Tag Archives: How

How I Was Attacked In Kafanchan- El-Rufai

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Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State yesterday narrated how his convoy was attacked in Kafanchan, Jema’a local government of the state.

El-Rufai in a statement issued by his media aide, Samuel Aruwan,  said he was in Kafanchan Tuesday with his entourage to hold the state security council meeting when three women led protesters to ask him certain questions.

He said, “I listened to three of the women who led the protesters as they asked me questions. I answered them and even invited them to a larger meeting, but they went on rampage and burnt the residence of the local government chairman.”

The governor confirmed he and his entourage were pelted with stones and that window glasses of some of the vehicles in his convoy were broken after he addressed some demonstrators.

It was observed that Kafanchan was calm as the curfew imposed on the local government area on Monday was still in place and most people remained in their houses hoping for the curfew to be lifted.

In Kaduna, there was slight tension when it was confirmed that the governor’s convoy was pelted with stones and cars in his convoy smashed while he was whisked away through a different route from the one he intended using, to escape some youths who had blocked the road.

The governor appealed to citizens not to respond to the treatment meted to him by the protesters in Kafanchan, saying he regarded it as part of the burden of leadership.

Credit: dailytrust

How Nigeria’s N53 Trillion Budget Of 18 Years Failed- Report

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The controversy over performance of the 2016 budget is just the latest in a series of government’s failed efforts at infrastructure building in the last 18 years despite ambitious budgets totaling N53 trillion within the period.

The nation’s yearly budget, which started from a modest expenditure plan of N948 billion ($3.2billion) — apart from supplementary requests — in 1999, consistently grew to N6.06 trillion ($19.9 billion) this year. The Federal Government plans to spend more than N7 trillion next year.

Experts have said that the combination of frivolous and fictitious heads and duplication of items in budgets have remained major challenges, leading to poor performance, the huge budget provisions notwithstanding.

Besides, high recurrent votes, which partly was paid out to “carefully crafted ghost worker scheme”, non-implementation of capital votes as planned and abandonment of projects after mobilization, helped to bring the country down.

Out of the N53 trillion, the country has budgeted N33.2 trillion in the last seven years, with recurrent expenditures averaging 72 per cent, leaving 28 per cent for capital votes.

But going by the projections of the stakeholders, an average of N900 billion yearly has been made in the last 17 years, while the recent fall into recession showed that it was not really invested.

An economist and fiscal governance campaigner, Dr. Uzochukwu Anakom, while speaking on the 2017-2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, noted that the shoddy work depicts how budgets over the years were used to under-develop the country.

“The macroeconomic targets and figures make no sense to an average Nigerian and can be subject to as many interpretations as there are Nigerians. It commits the government to nothing.

“It raises several questions- what is the inflation target in the next three fiscal years? Will interest be in the single or double digits for it to be consistent with economic growth that can move Nigeria out of recession? Essentially, there are no projections for interest rate and lending to the economy.’’

The immediate past Director-General of Bureau of Public Procurement, Emeka Eze, said that the number of government projects currently abandoned across the country stood at 19,000 as at May this year.

He said that besides duplication of office buildings, personnel and overhead cost, there was the tendency for each agency of government to assert its authority in procurement process.

The result, according to experts, has been poor execution or outright non-execution of projects after mobilisation, as well as over-pricing of projects, after delays in preparation and presentation, inconsistencies in timeframe and questionable figures.

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http://guardian.ng/news/how-nigerias-n53-trillion-budget-of-18-years-failed/

How Dasuki Paid Dokpesi N2.1bn Without A Contract- Witness

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A prosecution witness in the trial of former chairman of Daar Communications and Investment Plc, Raymond Dokpesi on Tuesday claimed that he(Dokpesi) was paid without executing any contract with the Officer of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

Salisu Shuaibu, who was former Director of Finance in the ONSA, testified at an Abuja Federal High Court that the sum of N2.1 billion was transferred to Dokpesi through the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) in four tranches of N500m each.

Led in evidence by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Salisu stated that a contract would usually require an agreement with the company prepared by the legal officer at ONSA and approved by the NSA, which was not done with Daar.

He testified that on the four occasions, he was instructed by the then NSA, Sambo Dasuki to prepare the payment mandate for him to sign while he (Salisu) counter-signs. The document will then be forwarded to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for execution.

He said the processing of payment mandate for contractors of the ONSA began under the tenure of late General Owoeye Azazi and was used for the purchase of military hardwares, explaining that the contracts do not include media campaigns.

“This payment is the first time we are budgeting for media campaign in the Office of the National Security Adviser,” he said.

However, being cross examined by defence counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Salisu admitted that the ONSA was not a procurement agency under the Procurement Act, but added that the office enjoys some exemptions in the area of purchase of military equipment.

The case has been adjourned to February 7 and 8, 2017 for hearing.

Credit: dailytrust

How Your Sign Affects Your Sex Life

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If you’re an Aries, you’re all about the quickie. Hey, girl, don’t blush, we’ve all been there: that desperate urge to get down and dirty but with little to no time. You’re just into the thrill of a speedy sex sesh more than others. As the first sign of the Zodiac, you like things “strong and hot and heavy,” Tower says. So don’t deny that raring ready-to-go feeling. Instead jump on it…literally, since a woman-on-top position that ensures quick climaxing is best for you. Try “Twirl-a-girl,” where you’re on top of your partner, who’s lying chest upwards, and your legs are perpendicular, all which allow you to twist those hips–think Shakira–towards a–fingers crossed–climax.

As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race, especially if you’re a Taurus. According to Tower, a Taurus “can go for hours,” starting with a lingering experience like a massage. She then should gradually move to generous amounts foreplay and, finally, to sex itself, which involves just as much of a “slow and steady build up” to lead to those toe-curling explosive fireworks you set out for. Because of your marathon lovemaking, Brounstein calls a Taurus chick, “the sensual goddess.” The best way to kick it into ~gradual gear~? The Bedside Astrologer recommends “the-boys-on-the-side” move, where you’re lying down on your side and your partner, kneeling in between your legs, enters for thrusts that’ll last all night long.

A Gemini’s sex life should always be fun, flirty, and fresh. Known as a frisky, playful, and nimble sign, a Gemini gets turned on by little–and sometimes unexpected–flirtatious things. Even a lingering touch during a night of Netflix and chill can take a Gemini from zero to 60 reeeaaal fast, especially since nothing says “fun” and “light” than a quick romp on the couch between Gilmore Girls episodes. So if you’re a Gemini, you should def try Cosmo’s “lap limbo” move that involves you straddling your partner on a chair and resting you legs on his shoulders while you gyrate…to the hum of the dishwasher just minutes after finishing dinner. Talk about keepin’ it light and fun.

As the zodiac’s most romantic sign, a Cancer girl likes anything that’s right out of Romeo and Juliet—or you know, a recent rom com. So if you’re a Cancer, your sex life should have exactly what you like: adoring glances, lasting kisses, and tons of touching. A Cancer is also frequently associated with words such as “nurturing” and “motherly,” so Tower suggest working in breast-play. The perfect move for you is “straddle his saddle,” in which you, well, straddle your partner so you can achieve the ultimate Cancer-approved eye contact and you can fondle your breasts while bouncing up and down.

Leo’s love being the center of attention so it shouldn’t be any different in the bedroom. According to Tower, a Leo girl should engage in sex that allows her to be dramatic, fun, and powerful. Now this doesn’t necessarily mean you should go and build a stage for your bedroom to have great sex on. It does, however, mean that you should position yourself such that you’re the one starring in this steamy show while you’re partner adopts more of a supporting role. Pretend there’s a spotlight on you and try the “ride of life” move that looks a bit like missionary, except your legs are wrapped tightly around his legs near your butt and you employ the bedsheets to help make small, tight thrusts.

Simply, Virgo girl “gets a lot done,” Brounstein says. It’s no shock that the zodiac sign characterized by Tower as “organized” and “accomplished” better enjoys sex that takes place on a desk or a kitchen table–you know, those locations for hardworking activities. But that’s because as a Virgo starts to strip away her clothes, with it comes her “fussier” exterior. The truth is, if you’re a Virgo, you’re quite friskier in bed than you might lead on. So Tower and Brounstein suggest the “sneak-a-peak,” where after a striptease, you lay down on a sturdy, flat surface (friendly reminder to remove all that desk supplies first) and your partner enters you at hip level, holding your legs straight up.

If you’re a Libra, you’re constantly seeking that “oohm” in life. So why not do the same in the bedroom? The best sex for a Libra is one where symmetry is involved, such that both partners experience maximum amounts of pleasure and are positioned equally. According to Tower, a Libra can “whip any guy into an excited frenzy,” especially if she plays on her “coquettish and feminine” characteristics. How should you do this? With the “time bomb” move, of course: mount your partner from behind in a kneeling position, begin to grind onto his penis and thigh, and don’t forget to send some sultry glances over your shoulder.

For a Scorpio, sex should be as deep and passionate as she is. “Scorpio is really about teasing…keeping things going for a long time,” Tower says. So sex that is extremely intimate, featuring full-on body-to-body contact, and involves maximum amounts of friction is best for this sign. If you’re a Scorpio, consider pulling out the “tight squeeze” move in the bedroom, which involves you lying face down and your partner doing the same on top of you. But what makes this position so Scorpio-approved is that you’re able to keep your legs squeezed tightly against your man’s legs. Think: friction, friction, friction!

Experimentation is a Sagittarius girl’s best friend. After all, a Sagittarius is known for being really sexually liberated. So she should bring her praised ability to throw caution to the wind to the bedroom, where trying things she’s never tried before–even what Tower calls those “kooky and off the wall” moves–would make the sex even steamier. Try the “passion pretzel,” where both partners face each other in a kneeling position and pull into each others’ waists until–BAM!–penetration. Essentially, this is a starting point for a Sagittarius, “she should really just go crazy,” Benson jokes.

A Capricorn is “not afraid to put a little effort in for a good time,” Brounstein says. And ain’t that the truth! If you’re a Capricorn, the best sex for you is a romp sesh that’s both athletic and sexy. What? Sounds confusing, but think of it this way: as a fan of sexual pleasure–and a dynamo for getting what you want–a Capricon is able to turn any experience into a naughty one. So the best sex for you is a hump that doesn’t wait for the bedroom. Instead, do it up against a wall or even use Cosmo’s “pleasure-pick-me-up,” where your partner lifts you up so that you wrap your legs around his waist and start to bounce up and down with a little help from the surface–be it the edge of a chair or table–behind your partner.

If you’re an Aquarius, you have quite the imagination both in and out of the bedroom. Because of your tendency towards fantasy, positions where your partner takes you from behind are best, as are those that employ props. Essentially, sex for an Aquarius should allow her the ability to leave her “mind open to roam,” Tower says. And there’s no better way for you to get down and dirty than on top a pile of pillows with Cosmo’s “magic mountain” move, where you kneel over a stack of pillows–the “mountain”–and your partner takes you from behind, thrusting while you can let your mind run free.

It’s no shock that sex for Pisces–“the most watery of all the watery signs,” Tower says–is best when in water. If you’re a Pisces, you should simply engage your inner fishy and get down by or in the water, be it a pool, ocean, hot tub, or bath. Because you’re so soothed and calmed by the water, you’ll be that much more able to wash your cares away and focus only on your hot rendezvous. But what happens if you can’t get to an ocean? That’s where “the submarine” comes in, in which your man sits on the second or third step of a pool or hot tub bench, you sit on his lap, and lean back until you’re floating on the water…and soon on air when that o comes.

Credit: cosmopolitan

Michelle Obama Finally Reveals How She Reacted The Night Trump Was Elected

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As many Americans waited into the wee hours of election night to find out who would be voted the nation’s next president, First Lady Michelle Obama says she was not among them.

Instead, she was fast asleep in her White House bed.

In a joint interview with President Barack Obama for this week’s PEOPLE cover story, the first lady breaks her silence on President-elect Donald Trump‘s stunning victory, and reveals why she didn’t stay up to see the results.

“I went to bed. I don’t like to watch the political discourse; I never have,” Obama tells PEOPLE, adding of her husband, “I barely did with him.”

The first lady was one of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton‘s most powerful surrogates on the campaign trail, where she delivered passionate speeches about the dangers of electing Trump, being careful all the while to avoid mentioning him by name.

Her now-famous mantra, “When they go low, we go high,” delivered at the Democratic National Convention in July, moved audiences and became an unofficial slogan for Clinton’s campaign.

“Anything that I felt about the election I said and I stand by,” the first lady says now, adding of her early election night, “Once you do what you can do, then the rest is easy. It was in the hands of the American people.”

Though the first lady stands by her campaign-trail criticisms of Trump, she, like her husband, is prepared to help the president-elect as he transitions to the White House.

“This is our democracy, and this is how it works,” she says. “We are ready to work with the next administration and make sure they are as successful as they can be. Because that’s what’s best for this country.”

Credit: yahoo

How Neglect Of Solid Minerals Robs Nigeria N8trn Yearly

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The recent figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) rating youth unemployment/underemployment at 49.9 per cent, unemployment at 13.3 per cent and underemployment call for concern, considering the state of neglect of the country’s solid minerals sector, which is said to be capable of providing over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs.
A study commissioned by the United Nations Industrial Development Council (UNIDO) led by a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Femi  Bamiro, had proved that there are mineral resources in each of the 774 local councils in the country.
The Nigerian Extractive Industries and Transparency Initiative, (NEITI ) report suggests that there are about 40 different kinds of solid minerals and precious metals buried in Nigerian soil waiting to be exploited. The commercial value of Nigeria’s solid minerals is estimated to run into hundreds of trillions of dollars, with 70 per cent of these buried in the bowels of Northern Nigeria.
But despite these potential, the Nigerian solid minerals sector has performed below expectation, contributing 0.3 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Synopsis of NEITI 2013 audit report
According to the Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr. Kayode Fayemi, 619 entities made payments to the government in 2013 but the 2013 solid minerals audit reconciled payments by only 65 entities (63 companies and two buying centres) that made payments of N2 million and above. These 65 entities (10.5 per cent of 619) accounted for 90.49 per cent of the total payments for 2013 and six government agencies were covered by the audit.
Total production across the solid minerals sector increased to 46,280,996 tonnes in 2013 as against 37,808,063 tonnes in 2012. The 19 per cent increase was attributed to a 33 per cent rise in limestone production from 18 million tonnes in 2012 to 24 million tonnes in 2013. Also, solid minerals sector accounted for an average of 0.09 per cent of total export earnings for 2013 compared to 0.02 per cent for 2012, with lead ores accounting for over 50 per cent of the value of all solid minerals sector exports for 2013.
Low revenue flows to government
The NEITI report espoused further that a meagre N33.86 billion accrued to the Federation Account from solid minerals sector in 2013. Out of this, payments from cement manufacturing companies accounted for N30.47 billion (89.98 per cent); construction companies, N1.98 billion (5.83 per cent); mining and quarrying companies, N1.42 billion (4.19 per cent).
Stakeholders express concern
President of Miners’ Empowerment Association of Nigeria, Mr. Sunny Ekosin, disclosed that Nigeria loses a whopping N8 trillion annually in unexploited gold alone.  He also said that Ajaokuta remains the key to Nigeria’s industrialisation and that getting it back to work is a matter of patriotism for President Muhammadu Buhari and his team.
Ekosin had in a recent interview said: “If Nigerians were taking data seriously, we would have built a database, where we have authentic information. In 2012, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Mines and Steel came before the nation and said that from our precious metals, specifically from gold exploitation alone, Nigeria is losing N8 trillion ($50 billion) annually.”
According to him, the failure of Nigeria, since independence in 1960, to put in place a structure that will make the benefits of the exploitation of solid minerals available to all Nigerians has been the bane of the nation.
Regrettably, he said at the moment mining of minerals in Nigeria accounts for only 0.3 per cent of its GDP due to the influence of oil resources.
The domestic mining industry, he said, is underdeveloped, leading to Nigeria having to import commodities it could produce domestically, such as salt or iron sheets and billets.
According to NEITI’s audit findings, solid mineral deposits are spread all over Nigeria, with more deposits in certain areas than others. Over 40 million tonnes of talc deposits have been identified in Niger, Osun, Kogi, Ogun and Kaduna states.
He explained that there are huge deposits of coal ranging from bituminous to lignite in the Anambra Basin of South-Eastern Nigeria.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Laurel School of Mines, Mr. Tope Adebanjo, said if Nigeria channels the required efforts towards gemstone development, the industry is capable of turning the fortunes of the economy around, maintaining that the multi-billion dollar industry has transformed many economies of the world.

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http://sunnewsonline.com/how-neglect-of-solid-minerals-robs-nigeria-of-n8trn-yearly/

Muslim Pilgrims Board Ex-official Reveals How They Diverted N94m

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Immediate past Executive Secretary, Plateau Muslim Pilgrims Board, Alhaji Salisu Mohammed, has admitted to diverting N94m from funds paid by intending pilgrims.

Mohammed made the confession on Tuesday in Jos, while testifying before a Judicial Commission of Inquiry setup by the Plateau government to probe activities of former Governor Jonah Jang’s administration.

He told the commission that the money was diverted into sponsoring himself and some politicians on pilgrimage.

He said, “The funds were diverted from no fewer than 131 intending pilgrims, who paid for slots to travel to Saudi Arabia for the 2013 Hajj.”

“They were disqualified from participating in the pilgrimage because I was instructed, verbally, by the then Secretary to State Government, Prof. Shedrach Best, to do so and use the money to sponsor some political VIPs.

“The VIPs and I sponsored ourselves, with the fund collected from the pilgrims, to attend the World Islamic Conference in the United Kingdom and to the Hajj itself.”

Mohammed, however, revealed that the payees had neither gone on the pilgrimage nor had their monies refunded to them.

He said that he wrote to Jang asking for the remittance of the money and got an approval but that the money was not released untill after Jang left office in 2015.

The chairman of the commission, Justice Stephen Adah, who was visibly miffed, expressed bitterness over the development and wondered why the former official got involved in such an “unholy” action.

He frowned at the act of depriving persons from performing spiritual rites for some selfish reasons, “after they had paid the fees”.

Adah promised that the commission would look into the matter and force those responsible to refund the monies to the owners.

Credit: NAN

How To Check Malaria By Urinating On A Stick, Researcher Reveal

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New research has shown you don’t have to go through the pain of a needle prick to test if you have malaria—you can just pee on a stick.

In a clinical trial, published in the journal of Clinical Microbiology this November, researchers set up the newly-introduced urine malaria test (UMT) against standard tests for malaria across six Lagos hospitals.

Their aim was to compare how sensitive UMT was to the malaria parasite, and whether it could specifically a case of fever as being linked to the presence of the malaria.

They enrolled 1,691 people over age two for the study. Some 566 of them already had higher than 37.5-degree-centigrade fevers and 1,125 did  not have a fever but reported a history of fever in the previous 48 hours.

Among all participants combined, UMT detected malaria in 419 people, compared with 341 who tested positive in microscopy tests or other standard tests.

Among patients who actually had a fever, UMT detected malaria in 231 people, compared by 204 cases detected by microscopy.

Among 566 patients who had fever, UMT was sensitive in 85 out of every 100 cases and specific in 84% of them.

It was even more sensitive and specific among children under age five, comparable to figures obtained for standard existing tests, the researchers found.

They said testing for malaria using urine performed better among patients with a fever, who are its intended targets—and is so specific, chances of it not catching a malaria parasite is about four in 100.

“The UMT is the first non-invasive malaria test clinically evaluated on a large scale at the population and community levels,” the researchers reported.

“This indicates that the UMT could aid in the clinical management of suspected malaria cases. For example, upon receiving a negative UMT result for a suspected malaria case, the clinician now knows this patient’s probability of having malaria parasites detectable by microscopy is unlikely – only 4%. In contrast, a positive UMT result would indicate the probability of detecting malaria parasites in this patient by microscopy is 59%.”

Credit: dailytrust

 

Budget: How We Shared N753.663bn To Ministries- Adeosun

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Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, yesterday gave details on how the 2016 budget was being implemented, revealing that N753,663,667,464 has so far been shared to various ministries being capital allocation as at October 31.
A tabulated presentation to journalists showed that the Power Ministry got the lion’s share of the allocation with N209,246,760,165, while the Petroleum Ministry received the least allocation of N2,413,847,044, even as Nigerians continue to lament the poor power supply over the last 15 months.
This was as the Defence Ministry was allocated N69,512,363,730 while Transport Ministry has so far received N30,540,042,428. According to the breakdown of expenditures, Agriculture got N29,578,929,050, Water Resources Ministry got N25,201,857,951 and the Interior Ministry has so far received N21,210,059,596. Health Ministry got N18,472,539,524 and N16,743,672,981 went to the Education Ministry while Niger Delta Ministry got a slice of N8,161,196,486.
Science and Technology Ministry has so far received N6,681,349,721 and Mines and Steel got N3,360,000,000. Petroleum Ministry got N2,413,847,044, while others cumulatively received N312,511,048,789.
Recall that the Appropriation Bill 2016 seeks to authorise the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation the total sum of N6,077,680,000,000.
Of the figure, N351,370,000,000 is for Statutory Transfers, N1,475,320,000,000 is for Debt Service while N2,648,600,000,000 is for Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure.
The sum of N1,845,540,000,000 inclusive of N157,150,000,000 Capital Expenditure in Statutory Transfers and N86,000,000,000 as Interest on Capitalised Loans, is for contribution to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure for the year ending on December 31, 2016.

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http://sunnewsonline.com/budget-how-we-shared-n753-663bn-to-ministries-adeosun/

Watch How Iyanya Celebrated His Birthday With His New Family, Mavin

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Newest member of the Mavin family, Iyanya, shares his excitement on Instagram as he celebrates his birthday with fellow Mavin crew members.

He was presented a black cake, wishing him a happy birthday and welcoming him to the family.

Blessed, great birthday so far... Love my cake thank you @mavinrecords & @thetemplecompany ??

Iyanya is seen popping a bottle alongside D’prince and he captioned:

Celebrating with the family… #smd@dprincemavin@mavinrecords@thetemplecompany#up2sumting

Watch Instagram clip below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMPSeIugQkK/?taken-by=iyanya

 

Watch How T-Pain Reinvented Olamide’s “Shakiti Bobo”, Other Nigerian Dances

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So T- Pain was at the Heineken Lagos Fashion Week and the ever energetic star showed us how to dance Olamide’s Shakiti Bobo all over again. He literally reinvented the dance.

He went from Olamide’s Shakiti Bobo, to Yahoozee; slayed the sekem dance and then killed the Al-Qaeda move.

Watch video clip below as posted by hip tv on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMKu2NThjvX/?taken-by=officialhiptv

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMKujdyhkGL/?taken-by=officialhiptv

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMKuKIcBoTP/?taken-by=officialhiptv

How I Avoided Marrying 5 Boko Haram Commanders

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Aishat Maiangu Ali, 30, is one of the numerous women who had suffered greatly in Borno State when Gwoza town was taken over the Boko Haram insurgents two years ago. Narrating her ordeal, the mother-of-six recalled how she lied to five commanders of the sect who came to pay her dowry after they killed her children and her husband. She told them that she was HIV positive.
“On that fateful Friday when they captured Gwoza, many people were killed, including my husband. Many women hid their husbands under their roofs, but when the insurgents got to know, they started shooting sporadically and many were killed. Hundreds of men voluntarily joined the sect when they discovered that they could not escape the onslaught.
“I have six children, but four were killed, along with my husband. The insurgents thereafter named Gwoza their caliphate. I suffered unexplainable depression in the hands of Boko Haram insurgents. I can’t remember everything, but I know that many young women suffered as sex slaves. At a point, they took us to Mubi and Michika towns. They also moved us to a border village between Cameroon and Nigeria for several months before that Thursday when the army recaptured Gwoza. We never knew that we would see people again.
“After a month, things got worse as there was no food to eat. They told people that they would give them food and beautiful houses if they were ready to marry them. It was then that women and girls started marrying them in exchange for food.
“One Amir Abu came to my house and requested to marry me, but I refused because he was amongst those who killed my husband.  I also felt that I didn’t need their food, house and other things because I did not know where they came from. Also, for them to be killing innocent people simply didn’t follow the rule of their so-called Sharia law, so I hated them. It was scarcity of food that led many young girls and women to marry them. I used to grind maize and millet for them because I had a grinding machine.
“When they kept coming to me for marriage, I lied that I was HIV positive. After a week, another Amir came, insisting that I marry him, but I lied to him again. So they arrested and put me in a separate room in their prison. After three days without water and food, they allowed me to go back home. So many women wondered why I didn’t marry them. I always told everyone that came to me that I knew I was HIV positive and didn’t want to destroy people’s lives.
“The pressure was too much for me as another Amir came. Again, I was arrested and kept in a room when the fifth Amir Isma’il requested I should marry him, but I refused and told him the same story. He started beating me. Despite this, I didn’t change my stance. They insisted that I should tell them the truth, but I said that was my health status,’’ she said.
Aishat further said she was shocked when they told her to take them to her father. “I took them to my father and he told them that I had been sick before my husband and children were killed. He said he was aware of my health status. That was how I escaped the marriage proposals of the five Boko Haram Amirs in Gwoza,’’ she concluded.
Also narrating her ordeal, Aishat’s friend, Binta Abubakar, said, “I have four children, one was taken away, the second killed and two others are still missing. I have suffered a lot in the hands of the Boko Haram insurgents.’’
Binta was a victim of sexual assault from the insurgents. According to her, the insurgents threatened to kill her if she refused to marry one of them. She succumbed to their threats because she did not believe that the Nigerian Army would recapture Gwoza.
She said her insurgent husband, Mohammed, boasted that his group would take over Maiduguri. But when the army bombarded the members of the sect last year, Mohammed was killed in a fierce battle.
Binta said she gave birth to a boy but later lost him. She further said that marriage to an insurgent was a hard decision for her to take, but considering how they were slaughtering people, she had no option but to accept their proposal.
“I realised that I made wrong choices, but my friend consoled me. There was a time I felt like killing myself,” she revealed.
She called on the federal government to assist in rehabilitating the victims of insurgency, adding that almost all the women in Gwoza are widows who are subjected to emotional and psychological trauma.
Credit: dailytrust

How Kidnapped Lagos Teachers, Pupils Were Released

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Kidnapped four pupils and two teachers of Lagos State Model College, Igbonla Epe, were ferried to safety in two speedboats by their abductors on Tuesday, it was learnt yesterday.

The victims – Abu, Emmanuel Okonkwo, Jeremiah Ruth, Isaac Adebisi – Junior School Vice Principal A. O. Oyesola and English teacher Lukman Oyerinde, were dropped off inside a forest where they trekked for over two hours before meeting their relatives.

Our reporters learnt that they were asked to walk in a line and not look back until they got to the point where family members had waited for over four hours.

The vice principal led the pack and the English teacher was asked to stay at the rear, leaving the pupils in-between.

The victims were taken to the Epe General Hospital for check-up.  Some of them were diagnosed with typhoid and malaria.

The father of one of the victims said: “They spent many hours at the hospital and were later moved to a house in Epe where the principal addressed them.

“Two parents went to a designated place in Epe, where the kidnappers directed them to. They were at the place around 6pm and stayed there till about 10pm without any sign of the victims.

“As it was getting late, they said they were scared but had to remain there because that was the kidnappers’ instruction.  So, around 10:30pm, they showed up, saying they had trekked for over two hours.

“I received the kidnap news with rude shock and since then, my family has been disorganised. I was not staying in Epe. My wife and I relocated to Epe ever since the bad news broke.

“I thank God when I was called by 10:30pm to inform me that the victims have been released. When I arrived at the school, I saw my son alive.

“I was not afraid that something sinister might happen to them because I have been praying alongside with many other sympathisers and I have the assurance that they would come out alive. God has really done it.

“Let’s not talk of ransom, I did not pay any. I don’t know whether anyone paid. I did not pay. My joy is that my son and others are hale and hearty. I want to thank the state government and the police for the roles they played while the victims were in captivity.”

Ruth’s sister who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “We suffered hell when we went to pay N1 million for our sick child. The kidnappers after two days of playing pranks with us dropped them off in the bush and gave them a description on how to come out to the road.

“Our joy knew no bounds when we saw our children and their teachers coming out alive. I was deeply involved because our child was described as being ill, but, not as ill as we were made to believe”

Police spokesperson Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent (SP) said they were neither assaulted nor traumatised.

She stated that the medical examination carried out on the victims indicated that none of them was molested.

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How kidnapped Lagos teachers, pupils were released

How 21 Missing Chibok Girls Were Freed- Officials

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The Nigerian government has given an insight into the negotiations that led to the release of 21 Chibok school girls.

A confirmation the girls had been freed came Thursday morning.

“The release of the girls, in a limited number is the outcome of negotiations between the administration and the Boko Haram brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss government,” a statement issued by presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said.

He said the talks will continue.

Separately, officials briefed about the deal that the girls were swapped for four Boko Haram insurgents. Names of the militants were not released.

Boko Haram demanded the release of its members held by the government, as condition for freeing the girls.

The officials said that the exchange took place Wednesday night when Nigerian military officials, alongside personnel of United Nations, Red Cross and National Emergency Management Agency, conveyed four Boko Haram militants by a chopper to Banki, a border town in Bama local government area of Borno State.

There, 21 released girls were picked up. The girls were brought into Maiduguri Air Force base at about 8.30a.m.
A source said most of the girls had babies.

They were immediately flown to Abuja at 9a.m.

Many residents of Maiduguri were woken by the sounds of aircraft hovering in the air Thursday morning.

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How Burkina Faso’s Different Religions Live In Peace

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The Pope has invited Burkina Faso’s president to the Vatican later this month to see what can be learnt from the West African nation’s example of religious tolerance. BBC Africa’s Lamine Konkobo is from Burkina Faso and assesses if this can continue in a region under assault from Islamist militant groups.

Religious tolerance has long been wired into the social fabric of my country, with many people drawing their faith from more than a single creed.

The Islam practised by many Burkinabe Muslims – who account for about 60% of the population – would be considered blasphemous by Salafists, as they include many animist practices.

My own father was not born a Muslim. He converted to Islam in the 1970s as a result of his business dealings with El Haj Omar Kanazoe, a rich trader from the Yarse sub-ethnic group known for their affiliation to Islam.

While my father chose to become a Muslim, setting his children up to follow in his footsteps, the rest of his family remained animist and my father could not disown them for that.

In the neighbourhood where he chose to set up his household, he was under the tutorship of his maternal uncle, a patriarch named Yandga who was the custodian of the village’s fetishes.

Anywhere my father looked, even if his new co-religionists urged him to hate, he could not have done so without losing his soul.

Like many others across the country, he had to adapt to the dynamics of society around him by accepting that Islam was not the only way.

As children, we grew up with people with differing religious beliefs – playing together, being told off by each other’s parents, celebrating each other’s festivals, mourning each other’s deaths, with humanity as the overriding connector common to all.

Read More: bbc

How State Governors Can Survive Recession- el-Rufai

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Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has listed various ways state governors can both survive the economic recession and become less dependent on Federal Government.
Speaking with Daily Sun at the opening of the World Pension Summit (WPS) summit in Abuja Tuesday, el-Rufai advised his counterparts to immediately flush out ghost workers and ghost pensioners using the biometric verification method.
He also asked them to reduce their aides and other personal staff; improve their tax collection machinery while investing in healthcare and agriculture.
“As governors, we need to focus on cutting costs, reducing the machinery of government and the size so that we can live within our means. We also need to look at our state economies and find a way of not relying heavily on federation account. That means developing agriculture, developing mining, improving our tax collection mechanism so that we generate more revenue from taxes. “We also have to focus on education and healthcare because we’ve a growing population. Nigeria is forecast to be the third most populous country in the world by 2050 with a population of about 450 million people. That is not a bad thing if that population is educated. The challenge is for the state governments that are directly responsible for the provision of social services. So, they need to spend a large part of their annual budget on education and healthcare. That’s what we’re trying to do in Kaduna State”, he stated.
El’Rufai said: “Most state governors have inherited huge bureaucracy, a large number of employees they may not need and all that. Most of these Ministries and Agencies were created when the price of oil was over N100 per barrel. Today, it’s down to N40. So, it’s no longer sustainable to keep that size and number of employees. And they have to start by reducing the number of political appointees, reducing number of ministries by merging some of them, looking at the nominal role and ensure ghost workers are eliminated, etc.
“So, you ask whether you need the number of employees you have and if you don’t, get some to exit and then give them a good package so that they can start their own businesses. Then, you’ll have a size of government you can afford.
“Then, you look at the overhead cost, which is the cost of running the government. Look at travelling, the tea and coffee, the estacode, money spent on conferences, workshops, and see ways of cutting them down. I don’t think Nigeria needs a lot of conferences and the problems we have have been debated and solved.”

Credit: sunnewsonline

How Husband Killed Wife Over Inheritance

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Late Fatima Ibrahim had closed from her place of work,  Zubairu Pilot Primary school in Dutsinma town where she teaches Basic Science. Passing through her family home, where she exchanged pleasantries with relatives, she retired home at her residence at the Low-Cost Housing Estate. Little did family and friends know that they were saying final farewell to her, as her lifeless body was discovered the next day in bed, with blood trickling from her mouth, and bruises on one side of her face.
The deceased, a 32-year-old mother,  was married to  Umar Manu, a staff of the Federal University Dutsinma, Information and Communication Department, who hails from Zaria, Kaduna State and is the prime suspect in the case. The couple have a three-year-old son.

It was gathered that trouble started for late Fatima when her father, Alhaji Ibrahim Habibu, died in December 2014 and she inherited his wealth. He was until his death a regional manager with a major bank in Sokoto.
According to late Fatima’s uncle and spokesman of the family, Babangida Habibu, since the death of the father, Manu went all-out to get his wife’s share of the inheritance divided among late Alhaji Habibu’s children. He said: “On our part as family, we resolved to do all possible to protect his property, and committee was set up to share the inheritance appropriately, making sure accounts were opened for each and every one, with each share of money lodged within.”
Late Fatima’s uncle said about seven months back, his niece reported her husband’s changing attitude and the family had to intervene, and invited him along with his parents to iron things out. But, Habibu said, after a while she complained again. “It was at this point that she chose to move out to a new place, where he still visits on the pretence of wanting to see his son,” he said.
Habibu said: “Manu had earlier been threatening Fatima for a while, and even on that fateful day he called to ask her to make available N800,000 for him to settle some debts. Mark you, she had always tried to let him know that the money he assumes she had was not in her custody, but he never wanted to hear that.”
Manu, according to Habibu, visited the deceased at her residence on the day the murder was perpetrated, at about 8:30pm, entering in and out of the compound twice before he finally left after 11:00pm. “But the next day, Fatima’s maid met her lifeless body on the bed and raised alarm,” he said, adding that Manu was apprehended and handed over to the police where he has owned up, and confessed to the killing, even narrating how he did it.
According to late Fatima’s uncle, the deceased’s family have said all they want now is for the law to take its course.
State Commissioner of Police, Abdullahi Usman, who confirmed the arrest of Manu, said investigation has opened up on the matter.
Late Fatima was born in 1984, and bagged a Bachelors Degree in Biology from Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto.

Credit: dailytrust

Pro-Gun Mum Shot By 4 Year Old After Teaching Him How To Use A Gun

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A gun-loving Florida mother was shot by her own four-year-old son – a day after she boasted about his shooting skills.

Jamie Gilt, 31, had a loaded .45 calibre weapon in her car, and her son shot her through her seat while she was driving.

She is in a stable condition in hospital.

‘Even my 4 year old gets jacked up to target shoot with the .22,’ Gilt wrote on Facebook  this week – one of many pro-gun statements on her social media accounts.

The passionate advocate of gun rights said in online discussions this week that she was teaching her children to defend their family.

Captain Joseph Wells of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said, ‘This is definitely not a criminal event. This is an accidental shooting.’

Police officers have not yet filed charges, but said in a statement, ‘Florida Statute makes it a misdemeanor for a person to store or leave, on a premise under his or her control, a loaded firearm in such a manner that it is likely a child can gain access to the firearm.’

 Credit: Yahoo

Yola Blast: How It Happened As NEMA Reports Number Of Victims

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 bomb explosion that occurred Tuesday evening at a tipper garage market in Yola, Adamawa State, killed 32 people and injured 80 more, the National Emergency Management Agency said.

Sa’ad Bello, NEMA coordinator in Adamawa confirmed this  in a telephone interview on Wednesday. The blast happened at the gate of the market close to tipper garage in the evening as traders left the market.

A police bomb squad was at the scene of the attack Wednesday morning.

Another witness, Hamid Dogo, said the suicide bomber detonated the bomb in front of a woman who sold cooked food.

“The woman and her son Chidinma died on the spot. I was part of the people that help in the victims,” he said

“The man, we suspect, was giving bean cake to almajaris and the next thing was a blast,” Mr. Hamid said.

Credit: PremiumTimes

How Pilots, Toddler, Officers’ Wives Died

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Hours after the ill-fated Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Donnier-228 aircraft crashed shortly after it took off, it was exclusively gathered that three of the civilians on board were wives of Air Force personnel and a toddler.

The aircraft, with call sign NAF030, had on Saturday morning crashed into a house at Ribadu Cantonment, Kaduna killing all seven people on board.

Before the plane crashed, the Abuja-bound aircraft, which took off from Kaduna military airfield at about 6:45am, was said to have floundered in the air and then crashed on top of a residential building.

While the pilot was identified as Squadron Leader Adekunle Suara, a flight instructor at the NAF 301 Flying School in Kaduna, the co-pilot was Flying Officer Kehinde Oluwatosin Olaniran.

Although only one civilian, Hassana Usman, a mother of two, was identified, the names of four other persons remain shrouded in secrecy.

However, it was gathered that the passengers on the plane were made up of two pilots, an airhostess, a technician, two women and the five-year-old child.

The two women were members of the Nigerian Air Force Wives Association (NAFOWA), a group which is the exclusive preserve of officers’ wives in the NAF.

Although they were not part of the mission, it was gathered that they were allowed on board as passengers because it is one of the perks military officers and their spouses enjoy.

In an interview, a senior NAF officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, debunked claims that the aircraft was hired by civilians.

He said: “Contrary to claims, the aircraft was not on charter service, rather it was going on a mission to Abuja.

“The civilians on board were wives of our officers. They only joined the aircraft because they were on the same destination with that of the pilots.”

Read More: thisdaylive

How I Spent N78 Million On Website, Mobile Apps, Others- Fashola

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The immediate past governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, has finally responded to the allegation that he approved a contract worth N78 million for the upgrade of his personal website.

Last weekend, analytic firm, BudgIT, revealed that Mr. Fashola approved, before he left office, a contract of N78.3 million from the state treasury for an upgrade of his personal website.

The news caused outrage among Nigerians who accused the former governor of financial recklessness and the misappropriation of public fund.

In a statement he personally signed on Thursday, Mr. Fashola admitted that indeed a contract valued at that amount was awarded, but it involves the provision of other services beyond the upgrade of the website.

Mr. Fashola’s statement comes on the heels of the denial by the contractor, Info Access Plus, that it received N78 million. The company said though it quoted N12.5 million for the upgrade of the website, www.fashola.com, it only received N10 million from the state government.

On Thursday, the former governor said only N12 million was actually awarded for the upgrade of the site while other services such as the handover countdown clock, mobile apps for Google, for iOS ipad, for Microsoft, and Blackberry and the annual maintenance cost for managing the site make up the total of N78 million.

He said due process was followed before the contract was awarded and that the procurement agency, PPA, did not raise any objection as at the time the contract was awarded.

“It was for these services that the contract was issued for N78 million, which the Lagos State procurement agency gave a No Objection based on the advice of the Ministry of Science and Technology, who are the government adviser on ICT matters.

“In publishing the contract award which was the government tradition under my watch, the procurement agency ‘s website summarized it as ‘upgrade’ only without detailing the other services and this has been distorted by the agents of hate as their suspected ‘smoking gun’”, he said.

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How Plot To Abort 8th NASS Inauguration Was Hatched- Report

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Fresh indications have emerged on how inauguration of the Eight National Assembly was almost aborted in the early hours of Tuesday, June 9.

Daily Sun gathered that the plot to kidnap the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, suspend the inauguration of the Eighth Assembly was premised on using the name of President Muhammadu Buhari.

To carry out the plot, first, a message was reportedly sent to Maikasuwa by a North west senator, that he was needed at the Presidential Villa over “some developments.”

The “developments,” it was gathered, was related to the inauguration of the National Assembly on June 9.

When the CNA did not respond, another text message, from another North west Senator, was sent to him, impressing it on Maikasuwa to make himself available for the “meeting with president Buhari.”

Still, there was no response. With the deadlock and no response from Maikasuwa, the second leg of the plot was activated. Another set of senators stormed Maikasuwa’s private residence in the wee hours of Tuesday and demanded to see him.

They claimed that they were there to see him on the orders of President Buhari who wanted an audience with him. There was another deadlock as Maikasuwa refused to come of out his private quarters.

Daily Sun checks, however, indicate that the Villa was unaware of the text messages as the two messages emanated from telephone sets of two senators from the North west.

The next plot was activated by a North east governor, who made several attempts to engage Maikasuwa in his office, thereby buying time and delaying him from moving to the Senate chamber to inaugurate the Eighth Senate. That plot did not work either.

As Maikasuwa made his way to the Senate chamber, armed with the president’s June 1 Inauguration Proclamation, two sets of men from the Department of State Security Services, entered his offices and demanded to see him.

By this time, Maikasuwa was already ensconced in the Senate chamber, ready for the inauguration.

The plotters did not give up. A text message was allegedly generated, which directed all members-elect of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to converge at the International Conference Centre (ICC) for a meeting with Buhari.

Some members complied; others refused and headed to the two chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

In a related development, it was also gathered that having failed to grab Maikasuwa and with no counter-proclamation from the Villa, a verbal message was relayed to a faction of the APC Senate caucus that the inauguration would not hold.

To perfect the plot, the major entrance leading into the National Assembly from the Federal Secretariat and the Head of Service were cordoned off using Police vehicles.

When those accredited to cover the inauguration demanded entry into the complex, they were told that the inauguration had been postponed.

Regardless, a ranking senator from one of the two factions in the APC Senate caucus confirmed to Daily Sun that “no message, either verbal or electronic, came from the Villa. Why has nobody bothered to ask why Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila was bold enough to stand for election on Inauguration Day and the same thing did not happen in the Senate?”

It also emerged that a new governor from the North west and a former military administrator reportedly prevailed on the president to maintain his neutrality in the election of National Assembly presiding officers.

Credit: DAILY SUN