₦airaland Forum

Two new viruses have been discovered in Nigeria by a team of scientists from Nigeria and the United States of America. The scientists said the viruses discovered were related to rabies adding that the new viruses had some level of similarities to the virus responsible for cases of viral haemorrhagic fever in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo in 2012. The team said though the threat of these viruses to the population had not been confirmed, the discovery was a breakthrough that would help to diagnose yet-unknown fever cases in the country.

The Director, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Abuja, Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi, has also described the discovery as a major breakthrough for Nigerian scientists. The team was led by a Professor of Molecular Biology and Genomics, Dr. Christian Happi. Happi is the Director, African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Redeemer’s University, Mowe, Ogun State.

The scientists named the viruses Ekpoma virus-1 (EKV-1) and Ekpoma virus-2 (EKV-2), after the region in Edo State where they investigated cases of individuals that had the virus
in them. The study population consisted of men and women from all age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds living in and around Irrua, which is close to Ekpoma. The discovery was published on Wednesday in an article titled ‘Discovery of Novel Rhabdoviruses in the Blood of Healthy Individuals from West Africa” in the PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases journal.

The scientists said the discovery was possible through the use of the “next-generation sequencing,” a high-throughput method for sequencing DNA and RNA, which has the potential to transform virus discovery because it does not depend on culturing the pathogen or
a prior knowledge of the pathogen’s nucleic acid sequence.

A part of the article read, “We used next-generation sequencing to identify RNA viruses present in the blood of patients with unexplained fever, as well as apparently healthy individuals in a peri-urban community in Nigeria. We found several well-characterised viruses in the blood of the febrile patients, including HIV-1, hepatitis B and C, as well as Lassa virus. We also discovered two novel rhabdoviruses in the blood of two apparently healthy (afebrile) females, which we named Ekpoma virus-1 and Ekpoma virus-2. “Our results suggest that such rhabdovirus infections could be common, and may not necessarily cause overt disease.

The identification of viral nucleic acid sequences in apparently healthy individuals highlights the need for a broader understanding of all viruses infecting humans as we increase efforts to identify viruses causing human disease.” In a telephone interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, Happi said, “This discovery points to the fact that the genomics for pathogen discovery platform that we have set up at Redeemer’s University is rapidly advancing health Sciences in Africa.” He further said, “These two new viruses are also related to rabies, which is a very dangerous disease. The discovery also shows clearly that there are a lot of potentially dangerous viruses circulating around that science has not yet discovered and there is no diagnosis yet.

Once we discovered these new viruses, we went to do proper diagnosis. “We have not yet confirmed the threat to the population but what this
means is that there are viruses which could be causing diseases outbreak in the country that we don’t know anything about. We could potentially have disease outbreak in the country due to viruses that we don’t know anything about. “It’s important that the ministry of health should work with us to put in place a surveillance system so that we should be able to identify the pathogens that are responsible for some unknown causes of fever.

Also,
not only we would know the pathogens responsible for fever cases, but we should be able to discover new viruses that could be potential threat to the population.” Nasidi said the viruses do not pose any immediate threat to the populace. He said, “There is no potential threat to the country from these viruses for now.

The federal ministry of health is giving this discovery serious attention and we commend the scientists and the group that worked with them. So, our government should listen to Nigerian scientists, we are now capable and competing with international counterparts. Before we didn’t have the capabilities, so this discovery is very significant for us. “It means that we are putting in place
in the country capabilities to be able, not only to detect diseases, but also to discover their causes; that is empowering our research centres. As I am talking to you, we are working on establishing our national reference laboratory that would be based in Abuja.

www.punchng.com/news/nigerian-scientists-discover-two-viruses/

The Central Bank of Nigeria says it has sold Treasury bills worth N167bn at its Wednesday auction. This was less than the N447.81bn worth of bids submitted by investors. Bids at the last auction stood at N318.58bn. The CBN said the yields fell across the board at the auction on Wednesday, compared with a previous sale on March 4. It sold N33.87bn worth of the 91- day note at 10.79 per cent, broadly flat against the 10.8 per cent fetched at the previous auction.

The 182-day bond worth N 50.27bn was sold at 14.7 per cent, against 14.85 per cent previously, the central bank added. The bank said a total of N83bn worth
of the one-year note attracted 15.35 per cent compared with 15.89 per cent at the previous auction. The CBN is planning to issue Treasury
bills worth N995.5bn ($5bn) during the second quarter of this year. The debt notes will have tenors of between three-month and one-year maturities, according to a debt issuance calendar obtained on Sunday.

The central bank will issue a total of N202.25bn of the three-month debt note during the period, and a total of N236.81bn worth of the six-month tenor; a total of N556.46bn worth of the one-year paper will be sold during the period. A total of N945.5bn worth of Treasury bills issued earlier will be due for repayment during the same period.

The central bank had two weeks ago sold Treasury bills worth N254bn ($1.3bn). The yields on the debt notes were higher compared with a previous sale on February 18.

www.punchng.com/business/money/cbn-sells-n167bn-treasury-bills-as-yields-fall/

The mild scarcity of petrol experienced in Abuja on Wednesday worsened on Thursday as the number of motorists on queues for the product stretched hundreds of metres at the few filling stations that sold the product. Motorists spent several productive hours in queues in a bid to buy petrol.

This is coming barely three weeks after residents of the Federal Capital Territory experienced full- scale fuel scarcity. At the Total and Conoil petrol stations
opposite the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, hundreds of motorists besieged the outlets.

Similarly, the Forte Oil petrol station opposite the Transcorp Hilton Hotel had long queues of motorists, while the NNPC mega station on the Kubwa/Zuba Expressway was besieged by hundreds of motorcycle riders and vehicle owners. At the time of filing this report, the NNPC had not come up with any explanation on why there was scarcity of petrol.

However, The PUNCH on Wednesday reported that major oil marketers, who import a large chunk of petrol consumed locally, were stalling on further importation of the product and were not ready to tie their money down because of fears that power could change hands after the general elections.

The marketers, it was learnt, were keen about minimising losses, which could occur as a result of developments in the political arena; hence the return of queues at filling stations in Lagos, Abuja and other major cities in the past four days.

www.punchng.com/business/business-economy/fuel-scarcity-worsens-in-abuja/

The Senate on Tuesday approved the request of President Goodluck Jonathan to raise additional $200m Diaspora Bond from the international capital market. Jonathan had, in a letter addressed to the Senate President, David Mark, on February 4, 2014, sought the approval of the red chamber to increase the initial $100m earlier approved by the Senate in the 2012 – 2014 Borrowing Plan.


The President had explained that the $200m increment being sought was necessary in order to fund critical infrastructure in Nigeria and to also afford citizens in the Diaspora an opportunity to invest in the development of their country. The Chairman of the Joint Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts and Chairman of Finance which
worked on the request, Senator Ehigie Uzamere, while presenting the report, noted that several meetings were held with officials of the Debt Management Office in the course of their assignment.


Uzamere added that his committee considered Nigeria’s Medium Term Debt Management Strategy (2012-2015); The Debt Sustainability Analysis (2013); Fiscal Responsibility Act (2007); Debt Management Act (2003) and the 2014-2016 MTEF/ FSP, to arrive at its submission. He noted that the committee considered the $100m earlier approved in the 2012 to 2014 Borrowing Plan as too small, “considering the life of Nigerians in Diaspora, hence may deny many interested Nigerians in Diaspora” Uzamere said that the dwindling revenue from crude oil sale had made it necessary to diversify sources of funding for the government. He said, “The Diaspora Bond is necessary to create more space in the
domestic market for other borrowers, particularly private firms.

“The Federal Government plans to utilize the proceeds of the Diaspora Bond in the construction of key capital projects in priority sectors of the economy.” He explained that proceeds from the bond would be used to fund the construction of the second Niger Bridge; The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; and procurment of facilities for the Abuja Medical City. Uzamere said, “The concept of raising
funds through the Diaspora bond has been employed by several countries over the years with tremendous success.


“The issuance of the Diaspora Bond will afford the diasporans the opportunity to invest in the development of the country while earning good returns for their investment. “The committee believes the projects that the Federal Government has chosen to utilise the funds on critical infrastructure that will impact on the economy positively.”

After the Senate had adopted and approved the committee’s recommendation, Mark expressed the confidence that the funds would be judiciously utilised by Jonathan administration. The Senate adjourned sitting till Tuesday, March 31 to enable members to participate in the general elections in their various constituencies.

The harsh economy in Nigeria caused by the fall in global crude oil prices might last much longer as the Federal Government on Tuesday declared that there was no end in sight with respect to the plunge. According to the government, many companies in the oil and gas industry as well as in other sectors have slashed their respective capital spending this year as a result of the fall in crude oil prices.

The PUNCH had reported on Tuesday that the price of global benchmark Brent crude oil fell by about three per cent the previous day to a six-week low of $52.50 per barrel. This was less than a week after the National Assembly adopted $53 per barrel as the 2015 budget oil price benchmark.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, told participants at the 15th Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference in Abuja on Tuesday that the global fall in oil prices was last seen during the peak of the financial crisis in 2008. She noted that the 2008 plunge in crude oil prices was due to a weak global economy, strong dollar as well
as an over supplied oil market, but stressed that the current plunge was different as there was limited visibility as to how it would evolve.


Alison-Madueke said, “Crude oil prices have dropped by 60 per cent from about $110 in June 2014 to $40 by January 2015. Brent is currently trading at between $50 and
$60 per barrel and there is limited visibility as to how this will evolve going forward. “Most analysts agree that as oil producers, we should brace for extended periods of lower prices and increased price volatility. The resultant effect is that companies are slashing capital spending in 2015 as a response to this dramatic collapse in oil prices.


“According to Wood Mackenzie, relative to 2014, a total of $120bn has been cut from the 2015 upstream budgets of some 116 countries. This can go up to as much as 40 per cent.” The minister said it was obvious that many oil producing countries, including Nigeria, were facing declining government revenues due to low oil prices, adding that this would pose challenges to funding of projects. She stated that all accomplishments of the oil and gas sector were now been challenged by the current low price environment, which was characterised by dramatic revenue declines.

“This means that flexibility in capital expenditure and funding in general will be further constrained in 2015,” the minister stated. Alison-Madueke said the persistent depressed oil prices might limit industry scope to manoeuvre in growing long term production and reaching the target of four million barrels of oil per day.

Nigeria and Ivory Coast are looking to emulate Senegal’s successful move into the market for Islamic bonds, the
Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector has said.

Despite its strong growth in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, Islamic finance has lagged in Africa, home to a quarter of the world’s Muslims, presenting an opportunity for ICD, the private sector arm of the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank.

It helped arrange Senegal’s debut 100 billion CFA francs ($208m) Islamic bond, also known as sukuk, last June.

Buhari is directly proportional to
violence and corruption and
inversely proportional to peace
while terrorism and religious
extremism are constants provided that he is not elected.
B=(v+C)T.RE/P where T.RE are
constants
B=buhari
v=violence
c=corruption T=terrorism
RE=religious extremism
/=division sign(inversely
proportional)
P=peace

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Space book. Though this is acually my first time!










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The longest space booking ever

















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Sorry i will comment later










i am back.
Buhari is directly proportional to violence and corruption and inversely proportional to peace while terrorism and religious extremism are constants provided that he is not elected.
B=(v+C)T.RE/P where T.RE are constants
B=buhari
v=violence
c=corruption
T=terrorism
RE=religious extremism
/=division sign(inversely proportional)
P=peace

Following the postponement of the 2015 elections, now scheduled to commence on March 28, rather than February 14, 2015, questions have arisen as to the possibility of the Nigerian Army and its allies from the neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroon and Niger defeating Boko Haram in six weeks. This Day columnist, Olusegun Adeniyi, hinted at this reservation in “2015 Election: Jonathan’s Risky Call,” his article of February 13, 2015, by noting that the Nigerian Army has fought Boko Haram for several years with “mixed results.” Sonala Olumhense was more direct in his negative assessment of the possibility of defeating the group and its violent insurgency in the stipulated time. “The prospects are poor,” he declared in his article entitled, “Rejoice, Nigeria! A Six- Week War!!” – published on page 53 of The Guardian of February 15, 2015. And this poor rating is the result of his recognition of Boko Haram as “the ruthless enemy Nigeria
has fought, and lost to, for six years.” Such misgivings, expressed by such high-profile public affairs analysts, reinforce a question that seems to be on the mind of many, which may be framed thus: Can the Nigerian Army defeat the insurgents in six weeks, even as part of a reinforced joint military task force comprising troops from the said neighbouring countries? For purposes of contextualisation, it should be recalled that six weeks is the period by which the elections were postponed. Also, that the need to root out the insurgency so as to ensure peaceful and credible polls in the affected Nigerian states of Borno, Yobe and Admawa, was the reason the relevant authorities gave for the postponement. So, the question, put differently, would be: Is it not misplaced optimism to expect Boko Haram to be defeated in six weeks, since the effort of the past several years to check the activities of the group, let alone defeat it, has produced “mixed results” or ended in “failure” – as some would rather see it? While I consider this a pertinent question and the scepticism that prompts it justified, I believe the evidence from our recent, if contemporary, history of successfully combating another form of home- grown terror is a sufficient ground for answering it in the affirmative. I refer specifically to how, under the Jonathan administration, the Nigerian Army ended a long reign of terror foisted on our country by kidnappers operating in the South- East, with their nerve centre in Abia State, incidentally my home state. Like the Boko Haram insurgency, the activities of the kidnappers went on for years, and seemed impossible to control let alone exterminate. Many businesses closed down in the commercial city of Aba and nearby towns for fear of their operators being kidnapped for huge ransoms for which they faced possible death at the hands of their captors if they or
their relatives proved unable to pay. And there were cases of victims who were killed by their kidnappers after paying ransoms running into millions
of naira! Overseeing this booming underworld business was a man named Obioma Nwankwo, alias Osisikankwu, which literally translates as “A tree greater than the palm tree.” In his capacity to induce widespread fear, “Osisikankwu” could be compared to the Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau. With
his cohorts, he rendered the entire Abia and some neighbouring states numb with terror, manifesting mainly as the fear of kidnapping. I could feel the relentless grip of fear on Aba and its environs each time I travelled home while the kidnappers reigned. Panicky drivers were in a hurry to enter the city before dusk; and most businesses closed by dusk as the city’s denizens hurried home to a semblance of safety that everyone felt its elusiveness across its landscape. People ceased to drive expensive cars for fear of being identified by the kidnappers’ ubiquitous but unrecognisable informants as prospective victims who could pay the coveted ransom, with predictable consequences for such prospects. The activities of the kidnappers even forced banks in Aba to suspend their operations for two weeks. For luxury buses headed for Aba from the south-western or northern parts of the country, especially Lagos and Abuja, the drivers and passengers preferred to suspend their journeys midway, and pass the night on the highway, exposing themselves to other forms of hazards, rather than risk arriving or driving through the city after dusk. While they held sway, the kidnappers
reduced Aba from a majestic elephant of a metropolis, ever confident in trumpeting its glory, to some pathetic, sluggish, nondescript animal. And as we have noticed with Boko Haram, even children, in and out of school, were not spared by the kidnappers in their desperate trawl for victims. For while the kidnappers could see nothing wrong in abducting a busload of schoolchildren for ransom, Boko Haram seems not to have seen any wrong in attacking and murdering students in their dormitories, or using young girls as suicide bombers. And there are parallels between the abduction of the Chibok girls and the kidnap of the busload of schoolchildren in Aba, which galvanised global condemnation against the kidnappers and triggered
the decisive move by the government to annihilate them and their activities. Following the kidnapping of the schoolchildren, the Nigerian Army launched an operation which lasted for about six weeks and ended the kidnappings and returned peace not only to Abia State but also to other nearby states to which the activities of the kidnappers and their terror had spread. And rather in the mould of Boko Haram, the kidnappers were well-armed and highly organised, with a well-articulated structure involving several cells with their control centres located in “evil forests” like the infamous Sambisa Forest of Boko Haram. For instance, following the routing of the kidnappers and the total liquidation of their enterprise of crime and terror, the Nigerian Army reportedly conducted a cordon and search operation into a forest where the following items belonging to the kidnappers were discovered: “48 empty magazines of AK 47; 3,848 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition; 538 rounds of 7.62mm Nato; 41 expended cases of 7.62mm special ammunition; some quantity of dynamite and three RPG prima.” One inference that can be drawn from what transpired with the kidnappers is that a well-armed, highly organised, ruthless and determined group can operate in our country for years and yet take a matter of weeks to defeat with the right kind of intervention by our government and security forces. So while not making light of the pessimism of those who believe the Nigerian Army and its allies cannot defeat Boko Haram in the stipulated six weeks, I think the precedent I have cited here – involving the same Nigerian Army backed by the same Jonathan government – is proof that, with the support of committed troops
from the neighbouring countries – it can achieve this seemingly impossible feat and restore peace to the states affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in preparation for the rescheduled 2105 elections. In sum, the optimism of those of us who believe that Boko Haram can be defeated in six weeks is not misplaced, for it is founded on such a precedent derived from our recent experience as a people.
www.punchng.com/opinion/defeating-boko-haram-in-six-weeks/

The Managing Partner, African Trade Business Centre, Tee Thompson, in this interview with SUCCESS NWOGU, offers strategies to boost job creation and business growth in Nigeria Can enough jobs be created in the Nigerian business environment? There are three ways to create big jobs. First, private enterprise is key. You need to have private enterprise to stimulate any economy. Second, you have to engage women. Women and the youths are the population that will make substantial impact in any economy. You have to look at how you can stimulate job creation with women so
that ultimately all families will benefit from it. Thirdly, being creative is another strategy. It takes being creative to make an impact and participate in job creation. How can the private sector be assisted to create more jobs? There are some ways to help the private sector grow. First, you have to understand that there are different sectors. Secondly, you have to look at the different businesses or firms that you want to be engaged in. In doing business in Africa, investors have to be educated on the potential and opportunities on the continent. I think Nigeria should be more proactive in educating other countries on how promising and resourceful the country is. Education is two-pronged. You can have someone who has the skills and may not necessarily have formal education. Also entrepreneurship is important in
terms of changing an economy. Right now, Nigeria has great agricultural opportunities contributing significantly to the Gross Domestic Product. So you cannot discount that. Apart from oil, there are other natural
resources like coal in the country. Entrepreneurship, training and agriculture are platforms to boost Nigeria’s economy and its job creation propensity. You can do a lot with micro and macro businesses. Are there ways Nigerian government can stimulate private sector growth so as to create jobs? Looking at the transformation agenda of the Federal Government, there are some schemes that were designed for entrepreneurship and youth development. I am not in the best place to know how they are being implemented. But they could be great strategies to help in economic development. What advice do you have for Nigerian business people as regards leveraging on the opportunities in Nigeria and the US? The first thing is that they should take advantage of US opportunities. Right now, there are certain incentives that are designed to make firms successful in the US, particularly with minority firms in the US. They should take advantage of those opportunities, for example the National Export Initiative in the US. It is designed to help more export activities. The second is the ‘doing business in African campaign. Look at the opportunities in many sectors of the Nigerian economy and many firms in the US that want to do business with Nigeria. But Nigerians also have to be proactive in terms of going to US and being involved with the different established points. You cannot just hope for business to come to you. Again the best way to participate is to
create it but it requires your involvement. What are the opportunities in the US that Nigerian companies can benefit from? Some of the business opportunities in the US that Nigerian business people leverage on are increased investment in the area of infrastructure that will further improve the Nigerian business environment. While the United States and Nigeria have agreed to work on the financial structure for infrastructure, there are several US companies ready to do business in Nigeria due to the ongoing reforms in critical sectors. Nigerian companies could also leverage on the US export assistance facilities around the country. The African Trade Business Centre has members who are Nigerian businessmen and women that leverage on the growing medical, Information Technology, energy, shipping, agricultural and manufacturing industries in the US. There are multiple shipping industries around areas like the Port of Houston in Houston, Texas that export automobiles, auto parts and medical equipment to Nigeria. Agriculture plays a key role in connecting the US and Nigerian business people. For example, the poultry industry is very important in Nigeria because people eat chicken quite a lot in the country and chicken is a kind of animal that needs a very special breeding in environmentally controlled chicken houses. Therefore, my organisation may be able to conduct transactional business matchmaking where there are opportunities to develop quality poultry houses. The contribution of the technology industry to Nigeria`s progress is becoming significant. It becomes obvious that the leading economies in the world today are hinged on technology and entrepreneurship. No nation, especially among the developing countries, can afford to neglect the importance of technology
if they want to be relevant. This is the new economy driven by knowledge and based on technology and innovation. This new path of economic and sustainable growth is one that can take us from the unemployment situation to global relevance and competitiveness. What should Nigerian business people do to maximise these opportunities? Nigerian business people must begin to take the tough steps that allow businesses to truly thrive. They must understand how US companies want to do business in countries that follow the rule of law, maintain ethical standards, abide by workplace safety, encourage workforce training, and protect intellectual property. These are the conditions that will increase trust and confidence among international and local business leaders and encourage further investment. Therefore, Nigeria business people must continue to make progress to do business both in the US and Nigeria. Businesses seeking to invest in agriculture, health care, transport, tourism, Information and Communications Technology, and manufacturing must have the conditions to operate free from unnecessary regulation, government interference and corruption. The African Trade Business Centre wants to aid in facilitating these constructive
collaborations, Nigerian business people must actively participate in creating a business and civil society to successfully root out corruption to open the doors of trade and investment. For example, Nigeria should adopt the international best practice of providing whistleblower protections.

The Guide To Success That the
successful persons must follow! 2. “The man who is going to look for success and prosperity is
unlikely to find it as he will be
dependent on external forces for
his accomplishments. But the man
who is set to achieve success on his
own, he will get it. He will also be at peace with himself. He will earn
enough for himself.” 3. Success is the topic we often talk about and something that we all
aspire for. The interesting thing
about success is, it has a different
meaning for all. For some, the path
to success is crystal clear but for
many it's like a trip to mars! Even though we don't see many who are
successful, the most encouraging
reality about success is that it is
attainable by all, irrespective of
who we are, what we are or where
we are! 4. Success requires its share of hard work, dedication and
perseverance. To be successful we
just have to know the rules and
apply them in our life.
Now let's talk
about the golden rules of success
which are the universal rules of attaining meaningful success. Let
me share with you the following
simple rules for success which is
easy to understand and follow. We
just have to assimilate these rules
with determination and let them do wonders for us.

Golden Rule # 1 : Become Dissatisfied
Do you realize that you will never
change until you are dissatisfied
with where you are today?
Whether that dissatisfaction is from
30 extra pounds around your waist, or just $500 in your checking
account; your dissatisfaction with
your present births the possibility
for change in your future. Your
frustration with your present is the
door to your desire.

Golden Rule # 2 : Document Your Goals
Habakkuk said, “Write the vision
and make it plain.” You are 90
times more likely to accomplish a
goal when it is written down. Only
3 percent of Americans write down and review their goals daily, this
maybe why 3 percent of Americans
have 97 percent of all the wealth in
America, and why the other 97
percent of Americans are sharing 3
percent of the wealth.

Golden Rule # 3 : Get Clarity You must clearly see and know
where you want to be tomorrow;
the clearer your goals, the stronger
your faith. Clarity builds faith. The
stronger your faith, the faster you
will achieve your goals and change your life. It is just as difficult to get
to a place you can’t see, as it is to
come back from a place you’ve
never visited.

Golden Rule # 4 : Visualize and be Grateful
You must see yourself the way you
want to be (in your imagination) at
all times, and be grateful for that
reality before it arrives, knowing
that it will arrive. A grateful heart will attract great things to you.

Golden Rule # 5 : Make Plans Only when dreams become plans
and those plans are put into
practice do those dreams manifest
into our realities.

Golden Rule # 6 : Change Your Mind
Remember, nothing changes until
YOU change. You have to change
your mind, by changing your
thoughts, by changing what you
give your attention to. If you want a different result, you will have to
do things differently. To the degree
that you want a different result,
determines the degree that you will
have to do things differently.

Golden Rule # 7 : Move from Your Current Circumstance
In order to change circumstances
you must change your stance. In
order to change your stance, you
must change your mind, in order to
change your mind; you must change what you think about. You
need to make a conscious decision
to focus your thoughts, and your
attention on what you want in your
life.

Golden Rule # 8 : Don’t Wait Don’t wait until you’ve suffered so
much, that you must change. We
should always use the frustration
from our present conditions to
push us toward our dreams, until
the vision of our future pulls us to where we want to be. We must
become people that change
because of our desire for
something better, a vision of a
better tomorrow, a belief in a
greater future.

Golden Rule # 9 : Take Action Take action today, stick to it
everyday and you will arrive at
your chosen destination.
Everywhere you’ve NEVER been in
life is because you’ve not placed
enough value in getting there. You can accomplish your hearts desires,
if you properly plan for it, so plan
for change, and change your life!. Achieving success is our right and we can realize it with ease
provided we go about it in the right
way. There are no reason why we
cannot conquer the heights of our
aspirations. There always is, and
will be, room at the top; we just have to know our ways. Let's start
to realize our full potential. Whether
our destination is moon on mars
nothing can stop us to be
successful. Success is our right,
Work for it and Get it! “Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right
time.

The need to be sexy in order to
make it in showbiz is no longer
a female thing as most Nigerian
male musicians are hopping on
the bandwagon and working
out for hours in the gym. And the results are the lean sexy
bodies they exhibit on social
media which have won for them
thousands of adoring female
fans. This week, Iyanya and
Flavour, two of Nigeria’s sexiest musicians, slug it out on
Showdown as fans determine
which of them has the sexier
abs.

INYANYA

Winner, MTN Project Fame West Africa 2008 and Kukere singer, Mbuk Onoyom Iyanya aka Iyanya is a singer, songwriter and recording artiste. Like Flavour, he started off in church. His clergyman grandfather had a church and Iyanya became the children’s choir conductor at age five. Born in Calabar, Cross River State, he is a graduate of Business Management from the University of Calabar. Iyanya lost both of his parents in 2008 and in 2011, he dropped his debut album entitled, My Story. However, it was his second studio album which had the hit track, Kukere that transformed him into a household name. Iyanya is the co-owner of Made Men Music Group (MMMG) and has won several awards.

FLAVOUR N'ABANIA

Born and brought up in Enugu State, Chinedu Okoli aka Flavour N’abania, started off in church at age 13 playing drums. A multi- instrumentalist, he studied Music at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), against his mother’s wish but later dropped out to study Business Administration. As a budding artiste, he was a regular act at the popular Burbles Plaza, Enugu. He later formed his band, Flavour & The Crew in 2006 and released his debut album, N’abania, which became an instant hit, thanks to the remix of late Osita Osadebe’s Ashawo. He has bagged several nominations and awards.

www.sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=100559

The APC p r e s i d e n t i a l c a n
d i d a t e , Maj Gen Muhammadu
Buhari has urged the electorate
to flush out the ruling party
saying the PDP in their 16 years
rule had disappointed Nigerians.

Buhari who was excited with
the turn out of the crowd
promised to fix the economy
and create employment
opportunities to legions of
jobless youths

He said if voted into power, he
would not dissappoint
Nigerians as he would govern
with absolute honesty and fear
of God and promised that he
would ensure that civil servants’ salaries will be paid as at when
due.

Several other party chieftains
who spoke at the rally include
the national chairman of the
party, John Odigie- Oyegun, ex-
governor Abubakar Audu, Dino
Melaiye who is a senatorial candidate and a governorship
aspirant, George Olumoroti

Among others Audu said the
only party that can deliver
Nigeria from this imminent
collapse is APC and urged the
people to come out en-masse to
vote for the APC.

Lokoja township stadium, the
venue where APC rally took
place yesterday was filled
beyond capacity as people from
all the 21 local government
areas of kogi state trooped to the venue with great
excitement.
www.sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=100613

The All Progressives Congress
(APC) has congratulated Presi­
dent Goodluck Jonathan on
finding the courage to visit
Maiduguri to pep up the gallant
troops battling the Boko Haram insurgency, but said the
president has more trips to
make to Chibok, Buni Yadi and
Potiskum, among others.

In a statement issued in Makurdi
on yesterday by its National
Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mo­
hammed, the party said the
president should follow up his
visit to the theatre of the Boko Haram battle with visits to the
parents of the 219 missing
Chibok girls as well as the
families of the boys who were
killed at the Federal Government
College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, last year.

It said it is only by doing so that
the president can begin to
refute the published report that
his visit to Maiduguri on
Thursday was politically
motivated, aimed at laying the foundation for his impending
electioneering campaign swing
across the north, especially to
Maiduguri on Jan. 21st.

The party said now that the
president has woken up from
his slumber, he should also
address the issue of the low
morale of the troops and their
lack of the necessary fighting equipment, if they are to
effectively battle the terrorists
who have killed and maimed
thousands of innocent citizens.

“It is instructive that a few hours
after President Jonathan visited
Maiduguri, the global news
channel CNN aired an interview
with some Nigerian soldiers
who complained of very low morale among the rank and file,
lack of fighting equipment and
very poor welfare. Another
blamed the terrible situation
faced by the troops on massive
corruption.

“This does no credit to an
administration that has allo­
cated billions of naira to the
defence and security sectors,
billions that apparently did not
reach those at the front line of the battle. It calls to question the
usage to which the government
has put the huge funds
allocated to the sector, including
the 1-billion-dollar loan that
was recently approved by the National Assembly,’’ it said.

www.sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=100608

pendy79:
Why are you fooling yourself?

The event is PDP Kano state governorship campaign flagoff.

Can JonaTAN be in Abia and Kano at same time?

They could not even mention JonaTAN's name

No poster of JonaTAN, no banner of JonaTAN and your ignorantly deceiving yourself that Kano people love JonaTAN.

pls take it easy, so that you wont die of heart attack. Dont worry they love pdp and will definitely vote Gej

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo
Fayose, has warned Nigerians
to beware of the activities of
former President Olusegun
Obasanjo as the nation prepares
for next month’s presidential election.

Fayose also said the North
deserved to present a better
candidate than All Progressives
Congress (APC) presidential flag
bearer, General Muhammadu
Buhari. In a statement by the governor
in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, he said
Nigerians should be wary of the
former president’s intention
regarding who should be
elected president during the election.

Obasanjo, he said, should also
be watched over his romance
with APC leaders despite
claiming to be a leader of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Nigerians should be wary of Obasanjo’s banana peels. He
was the one who put forward
Umar Yar ‘Adua as the president
knowing the man’s state of
health and the man died in
office. He was the one who said
President Goodluck Jonathan
was the best for Nigeria and
that without him there would be
no Nigeria.

“The question people should
ask former President Obasanjo
is what has gone wrong
between now and then? He is
against President Jonahan
because the president refused to be pocketed by him and any
Nigerian leader who wants to
succeed will not allow that.” “Obasanjo is now presenting
General Muhammadu Buhari as
the best candidate for Nigeria
knowing the man’s age and
that the pressure of office
would be too much for him,” he said. Fayose insisted that the former
president only wanted to
plunge the country into
needless crisis, like he
allegedly did during the Yar
‘Adua era.
“In the North, there are so many
qualified, brilliant and credible people who can rule
the country well. Why is
Obasanjo going after an old horse that
may collapse midway ?
Nigerians should know the state of health
of Buhari. His age and health cannot stand the rigours of the
office. Nigerians deserve to
know the health status of Buhari. “The strange love between
Obasanjo and Tinubu is like a
lion and a goat living together in the
same house. Jonathan should
be allowed to complete his term
and after that the North will be allowed to present a credible
candidate in 2019, not an old
horse being put forward,” the
governor said. He admonished Nigerians not to
trust Obasanjo in his latest game. Beware of/mack hd Election: Beware of
Obasanjo’s antics,Fayose
warns Nigerians

Delta State Governor, Dr.
Emmanuel Uduaghan has
declared that re-electing
President Goodluck Jonathan
for another term in office is non-
negotiable for the people of the South-South geo-political zone.

Governor Uduaghan,
addressing a mammoth crowd
that turned out for the Delta
State Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) rally at Koko, Warri North
Local Government Area maintained that the President
deserved another four years in
office because he has a listening
ear to the plight of the Niger
Delta region.

“The biggest fish in this 2015
election is President Goodluck
Jonathan, who is re-contesting
again as the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, he is
not just a son of this area, it is significant that we re-elect him
because he understands our
problems, when we cry to him,
he listens,” he said, adding, “it is
our responsibility to vote for
him (President Goodluck Jonathan), we did it before and
we shall do it again.”

Dr. Uduaghan asserted that all
the candidates of the PDP in the
February 2015 general
elections deserved to be elected
because they are masses-
oriented in their thoughts and actions.

Speaking on the choice of
Kingsley Otuaro as running
mate to the PDP governorship
candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa,
Uduaghan explained that the
decision was a strategic move aimed at consolidating on the
peace in Warri area.

According to him, “we have had
our fair share of conflicts in this
area, we have tried to manage
the peace and security in this
area, it has not been easy,
nobody should take the peace and security we are enjoying for
granted because a lot of
persons contributed to it. We
have a lot of youths who are
today living peacefully together.

“To continue with that peaceful
process is not going to be easy
but I believe if people in this
area continue to be active in
politics, we can continue to
maintain that peace and even take it higher.”

“There is a young man who was
involved in ensuring that we
actively and seriously maintain
peace in this area. I am saying
this because I can give
testimonies of his activities for us in achieving peace in this
area. He was a community
leader, he was involved in most
of the activities we carried out
for us to have peace…and
today, our governorship candidate, Senator Ifeanyi
Okowa has chosen him to be his
running mate and that is the
person of Kingsley Otuaro.”

He added: “For me as an
individual, the duo of Dr Okowa
and Otuaro as governor and
deputy governor respectively is
a divine blessing for us because
even as we are enjoying the peace, there are also things that
can cause insecurity,
fortunately, he ( Otuaro) is an
evangelist and he is praying,
and through his experience in
achieving peace in this area, Delta State will continue to enjoy
peace.”

“This is because, the truth is that
when there is sneezing in this
area, not only Delta State will
shake but the whole of Nigeria
will be affected. We are going to
ensure and give him the responsibility to ensure that
there is no sneezing in this
area.”

Governor Uduaghan introduced
President Jonathan as the PDP
presidential candidate, Senator
Okowa as the governorship
candidate in the state, Senator
James Manager as the senatorial candidate for Delta South, Daniel
Reyenieju as the House of
Representatives candidate for
Warri Federal Constituency and
Michael Diden as the House of
Assembly candidate for Warri North Local Government
Constituency.

Senator Okowa, at the occasion
thanked Governor Uduaghan
for encouraging him and also
commended the people for
believing in him.

He promised to embark
on programmes that will better
the lives of the people of the
state, noting that the PDP
government has transformed
Delta since it assumed power in 1999.

Chairman of the party in the
state, Chief Edwin Uzor urged
Deltans to vote massively for
PDP candidates, stating that
there was no other political
party that had better ideology and had empowered the people
through the delivery of
dividends of democracy to the
people like the PDP.

buhari and his supporters always talking rubbish since time immemorial. I thought he wanted to scrap the first lady office. #in Gejs voice# Mr Buhari we are not radical muslims that dont value our women. >(( we know those pretending to be good just to get our votes. Lolz

buhari, the jonsing man. @post=handwork of buharis minions, always talking rubbish. lolz

Governor of Nasarawa State,
Babangida Aliyu, has described
as selfish the people who
defected from Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) to the All
Progressives Congress (APC).

Addressing a huge crowd at the
flag off campaign of the Plateau
State chapter of the PDP held at
Mangu Mini Stadiumin in Mangu,
Governor Aliyu said: “If you
pick each one of them who had left the PDP for APC and analyse
them, you will find they are
those who only care about
themselves and not about their
communities.

He urged the party members
and supporters not to succumb
to blackmail or listen to
politicians who said people
should vote for one party in one
position and vote for another in another position, urging them
to vote for PDP throughout the
election period.

He said those urging them to
leave the party only wanted
them to destroy what they had
built, saying that should not be
allowed to happen. The governor, who restated
that the North Central Zone was
the foundation of PDP, urged
the people to come out en
masse and vote for the party.

Also speaking on the occasion
that was attended by the
governor of Benue State and
the state PDP governorship
candidate and that of Nasarawa,
the Senate President, David Mark, said the North Central
zone would give president
Goodluck Jonathan a bloc
votes.

The All Progressives Congress
(APC) yesterday tackled the
Federal Government over
alleged failed ceasefire
agreement with Boko Haram,
accusing President Goodluck Jonathan of deceiving
Nigerians. APC Presidential
Campaign Organisation
(APCPCO) expressed concern
that since the collapse of what it
called phantom ceasefire with the Islamist sect, the Presidency
has declined to talk about it.

A statement signed by Head,
Directorate of Media and
Publicity of the APC-PCO, Mallam
Garba Shehu, insisted that the
Jonathan administration got it
wrong by its silence on the botched deal.

It noted that a “democratic
government should be open
and accountable to the people.
Accountability is the dividing
line between a dictatorship and
a democratic government, but the Jonathan administration is
behaving as if it owes Nigerians
no explanations over the failed
ceasefire deal.”

The campaign organisation
stressed, “for the sake of
Nigerians who may have lost
their recollection of this epic
national scandal called a
“ceasefire deal” with Boko Haram, it is important to quote
the government officials and
remind them of the promises
they made to free the Chibok
girls under that phantom truce.”

It recalled that “on October 17,
2014, the Chief of Defence Staff,
Alex Badeh, excitedly told an
expectant nation that a deal
had been reached with Boko
Haram, which included not only a ceasefire, but also the
immediate release of the
kidnapped Chibok girls within a
week.”

He said: “…I wish to inform this
audience that a ceasefire
agreement has been concluded
between the Federal
Government of Nigeria and the
Ahlul Sunna Li Daawa Wal Jihad (Boko Haram). I have
accordingly directed the service
chiefs to ensure immediate
compliance with this
development in the field.

“A previously unknown man
called Danladi Ahmadu was
widely reported by the
international media as being the
contact person between Boko
Haram, Chad and Nigeria. But within 24 hours, the Boko
Haram putative leader,
Abubakar Shekau, released a
video message through the
French news agency (AFP),
denying any ceasefire deal and repudiated Danladi Ahmadu,
the so-called Boko Haram
representative at the ceasefire
talks.

“Ironically, while Air Marshal
Badeh was directing service
chiefs to enforce the “ceasefire
immediately”, the Boko Haram
terrorists launched
simultaneous attacks on towns and villages, including Badeh’s
hometown. The Boko Haram
had not only discredited the
“ceasefire”, but also vowed to
continue their terrorist
campaigns.

“This purported “ceasefire” had
brought instant ray of hope to
the families of the Chibok girls,
currently being held hostage by
the terrorists. Sadly, their hope
had evaporated after it became evident that the “ceasefire” was
a hoax after all. There were also
reports that Nigeria had lost
millions of dollars to the fake
peace deal.”

The APC campaign office said
“what is more shocking,
however, is that since the
collapse of the so-called truce
with Boko Haram, the Federal
Government has maintained sealed lips, despite repeated
reports that Nigeria had been
conned into the “ceasefire”
deal.

“Rather than coming clean to
tell Nigerians what happened,
the Jonathan administration
feels it owes the citizens no
explanations. Is this the
character of a democratic government? Why did the
government announce a
unilateral ceasefire without any
assurance of the workability of
the deal (if it had ever existed)?
Does the government think the issue would die a natural death
with the passage of time,
hoping that the citizens don’t
have the right to know? Should
a democratic government be
run like a cult when matters of public importance are shrouded
in secrecy? Does greeting every
issue of public importance,
including the missing $50 billion
and the millions of dollars
allegedly lost to fake ceasefire deal with deliberate silence
reflects the character of a
serious and accountable
government?,” the campaign
office noted.

All Progressives Congress Presidential
Campaign Organisation (APCPCO) has
assured that General Muhammadu
Buhari will initiate policies and
programmes that will impact positively
on the lives of youths and women if voted into office in the February 14
presidential election.

A statement from the Directorate of
Media and Publicity of the campaign
organisation stated that the APC
manifesto contained innovations and
legislative proposals that would
promote the manpower development and social participation of women and
youths in the country. The statement, signed by Mallam Garba
Shehu yesterday, said: “Drawing
extensively from the information
contained in the APC’s manifesto, a
Federal Government under the
leadership of Buhari promises to offer women and youths in Nigeria a new
deal.

“We are firmly committed to the value
that women are the backbone of the
Nigerian society, especially in our rural
communities. Therefore, issues that
matter to the average Nigerian woman
cut across the spectrum of policy areas, such as agriculture – where
they predominate as farmers and farm
labour – to health and education,
where their concern for their children
are paramount. “Our policy position for woman takes
into cognisance the fact that in spite of
several rights outlined in the 1999
Constitution, many women do not
enjoy the same freedom as men,
particularly in the fields of education, economic empowerment and political
participation.

“No society can progress where half of
its population suffers systemic
discrimination. An APC government
will seek to end all forms of gender
discrimination in both public and
private sectors, in education, employment and housing and also
protect equal property and inheritance
rights.” The statement further explained the
core policy of the APC for women and
youths to include, “improving anti-
discriminatory legislation and
instituting merit-based affirmative
action in employment; injecting gender as a component of federal
character and appointing a Minister for
Women and Gender in the Office of the
President; enforcing legal protection
for the fundamental rights of the girl-
child in all areas of religious, social and economic life.”

Other policy concerns according to the
statement include, “providing women
with greater legal protection from
domestic violence and sexual
harassment; empowering the police
with specialist training on handling of domestic violence issues;
strengthening coordination between
women and youths’ agencies at state
and federal levels cutting across ethnic

ayukdaboss:
You're quoting the wrong person. Did I compare Nigeria and USA?

i know you didnt but you should not blame gej for what he did not start or blame the NA because of their inability to mantain security like the us.

ayukdaboss:
When it is put to you people how much a failure Jonathan is you resort to cheap diversion. How can you compare US and Nigeria when US have been fighting terrorists who are not in their country and Bokoharam operate right here in Nigeria?

What kind of idiotic comparison is that? Can Alqaeda go and host their flag in ANY part of USA? Can Alqaeda lay any City of USA under siege? Some of you reason in mysterious ways.

young man instead calling the president clueless you should term yourself foolish. How can you compare nigeria and usa. We only started existing at 1914. This usa you are talking about is over 270yrs(just counting their independence not their existence) and they are the number one in the whole world both in economy,number of educated citizen,defence,technology etc.

Is it jonathans fault that most northerners are illiterate and hence are radicalised easily? Is it his fault that the north especially the eastern part are the poorest in the country despite the fact that the have ruled for so many years? Is it jonathans fault that they allowed themselves to be radicalised? Why are you being so foolishly shallow at your reasoning?

Jonathan is trying whether you like it or not. Even france was attacked by terrorist a day before yesterday,and over sixteen people has been killed, usa was one attacked and over 2000 people was killed. I dont want to keep on mentioning.

But i will like you to know that USA will never be used by terrorist provided that most if not all their population is educated and at least average in financial standard. Have you ever asked yourself why bokoharam never started in yorubaland or igboland? Of course it cant, we igbos are not illiterate,hence,cant be radicalised.

Insurgency thrives well only where the population is illiterate,poor and foolish. I will also want you to blame Gej for their plight, poverty and illiteracy against their selfish elders and leaders. I mean thesame elders than ran to jonathan and pleaded that he shouldnt declare full war on the north east when gej wanted to end insurgency once and for all.

Insurgency will only stop when the northern elites and the whole northerners whole started the saga decides to stop,exactly like in the case of militancy which the almighty obj couldnt stop with brute force.

shachris03:
Are you really sure he did these or just your normal PDP propaganda?

my brother facts are there. Google is your friend. Ask your elderly one who witnessed it

shachris03:
How can you be so sure when you have not tried buhari? What is your basis for comparison? Do you think you are being fair?

buhari has ruled us as a military head of state. We have seen his mischiefs. He is tribal and totally corrupt. I dont want to talk of his ptf scandal with he him saying that abacha never stole any money from naija. Have you forgotten he served alex ekwueme 100yrs in jail for stealing nothing, he also sent one other person(forgotten his name) to 75yrs for having and undeveloped plot of land but he placed the head of state a northern and a muslim,shehu shagari to 2weeks house arrest. I also dont want to mention the innocent people he hanged,killed and took away their jobs. Is that the man you want us to vote for?

Eziachi:
How does Jonathan presidency translate into an Igbo interest?
What happened to our Gen Ihejirika and Barth Nnaji with GEJ?

sir, ihejirika was not sacked rather he was retired because he was due for it. Kenneth minimah was the next person eligible for the post,afterall he is from ss and our brother. Balt nnaji was dumped because he awarded his company(geometric) a contract without following due process and he was replaced with another igbo from thesame state by the name chinedu nebo

shachris03:
your ethnic sentiments is not allowing you to reason straight. GEJ has failed us, you admit, yet we should still vote him? Got me thinking, do we as igbos enjoy pain? I want to ask you something, which era did the igbos receive all the massive amenities that they now enjoy? Most of the roads in igbo land, during which era were they built? I don't know where you get your facts bro, but GEJ is not representing any ibo interest. He is just there for himself and his Ijaw nation. A sensible igbo would endorse competence before tribal affiliations. Its high time we drop the civil war stigma.

pls he is not being ethnocentric rather he is saying the reality. This is not about civil war,this is politics. Do you think that the west is supporting the north because Gej is not competent? No! Rather they are considering their own interest first. The west knows that the will be the next to rule via osibanjo if Gmb wins the upcoming election and exhaust his tenure. The west knowing fully well that gej will like to sponsor an igbo presidency after his tenure, the played the wise card by backing Gmb. So, bros pls, this is not about enthnicity it is about politics. Besides to me Gej has not failed Nigeria it is just that some people are hell bent on making his administration bad.

@shachris03

shachris03:
Speak for yourself sir. The igbos of today are more enlightened than you think. A discussion with a trader in St Micheal market aba opened my eyes.

sir, pls speak for yourself also. We igbos are not voting Gej because he is from ss, our neighbour or because he is a christain, we are voting him simply because he has served us right. He might not be the best man for the presidency,but for now,he is the best and far more better than buhari.