eLixir: September 2016

Friday, September 30, 2016

Meek Mill Take Shots At Drake, Addresses The Game Beef & More On Funk Flex Freestyle

Meek Mill has found himself amidst a beef with The Game, which has since become entangled with Philly OG Beanie Sigel who recently went on a measured rant against Meek during Taxstone's podcast. The beef has resulted in a few diss tracks The Game already dropped 2 against Meek Mill 1) while The Game went on The Breakfast Club to explain his side of the story.

Today Meek paid a visit to Hot 97, and while we don't hear his side of the story when it comes to the reason for the beef, he did spit an almost 8-minute freestyle addressing some of those embroiled in the beef, and a lot more.

"All this Cash Money got me stunting like I'm Baby / Posted up with Nicky, that's when it get tricky / N*ggas in they feelings, that's when it get Drizzy," he raps, taking a clear shot at Drake. His jabs towards The Game and Beanie Sigel are a bit more subtle, as he claims to truly hold Philly down (Beanie attempted to destroy his affiliation with Philly during the podcast visit), before throwing shots at The Game's continuous Instagram trolling of Meek, as well as insinuating that The Game is simply hurt 'cause Meek fucked his bitch.

There's also this big chunk-- you can probably guess the three fakes he's referring too: "Seen too many trill n*ggas fall to let you bitch n*ggas beat me / Before I take a loss they gon' have to RIP me / But that'll never happen take this war shit deeply / My young n*ggas starvin' in the trenches and they need me / They like Meek Milly won't you spit that crack again / Fake n*ggas up three, bring us back again / Riding down Broad St. I'm in that 'Bach again / I bully n*ggas I'm like Mac again"

Later on, he continues to address the beef: "Kill em with success, they gon' kill me with emojis / Kill me with a meme, you n*ggas never could expose me [...] Did I fuck his bitch? Maybe it was the 'Gram, hurting these n*ggas hearts / I really can't understand." Those are some of the lines.

He goes in over a couple classic instrumentals before closing out the freestyle acapella. Dreamchasers 4 is reportedly entirely finished and expected to drop really soon. Stay tuned.

Disgruntled customer runs amok at Apple store in France

He was recorded slamming the ball down on several iPhones at the Toison d'Or shopping centre in Dijon as a security alarm rang loudly in the background.

Another clip uploaded online shows the man being confronted and scuffling with security staff outside the store, at one point he attempts to run away from them.

According to Mashable, the French-speaking man, believed to be in his 30s, claims in the video that Apple had refused him a refund.

"Apple is a company that 'violated' European consumers' rights. They refused to reimburse me, I told them: 'Give me my money back'. They said no. So you know what's happening? This is happening!" he yells [translated].

According to French media, "tens of thousands of euros" worth of damage was reported at the store and the man was arrested shortly after the incident.

The BBC reports that Apple have not commented on the incident and are currently working with French authorities investigating the footage.

Video on our facebook page

Wife of Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor, Emefiele, Kidnapped

A group of heavily armed kidnappers yesterday abducted Margaret Emefiele, the wife of Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Information was gotten from a close source that Mrs. Emefiele was kidnapped along the Benin-Agbor Road. Our source disclosed that the kidnappers have made contact with their victim’s husband, adding that they were demanding a huge sum in ransom.

Mrs. Emefiele’s kidnap represents one of the most high-profile kidnap cases in 2016.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

The Deputy Governor-elect of Edo State, Phillip Shaibu on Thursday said he didn’t threaten the Collation Officer for Etsako West Local Government Area, while results were being collated.

The Collation Officer, Prof. Adewole Atere had alleged that Shaibu threatened him and wanted him to manipulate the results.

But Shaibu while responding debunked the claims as false.

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) that his administration will eradicate bottlenecks and create an environment that can boost manufacturing. The President stated this at the 44th Annual General Meeting of MAN in Abuja on Thursday. According to him, the need to boost manufacturing has become imperative in view of the fact that the “manufacturing sector is well positioned to be a major driver of Nigeria’s economic growth’’. He maintained that government was focused on implementing necessary policies and strategies aimed at unleashing the full potentials of manufacturing in Nigeria.

He made it known that his administration will rely on the association’s ideas and inputs at all stages of formulation and implementation of new industrial policies. “The manufacturing sector is well positioned to be a major driver of Nigeria’s economic growth because of our immense natural resources and the entrepreneurial spirit of Nigerians. “Government is therefore focused on implementing necessary policies and strategies aimed at unleashing the full potentials of manufacturing in Nigeria. “We will rely heavily on your ideas and inputs at all stages of formulation and implementation of new industrial policies. “For our part, we will remove bottlenecks and create a more business friendly environment. “Our strategic plan to boost manufacturing activities in the country is supported by the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and the National Enterprises Development Programme (NEDEP). “These programmes, present a clear road map towards an industrialised Nigerian economy.’’ Buhari stated that his administration is convinced that the key to the nation’s economic diversification and subsequent survival lies in the agriculture and manufacturing sector.

He said that a strong manufacturing sector would create more jobs and wealth for the citizens, adding that it would usher in sustainable economic prosperity “because we will produce what we consume as a nation and generate foreign exchange by exporting any surplus’’. The President said that his administration was working on improving the patronage of locally made goods, bridging the gap between skills required by industry and those provided by the educational institutions and access to finance for the Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs). He added that the Federal Government recognised that MAN and other members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) were key stakeholders in the journey. He said, “we will continue our engagement with you.’’ The President stated that he was inspired by the association’s commitment to a great Nigeria. He, therefore, urged them to join hands with government in making the ongoing efforts by government to revive the nation’s economy a success.

He futher urged them to ensure that the outcome of their deliberations would be to the benefit of all Nigerians, adding: “I look forward to receiving a communiqué of the deliberations from this meeting. “As events unfold in the coming months, many of you will be called upon to play critical roles in the implementation of this administration’s agenda. “I implore you to avail us your wealth of experience so that together we can uplift our nation’s economy and social well-being.’’ In his remarks, the President of MAN, Dr Frank Jacobs, commended the government for its new forex policy of allocating 60 per cent of all available foreign exchange to the manufacturing sector for the importation of raw materials and machinery. He also praised the Buhari-led administration for the efforts it is making towards improving infrastructure across the country. Jacobs also saluted the government’s efforts to end insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country. He said the efforts were yielding fruitful results.

APC wins Edo State Election (See details)

9.26: Three polling units cancelled.
450 votes cancelled due to snatched boxes and destruction of electoral material.
9.27: LGA: Owan West
Number of registered voters: 54,406
Number of accredited voters: 24,487
APC: 12,862
PDP: 10,132
Total votes cast: 23,290
Rejected votes: 1,002
9.27: LGA: Egor
Number of registered voters: 184,296
Number of accredited voters: 49,802
APC: 26,177
PDP: 19,514
Total valid votes cast: 46,728
Rejected votes: 2,811
One polling unit cancelled because of failure to use the card reader.
9.35: LGA: Esan North East
Number of registered voters: 74,293
Number of accredited voters: 27,121
APC: 9,130
PDP: 16,220
Total valid votes: 25,747
Rejected votes: 1,197
Three cancellations due to number of votes cast exceeding number of accredited voters.
9.55: Igueben
Number of registered voters: 42,655
Number of accredited voters: 16,482
APC: 7,802
PDP: 7,560
Total valid votes: 15,506
Rejected votes: 580
Two polling units.
9.56: LGA: Uhunmwode
Number of registered voters: 62,987
Number of accredited voters: 21,927
APC: 10,911
PDP: 8,667
Total valid votes: 19,971
Rejected votes: 1,759
There was cancellation of results in three polling units due to violence and discrepancy between the number of accredited voters and total votes cast.
10.09: LGA: Esan South East
Number of registered voters: 66,695
Number of accredited voters: 22,522
APC: 9,554
PDP: 11,466
Total valid votes: 21,250
Rejected votes: 806.
10.24: LGA: Oredo
Number of registered voters: 273,614
Number of accredited voters: 74,076
APC: 37,612
PDP: 30,492
Total valid votes: 69,401
Rejected votes: 4,311
10.51: LGA: Orhionmwon
Number of registered voters: 102,921
Number of accredited voters: 34,270
APC: 15,262
PDP: 16,446
Total valid votes: 32,213
Rejected votes: 1,788
10.56: LGA: Esan West
Number of registered voters: 87,867
Number of accredited voters: 31,866
APC: 13,114
PDP: 16,311
Total valid votes: 29,963
Rejected votes: 1,563
11.02: The INEC officials out on 1 hour break
11.08: Nine local government results have been announced so far. APC wins 5, PDP wins 4.
12.20: Owan East:
Total votes cast: 36,122
APC: 21, 233
PDP: 12,889
12.24: Ovia North East:
APC: 17,561
PDP: 13,141
12.27: Esan Central
Valid votes: 20,211
Rejected votes: 1153
Total votes cast: 21,364
APC: 9781
PDP: 10,180
12.30: Etsako Central LGA
Registered voters: 43,049
Accredited voters, 20,145
Valid votes: 19,358
Rejected votes: 549
Votes cast:19,907
APC: 10,373
PDP: 8,827.
12.43: Etsako East LGA
Registered voters: 66,277
Accredited voters: 33,032
Valid votes: 30,858
Rejected votes: 1,056
Total votes cast: 31,914
APC: 18,078
PDP: 12,552
Five polling units cancelled.
12.58: Etsako West LGA
Registered voters: 136,664
Accredited voters: 45,620
Valid votes: 40,611
Rejected votes: 2,127
Total votes cast:42,738
APC: 29,199
PDP: 10,843
13.15: Ikpoba Okha local government
Registered voters: 260,965
Accredited voters: 65,348
Valid votes: 61,055
Rejected: 3,826
Total votes cast: 64,881
APC: 33,469
PDP: 26,096
13.27: LGA: Akoko Edo
Number of registered voters: 110,118
Number of accredited voters: 39,945
Total valid votes: 37,946
Rejected votes: 1,684
APC: 24,545
PDP: 13,027.
15:25: LGA: Ovia South West
Number of registered voters: 79.964
Number of accredited voters: 24,061
APC: 12,820
PDP: 8,810
Total valid votes: 22,177
Rejected votes: 1,665
Total final result
APC: 319,483
PDP: 253,173

PDP supporters demand cancellation of Edo State election results

PDP supporters besiege INEC office, protest results released so far
Supporters of the opposition People’s Democratic Party are already spoiling for violence as INEC releases results of nine of the 18 local government areas.
They have besieged the secretariat of the INEC at Ikpoba Hill in large numbers blocking the road.

Police teargas PDP supporters who were protesting and accused Edo Governor of rigging the results of yesterday’s election.

The protesters were demanding the cancellation of the results announced so far They have besieged the secretariat of the INEC at Ikpoba Hill in large numbers blocking the road.

Tourism is the new oil in Nigeria - Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed speaking at Eko Atlantic City
It would appear that despite the current economic recession in the country, the future of Nigeria remains bright as a ‘new oil’ which is tourism has been discovered.
While speaking at a ceremony to mark the 2016 World Tourism Day in Eko Atlantic, yesterday, September 28, Nigeria’s minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed reassured Nigerians of the impact of tourism.
Lai Mohammed said the future of the country is assured as the country diversifies away from oil. Using the new Eko Atlantic city which was built on land reclaimed from Bar beach as an example, he said: “It takes an investor to have a great confidence in any economy before putting hundreds of millions of dollars into a city like this.
“Those who can see the bright stars in our horizon, beyond this temporary cloud of difficulties, are investing in the country even as we speak."

The minister also assured Nigerians that the Buhari-led government was working round the clock to pull Nigeria out of the recession. He said: “It is becoming increasingly clear, like President Muhammadu Buhari has admonished, that we must think out of the box.
“We must find other sustainable means of earning foreign exchange outside of oil, to grow our country’s GDP and create jobs for our people. Agriculture and mining are viable options, but tourism is the low hanging fruit in this regard, and we must not hesitate to pluck it."

Eko-Atlantic will accommodate 250,000 residents when completed
He went on to explain that using Eko Atlantic City as the venue of the 2016 World Tourism Day celebration is significant.
He said: “While I will like to reiterate Nigeria’s readiness to explore and exploit tourism for the benefit of its economy, I can confidently add that Eko Atlantic City has what it takes to drive tourism in Nigeria.
“And this is just as well, because while the role of the government will be to provide the enabling environment, the private sector will drive the growth of tourism.”
According to Vanguard, he called Eko Atlantic City ‘a tourist haven’ which has what it takes to drive tourism in Nigeria, saying: “The city will boast of 450,000 residents and 300,000 commuters (daily), which is a boon for the myriad of businesses to be located in the city.

Edo State Election (live update)

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Edo State Election: Unofficial results

After collation of 520 polling units.
APC – 53238
PDP – 55112
Invalid – 7391

Edo Election: Unofficial results

After collation of 520 polling units.
APC – 53238
PDP – 55112
Invalid – 7391

Adele's '25' goes diamond platinum in the US

Adele's latest album has gone diamond platinum in the US, less than a year after it was released.

The British star's 25 album has sold more than 10 million copies in America alone - a feat no one else has achieved in the last 12 years.

She was awarded a diamond plaque in New York after performing the last of six sell-out shows in Madison Square Garden.

Her 2011 album 21 also reached diamond status - and according to the Recording Industry Association of America, more than 14 million copies of that record have been sold to date.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu, commended INEC and the electorate for the peaceful conduct of the poll. Ize-Iyamu, voted at 9.55 a.m. at Ighododo Primary School unit of Ward 5, Orhiomwon Local Government Area. He however, urged PDP’s supporters to be vigilant and cautious, and monitor the process adequately. “The PDP will more vigilant in the sorting and counting of the ballots,” he said, adding, however, that so far, the exercise has been peaceful and I hope that it will be same across the state.

Mr. Obaseki, speaking in Pidgin English, said he is impressed with the voter turnout at his polling unit. #EdoDecides2016

“Na my papa area where dem born me. So a lot of my family dey around here and everybody dey happy say governorship candidate come from their own area,” he said.

Mr. Obaseki is queued behind his wife. There are still 26 people before them.

“The queue for my unit is still very long, it will take some time but I no mind at all. Everything dey very calm, peaceful, no trouble at all.”

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Nigeria should borrow, spend less, earn more to exit recession, says Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday stressed the need for Nigeria to borrow, spend less and earn more to get out of the current economic recession. Obasanjo said this in Abeokuta at the opening ceremony of the National Council On Finance and Economic Development Conference (NACOFED). The theme of the conference is “Enhancing Revenue Generation and Obtaining Best Value for Money in Expenditure”. According to Obasanjo, the major problem with Nigeria is that “we are spending more than we are earning and we have not been able to save for the rainy day”. He, however, proffered a three-fold solution of borrowing, spending less and earning more to the economic challenges of the nation. Obasanjo, who said that funds were available outside the country, advised that Nigeria needed to approach its allies who could lend to the country on reasonable terms. He warned, however, that no such nation would part with its funds without observing that Nigeria was taking practical steps to come out of its challenges. The former president said that Nigeria must encourage production to earn more and increase its revenue. He said since the nation was not in control of oil, it should therefore diversify and concentrate on the things it could control. Obasanjo, who stressed the need to develop agriculture, frowned at policies which tended to turn the nation into a dumping ground for other countries’ products. “I was shocked when the ban on importation of toothpick which we imposed in 1977 was lifted four years ago.

Presidential debate: Trump says he might 'hit Hillary harder'

US Republican candidate Donald Trump has said he may hit his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton harder in the next presidential debate, following their first encounter on Monday.
Mr Trump said he held back "because he didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings".
In a Fox News interview, he also accused moderator Lester Holt of being tougher on him than on Mrs Clinton.
Overnight polls with small samples were split on who won, but more rigorous surveys are due in the coming days.
Research firm Nielsen estimates 81.4 million Americans watched Monday's debate at home.
This would topple the previous record of 80.6 million viewers who tuned in for the 1980 presidential debate between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.
Asked how he felt about the debate on the television news programme Fox and Friends on Tuesday, Mr Trump said it had gone well, but complained that Mr Holt had not pressed Mrs Clinton on her "scandals".
"He didn't ask her about the emails, he didn't ask her about the scandals, he didn't ask her about the Benghazi deal. He didn't ask her about a lot of things he should have asked her about. Why? I don't know," he said.
He said he felt tempted to bring up "the many affairs that Bill Clinton had", but held back because the Clintons' daughter Chelsea was in the audience.
"I may hit her harder in certain ways. I really eased up because I didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings," he added.
Asked whether Hillary Clinton had got under his skin, Mr Trump said "at the end maybe, at the very last question".
Mrs Clinton had brought up the case of Alicia Machado, a former Miss Universe, saying Mr Trump called her "Miss Piggy" after she gained weight.
But Mr Trump brushed away her accusation said Ms Machado had "gained a massive amount of weight" making it a problem for the Miss Universe pageants, of which he was the owner.
After the debate, Mrs Clinton posted a campaign video in which Ms Machado describes how she had been treated by Mr Trump.

Nigeria’s foreign reserves drop to $24.74b in September – Udoma

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, says Nigeria’s foreign reserves have reduced from 26.51 billion dollars from the second quarter of 2016 to $24.74 billion in September. Udoma said this at the 57th annual conference of Nigeria Economic Society (NES) with the theme“the developmental state and diversification of the Nigerian economy’’ on Tuesday in Abuja. He said Nigeria had revenue and foreign currency concentration problems, adding that diversification was the only solution. The minister said due to four strategic pipeline terminals that were blow up, Nigeria had been unable to achieve its 2016 Budget production target of 2.2 million barrels a day. Udoma said in August, the country was barely able to produce 1.1 million barrels. “Last week production level rose up to 1.7 million barrels, still a far cry from the country’s target of 2.2 million barrel. “We are taking a number of immediate measures to raise revenues to strategically spend our way out of recession. “We are taking measures to address the disruption in Niger Delta to restore production. “We are fast tracking our efforts to raise foreign currency loans that we have projected in the 2016 budget, from AfDB, World Bank, Chinese Exim Bank as well as Euro Bond issue.

India’s Vice-President Hamid Ansari has said that India seeks to explore new areas of cooperation with Nigeria.

Ansari expressed the view at a reception organised for him at the Indian High Commission in Abuja on Monday night.

The vice-president reiterated that India was Nigeria’s biggest trade partner as both countries shared similarities in different areas of development.

“I don’t have to educate you on the current levels of our relationship; we are Nigeria’s biggest trading partner.

“Nigeria is a major supplier of energy to us but above all there is a convergence of interest on global matters which is extremely important.

“Both of us play an important role on the world stage in decisions that have been made; we contribute the maintenance of peace in different parts of the world.

The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has charged personnel deployed for the Edo State governorship election scheduled for September 28 to adhere strictly to the rules of engagement.

A statement from the force spokesman, Don Awunah, in Abuja on Monday said Idris also charged the officers and men to conduct themselves in the best professional manner, maintaining apolitical disposition.

Idris said: “The revised election security operation plan will guarantee free, fair and credible election, secure electoral process, and enable eligible voters to exercise their franchise freely and voluntary.”

Awunah said the I-G promised that the protection of lives and property in the entire state would be of paramount importance.

Buhari inherited N1.5tn debt on road contracts – Fashola

The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari inherited road contractual liabilities worth N1.5tn, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has said.

Fashola said this in a statement made available to our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday by his Special Adviser, Communications, Mr. Hakeem Bello.

The minister said the ministry inherited 206 roads that were not budgeted for or poorly funded, but added that it had now developed a road map consisting of identifying and prioritising heavy traffic bearing roads for conveying essential goods and services across the country.

He said, “We have to build roads that evacuate our sea and airports; roads that drive our energy for now; roads that go to the tank farms to evacuate fuel from the South to the North; and roads that sustain us, that is roads that bring in our feed stock, cattle and vegetables and livestock from the North down to the South.

The Nigerian Army has said that it repelled terrorists attack at Logomani on Dikwa-Gambarou road in Borno, on Sunday and killed 22 of them.

A statement issued by Colonel Sani Usman, the acting Director, Army Public Relations, however, said four soldiers died in the attack and their riffles missing, while two others sustained injuries.

Usman said the attack came in three waves with the terrorists, using 36 hand Grenades and Rocket Propelled Launchers.

He said the troops recovered two AK-47 Rifles, one FN Rifle, one G3 Rifle and 36 hand grenades after about an hour.

“The location have been reinforced and replenished while the troops have continued their clearance operations,” Usman said.

Army labels Shekau's video 'desperate, propoganda'

The Nigerian Army has reacted to a recent video released by Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, stating that the commander clearly has a mental issue.

According to Naij, a statement issued by Army Director Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman has revealed that troops consider Shekau to be unstable.

In addition, Usman has called on citizens to ignore the contents of the video because the "facts on the ground speak for themselves."

"We want to assure Nigerians especially the residents of Maiduguri, Kano, Kaduna and Zaria not to panic as we have more than what it takes to defend them and deal decisively with the remnants of the terrorists group.

We would like to reiterate that Boko Haram terrorism as it was known, is gone for good," the statement said.

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Borno begins fumigation of key town liberated from Boko Haram

The Borno State government has commenced a massive fumigation of Bama, liberated from Boko Haram.

The operation started after Governor Kashim Shettima relocated there on Wednesday.

The state deployed some 1,000 personnel for the operations which kicked off on Saturday.

It will cover 17 major streets of the badly damaged city that hosted Boko Haram insurgents for nearly a year before the military liberated it early this year.

The Sole Administrator of Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA), Nassir Surundi, told journalists that so far 17 streets had been cleared of giant weeds that grew after residents fled Bama town in the wake of attacks by Boko Haram insurgents in September, 2014.

“We hope to clear 17 additional streets by tomorrow (Sunday) and I promise all of you that within the next two weeks Bama will wear a new look different from the bush and the debris you see around,” said Mr. Surundi.

“Without us clearing the roads, workers wouldn’t have access to reconstruction sites while the town will continue to look like a war zone. We are committed to Governor Kashim Shettima’s mission of changing Bama from what insurgency has turned it into,” he said.

He said funds for the cleaning and fumigation were covered in the 2016 budget allocation to the agency.

The Nigerian Army has confirmed that militants killed one of its personnel in Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River on Saturday.

Sani Usman, the Director of Army Public Relations, who confirmed the incident in a statement, however, said the troops killed two of the militants in the attack that occurred in the morning.

He linked the attack to Benjamin Simplee, aka G1, a suspected militant leader.

According to Mr. Usman, the other militants escaped with gunshot wounds.

He said the attackers also burnt a military pick-up vehicle.

Mr. Usman said two soldiers earlier declared missing in the attack were found when reinforcement was sent to the area.

He said the militants came in several speed boats and attacked troops deployed at Efut Esighi waterfront in Bakassi.

“The troops’ location has been reinforced with more gunboats and air component. The clearance and pursuit operation is ongoing,” he said.

Udoma: Lack of Policy Implementation Forced Nigeria into Recession

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma has blamed the current economic recession in Nigeria on lack of implementation of policies that were meant to turn around the fortunes of the country. On the same day, the Naira sustained its downswing on the parallel market as it depreciated to a new low of N440 to the dollar, as against N436 to the dollar the previous day. The minister who spoke at a media briefing in Lagos yesterday, organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), to announce its preparation for the forthcoming 22nd Nigerian Economic Summit, said Nigeria had fantastic policies that would have created enough liquidity flow in the economy, but that past governments failed to implement the policies because they relied so much on oil money.

Udoma said the sudden crash in oil prices at international markets, forced Nigeria into recession because there were no other sources of revenue generation for the country. He however assured Nigerians that the country could come out of recession, if the private sector is encouraged to invest in the country. He said one of the ways to encourage private sector investments, is to sell part of Nigeria’s assets to private investors and encourage them to invest good money into the Nigerian economy.

Aside heavy investments, the minister said encouraging local manufacturing would also help Nigeria to increase exports that would in turn bring foreign currencies into the country.

“The way to go out of recession is to inject more money into circu- lation and this could be achieved through active participation of the private sector and by encourag- ing the manufacture of ‘Made in Nigeria’ products, which the 22nd Nigerian Economic Summit, is championing and it is billed to hold from October 10-12, 2016, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja,” Udoma said.

According to him, the 22nd Nigerian Economic Summit with the theme ‘Made in Nigeria’, is in line with the President Muham- madu Buhari administration’s commitment to diversify the productive base of the economy away from oil.

“Our current economic chal- lenges are rooted in our reliance on a single commodity, which is crude oil, whose price has fallen, leading to a drastic fall in our revenues. The Nigerian economy is currently in reces- sion and faced with contracting GDP growth, rising inflation and unemployment rates, as well as declining level of external reserves,” Udoma said.

One hundred and sixty-two bodies have been found after a boat carrying hundreds of migrants capsized off an Egyptian coastal town this week, a provincial official said on Friday.

“18 more bodies were retrieved as at this afternoon, bringing the number of victims to 162.

“A total of 164 people have been rescued since the boat sank on Wednesday off Beheira’s town of Rosetta,’’ the governor of the Delta Beheira province, Mohamed Sultan, said.

He did not provide a breakdown of the survivors’ nationalities.

Hillary Clinton Supporter Kim Kardashian Might Vote for Donald Trump

No longer with her? Kim Kardashian, once a vocal supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, reportedly said in a new interview that she is thinking about voting for Republican candidate Donald Trump instead.

According to an excerpt obtained by Evening Standard, while chatting with Wonderland magazine for its Autumn 2016 cover story, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, 35, revealed that a discussion with her conservative former stepparent Caitlyn Jenner caused her to think twice about casting her ballot for Clinton, 68, this coming November.

“At first I thought, ‘Oh, my God, I’m so Hillary [Clinton],’ but I had a long political call with Caitlyn last night about why she’s voting Trump. I’m on the fence,” Kardashian told the publication, according to Evening Standard.

After the quote gained buzz online, the magazine disavowed the Selfishauthor’s quotes about Trump, 70. A rep for the publication also told Just Jared, “Wonderland did not print or publish that. The issue is on stands and that’s not in it.”

However, the Huffington Post confirmed the validity of the reality personality’s quotes, and their reporter tweeted that the quotes were sent to Evening Standard “as a promo” for the Wonderland interview.

Those who stole from Nigeria recruited miltants to fight us – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said those who stole Nigeria dry are angry with his government and so have recruited the services of militants in the Niger Delta to fight his government.

He said this while addressing a group of Nigerians professionals residing in the US. He added “We got into trouble as a country, because we did not save for the rainy day. For example, between 1999 and 2015, when we produced an average of 2.1 million barrels of oil per day, and oil prices stood at an average of $100 per barrel, we did not save, neither did we develop infrastructure. “Suddenly, when we came in 2015, oil prices fell to about 30 dollars per barrel. I asked; where are the savings? There were none.Where are the railways? The roads? Power? None. I further asked; what did we do with billions of dollars that we made over the years? They said we bought food. Food with billions of dollars? I did not believe, and still do not believe. In most parts of Nigeria, we eat what we grow.” Buhari noted People in the South eat tubers, those in the North eat grains, which they plant, and those constitute over 60 per cent of what we eat. So, where did the billions of dollars go? We did a lot of damage to ourselves by not developing infrastructure when we had the money. Talking of our military, they earned respect serving in places like Burma, Zaire, Sudan, Liberia, Sierra-Leone, and then, suddenly, that same military could no longer secure 14 out of 774 local governments in the country. Insurgents had seized them, calling them some sort of caliphate, and planting their flags there; till we came, and scattered them. We raised the morale of our military, changed the leadership, re-equipped and retrained them; USA, Britain, and some other countries helped us, and today, the pride of our military is restored”he said

Friday, September 23, 2016

2016 MTV Africa Music Awards - Full list of nominees

BEST HIP HOPOlamide (Nigeria)
Kiff No Beat(Ivory Coast)
Ycee(Nigeria)
Emtee(South Africa)
Ricky Rich(South Africa)

BEST COLLABORATION
Patoranking ft. Sarkodie – No Kissing
Sauti Sol ft. Alikiba – Unconditionally Bae
AkA ft. Burna Boy,Khuli Chana & Yanga – Baddest
Dj Maphorsia ft. Wizkid & Dj Buckz – Soweto Baby
Nasty c ft. Davido & Cassper Nyovest – Juice Back Remix

The sister event to the annual Essence Festival New Orleans will take place Nov. 8-13 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium and the International Convention Center in Durban, South Africa. Over six days, it will feature global performers and speakers as well as a host of local experts and artists.

In addition to Ne-Yo and Wizkid (who is featured on Drake’s hit “One Dance”), the All-Star Music concert lineup for Saturday (Nov. 12) will include rapper Riky Rick, producer/rapper AKA, DJ Tira and producer/DJ Black Coffee. The following evening’s All-Star Gospel (Nov. 13) show boasts Mary Mary plus Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Ntokozo Mbambo and Dr. Tumi. Yolanda Adams will also be honored during the show and give a special performance.

The daytime Empowerment Experience at the International Convention Center will offer free seminars encompassing business networking, beauty, fashion, lifestyle, wellness and cuisine. Radio and television personality Steve Harvey, activist Rev. Al Sharpton, entertainment attorney and television personality Phaedra Parks and singers Estelle and Kelly Price are among the confirmed speakers.

Tickets for Essence Festival Durban’s nightly concerts -- All-Star Music (here) and All-Star Gospel (here) are available now.

Why Nigeria got into trouble – Buhari

They converged from different parts of the United States of America. Top rate professionals all, Nigerians whom Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Matters and International Relations, described as “15 of the best people God ever created.”

The professionals were in New York to meet with the Nigerian President. Top flight aeronautics engineers, physicians, I.T experts, a Judge, a top policewoman, entrepreneurs, an Import Specialist at Customs and Border Protection, professors, two straight A students, and many others.

The parley provided President Buhari opportunity to bring them up to speed on how and why Nigeria got into trouble, with an assurance that with all hands on deck, including the best brains in the Diaspora, the country would bounce back in the shortest possible time.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari appealed Friday for the international community to help relieve the growing humanitarian disaster triggered by the Boko Haram insurgency in a plea for aid at the UN General Assembly.

Warnings about food shortages caused by the conflict in the country's northeast and the broader Lake Chad region have intensified in recent months, with humanitarian organisations cautioning of a looming famine.

Speaking in New York, Buhari said that the devastation wrought by Boko Haram had been compounded by climate change.

"We are renewing the call for re-dedicated international action to end the humanitarian needs of victims and address the root causes of terrorism itself," Buhari said.

"(The) complexities and severity of humanitarian crises across the world have increased in recent times, resulting in devastating repercussions.

"The dual impact of climate change and terrorism-cum-insurgency has created deeper implications for peace and security."

Lake Chad, straddling the borders of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon in West Africa, is shrinking, leaving surrounding communities without freshwater.

Humanitarian organisations have compared the scale of the Nigerian disaster to the 2011 crisis in Somalia, when "more than a quarter of a million people died" amid a prolonged drought.

Two years later, the UN admitted that the international community did not act quickly enough, saying "the suffering played out like a drama without witnesses".

In Nigeria, where there are millions of people at risk, some on the ground fear that the situation could be worse than the one that blighted Somalia.

There are more than 6 million people facing the threat of "severe hunger", said a coalition of 15 humanitarian organisations in a statement on Friday.

Yahoo: 500 million accounts stolen

Yahoo (YHOO, Tech30) confirmed on Thursday data "associated with at least 500 million user accounts" have been stolen in what may be one of the largest cybersecurity breaches ever.

The company said it believes a "state-sponsored actor" was behind the data breach, meaning an individual acting on behalf of a government. The breach is said to have occurred in late 2014.

"The account information may have included names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, hashed passwords (the vast majority with bcrypt) and, in some cases, encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers," Yahoo said in a statement.

Yahoo urges users to change their password and security questions and to review their accounts for suspicious activity.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the U.N. to mediate negotiations between the government and Boko Haram regarding the more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls still missing after being abducted by the extremist group over two years ago.

Presidential adviser Femi Adesina said in a statement Thursday that the request – made a day earlier by Buhari to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York – is a "show of commitment."

In 2014, 276 girls were abducted from a village in Borno state in northeastern Nigeria. Some escaped, while Boko Haram alleges others have since been killed in government airstrikes. The Nigerian government has disputed that allegation.

Previous negotiations between Nigeria and Boko Haram regarding the girls, mediated by neighboring Chad, have failed. Buhari reportedly told Ban that the government is "willing to bend over backwards" to secure the girls' release, but is struggling to determine which Boko Haram leaders to negotiate with.

Foreign governments, including those from the US and China, had promised to help Nigeria search for the girls when they were abducted while preparing for the school exams in Chibok in April 2014.

President Muhammadu Buhari has told potential foreign investors that the current economic challenge the country is facing including the that as a result of the fall in oil price has opened a vista of investment opportunities even as he boasts that Nigeria remains the number one investment destination in Africa.

President Buhari also promised some fiscal incentives such as five-year tax holiday for activities classified as ‘pioneer’; tax-free operations; no restrictions on expatriate quotas in Free Trade Zones; and a Value Added Tax regime of five per cent.

The President gave the assurance to a large gathering of political and business leaders from the United States, Africa and other regions of the world at the 2nd United States-Africa Business Forum in New York, on Wednesday, organised by the US Department of Commerce and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Buhari said Nigeria would soon become one of the most attractive places to invest in as his administration had embarked on significant economic reforms to realise that goal.

He stated, “These are no doubt challenging times for the Nigerian economy. But let me use this opportunity to boldly affirm our conviction that there is no crisis without an accompanying opportunity.

“In our case, we see Nigeria’s ongoing economic challenges, occasioned mainly by the fall in oil prices, as an opportunity to set the economy firmly on the path of true diversification, sustainable growth and shared prosperity.”

Nigerian Troops, Boko Haram Terrorists In Fierce Battle

Nigerian troops attached to Operation Lafiya Dole, the anti-terrorism initiative of the Nigerian military, and those of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) were involved in a fierce battle with Boko Haram terrorists in Mallam Fatori, a town in the northernmost part of Borno State. Both sets of troops, according to a statement by Colonel Sani K Usman, acting Director of Army Public Relations, captured the town as part of Operation Gama Aiki, the programme conceived to achieve final dislodgement of Boko Haram remnants.

Both sets of troops, according to a statement by Colonel Sani K Usman, acting Director of Army Public Relations, captured the town as part of Operation Gama Aiki, the programme conceived to achieve final dislodgement of Boko Haram remnants.

The battle, which featured air operations, added the statement, led to the rout of Boko Haram terrorists.

But while the troops were consolidating on the success of the operation, members of the fundamentalist sect reinforced around the border with Niger Republic; the resulting encounter led to the killing of many Nigerian soldiers according to Boko Haram. The Nigerian army statement said that the fierce battle led to the subsequent withdrawal of troops to a vantage position.

Nigeria must consider oil asset sales – Saraki

THE Senate yesterday asked the federal government to stop the blame game and get the nation’s economy out of recession, saying Nigerians were hungry. It also urged the government to raise capital from asset sales to shore up the nation’s foreign reserves and promised to receive any proposal from the executive arm, including Emergency Power But in what looks like a discordant tune from the government agencies, The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission disagreed with Senate on the sale of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) and other Federation Assets being proposed during an interview with a cable Television station, the CNBC Africa as a way of augmenting the current revenue shortfall as a result of economic recession. In a press statement signed by the Commission’s Acting Chairman, Shettima Umar Abba Gana, RMAFC argued that it would be unwise for the Federal Government to dispose of its crown jewels that generate revenue and keep the Federation Account healthy over the long term. Citing the NEITI 2013 audit and financial report of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, RMAFC disclosed that the sum of $12.9 billion was received by NNPC from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company over an eight-year period which the Corporation did not remit to the Federation Account. The audit according to the Commission also revealed that Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company paid the sum of $1.289 billion as dividends for 2013. Economic problems However, it said it would consider any bill from the President, as long as it would help the nation out of recession. Addressing senators on resumption of the Senate from recess yesterday, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who threw government the challenge, said though the last administration failed to put things right in respect of the economy, the federal government should concentrate on how to solve the country’s economic problems than dwell on buck-passing. According to Saraki, Nigerians are not ready to listen to where the problem emanated from, but solutions to it. He said: “I remember trying to explain to my people that this kind of thing does not happen overnight, that the seeds for the condition that we suffer from today must have been planted by past administrations that refused to do what was necessary. I soon realised that my people are not so interested in how we got here or who to blame for our current situation. They only wanted to know that government has plans to get them out of this current predicament. ‘’To them, the only explanation that makes sense at the moment is that which puts food on the table, reduces price of rice, garri, salt, sugar, meat and saves jobs. I must hasten to add in my own opinion that the executive must begin to take the following needful steps to show Nigerians, the international community and investors, both local and international, that we are ready to reform and do business. “The Executive must re-tool its export promotion policy with export incentives such as the resumption of the Export Expansion Grant, EEG; and introduce export-financing initiatives. It must as a deliberate response, consider immediate release of funds to ensure the implementation of the budget for the near short term to inject money into the economy. Similarly, the agricultural sector and agro-allied businesses should be directly supported to boost value addition and job creation. He said “While government works on the medium to long-term plans, immediate strategies must be devised that would ease the suffering of the ordinary people across our country. In this case, particular attention should be given to our citizens in IDP camps. The images emerging from this zone of deprivation and hunger is no longer acceptable. Government should accelerate interim measures to provide social safety-nets to our people and assuage current high level of misery in the land. Such intervention should seek to fully execute the social spending framework already provided in the 2016 budget.” Saraki said: “On our own part, we must turn our attention towards a number of legislative priorities such as the Petroleum Industry Bills. We must ensure the passage of the PIB as soon as possible to stimulate new investment and boost oil revenue. As we all know, this bill is long in waiting and is very crucial for vital investment in the oil and gas sector. The impasse of not passing the bill is doing great harm to the industry and the Nigerian economy as a whole.” The Senate President noted that “mortgages remain key for us in the National Assembly and we will immediately begin the process of accelerating bills aimed at reforming the sub-sector for growth and accessibility in a manner that deepens our people’s access to housing, jobs and economic activities that can inject fresh funds into this sector.” He added: “There is the National Development Bank of Nigeria (est. etc) Bill 2015, which will provide long term, cheaper source of funds to the private sector. There are also the Nigerian Ports and Harbours Authority Act (Amendment) Bill 2016; National Road Fund (Establishment, etc); National Transport Commission Act 2001; Warehouse Receipts Act Bill 2016; Review of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), Investment and Securities Act (ISA) and Customs and Excise Management Act; Federal Competition Bill 2016; and the National Road Authority. In my view, these bills and some of the other economic reform bills we will be considering in the coming days will be critical in the creation of a basic framework to free up capital and provide the opportunities to get us out of this recession.” The government said earlier in the month it had approved loans from China, the World Bank, Japan and the African Development Bank, but Saraki said such talks were still ongoing with no deals yet. “There is a big hole now in the fiscal deficit because that funding is not coming through. So we’ve got to look for alternative ways to fund that,” Saraki said in a joint interview with the Financial Times on Monday when asked about the loans,” he said. Currency shortages The government has said it plans to borrow as much as $10 billion, with half of that coming from foreign sources, including a planned $1 billion Eurobond issue, to fund a budget deficit of 2.2 trillion naira ($7.21 billion) and boost an economy hammered by low oil prices and hard currency shortages. Saraki said that even if the loan talks succeeded, the amount raised would not be enough to plug the hole in public finances. “My take is that even if it does come through, it’s money too little, too late,” he said, referring to the loan talks. “If we do things right, the confidence will come in,” Saraki said. Adding, if we carry on waiting for government revenues to go up, if we don’t do anything seen as thinking out of the box the recession could drag on longer. Nigeria’s 2016 budget was the largest in the nation’s history, but the oil price drop and Delta attacks have left the government scrambling for funds,” he concluded RMAFC Disagrees with Dangote on Sale of NLNG The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission said “It is the considered view of the Commission that Nigeria’s Assets like NLNG and other strategic national resources should not be sold to meet short-term financial obligation”. It will be recalled that Mr. Godwin Amefiele, Governor of the CBN indicated in a media report that the sum of $10billion could be realised from the sale of these Assets. The Commission is of the strong opinion that the same amount could be borrowed from the IMF and the revenue from these Assets could be used to amortise the loans over an agreed period. It should be noted that after the amortisation of the loans, those Assets would still be owned by the Federation in addition to their regular dividends and Revenue. The Commission advised that instead of selling off such vital assets which generate funds for the Federation, wealthy Nigerians should be encouraged to set up their own LNG projects, since Nigeria which ranks seventh in the world and first in Africa with natural gas reserves base totalling 188 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) as at May 1, 2015. In addition, Nigeria’s natural gas is regarded as one of the best in the world as it has low hydrogen sulphide (H2S) or carbon dioxide (CO2) impurity levels.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

El-Rufai Establishes Rice & Potatoes Plant In Kaduna, Biggest In West Africa

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has announced the establishment ofa multi billion naira French Rice/Potatoes processing plant in Manchok, Kaura area of the state. On completion, the plant would offer 30,000 direct jobs to the teaming unemployed youths in the state. Addressing a news conference in Kaduna heralding the ground breaking of the plant scheduled for this week, commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Dr. Manzo Maigari, said 5,000 hectres of land in each local government would be allocated to community on the best ways of planting potatoes.

According to Daily Post, he explained that as one of the steps to empower farmers in the state, VICAMPRO, owner of the processing plant would buy the potatoes from the farmers for its massive production as 60 per cent of the products would be exported. Maigari added that governor El-Rufai’s economic diversification processing drive would extend to other crops to revive the current economic challenges facing the country and the state.

The commissioner said, “Since the coming of this government, we came with a goal and determination in farming. What we did is to organize farmers into cooperatives, commodity interest groups and the rest. “We look at things critically and we decided that everything we are going to do in agriculture, we have to have some value added which will be private sector driven, so we are lucky to have VICAMPRO with an investment worth 120 million dollars coming into Kaduna state to process French rice and potatoes. “What are the gains for us, with this investment we are looking at 30,000 direct jobs, we are also working closely with them to see how we can develop out growers network across all the local government areas that have suitable soil to grow potatoes. “Another benefit is that it will help us to standardize our farm practice in the state.”

Obama Meets Buhari, Promises To Help Nigeria Out Of Recession

Barack Obama today held talks with Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, where he lauded his effort in the fight against corruption and terrorism. Both presidents met on the sideline of the 71st United Nations General Assembly holding in New York City.Obama describes Nigeria as a very important country in the comity of nations which is why his administration decided to assist the administration in the fight. President Obama also pledged to assist in the area of economy, agriculture, promising to inject more fund to assist Nigeria come out of recession.

She’s Crazy Abi? See Young Lady Pictured Smoking Weed And Reading The Bible (See Photo) #LMAO

Smoking weed and reading the bible? B**ch, you serious?honestly this is not funny at all, Lots of mentally derailed people pretending to be normal, this societal madness is biting real hard..

Kogi: Falake Reacts To Court’s Judgment, SEE What He Said

A member of the House of Representatives, James Faleke, has reacted to the Supreme Court’s verdict, which threw out his case against the election of Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello.
The seven-man panel headed by Justice Sylvester Ngwata, in an unanimous judgment delivered in Abuja on Tuesday, dismissed the claim of James Faleke that he was the rightful candidate for the position. Faleke in a statement by his spokesman, Duro Meseko, said that he had no regrets challenging the decision of the Independent National Election Commission, INEC, which upheld the election of Bello as the state governor. Faleke was the running mate of the late Abubakar Audu, the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in the November 21, 2015 in Kogi State.

He stated, “We have heard the judgment handed down by the Supreme Court jurists upholding Yahaya Bello as governor. We shall wait for the full text of the judgment to know why they came to that conclusion. “But let it be stated here that we have no regrets challenging the declaration of our election as inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). What we did was to defend the votes cast for Audu/Faleke by the over 240,000 electorates on November 21, 2015.

“The people voted for us as candidates not the APC because they believe in the kind of leadership we offered to provide for them during our campaigns. It would therefore amount to crass betrayal of the trust of the electorate not to have defended their votes till the end.”

Shocking! Houseboy Steals N91m From Former First Lady, Turai Yaradua

The houseboy of Turai Yaradua has done a great evil and left the Yaradua family in a bad state after he stole a whopping N91 million from the woman.

Turai Yaradua, wife of the former President of Nigeria Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has lost a whopping sum of N91 million to her domestic staff. According to the police, the houseboy identified as Yusuf Sarkin Gida has now been arrested by the police. DailyTrust reports that the state commissioner of police Usman Abdullahi confirmed the development and said: “We are investigating, actually it will surprise you to know that the man has been serving the family for over 40 years.”

18 killed, 6,637 houses destroyed by flood in Jigawa

The Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency have revealed that 18 persons have been killed and 6,637 houses destroyed by flood in about 19 local government areas in the state.

The executive secretary, Alhaji Yusif Sani, made the disclosure during a briefing with newsmen on the activities of the agency on Tuesday, September 20, in Dutse.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said on Tuesday that negotiations were ongoing for the concession of narrow gauge lines across the country to General Electric (GE).

Mr. Amaechi, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said the agreement would be signed before January 2017.

“We are negotiating to concession the old narrow gauge lines from Lagos, Kano, Funtua, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Aba, Umuahia, Enugu, Makurdi, Jos, Bauchi, Gombe to Borno,” Mr. Amaechi said.

“The entire western and eastern lines will be rehabilitated but we will concession the project to GE and they are bringing in 2 billion dollars to embark on the project.

“If we concession the lines to them and they run it with their money, then you can be rest assured that movement of goods will continue but at a slower speed.”

Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano has said that his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) will reduce the price of rice to N9000 if elected to head the Federal Government.

Obiano made the statement during the inauguration of the ‘Governor Willie Obiano Support Group’ on Monday, September 19 in Awka, Punch reports

“Anambra is a case study for good governance. If APGA will be given the opportunity to rule Nigeria a bag of rice will reduce N9,000,” Obiano said through his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Chinedu Obidigwe.

“What Anambra has done in agriculture, which resulted in the state having its own brand of rice (Anambra rice) would be replicated at a bigger scale should APGA win the presidential election.

“The state has used scarce resources to resuscitate the state’s economy, leading to infrastructural development and timely payment of workers’ salary,” he added.

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