Black Americans Are Angry: Donald Trump Loses Top Position To Black Man, Ben Carson

Sen. Gershom Bassey (PDP Cross River South) on Friday, said the condemnation of Africans and African-Americans by a US presidential aspirant, Donald Trump, was a crude form of racism.
Bassey, who was reacting to media reports credited to the Republican Party man, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that racism should never be mixed with politics, adding that politicians should not be bigots.
“What I can say generally it that it is bigotry, racism and all that, in all forms must be condemned and we shouldn’t use that in politics.

“If we have issues with people we should stick to the issues and leave all these sweeping statements about different races and all that.

“It is the crudest form of racism and I think if Donald Trump did actually say that, he should find a way to retract that statement, otherwise, he will find that at the end of the day, it will come back to haunt him,” he said.

The media reports said that Trump referred to Africans as lazy fools, only good for lovemaking and thuggery.

The report also credited him as saying that if he became U.S president, he would deport all African-Americans to their countries in Africa.

I Don’t Like S*x, I Only Open My Legs To Please My Boyfriend – Mzbel Amoa

Mzbel clarifies (Musician) claims most often than not she has se’x just to please the guy she is dating. She told GhanaGistTV, she does this to prevent her partner from cheating..

I don’t like se’x but when I am in a relationship, once in a while, I do it so I can please my partner. My boyfriend always complains that I cannot do this, I cannot do that and I tell him baby teach me.
She adds giggling: “I do not like se’x but I will do it so that my man will not cheat on me.”

Born Belinda Amoah, she is the last of seven girls born to Mr Albert A. Amoah, an engineer and the late Agnes Nyarko. She grew up in James Town..

She had her senior high education at Abuakwa State College. She later enrolled at the Ghana Institute of Languages to become a bilingual secretary.

Mzbel dated a certain Maxwell, who now dates actress Nana Ama McBrown years ago.
Prince Kofi Amoabeng, Chief Executive Officer of UT Holdings is said to be the father of her child, an allegation she has denied on several occasions.


Source: gossipmill

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Abacha Loot Is “Too Big” To Handle – World Bank Confesses

The greed of our leaders is on another level! Activists of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) are said to have contacted officials at the World Bank, demanding for information about the status of recovered funds looted by the late Nigerian Head of State, Sani Abacha, which is reportedly

over $11.3 billion.

Surprisingly, in response to the inquiry, World Bank representatives said:

“In response to your request, we would like to inform you that we are still considering your request and we will need additional time because the money involved is too huge for us to handle.” According to Channels, the report further states that it typically takes 20 working days to respond to such requests, however; under special cases it could take much longer time.World Bank has asked for more time to be able to supply information on the massive Abacha loot.

I Have Surrendered My Life To Jesus Christ”- Sylverster Stallone

Famous American actor Sylvester Stallone recently made a very important decision in his life. And it’s not another blockbuster film.Stallone announced that he “has surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Stallone made this life-changing announcement before releasing his latest ROCKY movie. However, his “public announcement” wasn’t covered by the news media. If he had announced he was GAY, all the media, the TV shows and newspapers would have given it full coverage.

That’s why we decided to cover it here, because there was a great celebration that took place in Heaven. Let’s all share this and celebrate it! BLESSINGS TO YOU, BROTHER SYLVESTER!

Those Agitating For Biafra Nation Are Miscreants & Should Be Ignored – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described those agitating for the creation of Biafra state as miscreants. Obasanjo said this in aninterview with Sahara reporters

This is a fake agitation. You people make a mountain out of a molehill. These are boys who want to take people unaware and get money out of them in the name of Biafra. These are the people you should ignore, I don’t talk about Biafra. (Philip) Effiong came and said Biafra ceased to exist and since that day, Biafra has ceased to exist.
We absorbed those we should absorb both into the civil service and into the military.

Even those we didn’t absorb, who we initially regarded as being retired without benefits, later on we even gave them their benefits. Abandoned houses were returned. Within 10 years of the end of our Civil War, an Igbo man became the vice-president of our country. It took the Americans 100 years before they got to that point. So, what are you talking about? They have held all the ministerial positions existing in this country.

We have Igbo as the Governor of Central Bank, Igbo has headed many parastatals in this country. That’s why these miscreants should be ignored. They want to get money and they go round and say, ‘We are still being victimised. We are still being treated badly in Nigeria,’ so that they can take money from people.”he said


Source: gossipmill

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Overdoses Of Marijuana Kill 37 in Colorado On First Day Of Legalization

Colorado is reconsidering its decision to legalize recreational pot following the deaths of dozens due to marijuana overdoses.According to a report in the Rocky Mountain News, 37 people were killed across the state , the first day the drug became legal for all adults to purchase.

Several more are clinging onto life in local emergency rooms and are not expected to survive.
“It’s complete chaos here,” says Dr. Jack Shepard, chief of surgery at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver. “I’ve put five college students in body bags since breakfast and more are arriving every minute.
“We are seeing cardiac arrests, hypospadias, acquired trimethylaminuria and multiple organ failures. By next week the death toll could go as high as 200, maybe 300. Someone needs to step in and stop this madness. My god, why did we legalize marijuana? What were we thinking?”
Rainin’ Fire in the Sky

Colorado and Washington state approved the sale of marijuana for recreational use in November though statewide ballot measures. Under the new policies pot is legal for adult use, regulated like alcohol and heavily taxed.

One of the principal arguments of legalization advocates was that cannabis has long been considered safer than alcohol and tobacco and was not thought not to cause overdose. But a brave minority tried to warn Coloradans of the drug’s dangers.

“We told everyone this would happen,” says Peter Swindon, president and CEO of local brewer MolsonCoors. “Marijuana is a deadly hardcore drug that causes addiction and destroys lives.

“When was the last time you heard of someone overdosing on beer? All these pro-marijuana groups should be ashamed of themselves. The victims’ blood is on their hands.”

One of the those victims was 29-year-old Jesse Bruce Pinkman, a former methamphetamine dealer from Albuquerque who had recently moved to Boulder to establish a legal marijuana dispensary.

Pinkman was partying with friends when he suffered several seizures and a massive heart attack which ultimately proved to be fatal. Toxicology reports revealed that marijuana was the only drug present in his system.

“This is just a terrible tragedy,” says his friend Peter. “Jesse was trying to go legit and now this happens? I guess drugs really are as dangerous as they say.”

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who opposed the ballot initiative that legalized the drug, says he will call a special legislative session to try and overturn the new law.

“We can’t sit idly by and allow this slaughter to continue,” he said during a press conference Thursday.

Boko Haram Releases Pictures Of Its Rocket Factory

While the Nigerian troops are trying hard to win the battle against Boko Haram insurgency, the deadly sect which is now affiliated with world terror group Islamic State (ISIS) -has released photos showing its rocket factory in a bid to undermine the recent efforts of the armed forces. More photos below.:
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 Source: gossipmill

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Fela Slept With Me More Than His Other 27 Wives – Kevwe Anikulapo-kuti

On the wings of the 2015 Felabration that just ended in Lagos, one of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s wives, Kevwe, speaks with Tope Olukole about her life with the late Afrobeat musician.

How did you meet Fela?

I used to take food to an uncle of mine known as Gabriel Okpaku who had a recording studio. I would take the food to him there. One day, when I got to the studio, he locked me in the dark room and walked away, leaving me with Fela who was visiting him at the time. I had se’x with Fela that day. Later, Fela said he wouldn’t like me to live in the same house as his boys in the Mosalashi area.
He took me to his first wife, Remi, who was Femi’s mother. The first day I saw her, I was shocked because she was very light and her hair was as long as that of a white woman. Fela left me in her care and asked her to take care of me. I told her everything about myself and she said that if I should take her word and be like a daughter to her, there would not be any problem.

Which year was this?
That was in 1972. He had just recorded the popular album, Shakara.

Did you eventually marry Fela officially?
Yes, I did. I was one of the 27 women Fela married in one day. His friend took us to his house first before we were taken to a high court for the wedding. The people at the court said we were underage and that Fela should be arrested for even thinking of luring us into marriage.

Eventually, they threw us out and we went to his friend’s office and from there to the late Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti’s residence. By that time, Fela’s house had been burned down. So he rented a hotel where 12 herbalists were invited to conduct the wedding ceremony.

Which one of Fela’s house was burnt? Was it the one in Mosalashi? Yes.
Were you living with Fela then?Yes.

Can you describe what happened?
I was an eyewitness. What happened was this: Femi was learning to drive a car. On his way back, the police arrested him for one reason or the other. The policemen who made the arrest argued with Fela’s boys who appeared to be drunk at the time. A fight ensued and one of the policemen fell to the ground.

The others ran to nearby Abalti Army Barracks and reported the matter to some soldiers. Before the soldiers arrived, the boys had already gone into hiding inside Fela’s compound. The police came in and told Fela that they wanted to arrest his boys. But Fela said he was not going to allow that and they threatened to bring in the army.

By this time, Fela had fortified his residence, which was walled, with a live electric wire and anybody that touched the wire would be electrocuted to death. When this was going on, he told his mother that he wanted to activate the wire; but she said he should let the police go into the compound as long as they had a search warrant. Also, she said if they didn’t come with one, he should be ready to wage a total war with them.

Of course, it turned out that the policemen did not come with a search warrant and they came in company with many soldiers. All of them surrounded Fela’s compound at once. He had no choice other than to turn on the electricity, thereby activating the wire on the fence. In the process, some soldiers were electrocuted.

That was why their colleagues came back forcefully and threw fire into the generator that supplied the electricity and the generator burned out. Having destroyed the power generator, the soldiers were able to gain entry into Fela’s home.

When they got in, they shot five girls to death instantly. I still remember their names. They were Patience, Kemi, Kehinde and Taiwo, alongside two white men, who were standing at the front gate of the compound. I didn’t remember anything else until I woke up to see myself in Abalti barracks.

Was it on the same day that Fela’s mother was killed?
Yes, the soldiers killed his mother on that day. They came in with arms and were prepared to kill everybody in sight. Immediately they started shooting, I went to hide in the toilet. But they found me and beat the hell out of me. I saw them go upstairs to Fela’s mother and carried her. At that point, I was in pains and half-conscious. But I knew they threw her downstairs. They were really determined to kill.

After you got married to Fela, what happened?
After the marriage ceremony, we went to Ghana for the honeymoon.

All the 27 wives?
Yes, all the 27 wives with Alex Conde, the one that married the late Chief Okotie Eboh’s daughter. He took us to Ghana for the honeymoon and from there Fela brought other girls. The other wives were always jealous because Fela paid a lot of attention to me. Fela used to tell us to smoke marijuana or he would not accept us as his own people.



Were you smoking marijuana before you married him?
No. He introduced me to smoking. Whenever I refused to smoke, he would get angry and disgrace me in public.
What made you think that the other women were jealous?
They were jealous because Fela used to ask after me in my absence and he never allowed anybody else to sit in the front seat of his car. He took me out for shopping always and showered me with gifts of expensive clothes. Apart from that, I could walk in at anytime and demand anything from him and I could drive any of the cars in his compound whenever I wanted them.

Is it true that you used juju to charm Fela?
It is not true, I never used juju on him.
Did your parents approve of your marriage to Fela?
No.

How many children did you have for him?
But for Femi’s mother, Remi, I would not have been able to give birth to my son. She took me to her hospital at Apongbon and the doctors washed my womb and I got pregnant again. I had my baby and came back with the child and Fela’s other wives were saying that the child did not belong to him. But Fela took the child, turned him upside down and declared that he was his son. He named him Fela in 1982. I went to do DNA test because it is a test of life. Let’s say the truth because the truth will set us free.

Are you suggesting that there is more to this issue?
Yes, because there is a relative of Fela concerned. We were living in the same house with the mother and two sisters; I was very close to his sisters. He had loved me since the first day I set foot in their home. He was always playing with me and from there we started sleeping with each other.

I used to prepare his meals. His favourite meal was fried plantain, beans and eggs. Even his best friend used to come and call me for him. One thing about him is that he is a very jealous person. He didn’t even want me to talk to any of Fela’s girls and Fela too is the possessive type. I was so afraid and so, I could not cope.

How come you were sleeping with both Fela and his relative?
Once, the relative told Fela bluntly that he wanted to marry me. Later, Fela called me to ask me to marry him. I told him I couldn’t do that because he was still alive. He said if I refused to marry him that it was going to be over between both of us. I couldn’t say anything and ever since that episode, he started fighting me.

When you had this child, did you let the relative know that it belonged to him?
He knew. He used to come and carry the child. What transpired between us threw a wedge between us and he stopped speaking to me.
So Fela’s other wives were right when they said the boy was not Fela’s son.

They lied because they said the baby belonged to one big-man in the society. It wasn’t true. The baby did not belong to him, but to Fela’s relative. I’m not a harlot.

Is the relative aware of this?
I have told him about it. Even I took my son to him during my last visit.
Did he accept responsibility for the boy?

He told me that he was going to do a DNA test and sue me. I told him to go ahead and do the DNA test and sue whoever he wants to sue. I’m ready to go to any level with him. But nobody should torment me. Right now, I am not allowed to receive visitors in the house; when my son came the other day, he was showed the way out of the house.

Who is Mama Mosun?
She is the one they call Najite or Damiregba Anikulapo-Kuti. She has made herself Fela’s only surviving wife in the house, whereas she is not.
How old is your son?

He is 33 years old now.
Where is he now?
He is in Lagos.

Who has been funding his education?
My godmother, Mrs. Aduke Bademosi.

Why did it take you so long to make this revelation?
Because I swore on oath to late the Remi Anikulapo-Kuti that I would not spoil anything for her as long as she was alive. We had an agreement that I could go ahead and spill it after her death. She was a great woman and I respect her a lot.

Aren’t you going against your promise to her now?
No. It was her dream to see the relative of Fela and I settle down as man and wife.
She wanted you to marry Fela’s relative?

Yes, she wanted me to marry Fela’s relative. She used to tell me that Fela’s relative was very fond of me. She was even the one that took me to the hospital to save my pregnancy. She was always there for me.

You abandoned your son, didn’t you?
I did not abandon him.

So what happened?
After Fela named my child, one of the wives poisoned my baby’s food. Unknown to her, I had seen her do it and I decided to drop the feeder. Unfortunately, another house mate mistakenly took the feeder and fed her own baby the poison and the baby died. That was how I left Fela’s house.

When did you leave Fela’s house?
That was in 1982.

Between 1982 and now, where have you been and what have you been doing?
Well, I have been in England.

Are you back to Nigeria?

I will say fully because I don’t want to reveal more secret.

Did you come home when Fela died?

Yes, I was here for his burial. That day was very dark.

It’s been more than a decade since Fela died, how do you keep body and soul together?
It’s by God’s grace.

Do have any plan to remarry?

I will remarry if I see somebody that will love me the way Fela did.

You haven’t told us your age

I’m 55 years old.

At the time Fela died, there was this rumour that he died of complications arising from HIV/AIDS infection. What was your reaction when you heard it?

It was a lie.

When you heard it, were you not afraid?

I wasn’t afraid because I had faith in what I believe in. If he died of AIDS, how come it did not affect me? Fela had slept with me more than anyone else in that house. I should be the first person to be infected with HIV/AIDS.

Really?
Yes.

Have you gone for HIV/AIDS test?

I did all the tests in England. There is nothing wrong with me. I’m healthy. I’m a nurse.

While in England, did you date anyone?
There was Nicholas. Since I came here, I have had other people, too.

Do you still smoke Indian hemp?
No, I have stopped.





Source: gossipmill


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SHOCKING!!! Chinese Woman Gives Birth To Septuplets (7 Babies), Has One Week To Choose

Shanghai, China—In the second such documented case ever, Jinan Huang, a 33-year-old Shanghai woman, gave birth to septuplets Monday.Jinan, who is in stable condition following the 31-hour delivery, has been given one week by government officials to decide which child she will keep.

My husband and I have not decided for certain,” said Jinan, speaking to reporters from her hospital bed shortly after the miraculous birth. “But we are very much considering keeping the second-born boy. He is the heaviest and, therefore, the most likely to survive and tend to us in our old age.”

“We definitely do not want either of the two girls,” Jinan’s husband Lin said. “Of that much we are certain.”

The six children not selected will, in accordance with Chinese multiple-birth law, be thrown off a mountaintop.

Since China’s one-child-per-family law went into effect in 1983, more than 65 million multiple-birth babies have been put to death in the country.

Jinan, who said she had tried to have a baby for years, vehemently denied taking fertility drugs, the use of which is punishable by death in China. “I do not know how this happened,” she said. “To my fellow citizens and our nation’s leaders, I wish to apologize for this shameful and irresponsible multiple birth.”


Source: gossipmill

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See What Happene When Scientists Put African Americans On An African Diet

In recent years, public health experts have acknowledged that lowering the risk of the cancer among people of color in the United States, particularly African Americans, will require diet and environmental changes that can only come about through a combination of government intervention and individual fortitude.

However, questions remain about what the ideal food selection should look like for African Americans, a group plagued by significantly high rates of obesity, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and other physical ailments. A recent study suggests the answer may lie in the diets of their counterparts across the Atlantic Ocean in the rural parts of the Motherland.

In a study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, 20 African Americans and 20 South Africans switched diets for two weeks. In this time, the Africans consumed traditional American food — meat and cheese high in fat content — while African Americans took on a traditional African diet — high in fiber and low in fat, with plenty of vegetables, beans, and cornmeal, with little meat.

After the exchange, researchers performed colonoscopies on both groups and found that those in the African diet group increased the production of butyrate, a fatty acid proven to protect against colon cancer. Members of the American diet group, on the other hand, developed changes in their gut that scientists say precede the development of cancerous cells.

“We wanted to show how diet changes cancer, so we used biomarkers and looked at the proliferation rate that has been tied to cancer,” Dr. Stephen J. O’Keefe, the lead researcher, told ThinkProgress. “We were astounded by the gravity and the magnitude of the changes. In Africans, the diet changes produced microbiota that were cancerous. All this happened within two weeks and was quite astounding. The more we talk about diet, this will be important for all Americans, but most importantly African Americans,” said O’Keefe, a professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh.

Although more than 90 percent of Americans don’t know there’s a link between diet and cancer risk, the American Society for Clinical Oncology recently announced that obesity will soon surpass tobacco as the leading cause of cancer. Since the 1970s, rates of obesity have more than tripled, causing nearly 1 in 5 cancer deaths and $50 billion in healthcare spending, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Previous research has connected obesity with aggressive breast cancer in postmenopausal women and prostate cancer in older men.

This risk factors are exacerbated for people of color. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designates heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes among the top 10 leading causes of death for African Americans. African Americans are 1.8 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and 1.4 times more likely to be obese than their Latino and white counterparts. This holds especially true for those who have sedentary lifestyle, most likely brought on unsafe neighborhood conditions, inadequate access to parks and recreation centers, and long distances to important locations, as outlined in recent reports.

In general, health experts contend that a balanced diet that includes bread, fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat and fish in tandem with physical activity can keep people in shape, reducing obesity and ultimately the likelihood of cancer. But the most popular American foods are not always the healthiest. At least one quarter of American adults eat fast food every day, which has been linked to weight gain.

This is also true for traditionally African American food, colloquially called “soul food,” which includes a variety of leafy greens, corn, starchy vegetables, grains, fried meats, whole milk and buttermilk. These meals, though full of flavor, contain high levels of fat, cholesterol, and sodium content that significantly correlate with the likelihood of chronic ailments.

Soul food was developed during the era when slave masters gave enslaved black people the undesirable cuts of meat. Farming and hunting for wild game — including possums, rabbits, squirrel, and waterfowl — provided African Americans with the ingredients needed for the ideal soul food dish. However, historians say that some of these items didn’t match the food choices that their African ancestors would have made — similar to the experience that Native American communities had after the U.S. government relegated them to settlements where they couldn’t engage in their indigenous lifestyle.

For African Americans seeking a balanced diet that incorporates the eating habits of their African counterparts, Oldways, a food and nutrition education nonprofit, created the African Heritage Diet Pyramid, a food model that promotes a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, beans, herbs, spices, and traditional sauces. The model also stresses the importance of physical activity and enjoying meals with others.

For some people of color, cultivating that desire to eat healthily and create a bridge to Africa is not without difficulty amid some unfamiliarity about indigenous cuisine. However, the spur in African migration to the United States in the latter half of the 20th century and the opening of African restaurants thereafter has allowed African Americans to connect to their roots through cuisine.

In D.C.-based Ghanaian restaurant Appioo African Bar & Grill for example, guests can enjoy a wide selection of dishes low in fat, oil, and salt similar to what rural Africans take a considerable amount of time to prepare. One such dish by the name of Spinach Fish mixes tilapia and spinach with the natural flavors of garlic, red peppers, palm oil, and onions. Patrons can enjoy this meal with a side of boiled plantain.

For many African Americans, particularly those living in low-income communities, adopting this lifestyle may be easier said than done. Even if people of color wanted to incorporate healthy food into their diets, many of them account for the more than 49 million Americans who live in areas with high food insecurity, where the nearest grocery store is more than one mile away from their home. Many times, funds from the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program won’t suffice. Additionally, an inflexible work schedule and the stress of paying bills also relegates many poor people few options beyond purchasing fast food for their families — activities less likely to occur in rural regions of Africa.

The federal government has jumped in, doling out more than $500 million to businesses to encourage them to set up shop in food deserts, as part of its Healthy Food Financing Initiative. Effectively changing the diets of low-income families, however requires more than placing healthy food sources in their communities, as shown in a recent studies that designated education level and food preferences as a greater indicators of variety in food intake, highlighting the 10 percent disparity between college-educated and high-school educated households.

Researchers, including Dr. O’Keefe, have concluded that changing people’s diets would also require challenging their perceptions about diet and health. O’Keefe, in particular, said he plans to study the issue further as part of an effort to help people of color understand the importance of a balanced diet.

“It’s much safer and effective to prevent cancer than to treat it. The earlier you start thinking about what you eat, the better,” O’Keefe said. “With the tobacco-cancer link, it took a lot to stop people from smoking. People are concerned about their health. Many of us have friends and colleagues with colon cancer. We have to keep in mind that even though we’re omnivores, it’s about a balance in meat and fibers.”

Source: thinkprogress.org

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Swedish Artist Creates Porn For Blind People

A Swedish artist who created a ‘sensual braille book’ for blind readers has presented the saucy publication for the first time to the country’s national library.

The ‘tactile’ tome features X-rated images of a woman wearing a strap-on, gay sex and group sex, and is believed to be the first written material of its kind to offer erotic stimulation to the visually impaired.

Nina Linde, 33 – who created the book in 2010, but gave an official copy to the National Library of Sweden this week – insists that despite its graphic content, it should not be labelled ‘porn’.
“The book is about sexual stimulation, I don’t think ‘porn’ is the right word,” she told The Local. “And sexual stimulation is for everyone.”

And she said that she was inspired to produce it after visiting the Braille Library in Stockholm and discovering there was “no dirty stuff at all for the visually impaired”.

She added: “Everyone needs some sexual stimulation.”

Ms Linde also revealed that she decided to enhance the sex lives of sight-impaired people after an experience in Chile while she was a student.

She said that she had helped a man to cross the road, and on telling him she was from Sweden, was amused by his reference to the Nordic liberal approach to sex.

“This realisation, that he had these thoughts even though he was blind, made me curious about how blind people’s sexuality is being discussed in society,” she told the website.

Håkan Thomsson, president of Sweden’s National Federation of the Visually Impaired, told Sweden’s Metro newspaper that he believed the books were a positive step.

“I think that some imagine that we have no sexuality, which is not true,” he said. “Visually impaired people are just as sexual as any other.”


Source: Independent

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Africa Produces Just 1.1% Of Global Scientific Knowledge

When Abdoulaye Djimdé returned to his home city of Bamako, Mali, after receiving a grant to set up his first lab, he naturally went to see the university’s finance office.

The conversation was not what he expected. Frustratingly, the grant, which had been transferred to the University’s bank account, had been mixed up with funds from various other sources. Eventually, after a small percentage had been deducted to cover the institution’s running costs, Djimdé was handed the remaining amount – some $20,000 (£13,000) – in cash.

That was 2001. Djimdé had returned to Mali after completing a PhD in malaria genetics at the University of Maryland. During his time in the United States he had authored ground-breaking research identifying the first genetic markers for chloroquine-resistant malaria, and a method for tracking drug-resistant malaria parasites in the field.


He was a world-class scientist, but obtaining access to his research funds had been an uphill battle and, with no systems for research procurement or accounting in place at the University of Bamako, Djimdé was tasked with setting up an internationally recognised genetics lab virtually unaided.

Nevertheless, Djimdé and many other leading researchers are convinced that the best place to do malaria research is in sub-Saharan Africa, where the disease is a massive health burden and there is a pressing need for better methods of prevention and new treatments. A key partnership for the lab was with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, which meant that although the resources locally were scarce, he was able to sequence malaria parasite DNA by sending back samples to the UK.

Following the same logic, we should be doing Ebola research in Sierra Leone, basic science on HIV in South Africa, and malaria genetics in Mali. Why then are we more used to seeing the latest developments in these areas being pioneered in the universities of California, Oxford or Zurich, rather than KwaZulu-Natal, Accra, or Harare? Inevitably, it is down to lack of investment, by both governments and the international community, in research infrastructure, training and programmes. Djimdé is one of many African scientists who have gone to study at a non-African university, and – crucially – he’s one of the very few to have come back. It is common for a scientist to move around the world to do research, but not to move to Africa to set up a research base.

The figures are stark, and the task of developing African science and its future scientists is daunting. Government money is spent on development and security, not research and innovation. According to the World Economic Forum, Africa produces only 1.1% of global scientific knowledge. The continent has just 79 scientists per million of inhabitants compared to countries like Brazil and United States where the ratio stands at 656 and 4,500, respectively. Worst of all, of those scientists and engineers who are trained in Africa, most work elsewhere due to the lack of infrastructure and resources.

Under-investment has knock-on effects, both on the stability of the healthcare systems, as we saw in West Africa during the Ebola epidemic, but also on the economy. There are clear links between investment in basic science and innovation in the form of spin-outs and large-scale commercial research and development. Similar arguments are made all over the world, but so far in Africa they are not being won.

But one new organisation hopes to turn this story around. AESA (the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa), of which I am the director, has been founded by the African Academy of Sciences and the African Union’s New Partnership for African Development as a body that will award research grants to African universities, advise them on financial best practice and develop a science strategy for Africa. Our vision is to make research an attractive, recognised career option in Africa, creating scientists who stay in the continent and can win their own grants to address local problems.

Initially we have been working in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Department for International Development to develop our resources and capacity. The Wellcome Trust and BMGF are working towards handing over control of their African research funding programmes to AESA. The active grants in these portfolios total more than $70m (£45m). But the real story is the step-change in governance. AESA will be directing the strategy for future funding, convening decision-making committees of international experts, and providing advice on finance and grant management – all of which is desperately needed if money is going to be reliably spent on research.

Abdoulaye Djimdé is one of the first awardees. The University of Bamako has made great strides in the past 15 years, and Djimdé will be using a $7m award to bring sequencing capacity to Mali and regionally, creating the first permanent genomics hub in sub-Saharan Africa, and training the next generation of biomedical scientists across nine African countries.

But this is just the beginning. We are in discussions with African governments, African NGOs, the World Bank, European Union funders and others who are interested in committing expertise and resources to AESA. Our ultimate vision is to develop science across Africa, and, in turn, a knowledge-based economy. Djimdé, and the other world-leading researchers receiving research awards this year, are at the forefront of a revolution in African-led science. This time, no cash will swap hands.

(Tom Kariuki, an immunologist and biomedical scientist, is the director of the African Academy of Sciences’ Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa based in Nairobi, Kenya.)

Ghana’s Entertainer, Bisa Kdei facebook Hacking.

Regrettably, the individual(s) involved have deleted series of posts from his timeline and have posted false endorsements on the Facebook and Instagram page of Bisa Kdei with the aim of deceiving fans and followers for personal gain, and have maliciously changed Bisa Kdei’s Instagram handle.

The official Facebook Fan Page of Bisa Kdei which has over 574,000 followers and over 127,000 followers on Instagram are currently not administered/managed by Bisa Kdei.
We are currently working with Facebook and Instagram to regain access to the accounts but in the meantime, fans can continue to interact with Bisa Kdei via his official Twitter account (@Bisa_Kdei).
Bisa Kdei apologises for any inconvenience caused and urges fans to ignore any requests that the hackers might make.

AMG International Modeling Agency To Comes Ghana

Aspiring and budding models can now breathe fresh air as AMG International Modeling Agency comes to Ghana.

AMG international is a division of TIG Investments Group which is headquartered in the UK with regional operations across each of the continents including Africa.

With its philosophy which is to unearth the raw talent that lies in the African continent and provide opportunities for those for whom success remains a dream far away; then models have found a ‘home’.

One of the agency’s goals is to uncover the model’s potential at the roots, support and help them through professional training and development and guide them to climb the ladder of success to become a star nationally, regionally and internationally.
Also, as part of the agency’s key spur to models who aim greatness, they (AMG) are looking for the next generation of Afrique models to inspire in Africa and beyond onto the catwalks of New York, London, Paris and Milan.

Thus, models with strong self-belief and determination to become what they want to be are asked to visit the AMG offices in Accra, Ghana and complete a simple registration including a nominal fee for which they will create a portfolio for you with a professional photo shoot in their studio on the day of the model’s registration. Then other modeling services will follow appropriately.

Source: zionfelix

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AMAZING!!! Miss Ghana 2015 Talent Show (PHOTOS)

The Judges on the night of the event were Actress, Film Producer and Singer, Juliet Ibrahim , musician Eugene Baah aka Choirmaster of Praye, Creative Director , EEGL, Khadija Yusuf, Miss Ghana Brand Ambassador, Nadia Ntanu and Mr. Ghana 2014/2015, Nii Tackie Laryea.



To find out which Miss Ghana 2015 finalist won the talent show or will clinch the coveted Miss Ghana Title, be at the Accra International Conference Center on Saturday, 7th November 2015. Tickets are selling for ghc100 regular and ghc200 VIP at CITI FM, Honeysuckle Osu, Honeysuckle A&C Mall, Chase Labone, Chase Osu.

Miss Ghana 2015 is powered by Exclusive Events Ghana and sponsored by Citroën by CFAO, Lawash marketed by Tobinco Pharmacy, Unique Floral, Magnum Forces Securities, Special Ice Water, Oak Plaza Hotel, Hottees, Papaz Pizza, TT BROTHERS, Accra Metropolitan Assembly

Media partners are Graphic Showbiz, Star FM, Citi FM, Live FM, Atinka FM, Peace FM, Alive TV, and TV 7+.

Check out photos from the event below:

 Source: zionfelix

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Actress Adu Safowaah Regina Accused Of Stealing Washing Machine

Best new actress at the 2015 City People Entertainment Awards, Adu Safowaah Regina has come clean on report that she has broken into one Evelyn’s home to steal items worth Gh25k. The actress in a chat with Celebritytvgh.com on Tuesday afternoon revealed that her friend, Evelyn who came for MTN chip used her Gh500 amount deposited in her MTN Mobile Money account but refused to pick her calls on many occasion. She explained that Evelyn has been using her MTN number to receive money from people so she easily gave her the chip and code to her to cash out money sent to her.
According to the actress who admitted of picking a TV set and washing machine from her friend’s house at Adenta, she did on a purpose that her friend will return her cash in exchange of her items. She stated clearly that media reports which suggested that she broke into her friend’s home was lies and they are to bring her down.

The TV presenter disclosed that certain people behind the theft case report have threatened her on several occasions to bring her career down and this incident is one of such ways they planned of using.

Report had it that “News emerging from Dodowa in Accra, Ghana has it that one of Ghana’s actresses in person of ADU SAFOWAAH REGINA was in the curbs of the Frafraha police station for alleging breaking into one Evelyn’s apartment and making away with items worth about Ghs 25K.

Our source reveals that the stolen items included: Toshiba flat screen, a washing machine, amongst others.

According to reports, during the robbery, Regina passed through the window with her accomplice who was a taxi driver to move the items before the arrest and detention by the police unit on the Dodowa road was done.

After spending about a day-and-a-half in the police cells, she was later bailed.”

Source: zionfelix

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#Indian Man Faces Deportation Over Fake Marriage

It has emerged that the marriage between Ashok Kumar Sivaram, an Indian, and his Ghanaian wife, Gifty Abanka Abalisimi, is not legitimate to guarantee him a Ghanaian citizenship.

Following this revelation, Ashok is facing a possible repatriation as his residence permit is on the verge of being revoked.

A search conducted at the Marriage Registry of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) revealed that no marriage had been registered under the Marriage Act, 1884-1985 (CAP 127) in respect of Ashok Kumar Sivaram and Gifty Abanka Abalisimi.
Speculations are rife that Ashok contracted the ‘fake marriage’ in order to acquire Ghanaian citizenship as his previous marriage to an Indian woman, Seema Madhavan Nair, back in 1987 in India was not disclosed at the time of contracting the marriage in Kumasi in December 2012.

A letter from the Registrar of Marriages and Divorce Registry said certificate number KMA/1299/12 as contained in the couple’s marriage certificate was procured outside the registry.

According to the registrar, the development suggests that Mr and Mrs Sivaram’s marriage certificate is unauthentic, and might have been procured outside the genuine processes required by law.

Mr Kumar Sivaram had applied to be granted citizenship status as a Ghanaian to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) after he submitted the said marriage certificate between him and Gifty Abanka Abalisimi.

Due diligence conducted by officials of GIS has exposed the Indian as an unqualified person to be accorded that status.

It is not clear whether the advice given him by the registrar of marriages and divorce had been taken.

The Ghana Immigration Service, in a letter on its findings, revealed that the applicant had presented a fake marriage certificate to advance his request for Ghana’s citizenship.

It said, “The Registrar of Marriages and Divorce at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) in a letter dated 30 September, 2015 refuted the genuineness of the said certificate and stated categorically that it did not emanate from his office.”

According to the letter, Ashok, upon invitation to the office on October 8 this year in the presence of his lawyer, Gary Nimako Marfo, insisted that the certificate was genuine until a copy of the said letter from the registry was presented to them for examination, leading to the admission that the certificate was fake.

Nimako Marfo, the report disclosed, accepted the challenge and pleaded to conduct their independent investigation into the matter and that on October 12, Ashok and the said lawyer reported to the office confirming that the certificate was fake.

The lawyer explained that his client was unaware that he had been given a fake certificate because it was issued to him and his wife at the KMA premises.

When Mr Nimako Marfo was contacted, he questioned the rationale in writing the story. “What is public interest in this story?” he queried when DAILY GUIDE contacted him after Ashok had referred the paper to him.

Ashok had wondered how DAILY GUIDE got the story, saying that he wanted to have a one-on-one interview, but rather referred the paper to his lawyer.

The Immigration Service letter further disclosed that there were no indications that an earlier marriage contracted between Ashok and Seema Madhavan Nair in India had been dissolved.

“The investigation team, through intelligence, had a marriage document which shows that subject was earlier married to Seema Madhavan Nair in India in1987…however, when applicant was filling the application form, he did not mention that he ever married,” the letter averred.

It said Ashok again did not state in the vetting form that he had any children, but when questioned as to whether he had any children, he responded in the affirmative, saying he had two children from his previous relationship, although he was not married.

As a result, the GIS, stressing that the applicant presented a fake certificate and lied on oath, recommended the immediate repatriation of Ashok.

“It’s our humble recommendation that based on the key findings, applicant’s residence permit be revoked in accordance with Section 20 (2) (a) of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573) and be repatriated immediately in accordance with Section 20 (3) (a) of the same Act,” it said.

Curiously, since the GIS findings, Ashok is still hopping about carrying out his dealings.

Source: ghanaweb

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SHOCKING!!! Wreckship In Greece Kill 31 People In Aegean Sea (Photos)

 LESBOS, Greece (AP) — Greece's prime minister lashed out Friday at European "ineptness" in handling the continent's massive immigration crisis after 31 more people — mostly children — drowned in shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea.

Greece's Merchant Marine Ministry said 19 people died and 138 were rescued near the eastern island of Kalymnos, in one of the worst accidents in Greek waters since hundreds of thousands starting fleeing the war in Syria. Eight of the victims were children and three were babies.

At least three more people — a woman, a child and a baby — died when another migrant boat sank off the nearby Greek island of Rhodes, and three more were missing. On the islet of Agathonissi, a fisherman recovered the body of a boy missing from yet another accident on Wednesday.
The death toll in the Aegean over the past three days has now reached at least 50. On the Turkish side, Turkey's state-run agency said four children drowned and two others were missing after two new accidents Friday involving boats en route to the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos.
ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Nearly 600 people were rescued by the Greek coast guard in the past 24 hours, while thousands more made it safely from Turkey to Greece southeastern islands.

Far to the west in Spain, rescuers found the bodies of four migrants and were searching for 35 missing from a boat that ran into trouble trying to reach Spain from Morocco.

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Greece is the main point of entry for people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa and seeking a better life in Europe, after an alternative sea route from Libya to Italy became too dangerous. Well over half a million people — mainly Syrians and Afghans — have arrived so far this year from the nearby Turkish coast, as European governments weigh taking tougher measures to try to limit the number of arrivals in Europe.

The influx has overwhelmed authorities in financially struggling Greece.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras accused Europe of an "inability to defend its (humanitarian) values" by providing a safe alternative to the dangerous sea journeys.

"I want to express ... my endless grief at the dozens of deaths and the human tragedy playing out in our seas," he told parliament. "The waves of the Aegean are not just washing up dead refugees, dead children, but (also) the very civilization of Europe."

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

"What about the tens of thousands of living children, who are cramming the roads of migration?" he said.

Tsipras blamed the migrant flows on western military interventions in the Middle East, which he said furthered geopolitical interests rather than democracy.

"And now, those who sowed winds are reaping whirlwinds, but these mainly afflict reception countries," he added.

"I feel ashamed of Europe's inability to effectively address this human drama, and of the level of debate ... where everyone tries to shift responsibility to someone else," Tsipras said.

Four coast guard patrol vessels, a helicopter and three fishing boats helped rescue the survivors off Kalymnos, and nobody was listed as missing, the Merchant Marine Ministry said. The accident occurred shortly before midnight Thursday, when the wooden boat in which the migrants had left from Turkey took on water and sank in moderately strong winds.

Meanwhile, authorities on Friday raised to 16 the number of deaths from another migrant ship disaster off the island of Lesbos on Wednesday. They said 274 people have been rescued in total, while one more migrant remains listed as missing.

JAVI JULIO/ANADOLU AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES

Tsipras accused Western countries of shedding "crocodile tears" over children dying in the Aegean but doing little for those who make it across.

"What about the tens of thousands of living children, who are cramming the roads of migration?" he said.

Tsipras blamed the migrant flows on Western military interventions in the Middle East, which he said furthered geopolitical interests rather than democracy.

"And now, those who sowed winds are reaping whirlwinds, but these mainly afflict reception countries," he added.

"I feel ashamed of Europe's inability to effectively address this human drama, and of the level of debate ... where everyone tries to shift responsibility to someone else," Tsipras said.

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

On the ground, it's a 24-hour battle to keep up with the river of people entering Europe and trekking hundreds of miles north to wealthier EU nations.

Four coast guard patrol vessels, a helicopter and three fishing boats helped rescue the survivors off Kalymnos and nobody was listed as missing, the Merchant Marine Ministry said. The accident occurred shortly before midnight Thursday, when the wooden boat in which the migrants had left from Turkey took on water and sank in moderately strong winds.

Meanwhile, authorities on Friday raised to 16 the number of deaths from another smuggling ship disaster Wednesday off the island of Lesbos. They said 274 people have been rescued, while one migrant remains missing.

In Spain, the Marine Rescue service said Friday that 15 migrants were found alive on the boat Thursday in the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Spanish port of Malaga, and four bodies were recovered. Some 35 people are still missing.

Along Slovenia's border with Austria, hundreds of migrants, many holding children in their arms, pushed through metal barriers and a police cordon Friday into Austria.

Several people were seen collapsing amid the melee near the Slovenian refugee camp in Sentilj. A backlog of some 4,000 migrants has formed at the border as Austrian authorities struggled to process the thousands arriving daily from Slovenia.

DARKO BANDIC/ASSOCIATED PRESS

The foreign minister of Hungary, which has fenced off its southern border, called the refugee crisis is "the most serious challenge the European Union has ever faced." Speaking Friday in Athens, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also denounced "a piece of hypocrisy" in the criticism of his nation's decision to fence off its border.

Urging stronger EU action to guard Greece's porous sea border with Turkey, Szijjarto said instead of "bashing and criticizing each other," EU members should formulate a common approach on immigration.

Tsipras' left-led government has appealed for more assistance from its EU partners. It argues that the migrants should be registered in camps in Turkey, then flown directly to host countries under the EU's relocation program, in order to spare them the perilous sea voyage.


Source: huffingtonpos

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‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 6 Will Likely Not Start Until May Next Year.

Past seasons of HBO’s hit show have generally debuted sometime in early April; Season 3 hit the earliest, on March 31, while season 1 hit the latest, on April 17. So fans — with appetites for new material whetted by the many spoilers that have leaked out of the show’s set — have been hoping that Season 6 would follow a similar timeframe. Or even earlier!

But it looks like that’s not happening. Today, HBO announced that Martin Scorsese’s much-hyped rock drama “Vinyl” will start on Feb. 14, while comedies “Girls” and “Togetherness” are returning on Feb. 21. All three shows will run for 10 episodes — which implies that “Vinyl” won’t end until April 17, while the other two won’t end until April 24.


“Vinyl” will occupy the time slot — Sunday at 9 p.m. — that “Game of Thrones” normally does. So unless HBO decided to make the virtually unprecedented step of switching its biggest show to another night, the earliest it could possibly return is April 24, before the season finales of “Girls” and “Togetherness.”

Last season of “Game of Thrones,” though, was paired with “Silicon Valley” and “Veep,” not “Girls” and “Togetherness” — which would imply that “Game of Thrones” won’t premiere before May 1.

Yet even this seems like a dicey proposition: HBO generally leaves a week between its quirky “seasons.” If the network does so in this case, “Game of Thrones” might not start until May 8. Or even later!

 HBO, for its part, told HuffPost that it has not yet set a premiere date for the show, and would not comment on how the air dates of “Vinyl,” “Girls” and “Togetherness” might affect “Game of Thrones,” with a representative nothing they “can’t confirm any dates at all.”

This is, needless to say, a major bummer.

There is one ray of light here though. Albeit a dim one. Season 6 will be the first season of “Game of Thrones” to cover material that hasn’t yet been covered in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books. And no one knows when the next book in the series, The Winds of Winter, will be released. But many fans believe — based on a few scraps of news — that Martin is racing to finish this book in time to release it before the next season, in order to keep the show from spoiling the book.

This may be a stretch, but it’s not inconceivable that Martin and his publishers told HBO that they would be releasing The Winds of Winter on, say, April 30 — and HBO scheduled the show accordingly. That sounds a little convoluted, admittedly, but we are talking about the people behind Littlefinger and Varys. Convoluted secret plots are their lives.

Source: HuffPost

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S/Africa Has Launches Trading Probe Over Fine On MTN’s Nigeria

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange launched Friday an investigation into mobile giant MTN for “possible insider trading” before the South African company announced it had been hit by a $5.2 billion fine in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) fined Africa’s largest telecoms firm for missing a deadline to deactivate 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards.

News of the fine broke Monday morning in Nigeria, sparking a sell-off of MTN shares before the company formally notified shareholders later in the day.

“The market regulation team is looking into trades that took place before the announcement in order to determine if there is any evidence of possible insider trading,” Peter Redman, Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) market regulation advisor, said in a statement.
South African law dictates that companies immediately warn shareholders about price-sensitive information.

“The investigation will follow due process to establish whether there have been any breaches of the listings requirements and can be lengthy process,” said Andre Visser, JSE regulation manager.

MTN issued a statement saying “senior management of the company and its advisors are currently engaging with the JSE Limited on the timing of the… announcement.”

The probe could result in South Africa’s bourse operator slapping MTN with another hefty fine or result in criminal charges.

“It just puts the company under additional pressure,” said Amy Cameron, telecoms analyst at BMI Research, a market research firm based in London. “It will be another really big challenge.”

Cameron said that MTN should brace itself for a rocky few months.

“It could look into some sort of international arbitration, because a 5.2 billion dollar fine is absolutely crippling,” she said.

Early in August the NCC issued a directive to mobile telecoms companies operating in Nigeria to deactivate all unregistered SIM cards within seven days or face sanctions.

The penalty saw the company’s shares crash on the JSE and raised questions about the renewal of its licence in Nigeria next year if the fine goes unpaid.

The NCC has set a November 16 deadline for MTN to pay the fine.

MTN had more than 62.8 million subscribers in Nigeria — its biggest market — in the second quarter of this year.

Saraki And Alleged False Declaration Of Assets, Court Quashed The Charge Today

 ‎The propriety of the 13-count criminal charge against the Senate President, Dr. Olubukola Saraki has created a sharp division among Appeal Court Justices.

Saraki docked at CCT

Whereas Justice Moore Adumein dismissed the appeal that was lodged by Saraki as lacking in merit, another member of the panel, Justice ‎ J.E. Ekanem upheld the appeal, declaring the charge before the CCT as incompetent.

Justice Ekanem specifically quashed the charge and discharged Saraki on the basis that the Deputy Director at the Ministry of Justice, M. M. S. Hassan who signed the charge, did not specify who authorized him to initiate the ‎criminal proceeding.
“A look at the charge showed that Mr. Hassan instituted the action pursuant to section 24 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, 2004 which permits only the Attorney General of the Federation to initiate criminal proceedings”.

Justice Ekanem stressed that though the constitution permits the Solicitor-General of the Federation, SGF, to commence criminal action in the absence of the AGF, he said that Hassan failed to produce any document showing that he was properly authorised by th‎e SGF.

“The opening paragraph of the letter Hassan sent to the CCT on September 11, wherein he applied to commence trial against the appellant is very instructive.

“He merely said ‘ I am authorised to file this action’ but did not say that he was authorised by the Solicitor-General. He went short of identifying who authorised him.

“It is therefore my view that the charge before the tribunal is incompetent. It is for this view that I hold that this appeal has succeeded and I hereby set-aside the charge and discharge the accused person”, ‎Justice Ekanem held.

However, the third member of the panel , Justice M. Mustapha, concurred with the lead verdict which declined to quash the charge against Saraki.

Earlier, leader of the panel, Justice Adumein dismissed Saraki’s appeal, saying he should go to the tribunal to answer the charge against him.

He held that Justice Danladi Umar-led tribunal was properly constituted to try the offences against Saraki, noting that he was not charged in his official capacity, but as an individual.

‎Justice Adumein placed reliance on paragraph 15(1) of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution and section 20(2) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, 2004, ‎and held that the two-man panel of Justices at the tribunal formed a quorum to entertain the charge.

“The above provisions are very clear and unambiguous and should be given their ordinary meaning. This is in line with ‎the golden rule of interpretation. There is no provision on minimum number of members which the tribunal must have before it can sit to hear cases”.

Justice Adumein held that the charge was competently instituted, saying the tribunal had the requisite powers to issue bench warrant against Saraki.

He dismissed all five grounds of appeal that Saraki filed before the court for want of merit.
Saraki had gone before the appellate court to query the legality of the charge against him.

He was among other offences, alleged to have owned and operated foreign bank accounts while being a public officer.

However, aside challenging the charge, Saraki also queried the constitutionality of the warrant of arrest that was initially issued against him by Chairman of the CCT, Justice Umar.

Besides, the embattled Senate President, through his team of lawyers led by a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. J.B. Daudu, SAN, wants the higher court to ascertain whether the Justice Umar-led panel subscribed to the appropriate legal procedure when ‎it ordered him to mount the dock and enter his plea to the charge despite preliminary objections against his trial.

He described the criminal proceeding that was initiated against him by the Federal Ministry of Justice as‎ “a politically motivated witch-hunt”.
‎
He begged the appellate court to quash the proceeding of the tribunal and discharge him, a request that was refused by two members of the appeal court panel today.

Source: vanguardngr

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Rihanna Recieve $25 Million Sponsorship Deal From Samsung

Rihanna is getting her money. The singer has inked an unprecedented $25 million deal with Samsung to sponsor her upcoming album and tour.

According to the New York Post, the Rihanna deal was seven months in the making and took longer than expected because Rihanna made some last-minute changes to her album Anti.

Jay Z and Rihanna’s manager Jay Brown helped close the deal. Jay Z was pictured leaving the Samsung offices earlier this month, prompting rumors that he was selling TIDAL, but he was reportedly there to discuss the Rihanna partnership.
Samsung plans to use Rihanna to help promote its Galaxy line of products and wants exclusive use of Rihanna-related video content for its Milk Music app.

Roc Nation has a long and profitable history with Samsung. In 2013, the South Korean electronics giant bought 1 million copies of Jay Z’s album Magna Carta… Holy Grail and distributed them for free via its Galaxy devices.

Rihanna has yet to announce an official release date for her eighth album Anti, but it is expected to arrive before the end of the year.

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Former Chelsea Team Doctor Eva Carneiro, ‘To Sue Chelsea For Constructive Dismissal’

Former Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro is to sue the club for constructive dismissal, according to the Press Association.

PA reports that legal papers were served on the club this week which will trigger an employment tribunal – unless an out-of-court settlement can be agreed before a hearing takes place.

Carneiro refused to confirm or comment on the reports when asked by Sky Sports at an awards ceremony in London on Thursday evening.
The doctor was dropped from first-team duties on August 8 after she and physio John Fearn were criticised by manager Jose Mourinho for going on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard, which left the Blues temporarily down to nine men as he left the field for treatment.

Mourinho has since been cleared by the FA of using discriminatory language towards Carneiro but the doctor has criticised the governing body over its investigation.

She said earlier this month: “I was surprised to learn that the FA was allegedly investigating the incident of August 8 via the press. I was at no stage requested by the FA to make a statement.

Carneiro and head physio Jon Fearn treating Hazard at Stamford Bridge in August

“I wonder whether this might be the only formal investigation in this country where the evidence of the individuals involved in the incident was not considered relevant. Choosing to ignore some of the evidence will surely influence the outcome of the findings.”

Carneiro’s lawyers served the papers after failing to agree a settlement with Chelsea. The three-month period in which a claim must be notified ends on November 8, but any employment tribunal would be heard in public and such cases are usually settled beforehand to avoid potential embarrassment.

Chelsea have previously said they cannot comment on internal staffing matters.

Source: jumpfon

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Smartphone Vendors Ship Over 340 Million Units In Third Quarter(Q3)

Leading UK-based mobile analyst firm Juniper Research estimates that the number of smartphone shipments reached 342.5 million in third quarter (Q3) of 2015, with a slowed year on year growth of 8.4%.

Out of the total, Samsung sits comfortably at the top with 84 million smartphone shipments in the quarter, boosting its mobile phone unit profitability by 37% year on year.

Juniper noted that Samsung is beginning to turn its mobile unit around, while recording significant gains in its the semiconductor business, which is one of the most productive divisions for the company.
Apple

Apple posted another record-breaking quarter, with 48 million unit sales, compared to 39 million iPhones sold in Q3 2014.

Apple is increasingly turning to China for this growth – with over $12 billion in revenue coming from the Far East, and continued investment in the form of new stores and developer support.

“Whilst the appetite for Apple products is expected to remain strong in China, future expansion may be tempered somewhat by the slower economic growth expected in that market,” Juniper estimates.

Chinese based Xiaomi sold an estimated 18.4 million smartphones, with the slowdown in China exacerbating the company’s troubles in the international market.

This make Huawei the best performing Chinese vendor of the quarter, shipping 27.4 million devices, up 63% on shipments for this period last year.

Meanwhile, some other popular brands like HTC, Blackberry, LG and Sony also posted significant decline in shipment and profits.

The report said HTC continued to see a decline in revenues of 49%, despite restructuring.

Sony

Despite a 32% year on year decline in shipments, Sony has announced plans to open a new smartphone factory in Thailand. This will start production in the 2016 fiscal year, putting to rest rumours that the CEO was preparing to axe the division.

A similarly sharp sales drop from Microsoft is being blamed on an ‘updated strategy’: this is a reference to the shift away from devices onto a more platform-based business model.

Microsoft’s 54% revenue decline in the quarter, is matched by a 38% year on year decline in unit sales, representing 5.8 million shipments for Q3.

Meanwhile, LG posted their first ever Q3 year on year decline in smartphone sales along with a drop in profits from both declining sales and unfavourable exchange rates.

BlackBerry sales also continued to dip ahead of its Android launch, with sales estimated to have dropped below 1 million devices for the first time since 2005.

Asus’ smartphone presence is steadily growing, with an estimated 6 million units shipped this quarter.

The new Smartphone Q3 Report from Juniper Research, to be released shortly, gets under the skin of the latest market developments, analyses their implications, and forecasts how they will affect the overall market size.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

Source: jumpfon

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