U.S. President Barack Obama Pledges $7 Billion For Electricity In Nigeria, Others

U.S. President Barack Obama pledged $7 billion to help combat frequent power blackouts in sub-Saharan Africa.

Funds from the initiative, dubbed Power Africa, will be distributed over the next five years. Obama made the announcement during his trip to South Africa, the continent's biggest economy.

"Access to electricity is fundamental to opportunity in this age. It's the light that children study by, the energy that allows an idea to be transformed into a real business. It's the lifeline for families to meet their most basic needs, and it's the connection that's needed to plug Africa into the grid of the global economy," he said.

Two-thirds of the population of sub-Saharan Africa lacks access to electricity, including more than 85% of those living in rural areas, the White House said.

"A light where currently there is darkness -- the energy to lift people out of poverty -- that's what opportunity looks like," Obama told students at Cape Town University. "So this is America's vision: a partnership with Africa for growth, and the potential for every citizen, not just a few at the top."

The program includes $1.5 billion from the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation and $5 billion from the Export-Import Bank, the White House said. Sub-Saharan Africa will need more than $300 billion to achieve universal electricity access by 2030, it said.

The preliminary setup will include Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique.

"These countries have set ambitious goals in electric power generation, and are making the utility and energy sector reforms to pave the way for investment and growth," a White House statement said.

Obama's three-nation African trip started in Senegal and will end in Tanzania this week. The visit aims to bolster U.S. investment opportunities, address development issues such as food security and health, and promote democracy.

It comes as China aggressively engages the continent, pouring billions of dollars into it and replacing the United States as Africa's largest trading partner.

Obama applauded China's investment in Africa, saying he is "not threatened by it."
Africa's greater integration into the global economy will benefit everyone with the potential creation of new jobs and opportunities, he said.

"I'm here because I think the United States needs to engage with a continent full of promise and possibility," Obama said. "It's good for the United States. I welcome the attention that Africa is receiving from China, Brazil, India and Turkey."

However, he urged African officials to ensure that those who invest in the continent and its natural resources benefit Africans in terms of jobs and other assets.

Obama also visited Robben Island, where anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela spent a majority of his 27-year imprisonment, on Sunday. And he spoke at Cape Town University, the site of a famous speech by Robert F. Kennedy at the height of apartheid in 1966.

Obama heads next to Tanzania, where he is scheduled to attend events until Tuesday.

CNN

FG To Create A Million Jobs Through Online Initiative

The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to create about 1 million jobs through an online initiative, the Integrated Youth Development Initiative. The Initiative which has been designed to address the nation’s high unemployment rate in a practical way aims at monitoring youth development in the country closely.

Special Adviser to the President on Job Creation, Mr. Obi Adim said:

“We are looking at creating about one million jobs a year. We have various sectors we are looking at such as Information and Communication Technology, entrepreneurship, and skills acquisition.”

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria currently has an unemployment rate of 23.9 per cent. In a recent media chat, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation, Josephine Washima, said that the initiative has received a lot of buy-in from stakeholders and that more details about the initiative would be announced before the end of July.

Washima noted that the initiative is quite different from the Nigerian Government’s Youth Enteprise with Innovation Programme, (YouWIN).

“The YouWin programme is a business competition, which is online-based and this is totally different from the Integrated Youth Empowerment Initiative. Our initiative is not a competition but it will empower the youth at the end of the day if properly implemented,” she said.

She emphasized that through the initiative, Nigerian youth will be equipped with the required skills that will help transform their lives.


CP-Africa

Okagbare Wins 200M In London Diamond League

Blessing Okagbare’s impressive Diamond League season showed more signs of improvement in Birmingham at the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix where she raced a wind assisted (+0.9) to emerge first ahead of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Lalova Ivet of Bulgaria.

From start to finish, the 24-year-old Nigerian defied all predictions and carried on moving away from the rest athletes. Worthy of credit was the manner with which she took to the bend, blazing hot with vigour and determination as she went on to finish first in 22.55secs ahead of London Olympic silver medalist Fraser-Pryce 22.72secs and Ivet 23.02secs.

Ryemyen Mariya (23.07secs) of Bulgaria and Onuora Anyika (23.13secs), racing for Team GB came 4th and 5th respectively, as Jeters (23.36secs) seems not to have recovered fully from his hamstring injury, finishing 7.

Lovers Fall To Their Death While Making Love By Window

Reported by The Sun UK, this really happened in the city of Wuhan in China. So so sad, chai!

A couple are believed to have fallen to their deaths when a window they were having sex against gave way. The horrific accident allegedly happened in China when the glass pane shattered.

The tragic man and woman are then understood to have hurtled to their deaths. Eyewitnesses said the couple both fell to the ground as they clinched on to each other.

A source in China said: “With the two of them holding each other tight, they fell out of the building”. Shocking photos in China appear to show the couple on the ground under sheets. Blood is splattered near their bodies on the pavement.

Medical staff and what appear to be police officers can also be seen examining the scene. The man and woman are thought to have fallen out of an apartment in the city of Wuhan, central China.

Former Super Eagles Star, Thompson Oliha is Dead

Former Super Eagles midfielder, Thompson Oliha, has passed on. Oliha was among the 1994 victorious Super Eagles' squad that won the Nations cup in Tunisia, died today Sunday, June 30 at 4.05 am at the Yusjib industrial medicare hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State.

Confirming his death in Ilorin, Doctor Yusuf Addulraheem told Super Sport that Oliha was brought to the hospital at the time when there was nothing he could do to resuscitate him.

“I feel so sad to confirm to you that Thompson Oliha is dead and by the time his wife brought him here, the body was completely lifeless. His wife Irish Oliha told me that he slumped in the toilet before rushing him to hospital and there was nothing we could do to save him,”

Report have it that until his death, Oliha was the head coach of the Kwara Football Academy (KFA) in Ilorin, Kwara State. He was 44 years old. May his soul RIP...Amen.

Okagbare To Feature In London Diamond League 200M Race Tomorrow

 

Ok! am posting this because i like her, as in am always proud of her, so...

Diamond league comes to England tomorrow 30th June. 3 Nigerians are running. Blessing Okagbare in 200m against Carmelita Jeter and Fraser-Pryce. The race should mainly be between Blessing and Fraser-Pryce. I'm not a betting man, but I do not think Fraser-Pryce can beat Okagbare in 200m. We have all seen the 100m between them is always very tight. Okagbare is a slow starter, but best finisher in women sprint.
If you're around Birmingham, you can get tickets for £20, but the seats remaining are not too good.
400m- Regina George makes her diamond league debut. She's in a very strong field, a PB will be an achievement
Ajoke Odumosu in 400m hurdle- she's here to fine tune her races. I don't expect her to push too far.

Uduaghan Donates N6million to Tega, a Chronic Kidney Diseases Patient

Sometimes in May, I posted about a 19years old boy from Delta state TEGA OMOFURHIETA who is suffering from Chronic Kidney diseases and needed N6million for transplant, if you missed the post, see here.

Thank God somebody saw the post and fast forwarding to June, glory be to God as the Delta state Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan yesterday graciously donated the needed sum of N6million.

The money is to enable the patient carry out Kidney Transplant at an Indian Hospital.

We are therefore commending the Governor for heeding to the clarion call of the people and prayed God to continue to strengthen him to render more quality services to Deltans.

Obama Pledges To Help Africa, Pays Tribute To Mandela

U.S. President Barack Obama paid tribute to anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela as he flew to South Africa on Friday but played down expectations of a meeting with the ailing black leader during an Africa tour promoting democracy and food security.
  
White House officials hope Obama’s three-nation tour of Africa – his first substantial visit to the continent since taking office in 2009 – will compensate for what some view as years of neglect by America’s first black president.
The health of Mandela, the 94-year-old former South African president clinging to life in a Pretoria hospital, dominated Obama’s day even before he arrived in Johannesburg.
“I don’t need a photo op,” Obama told reporters aboard Air Force One after leaving Senegal. “The last thing I want to do is to be in any way obtrusive at a time when the family is concerned with Nelson Mandela’s condition.”
Mandela’s ex-wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, said his condition had improved in the past few days.
Nearly 1,000 trade unionists, Muslim activists and South African Communist Party members marched through the capital to the U.S. Embassy, where they burned an American flag and called Obama’s foreign policy “arrogant and oppressive.
Muslim activists held prayers in a car park outside the embassy. Leader Imam Sayeed Mohammed told the group: “We hope that Mandela feels better and that Obama can learn from him.”

Mandela A ‘Personal Hero’
Obama sees Mandela, also known as Madiba, as a hero. Whether they are able to meet or not, officials said his trip would serve largely as a tribute to the anti-apartheid leader.
Like Mandela, Obama has received the Nobel Peace Prize and both men were the first black presidents of their nations.
Air Force One departed Senegal’s coastal capital, Dakar, just before 1100 GMT (0700 ET) and was due to arrive in South Africa around eight hours later. On Friday evening, Obama has no public events scheduled and could go to the hospital then.
“When we get there, we’ll gauge the situation,” Obama told reporters.
Obama was scheduled to visit Robben Island, where Mandela spent years in prison under South Africa’s former white minority regime.
He told reporters his message in South Africa would draw from the lessons of Mandela’s life.
“If we focus on what Africa as a continent can do together and what these countries can do when they’re unified, as opposed to when they’re divided by tribe or race or religion, then Africa’s rise will continue,” Obama said.
White House officials said Obama would hold a “town hall” on Saturday with youth leaders in Soweto, the Johannesburg township known for 1976 student protests against apartheid.
He will discuss a new exchange program for African students with U.S. colleges and universities. The event will include youth in Uganda, Nigeria and Kenya participating through video conference, and will be televised in those countries, White House officials said.

Obama’s only previous visit to the African continent was a one-day stopover in Ghana at the beginning of his first term.
While acknowledging that Obama has not spent as much time in Africa as people hoped, the White House is eager to highlight what it has done, in part to end unflattering comparisons to accomplishments of predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
“Given the budget constraints, for us to try to get the kind of money that President Bush was able to get out of the Republican House for massively scaled new foreign aid programs is very difficult,” Obama said.
Obama and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives have fought bitterly over government spending. U.S. foreign aid is a perennial target for lawmakers who want more budget cuts.
Before departing Senegal, Obama met farmers and local entrepreneurs to discuss new technologies helping to raise agricultural output in West Africa, one of the world’s most under-developed and drought-prone regions. The technical aid in the U.S. government’s “Feed the Future” program leverages money from the private sector and aid groups to help small farmers.
Obama said he would announce an initiative to use the same strategies for the power sector, a model he said makes the most of the shrinking U.S. foreign aid budget.
“I think everything we do is designed to make sure that Africa is not viewed as a dependent, as a charity case, but is instead viewed as a partner,” he said.
Obama acknowledged that China, Brazil, India and other countries have been increasingly active in Africa and said the United States risks being left behind. But he said the U.S. approach to development is preferred by African leaders.
“They recognize that China’s primary interest is being able to obtain access for natural resources in Africa to feed the manufacturers in export-driven policies of the Chinese economy,” Obama said.
“Oftentimes that leaves Africa as simply an exporter of raw goods” as opposed to creating long-term jobs, he said.

Channels TV

Baby Girl Found Inside Public Waste Tank In Lagos

Saw this on a blog, and I just can't keep it, it's horrible, use any other word you think fit this and it's definitely more worse than that....Please read on!

Wonders shall never seize to happen in our dear Nigeria. As a blogger and news aficionado i wont see a crowd gathered without trying to know WHY?

Moving closer to the scene, only to get reports that it was a case of a abandoned baby. Quickly i brought out my iPhone hoping to get first hand images of a live baby, then i realized the baby was shot-putted into the huge road side public waste tank.

I saw people climbing up the summit of the waste tank to take pictures, so i passed my phone to someone already up the tank to help me take these picture i'm sharing with you. Lo and behold the baby was already gone.

From all indications, this baby is female and was already dead as at this 27th day of June when discovered still looking well-dressed, fresh and beautiful.

My question are...
1) Why do women find it easy to commit acts like this?
2) Who is more wicked and sinful. The one who aborted or the one who abandoned?
3) Why will the police not retrieve & investigate this? Instead, all they did was to gaze, snap and talk till the PSP people took the dirt's away with the baby inside.

How can a parent do this? Lord have mercy on this country!

Is Life This worthless in Nigeria?


Ace Bentley on (Lagos-Badagry Expressway)

"I’ve had sex with 370 men" Nigerian woman Seyi Kolade reveals

Approaching a man at a bar, Seyi Kolade had only one thing on her mind as she chatted with the stranger - sex. Within hours the pair were in bed together and she was delighted at how her evening had panned out.
And this was not a chance encounter, for Seyi was a sex addict and it was what she did almost every day for 13 years. Last night she said: “Sex addiction took hold of my life.”
Seyi, 35, was just 17 when she became dependent on sleeping with men. By 19 she'd had 40 partners and she says she has bedded a shocking total of 370 men.
Her dangerous addiction led her to a life of destruction - catching sexually transmitted infections, being evicted from her home and having two terminations.


By the age of 30, Seyi had hit rock bottom and needed help. Today, after attending numerous sex addiction meetings and 12-step programmes, Seyi has been celibate for four years and is helping others like her.

She explains says: “Sex addiction is something people associate with men, but it took hold of my life for more than 13 years.
“It was a craving and a fear of how I’d feel if I couldn’t get it.
“Once I did, it was a huge relief, like a weight was lifted.
“It’s like any addiction. It made me selfish, self-destructive and depressed but it was a cycle I couldn’t escape.”

She adds: “I lost my virginity when I was 13 with my first boyfriend.
“I was shocked when I fell pregnant. I gave birth when I was 14. It was a very difficult time.”
Social services arranged a nanny to look after her daughter, Sarah, from six weeks old.
Being a young mum scarred Seyi’s childhood. She says: “I moved out of home when I was 16 with Sarah and lived in a mother and baby unit. I felt terribly lonely. I craved affection, I was miserable.”

Moving into a housing association home at 17, Seyi met then-boyfriend Paul, 31.
It was now that she began to use sex to replace her feelings of loneliness.
She says: “When I started having sex with my boyfriend I thought it was the answer and would stop me feeling so lonely. But it wasn’t enough.”
Going to bars, Seyi, from Birmingham, cheated on Paul at least once a week with strangers or men she would meet regularly.

She says: “I needed sex and afterwards it was a relief. When I couldn’t have sex my confidence would plummet, I felt ugly and went into a spiral of upset and frustration, feeling unworthy and needing another fix as soon as possible.”
Seyi fell pregnant at 17 with son, Andrew. She says: “I told Paul it was his although there was some doubt in my mind. After I gave birth I tried to stay faithful. I wanted sex with him four to five times a day, but the attention from him wasn’t enough.
“When the pent-up sexual frustration became too much, I’d go elsewhere and get validation through sex.
“I cheated on him three times in six months, then fell pregnant again.”
Devastated and unable to look after another child, Seyi made the decision to have her baby terminated.
She says: “It wasn’t fair on the child to have them. I didn’t know whose baby it was so I didn’t tell Paul. I wanted our relationship to work but we split up when I was 19.”
Seyi’s heartbreak made her sex addiction go wild. She says: “The only cure for my loneliness was sex. I had five guys I could meet with for sex when I wanted and was also sleeping with strangers. I’d go to bars and easily pick one up. Being good in bed made me feel worthy.”
By 22 Seyi had caught chlamydia twice. Going out almost every night while her children were looked after by friends and family, all she could think about was sex.
She says: “Between the ages of 22 to 30, life was a blur, my addiction had taken over.
“I was sleeping with five to six men, or meeting strangers for sex at bars weekly. I fell pregnant again at 26. I felt I had no choice but to have a termination. I got drunk and had sex After the procedure.
“I don’t know how I managed to keep my job as a management consultant. I took lots of sick days when I craved sex and couldn’t face the office. I even slept with a colleague.
“I was evicted for not paying rent when I was 29 and had to send my children to live with my family.”

While staying with a friend Seyi saw the documentary The Secret, about the laws of attraction. She says: “I knew I had a problem but never stopped to think about being a sex addict. I realised I needed help.”

After quitting her job to concentrate on her recovery Seyi, then 31, went to an addiction meeting.
She says: “There were six others there and when I listened to their stories it cured my nerves. I didn’t stop craving sex straight away but cut down slowly.” Since August 2009 she has been celibate.
She says: “I’m so proud of myself. I’ve craved sex but the programme lets me know the trigger signs.
“I don’t plan on having sex any time soon. If the right guy comes along and I feel I’m in a stable, loving relationship, I’d feel safe to do it. I have my children back living with me and feel I’m no longer a sex addict.

“I’d hate to think where my life would be now if I hadn’t sought help.”
Despite her recovery, Seyi lives with the guilt of her addiction. She says: “I could have passed on STIs, I had two terminations and my kids didn’t have the attention they deserved.
“I’ve now trained as an inspirational speaker and happiness advocate. At workshops and seminars I can help others understand what sex addiction is, where it comes from and recovery.
“Being celibate has given me my life back. I want to help others do the same''
 
Sun uk

#SaveOJB : D'Banj, Wizkid, and 2Face's N7m, N3m and N1.5m Respective Donations are False Stories

The illness of producer OJB Jezreel has been surrounded by too much publicity and hype that the aim of the campaign is been defeated.

Some hefty amount of money believed to have been donated to the producer by renowned entertainers has turned out to be false stories."False Donations of Artistes for OJB: Government Officials Withdraw

Yes, some entertainers have visited OJB and donated some money but not all the stories are true. Factly speaking Don Jazzy, P-Square, Ruggedman, Mercy Johnson, Iyanya, Julius Aguw have contributed immensely while other names of celebrities not in this list haven’t dropped a dime yet. All other known names circulating different online media outfits today and days before now are false information.

For example D’banj didn’t give N7m, Wizkid didn’t give N3m and 2face didn’t give N1.5m.

Head of committee for the #SaveOJB fund, singer Nomoreloss, is furious as to the controversy this misinformation is causing, especially Govt officials who have threaten to withdraw all financial support.


Nairaland

[PHOTO] Nigeria's Coat Of Arms Used In "BADASS" - A Hollywood Movie?

‘BADASS’ is a Hollywood movie, The main character in the movie returned from war and decided to join the police force in the US.

Now the point is this, something that appeared to be or let me rather say, something that look like the Nigerian coat of arm was first shown at a scene where the main actor was filling out a police recruitment form. The second was when he received a letter about his application.

Is that not the Nigerian coat of arm and is that legal?

10 Common habits that damages Kidney

Kidney infections & diseases are fast becoming a key medical issue in Nigeria. Its alarming the rate at which people, young and old, are now been diagnosed of ailment relating to this organ.
Please, read and share with somebody,  knowledge is key...

1. Not emptying your bladder early: Maintaining a full bladder for a long time is a quick way of causing bladder damage. That the urine stays in the bladder for a long time can cause the bacteria breeding in urine to multiply quickly. Once the urine refluxes back to ureter and kidneys, the bacteria can result in kidney infections, then urinary tract infection, and then nephritis, even Uremia.
So, no matter how busy you are, remember to drink a lot of water and urinate regularly. Once you form the habit of holding back urine, it will ultimately damage your kidneys.

2. Not drinking enough water: The main functions of the kidneys are to regulate erythrocyte balances and eliminate metabolic wastes in urine. If we do not drink enough water, the blood will be concentrated and the blood flow to the kidney will not be adequate, thus the function of eliminating toxins in from blood will be impaired.

3. Taking too much salt: 95% sodium we consume through food is metabolized by the kidneys. Exceeding the salt intake will make the kidneys work harder to excrete the excess salt and can lead to decreased kidney function. This excess sodium will cause water retention, causing edema. Edema usually elevates blood pressure and increases the risk of developing kidney disease. The daily salt intake should be controlled within 6g per day.

4. Not treating common infections quickly and properly: Common infections, such as pharyngitis, tonsillitis, common cold etc, usually triggers or aggravates kidney damage. They do this by causing an acute attack of acute glomerulonephritis or chronic nephritis. So, you will see that people who get kidney disease for the first time or whose illness condition becomes worse usually present in hospitals with a history of cold or sore throat.
If after having cold, symptoms like blood in urine, swelling, headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, poor appetite appear, you should consult your doctor immediately, to assess your kidney functions, and start treatment if compromised.

5. Eating too much meat: Eating too much meat and protein can increase the metabolic load of the kidney. For those suffering from proteinuria, meat consumption too may aggravate protein leakage, worsening renal pathological lesion.
It is suggested that protein intake should be 0.8g/kg per day. This means that a person with 50 kg should consume 40g of protein per day. Meat consumption per day should be limited within 300g.

6. Not eating enough: This is equally as dangerous as eating too much, both of them will lead damages to your digestive organs where is full of mucosal tissues. Mucosal tissues relates closely to your immune system. This is why many kidney failure patients are diagnosed with “autoimmune kidney damages”.

7. Painkiller abuse: The use of analgesics for a prolonged duration may reduce the flow blood and greatly affect kidney function. In addition, patients with analgesic-induced renal failure are more likely to suffer from bladder cancer.
Use analgesics only when it's absolutely necessary, learn to rest instead of taking to the bottles. If you have been on pain killers for a long term, it's about time you had a test to access you renal function done.

8. Missing your drugs: Hypertension and diabetes have been shown to precipitate or accelerate kidney damage, so if you are diagnosed as having any of these disease don't live your life in denial, USE YOUR DRUGS.
This will ultimately help control your condition while also helping to preserve your kidneys.

9. Drinking too much alcohol: Drinking alcohol without limitation may cause the deposition of uric acid in renal tubules, causing tubular obstruction and increasing risks of kidney failure.

10. Not resting enough: In our society, hypertension as a severe threat to life is largely due to stress. A common symptom of stress is insomnia. Blood pressure may increase by an average of 2-5mg/Hg because of insomnia. Chronically elevated blood pressure can cause damage to kidney capillaries giving rise to kidney problems. Thus, we need to develop a good attitude to life and strike a good balance between work and rest to protect your kidneys and live a healthy life.

At the early stage of kidney diseases, there are usually no the special symptoms, so lots of patients are not diagnosed until the acute attack appears or the illness condition develops into the late stage. So you should endeavor to do kidney function test from time to time to assess how healthy your kidneys are.

Never ignore the soreness of waist, swelling of the feet, changes in urine color or volume, increase in night urination, palor, high blood pressure and other such symptoms. Once found, you should go and see your doctor immediately.

27 Million Dollars Missing in Nigerian Emnassy in U.S

The probe followed a petition over alleged misappropriation of funds by the officials of the Nigerian embassy in Washington D.C.

The Senate on Thursday began investigating the alleged disappearance of $27 million from the sale of Nigerian property in New York.

Two former Nigeria ambassadors and the incumbent appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs in Abuja.

They are: George Obiozor (2004 to 2006); Joy Ogwu (2006 to 2007), and the incumbent Ade Adefuye, who assumed duty in March 2010.

The probe followed a petition by Transform Nigeria Citizen Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, over alleged misappropriation of funds by the officials of the Nigerian embassy in Washington D.C.

The petition was signed by one Daniel Elombah.

Mr. Elombah had urged the Senate to investigate why the proceeds from the sale of some Nigerian government property in the U.S. between 2004 and 2007 were not accounted for.

“Available records showed that between 2004 and 2007, the Embassy of Nigeria sold four prime properties of the Nigerian Government located in Washington D.C and Maryland,” he said.

“It also commenced sale of a fifth property located in San Francisco, California.

“For the sale of those properties, the government of Nigeria retained the services of ECULAW Law Firm. Out of those sales, Nigeria realised the sum of 27 million dollars.

“All funds realised from these sales, except those set aside as fees, were remitted to the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington D.C,” the petitioner alleged.

He alleged that all the funds and transactions were duly confirmed in June 2007 by ECULAW Law firm when it met with embassy officials at the Embassy premises in Washington D.C.

He alleged that instead of remitting the proceeds to Nigeria, the funds were lodged in a Washington bank.

“M&T Bank had been the bank the embassy used for other transactions and had about three different accounts with that bank.

“It was confirmed in clear terms that their bank was holding huge deposits comprising the proceeds of the sales of these properties.

“This remained the position after Dr George Obiozor had returned to Nigeria upon completing his service in Washington.

“However, and surprisingly, the Embassy of Nigeria left that money in Washington partly because it yielded substantial monthly interests, which the embassy officials would never have to account for,” he claimed.

The petitioner further alleged that the money in the accounts, disappeared without trace in March 2012.

“This became clear when the M&T Bank was forced to close the accounts of Nigerian Embassy and to terminate all banking relations with the embassy at the beginning of 2012,” he said.

According to him, since March 2012, no explanation had been given as to the whereabouts of funds which were in the bank accounts when the incumbent assumed office.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Matthew Nwagwu, said the committee had received a petition alleging embezzlement of funds in Nigeria’s Embassy in Washington.

“There is a petition before the committee on the issue. We have the petition and we are taking it on the face value.

“We are giving this opportunity to the minister and ambassador to explain what happened. It is alleged that the resources were squandered by embassy officials.

“Ours is to give you a chance to address the committee, to tell us what you know about the administration and management of the fund within your tenure from 2004 till date.

Journalists were, however, ordered out of the Committee Room before the testimonies of the three envoys were taken.

Nelson Mandela is on Life Support

Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela was on life support in a Pretoria hospital late Wednesday, said an official who had been briefed in detail on his condition.

Considered the founding father of South Africa's democracy, Mandela, 94, has been hospitalized since June 8 for a recurring lung infection.

Authorities have described his condition as critical since Sunday, and President Jacob Zuma said earlier Wednesday that Mandela's condition remained unchanged, South Africa's national news agency reported.

In a statement issued late Tuesday, the government said Mandela's doctors "continue to do their best to ensure his recovery, well-being and comfort."

As the nation remained on edge, police barricaded the street leading to the hospital's main entrance. Well-wishers hung balloons, stuffed animals and messages of support along the wall outside his Pretoria hospital.
Crowds hovering nearby sang "Where is Mandela?"
"We need you!," one sign read. "We love you tata, get well soon!" said another, referring to Mandela by the Xhosa word for father. Someone else left a stone upon which was written, "Sending you light and love."

Several members of the family came out to collect some of those items Wednesday.
"He's going to feel a lot better when he sees these signs," said David Manaway, Mandela's grandson-in-law.

Why Mandela has six names Mandela's former physician and the nation's ex-surgeon general, Dr. Vejay Ramlakan, also visited the hospital Wednesday, said the national news agency, South African Press Association.

Mandela became an international figure while enduring 27 years in prison for fighting against apartheid, the country's system of racial segregation. He was elected the nation's first black president in 1994, four years after he was freed.

CNN

"I have 8 - 10 weeks left to get the transplant done" OJB Jezreel says

 OJB Jezreel gave an interview to Encomium magazine yesterday Monday June 24th where he said he has about eight weeks left to get his operation done. Excerpts...

"When early diagnosis was done, it was just a case of renal failure. Right now, my two kidneys are gone. We are running dialysis at the moment. It started two years ago, but gradually depreciated. Most people tend to attribute kidney problem to drinking and smoking. I was told it doesn't have anything to do with that, because as much as I drink and smoke then, it was casual drinking. Maybe they offer you a bottle of drink and all that but not like I drink 15 bottles a day. I have a friend who has gone through this and he never drank or smoked.

"The whole process of the treatment from pre-process, transplanting process and post-transplanting will cost about $100, 000. In two years I have spent up to N5million which I have been trying to maintain myself. That is why it has been kept secret."

"God willing, I have like eight to ten weeks more to get the transplant done. It's strange, I still walk around a little. I can't eat much though. I trust God and Nigerians for their financial support"

To donate, Babatunde Okungbowa. UBA - 1015075120.

Confederation Cup: Nigeria vs Uruguay - goals

Uruguay have one foot in the knockout stage after beating Nigeria, 2-1.

This was a matchup of what had been two underwhelming sides in their first matches. Nigeria looked sloppy against an overmatched Tahiti, and Uruguay offered little to stop Spain. Both were looking to get a critical win, especially given each side's next respective opponent.

It was Uruguay who struck first.

In the 19th minute, Diego Forlan got on the left flank and delivered in a low cross. Edinson Cavani looked to attempt a backheel but whiffed. The pass instead landed at the feet of Diego Lugano, who completely scuffed the shot attempt, but it went into the goal anyway. You don't get points for creativity, so that goal counts all the same.

It was very poor defending from Nigeria as they didn't clear the corner kick and failed to properly mark either Cavani or Lugano.

John Obi Mikel leveled the scoring in the 37th minute. It was a nice piece of dribbling after Mikel received the pass from Brown Ideye. He looked to be taking a shot with his right foot but put it onto his left and fired it into the back of the net.

After the goal, Uruguay started to lose their hold on the match. They looked shaky at the back at times and didn't create much going forward. It was the shell they crawled into against Spain as well.

Halftime couldn't come early enough for the Uruguayans. Luckily they only had to look at a 1-1 draw rather than a losing deficit.

Uruguay went back ahead courtesy of Forlan. He's long been the engine for Uruguay, but he can't do it at 34 anymore. He is, however, still capable of scoring the occasional wondergoal.

On his 100th cap for Uruguay, Forlan was running on goal down the left. You would think that any near-post effort would be knocked away. Instead, Forlan hit it so high and hard that Vincent Enyeama had no chance.

GIF courtesy of 101 Great Goals

LETTER TO DSTV ON BIG BROTHER AFRICA (BBA) FROM AFRICA YOUTH

-->Ok! A lot of people have been talking about the reality show, Big Brother Africa, especially this ongoing season, The Chase. Some said it has totally lost its value, some said, it promote immoralities, and to some, the show is owned/sponsored by Illuminati, they even gone as far as given some analysis (sorry am not ready to delve into those abeg).  Now, here is what I got from a friend today. Seems some people are really serious about this matter. But come to think of it, what is BBA teaching us? Where is the moral value that africa is known for in the game? What are the objectives of BBA? What are they chasing? #JustThinkingAloud

 
LETTER TO DSTV ON BBA FROM AFRICA YOUTH

I urge and plead with All Africa Youths, let's ask DSTV to give us a BBA where Africa Youths go and discuss, profer solution to solve Africa Problems not this morally loosed show where single parents who can't keep their relationships go into the house to show their fallen breast, drug addicts, porn stars , ill mannered people mix up and get rewarded. 

Ha! Having sex in the public with somebody who is not your spouse? God have mercy ! The demon of sexual immorality has etched its ugly head into the show, hence the next sane option is to nip the programme in the bud.The BBA is all about immoral behaviour and that is why it attracts lots of fans. They even prefer open sex every day. 

There is no single thing to learn from the programme, they just promote sex and immorality. It's time we ignore it & speak up against it, for what it's worth. How long does it take to imbibe a habit? 21 days; and BBA runs for 90days, subtly making people addicts to bad habits. Say No to TV shows without value. Reality shows with immorality is a No No!!!!!!

Now whats your take on this issue?

2013 FIFA Confederations Cup; Upcoming Schedule

Wednesday, June 19: Brazil vs. Mexico (Group A)
Wednesday, June 19: Italy vs. Japan (Group A)
Thursday, June 20: Spain vs. Tahiti (Group B)
Thursday, June 20: Nigeria vs. Uruguay (Group B)

Group A			Group B
Brazil			Nigeria
Italy			Spain
Japan			Tahiti
Mexico			Uruguay

Group A

Date	Time	Location	Teams	TV	Stream
Saturday, June 15	3 p.m. ET	Brasilia	Brazil vs. Japan	ESPN	WatchESPN
Sunday, June 16	3 p.m. ET	Rio De Janeiro	Mexico vs. Italy	ESPN	WatchESPN
Wednesday, June 19	3 p.m. ET	Fortaleza	Brazil vs. Mexico	ESPN	WatchESPN
Wednesday, June 19	6 p.m. ET	Recife	Italy vs. Japan	ESPN	WatchESPN
Saturday, June 22	3 p.m. ET	Salvador	Italy vs. Brazil	ESPN News	WatchESPN
Saturday, June 22	3 p.m. ET	Belo Horizonte	Japan vs. Mexico	ESPN	WatchESPN

Group B

Date	Time	Location	Teams	TV	Stream
Sunday, June 16	6 p.m. ET	Recife	Spain vs. Uruguay	ESPN	WatchESPN
Monday, June 17	3 p.m. ET	Belo Horizonte	Tahiti vs. Nigeria	ESPN	WatchESPN
Thursday, June 20	3 p.m. ET	Rio De Janeiro	Spain vs. Tahiti	ESPN	WatchESPN
Thursday, June 20	6 p.m. ET	Salvador	Nigeria vs. Uruguay	ESPN	WatchESPN
Sunday, June 23	3 p.m. ET	Fortaleza	Nigeria vs. Spain	ESPN	WatchESPN
Sunday, June 23	3 p.m. ET	Recife	Uruguay vs. Tahiti	ESPN2	WatchESPN

FIFA Confederation Cup Group Standings

Host Country, Brazil leading group A, while Nigeria takes the first position in group B

GROUP A						GROUP B
Team	W	L	D	GD	Points	Team	W	L	D	GD	Points
Brazil	1	0	0	+3	3	Nigeria	1	0	0	+5	3
Italy	1	0	0	+1	3	Spain	1	0	0	+1	3
Mexico	0	1	0	-1	0	Uruguay	0	1	0	-1	0
Japan	0	1	0	-3	0	Tahiti	0	1	0	-5	0

Massive Trashing as Nigeria beats Tahiti 6 goals to 1

Nigeria jumped out early against the overmatched Tahiti side and never looked back, scoring six goals and missing several other chances to turn a 6-1 final into a final that would have looked more like a high-scoring baseball game than a soccer match.

Nnamdi Oduamadi gave Nigeria 3 out of the 6 goals, Elderson scored twice and an own-goal from Jonathan Tehau who had earlier score the only goal for Tahiti put Nigeria at the top of the table in group B with 3 points, +5 goals. Spain stand in the second position behind Nigeria on the table with 3 point, +1 goal after beating Uruguay (3rd on the table) 2:1.

Two persons get life imprisonment forraping Pastor’s daughter in Delta

Having raped a 17-year-old daughter of a Pastor (names withheld), two notorious rapist, Ernest Steve, 30 and Jerry Godwin, 29 were recently sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delta state high court sitting in Ughelli.
DailyPost gathered that the rapists broke into the residence of the victim’s parents
at Young Africa Close, Ovwian, armed with a gun and knife on November 5, 2007 to carry out the distasteful act.
The Prosecution told the court that after robbing parents of the young girl of valuables, they again had carnal knowledge of the girl , causing her severe injuries and psychological trauma.

Delivering the judgment, the trial judge, Justice O. Tobi said the confessional statements of the accused who admitted in evidence during trial passed the veracity test and was not in doubt, saying the prosecution led by P. T. Daubry had proved the essential ingredients of the three-count charge preferred against the accused persons.
The court declined the plea for mercy by the defence counsel, Mr. M. Oshemele, and proceeded to hand down the mandatory punishment for the offence they committed as prescribed by the law.

Village Head On Hunger Strike Over Dilapidated School

A village head in Ikot Ubo, Nsit Ibium Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Chief Peter Nduche, has embarked on three-month hunger strike over the dilapidated state of the only secondary school in the area – Community Secondary School, Ikot Ubo.
Nduche, who commenced the strike on June 15, 2013, said he went on the hunger strike at risk to his life because of the love for his community.
He said if he survived within the three-month period, it would be nice, but if he died in the process, posterity would know there was a leader who laid his life for his community’s development.
Nduche explained that the school serves over 2,000 students from Ikot Ubo and other neighbouring communities.
He said, “We are not happy that the only secondary school in our domain has been neglected by successive governments, including the present government in the state, which claimed to have spent much money on school renovation.
“I can’t endure this type of abnormality any longer. If I die during the hunger strike, it will be all right, but if I survive it, it will also be all right; but all we are asking for is equity and fair-play. This government cannot tell us that this school which was built in 1982 is not old enough to warrant repairs.
“Our children and teachers daily give report of snakes chasing them out of classes. If you look inside you will see that grass is almost as tall as we. You can see the fallen roofs everywhere. Yet, if you go to most parts of the state, you can’t see something like this.”
Nduche, who is also the Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Conference of Village Heads in Nsit Ubium, stated that the village voted massively for Governor Godswill Akpabio and the Peoples Democratic Party but wondered why the administration had abandoned the community.
An native, Theresa Okon, said the community, staff and the students of the school, were always imploring Akpabio to come to their rescue.
“Buildings in the school are leaking; walls have cracked and falling. There are no seats for students and staff. There are no toilets and no assembly hall,” he said.

NANS Officers ACCIDENT Victims Identified

The Students Union Officials traveled last night to Uyo to intervene in the student issues that lead to a riot in the University, but regrettably, their lives were cut short in active service to humanity.
RESPECT to Our Fallen Comrades.

- Senate President, Comrade Donald Onukaogu - FUTO, Owerri. 

- Assah Ejeita, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri.

- Duru Jacob, Assistant Secretary General of NANS, Zone B.

- Japheth.

RIP comrades... 

Aluta Continua, Victoria ascerta.