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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and national leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, have canvased for the restructuring of Nigeria. Atiku stated this at a colloquium with the theme: “Niger Delta next decade: away from oil, a way with oil,” organised by the National Point newspapers in Port Harcourt yesterday. Represented by Azibola Omekwe, the former vice president observed that the Niger Delta which generates crude oil and gas, our most valued asset, has been suffering neglect due to the current political- economic structure of the country. He said it is terrifying to hear from global energy experts that the oil which Nigeria has solely depended on; made nations to rise against nations, and the DNA of politics and commerce across the globe, will soon become unprofitably as the advance nations are moving away from the use of oil to other alternative sources of energy. Atiku regretted that while the world is moving away from oil, Nigeria seems to be

Governorship candidate of the Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, Prince Gboyega Isiaka, yesterday declared that he was the most qualified of all the gubernatorial aspirants for the 2019 election in the state. Isiaka, who stated that he was more experienced, having contested the governorship position twice, faulted endorsement of Senator Solomon Adeola as the consensus candidate of Ogun West senatorial district for the poll. Speaking in an interview with reporters in Abeokuta, Isiaka expressed hope that the Yewa-Awori extraction would produce the successor of the incumbent governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, pointing out that he had built more formidable political structures and consequently had an edge over other contenders. He said: “As far as I’m concerned, if we are going to have three strong candidates in 2019 for governorship, it means that the winner of that election may likely to have about 40-42 per cent and I know that on the ground of sympathy and all of

HisHoliness, Pope Francis, has said he has been praying for the peace and stability of Nigeria. The Pope made this known when he met with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, in Saint Peters Square, Vatican City, yesterday. Dogara had led the Nigerian delegation to the Holy See, for a morning mass, where nationals and leaders from different countries of the world gather to join the Pope for the mass and receive blessings from him. The speaker, who described the meeting with Pope Francis as “awesome,” stated in a statement by his media adviser, Turaki Hassan, that he was surprised and delighted to know that the pontiff is well-informed about happenings in Nigeria. “The moment I was introduced to him as the speaker of the Nigerian parliament, he said: ‘how is Nigeria and how  are you working for the peace of Nigeria? Pray for me also.’ The speaker was accompanied by the Nigerian ambassador to the Holy See, General Goerge Godwin Umo, who disclosed that the

Member Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals of Nigeria (IIFP) Governing Council, Dr. Ganiyat Adeshina (left); Member IIFP Governing Council, Imam Abdulahi Shuaib; Acting President IIFP, Dr. Tajudeen Yusuf, Member IIFP Governing Council, Bar. Fatai Bakare and Member, IIFP Governing Council, Dr. Yahya Muritala during IIFP annual stakeholder forum in Lagos. The need for Nigerians to embrace the Islamic finance packages have been stressed in view of the current economic hardship and quest for finacial solutions by the corporate entities. Islamic scholars who gathered at the induction of 118 new members of the Institute of Islamic Finance Professionals of Nigeria (IIFP), said Islamic Finance is the only market that can provide ethical finance that can ultimately solve societal problems . Acting President, IIFP, Dr. Tajudeen Yusuf, urged Muslims to develop passion for Islamic finance by engaging in research, capacity building, structuring Islamic product to solve problems in th

Friends and family members of detained businessman, Emeka Okoronkwo are appealing to the Inspector General Of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris to call his men to order over their interferences in a civil case between their brother and one Kennedy Nwabuoku. According to them, the police officers from IGP Monitoring Team have shown glaring bias in the case by taking side against their brother, who is now lying ill at the hospital as a result of torture from investigating police officers. According to the statement, the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, IGP and Mr. Femi Falana, (SAN) have been mentioned as people interested in the case, while the said buyer of the land, Kennedy Nwabuoku has been accused of threatening to deal with the Okoronkwo. A statement signed by Stanley Okoronkwo on behalf of concerned friends and family expressed surprise at the allegation of attempt to sell Lagos Lagoon levied against their brother when available evidence and documents prove otherwise. According

Nigerian singer, Yemi Alade has disclosed that she was disrespected by Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie when she approached him for a collaboration sometime in the past. She said Sarkodie snubbed her management team’s approach many times without giving reasons. The female Nigerian singer was on the Starr Chat show on Wednesday and expressed her vexation on how Sarkodie treated her. She said she was once a big fan of Ghanaian rapper, but has stopped being his fan ever since that event played out which she tagged “unprofessional” attitude. “I’ve really tried my best to really not go into details but the long and short on why I don’t want to dwell on this is that is super unfair, unprofessional and unkind for international acts or even artistes to have a dealing with anybody and after agreeing to certain things, you don’t come through at all,” she lamented. “I can count three different countries and three different venues where my team and I had an agreement with the artiste (Sarkodie

Brazilian footballer, Robinho, has reportedly been sentenced to nine years in prison after being found guilty of s*xual assault. Reports in Italy claim that the former Manchester City and Real Madrid star, along with five others, was implicated in an attack on an Albanian girl in a Milan nightclub in January 2013. The incident, which the player has repeatedly denied his involvement in, occurred when the 33-year-old was at AC Milan following his departure from the Etihad in 2010, Sportsmail reported. Robinho’s agent and lawyer, Marisa Alija Ramos, told Sportsmail: ‘With regards to the allegations surrounding Robinho, the alleged incident took place several years ago. ‘I clarify that my client has already defended himself against the charges and maintains he played no part in the incident. ‘All legal steps are already being taken in response to this decision.’ According to Marisa, the skillful striker who currently plays for Atlético Mineiro in Brazil, pleaded not guilty a

The principal medical officer, Mubi General Hospital, Dr. Era Mikailu, told journalists yesterday that 48 people were brought to the hospital the day of the attack. Aid group to spend N400m for reconstruction in Adamawa The death toll from Tuesday’s suicide bombing of a mosque in Mubi, Adamawa State, has risen to 58. Initial reports had stated that about 50 persons lost their lives after a youth blew himself up as worshippers observed early morning prayer. The principal medical officer, Mubi General Hospital, Dr. Era Mikailu, told journalists yesterday that 48 people were brought to the hospital the day of the attack. He disclosed that between Tuesday and Wednesday, eight more people lost their lives, and that 15 patients in critical condition had been transferred to Federal Medical Center (FMC), Yola, for treatment. Meanwhile, humanitarian organisation, Victims Support Fund (VSF) has budgeted N400 million for the reconstruction of seven schools in areas affected by th

A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has warned against giving special treatment to former Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Ekpeyong Ita and ex-Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayo Oke. He gave the warning yesterday in a paper presented at a National Seminar on Recovery of Noxious Funds organised in Lagos by the University of Kent. According to him: “If the two former security chiefs are allowed to be treated like sacred cows by the Federal Government, other criminal suspects would resist arrest, investigation and prosecution under the principle of equality of citizens before the law. “I can imagine that some lawyers would seek to enforce the fundamental rights of many suspects to freedom from discrimination guaranteed by section 42 of the Constitution.” Falana commended the setting up of a committee by President Muhammadu Buhari to carry out a holistic audit of recovered assets by agencies of the Federal Government. He s

An investigation into the alleged disappearance of assets seized by the Abdulrasheed Maina-led Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms has been opened by the Senate. They had reportedly been kept in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The upper legislative chamber took the decision following the adoption of a motion by Senator Emmanuel Paulker (PDP, Bayelsa State). Paulker, chairman of the committee investigating the botched reinstatement and promotion of Maina, alleged that the top echelon of the EFCC and others shared some 270 properties that included exotic houses and hotels. The senator said his committee got wind of the matter following submissions by government officials connected with the reinstatement saga. Consequently, he requested the Senate to expand the scope of the committee’s investigation, with a view to unveiling persons involved in the scandal. “For this alarming revelation, sir, this committee requests the Senate to e

Anthony Joshua was pictured on Wednesday working out in a makeshift ring on top of the luxurious hotel, Burj Al Arab in Dubai on Wednesday. As seen in the extraordinary images, the British-Nigerian heavyweight champion was put through his paces as he went through boxing drills on top of the luxurious hotel, which stands at 321 metres high. Wearing white shorts, boots, and gloves, Joshua also showed off his stunning physique for the camera. See more photos below.

Apple supplier Foxconn has admitted to using illegal intern labour to assemble the iPhone X. Students said they worked 11-hour days, which is a breach of Chinese labour law. The scandal comes after Apple reportedly faced delays in getting the iPhone X to customers. Apple supplier Foxconn has said that it will stop using illegal intern labour in its factories that are used to assemble technology products for some of the world's biggest companies, according to a report by BBC News. Foxconn's use of interns on its production lines was first reported by The Financial Times. Six students told the newspaper that they regularly work 11-hour shifts assembling Apple's new iPhone X, which is a breach of Chinese labour law. The Financial Times said that a group of 3,000 interns worked in Foxconn's factories. The students, who were reportedly aged between 17 and 19, told The Financial Times that their work at Foxconn was work experience that they had to do in order to co

The Federal Government has said that toll gates will be re-introduced on major highways across the country. The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), disclosed this on Thursday, November 23, while appearing before the Senate Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency. He said 38 points have been identified in the first phase of the re-introduction. "Clearly, tolling is coming," the minister told the lawmakers. According to him, the new toll gates will be situated at the old spots, adding that tolls will be collected after the roads have been made motorable. He said, "We are not going to ask road users to pay toll on a road that is not good. While the construction (of gates) is going on, we are working on the design. We want to standardise the design so that people when we ask people to come and bid for the construction, we can control what they are going to construct. They are going to construct the materials we have prescribed

Juventus goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon has explained why he shocked one supporter by giving him his shorts after Wednesday’s Champions League draw against Barcelona. Buffon returned to Juve squad for the first time since his emotional retirement from international football after Italy’s failure to qualify for the Russia 2018 World Cup. The 39-year-old, who was excited after the match, ran to hug Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic following a social media exchange on the eve of the game when the Croatian had said he would love to tell Buffon to take his place in the 2018 World Cup. After embracing Rakitic, the Italian keeper then pulled off his orange shorts and ran towards the tunnel to salute the delighted fans. Buffon, who earned a record 175 caps for Italy over 20 years, had been targeting a record sixth World Cup appearance in Russia. The goalkeeper took to his Twitter account to explain what it meant to him after giving the supporter his shorts. He wrote, “This is only a point

Controversial Cool FM Lagos on-air-personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly known as Daddy Freeze, has taken to his social media page and shared a picture of his mother while revealing to his fans that his mother beat stage 3 cancer. The media personality who is known in recent times for attacking church pastors over tithing in a movement he calls "Free the Sheeple", shared the below recent photo of his mother and wrote; "This #SlayQueen is a professor of Law, provost of a college of law and deputy vice chancellor of a Nigerian university. But her greatest accomplishment, to the glory of God is she beat stage 3 cancer 10 years ago. I thank you LORD each day for her life! ~FRZ."

NIGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, has commiserated with the government and people of Adamawa State over the killing of 50 worshippers in Mubi by a suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber and the slaying of 30 herders by yet to be identified assailants. NLC president, Ayuba Wabba in a statement made available to Nigerian Pilot, described the cold-blooded killings as shocking and reprehensible, thus calling for the investigation and prosecution of those found culpable. While appreciating the difficulties associated with policing an area as vast as the North East, Wabba also decried the recent resurgence of strikes at vulnerable targets by members of the Boko Haram operating from fall back positions. Furthermore, he called on the security and intelligence officers not to relent in tackling the insurgents especially, in strengthening the process of security awareness among the local populace, intelligence gathering by the personnel and de-radicalisation campaign generally

Baking time 45 minutes Recipe category Appetizer Recipe cuisine Foreign Cooking method Baking Nutrition 100g of chocolate cookies contains 210 calories and 9g of fat Ingredients 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 egg 2 1/4 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts 1 package of semisweet chocolate chips Recipe instructions 1. Heat the oven to 375ºF. 2. Mix the sugar, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl. 3. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Also stir in nuts and chocolate chips. 3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart into ungreased cookie sheet. 4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). 5. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack. Recipe Yield Everyone can enjoy chocolate cookies. However, diabetic patie

Obo is not joking this year at all..Today,davido released a new single titled /like_that/ .. The FIA crooner release a snippet video of the track on his birthday yesterday Download and enjoy https://www.datafilehost.com/d/a436a522

 Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian's baby daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr is a definition of cuteness in this new photo. The pretty little girl rocked a mini leopard print as her proud mother held her legs. See full photo below..

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, has said that despite losing the recent Anambra governorship election, the Party’s performance clearly showed inroad is being made in the South East. He stated this on Thursday while receiving some new entrants into the Party at the APC national secretariat, Abuja. He said: “I consider that we have made a lot of gains in spite of not winning Anambra state. “But it is clear if people interpret properly that the APC given the base from which we were starting, given the kind of intense propaganda that goes out there that the South East is against the APC – whether it is religion, ethnic or even historical – we have made some progress. But we are not resting on that. “We are immediately setting up a team to study the elections, to look at whatever significant issues it has thrown up, to find ways in which we can improve our performance as we spread into the rest of the South East, basically to tell us

The Nigeria President, Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday 23rd November 2017, received the Oba of Benin His Royal Majesty Omo N’ Oba Uku Akpolokpo Ewuare II of Benin Kingdom in State House, Abuja. More photos below:

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday approved the appointment of a 30-member tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee for the negotiation of a new National Minimum Wage. The Committee will be inaugurated on Monday 27th November, 2017 at the Council Chambers, Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Sate House, Abuja. The committee is made up of persons from the public sector, (Federal and State Governments) and the private sector, made up of the largest private employer group, as well as the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA). Other members include the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME). A statement signed by Samuel Olowookere, Deputy Director, Press, Ministry of Labour and Employment stated that a former Minister of Lands and Housing, Ama Pepple, is to serve as Chairman of the Tripartite National Other members

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Dambatta signed on behalf of NCC, while the Commandant of the NSCDC, Abdullahi Muhammadu signed on behalf of the Corps. Speaking on the MoU, the NCC boss, said the partnership became necessary in view of the huge investment made in the telecommunication  infrastructure and to  guarantee quality and efficient telecoms services to Nigerians. Prof. Damabatta said the collaboration in furtherance of NCC’s effort to assist government realizes it’s economic diversification plan. With the implementation of the MoU, he said NCC emergency centres would also be secured and the  safety of  lives and property of  Nigerians would be guaranteed and more investment expected from prospective investors in the sector. ‘‘We keep reminding Nigerians about the 8 Point Agenda, Strategic collaboration and partnership with sister agencies of  Government to achieve our mandate to the Nigerian people.” ‘‘Through this strategic partnership, which cu

Bundesliga basement boys FC Koln have inflicted a first Europa League defeat on Arsenal, coming out on top 1-0 in this evening's Group H clash at the RheinEnergieStadion. The match was settled by a Sehrou Guirassy penalty shortly after the hour mark after the Frenchman was brought down inside the box by defender Mathieu Debuchy. A fourth-successive defeat on German soil did not prove too damaging for the Gunners, though, as closest challengers Red Star Belgrade were held by BATE Borisov elsewhere tonight, meaning that they will still finish top of the standings. Arsenal required just a couple of minutes to register their first meaningful shot of the first half, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles - an ever-present in the Europa League this term - testing Timo Horn. A Jhon Cordoba effort aside, which David Ospina easily managed to keep out, Koln barely troubled their opponents in the opening 45 minutes despite needing all three points. Arsenal were the side looking more likely

Biafra Nations Youth League, BNYL, has cautioned Minister of information, Lai Mohammed, over his comments that IPOB is dead. The group warned that such declaration could lead to provocation in the South East and South South regions. Mohammed had told newsmen that “the large turnout witnessed during the election has sounded the death knell on IPOB. “I think what that proved really is that IPOB does not represent the good people of Anambra or any state in the South East. “If truly they represented the people, the IPOB propaganda about the election really showed that they are not on ground.” Reacting, BNYL Leader, Princewill Obuka, said “That old man does not know how determined the Biafrans are. He saw what happened during military raid.” “Such resistance should have told them that Biafrans, if armed, would really consume Nigeria like Kanu was saying. “He should respect his old age and turn attention to Boko Haram and Shiites”. However, the group added that its ongoing

No fewer than one million premature babies die annually due to complications, the founder of Abiye Maternal and Child Health International Foundation (AMCH), Dr Elizabeth Disu, has said. Disu, according to a statement on Wednesday, stated this at the AMCH World Prematurity Day celebration in Ikeja, Lagos, adding that prematurity was one of the leading causes of newborn deaths in the world. “Prematurity is the most single cause of newborns deaths. About 15 million preterm babies are delivered worldwide, out of which one million die and three quarters of the deaths are preventable. Most of these deaths are in the developing countries. “Nigeria has the highest number of preterm babies and the highest number of newborn deaths in the world.  If preterm babies survived, we will be able to reduce the rate of neonatal deaths in this country,” she said. Disu explained that the World Prematurity Day was celebrated worldwide to bring awareness about babies that were born prematurely, a

When you hit the gym, chances are you're thinking more about how your body will benefit rather than how your brain will. But as it turns out, all that time spent on the treadmill is doing your noggin a serious favor. New research from Australia's National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) at Western Sydney University and the Division of Psychology and Mental Health at the University of Manchester in the U.K. shows that aerobic activity can improve your memory and overall brain health as you age. The study, published in NeuroImage, looked at brain scans of 737 people who were either totally healthy, had mild brain deterioration (like Alzheimer's), or had a diagnosed mental illness like depression or schizophrenia. Their ages ranged from 24 to 76 years old (the average being 66). Participants in the study did all types of cardio—the stationary bike, walking, and running—two to five times a week for anywhere between three months and two years. By the end of

Google admits to collecting Android users’ locations even when devices are disabled, a Quartz investigation reported on Thursday. “It seems quite intrusive for Google to be collecting such information that is only relevant to carrier networks when there are no SIM card or enabled services,’’ Matthew Hickey, a security expert and researcher, told media in London. Since the beginning of 2017, Android phones have been collecting the addresses of nearby cellular towers and sending the data to Google’s system, according to a Google spokesperson. Therefore Google has access to data about individuals’ locations and movements, even when their phones are turned off or disconnected from the Internet, which violates the privacy of smartphone users. The spokesperson said the collected data was never used or stored and promised that by the end of November, Android phones would no longer send cellular tower location data to Google.

As if you didn’t have enough bodily fluids to handle, here’s one more: belly button discharge. Whether you have an innie or an outie, you’ve likely experienced the common phenomenon of belly button crust, says dermatologist Aditi Jha, M.D., head physician at online medical consultation company JustDoc.com. That’s because your skin cells regenerate regularly, she says, and the old stuff is washed away when you bathe. But because some may get trapped in the folds of your belly button, it can accumulate as dried skin—with a feel and look that’s similar to crusty eye stuff you get overnight. But if you’re dealing with something that’s more ooze than crunch, it could be a sign that something’s not right, says Dr. Jha. And if that’s the case, it’s not something you should pick at to try to determine what the heck is going on down there. “It is strongly advised by all doctors to avoid meddling with the belly button, because it has the highest blood drainage in the body,” Dr. Jha say

Do you have trouble inhaling through one or both nostrils? Are you subject to frequent nose bleeds? Do your partners accuse you of being a noisy sleep-breather? A deviated septum might be to blame, but fear not: it's treatable. A deviated septum results when the cartilage-and-bone barrier wall between the nostrils strays to one side such that one nasal passage is bigger than the other, potentially making it harder for air to flow in and out of the nose. In most cases, you're born with a deviated septum or you acquire on through nasal injury: Because facial anatomy isn't perfectly symmetrical in the vast majority of humans, many noses show some degree of septum deviation, according to Abtin Tabaee, M.D. associate professor in the department of otolaryngology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. Treatment is typically only considered in cases of significant nasal obstruction, and while deviated septum surgery can correct the condition, whether or not it's worth the

AS THE national chairmanship race of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gathers momentum, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, a frontline aspirant, said he remains the only crisis manager that can turn around the fortunes of the party, if given the mandate. Addressing party members in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, yesterday, Daniel said he has what it takes to take the party to an enviable height where all its lost ground at the federal, state and local governments would be reversed in favour of the party. The former governor of Ogun State stated that it was his dexterity in crisis management that made him to rule Ogun for two terms, adding that since he left office, the PDP has been unable to find its way back to power in the state. He urged party leaders in the state to allow grassroots members of the party to have a say in order to enthrone internal democracy. He stressed that the state was a stronghold of the party before it was dethroned in the last genera

World Bank has disclosed that the fiscal deficit of states in Nigeria increased significantly from an estimated 0.2 percent of GDP in 2014, to 1 percent in 2015 and 2016. This was part of statement released in Abuja yesterday. The global apex bank also, said that total state debt increased from 2.4 percent in 2014 to 4.0 percent of GDP by the end of 2016. The states’ fiscal crisis led to two sets of financial assistance packages by the Federal Government. The second— the Budget Support Facility (hinged on a 22-point Fiscal Sustainability Plan)—was advanced in mid-2016 and due to close in mid-2017. “In light of the continuing fiscal pressures, there is a strong need to strengthen the performance of the states through the full and sustained implementation of reforms to increase internally-generated revenues and state spending efficiency, and to strengthen state debt management and fiscal transparency,” said Ulrich Bartsch, World Bank Lead Economist for Nigeria.