Daniel Wilson married longtime partner Yetunde Wilson in December 2012. They welcomed a daughter on Wednesday. They already have a 7 year old son together. Congrats to them.
Friday, 4 October 2013
Attend the premiere of Coke Studio Africa today! KSA, MI, Waje, Bez, and more
Coca-Cola is premiering a new television show, Coke Studio Africa, in Lagos! A Coca-Cola initiative, Coke Studio Africa brings together some of Africa’s most exciting and respected acts together in a studio setting to create cutting-edge music fusions. The show features artists such as King Sunny Ade, MI, Waje, Bez, Salif Keita, and many more!
Get a sneak peak of the show by attending the premiere, which takes place at Genesis Deluxe Cinema (The Palms, Lekki) on Friday, October 4th. You can win tickets to the premiere by following the conversation on social media: #CokeStudioAfrica.
Get a sneak peak of the show by attending the premiere, which takes place at Genesis Deluxe Cinema (The Palms, Lekki) on Friday, October 4th. You can win tickets to the premiere by following the conversation on social media: #CokeStudioAfrica.
Thursday, 3 October 2013
Protests greet take-off of Osun’s new education system Our dream is to make you renowned scholars, Aregbesola tells students
The kick-off of the new educational system in Osun State and resumption of pupils in public schools were marred with pocket of protests from some aggrieved students of Baptist Girls’ High Schools, in Osogbo, the state capital.
Nigerian Tribune reliably gathered that pupils of the schools shut their main gates against the pupils of Fakunle Comprehensive High School (FCHS), who were merged with their school by the state government as a result of the new educational policy, also known as 4-5-3 education system.
The development came as Governor Rauf Aregbesola inaugurated the newly constructed Salvation Army Middle School, Alekuwodo, Osogbo, to mark the commencement of the new educational policy and resumption for 2013/2014 academic calendar year.
Credible sources informed the Nigerian Tribune that pupils of Baptist Girls’ High School contended that they could not allow male students to be merged with their school, exclusively populated by female from the its inception in 1956.
The protest staged by the students drew the attention of policemen, who stormed the school premises around 9.15 a.m to restore normalcy.
Worried by the development, the state deputy governor, Mrs Titi-Laoye Tomori, who also doubles as the Commissioner for Education, had to come to the school premises around 10.35 a.m to appeal to the pupils to cooperate with the merger policy.
But, the Osun State Baptist Convention said it would not allow pupils of Fakunle Comprehensive High School to be merged with the Baptist Girls’ High School.
According to the Christian Education Department Officer of the Baptist Conference, Osun State, Reverend Bisi Oluwadamilare, “the stand of the Baptist is that we would not allow male students to be merged or mingled with our students here.
“For God’s sake, this is a female or girls’ school. How can you decide to bring male students here? We are not against the new educational system, but things must be done accordingly.”
While expressing the readiness of the Baptist Conference to enter into dialogue with the state government, he said “pupils of FCHS would be allowed to stay today (Wednesday), considering the pleas by the deputy governor, so that they would not roam the streets. But, from tomorrow, we would not allow them in.”
Similarly, pupils of the Baptist High School, Ede, also staged a peaceful demonstration against the re-classification of schools.
Aregbesola, donning public school uniform with a brown fez cap, taught the pupils of the newly commissioned Salvation Army Middle School inside one of the classrooms and also explained the need for the re-classification of school.
He said there was the need to maximise the resources of the state, adding the number of the pupils in the school justified the facilities put in place to enhance qualitative learning.
“Our dream is to make you all renowned scholars in the future, so that you can be pride to Osun State and the entire country,” he said.
Responding to question from a pupil on the source of his motivation, the governor said “the secret of my success is commitment and passion to achieve my set goals and objectives.
“That is why you too must be absolutely committed to your academic pursuit, so that you can be great in the future.”
At the inauguration of Salvation Army Middle school, Aregbesola said the new educational system was borne out of the educational summit organised by his administration when it came on board in 2010.
He disclosed that a sum of N14.67 billion had been earmarked for the construction of elementary, middle and high schools, to provide durable structures for the new educational system.
While describing as unfounded, allegation that the state was heavily indebted to financial institutions, Aregbesola said “in the recent financial reports of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), NDHS Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Osun was not listed among the states with heavy debts.”
He contended that the new educational system was aimed at addressing challenges in the state educational sector, to match up with the dynamic developments in the global community, just as he sued for the cooperation of all stakeholders.
However, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Osun State chapter, described reports that they had given their consent to the new educational policy as untrue.
In a press release issued and signed by the state CAN chairman, Reverend Elisha Olukayode Ogundiya, on Wednesday, the body said “we wish to explain it clearly that at no time has the new leadership of CAN in Osun held any meeting with the state government on the issue of merger of schools.
“Therefore, the statement that we gave our consent to the state government on this policy was untrue.”
The Christian body said all attempts by its leaders to meet with Governor Aregbesola to discuss the issue and other matters had been unsuccessful.
“For emphasis, CAN is not against any new educational policy being put in place by either the federal or the state government, but we vehemently kick against any educational programme that will obliterate the mission schools and affect our tenets of faith, particularly in the state.
“We have maintained this stand from inception and we will continue to defend lawfully what belong to us as Christians in the state.
“As a major stakeholder in the state, the leadership of CAN expects the state government to invite us to discuss this issue and other related one without delay,” the release said.
Nigeria sixth worst country to grow old, says UN report
On the day that Nigeria celebrated its 53rd anniversary as an
independent nation, a new study released today by the UN backed Help Age
International advocacy group ranked Nigeria among the worst countries
in the world that least care about their old population.
The Global AgeWatch Index ranked 91 countries, with Nigeria ranked 85th, the sixth worst, with a poor record of catering for the well-being of the elderly, people older than 60.
Though Nigeria has the highest GDP among the African Index countries, it ranks third lowest for income security, the report said.
“This
reflects its limited pension coverage, at 5 per cent. It ranks 84th in
the health domain and, with Rwanda, has the lowest life expectancy at
age 60 – 16 years.
“For employment and education, Nigeria ranks 70 with the fourth highest proportion of older people, 17.4%, with secondary or higher education among its African Index counterparts.
“Nigeria ranks second lowest regionally, at 76, in the enabling environment domain, with only 53% of older Nigerians enjoying civic freedom.
The report indicated that older Nigerians are taking part in the Age Demands Action campaign for the first time this year.
In contrast, Sweden offers the best environment to grow old. Expectedly, Afghanistan is the worst – but general affluence does not necessarily mean better conditions for the over-60s, reports the London Guardian.
While Sweden’s top ranking – followed by Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada – may be predictable, the Global AgeWatch index throws up some surprising results.
The US, the world’s richest country, languishes in eighth place, while the UK fails to make the top 10, residing instead at No 13. Sri Lanka ranks 36, well above Pakistan at 89, despite similar levels of gross domestic product (GDP). Bolivia and Mauritius score higher than the size of their economies may suggest, while the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China are a mixed bag. Brazil and China rank relatively high on the index; India and Russia sit much lower.
The ageing index is calculated using 13 indicators under four headings: income security, healthcare, employment and education, and an enabling environment. All indicators have equal weight, except for pension income coverage, life expectancy at 60, healthy life expectancy at 60, and psychological wellbeing. These categories were given increased weighting because of better data quality, and countries were included only if there was sufficient data.
The best and worst countries to grow old: the UN rankings
The index was compiled by the HelpAge International advocacy group and funded by the UN Population Fund
Top 10
1. Sweden
2. Norway
3. Germany
4. Netherlands
5. Canada
6. Switzerland
7. New Zealand
8. USA
9. Iceland
10. Japan
Britain came in at 13, ahead of Australia (14) and France (18).
Lower down in the rankings were the emerging economies of Brazil (31), China (35), South Africa (65), India (73) and Russia (78).
Bottom 10:
82. Honduras
83. Montenegro
84. West Bank and Gaza
85. Nigeria
86. Malawi
87. Rwanda
88. Jordan
89. Pakistan
90. Tanzania
91. Afghanistan
The Global AgeWatch Index ranked 91 countries, with Nigeria ranked 85th, the sixth worst, with a poor record of catering for the well-being of the elderly, people older than 60.
Though Nigeria has the highest GDP among the African Index countries, it ranks third lowest for income security, the report said.
Nigerian Pensioners have to stage Protests to get their due
“For employment and education, Nigeria ranks 70 with the fourth highest proportion of older people, 17.4%, with secondary or higher education among its African Index counterparts.
“Nigeria ranks second lowest regionally, at 76, in the enabling environment domain, with only 53% of older Nigerians enjoying civic freedom.
The report indicated that older Nigerians are taking part in the Age Demands Action campaign for the first time this year.
In contrast, Sweden offers the best environment to grow old. Expectedly, Afghanistan is the worst – but general affluence does not necessarily mean better conditions for the over-60s, reports the London Guardian.
While Sweden’s top ranking – followed by Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada – may be predictable, the Global AgeWatch index throws up some surprising results.
The US, the world’s richest country, languishes in eighth place, while the UK fails to make the top 10, residing instead at No 13. Sri Lanka ranks 36, well above Pakistan at 89, despite similar levels of gross domestic product (GDP). Bolivia and Mauritius score higher than the size of their economies may suggest, while the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China are a mixed bag. Brazil and China rank relatively high on the index; India and Russia sit much lower.
The ageing index is calculated using 13 indicators under four headings: income security, healthcare, employment and education, and an enabling environment. All indicators have equal weight, except for pension income coverage, life expectancy at 60, healthy life expectancy at 60, and psychological wellbeing. These categories were given increased weighting because of better data quality, and countries were included only if there was sufficient data.
The best and worst countries to grow old: the UN rankings
The index was compiled by the HelpAge International advocacy group and funded by the UN Population Fund
Top 10
1. Sweden
2. Norway
3. Germany
4. Netherlands
5. Canada
6. Switzerland
7. New Zealand
8. USA
9. Iceland
10. Japan
Britain came in at 13, ahead of Australia (14) and France (18).
Lower down in the rankings were the emerging economies of Brazil (31), China (35), South Africa (65), India (73) and Russia (78).
Bottom 10:
82. Honduras
83. Montenegro
84. West Bank and Gaza
85. Nigeria
86. Malawi
87. Rwanda
88. Jordan
89. Pakistan
90. Tanzania
91. Afghanistan
Jonathan sacks 2 more aides
President Goodluck Jonathan, still wielding the long knife, on Friday relieved two of his special advisers of their appointments.
They are, the Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emordi and the Special Adviser on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, Dr Tunji Olagunju.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja and signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati.The statement said the two were relieved of their appointments with immediate effect.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
It thanked them for their services and wished them success in their future endeavours.
Last week, President Jonathan also sacked nine ministers in his cabinet. He had earlier sacked the youth minister.
Meanwhile, two legislators have said that they were sad over the sacking of Sen. Joy Emordi as Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on National Assembly.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the lawmakers described Emordi as a hard working woman who did so much to improve the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature.
Rep. Samson Osagie (APC-Edo), the Minority whip of the House of Representatives, described the adviser as a democrat who understood the dynamics of Executive-Legislature relationship.
“I commend her for the much she did as Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters.
“She is, and will remain the joy of the National Assembly,” he said.
In his reaction, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila (APC-Lagos), the Minority Leader of the House, said he was surprised at the sack of Emordi.
He said she did a good job for the President under the circumstances she found herself.
Baraje’s PDP seeks new date for meeting with Jonathan •Oct 7 will decide our fate —Main PDP
AFTER weeks of hot debates, the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new dimension as the Baraje faction has diplomatically scuttled the peace meeting scheduled for October 7th .
The October 7th date was agreed upon at the last meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the G7 governors. One of the G7 governors, Babangida Aliyu of Niger State had in a brief communique announced that the peace meeting will resume in October.
The New PDP in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Chief Eze Chukwemeka Eze on Wednesday, however, said it just realized that the October date coincided with this year’s annual holy pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, a position officials of mainstream PDP described as “deceitful”.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, however, said the party will survive whatever the outcome of the October meeting is, admitting that the date will determine the fate of the party.
Metuh, who was addressing newsmen after the meeting of the party’s National Working Committee said the party’s leadership is ready for peace and that the aggrieved party members still have open doors to access in pursuit of peace in the party.
The New PDP in its statement said it has sent emissaries to President Jonathan following “a decision taken last night during the caucus meeting of the New PDP held at the Adamawa State Government Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.
The faction said it discovered that “the date of the proposed peace meeting clashes with this year’s Hajj, in which several of our key members are billed to participate. Our National Chairman, Alhaji Baraje, and most of our other key members, including most of the G7 governors and the five other governors are billed to perform the Hajj, which is already in operation.
“Alhaji Baraje, the progressive governors and other stakeholders performing the Hajj have been mandated to use the opportunity offered by the Holy Pilgrimage to pray for the restoration of peace and unity in our great party, PDP, as well as in our dear country, Nigeria,” the statement said.
While assuring its supporters and Nigerians in general of its commitment towards restoring peace in the party, the faction said there can be no progress in an atmosphere of crisis and its commitment to peace should not be in doubt.
The faction also declared that the meeting of its working committee billed for October 5th is called off until its national chairman comes back form Hajj, promising that “we as leaders are committed to ensuring that our current struggle does not end as an exercise in futility but would achieve the set objectives of restoring our party to the path of honour and greatness.
PDP is bigger than any group —Metuh
Meanwhile, Chief Metuh has said the push for reconciliation is a continuation of the original agenda of the party’s chairman to ensure total reconciliation at all levels, adding that this party will survive all interests.
“We have already engaged in a reconciliation agenda as espoused by the National Chairman, when he came to the office and we have been touring the country and doing it. We discussed the efforts and how we can continue. We mentioned our aggrieved brothers, we have left it for the meeting of October 7 to know how best to handle it.
“The National Working Committee (NWC) will meet and we hope that we will be able to achieve full reconciliation with our aggrieved brothers, but this party is bigger than any person or any group and PDP will survive all interest. This is a national party, the custodians of the party administration are ready and capable to handle all matters that affect this party after the peace meeting,” the publicity secretary said.
Metuh said the working committee also commended the calibre of Nigerians appointed into the national dialogue panel, describing them as men of integrity who will deliver on the assigned tasks
Bodies recovered in Lagos plane crash
The plane was chartered to convey to Akure, the Ondo state capital, the casket of the former Ondo State governor, Olusegun Agagu, who died in Lagos on 13 September.
The plane with 22 people on board suffered an engine failure shortly after takeoff in Lagos, crash-landing on the runway, killing 15 people on board, according to the statement by Nigeria’s aviation authorities, FAAN.
“We have recovered eight bodies so far, while one person who is badly injured is being taken to the hospital. The rescue operation is still on. It was a small (charter) plane operated by Associated Airlines,” Ibrahim Farinloye of the National Emergency Management Agency said.
An aviation official confirmed the plane, with 20 people on board, suffered engine failure after takeoff.
The full manifest of the occupants is yet to be released by aviation authorities, but P.M.NEws learnt that an aide of Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who also doubles as a son of a prominent Nigerian politician, was on board. So was a director of a popular funeral company in Lagos.
In Akure, officials of the government waiting to receive the casket, were said to have left the airport, upon hearing news of the tragedy in Lagos.
A press conference is about taking place at the Lagos airport.
The last plane crash in Lagos was the Dana Air’s McDonnell Douglas MD-83 operating as Flight 992. It crashed into a two-storey building at Iju Railway, Ishaga a suburb of Lagos. All 153 people on board the aircraft were killed. Following the crash, all flights by Dana Air were halted by Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The airline’s licence was restored in September 2012 before the inquiry into the accident was concluded.
More details later
Plane crash: no survivor
People at the scene of crash. Photo Simon Ateba
Still at the crash scene
Part of the crashed plane. Photo Simon Ateba
What's next after saying "I do"?
The evening was perfect. The planner had done everything to my specifications. I had always wanted a wedding by the beach with a few close friends and family in attendance. Country music played softly at the background. The food and wine was exquisite. And my dress?! Oh my, it was the most beautiful wedding dress exclusively ever made.
Beneath the caressing sunset, I said “I do” to my husband, my fiancé of two years and boyfriend of four years. My husband, my prince charming. And with a deep kiss, we were set on our journey to a forever happily after. Oh, how wrong I was!
It started a few days after our honeymoon in Rio. Rio was the most breathtaking place to ever consummate an intimate love. We ate, we drank, we merried but most importantly, we made love, most passionately, soul-pouring love ever, at every chance we got. Oh boy! It was worth the wait. Earlier in our relationship, I had told my boyfriend that there would be no sex until our marriage and he had patiently waited, respecting my wishes.
Oh, mind you, I wasn’t a virgin; I just felt that I had had enough with premarital sex and its heartaches. Then I found God along the way, which helped strengthen my resolve to wait till my wedding night.
Now, to the issue at hand. My husband is a neat/organisation freak. My husband could organise and plan our friends’ lives and that of the universe without missing a beat. He is anal that way. I, on the other hand, could never keep up. I take each day as it comes, never worrying about tomorrow. I am neat, not just compulsive-obsessively neat though. No, I don’t keep everything in my laundry basket separated by the colours, fabrics and textures. No, too much organisation makes me feel like I am in a straight jacket and that is the most uncomfortable place to be in the entire world. And I hated it.
So, that was the lingering issue in the first few months of our new marriage. And it went unresolved. Each of us was seething underneath, never allowing the anger to blow over the top.
Occasionally when my husband complained about my lack of organisation skills, I took it very personal. It was a personal assault on my person, I felt like I wasn’t good enough for him and I would go days having this funny thoughts in my head, which directly influenced the way I reacted to him.
Eventually, small issues become big one and we began to have problems.
Two years into our marriage, we began to have major problems. In rebellion, I began to be DISRESPECTFUL and vehemently STUBBORN. Did I mention I had an advanced degree in stubbornness? My new found habit infuriated my husband to bits and he would lash out verbally. Or sometimes, go mute for days. That noise, the silence was always so resounding that my ear drums would almost explode.
I became stressed and severely unhappy. To make matters worse, I couldn’t CONCEIVE. Not that anything was wrong with my reproductive system/organs or that of my husband’s, I just couldn’t conceive. Five years into my marriage, I contemplated a divorce. Deep down, we both knew we loved each other, we weren’t just happy anymore and I wanted out before I lost my mind.
My inability to conceive sent me on a spiral downward slope and I couldn’t pull the brakes. Yet, I couldn’t reach the bottom. It was as if I was freefalling a dark bottomless pit and all hell were let loose. That experience was ugly. Heck, I was ugly. Everybody who saw me was convinced that some monster had possessed me and eaten the once beautiful, lively and free-spirited girl they used to know up.
We were both miserable. We no longer had a connection anymore, except to device ways to torture each other more than the previous day. The sex, which had gradually become mechanical had finally stopped. We were both shell of our old selves.
Finally, we caught a break. One day at my gynecologist’s place, he mentioned that I needed to see a psychologist. He said he couldn’t find anything wrong with me, except that my mental state had become so fragile; it was on the brink of getting warped. I almost broke down in tears but held myself together till I got home.
During the hour-long drive back home, I felt a wave of new sadness wash over me. It suddenly hit me that I am losing my marriage and I wasn’t doing anything to save it, that although I loved my husband, we have suddenly become strangers. I reminiscenced about the first time we met, the first kiss, the first everything and how we had made our relationship work for six years. I had known my husband for 11 years of my life and I was about to lose him to a creeping insanity.
I barely made it to the front door when I broke down sobbing. I wept like a bereaved mother who had lost her only child. I wept for the love long gone. I wept for the years I had wasted and could never get back. I wept for everything. My husband, who had arrived home earlier than usual saw the anguish in me and came over. He cradled me gently to himself and asked what was wrong. I told him what my gynecologist said and he told me he would work through my issues with me.
I apologised for the hell I put him through. He did same and confessed that he was tired of our fights. He apologised for his sensitivity and he made a very remarkable point. We both left GOD out of our marriage. We both apologised to God for our behaviours, and made a commitment to hand our lives and issues back to God, who has the beautiful blueprint of our live.
The following morning, my husband made an appointment to see a psychologist together. But that night was when the HEALING began to take place. After a year of THERAPY, my husband and I retook our VOWS before God and a few family and friends. And we began our journey to live happily ever after.
*Now, this story serves a premise on what’s to come in the following months. We’ll be dealing with marriage issues on this column every week. We will provide insights to a lot of problems in marriage and how to deal with them. We look forward to reading from our readers, as they share their experiences, or send in their questions. We look forward to a beautiful life together on this column.
Cheers and keep ‘em coming!
Don Jazzy and his PA chill in Mauritius
Popular video vixen Venita Akpofure shows off hot bikini body...
Plane carrying late Agagu's corpse & 20 passengers crash in Lagos
A chartered Associated Airline plane carrying the corpse of late former Ondo State governor Olusegun Agagu, his family members and friends of the family, crash-landed near the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, shortly after take off this morning. The plane was enroute Akure from Lagos where the late politician was to be buried tomorrow.
At least 11 people have been confirmed dead. Sad day
Beverly Osu & Melvin Oduah cover new issue of Complete magazine
In the new issue of Complete Fashion magazine, Beverly talks on her famous acts in the house and what she hopes to achieve in the nearest future. Handsome and talented, Melvin speaks on his life in the BBA house, his plans in the entertainment industry and his life as a model.
Wednesday, 2 October 2013
Dancehall artist General Pype and white girlfriend welcome baby boy
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