Senate: Buhari has no plan to end recession

Senate said, yesterday, that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has no no economic blueprint to pull Nigeria out of recession.

The country’s upper legislative chamber gave the verdict during reconsideration of Buhari’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), yesterday.

The lawmakers also added that the president’s economic team is in disarray.

The legislators described the MTEF/FSP as shallow and empty and warned that if the documents are passed, as presented, they would have created room for the executive to present a faulty 2017 national budget.

Last month, Senate returned the MTEF/FSP to Buhari and in an October 19 letter, signed by Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, the chamber said it expected Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma to brief its leadership on some key issues contained in the documents.

Udoma did not turn up for the proposed meeting. The two documents, alongside the rejected borrowing plan, were returned to president Buhari.

Speaking on the new documents yesterday, Chairman of the Commitee on Defence, Senator Ahmad Lawan noted that “the benchmark is realistic. But, I have my reservation about the production level.

“We need to bring in more efforts to reconcile the government and people of the Niger Delta.

“This, in my opinion, will be the only way through which the government can achieve the 2.2 barrels per day.

Senator Dino Melaye, who was more critical, urged his colleagues to reject the proposals.

He said the documents were riddled with falsehood and that there was no significant difference between what was passed last year and what was presented to the National Assembly this year.

MFM may lose Prayer City land to original land owners

A High Court sitting in Abeokuta has ruled that the land on which Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) camp along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway is situated rightfully belongs to the Adejonlu family.

The ruling which was delivered on May 12, this year by Justice A.A Akinyemi of the Abeokuta Division of the High Court of Ogun State implies that the founder of MFM, Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, may either lose the land or repurchase it from the adjudged rightful owners.

It also means that the church acquired the land from, and paid people who were not the rightful owners. Ownership dispute over the land began in 2003 and took the form of litigation via two different cases – Suit Nos. AB/60/2003 and AB/61/2003), between the Adejonlu and Oduleye families, SaharaReporters reported.

Justice Akinyemi’s ruling, exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, declared the Adejonlu family as genuine owners of the land situated in Magada, Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area, and that they are entitled to the right of occupancy over the land.

 Following the ruling, handing ownership and right of occupancy to the Adejonlu family, their lawyer, Mr. R. O. Sadik said he wrote many letters to Mr. Olukoya for negotiation and settlement. He said he took the steps because of the profile of the pastor and his church but that the church was unwilling to cooperate.

According to the letters, the landowners requested the church, assisted by their lawyers, to determine the size and portion of their land on which MFM Prayer City sits. The letter also demanded a payment of N5million per plot to cover the acreage that would be agreed on by the land owners and the church. Similarly, the letter demanded the immediate payment of 40 per cent of the total cost of the acreage agreed upon.

Source: Punchng

Secrets your bank won’t tell you

Banks often don’t tell customers what they should know. This is why the customers must research to know his or her rights. Here are some secrets you should know, according to www.advicesavings.com:

Know the protection or insurance on your payment card

If you’re using your ATM card for debit transactions, ask your bank what kind of protection it offers if the card is stolen or lost. Thousands of naira could be pulled from your current account and, in many cases, you won’t be nearly as protected as you will be with a stolen credit card.

Obasanjo is Grandfather of Corruption in Nigeria - House

The House of Representatives has responded to accusations of corruption levelled against the National Assembly by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, describing him as the grandfather of corruption who introduced corruption into Nigeria in the Fourth Republic.

The House said the former president introduced corruption into the National Assembly after the return of democracy in 1999, by bribing the legislators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Alliance for Democracy (AD) to vote against the majority candidate of the PDP, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, and electing Senator Evan Enwerem as the Senate President.

The spokesman of the House, Hon. Namdas Abdulrazak, briefing newsmen yesterday, also accused Obasanjo of attacking President Muhammadu Buhari because his cronies were not appointed into government by the president.

Obasanjo at a lecture on Wednesday had accused the legislature of corruption, budget padding and said it had threatened the life of a “whistle blower”.

Namdas however noted that Obasanjo’s grouse with the National Assembly stemmed from the foiling of his third term bid in 2007, after trying to corrupt the members with bribes of N50 million each.

“Have we forgotten that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo used his position as president to extort money from businessmen and contractors with his government to build his presidential library? The list of his corrupt acts while in office is endless.

Apps that turn smartphones to TV remote control

In the 1950s came the first remote controls for TV. They were initially connected to a cable, but soon became completely wireless. Then came the VHS player, the DVD player, the DTT, the Blu-ray, among several others. The universal remotes saved us from needing a remote control for each device, but will it not be easier to control everything from a mobile phone? Of course. The best thing is that there are quite a few applications for this.

LG TV remote, VIERA remote and other TV manufacturers’ apps

Although the apps offered by TV manufacturers were not the first applications available, these are a safe option. Realising that mobile phones are today part of the very television experience for users everywhere, manufacturers decided to launch specific apps for their own TV sets.

LG, for example, has been offering since 2010 its LG TV remote for Android and iOS. LG has recently launched a new version that includes features allowing searches and interacting with Internet content through the Korean brand’s Smart TVs.

Sharing this same philosophy, Panasonic launched its remote, while Sony did the same with its media remote. Others, such as Samsung and HTC, have also their own applications but are increasingly committed to other systems included in their own phones with infrared, like WhatchOn in the Samsung Galaxy S4 or Sense TV in the HTC One.

Amosun, Akande, Ajimobi, Aregbesola meet over APC crisis

The governors of Ogun, Oyo and Osun states on Wednesday night held a closed-door meeting with the former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress,  Chief Bisi Akande, at the Government House,  Isale-Igbein, Abeokuta.

This came after they left the ‘Tributes Day’ held by the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, in honour of the late Sir Olaniwun Ajayi, an Afenifere chieftain, at his Isara-Remo home.

Akande in company with the governors of Oyo and Osun states, Abiola Ajimobi and Rauf Aregbesola, visited the Ogun State Government House, Abeokuta and held a closed-door meeting with the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun.

Our correspondent gathered that the meeting, which lasted for one hour, was not unconnected with the crisis rocking the APC.

Emerging from the Government House, both Akande and Ajimobi, while fielding questions from journalists, however, denied that there was crisis in the APC.

When asked by journalists on the alleged rift among  some leaders in the party, Akande merely replied, “There is no crisis in the party, we are one.”

Ajimobi also said the party was crisis-free.

When asked  why he was not at the APC governorship rally in Ondo State, Ajimobi simply replied, “Some of us were out of the country. Me, for example, I was in China.”

There was however a mild drama shortly after the closed- door meeting,  as Aregbesola  walked out on journalists who tried to get his comment.

Source: Punchng

Bus conductor on trial for raping of his landlady

A 52-year-old bus conductor, Segun Awogbemi, who allegedly raped his landlady, was on Thursday docked at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

The accused, who lives in Saidatu Street, Oregun in Ikeja, Lagos, is facing a two-count of conspiracy and rape.

The prosecutor, Insp. Ezekiel Ayorinde, told the court that the accused and others at large committed the offences on Oct. 9 at about 9:00 p.m. in his residence.

Ayorinde told the court that the accused and his accomplices conspired and raped the complainant.

He alleged that on the said date, the complainant was invited by one Sarah Emmanuel to her room for a drink.

He said, “After the drink, the complainant went back to her room, feeling intoxicated and slept off immediately without locking her door.”

He further alleged that the landlady discovered the following morning that she had been raped by her tenant along with others still at large.

12 Common Causes Of Low Sperm Count In Men.

In recent times the problem of low sperm count and poor motility have become so prevalent, and have led to unhappy homes and unfulfilled hopes seemingly due to a myriad of often-ignored factors like environmental toxins; lifestyle factors etc. which have all otherwise enormously affected fertility in men, and their inability to get a woman pregnant.


According to WHO, in other for a couple to achieve a healthy pregnancy the male partner's sperm will have to satisfy the data below:

--Normal sperm count > 20 million sperm cells/mL
--Sperm motility > 50%
--Morphology (size and shape) of about 30%
The female partner also on her part must “ovulate” a healthy egg (ovum) from either of her ovaries in a copulation-timely fashion, for fertilization and conception to be achieved.

Ideally abnormalities of the male spermatozoa could be described under the following headings:

-Oligospermia (low sperm count): This accounts for about 10 -15% cases of male factor infertility.

Black People With Blue Eyes.

Blue/green eyes on a black person isn't photoshop. It isn't contact lens neither is it witchcraft...

It is the Waardenburg syndrome (WS) and 1 in 40,000 blacks have it. (not so scarce)

There are several  "theories" as to why some blacks have this trait but most point to genetic mutation over a period of time. 

Almost 10,000 Lagosians Tested Positive For HIV

No fewer than 9,579 people were tested positive to HIV of the 616,318 that attended the HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) awareness programme from January to June, 2016.Oluseyi Temowo, the Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, LSACA, made this known on Wednesday in Lagos.
Mr. Temowo spoke at a news conference in Ikeja to mark the 2016 World AIDS Day with the theme: “Hands Up for #HIV Prevention’’.The News Agency of Nigeria reports that United Nations had in 1988 declared every December 1 as the World AIDS Day.

This is to honour AIDS victims and focus on issues surrounding HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).Mr. Temowo said that in 2015, a total number of 599, 560 people were counselled, tested and received results out of which 15, 311 people were found to be positive.The LSACA chief said that 52, 803 people living with the scourge were currently on Antiretrovirals (ARVs).“These statistics simply means that there are many more people who are not aware that they have the virus, that is why knowing one’s status is very important.
It is a common knowledge that an HIV positive person can be symptom free for 10 years and will continue to infect others, if not checked and treated. Being HIV positive does not translate to death with appropriate medications,” he said.Mr. Temowo said that the agency had mobilised its HCT trucks to all the nooks and crannies of the state to conduct free HIV counselling and testing.This, he said, would enable every Lagos resident to be aware of his or her health status.Mr. Temowo said that access to HCT would allow individuals to know their status and take appropriate steps to prevent the transmission to other people.He said that this would also stop the progression to AIDS through lifestyle modification and health seeking behaviour.

Advantages of Shedding Tears

1. Releases Toxins

Crying does not only mentally cleanse us, it can cleanse our body too. Tears that are produced by stress help the body get rid of chemicals that raise cortisol, the stress hormone. A studyconducted by Dr. William H. Frey II, a biochemist and director of the Psychiatry Research Laboratories at the St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Centre, found like other exocrine processes, including exhaling, urinating, and sweating, toxic substances are released from the body when we cry. Several of the chemicals present in emotional crying are the protein prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormones, and the endorphin leucine-enkephalin, which reduces pain.


2. Kills Bacteria


A good cry can also be a good way to kill bacteria. Tears contain the fluid lysozyme — also found in human milk, Fluid, mucus and saliva — that can kill 90 to 95 percent of all bacteria in just five to 10 minutes. A 2011 studypublished in the journalFood Microbiologyfound tears have such strong antimicrobial powers they can even protect against the intentional contamination of anthrax. Lysozyme can kill certain bacteria by destroying bacteria cell walls — the rigid outer shell that provides a protective coating.

Very Important Health Tips.

HELLO FRIENDS... *DO YOU KNOW?*

*1.* Any food you consume after 8 P.M. everyday is equally a
poison to your body?

*2.* If you can follow the water therapy for 3 months religiously, your skin, your body and your organs begins to function well?

*3.* Do you know Breakfast is the most important meal of the
day; If you must skip any meal, it shouldn't be breakfast?

*4.* Do you know too much red meat is very dangerous to your health?

*5.* Do you know people who smile always live longer, look younger and are more healthier than their counter part who does not?

Natural Supplement To Reverse Diabetes.

The cause of diabetes (either type 1 or type 2) 
is the ineffectiveness of insulin function.
Insulin is an hormone produced by an organ in the body called the Pancreas. Insulin helps in transporting glucose from our diet to the body cells where glucose is used for energy production.

When insulin production from the pancreas is not sufficient, then the volume of glucose transported into the body cells will be inadequate for optimal cell function.
The left over glucose that cannot be transported into the cell are hereby left in the blood. This is what is tested for in the medical laboratories.

However,when you order for GlucoFit,
you will position yourself for a better result and eventually reduce your medications until it is totally withdrawn.

Health Benefits of Lime.

he health benefits of lime include weight loss, skin care, improved digestion, relief from constipation , eye care, and treatment of scurvy, piles, peptic ulcer,
respiratory disorders, gout, gums, urinary disorders, etc.
The first fruit that comes to mind in terms of medicinal uses is the reliable lime. This sour citrus fruit can do what many advanced medicines cannot. Lime, bearing the scientific name Citrus Aurantifolia, has been used for ages in the treatment of various ailments.
Lime is consumed throughout the world in the form of sorbet, beverages, refreshing cocktails, pickles, jams, jellies, snacks, candies, sugar boiled confections and in cooking. The oil extracted from its peel or skin is extensively used in soft drink concentrates, body oils, cosmetic products, hair oils, toothpastes, toilet and beauty soaps, disinfectants, mouth washes, deodorants and innumerable other products. There are many varieties of lime found all over the world, particularly in the tropical and the Mediterranean climates.
Health Benefits Of Lime
Let’s take a look at the benefits and medicinal uses of lime.

Scurvy: Lime is very well-known as a cure for scurvy, the disease which is caused from a deficiency of
vitamin-C . It is characterized by frequent infections that show as normal cold symptoms, cracked lips and lip corners, ulcers on the tongue and in the mouth. You can also spot scurvy from spongy, swollen and
bleeding gums . Since its cause is a deficiency of
vitamin-C, its remedy is none other than vitamin-C, and lime is full of this this essential vitamin.
In the past, soldiers and sailors were given lime to keep them safe from scurvy , which was a horrible and potentially fatal disease back then. Even now, it is distributed among the workers working in polluted environments like furnaces, painting shops, heat treatments, cement factories, mines, and other dangerous work environments to protect them from scurvy.

Ways You Can Use To Remove Stretch Marks From Your Body In 2 Weeks

1. Cucumbers

Cucumbers are various nutrients and skin lightening compounds that lighten the stretch marks. It provides a lot of moisture that leads to growth of new cells that repair the cracked skin. Take the smaller cucumber and cut in into slices. Now take one slice and rub it slowly over the stretch marks for 5 minutes. Now take a new slice and cover your marks with it. Let it stay for 15 minutes, till then have some rest. Now remove the cucumber slice and wash your cracked skin with warm water. Cucumber helps to relax our skin cells and following this method daily will lighten your stretch marks quickly.

2. Avocado

Avocado is a great source for folic acid. Folic acid is widely used in stretch marks removal creams and is very good in healing damaged and cracked skin. Avocado also provides a lot of moisture to skin, hence extracts of avocado are widely used in moisturizing creams. To prepare a natural stretch marks removal cream make a paste of avocado. Now apply it to skin and let it rest for 20 minutes. Now remove it using warm water. Follow this technique daily to get rid of stretch marks naturally. This will not only heal the skin but also make it soft and more flexible. You can add some lemon drops to avocado paste for getting better and more effective results.

Ways You Can Use To Remove Stretch Marks From Your Body In 2 Weeks

1. Cucumbers

Cucumbers are various nutrients and skin lightening compounds that lighten the stretch marks. It provides a lot of moisture that leads to growth of new cells that repair the cracked skin. Take the smaller cucumber and cut in into slices. Now take one slice and rub it slowly over the stretch marks for 5 minutes. Now take a new slice and cover your marks with it. Let it stay for 15 minutes, till then have some rest. Now remove the cucumber slice and wash your cracked skin with warm water. Cucumber helps to relax our skin cells and following this method daily will lighten your stretch marks quickly.

2. Avocado

Avocado is a great source for folic acid. Folic acid is widely used in stretch marks removal creams and is very good in healing damaged and cracked skin. Avocado also provides a lot of moisture to skin, hence extracts of avocado are widely used in moisturizing creams. To prepare a natural stretch marks removal cream make a paste of avocado. Now apply it to skin and let it rest for 20 minutes. Now remove it using warm water. Follow this technique daily to get rid of stretch marks naturally. This will not only heal the skin but also make it soft and more flexible. You can add some lemon drops to avocado paste for getting better and more effective results.

Drama as suspects disagree over gun ownership

Ogbonnaya Ikowu, Umuahia

A drama played out at the Abia State Police Command headquarters in Umuahia when some suspected cultists accused one another of owning a gun.

The suspects, four in number, literally divided themselves into two groups, with each group insisting that the gun in question belonged to the other team.

The suspects were two kinsmen, Okoye Simon and Charles Okeke, who are from Anambra State and other were roommates, Udu John and Aigbemen Eromoselem, all students of a private polytechnic in Aba, Abia State.

Simon claimed John handed over his bag to him, saying, “The day we were writing our final examination in school, John gave me his bag to hold for him. Okeke who saw him give me the bag, rushed in immediately and persuaded me to open the bag to be sure of its content; but I said I would not open the bag.

“He asked me to report to the security officers that the bag belonged to John because he was suspecting something. When we went to the security man in front of the examination hall, he touched the bag and asked me to follow him to the security post.

“When we got there, they asked me who owned the bag and I said it was John that gave me the bag when he was entering into the hall. When the security sent for him, he came to their office and confessed that he was the owner of the bag and that he gave it to me to hold for him. But when the school security wanted to call the police, he urged me to say that I saw the bag on the floor outside the examination hall.”

Quack doctor arrested after 11 years’ practice

The police in Lagos State on Monday paraded an alleged quack doctor, Celestine Yolonfun, who was arrested in the Apapa area of the state.

Our correspondent gathered that 32-year-old Yolonfun had been practising as a doctor since 2005 after he dropped out of a nursing school in the Benin Republic.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Yolonfun was arrested on Wednesday by operatives of the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Yaba.

It was gathered that a pregnant woman, who was due for delivery, allegedly died in Yolonfun’s hospital, and her husband reported the doctor to the police at the SCIID.

Our correspondent was told that the police went to Yolonfun’s hospital – Be Well Hospital – on Liverpool Road, Apapa, and arrested him.

Yolonfun, who hails from Badagry, Lagos State, told PUNCH Metro that he had been practising since 2005 and only two patients had died in his hospital.

The suspect confessed that he paid a colleague N70,000 to obtain fake certificates of the Nigerian Medical Association and the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.

He said, “I have been practising since 2005. I did not attend any school in Nigeria. I went to the Benin Republic. I sat for the General Certificate Education two years ago. I wanted to attend a university in Nigeria to study Medicine. But my wife fell sick and I could not.

“I dropped out of a nursing school in the Benin Republic. I came back to Nigeria in 2004, and I started the hospital in 2005.

“Since I started the hospital, which takes care of general ailments, only two persons had died in the hospital. The first patient died in 2013.

“The second patient was that woman who died penultimate Saturday. The woman was pregnant. She also had high blood pressure. After giving her the initial treatment, I planned to refer her to a bigger hospital, but she died before I could move her. Her baby also died.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the police had contacted all the medical associations the suspect claimed to be registered with and they had confirmed him to be a fake doctor.

He said, “The suspect was arrested and was found to have been in this illegal practice since 2005. He operated a makeshift hospital in the Liverpool area of Apapa.

“We found a fake University of Ibadan MBBS certificate, a fake Dental and Medical Council of Nigeria certificate and a fake Corporate Affairs Commission certificate in his house.

“The professional bodies have been contacted by the police, and the suspect had been confirmed to be a fake medical practitioner.”

Source: Punchng

S’west Governors: Politics, External Influence will Not Divide Us

State governors in-the South-western geo-political zone in Nigeria have resolved to forge a common front at regional integration by jointly staving off external influences capable of stifling the region’s economic and social interests.

Irrespective of their political affiliations, the governors said they have decided to be their brother’s keeper by promoting common programmes and projects capable of enhancing the human capital development of the region.
This was one of the highlights of the meeting of the governors’ economic forum, hosted yesterday by the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, at the Executive Council Chambers, in Ibadan.

The governors mulled the need to introduce uniform tariffs on commodities, while agreeing on the need to seek areas of cooperation in agriculture, transportation, rail system, sports and other areas of common interest.

Other governors at the meeting were Mr. Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State; Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State; Senator Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Mr. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, while Secretary to Ondo State Government, Mr. Rotimi Adelola, represented Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko.

In his welcome address, Ajimobi said the attendance of the governors signposted the high importance they paid to the common challenges besetting the zone, part of which he said was the difficulties in the prompt payment of workers’ salaries and pensions.

Ajimobi said: “Your presence at this meeting is a clear testimony of the importance you all have attached to the common challenges confronting us as a people. Today, our country is buffeted by economic and political challenges.
“Several states are struggling to pay basic salaries with arrears running into several months; manufacturers struggling to access foreign exchange for raw material and companies are shutting down leading to mass redundancy of our people.

NYSC Call-Up Letter Now Printable Online, Camp Opens Thursday

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has announced that prospective corps members, can now go online to print their call-up letters for the 2016 Batch B Stream 1 orientation course.

In a post via Twitter on Monday, the NYSC also released the camp registration process.

In the series of tweets, NYSC said: “Call up letter can now be printed for PCMs slated for Stream 1. They are to login to their respective dashboard with their email and password.

Man exchanges N1.7m with fake dollars

A bureau de change operator, Usman Nafada, has been arrested by the police for allegedly conniving with an accomplice at large to swindle one Abdullahi Uba out of N1.7m.

PUNCH Metro learnt the victim had approached Nafada on November 16, 2016, at the Obalende area of Lagos State to help him change the sum to dollars.

Nafada was said to have told Uba that he did not have hard currency for the exchange. He, however, reportedly collected the money from Uba and took it to his “partner.”

Our correspondent gathered that after a few minutes, the suspect returned with 45 notes of $100, which he gave Uba.

It was gathered that after Uba discovered that the dollars were fake, he reported the alleged fraud at the Lion Building Police Division, and Nafada was arrested.

“About 30 minutes after, the complainant discovered that the notes were fakes. He ran back to Nafada, but he denied knowing about the fraud. He took the victim to where he changed the money, but his accomplice had disappeared. Effort is ongoing to apprehend him,” a police source told PUNCH Metro.

A police prosecutor, Francisca Job, arraigned Nafada in an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court on Monday on three counts bordering on stealing.

Job told the court that the offence was punishable under sections 409, 312 (1) and 278 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

How Justice Ngwuta moved N27m cash, exotic cars from house –FG

The Federal Government alleged on Monday that a Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, on October 9, 2016, tampered with evidence likely to incriminate him while on bail – following his arrest by the operatives of the Department of State Service on corruption allegations between October 7 and 8.

The Federal Government, in opposing the bail application which Ngwuta’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), argued after his client’s arraignment before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, stated that the evidence the accused allegedly tampered with were a cash sum of N27m and three exotic cars.

The prosecution alleged that after Ngwuta was granted administrative bail by the DSS in Abuja on November 9, 2016, he made a call to someone in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, to move the sum of N27m cash and three exotic cars to some other locations in order to conceal them.

Fool Nigeria Once Shame on You, Fool Nigeria Twice..........

Muhammadu Buhari promised to embrace democracy as president, but turned out to be the same autocrat who failed the country 30 years ago.

It’s been a tough year for Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. The mood in Africa’s most populous nation is a far cry from the euphoria that greeted his historic 2015 election — the first time in Nigeria’s history that an opposition candidate unseated an incumbent president in a democratic election. For weeks and even months after the vote, Buhari was a media darling, praised at home and extolled abroad.

Since then, the cheers have turned to jeers — even from members of the president’s own party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Meanwhile, his administration cowers under attacks from a disillusioned electorate, members of the opposition, and even Buhari’s wife, Aisha, who said she might not vote for him in 2019, when he is up for re-election.

Bleak Xmas for local airlines as aviation fuel import dips

Hopes of a quick resolution of the lingering aviation fuel (Jet A1) crisis have been dashed as only 15,000 metric tonnes of the product were listed for importation in the coming weeks, according to Shipping Position, a bulletin of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on vessel traffic.

The quantity is a far cry from what is needed to bridge the supply gap and cushion the suffering of local carriers who have been forced to scale down their operations in recent times.
Of the 30 vessels expected at the Lagos Pilotage District for November 2016, nine are laden with a combined tonnage of 259,609.620 metric tonnes of petrol (Premium Motor Spirit) and out of four motor vessels awaiting berth at anchorage, two are carrying PMS of a combined tonnage of 22,500, while one is laden with 15,000 MT of Jet A1.

The development paints a gloomy picture for domestic operators ahead of the Yuletide when passenger volume is expected to swell by up to 40 per cent.

It was learnt that the product has been arriving in ‘trickles’ in the last few months, a situation that underscores the severity of the current scarcity.

Arik Air, the largest airline in Nigeria and West Africa, recently informed its customers of plans to reduce the number of routes it services as the scarcity of Jet A1 has almost crippled its operations.

Prostitute stabs man who offered to pay for sex with boiled egg

A prostitute in Zimbabwe beat a punter around the head with a beer bottle after he offered to pay for sex with a boiled egg, the DailyMail UK has reported.

Moses Mushonga, 28, walked up to the young lady of the night in the town of Mvurwi in Mashonaland province.

Firstly he manhandled her, leaning into her bra and touching her breast.

This did not endear him to the 23-year-old, called Chipo, but to add insult to injury he then tried to haggle with his only asset.

Malian soldiers, civilian killed in election-linked attacks

Twin attacks blamed on jihadists during weekend municipal elections in Mali left six people dead, security sources said Monday.

The violence came as the country held its first election since 2013. Turnout was low however due to continuing fears over security despite the presence of international peacekeepers.

In the first incident, security sources told AFP that five Malian soldiers died after being ambushed while transporting ballot boxes in the restive north.“After the voting on Sunday, an army convoy taking the ballot boxes for counting was attacked in the north by jihadists. Five Malian soldiers were killed,” a security source said.

Another Malian security source said the assailants “wanted to sabotage the elections” and were unable to make off with the ballots.

In the second attack, in the town of Dilli in southwestern Mali overnight Sunday to Monday, a group of alleged jihadists nabbed several vehicles and killed a civilian .

“They arrived early Monday in Dilli. They attacked a council building. The jihadists then took off with two ambulances and a vehicle, after which they killed a civilian and made off for the Mauritanian border,” a local official said, requesting anonymity.

A security source said the assailants were probably hoping to find ballot boxes in the building where counting was under way.

Don’t repeat 1983 violence, Yorubas beg Ondo electorate

Chukwudi Akasike, Port Harcourt

AS the people of Ondo State prepare for Saturday’s governorship election, Yoruba communities in some parts of the country have appealed to the electorate in the state to avoid a repeat of the violence that erupted between Michael Ajasin and Akin Omoboriowo during the 1983 election.

The President General-elect of the South-South, South-East Yoruba Council, Chief Adekunle Alabi, who made this plea while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday, expressed the need for the people of Ondo State to embrace peace during the exercise.

Recalling how lives and property worth millions of naira were lost during the politically motivated violence that erupted in the state 33 years ago, Alabi warned that a repeat of such incident could affect the nation’s democracy.

Pope gives priests permanent right to pardon abortion

Pope Francis declared Monday that all priests would have the right permanently to forgive abortion, seen as a significant outreach by the Catholic Church to women.

“I henceforth grant to all priests, in virtue of their ministry, the faculty to absolve those who have committed the sin of procured abortion,” the pope wrote in an apostolic letter marking the end of the “Year of Mercy”, which wound up Sunday.

“The provision I had made in this regard, limited to the duration of the Extraordinary Holy Year, is hereby extended,” he wrote, making permanent a temporary measure put in place for the Vatican’s jubilee year.

The 79-year-old Argentine pontiff said he had to “restate as firmly as I can that abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life”.

On Sunday, as he brought the jubilee to an end by closing the bronze-panelled Holy Door in Saint Peter’s Square, Francis gave an interview in which he called abortion “a horrendous crime”.

But he said Monday that the end of the special year did not mean the end of mercy itself, and so-called sinners must be given a chance to repent. The Catholic Church considers abortion to be a sin.

“I can and must state that there is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father,” Francis said in the letter.

“May every priest, therefore, be a guide, support and comfort to penitents on this journey of special reconciliation.”

Ebonyi bans sale of foreign rice in markets

The Ebonyi Government is to enforce its ban on the sale of foreign rice in markets and other outlets in the State.

Governor David Umahi made the disclosure when participants of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Senior Course 39, Jaji, visited him in Abakaliki on Monday.

According to the governor, the order would soon be enforced to ensure that the residents patronised home-grown Ebonyi Rice.“I will personally lead a task-force, consisting of the State Executive Council members to various markets and enforce the order.

“Individuals who are selling the produce will provide certification of its quality because most of the rice brought into the state is not parboiled.

“Any rice that is not parboiled after six months turns to chaff as most of them brought into the country stay for about 10 years before being imported.

“The rice then becomes poisonous and we have banned cooking of non-Ebonyi rice inside the state’s Government House, hotels and public functions.

One dies as Ghanaian woman sets Nigerian husband, in-law ablaze

A Nigerian man living in Ghana, Benjamin Oyem, has died from injuries sustained when his brother’s Ghanaian wife, Comfort Agboloshie, set the room they were sleeping in on fire.

According to reports, 38-year-old Agboloshie on Thursday removed her three children, all females, aged four, seven and nine, from the room in which they were sleeping with their father and uncle.

After taking the children to a safe place, she soaked some clothing in kerosene, set them on fire, before throwing them into a room where her husband, Lawrence Nkem, 45, and Oyem, 42, were sleeping and locked the door.

Ware House Manager Needed

Qualitex Textiles Limited is recruiting for a Warehouse Manager who will be responsible for the efficient receipt, storage, sorting, and dispatch of fabrics. He/she will be responsible for the maintenance and control of the warehouse operations. He/She will report to the Distribution Supply Chain Manager.

Location: Lagos

Responsibilities:

Organize the recruitment and training of staff
Coordinate the use of automated and computerized systems.
Keep stock control systems up to date and conduct spot checks as needed.
Conduct monthly reconciliation of inventory and confirm reporting accuracy.
Plan future capacity requirements
Maintain clear communication lines with factory, sales, merchandiser, and logistics departments
Ensure adequate conditions of good during storage in warehouse
Deliver on time in full orders.
Implement the order from the Supply Chain Manager.

Customer Care Vanden Agro-Allied Group

Vanden Agro-Allied Group, is a company established in 2000, active in the trading of raw materials (cotton, coffee and cocoa). The company is managed by a team of experienced and highly skilled professionals in agricultural farming.

We are recruiting suitably qualified candidates for the vacant position below:
Customer Service Representative

Job TypeFull Time
QualificationBA/BSc/HND
Location Lagos
Job Field Customer Care



Job Description

Responsible for acting as a liaison between customers and companies. Assists with complaints, orders, errors, billing, cancelations, and other queries.

Primary Responsibilities

Resolve customer complaints via phone, email, mail, or social media.
Use telephones to reach out to customers and verify account information.
Greet customers warmly and ascertain problem or reason for calling.
Cancel or upgrade accounts.
Assist with placement of orders, refunds, or exchanges.
Advise on company information.
Take payment information and other pertinent information such as addresses and phone numbers.
Place or cancel orders.
Answer questions about warranties or terms of sale.
Act as the company gatekeeper.
Suggest solutions when a product malfunctions.
Handle product recalls.
Attempt to persuade customer to reconsider cancellation.
Inform customer of deals and promotions.
Sell products and services.
Utilize computer technology to handle high call volumes.
Work with customer service manager to ensure proper customer service is being delivered.
Close out or open call records.
Compile reports on overall customer satisfaction.
Handle changes in policies or renewals.