Stephen Ladoye's Blog: March 2014

31 March 2014

Pistorius prepares to tell the world what happened

The anticipation of a packed courtroom fizzled out on Thursday when the athlete’s murder trial was unexpectedly postponed.

Mr Pistorius, 27, shot his girlfriend, Steenkamp, 29, through a toilet door in his home in the Silver Woods Estate in Pretoria on February 14 last year. Mr Pistorius claims he thought she was an intruder.
"This case cannot proceed today and next week as one of my assessors is unwell," Judge Thokozile Masipa said shortly after 9:30am on Thursday.
Ms Masipa postponed the case to April 7 for the court to be "constituted properly". Continue.

Russia to create special economic zone in Crimea to woo investors

Russia will make Crimea a special economic zone offering tax breaks and reduced bureaucracy to attract investors, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday.

"Our aim is to make the peninsula as attractive as possible to investors, so that it can generate sufficient income for its own development," Medvedev told a Russian government meeting on the Black Sea peninsula, which Moscow has annexed from Ukraine.
The absorption of Crimea and its 2 million residents creates an added financial burden on Russia, which is struggling with slow growth and facing Western sanctions over what the United States and European Union say is an illegal land grab.
Medvedev said pensions for Crimeans would be raised gradually over the coming months until they reach the national level, and promised upgrades of the peninsula's roads and other infrastructure.
But his remarks indicated the Kremlin hopes Crimea, which he said had "colossal prospects" for tourism income, will become self-sufficient in fairly short order.
"There are opportunities for this - we have taken everything into consideration," Medvedev said. He said the special economic zone "will allow for the use of special tax and customs regimes in Crimea, and also minimise administrative procedures."

Manuel Valls new French prime minister after Socialist local election losses

French President François Hollande has chosen centrist Interior Minister Manuel Valls as his new prime minister.

The 51-year-old has been compared to former British premier Tony Blair both for his pro-business ideas and some would say dashing style.
He replaces Jean-Marc Ayrault who quit after the ruling Socialists were trounced in local elections.
Speculation of a cabinet reshuffle mounted after Ayrault acknowledged he and his ministers bore part of the blame for Sunday’s defeat, which saw 155 towns swing to the centre-right UMP and the far-right Front National claim 11.

Major victory for whaling campaigners as UN judges order Japan to stop hunting 950 whales a year in the Antarctic

The International Court of Justice’s ruling, which was made today at The Hague, is binding on Japan and cannot be appealed following a case bought by Australia in 2010.
The decision raised hopes that commercial whaling could be totally eradicated by putting pressure on Norway and Iceland, the other two nations which have continued killing and selling whales in their territorial waters, despite an international ban since 1986.
Japan had justified the slaughter of more than 10,000 whales in the Southern Ocean in the past 25 years on the grounds that it was done for scientific purposes, even though it sold them on commercially. This exempted Japan from the 1982 Whaling Moratorium, which came into effect four years later, the country claimed. Continue.

CBN Commences Cashless Policy In 30 States July 1

The Branch Controller of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Kaduna Branch Alhaji Mohammed Gusau yesterday disclosed that the Cashless Policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria which was successfully launched in Lagos in 2012, had yielded appreciable progress, adding that the implementation in the remaining States of the federation would commence on 1st July, 2014.

Alhaji Gusau who stated this in address delivered at the 2013 annual award/dinner night of the Kaduna Bankers Committee which held at the Kaduna Polo club house, murtala Mohammed Square also informed that CBN in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee had implemented the policy in 5 selected states namely; Abia,Anambra, Kano, Ogun, Rivers States and the Federal Capital Territory in June, 2013.
According to him, the cashless policy is expected among others to reduce the cost of banking services, drive financial inclusion, reduce risk associated with cash handling and enable more transparency in payments.

Global food security

Agriculture is a business, a very big business. Whether you look at net farm income, agriculture exports or the number of people employed in the farm and food value chain, agriculture is big business by any criteria.

As the Old Testament tells us, however, agriculture is more than just a business. Agriculture is special. Agriculture provides the basic sustenance for all of us and we have an obligation to help the hungry.

It is therefore very troubling that according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) there are still 842 million people, or one in eight, who are suffering from chronic hunger or food insecurity. FAO defines food insecurity as not getting enough food to conduct an active life. This is a lower number than the 868 reported a few years ago and the number of undernourished has fallen by 17 percent since 1990-92.

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, providing food to more than 97 million people in 80 countries last year. WFP crosses some of the toughest terrain on the planet to get food to hungry people. On any given day, WFP operates an average of 50 aircraft, 30 ships and 5,000 trucks. With its own fleet of airplanes, ships and logistics staff WFP staff frequently risk their lives to reach those with the highest risk of starvation.

WFP also provides school meals to more than 24 million children each year. School meals help to improve children's nutrition, ability to learn and life chances. School feeding also gives poor families an incentive to send children to school, especially girls. Continue.

Airtel, Safaricom get conditional nod to buy Kenya's yuMobile

Kenya's telecom regulator has conditionally allowed the nation's leading operator Safaricom and a unit of India's Bharti Airtel to acquire the assets of Essar Telecom Kenya, which operates under the brand yuMobile.

The applications by Safaricom and Airtel to acquire the assets of yuMobile have been approved subject to the three parties meeting conditions attached to the approval, the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) said in a statement.
"Among the conditions are that all firms involved be current in payment of the outstanding regulatory fees," according to the statement.
The buyers should ensure that all Yu subscribers retain their numbers and related contracts in the transition period and that Airtel submits the proposed service level agreement for subscribers acquired from Essar Telecom, it said. Continue.

GM, safety agency face Congress over recalls

DETROIT -- If GM knew it had a problem, why wasn't something done to fix it?

Congress will seek the answer to that question and others this week as it presses General Motors CEO Mary Barra and federal regulators about their handling of a safety defect in the Chevrolet Cobalt and other small cars. GM has recalled 2.6 million cars for a faulty ignition switch, which it links to 13 deaths.
The hearings — before a House subcommittee Tuesday and a Senate subcommittee Wednesday — will likely be tense and emotional. At least a dozen family members of victims will attend, wearing blue shirts featuring a photo of 16-year-old Amber Marie Rose, who was killed in a 2005 Cobalt crash, and the words "Protect Our Children." Barra will surely apologize, as she has before, for the loss of life. Continue.

Microsoft Puts Phil Spencer in Charge of Xbox Division

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella might be new to his post, but he's already making his presence known by shaking up the management team. Perhaps the biggest move of the day is the promotion of Phil Spencer to lead the Xbox, Xbox Live, and creative teams including Xbox Music, Xbox Video, and Microsoft Studios. His was one of several changes to management, though will it be the last?

We'll have to wait and see. For now, there's plenty to digest, starting with Spencer's new role.
"Combining these teams will strengthen the connection between some of the world’s most innovative creators and those building the Xbox itself," Spencer stated in a blog post. "I am incredibly proud of the talented Xbox employees around the world and believe, like they do, in the power of technology to bring games and entertainment to life across console, PC, tablet and mobile devices. It’s been a remarkable year for Xbox and I am honored to lead the team at this incredible time for Microsoft and the games industry."

BlackBerry wins injunction preventing sales of Typo clip-on keyboard for iPhone

BlackBerry Ltd. has won a preliminary injunction barring sales of a Typo Products LLC iPhone keyboard attachment the Canadian smartphone maker claims infringes two of its patents.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco said BlackBerry had a “likelihood” of proving the $99 (U.S.) physical keyboard, which can be clipped to some versions of Apple Inc.’s touch screen iPhone 5, violates its intellectual property rights.

· BlackBerry gets U.S. approval for new business software

Los Angeles-based Typo, co-founded by entrepreneur Laurence Hallier and American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, said it plans to appeal the decision.

“Typo will continue to make and sell innovative products that busy people can’t live without,” Typo said in a statement.

· BlackBerry’s BBM update to include revenue-generating features

BlackBerry in early January filed a lawsuit seeking a court order preventing Typo from selling its Keyboard Case for iPhone 5/5S without a licensing agreement after the company began taking pre-orders for the product.

BlackBerry is also seeking unspecified damages from Typo Products over the keyboard design that features small keys situated on an angle, similar to the format on many BlackBerry handsets.

Koman wins Berlin Half Marathon In Record Fashion

The Kenyan recorded the fastest half marathon debut time in history. Kenya’s Leonard Koman won the Vattenfall Berlin Half Marathon on Sunday in his first attempt at the 13.1-mile distance. His time of 59:14 was the fastest result of any half marathon debut in history.

The men’s race came down to a sprint between several runners, with Koman edging Abraham Cheroben (59:14) and Richard Mengich (1:00:17) at the line. Koman holds the 10K and 15K world records, and his finishing speed was on display in Berlin.

“I am happy with my performance in my debut race,” Koman said in a press release. “I thought I would be able to run sub-59 minutes. It was a challenge, but at the end there was something missing. But I know what to do and will try to run such a time in my next half marathon.” Eleven other Kenyans finished behind Koman.

NEW DELHI: Asia is facing the brunt of climate change and will see severe stress on water resources and food-grain production in the future, increasing the risk of armed conflict among India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and China, the latest report of a UN panel has warned. UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in its report assessing impacts of climate change on human health, settlements and natural resources released on Monday, carried a dire warning. "The worst is yet to come," .. India, like other developing economies, may lose up to 1.7% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) if the annual mean temperature rises by 1 degree Celsius compared to pre-industrialization level, hitting the poor the most. The report also predicts an increase in extreme weather events such as last year's flash floods in Uttarakhand and cyclone Phailin in Odisha if steps are not taken to control the rise in temperature. The report also predicts an increase in extreme weather events such as last year's flash floods in Uttarakhand and cyclone Phailin in Odisha if steps are not taken to control the rise in temperature. "Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change," R K Pachauri, IPCC chairman said while making the report public in Yokohama, Japan. The report says rise in temperatures would also affect 'beach tourism' in many countries. India surprisingly stands

HONG KONG — China is calling for calm in the Korean Peninsula after North Korea fired artillery near the South’s maritime border, and Seoul responded by firing back.

Pyongyang notified Seoul of its plans to conduct live-fire drills and then fired shells in waters that belong to South Korea, said South Korea's Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok. He called the action a planned provocation by the North aimed at testing the South's willingness to protect its water boundaries.

Kim said the South, which responded by firing about 300 shells, intended to firmly punish North Korea for the infraction.

I Have No Business With Any Man Who Is Not Good In BED- Crystal Okoye Explodes

Hehehe all these Nollywood actresses won’t kill us. The society we live does not permit us to come out straight and say certain things, especially when it comes to sexual talks. But Crystal Okoye has gone pass that now, has she exploded in a new interview that, she has no business with a man who can’t PERFORM in bed. Stressing that, she likes sex and she is not ready to hide it and her man must be ready for her. Lol. Hear her;

I am not one of those women who would tell you sex doesn’t matter; it matters a lot in a marriage. If a man cannot perform I have no business with him.

You have to be a complete man to be with me. I don’t pray to marry a poor man but a man who can comfortably take care of me. I love sex, and I am not going to pretend I don’t. I know most girls even fake orgasm just to please their partners but I am not that kind of girl, she said.

READER’S MAIL: I Can’t Look At My Wife In The Eye Because I Cheated On Her

No offence…but this man is one in a million…in fact zillion. He claims he had a fling during one of his trips outside the country and he has been living with the guilt. He can’t even look at his wife in the eye because of this. Now the question he wants us to answer is this; should he tell his wife or just live with the guilt?

Oh well, this man must be BORN AGAIN. In fact Heaven Bound! His mail;

I and my wife have been married for 10yrs now and for 7years we had no child. Those were the most trying periods of our lives but I never CHEATED on my wife. 3years ago we were blessed with a set of twins then everything changed.

Sex was a no no to my wife, romance zero, even when we travel outside the country on holidays. In one of my trips alone to the uk..I had a fling, and since then I have felt dirty..and always too ashamed to look at my wife… the guilt is much. Please I need your candid advice. Should I tell my wife or just live with the guilty? I need help.

GLEEHD Foundation Hosts Nigerian Government & Economic Leaders To A Weeklong Centenary Celebration In London

In celebrating Nigeria, Her People and Her Successes over the last 100 years; Commonwealth Democracy Initiative in partnership with GLEEHD Foundation, ROSTRA Consulting & Amandla Consulting organised a weeklong chain of events in London to celebrate the success of Nigeria as a United Nation between 10 and 13 of March, 2014.

Dayo Israel, GLEEHD Foundation’s Director for Africa led the Nigeria delegation through the London events which commemorated Nigeria's centenary, her active role in the commonwealth, and the economic growth of her state, while also creating an opportunity for a renewed partnership between Nigerian Government/Business Leaders and their European counterparts.

Stop Directing Your Anger Towards Malaysian Government! Chinese Govt. Warns Relatives Of MH370 Flight

China has urged the families of those aboard missing flight MH370 to accept that their loved ones are dead and called on them to stop directing their anger towards the Malaysian authorities handling the investigation.

Many Chinese have expressed scepticism over accounts by the Malaysian government, claiming it has not revealed everything it knows about the stricken jetl’s disappearance on 8 March.

Many have expressed frustration that investigators have concluded the jet went down in the Indian Ocean without any physical evidence.

New Michael Jackson album release date announced

Yep, there's a new Michael Jackson album...five years after his death. Sony and Epic Records today announced a plan to release a posthumous Michael Jackson album titled Xscape

Epic CEO L.A. Reid handpicked eight previously unreleased tracks by Michael Jackson, which have been 'contemporized for modern ears' and added new production by Timbaland and Rodney Jerkins.

The album drops May 13th.

Court orders 37 defected PDP House of Reps members to resign

The 37 PDP House of Representatives members who defected to APC in December 2013 have been ordered to vacate their seats and the House.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja gave the order today while delivering judgment in a suit filed against the defected lawmakers by the PDP. The judge said the lawmakers no longer had any business, morally and legally in the Assembly and so should resign.

"Having perused the arguments of counsel and the constitutional provisions, it is clear and unambiguous that the defendants were sponsored by the PDP and won the election on its platform. It is also the court’s opinion that their tenure has not expired and there is no division in the PDP.

“The defendants are, therefore, not competent to vote or contribute to any proceedings in the House of Representatives. An order of perpetual injunction is, hereby, ordered, restraining them from altering or attempting to change the leadership of the House of Reps,” Justice Ademola said.

In January 2014, PDP instituted a suit against the defected lawmakers who attempted to cause an alteration in the leadership of the House of Representative.

Fred Ajudua denied bail...again!

An Ikeja High court this morning denied suspected fraudster Fred Ajudua's bail application and has ordered that he be remanded in Kirirkiri prison. Ajudua had applied for bail to seek medical attention outside the prison.

Delivering her judgement, Justice Khudirat Jose said according to medical reports presented by LUTH & attached to his bail application, he'd been treated for enlarged prostrate gland, hypertension and traumatic Haematuria sometime in August 2013 and there was no where in the report that stated he could not be treated in prison for any ailment. She also added that Ajudua had failed to convince her that he would neither abscond during the trial period nor interfere with witnesses if he is granted bail.

Fred Ajudua is standing trial for defrauding two dutch businessmen of $1.69million and former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi, of about $8.395m. The case was adjourned to April 28th.

'I'm a supporter of polygamy; most African men are polygamous in nature' - Jibola Dabo

Nollywood actor Jibola Dabo, who has five children from different women said in a recent interview with TheNetng that he's an ardent supporter of polygamy and believes that most men in Africa are polygamous in nature. Read what he said below and tell us if you agree with him...

"People misunderstands what polygamy means. I am an ardent supporter of polygamy. Every single man, mostly from Africa, is polygamous in nature. We are just deceiving ourselves. Polygamy means when you see a woman you love and desire, you marry her with the consent of your already married wife and bring her home. It's not when you have one wife at home, then you have others scattered in different other places, that is not polygamy. And not when you have three wives and you cannot take care of one, that is an insult to polygamy. There are so many women out there who just want to have a man as an umbrella, but we keep saying one man one woman. Yet the women keep suffering. We all know that we have much more women in this world than men, the ratio is too high.

'Facts About The New Lagos State Smoking In Public Places Law'

Article sent in by Choices Nigeria.

There have been different views on the recently passed smoking law since it was signed by the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola on 17th of February 2014. We have now obtained a copy of the law and are surprised to read that contrary to what some people think, the law only becomes effective on the 17th of August 2014, which is six months after the Governor signed. This means that even the police that have been harassing smokers are not aware of this. Incredibly, the law also allows for smoking in open places such as on the streets, roads and highways as wells as in 10% of hotels, bars, night clubs and tertiary institutions. It even goes further to state that the law will be enforced by the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), meanwhile all manner of people have been harassing smokers, even LATSMA and Boys Scout.. Can our government ensure that the public are well informed about laws they pass to prevent undue harassment of its citizens.

'There was no violence or infidelity involved in my marriage' - Joseph Benjamin

Actor Joseph Benjamin was a guest on Rubbin Minds yesterday Sunday March 30th where he opened up about his divorce. When the host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, asked him if he was finally divorced, the father of two said he was 'working on it.'

Ebuka also took him up on rumours of violence and infidelity being the reason for his separation, Benjamin said it wasn't true. What he said below...

"A lot was misconstrued and I will not hold anyone responsible for it because everyone is entitled to their opinion and for me I believe that when you embark on a journey like that, it is something that, it requires the two people involved to have a certain form of understanding. Let me go a bit spiritual with you here, the Bible says can two work if they do not agree? So there should be some form of agreement.

‘MS didn’t kill Zara, ignorance did’, Yemisi Ilo blames Zara’s family for her death

Yemisi Ilo, a creative consultant and project manager, says she's been living with Multiple Sclerosis for nearly 10 years and feels that Zara Gretti’s situation shouldn’t have deteriorated to the point of death. She feels ignorance and not MS killed the singer, who passed away on Friday March 28th about a year after making her illness public. Read what Yemisi (pictured right) wrote below...

Read More at thenet.ng/2014/03/ms-didnt-kill-her-ignorance-did-yemisi-ilo-blames-zaras-family-for-her-death/ Follow us: @theNETng on Twitter | theNETng on Facebook

I also have MS and I am currently in Singapore – where by His grace I will finally halt the progression and hopefully and prayerfully reverse some if not all disability. I spoke to Zara on Tuesday. She said she was being given ‘Agbo’ to drink by her family and that it was killing her. Those were her exact words. I told her to not drink it. With an already compromised immune system – Agbo is bullshit. It is poison. MS is not malaria. I gave Zara clear details of exactly what she needed to do to try to get well. It isn’t easy at all - I should know but unfortunately for her, she was surrounded by very ignorant people at the end who felt that they knew best. I first heard of Zara when I read about her on Linda Ikeji‘s blog a year ago. I got in touch with her immediately and started a Skype friendship. I was in London and she was in the States (US). We spoke regularly.

Leah Foundation fights cancer in Kwara

The Leah Charity Foundation, an Ilorin, Kwara State based non-governmental organisation has intensified its effort at reducing the incidence of breast and cervical cancers in women through a sensitisation of the women all over the state.

According to the Founding Trustee of the NGO, Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed, who addressed a press conference on the occasion of the World Cancer Day in February, the NGO has “unfolded a massive awareness campaign in every possible media outlets on cancer. There are jingles on radio & TV. We have also secured the collaboration of musical artistes in the state, who have recorded songs which will gain regular air play as a way to alerting our people to the menace of cancer.”

Attempted jailbreak in Abuja this morning: DSS releases statement

The Spokesperson for the Department of State Security Service, Marilyn Ogar, has issued a statement on the attempted jailbreak at the headquarters of the Nigeria’s secret police. Find it below..

At 0715 hours, the Service suspect handler went to the detention facility within the Headquarters to feed the suspects. One of the suspects attempted to disarm him by hitting him at the back of his head with his handcuff. His attempt to escape drew the attention of other guards at the facility who fired some shots to warn and deter others.

The gun shots attracted the attention of the military with whom we have an understanding of mutual assistance in the event of any threat. The Army immediately deployed a team to reinforce our perimeter guards to forestall any external collaborators.

The situation has since been brought under control. Further details will be communicated.

30 March 2014

King Cap Bee - Bada Dan Dem . Produced by D-Tunes

Akingbenga Akinyemi better known by his stage name King Cap Bee emerged on the scene with his one of a kind style, flair and charisma. King Cap Bee, a Nigerian AfroBeat and HipHop artist born in Lagos, Nigeria and Founder/Head of label D.R.E.A.M Team Entertainment released his single "She Like it" along side fellow up-comer Ayo Jay, The single "She Like It" was very critically acclaimed and accepted by the masses. Prior to that he had releases like the single "Hello". "Hello" garnered airplay in the USA and beyond, and the song ended up on rotation on MTV's The Real World and VH1's Bad Girls Club.

Jet scandal: Presidency insists on not probing Diezani

The Presidency, on Saturday, insisted it would not probe the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Dieziani Alison-Madueke, because it does not possess the necessary documents needed to do so.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, who said this in a statement in Abuja on Saturday while reacting to the ongoing probe of the minister by the House of Representatives, also said the President had vowed not to condone any act of corruption from any quarters no matter how highly placed.

He said, “We wish to reiterate emphatically that President Goodluck Jonathan had never and will never condone any act of corruption no matter which quarters such may come from.

“This clarification has become necessary as a result of a publication which suggested falsely that my response to the planned probe by the House of Representatives on the hiring of a private jet by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation implied that the President was encouraging corruption.”

He added, “The true fact of the matter is that it is the House of Representatives that claimed to be in possession of certain documents relating to the leasing of private jets for which they decided to institute a probe. Continue.

How many of you watched that Nick Cannon video yesterday where he listed the names of 5 famous women he's slept with? (See it here) Did you hear what he said about Mariah Carey when they asked him when they first slept together?

"On our wedding night, honeymoon style, in the Bahamas. That's a real woman there, make you wait, til you got married." Nick said

About other women, Nick said "It's LA! That's the whole purpose, you have sex with actresses, singers, models...but Mariah made me wait"

In essence, a real woman makes a man wait till they are married before giving herself to him? I know it's really difficult to hold out, especially when you're crazy in love with the guy, but the thing is, men actually respect that. They really do. And whether you sleep with a man or not, if he wants to marry you, he will, right?

Personally, I don't know if I can. I'd love to I swear. I keep telling myself that's the plan but you can meet a guy tomorrow now with Brad Pitt's face, Tyson Beckford's body, Gerard Butler's charm and Kevin Hart's sense of humour and lose your senses. lol. But ultimately this is the best thing to do, wait till you are married. What do you ladies think? And big kudos to Mariah.

Etisalat Nigerian Idol Season 4! 10 of the Top 30 Contestants Battle it Out – See Showtimes!

See the first group of finalists! – 10 of the top 30 Contestants will sing their way to the top for the final prize!

Today, another episode of the ongoing Etisalat Nigerian Idol Season 4 will be aired on TV – don’t miss any of the sweet singing, dancing and excitement.

Last weekend, we saw 10 contestants, Peace Okoro, Jesse Okonkwo, Paradise Edema, Zibili Evelyn, Royal George, Priscilla Moyege, Lisa Omoreigbe, Abiola Kazeem, Daniel Buba and Elvis Jay try to sing their way to the top.

Voting has since closed on Wednesday and we are about to find out who will be dropped from the competition, as there can only be one Nigerian Idol!

Don’t miss out on the excitement! – Scroll down for screen times.

The Flying Doctor: The Myth of the ‘Runz Girl’

kLast week I was doing some business in Port Harcourt staying at the Presidential Hotel. After my dinner, I tried to go back to my room, but the security lady at the lift stopped me saying that she had to confirm with the ‘owner’ of the room before I was allowed upstairs. She proceeded to place a call to my room on the intercom to take permission from the ‘owner’.

It took me about 10 minutes to explain to her that I was a female on a business trip with three of my staff staying in the hotel and that there was no ‘owner’ except me, the owner/founder/CEO of the company that was paying for my room and three others. She looked like she had seen a ghost. She seemed not to be able to comprehend how I managed to own my company and pay for my own hotel room. Continue.

You have to be a really special artist for this to happen to you. The New York Police Department last night March 28th shut down Davido's concert which held at Pulse 48 in Brooklyn because the concert was overbooked, leading to safety concerns. People going to the concert caused shut down of two blocks in Brooklyn, forcing the police to intervene.

The show yesterday was supposed to be Davido's first show as he kicks off US/Canada Tour 2014. He has a show in D.C today and Minnesota tomorrow. Then Dallas, Texas on Friday the 4th of April, then makes a final stop in Toronto, Canada on the 5th of April.

Do Women in Revealing Clothes Deserve Rape? Surveyed Brazilians Say “Yes”

Do women in revealing clothes deserve rape?

Brazilians were asked this question in a survey conducted by their government’s Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) survey – and most of the respondents answered “yes.”

According to AFP 3,810 male and female Brazilians took the survey, and approximately 2,480 of them – 65% – justified raping women who wear “clothing that shows off the body.” Also, almost 60% of the people who took the survey agreed that “if women knew how to behave, there would be fewer rapes.”

Brazil is a country that is known for its seemingly sexually liberated population, so these answers are shocking. No woman or man deserves to be raped. We hope that people are enlightened enough to understand that. It is shocking that in 2014, some people still think this way!

29 March 2014

Senegalese Design Label Sophie Zinga’s Fall 2014 Collection Lookbook – “Elements”

Last week we introduced you to Senegalese fashion designer, Sophie Nzinga Sy of the Sophie Zinga fashion brand. With their Spring/Summer 2014 collection titled “Roses and Leaves” collection, they took us down a flower bed filled with rose petals and delicate stems.

For their first Fall 2014 collection, they were inspired by basic elements such as marble, gold, water and metal with some of the fabrics having an infusion of metallics, silk, gold with others having cashmere, wool and dalpaca blends. Their Fall/Winter coats maintain the brand’s feminine aesthetic while remaining linear and graphic. The gowns creates the illusion of water swerving its way around the body and creating a hint of movement.

The limited Fall 2014 collection has pieces that are rich in colour and texture with a pallet in hues of blue, black and metallic gold.

Style is all that matters nowadays, from the clothes you wear, to how you wear them and to what occasion you choose to wear them to. Style and fashion are intertwined and that is not any different in Nigeria. With the latest fashion trends spiking up, there is a need to continue shopping for latest pieces that will fit into the latest trend or go with your love for fashion.

Nigeria’s biggest fashion store, Jumia opens up a new sub store for proudly Nigerian fashion called the ‘By Naija’ store. At the same time you can also shop from over 20,000 fashion items online from just one fashion store Jumia.com. This is Nigeria’s largest fashion store online and they have some of your best fashion brands locally and internationally. Continue.

Where’s Olivia Pope?

A Scandal actor is facing a scandal of his own

Columbus Short, who plays Harrison Wright in the hit ABC series was recently arrested.

He was arrested yesterday Wednesday 26th March on a felony battery charge.

The 31-year old is being accused of seriously injuring a man at a restaurant during a fight. Columbus Short reportedly punched the man and left him momentarily unconscious. The man who was punched allegedly said that “You may have all the money, but I get better chicks than you”.

The actor was later released after posting a $50,000 bail.

Kiera Knightley is Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle! View the New Ad Campaign

If you loved Keira Kinghtley in the Adventure packed movie, Pirates of the Caribbean, then you will surely love her here.

The third chapter of the Chanel Coco Mademoiselle fragrance Ad Campaign, featuring Keira, has just been released and we are loving her in it. Kiera has been the face of the Coco Mademoiselle fragrance for 8 years (since 2007).

The campaign video which will soon hit your screens shows a seductive Keira wooing her love interest into a chase that is quite thrilling. Summary? The Chanel Coco Mademoiselle fragrance will make ‘him’ come after you.

The HEATED Natural Hair vs. Weaves Debate on BBC Radio 4!

The discussion of natural hair Vs. weaves has been around for years and with more topics like skin bleaching, retailing of human hair and Lupita Nyong’o‘s Essence Beauty Awards speech, the issue has only grown more branches as it is believed that all these topics are related.

On BBC Radio 4, Celebrity makeup artist Editi Udofot of Edee Beau sat down with Hannah Pool, a journalists with natural hair to discuss the politics and nuances of the Natural hair vs. Weave debate.

The discussion was introduced with a mention of how Naomi Campbell wore an afro to Graham Norton’s show and Lupita Nyong’o had worn her hair in an “unaltered state” at the Oscars Contiinue.

The adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie‘s best selling novel – Half of a Yellow Sun, cost the production team a lot of Benjamins.

Half of a Yellow Sun set to premiere in Nigeria on Saturday 12th April 2014, stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Genevieve Nnaji, O.C. Ukeje, Onyeka Onwenu, John Boyega, Anika Noni Rose, Zach Orji, Gloria Young and Tina Mba.

Biyi Bandele, who also directed the MTV Base “Shuga” Series, was the director.

According to Yewande Sadiku, an Executive Producer of the film, finding the funds for the flick was no easy task. “After I successfully raised $1bn for an undisclosed telecommunications company in Nigeria, I thought it would be very easy to raised $12m to shoot Half of a Yellow Sun. But I was wrong.” she said at a private screening on Tuesday at the Ozone Cinemas, Yaba, Lagos.

She further stated that “After I was turned down by some investors, I became very sad and unhappy for Nollywood. But the required funds were finally realised. The movie costs us about $10m dollars to shoot and this is beside other fees“.

Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton will be present at the premiere in Lagos.

Reuters: Russia criticizes U.N. Resolution condemning Crimea's secession

MOSCOW — Russia said on Friday a U.N. resolution declaring invalid Crimea's Moscow-backed referendum on seceding from Ukraine was counterproductive and accused Western states of using blackmail and threats to drum up "yes" votes. The non-binding resolution passed with 100 votes in favor, 11 against and 58 abstentions in the 193-nation U.N.

General Assembly on Thursday, in a vote that Western nations said highlighted Russia's isolation. "This counterproductive initiative only complicates efforts to resolve the domestic political crisis in Ukraine," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It accused Western states of using the "the full force of the unspent potential of the Cold War-era propaganda machine" to whip up support for the resolution.

"It is well-known what kind of shameless pressure, up to the point of political blackmail and economic threats, was brought to bear on a number of (U.N.) member states so they would vote 'yes'," the ministry said. Several Western diplomats, however, have said Russia's U.N. envoy led an aggressive lobbying campaign against the resolution in what they said showed how seriously Moscow took the U.N. vote condemning a referendum that led to its annexation of Crimea.

Project Smile 2014 Kicks Off on World Oral Health Day...

The second edition of foremost CSR-based Free Smile Make-over initiative was launched on the 20th of March 2014 to celebrate with FDI World Dental Federation on World Oral Health Day with the theme- ‘Celebrating Healthy Smiles’.

The Project Smile is a CSR based Free Smile Make-over for individuals that are affected by dental flaws ranging from over-crowded, protruding and discoloured teeth to far more complex cases and cannot afford a treatment programme. Individuals stand a chance to win a smile make-over worth millions of naira. To enter the contest you must be eighteen years and above and resident in Nigeria. Continue.

According to a recent study, some women might be faking orgasms to heighten their own experience.

Why do women 'fake it?' According to a recent study, some women might be faking orgasms to heighten their own sexual experience. Yes, those fake climaxes are actually thought to be "relationship promoting and sexual pleasure-enhancing."
While that may be true, we found 10 women who had a few other motivations for pretending to achieve the big "O."
Read on to find out what made them put on a most convincing performance. Continue.

Amid increasing tension over Ukraine and massing of Russian troops on its border, President Barack Obama called up his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and talked about a US proposal "for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis," the White House said today.

"Putin called Obama today to discuss the US proposal for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, which Secretary (of State, John) Kerry had again presented to (Russian) Foreign Minister (Sergei) Lavrov at the meeting at the Hague earlier this week, and which we developed following US consultations with our Ukrainian and European partners," the White House said. Continue.

Nigerian-born British playwright Biyi Bandele has translated Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s powerful prize-winning novel, ‘Half Of A Yellow Sun’ into an emotional drama that gives voice to personal stories of the indignities and atrocities suffered during the Nigerian Civil War.
Based on a best-selling novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the film is set between 1960 and 1970, the years of Nigeria’s independence from Britain, early democracy and collapse into civil war.
Its protagonists, including Newton’s Olanna and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s academic, Odenigbo, start the film as members of the country’s economic and intellectual elite but end it in tatters.
The film was screened to critics in Lagos to herald its anticipated entry to the big screens.

You wouldn't want to let any Lady you know miss out of this....

Its mother's day this Sunday and Empowerment house, Lagos is going all out to celebrate every lady.

Whether you are a lady or you simply have ladies in your life, you've got to make sure they don't miss out of this special treat with a Special buffet Lunch for all after service, Special breakthrough prayers for all ladies, free makeover and red carpet photo shoot, free gift for all Ladies attending and there's more the special Ladies 'Mothers day Raffle draw' with special prices to be won. Continue.

Weeks after he was arrested for the alleged ritual murder of a virgin girl, Pastor Sign Fireman, the founder of Perfect Christianity Mission, has been cleared of all murder charges.

The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) absolved the popular pastor of complicity in the murder of a 12 year old virgin after the conclusion of police investigations into the incident.

"After a careful consideration of the facts contained in the duplicate file, this office is of the opinion that a prima facie case of murder is established against the primary suspect (Egbo) only. In view of the foregoing, this office shall prosecute Egbo at the state high court for the offence of murder.

“On the other hand, the second suspect (Fireman) is to be released forthwith if he is still in custody as no case is established against him,” the DPP stated.

Ikechukwu Egbo, the young man who strangled the little girl to death in an abandoned building in the Badagry area of Lagos is still in custody and has been charged with murder. Fireman has since said he's not planning to sue the police over his arrest because they were only doing their job.

Events Planner Extraordinaire Funmi Victor-Okigbo covers Mania Magazine’s April 2014 Issue

Mania Magazine delivers yet another beautiful cover.
Funmi Victor-Okigbo, the creative woman who organized Tiwa Savage and Tee Billz‘ fairytale traditional wedding in Lagos, is the cover star for April 2014.
Rocking the cover with her famous hairstyle, she smiles on as she strikes a pose in a lilac pantsuit. Tagged “The Age Issue”, the events planner extraordinaire of No Surprises Events shares the scoop on life, work ethic and loving. Continue.

Nigerian-American singer Zara Gretti is dead.

Zara whose real name is Margaret-Mary Joseph is known for her hit songs including “The Flyest” and “Teno”.

In the past, she was open about her battle with multiple sclerosis. The Mayo Clinic defines Multiple sclerosis (MS) as “a potentially debilitating disease in which your body’s immune system eats away at the protective sheath (myelin) that covers your nerves. Damage to myelin causes interference in the communication between your brain, spinal cord and other areas of your body. This condition may result in deterioration of the nerves themselves, a process that’s not reversible.”

Zara is believed to have died today. The family isn’t releasing a statement on her death yet but her former manager confirms the tragic news.

Over the last 2 years, Zara had chronicled her painful MS journey via social media pages including instagram and twitter. She recently shared that she could no longer walk and could barely sleep. It is clear that the talented young musician was in a lot of anguish yet she maintained a positive disposition.

Her last tweet was yesterday Thursday 27th March 2014.

A Unique Union! SHARP & Dajcom Ltd Seal Partnership Agreement with Live Performances & Excited Guests in Lagos

The atmosphere at the Expo Hall of Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos was a mixture of cultural display and gathering of the media, celebrities and business executives, as SHARP electronics and home appliances distributor, Dajcom Limited announced their partnership for assembling, distributing and retailing SHARP Home Appliances Nigerian.

The event which held on Thursday 27th February 2014, did not just witness a struck deal, but dancers from the Atilogu group from Eastern Nigeria who performed to guests while they enjoyed great food and drinks and the company of their peers.

Do you love your mum? Prove it with special gifts and freebies from Konga

Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love- Stevie Wonder.

The words of the great song writer and musician, Stevie Wonder go a long way in describing the importance of a mother to every Nigerian, and Nigeria’s Largest Online Marketplace, Konga.com wants to truly inspire a new type of gift giving, love and sharing this mothers day with a whole bouquet of offers from special discounts, to spa giveaways, competitions, amazing prices on gifts and lots more. Continue.

It’s going to be a presidential occasion!

President Goodluck Jonathan‘s first child – Faith Sakwe Elizabeth will wed her sweetheart Godswill Edward Osim on the 5th of April in Bayelsa and on the 12th of April in Abuja.

Faith was adopted by the Jonathans at a young age and is their first child.

Look out for more exclusives here on BN Weddings, including the bridal shower and official wedding photos. We wish the beautiful couple happy wedding planning, a beautiful wedding and marriage.

Enjoy the couple’s pre-wedding photos by TY Bello.

Johnnie Walker is rewarding loyal consumers by giving away not 1 but 5 BMW X3 in its ongoing Step Up to VIP Lifestyle promotion in Abuja.

If you’re in Abuja or will be, get ready for a fun evening with Johnnie Walker as they will also be giving away IPads, branded Johnnie Walker t-shirts & hat and more and if you’re one of the first 50 people to get there, you get the JW Experience!

What better way to step up to the fab VIP lifestyle than winning a brand new BMW X3 courtesy of Johnnie Walker. So come one, come all and stand the chance to win big with Johnnie Walker in Abuja.

Remember you’ve got to be 18 or over to participate.

Date: Saturday 29th March 2014
Time: 8PM
Venue: The Cubana Lounge, Abuja
You can also check out their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/JohnnieWalkerNigeria for more details.

A Sweet Affair! Celebs & Media Personalities at the Sweet Kiwi Frozen Yogurt Flagship Store Opening in Lagos!

On Sunday 16th March 2014 everyone with a sweet tooth came out for the Sweet Kiwi yogurt bar launch, on Admiralty Way, Lekki Pahse 1, Lagos.

The launch event attracted everyone; from Nigerian event planners including Yewande Zaccheaus of Eventful Limited, Funke Bucknor-Obruthe of Zapphire Events & Ayiri Oladunmoye of Oaken Events to young media personalities and celebrities such as, Sasha, Banky W, Noble Igwe, Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi, Kunbi Oyelese, Stephanie Coker and Tracy Nwapa who came out to show their support.
Hosted by Ezinne Alpha of BeautyinLagos.com, the launch event kicked off with a cocktail reception which was followed by a formal opening ceremony conducted by special guests; Tara Fela-Durotoye (Founder/CEO House of Tara International), Peter Bankole (Director Enterprise Development Centre, Pan-African University) & Pat Utomi who declared Sweet Kiwi open for business! Continue.

The fight against the Boko Haram sect is gradually but steadily going on.
11 members were killed during shootouts with Special Forces while trying to escape the country through Taraba State and Gumti in Adamawa State into Cameroon.
Major General Chris Olukolade, the Director of Defence Information, revealed this information on Thursday via e-mail. He also said that 31 fighters of the sect were arrested while attempting to flee.
The terrorists were trapped in a location and were forced out their hideout by hunger reports Punch.
A number of dangerous weapons, explosives and over 70 motorcycles (Okada) were recovered by the army.
It’s great to see victory against the Boko Haram sect. If you recall, a top leader was recently captured.

25 March 2014

Finally! “Half of a Yellow Sun” to Premiere in Lagos this April

Yay! We are so excited that the adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie‘s 2nd novel “Half of a Yellow Sun” is premiering in Lagos this April.

BellaNaija Movies & TV can confirm that the movie will be released in cinemas on Friday 25th April 2014.

If you recall, the movie had its world premiere at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival in September (see photos) and later in London at the BFI London Film Festival in October (see photos).

Half of a Yellow Sun boasts an incredible ensemble including Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, British actress Thandie Newton, Nollywood superstar Genevieve Nnaji as well as veteran singer/actress Onyeka Onwenu, Zack Orji, OC Ukeje, and Anika Noni Rose.

It was directed by Biyi Bandele.

The film will be released in Australia on the 27th of March, in the UK on the 11th of April, and in the US this summer.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Women Accept being Ignored – on Gender, Race & Love

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie‘s schedule is probably more full than most filling stations in the metropolitan city of Lagos because of the scarcity of fuel.

The Nigerian author has been promoting her third novel “Americanah” all month long and will kick off her Half of a Yellow Sun promo tour soon.

Emma Brockes of The Guardian US, caught up with the 36-year old award winning fiction writer in New York for a quick chat. Emma asks about the book which focuses on gender, race, and don’t roll you eyes team natural.

To read the full interview, click here
Read Excerpts below;

djThis article is dedicated to all the women out there. We tend to put so much pressure on ourselves for no reason at all that we actually forget to live our lives for ourselves.

You don’t want to wake up one day to realise that you are clocking 60 and you haven’t done one thing that would have made you happy simply because you were too bothered about what people or society expected of you. Stop existing and start living.
***
My name is Sandra and this is my story….
The excitement of getting married and planning my wedding blinded me from seeing beyond the one or two day(s) event. It didn’t occur to me that I was going to move out of the comfort of my parent’s home where electricity wasn’t optional, it was an every second entitlement. Our inverter and generators were adequately maintained and we always had electricity 24/7. I guess that is why I never really understood why my fellow Nigerians complained about electricity, water and other issues until I moved out of my parents’ house.

fkMove Back to Nigeria is a series on BellaNaija which aims to encourage young and not-so-young professionals in the diaspora who are trying to make the decision of whether to move back to Nigeria. In collaboration with the brilliant team at MoveBackToNigeria.com, we hope to bring you a weekly interview with individuals who have successfully made the leap, considering the leap, as well as those who have tried it and realized it is not for them.

MoveBacktoNigeria.com’s mission is to showcase stories of Nigerians abroad who have moved back home and are taking giant strides, often against all odds and to serve as inspiration to others. This, however does not preclude us from sharing stories of the people who have moved back and are facing various challenges.

We have another dynamic young business-woman, Bilikiss Adebiyi on the hot seat this week! She’s an MIT Alum and founder of the wave-making and innovative business entreprise, ‘Wecyclers’. Read on for more on this fascinating and truly inspiring young entrepreneur. continue.

Are you a law student interested in improving your legal skills while gaining amazing experience and rewards? Then this information is for you.

SimmonsCooper Partners, a full-service international Law Firm presents the 2014 edition of SCAD Compete – a Brief writing and oral advocacy competition. Annually, over 100 aspiring lawyers from across Nigerian Universities participate in the Brief writing contest and the best 10 entries are selected by a team of some of the finest practitioners in the Nigerian legal industry. The 10 candidates are then invited to participate in an intensive training on advocacy and modern lawyering skills. This culminates into an oral advocacy competition where the Winner emerges.

Contestants are required to write an Appellate Brief of no more than 20 pages in response to a factual dispute. Only successful candidates at the Brief Writing Stage will be invited for the final round.

The top three finalists will receive amazing prizes including tuition support, tablet devices, mentoring and internship opportunities at SimmonsCooper Partners.

For the Dispute Scenario and entry requirements, click here: www.scp-law.com

Deadline for submission of entries is Tuesday 15th April 2014 at 5PM.

Questions and Comments regarding the Competition should be directed to scadcompete@scp-law.com | Call 01-4614016, 07063495201, 08138002859

Seyram Nutsukpui: The Waiting Syndrome

“The state of the economy is horrible! The president and his ministers should do something”
“There are too many children on our streets, someone should do something about it.”
“There is not enough this…” or ” This is too that..”

These are the kind of sentences I hear around me always and it is beginning to bug me.

Who am I? What do I know that makes me think I can judge? I am me – a concerned citizen of the world just like you and what do I know? I know the waiting syndrome exists and I am tired of it.

This attitude that has taken over the world, where everyone is waiting for someone to do something, or be the next big story, so they can praise or play critic to. It is the situation where someone realizes that something is going wrong but are waiting for someone else to talk about it so they can also agree and say, “Yes! I agree I was also thinking of that.” That is the Waiting Syndrome. Why did you not act then? What were you waiting for? Rather, WHO were you waiting for? Lupita Nyong’o? Chimamanda Adichie? Aliko Dangote? Ama Ata Aidoo? Bill Gates? Or maybe Kwame Nkurumah, Nelson Mandela and Komla Dumor should rise from their graves and “motivate” you?

“Motivate”, yes that is why our world today has over a million and one motivational speakers and still little or no change. Continue.

31 March 2014

30 March 2014

29 March 2014

28 March 2014

25 March 2014