BREAKING NEWS: ASUU CALLS OFF 5 MONTHS OLD STRIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has called off its five months strike. Report reaching us from Minna, Niger State capital, indicates that the Union arrived at the latest decision to suspends its strike after a marathon meeting held at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger State on Monday.

After a long debate, the Federal Government and ASUU reached a compromise during a negotiation brokered by the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar few days ago.

We just hope the strike was worth it in the end........

FULL FIXTURE OF UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUND OF 16 - ARSENAL AND MANCHESTER CITY GET TOUGH TIES

Arsene Wenger will by now be regretting why his conceded 2 goals against Napoli in the final group match as they have been paired against defending champions Bayern Munich. That result ensured they were second best in the group while Borussia Dortmund who emerged group leaders will play Zenit St. Petersburg, an easier tie by all means.

In other HOT ties, Manchester City will play Barcelona, while Atletico Madrid will square up against AC Milan. 

See full pairings below.

The matches will be played February 18, 19, 25, 26 and March 11, 12, 18, 19

                                                  Manchester City v Barcelona

                                                     Olympiakos v Manchester United

                                                        AC Milan       v Atletico Madrid

                                          Bayer Leverkusen     v Paris St Germain

                                                           Arsenal     v       Bayern Munich

                                                      Zenit St. P     v       Borussia Dotmund

                                                       Schalke        v       Real Madrid

                                                       Chelsea       v       Galatasaray

PRIVATE AND SMALL BURIAL HELD FOR LATE PAUL WALKER

Paul Walker's family and friends gathered today for his funeral in Los Angeles exactly two weeks after his fatal car crash, TMZ reports.

Read previous post about his death HERE and HERE.

Walker's ashes were interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills Saturday morning and reports say the ceremony was brief.

The family is planning to hold another memorial in the near future, this time for more people that were close to Paul.

CRISIS IN DELTA AS ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP IS FINGERED IN SCHOOL CERTIFICATE COVER-UP FOR 50 GOVT OFFICIALS & DIRECTORS

DELTA SPEAKER - VICTOR OCHEI

A crisis is brewing in the Delta State House Assembly following allegations of a massive cover up involving forged school certificates.

During June and August 2013, Assembly workers' credentials were screened by the Delta State Service Commission leading to the discovery of over 20 staff working with forged school and university certificates, and others with no certificate at all.  Plus over 30 workers were discovered, including some directors, with forged certificates.

Assembly staff said "those first 20 were sacked. But during the second screening exercise those over thirty workers including some directors, that issue has been swept under the carpet by the leadership of the House in connivance with the house of Assembly service commission."

An Assembly source, who requested anonymity, said the names of the directors are Mr. H.N. Okolie, Director for Planning and Mrs. Theresa Uchema, Director, Account/Supply/Purchase.

"Even in the face of the criminal act perpetrated by the these directors and several staff, the Service Commission allegedly working under the instructions of the leadership of the house went ahead and removed the names of the affected directors pasted on the notice board some time ago."

“Some of my colleagues who forged certificates also used friends and relations certificates to gain the employment and it was during the verification exercise of credentials that the startling forgeries were uncovered. The case of the Directors was the most shameful one, a situation where a director could not provide, show convincingly or defend his certificates and only to be discovered that it was a friend or relation’s certificates, it’s shameful you know. "

Another source told SaharaReporters that through the intervention of the palace of the Asagba of Asaba, one of the affected directors was spared which also brought luck to all the affected workers in the second batch of the discovering of alleged fraud.  

Calls and text messages to the Chairman of House of Assembly Service Commission, Mrs. Ada Kavhikwu, were not returned.

The House Speaker, Mr. Victor Ochei, denied all the allegations to Sahara Reporters, saying the issue has never been brought to the knowledge of the leadership of the house, the the issue is under the purview of the House Service Commission which he described as autonomous.

Also reacting to the issue,  House Committee Chairman on Information, and member representing Isoko South constituency 11, Mr. Johnson Erijo, debunked the allegation that the house leadership had swept the matter under the carpet saying that the issue has not be brought to the knowledge of the house leadership.

“Let me be honest with you, the commission that is responsible for recruitment employment, training of staff, promotion and discipline is the House of Assembly commission, and like the civil service commission or the local government service commission is highly highly autonomous, independent from the house.  They were the ones that carried out that verification exercise and all that. "

He added “I know very well that they copied the House and all their activities are highly independent of the House, that I can assure you, so you can get a full story from them if there is anything.  I am just hearing this now  and I do know that there is action they are taking to wind away those people who forged certificates. I can assure you that the issue of sweeping the matter under the carpet is just come to my notice.”

A senior staffer said, “As I talk to you, we workers are planning a showdown with the leadership of the House and the Service Commission. Why are they covering up the second batch of workers when the first batch sacked?”   

A member of the service commission who pleaded for anonymity confided in SaharaReporters that the issue is generating serious controversy among the workers and that anyone saying the commission is autonomous is misleading the generality of the people.

It would be recalled that the speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei told a gathering of reporters in 2011 that following the reform agenda of the fifth Assembly, the House via biometric detection, detected over 200 ghost workers.

Source : Sahara Reporters

EFCC SADDENED BY SUPREME COURT JUDGEMENT ON BODE GEORGE AND OTHERS

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has described as “unfortunate” that the Supreme Court set aside the court judgment that jailed former chairman of the board of  Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief Olabode George and five former members.

The five directors of the NPA whose sentensing was also quashed are Aminu Dabo, Captain Oluwasegun Abidoye, Alhaji Abdullahi Tafida, Alhaji Zanna Maidaribe and Sule Aliyu, an Engineer.

The apex court discharged and acquitted them of corruption, inflation of contracts and contracts splitting, for which they had been convicted after prosecution by the anti-graft agency.

George, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, was the NPA chairman between 2001 and 2003 when the alleged offences were said to have been committed.

The EFCC also rejected an Abuja High Court judgment, which acquitted former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai; and two others.

IMPEACH JONATHAN NOW - APC ADVISES NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

The All Progressives Congress have heated up the polity by calling on the National Assembly to immediately commence the process of impeaching President Goodluck Jonathan for alleged gross misconduct. It  said  in a statement on Sunday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that Jonathan’s impeachment  would  save Nigeria from imminent collapse.

But the Presidency warned the APC and others, who it said were  bent on plunging the nation into political instability,  to be ready for the consequences of treasonable action. The opposition party,  however, said it  made the  call with a high sense of responsibility and   strong belief that the impeachment of the President was a legitimate constitutional option available to the National Assembly not only to protect the nation’s democracy, but  to ensure its  unity.

It explained that  it based  the  call for Jonathan’s impeachment on the  dangerous drifting of the country. The APC added that there was a total failure of leadership,  insecurity, unprecedented corruption, impunity, massive unemployment and hunger  in the country. The statement reads in part, ‘’Since the raison d’etre of any government is the security and welfare of the citizenry, and the present administration has failed to live up to the justification of its existence, there can be no other definition of gross misconduct but that.

 “Therefore, the time has come for the head of that government, on whose desk the buck stops, to be removed through the provisions stipulated in the 1999 Constitution. This is the patriotic thing to do.”

SAM BAILEY WINS X-FACTOR UK FINAL (VIDEO)

SAM BAILEY

Sam Bailey beat fellow finalist Nicholas McDonald in the final of this year's X Factor UK.

The prison warder, 36, received more than one million votes and thanked everyone for choosing her before performing her single Skyscraper. Her mentor Sharon Osborne was tearful throughout much of Sunday's show.

Bailey and McDonald battled it out after teenager Luke Friend was voted out on Saturday after they performed at London's Wembley Arena.

NICHOLAS GAVE HIS BEST

When Bailey was shown her new CD single by host Dermot O'Leary, she was overwhelmed, but told the audience of 10,000 people: "I don't know what to say. I just want to say that I love that boy to pieces."

GOODBYE NELSON MANDELA (PHOTONEWS)

The legend of freedom, Nelson Mandela was finally laid to rest earlier today. He will be remembered for his enormous sacrifice towards liberating his people.......... Sleep well MANDIBA.........

HOW FELIX EDEBOR GAVE ME N6M & A LANDROVER JEEP - OJB (WATCH THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON HIS RETURN TO NIGERIA)

                                                   OJB'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

It is no longer news that legendary music producer, OJB JEZREEL who was ill with a kidney ailment months ago had a successful kidney operation in India. He actually sneaked into Nigeria quietly on Nov 30  based on medical advise.   

He granted an exclusive interview, narrating events before and after the surgery. He also mentioned special angels GOD blessed him with during the ordeal which includes his wife(she donated her kidney) and a certain Felix Edebor who gave him N6M despite the fact that the money for the surgery had been realised in addition to a Landrover Jeep.`

May GOD bless and keep everyone who assisted OJB..... Amen.

JUST IMAGINE IF A CORRUPT POLICEMAN CATCHES YOU TRYING TO TAKE A SNAPSHOT OR RECORD A VIDEO

Since the ever increasing popularity of social media in Nigeria, a couple of Police officers have lost their jobs because they were caught in the act of demanding and taking bribe. When videos of such acts are recorded and uploaded on the internet by the victims, it goes viral instantly which makes it impossible for the police authorities to ignore.

I have severally imagined what the outcome would be if the police catches anyone trying to record a video or snap a photo of such bribery acts or related incidences. With my double experience with the Police, I need no soothsayer to relate how bad it will likely be. 

So, it was unsurprising when men of the Nigeria police on Friday evening in Lokoja almost lynched a photo journalist, Okanyi Enemali, who was alleged to have taken a shot of a policeman taking bribe.

The incident took place in front of the Lokoja Specialist Hospital as reported by "Sahara Reporter" where as many as eight armed policemen beat the helpless man for about 30 minutes until he almost lost consciousness.  The policemen then dragged him into their Hilux van which the inscription: B OPS KGS COMMAND 1.

Eyewitnesses believe that if Okanyi does not receive proper medical attention, he is unlikely to survive the assault.  There is no report on his condition at the moment.

As he was being bundled into the vehicle, Okanyi kept crying, "I'm a journalist, save me".

Policemen in Nigeria, famously corrupt, are understood to be nervous over compromising pictures and video of bribe-taking among their ranks that have been published in recent times. Police Public Relation Officer in the state latersaid that the Divisional Police Officer in the area did not report any incident of such to the Police command. He said nothing of such happened in the state.

YOU MUST RESPOND AND ATTEND TO ISSUES RAISED IN OBASANJO'S LETTER - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TELLS JONATHAN

The long but detailed letter written by Ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo to President Jonathan is perhaps the hottest topic of the year and it is still generating reactions and confusion.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER.

The National Assembly has said President Goodluck Jonathan must “comprehensively” address issues raised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his letter to him (the President). The two chambers said this on Friday in their separate reactions to the controversial letter written by Obasanjo to Jonathan.

But while there are indications that the House of Representatives would, this week, raise a motion on the letter, the Senate stated that it would wait for Jonathan’s response before taking any action.

Obasanjo had in the 18-page letter accused Jonathan of condoning corruption and engaging in acts that were capable of destroying the country. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, in an interview with one of our correspondents on Friday in Abuja,  said Jonathan should address the issues raised by Obasanjo in the letter in due time to avoid tension.

PRINCE WILLIAM, DAVID BECKHAM AND YAO MING SPEAK AGAINST POACHING

IVORY

POACHING has never been so disastrous until now when it seems Africa might lose all it's wildlife to this illegal and highly sophisticated trade.

Read our previous post on this grave challenge HERE and HERE.

Famous people have joined the campaign against poaching whose major market is in China and other parts of Asia.

Prince William

Britain’s Prince William has appealed to parents in China to join in the universal fight against poaching of wild animals. The Prince is teaming up with ex-football star, David Beckham, in the campaign against animal poaching, which is widely believed to be common in some parts of Asia. To support the campaign, Prince William and Beckham have recorded a public service announcement for wildlife protection organisation, WildAid.

(VIDEO) MANCHESTER CITY DEMOLISH ARSENAL 6 - 3 AT THE ETIHAD STADIUM

A lackluster performance by Arsenal's defensive line gave Manchester City the opportunity to move within 3 points reach of the league leaders in a Nine goal thriller.

Although Theo Walcott was quite impressive on his return to the starting eleven, scoring two out of the three goals Arsenal managed to put past their rivals, the defeat was still very heavy and sour.

Sergio Aguero opened the scoring for City, volleying home from a corner, only for the returning Theo Walcott to level midway through the first half after Yaya Toure made a mess of the ball in the midfield. Alvaro Negredo turned home Pablo Zabaleta's cross to put the hosts back in front and City looked to have made the game safe when Fernandinho scored his first goal for the club early in the second half. England winger Walcott curled home a delightful second as Arsenal rallied, yet David Silva converted Jesus Navas's cross to make it 4-2 and Fernandinho struck again in the 88th minute. 

An injury-time header from Per Mertesacker provided little consolation for the visitors, particularly as there was still time for Yaya Toure to add City's sixth from the penalty spot.

See video below...............

MANCHESTER CITY 6 ARSENAL 3

FAKE INTERPRETER AT MANDELA'S MEMORIAL BEGS FOR FORGIVENESS

Thamsanqa Jantjie said that he began hallucinating whilst interpreting at the Nelson Mandela memorial, saying that he saw "angels". He added that he was once hospitalised in a mental health facility for more than one year and claimed he suffered a schizophrenic episode on stage that left him unable to do his job properly

Mr Jantjie, who stood gesticulating feet away from US President Obama and others who spoke at Tuesday's ceremony that was broadcast around the world, insisted that he was doing proper sign-language interpretation of the speeches of world leaders.

TAYE DIGGS AND IDINA MENZEL SPLIT AFTER 11YRS MARRIAGE

Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel have split after almost 11 years of marriage. The spokesperson for the couple confirmed the separation, saying that, “Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs have jointly decided to separate at this time. Their primary focus and concern is for their son. We ask that you respect their privacy during this time.”

The couple who have a son, Walker Diggs, had earlier complained of difficulties in maintaining a long distance marriage with Menzel emphasising the difficulties of being in Los Angeles while also having to be in New York for work.

INSTAGRAM RELEASES NEW FEATURE

Photo-sharing service Instagram unveiled a new feature that allows users to send images and messages privately, as the Facebook-owned company sought to bolster its appeal among younger consumers who are increasingly using mobile messaging applications.

The new Instagram Direct feature allows users to send a photo or video to a single person or up to 15 people, and to have real-time text conversations.

‘Sometimes you want to be able to share, not with everyone, but just with a specific group,’ said Kevin Systrom, Instagram co-founder and chief executive during a presentation in New York. ‘Instagram Direct is a simple way to send photos and videos to your friends.’

Instagram claims to have more than 150 million monthly users who have shared 16 billion photos on the service. Until now, the photos could only be shared publicly, allowing them to be seen by anyone using the service.

Facebook Inc, the world's No. 1 Internet social network, bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012. The new features come as Facebook and Instagram face increasing competition from a new crop of mobile messaging services, including WhatsApp and Snapchat.

In October, Facebook said it was seeing a decline in daily use by younger teenagers in the United States, although it said overall use by teenagers was stable. Bottom line, this is a catch-up move for Instagram,’ wrote Forrester Research analyst Julie Ask in a blog post. ‘Apps like WeChat already allow users to share videos, photos, messages, cartoons, voice clips to individuals, groups, groups created around an event.’

Instagram made the announcement Thursday in a swanky two-story event studio in midtown Manhattan, which some industry observers speculated was picked to lure the attention of ad firms on Madison Avenue. Systrom didn't address advertising or any revenue-linked potential of the new features.

NORTH KOREA'S ECCENTRIC DICTATOR "KIM JONG UN" EXECUTED HIS UNCLE BECAUSE HE WAS A THREAT

JANG SONG THAEK BEING LED AWAY

The uncle of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was executed yesterday months after his ex-girlfriend was executed on his orders.

Jang Song Thaek, who had been considered the second most powerful official in the country, was killed immediately after a military trial. He was deemed a traitor and a ‘worse than a dog’ counter-revolutionary who was seeking to overthrow the state, the regime’s news agency KCNA said.

JANG SONG WAS KIM JONG UN'S MENTOR BEFORE THINGS FELL APART

Earlier this week he was expelled from the Workers’ Party of Korea and stripped of all his posts, having been accused of corruption, drug use, gambling, womanising and leading a ‘dissolute and depraved life’.

CONTROVERSIAL LETTER - JONATHAN MEETS OBASANJO IN KENYA

The dust generated by the letter written by Ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo to President Jonathan will not settle in a very long time. Aides of both men have been attempting to outdo one another by analyzing the letter to their favour. Both political giants met on Thursday, behind closed doors in the  Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting held less than 24 hours after an 18-page   letter Obasanjo    sent to Jonathan went public.

Both leaders were in Nairobi for  Kenya’s  50th independence anniversary which was held inside the Safaricom Stadium. The former President had in the letter accused Jonathan of  condoning corruption and engaging in acts  that were capable of destroying the country.

Before  the event, Obasanjo had made an  appearance at Jonathan’s hotel on a day the  media were awash with the letter  titled “Before it is too late.” The former President’s arrival was said  to have been heralded by the surprise visit to Jonathan by Obasanjo’s daughter identified simply as Funke.

The ex-President, in his usual humorous manner, said, “Mr. President, I have come to pay homage.” A source said they   talked briefly over breakfast  after which  Obasanjo jokingly said, “Mr. President, permission to go ahead of you.” Jonathan replied with “Permission granted,” amidst laughter by the two of them and their aides.

PHOTONEWS - PRINCE GEORGE'S FIRST CHRISTMAS

See more pictures after the cut................

GIRL(14) BULLIED TO DEATH FOR BEING TOO PRETTY

SARAH CLERKSON

A schoolgirl is believed to have hanged herself at a teenage house party after suffering weeks of abuse from jealous bullies. Sarah Clerkson, 14, was found unconscious in a bedroom early on Sunday and died shortly afterwards in hospital.

Horrified teenagers at the party kicked the door down when they realised something was wrong and tried to revive her with CPR. Friends and family said Sarah had become ‘emotionally disturbed’ after being picked on by girls. They were said to be envious of her good looks.

Sarah moved schools about six weeks ago after being bullied. She wrote on Facebook about how she was moving after being hit by another girl, but her family said she faced further bullying at her new school.

Grandfather David Chapman, 64, said she appeared to be coping better in recent weeks. ‘We saw her a few weeks ago,’ he said. ‘We went to the Metrocentre [a shopping complex in Gateshead] and she was bubbling, or in her words “buzzing”. ‘She was emotionally disturbed but we thought things were starting to change for her. ‘There’d been a problem with her introduction into a new school. She was bullied for about a week. You know what they’re like when new kids come but it had all blown over.’