FULL NAME:          Annie Macaulay Idibia
DATE OF BIRTH:   13 November 1984
OCCUPATION:       Actress,model and presenter
MARITAL STATUS:  Married

 INTRODUCTION 
Annie Macaulay Idibia  is a popular Nigerian, model, presenter and actress, she has earned herself quite some huge fan base because of the things she does. Annie started acting in 2009 and today she's an A-list actress in the movie Industry. Annie is also the wife of the famous Nigerian musician 2baba.




EARLY LIFE AND BACKGROUND 

Annie Idibia was born in Ibadan. She’s from Eket, Akwa Ibom state. She is also from a family of four children; three brothers and herself. Her mum and dad divorced  many years ago.

She lived in Ibadan with her parents, her father was working with Mobil and my mother was a house wife. She remained a house wife until they divorced. She was born with a silver spoon but she didn’t grow up with it because their father left them.
After her parents divorced, her mother got a job with Mobil working as a cook to support the family. Thereafter, they moved to Jakande Estate, Lekki, Lagos and later moved to Thomas Estate, also on the Island. After the entire struggle, God blessed them tremendously and now her eldest brother is married, the second one too is married and lives in Atlanta but her younger brother died of tuberculosis at 15.

She started working immediately after she graduated from secondary school at age 15. She worked as a sales girl in a boutique and two other places before she got admission to study.
She also worked part time as an undergraduate of Computer Science at the Lagos State University when she was 18-years-old. Thereafter, she got admission into the University of Lagos where she bagged a degree in Theatre Arts.

Annie revealed; everything that happened made her stronger and independent as a woman. As the only girl, her mother taught her to do domestic chores. Today she is married and she has domestic staffs but she still cooks and does house chores.
She was almost a tom boy while growing up because of her brothers. Her major heartbreak was when her parents divorced. It affected her so much while she was in secondary school but her mum tried her best to make life meaningful for them.
She assisted her mother in her shop which was very close to their house after school. She was also working to make ends meet.
She has however reconciled with her father after much pressure from her mum to forgive and forget regardless of the past. Now they all have a good relationship with their father.

CAREER AND LIFE 


Prior to the start of Annie Macaulay–Idibia's acting career, she competed at the "Queen of All Nations Beauty Pageant" where she placed runner-up and she also went on feature in a cameo appearance on the music video of 2face Idibia's "African Queen" song.
Her Nollywood career came to limelight for her role in the movies titled Pleasure and Crime and Blackberry Babes.Annie Macaulay–Idibia is married to 2face Idibia with whom she has two children. She also owns a beauty salon in Atlanta called "BeOlive Hair Studio".


AWARDS AND ENDORSEMENTS 
Annie Idibia Won The African Entertainment Legend Award For Fast Rising Actress in 2016

NO POPULAR ENDORSEMENTS

CONTROVERSIES
She has not been involved in much controversies

Annie and family

Annie model

SOURCES: uncova.com, citizentv.co.ke, wikipedia.org

Hello readers, Inside this post you will find trending entertainment news in Nigeria this morning, majorly the new buzzes in the Nigerian entertainment world, gossips and celebrities lifestyle. You a fan of that??
Well, you should know we update this page twice daily; morning,and evening.
DO WELL TO CHECK BACK LATER TODAY FOR EVENING UPDATE OF ENTERTAINMENT NEWS INSIDE THIS POST..


TOP ENTERTAINMENT NEWS IN NIGERIA TODAY(MORNING EDITION)




CHECKOUT OUT TODAY'S TOP NEWS:

=>RnB Star Brian Mcknight arrives Nigeria for 3rd edition of Butterscotch Evenings -Pulse.ng

The 16-time Grammy Awards nominee was spotted at the the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos some hours ago.
McKnight is a 16-time Grammy Award Nominee and Multiple Platinum selling American singer and multi-instrumentalist.
The event which was scheduled to hold on December 23, 2015, had been postponed, causing the multi-platinum singer to postpone his arrival as well.
SOURCE


=>Reekado Banks reveals relationship with Lil Kesh, says they are not close -HipHopWorld
Mavin Record singer Reekado Banks has touched on his relationship with YBNL star Lil Kesh in the wake of various speculations surrounding both record labels.
According to the Afro Pop singer, he was not exactly close to the the Efejoku rapper.
He revealed this in an exclusive chat with Hip TV recently saying they talk on phone every now and then but are not the best of friends.
The Katapult singer also stated that despite the Headies drama, nothing has changed between him and Kesh in recent times.
He said: “We weren’t the closest of friends like close, close, close. It wasn’t like we talked everyday but we talked once in a while. He called me once in a while. I called him once in a while. And same as now, it still happens that way. There’s nothing really that has changed.”
READ FULL NEWS


 => OAP Toolz, Tunde Demuren hold traditional wedding today
-TheNation
     
SOURCE

»  Yemi Alade, Iyanya, Olamide, Tekno & Selebobo converge for Mama Oyoyo music video - Linda Ikeji
 
Lovers of the emotive ‘mama oyoyo’ collaboration by Top Nigerian Music Artists --- Iyanya, Yemi Alade, Tekno, Olamide and Selebobo which was facilitated by Premium Music are in for a treat as the artistes took time out their busy schedules to once again come together for the production of a video for this song which is a salute to mothers everywhere.READ FULL NEWS 

 =>Rapper Wale is in Nigeria! Linda Ikeji




He announced his arrival in Nigeria yesterday on his social media pages.


 =>Wizkid’s Management Releases Official Statement About His New Baby - Leadership

Wizkid has welcomed another son with Guinean-born, US-based Binta Diamond Diallo. Someone close to the video vixen revealed this details but when someone from Wizkid’s camp was contacted, they refused to either deny or confirm it; saying; “Wizkid hasn’t confirmed any news about him having another child. We know he’s single and he’ll be releasing his EP next month.”
When I asked about Tania Omotayo in all the drama, they kinda hinted that the two may have been ‘on a break’ when the baby with Diamond was conceived.
“Tania broke up with Wiz a while ago but both parties agreed to be friendly towards each other. Nonetheless, she kept her distance from him and missed a lot of his events and performances over the Christmas holidays. She went on vacation with her friends in Dubai during his industry night event. Wizkid was probably trying to win her back when he tweeted “T baby forever” sometime ago, perhaps he was trying to work things out.”
READ FULL NEWS


CHECK BACK LATER TODAY FOR EVENING UPDATE!

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Doyinsola

In case you don't know who Doyinsola is; she is a songstress who came into the music scene in 2015 after making her hit song "BAMIDELE". The song is quite a popular jam on many Nigerian radio stations, the song is a romantic Afropop song, you will definitely dance listening to this awesome song and the music video is sure a great one too with an interesting storyline.
You will find a link to download the song on MTNMusicPlus  down below this post and the video embedded alongside.
Doyinsola talked more about herself and her music with T.I.N Magazine in the brief interview you are going to be reading below.

bamidele pic

Hello Doyinsola, this is Apata Bayode interviewing you from T.I.N Magazine.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US YOUR FULL NAME?

My name is Doyinsola Olatunji‎

WHAT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND?

I have 3 brothers, one of them is the popular nollywood actor Damola Olatunji, and Hon Tunde Olatunji of the Osun State House of Assembly. I graduated from Bowen University, Iwo. Studied economics

WHERE DO YOU HAIL FROM AND WHERE ARE YOU BASED?

I am from Edun Abon, (Edunbong City) Osogbo, Osun state. Edunbong is the nickname we gave my town

WHEN DID YOU START MUSIC OFFICIALLY AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU?

I first featured in Star Quest in 2007. Went back to school and and came back officially in June 2015. I have been singing since I was 7 years old. My brother inspired me as I saw him pursue he's dream and he told me I can make it.

ARE YOU SIGNED TO ANY RECORD LABEL AT THE MOMENT?

I am not under a Record Label right now, but I am managed by 23/25 Entertainment.

THE SONG "BAMIDELE" SEEMS TO BE YOUR BIGGEST SONG EVER, WHAT BROUGHT IT UP?

Well, I was just vibing in the studio with my producer Teemode and the idea just kinda flowed. I wanted a different scenario instead of the guy toasting a girl, why not the girl doing it? It was fun making that track.‎

DO YOU HAVE SONGS YOU'VE RELEASED BEFORE OR AFTER "BAMIDELE"?

‎I have many other songs recorded, but I have only released Bamidele. That's my first official single.

THE SONG HAS QUITE SOME RADIO POPULARITY AND LESS SOCIAL MEDIA POPULARITY WHY?

‎We all have different strategies to explore. We are available on social media. We also need to promote it on Radio and TV so, the traction. We get is what we follow up more. I want to use this medium to thank all the Stations playing Bamidele.thabjs for supporting my dream.

THE SONG IS NOT MUCH OF A HIT SONG EVEN THOUGH IT IS A GREAT SONG, DID YOU NOT PROMOTE IT WELL?

I am happy you said it's a great song, if you do music, you will know it's not easy at all and if you have a great song, it opens you up for a hit song. You're looking for a hit abi, don't worry I am bringing a train to jam you soon. *laughs*

ANY PLANS ON REMIXING THE SONG WITH AN A-LIST ARTIST?

We are currently in talks with some artistes, we need to get it right and not just put any artiste for the sake of it. You might get a Bamidele remix soon.


THE SONG'S VIDEO WAS RELEASED RECENTLY, HOW EASY WAS THAT?

I had fun shooting the video because it was shot in my city, Osogbo. The logistics wasn't exactly easy Cus it wasn't in Lagos, but I had the best crew working on the video. Deji Kale shot it, and he was amazing. ‎

CAN YOU MENTION A FEW SHOWS, EVENTS YOU'VE PERFORMED AT?

My favourite was the Glo Lafta Fest in Ikeja. The biggest was the Star Trek in Lagos. I also performed at the One Lagos Fiesta. We don try.


ANY AWARD NOMINATIONS?

Yes. I just won the Best Song Recording at the Top Naija Music Awards. That's the first and hopefully more will as soon as possible.


SO, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2016, SHOULD WE EXPECT MORE GOOD MUSIC?

I have 2 new singles ready for release. 2016 is my fear don't fret.


ANY MESSAGE FOR YOUR FANS OUT THERE?

Your girl Doyinsola thanks you all for your immense support this short while. Promise to make you proud in the year 2016. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter on @dyhonnie

Thanks for your time Doyinsola. We hope to have another interesting chat with you in the nearest future.

Click here to download song on MusicPlus
If you can't afford buying the song on musicplus do well to search on Google for a free download. In the meantime you can stream the music video below:



Contact T.I.N Magazine for interview requests and events coverage via our email: tmtnonline@gmail.com

Hello readers, Inside this post you will find trending important news in Nigeria this morning, you will find news that are of concern to Politics,Economics,Locals and more... We update this page three times daily morning,afternoon and night.


TOP NEWS IN NIGERIA TODAY(EVENING EDITION)


=>Why Supreme Court sacked Stella Oduah, others - PremiumTimes

Reports have emerged that the decision of the Supreme Court to sack Senators Stella Oduah and Andy Ubah representing Anambra central and Anambra south respectively was based on an appeal by a faction of the PDP in Anambra State led by Ejike Oguebego, Premium Times reports.
The two senators who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were earlier declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the senatorial election last year but the Supreme Court annulled their election in a ruling delivered on Friday, January 29.
 
The court ordered that Chris Ubah from Anambra South and Annie Okonkwo from Anambra Central should replace the ousted senators. Uche Ekwunife, the third senator from the state also from the PDP had earlier been removed by the court of appeal. PDP members of House of Representatives from Anambra state were also sacked.
READ FULL NEWS....

=> 10 Killed In Bauchi Suicide Attack -TheNation

At least people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up on Friday at a busy market in a town in Bauchi where the Boko Haram group is waging an insurgency, residents and a Red Cross official told Reuters.
Boko Haram has been waging an almost seven-year campaign in Nigeria’s remote north to build an Islamic state. Thousands have been killed and more than two million people displaced by the campaign.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attack bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, which has been using suicide bombers since the army, helped by neighbours Chad and Cameroon, expelled the group from territory it had captured previously
READ FULL NEWS


 => Mystery: You need to see the baby this woman delivered after being pregnant for 4years (photo)-TheNation

A 33-year-old woman identified as Oluwabunmi Ogidan was delivered of a baby on Wednesday, January 27 after reportedly being pregnant for four years.
The town of Ikugbomire in Obafemi Owode local government area, Ogun state became a sort of Mecca as people trooped to Alayo Vantage Hospital from far and near for a glimpse of the miracle baby, The Nation reports.
She had gotten married to her husband, Bankole Ogidan on August 27, 2011 and in 2013, there were signs that she was pregnant.
Narrating what happened, her husband said: “We went for pregnancy test and it was confirmed positive. A few days after, my wife complained that she was feeling pains in her womb. We went to a midwife who told us that the pain was not a problem; that the pregnancy was intact. I was not satisfied, so I took her to another hospital (name withheld) where we did a scan but the doctor said he didn’t see any pregnancy. The doctor said there had been a miscarriage. I asked him that shouldn’t there be an outflow of blood if she had a miscarriage? The doctor said yes. I told him that we had not witnessed anything like that and he was shocked.”
READ FULL NEWS

» EFCC Traces N4.8bn To Obanikoro’s Children Accounts- Dailypost

Messr Babajide and Gbolahan Obanikoro, two sons of former Minister of state for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, may soon be arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
This indication follows a disclosure that N4,745,000,000.00 was traced to a company the duo have interest in, Sylvan McNamara Limited.
According to Vanguard, the money was allegedly paid in several tranches into the company’s account number: 0026223714 with Diamond bank from the Office of the National Security Adviser account with the CBN.
READ FULL NEWS 


 =>Four confirmed dead as boat capsises in Lagos -Punch

Four people have died after a commercial boat taking them to Lekki area of Lagos capsised in the Badore.
The boat was on the way to Lekki from Ijede in Ikorodu when it capsised.
The Spokesperson, South-West Zone, National Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Farinloye, said it had been initially thought that six people had died in the accident, but two of them survived.
That brings the survivors to 13 as 11 the passengers were rescued earlier.
It, however, remains unclear how many passengers were aboard the boat.
Five people had died in September 2015 when a boat carrying 20 people capsised in the Bayeku-Igbogbo area of Ikorodu.
SOURCE

 =>President Buhari must probe our VC, OAU students lament - Punch

Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun state, have tasked President Muhammadu Buhari with the responsibility of probing their Vice Chancellor, Professor Bamitale Omole.
This message was passed to the president through Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s minister of Information and Culture, during a recent visit to the institution to deliver a lecture titled ‘Nexus between corruption and underdevelopment of Nigeria’.
The Punch reports that the students in their hundreds, also told the minister that they were tired of the indecent hostels which they have been sleeping in for years, asking the federal government to do something about it.
READ FULL NEWS

=>First photos of Tunde Demuren at his traditional wedding to Toolz today- Linda Ikeji

Tunde Demuren and his friends all dressed up at his Traditional wedding today. We await photos of the Bride - Tolu Oniru.

SOURCE

=> N60bn health fund missing - NMA faults 2016 budget
- DailyTrust

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has expressed shock that N60 billion, equivalent of 1% of consolidated revenue guaranteed by the National Health Act to fund basic health is missing from the 2016 budget, Daily Trust reports.
In a statement a Friday, January 29, president of the NMA, Dr Kayode Obembe said President Muhammadu Buhari’s N6.08 trillion budget only provides N1, 448 per capita health spending, lower than the N1, 546 per capita spending in 2015, compared with a recommendation of N6, 908 by the World Health Organisation.
Obembe stated that it was a sharp departure from the prescribed 15% of the national budget for health made in 2001 in a meeting of African Heads of States and Government which Nigeria hosted in Abuja.
He noted that the 3.65% allocation for health in the 2016 budget would “never encourage the advancement of universal health coverage which is the only panacea towards improving availability, access, quality and efficiency of the health services to reduce the disparaging health indices which continue to malign the image of our country in the comity of nations.”
READ FULL NEWS....

=> Boko Haram terrorists now disguise as mad people – DHQ-Naij.com

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has warned Nigerians that Boko Haram terrorists are now using a new tactic in launching successful suicide bombings in the country.
According to a statement made by Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, the DHQ spokesperson, on Saturday, January 30, the militants have now switched to disguising as mad people to infiltrate locations.
“It has come to the notice of the Defence Headquarters that Boko Haram, in their desperation to cause colossal havoc, have now devised a new method where they dress like mad persons to gain unsuspecting access to public areas to detonate bombs.
“The two male suicide bombers, dressed like mad women and carried out suicide bomb attack in Gombi, Adamawa State, is instructive in this direction. Five people lost their lives and several others were wounded in the heinous attack by these ungodly people.
READ FULL NEWS....


TOP NEWS IN NIGERIA TODAY(MORNING EDITION)


CHECKOUT OUT TODAY'S TOP NEWS:

=>I Respect Obasanjo But He Introduced Bribery To The National Assembly Says Dino Melaye-Thecable

Anambra Senator and Former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, has debunked reports that the Supreme Court has nullified her election into the Senate.
There had been reports earlier on Friday that the Supreme Court had sacked two Senators from Anambra State, Stella Oduah and Andy Uba, nearly two months after a third Senator from the state, Uche Ekwunife, was sacked.
This was following the Supreme Court ruling which re-affirmed the chairmanship of Ejike Oguebego as the authentic State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State.
The Supreme Court also declared the list of candidates submitted by the Ken Emekayi-faction illegal.
But in an interview with Channels Television to clarify the implication of the judgement on her election into the Senate, Oduah said, “In all its entirety, it is false..
READ FULL NEWS....

=> EFCC Closes In On Ex-Nigerian Defense Minister Obanikoro & Two Sons Over N4.8B -Saharareporters

SaharaReporters has exclusively learned that two sons of Nigeria’s former Minister of State for Defense, Musiliu Obanikoro, are currently on the radar of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over a massive amount of monies transferred to their accounts from funds budgeted for the procurement of weapons and other equipment for the country’s military. Two sources at the anti-graft agency told a correspondent of SaharaReporters that the EFCC had traced N4.745 billion to the bank account of Sylvan McNamara Limited, a company in which the former minister’s two sons, Ibrahim Babajide and Gbolahan Olatunde Obanikoro, have major interest.
Our sources disclosed that the funds were paid in several tranches into the company’s account number 0026223714 with Diamond Bank. The sources added that the funds were paid from an account maintained by the Office of the National Security Adviser at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
READ FULL NEWS


 => Biafrans across Europe storm EU parliament (photos/video)- Naij.com
 
Members of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) across Europe, on Thursday, January 28 stormed Brussels, the capital of Belgium (the headquarters of the European Union parliament) venue for the European Union summit to protest the illegal detention of their leader and director of radio Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The Biafra Times reports that the members came from Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain, Austria, Ukraine, Ireland, England, Sweden, Kosovo, Switzerland, Finland, Greece, Hungary and other countries in Europe.
The IPOB in Europe assembled in Brussels, Belgium in-front of the European Union headquarters where President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to address the parliament.

READ FULL NEWS

»  Lai Mohammed says N273.9bn looted from pension funds - Punch
Nigeria’s federal government has yet again revealed that government officials looted N273.9bn from pension funds between 2005 and 2011.
Revealing this, the minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who spoke while delivering his note as the guest lecture of the faculty of arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife, on Friday also listed other corruption cases in the country.
N1.9bn Special Intervention Ebola Fund Scandal; the Police Equipment Funds scandal in which about N774m was diverted; the Dasukigate that has so far revealed that 21 individuals benefitted from the scam to a tune of 54bn; the pension scam, in which top government officials in charge of pension funds in the country looted about N273.9bn from 2005 to 2011 and the fuel subsidy scam, in which Nigeria spent N2.587trn on fuel subsidy in 2011, 900 per cent more than the N245bn that was appropriated for that purpose.
READ FULL NEWS 


 =>PDP has since overcome defeat trauma - Metuh Speaks After Release -Naij.com

The national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh says the party has since overcome the initial trauma that accompanied the electoral setback of the 2015 general elections, and is now poised to regain power at the center in 2019.
The PDP spokesman’s view was contained in his opening remark at a meeting of the party’s publicity directorate with some visiting parliamentarians from the United Kingdom, led by Rt. Hon. Mark Field, member of Parliament and Chairman of International Office of the Conservative Party, and Colin Bloom, director of outreach-BCP in Abuja on Friday.
READ FULL NEWS....

 =>Arms scam: EFCC operative arrested for collecting N45m bribe -TheNation
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested one of its operatives, Abdulrahman Mohammed Biu, who is a Deputy Detective Superintendent for allegedly collecting $150,000 (about N45 million) from some military officers currently under investigation for their involvement in the arms procurement scam.
He promised to give the unnamed seven military officers soft landing to escape probe in the $2.1billion arms scandal.
A statement issued by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren,  said documents relating to the ongoing arms scandal investigation were recovered from the suspect.
The statement said: “An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrahman Mohammed Biu, a Deputy Detective Superintendent, (DDS) has been arrested for offences bordering on extortion, influence peddling and impersonation.
READ FULL NEWS

=>JAMB closes forms’ sale on Friday, approves more CBT centres - Vanguard
The embattled National Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, has regained his freedom. Metuh is facing trial over alleged N400 million fraud.
Metuh, was arrested by four operatives of the anti-graft agency from his Abuja home on January 5.
Metuh and his firm, Destra Investment Limited, were charged before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court over alleged N400 million fraud.
The charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/05/2016, was signed by the Assistant Director, Legal & Prosecution Department of the EFCC, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir.
READ FULL NEWS....

=>Another Delta Monarch Kidnapped- Sahara Reporters

Unidentified gunmen kidnapped the traditional ruler of the Olomoro community, HRM Josiah Umukoro Agbaza 11, on Friday in the Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State. This abduction comes less than two weeks after the death of the traditional ruler Ubulu-Uku Kingdom in Delta state, Obi Akaeze Ofulue III, whose decomposed body was found after being kidnapped by Fulani herdsmen.
At the time of publication many details of monarch's abduction are unknown. Sources confirmed the story to SaharaReporters saying that the traditional ruler was kidnapped from Olomoro's office at about 8:00am on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Delta State House representative from Isoko South Constituency II, Mr. Johnson Erijo, condemned this abduction in strong terms.
READ FULL NEWS....

=>Biafra: Dutch Lawyers File Complaint Against Buhari At The Hague - Reuters

The pro-Biafran activist group led by the imprisoned Nnamdi Kanu has filed a complaint against Muhammadu Buhari in The Hague, accusing the Nigerian president of war crimes.
Thousands of people in southeast Nigeria have demonstrated in recent months, demanding independence for Biafra. Kanu, the leader of one of the most prominent activist groups—the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)—was arrested by Nigerian security forces in October 2015 on charges of ethnic incitement and sedition. He remains in detention and was refused bail by a federal high court in the capital Abuja on Friday.
Goran Sluiter, a lawyer at Dutch human rights legal firm Prakken d’Oliveira, filed the complaint with the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Friday. Sluiter tells Newsweek that there has been “an intensification of violence and crimes committed against Biafrans since Mr Buhari became the Nigerian president.”READ FULL NEWS....

=> Pastor with stolen car says it's God's blessng - Punch


A pastor, Titus Onwuchekwa who was arrested by the police for being in possession of a stolen car claimed he thought God had brought him a blessing.
The Punch reports that he 32 year old pastor who came from Umuahia, Abia state was paraded alongside Felix Osas who sold the vehicle to the pastor and an accomplice, Ndibe Samuel.
The notorious car thieves reportedly sold a Mitsubishi Pajero worth about N2 million to the pastor for a mere N350,000 and the unsuspecting latter claimed he thought the give-away price was a blessing from God.
Onwuchekwa said he had come to Lagos to attend a Christian programme when he sighted the 2005 Mitsubishi Pajero in Alaba area of Ojo, Lagos and he dialled the number of the seller pasted on the car.
READ FULL NEWS

=> Bird flu in 18 states, affects 2.5 million chickens - Punch



CHECK BACK LATER TODAY FOR AFTERNOON AND EVENING UPDATE!

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FULL NAME:       Jim Ovia
DATE OF BIRTH:  November 4, 1951
OCCUPATION:     Bussinessman
NET WORTH:     $850million(2015)
MARITAL STATUS:  Married







INTRODUCTION 
Jim Ovia is a Nigerian billionaire businessman who founded Zenith Bank in 1990. After gaining degrees at both Southern University and University of Louisiana at Monroe, he attended Harvard Business School. He was rated among the top 10 richest in Nigeria 2015.


EARLY LIFE AND BACKGROUND 

Born November 4, 1951 at Agbor, Delta State, Jim Ovia attended Southern University Louisiana, where he obtained a B.Sc in Business Administration in 1977 and North East Louisiana University, where he obtained a Masters Degree in Business Administration in 1979, both in United States of America. He is also an Alumnus of Harvard Business School (Executive Management Program).

He serves as the Pioneer President of Nigeria Internet group (NIG). He has over 23 years of Bank experience. He was a Co-Founder of Zenith Bank plc and served as its Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer from 1990 to July 10, 2010. He joined IMB as a Financial Analyst in 1980 and moved to the management centre in 1987. He headed the Corporate Finance department of Merchant Bank of Africa from 1987 to 1990. His interest in computers was picked in 1977 when he worked as a part-time Computer Operator at Baton Rouge & Trust Company, Louisiana. Mr. Ovia has been the Chairman of the Board and Non Executive Director of Zenith Bank plc since June 16, 2014 and June 12, 2014 respectively. He serves as the Chairman of Quantum Luxury Properties Limited. He serves as a Director of Africa Finance Corporation. He served as a Director of Zenith Bank Plc., until July 31, 2010. He served as a Director at Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc. He is a motivational Speaker and an avid ICT person. He is a holder the Member of the Order of Federal Republic (MFR). He holds a B.Sc. degree in Business Administration from the Southern University, Louisiana, U.S.A. (1977), a Masters degree in Business Administration from University of Louisiana, USA. in 1979, and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School "OPM", Boston, U.S.A.

Speaking On How Things Were When They Started ZENITH Bank:
“When we started Zenith in 1990, it was extremely difficult as the necessary resources and infrastructure to do business, particularly banking, were not in place. There were no ATMs, no mobile phones and ICT was a rarely known concept in the business space,” he says.
“When, in 1990, banking licenses were being issued, indigenous private individuals were being offered the opportunity to set up financial institutions, Prior to that, you either needed to be a foreign global financial institution, or a federal or state government institution, to own or set up a bank in Nigeria. Businesses and entrepreneurs could not possibly get these licenses because of the prerequisites attached. It was perceived then, that Nigeria did not have the technical expertise to run or manage banks.”

It is an intuition that has driven Ovia through life as an entrepreneur. Choices came early for the young Ovia, who grew up one of many children in a large family in Akbor in Nigeria’s Delta State. As a young man, Ovia pondered what to study. He was encouraged by his uncles, who had run successful businesses, to pursue a qualification in business administration. To this day, for most Nigerian families, business administration, alongside medicine, law, accounting and engineering are the keys to success. Ovia went for it and enrolled for a degree in business administration at Southern University, Louisiana, in the States.

“It so happened that halfway through my studies, my keen interest in computer science and information technology was heightened… I couldn’t help it and decided to incorporate computer science into my program. One of my uncles advised me against this, as he reckoned that it was an immature industry at that point. Business administration was the way forward,” he says.
Ovia carried on regardless of avuncular warnings.
“Like any young man, I was full of hopes… (there were) tremendous opportunities in the future. It wasn’t so much what you studied but what you did with the knowledge that mattered.” He says.



CAREER AND LIFE 

Needless to say, Jim Ovia co-founded Zenith Bank Plc in 1990 from which he retired as pioneer Group Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer in 2010 after two decades of laudable leadership which positioned the bank as one of the largest and most profitable banks in Africa. As an accomplished banker with over three decades of experience, he introduced a great deal of innovations into the Nigerian banking industry. CEO Jim Ovia built the bank from the ground up, gaining widespread recognition from colleagues and competitors alike. He oversaw its expansion in Nigeria and beyond, setting up branches in Sierra Leona, Ghana, South Africa, the Gambia and the United Kingdom. In July 2004, Jim Ovia successfully orchestrated the initial public offering of Zenith Bank Plc. on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The same year, Zenith Bank Plc. earned a strong, long-term credit score of AA- from Fitch Ratings.Needless to say, Jim Ovia co-founded Zenith Bank Plc in 1990 from which he retired as pioneer Group Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer in 2010 after two decades of laudable leadership which positioned the bank as one of the largest and most profitable banks in Africa. As an accomplished banker with over three decades of experience, he introduced a great deal of innovations into the Nigerian banking industry. CEO Jim Ovia built the bank from the ground up, gaining widespread recognition from colleagues and competitors alike. He oversaw its expansion in Nigeria and beyond, setting up branches in Sierra Leona, Ghana, South Africa, the Gambia and the United Kingdom. In July 2004, Jim Ovia successfully orchestrated the initial public offering of Zenith Bank Plc. on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The same year, Zenith Bank Plc. earned a strong, long-term credit score of AA- from Fitch Ratings.


So there we have it; Jim Ovia is on top of his game! When one door closes, look down the corridor-several others might be swinging wide open!

Jim and wife with Cosmos Maduka

SOURCES: bloomberg.com, sunnewsonline.com, konnectafrica.net

Hello readers, Inside this post you will find trending important news in Nigeria this morning, you will find news that are of concern to Politics,Entertainment Economics,Locals and more... We update this page twice daily; morning and evening. CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR MORNING NEWS...




TOP NEWS IN NIGERIA TODAY(EVENING EDITION)

CHECKOUT OUT TODAY'S TOP NEWS:

=> Boko Haram kills up to 100 in Borno - Punch

More than 100 people were killed by Boko Haram terrorists in a deadly attack on Dalori village in Borno state. According to the Nigerian army, the insurgents used different ways to kill the innocent indigenes of the small village.
The army stated that the “insurgents came in two Golf cars, motorcycles, started opening fire and burning houses,” on the night of Saturday, January 30.
In the afternoon of today Sunday, January 31, the military added that it was not just a direct attack on the people that the Boko Haram members used, that they also deployed 3 different suicide bombers to blow themselves up before the residents could escape.
Premium Times learnt that the terrorists were on rampage for almost 4 hours in which as many as 100 of the innocent residents were killed. Information also had it that 35 dead bodies were initially brought to the Maiduguri Specialists Hospital, while another 70 were later deposited to become 105 dead bodies.
READ FULL NEWS....
=>Nigerian Professor Wins $100,000 AU Award - DailyTrust


A Nigerian, Professor Umezurika Opata, yesterday emerged winner of the African Union Kwame Nkrumah Continental Scientific Award in the field of Life and Earth Science.
The $100,000 award was conferred on Opara during the 26th Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government
held at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
South African Professor Tenello Nyokong equally got the $100,000 award in the field of Basic Science Technology and Innovation.
The ceremony was moderated by the AU Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology Martial De Paul Ikounga, who explained that the Kwame Nkrumah Continental Scientific Awards was awarded at three levels - national, regional and continental--to honour African men and women in science who distinguished themselves by their contributions to African development through their work in the field of research and training.READ FULL NEWS


 =>Shiite-Army-Clash: Amina Shot In Her Private Part - Vanguard

                       
In the aftermath of the bloody clash between members of the Shiite sect and the military recently, Ben Agande who has been following the development, travelled to Zaria and captured the mood of some of the injured members of the sect still on admission at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital.
For Mohammed Abdulkareem, a Senior Secondary School 3 student, life as he had known it in the last fourteen years will never be the same again. He was shot multiple times as he backed off from the Shiite headquarters when the Nigerian army invaded the place to drive out members of the sect who had earlier barricaded the Zaria-Sokoto road and prevented the chief of army staff from passing through. He sustained gun shots to his leg which left him with a fractured femur. The gun shot to his back exited though his abdomen leaving a large wound that was encased in a huge plastic when Vanguard visited him on his hospital bed at the Ahmadu Bello University Hospital.
READ FULL NEWS

» ‘Give us Kanu or we’ll blow up a ship and kill the crew’ – Biafra ex-militants - Naij.com


A group of supposedly former militants has hijacked a ship off the Bakassi Peninsula coastline and threatened to blow it up along with its foreign crew if the detained Director of Radio Biafra and Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu is not released.
The group of hijackers has given the federal government a 31-day ultimatum to release Kanu or deal with a destroyed ship and murdered crew.
The militants said they enjoy the support of local residents and of pro-Biafra agitators in the area.
The group’s spokesman, identified only as General Ben, even said the militants might not wait for the expiration of the 31-day ultimatum to carry out their murderous threat.
“We cannot wait till the end of the 31 days to tell the federal government that we are serious. The vessel and the crew are in our custody.
“Any noise, any delay from government, we will blow up everything. We will blow the vessel and everybody in the vessel will go down,” the so-called general said.
READ FULL NEWS 


 =>Father Mbaka Moved To A New Parish As Assistant Parish Priest- Sunnews

Prince Eze Madumere is the Deputy Governor of Imo State. Before his election as Deputy Governor, he has been Chief of Staff to Owelle Rochas Okorocha. In this interview, Madumere refutes reports that Imo State Government owes civil servants arrears of salaries. He also votes for an indivisible Nigeria, Sam Egburonu reports
Where is widespread belief that Imo State Government still owes civil servants several months despite the bailout from the Federal Government. Was the bailout for clearing of outstanding salaries not enough or as some state governments, like Ekiti State are saying, there was no bailout in the first place but quarterly allocation to the state?
Imo State government owes no salaries. His Excellency, the Governor of Imo State before December approved the arrears of salaries of MDAs, including parastatals and even paid December salaries in advance. So, whosoever that is still discussing non-payment of salaries does so in bad faith.
READ FULL NEWS....

 =>Man accuses Nigerian Senator of infecting his ex-wife with HIV (photos) - Naij.com

When Ekenulo’s ex-wife died, he took to his Facebook page to write an open letter to the Senator. Read thge content of the open letter below:
”OPEN LETTER TO ROGUE SENATOR HOPE UZODINMA BY NZE, EBUBEAGU G. EKENULO ..THE END OF UKACHI. Dec 19,2015.
This is to inform you that Chief, lolo, Ezinne, Mrs Ukachi EKENULO AKA HON UKACHI AMAECHI Whom you infected with HIV VIRUS, deceived her out of her marriage, with fake promise to marry her is DEAD; isn’t her blood on your head?
How do you feel that in the recent years, 2 married women and one other single girl you were meddling with and dating, have died of illnesses arising from HIV complications??
Recall the suit I filed against you in federal high court Lagos sometime ago on this vexed issue of infecting ukachi with HIV VIRUS which I didn’t pursue further following the intervention of certain common friends of ours but with the demise of ukachi arising from HIV/ AIDS and kidney complications I may have to return to court , if not for any other thing, for the world to know how ukachi’s journey to death , a wicked death ,a shameful death, a premature and painful death started in your hands.

READ FULL NEWS

=> I control over N200 bn but can’t build a house, CBN director laments -Vanguard
ABUJA – A director with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Alhaji Muhammadu Kabiru Nuhu-Koko,has attributed the slow pace of the country’s economic growth to unwillingness of Nigerians to dump selfish desires for national interest. This came as he regretted that a large number of Nigerians were splashing huge sums of money on the Ghanaian economy, in their bid to seek western knowledge at the detriment of the growth of their country.
Nuhu-Koko, who said until there was a drastic change of attitudes, the country’s quest to find itself among the top 20 economies of the world remain a mere dream, said discipline instilled on him by the nation’s apex bank had made him not to live outside his income.
Alhaji Nuhu-Koko, who is the Head, Project Planning and Implementation Division of the CBN, said he was in control of over N200 billion in his departmental budget but can’t boast of not only N20 million in his account but also a house of his own.
READ FULL NEWS....
=>Arms Scandal: EFCC set to probe 16 military officers -Nigerianeye

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will this week interrogate at least 16 military officers as part of its investigations into $2.1bn arms scandal.
It was learnt on Saturday that among those to be quizzed were the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.) and a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal MD Umar (retd.).

It was also gathered that a former Director of Production and the Defence Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal O. T. Oguntoyinbo would be quizzed too.
Another source said that invitations would be sent to those concerned early in the week and they would be required to appear before the commission on or before Friday.
Findings showed that the officers were in the second batch of military officers that would be interrogated by the anti-graft agency.
It was gathered that the EFCC would investigate more military personnel recommended for probe by a presidential panel on arms probe.
READ FULL NEWS...

ENTERTAINMENT

=>IcePrince Loved Up With Ronke Tiamiyu, Another Woman In New Photos

The lady is named Ronke Tiamiyu. Has Ice Prince finally moved on from his cheating girlfriend Maima?  

SOURCE

=>Wale Responds To Fans Calling Olamide A Homosexual For Wearing Sandals


While some Americans and African-Americans were on Wale's page displaying their ignorance of African culture, Nigerians and Wale were having non of that as they quickly launched attacks on the people calling Olamide "gay".
See the response Wale gave one of them 
SOURCE

=>Peter Okoye & Eto'o Off To Turkey In Private Jet(Photos)


Peter Okoye who is delving into football management has been hanging out with Cameroonian football star, Samuel Eto'o for weeks.They are now off to Turkey for the football star's game today.


=>Men not reliable, I prefer sex toys – Tinsel actress, Joju Maryam Muse- Dailypost



Tinsel star, Joju Maryam Muse, has disclosed that sex toys are more reliable and trustworthy than most boyfriends.Muse, who is still single, said most African men cannot stand a woman who is more successful than them.
In a recent chat with New Telegraph, the model and budding songstress hinted that she would rather satisfy her sexual urge with her own hands or employ the use of sex toys.
On the use of sex toys to avoid multiple sexual partners, she said, “A lot of people mistake using sex toys for an addiction to masturbation but to me, it’s not an addiction.
“Addiction to masturbation is when you allow the act to control your life. But we will only be silly as human beings to deny some facts. Even animals touch themselves; it would only be hypocritical for a human being to say, ‘I don’t touch myself’ or to say that he or she hasn’t used a sex toy before.


READ FULL NEWS


 TOP NEWS IN NIGERIA TODAY(MORNING EDITION)




CHECKOUT OUT TODAY'S TOP NEWS:

=>Military Battles Insurgents In Maiduguri, Many Killed - Punch

Several people have been reportedly killed as the military engaged militants suspected to be members of Boko Haram sect in a fierce gun battle that reportedly lasted for hours on Saturday.
The insurgents were said to have attacked Dalori and Walori villages, on outskirts of Maiduguri, at around some minutes past 7pm on Saturday night.
Dalori village is a few kilometres away from an Internally Displaced Persons camp, which is said to be the most populous IDP camp in the country.
Sources said Boko Haram insurgents usually mounted surprise attacks at that hour of the day, as they had studied the movement of the military.
Residents, including students of the University of Maiduguri, were said to have scampered for safety while the gunfire lasted and explosion rocked the area.
Sources in Maiduguri told our correspondent that fighting was still on going at the time of this report at 10pm. “The fighting started at around 7.30pm but we don’t know how many people have been killed or injured,” the source said.READ FULL NEWS....

=> Nigerian Without A Degree Builds Mini Aircraft (Pictures & Video) - ChannelsTV


The power of the mind and how much it can achieve is seen in the act of Aghogho, a young man without a degree, who read how aircrafts are made and brought it to life.
“I have not been to any school, I do my research at home” Aghogho said.
Aghogho’s first aircraft flew in 1999 with many setbacks since then
After many failures, he started to think there was something spiritual about things that fly
According to Elbert Hubbard, in these days, a man who says a thing cannot be done is quite apt to be interrupted by someone doing it.
There is much the mind can achieve if we go after the information we need to do whatever we want to do.
Aghogho has become a ray of hope for many; young and old in his communityREAD FULL NEWS


 =>Explosion Hits Agip Pipeline In Bayelsa- The Nation
Explosion has again rocked a major pipeline in the Niger Delta region, a few days after an attack on oil and gas pipelines in the Gbaramatu kingdom
Delta state, dealt a deadly blow on the economy.
This time the attack occurred on a pipeline owned by the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.
‎Persons suspected to be unrepentant militants were said to have attacked the pipeline located along Orukari, Golubokiri and Kpongbokiri communities in Brass
Panic was said to have gripped the communities following the disposition of the government against acts capable of worsening the bleeding economy.
It was learnt that the attackers committed the heinous economic crime on Thursday night.READ FULL NEWS

»  Lassa fever: Two die in Nasarawa, one under surveillance- Punch

READ FULL NEWS 


 =>Biafra: ‘It’s better for Nigeria to remain an indivisible entity’- Imo State Deputy Governor - The Nation

Prince Eze Madumere is the Deputy Governor of Imo State. Before his election as Deputy Governor, he has been Chief of Staff to Owelle Rochas Okorocha. In this interview, Madumere refutes reports that Imo State Government owes civil servants arrears of salaries. He also votes for an indivisible Nigeria, Sam Egburonu reports
Where is widespread belief that Imo State Government still owes civil servants several months despite the bailout from the Federal Government. Was the bailout for clearing of outstanding salaries not enough or as some state governments, like Ekiti State are saying, there was no bailout in the first place but quarterly allocation to the state?
Imo State government owes no salaries. His Excellency, the Governor of Imo State before December approved the arrears of salaries of MDAs, including parastatals and even paid December salaries in advance. So, whosoever that is still discussing non-payment of salaries does so in bad faith.
READ FULL NEWS....

 =>Nigeria declares French compulsory for all students
-Nigerianeye

Students from primary to tertiary institutions will henceforth learn French language compulsorily, the federal government said at the weekend.
It said it will embark on intensive training of more French teachers in its bid to make it the nation’s second official language.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof Anthony Anwukah, stated these in Abuja yesterday when the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Denys Gaver, paid him a courtesy call.
Anwukah said: “French language is a matter of necessity. We have to because we have Cameroon, Niger, Chad, Benin Republic, Togo Guinea, and Ivory Coast surrounding us and so there is need for us to get more Nigerians to become proficient in French language.
“This is good for the continent; it is good for us as a nation. It is good for our brothers at the borders because it will enable us to communicate with them effectively.
READ FULL NEWS

=>$2.1billion Arms Deal: 'Don’t drag my sons in the mud' - Obanikoro - Nigerianeye
Former Minister Musiliu Obanikoro yesterday sought to rubbish media reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) traced N4.7billion believed to be from the $2.1billion slush funds from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to the account of a company in which his two sons –Gbolahan and Babajide – are directors.
The money was allegedly paid in tranches into the Diamond Bank account of Sylvan McNamara Limited.
Responding to the reports through his media aide, Jonathan Eze, Obanikoro challenged the EFCC to publish the names of directors of the company.
He wondered why his sons whom he called thorough bred professionals in their own rights could be so maligned when it would not have cost the media much to verify from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) the directors of the company at the time the transactions were made.
He urged the EFCC to be straight and above board in its investigations while avoiding speculations and conjectures infringing on the fundamental human rights of his sons.
Obanikoro said: “Associating my sons to the Sylvan McNamara account that allegedly received funds from the office of the embattled National security Adviser is highly preposterous and unthinkable.
“I am particularly amazed by the fact that trials and investigations are being done using the media unconventionally just to satisfy the cravings of political entities who are desperate to rub my hard earned reputation in the mud.”READ FULL NEWS....

=>How To Boost Power Sector – Fashola Reveals
- Leadership

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, has explained that the new Multi Year Tariff Order due to commence on February 1, was aimed at correcting the whole system in the entire value chain of the power sector and remained the most viable means to achieve steady power supply in the country.
Fashola, who spoke in an interview with media men at the site of the 2 X 60 MVA 132/33 KV Sub-Station Kukwaba Power Project during a continuation of the nationwide inspection, verification and fact finding tour of projects under his ministry, said the ready acceptance of the new Tariff Order would also galvanize the sector and boost Power Sector investments which would in turn usher in more development in the country .
Responding to a question from one of the journalists who wanted to know if investors with interest in smaller Power Plants still had a role and a market in the Power Sector given the bigger Generating Plants inspected in the course of the tour, the Minister who took time to differentiate between the two Power Plants and a number of Transmission Sub Stations inspected said investors would only come into the Sector if the pricing was right.
READ FULL NEWS....

=> Nigerian Starlet Iheanacho scores hat-trick, And Ighalo strikes again

Iheanacho’s brace in the first half gave the opposition the perfect start to this comprehensive victory against an abysmal Villa side on their own ground.
He later secured his first hat-trick for the Etihad outfit in the rout. Iheanacho scored his first from the first corner of the game snatching home Fernando’s headed goal-bound ball on the line.
The second via a penatly awarded after Bacuna was adjudged to have shoved Raheem Sterling. Iheanacho scored his hat-trick when he ran into an empty space before beating Guzan at leisure.
His acrobat overhead kick led to the fourth with sterling bundling in to complete the rout.

Nigerian striker, Odion Ighalo’s late goal put his team to the fifth round after coming on as a late substitute, his 15^th goal of the season.
The match was full of efforts and endeavours, but with little quality. The home team came into the match having conceded only once in their last five games and equally less effective scoring goals, Watford on the other hand were neat and purposeful but missed the predatory instinct of the Nigerian.
Ighalo made the difference when he eventually came on by capitalising on Kelvin Wilson mis-kick to drive in the decisive goal.

READ FULL NEWS....

ENTERTAINMENT

=>Actress Cossy Orjaikor Mother, Chinyelo Orjiakor, 'Braxton-Jayis': Immigration Office -

Meet Cossy Orjiakor's Mum Who Is A Rastafarian & Immigration Officer (photos)
Immigration officer cum Raggae artist,Chinyelo Orjiakor a.k.a Braxton Jayis the biological mother of busty Nollywood actress and music artiste, Cossy Orjiakor.
The Delta state based, Braxton Jay who once spoke exclusively with a Newseveryhour.com reporter when she visited Lagos, just like her daughter, music has been her passion a long time ago but according to her she needed to go and learn the rudiments first inorder to produce quality music and also make enough money to start off my music career.
“ I have been nursing my passion for the music industry before now but due to lack of sponsorship, I had to delay my ambition for music until now that I’m able to finance myself, and I also had to learn a little bit about the art”, says Chinyelo who is a passionate believer in Reggae and its culture.
READ FULL NEWS....

=> Pastor with stolen car says it's God's blessng - Punch


Remember when Skales alleged that he was the one that wrote Wizkid's hit songs which resulted in a twitter fight. Even skales girlfriend joined in to defend her man. Well, it looks like they have both eaten humble pie.
Skales shared this picture of the two of them at Toolz and Tunde's wedding today.
Fans are happy and are already asking for a dope song from them.
At least some people are burying the hatchet this yearSOURCE

=>Celebrity Couples At Toolz & Tunde's Wedding(pics)


Today being one of the celebrity weddings of the year, celebrity couples stepped out in their best for Tolu Oniru and Tunde Demuren's traditional wedding..
Ubi Franklin and Lilian Esoro,Sound Sultan and wife, Gbenro Ajigbade and Osas Ighodaro and Dolapo Oni and Prince Sijuade...Tee A and wife.. and more....

=>Aww... Toyin Aimakhu Still Cares about Estranged Husband Adeniyi Johnson (Snapshots)- LailasBlog


Yoruba actress Toyin Aimakhu started 2016 with a warning to her fans that if any of them ever talked about her estranged husband Adeniyi Johnson or her marriage, they were going to get blocked.
Fast forward to 30 days later, Toyin is liking a pic on her estranged husband's IG page.
Last two Fridays, January 22nd while on a movie set in Abeokuta, Adeniyi Johnson was attacked by armed robbers. They had stormed the movie location and robbed the cast and crew of their valuables. According to an eyewitness, the armed robbers even threatened to shoot Adeniyi Johnson because he boldly looked at them.
Adeniyi later took to his IG page to thank fans for all their calls and messages after the robbery attack and this beautiful thing happened.


READ FULL NEWS

=>Why I bought brand new Toyota Matrix for my daughter —Pasuma

Fuji star, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, has explained why he surprised his daughter, Wasilat Odetola, with a brand new Toyota Matrix on her 25th birthday, saying that he could not have wished for another wonderful daughter.
Pasuma said he remains grateful to God for giving him a beautiful daughter.
Wasilat who is Pasuma’s first daughter was full of joy when her father presented her the brand new car in the presence of her friends and family members who came out to celebrate with her.
In a special birthday message to her on Instagram, Pasuma wrote, “Having you as my daughter is my greatest accomplishment and I didn’t even do a thing. You did it all, just by being you. I don’t know what I did in a previous life to deserve you as my daughter in this lifetime.Whatever it was, it must have been incredible.
READ FULL NEWS

=>Toolz And Tunde Demuren's Traditional Wedding Photos Yesterday- LailasBlog

Tunde Demuren is traditionally wedding his boo, media personality Tolu Oniru akaToolz, today in Lagos. Check out the excited groom with his friends.


These Updates Is Brought To You By Apata Bayode Follow Him On Twitter Here

Your inspirational T.I.N Magazine writer Tony Ogunlowo has got something for you today, you should check this article sent in by him.



What to do When Your Prayers Seem to go Unanswered an article by Tony Ogunlowo

We all pray, irregardless of our various faiths, to a supreme being to intercede in our daily lives and effect change where necessary. It’s an integral part of our religion to talk to our God on a frequent basis – asking for help is of paramount importance.

We might pray for a change in our financial situations, a new relationship or an improvement in our general lifestyles. We do this because we believe that our prayers will be heard and there will be a miraculous change in our circumstances.

And what about when our prayers are not answered?

As the mere humans that we are we become despondent and cart ourselves off to religious organisations or places such as churches and mosques to pray. We believe, being in these places surrounded by other people praying with a man of god at the head of the congregation, our prayers will be answered or we get our pastors to pray for us on our behalf. We might often accompany this with fasting and abstinence, depending on the complexity of our request.

And when our prayers are still not answered we wonder why.

In Mathew 7:7 it says ‘ask , and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you’, so why do our prayers go unanswered? Is God really that busy he’s not listening?

In the 2007 film ‘Evan Almighty’ starring Morgan Freeman there’s a scene, one of the most memorable, that describes how God answers our prayers (- it’s on YouTube under the title ‘pray for the opportunity’)

Without infringing upon the films copyright here’s a transcript of that scene:

JOAN - But my husband says God told him to do it…what do you do with

that…

Al MIGHTY (GOD) -..sounds like an opportunity…let me ask you something if someone

prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience or does he

give them the opportunity to be patient? If you prayed for courage

does God give them courage or the opportunity to be courageous? If

someone prayed for the family to be closer do you think God zaps

them with warm fuzzy feelings or does he give them the opportunity

to love each other ?

This just goes to confirm the saying, ‘Man proposes but God disposes’

Unfortunately all our prayers seem to centre on ‘I want, I want’. Very rarely do we give thanks for the everyday blessings we receive and take for granted. And selfishly, like a pack of kids let loose in a toy or sweet shop, we want, want, want…..

This is where God steps in; like any good parent will decide what’s best for their children and not the other way round he decides what’s best for us at that point in time – you can’t always have what you want!

So when you go down on your knees, clasping your hands together to pray, the Lord God already knows what’s best for you or what you really need.

So when you pray for a new car don’t be surprised when you’re rewarded with good health for that’s what probably what you really need; or you pray to meet a new partner and you’re given a new understanding of yourself. Likewise if you’re going through a bad or tough time in life he might decide it has to continue so you can learn something about yourself or your life. Because you’re boke and need money doesn’t mean God is going to dump a pile of money in your lap because you prayed for it. No, he’ll give you the opportunity to earn the money by sorting out something else in your life it could be promotion at work, an old debt repaid or a general overhaul of your finances.

Always remember that the Big Guy upstairs knows what you really need – for he’s the Supreme Being. You may personally not know what you want because us humans have the tendency to be a selfish, ever-wanting, ever-demanding race.

So next time you go down on your knees to pray, before reeling off your lists of wants, why not start by saying:

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

It’s a very simple prayer which I’m sure we all know.

There are people, out there, who seem to believe there is a specific way to pray that will make God listen to your request promptly.

I don’t think so.

Prayer is our intercession with the Lord God and talking to him requires us to acknowledge his presence with our reverence and sincerity: you don’t have to beat drums and sing at the top of your voices – he’s not deaf and hears all prayers.

Keep your prayers simple and if they are not answered immediately don’t despair, it might mean something else in your your life, which is more pressing, needing more attention than your present request has been taken care of.

Persevere, all prayers, within reason, are answered eventually.

Send in your articles to: tmtnonline@gmail.com

Hello readers, Inside this post you will find trending important news in Nigeria this morning, you will find news that are of concern to Politics,Entertainment Economics,Locals and more... We update this page twice daily; morning and evening. CHECK BACK LATER TODAY FOR EVENING UPDATE...

Fayose

 TOP NEWS IN NIGERIA TODAY(MORNING EDITION)

CHECKOUT OUT TODAY'S TOP NEWS:

=>How We Rigged Fayose Into Office – Ekiti PDP Secretary -National Mirror

Secretary of the Ekiti state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Temitope Aluko on Sunday opened a can of worms as he gave an insider account of how the military was used to rig the 2014 Ekiti State governor election that Ayo Fayose won under PDP.
Aluko, who was the Chief Returning Officer and signed the results for the election, also disclosed how former President Goodluck Jonathan, gave Fayose $37 million cash to prosecute the governorship election.
The embattled Secretary of the Ekiti state chapter of PDP, made the disclosure in Abuja, stressed that he was forced to come forward with the revelations because Fayose betrayed him and derailed from the original plan they had for the development of the state.
Aluko had also testified in camera before the military panel that investigated the role of the military in the Ekiti election.
According to Aluko, who said he was part Fayose’s inner cycle during the election, alleged that Jonathan initially gave the incumbent Ekiti governor a first tranche of $2 million in March 2014 for the primary election.
READ FULL NEWS....

=> Fayose reacts to $35million claim - Punch

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has described the expelled former State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Tope Aluko, as a new distraction from the All Progressive Congress in Ekiti State.
The governor, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said Aluko was already beclouded by his desperation to seek revenge against him because of his refusal to make him his Chief of Staff, such that he (Aluko) was not mindful of committing the criminal offence of perjury.
He said, “For Aluko to be taken seriously, he must first have to report himself to the police to be tried for perjury and committed to prison for three years, since what he is now saying is different from what he said under oath at the Election Tribunal being the only witness called by the PDP and Governor Fayose.
“If after giving evidence under oath at the tribunal that the Election was free, fair and credible and that security agents, including soldiers performed their duties creditably well, saying something else more than one year after is an admittance by Aluko himself that he is not a stable character.READ FULL NEWS


 =>Metuh’s Torn Statement Linked Jonathan To N400m – EFCC - Punch
Details have emerged about what the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, allegedly wrote in the torn statement which he made under caution while in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on January 5.
The statements of the operatives who were said to have witnessed the incident and the “incidence record book” which gives details of the occurrence were part of the documents filed along with the charges of destruction of evidence preferred against him by the EFCC before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
The court papers obtained by our correspondent on Sunday indicate that five operatives of the commission witnessed the incident which was said to have happened on January 5, 2016, the day the PDP spokesperson was arrested.
Metuh allegedly tore his statement on January 5, 2016 while being investigated for an alleged fraudulent receipt of N400m from the Office of the National Security Adviser and money laundering allegation involving a separate sum of $2m.
The court documents indicate that the pieces of the torn statement have been kept with the commission’s exhibit keeper.
READ FULL NEWS

»  Nigeria Requests $3.5Billion Loan From World Bank- Financial Times

Nigeria has asked the World Bank and African Development Bank for $3.5bn in emergency loans to fill a growing gap in its budget in the latest sign of the economic damage being wrought on oil-rich nations by tumbling crude prices.
The request from the eight-month-old government of President Muhammadu Buhari is intended to help fund a $15bn state deficit, which has been deepened by a hefty increase in public spending as the west African country attempts to stimulate a slowing economy.
It comes as concerns grow over the impact of low oil prices on petroleum exporting economies in the developing world. Azerbaijan, which last month imposed capital controls to try and halt a slide in its currency, is in discussions with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund about emergency assistance.
Nigeria’s economy is Africa’s largest and has been hit hard by the fall in crude prices — oil revenues are expected to fall from 70 per cent of income to just a third this year.
Finance minister Kemi Adeosun told the Financial Times recently that she was planning Nigeria’s first return to bond markets since 2013. But Nigeria’s likely borrowing costs have been rising alongside its budget deficit. A projected deficit of $11bn, or 2.2 per cent of gross domestic product, had already risen to $15bn, or 3 per cent, as a result of the recent turmoil in oil markets.
READ FULL NEWS 


 =>President Buhari reveals major headache in anti-corruption war - Punch
President Buhari lists judiciary as his major headache
The Nigerian president, who spoke on Sunday, January 31, 2016, through his special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, noted that the nation’s judiciary remains his major headache.
According to The Punch, Buhari disclosed that his travails in courts up to the level of the Supreme Court in his three previous attempts at becoming the President showed clearly that the judiciary needs urgent reforms.
“On the fight against corruption vis-à-vis the judiciary, Nigerians will be right to say that is my main headache for now.
“If you reflect on what I went through for 12 years when I wanted to be the President, I attempted three times and on the fourth attempt through God and the use of technology, it was possible for Nigerians to elect an APC candidate as President.
“In my first attempt in 2003, I ended up at the Supreme Court and for 13 months I was in court. The second attempt in 2007, I was in court close to 20 months and in 2011, my third attempt, I was also in court for nine months.
“All these cases went up to the Supreme Court until the fourth time in 2015, when God agreed that I will be President of Nigeria,” he stated.
READ FULL NEWS....

 =>Aftermath Of The Boko Haram Terror In Borno Yesterday (Graphic Pictures)


SOURCE

=>Zika virus: We’re conducting tests on mosquitoes —FG
-Vanguard
As part of preventive measures against possible outbreak of Zika virus, the Federal Government says it has put measures in place to ensure that the virus is not transmitted by mosquitoes in the country.
This is coming as the Director General of the World Health Organisation, WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan is convening an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Zika virus today in Geneva, Switzerland, to ascertain whether the Zika virus outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
Meanwhile, German researchers say they have developed a diagnostic test that can accurately detect the Zika virus in humans. Previously, there was no way to diagnose the illness apart from appearance of the distinctive symptoms.
In a telephone chat with Vanguard, the Director-General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Prof Abdulsalam Nasiru, said already the Federal Government has put in place mechanisms to stop the Zika virus from entering the country.
READ FULL NEWS....

=> Boko Haram burns several children to death in Borno -Nigerianeye


Nigerian-based terror group, Boko Haram, was alleged to have burnt some children to death when the militants overran Dalori, a village four kilometres outside Maiduguri, where about 80 residents of the community were killed on Saturday night.
The Area Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency in Borno State, Mohammed Kanar, said 86 bodies were picked up in the village on Sunday.
Hospital sources added that no fewer than 70 persons were receiving treatment in hospitals around the area.
A resident who managed to escape the attack, claimed that screams of children could be heard from burning houses as the embattled villagers ran in confusion to exit the village as the destruction raged.
Also, a survivor, who said he hid on a tree, stated that he watched Boko Haram extremists firebomb huts and heard the screams of children burning to death, AP reports.
On Sunday, while some residents had managed to return to their houses which had been razed, one of our correspondents observed that some burnt bodies and others, riddled with bullets, littered the streets and some burnt houses in the town.
One of those who had returned to the village on Sunday told one of our correspondents that insurgents including suicide bombers attacked the town, which also spilled over to the Internally Displaced Persons’ camps around the village.
READ FULL NEWS....

=> The things I learnt from Fayose — Abia State governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu - Naij.com

Abia State governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has listed some virtues to include courage, identifying with the people and how to handle intricate political issues as some of the things he has learnt from the Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, which are helping him in his political life.
The Abia governor, who spoke at the weekend during the burial ceremony of his mother which Fayose attended, noted that he had visited Fayose twice in the last seven months and gained some insight as far as leadership and holding political power are concerned.
In a statement in Ado-Ekiti yesterday by Governor Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, Ikpeazu said, “Governor Ayodele Fayose is a courageous man, a voice for the voiceless, a defender of the weak and defencelss, a brother, a leader, a friend and a leader of the people.
“A consistent man known for speaking out the truth all the time. He told me few things that worked for me perfectly in this state. He is a man I love and respect so much and I salute his courage .
“He has been governor twice and he is far experienced. He has encouraged me in deed, character and in words. I pray t hat God will give me the opportunity one day to be able to show my appreciation to him and how I feel about him. He is a man I love and respect so much and I salute his courage,” Ikpeazu said.
In his remarks, Fayose described the Igbo people as not only industrious, but dogged. He said he named one of his sons Chukwuemeka many years ago to show how much he appreciates the Igbo people.READ FULL NEWS....

ENTERTAINMENT

=>TY Bello Photographs An Agege Bread Seller Into Fame - 

              
An unknown Agege bread seller accidental fame all thanks to TY Bello, A pretty Agege bread seller walked by the set of TY Bello's photoshoot and like she said, "Magic happened!" Talk about being at the right place at the right time. According to the prolific photographer, everyone thought she is a model but that's not the case. Her appearance on the photo was pure coincidence. TY Bello is determined to find and help her kick start a modelling career.
She said:
"WHO IS SHE. Every one has been asking if this lady is a model .. It was just perfect coincidence ... She just happened to be walking by while I photographed . It happened so fast .She definitely SHOULD be a model. .. I'm happy to help her build a portfolio if she's interested .She's so beautiful and photographed so well. I'll find a way to track her down somehow . You guys can also help"
SOURCE

=>Lil Kesh & His Brother Step Out In Matching Outfit…

                          
Music star Lil Kesh, born Keshinro Ololade stepped out on Sunday alongside his elder brother, Keshinro Pelumi on Sunday. The two Keshinro brothers rocked an Ankara print with different style. Can you see any resemblance?SOURCE

=>Davido To Give N2Million To Most Loyal Fans
 
"The Money" crooner Davido,just posted a tweet about giving out 2 whooping million naira to his most loyal fan.



=>Nadia Buari And Her Man Play With Their Twin Girls (photo)

            
The actress who gave birth to twin girlslast year has kept the identity of her baby daddy a secret as well as her babies faces..She shared this and wrote:
U don't know affectionate till u've met them.#TotalBliss#TogetherIsMyFavouritePlaceToBe!#Heaven

SOURCE

=>We are going through a divorce- Comedian Lolo1
                          
Famous Wazobia FM on-air-personality, Omotunde Adebowale popularly known as Lolo1 who recently called out on fellow comedienne Princess on Instagram, finally speaks on her marriage and divorce.
Addressing the issue of her broken marriage, the comedienne and radio host added that although her husband is a very private person but admitted that they are going through a divorce.
She said: “My husband is a very private man and I wouldn’t want to put him out there. It’s not something he appreciates or cares about. We’re presently going through a divorce, but we have mutual respect for each other. We will do all we can to protect and nurture our lovely kids. We are also actively involved in the lives of our children.READ FULL NEWS

=> Oritse Femi threatens to arrest His manager and his mother

Following the ongoing drama between famous Nigerian music artist Oritse Femi and his estranged manager Danku, over claims that he is the brain behind the many successes of the music Taliban, Oritse Femi has threatened to arrest him.
In an exclusive chat with, Oritse Femi condemned the ex-manager over the allegations and in a twist vowed to retrieve every of his belongings with his ex-manager. When asked what the ex-manager wants from him after they have parted ways, Oritse Femi said:
“All of a sudden, he just left the house. He left with my money that was in his account. I did several shows and people have paid the money into his account as my manager.” 
In another interview with Punch, Oritse Femi disclosed that he will arrest both Danku and his mother adding that his estranged manager still wears the clothes he bought for him till date.
READ FULL NEWS


These Updates Is Brought To You By Apata Bayode Follow Him On Twitter Here

Well, it is another "History Monday" and we bring to you another trip down in memory lane: this time it is the the noble Nigerian tribe "The OGONI people of the Niger-Delta Region of Nigeria", this particular tribe has got many interesting records and history.. Read about them below.
CREDITS TO: Trip down memorylane Blog

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INTRODUCTION

The Ogoni Kingdom (also known as the Ogonis) are one of the many indigenous peoples in the region of south south Nigeria. They number about 1.5 million people and live in a 404-square-mile (1,050 km²) homeland which they also refer to as Ogoni, or Ogoniland. They share common oil-related environmental problems with the Ijaw people of Niger Delta.
The Ogoni rose to international attention after a massive public protest campaign against Shell Oil, led by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People
The Ogoni are a distinct people who have lived in the Niger Delta for more than 500 years. The Ogoni are an agricultural and fishing society, living in close-knit rural communities in one of the most densely populated areas of Africa.
The Ogoni people attracted international attention and world wide sympathy when in 1990, Ken Saro-Wiwa, an internationally acclaimed poet, author, and activist from the Niger Delta, began mobilizing his people, the indigenous Ogonis, for nonviolent protest against the Shell Oil Corporation. For more than 20 years oil spills and gas flares from the multinational’s oil explorations had destroyed the environment and the health of the indigenous Ogonis, causing thousands of lost lives. Five years after the start of his campaign, Saro-Wiwa and eight other indigenous Ogoni activists includingBaribor Bera, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gboko, Barinem Kiobel, John Kpuinen, Paul Levura and Felix Nuate were brutally hanged for their peaceful protest on the orders of General Sani Abacha, then military dictator of Nigeria.

HISTORY

The true origin of the Ogoni people are not very well-known,research has it that they migrated into the area from across the Imo River while  other  research says that the Ogoni people came in boats from old Ghana Empire and settled in the Atlantic coast eventually making their way over to the eastern Niger Delta. Believers in this theory point to the name by which most of the Ogoni peoples call themselves (Khana) as a pointer to the Ghana origins of the Ogoni people.
Archaeological and linguistic evidence suggests the Ogoni have inhabited the Niger Delta for up to 500 years. Linguistic calculations done by Kay Williams place the Ogoni in the Niger Delta since before 15 BC, making them one of the oldest settlers in the eastern Niger Delta region. Radiocarbon dating taken from sites around Ogoniland and the neighboring communities oral traditions also support this claim. The first village that was formed by the Ogoni people is called Nama in Keh Khana Kingdom.

THE ERA OF SLAVE TRADE
They established an organized social system which worked under a monarchy and under which men and women of courage and ability enjoyed a special status. During the slave trade, Ogoniland lay on the slave route from the hinterland to the coastal slave markets. However, no Ogoni man or woman was taken as a slave. Marriage with a neighbour, except the Ibibio, was forbidden by Ogoni customs and tradition. This way, the Ogoni people were able to live in relative isolation during the era of the slave trade. When other forms of trade were introduced into the region in the second half of the 19th century, weapons were purchased and wars became the order of the day. After the Berlin Treaty of 1885, Nigeria came under British colonial rule, but it was not until 1901 that British forces arrived in Ogoniland. The cultural diffences led to resistance on the side of the Ogoni people, but as they were not strong enough to resist the British patrols the Ogoni people were finally subjugated in 1914. The British saw Nigeria in terms of three major ethnic groups: the Hausa-Fulani, the Yoruba and the Igbo, thereby ignoring more then 250 smaller peoples, including the Ogoni. The Ogoni were regarded with contempt by all other groups in the Delta region and were often positioned at the bottom of the social ladder.

DEVELOPMENT
The Ogoni were integrated into a succession of economic systems at a pace that was extremely rapid and exacted a great toll from them. At the turn of the twentieth century, “the world to them did not extend beyond the next three or four villages,” but that soon changed. Ken Saro-Wiwa, the late president of MOSOP, described the transition this way: “if you then think that within the space of seventy years they were struck by the combined forces of modernity, colonialism, the money economy, indigenous colonialism and then the Nigerian Civil War, and that they had to adjust to these forces without adequate preparation or direction, you will appreciate the bafflement of the Ogoni people and the subsequent confusion engendered in the society.

Ogoniland had her first graduate and modern political leader in the person of Mr. Timothy Naakue Paul Birabi. A graduate of Mathematics in 1953, late Birabi was a teacher by profession, he organized the Ogoni people to build their own schools and health centers, which included the Birabi Memorial Grammar School (BMGS), the premier high school in Ogoniland. Birabi was the first man to give the Ogoni people the sense of modern organization of the Ogoni affairs. He died in a mysterious circumstance that was linked to his
political activities and co-ordination of the Ogoni people. Paul Birabi taught the Ogoni people  to build their own schools and social amenities and it has thus become a tradition that the Ogoni people are still building their own schools. While the government takes over the management of these schools from them and imposes high school fees that the Ogoni people cannot pay.

The first missionary that came to Ogoni land was Rev. Paul Kingston of the Methodist church in 1926. He studied the Khana language and then went back abroad to develop the alphabets. This enabled him to translate the bible into Khana in 1929. Today the Lutheran Church is about to complete work on the Gokana bible translation as well as the Eleme bible translation. This early foundation played a very key in giving the Ogoni people a realization and need to acquire modern education, and they embraced it according to their resources and strength, depending on community and missionary scholarships to train the first sets of
graduates in the land. This history of organizing a common destiny through the giving of scholarship to deserving persons, community businesses, community projects is what Ken Saro Wiwa argued extensively. Stressing the need to recognized and encouraged as ethnical governance and organization as part of the Nigerian state using a fair proportion of the natural resources in the land for the development of the people as way of protecting the Ogoni as minority group as well other groups. It is this struggle led by Ken Saro Wiwa is what brought the Ogoni people to the world political map.
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN OGONI PEOPLE AND THE EWE PEOPLE OF GHANA
The Ogoni people obviously had elements of other tribes in their culture as a result of interaction and that does not change the fact that they migrated from Ghana.
Comparing the customs and ways of life in the Volta Region of Ghana to those of the Ogoni people, it has been discovered that:
The method of farming in the Volta Region of Ghana and that of the Ogoni people are almost the same. The Volta Region of Ghana farms cassava and yams as their chief crops and so does the Ogoni people. And these two crops are planted in the same ways in the Volta Region of Ghana and in Ogoniland.
There are several villages and communities, whose names are the same as common names, villages and communities in the Ogoniland e.g. (Eleme, Kpone and Bakpo)
The alphabets and pronunciation of some Volta peoples and those of the Ogoni people are the same.
The method and style of building native huts with mud and thatches are the same.

Ogoni History After Nigeria`s Independence
As a result of their small size, a history of poor relations with the Nigerian government and group concentration in a volatile area, the Ogoni are an organized and cohesive group.
The group has received much attention in recent years because of their struggle for compensation from Shell Oil and the Nigerian government for damage to their lands caused by oil spillage. Nigeria's oil industry accounts for 90 percent of its export earning, and even the smallest disruption has been threatening to the government. The Ogonis are located in the Niger Delta region in the city of Port Harcourt. Port Harcourt is the capital city of Rivers State, Nigeria. The Ogoni have not moved very far from their traditional territory (GROUPCON = 3). The Ogoni had autonomy over their territory until 1914, when Britain consolidated the area into the Nigerian Protectorate (AUTLOST = 1.25). Since that point the other larger ethnic groups the Ibo, Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba have dominated the economic and political scene in Nigeria.

The British practiced indirect rule in Nigeria as they had in much of the rest of their colonial states. However, for various reasons, the British favored the Ibo, and this favoritism led to further conflict with other groups when the Ibo were placed in authority positions in the north and southwest. As the press for independence intensified, the Ibo came to support the National Council for Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), led by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. The Yoruba mainly supported the Action Group (AG), and the Hausa/Fulani supported the Northern People's Congress (NPC). The NCNC and NPC formed a coalition that led the country to independence in 1960. The AG was largely marginalized from the federal government during the early years of independence, which led to a renewal of Yoruba factionalism. In January 1966, an Ibo-lead coup took control of the government.

In 1967, disputes between the eastern Ibo region and the government led to a declaration of secession by the eastern region. The independent state of Biafra was declared on 30 May 1967. Led by Lt-Col Ojukwu, the Biafra war lasted until January 1970, when Biafran troops surrendered. It is estimated that 100,000 casualties resulted from the war itself, and that an additional 500,000-2,000,000 civilians died, mainly from starvation, as a result of a blockade by the federal government. Ogoniland was occupied by Biafran troops during the conflict.

Following the Biafra war, civilian rule was restored for a brief time in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Power became more and more entrenched in the hands of northerners during the 1980s and 1990s. On 31 December 1983, Muhammad Buhari led a military coup and banned all political activity in the country. In August 1985, Ibrahim Babangida took power in a peaceful coup.

By 1987, Babangida announced that he was preparing to turn the government back to civilian rule. In June 1993, presidential elections were held in the country. Two parties were allowed to contest the elections: the National Republican Convention (NRC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The former was led by a northerner Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, an economist and businessman. The latter drew large support from the Yoruba community and was led by a prominent Yoruba businessman, Moshood Abiola. When it became apparent that Moshood Abiola, a prominent Yoruba businessman from the south, was going to be the victor, Babangida declared the elections null and void. Abiola declared himself president, but later fled the country in the wake of death threats against him. Abiola eventually returned to the country and was subsequently arrested on charges of sedition. Nigeria plunged into its worst crisis since the Biafra war from 1967-70. Babangida resigned in August 1993. The government was taken over by an interim council, but the real power was in the hands of General Sani Abacha, then secretary of defense. He led a very oppressive regime under which thousands were jailed and countless numbers killed, particularly in the Niger Delta, where the Ogoni are concentrated.               

An  Ogoni man and his family

OIL, MILITARY AND MILITANCY

In the early 1990s, militant activism in the Niger Delta region had emerged as the main strategy in the struggle of the people for a greater share of oil-generated wealth. The Niger Delta region consists of a number of administrative states, including Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa, and is characterized by numerous waterways and mangrove swamps. Until 1993, the Ogoni were politically inactive. Their campaign against Shell oil and the Nigerian government began in June 1993, when thousands of Ogoni held a peaceful protest. Shell shut down some of their operations in the area as a result of continued protests by the Ogoni.

In 1994, four pro-government Ogoni were killed in political violence connected to the national constitutional conference elections. Author and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other leaders of the Ogoni-based Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) were arrested in connection with the deaths. Saro-Wiwa and the others were tried for murder. In an extremely controversial and widely criticized move, they were subsequently executed.

Beginning in 1996, the government of Sani Abacha began to divide Nigerian administrative states into smaller units, and move the headquarters of some administrative units to different cities. These moves led to a rise in conflict between the communities of the Delta region who, already concerned about the lack of development of their communities, felt that the loss of local government offices would give them even less access to resources than they already had. Those in the Delta region have continued to the present because the issue has yet to be resolved. Groups involved in ethnic conflict in the Delta region include the Ijaw, the Urhobo (who are sometimes allies of the Ijaw) and the Isoko.



As noted earlier, the Niger Delta is also the home of the vast majority of Nigeria's oil wells, and for 30 years, multi-national oil corporations (MNCs) have been extracting oil from the country. The groups in the region have long alleged that the wealth of the region has led only to problems for them as the oil companies pollute their land and waterways, and the government does not return enough of the oil revenues to the region either to clean up the damage of the oil companies or to promote development in general.

Sani Abacha died in June 1998. Within a month of taking power, the new military leader, Abdusalam Abubakar, released some political prisoners, held talks with opposition groups, and announced that general, multi-party elections would be held in order for a civilian president to take over. As of 1999, Nigeria had been under civilian rule for only 14 years of its existence as an independent state. Presidential elections were held in March 1999 in which former military leader and Yoruban Olusegun Obasanjo was declared the victor. Shortly after the election, he set up a panel to investigate the abuses of the previous 15 years of military regimes. In the Delta region and the Muslim north, thousands were killed in communal conflict or anti-state activity during the 1990s.

                      
One paradox in the Delta region is that the ethnic groups of the region are often in conflict with one another over resources and government access, yet are also allied against the government and the oil companies in the Delta in various organizations. These include the Chikoko Movement, comprised of Ijaw, Itsekiri, Ogoni, Andoni and Ilage, and the Odua' People's Congress, a national self-determination movement advocating greater federalism. Beginning in 1997, these organizations were very active in pressuring the government for a greater share of oil revenues, and for greater political and economic control over their land. They are often militant, seizing oil installations and kidnapping oil workers. Their actions against the state itself are rarely violent, though their members are often involved in violence against rival ethnic groups.



The Ogoni are confronted with both demographic and ecological disadvantages. Compared to the majority of Nigerians the majority of the region are without basic infrastructure, due to continually declining health conditions have a lower life expectancy, and face environmental problems due to the high levels of pollution in the Niger Delta. Due to the repressive actions taken by the Nigerian government in the past and present, many Ogoni have left the region entirely. Many of the restrictions that the Ogoni faced have been removed since the elections of 1999 and international awareness of their plight. In the past, nonetheless, the group is still excluded by the majority of the country in political and economic matters due to historical neglect, and no policies were in effect to remedy the situation (POLDIS01-03 = 2). However, in recent years there have been negotiations involving representatives of the Ogoni's, Shell Oil and the Nigerian government to take redressive action to compensate the Ogoni for years of environmental degradation. (POLDIS04-06 = 1)
 The different ethnic groups in the Niger Delta region have faced severe repression by the government both before and after the transition to democracy in 1999. In 1999 there were reprisal killings by military and police units in the Niger Delta, torture and rape was used against the the different ethnic groups in the region. The Nigerian military effectively sealed off the area to outsiders after the Ogoni became vocal in their demands, and Ogoniland became a militarized region. In 2000 an Ogoni leader's house was destroyed and he was arrested. As of the end of 1999, at least 2,000 Ogoni had been killed since their peaceful protests against Shell Oil began. In the period 2001-2003, the level of repression against the group seemed to have decreased, although some arrests and high degree of military and police presence continued.

The group has managed to avoid conflict with other ethnic groups in the region recently, since it appears that most of the groups in the region have common enemies in the large oil companies in the Delta, and the government. This has not always been the case for during the early 1990s there was communal conflict between the Ogoni and Andoni, another small ethnic group in the south.

The main group representing the Ogoni is the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), which was led by Ken Saro-Wiwa before his execution. The MOSOP strategies for change involved nonviolent means. The group has consistently accused Shell of causing major environmental damage to the area. Shell denies the problem is as big as the Ogoni claim, but independent environmental assessments of the area before it was closed to outsiders in 1993 support the Ogoni claim of extensive environmental damage. Some of the damage includes leaking pipelines, polluted water, oil in villagers' fields, air pollution, flooding resulting from the building of canals for the oil industry and disruptions of fresh water supplies.

The Nigerian government has long refused to negotiate with MOSOP, claiming it was not a legitimate organization. Further, the oil companies of the region appeared at times to be in complicity with the government, possibly even involved in some of the violence against the Ogoni people. The group seems to not receive much considerable material support from other kindred groups or transnational organizations. There is much rhetorical support from exiled Ogoni's in other areas of the world, such as Canada, U.K. and the U.S. Additionally, there are many non-governmental organizations which work to promote the condition of the group and provide information on their campaign against Shell.

Ogoni woman fetches water from afar to cross river. This river is polluted and she cant consume it.

THE ADVERSE EFFECT OF NATIONAL DEVELOPOMENT TO THE OGONI PEOPLE AND THEIR ENVIROMENT

Ogoni-land is in total economic isolation by the government and most roads have been left to wear, making transportation extremely difficult.
The environmental costs of the oil exploration have been and still are, very high. The agricultural and fishing communities experienced huge oil spills and pollution of drinking water, fishing grounds and farmlands. Large flares burnt gas from the oil extraction process, illuminating the sky day and night and polluting the air. The 1970's brought increasing activity from the oil companies, claiming more space in an already crowded territory, and resulting in a deteriorating environment and in decreasing crop yields and fish catches.
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People has struggled against the degradation of their lands by Shell in Nigeria. MOSOP was an offshoot of another Ogoni organization and only metamorphosed into MOSOP based upon a study of the republican struggle in Northern Ireland. Reference is made to this in a speech by Goodluck Diigbo, Ken Saro-Wiwa's confidant. Goodluck Diigbo, a journalist, was the National President of the National Youth Council of Ogoni People, NYCOP. Saro-Wiwa had charged him with the responsibility of establishing seven of the ten affiliates that made up MOSOP. Before the affiliates came into being, Ken Saro-Wiwa who initiated the idea of MOSOP had attracted a mix of educated Ogoni elites and chiefs, including its first presidentDr. Garrick Barile Leton, Chief E. N. Kobani became vice president of MOSOP.
MOSOP initiated its efforts with the 1990 Ogoni Bill of Rights, addressed to the federal government. The Bill reads like a model statement before a mediator. It lists their concerns: oil-related suffering of their people, governmental neglect, lack of social services, and political marginalization. These concerns were placed in the context of a self-definition: the Ogonis as "a separate and distinct ethnic nationality." On this basis they sought autonomy, environmental protection, control of a fair share of the revenues from their resources, and cultural rights, such as the use of their local languages.
Beginning December 1992, the conflict escalated to a level of greater seriousness and intensity on both sides. It was in this phase of the conflict that overt violence was applied on the large scale by the Nigerian government. Diigbo, who had survived seven attempts on his life as he administered day to day affairs of MOSOP said in February 2002 at the Indigenous Peoples Global Conference, IPGC held at the United Nations, New York that: "Ogoni was boxed in, stuck with nonviolence and had no resources to weather the violent storm instigated by Shell and the government. We risked instant extermination, if we, the Ogoni people had dared to resort to violence. We were barricaded by excessive violence. Violence tempted us to respond and watched over us to dare. Let me admit that we were incapable of violent self-defense, so we dared, but without recourse to violence." The collision course between the two parties was set with an ultimatum to the oil companies (Shell, Chevron, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company) which demanded some $10 billion in accumulated royalties, damages and compensation, and "immediate stoppage of environmental degradation," and negotiations for mutual agreement on all future drilling. If the companies failed to comply, the Ogonis threatened to embark on mass action to disrupt their operations. By this act, the Ogonis shifted the focus of their actions from an unresponsive federal government to oil companies actively engaged in their own region. The bases for this assignment of responsibility were the vast profits accrued by the oil companies from extracting the natural wealth of the Ogoni homeland, none of which were trickling down to the Ogoni.
The national government responded by banning public gatherings and declaring that disturbances of oil production were acts of treason. In spite of the ban, MOSOP went ahead with a massive public mobilization on January 4, 1993. The event, called the first Ogoni Day, attracted about 300,000 people in massive festivities, the largest mobilization of the Ogoni ever conducted. Over the next month as the mobilization continued, one Shell employee (out of thousands) was beaten by an Ogoni mob. As a security measure, Shell Petroleum Development Company withdrew its employees from Ogoniland. This action had very mixed consequences. Oil extraction from the territory has slowed to a trickle of 10,000 barrels per day (1,600 m³/d) (.5% of the national total). However, because the withdrawal was a temporary security measure, it provided the government with a compelling reason to "restore order": resume the flows of oil from Ogoniland and of oil money to national coffers.
On May 21, 1994, four Ogoni chiefs (all on the conservative side of a schism within MOSOP over strategy) were murdered. Saro-Wiwa, head of the opposing faction, had been denied entry to Ogoniland on the day of the murders, but was then detained in connection with the killings. Rivers State Military Administrator Lt. Col. Dauda Komo did not wait for a judicial investigation to blame the killings on "irresponsible and reckless thuggery of the MOSOP element
The occupying forces, led by Major Paul Okuntimo of  Rivers State Internal Security, claimed to be "searching for those directly responsible for the killings of the four Ogonis." However, witnesses say that they engaged in terror operations against the general Ogoni population. Amnesty International characterized the policy as deliberate terrorism. By mid-June, 30 villages had been completely destroyed, 600 people had been detained, and at least 40 had been killed. An eventual total of around 100,000 internal refugees and an estimated 2,000 civilian deaths were recorded.
On 10 November 1995 nine activists from the movement, among them the playwright Ken Saro-Wiwa, were hanged by the Nigerian government on charges of "incitement to murder". The Commonwealth, which had pled for clemency, suspended Nigeria's membership in response.
The Human Rights Watch published report: The Ogoni Crisis: A Case-Study of Military Repression in Southeastern Nigeria, 1 July 1995, contains further details of the repression against Ogoni People and MOSOP in the early nineties.
Ogoni Day observances and protests were held under military occupation on January 4, 1996. Five or six protesters were killed in the town of  Bori.


ECONOMY
The Ogoni are an agricultural and fishing society. Yam and cassava farming are important ways of making a living, although the revenues of these products are not very high. The most important export product of Nigeria is oil, but the Ogoni people have never profited from these exports.

 two women and their children cleaning cassava, one of the main staple crops in Bodo,Gokana,Niger delta

Once the 'food basket' for the Niger Delta and beyond, Ogoniland's agricultural production has now been severely reduced. This is partly due to loss of farmlands through oil polution and partly to soil fertility problems arising from acid/alkaline rain caused by gas flaring. Large areas of fresh and salt water resources as fishing grounds have also been rendered useless by oil spills. Food is becoming increasingly expensive and potential farmers are too poor to pay for seeds and labour.

                                   Ogoni fisherman with wood

Poverty has worsened in the Ogoni areas during the last years. Nearly all oil workers are people coming from outside the area whom the local people have had to compete with for basic commodities. Besides the oil installations and refineries there are no manufacturing industries in Ogoni to reduce unemployment. This situation increasingly results in psycho-social degradation.

                                Mat makers,Ogoniland,Nigeria

There are no government projects to address the problems of development in Ogoni-land. Health facilities are almost non-existent and school buildings are collapsing with the classrooms and laboratories empty. Attracting foreign aid to Ogoni-land has been difficult and a couple of community self-help initiatives by the people were branded 'MOSOP-inspired' and stopped.
Ogoni-land is in total economic isolation by the government and most roads have been left to wear, making transportation extremely difficult.

The environmental costs of the oil exploration have been and still are, very high. The agricultural and fishing communities experienced huge oil spills and pollution of drinking water, fishing grounds and farmlands. Large flares burnt gas from the oil extraction process, illuminating the sky day and night and polluting the air. The 1970's brought increasing activity from the oil companies, claiming more space in an already crowded territory, and resulting in a deteriorating environment and in decreasing crop yields and fish catches.

OGONI FESTIVALS


Socially, the Ogoni is endowed with a large variety of cultural practices. These include masks and masquerades, human figure representation of the ancestors, as maybe used in Ka-elu performances and the puppet shows which are performed exclusively by the Amanikpo Society. Majority of these cultural performances in this relatively small region are extraordinarily varied. Most if not all, Ogoni villages have their own festivals, some of long standing, others introduced within living memory. The festivals are mainly held to commemorate the founding of the villages, to pay allegiance to particular ancestral land or water spirits, to mark the planting and harvesting seasons, for the fertility deity, to recognize the taking of titles, to restore peace in troubled community, to maintain cohesion within social groupings and for general entertainment.
The Karikpo Mask/Masquerade
Of all their known festivals and masquerades, the mask style for which the Ogoni are probably most renowned is the one called Karikpo. The Marikpo mask represents animals and is worn on the front of the face by men and boys. It is used for vigorous acrobatic play, performed originally during planting and harvesting seasons for fertility, new yam festivals, and burial ceremonies of members and recently for Christmas and New year celebrations, including reception for a distinguished guest or an illustrious son. The masquerade

The Ogoni are renown for their carved masks and traditional dancers are an important part of many ceremonies in Bodo. Shown here are members of the Kanutete cultural dance group in 2002.

Performance is believed, especially in Khana to have originated in a certain community known as Bien-Gwara. Although there may not be substantial proof to this, but it is believed the community’s interaction with the Ibibios of Akwa Ibom State, where Ekpo mask has its provenance, may have influenced its adaptation and modification hence its name Kari (Carved) Kpo (Ekpo). Membership into the Karikpo Society does not require an elaborate ritual or initiation, but an intending member is made to provide items like a bottle of gin, palm wine, a plate of oiled fish. These would be eaten by the members who then accepts him as one
of them.

SOURCES: kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com.ng,wikipedia.org,logbaby.com

Obasanjo, who recalled how he led Nigeria to exit the Paris Club and how he pursued public service reforms, regretted that the gains he made had been reversed.
The former president made the remarks at the conference of Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy, ISGPP, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The former President stressed the need for government to kick out all forms of corruption in the polity, provide jobs for unemployed youths and be committed to change.
READ FULL NEWS....

=> Buhari To Speak To EU Parliament In France, Source Says He Will Also See Doctors - Sahara reporters

President Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to depart for France on Wednesday to address a special session of the European Union Parliament in Strasbourg.
by Sahara Reporters, New YorkFeb 01, 2016
President Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to depart for France on Wednesday to address a special session of the European Union Parliament in Strasbourg.
President Muhammadu Buhari TravelingState House/ Bayo Omoboriowo
A statement on Monday by presidential spokesman Femi Adesina disclosed that he will travel on to London where he will reportedly attend an event on Syria. The trips follow closely on the heels of a just-ended state visit to Kenya, as well as to Ethiopia for a meeting of African leaders.
A SaharaReporters source said that during his visit to the United Kingdom, he will undertake a visit to medical doctors in a London hospital.
Our presidency source said President Buhari agreed to participate in the Syrian event because it provides a perfect cover for the medical visit.
The source further said there has been a debate within the presidency about the medical visit, with some of his handlers arguing that the Syrian meeting provides a perfect alibi as the President should not be seen to be sick less than one year after taking power.
READ FULL NEWS


 => ''Jonathan's Government Bought Substandard Weapons'' - Alhaji Lai Mohammed - Dailytimes

The Federal Government has said whatever weapons that were procured by the Jonathan Administration for the military to prosecute the war against terrorism were substandard and could not have been responsible for the string of successes recorded by the military in recent times.
In a statement issued in Abeokuta on Monday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described as unfortunate and unsubstantiated the statement credited to former President Goodluck Jonathan attributing the recent successes in the war to the weapons allegedly bought by his Administration that were delivered after he had left office.
He said the present Administration owes it a duty to put the record straight, especially because the issues raised by the former President are of public interest and borders on national security.
”The weapons, munitions and equipment which the former President said he bought were refurbished and lacked the basic components and spare parts. Additionally, the ammunition bought for both high calibre and small weapons have mostly expired, incompatible with weapons and grossly inadequate.

          SOURCE

»  Buhari Received Matteo Renzi, Prime Minister Of Italy At The Presidential Villa Yesterday
President Muhammadu Buhari receives the Prime Minister of Italy, H.E. Matteo Renzi on his Official visit to Nigeria in Statehouse on 1st Feb 2016.
 
SOURCE


 => Islamic State enticing Nigerians with $1000 recruitment bonus - Telegraph

The Islamic State is building an “army of the poor” in its new haven in Libya by recruiting foot soldiers from Africa’s poorest communities, The Daily Telegraph has reported.
The terror group’s Libyan chapter is swelling its ranks by offering cash bounties of up to $1,000 to people from neighbouring countries such as Chad, Mali, Nigeria and Sudan.
Libyan officials admit that they are almost powerless to stop the incomers, many of whom reach Libya using existing people-smuggling routes used by African migrants heading to Europe.
Islamic State is copying a strategy first used by Libya’s late dictator, Colonel Gaddafi, who recruited thousands of mercenaries from black Africa to serve in his armies.
In much the same way, the Islamic State’s new “Caliphate” in Colonel Gaddafi’s home city of Sirte now has a growing number of black African fighters.
Colonel Muncif al Walda, a senior police officer in the nearby city of Misrata, said: “Illegal immigration is a menace because it brings and encourages foreign fighters to come and fight with Isil.
READ FULL NEWS....

 => EkitiGate Scandal: Tope Aluko cries out - 'My life is in danger for exposing Ekiti election rigging'- Nigerianeye

Dr. Temitope Aluko, the embattled secretary of the Ekiti state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party who blew the whistle on the alleged rigging of the 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State yesterday alleged that his life was under threat.
NigerianEye recalls that Aluko on Sunday was on air on 'Politics Today' a programme on Channels Televison on Sunday, where he gave a breakdown of how the 2014 Ekiti governorship election was rigged in favour of the PDP governorship candidate, now Governor, Ayodele Fayose.
Dr. Temitope Aluko, who on Sunday spoke of how former President Goodluck Jonathan allegedly gave Governor Ayo Fayose $37 million to prosecute the election and directed that the military should facilitate victory for the then PDP candidate, said he escaped from the hands of “fake security men” on Sunday night.
He also indicted many politicians and military chiefs.
But Fayose described him as desperate and denied the allegations.
Also yesterday, All Progressives Congress (APC) urged the government to prosecute all the people indicted by the ex-PDP chief.
A human rights lawyer, Morakinyo Ogele also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the $37m allegedly given to Fayose by Jonathan.
Aluko said yesterday: “After the live television interview on Politics Today on Channels Television on Sunday at about 9.30 pm, my attention was drawn to the presence of some operatives supposedly from the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), seeking to effect my arrest.

READ FULL NEWS

=>Zika virus: We’re conducting tests on mosquitoes —FG
-Vanguard
As part of preventive measures against possible outbreak of Zika virus, the Federal Government says it has put measures in place to ensure that the virus is not transmitted by mosquitoes in the country.
This is coming as the Director General of the World Health Organisation, WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan is convening an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Zika virus today in Geneva, Switzerland, to ascertain whether the Zika virus outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
Meanwhile, German researchers say they have developed a diagnostic test that can accurately detect the Zika virus in humans. Previously, there was no way to diagnose the illness apart from appearance of the distinctive symptoms.
In a telephone chat with Vanguard, the Director-General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Prof Abdulsalam Nasiru, said already the Federal Government has put in place mechanisms to stop the Zika virus from entering the country.
READ FULL NEWS....

=>Andy Uba, Oduah resume work in Senate despite court judgement -Nigerianeye


The two remaining embattled senators from Anambra State, Senators Andy Uba and Stella Oduah yesterday made a bold appearance in the National Assembly to disprove assertions of their removal from office.
The two senators who were reported by some media channels to have been removed from office on account of the judicial affirmation of the Ejike Oguebego faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, also attended their committees’ meetings unhindered.
Their action nonetheless, lawyer to the Oguebego faction, Chris Uche, SAN yesterday, wrote the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, asking the body to withdraw the certificates of return issued to Andy Uba and Oduah. Uche in the letter sighted by Vanguard also asked the commission to issue certificates of return to the nominees presented by the Oguebego faction.
Senator Uba, PDP Anambra South attended the meeting of the Senate Joint Committees on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions yesterday while Oduah, PDP, Anambra North was in her office attending to visitors and files on her table.
Their presence at the National Assembly caught the attention of staff and visitors, following news reports at the weekend of their sack from office on account of the Supreme Court judgment on the supremacy battle between the contending factions of the PDP in Anambra State.READ FULL NEWS....

=> Adeosun explains Nigeria’s borrowing plans to fund capital projects - TheNation

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Monday revealed government’s strategy for foreign loans that will be used to fund the 2016 budget.
According to a statement from the ministry issued by the Special Adviser to the Minister on Media Matters, Mr. Festus Akanbi, Mrs Adeosun disclosed that one of the options the federal government will explore will be to get credit from multi-lateral agencies like the World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB).
“These Multilateral agencies provide loans on concessional terms, which include low interest, moratorium before repayment and long tenor.”
“The second funding option being explored includes Export Credit Agencies such as China Exim Bank. These funds are also concessional and are tied to specific capital projects,” the statement said.
The balance of foreign borrowing required will be raised in the Eurobond market at commercial rates of interest.
The Minister explained that by blending these different sources of funding, the overall cost of funds will be maintained at the lowest possible level, stating that “as far as possible, our foreign borrowing will be tied to specific capital projects. A number of these projects are revenue generating which will be used to fund the loan repayments.”
READ FULL NEWS....

ENTERTAINMENT

=> Comedian Bovi Speaks On His Mother's Death, Shares Her Photo

Bovi is finally speaking on the passing away of his beloved mother, Dr. Margaret Ugboma. In a Thank You message posted on his Instagram page, few hours ago, the comedian said he spoke with her on the phone one hour before she gave up the ghost. Adding that he is happy to have spent her last days with her. Read his full statement after the cut....
Dr. Margaret passed on a few days ago at age 58. She survived by five children and several grand children....
"THANK YOU! I wanna use this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who reached out to me and my family on the sudden passing of my gift, my rock, my backbone, my pride, my teacher; my dear mother! I had the the divine opportunity of spending her very last days with her. And I spoke to her on the phone barely an hour before she left for glory. Please don't mourn with me anymore. Celebrate her life. Though she was only 58, She left us all with so much that all I need to do is pause and listen and her voice hits me with what to and what not to do. I may not see her again physically. But she lives in me now. And those vices I hid from her as a human being, I can't do anymore because as a saint, she sees and knows all. Rest in peace to my beautiful mother, Dr. Margaret Ugboma. Me, Zino, Tano, Tome and Jiji will always love you. Once again, thanks to all of you. Your messages made us strong. Time to wash, pray and eat. Bless!!!!"
SOURCE

=>Fani-Kayode And Precious Chikwendu Welcome Baby Boy

            
Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode and his beauty queen girlfriend, Precious Chikwendu, have welcomed their first child together.
The proud father took to social media to announce the birth of his first son
FFK, as he is popularly known has four daughters from previous marriages, so this baby boy with Precious is his first son. We can just imagine his excitement.
We will bring you pictures once we get them
SOURCE

=>Ruth Eze: 'I Will Become A Lesbian If Genevieve Asks Me Out'
 
"The Money" crooner Davido,just posted a tweet about giving out 2 whooping million naira to his most loyal fan.
SINCE Ruth Eze came into the movie industry a few years ago, her profile has always been on the rise, and today she’s one of the actresses to reckon with.
However, reacting to the rise of homosexuals in Nollywood, the University of Benin graduate and Imo State-born role interpreter said that she would never be pushed to be a part of such immoralities.
But when pushed further, Eze confessed that her burning, lustful passion for sultry actress, Genevieve Nnaji, could make her have a re-think.
Hear her:“Only Genevieve Nnaji can make me throw caution to the wind and become a lesbian, but fortunately she is not. I am obsessed with Genevieve. She makes me wet! If she tells me to become her partner today, I’ll apologise to God and jump at the offer.
“Anyway, I’m not a lesbian but I am not against them. If they believe they can stand the consequences (of their actions), then they can do whatever they like with their bodies. I have good boobs that both men and women admire and can’t seem to take their eyes off me. My fellow ladies always harass me, to get intimate with them, but I haven’t tried such.”
READ FULL NEWS


=>I don’t need ‘bum bum’ because the one I have is enough – Fathia Balogun - Naij.com

            
Top Nollywood actress, Fathia William popularly called Fathia Balogun, has opened up on the reasons she cannot open her body indiscriminately.
In this interview with Naij.com, the beautiful screen diva also explained why she wears tatoo, why she shaved her hair and decided to wear a new look.
Do you use waist trainer?
No I don’t because it is so uncomfortable, I used it once and that was the end. I like to be very free when I am dressed up. The waist trainer is working for ladies but I cannot use it.
What of bum bum pad?
Why should I wear bum bum when the one I have is enough, I do not need it but if anybody wants to wear is it a free world.
READ FULL INTERVIEW

=>  Comedian Bovi Shares Hilarious Meme Of Toolz & Her Husband Tunde (Photo)

Popular Comedian, Bovi definitely loves to find humor in everything. The comic performer took to his Instagram to share a meme of Toolz and her husband, Tunde Demuren who got married over the weekend.
Bovi was among the list of top celebrities who didn’t make it to the wedding as indicated by his post.
Bovi shared the Meme with the caption:
#whileiwasaway @toolzo and @captdemuren tied d knot (village wise). And this pic captures every mans bride price mood



These Updates Is Brought To You By Apata Bayode Follow Him On Twitter Here

FULL NAME:            Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo

DATE OF BIRTH:      4 April 1962

OCCUPATION:          Politician(Governor)

MARITAL STATUS:  Married



INTRODUCTION 
Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo is the governor of Gombe state as of 2015 after winning his rerun election.





EARLY LIFE AND BACKGROUND 

Dankwambo is a graduate of Accounting with second Class Upper Division from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria between 1981 – 1985, he later obtained a Masters of Science Degree in Economics from University of Lagos, Nigeria and post Graduate Diploma in Computer Science in Delta State University, Abraka.
Today, he is a Fellow and Associate of Six professional bodies and associations which include: Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (FCA);
Associate, Nigeria Institute of Managements(ANIM);
Fellow, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (FCTI);
Member, Nigeria Economic Society (MNES);
Fellow, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (FCIB); and
Fellow, Nigeria Institute of Marketers (FNIM).
Dankwambo’s working career spans across both private and public sector. He started his working career as Coopers and Lybrand International (Chartered Accountants) now Price |Water House Coopers between 1985 – 1988. He later joined the Central Bank of Nigeria in 1988 till 1999 when he was appointed the Accountant–General of Gombe State. His excellent performance is his career progression, attracted him to the Federal Government in its search for a worthy successor to the then Accountant – General of the Federation, who retired in April, 2005. Thus, he was appointed Accountant – General of the Federation on 20th April, 2005. The position he has held till now.

Dankwambo is an outstanding example of excellence. In his quest for knowledge, he attended six International courses in different countries which included:
Harvard University, Boston Massachusetts, USA where he attended a course on Global Financial Systems, Crisis Prospects and Solution.
Stanford University, Stanford Business School for a course on Budgeting and Financial Management in the Public Sector just to mention a few.
Dankwambo has also served in fourteen very sensitive committees which included the following:
Protem Executive Secretary; Forum of Accountant – General and Auditor – General in West Africa (FAAGWA).
Chairman Review of Financial Regulations and other Financial law in Gombe State.
Co-Chairman – Standardization of Federal, State and Local Government accounts in Nigeria.

Sub – chairman Review of Syllabus for Bank Examiners Training.
As the Accountant – General of the Federation, he has introduced landmark programs towards ensuring accountability, transparency and probity. Amongst them are:
He embarked on massive re- organization of the Office to make it more focused, pragmatic and professionally suitable for efficient service delivery.

CAREER AND LIFE 

He was then appointed Accountant General of Gombe State, holding this position until 2005. He was appointed Accountant – General of the Federation on 20 April 2005. He held this office until he resigned to start his campaign for election as Governor of Gombe State January 2011.
In the 26 April 2011 election, Dankwambo won 596,481 votes, ahead of Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) with 91,781 votes and Senator Sa'idu Umar Kumo of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) with 84,959 votes.
As a Governor, Dankwambo lost his deputy Mr. David Miyims Albashi,who died on 4 November 2011 in a German hospital of injuries he sustained in a car crash on August 28 on November 4, 2011. On the 17 December 2011 Alhaji Dankwambo appointed Mr. Tha'anda Rubainu as current Deputy Governor.

In the 2015 Governorship elections he was again re-elected as the Governor under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.(PDP), being the only PDP governor in the North.
He was later dragged to tribunal later same year but the supreme court upheld his election.

in his office

SOURCES: zakariahdg.blogspot.com.ng, wikipedia.org, nigerianbiography.com

FULL NAME:           Rahama Ibrahim Sadau

DATE OF BIRTH:     07/12/1992

OCCUPATION:         Actress

MARITAL STATUS:  Not Married


INTRODUCTION 
Rahama Sadau is a Kannywood Movie actress, she came into industry in 2013 after starring in a movie alongside Ali Nuhu, Rahma is quite known for taking up lead roles in big movies, She speaks Hindi due to her obsession with Bollywood, friends and fans call her Priyanka. She has quite a lot of fans.







EARLY LIFE AND BACKGROUND 

Rahma Sadau she  was born and raised in Kaduna state. She's a graduate of Business Administration and management of Kaduna Polytechnic.
According to her, She has always dreamt of becoming an actress since she was young; so, she never thought otherwise when the opportunity came.

She revealed her mum was not comfortable when she told her of her decision to join Kannywood. Her mother doesn’t want her to be far from her; "she believes actors travel to various locations even outside their states. She was skeptical, but after some time she agreed." she says.

Rahma used to be a dancer she often dances the Hindi dance, she is also a big fan of Bollywood actres Priyanka Chopra, she speaks Hindi fluently and due to that her friends call "Priyanka".

CAREER AND LIFE 

‘Gani Ga wane’ was her first movie. She featured alongside star actor Ali Nuhu.
In an interview she said;  Acting has been my dream for a very long time, but I didn’t have the opportunity until I met Ali Nuhu who shaped my skeptism and showed me a way, and here I am. 

SEE EXCERPTS FROM A REVEALING INTERVIEW;
Q. You’ve been the lead actress already in some of the movies you did, what’s the secret?
(Laughs) I think that’s my destiny to start leading films, not from the minor roles.
Q. Some actors go through a lot of difficulties before landing such big roles. That wasn’t the case with you, should it be attributed to your talent?
They (producers) have their reasons for giving me those roles. Some of them wanted a new face and some believed I was fit for the roles. Either way, it is my destiny to have a strong start.
Q. How is acting alongside Ali Nuhu?
Oh! It’s a dream come true. I almost cried the first day I acted alongside him. I was thinking, is this really me acting alongside Ali Nuhu? Subhanallah! It was a great feeling and he was very supportive and helpful: he showed me how to compose my self… Its great acting alongside him. I hardly slept that day.
Q. How would you describe your first day on shoot?
I was through a strong emotional ride, I was devastated by the confidence and expectation most people placed on me: would I justify it or disappoint them? What if I wasn’t as good as they thought? I was overwhelmed by fear that subsided on realization that I was actually fit to deliver.

Q. What changes in your life after becoming an actress
So many things have changed really: I don’t hang out and talk with half of the people I used to know; new people come in to my life: time becomes very limited and I hardly go out the way I used to. Things have changed that I wonder sometimes if this is really me.
Q. Do you feel like a star already?
(Laugh) I always feel like a star. I have been carrying this ambition and I believed I would achieve stardom one day. I use to see actors like Priyanka and Angelina as my equals. I always see my self as a star.
Q. You are tutored by some as Kannywood’s next biggest actress
(Giggles) That’s a new one. There are bigger actors ahead of me. But you know, that’s what I’m hoping for insha Allah.
Q. We’ve heard you speaking Hindi fluently, have you ever been there?
I have never been to India. I speak the language because I watch a lot of Bollywood movies. I also communicate a lot with some people in Hindi
Q. Why do people call you Priyanka?
Because of that bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra. When people saw the way I love her, they decided to call me Priyanka. I didn’t ask them to. Now you just have to say ‘Priyanka’ if you are really looking for me.
Q. What do you want to achieve as an actress?
Well, I have been thirsty for long. All I want is to act, to quench my thirst and I will get married eventually inshaAllah
Q. …..So marriage plans are imminent I reckon
(Laugh) I wouldn’t say ‘imminent’. Though it’s everyone’s plan. I will marry when the time comes.
Q. Are you single?
Yes. I am single.
Q. So you’re saying Rahma Sadau doesn’t have a boyfriend?
Rahma Sadau doesn’t have a boyfriend. Infact, Rahma is afraid of merging her career with love. Although someday it would happen. The point is, there bound to be problems if I am to merge my career with love. My boyfriend may not even believe me when I say I’m going to a shoot or when he saw me acting a love scene in the movies. We would end up fighting all the time and it would affect my career. Being in a relationship is not a priority at this point. I’d rather focus on my work right now.
Q. What’s the most important lesson that you’ve learnt about love?
I think love has that ability of influencing your life in to something. I’ve learnt a lot. Love has taught me how to talk, how to be myself and how live with people.

Who are your role models?
“My role models are Tiwa Savage and Geneveive Nnaji. As moving now, I’m almost at where I wanted to be. Always dreaming of becoming a successful actress. Now I am! And all I wanted now is to be an international icon.”

AWARDS AND ENDORSEMENTS

Won The Best Actress Award at the African Film Awards in London

face of Kannywood

Rahma with DI'JA

Rahma with Nuhu

SOURCES: premiumtimesng.com,  kannywoodsceneblog.wordpress.com/, dailymail.com.ng, takemetonaija.com

Tony Ogunlowo just sent in another article discussing the status of the country at the moment. Things you should know as a citizen of this country. Check this one out!



             Tough Times Lay Ahead an article by Tony Ogunlowo

Nigeria’s financial outlook is not looking good at the moment and there are tough times ahead.

The price of crude oil, Nigeria’s major earner, is taking a battering on the world markets. With sanctions against Iran being lifted and the Persian states’ ability to produce up to 500,000 barrels per day, the price of crude oil has dropped from about $100 per barrel in 2014 to around $32 in 2016 and analysts have warned that it might drop even further.

With countries, like South Africa, turning away from Nigeria for their oil supplies it means there will be a shortfall in the 2016 N6.08 trillion naira budget recently presented. External borrowing cannot be ruled out and state governors will be going to the FG for bailouts to meet their growing financial obligations.

Cuts are imminent and the Naira will depreciate further against major foreign currencies, already its hovering around 300 naira to a dollar. The President and Governor of the Central Bank will have to fight tooth and nail to stop the devaluation of the Naira altogether.

Growth will drop and inflation will rise; especially now imports are restricted in a bid to conserve whatever foreign exchange there is available. Foreign investment will drop considerably as foreign investors will not invest in an economy where the currency is most likely going to be devalued. So instead of investing they are most likely going to start pulling their money out.

To raise cash there is a possibility oil subsidies will be removed. The recent rapid rise in the price of kerosene is an indication of this.

There will be a lot of belt tightening and a lot of Federal and State capital projects will either be mothballed, postponed or re-structured.

Raising taxes might generate much needed revenue and novice Finance Minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, will have her work cut out for her as she attempts to clean up the nation’s books.

For the ordinary man on the streets this will mean that the price of basic commodities will shoot up. There will still be fuel shortages and many civil servants will still remain unpaid as both state and federal governments struggle to balance their books. There will also be the threat of people being laid off work as employers struggle with the rising exorbitant cost of importing raw materials – that’s if they are not already banned – and the scarcity of foreign exchange which will force many of them to turn to the black market.

Even though the EFCC is doing a great job trying to recover monies pilfered by wayward politicians it’s still not enough to make even a dent in the deficit( - perhaps we can ask Diezani and her cronies to ‘lend’ us a few billions from what they are alleged to have stolen!)

Selling off money wasting assets such as government private jets, getting all politicians to agree to a pay cut and curbing their excessive allowances will be one way to save money. If most civil servants haven’t been paid for ages why should they?

Also, with so many wealthy Nigerians around the government might do well to issue special high rate FGN Treasury Bonds in the hope the economy would have picked up at the time of maturity.

Unfortunately for President Buhari it seems the rapidly dropping oil prices his then government encountered in 1983 – 1985 has come back to haunt him again. Only this time around cost cutting measures will have to be done democratically and not by decree.

SEND IN YOUR ARTICLES TO: tmtnonline@gmail.com

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=> FG Recovers $14million From Jide Omokore's Firm - Premium Times

Nigerian govt. recovers over $14million in unpaid oil royalty from Jide Omokore’s firm
February 3, 2016 Nicholas Ibekwe
The Nigerian government has succeeded in compelling the Chairman of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited, Jide Omokore to cough out over $14m, being crude oil royalty which his company failed to remit to the federal treasury, administration insiders have told PREMIUM TIMES.
High ranking federal officials familiar with the development told this newspaper that the funds were supposed to have been paid between 2011 and 2012 by Atlantic Energy which was, in controversial circumstances, awarded oil assets by the Goodluck Jonathan government shortly after it was incorporated in 2010.
Our sources said the money was finally paid into the Federal Government’s account with JP Morgan Chase on January 29, after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission waded into the matter of recovering taxes due to the Federal Government.
“The investigation of tax defaulters in the dollar-soaked oil industry is continuing,” a source at the EFCC said Wednesday. “Those who failed to willingly pay up stand the risk of arrest and prosecution for tax fraud.” 
READ FULL NEWS


 => Crude Oil Price Rise After Russia Agrees To OPEC Talk-PMnews

Crude oil rose on Wednesday, paring earlier losses, after fresh comments from Russia about its openness to talk with OPEC over output cuts helped revive hope of higher prices.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said if there is consensus among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-OPEC members to meet, “then we will meet”.
This helped push the price of oil, which had been set for a third day of declines after data on Tuesday showed another big build in United States inventories, off the day’s lows.
Brent for April delivery rose 40 cents to $33.12 a barrel, pulling away from a session low of $32.30.
US crude futures rose 46 cents to $30.34, off a session low of $29.40.
“Is there going to be a meeting between Russia and OPEC? That is a supportive factor in this rally that we’ve seen in the last one hour,” PVM Oil Associates analyst, Tamas Varga said.

          SOURCE

» Court Orders Arrest Of Ex-Ekiti PDP Secretary Aluko For Perjury- Ekiti247

A Chief Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital has ordered the State Commissioner of Police to arrest of former State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Temitope Aluko over alleged perjury.
Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye gave this order today, upon a Motion Ex-parte number MAD/10cm/2016, filed by the Ekiti State Government against Mr Aluko and the State Commissioner of Police, pursuant to Section 117 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, law of Ekiti State 2012, Section 79 of the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2014 and Section 23 (D) of the Magistrates’ Courts Law 2014.
In the Motion, which was filed and moved by the State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr Gbemiga Adaramola, an order of the court was sought to issue warrant of arrest against Mr Aluko to be executed by the State Commissioner of Police for the purpose of committing him (Aluko) for trial for the offence of perjury. Chief Magistrate Adegboye said the order was granted as a means for the first defendant (Aluko) to attend the court for defence. 
READ FULL NEWS


 =>Corruption Will Fight Buhari; APC Will Break; Mass Sack In NNPC, Banks – Primate - Dailypost

Primate Elijah Ayodele, Founder and Spiritual Head of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has given more predictions for 2016.
The cleric yesterday gave revelations on the incumbent government, war against corruption, public office holders, royal gathers, religion, security, among others.
Below are some of his prophesies:
“I see that Ebola is still very much around Africa Nations. And Nigeria health sector must be weary of this, we must not take another strange disease in the land lightly. We must pray against more unexpected diseases, outbreak of diseases and Cholera. Let’s pray against bird flu.
“Pope Francis should pray for good health. He will escape assassination. I see changes in African Union leadership. AU will face challenges over funds and security. There will be crisis in CAF. Issa Hayatou should pray for good health and not to lose any one in CAF.
“Buhari is very sincere about his war against corruption. But I see him shooting himself in the leg because he is going to take on some powerful people in this war and they are going to fight back big time. I see more people being exposed for corruption that will shock Nigeria.
“I see death of a popular Islamic scholar and a top pastor. I foresee bombing of mosques. I foresee crisis in religious sector. I see crisis in Anglican Church and Methodist churches. Churches have to go into prayers because I see serious crisis.
“There will be problems in the Senate and House of Reps. The Senate President will face challenges despite his efforts. Allegations against him will be politicized and at the end of the day, there will be call for his removal. The Speaker should pray to succeed; he will face setbacks. Money will cause problems in the green chamber.”
READ FULL NEWS....

 =>$2.1bn scandal: ThisDay publisher, Obaigbena, returns N350m- Punch


READ FULL NEWS

=>EFCC traces huge cash to military chiefs’ wives, kids - The Nation
READ FULL NEWS....

=>Boko Haram war: Buhari assures EU of human rights protection - The Nation


READ FULL NEWS....

=> Shocking! Nigeria’s debt rise to N1.31tn in one year -Naij.com

Nigeria’s debt rose from N11.24tn as of December 31, 2014 to N12.6tn at the end of 2015  

-The debt rose with a difference of N1.31tn, increasing by 12.1 per cent

– External debts of both tiers of government rose from $9.71bn as of December 31, 2014 to $10.71bn as of December 31, 2015

Despite the growing economic hardship in the country, Nigeria’s debt rose by N1.31tn in one year, the Debt Management Office (DMO) has revealed.
According to the statistics released by DMO, the country’s total debt rose from N11.24tn as of December 31, 2014 to N12.6tn at the end of 2015 with a difference of N1.31tn, increasing by 12.1 per cent.
According to the report by Punch newspaper, the total debt is made up of the external debt of the federal and state governments, the domestic debts of the Federal Government as well as the domestic debts of the states.
External debts of both tiers of government rose from $9.71bn as of December 31, 2014 to $10.71bn as of December 31, 2015. This shows a rise of $1bn or growth rate of 10.37 per cent within the period.
The domestic debt of the Federal Government, which is the biggest component of the debt burden, rose from N7.9tn as of December 31, 2014 to N8.84tn in the 12-month period.
READ FULL NEWS....

ENTERTAINMENT

=> Singer Sound Sultan Buys Phantom Rolls Royce

 

The MTN ambassador and naija ninja boss posted this picture of his new ride on instagram and he captioned it:  Thank you God for my new .......................................watch .lol 

And fans have started a debate if its the watch or the car or both that he's thanking God for 

SOURCE

=>American star Ciara expected to perform at Dare's concert this february


            
Nigerian R&B sensation Darey Art-Alade has disclosed plans for his highly anticipated Love Like a Movie (LLAM) concert which is billed to hold on Sunday, February 28, 2016.
This year’s edition of the concert will feature American music star, Ciara, as international guest artiste.
With plans in place for the Grammy award-winning singer to come to Nigeria, it makes it the third of its kind that Darey is bring in an American star for his LLAM concert.
Previous editions in 2013 and 2014 saw reality TV star Kim Kardashian and American music star Kelly Rowland as featured celebrities.
This year’s edition is expected to hold at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites, Victorial Island, Lagos.
READ FULL NEWS

=>Three Veteran actors star in one movie
 
Popular filmmaker and comedy entrepreneur Opa Williams is set to release another hilarious movie called The Three Wise Men.
The movie stars veteran actors like Richard Mofe Damijo, Zack Orji, Victor Olaotan, Tina Mba and Ebele Okaro.
The movie, funded by the Bank of Industry (BOI), is directed by Patience Oghre Imobhio.
The Three Wise Men is a dramatic comedy that humorously presents the follies of three aged men. The comedy satirizes the actions and intents of three elderly men in their mid/late 60’s who struggle to re-live their lost youth.
READ FULL NEWS


=> Linda Ikeji clears the air the air on rumored engagement

            
On Tuesday, January 2, it was reported that celebrity gossip blogger Linda Ikeji is set to walk down the aisle before the end of the year and has been making various plans in order to make that day a memorable one.
As the news got far and wide through the social media platform, Linda Ikeji took to her twitter account to clear the air on her rumored marriage plans. The celebrity blogger tweeted saying: “Lol. All these stories that I am engaged and getting married. Thanks for wishing me well. Unfortunately, I’m still single and searching.”
SOURCE

=> Wizkid makes list of 12 innovative humans with coolest sounds

If 2015 was great for Wizkid 2016 promises to be better as early as February international recognition has started pouring in for the starboy singer.
US magazine FADER has just published a list of 12 innovative singers who have what they described as ‘the coolest’ sounds, and Nigeria’s star boy Wizkid made the fifth position.
Excerpts :
“The summer of 2015 was unusually full of collaborations between African stars and big-name U.S. rappers—the Ghanaian rapper Sakordie teamed up with Ace Hood, and the Nigerian Afro-pop singer Davido with Meek Mill—but no song has been as wide-reaching as “Ojuelegba.” Even before Drake came near it, six months after its initial release it was simmering toward anthem status across Africa. The original is arguably even better than the remix, which omits the Dr Dre “Nuthin’but a ‘G’Thang” sample—just one highlight of the production by Wizkid’s longtime collaborators Legendary Beatz. “I knew it was a good song,” Wizkid says, “but I didn’t expect it to blow up the way that it did.”
“Wizkid is already famous in his native Nigeria, but thanks to a couple clutch co-signs and Ojuelegba —his 2015-defining smash, named for a heaving Lagos suburb—he’s getting a global embrace,” the magazine said in its statement.”

SOURCE

=> Nigerian actor Olumide Bakare cries out for help on hospital bed (Photos)

 

One of Nigeria’s gifted and talented actors Olumide Bakare is crying out for help.

The veteran actor has been critically sick for a while now and reported to be in the intensive care unit of  (UCH) Ibadan since Saturday, January 2.
But his health condition is worsening and the medical situation has prompted him to call on good-spirited Nigerians to come to his aid financially.
Bakare is said to be suffering from lungs and heart related ailment and his bill has accrued that he cannot foot it again. He lamented that the debilitating ailment has inflicted a huge strain on his finance as he has spent over a million naira on his worsening health.
Bakare presently needs about thirty thousand naira daily for dialysis and he is asking Nigerians to come to his aid both financially and spiritually.
He cried out: “This is beyond me; I can no longer handle this on my own. I need financial assistance. Help me to beg Nigerians to help me so that I will not die. I need their prayers to survive this.”
Bakare has also asked Nigerians to assist him. Good spirited Nigerians willing to help him are to send their widow’s mite to his ECOBANK account, account number A/C No. 3872003592, account name is Olumide Bakare.

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These Updates Is Brought To You By Apata Bayode Follow Him On Twitter Here

So, its 2016 and T.I.N Magazine have decided to list out the richest actors in the country cutting across the three huge movie industries we've got in Nigeria.

Well, this ranking is basically judged based on media reports on each personality you will find on this list. We used endorsements, number of movies produced, and other professions each of them has got. So we are going to list out ten actors that we believe are the richest in the movie industry as of 2016.

10] Osita Iheme

pawpaw

He is definitely one of the most famous people in Nigeria, he is also known by many as; "PawPaw". He used to act alongside his partner; Chinedu Ikedieze, he has featured in a lot of movies since starting his career and he and his partner are definitely among the people who shaped Nollywood. He is a brand ambassador of many big brands in Nigeria.



9] John Okafor

ibu

Popularly known as "Mr Ibu", he is definitely among the starters of Nollywood, he has featured in many sold-out movies, he is known to be a comic character and a comedian too. John Okafor is a movie producer and a director. He is also a brand ambassador of many big brands in the country, Not to mention he also one of the highest paid actors and a businessman.



8] Mike Ezuruonye

Mike

Mike, is very well a popular actor in Nigeria, he is one of the most featured actors in Nigeria and he is one of the highest paid, He's got movies of his own too. Mike is an ambassador for Airtel Nigeria. He is often used for several ads too.


7] Desmond Elliot

Elliot

He's been concluded no.6 on this list. The prolific actor, director and filmmaker is a huge brand at the moment. He has featured in many Nollywood and Yoruba movies; he is a well, trained filmmaker and director with quite some huge movies to his name. He's got some huge brands endorsements. In 2015 he was elected a member of the House of assembly in Lagos state.


6] Ali Nuhu

Ali

The biggest star in the Hausa movie industry, Kannywood, he is also a Nollywood and Gollywood actor, he's been in the industry for quite a long time and he has featured in a lot movies. He features in TvSeries and more. Ali is definitely A-list in Nigeria, he's the most featured and most sought after actor in Kannywood. He is also a brand ambassador to many big brands like; GlO, OMO, SAMSUNG and more, he is also the face of many big brands in the North and Nigeria as a whole. He is also a movie producer with huge movies to his name.

5] Nkem Owoh

Osuofia

He is quite known by many as; Osuofia and he is sure among the starters of Nollywood, he is a comic actor who has featured in a lot of movies, he is a very serious filmmaker, he has made several hit movies not to mention he charges high when featured in movies. He is an MTN brand ambassador, and he is often use for several advertisements.


4] Odunlade Adekola

Odunlade

Well, he is not from Nollywood but from the Yoruba movie industry, Odunlade is sure the most famous, most sought after and the most featured Yoruba actor in Nigeria at the moment. He's got several endorsement deals to his name, we discovered the actor has been chosen by many big brands within Ogun state and Lagos to be their brand ambassador, he's been a GLO ambassador since 2011. Odunlade is the biggest star in the Yoruba movie industry, not to mention he is a very serious movie producer with tons of hit movies he makes yearly.


3] Ramsey Nouah

Ramsey

He is no stranger to any of us, Ramsey has been a star in the industry since the 90s, Ramsey is an actor who has featured in a lot of big movies in his career not just Nollywood alone but Hollywood as well. We learnt the actor charges quite some heavy amount to feature in movies. He is an actor with multimillion endorsement deals, and also a movie producer.


2] Jim Iyke

Jim

He is quite known to anybody who watch Nollywood movies, Jim Iyke is no doubt an A-LIST actor and he is one with a big brand. Jim is said to have featured in over 150 films and counting... He is definitely among the most paid actors in Nollywood, and he is an ambassador to several brands locally and internationally. He is a movie producer and director and a known Philanthropist with his own foundation. He is not just an actor but an entrepreneur too.


1] Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD)

RMD

He is one of the starters of Nollywood, this man has been in the industry quite a while now, formerly a journalist and a publisher, he is a politician and was once appointed commissioner in Delta state. RMD is one of the highest paid actors in Nollywood and he's featured in quite a lot of movies since starting his career. RMD is also a certified movie producer.

NOTABLE MENTIONS AFTER THE TOP TEN: Chinedu Ikedieze, Olu Jacobs, Yemi Blaq, Emeka Ike, Kanayo O Kanayo, Chidi Mokeme and Pete Edochie


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Hello readers, Inside this post you will find trending important news in Nigeria this morning, you will find news that are of concern to Politics,Entertainment Economics,Locals and more... We update this page twice daily; morning and evening. CHECK BACK LATER TODAY FOR EVENING UPDATE...




 TOP NEWS IN NIGERIA TODAY(MORNING EDITION)

CHECKOUT OUT TODAY'S TOP NEWS:

=> Immigration Set To Recruit 5,000 Personnel Soon - The Nation

Replaces dead, retired, officers with over 200 people in the North-East
Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), will soon commence the recruitment of 5, 000 officers, following government approval, NIS Public Relations Officer, (PRO), Ekpedeme Kings disclosed Thursday.
The 5, 000 vacancies, Kings said were: “approved under the past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan for fresh recruitment in 2012, which is still pending.”

Speaking with our correspondent on the alleged recruitment scam in the NIS, the immigration spokesman said the service has not started any fresh recruitment.
He explained that the immigration only carried out over 200 replacements of officers that died in the North –East zone following the attacked by the Boko Haram sects, resignation and retirement of its personnel at the junior cadre within the last few years.
It would be recalled that there was a report in a National Daily (not The Nation) early this week with the caption: “NIS in fresh recruitment scam”.
READ FULL NEWS....


=> Ogun Confirms First Lassa Fever Case, Places 60 People Under Watch - MyNigerianNewsPaper

The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, on Thursday said the state had recorded the first case of Lassa fever.
Ipaye said this during a press conference held at Oke Mosan in Abeokuta, thestate capital.
He identified the index case in the state as a 28-year-old lady, “discovered on Wednesday February 3 at 8:10pm.”
Ipaye said the victim had travelled to Ebonyi for a burial and returned to Ogun on January 15, and later started manifesting the symptoms of the viral disease.
He said, “The victim had accessed treatment at Ruby Medical Centre, Ota. She was said to have been moved another hospital, Central Specialist Hospital, Ota. It was the management of the Central Specialist Hospital that called the state Ministry of Health.”
“We moved in immediately and took her in. We have shut the two health facilities for decontamination.”
Ipaye said the victim had been transferred to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, one of the isolation centres for the disease.
He added, “The confirmatory test was done and the result came in last night. We started emergency procedures immediately and she has been moved to the isolation centre in Sagamu.
READ FULL NEWS


 =>Nigeria achieves incredible records in electricity generation - Dailypost

History has been made in the nation in aspect of power generation as the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) recently announced an increase in megawatts of electricity generated.
On Wednesday, February 3, the TCN disclosed that the nation has generated about 5, 074 megawatts as well as the highest maximum daily energy of 109, 372 megawatts hour which have been duly apportioned to electricity distribution companies in Nigeria.
Confirming the development, the deputy general manager on public affairs of the TCN Clement Ezeolisah said the new achievement is pleasing as the previous peak generation was 4883.9 megawatts of electricity.
According to Daily Post, Mr. Ezeolisah said the new peak generation was attained on Tuesday, February 2, 2016 at 9.30pm.
The statement from the TCN reads: “The System Operator, TCN, is pleased to announce the attainment of a new record peak generation of 5,074.7MW and also the highest maximum daily energy wheeled nationwide of 109,372MWH on February 2, 2016.
“The new peak generation of 5,074.7MW was attained at 9.30p.m. on February 2, 2016. While the previous peak generation was 4883.9MW achieved on November 23, 2015, the previous highest maximum daily energy wheeled nationwide was 107,142.32MWH recorded on January 26, 2016.”

          READ FULL NEWS..

» Shocker! Female corper allegedly gets pregnant for JSS 2 male student - Naij.com

According to report by a twitter user, @d_yaeger, a female member of the National Youth Service Corps in Osun state (NYSC) allegedly got pregnant for a male junior secondary school 2 student.

SOURCE


 =>Jealous wife confesses her husband is "Emir of Boko Haram" - Naij.com

Emerging reports suggest, that a jealous wife has made confession of her husbands role within the jihadist sect- Boko Haram
According to Chief Bisong Etahoben, a jealous wife from Kerawa in Cameroon, has exposed her husband who she claims trains girls, arm them and sends them as suicide bombers to wreck havoc and claim many lives.
The International investigative journalist,  who made the disclosure through his twitter handle, said the wife labeled her husband as “Emir of Boko Haram” – informing that she helped her husband who now lives in Goche, to prepare girls who exploded bombs in Mozogo, Ashigashiya and Kolofata regions of Cameroon.
Below are the exact tweets of the popular journalist.
It would be recalled that on Tuesday, February 2, Chief Etahoben reported that Cameroonian chiefs asked President Paul Biya to give them permission to use witchcraft to fight the deadly Boko Haram sect.
According to him, the chiefs who were worried by the continued rise of terror acts in some local governments, approached their president to grant them authorization to fight off the insurgent group using black magic.
SOURCE

 =>  Pro-Biafra militants release hijacked ship, hold hostages- DailyTrust


A ship reportedly hijacked by pro-Biafra militants has been released although members of the crew are still being held hostage.
A group of supposedly former militants hijacked a ship off the Bakassi Peninsula coastline and threatened to blow it up along with its foreign crew if Nnamdi Kanu is not released.
The arrest and continued detention of the director of Radio Biafra has sparked protests in some parts of the country with the hijacking of the Greek-owned vessel being the latest attempt to get the government to release him.
According to Washington Post, Dirk Steffen, maritime security director of Denmark-based risk intelligence told Association Press that the ship sailed to Cotonou after the hijackers disembarked and took with them the captain, chief engineer, third engineer, the electrician and a fitter.
READ FULL NEWS....

=>Biafra: MASSOB gives FG new condition - Vanguard
The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has given new condition to the Federal Government.
The pro-Biafra group in a statement issued by its director of information, Samuel Edeson on Thursday, February 4 in Enugu state, told the federal government to immediately conduct a general vote by the electorate in the South East geopolitical zone on the single political question.
Vanguard reports that the group said the referendum would act as a forerunner to secession or the government should embrace a total shutdown of socio-economic activities in the region and others.
MASSOB threatened to use all its power to make Nigeria ungovernable if the federal government refused to adhere to its demand.
Parts of the statement read: “We shall use everything at our disposal to fight Nigeria Government especially through civil disobedience.
“We are going to call for sit at home in all Biafra land and Lagos. MASSOB will drag former president Olusegun Obasanjo to the International Crime Court, ICC, for all the atrocities he committed against Biafra since 1970.
“The massacre of Odi people, the Tiv, Jukum and the massacre of MASSOB members in Aba, Okigwe and Onitsha including the killing of six Igbo traders in Apo, Abuja. MASSOB will be taking her campaign to United States of America, United Kingdom, France and China embassies in Abuja. MASSOB therefore calls on all people of old eastern region, Delta, parts of Kogi and parts of Benue States to support the referendum that would soon take place in Biafraland. Our freedom is nonnegotiable.”
SOURCE

=> Alleged false declaration of assets: Supreme court to  decide Saraki’s fate today -Vanguard

ABUJA—The   Supreme Court will today, deliver judgment on the appeal seeking to quash the 13-count charge the Federal Government filed against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Bureau.
The judgment will be delivered by a seven-man panel of Justices of the apex court, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed.
The government had, in the charge it filed before the CCT, alleged that Saraki tampered with the assets declaration form he filled prior to his emergence as the Senate President.
He was said to have  deliberately manipulated the assets declaration form by making anticipatory declarations.
Aside the allegation that he operated a foreign bank account while in office as a public servant,  Saraki was also accused of acquiring wealth  beyond his legitimate earnings.
READ FULL NEWS....

=> Dasukigate: Ex-APC Chieftain, Tom Ikimi Arrested By EFCC - Sahara Reporters
Tom Ikimi, a former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and ex- minister of foreign affairs to late Nigerian dictator General Sanni Abacha has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over his role in the arms fund saga.
An EFCC source told Saharareporters that Ikimi had been grilled at their Abuja office over two days and allowed to go home each day after interrogation because of his health.
The source said Mr. Ikimi, who decamped from the APC to support former President Goodluck Jonathan bid for a second term, was involved in the $2.1billion arms funds scandal.
SOURCE

ENTERTAINMENT

=> ‘I am sincerely proud of you’- Veteran filmmaker, Tade Ogidan commends Kunle Afolayan on ‘CEO’ - Thenet.ng

 

=>"Couple Of Days" - A Family Romantic Comedy, featuring Falz, set to the Nigerian cinemas this 5th February - Linda Ikeji


            
Couple Of Days is an intrigue-filled family romantic comedy, which is set to hit the Nigerian cinemas this Friday, 5th February 2016. The anticipated RomCom, which features our hilarious Falz theBahd Guy, is a must see this love season; And also starring in this movie are some of the finest upcoming Nollywood acts - Lilian Esoro (Clinic Mattersand Secret Room) Adesua Etomi (Brave and Fallen)
Kiki Omeili (Lekki Wives and Gbomo Gbomo Express) Enyinna Nwigwe (Black November and Silver Rain) Okey Uzoeshi ( Two Brides and a Baby and BeyondBlood) Ademola Adedoyin (The Island and October 1) and the movie debut of the rising music talent and popular comedian, Falz the Bahd Guy . The movie, was directed by Tolu Awobiyi, Alias LordTanner and produced by Ayo Orunmuyi.
The story follows the lives of three couples who decide to head out on a weekend getaway to Ibadan, however their happy break is botched… which leads the partners asking - Does love really last more than a couple of Days? This movie delivers a fresh and unique angle to the conventional weekend getaway storyline, guaranteeing to give guests a run for their money at the cinemas.
The film was set in the ancient city of Ibadan.And it’s being distributed by FilmOne Production & Distribution. Recently, the International News magazine, Newsweek (Online) ratedCouple of Days, ‘’the 4th most anticipated nollywood movie in 2016 that audiences should see’’.
WATCH TRAILER
SOURCE

=>Comedian I Go Dye touches on failure to attend university, comedy and fulfillments

Nigerian comedian Francis Agoda more popularly referred to as I Go Dye has revealed that he once turned down an offer to go abroad for studies.
In an exclusive chat with Punch, the comedian said he once had an opportunity to go study Structural Engineering at the University of New York but he turned it down.
He joked about it saying he probably could have died if he had followed that path.
He said: “I probably could have died by now if I decided to become a Structural Engineer.”
He shed some light on his past saying he was once part of the Junior Engineering Technical Society which helped him express himself in aspects of creativity.
In those early years, as young as 12, he claimed he used the chance the engineering group gave him to build little gadgets and machines like a radio transmitter, a hovercraft, a mini helicopter and a battery table fan among other things.
These ingenuity helped him secure a scholarship to travel abroad in 1992, a move he refused to pursue.
But the entertainer said he chose comedy over a formal education because of the fulfillment he draws from it.
He said:“Academic pursuit depends on personal interest. I am still acquiring knowledge on a daily basis. There is no limit to educational quest. The truth of the matter is that life is a choice. Until you do things you love, you cannot really be happy. Those things I built at the time are still part of my life today. But I chose comedy because that is where my love lies.
“I started building things at the young age of about 12. At a point, I was no longer really comfortable with that path of life.”
READ FULL NEWS


=>I Have Been Fortunate To Start & Run Two Major Music Labels In Nigeria- Says Donjazzy

Donjazzy said this on his Instagram page. while sharing photos of the former Mo Hitz music crew.SOURCE

=> Omotola Re-signed As BO16 Ambassador Ahead Of Birthday (photos)

Award winning actress Omotola has just been re-signed for one more year as Ambassador for BO16 hair range by Ghanian cosmetics giant Ghandour . Rocking her Natural hair, Omotola whose birthday comes up on the 7th of February was surprised by over 400 marketers of BO16 presenting her an early birthday cake and singing birthday songs. The outstanding actress and philanthropist was wearing a peach top and black trousers with impeccable makeup by Ghanian ace makeup artist sandra Don-Arthur. Also in attendance was her business manager , Michael Djaba and Alli Ghandour . Many of the women who travelled to Accra from different states said it was their happiest day Ever.
SOURCE


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FULL NAME:           Yemi Olatunji

DATE OF BIRTH:     May 19(year unknown)

OCCUPATION:          Actor,Filmmaker

MARITAL STATUS:  Married


INTRODUCTION 

Yemi Blaq is a Nigerian actor who came into industry in 2005, he has featured in over 250 movies which shows how hardworking he is. He is one of the most famous in Nollywood, He is also a hardworking movie producer.







EARLY LIFE AND BACKGROUND 

 In his words:
I always wanted to act, I always love acting. I used to act back in school days. I studied theatre arts in school. I travelled and after I came back I joined AGN (Actors Guild of Nigeria) in the year 2005


CAREER AND LIFE 

Lost to lust was the movie that gave him a breakthrough, it was his first lead role movie with Mercy Johnson. "It came out successful and since then every director and producer want me to work for them. Because in the industry if you are good, people tend to utilize your talent, look for you."He says.

After his breakthrough with "Lost to lust" he revealed dorectors and filmmakers were calling upon him to feature in movies.. The actor said he's featured in over 250 movies since starting career. He features in Nollywood movies in Yoruba movies too even though the perscentage of the Yoruba movies he's featured in is very low..

Speaking about his wife and family:
Who is your wife? 
My wife is Remi Ibinola Olatunji Blaq. To me, she’s the best writer in Nollywood. I’m not saying this with any sense of exaggeration. In prose, poetry, script – she’s amazing. We’re coming together to make sure we take Nollywood by storm.
What is the basis of your assertion that your wife is a good writer?
My wife wrote ‘The Distance Between’. You can look it up in the archives and it was directed by Izu Ojukwu. It starred myself, Rita Dominic, Mercy Johnson and Kalu Ikeagwu. It was shot in 2007, amazing piece of work. She’s written works like ‘The Hunting’ for which I won an award in Ireland in 2009 or thereabout. She also has a blogspot. It’s not a statement founded on conjecture or emotional attachment. It’s a statement of fact based on antecedents.

SPEAKING ON RELATIONSHIP WITH JULIET IBRAHIM

You have a very close relationship with Juliet Ibrahim, how does your wife react to that? 
She’s okay with it. My wife is a professional through and through. When we were shooting ‘The Distance Between’, my wife wrote the script. She wrote my character to have a romantic relationship with both Rita Dominic and Mercy Johnson. She was on set while we were shooting and after doing a kissing scene with Mercy Johnson, my wife called me aside and said “That kiss is not real. You need to make it real”. She knows that as long as I’m on set, it’s my job and I’m doing the kissing not because I’m enjoying a kiss from a woman, but because it’s the character doing the kissing, not me. If I kiss a girl outside the set, I’ll have a lot of questions to answer. She knows about me and Juliet.



The prolific actor have many times revealed he has the talent of singing and as of 2016, he's revealed he is going to storm the music industry.


AWARDS AND ENDORSEMENTS 
 
He's won several awards in the industry a few which includes; AMVCA,NEA,CITY PEOPLE and more...



ENDORSEMENTS
Signed a 40million naira endorsement deal with Gulder in 2015.


CONTROVERSIES
The actor is sure a very controversial one; he's been involved in many relationship rumors with co-actors.

Yemi and family

Yemi partying with Juliet

SOURCES: dailytrust.com.ng,vanguardngr.com,encomium.ng,mjemagazine.com, takemetonaija.com

It is quite obvious by now Globacom is the network of the year, they've been making internet data subscriptions a very cheap thing in the country since last year beating down opponent networks. We hereby say Kudos! to these guys...




Just last year November, Glo launched the Twin Bash offer which gave subscribers bonus voice airtime for every data subscribers.

Now, still in the business of boosting communication experiences, Glo has unveiled a new Bumper Data bundle plan.
This plan unveils a ₦3000 data plan for 6GB and ₦4000 for 9GB, both valid for one month.
Whilst the ₦3000 previously offered 4.5GB data, the ₦4000 is totally new.

To get this offer, dial *777# and follow the SMS prompt.Just last year November, Glo launched the Twin Bash offer which gave subscribers bonus voice airtime for every data subscribers.

Now, still in the business of boosting communication experiences, Glo has unveiled a new Bumper Data bundle plan.
This plan unveils a ₦3000 data plan for 6GB and ₦4000 for 9GB, both valid for one month.
Whilst the ₦3000 previously offered 4.5GB data, the ₦4000 is totally new.

To checkout other cheap offer dial *777#.

So, today we bring you an interesting article you would surely like... Here you'll see the 36states Nigeria has got and some certain info about them. Well, don't you think you should checkout what is written about your state? Enjoy the piece below....

                         



Culled from: Naijarchives

1. ABIA STATE

As many might have guessed, Abia is an acronym derived from the name of the four main groups of people in the state as at the time it was formed in 1991. These were the: Aba, Bende, Isuikwuato and Afikpo. Former Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu (hin too dey talk joor) is from Bende while Lambert Ndukwe, one of the richest men in Nigeria in the 50s (he imported stockfish from Northern European nations like Norway and exported cotton back) was from Isuikwato. Afikpo now belongs to Ebonyi State and as for Aba, we all know berra…lol! Okay, let’s roll!


2. ADAMAWA STATE

The area that is now Adamawa State was conquered by Modibbo Adama Bin Ardo Hassan, a warrior of the Ba’en clan of the Fulanis, in the beginning of the 19th century. Modibbo is a Fulani courtesy title that means ‘The Lettered/Learned One’ (in Hausa, it is Mallam). Modibbo Adama was also the regional leader of the Fulani Jihad led Uthman Dan Fodio in 1804. That made the Adamawa Emirate a vassal state of the Sultan of Sokoto. He hailed from the Gurin region (now a tiny hamlet) and got the green flag (to lead the jihad) in 1806. A man of humble beginnings (father was a local teacher and mother, a simple Shuwa Arab lady, according to some historians), he later founded Adamawa Emirate in 1809.

A brave warrior of Dan Fodio, he fought at Ngazzargamu (capital of the old Borno Empire now in Yobe State) and was later ordered by his teacher, Dan Fodio, to return home and become the Lamido Fumbina (the Ruler of the Southlands in Fulfulde, the language of the Fulanis) and then carry out the jihad from the River Nile to the Bight of Biafra (shoooo!). He was followed back to his place by Hausa and Fulani (Toronkawa) fighters. Even trainers and instructors came from as far as the Maghreb (now Northwest Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya) and the Ottoman Empire -in the light of recent events in Nigeria, does this ring any bell at all? Think about that for a minute. Thereafter, he conquered many areas and regions (including incursions into Northern Cameroon where we now have mainly Fulani Muslims), moved his capital to Ribadu, then Joboliwo and eventually died in 1847 in Yola, which he also founded but not after he had formed his new state which he named after himself. His tomb is in Gurin, Furore LGA till today and at the height of his power, Adamawa Emirate stretched 103,000 sq km as far as Lake Chad and had as much as 1.5 million inhabitants. Expansion towards the south was prevented by the thick jungle and tsetse fly (dangerous to cattle). He also founded Garoua in northeastern Cameroon.

Today, his descendants rule as the Lamidos of Adamawa, and the emirate is like the only one in the north in which Hausa is regarded and learnt as a second language. The current one is Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa (a former chairman of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria) whose father, Aliyu Musdafa, was one of the longest-serving traditional rulers in Africa having spent 57 years on the throne. Adamawa (cattle breed), Adamawa Region (in Cameroon), the 4,000 ft-high Adamawa Plateau called Lesdihosere by the Fulanis (in Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic), Adamawa languages such as Chamba-Mumuye, Kim, Mbum, Wiyaa and Laal are all named after him. Okay, enough of Adamawa before my Akwa Ibom friends start to dey vex…lol!


3. AKWA IBOM STATE

One of the richest states in West Africa and the homeland of my much-cherished Ibibio, Annang, Obolo and Oron friends, Akwa Ibom is named after a river, the Qua Iboe (or Kwa Iboe) River. About 20 miles to the entrance of this river is the popular Qua Iboe Offshore Oil Terminal and the Qua Iboe Onshore Oil Field (Oil Mining Lease, OML, 13) (btw, Oando owns 40% of that).

Translating Qua Iboe itself was not an easy task. Some records indicate that the river emptied itself around a settlement in Ibeno called Aqua Obio (meaning ‘Big Town’) but early European explorers corrupted it to become Qua Iboe. Today, Aqua Obio includes Mkpanak and its neighbouring settlements. The river itself originates from the Umuahia Hills in Abia State and travels for about 150 km before it flows N-S and then empties into the Atlantic Ocean through Eket, Ibeno LGA of Akwa Ibom State. Its maximum depth is about 10 metres.

There are fears that discharges from the effluent treatment plants of the nearby Exxon-Mobil company are poisoning the fish and other organisms in the river with heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, lead and chromium. That’s according to a very detailed study carried out in 2006 by scholars from the Medical Biochemistry, Chemistry and Animal Science of the Imo State University and the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. See the references if you are interested in the study. Ok, before I forget, Qua Iboe was also the site of Qua Iboe Mission, the third Protestant Church to arrive Nigeria in 1887. The interesting thing here is that the mission was founded by Samuel Alexander Bill, a British missionary and a Member of the British Empire who devoted his life to preaching to the Efik and Annang speaking people of the area. He is buried at Ibeno on the bank of the Qua Iboe River beside his wife, Gracie and his very first convert, David Ekong. Next!


4. ANAMBRA STATE

Okay, this is pretty straightforward. It was derived from the name of the Oma Mbala (Omambala) River (in Ibo, the native name of the river is Ànyịm Ọma Mbala). Anglicize the pronunciation and you have Madam NAFDAC’s homestate. The river is quite long o, about 210 kilometers, it is a major tributary of the River Niger, the most important below Lokoja. Yep! Let’s keep rolling.


5. BAUCHI STATE

Nicknamed the Pearl of Tourism (check out Yankari). ‘Bauchi’ is Hausa word meaning the southern flanks of Hausaland. Tribes living in the southern parts of the Hausaland were referred to as kasashen bauchi and the area they lived in later came to be known simply as Bauchi. Then, kasashen bauchi included the areas that we now call Bauchi itself, Plateau State, Northern Niger, Southern Sokoto (that includes Yauri and Zuru) and Southern Kaduna (hello to my Barnawa friends). It was a major center for the slave raiders of the day. In another rendition, the state was named for Baushe, a famous hunter who settled there before the 19th century while another states that ‘bauchi’ is Hausa word for slavery since it was a center for slave raiders. You decide.


6. BAYELSA STATE

Famed for being the homestate of our dear President (where the First Lady also known as Mama Ice Cream is also a Perm Sec), Bayelsa is also the place of Samson Siasia and Finidi George. Let’s continue before we delve into football…lol! How the name came about is quite interesting. In the old Rivers State, it was the tradition to use acronyms when naming the local government areas (LGAs). For example, Brass LGA was simply called BALGA, Yenagoa was YELGA while Sagbama was just SALGA. And since it was the people of these three former LGAs of Rivers State that clamoured and fought for the creation of the state forming the State Creation Movement, the name that they finally agreed upon was this:

BA + YEL + SA = BAYELSA. Simple. No long thing.


7. BENUE STATE

It is a word from the Batta language ‘Binuwe’ which means ‘Mother of Waters’. Streams forming watershed from the Adamawa Plateau drain into this mighty river and it has its roots in northern Cameroon. Interestingly, the Benue (La Benoue in French, and it was also formerly called Chadda (Tchadda) River) has many tributaries in the Adamawa Emirate. These include the Beti, Kunini and the Lamorde. During the months of August and September, the river becomes very navigable as it reaches its widest and can stretch up to a mile from bank to bank bringing with it flood plain deposits of fertile soils that has made the state one of the best locations for farming in Nigeria. It reaches its lowest level in March and April and stretching for 1,400 kilometers, it is the longest tributary of the River Niger.


8. BORNO (BORNU) STATE

It has been nicknamed the Home of Peace but you will agree with me that that has to be changed asap! The name was derived from ‘Borno’, an alternative name of the Kanuris who form the predominant ethnic group in the state. Kanuris are also known as Yerwa, Sirata or Beri Beri (known in places like Ilorin as Baruba or Bariba). However, another rendition has it that it means ‘Barr Nuh’, which is Arabic for ‘The Land of Noah’ as it was believed that the Ark of Noah landed there after the Flood. Some historians do not subscribe to this because they believe it is a fancy of some Arabists. You decide.


9. CROSS RIVER

First, it is Cross River State and NOT Cross Rivers State. And yes, it is Rivers State, not River State. Don’t get it twisted. The state took its name from the Cross River (known to natives as the Oyono, and the Manyu River in Cameroon). Flowing through swamps, creeks and inland delta, it joins the Calabar River to end up in the Atlantic Ocean.


10. DELTA STATE

Obviously, it was named for the delta of the River Niger formed as it enters the Atlantic Ocean. The geographical feature formed when a river is about to enter a larger body of water like the sea or ocean is called a delta and there are various shapes.


11. EBONYI STATE

Known for having some of the nation’s finest rice, yams and richest salt deposits, the state was named after the Aboine River which rises from the Enugu Highlands and cuts through Abakaliki, the state capital. It was formed in 1996 under the military junta of the late General Sani Abacha. Geographical name data supplied by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, a member of the United States military intelligence community shows the river flowing not too far from Afikpo too, with its main tributary being the Asu River. The river joins Cross River 10 km to the east of Afikpo (see references). During the colonial times, it was known as the Western Aboine River. One of the major activities along and on the river is sand quarrying. Ebonyi is home to the brilliant Nkwa Umuagbogho and the Amasiri-based Ojianyalere Dancers. You need to see their dances to appreciate. Mehn! They are superb dancers! Nigeria is such a rich country, only if we realize this and concentrate on real matters and not the irritating trivialities you see everywhere today. You can enjoy some of the dances here, like the Ahunanyaekwe Dance Group Afikpo, Ebonyi State.


12. EDO STATE

Hmmmmn, Edo. Initially applied to mean the Bini people (they’ve always called themselves Edo or Iduu, after the progenitor of the Edo race) of the Benin Kingdom (which existed for about 1,000 years before the British conquered it in 1897), Edo today also means the land itself, the culture and the language. It also refers to the adjoining peoples, cultures and languages. The name appears in the royal title of the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo. I must chip it in here that many of the websites of Nigerian state governments were absolutely useless for any form of information gathering. Some were either propaganda pages for the governor or were just too bad -graphics and all. Some states did not even have any website! No online representation or presence at all! In the 21st century, this is a shame. But I must say that a few states have very outstanding websites.


13. EKITI STATE

‘Ekiti’ is a term that is said to denote a settlement of many hills. Hills are common geographical features in Ekitiland and are responsible for the division of Ekitiland into smaller kingdoms and subunits.


14. ENUGU STATE

Also known as Nigeria’s coal city, Enugu derived its name from two local words enu ugwu which means ‘top of the hill’. Amazingly, that itself is a derivative of the village of Enugu Ngwo, which is located just to the west of the city. Enugu City itself is not on the hill, it is actually at the base of a plateau but the village is situated right on top of the hill. I hope Governor Sullivan Iheanacho Chime will triumphantly conquer the particular hill he is climbing right now.

15. GOMBE STATE

Established as emirate during Jihad by Modibbo Buba Yero, a Fulani warrior and student of Uthman Dan Fodio in 1800, the modern-day Gombe State was carved out of Bauchi State. Gombe was known in the 1930s for its groundnuts and for cotton in the 1950s. Today nko? Gombe is mainly populated by Fulanis and the state has been named ‘Gombe’ which is the dialect of Fulani language (Fulfulde) spoken in the area.


16. IMO STATE

This wonderful state is named after the Imo River (Imo Mmiri). Its main tributaries are the Otamiri (a very important river in the state too)and the Njaba, Ulasi, Oramirukwa rivers. According to some, there is a deity (alusi) who owns the river (provides water for fishing, transport and agriculture) and there is a festival for the goddess between May and July during which it overflows its banks. Imo Mmiri is also considered a goddess of fertility and is particularly respected in the Ngwa and Mbaise communities. A bridge crosses the Imo River to connect Rivers State and Akwa Ibom. One of the biggest rivers in Igboland, it starts from the Okigwe/Awka uplands and runs for about 240 km before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.


17. JIGAWA STATE

The state was named after its distinctively golden-coloured soil, Jigawa. Jigawa can also be translated to mean sand or sandy in Hausa. The colour is said to stand for the resilience, strength, determination and endurance that comes with living in the dry Sahel and Savanna, in which the state is located.


18. KADUNA STATE

In Hausa language, kaduna means crocodiles, in apparent reference to the ones living in the Kaduna River. Simple. Kada is singular for crocodile.


19. KANO STATE

The legendary Kano Emirate was said to have been established around the AD 999 and it was named after Kano, a blacksmith of the Gaya tribe who settled in the area while sourcing for ironstone (from which iron can be smelted) around the Dalla Hill. Kano itself was initially called Dalla and would eventually be captured by the rampaging British in 1903.


20. KATSINA STATE

Founded in cc. 1100, Katsina was named for Katsina, the wife of Janzama, the local ruler at that time. She was also a princess of Daura.


21. KEBBI STATE

Of all the 36, I find Kebbi particularly interesting and controversial at the same time. According to the Kebbi Chronicles, the state was founded as a kingdom in 600 BCE by refugees escaping from the Assyrian Empire after its conquest by forces from Babylon and Medes. But that is not all o, in the Chronicles, Mesopotamian kings were listed out as the earliest ancestral kings of Kebbi. It was also deduced that Kebbi (Kabawa) was derived from the Holy Ka’aba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. You really need to read up the scholarly and extremely detailed work of Dierk Lange to get the full gist (see reference on website).


22. KOGI STATE

The name ‘Kogi’ is a derivation of the Hausa word ‘kogi’ meaning ‘river’. The two biggest rivers in Nigeria, the Niger and the Benue form a confluence in the state. Quite simple, isn’t it?


23. KWARA STATE

Created in May 1967 as the West Central State, the name was changed to Kwara (Kuwara, Quarra or Kowara), which is the local name that the Nupes have given to the River Niger which forms the northern border of the state. In Nupenci (Nupe language), Kwara means ‘Sea’ or ‘Lake’ of the Nupes. The Nupes are some of the most amazing and enchanting tribes in Nigeria and they live on both sides of the River Niger (in Kwara and Niger States). For the Nupes in Niger State, the same river is also called Edu, and there are already agitations for the creation of an Edu State for the Nupes. Some Hausas also refer to the River Niger as ‘Kwara’ or Gulbi Nkowora (River Kwara). At almost 4,200 kilometers, it is the 3rd longest river in Africa.


24. LAGOS STATE

Now to the legend, the smallest state in Nigeria but as you know na, gidigba o shilekun. In 1861, the Oba of Lagos ceded the area to the United Kingdom thus becoming a colony and was named the Settlement of Lagos and Dependencies. The indigenous name for Nigeria’s most popular subregion was Eko (you can add Aromisalegbelegbe if you like) but in the 17th century, the name was changed to ‘Lago di Curamo’ by the Portuguese traders and explorers after a port in Portugal which bears the same name and then finally called it Lagos. ‘Lagos’ means lakes (lago = lake) in Portuguese and it was inspired by the many lagoons, rivers and water bodies in the state. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach Lagos in 1472. Till today, the Portuguese/Brazilian influence is still very much visible. Shebi you still remember Joao Esan Da Rocha and his descendants, Fernandez, Cardoso, Faustinho, Vera Cruz, Marinho and the rest na. Make una no go add Aguero for there o grin


25. NASARAWA (NASSARAWA) STATE

There is an interesting story here. The founder of the old Nasarawa Kingdom, Makama Dogo had to form his kingdom before the river because doing so beyond the river would mean all his children would turn pagans. Thus, he cited the kingdom before the river and declared victory (Nasara is the Hausa word for victory) and then named the area ‘Nasarawa’ meaning the ‘Victorious’. Please note: that Nasara (derived from Arabic) is also Hausa word for ‘Christian’ or ‘white man’ but that does not apply in this context. A very interesting dimension to the origin of the word ‘nasara’ is that it came originally from the Greek word ‘Nazaraios’ which meant ‘the man from Nazareth’. Later on, ‘Nazarene’ was the term used to describe the early Christians. This is a direct correlation to the fact that Christ Jesus came from Nazareth, thus the name for his followers.


26. NIGER STATE

The largest of all the 36 in terms of area, the state was named after the River Niger, one of the longest in Africa. Called the nahr-al-anhur or the River of Rivers by the Arabs, the local Tuaregs would later modify the name to become ngereoun meaning the ‘big river’. When the Arab explorer, Leo Africanus wrote, he noted it in 1526 as ‘Niger’ which meant ‘black’ in Latin, like to mean ‘River of the Blacks’. (I hear you o! Exactly what is going on in your mind! LOL!) Especially when you know the meaning of Nigeria….lmao!


27. OGUN STATE

The state of MKO Abiola, Baba Iyabo, General Diya, Professor Wole Soyinka, General Donaldson Oladipupo Diya, Mike Adenuga (rtd), Fela, Tai Solarin, Obafemi Awolowo, Ernest Shonekan, Lateef Adegbite, Prince Bola (Bolasodun Adesumbo) Ajibola and many others is named after the Ogun River. The river courses through the state in a north-south direction before emptying into the Lagos Lagoon and it can be troublesome with its flooding. Among the Yorubas, Yemoja is the mother goddess of women (especially pregnant ones) and of the River Ogun. (Yemoja =Yeye Omo Eja, Mother of Fish-Like Offspring). For some, the river is still worshipped.


28. ONDO STATE

The state was named for the Old Ondo Kingdom. The people inhabiting the area were referred to as the Ondo meaning ‘the settlers’. (Kingdoms of the Yoruba by Robert Sydney Smith. P.52, see other references below or on the website).


29. OSUN STATE

The state was named after the River Oshun (or Osun), believed and worshipped by many as the manifestation of Oshun, one of the wives of Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder. There is annual Osun Osogbo Festival in honour of the goddess. It draws many from all over the globe and is usually quite colourful. The river itself drains into the Lagos Lagoon and the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean).


30. OYO STATE

It was named after the Old Oyo Empire, one of the strongest in Africa. Now a much smaller kingdom, Oyo is headed by the Alaafin (the Owner of the Palace). Old Oyo was known as Katunga and is now a tiny location along the Kwara-Oyo border (a nice place for historical excursion if you ask me). The exact meaning of Oyo itself is shrouded in so much controversy, some accounts even suggest that the name was a foreign word imposed by the Nupe warrior king, Tsoede, when he conquered the Old Oyo Empire. And that’s where it gets murky.


31. PLATEAU STATE
This extremely beautiful but scarred and injured state was named for the Jos Plateau, one of the most breath-taking in Africa. The Shere Hills form the highest point of the plateau at a height of about 6,000 ft. Rivers Kaduna, Yobe, Gongola and Hadejia all take their source from the Jos Plateau. I pray lasting peace comes to Plateau State and all of Nigeria. As Nigerians, we have all it takes to rule the world, only if we can shed our bestial tendencies and see the humanity in all of us.


32. RIVERS STATE

A state criss-crossed by many water bodies, Rivers State (once again, it is not River State) was named for many of the rivers present in the area. Well, this is not funny at all, looking at the barrage of floods the state has had to face, especially in recent times.


33. SOKOTO STATE

Named after the defunct Sokoto Caliphate, an empire that stretched from Burkina Faso to Cameroon. The Caliphate itself once consisted of more than 30 different emirates. Sokoto (or Sakwatto) is the anglicized version of the Arabic word ‘suk’ which means ‘market’ or ‘place of commerce’. Sakwatto Birnin Shehu da Bello means Sokoto, the Capital of Shehu and Bello, in reference to Shehu Usman Dan Fodio, the founder of the Caliphate and first Sultan of Sokoto. Mohammed Bello was his son and second Sultan. Upon his death, his brother, Abu Bakr Atiku took over.


34. TARABA STATE

The 3rd largest state in Nigeria and the home of the Chambas, Mumuyes, Jukuns, Ichens, Wurkums, Mambilas and many others, the state was named after the Taraba River which rises from the hills around Gashaka flows into the River Benue as one of its largest tributaries. It flows along the southern flank of the state and is called Teraba in German (Germany actually tried to colonize that area and succeeded to an extent). Taraba itself is a word that has been given various meanings by the locals who bear it as a surname: from the Arabic taraba ‘to drink’, to ‘gardener’ or even ‘favoured by God’.


35. YOBE STATE

In a place called Fune in this state, there is the Dufuna Canoe which is 8,000 years old. Discovered in 1987 by Fulani herdsmen, it is the oldest canoe in Africa and the third oldest in the world but that is story for another day. The state was named after Komadugu Yobe (Waube or Ouobe) or River Yobe (or River of Yo). In Kanuri, ‘komadugu’ means ‘river’, ‘a mass of water’ or literally ‘water place’. It is also called River Yo or Yeou because it passes through a town of the same name and it enters Chad at the town of Bosso. Please note that at that time, Yo (or Yoo, Yeou) was the most important town in the region, crisscrossed by caravan traders while Wau (or Ouo) was just a small village to the east. Based on this, many historians believe that the proper name for the river is Komadugu Yobe and not Komadugu Waube.


36. ZAMFARA STATE

Mention Zamfara and the next thing that comes to the mind of many is Sharia…lol! Carved out of Sokoto State in 1996 by General Sani Abacha (the Khalifa), Zamfara State that we know today was once a bustling Hausa Kingdom from the 10th to the 18th centuries. Like Gobirawa, Kebbawa and Adarawa, the Zamfarawa people are one of the ethnic (actually, more of linguistic groups) in the state. Zamfarawa is one of the subdialects of Eastern Hausa linguistic group and that is where the name came from. In the past, the area was known for revolts, rebellions and for conducting extensive military raids into neighboring towns and settlements.

See you o! Tired already? LOL! Ok, just one more. Or you thought I’d forget Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory? No! Nigeria’s capital city took its name from the ancient Hausa emirate of Abuja which itself was in turn named after a fortified settlement near Zuba by Abu(bakar) Ja in 1828 (meaning Abu the Red (or Fair-Skinned like some Fulanis), ja is the word for red or fair-complexioned in Hausa). In 1976, a panel headed by Justice Akinola Aguda selected Abuja as the new capital as Lagos was then suffering from overcongestion. Abuja was originally established by the ruling Hausa dynasty of Zaria in the 1600s. And did I tell you? ABJ is Nigeria’s first planned city. Okay, I guess that’s it!

SOURCES: naijarchives.com, takemetonaija.com