Philemon “Hot Stepper” Murefu, a 38-year-old Mabvuku man reportedly conducted a funeral service for his chicken which he had been keeping as a pet.

According to H-Metro, Philemon “Hot Stepper” Murefu is also known in the ghetto for dressing up his dogs as well as walking with his chickens on his shoulders.

Two weeks ago, he made news in his neighbourhood when he invited friends and relatives for a funeral service to mourn his bird.

In an interview, Philemon said he decided to conduct a funeral service for his chicken which he had stayed with for two years.

Philemon said he had a special bond with the bird, prompting him to give it a ‘special’ send off.

“When I was a young boy, my mother had so much passion for animals so I was raised in an environment where they were so many domesticated animals.

“I am really affected whenever an animal which I would have kept dies, the same feeling I get when losing a loved one is the same when any of my pets dies.

“I shed tears when one of my chickens dies, the bird was a special bed to me because for the two years I had stayed with it was friendly and loving to me.

“It died when I was not at home and I was informed about the death over the phone and I told them not to bury it because I wanted to give it a befitting send off,” said Philemon.

He said that though some of his neighbours and relatives despised him for mourning the bird he did not stop doing what he thought was right.

“I got so many insults from people close to me especially some of my relatives and friends they were accusing me of doing something that was taboo but they did not understand the bond I had with Beauty.
“When I came back home I mourned my friend and I buried it at the corner of the house, I invited friends and those who were willing to me came and we mourned my bird and everything went well.

“I am now looking forward to put a tombstone at the grave, what I did was temporary but I am hoping to raise money soon and do a proper thing,” he said.

Apart from the love he had for chickens, Philemon is also known for dressing two dogs with expensive clothes.

“I have two dogs namely Bush and Masket and one of the things I do every month is I set aside a budget of US$5 per dog which will be meant to buy clothes.

“I don’t treat my dogs like what I see most people in Mabvuku doing, I treat them as my own children that’s why I buy them clothes.

“They both have a wardrobe full of clothes that most people don’t have, I buy these clothes from local boutiques as well as from vendors,” he said.

Girl sues father for delaying her marriage

A 23- year -old spinster, Khadija Ibrahim, on Monday, sued her father, Ibrahim Bassa, before at an Upper Area Court, Karu, Abuja for not allowing her to marry a man of her choice.

She told the court that she had a suitor, who was willing to marry her but her father had refused to give his consent to her request for marriage.

“He has refused to grant my request for marriage and he has also not given me a satisfactory explanation to that effect.

“The man I want to marry has made several attempts to meet with my father to discuss the wedding plan but he always avoided him.

“The day my suitor will be coming, that is the day my father will leave the house for an unknown place and this habit is delaying our marriage plan.

“The only reason he gave me was that the man I want to marry is not Fulani, which is not satisfactory to me because that is the only man I love.

She pleaded with the court to order her father to allow her get married to the suitor whose name she gave as Abdulhamidu.


“I want the court to compel him to give a satisfactory reason why I cannot marry the man I love,’’ she said.
On his part, the respondent, Bassa, told the court that the allegations of his daughter were all true.

“It is true that I have not granted the man any audience.

“I have always avoided him because I am against his choice as a suitor.

“I have warned my daughter that marriage is not a child’s play. How can she get married to a man whose root and origin are not known to us?" he said.

"if you are getting married in the Fulani tribe, the man or woman’s immediate and extended families must be known to everyone.

“My Lord, she is too young to make a choice of marriage and even to marry an outsider but she has remained adamant and even brought me to court,’’ he said.

The judge Abdullahi Baba, adjourned the matter till May 29.

He advised everyone to maintain peace and asked all the parties involved including the plaintiff and her suitor to appear in court on the next date of adjournment.




NAN

Proud Father, Davido Cuddles His New Babygirl as He Welcomes 2nd Daughter from His 2nd Babymama

HKN Gang singer, Davido and his Atlanta-based girlfriend, Amanda, have welcomed a daughter on Tuesday May 9th, 2017 and she has been named Hailey Veronica.

Few hours ago, Davido, finally welcomed his second child with Amanda after the 24-year-old singer broke the news on SnapChat and also disclosed that their new daughter had been named Hailey. He also put up a video of the mother of his daughter and her mother on SnapChat.

It was gathered that Davido checked Amanda into a hospital on Tuesday and begged his fans on SnapChat to say a word of prayer for him as he awaited the birth of his daughter.

The HKN Gang singer updated his fans on the progress of the labour on his Snapchat handle and also took them on a tour of the maternity ward.

The 'Dami Duro' crooner later took to his social media account to share photos and wrote:

"SHES HERE!! HAILEY VERONICA ADELEKE HAS COME TO BALL!!!!!! THANK YOU JESUS!! SHES TOO BEAUTIFUL!!"


Just like his biggest music rival, Wizkid, Davido now has two children from two different women. Recall that Davido welcomed his first daughter, Imade, with Sophie Momodu in May 2015.

Don Jazzy, Wizkid, Davido And Others Make Official List Of Forbes Africa’s Top 10 Richest African Musicians

Forbes Africa has released their list of Richest African musicians. The 2017 list was put together using factors such as endorsement value, popularity, show rates, sales, awards, YouTube views, appearance in newspapers, investment, social media presence, Influence and others.

They include:

10.

OLIVER MTUKUDZI

, ZIMBABWE
Oliver Tuku Mtukudzi~↑ has 65 albums under his belt, more than the legendary Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. It’s a remarkable career stretching back 41 years with songs that have enlivened parties all over the world. He his ranked 10th richest musician in Africa.

9.

SARKODIE

, GHANA
Michael Owusu Addo started out as an underground rapper and through the help of Duncan Williams, his former manager, his career was launched. Staying true to his identity, he is a big advocate of Azonto, a Ghanaian genre that is said to have been born out of Kpanlogo, a traditional dance.
His first single off his fourth album, Mewu, sold almost 4,000 copies on the first day of its release in Ghana. He was also the first Ghanaian to win a BET award.

8.

DAVIDO

, NIGERIA
Davido has claimed a high status in just five years. He said it was people like P-Square and D’Banj who made him believe this was possible. He became famous for his widely acclaimed 2012 debut album "Omo Baba Olowo”.

7.

WIZKID

, NIGERIA
Wizkid is arguably currently the uncrowned king of African music. Grammy Award-winning artist, Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz, danced to his songs Ojuelegba and Caro, with Keys posting a video on her Instagram account with the caption, “This song makes me happy”. Kylie Jenner also posted a video of herself dancing to Wizkid’s music on Snapchat.

6.

JIDENNA

, NIGERIAN-AMERICAN,
By the age of 10, Jidenna Theodore Mobisson knew he wanted to do music but was afraid to tell his father who wanted him to be an engineer. He is ranked sixth according to Forbes Africa.

5.

TINASHE

, ZIMBABWE-AMERICAN
Tinashe was a child model by the age of three. The twenty-four-year-old sang before she could talk and made her first appearance in 2000 in the film Cora Unashamed. Her voice also starred in the cartoon feature film The Polar Express alongside Oscar-winning actor, Tom Hanks.

4.

DON JAZZY, NIGERIA

Don Jazzy is ranked fourth richest in Africa and also first in Nigeria. Like many artists, his real name is Michael Collins Ajereh, and he started playing music as a child in church before moving to the UK to pursue his career.

3.

HUGH MASEKELA

, SOUTH AFRICA
Hugh was born in Witbank, east of Johannesburg. He has released more than 43 albums and performed with Marvin Gaye, Dizzy Gillespie, The Byrds, Fela Kuti, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Miriam Makeba.

2.

BLACK COFFEE

, SOUTH AFRICA
The multi-award-winning artist’s real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo. He was born in South Africa’s house music province, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and raised in the Eastern Cape province, where Nelson Mandela hailed from, before moving back to KZN to study music.

1.

AKON

Akon has over 35 million albums sold worldwide. He has won numerous awards including five Grammy Award nominations and has 45 Billboard Hot 100 songs under his belt. He tops the list according to Forbes Africa.

39-year-old Emmanuel Macron Wins French Presidential Election

Unknown until three years ago, Emmanuel Macron has won the French Presidential election, beaten his closest rival, far-right leader, Marine Le Pen 65 percent to 35 percent

The French prime minister says Emmanuel Macron has won the French presidential election.

This puts a 39-year-old political novice at the helm of one of the world’s biggest economies and slowing a global populist wave.

The agencies projected that Macron defeated far-right leader Marine Le Pen 65 percent to 35 percent on Sunday.

If confirmed, Le Pen’s showing would nonetheless be stronger than her National Front party has seen in its 45-year history.

The projections are based on vote counts in selected constituencies, then extrapolated nationwide.

Macron would be the youngest French president ever.

But Le Pen’s projected showing, unusually low turnout and the record number of blank ballots are an indication of the headwinds facing Macron, a former economy minister who started his own political movement only a year.


-AP

MASSOB to Mark Biafra Independence Day on May 22

The Biafra secession cause appears to be very much strong as the Igbo Nation will be observing a historical independence day later this month.

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra has declared May 22 as Biafra Independence Day across the country, urging all Igbos worldwide to join in the celebration.

They noted that unlike in the past, this year’s celebration would be held for seven days, assuring that the exercise throughout the period would be violent-free.

A statement issued on Sunday by the Leader of MASSOB, Delta-Central, Mr Perry Akujinwa, appealed to security agencies in the country to allow its members observe the celebration without harassment or any form of intimidation.

According to MASSOB, “The defunct Biafra was declared by Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu on May 30, 1967 and ended 1970. The new Biafra was declared on May 22, 2000 by Chief Ralph Uwazuruike.

“We want to show the whole world that Biafra remains unchangeable and unshakable. This year’s celebration is the first of its kind because there are a lot of changes. The celebration will last for seven days.”

The statement reiterated the groups desire to peacefully achieve the dream of Biafra Republic, adding the Igbos were no longer comfortable with the ‘unholy marriage’, which it claimed had suffocated the progress and innovativeness of the Igbo.

The statement said this year’s celebration would witness activities such as peace walk, talk show, etc in order to highlight why Biafra deserved sovereignty.

Apostle Who was Having S*x with Married Church Member Exposed After the Woman's Husband Contracted STDs

A man of God who has been reportedly sleeping with another man's wife has been caught after infecting the woman with a sexually transmitted disease.

An apostle with Living Works Global Church in Zimbabwe is being accused infecting a married woman with sexually transmitted disease, which was later contracted by the woman's husband.

According to H-metro, Apostle Gabriel Cherubim, real name Paul Chipato, is at the centre of the breakup of Royce Mapaike and Tsungirirai Shilling with the man of cloth bonking the married woman when her husband was in South Africa hustling for the family.

There are stunning revelations that the love triangle resulted in a sexually transmitted infection which Royce said he contracted after having s*x with Tsungirirai during one of her visits to South Africa.

H-Metro is in possession of chats between Apostle Cherubim and Tsungirirai where they discussed their s*x life, sharing pictures of their privates with the latter confirming missing s*x with the man of cloth.

“I moved to South Africa some time last year in June and my wife would come every month from our Masvingo base to see me.

“I could not go back home to see her during the period because of some other pressing issues but she would come to see me.

“I was surprised on her visit in December last year when she insisted that we use protection when having sex of which I could not take.

“That is when I contracted a sexually transmitted disease,” said Royce.

He said Tsungirai swore that she was not sleeping around leaving the case in limbo.

“Her sisters went to an extent of defending her saying I was the one who had brought the STI into the home.”

Royce said he started suspecting his wife of cheating.

He said he then got hold of his wife’s phone confirming the relationship with Apostle Cherubim through the WhatsApp conversations.

“They have been sending each other private parts and discussing their sex life,” said Royce.

Tsungirirai threatened this writer after being asked to comment.

“What’s happening in my life has got nothing to do with anyone. I am a very single person and that’s my privacy.

“Let me warn you that if you publish anything about my private life, be prepared for a lawsuit from us,” she said.

She said she was free to date anyone she wanted.

N11billion Fuel Fraud: How Billionaire Businessman, Ifeanyi Ubah was Released from DSS

Billionaire businessman and the managing director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Ifeanyi Ubah, has been released after being arrested by the Department of State Services.

Over the weekend, the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested controversial businessman and Managing Director of Capital Oil, Ifeanyi Ubah.

The arrest was disclosed in a statement issued by the DSS signed Mr. Tony Opuiyo, the statement explained that Ubah was arrested on Friday for "economic crimes of national security dimension".

"So far, it has been established that the products stolen amount to over N11billion. There is no doubt that Ubah’s acts have the capacity to negatively impact on national economy," the DSS stated.

According to an exclusive report by SaharaReporters, Ifeanyi Ubah who was arrested by the Special Fraud Unit under Police Commissioner Tunde Ogunsakin (now rtd AIG), confessed that he imported fake fuel into the country and was paid N11 billion from the Petrol Subsidy Fund on the orders of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

It was gathered that Ubah's release from detention was ordered by the former President. To stop any further investigation of the fraud, Ubah's lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) sued the Police, EFCC and co. Even though Ubah was arrested and detained in Lagos, the case was instituted in Abuja.

The judge who decided the case was Justice Abdu Kafarati of the Federal High Court. In a matter of days, the judge granted all the reliefs of the lawyer. Specifically, the judge granted a perpetual injunction restraining the police and EFCC from ever arresting and prosecuting Ubah in connection with the fraud of N11 billion.

When some whistleblowers recently petitioned President Buhari over the case he was very angry over the use of a Nigerian judge to cover up the fraud of N11 billion.

Since the Department of State Security was not restrained by the federal high court President Buhari directed it to recover the entire proceed of crime.

It is not clear whether Ubah has briefed his lawyer to file a new case against the DSS.