Why Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun Borrowed N25 Billion

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, yesterday, explained that he obtained a N25 billion loan from the capital market to fund some road projects to save the state from collapsing through infrastructure decay.

Amosun, who stated this while inspecting some ongoing projects in Ogun West Senatorial District, pledged that his administration would, before the end of this year, offset N15 to N18 billion of the N25 billion loan obtained during his first two years in office.

 

He said: “When we came, what we met on ground discouraged us then, but we had to take the bull by the horn. We knew it was our cross, we had to face it and that is why we are borrowing short and spending long.

 

“Again, it is hard, it is tortuous but that is the part that we met. There is nothing we can do; otherwise the government would have collapsed. That is what they think will happen because they believed there was no way out.

 

“Somehow, the benevolence of the almighty God, support of the good people of Ogun State and our professional calling have stood us in good stead. And that is why in this year alone, we are going to pay about 15 or 18 billion naira back.

 

“If I borrowed N25 billion the first year and we pay about 12 out of the 18 billion, then how much we are owing? Maybe six.”

 

“Every month we are paying back. It is difficult, it is tough. That is what we are doing and thank God we would finish.”

Shocked Fishermen Caught Huge Record-Breaking Shark (Video&Photos)

If the 1,323-pound  mako shark hooked off the coast of Huntington Beach checks out, it would not only set a new world weight record but would also rank in the top half-percent of catches on file, officials said, USA.

[Scroll down for video]
Jack Vitek is the world records coordinator for the International Game Fish Assn., the Florida-based group that has regularly tracked world-record catches since 1939, with some dating to the 1860s.
He confirmed that if Monday's catch meets the group's requirements, it would break the standing mako record set in July 2001, when a 1,221-pound (nearly 600 kilos) shark was hauled in off the coast of Chatham, Mass.
It takes about two months for the IGFA to verify domestic catches, Vitek said. The fishermen must submit an application including basic information about the catch, along with photos and the actual tackle used, and the scale must meet requirements. For big catches, he said, witness testimony is usually also required.
And this catch is “enormous,” he said. “Absolutely.” Of the 6,850 world records the IGFA has on file, only 23 involve fish topping 1,300 pounds, Vitek said. That means the Huntington Beach mako would fall within the top half-percent.
The largest catch on record was a 2,664-pound great white shark reeled in off the coast of Australia in 1959, Vitek said.
“Seeing a fish over 1,000 pounds -- whether it’s a shark, a tuna or a billfish -- it’s extremely rare,” he said.
“They’re a very elite game fish, and to have the all-tackle IGFA record is any kind of big game angler’s dream,” he said. “There may or may not be anything tangible in terms of financial reward or endorsement, but just having that credit to your name and having that honor is pretty big.”
Kent Williams, who owns the New Fishall Bait Co. in Gardena, where the mako was being held, said the fishermen who caught the shark would be in contact with the IFGA about the potential record.
Williams said the captain of the boat, Matt Potter -- known as "Mako Matt" -- has been a customer for years and buys thousands of dollars worth of bait. About 3 p.m. Monday, Williams received a text from Potter: "I think we got one over a grand, finally."
At least two videographers involved in an Outdoor Channel reality television show -- "Jim Shockey's The Professionals" -- were on the fishing boat and the massive catch is already being promoted online.
Corey Knowlton, one of the co-hosts of the show, described the shark: "It's basically like a giant nightmare swimming around."
Makos are common off the coast of Southern California, which is considered a “nursery ground” for the young sharks, according to Nick Wegner, a fisheries research biologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

They tend to stay in open-ocean area -- they don’t come to the surf zone and “very rarely have any interactions with people,” Wegner said, though fishermen commonly catch smaller makos between 2.5 and 6 feet long.
“Encountering one this big is rare,” he said. David McGuire, director of Shark Stewards, a Bay Area-based nonprofit that advocates for the protection of sharks, said he believed the mako should have been released.
“I’m a little shocked by it,” he said. “It’s really something you see more in Florida than in California, where we have more of a conservation ethic.”

Caught In The Act: Students Film Naked Man Having Sex With Dog

The police thought they had seen it all, until this morning. 
Students on the way to Denby High School, Detroit, saw a man having sex with a dog. They shot video on their cell phone and showed it to school security, who called police.
When they arrived, they found a naked man sitting on the ground behind two vacant houses near the corner of Kelly and Spring Garden.
He rushed a female officer, but he was subdued.He was also bleeding from his head. It turns out, he tried to get into a stolen car nearby that had New Jersey plates.
Police contacted the man's brother who said the man had mental issues and used drugs.
He was taken to St. John Hospital for evaluation. The dog is believed to be a pit bull or mix. It is not clear if charges will be issued against the man.
To end it all, the female officer collapsed on the scene from exhaustion. She had worked past her 12 hour shift.

Desmond Elliot Brags, Promise To Give A Full Refund If You Don't Enjoy His New Movie 'The Place'

Giving a very rare money-back-guarantee, actor, Desmond Elliot has declared that he would refund people's money if they find his new movie, The Place, wanting. 

In a statement released from his office, he said, 'I know this is not the kind of things people say in Nollywood but I'm staking all on this movie, if you buy the DVD and its not 'very funny' to you, contact me, I will refund your money in full' he said.
Continuing, the actor-director said without sounding immodest, The Place is his biggest movie project so far. 'I know this will come across as chest-thumping to some people but it is not. I am 110% sure of this movie. This movie is my biggest project so far and so different from everything I have done. One, it is a comedy, two, the script is 'lively and engaging', you won't be able to do any other thing while watching this movie. If the movie fall short of your expectation, I'll refund your money. That is a promise. You can contact me on Twitter or through the store you purchase the DVD but it has to be the original DVD' he stressed.

Watch movie trailer below...

 

 

The place, a comedy flick written by comedian, Mr. Patrick is the story of a book stolen from ‘The Place’ by an evil man. It needs to be retrieved before the evil man destroys the world. Who will save the world from destruction? Two unlikely heroes, Bishop Imeh and Mr Patrick decide to take the bull by the horn; the unfolding plots, dialogues and special effects form the basis for the ‘biggest comedy movie in recent times’ according to producer and director, Desmond Elliot.
 Produced under joint production of Uche Jombo Studios and Denziot Production, The Place will be released directly to DVD on Monday, June 10, 2013 nationwide through Denziot Production.
Other acts in the movie are:  Uche Jombo, Gordons, Mr. Patrick Onyeka, Bishop Ime-Umoh, Jude Orhorha, Ruth Kadiri and Helen Paul.

Chanel Designer, Karl Lagerfeld Wants To Marry His Cat

He dotes on her so much that he admits she is like a ‘kept woman’. So perhaps it is no surprise that Karl Lagerfeld has revealed that he would marry his pet cat if he could.
The German-born Chanel designer said that he never thought it was possible to love the one-year-old as much as he does.
The fashion guru’s love for his cat, called Choupette, which translates as Herbie, is the stuff of legend in fashion industry circles.
He showers her with attention and pays for two personal maids to provide 24-hour care for her at his Paris mansion.
She has her own pillow and dines with Lagerfeld at the table twice a day on her own specially prepared meals.
Choupette even has her own iPad and when Lagerfeld is not there, the maids write down everything she does in little books so he can catch up on it later.
Her trusty tablet computer must come in handy when Choupette wants to check her Twitter feed – @Choupettesdiary has 27,442 followers.
The cat’s biography reads: ‘I’m a famous beauty who refuses to eat on the floor & my maids pamper my every need. I am Choupette Lagerfeld and I am a spoiled pussy. #Chanel #KarlLagerfeld.’
In an interview the designer said that, much to his disappointment, there is ‘no marriage, yet, for human beings and animals’.
‘I never thought that I would fall in love like this with a cat’ he said.

Calabar Community Still Practices Trade By Barter

Some weeks ago, Channels Television reported on the point of no return in Esuk Mba Community, Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State and promised to bring do another report on a practise still in Esuk Mba traceable to the 18th century still which is still in existence.
Part two of the Esuk Mba story, takes us to the trade by Barter Market, where this form of exchange has refused to evolve irrespective of the importance attached to the Nigerian currency note in our contemporary times.
The Esuk Mba trade by barter market was a focal point in Nigeria’s dark era of slave trade which made delivery of about 30 percent of the total slaves shipped out of the country at the ‘point of no return’ through a bush track behind the market.
Many decades after the abolition of slavery, the Esuk Mba Market is still standing and plays host to traders from the neighbouring states and communities who bring in, the proceeds from their farms in exchange of what they do not have, but need at the moment.
Other products exchanged at the market are sea foods like the periwinkle popularly known as ‘Enfee- in efik language, crayfish, fish, fruits and other produce.
The market is a weekly one, it holds every Saturday from 7am and terminates at 10am for the barter section and on a day like this, you can be sure of getting value for what you are exchanging for.
Ambrose Akpanika, an elder statesman and a High Chief of the Calabar Kingdom, traced the root of this practise and its economy stability factor in the Nation’s currency.

Poorest President In The World Turns Down Peace Prize Nomination

Known for its simplicity, the President of Uruguay, José "Pepe" Mujica doesn't want to compete for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Dutch NGO Drugs Peace Institute launched a campaign to accompany the indication of the Uruguayan leader for his initiative to grant the State control of production, distribution and sale of marijuana to fight drug trafficking.
"Mujica is the first president who proposed to end this war that serves no one, only to vested interests," said the president of the NGO, Frans Bronkhorst.
After 77 years, the president of Uruguay lives on a small farm on the outskirts of Montevideo with his wife, where he grows flowers and vegetables to sell in local markets.
His monthly salary is $12.500, 90% of which he donates for the construction of housing.

In an interview last Friday, 31 May, Mujica said:
"They are crazy. That peace prize, prize or anything.
If you give me a prize would be such an honor for the humble Uruguay to get a few pesos more to make houses.
In Uruguay we have many single women with 4 and 5 children because men abandoned them and fight for them to have a decent roof.
Well, for that would make sense. But the peace it takes in, and the prize I already have.
The award is in the streets of my country. In the embrace of my companions, in humble homes, in bars, in ordinary people.
In my country I walk down the street and I eat at this bar without any paraphernalia people of the state. "

PDP ignores Rivers Court Ruling On Amaechi

The national leadership of the Peo

Mr Amaechi was suspended by the National Working Committee of the party on Monday last week over the removal of the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Timothy Nsirim, and 17 councillors from office.
Dissatisfied with the party’s action, the governor approached the court to challenge his suspension.
The court, presided over by Emmanuel Ogbuji, had last Friday restrained the PDP from taking further action against the embattled governor pending the hearing of a substantive suit challenging his suspension from the party.
The court also asked the governor to serve the PDP the necessary court processes by pasting them on the walls of the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
However, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh denied that the party was restrained from taking further action against Mr. Amaechi, saying there was no ruling on the matter but that there was an action in the court.
“Have you seen a copy of the ruling you are talking about?” Mr. Metuh asked PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview on Wednesday.
“If you have seen it let me know. There was no court ruling, there was a court action.”
The PDP spokesman confirmed that the 11-member committee set up by the party to investigate the Rivers State governor has been sitting, adding that it has already invited memoranda from people to give evidence.
Asked if the committee’s sittings and actions are not illegal since the issue is already in court, Mr. Metuh said though he was not mandated to speak for the committee, its chairman, Joe Gadzama, is a senior lawyer who would do everything within the ambit of the law.
Meanwhile, there are no indications that Mr. Amaechi posted the court documents on the walls of the PDP secretariat.

Senate Rejects State Creation, Rotational Presidency

Two contentious political issues, state creation and rotational presidency, have been rejected by the Senate.
In its report on the review of the 1999 constitution submitted Wednesday, the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution disclosed that none of the 61 requests for state creation satisfied the provision for the creation of a new state in the constitution.
According to the committee, more of those requests coupled with the entire provision of section 8(1) which states: “An act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if:
(a) a request, supported by at least two-third majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new state) in each of the following namely,
(i) the Senate and the House of Representatives
(ii) the House of Assembly in respect of the area and
(iii) the local government councils in respect of the area, is received by the National Assembly;
(b) a proposal for the creation of the state is thereafter approved in a referendum by at least two-third majority of the people of the area where the demand for the creation of the state originated;
(c) the result of the referendum is then approved by a simple majority of all the states of the federation supported by a simple majority of members of the Houses of Assembly;
and (d) the proposal is approved by a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of members of each House of the National Assembly.”
The committee also rejected rotation of executive offices on the grounds that the constitution should not make Nigerian leadership subject to ethnic or regional considerations. It added that the matter should be a matter of consideration among the various political parties.

On foreign accounts, the senate committee recommended that the prohibition of foreign accounts as contained in section 3 of Part 1 of the fifth schedule of the constitution should be maintained. “Making any alteration is most likely to be received with misgivings and outrage by Nigerians as it may portray the National Assembly as self serving,” it added.

Driver, 105: 'I don't think I'm old'

Ngataki, New Zealand (AP) — Bob Edwards was born before the first Model T rolled out of Henry Ford's factory in Detroit. He learned to drive in a French car that had a lever instead of a steering wheel. And he's still on the road, only now in a red four-wheel-drive Mitsubishi.
The oldest licensed driver in New Zealand, and one of the oldest in the world, has been driving for 88 of his 105 years and has no plans to give it up, just as he intends to keep working out every morning in his home gym, and to keep regularly cooking meals for himself and his wife, who's 91.
"In fact, I don't think I'm old," Edwards says. "Not really."
He's been involved in just one crash in his life and has gotten just one speeding ticket, a citation that still gets him riled up years later.
When he broke his left hip three years ago, his doctors said to stop driving for six weeks but he didn't pay them much mind. After all, he says, he drives an automatic and only needs his right leg for that.
In New Zealand, drivers older than 80 must have their health and vision tested every two years to stay on the road.
According to Guinness World Records, the world's oldest driver was American Fred Hale Sr. who was on the road until his 108th birthday in 1998.
Edwards drives three times a week to the store 15 kilometers (9 miles) down the road. He picks up groceries on Sundays and the newspapers on other days. Occasionally, he says, he'll drive farther afield, to a medical appointment or to visit friends.
For much of the rest of his working life, he captained tourist and car ferries, fibbing about his age so he could work beyond what was then the mandatory retirement age of 60.
His wife, Lesley, stopped driving about 30 years ago. Her husband always took the wheel, anyway, and he will stay with it as long as he can.
"As far as I'm concerned, driving is a part of me," he says. "I mean, that was me. I was a driver. And I could drive anything. Anything at all."

n't think I'm old'

Ngataki, New Zealand (AP) — Bob Edwards was born before the first Model T rolled out of Henry Ford's factory in Detroit. He learned to drive in a French car that had a lever instead of a steering wheel. And he's still on the road, only now in a red four-wheel-drive Mitsubishi.
The oldest licensed driver in New Zealand, and one of the oldest in the world, has been driving for 88 of his 105 years and has no plans to give it up, just as he intends to keep working out every morning in his home gym, and to keep regularly cooking meals for himself and his wife, who's 91.
"In fact, I don't think I'm old," Edwards says. "Not really."
He's been involved in just one crash in his life and has gotten just one speeding ticket, a citation that still gets him riled up years later.
When he broke his left hip three years ago, his doctors said to stop driving for six weeks but he didn't pay them much mind. After all, he says, he drives an automatic and only needs his right leg for that.
In New Zealand, drivers older than 80 must have their health and vision tested every two years to stay on the road.
According to Guinness World Records, the world's oldest driver was American Fred Hale Sr. who was on the road until his 108th birthday in 1998.
Edwards drives three times a week to the store 15 kilometers (9 miles) down the road. He picks up groceries on Sundays and the newspapers on other days. Occasionally, he says, he'll drive farther afield, to a medical appointment or to visit friends.
For much of the rest of his working life, he captained tourist and car ferries, fibbing about his age so he could work beyond what was then the mandatory retirement age of 60.
His wife, Lesley, stopped driving about 30 years ago. Her husband always took the wheel, anyway, and he will stay with it as long as he can.
"As far as I'm concerned, driving is a part of me," he says. "I mean, that was me. I was a driver. And I could drive anything. Anything at all."

Driver, 105: 'I don't think I'm old'

Ngataki, New Zealand (AP) — Bob Edwards was born before the first Model T rolled out of Henry Ford's factory in Detroit. He learned to drive in a French car that had a lever instead of a steering wheel. And he's still on the road, only now in a red four-wheel-drive Mitsubishi.
The oldest licensed driver in New Zealand, and one of the oldest in the world, has been driving for 88 of his 105 years and has no plans to give it up, just as he intends to keep working out every morning in his home gym, and to keep regularly cooking meals for himself and his wife, who's 91.
"In fact, I don't think I'm old," Edwards says. "Not really."
He's been involved in just one crash in his life and has gotten just one speeding ticket, a citation that still gets him riled up years later.
When he broke his left hip three years ago, his doctors said to stop driving for six weeks but he didn't pay them much mind. After all, he says, he drives an automatic and only needs his right leg for that.
In New Zealand, drivers older than 80 must have their health and vision tested every two years to stay on the road.
According to Guinness World Records, the world's oldest driver was American Fred Hale Sr. who was on the road until his 108th birthday in 1998.
Edwards drives three times a week to the store 15 kilometers (9 miles) down the road. He picks up groceries on Sundays and the newspapers on other days. Occasionally, he says, he'll drive farther afield, to a medical appointment or to visit friends.
For much of the rest of his working life, he captained tourist and car ferries, fibbing about his age so he could work beyond what was then the mandatory retirement age of 60.
His wife, Lesley, stopped driving about 30 years ago. Her husband always took the wheel, anyway, and he will stay with it as long as he can.
"As far as I'm concerned, driving is a part of me," he says. "I mean, that was me. I was a driver. And I could drive anything. Anything at all."

Police Uncovered Secret Underground City, 200 Arrested (Photos&Video)

A secret underground city where hundreds of migrant workers were kept illegally to work has been raided by police in Moscow.

Footage from the Russian government showed a web of rooms that formed a clothing sewing factory town, complete with living quarters, cafe, cinema, casino and even a chicken coop.

More than 200 people were arrested when police raided the dwelling hidden beneath the capital's Cherkizovsky Market.
It is the second such find beneath Moscow in as many years. Illegal migrants were found by police in an abandoned Soviet-era bomb shelter in 2011.

Watch Video:

Soldiers Shoot Muslims "On The Spot" As Part Of The Fight Against Boko Haram

For the soldiers, the young men’s long, flowing robes — the traditional garb of Muslim West Africa — were enough to establish guilt, the refugees said; Bosso, Niger.

Nigerians gathered to register as refugees in Bosso, Niger. Some said the Nigerian Army had been killing civilians in its battle against insurgents
“As soon as they see you with clothing like this, they shoot,” said Abukar Ari, a Koranic teacher in a long robe who said he had fled across the border from Nigeria two weeks before. “They don’t ask any questions. I’ve seen them shoot people. Yes, I’ve seen them shoot.”
Other refugees in the registration lines of thousands who had fled Nigeria’s combat zone echoed these assertions, saying civilians were being killed there by soldiers unconcerned with the distinction between militants and innocents.
Friends and neighbors were being shot, they said; young men were being rounded up at night; and citizens with the vertical ethnic scarring of the Kanuri, a group dominant in the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, were being taken away.
“They are killing people without asking who they are,” said Laminou Lawan, a student who said he had fled here 10 days before. “When they see young men in traditional robes, they shoot them on the spot. They catch many of the others and take them away, and we don’t hear from them again.”
Nearly three weeks ago, Nigeria launched what it depicted as an all-out land and air campaign to crush the Boko Haram insurgency, using thousands of troops, vehicles and even fighter jets and helicopter gunships just over the border from here, where Nigerian officials say the insurgents have their stronghold.
The Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, suggesting that he was fed up with the four-year uprising by Boko Haram, announced “extraordinary measures” in the country’s north and placed a large part of it under a state of emergency, ordering troops to “take all necessary action” to end an insurgency that he said was now threatening the country’s foundations.
Nigeria’s foreign partners, including the United States, which considers the country an important ally in the fight against Islamist militancy, have watched warily, with Secretary of State John Kerry pointedly warning the Nigerian military about what he called “credible allegations” that Nigerian forces had committed “gross human rights violations” in the period before the offensive began.
Last month, more than 200 people were killed in what local officials, residents and human rights groups say was a sweeping massacre by Nigerian forces in the nearby village of Baga, in northern Nigeria. Analysts have long questioned whether Nigeria’s heavy-handed counterinsurgency strategy, which has resulted in numerous civilian deaths since 2009, may be having the opposite effect of the one intended, increasing anger at the Nigerian state and driving new recruits to the militants.
But Mr. Kerry has not specifically raised the question of human rights abuses during the latest offensive, and for a good reason: it is difficult to get a clear idea of what is happening. Since its start, much of northern Nigeria has been under a communications blackout, as cellphone service has been cut, physical access has been limited and information restricted to a series of military communiqués.
{read+more}They have announced the “capture and destruction” of Boko Haram camps, the deaths of “high-profile” Boko Haram members and other “terrorists,” the “disarray” of militants, the discovery and destruction of weapons caches, and the “securing” of various towns and settlements in the north from Boko Haram.
Nigerian military spokesmen have been at pains to deny any misconduct against civilians during the campaign, trying to reassure the country’s allies by announcing that they were pleased soldiers were sticking to what they called “the rules of engagement.” A spokesman did not respond Friday to a request for comment on the refugees’ accounts.
But some of the refugees who have massed here in this remote border village at the far eastern edge of Niger — there are at least 5,000 of them, and possibly as many as 10,000 in the area, officials say — described the fighting in terms that varied widely from the military communiqués.
Their testimony is among the first independent accounts of the Nigerian military’s offensive, and they spoke of indiscriminate bombing and shooting, unexplained civilian deaths, nighttime roundups of young men by security forces. All spoke of a climate of terror that had pushed them, in the thousands, to flee for miles through the harsh and baking semidesert, sometimes on foot, to Niger.
A few blamed Boko Haram — a shadowy, rarely glimpsed presence for most residents — for the violence. But the overwhelming majority blamed the military, saying they had fled their country because of it. They had come from multiple villages in Nigeria to one of the poorest nations on earth, overwhelming local officials. But at least here, they said, the soldiers of the Republic of Niger are drowsing under a giant tree at the border, not pointing their guns at the civilians who continue to cross it
“The military just opens fire and kills people, and throws bombs and kills people, for no reason,” said Abubakar Ali, a shoe salesman waiting in one of the registration lines. “That is why you see these people here,” he said, pointing out at the crowd. “That is what is happening now in Nigeria.” Others in the crowd said that friends and neighbors had been shot during the offensive.
They could not always identify the source of the shooting, but they could easily identify the victims. “I’ve seen the wounded; these are people I know,” said Muhammad Yacoubu, a farmer. “The military are looking for Boko Haram, but if they don’t find them, they take revenge,” said Moustapha Ali, a shopkeeper. Ousmane Boukari, a herdsman, said, “They bombed on Saturday, and they missed their targets; they’re just firing at random, they don’t even know where the Boko Haram are.”
Modu Goni, another refugee, said: “At night you hear the shooting, and in the morning you find the bodies, people from the village. When you see your friends dead, it’s scary.” Others spoke of seizures of young men by security forces, a pattern already established in the insurgents’ stronghold city of Maiduguri, according to residents there.
“The soldiers took the young men away, at least 10 of them, at night; it’s at night that they make their raids,” said Sherrif Alhadji Abdu, another refugee. “They band their eyes, and take them away. They took away my friends.” At the edge of this village, some of the refugees have erected crude reed shelters in the sand, or simply posted sticks in the ground and placed rags over them.
Abou Boukar, a farmer, had just finished building a reed hut. Anything was better than staying in Nigeria, he said. Boko Haram had built a camp near his village. The next day, he saw a Nigerian air force plane flying overhead. “This doesn’t look good,” he recalled saying to himself. And then he fled to Niger.

Is Walking As Beneficial As Running?

There are many reasons why people start running: to stay slim, boost energy or snag that treadmill next to our longtime gym crush. Running can help keep the heart healthy, improve mood and stave off sickness, plus recent studies have found running is a great way to lose and maintain weight. But research suggests going full speed isn't the only route to good health.
Now Walk (Or Run?) It Out –- The Need-To-Know
While walking can provide many of the same health benefits associated with running, recent research suggests running may be the better bet for those looking to shed some pounds. Unsurprisingly, people expend two-and-a-half times more energy running than walking, whether that's on the track or on the treadmill. So for a 160-lb person, running burns about 800 calories an hour compared to about 300 calories walking. And that equates to a pretty sizeable slice of pizza (who doesn’t love cheat day rewards?).
More interesting, a recent study found that even when runners and walkers expended equal amounts of energy (meaning walkers spent more time exercising and covered greater distances), runners still lost more weight. Not only did the runners begin the study slimmer than the walkers; they also had a better chance of maintaining their BMI and waist circumference.
That difference could possibly be explained by another recent study, which suggests that running regulates our appetite hormones better than walking. After running or walking, participants were invited to a buffet, where walkers consumed 50 calories more than they had burned and runners ate 200 calories more than they’d burned. Runners also had higher levels of the hormone peptide YY, which may suppress appetite.
Beyond losing weight, walking may still be super beneficial to our health. Researchers looked at data from the National Runners’ Health Study and the National Walkers’ Health Study and found that people who expended the same amount of calories -- regardless of whether they were walking or running -- saw pretty much the same health benefits. We're talking a reduced risk of hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes, and better cardiovascular health.
But even the most time-efficient athletes might want to think twice before sprinting away all the time. Running puts more stress on the bodyand increases the risk for injuries like runner’s knee, hamstring strains, and the dreaded shin splits (which plague even the most consistent runners).
Walk This Way -- Your Action Plan
When running isn't in the cards, walking with weights might be the next best solution to getting in an energized workout. One study showed walking at a 4 mph on the treadmill with hand and ankle weights was comparable to jogging at 5 mph without the extra poundage. (And if anyone looks twice, hand weights are totally in right now, don’t they know?)
No matter which pace feels right, always make sure the body is ready for action. Sixty percent of runners experience an injury serious enough to keep them from being active. So remember that a sweat session may be too strenuous if talking to that workout buddy leaves us gasping for air (a.k.a. the talk test FAIL).
Listening to the body and completing a proper warm–up and cool down are all ways to prevent injuries, so stay informed and spend more time running on the treadmill (and less time running to the doctor).
Bored with both walking and running? There are about, oh, a bazillion other ways to keep active, from yoga and pilates to weight lifting and mountain biking, and pretty much everything in between. Don’t be afraid to try new activities to stay happy and healthy!
The Takeaway
Regular cardio (at any speed) can help keep the body healthy, not to mention improve mood and energy levels. But, lap for lap, running burns about 2.5 times more calories than walking. Running may also help control appetite, so runners may lose more weight than walkers no matter how far the walkers go. Still, running isn't for everyone; going full-speed might increase injury risk. Adding hand and ankle weights can help pick up the intensity while maintaining a slower pace.

Suspected Ritualist Remanded In Prison (Photo)

A suspected ritualist, Jacob Olaniyan has been arraigned before an Ilorin Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stabbing a teacher, one Mrs. Popoola Bola for ritual purposes.
He was alleged to have stabbed the teacher working with Dolapo Group of Schools all over her body with a knife on May 31, at Tanke Area, Ilorin.
According to the Charge Sheet, the accused stabbed the victim when she was buying food during break period at the school but luck ran out of him, when the victim got rescued by some roadside mechanics who responded to her shouts for help.
The prosecutor, Inspector Baliqees Adu, told the court that investigations revealed that the accused was a habitual criminal and had earlier killed a mother and her daughter in the same area five years ago.
According to her, “The accused was arraigned on a two-count charge of causing grievous hurt and attempt to commit culpable homicide, contrary to Sections 248 of the Penal Code Law.”
During the trial, the prosecutor objected to the bail request for the accused on the grounds that the alleged offences were not bail able.
In his ruling, the presiding Magistrate, Mr. Moses Adeniyi ordered Olaniyan to be remanded at the Mondala Maximum Security Prison Yard, Ilorin and adjourned the case to June 18 for mention.

Woman, Who Did Not Know She Was Pregnant, Gives Birth

An aspiring half-marathon runner in Minnesota attributed her unbearable back pain to a two-hour training session. A day later, she was cradling a newborn.
Trish Staine, 33, says she had no idea she was pregnant before Monday's surprise birth. The Duluth mother of three said she hadn't gained any weight or felt fetal movement in the months before. And besides, her husband had a vasectomy.
"I said 'no, no, that's impossible,' " Staine said Wednesday from her Duluth hospital room.
"I definitely thought I was done having kids," she joked. Staine and her husband, John, have a daughter, 7, and a son, 11. She's also stepmother to John's three boys, ages 17, 19 and 20.
Staine said she ran for about two hours Sunday in preparation for the Garry Bjorklund half-marathon on June 22.
"I had a sore back Sunday evening. I had taken a hot shower and was dealing with it," Staine said. "Monday morning, I woke up and had more back pain, and as the day went on it got worse. I thought I should go to the ER. I thought I ruptured a disc or pulled a muscle."
But she soldiered on, watching her husband play basketball at noon and going to her daughter's short play. When Staine got home, she thought a bath might help her pain.
As she talked to her husband on the phone, Staine said her pain was becoming unbearable. Her husband called an ambulance.
"I felt like I was dying. I didn't know what was going on," she said.
During the emergency room examination, Staine and her husband were stunned to learn medical staff had detected a fetal heartbeat. She was whisked to the delivery room and in what she said seemed like 5 minutes later, her daughter was born at 3:25 p.m. Monday. She weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces, and was 18.9 inches long.
Staine said her husband has a good sense of humor.
"He's still in shock. Everybody is teasing him," she said.
Born about 5 weeks early, the Staines expect they will be able to take their baby home in about a week, a girl they have named Mira – short for Miracle.

Corps Coordinator: 5 NYSC Members Die In Jigawa

Five members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) died in Jigawa in the last 12 months, the state Coordinator of the corps, Mr Ishaya Dede, said on Thursday.
Dede told the News Agency of Nigeria in Dutse that four of them died in separate auto accidents while one from illness.
He said that the service year of six, out of 1,232 members deployed to the state, had been extended by 12 months.
He said the corps members were penalised for allegedly absconding from their places of primary assignment.
Dede urged employers to furnish the corps authorities with vital information on corps members to enable them to monitor their movement.
The coordinator also appealed to the state government to provide additional hostels at the Yakubu Gowon NYSC Orientation camp.
Dede said the call was imperative to address the accommodation problem being experienced by members at the camp.
“Additional male hostels should be constructed at the camp to meet the growing number of members deployed to the state.
“There is also the need to complete the shopping mall at the camp to stimulate trade and improve the well being of the corps members,” he added.
NAN recalled that Jigawa Government constructed an ultra-modern orientation camp to enhance the scheme operations in the state.
The camp was inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan in November 2012.

Guard Dismissed, Inspector Demoted After Rape In Police Cell

Abraka police station cell guard has been dismissed from the police force as a fall-out of the rape of Mrs. Ese Isaiah Ozegbe by two men inside the station’s cell. Besides, a police inspector, Mrs. Erebi Akporunor has been demoted to the rank of sergeant.
The dismissal and demotion were the outcome of an orderly room trial carried out by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 5, Benin of 11 policemen in connection with the rape saga.
Mrs. Ese Isaiah Ozegbe, who was arrested on the February 26 this year, following a quarrel with her neighbour, was said to have been detained among men at Abraka police station, where two men were said to have raped her in turn.
Policemen on duty that fateful night allegedly paid deaf ears to her cry for help.
The two men, who allegedly raped Mrs. Ozegbe, are currently standing trial at a Magistrate Court in Abraka.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Ozegbe through her counsel, Efe Ejomafuvwe, had instituted a suit at the Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State,
In the suit, she is claiming the sum of N750 million damages against the Nigeria Police Force. Hearing in the case had been fixed for June 13, 2013.
RELATED ARTICLE: Rape In Police Cell: 11 Policemen Face Trial Today In Benin

Driver Killed As Vehicle Plunges Into River In Bayelsa

The driver of a white Toyota Hilux truck has been killed when his vehicle plunged into a river at Okoso on Sagabama -Zarama road, Bayelsa State.
Road users plying the East- West road have, for long, lamented the poor condition on the Okoso Bridge.
It will be recalled that the road has witnessed several accidents with fatalities, even as there is ongoing rehabilitation by the Setraco Construction Company.
It was learnt that the vehicle was coming from Delta State before it crashed into the river.
Investigations revealed that the driver was the only occupant in the vehicle, as the corpse has been deposited at the Odi General Hospital morgue in Kolokuma.
In an interview, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Vincent Jack confirmed the incident .
In another development, a fatal road crash occurred on Amassoma road in Southern Ijaw Local Government, claiming several students from the Niger Delta University, Amassoma.
Among the survivors was a pregnant woman currently receiving treatment at Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri near Yenagoa.

S Africa migrants battle rising persecution

Brutal murder of Somali in South Africa draws ire of foreign African nationals over rising xenophobic violence.

Violence against migrants has flared in recent weeks, especially in some of South Africa's poor areas

Johannesburg, South Africa - In a country with a history of violence like South Africa, there are few scenes of brutality that can still shock the nation. The video that emerged on YouTube last weekend of a Somali man lying flat in a Port Elizabeth street has shocked many South Africans out of a general complacence over the rising incidence of violence against foreigners in the country. The man, who was stripped naked, his genitals pelted with rocks, stones smashed over his head all the while receiving kicks to the face, became the latest victim of xenophobic violence in the country. The 25-year-old man, Abdi Nasir Mahmoud Good, died of his injuries. Good is just one of the victims of the xenophobic violence that flared through northern Port Elizabeth and up to four other towns and cities across the country last week. Five other Somalis were injured in the violence and almost every Somali-owned business in Port Elizabeth’s Booysen Park was burned or looted. Good's family said he had been trying to salvage his goods in the small store he owned in Booysens Park when he met the ire of a mob. National problem Before the wave of violence hit Port Elizabeth, the sprawling township of Diepsloot in Johannesburg was a scene of chaos after a Somali shopkeeper killed two Zimbabweans he suspected to be thieves on the evening of Sunday, May 26. Angered by the shootings, Diepsloot residents turned their attention on the Somalis, Pakistanis and other foreign nationals doing business in the township. Nineteen foreign-owned stores were attacked in a frenzy of xenophobic violence and looting over the next two days. Though calm has been restored to Diepsloot, the Somali store at the centre of the issue remains closed. A co-owner of the store, Amina Hassan Abdi, a Somali woman who fled the conflict in the Horn of Africa in 2007, said the violence essentially destroyed her livelihood. Timeline: Migrant violence 2008: Over 60 people killed and thousands displaced in violence across the country. 2009: 2500 immigrants (mostly Zimbabweans) were displaced in the farming town of De Doorns in the Western Cape after riots against them. 2010: The South African government formed the inter-ministerial committee on xenophobia. 2011: Around 120 foreign nationals killed, of which five were burnt alive. 2012: 140 foreign nationals killed and 250 others injured in violent attacks across the country 2013 March: More than 25 Somali-owned shops were looted in Mamelodi outside of Pretoria; Five Pakistani nationals were murdered in Mitchells Plain. May: Somali man stoned and hacked to death in Port Elizabeth, five other Somalis injured but scores of shops looted in up to 4 towns and cities. “You need money to open the shop again and I now have none,” she said. Abdi also previously worked as a street vendor in Diepsloot. She said the discrimination she faced every day forced her to give up her stall. "I don’t look like a South African and I wear this,” she said, pointing to her hijab. “Every day I was getting too much trouble, people were swearing me, they were shouting me, stealing my stuff ... they don't like us,” she said. Just days before the looting of Somali-owned stores in Diepsloot, some 60 km south of Johannesburg, in the township of Sebokeng, foreign-owned stores were also systematically looted after a protest against poor governance in the area catalysed into a campaign to root out foreigners and foreign-owned businesses from the township. By the time the police stepped in, all foreign-owned stores had been looted, the belongings of foreign nationals were burned and foreigners were driven out of the township. Despite the targeting, the South African government has been quick to caution against labelling this surge in violence as xenophobia because "preliminary evidence indicates that these acts may be driven primarily by criminality". Al Jazeera requested comment repeatedly from the office of South Africa's president of the department of home affairs and the South African police services, but recieved no response. Labelling the violence as just crime creates a false debate, said Biniam Misgun, lecturer in the School of Sociology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, in Durban. "When you see a group intentionally attacked and their shops looted because they are foreign, then you cannot just say it's criminality driving this," Misgun told Al Jazeera. Misgun's assertions that these are hate crimes are corroborated by statistics. In 2011, around 120 foreign nationals were killed, of whom five were burnt alive. In 2012, 140 foreigners were killed and 250 others injured in violent attacks across the country, reported the African Centre for Migration & Society (ACMS) in Johannesburg. In 2013, the Centre estimates that at least three attacks on foreigners take place weekly. Complex issue Understanding the context of xenophobic sentiment in the grand intersection of race and class in a South Africa mired by a complex social and economic history is difficult. As the largest economy on the continent, South Africa has attracted foreign Africans from as far afield as Nigeria, Ethiopia, the DR Congo and as close as neighbouring Botswana. They come as political refugees or economic migrants, with one goal: a better life. Following the end of apartheid in 1994, thousands of Chinese and South Asian foreign nationals have been living and conducting business across the country. Instead of South Africans thriving on its much-vaunted multicultural identity, foreigners have been painted in the popular imagination as criminals, job snatchers, and parasites arriving in throngs to eat at an economy battling to feed its own people. New research released last month from the Southern African Migration Programme (SAMP) found that more than 50 percent of South Africans believed foreigners constituted a majority of the country's population. In reality, foreign nationals amount to less than five percent, or 2.2 million people out of a population of around 50 million. The SAMP study, investigating the incidence of xenophobia in South Africa after the horrific attacks of 2008 which killed more than 60 people, also debunks the popular notion that xenophobia was a disease of the poor. That these attacks are taking place in already rough neighborhoods is worth remembering, Loren Landau, director of the African Centre of Migration and Society (ACMS) in Johannesburg, said. The study found that xenophobia is firmly embedded across all economic and social strata of South African society but with incidents of violence are more likely in impoverished areas where a riot can sometimes be the only way to the draw government attention. Government attitude Researchers suggest that the root of the problem lies with the government’s attitude to foreigners, especially foreign African nationals. Foreign nationals entering the country and trying to integrate into society narrate tales of daily strife with authorities. They report harassment at police stations, neglect at hospitals and abuse at immigration offices. Abuse is widespread, migrants said. Last Monday, in the midst of this upsurge in violence against foreign nationals, security staff at an office of the Department of Home Affairs turned a fire hose on hundreds of refugees queuing to renew their documents. Businesses owned by foreigners have been attacked  [Al Jazeera] The cold sting meted out to the hundreds of refugees, many of whom are forced to queue for weeks in order to renew their temporary asylum seeker’s documents, is just part of a daily digest of humiliation endured by foreign nationals. Abdi, the Somali businesswoman in Diepsloot, said that her son’s asylum seeker certificate was stolen when her store was looted. Police, however, refused to allow her to open a case of theft or compile an affidavit attesting to the theft of the documents in order for the Department of Home Affairs to issue her son new set of documents. “When I went to Diepsloot police on Friday they said it is too late [to open] the case,” she said. “Then I said, okay, I want to make affidavit but they said, ‘No, go to Home Affairs’". Home Affairs, she said will want to see proof from the South African Police Services that the documents were indeed stolen. This is how the trouble starts, researchers said. "The way the state treats foreign nationals essentially represents the way ordinary people treat foreign nationals," Misgun adds. Despite attracting the biggest number of asylum seekers in the world, The Southern African Migration Project (SAMP) found that South Africans receive foreigners with a jaundiced eye. It is a tenuous contradiction, activists said. "On one hand, South Africa wants to promote solidarity and unity on the African continent and yet there is move towards a more restrictive asylum regime," Sicel'mpilo Shange-Buthane, executive director of the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants (CoRMSA), in Johannesburg, told Al Jazeera. Shange-Buthane said the government's move to shift reception centres for refugees from the city centre to the border regions sends a clear message: "We don't want refugees in the cities." This gives credence to the findings of the SAMP survey that 63 percent of South Africans wanted electrified fences on the country’s borders. With just one perpetuator brought to justice for the 2008 violence, the South African judiciary is allowing for a culture of impunity to settle, as the foreigner is institutionalised as a soft target, unlikely to enjoy state protection on any level, said Landau of the ACMS. Social integration On Sunday the Somali president urged South Africa’s president Jacob Zuma to investigate the killing of Abdi Nasir Mahmoud Good, the Somali trader. Experts and activists said little is likely to change, unless and until African leaders threaten economic consequences to South Africa's expanding operations across the continent; by their own admission a shot in the dark. As of now, there remains little incentive for local politicians to demand their communities to respect foreigners when they are unable to provide services or at least better reasons for their inability to deliver. Little wonder, then, that more than 60 percent surveyed in the SAMP report believe that violence against foreigners usually occurs because of the latter's penchant for crime or taking away jobs from South Africans. With national elections due in 2014, addressing the concerns of foreigners is unlikely to feature prominently on the electorate's wish list. The solution, Landau said, involves focusing on building "a more equitable society where economic rights are applied equally". Misgun, the lecturer in Sociology agrees that focusing on shifting attitudes without improving peoples' lives is counterproductive. He expressed the view of many researchers when he said: "If people were not fighting over a bag of corn or sugar, it [the situation] might be a little different." Follow Azad Essa @azadessa and Khadija Patel @khadijapatel on Twitter

Source: Al Jazeera

UN peacekeepers hurt in Syria Golan clashes

Austria withdraws UN troops from Golan Heights after shelling near border with Israel injures two peacekeepers.

Israel has filed a complaint to the United Nations over the clashes near the Syrian border. [AFP]

Two UN peacekeepers have been wounded during clashes between Syrian government forces and rebels over control of a border crossing near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Austrian government decided to withdraw all 380 of its UN peacekeepers from the 900-strong UN mission area on Thursday after the border post was taken by Syrian rebels and then recaptured by government forces during a fierce battle that was still raging. "We no longer have freedom of movement," Chancellor Werner Faymann and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger said in a joint written statement. "The uncontrolled and imminent danger to Austrian soldiers has reached an unacceptable level." UN peacekeeping spokeswoman Josephine Guerrero said the withdrawal would affect the operational capacity of the mission observing a decades-old ceasefire between Syria and Israel. "Austria has been a backbone of the mission and their withdrawal will impact the mission's operational capacity," Guerrero said. "We are in discussions with them about timing, and with other troop-contributing countries to provide replacement troops." Israel's foreign ministry issued a written statement saying it regreted Austria's decision and hoped it would not bring further escalation of violence in the region. Filipino peacekeeper hurt The decision came as UN peacekeeping spokesman Kieran Dwyer said two peacekeepers were wounded from the fallout of heavy weapons fire in the area. Dwyer did not give the nationalities of the injured peacekeepers, but a written Filipino military statement said a Philippine UN peacekeeper was wounded by shrapnel on Thursday amid fighting between Syrian government and rebel forces. "He is being treated by medics inside a shelter and is in stable and good condition," the statement said. Syria's official news agency SANA reported earlier that the army had repulsed a group that attempted to seize the crossing in the town of Quneitra, near Golan. SANA quoted an official source as saying that a large number of rebels were killed or injured in the battle. The fighting followed a claim by opposition fighters that they had captured the crossing. The pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the situation inside Syria, confirmed that clashes had taken place, but said their outcome was unclear. Lebanon concern Spotlight In-depth coverage of escalating violence across Syria Israel Radio quoted Israeli army sources as saying that Syrian tanks and armoured vehicles had entered the demilitarised zone along the border between the Syrian and the Israeli-controlled Golan to push back the rebels from the Quneitra crossing. Israel has filed a complaint to the United Nations over the incident, the broadcaster said. Al Jazeera's Sue Thornton, reporting from Golan Heights, said that Israel was very worried by the clashes. "They have never seen it this close before," she said. There is also growing alarm at the violent backlash now spilling over into Lebanon after Syrian government forces won control of the strategic city of Qusayr alongside their allies Hezbollah on Wednesday. A gunmen, a Lebanese and a Syrian, were killed in Lebanon late on Wednesday during a clash with Lebanese guards near the border with Syria, the Lebanese army said. At least 18 rockets fired from inside Syria overnight landed in areas of Lebanon known to be home to backers of the Shiite Hezbollah movement, police reported. The missiles struck in Baalbeck, in the district of Sharawneh. It was the first such attack on the city. A child was wounded and some property damaged. The rockets, believed to have been fired by Syrian rebels, came hours after Syrian jets raided areas in Arsaal, in eastern Lebanon.

Source: Al Jazeera

Kebbi NDLEA Arrests 19 Drug Suspects

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said on Thursday that it had arrested 19 suspects and seized 62.2 kilogrammes of Cannabis and Diazepam in Kebbi.
A statement by the NDLEA commander in the state, Mr Okon Ulo, made available to reporters in Birnin Kebbi, said the seizure was recorded between April and May.
It stated also that the agency had counselled 18 drug suspects while four drug addicts had been remanded for rehabilitation.
It stated that the agency’s surveillance resulted in the arrest of Nuhu Garba, 50, and Abubakar Mumini,40, who had been notorious drug barons living in Jega Local Government area of the state.
It added that the duo were arrested with five bags of cannabis weighing 48.5 kilogrammes and 2.25 Kilogrammes of Diazepam, as well as two vehicles.
According to the statement, the illicit substances are being supplied to the suspects from Awo in Ondo State.
It said further that another dealer, Kasimu Kurma, was arrested in Maje town in Bagudo Local Government along with his grand children, Abdul’aziz Abdulmumini and Abdulsamad Abdulsalam. (NAN).

Yakasai Berates Obasanjo Over Jonathan

Elder statesman Salihu Abubakar Tanko Yakasai, yesterday, berated former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his constant criticisms of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

In a  statement, yesterday, in Kano, entitled, ‘My opinion on the recent democracy day celebration in Nigeria,’ he condemned Obasanjo for attacking the sitting President openly without exploiting several other options.
Yakasai’s reaction came on the heels of recent remarks by Obasanjo at an economic summit organised at the instance of Jigawa State Government in Dutse, the state capital, where Obasanjo was quoted as saying that “you can help someone to get a job but you cannot help that person do the job.”
The former liaison officer to ex-President Shehu Shagari in the Second Republic,  described Obasanjo’s comment as a “unpalatable.”
He stressed that “using such a highly enlightened forum to underrate the achievement of the Jonathan administration, especially in the area of macro economic growth, is unfair.”
He stated that “as a patriotic Nigerian, a Democracy Day celebration is hardly a suitable occasion for any making a personal attack on his country’s leader whatever differences that exist between them.”
Yakasai asked Obasanjo to borrow a leaf from the First Republic politicians who “despite our differences with NPC leaders, NEPU leaders and members of the opposition, “never took our political differences with Sir Ahmadu Bello to the level of attacking his personality.”
Yakasai decried what he called Obasanjo’s unforgiving spirit whenever he had cause to disagree with anyone, saying that “Obasanjo’s method of disagreement with people is sometimes regarded as a matter of life and death.”
The elderstatesman added that  “people close to him say whenever General Obasanjo disagrees with a person, he would carry the fight to his place of worship, to his dining table and sometimes he will even be fighting the person in his dream.”
He therefore advised Obasanjo to pursue his political differences with the sitting Commander in Chief with “decorum, tolerance and statesmanly standard, stressing that, “this is the most honourable path for a man of his stature.”

Chelsea Playmaker Juan Mata Targets Title Bid Under Jose Mourinho

Chelsea playmaker Juan Mata is convinced the Blues can win the Premier League under Jose Mourinho next season.

The Spain international played an instrumental role in helping them to win the Europa League this season, with Chelsea coming third in the top-flight to secure their place in the UEFA Champions League again next season.
The Blues won the Premier League under Mourinho in 2005 and 2006 but have secured the crown just once more since, under Carlo Ancelotti in 2010.
Mata is backing them to challenge once again under the inspirational Portuguese, as long as they hit the ground running.
And the Spaniard is keen to claim the only piece of silverware he is yet to win since moving to Stamford Bridge from Valencia in August 2011.
"Winning the Champions League, FA Cup and Europa League was great, but I really want to win the Premier League title next season," he told the club's official website.
"If we start well I think we can do it. We have a great squad and fantastic supporters behind us, so hopefully we can do it.
"For me it would be amazing to win four trophies in three seasons.
"It would be a very special feeling to win the Premier League title and I'm looking forward to hopefully doing so."

Manuel Pellegrini Set To Be Named Manchester City Boss Next Week

Manuel Pellegrini is expected to be announced as Manchester City manager early next week.

Speculation linking the Chilean with the Etihad Stadium hotseat has been rife for some time, with the 59-year-old confirming at the start of the month he would be entering into talks with the club.
Pellegrini led Malaga to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League this season, where they were knocked out by eventual finalists Borussia Dortmund.
He now looks set to be tasked with leading City in the competition, after they twice failed to get out of the group stage under Roberto Mancini.
The club's owner Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan will also expect City to put up a stronger challenge for the Premier League, after they lost their crown to rivals Manchester United this season.

Breaking: PDP Crisis Deepens As Sokoto PDP Disowns National Secretariat

The Sokoto State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has disowned the National Secretariat of the party and pledged its loyalty to Governor Aliyu Wamakko.
Mr. Wamakko was suspended by the National Working Committee of the PDP on Wednesday for alleged anti-party activities.
But at a press conference in Sokoto attended by the chairman of the PDP in and other state executive members of the party, the state PDP leaders dissociated themselves from the decision of the national body, saying they would not recognise the suspension of the governor.
They blamed the national secretariat for listening to rumours by Abuja based Sokoto politicians. More details later…

ICPC Arrests 41 Officials with Forged Certificate at NIMC

The (ICPC) said it arrested 41 officials with fake credentials at a promotion exercise conducted by the National Identification Management Commission (NIMC).

This is contained in a statement signed by the ICPC’s Head of Media, Mr. Folu Olamiti, and made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.

According to the statement, the arrest was made during the presentation of additional certificates claimed to have been acquired by the officials for upgrading of their status.

The statement said that the preliminary vetting carried out by NIMC through the Ministry of Education indicated that some of the tertiary institutions contacted to verify their certificates, confirmed the certificates to be fake.

It added that some were altered and some were not graduates of the institutions they claimed.

“One of the suspects presented a certificate which was “doctored” to indicate Second Class degree rather than the earned Third Class degree.

“Others presented forged certificates whereas they still had pending carry-overs.

“Preliminary investigations by ICPC indicated that some of the certificates emanated from some of the illegal degree awarding mills and outreach centres recently sealed by ICPC,’’ the statement said.

It said that the commission was further probing the complicity of those involved in the graduation of one of the suspects with a degree in Engineering from an approved university who could not express himself in writing.

ICPC advised tertiary institutions yet to respond to the earlier inquiries sent to them by the Federal Ministry of Education to do so immediately.

The statement quoted ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta as commending NIMC Management for its zero tolerance for corruption in its workforce given the sensitive national assignment it was charged with.

The arrest and interrogation of the NIMC officials is coming in the wake of ICPC/NUC crack-down on illegal degree awarding mills nationwide. (NAN)

How Two Alleged Kidnappers Died in Our Custody – Lagos Police

The police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Thursday, responded to allegations that its officers extra-judicially killed two detained kidnap suspects.

In a counter affidavit filed before Justice Yetunde Idowu of the Ikeja High Court, Lagos, the police said that the suspects died of gunshot wounds after their gang members opened fire on them as the police tried to raid their den.

Mrs. Idowu had fixed June 6 to rule on whether to jail Umar Manko, the Lagos State Police Commissioner, and two other officers for disobeying a court order directing them to produce Philip Tomi and Joel Wolomo.

The court had, last February, ordered Mr. Manko; Officer in Charge of SARS, Jerry, a Superintendent of Police; and the Investigating Police Officer, Eric Akinmuyisitan, to bring the suspects to court after their lawyer filed a suit seeking their release.

The duo was arrested by the police on September 13, 2012, at Cynergy Hotel, Ibeju Lekki, for allegedly kidnapping a 46-year-old man, Abayomi Alaka.

Three days later, the duo was allegedly taken into police custody at the SARS office, Ikeja, from where they were paraded before journalists.

On Thursday, Friday Igbinosa, the police counsel, appearing for the first time in the suit filed a motion urging the court to vacate the order it made in February. He also prayed the court to set aside the order compelling the state’s police commissioner and his colleagues to appear before it.

Killed in crossfire

Since the court began sitting in January, no lawyer had ever represented the police.

In his statement, Mr. Akinmuyisitan, a Police Sergeant, said that the suspects were arrested at about 10.30 p.m. after a GSM call informed the police at Akodo Division that a gang of three suspected kidnappers were lodging at the hotel.

Mr. Akinmuyisitan said that after the three, including one Raymond Urueshe, were arrested, they confessed to being armed robbers and kidnappers.

“Philip Tomi confessed to have taken part in series of armed robbery and kidnapping of people while armed with AK 47 rifles and thereafter collect huge sums of monies from their victims,” the police sergeant said.

The suspects admitted to kidnapping Mr. Alaka and another Indian national and collecting N5 million and N3 million from them respectively, according to the police.

The police said that following the suspects’ confessions, they travelled to Sapele and Warri in Delta State where one Austine Asinomo, also a gang member, was arrested while the others escaped.

Mr. Akinmuyisitan said that the suspects agreed to take the police to their hideout at the Eleko Beach area to apprehend their leaders named: Gabilo, Million French, and other gang members.

“The gang members on sighting us, ambushed and immediately opened fire on their members and the police, in a bid to rescue them from the custody of the police, before they swiftly jumped into a waiting speed boat and escaped through the waterways,” he said.

The police said that the arrested suspects tried to seize the opportunity of the crossfire to escape but were re-arrested with gunshot wounds “sustained from the incoming bullets of their colleagues.”

“The 1st and 2nd applicants (Messrs Tomi and Wolomo) and their two other gang members were immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment, but gave up the ghost on their way to the hospital,” Mr. Akinmuyisitan said. “The medical officer on duty certified them dead, while their corpses were deposited in the mortuary.”

On the police officers’ failure to appear in court, Mr. Akinmuyisitan stated in his counter affidavit that they had been on “special duty” since January 1, 2013, in Maiduguri, Borno State. He added that he was “forced to return back to base” last month because of the suit.

Seliwei Baidi, counsel to the dead suspects, who said that he suspected that his clients were dead when they instituted the court process last December, insisted that the men were killed extra-judicially.

“It is sad to note that extra-judicial killings are still being carried out by the police in our emerging democracy,” said Mr. Baidi.

Northern Governors Shun Kaduna Meeting

As controversy, uncertainty and dissension cuts a path through the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a majority of the 19 Northern Governors today shunned the Northern States Governors’s Forum in Kaduna.

According to a source at the meeting, only the governors of Kaduna, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Niger and Gombe were present. A few others sent their deputies.

Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has last week announced his decision to stop attending the meeting over what he characterized as the betrayal by his colleagues of the effort of Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau to defeat Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State for the leadership of the Nigeria Governors Forum.

At today’s event, our source said the governors only made public some decisions taken on certain companies collectively owned by the 19 Northern States, including the New Nigeria Development Company, New Nigerian Newspapers Company, and Kaduna Textiles Limited.

They also tacked such issues as the insecurity in Nasarawa State, and the Petroleum Industry Bill.

Amnesty Intl. Wants Being Gay To Be Legalized In Nigeria

Amnesty International has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to veto the proposed law which prescribed up to 14 years imprisonment for anyone found guilty of same-sex relationships.

A statement issued on Thursday by the rights group and nine other international human rights organisations described the law as  draconian’’.

It said the law ``will formalise discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender and intersex people and have wide-ranging effects on civil liberties in the country’’.
The rights group recalled that on May 30, the House of Representatives passed the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill with a recommendation of a prison sentence of up to 14 years for homosexual relationships.
It noted that the Senate had already passed a similar bill and added that ``if signed into law, the bill will also criminalise freedom of speech, association and assembly’’.
Lucy Freeman, Deputy Director of Africa Programme, Amnesty International, said the bill was ``a throwback to past decades under military rule when these civil rights were treated with contempt''.
It undermines basic freedoms that Nigeria’s civil society has long fought to defend; the civil rights of Nigerians cannot simply be legislated away,’’ Freeman said in the statement.
The group claimed that the proposed law would also interfere with public health outreach efforts in Nigeria, given the country’s record of having the world’s third-largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS.
The proposed law would hinder efforts to target vulnerable groups by criminalising those who conduct outreach to such groups. It would drive some groups affected by the epidemic further underground for fear of imprisonment.’’
The statement was endorsed by the Centre for Environment Human Rights and Development, Collaborative Media and Advocacy Platform, Human Rights Watch and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre.
Other groups listed are Project Hope/Nigeria HIV INFO, Queer Alliance Nigeria, Stakeholders Democracy Network, the Initiative for Equal Rights, Women Advocates' Research and Documentation Centre.

Charly Boy's Daughter Adaeze Opens Up About Life As An Oputa

Ada is obviously a contrast of the Charlyboy’s personal. In this interview, Ada bares her mind on who she is and the effect of the Charlyboy brand on her.

You have been introduced to Dominique Oputa, this is her immediate elder sister, Adaeze Oputa. Adaeze graduated with magna cum laude from South Carolina State University with a Bachelor’s degree in International Business relations (public marketing and advertising concentration) and an MBA in Management Information Systems. Currently, she works in Education Management (for profit educational sector) as an Associate Director on the Admissions Board. Ada also hosts and produces an entertainment TV show on Fuxion Television in Atlanta, called The Entertainment Scoop

 

Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Well, I’m Adaeze Oputa… daughter of Charles and Diane Oputa. I graduated with magna cum laude from South Carolina State University with a Bachelor’s degree in International Business relations (public marketing and advertising concentration) and an MBA in Management Information Systems. Currently, I work in education management (for profit educational sector) as an associate director on the admissions board. I love working in education especially with young adults, providing structure is my calling. I also host and produce an entertainment television show on Fuxion Television, Atlanta called The Entertainment Scoop. The show details mainly current events in the African Entertainment industry.

 

Do you imagine yourself wearing tattoos and piercings? What is your own take on it?

I have a small tattoo, which I got out of peer pressure when I was much-much younger. I’m not opposed to tattoos or piercings. I feel that these things are subjective means of expression actualized in art and it just happens to be on the body. Some paint on canvas, some on buildings, and others on their skin – to each, its own.

 

From what you said earlier, your educational background differs from your professional background. Why didn’t you study something more related to what you are practicing now? Do you enjoy what you are doing and is it what you have always aspired to do?

My educational background actually makes me versatile professionally and doesn’t necessarily box me into a specific profession. In regards to my television show – it’s something I have always dreamed of doing, but was only afraid to venture into it because of my father’s success in that area. I always felt like I needed something that was my own and in so doing, I tried hard to stifle my creative aspirations. It took a lot of convincing and grooming from my managers to have reached this point.

I enjoy my professional life and get fulfillment from what I do. I also love producing and being in front of the camera. Although, I don’t have formal training, I’ve learnt a lot in the little amount of time I have been with Fuxion Television and I am grateful for the experience. I work with a great team of professionals and I cannot wait for the world to see what we have to offer.

 

Tell us about your television show and any other projects you may be working on

 

Fuxion Television is head quartered in Atlanta Georgia and is a multicultural television station. We started airing officially in January of 2013 and we hit the ground running. Currently we are airing a wide variety of shows and one of them is The Entertainment Scoop hosted and produced by yours truly. We also have an online app that we just launched which allows our audience to watch our shows from any part of the world on your cell phone, laptop, ipad and so on. All you have to do is log on to our website www.myfuxiontv.com to watch our station live or look for our app on Google market place. Also follow us on twitter @fuxion TV ATL and find us on face book as well.

 

Are you happy with whom your father is, especially his persona? If yes or no; why?

We don't choose our family, I'm glad I was born into the legacy that is Oputa. Mr. Oputa is my father, not Charlyboy.

Could you say you are proud of your family name? Has being Charlyboy’s daughter helped you?

Of course, I am proud of my family. We have a proud and rich legacy and I hope I am able to continue that. I wouldn't say my father’s name has helped or hindered my knowledge in anyway. I operate as an individual and I always have.

 

What are your reactions when people speak negatively about the brand/ your father.

 The brand is in the public eye and anything/ anyone in the public eye is subject to scrutiny. So I'm indifferent about it, to answer your question.

 

The brand has been rumored to being gay, illuminati, or a voodist among other weird stuff. What is your take on that?

What Charlyboy puts out and who my father is are two different things.

 

Do you think there is any trait you have taken from your father, whether good or bad?

I'm his daughter,  and like him, I am head strong, focused, determined about my dream, and I celebrate my individuality.

 

The brand is very controversial, how does that affect you as a young lady?

 Ask Charlyboy. However, when issues like that arise, we address them and move on.

 

 

How did you feel growing up as a child, hearing different rumours about your dad?

Growing up, my household was the norm, so I saw nothing wrong with it. As I got older and heard some of the rumours, it helped me understand that people may not exactly understand the brand, and it’s something that I’ve grown to understand and accept. Everyone walks their own path in life, my dad is walking his, and we all are doing the same and rumours cannot change that.

 

Has there been any difference between the message of the brand and your philosophy?

Well, not exactly. The same message of individuality, tenacity, focus and chasing your dreams as typical of the brand, all form the bedrock of my philosophy .  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life….

 

Would you have preferred a quiet life for the brand?

You use the term "The Brand" and I'm not sure if you are referring to My father or his profession. At any rate, I don't think I have a preference. Its the life he /the brand chose and it works for him/ the brand. Quiet is relative, I think he is low key in his personal life but some people may beg to differ from afar.

 

Apart from being your father, what are the benefits you think the brand can give to the society?

He has encouraged young people to imbibe creative freedom and that of expression, inspiring them to look inwards, while chasing their dreams tenaciously.

Who is Lady D?

My beautiful mother.

 

It appears you have been on your own for a very long time, how has your mom contributed in the journey so far?

My mom and I are best friends, so we lean on each other for advice, especially in this stage of my life. I think that relationship is extremely important. She visits me very often (maybe too often) laughs. When she visits we, talk about every possible thing under the sun, and to me, that’s essential – communication is the key to every relationship.

 

Are you aware of the reality TV show? What’s your take on it? Don’t you think everyone is doing something like it right now, and this is just one of those things?

I am aware, in fact we are currently working on revamping the present concept that features the entire family. I know a short reel was leaked earlier on in the year, and since then, we have restructured the script and we will be giving our viewers something very fresh – something you have never seen before. The show will provide a realistic insight on the family, our struggles, triumphs, trials and so much more, a real view on what family life is about. Everyone has always been interested in our family structure and how things really go down in the house that punk built. So, this show is long overdue. 

 

Your parents have stayed  together,  for over thirty-five years. What do you think is responsible for that and is there anything to learn from what they share? If so,  what?

Love, Patience, Understanding and God.

 

Since you come from a rich heritage, what do you think you have to do to top that?

A lot, and I feel as though I'm well on my way by Gods Grace.