Buhari Sacks Service Chiefs; Names Replacements

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed new service
chiefs following the sacking of military service chiefs ,
reports reaching biggieblog.com says.

In a press release, Mr Buhari appointed Major-General
Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin as Chief of Defence Staff;
Major-General T.Y. Buratai as Chief of Army Staff; Rear
Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as Chief of Naval Staff.
Others include Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar asChief of
Air Staff; Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan as Chief of
Defence Intelligence.
The president also appointed Major-General Babagana
Monguno (rtd.) as the new National Security Adviser taking
over from Sambo Dasuki who resigned last week.
The Chiefs relieved of their appointments on Monday, July
13, include Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah,
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin and Air
Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.

The move is coming on the heels of the renewed onslaught
by the deadly Boko Haram sect across Northern Nigeria.


See the full press release below:

PRESIDENT BUHARI APPOINTS NEW SERVICE CHIEFS AND
NSA

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the following
appointments:

1. Major-General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin – Chief of
Defence Staff;

2. Major-General T.Y. Buratai – Chief of Army Staff

3. Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas – Chief of Naval Staff

4. Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar – Chief of Air Staff

5. Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan – Chief of Defence
Intelligence

6. Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd.) – National
Security Adviser

  The new Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.-Gen. Olonishakin
(N/6901) hails from Ekiti State. Until his appointment as
Chief of Defence Staff today, he was the Head of the Nigerian
Army Training and Doctrine Command in Minna, Niger State.
The new Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Buratai hails from
Borno State. Until his new appointment today, he was the
Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force which has
its headquarters in Ndjamena. Maj-Gen. Buratai has
previously served as Commander of the Nigerian Army’s 2nd
Brigade in Port Harcourt and Commander of the Nigerian
Army School of Infantry in Jaji, Kaduna State.

   The new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibas (NN/0746)
hails from Cross River State. He enlisted into the Nigerian
Defence Academy as a member of the 26th Regular Course
in 1979 and was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant in
1983. His previous appointments include: Naval Provost
Marshal, Chief Staff Officer, Naval Training Command, Chief
of Administration, Naval Headquarters, Flag Officer
Commanding Western Naval Command and Chief of
Logistics, Naval Headquarters. Until his appointment as
Chief of Naval Staff, he was the Chief Executive Officer of
Navy Holdings Limited.
  
   The new Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar
(NAF/1433) hails from Bauchi State. His previous
appointments include: Chief of Standards and Evaluation,
NAF Headquarters; Chief of Defence Communications and
Air Officer Commanding, NAF Training Command. Until his
new appointment today as Chief of Air Staff, he was the
Chief of Administration, NAF Headquarters.
The new Service Chiefs will hold their appointments in an
acting capacity until confirmed by the Senate.
President Buhari thanks the outgoing Service Chiefs and
National Security Adviser for their services to the nation and
wishes them well in their future endeavours.


Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity).

How Buhari Is Looking For Saints

Editor’s note: Emmanuel Bello has described the probable
reasons why President Muhammadu Buhari is still looking
for his ministers. He narrates two tales of his epic search for
the men and women, who would make or mar the Buhari’s
records in office.


Story highlights:

Spiritual way the president is going about ministers;
The tale about Buhari’s ministers;
APC governors make a list of five top people;
Ministers will be human beings with all their foibles;
These angels will finally unveiled in the “fullness of time.”
(Today Newspaper) – I don’t know about you but I have
heard plenty chatters, concerning President Buhari’s near
elusive search for ministers (read, angels).
Yes, they could only be angels, judging by the painstaking,
almost spiritual way the president is going about it. Looking
for saints in a country full of sinners was never going to be
easy, anyway.
The first tale I heard was how one bright morning, President
Buhari drew up a list of his best 19 Nigerians and showed
his aides. The aides studied the list and started laughing.
Half of the names on the ministerial list were either dead or
down with old-age related illnesses, such as rheumatism
and stroke. Obviously, Buhari didn’t have this information.
While I haven’t independently verified the story, I won’t put
it past this president. Anyone who exhumes the legendary
Ahmed Joda and appoints him head of a transition
committee is capable of anything.
The second story said the president directed the All
Progressives Congress (APC) governors to make a list of five
top people in their states who can be appointed into various
positions. The excited men went home and drew up the list.
After receiving their submission, Buhari perfunctorily asked:
“Are you sure these are your best hands?” They all answered
in the affirmative. After a few minutes of looking at the list
again, the president repeated the question. The governors,
almost bemused now, bawled out that the list was the best
they could possibly cobble together.
The next thing the president did shocked them. He handed
them the list and said “ since these are the best hands you
have got, why not use them in your individual states? Why
bring them to Abuja when they could be more useful to you
in your state? Please, keep them and ensure you use them
to develop your states. If all APC states become symbols of
good governance, the entire nation would be better for it.
So, take them back to your states.”
Needless to say, the governors left in a huff. Now, this tale
may well be fictional as I wasn’t there to verify, but it is
being quipped that the president has said he would not get
his ministers from the state governors.
If he won’t pick their team for them, why should they pick
his? This makes sense but when you ponder where Buhari
would get his ministers and Special Advisers, you are forced
to think twice about this wisdom.
First, whether he likes it or not, for a certain spread and
balance, his nominees would have to come from the states.
It is as simple as that. And Buhari can’t know the states
better than the governors.
Secondly, they would be human beings with all their foibles.
But above all, they would be fellow Nigerians with all the
traits of our countrymen and women. They would be
Nigerians, who are adept in the game of eating a slice of the
pie. They would be Nigerians, who know exactly how a
minister ought to live the big life.

Believe me, there is a template already for how ministers
should live, dating to the earliest period of our modern life.
Have you forgotten the flamboyant Festus Okotieboh and
other heroes past? There exists an unwritten manual on the
number of cars, personal aides, and even accommodation
the big men should have. I don’t know how the president
plans to change all of that. A minister is a minister.
Or are we about to have a set of ministers who would live in
our neighborhoods, dress like us, drive in the same traffic
and, God forbid, even go to the same markets? If the
president thinks that by delaying and praying deep into the
night, he would eventually get a bunch of angels as his team,
then he is in for a reality slap. Where is he going to find such
men and women? It is like looking for the perfect spouse.
There is no such creature.
And the president has another headache, as he plans to pick
only 19 ministers from a country of 36 states and 170
million people. The question is what criteria is he going to
use? Age, pedigree, credibility profile, competence, electoral
value or his personal relationship with the fellows?
Maybe, that is why the framers of the nation’s constitution
said the Federal Executive Council should consist of, at least,
one nominee from the 36 states – a provision Buhari doesn’t
like.
Those who defend the president say a minister each from
the states would be too expensive in a time of austerity. But
what do you do about this constitutional provision? Ignore it
and get a tribe of lawyers, chasing you? Under the old
dispensation, getting your ministers wasn’t such a big deal.
The president would have been relaxed by now, allowing the
governors to slug the matter out. And back at the states, it
would have been a rat race as the governors and the
henchmen spend hours, figuring out what names to send to
the president.
In the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state, for example, it
would have just been a matter of zoning. So, if the governor
and his deputy were from, say zone A and zone B, the next
thing is for the minister to come from Zone C.
Balancing and a certain amount of fairness were the
watchword of the PDP as far allocation of offices was
concerned. Another crucial credential was the electoral
value of the nominee. Even now, in most states, the
governors would pick a team that would best deliver them
the badly needed votes on re-election day. What of
competence? Well, that is important too, but strategic
positing of people for electoral success is the number one
consideration.
In any case, most of the appointees at the state levels are,
sometimes, professionals in various fields. A doctor, for
instance, may grab the ministry of health as commissioner,
while a financial expert heads the finance ministry. A lawyer
in the team may end up becoming the Attorney General,
while a reporter normally gets the information portfolio. The
other appointments might just be reward for the victory
(jobs for the boys). And there is nothing outlandish about
this.
When people have laboured to usher in a government, they
sure deserve a piece of the action, don’t you think? I hope
the president knows all of these, as he continues his epic
search for the men and women, who would make or mar his
records in office. For the rest of us, we are excitedly waiting
to see who these angels are when he finally unveils them in
the “fullness of time.”
.

BREAKING NEWS: JAMB Reduces Cut-Off Mark

Reports demonstrate that the Joint Admission and
Matriculation Board (JAMB) has declared a decrease in its
cut-off imprint for understudies looking for induction into
tertiary establishments.
The examination body has diminished the cut-off imprint to
180 for admission to degree programs, and 150 for national
declaration in instruction, national recognition and national
advancement confirmations.
Premium Times reports that the JAMB recorder, Dibu
Ojerinde, made this known at a question and answer
session on Tuesday, July 14.

What Anglican Bishop Is Saying About Buhari

Bishop Emeritus of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican
Communion), Rev. Adebola Ademowo has said that he
knows President Muhammadu Buhari will do well in
spite of the impatience among Nigerians.
Ademowo made this known in an interview with the News
Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Friday, July 10.

The cleric further explained that Buhari was only being
systematic in view of the fact that change was a gradual
process.
“They (Nigerians) shouldn’t be impatient at all because the
man is just going from one step to another and I know that
he is going to do well.
“President Buhari is a very thorough person, he is as straight
as a ruler, and he has started work, so, the man is going to
take us out of the woods.
“I have very strong faith in what he is doing, he is
impeccable, the man cannot be corrupted, everything is on
course the way they are going they mean business and they
are doing well.
 “So, they should just forge ahead and know that beyond the
tunnel, there is, there is hope. Nigeria is great and it will
continue to be great.”
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo had announced that they will take
only 50% of their approved salaries ..

Boko Haram Militants Takeover Damaturu-Maiduguri Road

Reports say Boko Haram militants have taken over the
highway linking Maiduguri and Damaturu, capitals of
Borno and Yobe states respectively.
According to Premium Times, a police officer stationed in
one of the villages along the highway said travellers are
being asked to return as the terrorists have taken over the
road between Benisheik (a town 85km away from
Maiduguri) and Ngamdu (35km away from Damaturu).
The officer, who asked that his identity be protected for
security reasons, said the terrorists had attacked Ngamdu
village and killed at least 11 persons there.
“As I am talking to you now, soldiers are moving towards
Benisheik, while we are here asking motorists to return to
Maiduguri until the road is cleared,” he said.
According to a Ngamdu resident, Kyari Sanda, the villagers
had just finished an evening prayers when Boko Haram
gunmen invaded the village.
“They opened fire instantly. We lost 11 people and now
almost half our village was set ablaze. They took all of our
supplies,” the resident said.
Danlami Ajaokuta, from the civilian militia force, also
confirmed the attack, adding that it happened on Friday at
about 8:00 pm.
Few hours ago, a fresh blast suspected to be from a vehicle
loaded with explosives occurred in Maiduguri, the capital of
Borno state.
.

THE “AMAZIAHS” AND THE “AMOS’” OF THE PROPHETIC MINISTRY Homily for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B). Rev. Fr. Boniface Nkem Anusiem PhD

From a very tender age as a junior seminarian, I became
accustomed to the saying: “Many are called but few are
chosen”. Back then I wondered in my little mind if I will be
among those that will be chosen. Then I will start counting
the big boys in my class as those who will be chosen first
because of their sizes. I would often tell myself that I had
to buckle up and grow fast (I was small then) to be among
the “big ones” to be chosen. It was later that I learnt that it
was not all about size or even personal effort; but the
grace of God understandable as unmerited favour.
Today we have interesting prophetic episodes both in the
First Reading (Amos 7:12-15) and in the Gospel Reading
(Mark 6:7-13). In the first reading, we are presented with
the verbal attack on Amos by the priest at Bethel called
Amaziah. Amos’ oracle indicated an impending disaster
that will befall the King and the people in form of exile due
to their dissociation from God. Amaziah who was more of
a political priest accosted the prophet Amos and asked him
to leave the land of Israel to Judah and earn his bread as a
prophet there.
From the scenario, it is clear to us that religion at that
moment was commercial and political enterprise.
Amaziah’s position as the (chief) priest at Bethel could
have been at the instance of the political scheme of king
Jeroboam who must have brought in people who will tell
him what he wants to hear. One can then imagine what the
prophecy of Amos portends. From Amaziah we understand
that Bethel (house of God; the site of Jacob’s dream
(Gen.28:18-19)) was now seen as royal sanctuary and
national temple. The people at the time were seeing the
worship of God as a mere religious observance not as a
spiritual activity.
There is a difference between religious observance and
spiritual practice. It is in this sense that one can be
religious without being spiritual. Religious observance
includes, though not restricted to conventions like strict
attention to time, context, rubrics, and other religious
rituals that are external to the religion in question. On the
other hand worship as a spiritual activity has to do with an
inner disposition which connects the worshipper with the
object of worship (Jn. 4:24). In spiritual worship of God we
talk about faith, hope and love (1 Cor. 13:13).
During this time the people were deeply preoccupied with
religious observances and not with spiritual practices of
their religion. Their worship was based on the external
ritual obligations without a corresponding internal spiritual
interface. Worship for them was at the service of royalty
not divinity. It was more of a national affair than personal
commitment. This is still very valid in our contemporary
human society where people go to Church because it is
Sunday and they have to carry out that religious obligation.
People go to Church because others are going; some go to
Church because they don’t want to be alone in the house.
The question is how many are motivated by faith, love and
their hope in God?
From the point of view of Amaziah the priest the prophetic
ministry ought to be a commercial activity. That was why
he asked Amos to leave the land of Israel to Judah and
earn his living as a prophet from that region. From the
words of Amaziah, he was not concerned about the
prophetic message. He was more concerned about how
Amos and his message would affect his business in Bethel.
We see the above situation taking place in our day with so
much commercialization going on with the message of
God. People are asked to pay consultation fee before they
could see a man of God. They are still required to pay
sometimes heavily before they can be prayed for. These
are the Amaziahs of our time. And they can go to any
length to fight a perceived competitor or rival. Amos was of
a different stock. He was called from the work of
shepherding to become a mouthpiece of God. He had the
mission of delivering the word of God as it is.
In the gospel today, Jesus SUMMONED the Twelve and
began to send them out in PAIRS. He gave them
AUTHORITY over unclean spirits. He further instructed
them to take NOTHING for the journey except a STAFF, no
BREAD, no HAVERSACK. They were to wear SANDALS but no
spare TUNIC. They should stay wherever they are
welcomed. They should preach REPENTANCE, cast out
devils and anoint the SICK.
Before going into the explications I wish to call back what
happened to me as a seminarian; I true confession really. I
was posted on apostolic work to a certain popular town.
My mates congratulated me on what everyone perceived
to be a good posting. I was convinced that I was going to
have a good time so I got a big bag and packed all the
things I felt I would need: electric iron, electric boiler,
clippers, a transistor radio and other things. After packing,
I had a big bag and another hand luggage. On reaching the
parish I met other seminarians posted to the same parish,
we were five in number. I also saw people from the out
stations that came along to pick us. Some of them came
with cars, others with motorcycles and one person with a
bicycle. The Parish priest wanted to be fair enough so he
asked us to pick from folded papers where each will be
going. I was the last to pick and opening the paper I saw
myself picking the least Out Station and being carried by
the man with the bicycle to a remote village without signs
of civilization. Consequently my electrical and electronic
appliances became useless. They actually occupied spaces
for nothing.
Let us go back to the gospel. We are told that Jesus
SUMMONED the Twelve. This means that he called them
out from the rest of the disciples for a brief apostolic work.
They were chosen from the lot to set afire what they had
learned from the master so far. It is actually the Lord who
calls, he also chooses. The letter to the Hebrew says that
no one takes the honour upon oneself each is called as
Aaron was called (Heb.5:4). From our contemporary day
and age we experience a situation wherein we make a
harvest of apostles, pastors, evangelists, prophets,
prophetesses etc. We see such people claiming to have
heard God calling and sending them to some mission. Of
course for most people like Amaziah it is all about earning
bread!
The Lord sent them out in PAIRS. This has a physical and
spiritual denotation. Physically there is need for fellowship
in the ministry. This later turned into the concept of
community in the early Church. Spiritually it assures us of
God’s abiding presence; hence we are not alone. Our Lord
did say when two or more are gathered in my name, I am
in their midst (Matt.18:20 ).They were given AUTHORITY not
just power. Authority is not something that anybody can
get anyhow. People acquire powers in various ways but
authority is far-fetched. Powers fail and fade but authority
subsists and even survives one who holds it for instance
the authority of the papacy. A further instruction was for
them to take a Staff which ascertains the fact that they
have authority given to them.
They were asked to take NOTHING for the journey! Why?
The simple answer is that they have EVERYTHING. Yes
whoever has God has everything. God is not only their
provider He is also their provision. God will definitely
orchestrate assistance for them wherever they go. Often
God plants Samaritans for us in the various routes we go.
We remember that God asked ravens to feed Elijah during
the famine in the land of Israel (1ST king 17:4).
For the journey they were asked to wear Sandals. This
needs to be understood as standing for the spreading
goodnews of peace (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15 & Eph.6:15).
Furthermore they were asked not to be moving around in
search of comfort. This means that they should accept any
situation that presents itself as part of their mission. This
has been overlooked in our day wherein some people are
looking for financially greener pastures overlooking the
spiritually needful pastures. Everyone wants to be located
among the rich and wealthy. We often forget that the poor
people also have souls that should be saved.
Finally they were asked to preach REPENTANCE.
Repentance here entails denouncing evil and sin and
accepting God. Accepting God also entails knowing Him.
This knowledge leads us to faith, love and hope. In our day
the preaching is overly based on prosperity. Some
preachers paint the picture of a world without the poor or
needy. A world where you get whatever you want and
anytime; indeed an Eldorado! Our Lord actually said that
the poor will be with us always.
Today we are called upon receive the word of truth in our
lives and not to replicate Amaziah. We are called upon to
worship God in spirit and not like a mere religious
obligation. We are called upon to reflect the missionary
script given by our Lord Jesus to the apostles. Among other
things we should know that if God has called, chosen and
sent us, He will also provide for us. Thus there will be no
need for struggling over material remunerations; they are
distractions from the main purpose of our ministry as
ordained priests and our vocation generally as Christians.
There is also need to fight the Amaziah in us. This Amaziah
comes in various shapes and shades. It stands for jealousy
which is one of the viral attacks we face in our vocation.
We should be able to accept the fact that we are differently
gifted and should also appreciate and encourage one
another.
Amaziah also stands for materialism that is rocking the
foundation of our ministry. Many are today more
conscious of what will come to them than what will be
gainful in the life of the people they minister to. This is the
trend of our day and age where men of God live in
mansions and drive exotic cars while the members of the
church may not afford one modest meal. Yet they are
persuaded to donate their last saving with the promise that
God will make them suddenly rich.
There is need for us to exterminate those destructive
Amaziahs of selfishness and materialism in the ministry
and incorporate the Amos’ that represents true mission as
set out by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Have a wonderful Sunday and a blessed week ahead.
Fr. Bonnie
(fatherbonny@hotmail.com).

6 Things You Should Know About Nigerian Weddings

Weddings or marriage traditions in Nigeria vary from rural to urban areas, as they often follow several common customs.

Following several meetings between the couple’s families, ranging from offer of dowries and engagement ceremony are all traditional events done prior to the wedding ceremony.
However, while preparing for your wedding there are some certain things you have be careful about. Below are six major things you should know about Nigerian weddings;

1 ASO-EBI:

Aso-Ebi

An average Nigerian wedding is never complete without an Aso-ebi, as majority go the extra-mile in order to pick the perfect aso-ebi for their guests. It has been discovered that most guests look best while going for a wedding that when they attend church service on Sundays. Here, fabrics, shoes, bags, head fears and make-up are well coordinated as most ladies are there to show off their unique selling points to impress.
2 MONEY SHOW:

Money Show

At a wedding, “money show” is always the centre of attraction as the couples are showered with different currencies naira, pounds and dollars. The amount and denominations of money sprayed at a wedding determines the class of the wedding. However, if one is not careful guest who disguise they are helping you pick money; will end up stealing your money.

3 WEDDING CRASHERS:

Guests At A Wedding

A Nigerian wedding will not be complete without the attendance of wedding crashers popularly known as, “mo gbo mo branch”. Due to the presence of free food, drinks and souvenirs, this set of people always come wearing a matching outfit as the one chosen at the event. This act, always makes the caterers run out of food which has been budgeted for those invited to the money.
READ ALSO:
4 PAPARAZZI:

Paparazzi

There is always a competition of who gets the first and best picture of the couple. At a wedding almost everyone is a photographer as they block your view when the couple is making their grand entrance, dancing or taking their first kiss.
5 DANCE! DANCE!! DANCE!!!:

Dance Dance Dance

This is one part everyone looks for at a wedding. The disc jockey is left to do his own thing, as he thrills the audience with different genres of music.
6 FOOD:

Pounded yam and Egusi soup

This is popularly referred to “Item No7”. The caterer or caterers provide different delicacies depending on the tribe of the couple getting married. Aside from the usual rice served, a lot of local delicacies are served.

Why Lagosians Love Fridays

Thank God it’s Friday Fridays are special days in Lagos. A new week has just ended and the feeling of euphoria and contentment is high in some people. For others, it might be dissatisfaction about the way the week has gone. Regardless of how the week went, Lagosians look towards Fridays with excitement.
Here are the five reasons Lagosians love Fridays.
Relaxation


The projection of the weekend is enough to calm the nerves after a long boring week. Friday offers the opportunity to begin planning on how to de-stress. For Lagosians, the feeling of excitement is high. It’s a visit to the spa or arrangement to book a nice exotic hotel. It’s an opportunity to spend time out with friends and catch up on the latest gusts. Some Lagosians see it as an opportunity to eat a homemade meal as against the fast food that has been the source of food during the week. There so many ways Lagosians relax and trust them to be creative about.

Get Over A Bad Week


Friday is actually a work day and incidentally, it offers more work than other days because you want to round up all the work for the week so you can start a new chapter the following week. It is however a great day to get over a not so productive week. It brings relief and a chance to sigh. Lagosians don’t just thank God it’s Friday for nothing. There is a finality that comes with Friday that makes looking forward to the weekend fun.
Owambe

No other city does it like Lagos when it comes to Owambe parties. These are not ordinary partiesd. Lagosians look forward to these weekend parties with a mixture of delight and responsibility. These are celebrations that involve elaborate planning and can even be done in the short time available. Take a baby shower/naming ceremony for example. It is planned within seven days and there is still to distribute aso ebi. Lagosians sometimes have to shuttle between two or more parties in a single day. If you don’t attend other people’s parties, who will attend yours?

Make Up For Lost Days

Lagosians love Fridays as it present an opportunity to plan on how to make up for the days lost. Sa lot of people practically have no time for their family or friends during the week and make use of Fridays to plan on making up for this. It’s a chance to plan on our to check how the children are performing well in school and know what you need to check out how every other member of the family is doing. Friday also makes it possible to see how you can check out your own well being. Trust Lagosians not to miss that opportunity
Evaluation



In order to forge ahead, there is need to look into what has transpired in the past. Lagosians use Fridays to evaluate in order to observe and take note of the high and low points of the week in order to perform better the following week. Its no secret Lagosians are successful because they correct their mistakes and strive towards perfection. The market is competitive and there is the need to get an edge. Why wont Lagosians love Fridays?

The Ten Biggest 2015 Summer Transfers

European clubs have begun completing deals for the players which they feel will improve them from the previous season.
While the like of Paul Pogba, Van Persie and Iker Casillas are yet to move clubs at the time of writing, others like Pirlo, Arda Turan and Podolski have moved clubs.
Here is a list of the biggest transfer officially confirmed with the bargaining clubs.
1. Arda Turan: The most recent transfer yet on the list. Atletico hero and Turkish international, Arda Turan moved from Madrid based side Atletico Madrid to Barcelona for €41m.
According to Goal, Arda is not eligible to represent his new club until January as Barca are currently serving a year-long transfer ban related to the movement of players under the age of 18.

2. Andrea Pirlo: Italian legend, Andrea Pirlo will have one last hurray in the game after he signed as the third designated player for New York city FC.

3. Petr Cech: Chelsea legend, Petr Cech moves to the Arsenal for a fee close to $15m and he will surely strengthen a part of the gunners squad which has been weak since the years of Jens Lehmann.

Cech signing his Arsenal Contract

4. James Milner: Milner was a free agent when he agreed to leave Manchester City for Liverpool. He says Brandon Rodgers will play him centrally and his signing has all the hallmarks of a genius.

5. Yohann Cabaye: The french midfielder returns to England after a year and a half stint with PSG in which he saw little game time. He reunites with Alan Pardew the man that first brought him to England when he signed for Newcaste in 2011.

6. Lukas Podolski: Former Arsenal and Bayern Munich hitman Podolski moves to Galatasary after an ill-fated six month loan spell with Inter Milan of Italy. He joins Wesley Sniedjer and Felipe Melo in a really talented squad.

7. Radamel Falcao: The signing that shocked even this writer. Its official Radamel Falcao will join Chelsea for a year long loan spell from Monaco of France.
After his disastrous spell with Manchester United one would think the elite clubs of this world wouuld run from signing he Colombian but Jose Mourinho says he can revive Falcao’s career. Is it possible?

Radamel Falcao

8. Douglas Costa: Douglas completed a £21million switch to Bundesliga champions, Bayern Munich from Ukraine outfit Shakhtar Donetsk last week.
He can play in at least four positions and his signing relief Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery who are now well over 30.

Douglas Costa was a hit in Ukraine

9. Luis Nani: Back in 2007 when Luis Nani first arrived Mancheser United as a fresh faced 20 year old, he looked set to dominate the game with his technical and physical attributes but somewhere along the line he lost it.
He arrived for $25m from Sporting Lisbon but now leaves a 28 years who never filled his potential for $4.2m off to Fenerbahce of Turkey.

Nani hopes to revive his career at Fenerbache

10. Memphis Depay: The earliest of big signings. Dutch league top goal scorer, Memphis Depay arrives Manchester United with a lot of potential and will hope to reach the top of the game unlike Nani who almost made it but derailed.
He signs for £25million from PSV of the Netherlands.

Memphis Depay

Misses
Ronaldinho: Though he has not officially signed, the camp representing Ronaldinho and Turkish club Antalysor have both said a deal has been agreed to sign the two time world footballer of the year.
Danilo: The Brazilian defender moves to Real Madrid from Porto for almost 30m euros and he will compete with Dani Carvajal for the right back slot.
Alex Vidal: The marauding Sevilla right-back moves to Barcelona to compete with  Dani Alves though he will not be able to play until January.

Lagos-2025: Governor Ambode & State Development Plan

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the original author. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Naij.com, its editors or other contributors.
In June 2025, Time Magazine released a lengthy article featuring the extraordinary project and team which, in less than ten years, have transformed Lagos, once a dusty and crime-ridden state, into one of the top 100 best places in the world to live and do business in. Quality of air is better than in Paris or London. Unemployment is lower than in Germany. The state’s GDP is now the first in Africa above Johannesburg, Cairo, and Pretoria.
In less than ten years the city became the financial and entertainment center of Africa, with Nollywood becoming bigger than Hollywood in terms of number of movies and revenue. Crime has almost disappeared, and a decade of a responsive and accountable government has raised the revenue per inhabitant to the same level as in China, Brazil or Poland. In term of people’s happiness, the international happiness index now places Lagos at the same level as Finland.
We are now in July 2015, ten years earlier, just at the beginning of that transformation. Lagos is already a megacity of 21 million people with a strong internal brand. If Lagos was a state in the United States, its GDP would be higher than the one of 14 other states, including New Mexico, Delaware, North Dakota.
The GDP of Lagos state alone is already bigger than the GDP of Kenya, and bigger than the combined GDPs of 25 other African countries. Inside the federated states of Nigeria, Lagos contributes 25% to the national GDP (or 32% to non-oil national GDP) while being the smallest of the 36 states.
Lagos is 65% of Nigerian tourism, 50% of national port revenue, over 70% of international air traffic, and 50% of national energy consumption.
The state economy growth has been estimated to be 7% during the last three years. Lagos adds 600,000 new inhabitants every year, growing at a rate of 6 to 8% a year, ten times faster than New York or Los Angeles, which makes it one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. In the upcoming year, Lagos is poised to become the third megacity in the world just after Tokyo and Mumbai.
That’s a solid foundation to build on.

LAGOS STATE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2012-2025

Unfortunately, the huge potential for growth in Lagos is threatened by the lack of adequate infrastructures and appropriate value systems.
Power supply is erratic and expensive. Cost of electricity represents 20 to 40% of the cost of production in a typical manufacturing company, more than double what a company in emerging or developed country pays for the same unit of electricity.
The electricity sector faces chronic shortage and supply interruption. The state estimates the current power demand to stand between 5000 to 8000 MW, while the current supply fluctuates between 900 MW and 1200MW, leaving an enormous power gap. Beyond the supply gap, power transmission and distribution losses are estimated at 40%, almost four times higher than the rest of the continent losses estimated at 11%.
Over one million cars are on the road everyday in Lagos, transporting about seven million people over the 9900km of roads. Road transportation represents 93% of total passengers and good traffic in the state. At rush hours, it’s almost impossible to move across the city, making average Lagosian to spend three to five hours in traffic every day. To achieve an acceptable level of traffic fluidity, it’s estimated that the state should increase its spending on the transportation sector from N20 billion in 2008 to N880 billion by 2025.
Current water supply is 1200 billion litres per day, while the demand is estimated at 3,600 billion litres per day. The current water service covers only 44% of the state, leaving countless areas with no potable water supply.
The telecommunication sector has grown rapidly during the last years. Telephone density is estimated to be around 69% in Nigeria, but is certainly much higher in Lagos. There are approximately 55 million Internet users in Nigeria, which means 32.9% penetration rate (the double of the African average). Like for telephone density, the Internet penetration is certainly much higher in Lagos, but the city is still far behind in the league it wishes to play in.
The education sector is slow to adapt to the changes affecting the economy, and one is consistently exposed to the outcry of employers and managers regarding skills deficit or insufficient number of skilled people in the labor market. Currently, the talent deficit represents the single most threatening factor to the economic growth of the state.
Literacy rate is reported to be above 61% in Lagos, but only 14% of students are in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) faculties.  Many sectors like computer sciences, finance, infrastructures, etc. face huge deficit of skilled people.
People’s creativity and hunger for success is visible at every encounter and corner of the city; however, lack of appropriate support system and spaces to harness and channel that energy had induced despair and fatalism, which seem to have overtaken a big part of people.
A visible disconnect seems to exist between “the bottom 80%” and “the top 10%” of the people. The top 10% has the education and the skills to help the bottom 80%, but just don’t care much.
Sadly, the solution to any problem in Lagos seems to be “to buy,” not “to invent, create”!
In terms of branding, Lagos still has a very poor external perception. Because of poor sanitation and hygiene conditions, tourists and visitors to the state are still recommended to get over five vaccines before leaving their country, with another lengthy list of security warnings from their ministries of foreign affairs and friends.
The city is very dusty, and the air pollution is probably one of the worst in the world after Beijing. With approximately one million cars on the road each day, and 40% of Nigeria’s total fuel used by the city residents, Lagos injects about three tons of lead into the air daily.
The state generates over 1.5 million cubic meters of wastewater everyday, and solid waste is visible at almost all corners of the city.
Sixty-four percent of the state population is living on less than $2 a day (N270), only 31% have access to formally paid job, and 57% are reported to be self-employed. The vast majority of the inhabitants are employed in the informal sector or economy, with scant revenue undermined by an inflation rate consistently high at or around 10%.
Beneath the surface, the state is awakening to the above challenges, and has set ambitious goals in the state development plan to create enough wealth during the next ten years to end poverty and bring widespread benefit to all the citizen of the state.
— reduce unemployment rate to 5% or less;
— bring formal paid job rate to 60% of total workforce in the state (from the current 30% rate);
— bring the manufacturing sector from 4% to 43% in the state’s GDP;
— elevate the state annual GDP growth to 7 – 10%.
The official slogan of the state is “Lagos, a centre of excellence”. Not a local excellence, but a global excellence, which means sparking world-class solution to address local needs, and the needs of the world!
The new governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has ten year to design, plan, and deliver on the future the most powerful city in Africa deserves.

Mawuna R. Koutonin

Mawuna Remarque Koutonin is an editor of SiliconAfrica.com and a social activist for Africa Renaissance. Koutonin’s ultimate dream is to open a world-class human potential development school in Africa in 2017. Follow @siliconafrica on Twitter.

Ife Tokan: Do We Really Need Mentors To Succeed?

Right from birth we have always had someone who would direct us. Whether in the form of a parent, teacher, sports coach or manager at work. It is inevitable as human beings that we must be led or directed; even our leaders have leaders.

A mentor is someone who is where you want to be or someone who you are sure knows how to get you there. A mentor is not a babysitter who tells you what to do. Your mentor is like sat nav in a car; he/she will only give directions, but you must decide to drive towards the destination. I hear you ask, why do you need a mentor?

In most cases a mentor will have more experience in life and in your industry than you do (if your mentor isn’t more experienced than you then he/she shouldn’t be your mentor). This is very important to further your career. A mentor would have made mistakes that he/she can advise you to avoid. Having a mentor will not only increase your chances of becoming successful but may also make the process quicker.

Mentors also have a more objective view. Sometimes we have members of our family or a very distant relative as a mentor. While there is nothing wrong with that, this may cloud their objectivity. Having a mentor that is outside your family will bring fresh perspective and positive criticisms to your ambitious goals which will be very healthy for your success.

Their network will become your network. This is probably the most important reason of having a mentor. I previously mentioned that your mentor is someone who has more expertise in your industry than you do, more experience equals a robust network because the fact is “everyone needs someone to become a someone.”  Your mentors networks becomes yours. Every time they introduce you to someone you indirectly represent them (therefore do not abuse). Again using their network will speed up your journey to success.

Your mentor becomes your confidante. Depending on the personality of your mentor or the kind of relationship you have with your mentor, they could also be the person you run to discuss some personal issues. Let’s be real, every now and again we all need someone to talk to. It is always healthy to let stuff off your chest.
Sometimes we may attach ourselves to the wrong personality as our mentor or someone who doesn’t believe we can achieve our ambitious goals. Sometimes, it is someone who isn’t supportive or maybe we may have out grown our mentor. Don’t be afraid to get rid of your mentor professionally. At the end of the day it is your life. If someone isn’t adding value they are subtracting value.

Try to add value to your mentors by taking an interest in what they do for a living or maybe their personal hobby. It is not necessary to do so, but a mentee who equally adds value to their mentor will only strengthen and make the relationship more enjoyable.

Don’t be afraid to have more than one mentor. If you are the type that believes in multiple streams of income or you like to diversify your portfolio then you need an expert (mentor) for each stream of income.

To conclude, a mentor is essential to get you to the next level and enhance your prospects to succeed, not just in your career but in your life. It is never too late to get a mentor because the road to success has no destination but a constant journey of development and self-assessment till you die. So get one today!

N.B. A great example of a fantastic mentor relationship is that of Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy in the NBC comedy show, 30 ROCK.

Interested in Becoming a Professional Fashion Designer?

EvelynTailor School of Fashion Design is organizing its maiden professional training in the city of Lagos. The Training school is located in the capital city of Abuja. The program is designed to cater for the huge number of interested candidates in our training school. This is going to be an annual program. It is a platform that will help in liberating a lot of youths financially. It is an opportunity to learn one of the surest arts that can lead to your independence and liberation.

Program: Professional Fashion Design

Start Date: Monday, August 3rd

End date: Thursday, August 27th

Duration: 4 weeks

Lecture Days (Monday-Thursday): Morning Session: 10 AM – 1 PM | Afternoon Session: 2 PM – 5 PM
Venue: Victory High School, Onigbagbo bus stop, mobolaji bank Anthony way, Ikeja, Lagos

Fees: Beginners – N50,000 | Intermediate – N60,000

Target Audience : SS1-o’level , SSCE Certificate holders,  Tertiary School Students and Graduates of different levels

Registration: To register and book your space send a mail to evelyntailor@gmail.com or call 08053712157 / 08136268223

Other Attractions :

• The best student from each level will be given a scholarship (Tuition only) to continue in other levels with the school in Abuja.
• The 5 best students from each level will be given an opportunity to create their 1st lookbook with a photoshoot session organised for them (Paid for).

Facilitators: EvelynTailor (@EvelynTailor) | Airvy Atelier (@airvyatelier) |  Keni Adelaja (@kennyadelaja)

To view full details of event, curriculum and so on, Visit: www.evelyntailor.blogspot.com | Facebook:

www.facebook.com/tailorevelyn

Book your space now!!!! Limited seats available…