NEZITIC

Thursday, 9 July 2015

BUHARI REJECTS OFFER TO BUY N400M ARMOURED CARS FOR HIS USE

President Muhammadu Buhari has rejected an offer by the Federal Government to purchase five new armoured Mercedes Benz S-600 (V222) cars for his use.

The cost of the 5 cars was put at N400m and they were to be purchased by the State House.

However, a source in the Presidency told journalists on Thursday that Buhari got to know of the plan when the Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr. Nebolisa Emodi, was briefing him of his ministry’s activities on Wednesday.

Buhari was said to be shocked about the development and told Emodi that the purchase was unnecessary.

Describing it as a waste of scarce resources, the source said Buhari told the permanent secretary that the cars he inherited from former President Goodluck Jonathan were good enough for him.

“I don’t need any new cars. The ones I am using now are just fine,” the source quoted Buhari as saying. The top government officials, however, said Buhari welcomed other initiatives presented by the permanent secretary to reduce the operating costs of the State House and strengthen its Finance and Accounts Internal Control Mechanisms.

Henceforth to capture all State House expenses within the approved national budget. This, he said, was to avoid the frequent recourse by past administrations to “Presidential intervention funds.”

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, confirmed to Punch that Buhari had withheld approval for the purchase of the new cars.

Shehu said the President would continue to use the cars left behind by Jonathan in keeping with his commitment to prudent management of national resources.

According to Punch, the proposal to procure the new cars was first made to Jonathan before he left office.

The former President was however said to have directed that it be represented to Buhari for approval on his assumption of office since the cars could only be delivered some months after the May 29 handover date.

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Sunday, 5 July 2015

WHY I DIDN’T BECOME A PROFESSIONAL MAGICIAN LIKE MY FATHER – QUILOX BOSS, SHINA PELLER

Quilox owner, Shina Peller has disclosed his reasons for not following in his father’s footstep to become a professional magician.

The Aquila records boss revealed his entrepreneurial nature led him into charting a path different from some of his siblings.

‘Magic requires a lot of time and resources. I’m an entrepreneur and I personally believe I do not have the time that it requires to actually do magic full time. I’m a magician myself and every child of my father does magic,’ he said during an interview with Punch.

He further disclosed that despite signing his younger brother, Que Peller to his newly floated music label, his business is not a family business but he simply signed him because of his talent in music.

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PDP KICKS AS IGP INVITES EKWEREMADU

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised an alarm over the reported invitation extended to the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase.

According to the party, Ekweremadu has been asked to report at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, Monday to answer questions on a petition said to have been filed against him by a group of senators detailing how he unilaterally tinkered with certain provisions of the Senate Standing Rules relating to the election of the President of the Senate and that of the Deputy.

The petitioners were said to have alleged that Ekweremadu had taken undue advantage of the slated rules to become the Deputy Senate President in the June 9 election of principal officers of the National Assembly.

But speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Sunday, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh said the said amendment to the rule was effected by the bureaucracy of the National Assembly headed by the Clerk, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa.

Metuh said the invitation from the IGP was a build up to phantom charges with a view to arresting and incarcerating Ekweremadu, and thereby creating a vacuum in the Senate and pave the way for the imposition of a preferred APC senator to take his position.

The party accused certain unnamed All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders of instigating the police action against Ekweremadu, adding that the party had uncovered threats to the life of the Deputy Senate President and other key leaders of the PDP.

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Friday, 26 June 2015

BREAKING: BUHARI DISSOLVES NNPC BOARD

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the immediate dissolution of the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

The decision was conveyed in a letter, dated June 26, 2015, signed by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Danladi Kifasi.

The letter quoted President Buhari as thanking members of the dissolved board for their services to the nation.

The NNPC is the state-run oil company which oversees Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. It’s board is statutorily headed by the minister of petroleum resources.

The corporation regulates the oil and gas sector, and also operate as a joint venture partner representing the government in deals with oil multinationals.

The NNPC has in recent years been accused of large scale corruption, the latest being the alleged disappearance of $20 billion oil money.

An independent audit ordered by the Nigerian government in 2014 concluded that the corporation has an outstanding $1.48 billion it should pay to the government.

The NNPC has yet to make the payment several months after the release of the audit report.

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JEGA TO LEAVE OFFICE, TUESDAY

Following the expiration of his five-year tenure, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, is set to vacate office on Tuesday.

A statement issued by the Public Affairs Department of INEC said that Jega is to bow out of office with six National Commissioners who were appointed the same day with him by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010. We wish him all the best.

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MURPHY AFOLABI'S 41ST ALL WHITE AFFAIR BIRTHDAY PARTY IN LAGOS (PHOTOS)

Nollywood actor Murphy Afolabi celebrates his 41st birthday party with an all white affair at the Ibray Seaside Hotel in Ibasa, Lagos.

Popular acts spotted amongst several others at the event were Dayo Amusa, Kemi Afolabi, Tayo Sobola a.k.a Sotayo, Omo Banke, Q Dot, Small Doctor, Lace, Slyde, Saidi Balogun and Faithia Balogun Williams. Fuji icon Pasuma Wonder performed at the event.

Murphy Afolabi, was born in the accented town of Osogbo in Osun State. He graduated from Ire Polytechnic in year 2001 where he studied Mass Communication and Theatre Art and Films Production. He has more than 60 movies to his credit. He is also a Film Producer and Script Writer.

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ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER SHARES HOW HE FELT ABOUT HIS SON'S RELATIONSHIP WITH MILEY

Arnold Schwarzenegger weighed in on his son Patrick's split from Miley Cyrus when he chatted with Howard Stern on Wednesday. During his candid conversation with the host, Arnold talked about everything from his split from Maria Shriver to his child with his former housekeeper. At one point, Patrick and Miley's relationship came up, and Arnold explained why he hadn't been nervous about his son dating such a high-profile star.

"Under normal circumstances, maybe I would be nervous," he said. "But I'll tell you the two reasons why not. One is my kids are very strong. They have had their upbringing. They know exactly how far they can go and they should be adventurous, they should venture out and meet different people, so I was not worried about that." Of the singer, he added, "The other thing is when I did meet Miley Cyrus, when she came up to Sun Valley skiing during the holidays, I found out that she was a fantastic person."

The actor didn't stop there, though, going on to compliment Miley's character and gush about how sweet she'd been with the family. "She has this career side where she has to be a little bit out there and maybe is a little bit different because she grew up in a music family. So what?" he said. "It didn't bother me. I think Patrick had a wonderful experience, he had a great relationship, and then the whole thing eventually fell apart."

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Saturday, 21 February 2015

5-YEAR-OLD BOY CLAIMS TO HAVE LIVED PAST LIFE AS CHICAGO WOMAN

Did you believe in the existence of Reincarnation? Read the story below and post your comment.

An Ohio boy is making people reconsider what happens when you die, with claims that he once lived another life.

5-year-old Luke Ruehlman states that he once lived as an African-American woman named Pam Robinson, who lived in Chicago.

The odd story began when Luke started bringing up the name “Pam” randomly in conversation.

Luke’s family knows no one named Pam, so his stay-at-home mom, Erica, decided to investigate further.

When she asked young Luke who Pam was, "He turned to me and said, 'Well, I was.’”
Erica told a local news station that the boy then said, “Well, I used to be, but I died and I went up to heaven. I saw God and then eventually, God pushed me back down and I was a baby and you named me Luke."
The bewildered mother pressed him for more information, asking how he had died.

"He looked right at me and said, 'Yeah it was fire.' And at that point he made like a motion with his hand like he was jumping off a building," Ruehlman explained.

Luke told his mom that he had died in “a tall building,” had been “a girl with black hair,” and that he had “traveled by train in Chicago.”
The 5-year-old has never visited Chicago.

With her curiosity peaked, Ruehlman took to her computer to try to find any information on a Pam from Chicago who had died in a fire.

Her Internet digging eventually brought her to an article about a fire that devastated Chicago’s Paxton Hotel, and claimed the lives of 19 people in 1993.

One of the victims was an African-American woman named Pam Robinson, who, trapped by the raging fire, jumped to her death.

Luke’s mother reached out to the Robinson family, and discovered the boy and the woman shared the same tastes in music.

After a while though, the boy seemed to let the memory of Pam fade.

Ruehlman says that she is telling her boy’s story because it’s a “positive one” of “unification.”

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KISS DANIEL SHOOTS VIDEO FOR ‘WOJU’ REMIX FEATURING DAVIDO, TIWA SAVAGE

Rave of the moment, Kiss Daniel has just shot the video for the remix of his smash hit song, ‘Woju.’ The remix of the song features HKN boss, Davido and Mavin first lady, Tiwa Savage.

The video was shot in Lagos as directed by Adasa Cookey and will be released in March 2015.

Kiss Daniel, who is currently signed on to G-Worldwide entertainment, released the song, ‘Woju’ in September 2014.

To say the song became an instant hit would be an understatement; it is by far the most dominant song yet in 2014.

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CHIDINMA SPEAKS ON KISSING FLAVOUR IN ‘OLOLUFE’ VIDEO

Award winning singer and MTN Project Fame Season 3 winner, Chidimma Ekile, has been at the receiving quite some bashing since photos of the shoot of Flavour’s ‘Ololufe’ video hit the public domain.

Following the release of the video in which both stars shared a sweet kiss, Miss Kedike, as Chidinma is also known, has been forced to respond to questions about the moment of perceived intimacy.

In a recent chat with HipTV, Chidinma cleared the air saying:

‘I try as much as possible to stay scandal free but we all know that you are in this industry and even when you are trying so hard, some people will still have some terrible things to say but I try though.’

When quizzed about the making out scene in the video, she said:

‘Well, it is a love song and we were supposed to be a couple, so whatever you saw was acting, we were acting out the lyrics of the song, and for everyone who cares to listen, I’m not dating Flavour.’

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Friday, 20 February 2015

CHARLY BOY'S TWINS GRANDCHILDREN 'BEATS' TERRY G'S SON

Nigeria's social crusader, Charles Oputa aka Charly Boy, is in shock after revealing the identity of his twins grand children on his social media page.

The twins who have been introduced early at their tender age into modeling just like their mother, have since become instagram sensation after their mother opened the social media page for them few weeks ago.

The three years old twins, Michael and Daniel, are currently based in the United Kingdom and have so far gained about 74,535 followers with the help of their mum managing the account for them.

They are not the first Nigerian kids to be registered on the social media platform as the likes of singer, Terry G's son Tee Rex is also on the platform gaining about 983 followers since joining last year 2014.

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GERRARD BLASTS BALOTELLI FOR TAKING PENALTY AGAINST BESIKTAS

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, has criticized Mario Balotelli, for ignoring team orders to take the penalty in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Besiktas, in their Europa League last-32 match.

The Italian striker took the ball off skipper for the night Jordan Henderson and tucked the spot-kick away, after Jordan Ibe had been fouled inside the area.

Gerrard, who was absent because of injury, expressed his disappointment with Balotelli’s behaviour.

“Jordan should have taken the penalty. Rules are rules. It should have been Henderson. Mario has been a bit mischievous,” Gerrard told ITV.

The former England midfielder, however praised Balotelli’s composure, as he put away the winning goal.

“Credit to Mario, he’s scored, but it’s not nice to see when footballers are arguing.

“I think Jordan has handled the situation very well. He can see that Mario really wanted to score. Jordan walked away at the right moment and handled his post match interview very well.

“Jordan is the captain and Mario showed Jordan a bit of disrespect there, but he’s scored a very important goal. I think six or seven players would have wanted to take that penalty so if they all say they are taking it, what happens then?! Rules are in place for a reason.”

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BOBBI KRISTINA’S BREATHING TUBE HAS BEEN REMOVED

According to reports by CNN, Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of Bobby Brown and the late Whitney Houston, underwent a procedure to remove her breathing tube on Wednesday.

The reports said that Brown underwent a procedure that allows her to breathe through a hole in her throat. CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta told CNN the procedure is an “indication that the patient will need this for weeks and months to come, as opposed to hours and days.”
People spoke to Dr. Levi Benson who said the procedure is done to minimize the risk of infection from having a breathing tube in for a prolonged period of time. He said the move lowers the risk of infection and is considered standard procedure for patients in Brown’s condition.

Brown was found unresponsive in a bathtub at her Atlanta home on Jan. 31. Since then, she has been in a coma, surrounded by friends and family at Emory University Hospital. Police are currently investigating the incident as a possible criminal matter.

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PDP WANTS ELECTIONS SHIFTED AGAIN IN TROUBLED NORTH-EAST, ALLEGES APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Yobe State chapter, on Thursday alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was planning a further shift of elections in four north-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe.
The party, in a statement issued by its Yobe State secretary, Abubakar Bakabe, said:

“We are concerned with the phoney plan by the PDP for a shift in the conduct of the general election in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe and Gombe States from the reschedule March 28 and April 11, 2015, to pave way for the PDP to rig the election and augment their poor performances in other states through the use of security forces to be massively deployed to the states.”

The statement which also condemned in strong terms what it termed “the ill-conceived plan for a serial rape of democracy in Nigeria by sinking party that foresees ultimate failure in the forthcoming elections and is therefore afraid of facing Nigerians at the polls, due to its failure in the last 15 years of leadership,” it said, adding:

“We are also concerned about the hidden agenda contained in the heinous plan to intimidate, disenfranchise, and rig the election, reminiscent of what happened in the Ekiti State governorship election last year, through massive deployment of security forces to create an environment for rigging.”

The party therefore advised the PDP to refrain from such “obnoxious, dangerous and undemocratic stand posing great threat to the democracy in Nigeria.”

It further reminded security agencies of the need to be highly professional, patriotic and to abide by the international best practices and also enjoin the Independent National electoral commission (INEC) and other stakeholders not to be distracted by such devilish, unpatriotic and undemocratic plans aim at thwarting the smooth transition and successful conduct of the general election in Nigeria come March 28 and April 11, 2015.

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Monday, 9 February 2015

HOW DIDIER DROGBA MISSED OUT ON BECOMING A TRUE AFRICAN LEGEND

On Sunday night, under the starry skies of Bata in Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast’s golden generation finally shone.

The 120 minutes before the penalty shoot-put was devoid of any sparkle however. Infact, the Ivorians were completely outpaced and outmuscled by Ghana, in the Africa Cup of Nations final.

They only had their destiny in their grasp, because the Black Stars, for all their industry and invention, failed to provide inspiration. There were no goals to show for all their endeavour.

Spot-kicks crowns heroes and brutally creates villains. At the end of it, Boubacar Barry – who for a long time, has been considered the weak link in the team – kept out a Ghanaian penalty and scored the winning spot kick. Hollywood writers would struggle to write better scripts.

On the other hand, Didier Drogba, who for a long time, was part of this golden generation, was not among the estatic players that went into a frenzy. The Chelsea striker announced his retirement from international football last year. And thus, the former African Footballer of the Year missed out on one trophy he will never win.

In his illustrious career, Drogba has won league titles, FA Cups, Champions League, etc. But he has never laid his hands on the silverware, that indicates to everyone that you conquered the continent.

Take Yaya Toure for an example. He has won league titles with Barcelona, Manchester City and Olympiakos. Yet, he could not hide his joy after yesterday’s game.

“Sometimes when you win with your club, it’s magical, but winning with your country is something exceptional,” the midfielder is quoted as saying by L’Equipe.

“We worked so hard to win and we will celebrate with our families. I have waited so long for this moment and to lift a trophy as captain, it’s huge.

“We must congratulate coach Herve Renard, who has done a great job. We have often been aggressively criticised.

“I’ve lost twice in the final, so to be here now is fantastic. I’m so happy.”

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AGBAJE, AMBODE SIGN PEACE DEAL AHEAD OF GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION

Leading governorship candidates in the forthcoming general elections in Lagos State, on Monday signed a Peace Pledge, committing themselves to non-violence before, during and after the elections.

The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Jimi Agbaje and All Progressives Congress (APC), Akinwunmi Ambode signed the pact at the official residence of the United States Consul-General in Lagos, Jeffrey Hawkins.

Unites States Ambassador to Nigeria, James F. Entwistle, witnessed the signing.

Other signatories to the document include Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins, the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Imam Abdulrahman Ahmad, National Missioner of Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, Senior Pastor and prelate of House on the Rock, and Sheikh Abdurrahman Adangba, National Missioner of Fatil-ul-Qareeb Islamic Society.

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PRESIDENCY BITTER WITH JEGA FOR EXCUSING ELECTIONS POSTPONEMENT ON SECURITY CHIEFS

Indications have emerged of a strained relationship which now exists between the presidency and the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

This supposed face-off is said to have been sparked by a reason given by the electoral body for postponing the 2015 general elections by six weeks.

The Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, had on Saturday while announcing an adjournment of the general elections, attributed the shift which was from February 14 and 28 to March 28 and April 11, to a letter written by the military over its “inability” to provide security for the elections owing to its renewed offensive against the Boko Haram insurgents.

However, over the weekend, a presidential aide squealed to TheCable that Jega was being “clever by half” by attempting to “pass the buck” to the military, stressing that it was a mere ploy by INEC to undermine the Commission’s poor preparations for the elections.

According to the source, who pleaded for his name not to be mentioned, “Jega was not sincere at all. The collection of PVCs was to end last Saturday and 23 million cards were yet to be distributed. Why was Jega not man enough to admit they would have bungled the elections if the dates had remained unchanged?”
Stressing that daunting insecurity was just one of the many factors that necessitated the postponement; the presidential aide said, “Jega has cleverly gone to tell the whole world that it was the security agencies that forced him to change the dates.” He wondered why journalists failed to asked him what he intended to do with the 23 million uncollected PVCs as well as the ones that were stolen from the Commission.

“Jega was also silent on the fact that the machines that would be deployed to read the cards had not been tested and its officials had not even been trained on how to use them, while there is yet no consolidated voter register. Jega himself admitted to his commissioners that the election would have ended in chaos if INEC had gone ahead. The letter written by the chief of defence staff was the perfect excuse for him to shift the polls and heap all the blame on security,” he said.

The insider said President Goodluck Jonathan had grown suspicious of Jega, as a result of the “lopsidedness” which has trailed the distribution of permanent voter cards, PVC. He added that Saturday’s pronouncement by the INEC Chairman on what informed the postponement must have worsened that disaffection.

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INEC EXTENDS PVC COLLECTION DEADLINE

Following the rescheduling of the 2015 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for the collection of permanent voter cards (PVCs) by registered voters. According to Augusta Ogakwu, secretary to the electoral commission, the collection of the cards will continue for four more weeks until March 8, 2015.

On Saturday, INEC moved the 2015 general elections by six weeks due to security challenges, meaning the national elections (i.e. presidential and national assembly) will now hold on March 28, 2015, while the state elections (governorship and state assembly) will now hold on April 11, 2015.

“The commission hopes that this extension will finally avail every registered person yet to collect his/her PVC the opportunity to do so in readiness for the general elections,” Ogakwu said.

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JEGA CANNOT POSTPONE CHRISTMAS -OSHIOMHOLE

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday urged eligible voters in the state to exercise tolerance over the postponement of the general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, had, last Saturday, announced a change in the timetable of the exercise, citing the inability of the military to ensure the security of the elections due to insecurity in some parts of the North-East as the basis for the shift.

But the governor, who spoke while receiving some defectors in Benin, said that the development showed that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party was not ready for the May 29 handover date, even when Nigerians were set to cast their votes, adding that “they can’t postpone Christmas.”
Oshiomhole, who argued that presidential elections had taken place in countries with similar challenges, however, assured that the APC would continue to mobilise for more support, even from the opposition party, “so that Edo State will be 100 per cent for APC.”
He said, “Few days back, they called us for a meeting at the Council of States and we said they should go ahead and do the election. In any event, we are not the only country with security challenges. Even election is held in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“So whether they postpone the election or not, we won’t fight. They can’t postpone Christmas. I want to appeal to all of you; nobody should be angry because I know you were ready for Saturday’s election.

“Only a debtor thinks tomorrow is far.? If they like, let them keep coming up with issues. Elections will hold? APC is already in power by the grace of God. Don’t fight; make peace.”

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AFCON 2015: THIS IS MY DREAM CUP —TOURE

Yaya Toure looked more relieved than elated as he lifted the African Nations Cup for the first time at the sixth attempt, breaking his duck at international level with the Ivory Coast.

“When you win with your club, it’s quite amazing but with your country it’s something unbelievable,” he said after the Ivory Coast shaded Ghana 9-8 on penalties in Sunday’s final in Bata.

“I’ve been waiting for so many years now. I’ve been dreaming of this. It’s difficult right now to describe the feeling as captain, it’s something special.”

Midfielder Toure, 31, has won league titles at clubs in three different countries and a Champions League with Barcelona.

For Manchester City, he has twice proven a cup final hero and also won two English Premier League titles over the last four seasons.

But with the Ivory Coast it has been a tale of woe up until Sunday’s decider at Estadio de Bata which was settled by penalties following 120 minutes of goalless action.

Toure was on the losing side in both 2006 and 2012 final when the Ivorians were defeated on penalties.

He also suffered World Cup heart break in Brazil last year when the West Africans were on the brink of reaching the second round for the first time only to concede late on to Greece which sent them out of the tournament.

“I’m a guy who always likes to win but I think we had the luck today,” he said.

“But I’m delighted for my family and all those around us who have supported us. I will go now to my people and celebrate.

“It was little bit stressful in the penalty shootout but I’m very delighted with the win and I want to say thank you,” said Toure, who has played at every Nations Cup tournament since 2006.

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KOREDE BELLO REVEALS SECRET BEHIND ‘GOD WIN’ SINGLE

Korede Bello, the Mavin Records budding singer, is currently experiencing a good start to the year with his new single, ‘Godwin’, which is presently enjoying massive acceptance in the country. He has also revealed his reason for making the song.

The talented artiste hinted the inspiration behind the song, 'Godwin', which featured Don Jazzy, the Mavin Records boss.

“It’s a personal philosophy of mine to do my music, to make people happy, joyous and feel better. That’s the reason why I think I’m a musician. So yeah, it’s kinda like the drive (for the single),” a joyous Korede Bello blushed.

The love is massive, the love is mega. I’m really grateful, thank you for loving ‘Godwin’. God will win on your matter,” he added.

Korede Bello has within the past year, grown in recognition and status, gathering a huge followership which he has tagged ‘Bellovers’. He also advised them all to believe deeply in his song.

“Keep believing in that phrase ‘God win’, that statement right there. No matter what happens, no matter what goes on, God will surely win on your matter,” the young NIJ, Ogba, Lagos graduate said.

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PATORANKING SEALS NEW MEGA DEAL

Fast-rising Nigerian reggae artiste, Patoranking, has had another reason to smile and thank God again.

The ‘Alubarika’ crooner, according to latest information making the rounds, has penned a deal with a prominent music label in the world of reggae.

The 2014 Headies ‘Next Rated’ artiste, as we learnt, sealed a deal with VP Records, which is a parent label to VP Associated Label Group, one of the largest reggae companies in the world.

Though Patoranking’s deal with Foston Musik still remains valid, the new music outfit will be responsible for his music distribution across the globe, while Foston will handle his record dealings and management.

Patoranking showed that he is not a one-off artiste when he featured Tiwa Savage in the remix of ‘Girlie O’.

His new label has worked with reggae stars like Beenie Man, Sean Paul, Mavado, Elephant Man, Lady Saw, Shaggy, Busy Signal, and Gyptian.

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RAMSEY NOUAH, KEVIN NWANKWOR ‘TEMPTING FATE’ IN NEW FLICK

When the roll call of top African movie stars is made, one name that will surely not be missing is Ramsey Nouah.

The talented and handsome actor has paid his dues in the showbiz industry in the continent and presently, he is taking his trade to the highest place in the world, the United States of America (USA), which has a viable industry called Hollywood, from where Nigeria got her Nollywood.

Over the weekend, a new flick Ramsey Nouah acted with Kevin Nwankwor, ‘Tempting Fate’, premiered at the 2015 Pan Africa Film Festival and it got several positive reviews.

A visibly elated Kevin Nwankwor, the movie director, said his goal is to make a movie that breaks cultural boundaries with great lessons that affects our daily life.

The heart-touching ‘Tempting Fate’ is an official selection film chosen to be premiered at the 2015 Pan African Film Festival at the very prestigious Rave Cinema in Hollywood, and also at the USA Indie Fest.

The flick, produced by KevStel Group Production, is billed for release in cinemas across Nigeria during the long Easter weekend.

‘Tempting Fate’ is a heart touching film that depicts deep brotherly love, betrayal and forgiveness. The movie explores a plot where two different paths in life can be taken with an unintended outcome. According to the director ‘Tempting Fate’ is a “must see” film for everyone.

The movie explores the paths followed by two brothers.

Edu, played by Andrew Onochie, who is making his first Hollywood debut, is the brother with the calm and peaceful nature, yet is dealing with a life threatening illness. Edu relies on his spirituality to walk him through life, hand in hand with his girlfriend Tracy, played by Tiffany Denise Turner.

The movie showcases Nollywood movie icon Ramsey Nouah, Hollywood star Dan Davies known for his leading role in the 2010 musical hit, “Ed Gein, The Musical”, John Vogel recognized for his role in Jerry Bruckheimer’s ‘Soldier of Fortune’ and the award winning Jesus 2000.

‘Tempting Fate’ also debuts up-and-coming Hollywood actor, Andrew Onochie.

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D’BANJ TO HEADLINE INDUSTRY NITE IN DUBAI THIS MONTH

As part of the series of activities to mark his 10th year anniversary in the Nigerian entertainment industry, Nigerian pop star, D’banj, will head to Dubai, most popular city in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, February 26, 2015.

D’banj will be hosted by VIVA Africa in Dubai alongside one of Dubai’s finest artistes known as G Mac and the event will be hosted by Jimmie while DJ Tribe and DJ Kulcha will be on the wheels of steel.

Recall that D’banj held a successful kick-off party for his 10th year anniversary celebrations in Lagos on January 31, 2015 with American diva, Amber Rose as host.

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Friday, 6 February 2015

10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS FRIDAY MORNING

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning:
1. The Council State after its Thursday meeting which lasted for over seven hours has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to go ahead and ensure that the 2015 elections hold as scheduled, despite several concerns raised at the meeting.

2. Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has taken a position as far as February elections is concerned. He said President Goodluck Jonathan must not be considered for a second term. While speaking with some youths at a programme titled, ‘Vision of the Child’ in Lagos on Thursday, he said there are 60 reasons why Jonathan should not be re-elected on February 14, saying he has failed as a leader.
3. Report says troops of Multi National Joint Task Force have killed a very senior and founding member of the Boko Haram sect. Though the identity of the commander was not revealed, report says he was killed in one of the joint raids carried out by Nigerian troops and their counterparts from Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

4. The audit report submitted to the Federal government by a firm of forensic auditors, PriceWaterHouseCoopers has indicted the NNPC as it has been asked to return to the Federation Account “a minimum of $1.48bn as the fund was used for some questionable transactions.

5. The Lagos State Government has declared Friday (today) a work-free day for its workers. It also asked employers of the private Sector to release their workers early enough to enable those of them who are yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards to do so. This was contained in a statement issued by the Head of Service, Mrs. Oluseyi Williams.

6. For the third time, a group of militants, under the aegis of Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa, has warned the wife of the President, Patience Jonathan, to stay away from the presidential campaign holding in Bayelsa State today. The group also cautioned the First Lady against any plan to use the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria to embarrass Governor Seriake Dickson at the rally today.

7. Supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan, named Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly, led by Chief Edwin Clark, on Thursday in Abuja demanded that the INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega be made to resign his position as the INEC Chairman. They are accusing Jega of conniving with Northern leaders to rig Jonathan out of office.

8. APC Governors, otherwise known as the Progressive Governors Forum, have said they were satisfied with the outcome of the Council of State meeting which held on Thursday at the State House, Abuja. This is contained in a communiqué signed by Gov. Rochas Okorocha, Chairman.

9. A youth organisation identified as the South-West Youth Forum has rejected the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan, saying that he does not deserve a second term as he has failed to deal with corruption and insecurity in the country. The group also said it was wrong for anyone to use Afenifere as the face of the South-West support for the President.

10. The Department of State Service has warned residents of Osun state against engaging in any act of violence before and after the verdict on the disputes arising from the Osun State governorship election that will be delivered today (Friday).

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YOUTHS STORM ASO ROCK TO PROTEST AGAINST ELECTION POSTPONEMENT

A group of young Nigerians on Thursday stormed the state council meeting in Aso villa, Abuja to protest against the alleged plan to postpone the general elections.

The elections are expected to commence on February 14.

The youths and social media activists, who were led by Barrister Solomon Dalung, marched from the popular Unity fountain to Aso Villa.

Most of the protesters carried different placards displaying various inscriptions including ‘say no to election postponement’, ‘February 14 is sacrosanct'; ‘Nigerians are ready to vote’.

Although they were barricaded by the police as they approached the villa, their messages were visible to the council members that drove pass them.

The protesters were said to have organized themselves from social media to come out en-masse to kick against the alleged plan to postpone the upcoming general elections.

Their leader, Dalung insisted that “Nigerians are ready for the elections. Any plot to force the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the elections will fail.”

They further warned that if the election was postponed, a nationwide protest will be called.

One of the protesters urged the federal government to encourage and support INEC to ensure a credible polls rather than push for election shift.

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COUNCIL OF STATE CONCLUDES MEETING, SAYS ELECTION WILL HOLD

The Council of State has concluded its meeting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital and it agreed that the general elections slated for February 14 and 28 will hold as scheduled.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega assured the National Council of State that the Commission is ready for presidential election scheduled for February 14.

President Goodluck Jonathan held talks Thursday on postponing next week’s presidential election over mounting attacks by the radical Boko Haram group, but the election commission insisted on maintaining the date, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo said.

Jonathan held seven hours of talks with security officials, state governors, the election commission and former heads of state on whether to proceed with the vote in the face of growing bloodshed in the northeast, Okorocha told journalists.

Among those attending the meeting of the Council of State was Jonathan’s main challenger in the election, General Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler, who led Nigeria between 1983 and 1985.

Okorocha said the security agencies had expressed concerns about “security challenges” during the elections.

But the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) insisted it was “very ready to conduct these elections”, he said.

The council resolved that “INEC should then inform the nation as to their preparedness and proceed to conduct the elections,” Okorocha added.

The prospect of an election delay was first raised last month by National Security Advisor Sambo Dasuki, who said that INEC should look at delaying the polls because of problems in distributing voter cards.

In recent weeks Boko Haram has stepped up its bloody six-year insurgency in northeast Nigeria, leading to growing calls for a postponement of the synchronised presidential and national assembly polls.

Buhari’s opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) is, however, opposed to any delay.

Election officials have conceded that the election will be impossible in many areas controlled by the jihadists.

The INEC also has no plan to allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the Islamists vote outside their home district.

Some 69 million people, out of a total population of 177 million, are registered to cast a ballot but the distribution of voter cards has been plagued by logistical problems in several areas.

Several state governors have declared public holidays this week, to give people a chance to ensure they are on the electoral register.

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