Mum, 22, Dies Mysteriously Days After Christmas

A young mum has died mysteriously two days after Christmas.

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FIreworks Celebrations Kills Hundred Of Birds

 

 

The city of Rome has been with a bizzare moments which has shown hundred of dead birds scattered outside a busy train station, believed to have been killed during the city’s New Year’s Eve fireworks.

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Discovery: Lion Used As Security Guard

Two-year-old lion 'Cub' is said to be used as a security guard in the house where it was discovered.

The Head of Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences Unit, Mr. Yinka Egbeyemi, said the cub will be “tranquilised” on Monday.

He said the discovery was made at House No. 229, Muri Okunola Street, in the highbrow Victoria Island area of the state.

The king of the jungle, reportedly kept by an Indian, was said to have been discovered by residents, who petitioned the state government.

Egbeyemi told The PUNCH that his men had been keeping tab on the house since Friday.

He noted that the animal would be tranquilised on Monday (tomorrow) and taken to the zoo.

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Church’ Where Satan is a ‘Brother’

A Christian worship centre or church is a place where you expect everything but the absurd and the weird. But this was precisely what this reporter beheld few weeks back when she went snooping at “As God said, It Must Be Done, The temple of the Most High God,’ located in Oke-Aro in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
A mere N100 bus ride from the popular Agege/Pen Cinema Bus-Stop, took this reporter to As God Said Street – the street is named after the church. A short commercial motorcycle ride took this reporter to the church’s doorstep.
The temple is flanked on one side by what used to be a mosque and the other by a Celestial Church of Christ, which, strangely, wasn’t holding any service this Sunday. This reporter was, however, to soon discover during the nearly 10-hour-long service, that the mosque and the Celestial church had to evacuate their locations because of the new “Sheriff” in town.
The first thing that catches your attention as you walk into the church premises, depending on your keenness of sight, would either be the rather heavy use of the colours red and white; or the slaughter slab on the far right corner, though carefully concealed by the gigantic red gate. Beside the slab, this fateful Sunday was a black goat waiting to be slaughtered and served to worshippers. Makes some sense though. If worshippers have to stay in church up to 10 hours or more, it just might be normal to consider feeding them.
Inside the temple, the love for red is even more pronounced. The floor has a fading red colour, which tells you it had originally been painted with glossy red paint; even the choir and a few members bear a touches of red on their dresses. No usher is seen ushering people in; there actually is no need for one, as the sitting arrangement is glaring enough, even to a first timer. Male worshippers sit to the right while female worshippers sit to the left.
Another thing you cannot miss as you walk into the temple is the altar. It is divided into two sections: a very high one, probably the holy of holies, reserved for the Most High, should he come visiting; and then a lower one, possibly where the seer, fondly called Papa, preaches from, whenever he returns from a visit to the Most High, which he claims he does often.
“I still communed with the Most High last month. I sit and discuss with Him often. I know his form. Who says we can’t see God?” he boasted amidst wild cheers from his followers.
On the higher altar is a massive chair, the type you find in kings’ palaces. That’s probably where the Most High sits when he visits. On the lower altar is a replica of that same seat, possibly for the Papa. On the far left of the lower altar is a seat like the earlier ones, only smaller in size. This is where the wife of the seer sits during service, albeit only on the invitation of her husband.
Right above the higher altar or holy of holies, is a line-up of some relics, the sort you’re only likely to find in a herbalist’s shrine. The most conspicuous of these would be an elaborate form of a skull, placed in the middle of two crossed bone-shaped pieces of woods – pretty much like the familiar skull and bones image, used to depict danger and death. There is also something like a big calabash, placed in the middle, leaving a first-timer wondering if this is a shine or a temple where God is worshipped.
Sunday Nation’s visit coincided with the 6th Anniversary Celebration of the worship centre. It was with great excitement that the seer, Blessed Dike-Oji-Ofo Chukwu announced to the dance-intoxicated congregation that, “Today, we are celebrating our sixth year of moving to this temple.”
This announcement was followed by an excited cheer from the worshippers.
The service, which was said to have begun at 8:30 am, ran for hours unending, with more than half the time spent singing and dancing, and – wait for this – spraying those perceived by the seer to have danced best with money. Interestingly, the children seemed to be more favoured in the money rain, above the adults. In order to be sure if this was the general mode of worship or just a one-off thing to commemorate the anniversary celebration, our reporter sought the opinion of a female congregant.
Her excited response was, “When we come to the temple on Sundays, we are not in a hurry. We close when the seer says we will close, even until night, if that’s what he wants.”
After hours of singing, dancing and collecting contributions (tithe of the most high, answered prayer offering, temple offering, Caesar’s offering, offering of the earth altar – Exodus 20:24) from the congregants, this reporter was almost giving up on the hope of seeing the seer come out to deliver his sermon, when, to the relief of all members, he emerged at exactly 2:00pm – six whole hours into the service.
After speaking elaborately about the 6th anniversary and outlining the achievements the church has accomplished in the last six months, part of which, according to him, includes having the street where the temple is located named after it, the evacuation of the mosque and celestial church in the neighbourhood, amongst others; he pronounced many blessings on the worshippers and began the day’s sermon.
“In just six years of our moving to this place, the street has been named after us; the mosque and Celestial church that we met here have left for us; no member of this temple has died; I have been made the Mayegun of Fakile land… I prophesy to you, you will not fail, you will succeed, you will prosper; old and young will take risk for you to succeed; big and small will swear an oath for you to rise up and shine. In the name of the ancient of the days, I bless every one of you… In your marriages, you will succeed in the name of the living God. The sun will not smote you by the day, neither will the moon smote you by the night; you will be protected. So shall it be in the name of the king of kings, in the name of the lord of hosts. In the name of the ‘God’ of “Nebuchadneze,” I bless thee. The ‘God’ of my ancestors, “Nebuchadnezzar” will change your story. As you have been serving “Nebuchadnezzar”, on this first day in the month of September 2017, “Nebuchadnezzar” is your ancestor and he will reward you; Pharaoh will reward you, Ahab will reward you. In the name of the living God I bless thee.”
After the prayer rain, the seer bellowed, “You’re free to ask me any kind of question after the teaching this afternoon. We are not operating the way other men of God operate; we operate by the inspiration of the living God.”
After this announcement, the sermon began without any introduction. The seer spoke about bishop and pope, how they are titles given by men not God. “Bishop and Pope is not recommended by God. Check from Genesis to Revelation, you can never see the title of Pope. If you check in the book of Titus, you will see a bishop is a man who is up and doing. All our deacon and deaconesses here, you are the same rank with bishop, there is no special title in that name, bishop. They can deceive men, not somebody like me.”
Quoting a passage in Titus, the seer asked the congregation to open their Bibles, so they could read together what the bible says about bishops. After searching the book of Titus without success, the seer’s reader came to the congregation’s rescue. The passage was actually in 1Timothy 3:1, not Titus. After the reading, he began another talk about Moses and Zippo rah. Soon, it was question time.
“Before I open the floor for questions, I want to appreciate one of my sons. I was in my palace when he called to say he had a gift for the temple. It was surprising what he brought; three cartons of big stout, one carton of ’33 Larger and one carton of Captain Black. We will soon share the drinks, but before then, come forward, my son, let me bless you.”
After praying to the Most High to bless the young man and prosper his business, the seer called forward a lady whose face betrayed no emotion. It was hard to tell if she was happy, sad or just didn’t care. By virtue of marriage, she had just become a new member of the church and was given a special seat among the women who sat in front row.
Soon, it was question time. The first question came from a boy, who was home for the long vacation. He wanted to know why the seer preaches that Jesus is not the saviour of the world and why they don’t pray in the name of Jesus. Indeed, this reporter had noticed all along that they weren’t praying in the name of Jesus, neither was the name mentioned throughout the service. In fact, songs that had the name in the name of Jesus were carefully edited and replaced with Saviour, Lord or Most High.
The seer’s response to the boy’s question however, was, “God is the Saviour of the whole world, not Jesus. It is the gospel of John that claims Jesus died for the sins of man; but let me tell you, the New Testament is a lie. The original word of God is the Old Testament; the New Testament is the gospel of men, and untrue.”
The obviously dissatisfied questioner, was, however, soon silenced with a promise of scholarship for an academic session, for exhibiting great intelligence. The worshippers also went wild with joy at this pronouncement, and everyone soon forgot that the boy’s question wasn’t quite answered.
Next, a man who spoke impeccable English, took the mic and asked, “Do you believe in life after life?” The seer’s response was affirmative. “Of course, there is life after life. Every time we say somebody died, what happened is that the person just changed address. Maybe the person closed his eyes (not died) in Oke-aro, he may wake up in Cotonou as a foreigner; or somebody else may sleep in Oke-aro and wake up in Ibadan. That is life after life, continuation of life. That is why the Most High gave everyone 1,000 years to live in this life. When you’ve lived up to 1,000 years, you’d have completed your sojourn in this life, you will now become among the ancestors.”
The idea of becoming one of the ancestors pleased the worshippers and got them cheering again, loudly.
Another worshiper, a lady, asked what this reporter considered a very important question: “Why do you say that our ancestors are Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, Ahab? In other churches, they pray against these names.”
The seer’s response was, “They lack knowledge. Nebuchadnezzar is my ancestors. Satan is my elder brother. See, that name Nebuchadnezzar is not a personality but a phenomenon. It means the wrath of God upon his children. But all those churches that pray against these names don’t understand. Is it possible to have the goodness of God and not have his wrath? That’s Nebuchadnezzar. My daughter, do you understand?” This was followed by a nod from the worshipper and a loud cheer from the congregation.
At this point, this reporter burned with curiousity and wanted to ask several questions: “Can they call themselves Christians if they don’t believe in Jesus Christ? Why do they still perform animal sacrifices? Why is the altar divided into two sections and what do the relics on it symbolize? Why do men cover their head while praying? Is it true they drink alcohol during service and why?
But it was another female member, who got the mic to ask her question. She began by introducing herself as a first-timer, but the seer counseled her not to call herself a first-timer. “Don’t call yourself a first-timer. There are no first-timers in the presence of the Most High. You are just a lost child, who has found her way home, and the Most High is always ready to receive you.
Her question was, “Why did you direct us to read from the New Testament this morning, even though you said it’s all a lie?” That was to be the last question of the day, because the seer was obviously thrown off balance and events soon overtook the question time.
“This lady you are seeing is a very intelligent lady;” the seer began. Pointing to the male section, he continued, “That’s her husband over there and it is whatever she says that happens in her marriage.” Soon, the question was left unanswered and a prayer and thanksgiving session began for the supposed couple, whom the seer said was believing God for the fruit of the womb. It turns out that this assertion was false, as this reporter had met the couple on their way out and they revealed that they were not even engaged, much less married, and neither had they need for children as the seer had declared.
But, why didn’t they refute what he said since it wasn’t true? The guy, who gave his name as Ade, said, “We were directed by a friend to consult the seer to see if we are destined for each other. But with that false prophecy, we know better than to believe anything he says.”
Drinking time
After praying for the couple, the seer asked for the drinks offered by the male worshipper to be brought in. After taking two bottles himself, he opened one bottle each for the women occupying the special seat in front, after taking a swig from each bottle. Children and adults who do not take alcohol were served 7’UP.
Amidst the drinking, one lady began staggering for nearly 15 minutes. An easy guess would be that it was the effect of the wine, but she soon steadied herself and requested for the mic. She had a testimony. According to her, her menstrual flow had ceased for about three months, but when she ate kolanut in church the previous Sunday, her menses began to flow again. The seer took time to explain that in the early days of his ministry, he used to serve his members the emblem used in other assemblies (unleavened bread and fruit of the vine) but after a while, the Most High warned him not to give the bread and fruit of the vine to his sons and daughter or else he will slay them. Now, their emblem for communion is kolanut and blended alligator pepper.
In a bid to prove his position on the regular emblems, the seer went to his ‘palace’ to produce the unleavened bread, which he ordered them pass round for the congregants to see. A few of them, who had at one time or the other taken the bread, requested to have a taste of it. He obliged them, while announcing, “I know that I said the most high asked me not to give you people this thing, but don’t worry, this one you are eating will not kill you.”
As at 5;00pm when this reporter quietly left the temple, the service had yet ended. Kolanut was about to be served and they still awaited the meal that was being prepared with the goat that was slaughtered earlier on.

SOURCE: THE NATION

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Mistaken As A Flesh Eaten Zombie

A Michigan-based professional dancer by the name of Jai Fears sparked a major scare on Monday, September 30, at Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak when she showed up wearing a zombie makeup that was mistaken for a real injury.

As Fox 2 Detroit reports , Fears was rushed to the hospital for a panic attack, which she experienced while having her makeup done for a Halloween marketing campaign with Glam Gore.

However, when she arrived, the staff didn't initially realize she was wearing makeup, and instead, figured she had suffered a trauma to the face. Yes — her makeup looked that gory.

In fact, Fears told Fox 2 Detroit that it was actually the makeup that caused her to have a panic attack.

"It literally just shot up to my brain and it just caused like a really bad reaction," she said. For further context, she added: "We were getting ready to do a photoshoot to do some marketing for Glam Gore for people who want to get their makeup done for the Halloween season." It was approximately three hours into having her makeup done when Fears started to feel anxious.

Her zombie makeup ended up so realistic that the hospital staff didn't recognize it was fake at first. "[They said] let's get her back to trauma now and she's probably going into shock, she's not making any sense," Fears told the Detroit publication.

She added that she didn't speak up about the makeup because she figured that they had to know. "I did not say anything because I just assumed they could see that it was fake," she explained.

Eventually, doctors realized Fears wasn't physically injured and she was treated for her anxiety attack. The Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak didn't comment on her specific situation but released the following statement:

"The emergency room is not a place for fun and games. They see many patients with severe medical issues where lives are at stake. Doctors need to be able to focus on those patients with true emergencies."

After the fact, Fears posted about the incident on Facebook with the caption, "Let me please say anxiety is no joke or laughing matter. It was a serious situation that happened at a strange time."

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Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo Told Me About His ‘Relationship’ With Busola Dakolo – Ex-COZA staff

Former Commonwealth of Zion Assembly, (COZA) staff has narrated what Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo told her about his relationship with Busola Dakolo.

Ex-COZA staff, who pleaded anonymity in an interview with Y!TV on Thursday, disclosed that Pastor Fatoyinbo had some time in 2018 explained to her that he did not rape Busola but that “something happened between them”.

According to her, “He painted it as they had a thing but he didn’t know she was that young”.

Recall that wife of soul singer, Timi Dakolo, Busola, had alleged that the COZA founder forcefully raped her when she was young. 

Fatoyinbo, who denied the allegation, however admitted that Busola once attended the same church with his family.

The clergyman consequently ordered his lawyers to institute both criminal and civil cases against Busola.

The ex-COZA staff has now come out to say: “In early 2018, Timi made a post about an Abuja pastor sexually assaulting young girls I didn’t see the post because I was not following him but at that time I received a call from a worker telling me Pastor Biodun needs my number because I’ve not talked to him for months after the rape incident.

“I didn’t tell her anything that happened so she was just asking, he called me from Colorado again apologizing about the rape incident ‘I know you are angry with me but I’m sorry’ we went form that convo to talking about work.

“As soon as the call was over I heard about Timi, so I realized Pastor Biodun called me to take care of loose ends, this made me realize I had to exit being a staff and go far away from the church.

“We had no contact until I sent a message on Instagram to him as my boss that I wanted to leave, he asked to give him time because he wanted to tell his wife about it.

” A month after I came to Nigeria, he asked for a meeting so I met him at the basement in a room he was sitting on the couch. the first thing he said was put your phone away, he started apologising all over again thinking of how much he has wronged me and was in tears.

“At this time Timi had made the post, they had this back and forth thing when they were trying to get to Timi.

“Then he started telling me out of the blue that he didn’t rape Busola Dakolo, he knew her in Ilorin when he was not married and she was just a girl who used to come around him a lot but then something happened.

“He painted it as they had a thing but didn’t know she was that young. He brought it up when I didn’t ask so I saw this as emotional blackmail.

“If there’s anything he does he is very good at studying you and seeing how your mind works. I think that was his attempt for me to see him as someone that cannot rape anyone. He appeals to your emotions and finds a common ground.”

She, however, added that she could not record the conversation because she didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention to herself.

“The last time I saw Pastor Biodun before I left the church he asked if there was anything I wants him to do for me but I gave him a negative answer and that was our last conversation.

“Recording the conversation didn’t cross my mind because all I wanted was just to get out from there because it is a large environment and I wanted to leave peacefully.

“They created an atmosphere of insecurity that stops people from speaking out, telling an average person that Pastor Biodun Fatoyibo raped you is hard, though I want to be the girl that is bold but there was just too much to contend with, especially church folks who would rather believe a pastor who cannot keep it in his pants than a member because they don’t want to question anything but look the other way .

“There are a lot of people who are victims, I’m sure because after I saw Timi’s post I realised this is a real thing not just with adults but teenagers as well.”

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Pastor Adeboye’s New Message to Pastors

The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has stirred reactions online following his stern advice to upcoming Christian Ministers to abstain from every evil.

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Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp Services Down Globally

The social media internet giant Facebook had acknowledged on Wednesday an outage affecting users in various parts of the world, and presently working on fixing.

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Over 50 Killed, And Over 100 Injured

Over 50 people have died and at least over 90 people were injured after scrambling tanker crashed and exploded in Benue State.

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UNIBEN 300 Level Student Commits Suicide

A 300-Level University of Benin (UNIBEN) Medical Laboratory student of was found dead in her hostel at Newton Street, Ekosodin area of Benin City, after allegedly taking some deadly substance to end her life.

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Becareful of These Equipment

We all use public bathrooms or stay in hotel rooms, and not to scare you, but do you really know who is watching you while you're going about your business?

Technology moves at the speed of light with new products and gadgets meant to make our lives easier, but there is also a dark side — one you might not even realize you're seeing until it's too late. There are people looking to prey on others by engaging in criminal activity, and it can be as easy as installing a hook.

While these may look like ordinary hooks, they're actually meant for a far darker purpose.

Notice the double hooks, which are not usually the standard in coat hooks.

Anything look a little off to you?

They can be easily attached to any wall in the home or places like a public bathroom, and you probably wouldn't even give them a second thought.

But be warned — if you see this in a public bathroom or a hotel room, please leave immediately and call the authorities.

So what’s the big deal about an innocent-looking hook?

Because hidden inside this wall hook is a tiny camera that records people in the bathroom, hotel rooms, and change rooms.

Women in particular have been recorded while in the shower or changing without their knowing.

They’re privacy is completely violated, and they aren’t even aware of it.

Pretty horrifying, right?

Doesn’t it make you think back to every hotel room you’ve ever stayed in and wonder if you were secretly being watched?

Shockingly, these sneaky little cameras are easy to find and even easier to install.

The camera comes with a charger and transfer cable, and the hook is like any other found at a hardware store.

The camera records video and audio through the small hole at the top.

Often times, the footage from the camera end up on the Internet for the world to see without the knowledge of the person featured in it.

That hole is a giveaway that something is NOT right with the hook and that criminal activity could be going on.

But it gets worse.

Want to know what makes it even creepier?

These wireless cameras can be recorded remotely, and the wireless remote control works through walls. 

So someone could be watching the footage as close as the next room.

That’s enough to make you never want to check into a hotel again.

One thing you might notice is that it's set somewhere in a room that is out of place.

For example, if you see a hook in a place that doesn’t make sense for a hook to be, trust your instincts.

Sometimes you can see the light when the camera is recording.

That’s your sign to get out of dodge and call the police immediately.

What makes this so scary is that these spy camera hooks are accessible, inexpensive, and easy to purchase by criminals.

While they were originally created to increase security around your home, in the hands of the wrong people, they can make it easy to prey on unsuspecting victims.

Thankfully, knowledge is power.

If you know that coat hangers can contain cameras and are extra vigilant when traveling or using a public facility to undress, you’ll be able to protect yourself from unwanted snooping.

Check out the video below for more info on this unsettling trend.

Sadly, it seems to be getting more and more common by the day, but if we spread awareness that this is going on, we can help to shut it down.

Because no one should be able to take your privacy away from you.

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Ejaculate More To Put Cancer At Bay

Zimbabwean men are being encouraged to have sex more often to beat killer disease cancer. The Cancer Association of Zimbabwe (CAZ) claims frequent ejaculation lowers prostate cancer risks that often attacks men, reports Daily Nation.

Hence CAZ is encouraging men in Zimbabwe to be sexually active and ensure they at least have 21 ejaculation in a month that will go a long way to help reduce the risk of one them contracting prostate cancer.

According to the body, its research showed that men who ejaculated 21 times a month had a 33% lower risk of contracting prostate cancer.

“Prostate cancers is one the rise and besides encouraging men to eat healthy, we now encourage them to be sexually active and at least have 21 ejaculation in a month as discovered by researchers. Twenty one ejaculation in a month can reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 33 percent as it may flush toxins out of the system,” read part of a statement from CAZ published by B-Metro.

RISKS OF CANCER

The statement from CAZ also encouraged men who take alcohol to ensure they only drink three pints of beer (averagely three bottle of beers) in a week and those who smoke to stop the habit immediately to fight cancer.

“Research has also made it clear that mean should only drink three pints of beer in a week and women a glass of wine to reduce the risk of cancer,” it continued in part.

The body also cautioned on daily consumption of meat terming it as one of the major cause of cancer and urged its citizens to just eat meat that fills their hand palm in a week.

CAZ a however advised that the most effective way to curb cancer is by having diet programs, exercises and regular checkups.

According to the body, more people in Zimbabwe are now dying of cancer as compared to other diseases and infections namely tuberculosis and HIV.

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Senator Sheu Sani Reveals People Behind Killings In Nigeria

The Senator representing Kaduna Central senatorial district in the national assembly, Senator Shehu Sani says Nigerians does not need to blame nameless desperate politicians as the brain behind current Fulani herdsmen killings.

According to him, If a serving State Governor can openly confess to be paying Herdsmen in his state to stop killing, then there was no need to keep looking for culprits somewhere else.

In a statement on Twitter, he joked that the government may find the sponsors in Mars,Venus, Jupiter, Uranus or Saturn.

Recalled that the governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai has on December 3, 2016, disclosed to some journalist that his government paid Fulani herdsmen to stop the killing in Southern Kaduna.

“For southern Kaduna, we didn’t understand what was going on and we decided to set up a committee under Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (rtd) to find out what was going on there. What was established was that the root of the problem has a history starting from the 2011 post-election violence.” he had said.

“Fulani herdsmen from across Africa bring their cattle down towards Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria. The moment the rains starts around March, April, they start moving them up to go back to their various communities and countries.

“Unfortunately, it was when they were moving up with their cattle across Southern Kaduna that the elections of 2011 took place and the crisis trapped some of them.

“Some of them were from Niger, Cameroon, Chad, Mali and Senegal. Fulanis are in 14 African countries and they traverse this country with the cattle.

“So many of these people were killed, cattle lost and they organised themselves and came back to revenge.

“So a lot of what was happening in Southern Kaduna was actually from outside Nigeria. We got a hint that the late Governor Patrick Yakowa got this information and he sent someone to go round some of these Fulani communities, but of course after he died, the whole thing stopped. That is what we inherited. But the Agwai committee established that.

“We took certain steps. We got a group of people that were going round trying to trace some of these people in Cameroon, Niger republic and so on to tell them that there is a new governor who is Fulani like them and has no problem paying compensations for lives lost and he is begging them to stop killing.

“In most of the communities, once that appeal was made to them, they said they have forgiven. There are one or two that asked for monetary compensation. They said they have forgiven the death of human beings, but want compensation for cattle. We said no problem, and we paid some. As recently as two weeks ago, the team went to Niger republic to attend one Fulani gathering that they hold every year with a message from me. ” he added.

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Only You Can Change Nigeria - Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron has persuaded and encourage Nigerian youths to be actively involved in politics to coreect the country's errors.

Describing politics as important, the French president said only Nigerians could redeem their image and that of the country.

Macron, who was accompanied by Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, threw the challenge on Tuesday night when he visited the Afrika Shrine in Ikeja at an event tagged:
              
               “Celebrate African Culture”.

The event was attended by former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, former Ogun State Olusegun Osoba, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, Fela’s lawyer Femi Falana and others.

Macron noted that the future of Africa and the task of making it great rested with Africans, stressing that the youths have a crucial role to play.

“Africa needs a new generation of Africans to share the new narrative about Africa all over the world,” he said.

According to him, politics is important because it is a tool to change the society. He described the Afrika Shrine as an iconic place of strength, music and culture.

The late Fela, he said, was a politician, who wanted change for the society.

“I am very happy to be here. Let me remind you that this place – Shrine – is a music place as well as politics, which is needed to change the society. So, I will say to the youths, politics is important, be involved.

“The Shrine is a cultural hub, an iconic hub and it is very important for me first on a personal level, and that is why I want to say with a lot of humility that I recognise the importance of this place, I recognise the place of culture in this current environment,” he said.

Macron announced the launch of the 2020 African Cultures Season in France. He said the event would help create a unique face for African culture in Europe.

“I discovered Nigeria and a lot of my friends are here. I discovered Lagos and I discovered the shrine. This place is an iconic place and it is a place where the best of music is given. I have to say my main memories about this place are friends, proud people, proud of their culture, proud of their art and music. I have a very different view of Africa than a lot of other people in Europe,” he said.

Macron stressed the need for Africa and Europe, especially France, to build a new commonality.

The African Cultural Season 2020 in France, Macron said, will be about promoting African culture in Europe, adding that the event will be for Africa and by African artistes.

“It will include people with fashion, African movies, new generation of artistes will be coming from Africa and it will be organised by them to show Europe and France the real culture of Africa.

“The event will be financed by African leaders. It will not be sponsored by France or European businesses, but by African businesses; it is brand new. This season is a unique one and it will be the new face of Africa in Europe organise by Africans, providing what you like and what you have here,” he said.

Ambode said the President’s visit was expected to signal the dawn of a new collaboration between France and Lagos State in the quest to make the state the culture and entertainment capital of Africa.

The governor said the event was also about celebrating African culture, which was a positive step for France as it sought to rebuild its relationship with Africa.

There were also Art Exhibition, Fashion Show, display of Nollywood scenes, presentation of a painting of Fela to Macron by Ambode as well as pencil frame artwork of Macron done by 11-old old Kareem Olamilekan drawn within two hours.

Highpoints of the night include performances by dance group, Footprints of David, music artistes, Yemi Alade, Charlotte Dipanda from Kenya and a brilliant performance by Femi Kuti to bring the event to a close.

The event presented an opportunity for Macron and Ambode to interact with musicians, artists, fashion designers and film makers.

Macron also yesterday officially unveiled a French Cultural Centre, Alliance Francaise, at Ikoyi, Lagos.

He said the centre was part of the measures to scale up the relationship between France and Nigeria.

The French president assured Nigerians of the commitment of the government and people of France to development of infrastructural projects in Lagos.

Ambode expressed optimism that the historic visit will go a long way to break any barriers between Nigeria and France as well as foster greater collaboration for economic, social and cultural growth.

The governor said his administration was delighted to host Macron and his visit would also signal a new era between both countries, especially for Lagos where talents in the arts and creative industry abound.

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National Labour Party Regain Freedom From Abductors

Mother of the national chairman of the Labour Party, Mrs. Elizabeth Omotosho, has regained freedom from her abductors.

The 71 year old, who reportedly kidnapped at her residential home on Friday night at about 11 pm, was said to be in good condition of health.

A sister to the national chairman of the Labour Party, Titilayo Omotosho, who had lived together with the woman before her abduction, confirmed the release.

However, she did not confirm if any ransom was paid on her mother or not.

The commissioner of police in the state, Lawan Ado, had said on Friday that modern technology had been deployed to track the kidnappers’ hideout, adding that pressure had been mounted on the hoodlums.

It is recalled that Mrs. Elizabeth Omotosho was kidnapped by unknown four gunmen in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital last Sunday night.

It was gathered that Mrs. Elizabeth Omotosho, who is the mother of Dr. Mike Omotosho, a former governorship candidate of the party in the last governorship election in Kwara State, was kidnapped at her Family house, number, 23, Lobalade street, Tanke, Ilorin, about 7:30pm.

According to the gateman, four men armed with dangerous weapons stormed the family house at Tanke Sunday night and abducted Mrs. Elizabeth Omotosho to an unknown destination.

A sister to Dr Mike Omotosho, Titilayo Omotosho, had said that “the gateman who was later released after the abduction, had said that four armed men entered the house and told Mrs. Elizabeth Omotosho  to wear clothes and follow them and that if she makes a sound they will shoot her.

“The gateman said they asked of Titi but i was at one meeting as at that time. I got home…searched and searched and couldn’t find my mom”.

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Girl Missing After Crocodile Attack

A 12-year-old girl is missing after an attacked by a crocodile on the Island of Palawan, Philippine, police said. Few weeks after a similar incident in the region popular with foreign tourists.

The girl was fetching water in a heavily-forested area of the island Thursday when a crocodile dragged her away in front of her horrified siblings, a police report said.

A search is underway but the coast guard and police are yet to find any sign of the child.

It marks the second crocodile attack in Palawan in less than a month.

A woman, also fetching water, was bitten in October but managed to escape after her niece drove the crocodile away by throwing rocks, police said.

The western island of Palawan, often called the Philippines' "last frontier", is one of the few areas in the country where saltwater crocodiles are still common after hunting and habitat loss.

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JAMB Bans Wrist Watches, Pens And Others From Centres

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, organiser of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, has banned the use of wrist watches and pens during the conduct of 2018 test.

The board’s Registrar, Prof. Is’haq Oloyede disclosed this to newsmen on the sideline of a sensitisation workshop for Computer Based Test  centre owners on Wednesday in Lagos.

According to him, the workshop was to appraise the registration and conduct of the 2017 examination.

“What we are doing here today is to appraise the registration and conduct of our past examination and we have taken some lessons from our experience.

“To this end therefore we have introduced some measures that will further add to the integrity of the registration process as well as the conduct of the examination proper.

“For instance, we discovered during the conduct of the last examination that some electronic devices such as pens, wristwatches and other devices were used to perpetrate examination malpractice.

“So, for next year, we have banned the use of wristwatches and pens by candidates and other persons in the examination hall.

“We are also going to introduce some detection devices to ensure that those who plan to cheat in the examination hall are frustrated, as we will also jam (communication network) of the centres,” he said.

Oloyede noted that the sale of the registration document for the 2018 UTME would commence before the end of November.

“We are planning to meet with all stakeholders on Nov. 15 and the sale of the registration document will definitely commence before the end of this month.

“But before that, we expect candidates to go and download our app, go to our website and download the syllabus and brochure, so that they can now study the process.

“This is in order to minimise the errors that usually occurs during the registration process,” he said.

The JAMB boss added that not less than 617 centres have been accredited nationwide for the exercise.

“We are still considering about 60 more centres as we have their applications waiting for consideration.

“However, a total of 72 centres nationwide have earlier been delisted owing to their involvement in some infractions and they remain delisted.”

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Top Politician Murder Self Over Claims of Sexual Misconduct

Carl Sargeant

A top politician is believed to have killed himself days after he was laid off by the Welsh government and suspended by his party over ‘shocking’ claims of sexual misconduct.

Former minister Carl Sargeant, 48, was found dead at his home in Connah’s Quay, North Wales, at 11.30am today and police say they are not treating it as suspicious.

His wife Bernie, 48, and children Jack, 23, and Lucy, 25, said today they are ‘devastated beyond words’ and they have lost ‘the glue that bound us together’.

Mr Sargeant was sacked and suspended by Labour on Friday after at least three women are believed to have made allegations of s3xual misconduct against him.

The father-of-two said at the time he wanted an independent investigation ‘to allow me to clear my name’ but appears to have killed himself four days later.

Labour has not said what the women accused him of but before his death the under fire politician described the allegations as ‘shocking and distressing’.

Police and paramedics were called to his home this morning after he was discovered but he was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was removed by private ambulance this afternoon.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his death was ‘terrible and deeply shocking news’, adding: ‘All allegations (of s3xual misconduct) must be examined and but there also has to be great care for everybody involved in these accusations’.

Mr Sargeant was a ‘much loved husband, father and friend’, a statement released by his family said after his death was announced.

“Carl was a much loved husband, father and friend. He wasn’t simply a part of our family. He was the glue that bound us together. He was the heart of our family. We loved him so very much,” it said.

“He was the most kind and caring husband, father, son and friend.

“We are devastated beyond words, and we know our grief will be shared by all those who knew and loved him. We are in shock and grief.”

Family members hugged each other on the drive of the mid-terrace former council house where Mr Sargeant lived, round the corner from the school where his wife works as a teaching assistant, as a black private ambulance left the property, guarded by police.

A neighbour across the road from his home, who did not want to be named, said: ‘He’s got a wife and children over there, my heart goes out to them, it’s shocking.

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2018 Budget Breakdown

Assumptions, projections

• Benchmark crude oil price-US$45 per barrel
• Oil production estimate – 2.3 million barrels per day
• Exchange rate – N305/US$ for 2018
• Real GDP growth of 3.5 per cent
• Inflation Rate of 12.4 per cent

Expenditure Estimates

The proposed aggregate expenditure of N 8.612 trillion (16 per cent above 2017 budget estimate)
will comprise
• Recurrent Costs of N3.494 trillion
• Debt Service of N2.014 trillion
• Statutory Transfers of about N456 billion
• Sinking Fund of N220 billion (to retire maturing bond to local contractors)
• Capital Expenditure of N2.428 trillion (excluding the capital component of statutory transfers).

Recurrent Expenditure

A substantial part of the recurrent cost proposal for 2018 is for the payment of salaries and overheads in key ministries providing critical public services such as:
• N510.87 billion for Interior
• N435.01 billion for Education
• N422.43 billion for Defence
• N269.34 billion for Health

Capital Expenditure

Key capital spending allocations in the 2018 Budget include:
• Power, Works and Housing: N555.88 billion
• Transportation: N263.10 billion
• Special Intervention Programmes: N150.00 billion
• Defence: N145.00 billion
• Agriculture and Rural Development N118.98 billion
• Water Resources: N95.11 billion
• Industry, Trade and Investment: N82.92 billion
• Interior: N63.26 billion
• Education N61.73 billion
• Universal Basic Education Commission: N109.06 billion
• Health: N71.11 billion
• Federal Capital Territory: N40.30 billion
• Zonal Intervention Projects N100.00 billion
• North East Intervention Fund N45.00 billion
• Niger Delta Ministry: N53.89 billion
• Niger Delta Development Commission: N71.20 billion.

Key projects and programmes to be implemented in 2018:

• N9.8 billion for the Mambilla hydro power project, including N8.5 billion as counterpart
funding
• N12 billion counterpart funding for earmarked transmission lines and substations
• N35.41 billion for the National Housing Programme
• N10.00 billion for the 2nd Niger Bridge
• About N300 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of strategic roads

Regional Spending Priorities for Peace, Security and Development

• N65 billion for the Presidential Amnesty Programme has been retained in the 2018 Budget
• Capital provision for the Ministry of Niger Delta increased to N53.89 billion from the N34.20 billion provided in 2017
• Completion of East-West Road, with a provision of about N17.32 billion in 2018 (NAN)

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Nigeria Media Adjudged Freest In The World – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed confirmed that the “Nigeria media is acknowledged as one of the freest in the world’’.

The Minister stated this at the 39th Session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris on Tuesday.

Contributing to a debate on “UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity’’, the minister said the “Nigerian Government does not engage in impunities against journalists and will never tolerate such’’.

Mohammed said that the freedom of the media had been further enhanced through the Freedom of Information Act, adding that government would continue to make efforts to further enable the media to serve the people better.

“This effort is intended not only to produce a robust and healthy media, but for the journalism profession
to continue to thrive under a conducive environment.

“The right to Freedom of Information, commonly understood as the right to access information held by public offices, is now widely recognised in Nigeria as a fundamental human right.

“By this act, the Nigerian Government is doing its utmost best to ensure accountability, transparency and openness,’’ he said.

The minister noted that because of the crucial role that journalists play in the quest for development, Nigeria had shown significant commitment at ensuring that journalists experience no official hindrance in the course of their legitimate work.

He said that the government had responded to inquiries from international organisations, such as UNESCO on cases pertaining to acts of alleged violence against journalists.

“The Government of Nigeria has resolved to continue to defend the freedom of expression and press freedom as well as uphold justice, the rule of law and the protection of human rights in the country,’’ he said.

The minister reassured that the government would remain responsive to the issues of journalists’ safety.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 39 UNESCO member states contributed to the debate on Safety of Journalists which was presided over by Mr Frank La-Reu, the Assistant Director-General of UNESCO Commission on Information and Communications.
Leading the debate, the United Kingdom and Sweden commended the Commission for presenting a detailed report outlining how UNESCO would strengthen its leadership of the UN Plan of Action to address the challenge of safety of journalists.

They respectively contended that the focus should be on concrete measures to be taken by member states to address the challenge of attacks on journalists and impunity.

The U.S stressed the need for the protection of journalists in conflict areas and called for the immortalisation of Avijit Roy, a US-Bangladeshi blogger who was hacked to death in Dhaka in 2015.

Cameroon in its contribution said though, its President Paul Biya was the most insulted leader in the world by the medi, the country would support UNESCO Action Plan.

The country, howeve, underscored the need for the Plan of Action to clarify on how to deal with the “so called journalists who specialised in blackmailing government officials’’.

NAN reports that of the 39 member-nations that contributed to the debate, only Russia and Turkey opposed the adoption of the Action Plan.

Russia was of the opinion that the Action Plan circulated to member-states on Nov. 21, there was no enough time to study the contents and there was the need to converse with its government before a decision was taken on such sensitive issue.

Turkey on its part said the resolutions in the Action Plan were too long and complex and called for its review.

Meanwhile, Ghana has been given the hosting right for the 2018 World Press Freedom Day. (NAN)

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