President Buhari Makes Addition To 2016 Budget

Before the passage of the 2016 budget, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Federal Ministry of Finance to include the basic healthcare provision fund.
The president, who spoke during an event to mark Nigeria’s delisting as a polio endemic country at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was pleased that Nigeria did not record any case of polio in the last one year.
President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, has an addition to next year’s budget

According to The Nation, President Buhari said: “The National Health Act has made provision for universal access to basic healthcare with a focus on the poor and the vulnerable as well as the basic healthcare provision funds to support its implementation.
“I have already instructed the Federal Ministry of Finance to provide for the basic healthcare provision fund under the 2016 Budget Appropriation.
“For 14 consecutive months, Nigeria has not recorded any new case of polio virus. This, as I had been briefed, is the first step towards certification of Nigeria as polio virus free country by WHO in the next two years.”
President Buhari, who said that the fight against polio has taken its toll on Nigerians, stressed that the eradication process had been in the offing since 1998.
“I want to assure you that there will be no complacency, as we will maintain and improve on our surveillance system as well as raise the childhood population immunity against the polio virus to avoid any spread of the disease.

“The federal government will sustain the current momentum and we shall continue to regard this campaign as an emergency until we are declared polio free in the next two years,” he added.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed how some state governors are not helping in the fight to totally eradicate the epidemic in Nigeria .

Chelsea boss Mourinho blasts Wilmots over Hazard Real Madrid claims

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has blasted Belgium coach Marc Wilmots over comments regarding Eden Hazard. Wilmots has stated this week he’d like to see Hazard move to Real Madrid. “The national team is the national team and the coach is the coach,”
Mourinho said.  “When Hazard is in the national team I don’t open my mouth. Ever. But some people don’t have the same ethics and comment when the players are at the club.”

South African universities shut despite fee agreement

South African campuses closed Monday, many for a second week, as students refused to end protests despite a government decision to scrap the tuition fee hikes that triggered nationwide demonstrations.
Student leaders have vowed further action to push for other demands, including universal free education.
Police last week fired rubber bullets and tear gas at tens of thousands of students gathered outside government headquarters in Pretoria as protests over the proposed fee hikes turned violent.
Max Price, the University of Cape Town (UCT) vice-chancellor, said the campus would be closed all week, as students had not committed to ending protests and the disruption of lectures.
“I believe no purpose will be served by attempting to keep the university open,” he said in a statement.
Price added there had been “diminishing investments by government in higher education over the past five years” as he praised “the courage and tenacity” of the student protesters.
The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, the centre of recent protests, was also shut on Monday.
Wits Vice-Chancellor Adam Habib criticised the students’ decision to continue protesting.
Habib said disruption of lectures and exams would “only further entrench and deepen the inequalities in our society.”
Public universities in South Africa, although funded by the state, are independent and have the power to determine their own fees.
The students argue that higher fees would force poorer students out of the education system.
The University of Pretoria, Fort Hare and University of the Western Cape were also shut Monday.

Adeyeye Ogunwusi is the new "Ooni of Ife"

The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola has approved the appointment of a new Ooni of Ife.
He is Prince Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi of Giesi Ruling House of Ile-Ife, State of Osun.
The Secreatary to Osun state government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti said the choice of Ogunwusi as the Ooni follows the completion of the due process by the kingmakers and the communication of their decision to Government.
Until his appointment on Monday, Ogunwusi was non-executive director at Imperial Homes Mortgage Bank Limited (a subsidiary of GTBank).
He is a graduate of Accountancy and a certified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and of the Institute of Management.
Adeyeye is currently the Managing Director of Howard Roark Gardens Limited which is undertaking multi-million naira Jacob Mews Estate project in Yaba and the Lakeview real estate development in Lekki.
He has been involved in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts locally and abroad for over 11 years. He was involved in the development of the Northern Foreshore Estate, Cityscape International Limited’s Buena Vista project in Lekki, Primewaterview Limited’s projects, Westcom Limited’s projects, and the Ajaokuta Steel’s and Delta Steel’s resuscitation projects

SIM cards penalty: NCC slams N1trn fine on MTN

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the nation’s telecommunications regulator, has issued mobile phone firm MTN Nigeria, with a $5bn (£3.5bn) fine for failing to disconnect subscribers with unregistered Sim cards bought before January 2012.
From that date anyone buying a Sim card in Nigeria has had to register it under their name by law.
Phone companies were told to register their existing customers’ Sim cards, which MTN Nigeria – the biggest telecommunications firm in Nigeria – has failed to do, reports the BBC.
The fine is the largest in the history of telecom infringements in Nigeria and may redefine the relationships between telecommunications operators and the regulator.
Nigerians continue to complain about poor services from mobile network operators and blame the regulators for not doing enough to solve the problem.
A senior executive at MTN Nigeria said that the company will issue a statement on the fine later today.
Meanwhile, Shares in South Africa’s MTN dropped more than 5 percent on Monday after reports in Nigeria said the mobile phone firm’s Nigerian unit could face a fine of as much as $5.2 billion, traders said.
MTN declined to comment on the matter.
“The report is definitely the reason why it is moving. We just don’t know how credible it is,” said Petri Redelinghuys, a trader at Inkhunzi Investments in Johannesburg.
A second trader confirmed the share was falling as a result of the report.
Chris Maroleng, the Johannesburg-based spokesman for Africa’s largest mobile operator, declined to comment.
MTN was trading 5.32 percent at 180.80 rand by 1109 GMT.

Christ Destroyed Our Death

DEATH is a separation. Once the spirit, which is life, departs from a human being, the person dies and the fleshly toga dismembers into morass of earthy dust. In man, the physical death is brought about by the separation of the human spirit from the flesh (soul and body). Death is the inglorious wages of sin.
The spiritual death is human separation from the Lord, his Creator. The spiritual death, called the second death, will manifest fully in the hell fire. Death was occasioned by the first human couple’s sin.
As a result of joint human fall in the first Adam, when he sinned in the Garden of Eden, death proliferated to all humans. ‘But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear’ (Is.59: 2; Gen.3: 5-7)
The devil had power over death through sin, so the Lord Jesus accepted death to destroy death and the devil. In His death on the tree of Calvary, Christ tasted death for all humans. ‘But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man’ (Heb.2: 9).
On the cross of Calvary, Christ, Who knew no sin, became the Second and the Last Adam. His death became a joint death for the entire human race. ‘And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost’ (Lk.23: 46). So by His overcoming death by His death and resurrection, all human beings in Him became free ALSO from death.
Since Christ came and died hanging on the cross, death is no more for everybody. The Great Saviour has delivered us from this body of death. ‘O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord…’ (Rom.7: 24, 25).
In Christ, the bondage of fear of death gave way to freedom. A liberty that will even make us to taunt death and scoff at it in the end… ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ (1Cor.15: 55).
All saints despise death at baptism, and like Christ, will be changed and transported to be with the Lord, forever. That day, the Word of God by the Psalmist comes to fulfilment: ‘I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord’ (Ps. 118:17).
The punitive judgment of the saints’ sin and death laid upon the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of His death is everlasting. In the Lord Jesus, we passed over death to victory. For all that accept Christ Jesus, the physical death ceases to be punitive wages of death, but a sleep of rest awaiting the trumpet of God to usher one into glory.
Death commits mortals to dust, but the Almighty God has judged it. And death itself shall eternally ‘die the second death’. That day, death would hastily release ALL of Adam’s progeny in its custody, yet will he be hauled into fire.





•Pastor Julian Ejikeme Okechukwu of Christ Manifest Ministries writes from Lagos. +2348034046895; christmanifest@gmail.com

Check out the Real Brains Behind High Quality Music In Nigeria

Often the credit for high quality music goes to the artistes, whilst the real people behind the success of a song or album languish in obscurity. A lot of contemporary music producers in Nigeria have over the past decade and earlier, redefined music production, thus rebuilding the industry’s recognition locally and internationally.Their hardwork and creativity have helped in bringing out the best in many Nigerian artistes who are celebrated internationally today.Therefore, the success stories of both the artistes and the music industry will not be complete without referencing the producers. In this piece PATIENCE IVIE IHEJIRIKA writes about some of these outstanding producers.

-Don Jazzy
Born Michael Collins, Don Jazzy is not just a producer but also a fantastic songwriter and singer. The CEO of the defunct MoHits Records which brought superstar artistes like D’banj to limelight, has remained a heavyweight indeed as far as music is concerned as he has produced several super hits like Godwin by Korede Bello, Chop Am by Reekado Banks, Surulere by Dr Sid, The Kick by Wande Coal, My Darling by -Tiwa Savage, Dr SID’s Kabiyesi and Sugar Baby by Reekado Banks, among others.
Don Jazzy has also worked with other local and international big acts like Jay Z, Kanye West, Darey and Naeto C, among many others

-Shizzi
Sheyi Akerele has produced songs for a number of great artistes like Davido, Wizkid and others. He is responsible for super hits like Love My Baby by Wizkid, Davido’s Damiduro, Skelewu and Gobe, under the HKN Gang as well as Wande Coal’s Baby Face and Go Low.
He has also worked with acts like Wizkid, D’Prince, Sasha, Harrysong, Naeto C, Wande Coal, Sauce Kid, May D and OD Woods.

-Selebobo
He is not just a producer but a dancer, singer, songwriter and graphic artist. Selebobo has Yemi Alade’s ground breaking single, Johnny to his credit and also Flavour’s Ada Ada, Balance For Me by Dipp and Oroma Baby by Yoyo.

-D-Tunes
The producer, who is the CEO of Difference Entertainment, certainly is one of the producers who have produced danceable songs like Iyanya’s Kukere, Your Waist by Flavour. He has also worked with other artistes like Yemi Alade, Ruggedman, 9ice, TuFace, Dammy Krane, Flossick among others.

-Pheelz
The producer has worked with a lot of notable artistes and has produced hit songs like Lil Keshi’s Shoki, and Awon Goons Mi by Olamide. Pheelz is the in-house producer for Olamide and he produced Olamide’s album, “Baddest Guy Ever Liveth” which contains tracks like Durosoke, Anifowoshe, Rayban Abacha, Eleda Mi, Baddo Love, Turn Up, among others

-Masterkraft
Masterkraft who started out with Kennis Music, has risen to become an outstanding producer. From Gospel to Soul to RnB and Jazz, Masterkraft has been able to maintain relevance as he keeps attracting top arts.
His hit tracks include Flavour’s Kwarika (remix) ft Fally Ipupa, Fine lady by Lynxx, Girl by Bracket ft Wizkid, Timaya’s Ukwu, Chinny Baby by Flavour and Iyanya’s Away. Others include Nana by Bracket, Banky W’s Jasi.

Regulator to reduce banks’ indebtedness to foreign lenders

Following the rising indebtedness of Nigerian banks to their correspondent banks abroad as a result of dollar scarcity in the economy, the Central Bank of Nigeria has begun moves to supply foreign exchange to companies with overseas obligations.

The PUNCH had on Thursday reported exclusively that the CBN’s ban on importers of certain items from accessing foreign exchange from the official forex market had made it difficult for a number of Nigerian companies to pay their overseas vendors.

The development has made banks in the country, which are the guarantors of those payments, to owe their correspondent banks abroad between $3bn and $4bn, The PUNCH reported quoting several top bank executives.
The CBN, in a circular on Friday, said it was now ready to sell forex to companies with foreign obligations that predated June 23, 2015, the date it banned importers of some 41 items from accessing forex from the official forex market.
The circular read in part, “Confirmed/unconfirmed letters of credit established before the release of the circular of June 23, 2015 in respect of the 41 items excluded from the forex market can now be paid from the interbank forex market. This circular applies only to the letters of credit established for the 41 items prior to the date of the circular.

[Source: the Punch]

FIFA Presidency: Blatter Backs Kalu To Replace Him

Suspended Sepp Blatter has thrown his weight behind former Abia state Governor Orji Uzor Kalu to become the next FIFA president.
Blatter had stated that Africa can produce the next FIFA president when new elections are held in February.

Speaking in Zurich, the 79-year-old this time backed the candidature of  Orji Uzor Kalu who he believes has what it takes to head world football governing body, Vanguard reports.

Blatter said: “The position of the FIFA president is too important to be left to just anybody. I have heard of some candidates who want to take over from me. But I find the Businessman from Nigeria Kalu very qualified and interesting because he is not only a businessman, but a politician with lots of contacts and corporate experience. He can bring his great experiences to bear in the running of world football.

“He is passionate about the game. I remember how he sponsored one of Nigerian clubs to win the CAF championship twice. He is a man that can take world football to the next level”, Blatter told the Swiss Radio monitored on Sunday.”

According to Blatter, it was in the best interest of Africa to nominate Kalu because of his deep passion for the game.
“If Africa hopes to win the support of other federations, then they must queue behind the Nigerian business man. Football has developed beyond just anybody taking over.

“I sacked Jerome Champgne in 2010 so how can he come back to lead an Association he tried to destroy. You need a man who can command
respect and win friends for football.

“With Kalu Africa stands a better chance, he
concluded. CAF is expected to meet next week to decide on a candidate for the election scheduled for next year. Orji Kalu and Segun Odegbami are the two candidates vying for the post from Africa.”

CAF is expected to meet in Cairo this week to discuss the candidacy of Kalu and Odegbami.
Other contenders include Michel Platini, the French president of European federation UEFA, South Korean Chung Mong-joon, a former Asian vice-president of FIFA as well as the old Brazilian World Cup star Zico and former Trinidad and Tobago international David Nakhid. The South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale is also considering a bid.

The election to replace current FIFA president Sepp Blatter will hold on February 26, 2016 in Switzerland.

Nigerian-Born UK MPs Pledge To Assist Buhari Administration

The Nigerian-born Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom have pledged to assist the Muhammadu Buhari administration in its task of develop the country.

Smarting from a meeting the four MPs had with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in London, the lawmakers said in separate interviews that there was great hope for Nigeria to return to reckoning with its new kind of leadership.

Mr Chuka Umunna, a member of the opposition Labour Party (Charleston) said the MPs were elated with the agenda of the new administration and the way Nigeria could lead the renaissance in Africa.

He said so much attention is being focused on India and China in trade links with the UK, but added that the UK should not forget its historic link with Africa and Nigeria in particular.
He said that he had led the business and innovative skills for trade for the opposition in the last five years and promised to bring the experience to bear in assisting the Nigeria to develop the country.

He said one of the challenges was identifying the gaps existing in the markets for British companies in Nigeria.

According to him, the incredible financial
services sector in UK’s banking sector could be deployed to developing the Nigerian banking system.
“There is the need for more development of infrastructure of Nigeria as well as investments in human capital development.
“Ultimately, if we want to see Nigeria fly as is the case in the UK, we have to invest in our people, the human capital and the people’s skills,” he said.
Umunna said that British companies had a lot to offer Nigeria for the benefit of both countries, adding that his colleagues would help to facilitate the collaboration.

He explained that the trade deficit between both countries could be narrowed soon.
“For me as a Member of Parliament but of Nigerian descendant, I will be playing my part too and I am proud to do so,’’ he said.
Umunna also advised that Nigeria should copy the example of UK in national politics to remove the cultural and tribal affiliations, which hinder the election of people in states they were not indigenes.

He said politics of ideology should take the centre stage in Nigeria, while politics should focus on policies that will help the country to move into “this new era that we are in.’’
Another MP, Kelen Grant, representing Maidstone and The Weald, said that Nigeria was moving in the right direction and her colleagues were excited about the free school meals and focus on education by the new administration.
He said the programmes would help the girl-child education which is key to national development.
She said her family raised her up in Lagos and Plateau, which she described as one of the most beautiful places to live in the world.

She said that being part of the international development select committee of the parliament, she would soon visit Nigeria to seek ways it could assist the country.
She said Nigerian politics could advance considerably if more women were in positions of power.

“Women comprise more than 50 percent of the population and if there is fair representation in the local, state and national level, the result can be more incredible,’’ she said
Kate Osamor, MP for Edmonton, said the meeting with the vice president revealed the vision of the new administration to Nigerians in the UK.

She said she would deploy her experience to create a new look for the country. (NAN)

Facts About Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer is one of those disease conditions that doesn’t get as much attention as it should in Nigeria. Statistically, one out of every eight women would be diagnosed with this condition with about 500, 000 deaths occurring from this condition alone in Africa. The hard truth however is that there’s a lot of myths and not much information available concerning breast cancer.
Here are five things you probably have heard about breast cancer that is false and the real truths concerning them.

-Breast Cancer Concerns Women Only
If you’ve ever believed that only women get breast cancer, you’re completely wrong. Men too can get breast cancer even though the chances of it occurring in men is 100 times lesser than in women. Diagnoses of breast cancer in men occurs very late and as such results in increased mortality. For men, the lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000. Diagnoses usually come at a later stage for men, leading to significantly increased mortality rates. According to Sharon Gordano, M.D., and Fatima Cardoso, M.D. Of the breast cancer research fund (BCRF), 92 percent of the tumours found in men that have breast cancer are caused by oestrogen and progesterone hormones which is naturally higher in women. However, breast cancer in women as a result of these hormones account for 70 percent of breast cancers in them.

-Breast Cancer Occurs Only In The Elderly
This is another false myth that has held for long. A lot of young people below the age of 40 are prone to having breast cancer. Researchers are studying the link between heredity and breast cancer in hope of gaining knowledge on the type of risk factors that expose certain people to them. The risk factors include race, ethnicity and lifestyle changes.

-All Breast Cancers Are The Same
Another myth. Breast cancer as a matter of fact is a culmination of several different diseases. Researchers just discovered the different types of breast cancer subtypes which includes Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2-positive, and Triple Negative. These subtypes can also be further classified into smaller subunits which have different response to treatment and progression rates and thus, create more individualised treatment regimens.

-Breast Cancers Begin As Lumps
There are various factors that are used in diagnosing breast cancers asides the development of a Lump. These signs include irritation of the skin covering the breasts, inward inversion of the nipples, red or scaly skin surrounding the breasts and or any type of discharge asides breast milk from the breast.
Wire Bras or Deodorants Can Make You Have Breast Cancer

This is another myth that has been around for a while. According to a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers in 2014, there was no correlation between wearing wire-bras, the number of hours you had it on and an increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The National Cancer Institute also say no evidence exist that deodorants cause breast cancer.
Furthermore, exercise and diet have been found to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer even though there is little knowledge concerning how other environmental factors increase the risk of having the disease. Mammography and routine screenings are important in catching the condition early. These can be scheduled yearly even though it’s dependent on heredity factors.

Ladies here is How To Be The Wife He Wants

Men want a wife who is a freak in the bedroom and a wife outside. He wants a woman who can fulfill all his sexual, emotional and life fantasies. The problem is, most women get married and forget why their man was attracted to them in the first place.

They get married and become complacent. Sometimes, not taking out time for grooming, self-development and self-love. Especially after having kids.

In times past. when women get married, they relegate their position as a wife to the bedroom and kitchen only. They forget about all the dreams they had before getting married. Their ultimate focus becomes to cater for the home.
Such mentality is why men take side-chicks outside to play the b**** role, while having a woman at home that plays the wife role.

The trend of ‘bedroom and kitchen wife’ is fast-fading as the modern-day woman still aspires to fulfill her dreams and achieve personal life goals despite being married.

Although as a woman you have no control on your man’s actions outside the home, you can influence his thoughts by becoming every thing he needs so he doesn’t think of taking a side-chick lest acting upon it.

Let’s take a read at some things a woman can do to ‘Be The Wife He Wants’

HAVE DAILY PERSONAL GOALS – every morning, from the moment you open your eyes and prepare for the smooth running of the home, think about what you will like to have achieved for yourself at the end of the day. Even as a working wife, you should also have daily personal goals.

While making breakfast for your hubs and the kids (if you have any), ask yourself “what do I want to do ‘for me’ today?”. If you don’t have anything you want to do for yourself, then you need to find it.

Don’t be self-redundant. Repeating the same process over and over again. Be spontaneous, creative and intelligent for each other.
At first it might seem attractive to your man that you manage the home effectively, but in time, especially after being married for a long time, such an attitude becomes boring for the man, so he seeks for adventure outside the marriage hence the ‘side-chick’.

ALWAYS DRESS UP, EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE NOWHERE TO GO – When you wake up, take a bath. While some women have a job to go to everyday, others don’t, well even when you don’t have a job or a shop to go to, start your day by taking a bath.

For the housewife , the moment they have a bath, they automatically think of what to wear. You should do that too. Don’t let those clothes go to waste in your closet while you wait on your man to take you out (a feat that hasn’t happened in a long while and you aren’t even sure if it will ever happen).
When you wake up and dress up, your man automatically asks you, ‘are you going somewhere?’, which is the reaction you want to elicit.

Dress up, wear a lipstick or lip-gloss, cos when your man sees it, the next thing that comes to your hubs man is to kiss it off, and we all know morning sex is the best sex. If it leads down that road, he will be so preoccupied with thoughts of you at work and will hurry home after cos he knows he has a wonderful dessert waiting for him upon arriving.

DON’T BE AN AVERAGE WIFE – The average wife does nothing besides wait on her man for everything. From food, clothes, money or any other thing, you shouldn’t make your man you entire world. Be an independent wife. Intelligence is attractive.

Your hubs being your world, undisputed, every woman should have what sets her apart asides looks. You must be able to hold a conversation with him at all times about things he is interested in. If you don’t know it, take the time out to learn or read up on it, discover what he’s interested in and build your knowledge on such subject matters.

Men talk to side-chicks about their dreams, things they don’t discuss with their wives if she isn’t smart, cos they think ”she won’t understand”.

You should aim to impress your hubs, intelligently. He married you cos you made an impression on him as a single woman so he decided to attach himself to you forever, hence you shouldn’t be an ‘average wife’ with no dreams, goals, or passion. Read, Learn, Discover.
You will always communicate effectively when there’s a relationship with common interest.

BUILD INTIMACY AND NOT MISSIONARY SEX –
When was the last time you and your hubs ‘watched the movies and Chilled’? No matter the situation, be it money or marital probs, couples who make out time to get intimate with each other stand a higher chance of sorting out issues when they arise, compared to those who don’t take time out to get intimate with each other.
And I am not talking about ”mummy and daddy sex”, I’m referring to your hubs laying on the couch or bed behind you, while you’re both in each other’s embrace, while you both watch a movie you both choose, eating popcorn (or whatever junk you can afford) and just relaxing together, laughing and making hilarious comments from scenes in the movie.

Men do these things with their side-chicks, so why don’t you learn the side-chick rules and beat her at her game?

SEX SHOULD BE ADVENTUROUS – Go wild once in a while, if you are a drinking woman and your hubs doesn’t have a prob with it, you could both play a game where the loser drinks, and you can lose deliberately and drink to get high.
Intoxication definitely makes you horny and trust me, when you make love while intoxicated, you lose every inhibition and just bring out your inner ”kink”.

Your hubs will love you so much more when you stop pretending to be a good wife and just bring out your inner kink for him. He won’t condemn you or think low of you, rather he will be so proud to have a wife who’s real about her sexuality with him. Be who you would be if you had a gigolo with your man. Make your man your gigolo. Take him how you’ve ever wanted to take a man.

His body is yours to fulfill your fantasies too, it’s not just him fulfilling his fantasies with you.
It’s been proven that couples who have a great sex life, last longer in marriage and easily settle issues cos the sex is just too good to walk away from.