Adoke: Police invite Melaye for interrogation

Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, has invited a former House of Representatives member, Mr. Dino Melaye, to come and substantiate allegation of corruption he levelled against the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke.

Adoke has been accused of corruption, abuse of office and incompetence by a civil rights organisation, Anti-Corruption Network.

The group had in an April 4, 2013 petition to Jonathan detailed Adoke’s alleged involvement in graft and “outrageous use of powers against public interest.”

It also asked the President to fire the minister.

The coalition sent a reminder dated April 11, 2013 to Jonathan, asking him to order an investigation into its petition and sack Adoke.

Insecurity: Northern govs, VIPs shun public mosques

Kwankwaso

Increasing attacks by the Boko Haram Islamic sect may have forced Northern governors, emirs and prominent citizens of the region to review their attendance at mosques.

Investigations by our correspondents revealed that the governors and VIPs had come under increased pressure to change their security arrangements, following incessant attacks and killings of Muslim faithful by Boko Haram gunmen targeting prominent individuals.

Over the last few months, some Northern traditional rulers and top serving and former government officials have been targeted at mosques by suicide bombers and gunmen for elimination.

Among them are the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero; Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Umar Garbai el-Kanemi; Emir of Fika, Alhaji Muhammadu Idrissa; a former Minister of Mines and Power, Alhaji Shettima Ali-Monguno; former Controller-General of the Nigeria Prison Service, Alhaji Ibrahim Jarma; and Borno State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Zanna Mustapha.

UNILAG girls preferred me to boys with sight – Blind banker

David Okon

Head Operations, Switch Board, First Bank of Nigeria Plc and National President, National Association of the Blind, David Okon, shares his inspiring story of profitable living with BOSEDEOLUSOLA-OBASA

How would you describe the way you have been accepted in the society?

The support I have enjoyed has come from family members and a few understanding members of the public. So I have been coping with the support of God and good people around me. They have helped me to have a better view of life and to surmount the obstacles that life has posed. I have also been able to motivate others because the Nigerian environment has not been encouraging at all. The acceptance level in the Nigerian society is still very discouraging. The society needs more people to help turn the darkness of loss of sight to light. What I always told my grandmother as a young person was that I would rather die than get to a point of begging because I am blind. My dad ensured I did well; unfortunately, he didn’t live long enough to see the good fruit of his labour.

My husband feels good when other men admire me –Omoni Oboli

Popular Nollywood actress, Omoni Oboli, turns heads whenever she steps out on the red carpet. The pretty actress told Saturday Beats that she believes her husband feels proud when she steps out and people admire her.

She said, “My husband feels good when I step out for a red carpet event and other men admire me. Everyone likes to show off something that they like and something they think is beautiful. I think it is a good feeling for him.”

Having been a chorister in the past, music is a familiar terrain for her.

“I’m not saying I will go into singing, but never say never; I was in the choir when I was growing up,” she said.

She told Saturday Beats that although she maintains a tight schedule, she cooks for her husband as often as she can but not every night.

FG may declare state of emergency in Borno, Yobe, others

Indications emerged on Friday that the Federal Government might declare a state of emergency in five states in Northern Nigeria, as a last-ditch measure to check the rising killings and insecurity.

The states are Borno, Yobe, Nasarawa, Benue and Plateau.

A pointer to this emerged as President Goodluck Jonathan held an emergency meeting with security chiefs and some other top government officials in his bid to address the spate of insecurity in many parts of the country, with the latest being the killing of 47 policemen and 10 State Security Service operatives by the Ombatse militia in Alakyo forest in Nasarawa State on Tuesday.

They also destroyed nine patrol vans.

"It's old news..I'm totally healed of cancer""-Vast of Bracket declares(photos)

Fans and well wishers of Vast, were sad when they learnt one half of the superstar duo, Bracket was down with cancer of the blood and had many more treatments to go ...he didn't deny the reports but claims it happened in February and is completely healed now..

He posted on his Facebook and Instagram yesterday

‘I know why actors are dying in Nollywood — Prophet Chris

Prophet Chris Okafor is the General Overseer of Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministry. Below is what he told an Encomium magazine reporter about the recent deaths in Nollywood.
“This year I gave a prophecy concerning the entertainment industry that there is going to be series of death, and they never asked me for a solution.
One problem is that they like to go to churches where they do paparazzi and the rest. They don’t want to come to the truth and that is why they are dying this way. If they come to me, I will tell them the mystery why people are dying in Nollywood just like I’ve been able to tell Nigerians why electricity can’t be stable in Nigeria.
I know why they are dying. Let them come to me”
[Encomium magazine]

Blackberry Faces Ban in Nigeria

Blackberry services could be at risk of being banned in the country as a new regulation by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, will run counter to the technical operating standards of the phone’s distinct network. Our source gathered yesterday that the telecoms regulator was working on a regulation, which would make it mandatory for any licensee in the nation’s telecoms market to provide access to its communications facilities for necessary interception by the law enforcement agencies.

To be called ‘Lawful interception of communications regulations”, the regulation, which is currently at the draft stage, is based on the need to provide a legal and regulatory framework for the lawful interception of communications in Nigeria and the collection and disclosure of intercepted communication.

Doris Simeon To Sue Ex-Hubby Daniel Ademinokan For Child’s Custody

No doubt, the most entertaining story in the past one month in Nigeria, is the alleged surprised love tale between sultry actress Stella Damasus and controversial movie director, Daniel Ademinokan. Although, getting married is not meant to be a big deal, the shenanigans that surround this one, has attracted the attention of Nollywood fans home and abroad with many holding the view that Daniel’s estranged wife and mother of his only son, Doris Simon was cheated in the way she lost the custody of her son.
However, going by the latest news in our disposal, Doris is ready to tell the world that she’s neither a fool nor dumb.

Yes, I’m Very Rich, But… Yinka Ayefele, Gospel Singer

Today, Yinka Ayefele is a household name in the nation’s music industry.  When he launched his music career as a gospel act some years ago after he was involved in an auto crash that left him crippled, not many gave him a chance in the industry. But he has so far proved his critics wrong and succeeded in cultivating a large following across the country. So, the accident has become a blessing of sort to him. The Ekiti State-born musician recently spoke with BAYO ADEOYE on his career, his dreams and the tragic incident, among others.

Since you launched your music career in 1997, you have been consistently relevant in the nation’s entertainment industry. So, what will you attribute your success story to?
I don’t have any secret; it’s not by my power but the grace of almighty God.
Over the years, you have produced a number of albums with some  dramatic titles. Besides, almost all your albums so far had some interesting story lines, so to say. Would I be right to describe you as a script writer?
It is unfortunate that many got to know me after I was involved in an auto crash. But the truth is that I had started playing music, though not actively, before that unfortunate incident. My first album was titled Bitter Experience. But after I underwent a successful operation in the UK, I came out with Sweet Experience, Divine Intervention, Fun Fair, Fulfillment and so on.

Unverified biometric registration: JAMB to clear results on Friday

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has said it would by Friday (today) resolve the problems of candidates who could not access their results due to ‘unverified biometric registration’ challenge.

This came amidst protests by some candidates who alleged that JAMB’s refusal to release their UTME result, because their biometric registration could not be verified, was capable of truncating their academic career.

The candidates argued they should not be punished for the problem of unverified biometric registration because it was not their fault.

Some of the candidates told our correspondents that they were subjected to the biometric test before they were allowed to enter the examination hall while some said that supervisors in their centres allowed them to write the UTME when it became obvious that the machines were malfunctioning.

One of them, Ogungbile Gbolabo, said supervisors at the Kosofe Junior College, Ketu, Lagos, where he sat for the examination, actually ensured that all the candidates were subjected to the biometric test before they were allowed to be part of the exam.

FIFA rankings: Keshi not moved by Eagles lift

Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi

Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi says he’s not moved by Nigeria’s latest rise in the monthly FIFA rankings. The coach who just returned to the country admitted that it was good news for the Eagles to move up, but that a rise in the rankings is not the most important thing in his agenda as he focuses on the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

Nigeria moved up three places in the latest FIFA rankings released by the world football body on Thursday, staying at 28th in the world but fourth in Africa.

Keshi told SuperSport, “If Nigerians are happy with the rise in the rankings, then I am also happy with that too but to be perfectly honest with you, that’s not what I am most concerned about.

“I am concerned about providing things that Nigerians will be happy about.”

Amnesty: Don’t waste tax payers’ money, Oritsejafor tells Jonathan

*Oritsejafor

ABUJA—NATIONAL President of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Thursday, warned President Goodluck Jonathan not to waste tax payers’ money on an amnesty programme for the  Boko Haram sect, describing it as ‘a futile exercise’.
Pastor Oritsejafor who stated this after receiving the award of ‘A True Servant of God’ conferred on him by the Christian Elders Forum of Northern States, NOSCEF, in Abuja told President Jonathan not to waste any more time on the amnesty proposal because it would not work.
The CAN President who wept profusely while recalling what he described as religious cleansing/genocide, asked rhetorically, “how do you explain this (targeting worshippers in the Church on Sundays), is it the Church that is now bringing the poverty they claimed was one of the reasons for the killing?”
Dedicating the award to the memory of victims of the sect, he admonished the President “to beware of some Northern Muslim leaders and their few Christian allies who always come to him to seek regional concessions with religious biases. People who do not see anything wrong in Boko Haram killing Christians, but want amnesty for murderous and blood-thirsty sect members”.
Oritsejafor further advised Jonathan to ignore some politicians who did not see anything when certain individuals from a section of the country vowed to make Nigeria ungovernable if “Jonathan becomes President in 2011”, but want him to arrest Asari-Dokubo “for repeating what they said earlier. Such hypocrisy should never be tolerated in a secular country like Nigeria”.

Pornography! They Say It Helps Sex Get Better In Marriage, But I Say It Does More Harm Than Good.

Pornography means sexually explicit materials like films, magazines, writings, photographs or other materials that are sexually explicit and intended to cause sexual   arousal.

Although, quite a number of people that have been involved in porn materials claim that it helps them spice up their sexual lives in marriage. Though no other reason has been given apart from this but the truth is that the disadvantages to marriage obviously outweighs any advantage you could ever think of. According to science, porn trains brains to release more endorphins than normal in response to an overload of sexual stimuli. After a while, depending on how long the brains have been on pornography, they develop a need for higher dose in order to achieve the same arousal. This apparently leads to more hardcore porn and higher quantities of it. It does not only limit your ability to become aroused at all, but also can limit your dopamine receptors in general, causing you to become more anxious, less social, and perhaps depressed.

If I’m arrested, Nigeria will be histroy – Dokubo-Asari

Leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force,  Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, has dared the  House of Representatives and leaders of northern Nigeria to arrest him if they can.
Dokubo-Asari, who spoke with journalists on Wednesday evening in Abuja, said he stood by his words that there would  be no peace if Jonathan is not reelected in 2015.
He was responding to calls by members of the House, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and northern leaders, saying the leaders were cowards if he was not arrested.
The former President of Ijaw Youth Council  also added that any attempt to arrest him would make Nigeria “a history”, asking why those calling for his arrest turned deaf ears when some northern leaders like former Military Head of State Maj.-Gen Mohamadu Buhari, Alhaji Lawal Kaita and a former member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Aliyu, among others.

Jonathan’s aides threatening Nigeria’s unity –Tinubu

National Leader, Action Congress of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has warned loyalists and aides of President Goodluck Jonathan against taking the unity of Nigeria for granted and setting the country on fire.
Tinubu, the former Lagos State governor, said in Lagos on Thursday that the utterances of friends and aides of Jonathan had the potential of putting the unity of the country in jeopardy.
The ACN stalwart spoke as the guest of honour at the presentation of Lest I Forget: Memoirs of a Nigerian Career Diplomat,written by Amb Oladapo Fafowora. Tinubu was represented by ACN National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, and Leader, Niger Delta Peoples Volunteers Force, Alhaji Mujaheed Dokubo-Asari, were recently quoted as threatening violence in the country if Jonathan is not reelected President in 2015.

Former Bayelsa Governor, Timipre Sylva arrested by EFCC

Former Bayelsa governor, Timipre Sylva has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Timipre Sylva was arrested yesterday Wednesday May 8th and interrogated in connection with fraud charges, according to a statement released by the anti-graft agency today.

EFCC said in the statement that the former governor "was found hiding in a dingy corner in the upper chamber of his expansive mansion," in Abuja after his staff told them he was not in town when they went to make the arrest. 

Find a statement issued by the commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, after the cut...

Victim of 2012 plane crash shuts Dana office

Omowunmi (middle) with some policemen.

Business activities at the Allen Avenue office of Dana Airlines came to a halt on Wednesday after the owner of the two-storey building destroyed in the plane crash, Pastor Daniel Omowunmi, locked the main gate of the office and blocked the entrance with his Toyota Sports Utility Vehicle.

Omowunmi, who arrived Dana office at 5.30am, brought with him three iron chains and padlock which he used to lock out all employees of the company.

The ill-fated Dana flight 992 killed over 153 people on board, as well as approximately 10 other persons and caused injuries to many people on the ground.

The plane also crashed into Daniel’s house and factory and destroyed his property, which he said, was worth N500m.

Omowunmi told our correspondent that he decided to lock up the place because all attempts to get compensation from Dana had proved abortive.

Adelabu sworn-in as Ekiti new deputy gov

New Deputy Governor, Ekiti State, Prof. Modupe Adelabu

New Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Prof.  Modupe Adelabu, was on Wednesday sworn-in to office.

The State House of Assembly on Tuesday had confirmed her nomination.

The 63-year-old Professor of Education was sworn in by the  Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola,  at the Government House, Ado- Ekiti.

The ceremony was attended by Governor Kayode Fayemi;  Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin; Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade;   Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adesida; Chairman, Ekiti State Traditional Council and Owa Ooye of Okemesi, Oba Gbadebo Adedeji; and the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe.

A former Lagos State Commissioner for Establishment, Mrs. Teju Philips, and the Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Ekiti State, Chief Jide Awe, among others, also attended the ceremony.

 Fayemi said the appointment of Adelabu  was received with “overwhelming approval from the people because “she is a round peg in a round hole”.

He said  the new deputy governor was stepping into a big shoe left by her predecessor, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, who died on April 6.

Fayemi, who expressed confidence that Adelabu would perform well,  urged her to continue with the kind of zeal her predecessor displayed towards her duties.

The governor told Adelabu to expect rumour to start flying around soon, saying she was enjoying a “period of honeymoon now”.

Nigeria in war situation, says Soyinka

Professor Wole Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has described the state of the nation as a war situation going by the incessant killings of innocent people by the Islamist sect, Boko Haram.

Soyinka also decried  the way and manner the Federal Government was handling the insurgency,  saying it was looking at it as a short term phenomenon that could be tackled with short-term solutions.

He spoke on Wednesday via a video conference with privately owned television station, Al Jazeera, on the programme, The Stream, which focused on ‘Bringing Down Boko Haram’.

The programme also featured the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, and publisher of online news portal, Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore.

Pre-registered SIMs: NCC fines GSM firms N53.8m

Eugene Ikemefuna Juwah, the Executive Vice Chairman, NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission on Wednesday announced the imposition of N53.8m fines on four mobile telecommunication operators for contravening the rules on registration of Subscriber Identification Module cards in the country.

A statement issued in Abuja by Head of Media and Public Relations, NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka, said 269 pre-registered SIM cards were either purchased or reported to it and confirmed by the operators.

Muoka said, “In furtherance of the ongoing enforcement of the provisions of the Telephone Subscribers Registration Regulations, 2011, the NCC has imposed fines on four mobile services operators for contravening the provisions on pre-registration of SIM cards in Nigeria.

Bama attack: Boko Haram plans to overrun barracks – Army

The burnt Bama Police Barracks yesterday

As condemnations trail Tuesday’s attack on police, army and prison formations in Bama town, Borno State by Boko Haram terrorists which left 55 people dead, the Nigerian Army said, yesterday, that the attack  on the 202 Battalion Barracks, with rocket propelled grenades and anti-aircraft guns was aimed at overrunning the barracks and creating mayhem.
Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru, who made the disclosure, however, noted that the attack was successfully repelled.
He gave the actual number of casualty recorded during the attack thus: “those killed in action include 21 Boko Haram terrorists, six Police officers, 14 Prison staff, two soldiers and four civilians, including three children and a woman. They were burnt to death by the insurgents”.

MBGN Tienepre Oki and Charles Udejiofor’s Wedding

Tienepre Oki was the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria beauty queen who represented the country at the Miss Universe. She is currently the publisher of Mademoiselle Magazine and wed banker Charles Udejiofor recently. BellaNaija Weddings got all the exclusive photos from their “Walking on Sunshine” themed wedding in Delta State.

According to Tien, a mutual friend introduced them and they became good friends. A few months after they met, he professed his love at a wedding they attended together, and they officially started dating. Asked about the proposal, she added, "We went for an event together and as we were leaving I stopped to chat with a friend. Charles then told me that he forgot to give me something as I turned to look at him, he brought out the ring and went on one knee. It was a perfect moment!"

'I Have Murdered Poverty' - Saka

Hafiz Oyetoro's controversial move from Etisalat to MTN as a brand face seems to have changed his fortune for good.South Africa-based scholar, Prof. Kole Omotosho, and lecturer at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Hafiz Oyetoro, do not belong to the same generation. The distance between Nigeria and SA also implies that they cannot be meeting each other constantly. Yet, they both have something in common.
They have the enviable record of successfully combining their work as lecturers with advertising. Apart from the fact that Omotosho is a writer, best known for his controversial novel about Nigeria - Just Before Dawn - he has made a name for himself in SA where his face has graced several advert bill boards. The latest is the one in which he is advertising for Fidelity Bank Plc.

Stop executive impunity, Soyinka tells Jonathan

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Monday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to stop the “culture of executive impunity” currently pervading the country.

Soyinka, in a statement entitled, ‘Cool it, President Goodluck Jonathan’, said the call had become imperative to end the arbitrariness “fast becoming the norm” in the polity.

He said, “The increasing flash points in the nation have reached an unsustainable level, and responsible governance must accept that it is an urgent duty to diminish, not increase them.

“Even the notoriously short Nigerian memory remains traumatised by recollection of the rape of Anambra that was enabled by the connivance of federal might, and the abandonment of all moral scruples in executive disposition.

Osun students’ tablets’ll be solar-powered – Dep Gov

Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori

The Osun State Government has introduced tablets for secondary students in the state under the ‘Opon Imo’ initiative.

The Deputy Governor of the state and Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Grace Laoye-Tomori, who disclosed this in Lagos at a press conference, said the tablet is preloaded with lesson notes on 17 subjects offered by students in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and National Examination Council.

According to her, the tablet is solar-powered, as the state believes that power outage should not hinder academic endeavours.

She said, “In line with best global practices, our governor came up with Opon Imo ideology to aid students’ preparation for internal and external examinations. It is easy to carry, could be used anywhere and at any time. This system of learning has improved academic performance in developed countries.

Nigeria fighter jet crashes in Niger, two killed

A Nigerian warplane crashed in Niger on Monday May 6th, from where it was conducting military operations in neighbouring Mali, and the two pilots were killed, Nigeria's army said in a statement.

The fighter jet was part of Nigeria's air fleet engaged with an African force battling hardline Islamists in Mali. An army source in Niamey said it had suffered a "mechanical" problem.

"A Nigerian Air Force Alpha jet aircraft on a non-combattant mission crashed today at Dargol village...The two pilots on board the fighter jet died," the Nigerian defence headquarters said in a statement.

Amaechi can’t be impeached – Rivers

THE crisis in Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party took another turn on Monday with Governor Rotimi Amaechi inadvertently insinuating a plot to effect his removal by only five members of the state House of Assembly.

But the governor said it was practically impossible in today’s Rivers State to be removed by five members of a 32-member legislature.

Rivers Commissioner of Information, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, in a statement on behalf of Amaechi in Port Harcourt, said, “We are aware that people are imagining that it will be possible to attempt a (ex-Plateau State Governor Joshua) Dariye treatment in Rivers State where they will take just five members of the Rivers State House of Assembly out of 32 members and attempt an impeachment of the Governor of Rivers State.

“But this is Rivers State; this is not Plateau State and Nigerians are a lot more aware now than they were at that time. This democracy must stand and the people of Rivers State will defend every vote that they have cast for Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

Any Man Who Wants To Marry Me Should Wait Till Am 34 - Actress Halima Abubakar

Kogi State-born but Kano bred actress, Halima Abubakar, some years back gained instant fame for baring her cleavages. She was taken to be in the league of Cossy Orjiakor who became popular as a boobs baring actress.

Even though, Halima became known, she certainly did not get movie roles she so much craved. And so she withdrew into her shell. But when she resurfaced, Nigerians saw a reformed and well-groomed Halima. In this interview, the actress talked about a number of interesting issues. Excerpts:.

What are the positive things that being an actress have attracted to your life and what are the ones you never wanted that are happening?

It has only given me a sense of belonging. I used to be very impatient, I get angry over everything but now I am changed. I am matured.

Baga: FG to show images captured by NigeriaSat-2

The Federal Government will on Monday show satellite images of Baga captured by the nation’s earth observation satellite, otherwise known as NigeriaSat-2.

Our correspondent learnt that the Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Ewa, would show the images in a public ceremony in an attempt to counter the claim of a human right organisation.

The Human Rights Watch had on Wednesday denounced military’s claim that the fires that razed thousands of buildings in Baga, Borno State, were caused by rocket-propelled grenades fired by members of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

It was learnt that the planned public presentation of satellite images by Ewa is to counter the claim of the human right group.

I have learnt from my mistakes — Jim Iyke

His name is James Ikechukwu but many  know him as Jim Iyke. He talks about his personality and career

 With kidnap cases being a common trend, do you entertain fears that you could be a victim?

There is a certain way I live and I believe people only attract what they feel and what they love. So, if I have fears, what I would attract would be fears and misgivings. I am completely fearless about these things because it is a law of attraction. I have no fear of gunmen or kidnappers because I have not wronged anybody for them to want to harm me. I drive out at 2am and go back to my house at 4am. I just believe that every morning when I get on my knees and pray, God knows my intention. He knows that I am going for my daily bread and I am not in anybody’s way. Though, I have made my mistakes, I have  repented  from  them and go  about my business. There are basic laws of existence which people should not violate. If you have the fear of the unknown all the time, you will  attract negative things to yourself. I don’t live like that.   I am a typical Lagos boy and I have been around all kinds of crimes and none ever got to me.

Now that you have joined the league of celebrities running reality shows, what   aspect of your personality will you portray?

 I don’t know if I should call it shocking, but I like moving around my house naked. I feel I am always dressed in public, so when I am inside my house, I should enjoy the freedom that comes from not being tied down with clothes.  So, you will see me moving around with parts of my body blurred by the camera.

There is an impression you are  an arrogant and unfriendly person?

One of the reasons I am running the show is to allow people see and understand a lot of things about the real me.  I deal with people on a daily basis and they do not understand that certain pressures can make somebody appear rude or arrogant. Shyness can make someone appear rude and unfriendly.  But the show will feature the pressure I go through daily and the way I cope with that pressure.

What kind of pressure are you talking about?

  There are so many. It is not easy to have your life constantly scrutinised. This is Lagos, there is so much pressure coupled with lack of basic human amenities. These factors can contribute to the pressure a man has to cope with.

Why did  you go into fashion?

Yes. I realised that since I don’t shoot as many movies as I did in the past, I can do other things. I have made that point clear-it is not about quantity anymore, it is about quality and I am very careful about what I do now.  The last movie I featured in, ‘last flight to Abuja’ was what ushered in this project I am doing now.   In this business, you are as good as your last job.

  In fashion, one can either be an admirer or an investor. My lifestyle as a fashion admirer and consumer has cost me a lot of money. I made an inventory of how much I have spent on fashion and cars as well as the houses I have lived in. I reasoned that it was time to turn my passion into an enterprise.   Since I like fashion, I decided to go into boutique management, now I can buy clothes for myself and others. I can make money from it instead of just spending.

Do labels influence your choice of clothes?

I am not brand crazy, but it happens that the best clothes are made by the big brands, take it or leave it.  The designer labels cost a lot of money but there is a healthy competition; which is why I find the fashion market very interesting.   I have discovered that everybody is heading towards the same direction. I have been to factories that make goods for Gucci. There are people working on a smaller scale and these are the ones I hire to make my clothes and they give me what I want.  However, I always buy what I know I would look good in.

You are a sunglasses freak too?

I have about 125 pairs. My personal assistants and people who come to my house keep stealing them.  Also, I have been a collector of all kinds of stuff-shoes and sneakers. I think I own about 200 pairs; it is not something to brag about, this is a form of art for me, just like the way people collect stamps.  I like shoes and I collect them. I keep the ones my mother owned in the 60s and the ones my aunts owned in the 70s. I get shoes that are much branded and are limited edition. For me it is not just about fashion statement anymore, it is art.

Do you indulge in any kind of food?

I am a sweet tooth and a junk food junkie. I have gained weight at some point and no matter how hard I trained, I was gaining weight! I knew what the problem was so I had to cut down. I barely eat breakfast but I eat one solid meal a day. This could be lunch or dinner.  Once I indulge, I make sure I eat everything I want to eat.

How do you relax?

I watch movies.  I have to watch movies to sleep and I don’t just watch them for pleasure, I watch them critically to learn about new things.

What is a typical day like for you?

I sleep around 3am every day, no matter the time zone or the country. I wake up fairly early, depending  on the amount of activities I am involved in  but I think I have some sort of in-built clock, I wake up at the same time every day which is  6 am. When I wake up, I pray because God is the central part of my life and I give it all to Him.  My father always said the best exercise of the day is prayers. As soon as I am done with prayers, I do an exercise which is a fusion of yoga and martial arts. It is a process where the body, soul and mind have to be in sync.  I do it to purge my mind and body, relieve the pressures of the day and make decisions about   the kind of people I would let into my life for that day. I have not been to the hospital in over 12 years of doing the exercise.

Fayemi names Prof Adelabu new deputy gov

Prof. Modupe Adelabu

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has sent the name of the Chairman of the State’s Universal Basic Education Board, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, to the House of Assembly for approval as the new deputy governor of the state.

The office of the deputy governor became vacant following the death of Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, who died of breast cancer on April 6 at age 52.

The governor, in a letter dated May 3, 2013 and addressed to the Speaker of the Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, requested the lawmakers to consider   Adelabu for the position of deputy governor.

It was learnt Adelabu, who will be 63 later in the month, was asked to be Fayemi’s running mate for the 2007 election but declined the offer because of her husband who was sick at the time.

Our private jet cost N7bn, not N9bn –Amaechi

RIVERS State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, on Saturday said contrary to reports, the state government’s private jet costs $45m (N7.1bn) and not $57 (N9bn).

The governor said this through his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, in an interview with our correspondent in Port Harcourt.

Amaechi described the allegations that he inflated the cost of the jet by $10m as unfounded and a figment of the imagination of those spreading such false information.

According to him, the allegations were targeted at distracting the state government from its responsibility of developing the state.

Should Pastors Re-Marry After Divorce? See What Pastor Igbodalo Who Remarried Said

Should Pastors Re-Marry After Divorce? See What Pastor Igbodalo Who Remarried Said

It was a very big issue some years back after Pastor Ituah Ighodalo separated from his first wife and wanted to get married to a beautiful lady. we observed that it was the same issue that made him to leave the Redeemed Christian Church of God, as the church couldn't allow such act.

But is it right or wrong for a man, especially a pastor, to do this? See his position below...

Your wife is stunning. How many years have you been married now?

I got married 2007, so, it is barely six years.

Pro-Amaechi governors to back Kwankwanso as NGF chair

The odds now seem to favour Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwanso of Kano State to emerge as the next chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) later this month.
The incumbent, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who is facing massive opposition from his party (PDP), and the Presidency to return for a second term, is said to be disposed to stepping down for Kwankwaso.
This move, it was gathered, is to put up a formidable fight against Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State who is being backed by the Presidency.
In the last couple of weeks, the anti-Amaechi forces led by the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum (PDPGF), Chief Godswill Akpabio, and the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), Chief Anthony Anenih, have been rallying the support of other governors to back Shema.

My mother in-law nearly wrecked my marriage - Folorunsho Alakija

Folorunsho Alakija and her Husband

After almost four decades of silence, Nigerian-born globe’s richest black woman, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, has revealed the many pains, rejections and frustrations she had to bear with equanimity in the hands of her mother in-law, prior and after their marriage.

Speaking to a jam-packed church, she said her mother in-law never wanted a Yoruba woman and Muslim as a daughter in-law.

“My husband’s mother was Igbo, while her dad was from South West here. And because of this, my mother in-law never wanted a Yoruba woman to marry her son. She was not comfortable also with my Muslim background then. She wanted an Igbo daughter in-law, but my husband said it’s me or nothing.

P-Square's Paul Okoye welcomes child with 19 year old beauty queen?

According to a report by Sahara Reporters, Paul Okoye, the other half of twin singing sensation, P-Square, has welcomed a child with 19 year old MBGN 2012 contestant, Elshama Igbanoi.

Nigeria’s hip hop sensation, P Square (real name Paul Okoye), has reportedly abandoned the mother of his second baby in a London hospital where the woman recently gave birth to the entertainer’s baby.

A few weeks after welcoming his first new born baby in Atlanta, P Square – who is also known as P2 – had another baby delivered for him in a London hospital by a former beauty pageant contestant. However, this time, P Square has refused to claim paternal responsibility for the baby boy.

Electricity: FG releases $3.7bn, targets 20,000MW

Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo

Vice-President Namadi Sambo on Sunday said efforts were being made to wheel about 20,000 megawatts of electricity for the country to improve power transmission.

A statement by the vice-president’s spokesman, Mr. Umar Sani, quoted Sambo as saying this during a meeting he held with members of the Nigerian-Canadian Association in Toronto, Canada.

Sambo said to achieve the feat, the government had last week approved the release of $3.7bn for the power sector.

Electricity: FG releases $3.7bn, targets 20,000MW

Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo

Vice-President Namadi Sambo on Sunday said efforts were being made to wheel about 20,000 megawatts of electricity for the country to improve power transmission.

A statement by the vice-president’s spokesman, Mr. Umar Sani, quoted Sambo as saying this during a meeting he held with members of the Nigerian-Canadian Association in Toronto, Canada.

Sambo said to achieve the feat, the government had last week approved the release of $3.7bn for the power sector.