PDP crisis: Muazu meets with IBB, Niger Governor Aliyu

Muazu

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu,took his reconciliatory mission to Minna,yesterday, conferring    with former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida.

He also met with Governor Babangida  Aliyu.

With Mu’azu  on the  Minna trip were 14 other top ranking PDP members including  the PDP National Youth Leader, Alhaji Abdullahi Maibasera, former  House of  Representatves Speaker Ghali Na’aba and the state PDP acting chairman, Mr. Tanko Beji.

However,all members of Mu’azu’s entourage were excused from the meeting with General Babangida to enable the duo have a private and confidential chat.

The PDP national chairman and his team drove into Babangida’s premises at about 12:05pm, and immediately  commenced discussion  with the ex-military ruler.

The meeting  lasted till 1:05pm.

General Babangida declined to talk to newsmen at the end of the meeting.

“I am not going to say a word. I am not talking,” he told reporters who had gathered at his residence.

The PDP national chairman however said that he was in Minna   in furtherance of  his reconciliatory initiative.

He said:”I am here in continuation of my visit to our elders and I had a fruitful meeting with the former President. It was a fruitful meeting.”

He gave no details of their discussion.

He merely said:”What we discussed is not meant  for public consumption. All I can say is that we had a fruitful discussion”.

Mu’azu’s entourage  later left for the private residence of Governor  Aliyu for another meeting which lasted twenty minutes.

2015: Atiku Dumps PDP For APC

Strong indications emerged yesterday that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will mid next week dump his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Saturday Vanguard gathered yesterday that the decision to take the action and leave the party was borne out of the frustration and humiliation the PDP has made him go through, just as he has concluded nationwide consultative tours of the six geo-political zones of the country where he brainstormed with stakeholders, leaders and supporters on his next political journey ahead of 2015 Presidential election.

A source at his Jabi office told Saturday Vanguard yesterday that Atiku Abubakar has concluded plans to leave PDP for APC.

Atiku had raised some grievances against the PDP and substantiated his marginalization of not being wanted, even as he stressed that he is a BOT member by right but he is not being called to its meetings and so does not attend, adding that he is a NEC member by right under the constitution, but he has been barred from its meetings because invitations are not given to him.

He also complained that by the norms of the party, he is entitled to being invited to its PDP caucus and said that Dr. Alex Ekwueme, a former Vice President gets those invitations, but he gets none of those, adding that he is not considered as a major stakeholder in taking decisions affecting the Adamawa State Chapter of the party.

In a statement he issued last week and titled, “The Challenges of a Decision,” the former Presidential aspirant on the platform of PDP noted that he has begun consultation tour of Nigeria, Dubai and London, even as he said that there was what he termed a sustained effort by the party managers and government to entrench impunity and its lack of preparedness to open up the party for democratic competition.

He added that his decision to defect to APC may be borne out of the fact that Governors elected on the platform of PDP have already given an automatic ticket to President Goodluck Jonathan for his re-election bid.

Meanwhile, a statement from his office to Saturday Vanguard yesterday said that the former Vice President yesterday concluded his nationwide consultative meeting with that of the North-East geo-political zone in Bauchi.

Lagos Starts War Against Commercial Drivers, Conductors over Non-complied Documentation

The Lagos State Government has warned that it would begin to impound commercial vehicles and arrest drivers and conductors yet to register with it.

This is warning was contained in a statement signed on January 31, 2014, Friday, by Mr Sina Thorpe, Asst. Director (Press and Public Relations), Lagos State Ministry of Transportation.

The government had on November 1, 2013, directed commercial vehicle owners, drivers and conductors to carry out data documentation.

It announced that the deadline for the documentation would be December 31, 2013.

According to the statement, the registration is aimed at ensuring safety and security of Lagos residents in line with Regulation 41 of the Lagos Road Traffic Law, 2012.

“With effect from Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014, we will commence full enforcement.

“The enforcement which ought to have commenced on Jan. 1, was postponed due to pleas from the leadership of the various transport workers’ unions.

“The state government has been magnanimous to have suspended the enforcement for 30 days.

“Anyone found not to have complied with the directive would be appropriately sanctioned,” it said.

The statement also noted that the delay in the documentation was hindering the take-off of the implementation of the other aspect of the policy – issuance of licence to registered commercial vehicle operators.

“The actual issuance of commercial vehicle operator’s licence, conductor’s and driver’s badges may commence before March, 2014.

“The accreditation processes still continue; we appeal to owners of commercial vehicles, drivers and conductors who are yet to register, to do so immediately, as government would enforce the law to the letter,” it added.

It urged passengers to cooperate with the government during the enforcement by not sympathising with the operators.

The drivers and conductors are to register in any of the five Lagos State Drivers’ Institutes in Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe.

(NAN) 
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/58212.html

How Two Friends Landed Themselves 10 Years Jail Time

The rising rate of kidnapping in the country has been a cause to worry lately. It seems the perpetrators of these crimes have evolved from people who kidnap as a form of protest, to people who kidnap as a means of livelihood.

What ever reason is chosen for the hideous act, however, kidnapping is still very much seen as a crime in the country; a highly condemned crime that the authorities are fighting tooth and nail to curb.

The arms of justice caught up with two friends yesterday, as they bagged themselves a hefty jail term for masterminding a series of kidnapping.

The men, Fawole Abimbola and Peter Tominiyi, are reportedly involved in the two cases of kidnaps before they were finally arrested and put on trial.

Their trial has however been on since 2011, following allegations that they masterminded the kidnap of a businessman identified as Alhaji Rauf Olaiya, and another woman identified as Mrs Babatunde Victoria.

Abimbola and Tominiyi allegedly received ransoms of N300million and $500 respectively, from both victims.

Based on their crimes, the Osun state high court judge ruling on the case yesterday, Justice Oyejide Falola sentenced the two accused persons to 10 years imprisonment at the Federal Prison, Ilesa.

FRAUD: Nigerian with 107 Citi Bank Cards Arrested at Lagos Airport

Nigerians sha, with dubious manner, imagine  one man with 107 ATM citi ATM card with 2 international travelling passports, sit tight relax and grab a cup of tea or chilled star beer and read below... enjou reading.. this man should face 30 years in prison....

 
A 36-year old Nigerian (in the photo), with two different international passports, has been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, with 107 Citi Bank credit cards.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said in a statement on February 1, 2014,Saturday, said the man, identified as Funsho Oladimeji Babatunde, has been arrested with the automated teller machine cards concealed inside a luggage during the outward screening of Turkish Airline passengers to Istanbul, Turkey.

Hamza Umar, NDLEA Commander at the Airport, said that the suspect had two international passports bearing his photographs but with different names.

“He had a Nigerian passport with the name Funsho Oladimeji Babatunde and a Turkish passport with the name Kosar Kursat both bearing his photographs,” Umar said.

From 107 credit cards recovered from his luggage, 68 were Citi Interswitch Master cards, and 39 – Citi Interswitch Visa cards.

The suspect who is a native of Iwo town in Kwara State lives in Surulere Lagos. He is OND graduate of Economics at the Kwara Polytechnic.

During interrogation he said that his friend from Turkey had called him and asked to bring a consignment cards to Istanbul, Turkey. The suspect further narrated he had collected the cards in Lagos, and put in his bag, before the officer had spotted the cards and took him for interrogation.

The suspect would be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for further investigation, as the suspect had unlawful possession of 107 credit cards, which are believed to be used for fraudulent purposes, since the arrested man was not an authorised agent.

2015: Akwa Ibom No-Go Area For APC – Akpabio

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday threw his weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term ambition and called on the President to declare his 2015 intention now without further delay.

Akpabio, who is the chairman of Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum, PDPGF, made the call in Abuja when he visited the new national chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu in his office at the Wadata Plaza national headquarters of the party.

While promising to deliver to the President all the delegate votes from his state, just like he did during the party’s 2011 presidential primaries, Akpabio also warned that Akwa Ibom is a no-go area for other political parties in 2015.

“We have no doubt and that is why we came to let you know that in Akwa Ibom PDP, there is no shaking. We would deliver the presidency.

“Akwa Ibom is intact for the PDP and it is a no go area for other political parties”, Akpabio said.

He added: “We did it in 2011 and I assure Mr. President that Akwa Ibom will do it again. We were the first set in 2010 to announce our support for him to go for his first tenure in 2011.

“We did that and other states followed. We are again the first state in 2014 to urge Mr. President to go back for a second term in office.

“We are a monolithic group in Akwa Ibom, although you may have one or two people who want to test the political waters here and there”, he added.

Information Nigeria reports that although Mr. Jonathan has deployed delay tactics over his reelection bid, his body language over time and the various support groups springing up calling on him to throw his hat in the ring, has continued to reinforce the general belief and suspicion among party chieftains that he might be scheming to clinch the 2015 presidential ticket of his party.

ECOWAS Leaders Approve $50m For Six-Lane Lagos-Abidjan Highway

Heads of states belonging to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) yesterday approved  $50 million for feasibility studies and design of the six-lane  trans-West African highway project from Lagos to Abidjan.

The Lagos-Abidjan road when completed, will link Ghana, Benin Republic and Togo.

This came following a meeting held  with ECOWAS Ministers of Works and Infrastructure, which was chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The meeting was on the sidelines of the ongoing 22nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Chairman of the Ministerial Project Steering Committee and Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, said the $50 million, which is a contribution by the ECOWAS states, would hasten  the road project that is expected to begin in the first quarter of this year.

Onolememen said $16 million of the money will come from African Development Bank (ADB).

“The feasibility studies are going to be far in excess of $50 million, so the AfDB offered that they have this money, that is the remaining 16 million US dollars to contribute towards raising the total money for the design.

“Now for the full design to be paid for, we actually look forward to getting additional funds from development partners and multinational agencies. But to show commitment from member-states, that is why we are requesting the seed money of $50 million,” Onolememen said.

When completed, Onolememen stressed that the road would ensure proper regional integration in West Africa and also open up the sub-region for commerce.

“For instance, you can imagine what a six-lane dual carriageway leading from Lagos to Abidjan and in future from Abidjan to Dakar will do to the economy of the sub-region. It will certainly transform the economy of the sub-region.

“Nigeria alone provides 50 per cent of the population of the sub-region. So that means manufacturers and businessmen in our country will now have unfettered access to the vast markets of ECOWAS and that is one of the major achievements this project will deliver in addition to bringing about better integration between nations and nationalities of member-states,” the minister added.

Laughing on his private jet - the £93m pastor accused of exploiting British worshippers

This is an old article from the UK daily mail. But its is very shocking to see a leader of a church skin his flock to advantage himself to acquire luxuries, get yourself a cup of tea and relax to raed 

A church run by a controversial multi-millionaire African preacher has been accused of ‘cynical exploitation’ after its British branch received £16.7 million in donations from followers who were told that God would give them riches in return.

Followers are ferried in double-decker shuttle buses to the church, handed slips inviting them to make debit card payments, and are even told obeying the ministry’s teachings will make them immune from illness.

Today’s Mail on Sunday revelations about the Winners’ Chapel movement, which holds charitable status, have prompted the Charity Commission to carry out an assessment of the church – one of the fastest-growing in the UK.

Winners’ Chapel is part of a worldwide empire of evangelical ministries run by Nigeria’s wealthiest preacher David Oyedepo, who has an estimated £93 million fortune, a fleet of private jets and a Rolls-Royce Phantom. 

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Plenty to smile about; Preacher David Oyedepo of the Winners Chapel movement aboard one of his private jets. He also owns a Rolls Royce Phantom

Dubbed ‘The Pastorpreneur’, he was accused earlier this year of slapping the face of a young woman he said was a witch. The assault case was struck out but is being appealed.

Branches of the church have sprung up in major UK cities in a huge recruitment drive centred on Mr Oyedepo’s ‘prosperity gospel’. This claims that congregants who make regular donations and pay tithes – a ten per cent levy on their income – will be rewarded financially by God.

Followers are urged to target vulnerable people such as the lonely, the sick, the homeless and the suicidal as potential candidates for conversion.

Last night, Labour MP Paul Flynn said Winners’ Chapel was cynically exploiting supporters. ‘They [Winners’ Chapel] are making clearly spurious claims and it seems to be a cynical exploitation of the gullible,’ he said.

Referring to the slapping incident, Mr Flynn added: ‘What is also alarming is the reported violence and the lack of respect for the status of women. It’s taking us back to a previous age of ignorance and prejudice that we all thought the church had escaped.’ 

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Caught on camera: Video of Mr Oyedepo striking a young 'witch' across the face in front of a congregation

This newspaper’s investigation can further disclose:

• Congregants are handed a payment slip requesting payments using cheque, cash or debit card when they enter London’s Winners’ Chapel.

• Donations to the ministry in England almost doubled from £2.21 million to £4.37 million between 2006 and 2010.

• Mr Oyedepo’s superchurch in Nigeria received £794,000 or 73 per cent of the charitable donations paid out by the British Winners’ Chapel between 2007 and 2010. This was despite claims in Africa that he is enriching himself at the expense of his devotees.

• The registered charity has spent £6.81 million on evangelism and ‘praise, worship and fellowship’.

• The church’s ‘Joseph Squad’ preaches in British prisons and has a weekly broadcast named ‘Liberation Hour’ on satellite and cable TV here.

In the past three years, Winners’ Chapel churches have been established in Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds and Bradford, adding to those in London, Manchester, Dublin and Glasgow.

An undercover Mail on Sunday reporter attended Sunday services  at Winners’ Chapel’s ‘London HQ’  in Dartford, Kent, which attracts 1,000 congregants – chiefly African and Caribbean immigrants. It is run like ‘a business conference’ by Mr Oyedepo’s son, David Oyedepo Jnr. Packed buses deliver singing worshippers from South-East London, Essex and Kent to the huge auditorium.

The reporter saw a payment slip being given to every person entering the church encouraging them to donate money by cheque or cash or to fill in a form with their debit card details. The slip said tithes should be paid separately using a ‘Kingdom Investment Booklet’ and the reporter was informed that payments could also be made by phone. A pastor told the worshippers: ‘You shall be financially promoted after this service in Jesus’s name if you are ready to honour the Lord therefore with all your givings, your tithes, your offerings, your Kingdom investment, your sacrifices.’

Congregants were told to fill in their slips and hold them above their heads while the donations were blessed.

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One of the fleet: A jet belonging to Mr Oyedepo - he has at least two that he bought with his huge fortune

The service was interspersed with testimonies. ‘I received a bill from  the bank that I didn’t understand, so I prayed,’ said one congregant. ‘A few days later, the bank wrote to apologise for their mistake – Hallelujah!’ ‘Hallelujah,’ the audience shouted back.

Congregants were told they could gain favour by persuading others to follow Mr Oyedepo’s teachings. His son said: ‘Look around you. Someone is sick and already wishing he or she were dead, that is a fruit ripe to harvest. Someone is confounded and considering suicide as an option, that is another fruit that is ripe to harvest.

‘Someone else is lonely and wondering if there is any future for him, that is another fruit ripe to harvest.

‘Also there are many men and women, young and old that are homeless, these are fruits ripe to harvest.’

The reporter was taken, with 20 other new recruits, to a room where preachers gave sermons claiming acceptance of the Lord would prevent them ever being ill or suffering misfortune.

The Mail on Sunday has seen video footage of Mr Oyedepo striking a woman across the face and condemning her to hell after she said she was a ‘witch for Jesus’. He attacked her in a Winners’ Chapel superchurch, believed to be in Nigeria, in front of worshippers. A separate video shows him saying: ‘I slapped a witch here last year!’

In May, he was sued for £800,000 over the alleged assault. The case was struck out – a decision which is now reported to have been appealed.

The Winners’ Chapel movement, also known as the Living Faith Church, has hundreds of churches in Nigeria and across Africa, the Middle East, the UK and the US.

Mr Oyedepo has received fierce criticism in Africa. One Nigerian journalist accused him of ‘leading a growing list of pastorpreneurs – church founders exploiting the passion and emotion that Christianity commands to feather their nests’.

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Marriage: Seen here with his wife Faith, Mr Oyedepo has a son who runs services at the chapel's London headquarters

Catholic Cardinal Anthony Okogie criticised such preachers for placing materialism above Jesus’s message. He reportedly said: ‘They have been skinning the flock, taking out of the milk of the flock.’

Among Mr Oyedepo’s fleet of aircraft are said to be a Gulfstream 1 and Gulfstream 4 private jets. It is also claimed he and his wife, Faith, travel in expensive Jeeps flanked by convoys of siren-blaring vehicles. He is the senior pastor of Faith Tabernacle, a 50,000-seat auditorium in Lagos reputed to be the largest church in the world, and runs a publishing company that distributes books carrying his message across the world.

His other business interests span manufacturing, petrol stations,  bakeries, water purification factories, recruitment, a university, restaurants, supermarkets and real estate. The latest addition is a commercial airline named Dominion Airlines.

A Charity Commission spokesman said: ‘The Charity Commission is  currently assessing what, if any,  regulatory role there is to play with regard to the complaints made against the World Mission Agency. It is important to clarify that this does not constitute an investigation at this stage.’

Winners’ Chapel administrator Tunde Disu declined to comment.

Beyonce course offered by Rutgers University in New Jersey

Students with an avid interest in Beyonce will soon be able to study for a diploma on the star now Rutgers University has added her to the curriculum.

Beyonce is the subject of a new diploma at Rutgers University.

Her husband, rapper Jay-Z, has already been honoured with a Georgetown University sociology course named after him, but now it’s Beyonce’s turn to be dissected in a classroom.

Rutgers University’s Department of Women’s and Gender Studies will soon be exploring the social and cultural significance of the Destiny’s Child singer’s music and image.

The course, ‘Politicizing Beyonce’, will allow fans and pop-culture vultures to explore the 30-year-old Single Ladies singer’s alter ego Sasha Fierce, and debate the extent of control she has over her own image.

They will also debate whether her red hot persona is an outlet of female sexual empowerment or merely complying with western gender stereotypes.

Beyoncé: A study in feminism

In charge of the course is Rutgers PH.D. candidate Kevin Allred, who explained the importance of the course on the university’s website.

‘This isn’t a course about Beyonce’s political engagement or how many times she performed during President Obama’s inauguration weekend,’ he said.

‘She certainly pushes boundaries. While other artists are simply releasing music, she’s creating a grand narrative around her life, her career, and her persona.’

Students will also discuss other iconic female singers including Lady Gaga, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone.

It is not known what the Texas-born singer, who became a mum for the first time earlier this month to Blue Ivy, thinks of the new addition to the university’s curriculum.

Nigeria Needs Five Years To Achieve Stable Power Supply

The Chief Executive Officer of Sahara Group, Mr Tonye Cole, on Thursday said that it would take Nigerians about five years to experience uninterrupted electricity supply.

Cole made the conclusion in a statement issued by the company, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Cole also said there were areas that needed to be improved upon, before stable national power supply would be actualised.

He said that electricity development information sharing among key players in the sector would remain a key factor to success, in the years ahead.

He also identified the increasing rate of pipeline vandalism as another impediment in the projected national stable power supply situation.

“Anybody that vandalises a pipeline may vandalise the pipeline to go and sell crude somewhere, thinking that he is making money, but each time he vandalises a pipeline, whether it is a gas pipeline or an oil pipeline, it affects everyone.

“But before we can get to a point where we don’t have to think about power because it is just there, it requires a lot of investment, a lot of capital has to go into that,” he said.

Cole said that the power sector had taken a new shape with the new investors, adding that the private companies need to collaborate with government and the regulators to achieve realistic results.

“It is a new area and it is expected that laws and a relationship between the regulators, investors and customers will be shaped along the way,” he said.

According to him, people need to understand the difference between generation and transmission and then the difference between transmission and distribution.

“Most people don’t know what these things are and as far as the customer is concerned, he wants just one thing, power, power, that is all.

“We will begin to see improvement within six months, but improvement in communication is the first thing that we need,” he added. [NAN]

Ex-NAICOM Chief Bags 15-Years Jail Term For Fraud

An Abuja High Court on Wednesday sentenced Okechukwu Chukwulozie, a former Commissioner of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to 15 years in prison over N10.4 million fraud.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in 2007 charged Chukwulozie, his wife, Angela; and a former Deputy Commissioner in charge of Finance and Administration, Adedolapo Ogungbe on 15 counts of N10.4 million fraud.

Delivering judgment, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, said the court sentenced Chukwulozie to three years on each of the five counts he is convicted for and it will run concurrently.
Oniyangi, who did not give the convict an option of fine, held that the ICPC had proved all the ingredients of Section 19 of the ICPC Act against him.

“The ICPC has proved beyond reasonable doubt that a commissioner of NICON, Chukwulozie, demanded fifty per cent of fees paid to liquidators of Gateway Insurance Plc.

“Beyond reasonable doubt is the standard of evidence required to validate a criminal conviction. Generally the prosecution bears the burden of proof and is required to prove their case.

“The prosecution has presented to court evidence to support its charges against the convict.

“In this case, they have done so. The court hereby sentences you to three years each on each of the five counts level against you, which will run concurrently”, the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the judge as saying on Wednesday.

However, Mudashiru, held that the ICPC had failed to prove its case against the second (Angela) and third accused (Ogungbe) persons.

“The court discharges the second and third accused persons charged with aiding and abetting the crime.

“You are hereby discharged and acquitted”, he said.

2015: Atiku Consults With APC Stakeholders In Edo

Ahead of the 2015 general election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday consulted with leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo.

Mr. Atiku, who visited the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, in his office in Benin said he was in the state as part of his nationwide consultation with the leadership of the party.

He said that the tour was in fulfillment of his promise to consult with relevant stakeholders across the country on his political ambition.

He commended the state government on its infrastructure development under the present administration and urged the governor to do more.

Responding, Mr. Oshiomhole said that he was excited about the intention of the meeting. He wished the former vice president well.

He urged him to ensure that his consultation would be to the benefit of the country and its citizens.

Mr. Atiku, though still a member of Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had voiced his frustration at being muzzled out of the party’s activities. He had been approached by the national leaders of the APC to join the opposition party, which controls Edo and 15 other states.

(NAN)

Governor Akpabio warns Mu'azu to beware of Obong Attah.

   

National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Adamu Mu’Azu
Governors elected on the Peoples Democratic Party have cautioned the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, against  romancing their political enemies.

The governors, at a   closed-door meeting with   Mu’azu at the Wadata Plaza  national headquarters of the party in Abuja on Wednesday, were said to have reminded him of  the agreements that brought him to office.


The agreements  that paved the way  for the former Bauchi State governor to the Wadata Plaza  include non -interference in  the party structure in the state  and that he (Mu’azu) should   not romance some of   former governors who were serving when he  was  in charge  in Bauchi State.

The governors   that  met with Mu’azu  were  those of  Delta, Akwa Ibom,  Niger,  Cross River, Kogi, Abia, Katsina, Kebbi, Bayelsa,   Gombe, Plateau and Kaduna states. Taraba  State was represented by its acting governor while Sokoto  and Jigawa states were represented by  their deputy governors.

  Those of Bauchi, Enugu, Enonyi and  Benue states were however absent.

Barely 24 hours ago, one of them, the Akwa Ibom State Governor and Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Godswill Akpabio,  warned Mu’azu to beware of Obong Attah and other former governors who are not in good terms with their predecessors.

“Those who have access to the (Presidential) Villa  and Wadata Plaza are not those that will get the votes that will put the PDP in power in 2015,”Akpabio had told the PDP national chairman.

One of the governors,  who was at the meeting  confirmed to   our correspondent on condition of anonymity,  that they    reminded  Mu’azu  of  “our deal that brought him to power.”

He  said, “We know that as a former governor he is still relating  with those who were his colleagues between 1999 and 2007. Some of them are our political enemies.

“But in doing that, we asked him not to do that to our detriment because we know those former governors would also want to get across to him.

“We know he would still be in discussion with some of these men. That’s why we asked him to be careful and tread softly.”

He said that Mu’azu promised not to betray them in whatever form and that he urged them (the governors), not to listen to rumours.

It  is a known fact  that some of the serving governors are not in good terms with their predecessors.

The governors include  Akpabio  and his   predecessor,   Obong Victor Attah;  Babangida Aliyu(Niger) and   Abdulkadir Kure;  Theodore Orji(Abia) and Orji Kalu;  Ibrahim Dankwambo(Gombe) and   Danjuma Goje; Sullivan Chime(Enugu) and  Chimaroke Nnamani.

Mu’azu later spoke at the National Working Committee room of the party  in  Wadata Plaza.  He  again appealed to the  PDP  governors  to  beg their colleagues  who  defected to the All Progressives Congress  to return.

Mu’azu said that he would be happy to see the five governors, who had vowed to remain in their new party,  back in the PDP.

The five governors are  Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers);  Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Rabiu Kwakwanso(Kano), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).

Mu’azu said he was happy with the visit of the governors, which came a day after  Akpabio  led a delegation of the PDP stateholders in  Akwa Ibom  State to the Wadata Plaza.

He said, “As you know, our governors are our garrison commanders  in our various states. We are very happy with them and we are very proud of them.

“But we want to appeal  to  them to particularly be patient at this moment of our history. You will see and hear what you do not like. Rumour mongers  are around  working but God will always guide us.

“Secondly, I want to appeal to you all to continue to appeal to your colleagues that had decided to leave home  for  an unknown destination to please come back home. Our  doors are still wide open and our house is big enough for all of them to come in.

“In a family like ours, there is bound to be conflict but the ability to resolve it, is what will stand us out. I, therefore, want to appeal to you, to please speak to your colleagues to come back home.”

Earlier, Akpabio  had  expressed the  hope that the  five defected governors would return to the PDP.

He said, “We are here as PDP governors’  forum to pay a congratulatory visit. We are about 18 and we hope to have more by bringing back some of our members who crossed over to the other side.

“The opposition is even happy with your emergence as  the national chairman of our great party. We hope that the party will be stronger. We, as field commanders, assure you of our support. We shall win the election in 2015 by the grace of God.”

German Govt. To Build Hospital For Albinos In Akwa Ibom

The plight of albinos in Nigeria may soon be over as the German Government has promised to build a world-class hospital in Akwa Ibom to address the medical challenges of albinos.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Ememabasi Bassey, made the disclosure on Tuesday when the Albino Foundation, led by its National President, Mr Jake Epele, paid him a courtesy visit in Uyo.

Bassey said that the hospital when completed, would take care of eye and skin problems associated with albinos
in the country.

“The ministry will make available a health facility that will enable the immediate take off of the proposed skin and eye hospital to be built by the German Government,” he said.

The commissioner explained that the State Government was ready to partner with the foundation to ensure that albinos were not stigmatised and that they got their rightful places in society.

He said, “the State Government is passionate about the suffering of albinos as they are normal, resourceful and intelligent beings who have contributed immensely to the growth of the society”.

Earlier, Epele appealed to the State Government for the donation of a piece of land for the building of the hospital.

Epele explained that some of the objectives of the foundation included prevention of skin cancer through the use of sun screens.

The president commended Gov. Godswill Akpabio for his acceptance to host the upcoming West African Conference on Albinism.
He said that 16 African heads of state would be present at the conference while the key note address would be delivered by the Librarian President, Mrs Sirleaf Johnson. [NAN]

$50 Billions Olympics Putin Game

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03t8dm9/Panorama_Putins_Games/

Macklemore And Ryan Lewis, Best New Artist At 2014 Grammy Awards

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis took home the award for Best New Artist at the 2014 Grammys, beating out James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, Kacey Musgraves and Ed Sheeran.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis were also nominated in six other categories, including Album of the Year for "The Heist" and Song of the Year for "Same Love."

The 56th annual Grammy Awards were hosted by LL Cool J in Los Angeles on Jan. 26. For full Grammys coverage, follow our blog

Grammys Nominations 2014 List: Jay Z Leads Pack, Macklemore, Lorde, Kendrick Lamar Score Too

The Grammys nominations for 2014 have arrived.

Jay Z earned nine nominations at "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!!" television event, including nods for Best Rap Song, Best Rap Album and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. That gives Jay Z the most nominations headed into the 56th annual Grammy Awards. He's followed by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake, all with seven nominations.

Album of the Year nominees included "The Blessed Unrest" by Sara Bareilles, "Random Access Memories" by Daft Punk, "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" by Kendrick Lamar, "The Heist" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and "Red" by Taylor Swift. Kanye West's "Yeezus," Bruno Mars' "Unorthodox Jukebox" and Jay Z's "Magna Carta Holy Grail" were among big albums that failed to score Album of the Year nods, as had been expected.

Song of the Year nominees included Pink for "Just Give Me A Reason," Bruno Mars for "Locked Out Of Heaven," Katy Perry for "Roar," Lorde for "Royals" and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis for "Same Love."

James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kasey Musgraves and Ed Sheeran were nominated for Best New Artist, leaving Lorde, an expected favorite in the category, on the list of high-profile Grammy snubs.

Pop Duo/Group Performance nominees included Daft Punk & Pharrell for "Get Lucky," Pink and Nate Ruess for "Give Me a Reason," Rihanna and Mikky Ekko for "Stay," Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell for "Blurred Lines" and Justin Timberlake and Jay Z for "Suit and Tie."

"Night Train" by Jason Aldean, "Two Lanes of Freedom" by Tim McGraw, "Same Trailer Different Park" by Kasey Musgraves, "Based on a True Story" by Blake Shelton and "Red" by Taylor Swift were nominated for Best Country Album.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis kicked off "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!!" television special, live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, with a performance of their hit song "Thrift Shop." Host for the evening was LL Cool J, who acted as emcee for the broadcast last year as well.

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences hand out the Grammy Awardsas "a peer honor, awarded by and to artists and technical professionals for artistic or technical achievement, not sales or chart positions."

Last year, big winners at the Grammys included Gotye, fun. and Mumford & Sons.

The Grammys awards ceremony will air on CBS on Jan. 26, 2014. The full Grammy nominations list is available at the show's website. A partial list of nominees is below.

RECORD OF THE YEAR
"Get Lucky" - Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
"Royals" - Lorde
"Locked Out Of Heaven" - Bruno Mars
"Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons 
"Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
"The Blessed Unrest" - Sara Bareilles
"Random Access Memories" - Daft Punk
"Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" - Kendrick Lamar
"The Heist" - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
"Red" - Taylor Swift

SONG OF THE YEAR
"Just Give Me A Reason" - Jeff Bhasker, Pink & Nate Ruess, songwriters
(Pink Featuring Nate Ruess)
"Locked Out Of Heaven" - Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine & Bruno Mars,
songwriters (Bruno Mars)
"Roar" - Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Katy Perry & Henry
Walter, songwriters (Katy Perry)
"Royals" - Joel Little & Ella Yelich O'Connor, songwriters (Lorde)
"Same Love" - Ben Haggerty, Mary Lambert & Ryan Lewis, songwriters
(Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert)

BEST NEW ARTIST
James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
"Brave" - Sara Bareilles
"Royals" - Lorde
"When I Was Your Man" - Bruno Mars
"Roar" - Katy Perry
"Mirrors" - Justin Timberlake

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
"Get Lucky" - Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
"Just Give Me A Reason" - Pink Featuring Nate Ruess
"Stay" - Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko
"Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell
"Suit & Tie" - Justin Timberlake & Jay Z

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
"Steppin' Out" - Herb Alpert
"The Beat" - Boney James
"Handpicked" - Earl Klugh
"Summer Horns" - Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair & Richard Elliot
"Hacienda" - Jeff Lorber Fusion

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
"Paradise" - Lana Del Rey
"Pure Heroine" - Lorde
"Unorthodox Jukebox" - Bruno Mars
"Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke
"The 20/20 Experience - The Complete Experience" - Justin Timberlake

BEST DANCE RECORDING
"Need U (100%)" - Duke Dumont Featuring A*M*E & MNEK
"Sweet Nothing" - Calvin Harris Featuring Florence Welch
"Atmosphere" - Kaskade
"This Is What It Feels Like" - Armin Van Buuren Featuring Trevor Guthrie
"Clarity" - Zedd Featuring Foxes

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONICA ALBUM
"Random Access Memories" - Daft Punk
"Settle" - Disclosure
"18 Months" - Calvin Harris
"Atmosphere" - Kaskade
"A Color Map Of The Sun" - Pretty Lights

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM
"Viva Duets" - Tony Bennett & Various Artists
"To Be Loved" - Michael Bublé
"The Standards" - Gloria Estefan
"Cee Lo's Magic Moment" - Cee Lo Green
"Now" - Dionne Warwick

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
"Always Alright" - Alabama Shakes
"The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" - David Bowie
"Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons
"Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin
"My God Is The Sun" - Queens Of The Stone Age
"I'm Shakin'" - Jack White

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
"T.N.T." - Anthrax
"God Is Dead?" - Black Sabbath
"The Enemy Inside" - Dream Theater
"In Due Time" - Killswitch Engage
"Room 24" - Volbeat Featuring King Diamond

BEST ROCK SONG
"Ain't Messin 'Round" - Gary Clark Jr., songwriter (Gary Clark Jr.)
"Cut Me Some Slack" - Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic &
Pat Smear, songwriters (Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic,
Pat Smear)
"Doom And Gloom" - Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, songwriters (The
Rolling Stones)
"God Is Dead?" - Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi & Ozzy Osbourne,
songwriters (Black Sabbath)
"Panic Station" - Matthew Bellamy, songwriter (Muse)

BEST ROCK ALBUM
"13" - Black Sabbath
"The Next Day" - David Bowie
"Mechanical Bull" - Kings Of Leon
"Celebration Day" - Led Zeppelin
"...Like Clockwork" - Queens Of The Stone Age
"Psychedelic Pill" - Neil Young With Crazy Horse

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
"The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The
More I Love You" - Neko Case
"Trouble Will Find Me" - The National
"Hesitation Marks" - Nine Inch Nails
"Lonerism" - Tame Impala
"Modern Vampires Of The City" - Vampire Weekend

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

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE
"Please Come Home" - Gary Clark Jr.
"Get It Right" - Fantasia
"Quiet Fire" - Maysa
"Hey Laura" - Gregory Porter
"Yesterday" - Ryan Shaw

BEST R&B SONG
"Best Of Me" - Anthony Hamilton & Jairus Mozee, songwriters (Anthony Hamilton)
"Love And War" - Tamar Braxton, Darhyl Camper, Jr., LaShawn Daniels &
Makeba Riddick, songwriters (Tamar Braxton)
"Only One" - PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton Featuring Stevie Wonder)
"Pusher Love Girl" - James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley &
Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake)
"Without Me" - Fantasia Barrino, Missy Elliott, Al Sherrod Lambert,
Harmony Samuels & Kyle Stewart, songwriters (Fantasia Featuring Kelly
Rowland & Missy Elliot)

BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
"Love And War" - Tamar Braxton
"Side Effects Of You" - Fantasia
"One: In The Chamber" - Salaam Remi
"Unapologetic" - Rihanna
"New York: A Love Story" - Mack Wilds

BEST R&B ALBUM
"R&B Divas" - Faith Evans
"Girl On Fire" - Alicia Keys
"Love In The Future" - John Legend
"Better" - Chrisette Michele
"Three Kings" - TGT

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE
"Started From The Bottom" - Drake
"Berzerk" - Eminem
"Tom Ford" - Jay Z
"Swimming Pools (Drank)" - Kendrick Lamar
"Thrift Shop" - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
"Power Trip" - J. Cole Featuring Miguel
"Part II (On The Run)" - Jay Z Featuring Beyoncé
"Holy Grail" - Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake
"Now Or Never" - Kendrick Lamar Featuring Mary J. Blige
"Remember You" - Wiz Khalifa Featuring The Weeknd

BEST RAP SONG
"F***in' Problems" - Tauheed Epps, Aubrey Graham, Kendrick Lamar,
Rakim Mayers & Noah Shebib, songwriters (ASAP Rocky Featuring Drake, 2
Chainz & Kendrick Lamar)
"Holy Grail" - Shawn Carter, Terius Nash, J. Harmon, Timothy Mosley,
Justin Timberlake & Ernest Wilson, songwriters (Kurt Cobain, Dave
Grohl & Krist Novoselic, songwriters) (Jay Z Featuring Justin
Timberlake)
"New Slaves" - Christopher Breaux, Ben Bronfman, Mike Dean, Louis
Johnson, Malik Jones, Elon Rutberg, Sakiya Sandifer, Che Smith, Kanye
West & Cydell Young, songwriters (Anna Adamis & Gabor Presser,
songwriters) (Kanye West)
"Started From The Bottom" - W. Coleman, Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib,
songwriters (Bruno Sanfilippo, songwriter) (Drake)
"Thrift Shop" - Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore &
Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz)

BEST RAP ALBUM
"Nothing Was The Same" - Drake
"Magna Carta...Holy Grail" - Jay Z
"Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" - Kendrick Lamar
"The Heist" - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
"Yeezus" - Kanye West

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
"I Drive Your Truck" - Lee Brice
"I Want Crazy" - Hunter Hayes
"Mama's Broken Heart" - Miranda Lambert
"Wagon Wheel" - Darius Rucker
"Mine Would Be You" - Blake Shelton

BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
"From This Valley" - The Civil Wars
"Don't Rush" - Kelly Clarkson Featuring Vince Gill
"Your Side Of The Bed" - Little Big Town
"Highway Don't Care" - Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
"You Can't Make Old Friends" - Kenny Rogers With Dolly Parton

BEST COUNTRY SONG
"Begin Again" - Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
"I Drive Your Truck" - Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington & Jimmy
Yeary, songwriters (Lee Brice)
"Mama's Broken Heart" - Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally & Kacey
Musgraves, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
"Merry Go 'Round" - Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne,
songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
"Mine Would Be You" - Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington & Deric
Ruttan, songwriters (Blake Shelton)

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
"Night Train" - Jason Aldean
"Two Lanes Of Freedom" - Tim McGraw
"Same Trailer Different Park" - Kacey Musgraves
"Based On A True Story" - Blake Shelton
"Red" - Taylor Swift

BEST NEW AGE ALBUM
"Lux" - Brian Eno
"Illumination" - Peter Kater
"Final Call" - Kitaro
"Awakening The Fire" - R. Carlos Nakai & Will Clipman
"Love's River" - Laura Sullivan

BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO
"Don't Run" - Terence Blanchard, soloist
"Song For Maura" - Paquito D'Rivera, soloist
"Song Without Words #4: Duet" - Fred Hersch, soloist
"Stadium Jazz" - Donny McCaslin, soloist
"Orbits" - Wayne Shorter

BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM
"The World According To Andy Bey" - Andy Bey
"Attachments" - Lorraine Feather
"Liquid Spirit" - Gregory Porter
"WomanChild" - Cécile McLorin Salvant
"After Blue" - Tierney Sutton