PHOTO of the day: Goodluck rice

Friday, October 31, 2014

Since Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Ayo Fayose (governors of Osun and Ekiti state respectively) 'introduced' stomach infrastructure into Nigerian politics, it has been trending.

But who is the flagorneur behind this?

"Synagogue building has no approval" - Commissioner

The Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Develpoment, Oluwatoyin Ayinde, has said that the collapsed six-storey building of the Synagogue Church of All Nations has no government approval.

According to a new report on PUNCH, Ayinde stated this on Thursday while giving testimony before the coroner probing the cause of the building collapse. No fewer than 116 persons died while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries in the September 12, 2014 tragedy.

Ayinde said investigations conducted by his ministry after the accident revealed that though the six-
storey building had a record of survey, it however had no approval of the government. He said the only thing found in the records was an approval for the church’s main auditorium, adding that though that auditorium had now been raised to eight floors, the approval given was only for five floors.

The commissioner, who described all unapproved structures in the church’s premises as illegal, stated that there was the need to investigate what he described as unusual practices going on within the church premises. Ayinde wondered why, for instance, one of the columns supporting the additional three floors placed on the main auditorium had to take off from the top of a water tank.

He said:

'The approval that we saw was in the name of the Synagogue Church of All Nations dated January 26, 2004 but that approval was just for the main auditorium and one of the things we discovered was that it was an approval for a five-floor development. But on our visit to the site, we discovered that the building had been taken to eight floors; we do not have the records of the additional floors, making those floors illegal construction. Did we see anything on the collapsed building? No. In our records, the collapsed building has no approval. 

I’d like to say that with the additional structure we saw on site, we are inclined to express some fears. We have seen, for example, that one of the columns is not taking off from the ground floor, but it is resting on an existing water tank and I don’t know whether any engineer certified that construction. This needs to be investigated because it is an unusual practice to start a column middle way.'

While expressing doubts over the claim by the church that the collapse of the building was connected with some aircrafts that had hovered over it shortly before the accident, Ayinde stated that his investigations revealed that the distance between the said aircraft and the top of the building was one and a half the length of a football pitch.

He added that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority had written a letter to his ministry showing a request by the Nigeria Air Force that some of their aircrafts were going to be having rehearsals at that time around that place.

He said:

'What we wanted to know was which aircrafts were flying at that particular time? Two, at what altitude were they flying? And three, what was the coordinate of their flight path?'

PHOTO of the day: See what a father did to his son for acting all grown up

Thursday, October 30, 2014

LOL. You don't mess with this type of father!

Nigerian girl dies in Bangkok after a failed butt enlargement

Joy Willaims, a 23-year old Nigerian girl has left her family in sorrow after she died in a failed £2, 000 buttock augmentation.

The young girl who has had a nose job before, visited SP clinic, Bangkok on October 14 in a bid to have an enhanced butt. An operation in which her wounds became infected after few days. This made her to go back for a corrective surgery, or probably to remove the silicon implant.

Unfortunately, she was found dead on the operating table with a three inch-long stitched incision on her tail bone after medical staff found they were unable to bring her back to life.

Thai officials investigating her death believe her operation had been delayed to ensure Joy had not eaten anything beforehand and that as a result, the operation began after the clinic’s legal closing time of 7pm.

Sompob Sansiri, the doctor who carried out the surgery, has been arrested and accused of negligence due to his acts of carrying out operations at nights without license. He has been charged with recklessness causing death and might be facing 10 years jail term if found guilty.

However, her family has denied ever knowing she travelled to Bangkok and said she was a girl loved by all. Here is what her brother who spoke to Dailymail from Lagos said about her demise;

'We don't really know what went wrong, we only know what is in reports in the media. She was a very nice and caring person.She brought joy to people's lives.She was a beautiful girl, loved by everybody. We will miss her so much.'

He added that family members are planning to visit the country so they could get her corspe.

Though born in Lagos, Joy moved to Thamesmead with her mom in 2007 and had visited Thailand twice before deciding to go for the surgery.

Sacked Keshi is back as Super Eagles coach

Super Eagles Coach, Steven Keshi who was recently relieved of his post as the team’s coach is back. The media officer of the Super Eagles, Toyin Ibitoye announced this on twitter this morning.

Findings also revealed that Keshi has been asked to return to his post as part of reconciliatory moves in the Nigeria Football Federation as ordered by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The President also advised the faction of Chris Giwa to withdraw its case from court to ensure that Nigeria is not banned by FIFA. NFF is yet to release an official statement. 

FG withdraws House of Reps. Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal's security details for defecting to APC

All the security details attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal have been withdrawn this morning by the Federal Government, Daily Trust reports.

"Early this morning, few minutes after midnight to be precise, top level security report informed the Speaker that orders have been given for the withdrawal of his security details,” the news site said.

It will be recalled that Tambuwal formally announced his defection from PDP to APC on Tuesday while the party immediately called on him to resign his position because PDP brought him to power.

Abia State governor's wife to pick PDP nomination form for Federal House of Reps tomorrow

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

I just read this on Facebook and thought I should share it. It is no news that the governor of Abia state, Chief T.A. Orji has a senatorial ambition, his son, Chinedu Orji (as known as Ikuku) also has his eyes in politics; but what will surely make tongues wag is the fact that wife of the Abia state governor is also rumoured to have a political ambition. Hian! Yes, I'm wondering too.

I recently found that People's Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman of the state, Charles Ogbonnaya is a cousin of the governor. Continue to reaad the post...

Information just reaching our news room from a very reliable source indicates that the wife of Abia state governor Mrs Odochi Orji has concluded plans to pick the PDP nomination form to contest the Umuahia North/Umuahia South/ Ikwuano Federal House of Representatives seat in the 2015 elections.

Barring any last minute changes, Mrs Orji will pick the form before the deadline tomorrow by 6pm to complete a tripple combo by the first family.

Her husband, Governor T. Orji last week picked the Party's nomination form for the Abia Central Senatorial Seat while her Son, Chinedum Orji aka IKUKU yesterday picked the form to contest the Umuahia central state constituency seat haven been annointed to become the next speaker of the state Assembly.

Gov. T. Orji has also concluded plans to foist his annointed candidate Okezie Ikpeazu to take over from him as the governor of the state in 2015. Ikpeazu resigned his appointment as the deputy manager ASEPA on Oct. 10 and has since picked his nomination form for the guber race.

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Men who sleep with multiple women reduce their risk of prostrate cancer

According to a new research, men who sleep with multiple women are less likely to develop prostrate cancer. The researchers found men who have more than 20 sexual partners slashed their risk of prostate cancer by 28 per cent. And  men who have slept with more than 20 women reduced their chances of getting the most aggressive tumour by 19 per cent.

It further states that, celibacy doubles the risk of the disease. The rationale behind the findings is that regular intercourse may flush out cancer causing chemicals as the prostate secretes the bulk of the fluid in semen. The study claims masturbation and having much sex with one partner doesn't count.

The research is published in the journal, Cancer Epidemiology.

Whew! There is nothing these oyibo people will  not find. Is this in anyway encouraging promiscuity?

Zambia President dies in the UK

The number one citizen of Zambia, President Michael Sata has died. He died last night at London's King Edward VII hospital where he has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.

Zambian Government  confirmed the incident today. Sata died at age 77.

South African Police release images of Senzo Meyiwa's alleged killers

The South African police has released composite images of two men suspected of killing Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa.

The 27-year-old goalkeeper was gunned down after an altercation with burglars that broke into the house of his pop star girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo last Sunday. Police launched a manhunt and earlier on today released the sketches that were recreated from eyewitness descriptions. A reward
of R250,000 ($23,000) has been offered for any information leading to the arrest of Meyiwa's killer. Local media reports that Meyiwa's family have also hired private investigators to conduct a parallel probe of the death.

Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Senzo Meyiwa's best friend, Tumelo Madlala, told of the devastating moment he saw Senzo gunned down.

Tumelo Madlala was visiting the goalkeeper and his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, in Spruitview, Ekurhuleni, when three men broke in and demanded her mobile phone after a family Sunday lunch. The 27-year-old footballer intervened when one of the intruders became violent with his girlfriend but was shot at point blank range as Miss Khumalo's two children screamed in horror.
Tumelo said:

'Three men came into the house. They wanted Kelly’s phone and she refused to give it to them. There was scuffle between Kelly and one of the men. Senzo stood up and tried to intervene... 'That was when the man pulled out a gun and shot Senzo.' 

Meyiwa, who recently fathered a child with his pop-star girlfriend, is understood to have been on his way to meet his wife, Mkhize, at a party when he was killed in cold blood.

Meyiwa with wife Mkhize

Mkhize had met Meyiwa in Johannesburg in 2005. They got married in 2013 and barely a year later he was seeing Khumalo albeit without Mkhize's knowledge. Mkhize later found out and a saga ensued with Khumalo assaulting Mkhize. Meyiwa had reportedly gone back and forth between the two women over the past year but recently went public with Khumalo by his side.

Mkhize who has two small daughters with Meyiwa, is now said to be too devastated while Ms Khumalo has become the target of internet trolls who branded her an 'adulterous witch' over her relationship with the married footballer.

Senzo will be buried on Saturday in his home town in Durban.

You became House Of Reps. Speaker under PDP, so you must resign for defecting

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

The People's Democratic Party, PDP, has urged the speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, to leave office after Mr. Tambuwal officially announced his defection from the party to All Progressives Congress, APC.

According to Premium Times, the clearest indication he was joining the opposition party came more than a week ago when he attended a meeting of the APC in Sokoto State.

He said the state governor, Aliyu Wammako, had invited him for the meeting after he was snubbed by a visiting PDP delegation to the state, led by Tony Anenih, the Board of Trustees chairman.

His months of denial is believed to have been informed by his concerns about losing his position as the speaker.

The PDP said its National Working Committee has met with its leaders in the House of Representatives concerning the defection of the speaker, and after due considerations, it said the speaker should do what is honourable since his new party is in the minority.

“After a thorough consideration of the matter, the NWC came to a conclusion that the Hon. Speaker, as a responsible elected officer, knows full well what is needful and honourable of him since his new party is in the minority.

“We are not unmindful of the fact that Hon. Tambuwal became Speaker on the platform of the PDP as the political party with the majority of seats in the House of Representatives and that this incontrovertible fact has not changed.”

'Boko Haram raped and beat us' - abducted girls

Girls and women abducted by Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram have described their shocking life in captivity in a harrowing new report by Human Rights Watch which was published yesterday.

In the 63-page report, entitled "'Those Terrible Weeks in Their Camp': Boko Haram Violence against Women and Girls in Northeast Nigeria,"47 witnesses and victims, including some of the 276 Chibok girls kidnapped in April described forced marriages and, if they were Christian, orders to convert to Islam or be executed. 

A 15-year-old girl who was held in a Boko Haram camp for four weeks in 2013 spoke of how she was forced to marry a militant more than twice her age:

“After we were declared married I was ordered to live in his cave but I always managed
to avoid him. He soon began to threaten me with a knife to have sex with him, and when I still refused he brought out his gun, warning that he would kill me if I shouted. Then he began to rape me every night. He was a huge man in his mid-30s and I had never had sex before. It was very painful and I cried bitterly because I was bleeding afterwards.”

A 19-year-old who was raped said:

“I could not tell anyone what happened, not even my husband. I still feel so ashamed and cheated.”

 Another woman with her, who was also raped, “vowed never to speak of it again as she was single and believes that news of her rape would foreclose her chances of marriage”.

The majority of abductions by Boko Haram were of Christian women and girls, and many of HRW’s interviewees described being threatened with death or violence if they refused to convert to Islam. One woman said:

 “I was dragged to the camp leader who told me the reason I was brought to the camp was because we Christians worship three gods. When I objected to his claim, he tied a rope around my neck and beat me with a plastic cable until I almost passed out. An insurgent who I recognised from my village convinced me to accept Islam lest I should be killed. So I agreed.”

Some abducted women and girls described forced labour and participation in military operations. A 19-year-old said:

“I was told to approach a group of five men we saw in a nearby village and lure them to where the insurgents were hiding.” She told the young men that she needed help. “When they followed me for a short distance, the insurgents swooped on them. Once we got back to the camp, they tied the legs and the hands of the captives and slit the throats of four of them as they shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’. Then I was handed a knife to kill the last man. I was shaking with horror and couldn’t do it. The camp leader’s wife took the knife and killed him.”

Many of those interviewed by HRW showed signs of stress and anguish, according to the report, although only the Chibok girls had been offered limited counselling. One 15-year-old girl said:

“I could not stop crying even when the insurgents threatened to kill me if I did not keep quiet. I kept on thinking, is it not better to die now than to face whatever terrible things they could do to me when we get to their camp? Even after I escaped from them and live far away from my village, I am still afraid. I think of death many times. My father tries. He encourages me to forget everything, but it is not easy for me. I have terrible dreams at night.”

All of those interviewed by HRW said more could have been done by government security forces to prevent abductions and respond more quickly when they happened. The organisation calls on the Nigerian authorities to investigate and prosecute those who commit serious crimes, to protect schools and the right to education, and ensure access to medical and mental health services for victims of abductions.

Natural steps to having a healthy and acne-free skin

Last weekend, Etcetera came all out on Nigerian celebrities who bleach their skins. In his article, he mentioned how they hide away their knuckles in their pockets so the dark patches will not be revealed. Well, that is that for people who spend a lot of money just so they have a good looking skin. Today, I want to share some natural steps one can take to have that 'dream skin'.

Here are some tried and tested ways to make your skin look and feel fresher, cleaner, brighter and acne-free.

Drink water. It’s recommended that you drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. This will help rid the body of toxins. Besides dehydration does not do your skin any good so drink up.

Sleep well. The term “beauty sleep” is no joke. Sleeping and resting often helps your skin breathe and aid cell renewal so make out time to sleep.

Eat better. You need to eat your way to a healthier skin. Eating a good amount of fruits and vegetables provide your body with the basic vitamins and minerals that nourish your skin.

Keep your hands clean. We use our hands for so many things. And as the day goes by we pile germs on our hands. Keeping your hands out of your face as much as you can, means keeping those germs out of your face too. Remember to always wash your hands before you touch your face.

Move your body. Shake off the toxins! Exercise as often as you can. It does the body a lot of good.

Try new things. Several household and food items like baking soda, honey, eggs, avocado, etc have been known to work on skin in different ways. So be willing to make the most use out of these products.

Be hair free. Well sometimes. Try keeping your hair out of your face when you can. Before you go to bed at night, it’s best to tie up your hair so it’s away from your face. Hair traps dirt and you may want to keep it away from your face as much as you can.

Be pillowcase ready. Always change your pillowcases at least once a week. It’s good to invest in extra pillowcases so you can always make the change without any hassles.

Learn. Your skin is unique!

Try these few steps and let us know which ones work best for you. Cheers!

Wizkid arrested in Nairobi

Monday, October 27, 2014

Wizkid who was in Nairobi over the weekend to shoot a video and also had one or two shows was actually arrested at Nairobi Crown Plaza, a non-smoking hotel where he was lodged. A Nairobian website which gave account of the scene reports that, the Nigerian star was arrested when he was about checking out of the hotel after it was discovered he had smoked an illegal substance- weed.

The hotel manager questioned him about the illegal act, which made them have a hot argument, before the hotel security men called in the police. Victoria Kimani who had been visiting him in his hotel room was also there to help him check out and witnessed the whole scenario.

When the police came, they insisted he will have to follow them to their station; Capital Hill Police Station after they handcuffed him.  Even though he had paid the Sh50, 000 fine the hotel charges for breaking their rules, he was still taken away before he finally sort himself out.

South Africa's football captain shot dead in girlfriend's apartment

Senzo Meyiwa (middle)

South Africa's football captain Senzo Meyiwa has died. He was shot dead yesterday in Johannesburg few hours after playing a match, police have said in a statement.

The 27-year-old was pictured looking happy with on-off girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, a South African pop star, earlier before the incident.

Meyiwa, who played for Orlando Pirates, was shot when intruders entered his girlfriend's house in Vosloorus, a town 20 miles south of Johannesburg and died instantly.

Meyiwa pictured with his girlfriend earlier yesterday

Meyiwa pictured with Rooney

Meyiwa in action against Nigeria

Brazil’s female President re-elected

Dilma Rousseff who has been in power since 2010, has been re-elected president of Brazil again, after securing more than 51% of votes in the closest election race in many years which took place yesterday in the country. An official count showed her rival, Aecio Neves, taking just over 48% of the vote.

In her victory speech, Ms Rousseff said she wants to be a better president than she has ever been.

Her welfare programmes has been beneficial to a lot of poor Brazilians who came out in their numbers yesterday to vote her in power again.

Though she faced protests last year against corruption, record spending on the football World Cup and poor services, but she scaled through.

'People don’t believe I am a Lagosian' - Desmond Elliot

For some months now, many Nollywood stars and entertainers have been revealing their intention to join politics.

And among them is Desmond Elliot who has declared his intention to represent Surulere constituency in Lagos State House of Assembly under APC. Desmond had shocked a lot of Nigerians and was mocked for it when he added “Olusola” to his campaign name. 

A few days ago, he released his campaign poster and manifesto for his House of Assembly ambition and here's what he has to say about people not knowing he had Yoruba blood in his veins.

Speaking with City People, Desmond said:

“I am from Lagos state. My father is from Olowogbowo in Lagos Island but my mother is from Delta state. I refer to myself as being a Pan-African. People don’t believe I am a Lagosian because I seldom act in Yoruba movies. And I didn’t include the Shola in my name. Then because my surname is also English, many couldn’t differentiate which made people confused of where exactly I am from. I am very detribalised. People of my constituency know my story and know where I come from. I have always used Shola in my primary school days. I went to Air Force Primary School in Plateau and later attended St John’s College, both in Jos. I proceeded to Lagos State University where I studied Economics and graduated in 2003.″ 

On his reasons for joining politics, Desmond explained that joining politics for him is an ambition he has been nursing for many years but only joined since this is one of the appropriate time to declare his intention. Hear him: 

“Politics has been in me for many years but I wanted a party which was progressive. My choice of APC was because its stronger and progressive. The party is one you can identify with. This is also a good platform and a good party. It has lots of programs that cater for people’s welfare. It has so much differentiated itself from all others. This is one of the reasons why I decided to join the party” he explained.

What is his agenda if he eventually emerges the winner in the forth coming election? 

Security and Housing for more people. Welfare insurance, Housing for more people, road usage, protection of entertainers against abuse of creativity, content right protection which is on ground but not enforced. A lot more we can do to make the state a cosmopolitan and mega city”.

Boko Haram abducts 30 boys, girls in fresh attack

According to a breaking news report on AFP, around 30 adolescents -- some of them girls aged as young as 11 -- have been abducted in northeast Nigeria by suspected Boko Haram rebels.

"The insurgents... grabbed young people, boys and girls, from our region," said Alhaji Shettima Maina, who is in charge of the Mafa village around 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.

"They took all boys aged 13 and over... and all girls aged 11 and more. According to our information, 30 young people were abducted in the last two days."

Another village elder, Mallam Ashiekh Mustapha, confirmed the account. Both men said 17 people were also killed in recent days in a Boko Haram attack on the nearby village of Ndongo. Boko Haram, which has been waging a bloody insurgency since 2009, has been responsible for waves of attacks and abductions.

In April, the Islamist rebel group snatched more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in northeast Nigeria, triggering an international outcry. Kidnapping young women and girls -- as well as forcibly conscripting young men and boys to fight for Boko Haram -- is a well-established tactic by the militants. Some estimates put the number of women held by the group in the high hundreds. Most are believed to be forced into marriages with rebels.

The latest kidnapping comes despite the Nigerian government declaring a truce with the insurgents and the army retaking control of Abadam in the north-east on Saturday, according to a senior security official in the region. But local chief Maina said his village and areas around it were targeted in nearly daily raids by Boko Haram, and many residents have fled to Maiduguri "for fear of being killed or losing their children". He said he had pleaded for help from the Nigerian government but that so far none had been forthcoming.

Julius Agwu says he has been getting offers to join a cult since he declared political ambition

Julius Agwu who recently declared his intention to take over from Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi as Rivers State governor has confirmed that he has been receiving offers from people of diabolic means to join their group for him to achieve success in the forthcoming 2015 general elections.

Speaking to Toke Makinwa of HIP TV, a program monitored by CKN Nigeria, Julius Agwu said that initially, he never believed such happens although he has been warned by Okey Bakassi who once contested a House of Assembly seat in Imo State to expect such invitations.

Julius said he has received several calls from people who asked him to bring his pictures and those of his opponents so they can manufacture things that will make him successful at the poll.

He vow not to engage in such diabolic means just to govern his people. According to him, 'I am damn serious about this journey. I used my last show in Abuja to declare my intention and there is no going back on this,' the Ikwerre born popular showbiz personality said.

CKNNigeria

TY Bello shows off her twin boys

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Gorgeous, nay, flawless!

TY Bello went nine years without a child. And finally her faith and patience pays off.

We at Adk Johnnasa are happy for her.

Nigeria's Super Falcons win 9th African Women Championship

The Super Falcons of Nigeria have won the 9th edition of the African Women Championship after beating the Lionesses of Cameron 2-0 at the Sam Nujoma stadium in Windhoek, Namibia.

In the final game, Coach Edwin Okon’s team showed supremacy as Desire Oparanozie and Asisat Oshoala scored in the first half to ensure Nigeria wins the trophy for a record seventh time.

The victory, also means the Super Falcons have avenged the 1-0 defeat they suffered to the Lioness's in the third-place play-off of Equatorial Guinea 2012.

I cannot manage sex, it's either I enjoy it or disapprove it - Ronke Oshodi

Yoruba actress, Ronke Oshodi Oke says her boobs brought her fame. She also says Premarital sex is important.

She told Vanguard:

Before now, I get ashamed of them. But I later began to see the beautiful side and stopped hiding them because they fit me. People appreciate my boobs and I also love it. My boobs are one of the things that brought me to limelight in the movie industry.

On her boobs being her selling point?

Yes, it is and apart from that it is one part of my body I cherish most.

On her views on Premarital sex 

Sex is a normal part of life just like money. I know I am a Yoruba ambassador but personally I believe anybody above 18 and has a serious relationship can have sex even outside marriage. 

The couple should know what they have underneath their clothes before they get committed to each other for life. What if I do not like the size as a lady? Frankly, it is one of the reasons why many go into extra marital affairs. Even when a man has everything in the world and does not satisfy me sexually, there is serious trouble. 

I cannot go into a marriage and start regretting, besides, you won’t be able to tell your family members what you are going through in the name of marriage. I cannot manage sex, it is either I enjoy it or disapprove it.

Why are you not living with your spouse?

I prefer how we live apart. At the early stage of our courtship, it was a bone of contention but later he knew what I wanted and I appreciate him for that. If I really want to be successful in my marriage and career, this is how best we feel we can go about it.

FG to ban commercial motorcycles nationwide

The use of motorcycles as commercial means of transport in Nigeria, popularly known as ‘Okada’ or ‘Achaba’ may soon be banned throughout the country.

Punch reports that the proposal for the ban was made by the National Council on Transport after its annual conference in Enugu State and endorsed by the Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar.

A statement from the Federal Ministry of Transport on Saturday evening stated that the ban of commercial motorcycle was one of the measures proposed towards adequate provision of safety and secure transportation in Nigeria. It said the recommendation was contained in a statement of the week long meeting which had in attendance all the state commissioners of transport, permanent secretaries, directors and officials in the federal and state ministries of transport across the country.

The council advised all states in the federation to henceforth discourage the use of commercial motorcycles as a means of public transportation.

“All states and the Federal Capital Territory have therefore been advised to establish a public transport system that ensure strict regulation of the operation of public passenger transportation system through a well-articulated management system for enhanced safety, security, effective and efficient service delivery,” the statement said.

It added:

“The states are to also develop master plans for the development of intelligent transport system to facilitate the development and management of their transport operations in line with emerging trends and global best practices.”

The statement noted that the council also agreed that all commercial vehicles should be properly registered in each state while their enumeration should be carried out periodically to enhance safety and security.

Reeva Steenkamp didn’t have sex with Pistorius before he killed her- Mom

Reeva Steenkamp’s mother said her daughter confided in her before passing away that she had not yet had a sexual relationship with Oscar Pistorius who killed her last year Valentine’s day.

June, 68, said she believed her daughter - who had only been dating Pistorius for less than three months - had nagging doubts about their compatibility and felt the relationship was coming to an end before she was shot dead by him.

'She had confided to me that she hadn’t slept with him. They’d shared a bed, but she was scared to take the relationship to that level. She wouldn’t want to sleep with Oscar if she wasn’t sure.

I believe their relationship was coming to an end. In her heart of hearts, she didn’t think it was making either of them happy,' she said.

Her mom, who is due to release a book Reeva: a Mother’s Story, added that Pistorius is “gun-toting”, 'trigger happy,' 'possessive' and 'shifty'.

In an extract from her book in Times Magazine, she said: 'It was Reeva’s bad luck that she met him, because sooner or later he would have killed someone. I do believe that.'

Gossiping about other people boosts self esteem – New study

Saturday, October 25, 2014

I just got off a call, it was actually a two-way phone call; and one party accused me of being a gossip. She argued that I had gossiped about her with the other party. After the phone call, I go online (after struggling all day with my network). You know how network providers in Nigeria can kill your internet enthusiasm, right?

Now online, I have stumbled on this article by a new study telling how good it is to gossip. Just recently, the head of the Christian faith (you may choose to disagree), Pope Francis had warned about how gossip poison us and fill our hearts with bitterness.

But according to a new study, gossiping may in fact be good for our self-esteem because it allows us to compare ourselves to others. Continue below to find excerpts of the study...

A group of Dutch researchers have found out that hearing positive and negative gossip about another individual boosts self-reflection and self-evaluation. Elena Martinescu at the University of Groningen said: 

'Women who receive negative gossip experience higher self-protection concerns possibly because they believe they might experience a similar fate as the person being the target of the gossip. Men who receive positive gossip experience higher fear, perhaps because upward social comparisons with competitors are threatening.'

Professor Martinescu added gossip provided individuals with indirect social comparison information and provides an essential resource to reflect on their behavior. She suggested that rather than trying to block out gossip, we should 'accept gossip as a natural part of our lives and receive it with a critical attitude regarding the consequences it may have on ourselves and on others.'

What do you think?

Synagogue Collapse: TB Joshua to give $4,500 each to victims' families

The General Overseer of Synagogue Church Of All Nations, Prophet T.B Joshua has said through the church spokesperson, Kirsten nematandani that, the church will be giving R50,000 ($4, 500/N750, 000) to South African victims who lost their lives during the September 12 guest house collapse in the church premises.

'The church has pleaded with the Nigerian government to expedite the repatriation process in order for families to bury the deceased with dignity and receive closure.

We have done a full audit of each family's financial needs and assisted with various household expenses, as many of the deceased were breadwinners.'

The SCOAN church is donating a sum of 50,000 rand to each victim’s family for various expenses, he said.

It will be recalled that majority of those that lost their lives in the incident were South Africans.

GMD/CEO of Diamond Bank, Alex Otti resigns, joins Abia gubernatorial race

Friday, October 24, 2014

Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Bank, Mr Alex Otti has resigned his position to pursue his political ambition.

Mr Alex who is from Abia state will be pitching his tent against some other big shots in the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to pick the gubernatorial ticket of the party.

Mr Uzoma Dozie, the Deputy Group Managing Director of the bank has been appointed by the bank’s board to be the new Chief Executive Officer of the bank.

Boko Haram releases abducted Adamawa women

There are reports that Boko Haram insurgents, who abducted about 60 women and girls from two border villages between Adamawa and Borno states have freed the women among their captives.
This was disclosed in an interview by villagers, who spoke on the issue with newsmen on the telephone from their hide-outs. They however, said that the exact number of those released could not be ascertained, but that no fewer than 45 girls were still being detained.

Vanguard reports that according to the villagers, the women and girls were abducted from Waga 
Mangoro which was between Gwoza in Borno and Madagali in Adamawa states. Relatives of some of the abducted women who were later released by the insurgents also, told newsmen in Yola that some of the girls have been turned to cooks while others were married off immediately to some of the insurgents.

A relative to the one of the women who spoke on the condition of anonymity said...

'Initially, the insurgents captured 80 girls and women whom they later loaded into their vans and zoomed off into the bushes.

Later in the night, the insurgents separated the elderly women from the girls and released the women, who are now languishing in the forest because they could not relocate the towns because they were razed down by the insurgents.

We are confused that hours after the so called cease fire agreement between the Federal Government and Boko Haram insurgents, our girls are still being abducted by the insurgents.

We are at a loss about government’s insincerity on the whole issue and we urge them to rescue our daughters without further delay as we are ready to die searching for our missing ones.'

New York records first case of Ebola a doctor tests positive

A 33-year old New York Doctor who recently returned from Ebola-hit Guinea in West Africa has tested positive for the disease.

Dr Craig Spencer, treated Ebola patients while working for the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in the country. He left Guinea on 14 October, and returned to New York City on 17 October. But on Tuesday he began to feel tired and developed a fever and diarrhoea on Thursday.

Suspecting it could be the virus, he immediately contacted medical services and was taken to the city's Bellevue Hospital, where he is being kept in isolation.

He is the first Ebola case diagnosed in New York, and the fourth in the US.

Zimbabwe’s First Lady declares intention to succeed husband as President, calls for VP’s resignation

There is a little political war going on in Zimbabwe as first lady intends to succeed husband as president.

The first lady Grace Mugabe yesterday announced her candidacy to succeed her husband, 90-year-old president Robert Mugabe, when he leaves office.

“People say I want to be president, why not? Am I not a Zimbabwean?” the 49-year-old said when addressing veterans of the country’s liberation struggle in Mazowe.

According to ioL News, Mugabe called on Vice President Joice Mujuru, regarded as one of the top contenders to succeed the president, to resign.

“There are plenty of people who can run this country, not Mujuru,” she said, adding that her husband’s deputy would take Zimbabwe “back to where we were before independence.”

Robert Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980, has travelled several times for medical care abroad, sparking speculation that he could step down before his term ends in 2018.