Oh no! Senate proposes 2-year jail term for social media critics

Although the bill gives room for an option of fine of N4 million.

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Social Media abusers may face two years in jail if a bill seeking the punishment is passed into law.

The bill, which passed second reading in the senate on Tuesday, Dec. 1, seeks a two-year sentence for anyone who makes allegation or publishes any statement or petition in thenewspaper, radio or medium of whatever description against another person, institutions of government or any public office holder.

It also recommended that anybody or group who sends any false text message or post false message on the social media against another person shall face the punishment after being convicted by the court of law.

Although the bill gives room for an option of fine of N4 million for persons convicted of false newspaper, radio and television statements and N2 million for offenders of false phone text messages or messages on Facebook, twitter, Instagram, or  WhatsApp.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Ibn Na’Allah, APC, Kebbi South,was tagged: “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and other Matters Connected therewith”

The bill read: “Where any person through text message, tweets, WhatsApp or through any social media post any abusive statement knowing same to be false with intent to set the public against any person and group of persons, an institution of government or such other bodies established by law shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction, shall be liable to an imprisonment for two years or a fine of N2,000,000.00 or both fine and imprisonment.

“Not withstanding anything contained in any law, it shall be an unlawful to submit any petition, statement intended to report the conduct of any person for the purpose of an investigation, inquiry and or inquest without a duly sworn affidavit in the High Court of a state or the Federal High Court confirming the content to be true and correct and in accordance with the Oaths Act.

“Any petition and or complains not accompanied by a sworn affidavit shall be incompetent and shall not be used by any government institution, agency or bodies established by any law for the time being enforced in Nigeria.

“Any person who unlawfully uses, publish or cause to be published any petition, complaint not supported by a dully sworn affidavit shall be deemed to have committed an offence and upon conviction, shall be liable to an imprisonment for six months without an option of fine.

“Any person who acts, uses, or cause to be used any petition or complaints not accompanied by dully sworn affidavit shall be deemed to have committed an offence and upon conviction, shall be liable to an imprisonment for a term of two years or a fine of N200,000.00 or both".

While soliciting support for the bill's passage to be speedy, Na’Allah said, “Our past has portrayed us as a society where by mere expedience of writing a frivolous petition against public officials, you can have their right abused by taking certain measures that practically took away their right of presumptions of innocence only to be found later that the petition, as strong as it appears, on the paper actually lacks merit.”

“This sometimes, lead to a lot of innocent and most times honest civil servants being taken away from the public service only to be replaced by the dishonest ones, which invariably lead to the draining of the public service of civil servants with the desired integrity to move this country forward simply on grounds of principles.

“As a nation with strong desire to move forward, this negative trend must be reversed, if only the desired objectives of the country,” he stressed. He added: “the bill which appears ‘sunset’ in its nature consists of four sections which in clear terms spelt out the punishment for frivolous petition, and what constitutes frivolous petition."

READ: Senate President prioritises Petroleum Industry Bill passage

However, last week, the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed had assured that the Muhammadu Buhari administration would not clampdown on social media users with regards to freedom of speech, but warned that influencers of the platform must be careful with the kinds of statements they put out for the sake of national unity and security.

Young lady killed today at Biafra protest in Onitsha (photos)

A young lady named  Nkiruka Anthonia Ikeanyionwu, 21, from Adazi Nnukwu Anambra state and schooling at Fedral College of Education Umunze, Anambra State was unfortunately killed today during the Biafra protest. About 4 Dangote trucks were burnt leading to unrest and unfortunately one person lost her life. Her grieving sister sent in her photos, asking for justice. They are claiming she was killed by security forces.

$2.1 BILLION ARMS DEAL| Prosecute Goodluck Jonathan, Okonjo-Iweala Says Oshiomhole

Posted By: Breaking Times

Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government to prosecute the immediate past Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for approving and spending from the excess crude account without appropriation by the National Assembly.
Governor Oshiomole also said former President, Jonathan should be prosecuted for approving money that runs into billions of dollars released for the procurement of arms for counter-terrorism operations during his regime.
The governor made the call following the arrest of former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, rtd, former Sokoto State governor Attahiru Bafarawa, and chairman, Daar Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi by security operatives in connection with the ongoing arms deal saga.
Adams Oshiomhole insisted that both Jonathan and Okonjo-Iweala should be made to face the law because the Nigerian constitution does not empower the president to spend money not appropriated by the National Assembly.
“The issue is whether the Nigerian President under the constitution has the power to approve funds belonging to local, state and federal government- funds that have not been appropriated by the National Assembly. That is a criminal offense for which Okonjo-Iweala ought to face criminal prosecution. These things are just discussed and wished away. For me, I will stick for the truth and don’t care what people will say,” he stated.
“Talking about revelation, look at the letter credited to Dasuki – the immediate past National Security Adviser. In his defence which I read, he seems to admit that money was spent but it was approved by the President. Does the Nigerian constitution empower the President to spend money which has not been appropriated by the National Assembly? And they took cash from the CBN. The Money Laundering Act says if you take cash in excess of N5 million transaction, it is money laundering and it is criminal”.
“So, by Dasuki’s letter, he has also confirmed that Okonjo-Iweala is a privy to spending money never appropriated and therefore criminal, and that cash were being moved contrary to the money laundering act. Just using Dasuki’s own defence, you can see a case of conspiracy has been established between Dasuki, Okonjo-Iweala and all those involved in that transaction,” Oshiomhole stated.
Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole (born 4 April 1952) is a former labor leader, turned politician who 2012 was elected for a second term as the Governor of Edo State in Nigeria on the platform of the Action Congress . His first term was won following his court appeal to the results of a massively rigged April 2007 election in which the candidate of the ruling People’s Democratic Party Oserheimen Osunbor had initially been declared the winner. He assumed office on 12 November 2008 after winning the appeal.
Oshiomhole was formerly president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and was prominent as the leader of a campaign of industrial action against high oil prices in Nigeria.

Adele shares details about 25 outtakes

Whether you’re a “Hello” type of person or a “Water Under The Bridge” sort of fan, there’s no denying Adele’s 25 is full of winners. But according to the British star, there are a handful of songs on the cutting room floor that could have been smash hits.
In outtakes from her lengthy Rolling Stone cover story, Adele addressed the songs from 25 that didn’t make the cut, and specifically referenced her excitement about an unreleased song she wrote with “Hello” co-writer Greg Kurstin. “It’s like Celine meets Meat Loaf meets, like, Barbra meets, like, Beyoncé or something,” she said. “It’s, like, all of my wet-dream idols. But it’s really, really great, actually. We didn’t finish it in time, and also it just felt like maybe I should be, like, 32 when I do it rather than 27?”
Kurstin connected with EW in October to discuss collaborating with Adele. “It’s really hard not to talk about it, because it’s really all you want to do is just run around the streets and scream, ‘I just worked with Adele!’” he said. “That was really testing my patience. But I think I did okay.” When it came to substance, Kurstin noted the singer’s aversion to formula. “She didn’t want to just go through and write a pop song with any particular formula,” he said. “We wanted to do something that was very honest about where she was at right now, and she wanted to do something that was real and believable.”
Adele also told Rolling Stone that “there’s definitely four or five other songs” she wants to revisit, but that going back to them depends on her future. “It might be completely irrelevant to me, then,” she said. “I don’t want to put a song on the record just because it’s good if I can’t relate to it.” However, she also revealed that unheard songs from the 25 sessions aren’t the only ones in her vault. “I only had, like, three or four more songs,” from the 21 sessions, she told the magazine, “but they were still very good songs that I haven’t gone on to use, because they’re from a completely different period in my life. I just don’t relate to them anymore.”

Obama warns Putin on intervening in Syria's civil war

Paris (CNN)President Barack Obama warned his Russian counterpart Tuesday against intervening in Syria's civil war, suggesting that Vladimir Putin is aware of the dangers his country faces by entering the bloody conflict.

"I think Mr. Putin understands that ... with Afghanistan fresh in the memory, for him to simply get bogged down in an inconclusive and paralyzing civil conflict is not the outcome that he's looking for," Obama said at a news conference in Paris.

Obama said he does not disagree with Putin -- with whom he met on Monday -- on the necessity of a political resolution to Syria's conflict. But he said there remains discord over the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who the United States insists must leave power as part of a political transition. But he said the reality on the ground in Syria could change Putin's calculus.

"I think it is possible over the next several months that we both see a shift in calculation in the Russians and a recognition that it's time to bring the civil war in Syria to a close," Obama said. "It's not going to be easy."

Obama said that he leaves the major climate change conference -- that united world leaders in one city -- with confidence in the forward trajectory of his ISIS strategy, which he said must include new efforts to stamp out financing for the terror network.

Speaking at the tail end of his visit to the French capital, Obama said he was "confident that we can continue building momentum and adding resources to our effort to degrade and ultimately destroy" the Islamic State terror network that was responsible for last month's Paris attacks.

READ: Turkish President: I'll resign if Putin's ISIS claim is true

Obama said hosting the climate conference amounted to a "remarkable display of resolve" for the French. And he compared the battle against ISIS to global efforts to curb global warming.

"In some ways it's akin to the problem of terrorism," he said. "In the immediate aftermath of a terrible attack like happened here in Paris, sometimes it's natural for people to despair. But look at Paris. You can't tear down Paris because of the demented actions of a handful of individuals. The beauty, the joy, the life, the culture, the people, the diversity. That's going to win out every time."

The President was one of nearly 150 world leaders gathering outside the city to agree on carbon reduction targets. He reiterated an urgent warning that countries move to curb global warning, claiming the consequences could be drastic.

"If we let the world keep warming as fast as it is, and sea levels rising as fast as they are, and weather patterns keep shifting in more unexpected ways, then before long we are going to have to devote more and more and more of our economic and military resources not to growing opportunity for our people but to adapting to the various consequences of a changing planet," Obama said.

A successful outcome for the Paris climate talks will include a "legally binding" mechanism to ensure countries are adhering to their carbon reduction commitments, Obama said.

The nature of the Paris accord has been in dispute, since a legally binding pact — if considered a treaty — would require Congressional approval. A lesser agreement could potentially be scrapped by the next president.

Obama downplayed that possibility Tuesday, predicting a Democratic successor who he said would uphold whatever emerges from the two-week long climate conference.

"I'm anticipating a Democrat succeeding me. I'm confident in the wisdom of the American people on that front," he said. "But even if somebody from a different party succeeded me, one of the things you find is when you're in this job, you think about it differently than if you're just running for the job."

RELATED: Obama: Climate talks should include 'legally binding' mechanism

"Everybody else is taking climate change really seriously," he said. "They think it's a really big problem. It spans political parties."

During his news conference, held just before Obama departed Paris for Washington, Obama renewed his calls for tighter gun laws after last week's shooting at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic.

Claiming similar gun sprees don't happen in other countries, Obama said he hoped the shooting -- which left three dead -- spurs a larger conversation about access to firearms.

"At the end of the day, Congress, states, local governments are going to have to act to ensure we are preventing people who are deranged or have violent tendencies" from getting high-power weapons, Obama said, adding he welcomes a debate over abortion rights, calling it a "serious" issue.

But he insisted those with opposing views "talk about it accurately" and not "demonize" Planned Parenthood.

Why shaving your pubic hair is NOT a good idea!

Read this article before you head to the parlour to get a bikini waxing done.

Most women (even men) prefer that the area down there is clean without any hair, so shaving pubic or vaginal hair has become a common practice today. However, there is a reason why you have pubic hair. So probably it isn’t a great idea to shave it off for purely aesthetic reasons. Know if using hair removal creams is a safe option to get rid of pubic hair.
What’s the harm?

There aren’t any documented studies that can point whether shaving pubic hair is good for you. However, this practice has been there from the ancient times and it is believed that a clean vagina is one of the many factors that attracts the partner and appeals to the man [1]. But there is a downside to it. The sweat glands present in the pubic region secrete pheromones which to stimulate yours and your partner’s sexual desires. The hair present in the region primarily locks the odour and that’s why every woman has a unique odour that attracts her man. Lack of hair in the region would mean less pleasure as it fails to stimulate your sense of smell. And, stimulating your five senses during sex maximises pleasure [2].
Also, less pubic hair can make you susceptible to various kinds of bacterial, viral or fungal infections. In fact, it acts as a barrier to some sexually transmitted infections like genital herpes, warts, etc. When pubic hair is shaved, it leaves behind microscopic open wounds over the hair follicle which may lead to bacterial infection, scarring due to irritation and itching [3]. Here are some expert tips to help keep your vagina free of infections.
What you can do?
If you want to keep your pubic area trimmed, there isn’t any harm in it; you can either do it at home or at a hygienic parlour that offers bikini line. This helps you to keep the area clean without going for complete shaving.
Keep your vagina clean with water or other natural vaginal washes to keep the area clean. Avoid using scented douches and vaginal washes that can make you dry over there.

Jennifer Garner joins Bryan Cranston in Wakefield

• Jennifer Garner joins Bryan Cranston in Wakefield, from writer-director Robin Swicord. Cranston plays a Manhattan lawyer who breaks down and leaves his family and his wife (played by Garner). Swicord’s screenplay is based on E.L. Doctorow’s short story, a retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Wakefield. Shooting is underway in Los Angeles. [Variety]
• Director Ben Affleck has snagged fellow The Town alum Titus Welliver for Live By Night, adapted from Dennis Lehane’s novel. The tale follows the son of a beloved police captain who enlists in organized crime during the Prohibition. Welliver takes on Tim Hickey, the boss of Affleck’s gang and a mentor. [The Wrap]
• The movie musical adaptation of Hello Again filled out its big cast with Audra McDonald, Martha Plimpton, Tyler Blackburn, Jenna Ushkowitz, T.R. Knight, and Rumer Willis. The original 1994 musical by Michael John LaChiusa follows 10 people in 10 different time periods in New York. Filming is underway in New York. [Variety]
• Another Jesse Owens project is in the works — this time a documentary. Blair Underwood signed on to narrate and executive produce Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, which centers on the 18 African-American Olympians at the 1936 Berlin Games. Owens, the subject of the forthcoming biopic Race, is part of the story. [Variety]

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to give away 99% of shares

Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla with their baby girl called Max

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan say they will give away 99% of their shares in the company to good causes as they announce the birth of their daughter Max.

Mr Zuckerberg made the announcement in a letter to Max on his Facebook page.
He said they are donating their fortune to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative because they want to make the world a better place for Max to grow up in.
The donation amounts to $45bn (£30bn) at Facebook's current value.
However the shares will not be donated to charity immediately, but over the course of the couple's lives.
Were Mr Zuckerberg to give away 99% of his shares immediately, he would still possess hundreds of millions of dollars. Ms Chan's worth has not been documented.
Max was born last week, although her birth was only made public on Tuesday.
In his letter Mr Zuckerberg said the aim of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is "to advance human potential and promote equality for all children in the next generation".
Its initial areas of focus will be personalised learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities.

"Your mother and I don't yet have the words to describe the hope you give us for the future," Mr Zuckerberg said at the start of his letter to Max.
"You've already given us a reason to reflect on the world we hope you live in," it added.

---

Dave Lee, BBC North America Technology Reporter, San Francisco
Billionaire investor Warren Buffet congratulated Zuckerberg and Chan, proclaiming that when it comes to giving away your fortune, "30 is the new 70".
No longer should billionaires wait to die before handing over money to a different generation, Buffet said, in a gushing approval of Silicon Valley's newest and most influential power couple.
Everything Mark Zuckerberg does is eyed with intense scrutiny, not least due to the nature of Facebook's business of making money from personal data.
But while the 31-year-old's previous charitable efforts have been criticised for being too focused on building Facebook's user base, this latest pledge appears to leave the Facebook business to one side.
It's a continuation of what we've seen developing over the past six months, where Zuckerberg appears at ease hosting heads of state as he does in the company of his own development team.
The days of Mark Zuckerberg being seen as a nerdy, awkward tech dork are well behind us.
His ambition now is clearly to be a significant figure on the global political stage.

Decolonizing the Nigerian Mind

I begin with Ola Rotimi’s words: ‘we are drifters in the modern world if we do not know our history.’

A man will find trouble reaching where he is going if he does not know where he’s coming from. Decolonization comes into play when discussing post-colonialism. It is the deconstruction of the perception and attitudes of the power and oppression that were adopted during the time of colonialism.

People who are cut off from their belief and heritage are easily manipulated. So in addition to colonizing African land, Europeans also colonized African knowledge, stripping them of their culture and heritage. In this case we are reminded of Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’: Obierika has exclaimed that the white man has put a knife in the things that held us together and we have fallen apart. It should be noted that the greatest tragedy with colonialism was that it turned our own kinsmen against us, brothers against brothers. So decolonization is a process of change, of regaining and rediscovering oneself from the path one has wandered from. In his ‘further analysis’ on decolonizing the African mind, Uhuru Hotep explains decolonization as the process of overthrowing and then removing the ‘Europeancentric’ or ‘Arabcentric’ value and belief systems implanted in our minds by our public school mis-education, our Christian or Islamic indoctrination and mass media manipulation that keep us psychologically, emotionally, materially and spiritually tied to Europeans or Arabs as their victims or servants. Chinweizu also educates that to decolonize the African mind is to cleanse and liberate by re-Africanising the African mind.

The central objective in decolonizing the Nigerian mind is to oust alien tradition. Chinweizu also suggests that it must be stressed, however, that decolonization does not mean ignorance of foreign traditions; that it simply means denial of their authority and withdrawal of allegiance from them.

It may seem far-fetched to bring up the issues of colonialism at this time of the century; at the time of consciousness and social liberalism. Nonetheless, one’s memory should be jogged in the line that, in a nation like Nigeria, colonial powers destroyed the native tradition and culture and left the country on a contraption. This led to conflicts when the country became independent; it faced a new and greater challenge while developing a new nationwide identity and self-confidence because it has long forgotten who and what it was.

Walter Rodney writes that colonial education was education for subordination, exploitation, the creation of mental confusion and the development of underdevelopment. Rodney also observes that:

‘The educated Africans were the most alienated Africans on the continent. At each further stage of education, they were battered and succumbed to the white capitalist system, and after being given salaries, they could then afford to sustain a style of life imported from outside… that further transformed their mentality.’(275)

F. K Omoregie further explains in his essay ‘Rodney, Cabral and Ngugi as Guides to African Postcolonial Literature’ that:

‘Colonial education did more than corrupt the thinking and sensibilities of the African, it filled him/her with abnormal complexes which de-Africanised and alienated him/her from the needs of his/her environment. Colonial education has thus dispossessed and put out the control of the African intellectual the necessary forces for directing the life and development of his/her society.

We train our children with English because we believe it is a way of civilization. For Mongo Beti, the tragedy our nation is suffering today is like that of a man living in a world he did not create and does not understand. How will such a man know what he is doing or supposed to do?

Achebe, in a speech entitled ‘The African Writer and the English Language’ said:

‘Is it right that a man should abandon his mother tongue for someone else’s? It looks like a dreadful betrayal and produces a guilty feeling. But for me there is no other choice. I have been given the language and I intend to use it.’ (Achebe, 1975)

To conclude, this paper is not targeted to refute modernism or to argue against foreign ideas and beliefs. Its objective is also not to abolish the idea of submitting to foreign power because it’d be nearly impossible to do so since we have come to a point of seemingly no return. Rather the objective is to make us become aware of what we are and what we are not. One of Nigeria’s political problems, and arguably the greatest, is the shadow of post-colonialism. In a society where its peoples should be living with one defined identity, it yet struggles to find a common goal because it lives in a modern world in which it does not yet understand.

                ©Stanley Chuck Uwaezuoke

Works Cited

Achebe, C. Things Fall Apart. Reading: Heinemann, 1958

_____. The African Writer and the English Language’ (1975)

Beti, M. Mission to Kala. London: Heinemann, 1964

Chinweizu, Jemie, O. And Madubuike, I. ‘Toward the Decolonisation of African Literature.’ Vol. 1, African Fiction and Poetry and their Critics. Washington: Howard University Press, 1983

http://en.wikipedia.com/wiki/Post-Coloniasm

Omoregie, F. K. Rodney, Cabral and Ngugi as Guides to African Postcolonial Literature. (2007)

Rodney, W. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa.  Washington: Howard University Press, 1981

Rotimi, O.

Nollywood actress marks new month with hot new photos

 

Nollywood sweetheart, Ini Edo, shared two photos to mark the new month of December. She posted two photos on her Instagram, one which she captioned:

"As we come to close to the end of the year 2015, May God open our eyes to see beyond the ordinary.Not to be deceived by de selfishness of de heart of men and not be a tool nor fall for de devices of de devil. I pray for divine protection for all of us now n forever Amen. Happy December ya"ll"

 

"Whom God has blessed no man can curse.... Merry Xmas darlings.Weed off the chaff around you, only then will the real substance show up. Trust me it's de truth. Bless you all"

 

This 20-Year-Old Teaches Us How To Learn Anything In A Month

Jared Kleinert ,

Contributor

I connect the world's smartest and most talented Millennials.

He was barely awake when I stumbled into his apartment at 2 a.m. 
I had just landed in Medellin, Colombia, where I’d be spending the next week working alongside and hanging out with my friend Connor Grooms, CEO of BaseLang and filmmaker behind “Spanish In A Month – A Language Learning Documentary”, which comes out December 1 on YouTube. This was the third country we’ve crossed paths so far, after the United States and Spain, where we had previously flown around Manhattan’s skyline and made friends with strangers who had docked their boats in one of Barcelona’s piers. 
Somewhere between using my “survival Spanish” to order an arepa de choclo con quesito and hitting the dance floors to reggaeton, I became one of the first five people on the planet to watch how Grooms learned how to speak Spanish in just one month.
Before I get into details, you need to know a few things about Grooms.
Grooms is a digital nomad who has lived in five different countries and visited over 35 countries. He has a love affair with meta-learning, and over the last year has taken on various month-long challenges in order to prove his ability to learn new skills to himself and, more so than ever before, the public. Previously, he ran a blog called One Month Master, and taught himself web design, DJ’ing, filmmaking, and now Spanish, all in one month intervals. His self-experimentation attempts also include a 30 day period of time in late 2014 in which he put on 26 pounds of muscle. This prompted him to become an author as well as he detailed his “geek to freak” process in an expert-acclaimed fitness book called Eating For Mass.

Connor Grooms, 20 (photo courtesy of Connor Grooms).

So how exactly did Grooms go about learning Spanish in a month, and how can we all learn pretty much any skill set in record time?

Recommended by Forbes

It wasn’t easy. Grooms spent 150 hours total, or five hours a day over 30 days, learning this information, all while maintaining full-time work. His success lies in finding the learning methods that work best from a data-driven approach, whether traditional (like flashcards) or unconventional (like a mimicing method he follows in the documentary to learn proper pronunciation). Nothing Grooms does is absurd. He’s simply willing to take advice from dozens of books, world-class mentors like Benny Lewis when it comes to language-learning, and then actually put in the work. 

Source: Forbes

Don't marry Yoruba boys: Kemi Olunloyo Slams Yoruba Boys

It has been a while since Kemi Olunloyo, the daughter of a former governor of Oyo state, Victor Omololu Olunloyo, was in the news.

The controversial activist is back again and this time she is ready for the yoruba boys.
According to Kemi who took to her twitter yesterday to rant,  no lady should marry a Yoruba boy because they are abusive, cheaters, poor personal hygiene and gold diggers.


Kemi Olunloyo is known for being very controversial. In September 2014, she was allegedly beaten to a stupor by her elder sister and nephew in Ibadan.
Some months back, after revealing names and photos of men begging her for sex,Kemi announced she was in love.

Madam Kemi Olunloyo ‏@HNNAfrica

Never marry #YorubaBoys. They are abusive, cheaters, poor personal hygiene and gold diggers. That's why I'm still yet to marry. Ewww!

Madam Kemi Olunloyo @HNNAfrica

#Yorubaboys do money rituals to start a business while #Biafra boys BORROW money to start a business making awesome knock off merchandise

Gov. Ortom names wife as head of Benue SACA

Governor Samuel Ortom

 

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom yesterday explained why he appointed his wife, Dr. Eunice Erdoo Ortom as chairperson of the state AIDS Control Agency.
Ortom, who made the explanation at the Ibrahim Babangida Public Square in Makurdi during the commemoration of the 2015 World AIDS Day, said his wife, having worked in the agency as an Administrative Officer and Gender Focal Person on HIV/AIDS is not new to its operations. “My reason for doing so is to keep HIV/AIDS issues close to my side and to my heart.”

SEE ALSO:  Probe panel uncovers diversion of N18.7bn teachers’ salaries in Benue

He expressed appreciation to partners and stakeholders for deploying their resources to fight the menace assuring that the campaign would continue until victory is fully won.
“I am optimistic that with this coalition of efforts there is hope that Benue will be the first State in the Federation to record zero prevalence in HIV,” Governor Ortom stressed.
“We are not yet out of the woods of the virus, but we have come a long way from the alarming HIV prevalence rate of 16.8 per cent that the state recorded in 1999 to 5.6 per cent today.”

“The low prevalence of 5.6 per cent which now places Benue state ninth nationwide could not have been possible without the cooperation of our people, funding and technical support of development partners,” he added.
Mrs. Ortom said the ceremony was aimed at increasing awareness and education on prevention tips, advice and to cross-fertilise ideas in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

PHOTOS| Serena Williams Poses Naked For Pirelli Calendar

PHOTOS| Serena Williams Poses Naked For Pirelli Calendar

Posted By: Breaking Times 

 

The 2016 Pirelli calendar has sizzling shots of the world’s top models, but this time they’ve chosen a different tact. Instead of getting catwalk greats to pose in the buff, they’ve enlisted a handful of inspirational women from artists to athletes to bloggers.
The 43rd edition, which was snapped by photographer Annie Leibovitz, cast 13 strong women to bare all in the name of art. Proving that she has both beauty and brains, film comedy genius 34-year-old Amy Schumer showcased her curvaceous figure for the sexy shoot. Posing in nothing but a lacy pair of pants and some high heels, the fiesty actress flashed her ample cleavage and oozed body confidence while sipping on a cup of coffee.
Hot sportswoman Serena Williams got her tennis kit off and struck a powerful pose in a pair of black pants. Putting her athletic and voluptuous figure on full display, the the 34-year-old proved that she’s not only “number one” on the pitch.

Also taking part in the scantily-clad shoot was Yao Chen, the first Chinese UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador; Russian siren Natalia Vodianova, who founded charity Naked Heart Russia; producer Kathleen Kennedy, the Chairperson of Lucasfilm and patroness Agnes Gund (with her granddaughter Sadie Rain Hope-Gund).

President Emerita of the Museum of Modern Art joined in, alongside writer Fran Lebowitz; President of Ariel Investments, Mellody Hobson; director Ava DuVernay; blogger Tavi Gevinson; Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat; John Lennon’s ex-wife Yoko Ono; and singer Patti Smith.Speaking about the project, snapper Annie said: “For 2016, we did something completely different, but it is still simple. “It is a classic set of black-and-white portraits made in the studio.
“When Pirelli approached me, they said they wanted to make a departure from the past.”

Patti Smith

ROCKER: Singer Patti Smith went for a more covered-up shot. She added: “They suggested the idea of photographing distinguished women.

“After we agreed on that, the goal was to be very straightforward”. “I wanted the pictures to show the women exactly as they are, with no pretense”.“I’m a great admirer of comediennes”. “The Amy Schumer portrait added some fun. It’s as if she didn’t get the memo saying that she could keep her clothes on.”

Gov Ugwuanyi urges NJC to appoint more judges for Enugu State

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State

Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, has appealed to the National Judicial Council (NJC) to appoint more judges for the state High Court.The governor, who made the appeal on Tuesday while swearing-in four High Court judges for Enugu State who were appointed by the NJC on Nov. 5.
He said that the appointment of more judges in the state was necessary to replace retired and aging judges.
He added that appointment of more judges would help to fill vacancies and reduce the workload of judges in the state.
Ugwuanyi promised that the government would build state-of-the-art courtrooms and renovate existing ones to meet the demand for more judges.
He pledged that his administration would maintain the independence of the judiciary to enable judges perform their duties without fear or favour.
The four new judges were Justice Cyprian Ajah, Justice Comfort Ani, Justice Harold Eya and Justice Kenneth Okpe.
Responding on behalf of the new judges, Justice Ajah, thanked the NJC for the confidence reposed on them.
He promised that they would carry out their responsibilities in line with the constitution and maintain judicial integrity.
“We are mindful of the task placed on us and we assure the government and people of Enugu State that we will carry out our responsibilities with all sense of dignity and integrity,’’ he said.

Fr. Mbaka creates 4,500 JOBS for unemployed

ENUGU—GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has commended the Chairman and Spiritual Director of an indigenous company, Aqua Rapha Investment Nigeria Limited, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka for using his company to provide 4,500 jobs for the people of the state.

Gov. Ugwuanyi commissioning the product line

The governor made the commendation during a visit to the company at 9th mile corner, Ngwo for the launch of her new products lines – Rapha Groundnut oil, Rapha Soya oil and Rapha Carbonated drinks.
Gov. Ugwuanyi noted that the Enugu State Government is interested in such business initiatives that create jobs for the people of the state and turn around its economic fortunes, adding that the inherent benefits are enormous and deserve the commendation of the state government.
He expressed delight that the gesture has further reduced crime in the state as a lot of youths are now meaningfully engaged by the company.
“As the governor of Enugu State, I am happy that this development is taking place in my state. I am happy that this company is providing employment for 4,500 people. It means a lot to the state. It has added value and improved the standard of living of our people. Be rest assured of the support of the Enugu State Government”, the governor said.
In his response, the Chairman and Spiritual Director of the company, Fr. Mbaka thanked Gov. Ugwuanyi for finding it important to come and launch the products in spite of his tight schedule.
He assured the governor of their unquantifiable solidarity and persistent support of his goodwill and sound vision for Enugu State, adding that the joy of the company is to give people job, reduce unemployment, fight poverty and maintain peace in the state.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Managing Director of the company, Engr. Sunday Nwankwo disclosed that the new products were designed on the principle of quality which the company is known for and applauded Governor Ugwuanyi for his magnanimity in providing a level playing ground for businesses to thrive in the state.