Abia CAN urges Confab to address ethnic biases

The Abia State branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria has called on the National Conference to establish a mechanism to check ethnocentrism in the country. The Chairman of the association, Bishop Godwin Okafor, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday that ethnic bias which resulted in unfair treatment of citizens based on their ethnic group was the bane of the country’s development. He said for the country to develop and meet the expectations of its people, the anti-social behaviour of discrimination and its attendant effects must be stopped. Okafor, who is the Bishop of the Glorious Life Gospel Center, Aba, said that Nigeria would move forward when such issues were addressed. He said, “It is rather unfortunate that one cannot operate freely in a place outside your state of origin simply because you are not an indigene of that place. “Our representatives at the National Conference should look critically into the issue of discrimination based on ethnic origin if they want development. “When this is done, the issue of corruption will be handled.” Okafor regretted the menace and assault of Boko Haram on Nigerians, saying that it was disheartening that it had cost the country lots of lives. He called on the Northern Elders’ Forum to collaborate with traditional rulers to find a lasting solution to the activities of the insurgents. He said, “The Boko Haram members are Nigerians and some traditional rulers know where these youths come from. “They come from different towns and villages and the leaders of those towns and villages know them. They should expose them to stem the loss of innocent lives and property. “Boko Haram is not a problem that Nigeria cannot take care of, but we need collaboration and one mind and purpose to get rid of the menace.”

Comedian, Tee-A, set to tour London, Johannesburg, Accra

A renowned Nigerian comedian, Tunde Adewale

a.k.a.Tee-A, is set for a three-city continental tour

to showcase his popular comedy — Tyme Out With

Tee-A.

The tour will take him to London, Johannesburg ,

South Africa and Accra, Ghana.

Read more after the cap..

Kuyt handed 100th Netherlands cap

Dirk Kuyt has made his 100th appearance for

Netherlands in the Oranje's World Cup last 16 clash with

Mexico at the Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza.

At the age of 33, Kuyt has become his country's

seventh international centurion after taking his place

in Louis van Gaal's forward line.

Read more after cap...

FIFA demands back-up letter from NFA for supporters to use musical instruments

Football’s governing body, FIFA, has agreed to allow the Nigeria Football

Supporters Club to bring in its musical instruments

into the stadium in Brazil, provided there is a back-

up letter from Nigeria Football Association (NFA).

Read more after the cap..

20 amateur boxers feature in Lagos monthly boxing show

No fewer than 20 amateur boxers participated in the 54th edition of the monthly Lagos Saturday Boxing Show at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre (Rowe Park), Ya,  which was witnessed by large spectators.

The championship, organised by the Boxing Hall of Fame (LSBHF), is a talent hunt programme at the grassroots.

Read more after the cap...

Gospel Singer Sinach Ties The Knot

Finally the big wedding of popular Gospel singer, Osinachi Kalu popularly known as Sinach took place yesterday, Saturday June 28th. She exchanged vows with her beau, Pastor Joseph at Christ Embassy Church, Ikeja, Lagos, in the presence of her pastors, family,friends and well wishers.

Her gown looks so gorgeous...and she had smiles all the way as she ties the knot with her heartthrob. The two have been dating for a while before deciding to walk down the aisle yesterday . See more photos from the wedding after the cap..

Enyeama factor fears France

With Vincent Enyeama in goal for the Super Eagles,

the French team players are a bit intimidated by his

credentials ahead of their round of 16 clash on

Monday. Read more after cap..

Wonder strike helps Rodriguez top Golden Boot table

Rodriguez drills his volley past Muslera

The AS Monaco star broke the deadlock with a

stunning volley – one of the goals of the

championship – after 28 minutes, his shot

flying high past Fernando Muslera, Rodriguez

adding a second with a close-range effort after

half-time to take his tally to five in the

tournament.

Read more after the cap...

10 drowned after downpour in Ibadan

No fewer than 10 people were said to have been

drowned during a downpour in Ibadan, Oyo State

capital, yesterday. It happened at Apete area of

Ibadan after the rain fell endlessly. According to a

source, many people were struggling to cross a

make-shift bridge when they reportedly fell into the

over-flowing river.

The source claimed he was in the rescue team

that tried to save the drowning people.

Since heavy rains started in the past few days, the

flowing river had covered major part of the make

shift bridge.

The source said, “It was around 6.30 pm that it

happened, we just heard cries of people who fell

into the river and I decided to join the rescue team

and we eventually succeeded in rescuing about six

people while not less than 10 people were washed

away.”

Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPR0), SP

Olabisi Ilobanafor, could not confirm the

incident immediately because she was not aware.

She explained that she was on casual leave.

Nigeria's Vincent Enyeama Named Africa's Best Player

The Super Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has been ranked Africa’s best player at the ongoing World Cup held in Brazil.

According to the official FIFA ranking system Canstrol Index as on June 23, the 31-year-old Nigerian goalkeeper occupied the fifth place among all the players, having been proceeded only by Karim Benzema (France), Robin Van Persie (Netherlands), Arjen Robben (Netherlands) and David Luiz (Brazil).

Read more aafter the cap..

Transformers: Age Of Extinction Could Be Year's First $100 Million Weekend

There’s good news and there’s bad news

when it comes to the opening night numbers of

Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age of Extinction,

meaning many tracking the success of the film

will have a few reasons to celebrate… and a

few reasons to wring their hands in worry.

Read more after the cap..

Suarez says bite wasn't intentional

Uruguay attacker Luis Suarez has claimed that he

did not deliberately bite Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during

their Group D encounter on June 24.

Referee Marco Rodriguez failed to spot the incident in

the 79th minute of Tuesday's match, but Fifa opened

an investigation into the incident after video footage

showed the Liverpool forward's teeth making contact

with Chiellini's shoulder.

Robben: Netherlands are not dependent on me

Arjen Robben has insisted that he is not the only player

who could make the difference for Louis van

Gaal's men, ahead of their

round of 16 encounter with Mexico on Sunday.

Read more after the cap..

Forlan is no Suarez: Biting ban is good for Colombia

Colombia is in Rio de Janeiro ready to confront

Uruguay. The “charrua” squad received very

bad news that Luis Suarez, their most

important player, won’t be able to play for the

rest of the World Cup.

Read more after the cap..

Bomb Explosion kills 10 in Bauchi

An explosion targeting a brothel in Bauchi metropolis of Bauchi State has claimed 10 lives while 14 other

s sustained injuries, the spokesperson of the police in the state, Haruna Mohammed, has said.

Mr. Mohammed said the blast took place at about 9:50 p.m at a brothel at Bayangari area and the injured were taken to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, for treatment.

He said all the ten corpses were evacuated to the Mortuary.

“The entire surrounding has been cordoned and scene secure. No arrest has been made yet and investigation has commenced to ascertain the cause” Mr. Mohammed said in a statement late Friday evening.

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion believed to have been carried out by the Boko Haram.

#GodSaveNigeria...

Troops Raid Boko Haram Hideout in Borno, kills 50

The Defence Headquarters on Friday stated that no fewer than 50 suspected terrorists died during a raid on a makeshift camp used by terrorists in Miyanti and Bulungu, Borno.

According to a statement posted on its website, the Defence Headquarters said 53 terrorists died in the encounter, while the troops lost two of their men and five others received injuries.

Read more after cap..

Suarez a ‘scapegoat’ – Uruguay coach Tabarez says

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said on Friday that Luis Suarez had been made a “scapegoat” for biting an opponent at the World Cup, lashing out at the “excessive severity” of his four-month ban.

“Many times you forget that the scapegoat is a person, who has rights,” said Tabarez, who read out a pre-prepared statement during a press conference ahead of Uruguay’s last-16 game against Colombia on Saturday.

“In this specific case of Luis Suarez, despite the faults he may have committed, he has made significant contributions to football from the pitch.”

Tabarez also said the punishment was “of excessive severity” and claimed that it was “more focused on the opinions of the media”.

Suarez was handed a nine-game international ban and suspended from all football-related activity for four months by FIFA on Thursday after sinking his teeth into the shoulder of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a Group D game in Natal on Tuesday.

Tabarez refused to take questions from the media and was given a round of applause by Uruguayan journalists after reading his statement.

Tabarez also announced that he has decided to step down from his position on FIFA’s technical study group and strategic committee over the affair.

It is the third time that Suarez has been banned for biting an opponent, after previous incidents with Ajax and his current club, Liverpool.

Record-breaking teen Shaw joins Manchester United

England left-back Luke Shaw became the most expensive teenage footballer in history after joining Manchester United from Premier League rivals Southampton in a four-year deal worth a reported £30 million (51m, 38m euros).
That figure surpassed the £25.6m fee United paid Everton for Wayne Rooney in 2004.
Read more after the cap....

China earmarks $6.7bn for employment boosting

China has allocated 41.8 billion yuan (6.71 billion U.S. dollars) to help local governments in boosting employment, the Ministry of Finance said on Friday.

The ministry said in a statement on its website that it, along with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, asked local authorities to increase capital input and implement employment policies.

By the end of March, the country’s registered urban unemployment rate stood at 4.08 percent, 0.03 percentage points higher than at the end of last year.

Pekerman: Uruguay still 'top notch' without Suarez

Colombia coach Jose Pekerman refused to be drawn on the “sensitive” issue of Luis Suarez’s four-month ban ahead of the crucial last 16 World Cup clash against Uruguay on Saturday.

Suarez will miss the match after the Uruguay striker received a nine-match international ban and a four-month suspension from all football for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in their final Group D match.

Mali restoration project out of cash

Unesco says it is more than two-thirds short of the $11m needed to help restore Timbuktu's storied mausoleums and other Malian cultural treasures destroyed by Islamic radicals two years ago.

Three months after announcing the project, the UN cultural agency has raised only $3m, a figure that has not changed since April. The head of Unesco's office in Mali, Lazare Eloundou, confirmed the figure at a news conference Friday, appealing on donors for more help.

Eloundou spoke with pride about the project's strategy of relying on local masons, saying it is helping Timbuktu recover its dignity and peace.

The director of Unesco's New York office, Vibeke Jensen, said raising $8m may not seem difficult, but it competes with appeals for help on humanitarian crises such as Syria's.

Aguero out of last 16 clash with Swiss

Argentina striker Sergio Aguero’s miserable

World Cup took another turn for the worse with him

being ruled out of next Tuesday’s last 16 match

with Switzerland because of a leg injury.

The 26-year-old Manchester City star — who had

several injury problems last season — went off in

the first-half of Tuesday’s final group game with

Nigeria and scans revealed the damage, said

Argentine team doctor Daniel Martinez.

Read more after the cap...

SC Strikes Out Northern States' Suit for N7.3bn Refund

The Supreme Cot Friday struck out the suit instituted by 16 northern states seeking a court order to compel the Federal Government to refund to them N7.3 billion, being outstanding value of the assets of the defunct Northern States Marketing Board (NSMB) forcefully taken over by the apex government.

Read more after the cap...

Omotola, Dakore Bag Endorsement Deals

Nollywood stars, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and Dakore Akande have bagged new endorsement deals. The two stars were endorsed by P&G, manufacturers of Pampers baby Diapers. They held photoshoot and video for the upcoming campaign.

Read more after the cap.

Check out what French Montana gave Kloe for her 30th birthday

Khloe Kardashian turned 30 yesterday Thursday, June 26 and her boyfriend, French Montana was by her side to cheer her up.

Not only that, he also gave her something very special that makes us think he's taking their affair really serious.

The rapper reportedly gave Khloe a brand new Cherokee Jeep worth $50, 000 as birthday gift!

Whaoooo!!!!!! 

He presented the gift to her in front of family and friends yesterday.

The birthday bash took place at Don Coqui restaurant on City Island in The Bronx, NYC.

Musa: I'm on top of the World

JUNE 25: Ahmed Musa of Nigeria celebrates
scoring his team’s second goal during the 2014
FIFA World Cup Brazil Group F match between
Nigeria and Argentina at Estadio Beira-Rio on June
25, 2014 in Porto Alegre, Brazil
read more after the cap

Super Eagle's Babatunde is out of World Cup

It is not the best of news for a Nigerian team that

zoomed into the second round of the World Cup with

France as their next opposition.

One of the new kids on the block, Babatunde

Michael has been ruled out of the remaining

matches of the World Cup due to injury.

Read more after the cap

What was Eyeama telling Messi before the match? hmmm just wondering

They exchanged pleasantries with each other before getting on the pitch for the nail-biting encounter at Port Allegre but Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Nigeria’s safe hands, Vincent Enyeama went all out against each other as soon as the match got underway.

Deadly blast hits shopping mall in Nigeria's capital Abuja

At least 21 people have died after an explosion rocked a shopping mall in the Nigeria's capital Abuja.

'Messi is ftom Jupiter' - Stephen Keshi

The Argentina captain scored twice - the second a

stunning free kick - as his side beat the Super Eagles

3-2 in their final Group F match in Porto Alegre on

Wednesday.

Brazil 2014: Italy's early World Cup exist likely impact on economy's recovery

 Italy was in mourning on Wednesday after

a 0-1 2014 FIFA World Cup loss to Uruguay sealed

its ignominious exit from the world’s most watched

sporting event.

Fresh Abduction by Boko Haram

Suspected Boko Haram militants have abducted more than 60 women and girls, some as young as three, in the latest kidnappings in northeast Nigeria and over two months since more than 200 schoolgirls were seized.

Glitz, Glam @ Ndani TV's 'Gidi Up' Season 2 Premiere (Photos)

On Saturday, 21, 2014, a private screening was held at the Palms, Lekki, Lagos for the private screening of ‘Gidi Up’ season 2. The thrilling adventure series centers around the lives of four friends in pursuit of happiness, success and independence but few wrong choices turn their ‘Lagos dream’ into a Gidi nightmare.

Ebola virus going out of control in West Africa - MSF

Doctors without Borders on Tuesday said that the

ebola virus is now out of control in West Africa,

with more than 60 outbreak hotspots

MSF warned that if the governments of West Africa

do not take measures to stop this epidemic, the

virus would continue to spread unabated.

Picture of Oweto Bridge in Benue: The bridge to connect North and South

Here's what the Oweto Bridge in Benue State

looks like currently. When complete, this bridge

will link the Southeast to the North and reduce

travel time significantly.

Hmmm nice work there..

Yaya Toure: Manchester City were celebrating the title while my brother was dying

Yaya Toure has y at Manchester City

for apparently not granting him time away from club

obligations in Abu Dhabi to visit his dying brother.

Fayemi, Fayose Meet to Set up Transition Committee

Seventy-two hours after last Saturday’s election that returned former Governor, Ayo Fayose, to power, the Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, and his successor, monday met and agreed to set up a committee to draw a plan for a smooth transition of power on October 16.

UN: Boko Haram Insurgency Has Displaced 650,000 Nigerians

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has lamented that about 650,000 Nigerians have been displaced in many parts of the North as a result of the activities of the Boko Haram sect.

Shell Risks Fresh Compensation Claims after UK Court Ruling

Amnesty International has stated that last week’s UK court ruling finally paved the way for Shell to be held accountable for devastating oil pollution in the Niger Delta.

“The ruling is a shot across the bows for Shell” said Amnesty International’s Director of Global Issues, Audrey Gaughran.

Robben should have played for Manchester United - Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand has revealed his regret at Manchester United missing out on the signing of Arjen Robben and believes he would have "fitted in" at the club. The Dutchman, who was just 20 when he moved to Stamford Bridge, proved a big hit in the Premier League and now boasts title-winning medals in England, Spain and Germany, as well as his home country.

My goal against Nigeria, referee got it wrong, says Dzeko

Bosnia-Hercegovina were sent packing from the World Cup on Saturday, and striker Edin Dzeko laid the blame for their first round exit on the “shameful” referee in charge of the 1-0 loss to Nigeria in Cuiaba. The Group F fixture was played out in stamina-sapping tropical conditions but Dzeko´s blood was boiling not from the clammy 30 degree temperature, but because of his first half goal disallowed for offside.

Osaze calls Bosnia game 'hardest ever'

Peter Odemwingie has admitted that the three points Nigeria earned against Bosnia and Herzegovina is "one of the hardest" in his football career. The Stoke City man swept home the winning goal just half an hour into the match from Emmanuel Emenike's low cross to secure a first full points for the African champions at the Fifa World Cup in Brazil.

Harry Redknapp: Players tried to shirk England duty

The QPR boss revealed that English players would come to him for help in dodging international matches on a regular basis when he was in charge at White Hart Lane. Harry Redknapp has claimed that several of his players tried to get out of playing for England when he was manager of Tottenham

England's early World Cup exit a 'wake-up call', says Ferdinand

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes England’s early elimination from the World Cup needs to be a "wake-up call" for the country to make radical changes. England crashed out of the competition following narrow defeats to Italy and Uruguay but the 35-year-old hopes the country's exit can act as an incentive to improve football in the country at youth level.

OMG!!!! Ecuador youths die after drinking bootleg liquor

Five Ecuadoran youths died Friday after drinking bootleg liquor while apparently celebrating their country’s World Cup win over Honduras, authorities said Saturday. Two others remain hospitalized following festivities after Friday’s match at a motel in Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, according to an Interior Ministry statement. “The youths ranged in age between 20 and 21,” it said. “Apparently, they were celebrating the outcome of Ecuador’s game.” The Honduran team had looked on course for its first ever World Cup win Friday but ended up losing 2-1 to Ecuador, moving the South American team into second place in Group E of the competition. In 2013, an Ecuadoran court sentenced a man to a year in prison and another to five months behind bars for the bootleg-related deaths of 50 people.

SAP Predicts $90trn Business Opportunities in Cloud Computing by 2020

Software Application (SAP) has predicted that the value of global business done in the cloud would hit the $90 trillion mark by year 2020.

OMG!!!!!!! Not Again- Gospel Artist Kefee Is Dead

Renowned gospel singer, Kefee Don Momoh, has

been confirmed dead. She reportedly passed on in the early hours of

today, after being in coma for weeks in an

undisclosed American hospital.

FG impounds Amaechi's jet in Kano

The Federal Government has once again impounded

the private jet of the Rivers state Governor, Rotimi

Amaechi.

COSON issues ultimatum on hotels over non- payment on music royalties

The Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON)

has issued a two- week ultimatum to Nigerian

hotels demanding payment of royalties for music

played by them. 

2015: UK commits 35m pounds to Democratic Governance in Nigeria

The UK Department for International Development

(DFID) has committed 35 million pounds to a five-

year programme aimed at deepening democracy in

Nigeria, a top official has said.

My rift with Obasanjo over – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the rift between himself and former President, Olusegun Obasanjo is all over, re-iterating that he harbours “no hatred or enmity” against his former boss.

Senator Bemoans Rhetorics On Chibok Girls Fate

The Senator Representing Ondo North Senatorial District, Robert Ajayi Boroffice at the weekend said safe return of over 200 girls abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno States is what is paramount to Nigerians and not the tactics employed to ensure their release.