OEPHIUS: Luxury is often associated with the very rich and wealthy; after all, the finest things in life must be paid for. While the specifics of what makes up an affluent living vary on a personal level, most people would describe it as enjoying premium goods and services, all of which do come at a cost.
For many average affluent individuals, a life of luxury remains a dream. However, for as low as N5,999 per month, Access Bank will help you live this dream with the unique XclusivePlus service – a package that gives you a luxurious life on a not-so-luxury budget.
XclusivePlus is a premium service that is available to any customer of the bank that appreciates preferential treatment. It is a subscription-based service that costs you N5,999 a month in exchange for unique services that suit your lifestyle needs.
According to Adaeze Ume, Head, Consumer Proposition, Access Bank Plc, The introduction ofXclusiveplus followed a survey conducted among the bank’s customers, which revealed a rise in customers’ expenditure on luxury travel, luxury experiences and luxury products. “It is a premium lifestyle offering specifically designed to provide customers with the exceptional service and exclusive privileges that they deserve. It was launched in October 2018 and today has thousands of subscribers who understand the value of the proposition. It takes less than 2minutes to subscribe toXclusivePlus with only N5, 999. One can also choose to make an upfront payment for one year and get a 20% discount to enjoy a bouquet of benefits such as: Free upgrade to a Visa Signature debit card – a debit card with access to local and international spend, Travel in style with free access to over 800 premium airport lounges globally, Free medical emergency cover for you and your loved ones anytime you travel, Free movie and premium event tickets; shows, concerts, exhibitions and more, Network with Industry leaders at our various seminars and conferences, Experience VIP treatment and best rates at over 900 luxury hotels worldwide, 24- hour global concierge service,” She said.
Total N211.5 billion ($1.36 billion) GEJ Regime and a Grand total of N293 billion inclusive of MYTO subsidies $1.89 billion
*2015 – N5. 240billion appropriated, no record but we can say it is not 100% funded.
*2015 -2019 N900 billion was released according to Vice President Osinbajo and another 600 billion is in the pipeline
N155b released as subsidy fund for MYTO Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) ($1.05 billion)
The funds were given for a period of five years. A breakdown of the interventions funds are as follows:
*2009 – N30.8 billion
*2010 -N43.2 billion
*2011 – N37.0 billion
*2012 – N11.5 billion
*2013 – N32.6 billion.
$8.23bn was released to NIPP from ECA to push our installed generating capacity with 5GW and OBJ regime released $3.08bn while the balance was spent between 2007-2015
Federal Government made $2.238 billion about N358 billion from the sale of 15 Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN
Our Spending according to CBN and other verifiable sources like Budget office
(1)Obasanjo Regime -N374.65 bn $2.88 bn)
(2)Yar'adua RegimeN442.4bn ($3.28bn)
(3)GEJ Regime - N293 bn $1.89 billion
From 1999 - 2015 Nigerian Government invested N1.109 trillion inclusive of MYTO subsidies
(4)Buhari Regime - N900bn $2.95 billion
This is a grand total of N2 trillion in the last 20 years and in Dollar Value is $11 billion in twenty years
From 1973 till date Nigerian Government has spent a total of $12.83 billion and when the sold PHCN the made $2.238 billion.
The Presidential Review Panel on the NIPP set up by the NEC, said the panel found that as at 2007, total project allocations/ estimates to NIPP was $10.231 billion inclusive of the $2 billion Federal Government counterpart funding for Mambilla Hydro Power project and $1.4 billion for additional nine turbines.
out of these commitments, $3.08 billion was funded and scrutinised with advance payment guarantees from “first class” Nigerian banks and Letters of Credits issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). $1.5 billion of the sum is still in the custody of the banks.
At no time did OBJ spend $16bn on power or the Nigerian government spend $16bn in the last 46years. it is outright falsehood.
tstx: The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday produced the documents which the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, in Abuja called for on Wednesday at the instance of the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate , Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The documents contained in 55 cartons ahead of Friday ’ s sitting when the petitioners are expected to close their case . As of Wednesday , which was the ninth of the ten days allocated to them to present their case , the petitioners had only called 58 out of its 400 proposed witnesses.
The petitioners are , by their petition , challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives Congress at the February 23 poll.
The tribunal of five judges led by Justice Mohammed Garba had on Wednesday ordered INEC to produce the documents by noon on Thursday . This followed the complaints by the petitioners that the subpoenas issued and served on INEC Chairman , Mahmood Yakubu , and the commission ’ s Residential Electoral Commissioner in Zamfara State to produce the documents had not been complied with.
The tribunal had on Wednesday adjourned the case till Friday , but the counsel for the PDP and Atiku , Chris Uche ( SAN ) , attended the Thursday ’ s proceedings scheduled for hearing in respect of other petitions filed by the Hope Democratic Party and the Peoples Democratic Movement.
Uche said his presence in court was to ensure INEC’ s compliance with the Wednesday ’ s order of the tribunal.
At about the time the five - man panel was to recede to chambers to write a ruling in respect of PDM ’ s petition , Uche informed the bench of his intention in court on Thursday.
In reaction , Justice Garba asked for update from INEC’ s lawyer, Yunus Usman ( SAN ).
Replying , Usman informed the tribunal that the “ documents had been substantially produced.
“ It is a very tedious task , but we have to obey the court ’ s order . ” Within the period of the one - hour break observed by the members of the tribunal, INEC officials had brought in a total of 55 boxes of documents into the court room.
When the tribunal resumed sitting , INEC’ s lawyer informed the panel that the order of the court had been complied with
Pointing to the cartons of documents lined up in the courtroom, Usman said since the order of court was not for INEC officials on whom the subpoenas were earlier served to testify, the Director of Legal Services , Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, was present to represent the commission.
He also said there was a cover letter signed by the secretary to INEC, Mrs. Rose Orianran- Anthony, accompanying the documents.
He noted that the request by the petitioners for result sheets for the National Assembly rerun election in Zamfara State were not available as no such election was conducted .
GLeesMODEL: Nigerians Are Most Hospitable People In The World- GM, Fraser Suites
Hospitality has become one of the hottest and the most sort after aspect of human life , not just in Nigeria but all over the world. The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, food and drink service, event planning, theme parks, transportation, cruise line, traveling and additional fields within the tourism industry.
The hospitality industry is an industry that depends on the availability of leisure time and disposable income. A hospitality unit such as a restaurant, hotel, or an amusement park consists of multiple groups such as facility maintenance and direct operations (servers, housekeepers, porters, kitchen workers, bartenders, management, marketing, and human resources etc.).
That is what award- winning 5-Star Luxury hotel known as Fraser Suites, with an exquisite edifice in the heart of Abuja has come to provide for those who are yearning for the best in the industry. The Suites which just won the World Travel Awards Trophy as "2019 Best Service Apartments Brand in Nigeria" is not ready to settle for less.
In a recent breakfast meeting with tourism and hospitality writers in Abuja, the General Manager, Fraser Suites, Mr. Deniz Isikci appreciated the contributions of the tourism and hospitality writers in helping in growing the industry in Abuja.
According to him, the growth and sustainability of Fraser suites which was launched in June 2017 and commissioned in May 2018 wouldn't have been possible without the effort of the media who are responsible in propagating and informing the public about the most Luxurious hotel in the FCT.
The hotel has won (3) three prestigious awards in hospitality for its wonderful edifice and also its service driven activities. He also highlights plans on ground moving forward.
He said: “Our hotel which has already won three prestigious awards of Best Service Apartment, in Nigeria,2019 by the World Travel Awards, which is one of the most prestigious award in the world of hospitality and also just recently, been awarded a certificate of excellence from Trip Advisor - which means that, out of all the properties and establishment that are enlisted in Trip Advisor, only less than 10 per cent are awarded this certificate, which is a proof on our continuous excellent service and in return, excellent reviews from guests are posted on the website.
" Fraset is a brand. We give our guests both local and continental cuisines. We have plans on expanding in the near future as there are people yearning for more of our services across Nigeria. The challenges are nothing unusual because they are something we face all over the world. Nigeria is a safe country and this is a safe location. The African continent is receiving just 3 per cent of tourism in the world, this should improve, " he explains.
Mr Isikci noted that one of the hotel's principle is to encourage guests to speak up when they feel a service isn't in their best interest which would enable them take correction. He also pointed out that more than 25 per cent of women are at the managerial cadre to bridge the gap of male and female dichotomy, promising more awards are in the pipes.
Adding his voice to achievements of Fraser Suites, Mr. Haroun Audu also talks about the corporate social responsibility of Fraser Suites, which he mentioned that plans are ripe to sponsor and train some less privileged children to achieve their goal in life and even become the GM of the Suites one day. A He explained that the suites has recently hosted some high profile personalities and engaged in humanitarian service by extending a hand towards the less privileged.
He promised that Fraser Suites is going to be “home away from home” which boast of exquisite facilities found in any modern hotel across the world, hence its recognition by various awards.
Nwaedeinya: Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Sunday transmitted a list of Commissioner-designates and Special Advisers to the House of Assembly for ratification.
The list contains 25 persons due to assume duty as Commissioners and Special Advisers upon ratification by the Assembly.
Here are a quick bio-data on the names in the list:
Mr. Rabiu Olowo Onaolapo
Rabio according to his twitter and Linkedln handle profile is a Certified Fraud Examiner, Experienced Chief Audit Executive, Adjunct Professor and Authorised Trainer of The ACFE in West Africa, an anti-fraud organisation and premier provider of anti-fraud training and education.
Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo
Folashade is an educationist with more than 20-year experience in the sector. She is a principal consultant/CEO at Leading Learning Limited, a company she founded herself in 2014.
Prof. Akin Abayomi
Prof. Emeritus Abayomi is a specialist in Internal Medicine, Oncology, Environmental Health and Biosecurity. Akin studied at the Royal Medical College of Saint Bartholomew’s Hospital in the University of London where he attained his first graduate degree in Medicine and progressing to obtain fellowships from both Royal College of Medicine in the United Kingdom and the College of Medicine of South Africa.
Dr. Idris Salako
Idris is the Managing partner at Adesanya Salako and Associates. He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) and a member at the Town Planning Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC).
Mr. Tunji Bello
Bello, according to his profile on Bloomberg served as worked with various companies like First Bank of Nigeria, Concord Press Nigeria Ltd., St. Petersburg Times, Florida USA, to mention just a few.
The former commissioner and immediate Secretary to the State Government (SSG) had various publications to his credit ranging from business to politics.
He is a member of the following bodies: Nigerian Bar Association, Nigerian Society of International Law, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Nigerian Union of Journalist, and Civil Liberty Organisation.
Mr. Gbenga Omotoso
Gbenga is an award-winning journalist and the current Editor-in-Chief of The Nation Newspaper.
Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka
She is a barrister turned politician. She is also the Assistant Legal Adviser, All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos State.
Mrs. Bolaji Dada
Dada is the former Vice-Chairman of Apapa Local Government, a position she held twice. She is a 1991 graduate of the Lagos State University graduate of Industrial Chemistry with a Masters in Corporate Governance from the Leeds Metropolitan University, United Kingdom.
Mr. Lere Odusote
Olalere is an acknowledged power sector expert responsible for creating partnership strategies that guide new business and infrastructure development.
He has a BSc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ibadan and an MBA in Investment Management and Information from Pace University, New York.
Dr. Frederic Oladeinde
Oladeinde is the Head of Corporate and Investment Planning Department of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). He joined LAMATA in 2008 as Technical Adviser and head of Transport Planning.
He holds a Ph. D. degree in Transport Planning from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in the United Kingdom.
He began his career as a transport consultant in Oscar Faber Consulting in London, United Kingdom before joining the Department for Transport, UK as a Senior Transport Planning Adviser where he was responsible for advising the British government on the impact of various transport policies.
Mr. Gbolahan Lawal
Gbolahan is the immediate past Commissioner of Housing and a former Commissioner of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Lagos State. A seasoned security & development practitioner and socio-entrepreneur, he has deep understanding for political economy of development, especially in low and medium-income economies.
Ms. Adekemi Ajayi
Adekemi is a Chartered Accountant.
Dr. Wale Ahmed
Dr. Wale is a Medical doctor and a member, Nigerian Medical Association, Society for International Relations & Diplomacy and Nigerian Red Cross Society.
He is a one-time Commissioner for Special Duties and Assembly member who sponsored the motion for free treatment of accident victims within the first 24 hours.
Mr. Femi George
Mr. Moyo Onigbanjo (SAN)
Moyosore is a first-class litigator. In recognition of his excellence in this regard the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Hon. Justice Aloma Mukhtar GCON conferred Mr. M.J. Onigbanjo with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on 23rd September 2013.
Mr. Hakeem Fahm
Hakeem is an ICT specialist and a former Commissioner for The Ministry of Science and Technology. He is also a Network Infrastructure Director.
Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle
Mrs. Ponnle is an accomplished Consultant, Executive Coach and Organisational Psychologist. She has a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Ibadan and a M.Sc. in Organisational Psychology from the University of London.
She has over 22 years’ experience in various fields having worked in companies such as Arthur Andersen (now KPMG International) and British American Tobacco.
With a combined experience in Human Capital development of over 14 years, Ponnle has worked extensively with leaders and teams in both private and public sectors with focus in the area of learning and development, leadership and team development, diversity and inclusion and change management.
Engr. Aramide Adeyoye
Mr. Segun Dawodu
Dawodu is a former Commissioner of Sports in Lagos.
Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf
Uzamat is a Pharmacist, Politician and the immediate past Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Lagos State
She had her primary education at Ansar-Ud-Deen Primary School, Ile Ife from 1980-1986. On completion she gained admission into the Seventh Day Adventist Grammar school Ile Ife between 1987-1992 after which she was admitted to University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos for her B.Pharm graduating in the year 2006.
Mr. Sam Egube
Egube is the Board Chairman of CeLD Innovations Limited. He is an engineer with significant banking experience.
He is also an author and socially smart entrepreneur whose carrier runs through a significant number of local and international institutions.
His banking sojourn as management staff and consultant cuts through top Nigerian banks including, United Bank for Africa Plc, NNB International Bank Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc and Diamond Bank Plc.
Ms Ruth Bisola Olusanya
Princess Aderemi Adebowale
Princess Adebowale, founder of Remindales Healthcare Agency, is a one-time freelance journalist and politician. She is a former aspirant of the Epe Federal constituency in the House of Representatives.
Mr. Tunbosun Alake
Tunbosun is General Manager, IT & Innovation at Filmhouse Cinemas Nigeria. He is a media executive with experience building Online streaming platforms, passionate about data.
Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo
Ayantayo is a crime and fictional writer turned politician. A graduate of Mass communications from the University of Lagos, Ayantayo has been writing from an early age.
akinhanger: A15-year-old nursing mother, Blessing, has revealed how her elder brother, Frederick (35), started having sex with her when she was 13 years old, leading to her becoming a mother at 15.Blessing’s defilement was discovered after she delivered a baby girl at Stella Obasanjo Hospital, in Edo State.
Sources said that his brother, Frederick was almost lynched after he collected the baby from his sister at the hospital and attempted to dump it in a refuse dump, claiming that the baby was dead. He was attacked by an angry mob after it was found that the baby was alive and kicking.
Blessing disclosed that the plan would have worked out, but Frederick started acting in a suspicious manner at the hospital, right after the delivery. She said: “My brother’s movement became suspicious at the hospital after I gave birth. The hospital management had to move me from the women’s ward to a safe place where I was with my baby.” Frederick told EDOCSO, which took him to police station, that he returned home one day and realised that his sister looked like his wife. He said that he decided to do what husband and wife used to with her. He insisted that he couldn’t recall whatever happened after then.
seunmsg: Operatives of the Independent Corruption Practices Commission (ICPC) Wednesday morning raided the office of Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGF), arresting the acting director, Internal Boundary, Yemi Adebomeyin and a driver.
The operatives also took away a bag containing invoices and other financial documents spanning the last four years.
Sources at OSGF told Tribune Online that Surveyor-General, Mr Ebisintei Awudu narrowly escaped arrest as he quickly left office.
Spokesperson for the Commission, Hajia Rasheedat Okoduwa confirmed the arrest but declined to give details, citing sensitivity of the ongoing investigation.
Nigerian Tribune however, gathered from the Surveyor General’s office that ICPC operatives were investigating a series of audit reports, which indicted the Surveyor-General Ebisintei Awudu and some senior officials of multi-billion-naira contract frauds and theft of properties.
The audit report recommended that that OSGF should be investigated by the anti-graft authorities and that the Accountant-General of the Federation should constitute an inquiry into the accounts of the office.
It required that Mr. Awudu should explain detailed observed contract frauds, as well as disregard for due process and accountability standards.
For instance, between January and June 2018, according to the audit inspection report on the surveyor-general’s office, questions of fraud raised by the auditor-general’s office involved a sum of N1.4 billion, including N725.8 million reported to have been paid to three companies within one week without any evidence of service or contract rendered.
The three companies included Altruinco services Ltd., F.A Kassim Survey Associates Ltd., and M. Yahaya and Associates. As presented in the table below, only Altruinco was paid on March 22, 2018, F.A Kassim was paid in three transactions in one day, March 27, 2018, the same day M. Yahaya was paid in two different transactions, according to the report delivered in November 2018.
“After a careful examination of all the payment vouchers for the period that were presented for audit inspection, it was observed that the above-listed payments were made without raising any payment vouchers in violation of FR 601 which stipulated that ‘…under no circumstance shall a cheque be raised or cash paid for services of which a voucher has not been raised.’,” according to the audit inspection report.
“It was also observed, after careful examination of all contract files, contract award letters and other procurement records…, the (of the surveyor-general) made the payments to the contractors without awarding any contract, LPO or job order to them.
“As a result, the contractors were paid for work/services not rendered to the office in violation of FR 708 which stipulates that ‘on no account should payment be made for services not yet performed or for goods not yet supplied.”
According to the reports, the payments were made in breach of FR 412 as no ‘certificate of completion’ was raised for any work done and that nowhere in the internal audit report of the office for the month of March 2018 were the payments mentioned.
The report then recommended to the Accountant-General of the Federation to “immediately convey a Board of Enquiry” to investigate “loss of public funds” in accordance with FR 2531.
Aside the N725 million “irregular” payments other scandalous observations were made regarding award of contracts to F.A Kassim and M. Yahaya in violation of public procurement law.
In one case, a N170 million contract for the acquisition of unmanned aerial system for surveying and mapping, including software (drone) training, was awarded to M. Yahaya and Associates instead of Quest Consolidated Ltd approved in the certificate of ‘no objection’ by the Bureau of Public Procurement. But then, auditors reported that the surveyor-general’s office’s store ledger shows no record the equipment was received.
Another report on vehicle inspection for the period of January and December 2018 also revealed the possible theft of at least three vehicles, two of which were traced to Awudu himself.
The Toyota Hilux (4×4) double cabin, were acquired for separate projects in Borno State and Ogun State. The contractors, M Yahaya and Quest Consolidated were reported to have returned the vehicles upon completion of the projects.
“During the physical inspection of all the vehicles belonging to the office” however, “these particular vehicles were not presented for inspection. Further, enquiry from the transport unit revealed that the whereabouts of the vehicles are currently unknown.
“A review of available store records revealed that the vehicles were last issued to the surveyor-general of the federation.
GLeesMODEL: VIRAL VIDEO/ PHOTOS!! How Senator Dino Melaye Buried Mother in Grand Ceremony
Nigerian popular Senator, Dino Daniel Melayi made it a mega burial ceremony for his late mother, Deaconess Comfort Melaye who passed on earlier in May. The burial programme lineup started on Thursday 11th July with the service of songs at family compound in Aiyetoro, then the wake keep on Friday 12th July at Aiyetoro community School. The Internment at family grave site and then the Funeral Thanksgiving service followed on Saturday 13th July the Apostolic Church in Aiyetoro.
A grand reception was later held to round off the massive ceremony with performances from King Sunny Ade and Yinka Ayefele.
The Immediate past Senate President, Bukola Saraki, PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus, Senator Ike Ekwere Madu, Vice Presidential Candidate of the PDP Peter Obi, Titi Atiku, Senator Olujimi and some other top dignitaries/politicians were all guests at the church service and grand reception to Sympathize and witness the Burial
Other top Nigerian Celebrities including AY Makun, Williams Uchemba, Ukeria Anunobi, Larry Coldsweat, Paul Obazele, Alex Osifo, Kunle Remi also attended the occasion held to celebrate the memory of the late 70year old, Deaconess Comfort Melaye at the Aiyetoro Community Secondary School on Friday 12th July 2019.
The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has given the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, two weeks to submit report of its probe on the rape allegation against the Senior Pastor of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly, COZA, Biodun Fatoyinbo.
PFN had set up a panel to probe the rape allegation against Fatoyinbo by celebrity photographer, Busola Dakolo.
Busola, who is the wife of popular singer, Timi Dakolo had few weeks ago disclosed details of how Fatoyinbo allegedly raped her when she was young.
Fatoyinbo, however, denied the allegation, saying he has never forced himself on any woman in his life.
However, President of CAN, Dr Samson Ayokunle, at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday, explained that the body had taken it stands in the alleged rape case against Fatoyinbo.
He stated that the allegation, no matter how bad it might be, remained an allegation until proven otherwise.
According to Ayokunle: ”We have told you without mincing words that we will never support immorality in whatever form, it is alien to the culture of the church, to the teachings of Christ.
”And there is no pulpit that I know in Nigeria that the members are taught immorality, but we will not condemn until we have reasons to condemn, let the panel come out with the result let’s know what the truth is.
”I told you in the press release we issued that we have given the right to Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), because we don’t deal with individual churches, we deal with blocs.
”We have directed PFN, an arm of a bloc, which is also large enough to investigate that matter. I am telling you under God that PFN has set up that panel and that panel had been given two weeks within which to submit its report,
”Not only that, the two individuals involved have been invited by the committee and we are assuring them that nothing will be covered.”
BleedingPen: Senate Chief Whip, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, Thursday, revealed that late South African leader, Nelson Mandela pressured former president Olusegun Obasanjo to drop his third term presidential bid, Igbere TV reports.
He said the late Mandela played a key role which saw Obasanjo drop the idea of amending the Nigerian Constitution to enable him contest for a third term.
“I recall my personal interactions with him (Mandela) especially during our national struggle to force President Olusegun Obasanjo to drop his plan to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and secure an extension of his tenure of office.
“Disturbed by the details, Mandela placed a call to President Olusegun Obasanjo and told him in clear terms that whatever his plans were, it was neither desirable for Africa”, he said.
“That intervention, proved strategic to the leadership question in Nigeria at the time leading to elections in 2007.”
Igbere TV reports that Senator Kalu made the revelation while giving a speech on “The Mandela I Know”, at the 10th commemoration of “Nelson Mandela Day”, in Abuja.
The event which was organized by the South African High Commission in Nigeria, held at the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA).
Our correspondent who covered the event reports that the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Roet, Vice Chancellor of University of Abuja, Prof Abdul Rasheed Na-Allah and the Deputy Vice-chancellor, Prof C.B.I Alawa, were in attendance.
In his speech, the former Abia governor described the late Mandela as an outstanding champion of human freedom and liberty.
He said the late African leader was an anti-apartheid crusader who sacrificed the best years of his life to secure the emancipation of his people from the “degradation and humiliation of inferiority status.”
Kalu who revealed that Mandela was his mentor, said he was tutored and shaped into a responsible, industrious and disciplined man by the late foremost African leader, “who set a challenging example to other African leaders by retiring after a single term as South Africa's president.”
The Abia born politician also revealed that the late Mandela introduced him to the leadership of South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC), “with whom I have maintained a very robust relationship with.”
“Through him, I met with President Thabo Mbeki, who is now a dear friend and brother. I also met President Kgalema Motlanthe, former Secretary of ANC. And of course, I met President Jacob Zuma and Cyril Ramaphosa, who is now tasked with the responsibility of leading the great vision that Mandela had for South Africa.”
Igbere TV recalls that Senator Orji Kalu had few months ago, undertook a trip to South Africa where he visited three ex-Presidents, and also took part in the ANC campaign launch which saw the party winning the last presidential poll.
Recalling his withdrawal from the Senate Deputy Presidency race, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain said he took the step following the decision of his party.
Senator Kalu said, “I stood down because having learnt from Mandela the dictates of party supremacy, it would amount to a betrayal of my learning to go against the party's consensus”, adding, “Mandela had once told me how he wanted Cyril to be his deputy, but the party leadership thought otherwise, a decision Mandela actually respected.”
On Nigeria, the Forbes-rated billionaire said the country “will fare better if politicians, irrespective of their party affiliations, respect party supremacy.”
“That way, we will be able to build a political culture that derives its powers from the party manifesto and programmes.”
Kalu decried the rate at which African leaders hold on to power, instead of emulating Nelson Mandela, saying “Africa today does not seem to appreciate the meaning that he (Mandela) brought to life on the continent.”
“Mandela opted for only a single term in office, he voluntarily opted out for a second tenure. Out of office, he became more powerful and significant as a global force than he was in office. With that, he demonstrated that one does not necessarily need an endless term of office to positively impact on his society or to remain relevant.”
Kalu added: “Africans have suffered so much under visionless and oppressive leadership that the people are looking forward to another Mandela to give them hope for tomorrow.”
He pledged to be guided “by those eternal principles that Mandela lived by and ultimately bequeathed on humanity”, while working for the peace and progress of Nigeria as senator of the Federal Republic.
“I pledge to work for the peaceful co-existence of all Nigerians irrespective of their tongue and colour. I make a pledge to work for the common good and greater unity of our country. After all, those are the tenets Mandela lived and died for. And they are the core values he taught everybody that had the fortune encounter with him”, Senator Orji Kalu added.
obiekunie2: Permit me to ask this question - is civil defense not a federal government parastatal?
if they are, why are they not doing open public recruitment as stated in the constitution?
since i started hearing of civil defense for more than 10 years now, i have never seen them publicly announce their recruitment.
does it mean they dont do recruitment? or their staffers doesn't have retirement, retrenchment and recruitment on their constitution that established it?
or is there an exception that allows them not to do open recruitment like the rest of the parastatals like immigration, prisons, customs, etc.
PLEASE ANY NAIRALANDER THAT HAVE IDEAS ABOUT THIS PARASTATAL AND THEIR RECRUITMENT PROCESS SHOULD PLEASE ENLIGHTEN US.
GistAlert: Angry Nigerians are attacking 2face online after the singer endorsed a provoking post criticising the bible.
As we earlier reported, Ikhide Ikheloa, popularly known as Pa Ikhide, criticized Africans for still believing in the Bible and the 'White man's God.'
The literary critic said the Bible "is a great work of fiction" and "a tool of oppression created by feuding brothers to oppress women, children, and the vulnerable."
Taking to his Instagram page, 2face shared a screenshot of the post and then wrote: '
YugoMag: South African Socialite, Zodwa Wabantu, underwent a Viginal tightening Surgery, and she shared Video of the process. In the video, Zodwa Wabantu was being examined by her doctor, while she was lying down on a Hospital Bed.
Before the process began, the doctor and Zodwa Wabantu were filmed talking about ‘women not feeling the same’, most especially, after childbirth.
The South African socialite shared the Video on Instagram with the caption ‘Vaginal tightening/vaginal rejuvenation/virgin vagina’.
YugoMag: A Young and Vibrant Nigerian Man just died shortly after his graduation.
According to report, he was informed of his mother's demise while he was celebrating his graduation and Second Degree from Nims University, India.
Sulaiman Abdullahi, from Adamawa State, fell ill immediately after hearing the news of his mother's demise, he never got better, so he died.
The News which was posted on Facebook by 'Muhammad Bukar Umaru' goes thus;
"Shocked by the news of his mother's demise, amidst the celebration of his graduation, Sulaiman fell seriously sick, a sickness that would cease his life. Allahu Akbar. He has followed his mom to a better place In Shaa Allah.
Sulaiman just finished his 2nd Degree from Nims University in India. He was an indigene of Adamawa State and a graduate of Elkanemi College of Islamic Theology, Maiduguri. He was a gentleman, very quite and humble. May Allah have mercy on his soul and his mother. May they both unite in Jannatul Firdausi. Ameen Ya Allah." a friend wrote.
nonye6194: The beach is unarguably one of the best places to go to and have fun. And Lagos happens to have so many of them for endless visitors and residents. I happened to visit one with my travel friends back in March, 2019 and we opted for the Tarkwa Bay Beach.
The Tarkwa Bay beach is located at Onisowo island community, commonly referred to as ‘Snake Island’ about 15 minutes away from Lagos island. I made a hiking trip through the snake island back in April and wrote about the experience. For those who it might interest, here's the link: https://www.nairaland.com/5256746/hiking-experience-snake-island
So let’s begin, shall we ?
We converged at the popular CMS bus stop at about 11am from where we walked down to the Lagos-Apapa Ferry Service Station which is located beside the pedestrian bridge after the CMS bus stop.
Due to the existence of other buildings and structures, locating the station might be a bit difficult for a new goer. So its advisable to always ask around after crossing the bridge to the other side facing the sea.
Go Back To Fix Your Wretched Communities: If So Smart And Rich
Nobody provided enabling an environment for African billionaires when they establish schools, factories or manufacturing plants in the middle of nowhere and in the face of discrimination against all odds outside Africa. More Africans could have made it at home but for greed, self-hatred, pulling down one another and distaste for locally-made products and services for preferences encouraged by foreign fraud and deceptive trade practices.
"Go back" is not new as it has been used against Irish, Polish, Jews in Europe and even German socialists in early America. But the only people it is still stuck with are Africans or people of color no matter how many generations have lived in Europe and the Americas. Our looters and those who joined in putting down their own countries are put on notice that you and your family even if you escape from home, would remain second class citizens, killed on the street like dogs but given due process as the last rite in a court of law; regardless of how highly placed or how much money you stashed in their banks.
On the other hand, if foreigners are so rich, why are they so mean spirited, afraid to compete on an equal playing field and scared of their shadows? But for the rich environment and good connections, most were lucky to be born into, they would have degenerated into wretchedness worse than Africans. Rich communities save many of us while poor environment retards the development of the gifted but unfortunate, without the opportunity to use God-given talents.
It does not mean that since a man is born in poverty, wretchedness is born in him. Talents come from unexpected diversified communities, even from the most deprived and environmental dumps. If foreigners were not in our communities sucking every living cell out of life in Africa, acquiring cheap resources and free labor to build their empires, there would be no need for a few of us to get out in order to make it. Meaning: If You Were Not Here We Will Not Be There.
If Africans wretched their countries hoping to escape to greener pastures, you have no place to hide or run to. Those that returned found our countries worse than how we left it, different to countries built by Herbert Macauley, Kwame Nkrumah, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ernest Ekoli, Obafemi Awolowo, Albert Luthuli or Jomo Kenyatta. Those that want to return are stuck as economic refugees because of the wishful thinking of ingrates expecting to create paradise outside Africa.
Unlike Independence fighters that returned home to wrestle in order to make Africa a better place. By their labor, most of us could not wait to get back home. If you do not come back when you finish your studies, folks would say: you wan kill your mama. Later, Military and vagabonds in power turned Africa into forsaken countries. These vagabonds became foreign cronies (costoma dada ni) patronizing foreign institutions, Structural Adjustment, and Devaluations for plundering our resources, waste talents and vandalized Africa into poverty never imagined.
Yet, we celebrate fake success at home or abroad where you are constantly told to "go back" and rescue your ancestral countries? Those on the land of American Indians before Columbus are told to "go back" by immigrants that met them there. A reminder that none of us, Africans at home or in Diaspora will be respected anywhere in the world until one or more African communities can be successfully ruled and managed in their own countries economically and politically. Your acquired accents, education and hospitals can't save you from hell – “Go Back”!
Stokely Carmichael reminded us that West Indian countries were not built to be self-sufficient or successful but used as a sugar cane plantation. It is up to us to change Africa into a sustainable place that can trade within and negotiate fair and equal trade with the rest of the world. We cannot cry over the ways others protect their self-interest anywhere if we do not protect assets and talents at home. There is nothing wrong with loving yourself or your own people as others do, but everything wrong with self-hating and justifying their policies and insults against you.
Therefore when Africans celebrate their riches at home on social media and brag about just landing from “civilized climes”; you may want to know at whose expense they are celebrating. Indeed, some of these Africans would drive a hot shaft through their mothers and throw her under the bus like their colleagues at home to make money and gain fame. Some of them blame “natives of color” and Africans victims in Diaspora for their own predicament.
Even worse are Africans and minorities who champion, excuse and echo the derogatory slurs of their tormentors to elevate themselves, wishing that they will be accepted or accommodated. You can call them wannabe, traitors or Uncle Tom but they do it for selfish interest since they have lost all respect for one another. When Africans in Italy and Alberta Canada were elected, did you check out the platform of the parties that gave them the “opportunity”?
These are extreme right-wing parties looking for minorities to enforce hatred they have for Africans and minorities like them. History books and Libya exposed those Africans allowed to discipline other African slaves. They were brutal and worse than the “Massa” of the slaves.
Nevertheless, self-aggrandizing in the midst of poverty is nauseating. It is a curse to get high in the midst of want. Those of us that are lucky enough to “jam luck” with or without blood and sweat, must invest our wealth in productive endeavors that bring returns not only for our families but to our communities. Enough celebration on depreciating vanities. It does not profit a man to gain riches while leaving his people poorer. Invest that money in progressive ventures.
There are some honest hard-working middle-class Africans like Godwin Maduka, the Texas-based anesthesiologist that turned a little village in Igbo land around in Nigeria. He has a place to proudly call home. So if you are ridiculed and told to “go back” to your impoverished invested ancestral homes, show them the village you come from. Abi you dey shame?
The best way to illustrate the familiar “go back” to your ancestral land is to look at Libya and Congo as more recent cases. They bombed the heck out of Libya and dislocated the “paradise” Libyans now realized they had under Gadhafi. Subsidized education, health care, housing, first car, and first weddings. Libyans gave all these up for "democracy and freedom". Gadhafi was humiliated to death by his own people just as Lumumba in Congo. Na democracy we go chop?
When Libya became engulfed in a civil war, even guest workers and non-Libyans from neighboring Arab and African countries lost all their contracts and means of survival. As Libyans fled the dear country and tried to cross into Europe and the Americas followed by other Arabs and Africans, you guess it right. They were told to “go back” to their countries. The plight of Africans drowning in the sea, dying in the desert and enslaved; another story.
The point remains that if they were not in our Continent to exploit, destroy and subjugate people they consider disposable, there was no reason so many people would have fled their homelands to seek democracy and freedom branded in their countries as their human right. These are the same people that denied the same democratic rights for their minorities to vote. Anyway and anyhow they could: to suppress their votes.
African countries head the poverty list with most children used to beg for arms and foreign aid. We need to wake up and help ourselves, confront our exploiters and negotiate terms of trade as a United Continent, not play up as the small colonial divided ethnic nations. Apoda, who cares about which foreign hospital you die in or the foreign school your children graduated from when the poverty you created to get the money at home cries out loud to your Massa?
akinhanger: The Director-General of the National Youths Service Corps, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, on Wednesday, promised an automatic job, two limbs and other assistance to Nurudeen Tahir, a corps member who recently lost his arms in an auto crash after completing the camp orientation exercise in Jalingo, Taraba State.
Ibrahim, who made the promise when he visited Tahir and other corps members at the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, said that the welfare of Corps members is very paramount to the Scheme's management at all times.
After the closure of the 2019 Batch 'B' Stream One orientation course, on Monday, 8th July, 2019, Tahir, from Gwarzo LGA of Kano, and 18 other corps members were involved in a motor accident on their way to their places of primary in Sardauna Local Government Area. One of the Corps members died while the rest were seriously injured.
The Director General assured the victims of the unfortunate incidence and their families that NYSC will foot the bill of their treatment. He particularly said that arrangements are being made to obtain artificial limbs for Nuradeen, who lost both arms in the ugly event.
BBNaija housemate, Ike is celebrating his birthday today as he gets thrown into the pool. Gistvic Reports.
We could recall, Mercy and Ike were the first partners in the Big Brother Naija 2019 edition to thrill viewers with romantic relationship as both housemates kissed after expressing interest in each other.
Drinokrane: Governor Ihedioha on Thursday accused his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha of “massive looting" and leaving Imo state with over N100 billion debt through corruption and mindless misappropriation, Igbere TV reports.
The Imo State Governor in his address to Imo stakeholders, alleged that his newly constituted government recently received a N30 billion worth of Garnishee Orders from contractors handling fraudulently awarded contracts by Okorocha’s government.
Lamenting over the unsustainable debt his predecessor’s alleged eight years of misrule plunged the state into, Governor Ihedioha said;
“Our interim findings show a consistent pattern of massive looting and stripping of public assets, dismantling and carting away of public property such as electric poles, vehicles, trucks, office equipment and furniture etc.
“There were last-minute illegal sales of government property at giveaway prices and unlawful allocation of land including backdating of Certificates of Occupancy.
“I must inform you in this regard that, so far we have received over 30 billion Naira worth of Garnishee Orders arising from several ill-conceived and fraudulent contractual agreements deliberately consummated by the past administration, to destroy the future of the State and its teeming population by fettering the State in a humongous debt trap.”
Johnnyessence: Senator Ademola Adeleke, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the September 22, 2018, election in Osun state, has replied Governor Gboyega Oyetola over his recent comment about him, Igbere TV reports.
Igbere TV had earlier reported that Governor Oyetola had on Wednesday, July 17, said that he felt ridiculed to have contested against Adeleke during the election.
Ayobami Sodiq, a reporter for Igbere TV in Osun State, reports that Senator Ademola Adeleke in a statement issued on Thursday, July 18, said; “dancing to exude happiness and joy is far better than imposing sorrows and untold hardship on people by looting public treasury.”
He said there was nothing wrong in dancing especially when praising God, adding that everything is wrong with the exploitation of the weak and underprivileged.
"Osun people know that I am not the facilitator and prime partaker in the looting of the state treasury. For more than eight years, Gboyega Oyetola was the chief enabler of the most corrupt, inept and anti-people administration in the history of Osun state.
"What is more shameful in Yoruba land than theft? I dare Oyetola to walk the streets of Osun alongside me and see who will get mobbed and stoned by the embittered citizens of our dear state. The people had voted the honest dancer and rejected the false progressives who had ruined the fortunes of Osun state and sentenced generations unborn to excruciating debt burden," he said.
Adeleke also stressed that it is shameful for the governor to be gloating over daylight electoral robbery which was said to have been roundly condemned as injustice across all sectors of Nigerian society and the international community.
He said the people of the state were denied the supremacy of their will but the court foisted on them a governor they did not elect.
"Osun people will remember that immediately after the apex court ruling, I issued a press statement congratulating Oyetola and restraining our members and supporters from violence and anti-peace actions.
"I claim credit for restoring normalcy, peace and stability to Osun state after the protracted governorship battle. At a time Oyetola and his band of usurpers were at a loss on how to manage the usurpation and its resultant tension in the land, I deployed diplomacy, putting the safety of our people above all considerations despite the blatant robbery you now call electoral loss," he added.
He alleged that Oyetola's record as the chief of staff to former governor Rauf Aregbesola confirmed his incompetence as an administrator but showed his competence at treasury looting and hardship imposition.
"Let me remind Oyetola that his records as chief of staff to Rauf Aregbesola clearly confirmed his incompetence as an administrator but shows his competence at treasury looting and hardship imposition.
"Workers are still being owed with the wicked half salary designed by Oyetola still in operation. Pensioners are still being owed their gratuities and benefits. The many abandoned projects which had been fully or mostly paid for still litter the state, the MKO Abiola Aiport remains a jungle with no single structure standing despite N26bn purportedly wasted on the project is of many examples," Adeleke noted.
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Aare Gani Adams, on Thursday said though the Yoruba nation will not go to war over the spate of kidnapping, armed robbery, herdsmen invasion and banditry in the South-West region, yet, it would no longer allow its people to be killed like chickens.
Adams who stated this in Akure, Ondo State capital, during a visit to condole with the leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure over the murder of his daughter, Mrs Funke Olakunrin, urged Yoruba leaders to guide against being frustrated and turning them to rebels over the activities of the marauders in the region.
Adams who said the time has come to put a stop to the rampaging activities of those disturbing the peace of Yorubaland, however, said, “It is very important that we have to react to this issue but we will not overreact.
“We are being cautious so that we won’t be setup. And the law is there that we have to operate within the ambit of the law. That is one of the reasons we are being careful.
“But I can tell you authoritatively that we are meeting as a group and as stakeholders to map out strategies to complement the efforts of the law enforcement agencies.”
He said further: “My own Aare Ona Kakanfo is a modern one. It is not that of the olden days where the Alaafin and some Yoruba Obas with the Oyo Meesi will declare war and you can go to war. We have the structure of security on the ground, the entire security apparatus
Following the recuse of Justice Jennifer Ijohor from the election petitions tribunal in Akwa Ibom, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress in the State is said to be combing for evidence to disqualify Justice A. M. Yakubu from the tribunal.
A source said the party has dispatched a team of investigators to Gombe State the hometown of the Justice, to run background checks for possible evidence.
Justice A. M. Yakubu is the chairman of the governorship petitions tribunal in Akwa Ibom State.
Our source alleged that the party leadership feels the Justice Yakubu led tribunal has been ‘too harsh and meticulous’ in a way that has left their petitions bare and empty.
“The party suspects that it will lose woefully when the tribunal gives judgment next month because of the floppy defense and testimonies by their witnesses, hence the party leadership is all out looking for ways to go around her petitions a second time”, the source said.
Our source learnt that counsels to Obong Nsima Ekere, the APC governorship candidate and led petitioner at the governorship tribunal, are lobbying the tribunal to have Ekere testify at the tribunal on Sunday.
The reason for their recourse to Sunday, our reporter learnt was unconnected to their desire to present their client on an irregular day, when the defense Counsels would have traveled for the weekend.
Meanwhile, a witness called by the APC, Mr. Bassey David, has told the governorship election petitions tribunal sitting in Uyo, that the Presidential Adviser on Senate Matters, Senator Ita Enang, ordered him and other members of the APC to disrupt elections in some parts of Ibiono Ibom local government area.
David who said he was the APC’s unit agent in Akanobio, Ibiono Ibom local government said that on arrival of election materials, he asked for the original result sheet as he was instructed by Enang, but the INEC Presiding Officer (PO) said it was with the Returning Officer (RO).
He told the tribunal that when he called Senator Enang to relay that the returning officer and not the presiding officer is with the result form, the President’s aide ordered him to mobilize other APC supporters and ensure that election does not hold in the unit.
David told the tribunal that he tried all he could with his supporters to stop the INEC officials from conducting election at unit but the election went on after all.
Yesterday, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State governor, promised to provide Lagosians with alternatives to road transportation.
He also said that these alternatives would be made to be efficient and safe for Lagosians and those who choose to visit the state.
In a statement at the 4th Lagos Traffic Radio Lecture Series, Sanwo-Olu said the government has identified the need for intermodal transport to resolve gridlock, adding that that was why the blue line was initiated and BRT lanes constructed.
He also identified the need for intermodal transport to resolve gridlock, adding that that was why the blue line was initiated and BRT lanes constructed.
He noted that the water transport sector is grossly underutilised in terms of harnessing its economic potential.
According to him, “the current traffic situation indicates that 95 per cent of transportation is done by road in our state of over 22 million people, with about 25 per cent of the landmass consisting of waterways.”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was represented by Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, at the event with the theme: ‘Lagos beyond road: the intermodal transport option’.
The event had in attendance, the Minister for Roads, Housing and Power, Babatunde Fashola, former, Speaker, Lagos State House Of Assembly and National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Managing Director, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, etc.
Alaye calm down. Those devices have nice camera, Tecno Phantom 9 is also a direct competitor for the Inifinx S4, i have handled and still handling those devices. except maybe you bought a faulty phone
Amarachi1990: The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) and the players are locked in talks over unpaid salaries, with both parties threatening to withdraw from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations ahead of their final group match.
No agreement has been reached, with ZIFA offering to pay $5,500 of the $12,500 the players are owed on Friday.
But it was rejected amid threat of a boycott of training, until the full amounts were settled.
Both parties then threatened to quit the tournament ahead of Sunday’s clash with struggling Democratic Republic of Congo, where a win would give Zimbabwe a good chance of progressing to the second round.
“We were called in and told of the developments about the possible withdrawal from the tournament and we told them (ZIFA officials) that we were ready to go home because we believe they haven’t fulfilled our contracts,” Zimbabwe’s Herald newspaper quoted an unnamed player as saying.
The players were at loggerheads with ZIFA before the team left for Egypt and had threatened to boycott their opener against the host nation on June 21.
Abiodunspectre: TECNO Pouvoir 3 is the next in line in the Pouvoir lineup and keeping the tradition of the Pouvoir name (which means power in French) just like the previous Pouvoir smartphones, the device also features a massive 5,000mAh battery.
The Pouvoir 3 smartphone was introduced in Nigeria as a successor to the Pouvoir 2 and 2 Pro with a single 13-MP rear camera aided with dual-toned LED flash as well as a 13-MP front selfie shooter. Just like recent TECNO devices, Pouvoir 3 is integrated with AI features as a form of facial enhancement and scene identification.
Though the phone runs Android v.8.1 (Oreo), it still surprisingly offers support for stock AR Emoji. It has an exciting array of connectivity features, including a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, dual Nano-SIM cards, support for 4G LTE network among others.
Asides from the battery which is more like a given at this point, it spots a 6.2-inch notched display, a MediaTek MT6739 SoC with a Quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz, 2GB of RAM with 32GB of storage, Android v.8.1 (Oreo) with HiOS Skin and support for stock AR Emoji, dual camera setup, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, dual Nano-SIM cards, support for 4G LTE network among others.
Let’s find out more.
TECNO Pouvoir 3 Full Specifications
Design
Dimension: 157.6 mm x 76 x 8.5 mm
Material: Plastic
Weight: 160g
SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Display
Type: IPS LCD Capacitive touchscreen
Size: 6.2-inch
Screen Resolution: 19:9, 720 x 1520 pixels, 294ppi
Multi-touch: Yes
Software and performance
Operating System: Android 8.1 Oreo, HiOS 5.0
Chipset: MediaTek MT6739, Quad-core 1.5GHz
RAM: 2GB RAM
Internal Storage: 16GB/32GB
Card Slot: Yes, up to 128GB
Camera
Primary: 13MP with f/1.8 – LED flash, Panorama
Secondary: 13MP – Face Unlock, AI Beauty
Camera Features: Camera Features: Autofocus, Continuous shooting, Digital zoom, Panorama, Geotagging, White balance settings, HDR, Face detection, Touch focus, ISO settings, Exposure compensation, Scene mode,
Nairaland / General / Re: I Was Making Call In Front Of This Black Snake by decco1878: 1:23pm On Jul 19, 2019 
