Thursday 18 October 2012

ITZ POKO BABY *GRINS EVILY


Tonto Dikeh thanks Nigerians for her successful Singles:"We made history"

Despite the backlash which trailed the release of her singles.It is estimated that her songs have recorded an estimated ’1 million online downloads.For those who still haven't contribute your own quota by clicking here..Wow right!
She took to twitter to say thanks..
On behalf of Nigerians,im saying You're welcome Poko baby

THE GIRL-CHILD


UN Highlights Girl-child Protection, Commodities


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UN office
Abimbola Akosile
The United Nations System in Nigeria has called on the federal and states governments to make special efforts to protect the rights of the girl child, while marking the recent International Day of the Girl Child.

The UN system also met in Abuja this week to deliberate on an implementation Plan for Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children, which is being developed.
In recognition of the peculiar challenges facing the girl child, the UN General Assembly in a resolution on 19 December 2011, adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 every year as the International Day to be observed around the world. The theme for the 2012 Day was “Ending Child marriage”.

WATER!!! FG TO ACCESS $400M WORLD BANK LOAN


Water Provision: FG to Access $400m World Bank Loan


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Public Water System
Yemi Akinsuyi 
The Federal Government through the Ministry of Water Resources is to access a $400 million loan from the World Bank, in its effort to revitalise the ailing and dilapidated infrastructure in the water sector and map out a way forward in improving water utility.
Speaking at a recent seminar on water agencies’ performance assessment and benchmarking in Nigeria organised by the ministry in collaboration with the Bank in Abuja, the senior water and sanitation specialist of the World Bank, Alexander Danilenko, said the workshop was a baseline process to support the ministry in its drive in water transformation and supply. 

FOREIGN INVESTORS TRADE N571BN SHARES ON NSE


Foreign Investors Trade N571bn Shares on NSE


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NSE DG, Oscar Onyema


Nigerian stock market witnessed a total transactions of N570.8 billion by foreign portfolio investors  between January and September 2012, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE)  disclosed Wednesday.
Trading statistics released by the exchange showed that    transactions worth N954 billion have been executed on the floors of the exchange in the nine months, with foreign investors accounting for N570.8 billion.
A breakdown of the transactions by foreign investors showed that they purchased N318.55 billion and sold N252.24 billion, leading to a net transaction of N66.8 billion.

THE FLOOD AND FOOD PRICES


Flood Pushes up Food Prices as Inflation Eases to 11.3%

18 Oct 2012
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 Food items on display

James Emejo 

The Composite Consumer Price Index (CPI), which gauges the level of inflation in the country eased to 11.3 per cent in September from 11.7 per cent in August.
But the drop in inflation is not reflective of  the marginal rise in  prices of food items  as a  result of the flood, which ravaged many parts of the country in the period under review.
The relative stability of the naira within the period as well as crop harvesting exercises, which began late July and early August, helped to mitigate the severity of the impact on food price hike, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Wednesday.

POVERTY RATE TO REDUCE BY 15 PER CENT IN 2015


Poverty Rate will Reduce by 15% in 2015

18 Oct 2012
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UN Secretary, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon
Yemi Akinsuyi 

All things being equal, poverty rate across the globe will reduce by 15 per cent come 2015, National Coordinator, National Poverty Eradication Programme, Mukhtar Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, has said.
Balewa who disclosed this at the 2012 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP), with the theme: “Ending the Violence of Extreme Poverty; Promoting Empowerment and Building Peace,” said the prediction was the fallout of a recently updated projection from the World Bank.

UBA'S WOES CONTINUE


SFU: We Can’t Release Uba Now

18 Oct 2012
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Mr. Ifeanyi Uba
Davidson Iriekpen
The Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigerian Police Wednesday told a Federal High Court in Lagos that the money stolen by the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Mr. Ifeanyi Uba, could conveniently pay the monthly allocation of 11 states of the federation.
Giving reasons why Uba should not be granted bail, the SFU revealed that apart from the instant N43.291 billion fraudulent oil subsidy claim, Uba is currently being investigated in respect of another allegation relating to fraudulent transactions, money laundering, forgery of shipping documents and stealing by conversion of petroleum product worth about $280 million. 

BREAST CANCER AND THE WOMAN


Women Urged to Self-examine Breasts

18 Oct 2012
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Steve Dada
Incidence of breast cancer believed to be one of the commonest cancers afflicting women worldwide, expert believed could be brought under check if women imbibe the culture of regular self- examination starting from the age of 20 years.
An Oncologist, Dr. Agnes Bamidele who delivered a lecture on how to check the spread of the disease at a recent sensitisation workshop organised in Lagos recently advises that women should self-examine their breast to avoid a last stage cancerous disease.
She said there are many reasons why changes may occur in the breast, but stressed that most of them are harmless. She warned that regardless of this, every change no matter how little must be checked by a doctor without delay, to know the cause for the change.

TACKLING PROSTATE CANCER


Immigration Officers’ Wives Tackle Prostate Cancer

18 Oct 2012
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Members of the Association Wives of Immigration Officers


Chiemelie Ezeobi
With the prevalence of prostate cancer in men, the Immigration Officers’ Wives Association (IMMOWA), Lagos Zone, has taken up the gauntlet to tackle the ailment even as it reiterated its commitment to ensure the wellbeing of the male folk.
In a recent seminar organised for officers of the service at the Immigration Office in Ikeja, Lagos, to create awareness, the group said the choice of the ailment as a seminar topic was because of its deadly but silent nature.
Speaking to THISDAY, IMMOWA Secretary, Mrs. Emordi said although women are usually more concerned with the cancer of the breast, the fact remains that few men are aware of prostate cancer which is quite deadly and leaves the victims permanently in pain.
She said the forum was held to educate the men on the signs to look out for to recognise prostate cancer, as well as its diagnosis and treatment options. “For someone to work effectively, he or she needs to be healthy and that is what we are promoting,” she said.

LEPERS COLONY'S HOPEFULS


A Lepers’ Colony Where Children Want to be Medical Doctors

16 Oct 2012
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Lepers’ children  at Amanawa Lepers’ settlement in Sokoto
Mohammed Aminu writes about the aspiration of Lepers’ children  at Amanawa Lepers’ settlement in Sokoto and the support of Leprosy Mission, a non-governmental organisation to help them actualise their dreams
It is a far distance from Sokoto metropolis. About 30 kilometres away from modern civilisation. They are shunned by the others. They are lepers in their own colony.
At   Amanawa Leprosy Hospital housing a population of over 1000 people, there is a different life of the lepers. The lepers at Amanawa live with their children who are not lepers.
“I want to be a medical doctor in the future so that I will be able to treat sick patients in our settlement and cater for my disabled parents and siblings. And that is why I have shown serious commitment to my studies and with the support of the Leprosy Mission of Nigeria, I hope my dream shall come to pass.”

FRSC'S EYE TEST FOR MOTORISTS


Eye Exam for Drivers Permit: The Good and the Ugly

15 Oct 2012
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A patient undergoing an eye test
The Federal Road Safety Commission’s (FRSC) plan to reduce road accidents by  providing free mandatory eye test to drivers, may suffer a ditch like the cost of treatment or even legality of barring those with defect which could frustrate the potential gains of the eye test, writes Chiemelie Ezeobi
As usual, the sun rose from the East and cast the streets of Lagos in a golden hue with its characteristics harsh weather accompanied by the stinging rays of the sun. Not surprisingly, the hot weather seemed to have affected motorists alike with impatience as they all struggled for the right of way to leave the canopy of the scorching sun.
Suddenly, the ambience of the busy afternoon was shattered by a screeching sound accompanied by a loud thud. A 46-seater- commercial bus had rammed into a Toyota Camry Saloon Car.

THE ATTACK DOGS AND ITS MASTER


Emodi Disowns Okupe over Attacks on National Assembly

18 Oct 2012
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Doyin Okupe
Onwuka Nzeshi and  Dele Ogbodo
The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi, has disowned some presidential aides and cabinet ministers over  some negative  comments credited to them against the National Assembly.
This came as the Senate President, Senator David Mark, Wednesday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to checkmate two of his aides, Messrs Doyin Okupe and Ahmed Gulak, over their persistent inflammatory statements which he said were capable of straining the existing cordial relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government.
Addressing journalists on the issue yesterday, Emodi, said comments that  tended to portray any crises of confidence between the executive and the legislature, were unnecessary and that their promoters were on their own.

OK NOW! SOYINKA SPEAKS ON ACHEBE'S GENOCIDE ACCUSATIONS


Soyinka: Yes, Achebe Was Right; Igbo Were Genocide Victims

18 Oct 2012
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Professor Wole Soyinka
Nobel Prize winner, Professor Wole Soyinka, spoke last week at the Hay Festival in Mexico on the controversy generated by Chinua Achebe’s civil war memoir,  “There Was A Country,” Boko Haram insurgency and religion
You’re not an ivory-tower kind of writer. You are not a stranger to danger, and in fact you’ve been imprisoned on at least two occasions, once in solitary confinement. Can you tell me what that was like?
Writing in certain environments carries with it an occupational risk. When I was imprisoned, without trial, it was as a result of a position I took as a citizen. Of course I used my weapon, which was writing, to express my disapproval of the [Biafran] civil war into which we were about to enter. These were people who’d been abused, who’d undergone genocide, and who felt completely rejected by the rest of the community, and therefore decided to break away and form a nation of its own. Unfortunately, the nature of my imprisonment meant that I couldn’t practise my trade because I was in solitary confinement for 22 months out of the 27, and I was deprived of writing material. So I had to somehow break through the barriers, smuggle in toilet paper, cigarette paper, scribble a few poems, pass messages outside. I was able to undertake exercises to make sure that I emerged from prison intact mentally.

WEEP NOT CHILD


Weep Not Child

17 Oct 2012
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Realising the decline in the reading culture among youths, especially in the public secondary schools in Nigeria and the African continent as a whole, United Bank for Africa (UBA)  Foundation launched the project  ‘Read Africa’ and complements it with a national essay competition to support indigent scholars, writes AdeolaAkinremi

In his mind, “time and bad conditions do not favour beauty.” NgugiwaThiong’o, the renowned Kenya author, saw the future from the past and he captured it. His book ‘Weep Not Child’ has those lines.  Ngugi told a tale of a family’s struggle to acquire formal education in a short paragraph.
That struggle has remained. It is a struggle young people in Nigeria’s public secondary schools and their counterparts elsewhere in Africa are facing; low self-esteem, inadequate access to reading books, worn to shreds uniforms and decrepit classrooms; all combined not to favour the beauty of the young people.