Multiple deaths following gunman drive-by shooting in Germany this morning

At least two people have been confirmed dead after an 18 year old gunman opened fire at passers-by from his car in Ansbach, southern Germany this morning. The first victim was an elderly woman, and the second was a man on a bicycle. Another pedestrian and a driver of another vehicle were shot at by the gunman, but he missed. Police say they expect more casualties.

The gunman, who was firing from a silver Mercedes Benz, escaped after the shooting but police used helicopter to track him down at a petrol station in Ansbach at 11.45am. He has been arrested. Details later

#ifStatesWereWomen...hilarious hashtag trending on Twitter

This was the number one trending topic in Nigeria a few hours ago and it's hilarious! More tweets after the cut..

Actor Mofe Duncan share his pre-wedding photos

He and his fiancee Jessica will be getting married onAugust 20th and 22nd. They got engaged in April. More photos after the cut...

Kylie Jenner has dumped Tyga following reports he cheated with transgenders?

I put the question mark there because it's a report from MediaTakeOut. Read below...

MTO learned that Tyga and Kylie Jenner are officially over... a wrap ...dunzo! According to an insider, Kylie is upset with the recent allegations against Tyga - by multiple transgenders.

Here is what one of our Kardashian tipsters is telling us, "Tyga is going through some things right now, and Kylie wants no part of that. She's at a good point in her career and she doesn't need that kind of scandal surrounding her. For now Kylie is allowing Tyga to deal with the situation and she's going to focus on her career."

We're told that Tyga and Kylie haven't spoken since the incident, and that Kylie is not responding to Tyga's text messages.

See inside footballer Steven Gerard's new $18million mansion in LA

Former Liverpool star Steven Gerard got newly signed to LA Galaxy where he's paid about $100k a week and has moved to LA from England with his wife and three children. He just moved into a sprawling six bedrooms mansion in an exclusive part of Beverly Hills worth $18million. The 12,000sq ft mansion has a pool, cinema, own waterfall and he's paying about $50k a month to rent it. See more photos after the cut...

Is Akon being used as a front for Chinese-owned businesses to sell solar power to Africa?

So says this article by Joseph Guthrie titled 'Tricking Africa?'. Read below..

When the news broke about Akon’s initiative to bring solar power to 600 million Africans, social media was awash with praise and mainstream media felt compelled to spread the word. The Senegalese-American recording artist/entrepreneur officially became the face of the plan that he had dropped hints about for a year. Upon first glance, you couldn’t really blame anyone for extending their adulation.

The world’s second largest continent and its 54 nations have repeatedly been a target for imperialism, colonialism, and conquest so seeing a descendent “give back” to the people struggling to keep their heads above water was indeed a refreshing moment.

 The official Akon Lighting Africa (ALA) webpage is a spectacle to behold: Akon’s visage and signature adorning his words in the form of a quotation “…bringing hope to millions and ultimately giving Africa a better future” greet you as the page loads; three major bullet points outlining the programme’s overall goals to bring light to the African masses neatly line up next to that. For lots of people – the global black diaspora, notwithstanding – this move is beyond major. 

Akon’s peers in the entertainment industry – particularly black artists and/or actors – were very vocal in their support. Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Tyrese, Timbaland, and Lil Jon used their respective spaces to tell their fans and affiliates about this incredible academy. Mike Bloomberg and organisations, including the United Nations, also spoke highly of Akon’s efforts. Countless Africans tendered their gratitude to Akon for stepping forward and using his stardom to make a significant difference in their lives. Truly, it was marvellous to see all of this positivity abounding.
Or at least… it seemedmarvellous at the time.

Not even a day after ALA was officially announced, Snoop Dogg took to Instagram to air a grievance. He bemoaned the fact that major media outlets prioritised the coverage of Caitlyn Jenner over Akon’s solar academy, insulting Caitlyn – a transgender woman – in the process. Of course, I was appalled by the labelling of Jenner as “a science project,” and when I took to Twitter to air my own views on the discourse (calling out the attention ALA wasn’t getting using that kind of transphobic language is quite crass and wholly unproductive, I feel), I saw that valid questions were being asked about ALA.

JJ Bola – author, poet, and educator – was one of a few people I noticed looking at the ALA initiative critically. “…Where does that 600 million figure come from? That’s half the continent,” he tweeted. He’s not far off: The estimated total population of Africa is 1.111 billion people. Half of that is 550,500,000 – very close to the number of people that ALA has said they will deliver a clean, renewable energy source to. Even allowing for lofty ambition, I still believed the target was achievable considering ALA’s $1bn line of credit and the substantial political networking ALA has already done to get this realised. And then, I was presented with a blog post in the Corge that made no bones about why they thought ALA was merely a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Their lengthy essay laid out major concerns, stating Akon is nothing more than a “scumbag torch-bearer for the new imperialism that is coming” to the continent. Initially, the whole thing read to me like an aimless rant, effing and blinding and throwing out all manner of insults to Akon’s character. Thankfully, there was a decent amount of substance to the concerns and a bit of righteousness to the anger. It also provided answers to my own questions about ALA, upon further research and fact-checking. Consider the following:

Who is funding ALA? ALA has been provided a $1bn line of credit via China Jiangsu International, a state-owned international conglomerate, headquartered in Nanjing, China, specialising in economic cooperation and foreign trade. China Jiangsu International was founded in December 1980 and has more than 30 overseas subsidiaries, offices and branches to extend their reach and influence to roughly 80 countries around the world. According to their website, “CJI has exported chemical products, API, electrical equipment, and materials exports, exceeding a total volume of $10bn USD per year.” 

Is this a private venture or is ALA not-for-profit? How will it be paid for? It appears ALA isn’t what you’d call a completely philanthropic endeavour, to say the least. Quoth Akon: “We invest our own money to get things started. We go in, plead our case to the country, put up pilots with our own dollars using sophisticated equipment…It shows people that we’re not coming in to pull money out of the country, we’re there to provide jobs for the locals and to enable them to feed their families.”So what does he mean by this? According to the ALA website, the average investment per village is $75,000 USD and will see the partnership of public (read: government, heads of state) organisations and private firms (read: Solektra, Give1 Project, Akon Corp, Sumec, Nari, and Huawei) in order to oversee the delivery. Given the private companies getting involved and private dollars getting spent, one would expect these companies to see a return on that investment. Sure enough, Samba Bathily – one of the cofounders for ALA and head of the holding group that owns Solektra – dropped more knowledge on the subject. “It means anyone who installs our systems can make payments over [several] years. Most of these countries couldn’t allocate the money to pay for a big project up front, but they can afford if they pay by installments.”[REF.? this I think is the embedded link at ‘knowledge’ above] At this stage, one would be well pressed to make ALA out to be altruistic.

Source: Mediadiversified.org

Beyonce's mum stuns in red as she steps out with new husband

Beyonce's mum Tina Knowles-Lawson looked stunning in red as she celebrated the release of her Ebony magazine cover with a party in LA yesterday. Her husband - Richard Lawson and friends were there but her children couldn't make it. More photos after the cut...

Former Adamawa gov, Murtala Nyako, son, granted N350million bail

Friday, July 10, 2015

A Federal High court sitting in Abuja has granted former Adamawa state governor, Murtala Nyako and his son Abdulazeez bail of N350 million. Both men are standing trial for a N15billion fraud.

EFCC alleges that the former governor and his son along with two others used five companies- Blue Opal Nigeria limited, Serore Farms & Extension Limited, Pagoda Fortunes Limited, Towers Assets Management Limited and Crust Energy Limited which have been traced to the governor to siphon N15 billion belonging to Adamawa state government.

At the court hearing today, both men pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them

Jega disowns anti-card reader directive in Rivers, others

•Jega

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not change its directive on the use of card reader for the governorship and Houses of Assembly elections, its chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said yesterday..

Jega, who spoke during a post 2015 general election assessment retreat for resident electoral commissioners in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, said it was only during the Presidential election that the commission instructed states that wherever there was evidence of card readers failure they should revert to manual accreditation.

The retreat’s theme: “2015 General Elections: Lessons and way forward.”

There was manual accreditation in some states, including Rivers and Akwa Ibom.

The chairman, who said no elections had ever been perfect, insisted that the last general elections were highly successful.

EFCC quizzes ex-governors Ohakim, Sule Lamido

Posted by: Yusuf Alli, Abuja in Featured, News 17 hours ago

Former Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim was arrested yesterday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The agency quizzed former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido.

Ohakim was arrested about 8am at his 60, Kwame Nkrumah Crescent home in Asokoro District, Abuja.

But Lamido reported to the EFCC based on invitation.

Controversy hits sale of Delta Steel Plc

•President Buhari

A major crisis has broken out over the purported sale of Delta Steel Plc, Aladja.

Premium Steel and Mines, a company owned by frontline businessman Sunil Vaswani, says it has bought the troubled steel giant, promising to inject N70 billion in the first phase and N300 billion in the subsequent phases.

But a lawyer, Chief Ajibola Aribisala (SAN), who was appointed the receiver/manager of the company by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to cancel the deal which, he said, was at a great loss to the country.

Aribisala said AMCON sold the company for N28billion as against the N33billion offered by a Chinese company, China Polaris Technologies Company Ltd, which was ready to pay the total sum at once.

Vaswani, said the lawyer, offered to pay 10 per cent of the sale before 30 days after offer’s acceptance and spread the balance over  eight years, with a moratorium of one year. He added that it was his refusal to accept the Vaswani offer that led AMCON to announce the termination of his company’s appointment as receiver/manager.

A legal battle case is ongoing over AMCON’s termination of the SAN’s contract, The Nation learnt.

Vaswani initially offered to buy the company with West African Mines and Steel Limited before eventually buying it with Premium Steel and Mines Limited. The receiver/manager at the time Premium Steel bought the company was Dr. Joseph Nwobike, SAN.

Premium Steel and Mines Ltd was incorporated on December 15, last year. West African Mines & Steel Ltd was incorporated on May 3, 2013.

Aribisala added: “It is also interesting to note that the said Premium Steel & Mines Ltd was only incorporated, for the above purpose, on December 14, 2014, when the bidding was already in full progress, thus, the company did not submit any bid on the sale of the assets, yet it was the same company that the assets of Delta Steel Company Plc were purportedly sold to .

 “The essence of AMCON’s acquisition of bad debts from commercial banks, along with the collateral securities, is to confer on AMCON the assurance that in the event of failure of the borrower, in the case Delta Steel Company Plc, to discharge the indebtedness, AMCON can fall back on the pledged securities to recover the indebtedness by virtue of section 34 of the Asset Management Corporation Act.

“By virtue of Section 35 AMCON Act, the Corporation is vested with the same right to creditors (i.e. the banks from which the loans were acquired) over the pledged securities and can release any security that eligible financial institution could have realised and can exercise any power conferred by any document that forms part of the eligible bank assets.

“By virtue of Section 4(b) and (c) of the AMCON Act, the Corporation is statutorily mandated to:

“(b) efficiently manage and dispose of eligible bank assets acquired by the corporation in accordance with the provisions of this Act; and

“(c) Obtain the best achievable financial returns on eligible bank assets of other assets required by it in pursuance of the provision of this Act having regard to –

 the nee to protect or otherwise enhance the long-term economic value of the assets,

The cost of acquiring and dealing with those assets

The corporation’s cost of capital and other costs

Any other factor which the Corporation considers relevant to the achievement of its objects.”

“Also, by Section 43(3) of the AMCON Act, all officers of AMCON, including the managing Director – Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi, are obligated to act in good faith, in the execution of the duties, power and obligations imposed on AMCON or any of its directors.

“Furthermore, by Section 15(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, AMCON being an agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria , is obligated to avoid corrupt practices and abuse of power.”

AMCON’s sale of the company to Premium Steel and Mines, which is to be made instalmentally when there is a buyer willing to pay N33billion at once, Aribisala said, did not only deviate from the provisions of Section 15(5) of the Constitution, but also violated Section 4(9b) and (c) of the AMCON Act.

He said the sale “amounts to an economic sabotage or economic crime since the proceeds of sale, which is quite below the sum of N33billion which China Polaris Technologies Company Ltd, the highest bidder would have paid, belongs to the Federal Government of Nigeria by virtue of AMCON being a Federal Government agency.”

“The sum of N33billion , which was the best offer received on the disposal of the assets of the company, would have been more than enough to discharge the debts owed to AMCON and several unsecured creditors, being owed to staff and ex-staff of Delta Steel Company Plc as pensions and gratuities,” Aribisala claimed.

The Presidency, The Nation learnt, is already looking into the petition on the sale.

Premium Steel and Mines pledged to expand the company’s capacity and establish industries for other value added products.

It said the product range at the complex is aimed at optimal utilisation of the country’s mining and gas resources and producing import substitution products.

Premium Steel also said it would provide employment.

The investor pledged to assist the communities in their education and healthcare.

DSS grills refineries MDs in multi-billion dollar oil deals

Another chapter was yesterday opened in the probe of the multi-billion dollar crude  swap that cost Nigeria so much cash and delivered little fuel — in some cases.

The probe of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) contracts has extended to the managing directors of the four troubled refineries.

They are being quizzed in Abuja by security agents, who are eager to get an insight into the allocation of crude to the refineries and how crude was swapped, it was learnt last night.

Pres. Buhari will support my probe of Amaechi’s corrupt practices says Wike

Read the press statement from River state government below...

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that President Muhammadu Buhari will fully support his fight against the massive corruption that characterised the administration of the immediate past administration of Mr Chibuike Amaechi.

Speaking after receiving the final report of the Transition Committee of his administration on Friday, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike said that his administration is committed to recovering all funds diverted into private pockets by officials of the outgone administration.

He said : " I am confident  that  President  Muhammadu  Buhari  will support  my administration  in the quest to tackle  the  massive  corruption  that characterised  the  Amaechi  administration. 

"We are aware  that  the  immediate  past  administration  and her officials  will resort to blackmail  and propaganda  for the  purpose  of  diverting  attention from their corruption  practices. We shall  remain  focused  on the task of getting  back Rivers State  resources  and assets ".

The governor  commended the  Transition  Committee  for a job well done,  saying  that  the  committee's  interim report  helped his administration  to take off.

Submitting  the  final  report  of  the  Transition  Committee,  former  Deputy  Governor,  Tele  Ikuru  described  the  Amaechi’s  administration  as the  most corrupt  in the  state's  history. 

Ikuru said that  the  former  governor  expended N812million  to furnish his personal  residence  at  the  expense  of  the  state,  while N4.96b  was spent on Justice  Karibi  White hospital with no structure  on ground.

Rihanna and Karim Benzema getting serious?

Life & Style is reporting that Rihanna and Real Madrid footballer Karim Benzema, who have been spotted out in LA and New York, are not only dating but seem to have taken things to the next level.

According to their report, Rihanna flew Karim and some of his friend to LA and then flew her family in from Barbados so everyone could meet. RiRi reportedly checked her family and friends into the Andaz and Mondrian hotels in West Hollywood then they spent the week getting to know each other.

Saraki, Dogara, Ekweremadu and PDP redivivus

Three weeks ago, a few Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) officials had defiantly, and with rousing, prescient confidence, announced that their party would be readied on time for the reclamation of the presidency in 2019.  Against an aggressive All Progressives Congress (APC) party, President Muhammadu Buhari’s cult following, APC’s near total dominance of the National Assembly and the states, and pushy, sometimes cantankerous APC propagandists and publicists, it was felt that PDP’s sanguineness was both far-fetched and gaseous talk. Last Tuesday, after the PDP almost single-handedly determined the outcome of the NASS leadership positions, and in the process grabbed the coveted post of Deputy Senate President, few still held on to the belief that PDP’s 2019 hope was a chimera.

In both the Senate and the House of Representatives, the PDP made the difference. Two years after its founding, the APC had still been unable to accrete power brilliantly and elegantly or crystallise its essence. Formless, quarrelsome, and self-satisfied, the new ruling party recklessly opened its flanks for external exploitation and manipulation. Gifted by political circumstances with the unique opportunity of insinuating itself into the confidence of APC’s legislative leaders, the PDP hungrily appropriated the chance and immersed itself in the internal politics of the APC, accentuating the divisions and distrust festering within the ruling party. Former Senate President David Mark relished the primal role of thrusting the dagger deeper into the back of the neophyte ruling party by masterminding the Machiavellian humiliation of the APC as a ruling party.

Tinubu and the parable of the ‘first supper’

WHEN I wrote the piece: ‘Tribute to Tinubu: A Parody of Shakespeare,’ a few friends and colleagues said I was un-characteristically ‘patronising’. Some wondered if I too had not fallen for the Tinubu ‘cult of the personality’; or as one of them put it, ‘cult of the insatiable power-seeker’. And to quite a few of those friends and colleagues whose opinion about my professional integrity I do give a damn about, I did vouchsafe some cogent explanation: first I said that even as I was sure they knew me not to ‘advocate for the devil’, yet they should not forget that I was not one either not to ‘give the devil his due’.

I should say, for the records, that I believed and I still do- that Tinubu deserved that tribute which I paid to him; that I still think him worthy of all the sentiments contained therein and that I still feel proud that I wrote that piece. Tinubu has fathered a peaceful political revolution in Nigeria which has not only moved our democracy beyond a notch by its shattering of the myth of the invincibility of incumbency, but it has saved the nation from the malignance of a ruinous era of political impunity which was bent on balkanising our country.

Gbajabiamila: Travails of a loyal party man

Femi Gbajabiamila

THE decision to set aside party directives in electing the new principal officers of the House of Representatives on Tuesday must be a big blow for former Minority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate, who was narrowly defeated by the new Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

But, something in his demeanour suggests that what happened to the brilliant, hardworking and sound parliamentarian is a temporary setback and that he would bounce back in no time. In spite of the painful and controversial loss, he still congratulated the winner. He took a full page advertisement in a national daily yesterday, where he spoke on the eletion of the Speaker and rededicated himself to the service of his country.

He said, inter alia: “The contest has come and gone and God’s will has been done. I am greatly humbled and deeply touched by the outpouring of love and support from well wishers from across the country and beyond.

“I rededicate myself and I intend to continue to work hard in whatever capacity I may find myself for the progress of my constituency, state and country.”

Fashola, Segun Oni, Amaechi, Ezekwesili, Danbazzau may make Buhari’s cabinet

•Obasanjo, Danjuma, Tinubu, Atiku, Saraki nominate candidates •President may submit list to NASS next week
Immediate past governors of Lagos and Rivers states, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and Mr. Rotimi Amaechi respectively; a former governor of Ekiti State, Engineer Segun Oni and Education minister in the Obasanjo government, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, may be among the ministerial nominees being considered by President Muhammadu Buhari, The Nation has gathered.
Also believed to be on the list expected to be forwarded to the Senate next week are a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Abdurahman Danbazzau; Prof. Pat Utomi of the Pan Africa University, Lagos and Chief Economic Adviser to the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, Dr.Tanimu Yakubu Kirfi.
One of ex-Ekiti Governor Kayode Fayemi and ex-Osun Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola may also be picked.
Presidency sources said last night that while Buhari is keen on having a lean cabinet, the 1999 Constitution is an impediment as it stipulates that every state of the federation must be represented in the Federal Executive Council.
Buhari and his think-tank are said to have realised that the size of the incoming cabinet cannot be less than 36.
Although the President is keeping the list to his chest, it was learnt that he is disposed to accepting nomination of capable,tested and what one source called “ethical” candidates from ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, ex-Chief of Army Staff, Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, APC national leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the newly-elected Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
Ex-Minister Bolaji Abdullahi and former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Kawu Baraje are likely to slug it out for the Kwara State slot.
Buhari is also said to favour consulting Tinubu on some slots, regardless of pressure from some elements in the Presidency.
A source said: “The President has been consulting widely on the list of his ministers. All things being equal, some candidates from ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, ex-Chief of Army Staff, Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the newly-elected Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki may make the list.

“Some of these heavyweights have submitted advisory names but it is left for the President to reject or accept them.
“Governors will have less input into the cabinet. The President is actually fine-tuning the list of ministers which he will soon send to the National Assembly. We are hopeful that in the next one week or two, the legislature may get the list.
“As I am talking to you, the President is keeping the list to his chest. I am aware that some ex-governors may make the team on merit.”
On the provisions of Section 147(1-3),one source said: “It is difficult for the President to manage a cabinet that is less than 36 because of the constitutional provision.
“The President may however reduce the perks of office of Ministers and make the posts less lucrative except for genuine ones who want to serve the nation. So in the light of 147(1-3), the President is handicapped and he has to run the government with at least 36 ministers unless the constitution is amended.”
The section reads: “There shall be such offices of Ministers of the Government of the Federation as may be established by the President.
“Any appointment to the office of Minister of the Government of the Federation shall, if the nomination of any person to such office is confirmed by the Senate, be made by the President.
“Any appointment under subsection (2) of this section by the President shall be in conformity with the provisions of section 14(3) of this Constitution:
“Provided that in giving effect to the Provisions aforesaid the President shall appoint at least one Minister from each state, who shall be an indigene of such state.”
When contacted, one of the strategists of the new administration said: “The President is still keeping the list of ministers to his chest; he has not disclosed any list.”

One year after! Rest In Peace Kefee Obareki

The very talented singer died exactly today June 12th in 2014 in the US. Continue to rest in peace, Kefee Obareki Don Momoh.

NA election: Femi Gbajabiamila accepts defeat, says God's will has been done

Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who was APC's choice of House of Reps Speaker, says he's accepted defeat of the election that held this past Tuesday. More tweets after the cut...