Labaran Maku Blames Nigerians, Media For Negative Corruption Rating

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The Goodluck Jonathan administration has reacted to recent ratings by Transparency International that ranked Nigeria as 35th most corrupt country as well as a recent Gallup Poll that also put the country’s leadership as second most corrupt. According to Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, both reports were products of interactions with Nigerians as well as negative media reports. Mr. Maku made the claim while fielding questions yesterday from State House reporters at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Jonathan. Maku insisted that the corruption ratings were not a true reflection of what is going on in the country.

Giving Aba a “New Face”: Abia State Government Set to Demolish 1800 Structures in Aba

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Abia State governor, Theodore Orji has disclosed that plans have been concluded to demolish 1,800 structures in Aba, the commercial nerves of the state.
As an explanation for this move, the governor said it is designed to give Aba the new face that the Commercial centre of Abia State ought to wear, just as he said that sixteen roads have been marked for reconstruction in Aba.

Boko Haram: Bombers Promised Crown Of Respect, 72 Virgins In Heaven

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The incentives promised suicide bombers of the Boko Haram sect to carry out their deadly missions were yesterday revealed in court. An Army officer told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday that four suspects of the Suleja bombing were promised 72 virgins each as incentives. The officer, whose name was not given for security reasons, was testifying in the case filed by the State Security Service against the six accused Suleja/Madalla bomb attack. He said while testifying that the information was contained in a cell-phone confiscated from the suspects at the point of their arrest in Gumel Junction, Kachia in Kaduna State.

Eko 2012: Delta State Tops Medal Table.

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As the 2012 edition of Nigeria’s annual National Sports Festival which is presently holding in Lagos State tagged: ‘Eko 2012′ rages on, the National Sports Commission has released the performance update on the medals table with Delta State topping the list in the number of gold, silver as well as bronze medals obtained so far. The result table also indicates that Rivers State is second place and Lagos the host state is coming third position, followed by Edo State. According to the release, a total of 705 medals have been won as at December 5, 2012 which comprises 204 gold, 204 silver and 297 bronze medals. The closing ceremony of the events is expected to hold at the main bowl of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Sunday December 9, 2012. Detail listing of the medals won are as stated hereunder:

World’s Oldest Person And Tallest Woman Die Days Apart

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The world’s oldest person has died – just days after the world’s tallest woman passed away. Besse Cooper died peacefully yesterday at her Georgia nursing home, at the age of 116. Her son, Sidney said his mum had been ill over the weekend with a stomach virus, but started to feel better on Monday. He said she had her hair set and watched a Christmas video yesterday, but later had trouble breathing, was put on oxygen in her room and died in the afternoon. 

A Mother Beats her Son To Death, Burns His Corpse

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A British jury on Wednesday found a mother who beat her seven-year-old son to death for failing to learn the Quran by heart guilty of murdering him and burning his body to hide the evidence.
33-year-old Sara Ege, a mathematics graduate from India, treated her son Yaseen Ali like a “dog”, beating him with a stick when he failed to memorise religious texts, Cardiff Crown Court in Wales heard.
Yaseen died in July 2010. It was initially thought that he had been killed in a fire at the family home in Pontcanna, Cardiff, but tests later revealed that he was dead before the blaze began.

33 Students Expelled, 88 Suspended In Ebonyi State University Over Exam Malpractices, Other Miscondu

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Thirty-three students have been expelled by the Ebonyi State University, EBSU, Abakaliki, while 88 others were suspended over alleged misconduct, examination malpractice and admission racketeering.
The Registrar and Secretary of Senate, Mr. Egwu Sam, said in a statement that the Senate of the institution had at its 22nd emergency meeting, held on Thursday, August 23rd, 2012, decided to make public the offences of all the affected students.

Man Accused Of Killing Pregnant Lover

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The family of a lady, Gloria Akpan, has accused their daughter’s lover, Ita Eyo, of killing her in his residence in Ayobo area of Ogun State. Gloria and Eyo both from Akwa Ibom State had been cohabiting since March 2012 before the sad incident occurred on November 3. The lady was six-month pregnant before she died.
A family source, who craved anonymity, said when he spoke to Gloria on Friday, a day before her death, she told him that all was well, adding that it was shocking to learn that she had died the next day.
The source said, “Without seeing any member of the family, that same Saturday, they hurriedly buried her.

Sambo Demands Extra N9b For New Home/Office

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The Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory has rejected plans by the Federal Capital Territory Administration to spend additional N9bn on the provision of infrastructure at the yet-to-be-completed residence of the Vice-President.

The committee, which visited the building site in Abuja on Thursday, refused to accept explanations from FCTA officials that N9bn more be sunk into the project.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Smart Adeyemi, who led members of his committee to the site, said such a huge amount was unjustifiable in the face of abject poverty in the country.

Mint Scandal: N2.1 Billion Worth Of N1,000 Notes Missing

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The board of directors of the Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) met yesterday over the scandal that rocked the establishment where it was revealed that a whopping N2.1 billion of newly printed N1,000 notes have mysteriously gone missing.

The board meeting, chaired by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, decided to expand the investigation and audit the production of other currency denominations to ascertain the quantity of money that has actually gone missing over the years. LEADERSHIP had exclusively reported that an acting managing director, Ahmed Bamali, had been appointed to head the Mint company while Ehi Okomoyon, who was the chief executive, was asked to proceed on indefinite leave.

Woman Arrested In Lagos For Selling Babies

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The Police have arrested a 42-year old woman, Beatrice Nwankwo for her alleged involvement in the sale of babies at Ajegunle, a surburb of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. The suspect who claimed to be a nurse was using her one-room apartment at 83, Mosafejo Street, Ajegunle, Lagos as a facility where pregnant women were delivered of their babies. Sources gathered from the police that after after a woman was delivered of her baby, the baby will suddenly disappear and the mother will be told that her baby died during delivery.

Suleja Bombing: Suspects were promised 72 virgins each – Witness

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An Army Officer told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday that four suspects of the Suleja bombing were promised 72 virgins each as incentives. The officer, whose name was not given for security reasons, was testifying in the case filed by the State Security Service against the six accused Suleja/Madalla bomb attack.

Meet 10 Finalists Competing For N10Mn Grand Prize

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As we count down to the final episode of the hit Reality TV show, Nigeria’s Got Talent, this Sunday 9th December 2012, meet the ten finalists slugging it out for a grand prize of N10 million.

Name:                                    Amarachi Uyanne

State Auditioned:                    Benin, Edo State

Act:                                       Dancing

Date of Birth:                        17/07/2004

Educational Status:                South Point Primary School, Benin

Occupation:                          Student

In her words:                        I started dancing at age 5. It is a gift and a passion that God deposited in me.

Amazingly, Bode George, Convicted Criminal, Wins Leadership Award!

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The All Africa Students Union (AASU) has picked former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George as the winner of its 15th edition of the Africa Leadership award. George’s nomination was based on recommendations by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the ratification by the executive council of AASU.

Disclosing this was the Nigerian representative at AASU and Project Co-ordinator of the award,

Olufemi Lawson, who said that George was selected from among the many nominees for the 2012 award based on his commitment to youth development and his defence of democratic institutions.

The award would be conferred on him on December 12, during which a distinguished leadership lecture would be delivered.

AASU is a regional students organisation, headquartered in Accra, Ghana with over 54 African countries as members.

Past recipients of the ASUU bi-annual Africa Leadership Award included former Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Kofi Anan, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Afe Babalola, a former minister from South Africa, and Nobel laureate, late Prof Wangari Maathai among others.

INEC deregisters Chris Okotie’s party; 27 others - List

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In a press statement signed by the Secretary to INEC, Abdullahi Kangama, the commission based its action on the power conferred on it by the 1999 constitution (as amended) and the electoral act 2010 (as amended).

Photos:Prisoner Trapped In Wall During Attempted Escape

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Rafael Valadao must have under estimated the size of his body when his attempts to escape jail ended in humiliation – when he got stuck in a hole he helped smash in his cell wall.
Firefighters had to free the 16-stone (approx. 102kg) prisoner when his belly stopped him making his break for freedom.

COVENANT UNIVERSITY EXPELS OVER 150 STUDENTS

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The University authorities of Covenant University, Canaanland, Ota in Ogun state, last Saturday expelled over 150 students for varied offences ranging majorly by offences of absentism from departure service (which is the last service held before students go home for vacation)  .
A source told us that trouble started when the Chancellor of the institution,Bishop David Oyedepo visited the school chapel unannounced and noticed that some students were loitering around the chapel,some talking and others were playing while the Vice Chancellor was giving a speech in the school’s chapel.

“It is stupidity to spend your last penny buying your pastor a jet” – Nollywood actor, Mr. Ibu. Do you Agree?

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Popular comic actor, John Okafor, more popular as Mr. Ibu, had waded into the debate about pastors owing private jets and living lavish lifestyles.

Mr. Ibu took to his Facebook page to express his opinions, and called people who donate their last penny to fund the purchase of private jets, as ‘stupid’.

“STUPIDITY is when you don’t have a bicycle and you give your last penny to your pastor to buy a jet…….” he wrote.

“IGNORANCE is when you believe it when your pastor tells you not to live a worldly life, yet he enjoys all the best things in the world;the fine houses, cars, jets, babes etc, while you
are waiting till you get to heaven to enjoy your own….”
He ended his post with: “Stop worshiping your pastors!!! Stay focused on Jesus The author and finisher of your Faith.And learn to study the word .#Somebody shout halleluyahhhhhh”

Eti Osa-Lekki-Epe Expressway: Tolling to commence at TP2 Dec 16

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Lekki Concession Company (LCC), has concluded plans to commence tolling at  the Conservation Plaza (TP2), the second toll plaza situated along the Eti-Osa Lekki-Epe Expressway between Chevron HG and Oluwa Nisola House, with effect from 12am on Sunday 16, December 2012.

Toll tariffs at the Conservation Plaza will be the same as the Admiralty Circle Plaza
Okada - N50.
Authorised commercial danfo buses - N80
Salon cars and tricycles - N120
SUVs, minibuses, pickup trucks - N150
Light trucks - 250, heavy trucks - 350

If you'd like to cuss anybody out for this toll, then please call - 0800 22 555 22.

Ghana Turns Deadly As Party Supporters Clash Over Election Results

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Supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) today stabbed a National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporter around Nkrumah circle in Accra according to police authorities.
The controversy over last Friday's election has degenerated in the last few days as supporters of Mr. Nana Akufo-Addo rejected the results of the election claiming it was marred by fraud. Mr. Akufo-Addo has vowed to test the results of the election before the courts.
However, his supporters have grown increasingly restless and embarked street protests and sometimes attacked journalists in the nation's capital.