e may have made waves in crime writing, but Agatha Christie also liked to ride the waves as it is revealed the writer was one of the first Britons to try surfing. She mastered the skill of standing up on the board in Honolulu. She developed a passion for the sport while on a global tour with her husband, Archie. The writer boasted she had become an 'expert' in the hobby.
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Sunday, July 31, 2011
Michael Phelps claimed his third gold of the world swimming championships in Shanghai Saturday but then admitted he was short of peak fitness.
The American superstar won the 100m butterfly ahead of Poland's Konrad Czerniak and compatriot Tyler McGill in 50.71 seconds.
It was his sixth medal of the meet in his return to China where he took an unprecedented eight gold medal tally in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Candidates writing 2011 jamb examination at model junior secondary school Maitama centre in Abuja.
After a long deliberation at a combined policy meeting of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), held on Thursday in Abuja at the auditorium of the National Universities Commission, education leaders agreed on a cut-off benchmark for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) held nation-wide on June 18th, 2011.
For the universities, a cut-off point of 180 was decided, while 160 is for those going to the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.www.mannastores.com
Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa'i, minister of Education, therefore issued a strong warning to university authorities that it would no longer tolerate what it described as random admissions as well as late submission of list of admitted candidates into the universities.
The minister, who spoke while declaring the meeting open, lamented the hitches this brought during the 2010 admission process and appealed to all institutions to adhere to admission guidelines so as to maintain a sustainable and healthy academic calendar.
"I wish to remind all institutions on the adherence to admissions time-table as prepared by the JAMB. Last year, this was seriously abused as many institutions were still making submissions to the board up to May 2011. May I remind all institutions to follow the guidelines with regard to issues like the criteria of merit, quota, educationally less developed states, catchment area and the 60:40 science/arts ratio," she said.
"To this end, the decisions you take and the discretion you exercise in the course of this meeting will be critical as these will go a long way in the realisation of our nation's aspirations and the current administration's goal of delivery on the social contract as well as being among the top twenty economies in the world by the year 20:2020."
Sam Ukpabi, chairman of JAMB said the combined policy meeting was vital to the educational development because admission of qualified candidates to the nation's tertiary institutions will be addressed.
source- 234next
Touted as the most creative Nigerian generated reality television show, the Nigerian Breweries sponsored annual Gulder Ultimate Search announced the commencement of its eighth instalment last week.
The details which were unveiled at a press briefing held at the Lagos Brewery Bar last week, reveals that the organizers are not only infusing a new twist to the show, but have also upped the cumulative prizes for this 2011 edition which now stands in excess of N30 million. Also, this 2011 instalment will accommodate 30 contestants, 18 more than the previous edition did.
Almost immediately this announcement was made, the show started trending on different micro blogging sites and other online social network platforms. It received over five thousand thumbs up within the first 48 hours on Facebook while it also got numerous mentions on twitter. With the previous editions trailed with news of massive applications, it is hard not to see a repeat for this year's instalment.www.mannastores.com
Almost a year after officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrested and prosecuted 69 fake National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members rounded up at an illegal NYSC orientation camp in Keffi, Nassarawa State, the suspected organisers of the camp, believed to be high-ranking NYSC officials, are still walking free and are being shielded from investigation and prosecution by the leadership of the service,.www.mannastores.com
Highly-placed sources in the NSCDC and the police said while the ‘fake corpers’ who are more or less victims of the corrupt and mercantile tendencies of some NYSC officials, have been disgraced and convicted, the NYSC director-general, Maharazu Tsiga, a serving Brigadier-General in the Nigerian Army, has made it impossible for operatives of the NSDC and the police to bring the suspected masterminds behind the illegal camp to book.
NEXT learnt that the NYSC boss has used his military links to block investigations into the matter and has spurned requests by the police to interrogate some of his staff implicated in the scandal.
The 69 ‘fake corpers’ including a nursing mother, were apprehended on July 26, 2010 when NSCDC operators swooped on their camp in a remote location in Nassarawa State. They were immediately arraigned before a Keffi Upper Area Court, which, in August 2010, sentenced each of them to three years imprisonment, with an option of a N10,000 fine.
The culprits, who acknowledged that they were not eligible to participate in the one-year compulsory national service, however confessed that they each paid between N70,000 and N150,000 to suspected NYSC agents across the country to procure fake NYSC call-up letters to the fake camp, believed by security agents to have been in existence for many years before last year’s raid.
One NSCDC personnel who partook in the raid, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the criminal syndicate behind the camp even had police officers attached to the place in an apparent bid to make it pass for the real thing.
Blocking investigations
Since the raid, NEXT learnt that the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja and the headquarters of the NSCDC have laboured vigorously to get to the root of the matter and uncover those behind the fake camp. Our investigation indicates that Mr Tsiga has effectively frustrated the investigations by failing to release his staff named in the scam to the investigating officers for questioning.
Before running into the brick wall erected against their work by the NYSC boss and his officials, detectives of the two security agencies were able to identify at least four staff at the NYSC head office in Abuja. Those identified are Idris Y. Abubakar, Mwangwi Kingsley, Ahmed Alhassan, and one Abraham, commonly known as AB, as having a case to answer.
The NSCDC operative, who did not want his name mentioned for fear that he might be punished, said his agency passed the report of its investigation to both the leadership of the NYSC and the anti-fraud unit of the police. He said his team had to give up the chase of the suspected NYSC officials after the leadership of the youth service scheme “became very hostile” to investigators, and wouldn’t allow access to suspects.
But while the NSCDC has surrendered, the police have continued the chase, but are becoming increasingly frustrated as well. An officer privy to the investigation said the inquiry was not making any headway either “because of the recalcitrant attitude of the NYSC DG.” Mr Tsiga has shown clearly on at least two occasions that he was not keen on security agents unravelling those behind the crime. In November 2010, the Police wrote to the NYSC boss requesting him to release the four suspects who are members of his staff for interrogation. In the letter (seen our reporter) he was also requested to supply documents and other details needed to help in their investigation. Mr Tsiga did not respond, despite the letter being received and acknowledged in his office.
After a four-month wait for Mr Tsiga’s response, the police again wrote to the NYSC boss in March 2011, reminding him of their request for his cooperation in interrogating the brains behind the criminal syndicate in his organisation. Mr Tsiga still refused to reply or render assistance, thus undermining the police’s effort to unravel the crime.
“We have since realised that he has no respect for the police,” lamented a top police officer in Abuja. “We do not know whether he has anything to hide in this matter. But it is clear he does not want this investigation. Or maybe he is playing for time, believing that with time, the investigation will be swept under the carpet and forgotten.”
Shielding Mr Tsiga
Numerous attempts to reach Mr Tsiga for his comments were rebuffed by NYSC officials. At one time in late June, he was said to be attending a conference in Kaduna State. Upon his return the following week, the NYSC spokesperson, Mercy Kolajo, was again contacted. She however declined comment, saying “It is only the DG who can speak officially on this issue. I cannot say anything unless he gives clearance.” Instead of making efforts to put our reporter in touch with Mr Tsiga, she merely referred him to Mr Tsiga’s protocol officer, identified as Mr Yusuf, who was to facilitate audience with the army general, but he refused after being briefed of the matter.
“This is a sensitive issue which I don’t think I am in a position to handle. NYSC has a Public Relations Unit, which handles such matters. This kind of issue should not have been brought to me,” Mr Yusuf said. “They are the ones who should facilitate your seeing the DG. They should know better. I’ll have to refer you back there.” With the way our reporter was tossed around by officials for several weeks, it appears the NYSC head office, located in the Maitama district of Abuja, is being run in a military commando style, where no one is willing to present any perceived ‘bad news’ before the General. However, after a recent visit to the place, Hillary Nasamu, an administration official attached to Mr Tsiga, denied that any staff of the NYSC was involved in any criminal act.
“Why would an NYSC officer be involved? Even by the imagination of the most naive person, what would an NYSC person benefit from a fake camp?” Mr Nasamu said.
He also denied knowledge of any letter written to his boss by the police on the matter. “No, No, No, there is none,” Mr Nasamu said. “At least I should know because I work with the DG. Such information would have come in. There is nothing like that. That I know very well.” But our investigation was able to establish that the police letters were indeed delivered and properly acknowledged at Mr Tsiga’s office.
The police also appear reluctant to speak on the record in this matter. When our reporter first contacted him, the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Yemi Ajayi, requested that the enquiry be e-mailed directly to him. But on receiving the questions, he said he was not competent to speak on the matter. He directed all enquiries to the Force Public Relations Officer, Sola Amore, who could not be reached as at the time the paper was to go to press.
An organised crime
The police and NSCDC operatives who spoke to us said organising fake NYSC camps had for long been a lucrative side-business for some staff of the scheme.
The suspects operated the parallel orientation camp in Nasarawa State where they provide complete NYSC kits to about 300 fake youth corps members assembled from all over Nigeria. These would also be given letters to fraudulently serve in organisations and subsequently obtain NYSC discharge certificates.
“As an organised crime, the whole exercise is a syndicate thing made up of a cartel all over the country with agents both in the tertiary institutions, NYSC Office and so on,” NSCDC national spokesperson, Emmanuel Okeh, said when the news of the Nasarawa fake camp first broke last .
source: 234next -
Lucky escape for 163 on board plane that crashed and snapped in two in Guyana
0 comments Posted by st at 1:43 AM
The Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737-800 from New York overshot the runway when it landed at Georgetown's Cheddi Jagan airport. It landed just short of a 200-foot ravine. The plane crashed just after midnight local time as it arrived from the Caribbean island of Trinidad, where it had stopped before continuing its flight to Georgetown www.mannastores.com
Wave-writer: Crime novelist Agatha Christie was one of the first Brits to surf standing up
0 comments Posted by st at 1:33 AM
Thanks, er, mum! Young chimp bottle-feeds baby
When asked by a Vanguard reporter if her first single, Kele Kele, was based on personal experience, the sexy singer replied: It was a mixture. Some of the lines were something I went through and others were what my friends went through. I didn’t want the song to be too serious so I came up with Kele Kele.
Asked if she has a man in her life, she replied: That’s tricky because I’m so busy. But let me just say…I’m just going to leave this for the guys to…www.mannastores.com
CAN president Oritsejafor replies Sultan of Sokoto, on Islamic Banking
0 comments Posted by st at 1:20 AM |
| Sultan or Sokoto and Pastor Oritsejafor |
Sultan of Sokoto: "Islamic banking has come to stay in Nigeria and there is no need to quarrel over the issue because we shall realize what we want. I want to assure you.”
For the avoidance of doubt, “Christians in Nigeria are not against the Muslims as people have made the generality of Nigerians to believe. We are not against Muslims. In fact, it the Christians that have always been at the receiving end of every violence that has taken place in parts of the North.
“Let it also be known that we are not against Islamic banking per se. What we have said thus far, is that there are two issues that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, governor must address properly before the introduction of non-interest banking as against Islamic banking.
“One, we have continued to frown at the way the CBN governor who is being paid by tax payers’ money is championing the course of Islamic banking in isolation of other non-interest banking. We are against Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi using state funds to promote Islamic banking as though that is the only form of non-interest banking. It is against the spirit of the Nigerian Constitution.
“He should allow people who are interested in Islamic banking to use their money to sell their manifesto to Nigerians with a view to wooing them to accept that form of banking which is different from what they used to know,” he explained.
“the other issue that my very good friend failed to address has to do with the guidelines the CBN governor had put in place for the issuance of licence for non-interest banking in the country which is different from that for Islamic banking. In every sector of the nation’s economy including the education sector, there are uniform guidelines for the registration or operating license. For instance, any Nigerian applying to the National Universities Commission, NUC, for licence to establish a university, irrespective of its leanings, is required to adhere to a uniform set of guidelines before its registration. There are no rules for Islamic university and another for a Christian university.
“But the CBN governor has failed, thus far, to explain to the nation why he is putting up a different guideline for Islamic banking and another one for other forms of non-interest banking. This is in addition to a proposed establishment of a Shari’a Council of Experts to be based at the CBN to monitor the operations of the Islamic banking and we have asked; is this what operates in all the countries in the world where Islamic banking operates?”
On the activities of Boko Haram, the CAN president also picked holes in the statement credited to the Sultan, who said the state of affairs in the North Eastern part of the country should not be blamed on Boko Haram, rather that the government should fish out those behind the violence.
Oritsejafor, again thanked the Sultan for his position on the Boko Haram, saying “if the eminent citizen has superior information, he should avail the nation’s security apparatus with such information with a view to putting a stop to the daily massacre of innocent Nigerians in that part of the country, because every Nigerian is sickand tired of the continued violence in that region and the attendant effect on the nation’s economy. For the interest of peace in every part of the country, we must, as citizens contribute our own little quota to helping government at every level to reduce the army of unemployed youths in the country.”
In conclusion, Pastor Oritsejafor said: “These are some of the issues, among others, that one would have expected the Sultan to address to assuage the nerves of those who are opposed to the issue of Islamic banking as well as the insecurity situation in Borno State that has left hundreds of innocent Nigerians dead while their means of livelihood destroyed.”
According to him Nigeria is the only nation we, both Christians and Muslims, have and every effort must be made to salvage it together now for the benefit of generations yet.CAN president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor's reply: “You know I respect the Sultan a great deal because he is a man who means well for the country just like some of us. We will continue to be friends because the only way this country can make appreciable progress is by stretching a hand of fellowship across the Niger and building blocks of unity for future generations. So, I thank him immensely for his eventual comments about the two controversial issues. However, I dare say that I was a bit surprised that the Sultan, who is respected across the country, failed to address the two cardinal issues involved in the controversial Islamic banking before he concluded that it has come to stay.www.mannastores.com
Bleacher Report wrote:
The former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria married Fenerbahçe S.K. player Joseph Yobo and is also the step-daughter of football player John Fashanu.
Her world not only revolves around soccer, but soccer seems to revolve around her as she consistently flaunts her sexiness in front of the camera.Check it out here --- www.mannastores.com
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Sika is inspired by the rich and diverse culture of Ghana, West Africa.
Every fabric has been carefully selected in local Ghanaian markets and hand-made using natural methods, creating exclusive limited prints. Each unique piece defines an area in West Africa’s vast textile landscape, using traditional fabrics such as tie dye, batik’s and wax prints.
Various pieces from the Spellbound Collection.
Jonathan and Luis Baez, both of Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, were arrested at Miami International airport on Wednesday night July27, for the assault, which left the pilot bruised and bloodied and delayed the San Francisco bound flight more than two hours.The scuffle started after a flight attendant noticed that Jonathan Baez, 27, had passed out without buckling his seat belt as the plane pulled away from the gate. The attendant tried to wake Baez, but he was groggy and appeared plastered on booze or high on drugs.
After the attendant told the crew that Baez wouldn't buckle up, the pilot stopped taxiing and turned around, cops said. When Baez finally came to, the attendant told him he had to get off the plane.
Luis Baez, 29, decided to follow his brother, and the two screamed obscenities at the pilot.
"When you fly to San Juan, I will have you killed," one of the goons shouted, according to police.
Crew members escorted the brothers off the plane, but Jonathan ran back, punched the pilot in the face and then punched a female flight attendant who tried to step in.
Luis then joined in the vicious beatdown, and the two hoodlums chased the pilot into the terminal, cops said. Eventually, some passengers and crew members tackled the brothers and held them down until police arrived.
The Miami-based pilot was cut up, bruised and shaken after the attack, police said.
Another pilot showed up, and the 176 passengers and six crew members took off for San Francisco at around 11:30 p.m., two hours after the scheduled take off.
Jonathan and Luis Baez were held at Miami-Dade county jail on $9,000 bond and $12,500 bond on assault and battery charges.
Source: NYDaily News - www.mannastores.com
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| Adaeze and Joseph Yobo |
The ex-beauty queen seen out with her footballer husband looking real sexy...www.mannastores.com
A member of Soulja's management team tells us ... the kid bought himself a G5 jet as a birthday present to himself this week.$55million? Is Soulja Boy even worth that much? Nigga please! This news is probably for entertainment purposes only...lol. Anyway, hope he puts some cash aside for when he's no longer relevant in music so he doesn't end up like
The jet cost $35 mil ... but that's just the beginning. We're told the birthday boy is dropping an additional $20 million to pimp out his ride with all sorts of cool stuff ... like 12 custom Italian leather seats, flat screen TVs, 4 liquor bars, a special travertine tiled floor, and Brazilian hardwood cabinets.
We're told S.B. is also gutting the in-flight lavatory and replacing it with a giant, luxurious bathroom. Oh, he's also giving the jet acustom paint job, to include his logo.
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| James Egbuson |
It's a Camry with registration no - EZ 302 EKY, in case anyone sees it. The rate at which they steal cars these days is alarming.www.mannastores.com
She finally re-surfaced two days Thursday July 28, writing 'God is Great', a minute later she wrote 'Happier than ever', then later in the evening 'Silence is golden'. She's been updating her fb status ever since.www.mannastores.com
Friday, July 29, 2011
This photo of Mercy Johnson hit the internet yesterday. She was spotted out at a party without wearing panties. www.mannastores.com
The late Alaba Pedro (2nd left) with the Faaji Agba group that performed
Highlife veteran, Alaba Pedro dies on New York-Lagos flightHighlife veteran and member of the Faaji Agba musical group led by Fatai Rolling Dollar, Mr Alaba Pedro, yesterday died aboard an Arik flight operated on the New York - Lagos route. He was 72.
The late musician, who was part of the group that went on a week-long musical tour of the United States (U.S.) died about two hours into the 12-hour flight between New York and Lagos.
Speaking with the Nigerian Compass shortly after the flight landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Rolling Dollar said the late Pedro was discovered to have been very weak while they were leaving their hotel for the airport.www.mannastores.com
However, one hour into the flight, the late Pedro was said to have developed breathing problem and panting for breath.
This, he said, necessitated some medical personnel on board the flight to come to his aid and made frantic efforts to save him.
“We noticed that our late friend and band member had developed illness as we were preparing for the airport for a 10 p.m. (U.S. local time) flight to Lagos. We asked him if he could make it, and he said yes. We got to the airport and the airline officials saw his situation and sought to know if he would be able to make the flight and he said he would endure it.
“We were checked in and boarded. There were announcements in the aircraft for doctors and other medical persons on board to identify themselves. About ten people did so and the flight took off. But at about one hour into the flight, our late band member developed breathing problem and the medical persons who had been on the alert came to his rescue.
“They battled to save him. They removed him from the seat where we were all seating to the back seat near the convenience and kept attending to him there until about three hours when he passed on,” Pa Rolling Dollars narrated.
He said the late Pedro had been sick for some time but despite warnings from himself and other members of the band, he was still consuming alcohol throughout their stay in the U.S.
The musical group had left Nigeria for the U.S on musical performance last Tuesday under the directorship of a Nigerian U.S-based promoter named Kunle Tejuosho.
Also speaking with the Nigerian Compass, Sunday Pedro, the first and eldest son of the late Alaba Pedro who had come to the airport to welcome his father back from the trip was shocked when he saw all the other members of the band except his father returning alive from the musical tour.
The bereaved son who was short of words said “The death was an act of God.”
He said the family members would be contacted on the burial arrangements.
Speaking to our correspondent on the impact of the sudden death on other band members, Pa Rolling Dollars said the death was a sad one, and was unexpected, adding, however, that it would not lead to disbandment of the band.
S.F Olowokere, another member of the band, who was also on the trip and witnessed the death of his fellow band member, lamented: “Why now? This is a time we would all have gotten another breakthrough in our musical career which has spanned over 50 years. But see what death has done to us”
The youngest member of the band, simply referred to as Niyi, said his joy on the trip was cut short by the sudden death of the late Pedro.
Niyi, who claimed to be 30 years old, recalled that the musical tour was a success but the sudden death of a band member aboard the flight home after a successful performance”
Meanwhile, the remains of the late Pedro were taken in an Ambulance belonging to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to the morgue of the Nigerian Air Force.
In his reaction, Arik Air spokesman, Banji Ola, said: A passenger aboard Arik Air flight, W3 108 New York, JFK – Lagos, Nigeria, was found dead mid-flight in the early hours of this morning.
“As yet, there has been no details of the cause of death confirmed and until the person’s family members are notified, we would not like to speculate on this unexpected passing.
“We are very saddened to hear about the death and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends at this time.
A leader of the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Predy Wise Okowa, described the late Alaba Pedro as a wonderful guitarist.
He said his death is a sad loss to Nigeria.
“It is unfortunate that I have not met him, Alaba Pedro was a very popular guitarist. His death came to me as a surprise, recently we heard of Christy Essien-Igbokwe, now this one, it is only God who knows why. We cannot question Him for what happened. My condolence goes to the family, and the country at large.”
Former president of PMAN, Tee Mac Omatshola Itseli, said he was shocked to hear that Alaba Pedro is dead.
His words: “It is a shocking news. I am very surprised to hear that. One problem about life is that we don’t know what it will bring.”
He descried Alaba Pedro as a brilliant guitarist who exported Nigerian music to the outside world.
“He is an exponent of high life music. I am really shocked. My condolence goes to his family.”
Rolling Dollar described Alaba Pedro as a good guitarist “though he was sick and taken to hospital. He was okay before he left Nigeria. We did a lot of shows during the tour, even yesterday we were together, his death is a painful one to the country. Alaba Pedro will be missed in the Nigerian entertainment scene. He was very good guitarist.”
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