Chris Attoh leaves Tinsel

Sad news for Tinsel fans, Ghanaian heartthrob Chris Attoh has left the popular MNET drama series. Chris, who played the role of Kwame Mensah for many years, left the series recently to pursue 'other career interests'. His character will be written off in subsequent episodes.

Di Matteo visits Nigeria

Di Matteo

Beer brand, Guinness, will bring former Chelsea manager and 2012 UEFA Champions League winning coach, Roberto Di Matteo, to Nigeria on Friday (today).

The Italian footballer will be in Lagos for the inauguration of a new Guinness football campaign to excite football fans across the country.

Marketing and Innovation Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Austin Ufomba, expressed his excitement over the visit and promised more of such experiences for Guinness consumers.

“We are excited to bring Roberto Di Matteo to Nigeria as he proved as a player and manager that like Guinness, he is ‘Made of More’ ” Ufomba said.

“Di Matteo was capped 34 times for his country and played for teams across Europe before becoming a manager at Wes Brom. But he became famous at Chelsea, where he led the team to their first UEFA Champions League win in 2012.  We can’t wait to announce what we have in store for Di Matteo and Guinness over the forthcoming months.”

Five-year-old girl abducted at Redemption Camp

Oluwaseun Ogungbemile

The abduction of a five-year-old girl, Oluwaseun Ogungbemile, at the Redemption Camp of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, has thrown her parents into panic.

It was learnt that the girl, in company with her parents, had gone to the camp at Kilometre 46 on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, to attend the one-week annual convention of the church that ended on Sunday.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the girl, who is the youngest child of her parents, was last seen playing with two of her cousins on Friday, August 9, 2013.

The victim’s aunt, Omotade Odunowo, told our correspondent that the matter had been reported to the police.

She said, “She (Oluwaseun) was staying at a rented chalet in the camp along with her parents. Around 10am on that day, she was seen with two of her younger cousins, who are between the ages of two and three.

“After sometime, we did not see her again. Due to the young ages of the little children who were with her at the time of her disappearance, we have not been able to know what happened exactly.”

Odunowo said all efforts to trace the victim’s whereabouts proved abortive and the family believed that she had been abducted.

She said the family had searched every nook and cranny of the camp and reported to the relevant authorities in RCCG, all to no avail.

She added that no one had called the family to demand a ransom.

Odunowo said, “We have been traumatised since then and cannot wait for the safe return of our daughter back home. We shall therefore be extremely grateful to receive any information that may lead to our reunion with Oluwaseun. She is adorable, smart and talks a lot.”

She said the girl’s parents had not been alright since the incident. She said the mother had refused to go back to work since her daughter went missing.

She said, “Oluwaseun’s mother has not left the Redemption Camp since the incident occurred. She is still hoping that the person that took her away would bring her back.”

When contacted on the telephone, the state police  command’s Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident to our correspondent, adding that the matter was being investigated at the Redemption Camp Police Station.

 “The parents of the victim said they came to the camp with eight children and one of them had gone missing. We have swung into action and we want to assure the family that the little girl will be found,” he said.

 A security official at the church, who refused to identify himself, said the matter had been reported to the police.

He however refused to disclose further information, adding that it was not the wish of the church that the news of the abduction be leaked to members of the public.

Patience’s women jamboree brings Abuja to a standstill

The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, especially its Central Business District, was in lockdown on Thursday.

The city played host to a women event, involving about 10,000 females, organised by the wife the President, Patience Jonathan.

Security personnel blocked all the access roads to the Eagle Square where the event, entitled ‘Celebrating Nigerian Women for Peace and Empowerment’, took place.

The lockdown, which paralysed commercial activities in the city, lasted for about seven hours.

 It also caused traffic gridlock on Shehu Shagari Way, Herbert Macaulay Way, Tafawa Balewa Way and other parts of the district.

Intermittently, helicopters, on surveillance, flew over the city to monitor developments.

 The ceremony, which started about 9am, saw thousands of Nigerian women draped in white wrapper and green blouse.

They all arrived at the event venue in long buses.

Meanwhile, motorists, particularly commercial bus and taxi drivers, were at the receiving end of the lockdown as they were forced to make long and inconvenient detours to get to their destinations.

A taxi cab driver, Abubakar Aliyu, who spoke to our correspondent, said the blockage of the major roads to the CBD and other areas, affected his earnings for the day.

 He said, “I make most of my daily earnings by taking passengers to Federal Secretariat and Eagle Square but on Thursday, I had to turn down many of the passengers because all the access routes to the CBD were blocked and there was traffic everywhere. It is past noon and I have yet to make half of my target.”

A bus operator, identified simply as Stanley, said he was stuck in traffic on Shehu Shagari Way for so many hours.

The bus driver, who noted that the event frustrated his programmes for the day, urged the authorities to organise such ceremonies on a Saturday.

New Music: DRB Lasgidi – Owo Faaji

Here is DRB Lasgidi’s antucipated single OWO Faaji. Listen up, and share your thoughts
Enjoy!!


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New Music: Olamide – Take It Inside ft. Iyanya

Indigenous rap titan Olamide recruits pop heavyweight Iyanya for a track off his still untitled third studio album. Listen to ‘Take It Inside’ and share your thoughts on how the duo fared.
You would expect nothing but dopeness from two of the hottest music names this year.


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LAB test result shows Scott Disick is Mason's father

Scott Disick is the father of Kourtney Kardashian's three and a half year old son Mason, a LAB test result released today proved it. Model Michael Girgenti had falsely claimed he fathered Mason after having unprotected sex with the reality star in March 2009. Read the story HERE. A rep for Michael told reporters after the result was made public today that it could have been fixed...

"We don’t trust the results and believe it could have been fixed. Still going to court to fight for court ordered results.” a spokesperson for Michael Girgenti told Radar.

See the LAB report obtained by Radar online after the cut...

Lady Gaga steps out in transparent bodysuit over a black bra & thong

This is what she wore on a date with her boyfriend actor Taylor Kinney a few days back in LA. The way this lady is desperately begging for attention, you would think she has no talent - when she's one of the most talented singers in the world. See more photos after the cut..

Photos from Sharon Adeleke's traditional wedding

Emma Nyra & Sister

I've been waiting all day for the wedding pics, but it's taking them forever to send them so let's manage these ones for now...I want to go and sleep! :-).  Davido, Don Jazzy performed at the wedding which held today at The Ark in Oniru. Will bring official wedding photos later...

 

Edo community comes alive

…As Otu of Igarra marks 40 years on throne

Igarra, the administrative headquarters of Akoko Edo Local Government area in Edo State, came alive recently as its paramount chief, High Chief Joseph Mayaki Akpeji, the Otu of Igarra, celebrated his 40th coronation anniversary.The event was successful in spite of efforts to stop it from some quarters. Governor Oshiomhole, who was the Special Guest of Honour, was out of the country during the weekend that it held. But the Police Commissioner, Mr. Folorunsho Adebanjo, deployed over 50 anti-riot men to the community to maintain law and order. This was sequel to a petition, titled: Threat to peace and order in Igarra, ostensibly to stop the anniversary. The palace of the Otu had sent a letter of notification of celebration and police protection to the security agencies. The letter reads in part: “I hereby write to notify your good office on the coming celebration of 81st birthday and 40th coronation ceremony of the Otu of Igarra, the traditional Head of Anona clan of Igarra in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.”
“The said celebration comes up on July 27, 2013 at Anona House, Otu Palace, situated at Omokhide Street, off Momodu Ajayi Road, Ugbogbo Quarters, Igarra.”
The organising committee for the event had also invited a group of government functionaries such as the Comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, his Deputy Governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, Senator Representing Edo North, Senator Domingo Obende and his counterpart in the House of Representatives representing Akoko Edo, Comrade Peter Akpatason, among others.
But, in a twist of event, news filtered into town that the event has been put on hold. The rumour spread like an uncontrollable wildfire in the harmattan.
The ceremony, organized partly to unify heads of clans of the Igarra community: High Chief S.A. Aiyede, JP, the Oshidu of Igarra and head of Ezidowo clan; High Chief J.A. Sani, the Oshemi-Anayinmi of Igarra and head of Eshimozoko clan; High Chief G.O. Ojo, the Oshimdase of Igarra and head of Anoyete clan, and High Chief J.M. Akpeji, the Otu of Igarra and head of Anona clan were all invited to the celebration.
In spite of the false alarm raised by the petition, the event was peaceful. On that day, the atmosphere was friendly and clement. Nature was kind and bore witness to the yearly celebration. Dignitaries poured into Igarra. Sirens blared. Rustic gunshots fired intermittently into the air. Several shapes and colours of posh cars slid noiselessly into the venue with dignitaries who sauntered into the hands of cultural troupes on display. It was a blend of culture, tradition and royalty.
In his address, the Otu said: “It is with sincere gratitude to God Almighty, that I give this address which to me is a most privileged and honoured one considering this August gathering. This year marked the 40th year of my installation as the Otu of Igarra. Today has been specially set aside to celebrate and honour God for His mercies upon me, the Anona Clan and the entire Etunu Communities.
“I would like to appreciate the presence of what I will call the conscience of Igarra, as they have all laboured tenaciously to see to the peace and stability for which Igarra is noted for. I greet the most esteemed persons of the Otaru of Igarra, the Oshidu of Igarra, the Oshemdse Ooreyin of Igarra, the Oshemi Onayinmi of Igarra, all others family heads of Igarra and others on whom the responsibility of keeping the community together lies.
“I thank all the entire Etuno communities for the great love and affection that
I have received from all and sundry. I am greatly overwhelmed by your presence and I believe that God in his infinite mercy will be with all of you.”
In a citation, a veteran journalist, Alhaji Usman Abudah, said: “Until the lions have their own historians, history will always glorify the hunter…” said the Nigerian world acclaimed writer and poet, the late Prof. Chinua Achebe. High Chief J. M. Akpeji (JP) is celebrating his 81st birthday and the 40th Anniversary of his installation as the Head of Anona clan in Igarra community. A double celebration it is and the attendance by the crop of personalities here present testifies to his entitlement and we join him to give thanks to the Almighty.
“The Otu of Igarra was born in January 1932 in Igarra to Chief Akpeji Alonge of Anona clan and Madam Mary Akpeji of Andede family. He attended St. Mary’s Catholic School Igarra (1945 – 1949), Holy Cross Catholic School, Okene, Kogi State (1950 – 1951), and City Commercial College, Lagos, among others.
“He was a Member, Midwestern Regional Scholarship Board, Benin City (1962 – 1964), He stepped into business and was proprietor, New Era Commercial College, Igarra, (1962 – 1964. He was Supervisory Councillor (Finance) Akoko-Edo Local Government Council (1979 – 1982.)
“He was proprietor, Akoko Edo Comprehensive College, Igarra (1983 – 2002.) And he was initiated into the Eshovo Age Group in 1969, took the Ipoje title in 1971 and was installed as the Otu of Igarra (Traditional Head of the Anona Clan) on May 22, 1973.
Former President of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) Workers and now member, House of Representatives, Comrade Peter Akpatason chaired the occasion, while the council chairman, Hon. Folorunsho Akerejola, was the host. They justified their mandate and proved their worthiness as true sons of Akoko Edo land.
To ascribe importance and lend credence to the ceremony, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere who represented Governor Oshiomhole at a function in Lagos State on the said day, was represented by two top government functionaries – the Deputy Chief of Staff to Edo State Governor, Hon. Steven Idehenre and an Executive Director in Government House, Barrister Richard Ofenmu.
Chairman of the Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, Chief Oseni Elamah, Commissioner for Environment and Public Utilities, Prince Clem Agba and Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Barrister MacDonald Obasuki also honoured the Otu of Igarra with their presence.

Patience Jonathan Locks Down Abuja

Nigeria First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan locked down the entire Federal Capital Territory metropolis for the better part of Thursday morning with what she described as mass rally and carnival organized to take “stock of the gains recorded so far in the empowerment of Nigerian women and the quest for peace in the country”.
The rally and the carnival which was still on at the popular Eagles Square as at the time of writing this story, is organized by the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) in collaboration with the office of the First Lady of the Federation.
The National President of the NCWS, Mrs. Nkechi Mba had told journalists four days ago that over 15,000 Nigerian women cutting across diverse socio-economic backgrounds will converge on Abuja today for the a mega rally which will be rounded off with equally glittering award ceremony later tonight.
However, it is believed that the programme was organized as part of the ongoing underground campaign for President Jonathan’s 2015 presidential ambition.
P.M.NEWS observed that women started arriving Abuja for the carnival from their different states since yesterday night.
The women, dressed in wrappers with pictures of President Goodluck Jonathan converged on Eagles Square, Abuja this morning for the carnival.
The occasion was also being attended by some female members of President Jonathan’s cabinet, members of the National Assembly and other prominent women leaders.
Also, present and taking the salute of women as they marched past with their banners according to their states or groups, was the wife of the Vice President, Amina Sambo. However, the closure of the major road in front of the venue of the rally resulted in unprecedented traffic gridlock with many motorists stuck in the traffic for many hours.
P.M.NEWS also gathered that many other roads were closed in other parts of the city.
There were also massive security deployments as soldiers and well armed policemen were posted to strategic areas of the Abuja metropolis.
Also, a police helicopter has been hovering around the city since the programme began in the morning.

Tennis: Nigeria’s Serena Goes On Training Tour

•Seven-year old Serena Teluwo will be going on

training 

The precious 7-year old tennis whiz kid, a primary three pupil in one of the famous Nursery and Primary Schools in Somolu, Lagos will depart Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos Lisbon, Spain on the first stage of her 30-day training tour, being sponsored by a sport-loving Yinka Oke. She will be accompanied on the trip by her mother, Mrs. Teluwo.
The light-skinned Serena, daughter of the famous football proprietor and sport philanthropist, Chief Dr. Rilwan Adewale Teluwo of Obanta, Vigilant Professional and Frontliners Football Club fame has been the cynosure of tennis buffs in recent months with her rapid growth in tennis circles since 2011, when she started holding the rackets at the age of five.
Her drives, chips and power-packed serves have endeared her to the hearts of the game’s adherents both locally and internationally.
It would be recalled that the teenage Serena was the toast of the Williams sisters when the duo of Venus and Serena paid a short visit to Lagos late November,  2012. Here in Lagos on that memorable day, Serena Teluwo stunned  the frenetic tennis crowd with her dexterity and strong determination on the court as she stood spraying serves with sublime skills of a potential world beater.
At the end of the show, Serena Teluwo advanced and fell into the waiting hands of her mentor Serena Williams, who embraced her before giving her Nigeria’s name sake a cap as sourvenir.
Hear what Serena had to say about her intending 30-day training tour to Spain, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates. “I have been given the opportunity to explore the tennis world and I know I would not be going to Lisbon in Spain, London in UK and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on sight-seeing. I hope to learn one or two things that would help me improve on my tennis career.
“By the grace of God, I would emulate my idol and mentor, Serena Williams of America"

Hundreds die as police shoot ousted Morsi’s supporters

Bodies are laid out in a make shift morgue after Egyptian security forces stormed two huge protest camps at the Rabaa al-Adawiya and Al-Nahda square where supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi were camped, in Cairo, on August 14, 2013.

CAIRO (AFP) – Security forces stormed the Cairo protest camps of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi’s supporters in a long-anticipated assault Wednesday that officials said led to almost 280 deaths across Egypt.
In response to the violence, the army-backed interim government imposed a month-long nationwide state of emergency and curfews in Cairo and 13 other provinces.
Authorities said 278 people were killed, including 43 policemen, with many of the deaths in Cairo but with the violence spreading from the capital and claiming lives across the country.
The state of emergency went into effect at 4:00 pm (1400 GMT), with what will be a daily 11-hour curfew beginning at 7:00 pm.
Gory photographs and video images of the Cairo bloodbath dominated social media networks, as world powers called for restraint and condemned the show of force by security forces.
At least four churches were attacked, with Christian activists accusing Morsi loyalists of waging “a war of retaliation against Copts in Egypt”.

Bodies are laid out in a make shift morgue after Egyptian security forces stormed two huge protest camps at the Rabaa al-Adawiya and Al-Nahda square where supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi were camped, in Cairo, on August 14, 2013.

Hours after tear gas canisters first rained down on tents of protesters in the sprawling Rabaa al-Adawiya camp in eastern Cairo, an AFP correspondent counted at least 124 bodies in makeshift morgues there.
In a field hospital, its floors slippery with blood, doctors struggled to cope with the casualties, leaving the hopeless cases, even if still alive.
The health ministry said 235 civilians were killed in the Cairo crackdown and in subsequent clashes across Egypt.

Egyptian Muslim brotherhood supporters of Egypt’s ousted president Mohamed Morsi evacuate a wounded man during clashes with riot police at Cairo’s Mustafa Mahmoud Square after security forces dispersed supporters Morsi on August 14, 2013.

The interior ministry added that 43 security personnel had lost their lives.
Among those killed in Cairo was 17-year-old Asmaa al-Beltagui, daughter of wanted Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed al-Beltagui, a spokesman for Morsi’s movement said.
And Britain’s Sky News said a veteran cameraman, Briton Mick Deane, was shot and killed while covering the violence.
Security officials had originally spoken of gradually dispersing the sit-ins over several days but the dramatic descent on the squares shortly after dawn came as a surprise to many.
The violence prompted vice president and Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei to resign, saying his conscience was troubled over the loss of life, “particularly as I believe it could have been avoided.”
“It has become too difficult to continue bearing responsibility for decisions I do not agree with and whose consequences I fear,” he said.
By Wednesday evening, a security official said Rabaa al-Adawiya was “totally under control. There are no more clashes.”
The authorities later said calm had been restored across the country.
Earlier, hundreds of Morsi supporters were given safe passage out of the camp, some flashing victory signs as they left through a security corridor.
A security official confirmed to AFP hundreds of people were taking advantage of the safe passage offer but said that some diehards had stayed behind to fight on.
Shortly after dawn, witnesses and an AFP correspondent said security forces fired tear gas before surging into Rabaa al-Adawiya, sparking pandemonium among the thousands of protesters who had set up the camp soon after Morsi was ousted in a July 3 military coup.
Men in gas masks rushed to grab each canister and dunk them in containers of water, as the main stage near the mosque of the camp blared Islamic anthems and protesters chanted “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest.)
In the smaller of the protest camps, at Al-Nahda square in central Cairo, police said they took control of the square after two hours.
Television footage showed flattened tents, as women and children flanked by police and army troops were led out of the square.
Dozens rounded up in the dispersal were shown sitting on the ground, handcuffed and surrounded by security forces.
– Use of force widely condemned –
——————————————-
Europe’s leading powers, along with Iran, Qatar and Turkey, strongly denounced the use of force by the interim government.
The White House said Washington, which provides Egypt with massive military aid, “strongly condemns” the violence against the protesters and opposes the imposition of a state of emergency.
Interim prime minister Hazem al-Beblawi praised the police for their “self-restraint” and said the government remained committed to an army-drafted roadmap that calls for elections in 2014.
Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood urged Egyptians to take to the streets in their thousands to denounce the “massacre.”
“This is not an attempt to disperse, but a bloody attempt to crush all voices of opposition to the military coup,” Brotherhood spokesman Gehad al-Haddad said on Twitter.
But Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said no more protests would be tolerated.
The anger against the Islamist movement was evident as residents of several neighbourhoods clashed with Morsi loyalists.
Clashes also erupted between security forces and Morsi supporters in the northern provinces of Alexandria and Beheira, the canal provinces of Suez and Ismailiya and the central provinces of Assiut and Menya.
In Alexandria, hundreds of angry Morsi supporters marched through the streets armed with wooden clubs chanting “Morsi is my president.”
An AFP reporter said they set fire to tyres and tore down pictures of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who led the coup.
It was a dramatic turn of events for the Muslim Brotherhood, who just over a year ago celebrated Morsi’s victory as Egypt’s first elected president.
But Morsi’s turbulent year in power, marred by political turmoil, deadly clashes and a crippling economic crisis, turned many against the Islamist movement.
On June 30, millions took to the streets to call on the army to remove Morsi.

Parents, know the signs of autism

Autism is a group of serious developmental problems called autism spectrum disorders. They appear in early childhood, usually before age three.

This brain disorder, which slows down physical, locomotive and mental development in a child till adulthood, if not managed earlier, is no more a rare development.

In fact, a recent study by the International Society of Paediatrics states that autism affects at least one out of every 88 children globally.

The condition, which has no symptoms at birth but manifests a few years after, also limits a person’s ability to communicate and relate to other people.

Adults living with autism struggle with speech and majorly have to be assisted to do things that other kids take for granted.

For instance, according to child care experts on WebMD.com, a three-year old boy who has  one of the autism spectrum disorders may need a year with  intense private teaching to be able to write or say the first five letters of the alphabet.

Because there are no obvious signs at birth to show if a child is autistic, early detection of this disorder in children is a big challenge for parents.

However, as tricky as the autism symptoms are, experts say  they can still be spotted if parents, care givers, teachers, doctors and persons who have one thing or the other to do with children are aware of the  early signs of autism.

One of them is the Director and Founder, Patrick Speech and Language Centre, in Lagos, a school for children living with autism spectrum disorders, Mrs. Dotun Akande. She states that since the number of children diagnosed with autism appears to be rising, just as there are yet no medical reasons as to why children are born with this disorder and how it can be prevented, parents must pay more attention to the growth and development of their children for early intervention.

Akande, a mother of a boy with autism, says intensive and early treatment may make a big difference in the lives of many children affected by this disorder.

According to her, it is the parents’ responsibility to pay more attention to some signs that suggest that their kids may have autism.

Early warning signs

A paediatrician on the online portal, about.com, Dr. Lisa Jo-Rudy, says it is possible, if parents are observant, to discover that their child has autism before he/she turns three.

At age one, Jo-Rudy says, an early sign of autism in children is their inability to relate or play with their peers or family members.

She notes that babies who avoid physical or body contact with their parents, siblings or peers, and those who have delay in talking, such that they keep repeating words or phrases in an usual manner, may have autism.

“If you have a baby between 18 and 24 months, who gets upset at minor changes in the environment or does not turn when he hears the mother’s voice and also avoids eye contact, then you must watch it. Something is wrong when a baby does not smile or respond to social cues from others. Even young infants are very social. It is best to contact your doctor right away with any concerns,” she adds.

Physicians say the signs of autism are more noticeable in a child’s second year. Jo-Rudy notes that while other children are forming their first words and pointing to things they want, a child with autism remains detached from learning.

She states that an autistic child would not be able to pronounce a single word by 16 months and would only be able to manage single-word phrases by age two. In severe cases, Jo-Rudy says, autistic children totally lose language skills and show no interest when adults point out objects, such as a plane flying overhead, to get their attention.

However, at the age of three, experts say, physical signs and symptoms are more obvious to help a parent safely suspect that their child may have autism.

Jo-Rudy notes that physical symptoms such as digestive problems, inability to walk or run, constipation and sleep problems, especially among boys in this age bracket, should not be wished away.

She explains that autism affects parts of the brain that control emotions, communication and body movements; adding that by the toddler years, some children with ASDs have unusually large heads and brains — which may be because of problems with brain growth.

Jo-Rudy says, “Autism affects the brain. Since most nerves and tissues that control movement are in the brain, affected children may have poor coordination of the large muscles used for running and climbing, or the smaller muscles of the hand. About a third of people with autism also often have seizures. These are more obvious than the earlier years.”

The paediatrician says apart from consulting a specialist, parents  should also notify their children’s teachers, school authorities and neighbours about their children’s developmental challenges to avoid stigmatisation.

She says, “And if your child is autistic, I can tell you that, yes, it will be hard at first. But you won’t love your child any less. In time, your child will show you a whole new perspective on the world that you never dreamed possible. And one day you’ll look back and understand why you were afraid but tell yourself at the same time that you made the right, and best, decision of your life. Because your child really will be that important to you.”

FFK apologizes for mentioning names of ex-girlfriends in his article

Ex-minister Femi Fani Kayode mentioned names of three former Igbo girlfriends in an article he wrote a few days back to prove he wasn't tribalistic and has nothing against the Igbos. People felt mentioning their names was disrespectful to the women. He has apologized. Find his statement below

'Chief Femi Fani-Kayode hereby expresses his deepest regrets for mentioning the names of three distinguished Nigerian ladies that he was once associated with in his last article titled ''A Word For Those Who Say I am A Tribalist''. He meant no harm by doing so and neither did he at any point make references to having had any sexual relations with any of these ladies when they were associated with him as is being suggested by some members of the public. He was simply trying to emphasise the fact that he has nothing against the igbo people and that his friendship with these three ladies in particular over the years provided some evidence of that. 

For the record he has not seen Madame Chioma Anasoh, Chief Adaobi Kate Uchegbu and Ambassador Bianca Onoh in many years and he admits that it was inappropiate for him to have mentioned their names in the essay, to use them as a point of reference in a public discussion or to make any references whatsoever to the nature of their past association. All references to them have been erased from the updated version of the essay.

Chief Fani-Kayode has reached two of the ladies concerned and he has personally conveyed his unreserved apology to them both and to their families for his indiscretion. He shall endeavour to reach the third lady to do the same in the next few days. Chief Fani-Kayode has nothing more to say on this matter and would prefer to remain focused on issues of national importance and not of a personal nature''-

Mr. Bisi Lawal, Press Secretary to Chief Femi Fani-Kayode

Maybe this press secretary should start writing FFK's articles from now on. #justasuggestion. :-)