Federal representatives react to Obama’s speech

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reaction among the area’s federal lawmakers to President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night was swift and — not surprisingly — somewhat partisan.

While Democrats saw value in Obama’s remarks, Republicans were lukewarm at best. U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Russell Township, was unhappy with the president’s vow to work around Congress if cooperation wasn’t forthcoming.

“I found it very troubling the president indicated if he doesn’t get what he wants, he’ll simply bypass Congress,” Joyce said in a statement. “We should work together to find common ground on the issues and continue to make job creation our number one priority.”

Joyce agreed with some of Obama’s goals, but not necessarily the methodology.

“When I was first elected, I was stunned to hear that 3 million jobs go unfilled every month,” he said. “So I’m glad the president mentioned manufacturing, job-training and education which will help us fill those jobs with American workers. But the difference between my vision for the country and the president’s is I think the American people can, and should, lead our economic recovery — not politicians.”

“What Ohio families want to see is less Washington interference and more job creation and economic growth,” Joyce said. “At the end of the day, nothing can replace what a good-paying job means for Ohio families. When the American people are free to succeed, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish.”

U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D, and Rob Portman, R, also weighed in on the speech in separate statements.

“President Obama talked about a year of action to restore an opportunity society, one where every American can pursue his or her dreams,” Portman said in a statement. “I couldn’t agree more with the goal, but disagree with most of the president’s ideas about how to get there. We have tried the top down approach of more government, more regulations, more spending and record debt and it hasn’t worked.”

Portman said the president addressed four economic-based topics in his speech: skills training, energy policy, corporate tax code and trade agreements to expand exports.

“If the president were to engage with Congress on these four bipartisan proposals to increase opportunity, he could translate his words from the State of the Union into action,” he said in the statement. “It will take his leadership, and if he provides that, I believe both sides can come together and find common ground.”

“The president talked about a year of action,” Portman said. “Let’s hope he is willing to work with Congress to turn his words into reforms that will help the American people.”

Brown saw value in the address.

“Tonight’s speech provided an important blueprint to grow our economy by growing the middle class,” he said in a statement. “The president’s executive order to raise the minimum wage for employees of new federal contracts will be strengthened by the Fair Minimum Wage Act, which we must pass to give nearly 1.3 million Ohioans a raise. President Obama also called on Congress to pass my bipartisan bill to create a network of manufacturing innovation hubs based on Youngstown’s America Makes.”

Brown said he has urged Congress to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour and boost the wage of tipped workers from $2.13 an hour to 70 percent of the regular minimum wage. He also is urging support for a plan to extend emergency unemployment insurance to 1.3 million Americans.

Meet Beautiful Nigerian Adenike Who Looks Like America's First Lady

Adenike was featured on the Wendy Williams show as Michelle Obama’s look-alike.  So much resemblance.

Google selling Motorola smartphone business to Lenovo for $2.9 bn

Google is selling Motorola's smartphone business to Lenovo for $2.9 billion, a price that makes Google's biggest acquisition look like its most expensive mistake.
The deal announced Wednesday will rid Google Inc. of a financial headache that has plagued the Internet company since buying Motorola Mobility for $12.4 billion in 2012. Motorola has lost nearly $2 billion since Google took over, while trimming its workforce from 20,000 to 3,800.
Lenovo Group said on Wednesday that it agreed to buy Google Inc's Motorola handset division for $2.91 billion, in what is China's largest-ever tech deal as Lenovo buys its way into a heavily competitive U.S. handset market dominated by Apple Inc .
It is Lenovo's second major deal on U.S. soil in a week as the Chinese electronics company angles to get a foothold in major global computing markets. Lenovo last week said it would buy IBM's low-end server business for $2.3 billion.
The deal ends Google's short-lived foray into making consumer mobile devices and marks a pullback from its largest-ever acquisition. Google paid $12.5 billion for Motorola in 2012. Under this deal the search giant will keep the majority of Motorola's mobile patents, considered its prize assets.
Google had previously recovered some of the money that it spent on Motorola by selling the company's set-top operations last year to Arris Group Inc. for $2.35 billion. Google is also keeping most of the patents that came with the Motorola purchase.
It's unclear if Google will have to absorb a charge to account for the difference between what it paid for Motorola Mobility and what it is getting back. The Mountain View, California, company may address the issue Thursday when it announces its fourth-quarter earnings after the market closes.
Most investors viewed Motorola as an unnecessary drain on Google's profit, a perspective that was reflected by Wall Street's reaction to the sale. Google's stock gained $28.08, or 2.5 percent, to $1,135 in extended trading.
Google Chief Executive Officer Larry Page said that Google would be best served by focusing on smartphone software rather than devices.
The purchase will give Lenovo a beach-head to compete against Apple and Samsung Electronics as well,FinancialXp

Obama's Bait and Switch

It wasn’t the speech we were told to expect. When President Obama walked into the well of the House chamber, all expectations were that it would be a combative address, brimming with defiance toward Republicans who have repeatedly stymied his agenda. He’d talk about wielding executive orders and other unilateral actions like nunchucks and brass knuckles.

But it didn’t turn out that way. Obama delivered a much more genial address, one that suggests he might see a way to boost his low poll numbers.

It’s telling that the two most memorable moments of the speech were the two silent thumbs up that were offered by the president to House Speaker John Boehner for rising from the son of “a barkeep”—a lovely and once common word—and to Corey Remberg, the Army Ranger whose head was laden with shrapnel from a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. The tip of the hat to a hero in this annual speech has been standard fare since Ronald Reagan. Most are quickly forgotten—and clearly designed to tick off an interest group—but Remberg’s disfigurement and spirit were so compelling that he got the longest applause of the night.

The closest Obama came to being combative was his vow to veto a bipartisan plan to ratchet up sanctions on Iran, and that was as much a shot at New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez as it was at John McCain. For most of the speech Obama offered the outstretched hand, and his talk of unilateral actions seemed more of an afterthought than a threat. He encouraged business leaders to pay their workers more and spoke of his vague plans to help men of color: "And I’m reaching out to some of America’s leading foundations and corporations on a new initiative to help more young men of color facing especially tough odds stay on track and reach their full potential." In an unusual twist, he encouraged governors and mayors to raise their minimum wages, even if Congress does not. There was mention of the minimum wage bill stalled in Congress, but rather than strike an angry tone, Obama acknowledged Tom Harkin and George Miller, the bill’s authors, who are retiring this year. The two, seated together, laughed and cheered. Fist-bumps rather than fisticuffs all night long.

And though the pre-game chatter about executive actions was overblown, it was surprising how upbeat Obama was, even cocky. His mention of the health care bill was to tout its successes and make no apology for the pathetic rollout of HealthCare.gov. He brought up unemployment insurance and Congress’s failure to renew it, but there wasn’t a lot of discussion of the economy’s ills. In the past, Obama hit cautionary notes about the economy. Now, not so much.

“This can be a breakthrough year for America,” he said. True, but the breakthrough could be Republicans taking the Senate and Obama seeing his appointments shot down, his ideas left stillborn. The number of investigations driven by Republican-led committees could make Obama’s last two years a Clintonesque headache of irritable subpoenas.

When he first ran for president, the multicultural son of Hawaii presented himself as a historically transformational figure who could bring people together in D.C. and around the world. Life turned out to be tougher, of course, but Obama has evolved into a more normal political figure, one who sells a better life, and whacks his opponents. He’s less ambitious now—fight for what he can, go unilateral if he must. It’s a long way from the Hope posters of 2008, but does have the virtue of realism. It’s less heady to go from “we must be the change we seek” to tax repatriation—a rare bit of common ground between Democrats and Republicans—but constraining his vision and adapting to political realities could help Obama politically. By aiming lower, he might get more done, and find the last two years more pleasant than the previous two.

All State of the Union addresses could be called “The Night of a Thousand Segues.” They’re always laundry lists of proposals, with bumpy transitions from one to the next. This speech joined a long, forgettable list of disjointed addresses, but it least, for Obama, it offered him a way forward.

Newsweek.

Court awards N17.3bn damages against INEC

An Abuja Federal High Court on Tuesday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to pay N17.3bn as damages to a local manufacturer, Beddings Holdings Limited, over the N34.5bn contract the commission awarded in 2010 for the purchase of the Direct Data Capturing machines used for the voter registration exercise.

The N17.3bn is 50 per cent of the total sum of the contract, which INEC awarded to three firms – Haier Electrical Appliances Corporation Limited, Zinox Technologies Limited and Avante International Technology Incorporated.

The court, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Auta, ordered the payment while delivering judgment in a suit brought by the Beddings Holdings Limited against INEC, its chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and the three firms that benefited from the N34.5bn DDC machines procurement contract.

Justice Auta held that INEC was aware that the plaintiff, BHL, had a valid and subsisting patent right over the DDC machines but went ahead to award a contract for the purchase of the equipment without first seeking, and obtaining the permission of the right holder (BHL).

In the suit filed by its lawyer, Mr. John Okoriko, BHL had accused INEC and Jega of infringing on its  patent right by awarding contracts for the purchase and deployment of the DDC machines for the compilation of the voters register without its consent.

In his judgment, Justice Auta held that the country’s Patent and Design Act outlawed the use of a patented invention without the consent of the patent holder.

The judge stressed that INEC, and other agencies of the government, are not above the law.

He said, “INEC, like every other government agency has the responsibility of obeying the law of the land.

The judge ordered INEC and the other defendants to, henceforth, obtain the consent of the plaintiff before procuring and utilizing the DDC machines for any purpose.

Mamphela Ramphele may not be the electoral elixir needed to beat the ANC

It is a South African political match made in heaven: a revered black academic, international activist and former freedom fighter – Dr Mamphela Ramphele - joins the rising, but still largely white, main opposition party in South Africa to lead it in polls this year.
Many believe this is a game-changer of note. Finally, they say, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) has a credible, potent black candidate to take on the dominance of the governing, but increasingly embattled, African National Congress of Nelson Mandela.
There is another a bittersweet angle to the story: the relationship between Ramphele and the DA's current leader, Helen Zille, who is giving up the presidential candidacy, dates back to the death of Ramphele's former partner, the Black Consciousness activist Steve Biko. Zille wrote the article that exposed how Biko was murdered by the apartheid regime police in 1977 while under tortured.
In a country where the ANC won 65.9%% of the vote in the fourth democratic elections in 2009, Ramphele's move on Tuesday was hailed by many as the electoral elixir that an anaemic opposition needs to reduce the ANC's majority.
Everything, on the surface at least, worked. The reality, however, is somewhat different.
Ramphele was in deep negotiations with the DA about a year and half ago. She was offered the presidency, but turned it down when the party would not dismantle itself and build a new entity.
She then started Agang (meaning "Build"), a "political platform" which she registered to contest elections this year. It was greeted with much fanfare, hailed as a tipping point in South African politics, and seemed to rattle the ANC and the existing opposition.
Building a political party is a tough business, though, and despite Ramphele being a media darling there was no visible or verifiable support on the ground. This month it emerged that the party had run out of cash, staff had not been paid in December and several senior co-founders had left. Its media profile had become virtually non-existent.
Agang had failed to take off. And there lies the rub: Ramphele is no longer as potent a tool as she was a year ago. Then – after a glittering career in which she was a student freedom fighter, medical doctor, banished and harassed by the apartheid government only to become a World Bank managing director and principal of the University of Cape Town – she was a real catch.
In South Africa's intellectual space she was considered a giant. Her opinion pieces are acerbic, rigorous, intellectually curious and evocative of a South Africa that Nelson Mandela and others fought for.
Her one year at the helm of Agang, though, have shown that she cannot handle life in the grubby world of politics. The Ramphele who became the DA's presidential candidate on Tuesday is a slightly diminished figure, not the glittering political Superwoman of a year ago.
By all accounts, the ANC will lose some support in the elections due in about four months. The latest Ipsos Markinor poll puts its ratings at a mere 53% compared with its 66% showing in 2009 (when the DA won less than 17%), and Nomura's Peter Attard Montalto predicts that it will poll as low as 56%.
Will Ramphele's move to the DA help the party attract the elusive "black vote"? The key factor for the DA in fighting to attract Ramphele was that it hopes to shed its image as a white party – despite the fact that it has several dynamic, young leaders who have a higher profile than Ramphele.
The jury is still out over whether any constituency she may have built up in the past 12 months will move with her to the DA. After all, many who joined her were appalled by the ANC's failures over the past 20 years but could not quite bring themselves to join a DA that is still perceived as white.
Ramphele's move is still significant. A small but growing group of leaders who stood up against apartheid like her are beginning to find homes outside the traditional liberation organisations such as the ANC. There is even a move away from the ANC, glacial as that may be. Ramphele's declaration adds to this movement.
The rewards may not be hugely visible in this election, but these changes will accelerate in the next two elections. Indeed, it may well be that in 2024 we may see a credible and potent challenge to the ANC.
Ramphele's move on Tuesday makes this more likely, but that is the only level at which it can be considered a game-changer.

Photo: D'banj & Obasanjo Arrive Addis Ababa

The ex-president and D’banj just landed in Addis Ababa to attend the AU Summit which will begin on Thursday, 30th of January, 2014, but it seems the two arrived early. Obasanjo still looks very good and young.

Did KCee Actually Pay Nicki Minaj N68m To Feature Her On A track?

Some people are already reporting that Limpopo Crooner, KCee who is planning to record a new single with American Rapper, Nicki Minaj has already paid her N68m for her to feature in his new single.  It is true that KCee is presently in the United States with his label mate, Harrysong, but we are not sure if he doled out such an amount to her.

Imo Government Deports 84 Boko Haram Suspects To Katsina

For fears that they might be members of the dreaded Boko Haram, Imo State government, weekend, sent back to Katsina  about 84 persons.

The deportees, mainly youths, had been in Imo State for eight days under-going skill acquisition training when the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state raised an alarm that they might be Boko Haram insurgents.

NSE Index sheds 1.11% as 44 stocks decline

The losses witnessed in the stock market on Monday continued on Tuesday as investors continued to take profit.

At the close of trading, a total of 44 stocks recorded price depreciation with only 16 rose, as against 17 gainers and 44 losers the previous day.

The losses dragged the Nigerian Stock Exchange Index down by 1.11 per or 460.48 basis points to close at 41,189.66 basis points, down from 41,650.14 basis points Monday’s close.

Similarly, the market capitalisation of the listed equities was down by N148bn or 1.11 per cent to close at N13.204tn, compared to a fall of N81bn recorded in the previous session, which saw it close at N13.351tn.

A review of the sectoral indices showed that the NSE Insurance Index posted the best performance for the day after it rose by 0.35 per cent to close at 150.34 basis points.

A decline of 2.59 per cent saw the NSE Banking Index end the day as the worst performer as it closed at 418.87, down from its previous 430.00 basis points.

Costain (West Africa) Plc topped the gainers’ table, rising by 9.94 per cent or 18 kobo to close at N1.99 per share, followed by IPWA Plc, which rose by 4.69 per cent or three kobo to close at 67 kobo per share.

Vono Products Plc was up by 4.61 per cent or seven kobo to close at N1.59 per share, while Trans-nationwide Express Plc gained 4.52 per cent to close at N2.08 per share.

UBA Capital Plc, on the other hand, topped the losers’ table, shedding 9.29 per cent or 21 kobo to close at N2.05 per share.

Oando Plc and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated Plc followed, falling by 7.55 per cent and 4.94 per cent to close at N23.28 and N15.96 per share, respectively.

In all, 921.135 million shares worth N5.921bn were traded in 6,350 deals.

Google buys mystery artificial intelligence company DeepMind for $575m

GOOGLE has shelled out $US500 million ($575 million) for a mystery artificial intelligence company founded by a 37-year old former chess prodigy.

Google only confirmed the deal once website Re/code asked about it but did not reveal the price paid for the company, DeepMind.
DeepMind has only a landing page for a website where it describes its business as building learning algorithms for simulations, e-commerce and games. Profiles on LinkedIn indicate the company is about three years old.
Google chief executive Larry Page led the deal personally.
DeepMind was founded by researcher Demis Hassabis together with Shane Legg and Mustafa Suleyman.
Mr Hassabis, who is on leave from University College London, has investigated the mechanisms that underlie human memory.

Artificial intelligence uses computers for tasks normally requiring human intelligence, like speech recognition or language translation.
An AI source told re/code that DeepMind was “the last large independent company with a strong focus on artificial intelligence,” and said it competed with companies like Google, Facebook and Baidu for talent.
Google, like other tech giants such as Facebook, are anxious to develop systems that work like the human brain.

Chelsea Midfielder Micheal Essien Joins AC Milan

Midfielder Michael Essien has completed his move to AC Milan from Chelsea, after signing a 17-month deal with them. The 31-year-old midfielder, who joined the Premier League side in 2005, will be officially unveiled at San Siro today.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho thrilled to see Arsene Wenger remain at Arsenal

Chelsea manager Mourinho and Arsenal chief Wenger have had a volatile love-hate relationship since the Special One arrived in England in 2004.

Mourinho caused uproar by calling Wenger a “voyeur”, while the Frenchman retorted by saying: “When you give success to stupid people, it make them more stupid sometimes.”

This week Mourinho has complained that Arsenal always getter a better deal from the fixture computer – a charge the Gunners manager strongly refuted.

Arsenal announced on Monday that Wenger, 64, would soon sign a new contract which would take him up to a remarkable 20 years in charge of the Gunners in 2016. But he is still searching for his first trophy in nine years.

Mourinho, whose side face struggling West Ham tonight at Stamford Bridge, said: “We have not had any battles recently. Now is not a battle with him.

Nigeria university teams up with Wisconsin-Madison to research on stem cell

A statement signed by the Director, Corporate Affairs Unit of the University of Ilorin, Mr Kunle Akogun,has disclosed that the institution was collaborating with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S. on stem cell research.

The statement said, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali,  was a one week visit to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, would afford the University a world class Stem Cell Research Laboratory.

It said Ambali visited the Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Prof. Rebecca Blank, and some world renowned experts on Stem Cell Research, including Prof. Su-Chun Zhang.

It further reads: “The VC also met with other renowned stem cell researchers; Prof. Ralph Albrecht, Prof. Jeff Johnson and Prof. Tim Kamp. The VC had successfully secured commitment from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to partner UNILORIN and the university would ensure the structural development of the stem cell research centre.

“The VC had stressed the commitment of the University to the training of technical staff on stem cell research and related activities,” it said.

The statement noted that the University of Ilorin would be responsible for the provision of relevant regulations to support the development of the stem cell research centre and would also provide security and accommodation for all visiting staff of the University of Wisconsin-Madison after they arrived in Nigeria.

“The VC reiterated the resolve of the University to produce a critical mass of health professionals with competencies in management and control of common communicable and non-communicable diseases. We also want to translate research findings and generate funds through the commercialisation of key research outputs and foster national, regional and international linkages for collaborative research in partnership,’’ it said.

Photos: Rihanna wows in yellow at pre-Grammy gala

BadGal Riri wore this stunning lemon yellow dress with plunging neckline and thigh high slit to the pre-Grammy Gala that held yesterday at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. You like?

Rihanna is nominated in two categories at the Grammys; Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Stay with Mikky Ekko and Best Urban Contemporary Album for her album 'Unapologetic'. The Grammys will hold tomorrow January 26th in LA.

Forward Ever Backward Never, We vowed – Keshi

Once the dust had settled after Nigeria’s stunning 4-3 win over Morocco in a Chan quarterfinal match at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi was left to reflect on one of the greatest games he has ever been involved in.

It was a breath-taking 90 minutes which showcased the best of African football. The game produced seven goals scored, nearly all of them brilliantly executed, as the West African team turned around a three-goal first-half deficit against a Moroccan side which very much played its part in what could well be the best
match at the Cape Town Stadium this year.

Keshi enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a player in Nigeria and Europe, before going on to manage Togo, Mali and then the Super Eagles, which he guided to the 2013 African Cup of Nations title, subsequently being named as African Coach of the Year.

But he was hard-pressed to think of too many other matches similar to Saturday night’s goal fest.

“It was something very unique. It happened when I was in Mali, 2010 Nations Cup, against Angola in the first game, we were four goals down, 12 minutes, we came back to score four to tie 4-4.

“This one was something else though. I just want to say thanks to my players for the character and the mentality that they brought in the second half, they’re just awesome.”

Keshi said the secret to the stunning fightback was to pay less respect to their opponents after the sides came out for the second half.

“This was not us playing in the first half. It was like we gave too much respect to Morocco. They are a good team, but we have to be ourselves and we have to take our game to them.

“In the second half I wanted to see different character, I wanted to see the same character that we brought into the Bafana Bafana game (a 3-1 win in the group stage which knocked South Africa out), or more.

“So they came in and they said, we are not going home, we want to be here for the final, and that’s what happened.”

Morocco coach Hassan Benabicha blamed his side’s second-half capitulation on the lack of preparation the team had before the tournament.

“Coming into this tournament we did not have any friendly matches, we came into this competition and faced a big team of the calibre of Nigeria and with such a great coach,” said Benabicha.

“Going forward we can start preparing for the 2015 Afcon, which takes place in Morocco.

“Our objective there is to do everything in our power to put in a good showing and eventually lift the cup.”

Seedorf: Balotelli vital in Milan comeback

The Rossoneri boss was quick to endorse the contribution of the Italy international after watching his side produce a stunning turnaround on Sunday

Clarence Seedorf has hailed Mario Balotelli's role in AC Milan's 2-1 comeback win over Cagliari in Sunday's Serie A encounter.

The Rossoneri looked to be heading for defeat before a free-kick from the forward and Giampaolo Pazzini's 89th minute strike turned the game on its head.

"Balotelli put in a great performance. He fought very hard and was always willing to help out defensively," Seedorf said at a press conference.

"I'm very happy for the players. They showed the right spirit and it was important for our morale to win here. This will give us a boost for the next few games.

"Of course, there is still plenty of room for improvement. We are calm about everything, though. We have to be mentally strong and show courage.

"The team has shown that they are willing to learn and to improve."

Milan have climbed to ninth spot in the Serie A table following their second consecutive victory.

OAP Freeze on his $ 200,000 Wrist Watches, Celebs Rocking Fake Designer Duds & “Razz” Michael Kors

Freeze is one stylish fella.

The Nigerian media personality had an interview with Punch for its Saturday Fashionista. Freeze discussed how he started out in the industry, where he sees the industry in 18 years and his style.

Err…wait did we mention his exotic collection of wrist watches? Oh yeah, Freeze gives the scoop on that and a whole lot more.

On his collection of exotic wrist watches: “Not like how many, like how much. I have maybe $200,000 in wristwatches. What I am wearing now is a Rolex Daytona, I got it from Polo for Christmas. It cost about $30,000. Polo is Nigeria’s only authorised dealer, so I bought it from the company and I love it. I love pens too. Sometimes I could just be like a woman. I love things that shine but not all the time. I like cufflinks, pens but I am not the necklace or a bracelet kind of guy. Though I wear bracelets once in a while; so I like my cufflinks, pens and wristwatches, any attire that would show them off, I am good with it.”

On what he’ll not be caught wearing: “Michael Kors. I am sorry but I just think that brand is so razz. First their name, I think their name is so razz. Not exactly the name, it is the brand, all you have for the logo is MK. Their products are loud, ugly and cheap. I see someone wearing a Michael Kors watch and I see it as they are trying so hard to wear Rols gold. I can’t afford that so the next thing is to pick up Michael Kors. I would rather take equally priced designer but with a bit more class and less noise. I would never be caught wearing that. Designers I like are Tom Ford, Gucci, I love LV shoes that are not monogrammed. I like Hermes; I think that is a really brilliant designer. I like the fact that they play with orange a lot.”

On being mistaken for a foreigner because of his light skin: “It used to happen but I am not totally unknown. People are quite familiar with me. Radio these days involves a lot of visuals; we have lots of advertisement. People would be familiar with the fact that I speak Yoruba and pidgin very well. I grew up in Nigeria; I am a Nigerian, even though I was not born in Nigeria. Contrary to the general belief that I have a European passport, I also have a Nigerian passport which is very useful to me when I am coming back to Nigeria. Apart from that, a lot of people think I do not understand the Nigerian lingua but they have been disappointed.”

On celebrities posting fashion items on social media: “First thing first, for all the entertainers putting up pictures of their accessories on Instagram, can they please tweet the receipt from an authorised dealer. Trust me, I have seen too many celebs wear fake stuffs. You can tell that they don’t know what they are wearing. Of course, there are a few brand names like D’banj, Don Jazzy, P-Square or Wizkid that would not wear fake. I have seen them wear good watches. But there are some other people who I have seen wear funny looking pieces. There was one particular musician that I saw wearing a Rolex and the gold was fading. Rolex never uses gold plates, they use pure gold. If you see anything gold on a Rolex, it is pure gold. When I saw that, I was disappointed at the musician, especially because of the level of respect I had for the musician. There is no such thing like buying a Rolex with a credit card. You can’t buy a Rolex with a credit card; who are you? Diddy? For you to be able to walk away with a £20,000 watch, you would have a substantial amount of money in that card.”

On his wife’s style: “My wife shares my taste. She likes what I like. I am not wild but I am not conservative. There are some really expensive watches or shoes that you would never know are expensive. I would not wear those. I would want a bit of bling but I would never wear a pair of shoes that has LV or Gucci monogrammed on it. I would like the LV to show but I would like it to be somewhere that you have to look to see it. I would not like to wear an all gold wristwatch so you would see the gold from afar. I would want to wear a gold wristwatch that is made of pure gold; but I would like to tone it down with maybe a leather or rubber strap so it would be a bit conservative but at the same time, not as conservative as white gold. I like a bit of red gold. The kind of woman that I like is the kind of woman that is not loud but she is not too conservative.”

Annie Macaulay-Idibia gets her Groove Back! See her Post Baby Bod

Mamma Mia. Annie Macaulay-Idibia is inspiring women around the world.

Just weeks after welcoming her second daughter Olivia with music superstar hubby 2Face Idibia, the actress debuted a toned bod for an outing.

She showed off her post baby body in all black as she stepped out with a friend.

Who says new mommas can’t have some fun? Well not Annie. She’s not only got her body back but definitely her groove.

P.S
Friend of the Idibia clan, Senator Ita Giwa sent a cute gift to Baby Olivia.

 

Poko is Angry – “How Do you Sleep at Night?” | Read Tonto Dikeh’s Tweets to AY

AY‘s latest skit is stirring up more feuds.

Nollywood actor Jim Iyke went after the comedian on Twitter after the deliverance skit premiered.

Now Tonto Dikeh is lashing out. In the clip, AY who plays a prophet says “Tonto Dikeh is overdue for deliverance”. A lot of you found it quite funny, but POKO wasn’t amused.

She sent out a couple of tweets on the clip.