We are not bus conductors that ask for change – 5 quotes from Patience Jonathan’s speech in Delta

Patience Jonathan had nothing but unflattering words for the opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), and she even managed to delve into ‘wordplay’ territory as she attempted to ridicule the ‘change’ slogan of the party.

The First Lady, Patience Jonathan, on Thursday, February 26, sought to rally support for her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan, while addressing women at PDP Women for Change Initiative Presidential Rally in Delta state.

Below are 5 key quotes from Patience Jonathan’s speech:
1. “The PDP is a party that talks less and does more, unlike the APC that tells new lies every week. When you catch them today, they will tell another lie tomorrow.”
2. “We (PDP) do not tell you about change because we are not bus conductors that ask for change.”
3. “We are now in a digital age and we should reject anyone who wants to take us back to analog days.”
4. “They keep saying they will do this and that. They should tell us what they have done for Nigerians while in office. As for President Jonathan, he has vowed to do more when he is re-elected.”
5.“President Jonathan has brought a lot of innovation and empowerment programmes for us women.

This is because no one loves the Nigerian woman more than Mr. President and the best way to pay him back is by re-electing him.”

Kardashians Sign $100 Million, Four-Year Deal With E!, After Threatening to Leave the Network

In as much as the hate is on the rise for the Kardashians/ Jenner, don't expect the selfies, belfies, or drama to stop anytime soon! The Kardashian family has signed a new $100 million deal with E! to stay with the network for four more years, sources confirm to Us Weekly. It is the network's highest deal to date.

Matriarch and momager Kris Jenner negotiated the deal, an insider tells Us. The source adds, "This has been in the works for almost a year. Kris is a fierce negotiator. They were not planning on leaving E!, but she was playing major hardball and threatening to leave. E! needs them."

It was negotiated for Kim, Kloe, and Kourtney Kardashians and their younger half-sisters Kendell and Kylie Jenner to appear on four more seasons of Keeping Up With the Kardashians and the spin-off series. Dad Bruce Jenner was not included in the list. The former Olympian is exiting Keeping Up With the Kardashians after the upcoming season 10. 

As previously reported, Jenner will have his own show on the network that will center around his transition from male to female. Also not included in the deal is Kim's husband Kanye West though he will continue to appear on the show. 

The deal doesn't limit the family to their own reality show. Khloe has served as a post-awards show host and fashion correspondent during this past awards season, and Page Six notes that Kim will likely be producing future shows.
The network is also eyeing the youngest Kardashian-Jenner siblings for future projects thanks to Kendall's modeling career and Kylie's plans to become an actress.

Full text of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s speech at Chatham House in London

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) appeared at the Chatham House on Thursday morning to discuss Prospects for Democratic Consolidation in Africa: Nigeria’s Transition.
The event which was chaired by former British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Sir Richard Gozney had many Nigerians in attendance including several APC stalwarts like Gov. Rotimi Amaechi and Adams Oshiomhole.

Below is the full text of the APC candidate’s speech:

Permit me to start by thanking Chatham House for the invitation to talk about this important topic at this crucial time. When speaking about Nigeria overseas, I normally prefer to be my country’s public relations and marketing officer, extolling her virtues and hoping to attract investments and tourists. But as we all know, Nigeria is now battling with many challenges, and if I refer to them, I do so only to impress on our friends in the United Kingdom that we are quite aware of our shortcomings and are doing our best to address them.
The 2015 general election in Nigeria is generating a lot of interests within and outside the country. This is understandable. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and largest economy, is at a defining moment, a moment that has great implications beyond the democratic project and beyond the borders of my dear country.
So let me say upfront that the global interest in Nigeria’s landmark election is not misplaced at all and indeed should be commended; for this is an election that has serious import for the world. I urge the international community to continue to focus on Nigeria at this very critical moment. Given increasing global linkages, it is in our collective interests that the postponed elections should hold on the rescheduled dates; that they should be free and fair; that their outcomes should be respected by all parties; and that any form of extension, under whichever guise, is unconstitutional and will not be tolerated.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War, democracy became the dominant and most preferred system of government across the globe. That global transition has been aptly captured as the triumph of democracy and the ‘most pre-eminent political idea of our time.’ On a personal note, the phased end of the USSR was a turning point for me. It convinced me that change can be brought about without firing a single shot.
As you all know, I had been a military head of state in Nigeria for twenty months. We intervened because we were unhappy with the state of affairs in our country. We wanted to arrest the drift. Driven by patriotism, influenced by the prevalence and popularity of such drastic measures all over Africa and elsewhere, we fought our way to power. But the global triumph of democracy has shown that another and a preferable path to change is possible. It is an important lesson I have carried with me since, and a lesson that is not lost on the African continent.
In the last two decades, democracy has grown strong roots in Africa. Elections, once so rare, are now so commonplace. As at the time I was a military head of state between 1983 and 1985, only four African countries held regular multi-party elections. But the number of electoral democracies in Africa, according to Freedom House, jumped to 10 in 1992/1993 then to 18 in 1994/1995 and to 24 in 2005/2006. According to the New York Times, 42 of the 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa conducted multi-party elections between 1990 and 2002.

The newspaper also reported that between 2000 and 2002, ruling parties in four African countries (Senegal, Mauritius, Ghana and Mali) peacefully handed over power to victorious opposition parties. In addition, the proportion of African countries categorized as not free by Freedom House declined from 59% in 1983 to 35% in 2003. Without doubt, Africa has been part of the current global wave of democratisation.
But the growth of democracy on the continent has been uneven. According to Freedom House, the number of electoral democracies in Africa slipped from 24 in 2007/2008 to 19 in 2011/2012; while the percentage of countries categorised as ‘not free’ assuming for the sake of argument that we accept their definition of “free” increased from 35% in 2003 to 41% in 2013. Also, there have been some reversals at different times in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania and Togo. We can choose to look at the glass of democracy in Africa as either half full or half empty.

While you can’t have representative democracy without elections, it is equally important to look at the quality of the elections and to remember that mere elections do not democracy make. It is globally agreed that democracy is not an event, but a journey. And that the destination of that journey is democratic consolidation – that state where democracy has become so rooted and so routine and widely accepted by all actors.
With this important destination in mind, it is clear that though many African countries now hold regular elections, very few of them have consolidated the practice of democracy. It is important to also state at this point that just as with elections, a consolidated democracy cannot be an end by itself. I will argue that it is not enough to hold a series of elections or even to peacefully alternate power among parties.
It is much more important that the promise of democracy goes beyond just allowing people to freely choose their leaders. It is much more important that democracy should deliver on the promise of choice, of freedoms, of security of lives and property, of transparency and accountability, of rule of law, of good governance and of shared prosperity. It is very important that the promise embedded in the concept of democracy, the promise of a better life for the generality of the people, is not delivered in the breach.
Now, let me quickly turn to Nigeria. As you all know, Nigeria’s fourth republic is in its 16th year and this general election will be the fifth in a row. This is a major sign of progress for us, given that our first republic lasted five years and three months, the second republic ended after four years and two months and the third republic was a still-birth. However, longevity is not the only reason why everyone is so interested in this election.

The major difference this time around is that for the very first time since transition to civil rule in 1999, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing its stiffest opposition so far from our party the All Progressives Congress (APC). We once had about 50 political parties, but with no real competition. Now Nigeria is transitioning from a dominant party system to a competitive electoral polity, which is a major marker on the road to democratic consolidation. As you know, peaceful alternation of power through competitive elections have happened in Ghana, Senegal, Malawi and Mauritius in recent times. The prospects of democratic consolidation in Africa will be further brightened when that eventually happens in Nigeria.
But there are other reasons why Nigerians and the whole world are intensely focussed on this year’s elections, chief of which is that the elections are holding in the shadow of huge security, economic and social uncertainties in Africa’s most populous country and largest economy. On insecurity, there is a genuine cause for worry, both within and outside Nigeria. Apart from the civil war era, at no other time in our history has Nigeria been this insecure.
Boko Haram has sadly put Nigeria on the terrorism map, killing more than 13,000 of our nationals, displacing millions internally and externally, and at a time holding on to portions of our territory the size of Belgium. What has been consistently lacking is the required leadership in our battle against insurgency. I, as a retired general and a former head of state, have always known about our soldiers: they are capable, well trained, patriotic, brave and always ready to do their duty in the service of our country.
You all can bear witness to the gallant role of our military in Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Darfur and in many other peacekeeping operations in several parts of the world. But in the matter of this insurgency, our soldiers have neither received the necessary support nor the required incentives to tackle this problem. The government has also failed in any effort towards a multi-dimensional response to this problem leading to a situation in which we have now become dependent on our neighbours to come to our rescue.
Let me assure you that if I am elected president, the world will have no cause to worry about Nigeria as it has had to recently; that Nigeria will return to its stabilising role in West Africa; and that no inch of Nigerian territory will ever be lost to the enemy because we will pay special attention to the welfare of our soldiers in and out of service, we will give them adequate and modern arms and ammunitions to work with, we will improve intelligence gathering and border controls to choke Boko Haram’s financial and equipment channels, we will be tough on terrorism and tough on its root causes by initiating a comprehensive economic development plan promoting infrastructural development, job creation, agriculture and industry in the affected areas. We will always act on time and not allow problems to irresponsibly fester, and I, Muhammadu Buhari, will always lead from the front and return Nigeria to its leadership role in regional and international efforts to combat terrorism.
On the economy, the fall in prices of oil has brought our economic and social stress into full relief. After the rebasing exercise in April 2014, Nigeria overtook South Africa as Africa’s largest economy. Our GDP is now valued at $510 billion and our economy rated 26th in the world. Also on the bright side, inflation has been kept at single digit for a while and our economy has grown at an average of 7% for about a decade.
But it is more of paper growth, a growth that, on account of mismanagement, profligacy and corruption, has not translated to human development or shared prosperity. A development economist once said three questions should be asked about a country’s development: one, what is happening to poverty? Two, what is happening to unemployment? And three, what is happening to inequality?
The answers to these questions in Nigeria show that the current administration has created two economies in one country, a sorry tale of two nations: one economy for a few who have so much in their tiny island of prosperity; and the other economy for the many who have so little in their vast ocean of misery.
Even by official figures, 33.1% of Nigerians live in extreme poverty. That’s at almost 60 million, almost the population of the United Kingdom. There is also the unemployment crisis simmering beneath the surface, ready to explode at the slightest stress, with officially 23.9% of our adult population and almost 60% of our youth unemployed. We also have one of the highest rates of inequalities in the world.
With all these, it is not surprising that our performance on most governance and development indicators (like Mo Ibrahim Index on African Governance and UNDP’s Human Development Index.) are unflattering. With fall in the prices of oil, which accounts for more than 70% of government revenues, and lack of savings from more than a decade of oil boom, the poor will be disproportionately impacted.
In the face of dwindling revenues, a good place to start the repositioning of Nigeria’s economy is to swiftly tackle two ills that have ballooned under the present administration: waste and corruption. And in doing this, I will, if elected, lead the way, with the force of personal example.
On corruption, there will be no confusion as to where I stand. Corruption will have no place and the corrupt will not be appointed into my administration. First and foremost, we will plug the holes in the budgetary process. Revenue producing entities such as NNPC and Customs and Excise will have one set of books only. Their revenues will be publicly disclosed and regularly audited. The institutions of state dedicated to fighting corruption will be given independence and prosecutorial authority without political interference.
But I must emphasise that any war waged on corruption should not be misconstrued as settling old scores or a witch-hunt. I’m running for President to lead Nigeria to prosperity and not adversity.
In reforming the economy, we will use savings that arise from blocking these leakages and the proceeds recovered from corruption to fund our party’s social investments programmes in education, health, and safety nets such as free school meals for children, emergency public works for unemployed youth and pensions for the elderly.
As a progressive party, we must reform our political economy to unleash the pent-up ingenuity and productivity of the Nigerian people thus freeing them from the curse of poverty. We will run a private sector-led economy but maintain an active role for government through strong regulatory oversight and deliberate interventions and incentives to diversify the base of our economy, strengthen productive sectors, improve the productive capacities of our people and create jobs for our teeming youths.
In short, we will run a functional economy driven by a worldview that sees growth not as an end by itself, but as a tool to create a society that works for all, rich and poor alike. On March 28, Nigeria has a decision to make. To vote for the continuity of failure or to elect progressive change. I believe the people will choose wisely.
In sum, I think that given its strategic importance, Nigeria can trigger a wave of democratic consolidation in Africa. But as a starting point we need to get this critical election right by ensuring that they go ahead, and depriving those who want to scuttle it the benefit of derailing our fledgling democracy. That way, we will all see democracy and democratic consolidation as tools for solving pressing problems in a sustainable way, not as ends in themselves.
Prospects for Democratic Consolidation in Africa: Nigeria’s Transition
Permit me to close this discussion on a personal note. I have heard and read references to me as a former dictator in many respected British newspapers including the well regarded Economist. Let me say without sounding defensive that dictatorship goes with military rule, though some might be less dictatorial than others. I take responsibility for whatever happened under my watch.
I cannot change the past. But I can change the present and the future. So before you is a former military ruler and a converted democrat who is ready to operate under democratic norms and is subjecting himself to the rigours of democratic elections for the fourth time.
You may ask: why is he doing this? This is a question I ask myself all the time too. And here is my humble answer: because the work of making Nigeria great is not yet done, because I still believe that change is possible, this time through the ballot, and most importantly, because I still have the capacity and the passion to dream and work for a Nigeria that will be respected again in the comity of nations and that all Nigerians will be proud of.
I thank you for listening.

Man sells his own baby to herbalist for N300,000

A middle-aged palm tree harvester, George Maduabuchi, from Owerrinta in the Isiala-Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State is in the police net for allegedly selling his 14-month-old son for N300,000.
According to Punch, the father of four was said to have connived with another suspect, Obinna Erondu, now at large, to perpetrate the act.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joshak Habila, who paraded the suspect along with other suspected criminals on Thursday, said,
“Luck ran out on Maduabuchi when the wife alerted the police on his questionable role when the baby fell ill and he took him out and did not return with him.”
But the suspect told our correspondent that he did not sell his son, but only took him to a herbalist when he took ill.

He said, “The herbalist gave me money and told me that he could not heal the baby. I therefore left the baby in the herbalist’s home.”
But his explanation was countered by his wife, Eberechi, who said he took their son, who had a cough to the said herbalist, but instead of returning with the baby, rather came back with bundles of money.

She said, “When I demanded explanations on the whereabouts of our son, he could not offer any convincing answer.”
The wife, who is also pregnant, said she raised the alarm, which attracted neighbours who helped to arrest the husband.
The neighbours subsequently alerted the police, who picked up the husband and later led the police to the herbalist’s house at Owerrinta where the boy was recovered.
 

‘They hate the card reader’ – Oshiomhole likens PDP to armed robbers

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state has stated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loathes Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), and therefore is averse to its use in the forthcoming election.
The governor also accused the ruling party of being petrified by the use of PVC because it would expose their alleged rigging methods and stop electoral fraud.

Oshiomhole made the statement on Wednesday, February 26, while receiving over 2,000 PDP members, who defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, at Government House.
He said: “You can see they are running away from card readers like armed robbers running away from police detectives. They hate the card reader. The elections must hold and the card readers must be used. Electoral fraud must come to an end.”“The Nigerian people must be the masters of their own game, using the one man one vote mantra. Those who have lived on electoral fraud are now being retrenched by the new technology.”
“But let me ask you to watch out because right now, they take advantage of the very people they have impoverished to buy their cards. They can do everything but they cannot stop their defeat.”

Mavin boss buys N500K worth of goods for Twitter followers

Yesterday February 26, 2015 Don Jazzy was appointed as the new ambassador for Konga; an online retail store.

Don Jazzy who is known to be a generous and friendly Nigerian celebrity shared news of his new deal with Konga on Twitter and held a bonanza whereby he picked 8 people at random from his over a million followers and paid for the merchandise they ordered from Konga.

Don Jazzy is very popular on Twitter and loved by many as he known to have started the trend where he gave out free credit to his followers.

The Doro Boss ended up paying for the following:

Laptop -    N68,000
Camera -   N165,000
Samsung Galaxy phone -N27,500
TV          -   N31,5000
Cooker -     N24,500
Refrigerator - N87,300
Shoes -          N7,000
Lenovo tablet-  N19,500
Washing Machine - N55,500

Total:  N485,800.

Jazzy has a way of capturing my heart :) welldone!

Kris Jenner Opens Up on Kylie's new $2.7 million home

The momager revealed that the 17-year-old's 'edgy style' is sure to shine through with the decorating.

Kris Jenner has dished the dirt on daughter Kylie's new home.
The house, which set the teen back a cool $2.7million, is located in The Oaks neighborhood of Calabasas.

According to reports, the building is already equipped with a home theater, a swimming pool, five bedrooms, and a huge kitchen.

However mum Kris has now revealed that the accommodation might look drastically different by the time the 17-year-old moves into it in August.

She told E! News: "You know she completely has her own style.
"Kylie has her own vision on how she wants her home to look. She has a few months now until she moves in, to really take her time and get it together...so she will really embrace that time...and get really creative. Kylie is really excited!"

While it's surely a big step for the brunette, she'll only be round the corner from her sibling Kloe and Kourtney who both have their own homes close by.
Despite the houses being in close proximity, Kris further revealed that they'll look different because all her children have their own styles.

She explained: "Kylie is more edgy. She likes more blacks and grays and Kim likes more cream colors. Kourtney is very neutral and Khloé is big on white colors. I like all of it like—thrown in a mush pot is my style! Kylie is definitely the edgy one."

Kylie in the youngest member of the Kardashian Klan and often finds her life being put under the microscrope.
Most recently her alleged romance with rapper Tgya has come under scrutiny by critics.
Earlier this week her rumoured flame hit out at reports and said it doesnt matter what the world thinks during a radio interview.

PHOTOS: Damilola Adegbite & Chris Attoh’s Valentine’s Day Wedding!

 

Pretty actress, Damilola Adegbite and her handsome husband, Chris Attoh, tied the knot on Valentine's day in a private ceremony held in Accra, Ghana.

The couple who welcomed a son together last year, have been an item for years.

Majority of the wedding guests were said to have been informed of the wedding a few days before, because the pair wanted the ceremony to be a very intimate one.

Among the guests who attended the wedding are; Ovation magazine publisher, Dele Momodu, Ghanaian actor, Majid Michel, Tinsel co-stars Gideon Okeke and Funlola Awofiyebi.

very cute couple... I like :) #Happymarriedlife

Guess He will Always Love the Women...Bruce Jenner 'plans on dating women' once he completes gender reassignment.

 Bruce Jenner reportedly plans on being a lesbian once he completes his gender reassignment and becomes 'Belinda.'

The 65-year-old Olympic gold medalist has told loved ones that he 'can't imagine himself being attracted to men.'

'He's not sure if the hormone treatments will change how he feels about men,' a family insider said. 'But right now he says that he still likes women.'

Wife #1: He had children Burt, 36, and Casey, 34, with his college sweetheart Chrystie Crownover (L), whom he divorced in 1981 after nine years (pictured in 1978)

 The insider said the Keeping Up with the Kardashians patriarch still has 'deep feelings' for Ronda Kamihira, whom he's been dating since they were spotted at    an   October 4 Elton John concert 

 Wife #2: Days after it was finalized, Bruce wed actress Linda Thompson (L) for five years, and she bore sons Brandon, 33, and Brody, 31 (pictured 1980)

 Wife #3: Then after only five months of dating, Jenner got hitched to socialite Kris (top), who bore daughters Kendall, 19, and Kylie, 17 (not pictured)

Everyone's favourite Kardashian: Meanwhile, his 5ft10in stepdaughter Khloé 'has been the most supportive' of his transition, even lending him clothes

 

The source continued: 'He's always loved the ladies. He longs to be feminine and pretty - and also to feel the touch of another woman.'

The insider said the Keeping Up with the Kardashians patriarch still has 'deep feelings' for Ronda Kamihira, whom he's rumoured to have been dating since they were spotted at an October 4 Elton John concert.

'They're not super serious right now, but no one would be surprised if their relationship continued to progress,' said the source.

In the upcoming season of KUWTK, Jenner's stepdaughter Kim even confronts him about making momager Kris cry over him dating her 51-year-old former assistant.

'Bruce wants to settle down with a woman. Whoever she is, she will be the first to love Bruce for who he really is. She'll be his one true love.'

The former decathlete has proved himself to be quite the serial monogamist, fathering two children with each of his three wives. 

He had Burt, 36, and Casey, 34, with wife #1 Chrystie Crownover, whom he divorced in 1981 after nine years. 

Days after it was finalized, Bruce wed wife #2 Linda Thompson for five years, and she bore sons Brandon, 33, and Brody, 31.

Then after only five months of dating, Jenner got hitched to wife #3 Kris, who bore daughters Kendall, 19, and Kylie, 17.

The transgender gossip began in 2013 shortly after he separated from the 59-year-old socialite and moved into a Malibu beach bachelor pad.

The reality TV couple's 23-year marriage will officially end March 23, due to a six-month state legal requirement.

A source told Star Magazine: 'He's always loved the ladies. He longs to be feminine and pretty - and also to feel the touch of another woman' (pictured in a 1981 Bob Hope comedy special)

Meanwhile, his 5ft10in stepdaughter Khloé 'has been the most supportive' of his transition, even lending him clothes.

The 6ft2in athlete has already tested the waters by donning a dress for a recent private family event, and the response was 'positive and accepting.'

'He wore a simple dark blue dress with heels, pearl earrings, and a jacket,' the insider said.

According to In Touch, Bruce - born William - hosted a number of parties while dressed as a woman during the early 1980s. 

'He knows it's hard but he hopes they get used to it. He's still the same person no matter what,' the source explained.

'But it's a huge adjustment for everyone. He's trying to ease them into it slowly.'

There are also reports Jenner will reveal all in a Diane Sawyer interview and that he's filming his own docu-series.

Fans can expect more revelations on the 10th season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which premieres March 15 on E! 

First picture of the angelic schoolboy who turned into the world's most wanted man.

Smiling at the camera with his church school friends (left), there is nothing to link this middle-class schoolboy to the merciless terrorist butcher Jihadi John. But Mohammad Emwazi can tonight be unmasked as the notorious Islamic State murderer who has shocked the world with his bloodlust. Arriving in Britain when he was six years old, Kuwaiti-born Mohammed Emwazi appeared to embrace British life, playing football in the affluent streets of West London while supporting Manchester United. Neighbours recalled a polite, quietly spoken boy who was studious at his Church of England school, where he was the only Muslim pupil in his class.

The son of a Kuwaiti minicab driver, young Emwazi arrived in Britain speaking only a few words of English, and appeared more interested in football than in Islam. He went to mosque with his family, who spoke Arabic to each other, but wore Western clothing and became popular with his British classmates at St Mary Magdalene Church of England primary school in Maida Vale, West London. Former schoolmates were yesterday struggling to believe that the quiet boy they knew had been unmasked as the world's most notorious terrorist.

Reason we are NOW winning against Boko Haram – Presidency explains

The presidency has stated the factors behind the recent string of successes by the multi-national forces in the ongoing operation against Islamic terrorist sect, Boko Haram sect.
On Wednesday, February 25, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, while speaking with journalists in Abuja, assured Nigerians that the war would soon be won, adding that the deployment of specially trained anti-terrorism combat squad and procurement of sophisticated arms and military hardware were responsible for the victories of the army against the insurgents.

Okupe also cited the recent approval by the African Union and the United Nations for an international coalition to collaborate with Nigeria’s military, saying: “This approval also gives legal authority to our neighbours (Chad, Niger and Cameroon) to lawfully deploy troops on Nigerian soil while our Military can now operate beyond our borders to hunt fleeing terrorists; thus removing their safe haven.”
The Senior Special Assistant also contradicted the recent statement of President Goodluck Jonathan, where he confessed to having underrated the members of the sect, going on to blame the opposition party for distorting the president’s words.

He said: “In the first instance, what President Goodluck Jonathan said in the interview which has been mischievously twisted by the APC was that at the outset of the Boko Haram activities, the group was treated as a local insurgent group in view of the fact that there was scanty information on its global network in training, funding and supply of arms.”
Speaking on, Okupe lambasted the All Progressives Congress, for disemminating misinformation in regards to the amount spent on the war by the Federal Government.

“An example of this disposition to falsehood and outlandish assertions by the APC is the claim by Alhaji Lai Muhammed in his press statement that government had expended a sum of 32 billion dollars (6.5 trillion Naira) on the war against terrorism; a claim which is untrue and lacks any factual basis whatsoever.
“We find it very embarrassing that the APC always desperately seeks to feed on blood like leaches and profit from national tragedies and misfortune.”

9-year-old girl ‘donates lunch money to the APC, writes heartfelt letter’

A 9-year-old girl, Nicole Benson, who is said to be a student of Greensprings School Lekki campus, has donated her lunch money and and more to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
She reportedly went ahead to pen a heartfelt letter to the opposition party. Read below Nicole’s letter addressed to Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola and the APC. 
“Dear APC and governor Fashola, My name is Nicole Benson. I am 9 years old. The name of my school is Greensprings School lekki campus and I am in year 4 peters. I want to be a doctor when I grow up so that I can take care of people who are sick and dying because they take care of me when I am sick.

 Governor fashola and apc I was listening to the radio on my way to school today and I heard that we can send money to you to help you to win the election. My mummy said that I can donate from N100 so that we can help APC to raise the money to win the election and remove president goodluck jonathan so that mr buhari and professor osinbajo can be the new president and assistant president and be able to help nigeria to fight the boko haram people who are killing innocent children and also bring back the chibok girls so that their mummies and daddies can be happy. 

Governor Fashola and APC, please don’t you think that N100 is too small? I have the new N100 notes but I am sorry I will not be able to give it to you because I only have one and I want to keep it in my wallet. But I have N5785 that I saved from my lunch money and pocket money and toothfairy money. I know it’s my mummy giving the toothfairy the money to give me because I found my tooth in her wallet last year. and I want to give you all my money that I saved so that you can win in February. 

I have N5785 naira and also N8 but the N8 is in coins and it’s only in Shoprite that they gave me so I want to go and spend it there. I wanted to buy my inhaler disk but my daddy has bought another new one for me. I have given my mummy the money and she put it on her card to pay it on your website and she paid it now. I wish I could get more money for you but that will be next week when I get more lunch money from my daddy and toothfairy can’t give me any more money because all my teeth have all grown back. I can still save more money for you and give you in February. 

Please help me give some of the money to Mr Ambode too so that he can win Mr Jimmy Agbaje. I like Mr Ambode very much. 
I wish you Goodluck not Goodluck Jonathan but best of luck and please you can call my mummy’s number if you need me to send the money I want to save for you.But you will have to give me some time to save it.  

Please say hello to Mr Ambode, Mr Buhari and professor Osinbajo for me.”
We can’t help but wonder what her motivation is though – good governance perhaps?

PHOTOS: Elizabeth Taylor Family Jewels and Cash Held Hostage ...

 One of Elizabeth Taylor's iconic jewelry pieces fetched almost $9 million in an auction -- but the buyer backed out, and now Liz's trust is suing famed auction house Christie's Inc. for screwing up the deal.

Lizzie's Taj Mahal diamond necklace -- a gift from Richard Burton -- was one of the items hawked during Christie's 2011 auction ... which took in a whopping $156,756,576. Problem is ... the guy who bid $8,818,500 for the necklace backed out because the massive heart-shaped diamond wasn't up to snuff for him.

Meanwhile, Christie's had already paid Taylor's trust for the necklace ... and when the guy backed out ... the auction house demanded the cash back. As you can imagine, they weren't in the giving mood. In fact, the Taylor trust is now suing Christie's.

According to the suit ... Christie's is holding hostage millions of dollars gained from the auction of other items -- including a Bulgari ring and a Valentino fur evening bag. The Bulgari alone sold for $2.9 million.

The Taylor trust says Christie's is strong-arming -- refusing to hand over cash from all the other items ... unless it gets back the Taj Mahal funds.
The Taylor trust wants the court to tell Christie's to go kick rocks

'Anyone who objects to three parent babies law should know the agony our family suffered'

 

Mary Gilbert's daughter suffered from a rare, inheritable strain of mitochondrial disease – the type which can be prevented by the “three-parent” technique 

On Tuesday night the House of Lords passed landmark legislation making Britain the first country to allow "three parent babies" – the creation of IVF embryos using DNA from three different people to stop life-threatening diseases being passed on to a new generation.

Opponents including religious groups opposed the amendment to the 2008 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, branding it as ‘the slippery slope’ towards designer babies.

But great-grandmother Mary Gilbert, 73, was waiting for the outcome with bated breath. She knows exactly how the controversial law change will bring hope to thousands.
Her daughter Beverley Neil suffered a lifetime of painful illnesses and died five years ago at 45 locked into her own body, unable to hear, see, talk or walk.

Years later – after she donated her organs for medical research – it was discovered that Beverley had suffered from a rare, inheritable strain of mitochondrial disease – the type which can be prevented by the “three-parent” technique.

Her daughter Destiny, 27, has tested negative – but she was shocked to hear the details of her mum’s condition because she had just discovered she was pregnant with her first child.
The family now faces an agonising waiting game to find out if Mary’s two-week-old great-granddaughter Acacia has inherited the disease.

She says: “It will take months before we know. It is like living with a ticking time bomb.”

If mitochondrial transfer had existed, Mary’s family would be spared this heartache. That’s why the former typist is adamant that the technique, developed by scientists at Newcastle University using animal tests, goes ahead with humans.

“Unless you have walked in some else’s shoes and lived with a child who is suffering from mitochondrial disease, then you cannot pass judgment,” she says.

More than one in every 6,500 babies is born each year with a serious disorder of their mitochondria – the tiny biological batteries that power most cells in the body and are passed on by mothers alone. Many die in infancy.

Mary says: “The risks are never going to go away and this technique is offering affected families hope for our future generations. It will stop us living in fear.”

 

The technique replaces a small amount of faulty DNA in a mother’s egg with healthy DNA from a second woman. So that the baby – and future generations – would inherit genes from two mothers and one father.

The Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church are both opposed and see it as a radical step with profound implications.

They are calling for a delay and further study. Last weekend 50 Italian MPs wrote an open letter urging the House of Lords to reject the legislation, warning of “uncontrollable and unforeseen consequences” which could not be contained to the UK.

Mary wants to challenge them and was in the House of Commons earlier this month to watch MPs vote in the legislation.

She says: “All the researchers from Newcastle University got up and screamed with delight when we got the Yes vote.

This is an amazing technique. Once you contract this disease, there is no cure. You are doomed. Before this, I didn’t want any of my family to go through what Beverley went through. Now there is hope, I can look forward to future generations of my family.”
Mary, a mother of three, who lives in Clacton, Essex, with long-term partner John, 65, had to watch as her daughter, born a normal baby, struggled with multiple health issues until she became locked in her own body.

“One day when she was seven, she said she wasn’t able to see properly,” she recalls. “The doctors said something was wrong with her eyes but couldn’t explain what. That was the start of it.
"Everything in her body started to slowly shut down. With mitochondria the batteries of the body are diseased and start to run down pretty much from the moment you are conceived.”
Her thick glasses meant she was bullied at school but Beverley managed to stick up for herself.
“I never went up to the school. It’s sounds hard but I couldn’t mollycoddle her and it made her strong,” says Mary.
Then her hearing started to deteriorate.

“She hated wearing her hearing aids so we all got hoarse from shouting at her,” says Mary. Then she began to lose her balance.
But despite everything, Mary says that Beverley never complained. “She walked as well as she could. She was so determined to be normal and dismissed all these terrible things that were going on in her body.

She was very feisty and fought right through them. She was popular and had lots of friends and after studying hard at school, she got nine O-levels.”
Her first job as a clerical assistant started well but the firm had to let her go when her poor hearing led to mistakes.

Attractive and bubbly, she had no problem attracting men. But her health made it
difficult to maintain relationships. She became pregnant with Destiny and was devoted to her only child raising her alone.

She lived near her mum and stepdad in Southend and saw them several times a day. Mary says: “I’ve been a carer all my life. My mum was diagnosed with MS when she was 30 so I grew up caring for her and then my own children and my dad later in life. And then I was looking after Beverley.”
Mary’s pride in her daughter is evident as she says that wherever she went she made a good impression.

“I never laughed so much as I did with her. She was a one-off and amazing. Latterly her one outing of the week was getting her Giro cheque and people behind her in the queue would get impatient because she was slow getting her purse out. But she was determined to do it herself.
“When I told the staff at the Post Office that she had died, they all cried,” she recalls.
In her last three years Beverley lost her speech, then her sight and hearing. The mitochondria attacked her brain so she could no longer eat properly or sleep.

“She went from a pretty young woman to looking like an old lady of about 90 at the end,”says her mum.

Mary and Destiny had to get help at home with night carers.
“We could no longer cope. We went to A&E and said ‘Please help us’. They took her in and sent tests all over the country but still had no clue what was wrong. She was a shell and died after three months.”

After her death in July 2010 a coroner recorded a verdict of locked-in syndrome due to a progressive neurological disorder.

At that point her illness had not been properly diagnosed. Mary and John moved to Clacton to escape memories and Destiny too has moved away, to Reading, Berks.
Beverley had decided to give her organs to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge for medical research. Biopsies were then sent to Newcastle University Hospital.
Finally last year they revealed it was a rare strain of mitochondrial disease – a new mutation, which is why the results took so long.

Mary and Destiny saw experts at the Hospital of Medicine in London, where specialists explained the hereditary disease in detail. But Destiny, a shop worker, was already expecting her first child.
She faced the choice of going ahead with the pregnancy or having invasive tests on her eggs that ran the risk of aborting the baby to find out if she was carrying the disease.
“I wasn’t prepared to take that risk,” explains Destiny, who gave birth to Acacia two weeks ago.
Blood has been taken from her umbilical cord and sent to Newcastle University, but the results will take several months to come back.

“Mum taught me so much about having to cope so I am trying to be positive and hope, whatever the outcome, we can live with it and find a way forward,” she says.
“And if it does come to it I know doctors will be able to give Acacia a brother or sister who doesn’t have these problems.
“Mum brightened every day with her sense of humour. We were so lucky to have her in our lives and I miss her desperately. I try and take her way of looking at life and that’s what keeps me going. I took her photo into the delivery room.”

Despite the concerns, she believes that a change in the law is the right thing to do.
“As long as this technique is put to the right use it can give hope to so many ­families and prevent so much heartache.”

PHOTOS: The moment Madonna, 56, falls BACKWARDS down a set of steps after being pulled by dancers at BRIT Awards

 

Karlie Kloss was seen turning to best friend Taylor Swift in the audience with a mortified look as onlookers watched the stage veteran tumble and then battle on with conviction.

Madonna appeared to land on her back with a bang after she fell down a flight of three steps mid-performance. She paused for around a minute where she couldn't muster the strength to sing.

But the singer dusted herself off, brushed over her hair and stood up to ascend the steps once again without her cape. 

 

The veteran was no doubt disappointed by the incident because she was said to be 'desperate to give the performance of her life' as rehearsals piled on the pressure.

A source mentioned that the blonde bombshell was struggling to get through practise shows and was seen using a vaporiser to soothe her vocal cords to ease her vocal cords.

The source continued: ''She is putting all her efforts into putting on a great show. She is working every hour, day and night, to ensure it will be her part of the show that everyone will be talking and tweeting about.'

She was left stunned by the incident but with more than three decades in the business, it didn't appear to affect her performance.

Madonna was making her triumphant return to the BRIT Awards stage after 20 years, when she performed on the annual television show in front of stars including Prince and Oasis.

It had been a much-hyped event by returning presenters Ant & Dec on the night, even managing to overshadow international artists Kanye West and Taylor Swift. 

After the show, Madonna's name was certainly on celebrity viewers' minds - perhaps not for the reason that she would have hoped for though.

She was quick to reassure fans that she was 'fine' in the midst of their concern and even praised the beauty of her specially-designed Armani cape. 

The singer said: 'Armani hooked me up! My beautiful cape was tied too tight. But nothing can stop me and love really lifted me up! Thanks for your good wishes! I'm fine! #livingforlove' 

Stars followed up on social media, full of praise for the star's perseverance after watching her press on - even though she was visibly shaken. 

Extra presenter and former Saved By Bell star Mario Lopez took to Twitter in support of the singer, saying: 'Tell you what though not many artists would continue after that fall. Way to go Madonna for being a trooper & carrying on! #Legend' 

UK soap star Antony Cotton, who plays Sean Tully in Coronation Street, added: 'All puns aside, Madonna got on with it and showed why she's still on top of her game and also made sure she's the only one on the news #icon'

 

Meanwhile, social media feeds were mainly inundated with posts poking fun at the singer's misfortune as they reflected on her unlucky fall.

It was hosts Ant & Dec who landed the winning joke and jested: 'Ta for all your lovely messages, we really enjoyed it. We're stuck in A&E with @Madonna. Still an hour wait..... #BRITs2015.'

Former Radio 1 DJ Sara Cox also chimed in: 'Madonna was nearly a magonna. What a trouper. Here's @gregjames screaming cos he can see the future.'

Meanwhile, comedian Alan Carr also couldn't resist a jibe, saying: 'That Minotaur that dragged Madonna down the stairs is SO unemployed right now.'

Many Twitter users picked up on the fashion statement Madonna was making with her cape and used a familiar meme from The Incredibles, which quoted Edna Mode when she said 'No capes'.

Gogglebox's Scarlett Moffat, commenting on television as she does best, wrote: 'If we have learnt anything from tonight it's that capes are just not practical evening wear attire #brits #madonna'. 

Madonna's outfit was the brain of her stylist B Akerlund and alongside the cape talking point it featured a sleek leather jacket, custom made by Nicolas Jebran, which was embellished with black crystals and ruby stones as well as an 'M' emblem.

Jebran has previously made a splash on the Brit Awards stage creating Katy Perry's custom neon Cleopatra look for her 2014 Dark Horse performance.

Back in her stride, the costume allowed the Like A Virgin singer to move around the stage freely and she even pulled some of her racier on stage moves - something that could have had tongues wagging if it wasn't for the unfortunate incident.

Her 1995 performance, in comparison, saw a cleaner version of the singer grace the stage in a white, plunging gown as she belted out her hit Bedtime Stories.

That same year, Ant & Dec - who returned to present the BRIT Awards to host after 14 years – were nominated for Best British Breakthrough Act under their stage name PJ & Duncan.

Their one hit song was Let's Get Ready To Rumble, but suffice to say they did not win.