Thursday, November 26, 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari has spent more days in trips to different parts of the world since he was sworn in on May 29, 2015 compared to travels within the country. The president’s frequent foreign trips have come under scrutiny and criticism as Nigeria faces myriad crises, from intractable fuel shortages to terrorist assaults in the country’s northeast. BuhariTravels.jpe An audit of Mr. Buhari’s itinerary has showed that the Nigerian president has traveled to; Chad Germany Ghana South Africa U.S (Twice) Cameroun India Iran Over the weekend, President is expect to be in Malta for commonwealth meeting and France for the UN Cimate Change conference

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has started plans to pay the N5000 monthly allowance to the about 25 million unemployed youths in the country by 2016. The All Progressives Congress had promised before the election that it would address the issue of unemployment by paying unemployed youths N5000 and also introduce a feeding programme to schools. The Peoples Democratic Party had in a motion called on the president to immediately fulfil his campaign promise by implementing the N5000 payment to unemployed youths but the move was rejected by APC senators. The Punch however reports that the federal government had started plan on Monday, November 16 to pay the unemployed youths and also implement the school feeding programme and this will be covered in the 2016 budget. Some officials have also been saddled with the responsibility of finding out the accurate number of youths that will benefit from the scheme. A top government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the scheme had to be done well so that it would not be mismanaged and hijacked by politicians. “You know that if the scheme is left open-ended, even Nigerians, who are employed and are by no means vulnerable, will still struggle to benefit from it. “You also know that if not properly handled, politicians will hijack the scheme and it will become a means of settling their constituents, whether they qualify to benefit from it or not. This is why the government will come up with data on the beneficiaries very soon.” The official said the scheme might not take off in January or February of next year as it was important to ascertain the number of youths that deserve the payment and how much it would cost. Mr. Laolu Akande who is the senior special adviser to the vice president on media and publicity confirmed that work was already on to identify the beneficiaries. He said: “Work is ongoing on various aspects of the implementation of that social investment plan, including the identification of those that will benefit from it. Very soon, we shall be concluding work on that; that is a very important aspect of the programme. “The plan of the government is to start as much as possible in the area of social investment, and conditional cash transfer is part of it. “It is the plan of the government to explore how to start this with the 2016 budget.” According to the Ministry of Finance and that of Budget and National Planning, the full implementation of the scheme would cost the federal government N125bn monthly and a total sum of N1.5tr annually Another anonymous source said that apart from the N5000 unemployment payment and the school feeding programme, the government also planned to take care of Internally Displaced Persons. He said: “We have started working on the budget since September this year at the Ministry of Budget and Planning. “Since the ministry is the one coordinating the plans of government, what we did was to identify six priority programmes by pillars which have already been communicated to all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government. “So while preparing the medium term plan, what we did was to look at the manifesto of the APC and prepare our plan based on what its campaign promises were to Nigerians before the elections. “And since social development is a key aspect of its campaign, we identified social protection schemes such as the conditional cash transfer and the school feeding programme as key to the programmes for 2016.” President Buhari canceled the SURE P Programme which was also aimed at helping Nigerian youths.Christopher Kolade who headed the programme before he resigned said it had been hijacked by politicians and the true beneficiaries did not benefit from it

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Naeto C - I Had To Stop Sagging Because It Felt silly & Immature

Nigerian rap artiste, Naeto C, popularly nick-named ‘White Kaftan’, has revealed how he felt when his song, ‘Tony Montana’ was banned, and said he stopped ‘sagging’ when he ‘grew up’. Speaking recently with Punch, the ‘Ringtone’ crooner said he didn’t see any sense in the ban because they had to wait for three years before placing the ban. According to him, ‘the board was late.’ It will be recalled that the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, NBC, earlier this year, placed a ban on his music video, ‘Tony Montana.’ Naeto said, “I felt the board was very late in banning the song because I released that song in 2012 and it was banned in 2015. “Also, in the video, there was a disclaimer that no one should try the stunts we did in the video and if they had seen the music video, they would have seen the disclaimer. If they are going to ban the music video because we used guns in it, then they should ban movies with guns and occult scenes,” the singer added. “However, that is our reality,” he continued, saying, “I don’t think we communicated anything in a distasteful manner neither did we communicate the wrong message to kids. I have two kids and naturally when you have kids, you think about other kids in whatever you do. “I respect the organisation and I would not talk down on it but I don’t think there was any sense in it; it was not necessary to ban the video,” he noted. Responding to why he stopped ‘sagging’, he said, “Yeah, I used to sag a lot. I think I grew up and realised it looked silly. “When I was a younger artiste, I did not care much about my image. But now that I am grown, I pay attention to my image because the people I perform for are my clients. “My client is a mature person who obviously can afford my services. You don’t want your client to see you as irresponsible because tomorrow, when you go to the same client for a business proposition, he would not take you seriously if you are sagging.

Monday, September 14, 2015

Ministerial list: Falana, Oyinlola, Odimegwu others undergo DSS screening Among the list of those who were said to have been screened by the DSS are, former presidential candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi, Femi Falana (SAN), a former Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former finance commissioner in Lagos State, Mr. Wale Edun and Former Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Limited, Mr. Festus Odimegwu...others are. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/minsisterial-list-falanaoyinlola-odimegwu-others-undergo-dss-screening/#sthash.9IrdF2Ai.dpuf

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

My Money is on Ronaldo to score more than Messi again this season – Carlo Ancelotti

Ronaldo scored 48 goals in 35 league games for Real Madrid in the 2014/15 season and with a 61 overall, he claimed the highest goal scorer award “Pichichi trophy” ahead of fellow superstar Messi. Read: Where is Messi and Ronaldo as Adrian, Bale top Laliga’s […] Source: My Money is on Ronaldo to score more than Messi again this season – Carlo Ancelotti

10 Most Paid, Richest Comedians In Nigeria

Just when some thought that making somebody laugh was just for fun, some smart practitioners turned it into a lucrative business and these days, comedians live lavishly, which has now brought about an influx of people into the sector of the entertainment industry. In no particular order, these are some of the highest paid comedians in Nigeria as well as their estimated worth, according to Vanguard. Ali Baba Often called the godfather of comedy by most of his younger colleagues, Alibaba is believed to be one of the richest comedians in the land. It is believed that he is worth about N3billion. He performs for the high and mighty in the society and earns an estimated N400 million per annum. Basketmouth With packed shows within and outside the country, Basketmouth commands lots of attention. He boasts of swollen pockets and fat bank accounts. With an estimated net worth of N2billion naira, he makes N192million per annum and about N120 million in endorsement deals. I Go Dye His net worth is believed to be over N2 billion and earns about N300 to N500 million per year. He is the CEO of a construction company and heads a real estate and property company. He also enjoys a working relationship with some governors. Julius Agwu Julius is the organiser of two sold out shows; Crack Ya Ribs and Laugh For Christ Sake. The comedian ranks among the richest in Nigeria. With a state-of-the-art visual and audio studio, he also rakes in millions of Naira. He is reported to charge close to N3million per show. He is thought to net worth about N1.5 billion and makes about N180 million yearly. AY The brain behind the successful 'AY Live' is said to charge between one to two million Naira per event. His own show alone is said to give him close to N180 million annually and earns about N280 million per annum. AY is the proud of a night club called MVP and he boasts of some exotic cars and choice properties. He is said to be worth about N800 million. Gbenga Adeyinka He has become a top choice among many politicians in the South West, where he anchors political and other high ranking events. Okey Bakasi This comedian is a darling of some big political bigwigs in the South East. At a time, he was appointed a Senior Special Assistant on Entertainment to a state governor. He is said to own choice houses in Imo State and abroad. Tee A His specialty seems to be anchoring wedding ceremonies and other social functions. He has choice properties and an event company. Bovi He has enjoyed some mouth-watery endorsement deals worth millions of Naira. The comedian rakes a lot of money from anchoring corporate and social functions in the country. Yaw This radio presenter is one of the richest humour merchants in Nigeria. It is said that he made one of his biggest money from an endorsement deal he signed with a telecoms giant in the country. Yaw is reportedly into equipment leasing and anchors events.

#‎ABSOLUTNITE‬ ‪#‎poshent‬ ‪#‎sept26‬ @kahuna

it hot,it posh,it absolutnite september 26 2015

Bride-to-be Toolz writes about her wedding introduction

The popular OAP who had her introduction last week, took to her website to write on all the emotions she felt as she did her introduction with her man, Tunde Demuren. Read what she wrote below...

"Ishhh is getting real!! Can’t believe I’m going to be a married woman, it’s all so terribly grown up lol. I didn’t want to put up anything on my site, but I’m trying to make it a bit more personal, so let’s see how this goes. Anyhoo, so on Saturday 5th September, I had my introduction. This is where the families of the bride and groom officially meet. We had expected about 100 people, I hear there were about 250 people there! Eeek!
I didn’t sleep well the night before, because I was so nervous and I really didn’t know what to expect. I’ve been to events like this before, but I’m generally in a corner somewhere just observing.
Today the attention was all on me…and that was so unnerving! I’m used to being on stage, but then work-mode has been activated, so in my mind its all about work.

I was so nervous, couldn’t eat…also because I was paranoid that I would get food stuck in my braces and would end up having lots of pictures with efo (spinach) hanging from my teeth lol.
I worked myself up so much that I ended up developing a nervous tick. My right eye twitched for hours and I could barely stop myself from freaking out….but when I saw him aka Bae the twitching stopped…(and the crowd went awwww!)

All thanks to God!
Much love to family and friends for making it all happen, looking forward to Part 2 & 3!
A big thank you to:
Valerie Davids for the dress she ‘built’ for me
Lois of Prospotted Makeover for the make-up
Lush Jewels for the jewelry
Itunu Fabrics & Bimmms
So here are some pictures, enjoy!

See 9 States Buhari's Anti-corruption Battle Is Raging

EFCC recovers $6.55m, €248,340 from 49 suspects

NNPC, NIMASA, Amnesty under probe

Cash seized by EFCC in 90 days

•$3,902,229 and €248,340 (49 suspects) in MMIA
•$2,198,900 from a suspect at Lagos Airport
•$454, 050 (four suspects) at Aminu Kano Airport
•$99,000 (one suspect) at Azikiwe Airport, Abuja

Detectives are poring through the books of nine states as part of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s anti-corruption war.

Besides, the war seems to be yielding bountiful harvests, going by the performance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

EFCC has filed 71 high-profile cases in three months.

The commission also seized over $6.555m and €248, 340 from 55 money laundering suspects at the airports in Lagos, Kano and Abuja.

The cash includes $3, 902, 229 and €248, 340 from 49 suspects at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos; $2, 198, 900 ( Lagos Domestic Airport); $454, 050 from four suspects at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano; and $99, 000 from a suspect at the private wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

A former top official of an agency and his mule might be arraigned in court as soon as an ongoing investigation into a $2.1m laundered cash is concluded.

The anti-graft commission said it had established links with its counterpart in Niger Republic on the recent arrest of some Nigerians smuggling hard currency to the Middle East.

The EFCC said it was probing activities of some past government officials in nine states.

Besides, it is investigating the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme, and the National Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

These disclosures are contained in an Executive Brief on the activities of the commission by its Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde. It was exclusively obtained by The Nation.

Part of the brief reads: “Operational activities of the Commission have been stepped up in line with the current policy directive of the President, especially in public corruption related investigations.

”A total of 71 cases were filed in the various state and Federal High Courts between 1st June and 1st September 2015.

“ Only 31 of the cases have been arraigned, as the period coincides with the vacation of the Judges and pockets of labour strikes by some state judicial workers. Some of the high profile arraignments include: Ex-Governor Sule Lamido and two others(adjourned to September 28); former Governor Ikedi Ohakim (adjourned to September 30); and former Governor Murtala Nyako (adjourned to October 21); and ex-Governor Timpreye Sylva with no definite date

The EFCC said the trial of a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye, will come up on October 21, but added that it had referred the case to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, for “reassessment based on the allegation of bias”.

“Other major public corruption and abuse of cases opened in the last three months include those involving; Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Enugu, Lagos, Plateau, Benue, Kwara, Katsina and Cross River state governments, as well as Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Niger Delta Amnesty Program, and the National Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA).”

The brief added: “Laundering of crime proceeds through large cash transactions has increased, due in part to the new policy stopping the lodgment of foreign currency into local domiciliary accounts. Arrests and seizures made by the Presidential Committee on Trans-border Cash Movement at the International Airports are transferred to the Commission for further investigation.”

The brief added: “Suspects who either failed to declare or under-declare the currencies would be prosecuted under the Money Laundering Act 2012, as soon as the courts resume from their annual vacation

”The cash sum of $2, 198, 900 belonging to a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was intercepted at the Lagos domestic Airport from a mule conveying the money to Abuja on 8th July 2015. The suspects would be arraigned in court at the conclusion of the investigation.”

Regarding the smuggling of currency out of the country to the Middle East, the EFCC said it as in “close” contact with the anti-graft agency in Niger Republic.

The commission added: “We are in close communication with the Nigerien High Authority for Fighting Against Corruption and Related Offences (HALCIA) on recent arrests of Nigerians smuggling large volumes of foreign currency through Niamey Airport to the Middle East.

“We intend to contact the appropriate Authorities in Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Togo and Ghana for intelligence on current bulk cash smuggling trends by Nigerians.”

The EFCC confirmed the arrest of 10 crew members and detention of a vessel for alleged oil theft.

The document added: “ Ten crew members of MV PEACE who were arrested off Lagos Fairway Buoy by the Nigeria Navy Ship BEECROFT with suspected stolen crude oil were arraigned on 22nd July 2015 before Hon. Justice Idris of the Federal High Court Lagos. The trial was adjourned to 22nd September 2015.

“The case of MT EUROPORT, a vessel arrested by the Joint Task Force Operation PULO SHIELD on 15th June 2015 at Furopa Waterways in Bayelsa, will be in court as soon as the forensic report of the product sample is received from the Department of Petroleum Resources. Both vessels are detained in lawful custody.”

On advance Fee Fraud scams, the anti-graft commission said it has returned €20,540 and $6, 500 to some foreigners.

It said: “Although the Commission has drastically reduced the prevalence of rampant advance fee fraud in Nigeria, we continue to convict perpetrators and return their lost money to demonstrate that we have the capacity to provide justice to our local and foreign victims. Internet fraud has impacted our national image negatively.

Such direct cash restitution includes:-

€10, 540 to a Belgian citizen through the Embassy in Abuja on 2nd September;
$6, 500 to an American citizen through the Embassy’s Legal Attaché on 19th August; and
€10, 000 sent by direct bank transfer to a French victim, who is suffering from terminal cancer in June
The brief also highlighted the benefits of President Buhari’s interaction with the international community to anti-graft war in the last three months.

It said: “We received several valuable capacity building assistance from the United States Government through the Department of Justice, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Institute of Peace, Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Other benefactors include; the German Consulate, Spanish Embassy, Interpol Singapore, United Kingdom National Crime Agency etc.

“The trainings were held in Abuja, Lagos, Dakar, Malta, Singapore, United States, Thailand, Spain, the Netherlands, Mauritius & China between June and September 2015.

“The United States Government through the FBI and the Homeland Security Investigations also donated a Forensic Recovery of Evidence Device (FRED workstation) and a currency detection/counting machine to the Commission in August 2015 to further strengthen our technical capacity.


http://thenationonlineng.net/buharis-anti-corruption-battle-rages-in-nine-states/

NYSC Now Allows Students To Choose States For Deployment

In the wake of recent attacks and unrest across the states of Nigeria, the NYSC board has now included in the registration procedure of NYSC members to choose at least 3 states which they would love to be deployed from which one will be finally selected for them by the board.

I think the NYSC has started to become liberal and more democratic with this initiative but it will stand against the main motive for which the programme was established!

The disadvantage of this development will be very disturbing; as some states will be favoured at the expense of the others.

However, the corps members have restricted Geo-political zones depending on the school they graduated from!

http://www.edificationinfo.com/2015/09/nysc-now-allows-students-to-choose.html