CONGRATULATIONS TO GOV. AYADE

The governor of Cross River State of Nigeria wins a case brought against him by his party man Joe Agi SAN.  He charged the governor of falsifying his age among other charges.  The governor Professor Ben Ayade was today in Abuja cleared of any wrong doing.

ARIARIA IN FLAMES

Pandemonium has broken out a as Serious riot is reportedly going on now in Ariaria International market. As at the time of this report atleast 3 traders are reported to have been shot dead by the police. The mob continues to increase… Ariaria police station is going into flames, tear gas all over. More details and Pictures will come soon.

BREAKING NEWS FROM CROSS RIVER

Breaking News: Case protracted between Ayade vs Joe Agi (SAN) ruled against Joe Agi. This means that Ayade has been exonerated from wrong doings. The epic judgement was given in Abuja Federal High Court. Details will be presented as they emerge.

UNKNOWN FATE OF STRANDED SCHOOL LEAVERS IN NIGERIA

In recent years government in several states in Nigeria have opted to help ease the sufferings of parents by paying the WASSCE (West African Seniour School Certificate Examination) registration fees. This has come as a great relief to parents who owing to the prevalent poverty ravaging the society find it extremely difficult to pay normal school fees. Some Nigerians have praised this initiative by the government while some others simply look at it as a simple avenue aimed at scoring cheap points to woo the electorates. Be that as it may, what was meant to bring solace to the people has become a herald of sorrow as many state governments have failed to keep to the promises made to WAEC the examining body. WAEC (West African Examination Council) had declared on Monday that a total of 19 states that entered into this registration agreement with them have failed to comply. This will no doubt give rise to numerous unforseen consequencies among which are: a. results will not be released, b. those students who met JAMB requirements for admissions into the universities will have to forfeit such admission, c. loss of an entire academic session and so on. One wonders why politicians should make such expensive promises they know will not be kept. Why ruin the chances of millions of vibrant Nigerian youths? It is therefore of grave importance to call on these 19 states governors to hearken to the plea and the plight of these youngsters by settling their scores with the examining body because as the saying goes, 'when two elephants fight, it is the grass and trees that suffer'.

US ARMS TIED ON ARMS SALES TO NIGERIA

After a four-day official visit in the U.S, President Muhammadu Buhari will be returning to Nigeria today with no pledge of concrete military assistance against Boko Haram terrorists from his hosts. The US government told the Nigerian leader that its arms are tied by an American law, the Leahy Act, which prevents it from selling arms to countries with human rights abuse records. President Buhari, who is returning home displeased, told the US government that the refusal by America to arm Nigerian troops because of “so-called human rights violations” and “unproven allegations,” would only help Boko Haram. A global human rights watch group, Amnesty International, had recently accused the Nigerian military under former President Goodluck Jonathan of gross human rights abuses in the prosecution of the war on terrorists. The Nigerian military forces had denied the allegation which President Buhari pledged to investigate. Buhari “departs with little practical military assistance in his battle against the Islamist militants who have turned the northeast of his country into a bloody war zone,” the Associated Press (AP) reported on Wednesday. The US government has vowed to help Nigeria defeat the insurgency but it is prohibited under law from sending weapons to countries that fail to tackle human rights abuses. “Regretably, the blanket application of the Leahy Law by the United States on the grounds of unproven allegations of human rights violations levelled against our forces has denied us access to appropriate strategic weapons to prosecute the war,” Buhari said. Addressing an audience of policy-makers, activists and academics in Washington, Buhari complained that Nigerian forces had been left “largely impotent” in the face of Boko Haram’s campaign of kidnapping and bombings. “They do not possess the appropriate weapons and technology which we could have had if the so-called human rights violations had not been an obstacle,” he said. “Unwittingly, and I dare say unintentionally, the application of the Leahy Law Amendment by the United States government has aided and abetted the Boko Haram terrorists.” He appealed to both the White House and the US Congress to find a way around the law — introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy in 1997 — and to supply Nigerian troops with high- tech weapons under a deal “with minimal strings.” Since 2009, Boko Haram has been trying to establish an Islamist breakaway state in a conflict that has seen 15,000 people killed and 1.5 million displaced. The group’s brutality and in particular the mass kidnapping and enslavement of schoolgirls has shocked world opinion. In June, rights watchdog Amnesty International said there was sufficient evidence to launch an investigation into senior Nigerian officers for war crimes. In a 133-page report, the group blamed the army for the extrajudicial execution of 1,200 people and the torture or arbitrary detention of thousands more. Buhari insists that the charges are not proven, but he has replaced his senior military commanders and has promised to investigate the allegations.

JOKES OF THE DAY

Akpos knocked on the gate of a brothel in a red light district. The madam opened the brothel door to see a young man called Akpos. His clothes were all tattered and he looked needy.?? can I help you?” the madam asked.?? I want Onome,” Akpos replied.?? Young Man, Onome is one of our most expensive ladies, perhaps someone else…”?? No, I must see Onome.” Akpos replied. Just then Onome appeared and announced to Akpos that she charges N50,000 per visit.?? Akpos never blinked and reached into his pocket and handed her fifty pieces of N1,000 notes. The two went up to a room for an hour whereupon Akpos calmly left. The next night he appeared again demanding Onome. Onome explained that no one had ever come back two nights in a row and that there were no discounts. it was still N50,000. Again Akpos took out the money, the two went up to the room and he calmly left an hour later When Akpos showed up the third consecutive night, no one could believe it. Again he handed Onome the money and up to the room they went. At the end of the hour Onome questioned Akpos: “No one has ever used my services three nights in a row… where are you from?”?? Akpos replied, “I am from Warri.” “Really?” replied Onome, “I have a brother who lives there and does business.”?? Yes; I know,” Akpos replied. “He gave me N150,000 to give to you.

CORRUPTION WAR: APC MEMBERS NOT SPARED - BUHARI

President Muhammadu Buhari • President secures US promise on repatriation of stolen funds, Nigeria to renegotiate extradition treaty • Nigerian leader woos US investors, vows to continue privatisation Tobi Soniyi in Abuja with agency report President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to extend the war against corruption to corrupt members of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that there will be no party member or personality that can escape justice. Buhari, who is on a four-day official visit to the United States of America, made this known yesterday on the CNN current affairs programme Amanpour. The programme’s anchor, Ms. Christiane Amanpour, had asked the president on his campaign promise to root out corruption and if he would crackdown on members of his own party or his associates if they turned out to be some of the guilty ones, he said: “I just have too. There isn’t going to be any party member of personality that can escape justice.” On the issue of insecurity in the country, Buhari restated that Nigerians were rooting for normalcy in the country, making references to oil infrastructure vandalism and kidnappings in the Niger Delta and the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east. “This is major preoccupation in Nigeria now and is a realistic way of looking at things, and nothing will work until the country is secure,” he told Amanpour. When she reminded him that there had been at least 400 deaths since he assumed office and the credibility of the military had been eroded due to the Amnesty International report on human rights abuses, Buhari stated her that under the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the member countries had agreed to set up the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF). “So whatever happened before that decision was taken, we have to allow further investigation to verify the question of human rights abuse, and I’m sure you must have known of the decision taken by this government, the Federal Government of Nigeria, on changing the military command,” he said. On if his government was willing to trade the kidnapped Chibok girls for incarcerated Boko Haram inmates, the president called for caution on the credibility of various Boko Haram leadership that show up claiming that they can deliver, adding: “We have to be very careful. Indeed, this is why we are taking our time, because we want to bring them safe (sic) back to their parents and to their school.” He maintained that he was not against negotiations with the Islamist sect so long as he can verify the credibility of those who approach the government, “because our main objective as a government is to secure those girls safely and sound back to their school and rehabilitate them to go back to normal life. “So if we are convinced that the leadership that presents itself can deliver those girls safe and sound, we will be prepared to negotiate what they want”. When Amanpour reminded him that he came to power on the promise of doing better than the previous president in the areas of security, corruption and on the economy, yet there had been hundreds of people killed since he became president, Buhari said he could be held to his promises for the next three and three-quarter years ahead of him, noting that it was too early for anyone to pass judgment on his campaign promises. Responding to the question on if he was disappointed that President (Barack) Obama was yet again not coming to Nigeria, he said: “I wouldn’t say I am disappointed, but how I wished he would change his mind and come to Nigeria." He added that he had asked Obama verbally to visit Nigeria and would follow up with a formal invitation. Meanwhile, as Buhari’s visit to the US enters its second day, the US government has suggested that Nigeria re-negotiates the extradition treaty it signed with it in 1985. A statement issued by Mr. Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant, Media to the president, said this was part of a fallout of Buhari's meeting with the US Attorney-General Loretta Lynch on Monday. The statement also said that the US government had agreed

JOKE OF THE DAY

LAUGH IT OFF…. ... One day, a woman asked her son to call her husband to ask him what he wanted her to cook for dinner.After the sixth time the boy complained to his mother that a female voice was what he heard everytime he called and the lady would not let him speak to his dad. By the time the man got home that evening, his wife was fuming seriously. She was so angry that she met him at his car and grabbed his shirt right there in the front yard. "How dare you cheat on me?" she shouted, attracting the neighbors instantly. "How could you? After all we have been through?" The confused man stared at her - he could not fathom why she was so mad at him. The neighbors tried to calm her down but she refused, and when someone asked for evidence, she recounted the phone call episode and called on Junior to repeat everything the lady on the phone said. "The number you are calling is not reachable at the moment. Please try again later," Junior said.

NO MINISTERS TILL SEPTEMBER?

Nigerians may have to wait till September to know their ministers. President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday confirmed that ministers will not be appointed until September. He cited reasons of critical reforms to guide the modus operandi of would be ministers as reason for this delay. President Buhari dropped the hint in an article published by the Washington Post. He said it will neither be prudent, nor serve the interest of sound government to have hastily made ministerial appointments immediately after coming into office without the necessary reforms. Buhari, who criticised recent calls in some quarters about the slow pace of his administration said the task cannot be rushed, insisting that Nigeria must put new rules of conduct and good governance in place before making key appointments. Buhari said: “When cabinet ministers are appointed in September, it will be some months after I took the oath of office. It is worth noting that Obama himself did not have his full cabinet in place for several months after first taking office; the United States (U.S.) did not cease to function in the interim. “In Nigeria’s case, it would neither be prudent nor serve the interests of sound government to have made these appointments immediately on my elevation to the presidency; instead, Nigeria must first put new rules of conduct and good governance in place.” The President who met with the U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday, stressed the importance of carrying out the critical reforms correctly before appointing ministers. He said it was also crucial to install correct leadership in the military and security services before fully taking the battle to Boko Haram. He said: “There are too few examples in the history of Nigeria since independence where it can be said that good management and governance were instituted at a national level. This lack of a governance framework has allowed many of those in charge, devoid of any real checks and balances, to plunder.” In the article which was published ahead of Buhari’s meeting with the U.S. President yesterday, Buhari said he would be seeking President Obama’s help in locating and returning about $150 billion looted funds. “The fact that I now seek Obama’s assistance in locating and returning $150 billion in funds stolen in the past decade and held in foreign bank accounts on behalf of former corrupt officials is testament to how badly Nigeria has been run. This way of conducting our affairs cannot continue.” He also blamed the inability of the previous government to defeat Boko haram on what he called the failure of governance. He insisted that rules and good governance must be instilled in government, “installing officials who are experience and capable of managing state agencies and ministries; and third, seek to recover funds stolen under previous regimes so that this money can be invested in Nigeria for the benefit of all of our citizens.” The President also revealed that Nigeria would seek the help of the U.S. in the fight against terrorism and corruption through the provision of the much-needed military training and intelligence. He spoke of plans to seek the increased investments from the US in the areas of energy and electricity. While addressing issues around reforms and change, the President acknowledged that reforming Nigeria after many years of abuse cannot be achieved overnight, and therefore called for patience and support. “I was elected on a platform of change. I know this is what the people of Nigeria desire more than anything else. I realise the world waits to see evidence that my administration will be different from all those that came before. “Yet reforming my country after so many years of abuse cannot be achieved overnight. In our campaigns against both Boko Haram and corruption, we should remain steadfast and remember, as it is said ‘have patience. All things become difficult before they become easy.’

SOME HEALTHY WAYS TO SHED WEIGHT FAST

Carry a bulk of weight moving around can be a nagging problem that comes with lots of adverse health implications. Experts have suggested various healthy ways to solve this problem without having to create another. "The trouble with dieting," I hear many women say, "is that it takes too long. If I want to look good for my anniversary next month, I should've started losing weight way back in February. Now that I'm finally focused, it's too late." Well, yes and no. Taking the long- term approach to weight loss is wise because it means you'll lose pounds slowly and steadily -- making it more likely that you'll keep them off. But there are ways to rev up your metabolism so you burn calories and lose weight more quickly. Check out my favorite no-fail jump starts. Watch Your Fluids 1. DRINK GREEN TEA. Get this: When a recent study compared the metabolic effect of green tea (in extract) with that of a placebo, researchers found that the green-tea drinkers burned about 70 additional calories in a 24- hour period. If you can believe it, those 70 calories a day add up to a total of 7.3 pounds of fat a year! It's not magic, it's science: Researchers believe the difference is caused by metabolism-enhancing antioxidants known as catechins, which are found in green tea. MORE FROM WEIGHT LOSS TIPS 2. AVOID CALORIES IN A GLASS Scientists now know that the body does not register liquid calories in the same way it does solid calories. Drinking a grande caffe mocha, for instance, won't make you feel satiated the way eating a bowl of pasta will. Which means that although the caffe mocha actually has a greater number of calories than the pasta, you're still more likely to want a second cup from Starbucks than another plate of linguine. So monitor your intake of juice, soda, coffee drinks and wine. If you consume one of each of those beverages during the day, you'll have taken in at least 800 extra calories by nighttime -- and you'll still be hungry. (Incidentally, alcohol may suppress the metabolism of fat, making it tougher for you to burn those calories.) Start Lifting 3. Buy a set of five-pound weights. It's a onetime investment you'll never regret. Here's why: Strength training builds lean muscle tissue, which burns more calories -- at work or at rest -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The more lean muscle you have, the faster you'll slim down. How do you start strength training? Try some push-ups or a few squats or lunges. Use your free weights to perform simple biceps curls or triceps pulls right in your home or office. Do these exercises three to four times per week, and you'll soon see a rapid improvement in your physique. 4. Lose the salt. Sodium contributes to water retention, making you look and feel bloated. Do you eat too much salt? Probably -- the daily value suggests no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium each day (or about one teaspoon), but most of us are getting more than twice that amount. So keep an eye on your sodium intake, and that doesn't just mean ditching the saltshaker. Hidden sources include soups, canned foods and drinks (did you know a serving of regular V8 juice has 800 mg of sodium?), salty snacks such as chips and pretzels and many prepackaged foods. Heat Things Up 5. Spice it up. Angelo Tremblay, Ph.D., director of the division of kinesiology at Laval University, in Canada, found that eating hot peppers can boost a person's basal metabolism (the total calories the body burns at rest). The reason? Capsaicin, a compound found in jalapeno and cayenne peppers, may increase your body's release of stress hormones such as adrenaline, which can speed up your metabolism and your ability to burn calories. What's more, eating hot peppers may reduce your appetite, Tremblay says, helping to curb your cravings. So spice up your stir-fried veggies, eat low-calorie chili or salsa (try them on salads and baked potatoes), and watch the pounds come off faster. 6. Get some sleep. As funny as it sounds, sleep deprivation may make you fat -- and not just because you're susceptible to cases of the late- night munchies (although there's that too). Women who get less than four hours of sleep per night have a slower metabolism than those who snooze for a full eight hours, according to researchers at the University of Chicago. So don't skimp on your zzz's, and you'll be rewarded with an extra edge when it comes to shedding pounds quickly. Move Around 7. Go for an evening walk. Don't get me wrong -- exercising at any time is good for you. But evening activity may be particularly beneficial because many people's metabolism slows down toward the end of the day. Thirty minutes of aerobic activity before dinner increases your metabolic rate and may keep it elevated for another two or three hours, even after you've stopped moving. What that means for you: Those dinner calories have less of a chance to take up permanent residence on your hips. 8. Eat every meal. Listen up: Skipping meals will not make you lose weight faster. That strategy backfires because your body thinks food is in short supply, so it slows your metabolism in order to conserve energy. Over time, the result is that when you do eat -- even if you consume the same foods as always -- your body will be slower to use the calories as fuel, thus creating a backlog of unwanted pounds. If a hectic day makes a sit-down meal impossible, stash an energy bar or a piece of fruit in your purse or briefcase -- anything that will keep you from going hungry. 9. Add 20 minutes of exercise per day. If you're on a diet, you're probably already working out a couple of times a week. (No? Well, you should start!) But whether you exercise or not, you can get a leg up on all those other weight-loss wannabes by doing a little something extra each day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator; walk to the bus, train, or all the way to the office; window- shop with your best friend rather than sit over coffee. Taking the dog out, gardening and even housecleaning all increase the number of calories you expend. You don't have to go for a jog (although that would help!) to speed up weight loss. Twenty minutes of moderate exercise a day means you'll burn approximately 700 calories. Drink Up! 10. H20, H20, H20. You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again. That's because drinking 64 ounces of water daily is one of the easiest ways to speed up weight loss. Your body needs water in order to efficiently metabolize stored fat. When you shortchange your supply, you're likely to slow down that process, meaning it's more difficult for you to burn calories. An easy eight glasses a day (at least!) will keep your system running smoothly. 11. Don't go for the gimmicks. At any given time, there are dozens of weight-loss hypes in the marketplace that claim to have the ability to take off 10 pounds in 10 days, or whatever. Desperation can tempt us to try anything, but you and I both know these schemes don't work. Save your money, but more importantly, save yourself from the emotional pain when these gimmicks fail. Be realistic. Jump-start your weight-loss program in ways that make sense, and not only will you be thinner, you'll be happier too. These steps suggested above, if followed meticulously will no doubt be helpful in reducing your weight.

LAUGH OF THE DAY

JOKE OF THE DAY Laugh it off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A well-worn out N1000 note and a similarly distressed N10 note arrived at the Central Bank to be retired. As they moved along the conveyor belt to be burnt, they struck up a conversation. The one thousand naira reminisced about its travels all over the country: "I've had a pretty good life" the one thousand naira proclaimed. "I have been to Lagos, Ibadan, Osogbo@Solaris, Benin, Kano, and Abuja. The finest restaurants in Victoria Island, Kaduna, Abuja and Eastern...

NIGERIA TAKES A SLIM WIN OVER DEVILS

Slim Advantage: Nigeria’s Under-23 Beat Congo 2-1 In Olympics qualifier. Nigeria’s Under-23 national team have beaten their Congolese counterparts 2-1 in an African Under-23 Championship final round, first leg qualifying match played in Port Harcourt on Sunday. Junior Ajayi scored both goals early in the second half – first a tap-in after Goalkeeper Christopher could not get a good grip of the ball off a pull-out in the 48th minute. The second goal was a well orchestrated team goal that Ajayi finished with a brilliant header from Daniel Etor's cross six minutes later. After the 2-goal lead, Samson Siasia’s boys were adjudged to have relaxed and allowed the Congolese back into the game. The Devils created chances and from one of such, Nkoukou Miose slammed in off a rebound from goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel in the 66th minute. Coach Siasia had, during an interview with the press said he hoped for victory with a large margin against the boys from Congo but they now take a slim advantage into the second leg in Congo. Siasia’s boys won their two away matches in the qualifying race for the All-Africa Games – for which they have qualified. They pounded Gabon 4-1 in Libreville and defeated Zambia 2-0 in Lusaka and it is expected that they would remain confident going to Pointe Noire on August 2.

BIAFRA RADIO JAMMED.

The Federal Government of Nigeria says it has jammed signals of Biafra Radio, a new channel that has been accused of spreading propaganda. The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Shade Yemi-Esan, made this known Tuesday while Speaking with journalists at the presidential villa after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the activities of her ministry, Ms. Yemi-Esan said the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation successfully blocked the signals of the radio station. Radio Biafra was floated by some Nigerians in the south east of the country. While its backers say the radio caters for the needs of people from the region, the network is also known for propagating the ideology of the former secessionist Republic of Biafra. “Right now the signals from radio Biafra have been jammed successfully by the NBC,” Ms. Yemi-Esan said. “The commission is also working with security agencies to get those that are behind that radio because it is an illegal radio, it is not licensed by anybody to be on the airwaves in Nigeria,” She said government’s information centres currently exists in all states of the federation, but are not functioning optimally. “We are happy with the response we got and the concerns of President on the work we are doing, especially the publicity aspect. He wants us to intensify publicity because he wants every Nigerian to know about the policies and programmes of this government,” she said. On the response of the president in respect of reopening information centres abroad, she said “at different fora, the President has said it, that he wants to improve the image of Nigeria and one of the ways we can do that is by the re-opening of these centres abroad, so he was all for it and he said that we will work together to ensure that we do that”. The permanent secretary said she also briefed the president on the nine parastatals that are under the ministry, the work they do and some of the challenges they face. “Most of the challenges have to do with adequate funding. We talked especially about national press centre that is not working up to a level that we expected,” she said. She said the president also raised concerns about piracy in Nollywood and instructed that the ministry should work harder to ensure that the producers of Nollywood films get what is due to them and that piracy is reduced to the barest minimum. On the welfare of media practitioners, she said the practice of unpaid salaries and lack of proper welfare package should not be heard of in a country like Nigeria.

JAMB SETS CUT OFF MARK FOR 2015

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board has announced 180 as the admission cut-off score for degree programmes in Nigerian universities and 150 for national certificate in education, national diploma and national innovation diplomas. JAMB registrar, Dibu Ojerinde, made this known at a press conference Tuesday.