I've done well says President Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, gave a robust defence of his administration’s performance at mid-term and dismissed public and media assessment of his ministers, saying the criticisms were mostly bereft of objectivity.

President Jonathan spoke at the public presentation of the administration’s mid-term report in Abuja during which administration officials rolled out positive financial indicators which among others was that Nigeria has become the highest investment destination in the continent.

The presentation was graced by former Nigerian leaders, including former President Shehu Shagari, General Yakubu Gowon, Chief Ernest Shonekan, former Chief of General Staff, Gen. Oladipo Diya; one-time United States presidential candidate, Jesse Jackson among others.

Also present at the event were the Senate President, Sen. David Mark; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar.

Jackson, speaking at the occasion, commended the president for giving a mid-term report of his performance. He said that it was indicative that the ship of the nation was sailing in the right direction.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim also commended the leadership of  President Jonathan, who he said had shown impressive democratic culture through his restraint in the face of unparalleled challenges to his authority.

President Jonathan was nevertheless dismissive of media assessment of his administration. He said that as a former teacher, he was conscious of the fact that any examination should be guided by a marking scheme.

Challenges media of objective assessment

He thus challenged the media to use the 234-page report as a veritable tool for any objective assessment.

He said: “Only on Monday, I looked through a particular publication in one of our dailies, which gave an assessment of the performance of the ministers.
“The first thing I looked for that I did not see was the criteria they used to assess the performance of the ministers. As a teacher, I know that for you to mark a student, you must have a marking scheme. Because, assessment could be very subjective, and if a fellow politician is assessing another politician, you assess the person based on heartbeats.”

He said two ministries; the ministries of Trade and Investments and National Planning which performed creditably well were rated average.

“Since I came to the centre in 2007, I have worked with three ministers of National Planning and three ministers of Trade and Investments. They have never done what is being done today.

“In terms of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attracted to this country by  activities of that ministry, it has never happened. In spite of our security challenges, there is so much interest from business men wanting to come to Nigeria.

“Before now, that Ministry of Trade and Investments was a dead end, but now they are very active. Talk about Ministry of Planning, people say that until Shamsudeen came on board, we did not even know that we had a Planning Ministry.

“But these two ministries were scored average and I asked what are the criteria? That is the purpose of today, our elders, ladies and gentlemen. The idea is to formally present a document to all Nigerians about the activities of the government these past two years.

“I plead with all of us especially those who want to assess and write about it to develop criteria because without a marking scheme, you cannot mark anybody’s paper. Develop your own, compare with previous governments. Develop your marking scheme and mark us.”

Nigeria‘s economy waxing strong — Okonjo-Iweala

Making her presentation earlier, the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said that despite challenges of inequality and inclusion, the nation’s economy was waxing strong.

She said in the last two years, the GDP had recorded significant growth and dollar exchange rate had remained stable between N155 and N160.

She said the rate of inflation had dropped to 9.1 per cent from 12.4 per cent in May 2011, while the external reserve had risen from $32.08 billion in May 2011 to $48.4 billion as at May, 2013.

Specifically, she said the External Crude Account (ECA) had risen from about $4 billion in May, 2011 to about $9 billion at the end of 2012 and presently $6 billion in May 2013.

The minister said the ECA had been of help in improving the economy since oil production had fallen from the projected 2.53 million bpd to between 2.1 and 2.2 million bpd, adding that there were deliberate government policies to reduce recurrent expenditure and complete unfinished capital projects.

She said: ”Recurrent expenditure has dropped from 70.4 per cent of total budget in 2011 to 68.7 per cent in 2013″.

She added that government’s annual borrowing had fallen from N852 billion in 2011 to N588 billion in 2013 while the debt to GDP is 21 per cent.

According to her, the administration’s waiver and tariff policies had also changed positively. She said: “Government is focusing on sectoral waivers such as agriculture, power, aircraft spare parts, solid minerals at zero duty. Trade has improved and exports are up in plastics and rubber, vegetable products, prepared food stuff and beverages.”

The minister explained that exports have increased from nine per cent in 2008 to 31 per cent in 2012, saying oil export had increased to 69 per cent of total exports compared to 91 per cent in 2008.

She said with over $7 billion foreign direct investment into the country in 2012, Nigeria has become the highest investment destination in Africa.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of National Planning, Dr Shamsudeen Usman said the Federal Government has achieved eight of 14 points in its transformation agenda.

Giving sectoral appraisal of the achievements of the administration, he said the railway which had become irrelevant in the national transportation system for over 30 years was back on track, adding that the western rail corridor from Lagos to Kano as well as intra-city train services in Lagos, Kaduna and Kano are now fully operational.

In the road sector, the Minister said there had been key improvement on key access roads across the country, citing the Benin-Ore Road,  Kano-Maiduguri Road and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road among others.

The minister added that there has also been significant improvements in power and the government was working hard to ensure that Nigerians were provided with uninterrupted power supply.

In agriculture, Usman said the administration had saved significant amount of money through the blocking of loopholes in the procurement of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs and ensuring the direct distribution to farmers. She added that with the policy, there has been increased production of crops like cassava, wheat and rice, thereby moving the country to self sufficiency in food and liberating the people from poverty.

He said there had also been a significant improvement in the airports across the country with the expansion, renovation and remodelling works in the existing airports

Wizkid & Fuse Odg Scheduled To Perform At Yahoo! Wireles Festival 2013

 

 Wireless festival is a summer jam festival birthed in 2005 and has since then been an annual event. The Wireless fest brings Music icons under one roof. This year, it's being sponsored by yahoo!

The Yahoo! Wireless Festival 2013 is the festival on everybody's lips and it will hold at the Queen Elizabeth Park, London. It's a 3-day event that will commence on Friday, the 12th of July and run through Sunday, the 14th of July 2013.

New acts have been added Yahoo! Wireless line up and on the list is, Nigeria's Wizkid and Ghana's Fuse Odg. On the line up, "It's your boy Wizzy" Wizkid will be performing on Friday while the "antenna" Fuse Odg will take centre-stage on Sunday.

They will performing with Music legends like Jay-z, Snoop Dogg, Earth Wind & Fire, Justin Timberlake, Will-i-am, Rita Ora, Waka Flocka Flame, Mikky Ekko, Frank Ocean, Trey Songz, Emeli Sande, Miguel, A tribe called Quest, Nas, 2 Chainz, John Legend,Mischa B and the likes.

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Nasarawa SSS Director Removed, Reportedly over Ombatse Killings

There have been indications last night that the Nasarawa State Director of the State Security Service (SSS), Mr. Halilu Musa, has been relieved of his duty post, the Leadership reports.

Details od the removal are still limited, but the Leadership found out that Musa’s removal might not be unconnected with the brutal killings of 10 SSS operatives and about 90 policemen by the Ombatse cult on May 9, 2013, in Alakyo Village near the state capital, Lafia.

The leader of the cult group, Baba Alakyo, had claimed in an interview that he did carry out the killings, but that the operatives were killed by his “god”.

The SSS had recently organised a candlelight procession in Abuja in honour of the 10 slain SSS operatives during which the director-general of the agency, Mr Ita Ekpeyong, said that the service had forgiven the cult group.

Based on its source's informtion, the Leadership further reports that the service was unable to come to terms with the fact that Musa could allow the security operatives to embark on such a dangerous mission to Alakyo Village without adequate surveillance and intelligence gathering. He was also said to have released the operatives for the mission without seeking all the necessary clearance from the agency’s top hierarchy.

The source added that the massacre of the operatives could have been avoided had adequate operational measures been taken to forestall any such eventuality. It was further gathered that the SSS was of the opinion that there was the need for the service to put in place adequate back-up for the operatives before the commencement of the exercise so as to prevent any unforeseen situation where the operatives would be exposed to avoidable danger.

Martin Lewis: The three money tips I will pass on to my daughter

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Research suggests children as young as 10 are saving for the long term. Maybe the financial crisis has increased the thirst for financial knowledge 

We asked new father Martin Lewis, founder ofMoneySavingExpert.com, the three nuggets of financial advice he would, and will, give to his baby daughter:

My baby daughter is six months old, and I always vowed to campaign to get financial education on the national curriculum before she started school. Thankfully we seem to be winning that one and it’s due to start far sooner. Here are my three tips:

1. One of the first things I’ll teach her is why there are sweets by the till in supermarkets. 
The reason is simple: a company’s job is to make money, so it puts the sweeties there to try to tempt us to buy one more thing, so it can make a little more cash. It’s our job to try not to be tempted, and make the right decisions for ourselves. This doesn’t mean companies are wrong, just that they’re there to sell to us, not look after us.

2. If you spend money once, you can’t spend it again. 
In other words, a lesson in opportunity cost. I’m a great believer in letting kids earn pocket money, to teach a work ethic and the real value of cash. By giving them their own money they understand there is a choice: either buy something small this week or buy nothing, wait a few weeks for the cash to build, and have the big toy that you really want. Learning delayed gratification is crucial.

3. Sometimes there are no right answers. 
This is for when she’s quite a lot older. Learning about uncertainty is a crucial lesson in finance as in other elements of life. Is it wise to fix your mortgage? Will paying tuition fees be worth it? What will happen to house prices or the stock market? Without a crystal ball you can’t know for certain. Understanding that there are many shades of grey, and learning to weigh up upsides and downsides in any decision, without panicking, is a skill that keeps on giving. I only wish I had it.

The 10 richest small towns in Britain Seven out of ten of the small towns with the most millionaires are located in the Thames Valley

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Local residents include the the Queen and Elton John, so it's perhaps of little surprise that Windsor tops the table of the country's wealthiest settlements with fewer than 30,000 people.

The Berkshire town is closely followed by Weybridge and Sevenoaks, according to analysis by consultancy WealthInsight.

Eight out of ten of the small towns in Britain with the most millionaires are located in the South East. And seven of these are located in a pocket of wealth across the Thames Valley.

Alderley Edge and Hake are the only two places in the top ten that don’t count London as their nearest major city. 

“It is interesting to see that a couple small towns around Manchester also make the list. This reflects the affluent nature of the Cheshire area,” said WealthInsight analyst Andrew Amoils. 

But it's Henley that has the fastest growing wealth, as the number of millionaires living there increased by 25% between 2007 and 2012. The number of millionaires in the UK declined overall by 9% during this period.

Narrowly missing a place in the list were the Cotswold towns Burford and Chipping Campden, as well as northern towns Ponteland and Windemere.

	Town	Region	Nearest Major City (Miles)	Population	No. of millionaires
1	Windsor	South East	London (17)	27000	850-900
2	Weybridge	South East	London (8)	19500	800-850
3	Sevenoaks	South East	London (24)	18500	800-850
4	Beaconsfield	South East	London (16)	12000	450-500
5	Henley on Thames	South East	London (30)	10600	400-450
6	Marlow	South East	London (21)	14000	350-400
7	Hale	North West	Manchester (7)	15300	300-350
9	Alderley Edge	North West	Manchester (14)	4400	300-350
9	Bray	South East	London (25)	4600	300-350
10	Ascot (incl. Sunninghill)	South East	London (14)	11600	250-300

The property market in table-topping Windsor has a bright future, according to Phil Warren from Fine & Country Windsor.

"Prices are increasing with a lot of interest coming from overseas buyers hoping for a slice of the Windsor lifestyle that is less manic than London," he commented.

"There is also a quick turnaround when properties go on the market in the Windsor and Eton areas, usually 3 or 4 weeks."

Will Smith’s attempt at a penalty kick goes horribly, horribly wrong

Will Smith and his son Jaden are in London to promote their new film (and hold a mini Fresh Prince reunion), and their trip happened to coincide with the city hosting this year's Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

So before the match, the Smiths stopped by the UEFA Champions Festival on the International Quarter to attempt a few penalty kicks against former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

After a big stretch, Will stepped up to the spot first. He took a smooth run up, a big kick and then weakly scuffed the ball to the top corner of the miniature penalty box. A penalty so bad that the cameraman couldn't even keep it in frame. The crowd laughed and Smith had Van der Sar get rid of the offending ball.

Jaden was up and he was able to score, in part because his father physically restrained Van der Sar. Sadly, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Alfonso Ribeiro (who was also there) did not take penalty kicks of their own.

Flood sweeps away UNICAL Works Director

SEARCH par-ties mounted by family and friends to fish out the body of Mr. Friday Sampson, a director with the Department of Works in the University of Calabar, who was swept away by rampaging flood, Monday evening, have failed to yield any result after two days of frantic search.

Patience Sampson, his first daughter, said her father, drove to UJ Esuene Sports Stadium from his residence at 3, Akpandem Lane, off Unical Satellite Town.
Patience said: “He was coming back from the stadium, where he went to pick our mother, Uduak Sampson, who came back from Uyo and along IBB Way, there was a hold up and my father blared and blared his horn but the car in front did not move.

“So he stepped out to find out what was going on and mistakenly stepped into the gutter and was carried away.”

She said her mother and Ime, his 18-year-old brother, who accompanied the father to the stadium to pick the mother, were in the car and because of the intensity of the downpour could not do anything to rescue their father.
She said: “The rain was falling very heavily and the flood was rapid so my mother and younger brother could not do anything to rescue him, while he was being carried away.”

Patience said the men of Cross River State Fire Service were contacted to help fish out the man that night, but that all efforts, until Wednesday morning, did not yield any result.

“We have searched all the big gutters and forest and now we are at the CRUTCEH river. Hopefully, we might locate him here,” she added.

Mr. Eyo, Information Officer with the University of Calabar, said the matter had not been officially reported to the school, adding “but I have heard that somebody like that died.”

Cross River Police spokesman, DSP John Umoh, said he was yet to be briefed on the matter.

State of Emergency: Trained Military Police Dogs Foil Boko Haram Infiltration

Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade

The troops of the Joint Task Force (JTF) have stepped up their onslaught against members of the Boko Haram with the use of trained Military Police dogs to foil insurgents' infiltration, capturing 50 of them in the process.

This was disclosed Wednesday by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade who said that these intelligent dogs were participating in the cordon and search phase of the Special Operations against terrorism in the country.

Clash of Continental Champions: Eagles set to battle Mexico tomorrow

African champions Nigeria are battle-ready to confront CONCACAF champions Mexico in a prestigeous, high-profile international friendly match at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, United States of America tomorrow.

Kicked-off: 2am Saturday in Nigeria

 
The Super Eagles’ contingent to the match arrived in the United States of America on Tuesday afternoon, landing at the Houston International Airport at exactly 2:40pm local time (8:40pm Nigeria time) after an 11-hour flight from Frankfurt, Germany.

The team was received by Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, Chief Emeka Inyama, and Mr. Jairo Pachon, NFF’s FIFA Match Agent who is organizing the big match alongside the Match Agent of Federacion Mexicana de Futball Association, Mexico’s football body.

After airport formalities, the delegation was driven to its The WestinGalleria hotel in West Alabama and immediately had lunch. In order to shake off jet-lag, the team set out for evening training and also trained on Wednesday evening, to get used to evening period of the match.

Ukraine-based forward Brown Ideye also joined the team almost immediately, and Head Coach Keshi said he is confident the African champions would do the continent proud in the ‘Game of Continental Kings’.

“We are here to give a good account of ourselves as a team and also as the champion team of Africa. Definitely, we want to take a look at a couple of new players and see what they have to offer. But we take this match serious as it will prepare us for crucial encounters in the next few weeks,” Keshi told the media at the Houston International Airport.

Nigeria play Kenya and Namibia away in crucial 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches on June 5 and June 12 respectively, before flying into Brazil through South Africa.

The two teams are preparing for big dates in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament in Brazil, with Nigeria to play World and European champions Spain, South American champions Uruguay and Oceania champions Tahiti in Group B.

Mexico, in Group A, will clash with host Brazil and Italy (who have NINE World Cup titles between them) as well as Asian champions Japan.
Friday’s match will start at 8pm (2am Saturday in Nigeria)

Juve To Offer Player, Cash For Tevez

Juventus are ready to offer cash plus Felipe Melo for Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez.

The Old Lady are desperate to sign a new striker this summer and have been linked with moves for Arsenal targets Stevan Jovetic and Gonzalo Higuain.

But the Scudetto winners also have Tevez in their sights and, according to Italian newspaper Leggo, are ready to offer City target Melo in order to land the Argentine.

Juve are willing to offer €5m plus the Brazilian midfielder to get their man.

The move would solve two problems for Juve, who are struggling to offload Melo after the Selecao international spent the last two seasons on loan at Turkish club Galatasaray.

Tevez has enjoyed a decent season for the deposed Premier League champions, scoring 11 goals and adding 8 assists in 34 appearances.

The Argentina international has also been linked with a move to mega-rich Ligue 1 outfit PSG, with City thought to be keen on a new striker this summer.

Generator Fumes Kill Mother And Her Four children

A sombre atmosphere overshadowed 2013 Democracy Day celebration in Bayelsa State as a number of persons were feared dead from a road accident and fumes from a power generating set.

A housewife, Chinyere and her four children were found dead in their home in the early hours of yesterday at Ekeki, a suburb of Yenagoa, while two other kids were unconscious and rushed to the hospital.

Also, students of Niger Delta University, NDU, who were involved in a ghastly accident along Tombia-Amassoma Road, Tuesday night, died.

Power generation

The deceased woman and her children were believed to have inhaled fumes from a power generator they had left running in the house located along Toolda Road, Ekeki. They had left it inside for fear it would be stolen.

Bayelsa State had been without electricity supply in the last three weeks, when a tree fell destroying some of the pylon carrying the 33kv transmission line from Owerri to the Gbarantoru sub-station in the outskirts of Yenagoa.

Students in auto crash

On the ghastly road carnage involving students of NDU, an eyewitness, Enaikonzigha Fumgbe, a 100 level Sociology student of the institution, told newsmen at the accident scene that they were behind one of the buses travelling to Yenagoa when tragedy struck at 8pm, Tuesday night.

Fumgbe stated that both vehicles were travelling at high speed and the bus, with number plate Rivers XB 269 KPR, was attempting to overtake a trailer when it collided with the other bus with number plate, Rivers KNM 141 XA.

According to him, the bus was filled with part-time students of NDU, who were returning to Yenagoa after classes, while the other was heading towards Amassoma.

He said: “A girl in front of the bus, whose head was split in two, died on the way to hospital, while many others, who suffered serious injuries, were rushed to Gloryland Hospital, Etegwe, Yenagoa and others brought back to Amassoma.”

Police story

However, Police Public Relations Officer, Alex Akhigbe, who confirmed the accident, said though no death was recorded, several persons were seriously injured.

This reporter, who visited the scene of accident, saw mangled buses on both sides of the road, with dried blood stains inside the vehicle and on the road.

Detainee Escapes From Custody With The Help Of Prisons Officials

The escape of an inmate of the Federal Medium Security Prisons, Ogwashi-Uku in Delta state has been allegedly facilitated by a Nigerian Prisons Inspector, Peter Okhanugo, last Sunday.

Kelvin Isaiah-Oghenemanu, the inmate, a native of Ozoro, who was remanded for alleged kidnapping and car snatching, had spent four years in prison custody awaiting trial.

A Nigeria prison: jail break with connivance of officials.

The Assistant Comptroller-General of Prisons in Charge of Zone G, (Delta, Edo, Anambra, Enugu, Eboyi Prisons), Mr. Joseph Komolafe, revealed this to journalists in Benin City, capital of Edo state.

According to him, the renegade prisons inspector who connived with another prisons patrol officer, James Ugen, who was on duty on the fateful day, deliberately opened the cell for Isaiah-Oghenemanu to make his escape from the facility.

He further disclosed that Ugen, the prisons patrol officer and Isaiah-Ogenemanu were into trafficking of cannabis sativa and ogogoro (illicit gin) into the prison yard.

The said James Ugen who allegedly bought a Gulf 3 car with the proceeds from their illicit business transactions behind bars, gave the car to Isaiah-Ogenemanu with which he allegedly escaped to Cameroon.

A prisons source who did not want his name in print, told journalists that the escapee inmate lived extravagant life in prison custody, which was made easy for him by his colaborators.

“Kelvin had a laptop and DSTV which James bought for him. He was also permitted to use cell phone at will, which was against the rules and regulations of the prisons system,” the source said.

The Deputy Comptroller General of Prisipons who said preliminary investigations into the matter has begun, added that the Prisons high command in Abuja has been briefed, while all officers on duty on the day the incident occured had been replaced.

Cecilia Ibru, disgraced former Oceanic Boss relocates to her Village

The disgraced former Oceanic Boss has relocated back to her village in Agbahor Otoh,Delta state.

According to Yes! magazine, the fair skinned finance guru has been lying very very low ever since her many sins were exposed by the current CBN govenor,Sanusi Lamido. 

She is still trying to recover from the shame and most painfully the loss of Oceanic bank. She has also become very active in her church and is rumoured to be an evangelist now.

The 67 year old was sentenced to six months in prison on October 8, 2010 on 25 counts of fraud.

House Of Representatives Endorses 14 Years Of Imprisonment For Same-Sex Marriage In Nigeria

 On Thursday, the House of Representatives endorsed 14 years sentence for persons who contracted same-sex marriage in Nigeria.

This comes a continuation to a clause-by-clause consideration of a Bill for an Act to prohibit marriage or union entered between persons of same sex, at the Committee of the Whole.

"Marriage or civil union entered between persons of same gender shall not be solemnised in any place of worship, either church or mosque or any place in Nigeria," it is said in the bill.

Introducing the bill, Rep. Albert Sam-Tsokwa ( PDP-Taraba) said that it sought to achieve a far-reaching objective by outlawing same-sex marriage and provide punishment for offenders.

It also set out a 10-year sentence for "any person who directly or indirectly makes public show of same-sex amorous relationships".

"Any persons or group of persons that administers, witnesses, screen and shields the solemnisation of same sex marriage in Nigeria on conviction, will be liable to 10 years imprisonment."

In Nov. 2011, the senate approved the bill that would make same-sex marriages punishable by up to 14 years for the couple and 10 for anyone abetting such unions.

 The bill is expected to be sent to the Senate for concurrence.

Ifeanyi Okafor, 38-year-old suspect conceals cannabis in dried bitter leaf

A 38-year-old suspected drug trafficker, Ifeanyi Okafor, was on Thursday arrested at Muritala Mohammed International Airport for concealing 2kg of cannabis in a bag of dried bitter leaf, meant for export.

Okafor was apprehended alongside another suspect, Obianwo Okwuchukwu, who was caught with 1.700kg of methamphetamine hidden in his luggage. While Okwuchukwu was caught during the outward clearance of Arik Air passengers to Monrovia, the cannabis was discovered during the search of goods meant for export via a Qatar flight.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Airport commander, Mr. Hamza Umar, confirmed the arrests.

He said, “Okwuchukwu was on his way to Monrovia, Liberia while Okafor’s bag, containing dried bitter leaf, was meant for export to Doha, Qatar.”

Both suspects said to be natives of Anambra State have claimed ownership of the drugs.

A father of four, 53-year-old Okwuchukwu told PUNCH Metro that he was lured into drug trafficking by the monetary rewards.He said, “I have lived in Monrovia for the past five years and worked in a cinema in order to sustain my family and me.

“My problem began when I lost all my savings to the war in Sierra Leone. I have been living from hand to mouth. My situation was so bad that I agreed to smuggle the drugs for $2,000.”

The 38-year-old Okafor claimed to have lost $87,000 to fraudsters, an incident which pushed him into drug trafficking.

He said, “I am an importer of baby clothes. My business was going on fine until I lost $87,000 to fraudsters. In fact, I am yet to recover from that unfortunate incident that reduced me to a beggar. I was to be paid $1,400 to smuggle the cannabis into Doha, Qatar.”

NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, said stiffer penalties were effective strategies of drug control.

“Stiffer penalties remain one of the effective ways of addressing the problem of drug trafficking in the country. If a 53-year-old man knows that if caught with drugs, he will spend the next 15 years in jail, there will be some restraint,” Giade said.

Cases Of Baby Factories Worry Rights Activists

The rising incidence of homes where underage girls are kept and put in the family way for commercial purposes came to fore at this year’s Children’s day when a network of human rights activists rose up to condemn the crime.

The network which includes the Africans Unite Against Child Abuse (AFRUCA)-UK, the Environmental RightsAction/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Media Concern Initiative for Women & Children (MediaCon), Healing Hearts Foundation, Spaces for Change, Project Alert on Violence Against Women, the Charles and Doosurh Abaagu Foundation, and the Women Environmental Programme (WEP) in a joint statement made available to LEADERSHIP, called on the federal government and stakeholders to curb the menace popularly referred to as ‘baby factories’ boom.

“On the occasion of this year’s International Children’s Day, a group of Nigerian and international non-governmental organisations, children and human rights organisations have condemned the rising commercialization of new born babies in parts of the country.

“This year’s Children’s Day celebration calls for sober reflection because more than ever before, our beloved country is again being made the laughing stock of the whole world,” the group said.

The statement cited the recent clamp-down on a home in Imo state where 22 pregnant teenagers were rescued, while waiting to sell their babies each for between N50, 000 and N350, 000 by police operatives in Abia State and the more recent case in Lagos where an unborn baby’s sale had even been negotiated, as well as the recent discovery of a village near the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, where twin babies are killed at birth.

“In the light of these, is there any reason why anyone would doubt the rating by the Save the Children, an international organisation that Nigeria is one of the most endangered countries to be born?” the statement queried.

The groups commended the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha for closing down all illegal motherless and adoption homes in his state and called on the governor of Abia State, other affected states, the National Agency for the Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP), and other relevant agencies to take urgent steps to put a halt to the crime.

Actress Halima Abubakar Says Igbo People Are Killing Nollywood With Tribalism

One actress who really struggled for several years inNollywood before she eventually got her big break isHalima Abubakar. She saw the challenges, faced them and eventually conquered.

But she said it no longer easy for up and coming actresses who are gifted but are not being allowed to prove themselves in the industry due to the high level tribalism of the Igbos who control the industry and are now making themselves lord over others. See her complains below...

“I have experienced tribalism, I know people would say it is a lie, but that is the truth. Why have those from a particular group not reached out to people who are not specifically from their areas?

“I have worked with a lot of Igbos, my marketer is Igbo, I have worked with a lot of them and I know those I have not worked with, I have not seen the right roles for me yet, but I believe they will come.

"But how about others, who are independently shooting movies, does that mean those are the only set of actors in Nollywood? I am not saying they should give me roles, but there are people who want to see fresh faces. We need to give others opportunity to showcase their talents.

“I am saying, stop tribalism and bring everyone under the umbrella of AGN,” Halima insisted.

Two men use magical ring to gang rape 19-yr-old student in Ibadan

TWO young men have been remanded in Agodi Prison by an Ibadan Magistrate Court for allegedly using a magical ring to abduct and gang-rape a 19-year-old secondary school girl in Ibadan.

The two suspects, according to a police source, were charged with conspiracy, rape and stealing of a Blackberry phone belonging to the victim.

The rape victim said she closed from school at Wofun Iyana Church, and was accosted by the suspects who insisted she should follow them to their residence. But, when she refused, one of them allegedly used a magical ring to hit her on the chest and she was unconscious.

“There is a boy who was not my boy friend. He was a student in that school about two years ago. His name is Biola. He had wanted to date me several times which I politely turned down. Just last Wednesday, when I closed from school, Biola came to me in company of two unidentified boys and said his mum wanted to see me.

“‘I asked him what led to the invitation by his mum. I then told him I would not go. Then, one of the two other guys who had a ring on his hand hit me on the chest and I was unconscious. They took me to the residence of one of the two boys and raped me.

“Before raping me, they gave me alcoholic drink and after the crime had been committed, they gave me ‘covenant water’ threatening me that I would die if I told anybody of the act.”

A top policeman who claimed anonymity because he was not instructed to speak, confirmed the story, saying: “On May 15 at 08:15 hours, one Adekola living on Akanbi Street, Molade area of Ibadan reported that his younger sister and a secondary school student went to school and did not return home. All efforts to trace her proved abortive.

“Then about 23:00hours, an unanimous caller called through the victim’s GSM number and identified himself as kidnapper and demanded N6,000. The DCO led other policemen and the victim was rescued.”

She was unconscious and was rushed to a nearby hospital. She later narrated how she was kidnapped and gang-raped by three persons. Two arrests have been made while the third suspect is still at large. The two suspects have been charged to court.”

Women Addicted To Porn On The Rise

My name is Feminista Jones and I love watching porn.

Porn in this instance refers to sexually explicit videos featuring men and women engaging in various types of kinky, sexy activity. I’m not a fan of magazines and still images, but I absolutely love watching people get it on.

I’ve opened up about my voyeurism, and definitely admit that I’m highly aroused by being able to get a sneak peek into the sex lives of others. For most people, watching porn is about indulging in a fantasy or a sexy illusion that arouses one’s senses.  Others just want something fun to watch or seek to satisfy a lingering curiosity.

The longstanding stereotype that prn is just for men is simply untrue. Women absolutely do watch X-ráted movies, and not just the softcóre stuff either. According to a study conducted by Dr. Gomathi Sitharthan at the University of Sydney’s Graduate Program in Sexual Health, at least one in three women watches pórn. She cites Internet accessibility as one of the contributing factors to the increase in viewing in recent years. This is true enough, as anyone can now access hundreds of thousands of videos via snippet sites that allow users to upload video clips and share with others for free. And even despite the ease with which people can now access these videos, CNBC reports that the pórn industry is still estimated to take in over $14 billion a year in revenue.

I became interested in the pórn-viewing habits of women, especially women of color, because I often see women and men talk about it with hesitation. I did a quick survey of my Twitter followers and received 206 responses to six questions about viewing habits and preferences.

What Do Women Like to Watch and Why?

Think most heteroséxual women are checking out X-rated movies primarily to see fit, well-built, séxy men? Think again. Dr. Meredith Chivers found that the gender of the participants in porn didn’t matter much to the women watching. Women respond to the level of activity before they respond to the gender of the actors doing the activities, she found. This might explain why 53% of the women report enjoying lesbian scenes (at least two women, no men present) as one of their top three genres. I also found that 14.5% of the women enjoy wátching gáy scenes (at least two men, no women present), and 30% of the women enjoy watching group séx scenes (several men and women) or gangbangs (one woman, several men).

The longstanding stereotype that pórn is just for men is simply untrue. Women absolutely do watch X-rated movies, and not just the softcóre stuff either.

Women also report enjoying “ethnic” scenes, or scenes focused heavily on African-Americans and Latino/a-Americans. This category had the biggest response, with 68% of the women indicating it is in their top three favorites. There’s a level of cultural affinity associated with the visual it seems, and if women are focusing on the fantasy aspect of pórn, it might be easier to connect to the actors who are of the same race/ethnicity or women they’re used to seeing in their daily lives.

I also asked the women to choose their top two reasons for watching these movies. The large majority (82%) said they watch pórn to masturbaté, which speaks to the árousing stimulation watching people have séx provides. The survey revealed that 43.2% of women also thought of pórn as something simply fun to watch, while 38.3 % of women said they watch pórn to learn new tricks and techniques. I’d recommend any woman looking for something new and éxciting to try in the bédroom to check out some of those steamy clíps and see what you can reenact the next time.

What About the Stigma?

Many women feel that pórn degrades women, and struggle with reconciling the árousal they experience with the reality of the images depicted. About 32% of the women surveyed say they avoid pórn that degrades women, while 27% say they don’t feel bad watching pórn that features women being degraded because they choose to make the videos. Even more interesting is that 25% of women say they feel bad about the women being degraded but are still ároused, and 21% say they actually get off on the images of women being séxually degraded.

Approximately 13 million women check out at least one pórn site per month, according to Nielsen ratings. “Porn provides an alternative way for women to satisfy their curiosity, learn more about séxuality, and explore séxual desires and séxual positions in the privacy of their home alone or with a partner,” says TaMara Campbell. According to my own survey, 50% of women prefer to watch pórn alone, most likely because they prefer to masturbaté while doing it.

Of those who do watch with someone else, 74% say they are comfortable with their preferences and don’t mind sharing with a partner. Further analysis shows that the remaining women who don’t

feel comfortable sharing their preferences with a partner tend to prefer scenes featuring BDSM/kínk, gay male séx and taboo situátions (incest, rapé fantasies, etc).

Women are increasingly taking ownership of their séxuality and pleasure. They’re no longer waiting for séx to be done to them; they are making it happen for them in ways that not only get them off but empower them. Like with anything in excess, some women can develop addictive habits around watching pórn, and I caution anyone experiencing this to reach out and get help. There are many resources available for people with séxual addictions, and pórn addiction is a very real issue in relationships.

That said, women shouldn’t feel like they’re alone in their pórn watching or in their preferences. No matter the scene or the kínk, there are other women out there enjoying the view just the same and getting off. Remember to be safe, be aware, and above all feel free to explore the various cinematic fantasies that might éxcite you.

OH YEAH!!! I Won't Romance Or Kiss In Any Movie Again –– Sexy Actress, Dakore Egbusan

Although some pretend not to know this fact, but with marriage comes a higher level of responsibility for a lady and it is expected that some of the things you freely do as a single lady should be appraised and those that are going to cause trouble in your marriage should be dropped.

Sexy actress Dakore Egbusan, who got married to the son of a Billionaire, Harry Akande, has realised this and will do everything to save her sweet marriage. Below is what she said:

“I have to consider my husband before taking any role these days. I will not do romantic roles as I used to back in the day. Though, if I saw a role that is good and positive, maybe I could act. I am now a new Dakore and not the old Dakore people used to know because I am coming into a new era in my career.
"I am now a mother and a wife. I just have to be more discerning about the movies that I embark upon.”

But did her Billionaire father-in-law stopped her from acting before? She said it's not true:

“At this stage we are all grown up and we all know that life is not the way it was when we were growing up so women often have to work and earn a living. But aside the financial aspect, I also love what I do. I never retired from Nollywood and my husband never barred me from acting.”

Families Of Kidnap Victims Promise To Start Killing Nigerians In Pakistan

Families of the five Pakistani nationals on board an oil vessel, Mt Matrix 1, abducted last Saturday at 40 nautical miles off the Bayelsa coast have told the management of the company, Matrix Energy, in Warri, Delta State, not to pay any ransom to the abductors to get them released.
They are promising to take revenge on Nigerians in their hundreds in Pakistan, if any of the victims was killed.
The abducted victims include the Captain, Chief Officer, cook and two others. They were conveying automated gasoline oil, AGO, from Lagos to Eket, when they were abducted at 9pm.
Sources said that relevant security agencies in Bayelsa State and Warri in Delta State, had been informed of the incident.
The source added that the company had begun negotiation with the abductors, but that details of negotiations with the company on ransom were not disclosed.

Ghanaian Girls Take Azonto Dance To New Level, Doing It Without Clothes- Photos

Some girls in Ghana has taken the azonto craze to a new level, they now have the adult version and they dance it without wearing anything.

Over the last few years, no single dance has dominated the Ghanaian landscape than the phenomenal Azonto dance. Not only has the dance dominated the night clubs, parties, beach sessions, social events and even church auditoriums but has also gained international recognition not only on the African continent but across the world. It is also the toast of both the young and old.

Just last week, popular football star tweeted: “I love this dance called the #Azonto” and shared the link to a viral YouTube video with a white boy dancing Azonto on the streets of central London with Sarkodie’s ‘U Go Kill Me’ in the background whilst rapper Snoop Dogg was also captured on tape doing the dance.

The Azonto craze has made waves around the world to the extent that legal experts in the entertainment industry have called on Ghana to patent, brand, package, and adopt international marketing mechanism for the modernisation of traditional dance, Kpanlogo, into Azonto dance for socio-economic gains.

However, inspite of the numerous advantages and gains associated with the dance, a hand full of people has taking it to the extreme. Presently, P&P has in its possession, some semi-nude pictures of an alleged “Naked Azonto party” which was allegedly held at a secret location at Ashaiman during the yuletide.

Although the P&P could not independently authenticate the source of the pictures and the exact location in Ashaiman where the alleged party took place, we gathered that some young ladies and men stripped naked and semi-naked as they did the Azonto dance.

The ladies allegedly stripped leading only their bras and panties whilst the men wore only their boxers before hitting the dance floor.

Couple Get Married Completely Naked In Bizarre Wedding Ceremony - Photos

For most brides and grooms, deciding what to wear on the Big Day is one of the most important parts of wedding planning. But one New Zealand couple didn’t have to shop for wedding outfits — because they got married in the Unclad.
Nick and Wendy Lowe were married at the Wellington Naturist Club on Saturday in a “clothing optional” wedding, reported local newspaper The Dominion Post. About half of the 120 guests were Unclad. Both clothed and Unclad photos were taken, and though guests were asked to dress for dinner, the dancing portion of the event was clothing optional.
Nick encouraged Wendy to embrace the “naturism,” or nudist, lifestyle six years ago.
“It was one of the first things he said to me: ‘I’m a naturist, how do you feel about it?’ I knew at some point I’d have to at least try it,” Wendy said.

Mimiko, Nwayanwu fault video clips on NGF election

Ondo State Governor, who is also a factional Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, and the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwayanwu, on Wednesday faulted video clips allegedly recorded during the NGF election held last Friday in Abuja.

The duo spoke at the democracy lecture delivered by the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs, Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, in Akure.

Mimiko, who described the release of the 10-minute video clips as the height of propaganda by the pro-Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s camp, challenged the originators to release the three-hour recording of the entire process.

He argued that the purported recorded clips released to an online medium on Tuesday merely covered an aspect, which represented the mischievous intention of the pro-Amaechi group.

Mimiko said, “Nigerians should ask the pro-Amaechi’s group why he presided over an election, which he is also contesting. I specifically raised that issue and insisted that he must resign but his supporters maintained that he should supervise the poll as a sitting chairman.

“They asked me whether I resigned my position while seeking a re-election for a second term in office and I replied them that it was not the same thing, because the NGF is like an association; not a democratic institution which had its existence entrenched in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“When it was obvious that we could not guarantee the source of the ballot boxes and ballot papers brought by Amaechi, I protested again that we should conduct the election openly by raising up our hands in support of our preferred candidate, again, they rejected.

“The ballot papers they produced were without serial numbers, and we discovered this was a fraud; hence there were protests.

“They never captured all these facts but merely recorded the fraction of the process, which was in line with their pre-determined agenda. I challenge them to release the clips which will cover the entire three-exercise.”

Nwayanwu, who also described the purported emergence of Ameachi as the factional chairman of the NGF as a fraud, said he ought to have given up the claim to NGF chairman when it was obvious that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, had pitched its tent with Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau state.

He also said since election had never been held to produce the NGF Chairman, the emergence of Amaechi could not have been in comformity with the regulations setting up the organisation.

The LP chairman said the fact that 18 out of the 35 governors that voted attended the meeting called by Jang as NGF head, cast moral burden on the 19 votes Amaechi purported to have got in the election held a day earlier.

Nwayanwu said since the days of Governor Adamu Abdullahi of Nasarawa State to Dr. Bukola Saraki of Kwara state, election had never been held for the chairmanship position of NGF. He, therefore, wondered where Amaechi got his legitimacy from.

He said, “Amaechi should not allow overzealous and anxious politicians to destroy his future. He is still young, about 48 years old now. He should go back and reconcile with his party.

“A party is always supreme. If he cannot abide by the philosophy of the PDP, he is free to leave. He can join the APC or come to LP; but in our party, the party is always supreme.”