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A recent two day conference on strengthening relations between the legislative and executive arms of the Federal Government was an insightful and useful voyage for players in both arms. THE two day conference on executive-legislature relations was unprecedented in the fourth republic. The members of the National Assembly and the executive arm of government was not about the presentation of the annual budget and it was not about the lawmakers summoning members as they were wont, presidency officials to explain one thing or the other about the affairs of government. The conference designed to among others strengthen relations between the two arms of government was the brain-child of the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi, herself, a distinguished veteran of the Senate who in her days in the legislature was known as the Joy of the Senate. The conference drew participants from both arms of government with experienced politicians and academics ...

umeze igwe's blog: Sylva regains freedom : After spending a night with operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja, former Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Timipre Sy...

ERstwhile senator and minister, Abdulrasheed Akinlabi Olasunkanmi is one of a handful of  aspirants for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP ticket in the 2014 gubernatorial election. In a session with newsmen, Olasunkanmi gives reasons why Osun State should get a change in leadership and why he is the best person to lead that change. Excerpts: Why are you in the race? I am in the race because of the problems, because of the issues, because of the challenges that our people in Osun State are facing  since the emergence of Governor Aregbesola after his judicial victory. Yes, it was a judicial victory.  He never won the election, it was the judiciary that awarded him the victory. You see after this judicial victory, we thought that as he had always been propagating, we thought he was going to make a difference in the governance of Osun State but, no. And it is a thing that really, really bothers me, it is a thing that saddens me that since Aregbesola has been in the saddle in...

umeze igwe's blog: If I’m arrested, Nigeria will be histroy – Dokubo-... :  Leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force,  Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, has dared the  House of Representatives and leade...

umeze igwe's blog: Boston bomber gets secret burial :  Dead Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev has been buried in a secret midnight ceremony at an undisclosed location, police say. ...

With the highly anticipated Iron Man 3 movie now in theaters, we're reminded of the superhero's high-tech lifestyle (home included). Of course no such character exists, but if a real-life Tony Stark did live among us, we have a hunch where he'd be shacking up: The Razor Residence in La Jolla, California. This stunning 11,000-square-foot estate built in 2007 and conceived by San Diego architect Wallace Cunningham has an imposible-looking design and appears to have been built right into the mountainside. It's composed of staggering layers of floor-to-ceiling expanses of glass juxtaposed with concrete. The home's spectacular views overlook the Torrey Pines State Reserve and stretch for miles. Inside the unique abode you'll find four bedrooms, six bathrooms, a circular theater, glass elevator, underground garage and a rooftop fitness room along with several infinity pools. SEVERAL. Although it isn't featured in the blockbuster films (and does not fit Stark...

Jeanne Cooper, who played Katherine Chancellor on the daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless," has died, TVLine reports . She was 84. Cooper's son, actor Corbin Bernsen, confirmed the sad news on Twitter today (May 8), writing: Cooper was hospitalized last month with an undisclosed ailment and was said to be in critical condition. Bernsen also took to his Facebook page to announce the news of his mother's death, sharing, "My mother passed away this morning just a short time ago, peaceful with my sister by her side, in her sleep. I was going to visit this afternoon, thought I had time. Reminder to self - time is a precious thing. I too am at peace however. I said my goodbyes several times over during the last few weeks. I'll go one last time now for a gentle kiss a final farewell for this lifetime." "She has been a blaze her entire life, that beacon, that boxer I spoke of earlier. She went the full twelve rounds and by unanimous decision.....

A choreographer who worked with some of the biggest names in pop music in the early 2000s has accused Michael Jackson of childhood sexual abuse , reports TMZ. Legal documents filed by Wade Robson -- a choreographer who worked with Britney Spears, *NSYNC, Usher and Pink ( and was rumored to have been the man Spears cheated on Justin Timberlake with in 2002 ) -- claim that the late singer molested him as a child. Robson's lawyers are asking a judge in the Michael Jackson Estate case to allow him to file a late creditor's claim against the estate.

Riveting media reports of last Thursday’s court judgment on the celebrated land dispute between Dame Patience Jonathan and Hajiya Turai Yar‘Adua was a sweet piece of cake for many. It was especially so for those who abhor the aggrandisement that has in recent times been associated with the spouses of the country’s leaders at national and state levels. It was no surprise then that one common headline in the news reports was “Turai floors Patience,” a slant that was reflective of the empathy of the media towards the oppressed. Both ladies interestingly, lay claim to the disputed land, not for personal use, but for some good works. The choice piece of land in the heart of Abuja was first allocated to Mrs. Yar‘Adua’s NGO, Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation, WAYEF by the FCT authorities in February 2010 while her husband was president, and Dame Patience was in her shadow as wife of the Vice-President. Remarkably, the allocation was confirmed on February 19, just five days before late P...

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has threatened to expose some Abuja-based politicians from the state owing to the crisis currently rocking the Peoples Democratic Party in the state. Amaechi, who said he was no more running for any political position, added that the people of the state would lose their respect for his critics by the time he opened up on their past deeds. Amaechi, who spoke when the Archbishop of the Niger Delta Diocese, Anglican Communion, Archbishop Ignatius Kattey, paid him a courtesy visit in Port Harcourt on Wednesday lamented that nobody realised the efforts put in place by his administration to ensure that peace reigned in the state. He said, “I will speak to the state, but not now. When I speak to the state, you will not respect any of these people (Abuja-based politicians from Rivers). I am now determined to open up. “I am not running for any other position that they would say ‘you must manage information so ...

Boko Haram militants, yesterday, launched series of coordinated attacks on Police, Army and Prison formations in Bama town, Borno State, leaving no fewer than 55 persons dead. JTF spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, who conducted newsmen round the affected places in company of the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel AG Laka, confirmed that the dead include 22 policemen, 14 prison officials, 2 soldiers, 13 Boko Haram members, one woman who just got married to a police corporal and three children. The burnt Bama Police Barracks yesterday Places attacked by the gunmen numbering about 500 in Hilux Toyota vehicles, some of who wore military uniforms, include different police barracks, 202 Army Barracks in Bama Council area headquarters, Magistrate Court, Revenue office, Primary Healthcare Centre, and Local Government Secretariat.

  Deputy Governor (Operations) of the CBN, Mr. Tunde Lemo The Deputy Governor, Operations, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Tunde Lemo, on Tuesday said the total Point of Sale terminals has risen to 115, 000. Lemo disclosed this during a visit to the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, in his Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta office on the planned take-off of the cashless policy in the state.

Chelsea defender John Terry has spoken of his affection for Jose Mourinho amid suggestions the Portuguese is set to return to the club. Mourinho previously enjoyed a successful three-year stint at the helm of the London side, winning two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and two League Cups before an acrimonious departure in 2007. Following Real Madrid’s recent exit from the UEFA Champions League, Mourinho hit out at the Spanish press and claimed he is keen to join a club where he is “loved” at the end of the season. And Terry believes the 50-year-old would be welcomed with open arms were that to mean a return to Chelsea, having maintained contact with several key members of the squad. He told Marca: “Mourinho has a great relationship with our fans because we won the Premier League and several other titles with him. Real Madrid must be respected, as he is under contract. “The fans have clearly shown that he is the man they want after everything he won. He’s still the ‘Special One’. “...

The House of Representatives, Arewa Youths and Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State were among other Nigerians, who Tuesday, urged the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar, to investigate the Presidential Adviser on Niger-Delta Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku, as well as the former leader of Niger Delta Volunteer Force, NDVF, Alhaji Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo, over alleged “inciting statements” capable of causing disaffection in the country. Both Kuku and Dokubo were alleged to have threatened that there would be upheavals in the country, if President Goodluck Jonathan was not voted into office in 2015 to complete the amnesty programme for the Niger Delta militants. In Minna, capital of Niger State, Governor Babangida Aliyu, also urged security agencies to arrest the NDVF leader, Dokubo over what he described as his alleged treasonable offence against the nation. Aliyu spoke just as a former member of the House of Representatives, Dino Melaye  called for arrest of Dok...

A 25-year-old bricklayer, Akinloye Anuoluwapo, has been arrested by the police for slaughtering his 21-year-old girlfriend, Rafiyat Akinyemi. Anuoluwapo slit Akinyemi’s throat at her family home in Magbon, Ogijo, Ogun state. PUNCH Metro gathered that Anuoluwapo allegedly murdered Akinyemi for her refusal to continue dating him. An OND graduate of the Lagos State Polythenic Ikorodu, Akinyemi was said to be home alone last Wednesday, when Anuoluwapo came calling. PUNCH Metro gathered that the embattled lovers, who had dated for over a year, split up late 2012 despite attempts by Anuoluwapo to prevent it. It was learnt that Anuoluwapo knew that Akinyemi’s mother and siblings usually left the house before 8am each working day,. He subsequently sneaked into Akinyemi’s family home at about 8.30am on the day of the incident. As expected, Akinyemi was alone. Anuoluwapo was said to have made several attempts to have sex with Akinyemi. PUNCH Metro learnt that it was in the ensuing struggle that...

The Nigerian Communications Commission on Wednesday announced the imposition of N53.8m fines on four mobile telecommunication operators for contravening the rules on registration of Subscriber Identification Module cards in the country. A statement issued in Abuja by Head of Media and Public Relations, NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka, said 269 pre-registered SIM cards were either purchased or reported to it and confirmed by the operators. Muoka said, “In furtherance of the ongoing enforcement of the provisions of the Telephone Subscribers Registration Regulations, 2011, the NCC has imposed fines on four mobile services operators for contravening the provisions on pre-registration of SIM cards in Nigeria.

  Yesterday, ex- Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) member Libby Phelps-Alvarez appeared on Anderson Cooper's "Anderson Live" to discuss growing up in the WBC and why she left. The granddaughter of Fred Phelps , founder of the group known for spreading anti-gay messages and picketing funerals , said that she began her work with the Church at 8 years old and initially thought that she was doing an admirable thing. “In the moment, I thought I was doing the right thing,” she explained to Cooper. “I thought the only way to love your neighbor was to tell them that their sins were taking them to hell.” Phelps-Alvarez , who has now been shunned by the Church after defecting, said that she eventually began to doubt Westboro's mission. "I believed it when I was there and then I got to an age where I started questioning some things and I just got to a point where I ended up leaving," she said. The exclusive interview then turned emotional when the mother of a man whose fu...

As the Obama administration considers supporting a proposal to help law enforcement eavesdrop on Internet communications, experts warn the measure could have an unintended consequence: creating digital "backdoors" for cybercriminals to exploit. The FBI has been pushing for legislation that would force companies like Google and Facebook to create ways for law enforcement to conduct court-approved surveillance on their networks. The Obama administration is "on the verge of backing" a measure that would fine Silicon Valley companies that refuse to build wiretapping capabilities into their systems, according to The New York Times.

All right thinking Nigerians must tell him,his threats is not trending to nigerians anymore,after been settled For his recent noise,on his opposition to GEJ 2015 hullabaloo. Either Goodluck is Elected or Not come 2015,Nigerians can not War war but we will always jaw Jaw. However, It amazed me,the speed of light,the Dishonourable representathieves used in passing the emergency resolution instructing the IG to arrest DOKUBO and KUKU while covering the. Other KNOWN suspects Ass. My own kindergarten pupils brain questions is as follows: 1. Were the Reps dead or alive while some Nigerians were making their Thoughtless threats? 2. Do we ve different house of Reps for different Nigerians or elites? 3.Is our Reps sectional upstair? 4.When dozen of the youth Corpers was killed in 2011... What was their resolution? 5.When Buhari,ciroma,Tanko,Atiku all threw Bazooka statements...were the Reps inside the incubator??.... 6.I hope the Reps wasn't under the infl...

Juan Mata’s decisive strike at Manchester United at the weekend means Chelsea can all but guarantee Champions League qualification by beating fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur at home on Wednesday. The Stamford Bridge showdown looked destined to be a straight shootout for a top-four place until Mata struck with three minutes remaining at Old Trafford on Sunday to give Chelsea a precious 1-0 victory. The Spaniard’s goal, via a telling deflection off Phil Jones, lifted Chelsea three points above Spurs and means they will be virtually guaranteed a place in next season’s Champions League if they defeat their London rivals. The win over United was Chelsea’s 65th game of the season, but with Champions League qualification at stake and a Europa League final against Benfica still to come, Mata says there is simply not enough time for mental fatigue to creep in.