PHOTOS: President Jonathan Rewards Super Eagles for Winning Bronze at 2014 CHAN

President Jonathan hosted a special reception in the honour of 2014 CHAN bronze-winning Super Eagles at the State House, on February 13, 2014, Thursday.
The President said he was delighted to receive the Super Eagles, the team which made the nation proud.
“My dear Super Eagles, I keenly followed your performance from the group stage up to the last 3rd place match.
“I noted that you epitomized the true never-say-die Nigerian spirit, especially in the match against Morocco’s Atlas Lions where you came from a 3-goal deficit to win the match against all expectations,” the welcoming message of the President continued.
It has also been noted that the team has produced the tournament’s Most Valuable Player of the 2014 CHAN.
“Today, some of you are being sought after by renowned football clubs around the world. As the coach has confirmed, some of you may make our team to the FIFA World Cup in June this year,” the President’s message added.
The following rewards have been approved for the team and the managemet:
i. Players - N1,000,000 each
ii. Head Coach - N1,500.000
iii. The 3 Assistant coaches - N1,000,000 each
iv. Team Secretary - N500,000
v. Team Doctor - N500,000
vi. Team Physiotherapist - N500,000
vii. Chief Technical Officer - N500,000
viii. Team Coordinator - N500,000
ix. Team Media Officer - N500,000
x. Curator - N500,000
The Vice President Namadi Sambo, the Minister of Sports Bolaji Abdullahi, Governor Suswam were also spotted at the meeting. See more photos below:

PHOTOS: Jonathan visits Emir of Kano, Alaafin of Oyo, Ooni of Ife, Oba of Lagos

President Jonathan yesterday February 15th visited four traditional rulers in Kano, Osun and Lagos States. He visited the Emir of Kano (pictured), Ooni of Ife, Alaafin of Oyo and the Oba of Lagos in what he described as a private visit.

Lola Omotayo Shares The Most Romantic 'Celebrity Val Message To Boo' & It's All For Peter Okoye (Photo)


I'll just let you read Lola's sweet shout out.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww........

 

"I Don't Regret Writing An Open Letter To Jonathan" - Obasanjo Confesses

 
The former president wrote an open letter to President Jonathan few months ago accusing him of condoning corruption, parochialism, dishonesty and training a killer-squad. He claims in a recent interview that he had no regrets writing the letter.



OBJ revealed this in an interview to BBC on February 13, 2014, Thursday.

He said that the letter was not meant to be confrontational, but was aimed at drawing the President’s attention to national issues.

He said if Jonathan wanted any discussions on their relations, or on any other matter, affecting both of them, his doors would remain open for that.

“Since I wrote the letter, we spoke about six times,” Obasanjo said, according to a news item on the BBC Hausa website.

Asked if he regretted writing the letter, Obasanjo said:

“Why should I regret? You only regret when you fail to do the right thing before it’s too late. But writing a letter at the right moment, a letter that is the right letter to write, and you wrote it, you should not regret writing that.”

It would be recalled that in his letter to Jonathan, Obasanjo accused the President of condoning corruption, parochialism, dishonesty and training a killer-squad. He said Jonathan had promised him previously to do only one presidential term.

But in his response, Jonathan accused Obasanjo of endangering the national security and making false, substantiated allegations

First year university student commits suicide after failing 3 papers (PHOTOS)

Ghana – A first year student of the University of Education Winneba, has committed suicide after his name was published on the notice board as having failed in three subjects.

The student, name withheld for now, is said to have failed in three subjects and was due to be withdrawn.

The reason for the suicide is not yet know but it is believed that it was because of his pending dismissal from the school.

Wilson Dabuo, president of the Students Representative Council of the University of Education, Winneba, explained to Joy News it is the policy of the school to expel students who fail in three subjects.

“If you trail in three subjects you would be advised to go home; two subjects you would be put on probation.”

He suspected that the student was pushed to commit suicide “out of pressure”.

The Winneba District Crime Officer, ASP Kofi Sarkodie has confirmed the incident to Joy FM but says investigation is ongoing to get the full details.

He said they were informed around 2:30am by one Richard Adongo, a retired security officer, that someone has hanged himself in an uncompleted building.

ASP Sarkodie said they moved to the scene and discovered the body hanging in a room on the first floor with the “tongue protruding a little bit from the mouth”.\

BOMBSHELL! "MC Loph Is Not My Friend" - Flavor Nabania

Nigerian high-life crooner Flavour spoke to Punch newspapers recently about his relationship with late musician MC Loph.

After MC Loph’s death, reports claimed his mum who has since passed away was disappointed in Flavour for never visiting or calling her. It was said that MC Loph was the one who accommodated Flavour in his house, when he first came to Lagos.

After his passing, Flavour sang a tribute in his honour titled “Iwe”. In the song Flavour mourned MC Loph and even talked about MC Loph accommodating him. Here’s what Flavour said in an interview with Punch:

“MC Loph and I weren’t as close as people thought. I met Loph through Mr. Raw when I came to Lagos. He wanted me to produce for him the same way I was producing for Mr. Raw. Somehow, we came together and we did the Osondi Owendi song. We later found out that we came from the same village.I played a very big part in the song.

People would always want me to perform the song. But I couldn’t. What is the essence of collaborating when you cannot play the song? It didn’t make any sense. He said people told him I was performing his song. I felt, ‘oh, it is now your song?’ That was the last time we really spoke to each other. I decided to ‘free’ him.


    Was there an issue after the song was released?
I played a very big part in the song. People would always want me to perform the song. But I couldn’t. What is the essence of collaborating when you cannot play the song? It didn’t make any sense. He said people told him I was performing his song. I felt, ‘oh, it is now your song?’ That was the last time we really spoke to each other. I decided to ‘free’ him.

    So he told you not to perform the song?
Yes. He didn’t pay me to feature in the song. My voice was significant in the song. He was more popular than me in Lagos then. But I was more popular in the East. So if I was called to come and perform at shows, I would tell them to call MC Loph and pay him since I couldn’t feature the song. I did a song with Tiwa. I don’t mind if she performs the song. People would think of Flavour if she performs the song. That is the essence of collaboration. I don’t even rap. I wouldn’t have tried to take his line because I don’t know how to rap.

    Did you ever meet his mother?

I met his mother just once in my life. We went for a show at Nnewi (Anambra State) and we passed through our village. He got down to see his mother and I followed him. I greeted her and I gave her money that day. She was very happy. We left. I was surprised when people started saying I abandoned his mother when he died. It is not fair to talk about this since he is no more. But then, I feel it is time I became honest and open up because people have said a lot of things about me. It is not fair. He never greeted my father one day, let alone visiting him. But I couldn’t confront him because of that. I felt he didn’t have any business with my father. He could choose to greet him or not. We were not related, we just came from the same village.

    Are you saying you people were not friends?

We were not friends at all. We just did a song together. People just had a misconception about the whole thing. I never told anybody this before and I still insist it is not something we should talk about.

    Why didn’t you attend his burial ceremony?

I had a show. My mother went on our behalf. Some members of my staff went as well. In my place, they say condolence never expires. I can still walk up to that family and condole with them. My brother died and I wasn’t there. We had a show as well. It wasn’t anything personal. My father understood that I couldn’t come for my brother’s burial because I wasn’t around.


I was surprised when people started saying I abandoned his mother when he died. It is not fair to talk about this since he is no more. But then, I feel it is time I became honest and open up because people have said a lot of things about me. It is not fair. He never greeted my father one day, let alone visiting him. But I couldn’t confront him because of that. I felt he didn’t have any business with my father. He could choose to greet him or not. We were not related, we just came from the same village.”

Uncovered; FG Burns N260bn on Ex-Niger Delta Militants

 
At least 260 billion Naira has been burnt by the Federal Government between 2009 and 2013 to settle ex-Niger Delta Militants under the amnesty programme and deals bothering oil pipeline protection in the Niger Delta, Naijapals sources have revealed.

According to an Investigation made by the Punch Newspaper and accessed by Naijapals, "about N248bn has been spent through the amnesty programme to pay monthly stipends to ex-militants and on their training, both in the country and abroad. An additional N12.6bn has also been spent on pipeline protection contracts".  

The Punch Newspaper reports:

While delivering a lecture at the Abia State Youth Empowerment Summit in Umuahia, in April 2013, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, had said the training of the ex-militants had gulped at least one billion dollars (about N160bn) since the inception of the amnesty programme.

The amount (N160bn) covered the N74bn that was spent on the amnesty programme in 2012, but did not include the N88bn that was budgeted for the programme in 2013.

Last week, the House of Representatives questioned the programme’s budget of N63bn in the 2014 Appropriation Bill. They were outraged that it was higher than the budget for water, which was N37bn.

In 2011, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation reportedly signed contracts with ex-militant leaders to the tune of $39.5m (about N6.3bn) to protect oil pipelines.

According to reports, Mr. ‘Tompolo’ Ekpemupolo gets $22.9m (about N3.6bn) per annum; Mujahid Asari-Dokubo gets $9m (about N1.4bn) per annum, while ‘General’ Ebikabowei “Boyloaf” Victor Ben and ‘General Ateke Tom get $3.8m (about N608m) each to have their men guard the pipelines.”

The summation of these figures is $79m (about N12.6bn). The pipeline protection deals, were implemented alongside the amnesty programme aimed at maintaining peace in the Niger Delta.

In September last year, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Matters, Mr. Kingsely Kuku, said the amnesty programme would be terminated by the Federal Government in 2015.

Kuku said 16, 683 out of about 30, 000 ex-militants that were registered for the programme had been sent for training.

He also said the programme had a target of training 6000 ex-militants in 2014 and another 6,000 in 2015.