Saturday, 31 August 2013

Nigerian Union of Journalists to make insurance scheme compulsory for members – Official

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Nigerian Union of Journalits
The NUJ said it is concerned about the insurance status of Nigerian journalists.
The President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mohammed Garba, on Saturday said subscribing to the union’s insurance scheme is now compulsory for members of the union.
Mr. Garba said this while speaking at the lying-in-state and mini-church service organised for the late Adolphus Okonkwo at the NUJ Press Centre at Owerri.
The late Okonkwo, who was the NUJ National Financial Secretary, died in a motor accident on August 2 alongside two other journalists.
The dead journalists were returning to Lagos from Abuja after attending one of the union’s official functions in the FCT.
The lying-in-state and mini-church service were held at the Holy Ghost Parish at Abuke, in Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area of Imo.
Mr. Garba said the scheme became compulsory considering its exigency, adding that plans were underway to make it part of the conditions of being a full member of the union.
“It is regrettable that out of the three journalists who died in the crash recently, only one had an insurance cover. I call on all practising journalists to embrace the scheme forthwith,’’ he said.
The NUJ president also said the union would soon float an endowment fund to cater for the special needs of members.
He said some notable former journalists such as Smart Adeyemi and Abike Dabiri-Erewa would be members of the fund’s Board of Trustees.
Mr. Garba described the late Mr. Okonkwo as an astute journalist and an effective national executive council member and urged his family and colleagues to bear his loss with fortitude.
Earlier during the service, the Parish Priest of Catholic Church of Transfiguration in Ogun, Charles Soyombo, had said the late Okonkwo would be remembered for his good works.
“The late journalist left his footprints on the sands of time and I call on the rest of us to always realise the purpose of our living on the earth, pursue them and achieve them as well,’’ he said.
Mr. Soyombo described the deceased as an organised, optimistic, lovely and lively person who prepared his way by the good life he lived. He advised all, especially members of his immediate family, to see his death as a glorious exit.
“When you leave good works on earth, people will never forget you. Those who do good works must never be afraid to die.
“Okonkwo lived a life of integrity, knowing that his good works will speak for him,” the cleric said.
Mr. Soyombo urged all journalists to continue to speak the truth and carry on their activities without fear or favour.
Earlier, the Imo NUJ Chairman, Innocent Igwe, had thanked journalists for coming out en masse to honour the late Okonkwo. He expressed gratitude to the state governor, Rochas Okorocha, for his moral and logistic support towards the burial of the journalist.
(NAN)

Teenager In Delhi Gang Rape To Serve 3 Years In Reform Home

A teenager was sentenced to three-years in juvenile detention by a juvenile court in New Delhi on Saturday for the December gang rape of a trainee physiotherapist, the first verdict in a case that sparked debate over whether India is too soft on young offenders.
According to police, the 18-year-old and five other men lured the 23-year-old woman and her male friend onto a New Delhi bus where they repeatedly raped her and beat them both with a metal bar before dumping them on to a road.
The woman died in a Singapore hospital two weeks after the December 16 attack.
The case turned a global spotlight on the treatment of women in India, where police say a rape is reported every 20 minutes.
The counsel to the juvenile, Rajesh Tiwari said in the gang rape case, court has convicted the accused in some sections and acquitted him in some. But the details, he can only give after the case against the other accused is over, until then he is not permitted to say anything.
He also hinted that the three years conviction that has been given is subject to review.
Tiwari said the juvenile would be sent to a reform home to serve the term, taking into account the months he has already spent in detention since his arrest.
Four of the teenager’s co-accused are still on trial and face the death penalty if convicted.
Closing arguments began on August 22 and verdicts are expected within the next fortnight.
A fifth accused, the alleged ring-leader, killed himself in his jail cell in March.
The teenager, who may not be named, was tried as a juvenile as he was 17 at the time of the attack.
The maximum penalty that could be imposed by the Juvenile Justice Board was three years.
In January, authorities ruled he was 17, citing school records, which shocked the victim’s family and others, clamouring for him to face the death penalty.
The family of the victim was distraught after hearing the verdict as a teary-eyed mother of the young girl said that this judgment would make other girls in the country more vulnerable to such brutalities.
The teenager pleaded not guilty to all 13 charges including rape, murder and robbery. His trial was held behind closed doors to protect his identity and media were barred from reporting on any details of the proceedings.
During his trial, he has been held at a juvenile detention facility for violent young offenders in Delhi and kept away from other inmates for his safety.
The youth left home when he was 11 and worked in a roadside eatery, his mother told Reuters in January.
In recent years he lived as a semi-vagrant, washing buses and collecting fares, according to a police report.
After he left his home, he never returned back. His mother said she thought he was dead until police arrested him in connection with the gang rape.

Suntai absent at PDP convention as Acting Governor Umar heads Taraba delegation

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Danbaba Suntai arriving Abuja
The governor’s loyalists in Taraba were also absent at the convention.
The Taraba State delegates to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Special National Convention was led by the Acting Governor of the State, Garba Umar.
The ailing Governor of the State, Danbaba Suntai, was expectedly absent. Mr. Suntai recently returned to Nigeria after 10 months of receiving treatment in foreign hospitals following a plane crash. Many observers including majority of Taraba lawmakers say the governor is still recuperating and unfit to lead the state for now. The governor’s handlers and aides however, said he is fit and has resumed office.
The governor was however conspicuously absent at the PDP convention at the Eagle Square in Abuja.
PREMIUM TIMES also observed at the convention venue that most officials loyal to the ailing governor were not at the convention.
One of the aide’s to Mr. Suntai said he was in Abuja but could not come for the convention because of Mr. Umar’s activities.
Mr. Suntai’s spokesperson, Siilvanus Giwa, did not pick or return calls made to his phone seeking clarification on why the ailing governor and his allies did not attend the convention.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff to Mr. Umar, Ahmed Yusuf, has said the members of the Taraba State Executive Council have obeyed the directive of Mr. Umar and have resumed office.
PREMIUM TIMES observation on Friday in Taraba showed that many of the commissioners did not resume as directed with two saying they believed the Council remains dissolved after the dissolution was announced by Mr. Suntai’s spokesperson on the directive of the governor.
In a text message response to PREMIUM TIMES inquiries, Mr. Yusuf said “we have all resumed as directed.”

Why we are taking over PDP from Jonathan, Tukur — New Factional Chairman, Baraje

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Below is the full text of a speech by the new factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, at a press conference in Abuja where a new faction of the ruling party was unveiled.
We address you today as leaders of PDP, who are worried by the increasing repression, restrictions of freedom of association, arbitrary suspension of members and other such violations of democratic principles by a faction of our party led by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur .
While we have done everything humanly possible to bring to the attention of critical stakeholders within the party the dangers inherent in the course being charted by that leadership, it has become very clear that the desperate permutations towards 2015 general elections have blinded certain people from the consequences of their actions.
Not only has the constitution of the party been serially  abused by Alhaji Tukur and his fellow travelers, all the organs of the party have been rendered virtually ineffectual by a few people who act as though above the law. Unfortunately, it is obvious that that they get encouragement from the presidency whose old calculations are geared towards shutting out any real or imagined opposition ahead of the party’s presidential primaries for the 2015 elections.
As leaders of our great party, we consider it a sacred responsibility to save the PDP from the antics of a few desperadoes who have no democratic temperament and are therefore bent on hijacking the party  for selfish ends. While the list of their violations of the tenets of our great party is long, we will highlight just a few:
The National Executive Committee of the PDP at its belated meeting of 20June 2013 approved 20 July2013 for the conduct of a special national convention.
However, that date was changed to August 31 without reverting to NEC ( the only authority vested with such powers) by a few people, apparently acting on the authority of the presidency.
Notwithstanding the fact that INEC had noted that the PDP congresses in nine states were not properly conducted, the illegal delegates from such states are being paraded at the so-called convention being held today in a cynical attempt to circumvent the law and further bring the name of the party to disrepute.
In gross violation of the PDP constitution which stipulates that the NEC meeting must hold at least once in a quarter, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and a few people have been running the party like a personal fiefdom without recourse to that important decision-making organ of the party.
The NEC of the party accepted the resignation of the former members of the NWC whose offices were affected by INEC observations based principally on the agreement that the affected officers would be returned to their respective offices at the convention. However, against the decision of the NEC. And in a not-so-clever bid to exclude some perceived opponents of the few powerful members who are trying to hijack the party, these positions have been made Open to some Yes-men within the party.
Notwithstanding INEC instance that Senator Any Uba is the duly elected candidate of the party in Anambra State and against the background that he is so recognized by majority of our party members, the Bamanga Tukur-led Executives announced a purported suspension of Senator Uba and some other members close to him in defiance of subsisting court orders.
Despite that the PDP Constitution is very clear that the state chapter of the party cannot discipline a national officer, the Deputy National Chairman, Mr. Sam Jaja, has reportedly been dismissed by some renegades  who have hijacked the Rivers State chapter of our party with the connivance of the Bamanga Tukur leadership.
The persistent change in the list of the party’s delegates in many states as part of a deliberate attempt to rig the party’s nomination of candidates, especially at the presidential and gubernatorial levels, with a view to foisting on the PDP some unpopular candidates who are bound to lose at the polls.
The suspension without due process of the Governors of Rivers and Sokoto states. Even when the illegal suspension on Sokoto State Governor has been lifted, the Rivers Governor remains purportedly suspended for no just cause.
The illegal dissolution of the Adamawa State chapter of the party is a clear abuse of power by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur thus causing confusion in his home state.
Given the foregoing, it is very clear that the Bamanga Tukur leadership cannot guarantee for our millions of party members democracy anchored on free choice and the rule of law. We have therefore taken it upon ourselves to rescue the party from their int and dictatorial leadership.
It is indeed noteworthy that from 1999 to date, Nigerians have constantly voted the presidential candidates presented by our great party but not only dies such trust come wig enormous responsibility, we recognize that wee cannot continue to take the people f granted.
From now, the new leadership of the party under us will strive to build a fairer as well as a more transparent and accountable PDP that will putty interest of members and indeed all the people of Nigeria above that of one single individual.
For all the members of our great party who may have become disillusioned  by the anti-democratic tendencies of the Bamanga Tukur’s leadership, there is a new lease of life in the  horizon. It’s a new day for the Peoples Democratic Party.
As we take over the  leadership of the PDP, our immediate priority is to revive the culture of robust debate of all contending issues while providing a level-playing field for all our  members. These were the ideals that differentiated our party from others and endeared us to Nigerians.
We are not, and have never been a political party where one man would be taking decisions for all members and where once you do not kowtow before the presidency, you are  deemed a rebel that must be crushed. That is no the PDP  bequeathed to us by our founding fathers. That, I dare say, is no longer what PDP under our leadership will represent from today.

Uba, Nwoye Groups Clash At PDP Convention



What appeared to be free for all fight resulting from the political crisis rocking the Anambra chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was quickly averted at the Eagles Square, venue of the special convention of the ruling party on Saturday.
Just before President Goodluck Jonathan arrived, there was pandemonium at the Anambra section of the convention as arranged by organisers who divided the seats according to states, following a fierce argument between two factions of the state chapter.
Members of one faction led by Chief Andy Uba and those of the other faction led by Chief Tony Nwoye laid claim to the governorship ticket in the state, even as they exchanged blows for close to an hour over the sitting arrangement.
Andy Uba had earlier come into the venue with his group several hours before the commencement of the event and was seated with the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah and his brother, Chris Uba.
Minutes later, Tony Nwoye came in with a legion of his own faction mostly numbered by youths and tried to no avail  to find a seat. 
Trouble statrted when the youths with him approached Andy Uba and demanded to know what he was doing on a seat reserved for Nwoye, even as they also reminded Uba that since he was on suspension, he had no business attending the event.
Andy Uba maintained his calm, while the actions of the youth sparked the thuggery spirit in his younger brother, Chris Uba approached them with the ferocity of a wounded lion. 
He asked them whether they were not aware that the suspension had been lifted by the court verdict.
From a shouting match, the argument degenerated into a exchange of fist when one of the youths pushed Chris Uba and the people behind him. An angry Chris returned a left upper cut in exchange for the right jabs and blows thrown at him. 
Noticing that it was not different as if she was in the mist of angry thugs, the security aide to Stella Odua tactically moved the minister of Aviation out of the scene before the fisticuffs ensued.
In the course of the fight, security operatives waded in and did all they could to stop the youths who insisted that Andy must leave the scene before peace could reign.
While Andy remained seated and quiet, more security men were sent to the scene to bring the situation under control. But the brawl continued until the President walked in with some governors and other key officers of the party. 
Sighting the president, the waring factions suspended the fight and saluted the President before continuing afterwards.
Tony Nwoye later found a seat beside the Uba brothers, with a man separating him from Chris.
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Woman Commits Suicide Over Ipad In Ondo

A 41-year-old woman, Mrs Catherine Sefunmi Urouna, on Saturday, committed suicide by drinking substance suspected to be chemical in protest of her husband's refusal to buy her a ipad device. The family of five were thrown into mourning, even as the neighbours were shocked that a woman who was happily married could take such a nasty decision to take her own life over an ipad. The police in Ondo State are, however, investigating the actual cause of her death. The 41-year-old woman and mother of two boys and a girl was a senior executive accounting officer in Akure North local government council, Iju/Ita-Ogbolu of Ondo State. She was said to have threatened to kill herself a fortnight ago if the husband didn’t get her an ipad; even as the husband pleaded with her to continue using the Blackberry phone.

Demand for padded bras, artificial bums rises

AUGUST 31, 2013 

Bum pad
Clare has a shape that could sweep many men off their feet. She also dresses well. With her beautiful face and attention-grabbing figure, it’s obvious she can get any man she wants. But in spite of all these good things going for her, Clare, almost 40 years old, is not  in any serious relationship. Though she parties with her girlfriends and hangs out with men who are always eager to be with her, she lives in agony.
 Years ago, when she was still in the university, she had carried a ‘load’ that she can’t drop without turning herself into a laughing stock among her friends. She had always admired ladies with big boobs but she was not so endowed. One day, she went into a lingerie shop and got herself a well-padded bra. She was so happy with her new shape that years after, she got herself a bum enhancer and was transformed into a ‘well-endowed lady.’
However, she is in a dilemma now. Men who want to have serious relationship with her are always disappointed when they discover her boobs and bum are not real afterall. To make matter worse, she can’t cope without her shape enhancers. They have become part of her life.
Push-up bras have long found their way into women’s fashion while bum enhancers are getting popular more and more everyday. But the danger is that both are moving beyond the wardrobes into the hearts of women.
 Investigation by Saturday PUNCH shows that many women in Lagos have become addicted to using push-up bras and bum enhancers. Meanwhile, the downside of the trend, as explained by many of the women, is that they lack confidence when they don’t have the body gears to rely on.
 Basically, the push-up bra –as the name suggests – is padded in such a way that it thrusts the breasts forward and make them appear rounder and fuller. Similarly, bum enhancers are padded gears worn like panties or ‘bum shorts’. They give a woman noticeable curves in the hip and bum areas. And like the push-up bra, a bum enhancer will most times ensure the wearer gets the attention of men, even if she is not that naturally endowed.
For instance, a female banker, who identified herself as Kemi, said she is the “number one fan of push-up bras”, saying she never steps out of her home without having them on. However, Kemi feared that she had gotten addicted to the use of the fashion gear.
 She said, “The truth is that I don’t like how I (my breasts) look without the push-up bras. I’m addicted to them to the extent that I don’t feel okay wearing the normal ones again. Even when I’m wearing a camisole under a jacket, I don’t feel alright without a push-up bra.
 “It makes me feel more confident and when I feel confident, I tend to work better. I actually tried a few times to stop and go back to using normal bras, but it’s been difficult because I don’t like the way I look in them. It’s like I always get positive attention when I wear push-up bras.”
 Popularly called bum-bum or yodi at Lagos open markets, bum enhancer is relatively new in the market when compared to the push-up bra.
 Ms. Titi Babatunde, who sells women’s underwear at Oshodi Market, Lagos, said she sold at least 24 bum enhancers a week.
 Babatunde explained that the N1,200 price tag on the Chinese-made bum enhancers on display at her stall, was as a result of a drastic reduction in its price a few years ago. It used to go for N3,000. Investigation, however, shows that the more expensive European or North-American designed bum enhancers cost N4,000 and above in stores across Lagos.
 She said, “Even when it was N3,000 women used to rush it. There is no day I don’t sell yodi and push-up bra. I sell up to two dozens of yodi and 10 dozens of push-up bras in a week. Both students and workers, young and old patronise us.”
 A buyer, who identified herself as Janet, said that she loved wearing bum enhancers because they helped in making her more attractive.
Like Kemi, Janet’s confidence level seems to be tied to her use of bum enhancers.
She said, “The bum enhancers give me what I lack naturally. Honestly, I used to feel bad that my friends were getting more attention from guys. But now, I have a boyfriend too. But it’s not something women like to announce to everyone. Most women like to keep it as a secret.”
Asked if her boyfriend is pleased with her real shape, she said, “I wear jeans (jean trousers) most times and he hasn’t seen me in anything else. I don’t know yet if he will notice later or not, but when we get to that bridge, we will cross it.”
 At Oke-Arin Market on the Lagos Island, Mr. Laide Adedeji, who also sells women underwear, including push-up bras and bum enhancers, said his female customers included women of 60 years and above. He blamed the society, particularly men, for putting pressure on women to have specific figures.
He said, “That is why you find women of 18 years and above coming to buy all these push-up bras and bum enhancers to live up to the expectations of the society. Some women have small breasts, but they feel bad because you hear men joking that there will be nothing to play with.
 “The same thing applies to bums too; those that don’t have hips or bums that men like don’t feel good about it. I get customers as old as 60 years asking for push-up bras and bum enhancers. They say the enhancers push their tummies inside and make Iro and buba (native attire) fit them better.”
But it is not only fashion gears that are trendy among women aiming at head-turning figures; the popularity of buttocks injection and other cosmetic procedures to modify breasts and bums is also fast increasing in Lagos.
An Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Dr. Idowu Fadeyibi, confirms that the hospital sees many patients who require cosmetic procedures to modify their body parts. He explained that Nigeria’s conservative culture was largely responsible for patients wanting to keep such procedures secret.
He said breast surgery is becoming more common among Nigerian women who come more to reduce the size and modify the shape of their breasts.
“We do reconstructive and aesthetic surgeries and people come for both, although the ratio is about ten to one, because more people come for reconstructive surgery. Sometimes, we remove from one part of the body and add to another to make the other part more prominent or the addition could be synthetic (artificial),” he said.
For instance, Fadeyibi said a procedure could involve removing fat from the tummy and adding this to the breasts and buttocks as enhancement. Alternatively, he said the use of implants and expanders are also employed, depending on the case.
Investigation shows that a significant number of men are suckers for firm breasts and round bums, but whether they like the use of fashion gears by women to enhance body features is another issue entirely.
A cross section of men, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on the issue, questioned the social and moral justification of women wearing body gears that create an illusion of a supposed finer figure.
They said they were tired of seeing women who appeared well endowed and beautiful only for them to be disappointed at the end of the day after finding out that the breasts and the bums weren’t as big as they had thought.
Mr. Femi Mohammed, a geo-scientist, described the use of fashion gears like bum enhancer and the push-up bra by women as ‘unfair’.
“It is cheating because it is plain deception. Men don’t use fake body parts to attract women, so women have no reason to resort to deception to look beautiful. It may be true that men like women that have good shapes, but what’s the use if the beautiful women are just artificial?” he asked.
Mohammed added that he could never marry a woman addicted to such fashion gears.
Also, Mr. Muyiwa Babafemi recalled trying to get the attention of a beautiful busty lady for three months before he finally succeeded.
Babafemi, however, said he felt disappointed when he saw a ‘completely different person’ during his first intimate moment with the woman.
He said, “She went to the bathroom and when she came out, she did not have the features I thought she had. Initially, I thought she had big boobs, but when she came out, everything had become flat. I was really disappointed.
“I had to advise her to stop the deception; even if she would enhance her looks, it doesn’t have to be so much that it will be so obvious. Any man would be disappointed, especially, if he was attracted to the lady in the first place because of her breasts.”
But Babatunde, who claimed to be defending the rights of women to “continue to look good,” said there was nothing wrong with women’s over-reliance on bum enhancers and push-up bras. She said that since women give birth, it then gives them a tenable excuse to improve their appearance, artificially or not.
 Babatunde, who also wears bum enhancers and push-up bras said, “Once a woman gives birth, her body can never be the same. So women need secret things like that to continue to look good, even when they are out of shape. It’s called ‘packaging’.”
 Also, Mrs. Mosunmola Awolola of Damscare Ventures, Ikeja, Lagos, who sells female underwear, advised women to be cautious in their use of fashion gears that create wrong impressions.
 Awolola said she always warned her customers of the danger of getting addicted to these shape enhancers.
She said, “Although, they have advantages since they don’t have side effects like drugs, there are disadvantages too. The major disadvantage is that many women get addicted to using them.
 “But still, I warn my customers that such things are not for everyday use or one will soon lack confidence in her real self.”
 Awolola recalled a recent incident where a customer ‘tried’  a push-up bra for the first time in her store and immediately fell in love with it.
 She said, “The first thing the lady said was that she would never wear a normal bra again. This was a lady we spent so much time convincing to, at least, try the push-up bra because we didn’t have what she wanted. The lady eventually dumped her bra and wore the push-up bra she bought home. She also promised to come back for more.”
A man may not easily know when a woman is wearing a push-up bra or a bum enhancer but Awolola said getting to know this is not as difficult as it seems. She said the fashion gears make the breasts, bum and hips to appear ‘too perfect’.
“Those of us selling them know when someone is using them. The trick is that when the shape of a lady’s bum or breasts appears too good to be true,it has probably been enhanced,” she said.
 Speaking on the risk involved in aesthetic surgical procedures, Fadeyibi described such surgeries as safe, if done properly.
In addition, Fadeyibi described the recent quest for aesthetic surgery to enhance body parts such as breasts and buttocks as justifiable. Saturday PUNCH learnt that an average buttocks enhancement job costs at least N3m. Implants for buttocks cost about N600,000, excluding hospital charges and drugs.
A fitness instructor, Mr. Kola Lijoka, however, has different ideas on how to achieve self confidence and body enhancement. According to him, the application and use of surgical procedures and injections to get bigger bums is “totally unnecessary.”
He said, “At the gym, your instructor will tell you what to do to enhance your body shape through exercising. This is healthy and can be achieved in three months, depending on what needs to be achieved.”
He added that ‘simple squatting’ can do a lot of good to the hips and bum, and that other specific exercises are available to help the chest area of both men and women.
A Consultant Psychiatrist with the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Oshodi, Dr. Mashudat Bello-Mojeed, said the problem confronting ladies that find it hard to do without body gears could be described as “low self esteem”.
 She said, “It has to do with the self fulfillment aspect of a human being. For example, for somebody with a deformity or sagging breasts, it can be like a mark of shame. So, such things like push-up bras offer a palliative solution. Of course, this is a false relief because the problem persists and once the thing is not there, the person will not have that self esteem she normally has when using it.”
 Bello-Mojeed, however, advised those addicted to these body enhancers to “identify the problem and seek the help of a psychologist.”
 She said, “Some exercises will also help, although, they may not give the same result as the artificial things, but they will help the person’s confidence. But if the problem is severe, the person can also go for surgery; it is allowed.”

BBA’s my third and last reality show –Melvin

AUGUST 31, 2013 

Melvin
Melvin, the Nigerian housemate at the just concluded Big Brother show tells ‘Nonye Ben-Nwankwo about his experience
Did you enjoy your stay at the Big Brother house?
It was a wonderful experience. I couldn’t have wished for another. It. Was just two of us that were chosen. It is an atmosphere that you learn a lot of things. I learnt a lot of things in three months that I have not been able to learn in the 28 years of my life. It was well worth it.
There was a nomination show that you were nominated for eviction yet you didn’t use your power as the head of house to save yourself and put up another person, why?
In BBA, you have to do what you have to do. It was a very difficult decision for me. But I just had to do it that way. I couldn’t think of any housemate that I could swap and put up for eviction. I had already seen what happened to Hakeem. I just had to tell Big Brother to leave the list as it was.
What if you had been evicted in the process?
In life, you have to take risks. That was a risk I took. I was ready for the consequences. But I thank God I wasn’t evicted.
You were always exhibiting drama and displaying so much emotion each nomination day that you had to save and swap somebody. Was it all strategy?
Let me tell you, there was nothing I did in that house that was strategy. I was real. Whatever you saw me display in the house was very natural, that is who I am. Swapping somebody in the house wasn’t an easy thing for me to do each time I was head of house.
You were perceived as Melvin the nice guy in the house. Don’t you think your niceness worked against you?
It is an awesome thing if I am perceived as a nice guy. Nothing was fake. It is the same me that you see. I don’t think it worked against me either.
What went on your mind when you were evicted?
I was already prepared for it. We were told that our names would be called one after the other. It is all good. When I heard my name, I took it in good fate.
Do you think you were cheated out of the show?
I don’t think so. Remember that Nigeria has won it three times. I am sure they felt we dominated the show.
You were attracted to Selly and later to Dillish. Who were you really attracted to?
I don’t fall in love and I didn’t see myself falling in love in the house. Love just doesn’t happen. For me, love is a gradual process. That was why I didn’t ‘toast’ anybody.
First it was Gulder Ultimate Search and later Mr. Nigeria and now Big Brother. Do we see you go into any competition again?
Ah! I have tried o. I am not the only one in Nigeria. I don’t intend to go into any other competition. I would just use this platform I have now to move my career. I have been finishing as a runner up in all this shows. But I am not jinxed. It is not easy to be in this competition. It has a little bit of psychological effect on you but it is all good. That you didn’t finish first doesn’t mean that you are not good enough. I look at the positive side. I will not sulk but I will keep doing what I have to do.
What do you intend to do after now?
I am going to take my acting career to greater heights. I was an actor before I got into the house. I think that my acting career will go up.
Are you happy that only the winner takes it all in the show?
I don’t know why it is like that but that has been the format of the show. The winner has won the prize and I am happy for her.
Did you want her to win?
I was routing for myself. I wanted to win the money. But then, she is a wonderful person. Her story is interesting. I can only wish her well.

I don’t know why I fell in love with Angelo –BBA Housemate, Beverly Osu

AUGUST 31, 2013  

Beverly Osu
Beverly Osu, Big Brother Africa Housemate, tells ‘NONYE BEN-NWANKWO about her stay in the reality show and her relationship with Angelo, the South African housemate
What was your experience like in the Big Brother house?
It was very good. It was great getting to know people in the house. My 91 days there are days I will never forget.
 How did you get into the reality show?
I have always been a fan of the BBA. I got the form this year and everybody told me I should try and be a part of it. I went for the audition and I was successful.
 How did you manage the whole 91 days without a mobile phone?
It was very hard but I had to bear it.
 Were you surprised that you were the first to be evicted during the finals?
I wasn’t surprised. I knew Nigeria had won it so many times and it might be difficult winning it again. But I still prayed and wished that God would make it happen. But as it didn’t happen, I was still very okay. I am still okay with the person that won. Dillish is a princess. She is my friend in the house.
 How come it was Angelo you fell in love with in the house?
I had so many options to choose from in the house but I wasn’t attracted to any of them. But for some reasons I still do not understand, I fell in love with Angelo. I got attracted to him from the first day I saw him. For now, I will see where the relationship will take us.
 So, you don’t mind the difference in nationalities?
There is no race when it comes to love. I can always go there and he can come here.
 How come you had sex with Angelo in the house?
Angelo and I never had sex.I didn’t have sex in the house. I never had sex in the house.
 But we saw the two of you in the bath tub, making love
We didn’t have sex. It was not an option for us. I don’t know where the people outside got the story from. I was shocked when I came out of the house and learnt that we had sex. I cannot take my bath with a swimming suit. We all take our bath naked. I shouldn’t be singled out because I went for a reality show. I am not different
 What of all the other intimate things you did with Angelo? Didn’t you mind that the whole world was watching?
Whatever I was doing with Angelo, I didn’t even think I was on TV. It was just the two of us. We didn’t plan anything, we were just happy. No matter how people will look at it, I don’t regret anything I did with Angelo. I didn’t bring out the video and said everybody should look at me. Big Brother brought out the video.
Don’t you think you embarrassed Nigeria in the house?
I was in the house to represent Nigeria. Of all the people that went for the audition, I was chosen. If anybody feels he can do better, he should go and get BBA form next year and apply and get in the house. I know I represented Nigeria very well.
 Now that you didn’t win, what is next?
I am a model. I have a show also. And before I even push my career forward, I have to finish school. I have to get a degree. I was in the National Open University. I was in my second year.
 You said so many things in the house. Were they all true or were you looking for sympathy?
I am a shy person. I shy away from a lot of things. But I was ‘open’ in the house. I say what is on my mind. For me to reveal myself to the world, I was just talking to my housemates. I don’t regret anything I said about myself or my family. People have to know the real me.
 You mentioned something about a boyfriend that abused you. Were you referring to 2shots?
No. I wasn’t referring to him. For me, 2shots is history. Thank you for reminding me about him.
Is your mother happy with you?
Even if the whole world rejects me, my mother cannot reject me. I love her so much. I am her only daughter and last born. She has always been there for me. I wouldn’t want to disappoint my mum intentionally.
Were there things you did in the house you regret?
Nothing. I don’t have any regrets. I was in a beautiful house. I loved Melvin. He was the best in the house. Meeting everybody in the house was a blessing. I don’t regret anything.
 Given a chance, would you go back to BBA?
I must go with my phone. Inasmuch as people were watching us from outside, it wasn’t easy. But then, I just came out of the house. I am just getting used to seeing so many people around me after staying in the show for 91 days.
 What would you have done with the prize money if you had won?
I would have finished school. I would have started my make-up line. Trust me; I would have done a lot of things. Everybody has a degree. I must get a degree. With my degree, I can go further and do anything I want to do.

Stories about Iyanya and I were mere publicity stunt –Tonto Dike

AUGUST 31, 2013  

Tonto Dikeh
So much have been said about Iyanya and his relationship with Tonto Dike and Yvonne Nelson. On several occasions, Iyanya has been romantically involved with both actresses.
On a television talk show, Rubbing Minds, Iyanya said he would rather marry Genevieve, date Yvonne Nelson and dust Tonto Dike off.
In her reaction to the singer’s statement, the actress who was a guest at that same show last Sunday, said she wasn’t bothered about what Iyanya said. According to her, she hardly knew Iyanya and only loved him as a fan.
Dike said that the news about two of them being an item was untrue, describing the stories as mere publicity stunt.
“It is surprising when I tell people that I don’t really know him. I have met him just once or twice, and I don’t know him. Although I admire his work, I like him and love him as a fan. I don’t know him personally.
“I don’t come out to defend myself; I think people just take advantage of that. I think it was a publicity stunt actually. I did not enjoy it, why would I enjoy the publicity? It is not like I am enjoying it. I saw him last in London when I fell on the stage. My hosting his event in London was all part of the publicity, they just keyed in. It was money; it was work,” she said.
Dike hinted that she had no friends in the industry but she has people she communicates with. She denied ever twitting that Don Jazzy deflowered her and said although they were good friends, she doubts she would work with him anytime soon.

Anambra: Emergence of two governorship candidates unsettles PDP

AUGUST 31, 2013  

Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party is unsettled over the emergence of two candidates for the governorship election coming up in Anambra on November 16, 2013.
Specifically, the leadership of the party fears that the development is likely to affect its fortunes in the election.
Saturday PUNCH gathered that the party’s national leaders were battling to resolve the crisis that was caused by parallel governorship primaries in the state.
A member of the National Executive Committee, who confided in our correspondent, lamented that the emergence of two governorship candidates from the two parallel congresses in the party had been a sore point in the party’s preparation for the governorship election.
He referred to the emergence of two governorship candidates of the PDP for the same election in the state, Senator Andy Uba and Mr. Tony Nwoye, as a worrisome development.
The source said that it was rather unfortunate that the PDP had commenced yet another process that might lead to an electoral loss in Anambra State.
The source also wondered why the PDP would wait until it was very close to the election to commence the process of conflict resolution among aggrieved party members.
While Uba emerged as the candidate of the Ejike Oguebego faction of the party, Nwoye was returned as the party’s choice for the election in the congress conducted by the party’s Gubernatorial Congress Committee for Anambra State led by the Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema.
Nwoye emerged from the state executive committee led by Ken Emeakayi faction, which was recognised by the national leadership of the PDP.
It was gathered that the crisis is made more intricate by the fact that while the national leadership of the PDP has adopted Nwoye as the candidate of the party, the Independent National Electoral Commission is giving recognition to Uba.
Efforts made so far by the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur-led committee to hear from Uba, his brother, Chris Uba, factional state chairman, Oguebego, Chief Benji Udeozor and Mrs. Tonia Nwankwu, on Wednesday, did not yield any result as the invitees ignored the PDP leadership.
Just on Wednesday, a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt ordered the PDP and INEC to accept Uba as the party governorship candidate in Anambra,
The NEC member, who spoke with our correspondent, said, “The belief of the national leadership is that the PDP has serious problems in Anambra State. If we don’t start early enough, the party will lose that state again to the opposition.
“The problem is that we are always hurrying things when it is very close to the election. It is worrisome. If we don’t resolve the crisis we may not win the election.”
But the Special Assistant (Media) to the PDP National Chairman, Mr. Oliver Okpala, said that the PDP could not have been jittery over the forthcoming elections in Anambra State going by its vast membership in the state.
He said that Anambra had always been a PDP state and was lost to the opposition through a judicial verdict and not through the ballot.
Okpala said that the internal disputes that culminated in the loss of the state to APGA had been effectively tackled by the Tukur-led NWC through the initiation of the conflict resolution mechanism which, according to him, was yielding results in the party.
He argued that the PDP had a candidate in Anambra State who was given a certificate of return by the NWC Chairman on Wednesday.
He stressed that while only a political party was empowered to present candidates for electoral contest, INEC only has the powers to observe the congress and not to determine candidates for the party.
Okpala, however, refused to comment on the decision of the Uba faction to go to court in spite of the existing mechanism for dispute resolution in the party, saying that it would be subjudice to speak on a matter in court.
He insisted that the PDP had ensured a strict adherence to the Electoral Act in conducting the election that produced Nwoye as the party’s governorship candidate.
He said, “I don’t know the member of NEC you are talking about but speaking from a positive angle, Anambra has all along been a PDP state, APGA emerged through judicial intervention and not as a result of the party’s popularity or the number of votes cast. Everybody in Anambra is PDP.
“Even when APGA emerged, the entire assembly was being controlled by the PDP, and that shows the popularity of the PDP in the state. Now, I can tell you that all the things that made APGA to emerge have been corrected; some internal problems that emerged then have been properly resolved by the Tukur-led NWC.
“He has also set up a reconciliation committee where aggrieved persons have tabled their grievances and they have been settled. So there is no way the PDP can be jittery of losing Anambra to any other party.”
Tukur said, while handing over the certificate of return to Nwoye, that all efforts would be made to reclaim the state.
“What is happening is an internal problem of the party, some have been resolved, there are internal mechanisms through which these can be resolved. That matter, as far as I am concerned is subjudice, let’s not talk about it.
“The PDP has a candidate in the person of Tony Nwoye and the party is unwavering about it,  the party has given him a certificate of return.
“It is the party that presents a candidate for an election; INEC can only observe the congress not to decide who becomes the candidate of the party.
“So there is no issue of the PDP becoming jittery, Anambra has always been a PDP state and we want it that way.”

Wizkid: Playing The Fame Game



There is no doubt Wiz kid has carved a niche for himself in the music industry; just  as the fast rising international artiste with a humble beginning has began playing the fame game. Recently however, the fame game seemed to be taking a negative twist as he was alleged to have been acting rudely towards those who have mentored him, and his fans among others. ANTHONY ADA ABRAHAM writes on his latest controversies with J Martins
Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun craved for fame using his God-given talent, and it prompted EME boss BankyW to have him signed on his record label, which eventually brought him fame. Despite the accusations and controversies that he was biting the finger that fed him, that did not deter his boss from helping him excel in the music industry.
Born July 16, 1990, the ever young Wizkid, (Star Boy) rose to prominence with his hit song, ‘Don’t Dull.’ Banky W discovered Wizkid and had him signed on his record label, “Empire Mates Entertainment,” which has released his notable hits like, ‘Don’t Dull,’ ‘Love My Baby’, ‘Azonto,’ ‘Pakurumo,’ ‘Tease Me,’ ‘Bad Guys,’ ‘Dance For Me’ among others.
Though it was in the news that the duo had a big fight which led to Wizkid biting EME’s fingers, it was later debunked and dubbed as a mere distraction.
In the interview granted to a popular media outfit, Wizkid stated that he has a good working relationship with his boss and the release of “Starboy” was in collaboration with EME.
“I have just released an album in collaboration with Wizkid and EME. “Starboy” is my new company; EME is still there for me. “Starboy” is Wizkid’s new record label and I have a couple of producers that are working with me in the new company. Definitely, we are working with a lot of people. Banky W and I started from way back. Our dreams have always been to build an empire, to help more people and give them that platform to showcase their talents. And all these dreams cannot happen only with one person, the young talent Wizkid stated.
Last week, it was alleged that Wizkid told a fan ’that broke people always think they have an opinion’ after the fan allegedly rudely corrected his English - a comment that angered quite a number of the pop star’s fans.
Also in a recent interview as a guest on Hot 98.3 FM Abuja  with singer, song writer and producer, J Martins  reacted to Wizkid’s outburst, saying:
“I’m not taking any side, do not mean no beef, no disrespect, and no hate but let the truth be told. I don’t believe because you feel you have a few change you didn’t have a few years ago and which you cannot guarantee having in a few years to come then you wake up and look at those people who have cheered you up, loved you, supported your music, bought your CD’s, prayed for you, just because you can lay your hands on some phone and you call them ‘poor.’
Adding that, “I’m not in and will never be in support of anyone who has such bad attitude. It needs to be corrected, we owe our fans the duty of being good examples that’s why they hold us in high esteem, that’s why you are a role model and if you know you cannot be a good role model you have no business in Music. You don’t know if it’s that person that might help you tomorrow, whoever does that should be checked,” the artiste frowned.
But however, trust bloggers in Nigeria, hours after, his reactions hit the blogsphere like wild fire, the contemporary highlife star also took  to Twitter to clear the air, saying the reports credited to him are false. “Let it be known that I never blasted wizkidayo as falsely reported. There is no point trying to create a controversy that doesn’t exist,” J Martins tweeted on Monday.
This didn’t go down well with the EME family and Starboy as they reacted with disgust stating that there was no need to make an issue out of it.
But trust Nigeria artistes, who always defend themselves even when they are wrong as Wizkid reacted to J Martins comments, tweeting at him directly.
According to PM News, Wizkid had written “Broke people always think they have an opinion” to a fan on his Instagram page, after erroneously typing ‘About to perform at this wedding with hangover! Jah Guide!’
This led to a particular fan with Twitterhandle @spruzman to send a reply ‘Correct urselfman… see d reason why you should go back to school. Lol’
But the fan’s advice didn’t go down well with Wizkid. And his harsh response elicited retaliatory tweets from angry fans.
But Master Kriss, in an interview stated that there is always time for change urging wizkid to avoid any controversy in his career as he is still very young in the industry.
While Tolulope said people should mind their own business, advising Wizkid kid to “be careful with what he does or says because not everyone is happy with his success”.


Jega Threatens Legal Action Over Alleged Dirty Deals -



Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) Prof. Attahiru Jega, yesterday described a publication which accused him of being involved in “loads of dirty deals” within the commission as “malicious” threatening to take legal action if the publishers of the story do not apologize and retract same.
A national newspaper had alleged among others, that Jega hired personal aides and non-Nigerians whose salaries are being paid by foreign organisations and whose loyalty is not to their employer, INEC, or to their country, Nigeria but to the foreign agencies or countries.
They also accused Jega of being high-handed and having ulterior motives towards the 2015 general elections and embarking on “massive transfer” of staff he single handedly authorized.
But Jega, through his lawyer, Dikko and Mahmoud, solicitors and associates, asked the newspaper to unequivocally retract and apologize, “in wording acceptable to us, within 7 days of the receipt of this letter” or they would “proceed with appropriate legal action without further recourse to you”
According to a letter addressed to the editor-in-chief of the paper, Jega said the publication is intended to bring his person “into disrepute, expose him to public ridicule with the aim of portraying him as a corrupt, selfish person and also as an irresponsible, reckless and unpatriotic public official whose actions have undermined national security and the country’s democratic system”.
The letter continued in part, “these allegations are capable of and have indeed, diminished the reputation and standing of Professor Jega in the eyes of ordinary Nigerians. Professor Jega is a renowned scholar of international repute.
“He has been widely known and perceived as an epitome of integrity and incorruptibility.

We Got Rice, Nails From N400m Relief Fund – Kaduna Flood Victims


Ten months after President Goodluck Jonathan released N400million to the Kaduna State government to cushion the effects of the September 2012 flood disaster that rendered about 5, 794 people homeless, the victims are yet to get succour.
The victims, who have vowed to fight their alleged ill-treatment by the relief committee set up by the state government  soon after the disaster, claimed that they were given two measures of rice, one bag of cement and a handful of nails, two or three pieces of zinc as compensation.
The flood affected residents of 17 local government areas and claimed four lives.
Already the victims have written a protest letter to Governor Ramalah Yero on how the committee short-changed them in the disbursement of the funds, have appealed to him to probe the activities of the officials and ensure that they are adequately compensated.
The late Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa had in October 2012 set up a seven-man committee to work out modalities for the provision of relief materials and the rehabilitation of the victims.
Then, the committee was headed by Mr Abokie Galadima and had the commissioners of Works and Environment, the special adviser to the governor on Christian Matters, the representatives of the Bureau for Islamic Affairs, the executive secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) as members.
Galadima’s successor and current chief of staff to the governor, Alhaji Aminu Yahaya, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that the distribution of the relief materials was handled by the chairmen of the affected local government area, adding that, “We are not aware that some local governments are yet to distribute the relief materials to the victims. We will investigate it.”
He explained that the N400million came from the federal government, well-meaning Nigerians and the private sector.”
“From the N400 million, the state government spent N100million to buy materials to take care of the people that were displaced and another N100million to buy food items for distribution to the victims in February this year. In the 17 local government areas that were affected by the flood, the state government identified 5, 794 victims.
“So, when government procured the relief materials, it handed them over to the vice chairmen of the local governments along with the lists of the victims for onward distribution. After the distribution of the food items, we now used the balance of N200 million for economic resettlement. We gave another group of the victims, seeds and pesticides to go back to the farm and building materials to repair their houses,” Yahaya said.
When contacted, the chairman of Kaduna State Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and chairman of Kagarko local government area, Mr. Danjuma Akuso, said that the relief materials were yet to be delivered to the flood victims.
He said the delay in the distribution of the relief materials in his local government was due to diversion of some of the items by an individual.
One of the victims, who simply identified herself as Mrs Faith, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that she was given two measures of rice, adding that “It was a mockery of my plight and the good intention of the federal government in releasing the money to the state.
Another victim, Amina Anebi, said that she was not given anything by the committee for the loss of her properties.
In the petition to Governor Yero, the victims, who have formed themselves into an association to draw public attention to their plight, lamented that they were yet to be resettled by the state government.
According to them, “The flood committee set up last year by the late Yakowa robbed us of the huge amount of money donated by the federal government which to be shared among the victims.”
The group said that, “Instead of giving each victim between N100,000 and N400,000, we got pieces of zinc, two measures of rice, a bag of cement and a handful of nails and two pieces of planks. If the state government fails to address the matter, we will stage a peaceful rally at the Government House with the items given to us as relief materials and hand them over to the government because we don’t need them.”
One of the victims told our correspondent that, “Over 300 of us that were affected by the flood are still handicapped. I’m still taking refuge in my friend’s house. I am yet to recover from the losses that I suffered. I lost over N1million worth of goods to the disaster. And now the committee is compensating me with two measures of rice? This is wickedness.”
A resident of Ramat/Kaura Road, Ungwar Rimi, a suburb of Kaduna, Salim Kimza, who was a victim of the flood, asked: “What do they want us to do, they said they are giving us succour as if we are not human beings? Is the government serious about the welfare of its citizens at all?”
A member of the flood committee who sought anonymity admitted that what was given to the victims was not enough to alleviate their pains.
He said: “I know there will be problems. How can you give rice to people who lost their houses and other valuable assets to the flood? Some of us in the committee have advised that cash should be given to the victims, but some members opposed it and had their way. Some members of the committee went to the market and bought rice, zinc, school mattresses, blankets and nails which they shared to the victims.”