₦airaland Forum

ANC’s secretary general, Ace Magashule and his deputy secretary general, Jessie Duarte, have delivered to President Jacob Zuma, the decision of the party’s highest decision making organ to dismiss him from office.

The two party officials arrived at Zuma’s official residence in Pretoria this morning.

Reports said they spent about 90 minutes at the residence.

The ANC took the decision to recall Zuma after a marathon meeting on Monday that stretched into the early hours of Tuesday. President of the ANC, Cyril Ramaphosa at a stage left the meeting at St.Georges Hotel, outside of Pretoria to discuss with Zuma. When Zuma returned, the meeting still lasted another three hours.
Source: http://www.todaysecho.com/breaking-anc-sacks-zuma-gives-48-hours-quit-presidency/

The governing party is billed to address a news conference today on its plan to oust Zuma from office.

Zuma’s position as president became a problem after Ramaphosa won a hotly contested election to the presidency of the party in December. Since there cannot be two captains in a ship, the party began the move to ask Zuma to step aside.

The scenario was a replay of what happened in 2008, when Zuma hijacked the ANC presidency from sitting president Thabo Mbeki.

Ramaphosa, a union leader and lawyer was once tipped as Mandela’s pick to take over the reins as head of the 106-year-old ANC.

Ramaphosa narrowly defeated Zuma’s ex-wife and preferred successor, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, in the leadership vote, forcing him initially to tread carefully in handling Zuma for fear of deepening the rifts in the party a year ahead of an election.

Despite the damning decision to order Zuma’s “recall” – ANC-speak for ‘remove from office’ – domestic media have speculated that the 75-year-old might yet defy the party’s wishes, forcing it into the indignity of having to unseat him in parliament.

Shortly before midnight, the SABC state broadcaster said Zuma had been told in person by Ramaphosa that he had 48 hours to resign. A senior party source later told Reuters Zuma had made clear he was going nowhere.

“Cyril went to speak with him,” the source said, adding that when Ramaphosa returned to the ANC meeting in a Pretoria hotel, the discussions were “tense and difficult”.

“We decided to recall Zuma. He hasn’t been told yet,” the source said.

The ANC is expected to hold a media briefing in the afternoon to reveal the results of the meeting.

One domestic report said Zuma had asked for three months to resign, a request that was denied. Another report said Zuma simply told Ramaphosa: “Do what you want to do”.

Zuma’s spokesman did not answer his mobile phone.

On Friday, one of his wives, Tobeka Madiba-Zuma, posted comments on Instagram suggesting Zuma, who has challenged and defied attempts by the ANC and courts to rein him in, was prepared to fight and believed he was the victim of a Western conspiracy.

“He will finish what he started because he does not take orders beyond the Atlantic Ocean,” she said.

South Africa’s economy, the most sophisticated on the continent, has stagnated during Zuma’s nine-year tenure, with banks and mining companies reluctant to invest because of policy uncertainty and rampant corruption.

However, since mid-November when Ramaphosa emerged as a real ANC leadership prospect, economic confidence has started to pick up, while the rand – a telling barometer of Zuma’s fortunes – has gained more than 15 percent against the dollar.

On Tuesday, February 6, Usman Yusuf, Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), was reinstated by President Muhammadu Buhari . Nigerians have since, reacted on social media to this controversial move.

Yusuf had been ordered by the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, on July 7, 2017, to proceed on three months suspension to pave the way for an investigation following petitions written against him, one of which was the procurement of a ₦58 million SUV without due process.

The Senate had also earlier launched an investigation into Yusuf’s administration, accusing him of “corrupt expenditure of N292m” which he allegedly spent on health care training “without recourse to any appropriate approving authority.”

Yusuf had refused to comply with the suspension, saying under the Act setting up the scheme, the appointment and removal of the executive secretary is at the instance of the President.

The Health Minister, after a panel set up to investigate the allegations made against Yusuf had found him culpable, had in October 2017, suspended the NHIS boss indefinitely.

According to a source who spoke to Premium Times, Yusuf had been reinstated by President Buhari, and a letter of reinstatement was sent to Adewole on Tuesday.

Adewole also confirmed the receipt of the letter which asked that he work closely with Yusuf upon his resumption, saying, “It is true that the president has reinstated him.”

To read twitter comments, visit: http://www.todaysecho.com/anger-outrage-buhari-reinstates-suspended-nhis-boss-accused-corruption/

Convener of the Bring Back Our Girls group and former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has revealed that going by popular demand from people on her timeline, she might consider running for the number one political position in Nigeria.

Like Obasanjo’s Third Force, She has also initiated a Red Card movement, aimed at sending off the current government led by All Progressive Congress (APC) and ensuring the baton of leadership does not return to the strongest opposition, People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

When asked by a follower, if she would ever run for the presidency, Ezekwesili said, “Maybe I should consider the idea just so some of these folks that disturb my timeline for nothing, can now actually have something to really fret seriously about.”

http://www.todaysecho.com/2019-ezekwesili-confirms-interest-presidency-starts-red-card-movement/

Big Brother Naija is arguably the biggest show in Nigeria right now and the housemates are the most talked about people among Nigerian youths. However, recent revelations show that nepotism may have been involved in the selection of housemates.

The show is in its third edition and it has grown bigger; prize money has been increased to N45million and the housemates have been increased to 20. To get into the house, thousands of Nigerians applied, and 20 were eventually selected in a supposedly complex and thorough process.

Recent revelations that the contestants knew each other and even many people involved in the process have supported allegations that there was nepotism in the selection of housemates.

The following are pointers to this theory:

The resemblance between housemate Ceec and presenter, Ebuka’s wife Cynthia. This led to the initial rumour that CeeC is Ebuka’s sister in law.
Stories have emerged from the house that Rico and Princess were dating before entering the house
Khloe once revealed that she had known K-Brule for over four years
Alex revealed yesterday that she got pregnant at the age of 16, and her lover was Princess’s brother.
Dee One’s 2016 Instagram post, which revealed he had known T-Boss and Miyonse(from BBnaija 2017) before the show even started.
Lastly, BamBam’s throwback picture, where she took a selfie with Princess, Miyonse and T-Boss, seems to show that she had known Princess and the former housemates prior to last year.
Below are two comments on popular online forum, Nairaland, by viewers reacting to the allegations

And wigs were flying, feet getting crushed, girls collapsing at the audition but they had their housemates picked out already. Shii is fvckin scripted! God punish the organisers!—-

I tell you, this brings to mind that DeeOne’s 2016 IG Post on this show—-

If those two already knew TBoss and Miyonse by then, who is to say they hadn’t already been picked for this edition back then?

These allegations of nepotism must not be swept under the carpet and the organizers of BBnaija should take them serious and respond effectively so as to prevent loss of confidence by the audience.

http://www.todaysecho.com/bbnaija-show-scam-bambams-throwback-picture-poses-questions/

Nigerian-born English player, Dele Alli, who plays as a forward for Tottenham Hotspurs has been a source of gists on online social media platforms across the world in recent times. This is because of a new sex tape involving the football star.

The new video, which has not been verified by mainstream media, shows Alli receiving MouthAction from a woman thought to be a prostitute.

Dele Alli is currently dating a British model.

http://www.todaysecho.com/footballer-dele-alli-caught-video-receiving-oral-sex-prostitute/

Nigerian public health system is dead. I weep when I think about it cos the pain is still fresh. This was how they were rejecting my dad when his heart failed. They took him to state hospital, Akure, from there they reffered him to FMC Owo. FMC said they are not taking him. We took him to Gani fawehinmi teaching hospital in Ondo. They said they won't open till 9.am. When they eventually opened, they took a scan and said they cannot admit him. So we took him back to State hospital, Akure. A family member eventually used his connection to get them to admit him but it was too late. He had been unconscious for 7 hours. He died in his daughter's arms

The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings.

Behaviours or habits are classified under this category if they directly give birth to other immoralities. According to the standard list, they are pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth, which are also contrary to the seven virtues.

These sins are often thought to be abuses or excessive versions of one’s natural faculties or passions (for example, gluttony abuses one’s desire to eat).

The Treasury Single Account (TSA), President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature policy has also gathered some sins that can be described as 7 Cardinal Sins of PMB’s TSA. They include the following:

No clear policy ownership and absence of operational structure as exists for similar strategic national initiatives such as Integrated Payroll & Personnel Information System (IPPIS), Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Pension Transition Arrangement Department (PTAD), etc.)
2. Non-engagement or effective hand-holding of critical stakeholders on the implementation of the policy such as the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), civil society organisations and the public.

3. Non-reconciliation of MDAs’ accounts and non-audit of the entire TSA operations for over two years with a N40 billion account debit discovered as at September 2017.

4. Inexplicable granting of exemptions, and non-sanction of non-compliant MDAs, which is contrary to extant rules and operational guidelines.

5. The continued non-payment of banks and other service providers of about N18.7 billion for the provision of nationwide revenue collection services for government for over two years.

6. The refusal to bring foreign exchange payments and revenue collections under TSA, which is contrary to the original design of having a single view of all government revenues and expenditures.

7. The clandestine introduction of un-approved technology and operational processes that challenges, and aims to undermine the approved TSA technology and operational design.

http://www.todaysecho.com/7-cardinal-sins-pmbs-tsa/

The Chairman of the House of Reps Ad-hoc Committee on the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Abubakar Danburam Nuhu has indicted the Federal Government for lack of ownership and poor handling of the TSA policy, even though it is frequently highlighted by the presidency as one of its greatest achievements.

He said that the TSA lacks a coordinated office in charge of its implementation and monitoring. “Issues are being raised by so many people and they do not have answers to them. Who should be responsible for implementation and monitoring?” he asks. Danburam Nuhu, therefore, called for the establishment of a TSA Agency to be headed by a director.

He made this point as a guest on Channels Television Business Morning Show, where he was joined by an Economic Analyst from Proshare Nigeria, Babalola Tope, to discuss some of the unfinished businesses surrounding the TSA policy.

Danburam Nuhu said although TSA has been of great benefit to the government, curtailing corruption, blocking leakages and cutting off arbitrary charges previously collected by commercial banks, “the unfortunate thing with the TSA is that there are so many issues that are lingering and affecting the smooth implementation of the
account.”

“My committee has been doing a lot of work in terms of trying to investigate the TSA for quite some time now but the challenges that are there need to be resolved.”

Stating some of the challenges, he said “For the last two years, the TSA has not been audited and when we called the Auditor General (AuGF), it seems that he has not been part of the TSA implementation. He had to confess to us that there hasn’t been any audit in the last two years

“Also, there has been no reconciliation between the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).”

Danburam Nuhu also revealed that the foreign currency component of the TSA is not yet activated for unknown reasons. Therefore no one knows exactly how federal government funds collected in diaspora are administered.

“This means all accounts which are foreign denominated are not yet part of the TSA. They are still sitting in banks, which are nprobably out of the country or even in Nigeria,” he emphasised

.
As at March 2017, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun had revealed that the TSA has processed over N7 trillion. It was also revealed that over 20,000 commercial bank accounts where government revenue where previously stashed had been closed, saving the government about N4.7 billion monthly in bank charges.

Although TSA policy was partially implemented during the Goodluck Jonathan era, the current administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari holds it up as its biggest economic reform strategy.

Details emerging clearly show that the policy faces serious risks bothering on non-compliance by some agencies and failure to consolidate the policy- giving it a proper legislative backing such that its sustainability beyond the current administration is guaranteed.

Also, it was revealed that the service providers who are responsible for facilitating payments into the Treasury Single Account are being owed by the government.
http://www.todaysecho.com/take-ownership-of-tsa-reps-tell-fg/

A lot is expected of the Gunners’ new striker, who has had a similar path to goalscoring greatness as one of the club’s best ever players
The story goes that when Arsene Wenger met fellow Frenchman Thierry Henry on a flight from Italy to Paris in 1999, he told the young attacker: “You’re wasting your time on the wing. You’re a No.9.”

Wenger had known Henry from his time at Monaco, giving him his debut as a 17-year-old before being fired as manager less than three weeks later. Henry’s professional bow had come on the wing, with Wenger confident that his pace and skill would give opposition full-backs nightmares.

Henry was kept on the flank by subsequent Monaco coaches and then, in one uninspiring season at Juventus, was even used as a wing-back by Carlo Ancelotti, unsurprisingly offering limited returns before he was allowed leave for Arsenal just eight months after moving to Italy.

He was 21 when he arrived at the Emirates and desperate to play as a winger once more. Wenger had other ideas, though, pushing him into a central striking position as he looked to replace the void left by Nicolas Anelka up front.

After a slow start, Henry admitted that he needed to “rediscover the scoring instinct, that automatic reaction in front of goal”. His first eight games came and went with no goals, as he either started out wide or from the bench.

He finally got off the mark on September 18, 1999, netting the winner at Southampton after being brought on as a substitute, but, after 17 games in all competitions, he had just two goals to his name.

In November, Wenger decided to start Henry alongside Dennis Bergkamp in a front two and, despite going down early against Derby County, the Frenchman finally showed his ability as a striker with two goals to ensure victory.

After the game, Wenger declared Henry’s contribution as “the start, I hope, of the conversion [into a centre-forward]”. Henry, though, didn’t just become a centre-forward; he became one of the most complete strikers in world football.

He netted 24 times in Arsenal’s following 30 games. The next season, he scored 22 in all competitions, and then broke the 30-goal mark in each of the next five campaigns.

In total, Henry scored 226 goals in all competitions for the Gunners, helping them to two league titles and two FA Cups, and is the club’s all-time record goalscorer. Not bad for a winger-turned-striker.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s arrival at Arsenal comes much further along in his career than Henry’s. The Gabon international turned 28 in June, but went through a similar transition to Henry earlier in his career.

Aubameyang is blessed with outstanding pace, which was utilised out wide in his early days in the Bundesliga by Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, in support of Robert Lewandowski. He finished his first season in the Bundesliga with 13 goals, but the jury was still out on him, as many of his strikes had come against the league’s lesser lights like Eintracht Frankfurt and Augsburg.

Critics pointed to his poor strike-rate in Europe, where Aubameyang found the net just once in nine Champions League appearances. When Klopp needed a new striker to replace Bayern Munich-bound Lewandowski, he brought in Ciro Immobile and Adrian Ramos. Aubameyang was still being deployed as a right-winger.

With Dortmund struggling in the league, having lost seven of their opening 10 games, Klopp was forced to change his approach. He shifted ‘Auba’ up top for the last 15 games of the season, salvaging something from a lost campaign to reach the DFB Pokal final and finish in the Europa League spots.

Thomas Tuchel replaced Klopp and continued Aubameyang’s development as a striker. The new manager preferred to keep the ball at Aubameyang’s feet rather than have him run after it down the flanks, becoming a more rounded forward capable of holding up the ball and bringing team-mates into play. He even scored more than ever before, finishing second to Lewandowski in the race for the top scorer trophy with 25 Bundesliga goals.

Aubameyang performed even better last season, with 31 league goals, beating Lewandowski to the Torjagerkanone as the league’s highest scorer. Despite a desire to leave Dortmund, goals continued to come this season, with 13 goals in 15 league appearances and four more in the Champions League.

Having proven himself as one of the world’s best goalscorers in the Bundesliga, Aubameyang has everything to succeed in the Premier League with Arsenal. Wenger has been looking for an heir to Henry since the Frenchman left the club over a decade ago, and now has finally found the complete forward he needed.

When Henry retired from football in 2014 to become a pundit, Arsenal’s official website compiled a number of quotes from and about the Frenchman. Wenger glowed about his former forward: “What makes him special? He has a mixture of physical talent and technical ability, as well as remarkable intelligence and above all a great passion for the game.”

Henry’s France team-mate Lilian Thuram described him as “a wizard with his feet and is blessed with a gift for scoring goals. His best quality is his speed while the ball is at his feet. He may be the fastest man ever to lace up a football boot. No defender in the world can keep up with him.”

It would not be a surprise to hear any of the same sentiments expressed about Arsenal’s newest signing. Aubameyang is one of the fastest players in the world, but also has amazing technical ability and physical talent.

Wenger has long been maligned for never having replaced the key members of ‘The Invincibles’ but he might just have found his new Henry.

http://www.todaysecho.com/aubameyang-arsenals-new-thiery-henry/

Despite holding arguably the most flamboyant wedding in 2017, Banky W has decided to address critics who are calling him and his wife, Adesua hypocrites.

He said: I have learnt to grow thick skin and almost always ignore the online chatter, but every once in a while, I feel the need to respond. So here are my 2 cents:

Angela Ankomah is a popular Ghanaian slay queen, who hangs around Madina, Accra. Tall, fair, and shapely with ample bosoms and heavy make-up, Angela turns many heads but. unfortunately, this lady is a transexual.

In the video below, Angela spoke to Joy TV about how she went through surgery to become a woman. She first took hormonal drugs for 1 year, then she went through surgery in which her manhood was removed.

Angela Ankomah says she is happy with herself for her choices.

Watch the video:

https://www.facebook.com//videos/1471614629615782/

http://www.todaysecho.com/meet-angela-komah-ghanaian-slay-queen-used-man/

A German nurse who allegedly killed his victims out of boredom has been charged with 97 murders, potentially making him one of the country’s deadliest serial killers.

The nurse, Niels Hoegel, was already serving a life sentence for murdering six patients. He was charged with another 97 murders Monday, prosecutors said in a press release.
He is accused of giving victims various non-prescribed drugs in an attempt to show off his resuscitation skills to colleagues and fight off boredom.

Prosecutors said Hoegel should have been aware that the drugs given to patients in clinics in Delmenhorst and Oldenburg, in northwest Germany, could cause life-threatening cardiac problems.

When patients started suffering the effects of the drugs they were given, Hoegel is accused of failing to help them.
He is accused of killing 62 patients in Delmenhorst and 35 patients in Oldenburg clinics.
Hoegel was previously jailed in 2015 after being convicted of killing six people, leading authorities to investigate hundreds of deaths and exhume bodies of former patients in the clinics where he worked.

In past hearings, NiHoegelels said he felt euphoric when he managed to bring a patient back to life, and devastated when he failed, says AFP.
Police said the final number of murders may never be known as some possible victims were cremated.

http://africanprobe.com/2018/01/23/see-german-nurse-killed-97-people-boredom/

The University of Ilorin has now banned female students from leaving their hair unpacked or using hair extensions. This revised dress code was shared by a social media user recently.

The higher institution is known for its strong stance against indecent dressing but with this new decree released on January 22, 2018, it seems to have gone above board, considering the fact that it is a federal institution and not a faith-based institution.

Male students have also been warned to avoid some haircut styles and knickers.

Previously, heavy make-up and hair extensions in colours blue, green, white, yello, red, purple and pink were banned.

The lady with the Twitter handle ‘Mother confessor’, who narrated the story of two ladies dating the same guy in the same office and who recently declared she can become a sex doll for N800K has come out with another gist. This time, it’s downright raunchy and hilarious.

Mother Confessor has narrated how she had so much fun with a man who had sex with her. The story goes thus:

Let me post dis embarrassing story before I get carried away wiv chores. but y’all know som embarrassing stories r d funniest..As y’all knw,not evry girl squirts & I heard it makes men happy Wen a girl squirts,,This is d story of how I squirted for d 1st time.

So this happened 3yrs ago.. I had no experience but I always hear how some guys brag about making a girl squirt and I wanted to experience it but it never happened and I kinda gave up on it..

This particular day, i decided to get freaky, so we had sex,, I was wondering if this guy was super man cos he was strong and just diving me from different areas..The food I ate before we started got drained.. wow! Interesting.. uncle was just showing himself

He will pick me up, throw me on the couch, e go carry me again, throw for bed, haba! He was throwing me up & down as if I was paper.. it started getting interesting.. next thing he will carry my legs hang them, bend them, hold them,, fold them

I actually thought he was going to cripple me that day so we shall continued.. uncle no gree cum..35Mins don pass.. the next thing I started noticing my body was doing me somehow..there was this rush of pleasure, burst of light, energy I cudnt understand

I was just screaming helplessly ..haba..me? Screaming like a 5yrs old girl.. the next it felt like a tap was broken inside me and water was just forcing its way out.. ewo! I was so terrified I was wondering what’s was happening to me..it’s strange

Next thing uncle went to the bathroom..I looked down and the whole sheet was wet..wait, what? I didn’t know wat to do so I decided to hide it.. I put the pillow on it and I removed it and it was wet too ..I screamed ..then I sat on it to cover it

I was still dripping water oooo.. I didn’t know wat was happening to me or how to explain to uncle that my tap was broken and his bed was flooding .. I started thinking about this strange experience then I remembered Wen we were having sex

He was sweating under AC ooo ..then he used a white tower to clean his face and cleaned my body too.. yepa! Ewo I screamed..what has he done to me..what was in that white tower .. was it juju..has this guy done something to me.. I started crying..

So uncle came out from the bathroom and said go and clean up na..I replied i am fine..he was like how? Then I said something strange is happening to me.. I can’t control it..I’m dripping and it won’t stop..the more I drip, the more pleasurable it gets..

And ur sheet is wet..he was lik let me see and i stood up,, it was like I poured water on d bed.. I now asked him..what did u do to me.. what was in that white tower u used to clean my body.. he started laughing and it got more embarrassing for me

He said babe, there’s nothing I that tower, I didn’t do anything bad to u, all I did was make u squirt and u squirting all over my sheet.. I didn’t notice that squirting was the least of my problems cos my legs were Shaking and felt weak..

Next thing I tried standing up, I cudnt..I fell on the floor..my cry increased…ye! What have u done to me ooo, now I can’t walk too..he was like u will b fine just relax, if u can’t drive back home I will get u a cab.. I waited for 10mins

But my legs would not stop shaking..I was just thinking how I will get home and explain y I left the house with my two legs and got back home crawling on my … eventually the shaking reduced but I still felt water dripping from my body..my skirt was soaked

I was about to leave , I asked him for the tower he used in cleaning my body..he gave it to me and I put it in my bag..he was surprised..all my own is that whatever he used that tower for wil not work cos he wont be able to return it to d Baba that gave him

I got into the car and drove home..my skirt was wet so I tired scarf around my waist..I can not com and b explaining to any body at home y my skirt is wet everywhere…. I didn’t stop dripping till I had a shower and my body became normal

Later that evening I went to see a guy friend who’s a doctor and I told him..he was just laughing then he explained to me that wat I felt was normal and it doesn’t happen to every woman.. u see ehn..this guy now called me again that night to check up on me

I told him I was fine..he now said I sud com ova Wen it’s weekend..ehn! In my mind who sud com ova,so I wil burst Abi.. imagine just dripping water & Cumming anyhow?? Nooo I am not coming ooo..u see ehn ..I ran away ooo .. that was the first &last time we saw”

See some of her tweets below:

https://twitter.com/Jenniieey/status/954592665550639104

https://twitter.com/Jenniieey/status/954595813526818816

The Benue State government has faulted comments of the Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong over the recent attacks in Benue State which left at least 73 people dead. Lalong had told journalists in Abuja on Thursday, that he warned Gov. Samuel Ortom against implementing the Open Grazing Prohibition Law.

Lalong said, “To be honest with you, I advised him. I told the governor of Benue State when he was doing the law; I said ‘look, why don’t you tread softly, just be careful, take other steps before you start implementation.’

Governor Ortom reacted to this statement while receiving a delegation of the regional socio-cultural group led by a retired Major General, John Shegaya in his office. He said he is disappointed with the comments of his fellow governor.

“I have forgiven him because at no time did my colleague warn me about this law. Even if he had warned me, it was beyond me, it is about Benue State, and I am not talking about Plateau State

“He doesn’t know about Benue State; that is what the Benue people want

“Is there one person in Benue State that is against this law?

“It originated from the people themselves. Even if he had warned me, I would have told him it was beyond me

“When I heard…I tried to call him, but he did not pick my call.

“I wanted to remind him when I finally confirmed that he said he said so, that the last time I went to Jos for a thanksgiving service in one of the churches, on my way back, I felt like paying homage to him and I did. And he told me that he was under pressure to also enact the same law.”

In a more recent development, Lalong’s media team had issued a statement to clarify the governor’s comments.

The statement which was signed by Mr Emmanuel Nanle, Director of Press to the Governor said that the governor will always show solidarity with his Benue counterpart.

“The governor has expressed his deepest sympathy in a phone conversation with Governor Ortom.

“He gave assurances of the prayers of the people of Plateau for God’s comfort to the bereaved families, and for the repose of the souls of all those killed in the wake of the attack,” it said.

http://www.todaysecho.com/lalong-told-pressure-enact-anti-grazing-law-ortom/

Nigerians on Twitter are having the best time ever, making jokes about Nigerian multi-award-winning actress, Funke Akindele, who just recently landed a role in Avengers – Infinity War. She plays the role of one of The Black Panther’s guards, the Dora Milaje. See their tweets below:

https://twitter.com/ndoarum/status/951463238549540866

https://twitter.com/YorubaChic/status/951384405356044288

Read more: http://www.todaysecho.com/nigerians-troll-funke-akindele-on-twitter-following-avenger-role/

'IT' is it

The CAF awards will take place today in Accra, Ghana. It is the first to be sponsored by oil and gas giant, Aiteo. Two Nigerians have been nominated; Asisat Oshoala and Gernot Rohr.

The highlight of the awards is usually the presentation of the African player of the year(male). This year, there are three major contenders; Sadio Mane of Senegal, Emerrick Aubameyang of Gabon, and Mohamed Salah of Egypt.

Mane is a 25 year-old who plays as a forward/winger for Liverpool football club in the English Premier league. Since joining Liverpool in 2016, he has scored a total of 38 goals in 105 appearances.

Aubameyang is a 28 year-old French-born Gabonese footballer, who plays for Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga. Aubameyang was the 2016/2017 season Bundesliga’s highest goal scorer with 31 goal. In the 2017/2018 season, he has already scored 22 goals in 27 appearances for Dortmund.

Salah is a 25-year-old Egyptian footballer who plays as a winger/forward for Liverpool. Before joining Liverpool, her had played for Chelsea, Fiorentina and Roma. Salah has been terrific this season, scoring several goals. he is currently the second highest goal scorer, behind Harry Kane of Tottenham.

http://www.todaysecho.com/wins-caf-award-today-salah-mane-aubameyang/

As the CAF awards sponsored by energy giants, Aiteo kicks off tomorrow at Accra in Ghana, Today's Echo brings you some info about the award.

Below are the past winners:

1992 Abedi AYEW PELE (Ghana)
1993 Rashidi YEKINI (Nigeria)
1994 Emmanuel AMUNIKE (Nigeria)
1995 George WEAH (Liberia)
1996 Nwankwo KANU (Nigeria)
1997 Victor IKPEBA (Nigeria)
1998 Mustapha HADJI (Morocco)
1999 Nwankwo KANU (Nigeria)
2000 Patrick MBOMA (Cameroon)

Read more on: http://www.todaysecho.com/next-king-of-african-football-to-be-unveiled-at-aiteo-caf-awards-in-accra/

Hi guys. The CAF awards for the African footballer of the year comes up tomorrow. The event is sponsored by oil giant, Aiteo. Please read the article below by the CEO of the company.

Almost nowhere on earth is football followed as passionately as in Africa. It is loved by Africans from all walks of life across the continent. This week, I am giving the opening address at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards in Accra, Ghana. This has afforded me a good opportunity to reflect on Africa’s relationship with football and how it can help deliver a brighter future for our young people.

I believe we need only look to the Liberian presidential election for a fine example of the transformative power of football. Against the odds, football legend and opposition candidate, George Weah was victorious and today, is President-elect of Liberia, one of Africa’s most popular countries. Weah’s perseverance in the face of an initial unsuccessful attempt is a testament to the endurance football teaches.

Before he was a Presidential candidate, of course, Mr. Weah was an outstanding footballer whose career spanned great clubs like Paris Saint Germain, Marseille, Monaco and even English Premiership giants like Chelsea and Manchester City.

A striker of fearsome reputation, Weah has been described as the greatest footballer to emerge from Africa, confirmed in 1995 when he won both FIFA Footballer of the Year and the highly valued Ballon d’Or. Over a three year period, in 1989, 1995 and 1996, he claimed the top prize of African Footballer of the year, crowning that in 1996 with the African Footballer of the Century award.

The power of a footballer entering frontline politics cannot be overstated, for two reasons. First, it shows that politics is accessible to all, to the ambitious individual who dares envisage a way he or she can contribute to their country’s future. Second, it makes politics interesting and relevant to young people. If our continent is ever to reach its full potential, then it is our young people who are going to deliver it.

Africa’s youth are already shaping today and redefining tomorrow with their creativity, passion and innovation. I believe that the greatest gift that our generation can give them is to continue to provide platforms for aspiration, recognition and inspiration. But the idea of ‘opportunity’ or of ‘potential’ can be an abstract enough concept to adults never mind the younger generation, many of whom have been overlooked by the decisions of governments not to allow funds raised from investment to trickle down into stronger education systems, apprenticeships and advancement.

In football, the notion of opportunity is far from abstract. Football has always been a unifying factor and a great tool for promoting integration and development. But more than that, it is a global currency, a language spoken in the United Kingdom as much as in Brazil, China and Nigeria. And in football we see, most tangibly, the bold young role models and ambassadors of Africa who are inspiring others and have set the pace in their pursuit of excellence.

Of course, we must be careful not to set false expectations. Football is affected by the same attrition rate that applies to other sports in that very many are called but few ultimately make the dizzy heights that many dream of. President Barack Obama pointed out that youth in the United States may have good role models for economic empowerment and entrepreneurship in the music industry, but that it was unlikely that each child would grow up ‘to be the next Lil Wayne’, so children must also work hard in school. The same can be said of football: not all of our children will grow up to be the next George Weah, Abedi Pele, Dider Drogba or Jay Jay Okocha, but these role models still offer young people a concrete example of the hard work that goes into the pursuit of excellence.

The example of football goes far beyond the 22 men or women who stand on the pitch for 90 minutes each week. I know this because I have seen the extraordinary depth of support services that go into creating the finished product of a football match, and the transformative role they play when properly looked after.

Over the last year, Aiteo has been supporting sports development in Nigeria, leading a partnership agreement with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to provide financial Support to the technical team of Nigeria’s national team for the next five years. In the months since, Nigeria has won more games than they have lost and has qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Aiteo has also made significant contributions towards developing the local football by underwriting the costs associated with organising the Federation Cup, Nigeria’s equivalent of the English FA Cup, helping smaller teams grow and improve on the national stage.

With coaching roles, training roles, marketing, advertising, commercial partnerships and merchandising roles all part of the infrastructure of a newly-global Nigerian football team, no child need only grow up to be the next Alex Iwobi if they are to benefit from the transformative power of football. If a footballer can become the head of a nation, they why not a football coach, a medic or a marketing executive?

So, when I stand on the stage this week to open the CAF Awards, the winners will be very clear to me before the awards have even been handed out; the true winners will be every young person who sees that event; sees that the eyes of the world are on Africa and that a future for each one of them exists in which they can go beyond their school, their hobbies, their parents, and truly embrace their potential. Because the way we conceive the future sculpts the present.

Benedict Peters is the executive vice president of the Aiteo Group

SOurce: http://www.todaysecho.com/africas-young-people-real-winners-caf-awards-aiteos-ceo/

It is that time of the year again when we look back at stories that made it big online and offline. No doubt, 2017 has been a very interesting year in the entertainment industry and Nigeria at large. We present below, some of the viral stories that got our attention. Some good, some bad, while some are extremely ugly. In all, these events all play a part in making the year a memorable one.

1. Banky W and Adesua’s Wedding and Social Media Slip

No doubt Banky W and Adesua’s wedding won the award for ‘Wedding of the Year 2017’. However, the unexpected honeymoon photo Banky decided to share with Nigerians was a bigger story. On a cool morning, after Banky W just apparently finished up his conjugal duties with his newly-wed, Adesua, he decided to show a glimpse of his treasure’s backside and the beautiful ambience in Jo’burg. The butt photo got Nigerians boiling, tripping and analysing Adesua’s shape.

Banky W was advised to stay off social media as showing off too much is always the first sign of a looming crash in celebrity marriages. Even some of his fans think his wedding #BAAD2017 was too extravagant.

Banky also got the due sympathy of all earlier in the year, for the courage to beat cancer a second time, when it resurfaced after 10years.



2. Mr Eazi’s Ghana-Nigeria Tweet and Fake Job

No Nigerian artist had a rough year like Mr Eazi. Unfortunately, his disaster started with a tweet, stating that Nigerian music is now highly influenced by Ghana sound. Eazi went ahead to give himself credit for the synergy. Knowing fully well that Nigerians and Ghanaians are always at daggers drawn on a lot of issues (the most famous being who has the best jollof rice), Mr Eazi decided not to exhibit any emotional intelligence and Nigerians have since disowned him and his music.

That wasn’t all for Eazi though. He lied about having to leave a N2million job with Schlumberger to pursue his music career. Trust Nigerians to dig out details. It was revealed through LinkedIn, that Eazi was only on a six-month internship program at the company.

His dress sense also had his fans calling him a ’goat’ recently. But it wasn’t all bad. Eazi’s romantic affair with daughter of Nigeria’s oil mogul, Temi Otedola, has been described as the highpoint of the artiste’s year.

3. Wizkid and Davido’s Fight in Dubai
Nigerian pop-stars, Wizkid and Davido turned the backstage of One Africa Music Festival event in Dubai into a boxing ring, and decided to finish off a brawl which started on social media.

The duo has often argued about who is more successful in the entertainment industry. However, it is unclear if the fight had anything to do with this.

Dubai played host to a number of artists in November 2017, with Davido and Wizkid as performers at the event.

According to Instablog9ja, a fight erupted among the members of both stars. It was also reported that Wizkid was assaulted by one of the members of Davido’s crew.

3. Psquare’s Split
Arguably, the messiest celebrity fight of the year, Peter and Paul Okoye’s split is something Nigerians are yet to fully come to terms with. The seemingly inseparable twins who have done everything together since they began singing early in life, shook their fans by deciding to revisit a longstanding family feud they have managed to keep under control for a while.

At first, it was perceived as a publicity stunt, since it wasn’t the first time both artists would break up to make up. Things took a different turn when it degenerated into a physical fight.

Peter, who terminated the contract through his lawyer, Festus Keyamo, raised serious allegations against Paul and their older brother and manager, Jude Okoye.

Visit: http://www.todaysecho.com/top-10-celebrity-controversies-of-2017/ to read the rest

I think what's happening in Ajah needs to be brought to the attention of government.

There seems to be no end in sight to the suffering of Lagosians as the ongoing fuel scarcity worsens. The current crisis has precipitated other crises that have led to more hardship. One such problems is the traffic gridlock faced by motorists at Ajah round about along the Lekki-Epe expressway.

A look at events on social media indicates that Ajah is currently trending on twitter. For the past three days, traffic has been at a standstill around the popular junction.

When Today’s Echo visited the scene, there was heavy traffic on the Ajah bridge, facing Lekki. The traffic from Addo-Langbasa road, coming into the Lekki-Epe expressway was also at a standstill as motorists groaned in hardship.

Some residents of Ajah told us that the traffic gridlock was caused by long, stationary queues at two petrol stations selling fuel at the Ajah round-about. The long line of cars have blocked a large section of the road and made it impassable.

One could only be able to understand what the people at Ajah are facing when Mr Tolani(not his real name) told Today’s Echo that even though he lives in far away Ikorodu and works at Lekki, he has been getting to the office ahead of people living at Ajah, which is closer to Lekki.

The crisis at Ajah is also precipitating another crisis in the Lekki area for household who rely on water supply from tankers coming from Ajah. Mr Sunday(not real name), who lives at Atlantic view estate around Alpha beach area lamented that he has not been supplied water for the past three days as the tanker drivers complain of not been able to pass through.

Read more: http://www.todaysecho.com/fuel-scarcity-leads-traffic-gridlock-ajah-motorists-cry-hardship/

People have taken to the social media to describe their ordeals on the Ajah axis and we have a few twitter posts to share below:

In a little over a year, Aiteo Group, a leading energy company in Nigeria, under the leadership of Benedict Peters has ramped up crude production to 90,000 bpd from an average production of the 23,000 bpd after acquiring OML 29 for $2.8 billion from Shell at a time when local oil companies struggled to manage divested assets.

OML29 stretches over an area of 983 square kilometres, and includes the Nembe, Santa Barbara and Okoroba Oil Fields, including related facilities such as the 97-kilometre Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL). It also has a 100 kilometres long pipeline with a capacity of 600 thousand barrels per day.

In March 2015, Aiteo Eastern E & P, a subsidiary of Aiteo Group, acquired SPDC’s interest in OML 29 and the NCTL. Total E&P Nigeria Limited and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited – the other joint venture partners – also assigned their 10 percent and 5 percent interests respectively to Aiteo, giving the company a 45 percent interest in OML 29.

The bold acquisition has not only ramped up Nigeria’s crude production to the 1.8million bpd prior to militant attacks, It has proven that that indigenous companies can successfully operate an oil asset. The company also highlighted several existing and developing projects that could potentially grow its asset production to over 150,000bpd and 200 million standard cubic feet of gas daily in the near future

“Our outlook is bright with 3 producing oil fields and viable crude exports via Bonny terminal. We also have contingent resources to appraise and prospective ones to explore in the medium-to-long term, including full 3D seismic coverage and 2P NNS reserves of more than 1.6bn bbl. Put simply, we have a clear vision for the future with the experience and assets crucial to providing oil and gas consistently on a regional and global scale,” said Peters in a statement.

Some months down the line, this legacy achievement is impacting lives and has created significant direct and indirect employment in Nigeria’s highly competitive oil and gas industry.

Aiteo legitimately secured the oil bock after a keenly contested but transparent divestment bid driven by Shell. The funding of Aiteo’s acquisition was made possible through a combination of debt and equity involving several Nigerian and international banks. All these entities conducted stringent and substantial due diligence before backing the Aiteo Consortium’s bid for the oil block, adjudged one of the most transparent in the history of Nigeria.
Aiteo Group, since its formation in 1999 by a young ambitious Benedict Peters, has transformed into Nigeria’s pre-eminent energy conglomerate with an international focus. It is leading the vanguard with innovative solutions and strategic investments across the energy value chain – petroleum products storage and distribution; natural gas, power and exploration as well as production. The Group’s subsidiaries include Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company Limited (AEEPCo), Aiteo Downstream and Aiteo Power.
As Executive Vice Chairman, Peters has been responsible for directing the company in terms of strategic development, policy formulation and execution.
“Our group’s vision is to create the most sustainable energy solutions to power growth on the African continent. By working together, we inspire people and communities across Africa to have a collective vision; Aiteo is showing its commitment to encouraging a transformed energy sector which creates health and wellness as well as resilient economic prosperity across its stakeholders. We have shown by our story that indigenous oil companies are competent enough to participate along with international oil majors in the exploration and development of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon resources, beyond the provisions of the 2010 local content act,” says Peters.
Aiteo has very strong ambitions still. It has already identified several existing and developing projects that could potentially grow its asset production to over 150,000bpd, with a vision to provide oil and gas consistently on a regional and global scale.
In the last one year, Aiteo has also made significant investments in sports development. In April 2017, the company announced a record N2.5 billion partnership agreement with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to pay the salaries of the Super Eagles’ coaching crew at N500 million per annum for the next five years. This social investment, which covers all the local and foreign components of the NFF’s financial obligations for the main team, earned the company the title ‘Official Optimum Partner of the NFF.’
This decision has made a two-pronged impact. It has put paid to the problem of delayed payments affecting the morale of our coaches and the Super Eagles’ performance, resulting in Nigeria’s qualification for the Russia 2018 World Cup.
“We are fulfilled that the Super Eagles have qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Nigerians are passionate about football and as a company, we are passionate about things which unite Nigerians. We are committed to ensuring that Nigeria’s national soccer teams are well managed and primed to bring glory to our nation at all tournaments,” said Benedict Peters after the Super Eagles’ much-celebrated qualification.
Acknowledging Aiteo’s support for the Super Eagles, NFF President Amaju Pinnick said: “Our teams are focused and show technical depth and excellence, thanks to AITEO’s financial intervention. The Nigerian soccer team is inspired, confident and relaxed that all bills are paid as opposed to the former times when players and coaches paid for their expenses themselves, all were dejected and most were hardly reimbursed.”
Amidst the euphoria, Aiteo did not neglect a key player on the national team whose contributions were interrupted by health challenges. It therefore committed to and redeemed a pledged to contribute N10 Million towards the treatment of Super Eagles goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme, for every goal scored by the Eagles against the indomitable Lions of Cameroon at the return leg in Yaounde. Ikeme was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in July, 2017.
As an indigenous oil company, Aiteo has also made significant contributions towards developing the local football league. In June 2017, the company announced another N2.5 billion agreement to underwrite the costs associated with organising the Federation Cup, Nigeria’s equivalent of the English FA Cup and which is the oldest football tournament in Nigeria. The contest, rechristened Aiteo Cup, had been struggling for sponsorship before Aiteo’s intervention. The 5-year package guarantees a monetary reward for the tournament’s best performing teams, with the winner of the men’s category guaranteed N25 million as prize money while their female counterparts will get N10 million for winning.
In October 2017, Aiteo also signed a partnership agreement with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to sponsor the Annual CAF Awards 2018, which honours footballers who have made outstanding contributions to the development of football development on the continent.
As a tribute to the company’s support for football development, international football governing body, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), extended a special invitation to Aiteo’s Deputy Managing Director Francis Peters to attend the recent FIFA Best Football Awards in London.
The company’s marks is outside sports, Aiteo is also committed to host community development. As such, it shares economic benefits with these communities by providing work opportunities, offering training programmes and supporting local businesses.
Aiteo has a clear vision for the future with the experience and assets crucial to providing oil and gas consistently on a regional and global scale. The company is currently developing a pipeline of power generation projects across the country with an ambitious five-year plan which includes transforming the oil-rich Niger Delta region into a power generation hub and ultimately tackling Nigeria’s power challenges through its legacy investments in the gas-to-power value chain. It is also working on developing a 24,000 MT LPG facility in the Delta with associated LPG distributing facilities nationwide.
Aiteo Power is developing a gas-to-power strategy by leveraging its power and upstream capabilities. It is utilizing the significant gas resources in OML 29 that would see the oil rich Niger Delta region become a hub for power generation in Nigeria. Aiteo Power is also a supporter of renewable, clean energy; developing multiple solar energy power projects within the sub-Sahara African region.
For its belief in Nigeria and significant investments in football and community development in the last one year, BusinessDay’s board of editors is pleased to name Aiteo ‘Company of the Year 2017’.


https://www.businessdayonline.com/aiteo-group-emerges-businessdays-company-year-2017/

The year 2018 will be starting on a high note as the best of African football home and abroad gather in Accra, Ghana for the first ever Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards to be sponsored by Nigerian energy giant, Aiteo Group.

African footballers have achieved a lot in local and foreign leagues in the past year, and it is only logical that they should be honoured on their continent. The Aiteo-CAF Award will have some defining moments- the coronation of the 2017 King and Queen of African football.

At a recent ceremony attended by CAF President, Ahmad Ahmad; Aiteo Group’s Senior Vice President, Commercial and Gas, Victor Okoronkwo; CAF First Vice President Kwesi Nyantakyi; CAF Executive Committee member, Amaju Pinnick, and Ghana’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah, the shortlist of the final three contending in the seven different categories for 2018 Aiteo-CAF awards was unveiled.

For African Player of the Year, the men in the running for the most coveted honour include Mohamed Salah, an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger for Liverpool and the Egyptian national team; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a French-born Gabonese professional footballer who plays for German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Gabon national team and Sadio Mane, a Senegalese who plays as a winger for Premier League club, Liverpool and the Senegal national team.

In the Women’s Player of the Year award category, Nigerian-born Asisat Oshoala, who plays for Chinese side Dalian Quanjian F.C. in the Chinese Women’s Super League as a forward, was selected alongside, South Africa’s Chrestina Kgatlana (UWC Ladies) and Cameroon’s Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene who plays for Russian club, CSKA Moscow.

Youth Player of the Year nominees include Krepin Diatta (Senegal & Sarpsborg), Patson Daka (Zambia & Liefering) and Salam Giddou (Mali & Guidars).

Nigerian Super Eagle’s coach, Gernot Rohr made the list of Coach of the Year award nominees, which he clearly deserves, for securing the 2018 Russia World Cup ticket for the Nigerian national team. Rohr is picked alongside the current manager of Egypt’s national team, Hector Cuper and L’Hussein Amoutta, a Moroccan former footballer and current coach of Wydad Casablanca Club in Morocco.

Club of the Year award nominees include Egypt’s Al Ahly, Congolese football club, TP Mazembe and Wydad Athletic Club, based in Cassablanca, Morocco.

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, the Pharaohs of Egypt and the Super Eagles of Nigeria are up for a keen contest for the National Team of the Year award.

Women’s National Team of the Year award category includes Ghana’s U-20 team, Nigeria’s U-20 and South Africa’s.

2018’s edition will be the 26th CAF award since inception. Football on the continent continues to grow, especially with interventions from companies like Aiteo Group.

Aiteo Group, which is also Official Optimum Partner of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and the sponsor of the country’s Federation Cup, which has now been renamed, “The Aiteo Cup” took the business of sports promotion up a notch by partnering with CAF.

Football is a popular game in Africa and time and time again it has proven to be a very good vehicle for integration. In an article on Huffington Post, the Executive Vice Chairman of Aiteo, Benedict Peters speaking on why he thinks football can play a huge role in uniting Africa said nothing galvanises different people, regardless of race, religion or language, more than football.

“If any of our children were to meet — one from Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Angola — toss them a football and you can guarantee that friendships, common ground, laughter and handshakes would emerge quickly. And if football is something that can unify our young people, why should we not also use it to unify across the differences of our continent?” He added.

Aiteo Group’s engagement with NFF is a five-year deal worth over N2.5billion and it has been described as one of the most important interventions in the resuscitation of sports in the country.

Aiteo is raising the standard of the game, and no doubt, the Aiteo-CAF award gala which is scheduled to hold on January 4, 2018, in Accra, Ghana, will be another platform to showcase that football matters to Africa and Africans, and talents deserve to be rewarded for making the continent proud.

http://www.todaysecho.com/aiteo-caf-awards-honouring-africas-football-stars/

A 32-year-old understanding boyfriend has revealed what it’s like to date one of the world’s biggest porn stars.

Mike Adkins has been dating Allie Haze, 30, for the last four years after being introduced by a mutual friend. Allie is the star of a string of famous adult-movies.

Despite Allie’s controversial day job, Mike says he wasn’t intimidated the first time they had sex. And, most surprisingly, he doesn’t feel jealous that Allie has sex with other men – and women – every day.

Mike, who lives with Allie in Las Vegas, said: “I didn’t feel intimidated having sex with a porn star. I really didn’t look at it that way. I just look at her as a person. But yeah, she is definitely the more adventurous of partners I’ve ever had.

It doesn’t bother me that she’s with other men as far as work. If it was something where she was just like, “I’m going out Friday night, going to hook up with some people, that would 100% bother me.

I mean, yeah, it’s a different job than being a receptionist or something, but at the end of the day you can’t base a relationship around each other’s career.”

Mike was unaware of Allie’s chosen career when they first met, and although it came as quite a shock, he admits that he found it ‘pretty cool’. He admits that he was nervous when he had to tell his mother about Allie’s profession not knowing how she would respond.

http://www.todaysecho.com/girlfriend-world-famous-porn-star-dont-mind-man/

Popular actor Jim Iyke was spotted at Petrolex mega oil city, Ibefun yesterday.

The actor posted a photo on Instagram with the caption below:

” At IBEFUN for the launch of #PETROLEX 300 MILLION LITRE TANK FARM AND MEGA OIL CITY.
WITH @mikewondercode. This dude been with me from day one!
WITH GM PPPRA. MR O. O. AGBAJE AND MICHAEL NWONU HEAD LZO PPPRA AND @ogadave
Our company table #CARGOLIS; C.O.O DR DAN AND ED MR UMAR AND HEAD PR CONSULT/ SPOKESPERSON MR J.I”