Akufo-Addo sworn in as president of Ghana
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of New Patriotic Party has been sworn in as the president of the Republic of Ghana.
He was led by the Chief Justice, Theodora Georgina Wood to take the oath of office before thousands of people and African leaders at the inaugural ceremony, which held at the Black Stars square today.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has now taken over from John Dramani Mahama.
DETAILS: Alleged Looting Of $153Million By Madam Diezani
Ex-Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison Madueke, allegedly diverted $153,310,000 (over N50bn) from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has revealed.
The anti-corruption agency, in a bid to recover the money, applied to the Federal High Court for its temporary forfeiture.
EFCC said the money is stashed in three banks in Nigeria to cover up the fraud.
Justice Muslim Hassan, before whom the application was brought, yesterday ordered the temporary forfeiture of the money.
The banks have been directed to show proof the money was not stolen or risk losing it permanently to the Federal Government.
The three banks allegedly hiding the money are;
Access Bank Plc, First Bank Plc and Fidelity Bank Plc, EFCC said.
The former minister is said to have connived with the bank executives to hide the loot.
EFCC said the banks aided and abetted the massive fraud perpetrated by the minister.
According to the commission, Access Bank is holding $5million out of the total sum.
Sterling Bank has the largest chunk of it, as it is currently hiding N23,446, 300,000 for Mrs Allison-Madueke, EFCC said
The sum of N9,080,000,000 is in First Bank Plc, EFCC added.
How did Mrs Allison-Madueke diverted the money?
EFCC told the court that in December 2014, Diezani invited the former Fidelity Bank MD, Nnamdi Okonkwo, to her office.
There, they allegedly hatched a plan on how $153,310,000 would be moved from NNPC to Okonkwo to be saved for Diezani.
EFCC said Diezani instructed Okonkwo to ensure that the money was not easily traced.
She asked him to guarantee that the money would “neither be credited into any known account nor captured in any transaction platforms” of Fidelity Bank.
The EFCC said Okonkwo accepted and implemented the deal.
The result was the movement of $153,310,000 from NNPC to Fidelity Bank.
EFCC said two former Group Executive Directors of Finance and Account of NNPC, B.O.N. Otti and Stanley Lawson, helped Diezani to move the cash from NNPC, Abuja to the bank’s Lagos headquarters.
The commission said in a desperate bid to conceal the source of the money, Okonkwo instructed the Country Head of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Martin Izuogbe, to take $113,310,000 out of the money to the Executive Director, Commercial and Institutional Bank, Sterling Bank, Lanre Adesanya, to hide.
He said the remaining $40m was taken in cash to the Executive Director, Public Sector Accountant, First Bank, Dauda Lawal.
EFCC said out of the $113,310,000 handed over to Adesanya, $108,310,000 was invested in an off balance sheet investment using Sterling Asset Management Trustees Limited.
The commission said the $108,310,000 was subsequently changed to N23,446, 300,000 and saved in Sterling Bank.
EFCC said it had recovered the N23.4billion in draft and had registered it as an exhibit marked EFCC 01.
It also recovered another $5million out of the money kept with Access Bank Managing Director, Mr. Herbert Wigwe.
The $5million was recovered in draft and had been registered as an exhibit marked EFCC 02.
EFCC said First Bank’s Executive Director, Lawal, had converted the $40million kept with him to N9,080,000,000.
Justice Hassan ordered the temporary forfeiture of all the monies to the Federal Government. He gave Sterling Bank and any other interested party 14 days to appear to prove the legitimacy of the monies.
Should they fail to prove the monies’ source, the money would be permanently forfeited to Federal Government, the judge added.
Pastor Adeboye steps down as General Overseer for RCCG Nigeria, appoints new GO
Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has appointed a General Overseer for the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria. According to the 74 year old clergyman, Pastor Joseph Obayemi, will overseer the affairs of the church here in Nigeria. He made the announcement during the church’s annual thanksgiving held at the 3km new auditorium today 7th January 2016.
According to him, Pastor J.F Odesola is now the church's Secretary while Pastor J.A. Adeyokunnu is the new Treasurer. Present at the thanksgiving service were Vice President Yemi Osibajo and other Senior Pastors of the Church.
That's Trey Smith
That's DJ Trey Smith
Because of their eclectic style and strange interviews , most folks know a thing or two about Jaden and Willow Smith, the children of A-listers Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. Jaden's
tw itter account alone is enough to shine a spotlight on the whole family, with its signature all-caps style and pseudo-existential musings: "Im Not A Person." But there is another Smith child, a half-brother to Jaden and Willow, named Trey Smith. He's Will's son from his first marriage, and he's not nearly the public figure his younger siblings have become. That doesn't mean Trey doesn't have his own stuff going on. After all, it would be unusual to have the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" for a dad and somehow be leading a boring life. Here's the scoop on the "other" Smith kid.
When you're the child of one of the biggest movie stars in the world, you have to get used to living your life in that shadow. But when your other siblings find a way to carve out their own niche, whether it's your brother becoming the official philosophic voice of millennials on Twitter or your sister recording a hit song at 9-years-old, you might start to feel like a forgotten child.
That's where the internet comes in. When a perception about a public figure becomes generally accepted, whether factually based or not, a meme is sometimes born. Just ask Keanu Reeves about the time a photographer snapped a quick shot of him sitting on a bench looking down, or President Obama giving a thumbs up while holding a beer. Suddenly, Neo is sad and the leader of the free world is giving a hearty seal of approval to all kinds of things in Facebook comment threads.
Trey has become a member of this online club thanks to a meme that coupled an awkwardly posed family photo with the text, "If you ever feel ignored just remember…Will Smith has a 21 year old son named Trey Smith." It's harsh, but clever, even though it doesn't accurately represent their family dynamic, which is all kinds of close-knit.
He has a good relationship with Jaden and Willow
We swear, we'll stop making Trey's life seem like a non-stop comparison to Jaden and Willow after this, but we want to stress that, by all accounts, the three of them seem like a group of siblings who couldn't get along better if they were The Waltons. Trey isn't shy about sharing loving family pics with his bro and sis on
social media . They probably vibe so well, in part, because of their shared interest in music. Jaden raps, Willow sings, they all produce, and Trey is a DJ who spins under the name AcE, which should not to be confused with this other guy who goes by DJ Ace.
Anyway, as AcE, Trey put out a song with Jaden and Willow in 2012 called "Find You Somewhere," which mom Jada directed. Trey also produced Willow's track, "Why Don't You Cry," and cross promotes his own music through Jaden's multifaceted brand, MSFTS. The three Smith kids also collaborated on a touching Mother's Day video for VH1 in which Jaden, of course, had to be weird and compare himself to a painting or something. Seriously, what is it with that kid? Okay, we're done talking about Jaden in this article about Trey. Maybe.
His mother is Sheree Fletcher of nollywood
In 1992, Will was two years into his six-year run with
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and already making the transition to movies. That year, he married Sheree Zampino and they had their first and only child together: Willard Carroll "Trey" Smith III. The marriage
lasted until 1995, when Smith starred in Bad Boys and became a bona fide megastar. Both Smith and Zampino (now Fletcher) agree it was Smith's success that drove a wedge in their partnership. In a Facebook video (via the Daily Mail ), Fletcher refuted Alexis Arquette's claims that Will is secretly gay and explained that as Will's career grew larger, she felt that she grew smaller. They were both too young and immature to handle the responsibilities of married life, she said.
Unlike other Hollywood couples, Smith and Fletcher have extended their egalitarian view of each other into what seems like a healthy relationship for the sake of the kids. In an interview with Marketing Ministry (via
BlogTalkRadio ), Fletcher spoke warmly about Trey's relationship with Jaden and Willow, and she also made it clear that there was never any kind of nasty custody battles. "I know sometimes we have a tendency to use our kids as pawns—and if I'm mad at you then you're not going to see [your father]. That's so foolish, because you're taking it out on your child," she said.
Fletcher now stars on Hollywood Exes , a VH1 show about famous ex-wives that definitely dips its toe into the cesspool of manufactured reality TV drama. Thankfully, she seems savvy enough to turn on the drama for the cameras, but not take it home with her.
He inherited his dad's genetics
Just like his dad, who famously bulked up for roles in Ali (2001), I, Robot (2004), and I Am Legend (2007), Trey has been hitting the gym hard.
On his Instagram, Trey is not shy about posting shirtless selfies showing off his ripped physique. He's also posted snaps of himself at the gym putting up some serious weight.
Building on the obvious genetic gifts he inherited from his parents, Trey has been working with Austin Wheatley, a professional trainer and former pro-footballer who constantly uses the hashtag
#Allibuildarechampions and claims he "imparts a cerebral approach to fitness with charisma and infectious optimism." Even if Trey doesn't have any interest in acting or athletics, he's working with someone who could condition him for either pursuit. Although, "cerebral approach to fitness" definitely sounds more like the way Jaden would describe sleeping on a treadmill. (Whoops! We're doing it again. Sorry Trey, your brother is just a weird dude.)
Collaborating with Creative Recreation, a Los Angeles-based sneaker company, and with Quincy Brown, stepson to another megastar by the name of Diddy, Trey become a sneaker model. It seems the progeny of successful cross-platform entertainers are a perfect fit for the company that makes products to "thrive in energy-charged environments, where actions speak louder than words ."
Because Trey is a Smith, he doesn't just show up and have his photo taken while wearing cool kicks. He takes this stuff seriously, man. Trey told Pret-a-Reporter that while working with the shoe company he'd be applying his father's philosophy of "Everything you touch, make it better," which is an admirable notion, but why is he choosing to specifically improve the world of footwear?
"I feel like the shoes I wear each day set a piece of that day's tempo. When I'm DJ'ing I usually like any sleek low profile shoes—when I'm up there on stage I don't want shoes being louder than my mix," he said. Okay, now this all makes perfect sense. Who among us hasn't been in the club just getting jiggy with it only to be completely distracted by the DJ's footwear selection? It's a real evening killer.
He was a good sport man while in high
While attending Oaks Christian High School, a private institution that costs around $30,000 per year to attend, Trey played football. Oaks Christian didn't have just any old football program. According to ABC News , in the team's first 10 seasons, it racked up "six district championships and boasts 120 victories, 12 losses and one tie." That's an outstanding record, so for Trey to be one of the team's star wide receivers, he must have been pretty good. He was also playing alongside some other notable celebrity offspring, namely Joe Montana's son, Nick, and Wayne Gretzky's son, Trevor, schoolwho were both quarterbacks.
Trey was reportedly "offered a scholarship by FCS Northern Arizona," according to the Daily Mail , but he supposedly turned it down to pursue a career in music. At least, that's what everyone speculated. By the way, why a school felt that offering a scholarship to the son of a guy who earns tens of millions of dollars per movie would be any kind of a lure is beyond us. Now, had FCS Northern Arizona offered to provide a time machine that would have allowed Trey to go back and stop the production of Wild Wild West (1999) or block Twitter on Jaden's phone, then maybe, just maybe, they could have gotten him.
He was a sneaker and a model in what he is good at.
Even though he's now a minor celebrity in the music business as a DJ and electronic music producer, Trey made his showbiz debut when he was just 5 years old in the video for his dad's song, "Just the Two of Us." You may remember him standing on a prop ship in his little v-neck sweater and saying, "Now dad, this is a very sensitive subject…" It was adorable, and both the song and the video were a huge hit. The tune reached no. 20 on
Billboard's Hot 100 , and the video came out back when they still showed videos on TV, so it was a big deal for Trey to be in it.
A few years later, Trey had a small role on two episodes of a show Will and Jada created called All of Us, but he must not have felt the spark, because the series lasted four more seasons and Trey did not appear again. His next acting gig occurred five years later for a short called The Speech in which he's credited as "Football Player," so it's safe to say he never caught the acting bug.
It's also worth noting that toward the end of the "Just the Two of Us" video, Jada appears. Will is next to her, smiling and touching her belly. Yep, you guessed it, she is carrying none other than Jaden himself. Even before he was born, he couldn't help but upstage his big brother.
Posted via Blogaway kennynthny.blogspot.con
Mother Who Abandoned Her Newborn Twins Re-Appears... Nigerians pay hospital bill
It was tears of joy for the Ademola family on Thursday as Nigerians from different parts of the country indicated interest in settling the medical bill of the newborn twins of the family.
The babies had been detained over the inability of the family to pay the remaining N150,000 of the N300,000 medical bill, after the father paid N150,000 and begged for time to pay the balance.
The mother, Sarah Ademola, had fled Felken Maternity Centre in Lagos, where she was delivered of the babies, due to the inability of her husband, Adeyemi Ademola, to pay the bill.
Adeyemi had told Punch that he was frustrated by the development, adding that he was making efforts to settle the bills.
He had lamented the financial difficulty of the family, saying those who owed him debts had refused to pay.
The matter was taken to Somolu Police Station, where the DPO planned to mediate.
However, after the report hit the newsstand on Thursday, many Nigerians indicated interest in settling the bills, as well as helping the family.
Among those who showed interest were the wife of the Lagos State Governor, Bolanle Ambode; a member of the Senate representing Lagos East, Senator Gbenga Asafa; a retired military officer, Gen. Oviemo Ovadje; and non-governmental organisations, among others.
Some other Nigerians outside the country were also said to have called the hospital to indicate willingness to pay the bill.
It was learnt that one of the NGOs that visited earlier on Thursday that eventually paid the money, just as Asafa gave the babies N100,000.
The matron of the hospital, Mrs. Gloria Akinbobola, said, “Immediately the report came out this morning, an NGO came and transferred the balance into our account. They also promised to give the family N50,000 to take care of the babies.
“They don’t want to be identified. We have received calls from many other people. A lot of them have been making promises.”
A representative of Senator Asafa, Kanmi Adebowale, said the N100,000 gift was for the upkeep of the girls, adding that the senator decided to support the family because they lived within his senatorial district.
When Punch reached out to the mother Sarah, she said, “I didn’t abandon my twins. I had to flee the maternity centre because I was not well taken care of.
“All they were interested in was their money. They said they would not attend to me until their N300,000 was complete. I was abandoned in the place... I had to run away to find solution to my health.
“I am in a place where they are treating me now. Please pray for me to survive. I am dying. I don’t want to die. I want to live to take care of my babies. I want to reap the fruit of my labour.”
Reacting, the husband said, “We are grateful to Nigerians. We have found the mother of the twins, but the problem is that she is terribly sick and has been taken to her hometown in Agbowa.”
But to be candid, N300,000 was billed for what if I may ask? If delivery was as expensive as this, man it's not gonna be easy ooh, also pray your health is restored to perfect conditions. Amen
Finally, Mikel Obi joins Chinese club Tianjin TEDA after 11 years with Chelsea
Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi has become the latest ex- Premier League star to make a big-money move to Chinese Super League after completing his medicals with Tianjin TEDA yesterday.The midfielder, who had been frozen out of first-team football by coach Antonio Conte this season, will reportedly earn £140,000 a week.
The 29-year-old who arrived Stamford Bridge in 2006, is understood to have signed a three-year deal, after a successful spell in England, winning the Champions League, two Premier League titles and four FA Cups.
This Unknown Man of God had caused a lot of uproar on Facebook for his unbelievable wonders
An unknown man of God has caused uproar on social media after performing unbelievable wonders in his church.
In the disturbing footage uploaded on Facebook by M Gossip Mill yesterday, the unidentified man of God ordered his congregation to come forward for deliverance, before performing numerous wonders, which sent most of the members flying to the floor.
In another segment of his deliverance, the pastor whose church is yet unknown, was also seen performing wonders with his feet.
Facebook users didn’t find it funny as they angrily lashed out on the pastor.
Watch the video and read their comments below..
Female Corper Ezinne Okorie who survived tragic accident shares shocking photos
What this lady survived is beyond talk...this is a miracle. Ezinne Okorie, a female corper, took to her page to thank God for saving her from a tragic accident which saw her head scalded and all her face bloodied. See the graphic photos below...
...and here is Ezinne after leaving the hospital.
It's indeed ' a Miracle
Photos: Babcock University undergraduate allegedly commits suicide
Unokyur Verishima, a Babcock University undergraduate allegedly committed suicide recently. Husband of actress Foluke Daramola, Olukayode Salako, who runs a school where the deceased passed out from, shared the sad story online. He wrote;
"Sadly this boy committed suicide So sad! What must have made this boy to take his own life?! What?!
He was from a very responsible and financially comfortable home. He was getting good care from his mother?!
He was a very good, brilliant and quiet boy, who had the best of education! Mrs. Unokyoh has been a very good woman to her children, who has committed everything she has to their full support.Oh! God! Who did this to my friend and buxom sister?!
Who did this to the Bosworth College community?!
Who did this to Babcock university?!Who remoted this boy to cause this widow this terrible pain?!
Who?!
Who?!!
Who?!!!
Who did this to my friend?!Ah! Africa!A fi ika!
It is only God who can console you Pat!
Good bye, my boy!May God accept your innocent soul!Bosworth College International will miss always miss you!
But still amazing why one will take his life?
Gambian President-elect, Adama Barrow, denounces reports of his assassination, says he is "alive and well"
Reports were rife online this evening that Gambian president-elect, Adama Barrow, was assassinated by suspected loyalists of his rival and incumbent President of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh. Barrow's media aides tweeted this evening denouncing the rumor. They also shared this photo of Barrow with the UK and US Ambassadors to Gambia earlier today after a meeting.
Please ignore the previous blog
Gambian President-Elect Adama Barrow Killed
I just hope this is not true, because if it is the country will suffer a lot.
According to reports, Gambia’s president-elect Adama Barrow who vowed to take office on January 19 despite the refusal of outgoing President Yahya Jammeh to give up power has been killed by unknown assailants.
The assailants overpowered the security guards of Mr. Barrow, leaving two of the guards dead and other six injured from gunshots.
President Yahya Jammeh, the ‘prime suspect’ has denied any involvement in the incident.
The allegedly assassination of Barrow comes few days after he referred to the country’s constitution that a court action taken by Jammeh cannot prevent the winner of the poll from assuming office as mandated by the constitution.
He was responding to Jammeh, who said Saturday that a decision of the Economic Community of West African States to send troops to ensure a peaceful transition of power was a “declaration of war” and called for a fresh poll.
“It should be crystal clear that filing an election petition is the private matter of a loser in an election. It does not prevent mandatory constitutional processes from taking place,” Barrow had said.
LIke I said, I hope the story of his death is not true.
Snail Farming – How to farm these slow creatures for fast profits in Africa
Snail farming in Africa is one of the top interesting business opportunities on the continent. The funny thing about these slow growing creatures is that they feed only at night which makes it less economical.
West Africa is home to the largest species of land snail in the world. The Giant African land snail (Achatina species), is known to grow up to 30cm in length and can be found in the dense tropical rain forests across the region from Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana to Nigeria.
For hundreds of years, Africa’s appetite for snails has been served through traditional means. Snails handpicked from the bush (usually in the dead of the night after a rain pour) have been the only way to get snails to the market and dinner table.
However, as Africa’s population explodes and our forests continue to be sacrificed to build cities, the (bush) supply of snails cannot keep up with the soaring demand.
This has created an opportunity in the market for snail breeders and farmers who now cultivate these interesting creatures on small scale farms and in their backyards for impressive profits.
Let’s find out how fast these slow animals can bring in cash….
First, the impressive success story of an African snail farmer…
Snail farming is a niche and unusual lucrative venture but little known venture.
They are ready to eat anytime they are hardened at the shell and they take up to 8 - 12 months to reach the full maturity time and the cost ranges with their location as it ranges from N500 - N1000
Snails are a great delicacy, and for good reason too…
Snails are a huge part of the diet in many parts of Africa, although they are not always affordable and available all year round. Their high protein, low fat and cholesterol content make them a nutritional favourite.
Snails contain almost all the amino acids needed by the body and most of its by-products are used for cosmetics and medicines.
As our population becomes more interested in healthier living and low-cholesterol diets, snails will become a popular alternative to to all the fatty and non-healthy meats that flood our markets nowadays. They are much cheaper than red meat with greater health benefits on top!
Snails have, for a long time, been a popular and recurring item on the menus of hotels, restaurants and bars where they often feature as boiled, fried and spiced kebabs. They are also a great addition to soups and stews which are a significant part of most African dishes.
Market Opportunities for Snail Farming in Africa
Most of the snails supplied to the African market are gathered from bushes and forests during the rainy season (usually between April and September).
Because snails are very dormant during the dry season, they become increasingly scarce during this period and the market is starved of adequate supply until the next wet season. This makes the supply of snails very seasonal in many parts of Africa where they serve as food.
As a consequence, snails can fetch much higher prices during the dry season (December to March) when supply often does not keep up with demand.
Snails may go on break during the dry seasons but the human appetite for its taste always remains, and continues to grow throughout the year. And to think that several festivities take place during the dry season (Christmas et al), makes this a first choice agribusiness.
Due to steadily growing demand from customers, hotels and restaurants are always in need of snail delicacies on their menus. And given the significant upside to the profits that can be made, it makes a lot of sense to take maximum advantage of this market when the supply of snails is significantly short.
Success tips for aspiring Snail farming in Africa
As a small scale starter, your primary goal should be to take advantage of the seasonality of this market in order to gain premium prices for your snails. Target the high-end customers (hotels, restaurants and households) who can afford to pay a premium for a steady supply of the product.
If you supply all year round, you are likely to earn lesser during the rainy seasons (when supply is in abundance) and more in the dry seasons (when the product is scarce).
You could buy cheaply from the villages and other remote areas while the supply is up during the rainy season and maintain a healthy stock of large snails that you can unleash on your customers when supply falls in the dry season.
For this to happen, you must start your snail farm with the right species (the Giant African type) and ensure that you apply proper breeding, stocking and feeding practices to achieve the huge sizes that will make you a highly sought after supplier.
If your snails are bred well, they should start to reach market size from six to twelve months, although some farmers like to leave theirs for much longer.
You are welcome anytime for consultancy and breeding teachings.
Presently, more than 90 percent of the snails supplied to our local markets are picked from the forests. While this has been the traditional supply source, our growing population and rising rural to urban migration rates make it unsustainable.
An artificial intervention like snail farming is the only way to satisfy the growing demand. And as long as a huge chunk of the market depends on snails captured in the wild, nobody can assure a steady and consistent supply of large snails like a farmer like Me who breeds snails in his/her backyard!
Some things you should consider before you start a snail farm…
In terms of cost and time, snail farming is a low risk business. Unlike many other livestock businesses, snail farming requires very little startup and operating costs.
It can be run from your backyard (if you have a sizeable one) or on that piece of land wasting away in your neighbourhood or village.
Snails are friendly to the environment and their droppings are not offensive (unlike pigs and poultry) so there’s no chance of an angry neighbor will come knocking.
Snails also multiply really fast laying up to 100 eggs in one go. Because snails are hermaphrodites (have both male and female sexual organs), they get to mate easily throughout the year. This high reproduction rate has made snails a pest in many regions of the world.
However, it’s this fast reproductive ability that makes these slow creatures a delight to an entrepreneur. Snails can give very high returns on your initial investment if you do your homework well and target niche and repeat customers.
If you have any experience in this area, we’re sure a lot of people reading this would love to learn from it, Please leave a comment in the section below or share this opportunity with a friend.
You are welcome anytime for consultancy and breeding teachings.
Like Janet Jackson, lets tell you 8 other celebs that gave birth at almost 50
Are you feeling too old to have a baby? Please don’t. Last night, music legend Janet Jackson welcomed her first child at the age 50. She gave birth to a baby boy named Eissa January 3, 2017.
With this, we went back in time to dig out some of Hollywood’s leading superstars who have proved that age ain’t nothing but a number.
From Kelly Preston who welcomed her third child at 47, to Halle Berry who welcomed both of her children in her forties, to Marcia Cross who birthed her twins at 44, let’s take you through a quick journey of high-profile celebs that got pregnant and birthed their babies at 40+.
He might have won our hearts in Father of the Bride, but he didn't have a child of his own until he was 67 in 2012 with wife Anne Stringfield.
At 58, actor Michael Douglas and his long-time wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, welcomed their second child together, Carys Zeta Douglas. They also have a son, Dylan Michael, who was 2 and a half when Carys was born.
He may be the British hunk we all dream of in romantic comedies, but becoming a dad was a shock for Grant, who had his first child at the age of 51 with girlfriend Tinglan Hong.
Halle Berry, 47
American actress, Halle Maria Berry welcomed her daughter Nahla at 42 and son Maceo-Robert at 47.
Madonna, 42
American singer, Madonna was delighted to welcome her son with English film director Guy Ritchie, on August 11 2000.
Laura Linney, 49
49-year-old actress Laura Linney and her husband, real estate agent Marc Schauerwelcomed their first child Bennett Armistead Schaue in 2014 when Laura was 49 years old.
At the age of 66, Hugh Hefner had his last child, Cooper, with the playmate of the Year Kimberley Conrad. He welcomed second child, daughter Alexandria, at the age of 45.
Beautiful Photos Of Nigerian A Couple & Their Quadruplets, God's blessing
Mr and Mrs Mathew from Delta state had their adorable quadruplets named Jason, Jeff, Ryan, on 14th December, 2015. The couple met as course mates at UNIPORT, fell in love, got married years later and were blessed with quadruplets. A big family! See more photos...
Do you pray for such, then claim it
Obasanjo Replies Awujale with a letter : You Are A Rumour Monger, A Liar
President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria's former leader, has written to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, describing the monarch as a serial liar and a manipulative rumour monger.
In the letter dated December 30, 2016, Obasanjo described the claims made about him by Awujale in his autobiography as a tissue of lies.
In the book, entitled “Awujale: The Autobiography of Alaiyeluwa Oba S. K. Adetona, Ogbagba II”, the Ijebu monarch had accused Baba Obasanjo of having used the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to blackmail and extort during his tenure as president.
Obasanjo has now written to Oba Adetona. In the letter obtained by PT, he said the claims in the book and the spreading of falsehood about him was unbecoming of a monarch of Awujale's standing.
Read Baba Obasanjo's letter below:
FORMER PRESIDENT OBASANJO’S LETTER
December 30, 2016
His Royal Highness,
Oba Alaiyeluwa S. K. Adetona,
The Awujale & Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland,
Oba Adetona Road,
P. O. Box 263, Ijebu Ode.
The extract from your Autobiography “Awujale: The Autobiography of Alaiyeluwa Oba S. K. Adetona, Ogbagba II”, published by Mosuro Publishers 2010, pp. 187-195, which I attach to this letter was presented to me for my attention.
Your assertion in the publication was a tissue of lies and untruths. Olopade is one of my best friends and yes, I would be at his birthday celebration but I would not have invited Mike, your cousin, to meet me anywhere other than my office or official residence as President of Nigeria. Kabiyesi, do you think I would set the press up to capture me and Mike in a photograph for the newspapers? That would be puerile of me as President. Of course, I could not say that Mike could not do that. That you think that I, as President of Nigeria, would descend to such depravity makes me think of you much less than I thought of you, until now.
The invitation to Mike to contribute to the building of the Library block of Bells University was issued to him by the then Vice-Chancellor, Professor Julius Okogie, who never told me about inviting Mike to so contribute until Mike pulled out. And that I have not and I will not talk to Mike about it should convince you that I know nothing about its genesis.
Under my watch, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was free to do its job as it saw fit. Common sense would suggest that wild rumours should not be perpetrated by an Oba of your calibre. Kabiyesi, your cousin did not tell you that My Chief of Staff, Abdul Mohammed, put his reputation on line by assuring EFCC that Mike would go nowhere and they should trust him to give him his passport. I did not even know that Abdul had done that until the Chairman of EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, reported the case of my Chief of Staff seemingly colluding with Mike to run out of the country. But I had implicit confidence in my Chief of Staff and I was to resolve the issue. Should your cousin not have mentioned to Abdul who guaranteed the release of his passport his fears and intention to go on exile?
On several occasions, Nuhu Ribadu has asserted that, under my watch, he was a free agent to do his work as he deemed fit. Where it was necessary, he reported the outcome of his work to me and the subsequent or follow-up actions he intended to take. On no occasion did I guide, lead or direct him on what to do.
Mike did not need to send anything to me to satisfy me, he needed to satisfy EFCC and so your sending any documents to me was insinuating that I am the one to be satisfied rather than the EFCC. So, such documents were not paid any attention by me. You, as the cousin and part beneficiary from Mike as you have told me in the past, would not be able to see the tree from the forest as far as the mode of operation of Nuhu Ribadu was concerned viz-a-viz Mike. If the EFCC was investigating anybody, I did not consider it right for me as the President of Nigeria to be undermining EFCC by hobnobbing with that person. EFCC must be given free hand to do its work. Even if such a person was my child, the best I could do would be to secure a good lawyer to handle the matter before the EFCC for that child.
It is not only in the case of Obajana Cement that you were rumour-mongering about me. You have done that repeatedly on many occasions. The latest one you did in 2016 was you telling me that you heard that I had gone to Rasak Okoya to seek to marry her daughter, Abiola, when it was the girl that came to appeal to me to intervene to placate and appeal to her father to forgive her for all her misbehaviour to her father. I did and the father and daughter were reconciled. I told you even then that it was unbecoming of an Oba. Of course, I am used to such rumours, slandering and insinuations since my days as a Unit Commander in the Army and I have developed thick skin. If ten per cent of the rumours ascribing businesses and properties I know nothing about were true, I would be the richest man on earth.
But recently, when Aliko, yourself and myself were together, Aliko assured you that I never ever had a single share in any of Aliko’s business interests but whenever he has called on me to help within and without to promote his business interest, I have always helped and I will always do because that is part of my job as a Nigerian leader – to help Nigerians grow their businesses or interests – and I have done that for other Nigerians and indeed for non-Nigerians, Africans and non-Africans who have requested me for help.
It was revealing to me on that occasion when Aliko made the point that one of his directors on his cement company is somebody very close to you.
I owed nobody any apologies in the course of doing my work as I believe I should do it or in the course of defending the interest of Nigeria and defending my integrity. As I could not open the treasury for S. O. Bakare for your so-called political support to me, I did not regard that as an offence. To the extent that I believed and regarded as proper, I instructed Tony Anenih as Minister of Works to patronize S. O. Bakare as a Peugeot car dealer. I will not comment on Atiku issue that you touched upon in your book because I have dealt with that elsewhere and you were only dabbling into an area where and thing you are absolutely ignorant about.
All that you wanted me to do in respect of Mike was improper whether when I was President or when I was out of office. I must not be seen to be in the way of allowing law to take its natural course. All I should do is to help the course of the law and help secure a good lawyer to help the process.
It is of interest to me that Mike did not tell you that when he wanted national honour, he came to me and I did not react until Babangida recommended him and said, “Of all those I have helped, Mike is one of the most appreciative.”
Kabiyesi, if I have squandered all the goodwill I had, you would not have contacted me on behalf of All Progressive Party, APC, to receive them in 2014 and you would not have been personally present when I received them as I demanded. I probably have greater goodwill today internally and externally than I had in office.
Kabiyesi, the total sum of what you have put down in those pages of your book is that I dislike Mike. Maybe I need to remind you that if there was any iota of truth in such a position or mindset, Mike would not have been granted the mobile telephone licence which made him a billionaire. It was my prerogative as the President so to do. You may also be reminded that in the first round of the auction which Mike did not make, the country earned US$285 million for each licence. The country earned only US$200 million from the licence transaction with Mike and in the subsequent transaction with Etisalat, the country earned US$400 million. It was a deliberate action on my part that a Nigerian should own one of the licences. Anybody else but Mike could have been that Nigerian.
Kabiyesi, the type of hate propaganda you have tried to project in that section of your book against my person is grossly unbecoming of an Oba let alone an Oba of your status and stature.
However, I still accord you the respect which I believe an Oba should be accorded and one for that matter who I presume to be a friend. In spite of your unfortunate projection, my position remains the same – respect for you as an Oba and a friend.
Kabiyesi, I believe that I should set the record straight for posterity and to caution you from engaging in unedifying rumour-mongering and untruth. Accept the assurances of my highest consideration.
- OLUSEGUN OBASANJO
Travails Of Desperate Single Ladies
When a single lady gets to her 30s and above... she begins to worry about her marital status. Juliana Francis writes on these unmarried ladies’ dilemma, especially in the hands of fake clerics who exploit their desperation and some even go as far as using them for s*x.
Today, Yemi Judith’s voice is filled with amusement as she recalled her encounter with the White garment pastor who assisted with prayers towards her need for a husband and retaining a new job.
Judith refused to disclose her full name and age; she is however, a pretty woman, slight in frame and curvaceous.
She narrated: “The fasting and prayer was for two weeks. The pastor said that I needed a freshly ejaculated spe-rm to be poured into water for me to bath with
He said the spiritual bath would serve as conclusion of the two-week prayers. He said I would have to bath with the water in order for me to get my own husband and retain the job I just got.
I was greatly worried. I didn’t know how to go about getting the spe-rm. And I desperately wanted the prayer to work. I told him my worry about the sperm.
He said that I shouldn’t worry; he said he was available for me.”
When the pastor told Judith he was available for her, she became confused.
The pastor took pains to explain to her. She recalled: “The pastor said that he would need to penetrate me and that when he was on the verge of org-asm, he would quickly pull out. He said that I would hand him a bowl, to pour the semen.”
According to the pastor, if she pours the semen into water and use it to bath, she will get a husband. Judith knew something was offkey about this latest and bizarre demand from him. But how does she refuse without offending God?
She was, however, literarily saved by the doorbell.
She was ruminating about the issue, when loud and repeatedly banging assaulted the pastor’s door.
Judith’s experience is a classic example of the sort of hell and scam thousands of ladies fall into, in their quest for husbands. If the lady is rich, then it’s even better for the unscrupulous pastors.
Surprisingly, many of these women are highly educated and smart.
But they still fall into the clutches of these fraudulent clergies.
The clergies feed and exploit their yearnings.
In Judith’s case, she was taken to the Cherubim and Seraphim Church by her elder sister.
When Judith met the pastor, she was unemployed. But that changed after he prayed for her. The job was the clincher for Judith.
The pastor soon had her eating out his hands. He was like a thin-god to her. He then decided to ‘do some spiritual works for her,’ so that she could get married and also retain her new job.
She said: “When I got the job, he said I should bring my first ‘fruit’ to the church. I did. I believed in him. I used to go to him for spiritual advice.
He then told me that there was a prayer he would do for me, so that I could get a husband. He asked me to bring a lot of items for the prayer. The prayer would last for two weeks.
“After two weeks, he said the conclusion of the prayer, would involve a spiritual bath.
He asked me to come to the church in the morning. I went there.
He said I should wait. After everyone left, he said we should conclude the prayer somewhere. We landed at his house. “Unfortunately, people used to come there to meet him for prayers.
He locked the door and asked me to strip. He said the prayer needed sperm. He said it was vital. He said his penetration would be over within three minutes. People who came for prayer started knocking.
He ignored them. But his sister came and joined in banging at the door, he finally opened the door. “I have heard of such things happening to women, but that was the first time I would be experiencing such.
"I would have fallen victim. I thank God he didn’t force me. He was a man and stronger. He could have subdued me.”
Although Judith didn’t fall for the scam of the pastor, she however said she knew so many single and searching ladies had fallen for such a ruse.
She stressed that education was important in being able to tackle such a challenge.
She said that her education and background made her to know that the pastor was trying to take advantage of her.
She said that education breeds knowledge and makes women to know their rights.
She further said: “The culture of saying a woman must get married is another issue making women to fall prey to these fraudulent pastors.
This sort of culture shouldn’t be allowed to continue. People shouldn’t look down on women who are not married. Women should rise above societal pressure. Marriage should be by choice.”
Another heart-breaking story is that of 37-year-old Anurika Onyeme, a trader and BSc holder. She was taken before a dirty river and flogged with three big brooms.
She was not allowed to get up from a seat, which was placed inside the river until the three brooms all got splintered and some stuck on her body.
She would later find blood streaming down her abused back and splintered broomsticks stuck into her skin.
In spite of the ordeal, she’s still single and searching. According to her, she went to visit a friend at Car Wash area of Egbeda, Lagos, when she met the pastor.
The pastor, incidentally, is the owner of the Celestial Church in the area.
Anurika’s friend lives in the compound, where the pastor built his church.
When the pastor sighted Anurika, he told her that she wouldn’t ever be able to get married until her ‘water husband’ stopped tailing her and hindering other men’s interest in her.
At that period, Anurika was dating a guy, residing in Germany.
The guy was already talking of coming to Nigeria to meet Anurika’s family and carry out the traditional marriage rites. Anurika’s interest was arrested when the pastor mentioned her guy in Germany.
He also told her that the ‘water husband’ was making her business not to prosper. When he realised he had captured her interest, he told her that he needed to do ‘some spiritual works’ for her.
Her words: “He said that after the exercise, my guy in Germany would rush down to Nigeria within a week or two, to take me with him to Germany.
He said I should buy some items to appease my spirit husband. The items were over 13 and I bought all. He then asked me to pay N6,000 for his workmanship.
I paid. He said on a Tuesday or Thursday, which are days of ‘Isegun,’ his three assistant pastors, would take me to a flowing river. But it wasn’t a flowing river they took me to.
It was a dirty river, filled with human faeces and refuse. I even paid before we were allowed access into the river.
“We went with three brooms. I removed my clothes and threw them away as instructed.
I tied a white cloth, which was one of the items I was instructed to buy. I entered the dirty river with a seat. I sat there and the three men flogged me.
They sang as they flogged me. They were told not to stop until all the broomsticks had been splintered.
My skin was torn and bloody. It was hell! But even after that, nothing happened. I didn’t get married. I’m still single.”
Anurika’s business didn’t flourish and neither did her guy in Germany keep to his marriage promises.
She had another encounter with a Pentecostal pastor; this particular one was pushed on her by her mum. The pastor’s name is Iyke. He appeared good, but turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Pastor Iyke said that he needed to pray for Anurika, so that she could get a husband, since age was no longer on her side.
Anurika said: “When he came to Lagos from Abia State, he said that the spirit of God told him that I would marry a pastor and that pastor was him.
I didn’t believe him. He later tried the same game with my friend, who was also single.”
She discovered few weeks after he left Lagos to Abia State, he got married to his fiancée. She further recalled another Pentecostal pastor she met at a prayer mountain, located at Iyana-Isashi, Lagos.
The pastor’s name is Emeka. He was the person that approached her and her two friends at the mountain, while they were praying.
He prayed with them and they exchanged phone numbers. He subsequently started going to visit the three ladies at their homes.
The friendship, however, came to an end, when he showed his true colour. She said: “He said that God told him that I needed to have a spiritual bath.
He said that he would be the person that would bath me. I refused. He tried to pull the same stunt with my two friends, he didn’t succeed. He stopped coming.”
Anurika advised every single lady who are still searching to look up to God.
She added: “Some of these pastors can see, but lack solution. As long as there is life, ladies should hope on God.”
A pastor, Opeoluwa Sunday, said: “It’s in the bible; in the end time a man will be married to seven women, not because of love, because these women want to ease themselves of the shame and bitterness they are facing, so they plead to bear his name while they provide for their needs themselves.”
He said: “The cause of not getting married at the appropriate time is not a hard thing to deal with. A lot of ladies have visited me due to this issue and all I did was to bring the lady closer to God with the help of the bible. She can continue with some prayers, and if the situation is serious, we support her with more prayers and encourage her to go into fasting.”
Pastor Sunday stressed that prayer is the key to getting a good husband, but thatmany single ladies are not ready to pray sincerely, they want sharp sharpsolution, which is why they keep falling into wrong hands.
Billionaire Mike Adenuga emerges biggest Billionaire Gainer in Africa in 2016
By Kate Vinton of Forbes
Exactly half of Africa’s 20 billionaires got richer in 2016. The continent's biggest gainer -- in both dollar and percentage terms - is Nigerian oil and telecom tycoon Mike Adenuga, whose net worth increased $2.7 billion to $5.8 billion since December 31, 2015.
No other African billionaire added more than $1 billion to his or her net worth in the past year.
Overall, the combined net worths of African billionaires decreased $3.1 billion in 2016.
The increase in Adenuga’s net worth is largely due to new information FORBES obtained in 2016 about the value of his assets. Adenuga owns Nigerian telecom company Globacom and Nigerian oil company Conoil Producing. While Adenuga's net worth has increased since the beginning of 2016, it has dropped significantly since March 2016, when FORBES valued his fortune at $10 billion on the 2016 Billionaires List. Since then, his net worth has dropped $4.2 billion, due to the devaluation of the Nigerian Naira and the country's struggling oil sector. Adenuga was the only Nigerian billionaires whose net worth increased this year. (Aliko Dangote, the richest Nigerian and Africa's richest man, saw his fortune drop nearly 28% to $12.4 billion over the course of 2016.)
South African mining billionaire Patrice Motsepe and Egyptian billionaires Nassef Sawiris and Naguib Sawiris were the next biggest gainers in Africa, each adding $500 million to their fortunes over the year. Motsepe was also Africa's second biggest percentage gainer; his net worth increased by 32% in 2016, bringing his fortune to $1.5 billion. The stock price of Motsepe’s African Rainbow ARBJY +% Minerals has risen nearly 130% in the past year, following a steep decline in 2015.
Nassef Sawiris the richest billionaire in Egypt with a fortune that FORBES pegs at $5.2 billion, runs one of the largest nitrogen fertilizer producers in the world, OCI, and also owns 7% of Adidas and nearly 5% of cement giant LafargeHolcim. While OCI stock is down 27% over the past year, Adidas stock is up 58% and LafargeHolcim is up 7%, leading to the bump in his net worth. Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris, who has a $3.5 billion fortune announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Orascom Telecom Media & Technology in December 2016.
Egypt and South Africa were the only African countries where more than half of the country’s billionaires got richer in 2016. In both, four out of seven billionaires added to their wealth in the past year.
In Nigeria, meanwhile, only one of four billionaires got richer this year - Mike Adenuga.
