welcome to Tory Yafuyafu: September 2014

Tuesday 30 September 2014

Nigerian Army, Police in plot to cover up Gboko killings; killer soldiers walk free 6 months after

A grand conspiracy to cover up the March 18 killing of seven youth by soldiers guarding Dangote Cement factory in Gboko, Nigeria’s North-Central state of Benue, has been uncovered.

PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report that six months after troops opened fire on unarmed protesters in the major Benue town, neither the Army nor the Police has arrested or questioned anybody in connection with the crime.

Even the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, a body established by law for the promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights in Nigeria is yet to carry out any meaningful action on the killings months after it received petitions from the affected community.

Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, is set to go back to school for a higher degree in Christian Theology.

Mr. Obasanjo will on Tuesday formally enrol as a graduate student at the headquarters of the National Open University of Nigeria in Lagos.

Having obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in 2009, Mr. Obasanjo will now be working towards a doctorate degree, beginning first with a Masters degree, an associate of the former president told PREMIUM TIMES.

When contacted Monday night, Mr. Obasanjo confirmed he was returning to school.

He said it was important for him to make some commitments towards achieving his aspirations in life.

“I’m going back to school because I have to have something to aspire to in every endeavour of life,” Mr. Obasanjo told PREMIUM TIMES. “I always aspire to something new in my farm. I do that in my international activities. I do it in my writing. I do it in the improvement of my academic work which helps to sharpen my brain and strengthen my faith.”

When asked how he was going to cope combining his studies with his tight international engagements, Mr. Obasanjo said he would take advantage of the flexibility of the National Open University’s system.

“Fortunately, the Open University is flexible enough and I will definitely be able to cope. I was able to cope when I did the Post Graduate. I was also busy during the period,” he said.

The National Open University was initially established in 1983 but was suspended by the then military government in 1984. Mr. Obasanjo resuscitated it in 2001.

In November 2006, a few months to the end of his eight-year tenure, the then president enrolled for a post graduate diploma in Christian Theology at the university.

He graduated in January 2009.

At the graduation ceremony, the then Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Olagbemiro Jegede, described Mr. Obasanjo as a hardworking student.

”As a student, Obasanjo vigorously pursued his studies on full time basis…He is a shinning example of how seriously a student should take his learning. Like everybody, he sat for all the examinations using anonymous matriculation numbers, and by our internal quality control and security-proof control measures, his papers were marked by different tutors located in some of our study centres including Damaturu, Minna and Yenagoa,” Mr. Jegede said.

Born on March 5, 1937, Mr. Obasanjo attended Abeokuta Baptist High School; Mons Officers’ Cadet School, Aldershot, England; Royal College of Military Engineering, Chatham, England and School of Survey, Newbury, England.

He also attended the British Royal Engineers’ Young Officers School, Shrivenham, England; Indian Defence Staff College; Indian Army School of Engineering and Royal College of Defence Studies, London.

He enlisted into the Nigerian Army in 1958.

He was Nigeria’s Head of State between 1976 and 1979 when he voluntarily handed over to a civilian administration led by Shehu Shagari. In 1999, he was elected president. His tenure expired in 2007.

Foluke Daramola speaks on political ambition and failed marriage

In a recent interview with Yes! magazine, actress Foluke Daramola-Salako spoke on her failed marriage and plans to one day go into politics

"First and foremost, I rushed into my first marriage because everybody was getting married and I also wanted to get married. So I really did not know who I was getting married to the first time. That was the issue. The bane was that I was in a hurry to get married and because I was in a hurry to get married, I did not really study the person I got married to. But just because I had kids in that marriage, I don't regret it because for everything that happens to us in life, it has been orchestrated by God. So, the only thing that I think was the bane of the relationship was that I was immature and I jumped into the marriage and never took my time" she said

It seems the latest criteria for being a crowned ruler in Nigeria these days is to decorate your harem with beautiful women as we have seen in recent times.

The Oba of Isolo in Lagos, Oba Kabiru Adelaja Agbabiaka, has also shown that he is a man of taste and his beautiful Oloris (wives) can stand out with panache and sophistication.

At his 10th year coronation anniversary held recently in his palace, the three wives of the high class king became the cynosure of all eyes when they stepped out in grand-style, looking all chic and elan.

No wonder the Oba looks ever fresh and young at all times.

Obasanjo’s Stepdaughter Joins Lagos Governorship Race

The stepdaughter of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo is following in his footsteps with a foray into politics.

Mrs Adetokunbo Tobun-Agbesanwa is the daughter of Major Moji Adekunle-Obasanjo and Chief Adekunle Tobun and she is set to contest the 2015 Lagos governorship elections.

The intending candidate is currently a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and she is set to contest on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

She spoke about her aspirations in an interview with Tribune Newspaper, Excerpts below:

How did your parents influence your involvement in politics?

My parents played a great role in my development and my passion for politics. I wanted to study law but found myself studying political science. My father, Chief Adekunle Tobun’s activities during the Third Republic, when he contested for the gubernatorial primaries and the campaigns then, gave me a lot to learn and think about.

My late mother, Major Moji Adekunle-Obasanjo, gave me all the support and opportunity to utilise my knowledge and, at every instance, continued to boost my self-esteem. I am very lucky to have such great personalities as parents.

The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, yesterday broke his silence over the $9.3m arms deal scandal in which his private jet was used to carry the huge sum of money out of Nigeria to South Africa. Speaking at the National Executive Council meeting of CAN at the National Christian Center in Abuja, Pastor Oritsejafor absolved himself of any wrong doing, saying he would never do anything that would tarnish the image of Jesus Christ

Boko Haram men in the early hours of yesterday September 29th launched an attack in Kubi and Watu villages in Michika LGA of Adamawa state, killing scores and burning over 500 houses.According to a resident of the village, the sect men came very early in the morning when people were still sleeping, setting their homes ablaze and causing them to burn to death in the resulting inferno.

I LOVE MAKING PEOPLE LOOK GOOD…” EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH OLAMIDE OREFEKO

After winning the August Rookie contest to become the Rookie of the Month, Olamide Orefeko, a marketing student at Babcock University and CEO of Lami’s Clothier, a fashion outfit,received “The Spark”- an incentive to kickstart her business success- from The Spark: Sage, Honourable Ben Akabueze, the Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget. Precisely on the 26th of September, 2014, Olamide was empowered with a 100,000 naira cash grant and a personal counselling session with the Commissioner.

In this interview with Thelma Mbachu, this empowered entrepreneur talks about entrepreneurship, Nigerian fashion and the impact of Vanguard Spark.

Photo: President of Women Arise for Change Initiative

Pls our women since men can't do any thing against terrorist in Nigeria, get up and fight.
You wizard and others of the land rise up and fight with your gugu power, lol.

Another church building collapses in Edo state

Barely a week after a building belonging to Christ Chosen Church of God collapsed in Edo state killing three people, another church building has collapsed in the state.

A building belonging to Liberty Power Bible Church a.k.a Power Palace at Asoro Slope, off Ekenwan Road in Benin city, Edo state, collapsed yesterday September 28th.

According to reports, the incident happened shortly after members of the church left the building after the close of service. No life was lost.

The owner of the land where the church was being constructed, Ajor Sylvanus, told reporters that the building collapsed because it was not properly built...

Legengary actress Joke Silva flanked by her legendary husband Olu Jacobs and their son after she received her National Award today in Abuja. It's also her birthday today, so double celebrations and double congrats.

PIcture: So supricing, bizarre Accident As Car Flew Along Ring Road In Benin City

This accident is said to have happened today at Ring road roundabout in Benin city, Edo state. Anybody know how the car got on the gate?

I believe this was on high speed and loose control while trying to get himself back, or what do u think.

GEJ honors Nigerian flag designer, puts him on lifetime salary

The man who designed the Nigeria flag, Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi was decorated as an Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, OFR, by President Jonathan today September 29th, 55 years after designing the flag.

He wasn't only given an award today, president Jonathan also said he will be placed on a lifetime salary that must be in line with what any Senior Special Advisers earns.

No other government before this government found Pa Akinkunmi worthy of a national award or a lifetime salary. So happy for him.

GEJ's cook, Taxi driver and Traffic Warden honored at 2014 National Awards

From left: Presidential steward, Onu Isaac Michael, Taxi driver, Imeh Usuah and traffic warden Cpl Solomon Dauda, conferred with the Member of the Order of the Niger, MON and MFR, today. Usuah was honored for returning N18million a passenger forgot in his taxi. The three of them were also given houses in Abuja.

Picture: Man traped trying to jump over barbed wire in Jos

A man trying to cross to the other side to steal diesel met his untimely death after he got caught in electric barbed fence on Dagin Farouk road in Jos. See the pic after the cut...*warning - graphic pic*

Ni Min is suffering from a rare condition that turns her muscles to solid bone – fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP). The genetic mutation is also known as Stone Man Syndrome and, unfortunately, there is still no cure for it. Although there are less than six hundred cases of it across the globe, those suffering from it eventually die.
The 14-year-old girl began showing symptoms at the age of eight, after several examinations tests showed she was suffering from the genetic mutation. Despite the depressing prognosis doctors and Ni’s family hope to delay the symptoms with medication, in a bid to prolong her life and slow down the effect of the rare disease.
Dr Zhang Keqin, who is leading Ni’s treatment, said: “At present her condition is not very serious and we have prescribed medicine for her. We will see how that goes over the next 6 months. Patients usually die in their 40s when they can no longer breathe because of the pressure on their lungs.”
The disease causes bone to form in muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues. Over time, this extra bone restricts movement, forming a second skeleton that imprisons the body in bone. It results in a gruesome death when the cartilage holding the ribs together also solidifies, making it impossible to breathe and eventually the patient suffocates or suffers massive cardiac arrest.

Pics from the 54th Independence Anniversary interdenominational service

President Jonathan, First Lady Patience Jonathan and other top government functionaries celebrated Nigeria's 54th independence at an interdenominational service at the National Christian Center Abuja yesterday Sunday Sept. 28th. See more photos after the cut...

Anita Oyakhilome has been excluded from the newly released October-2014 edition of Rhapsody of Realities, Christ Embassy's monthly devotional. The devotional, which was started many years ago by the now estranged couple, usually had both their pictures and writings in the pages, but in this new 31-page edition, there's not one pic or article attributed to Pastor Anita, just pastor Chris.

Also, the back cover of the magazine which usually had a picture of the couple now has only Pastor Chris on it. See the exclusive pics after the cut...

Last week, Jason Derulo and Jordin Sparks ended their engagement after three years together and there were rumours that it was because he cheated. Well, Jason denies they split over cheating…

In a statement to the media Jason explains,

"Though I think it is a private matter and intended to keep my break-up with Jordin personal, due to bogus and irresponsible lies being reported by insensitive media outlets it became necessary for me to comment. I spent three great years with Jordin and she is one of the most amazing people that I have ever met. But as in all relationships there are ups and downs and at this time we have decided to amicably part. Infidelity, cheating or deceit played no part in our relationship or our break-up, and I hope that people respect our privacy as we move forward with our lives."

Sunday 28 September 2014

Olabisi Onabanjo University Reopens

Lectures are to start on Monday, September, 29, 2014 to continue the suspended 2013/2014 academic session.

The university was closed by the management to forestall breakdown of public peace as a result of students’ negative reaction to the announcements by the State Government reducing the university fees.

According to a statement by the Head, Corporate Affairs Division, Vice-Chancellor’s Office, Niyi Oduwole, in 2008, the Students’ Union Government signed an agreement with the then State Government to increase fees by 20 percent annually.

“However, in response to recent students’ demand for a downward review by 40 percent of the current fees, the State Government reduced the fees by about 40 percent and, in some cases, down to 60 percent as well as abolished the dichotomy between indigenes and non-indigenes.

“This new arrangement was to start in the 2014/2015 session since there was no budgetary provision for the short fall in the current year’s financial appropriation.

“However, students demanded lower fees and its immediate implementation.”

He stated further that this reopening “follows an agreement between the university management and the Students’ Union Government accepting the new fees and the commencement date of 2014/2015 session.

“All returning students are expected to sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour while an investigating panel shall be set up to look at the immediate and remote causes of the disturbances and suggest ways of preventing such in the future.”

While noting that the panel may also recommend appropriate sanctions for anyone that might have violated his matriculation oath, the school management advised all returning students to check the university website for details of fees payment guidelines for the session.

Strong love: Elderly couple plan to die together

An old couple who have been married for 63 years is about make history as the world's first couple to undergo a joint euthanasia, or in plain term, assisted suicide, a form of legal suicide.

The elderly couple, Francis, 89 and his wife, Anne, 86, are said to be so much in love that they do not want to live apart. The couple, none of them terminally ill, want to take their love to their graves and they have the support of their three adult children.

So instead of either couple feeling lonely when one goes, they have decided to leave at the same time.

According to Mail Online, the couple's children have even gone so far as to find a practitioner willing to carry out the double killings on the grounds that the couple's mental anguish constituted the unbearable suffering needed to legally justify euthanasia. The couple, from Brussels, are receiving regular medical treatment for age-related ailments.

Francis has received treatment for prostate cancer for 20 years and is unable to spend a day without morphine and Anne is partially blind and almost totally deaf. They always go out shopping together because they are both scared that one day the other will not return home.

They decided that life in a care home was not an option because of their fear they would end up bedridden without the strength to insist on euthanasia.

They are also afraid that a good retirement home would cost more than their combined pensions and that they would have to dig into their savings to afford it.

They planned to commit the double suicide on February 3 2015, their 64th wedding anniversary, by placing plastic bags over their heads after taking an overdose of sleeping pills.

Indonesian teenager Ari Wibowo who sheds his skin like a snake every 41 days

Ari has shed his skin every 41 days since he was born 16 years ago. He must soak his body in water every hour – night and day – and smear himself with lotion every three hours to prevent drying out.
Photographer Nurcholis Anhari Lubis, 35, has documented the little boy’s condition as part of an essay project and describes the boy’s skin condition as ‘scaly like a snake about to shed his skin’. Mr Lubis told Daily Mail Australia:

Mr Lubis said Ari’s family were told by doctors at the hospital where he was born that it did not have the resources to treat the condition, and asked them to take the infant away. He and his family now live by a routine of constant washing and dressing his skin with creams. Still, the boy is trying to live a normal life in his village. Mr Lubis continued:
‘He eats normal food like everyone else and his favourite snacks are instant noodles and crackers. He had trouble making friends when he was younger and would often go and play with the other kids but most of the time, they would avoid him because he is different to everyone else.’

Ari is taking lessons, but is forced to study alone because of ignorance about his condition in the community.
‘No schools are willing to accept him because they fear his skin condition would be contagious to teachers and other students,’ Mr Lubis said.

Ari also suffers prejudice because of superstitions in his village. Mr Lubis said many people blame Ari’s condition on a superstition that if a woman mistreats animals while she is pregnant then it will affect her unborn child. Some people believe Ari’s mother ‘tortured a lizard’ she found in the family home when she was pregnant with Ari. Ari has trouble talking because of the condition and the vision in his right eye is impaired, while the left must be kept moist with constant drops.

An interested applicant, Juan Lei, who was turned down by the young man, narrated her experience.

“I went to speak to him to ask if it was a real offer, and he told me I was too young for the job and he only wanted older women,” she recalled.

“I just wanted to know why he wanted a mum and he said he had been raised in an orphanage, and after making a success of himself, he felt he missed out on having a mother to be proud of him, and treat him like a son. I felt quite sorry for him actually, he looked really lonely but this isn’t the way to go about filling that gap in life.

“I told him he should marry and that way he could share his wife’s parents, but he didn’t seem impressed with the idea,” Lei added.

Tsui has continued with his strange act, telling locals who tried talking him out of the idea that he would not stop until he finds a mother.

So cute: One day old baby set out as the youngest swimmer. {photo}

At just one day old, Phoenix Charles Elwell took his first swim with his smitten father.
Phoenix is the youngest child ever to be enrolled as a Water Baby in a national programme aimed at making swimming not just safe, but fun for all the family ,aged precisely 31 hours and 46 minutes.
According to Mailonline, his father who is an Instructor for the Water Babies Swim School introduced him to the joys of baby aquatics – He said. see more pics after cut

Photo: George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin step out as Husband and Wife to celebrate with family and friends

It was a day he vowed would never happen but on Saturday 27 September, George Clooney left his bachelor days behind him.

And the 53-year-old heartthrob was still celebrating on Sunday as he and his British human rights lawyer bride Amal Alamuddin, 36, hosted a brunch for family and friends at Hotel Cipriani in Venice.

The newlyweds made their first appearance as man and wife in a stylish watertaxi where they showed off their elegant wedding bands.

George was clad in a grey suit, looking just as dapper as ever and his beautiful bride was positively glowing.

Her lace long-sleeved Giambattista Valli dress was dotted with bright flowers but it was the huge smile which captured attention as the duo shared their joy. Ever the gentleman, George held onto Amal as she navigated her way into the boat.

Proving his Hollywood royalty status, George and his bride finished off their perfect weekend with regal waves to the adoring crowds as they jetted across the pristine blue waters of Venice in a vintage-inspired wooden speed boat with the Italian word for love 'amore' adorned on the side.

But the romance didn't end there. Although hundreds of locals had flocked to the shore to catch a glimpse of the dazzling duo, George and Amal appeared absolutely besotted with one another; continually staring into each other's eyes. see more pics