‘I Went In Search Of Job But Was Raped’ - 18-Year-Old Girl Recounts Her Ordeal In The Hand Of Rapist In Ibadan

The Cynthia Osokogwu’s case which reverberated round Nigeria in 2012 seems not to have sent the right message to young ladies as many of them have fallen victims to criminals who use the internet to lure them into sex.

This danger in internet usage was brought to the fore again on Tuesday, August 27 when a 22-year-old boy, Seun Olutayo, of Idi-Osan, Ologuneru area of Ibadan allegedly seized the opportunity of connecting with a teenager to lure her into his house and raped her in the process. The girl was said to have been rescued after the deed had been done, while the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Eleyele Division, DSP Olawole Ayoola, ordered Olutayo’s arrest. The rape suspect is currently cooling his heels at the police station at Eleyele, Ibadan.
Lola Arowosafe (not real names), the 18-year-old girl, was waiting to start her tertiary education in November. She already sat for her post-UTME at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and was awaiting the final result. In order not to be idle, she made up her mind to take up a clerical job if she could lay her hands on one.
In the process of a chat on togo on the internet, she saw an advert declaring a vacancy for the post of a sales girl. The follow-up on the job later cost her her virginity as Olutayo allegedly raped her.
Narrating her experience in the hands of the suspected rapist, Lola said she met him on togo about a month ago.  “About a week before the incident, Seun advertised a vacancy for a sales girl in a supermarket at Eleyele. I asked him about the details and he explained to me that it belonged to his sister. I explained everything to my mother and she said I should make sure that the supermarket is not farther than Eleyele because of where we live.
“When I got to Eleyele on August 27, I called Seun, asking for the name of the particular supermarket. He replied that his sister was ill and could not come to the supermarket. He said his sister asked me to come and check her at home. He described how I would get to the place and immediately I got there, he came to the junction of the house to pick me.
“When I entered the compound, I noticed that everywhere was quiet while the neighbourhood was also deserted. I was very scared. As I was about to step into the house, I asked him to call his sister out but he came up with another story that she went out to get some things for her illness. That was when I told him that he should call me when she is back but as I turned to go, he pulled me into the sitting room with the extension of my braided hair, hit my head against the wall and locked the door.
 “I was shouting but he ordered me to keep quiet, saying that there were two the guys inside and if they should come out, the three of them would take their turns with me. Meanwhile, I already had an accident on my right hand which was plastered and bandaged so I could not use both hands to resist him.
“He pushed me down on to the rug, pinned me down with one hand while he used the other hand to pull off my skirt. He then forcefully had sex with me. The experience was so painful because I was still a virgin. After he had finished, he pulled off his singlet and used it to clean my inner thighs and legs because I was bleeding seriously.
“I was very weak thereafter but he pushed me out of his house and shut the door. I fainted there but a after a short while, I came round and dragged myself on. A resident of the neighbourhood who is a nurse stumbled on me and bought me a tin of milk to give me strength but I could not drink. I tried to narrate what happened but I was too weak. But I told her to look inside my bag where I kept the singlet which Seun used to clean my blood.
“My mother called and the woman picked the call and told her to come to Idi-Osan area of Eleyele. I was taken to hospital for treatment. He never told me that he wanted to have a relationship with me.”
Olutayo however said his action was not intentional, as he wanted to have a relationship with the girl. According to him, “I met the girl on togo. I placed an advert for vacancy in a supermarket for a manager and she said she needed a job. A woman told me in passing that she would need a sales girl for her shop but there was also a micro-finance bank in Ologuneru area which needed someone to be staying in a shop adjoined to it. I promised to help the girl secure one of the two.
She came on August 27. Before she came, I told her I liked her. I told her I wanted her to be my girlfriend and she did not object.
“When she came on Tuesday, August 27, I went to pick her at the junction of the house. I told her to be patient, promising to work on getting her the micro-finance bank job. When she was about going, I asked her about my discussion on love, telling her that I like her.
“We started having sex and I never knew she was a virgin. When she saw blood, she said told me I would regret what I did. I was pleading with her, telling her that I didn’t mean to hurt her. I promised to take her to the hospital but before I came out of the room, she had already left. She was found by some residents of the area whom I saw trying to give her milk because she was weak.
“She called her mother and described where she was, telling her to come and take her home as she was too weak to walk. She was taken to a nearby hospital. She might have thought I raped her but it was not intentional.”
When told that neighbours testified that luring and raping young girls was the suspect’s stock in trade, Seun denied it, saying that people usually say different things when such things happen. He revealed that when he saw how the girl was bleeding, he assisted her by using his singlet to clean her up and mop the rug that was also stained with blood.
When contacted, the police image maker in Oyo State confirmed the story, DSP Olabisi Okuwobi-Ilobanafor, saying that the suspect would soon be transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, for further investigations.

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West Brom Place £4m Tag On Osaze

West Brom are insisting on selling Osaze Odemwingie for £4m despite several offers from Premier League clubs.

The 32-year-old wants to secure a move away from The Hawthorns before Monday night’s transfer deadline after a miserable year in the Midlands.
But although up to six clubs are now expressing an interest in the Nigeria international – with at least three of them making bids – Albion’s asking price could still take the saga down to the wire.
They are believed to want as much as £4m for the out-of-favour forward with Swansea, Stoke and Cardiff already lodging bids worth around £2m and Fulham, West Ham and Crystal Palace among the sides to have registered an interest.
Hawthorns head coach Steve Clarke, who has not included Odemwingie in the first-team squad since the start of pre-season, is desperate for new faces before the transfer window shuts.
But he will also be anxious for Odemwingie’s departure to be sealed to avoid the unwanted problem of reintegrating the former fans’ favourite back into the first-team frame.
Odemwingie is still believed to favour joining Swansea, who can offer Europa League football, but he is open to a move elsewhere.

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"Why I Posed Nude" - Waje (PHOTO)

As controversy continues to trail her new video, I Wish, sexy singer, Waje, has explained the reasons behind her decision to feature in it in her ‘birthday suit’.

In an exclusive chat with The Entertainer, Waje, who recently joined Globacom’s expanding league of brand ambassadors, said that her decision to bare it all was to highlight the plight of women who are victims of heartbreak across the globe.

“It’s a form of art. Music is a language, which involves a lot of expression and to be able to express yourself properly, you have to paint a picture for your viewers to understand. I Wish is the story of a vulnerable woman which was the picture I wanted to paint; a woman heart-broken, helpless and vulnerable. I wanted to draw attention to the plight of heartbroken women. I wanted to be as close as I could to nature for that video hence the nude scenes,” she disclosed.
Born Aituaje Iruobe, it would seem she was destined to make it big in music that has opened a lot of doors for her. The graduate of Social Works from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) started singing at an early age and that earned her scholarship, courtesy of late Benson Idahosa’s of Church of God Mission.
“Music has always opened doors for me,” says Waje, who hit the limelight after she did one of the verses on P-Square’s massive hit, Do Me, in 2007. “Throughout my secondary school, I never paid school fees because my singing got me a scholarship from the late Bishop Benson Idahosa. By faith, I even saw more happening back then; I saw myself bringing back home a Grammy. I have always known that God will bless me through music. There is more to come because I am here to stay. I am currently collaborating with Coca Cola on a project. These kind of things make you want to work harder because you see that your hard work is paying off at last.”

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Eminem Calls Khloe Kardashian 'ugly' & Mocks Lamar For Marrying Her

Hip hop star Eminem has just picked on Khloe Kardashian and her husband Lamar Odom.

In his new track 'Berzerk', the Grammy winning star called Khloe Kardashian the 'ugly Kardashian' and mocked Lamar for marrying her.
He raps:

"The say that love is as powerful as a cough syrup and styrofoam. All I know is I fell asleep and woke up in that Monte Carlo with the 'Ugly Kardashian'. Lamar O. sorry, we done both set the bar low."

This is not the first time Eminem is mocking a celebrity, he had mocked Christiana Aguilera, Carson Daly, Moby, and Kim Kardashian calling her a man in his 2009 track 'we made you'

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Another Strike Imminent In The Health Sector As NMA Gives FG A 21-day Ultimatum

The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, will today hand the Federal Government a 21–day ultimatum to tackle the myriad of challenges and anomalies confronting the country’s health system or face another industrial action.
This is coming on the heels of the suspension of a nine-day indefinite strike by the Medical and Health Workers Union after government agreed to their demands.
In a communique issued at the end of its 2013 National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Sokoto at the weekend, NMA said the ultimatum was also for the Federal Government to resolve the ongoing destruction of what they described as “the fabric of professionalism and hierarchical order in Nigeria’s public hospitals and the health sector.”
The communique, jointly signed by the President, Dr. Osahon Enabulele and the Secretary-General, Dr. Akpufuoma Pemu, said the non-negotiable stance of the NEC is the enthronement of professionalism and international best practices.

“NEC resolved not to further tolerate the dislocation and unqualified suffering of doctors and other health workers, who are being owed salaries due to non-payment of wages occasioned by recurrent irregularities in the implementation of the centralised integrated personnel payroll information system, IPPIS.
“Since the commencement of the implementation of IPPIS in federal public hospitals, it has greatly undermined the welfare of doctors many of whom have had to endure over three months of non-payment of salaries due to the irregularities in the implementation of IPPIS.
“NEC, therefore, calls on government to urgently correct the numerous deficiencies within the next 21 days or stop the use of IPPIS as a means of payment of the salaries of doctors in public hospitals, pending when the irregularities in the IPPIS are sorted out with a perfect innocuous system put in place.”
The doctors also decried the delay in the inauguration of the Governing Board of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, despite several appeals made by NMA to the government, saying that MDCN remains greatly handicapped by the fact that there was no judge/council chairman to preside over investigated cases brought before it.

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Actor ''Nonso Diobi'' Duping People on Twitter and BBM

A certain twitter Handle created in the name of Nonso Diobi has been Scamming People of Cash and Valuables on the social networking platforms, Twitter and BBM.

 We have gathered different Mails from fans on how he is demanding huge amounts of money from them and Recharge cards.

 His account is @NonsodiobiworId . He’s not the real Nonso and he’s been duping people of money for a while now. The real nonso handle is @Nonsodiobiworld.

  You can't spot the difference, can you? The difference is in d 'world', the fake one uses ‘worid’ but uses the capital letter ‘i’ to make it look like world.

 Here is a mail from one of our readers. ''Hello,my name is Sandra Yesterday, I opened a new twitter account and followed d fake nonso.

 I asked for a follow back and he did. Then I DM’d him and asked for his pin. After much (silly) arguement, he added me.

 Then we started chatting on bbm and he asked me if I was a student or working.

 I said I was working,then he asked me to send him 1 million naira to fix a situation,I laffed it off. Afterwards he said he was joking but I was very smart. Then later,he asked me to send him 1500 mtn recharge card. That was when I munched d convo and deleted him.

 The guy has been getting money from gullible ladies! He did d same thing to a certain mimmy bekee. She has his acc number too. Pls help stop this dude! I’ll send u pics'' .

Read chats below....
                     

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#BigBoyTinz -- Obafemi Martin Flaunts His 'State Of The Art' Cars And Houses On Instagram - See Photos

Bigger boys things, Obagoal shared his luxury cars and beautiful houses on Instagram. Too much money things... Enjoy brov!

See more photos after the cut...
                  

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PHOTO: Basket Mouth, Iyanya, Phyno, Olamide, Sean Tizzle, Emma Nyra Flexing New York

Nigerian celebrities stormed the States for the NEA over the weekend and they seem to be having a nice time over there. Check out shots from their arrival.
                   

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Those who say I’m s*x starved are suffering from Konji — AfroCandy

Controversy never seizes to follow US-based Nigerian actress, Judith Opara Mazagwu, a.k.a AfroCandy. The mother of two, in this piece with SEYI SOKOYA, opens up on what prompted her porn movie, Destructive Instinct, why she won’t comment on Beverly’s statement  and why her wards will not see her works, among other issues. Excerpts:
Your recently released movie entitled “Destructive Instinct” has generated mixed reactions. Surely you expected this to happen.
Well, you should know that the  people that are condemning my movie are not my fans. They are pure haters. My fans do not condemn me, but they love everything I do. They are even happy that I could beat the odds to release the movie regardless of all the setbacks. I don’t care about the people that are speaking negatively about the movie. They should get used to it because this is just the beginning. It is what it is! Their bad comments and attacks did not stop me, can never stop me and will never stop me.
Is it true that you want to bring the movie to Nigeria ?  
Yes. I was even preparing to release it in Nigeria this month, but there is a little discrepancy with the marketers. They want the original version with the sex scenes, but we are still discussing on some issues. I didn’t get naked and didn’t have sex in the movie and will regard it as the usual or normal movie. So, we are still on it and as soon as we reach an agreement, I will drop it.
How convinced are you that the Censors Board will not ban the movie in Nigeria?
I already told you the marketers said I should leave that for them to handle. That is why they are asking for that version. I guess they know better.
Is it true that the main reason you produced the porn movie was to gain publicity here in Nigeria?
Publicity was not the intention. I was trying to break a record in Africa, not just in Nigeria. But the fact is that this kind of movie I made does not come without ‘publicity’. You know.
What is your grouse with Mercy Johnson, Uche Jumbo, Ini Edo and some other Nigerian actresses?
I have nothing with or against any of the actresses  .
It was reported that you always took Ini Edo along with you to locations back then. Does the relationship remain the same?
I never had any relationship with any of them. As for Ini Edo, I worked on the same productions with her director who had to beg me to pick her up from the bus stops. One was at the Amuwo Odofin. We were shooting a movie in Festac and she had no car then, while I already had my first car. The second time was at Ogba. That was years back.
Do you see these actresses ahead of you now?
I see myself as AfroCandy. I am who I am and doing my things in my own ways. I am not competing with any actress, neither am I trying to be like any other. So, I don’t see myself amidst anybody. Sometimes I make references just to let people know what is on, instead of just letting them judge me by mere assumption.
Don’t you feel you are missing as you are not based in Nigeria?
I live in a country where most of them long to live. I don’t think I am missing anything because I can still do whatever I want to do from America. The only thing is, I took a break to focus on raising my daughters as a single mother. I have to stay closer to them.My first has turned 18 and she is very responsible. I will loosen up a little bit to pay attention to my career though, so I will be doing more now. And whether I am in Nigeria or not, you won’t know the difference.
But Uche Ogbodo and Cossy Orjiakor remain your true friends in the industry?
I think I answered you before.
As a mother and an actress, which of your movies do your children like most?
I don’t discuss that with my children. I only give them a hint of my projects. They don’t even have to see my projects to like them, or approve of them, especially now that I have started doing more of explicit projects. Explicit stuffs are not for children.
But people, especially the under-aged, could gain access to these explicit stuff considering the level of technology we have today.
Well, you can’t control what children see on the internet, but your job as a parent is to educate them on the implications. If they are responsible kids, they stay away from such things. My kids are very intelligent, smart and very responsible. They know what to stay away from.
You recently celebrated your birthday. How fulfilled are you?
Very fulfilled.
How did you celebrate it?
I was too busy trying to release my movie. For now, it is all business before pleasure for me. When I achieve all I am working toward, I shall relax and celebrate birthdays because I don’t believe in chasing grasshoppers while the house is on fire.
How did you feel seeing your  social media walls flooded with loads of birthday wishes?
It felt good.
You have more male fans than the females
I think so.
Maybe they got attracted to your weird postures?
The fact is that I am a female. More of the opposite sex should naturally be attracted to me.
Were you impressed with the turnout to your recent “Dick” auditioning?
I was overwhelmed, not just impressed. I even twitted about it. I got more responses than I expected.
What prompted the auditioning?
I cannot go into details about that for now.
In your last interview with the Sunday Tribune, you promised to remarry soon. Any plan towards that yet?
No plans yet. Like I said, I am too busy for that.

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“Pastor Adeboye Needs To Sleep With One Of His Church Members” – Kemi Olunloyo

Kemi Olunloyo seem to have a lot of opinion to share but the recent one has hit the nerve of many Christians with what she wrote on her facebook page about Redeem Christian Church of God General Overseer, Pastor E.A Adeboye.
Read her facebook posts below

In case you don’t know who she is, one can describe Kemi Olunloyo in many ways, an outspoken journalist, media expert, advocate, politician, deportee, the list goes on.
She is also the daughter of former governor of Oyo State – she is one outspoken woman that keeps on talking even when it threatens her life, she’s come under attack so many times but that has not stopped her in any way from posting comments online…
Source: MojiDelano

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200 Occupants Of Distressed Buildings Evicted By Lagos Govt

At least 200 occupants of three distressed buildings in Mushin Local Government area of Lagos state were weekend evicted by the state government.
The government has also continued the demolition of one of the three buildings; a four-storey, located on 34 Adeyemi Street. The two remaining buildings awaiting demolition are a two-storey and a shopping complex located on 32 and 33 Adeyemi Street respectively.
The evicted occupants while lamenting the government’s action alleged that they paid N100,000 to an unnamed official of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, to allow them remain in the distressed buildings for another year before demolition.
Some of the buildings marked for demolition, it was gathered had been erected over 22 years ago and were never renovated, but the landlords kept collecting rents worth over N200,000 each annually.

Apart from the distressed buildings, five other buildings were also marked for demolition for allegedly contravening approvals among others. Sources say they may be demolished in a matter of days.
General Manager of LASBCA, Mrs. Abimbola Animashaun-Odunayo, while reacting on the development, said, “The occupants were evicted because the buildings are unsafe for habitation. They have obvious cracks and can collapse any moment. This was the reason for government action. They are dangerous for habitation and if they collapsed today, about 200 occupants of the houses will suffer severe injury. We have to be proactive to ensure that buildings especially distressed ones do not collapse on the occupants.
“To avoid loss of lives, a new slogan has been adopted; ‘kill the house, before it kills us’. We have issued the landlords of the affected buildings notices thrice directing their tenants to vacate the property. But they refused.”
On the alleged bribery, she said: “I believe they made such allegation because they were upset. They believe that if they say that we can pardon them. Earlier, they appealed for a week extension, but we turned it down. We are all human beings. We have seen a lot of collapsed buildings and we have seen the number of causalities that died as buildings caved in. Why will anyone collect money from someone when we know that such building can collapse any moment? We have conscience.”

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Michael Jackson’s Anti Gravity Shoe And How It Works

In 1988, Michael Jackson on his video release of  ”Smooth Criminal” shocked all his fans by a move of more than 45 degrees towards the earth challenging the gravitational force of earth.  Actually, he was successful in doing that with the help of a string in the video.

But, It was difficult to apply this idea of string during live performances. So he found an amazing and idealistic solution of this problem with the help of his two friends.

He made his shoes cut in V shape. On the dance floor during a live performance, the bolts were hided which gets sticked to the heels of the shoes. With the help of this he used to bent more than 45 degrees without any problem.

People couldn’t see the bolts and used to enjoy Jackson’s dance a lot. Michael Jackson named those shoes “Anti Gravity Shoe” and in 1993 the shoe were patent.

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NAFDAC to begin herbal medicine trial

THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control, NAFDAC, and Nigeria Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development, NIPRID, plan to commence limited clinical trial on some Nigerian herbal medicines used for life-threatening ailments like HIV/AIDS among others.Disclosing this weekend in Lagos during a one-day symposium to celebrate this year’s International Traditional Medicines Day, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, said the clinical trial had become necessary following recent noticeable swing from the earlier bias in favour of orthodox medicine to greater acceptance of traditional medicines in the country.
Orhii said with this new trend, the need to ensure that only good quality, safe and effective herbal medicines were distributed and used became paramount to the Ministry of Health.
He added that the Agency decided to carry out the trial due to the burden of unauthorised advertisement of herbal medicines with unsubstantiated claims on cure of serious diseases with the intention to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.
He said that the agency had set up a National Expert Committee on Verification of Claims by herbal medical practitioners, adding that by the first quarter of 2014, the agency, in collaboration with NIPRID, would also begin evaluation of herbal medicines.
Orhii said: “We have established standards and guidelines for the registration of herbal medicinal products in Nigeria to ensure successful implementation of the aspects of the mandate relating to herbal medicines.
“NAFDAC has banned illegal advertisements of herbal medicinal products and bogus claims of cure for disease conditions.”
Source: Vanguard

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ASUU STRIKE: Blame finance minister

This is a government that signed an agreement with us on January 24, 2012, to the effect that they would inject N100 bn as funding into the universities in the first month; and that before the end of 2012, they would inject another N300 bn.”Dr Olusegun Ajiboye, ASUU University of Ibadan branch chairman, August 14, 2013.
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala increasingly is cutting a sorry figure as Finance Minister. And nothing has demonstrated this fact more than her utterances on the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
To start with, she announced, as if it was true, that government cannot pay the N92 billion causing the present palaver. She turned out to be wrong on three counts at least – none of which does her reputation as a global financial expert any good. It was poor defence and exposed her as someone who did not do her homework very well before commenting on a vital national issue.
First, as Dr Ajiboye pointed out, N92 billion represented a figment of the imagination of the former World Bank Managing Director. Ajiboye, a valid representative of all the ASUU creditors, told us that the amount due to them was N87 billion; not N92 billion. Even for a wasteful administration, overpaying by N5 billion would have been reprehensible. There is a lot of good work which government can do with N5 billion instead of throwing it away carelessly. Throwing public money away carelessly was what led to the fuel subsidy scam which tarnished her reputation in 2011/2012 when she jumped into the fray without checking her facts properly.
Second, her statement about government’s inability to pay lacked credibility and was soon discredited by the President. There is a distinct difference between “can’t pay” and “won’t pay”. The former admits of financial weakness or destitution; the latter connotes willful refusal to honour an agreement into which government voluntarily entered.
For the Minister of a government which allowed the country to be defrauded of over N1 trillion to claim that government cannot pay N92 billion or less than one per cent, is an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians and discredit to government itself. As if to prove that the Minister spoke, not for government but herself, the President a few days after ordered that more than N92 billion be released to the universities. That order by Jonathan had elevated Okonjo-Iweala’s claim from the realm of the incredible to a colossal lie. Where will government find N100 billion to carry out the President’s instructions if it cannot afford N92 billion?
But, all those pale by comparison with Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s real contribution to this awful national calamity. Read Dr Ajiboye’s assertions again and the astute reader can readily see the genesis of this whole mess. In January last year, long after the 2013 budget had been presented to the National Assembly, obviously with no provisions for paying the N87 billion owed to ASUU, the President, who at that time was facing a national revolt on account of fuel price increase from N65 per litre to N141 did not want another ASUU strike to add to the uprising. So, government, perhaps ill-advisedly and hastily promised ASUU N400 billion additional money; that brought the total debt payable in 2013 to N487 billion.
Call it incompetence or lack of courage and/or integrity, but given a 2012 budget, from which any provisions for ASUU had been excluded, promising eleven per cent of last year’s budget to the academic staff of universities was fraudulent. When Jonathan Swift, 1667-1745, wrote that, “Promises, like pie-crusts, are made to be broken”, (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p203), he must have had a government like the present one in mind. It is one government on whose promises nobody should rely. So 2012 ended without government honouring its agreements. That was bad enough.
Any financial officer, involved in budgeting, knows that when planning the budget for any year, you must take into account all the bills past due as well as those likely to fall due during the year – if the decision is to pay. They can only be ignored if there is a willful and conscious decision not to pay and to damn the consequences.
The fiasco this time around has occurred because the Finance Minister either forgot to make provisions for paying the N487 billion, not even N92 billion as she claimed, or because she deliberately excluded those outstanding bills. Forgetting such a huge liability demonstrates incompetence and gross negligence – for which the nation is now paying dearly. Remembering that the debts are long overdue and deliberately ignoring them is proof beyond reasonable doubt of lack of budgetary integrity. It does not require the towering intelligence of a Harvard graduate to predict the outcome of that benign neglect of government’s obligations.
Unfortunately for the government, for the Minister and all the other stakeholders, “All things do help the unhappy man to fall”, according to Shakespeare, 1564-1616, this years budget is in shreds. The same Finance Minister has been leading the government officials telling us about the shortfall in revenue on account of alleged crude oil theft. As much as 400,000 barrels a day is stolen – apparently with government helpless to check the pillage.
A recent report estimated that oil revenue in July of this year dropped by 42% compared to the same period last year. By a cruel twist of fate, the country had moved from won’t pay closer to can’t pay. There is no money in the budget to pay ASUU N487 billion; that is certain. Just as sure is the fact that, even if Okonjo-Iweala had not been careless, there probably would have been no money to pay the entire bill.
Realising the government’s partly self-imposed predicament, Jonathan had approved part payment of the outstanding debts. Ordinarily, that should have induced Nigerians to rise up and urge ASUU to accept the half-loaf and wait till next year for the balance. However, given government’s reputation as a dead-beat, on whose words nobody can rely, there has been no outcry against ASUU for refusing the offer. This is the closest thing to an economic Mexican stand-off that anyone can imagine and only divine intervention can resolve the mess – thanks to the Finance Minister; who should know better. Nobody, with the minutest experience in drawing up budgets should have made that mistake.
The most important question now is: will the 2014 budget reflect the payment due to ASUU – even if the lecturers accept the offered half-loaf? If it does not, ASUU’s return to the campuses will be short-lived. They will be out again in 2014.
Finally, the Finance Minister has probably antagonized the one group every public office holder should avoid at all costs. University dons are not only articulate, they are the most vocal group in the country and the most influential opinion molders. Henceforth, they will cease every opportunity to cut her down to size. This episode, however it ends, has once again raised the possibility that Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala might not be around much longer. She was recruited to build confidence in the government’s economic policy team.
Starting with her staunch defence of the subsidy removal, based on falsified data, she had stumbled from one controversy to another. Instead of offering solutions, she is increasingly perceived as part of the problem. She probably has not come across that famous statement by Arthur Dewing in the Harvard Business Review, October 1923. “Behind the facts of economics are the facts of psychology..the emotions of fear and confidence…”. A lot of people are losing, or have lost confidence in the Minister. That’s bad for her and bad for Nigeria.
Source: Vanguard

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Flood wreaks havoc in Makurdi, submerges 180 houses

Over four hours of torrential rain has left several parts of Makurdi the Benue State capital flooded with no fewer than 180 houses submerged in the unexpected deluge.Also lost to the downpour which started around 7pm Saturday night, were property, household items and valuables valued at more than N200 million.
Areas badly affected by the flood included Demekpe, Gyado Villa, Wurukum, Idye village, Achusa and Mobile Police Barracks on Naka road and Wadata.
When Vanguard visited some of the affected areas, many residents were seen battling to rescue their property and valuables from their flooded homes and neighborhood while some could not find access to the houses to save their valuables from being swept away by the flood.
At Demekpe, one of the victims, John Adamgbe told Vanguard that he lost most of his valuables and important documents to the flood. “My family and I were preparing to have our dinner when the rain started around 7pm. We knew we were in for trouble when the rain became torrential and was not showing any signs of stopping. As at 9pm it was as if the heaven would come down and the entire place was like River Benue and we started battling to save my five children from being swept away while most of our property and valuables had already gone under water.”
When contacted, the General Manager of Benue State Emergency Management Agency, BSEMA, Mr. Adikpo Agbatse warned residents of Makurdi town to desist from dumping refuse on drainages to avert the flooding of the town, adding that he had commenced a tour of the affected areas after which he would issue a statement on the devastation.
Source: Vanguard

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PHOTO: Popular comedian dressed Like A Lady.

 Comedian and Radio personality Yaw on set, dressed Like a Lady. Who’s going to pick him up. lool

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Two pastors, 28 others nabbed over pipeline vandalism

THIRTY suspected pipeline vandals, among them, two pastors and two teenagers were, weekend, arrested by officials of the Ogun State command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Isheri Olofin area of the state.The suspects, according to the Commandant, Mr Akinwande Aboluwoye, were arrested after a shoot-out.
Recovered from the suspects, according to Aboluwoye, were canoes and 400 50-litre jerricans filled with siphoned petroleum product.
Parading the suspects, among whom were six women, the commandant explained that the feat was achieved following a tip off.
He said: “Immediately they sighted us, they opened fire, thereby leading to a gun battle. But when it became apparent that the heat was too much for them, they abandoned the products and jumped into the river and escaped. However, we were able to arrest their accomplices who reside in the area. We set the recovered canoes ablaze while surveillance has been intensified in that area.”.
However, when the teenagers, Michael Oyedotun(13) and Azeez Ajani(12) were quizzed, they denied their involvment, saying they are apprentices in a tailoring workshop in the area.
While Oyedotun claimed he was arrested while taking his bath at the Ogun River, Azeez admitted seeing jerricans around the area any time he wakes up.
On his part, one of the pastors who identified himself as Nikuleyi Adesola, claimed he was arrested in the company of two female members of his church.
According to him, “I live in the church. I was with two of my members when NSCDC officials ordered us to come out. I do not know anything about the recovered jerricans or activities of vandals.”
Meanwhile, the commandant has said the suspects would be charged to court soon.
Source: Vanguard

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Meet 17-Year Old Britain’s Female Bodybuilder

Meet Georgina; a 17yr old bodybuilder who lives in Britain. She started lifting weights at age 14. She has gone ahead to win a gold medal in bodybuilding.She has however received backlash from people who feel that she has taken her bodybuilding too far.

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What My Nollywood Colleagues Do, In And Outside Movie Locations - Zach Orji

Seasoned actor, Zach Orji, speaks with JANE AUGOYE about what his colleagues in Nollywood do outside movie locations

As Nollywood actor, Zach Orji, goes deeper in the Lord’s vineyard, he is a bit disturbed that decisions by some actors to go into other businesses or callings attract what he sees as undue attention or comments.

“All over the world, it is normal for people in any field of life to go into something different when they get to a certain level. Here in Nigeria, civil servants and teachers try their hands on different things besides their regular jobs.
So, I don’t know why those of actors should be any different. This is a normal human endeavour. More so, most times your salary is never enough to take care of your responsibilities.

“So, I don’t know why that of an actor should be considered different. Being an actor does not stop us from doing other things. So, let’s not look at it as abnormal. People can always choose to express their talents in other areas,” he says.

Orji, who was recently ordained a pastor at the Powerline Church, in Lagos, also countered claims that he had quit acting due to his new calling.

“While it is true that I am now a pastor, it has not in any way affected my career. I have featured in various movie projects lately, the most recent being Chimamanda Adichie’s best-selling novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, which was recently adapted for screenplay.

Besides, I have been on various sets. I won’t be able to tell you their titles because most times all the producers do is to bring you scripts, without a title. I will be on set of a new movie by ace Nollywood producer, Rosemary Ingbi, next week,” he adds.

Although Orji, who is most famous for his gentlemanly movie roles, maintains that these actors are simply expressing themselves, for some of his colleagues, this is not the case. Apart from losing juicy deals to music stars, some consider this move as a basic survival instinct.

After all, it seems that it no longer pays to be just an actor, with piracy and absence of structured distribution networks threatening the fabric of their industry’s existence. Some are even tempted to say that Nollywood is no longer in vogue.

Some actors have tried their hands in music, though it can be argued that this is often a show of other talents. Genevieve Nnaji, Jim Iyke, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Kate Henshaw and most recently, Nollywood bad girl, Tonto Dikeh, are examples. Yet, pundits have said that it is important to note that the success of an actor’s decision to delve into music goes way beyond just being a popular face or possessing good looks.

Before now, one area where a good number of the screen stars had found consolation is in endorsements by corporate organisations, especially telecom giants that include Globacom and MTN. But the tides is changing. Many music makers now own the day and in turn, call the shots anywhere they go. They are also fast becoming role models to many Nigerian youths, who hitherto revered Nollywood actors


Source-Punch

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America Warns American Citizens To Avoid Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa And Other States In Nigeria - See Full List

The United States of America has warned its citizens living in Nigeria to avoid visiting any of the 14 Northern Nigeria states for safety, especially this 9/11 anniversary.

Their Embassy website stated safety and security concerns.

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria is enforcing a restricted travel policy for U.S. Embassy personnel to the states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara.

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Annie Idibia is really Angry with Her Man, 2Face; Read Her angry Tweet

 

Hope all is well sha..........................................

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Davido and family in Miami for his Sister Sharon Adeleke’s wedding - See photos

Following the star studded traditional wedding which held a few weeks ago , the Adeleke family jetted off to Miami for Sharon Adeleke’s wedding today.


Yes their sister Sharon Adeleke got married today in Miami

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Man Kidnaps Self, Demands N2million Ransom From Brothers

The police in Enugu State have arrested one Samuel Ani after he allegedly “kidnapped himself” and demanded N2 million ransom from his brothers.

Samuel saw his own kidnap as the quickest way of getting financial assistance from his brothers, who he labeled “stingy fellows”.

However, it has ended up badly for the coffin dealer, an indigene of Ugwuaji, Enugu South Local Government Area.

It was gathered that he faked kidnap and hid himself for six days at a bush behind his shop situated at Gariki axis of Awkunanaw also in Enugu South, from where he was making telephone calls to his two younger brothers in a very convincing tone that he had been abducted and that the sum of N2 million was required to get him out of the purported kidnappers den, else he would be killed.

The spokesman of the police in Enugu State, Ebere Amaraizu, DSP, who confirmed the incident disclosed that the case was reported to the State Police Command, which mobilized its anti- kidnapping unit.

According to him, “when Samuel intensified his call that the purported kidnappers were on the verge of killing him if his people cannot bring the money, which was later reduced to N1.2m, some amount of money was sent across to the account number provided by the purported kidnappers and a certain girl who went to cash the sum of initial N100, 000 sent into the account in one of the new generation banks located around Agbani road axis on 29/8/13, was tracked and picked by the operatives.

“Her revelation led to the arrest of Samuel who disclosed that he was not kidnapped but that he kidnapped himself so that his wealthy younger brothers can pay money for ransom which he will use to sort out his business dealings”.

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Funny Photo: Checkout Wizkid On A Heavy Makeup Like A Lady (Wizchick)

  This is not a Photoshop. Im sure he was TESTING new things.Nice pic though. lolzzz

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Beverly Osu confirms rapper 2shotz physically abused her

Beverly Osu claimed in the Big Brother Africa house that she was physically abused by an ex-rapper boyfriend, a claim 2shotz, who dated Beverly in the past, denied and even issued a statement. (If you missed it, read it HERE).

Well, Beverly is out of BBA now and doing interviews. She confirmed to Ebuka Obi-Uchendu on Rubbin Minds today that 2shotz did abuse her and she's not surprised he denied it.

 

More Tweets from the interview after the cut...

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