I’m Not Engaged, I Bought The Ring Myself – Nadia Buari

Nadia Buari wears what looks like an engagement ring; but I’m not engaged; I bought the ring myself, she says in reaction to media reports that she is engaged.

Since Nadia Buari and Nollywood ‘bad boy’ Jim Iyke developed a certain bond, the pair have been in the news for all the love reasons.

Although they have vehemently denied any love relationship brewing between them, the Nollywood actor recently took her on a five-city European tour for her 31st birthday.

The rumours that the two are in a relationship gained currency when it was reported that Jim might have popped the all important “Will you marry me,” question to Nadia with an engagement ring.

Reacting to the rumours in an interview with Myjoyonline.com, Nadia dispelled the rumour saying the media are always bent on making news out of nothing.

Stretching her beautiful, delicate fingers to show some rings, she said, “When you look at these rings, I think there are three of the same kind of ring so is this an engagement ring? I think you guys want to make a story out of nothing.”

WAEC releases poor November SSCE results

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released what its official called ‘a discouraging’ result for the November/December 2013 West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
The WAEC Head of the National Office, Mr Charles Eguridu said that there was worrisome decline in candidates’ performance in the examination when compared with students’ performance in 2011 and 2012.
“This year, 2013, we have a total of 86,612 candidates representing 29.17 per cent obtaining credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
“In 2012, a total of 150,615 candidates representing 37.97 per cent obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
“In 2011, a total of 139, 827 candidates representing 36. 07 per cent also obtained credits in five subjects and above including English Language and Mathematics,” he said.Eguridu said that of the 308,217 candidates that registered and sat for the 2013 examination, 299,784 had their results fully released while 38,260 other had theirs withheld in connection with examination malpractice.
Giving further breakdown of the results, Eguridu said that 120,115 candidates obtained six credits and above, while 161,721 others recorded five credits and above.

Actor Odunlade Adekola goes back to school

Former Glo ambassador and one of Yoruba film leading actors, Odunlade Adekola has gone back to school to acquire a degree. The actor is currently a 100 level student at the University of Lagos.

A source close to the actor said his decision to go back to school is as a result of many opportunities that he has lost over the years due to his lack of a university degree.

25 Students Graduated from her Drama School this year

The Scene One School of Drama, a sub unit of Jenifa Foundation was established in 2011 by Funke Akindele with 25 students on admission with a minimum Secondary School Certificate of Education (SSCE) qualification, the school which is specialized in wide variety of creative courses including Introduction of Drama, Traditional and Contemporary Dance, Music, Etiquette and Manners just graduated the first set of graduands in Lagos on Thursday.

Star actress, Funke Akindele has urged Nigerian youths to believe in themselves and go out and conquer in their bid to realise their dreams. The graduation ceremony which took place at the school's rehearsal ground was attended by the graduands parents, family members and friends, who, she said, like the graduands, would remember the occasion for the rest of their lives.

Tukur, Tambuwal, PDP govs, others meet over defection

As part of the efforts aimed at resolving the crisis rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, the governors elected on its platform met with some national officers of the party in Abuja on Thursday night.

The meeting, which was held behind closed doors, was held at the Akwa Ibom Governors’s Lodge, Asokoro.

At the meeting were the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur;  Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, PDP governors, Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus while the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim came briefly.

Journalists were not allowed to enter the compound where the meeting was held as security men that manned the gate said they were under strict instructions not to allow them (journalists) access into the compound.

Apart from discussing the crisis in the party, it was also gathered that the meeting discussed the gale of defection in the party among its members, especially in the House of Representatives.

Four governors later joined Tukur at the meeting with the House members.

Strike: No work, no pay, Oshiomhole tells doctors

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has described the ongoing nationwide warning strike by the Nigerian Medical Association as provocative, illegal, avoidable and unnecessary.

The governor also said that any doctor that joined the strike in the state would not be paid.

Oshiomhole said this on Thursday at a meeting with the Association of Resident Doctors and Medical and Dental Consultants Association in Government House, Benin.

The governor said, “There is nothing in the convention or the law that allows you to simply walk out on your job. The fact that your colleagues under federal employment had dispute and they sought meeting with the minister of health, those are meetings between your colleagues and the Federal Government. How is Edo State a part of that?

“I expect that if you feel obliged to go on that strike, I think you should inform us that the strike is inevitable. I do understand the logic and essence of solidarity, but in this business, before you resort to solidarity action, people who are themselves directly involved in the dispute may choose on their own to first go on strike.

“If after sometime you feel that no one is listening and there is a need to reinforce by way of solidarity, subject to the rule of law, then you can decide to go on a secondary action.

Confusion in PDP over 37 Reps’ defection

There   was  confusion in the leadership of  the Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday as it made two conflicting demands  from  both the House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal , and  the  Federal High Court, Abuja on the defection of 37 of its  members to the All Progressives Congress.

While  the PDP  released a statement  in which it requested Tambuwal to  declare the defectors’ seats in the House vacant,  in the court, it asked  for an  order   compelling them  to return to its fold.

In the statement by its National Publicity Secretary,  Olisa Metuh, the  party argued that  since the 37 lawmakers  had   renounced their membership, the Presiding Officers of  the House must declare their   seats vacant without any further delay.

The PDP  said that a court order  which the 37  lawmakers  referred to while announcing their defection on Wednesday  was wrongly interpreted.

Metuh’s  statement    reads,  “The attention of the PDP has been drawn to claims by 37 defecting members of the House elected on the platform of the PDP to the APC that they obtained an injunction restraining the leadership of the National Assembly and the party from declaring their seats vacant in line with provisions of the  1999 Constitution.

Reps raise 50 questions on economy for Okonjo-Iweala

Members of the House of Representatives on Thursday engaged their guest, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in hot exchange over the state of the economy.

At the end of the day, the lawmakers sent the minister away with 50-question homework.

Okonjo-Iweala, who is also the coordinating minister for the economy for the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, had appeared before the House Committee on Finance to address members on the state of the nation’s economy.

But, the session, which was chaired by Mr. Abdulmumini Jibrin, turned stormy shortly after the minister complained that she was indisposed to speak.

About three hours earlier, Okonko-Iweala had laid the estimates of the 2014 budget before the whole House where she looked excited, smiling and waving at lawmakers in acknowledgement of their cheers.

World Cup camping: Keshi proposes USA

Nigeria coach, Stephen Keshi, has proposed the United States as camp venue for the Super Eagles ahead of the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

Keshi who spoke at the weekly media interaction of the team in Abuja on Wednesday, said he chose the USA because some of the cities have similar weather conditions with Brazil. The two venues listed for consideration are Miami in Florida and Houston, Texas. The final decision will be taken by the Nigeria Football Federation. The NFF and Keshi were scheduled to meet with the Minister of Sports Bolaji Abdullahi late on Wednesday but the meeting could not eventually hold. The World Cup programmes of the coach and the FA were top on the agenda.

APC will meet Obasanjo soon, says Buhari

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress is to meet with former President Olusegun Obasanjo to explain the reason behind the formation of the party.

A former Head of State and a chief of the party, Gen.  Muhammadu Buhari, said this in an interview with journalists at the residence of a former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in Abuja on Wednesday.

Buhari said the leadership of APC had been visiting other notable Nigerians and that it was time to also pay a visit to Obasanjo.

He said,  “We have been visiting others like the G7 Governors; we have visited former heads of state, and we intend to visit former President Olusegun Obasanjo any time he is available, to ask for understanding and brief him on why we formed the APC.”

He said that he was happy with the discussion the leadership of the party had with Abubakar, who he said had promised to discuss with his supporters and political associates before taking a decision on whether to defect from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to the APC or not.

Iyabo Obasanjo’s purported letter to her father stirs controversy

Controversy on Wednesday surrounded a letter purportedly written by Senator Iyabo Obasanjo to her father, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

A national newspaper (not The PUNCH) had on Wednesday published the letter.

In the letter, Iyabo allegedly denounced Obasanjo as a self-seeking man lacking in all key expectations of a father and a leader, but often appearing quick to accuse others of the same ills.

Iyabo  also allegedly commented on a letter written by his father to President Goodluck Jonathan.

Obasanjo had  in an 18-page letter to Jonathan accused him, among other things, of not honouring his words and taking actions calculated at destroying Nigeria.

The letter dated December 2, 2013 and titled, “Before it is too late” became public knowledge on December 11.

Obasanjo had accused the President of pursuing “selfish personal and political interests based on advice from his “self-centered aides.”

Bode George, others’ release angers EFCC

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has described as “unfortunate” that the Supreme Court set aside the court judgment that jailed former chairman of the board of  Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief Olabode George and five former members.

The five directors of the NPA whose sentensing was also quashed are Aminu Dabo, Captain Oluwasegun Abidoye, Alhaji Abdullahi Tafida, Alhaji Zanna Maidaribe and Sule Aliyu, an Engineer.

The apex court discharged and acquitted them of corruption, inflation of contracts and contracts splitting, for which they had been convicted after prosecution by the anti-graft agency.

George, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, was the NPA chairman between 2001 and 2003 when the alleged offences were said to have been committed.

World bids Mandela final goodbye

With military pomp and traditional rituals, South Africa buried Nelson Mandela on Sunday, thus  marking  the  end of an exceptional journey for the prisoner turned President.

Mandela,  who died on December 5   at the age of 95,  was laid to rest in his childhood village of Qunu.  His body travelled from Pretoria by air to Mthatha in Eastern Cape province, and then by road to Qunu .

Present at the private burial   were about 450 members of the Mandela family,  political and religious leaders as well as foreign dignitaries, including  Britain’s Prince Charles, American civil rights activist ,Reverend Jesse Jackson and talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

 Tribal leaders clad in animal skins joined the dignitaries in dark suits at the grave site overlooking the rolling green hills.

As pall-bearers walked toward the site after a funeral ceremony,  three helicopters whizzed past dangling the national flag. Cannons fired a 21-gun salute and their   echoes rang over the quiet village.