Red carpet photos from First Cut movie premiere in Lagos

Lisa Omorodion's First Cut movie premiere took place on Sunday 29th December at Eko Hotel in Lagos. Above is actress Lilian Bach. See more photos from the premiere after the cut...

 

Omawumi Megbele

 Toni Tones

Ene Lawani and IK Ogbonna

 Uti Nwachukwu

 

Waje and Vixen

 Dorothy Ughenu and Moriam Musa

 Data Okorodudu and Ndidi Obioha

 

Azuka and Fehintola

 

Movie producer, Lisa Omorodion

 

Ugonna Umerua

 

Left Helen Paul

  

Layole Oyatogun and Lisa Omorodion

 

 Uju Murphy and friend

 

Justice ministry to spend N181.3m on clothing in 2014 - Report

According to a report by Punch, the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters will spend the sum of N181.3m on uniforms and other garments in 2014, according to the budget estimates submitted to the National Assembly by Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

A copy of the proposed budget of the headquarters of the justice ministry, which was obtained by a Punch correspondent, revealed that the sum of N181, 391,000 was allocated for “uniforms and other clothing” in 2014.

The sum is part of the total N4.7bn allocated to the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters in the 2014 budget proposal.

However, the nature of the “uniforms and other clothing” was not disclosed.

The ministry is to spend the sum of N1.3bn on legal services in the New Year, while N1.4bn is allocated for consulting and professional services.

Travels, including local and foreign trips, formed a substantial part of the ministry’s proposed budget.

The sum of N362.6m has been budgeted for travels and transport (general).

Local travel and transport (training) and local travel and transport (others) will cost N76.7m and N142.3m, respectively.

In the same vein, international travel and transport (training), and international travel and transport (others), will cost N34.9m and N108.5m respectively.

The sum of N371.7m was budgeted for materials and supplies (general).

Also, the sum of N59.4m was set aside for foreign grants and contributions, as well as grants to foreign international organisations.

The proposed budget suggests that the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters intends to upgrade its security system as the purchase of security equipment as well as improvement of ministry security system would cost N40m, respectively.

The same N40m is equally budgeted for the rehabilitation and repair of office buildings, while the sum of N19.8m is provided for maintenance of office building and residential quarters.

Other sums allocated for maintenance works include N9.9m for maintenance of plants/generators; N27.7m for cleaning/fumigation services; and N59.1m for general maintenance of motor vehicle/transport equipment.

The proposed budget also reveals that the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters will spend the sum of N55.8m on fuel and lubricants.

Motor vehicle fuel will cost the sum of N24.7m, while plant/generator fuel costs the sum of N28.3m.

N7.8m is provided for refreshment and meals.

Also, the sum of N56.9m is earmarked for a baseline survey of justice institutions, while the sum of N16.5m is budgeted for ICT consulting.

The proposed budget further shows that the ministry budgets the sum of N37.2m for utilities (general).

Electricity charges will cost N31.5m, water rates 904,016, while sewerage charges will take the sum of N4.8m while the ministry will spend the sum of N14.6m on printing of security documents.

Culled from Punch

Graduate commits suicide over woman in Ikorodu

According to a report by PM News, a graduate of Architecture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ogunsona Daniel Adekunle Adebambo (pictured above) committed suicide by hanging himself in an uncompleted storey building yesterday January 1st 2014.

According to the report, the body of the 30 year old man was found around 1 a.m. yesterday dangling from a rope tied to the hook of a fan in an uncompleted storey building at 1, Alice Ogunsona Street, Hilltop Estate, Eruwen, Ikorodu. His body was found by his younger brother after reading the suicide not he wrote and left at their home. Continue...




The deceased allegedly killed himself because his girlfriend’s father refused to allow him marry his daughter. According to the story, the girlfriend's father, who is from Ondo state, said Bambo couldn't marry his daughter because he's from Ijebu, Ogun State. Some people do not believe that's the reason he killed himself.

A resident of the Hilltop Estate who said he participated in bringing down Adebambo’s body from the ceiling, recalled that he was dead and stiff when they brought him down. "When the family raised an alarm and we came here, he was already foaming in his mouth and his hand was clenched in a fist. This signified that he struggled till he died,” he said.

Reuben Abati says Pres. Jonathan didn't travel to Kenya with 7 jets

So if it's not true, what seven jets did this Kenyan lady that was hurt? It doesn't make sense to me that she'd lie  about something like this, especially during a press conference to Channels TV and AIT. And she seems likes a top Kenyan official. Well, if Reuben Abati says it's not true, let's believe him. See more tweets after the cut

 

Chilli disses Beyonce and gets attacked by Beyonce fans

Chilli of girl group TLC was attacked by dedicated fans of Beyonce, known as Beyhive, for daring to diss their queen Bee on New Year's Eve. It all started when Chilli re-Tweeted a list of fads & phrases that need to stay in 2013 and not enter 2014 and Beyonce and all her nick names were on the list.

The most controversial please-leave-in-2013 “saying” went to “Bey, ‘B,’ Queen B, or any variation or form of the world Beyonce.”

Immediately she re-tweeted the list, the Beyhive went in. The abuse was so much that Chili deleted the post and tried to explain herself. See all the Tweets after the cut...

 Chilli tweeted this to calm people down but they were not having any of it...

Actress Chika Ike goes designer shopping in Abu Dhabi. See photos

The pink Chanel bag is about N740k if you convert to Naira. The blue Dior bag is about the same price, not sure what the LV bag (above left) and Fendi bag (below left) costs, but they are pretty expensive bags. And yes she bought all of them. Chika shared the pic on her instagram and wrote;

"These bags called me..."oh! chika buy me"!!! I fell in love with them and took them all home with me. #lv #channel #fendi #dior #workhardplayhard #thingsthatmakemehappy

Very expensive shopping. :-). Another pic after the cut...

Aliko Dangote made $9.2billion in 2013 alone, now worth $30billion

According to a Bloomberg report that was released today, Africa's richest man & founder of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, made $9.2billion in 2013 alone, raising his fortune to over $30billion and making him the 30th richest person in the world.

Bill Gates is back to being the richest man in the world after making $15.8 billion in 2013 alone and raising his fortune to $78.5 billion.

Bloomberg’s billionaires index showed that the 300 richest people in the world increased their wealth by $524 billion in 2013 and the aggregate net worth of the world’s top billionaires stood at $3.7 trillion at the close of market on December 31. 

Photos: D'banj and Burna Boy 'take it off' on stage

A shirtless D'banj and Burna Boy turned up the heat as they performed on stage yesterday at the Lagos Countdown. The sexy men (You're free to disagree with me :-)) performed their new song 'Won Da Mo' to the delight of their female fans. See more photos after the cut...

Dead at 65: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's Uncle Phil Dies in L.A. Hospital

 

 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star James Avery died at the age of 65 in an L.A. hospital on Tuesday, Dec. 31 Credit: SGranitz/WireImage

James Avery has died at the age of 65. The actor -- best known for playing Uncle Philip Banks on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air -- died at an L.A. hospital on Tuesday, Dec. 31.


According to TMZ, Avery recently underwent a surgery for an undisclosed illness. His wife, Barbara Avery, was at the hospital at the time of his death.


Avery starred in Fresh Prince with Will Smith from 1990 to 1996. Shortly after his passing, his onscreen son, Alfonso Ribeiro, addressed about the loss via Twitter.

"I'm deeply saddened to say that James Avery has passed away. He was a second father to me. I will miss him greatly," the 42-year-old wrote, also sharing a picture of Avery with his wife.
Avery went on to appear in several other TV series, including The Jamie Foxx Show, The Division, That '70s Show, The Closer and Grey's Anatomy.

Chris Brown & Karruche put on PDA as they spend new year together

Awww...they seem so in love. Chris Brown spent New Year's day with his girlfriend Karrueche Tran who paid him a visit in rehab and shared a pic of her sucking his tongue outside the Malibu clinic on her instagram page.

"Getting chrae on New Years Day haha #Corny #Ha#HappyNewYears,' Karrueche wrote

2014: Clerics Urge Nigerians to Embrace Peace, Unity

Alhaji Haroon Daya-Biu, a Muslim cleric in Epe Local Government of Lagos State, has urged Muslims and Christians to embrace the peace and live in unity in 2014.

Daya-Biu, who is the Head of “Ratibi Imam” in Epe, gave the advice on Tuesday night at a special prayer, tagged “Tahajjud Night”, to mark the end of 2013.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that “Ratibi” means smaller mosques within the community that are not central mosques.

In his message, Daya-Biu appealed to both Christians and Muslims to live in unity and embrace the peace to enhance progress in the country.

The cleric urged adherents of both religions to show love to one another.

“Muslims love peace, Islam does not preach violence and we are peaceful people.

“That is why we are going to use this prayer to pray for the peaceful coexistence of Muslims and our Christian brothers and sisters.

“We all must pray for peace and development in Nigeria.

“God, who brought us together, does not make mistakes.

“He does His things with care and He did not bring us together to fight and kill one another,” he said.

Daya-Biu called on Muslims and Christians to collectively observe one day fasting and prayer for the peace and unity of the country.

He urged Muslims to use the season to pray to Allah for forgiveness of sins and to stay away from vices that were against the teachings of Prophet Mohammed.

The cleric wished Nigerians prosperous New Year and prayed that God would continue to bless President Goodluck Jonathan and the political and religious leaders.

Similarly, in a New Year sermon, Pastor Sola Ojedokun of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Tabernacle Parish, Bariga, called for love and peace among the people.

Ojedokun prayed that 2014 would be a better year for the people of Lagos State and Nigeria in general.

“As we reflect on the true meaning of the New Year and God’s abiding love to mankind, may the joy of the season and God’s loving kindness be with us in 2014 and beyond.

“As followers of Christ, let us, therefore, show love; be kind to one another and work for peaceful and harmonious co-existence in our communities,” Ojedokun said.

Ludacris also fathers a child with a woman that is not his fiancee

What is wrong with these men, don't they use condoms? DWade is not the only male celeb to father a child while in a longtime relationship, rapper Ludacris also did.

Ludacris, who is engaged to longtime girlfriend Eudoxie (pictured with him above), just welcomed a daughter with an Atlanta groupie named Tamika Fuller.

According to TMZ, Ludacris just filed court docs to legally establish paternity for Cai Bella Bridges, born Dec. 9th, and to set a limit on the amount of child support that can be awarded to his baby mama

Ludacris is claiming he earns only $25,842.41 a month which would limit child support to $1,754.66 a month under Georgia law. What about his Fast & Furious paycheck? Don't lie, Luda!

CBN Gov. Sanusi Lamido Declares; “I Owe My Success And Elevation To Late Prez. Yar’Adua”

Nigeria’s Central Bank governor, Lamido Sanusi, has hailed former President of Nigeria, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, as the best leader so far.

Sanusi, who was recently named the 2013 Emerging Markets Central Bank of the Year Award for Sub-Saharan Africa, making it the third time he would receive the honour, stated in a television interview monitored in Lagos, that his success in Central Bank was owed to the late Yar’Adua, who he said made the best choice when he appointed him as Governor.

Asked who he owed his achievements as CBN Governor, Sanusi said “I owe my success to late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He found me worthy of this appointment. I thank him”.

The Kano State born astute banker, while fielding questions, said that he had his role model in his late grandfather, the former Emir Sanusi of Kano who abdicated the throne owing to disagreement with the authority.

“I don’t befriend any government, be it at the federal or state or even local government level. And I took after my late grandfather with that. He was never a friend of the authority and that was why he left the throne in order to keep his principle intact”.

Sanusi specifically thanked Yar’Adua for the confidence reposed in him by giving him the responsibility to superintend in the position.

Besides, he said Central Bank Governors had the onerous challenge of maintaining stability in the financial system and pledged to ensure that ongoing reforms in the country’s banking system were sustained in the interest of the country’s economic growth.

Android phone users protest cost of Internet subscription

| credits: Chukky Nwakky

Some Nigerians who make use of Android phones and  Java operating devices have taken to social media to protest against what they call ‘exorbitant’ cost of Internet subscription being charged by telecoms firms.

 Also part of the protest are those who use smart devices such as i-Phone and Windows phone.

They alleged that they are not getting value on their subscription plans,  compared to users of BlackBerry phones in terms of data allowance and prices.

The users who besieged various social networking sites urged the Nigerian Communications Commission to prevail on telecoms firms to address the issue, so that they can begin to enjoy same benefits BlackBerry users enjoy on their platforms.

Royal baby: William, Kate name son George

The couple and Baby Cambridge

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named their son George Alexander Louis, Kensington Palace has said.

The third in line to the throne, who was born on Monday at 16:24 BST, will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.

It is thought the Queen was told of Prince George’s name when she met him for the first time on Wednesday.

The family are at the Middleton home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, after spending a night at Kensington Palace.

George was the bookmakers’ favourite for the first name of the prince.

The duke and duchess had been expected to pick a traditional royal name for their son, who was born at St Mary’s Hospital in London, weighing 8lbs 6oz.

Royal infants usually have historical names which are passed down through the generations.

There have been six King Georges up to now, most recently the Queen’s father, although he was known to his family as Bertie.

The name Louis is Prince William’s fourth name and is likely to be a tribute to Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh’s uncle and the last British Viceroy of India before independence in 1947.

Lord Mountbatten and William’s father the Prince of Wales were very close. Known by the Royal Family as Uncle Dickie, he was assassinated by the IRA in August 1979.

BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said Alexander was said to be a favourite of Catherine’s.

This is a relatively quick announcement of a name compared with previous royal babies.

It was seven days before the name of a newborn Prince William was announced in 1982, and there was a wait of a month following Prince Charles’s birth in 1948.

All births in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, regardless of parentage, must be registered within 42 days at the hospital before leaving or a register office.

source: http://www.punchng.com/news/world/royal-baby-william-kate-name-son-george/

Tricks vulcanisers use to defraud motorists

An air pressure equipment and a vulcaniser at work
| credits: John Ameh

A tyre is a vital component of any functional vehicle. It is also the point of contact between the vehicle and the ground.

 Experts say that a car with a healthy engine is worthless if it lacks good tyres.

Tyres glide on the surface of roads and their condition can either cause accidents or prevent them. This underscores the importance of tyres as sensitive parts of a vehicle.

Apart from being exposed to wear and tear, the pressure of the tyre is a major issue in road safety.

According to a report posted on tyresafe.org, a correct tyre pressure is vital to the safety of human lives on the road.

Child marriage and the Constitution

It is common knowledge that the National Assembly has commenced the process of reviewing the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended. Last week, the Senate resolved to amend Section 29 of the Constitution pertaining to Renunciation of Citizenship. The said section provides as follows:
“29(1) Any citizen of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation.
(2)The President shall cause the declaration made under subsection (1) of this section to be registered and upon such registration, the person who made the declaration shall cease to be a citizen of Nigeria.
(3)The President may withhold the registration of any declaration made under subsection (1) of this section if-
The declaration is made during any way in which Nigeria is physically involved; or-
In his opinion, it is otherwise contrary to public policy.
(4)For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section. ‘Full age’ means the age of eighteen years and above. Any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age”
It is pertinent to note that section 29(4)(a) of the Constitution defines “full age” to mean the age of eighteen years and above. However, in recognition of child marriage section 29(4)(b) of the Constitution states that “any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age”.