Political calculation: the math behind the US election

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton departs the stage following the third and final US presidential debate with Republican nominee Donald Trump (background) Photo: Paul J. Richards / AFP 

Winning a US presidential election takes years, billions of dollars and relentless determination. It also requires crunching a lot of numbers. 

 The victor must get to the magic number of 270 electoral college votes — but just trying to anticipate the result is a complicated exercise in adding, subtracting and combining. 

That’s because the US election — taking place on November 8 — is not an exercise in direct democracy where a nationwide popular vote determines the result through a simple majority. Candidates must instead win a majority of the electoral college votes assigned to the 50 states.

Sokoto recruits 500 for refuse evacuation

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal

No fewer than 500 youths have been employed by the Sokoto State Government for refuse evacuation. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Alhaji Aminu Dodo-Iya, made the disclosure at the end of the monthly environmental sanitation in Sokoto on Saturday. Dodo-Iya said that the youths had since been redeployed and they had swung into action. He said, “These youths will continuously operate to rid the city and its environs of filth. 

2 policemen allegedly kill old man in Lagos

In the quest to extort money from a bus driver, two policemen have killed an old man after he was pushed into a gutter in Lagos.

 

The policeman being beaten by the angry mob According to Peculiar Lekenson who shared the video and story on Facebook, the man was said to have died but he was later resuscitated after being rushed to a nearby hospital. This was not after an angry mob forced one of the policemen to pick up the body of the man.

BREAKING: 2 bomb blasts rock Maiduguri, 6 feared dead

Twin bomb blasts in Maiduguri have claimed the lives of about 6 people – The bomb blasts occurred on Saturday, October 29 morning around 7 am – An official of the Civilian-JTF, Alhaji DanBatta, has confirmed the two blasts 

Maiduguri bomb blast

 This early Saturday, October 29 morning has turned sour for Maiduguri residents as two bomb blasts have been reported in the Borno state capital. According to Premium Times, an official of the Civilian-JTF, Alhaji DanBatta, has confirmed the two blasts. The first of which occurred at 7 am at a coffee drinking spot near the Bakassi IDP camp, along the popular Maiduguri-Biu road.

Shi'ites claim security operatives plan to carry out massacre

– The Shi’ite group alleged that southern Muslims and Christians in the north will be killed by security operatives

 – The group claimed this is part of the plan to disrupt their own religious trek 

– It called for the unconditional release of its leader, El Zakzaky who is in detention 

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria known as Shi’ites have claimed that they have uncovered a plan by security operatives to massacre southern Muslims and Christians. The religious sect that has been outlawed in Kaduna and some other states said there was also plan to disrupt its religious trek. 

Daily Post reports that Ibrahim Musa who is the media forum president of the religious sect in a statement said its planned trek was purely religious which should not be a problem as people have trekked for political reasons without causing any problem. 

The statement read: “It has come to our notice that security agents have perfected plans to cause mayhem during our annual symbolic Arbaeen trek, commemorating a similar trek the Umayyad ruler Yazid subjected family members of Prophet Muhammad (AS) to, from Karbala to Damascus in the year 680AD.

Uganda's ugliest man with 8 children becomes popstar

– A man who was dubbed the ugliest man in Uganda has hit international headlines again 

– Godfrey Baguma released a series of music videos that already gathered him up to 3,000,000 views and counting

 – “When I was born my mother looked at me and said that I was not a normal child and she left me.” 

– Luckily, his condition called Fibrodysplasia couldn’t be inherited by his eight chilren

 Please, scroll down for photos and video below! Godfrey Baguma, aged 47, who claimed his title of the ugliest man in Uganda a year ago has appeared in international news articles agan! 

Popstar Godfrey sings into a microphone as he practices his songs

 Mr Baguma’s story touched heart of millions people around the world and now he wants to make use of it as he is a doting father of eight children and as it turned out a rather talented musician.

Man missing for 20 years, found alive in basement

A 36-year-old Brazilian man who was allegedly tied to a bed and locked at the basement of their home,by his father and step-mother for 20 years was freed on Monday, October 24, by policemen. Armando de Andrade who disappeared at age 16 was accidentally discovered during a search process by the police while looking for members of a drug gang. 

He was discovered tied to a bed in a tiny, windowless room of their house in Sao Paulo. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Armado Armando de Andrade who disappeared at age 16 was accidentally discovered during a search process by the police while looking for members of a drug gang. 

He was discovered tied to a bed in a tiny, windowless room of their house in Sao Paulo. According to reports, neighbours who asked after him were told he had traveled. His family always claimed he had moved to another part of Brazil and was ‘doing well’ for himself. Neighbours said Armando was a normal 16-year-old who loved skateboarding and playing guitar.

Travelex, FBN begin Forex sale in Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt

Liquidity challenges in Abuja and environs will ease further as Travelex and First Bank begin the sale of Forex to BDCs in the north. 

 The President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, said that the CBN brokered a meeting between Travelex and ABCON which led to the commencement of the sale of Forex in Abuja, Kano and by extension, Port Harcourt. 

 He said First Bank Nigeria PLC and Travelex had been directed by the apex bank to sell Forex to BDCs in Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt. He said that the BDCS in Abuja got $20,000 each from the sale of Forex by First Bank on Tuesday, adding that Abuja environs would also benefit from the sale. 

My husband turned me to slave – woman tells court

A housewife, Mrs Grace Olorunfemi, on Wednesday prayed an Akure Customary Court to dissolve her 11-year-old marriage, claiming the union had turned her to a slave. Grace submitted that continued marriage to Abiodun would be tantamount to endless servitude. 

 She alleged that her husband had no care for her and their two children, compelling her to engage in manual labour to fend for the family. She said,

 “I prefer to be single than continue to live with Abiodun. He thought I am in his house as a slave.”

 She submitted that in spite of her complaints, Abiodun failed to repent. However, Abiodun told the court that he was not ready for divorce. 

 He promised to change his attitude and be a responsible husband. The President of the court, Mr. Rotimi Olusanya, advised the respondent to turn a new leaf to save his marriage. Olusanya also urged Grace to be patient and see if her husband would change his attitude. 

 He adjourned the case till Nov.17 for further hearing.

Coca Cola records seven percent loss in revenues globally

A Coca-Cola logo seen in a restaurant in Washington, DC AFP PHOTO / Karen BLEIER The slow global economy and the health-driven turn against sweet sodas dented Coca-Cola sales for the sixth straight quarter, delivering a 28 percent hit to net income, the company reported Thursday. Coca-Cola said worldwide revenues fell in the quarter to September 30 by 7.0 percent from a year ago to $10.6 billion, with sharp declines in its Latin America and Europe-Africa-Middle East regions. 

Growth in North America was strong but Asia, another key market, only registered slight gains, the company said. Net profits for the quarter came in at $1.05 billion, a big drop from $1.45 billion a year ago. Earnings per share were down 27 percent at 24 cents, but on an adjusted basis came in at 49 cents, just beating analyst forecasts. 

The company said that operating margins gained 50 basis points, helped by restructuring and other initiatives. 

 “We continued to see solid revenue results in our developed markets with two percent unit case volume growth and a continued focus on price realisation. The United States, Japan and Western Europe delivered standout performance underpinned by innovation and world-class marketing,” chairman and chief executive Muhtar Kent said in a statement.

FG rejects U.S report on child labour

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, has rejected the report of United States Department of Labour that blacklisted the nation as “engaging in Child soldiering” due to Boko Haram activities in the country

Why students don’t read for SSCE – NGO

A Zaria-based Non Governmental Organisation, Teens and Times, said on Wednesday that about 95 per cent of students writing Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations do not read, but pay their way out of school. 

The Coordinator of the NGO, Nnenna Opigbe blamed the development on proliferation of miracle centres and connivance of parents with schools to pass their children at all cost. Opigbe said in Kaduna that the students have assumed that reading hard does not translate to good grades, so they pay to get good grade. 

She said, “When I interact with some of these students about their reading habits they will say auntie, do not worry, we will pass and their parents will pay and will pass. “What worries me is that these students are intelligent, creative and innovative and could pass their exam on their own. “But they feel there is no need to read since they will pay their way out and get the grades they need to get them into university or polytechnic.”

 She said there was the need for massive reorientation campaign to enlighten parents on the dangers of such practice to the future of the children. She said, “It starts from the home. Parents want their children to have all As against all odds. “They should be interested in making their children get better academically, not just the certificate.” 

 The coordinator added that reading culture has been eroded in schools because most school owners were afraid of recording poor results. She said, “School owners are willing to do anything for students to gets good grades out of fear that parents may withdraw their wards to other schools due to poor performance. “Schools should concentrate in developing these students for their own betterment and not mainly for the school pockets.” 

 The coordinator urged relevant government agencies to come up with strict regulations to stem all form of examination malpractice, to encourage students to read and become better persons in the society. She described Teens and Times as an organisation working to entrench positive ideas and ideals in the minds of the youngsters to make them better adult tomorrow. 

 She said, “Teens and Times is interested in developing Nigerian teenagers by channelling their positive energy to achieving positive result in their academic pursuit. “We want the 21 century teens to positively influence their peers on right and positive things, get their mind off negative things and steer them to good morals and ideals to build a sane society.”

13 main reasons Emmanuel Adebayor converted to Muslim

That a Togolese footballer Emmanuel Adebayor converted to a Muslim is no longer news as the Aston Villa bound striker had also confirmed it. 

Emmanuel Adebayor in full Islamic regalia

 The 32-year-old has finally addressed the issue by giving reasons he converted to Islam. He justified his new found faith by saying Muslims are like Jesus and also described them as” truer followers of Christ”. Read below: 

 1. Jesus (pbuh) taught that there is only One God and Only God should be worshipped as taught in Deut 6:4, Mark 12:29. Muslims also believe this as taught in the Qur’an verse 4:171. 

 2. Jesus (pbuh) didn’t eat pork as taught in Leviticus 11:7 , and neither do Muslims as taught in the Qur’an verse 6:145. 

I’m not convinced about Chibok girls abduction - Fayose

– Governor Fayose has again expressed doubts on the abduction of over 200 Chibok girls 

– He says a lot of things are shrouded in secrecy 

 

– He claims that the first girl released was unable to speak English language despite being a physics student 

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has again expressed his doubts on the abduction of over 200 school girls from the Government Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno state in April 2014. 

According to him, he is yet to be convinced about the abduction, adding that a lot of things are shrouded in secrecy. 

The governor was speaking on Channels TV programme, Hard Copy, on Friday, October 21. 

Mourinho slams Man Utd’s ‘incredible mistakes’

Manchester United's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho looks on from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in London on October 23, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK /

 Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho accused his players of making “incredible mistakes” after they lost 4-0 to Chelsea on his return to his former club on Sunday. Goals from Pedro Rodriguez, after 30 seconds, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante condemned Mourinho to his heaviest defeat since Real Madrid’s 5-0 demolition by Barcelona in November 2010. 

 It left United seventh in the Premier League table, five points below Chelsea, who climbed to fourth, and six points behind leaders Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. “You come with a strategy. You cannot concede a goal in the way we did,” Mourinho told Sky Sports at Stamford Bridge. “We were coming to have an offensive approach. 

We wanted to create chances. We showed that after the 1-0. “The second and the third were counter-attack goals. If we score a goal like we almost did for 2-1, the game would be different. “It is one of those days when you give the advantage to opponents by doing nothing. “We made incredible defensive mistakes, individual mistakes, and you pay for that.” 

 After the final whistle a stern-faced Mourinho whispered into the ear of his opposite number Antonio Conte for some time before stalking down the tunnel. Conte had exhorted the home fans to make more noise after Kante scored Chelsea’s fourth goal in the 70th minute. But Mourinho refused to reveal what he had said to the Italian:

 “My words with Antonio Conte were for him, not for you.” Mourinho was appointed by United in May after being sacked by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for a second time last December. 

 He won three Premier League titles, three League Cups and one FA Cup over his two spells with Chelsea — 2004-2007 and 2013-2015 — making him the London club’s most successful manager.

Lawyers fault Senate’s plan to invite arrested judges October 23, 2016

A group of lawyers, under the aegis of Legal Defence and Assistance Project, have described as misconceived the plan by the Senate to invite and question the seven judges recently arrested by the Department of State Services for alleged corruption. 

 In a statement on Sunday by its National Coordinator, Mr. Chino Obiagwu, LEDAP said the constitution did not give the legislature any oversight function on the judiciary pursuant to the principle of separation of power. 

Why Buhari should reshuffle his cabinet’

The Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Mr. Nwulu Tony-Chinedu, on Sunday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to “seriously” consider a cabinet reshuffle. 

 The lawmaker, who represents Oshodi-Isolo II Federal Constituency of Lagos State, said Buhari must inject new blood into his cabinet because the country was facing critical times and needed the best hands to rescue it. He noted that while Buhari might mean well for Nigeria, his desire to bring positive change could remain a mirage if he didn’t have capable hands to assist him. Tony-Chinedu, who spoke in Abuja, explained, 

The demons of President Goodluck Jonathan

Few articles in print can be as troubling as “The Spiritual Side of Aso Villa,” published by former Nigeria presidential adviser Reuben Abati on October 14. 

 Mr. Abati’s account portrays the Nigerian seat of power under Mr. Goodluck Jonathan as having being under spiritual bondage, and suggests that performance was impossible. 

 The situation was so bad under Mr. Jonathan that staff were always falling sick, according to the account. Men routinely reported they had become impotent, and their wives comforted themselves with sex videos and toys.

Nigerian families reunited with 21 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram

Parents travel from Chibok to capital Abuja where girls have received medical attention and counselling after release in deal with Islamic State-affiliated faction 

Family members celebrate at a special church service in Abuja on Sunday after being reunited with the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram. Photograph: Olamikan Gbemiga/AP 

 Jason Burke Africa correspondent Sunday 16 October 2016 21.15 BST Last modified on Sunday 16 October 2016 22.10 BST Share on LinkedIn Share on Google+ Save for later For two and a half years they waited, with hopes kept alive by rumours of negotiations, an international campaign and their own deep faith. On Sunday a group of Nigerian families were finally reunited with 21 girls released last week by Boko Haram, the Islamic militant movement. 

This Guy Allegedly Tried To Steal a Venetian Blind By Stuffing It Into His Coat

The surveillance photo is good.

 Stuffing things in one's coat is a classic and time-honored method of theft, often perpetrated by children stealing gum and baseball cards. But have a look at this gentleman, who police in Great Britain allege, got a little more ambitious on Sunday, stuffing a Venetian blind into his coat and walking out of a home furnishings store in Northampton, England. It was pretty subtle and wasn't noticed by anyone. 

Just kidding. Staff at the store gave chase, but the thief dropped the blind and escaped. No humans were injured in the alleged theft. "The blind was damaged as a result," stated police. 

If you know this man or are this man, Northamptonshire police are interested in speaking to you.

 And maybe also having a laugh

Huge increase in number of graduates 'bad for UK economy'

Mismatch of skills and labour market as university education keeps growing is bad for students and employers, suggests CIPD 

The government is being urged to end the political drive to get more people into university after new research showed that graduates are “colonising” jobs in banking, education, the police and estate agency that were the preserve of school-leavers in the past. 

 The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development – which represents people working in human resources – said the all-party consensus to get more young people into higher education was no longer justified given student debt and the careers many ended up pursuing. Successive governments have said that rising university numbers are justified by a graduate premium – higher lifetime earnings that more than compensate for tuition fees and living expenses. But the CIPD said the notion of a tertiary education premium is being called into question by graduates’ average debt of £44,000 and official estimates that 45% of loans would never be paid off. 

The dark side of Aso Rock exposed, by Reuben Abati

Reuben Abati, the spokesman of the former president Goodluck Jonathan, writes an explosive article about the Aso Rock presidential villa and its many dirty secrets. Abati reveals that spiritual forces disturbed the Nigerian presidents from performing their functions. 

Aso Rock presidential villa

There must be something supernatural about power and closeness to it 

People tend to be alarmed when the Nigerian presidency takes certain decisions. They don’t think the decision makes sense. Sometimes, they wonder if something has not gone wrong with the thinking process at that highest level of the country. 

Deputy governor robbed at gunpoint by bodyguard

A deputy governor was robbed at gunpoint by one of his bodyguards. 

The deputy governor of Tharaka Nithi county in Kenya, Eliud Muriithi, was reportedly ambushed by one of his personal bodyguards who went on to rob him. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter deputy governor robbed Eliud Muriithi was robbed by one of his bodyguards Confirming the incident, Muriithi said the bodyguard who is also an Administrative Police (AP), threatened him with a pistol in his house in Kinoru and took away the sum of Sh3.5 Million (about N10.8 million) from him. 

The bodyguard identified as Constable Josphat Kipyegon armed with the bag full of money, escaped from his house.

Muriithi said the money was gotten from a land sale deal he was involved in. Police are reportedly on Kipyrgon’s trail, in a bid to recover the money. Hmmm! Them fit try this one for naija

500l medical student dies while praying for another student

500L medical student dies while praying for another sick student. 

Late Victor-David Egbe was a 500-level medical student

 Late Victor-David Egbe, a 500-level Medicine and Surgery student of the Benue State University (BSU) reportedly died while praying for a sick student whom he had visited at a clinic. Egbe who was also a young pastor presiding over the Campus Witness Church in the school, was said to have slumped at the clinic, and died before he could be rushed to a hospital.

Emir of Kano publicly declares love for Jesus Christ

As a symbol of unity the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has surprised everyone as he took to his Instagram handle to publicly declare his love for Christianity, as he revealed that he loves Jesus Christ.

Emir of Kano.

The Emir of Kano took to his Instagram to post an inscription that says: “I am a Muslim and I love JESUS. Peace Be Upon Him.” He posted that with the caption: “Many people are unaware of the fact that one cannot be a Muslim without loving Jesus (Peace be upon him) known in Arabic as (Alayhis Salam).”

This post has gathered a lot of positive reactions from his followers as they hailed him for embracing unity and peace despite his religion. Read some of the reactions below:

To The Next President: Get A National Cybersecurity Strategy

In the first presidential debate, since cybersecurity is rarely a topic for political debate, I was surprised when moderator Lester Holt questioned the candidates about cybersecurity strategy. Specifically, Holt asked, “We want to start with a 21st century war happening every day in this country. Our institutions are under cyber-attack, and our secrets are being stolen. So my question is, who’s behind it? And how do we fight it?” 

Apple is unifying its cloud services to become more competitive

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence Apps and Platforms Briefing subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here. Apple is moving its separate internet services units into a single platform in an effort to make its Cloud Services segment more competitive against Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud, according to Bloomberg.

 Having the teams spread across multiple locations may have contributed to software bugs and slowed product development. Apple's efforts to improve product development and software quality to its Services segment, which includes Siri, Maps, iCloud, Apple Pay, Apple News, parts of iTunes, and Apple Music, come amid slowing global smartphone shipments. 

Republicans ask Trump to step down over lewd comments

Within hours of the release of a video of Donald Trump making lewd comments about women, Republicans nationwide condemned the remarks and tried to distance themselves from the GOP presidential nominee. On a 2005 tape released Friday by The Washington Post, Trump told Billy Bush, then of “Access Hollywood,” that you can “grab [women] by the p****” and “you can make them do anything.”

8 STRONG men who control Nigeria (photos)

There are prominent and highly placed Nigerians who decide who gets what and why as far as it is within Africa’s most populated country. 

They are men of power, means, influence and authority. They understand the landscape; the intricacies, uses and gains of wielding and dispensing from their vast and rich tanks. On the turf of business, in politics, the military or civil service, their names draw awe, love, inspiration, admiration, hatred and spite, depending on the viewer’s side-view. 

 1. President Muhammadu Buhari 

Whether in or out of power, he has remained a major force in the country and an opinion moulder. 

Though particularly not popular in the Southern part of the country, he is like a movement in the northern part of the country where he comes from. Since 1984 when he first emerged as the Head of State during the military era, his image continued to loom large until last year when he defeated his predecessor, President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which was then the main opposition party. 

Students accuse FirstBank of alleged fraud

The Students Representative Council of Federal College of Education (FCE), Zaria has accused the First Bank of Nigeria, Zaria main branch, of involvement in the alleged diversion of N26 million students’ registration fees. 

 The bank has however dismissed the allegation as spurious, saying that it had no case to answer. reports reveal that a total of 1,128 students of the college were affected by the disappearance of their registration fees. Mr Nathan Zakka, Chairman of the students’ council, described the development as “disheartening”, and appealed for thorough investigation to trace the missing money. Zakka pleaded for patience and cooperation from the students as the union was liaising with relevant authorities to ensure the recovery of the registration fees from the bank.

 “We have briefed the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Abuja and they are equally making arrangement to address the matter. “We have also arranged with the college management through bursary department to help us verify all payments made through First Bank. “This is because they are the operator of TSA who only have access to the remita code for verification and as soon as the exercise is done, we will ensure that your money is recovered,”

 he said. According to him, the affected students paid their money through the bank and possess duly certified stamped tellers and numbers. Mr Babatunde Lasaki, Head, Corporate Affairs, First Bank, however, debunked the allegation blaming the affected students for their misfortune. He said: “From the initial report sent to us after an investigation, it actually shows that there are thousands of students who paid their registration fees in the branch.” Lasaki explained that it was when the students went to the college for validation that the problem was detected.

 “It was in the process of this validation they got to know that some of the students did not duly register. “These affected students did not pay their money in the bank, they actually paid their money in cyber cafes, not in our branch. “We understand that some of these cyber cafés encourage students to come and do all the registration with them instead of going to the bank, so in this situation, the bank has no case with the affected students,” 

he said. Lasaki added that the case had been reported to the police and expressed the hope that the matter would be thoroughly investigated to ensure justice to both parties. On its part, the Kaduna State Police Command through its spokesperson, ASP Aliyu Usman confirmed receipt of the case, assuring that investigation into the matter was on.

Etisalat U-15 School Cup returns

After two successful seasons promoting grassroots football around the country, Nigeria’s youth-friendly telecommunications network, Etisalat has concluded plans to kick off the third season of its Under-15 School Cup football competition. The Etisalat U-15 School Cup is a national grassroots football competition designed to connect, engage and promote young football talents. 

It promotes national unity by connecting young and aspiring footballers to becoming future champions. According to the Director, Brand & Experience, Etisalat Nigeria, Elvis Ogiemwanye, the third season will provide exciting prospects of building on the success of the last two editions. “Our commitment to the nation is to support and create credible platforms that can contribute to the development of the country. 

Therefore, we are committed to developing a pool of young football talents. The success of the last two editions makes it even more exciting for us,” he said. The 2016 edition will start with state competitions where various schools will compete at the state level to win a spot at the regional group stage. The state winners will compete at the regional stage where 8 teams with the highest points will qualify for the National Finals happening in Lagos in November. 

The regional group matches will kick off with a Trophy tour around the host cities of Ibadan, Ilorin, Enugu and Kaduna to enable respective participating teams and their supporters catch a glimpse of the prestigious Champions Trophy and experience the Mobile Champions Studio which is an innovative platform created to enable participants take creative pictures of themselves as well as tell their own football stories to Nigerians. The impressive trophy was inspired by other international tournaments, and it is predicated upon the belief that the competition will produce international champions in the near future. 

According to the Head, Events and Sponsorships, Modupe Thani, “the trophy has been designed to inspire our Etisalat School Cup Champions to believe in themselves and to dream of playing and winning bigger football championships as they grow their football talents and move unto professional football.” The tour also features the Etisalat Football Truck where school students will need to score goals into holes positioned on the vehicle. 

The tour promises to be exciting, engaging and very competitive. The maiden edition of the competition in 2013 was won by Keke Senior High School, Ijaiye, Lagos and the school was rewarded with N1 million cash prize and an all-expense paid trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while the 2nd edition was won by Government Secondary School, Owerri, Imo State going home with the star prize of N2 million educational award and N50, 000 each to players of the winning team.

Ex-Cameroon International Rigobert Song is dead

Former Cameroon International Rigobert Song has passed away. Song, one of the most recognizable faces in African soccer died at the age of 40. He suffered a stroke on October 3 and was said to have been making a recovery. 

News of his death was confirmed on October 7, days after government officials in his homeland had given him the all-clear. Cameron’s health minister, Andre Mama Fouda, had on October 5 said after Song left the hospital where he was taken to for cerebral aneursym, “He leaves conscious. His life is no longer in danger, but he is not out of the woods yet. We hope he gets well soon, and comes back in full form, as we know him to be.” 

Another report on October 5 said Song had opened his eyes following his coma. Former Cameroon team-mate Samuel Eto’o who earlier tweeted in French: “I wish you courage and a speedy recovery big brother” later tweeted again after hearing the sad news again “sad to hear the demise of my big brother, RIP”. Song played 137 times for his country and had spells with English clubs Liverpool and West Ham. He has been working as a coach for Cameroon’s football federation following his departure as Chad coach.

Etisalat, Cross Rivers Govt. flag off fight malaria initiative

Nigeria’s telecommunication company, Etisalat and the Cross River State Government in partnership with Mediatrix Development Foundation have pledged to forge a close working relationship in the fight against the scourge of malaria in the State. 

 The partners made this commitment recently at the official flag-off of the Etisalat Fight Malaria Initiative and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that will see them coordinate efforts and resources to eradicate the menacing spread of malaria in the State. Speaking about the partnership, the Director, Regulatory & Corporate Social Responsibility, Etisalat Nigeria, Ikenna Ikeme, said the telecommunication company identifies a healthy populace as a precursor to achieving economic growth, hence the alignment of its business growth strategy with societal goals such as health. 

 “A nation can only be economically buoyant if it has a vibrant and strong work force, and a healthy population; hence our identification of health as one of our key platforms for Corporate Social Responsibility.As we play our part in the creation of a healthier nation, we enjoin all stakeholders to embrace technology and innovation in the fight against malaria.” he said. 

 Also speaking at the event, wife of the Cross River State Governor and founder of the partner NGO, Mediatrix Development Foundation, Dr. (Mrs) Linda Ayade, expressed delight in the capacity of the partnership to help fill the existing gap in the fight against malaria by providing the much needed support to the State structures in the health sector. “I believe this is the beginning of a rejuvenated fight to end malaria for good in Cross River State. 

We are delighted that our efforts to check the effects of malaria in communities is yielding results and has attracted Etisalat to partner with us to strengthen existing state structures in the health sector,” she said. The Etisalat Fight Malaria Initiative would facilitate the setting up of 40 Malaria Clubs in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions across the state with a mandate to reach approximately 25,000 people in the rural and urban areas, create a Malaria Hub of 2,650 peer educators and 3,150 Malaria Champions within two years. 

 Meanwhile, Etisalat has donated 40 computers and N1.5 Million to boost ICT skills of students in public school by 25% in the next two years and for the sustenance of the Fight Malaria Clubs set up in various schools across the state. Notable personalities at the event include Dr. Yakubu Aliyu, Deputy Coordinator, UNFPA; Secretary to the Cross River State Government, Barr. Tina Agbor; State Commissioners for Youth and Sports, Asu Okang and Information, Rosemary Archibong; Vice Chancellor, University of Calabar, Prof. Zana Itiube Akpagu; Manager Corporate & Social Responsibility, Etisalat Nigeria, Oyetola Oduyemi; DG, CRS Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Betta Edu and Chairman, House Committee on Health, CRSHA, Hon. Ekpo Ekpo Bassey.

Pastor sleeps with and attempts to use prophetess for rituals

– The cases of alleged rape and torture have been brought before officers of the Ilisan Remo police division 

– While the alleged victim, a prophetess, claimed that she was gang-raped, her husband claims otherwise

 – The pastor says she has been suffering from psychological and emotional disorder for some time now 

A clergy man identified as Uchenna Joseph has been nabbed by officers of the Ilisan Remo police division over reports that he tried to use his prophetess wife for ritual purposes. Vanguard reports that the woman, Patience Ohelimo, from Abakaliki in Ebonyi state, accused Pastor Joseph of conniving with some unknown persons to torture, gang-rape and attempt to sacrifice her for ritual purpose. The woman who is presently being rehabilitated at a private clinic in Ogun state said the incident took place in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital where she had gone from her Ikorodu abode after agreeing to marry the man. “I was a petty trader in Ikorodu town in Lagos before my plans to get married, while my husband was a full time pastor. 

The pastor and his prophetess wife after the lid was blown open. “We were to have our wedding introduction in 2014 and were planning for a church wedding when I got pregnant, which put the wedding plans on hold.

Woman runs mad when she discovers her husband is a dead man

Woman runs mad after discovering she has been married to a dead man for six years.

 Usually we only see stuff like this happen in movies, but it seems this one actually happened for real, as a woman is reportedly crazy as a result of her own personal experience. The woman identified as Mrs Grace Amadi, recently discovered she had been married to and raising two children with a man who reportedly died as far back as 2002. 

Mrs Grace discovered her husband of 6 years died since 2002

According to reports, Grace who had been married to her husband identified as Tony for six years, was said to have lived peacefully with him.

Customs removes ban on importation of rice, import duty

Wale Adeniyi, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Customs Service has revealed that the Comptroller-General of the body, Colonel Hameed Ali (rtd), has removed the ban on importation of rice.

 He also stated in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the import duty payment at land borders has been reintroduced. According to him, the restriction used to be applied only at land border stations, adding that all rice imports through land borders by rice traders would attract the prevailing import duty of 10 per cent with 60 per cent levy. 

“Over the years importation has been restricted to the seaports because border authorities have found it difficult to effectively monitor and control importation of rice. 

“When the decision to ban it (rice) was taken it was not an effective measure because smuggling of the product thrives with people using different means of conveyance including small trucks, bicycles and even animals – putting them on donkeys and some actually carry it on their heads. 

“These new measures will be for customs to reognise their anti-smuggling operations in the border areas and ensure that all those importers through the borders bring their rice through approved routes and pay their extant duty,” he was quoted to have said. Ali has also recently warned Nigerians to desist from patronizing rice smuggled through land borders. 

Speaking at a joint news conference on illegal rice importation to Nigeria on Tuesday, October 4, in Abuja Ali said 99 per cent of rice smuggled through the land borders is not fit for human consumption. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), he said NAFDAC samples have showed that smuggled rice through the borders was unfit for human consumption.

See father who babysits and takes his baby to work

Fatherhood is something many men look forward to. Having to be able to make contact with their newborn baby is an experience that has sparked different emotional flames in them.  

Women also share the joy of motherhood as they finally have the chance to hold the baby they have carried in their wombs to their bosoms. In a way, they feel like they know the babies because they were nurtured within their bodies. 

For the men, it is an entirely different case as they want to spend time with their babies. Men that are having their first issue in life feel different about the matter. They become inseparable as they want to know everything there is to know about babies in order to bond well. 

Nairabet launches new platform + free N1000 for customers

Nigeria’s first sports betting platform, NairaBET has just launched a new platform for its users. 

To celebrate the transfer to this new betting platform, NairaBET is giving a FREE bet credit bonus of N1000 to all existing customers.

Virtual reality for the masses is here. But do the masses want VR?

At an Oculus Connect event this week, Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg announced a small change to the Oculus Rift, his company’s virtual reality headset, which will have massive repercussions for the technology over the next year of its life. It wasn’t the news that the company is working on a standalone VR headset, nor that it’s now selling in-ear headphones for $49 to go with your rift. Instead, its a small technique added to the Oculus development kit with the odd name of “asynchronous spacewarp”

7 Nollywood actors who have died in 2016

2016 has been a year of emotional turbulence in Nollywood. Actors have received awards, recognized internationally, engaged, married and re-married but sadly, lives have been lost along the way. 

With just 3 months till 2017, over 10 Nollywood favourites have passed away, dating as early as January. We have gathered seven of the most shocking Nollywood deaths this 2016: 

1. Veteran actress, Bukky Ajayi (82).

Late Bukki Ajayi at the AMVCA 2016

 Veteran Nollywood actress Bukky Ajayi died on July 6, 2016 after an unsuccessful battle with heart-related issues. Her big break into Nollywood was her role in the Village Headmaster in the 70s. In March 2016, the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) awarded her with the 2016 ‘Industry Merit Award’.

2. Veteran Actor, Festus Aguebor.

Festus Aguebor Veteran Nollywood actor,

 Festus Aguebor, died on February 23, 2016. His cause of death was undisclosed and was a shock to all his fans. He was known for his roles in Igbodo and Family contract. He is believed to have been in his 70s.

Catching Heat: Samsung Joins These 10 Tech Recall Catastrophes

Recalls happen almost all the time. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has made about 40 in August, recalling everything from fire alarms to garden tractors. Samsung has been catching a lot of heat (no pun intended) lately, recalling about 1 million of their Galaxy Note 7 after 92 reports of the batteries overheating caused property damage including fires in cars and a garage. The tech giant quickly stepped in and owned up to their mistakes, asking all customers to return the defective devices. However, Samsung is not the first, or the last, to have electronics recalled. Here are a few of the biggest recalls in the consumer electronics industry.

Crucifix appears in Nasarawa mosque; hundreds troop out for miracle

– The sight of of a cross in a mosque premise sent Nasarawa residents into confusion

 – Hundreds of people have trooped to the cross to ask for miracle

 – The chief imam of the mosque confirmed the sighting and said it was a sign from God 

In what might be considered a strange sighting, the sudden appearance of a cross a few metres away from a mosque in Nasarawa threw residents into confusion. The Punch reports that residents of Assakio Development Area in Lafia were left awed by the strange sighting which has brought hundreds of people to the location to pray for forgiveness and blessing. 

The cross which is the considered the symbol of Christianity was illuminated on the ground close to the mosque. Hajara Hussaini confirmed that she was the first to see the light in the shape of a cross on Wednesday, September 28 when her mother sent her on errand. Her mother, Matan Liman also confirmed the strange appearance and said her daughter was gripped in fear when she returned. Muhammed Iliyasu who is the Chief Imam of Assakio Central Mosque said the sighting of the cross within the mosque premise confirmed that revelation was from God, affirming that “Jesus is also a prophet of God.” 

Very Rev. Micheal Dogo of the Evangelical Reform Church of Christ, Assakio described the sighting of the cross as “a sign of reconciliation in the community.” Grace Eze who resides in the community said she was healed when she visited the mosque. 

“I underwent a surgery about two years ago after which I started to experience a movement in my body. But after praying before the cross, I got healed.” This development comes as Muslims celebrate the new 1438AH year. Similarly, hundreds of people trooped to Saint Augustine’s Catholic Church which is located in the Nenger area of Makurdi in Benue following the “appearance” of an ‘image’ of Jesus. 

The church which is situated behind Government Model College became a hub for Catholic and non-Catholic worshipers after bright image fell on the crucifix of Jesus.

I will show you where to get Free TWITTER followers

I will show you where to get Free TWITTER followers

5 things we learnt from President’s Independence Day address

Buhari

5 things we learnt from President’s Independence Day address

President Muhammadu Buhari addressed the nation earlier today on the occasion of Nigeria’s 56th Independence Anniversary. We run the rule on the five lessons we picked up from his speech, below: 

1. Economy is everything 

 All of the President’s speech can be summed up in one word—Economy. He commenced with the state of the nation’s economy and ended with it. The biting economic recession is Nigeria’s reality at the moment and there was no hovering around it in this address. It’s the single biggest challenge facing us as a nation today.

 “I know that uppermost in your minds today is the economic crisis. The recession for many individuals and families is real. For some it means not being able to pay school fees, for others it’s not being able to afford the high cost of food (rice and millet) or the high cost of local or international travel, and for many of our young people the recession means joblessness, sometimes after graduating from university or polytechnic. I know how difficult things are, and how rough business is,” the President said. Yes, we are the economy and the economy is us. 

I warned Jonathan's government about recession - Obasanjo

– Ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo says his warnings about reckless spendings in the immediate past administration was ignored

 – The Ogun high chief has now proffered a solution to the present challenges that the country is facing 

– He has also attributed the restiveness in some parts of the country to unemployment 

Ex-Nigerian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has revealed to Nigerians that he warned the immediate past administration about the present recession that the country is presently in, but was ignored. 

According to Premium Times, the ex-president said he made this known when he saw how recklessly the Dr Goodluck Jonathan-led administration was spending the country’s money. 

Obasanjo, an Ogun state high chief made these revelations on Saturday, October 1, while delivering a lecture to some youths at Owu Baptist Church, Abeokuta. 

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has offered a piece of advice to President Buhari on how to get Nigeria out of recession.

 He said: “Whoever that has lived to witness the celebration of today should thank God. “Things are not what they should be, but we should pray that next year will be better than this year.” “We thank God for those who are alive, we prayed for the souls of those who have laboured for these country and who have passed on to rest in perfect peace.

Zuckerberg fulfils promise, adds Hausa language to Facebook

Hausa, one of Nigeria’s major language, has been added to Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of the social media platform. According to a post on his wall, Mark reckons that more than one billion users communicate using languages other than English, hence the need to expand the horizon and accommodate other lingua franca. 

He wrote: “Facebook is now available in more than 100 languages — with more than one billion people using a language other than English! Today we added Fula, Maltese and Corsican. “Our community makes this possible. Over the last decade, hundreds of thousands of people around the world have worked together to find the right translations for words and phrases in the Facebook interface.

 “Because the idea of a “Like” in English may mean something different in Arabic or Japanese. “This matters because for people to share what matters to them and see what matters to the people they care about, they need services available in a language they know. “Some of the languages we’ve added don’t have meaningful presences on the internet. 

Others, like Corsican, are in danger of disappearing altogether, according to UNESCO. “So thanks to everyone in our community for helping us hit this milestone of 100 languages! We’ll keep working to open up our community to everyone — no matter where they live or what language they speak.” Check out his post here: 

This may have been in fulfillment of an earlier promise made by the seventh richest man in the world when he visited Nigeria some weeks ago as he said he was proud of putting Hausa language software on his website. Zuckerberg made this known while speaking on the first day of his visit to Nigeria, which began in Lagos state; the visit was his first to Africa. 

He met with youths who associate themselves with technology companies to further encourage them while a statement by the Facebook company said Zuckerberg went to Nigeria for business research.

Woman discharges maggot from her private part

In Olakula area, Ipokia local government area of Ogun state, a woman identified as Iya Toheeb was reported on Wednesday, September 28, to have been continuously discharging maggot from her private part. 

Woman sitting in the car as family and sympathizers gathered around her.

 According to The Nation, the scene turned chaotic as residents trooped out to see the woman sat in a car with the assistance of family members and sympathizers. It was thought that she might have been a victim of money-making ritual after her condition allegedly defied orthodox medication. It was gathered that the woman was also brought to one of the men she was associated with, a carpenter in the community. 

Woman Found Guilty of N9million Fraud

International Crook 

Polish woman found guilty of N9million fraud 

 An Abuja High Court has convicted a Polish woman of forging and issuing a N9 million check to one Tayo Olugbemi.

Dora Gilmaska

 A Polish woman has reportedly been convicted of a N9 million fraud and is to be sentenced by a FCT High Court in Abuja on October 4. 

The information was contained in a statement issued by the spokesman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, in Abuja on Thursday, September 29. The convict identified as, Dora Gilmaska, was arraigned on November 7, 2012, and later found guilty of forging and issuing a cheque of N9 million to one Tayo Olugbemi. Gilmaska pleaded not guilty to the charge. Uwujaren revealed that the accused would be sentenced alongside her company, Icon Media and Marketing Agency Limited.

The sentence was reserved after the convict was found guilty of a one-count charge of fraud brought against her by the EFCC,” he added.

Young Democratic Party sues INEC

Edo Election 

Young Democratic Party sues INEC 

 We lost a lot of votes because our voters did not know where to vote and this has cost us a lot

APC national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun (Punch)

 The Young Democratic Party (YDP) has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court for allegedly being responsible for its abysmal performance in the Sept. 28 gubernatorial election in Edo.