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October 05, 2019

They earned their spots in the team - England coach, Gareth Southgate defends calling up Tammy Abraham and Tomori



England Head coach, Gareth Southgate has dismissed suggestions he called up footballers Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori to the England squad to face Czech Republic next week so they won't be able to play again for Nigeria.
Chelsea players Abraham and Tomori have been in sensational form this season and hail from Nigeria but are eligible to play for England as they were born there, and according to FIFA rules, Abraham and Tomori can still play for Nigeria even though they have played for the England youth teams- but if they play for England's senior team they can't represent Nigeria again.
The Nigeria Football Federation have attempted to convince both players to pledge their allegiance to the three-time African champions without success and Southgate has revealed that it is morally wrong to cap-tie both players just to prevent them from representing Nigeria.
Speaking to reporters after his squad announcement on Thursday, Southgate said on Abraham : ''I haven't discussed it with him, I have left Frank to have the conversation to let him know he's in the squad which is always nice for a club manager to be able to do.
''We have got literally close to hundreds of players now in our system with dual nationality so I don't think it is ethically right just to give a player a cap to make sure they can't play for somebody else.''
He added : ''The two boys Fik and Tammy are in the squad this time on merit.
''I am not going to guarantee that they are going to get on the pitch but they have been part of our junior system, Fik came a little bit later than Tammy but he's been part of the youth team that won the World Cup.
''As far as we are concerned, the two boys have been developed through English football.
''They are English players and I'm sure they have huge desire to play for England at senior level''.

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October 05, 2019

UACN, GTBank, Zenith, 2 others boost trades by N669.3 million on Friday



UACN Property Development Company Plc, GTBank Plc, Continental Reinsurance, Fidelity Bank and Zenith Bank boosted trading on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange by N669.3 million on Friday.
While UAC earned the most actively-traded stock as 50.2 million of its shares were traded at N56.7 million in 17 deals, GTBank Plc traded 17.5 million shares valued at N467.8 million in 396 deals and Continental Reinsurance traded 8 million shares valued at N17.9 million in 52 deals. Fidelity Bank and Zenith Bank, traded 7.7 million shares valued at N13.1 million traded in 69 deals and 6.2 million shares valued at N113.8 million traded in 342 deals respectively.
Also, Unilever Nigeria, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, Lafarge Africa, Conoil and Sterling Bank led the gainers’ chart at the end of today’s trading.
While Unilever Nigeria earned the best-performing stock, as it gained 8.32% to close at N26.7, NAHCO gained 5.56% to close at N2.47. Lafarge Africa Plc, Sterling Bank Plc, and Conoil Plc, gained 1.56% to close at N16.25, 1.65% to close at N6.15, 0.66% to close at N15.25 respectively.
But trading at the bourse ended Friday in negative territory as the All-Share Index closed at 26,987.45 basis points, down by 0.36%.
Top Losers: Forte Oil Plc was the worst-performing stock, dropped by 9.76% to close at N14.8. Cement Company Northern Nigeria Plc also fell by 9.76% to close at N14.8. NASCON Allied Industries Plc fell by 3.65% to close at N13.2. Guaranty Trust Bank Plc fell by 1.85% to close at N26.5. MTN Nigeria Plc rounded off the top five losers for the day. It shed 0.38% to close at N130.

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October 03, 2019

Kylie Jenner finally responds to news she split from Travis Scott and reunited with Tyga



Kylie Jenner has finally reacted to the news that she and baby daddy Travis Scott have split and she reunited with Tyga recently.
The makeup entrepreneur addressed the news on Twitter, writing: "The internet makes everything 100 times more dramatic than what it really is. There was no “2am date with Tyga”. You see me drop two of my friends off at a studio that he happened to be at."
On her split with Travis, she said: "Travis and i are on great terms and our main focus right now is Stormi. Our friendship and our daughter is priority."

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October 03, 2019

Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori receive England call-ups as they look set to end hope of switching allegiance to Nigeria



Chelsea stars, Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham have been called up by England for the Euro 2020 qualifiers in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria taking place this month.
The announcement was made by England coach Gareth Southgate this afternoon ( Oct. 3).
Before now, there have been questions if the pair who are also eligible to play for Nigeria will commit themselves and play for the Super Eagles. But Southgate’s selection of both Tomori and Abraham will now dash the hopes of Nigeria to convince the pair to switch their international allegiance.
Tomori has played international youth football for Canada, where he was born, and England, but he also qualifies for Nigeria through his Nigerian parents. Abraham has played two senior games for England, but still qualifies for Nigeria through his father.
If any of them take part in the Czech Republic or Bulgaria games on October 11 and 14, then their international futures will be settled because both matches are competitive fixtures.
Speaking following the announcement, Southgate admitted the decision to call up Abraham was an easy one to make. 
Southgate said: 'It was a fairly easy decision as he's the leading English goalscorer in the league.
'We put him into the squad very young, when we were changing the complexion of what we were doing. That was a bit early for him but because of the opportunity given to him by Frank Lampard at Chelsea, we've brought him back in.
'This is now a great chance for Tammy. He's always scored goals for our junior teams, he's done that in the Championships and now he's grasped his opportunity at the beginning of this season.'
Southgate said of Tomori: “His profile as a defender fits with the way international football is. Athleticism is important; he is capable with the ball. We think it’s a good opportunity to have a closer look at him.”
“I don’t think it’s ethically right to select someone just to make sure he can’t play for somebody else,” England’s manager said. “Fik and Tammy are in on merit. They’ve both been part of our youth system. Fik came in a bit later but he was part of the team that won the [Under-17] World Cup – as far as we’re concerned, they’re English players.”

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October 03, 2019

'There is lack of respect and promises are not kept' - Gernot Rohr casts doubts on Super Eagles future, reveals offers from four teams.


                 
Super Eagles Head coach Gernot Rohr has revealed he may turn his back on the AFCON 2019 Bronze winning Nigerian team when his contract expires in 2020.
According to the Franco-German born coach, he has faced multiple broken promises, he isn't respected and the Nigerian Football Federation has a lot of organizational problems that make working in Nigeria very difficult.
Rohr, was promised by the Nigeria Football Federation, headed by former Delta FA boss Amaju Pinnick, that he will go for coaching courses with Bayern Munich in Germany once AFCON 2019 but that promise like many others according to the tactician has been swept away.
When asked Thursday by German magazine, on the possibility of Staying with Nigeria's national team past 2020, Rohr replied;
 ''Yes and no. On the one hand, we have built a good team, the youngest on average in Africa.
''On the other hand, there are many things that make daily work difficult: lack of respect, organizational problems, promises are not kept. We will see how it goes on''.
When the magazine pressed him on offers, Rohr revealed he had received offers from four countries namely Morocco, Cameroon, Mali and Congo but that he loves Nigeria and will like to finish his contract.
: ''Yes. But I love this team and I really wanted to fulfill my contract''.

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October 03, 2019

'I'm not going anywhere; Trump will not destroy me and my family!' Furious Joe Biden vows amid the Ukraine impeachment scandal



Democratic Party frontrunner for the US Presidential election, Joe Biden, has reacted to US President Donald Trump's latest corruption allegations against him and his son, saying he has no plans to go 'anywhere'.
Biden, former Vice President under Barack Obama has been the subject of a series of blasts from Trump and the Republican party after the Democrats began impeachment proceedings against Trump last week for allegedly pressuring a vulnerable ally in Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, over corruption allegations before they could receive $400m military aid from the U.S.
According to Trump, Biden used his vice-presidential powers to enforce the sack of a prosecutor who was investigating his son, Hunter, over corruption allegations while he was a board director at Ukranian energy company, Burisma Holdings.
Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani also claimed in recent TV interviews that Biden was not only corrupt in dealings with Ukraine but also dealings with China, leading Biden's legal team to serve papaers to news organizations and TV networks to stop granting Giuliani interviews.
Trump took to his Twitter handle to share a video of the Bidens with a Ukranian gas executive and circled their heads with a love emoji, calling the Bidens 'stone crooked', but Biden has rejected such claims saying he and his son are innocent and that Trump's plans to harm him politically won't work.
''Let me make something clear to Trump and his hatchet men and the special interests funding his attacks against me,' Biden said in prepared remarks ahead of an appearance in Reno, Nevada, on Wednesday night, U.S time.
'I'm not going anywhere. You're not going to destroy me. And you're not going to destroy my family.
'I don't care how much money you spend or how dirty the attacks get,' said Biden.
During a joint press conference with Finland's president, Sauli Niinistö, Trump said he brought up Biden and his son's dealings with Ukraine in the July phone call with Ukraine's president Zelensky because as the president he had a duty to report corruption.
Biden, in return, accused Trump of abuse of power;
'He did it (pressure Ukraine's presient to investigate Biden) because, like every bully in history - he's afraid,'
'He's afraid of just how badly I would beat him next November.'

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October 03, 2019

Burna Boy, Teni nominated for 2019 MTV Europe Music Awards (Full List)



Nigerian musicians, Burna Boy and Teni have been nominated for the 2019 MTV Europe Music Awards.
The Nigerian acts will be competing for the ‘Best African Act’ category against the likes of South Africa’s Nasty C, Tanzania’s Harmonize and Togo’s duo Toofan. 
In the international scene, Ariana Grande leads with seven nods while Lil Nas X, Shawn Mendes, Billie Eilish each secured six nominations. J Balvin follows closely with five nominations while Taylor Swift join the above contenders for ‘Best U.S. Act’, scoring four nominations.
See the full list below....

Best Video
Ariana Grande, “thank u, next“
Billie Eilish, “Bad guy“
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus, “Old Town Road” (Remix)
Rosalia, J Balvin ft. El Guincho, “Con Altura”
Taylor Swift ft. Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco. “ME!”

Best Artist
Ariana Grande
J Balvin
Miley Cyrus
Shawn Mendes
Taylor Swift

Best Song
Ariana Grande, “7 Rings”
Billie Eilish, “Bad Guy”
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus, “Old Town Road” (Remix)
Post Malone, Swae Lee, “Sunflower”
Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, “Señorita”

Best Collaboration
BTS, Halsey, “Boy With Luv”
Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, “Old Town Road” (Remix)
Mark Ronson, Miley Cyrus, “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart”
ROSALÍA, J Balvin ft. El Guincho, “Con Altura”
Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, “Señorita”
The Chainsmokers, Bebe Rexha, “Call You Mine”

Best New
Ava Max
Billie Eilish
Lewis Capaldi
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Mabel

Best Pop
Ariana Grande
Becky G
Camila Cabello
Halsey
Jonas Brothers
Shawn Mendes

Best Live
Ariana Grande
BTS
Ed Sheeran
P!NK
Travis Scott

Best Rock
Green Day
Imagine Dragons
Liam Gallagher
Panic! At The Disco
The 1975

Best Hip-Hop
21 Savage
Cardi B
Cole
Nicki Minaj
Travis Scott

Best Alternative
FKA Twigs
Lana Del Rey
Solange
twenty one pilots
Vampire Weekend

Best Electronic
Calvin Harris
DJ Snake
Marshmello
Martin Garrix
The Chainsmokers

Best Look
Halsey
J Balvin
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
ROSALÍA

Biggest Fans
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
BTS
Shawn Mendes
Taylor Swift

Best Push
Ava Max
Billie Eilish
CNCO
H.E.R.
Jade Bird
Juice WRLD
Kiana Ledé
Lauv
Lewis Capaldi
Lizzo
Mabel
Rosalia

Best World Stage
Bebe Rexha Isle of MTV Malta 2019
Hailee Steinfeld Isle of MTV Malta 2018
Muse Bilbao, Spain 2018
The 1975 Lollapalooza Paris Festival 2019
twenty one pilots Lollapalooza Paris Festival 2019

Best U.K. & Ireland Act
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Mabel
Ed Sheeran
Little Mix (Social Wildcard Winner)

Best U.S. Act
Lil Nas X
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
Lizzo
Taylor Swift

Best African Act
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Harmonize (Tanzania)
Nasty C (South Africa)
Prince Kaybee (South Africa)
Teni (Nigeria)
Toofan (Togo)

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October 03, 2019

President Buhari to present 2020 budget next Tuesday- Senate



The Nigerian Senate says President Buhari will on Tuesday October 7th, present the 2020 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly.
Senator Adeyeye Adedayo who is the Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, disclosed this in Abuja while answering questions from Senate Correspondents in Abuja today Thursday October 4th.
The presentation of the budget is coming on the heels of the consideration and passage of the 2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) by the Senate.

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October 03, 2019

Knife wielding man shot dead after killing a policewoman and injuring five other officers during an attack inside Paris police headquarters



A knifeman has been shot shot dead after attacking officers in the Paris police headquarters on Thursday, October 3rd.
According to French media, a female officer was killed and as many as five others injured in the attack in the historical centre of Paris. The report suggested it may have been a civilian worker at the headquarters who carried out the attack.
The attack took place near the Notre Dame on the Ile de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of the French capital. The premises has since been cordoned off and emergency services were quickly at the scene. 
The metro station of Cité, near the headquarters of the Paris Police, has now been shut down and French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner is reportedly heading to the scene.

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October 01, 2019

Full list of nominees at the 13th edition of the Headies.



On September 24, 2019, Nigeria’s biggest and most prestigious music award show, The Headies, opened its doors to receive entries for its 13th music award with this year’s edition themed ‘The Power of A Dream’.
The year in review was announced as January 2018 and June 2019. The award show is scheduled to hold October 19th, 2019.  Running for over a decade, the 13th Headies award will feature 29 unique categories in recognition of Africa’s finest artiste. 
The last edition saw Nigeria’s sensational artiste, Olamide, with the highest number of nominations (10). He was closely followed by Tuface (7), Wizkid (6), Davido (4), and Clarence Peters (4).

THE 13TH HEADIES NOMINEES LIST
Year In Review: January 2018 – June 2019

BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR
A non-voting category for the best recording (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence; songwriting, production, rendition) by an artiste or group in the year under review.
Adekunle Gold – Ire
Heal D World – Patoranking
Olanrewaju – Brymo
UyoMeyo – Teni
Ye – Burna Boy

BEST POP SINGLE
A category for the best pop single in year under review (by single individual or group).
‘Ye’ – Burna Boy
‘Wetin We Gain’ – Victor AD
‘Fake Love’ –Starboy ft Duncan Mighty, Wizkid
‘Case’ – Teni
‘Jealous’ –Fireboy DML
‘Baby’ – Joeboy

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
An individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review.
Phantom – ‘Ye’ by Burna Boy
Ozedikus – ‘Dumebi’ by Rema
Spellz – ‘Askamaya’ by Teni
Killertunes – ‘Fake Love’ by Starboy ft Duncan Mighty and Wizkid
Kel-P Vibes – ‘Killing Dem’ by Burna Boy ft Zlatan

BEST RAP ALBUM
A non-voting category for the best album by a rap artiste or group in year under review.
‘Moral Instruction’ – Falz
‘Crown’ – AQ and Loose Kaynon
‘A Study On Self Worth: YxngDxnzl’ – M.I Abaga
‘Clone Wars, Vol. IV (These Buhari Times)’ – Show Dem Camp
BEST R&B/POP ALBUM
A category for the best r&b/pop album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
‘rare.’ – Odunsi(The Engine)
‘Outside’ – Burna Boy
‘No Bad Songz’ – Kizz Daniel
‘Mayor of Lagos’ – Mayorkun
‘About 30’ – Adekunle Gold

BEST MUSIC VIDEO
A voting category for the best conceptualist, best directed and most exciting video in the year under review. This award goes to the video director.
‘Dangote’(BurnaBoy) – Clarence Peters
‘Available’(Patoranking) – Clarence Peters
‘Ire’(Adekunle Gold) – Aje Films
‘Talk’ (Falz) – Prodigeezy
‘Jaiye’(Ladipoe) – 88 Factor

BEST R&B SINGLE
A category for the best r&b single in the year under review (by a single individual or group).
‘Tipsy’ – Odunsi ft. RAYE
‘Serenade’ – Funbi
‘UyoMeyo’ – Teni
‘Wishes and Butterflies’ – Wurld
‘Gimme Love’ – Seyi Shay ft. Runtown

BEST COLLABO
A voting category for the best r&b, pop or hip-hop collaborative track (including cameos).
‘Like’ – Reekado Banks Ft. Tiwa Savage, Fiokee
‘One Ticket’ Kiss Daniel ft. Davido
‘Fake Love’ – Starboy ft Duncan Mighty, Wizkid
‘Killin’ Dem – Burna Boy Ft. Zlatan
‘Amaka’ – 2baba Ft. Peruzzi

BEST RAP SINGLE
A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap song.
‘Talk’ – Falz
‘We Don’t Do That Over Here’ – Hotyce
‘40ft Container’ – Illbliss ft. Olamide
‘Sacrifice’ – Payper Corleone Ft. Alpha Ojini
‘Gang Gang’ – AQ and Loose Kaynon

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE(MALE)
A non-voting category for the single male artiste with the most outstanding vocal performance on a single song or album.
Tay Iwar – ‘Utero’
Johnny Drille – ‘Finding Efe’
Nonso Bassey – ‘411’
Funbi – ‘Serenade’
Wurld – ‘Wishes & Butterfly’

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.
GoodGirl LA – ‘Bless me’
Waje – ‘Udue’
Teni – ‘UyoMeyo’
Tems – ‘Mr Rebel’
Falana – ‘Repeat’

NEXT RATED
This category is a voting category for the most promising act in the year under review.
Rema
Joeboy
Fireboy DML
Victor AD
Lyta
Zlatan

HIP HOP WORLD REVELATION
A voting category for the best new artiste with a debut album adjudged to be outstanding in terms of artistic quality and impact within the year under review.
Odunsi
Mayorkun
Wurld
Humblesmith

LYRICIST ON THE ROLL
A non-voting category for the rap artiste with the best lyrical depth and performance on a single song or album.
YCEE – ‘Balance’
Boogey – ‘Implode’
Paybac – ‘Implode’
Ghost–‘Crown’
Tec–‘Crown’
AQ –‘Crown

BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE
A voting category for the artiste whose songs are inspired by the streets. Such song should captain lingua, which may also be originated by the artiste and popular on the street.
Erigga – ‘Motivation’
ChinkoEkun – ‘Able God’
Zlatan – ‘Leg Work’
Barry Jhay –‘Aiye’
Lyta–‘Time’

BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG
A voting category for the artiste whose songs reflect any form or style of music which falls outside the mainstream of recent or past popular musical trends.
‘Cash’ – Lady Donli
‘Mr Rebel’ – Tems
‘Finding Efe’– Johnny Drille
‘Heya’–Brymo
‘Ire’ – Adekunle Gold

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the best album (solo or group) in year under review, that meets judges’ requirements of excellence (songwriting, production, rendition and impact).
‘About 30’ – Adekunle Gold
‘Outside’ – Burna Boy
‘Moral Instruction’–Falz
‘No Bad Songz’ – Kizz Daniel

ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review. Overall most successful artiste in the year under review.
Burna Boy
Wizkid
Davido
Tiwa Savage
Falz

SONG OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.
‘Ye’ – Burna Boy
‘Dumebi’ – Rema
‘Wetin We Gain’ – Victor AD
‘Fake Love’ – Starboy ft Duncan Mighty, Wizkid
‘Case’ – Teni
‘Leg work’- Zlatan
‘Baby’ – Joeboy
‘Jealous’ – Fireboy DML

AFRICAN ARTISTE RECOGNITION
A non-Nigerian award category for an individual African artiste or group with the most outstanding achievement, impact and infiltration into the Nigerian music scene in the year under review.
Master KG – Skeleton Moves(SOUTH AFRICA)
Afro B – Drogba (Joanna)(IVORY COAST)
Sauti Sol – Melanin (KENYA)
King Promise – CCTV (GHANA)
DJ Maphoriza – iWalk Ye Phara (SOUTH AFRICA

HEADIES’ VIEWER’S CHOICE
A voting category to award the fan’s favourite artiste with the most digital tractions (downloads, views, streams) in the year under review.
MrEazi
Burna Boy
Teni
Fireboy DML
Rema
Joe Boy
Wizkid
Davido

BEST PERFORMER
A non-voting category for the artistes whose stagecraft, showmanship and performance routines are exceptionally conceptualized and executed in the year under review with consideration of live performances.
Falz
Tiwa Savage
Brymo
Yemi Alade
Adekunle Gold

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
A voting category for the rookie of the year who has had a successful year musically, with the absence of an album in the year under review.
Crayon
Buju
Barry Jhay
Oxlade


SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Paul Okoye (Upfront & Personal)

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October 01, 2019

Xenophobia: President Buhari departs for South Africa on October 2nd



President Buhari will on Wednesday October 2nd, depart Abuja on a three-day State Visit to the Republic of South Africa, following an invitation by President Cyril Ramaphosa, to discuss the welfare of Nigerians, and find common grounds for building harmonious relations with their hosts.
The visit comes against the background of recent xenophobic attacks, the evacuation of hundreds of Nigerians and the exchange of visits by Special Envoys of Presidents Buhari and Ramaphosa.
A statement released by Garba Shehu, the Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, says while in South Africa, President Buhari will hold a town hall meeting with Nigerians living in the country, with a view to sharing in their experiences and reassuring them of Nigerian government’s commitment to working for the protection of their lives and property and promoting peaceful co-existence.
President Buhari and his host will preside over the South Africa/Nigeria Bi-National Commission, during which a progress report will be presented. At the end of the meeting, both leaders will sign a joint communiqué.
The President and his delegation including Nigerian business representatives will also participate at a South Africa-Nigeria Business Forum with their host counterparts'' the statement reads
President Buhari will be accompanied by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State and Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State.
Others are: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd); Minister of Power, Eng. Saleh Mamman; Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arch. Olamilekan Adegbite; Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi; and Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Mariam Katagum.
Also on the trip are: National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd); Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; and Chairman/CEO Nigeria Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
The President will return to Abuja on Friday.

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October 01, 2019

Security agents arrest ''wanted'' Maina Abdulrasheed in Abuja


The Department of State Security DSS have arrested Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT).
The Nation reports that Maina was arrested at a hotel in Abuja after he allegedly sneaked into the country from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A source was quoted as saying the DSS might hand him over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for trial over his involvement in pension fraud.
“Following inter-agency collaboration, intelligence report indicated that Maina had sneaked into the country from Dubai. He was trailed to an Abuja hotel where he was arrested after operatives outwitted those who tried to ferry him away in a bullet-proof vehicle. He is currently being quizzed. He is likely to be handed over to the EFCC for trial. He has a pending case since 2015.” the source said
Recall that the Federal civil service commission had dismissed Maina in 2013 for absconding from duty following a recommendation by the office of the head of service. He was accused of being involved in pension fraud running into over N100 billion. After an investigation by the senate joint committee on public service establishment, a warrant of arrest was issued against him.
Subsequently, the police declared him wanted and he went into hiding.
However, in 2017, he returned to the country under controversial circumstances and was reinstated as a director in the ministry of interior.

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October 01, 2019

Here's the full text of President Buhari's Nigeria @ 59 Independence day speech



Moments ago, President Buhari addressed the nation on the occassion of Nigeria's 59th Independence anniversary.
In his speech, he touched on key topics like security, creating jobs, economic growth and fighting corruption.
See the full speech below....

Dear Compatriots,
1st October each year is an opportunity for us to reflect and thank God for his endless blessings on our country.
2.      It is also a time for us, collectively, to:
3.      Remember the sacrifices made by our Founders and great leaders past; by soldiers, by distinguished public servants; by traditional leaders, by our workers ---- sacrifices on which Nigeria has been built over the 59 years since Independence in 1960; and
4.      Rededicate ourselves to attaining the goals which we have set for ourselves: a united, prosperous and purposeful nation in the face of 21st century opportunities and challenges.
5.      In the past four years, the majority of Nigerians have committed to Change for the Better. Indeed, this Administration was re-elected by Nigerians on a mandate to deliver positive and enduring Change – through maintaining our National Security; restoring sustainable and inclusive Economic Growth and Development; and fighting Corruption against all internal and external threats.
6.      This Change can only be delivered if we are united in purpose, as individuals and as a nation. We must all remain committed to achieving this positive and enduring Change. As I stated four years ago, “Change does not just happen… We must change our lawless habits, our attitude to public office and public trust… simply put, to bring about change, we must change ourselves by being law-abiding citizens.”

SECURITY:
7.      Good Governance and Economic Development cannot be sustained without an enabling environment of peace and security. In the last four years, we have combatted the terrorist scourge of Boko Haram. We owe a debt of gratitude to our gallant men and women in arms, through whose efforts we have been able to achieve the present results. We are also grateful to our neighbours and allies – within the region and across the world – who have supported us on this front.
8.      The capacity of our armed forces to defend our territorial integrity continues to be enhanced by the acquisition of military hardware as well as continued improvements in the working conditions of our service men and women.
9.      The Ministry of Police Affairs has been resuscitated to oversee the development and implementation of strategies to enhance internal security. My recent assent to the Nigerian Police Trust Fund (Establishment) Act has created a legal framework to support our Police with increased fiscal resources to enhance their law enforcement capabilities.
10.    These initiatives are being complemented by the ongoing recruitment of 10,000 constables into the Nigeria Police Force. This clearly demonstrates our commitment to arrest the incidence of armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes across our nation.
11.    We remain equally resolute in our efforts to combat militant attacks on our oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta and accelerate the Ogoni Clean-up to address long-standing environmental challenges in that region.
12.    The recent redeployment of the Niger Delta Development Commission from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs underscores our commitment to enhance the living standards of our communities in the Niger Delta, through coordinated and appropriate programmes.
13.    Our attention is increasingly being focused on cyber-crimes and the abuse of technology through hate speech and other divisive material being propagated on social media. Whilst we uphold the Constitutional rights of our people to freedom of expression and association, where the purported exercise of these rights infringes on the rights of other citizens or threatens to undermine our National Security, we will take firm and decisive action.
14.    In this regard, I reiterate my call for all to exercise restraint, tolerance and mutual respect in airing their grievances and frustrations. Whilst the ongoing national discourse on various political and religious issues is healthy and welcome, we must not forget the lessons of our past – lessons that are most relevant on a day such as this.
15.    The path of hatred and distrust only leads to hostility and destruction. I believe that the vast majority of Nigerians would rather tread the path of peace and prosperity, as we continue to uphold and cherish our unity.

 ACCELERATING SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE ECONOMY GROWTH
16.    This Administration inherited a skewed economy, where the Oil Sector comprised only 8% of Gross Domestic Product but contributed 70% of government revenue and 90% foreign exchange earnings over the years. Past periods of relatively high economic growth were driven by our reliance on Oil Sector revenues to finance our demand for imported goods and services. Regrettably, previous governments abandoned the residual Investment-driven Non-Oil Sector, which constituted 40% of Gross Domestic Product and comprised agriculture, livestock, agro-processing, arts, entertainment, mining and manufacturing activities that provide millions of jobs for able-bodied Nigerians and utilize locally available raw materials and labour for production.
17.    To address this imbalance, our commitment to achieving economic diversification has been at the heart of our economic strategies under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, which I launched on the 5th of April, 2017.
18.    This medium-term development plan charted the trajectory for our economy to exit from recession and return to the path of sustainable, diversified and inclusive growth for Nigerians. Pursuant to these reforms, the economy has recovered and we have had 9 successive quarters of growth since our exit from recession. The exchange rate in the last 3 years has remained stable, with robust reserves of US$42.5 billion, up from US$23 billion in October 2016.
19.    Learning from the mistakes of the past, this Administration is committed to responsibly managing our oil wealth endowments. We will continue to prudently save our oil income and invest more in the non-oil job-creating sectors.
20.    In this regard, we are significantly increasing investments in critical infrastructure. Last year, capital releases only commenced with the approval of the Budget in June 2018. However, as at 20th June this year, up to N1.74 trillion had been released for capital projects in the 2018 fiscal year.
21.    Implementation of the 2019 Capital Budget, which was only approved in June 2019, will be accelerated to ensure that critical priority projects are completed or substantially addressed. The Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning has been directed to release N600 billion for Capital Expenditure in the next 3 months.
22.    To maximise impact, we shall continue to increasingly welcome and encourage private capital for infrastructural development through Public Private Partnerships. Through the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, which I initiated in January this year, we are giving incentives to private sector inflow of over N205 billion in 19 Nigerian roads and bridges of 794.4km across in 11 States of the Federation.
23.    As we push to diversify the economy, we still remain focused on optimizing the revenues generated from the oil and gas sector. We will, working with the Legislature, soon pass the Petroleum Industry Bill and amendments to the Deep Offshore Act and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act into law, to ensure Government obtains a fair share of oil revenues, whilst encouraging private sector investment.
24.    We will also continue our fight against illegal bunkering of crude oil and the smuggling of refined petroleum products across our borders, including the diligent prosecution and conviction of offenders found guilty of these acts. Whilst Nigeria remains committed to free and fair continental and international trade, we will not hesitate to take all necessary steps to tackle illegal smuggling, transshipment and other predatory trade practices that destroy jobs in our country.
25.    We are resolute in reforming the power sector. In August this year, we launched the Presidential Power Initiative to modernize the National Grid in 3 phases: starting from 5 Gigawatts to 7 Gigawatts, then to 11 Gigawatts by 2023, and finally 25 Gigawatts afterwards. This programme, in partnership with the German Government and Siemens, will provide end-to-end electrification solutions that will resolve our transmission and distribution challenges.
26.    The programme will also look to localize the development and assembly of smart meters as well as the operations and maintenance capabilities of transmission and distribution infrastructure.
27.    I am pleased with the improved inter-agency collaboration between the Ministry of Power and the regulators in the banking and power sectors to ensure that electricity sales, billings and collections are automated and become cashless.
28.    These initiatives are important to ensure that the technical and collection losses in the sector are substantially reduced. I remain confident that Nigerians will have affordable and uninterrupted electricity supply in the not too distant future.
29.    Our efforts to improve the power sector will complement other infrastructure investments projects under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund, which is investing in the Mambilla Power Plant project, as well as key economic road infrastructure such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge and Abuja-Kano Expressway. The first set of these projects remain on track to be completed by 2022.
30.    Our journey to food security and self-sufficiency is well underway. We have made remarkable progress in almost all segments of the agriculture value chain, from fertilizers to rice, to animal feed production. We shall sustain these policies to ensure additional investments are channeled, thereby creating more jobs in the sector. We must not go back to the days of importing food and thereby exporting jobs.
31.    Our commitment to achieving macroeconomic stability and economic diversification, has been underscored by the merger of the Ministry of Finance with the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.
32.    This combined Ministry has the important mandate to enhance the management of domestic and global fiscal risks; coordinate policies with the trade and monetary authorities; raise and deploy revenues to fund budgeted expenditure; and integrate annual budgets and medium-term fiscal strategies.
33.    With this, our revenue-generating and reporting agencies will come under much greater scrutiny, going forward, as the new performance management framework will reward exceptional revenue performance, while severe consequences will attend failures to achieve agreed revenue targets.
34.    I recently constituted an Economic Advisory Council to advise me on inclusive and sustainable macroeconomic, fiscal and monetary policies. This independent body will work with relevant Cabinet members and the heads of key monetary, fiscal and trade agencies to ensure we remain on track as we strive for collective prosperity. However, we are also committed to ensure that the inconvenience associated with any painful policy adjustments, is moderated, such that the poor and the vulnerable, who are most at risk, do not bear the brunt.
35.    Our ongoing N500 billion Special Intervention Programme continues to target these vulnerable groups, through the Home-grown School Feeding Programme, Government Economic Empowerment Programme, N-Power Job Creation Programme, loans for traders and artisans, Conditional Cash Transfers to the poorest families and social housing scheme.
36.    To institutionalize these impactful programmes, we created the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development which shall consolidate and build on our achievements to date. To the beneficiaries of these programmes, I want to reassure you that our commitment to social inclusion will only increase.
37.    Our population growth rate remains amongst the highest in the world, presenting both challenges as well as opportunities. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that we provide adequate resources to meet the basic needs of our teeming youth.
38.    Accordingly, we shall continue to invest in education, health, water and sanitation, as well as food security, to ensure that their basic needs are met, while providing them with every opportunity to live peaceful, prosperous and productive lives.

FIGHTING CORRUPTION AND RESTORING GOOD GOVERNANCE:
39.    On fighting corruption, our institutional reforms to enforce the Treasury Single Account policy, introduce the Whistle-blowers’ Initiative, expand the coverage of the Integrated Payroll Personnel and Information System as well as the Government Integrated Management Information System have saved billions of Naira over the last four years, and deterred the rampant theft and mismanagement of public funds that have plagued our public service.
40.    The Ministry of Justice, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will continue to address this menace. We are determined to ensure that transparency and good governance are institutionalized in public service.
41.    We must commit to installing a culture of Good Governance in all we do. This Administration has fought against corruption, by investigating and prosecuting those accused of embezzlement and the misuse of public resources. We have empowered teams of prosecutors, assembled detailed databases of evidence, traced the proceeds of crimes and accelerated the recovery of stolen funds.
42.    Furthermore, we partnered with our friends abroad to combat tax evasion, smuggling, terrorism and illicit financial flows. In June 2018, I assented to the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, to provide a domestic legal framework for obtaining international assistance in criminal matters.
43.    This measure has already strengthened our law enforcement agencies in obtaining evidence, investigating suspects and facilitating the recovery, forfeiture and confiscation of property implicated as proceeds of crime.
44.    An example is the US$300 million recently identified as part of the Abacha money-laundering case, working closely with the Government of the United States of America. The Federal Ministry of Justice is working with the US Department of Justice to conclude a Memorandum of Understanding to expedite the repatriation of these funds.
45.    The P & ID Arbitral Award has underscored the manner in which significant economic damage has been caused by the past activities of a few corrupt and unpatriotic Nigerians.
46.    The policies that we are putting in place today are to ensure such criminal and unpatriotic acts do not go without consequences. Our renewed partnership with the 9th National Assembly will facilitate the swift passage of enabling laws that will institutionalize these anti-corruption efforts in our criminal justice system.
47.    In this connection, I call upon our States to intensify their own efforts to instill greater fiscal transparency and accountability. And to ensure greater fiscal efficiency and optimum use of our very scarce resources.
48.    The blight of Corruption is fighting back. Nevertheless, this is a battle that we shall see through and this is a war, which we shall win by the Grace of God.
49.    I will also call upon all Nigerians, from every walk of life, to combat Corruption at every turn. By choosing to question and confront corrupt practices, by reporting unethical practices or through whistleblowing. Together, we can overcome corruption and will no longer be a country defined by corruption.
50.    Fellow Nigerians,  let me reiterate my call for unity across our dear nation.
51.    Nigeria will emerge from our present challenges stronger and more resilient than ever – but only if all of us join hands to entrench Good Governance, foster Inclusive Economic Development, and defend and protect our Nation from all those who would wish us ill.
52.    I thank you most sincerely and wish you a Happy Independence Anniversary.
53.    May God bless you all, and may He continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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October 01, 2019

Adele now 'dating Skepta' after marriage split



Adele, 31, is reportedly dating Skepta,37, following her marriage split with estranged husband Simon Konecki.
The singer and rapper who hail from Tottenham have been in frequent contact and have also been enjoying a string of dates since Adele’s marriage to her ex Simon Konecki ended in April.
According to The Sun, the chart-topper joined Skepta to help celebrate his 37th birthday at the Crystal Maze experience in London just two weeks ago.
A source revealed to the publication: 'Adele and Skepta have been there for each other a lot after both their relationships split up. They have a close bond and there’s definitely a special connection.
'They’re spending more and more time together. Some of their friends are hoping and predicting they could end up being a great couple one day.'
The insider added: 'They are both private about their love lives and they are both committed to their children first and foremost as well.'
Adele shares a son, Angelo, with Simon while Skepta (real name Joseph Junior Adenuga Jr) became a father in November. He previously dated supermodel Naomi Campbell, 49.

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