Gambia's Ambassador To The US Resigns, Calls On Sit-Tight President To Step Down

The Gambian ambassador to the US, Sheikh Omar Faye, is the latest to jump from the sinking Jammeh ship calling on him to step down.

In a letter addressed to the brutal despot in  Banjul, Mr Faye enunciated that the recent announcement annulling the results after initial concession had come as a huge disappointment to him.

He then added: ” I am supporting the will of Gambian people by recognizing Mr Adama Barrow as the president elect of The Gambia out of my personal decision and desire to safeguard the peace and social cohesion of our beloved country”.

The Gambia’s chief diplomat in Washington maintained that he did not discuss his decision with any member of the coalition, noting that it was indicted purely by national rather than personal interest.

Flavour and his second daughter in new photos

The singer shared new photos with his second daughter Sophia, on Snapchat.
More after the cut...

OAP Uche proposes to Toke Makinwa on social media

City FM OAP, Uche Agbai just proposed to Toke Makinwa on Instagram!
He shared the photo of Toke Makinwa above and wrote this lovely message to her, and also asked her to marry him. Read after the cut....


"#WCW #SenseiStyle

Being a woman, whatever society she finds herself in, is hard. It’s not bad enough she has to deal with that time of the month every month or scream to the edge of death while bearing a child, she has to deal with cat calls (if she’s a hottie) or snide remarks (if otherwise). 

And these difficulties are prevalent in Nigeria, especially in the media or entertainment industry. 

Buy or build a plush house in a choice area and you’re called a prostitute who was done a favour by one big businessman or top government official. Put your life story in a book and sell, they will say you only did so just to make money. 

You are almost never given a chance to air your views or live and enjoy your life without someone having something negative to say about you.
As I contemplated on writing this, I looked at all the qualities that I personally like in a woman: ambitious, intelligent, adventurous, focused, independent minded, beautiful, respectful; these are just a few. And I see all these traits in Toke Makinwa, who has been constantly vilified by people. 

Despite being through so much adversity she has always found a way to turn it around for good, and that tenacity of her will is what many people do not see and appreciate. Even those who are close to her sometimes criticize her for being who she is: an ambitious woman with a strong drive to write her name in the sands of time.  

However, no matter how much she has been hurt, Toke has always found a way to forgive and let go. That is another remarkable trait. A woman, no matter how successful, needs to be loved and cared for. And no matter her shortcomings, needs to be loved and cared for too. We all have flaws, but learning to love a person in spite of their flaws is a quality of those who truly love others, and it helps to fan the embers of any relationship. 

Therefore, I have chosen to love the imperfections of a successful woman like Toke Makinwa, because she possesses qualities any reasonable man desires.  

So Toke (@tokemakinwa) will you marry me? ☺"

EFCC seizes 12 properties from ex-minister, son

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has seized at least 12 properties from a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, and his son, Shamsudeen Bala, Punch reports.
It was learnt on Tuesday that the seizures were part of investigations into a controversial land swap deal carried out by the minister to the tune of N1tn between 2010 and 2015.

“So far, we have seized about 12 properties from Bala Mohammed and his son, who he used in buying many properties. However, this is just a tip of the iceberg because we found out that there are still a lot of properties to be recovered’’, a source in the EFCC told our correspondent on Tuesday.

After investigations, we will arraign Bala (ex-minister) before an FCT High Court while his son will be arraigned before a Federal High Court anytime from now, the source added.”

Mohammed, who has been in EFCC custody for over six weeks, is alleged to have entered into some controversial land deals and allegedly gave some landed properties to his cronies for the construction of malls.

The source said, “We have evidence that the ex-minister diverted funds from Internally Generated Revenue. He also gave land arbitrarily to friends without following due process. Some of the land had even been allocated to other people but seized from them unjustly.”

Already, the commission has grilled a former Chairman of Skye Bank, Tunde Ayeni, who was also the Chairman of ASO Savings & Loans Plc over the purchase of the N7.5bn ASO Grove Estate at the Maitama area of Abuja by the bank through the ex-minister.

A detective in the EFCC, while speaking with Punch correspondent, alleged that the former minister was also a front for Mrs. Patience Jonathan, the wife of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

Mohammed became very close to the Jonathan family in 2009 when he called for the adoption of the doctrine of necessity when the then President Umaru Yar’Adua was critically ill and unable to perform his functions as President.

It was through this process that Yar’Adua was declared incapacitated and paved the way for the then Vice-President Jonathan to become the acting President and later President.

As FCT minister, Mohammed revoked the 1.84 hectares of land allocated to Yar’Adua’s wife, which was meant for her organisation, Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation.

The ex-minister then allocated the land to Patience for the construction of African First Ladies’ Peace Mission’s secretariat, stating that the move was in the interest of the public.

An FCT High Court, however, described the land grab as illegal and returned it to Mrs. Yar’Adua.

A source at the EFCC, however, said there was evidence to show that the ex-minister had given other plots of land to Patience in a similar fashion.

“We have evidence to show that Bala Mohammed was a front for Patience Jonathan. He abused his position and used it to allocate land to her as well. Patience has several business interests in Abuja, including a hotel,” a source stated.

Patience has since written a petition to the House of Representatives, accusing the EFCC of harassing her and her associates.

In an interview with journalists in 2015, the ex-minister denied abusing his office, stating that he was loyal to the Jonathan family and was only helping Patience with her African First Ladies’ Peace Mission’s project by providing her with free land.

He had said, “People say all sorts of things about my family: that I have stolen so and so billions; I have given plots of land to the first lady. People are always insinuating that the first lady has so much in the FCT and they are all lies.

“Most people talk this way because they want to see a situation to cause friction; an example is what happened with our support of the First Lady Mission. 

It is an African Union initiative. It is not personal to the first lady, it is a global initiative, but some highly-placed Nigerians were insinuating that we were taking FCT resources to service the first lady. It is not so.”

Briton Jailed Over Plotting To Kill Trump

A British man has been sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison over his attempt to grab a gun in a bid to kill Donald Trump.

Michael Sandford, 20, pleaded guilty in September to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and disrupting an official function.
He was accused of grabbing a policeman's gun at a rally in Las Vegas in order to shoot at the candidate.
His mother says "he is remorseful over what he did".

Sandford, of Dorking, Surrey, had faced up to 10 years in prison over the alleged assassination plot.
The court heard that he could be eligible for release in four months' time, at which point he will be deported to the UK.
The defence team said their client is autistic and suffers seizures and obsession-compulsion anxiety.
Michael Sandford appeared in court in orange prison garb, looking pale and slight, his ankles shackled.
He smiled as members of his family waved to him and mouthed: "I love you."

Sandford then broke down in tears as he apologised for what he had done and for taking up time and
costing the taxpayer money.
"I just feel terrible about it," he said.
The judge James Mahan appeared sympathetic, telling Sandford: "I don't think you harboured malice in your heart."
His mother, Lynne Sandford, also addressed the judge, saying her son was "cherished and adored".

"It breaks my heart to see him in this environment," she said, as she appealed for a lenient sentence on the basis that her son needed treatment and the support of his family.

27 years old gospel singer marries his 45 year old girlfriend (Photos)

Zambian gospel artist, Steve Glory, 27, last weekend tied the knot with his 45-year old girlfriend and boss, Estellah.
More photos after the cut...

Super Falcons storm the National Assembly in protest of their unpaid entitlements (photos)

Members of the female football national team, the Super Falcons, this morning have stormed the National Assembly, protesting the non-payment of their allowances by the Nigerian Football Federation.
The team won the 10th edition of the African Women championship just held in Cameroon, making it the 8th time Nigeria won the competition.

But, the victorious team members have been held up in a hotel in Abuja, many days after they returned to the country with the trophy, owing to non-payment of their entitlements.


They protest daily on the streets of Abuja and have vowed never to leave the hotel until their allowances were paid.

The ladies are hoping that President Muhammadu Buhari, who is due to visit the National Assembly today to present the estimates of the 2017 budget to lawmakers, will see them and show pity on their plight.

Some of their placards read, “We are your children, pity us”; “Let us respect women”; “female football deserves respect.”

Twitter user reveals who owns MMM, how deal was struck, names & phone numbers

A young man on Twitter is claiming he has unmasked who really owns MMM Nigeria, where the server is hosted, how the deal was struck and even gone ahead to release names and phone numbers for everyone allegedly in the MMM cartel.

According to Noel, he is speaking out now after MMM has allegedly crashed because he needed to be 100% sure of what he is saying. His tweets continue after the cut.

Engineer, Supplier Trade Blames On Akwa Ibom Collapsed Building

The roof supplier and Managing Director, White Steel Integrated Services, Mr. Idorenyin White; and the Site Engineer/Supervisor, Mr. Anieti Augustine, are accusing each other over the collapse of Reigners’ Bible Church Int’l Inc building on December 10.

White, who handled the iron roofing of the church building, exonerated himself of blame, adding that the site engineer/supervisor ignored the advice he gave when he noticed some defects on the building.

White said on Tuesday that a day before the consecration of Apostle Weeks as bishop, he (White) told the construction committee members from the church that the scaffold that was inside the church should not be removed.

“But nobody listened to me, as the church has senior engineers,” he said.


He blamed the cause of the collapsed church building on civil work and not from the roofing that he supplied to the church for the construction.

According to him, the roof was heavier than the construction, which was 50 per cent done as at the time.

“On Friday, the building had an issue. I called the site manager and showed him that this building had a problem and he saw it. But he said that after the programme on Saturday, the building would be reinforced.

“They brought experienced engineers to come and look at it. I told the construction committee members from the church that the scaffold that was inside the church should not be removed but there was a lot of quarrel between me and the church because of the scaffold.

“Even another engineer said that the scaffold should not be removed until everything might have been completed because the construction was still ongoing. So, the roof was heavier than the construction, which was 50 per cent done.

“I really advised that the scaffold should not be removed, but nobody listened because they have senior engineers in the church.

“They brought one engineer, Mr. Inyang, and the man also advised that the scaffold should remain until the pole line and metals are tight, but nobody heeded his counsel.

“The steel that was used to construct the building was okay. One engineer came and designed the steel and they were working on that. Moreover, that building was not filled, it is during this programme period that they filled the building. The whole thing was compacted. Even the side beam was not fully cast and the side beam in the middle was small.

“The fault is not from us; the fault is from the civil work,” he said.

Augustine, reacting to the allegation, said that the problem was not the structure but the roof, noting that he did not in any way direct that the scaffold be pulled out of the suspending roof.

He said: “It is not the wall that has defect, even as the roof fell, that wall was still there. It is the roof that caused the problem. I was not the one that approved of the roof. It was another engineer that brought a team of engineers to examine the entire work, the design, and the kind of roof that will suit the building.

“I don’t know whether the roof constructed was designed according to specification because I was not the one that approved of it.”

Fayose Orders Ekiti State University To Sack 400 Workers Over Non Transparent Employment

The Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, has sacked over 400 workers recently engaged by the institution because their recruitment did not follow due process.

The action followed a directive of the state Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who expressed reservation about the recruitment process.

The governor, who said this on Wednesday in Ado Ekiti, wondered why more than 400 persons would be offered employment without the positions being advertised.

He spoke during an interactive session with the participants in the N-Power Programme of the Federal Government from the state at the Government House, Ado Ekiti.


No fewer than 3,400 people are taking part in the programme in the state.

Participants are to take part in education, health, community and agriculture sectors for the next two years and would be paid a monthly stipend of N30,000 each.

Fayose at the event promised a reward of N1m and full employment for the best participant in the N-Power Programme.

He, however, called on the Federal Government to tackle unemployment headlong, saying the N-Power Programme was only a palliative.

“This is only a palliative as it will last for only two years and I am strongly appealing to the Federal Government to take the issue of job creation serious. When somebody partakes in this programme and is sent back to the labour market after two years, that is going back to where he or she started, the labour market.

“As for us, we will do our duty to distribute participants to where they would work and monitor them as well as ensuring that we do a proper data capturing of the participants.

“For those in the agriculture arm of the programme, they can take advantage of our desire to adequately support rice and cocoa cultivation. We will support in the provision of inputs and clearing of land. Next year, we are committing about N250m to clear farmlands across the state. From among the participants, we can get serious ones who could be useful in the teaching service and other areas,” he said.

The governor also emphasised the need to make appointment into public service free, fair and transparent.

26-Year Old Bathed With Acid By Ex-Lover Demands Justice

A 25-year-old caterer, Rosemary Nnaife, who was allegedly bathed with acid by her ex-lover in the Lawanson, Surulere area of Lagos State, has demanded the prosecution of the suspect, identified only as Paul.

The Delta State indigene, whose face had been scarred by the acid, said since the incident, Paul had yet to be prosecuted.

The victim explained that she had dated Paul for four years before the relationship ended due to abuse and violence.

She said she got into another relationship, which did not go down well with the suspect, who allegedly began sending threat messages to her and her new boyfriend.

The threat allegedly culminated in an acid bath after she was tricked out of her residence in the Abaranje, Ikotun area of the state.

Nnaife said she was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Surulere, by sympathisers, while Paul was arrested by policemen from the Itire division.

She said although the Directorate of Public Prosecutions ordered that the suspect be tried at the Lagos State High Court, the case was still pending.

She said, “I dated Paul for four years and I loved him. But the problem was that he was always beating me. He also embarrassed me in the public, so I ended the relationship.

“I got another boyfriend and moved on with my life. But Paul was angry and he attacked me. He got my new boyfriend’s number and threatened him. He also threatened me. But I didn’t take the threats seriously.

“Some days later, an unknown number called me and when I picked it, it was a woman. She said she wanted me to bake cakes for her and I should come down to Surulere. We agreed to meet at Lawanson bus stop.

“When I got to the bus stop, somebody touched my shoulder from behind. When I turned around, I saw Paul. He then poured the acid on me and ran away.”

She added that the matter was reported to the police at the Itire division, and later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.

Punch Metro learnt that the suspect was arraigned by the police at the Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court, where he was admitted to bail.

However, the case was said to have stalled.

Nnaife called for justice, saying she wanted the suspect to pay damages and bear the cost of a plastic surgery.

“He has been walking free, while I have been scarred for life. I want him to pay for this. I need the help of the government and the good people of Nigeria,” she added.

The Director of the Lagos State Public Advice Centre, Mrs. Tola Akinsanya, said the agency would revive the case to ensure there was diligent prosecution of the suspect.

She said, “The woman was allegedly bathed with acid by her ex-boyfriend on June 3, 2015, and he was arrested and taken to a magistrate’s court. When the DPP’s advice was released, it ordered that the case should be transferred to the high court.

“Although we are aware the case has been filed, it has yet to be assigned to any court since last year. We are working with the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender to assemble a team of lawyers to represent her. We must ensure that she gets justice.”

Akinsanya explained that the agency would also make effort to get support from the state ministry of health for a plastic surgery for Nnaife.

Police Nab Guys Who Killed Woman In Her Farm & Stole Her Bags Of Rice

                      

The Kwara State Police Command has arrested and paraded six men for allegedly killing a local rice merchant and mother of four, Mrs Florence Edeh, in Yashikira, Baruten area of the State.

Addressing reporters at the police headquarter, the State Commissioner of Police, Olushola Amore, said the late woman, a struggling widow, had engaged the suspects as labourers on her farm before she was later killed by them out of greed.

According to him, the woman had decided on the day she was killed to sleep in the farm when it was dark and the six suspects allegedly killed her in the night.

He said the suspects carted away 12 bags of rice.

“We have a case of culpable homicide. A woman with a large rice farm employed some labourers to help harvest the rice and this happened in Kosubosu area, six of them employed.

“After the harvesting and bagging the rice, it was too late for her to go. She employed one of them as guard and herself to sleep on the farm so that they will be able to move the 12 bags in the morning.

“These six people conspired and came in the night and hacked the woman to death and stole the bags of rice.

“For us in Kwara State, you cannot commit crime and escape as the long arms of the law will catch up with you,” the CP assured.

The exhibits recovered from the suspects include a golf car used in carrying the rice and the stick used in killing the woman.

CP Amore said the suspects would be charged to court at the end of investigations.

Fire Razes Cable Point Market In Asaba

A building harbouring foodstuff shops within Cable Point Quarters, popularly called Cable Point Market in Asaba, Delta State was this morning razed by fire. According to people who live around, the fire started around 2:00am in the morning and all efforts to put it out proved abortive. Three people who reside around who tried to put out the fire due to the large extent of goods that will be destroyed all sustained various degrees of injures and are presently at a private hospital where they are currently receiving treatments.

A security man who was however on duty said the fire broke out after a prolonged sparks from the electrical cables’ switch boxes that were connected to the market building. He said he called for help, but they could do nothing has the fire was more than what they could put out.

Shop owners that returned to the complex with some goods this morning were left in tears as many asked how they will start again. Police men have been patrolling in order to scare away hoodlums from coming to feast on what is left.

‘Stop crucifying me for the disaster’ – G.O of collapsed church, Apostle Akan Weeks,

                                  

The embattled General Overseer of Reigners International Bible Church, Uyo Akwa Ibom State, Apostle Akan Weekshas called on Nigerians to stop crucifying him over the collapse of his church building that led to the deaths of many worshippers.

In a statement posted on the church’s website, Apostle Weeks who was supposed to be ordained as a Bishop on the day of the tragedy, added that the disaster was a clear battle between light and darkness as some forces wanted to bring down the kingdom of God.

The Apostle who spoke from his hospital bed after he also suffered a cut in his leg, however, urged Nigerians to pray for him and his church instead of pointing accusing fingers at him as it was not his fault that the building collapsed.

Also speaking on the incident during a phone-in program of a private radio station in Uyo, Apostle Weeks described the tragedy as unfortunate, saying that he was equally injured by the debris of the collapsed structure.

“Apostle Akan Weeks is my name. It is very unfortunate the incident that happened on Saturday during my bishopric enthronement; I call to say that God is still on the throne.

Only God knows best and nobody can question Him. “And I want to say that for the departed souls. And those who are injured, God will give them quick and speedy recovery. I want to tell every family that is in pain that our God is the healer.

Now, people are crucifying me but no one should crucify me. I am more interested in the souls of the people I have laboured for to bring to God over the years since my tender age."

" I am so sorry and sympathize with all the families. Please, we should rise and pray together, we will win the battle.

Let Christians in Akwa Ibom State know that this battle is not all about Akan Weeks and his church, it is the battle between the kingdom of darkness and the church in the land.

I was injured in the leg too. Please, this is not the time to crucify me; I’m still your brother. Reigners Church family, I’m still your pastor. The enthronement was canceled completely and I am not interested.

Please let us rise and pray. Once I am out of my hospital bed, I will come on air and we will pray together. I was also seriously injured. One of my legs was seriously damaged.”

Apostle Weeks has also called on people to stop the further circulation of the gory pictures of the unfortunate incident on social media as it is a constant reminder of what went wrong in the church.

Woman spends $15,000 on surgery to Look like supermodel Bella Hadid

                    

 A woman spent over $15,000 on plastic surgery to look like her idol, Victoria’s Secret model Bella Hadid.

Bunny Smith, 25, splashed out on a nose job , chin implant, Botox, lip and facial fillers in the hopes of emulating the supermodel.
But now she is planning more surgery, including a boob job, to look even more like the model.She said"People compared me to Bella all the time - my online followers, strangers, friends, even my sister and my dad cannot believe it.
"I find it a huge compliment and do love to hear I resemble someone who was appointed the hottest woman in the world by GQ.

Bella and I have similar body types. We both have tiny waists, long legs and hips - although she is a few inches taller than me."I would like to add the smallest amount to my chest - so I'm sure Bella and I will end up resembling each other further!"

I was brunette and my rhinoplasty really opened up my eyes ever so slightly. My eyes had always been the main facial difference from Bella and now, people began comparing me to her."I do think she's stunning and had been a fan for years - so it was a big compliment to hear that.

As much as we are similar, Bella was not in the original photos I showed my surgeon. I did show him a photo in the second round at my pre-op appointment and he said I would end up looking even more like her."

 In addition to her rhinoplasty and chin implant, Bunny has regular Botox every three months and lip and facial fillers twice per year.She also follows a healthy diet to maintain her slender Bella-like figure and plans to undergo further cosmetic work.

                                      

                                                                                                 Before/ after

                              

                                                                Transition

                                      

                                                                           Before/after

Yvonne Jegede stirs rumours of breakup from Abounce, as she deletes all her photos on Instagram

Few months ago, it was a double celebration for Nollywood actress, Yvonne Jegede, who got engaged to rapper, Abounce on her 33rd birthday.
Abounce, who also doubles as Bukky Ajayi's son popped the marriage proposal question and she said a resounding Yes!

Since then, she has been flooding her Insgram page with their loved up photos. Lasgidinims  just noticed that Yvonne also called Choco Baby by her close friends had deleted all the photos on her social media platform (Expect that of Genevieve Magazine) without any explanation.

The pair were also captured in a picture with Jazzman Olofin, who is a close friend of the rapper

Her fans has been asking series of questions concerning her proposed marriage!

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Bayelsa rejects Police Recruitment List due to Fraudulent Act

                   



The Bayelsa State Government has rejected the list of new police recruits recently approved by the federal government, describing the process as fraudulent.

It condemned in ‘strong and unequivocal terms’, the manner and mode of the recruitment exercise into the Nigeria Police Force and called for an immediate probe into the process.

A government statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, described the process as not only lopsided, but a fraud against the people of the state.

The statement noted that a situation where names of non-Bayelsans were used to fill positions meant for the people of the state, was not acceptable and totally against the principles of federal character and due process.

According to the government, while each local government area across the country was meant to produce 10 candidates, those of Bayelsa were filled with fictitious names of persons, who are not from the particular local government areas.

The government emphasised that Bayelsa, made up of eight local government areas was entitled to 80 candidates, but added that the lopsided manner in which the recruitment exercise was conducted, has further depleted the state’s quota.

It called on the ICPC, Police Service Commission and Federal Character Commissions, as well as other related agencies of government to urgently investigate, correct the anomaly and equally bring the perpetrators of the “fraud” to book.

It stressed that failure to correct the seeming imbalance and fraud against Bayelsa and the Ijaw ethnic nationality, would be seen as a deliberate move by the Nigerian system to short-change the state, its people and the entire Ijaw ethnic nationality.

Diamond Platnumz's wife Zari flaunts bare belly 7 days after the birth of her 5th child

                            

 Diamond Platnumz's wife ,Zari gave birth to her 5th child  7 days ago.The proud mother who's last child is her second with the Tanzanian star, wrote

Good morning.... ladies no need to worry coz our bodies are different. But I did exercise during pregnancy which has helped my body get bk within 7days.... and for those stretch marks keep using olive oil during and after pregnancy.

See Photos from Mercy Johnson's 3rd child's birthday party

Actress Mercy Johnson Okojie's third child, Angel turned 1 on 10th ecember, 2016 and her parents threw her a party.Angel is her second daughter and last child. more photos after the cut...