Ibadan Businessman, Abdulazeez Arisekola Alao, Dies In Switzerland

SaharaReporters has learnt that Abdulazeez Arisekola Alao, a controversial businessman who was based in Ibadan, capital of Oyo State, died yesterday at a hospital in Switzerland.

A family source confirmed Mr. Alao’s death to our correspondent, stating that the cause was colon cancer. The source also stated that the remains of the deceased businessman were being conveyed to Nigeria for burial as early as tomorrow in keeping with Muslim rites. In 1980, a group of Islamic clerics named him the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, making him one of the most notable Islamic figures in Nigeria’s southwest.

Apart from being a prominent Muslim figure in Nigeria, Mr. Alao was also known for his cozy relationship with the late General Sani Abacha, one of Nigeria’s most repressive dictators.

Mr. Alao, who was born in 1945, started out as a trader in his youth and grew into a businessman with investments in real estate, auto sales, news media, and flourmills. Like many Nigerian business owners, he depended on the patronage of political leaders to maintain the image of having vast wealth.

In 2011, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc filed a lawsuit seeking an order to declare Mr. Alao bankrupt. The lawsuit arose from a loan of close to N7 billion that Mr. Alao had taken from the bank but failed to service.

The late Mr. Alao was married to several wives and many children.

Sahara Reporters

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Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Nigerian man arrested in NJ for allegedly killing his pregnant wife

On Friday December 27th, 33 year old Babatope Owoseni was arrested in East Orange, New Jersey in connection with the death of his wife who was nine months pregnant at the time of her death.

26 year old Fatoumata Owoseni was found unresponsive at the 39 South Munn Avenue apartment she shared with Babatope. The police have not released info on how he killed her but strangulation is believed to have played a part. Babatope has been charged with her murder and is being held without bail at the Essex County Corrections Facility.

Linda Ikeji

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Another 2300 PDP Members Decamp To APC In Kaduna State

Another 2300 members of PDP which also includes their chieftains in Kaduna have decamped to APC. Some of them said they have been there for years and nothing has changed. “We have the Vice President and Governor but nothing is happening in Kaduna State despite the loan being collected for the state. We don’t even know what they are using the loan for because they have nothing to show in the state,” they said.

Former Chairman of PDP in the State and leader of PDP defectors, Alhaji Audi Yaro Makama also said; “We want our children to be proud of us some day and we cannot remain in a party that has failed to deliver the dividends of democracy to its citizens. Those who think we cannot deliver should wait and see during the 2015 election if PDP will make it”he said.

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Nigeria oil workers, NUPENG, insist on planned strike

The workers are opposed to the proposed sale of refineries.

The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, says it has not shelved its plans to embark on strike to protest the planned sale of the country’s four refineries.

The Federal Government had late last year constituted a committee headed by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to work out modalities for the sale of the four refineries located in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna.
But, since the announcement of the plans by the Federal Government, oil workers unions have condemned the proposal, threatening to call out their member on strike to protest the decision.

A similar decision to sell the refineries by the Obasanjo administration precipitated a crisis by the oil workers that was suspended only when the late Musa Yar’Adua administration rescinded the plan.

Though indications on Monday were that the planned strike had been suspended, the President of NUPENG, Igwe Achese, clarified on Wednesday in Lagos that the union’s position was still that the decision by the Federal Government to privatise the country’s four refineries was taken in a haste.

Mr. Achese said having reviewed the proposal holistically, the NUPENG has come to the inevitable resolution by its members to resist it.

The NUPENG president denied reports that the union had suspended the strike, pointing out that these were erroneous stories that were full of distortions of facts.

NUPENG said its members in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and its subsidiaries was embarking on daily prayer sessions to call for God’s intervention, to prevail on the government to reconsider its decision on the issue.

The union leader called on its members to intensify the prayer sessions, as a prelude to the nationwide strike planned for later this week. He said that the meeting scheduled by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu, to discuss the issue would be futile if the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, would not be involved.

NUPENG and its senior staff affiliate, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, had in December 2013 threatened to embark on a nationwide strike in January to protest the decision to sell the refineries.

The two unions said the decision would only be averted if the Federal Government reversed its decision to privatise the country’s four refineries.
(NAN)

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Five artistes to look out for in 2014

2013 was a great year for the music industry.

Just as 2013 gave birth to new music sensations like Sean Tizzle, Phyno and a couple of others, 2014 is bound to do same. Whose turn is it? We don’t know. But as observers of the music industry, we look at five artistes who should make an impact in the growing Nigerian money spinning music sector.

Phyno
The Igbo-lingo rapper who missed the ‘Next Rated’ award category at the Headies to Sean Tizzle will seek to further hold his ground in the congested music industry and probably give his fans something to wet their appetite- an album. And who knows, Phyno might also get one or two endorsement deals.

Seyi Shay
The beautiful singer who parted ways with FlyTyme promotions last year before penning an endorsement deal with telecoms company, Etisalat, is one artiste to look out for in 2014. Her impressive debut single, Irawo, and a remix featuring rapper, Vector, already laid the foundation for her. Whether she can sustain the tempo and release smash hit singles and wrestle the ‘Big 3′- Tiwa Savage, Omawumi and Waje remains the question.

Dammy Krane
A relatively good 2013, fuji-pop singer and Tuface’s signee, Dammy Krane, will hope to solidify his stay in the music industry with powerful singles and move up the music ladder. Dammy who isn’t a newcomer sure knows his strength- fuji pop. Whether he decides to build on this or not will determine how far the My Dear crooner will go in 2014.

Teckno
Formally based in Abuja before teaming up with Iyanya’s MMMG, Teckno released the song ‘Holiday,’ featuring Davido.
With a new label and more funds and exposure to better production, there is hope for Teckno and if he remains cool headed, his best is yet to come.

Pato Ranking
Little known Pato Ranking blessed us with the reggae influenced song, ‘Albubarika’ featuring label boss, Timaya. The Ijora, Lagos raised artiste has been picked by music pundits as one of the acts to watch out for in 2014. With Timaya’s rejuvenated Dem mama records, Pato Ranking can use the opportunity to climb up the music ladder in 2014.

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Cholera kills seven in Kano

Badawa-Galadima ward in Nasarawa Local Government Area, Kano State, an official of the council has said.

The Head of Health Department of the local government, Alhaji Ma’azu Doka, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Kano that 68 patients were now receiving treatment.

Doka said 29 of them were at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Kano, while the remaining 39 were outpatients.

“The outbreak, which started five days ago, has so far claimed seven lives.

“We have also treated more than 71 persons, particularly those with cases that are not severe,’’ he said.

Doka said the local government had purchased and distributed drugs worth N650,000 for the treatment of the patients.

According to him, the council’s health personnel had visited the affected persons with a view to giving them the necessary attention and treatment.

He said that the health department had cleared the drains in the affected area.

Doka attributed the new cases to the dirty surroundings, stressing the need to adhere to hygienic practice, including clean environment.

‘’There is poor sanitary condition in the area, so the people have to rise up to the challenges by keeping their environment clean,’’ he said.

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Court remands Bale for death of police witness

An Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court has ordered the remand of a former traditional ruler of the Ilaje, Bariga area of Lagos State, Kayode Ayetiwa, in prison over the murder of 36-year-old Segun Ogbere, aka Shaggy.

Ogbere was murdered while returning from a court case in which he had gone to testify against Ayetiwa.

The deceased was the only volunteer and key witness in the murder of one James Aromire, who was killed in 2012.

PUNCH Metro had reported on December 12, that Ogbere was trailed from the court premises by suspected cult members.

The deceased had reportedly tried escaping the killers, but was cornered on Adeshina Street, off University Road, Abule Oja area of Yaba.

The police said Ogbere was stabbed and cut with machetes while he called out the name of one of his assailants. He was left to die in a pool of blood.

PUNCH Metro had reported that the victim was supposed to become the bale of Ilaje, after Ayetiwa was deposed as the traditional ruler due to the subsisting murder case he had in court.

The 54-year-old Ayetiwa was subsequently arrested for a second murder.

He was arraigned on two murder counts which read, “That you, Kayode Ayetiwa, and others now at large, on December 10, 2013, around 5.30pm at Abule Oja, Yaba Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: murder and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 231 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

“That you did unlawfully kill one Segun Ogbere, by stabbing him with knives and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”

The defendant’s plea was not taken for the offence.

The police prosecutor, Corporal Cyricus Osuji, applied that the defendant be remanded in prison pursuant to Section 264 of Administration of Criminal Justice, Lagos State 2011.

However, the defence team of Ayetiwa put up a motion for his bail. They argued that the police have no ground to prove the defendant killed the deceased.

In his ruling, the magistrate, Mr. F. J. Adefioye, rejected the bail application of the defence counsel, saying that the issue of bail was for the Directorate of Public Prosecution to determine.

“The defendant is hereby remanded in prison, pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecution,” he said.

The matter was adjourned till January 29, 2014.

Punch

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

7 social media resolutions for 2014

OK, so you’ve resolved to lose weight, travel more and organize your finances in 2014. That’s a good start.

But what about your virtual self? The dawn of a new year is also a good time for a digital makeover: a savvier, more disciplined approach to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social platforms.

Given that 73% of online U.S. adults are active on social media, according to a new Pew survey, this could have a bigger impact on your life than cleaning out that overstuffed closet.

May we present these seven resolutions — suggestions, really — for better social-media use in the new year.

Don’t post pictures of all your meals

Sure, the tuna tartare at that fancy restaurant sure looks pretty. But interrupting your dinner to Instagram it is rude to your dining companions, not to mention obnoxious for other people sitting nearby who have to endure your camera flashes and “which filter looks better?” questions.

Some restaurants have even witnessed food “photographers” climb atop their chairs to get a better camera angle. Don’t be that person.

Try limiting your food pics to special items like a customized birthday cake or maybe that famous 2-pound burger you must finish to earn a free T-shirt and your photo on the pub wall.

Think before you tweet

OK, this one may seem obvious. But it’s amazing how many otherwise smart people blast out thoughts on Twitter without pausing to consider the sheer stupidity of what they’re saying.

In August, TV’s Dr. Phil McGraw sparked a backlash after a tweet posted on his verified Twitter account asked whether it’s OK to have sex with a drunk girl. The tweet was quickly deleted but not before the Internet erupted in outrage.

Then there was Justine Sacco, the PR executive who posted this on Twitter this month before boarding a flight to South Africa: “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!” The tweet went viral while her plane was in the air, and she was fired soon after.

It takes only a few seconds to compose a dumb tweet. The damage can last much longer.

Don’t tag people in unflattering photos

Hey, buddy! I tagged you in this party pic! Yeah, I know your eyes are closed, your stomach is sticking out and your tongue is caressing a bottle of tequila, but it’s hilarious, right! Right?

No? Oops.

Ask permission before posting questionable photos of people online. It’s just common courtesy.

Fact-check first

No, Tom Cruise didn’t die in April in a car accident in Australia. But you wouldn’t know that right away from all the breathless posts on Facebook and Twitter. Then there are the fake Facebook posts, offering cheap airfare or free iPads, that try to scam you with malicious links.

Social media can spread misinformation as fast as truths. Unless you want your friends to stop trusting you, Snopes.com is a good source for debunking these rumors.

Or you could just use common sense.

Remember that less can be more

An artfully rendered Instagram photo of your baby or cat or snowy backyard can be a beautiful thing. Seven photos in an hour, not so much.

The same can apply to rapid-fire tweeting or constant Facebook updates. Unless you’re live-blogging from a forest fire or the Oscars, don’t overwhelm your friends’ feeds. They will thank you.

Go easy on the selfies

Yes, “selfie” is the word of the year for 2013. And selfies can be fun to look at when the person is 1. wearing a costume, 2. with a celebrity or 3. standing in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Preferably all three at once.

But we don’t really need to see you in front of your bathroom mirror, making a duck face. By its nature, social media is already narcissistic enough.

Be your authentic self

Unless, maybe, you’re Anthony Weiner.

There is now a whole corps of “social media experts” who will tell you “how to build your personal brand.” Ignore them. The nature of networking hasn’t really changed — it’s still about who you know, staying in touch and being willing to put yourself out there — and no number of marketing gimmicks will change that.

Be genuine. Be someone you’d enjoy talking to at a party. If you’re using social media only to collect likes and followers, you’re probably doing something wrong.

But you still might want to hold off on those knee-jerk Twitter rants or Vines of yourself naked.

CNN

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

LMAO: Caption This Photo

To all my readers, fans, friends and foes alike, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy new year in advance. Sip easy and take it easy on the free food..Awoof dey run belle..Don’t drink and drive, drive safely please.

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Abuja Court orders man to cut grass for seven days for destroying neighbour’s TV

A Kuje Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, on
Tuesday ordered a 32-year-old mechanic, Johnson Ohis, to cut grass for seven day for causing mischief.

The presiding judge, Okeagwu Azubike, passed the sentence after the convict pleaded guilty to the offences of criminal trespass and mischief, and begged the court for leniency.

Mr. Azubike gave the convict an option to pay N2, 000 in fine and ordered him to pay N15, 400 in compensation to the nominal complainant for destroying her television set.
The police prosecutor, Cpl. Samuel Ocheche, told the court earlier that Hauwa Hassan of Anguwan Gade, Kuje, reported the matter at Kuje Police Station on Oct. 20.

Mr. Ocheche said the convict, who resides at the same address as the complainant, entered her room and destroyed her television set valued at N15, 400.
He said that during police interrogation, Mr. Ohis admitted to committing the offences.

(NAN)

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Pastor Okotie buys N120m Rolls Royce to mark pastoral anniversary

Pastor of the Household of God Church International, Chris Okotie, recently bought a Rolls Royce Coupe, the 2014 Bespoke Edition, to mark his 30 years as born-again Christian and 27 years as a pastor.

According to Okotie’s close aide, the pastor spent N120m on the luxury car and had earlier spent N33m on a Range Rover Autobiography to mark a milestone of his church.

The source, in a text message, said, “Pastor Okotie just bought a Rolls Royce Coupe, 2014 Bespoke Edition at N120m to mark his 30 years as a born-again Christian and 27 years as a pastor. He had earlier bought a Range Rover (Autobiography) 2014 Model for N33m, reputed to be the costliest SUV in the world to mark this ministry’s milestone.”

Checks on the Internet showed that the cheapest price of  same Rolls Royce model is about N65m, but it could be more expensive if armoured.

Fifty-five-year-old Okotie was in the news recently for the controversial comments he made during a church service in which he claimed that “all Catholics will go to hell,” and referred to Pope Francis as anti-Christ.

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Photos: Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Iyanya Others Attend Dr SID & Simi Osomo’s Introduction Ceremony Today

MAVIN records artiste, Dr Sid and fiancée, Simi Osomo have started their marital journey. Their introduction ceremony held today with Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Tunde Ednut, Iyanya, his manager and some other celebrities in attendance. We wish the couple all the best. More photos below.

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

2014 Grammy Awards nominations revealed: See the full list

The Recording Academy has revealed the full list of nominees for the 2014 Grammy Awards, which will take place January 26th 2014. The full list below… 

Album Of The Year:
The Blessed Unrest — Sara Bareilles
Random Access Memories — Daft Punk
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City — Kendrick Lamar
The Heist — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Red — Taylor Swift

Record Of The Year:
“Get Lucky” — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
“Radioactive” — Imagine Dragons
“Royals” — Lorde
“Locked Out Of Heaven” — Bruno Mars
“Blurred Lines” — Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams

Song Of The Year:
“Just Give Me A Reason” — Pink Featuring Nate Ruess (songwriters: Jeff Bhasker, Pink & Nate Ruess)
“Locked Out Of Heaven” — Bruno Mars (songwriters: Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine & Bruno Mars)
“Roar” — Katy Perry (songwriters: Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Katy Perry & Henry Walter)
“Royals” — Lorde (songwriters: Joel Little & Ella Yelich O’Connor)
“Same Love” — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert (songwriters: Ben Haggerty, Mary Lambert & Ryan Lewis)

Best New Artist:
James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran

Producer Of The Year:
Rob Cavallo
Dr. Luke
Ariel Rechtshaid
Jeff Tweedy
Pharrell Williams

Best Pop Solo Performance:
“Brave” — Sara Bareilles
“Royals” — Lorde
“When I Was Your Man” — Bruno Mars
“Roar” — Katy Perry
“Mirrors” — Justin Timberlake

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
“Get Lucky” — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
“Just Give Me A Reason” — Pink Featuring Nate Ruess
“Stay” — Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko
“Blurred Lines” — Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams
“Suit & Tie” — Justin Timberlake & Jay Z

Best Pop Vocal Album:
Paradise – Lana Del Rey
Pure Heroine – Lorde
Unorthodox Jukebox – Bruno Mars
Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke
The 20/20 Experience – Justin Timberlake

Best Rap Song:
“F***in’ Problems” – ASAP Rocky Featuring Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar
“Holy Grail” – Jay Z featuring Justin Timberlake
“New Slaves” – Kanye West
“Started From the Bottom” – Drake
“Thrift Shop” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz

Best Rap Performance:
“Started From The Bottom” — Drake
“Berzerk” — Eminem
“Tom Ford” —  Jay Z
“Swimming Pools (Drank)” — Kendrick Lamar
“Thrift Shop” — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:
“Power Trip” — J.Cole Featuring Miguel
“Part II (On The Run)” — Jay Z Featuring Beyoncé
“Holy Grail” — Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake
“Now Or Never” — Kendrick Lamar Featuring Mary J. Blige
“Remember You” — Wiz Khalifa Featuring The Weeknd

Best Rap Album:
Nothing Was The Same — Drake
Magna Carta…Holy Grail — Jay Z
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City — Kendrick Lamar
The Heist — Macklemore  & Ryan Lewis
Yeezus — Kanye West

Best Country Solo Performance:
“I Drive Your Truck” — Lee Brice
“I Want Crazy” — Hunter Hayes
“Mama’s Broken Heart” — Miranda Lambert
“Wagon Wheel” — Darius Rucker
“Mine Would Be You” — Blake Shelton

Best Country Album:
Night Train — Jason Aldean
Two Lanes Of Freedom — Tim McGraw
Same Trailer Different Park — Kacey Musgraves
Based On A True Story — Blake Shelton
Red — Taylor Swift

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
“From This Valley” – The Civil Wars
“Don’t Rush” – Kelly Clarkson featuring Vince Gill
“Your Side of the Bed” – Little Big Town
“Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
“You Can’t Make Old Friends” – Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton

Best Country Song:
“Begin Again” – Taylor Swift
“I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice
“Mama’s Broken Heart” – Miranda Lambert
“Merry Go ‘Round” – Kacey Musgraves
“Mine Would Be You” – Blake Shelton

Best Rock Performance:
“Always Alright” — Alabama Shakes
“The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” — David Bowie
“Radioactive” — Imagine Dragons
“Kashmir” (Live) — Led Zeppelin
“My God Is The Sun” — Queens Of The Stone Age
“I’m Shakin’” — Jack White

Best Rock Song:
“Ain’t Messin ‘Round” – Gary Clark Jr.
“Cut Me Some Slack” – Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear
“Doom And Gloom” – The Rolling Stones
“God Is Dead” – Black Sabbath
“Panic Station” – Muse

Best Rock Album:
13 — Black Sabbath
The Next Day — David Bowie
Mechanical Bull — Kings Of Leon
Celebration Day — Led Zeppelin
…Like Clockwork — Queens Of The Stone Age
Psychedelic Pill — Neil Young With Crazy Horse

Best Alternative Music Album:
The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You — Neko Case
Trouble Will Find Me — The National
Hesitation Marks — Nine Inch Nails
Lonerism — Tame Impala
Modern Vampires Of The City — Vampire Weekend

Best Dance/Electronica Album:
Random Access Memories — Daft Punk
Settle — Disclosure
18 Months — Calvin Harris
Atmosphere — Kaskade
A Color Map Of The Sun — Pretty Lights

Best R&B Performance:
“Love And War” — Tamar Braxton
“Best Of Me” — Anthony Hamilton
“Nakamarra” — Hiatus Kaiyote Featuring Q-Tip
“How Many Drinks?” — Miguel Featuring Kendrick Lamar
“Something” — Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway

Best R&B Album:
R&B Divas — Faith Evans
Girl On Fire — Alicia Keys
Love In The Future — John Legend
Better — Chrisette Michele
Three Kings — TGT

Best Urban Contemporary Album:
Love And War — Tamar Braxton
Side Effects Of You — Fantasia
One: In The Chamber — Salaam Remi
Unapologetic — Rihanna
New York: A Love Story — Mack Wilds

Best Americana Album:
Old Yellow Moon — Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
Love Has Come For You — Steve Martin & Edie Brickell
Buddy And Jim — Buddy Miller And Jim Lauderdale
One True Vine — Mavis Staples
Songbook — Allen Toussaint

Best Comedy Album:
Calm Down Gurrl — Kathy Griffin
I’m Here To Help — Craig Ferguson
A Little Unprofessional — Ron White
Live — Tig Notaro
That’s What I’m Talkin’ About — Bob Saget

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:
Django Unchained
The Great Gatsby 
Les Misérables 
Muscle Shoals
Sound City: Real To Reel

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media:
Argo (Alexandre Desplat, composer)
The Great Gatsby (Craig Armstrong, composer)
Life Of Pi (Mychael Danna, composer)
Lincoln (John Williams, composer)
Skyfall (Thomas Newman, composer)
Zero Dark Thirty (Alexandre Desplat, composer)

Best Song Written For Visual Media:
“Atlas” – Coldplay (From The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)“Silver Lining” – Jessie J (From Silver Linings Playbook)“Skyfall” – Adele (From Skyfall)“We Both Know” – Colbie Caillat & Gavin DeGraw (From Safe Haven)
“Young And Beautiful” – Lana Del Rey (From The Great Gatsby)
“You’ve Got Time” – Regina Spektor (From Orange Is The New Black)

Best Musical Theater Album:Kinky Boots
Matilda: The Musical
Motown The Musical

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Viva Duets – Tony Bennett & Various Artists To Be Loved – Michael Buble The Standards – Gloria Estefan Cee Lo’s Magic Moment – Cee Lo Green Now – Dionne Warwick

Best Jazz Instrumental Album:
Guided Tour — The New Gary Burton Quartet
Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue — Terri Lyne Carrington
Life Forum — Gerald Clayton
Pushing The World Away — Kenny Garrett
Out Here — Christian McBride Trio

Best Gospel Album:
Grace (Live) — Tasha Cobbs
Best For Last: 20 Year Celebration Vol. 1 — Donald Lawrence
Best Days Yet — Bishop Paul S. Morton
God Chaser (Live) — William Murphy
Greater Than (Live) — Tye Tribbett

Best Music Video:
“Safe And Sound” – Capital Cities
“Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film” – Jay Z
“Can’t Hold Us” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray Dalton
“Suit & TIe” –  Justin Timberlake featuring Jay Z
“I’m Shakin’” – Jack White

Best Recording Package:  
Automatic Music Can Be Fun – Geneseo
Long Night Moon – Reckless Kelly  
Magna Carta…Holy Grail – Jay Z  
Metallica Through The Never (Music From The Motion Picture) – Metallica  
The Next Day – David Bowie    

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package:  
The Brussels Affair – The Rolling Stones  
How Do You Do (Limited Edition Box Set) – Mayer Hawthorne  
The Road to Red Rocks (Special Edition) – Mumford & Sons  
The Smith Tapes – Various Artists
Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition) – Paul McCartney And Wings

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

ASUU strike update: Confusion in universities over resumption order

Students all around the country are in a fix as to whether they should obey the Federal Government’s order to resume school or to stay at home as advised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The FG has directed that all tertiary institutions across the country should open their gates for the commencement of academic activities on Monday, December 9.

However, the academic body has advised that the order be ignored and has also urged parents to keep their wards at home where they are guaranteed to be safe.

Daily Independent reports:

Investigations conducted by Sunday Independent at the weekend revealed that the students are in a fix whether to honour the directive by the Federal Government, ordering authorities of university across the country to open their gates for the commencement of academic works or not.

Following the directive by the Federal Government that authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have announced resumption date for the students of the institution.

The management in a two-paragraph statement issued and signed by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, said the management of the university, has announced Sunday December 8 as the resumption date for the 2012/2013 rain semester.

Accordingly, students of the university are expected to come into residence on the above date, as lectures will commence immediately.

But, Chairman, OAU ASUU branch, Professor Adegbola Akinola, had declared that the union would continue with the strike until the government meets their demands.

Akintola, speaking on telephone on Saturday, said the union would continue with the strike as government was yet to officially notify it, detailing the evidence of payment.

At press time, some foreign students who did not travel down to their base were seen loitering around the campus, while few of those in the final year were seen returning to campus in compliance with the government directive.

Those that spoke with Sunday Independent said they heard the directive and complied by returning to school for normal academic work.

Olatunji Agboola, a final year student of Political Science, said he was returning to campus to allow him prepare for the examination, adding that they had spent much time at home doing nothing.

He explained: “We are tired of staying at home. It is our prayer that the directive works and ASUU complies with it since the government said it had met the condition set for it by the union”.

By this, academic activities are gradually picking up on the campus though not as expected.

Meanwhile, academic activities was yet to resume at the University of Benin as at Friday despite directive by the institution’s authority asking all the academic staff to resume academic work last week Monday.

A statement issued by the Registrar of the University, Mrs. Grace Ogboghodo, last week, stated that “in line with the directive of the Federal Government of Nigeria, all academic staff of the University of Benin are advised to resume for duty on Tuesday December 3, 2013.

“For the avoidance of doubt, attendance register will be made available in the office of the respective Dean/ Director for all academic staff to sign as an attestation to their resumption”, the statement added.

But, the UNIBEN ASUU,while reacting to the directive, stated that in spite of the announcement by the university authorities on Monday, which called on students and academic staff to resume duties, there was no sign that lecturers and students would heed the call for now.

Daily Independent

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

OJB returns to Nigeria after successful kidney transplant in India

OJB returned to Nigeria a few days ago after spending over four months in India where he went for kidney transplant, which was very successful.

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Yawa Dey O: Woman Paraded By Police For Cutting Off Husband’s Head With Axe In Edo

A woman in Edo has been arrested by police after it was alleged that she took the life of her husband.

Zenab Agbontine is in the custody of the state police command following reports that she severed her husband’s head with an axe.

Mrs. Agbontine is said to have perpetrated the act while her oblivious husband was asleep in their home near Auchi in the Estako West Local Government of the state.

The Nation reports:

Narrating what happened, the suspect said she had been married to her husband for nine years and that they had five children.

Zenab, who was paraded yesterday, said she was a farmer and that her husband was a night guard.

She said trouble started when he brought another woman home and asked her to leave.

Zenab said her refusal to leave made her husband to beat her and that she retaliated when she got hold of an object. She spoke in tears.

The Nation

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

22-Yr-Old Man Drinks Acid, Commits Suicide After His 48- Yr-Old Married Lover Dumped Him

A 22-year-old Michael Jaja is said to have committed suicide after he couldn’t take the pain of being dumped by his “sugar mummy” according to police reports in Ghana.

Tema Police said that a local man committed suicide after being dumped by his girlfriend, who was more than twice his age.
22-year-old Michael Jaja believed that his sweet life ended when his 48-year-old sugar mummy decided to call off their relationship.

The man, who received a Toyota Corolla as a gift and a fully paid trip to Dubai and China, also lived in the house belonging to the sugar mummy’s husband.

All seemed well between the two until she broke the news of her husband’s return from abroad, prompting them to end the relationship.

Jaja did not take the news well, and he told the woman that he will commit suicide.

Jaja took a bottle of acid and drank it. He died from poisoning.

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Confusion as New Lecturers Resume Work At AAUA To Replace Striking Ones

The crisis between the embattled members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU], Adekunle Ajasin University [AAUA], Ondo state and their management is now deepened as new lecturers have been employment to replace the striking lecturers.

Recall that when DailyPost visited the campus last Monday, some old lecturers were seen in various lecture rooms teaching , thinking the AAUA authorities and the striking workers have agreed to end the five months old strike.

However, with a statement later issued by the AAUA ASUU’s Chairman, Dr. Meruyi Mekusi, insisting that they will not call off the strike until their national body orders them to do so might have forced the management to recruit new lecturers.

Relatively, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Femi Mimiko, has charged the newly recruited lecturers to key into the work ethics of the Institution and always observe the values of the teaching profession.

Prof. Mimiko, who also enjoined the academics to be loyal to the University at all times, gave the charge on Monday last week at the Opening Ceremony of a two-day orientation programme organized by the Institution for the new academics.

The VC said, “Our expectations from you on the job are to be in constant search for knowledge and devise the innovative way of dissemination. There must not be mention of you in anything that is not worthy. Be role models to students and enhance their moral standard. You must be like counselors to them at all times. Be shapers of opinions. Engage in constructive criticism of society. Be solution generators. Be focused and play a big role in national development.

“AAUA is a public trust that is dedicated to building leaders. You must, therefore, be loyal to the system. We expect you to give to this University an undiluted loyalty. We just launched AAUA ALWAYS as a new campaign. The message is that you must think about this University at all times.”

While the VC commended them for being found worthy of employment after rigorous interviews, he said that the orientation became necessary to expose them to AAUA culture.

He said, “This induction is to expose you to our own peculiar form of pedagogy that we want you to imbibe and to continue to sustain.”

The VC was one of the four resource persons at the orientation programme and he spoke on “Who is an Academic?” He said the new intakes were supposed to teach, engage in research and community service.

Prof. Mimiko urged those among them who were yet to earn Ph. D. to pursue it vigorously, saying, “For us, Ph. D. is a must have. Those who are yet to possess the Ph. D. should know that the most important thing that we will ask when you get here is, ‘How far you are going in the pursuit of knowledge, leading to the award of the Ph. D?”

He promised that the University would give them support to undertake Ph.D. Programme in any University of their choice.

Other speakers were the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rotimi Ajayi, who spoke on “Academic Profession in the 21st Century”; Prof. Francis Oyebade, who examined “AAUA Academic Culture”; and Prof. Niyi Akinnaso, who spoke on “21st Century Teaching”.

Daily Post

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Nigerian Couple In £19million ‘phishing’ Scam Jailed In The UK

Aderoju Bammeke, 22, and his girlfriend Jessica Ogunyemi, 20, both of Manchester, were the UK ‘platform’ for a Nigerian ‘phishing’ scam that made £41,000 in just two months.

The plot, masterminded by a gang in Nigeria, involved sending fake emails to customers of banks including Barclays and Halifax.

The couple were part of a global internet banking scam which could have netted a phenomenal £19million after hacking the accounts of nearly 2,500 people.

The emails told recipients that their accounts had been hacked and asked them to complete a form with their log-in details but when victims obliged, Bammeke stepped in and helped the gang log in to steal money.
Fashion marketing student Ogunyemi, his girlfriend at the time, helped him launder the proceeds by putting funds in accounts, hiding cash and allowing him to buy her a £2,400 Vauxhall Corsa.

Bammeke has now been jailed for three-and-a-half years at Manchester Crown Court after admitting conspiracy to commit fraud and unauthorised computer use.
Ogunyemi admitted five counts of money laundering and was given a suspended prison sentence.

Daily Mail

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

ASUU Strike Update: FG reveals it has now paid N200 Billion to ASUU

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe has confirmed that the N200 billion demanded by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been paid.

The money was paid into an account with the CBN and is meant for renewal of infrastructure facilities in public universities in the country, Okupe explained.

The move which was announced earlier today was just in time before the expiration of the December 4 ultimatum given by the Federal Government to members ASUU who were told to resume classes or be sacked.

Okupe paid the payments public on the Channels Television programme ‘Sunrise Daily’ adding that everything that needed to be done has been done and whether the strike would be called off or not now lies in the hands of the leadership of ASUU.

PM News reports:

He said that most of the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, ASUU, have been agreed upon at the 13-hour meeting they had with the President in October.

“At the end of that meeting, the Government proposed that everything that has been agreed should be put in a memorandum of agreement and that the two parties should sign, but the leadership of ASUU declined and said instead of that, they would rather have a letter of comfort expressing everything that has been resolved therein, and that will suffice for them.”

According to him, the Government agreed to their request and issued the said letter based on the agreement that the strike would be called off within 7 days. However, this did not happen “in spite of the fact that the ASUU leadership presented the letter of comfort to its chapters nationwide and a clear majority of them endorsed the resolutions reached and actually were more inclined towards calling off the strike.”

Dr. Okupe stressed that the attitude of the ASUU leadership showed that the seed of discord and evidence of bad faith already existed. “It is unfortunate that somebody died but notwithstanding, that cannot be a justification for delaying the implementation of an agreement for 21 or more days.

Reading from the ‘Letter of Comfort’ issued by the Federal Government in agreement with the leadership of ASUU, the government agreed that Nigerian universities must be revitalized for effective service delivery, all the provisions in the agreement and MoU for the revitalization shall be fully implemented as captured in the 2012 Needs Assessment and the Federal Government shall mobilize resource towards this goal.

“Based on this, it was also agreed that a sum of N1.3 trillion shall be made available to ASUU over the next six years starting from December 2013 with (the sum of) N200 billion. The FGN therefore request that the ASUU shall within 7 days call off its 4 month strike.”

Contrary to the Federal Government’s expectation that ASUU would call off the strike, ASUU in another document said that they “could not call off the strike because of certain uncertainties or gaps that are evident in the government’s report.”

Okupe asked fiercely, “what are these uncertainties? He accused ASUU of turning around to again state four new conditions for the strike to be called off. They demanded that the agreed N200 billion should be deposited in an account at the Central Bank within 2 weeks, while the negotiation of the 2009 agreement should be included in the final document.

The ASUU, according to Okupe also demanded that a non-victimization clause should be included as well as a new MoU signed by the Attorney-General.

Dismissing their requests, he said a demand for a memorandum is a waste of people’s time because this is ideally what should follow any agreement made between two parties in the first place, and that by International Labour Laws which Nigeria is guided by, no one is expected to be victimized for going on strike.

He also said that ASUU, asking that the MoU with Federal Government should be signed by the Attorney-General “does not make sense” because anyone of high standing in government can sign for it. He added that an account has already been opened for the N200 billion they are requesting for in the Central Bank.

Okupe added that the government has shown commitment by meeting with the leadership of ASUU, and agreeing to its demands, considering that previous governments did not give them such an opportunity to sit down and discuss. He called on ASUU to do the right thing for the benefit of the nation.

“The Government cannot be seen to be contesting with any sector of the economy or the country. This President is interested in moving Nigeria forward through a very well-articulated transformation agenda.”

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

[PHOTO] Late Deji Of Akure’s Corpse Placed On A Chair For Chiefs To Pay Homage

The corpse of the late Deji of Akure, Oba Adebiyi Adesida, the Afunbiowo (II) was today placed on the Monarch chair which was part of the tradition of the Akure Kingdom, a way of wishing the late traditional ruler farewell.

Residents of Akure, the Ondo State Capital trooped to the palace to see the corpse of their late king who died at the early hours of Sunday in his palace after a slight headache.

When News reporters got to the paramount ruler’s palace, the place was filled with crowd.

The palace Chiefs were busy paying homage to the late Deji as if he was alive.

One of the Deji in Council who spoke with our correspondent said placing Deji on his seat was part of the tradition that must carried out in honour of the deceased Monarch.

The burial date for the late king is yet to be announced, but sources have revealed that he may be buried tomorrow.

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Landlord Evicts Rita Ora For Late Night Partying

23-year-old British singer, Rita Ora, has been evicted from her luxury west London apartment following ignored warnings from her landlord about noisy late-night partying.

Reports state that Rita was asked to evacuate the apartment after numerous complaints from other tenants about the noise from her apartment, and is now on a house hunt.

According to a source, “Rita has been told about the noise before but she ignored it and now the landlord says she has to go.

“This isn’t the first time she’s been threatened with eviction but it’s much more serious now. Rita lives in a nice building with a lot of older neighbours who aren’t happy with her.

“She has already been looking at houses and wants to buy a proper home for the first time. She thinks a new home would be the perfect way to celebrate such a successful year.”

Albanian-born Rita, whose debut studio album, ‘Ora’, debuted at number one in the United Kingdom, has recently been cast as Christian Grey’s adopted sister in the ’50 Shades of Grey’ movie.

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Shina Peller Set To Open Quilox Night Club This December

Victoria Island will play home to what has been tipped the biggest nightclub in West Africa.

Opening on December 20, 2013, Quilox, a luxury club situated on Ozumba Mbadiwe, in VI, Lagos, is a premium, international club on multiple floors, with dozens of customized VIP lounges that can be found nowhere else on the sub continent.

Twitter and Instagram went wild today, as celebs shared photos of their bespoke invites, containing a bottle of Cristal Champagne, and platinum invitation for two. The IV souvenir is worth at least $3000 and was sourced in three continents.

The club is expected to open on Friday December 20, with guests including 2face Idibia, D’banj, Wizkid, and many more A listers.

Quilox is the brain child of Shina Peller, who says the facility is ‘a dream come true’.

‘We took our time to create a place befitting for men and women of taste, men and women who love their privacy. When we create our multiple entry and exit points, our sound proof rooms and added a self-DJ option to our Platinum lounges, we had them in mind. And I’m sure everyone will enjoy it when they come here on December 20.’

Quilox will transform Nigeria’s elite nightlife with its impeccable design and finishing complemented with stunning and first of its kind décor and lighting, world class customer service and hospitality, renowned DJs and an over the roof sound system.

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Nigeria sharia police smash 240,000 bottles of beer

Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) – Police enforcing Islamic law in Nigeria’s city of Kano publicly destroyed some 240,000 bottles of beer on Wednesday, the latest move in a wider crackdown on behaviour deemed “immoral” in the area.

The banned booze had been confiscated from trucks coming into the city in recent weeks, said officials from the Hisbah, the patrol tasked with enforcing the strict Islamic law, known as sharia.

Kano’s Hisbah chief Aminu Daurawa said at the bottle-breaking ceremony he had “the ardent hope this will bring an end to the consumption of such prohibited substances”.

A large bulldozer smashed the bottles to shouts of “Allahu Ahkbar” (God is Great) from supporters outside the Hisbah headquarters in Kano, the largest city in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north.

Kegs containing more than 8,000 litres of a local alcoholic brew called “burukutu” and 320,000 cigarettes were also destroyed.

“We hope this measure will help restore the tarnished image of Kano,” said Daurawa.

Sharia enforcers destroy thousands of bottles of beer outside northern Nigeria’s largest city of Kan …

Since September, the Hisbah have launched sweeping crackdowns and made hundreds of arrests in Kano following a state-government directive to cleanse the commercial hub of so-called “immoral” practices.

The 9,000-strong moral police force works alongside the civilian police but also has other duties, including community development work and dispute resolution.

Sharia was reintroduced across northern Nigeria in 2001, but the code has been unevenly applied.

Alcohol is typically easy to find in Kano, including at hotels and bars in neighbourhoods like Sabon Gari, inhabited by the city’s sizeable Christian minority.

But the Hisbah boss vowed that this was set to change.

“We hereby send warning to unrepentant offenders that Hisbah personnel will soon embark on an operation into every nook and corner of (Kano) state to put an end to the sale and consumption of alcohol and all other intoxicants,” Daurawa said.

People accused of engaging in prostitution and homosexual sex have been among those arrested in the latest crackdown, along with alleged drunks and drug addicts.

Nigeria is divided between a mostly Christian south and a predominately Muslim north.

Yahoo News

PHOTOS: AMERICA-BORN NIGERIAN RAPPER, WALE FINALLY IN NIGERIA.

America-born Nigerian Rapper Wale of Rick Ross’s MayBach Music Group has finally arrived Lagos for the ‘Step Up to VIP‘ event by Johnnie Walker holding this Saturday November 30, 2013 at Oriental Hotel, Victoria island. He is to be joined for the performances by D’Banj.

Wale was due to be in Nigeria last weekend’s Ice Prince‘s ‘Fire of Zamani‘ album concert but couldn’t make it cos the show promoters Kilimanjaro Entertainment allegedly failed to buy his flight tickets.
See more phots of him below

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

APC Merges With New PDP, Gains Upper Political Hand Over Ruling PDP

The All Progressives Congress, (APC), has announced a merger with the Abubakar Baraje-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, tagged ‘New PDP.’

The merger was announced at the end of a meeting today at the Kano Governors Lodge in Abuja. The statement was signed by the Interim Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande and Mr. Baraje.

Mr. Baraje read the terse communique to journalists at about 11.46 a.m.
“In the interest of our country and in order to rescue Nigeria, we the new PDP have agreed to merger and work with the APC,” he simply said.

This latest development means the APC now has a total of 18 States: its 11 governors and the seven governors who are members of the New PDP.

In attendance at the meeting were APC leaders, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Muhammed Buhari as well as the governors of Niger, Rivers, Kano and Kwara States: Babangida Aliyu, Rotimi Amaechi, Rabiu Kwakwaso, and Abdulfatah Ahmed.

Also present were former Kwara State governor Senator Bukola Saraki and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

Despite still maintaining the presidency ahead of the 2015 election, the new re-alignment pushes the PDP to the unfamiliar territory of being a weaker and weakened political force across the country.

Culled from Sahara Reporters

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Wande Coal finally joins list of Globacom ambassadors

Wande Coal has joined the towering list of Globacom ambassadors; the Pop singer has confirmed this through his Twitter. He recently parted ways with former record label Mavin Records and launched his very own outfit Black Diamond Entertainment finally inked the deal today, November 8, 2013.

‘Thank you to God the almighty & big thank u to my faithful fans for all your support through the years. I’m the newest Glo Ambassador in Town’, he tweeted.

Interestingly, Wande had been approached to sign with the telecoms company months ago. His reps told us back then that the Pop singer had not signed a deal. GLO had already designed promotional material and had released part of them when suddenly the deal fell through.

Wande Coal is one of the new ambassadors the Mike Adenuga led company has signed to represent the brand through ad campaigns as they face tough competition from the likes of other telecoms like MTN Nigeria and Etisalat.

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Excitement, Trepidation over Sunday’s Solar Eclipse in Nigeria

While many expressed excitement over the astronomical event that will have the earth thrown into temporal or partial darkness as the moon blocks the sun’s rays from reaching the earth in Nigeria on Sunday, November 3, as predicted by the Nigeria Space Research And Development Agency (NASDRA), some hesitate that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen and a few indifferent.
 
Daily Timesspoke with a cross section of Nigerians; though most of them claimed they never got the information.
 
Excitement
 
To these set of people, they eagerly anticipate and see it as a tourist attraction.
 
A medical doctor at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ololade Onasanya said she didn’t hear about it and doesn’t know if it will happen in this part of the world.
 
Expressing her excitement over the eclipse, she said: “I don’t have much to say but I’m so excited, I can’t wait to witness it. And if I’m not caught up in the theatre, I’ll take a picture of it to show my unborn children. Seriously, I think it happens once in 25 years or something.”
 
An Abuja based lawyer, Barrister Nanyak Janfa said it will be an interesting sight to behold.
 
“Although I am not a scientist, it will be an interesting sight for me. I think it will be interesting for anyone under the sun because it is not something that happens often. The last time I heard of such was so many years ago and people even bought glasses hoping to witness it in details. I hope this time around it will be more glaring.”
 
Speaking indifferently, Arisilejoye Adebayo, a  filmmaker and cinematographer said: “I’m indifferent about it because it adds nothing to nothing but for the pictures I would like to  say I really don’t care.”
 
For another Abuja based legal practitioner, Mr. Echezona Mogbo, it’s a natural phenomenon that everyone should experience.
 
“It’s a once in a lifetime event that we should enjoy. It has no spiritual undertones like people will want to ascribe.”
 
Though, there are superstitious beliefs attached to it according to Kenny Akinsanya, a student of economics at the Lagos State University, “It’s going to be great being one of the  wonders and an event that happens once in 5-8 years.”
 
Tosin Olumide said, “we will calmly wait for it, after all we were told by the europeans and not our so called scientists. I’m just going to pick my sunglasses and look straight into the heavens when it happens.”
 
With smiles, Mrs. Aronke Emmanuel, a mother of two said she looks forward to having such experience.
 
“I didn’t even know there would be a solar eclipse but it happens. It’s a cyclical experience and its expected; it’s not harmful,so I look forward to it.”
 
An Enugu-based business man, Oscar Mba wished the solar eclipse would be for one week. “I wish it won’t be partial. I wish it will be total for one week or more just to have a taste of something different; the weather will be mild.”
 
A pastor of Living Faith Church, Pastor Emmanuel Adeyinka said the eclipse is a scientific calculation but only what God says is permitted.
 
“That is a scientific calculation, nobody knows tomorrow because only what God says stands permanent. Though, it has happened before, it’s just an orbital change,” Pastor Adeyinka said.
 
Fears
 
However, not everybody is looking forward to the eclipse as it is stirring up fears based on ancient superstitions.
 
Mrs. Caroline Taiwo, a petty trader said: “I hope God is not trying to punish us for all our wrongs. I will have to put everything in order before Sunday, ensure my children are locked in and cook all we will eat on Saturday. I pray God diverts this to another place, not here.”
 
 
Another woman sitting tight for fear said:  “This is serious. The world is definitely coming to an end. My mother once told me this thing is a bad omen and we have to be careful.”
 
NASDRA Information
 
However, the Director General of the Nigeria Space Research And Development Agency (NASDRA), Dr Sa’idu Mohammed said the eclipse will come in three phases; a partial eclipse at about 1.00 pm when the moon will touch the edge of the sun, the maximum eclipse shortly before 3.00pm when the moon is expected to be closest to the centre and shortly after 4.00pm when the moon will leave the sun’s edge.
 
Superstitious Beliefs
 
Eclipses have been known to produce panic in some parts of the world where superstitions are strong or where the science of eclipses is not well understood. In many cultures, eclipses are bad omens, often caused by demons, angry gods or some terrifying force.
 
The Vikings believed that eclipses were caused when the sun or moon was caught by the two giant wolves that chase them.
 
In 2001, a lunar eclipse in Nigeria triggered a riot among some youths believing the eclipse was caused by sin.
 
A superstition with rather more common sense behind it holds that anyone holding a knife during an eclipse will cut themselves. Also, one has it that if a pregnant woman goes out during an eclipse, her baby will be born blind or with a cleft lip.
 
However, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun’s light and casting a shadow on the Earth that “races at some 1,400 miles an hour (2,250 kilometres an hour) along a line called the path of totality,” explains National Geographic.
 
People within the path of totality, usually about 100 miles wide and never more than 167 miles, can see a total eclipse, where all but the corona is blocked out by the moon’s shadow, the umbra. This is due to a “strange coincidence,” explains the Exploratorium. Though the sun is 400 times larger than the moon, the moon is 400 times closer to the Earth, so they appear to be the same since to someone watching in the path of totality.
 
The Exploratorium, a science museum at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, provides Web casts of seven total eclipses since 1998 and offers tips on how to watch one.
 
An eclipse is a natural phenomenon. Nevertheless, in some ancient and modern cultures, solar eclipses have been attributed to supernatural causes or regarded as bad omen. A total solar eclipse can be frightening to people who are unaware of its astronomical explanation, as the Sun seems to disappear during the day and the sky darkens in a matter of minutes.
 
Caution
 
Dr. Mohammed stated that there is no cause for alarm and Nigerians should not panic.
 
Since looking directly at the Sun can lead to permanent eye damage or blindness, special eye protection or indirect viewing techniques are used when viewing a solar eclipse.
 
It is technically safe to view only the total phase of a total solar eclipse with the unaided eye and without protection, however this is a dangerous practice as most people are not trained to recognize the phases of an eclipse which can span over two hours while the total phase can only last up to 7.5 minutes for any one location.

Culled from DailyTimes Ng

Posted by Salmon Abiodun

Davido Speaks On How He Plans To Quit Music At 30 + How His Billionaire Dad Still Scolds Him

He granted an interview with punch where he said this and more. Wizkid is not a threat to him, Skelewu is already big and some people are just starting out at 30 but he is already a success and threat at 20.

“Wizkid is not a rival. I see nobody as competition or threat. God is behind me, so I just go into the studio, do my music and everything is fine. I develop and write most of my songs in the studio. I’m not afraid of competition or the fact that some person will just appear on the scene and take the shine. After all, I did it to some people, so I expect that it is something that must happen to everyone because you can’t be shining forever. But once you are good to others, make good music, have loyal fans, that’s all that matters. Continue below.

I have plans to go into oil and gas business with my elder brother next year. I want to do music for 10 years. By that time, I will be 30, and free to rest. Some people are just starting out at 30 but I am already a success and threat at 20. Fame at a young age is a plus because I still have like 10 years to ball while some people are just starting at 27 and 30.”

On Skelewu

“The song is big already; so whatever we do people are still going to talk anyway. I shot the video like a movie and there are three videos, so people can watch whichever one they want.If you don’t like the instructional video, you can watch Sesan’s, if you don’t like that one; you can watch Moe Musa’s. If people want, I will shoot one more video, it’s not easy.”

On his dad

“Yes my father is rich, but the truth is some people only knew who he was after I released my song, ‘Omo Baba Olowo’. I want people to know that the song was not a hit because of my father but because it was dope. I didn’t sing ‘OBO’ because of my father’s wealth – contrary to what people think. My father and family always keep me grounded. They call me from time to time to ask about my welfare. My father actually visits all these blogs to read and see all my nonsense. Just like the typical Yoruba father, he scolds me and whenever he does that, I will say, ‘Daddy cool down, what’s going on, relax.’ Although he is also very proud of me, he is scared and happy for me at the same time.”

Posted by Salmon Abiodun