Oprah Winfrey selects Cynthia Bond's 'Ruby' for book club

New York — From the very first sentence, Oprah Winfrey loved what became her latest book club pick.
"I thought, 'Wow, this is so good I have to wait until I actually have the time to absorb the language,'" said Winfrey, during a recent telephone interview with The Associated Press, of Cynthia Bond's novel "Ruby."
"I put it down and waited until I was in bed with the flu to start reading it. I found the language and descriptions so vividly compelling that sometimes I would have to take a breath and repeat the sentences out loud."
Winfrey's choice, coming out in paperback Tuesday and announced to the AP, is a debut novel published last year to positive reviews and moderate sales. Bond's publisher, Hogarth, understandably expects that to change and has commissioned a paperback printing of 250,000 copies. The hardcover currently has 20,000 copies in print, according to Hogarth, an imprint of Penguin Random House, and is available as an e-book. As with Winfrey's three previous picks since relaunching her club as "Oprah's Book Club 2.0" in 2012, she will focus on online promotion, through her own website (www.oprah.com) and through Twitter, Instagram and other social media.
By late Tuesday afternoon, "Ruby" was in the top 50 on Amazon.com and in the top 10 on Barnes & Noble.com.
Winfrey also has acquired film and television rights for the novel through her Harpo Films. Her interview with Bond will appear in the March issue of "O'' magazine, which comes out Feb. 17.
A Barnes & Noble "Discover" pick in 2014 and a favorite of the editors of "O," Bond's book is set in the author's native Texas and tells a fierce and poetic tale of a worldly, beautiful black woman, Ruby Bell, and her struggle not to be destroyed by her home community of Liberty Township. Bond sets the scene right away, for Winfrey and, presumably, for many others: "Ruby Bell was a constant reminder of what could befall a woman whose shoe heels were too high."
Bond's novel is Winfrey's first choice in just over a year, when she selected Sue Monk Kidd's "The Invention of Wings." Fans may wish she announced picks more often, but Winfrey's success and staying power is in part because of her reluctance to recommend a book until she finds one that excites her.
When she started her first club, in 1996, she would make several choices a year. But by 2002 she felt she had put too much pressure on herself to find new works and suspended her club. Winfrey ended the hiatus a year later, only after she came upon a book she was compelled to talk about, John Steinbeck's "East of Eden."
"'I thought, 'Gee, I wish I had a book club so I could tell everybody about it and do it without pressure,'" she said.
Bond, now a resident of Los Angeles, studied journalism at Northwestern University and lived for years in New York, where she acted with the Negro Ensemble Company. During a recent telephone interview, she said that she worked on the novel for more than a decade and that it will likely be the first of a trilogy. She had written 900 pages for "Ruby," but decided to separate it into three books after her mother, then her agent, suggested it.
"Ruby" draws upon stories Bond has heard while working with at-risk youth in Los Angeles, and was also inspired by a horrifying event in her family's history. In the 1930s, Bond's aunt was shot repeatedly by the sheriff and his deputies, all rumored to be members of the Ku Klux Klan, because she had been involved with a white man. Her body was dumped in a sack and thrown onto her grandfather's porch.
"This has impacted our family so much and was the base from where the story (of 'Ruby') started," Bond said.
In praising the book, Winfrey compared it to works by Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston, authors that the 53-year-old Bond cites as influences. She and Winfrey have had much to say to other. Bond, like Winfrey, has known difficult, despairing times. She was sexually and physically abused as a child and says writing helped her cope with near-suicidal depression. They also share a connection to Maya Angelou, who died last year. Bond is the daughter of a literature and theater professor and met Angelou as a child. Winfrey knew Angelou for decades and often spoke of the poet as a mentor and mother figure.
"If Maya had been alive I would have called her before I finished this ('Ruby') and said, 'Oh, my God, you've got to read this book and finish it with me,'" Winfrey said.

- AP

Kim Kardashian West regrets her sex tape

Los Angeles - Kim Kardashian West is sick of being associated with her sex tape.
The 34-year-old beauty, who has 19-month-old daughter North with husband Kanye West, doesn't think the explicit video she made with ex-boyfriend Ray J in 2003 made her famous and wishes she could show her critics her enormous bank balance.
The 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star said: ''If I do have one regret in life that's it. Maybe that's how some people heard about me but I didn't launch my career off of that. That was 12 years ago, no 13 years ago now, so I just try to move on and put it in the past because I think that everyone in life does things they're not proud of but you can't sit and dwell on them forever.''
Kim is also fed up of people suggesting she doesn't deserve her success because she has no specific talent.
She told British model Cara Delevingne, 22, in an interview to accompany her latest naked photo-shoot for LOVE magazine: ''When someone asks me, 'What do you do?' under my breath I want to say, 'Ask my f**king bank account what I do.' But I would never say that to someone's face. We've had more episodes than 'I Love Lucy!' And I'm proud that we give so many people jobs.
''Like when they ask, 'What do you do?' I mean, what an uneducated question! And I just want to help change the perception that being on a reality show is such a negative thing."

- BangShowBiz

John Legend tells Kanye West's critics to relax

Los Angeles - John Legend thinks Kanye West's critics need to ''relax.''
The 'All of Me' hitmaker ''thought it was funny'' when the rapper stormed the stage at the Grammy Awards on Sunday (08.02.15) in protest after Beck won Album of the Year instead of his friend Beyoncé.
Asked about the incident, the 36-year-old singer said: ''I thought it was funny. I looked at it as just a funny thing that people were going to talk about.
''It didn't hurt anybody. Anybody who's upset just needs to relax. It was funny.''
The 'New Slaves' rapper, who famously interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009 after she won Best Female Video instead of Beyoncé, almost repeated the incident with Beck on Sunday, but thought better of it and walked off the stage before speaking.
Despite standing up for Kanye, 37, John believes ''Beck won his award fair and square.''
The R&B star told UsMagazine.com: ''Beck is super talented and I have several of his albums and I've listened to him for a long time. I think people were surprised that he won but that doesn't mean he's not deserving, that just means people thought other people were going to win too."

- BangShowBiz

Police called to Bobbi Kristina's home week before she was found in tub

Atlanta - One of Bobbi Kristina Brown's neighbours reported a domestic dispute at her address the week before she was found face-down in a bathtub, according to the tape of an emergency call released on Tuesday.

In the call, made on 23 January, a man who identified himself as a security guard at the gated community where Brown lives told a dispatcher that one of Brown's neighbours reported a fight at Brown's address.

The guard said the neighbour reported people "hitting each other and swinging" outside the townhome.

The guard did not give descriptions of how many people were fighting or who they were. The Associated Press requested a copy of the police report and emergency call recording but the materials were not provided.

Brown is the only child of entertainers Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston. She was found face-down in a bathtub at the townhome on 31 January and has been hospitalised in Atlanta since. Police have revealed few details about the circumstances of the case, citing an ongoing investigation.

Three years ago, on 11 February 2012, Houston was found face-down and unresponsive in about a foot of water in a bathtub in the Beverly Hilton hotel just before the Grammys. She later died, and authorities concluded that she had accidentally drowned. Investigators found a dozen prescription drug bottles in the suite and listed heart disease and cocaine use as contributors to her death.

The ongoing investigation and limited details being provided in Bobbi Kristina Brown's case have fuelled speculation about her condition and the circumstances that led to her hospitalisation.

Christopher Brown, Bobby Brown's Boston-based attorney, released a statement on Tuesday railing against several media outlets for publishing "false reports" about Brown's condition and the family's plans for her.

"This is a criminal investigation and the integrity of that process requires silence," Brown said in the statement.

Local news media outlets have reported, without firm attribution, that the investigation is a criminal one. The AP has not been able to independently confirm the reports.

- AP

Songs in key of life: music stars pay tribute to Stevie Wonder

Los Angeles  - Reigning stars of the music world, from Beyonce to Tony Bennett to Pharrell Williams, on Tuesday saluted Stevie Wonder, the singer, songwriter and musician they called a genius and inspiration to their careers.
Tapping the talent that came to town for the Grammy Awards two nights before, the tribute opened with Beyonce belting out "Fingertips," a tune that put the child prodigy from Detroit on the Motown map at the age of 12.
She then enlisted British singer Ed Sheeran for a mix of "Master Blaster" and "Higher Ground".
Wonder, now 64, holds the distinction of having won 25 Grammy awards, more than any other artist. He also won Album of the Year three times in the space of four years, in 1973, 1974 and 1976, the last one for his most famous work "Songs in the Key of Life."
"I see a lot of people here," joked Wonder, who has been blind since shortly after birth, when he appeared on stage in front of a packed Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.
Wonder was hailed not only for his contributions to R&B, soul, pop and jazz over half a century, but also his work for civil rights, most notably his push to get Martin Luther King Jr's birthday made a public holiday.
Bennett called him "one of the greatest jazz artists who ever lived" and performed "For Once in My Life".
Lady Gaga said "people throw the word genius around a lot, but Stevie Wonder you truly are a genius" before pumping out an energetic rendition of "I Wish".
Wonder's daughter Aisha joined R&B singer Ne-Yo for "Isn't She Lovely," the song he wrote at her birth, and said "I love you, Daddy".
Pharrell sang "Don't Worry 'Bout a Thing" with Ryan Tedder, frontman of OneRepublic, and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed a solo of "I Just Called to Say I Love You".
"I thought it was simple, but when I decided to sing it, Jesus, it was so difficult," Bocelli told Wonder.
Annie Lennox, John Legend, Janelle Monae, Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson were also among the evening's performers, many of whom praised his love songs.
Even if the stars did justice to his music, they were ultimately upstaged by the man himself who performed a final medley that included "Superstitious" and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life".
The two-hour tribute will broadcast in the United States on CBS on February 16.

- Reuters

 

'Fifty Shades of Grey' whips up box-office frenzy

Paris - "Fifty Shades of Grey", the long-anticipated movie version of the bestselling erotic novel, began its worldwide roll-out on Wednesday, with France one of the first to catch a glimpse.
The film, starring Jamie Dornan as a billionaire with a penchant for S&M and Dakota Johnson as a virginal student who falls for him, is being marketed as a torrid touchstone for a generation too young to remember "9 1/2 Weeks" or "Last Tango in Paris".


While the official premiere was to take place late Wednesday at the Berlin film festival, movie theatres across France, Germany, Belgium, Serbia and the Philippines were already screening the steamy picture from early in the day.
Most other countries were to show the movie from Thursday or in the case of key target market of the United States Friday. The release was timed for this weekend's Valentine's Day and was being heavily advertised as a perfect date movie.
Mixed reviews

At one of the first morning showings in Paris, however, several fans of the 2011 novel by British author E.L. James gave mixed responses.
"I was disappointed. I didn't think the actors or the script was up to the level of what was in the book," said one 70-year-old viewer who gave her first name as Christine.
A 20-year-old in the same audience, Elena Radu, said: "It's very good. The book was better, but the film is also good."
Early published reviews captured that ambivalence.
Variety, the US cinema trade magazine, said the "glossy, well cast" film was "not exactly whip-smart, but in many ways a significant improvement" on a novel trashed by critics for its low literary quality. Its supposedly risque scenes turned out to be "fairly mild provocation in this porn-saturated day and age".
The movie is slick, with many scenes shot like ads for luxury products, and the leading actors and the female director, Sam Taylor-Johnson, proving competent despite the thin plotting.
There was little on-screen evidence of the rumoured trouble on set amid tensions between the actors.
The story focuses on the fictional billionaire Christian Grey, who despite his 27 years is accomplished in a staggering number of fields.
He is the handsome tycoon at the head of a sprawling empire that boasts his name, a helicopter pilot, a virtuoso pianist. And his dark secret is that he spurns all relationships, preferring domination sex games in a room equipped with handcuffs and whips.
Dornan, a 32-year-old married British actor and former male model, picked up the leading role after the first choice, fellow Brit actor Charlie Hunnam, who stars in the US television series "Sons of Anarchy", dropped out.
Dornan's co-lead, as the shy literature student Anastasia Steele who ultimately stands up to Grey, is Johnson, the 25-year-old daughter of actress Melanie Griffith and "Miami Vice" actor Don Johnson.
"At heart, it's a simple love story," novelist James said of her story, which has sold 100 million copies internationally. "The sex scenes made headlines, but it's the love story that touched the readers."
Although the movie bares much flesh and shows some tame bondage, its 20 minutes of sexy screen time avoid any graphic shots.
It still earned an R rating in the US and in the Philippines, barring under-18s from seeing it. Malaysia has banned the movie.
DIY bondage

Some groups against domestic violence have urged a boycott of the movie, arguing it glamorises the abuse of women.
In Britain, a leaked memo to a chain of 359 hardware stores, B&Q, said its 20,000 staff should prepare for an expected onslaught of customers looking to recreate a scene where Christian Grey shops for bondage ropes, plastic cable ties and tape in a hardware store. "We stock many of the products featured in this notable scene," the memo said, predicting that "extra stock" would be required to cope with increased demand.

- AFP

US to withdraw troops from Ebola mission in West Africa

Washington - The US military plans to pull out most troops from West Africa that were deployed to help stem the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, ending a five-month mission.
A force that at one point reached 2 800 has been scaled back to about 1 300 troops and "nearly all will return by 30 April," Pentagon spokesperson Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement.
The announcement came as the epidemic has begun to recede.
President Barack Obama will on Wednesday declare a next phase in fighting the disease.
"We have bent the curve of the epidemic and placed it on a much improved trajectory," the White House said.
A small team of about 100 US troops will remain in the region to strengthen "disease preparedness and surveillance capacity" of local governments, Kirby said.
At the height of the Ebola outbreak, President Barack Obama approved plans in September for more than 3 000 troops to head to Liberia and Senegal.
But the full contingent never had to be ordered in as the tide began to turn in the effort to contain the virus.
The US forces, most of whom were stationed in Liberia, constructed Ebola treatment units, trained health workers, provided logistical support for aid agencies and set up labs to test blood samples, Kirby said.
Also read: Ebola countries miss treatment, burial targets - WHO
When an American who travelled to Liberia died from the virus last year, public fears spiked in the United States and Washington officials scrambled to take measures to prevent any possible outbreak.
Although US troops in Liberia and Senegal had no contact with patients, the Pentagon placed all military personnel returning from West Africa in temporary quarantine as a precaution.
Officials so far have not detected the virus in any US soldier that worked in West Africa.
About 9 000 people have died from Ebola since the outbreak began 13 months ago, with Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone the hardest hit.
A massive international effort has been underway to rid the three West African nations of the Ebola virus, and a drop in new cases had sparked hopes that the worst was over.
But the weekly number of new Ebola cases registered in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone rose in the last week of January, marking the first increase in 2015, the World Health Organisation said last week.
During the seven days leading up to February 1 124 new cases were confirmed across the three west African countries that have the vast majority of infections.

- AFP

UN pulls support to DRC operation

New York - The United Nations is temporarily pulling support to the Democratic Republic of Congo's planned military operation to drive out rebels after Kinshasa refused to sack two tainted generals leading the offensive, a UN official said on Tuesday.
The UN's 20 000-strong Monusco force had been working with Congo's army on a plan of attack to drive out the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) from the east after more than two decades.
The planned joint offensive however hit a wall when UN officials demanded that two generals accused of human rights violations be replaced as a condition for supporting the military action.
"The UN mission in the DRC has raised concerns linking two FARDC generals to human rights violations, and therefore we have paused our support to FARDC on anti-FDLR operations," a UN official told AFP.
"We intend to fully support the FDLR operations as soon as the outstanding issues regarding command of the operations are resolved," said the official, who asked not to be named.
President Joseph Kabila's government last week rejected a UN ultimatum to replace the two generals who are on a UN "red" list of known human rights violators.


"For us, we would only replace someone in the [army high] command if that person had been convicted by our military courts. Yet, no such thing has happened," government spokesperson Lambert Mende told a press conference in Kinshasa.
UN officials gave Kinshasa until 13 February to sack the two generals or forefeit Monusco's support for the operation.
But Mende shrugged off the threat, saying that two generals had "always worked with the United Nations" and would remain in charge of the offensive.
"It's a sovereign decision," Mende said, declaring that DR Congo was "not under anyone's supervision".
UN officials said they remained in contact with Kinshasa and were confident that a solution would be found.
The UN move was limited to the planned operation against the FDLR and did not affect other military campaigns against the many rebel groups that roam the eastern DR Congo.
Some leaders in the FDLR took part in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda before crossing over into eastern DR Congo.
The DRC armed forces, known as the FARDC, announced on 29 January that they were launching the offensive against the Hutu rebels, but UN officials say there has been no action on the ground.
The United Nations is pushing for the disarming of dozens of rebel and splinter groups after two decades of conflict in the eastern DR Congo, much of it fuelled by the lucrative trade in minerals.

- AFP

UK Embassy in Yemen closes, evacuates staff amid chaos

Sanaa - The British Embassy in Yemen's capital closed and evacuated its staff early on Wednesday, authorities said, the latest diplomatic post to shut down in the Arab world's poorest country amid turmoil following Shi’ite rebels seizing power.
In a statement, UK minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood also urged British citizens still in Yemen to "leave immediately". This comes as the state department confirmed it also closed the US Embassy in Sanaa and evacuated its staff because of the political crisis there and security concerns.
"The security situation in Yemen has continued to deteriorate over recent days," Ellwood said. "Regrettably we now judge that our embassy staff and premises are at increased risk."
Yemen has been in crisis for months, with Shi’ite Houthi rebels besieging the capital and then taking control. Earlier on Tuesday, US officials said the embassy closure would not affect counterterrorism operations against al-Qaeda's Yemen branch, which America views as the world's most dangerous branch of the terror group.


The United Nations has been trying to broker talks between the Houthis and others in Yemen since the Shiite rebels dissolved parliament after earlier besieging the country's president, who later resigned while armed militants surrounded his home.
Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, who leads the Shiite rebels, warned his enemies on Tuesday not to stand in his hard-line movement's way and denounced foreign governments for removing their diplomats.
"We will not accept pressures. They are of no use," al-Houthi said in speech broadcast on the rebel group's own al-Masirah satellite television network. "Whoever harms the interest of this country could see that their interests in this country are also harmed."
Al-Houthi made a series of similarly threatening but vague remarks, and offered no explanation for what specific retaliatory action he might have in mind.
The Houthis, who are traditionally based in northern Yemen bordering Saudi Arabia, swept into Sanaa in September and have seized other territory since. Many link the Houthis to regional Shiite power Iran, though the rebels deny they are backed by the Islamic Republic.

- AP

150 illegal immigrants repatriated in Zamfara

Gusau - The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Zamfara has repatriated a total of 150 immigrants who illegally entered Nigeria from neighbouring countries, this year.
The State Comptroller of the Service, Shehuri Sadiq, stated this at a news briefing in Gusau on Tuesday.
Sadiq said the aliens were arrested during the ongoing mop-up operation and removal of irregular immigrants in the state.
Also read: 78 illegal immigrants arrested in Kaduna
He said the raids were carried out in areas including Bungudu, Mada, Mado town, Gusau, Samaru, Filin Jirgi, Gada biyu and Damba.
The Comptroller also said that the exercise was not intended to spite any nation but to defend and protect "our fragile democracy".
He said that some of the immigrants were found in possession of Nigeria’s National Identity Cards and Voter cards which according to him, was against the nation’s democracy.

- NAN

 

Court strucks out suit against IG over death of officer

Kaduna - A Federal High court sitting in Kaduna has dismissed a case brought before it by the family of the late Kaduna state police armament officer, Nanbol Audu, who died in police custody, Premium Times reports.
Audu and two others were arrested and detained after they allegedly came to the Armory with two unknown persons in a private vehicle, parked behind the Armory and loaded some firearms into the vehicles.
Also read:
Further investigation revealed that one of the two civilian suspects is a blacksmith who specialize in manufacturing locally made firearms, while the two suspects came from Jos, Plateau State on arrangement to purchase the said firearms from the Armament Officer at the cost of N400 000.
The family of the deceased denied the allegation saying Audu was innocent and his killing was a plot to cover some atrocities.
Read more at Premium Times

Boko Haram militants attack Chad troops in Nigerian town

Militants from Boko Haram attacked Chadian army positions in Gambaru on Wednesday, and were beaten back, Chadian military sources said.
Chadian troops are in Gambaru as part of a regional offensive against Boko Haram, whose militants have staged several cross-border attacks over the past week as part of its campaign to establish an Islamic caliphate.
"We knew they were going to attack us. We were waiting. The battle didn't last long. They fled," one military source told Reuters.
The source said eight Chadian soldiers were wounded, three out of 14 Boko Haram vehicles were destroyed, and one was seized. There was no word on whether any Boko Haram fighters had been killed or wounded.
Hundreds of people have been killed in recent fighting in Cameroon, Niger and Chad as well as in Nigeria, according to military sources from the different countries. There is no independent verification of the casualty toll.
Mortars and machine-gun fire were heard in N'Guigmi on Niger's border with Nigeria late on Tuesday as fighting raged, apparently between Boko Haram and the army, a Niger military source said.
The town lies near Lake Chad, around 100 km (60 miles) east of Diffa. Niger's parliament has unanimously approved sending troops to northern Nigeria as part of the offensive.

- Reuters

Additional relief materials donated to IDPs camps

Jalingo - The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has donated additional relief materials worth millions of Naira to the 27 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Taraba.
Saidu Ahmed, the Head, Gombe operations office of the agency, presented the materials to the state government on Tuesday in Jalingo.
In his remark at the occasion, Ahmed said the additional materials were presented to the IDPS camps following a request from the state government and an assessment of the needs of the camps carried out by NEMA.
Also read: Relief as Borno IDPs receive aid
He said the materials included 900 bags of assorted grains, 100 bags of sugar, 100 bags of salt, 100 bundles of roofing sheets and 500 bags of nails.
Others are 500 pieces of blankets, 1 000 pieces of nylon mats, 300 pieces of mattresses and 500 pieces of ceiling boards.
Also presented are 50 kegs of vegetable oil, 2 000 pieces of mosquito nets, 1 500 pieces of guinea brocade and 2 000 pieces of wax prints.
Receiving the materials on behalf of the government, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Mustapha Hamman-Gabdo expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for coming to the aid of the displaced persons.
He assured that the committee constituted by the government to distribute relief materials would distribute the additional materials judiciously.

- NAN

Sokoto governor assures end to terrorism

Sokoto - Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State on Wednesday expressed optimism that Nigeria would soon overcome the security challenges facing it.
Wamakko made the remark while addressing newsmen in Sokoto.
He, therefore, urged all Nigerians to fervently pray for God’s intervention in the nation’s socio- economic and political affairs.

"We need to pray to God to intervene and flush out all those responsible for the current security situation in the country,’’ he said.
The governor also called on Nigerians to be security conscious and report any suspicious characters to the nearest security agencies for prompt action.
"The time has come for all Nigerians to be watchful and vigilant in confronting the present security challenges facing us as a nation," he said.

- NAN

Valentines Day freaks excited over rescheduling of presidential election

Abuja - Some Valentine Day freaks have expressed joy over the rescheduling of the general elections, saying that with the recent development, they would now be able to celebrate Lovers' day on Feb. 14.
St Valentine's Day, also known as Lovers' Day, is celebrated on Feb. 14 in many countries of the world with the exchange of a variety of gift items including cards, candy and flowers.
Besides gifts, many celebrants use the occasion to wine and dine at various eateries and hotels.
If the Presidential Election had held on Feb. 14 as previously scheduled, the 2015 Valentine's Day would have been devoid of the usual outdoor razzmatazz that accompanies the day, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt.
Mrs Rosemary Obiaku, a civil servant, told NAN in Abuja on Wednesday that this is the first she would celebrating with her husband.
"During our courtship, my husband was the one buying the gifts and sponsoring the outings.
"The postponement of the election is a welcome development; so, I will use the occasion to surprise my husband because he believes I am a stingy person.

"I will go to the market to buy some things for my husband but I will hide them until the evening of that day, then I will take him out,’’ Obiaku said.
Mr Williams Maduka, a businessman, said he had never bothered about such celebrations but due to the sermons by the priest, he had decided to shower his wife with gifts.
Maduka said the priest had continued to admonish the men to buy gifts for their wives at least once a year.
"It was last year that I made a vow to my God that I will be using the occasion of Valentine to give my wife gifts and if possible, take her out and this will be the first.
"So the postponement has given me the opportunity to fulfill my promise and this is going to come as a surprise except, if she reads this your story,’’ he said.
For Miss Funke Ademola, a businesswoman, the postponement of the election was like God answering her prayer.
Ademola said she had bought some gifts for her fiancé during her last trip to London and had kept them for the Valentine Day celebration, adding that this would be her last celebration as a spinster.

- NAN

Fake pastor arrested over alleged N10m fraud

Lagos -  A fake pastor, identified as Chibuzor Nnaegbo, has been arrested by the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, for allegedly defrauding four businessmen in Lagos, Vanguard reports.
Pastor Chibuzor who claimed to be in Israel reportedly used a coded MTN number to call his victim pretending to be in Israel. Among his victims is one Nzeh Remigius and three others.

The suspect, an indigene of Anambra state, who deceived his victims by telling them that he had issues in Israel where he was trying to set up a church, claimed to have sowed the proceeds from the fraud in two mega churches in Lagos.

The self-acclaimed pastor whose phone was filled with pornographic pictures, was arrested in his hideout at Igando, after one of the victims got suspicious of the incessant demands from the so called man of God who was in Israel.
Read more at Vanguard

Boko Haram takes on Chadian forces in NE Nigeria town

N'Djamena - Boko Haram on Wednesday launched a pre-dawn raid in Gamboru, northeastern Nigeria, looking to overwhelm Chadian troops who had pushed them out of the border town.
The military in N'Djamena said the militants were repelled but the counter-attack was an indication of the task facing regional forces aiming to crush the rebellion.


Troops from Chad, Cameroon and Niger have been deployed to fight the Islamists, whose bloody insurgency has claimed more than 13,000 lives since 2009 and now threatens Nigeria's neighbours.
In Niger a suicide bomber was killed, without causing any other casualties, in the Diffa region bordering Nigeria on Wednesday, a local official told AFP.
The bomber, a man or woman wearing a hijab, was spotted by police who opened fire. "The explosion left no victims," the official said.
Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan was expected to make his first public comments since the ongoing operations were used as an excuse to delay the country's general election.
The head of state was due to talk about "current national issues" to a panel of journalists, with the question and answer session broadcast live on state-run television and radio.
Jonathan and his government have come under fire after the country's electoral commission announced a six-week postponement to Saturday's predicted knife-edge vote.
Nigeria's national security advisor, Sambo Dasuki maintained that his advice to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was not politically motivated.
He also told AFP in an interview that Boko Haram would effectively be crushed by the time of the rescheduled polling day, March 28.
Counter-attack


Boko Haram's counter-attack on Gamboru, which has been repeatedly targeted in the past, is an established tactic from the militants, who have seized dozens of towns and villages since mid-2014.
The extent of the rebels' control of the captured areas has been hard to verify, with claim and counter-claim that the authority has repeatedly switched between the insurgents and the military.
Boko Haram's apparent ability to regroup is a sign of its transformation from a rag-tag guerrilla group carrying out hit and run strikes to a more effective fighting force.
The insurgents were initially pushed out of Gamboru, which lies on the Nigerian side of the border with Cameroon in the eastern fringe of Borno state, on February 3.
Chadian ground troops crossed over the bridge marking the frontier after days of sustained bombardment. The following day, rebel fighters counter-attacked in the Cameroon town of Fotokol.
"The Boko Haram elements wanted to surprise us by attacking at about 4:00 am (0300 GMT)," a military source in N'Djamena told AFP of the latest attack.
"We were aware of it from the day before and were prepared. They arrived with 14 vehicles and two armoured vehicles. We repulsed them and they retreated.
"A helicopter was brought in to join the pursuit and destroy them."
One Chadian soldier and several Boko Haram fighters were killed, while eight troops were injured, the source said.
Regional force
Boko Haram has stepped up the frequency and intensity of its attacks since the turn of the year, in part to undermine the Nigerian elections.
A devastating attack on the fishing hub of Baga on January 3 has been seen as a turning point in regional cooperation, galvanising neighbouring powers into providing assistance to the Nigerian Army.
Since then, there have been repeated attacks in northern Cameroon, while the Islamists last weekend opened up a new front across the border in Niger, attacking the border region of Diffa.
Niamey on Tuesday evening imposed a 15-day state of emergency in Diffa, where thousands of Nigerians have fled the violence, heaping pressure on food supplies and infrastructure.
A journalist in the area said businesses, government offices and schools were shut as residents sought to flee.
Nigeria maintains the involvement of troops from Chad, Cameroon and now Niger, after the parliament in Niamey approved the deployment of soldiers, is part of an existing agreement.
At the same time, all four countries, whose borders converge on Lake Chad, with Benin, Nigeria's neighbour to the west, agreed to provide 8,700 personnel for an African Union-backed regional force.
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said in a video published on Monday that the group would defeat the regional forces.
Cameroon's President Paul Biya, however, hit back, saying in a speech broadcast on Tuesday evening that the country would "emerge victorious" from the fight.
"Friendly nations, countries passionate about freedom, the international community, global opinion are with us," he said on state television.

- AFP

NDLEA vows to rid Ekiti drug peddlers

Ekiti - The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Ekiti State Command, on Wednesday expressed its determination to rid the state of drug peddling and abuse.
The agency said all those who indulged in drug peddling would be arrested and prosecuted.
The Public Relations Officers of the Agency, Mr Peter Njoku, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ado-Ekiti.
Njoku said that officers and men of the agency had been combing the nooks and crannies of the state to arrest anyone found selling hard drugs, Indian hemp and other illicit herbs.
Also read: 30 drug peddlers arrested in Adamawa
He said that men of the command had arrested some people, including men, youths and motorcyclists for allegedly taking and selling Indian hemp.
He also said that the agency had been sensitising residents of the state on dangers of taking hard drugs.
The NDLEA spokesman warned those cultivating farm lands of Cannabis and selling drugs to desist or face prosecution.
He appealed to land owners, landlords and residents in the state to give information on the hideout of drug peddlers in the area.

- NAN

Bafawara donates N10m to victims of fire

Sokoto - Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, the former governor of Sokoto State and chieftain of the PDP, has donated N10 million to victims of the fire that gutted some parts of Sokoto central market.
Bafarawa donated the money on Wednesday in Sokoto when he visited the victims to commiserate with them on their loss.
"I am not here to play politics, but to show my sympathy to you.
Also read: Benin market gutted by fire
"The money is not in any way to compensate you, but to help in alleviating your suffering," he said, and appealed to the victims to regard the incident as an act of God.
Responding, the chairman of "Area J" section of the market, Alhaji Kabiru Dodo commended Bafarawa for the gesture and pledged that the money would be judiciously distributed among the victims.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that eleven shops at the section of the market were gutted by fire on Tuesday night.
The fire destroyed assorted goods worth millions of naira although nobody lost their live or sustained injury.

- NAN

Mrs Buhari donates drugs to IDP's in Adamawa

Yola - Hajiaya A'ishatu Buhari, the wife of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday donated assorted drugs to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Yola.
Buhari, who led a delegation of APC governors and wives of some senators visited Bajabure and St. Therisa camps.
In her remark during the presentation, Buhari said the gesture was to show concern for the IDPs.
Also read: Additional relief materials donated to IDPs camps
She prayed for an end to insurgency in the country to enable the IDPs return home.
"The purpose of our visit is to identify and sympathise with you and to also share the pains you found yourselves," she said.
In his response, Alhaji Haruna Furo, the Executive Secretary, Adamawa Emergency Management Agency, lauded the delegation for donating the drugs and urged other political parties and organisations to emulate them.

- NAN

INEC distributes 1.3m PVC's in Benue

 

       

A ballot box filled with ballot is pictured before being counted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at a polling station in Yenagoa in Bayelsa State ~ PIUS UTOMI EKPEI

Makurdi - The Independent Electoral Commission on Wednesday said it had distributed 1.3 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) in Benue.
The Public Relations Officer of the commission in the state, Mr Louis Ochai, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi that 1.2 million cards had been received for distribution in the state.
Also read: INEC distributes 1.5m PVC's in Oyo
He said the cards would be distributed before the expiration of the new dateline for collection.
Ochai said the commission had received election materials, adding that the training of ad hoc staff had been completed and workers were prepared and ready for the exercise.
He called on electorate to collect their cards to enable them vote during the exercise.

- NAN

Why Jega Must Clear His Name Or Face The Consequences

2015 Elections: Why Jega Must Clear His Name Or Face The Consequences By Chinedu Rylan
In football, which we all love down here in Nigeria, if a referee is found to have made a prejudiced decision which clearly and unfairly puts one team at a disadvantage, while favouring the opposing side, he (if found guilty) is promptly disciplined by the appropriate authority.

This was demonstrated in the recently concluded African Cup of Nations which was held in Equatorial Guinea and won by the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire where Mauritian referee Rajindraparsad Seechurn was banned for 6 months by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for a performance described as generally “poor” and unbecoming of a supposed even-handed umpire in the controversial quarter-final duel between hosts Equatorial Guinea and the North African powerhouse Tunisia.

Many of us, especially those who followed the tournament passionately, can still recall what he did. For those of us who were not privileged to witness it due to the actions of those in charge of our country’s power supply or due to other circumstances, let me fill you in. Mr. Seechurn contentiously – and inappropriately too – awarded a stoppage time penalty to Equatorial Guinea after Tunisian defender Ali Maaloul was adjudged to have fouled Equatoguinean striker Ivan Bolado, with Tunisia leading 1-0 at the time.

The hosts subsequently equalized with mere seconds to the end of the encounter as their designated spot kick taker Javier Balboa made no mistake from 12 yards. The stadium was transforming from a football stadium to a riot scene within minutes, leading to the destruction of property valued at millions of dollars by the angry Tunisian supporters. Long story short, at the end of the day, Equatorial Guinea ran out as undeserving winners as the match eventually ended 2-1 in their favour amid chaotic scenes, courtesy of a dubious penalty from a dishonourable referee.

Cast your mind back again, this time to the 2009 UEFA Champions League semi-final clash involving Chelsea and FC Barcelona. The infamous Norwegian referee Tom Henning Øvrebø was found guilty of the same crime – which he would later admit to – making a string of questionable calls that ended up costing the English giants the match and truncating their quest for glory in football’s most prestigious club competition. Though he was not sanctioned, he forced himself into retirement after admitting his mistakes.

This is the rule against the impartiality of erstwhile neutral umpires being enforced, and it is not limited to football. It is a universal rule that holds true for all sporting events, including rugby, cricket, baseball, basketball and even bullfighting, and virtually all human endeavours that involve one form of contest or another. The same rule should apply in Nigeria, to elections conducted in Nigeria; elections are, after all, contests. In the context of Nigerian elections, Jega, in his capacity as the INEC boss, is the referee.

The forthcoming presidential, gubernatorial and legislative elections now billed for March 28 and April 11 could potentially be the most heated and controversial elections in the country since the pre-Independence 1959 polls that ushered in the government of Nnamdi Azikiwe’s NCNC and Tafawa Balewa’s NPC. The stakes are high and the tension is so palpable that it could be cut with a knife; nothing should be done to further complicate issues and to jeopardize the unity of this country and the safety of its citizens.

But not everybody, it seems, understands this. In recent days, serious allegations have been levelled against the Independent National Electoral Commission’s chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega. These are allegations of colluding with some members of the All Progressives Congress to tilt the now-postponed presidential election in their favour. The electoral body overseen by Jega has been accused of excesses, including, but not limited to, the selective disenfranchisement of some geopolitical regions whilst favouring other regions, the registration of and issuance of Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) to conspicuously underage voters in the north, the registration of non-Nigerians from neighbouring West and Central African countries, and the deliberate delay in the disbursement of PVCs in selected geopolitical regions, all intended to give one political platform undue advantage over others.

And it doesn't stop there. Over the past week, an audio recording released by Sahara Reporters has been circulating in the social media, purporting to show how politicians conspired with military officials to rig the 2014 Ekiti State election. What does Jega know about this? Nigerians are waiting for his answers.

Though these claims are yet to be substantiated, they are not to be wished away or dismissed by a mere wave of the hand. Election rigging is a crime anywhere and everywhere, and when it involves the very person charged with ensuring that it doesn’t happen, it becomes even more ominous. If eventually he’s found to be culpable, it would be unpardonable.

INEC is one of the most sensitive institutions in this country and it should and must go about its constitutional duties as spelt out by the law which in totality sums up to the conduct of free, credible and impartial polls anywhere and everywhere in Nigeria. If it is found incapable of fulfilling this obligation, then the appropriate authorities will be left with no choice than to sweep out officials found wanting, starting from the head (the chairman) to every single member of the rank and file that has been implicated. There should be no sacred cow, no-one should be deemed untouchable.

For the sake of peace and to douse the already edgy political and socioeconomic atmosphere in Nigeria, it is pertinent for Jega to come clean with these allegations and do the needful. Till today he has neither refuted nor admitted his guilt and it only helps to brew more suspicion. The country is obviously going through difficult times and the Jega conundrum is an unnecessary addition to its quagmire that ought to be dragged no further. It should end now. If we truly clamour for change, we must demand it at all times and in all negative situations and not only when it is in our favour. Jega must clear his name or face the consequences.

Buhari's Speech At Meeting With Catholic Bishops In Abuja - Politics

Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Osinbajo and members of
the APC campaign council met with Catholic Bishops in
Abuja yesterday. Below is GMB's speech at the meeting.

One Nation Bound in Freedom, Peace and Unity.

As our nation approaches perhaps the most crucial election in our history, all true patriots are called to deeper reflection of the basic ingredients that bind the nation together- our common freedom, peace and unity.
This reflection is even more relevant in the face of the illegal postponement of the general elections- a feat achieved through various sinister ploys and with the sole aim of avoiding the will and verdict of the people. In all of these, I feel the urgeto communicate some of my personal vision and thoughts to the people of our great country,especially on the question of religion, a sensitive matter for many citizens that has become the most frequently used tool by the ruling party. This affordsme an opportunity to give my response to the ruling party’s false propaganda and lies against my person.

Needless to say, we must at all times hold the unity,
peace and progress of our dear nation paramount and above all other considerations, especially politics. Those who deliberately disseminate divisive disinformation and attempt to stoke primordial sentiments using religion or ethnicity and create fear in the minds of our people fail the standard of patriotism this nation demands of them and deserves from them. The ruling government and PDP have adopted this sad divisive and false narrative as their strategy to prevent the inevitable change that our country and people desire and require. And they have succeeded in making some of us victims of the tales which they invent,propagate and sell as gospel truth to gullible listeners, while it is all nothing but a tissue of lies. I would like to solemnly declare that in spite of what our detractors say, I am not a religious fanatic of any sort and I have never been. In all my life, I have never supported extremism of any kind, and nowhere in my record of service to this nation can this false toga, political opponents have tried so hard to put on me, be substantiated. Indeed, it is very unfortunate and I feel extremely sad that I have to give this type of assurance.

My background is in the army, and there is no doubt that the military is the most integrated pan-Nigerian institution. And even today, the military is one of the institutions that represents the pride of our nation’s possibilities in unity.Compatriots from every corner of this country come together, work and live together, entrust their lives to each other and integrate their families. It is a military where many of my dearest friends, from all faiths and parts of the country, lost their lives defending the unity of our nation. That was the military I served in, and in that military it was impossible to be a bigot.

For me, the issue of religion was, and should always, be a matter of personal conviction. This personal conviction approach to religion has defined my work and interactions all my life, including my tenure in office as military Head of State. The religion of all those I worked with was never a factor in their progress or in what happened to them. All that mattered then, and should still matter today, are competence, integrity and readiness to be fair to all.
I was recently informed that we had a balanced cabinet with key positions such as Finance, Energy and Defence occupied by Christians. In addition, 11 of the 19 governors I appointed were Christians. My most memorable recollections of subordinate service was under Christian bosses, the finest our country had then, and among the most respected today. Indeed one of the best appraisals I received in the course of my military career was from General T.Y Danjuma.

Government has no business preferring one religion to the other. The role of government is to protect lives and properties of citizens and to respect and protect their constitutional rights. One critical freedom that every government must strive to protect is the liberty for citizens to exercise their respective faiths, Christians and Muslims or others, in a lawful manner without fear or hindrance and to prosecute those who use religion as an excuse to destroy homes, schools and places of worship.
When governments fail in that duty, they must then assist in the rebuilding of structures including destroyed places of worship and giving full restitution for lost property.
We, Nigerians, are a religious people, and the burning of places of worship constitutes one of the vilest forms of abomination to all those who believe in God. It is the
duty of governments to protect this important sensitivity.
Let me state this categorically, that I, MuhammaduBuhari, as an individual, and as president of this great country by the grace of God, given the opportunity to serve, have no personal religious agenda. And I will not entertain, consider or promote the religious agenda of anyone. I will not condone any initiative that seeks to promote onevreligion over the other. Neither I, nor my party, or any member of my team has any desire or plan to Islamize or Christianize Nigeria or support anyone with such intention.

Although I am a practising Muslim, and I have been so all my life, I have never belonged to, nor shared the views of, any extremist group. I am not even a cleric. I believe that religion is personal and private. Many of the people close to me are not of my religion. My cook and driver for 20 years are Christians, Most of my bodyguards are Christians. Some were killed while protecting me in the terrorist attack on my convoy in Kaduna. If I have not Islamized these people who serve under me, how will I Islamize the likes of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Ogbonnaya Onu, Governors RochasOkorocha, Kayode Fayemi, Rotimi Amaechi or Professor Yemi Osinbajo who
is a senior advocate of Nigeria and a pastor? Or how will I Islamize Nigeria?

Our constitution, which in many respects, is similar to the American constitution does not permit a state religion. The Sharia identified in the constitution is almost synonymous with customary law. It is only applicable in matters of personal status such as marriage, divorce and inheritance. This has been the case since the 1979 constitution. Just as no one can make any customary or any other religious law the law of Nigeria, so Sharia cannot therefore be the law of Nigeria.

My record is evidence of this strongly held belief. Before my tenure, the deadly and violent extremist radical sect, Maitasine carried out terrorist activities in the north, especially Kano; When it erupted again in Yola, during my tenure, I took direct command, and personally led the successful effort to eradicate the threat to our country.Similarly, when some Chadian insurgents attempted to occupy Nigerian territory, I led the military confrontation that eliminated the threat.

For all purposes, we must all learn to live together as brothers and sisters, because the problems that bedevil our nation do not discriminate based on religion or ethnicity. Poverty and hunger do not know or respect religion or creed. When a bomb explodes in a market, it kills and maims without regard for religion or ethnicity. The millions of the unemployed youth of our country cut across all tribes and religions.

Wicked propagandists continue to spread vicious lies about me for political gain, including claiming that I once asked Muslims not to vote for Christians. This must be the height of absurdity.How could I ever say that, when whoever voted for me would be voting for the Christian running with me on the same ticket? And how could I ever say that of Christians when my own holy book, the Qur’an, tells me that in the entire world those that arebnearest in love to me are those who believe in JesusbChrist [AS]? I ask, who, intending to win any election,ever does that? How can I choose southern Christian running mates [Chuba Okadigbo of blessed memory, Pastor Tunde Bakare and Pastor YemiOsinbajo] and with them by my side make such silly utterances? Because they have no record, they must seek to destroy our own; and because they have no integrity, they feel they must impugn our own.

We must reject those who propagate hatred, ethnicity,divisiveness, sectionalism or seek to manipulate our religious differences in such cynical fashion. On our part, we will remain undeterred: our commitment is to bring about change in the way we live and think and work in this nation; and our goal is to ensure a decent existence for all. And, by the Grace of God, that is what we will do —we will remain true to our commitment and we will achieve our goal.

May God bless Nigeria and its people for all time.
General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR

APC Full Of Toronto Certificate Holders – Sambo - Politics

Vice President Namadi Sambo at the weekend in Yenagoa knocked the leadership of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) for parading falsehood as the plank upon which to accelerate Nigeria’s development.

He mocked the leadership of APC, describing them as a group of persons who hold questionable “Chicago and Toronto certificates”.

He stressed that the country’s future must not be in the hands of such political characters.

Sambo was speaking at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign in President Goodluck Jonathan’s home state, Bayelsa, which was held at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa.

He admonished the APC to realise that “transforming Nigeria is not by accident”, adding that opposition presidential candidates must be very educated to understand the dynamics of change, growth and development.

The vice president said the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, at 73, does not have the requisite capacity, strength and verve to pilot the affairs of a sophisticated nation like Nigeria.

According to him, the transformation of the country by the PDP-controlled Federal Government was under the safe hands of a well-read President who is a Ph.D holder supported by a vice president, who is also a professional architect.

Sambo said Jonathan had not disappointed Nigerians as he had transformed the country, shoring up its status to the largest economy in Africa.

“The leadership of APC is full of Chicago and Toronto certificate holders. Nigerians don’t want people who will parade Chicago and Toronto certificates.

“Mr. President has not failed Nigerians. He has transformed Nigeria, making it the largest economy in Africa. Transforming Nigeria is not by accident. He is educated and we need education, not prisons.

“Jonathan has built 14 universities in four years. Do you want schools or prisons?” he asked the crowd at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa.

Sambo, who stated that they were not in Bayelsa to campaign but to thank the people of the state, noted that the state did not make a mistake to produce Jonathan.

He listed the completion of the ongoing cargo airport, East-West Road and the building of a new railway from Lagos through Yenagoa to Calabar as the additional programmes the Federal Government would do for the state.

Sambo, who called on the people to vote for PDP as they had always done, urged them to collect their PVCs to enable them vote their choice.



http://dailyindependentnig.com/2015/02/apc-full-toronto-certificate-holders-sambo/

Wednesday: English Priemier League Result

  Chelsea 1 - Everton 0

C Palace 1 - Newcastle 1

West Brom 2 -Swansea 0

Man U 3 - Burnley 1

Southampton 0 - West Ham 0

Stoke 1- Man City 4

Wife Opens Secret: What My Husband Did To Me In The Bedroom - Family

Marriage is no bed of roses; it comes with challenges and sorry is your name if you're not ready:

I got married October 2014 to a man whom I really love. Due to our spiritual convictions, we never had s*x before marriage but we cuddled and kissed but it stops there.

Fast forward to 2 months after our wedding, my hubby started making sinful and improper s*xual demands, he wants me to suck his joystick and swallow his Fluid. I was terrified and disappointed at the same time. This was a ''born again'' so I can not really relate with this level of carnal mindedness. We courted for 6 months and all through there was no tell tale signs that he was that way.

He started giving me the cold treatment. He only speaks to me when I speak. I had no choice so I conceded and gave in just to make him happy with a Mouth Action...

The first time I tried was a disaster, I honestly don’t know what happened. I was on the act and I suddenly felt sick and nauseous. I threw up when he came and I tried to swallow. It tasted like sour jam and I just couldn’t bear it.

Since then, he has been acting up, he rarely talks to me. I tried explaining my situation but his conclusion was that I don’t love him, that if I did, I wouldn’t have issues with swallowing his Fluid.

I love this man but I am confused on how swallowing Fluid has become proof of love, I don’t know what to do.

Please help me, my marriage is too young for this.


http://www.olufamous.com/2015/02/wife-opens-secret-what-my-husband-did.html?m=1

Hot And Cute Pictures Of Ini Edo's New Man/boy - Celebrities

Ini Edo's new man/boy actor Mike Godson is looking cute in his new pictures. Mike is rumoured to be having a sweet romance with actress Ini Edo, who recently separated from her husband, Philip Ehiagwina.

However, further investigations revealed that the millionaire actress and the actor have taken their affair to the next level by cohabiting in Ini's house at Lekki area of
Lagos. Mike and I'll Take My Chances producer
are now the newest item in Nollywood.

Do you guys think this relationship will lead to marriage?

Anyway, Isn't he cute? And I doubt he's bleaching or is it me? Say the truth ooo

Also check him out posing with his Lamborghini in the last picture

PDP on the verge of losing Niger to APC

 

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Niger State suffered a major blow recently following the defection of the deputy governor, Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, as part of the fallout of the December 8, 2014 gubernatorial primaries, in which he participated and lost.

Unable to bear the alleged injustice and humiliation meted out to him, he had to quit. Over 200 members, including some top notchers, also dumped the ruling party for the opposition over various grievances, along with him.
They include serving members of the National Assembly, members of state House of Assembly, former commissioners and former chairmen of local councils, former gubernatorial aspirants, among other party faithful in the state. And by implication, this may give the opposition more ground with elections only weeks away.
Recent developments that appeared to have sent jitters down the spine of the ruling PDP, pundits said, did not come as a surprise to many in the state considering the anger displayed by losers in the PDP gubernatorial primaries.
Immediately after results were announced, five aggrieved participants, including Ibeto, briefed newsmen and totally rejected the outcome of the primary, claiming that the exercise was conducted with disregards to the Electoral Law and the party’s constitution, as there was no levelplaying field. They fingered the governor as the harbinger of the crisis.
One of the aggrieved losers, Alhaji Hanafi Sudan, approached an Abuja High Court, seeking an order to compel PDP to give him certificate of return, instead of the winner, Hon. Umar Nasko, who polled 908 votes out 1,023 votes. The suit was however thrown out and Nasko’s victory upheld.
Though, Ibeto and his fellow losers told journalists that they will all remain in the PDP to seek legal means of resolving the issue by forwarding their complains to the national headquarters of the party in Abuja, but it appeared their grievances were not settled as political development on Monday the 19 of January had proved.
This is in spite of the visit by a PDP reconciliation team, led by the Vice Chairman, North Central zone, to iron out all grey areas with aggrieved members of the party to enable it face the battle ahead with a united front.
Evidence that all is not well within the ruling party first really came to the fore during the August/September, 2014 Niger East senatorial by-election, where, it locked horns with APC in a battle of supremacy in the zone, which has been in the grip of the ruling party, since 1999.
Though, the PDP was eventually declared winner, a victory that has been nullified by the court, it was a hard-won victory. Governor Babangida Aliyu admitted that it was the toughest battle in all his political history due to disunity and betrayal by party members. Sensing danger ahead, he warned of the need for the party to wake up and resolve all issues that could be clog in the will of its progress in the forthcoming elections.
He said explained that political events during the by-election, forced him to carry out some analysis just to enable him trace why the election was a tough nut to crack, in spite of the provision of infrastructural facilities.
Announcing his defection publicly to journalists at his residence in Minna, on his way to receive the APC presidential candidate to flag off his campaign, Ibeto hinged the decision on the injustice he suffered, alongside other co-contestants during the primaries, which he described as flawed and stage-managed to favour a particular candidate.
Ibeto said: “The electoral process that threw up Alhaji Nasko as PDP gubernatorial candidates was not in accordance with PDP electoral guidelines and the constitution. It is true we are defecting to APC because the primary was conducted in abeyance to the PDP constitution.”
He said the decision to defect became inevitable when efforts by all aggrieved participants in the primaries to get PDP national headquarters to address the injustice met a brick wall, urging his supporters to be law abiding and not to engage in do-or-die.
And though, Governor Aliyu seem unperturbed by the massive wave of defection, especially that of his deputy, he said Ibeto would not be denied his rights and privileges as a result of his action, adding that politicians have the right to chose who they want to associate. He urged party supporters to remain calm as the PDP is the only party to beat in the state.
But, two days later, a media report claimed that Governor Aliyu was at the Hilltop country home of former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, to plead with him to help beg the defectors to return to the PDP.
But Dr Aliyu debunked the report while speaking during a courtesy visit by Federation of Advocates for Fair, Credible and Peaceful Election, led by elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, insisting that he has never at any point asked IBB to beg his deputy and aggrieved members to return.
His words: “It is not unusual to see politicians defecting during electioneering period and those who have defected have right to do so.”
He said he has gone beyond going to beg IBB or anyone over the defection saga, calling on politicians not to discriminate or victimise any one for making any decision, arguing that politics must be played without bitterness between all stakeholders.
He added: “Fighting within and outside party platforms should be discouraged, regardless of who wins, Nigerians must understand that unity of the country remains sacrosanct.”
However, a source within the party confided in National Mirror that unless something is done very soon to address members’ grievances, hundreds of PDP supporters may be leave again for the opposition party, over alleged coercion, imposition of candidates and injustice.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said: “The party is presently jittery as hundreds will also leave, this is besides, the over 200 that had already dump the PDP for the APC, especially over the outcome of the gubernatorial primaries that imposed a candidate on the people of the state.Many that contested the House of Assembly and House of Representatives seats were unable to return. They were schemed out. These problems need to be settled fast before the election.”
National Mirror also learnt that the immediate past PDP chairman, Dr. Abdulrahaman Enagi, had left; angered by the treatment he got from the party during the primaries.
Enagi had resigned to contest the Niger South senatorial district primaries, but lost to Senator Zaynab Kure. Efforts to get the new PDP chairman, Hon. Musa Maali, to comment on these political developments and what it portends for the party failed.
Governor Aliyu had on several occasions at open functions maintained that the party’s standard bearer, Alhaji Nasko remains the best choice and most qualified to continue with the policies and programmes of his administration.
Aliyu said Nasko is sellable and is the candidate to beat in the election, a position, National Mirror learnt, many PDP stalwarts seem uncomfortable with, especially in Niger South zone, where, it was gathered the party’s campaign train was booed on a number of times in some areas, as well as in other areas outside the zone.
Incidentally, Niger South produces bulk of the votes that has ensured the party continued to form government in the state.
Aliyus’ candidature in the Niger East senatorial district is also said not to be receiving the expected support with tribal sentiment already played up among the Gwari speaking people of the zone, who prefer one of their own to occupy the senatorial seat.
For example, political watchers noted that Aliyus’ adoption by the zonal PDP has proved the fears of the Gwaris, who had before the August/ September, 2014 by-election alleged that Senator Zagbayi was a stop-gap measure, only to be schemed out and denied the seat in order for Aliyu to actualise his aspiration as PDP’s sole candidate in the election. They are therefore, said to be bent on supporting one of their own, Barr David Umar of the opposition party next month.
While the third senatorial district has all the time being in firm grip of main opposition parties in the state as even witnessed today, but with the governorship seat zoned to the zone, perhaps, it may soften the heart of people of the area towards the ruling party in the election.
These among other issues, pundits noted, could be responsible for the disenchantment that have snow-ball into the mass defection of party faithful suffered by the PDP that needs to be resolve quickly as the election approaches to sway voters to its side.
It will be recalled that Ibeto was made APC leader in Niger State barely three days after defection at the inauguration of the state campaign team. He boasted that his new party will form government in all strata during the polls based on the goodwill it enjoys, across the state.
He assure that “we will deliver Niger State to our presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, and subsequently, win the governorship, the three senatorial seats, 10 House of Representatives, and the 27 seats of the state House of Assembly.”
However, many in the state are of the belief that though the political development seem very dicey with the PDP on the verge of losing more members to the opposition, the onus lies with its leadership, headed by Dr. Aliyu to use the party’s’ internal mechanism of crisis management to find lasting solution to the lingering problems bedeviling it and where necessary, re-strategise or re-align in order to nip in the bud, the raging tidal waves already threatening to sweep the party out of power.

N800m daily oil marketers’ kerosene swindle

That marketers of petroleum products and their agents in the country might have been short-changing Nigerian kerosene consumers to the tune of roughly N800m on daily basis, working with official statistics, as was reported by this newspaper most recently, did not really strike the public as a surprise. It, if anything, provided additional proof that the Nigerian society has lost its moral bearings, is now adrift, with heartless and unrepentant rent-seekers in the public domain in charge, and is fast decaying the more. We say so because of the countless subsidy, bribery and corruption scams trailing kerosene supply in recent years; without any visible official intervention to halt the stench, except the hubris often flashed as official defence. It is common knowledge that kerosene is highly priced by Nigeria’s poor, down-trodden and low income groups as a major source of energy, especially for cooking.
But never in recent history has its price nationwide been bearable for the aforementioned groups, in spite of the generous subsidy the privileged and monopoly importer of the product, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is said to be paying to bring down the price for consumers. National Mirror in its latest report, for instance, gathered from the NNPC that national daily consumption of kerosene currently stood at eight million litres, while the official supply price to the market is N50 per litre. But consumers pay between N130 and N200 per litre, depending on their locations, to have access to kerosene. A market survey conducted by the newspaper in Lagos and its environs showed that major marketers, including Mobil Nigeria Plc, Conoil Nigeria Plc, MRS Nigeria Plc and Oando Nigeria Plc, did not have the product in their retail outlets presently. The Executive Secretary of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr. Thomas Olawore, was quoted as saying that major marketers did not sell the product because they did not have allocation from the NNPC.
A national newspaper (not National Mirror) published a similar report in February 2014, alleging that oil marketers might have paid over N195.5bn in bribes to officials of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the NNPC before getting allocations to lift kerosene between 2010 and 2012. According to the report credited to credible oil industry sources, the NNPC compelled marketers to pay a bribe of N25 per litre as mobilisation fee to petroleum ministry and top NNPC officials before they could be permitted to lift kerosene. That was used to explain why it has been almost impossible to sell kerosene to end users at a price below N170 per litre. An analysis of figures obtained from the official website of the NNPC showing the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company’s (PPMC) kerosene sales by the newspaper revealed that 2.996bn litres were sold in 2010, 2.869bn in 2011, and 3.123bn in 2012, at which time NNPC imported the product at N156.46k per litre and sold to marketers at N40.90k per litre.
It was then reasoned that with a total of 8.988bn litres of kerosene sold in three years, about 7.819bn litres must have been lifted by oil marketers, who had to pay a N25 bribe for every litre of kerosene allocation they got between 2010 and 2012, based on the fact that marketers control about 87 per cent of retail outlets in the country, while the NNPC operates 37 mega stations, 12 floating mega stations and a little over 500 affiliate stations. If marketers lifted about 7.819bn litres of kerosene on paying N25 bribe on each per litre to lift at N40.90 per litre, the amount that must have been paid to corrupt petroleum ministry and NNPC officials would come to N195.5bn, the report said. But NNPC’s acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs, at the time, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, in response, dismissed the bribe claim as a blanket accusation against the national oil behemoth, demanding, instead, information on where it thrived in the corporation’s 22 depots in the country and the officials involved? Good enough, however, Ibrahim admitted that the NNPC sold kerosene at N40.90k per litre, but wondered why marketers were selling at between N120 and N130 per litre to Nigerians. It is, perhaps, pertinent to add that no marketer has been molested or prosecuted for transgressions against official kerosene pricing as yet, at least to public knowledge.
Indeed, what is the essence of NNPC subsidising kerosene when it has never sold at the subsidised prices of between N40 and N50 per litre. Recall also that former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, now the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, before he was shoved aside from office last year, alerted the nation that NNPC failed to pay $49.8bn – roughly N8trn or Nigeria’s two years’ budget, into the Federation Account. Sanusi later scaled down the amount amid intense pressure from higher authorities to at least $20bn. The former CBN boss said 80 per cent of the unremitted funds came in form of subsidy on kerosene. He also cited a presidential directive that barred kerosene subsidy for long, as well as debunked NNPC’s claims of paying the subsidy because NNPC consistently rendered returns to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) indicating that it made no deductions for subsidy. But the Federal Ministry of Finance claimed that a government inter-agency committee realised that only $10.8bn was yet to be accounted for.
It is, however, unjust and objectionable that even with the free fall in the international price of crude oil; and FG’s reduction of the pump price of fuel from N97 to N87 per litre, the kerosene racket still thrives. When then will Nigerians experience appropriate pricing of kerosene?

10 ways to beat cellulite

Lagos - If you were to strip down in front of a full-length mirror right now, you’d be able to identify at least one spot on your body that has cellulite.
On second thought, who needs a mirror? You know your body intimately and can easily recall where those little dimples have left their indelible marks.
The term cellulite was first used in the 1920s by owners of beauty services to promote sales of their products. Fast-forward four decades and publications caught on to the buzzword and started writing about it, with none other than Vogue tackling the issue for its American readers in the early 1970s.
Before cellulite became a hot topic in women’s magazines, it was simply known as fat, and considered a normal feature of adult female skin that manifests when growing older. Today, however, we know that regular body fat differs from cellulite, and to eradicate these dimples you need to understand what cellulite consists of and how it’s formed.
How cellulite is formed
Everyone has a smooth layer of body fat just beneath the skin that functions as an insulator, a cushion for organs, and storage for energy. That’s the good news. Cellulite, however, has a lumpy texture and is a non-medical term for subcutaneous tissue (tissue that is beneath the skin) that has engorged into cells. These cells contain fats, fluids and toxins, and are trapped deep beneath the skin. They swell and pull down the overlying skin and then bulges up in pockets against the connective tissue, causing indentations to the skin. The connective tissue connects the subcutaneous fat cells to the skin.
Also Read: A natural approach to cellulite
Note, your fat cell chambers can become weak and prone to collapse if the connective tissue isn’t strong enough to sustain the pressure from excess weight, poor nutrient levels, fluid retention and/or little exercise. And when these fat cell chambers collapse, smaller compartments of fat cells are formed that cluster under the skin. The combined effect causes the dimpling on the skin’s surface that’s known as cellulite.
Cellulite affects 80 to 90% of women, and is much less common in men. Female skin tissue is thinner and less porous, so when fat cells push up against the skin, they’re more noticeable. The hypodermis (the thickest layer of the skin, which lies just below the dermis) in males have smaller fat cell chambers with stronger connective tissue that enables them to withstand the pressure of collapsing. It’s believed that this structural difference of the fat cell chambers may predispose women more to cellulite. Sorry, ladies!
Women also have a higher concentration of the fat-storing enzyme lipoprotein lipase in the breasts, thighs and buttocks, while men generally have higher levels of the enzyme in their abdomens and backs.
Contributing factors
Now that you understand how cellulite is formed, let’s look at the factors that contribute to these pesky little dimples, and how you can curb them:
1. Reduce toxins and aid detoxification
Your skin, liver, intestines and kidneys must work effectively to remove toxins from the body. Incomplete release of colon waste will worsen the toxic level, and waste in fluids will damage collagen and elastin fibres, which can lead to cellulite formation.
By making positive changes to your diet, environment and lifestyle you can effectively reduce the body’s toxin levels:

• Fibre: Ensure sufficient fibre intake and maintain balanced and optimised gut flora. Brown rice, oats, lentils, water, beetroot, beans and green leafy vegetables assist with gut mobility. The pectin in apples is a soluble fibre that also helps clear the digestive tract.
• Prebiotics and fermented foods: These foods contain organic acids, antioxidants, enzymes and probiotics that enhance gut function. Stock up on fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented soya (also known as miso) and kefir, and drinks such as apple cider vinegar and kombucha (a drink containing tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast). Also enjoy plain yoghurt daily.
• Refined foods: Packed with additives, sweeteners, chemicals, preservatives, fats and salt, over-processed foods are a definite no-no as they strain the body’s cleansing system. Sugar and refined carbohydrates have a high glycaemic index (GI) that promotes the secretion of insulin, a hormone that leads to premature ageing and the breakdown of collagen. Sugar is also stored in fat cells and causes them to expand.
• Less salt: Cut down on salt as sodium causes water retention, making cellulite appear more visible. A high-sodium diet also causes weight gain and dark circles under the eyes.
• Less caffeine and toxins: Remove or limit the use of tobacco, alcohol and coffee. Caffeine – found in coffee, tea, chocolate and fizzy drinks – has a negative and direct impact on lymph flow and blood circulation as it constricts blood vessels.

2. Dehydration and water control

Cellulite shows fluid retention in the connective tissue fibres of the upper layers of the skin. This fluid can cause the thighs, hips and abdomen to swell. Counter this fluid retention by ensuring your potassium-sodium intake is balanced. Use mineral-rich sea salt and eat good quantities of potassium-rich fruit and vegetables.
High quantities of coffee, refined salt, alcohol, and low water intake cause dehydration and will cause cells to hold onto water for their survival. Fill up on filtered water and water-based foods to keep hydrated. Water also flushes toxins that hide in the fat layers beneath the skin.
Cucumber is loaded with the mineral silica, an essential component to ensure healthy connective tissue in the muscles, ligaments, cartilage, bone and skin. Cucumber is also packed with ionic potassium, magnesium and vitamin C. So fill up on cucumber in salads and juice it in smoothies to help draw out excess fluids and tighten collagen to help reduce the appearance of cellulite.
3. Improve the body-fat ratio (reduce excess fat)
Just because you have cellulite doesn’t necessarily mean you’re overweight. Cellulite is formed from fat cells that are stored with fat, fluid and toxins, so it stands to reason that the more fat cells in your body, the greater the chance that cellulite would form.
Cellulite is stored in subcutaneous fat in the hypodermis, and this is also where appetite-regulating hormones – leptin, the appetite suppressor, and ghrelin, the appetite increaser – are produced. Losing weight and reducing the accumulation of fat in the fat cells will help control the release of appetite-inducing hormones, which in turn will lead to a decrease in fat cells. And we all know what this means… less cellulite!
Losing excess weight is a constant struggle for many of us, but there are easy, and tasty, ways of doing it.
4. Stabilise hormones
Hormones are instrumental in the formation and elimination of cellulite. The female hormone oestrogen encourages the storage of excess fat around the hips, thighs and buttocks. It also inhibits the mobilisation of adipose tissue (the main type of connective tissue) from fat cells, preventing it from being used and redistributed to other areas of the body.
Luckily there are effective ways of clearing excess oestrogen. Vegetables from the brassica plant family, including broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, contain powerful nutrients, known as indoles, which detoxify bad oestrogenic molecules. These veggies also have sulphur-rich nutrients that enhance liver detoxification processes.
Foods associated with the alium family of plants, including garlic, onions, scallions, chives and leeks, are all rich in sulphur-containing amino acids as well as the powerful flavone antioxidant quercetin, which both help the liver detoxify at a higher level and reduce the production of oestrogen.
5. Reduce and manage stress
Most of us live stressful lives as we try to balance our work and personal lives. In stressful situations the inflammatory stress hormone cortisol is released and research has proven that people with elevated cortisol levels are more likely to have cellulite.
When you’re suffering from chronic stress, the body starts accumulating fat stores as it prepares for possible famine, which in turn leads to cellulite formation. Try to identify and eliminate the causes of chronic stress and you’ll see the benefits, one of them being less cellulite.
6. Optimise blood circulation and oxygenation
Cellulite generally forms in areas that have poor circulation due to a lack of exercise, too much sitting or clogged arteries. Purifying the body through effective circulation and oxygenation of cells is important in the fight against cellulite. Poor circulation leads to loss of skin firmness and hampers the body’s ability to deliver nutrients to skin cells, causing them to clump together, which can worsen cellulite. Poor lymph drainage leads to sluggish removal of waste in the body which can result in water retention, toxic build-up, slow circulation and further cellulite formation.
The answer to optimising blood circulation and oxygenation lies in the food you eat. Green leafy vegetables, especially those rich in chlorophyll, help with oxygenation. Chlorophyll-rich foods have a deep green colour pigment and they’re extraordinarily useful in purifying the body of toxins. Coenzyme Q10, found in meats, spinach, peanuts and fish, is a potent fat soluble antioxidant which helps circulation, and has an important role in tissue oxygenation.
7. Prevent elastin breakdown and connective tissue alterations
Collagen is the fibrous protein and main component in the connective tissue network that’s responsible for your skin’s firmness, contour and strength, and it also provides cushioning, insulation and temperature regulation. Research has shown that cellulite tissue has a definite decrease in the number, strength and flexibility of elastin and collagen fibres. Cellulite appears worse when the skin's connective tissue is weak, because fat cells can protrude through the connective tissue into the layer of skin just beneath the surface.
Ageing, generally, causes these structural proteins and connective fibres to weaken further, which is why cellulite tend to be more visible in older women. At menopause the epidural layer of the skin also tends to become thinner and less elastic. Also remember to guard against sun exposure as this also causes skin to lose elasticity.
One way of boosting the skin’s strength, thickness and elasticity is to ingest foods that are rich in silicon. These include bell peppers, cucumber (with skin), watermelon, spinach, tomatoes, apples, strawberries, oranges, beets, carrots, radish, romaine/cos lettuce, burdock root, marjoram, and horsetail. Research has also shown the health benefits of bone broth, as it provides the raw materials for the rebuilding and repair of connective tissue structures.
8. Reduce inflammatory factors
An overall increase in inflammation can contribute to poor circulation and reduced lymphatic drainage making the appearance of cellulite worse. Here’s how to get a handle on inflammation:

• Replace saturated fats with healthy omega-3 fats that are found in oily fish, flaxseed and fish oils, and nuts. These foods will help with blood circulation and are anti-inflammatory. Include plant-based fats such as coconut oils, extra virgin oil, hemp seeds and avocado in your diet.  
• Raw nuts (other than peanuts) and seeds contain anti-oestrogenic plant sterols. Organic poultry, wild-caught salmon, wild game and 100% grass-fed beef contribute to healthy hormone function.
• Flaxseed supports oestrogen levels and boosts collagen growth.  
• Choose artisanal butter made from good quality full fat milk products. It contains the fat soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids that our bodies require to metabolise foods.
• Minimise overcooked and overheated fats as they are difficult for the body to metabolise, and will be stored more easily. This applies to pasteurised dairy, roasted nuts, cooked starch and deep fried fats, especially palm oil and margarines. Cooked fat no longer contains the lipase fat-splitting enzyme and this makes it difficult for the body to correctly metabolise the fat, allowing it to accumulate.

9. Dietary improvements
A healthy lifestyle, without doubt, can help minimise cellulite formation. The ideal diet should focus on good fats, clean organic animal protein and phytonutrient-rich vegetables.

• Antioxidants are your number one defence against free radicals, which cause damage to skin cells and can contribute to cellulite formation. Include plenty of antioxidant-rich foods in your diet, such as purple berries, and red and orange fruits and veggies. Herbs such as oregano, thyme, cloves, rosemary, sage and turmeric are also loaded with volatile oils that promote liver detoxification.
• Bioflavonoids are known to have chelating properties, binding to toxins and eliminating them safely out of the body. Like other antioxidants they have the ability to neutralise the highly damaging molecules that are responsible for cell deterioration. Bioflavonoids strengthen capillaries and collagen, and target and protect oestrogen-prone fat cells. Primary bioflavonoids can be found in foods such as buckwheat, rose hip, broccoli, citrus fruits, including lemons, oranges, limes and tangerines) berries (including blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries), papaya, cantaloupe, cucumber, garlic, onion, cherries, plums, apples, tomatoes, kiwifruit, grapes, chamomile, lemongrass and red wine.

10. Lifestyle guidelines
Yes, most of us have to give ourselves a pep talk before we hit the treadmill, but it’s worth it if we can lose weight and in the process get rid of those pesky dimples. Regular exercise, especially running and swimming, burns kilojoules that will reduce fat, boost circulation and help disguise cellulite by increasing muscle tone under the skin. Exercise also improves lymphatic drainage, which carries toxins away from cells and curbs cellulite.
Remember these tips while exercising:

• Drink enough water to help flush the system through sweating.
• Breathe deeply to ensure oxygenation of the body.
  Forget the ointments and wonder cures that promise to rid you of cellulite. With careful planning and commitment to changing your diet and lifestyle, you can truly bust those dimples. Good luck!