Loya Milk unveils Don Jazzy as Brand Ambassador, commences on line promo

 Loya milk  has also started an online promotion. All consumer and members of the public need to do is to like loya milk on www.facebook.com/loyamilk OR log on to the promo site www.tasteyourdream.com

Speaking at the splendid event which was attended by Don Jazzy’s father, Wande Coal and other members of the Mavin crew, the Commercial Director of Promasidor Nigeria limited, Mr. Kachi Onubogu said, “Our choice of brand ambassador is driven by the essence of the brand and its proposition to its target audience”.

Continuing the Commercial Director said “ Loya premium milk is a brand with class and taste; it is a brand with distinction and excellence, a brand that constantly rewards its loyal consumers. In 2011, Loya milk brand rewarded Nigerian consumers with a total of N50m in INSTANT CASH PRIZES. Loya milk brand is therefore a brand that is loved and well respected by consumers”.

Commenting on the online promo, Onubogu said “from December 1st till 31st December an on-line promotion kicks off. All a consumer needs to do is to like us on www.facebook.com/loyamilk OR log on to the promo site www.tasteyourdream.com. Enter their details- Name, Phone number and e-mail address. Each winner stands a chance win Samsung Galaxy S3 Smartphone, One night in a hotel and an opportunity to be in a Loya TV commercial with Don Jazzy.

On his part, Don jazzy stated that there is a lot of synergy between Loya milk and his personae and promised to be a good ambassador of the brand

Loya Milk is a brand that is loved and well respected by consumers. It is known to never hesitate in giving back to its consumers. It is to be recalled that in 2011, the brand rewarded its consumers with a total of N50m in a promo that lasted for about 90 days.
 
Known for being charitable, Don Jazzy, the new brand ambassador is a multi award-winning Nigerian
record producer, singer/songwriter, and current CEO of the Mavin Records label.
 
Recently rated as the 36th ‘Most powerful celebrity in Africa’ by Forbes, he is an avid user of social
networking sites with Twitter being his top. Don Jazzy has about 500, 000 followers and noted for giving birthday shout-outs to fans, airtime recharge cards, and even money via Twitter.
 
Loya is a premium milk brand on the stable of  Promasidor. Its brand promise is to deliver consistent, premium quality milk
powder that assists in keeping the family strong and healthy and contains calcium, proteins and Vitamins A and D,
essential for the growth of a healthy body.

The high calcium milk was re-launched in October 2010 to reposition it as a premium offering in the Nigerian milk market, It is targeted at stylish and sophisticated women who seek the best in quality

Apple's iPhone 5 Gets Final Approval for China Release

 

China is Apple's second-largest market and its Chinese fans are eagerly awaiting the latest model of its smartphone, the iPhone 5, which was released in the United States in September.

Apple has said that the iPhone 5 will be released in China in December, but the long wait caused Apple's smartphone market share to halve to 10 percent in the second quarter as users switch brands or hold out for the latest model, data from industry research firm IDC showed in August.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority, under China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, showed two iPhone 5 models on its website that received approval on Thursday. The two are the A1429, a WCDMA model that runs on China Unicom's network, and the A1442, a CDMA model that runs on China Telecom Corp's network.

The chairman of China Unicom, the country's second-largest mobile carrier, said early this month that it expected to start selling the iPhone 5 this year as it aims for a major boost in 3G users to 100 million by the year-end, up from 67 million in the first nine months.

Many users on Sina Corp's Weibo, China's most popular microblogging platform, cheered the imminent arrival of the latest iPhone. "I'm all ready! The iPhone 5 is coming!" said one.

 

Ex-Chelsea Boss Avram Grant Says Rafa Benitez Needs Time at Stamford Bridge

 

Benitez has had a hostile reception from the Stamford Bridge faithful since replacing Roberto Di Matteo  and the anger has not receded with two goalless home draws in his first two games.

But Grant, sacked by owner Roman Abramovich  despite leading Chelsea  to the 2008 Champions League final, reporters: "It is not easy times for him.

"But it's been more difficult for him being outside the game. He was waiting for this. He's been too long out of the game and not coaching.

"He's not shy or a little boy. He knows what to expect, especially when he came to this club. The supporters don't like it so much, but Rafa knows he needs to win games and play good football and that's what's important."

The 52-year-old Benitez became Chelsea's ninth manager since Abramovich became owner in 2003 and some reports suggest the Spaniard is merely keeping the seat warm for ex-Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.

When asked about Benitez's long-term job prospects at Stamford Bridge, Grant added: "Who knows? You are speaking about the job of manager at Chelsea! I do think he will do a good job and then he can think of the future."

Gus Poyet,  Chelsea midfielder between 1997-2001, believes Di Matteo should have remained in the post and is not a supporter of his old club's new manager.

Benitez has vowed to win the fans over, but Poyet, boss of Championship side Brighton, said: "Time will tell but I don't think it's good for the players or the club.

"I don't think it's ideal and I'm very uncomfortable for everyone."

 

Dr. Dre Ranks as Forbes' Highest-Paid Musician, at $100 Million

 

California native Dre, 47, became one of the leading names in hip-hop and rap in the early 1990s and has worked with artists including Eminem and Snoop Dogg.

Along with his extensive back catalog, Dre's lucrative headphones business, Beats by Dre, helped him gross $100 million in pre-tax earnings according to Forbes.

The list's top 10 was dominated by veteran musicians, with Pink Floyd's bassist and singer Roger Waters coming in at No. 2 with earnings of $88 million from his lucrative The Wall Live tour, and British singer Elton John at No. 3 with $80 million.

Last year's highest-paid musicians U2 landed at No. 4 this year with combined earnings of $78 million from their three-year 360 tour. 1990s British boy band Take That, who reformed in 2005, rounded out the top five with $69 million, earned from an eight-date tour at London's Wembley Stadium, which became the highest-grossing single stadium tour to date.

Forbes compiles its annual highest-paid musicians list by estimating artists' earnings from music sales, live shows, endorsements and merchandising. Earlier this year, Dutch DJ Tiesto was named the highest-paid DJ in the fast-growing electronic dance music industry.

The only two artists under 30 to break the top 10 were country-pop darling Taylor Swift, 22, who tied with ex-Beatle Paul McCartney at No. 8 with earnings of $57 million, and Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, 18, who tied with country star Toby Keith at No. 10 with earnings of $55 million.

Pop star and "X Factor" judge Britney Spears entered the list at No. 7 with earnings of $58 million, cementing her comeback after a turbulent few years. Her earnings encompass her multi-million dollar "X Factor" deal, music sales and endorsements.

Spears led eight female artists in the top 25 list, including R&B star Rihanna at No. 12 with $53 million, coming ahead of Lady Gaga at No. 13 with $52 million. Grammy-winning British singer Adele notched No. 22 on the list, tied with Kanye West, with earnings of $35 million following a record year for her album "21."

Music's power couple, singer Beyonce and rapper Jay-Z, came in at No. 18 and No. 20, respectively, with earnings of $40 million and $38 million.

 

Halle Berry, Gabriel Aubry Reach Agreement

 

The two sides met today over whether or not Aubry would resume visitation of his four-year-old daughter with Berry, Nahla.

Berry's attorney Blair Berk and Aubry's attorney Shawn Chapman Holley confirmed to reporters that "the parties have reached an amicable agreement. There will be no further statements regarding this matter."

Last week, according to police sources, a fight broke out when Aubry was dropping off Nahla to Berry's house for Thanksgiving.

The next day, Aubry was granted a temporary restraining order against Martinez.

"At no time during the altercation with Mr. Martinez was I the aggressor," wrote Aubry at the time that he was petitioning for the restraining order, prior to this new agreement. "I fear for my physical safety if I am in the presence of Mr. Martinez."

 

Reps probe Orubebe’s multi-billion naira mansion

The “multi-billion naria” mansion is alleged to be built by a construction firm, SETRACO for the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe.
 
The House endorsed a motion sponsored by Mr. Odeneye Kehinde on the matter and resolved to probe the ownership of the property.
 
Kehinde noted that the property had been one of the issues dominating discussions lately in the country.
 
He said, “There is no evidence that the minister declared the house in his asset declaration with the Code of Conduct Bureau.”
 
He expressed surprise that neither the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission nor the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission had considered the issue important for investigation.
 
Part of the motion he presented before the House read,  “It is saddening for me to have to come up with a motion of this nature to address a matter which ought to have been taken up by our anti-corruption agencies.
 
“This motion is brought against the backdrop of mounting disclosures of corrupt practices levelled against a sitting minister by some anti-corruption outfits in the country.
 
“A summary of the allegation runs thus:
 
The minister has paid for so many phantom projects.

Buhari's 40 years old daughter is dead

The forty years old lady who was said to to be suffering from sickle cell anaemia died on  Thursday evening after being delivered of a baby in Nasara Hospital, Marafa Estate in Kaduna.
 
 
Zulaiha, who was  born on December 5, 1972, studied at the Department of Economics Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
 
She left behind Amira, Moh’d and the two-day-old  baby girl.
 
The former Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nasir el-rufai, said, “May the soul of Zulaihatu, the eldest daughter of General Muhammadu Buhari, rest in perfect peace.”
 
The spokesman for the Congress for Progressive Change, Rotimi Fashakin, described the death as sad.

Bill to Correct National Flags, Coats Abnormalities Passes Second Reading

 

The bill seeks to enact the National Symbols Act, 2012, defining a procedure for States to follow to have their flags, symbols and other emblems.

It also seeks to expressly authorize the use of State Flag, State Coat of Arms and how it should be used vis-a’ vis the National Flag.

The Nigerian National Symbol includes the National Flags, National Coat of Arms, National Anthem and National Pledge.

The Flags and Coats of Arm Act of 2004 does not provide for States flags expressly, but it permits it by making reference to it.

Leading the debate on the general principles of the bill, Rep. Karimi Sunday (PDP-Kogi) said the bill seeks to correct some abnormalities in the old Act.

He noted that some States currently have flags and symbols without following the correct procedures, and displaying them without the National Flag.

“It will be wrong for a State to display its own flag without the National Flag.’’

The lawmaker said that the bill would impact on the psyche of an average Nigerian  to think of himself as a Nigerian first before he thinks of himself as member of his “ tribe, religion, ethnic group or State.“

Rep. Sunday urged his colleagues to support the bill, saying that it would foster national unity and instil patriotism among Nigerians.

“ Nigeria no doubt is at one of the most challenging times in her national history where various factors militating against the Nigerian State keeps rearing its head.

“All efforts geared at fostering unity, nationalism and patriotism should therefore be encouraged, while all factors repudiating the Nigerian State must be discouraged.’’

In his contribution, Rep. Leo Ogor (PDP-Delta) expressed his support for the bill, saying  the that “ the Green White Green is the symbol of our authority.’’

He expressed concern that some states were having their own flags, saying that if the trend continues, Local Government might also want to have their own flags.

He averred that any state that desires to have its own flag “should know that there is only one nation.’’

“The National Flag should be our only flag, it is our national identity.’’ Ogor said.

In his remarks, Rep.Ossai Ossai (PDP-Delta) aligned himself with the views of Rep. Sunday that the bill was intended to unite the country.

“This bill will promote patriotism, a feeling of united Nigeria and Sovereign State.’’

However, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila(ACN-Lagos)  deferred in his views, saying that  states having their flags or other symbols does not connote that Nigeria was not a united nation.

He said that any states could have their flags side by side with the National Flag.

“They can go side by side, if National Flag is disrespected, we can bring an amendment and not repeal.

“I don’t think the bill should pass through the second reading.’’

The bill however, scaled second reading when it was put to vote by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Emeka Ihedioha.

He referred it to the House  Committee on Justice for further legislative work.

Meanwhile, the House had adjourned plenary to Dec.11 to allow House Committees complete work on 2013 appropriation bill.

 

 

Will.I.Am Launches iPhone Camera Cases

 

The Black Eyed Peas singer is releasing his new i.am+ foto.sosho range of camera cases for the iPhone 4 and 4S.

The brain child of Intel’s Director of Creative Innovation (as Mr I.Am is known in non-music circles), the line has been developed by Chandra Rathakrishnan, the man behind the ill-fated CrunchPad and JooJoo, and will be fronted by the singer.

The two current designs start with the basic model priced at £199. This case includes a flash module, three interchangeable lenses (macro, fish-eye and clear glass) and comes in a choice of black or white.

The next case up, priced at a jaw-clenching £299, offers a slide-out backlit Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard with a bling appeal white and gold or black and silver body colour. Both cases are said to transform your current 5MP lens into 14MP.

The camera accessory also combines with an app that allows on-board editing, filters and social media connectivity.

The new cases represent the continued love affair blossoming between Will.I.Am and the tech industry, the singer has also stated he is interested in developing a talent show for potential entrepreneurs.

The i.am+ foto.sosho range is available from December 6, exclusively at Selfridges in London with iPhone 5 compatible models coming soon.

 

Nokia Attempts to Block BlackBerry Sales After Patent Dispute

 

The Finnish company made the disclosure by submitting a US court filing that asked for enforcement of the earlier ruling that RIM infringed on a Nokia patent by including WLAN in its BlackBerry handsets.

According to Nokia the ruling was that RIM could not manufacture or sell any WLAN product without paying royalties first, and so it has filed cases in the US, Canada and the UK to have the ruling enforced - which could mean a sales ban on BlackBerry handsets.

It has to be said the squabble comes at a remarkably bad time for both companies. Nokia is struggling to capture a foothold in the smartphone market, despite recent releases in the form of the Nokia Lumia 920 and the Nokia Lumia 820.

Meanwhile BlackBerry continues to lose ground to the likes of Apple and Samsung, and is heavily relying on the new BlackBerry 10 operating system that was originally slated to appear this autumn but has been pushed back to early next year.

So far RIM has yet to comment on the ruling but has said that it will respond to Nokia in time. Whether a royalty agreement will be reached by the two companies remains to be seen.

 

Top 10 Beauty Foods

 

Besides that you have to stay healthy, get more fresh air, exercise and apply facial masks, it is also crucial to eat well and get your skin shinning with health. Remember, you look what you eat.

Check out what foods dentitians encourage us to eat to stay beautiful

Wild salmon:

A primo source for omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce skin inflammation, preventing redness, wrinkles, and loss of firmness. It's also potent in antioxidants and vitamins B and D. 

 

Low-fat yogurt:

In one word, calcium. Good for strong bones, nails, and teeth. One cup of plain, low-fat yogurt has more calcium than a glass of skim milk. 

 

Oatmeal: 

This is great for the skin as it provides the entire range of the B vitamins and a lot of calcium. Not only does it make the skin smooth, but it gives your hair a shiny and silky look. 

 

Blueberries: 

Full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories that prevent long-term cell damage. 

 

Kiwifruit: 

Another good source of antioxidants, kiwis are also a great source of vitamin C and potassium, all which help prevent wrinkles. 

 

Sweet potatoes:

Chock full of beta-carotene, something the body converts to vitamin A, which keeps skin smooth and is thought to prevent against sun damage. 

 

Spinach:

This nutrient-dense leafy green is a great source of beta-carotene and lutein, which protects the eyes. 

 

Tomatoes: 

Perhaps the only vegetable best eaten processed. Tomatoes are a major source of lycopene, a potent antioxidant also thought to protect against sunburn. 

 

Walnuts: 

A key source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. The omega-3s found in walnuts also helps fight against skin ailments like psoriasis and eczema. 

 

Dark chocolate: 

Full of antioxidants and nutrients, cocoa (choose chocolate with at least 60 percent cocoa) increases blood flow to the skin, which in turn boosts hydration, smoothness, and protection against sun exposure. 

 

 

 

 

R&B Star Mary J. Blige Sued for Defaulting on $2.2 Million Loan

 

According to court documents filed in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Signature Bank is seeking to recoup the original loan plus $58,000 in interest.

Blige, 41, who has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, and her husband Martin Isaacs took out the loan in October 2011 and defaulted in July 2012, the suit alleges.

Blige's publicist declined comment on the lawsuit. The singer's attorney did not immediately return a request to comment.

The lawsuit also names Blige's production company, Mary Jane Productions Inc.

The lawsuit is the latest financial headache for the New York City native. The "Family Affair" singer's charity, The Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now Inc, was accused earlier in this year of mishandling funds and cheating scholarship students.

Blige acknowledged the problems in a June interview.

"The lives of young women are at stake," the singer told Reuters when asked about the allegations. "I feel what they feel. I don't want them to suffer. I promised them something and I'm gonna deliver. Period."

 

Lindsay Lohan Arrested Again After Club Fight in NYC

 

The "Liz & Dick" star allegedly punched a woman in the face at the Manhattan nightclub Avenue at 4 a.m. on Thursday morning, a spokesperson for the NYPD confirms. The 26-year-old actress was arrested and charged with assault. She was later released after being issued a desk appearance ticket for a future unspecified date.

The woman she allegedly hit was not expected to face charges, reports say.

A rep for Lindsay has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Lindsay just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Still on probation for a 2011 necklace theft, she has had three other run-ins with police in New York since September. They include a hit and run (charges were later dropped), a fight with a man in her hotel room (charges against him were later dropped), and a domestic dispute with her mother, Dina Lohan, in which Lindsay alleged that the 50-year-old was high on cocaine. Lindsay later said she lied about her mother's drug use.

Back in Los Angeles, Lindsay crashed her rented Porsche into a truck in June, then allegedly lied to police saying she wasn’t driving. Charges are still pending on that case, but she reportedly will have her probation revoked.

There have been other incidents as well this year that didn’t involve police, including an unpaid hotel bill in the amount of $46,350 at Chateau Marmont (it was later settled), and a $140,203 tax lien.

Lindsay keeps saying that she wants people to focus on her acting career, not her drama-filled personal life, but she's not giving us much of a choice. She made one TV movie this year (which was largely panned) and has had at least five police run-ins. (We won’t even get into the time paramedics were called to her hotel room after they found her "unresponsive.")

Perhaps one day she'll save the drama for work – but we just can't see that happening anytime soon.

 

Messi, Ronaldo & Iniesta Nominated for 2012 Fifa Ballon d'Or

 

The Argentine has netted an impressive 82 goals since January, and needs only three more in 2012 to equal Gerd Muller's record of 85 strikes for club and country in a calendar year.

Messi helped Barcelona to the Copa del Rey in 2011-12, while also guiding Argentina to top spot in their 2014 World Cup qualification section.

Ronaldo played a key role in Real Madrid's Liga triumph last term with his 46 league goals, and also made it to the semi-finals of Euro 2012 with Portugal.

Iniesta, meanwhile, triumphed with Spain at last summer's European Championship, as well as winning the Copa del Rey with the Blaugrana.

Messi previously won the Ballon d'Or in 2009, while also picking up the prestigious trophy in 2010 and 2011 after it merged with the Fifa World Player of the Year award. 

Ronaldo emerged victorious in 2008, but had to settle for second spot in 2009 and 2011. Iniesta finished as runner-up in 2010.

Vicente del Bosque, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho have been nominated for the Coach of the Year prize.

Radamel Falcao, Neymar and Miroslav Stoch are the three candidates in the running to win the Puskas award for goal of the season, while Marta, Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan are in contention for the Women’s Player of the Year title.

Bruno Bini, Norio Sasaki and Pia Sundhage are the trio up for the Coach of the Year trophy in women's football.

The winners of all of the awards will be revealed at the Fifa Ballon d’Or gala as part of a televised show at the Zurich Kongresshaus on 7 January 2013.

 

South African firm pays $335m for MTN Nigeria shares

The stake was purchased through the company’s subsidiary, Shanduka Telecommunication, based in Mauritius.
 
It is the largest investment the company has made outside South Africa, Shanduka Group said in a statement.
 
“This is Shanduka’s most significant investment in another African country.
 
“It is a business that is well established within a market that has great potential for further growth.
 
“Shanduka will continue to pursue opportunities in other parts of Africa,” said CEO Phuti Mahanyele.
 
The stake was purchased from three private investors.
 
MTN Nigeria is the largest mobile operator in Nigeria with over 45 million subscribers and an estimated market share of 48 per cent.
 
The company is an indirect subsidiary of MTN Group, which holds a 78.8 per cent stake.
 

CAN to take Boko Haram to ICC over crimes against Christians

Speaking at the opening of CAN’s National Executive Council Meeting (NEC) in Awka, Anambra State Wednesday, the National President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor said that Boko Haram has targeted Christians in attacks aimed at wiping out Christianity in the North and Nigeria entirely.

“We in CAN are strongly considering pressing charges against the Boko Haram sect for crimes committed against Christians at the International Criminal Court and we will commence soon. We are not encouraging Christians to carry arms,” he said. But he noted that CAN had always called on Christians and the churches to defend themselves.

He said: “We call on the governors of the southern states to come together and hold a meeting to know the fate of their people who are being killed in the North and to challenge their northern counterparts.”

According to him, without the measures put in place by the southern governors, there will be reprisal attacks everyday, arguing that the northern governors should put the same measures in place

Labour leaders call for CBN Governor's resignation for advocating the sack of 50 percent of civil servants

The CBN governor allegedly made the call at a seminar in Warri on Tuesday as part of measures to reflate the economy.
 
He was quoted as saying that the government was servicing civil servants, legislators and local government officials with 70 per cent of its income, leaving a paltry 30 per cent for development.
 
But the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Civil Service Workers Union were up in arms against the CBN governor for his suggestion.
 
 
The NLC described Sanusi as an agent of death because, according to the Congress, he wanted to escalate the insecurity in the country. TUC President General Peter Esele said the problem of Nigeria is the greed of the elite.
 
Esele said Sanusi should tell the people what the CBN budget is.
 
“Sanusi is the most loquacious of Central Bank Governors. Central Bank Governors all over the world and all other treasury governors comment on monetary policies, which is responsible for the growth of their economy. They are not headline makers; they only make news when necessary. The CBN Governor should resign, if he is bored with the job or if the CBN is too small for him, and look for a job that will get him ready headlines”.
 
“ Nigerian people don’t know the cost of running CBN. He should start from there. The House has been asking him for the budget of CBN, and he has been evasive,” Esele added.
 
The NLC, in a statement entitled: “Sack Sanusi now”, signed by President Abdulwaheed Omar, said: “We see in Sanusi an agent of death that must be defeated and crushed before he further destroys the Nigerian economy. While President Jonathan is promising to create more jobs, Sanusi is calling for mass sack of civil servants in a country with one of the highest number of unemployed, which has indeed led to gross deprivation and the current state of insecurity in Nigeria. While we believe the Federal Government will ignore the ranting of this hollow economist, Sanusi has never demonstrated patriotism in all his advice on economic and financial management in Nigeria.
 
“Sanusi’s only understanding of governance is simply about saving money and not saving lives as his proposals are repeatedly devoid of human content and without consideration for the implications on the larger society. The burden that will come with mass sack as high as 50 per cent of civil servants, in addition to the already saturated unemployment market can better be imagined. Governance is about improving the quality of lives of the people and not destruction of productive lives.”
 
The Congress condemned also Sanusi’s statement on local governments, saying, “To show how un-knowledgeable and unfit he is as a public office holder, Sanusi also called for the scrapping of local governments in Nigeria, a country that runs a federal system – no matter how inefficient the system is. Local government is an important tier of government in a federal system and what we need is to strengthen the system to enable it deliver good governance to the people as it is the closest to the grassroots.
 
The NLC added: “What Sanusi as a beneficiary is running away from, is that corruption has become a real burden on the economy and it should be the only priority item on the table of any serious government. Even if you sack all the workers in Nigeria, any amount saved from that will be stolen and the culprits will walk in freedom.
 
“And we need to ask Sanusi how much work he has successfully done in the CBN to reposition it to contemporary realities? He is surrounded with countless aides that are obviously not required by a man who believes that the Nigerian economy runs too high on overhead cost.”
 
The General Secretary, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, said he was surprised that the CBN Governor could not differentiate between civil servants and public servants. He said the strength of the entire civil service is below 100,000. And that the public service, comprising the Army, Navy, Customs, EFCC, NAFDAC, among others, has 970,000 workers.
 
His words: “The civil service is just a subset. If Sanusi now says we are the ones taking 70 per cent of the budget, we have to doubt his CV. The IMF said for every N100 spent on services in Nigeria, 80 per cent goes to private pocket; it goes to corruption. Only 20 per cent is spent on the project.
 
“Have they traced the N1.7 trillion subsidy scam to civil servants? What they are trying to do is to see more resources to share. If they try sacking 50 per cent of the civil servants, they won’t find it easy. We will rise to the challenge.”
 
The President , Nigeria Voters Assembly , Comrade Mashood Erubami, in a statement in Ibadan, described Sanusi’s advice as ill-timed and self-serving .
 
He said: “The Voters Assembly is shocked by the unsupportable advice from the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) asking the Federal Government to downsize the labour force if it must achieve anything in the economy.
 
“Workers who are the producers of the nation’s wealth, the chicken that lay the golden egg, must not be sacrificed for the economy, instead, Federal Government should employ more workers to enhance the productive capacity of the economy and improve the resource base of the nation for sustainable human development.”
 
“Sacking 50 per cent of Nigeria workers would create further risky condition for the economy and the constituent citizenry; armed robbery will be on the rise, daylight assassination will become the order of the day and hunger shall be prevalent for underdevelopment will step in. There will be war from all fronts and the state will become decapitated,” Erubami said.

Justice Salami: NJC and Jonathan Asks Court to Dismiss Oyinlola’s Suit

Oyinlola is asking the court to determine whether NJC’s recommendation is not void considering the pendency of a suit filed by Salami on his removal and another filed by the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Salami and two others.
 
He also wants the court to determine whether Jonathan can reinstate Salami while these suits are pending.
 
But in a counter-affidavit filed by its counsel Abdulkarim Kana, NJC said it was constitutionally empowered to reinstate a judicial officer it suspended and that the communication to the President with respect to Salami’s suspension, recall and reinstatement was for ceremonial purpose only.
 
NJC said Oyinlola’s suit was a witch-hunt against Salami, which arose as a result of the nullification of his election by the Governorship Election Appeal Tribunal in November 2010.
 
Moreover, NJC said Salami was never removed from office, as such there was no action in court filed by him challenging his removal, rather the suit is challenging the NJC’s decision to suspend him while an action was pending before the court.
 
NJC asked the court to dismiss the suit as the former governor lacks the locus standi to institute it.
 Justice Abdul Kafarati adjourned till January 24, 2013 to rule on whether or not to dismiss the suit.

On his part President Jonathan implored the court to strike out the case for want of merit, insisting that Oyinlola was bereft of the requisite locus-standi to institute an action with a view to ensuring that Salami remained on perpetual suspension

In a joint counter-affidavit of seven paragraphs accompanied with a written address dated November 12, Jonathan and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed  Adoke, branded Oyinlola’s suit as “premature”, saying it constitutes a deliberate abuse of court process
 
Mentioned as defendants in the suit are the President and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) alongside the NJC.

Microsoft Sells 40 Million Windows 8 Licenses in First Month

 

The sales number represents a solid but unspectacular start for the touch-friendly operating system designed to combat Apple Inc’s and Google Inc’s domination of mobile computing, which has shunted aside PCs in favor of iPads and smartphones.

Tami Reller, finance and marketing head of the Windows business, did not give a precise comparison, but sales of 40 million licenses for Windows 8, launched on 26 October, appear to be ahead of Windows 7, which sold just over 60 million units in the first 10 weeks on sale at the end of 2009.

Reller did not break down the Windows 8 license sales between relatively cheap upgrades and purchases of new machines running the new software, but suggested much of the growth was coming from upgrades.

“Windows 8 upgrade momentum is outpacing that of Windows 7,” said Reller, speaking at an investor conference held by Credit Suisse. Upgrading to Windows 8 costs $40, compared to $70 for the full software package or hundreds of dollars for a new PC.

The latest figure does not mean that 40 million users have adopted Windows 8. Many of the sales are to PC manufacturers, who in turn sell a large number of machines to companies, very few of which are using Windows 8 yet.

According to tech research firm StatCounter, about 1 percent of the world’s 1.5 billion or so personal computers – making a total of around 15 million – are actually running Windows 8.

Reller did not disclose sales of Microsoft’s new Surface tablet, its first-ever own-brand PC, designed to challenge the iPad head on.

The first Surface, based on a chip designed by ARM Holdings Plc, does not run old versions of Microsoft programs. A slightly bigger version based on an Intel Corp chip that will run the full Windows 8 Pro operating system and be fully compatible with the Office suite of applications will be available in January, Reller said.

The investor conference was the first public appearance for Reller since she was named as one of two executives to run the Windows unit after president Steven Sinofsky unexpectedly left two weeks ago. Julie Larson-Green heads the engineering side of Windows.

Reller said the Windows unit had survived Sinofsky’s surprise departure.

“The team holistically is in great, great shape. And the product is in great shape,” she said, responding to a question from a Credit Suisse analyst. “I think transitions are always somewhat of a challenge, but I think that timing-wise it is a reasonable time, and the team is busy.”

Earlier in the day, Microsoft said it had sold more than 750,000 Xbox game consoles in the United States last week, including the day after Thanksgiving, one of the country’s biggest shopping days.

That is down from 960,000 sales in the same week a year ago, in line with reduced computer game spending across the board this year, as gamers hold off on purchases in the tight economy and move toward free online games.

 

Imoke Demands Eaglets' Victory Against Mali

 

The amiable Governor who spoke through his commissioner for sports, Honourable Patrick Ugbe, said the Nigerian youngsters must beat the Junior Eagles of Mali on their home soil to prove that their 2-0 first leg win in Calabar penultimate Sunday was not a fluke.

“We have seen what  you are capable of doing over time and I’m  very proud that you have won all your past matches including the 2-0 victory over Mali the last time,” Ugbe quoted Governor Imoke who is regarded as the team’s No.1  fan as saying.

“You must therefore go a step further by winning your last game in Bamako to show everyone that your victory over the Malians in Calabar was because you are the better side.”

The crucial Sunday game in Bamako has elicited varied interest following the manner the Golden Eaglets outplayed their supposedly bigger and stronger rivals in Calabar.

“Winning football matches is not about size and I want you to get the job done on Sunday by ensuring that you secure the ticket to the African Championship in Morocco in flying colours,” the Governor further stated.

The Golden Eaglets have won all their five previous matches by scoring a remarkable 19 goals and conceded just one. The team rounded off its training at the synthetic pitch of the NFF/FIFA Goal Project site in Abuja on Tuesday brimming with confidence ahead of the battle of Bamako.

“We are set for Bamako and by the special grace of God, we shall secure our qualification to the African Championship,” coach Manu Garba (MFR) said.

“Our preparations have been thorough and the players know what lies ahead of them and we are confident about our chances going for this match and we pray God crowns all our efforts with resounding success.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian contingent to Bamako would depart Abuja for Lagos aboard Arik Airlines Wednesday where they are expected to board a mid day Asky Airline to Lome en route to Bamako.

 

Mourinho tops list of highest paid managers in the world, Ferguson is fourth

Brazilian sports business consulting firm Pluri Consultoria has ranked what they consider to be the highest earning 30 bosses in the game with former Chelsea manager Mourinho sitting pretty at the summit, allegedly earning £12.3m per year.
 
Hodgson, reportedly on £2m a year, may have been a surprise choice to pip Harry Redknapp to the England post earlier this year but the former Tottenham manager’s services are being rewarded with a far more handsome pay check at Loftus Road.
 
Sadly for Hodgson, it seems his England role is not even the biggest job in international football either with rivals from China, Saudi Arabia and Qatar also offering bigger financial rewards

In a list of the 30 highest earning managers, Hodgson is down in 30th on £2m along with Joachim Low at Germany but also with Martin O’Neill at Sunderland.
 
Redknapp’s £3.2m annual wage at QPR puts him 14th and narrowly behind Spurs successor Andre Villas-Boas in the list.
 
Carlo Ancelotti, is second with a salary of £10.9m at Paris St. Germain.
 
Ferguson is the highest earning Premier League manager on £7.6m at Manchester United, with six other bosses in the English top flight making the top 30.
 
The highest paid international manager is former England boss Fabio Capello, whose disastrous spell in charge of the Three Lions at the 2010 World Cup has done little to put off Russia who are paying the Italian £6.3m.
 
Four straight wins in qualification for the 2014 World Cup suggest Capello (who was on £6m annually in charge of England) is at least earning his wage. Hodgson may have to start beating teams better than Moldova to prove he is not being overpaid rather than underpaid!



TOP 30 MANAGERIAL EARNERS IN THE WORLD (according to some blokes in Brazil)




1. Jose Mourinho – Real Madrid (£12.3m)
 
2. Carlo Ancelotti – Paris St. Germain (£10.9m)
 
3. Marcelo Lippi – Guangzhou (£8.7m)
 
4. Sir Alex Ferguson – Manchester United (£7.6m)
 
5. Arsene Wenger – Arsenal (£7.5m, pictured right)
 
6. Guus Hiddink – Anzhi (£6.7m)
 
7. Fabio Capello – Russia (£6.3m)
 
8. Tito Vilanova – Barcelona (£5.6m)
 
9. Jose Camacho – China (£4.8m)
 
10. Roberto Mancini – Manchester City (£4.8m)
 
11. Frank Rijkaard – Saudi Arabia (£4.3m)
 
12. Jupp Heynckes – Bayern Munich (£4.2m)
 
13. Andre Villas-Boas – Tottenham (£3.6m)
 
14. Harry Redknapp – QPR (£3.2m)
 
15. Jorge Jesus – Benfica (£3.2m)
 
16. David Moyes – Everton (£2.9m)
 
17. Manuel Pellegrini – Malaga (£2.9m)
 
18. Paulo Autuori – Qatar (£2.9m)
 
19. Abel Braga – Fluminense (2.8m)
 
20. Luciano Spaletti – Zenit (£2.7m)
 
21. Antonio Conte – Juventus (£2.4m)
 
22. Cesare Prandelli – Italy (£2.4m)
 
23. Vanderlei Luxemburgo – Gremio (£2.4m)
 
24. Muricy Ramalho – Santos (£2.4m)
 
25. Tite – Corinthians (£2.4m)
 
26. Ottmar Hitzfeld – Switzerland (£2.1m)
 
27. Joachim Low – Germany (£2m)
 
28. Marcelo Bielsa – Athletic Bilbao (£2m)
 
29. Martin O’Neill – Sunderland (£2m)
 
30. Roy Hodgson – England (£2m)

culled from Daily Mail

U.S. Author Sues Filmmaker Tyler Perry Over Plot of 2012 Film

 

Terri Donald, who also writes under the pseudonym TLO Red'ness, says Perry based the film on her 2007 book, "Bad Apples Can Be Good Fruit."

The lawsuit, filed in Philadelphia, says Donald sent a copy of her book to Perry's company before production on the movie began.

Donald is seeking $225,000 in initial damages as well as an injunction requiring the company to add a credit for her book in the opening and closing credits. The lawsuit also calls for the company to provide an accounting of the movie's revenues.

The drama, which stars Perry as a wealthy businessman who meets a struggling single mother, earned approximately $35 million at the box office after its February release.

Representatives for Perry and Lions Gate Entertainment, which released the film and is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.

Perry is best known for his portrayal in drag of the character Madea in several of his films.

 

Arsenal Chief Executive Gazidis Appointed to Influential European Posts

 

The 48-year-old has been named as the European Club Association (ECA) representative to the Uefa Professional Strategy Council, which is the organisation's main policy-making body.

The Gunners supremo will also take a seat on the ECA Executive Board as a result, and oversee processes which represent over 207 European sides, including 10 Premier League teams.

"I am delighted to be joining these important groups which are hugely influential in the future direction of the game in Europe. I am looking forward to representing the top European clubs in many important debates as we move ahead," he told reporters.

ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge welcomed Gazidis to the role, saying: "His experience and distinct football knowledge will add a lot of value to ECA and European club football as a whole."

Manchester United CEO David Gill recently stepped down from the ECA Executive Board, and Gazidis has taken the available spot.

Gazidis also maintains roles on the FA's Professional Game Board (PGB), the FA Council and on Fifa's Dispute Resolution Chamber.

 

113 Ex-militants Offered Employment in Nigeria, Abroad – Says Amnesty Office

 

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Daniel Alabrah, Head of Media and Communications of the office.

It stated that Proclad Group of Companies in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) offered employment to 30 of the 150 ex-militants, who were trained by the Proclad Academy because of their exceptional conduct and performance.

“The office, in collaboration with the International Centre for Non-violence and Peace Development (ICNPD) secured the employment through a partnership with Proclad Academy.

“Mr Kingley Kuku, who is the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and the Chairman of PAO, also facilitated the immediate employment of 40 maritime trainees by the Century Energy Group in Nigeria,’’ the statement said.

It said that the office also offered employment to another 24 maritime trainees

“Four welding and fabrication trainees have been employed in Nigeria by Plants and Processing Service Company, while five were offered jobs in South Africa by Ashland Investment Services.

“Ten were offered employment by Learning Resources in Ghana,’’ the statement said.

It added that the office was working with relevant partners and stakeholders in the Niger Delta and abroad to employ some of the ex-militants who had successfully completed their training.

The statement said the responsibility of the office “is to disarm, rehabilitate and reintegrate the former agitators who accepted the amnesty offer’’.

The office urged companies in the Niger Delta to comply with the Local Content Law by employing graduating students under the programme to enable them contribute their quota to the development of the country.

It will be recalled that recently, Alabrah, told newsmen in Port Harcourt that out of the 26,358 former militants that had been documented, 12,000 had been trained successfully.

 

INEC Prosecutes 200 Electoral Offenders

 

He said at the INEC/civil society dialogue on plans and progress toward the 2015 elections,that the prosecution was over offences arising from the 2011 voter registration and general elections.

Jega said the prosecution had been “a big problem’’ because of paucity of fund and manpower.

“In actual fact some of those apprehended have been prosecuted and convicted but the number is just too small compared to those remaining.

“A youth copper was also prosecuted and sentenced in Ondo for electoral manipulation.”

He said the police was in charge of prosecuting offenders until it was handed over to INEC, adding that the task was beyond the capacity of INEC and should not be left with the commission.

He said if INEC was saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting electoral offenders its major mandate would suffer because the quantum of offenders would be too much for the commission.

Jega called on government to work on the “Uwais panel report, on electoral reform, that recommended that a separate body should be set up to handle electoral offences”. 

 

Suspension of ATM Charge Not CBN’s Directive’

Speaking exclusively with THISDAY via telephone, against the backdrop of public anxiety over the seeming tardiness by banks to comply with the announcement, CBN Director, Corporate Communications, Mr. Ugochukwu Okoroafor, said the banks agreed to give back to their customers by way of removing the N100 charge.
 
According to him, the CBN had only encouraged the banks to put their customers into consideration and make access to financial services more affordable to them.
 
The CBN Director said the apex bank could not enforce compliance or sanction the banks for the delay in the stoppage of the charge since it didn’t issue a directive to that effect.
 
Almost all the banks still charge other banks’ customers for transactions on their ATMs.
 
“We charge if you use other banks’ cards on us,” a staff in one of the banks told THISDAY in confidence.
 THISDAY, however, gathered that the banks have embarked on high level discussion to devise a means of sharing the cost of the removal among themselves.
 
Nevertheless, the Bankers’ Committee has been blamed for misleading Nigerians with the announcement.
 
It had announced earlier this month after its regular meeting that the N100 ATM charge on  ‘other banks’ would be suspended with immediate affect when modalities for bearing the cost among the banks were yet to be fashioned out.
 
The Bankers’ Committee had explained that the resolve to halt further charges on ATM usage was borne out of the realisation that globally, such charges do not exist.

Governors Forum Still Divided On State Police, considers devolution of power

This comes as Governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, revealed that the governors were yet to reach a consensus on the establishment of state police.
 
Rising from a five hour meeting that started at 10 am in Abuja, they further disclosed that all other issues relevant to the constitution review were ongoing.
 
Chairman of the Forum and Rivers State Governor Chibuike Ameachi, in a communiqué, said that the forum “extensively deliberated on devolution of powers, revenue allocation, local government autonomy, land use act,  national youth service act and security”.
 
He said that discussion on the issues were still ongoing and added “members also reviewed a number of other issues including polio eradication and agreed to continue dialoguing with all stakeholders.”
 
Asked by newsmen for details on devolution of powers and other issues, Governor said that they were yet to reach a position on the matter.
 
Speaking with newsmen after the meeting, Governor Rochas Okorocha, stated that the federal government was carrying a heavy which was affecting the pace of development in the country.
 
Specifically on state police he said, “On the issue of state police, we have divided opinion. We have some people who believe that we should have state police and some believe that state police in the hands of politicians might be abused.
 
“Some of us, we believe that state police, community police, village police is the best way to go. Police should be decentralised to enable them really function at the grass root level.
 
On devolution of powers he said “there should be a distinction between federal police, state police. Whether we like it or not, we have community police, we have local government police and we have family police and you have police everywhere. Police is ability to check crime.

Asset declaration: Jonathan, Sambo not defaulting, ministers too —CCB

It also said that none of the ministers was in default.

It, however, disclosed that 134,717 public officers would be facing trial for defaulting to declare their assets.

The chairman of the Bureau, Mr Sam Saba, who disclosed this during the 2012 ministerial press briefing, held in Abuja, stated that 230,298 eligible declarations were identified and issued with assets declaration forms out of which 109,026 officers completed and returned their forms for processing and storage.

He further disclosed that the defaulters cut across many organisations, ministries,parastatals such as Customs Service Vehicle Inspection Unit and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He also stated that the Bureau was at present prosecuting 172 public officers from Kogi and Kwara states for defaulting.

 The Bureau chairman added that 80 petitions were received within the year, out of which 20 had been investigated, five had been referred to legal unit for advice,10 were sent to the legal unit for prosecution while 26 were under investigation. Three petitions were kept in view, three were  referred to other agencies, one closed and 16 still pending.

The Bureau also stated that it had filed charges on breach of the Code of Conduct against nine officers from various organisations before the conduct tribunal, adding that it was also drafting charges against public officers who had defaulted in declaring their assets from Abia,Akwa Ibom Bauchi,Bayelsa,Borno,Cross River,Ebonyi, Enugu, Kano,Katsina,Kwara, Nasarawa and Rivers states.

Ericsson Sues Samsung for Patent Infringement

 

Sweden's Ericsson, which reckons more than 40 percent of the world's mobile traffic passes through its networks, filed a lawsuit in the United States saying Samsung had refused to sign a license to use technology on terms it referred to as fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND).

"Ericsson has tried long and hard to amicably come to an agreement with Samsung and sign a license agreement on FRAND terms. We have turned to litigation as a last resort," Kasim Alfalahi, chief intellectual property officer at Ericsson said in a statement on Tuesday.

Alfalahi noted Ericsson has over 30,000 patents and more than 100 license agreements with major players in the industry.

A surge in smartphone and tablet computer sales has driven a switch in traffic on telecoms networks from mainly voice calls to video and music, which take up more capacity.

But although data traffic is surging - smartphone subscriptions alone are expected to rise to 3.3 billion by 2018 according to Ericsson's own figures - operators are finding it hard to get customers to pay much extra, squeezing their profits.

With Ericsson suffering a big drop in sales at its network unit - down 17 percent in the third quarter - it is increasingly turning to the courts to maintain its patent income, part of a wider trend where big technology names are fiercely protecting their intellectual property as global sales of tablets and smartphones boom.

One lawsuit by Apple relating to patents resulted in a $1.05 billion jury verdict against Samsung, the world's largest cell phone and television maker, in August.

An Ericsson spokesman declined to comment on the size of its lawsuit.

Samsung said it will "take all necessary legal measures to protect against Ericsson's excessive claims."

"Samsung has faithfully committed itself to conducting fair and reasonable negotiations with Ericsson over the past two years, but Ericsson has demanded prohibitively higher royalty rates to renew the same patent portfolio," the South Korean company said.

Samsung is also embroiled in a legal war with Apple in more than 20 disputes in 10 countries, with Apple alleging various Samsung smartphone and tablet products infringed its patents.

"Ericsson now has plenty of material from Samsung's litigations with Apple to quote in support of high FRAND royalty rates and sales bans," said Florian Mueller, blogger and patent expert who has advised Microsoft and Oracle in the past.

The Ericsson dispute concerns patented technology the Swedish firm says is essential to several telecommunications and networking standards used by Samsung's products as well as other patented inventions that are frequently implemented in wireless and consumer electronics products, the company said.

FRAND licensing terms are used for patents and technologies that have become essential, often as an industry standard. Ericsson says its FRAND licensing aims to give companies the incentive to contribute technology to open standards and still maintain royalty rates at a reasonable level. But the growth of patent suits has added complication to FRAND licensing and some tech companies have complained of inflated prices being proposed by patent owners.

According to Ericsson's statement, the company spent $5 billion in 2011 on research and development that resulted "in hundreds of patented inventions that are essential to the standards that drive global communications," such as GSM, GPRS and EDGE.

Ericsson's intellectual property right net revenues amounted to 6.2 billion Swedish crowns ($938 million) in 2011.

The complaint is filed in the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, the district where Ericsson's U.S. headquarters is located.

 

 

DG BPE relieved of appointment

A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media, Malam Umar Sani, on Tuesday in Abuja, said her removal from office was with immediate effect. 

According to the statement, she is to hand over to the most Senior Director in the Bureau, Mr. Benjamin Ezra Dikki, in an acting capacity.

  ``Mr. President extends his sincere appreciation to Mrs. Bolanle Onagoruwa for her services to the nation and wishes her the best in her future endeavours,” the statement added

Kate Henshaw Becomes Face of Perfume Line

 

The perfume line which is called Blessings Perfume, is owned by a UK based Nigerian and is exclusively sold in Harrolds, London. 

Although she did not disclose how much was involved in the deal, it was gathered that the company parted with a ‘mouth watering’ sum of money to have the actress sign the deal.

Henshaw started her acting career in 1993 and has featured in over 50 movies. 

She is presently a judge on the ongoing Nigeria’s Got Talent show and is also on set for an upcoming soap opera, Crossroads, along with other actors, including Emeka Ossai. 

She’s also the official face for Promassidor’s brand, Onga.

 

Health Benefits of Plantain

 

Almost a common sight in our backyards, the benefits of plantain are just unparalleled. They are usually cooked and consumed and are believed to be potent sources of vitamin A, potassium and fibre. Almost a staple food in the tropical regions, plantain is known to benefit health in more ways than one. An excellent combo of energy, tissue-building elements, minerals and proteins, plantain is richer in solids and lower in water content than most other fresh fruits. Plantains can be stewed, mashed, grilled, fried or plain boiled before consumption. What is more, it can be pounded and mashed to make face packs and stop external bleeding too. To know more on the nutritional value and its many health benefits, read on.

Nutrition & Health Benefits of Eating Plantain

•Plantain has gained an unparalleled status in the world of natural cure and is considered to be the numero uno cure for blood and limb poisoning. It reduces venom caused inflammation and effectively dries excess moisture.

•A well-acclaimed diuretic, plantain is found to be extremely effective against kidney and bladder problems. Plantain tea is known to soothe the bladder and is usually recommended against bed-wetting, dropsy and water retention.

•As a styptic, plantain can be either chomped or grounded into a paste to stop bleeding. Known to have an extremely soothing effect, plantain tea can be consumed to soothe mucous membranes and ulcers. It is also effective against heavy menstrual cycles.

•Plantain is also used as a vulnerary to treat cuts and wounds. Due to easy accessibility of this wonderful fruit, it can be easily bought and crushed and applied to cuts and wounds for quick relief. Also, since plantain has a high epidermal growth, it can be used to fix damaged tissues, treat bruises and broken bones.

•Plantain is touted as a wonderful blood cleanser. It is also an effective cure against venomous snake bites and scorpion stings. Plantain is also an excellent cure for treating bug bites, eczema and other skin irritations. It also helps to reduce the pain of poison ivy.

•Plantain, much like its yellow ripe counterpart, is extremely good for skin. Plantain juice can be effectively used to treat sunburn, ulcers, scalds and burns. It is treated as an effective substitute for aloe vera.

•Plantain has been used for long to treat diseases like tuberculosis and syphilis, both internally and externally. It is very effective for treating liver sluggishness and inflammation of the digestive tract too. Plantain is also used for scrofula, mercurial poisoning and other specific or non-specific glandular diseases.

•Chewing plantain root can offer immediate relief from toothache. Its decoction can be used on ringworm too. What is more, this miraculous herb is believed to help with loss of voice too.

•Plantain is known to soothe cough reflex and is used to treat asthma, lung infections, and hay fever and any other respiratory disorder that involves mucous congestion. It is known to provide relief from hoarseness and bronchial infections too. It is also used for respiratory problems that involve mucous congestion

•Plantain tea is known to be excellent cure for gastritis, diarrhea, dysentery, irritable bowel syndrome and other intestinal problems. It is also good for the eyes and is known to sooth eye irritation. 

 

Akpabio Redeems N10m Pledge to Eaglets

 

NFF President Aminu Maigari said: “We are very appreciative of this gesture by Governor Akpabio. He has always been a man of his words. This also underscores the fact that he is a true sports lover.”

NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu said the gesture was a huge boost to the team which departs Nigeria on Wednesday for a crucial continental championship qualifier in Bamako, slated for Sunday.

The Akwa Ibom State’s number one man made the pledge when he met the team at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja early September, on its way to a 2013 African U-17 Championship qualifying match against Niger in Niamey.

“You mean these boys are the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria? They are so young. Surely, this is the youngest set of Golden Eaglets I have seen in the history of Nigerian football,” Governor Akpabio said at the Abuja airport that day.

Two goals from defender Wilfred Ndidi and midfielder Alhassan Ibrahim steered the Eaglets to a 2-0 victory over the Malians in the first leg in Calabar penultimate weekend. The winner on aggregate will qualify for next year’s African U-17 Championship in Morocco.

 

NLC flay Governors working against LG autonomy —Labour

Speaking  at the  opening of NLC 2012 Harmattan School in Abuja, Comrade Omar said the governors were doing everything possible to ensure the status-quo to be maintained, despite calls by overwhelming Nigerians for autonomy of local councils.

The NLC president called on the National Assembly to ignore the governors, and go ahead to review allocation formula to give more funds for the local government areas to meet their developmental challenges.

To him, local government areas must get their autonomy so that the state governors will stop the usual complaint that the local government allocations have been used to pay teachers’ and workers’ salaries

NERC May Review Electricity Tariff Downward

It said this was necessary following a series of complaints from electricity consumers, especially Small and Medium Enterprises, about high fixed fee they must pay every month irrespective of the power situation within any particular month.
 
Executive Commissioner, Government and Consumer Affairs at the NERC, Dr. Abba Ibrahim, confirmed this to newsmen on the sideline of Power Consumers Assembly in Dutse, Jigawa State by the commission.
 
Abba said having received the complaints, the commission had put a process in motion to resolve the complaints of the SMEs, adding that the new tariff regime provided for review mechanism in case of such complaints.
 
He said: “There have been quite a number of complaints that have been raised. MYTO in itself has a mechanism for review. It is a multi year tariff order that has safety guards within it. Wherever there are issues raised by customers or even a service provider, the commission has the responsibility to sit down, listen and review where necessary.
 
“MYTO already has a six-month window for regular reviews. Also within it, if there are complaints regarding the implementation of the tariff order and the complaints were brought in within sixty days of its deployment, then the commission is also obliged to sit.
 
“We have had complaints from commercial operators, specifically, Small and Medium Enterprises, complaining about high fixed charges, equivalent to industrial categories. It is a complaint that was laid and met these criteria for review within 60 days of the MYTO order. We are now in the fifth month of the implementation of the tariff.
 
“These complaints were made within the 60 days of implementation and we have sat down with all the stakeholders. My chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi, is meeting with the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises on this particular issue as we speak. We have consulted the distribution companies. We have met severally and we are in the process of addressing this particular issue.
 
“So it is a review that is already being taken care of. It is unfortunate that some particular group has suffered this long but I can assure you we are putting all efforts to ensure that this is redressed.”
 
DISCOs must provide meters to all customers
 
He also insisted that the distribution companies across the country must provide meters to all customers in the next 13 months as ordered by the regulatory agency in June.
 
Abba said: “We are insisting on that. It is an order of the commission. It has not been withdrawn. An order is an order. We are operating a rule-based sector now. We believe that with the coming in of private operators, they will even be more aggressive in terms of revenue drive.
 
“One of the success stories is what has happened in Dutse. Our team had monitored the metering in Dutse and they report that over 60 per cent of the areas they had covered have prepaid meters already installed. They were also installed free of charge as ordered by the commission since June 1 and this is what we expect throughout the whole country.”

NUPENG Shuts Down Shell Operations Nationwide

 

This came as a nationwide strike by NUPENG looms following alleged assault on members by security operatives at Shell locations across the country, which prompted the Warri and Port Harcourt zones that serve the South-South states and eastern states to begin immediate strike.

Locations in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country, Vanguard gathered, had been directed to also down tools between today and tomorrow.

The aggrieved workers were said to have stormed Shell’s offices in Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt and Abuja between 2am and 3am and effectively barricaded the offices with tankers and prevented people from gaining access to the offices.

It was gathered that immediately the protesting workers came, they were confronted by security operatives and were said to have battled with the law enforcement agents for several hours as the law enforcement agents tried in vain to dislodge them.

At press time, the tankers were still at the Shell office in Lagos. It was  gathered that the tankers were towed away at 10am in the Warri and Port Harcourt offices, when the protesting workers left for a rally across major streets in the cities.

The workers, who picketed Shell office in Lagos, were led by the Lagos Zonal Chairman of NUPENG, Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, who vowed that the action would continue today.

He accused Shell’s management of several unfair labour practices including casualisation of workers and contract staffing.

Speaking, the Acting General Secretary of NUPENG, Mr. Isaac Aberare, deplored the attitude of the security operatives and claimed they assaulted harmless and unarmed workers, who were fighting for their rights, saying that their action was unbecoming of law enforcement agents in a democracy.

He confirmed that members in Warri and Port Harcourt zones had begun an indefinite strike  to protest alleged ill-treatment and said Lagos and other parts of the country would join in the industrial action should the harassment continue.

Earlier in a statement, Aberare said the picketing of Shell formations nationwide was due to the recalcitrant posture of the management towards the issue of unfair labour practices.

He said: “The issue of casual, contract staff or service contracts staff without conditions of service had been in the front burner with Shell in recent times without any headway.  The issue had become a social phenomenon and a hydra-headed evil in labour relations with Shell.”

 

Chris Brown's Twitter Deleted After Foul Tirade Against Female Writer

 

On Sunday evening, the singer's Twitter account was deactivated (and then he deleted it all together) after he went on a verbal tirade against comedic writer Jenny Johnson that exceeded 140 characters. 

Johnson, known for her humorous tweets, re-tweeted a post from Brown where he complained that he looked old and added this snarky comment: "Being a worthless piece of s--t can really age a person." But Brown wasn’t laughing. 

The 23-year-old responded by unleashing a foul barrage on the woman over a series of tweets … before Twitter stepped in and froze his page which had nearly 300,000 followers.

After she corrected the spelling of a vulgar word which he misspelt, he snapped, “I should fart when ur giving me top” and tagged  #SiezeTheDay, which is the name of his current tour. 

To that, Johnson retorted that Brown’s mother should be so proud of her son’s vocabulary. “Mom says hello,” replied Brown. 

After Brown and many of his millions of followers flooded Johnson’s mentions box in retaliation, she waved the white flag and tweeted, “Okay, I’m done. All I got from that exchange with Chris Brown is that he wants to s--t and fart on me.” The “Don’t Wake Me Up” singer reveled in what he considered winning the virtual fight. 

“Let me leave this bitch alone,” he wrote. “It’s good to know my worth by listening to a bitch that is worthless … Teambreezy had fun today!!! Outta here bitch.” When Johnson noted she has “zero respect for a person who seems unapologetic for the terrible crime he committed,” Brown ended the feud with this final, shocking tweet: “Just ask Rihanna if she mad.”

On Saturday, the “Diamonds” singer proved she’s not when she tweeted a photo of Brown passed out face down on a bed without his shirt on after the two spent Thanksgiving together in Berlin.

Brown may have been off Twitter, but his fans still carried on his work. Johnson wrote on Monday morning that she was receiving death threats from so-called members of Team Breezy. 

"It's alarming how many death threats I'm receiving via @ replies," she tweeted. "I encourage everyone, including @twitter to look through them. Not cool."

Brown's Twitter page later popped back up ... but with his offensive tweets deleted. Soon after, the page was down again.

 

House summons Anenih to account for abandoned road project

This is a resolution reached after consideration of the report of the auditor general of the federation on the activities of the federal ministry of works.
 
According to the auditor general’s report, the contractor executed only nineteen per cent of the job but was paid far in excess of the work done and no attempt was made to recover the N552 million paid to the contractor as mobilisation fee.
 
The contract which was for the reconstruction of a road in Nasarawa State was awarded in September 2001 to a contractor with a completion date of April 18, 2003. However, it was observed during inspection of the project site in 2004 that the project was abandoned.
 
Mr Anenih, who was the minister of works at the time the road contract was awarded is expected to appear before the house committee on public accounts to provide valuable insight into aspects of the contract agreement.

Nigeria Boko Haram member sends letter offering dialogue

The letter was signed by Sheik Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, a man known by local security sources to be a sect member but considered to be a moderate.

If the letter is genuine, it would appear to mark a change of tack for the Islamists that fits ill with a spate of violent episodes, including the bombing of the military church on Sunday. That bombing showed a degree of sophistication not seen from Boko Haram for months.

Nearly 3,000 people have died violent deaths related to the conflict since the sect launched its uprising in 2009, according to a count by Human Rights Watch. Boko Haram has replaced militancy in the oil-rich Niger Delta over that time to become the biggest security threat to Africa's top energy producer.

The letter was handed to the national head of the union of journalists, Aba Kakami, who has often received and distributed statements from the sect, usually claiming attacks against high profile targets or warning of them.

Communication with the shadowy Islamists, who are fighting to impose sharia, Islamic law, on Nigeria, has been even more sporadic than normal since the military killed their spokesman Abu Qaqa in September in a gun battle.

Abdulazeez first contacted journalists in Maiduguri earlier this month, setting conditions for peace talks in teleconference and nominating former military ruler and northerner Muhammadu Buhari as a mediator. Buhari has since declined the offer.

"We are by this letter of invitation to our respected elders proving to government that we are not joking with the government, but we are awaiting the response of those concerned," the letter said.

Abdulazeez said he was speaking on behalf of Abubakar Shekau, the sect's leader.

 

 

ICC suspects Boko Haram of crimes against humanity


THE HAGUE (AFP) – The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor has a “reasonable basis” to believe Boko Haram Islamists have committed crimes against humanity in Nigeria, her office said Monday.
 
Nigerian authorities should prosecute acts of murder and persecution attributed to the radical group that have claimed more than 1,200 lives since mid-2009 or the ICC could step in, the prosecutor said in a report seen by AFP.
 
“There is a reasonable basis to believe that since July 2009, Boko Haram has committed the following acts constituting crimes against humanity,” namely murder and persecution, the report said.
 
The report also cited a “reasonable basis” to believe that Boko Haram has “launched a widespread and systematic attack that has resulted in the killings of more than 1,200 Christians and Muslims.”
 
The group is pursuing a policy of “imposing an exclusive Islamic system of government in northern Nigeria at the expense of Christians specifically,” the report said.
 
The prosecutor’s office noted that Nigerian security forces may also have carried out human rights violations in its operations against the group, but said it had no indication that this was part of a “state or organisational policy to attack the civilian population.”
 
The prosecutor’s office said it would assess whether Nigerian authorities “are conducting genuine proceedings in relation to those who appear to bear the greatest responsibility for such crimes”.
 
Under the ICC’s complementarity principle, the court can step in only if national authorities are unwilling or unable to prosecute the crimes in question.
 
The ICC’s new chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said in July that the ICC did not plan to intervene provided that Nigeria takes action through its own judicial system.
 
“The intention is not to intervene, but the intention is to ensure that Nigeria has the primary responsibility of investigating,” she said during her first visit to Nigeria after taking office.
 
Violence linked to Boko Haram’s insurgency is believed to have left some 3,000 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces.
 
The group has claimed to be seeking an Islamist state in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest oil producer whose population is roughly divided between Christians and Muslims.
 
However, its demands have repeatedly shifted and the group is believed to include various factions with differing aims, in addition to imitators and criminal gangs who carry out violent attacks while posing as members of the group



But even if Abdulazeez does represent Shekau, the extent to which Boko Haram is controlled by Shekau is in doubt, and analysts think military pressure has fragmented it.

The letter nominated as mediator Imam Gabchiya, an official from the university in the city of Maiduguri, in the heartland of the Islamist insurgency against President Goodluck Jonathan's government.

There was no immediate reaction from government officials, but Jonathan said on November 18 that no talks were going on with Boko Haram while they remained faceless and in the shadows.

The handover of the letter came three days after Nigeria's army offered a 290 million naira (1.1 million pounds) bounty for information leading to the capture of 19 leading members of the sect

There’s no rift between Jonathan, Obasanjo —Oyinlola

Oyinlola, who said this while speaking with journalists at Okuku, his country home, during the formal launching of a foundation named after his father, Oba Moses Oyewole Oyinlola, noted that it was misleading to say that Obasanjo and Jonathan were fighting or having a form of disagreement, observing that, “some individuals want to use the controversy surrounding the Odi killings to set the two leaders of the PDP against each other.”

The former governor further stated that President Jonathan and Obasanjo were committed to the  growth and betterment of the nation as a whole, insisting there was no  friction between them.

 “There is no friction between the president and Chief Obasanjo. The issue of Odi killings will not cause hostility between the two leaders of our party. I think the media blew the issue out of proportion. President Jonathan and Chief Obasanjo are both working for the betterment of this great nation and for the good of the entire citizenry,” he said.  

When asked to comment on the political developments in his state, he  said, “I will not talk about Osun State now. I was the governor of the state for seven and a half years. Somebody is there now. Just compare and contrast. No matter what I say now, they will politicise it. So, let the people judge.”

On the legacy left behind by his late father which prompted the setting up of the foundation, Oyinlola said, “when I became a politician in 2001, I embarked on campaign trips across Osun State. I came back to my hometown to tell my siblings that our late illiterate father had done so much to the extent that anywhere I got to during my campaign, I was warmly embraced because of the good things that he did.”  

Julius Berger, RCC begin reconstruction of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Men and machines from the companies were deployed early on Sunday from Lagos end of the highway to the former Tollgate at Ogere Remo, Ogun State portion of the expressway described as the main artery road in the south of the country.

About 40 caterpillars and other equipment from the two construction giants were sighted on the highway.

It is recalled that Berger was handed the reconstruction contract of the Lagos-Sagamu Interchange part of the road, while RCC would reconstruct the remaining part.

They were seen filling the dangerous potholes on the road with asphalt, while caterpillars from the company cleared the unpaved median of the highway.

Traffic freely flowed on the road and the usual sight of indiscriminately parked trucks appeared to have begun to give way.

An official of the construction giant told the Nigerian Tribune on condition of anonymity that the company was taking the reconstruction of the main expressway very serious and would not waste time on the project.

He said commuters and motorists would have a smooth ride on the busy  road during and after the yuletide season.

Motorists commended the quick deployment of equipment and the palliative measure being done by the RCC on the road.

RCC also last Wednesday moved equipment to the Olorunsogo, Ibadan part of the road.

S-West PDP accuses Fayemi of profligacy

The party, which backed up its claim with documents with which the governor approved N133 million on a flimsy agric project, said Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, should beam its searchlights on the state.
 
PDP Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon. Kayode Babade, who made the allegation in a release issued yesterday, disclosed that Governor Fayemi approved the N133 million requested through the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Babajide Arowosafe on October 5, 2012, the same day the request was made.
 
“We are aware that N250 million was budgeted for the Supreme Court case. The fund is to be spent on legal fees, organising protests and rallies as well as media campaign.
 
“Already, we have evidence of how N133 million out of the N250 million was sourced from the State Treasury and we challenge Fayemi and his men to deny that the N133 million was actually meant for the purported agricultural project for which it was approved.
 
“In a letter from the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources dated October 12, 2012, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary said the N133 million should be sourced from Head 460-01 Sub-head 30 of the 2012 Revised Budget with a provision of N800 million. The letter was signed by one Anjorin A.J on behalf of the Permanent Secretary.
 
“We therefore wish to alert Ekiti people and the anti-corruption agencies to this brazen looting of Ekiti State treasury to prosecute a case that is personal to Governor Fayemi and his party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN),” Babade said.

2 Suspected Air Passengers Arrested with US$2,073,160 at Lagos

 

The suspects who were identified as Mr. Talal Hammoud with passport number A03599105 and Mr. Hassan Rmaiti, a Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN worker with duty card number 25009 and the three bags of money, were handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, by the Airport Committee Special Task Force for not declaring the currencies to officers on duty at the airport.

Speaking on the arrest, the Nigeria Customs Service Area Controller at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command Lagos, Mr. Eporwei Edike Charles said, the suspects and the three bags of money have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation and necessary action against the suspects.

According to Charles, the suspects violated regulations of government by attempting to smuggle such amount of money out of the country without declaring the currencies to Nigeria Custom’s currency desk officers on duty.

He, however, explained that the Airport Committee Special Task Force operating at the airport, comprises of all security agencies including, the EFCC, the State Security Service, SSS; the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA; the Nigeria Immigration Services, NIS, and other security agencies working at the airport.

 

“Boos Don’t Bother Me” - Benitez

 

Benitez' first game in charge since taking over as interim manager was a drab 0-0 draw with Manchester City. 

But as he emerged from the tunnel at the beginning of the game, many home fans made it clear they were not happy with his appointment, or the dismissal of his predecessor Roberto di Matteo.

Benitez though brushed off the boos, telling reporters: "I am focused on the game, I don't listen to the crowd.

"The main thing was the team on the pitch. I was not listening, I was just concentrating on the game.

"My experience in England is that when the fans are singing I don't understand what they say.

"I can understand the rivalry in the past (between Chelsea  and Liverpool), but I am sure the majority of fans will understand I am a professional and I just want to do my job."

"It was a tough game against a good team, no clear chances for them or us. It's not the ideal (result) but to have a clean sheet and to see the spirit and mentality and work rate was quite positive.

"You could see they were trying really hard with and without the ball and against a great team they had some chances."

Asked what Benitez could do to win over the Chelsea fans, City boss Roberto Mancini said: "Win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win every game - only the results can help."

Benitez responded: "It's not a secret. It's true."

 

Nokia Imaging Chief to Quit

 

The strong imaging capabilities of the new Lumia smartphone models are a key sales argument for the former market leader, which has been burning through cash while losing share in both high-end smartphones and cheaper handsets.

Nokia's Chief Executive Stephen Elop has replaced most of the top management since he joined in late 2010 and Dinnig is the latest of several executives to leave.

Dinning did not want to move to Finland as part of the phonemakers' effort to concentrate operations and will join Jaguar Land Rover to head innovations in the field of connected cars, he said on Nokia's imaging fan site PureViewclub.com.

 

Rihanna Equals Madonna with Third UK Number One Album

 

Rihanna's "Unapologetic" went straight to the top of the singles chart, extending a run of album chart success with last year's "Talk That Talk" and 2010's "Loud".

Talent show graduate Susan Boyle came in at number seven with "Standing Ovation - The Greatest Songs", one place behind Rod Stewart with "Merry Christmas Baby" at number six. Veteran rockers Led Zeppelin took fourth place with "Celebration Day".

In the singles chart, Murs teamed up with U.S. singer Flo Rida to take the top spot with "Troublemaker", nudging girl group Girls Aloud to second place with "Something New".

U.S. singer Alicia Key's also managed a new top 10 entry with "Girl on Fire" at number five.

 

Kalu : Nobody Can Stop Me from Returning to PDP

Kalu said in as much as his focus for now is not about party politics, no one or group can stop his association with any political party or group.
 
Kalu, who spoke with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), said his focus now is the unity of the Igbo race with the sole objective of producing the next president of Nigeria, using the platform of the 2015 general election.
 
He said any political platform that provides that opportunity would be the vehicle to be used for the realisation of the objective.
 
He said that has been the reason he decided to remain apolitical in order to ensure that no Igbo, both in Nigeria and in the Diaspora, feels left out of the move to produce the next president of the country.
 
He said the non-partisan Igbo group, Njiko Igbo, of which he is the protem chairman, will galvanise all Igbos for the purpose.
 
“Since we lost Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, we have lost a lot of statesmen, and the former vice president, Dr Alex Ekwueme, is getting old, we need to go round and tell our people to come up.  Let (other) people stop doing caricature with the Igbos.  That is our focus.
 
“That is where I am focusing and that is where most of the people who genuinely like the Igbos are focusing. I am not in any political party.  I am not talking about partisan politics and I will support any platform on which the Igbo presidential candidate will emerge in the next election,” he said.


 culled from Thisday

Dubai, Home to World’s Largest Mall, Plans Bigger One

State news agency WAM says the planned development on the city's desert outskirts will include luxury hotels and a major theme park, a goal derailed by Dubai's fiscal meltdown in 2009.
 
No timetable was announced Sunday for the Mohammed Bin Rashid City.Emaar Properties PJSC (EMAAR), the United Arab Emirates’ largest developer by market value, and Dubai Holding LLC will together build a district called “Mohammed Bin Rashid City,” named after the Persian Gulf emirate’s ruler. The project near central Dubai is to include 100 hotels, residential areas and green spaces.
 
But it allows Dubai ruler Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to put his personal moniker on a mega-project after the country's president, Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, took the honor for the record-tall Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai.

Dubai already has bragging rights to the biggest emporium by total area, Dubai Mall, which sprawls opposite the planet’s tallest skyscraper, Burj Khalifa. Between these two Emaar structures is a man-made lake where the world’s largest dancing fountain shoots water 50 stories high.

Dubai, seeking to stimulate its economy, wants to resume several projects that halted after the global credit crunch drove down property values by 65 percent and caused companies to suspend construction of hundreds of developments. Builders in the U.A.E. have aborted about $757 billion of projects since the crisis, Citigroup said in a report on Oct. 16. Dubai is the country’s second-largest emirate, after Abu Dhabi.

Suicide bomber kills at least five at Jaji military church in Kaduna

There was no claim of responsibility but Islamist sect Boko Haram, whose main targets are the security forces, has bombed several churches in the past in its fight to create an Islamic state in Nigeria.

"I saw five bodies and scores injured," a military officer who witnessed the bombing told Reuters, asking not to be named. A military spokesman and the national emergency agency confirmed there was a bomb at the church but gave no more details.

Two army officers said a car drove into the church before exploding with the driver inside at around 1145 GMT. One of the officers said the military barracks had been cordoned off and emergency workers were treating the wounded.

A suicide bomber killed eight people and wounded more than 100 last month at a church in another part of Kaduna state, which has a mixed Muslim and Christian population and often suffers from sectarian tensions.

Boko Haram's purported spokesman Abu Qaqa, who used to confirm the sect's attacks in phone calls to journalists, was killed by the military in September, the army said. Since then there has been little public communication by the group.

Nigeria's army on Saturday offered 290 million naira ($1.8 million) for information leading to the capture of 19 leading members of Boko Haram, including 50 million naira for the sect's self-proclaimed leader Abubakar Shekau.

Boko Haram's insurgency has killed at least 2,800 people since an uprising in 2009, according to Human Rights Watch, and the group has become the largest security threat inside Africa's biggest oil exporter.

JTF offers reward for capture of Boko Haram leaders

A statement listed 19 alleged senior members of the extremist group blamed for hundreds of deaths in connection with its insurgency in northern and central Nigeria.

The rewards ranged from 50 million naira ($317,000, 245,000 euros) for the suspected leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau, to 10 million naira for various Boko Haram "commanders".

"They are wanted in connection with terrorist activities particularly in the northeast zone of Nigeria that led to the killings, bombings and assassination of some civilians, religious leaders, traditional rulers, businessmen, politicians, civil servants and security personnel amongst others," a military statement said.

"They are also wanted for arson and destruction of properties worth millions of naira."

In June, the United States designated three Nigerian Islamist extremists "global terrorists" but declined to label Boko Haram a terrorist group, citing its domestic focus, among other issues.

The three named by the US State Department were Shekau as well as Abubakar Adam Kambar and Khalid al-Barnawi, both said to have ties to a regional Al-Qaeda group.

Friday's statement offering rewards listed both Shekau and al-Barnawi, but not Kambar.

Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, who issued the statement on behalf of a military task force operating in the country's northeast, did not respond to phone calls.

Violence linked to Boko Haram's insurgency is believed to have left some 3,000 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces.

The group has claimed to be seeking an Islamist state in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation and largest oil producer whose population is roughly divided between Christians and Muslims.

However, its demands have repeatedly shifted and it is believed to include various factions with differing aims, in addition to imitators and criminal gangs that carry out violence while posing as members of the group

Judge "Apologizes" For Postponing Ruling on Babangida's Theft Of $12.4bn Gulf War Oil Windfall

 

Gabriel Kolawole, presiding judge of the Federal High Court, Friday morning, postponed the delivery of judgement on the matter to November 29.

The judge apologised for the adjournment, which is one of many previous adjournments in the suit.

A group, the Socio-Economic and Accountability Project (SERAP), and five others sued the Attorney- General of the Federation (AGF) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over the much publicised $12.4 billion oil windfall, which the country recorded between 1988 and 1992, while former military dictator, Ibrahim Babangida was in power.

The plaintiffs also asked the court to make an order compelling the CBN and the AGF to publish detailed accounts relating to the spending of the sum of money between 1988 and 1994. They also sought for an order of the court compelling the respondents to diligently and effectively bring to justice anyone suspected of corruption and mismanagement of the sum; as well as the release the official copy of a probe into the spendings by a committee set up by the government and headed by Pius Okigbo.

The Federal Government argued, among others, that it could not find an official copy of the probe report and that “only the AGF as a defender of public interest has the right to seek information on the spending of the $12.4 billion oil windfall.”

 

Boko Haram Kills Five Alleged Police Informers Outside Maiduguri

 

The five were suspected to be helping security agencies track Boko Haram’s movements in the area.

According to a villager, the incident occurred in Shokari village around 2am when a large group of men lay siege to about 10 houses and serially slaughtered the five men before escaping without any interference from either the townspeople or security agencies.

Military personnels have been stationed in the village and in other surrounding areas, tracking the movements of Boko Haram sect members.

More on this story later.

 

Health Benefits of Yogurt

 

The yogurt is a powerhouse of various vitamins and minerals and it is also a good source of easily digestible proteins. 

Yogurt is beneficial to the body system and should never be underestimated.

Below are most prominent health benefits of yoghurt:

A Rich Source of Essential Minerals:

 Being derived from milk, yogurt consists of large doses of calcium, essential for maintaining bone health and dental health. Adequate calcium consumption also lowers the incidence of osteoporosis in menopausal women. Yogurt is also rich in potassium and magnesium. Potassium is essential for nerve health and maintains the fluid balance in the body. Magnesium is essential for bone health at par with calcium.

A Storehouse of Vitamins: 

Yogurt contains abundant vitamin B2 and B12. Vitamin B2 is essential for healthy nerves, eyes and skin. Vitamin B12 is essential for maintaining bone health and its deficiency leads to anaemia. Yogurt also contains good amounts of vitamin D and E. Vitamin D is essential for skeletal health and vitamin E aids in maintaining healthy skin as well as reproductive health.

A Rich Source of Animal Protein: 

The protein content of yogurt has been found to be higher than that of milk and found to be easily digestible than milk due to the partial breakdown of proteins such as casein by the fermenting bacteria according to findings by Journal of Dairy research.

Gives Health to Your Bones: 

Calcium is essential for maintaining good condition of our bones. We all know milk is a great source of calcium, but digesting milk is difficult for many people. Yogurt contains all the essential minerals, including calcium, that are present in milk and at the same time, it is also easy to digest (not just that it also aids in digestion). Therefore consuming yogurt helps in maintaining the strength of the bones. It is also good for patients suffering from osteoporosis and rheumatism. Yogurt is a boon for many people who have become lactose intolerant.

Aids Gastrointestinal Health: 

Yogurt can be used as a milk substitute for lactose intolerant individuals who cannot digest milk and hence lose out on its health benefits. Due to the presence of active bacterial strains in yogurt, it is easily digestible. In fact, the “pro-biotic” components of yogurt produced by the lactic acid bacteria present in it, aids in alleviating constipation, diarrhoea, colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and even infection by peptic ulcer causing bacteria H. pylori, which may eventually lead to stomach cancer.

Boosts Immunity:

The pro-biotic strains of bacteria present in yogurt boost the immune system and reduce incidence of infections, inflammatory diseases and allergies, according to American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Lowers Hypertension: 

Regular intake of dairy products has been shown to lower hypertension. However, due to the presence of high fat content, excess consumption is not advisable. Yogurt combines a low fat dairy option with the benefits of dairy option.

Reduces Serum Cholesterol:

Studies carried out by various institutes indicate a drop in serum LDL cholesterol levels on regular consumption of yogurt. Thus, daily consumption may lead to reduced cardiovascular diseases.

Prevents Vaginal Infections:

Vaginal infections due to Candida are commonly observed in diabetic women. Daily consumption of yogurt lowers the pH of the vaginal tract and prevents Candida infections.

Cures Bad Breath: 

Yogurt is a natural cure for bad breath and can reduce halitosis by up to 80% in subjects. Levels of plaque and gingivitis were found to be lower among daily consumers of yogurt.

Effective against Skin and Hair Ailments: 

Yogurt when applied topically has been proved to cure acne and skin rashes and gives a healthful glow by reducing dark circles and closing pores. It is also beneficial for hair and cures itchy scalp and dandruff. 

So, it is apparent, yogurt is quite helpful in getting and maintaining a good healthy body. Daily consumption of yogurt provides a large chunk of essential nutrients as well.

 

Kano Pillars Get N94 Million as Take-off Grant for Next Season

 

Kano Pillars are currently the Nigeria Premier League Champions and will represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League next year.

According to Idris Malikawa, the media officer of the club, the money will be used to recruit players and start adequate preparation for the coming season.

“The General Manager of the club, Abba Galadima has already taken delivery of the money and promised that they will use it to tackle the welfare of the players for the coming season.

“When other clubs are complaining that they don’t have money, Kano Pillars is blazing the trail in motivating the players and officials.

“I am sure the money will really go a long way into helping us get the best so that we can keep doing well in all competitions.

“I am very sure that nothing will disturb us from doing very well next year and we must thank the State Government for their love for the team,” Malikawa said.

The players are already in camp preparing for the coming season of the NPL but the date of resumption has yet to be announced.