Welcome to FemmyHardu's blog: December 2015

Thursday, 31 December 2015

» 5 Countries Crushed By Oil Price Collapse - CNN «

Countries that produce the world's crude are getting
crushed by low prices.
Huge budget surpluses are turning into deficits, and
generous social programs are being replaced with
austerity and cuts.
Oil has collapsed below $37 a barrel, compared to over
$100 in mid-2014. The global oil glut, OPEC's
determination to pump like there is no tomorrow, and
slowing demand from China and other countries are
pushing oil prices to new lows.
Here are the five countries hit the worst.
1 Venezuela
Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves. Its
government has for years used the money it makes
producing oil to pay for pensions, health care, social
benefits and even to subsidize housing and grocery
stores.
But now, the economy is on the brink of collapse. Inflation
soared over 150% in 2015 and is expected to rise over
200% next year. The government is unable to pay its bills,
and food and basic supplies are in short supply.
The economic downturn has led to political turmoil. Earlier
this month, the country's opposition won a majority in an
election for the first time in 17 years.
2 Saudi Arabia
Oil accounts for 75% of Saudi Arabia's revenue and the
country's finances are getting slammed. The government
ran a nearly $100 billion budget deficit in 2015 and
announced tough austerity measures for next year.
"That's a reminder that even the world's lowest-cost oil
producer relies on high(er) prices to balance its budget
and current prices don't come anywhere close," Kit
Juckes, global strategist at Societe Generale, said.
3 Nigeria
Africa's biggest oil producer is in trouble. Oil accounts for
roughly 75% of Nigeria's government revenue, and almost
90% of the country's exports.
The plunge in oil prices has left the government unable to
pay its bills. Local media reported that in some regions,
state employees haven't received salaries in months.
The country is suffering from power cuts and fuel
shortages.
4 Russia
Nearly half of Russia's government revenue comes from
oil and gas exports. The plunge in oil prices came when
Russia was already suffering because of Western
economic sanctions, imposed on Moscow over its
involvement in the crisis in Ukraine.
Russia's budget is based on an oil price of $50 per barrel,
but oil is trading around $37. The International Monetary
Fund expects Russian GDP will shrink by 3.8% this year
and by another 0.6% in 2016.
5 Iraq
Low oil prices are crushing Iraq's finances when the
country desperately needs income to fund its war against
ISIS.
Iraq has been pumping record amounts of oil this
year, but the increase in production hasn't
compensated for the drop in prices. The country
has huge oil reserves, but needs more investment
in infrastructure to access it.

» 5 Countries Crushed By Oil Price Collapse - CNN «

» Sophia Momodu Fires Back At Davido: 'I Curse The Day I Met You Kid’ ( Pics ) «

The baby-mama in question,Sophia Momodu has reacted to
the Instagram drama between her baby-daddy, Davido and
uncle, Dele Momodu.
Sophia Momodu took to twitter moments ago to express her
side of the story as well as defend her uncle.
In her defence, Sophia claims Davido’s family took her child
away for 5 months and were planning to smuggle
baby Imade into the United States without her knowledge.
Davido has also responded to Sophia and Dele Momodu

» 'None Of My Ministers Is Corrupt' – Buhari «

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, made a robust
defence of the integrity of all 36 ministers in his cabinet
challenging anyone with a contrary view to present evidence
against such a minister.
Speaking in his first media chat, the president said the first
gains of the war against corruption would become evident
by the end of March, next year, even as he accused
erstwhile National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki
(retd.) of having allegedly committed atrocities against
Nigeria through reckless disbursement of billions of
government funds.
The president made his first dismissal of the agitation for
Biafra stating that Igbo were in strategic position in the
cabinet including holding the petroleum and labour
portfolios besides the stewardship of the Central Bank of
Nigeria, CBN.
President Buhari also assured of the administration’s
readiness to implement the N5,000 monthly transfer to
vulnerable Nigerians even as he said the campaign promise
did not emanate from him but from his then running mate,
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. He also frowned at the
allocation of N47.7 billion for the purchase of vehicles by
the National Assembly even after the lawmakers had
collected car loans from the government.
The president, who expressed his readiness to negotiate
with any credible leadership of the Boko Haram sect for the
release of the kidnapped Chibok girls also disclosed his
readiness to consider a ban on the use of hijab should the
trend of bombing through young veiled girls continue.
Noting the dire economic conditions facing the country,
President Buhari was, nevertheless, against the immediate
devaluation of the naira even as he revealed that N1.5
trillion had been recovered into the federation account
through the implementation of the Treasury Single Account.
The president also spoke on the fate of the Islamic cleric,
Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, saying that he had allowed the
Kaduna State government and the military authorities to take
the lead in the investigations. He affirmed that the cleric had
over time overstepped his bounds to the distress of the
communities he lived.
On the panel that interviewed the president yesterday were
Kayode Akintemi, Channels TV; Dr. Ngozi Anyaegbulam,
Media World International; Munir Dan Ali, Daily Trust and
Ibanga Isine, Premium Times.
On the ministers
“I don’t think I tolerate corruption, I don’t think I picked
anybody that I know will embarrass my government. But if
you have any evidence about any of my ministers, I accept
responsibility for the 36 ministers that I have.
“I don’t think I took anybody among the ministers who has
got a case in court. Tell me one out of the 36. I don’t think I
will deliberately make that mistake.”
Asked if he would sack any of the ministers if he or she is
charged to court for corruption, he said:
“No, I will insist that the case go through the courts.”
On the location and condition of the Chibok girls, he said he
would be prepared to negotiate with credible elements in the
Boko Haram leadership if there is precise intelligence that
could help return the girls to their parents. He, however,
affirmed that presently he did not superior intelligence on
the fate of the girls.
“We are still keeping our options open. If a credible
leadership of Boko Haram can be established and they tell
us where those girls are, we are prepared to negotiate with
them without any pre-condition. This we have made
absolutely clear. But while they are keeping the Chibok girls,
they must not get away with the idea that we will not
attempt to secure the rest of Nigeria.
“We have no firm intelligence on where they are physically
and what condition they are in. But what we believe from
our intelligence, they keep taking the girls around, they are
not keeping all the girls in one place, we don’t know how
many divisions they made of them and where they are.
On the crisis in Kaduna involving followers of the Shite
leader, Sheikh El-Zakzaky, he said:
“I expect the Kaduna State Government to set up a judicial
inquiry because it happened in Kaduna, in one of the cities
and it has been there for the last twenty years from what I
have been reading from papers. They will occupy a federal
highway, sometimes from Kano to Kaduna. This is what I
heard.
“We have a system of investigation, the military that was
involved too have a tradition of investigation and I am the
head of the federal government, I have to wait for the
official report before I can come out as head of the federal
government and make a statement. So I am allowing the
Army and the Kaduna State government to submit their
report of inquiry. Meanwhile it does not mean that the
police, the SSS and other directorate involved are not doing
their own part of constitutional role.
Frowning at the activities of the group, he said:
“Unfortunately it is very serious. How can any group
proclaim statehood in a state? I don’t want to speak about it
in details now, I better leave it still after the report of the
inquiry but there are a number of clips I saw, where some
excited teenagers were visually hitting the chest of a
general, mounting road blocks and threatening them with
missiles.
On the contentious issue of subsidy, the president said that
by the end of the next quarter that there would be no more
talk about subsidy in the price of petroleum.
N5,000 monthly stipend for the less privileged
“When my VP was quoted, how can I come here and disown
it? First, I believe in getting facts, how many are involved?
How are we going to do it? Is it state by state or geo-
political zone by geo-political zone? In trying to get the
bottom of the problem, a lot of work has to be done and if it
is undertaken, we have to look at it very well.”
On Dasuki, Kanu and others
Asked on the alleged flouting of court orders by the state on
the issue of Dasuki and detained Biafran agitator, Nnamdi
Kanu, he said:
“Technically, if you see the kind of atrocities those people
committed, if they jump bail? I am sorry to say this
publicly…the former president just wrote to the governor of
the CBN and said give N40 billion to someone while you
have two million Internally Displaced Persons, what kind of
country do you want to run?
“The one you called Kanu, do you know he has two
passports? One Nigerian, one British and he came to this
country without using any passport? Do you know that he
brought sophisticated equipment into this country and
started broadcasting for Radio Biafra? There is a
treasonable charge against him and I hope the court will
listen to the case.
Biafra and marginalisation of Ndigbo
“They say they are marginalised but they have not defined
the extent of marginalisation. Who is marginalising them?
Where? Do you know? Choosing a minister is not a matter
of ethnicity, it is a matter of the constitution. I am limited by
what the constitution says that there must be a member of
the executive council from each state. There is a lot of
partisan politics in it. Who is the Minister of State for
Petroleum? Is he not an Igbo? Who is the governor of the
CBN? Is he not an Igbo? Who is the Minister of Labour? Who
is the Minister of Science and Technology? What do they
want? I stood elections and I won, I am limited by the
constitution, I have a member of every state in the Federal
Executive Council and I have to listen to them when I sit as
chairman. That is the limit the constitution gave me”.
Asked if he would consider banning the use of hijab in the
face of the continued use of veiled girls in suicide missions
in the Northeast, the president said:
“Placing ban on hijab is not enough. However, if this
continues it will be banned. Because it is for the safety of
the people generally.”

» 'People Like Nnamdi Kanu & Sambo Dasuki Do Not Deserve Bail' – Buhari «

President Muhammdu Buhari on Wednesday declared that
people like the former National Security Adviser under ex-
President Jonathan, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) do not
deserve bail.
Buhari was reacting to a question from Premium Times
journalist Ibanga Isine during his first presidential media
chat on Wednesday in Abuja. Isine was bringing the
President's attention to rising criticisms against his
government for alleged violation of judicial processes, the
rule of law and court orders as seen in the cases of the
former DG of the State Security Services (SSS), Mr.
Kayode Are, detained Biafra activist, Nnamdi Kanu and the
former NSA Sambo Dasuki.
In his reaction, Buhari, fighting to conceal his anger noted
that people like Sambo Dasuki and Nnamdi Kanu do not
deserve bail because of the weight of atrocities they have
committed.
"If you see the kind of atrocities people like Dasuki
committed you won't give them bail. A former President
told Dasuki to collect N40 billion. N40 billion. And you
want to give him bail to go and see his doctor in London?
Do you know that Nnamdi Kanu has two passports and he
came into the country without using any? Do you know
that Nnamdi Kanu brought a sophisticated equipment into
the country for Radio Biafra? What kind of government do
you people want?" the President fumed.

» Why Is Christ Embassy Church Charging N1000 To Attend 31st Night Service? «

I'm beginning to get more curious and furious about this ,
it has been going on for about four years now and people
are not seeing anything wrong about it or i say his
members are brainwashed to the highest order not to see
anything wrong in this. Someone should please call this
Christ Embassy church to order, every year they charge
people coming to worship with them on the 31st night the
sum 1000 naira as a gate fee. In the previous years they
sell tickets before the show sorry i mean service, so all
who wants to attend the 31st night service must come
with their tickets to enter the church auditorium .
But this year they decided to craft another means of
collecting this 1000 naira, they made it compulsory for
each attendees to purchase an electronic gate pass for
1000naira. My question is , are they going to dance to the
melody of a superstar singer or dance to sound of a
superstar DJ ? Even the huge yearly program The
Experience is free, someone should please call this
Loveworld ministry aka Christ Embassy to order, reaping
off our gullible citizens.

» 'None Of My Ministers Is Corrupt' – Buhari «

» 'US Embargo Forced Jonathan To Buy Arms With Raw Cash' – Fani-Kayode «

FORMERAviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has said
former president Goodluck Jonathan was forced to buy
arms with cash because of the embargo placed on arms
purchase.
Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s breakfast
programme, Sunrise Daily, Fani-kayode dismissed a
statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari, who
said Jonathan bought arms with raw cash. The former
minister said contrary to the impression the present
administration wants to create in the minds of Nigerians;
there was nothing wrong with buying arms with cash
under the previous administration. He explained that the
embargo placed on arms purchase by western countries
like the United States of America forced Jonathan to
purchase arms with cash.
He said: “There was an embargo on arms purchase in
Nigeria and the military needed the arms to fight against
terrorists and the only way arms could be bought was
through the black market. Before the 2015 general
election, the military had made sufficient gains in the war
against terror because they were able to recover 22 local
governments from the terrorists, but all that appears to
have been reversed after the elections.
“Contrary to the assurance given by the present admin
istration, the war against terror has not been won by the
military and people are being killed every day. The
government had claimed on December 23 that the war
against insurgency had been won by the military, but on
December 25, some people were killed in Maiduguri, with
more casualties in Borno on December 27 and in
Adamawa on December 28. It is simply not true that the
war against Boko Haram has been won.”
He further stated that it is not helpful to continuously
blame the present administration for the challenges being
faced at the war front but called on Nigerians to come
together and support the government in the fight against
insurgency. He also advised the government to come
clean about the challenges being faced and stop dwelling
on actions of the previous administration

» Why Is Christ Embassy Church Charging N1000 To Attend 31st Night Service? «

» Cultists Set Buildings On Fire In Lagos ( Photo) «

No fewer than 25 persons have been rendered homeless
after suspected cultists invaded two buildings on
Sholanke Street in the Akoka, Yaba area of Lagos State
and set fire to them.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the hoodlums, who came at
about 7.30am on Wednesday, did not allow their victims
to take any property from the buildings.
It was learnt that rival cultists had clashed on Ibukunolu
Street on Tuesday at about 7pm, and had stabbed a 17-
year-old student, identified only as Rilwan, to death.
Two of the attackers were said to be identified as Lolade,
also known as
Makayoko , and Ororo .
Our correspondent learnt that the victim, who worked as
a printer on the street, was from a family of three, and
had just gained admission to the Yaba College of
Technology.
PUNCH Metro gathered that angry rival cultists had
thereafter stormed Sholanke Street in the night, and
threatened that they would raze Makayoko ’s father’s
apartment as a reprisal for the killing of Rilwan.
It was learnt that some residents alerted the policemen
from the Bariga division to the unrest and the police came
on patrol during the night.
Our correspondent gathered that the cultists, however,
stormed the street at about 7am on Wednesday, locked
the street gates and set fire to Makayoko ’s father’s
house.
The landlord of the building was identified simply as
Oyedele.
When PUNCH Metro arrived at about 9.30am, there were
people in front of the buildings trying to salvage property
from the fire.
Our correspondent observed two police vans from the
Bariga division patrolling the street, and two fire service
trucks driving out.
One of the occupants of the building, a father of five, Abu
Abdullahi, said the hoodlums did not allow the firefighters
to enter the area as they had locked the two gates.
He said, “The hoodlums came around 7.30am. The anger
of the cultists was that one boy was killed on the
neighbouring street. We later heard that our landlord’s
son was seen where the boy was killed.
“The police came last night on a patrol in a van, but they
left in the morning. Around 7am, we noticed a tall guy
standing in front of the house and making calls. In a few
minutes, the hoodlums stormed the buildings and set
them on fire.
“We began to run out with the property we could carry. I
have five children. Only the last born of my children stays
with me. I was working with the University of Lagos
before I retired. The police were aware of yesterday’s
killing, and they should have strengthened security in the
area.
“We also called the firefighters. It was later that we learnt
that they were around for 15 minutes after we called, but
the hoodlums did not allow them to enter.”
Another occupant, Stephen Okisor, said he could not pick
any property from the fire.
He said, “We are about four families in the first building.
The Boys Quarters houses about three families. I could
not pick any item from the fire, except this clothes I am
wearing.”
A resident, who identified himself simply as Micah, said
the policemen did not come promptly to arrest the
hoodlums.
He said, “It was around 8am that I noticed the fire. When
the firefighters came, they were barred by the hoodlums
from coming into the street. Twenty minutes after, the
police arrived in the area, but everything had died down.”
Our correspondent noticed the Rapid Response Squad car
driving into the area at about 11am when most of the
crowds had dispersed.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the police in Bariga had yet to
arrest any of the suspected cultists.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joe
Offor, said he was at a meeting and he would get back to
our correspondent on the matter.
He, however, had yet to get back as of press time.

Sunday, 27 December 2015

Music: Feeling the boy- Turph kako

Please click this link to listen and download this song..
You will really love it
http://www .360nobs.com/2015/12/music-turph -kako -feeling-the-boy/

ONAZI ‘Music was my first love’

HE maybe in his 20s, Ogenyi Onazi is yet regarded as
one of the most eligible bachelors within the rank and
file of the Super Eagles.
Urbane and full of life, the Lazio’s Nigerian midfielder
said clearly that he has many years ahead of him and
won’t be settling down just yet because there are
many more rivers to cross. Onazi practically roared
into a hearty laughter when told his adoring Nigerian
fans are looking forward to his marriage.
“Hahhahhahahaha ahhhh; Nigerians (expecting my
marriage?). They should come and contribute money
for my wedding,” Onazi responded to an email
questionnaire. “But my fiancée is just there, and they
will know her when the time comes
“She is special because I met her five years ago when
I started my journey and when I never knew who I was
going to be, the rest of the story to be continued like
Nigerian movie………. hahahahahh.”
Onazi said he remained grateful despite the fact that
life has been ups and downs in recent times:
“Obviously it (Super Eagles’ non qualification for the
2015 African Cup of Nations) affected me so much
because I already planned my season with a different
approach because if we had gone for the African Cup of
Nations, so many things would have changed but I still
give thanks to the Almighty God.
“Yes, all thanks to God for his mercy and favour. Well,
I have always had good moment this season because I
have been playing and doing very well any time I get to
play.
“Playing football is a big moment for me because the
grace of God is always there for me. And the moment I
don’t want to remember is anytime we lose a game;
I’m also mad inside of me.”
They say you do as the Roman when you are in Rome
and the 2013 AFCON winner with the Super Eagles
reckons he is having a swell time at Lazio: “Our
strength (as a team at Lazio) is so many that I don’t
know where to start from.
“First, we are a team with tactical mentality and the
coach has put in the team a winning mentality, also I
will say one of the team’s strong points is all working
together pressing, attacking together and defending
together.
“Of course, playing in Rome is special to players
because we have a very good and conducive weather
condition and Rome is a very beautiful city; and the
fans sometimes make it enjoyable but not when things
are going bad,” he reasoned.
Onazi reportedly joined Lazio in 2011, alongside his
teammate, Sani Emmanuel, after they both had trials in
Italy following their impressive performances at the
2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup where the Golden Eaglets
were losing finalist to Switzerland.
He was first promoted to the Lazio first team during
the 201112 season after impressing at youth level and
made his Serie A debut as a substitute in the
penultimate match of the season when Lazio recorded
a 2-0 victory over Atalanta. He has not looked back
ever since and has regularly featured for the Rome-
based side in Italy and Europe. Onazi scored his first
goal for Lazio on March 7, 2013 in a 2-0 win against
Stuttgart in the last sixteen of the Europa League and
on May 8, 2013 scored his first Serie A goal in a 31 win
over Inter Milan. On September 22, 2014 he signed a
two-year contract extension with the Serie A club
until 2018.
“My success secret is simply the special grace of
God with determination, hard work, constant practice,
ready to learn from everybody and love for my
profession,” hinted Onazi, adding that the famous Roma
derby between AS Roma and Lazio is the pick of the
crop in the Italian Serie A.“Well, the Roman derby is
always a very important game for me as well as our
fans.
“It was even special when we won the derby in the
Coppa Italia, but my pre match preparation is always
the same thing whether for a derby or any other
match; I always do what I do before starting the game
as usual. I don’t need to do anything different because
it’s a derby. I take my iPad listen to my gospel music
which will feed me spiritually before stepping out on
the field.”
Indeed, Onazi and music seem inseparable, following
his disclosure in an earlier interview with The Nation
Sport & Style, that he was a choir boy in his younger
years while growing up in Jos.
“Sure, I would choose a career in football time and
above music but both give me much pleasure,” he
noted. “Though they are two different things, football
and music are things that make me happy.
“If I’m not playing football, music would have been an
automatic choice. Being a professional footballer is
like doing me a favour because this is something I
enjoy doing naturally.
“I have the same feeling about music; it is something
that I derive pleasure in. All my time in Jos, you either
find me on the pitch playing football or I’m in the
church playing music; so it was all part of my growing
up.”
Onazi who helped the Super Eagles win the 2013
African Cup of Nations in South Africa has come a long
way. He began playing football on the streets of Jos at
a tender age but came to prominence when he joined
My People FC of Lagos – a team founded by Pastor
T.B Joshua of the Synagogue of All Nations. It was at
the instance of the pastor, according to Onazi, that his
love for music as a choirboy in Jos was rekindled: “I
was an instrumentalist in Jos long before I met Pastor
T.B Joshua,” he emphasised. “Just like I play music, I
can play football and I think those are two special
talents God gave to me and I was really good at it.
“So when I met Pastor T.B Joshua, he encouraged me
to be an instrumentalist in the church and I do play
with the choir. Working in the church is a privilege for
me to serve God.”
Growing up in the church equally helped Onazi to come
to terms with the vagaries of life: “Of course, I was
brought up by Pastor T.B Joshua and he taught me so
many things, especially being less on ourselves and
more on others; this is just my philosophy and
principle of life,” he crooned.
It is this chastity and care for the less-privileged that
has endeared Onazi, who described himself as ‘a
gentleman without problem’, to many. Born on
December 25 in 1992, he informed that every festive
season at the end of the year is always an opportunity
for him to touch base with the people.
“Well, every Christmas and new year are two special
occasions for me because it’s a double celebration
since the Christmas falls on my birthday too,” he
said.“I’m going to buy lots of gifts for the less-
privileged and those who are physically challenged, as
well as the homeless; these are the people that I’m
concerned about.”

The Beach of Dead Whales

It was while swimming off the sandy beach at Tarkwa
Bay that a group of boys first beheld what looked like a
monster creature thrashing about the turbulent seas. It
was a huge monster, which looked like a jumbo fish, a
sea-dwelling animal and an amphibious prehistoric
bird all rolled into one. It was luminously black and its
lustrous hide glowered in the brilliant sunset creating
the effects of an optical illusion. It was a whale.
As the strange creature dived and banked in the
shallow waters in obvious distress, the boys
abandoned their tethered canoe and took to their
heels. The ripples were powerful and strong enough to
throw a big ship off course. At night and still trembling
under his mother’s murky bed sheet, one of the boys
told the matriarch about the strange sighting. She
hushed him up. “You fool, when I told you to finish the
malaria potion you refused. Now, it has returned”, the
harassed woman screamed at a delinquent son.
No one has sighted or seen a whale in these climes
before. There was not even a name for it either in
antiquity or contemporary parlance. The odd stray
shark has been sighted in adjacent waters.
Occasionally, the carcass of the solitary sea lion or
off-message seal has been washed ashore. Once in a
long while, a mammoth version of the barracuda has
been known to tangle with the fishing trawl. And awed
by its massive size, the local people named the
hippopotamus the water elephant.
Still, no word on or about the real thing: the whale. Up
till that historic moment, its existence belonged in the
realm of intrepid dreaming or the malarial imagination.
But since the whale is a migratory mammal, it is quite
possible that it had learnt to give these shores a wide
berth because it was hunted to extinction in an earlier
epoch.
On the other hand, since scientific legend has it that
the whale once lived on land but went back to water
when the going got too rough, ancient caution might
have led it to avoid the old killing shores of West
Africa. Even for savage mammals, the fear of these
shores is the beginning of wisdom.
All this became the stuff of airy speculations as
citizens of the crazed megalopolis woke up that rain-
soaked morning to find the troubling reality of a
beached whale as their august guest. By mid-morning,
a huge crowd had gathered to take a look at the
mammoth monstrosity.
No one had seen anything like this before. Those who
thought the elephant was the ultimate creation could
not believe their eyes. What was this thing that was
more massive than ten huge elephants combined? But
the monster simply ignored everybody occasionally
emitting a rumbling sound that drove the fear of the
lord into the crowd.
By the next morning, the stranded behemoth had been
joined by two other mammoth whales. This was no
ordinary coincidence. Something new was happening
in this turbulent part of Africa. No one had seen a
whale before not to talk of three jumbo whales at the
same time. A huge portion of the rehabilitated Maroko
beach was now occupied by beached whales.
Upon hearing the news of the strange visitants which
spread like wild bushfire in the harmattan, the entire
interior of the country emptied into an already
besieged mega city. Very soon, things took on the
colour and atmosphere of a beach carnival of the
oppressed and the unfortunate. The people were having
a whale of a time. For many upcountry vagrants and
joyless hobos, it was their first chance to see the city
in its glittering opulence matched only by the feral
nastiness of its slums and its decaying infrastructure.
It was like Havana before the Cuban revolution.
In fairness to the government of Alhaji Mallam Mansa
Musa, it quickly assembled a team of experts to study
the strange visitation. In view of the urgency of the
situation, they were given one year to submit their
report, with a provision for multiple extensions in case
they wanted to travel abroad. These chaps were
notable scientists and consultant oceanographers who
had seen action off the coast of New Zealand and on
the island of Okinawa.
They had worked with merchant whalers and other
offshore buccaneers. They measured the bulk and
breadth of the bulbous invaders and came to the
conclusion that by regular standards, these were no
regular whales. They recommended that they must be
towed back to the ocean depths without any further
ado.
But there was an immediate problem. In the history of
the country and throughout its length and breadth,
there was no, and there has never been, such a towing
contraption. Up till that point, the nation had lived on
miracles and survived by miraculous reprieves. Ever
since its birth, the nation has flirted with suicide, often
getting to the brink of an apocalypse before being
dramatically delivered by the god of the Blackman.
In 1992 September when the cream of the nation’s
middle ranking military officers perished in one of the
most infamous aeronautical scandals of the century,
the traumatised citizenry had to wait for a whole
twelve hours before help came from a German
company based in the country. By then it was too late
for the boys.
It was not the impact of the crash in the shallow
marshes of Ejigbo that killed the boys. Most of them
actually survived the headlong dive. The survivors
died of strangulation and asphyxiation. Throughout the
night, the inhabitants of outlying slums heard the wails
and cries of the brave chaps as they thrashed about
and struggled to wrench themselves free of the iron
coffin.
It was like being buried alive. When they were
eventually brought out, many of them had the residue
of the first aid treatment they had applied to
themselves in the sulphurous entombment. The nation
had lost the cream of its future generals and
marshals.
Oh boy, did the corpses of those illustrious chaps
stink. On the day of burial, the whole of Abuja stank to
high heavens like the abandoned abattoir that the
nation has become. What are we going to tell the
children of Major Sam Mesaba Ogbeha, a first class
officer and gentleman, or the newly promoted gentle
giant, Colonel Taiwo Ogunjobi and many others?
None of the ranking echelons in the military high
command saw it fit to resign at this epochal disgrace
of the black being. They were too consumed by the
vicious power play that was to lead the nation to the
brink of disintegration.
Meanwhile on the beach, things took a more dramatic
turn. More whales turned up as if in a historic reunion
of distressed mammals. The whales were piled so hard
and high that the entire coastline took on a dark,
deathly hue. An observer from the nation’s last
surviving military helicopter, in a strange turn of
imagery, described the scene as resembling a huge
offshore warehouse of whale waiting to discharge its
cargo.
Something began to give. While some of the whales
lay still in terminal lassitude, others plunged their head
deeper in the sand in fretful distress. All began
discharging some gory substance. Then the very first
one, now driven into the main road by the bulbous pile,
let forth a frightful bellow and lay still. It was dead.
Others quickly followed and the entire beach soon
became a tangled mass of dead and dying whales.
Many people, now convinced that the whales were a
harmless mass of protoplasm climbed the skyscraper
of soft, appealing meat, frolicking and sliding at will.
Then one man brought out a jack knife and with the
cry of “na better meat” heaved out a huge slab from
the dead whale. It was like a divine signal. Thousands
of hungry and famished humanity descended on dead
and dying whales with all manner of crude
instruments. In a moment, the entire beach became a
huge abattoir foaming with blood and gore.
As the news of this biblical bounty spread to the
interior, many descended on the beach to have their
share of the national whale. Salivating with apostolic
relish, the nation’s leading spiritual merchant
described the whalefest as “manna from heaven”.
Urging his despairing congregation to take full
advantage, it was God’s way of showing that he would
never abandon his own, the man of God added.
Then divine disaster struck, and for a nation that has
lived at the edge of the abyss, it was massive and
merciless. In the tropics, things flourish and perish
very quickly. Obeying the iron tropical law, the whales
began to decompose very rapidly. By the following
evening, the entire coast had been taken over by a
suffocating smell of decay and decomposition. Worse
still, many who had taken the strange meat started
vomiting and dying after a violent seizure.
Disoriented by the septic stench, the entire populace
started fleeing in all direction. As the pestilence took
hold, the remaining institutions collapsed and the
politicians, soldiers, clergymen, traditional rulers and
judges took to their heels, heading for the airports or
the interior. Unfortunately for them, a human
sandstorm of refugees had taken over all the airports,
while dead whales had taken over the seaports.
In three brisk days, it was all over. The entire land lay
still and quiet like a vast sepulchre. But this is not the
silence of lambs. Born a human disaster and fed by a
series of man-made disasters, it has taken a natural
disaster to overwhelm the nation. A plague has seen
off another plague. When politics and science fail,
nature triumphs. That is the only iron law of human
evolution. The early morning sun shone brilliantly. It is
a beautiful day on the Marina Quayside.

Two killed, many injured in Ekiti bank robbery

There was panic in Okemesi on Christmas Eve in Ekiti
West Local Government Area of Ekiti State when a
nine-man armed robbery gang attacked an old
generation bank. Two persons were killed in the
process.
The hoodlums also carted away millions of naira and
injured scores of residents in an orgy of shooting that
lasted almost an hour.
The two persons shot dead included a private security
guard said to be in his late 30s. His name was given
as Matthew and a carpenter, Ayo Alawode (53).
One of the robbers was also reportedly shot dead by an
unidentified member of the community, which angered
the robbers who unleashed a shooting spree.
The robbery attack soured Christmas celebrations as
many residents couldn’t go to the church on Friday to
mark the festival while the community was calm on
yesterday.
One of the robbers reportedly disguised on arrival as a
resident and joined others at a newsstand close to the
bank to observe the scene before other members of
the gang arrived in a Toyota Sienna space bus.
The gang announced their arrival with several
gunshots to the air at about 5.30 pm and blew off the
bank security door with explosives which made them
to gain access into the baking hall.
An eyewitness told reporters in Ado Ekiti, the state
capital, that bank customers who queued up at the
Automated Teller Machine (ATM) gallery were marched
into the banking hall by four of the robbers while the
remaining gang members stood guard outside.
Activities at the town’s main market which were
already in full swing for last-minute Christmas
purchases were disrupted as buyers and sellers
scampered to safety as gunshots rent the air.
When the robbers learnt that one of them had been
killed, they continued shooting anyone in sight and it
was at this point that Alawode who owned a shop
located outside the bank was hit in the head. He died
instantly.
The security guard was said to have died while being
taken to the hospital for medical attention.
At least ten persons who were wounded in the orgy of
the shooting unleashed by the robbers have been
rushed to a teaching hospital in a nearby state.
The source said: “Immediately those in the bank hall
realized that one of them had been shot, they thought
it was done by a policeman and they quickly ran out.
“When they got outside and knew that the police were
yet to arrive, they immediately shot the carpenter and
the security guard. This provided the opportunity for
the customers held hostage to escape.
“We made efforts to call policemen at Ijero Ekiti, but
they didn’t come in time, same to soldiers at Itawure
Junction. Though, they later came after the robbers
had escaped through Ijero road,” he said.
Ekiti police command spokesman, Alberto Adeyemi,
confirmed the killing of the two persons during the
robbery operation. He added that the command has
launched investigation and expressed confidence that
the culprits will be arrested “very soon.”

$2.1 Billion Arms Scandal: EFCC Files Charges Against Former PDP Chairman, Haliru Mohammed And Son

All is now set for the prosecution of a
former Chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party, and ex-minister of
defense Haliru Bello Mohammed and his
son, Abbah Mohammed for their role in
the diversion of funds meant for the
procurement of arms in the office of the
National Security Adviser.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
has already filed charges against the duo at a Federal
High Court, Abuja.
Though the matter is yet to be assigned to a specific
judge, the former minister and his son are most likely to
be docked on a 4-count money laundering charge
on Tuesday, December 29 or Wednesday, December 30.
Abbah Mohammed is alleged to have received N600m
from ONSA in the name of Bam Properties.

I Was Molested By A Catholic Priest In My Teens – Lola Omotayo

Wife of Peter Okoye, Lola Omotayo-Okoye recounts how
she was molested during the Kinabuti Dare2Dream
project, encouraging and motivating young ladies to
pursue their dreams.
According to her,
“You shouldn’t let your past determine what your destiny
will be, we all have our past whether good or bad or
makes us unhappy, we all had a life that we lived that we
are not happy about,you shouldn’t let it bother you from
succeeding.
When I was a young girl in my early teens in high
school, I was molested by a catholic priest, I blamed
myself, I didn’t tell anyone because I was
ashamed,couldn’t tell anyone cos I felt everyone would
blame me, so I carried on the guilt and bitterness with me
for years. I was filled with hate and I became a angry
person, I was rebellious, I didn’t want to listen to
anybody and because I wanted to be expelled from school
to avoid seeing this person, I would do so many terrible
things, everything around me was just so negative, I felt I
wasn’t good enough.
I felt like a loser, so it was hard for me to focus. One day I
woke up and said I am going to change my story and I
dumped that person, focus on my education and decided
to be serious and be something. I decided to get a job and
go to school full time in America.
I worked hard. My parents were sending me money cos I
didn’t tell them I was working but I was working because
I wanted to be independent. I didn’t want to depend on
any man or on my parents even though they would have
done anything for me, so I did all sorts of job; I was a
make up artiste, I worked in a cafe, school library, I did so
many things and I didn’t realise that these jobs were
building me up as a person, building my resume, my
confidence.
“People began to like me because I was adding value to
their lives. At work I was excellent and so was i in school
and that built me as a strong woman and at some point, I
sought counseling to get over my molestation issues
where I was made to see reasons why I wasn’t at fault
cos I was a child then.
Today I am accomplished.“Look at my husband,” she
continued, “when I met him peeps were like what are you
doing with him, he has nothing but I stood my ground
and choose to stick with him cos he had a dream. He and
his twin brother did not let their dream die, they worked
hard; look at them today! I stuck by him cos he had focus
and drive and today I am happy, I have a good life, we are
happy and we have got a beautiful family. No one can
make you a loser.
You can be whatever woman you want to be but you
have to believe in yourself, if they reject you today,
it doesn’t mean you should let your dreams die, you have
something unique about you.”

Janet Jackson Cancels 2015 World Tour, Says Doctors Told Her To Do Surgery

American singer Janet Jackson has temporarily cancelled
her scheduled world tour after doctors advised her to do a
life-saving operation.
The 49-year-old announced this to her fans yesterday.
In her words:
“It breaks my heart to tell you that I am forced to
postpone the Unbreakable Tour until the spring. Every date
will be rescheduled. Please hold on to your tickets. They
will be honored in a special way when the new schedule is
announced. Please pray for me, my family and our entire
company during this difficult time.”
The musical icon cancelled a string of concerts back in
2008 after she developed chronic migraine.

Nollywood Actress Ireti Osayemi Bakare Says Married Men Still Asking Her Out

In this exclusive chat with The Entertainer, Nollywood
actress Ireti Osayemi Bakare says admirers are still asking
for her hand in friendship.
Hear her:
“I try my best to stay out of trouble. I don’t dispute the
fact that I have admirers but I try my best to let them
know that ‘this room is booked’. I tell some people that
are persistent with their advances that I am a married
woman and I would never cheat on my partner. Some men
don’t care and they also say that they are married. But I
know what I want for myself. If you want to stay away from
scandals, then you face your family. But if you don’t care
about your name or reputation, then you throw caution into
the wind. I try my best to shy away from scandals.”
Ireti Osayemi is married to Bakky Adeoye, a popular
Lagos-based hotelier. The couple is blessed with two
children (a boy and a girl).

The world’s safest cities

Leaving your wallet or laptop unguarded in a cafe may
not be recommended for most, but residents in the
world’s safest cities could likely do it without a second
thought.
For many, feeling safe can be key to feeling at home. So
to understand what it might be like to live in a super
safe place, we sought out residents living in some of the
most stable and secure cities in the world, as ranked by
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The list
considered factors such as personal safety, infrastructure
stability, health stability and digital security technology.
Locals weighed in on the best neighbourhoods to live in,
what exactly makes them feel at ease – and why safe
doesn’t have to equal boring.
Osaka
Along with Tokyo (named the world’s safest city), Osaka
embodies the general peace of mind that can be felt
throughout the country. “Japan in general is an incredibly
safe country to live in,” said Daniel Lee, founder of the
local English language Kansai Scene magazine, who
moved from the United Kingdom 17 years ago. “So much
so that locals are accustomed to leaving their personal
belongings unattended on tables in coffee shops while
they go and order. It’s unthinkable anywhere else.”
Osaka is known for being business-focussed, which
means that people work and commute late into the night.
“Even at the latest hours, businessmen are on the train,
and the main terminals are populated as much at night
as by day,” said Yoshie Yamamoto, who moved from
Kyoto 25 years ago and runs the oldest Noh theatre in
the city. “There is absolutely no problem for a lady to be
travelling alone late at night on the subways.”
The work-oriented culture can also lead to friendly
conversation. “Osaka is a city of salesmen, and the
locals love to talk,” Lee said. “You can enter any small
watering hole and be treated like a long lost friend. You
may not understand a word of what they say to you, but
the good vibes will win you over.”
For a chance to mingle with the locals, Yamamoto
recommends living in a downtown area such as Ikuno
Ward or Abeno Ward, where Nagaya (traditional long
houses) are still common. “These places are relatively
cheap as they have been inhabited by the same locals
[for years],” she said. “If you are able to make friends
with your neighbours, you will experience the true Osaka
character filled with affection, warmth and friendship.”
Those looking for a more nature-focused lifestyle can
head to the “bed towns” surrounding the city, such as
Minoh and Kita-Senri, which have easy train access to
downtown Osaka, as well as the nearby cities of Kobe
and Kyoto.
Amsterdam
With fewer than one million residents, Amsterdam is still
relatively small compared to other cities on the EIU’s
list, giving it a leg up when it comes to providing a safe
residential environment. The capital city also has a
laidback vibe that puts people at ease.
“I feel incredibly safe,” said Toni Hinterstoisser, general
manager at the Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht, who
moved from New York City three years ago. “The
people’s free spirit makes them more relaxed about
everyday things. Nobody gets agitated easily.” This is
true even of the police, who Hinterstoisser says are very
present and polite, but also straight to the point.
While all of Amsterdam’s neighbourhoods are considered
safe, districts in the south such as De Pijp and Oud-Zuid
are more upscale. To the east and north, neighbourhoods
like Noord are considered to be up-and-coming.
Hinterstoisser lives in Oud West (Old West), which he
likes for being only 2km west of the city centre and near
Vondelpark, the city’s largest park.
One word of caution: no matter where you choose to live,
don’t expect a level house. “As Amsterdam is mostly
built on water, the houses are not completely straight,”
warned Hinterstoisser. “If you put a tennis ball on one
end of my living room, it will roll all by itself quite swiftly
to the other side.”
Sydney
Despite being Australia’s largest city, Sydney’s
neighbourhood-oriented culture keeps residents feeling
safe. “Our community looks after each other,” said
Richard Graham, a Sydney native and owner of local tour
company My Detour. “If someone looks suspicious, we
tell our neighbours, and word soon gets around who to
watch out for.”
The city recently adopted a plan to spend $15 million a
year improving footpaths and pedestrian crossings to
encourage walking, and Victoria Moxey, originally from
Buenos Aires and founder of local visitor guide Urban
Walkabout , believes this is helping to keep life safe.
“The streets are always filled with urban types sitting at
coffee shops with friends, walking dogs or just exploring
the city,” she said. “Sydney is a city where the more you
walk the streets, the more you feel part of a community.”
To make the most of this walking culture, expats often
choose to live in Potts Point, 3km east of the city
centre, where Art Deco apartment buildings and plentiful
cafes give the neighbourhood a New York City vibe.
Another favoured option is Surry Hills, 3km southeast of
the centre, which has the best coffee spots and
restaurants in town, drawing hipsters, design lovers and
foodies.
For a true Australian beach lifestyle, residential-oriented
Waverley or surfer-friendly Bronte are about 8km
southeast of the city, while Rose Bay is an upscale
harbourside option just 7km to the east.
Singapore
This Southeast Asian city-state takes law enforcement
seriously, resulting in a very secure environment. Rinita
Vanjre Ravi, originally from Bangalore, and co-founder of
dine-with-locals site BonAppetour , sees how much
difference a well-funded police department can make. “In
Singapore, the police force is well paid, which enables
them to be concerned about the welfare of their people,”
she said.
It also ensure laws are enforced. Vanjre Ravi finds that
Singapore locals are really honest. “You can leave your
bag at the table at any restaurant and go to the cashier
to order food with the peace of mind that your bag will
still be there,” she said. “Residents know that there is a
high chance of being caught and punished.”
A stable political environment and a no-tolerance policy
for religious or racist jokes also contributes to a
harmonic city vibe.
Still, living in such a populous area comes with its own
set of challenges. Managing the daily commute is key
when finding a place to live in Singapore, and locals
advise living as close to work as possible. Vanjre Ravi
recommends Tiong Bahru as a central hipster
neighbourhood with specialty shops and trendy
restaurants, though those in a higher income bracket can
look at the Duxton Hill apartments near Outram Park,
2km west of downtown, notable for its restored colonial
buildings and international cuisine.
Stockholm
Being located so far north comes with its advantages,
like never-ending summer days. Stockholm’s natural
light in summer, paired with a well-lit city centre in
darker times of the year, contributes to a feeling of safe
public spaces. “Having two small boys, safety is
increasingly important to me, and Stockholm is simply
brilliant for children,” said Kat T, originally from London,
who writes the blog An English Mamma in Stockholm .
“There are playgrounds in parks away from the traffic
and many leafy, green areas right in the centre of town.”
Though it doesn’t have the non-stop buzz of London, Kat
finds that Stockholm’s slower pace can sometimes be a
blessing. Despite its small size, the city also feels
“dynamic and sophisticated”, she said. “Swedes are
early adopters of things new, especially technology, and
are frequently trendsetters.”
Most people live in apartments close to the Central
Business District, but those looking for better value
should head 2km west to Kungsholmen, while a funkier
vibe (evidenced in vintage shops and avant-garde
galleries) can be found in Södermalm 3km to the south.
The waterfront areas have also been recently
redeveloped, with Hammarby Sjöstad being among the
most popular for its walkable boulevards and eco-
conscious design.

I could choose to quit - Van Gaal

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal said he could
"quit by myself" after Stoke City condemned his side to
a fourth straight defeat.
The Dutchman, under pressure after seven games
without a win, was asked whether he feared he would be
sacked.
"That is something I discuss with [executive vice-
chairman] Ed Woodward not you," Van Gaal told a media
conference after the game.
"It is not always the club that has to fire or sack me."
He added: "Sometimes I do that by myself, but I am the
one who wants to speak first with the board of
Manchester United and my members of staff and my
players, not with you."
United's miserable run has seen them knocked out of the
Champions League at the group stage and slip out of the
top four in the Premier League.
"I have received [the club's backing] all the time but we
have lost so there is a new situation," said Van Gaal.
"I feel the support of my players and my board. The fans
will be disappointed but that is logical after four defeats."
Van Gaal does not think it is important that Woodward
has not publicly backed him.
"For me it's much more important that people are saying
that to me," he said. "I am not so interested in public
sayings."
Van Gaal saw his side quickly go behind to goals from
Bojan Krkic and Marko Arnautovic, with United struggling
to create chances as they tried to work their way back
into the match in the second half.
"We have lost the game in the first 45 minutes because
we didn't dare to play our football. That is what I have
analysed," said Van Gaal, whose side's next game is at
home to Chelsea on Monday.
"The circumstances now play a bigger role and will in
the next game also. We have to cope with that and look
for the solution.
"It is very difficult as I'm also part of four losses and I
have to cope with that and I have to manage that. More
important is that my players shall manage that because
they have to perform."
Man Utd embarrassing - Shearer
Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer described United's
first-half performance as "pathetic".
The former England striker said: "Van Gaal decided to
take on the media this week and he picked a team he
thought would scrap for him and that was the best they
could do for him - that was embarrassing.
"On today's evidence, the players are not willing. They
put in a pathetic performance in the first half. He left his
captain out as well and that is a big statement.
"His players are without doubt not performing at all so it
wouldn't surprise me at all if he were to walk away."
But fellow pundit Danny Murphy said he believed the
Dutchman would not quit the club.
"My worry is that whoever comes in they've got a squad
lacking athleticism," said the former Liverpool and
Fulham midfielder.
"With Jose Mourinho you're guaranteed trophies and Pep
Guardiola is the same. I'm sure there will be many
meetings going on. They could do a lot worse than give it
to [assistant manager] Ryan Giggs."
'Right decision on Rooney'
Van Gaal dropped Wayne Rooney to the bench for the
game at the Britannia Stadium.
The England striker came on for the second half but
United still struggled to create chances as they went
four top-flight games without victory.
Club captain Rooney has scored just two league goals so
far this season and rarely looked like adding to that tally
at Stoke, although he did set up Marouane Fellaini for a
chance that was impressively saved by home keeper
Jack Butland.
Van Gaal added: "I thought it was the right decision [to
leave out Rooney] otherwise I would not have done it.
"We were better in the second half but then we didn't
have anything to lose."

Fearing pollution, Chinese families build 'bubbles' at home

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Liu Nanfeng has five air purifiers,
two air quality monitors and a water purification system in
his Beijing apartment. He buys organic. But still he worries
for his 2-year-old daughter's health.
"I feel safe at home, but when we go out to the mall, the
indoor and outdoor air are the same," the 34-year-old
screenwriter said. "It feels hopeless."
China's persistent pollution and regular product safety
scandals are driving an increasing number of consumers to
build bubbles of clean air, purified water and safe products
at home and in their cars.
Beijing's city government has twice this month issued
pollution "red alerts", the first time it has triggered its
most severe smog warning.
While there is no official data on their numbers, market
analysts say Liu's tastes reflect the concerns of a large
and growing group of well-heeled urban consumers.
Foreign and domestic companies are starting to take
notice of what could be called "bubble families", a
demographic whose emergence has been fueled by new
technologies and the rapid spread of e-commerce.
Though air quality data has been available for years from
the Chinese government - as well as the U.S. embassy
and consulates around the country - public awareness of
environmental threats is on the rise, especially since the
February online release of journalist Chai Jing's
environmental documentary "Under the Dome".
Websites such as Alibaba's Taobao.com have made it
easier to find products from overseas that are perceived
as safer.
"A LIFE TO PROTECT"
For Xue Peng, a 32-year-old chemical engineer in
Shanghai, his wife's pregnancy three years ago changed
everything. "I had a life I needed to protect. It was my
responsibility to give him a safe environment," he said.
Xue spent about 30,000 yuan ($4,627) on two air purifiers
from Philips and Swedish company Blueair and another
20,000 yuan on a water purification system from U.S. firm
Ecowater. He limited his toy purchases to big, trusted
names such as Lego and Fisher Price.
"Parenthood is a huge catalyst for consumption and
upgrading of certain products," said Elisabeth de Gramont,
Shanghai-based vice president at Jigsaw Communispace,
a consumer research group. Among upper middle class
parents in China's bigger cities, buying toys and skin care
products for children from overseas is common, she said.
Min Yoo, managing director for China and Korea at market
research firm YouGov, said that the group of Chinese
consumers concerned about the environment and willing
to spend money to protect themselves included "not just
the white-collar cosmopolitan Chinese".
"It also includes the 50-, 60-year-old local Chinese living
in a city who has never been outside China, whose adult
children would buy these products," he said.
The growing public concerns have presented companies
with an opportunity.
Bosch, the German electronics group, recently began
selling an in-car air purifier and a small air quality monitor
developed in China for the Chinese market.
Xiaomi, the homegrown electronics brand best known for
its affordable phones, has launched a new line of air and
water filters and monitors. During a November promotion,
it sold more than 42,800 air purifiers. By mid-December, it
had sold out of its newest model, released only on Nov.
24.
Origins Technology, a Beijing start-up, sold out of its 499
yuan Laser Egg handheld air quality monitors during this
month’s smog wave. There is now a waitlist for the
product.
THE PRICE OF SAFETY
Imports of bottled water are up sharply in volume terms,
rising from 36 million litres two years ago to 46 million
litres in the first 10 months of this year, according to
Chinese customs.
Imports of food and live animals – Chinese customs
includes them in the same category – rose 63 percent
between 2011 and 2014. Online in China, Evian presents
one of its boxes of water as "the choice of French
mothers".
Sales at Fruitday, an app and online platform for imported
fruit, rose 150 percent in 2014 to 500 million yuan, the
company said.
Reports of fake goods are common in China. Consumers
who can afford to prefer more expensive products, said
James Roy, associate principal at China Market Research
Group.
High-end air purifiers such as the Blueair Pro XL cost
23,220 yuan, not much less than the average urban annual
income of 28,844 yuan, according to government data.
Replacing all of the filters in other high-end air filters can
cost hundreds of dollars.
Juliet Zhu, a TV presenter, had an air purifier and bought all
of her two young daughters' food and clothing from abroad.
Her costs: as much as 20,000 yuan a month.
Two months ago, Zhu moved with her older daughter from
Beijing to Sweden. She raves about the low cost of living,
the delight of drinking from the tap, and the relief that her
daughter can finally breathe freely.

U.S. tornado, flood deaths reach 18, more storms ahead

(Reuters) - The death toll from tornadoes and flooding this
week in the southern United States climbed to 18 on
Saturday, according to officials and local media, as the
nation braced for more stormy weather over the busy post-
holiday travel weekend.
The bodies of a man and a woman missing since they
were caught in a tornado in Benton County, Mississippi, on
Wednesday were found by search and rescue teams on
Saturday morning, said Greg Flynn, spokesman for
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
The cause of their deaths was not disclosed, but they
brought the total dead from tornadoes in Mississippi to 10,
in addition to 56 people injured, officials said.
The tornado damaged 403 homes over a seven-county
area in the state, Flynn said. In addition, flooding left 50
homes uninhabitable and closed 40 roads in Monroe
County, which got 10 to 12 inches (about 25 to 30 cm) of
rain, he said.
The tornadoes also killed six people in Tennessee and one
each in Arkansas and Alabama, bringing the three-state
total to 18.
State authorities on Saturday told local broadcaster WTVY
that they had recovered the body of a 5-year-old boy who
drowned when the car he was in was swept into
floodwaters on Friday. A 22-year-old man who was in the
car remains missing, the station said.
The National Weather Service warned of a "tornadic
supercell" moving toward downtown Dallas on Saturday
evening and there were reports of debris falling from the
sky onto a highway in nearby DeSoto.
Weather officials also warned of likely tornados hitting near
the Texas towns of Rowlett, Wylie and Lavon. Flash flood
and tornado warnings extended into Saturday night for the
region, according to the weather service.
U.S. post-holiday travelers can expect a mix of stormy
weather this weekend, with blizzard conditions in New
Mexico and western Texas, while flooding rain hits the
southern plains from south Texas through Indiana,
forecasters said.
In California, high winds fanned a wildfire that closed parts
of the much-traveled Highway 101 northwest of Los
Angeles and forced evacuations, fire officials said.
The wet and snowy conditions come after a Christmas
Day of unseasonable warmth on the East Coast, with
record-high temperatures set or tied in several cities,
including New York.
"It's going to be a pretty active weekend as far as winter
weather," said Evan Duffey, meteorologist for AccuWeather.
"It looks like it's going to be pretty bad across the
southwest into the southern plains."
Duffey said that given the blizzard conditions expected for
Saturday, anyone hoping to travel in Texas, Oklahoma and
Kansas "should try to get going as soon as you can" to
beat the storm.

» ''Stone Us If Buhari Fails To Deliver On Electoral Promises'' – Ex Minister, Momoh «

Prince Tony Momoh, is the former Minister of Information
during President Ibrahim Babangida’s administration. In
this media interview, the APC stalwart speaks on President
Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, recovered looted
funds and sundry issues. PATRICK OCHOGA was there for
LEADERSHIP Weekend.
How would you assess President Buhari’s administration,
particularly on the economy?
You have heard the President said he is the one that
Nigerians voted for and he is responsible to them not to
me or you. He is not owned by anybody. He was there
between 1983 and 1985, he has experienced it, he is the
only one who came since independence to be President of
Nigeria and succeeded. No other one, Tafawa Balewa
wanted to be a broadcaster, he became Prime Minister,
Alhaji Shehu Shagari wanted to become a Senator, he
became President; Olusegun Obasanjo was in prison
praying to be released, at the end of the day he became
president, Late Yar ‘Adua wanted to retire to lecture in
Ahmadu Bello University, he became President; Jonathan
was taken from Bayelsa to Abuja and made Vice President
and them later became Acting President and President.
Buhari went into politics and wanted to be President in
2003, he failed, 2007 he failed and 2015 he succeeded. Do
you think that this type of person will be rushed into doing
things he don’t believe will make Nigerians grow? I can
assure you No. There are three steps in Buhari’s scheme,
S+S=P that is the equation. S is for security, he will
secure Nigeria, the other S is for stability, he will stabilise
Nigeria through infrastructural development and the
outcome of security and stability is Prosperity and Nigeria
will prosper. At the end of the day, if Buhari doesn’t
perform, stone us because he is going to perform.
When people begin to appoint ministers for him,
programme economic measures for him, begin to tell him
what will happen in education and other ministries, you
give the impression that he came to be President without
preparing. I can assure you he is prepared to hold office by
coming out with a book called project Nigeria and that
book he has always had
since 2002 when he entered politics and he is going to
implement this program.
He has a contract with every Nigerian, all the ethnic
groups and I have said it, the South-East will be more in
his party than any other group. Why? Because he is going
to develop their area more than PDP ever did. Buhari
knows where he wants Nigeria to be. We are talking of four
years and it has not gotten to one year yet and people are
saying he is very slow. One thing people don’t know is that
those who are corrupt, those who did money laundering,
those who diverted all sort of things, they know where the
heat is. This BVN I don’t know how it works but it is
revealing a lot of things, if you have one bank account, the
thing will reveal all the commitments you have. I don’t
know how it works but the government seems to be finding
out where people have hidden money more than any other
time in our history. I am not in that group, I am not carry
out any investigation but a lot of things are coming out
and a lot of things have been done.
He believes that anybody who took Nigeria’s money must
return it, and should be punished for taking the money and
denying the people of facilities they would have had if the
way the money was used for them. Look at what is
happening with arms, people went and collected billions of
dollars and sat down to share the money and people where
dying in the North-East, those who had no arms with them
ran into Cameroon, they put them under court marshal and
sentenced them to death and they didn’t give them arms.
When they are dealing with such people, Nigerians are
saying it is because they are in government. Those in
government are the ones stealing the money, those in APC
had no access so will you say because there was no APC
among the PDP that had the opportunity to serve Nigeria
that pocketed the money should not be dealt with. Buhari
has said he is not against anybody but everybody must
bear the consequences of their actions and when things
are happening as media men find out why it is affecting
your friend or colleague.
We read in the paper that the federal government have
received some stolen funds from looters. Don’t you think
giving credibility to the anti-graft war Nigerians deserve to
know those behind the funds?
Government doesn’t talk, it is the media that talks, and
you are given the responsibility to monitor governance on
behalf of the people. Sovereignty belongs to the people of
Nigeria and through the constitution, the government
generates its power and authority. The motto of
government is keep our secret, secret and the motto of
the journalist is publishe and be dammed but to publish
the truth. If government has been talking about people who
have returned looted money, find out because you have
protection. It is not the duty of the government to start
publishing anything, what if what they publish other is
wrong? They can be sued. The point I am making is that
yes, the people have the right to know and the people have
the right to be told who does the telling.
The current government in Edo will be rounding off next
year and there will be primaries in both parties soon, what
advise do you have for your party in the state to ensure
rancour free primaries?
There will be rancour free primaries in Edo State, APC
doesn’t impose candidates and nobody is going to impose
any candidate. Anybody who wants to be governor in Edo
State should go to the delegates who will vote. Voting will
be free and fair and nobody will be forced to vote. I have
heard that the governor wants to impose candidate, but he
is not going to impose any candidate and nobody has the
right to impose any candidate. He will ensure a level play
field and the party will also ensure it.
It is not the governor who will conduct the primaries, some
people so preoccupied to rundown Oshiomhole. He will not
impose a candidate and if he does, we have the right to
vote our choice candidate because voting will be free, fair
and secret so why will anybody think the governor will look
at his shoulder while voting. He is only exercising his right
as a person not as a governor to force you to do what you
don’t want to do.
You said Nigeria has a special anointing to be united,
reconcile this statement with the agitation in the South-
East that they want to go.
What of North-East, you know, where God has a
programme, Satan is always at work, darkness is always
at work but the work of darkness is always temporary and
God’s anointing is permanent, you can delay it but you
can’t subvert it. When America said Nigeria will collapse, I
said Nigeria will not collapse but they are correct in their
prediction but in God’s anointing Nigeria is the only county
packaged in the first half of the last century that has not
collapsed. All other federation worldwide has collapsed,
USSR, Slovakia but Nigeria has not collapsed because
Nigeria is packaged to help grow the earth and the young
ones will be the ones to do it. Nigerians are knocking on
the door of paradise only them are in the forefront of going
so.
What is your take on the agitation for the sovereign state
of Biafra?
They have the right to protest as any other group has the
right to protest because that is their own reaction to what
they considered as injustice. But the fact is that protest
has a limitation, there is what they call free speech plus, if
in exercising your freedom to speech you punch my nose,
that’s where your freedom ends and if people say they are
expressing themselves and start destroying people’s cars,
there is a body set up to ensure people are free. So in
doing that, ensure you do it in accordance with the law. I
myself will rise to my feet to sympathise with them, that
is freedom of expression they are exercising but when it
reaches plus destruction, then it will not be allowed.
What is the hope of the APC Edo in the winning the 2016
election?
We will work hard and win the election and if we don’t, it
means we didn’t work hard but no rigging. Nobody is going
to rig election any more, look at Kogi and Bayelsa, the
President has said there must be fairness and INEC should
do the right thing.

» Boko Haram Can No Longer Coordinate Attacks – Buratai Boasts «

Nigeria’s chief of army staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai has
assured residents of the north-east that 2016 will be a
more peaceful year for them because Boko Haram “can no
longer coordinate any attacks”.
He gave the assurance on Thursday after his operational
visits to troops locations in parts of Borno and Yobe
states.
He said within the time frame given by President
Muhammadu Buhari, joint forces had decimated Boko
Haram and substantially destroyed its enclaves on
Nigerian territory.
“Going by the present pace and momentum of the military
operation, no insurgent or group will be able operate freely
by 2016,” he said.
“Since Mr President’s mandate, we have done a lot to
defeat these criminals; we have degraded them in such a
manner that they can no longer hold any ground in our
country.
“They can no longer coordinate any attacks; we will, in the
coming few days, completely close in on them, so the
outlook for 2016 is bright. I want to assure Nigerians,
especially the Northeast, that 2016 will be more peaceful.”
Buratai said that the military would consolidate on the
successes recorded in the operations so far, stressing that
there would be no room for the insurgents to operate
henceforth.
At the army brigade in Biu and the armed forces special
forces battalion stationed in Buratai town, the army chief
conveyed the president’s congratulatory message to the
troops for meeting the deadline.
He said that the president was pleased with the
successes recorded, especially in meeting the timeline in
fighting insurgency. But he urged them not to be
complacent, saying the insurgents would employ desperate
measures to survive the onslaught by the military.
At the base of 21 Brigade deployed from Damaturu to Buni
Yadi, Buratai commended the soldiers for their efforts in
curbing the activities of the insurgents in the area.
He urged the troops to remain alert and make good use of
available equipment for the operations.
The chief of army staff reiterated the commitment of the
army and other relevant authorities to providing the
necessary logistics to enable troops sustain the
momentum.
Buratai, who held durbars in all the locations visited, also
addressed issues raised by soldiers and officers.
Some of the soldiers who spoke at the durbar expressed
their desire to end the counter-insurgency operations and
return home as soon as possible.
NAN.

» ''Having A Timetable For Sex Can Boost Your Relationship'' «

Gabriel Asabi, 37, no doubt has a lot to thank his friend for.
According to him, if not for his (friend’s) initiative, his
three-year-old marriage would have hit the rocks.
Asabi, who lives in Ayetoro, Alimosho area of Lagos State,
works with a private firm in Victoria Island, and due to the
distance and the traffic that characterises his journey to
work every day, he said he usually returned home late and
tired, such that his sexual relationship was gradually losing
steam.
He noted that an unpopular advice from his friend saved
his marriage from an imminent collapse.
“My wife has been complaining and it was as if I was
helpless, so I discussed the issue with my friend and he
said my wife and I should draw a workable timetable for
sex. Initially, I dismissed the idea and I told him I found it
very silly, but when I discussed with my wife, even though
she also found it laughable, we agreed on it and drew a
timetable. Since then, it has only been getting better
because we now have sex regularly. As a matter of fact,
sex is an obligation in marriage. The earlier people see it
as one, the better,” he said.
According to him, scheduling sex has not only helped him
and his wife to Reproduce more regularly, it has enhanced
their intimacy and they now have a happier marriage.
Understandably, many human activities, especially those
that happen regularly, enjoy some planning and they make
it to people’s to-do list at some point in time. That
initiative has more or less been seen as a celebrated
approach to success in such activities, including reading,
going to the gym, doing exercises, as well as ensuring
efficiency and improved performance in certain things.
But, one important activity that has scarcely made it to
the to-do list, in spite of its frequency, is sex. This could
be because many people see it as a spontaneous activity
that happens on its own, anywhere, anytime and without
(much) planning.
It is even safe to say that long before now, it was largely
unheard of to prepare a timetable for sex. Then, it would
easily qualify as an aberration. But out of the need to
rejuvenate or save couples’ sex lives from collapse,
scheduling sex is now one of the options being canvassed
by experts as a solution to a waning sex life.
Going by Asabi’s experience, which was occasioned by an
overwhelming job demand, other reasons that could prompt
a sex timetable include depreciating sex drive and
unequalled libido between couples.
Some critics of the approach have argued that drafting
such a timetable is not romantic and that it could make
sex look like an obligation and make it boring. But the
proponents say the timetable does not only ensure that
couples have more sex, which guarantees them the
benefits derivable from sex, gives them an impression that
they are both working hard to make the relationship work,
it helps the couple to prepare their mind and body for the
exercise, enhances their bonding and ultimately brings
about a happier marriage.
The proponents explain that even though the timetable is
not sacrosanct, as it is subject to change and
compromises, the anticipation and the countdown to date
and time make it something to look forward to, and that
since such people could still have sex on other days
different from those in the calendar, its overall benefit in
enhancing couples’ sex lives and ultimately their marriage
makes it important.
Worthy of note is that setting a workable sex timetable
requires the input of both parties, and some of the many
important factors to consider include the sex drive of both
parties and the time that would be relatively convenient for
both, devoid of interruptions by children or any other
person. It could also include who makes the first move, a
measure that has been found to further strengthen
openness and bonding in marriage.
A respondent, who identified herself simply as Kemi, told
Saturday PUNCH that she and her husband have a sex
timetable. She said even though it was not pasted on the
wall the conventional way, they both have copies. She
added, “We have sex three times a week and on such days,
we could exchange text message during the day reminding
ourselves of what is to happen at night. It enables us to
fantasise about it and we look forward to it.”
According to the Dean of the Institute for Advanced Studies
of Human Sexuality in San Francisco, United States, Dr.
Janice Epp, scheduling sex might be the way to go for
couples who have very demanding jobs.
He told Huff Post, “I frequently see a lot of very young
couples who are working 14- and 15-hour days and they
are wondering why they are not having sex. They have to
be willing to make it a priority. It may not sound terribly
romantic, but scheduling sex could be the best way for
couples who are still interested in having intercourse to
save their marriage and sex lives.
“Some people say sex should be spontaneous but I
disagree. You plan other things in your life and you don’t
complain about it. You can do the same with sex. You
should plan your sex date around a time when you and your
partner will have time and the most energy.
“By scheduling sex and committing to a schedule that
works for both of you, sex can become a valuable and
enjoyable part of your relationship again. It may not be
easy, but it’s worth it. Sex is perfectly natural but it’s not
always naturally perfect. Like anything worthwhile,
sometimes it takes work.”
One of the studies note that a sex timetable is of a greater
use to people who have low sex drive, thus making use of
a timetable can be of help because doing it frequently
makes them want to have more of it, since sex is sweet,
and if sustained it tends to boost their intimacy and
strengthen their marriage. “However, it is also important
for couples not to restrict that sweet exercise to only the
days sex appears on the to-do list or timetable. Having it
outside that window is also helpful,” it adds.
Commenting on the study, a psychologist, Prof. Oni
Fagboungbe, agreed that a sex timetable could enhance
couples’ sexual experience, intimacy and marriage. He
added, “Meaningful living is based on planning and
anything planned is more likely to turn out fine. If couples
stick to the timetable they prepared, the mere fact that
they have that table sharpens their expectation, which
could increase the zeal to perform. On the long run, it
could strengthen their relationship.
“Yes, it could make sex look like an obligation, but is life
itself not an obligation? It enables them to prepare well
because they expect it and when they follow the timetable,
it can increase their intimacy.”
According to him, the only disadvantage is that if for any
reason a party is not able to play his or her role very well
as before, it could leave room for suspicion but that they
could overcome this by talking about it.
On his part, another psychologist, Prof. Toba Elegbeleye,
said using sex timetable might not be an ideal initiative,
saying it could make sex seem like a task and that it
could be unproductive.
He added, “With a timetable, sex becomes a task and an
obligation, and the moment you see it that way, it takes
the shine off it. Apart from that, it soon becomes extremely
boring. Personally, I do not think it encourages intimacy
and the suspense can be counter-productive because it
may result in an anti-climax.
“The advantage is that both of them are tied to a
contractual understanding that puts them under obligation
to do it and it won’t permit the two to forget about sex
altogether. To that extent, there might be some advantage
but in terms of body functioning and operation, I don’t think
it’s an ideal thing to always have a scheduled time for
such.”