Buhari's trips are not as frivolous as Jonathan's - Sen. Shehu Sani

Senator Shehu Sani who represents Kaduna Central in the Senate and serves as the deputy Chairman of the Senate committee on Foreign Affairs, has described as necessary the various foreign trips President Buhari has made since assuming office in May 29th. According to Sani, Buhari's trips outside Nigeria have not been as "Frivolous" as those of Former President Goodluck Jonathan. Sani said this in an interview with Leadership newspaper.

"The travels of President Muhammadu Buhari are necessary. These travels are very necessary for him to work out a programme for the economy. All the countries that he has been to, he has secured a good deal for Nigeria. He was in Iran for the 3rd Gas Exporting Countries Forum(GEFC), because as you already know, Nigeria is a major gas exporter. He travelled to Malta for security and Agricultural development, and as you also know, Nigeria is a major agricultural country. He also travelled to France on the issue of environment and climate change. So you cannot have a President that would simply sit at home and not travel. It doesn’t work that way. The travels are an opportunity for the President to project Nigeria and also bring the attention of the world to Nigeria. So his journeys are not as frivolous as those of President Goodluck Jonathan. We are living in an inter-dependent world, so it’s not possible for a president not to travel, so those who are complaining that he is travelling are ignorant. They don’t know what it takes to run an economy. And I will want to say in very clear terms that, President Muhammadu Buhari is the most prudent President in terms of travels. His travels have not gulped the kind of resources, his predecessors’ travels gulped. And we should also not forget that the party in power made promises of revamping the economy, creating jobs, protecting our borders and ending corruption, and before you can fulfil all these promises, you must work with other global leaders. For example, our president wants looted funds stashed in some of these countries, to be returned home, and if we don’t cooperate with other nations around the world, these things cannot be achieved. How can we be able to repatriate the stolen funds, how can the president protect our borders without visiting those countries?‎"he said

Minister of Science and Technology promises to only use made in Nigeria vehicles

The new Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu says he will only use made in Nigerian vehicles during this present administration.
According to Vanguard the Minister has already listed Innoson Motos and PAN Nigeria as the only companies to supply his preferred vehicles.

The Minister reportedly took the decision to encourage made in Nigeria goods and reduce excessive usage of foreign goods, as part of the administrations’ resolve to diversify the economy and empower Nigerians.
He made the pledge on Friday when he sat with members of the Joint Union Negotiating Council-Federal Ministry of Science & Technology Chapter.

Donald Trump calls for 'complete ban' on Muslims entering US

Donald Trump on Monday called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," an idea swiftly condemned by his rival candidates for president and other Republicans.

The proposed ban would apply to immigrants and visitors alike, a sweeping prohibition affecting all adherents of Islam who want to come to the U.S.

Trump's campaign said in a statement such a ban should stand "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." It said the proposal comes in response to a level of hatred among "large segments of the Muslim population" toward Americans.

"Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life," Trump said in the statement.

At an evening rally in South Carolina, Trump supporters cheered and shouted in support as he read his statement. Trump warned during his speech that without drastic action, the threat of attacks is "going to get worse and worse."

"As he says, we have to find out who they are and why they are here," Rod Weader, a 68-year-old real estate agent from North Charleston who attended the rally and said he agreed with Trump's plan "150 percent." ''Like he said, they are going to kill us and we've got to stop it."

“We have no idea who is coming into our country, no idea if they like us or hate us,” Trump told supporters in S.C. “I wrote something today that is very salient…and probably not very politically correct. But I don’t care.”

Trump added that his proposal is “common sense” and “we have no choice”.  He warned the crowd that “we can be politically correct and stupid but it’s going to get worse and worse.”

The proposed ban would stand "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on," his campaign said in a statement earlier Monday.

The statement added that Trump's proposal comes in response to the level of hatred among "large segments of the Muslim population" toward Americans.

"Donald Trump is unhinged," Jeb Bush said via Twitter. "His 'policy' proposals are not serious."

2 Chainz to pay rent for single Parent Veteran for 1 Year

Single mother Deirdre Plater of Palmetto, Georgia, has been having trouble making ends meet, and hasn’t been able to find a job for the past year. Rapper 2 Chainz, learned of her predicament and paid her a visit Saturday.

But he didn’t come alone: the rapper brought new furniture for Plater’s apartment and offered to pay her rent for the year.

“Last week was my son’s birthday and his mentor sister brought us something to eat for Thanksgiving while dropping off money for some groceries and she noticed that we didn’t have any furniture in the house,” Plater explained.

“I guess that sparked my son’s mentor Mark Barnes to do something special for us and when he got the call from 2 Chainz about helping a family it all fell into place.”

2 Chainz posted on Instagram about the importance of giving back, remembering that he grew up poor.
In another post, he said it’s “important to give back when you’ve got it.”
2 Chainz heads up the T.R.U. Foundation, a charitable organization, and used the proceeds for the “Dabbing Santa” sweaters he is selling online to help pay for the furniture and rent.

Kim & Kanye name their son - Saint West..

Kim and Kanye have officially announced the name of their second child. The boy has been named 'Saint West'. I expected something weird but Saint?

What would you do if you found a possibly used Condom in your sandwich?

This happened to a Lady in SA and she took to twitter with photo proof. The Mall she tagged has since responded, claiming that they are now in contact with her and are investigating the matter...

 

Coco Austin shows off her post baby bod

Coco Austin who had a baby a little over a week ago showed off her post baby bod saying she only gained 13 pounds during her pregnancy and is back to her pre-baby body weight. She said:

1 week post baby ..the left was me at 36 weeks ( I had Chanel at 37 weeks) I was basically in shape before I got pregnant but during pregnancy I stopped my workout regimen at 4 months preggers and pretty much became a fruitarian after that lol..No not really, I ate other foods of course but craved fruit. I lost 10 pounds before I even started to gain baby weight probably because 1- I stopped drinking alcohol. 2 - I stopped weight lifting and lost a lot of muscle and 3- I ate really healthy and took my vitamins everyday.(I'm gonna post my whole routine soon on my baby blog www.thecocoblog.com) I gained 13 pounds my whole pregnancy and now I way almost back to norm at 137 pounds. All this is strange to me too, how my body took so well with pregnancy because I was mentally prepared to blow up like a whale and I was totally cool with it I really could have cared less how my body looked it didn't matter to me..I couldn't wait to get a bump and rock it! ..I would've gone through anything to make a healthy baby ..I had the heavens really watching over me and know everyday how blessed I am.. I believe anybody could too go through a wonderful experience and thats why I made a baby blog so people could know the steps I took..I hope to bring inspiration

Rapid Respnse Squad arrests 4 suspects, recover 6 bags of Indian hemp

The Lagos State Rapid Response Squad, RRS, paraded four men found with Indian hemp yesterday.
The leader of the RRS team, Inspector Adeniba Olorunshola, told journalists that his team acted on a tip off and after two weeks of surveillance stormed the hideout known for the sale of Indian hemp in Oyingbo area on Sunday.

Olorunshola said that six bags of Indian hemp were recovered from the suspects in the hideout which had underground escape tunnels.
He said that four suspected Indian Hemp sellers were apprehended but that the main suspect, a man popularly known as “Aroso” escaped. But that the manhunt for him is still ongoing.

He said that the suspects would be handed over to the NDLEA after investigations had been concluded.



Punch

Penis transplants being planned to help wounded troops in the US

Within a year, maybe in just a few months, a young soldier with a horrific injury from a bomb blast in Afghanistan will have an operation that has never been performed in the United States: a penis transplant.

The organ will come from a deceased donor, and the surgeons, from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, say they expect it to start working in a matter of months, developing urinary function, sensation and, eventually, the ability to have sex.

From 2001 to 2013, 1,367 men in the US military service suffered wounds to the genitals in Iraq or Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense Trauma Registry. Nearly all were under 35 and were hurt by homemade bombs, commonly called improvised explosive devices, or I.E.D.s. Some lost all or part of their penises or testicles — what doctors call genitourinary injuries.

 

Missing limbs have become a well-known symbol of these wars, but genital damage is a hidden wound, and, to many, a far worse one, cloaked in shame, stigma and embarrassment.

“These genitourinary injuries are not things we hear about or read about very often,” said Dr. W. P. Andrew Lee, the chairman of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Johns Hopkins. “I think one would agree it is as devastating as anything that our wounded warriors suffer, for a young man to come home in his early 20s with the pelvic area completely destroyed.”

 

Only two other penis transplants have been reported in medical journals: a failed one in China in 2006 and a successful one in South Africa last year. The surgery is considered experimental, and

 

Johns Hopkins has given the doctors permission to perform 60 transplants. The university will monitor the results and decide whether to make the operation a standard treatment. The risks, like those of any major transplant operation, include bleeding, infection and the possibility that the medicine needed to prevent transplant rejection will increase the odds of cancer.

Dr. Lee cautioned that patients should be realistic and not “think they can regain it all.” But doctors can give the recipients a range of what to expect.

“Some hope to father children,” Dr. Lee said. “I think that is a realistic goal.”

Just the penis will be transplanted, not the testes, where sperm are produced. So if a transplant recipient does become a father, the child will be his own genetically, not the offspring of the donor. Men who have lost testicles completely may still be able to have penis transplants, but they will not be able to have biological children.

 

In the 2006 case in China, the recipient asked that the transplant be removed a few weeks after the operation because of “apparent psychological rejection,” the Johns Hopkins doctors said, adding that in photographs the transplant had patches of dead and peeling skin, possibly from inadequate blood flow.

 

But the South African recipient, a young man whose penis had been amputated because of a botched circumcision, recently became a father, said Dr. Gerald Brandacher, the scientific director of the reconstructive transplantation program at Johns Hopkins.

 

Doctors who treat young men wounded in combat say that no matter how bad their other injuries are, the first thing the men ask about when they wake up from surgery is whether their genitals are intact.

“Our young male patients would rather lose both legs and an arm than have a urogenital injury,” said Scott E. Skiles, the polytrauma social work supervisor at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System.

 

 

Source: NY Times

Fox News suspends two on-air contributors for disrespectful remark about Obama

Fox News has suspended two on-air contributors in the wake of crude language they used on different programs on Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network on Monday to discuss Obama's Sunday evening remarks on terrorism.

“Earlier yesterday, Fox contributors Lt. Col. Ralph Peters and Stacey Dash made comments on different programs that were completely inappropriate and unacceptable for our air,”said Bill Shine, senior executive vice president of programming for both networks, in a prepared statement. “Fox Business Network and Fox News Channel do not condone the use of such language, and have suspended both Peters and Dash for two weeks.”

The two networks are both owned by 21st Century Fox.

Ralph Peters, a Fox News analyst and retired Army officer, made his comments on a Fox Business Network program hosted by Stuart Varney on Fox Business, saying "the President is such a total pussy, it's stunning" to describe the President’s remarks on terrorism delivered on Sunday evening, eventually prompting host Stuart Varney to demand Peters apologize.

Stacy Dash while speaking on Fox News’ “Outnumbered,” said that the President didn’t “give a s---” about terrorism.

The two aren’t the first cable-news personalities to utter a disparaging word about a prominent public figure. Martin Bashir resigned from MSNBC in late 2013 after making intemperate remarks about conservative pundit and one-time Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Alec Baldwin was removed from a Friday-night program he had begun to host for MSNBC in November of that year after he was heard uttering an anti-gay slur while confronting reporters in an incident not  related to his hosting duties. He did not return to the air, choosing instead to part ways with MSNBC.

Photo: Appeal court nullifies Senator Uche Ekwunife's election

In response to the appeal filed by Victor Umeh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), a Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu has nullified the election of Uche Ekwunife of PDP. The judgement read by Justice Datijo Yhaya stated that the March 28 election of Mrs Ekwunife did not meet the prescription of the electoral act and therefore ordered a fresh election to be held within 90 days in the Anambra State Central Senatorial District.

Reacting to the judgement, Mrs. Ekwunife called on her supporters and the people of Anambra Central Senatorial Zone to remain calm. She expressed optimism that she will win election into the senatorial zone anytime any day further sued for peace, describing the judgement as fatal to principles of democracy.

She further called on the people of Anambra Central senatorial zone to remain calm in the face of the judgment, adding that with the overwhelming support they gave her during the election, she will still emerge victorious when the election is conducted.

"The judgement is a judgement of man. The court acted as a father Christmas by awarding to Chief Victor Umeh what he did not ask. But I take the judgement in good faith believing that my victory at the polls was an act of God. I assure my supporters that we will emerge victorious even as I thank Ndi Anambra central for their supports so far".

Photos: Buhari presides over FEC meeting, approves N6tr expenditure for 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari today presided over the Federal Executive Council meeting approved N6 trillion expenditure for 2016 Budget under the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.‎ According to him, an oil price of $38 per barrel of crude oil and 2.2 million production barrels per day were projected in the framework.

"At today’s Council, the Council approved the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF which sets out the policies of government over the next years. It sets out the fundamental economic underpinning of the budget. The highlights are as follows: we project and we are working with $38 crude oil price, we consider that to be very conservative but because of the uncertainty, we felt that we should start with a conservative crude oil price."he said

Bayelsa: Nigeria under Buhari is becoming a shame - Fayose

Press statement from Ekiti State Governor...

Mr Ayodele Fayose has raised the alarm that Nigeria under President Buhari was fast becoming a shame, describing the failed attempt by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the Bayelsa State governorship election as clear invitation to anarchy. The governor, who said it was shameful that the two elections conducted by INEC under Buhari’s kinsman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu were inconclusive, called on all well-meaning Nigerians and the international community to rise up in condemnation of the APC government’s plot to destroy democracy in the country.

Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose who said everything under Buhari was becoming inconclusive, added that; “If in three days, INEC could not conduct credible election in Bayelsa State of just eight local governments, one wonders what will happen during the general elections in 2019.

The simple reality is that INEC under this Buhari’s kinsman, Prof Yakubu, who is fast becoming the classical example of incompetence cannot guarantee free and fair elections in this country.” He saluted the courage of the people of Bayelsa State, describing them as “worthy heroes of democracy that stood their ground against agents of darkness that were prepared to short-change them by imposing a governor they do not want on them.”

Governor Fayose also congratulated the Bayelsa State Governor and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Seriake Dickson for having the people of Bayelsa behind him, adding that “the people of Bayelsa have shown that their power is more than that of the Abuja political oppressors.”

He urged the governor and Bayelsa people not to lose their guard, saying; “Now that they have failed in their bid to use one local government to rig themselves to power, they will surely go back to their evil drawing board to plan fresh assaults.

“Therefore, Bayelsa people must henceforth sleep with their two eyes opened because the APC thieves come not only to steal, but to kill and that can be seen in the way and manner they murdered over 20 people just because they wanted power at all cost.”

While warning on the consequences of destruction of the legacy of free, fair and credible electoral process bequeathed on Nigeria by Dr Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Fayose said; “Nigerians, especially we in Ekiti State are already taking a cue from the Kogi and Bayelsa States experience and are getting prepared for future elections.”

INEC declares Bayelsa Governorship election inconclusive

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared the December 5th governorship election in Bayelsa state inconclusive following the cancellation of the voting in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa State.

The electoral body decided to cancel the election in this particular Local government area because ‎of violence, abduction of electoral officials and ballot box snatching during the election. A new date for a rerun is yet to be announced by INEC.

Caitlyn Jenner, ISIS leader, German Chancellor, 5 others make TIME mag "2015 Person of the Year list

Time magazine has released a list of the eight contenders for their 2015 Person of the Year Award and once again, they included a terrorist in their list of nominees. Those shortlisted are:
Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, who as leader of ISIS has inspired followers to both fight in his self-declared caliphate of Iraq and Syria, and also stage attacks in countries like Tunisia and France.


Black Lives Matter activists, who have protested inequality towards African Americans, especially in their treatment by law enforcement.

Caitlyn Jenner, whose coming out as a transgender woman prompted widespread conversations about gender identity and issues of equality for the LGBT community.

Travis Kalanick, who as CEO of Uber drove his car-hailing company to a nearly $70 billion valuation, but also drew criticism about the downside of the sharing economy.

Angela Merkel, who as German chancellor has been at the center of major news events this year, from economic strife in the Eurozone to Europe’s ongoing migrant crisis.

Vladimir Putin, who as president of Russia has defied Western sanctions over his country’s military activity in Ukraine to play a critical but precarious role in the war on ISIS.

Hassan Rouhani, who as president of Iran is seeking to bring his country out of pariah status and repair its sanctions-crippled economy by pursuing a nuclear deal with the West.

Donald Trump, whose populist rhetoric has made him frontrunner in the race for the Republican presidential candidacy and stirred debate about the party’s future.

The 2015 Person of the Year will be unveiled on Wednesday morning December 9th.

December 31 deadline to destroy Boko Haram can be modified - Buhari

President Buhari has said the December 31st deadline he gave the military to destroy Boko Haram can be modified if their are reasons to do so. Buhari said this through his Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the 2015 annual conference of the Chief of Army Staff in Dutse, Jigawa state today December 7th.

"Let me emphasise that the timeframe given should serve as a guide and if exigencies of multiple operations across the country requires modification, the Federal Government will not hesitate to do so in order to address the flash points that are emerging in parts of the country. The Nigerian Army must, therefore, develop strategies to address the current challenges facing the country and ensure total elimination of the insurgents.".

On August 13th, President Buhari while swearing in the new service chiefs, charged them to defeat the insurgents before the end of the year.

2016 Grammy Awards nominations list released, Kendrick Lamar leads the pack with 11 nods

The nominees for the 2016 Grammy awards have been released. Kendrick Lamar is nominated for “Song of The Year” for his To Pimp A Butterfly protest song “Alright.” Kendrick’s sophomore album is also nominated for the coveted “Album of The Year” award, along with The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Chris Stapleton, and Alabama Shakes. Nigeria's Jidenna was also nominated in the Rap/Song collaboration for Classic Man. The award will take place at L.A.’s Staples Center on February 15, 2016. See the full list of nominations after the cut ...

 

Song Of The Year

Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”
Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”
Little Big Town, “Girl Crush”
Wiz Khalifa f. Charlie Puth, “See You Again”
Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud”

Album Of The Year

Alabama Shakes, Sound & Color
Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp A Butterfly
Chris Stapleton, Traveller
Taylor Swift, 1989
The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness

Best New Artist

Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Tori Kelly
Meghan Trainor
Sam Hunt

Record Of The Year

D’Angelo and The Vanguard, “Really Love”
Mark Ronson f. Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk”
Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”
The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face”

Best Rap Performance

J. Cole, “Apparently”
Drake, “Back To Back
Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen”
Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”
Nicki Minaj featuring Lil Wayne, Chris Brown and Drake, “Truffle Butter”
Kanye West, “All Day”

Best Rap Song

Kanye West, “All Day”
Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”
Common and John Legend, “Glory”
Drake, “Energy”
Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen”

Best Rap Performance

J. Cole, “Apparently”
Drake, “Back to Back”
Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen”
Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”
Nicki Minaj, “Truffle Butter”
Kanye West, “All Day”

Rap/Sung Collaboration

Big Sean featuring Kanye West and John Legend, “One Man Can Change the World,”
Common and John Legend, “Glory,”
Jidenna, “Classic Man,”
Kendrick Lamar, “These Walls,”
Nicki Minaj, “Only”

Pop Duo/Group Performance

“Ship to Wreck,” Florence + the Machine
“Sugar,” Maroon 5
“Uptown Funk,” Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
“Bad Blood,” Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar
“See You Again,” Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth

Traditional Pop Vocal Album

“The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern,” Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap
“Shadows in the Night,” Bob Dylan
“Stages,” Josh Groban
“No One Ever Tells You,” Seth MacFarlane
“My Dream Duets,” Barry Manilow (and Various Artists)

Pop Vocal Album

”Piece by Piece,” Kelly Clarkson
“How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful,” Florence + the Machine
”Uptown Special,” Mark Ronson
“1989,” Taylor Swift
“Before This World,” James Taylor

Dance Recording

“We’re All We Need,” Above & Beyond featuring Zoe Johnston
“Go,” the Chemical Brothers
“Never Catch Me,” Flying Lotus featuring Kendrick Lamar
“Runaway (U & I),” Galantis
“Where Are U Now,” Skrillex and Diplo with Justin Bieber

Dance/Electronic Album

“Our Love,” Caribou
“Born in the Echoes,” the Chemical Brothers
“Caracal,” Disclosure
“In Colour,” Jamie XX
“Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack U,” Skrillex and Diplo​

R&B Performance

“If I Don’t Have You,” Tamar Braxton
“Rise Up,” Andra Day
“Breathing Underwater,” Hiatus Kaiyote
“Planes,” Jeremih featuring J. Cole
“Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey),” the Weeknd

Traditional R&B Performance

“He Is,” Faith Evans
“Little Ghetto Boy,” Lalah Hathaway
“Let It Burn,” Jazmine Sullivan
“Shame,” Tyrese
“My Favorite Part of You,” Charlie Wilson

R&B Song

“Coffee,” Brook Davis and Miguel Pimentel, songwriters (Miguel)
“Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey),” Ahmad Balshe, Stephan Moccio, Jason Quenneville and Abel Tesfaye, songwriters (the Weeknd)
“Let It Burn,” Kenny B. Edmonds, Jazmine Sullivan and Dwane M. Weir II, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan)
“Really Love,” D’Angelo and Kendra Foster, songwriters (D’Angelo and the Vanguard)
“Shame,” Warryn Campbell, Tyrese Gibson and DJ Rogers Jr., songwriters (Tyrese)

Urban Contemporary Album

“Ego Death,” the Internet
“You Should Be Here,” Kehlani
“Blood,” Lianne La Havas
“Wildheart,” Miguel
“Beauty Behind the Madness,” the Weeknd

R&B Album

“Coming Home,” Leon Bridges
“Black Messiah,” D’Angelo and the Vanguard
“Cheers to the Fall,” Andra Day
“Reality Show,” Jazmine Sullivan
“Forever Charlie,” Charlie Wilson