Monday, December 29, 2014
2015: INEC redeploys RECs
Ahead of the 2015 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Monday announced a major shake up in the commission.
The electoral body moved round all the Resident Electoral Commissioners in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
INEC, according to its daily in house news letter, “Daily Bulletin” said news on the redeployments was contained in a letter signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu.
The scribe directed that all handing and taking over formalities be concluded by December 31.
The RECs and their new postings are listed below:
Prof. O.E. Onukaogu from Abia to Enugu; Prof. Tukur Sa’ad – Adamawa to Bauchi; Ahmed Makama – Bauchi toTaraba; Mike Igini – Delta to Edo; Selina Omagha Oko – Ebonyi to Abia; Edwin Offor Nwatarali – Enugu to Anambra; Sadiq Abubakar Musa from Kaduna to Sokoto; Jibrin Ibrahim Zarewa – Kano to Kebbi; Hussaini Ahmed Mahuta – Katsina to Kaduna and Abubakar Umar Garba Wara – Kebbi to Zamfara.
Others are – Emmanuel Onucheyo – Kogi to Kwara; Rufus O. Akeju – Lagos to Oyo; Abdullahi Umar Danyaya – Niger to Nasarawa; Timothy A. Ibitoye – Osun to Ogun; A.L. Ogunmola – Oyo to Osun; Barito Lenusikpugi Kphagih – Rivers to Bayelsa; Haliru A. Tambuwal – Sokoto to Jigawa; Kassim Gana Geidam – Yobe to Gombe; Ibrahim Bagobiri Marafa -Zamfara to Katsina and Aniedi Ikoiwak- Akwa-Ibom to Delta.
The remaining redeployments announced by INEC are – Habu Zarma- Gombe to Yobe; Akin Orebiyi- Ogun to Lagos; Hussaini Halilu Pai -FCT to Kogi; Kwanga Godwin Mbatsavbee- Benue to Plateau; Sylvester Okey Ezeani – Anambra to Cross River; Minkaila Abdullahi – Jigawa to Kano; Lawrence Azubuike – Imo to Ebonyi; Sam Olugbadebo Olumekun – Ondo to Ekiti; Istifanus Ishaku Dafwang- Plateau to Benue Gesila Khan – Bayelsa to Rivers; Samuel Madaki – Taraba to Borno; Gabriel Ada – Cross River to Imo; Jacob Shekwonudu Jatau – Nasarawa to FCT; Baba Abba Yusuf- Borno to Adamawa; Segun Agbaje- Ekiti to Ondo; Nasir Ayilara- Kwara to Niger and Austine Okojie – Edo to Akwa-Ibom.
source > thenationonlineng.net 
NYSC Online Registration:Stakeholders Demand OutrightCancellation Of Fee
A cross section of parents and prospective
corps members have called for an outright
cancellation of the National Youth Service
Corps (NYSC) online registration fee.
The stakeholders made the demand in
separate interviews with the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.
They said that the online registration fee was
too exorbitant for prospective corps
members to bear.
They also said the increasing economic
hardship in the country and other socio-
economic factors should be put into
consideration by the appropriate authorities.
Mr Jonah Ugwu, a parent resident in the FCT,
said the idea of making NYSC mobilisation
electronic compliant was a good one, but
noted that it was ill-conceived.
He said the initiators of the policy did not
consider a lot of factors before coming up
with the cost and other logistics for the new
method of mobilisation and registration.
“The idea is a wonderful one but the timing
is wrong, where will these young graduates
get N4,000 to register for the scheme.
“I am not against the new format for
registration, but it should be made free in
the first instance then subsequently the
corps could be levied a token,’’ he said.
Mr Dairus Akaleku, also a parent, decried the
measure adopted by the NYSC to introduce
the new system of registration.
He said the entire process has been marred
by the high charges fixed for the exercise.
According to Akaleku, the online registration
is a good initiative, but frowned at the high
fee as the same result could be achieved at a
cheaper rate.
Akaleku advised the NYSC management to
reverse the fee to N500 or at most N1,000 to
enable all prospective corps members buy
into the new method.
Mrs Ijeoma Okeke, a businesswoman in the
FCT, said government should realise that the
fee for the registration would be an added
burden to parents without any
commensurate increase in their income.
“Where are the parents going to get the
money from, business is not booming and
there has not been increase in the income of
those working in government
establishments.
“This is absolutely unacceptable and
unnecessary, can’t there be some other ways
of introducing the new format other than
asking the jobless graduates to pay for the
call up letters, it is sad,’’ she said.
A prospective corps member resident in the
FCT, who spoke on the condition of
anonymity, told NAN that he could not afford
the said amount for his call up letter.
He told NAN on condition of anonymity that
the idea was novel and preferred it to the
manual method.
But corps member said he had to save
money to get other needs to participate in
the scheme.
He appealed to the authorities to make it free
for all prospective corps members.
He stressed that making it optional was not
in the best interest of the registration
process.
Another prospective corps member, who also
did not want her name mentioned, wondered
why government could not make adequate
provision for the new initiative.
She said the NYSC management could liaise
with the mobilising institutions to get the
needed data about the graduating students
and feed same to the NYSC for the electronic
registration.
“As far as am concerned NYSC does not need
to embark on a separate data capturing
exercise for the sake of mobilising corps
members.
“Most schools now register students online,
so the schools can arrange for special
registration for graduating students which
they can transfer to the NYSC for the purpose
of mobilisation.
“This will save us the stress of paying any
amount for the registration,’’ she said.
NAN recalls that the NYSC stakeholders’
conference endorsed the online registration
process at its end of year meeting, but
suggested a downward review of the cost.
(NAN)
Saturday, December 20, 2014
FG finally sells nitel-mtel for N252m
Council on Privatisation(NCP) chaired by Vice-President
Namadi Sambo on Thursday
ratified the sale of the liquidated
Nigeria Telecommunication Plc and
it’s subsidiary, M-tel, to NATCOM
Consortium for $252.
The ratification was one of the
decisions taken at the NCP meeting
at the Presidential Villa.
Chairman of NCP’s Technical
Committee, Atedo Peterside, told
newsmen after the meeting that
NATCOM beat one other bidder
that was also prequalified to clinch
the deal.
He said this now ends the entire
bidding process and what is now
left is to conclude the necessary
documentation, he stated.
This transaction is different from
what happened with sale of power
plants sale because Nitel is not an
ongoing concern but a liquidated
one no longer in business.
In view of this, the liquidator will
through the court pay some
verified claims of creditors of Nitel/
M-tel, which therefore sidesteps
the issue of third party creditors
but it does not preclude the
Government from settling any
obligations it feels like, Peterside
explained.
Minister of Mines and Steel
Development, Musa Sada, pointed
out that the ultimate objective is to
have the moribund firms
resuscitated and work better for
Nigerians, not just to sell them off.
Director-General of the Bureau of
Public Enterprises (BPE), Benjamin
Dikki, announced that Indorama
Eleme Petrochemical Limited has
passed the performance evaluation
administered on it.
It means that Indorama has
fulfilled the sale purchase
agreements it signed with BPE and
is therefore freed from a five-year
probation/monitoring period.
Source: www.withinnigeria.com
Thursday, December 11, 2014
THERE ARE 5 PRESIDENTS IN NIGERIA MORE POWERFUL THAN JONATHAN SAYS OBASANJO
Despite a court order obtained by Kashamu Buruji, a
close associate of President Goodluck Jonathan,
stopping the publication of former President Olusegun
Obasanjo's controversial autobiography, the book.
My Watch, was unveiled at the Lagos Country club
Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, December 9, 2014.
Extracts from the three volume autobiography of
Obasanjo insinuates that Dame Patience Jonathan,
Madueke Allison Diezani, Stella Oduah and Okonjo
Iweala are the most powerful women in Nigeria.
Obasanjo wrote that there are five presidents in
Nigeria, which include the above mentioned four
women and Jonathan is the weakest of them all, PM
News reports.
Obasanjo wrote: It was the same elder statesman who
reportedly tried to jolt the president into action by
telling him that there were five presidents in Nigeria.
These were his wife the first lady, Diezani (Alison
Madueke), Stella (Oduah), Ngozi (Okonjo Iweala) and
the president himself, and that he was the weakest of
the five.
1. Patience Jonathan.
She is the current First Lady of Nigeria who recently
resigned her position as a permanent secretary in
Bayelsa state.
She is married to the President of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan.
2. Madueke Allison Diezani:
She is the Minister of Petroleum. She has been
constantly accused of sleazy practices within the oil
sector.
There were allegations that she spent N10 Billion
hiring aircraft within two years.
One of the most controversial policies introduced
under Alison Madueke is the government's plan to
remove subsidies on fuel prices.
3. Stella Oduah.
She was a former aviation minister.
She has been involved in numerous controversies
ranging from being accused of purchasing BMW bullet
proof cars without following due process as well as
allegations that she lied about how she obtained an
MBA degree from St Paul's College.
4. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala:
Finance Minister Okonjo Iweala
She is the finance minister. On January 1, 2012, the
Nigerian government removed the fuel subsidy.
That action triggered a nationwide riot which had Dr.
Iweala in the cross fire.
She got the blame more than any other public servant
for the removal of subsidy.
The launch of the three volume book was stopped by a
court injunction secured by a former friend of
Obasanjo, Prince Buruji Kashamuon, on Friday,
December 5th, but lawyers to Chief Obasanjo advised
him to go ahead with the launch.
5. GoodLuck Jonathan.
Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, BNER, GCON
is a Nigerian politician who has been President of
Nigeria since 2010
10 Confirmed Fact About S*x and Why You Should Have S^x Often
1 . Having sex relieves headaches. Every time you make
love , it releases the tension in the veins of the brain.
2 . A lot of sex can clear the stuffy nose. Sex is a natural
antihistamine . It helps to fight against asthma and spring
allergies .
3 . Making love is a spectacular beauty treatment. Scientists
have discovered that when a woman has sex , it produces a
large amount of estrogen that gives shine and softness to
hair.
4 . Sex is one of the safest sports. Make love often
strengthens the muscles of male and female body. It’s more
enjoyable than swimming 20 laps in the pool and there is not
need special shoes!
5 . Make love slowly , smoothly and in a relaxed way reduces
the chances of suffering dermatitis, skin rashes and acne .
The sweat produced cleanses the pores and makes your skin
glow .
6 . Lovemaking can burn all the calories you have
accumulated during the romantic dinner before bedtime.
7 . Sex is a divine remedy for depression. It releases
endorphins into the bloodstream , creating a state of
euphoria and leaving women and men with the feeling of
being unique.
8 . Sex is the tranquilizer and muscle relaxant to a safer
world . It is a thousand times more effective than Valium .
9 . Sexually active body releases more pheromones.
10 . Kissing each day will keep you more time away from the
dentist . Kissing is an art which makes the cleaner teeth and
saliva reduces the amount of acid that causes tooth decay .
This prevention eliminates many problems , in addition to
offering a breath constantly renewed
Obasanjo says Yaradua persecuted Ribadu because of a woman, reveals why Kingibe fought El-Rufai
The unceremonious removal of former
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC boss, Nuhu Ribadu from office and the
persecutions that followed had been linked to
his refusal to marry one of the daughters of
late President Umaru Yaradua and his
“dragging” of a woman with a supposed most
powerful man in Yaradua’s government,
Taminu Yakubu Kurfi by former. President
Olusegun Obasanjo in his new controversial
book, My Watch established the link.
The former president also revealed in the
book that the fight between former FCT
minister, Nasir El rufai and former Secretary
to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji
Babagana Kingibe has to do with one of the
wives of the former scribe to the FG.
In the height of Ribadu’s travails in the
hands of the Yar’ adua administration, he
was removed as EFCC chairman, demoted to
the rank of Deputy Commissioner of police
from Assistant Inspector General and
eventually dismissed.
Though, it was originally believed that
Ribadu was being hounded by the
administration because of his recalcitrant
insistence on continuing with the
prosecution of James Ibori, former governor
of Delta state and Yar’Adua’s close ally.
Though OBJ did not dismiss the link, he
nevertheless said Ribadu’s refusal to marry
Yar’Adua’s daughter could have contributed
his travails then.
Throwing on why Ribadu fell out with
Taminu Yakubu Kurfi, Obasanjo wrote that
Kurfi had his eyes on a woman who was said
to be more interested in the former EFCC
chairman.
“It was revealed, for instance, that Tanimu’s
main reason for wanting to fight Nuhu to a
standstill was the allegation that a woman he
was interested in marrying was showing
more interest in Nuhu! I understand that
Tanimu, in the end, married the lady and I
wondered if that would be the end of the war
of attrition against Nuhu.
“This was about the same time that Umaru
encouraged Nuhu to marry one of his
daughters, an idea which Nuhu spurned.
Could that have been partly responsible for
Umaru’s fury?
On El rufai-Kingibe’s affair, Obasanjo alleged
that Babagana Kingibe had a personal fall-out
with Nasir el-Rufai over the infidelity of one
of Kingibe’s wives.
OBJ wrote: “The Kingibe case as revealed is
quite similar to Tanimu’s, as a woman is at
the centre of it also. Nasir el-Rufai was
accused of knowingly harbouring a boyfriend
of one of Kingibe’s wives in his guest house,
where this wife and her boyfriend would
meet.
“If Nasir chose to make his house available
to his friend out of hospitality, one wonders
if he could also determine which guest, male
or female, his friend would receive. It would
have been a different case if Nasir himself
was accused of dating Kingibe’s wife!”
News coming in states that Plateau state’s capital Jos has been hit with twin blasts.
News coming in states that Plateau state’s capital Jos has
been hit with twin blasts.
Details are still sketchy but Sahara reporters say that the
blasts occured in a market in Jos.
The attack is said to have taken place at the popular Mr.
Biggs roundabout on Ahmadu Bello Way.
One source told Sahara: “One would have said the causalities
would be low, but since the ban on street hawking in Jos,
[the area] gets crowded at night for late buying and selling,”.
Officials have confirmed the attack but according to AFP, there
has been no word on the causalities.
Breaking: General Buhari Wins APC Presidential Primaries
Latest reports emanating from the Teslim Balogun Stadium in
Surulere, Lagos, western Nigeria, indicate that the former
Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) is
coasting home to victory in the All Progressives Congress,
APC, presidential primary.
As at the time of this report (4.51pm, December 11, Thursday)
Buhari has garnered a total votes of 3,430 to lead four other
aspirants of the APC.
No fewer than 7,214 delegates were accredited to vote at the
convention. 8,000 delegates were initially expected at the
convention.
At the moment, the official results are:
Gen. Buhari – 3,430
Kwankwaso – 974
Atiku – 954
Okorocha – 674
Nda-Isaiah – 10
Below, read how the sorting and counting developed:
APC Presidential aspirants before the start of the voting
Though Buhari has not been officially declared as the winner
of the primaries yet, if he eventually wins the ticket, he will
face President Goodluck Jonathan, who clinched the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP’s ticket, in next year’s presidential
election.
It was gathered that signs of Buhari’s commanding lead came
as officials kept announcing his name as most of the votes
were being sorted.
The result so far has thrown up surprises with the Kano State
Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso being the one giving Buhari a
close chase, while a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, is
trailing behind with Rochas Okorocha and Sam Nda-Isaiah.
Baring no significant changes, Buhari will square up against
the incumbent president in the voting scheduled for February
14, 2015.
Meanwhile, Atiku has congratulated Buhari for his victory.
Congratulations General Buhari. The delegates have
spoken, you fully deserve the victory -AA
4:12 PM - 11 Dec 2014
Atiku Abubakar
@atiku Follow
4,064 RETWEETS 720 FAVORITES
Check out the LIVE updates below:
14:10 Counting is almost over. Minimal number of the ballot
papers is left. Buhari’s box is literally stuffed with them.
13:53 Sam Nda-Isaiah gains 7 votes. General Buhari may
secure over 70%.
13:40 Counting of votes resumes after a short break.
12:48 It’s getting hotter and hotter. Caterers serve some
drinks (non-alcoholic) for the delegates, supporters and
security agents. The LeadershipNG publisher got his forth
vote.
12:32 About 6,000 ballot papers sorted. Buhari is set to
collect about 65% of total votes casted. For every 10 votes for
the General (rtd.), one shall hear: 3 for Kwankwaso, 2 for
Rochas and 1 for Atiku. Sam’s number of ballot papers is
fixed.
11:57 Five of the votes declared invalid at the moment. Nda-
Isiah’s box reportedly contains three ballot papers now.
11:30 Second vote goes to Sam Nda-Isiah. Some people
applauded. Maybe he should be appointed as the running
mate, as compensation?
10:50 Over 1,000 votes have been processed. Buhari is in
clear lead, gathering the same volume of the ballot papers, as
four other candidates combined.
Atiku Abubakar is in clear third place at the moment. The
main surprise of the day, as Governor Kwankwaso overtook
him. Rochas Okorocha and Sam Nda-Isiah are far behind.
10:43 GMB’s box is ‘almost full’. Another one will be soon
needed. The lead seems now much more comfortable.
10:25 According to multiple sources at the venue, General
Muhammadu Buhari takes an early lead.
Sorting of votes. Photo: @thecableng
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso seem to be ahead of the other
candidates, Rochas Okorocha and Atiku Abubakar.
At the same time, Sam Nda-Isiah got his first ballot moments
ago, at about 10:20.
It would be noted that during a separate convention in the
capital city, Abuja, the Peoples Democratic Party formally
endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan for his second term .
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
11 Shocking Things From Ex-Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo’s New Book
It is no longer news that former President Olusegun Obasanjo is going to release his autobiography titled "My Watch", on the 12th of December, 2014 - a book published by Farafina.
What is news is the political tsunami the content of this book might cause in the already charged political atmosphere of Nigeria and beyond.
Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan are not having the best of time and this book may deteriorate the already frosty relationship between the two. Recall that Obasanjo had late last year wrote a letter to Jonathan in which he responded with a reply.
In his new book, Obasanjo took a swipe on Jonathan, Patience Jonathan, Atiku Abubakar, Umaru Musa Yara Adua and Tony Anenih amongst others.
In a rare privilege, NewsDay Reporters was allowed to go through this book before its eventual release next week and below are the Eleven (11) shocking things from the book:
1. Obasanjo called Jonathan a failed leader, citing his "failed" economic policies and Boko Haram as examples.
2. He accused Jonathan of listening to few Ijaw people as if he's the president of Ijaw - thereby pursuing sectional agenda that is capable of destroying Nigeria.
3. He says that Jonathan is confused, paranoid to an extent that the person ruling Nigeria is his wife, Patience Jonathan.
4. He said that Jonathan is finished for depending on Tony Anenih - a man he (Obasanjo) knows too well.
5. He accused Jonathan of being the one that recruited his daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo to denigrate and embarrass him in a public letter where she described him as “a liar, manipulator and two-faced hypocrite.”
6. He mentioned how late President Umaru Musa Yar Adua and Goodluck Jonathan allowed their close associates to wreck havoc on the Nigeria's economy by looting the country's foreign reserve.
7. He called Yar Adua and Jonathan ingrates as they refused to respect the fact that he installed them in power.
8. He feels betrayed that Yar Adua colluded with former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori to implicate him in serious crimes.
9. He accused Yar Adua of abandoning his policies in power sector, railway etc., instead he (Yar Adua) was wasting time probing his tenure.
10. On Atiku, he said he will never support Alhaji Atiku to rule this country because of his widespread acts of corruption which covered various sectors of the economy.
11. He concludes that even if he reconciles with Jonathan, that he will do everything possible to make sure that he (Jonathan) does not return to power in 2015.
Source: NewsDay Reporters
Monday, December 8, 2014
10 Secrets Of Long Distance Relationships
There has never been a time when long distance relationships have been so prevalent, and so accessible. We travel, we go to college, we get summer jobs in different cities. We meet people we fall in love with, then move apart. But rather than seeing physical difference as a deterrent, we view it as an obstacle. We’ve adapted, trading in love letters and tortured hours waiting for the phone to ring for constant transatlantic messaging, face-timing, and plane tickets. LDRs are so much more common, and so much easier, than they’ve ever been before.
And yet they’re still difficult, and people still don’t really talk about them. We feel ashamed to admit that we spent three hours last night video chatting, while our friends brag about an expensive dinner out with their significant other. We pretend that it’s always fine, that we hardly ever miss each other, just so we don’t have to listen to another lecture on how LDRs never work and are doomed to fail. So there are a lot of things that us LDR-ers just don’t talk about. But we SHOULD talk about them, because they’re a part of our daily lives and they’re nothing to be ashamed of. We should be proud of being strong enough to survive being apart from people we love. Let’s start sharing our experiences, and being seriously honest about what long distance love actually entails.
Here’s a start, with 10 things that no one will tell you about being in a long distance relationship:
1. You’re going to be BROKE. Plane tickets. Posting excessive gifts to make up for the time apart. Blowing all your money when you finally see each other, just to make up for lost time. You thought you’d save money from fewer dates. You were so, so wrong.
2. Your laptop is your real significant other. It doesn’t matter how much you disliked texting before, or if you weren’t a fan of Facebook, because being in an LDR means you are suddenly a little too dependent on all forms of technology and internet-related activities. You will fall asleep cradling your laptop, and experience minor anxiety at the thought of being away from your phone. You will quickly become one of those girls you always rolled your eyes at, constantly attached to some kind of screen, because you have NOTHING ELSE.
3. But you’ll also become an expert on the latest messaging/calling apps. This one particularly applies for my relationship-across-countries homies, because being in an LDR means you are up to date on everything from Viber to Avocado. You lament the poor connectivity of Viber, and pray that one day Facetime won’t drain your data plan. Every new app that promises better messaging, cooler functionality, and anything to help you communicate with your significant other will be downloaded in seconds. But a few days later you’ll probably just revert back to Whatsapp.
4. You might become a bit of a slob. Sorry, but if you’re the type of person who dresses up to attract the opposite s*x, get prepared for sweatpant city. Your boyfriend/girlfriend can’t see you, you’re not out to get laid, and you’ll slowly stop giving a crap about what you look like. Until Skype time. Then it’s sweatpants on the bottom, make-up and cute tee up top.
5. Sometimes, being apart from your significant other is AWESOME. Never feel bad for enjoying alone time. If you’re in an LDR, you get the independence of being single with the comfort of a relationship. No-one mentions the fact that the alone time that comes as part of an LDR can actually be really fun. You can go to the gym, you can go out, you can spend hours watching TV. Yes, obviously, you can still do those things if your BF/GF is in the vicinity, but you might have to check in first, or you may feel bad about saying no to hanging out. Being in an LDR means you always have space whenever you need it. SCORE.
6. Arguments suck. When you’re physically together during an argument, things pretty much have to get resolved. When you’re in an LDR, however, you can drag that stuff out for DAYS. You can ignore texts and refuse to video chat. You can go to bed angry and stew in your rage and it can be SO hard to sort things out.
7. You often feel like you’re missing out. Not missing out on the s*x and all that jazz, but missing out on the food, and the movies, and all the fun activities couples do together. That new restaurant you’re dying to try? Nope, not until your significant other gets a train/plane ticket. LDRs mean no go-to dinner/movie/gallery partner. Damnit.
8. You’ll become a LOT more open-minded when it comes to relationships. You’ll realize that relationships aren’t so black and white, and won’t be able to criticise your friends’ dating choices so harshly, because you’re suddenly very aware that your choices are completely irrational and impractical. But you do it for love. Aww. You’ll also have to open yourself up to new things you never thought you’d do. *cough* Sexy skype times *cough*
9. Reunions are often awkward. And it’s always SO frustrating, because you love each other and there’s never any weird pauses over the phone. But no matter what you do, the first half an hour or so of reuniting after a long period apart feels so weird and stilted. It’s okay, it will pass. Still so weird though.
10. You will go through the most intense highs and lows. You will love them more intensely than you thought possible, you will miss them to a point you never thought you could endure. You will cry tears of happiness when you see them at the airport, then cry all the way home when you leave. LDRs are whirlwinds of emotions. They’re wonderful and horrible and we all know that rationally, they’re not the best idea. But we do them anyway, because love makes us crazy and crazy feels good sometimes. And sometimes, it all works out okay. Better than okay, actually. No-one ever seems to mention the LDRs that actually last, but honestly, they do exist.
How to make your marriage to last long
He who finds a good wife finds a good thing, but beyond the success of making a good choice of a partner, a study has shown that there are other factors that are instrumental to having a lasting union and marital bliss.
According to the study, one of the keys to a long-lasting marriage, successful or harmonious marital union, is for the wife to be happy. According to the study, the more content the wife is with the marriage, the happier the husband would be, which would improve his well being and general health.
The study, published in the Journal of Marriage and Family on September 2, 2014 found that when it comes to harmonious marital union, the woman’s happiness is more crucial than the husband’s in maintaining marital bliss and in the health of the relationship.
Above and beyond the key role women play in the home, such as raising the children and supporting the husband, their well being, happiness and joy could determine how enjoyable and lasting the marriage would be.
The study, led by a Professor and Chair in the Department of Sociology, Rutgers University, United States, Dr. Deborah Carr, advised that men who are unhappy in their marriage should avoid being selfish and focus on their wives’ happiness. The study emphasises that the key to marital bliss is all about women’s feelings, and the happier they are in the marriage, the better.
The researchers studied about 400 couples in which at least one of the partners was over the age of 60 years old and had been married for 39 years on the average.
The couples were given surveys to assess the quality of their marriage. The researchers also assessed the quality of feelings that they held towards one another by asking a series of questions such as, if they felt their spouse genuinely appreciated them, how often they argued and if they felt their spouses respected their opinion or point of view. The participants were also asked to write a diary, which detailed the last 24 hours that they had spent with their spouse, and to assess their own feelings of happiness during shared activities like shopping, chores and watching TV.
Carr and her colleagues found that in general, the couples that were used in the study reported very high levels of life satisfaction, which led the researchers to conclude that long and happy marriages had some link with high levels of life satisfaction. For married men, how highly their wives rate the marriage affects their overall happiness.
There was also a trend seen with the levels of life satisfaction reported from both partners and the happiness of the wife. The couples in which the female partner reported higher levels of overall happiness reported greater life satisfaction on both sides.
Carr explained that when a woman is happy, she tends to naturally want to do more for her husband, which in turn makes him happy too. She explained that for both spouses, being in a better-rated marriage was linked to greater life satisfaction and happiness and that the study is important because the quality of a marriage can affect the health and wellbeing of older people as they continue to age.
The researchers also suggested that when women are unhappy, they tend to be more vocal about their unhappiness than men are. When a woman is unhappy, therefore, her husband may also feel so due to her disposition.
While previous studies have shown that happiness has an important role in a people’s general health and wellbeing, a study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison reported that depression was more common in people who remain in stressful marriage situations. In addition, this new study showed that the key to a happy marriage and a happy life might just be to make the wife happy.
“The quality of a marriage is important because it provides a buffer against the health-depleting effects of later life stressors and helps couples manage difficult decisions regarding health and medical decision making, hence, the quality of a marriage can affect the health of older people as they age,” Carr explained.
The researchers said the study is particularly important because health and wellbeing can be impacted by marriage quality and that how happy a woman believes her marriage is has a direct impact on the quality of her husband’s life, regardless of how he feels about their nuptials.
In other words, happily married women are also more likely to boost their husband’s ego by praising him and less likely to give him the kind of tongue-lashing abuses associated with families with marital problems.
According to 100weddingtips.com, the secrets to a happy marriage include effective heart-to-heart communication to understand each other’s needs and happiness, being a good listener, laughter, good humour, honesty, which involves clarity of feelings and intentions, showing love, affection, respect, and equality, which involves sharing house work, etc.
Reacting to the study, a consultant psychologist, Prof. Toba Elegbeleye, said making each other happy in a marriage should be mutual and not one sided. He added that when every other thing is okay, there is the possibility that a little effort would allow for happiness and that it may not be entirely correct for somebody to make initiating and complementing happiness in another person’s lives his sole duty.
He said, “I think it’s mutual in the sense that when one initiates it, the other person complements it, it’s not necessary that one person has to initiate it at all times,” he added.
“There are other things in a marriage that make for happiness beyond the conscious efforts of the husband to initiate happiness, such as, if the woman becomes pregnant and delivers at the right time without any problem, if the social standing of the couple in their mini-society is quite good and they have financial surplus, the happiness is guaranteed. But when most of these ancillary perquisites are not there, how can a poor husband make his wife happy.”
He explained further that men tend to be less vocal if they don’t have happiness in their marriage unlike women who tend to show theirs.
“It could be seen as a sign of weakness and failure for the man if he shares such, not forgetting that he has several social outlets, unlike women for whom it’s quite unusual to go to bars or pubs to make up for a bad marriage, hence, they tend to seek approval and sympathy from other people so as to find an outlet for their emotion.
“So, for men, rather than go to meet other colleagues of theirs to start telling them about the problem in their marriage, they might take solace in drinking, going to social club or womanising,” he said
9 Signs You’re In The Right Relationship
How To Be The Best She Ever Had
Guys, do you know how cool it would be to see your ex girlfriend years after y’all have dated and have a smirk forming on your face simply because you know deep down that you are the best she has ever had in and out of the bedroom?
Do you know what that does to your ego? How it adds extra stars to your super dating powers? How it gives you yet another trophy for being the best boyfriend ever walketh?
Just in case you have never felt that way and you would not mind feeling that way, here are ways to be that guy.
BE A GOOD KISSER
*cue in Usher’s Good Kisser*
Do it so well and let her know, don’t nobody kiss it like you bang bang bang!
Give her orgasms from kissing if possible. Own those lips forever that even when she’s gone and she’s officially kissing another brother, your name is what pops up in her mind while she’s kissing him. Yeah, dat kain tin.
GIVE HER SEXUAL HEALING
*cue in Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing*
Touch that body like it has never been touched, leave your name on the lips like you want to leave your name on the sands of time. Own that P forever and give her a permanent soundtrack. Let your face be what pops up in your mind whenever she hears the word “Daddy (cos you her daddy), ” give her the good loving that can never be rivaled. Let’s see if she won’t be thanking the supernatural beings for your D and doing the anniversary of your break up years after y’all are over.
BE MORE ROMANTIC THAN ALL YOUR FOREFATHERS (AND EVERY OTHER PERSON’S FOREFATHER)
*cue in Neyo’s One in a million*
Let her feel like a million bucks when she is with you. Love her, respect her and let other women envy her. Surprise her with gifts, love her like she has never been loved and always be there for her.
Do things that will make her want to stick with you forever and let her know if you have your way, you will never let her go.
HAND HER YOUR MUMU BUTTON
*Cue in all of Drake’s music*
Hand her your mumu button, let her know she has the whole of you and you would move mountains for her, all she has to do is ask for it. Let’s see if her next can beat this.
LET HER KNOW ITS EITHER HER OR NOBODY ELSE
*cue in Timi Dakolo’s Iyawo Mi*
Show her your future, with the bright lights and the colours that make the rainbow seem dim. Then plant her in it and let her know it is her or nobody else. Build your world around her and let her know she owns it and you would not share all those things with anybody else.
HELP HER FIND HER
I still remember my recent ex who believed so much in me he helped me see how big I could become and how much he was ready to push me to achieve my dreams. He would buy books, tell me it would be fine when he seemed like I would never realize my dreams and help me through the hardest days.
We’ve been exes for two years now but I still remember him. I have breakthroughs in my career now and I know deep down that if we were on speaking terms, he would be the first person I would call to share the news with.
When you help a woman find her, hold her hands through the hardest times and be the man who believes in her dreams, I don’t see her forgetting you.
These things should be what you should do for every woman you care deeply about, not because you want them to move on and always want to run back to you, but because it is the right thing to do. But hey, who says you can’t do a little for the ego too sometimes?
Tips for Starting Your Marriage Off the Right Way
While being a newly wed can be the most blissful time in your blossoming partnership, every couple must make sure they start off on the right foot to ensure a continual, prosperous relationship.
In order to effective merge your lives together, it requires a collaborative effort of planning and organizing of each other’s ideals and future plans either before or right after the wedding day.
Below are some tips to help make sure your marriage starts and continues in the right direction.
Setting Expectations
Create a list of visions and aspirations you both wish to achieve at the beginning of your marriage, and refer back to them regularly to make sure you are both on track. Of course with life’s propensity of throwing unexpected curve balls, this may require some alterations along the way.
However, establishing individual and joined expectations can set up a working roadmap eventually leading to the end goal you both have in mind.
Good Communication
One of the best assets a couple can have is strong communication. This means that you must always “hear” what the other person has to say without any type of defensive wall built up. Equally as important, always refrain from bottling up emotions and masking your feelings from one another. This will only create friction in the marriage, and could lead to an explosive argument in the future.
If you are not sure what type of communication pattern you and your partner already have, head to Dr. Phil’s website and take a quick quiz that can outline this for you! It’s important to identify weak and strong spots in your communication early on so you can work towards fixing these problems.
Organizing Your Finances
Perhaps the biggest stress factor for newlywed couples stems from finances. Once you decide that you want to share a life with someone, it is crucial to let all the skeletons out of the closet. This means fessing up to any money spending habits, or compromising your overly frugal ways. Make sure your partner knows about all your financial transgressions before you decide to link bank accounts.
To safeguard economical security, try saving money anywhere you can. This can begin with your wedding by opting for cheaper alternatives, like a David’s Bridal wedding dress rather than an Oscar de la Renta original.
Date Each Other
As you move further and further away from your honeymoon stage, always work hard to keep the romance intact. While everyone’s schedule is busy, make it a priority to set aside mandatory quality time for just the two of you. Couples who treat each date like before they were married during their courtship will always feel like their relationship is fresh, new and exciting.
Running out of a date ideas? Websites like Living Social and Groupon have a plethora of discounted meals, services and activities that you and your partner can try out! It’s a great way to try something new and exciting without spending a fortune.
10 things men don’t know about women
Men think they know women and everything that comes along with them. However, there are some things that men are still yet to understand about women.
There are so many things that women do that men have no clue about. Even the women might have no clue, but that is just the way we were created. This article would give you a little insight on that.
1. Jumping jacks to fit into our jeans: Guys, did you know how we have to struggle to fit into those tight jeans you think your girlfriend looks pretty in. I am not talking about the boyfriend jeans that are a little baggy. I am referring to those tight skinnys that make her shape look amazing. Well, for ladies, it is a struggle, especially the ladies with really big butts. Sometimes you have to jump for a minimum of five times before the jeans would get to its proposed station where it is supposed to be.
2. Lose the tight clothing: Did you know that women feel a sense of relief when a tight piece of clothing is taken off their bodies. For example, those tight jeans you had to fit into all day for lectures, the office or whatever the case may be. We always feel a sense of relief at the end of the day when that is off. We know how to make everything look so simple.
3. We always know our rivals: For those in a relationship, a girl always knows the girl who likes her boyfriend, the girl who calls the boyfriend “her bestie” but secretly has feelings for him. The other girl who would tell all her problems and look for a shoulder to cry on which she thinks your boyfriend is the best person to fit that slot. The truth is, a girl always knows the cunning ones. Our instincts are the strongest.
4. We check out other girls: A girl always wants to look at the next girl’s outfit. No matter where they are, they always have to stare and what the next girl is wearing. It could be the hair, clothe, slippers etc. We do this a lot and we can’t help it.
5. A woman always looks at herself in a mirror: To further expatiate on this, whenever a woman passes a mirror-like object, it does not necessarily have to be a mirror, she always has to take one last look at herself, or adjust something on her outfit. The truth is, no matter how modest the person might be, this is a trait that cannot leave our female system. It is simply part of our well-being.
6. Never decisive on what to wear: Most women try on about five different clothes and still cannot pick one they want to wear. They say this syndrome is for people who have too many clothes. Most women are indecisive when it comes to clothes especially when they need to go for an event they know they have to dress to oppress. It’s worse when they know their crushes would be attending. As a guy, make sure your girlfriend starts dressing up two hours before you if you know she is this type of person.
7. Most women do not practice what they preach when it comes to love: An example is when they are having boyfriend issues. In the midst of her friends, the woman would tell her friends that she would never call the guy no matter what, she might even end up insulting him all because she’s trying to put on a front. Later at night, when she’s alone, she’d call him and beg him if she has to. Sometimes, she won’t tell her friends that side of the story.
8. We love sleep overs with girlfriends: Whenever we are with our girlfriends, we like to do lots of fun things that the guys might classify boring. We play dress up, talk about boys, play games, make videos or even dance off in front of the mirror. Ladies love to do this. We can go on gisting till 4am if time permits. As much as we want to spend some time with the boyfriend, we also want to play around sometimes with our girlfriends too.
9. Sometimes, we actually want to sleep alone. Most of the time, most guys think every girl wants to cuddle at night. After interviewing many ladies on this topic, I guess we are not always touchy afterall. Sometimes we just want to sleep on the bed alone if possible so we can sleep well. As the boyfriend at times like this, if you are cold, use a blanket!
10. Most women like to be appreciated in public: Now as much as some people do not like public display of affection (PDA), we still like to be appreciated in public. There are other ways to boost our confidence without being too touchy. Tell us we look beautiful when your friends are present, hold our hand in public etc. It just shows we care and women love that
Obasanjo’s Book Out, Declares President Jonathan Incapable Of Governing Well
An attempt by Buruji Kashamu, a close associate of President Goodluck Jonathan, to stop the publication of a three-volume book by former President Obasanjo, appears to have failed as SaharaReporters can confirm that the book has gone into circulation. A source close to Mr. Obasanjo confirmed to SaharaReporters late last night that copies of the former president’s exhaustive autobiography were already available to buyers in print form. The source that the book would soon be available in an electronic version that is beyond the jurisdiction of Nigerian courts.my-watch-obasanjo
SaharaReporters has already obtained and read sections of the book scheduled for formal launch in Nigeria in a few days.
The book, whose three volumes chronicle the life of the controversial former president from birth till this year, aroused political interest after SaharaReporters exclusively reported that Mr. Obasanjo devotes significant pages to paint an unflattering portrait of President Jonathan. We reported that the book characterizes Mr. Jonathan as selfish, weak-willed, callous and incapable of rising to the challenges of running a complex country like Nigeria. Mr. Obasanjo also accuses the president of surrounding himself with aides and political associates with corrupt tendencies.
Mr. Obasanjo’s book dedicates several parts in the book to point out some of Mr. Jonathan’s actions and inactions he considers ill-advised or disastrous for Nigeria. He depicts Mr. Jonathan as a man who has not only destroyed the Peoples Democratic Party but also led Nigeria in dire straights.
The book focuses on several instances of policy somersaults by Mr. Jonathan as well as deliberate actions by the incumbent president that have imperiled Nigeria’s progress in the opinion of Mr. Jonathan.
An Abuja-based lawyer and critic of Mr. Obasanjo accused the former president of seeking to use the book to earn cheap popularity, adding that Mr. Obasanjo cannot get away from responsibility for “sponsoring President Jonathan’s rise to political prominence and the Presidency.”
“We have been saying it from day one that President Goodluck Jonathan does not have the qualities to become a true leader, but we cannot forget that Chief Obasanjo singlehandedly put him and the late President Umaru Yar’Adua in office,” the lawyer said.
Mr. Obasanjo’s book also castigates former President Umaru Yar’Adua, former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, and former Governor James Ibori of Delta State, Bukola Saraki, among other political foes.
In the book, the former president also makes an incredible claim that he was never interested in pursuing a third term while in office.
“That is a clear lie,” said Mr. Obasanjo’s critic. “To even deny what is so obvious to every Nigerian shows that Chief Obasanjo has little regard for the truth
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Nigerian military seizes arms-laden Russian plane bound for Chad
Premium Times is reporting that a Nigeria military
has intercepted a Russian plane loaded with large
amount of arms and ammunition, bound for
neighbouring Chad.
A security source told PT that the plane was seized
early today Saturday Dec. 6th at the Aminu Kano
International Airport.
The aircraft, which was headed for N’djamena, the
capital of Chad, landed in Kano at about 2a.m.
Nigerian time, the source said. All crew members of
the aircraft have been detained by Nigerian forces.
(Source – Premium Times)
Friday, December 5, 2014
death took the fattest man in the world at the age of 44
A British who was officially the world’s fattest man has died from pneumonia, his family have announced.
Keith Martin, 44, suffered with weight problems for most of his adult life, at one point consuming as much as 20,000 calories a day, nine times more than the recommended amount.
His sister Tina told the Mirror last night of her brother’s passing in March.
‘We’re still grieving. We miss him very much,’ she said.
Mr Martin said his extreme size came form a lifetime of binging of high sugar junk food such as pizzas and fizzy drinks, which he turned to as his comfort food.
In 2012 Keith had a gastric band fitted (Picture: Barcroft)
He was part of a documentary ’70 Stone and Almost Dead,’ which featured him dropping 25 stone in order to qualify for a gastric band operation in 2012.
However health complications arose from the surgery after Martin discharged himself from hospital against doctor’s order because he was homesick.
Five Peoples Democratic Party governors led by the Chairman, PDP Governors Forum, and governor, Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday held a closed-door meeting, which lasted for three hours, with the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Other governors on the trip are the governors of Bauchi, Jigawa, Cross River, and Niger states, Isa Yuguda, Sule Lamido, Liyel Imoke and Babangida Aliyu respectively.
The governors arrived Obasanjo’s residence around 12.30pm and emerged from the inner chamber at exactly 3.30pm.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Obasanjo, said the governors’ visit was not unconnected with nagging issues of the Boko Haram insurgents and the economy.
But from his utterance, the frosty relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and Obasanjo was also discussed.
He said that his criticism of Jonathan in recent times was not aimed at castigating or bad-mouthing him.
He said,” First of all, I thank my colleagues and my brothers who have decided to pay me a special visit. They were concerned about what you may call the situation of the nation, the security, and the economy. What we have discussed, most of them I have raised in my own public pronouncement in recent times, not to castigate anybody, not to bad-mouth anybody, not to run anybody down, but out of genuine concern for the situation of this country and that is the same thing that has brought them and I want to thank them.”
The former President noted that the situation in the country currently was bad, but added that it was not totally irretrievable.
He added, “When we look at these issues closely, very objectively and we came to the conclusion that yes, we have a bad situation, but not irretrievably bad. Something can still be done and what is now required is the will and the courage to do something when and how it needs to be done.”
Obasanjo, who appreciated the governors for their concern for the nation, said the task to save the country was not for one man or group but for all Nigerians.
He said, “I appreciate their coming to me because of the respect and honour they have for me. But this task is not for one man and it is not even a task for one group, it is a task that requires all hands to be on deck. And as they have said and as they have assured me that they would have this type of consultation with other leaders so that this country which is ours and for which we have no alternatives, but will move forward.”
On the economy, especially the slump in oil price, Obasanjo noted that the leadership had failed to prepare for the rainy day, and that was why the economy was tottering.
He said, “When we had surplus, we did not remember the rainy day, now that the rainy day is staring us in the face, we must be honest and courageous enough to do what is right, to let the nation know and then to take the steps that will put it right as quickly as possible.
“You do not need to be an oracle or a World Bank expert or an International Monetary Fund expert to know that our economy is not what it should be and this is not the first time we would hear it, we have heard it in the past.
“When of course I came in 1999, the price of fuel was about $9 and we realised that we had a problem, we even passed a budget that we could not fund but we realised that we were in a serious situation and we took steps.
“Within two to three years, we were able to sail through, the price of fuel started moving up. Do not forget that there was a time during the Iraqi war, that the price of fuel rose to $42 per barrel and then it came down to $9. The one that we have now, we do not know when it would end but we can weather the storm if we take measure that we should take it and when to take it.”
Both Akpabio and Aliyu, who spoke for the governors, said they came to consult the former President due to his wealth of experience and his influence both nationally and internationally.
Akpabio said, “We decided that it is important for us to come and consult with him, as he said pay our respect, discuss the affairs of the nation and then to tap from his wealth of wisdom.
“The intention here is that all Nigerians are determined to reposition the country, we have no other country than Nigeria and so, no matter the challenges we may face today, we must work together as a team to redeem the situation.”
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Scott Borchetta to replace Randy Jackson on 'American Idol
Randy Jackson will be replaced by producer Scott Borchetta on "American Idol." UPI/David Silpa
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Producer Scott Borchetta will replace Randy Jackson as judge in the upcoming season of American Idol.
Fox made the announcement Wednesday, adding that Borchetta's label, Big Machine Label Group, will produce the winner's debut album.
Borchetta is the CEO of Big Machine and is credited with having discovered and signed Taylor Swift when she was 14 years old. He'll be joining seasoned judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. for the show's 14th season.
"American Idol has proven again and again that it can launch superstars. I believe that working with these young artists the same way we work with new artists at the Big Machine Label Group will help the next American Idol be as prepared as possible to continue the tradition of creating new superstars," Borchetta said in a statement. "The entire label group will be invested and we look forward to bringing our energy, focus and know-how to help develop this young talent at the highest levels."
Borchetta joined the series during Hollywood Week. Jackson, the only original judge remaining in the competition, announced he was leaving American Idol for good in November.
American Idol returns to the small screen on January 7
Nigeria in a bad situation – Obasanjo
A meeting between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and five Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) governors at Obasanjo’s residence, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, has ended with the former President saying Nigeria is in a “bad situation.”
Obasanjo, who addressed reporters said the situation of the country is bad, but added that it is “not irretrievably bad if there the will and courage to do the right thing at the right time.”
The former president said he deliberated with the governors on “issues affecting the country- the security and the economy among others.
He added that as Nigerians, “we have no other country except Nigeria.”
Obasanjo said one does not have to be World Bank economist or the International Monetary Fund(IMF) expert to discern that the nation’s economy is ailing and require the will and courage by the managers not only to tell the nation the truth, but also the way out.
The five governors who met Obasanjo – Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Babangida Aliu (Niger) and Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom).
The governors were led to the meeting by Akpabio, who is the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum.
They arrived Obasanjo’s Presidential Hill -Top Estate by 12:40pm, and met for over three hours with their host.
2015: Buhari, Okorocha, Atiku, others sign pact
Nigerians got yesterday a piece of advice from the All Progressives Congress (APC) – they should get set to make a choice.
The party is holding a convention to pick its presidential candidate in Lagos between December 10 and 11.
All the aspirants have signed an agreement not to leave the party after the primary and to support whoever gots the ticket.
The winner is to face President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February election.
Presenting clearance certificates to aspirants who were screened on Tuesday, Committee Chair Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu said the time had come when Nigerians must decide whether to continue with the state of affairs in the country or effect a change for the better.
He said: “There is a choice before us. Are we going to continue the way we have been going in the past 16 years when our security forces are used to intimidate and harass the very citizens who pay for their maintenance?
“Are we going to continue a situation where we are the sixth largest exporters of crude oil and yet we import virtually all the petroleum products that we use and, as we do this, we are exporting jobs and rendering our people unemployed. Is this what Nigerians would want to do?
“Are we going to allow a situation where the rule of law is violated and there is no orderliness whatsoever? This is a choice for Nigerians. The ruling party has had 16 years and so, it is not a question of making promises. We are judging them on their records because they told us that within two years, there will be regular and reliable supply of power 24 hours a day and seven days a week. This is the 16th year and that promise has not been fulfilled.
“So, Nigerians have a choice to make because when you have two things, you can never know until you try them. So, Nigerians ought to try the APC and give us a chance to show that the problems in the country can be solved.”
Onu went on: “Today marks the beginning of the important journey the APC is taking to form government at the centre. The APC came into existence on the 31 of July 2013. On that day, a giant was born and the reason for the formation of the APC was to stop the drift which the nation has been passing through in the last 16 years.
“Yesterday (Tuesday), for several hours, the Presidential Screening Committee met with five very distinguished Nigerians and members of the APC seeking the nomination of the party to contest for the position of President of Nigeria. During that exercise, we found that these men are so distinguished that there is not one of them that will not make a great difference to our nation.
“The goal of the party is to control, government at the national level so that the problems of our country, those problems that people thought cannot be solved, the APC will show that they can be solved.”
He desribed the screening as “rigorous”.
“I want to also tell you that the scores were very narrow and very high, with the least scoring 62 per cent. The highest scored 78 per cent. The second person scored 77 per cent and the third scored 75 per cent. So, you can see how close it was. I really thank you and congratulate you our aspirants for the quality that is in you.
“We told you before the screening that we want the aspirants to sign a letter of commitment for the party.
“I am happy to inform you that all the five aspirants were very happy to sign the letters of commitment and that commitment is principally to assure the party that there is none of them that is running for himself.
“They are running to offer service and improve on the well-being of our people and being happiness to Nigerians, foster unity and bring peace and secure our country because we cannot be the pride of Africa and be losing our territory to insurgents.
“If the aim is really service, it means that they understand that only one of them will fly our flag. They have all agreed that whoever flies our flag, the other four will support him. They have also agreed to collapse their structures into the party so that the party will move to this election united because this will offer the party the best chance to win the election”.
The signed commitment was read out to the hearing of all the aspirants by the Secretary of the Committee, Ambassador Fatima Balla.
Responding on behalf of the other aspirants, former Head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari expressed appreciation to the leadership of the party for putting together a quality team to carry out the screening.
Gen. Buhari said: “I am honoured to speak on behalf of the aspirants. We are grateful to our great party for Organising such a competent team to come and interview us. We went through the process yesterday, discussing foreign affairs, security, economy and what our personal decisions are to the polity.
“It is a very trying time for the five of us, but we are grateful that they have been very generous in their award of marks and that we all made it. The rest of the decision now goes to the public and the delegates.
“In a week time, we will come together and whoever gets the ticket to run on behalf of the party will emerge. The secretary has read the letter, which we were made to sign yesterday so that the loyalty to the party will be supreme.”
No fewer than 8,000 delegates will next week in Lagos elect the candidate.
The National Convention Committee fixed the special event for the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere in the country’s commercial capital between December 10 and 11.
Committee Chairman and former Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who announced the programme in Abuja, said though some of the aspirants expressed concern about traveling such a long distance for the convention, the committee convinced them on the choice of Lagos.
The Presidential Screening Committee cleared all the five aspirants to bid for the ticket. They are: Gen. Buhari , Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha and Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah.
The aspirants signed an undertaking not to defect from the party after the convention and to support whoever gets the ticket.
Fayemi said:”This is a very unique committee that has representations not just the people chosen by the leadership of the party, but also representations from the five aspirants that are running for the presidential ticket of our party. This is something that is being done transparently, with the input of their advice and their concerns being looked into.
“We are not going to a coronation. We are going to an election and that election is going to be done in the full glare of Nigerians.
“Those who are not opportune to be there as delegates but are interested in rescuing democracy in this country would have opportunity to watch it live on television, listen live on radio and follow us online and also be part of it internationally for those who are not in Nigeria as well as other Nigerians who are interested in seeing Nigeria get through these challenges through a process that is credible, transparent and acceptable to all.
“All our aspirants have also been briefed on the various steps we have taken. Our committee is holding our last meeting here in Abuja today and we are relocating to the venue of our convention from this moment.”
In a statement from his media office, Atiku said he was not only delighted that Lagos had been selected to host such an august event, but was confident that the city has all it takes to ensure that the event will be memorable and successful, especially in view of the cosmopolitan nature of the city and the famed easy going nature of its residents.
The statement said that the former Vice President considered Lagos as a second home, bearing in mind that he spent several years of his public service career there. “I’m not any less Lagosian than anyone is. I have a house in Lagos and a part of my large family lives in Lagos. I visit Lagos regularly, so I’m not a stranger to the cosmopolitan city and what it represents as the melting pot of Nigeria,” he said.
THE AGREEMENT
I (name of aspirant) hereby undertake to abide by the rules and regulations contained in the All Progressives Congress APC nomination guideline, APC constitution, the Electoral Act and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
“I, on behalf of myself and my primary campaign organisation undertake to accept the outcome of the primaries and actively support whoever emerges as the winner and shall not decamp to any other political party or in anyway obstruct the smooth execution of the presidential campaign;
“I further affirm that during the campaigns and later in government, I shall be guided strictly by the party manifesto; and in the event of my nomination, my campaign team will immediately be collapsed into the party campaign structure for a properly united and focused presidential campaign”.
Winning bidder offers $252m for NITEL, M-Tel
A Special Purpose Vehicle, NATCOM Consortium, on Wednesday offered to pay $252.25m for the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited and its mobile subsidiary, the Nigerian Mobile Telecommunications Limited.
With no competitor, and with the offer meeting the reserve price set for the telecommunication companies, NATCOM stands as the potential core investor in the beleaguered public telecommunications companies.
Two more hurdles, however, are ahead to be cleared. First, the bid has to be approved by the National Council on Privatisation chaired by Vice President Namadi Sambo; and the second is the consortium should be able to pay within the specified time.
The other firm that had been prequalified for the exercise, NETTAG Consortium, was disqualified for failure to enclose a bid bond stipulated by the Request for Proposal prepared by the Bureau of Public Enterprises.
At the first bid, NATCOM offered a bid of $221m which was said to be lower than the reserve price. It was therefore asked to reverse the bid and in the second round, it offered the winning bid of $252.25m.
NATCOM is an SPV formed for the purpose of acquisition of NITEL and M-Tel. The consortium is made up of shareholders – NATSPACE Telecommunication Investment Limited, PCCW Global Limited and Prime Union Investment Limited.
Other members of the consortium are Prime Union Investment Limited, Olutoyl Estate Development & Services Limited, Sahara Energy Resources Limited, Legal Resources Alliance & Co and LM Ericsson Nigeria Limited.
With the exception of LM Ericsson Nigeria Limited, all the other members of the consortium are equity holders with Prime Union and Olutoyl Estate holding 30 per cent equity each. LM Ericsson is a technical partner to the group.
Four of the equity holders, Prime Union Investment Limited, Olutoyl Estate Development & Services, Legal Resources Alliance & Co and Natspace Telecommunication Investment Limited with a combined equity of 80 per cent of the consortium are linked to businessman, Dr. Olatunde Ayeni.
Apart from being the Chairman of Skye Bank Plc, Ayeni is also a director of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, one of the electricity distribution companies that were recently sold by the BPE.
Speaking at the bid opening ceremony, the Minister of Communications Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson, said the Federal Government would continue to fine-tune policies to provide enabling environment for the growth and development of a private sector-driven telecommunications industry.
She said, “The privatisation of government-owned telecoms companies, NITEL and M-Tel, is the last segment in the well-thought-out reform of the Nigerian telecommunications sector which commenced in 2000.
“The liberalisation of the sector in the last 13 years has attracted new investments of over $32bn entirely from the private sector, resulting in an explosive impact on the sector with over 130 million subscribers compared to just 750,000.
“It is our fervent hope that today’s event will lead to the final emergence of a qualified bidder with the requisite technical expertise and financial resources to transform the two companies in line with the vision of government.”
The Executive Commissioner, Nigerian Communications Commission, Mr. Okechukwu Itanyi, said with the privatisation, the hope of Nigerians for diversified telecommunications industry had been rekindled.
He said NITEL had the resources and pedigree to bring back landlines and champion broadband revolution in the country.
Past attempts to sell the First National Operator in the last 13 years had reportedly been marred by insincerity and manipulation of the process by government officials and private sector operators.
Monday, December 1, 2014
10 THINGS MEN SAY WHEN THEY ARE CAUGHT CHEATING!!!
You discover he’s been talking to someone new, who
is a female. He hasn’t said anything to you about her
before you finding out about her and when you ask
him if you can meet her, he objects. It’s because she’s
really not a friend, she’s a #girlfriend.
Yes, men who cheat will accuse their #partner of
cheating. Why? It’s because they start to think, “Well,
if I can do it, she could do it too.”
All of sudden he pokes at all of the #things you do
wrong and you have no idea what his problem is. He
can’t cheat if he loves you or he thinks that you are
good to him. So he makes himself believe that you
aren’t good enough for him and that’s why he had to
turn to someone else. In reality, you are more than
good enough.
At first, you might think he’s being sweet for helping
you out. Unfortunately, he’s doing it so he can hide
his soiled pants, perfume smell or some other
evidence of his liaison with his lady friend.
All of a sudden he has more work than he knows
what to do with and he can’t come home when he
normally does. It’s because he’s not really at work,
instead he’s meeting with his #girlfriend without
worry that you’ll catch him.
He says he loves you and wants to be with you; yet,
he strayed and told someone else the same thing. It’s
because he wasn’t having the affair because he didn’t
love you anymore, he had it because he was
disillusioned from reality.
In his last attempt to salvage any type of relationship
with you, he may blurt out that he doesn’t want to
lose you. You might think, “What did you think would
happen when you chose to cheat on me?” Again, he
never tied sleeping with someone else and losing you
together. This may be a complete shock to him that
you are actually leaving.
She might not mean anything to him or he’s lying.
Usually, #men who have affairs may not have wanted
to get involved emotionally, but after sleeping with
them multiple times, feelings start to develop. So, in
most cases, he’s lying that she means nothing to him,
what he really means to say is that he doesn’t want
her over you.
#1 1. She’s Just a Friend.
#2 2. Respect My Privacy. Don’t Touch My
Phone...
He doesn’t want you to touch his phone for fear
that you will either see #text messages from her
or that she will send one just as you pick it up. He
may even have pictures of her on his phone....
E#3 3. You Are Cheating on Me, Aren’t
You?
#4 4. You Aren’t Good Enough.
#5 5. I Can do My Own Laundry.
#6 6. I Have to Stay after to Catch up on
Work.
#7 7. After he is Caught...I Still Love You
and Want to Be with You.
#8 8. I Didn’t Want to Hurt You...He’s right,
when he went out to have the affair, he
wasn’t thinking, “I am going to sleep with
this other #woman because I want to hurt
her so incredibly bad.” Instead, he did it
for his own selfish reasons without giving
any thought to how it would hurt you.
#9 9. I Don’t Want to Lose You...
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