God Will Destroy You Because I’ve Seen Your Nakedness’ – Stephanie Otobo Curses Apostle Suleman

The deepened allegations of infidelity by Stephenie Otobo, canada-based Nigerian stripper on Apostle Suleman is not over yet as she has declared that having seen the pastor’s nakedness, her God which is greater than that of the clergyman would put him shame.Otobo had accused the fiery cleric of impregnating and abandoning her, and released intimidating details about her alleged romance with Suleman.Just last Sunday, mother of the Canadaian-based stripper, Tope Otobo, was at Suleman’s church, Omega Fire Ministries headquarters in Auchi, Edo State where she begged the cleric on behalf of her daughter.But in a new video she released, Ms Otobo accused Suleman of desperately trying to hide his evil deeds by conspiring with her mother to carry out such action.Stressing that she has no physical power, the Canadian-based singer warned that shame and destruction will come on the clergyman in all he does.She said, “I want to say thank you to all those who have being supporting me and for those not supporting me, I hope one day you will see the truth.
“This is not just my fight but it is for those that have been abused but could not come out to say the truth or stand for the truth. If I was the daughter of a prominent person, will you go to my mother, call Canada for information, would you go to my father, would you do these things?“If my parents had powers to fight you, would you still be doing these or you will just end this in the closed door. Apostle Suleman is really getting too desperate. I have seen your pictures with your wife that is what I hope God for in all marriages and I know she would be thanking God for making this happen.“Are you trying to hide something here, are you trying to hide the fact that you are not who you have been showing people that you are by playing with your wife, making people think you are so much in love with her.“Where were you last year, two years ago with your wife? Anyway, I know my God is stronger than you and he has more connection than you. No matter what I’m still standing, I don’t care the agreement you had with my mother or my family that made them bought whatever you are saying to them.“On that Sunday, you sent private cars to pick up my mother from Delta State to Auchi which is like five to six hours away. You are so desperate to get something; you want to be God that you are not. God is in heaven and he can never allow anyone takes his place and this is why I’m still standing.“Physically I have no power to fight, it’s just God that is fighting for me and this God will fight you to the last and the truth will come out.“No matter what you do with my family or calling people in Canada, the truth will come out, I will not bow. You are just an ordinary man that I have seen your nakedness, you are like an Agbero, a vulture, so skinny like a rat.“I’m not scared of you, you can make anyone bow to you but I’m standing for the truth, I have seen your nakedness on and on and I’m not shaken.“I’m placing a curse on you for doing that to my mother; you went too far to take my mother from her home to Auchi your church and made her kneel before you. For this you have done shame and destruction will come upon you.“I can’t be scared of you because I have seen your nakedness, you have used your tongue on my body, given church money to me instead I will curse you that God of truth will send his fire to destroy you.”

President Buhari Nominates Three New NDDC Board Members

President Muhammadu Buhari has sent the names of three new Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board nominees to the Nigerian senate.The president sent the names as a replacement of those rejected last year. The Senate president, Bukola Saraki on Thursday March 30, read the letter sent by the president at the plenary.The nominees are Lucky Omirisan, Hon. Chuka and Nwogu N.Nwogu from Ondo, Imo and Abia State respectively.

Papa Ajasco Reloaded Set to Return with A Different Story Line

Papa Ajasco Reloaded will return with a different story line in a matter of weeks, Lekan Ayinde, manager of Wale Adenuga Production (WAP) confirmed to NAN.“The new series is a redefinition of the programme to further its relevance to the current trend,” Ayinde said.Ayinde also said that Nigerian films are neither too immoral nor vulgar as being portrayed by some critics.
“The reality is that what people consider as overt exposures of female sexual appealing figures are really happening in our society.

FEC Approves $500m Eurobond

President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal executive council has approved the $500 million Eurobond from the international capital market to fund the 2016 budget.‎Kemi Adeosun, minister of finance, made this known on Wednesday, saying the next steps about the issuance will be released later in the day.Last week, the senate approved the request of Buhari to raise additional $500 million Eurobond to fund the 2016 budget.Adeosun said FEC had also given a directive to contractors and those doing business with the government to ensure that names of company directors and registered offices are listed on their letter headed papers.She said this is to enable tax authorities to be able trace and collect revenue.Adeosun said the accountant general of the federation had been told not to pay companies that did not comply with the directive.“FEC gave a directive to the SGF to remind companies that there is an existing provision in the law that companies are supposed to have on their letter headed papers the names of their directors and their registered offices but what we have seen is that many bodies that are transacting business with government simply have the names of the company and no details of who the directors are,” she said.

Gov. Ambode Approves Release of N582m for Payment of Pensioners

The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has once again approved the release of N582,195 million as payment of entitlements to over 109 retirees’ for the month of March, 2017.The State Government, through LASPEC has, since the beginning of this administration paid 5,956 retirees from the mainstream Civil Service, Local Government and State Universal Basic Education Board, Teachers Establishment Pensions Office as well as other parastatals and agencies.Advertisement.The Director-General, LASPEC, Mrs. Folashade Onanuga, who disclosed this during the 37th Retirement Benefit Bond Certificate Presentation Ceremony, held on Wednesday, said that by April 2017, the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) would clock 10 years of its commencement in Lagos State.While stating that activities have been lined up to commemorate the decade of the CPS in the State, Onanuga congratulated the retirees and urged them to spend their money judiciously.The Assistant Director, Technical, Olawale Otun, took the retirees through the various benefit options available under the CPS and urged them to choose the best option in line with their future plans and aspirations.

Business Owners in Nigeria Can Now Conveniently Register Online Within 48 hours – CAC

The Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, demonstrated on Wednesday that business owners in Nigeria can now conveniently register their businesses online within 48 hours.At a CAC Customers’ Forum in Lagos organised in collaboration with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, the CAC Registrar-General, Mahmud Bello, explained that a series of reforms have been implemented by the commission this year to make it “quicker, cheaper and more convenient” for Nigerians to start businesses.“The CAC as an agency of government involved in the start-up of business has strongly keyed into the vision of the federal government to make Nigeria a progressively easier place for businesses to start and thrive,” Mr. Bello said. “Our reforms are designed with the MSMEs in mind. For us, the customer is king and must be treated with royalty.”Highlight of the event was a live technical demonstration session by the commission on its latest reforms such as the Document Upload Interface which enables e-submission of registration documents on the CAC Company Registration Portal, and the integration of the FIRS e-payment solution into the CAC portal to enable e-stamping. Participants were also given a walk-through of the Public Search Window and the Single Incorporation Form.The CAC informed participants at the Forum that paper-based manual incorporation process would be gradually phased out in the course of the year, starting with Lagos and Abuja where all submissions must be done online from April 30th.The forum was highly interactive with customers offering suggestions, asking questions and stating opinions which the CAC promised “will form the agenda for deliberation by Management to further improve service delivery.”In a goodwill message at the event, the Secretary to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, Jumoke Oduwole, said that the council is committed to providing complete support to the CAC and all other MDAs implementing reforms to actualise the government’s mandate of making businesses work in Nigeria.She said that Nigerians would be carried along in the process as PEBEC is mindful of the fact that the success of its reforms will depend on the testimonials of customers like those gathered at the CAC forum.Ms. Oduwole also noted that PEBEC’s other target of moving Nigeria 20 places upward in the World Bank’s Doing Business Rankings by October cannot be actualised if stakeholders do not adopt and utilise the completed reforms.

MTN Pays FG Another N30 Billion Part of N330 Billion Fine

MTN has made a payment of N30 billion ($98 million) to the Nigerian government in part settlement of a N330 billion fine imposed on the telecoms group for not disconnecting unregistered SIM cards, an MTN source told Reuters on Thursday.Africa’s largest telecoms company has already paid 80 billion naira of the total amount owed, the source said.The fine is due for payment in six instalments over three years, MTN has said.MTN Nigeria was originally fined $5.2 billion last October for failing to deactivate more than five million unregistered SIM cards, but the fine was reduced in a settlement that paved the way for MTN to list its subsidiary on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.Nigeria has been cracking down on unregistered SIM cards, concerned that they are used for criminal activity in a country fighting an insurgency by Islamist militant group Boko Haram.MTN, which operates in 20 countries, had set aside $600 million last year to pay the fine.

PHOTOS: Samsung Unveils Galaxy S8 and S8+ Phones

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S8 and S8+, the company’s first flagship phones since the Note 7 debacle in 2016 threatened to sink its brand in the eyes of the public.The new phones’ most eye-catching feature is an almost completely bezel-free display, running the full width of the device, even curving around the edge (akin to the screen on Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge), and shrinking the chin and forehead of the front screen to tiny slivers.

Samsung’s calls this the “infinity display”, and even the home button has been removed, replaced with a pressure-sensitive section at the bottom of the screen.
Launching on 28 April (though pre-order customers will receive theirs a week early), the Galaxy S8 will retail at £689 and the S8+ at £779.

Those prices are £10 and £40 cheaper than the respective iPhone models Samsung is competing with, but leave the S8 £120 more than the S7 and the S8+ £140 more expensive than the S7 Edge.
Two colours will hit Britain, “Midnight Black” and “Orchid Grey”, and Samsung is still decided whether to launch a third colour, “Arctic Silver”.

That allows the two devices, with screens of 5.8in and 6.2in respectively, to occupy the body of a phone with a much smaller display.The Galaxy S8, for instance, has dimensions of 148.9 x 68.1 x 8mm, roughly a centimetre shorter and narrower (though 0.7mm thicker) than an iPhone 7 Plus, despite having a screen 0.3in larger.The screen, with a resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels on both models, is also the first on a mobile phone to be rated as Mobile HDR Premium, certifying it as meeting a certain standard for high dynamic range content – showing blacker blacks, brighter whites and a generally larger range of brightness than most phones.Inside the devices is an octacore chip (with four cores clocked at 2.3Ghz and four at 1.7Ghz), the first in a smartphone to be made in a 0.1 micron production process, along with 4GB of Ram and 64GB of flash storage. Also present an expansion slot for microSD cards: while Samsung removed the slot for the Galaxy S6, from the S7 onwards, owners have been able to slot in an SD card for extra storage.Although largely similar apart from their screens, the two sizes do have one other difference: a larger battery in the larger model, rated at 3,500mAh, while the smaller phone has storage of 3,000mAh.The Galaxy S8 will ship with Android 7, Nougat, which is currently the most recent version of Android. It is due to be superseded in the third quarter of 2017 by Android O.The cameras on the two devices remain largely similar to those in the Galaxy S7: A 12MP rear-facing camera, with optical image stabilisation, and an 8MP selfie camera, both with an F1.7 aperture.Also included is a fingerprint sensor on the back of the device, next to the camera, and a face unlock feature.One thing that’s survived the upgrade is the headphone jack. Six months after Apple took the heat for shipping the iPhone 7 without a standard 3.5mm plug, the Galaxy S8 still has room for the old port.

Galaxy S8 and S8+Samsung

ASUU Gives FG July Deadline to Pay N128bn Allowances

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said the Federal Government is owing academics in federal universities unpaid allowances of not less than N128 billion. News Agency of Nigeria reports that ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, stated this during a news conference at the University of Abuja on Wednesday government to pay the outstanding arrears of its members not later than July 2017.According to him, ASUU had insisted on a framework for paying any part of the “Earned Academic Allowances” (EAA) arrears.Ogunyemi explained that government had initially insisted that there would be no further release of funds to the universities until there was a forensic audit.“In view of this, the union rose from its NEC meeting at the Bayero University Kano observing that the particular issue of EAA cannot be meaningfully addressed unless within an agreed framework.“Hence the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU resolved that all outstanding arrears of EAA should be paid not later than July 2017.“The decision of ASUU-NEC on the issue of EAA has since been communicated to the Minister of Education, Senate President and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund,’’ he said.He also decried non-release of the Operational Licensing of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO) despite the fact that the company had met the minimum requirements for registration as Pension Fund Administrator (PFA).This, he said, created the feeling of insecurity and loss of confidence among retirees in the system.“The non-release of NUPEMCO’s operational license in an arm-twisting tactic to frustrate our members and forcefully get them enlisted into some Pension-Fund Administrators (PFAs).“The PFA cartel appears determined to abort the process of NUPEMCO licensing which started more than four years ago.”He, however, insisted that such was unacceptable to ASUU, saying “it is against the right to choice”.Ogunyemi further noted that the 2013 MoU signed with the Federal Government on Funding for the Revitalisation of public universities had not been released as agreed.
“The MoU stipulates that N200 billion would be released in 2013 for massive injection of funds to reposition Nigerian public universities for global competition.
“Thereafter, N220 billion is to be released for subsequent five years, adding up to N1.3 trillion by 2018, not a single kobo has been released up till date.”

The Kardashians Freaking Out As ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashian’ Ratings Falls Drastically

The Kardashian family are reportedly freaking out as KeepingUp With The Kardashian, is on a free fall in terms of ratings.Sundaynight’s episode was so low people are beginning to speculate this might be the beginning of the end of the Kardashian’s reign as the most famous reality TV family.
According to Nielsen, only 1.41 million viewers tuned in to watch the show. This will not be the first time ratings are dropping that low. For the August 28, 2016, episode, ratings hit the lowest ever at 866,000. It was expected that this new season will rake in views considering that the episodes told the story of Kim Kardashian’s Paris robbery but it wans’t so.“This sucks,” a source close to production told Radar. “These were big episodes and they were supposed to bring in big numbers. This is bad.”Viewers took to Twitter to call for the cancellation of the show.“#IHaveBeenThinkingAnd I think the network needs to cancel #KUWTK it’s just no use to anyone anymore…” one person wrote.
Radar reports that the Kardashians/Jenner are really worried about this drop in ratings and would not know what to do with themselves without their show.

University of Abuja Sacks 2 Senior Staff Over ‘Whistle-blowing’

Two senior staff of the University of Abuja who recently dragged the management of the university to the anti-graft agencies have been sacked by the Governing Council of the university for alleged insubordination after being placed on suspension for eight months without salary.But the disengagement of the two staff for allegedly exposing corruption in the institution has drawn the ire of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, who has called on the Federal Government to protect the whistle blowers in a bid to fight corruption in the system.
Termination of the appointments of the two staff came just four days after the burial of the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the University Governing Council, Samuel Ogbemudia, in Benin City, as the Governing Council convened meeting on 22nd and 23rd of March 2017, to effect the sack.Meantime, SSANU has stated that the Federal Government was too slow to wield the big stick on perpetrators of corrupt practices, either as convicts or suspects under investigation/trial as in the cases in the Nigerian University system in recent times. SSANU in a statement issued yesterday and signed by its National President, Comrade Samson Chijioke Ugwoke, said the suspension and termination of appointments of the two staff of the University as a result of whistle blowing, constituted a gross violation of the Whistle Blowing Policy of the present administration, which should not go unpunished.The union has called for the reversal of the termination of the appointments of the affected members, Comrades Jude Nwabueze and Nurrudeen Yusuf by the Management and Council of University within one week. SSANU also demanded that the Management and Council of University of Abuja should tender a strong apology to the Federal Government and the Nigerian citizens for allegedly defying the orders of Government and disregarding constituted authorities.According to the statement,“The Union, SSANU, wishes to bring to the notice of the Nigerian public and the world at large that the reason the Management of the University gave for the said termination of the appointments is false. It is because of whistle blowing and Union activities, and not insubordination as alleged. SSANU therefore wants to put the records straight. “The Management of the University of Abuja got itself engulfed in unauthorized recruitment of staff without following due process, thus over bloating the system. “When the government of President Muhammadu Buhari came to power and it was no more business as usual, coupled with the recession that greeted the Country, the Budget Office stuck to the release of the actual budgetary provision for all MDAs. “This led to “perceived shortfall in the university (Abuja) in 2015 as the University could not pay the entire staff their correct salaries. This and many other demands of the Union (SSANU) in University of Abuja, including unpaid arrears of promotion and other welfare issues of members, gave rise to the crisis which HEIGHTENED in 2015.“The Management failed to honour her own side of the Memorandum of Understanding it entered into with the Union that would have ended the crisis in the early times. The Union had to cry out to the Federal Government (whistle blowing) for intervention. Does this constitute acts of insubordination?” SSANU in the statement further stated, “The Management of University of Abuja began dealing with the issues in contention initially by inviting the two staff in their capacities as SSANU Chairman and Secretary along with the other Exco members to meetings where some understandings were reached that would have nipped the problems in the bud.“The failure of Management to do the needful led to the externalization of the matter (i.e. to Government and the public through the Press) by the Union. This angered the Management who decided to single out the Chairman and Secretary (i.e. Jude Nwabueze and Nurudeen Yusuf) and issued queries to them, this time as staff of the University transport and health services units respectively (no more as SSANU leaders).
“The Management also went ahead to suspend the duo without salary (not even half salary) and without any defined period as is the practice in the Nigerian University System and public service. Consequently, they have been on suspension without salary for the past eight months. “The University Governing Council Disciplinary Committee that eventually recommended the dismissal of the two staff (Officers of SSANU) did not even bother to give them any fair hearing before conviction, neither did the Council, though illegally convened, see this procedure as faulty.
“All principles of natural justice were jettisoned. The public may also wish to know that there was disagreement among the members of the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee which led to incomplete signature of all members.” Commenting on the legality of the meeting of the Governing Council that allegedly terminated the appointment of the two staff, SSANU said, “The meeting of the Governing Council was convened on 22nd and 23rd of March 2017, barely four (4) days after the burial of the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the University Governing Council, Samuel Ogbemudia, in Benin City.“The respect accorded Elder Statesmen in this part of the world was thrown to the wind, all in a bid to hurriedly disengage some persons from their source of daily living in the guise of insubordination. Courtesy demands that the Council meeting would have waited at least two weeks as a mark of respect.“In a rational setting, the vacuum created by the death of the Pro-Chancellor would have been filled, even if it is in acting capacity. This was not done. Neither was there any clearance or permission obtained from the Honourable Minister of Education for the said meeting.
“The meeting was therefore not properly convened as required by law. As it stands, the Vice-Chancellor, in conspiracy with some of his cronies in the Council, connived to hold this illegal council meeting. From the proceedings of the meeting, it appears as if the major reason for the “emergency” meeting was to disengage these two staff. “The public may wish to know that the tenure of the present Council has expired and Government has put machineries in place to constitute a new one. This is probably why the Vice-Chancellor, out of desperation to send these two packing, knowing fully that he may not elicit the support of the incoming Council to do the dirty job, connived with some members to hurriedly convene the meeting to quickly execute his agenda.
“It is also important to inform that the Council did not reach any conclusion on the matter whether or not to dismiss or terminate the staff, because inside sourceS revealed that the issue of the legality of the Council meeting surfaced during the session and it became so weighty that no meaningful decision could be taken that would stand. “Therefore, at what point did the decision to terminate the appointment of the duo came to be, and who gave the directive that the termination letters be issued?”

JAMB Reduces UTME Exam Duration by One Hour

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has stated that candidates sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, would from this year onwards spend two hours instead of the three hours that used to be the case.This was disclosed in Kaduna on Wednesday by the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, during the opening ceremony of a strategic planning retreat on the monitoring, supervision and evaluation of 2017 UTME with the theme: “Inclusiveness and sensitisation of key external actors”.He explained that the reduction of hours was in line with international best standards and practices where no candidate is kept in an examination such as UTME for more than two hours.Advertisement“We are going to reduce the duration of the examination for this year’s UTME. You cannot keep children of this age for three hours. For their age, the maximum time you can keep them is two hours. So, we are considering the reduction in the time they spend because once it is more than two hours you can’t expect that they will retain their presence of mind,” the board’s chief executive said.He further disclosed that a total of 240,000 candidates have so far registered for the examination which has been scheduled for May 20, barely one week after the commencement of the sale of forms which is expected to end on April 22.Oloyede added that out of 13 commercial banks and the Nigeria Postal Service that have signified interest in the sales of the admission forms, only nine have paid for the number of application documents they required in the first instance.

Vice President Osinbajo Departs Nigeria to Attend Anti-corruption Forum In Paris

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday departed the country to attend the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD’s Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum holding in Paris tomorrow, Thursday and Friday.Concerned that “corruption and abuse of public office are a blight on democracies and a drain on public finances and with trust in government flagging,” the OECD forum brings together global leaders, Government ministers, business leaders and civil society representatives to discuss issues “including the cost to society of corruption, the use of political donations to buy influence, developments in corporate liability for graft, and the role of export controls to counter bribery.”A statement by Laolu Akande said the Vice President who is one of the featured speakers at the global conference left Abuja today, after participating in the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa.
During the conference, Prof. Osinbajo would hold bilateral talks with the Secretary-General of the organization Angel Gurria to review and explore relationship between Nigeria and the body including how to further strengthen mutual cooperation in the areas such as good governance, integrity and anti-corruption efforts.Founded in 1961, OECD’s mission includes the attainment of global economic development through supporting sustainable economic growth, boosting employment, raising living standards, contributing to the growth of world trade and maintaining financial stability among other objectives.While in Paris, the Vice President will also hold a number of meetings with the French Minister Mr. Bernard Cazeneuve, the statement said. He is expected back in Abuja by weekend.

Nigeria Customs Redeploys 337 Assistant Comptrollers

As part of the ongoing repositioning of the Service, the Comptroller-General of Customs Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) has approved the redeployment of 337 Assistant Comptrollers of Customs to various Commands across the country with immediate effect.The deployment was announced by Abubakar Dalhatu, Deputy Public Relations Officer of Nigeria Customs Service on Wednesday.
The redeployment exercise which also confirms AC Joseph Attah as the substantive Public Relations Officer of the Service, moved AC Babadidi B from FOU D to Apapa, AC Udenze A from ICT to TCIP, AC Ilesanmi K.D from Apapa to Kad/Kt, AC Ugorji, O.A from ICT to PH II among others.
The CGC charged the affected officers to support the leadership of their new Commands in the renewed efforts to entrench a more transparent culture of service delivery.He said ‘so much is expected from NCS in terms of economic and security well-being of the country, we cannot afford to fail the nation’.

President Buhari Sets Up Committee to Resolve Outstanding Issues with National Assembly

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has set up a committee to resolve outstanding issues between the executive and legislative arms of the government, Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said.Mohammed told reporters after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday in Abuja that the executive is concerned about its deteriorating relationship with the National Assembly.“The executive is also quite worried and quite concerned that the relationship between the two arms of government is not as smooth as it is supposed to be.“In any democracy, it is a continuous struggle for balancing between the Executive and the Legislature because each of them is creatures of the law.“We must strive at all times to ensure that there is that balance, amity and smooth relationship.“Just today at the Federal Executive Council meeting, this matter was discussed and a committee is already working on ensuring that we resolve all these outstanding issues.’’
The Senate on Tuesday suspended the confirmation of 27 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s Resident Electoral Commission (REC), officers over what it described as President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sack the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu.The upper chamber also on Tuesday summoned the chairman of the presidential committee on anti-corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, whom they accused of making derogatory remarks against the Senate.Sagay, who commented on the refusal of the senate to confirm the re-nomination of Ibrahim Magu as substantive chairman of the EFCC, was reported to have gone to the press and said that the `senate merely confirms’.The Senate also turned back the comptroller-general of Customs, Hameed Ali, (an appointee of the President) for not appearing in Customs uniform.Senators, by a voice vote, had directed him to return to the National Assembly on Wednesday, March 22, in proper uniform designated for the office of Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service.The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education also summoned the Minister of Education to explain why the current Permanent Secretary of his Ministry, Jamila Shuara refused to appear before the House of over her extension of service.Mohammed described the protest embarked upon by unions in his ministry as normal in any democratic environment.
He, however, appealed to the unions to show more understanding as the ministry was doing all it could to meet their demands if the nation’s economy improved.“It is not unusual for unions to call for the removal of ministers. Any minister should expect that.“They are complaining about welfare but there is a limit to what government can do within the available resources.“As much as we sympathise with them on the situation, the economy is simply not healthy enough to accommodate what it used to accommodate in the past.“If anybody is concerned and worried about expenditures in my ministry, they should go and check because it is open.“We have appealed to them several times but we met a culture that we cannot sustain. If and when the economy improves, we will look into some of the grievances that are genuine.“We listen to them; they always meet with the Permanent secretary and directors. But once the resources are not there, there is little we can do. We will just continue to plead with them to be patient with us,’’ he said.Also speaking with the reporters, the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahma Dambazau, disclosed that the council approved N403million for the purchase of 15 water carrying vehicles for the Federal Fire Service to further revamp the fire service unit.
“Today’s council approved the procurement of some water carrying vehicles for the Federal Fire Service, this is in an attempt to further revamp the federal fire service which has experienced dearth of equipment for a very long time and that with the challenges we have in terms of fire incidents all over the country.“The last time I spoke I told you the government is making every effort to make sure that the fire service is revamped so that we have the necessary equipment, training and personnel to be able to face the challenges.“Today as part of it FEC approved what is remaining of the 2016 budget, the procurement of 15 water tankers that have the capacity to be used as fighting trucks.
“This is costing the government N403million out of the budget that was appropriated in 2016.
“The total budget is about 5.5billion naira for the procurement of fire-fighting equipment and we have already procured a lot from that.’’Similarly, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, told the correspondents that the council approved the ratification for the establishment of the West African Tax Administration forum.According to her, forum is a platform to promote mutual agreement and cooperation among West African tax authorities.“Nigeria is the host of this body but we have ratified the project. The effect of it is that there will be better information sharing and cooperation between countries within West Africa on tax administration. This is really part of our tax reform efforts.“As you know Nigerians own properties in Ghana and other neigbouring countries, now for tax purposes they will be able to have access to that type of information.“Linked to that is the directive of the FEC to the SGF to remind companies that there is an existing provision in the law that companies are supposed to have on their letter headed papers the names of their directors and their registered offices but what we have seen is that many bodies that are transacting business with government simply have the names of the company and no details of who the directors are.“So for tax purposes it is quite difficult to trace them, so the SGF will be issuing a circular reminding agencies and ministries of government that it is the law and therefore they are at liberty not to treat any document that doesn’t comply with the law.“And equally the Accountant General is being advised that payment will only be effected to companies that are fully in compliance with the law just to make sure that all those who are doing business with government and making from government are paying the right taxes.’’
Adeosun stated that the council also endorsed the 500 million Eurobond, saying that the National Assembly had already approved the Eurobond.

NNPC Raises Alarm Over Fake Recruitment Exercise

The Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC), has raised alarm over fake recruitment‎ exercise in the Corporation by some syndicates with speciality in extorting money from unsuspecting members of the public.According to a release from Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Ndu Ughmadu, the Corporation is not conducting any recruitment exercise, noting that the Corporation would advertise vacant positions whenever it has need to embark on a recruitment exercise.Throwing more light on the method of operation of the fake job syndicate, Ughamadu explained that the group deploys various means ranging from text messages, social media platforms and forged letters to invite gullible job seekers for non-existing job interviews after ostensibly extorting money from them.“To this end, we wish to once again appeal to members of the public, particularly unsuspecting applicants to be wary of fraudulent invitations for job interviews at the NNPC Towers.Anyone who entertains such invitations or deals with peddlers of such invitation does so at his or her own risk,” the NNPC stated.

Bitcoin entrepreneur Amir Taaki quizzed over fighting in Syria

A London-based software developer and "hacker" has said he is under police investigation after going to Syria to fight against the Islamic State group.

Amir Taaki, 29, a leading developer of online currency Bitcoin, was once named by Forbes as one of the most influential young people in technology.

Mr Taaki told the BBC he returned to the UK from Syria in 2016 and has spent the past 12 months on police bail.

The Foreign Office warns people not to travel to Syria for any reason.

"When I discovered Rojava [the term Kurds use to refer to northern or Syrian Kurdistan] I felt I had to go there," he told the BBC.

"At first, I was completely scared - I thought I was going to die.

"I got sent to the frontline. I had no training, and I was given a Kalashnikov. I learnt how to use a gun on the way, another Western fighter showed me."

Mr Taaki says he spent three and half months fighting with the Kurdish People's Protection Units [YPG] military group and experienced several battles against IS.

He says he was not injured in the fighting, except in one incident, he tells me laughing: "I did fall into a trench."

When asked "Did you kill anyone?" he explains that his experiences in battles with IS were at long range, so it is impossible to tell.

"I found myself on the front with a gun, I had to fight. But I wanted to go elsewhere, where my skills would be useful."

Mr Taaki says he later met with the economics committee of Rojava and began helping the Kurds with local projects, such as a crowd-funding campaign which raised money and then built fertilizer factories to help farmers growing food.

Currency plans

The Syrian Kurds are not only fighting to defeat IS, but they have the aim of creating a new kind of socialist society.

This Kurdish vision is based on revolutionary ideas of living in a much less hierarchical way than the West - a system called "democratic confederalism".

This is what Amir Taaki says truly inspired him to travel to the conflict.

"My main goal with going to Rojava was not because I opposed Isis, it's because I support their [the Kurds'] revolution. I support their politics and their struggle.

"It is the only solution for lasting peace in the Middle East."

Bitcoin, he believes, could help the Syrian Kurds.

"They're trying to create a people's economy. To establish a decentralised economy, you need decentralised money.

"Rojava's under embargo, so there's no way to move money in or out. So we have to actually create our own Bitcoin economies.

"Now we have a technological tool for people to freely organise outside state system. Because it is a currency not controlled by central banks."

But software previously developed by Amir Taaki to allow untraceable, anonymous transactions, has been criticised by authorities because it may be used for money laundering or to fund organised terror groups.

When he returned to London in 2016, Mr Taaki says he was arrested at the airport and questioned under counter-terror legislation.

"I was not expecting it at all," he says.

"They stopped the plane, and they arrested me. They confiscated computers, phones and everything".

He says he has been told by police that he remains under investigation.

"I don't support terrorism or terrorist acts. What's the political motive in keeping an investigation open against me?"

Rejects lavish lifestyle

There are no reliable figures for how many British people have gone to fight with the Kurds.

The YPG itself estimates that "hundreds" of volunteers from many countries have fought with it.

The YPG is not a banned group in the UK, but is considered a terror organisation by Turkey, which has a history of conflict with the Kurds.

Mr Taaki was once tipped to be a future billionaire.

He could work in Sillicon Valley and enjoy an incredible career. So why not, I ask?

"I could go and live on a beach in Brazil and party," he tells me. "I don't want that, though."

When challenged on why he needed to pick up a gun at all, he replies: "I'm glad about it, to be honest, it was an important experience to have."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Everyone who returns from taking part in the conflict in Syria or Iraq must expect to be reviewed by the police to determine if they have committed criminal offences and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security."

Air Peace to Commence Dubai, Mumbai, Atlanta, London Routes

Air Peace, has concluded arrangements to commence the lucrative Dubai, Atlanta, London routes as a was to expand its destinations globally.Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Chief Allen Onyema, gave the assurance, when he was conferred with the award of “Aviation Man of the Year 2016” by ATQnews and Akwaaba African Travel Market at the 2017 Port Harcourt Bantaba.Speaking at the event held recently, Onyema said Air Peace has distinguished itself in the Nigerian aviation industry with its unrivalled on-time performance, safety and maintenance record.The CEO further stated that Air Peace which has added a Friday evening flight to its daily Lagos-Accra-Lagos route, would make Enugu the base of its Gwangzhou-China operations.He pledged continuous seamless air travel with its project to connect more local, regional and international destinations with plans to strengthen its fleet with a Boeing 777 aircraft in its preparation to commence Guangzhou-China, Dubai, Mumbai, Atlanta, London and other long-haul routes.Responding to a question on the ownership of the airline, the Air Peace boss dismissed insinuations that a former First Lady fondly referred to as “Mama Peace” had an interest in the carrier.Onyema, who was represented by the airline’s corporate communications manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah, said Air Peace symbolized the effort of his organization, the Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN) to promote peace in the country through the creation of gainful employment for thousands of converted militant agitators and other jobless Nigerians.He insisted that efforts to set up the airline predated Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999. Onyema explained that he was advised to set up an airline because of its capacity to create massive job opportunities for members of the society.The Air Peace boss expressed gratitude to the organizers of the award for recognizing his efforts to transform air travel experience in Nigeria and beyond, pledging to support the group in its programmes.Also speaking, organizer of Port Harcourt Bantaba, Mr. Ikechi Uko said Onyema was chosen as the “Aviation Man of the Year 2016” for positioning Air Peace as Nigeria’s preferred airline and for expanding to Accra, Ghana.

Manchester United Have Been Unlucky Under Mourinho, Says Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is “unlucky” not to see his side competing for the Premier League title this season, according to former Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson.Mourinho’s United are currently fifth in the table after 27 league matches of his debut season in charge, and they trail leaders Chelsea by 17 points after drawing 10 of their top-flight games.Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles at United, told SiriusXM FC in quotes reported by the Daily Telegraph: “I get on well with Jose and think he’s doing a really good job.“He’s been a bit unlucky actually because there are home games this season they’ve been absolutely brilliant in but have drawn them.“If they’d got those wins they deserved they’d be challenging for the league, there’s no doubt about that.”Mourinho has already led his side to silverware this season, securing a 3-2 win over Southampton in the EFL Cup last month.Ferguson added: “Winning a trophy at United is the most important thing,” he said. “That’s what the club’s history is about — winning trophies.“I looked upon the League Cup as the manager [Mourinho] does: this is an important trophy. I was fortunate to win it four times. It doesn’t matter what the trophy is, if you get to a final you want to win it.”United are next in action when they host eighth-placed West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Messi Suspended For Four Argentina Matches

Barcelona star Lionel Messi was suspended for four Argentina matches by FIFA on Tuesday for swearing at an assistant referee, a ban that will see the striker miss out on decisive qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup.Messi was found guilty of “having directed insulting words at an assistant referee” in the World Cup qualifier against Chile last Thursday which Argentina won 1-0 thanks to a penalty from the Barcelona hitman.Messi will be forced to sit out Argentina’s next South American qualifying game against Bolivia, scheduled for later on Tuesday, with the remainder of the suspension served over his country’s subsequent World Cup qualifiers: in Uruguay on August 31, at home to Venezuela on September 5 and against Peru on October 5.He was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs (9,350 euros, $10,170), with FIFA saying: “This decision is in line with the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s previous rulings in similar cases.”“We are going to appeal,” said Armando Perez, president of the Argentine FA’s interim board.He acknowledged that Messi “made a mistake by insulting” the linesman, but argued that FIFA’s sanction was disproportionate.“This is more political than anything else,” he said.The AFA’s national squad selection secretary Jorge Miasdoqui called the ban “a blow, and unfair”.“There are precedents that give reason to believe the sanction could be reduced,” he told reporters at a hotel in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz, where the squad was en route to the capital La Paz for Tuesday’s game.“They have cut the legs off Messi and the Argentine national team.”Miasdoqui noted that Messi had not been warned or sanctioned by the referee of the Chile match at the time of the outburst, and nothing had been mentioned in the referee’s match report.“We feel powerless, surprised,” added Miasdoqui.“I’m angry, Messi is sad, like us. He could have played, he travelled to play, he should have played.”Argentina’s victory over Chile left them in third place overall in the 10-team South American qualifying competition for the World Cup with 22 points from 13 games, behind Brazil (30) and Uruguay (23).The top four finishers qualify automatically for next year’s finals in Russia.Argentina have won five of their six World Cup 2018 qualifiers with Messi but only one of seven without the Barcelona superstar.They are only two points ahead of Ecuador and Chile in fifth and sixth, with Colombia only one point adrift in fourth.

Wizkid Teases His “Come Closer” Collaboration With Drake

Freshly signed to a major label, Wizkid appears to be teasing a new collaboration with Drake .

The duo worked together on VIEWS single “One Dance” plus Wizkid’s “Ojuelegba” remix with
Skepta. A song the pair recorded with the title “Hush Up the Silence” debuted on episode 37 of OVO Sound Radio in February.In an Instagram post this morning, March 28, Wizkid shared what looks like a still from a music video with “Come Closer Ft. Drake” written over the top. The caption on the post reads: “31-3,” suggesting a March 31 release date.https://www.instagram.com/p/BSLOjgvAzeN/

DJ Khaled To Appear In Upcoming “Pitch Perfect 3” Movie

DJ Khaled will star in the upcoming movie “Pitch Perfect 3.”
DJ Khaled is taking his talents to the big screen. On Monday evening, the We The Best rapper announced on Instagram that he’ll be guest starring in the upcoming movie Pitch Perfect 3.Sharing numerous photos from his time on set, Khaled says “he has a major role” in the movie, but it’s unclear at the moment what exactly his role will be still. Based on the pictures though, it kinda looks like he might play himself with the velvet jumpsuit he’s seen wearing.Either way, it’s another huge look for DJ Khaled, who continues to stay out here winning.

Tyga Says His 4-Year-Old Enjoys “Cars, Women & Jewelry”

Tyga says he and his 4-year-old son share similar interests.
Tyga listeners will know that he’s all about the finer things in life. And it turns out that his son, 4-year-old King Cairo, is shaping up to be just like his daddy. “He likes everything I like: cars, women, jewelry,” Tyga recently told E! News.The GOOD Music rapper admitted that his son, who is mothered by Blac Chyna, has already gotten used to living the high life. “I’m trying to cut back on him with the gifts because he gets very, very spoiled. He is very spoiled,” said Tyga. “He thinks he is supposed to have all of that, so I have to kind of teach him that I work for everything.”“You’ve just got to be an active parent, man,” explained the 27-year-old emcee. “Just teach them lessons to make them feel what you felt, and they’ve got to understand that, you know? It can be taken at any moment, so you’ve got to work hard for it.”He also revealed that, at this point, King Cairo wants to grow up to build Ferraris. Below are some pics of Tyga and King Cairo wearing matching Gucci getups on a putt-putt outing.https://www.instagram.com/p/BQlX4yOj96o/ 
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQlXo3YDjSg/

I’m Happy at Manchester City, I Don’t Want to Leave – Iheanacho

Super Eagles’ striker Kelechi Iheanacho has ruled out any possibility of leaving English clubside Manchester City “any time soon’’, saying he was happy to be part of the team.Newsmen report that in spite of some impressive outings, City manager Pep Guardiola has given Iheanacho only few playing opportunities.However, the striker on Tuesday vowed to stay on and fight for his place in the face of competition from Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus.Iheanacho, who has scored seven goals from 24 appearances this season, said: “I’m very happy and very grateful to be in this team.“I keep working hard every day and when I get my chance I have to prove to everyone I need to be in the squad. “It’s a great squad with great players. Everyone is working really hard. So, everyone should be happy being in this team. “It’s a great team. The supporters give us everything.So, we need to keep fighting for the team and the fans. “I am improving every day. I keep learning and improving and that will help me in the future. I love it here,” he was quoted on the club’s website as saying.

Nigeria’s Angry Children of Suicide – Reuben Abati Writes

I once wrote about Nigeria’s “children of anger”, but the country seems to have progressed from anger to clinical depression, resulting in a rise not merely in social aggressiveness, but a determination by certain individuals to escape from it all. The percentage of Nigerians seeking escape through suicide nonetheless remains small relative to the size of the population, but the sharp increase in the number and frequency of reported suicides in the last two years alone speaks to a certain dysfunctionality requiring closer inquiry.
Suicide is an act of self-destruction, an escape from the self, an act of self-defeat. Whether the suicide is anomic or fatalistic, due to loss of job, broken relationships, dis-inhibition, economic deprivation, environmental factors, disability or psychosis, it usually arises from an awareness of the inadequacy of the self. What Germans call “weltschmerz”, that is, a discrepancy between personal expectations and the reality of personal space, which for many may result in anger, aggressiveness, a feeling of rejection, isolation, inadequacy and ultimately a revolt against the self.
It is often assumed that poverty is synonymous with this resolve to deconstruct the self but the highest suicide rates are actually found in countries with wealth, and better environment, and all ten of the most popular spots for suicide in the world are in developed countries. What is certain however regardless of the place and time, is that human beings decide to abbreviate their own mortality when they resolve that they can no longer live with the discrepancy between what they are and what they would like to be, or what they have been and what they have suddenly become or what they expect and what happens to them eventually, all of this basically in the context of the imagined stigma, shame, disgrace or disappointment.
What is instructive in our own circumstance, however, is that suicide has always been frowned upon in our society: It is forbidden by law, religion, society and tradition, to the extent that in local communities, persons who commit suicide are not given any decent burial, they are thrown into the evil forest to serve as a deterrence to others, and the affected family is stigmatized. It is for this reason perhaps that suicide cases used to be very few in our land. Besides, Nigerians are known for their optimism and resilience.
We were once described as one of the happiest people on earth, and one Dictionary describes a segment of our population, the Yoruba as the “fun-loving people of the South West part of Nigeria.” Nigerians love life so much they describe virtually every funeral as a “celebration of life” and every life, including the poorest is advertised in funeral posters as “a life well spent.” The cemetery is seen as a desolate, lonely, outside corner of the social space where no one is in a hurry to go. But all that has changed; or appears to be changing, for in the last two years, suicide seems to have become fashionable among seemingly ordinary folks.
I use the phrase “seemingly ordinary folks” advisedly, because the other kind of suicide that is known to Nigerians remains even surprising, and I refer here to the terrorism, religious fundamentalism-inspired suicide attempts of the likes of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and Boko Haram agents. When the news broke in 2009, that the former had been uncovered as a suicide bomber, Nigerians were shocked. The reaction then was that it was impossible for a Nigerian to willingly decide to die for, of all reasons, ideological or religious reasons. We were soon proven wrong when Boko Haram began to deploy both male and female, mature and teenage, suicide bombers who turned Nigeria into an extension of the killing fields of al-Qaeda. This trend continues, with the hope within the larger society, that it is something that would end someday.
What the emerging literature shows is that the conditions for every suicide vary in time and space, but in Nigeria, the reported cases point to too many cases of self-deconstruction on the basis of economic deprivation, loss of status, debt, helplessness. The responsibility of government is to ensure the security and welfare of the people. There has been a great failing in this regard, with the people driven further below their perceived reality, which reinforces the causative principle earlier defined. Some of the recently reported cases are as follows: a man ended it all because he could not give his wife “chop-money”, another woman chose to die because she could not pay off her debts, in one week in Lagos, a doctor, two women and an elderly man chose the Lagoon as their death-spot. With the way the Lagos Lagoon has suddenly become a popular spot for suicide in Nigeria, it may well in due course, become one of the most popular suicide spots in the world.
It is noteworthy, if I must say so, that the ten most popular suicide spots on earth are associated with the sea, and bridges, with perhaps the sole exception of the Aokigahara Forest-Mount Fuji in Japan where suicide rate is as high as 100 per year. The Japanese may tolerate suicide and consider it supernatural, but here in Nigeria, it is a growing trend that should be discouraged. Some priests have said the Lagos Lagoon is angry and that is why it has been attracting persons to jump into it: if indeed whatever spirit that controls the Lagoon is hungry, the Oba of Lagos and his chiefs should hurry up and feed that spirit with whatever it eats. I assume that this would be a more useful venture than the partisan declaration by the Oba of Lagos that nobody should contest against the incumbent Lagos State Governor in 2019! But how about the other unreported causes of suicide, far away from the Lagoon? This is where the dilemma lies and where our constructive social theory, and the admissibility of every piece of evidence, empirical and customary, meets a brick-wall.
As a country, society and government, we would always have to deal with deviant behaviour, into which category suicide – the ultimate act of violence and rebellion against self and society falls in this particular context, what is crucial is society’s level of preparedness to reduce the scope and range. In Nigeria, we are not prepared at all. When people fall into depression in other countries, they visit counselors and psychiatrists. In Nigeria, a prominent leader once dismissed psychology as a useless course that should be removed from the curriculum.
Graduates of psychology end up doing something else, or they end up offering pro bono counseling on social media like my in-law, Joro Olumofin, but with people dying for no just reasons and jumping into the river or hanging themselves or killing their spouses and family members, this is a country in urgent need of professional counselors. Psychiatry is another relevant discipline that has been utterly neglected.
I once gave a keynote address at the Psychiatric Hospital, Aro in Abeokuta and I was again Keynote Speaker at the 100th anniversary of Psychiatry in Nigeria. Nothing has changed since then. We don’t have enough psychiatric doctors or hospitals in Nigeria. The few psychiatric hospitals are poorly funded, psychiatric doctors are poorly treated, the discipline is disregarded, and yet this is a country of psychotic cases at all levels, the more serious cases are in government, making decisions that create more problems of bipolar disorder in the larger society. Nigeria is a victim, like many other developing countries, of a one-sided embrace of globalization and its gains and evils. People watch TV and they are socialized into a new form of thinking that is disconnected with local values and culture. They become anti-heroes in the process. Suicide or attempted suicide has not fetched any one or any family any kind of honour in our society.
Given this sociology, greater attention needs to be paid to the increasing incidence of suicide, in the North and the South particularly, with the most vulnerable states properly identified and strategic intervention measures put in place. A preliminary observation indicates that the most affected persons in the North are radical Islamic extremists used as pawns by the Boko Haram, while in the 10 most affected states in the South, the cause is basically existential. This observation is based on reported cases, but with the increasing frequency, it is safe to hazard a guess that there are many more unreported cases, which may provide additional or different sociological conclusions.
Whatever the case may be, this rise of despair in the country needs to be managed. Suicide prevention hotlines have been announced, but the thought of suicide should be discouraged in the first place, through better governance, opportunities for professional counseling, and better management of mental health. Most Nigerians don’t even know who to go to, or talk to when they are depressed! And if they know, they don’t want their private secrets to be known. When the suicide succeeds or fails, the relatives are in need of help: they will need counseling, to deal with the frustration and the shame.
I believe that suicide-related problems can be fixed. The challenge is to convert the people’s pessimism into optimism through people-centred governance and to deliver the much-expected, much-trumpeted change in their circumstances. Disappointment leads to frustration, to anger, to despondency, to losses, to despair and ultimately to self-destruction for the weak-hearted. But suicide is not a solution. And to those who doubt this, Teebliz, Tiwa Savage’s husband is a living testimony. Not too long ago, he wanted to jump into the Lagoon. He said his wife, the award- winning singer, had disappointed him. He accused her of many better-unmentioned-again-thing s. He could not take it anymore and he wanted to self-destruct.His suicide attempt was more or less televised, because it was everywhere on social media – it is not every suicide that is so televised- eventually he was prevented from taking the plunge, and he raved and ranted afterwards and then went quiet. Months later, he has been shown taking photographs with the same woman for whom he wanted to play a Romeo without a Juliet. In their most recent outings, they have been shown with their son, Jamil who looks like his father’s twin, and last weekend, the boy had his Christening at a church in Lekki. Teebliz has been pictured bonding with his son and beaming with fatherly pride.
If he had jumped into the Lagoon when he wanted to do so, he would have been long dead and forgotten. But Teebliz looks much happier now, and deep within him, he must be grateful to the persons who did not allow him to jump. He must be particularly happy seeing his son growing up into a fine young kid. There is nothing in this life that cannot be fixed and there lies the futility of suicide.