Louis Van Gaal Handed Presents Out To Crowd Before Man United Played Newcastle

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal was well and truly in the
Christmas spirit earlier today when he was handing out presents to the
Old Trafford crowd ahead of the game against Newcastle.

Famed for being fearsome, the man nicknamed the 'Iron Tulip' played
the role of Santa Claus as he doled out gifts to awestruck fans.

No wonder he's in such high spirits. His United team extended their
unbeaten run to eight matches today with a comfortable 3-1 win over
Newcastle. Wayne Rooney got a double and set up Robin van Persie
before reiterating their intention to challenge for the title.

Simple Tips To Lower Your Blood Pressure Without Drugs

When you consider that high blood pressure punches holes
into the lining of your arterial walls, it's easy to understand why
keeping it under control is so vital.

While the average American has a
blood pressure of about 130 over 85, you should strive for an optimal
blood pressure of 115 over 75 to minimize your risk of heart disease
and
stroke.

Hypertension

Because hypertension is a result of our response to stress, the easiest
way to cope with external triggers is to pause and take a deep breath,
according to the September 2007 issue of Natural Health. The mag
recommends a simple exercise that we've excerpted below.

1. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees
pointed toward the ceiling.

2. Inhale slowly through your nose for 6 counts.

3. Hold your breath for 3 counts.

4. Slowly exhale for 12 counts.

5. Hold your breath for 3 counts.

6. Continue this breathing pattern for 15 minutes.
--health.howstuffworks.com

UK Doctors Told To Report Patients Who Put On Weight

UK doctors have been instructed to report people, especially patients
who do not maintain their shapes. Simon Stevens, the head of the NHS,
said it was time for Britain to "get back in shape" in order to
protect millions of people from a host of obesity-related diseases.
MSN Newshas more:

Under the scheme, family doctors will be asked to identify anyone who
has gained weight and is at risk of diabetes - particularly those aged
below 40.

They will then be offered tests for pre-diabetes, followed by healthy
lifestyle advice and close monitoring to ensure they are eating better
and exercising more.

It comes as new figures show Britain is now the second fattest nation
in Europe, with almost 25 per cent of Britons classified as obese -
compared with a European average of 16.7 per cent.

Mr Stevens, the chief executive of the health service, said obesity
was a problem that could be tackled - provided schools, parents, the
NHS and the food industry all 'got their act together' and worked in
unison.

In a direct attack on last week's EU ruling - which said fatness could
constitute a disability - Mr Stevens said such fatalistic attitudes to
the issue were "daft".

Instead, he urged millions of people to put Christmas indulgences
behind them, and take action to shed the pounds.

Nigeria Tops List Of Internet Users In Africa

According to a 2014 data gathered by eMarketer, the world has about
2.8billion internet users projected to reach 3.62billion Internet
users by the end of 2018.

China has the highest internet usage with over 643.6million users,
which is quite understandable due to its population and vast
development in technology.

Closely following is the US and India with 252.9 and 215.6Million
internet users respectively.

Coming to Africa, Nigeria is the highest ranked African country (#10
on the list) , with 57.7million internet users.

Surprisingly, Nigeria have more internet users than advanced Countries
like UK And France ; who ranked 11th and 12th respectively.

Nigeria is also the highest country with internet usage in Africa and
its internet growth is expected to reach a whooping 84.3million users
by the end of 2018.

Egypt is the second highest ranked African country on the global list
(ranked 17th) with 36million users while South Africa is ranked 25th
with 25million internet users

This impressive growth has been driven by increasing mobile usage
which has afforded more people access to the internet.

My Quotes

Jose Mourinho when asked directly about the '19th-century' comment he
replied: "Yeah, they're stupid and silly words."

LIRS Shuts Down Pastor Oyakhilome's TV

The Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) officials have closed down
Infinity Television belonging to preacher, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome,
for owing the state government several millions.

The news emerges after the Tuesday's protest by workers of the TV
station over non payment of 10 months salaries and non-remittance of
their Pay As You Earn, PAYE, tax to the suitable institutions.

While the company staff were protesting non-payment of salaries on
Tuesday, executives of the LIRS stormed the grounds of the TV station,
closed it down and put a notice on the entrance after locking it with
padlock.

Some of the personnel who spoke with journalists but asked not to be
named said they were ready to protest to Christ Embassy Church on
Oregun Road at the Cross Over Night on 31 December, 2014 to ask for
the payment of their salaries since the management of the company is
planning to lay them off without paying the entitlements.

"Prior to this time, the staff had been receiving half salaries (for
over a year) and by June 2014 salaries have not been paid to date. To
worsen the case, the staff were barred from entering the office
premises by the Chief Operating Officer, Mr Henry Kifordu.

"All efforts by the staff to meet with the management proved abortive.
Staff taxes and pensions have been deducted for years and were never
remitted to appropriate authorities. Infinity TV was finally locked up
for tax evasion on 23 December, 2014," the staff said.

The angry workers said they were left with no other choice than to
take to the streets to struggle for their rights and have decided to
storm Christ Embassy's 31 December night global service to make their
injustice known to Oyakhilome, whom, they considered, may not be aware
of the happenings in the company.

Ailing Infinity TV is a Direct To Home, DTH cable TV owned by Pastor
Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy and was incorporated in 2009.
--infonaija

My Quotes

"Our goal is to be first. It's not always easy, you can see that." --Van Gaal

World's Most Flexible Woman Releases Stunning Almanac 2015

A 28-year-old beauty has broken many world records for her flexibility
- and demonstrates her stretchy skills in her annual calendar. Zlata,
whose real name is Julia Guenthel, twists herself into the most
extreme poses imaginable wearing a gold jumpsuit

She has been contorting her body since she was four years old, now
trains every day to keep her muscles in shape. Amazing images show the
young woman wrapping her legs around her head and standing on her
hands, bending her torso all the way back to put her head between her
legs.

The Russian former gymnast who now lives in Germany said,"I wish my
fans, contortion fans and all the contortionists around the world a
lovely Christmas time. Stay faithful to me next year and I will have
many more surprises for you."

Ice Prince Walks Off Stage After Fans Refused To Cheer Him While Performing

He might be one of the hottest rappers in Africa at the moment, but
sometimes you just cant't get it right to please everyone.

The Chocolate city rapper, Ice prince is one of the top performing
artistes at the music runaway show held last night at the Eko Hotel
and Suites.

According to sources, After the rapper performed a few tracks like
Oleku, Aboki and failing to pump up the atmosphere, he shouted the
words"This is why I don't like performing at fashion shows"and he left
the stage upset.

The fans also got disappointed and booed him off.

Dammy Krane later came on stage and performed his top hit track
"Amen", Wizkid also came on stage and put the whole place on a blast
performing songs like Ojuelegba, Show me the money, Pull Over, in my
bed.
--infonaija

Chelsea Can Not Buy Lionel Messi Due To Financial Fair Play Rules --Jose Mourinho

The Blues last month announced a record profit of £18.4 million and
appear well on course to comply with FFP, but the Argentine's £205m
release clause remains out of reach.

Jose Mourinho admits he has "no chance" of signing Lionel Messifor
Chelseabecause of Uefa's Financial Fair Play restrictions.

The Blues last month announced a record £18.4 million profit for the
year ending June 2014, driven by increased revenues and shrewd player
trading, and appear well on course to comply with FFP.

But Mourinho insists the break-even regulations mean there is no way
of bringing four-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi, who has a £205m
release clause in his Barcelona contract, to Stamford Bridge in the
near future.

"No I have no chance of that," the Portuguese said in a BT Sport
special to be broadcast on Christmas Day.

"Because at this moment there is financial fair play and with the
financial fair play we have to follow certain rules, certain numbers
and we obviously have no conditions to buy, as you say a 'super
amazing player' paid with 'super amazing numbers'. At Chelsea at this
moment we cannot do [it]."

Back in November Messi hinted for the first time that he might one day
have to leave Barcelona, while Cesc Fabregas this week admitted he
would love to play alongside the Argentine superstar again.

Facebook To Face Lawsuit Over Scanning Users' Messages

A U.S. judge has ruled that Facebook Inc must face a class action
lawsuit accusing it of violating users' privacy by scanning the
content of messages they send to other users for advertising purposes.
Reuterscover the proceedings:

U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton in Oakland, California, on
Tuesday dismissed some state-law claims against the social media
company but largely denied Facebook's bid to dismiss the lawsuit.

Facebook had argued that the alleged scanning of its users' messages
was covered by an exception under the federal Electronic
Communications Privacy Act for interceptions by service providers
occurring in the ordinary course of business.

But Hamilton said Facebook had "not offered a sufficient explanation
of how the challenged practice falls within the ordinary course of its
business." Neither Facebook nor a lawyer for the plaintiffs responded
to a request for comment Wednesday.

The lawsuit, filed in 2013, alleged that Facebook scanned the content
of private messages sent between users for links to websites and would
then count any links in a tally of "likes" of the pages. Those "likes"
were then used to compile user profiles, which were then used for
delivering targeted advertising to its users, the lawsuit said.

How My Father Made Me A Suicide Bomber --13-Year Old Suspect

The ancient city of Kano was thrown into shock yesterday following the
confession of a 13 years old suicide bomber arrested by the police at
the wake of twin bombblast that rocked the city textile market over
how she was conscripted as suicide bomber by his biological father.

The suicide bomber who identified herself as Zaharau Babangida told a
bewildered city dwellers that 'it began one day when my father took my
mum and I to a forest in Bauchi where we met people claiming to be
working for God".

In her confession, the frail looking Zaharau said "in the Bauchi
forest I met some other girls who I guessed were my age mate and their
leader told us to give our lives to God and enjoy the bounties of
heaven'.

I was not moved by the soul searching preaching of bounties in the
heaven and it was at this point, their leader resorted to threat and
intimidation to obtain my consent. We were shown a deep hole where the
leader of the group threatened to bury us alive at a point if any of
us refused to play along, and at another time he picked a big gun and
threatened to shoot anyone who fails to obey his command."

Zaharau who told reporters that she hailed from Damaturu, the capital
city of Yobe state explained that "it was at this point my father
stepped forward to persuade me to play along, and told me to prepare
to die as martyr and clear the way for him to join me soon".

The 13 years old girl who spoke fluent Hausa dialect further said
"when I was confronted with option of death, I chose to play along
hoping to find an escape route one day".

Speaking on the Kano bomb blast, Zaharau Babangida said "I and two
other girls were conveyed to Kano and quartered at the outskirt of the
city by a man I could hardly remember his name, and this same man
conveyed all of us to the market square and deployed us at strategic
positions at Kwari market on the day we struck.

"I was taken aback when my partners were shattered to pieces barely a
second after they detonated. I then rushed out of the scene to pick a
commercial rickshaw to a hospital in Dawanau area of the city for
medical treatment, and doctors were already attending to me when the
driver of the Keke NAPEP resurfaced and showed me a metal object and
requested to know whether it was mine of which I answered in
affirmative.

"I told him the object he dangled before me is a bomb and its mine,
and in no time armed soldiers picked me from my sick bed to their
headquarters."

Earlier in the day, the Department of State Security Services and the
Nigerian Police had paraded her as one of the suicide bombers that
attacked Kano textile market December 10.

The Commissioner of police, Adelenre Shinaba who was flanked by the
state Director of SS, Mr. Basey Ettang explained that the arrest was
as a result of synergy among the security agents in the state.

Meanwhile, a suicide bomber who rammed into a military check point in
Bajoga, Gombe State in an attempt to perpetrate mass killings of
troops and innocent civilians, yesterday failed to accomplish his
mission, the Defence Headquarters' has said.

According to a statement signed by the Director of Defence
Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, the attempt by the
terrorist to escape also failed as he was brought down by vigilant
soldiers when he tried to flee after hitting a military Amoured
Personnel Carrier with his IED laden Honda car.

The explosives which failed to detonate have been evacuated and handed
to the police.

Also in Kano, security forces have raided the terrorists' hideout in
Nasarawa Local Government Area leading to the arrest of bomb making
experts who are already helping in the investigation into activities
of bombers lately.

Officers believe that the efforts will yield useful clues.

Meanwhile, the Military High Command has directed troops deployed in
all locations of the counter terrorism campaign to sustain the tempo
of operations all through the period of seasonal celebrations and
ensure that the intention of terrorists to attack civilian target
while avoiding troops is duly frustrated.
--Vanguard

There Are So Many Tears This Christmas --Pope

Pope Francis condemned this year's "brutal" religious persecution in
the Middle East while urging peace in Nigeria, Ukraine and other world
troublespots in his annual Christmas "urbi et orbi" message.

(Photo: Pope Francis salutes as he gives his traditional Christmas
"Urbi et Orbi" blessing from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on
December 25, 2014 at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI)

Calling also for an end to violence against "vast numbers of
children", and noting last week's deadly attack in Pakistan, he said:
"Truly there are so many tears this Christmas."

22 State Governors Still Owe Salaries To Workers

The Secretary General of the National Union of Textile Garment and
Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Comrade Issa Aremu, raised the
issue of non-payment of workers' salaries by many states across
Nigeria.

Aremu, who is also the Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC), shared his concern with journalists in Kaduna during a NUTGTWN
meeting, TheNation reports.

He tagged the situation as a wage robbery and theft and an economic
crime. According to the information by NLC VP, for about three months
now, 22 state governors are delaying or refusing to pay salaries.

However, Aremu noted that the delegates of the just-concluded
primaries across Nigeria's states had received their money
immediately.

"... Nigeria labour law says thou shall pay the worker as at when due.
In fact by 22nd of every month you must have pay the workers fully.

"We never heard of any delegate being owed a single penny during the
primary elections, but they cannot get money to pay the workers,"he
said.

The NUTGTWN SG reminded that some of the delegates have earned enough
to buy new vehicles and even real estate after taking part in the
primaries. The money they got in a couple of days is simply
incomparable to the sums earned by workers.

"The governors should go to the place they got they money to pay
delegates and settle the workers' salaries,"Aremu stated.

He also noted the NUTGTWN was a success in negotiating a 15% increase
in wages for its members. This meant a 35% growth in the last 4 years.

The NUTGTWN SG hopes that this positive trend from the private sector
would be used for the public sector. He reminded that"most of their
crisis is on the increase of wages and salaries which has been causing
endless strikes and unfavourable industrial actions."

It would be recalled that the Minister of Finance Dr Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala promised on December 22 that the three months' salaries
of civil servants of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies shall
be paid before Christmas.

The situation with the salaries of Lagos State civil servants also
looks satisfactory. The State government promised them a holiday bonus
on December 19, 2014, Friday.

President Jonathan's 2014 Christmas Message

A message from president Jonathan

Dear Compatriots,

I greet and felicitate with you all once again as we celebrate the
birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I join all of our
Christian compatriots in giving thanks to God Almighty for the divine
gift of Jesus Christ the Messiah whose earthly incarnation we
commemorate today.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ who the Prophet Isaiah
heralded as the Prince of Peace and Wonderful Counselor, I believe it
is very appropriate that we all, Christians and non-Christians alike,
reflect more deeply on the virtues and ideals which the Messiah
espoused during his earthly mission.

To my mind, there can be no doubt that the greater internalization of
the virtues of love for our fellowmen, tolerance, Godliness, honesty,
fairness to others, selflessness, and peaceful co-existence with
others, by all adult Nigerians, and the inculcation of the same in our
youth, will definitely help our dear nation to overcome most of its
present challenges.

Peace and love for others, especially, were a constant refrain in the
Messiah's teachings and admonitions to mankind.

Therefore, as we celebrate his birth, I urge all Nigerians to offer
special prayers for a greater manifestation of divine peace in our
country and the vanquishing of all demons of hatred, divisiveness and
disunity in our midst.

As we celebrate Christmas, let us also remember and offer special
prayers for all of our countrymen, women and children who have
suffered and continue to suffer untold hardship, deprivation and death
at the hands of terrorists and insurgents.

Let us also continue to pray for our gallant soldiers and security
agents who remain at the forefront of the national effort to overcome
terrorism and violent extremism, even as the rest of the nation
celebrates Christmas and the coming New Year.

In this season of goodwill, I urge all patriotic Nigerians to
rededicate themselves to doing all within their powers to support the
brave men and women of our armed forces in the ongoing war against
terrorism, and also support the Federal Government's efforts to
provide more succour to the hapless victims of terrorist atrocities.

The Victims' Support Fund which we have established to raise
additional funds to assist our compatriots who have been adversely
affected by continuing insecurity in parts of our country remains
active.

I call on all individuals and corporate organisations who have not yet
done so, to donate more generously to the Fund which is being
efficaciously deployed to ease the sufferings of victims of terrorist
violence in the country.

Dear Compatriots, we are also celebrating this Christmas against the
background of preparations for next year's general elections.

I seize this opportunity to reassure the nation that my administration
will give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) all
necessary support to ensure that it delivers very free, fair, credible
and acceptable elections in 2015.

National security agencies will also be given all necessary support to
enhance their ability to ensure that the elections which should
strengthen democracy in our country are peaceful and violence free.

I urge our political class to be law- abiding and place the greater
interests of our nation above all personal or sectional interests in
the countdown to the elections.
Let us all be more statesman-like, conduct issues-based campaigns, and
eschew the promotion of falsehood, division and hatred of others as we
seek the votes of our countrymen in what should be a peaceful
competition among contending points of view for the progress and
development of our dear nation.

I remain convinced that God Almighty is still with us as a nation
even in the midst of our current challenges which we shall surely
overcome with greater unity of purpose, dedication, commitment and
perseverance.

Let this year's celebration of the birth of Christ the Messiah
rekindle, strengthen and reaffirm our faith in our national ability to
overcome all challenges, with God on our side.

I wish you all very happy Christmas celebrations.

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR

President,

Federal Republic of Nigeria

Pope Phones Displaced Iraqis For Christmas

Pope Francis has made a phone call to some Iraqis forced to flee their
homes, assuring them that they were in his Christmas thoughts.

Francis told refugees at the tent camp in Ankawa, a suburb of Erbil in
northern Iraq, that they were like Jesus, forced to flee because there
was no place for them.

For Christians, Christmas marks the birth of Jesus in a Bethlehem barn
manger, chosen because there was no room for his parents at an inn.

"You are like Jesus on Christmas night. There was no room for him
either, and he had to flee to Egypt later to save himself," Pope
Francis told the Iraqis in the call arranged via satellite phone by
the Italian Catholic television station TV2000.

"I embrace you all and wish for you a holy Christmas."

The Ankawa camp houses mostly Christians driven from their homes
around Mosul last summer in an offensive by Islamic State of the Iraq
and the Levant (ISIL) group.

On Monday, the pope addressed a long letter of support to Christians
in the region, urging them to "persevere" despite the difficulties
they face.

In it, he denounced ISIL as a "terrorist organisation of a size that
was unimaginable before, committing all types of abuses... [and]
striking some among you who have been brutally chased from your lands,
where Christians have been present since apostolic times."
--PUNCH

Ex- US Navy SEAL Who Claimed Credit For Killing Osama bin Laden Is Under Investigation For Leaking Official Secret

The former Navy SEAL who ignited a controversywhen he publicly claimed
credit for killing Osama bin Laden is under investigation for possibly
leaking official secrets, The Daily Beast has learned.

When reached for comment, Ed Buice, an NCIS public affairs officer,
confirmed "The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is in
receipt of an allegation that Mr. O'Neill may have revealed classified
information to persons not authorized to receive such information. In
response, NCIS has initiated an investigation to determine the merit
of the allegations."

The news that O'Neill is being investigated for potential criminal
acts hasn't been previously reported.

In previous interviews with The Daily Beast, former Special Operations
officials, as well as other sources who are familiar with the raid on
bin Laden's compound, accused O'Neill of misstatingkey facts and
wrongly taking credit for killing the world's then-most-wanted man.

At issue is who fired the shot--or shots--that hit bin Laden in the
head, splitting open his skull and almost certainly ending his life.
O'Neill insists that he was the shooter. Fellow SEAL Matt Bissonnette
also claims to have shot bin Laden. But others say a
still-unidentified man likely fired the round that caused a lethal
head wound.

It wasn't clear to whom specifically O'Neill is alleged to have
disclosed classified information, or what that information was.
Bissonnette is already under investigation for revealing details about
the bin Laden raid and technical aspects of Special Operations in a
book,No Easy Day, which he declined to vet with military censors
before publication.

O'Neill hasn't written a book, but he has spoken with journalists
about his role in the raid, and particular details about how it was
conducted. O'Neill was the anonymous subject of a 2013Esquiremagazine
profile. He also sat down with Fox News for a documentary that the
network aired last month, built around O'Neill's role in the
operation.

Days before the documentary was set to air, O'Neill was identifiedon
the blog SOFREP.TheWashington Postthen ran an interview with O'Neill
before he appeared on television.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service has received an allegation
that fomer SEAL Robert O'Neill may have revealed classified
information to people who weren't authorized to receive it.

O'Neill contends that the non-disclosure agreements he signed while in
the military didn't cover aspects of the raid that he discussed with
journalists, according to people familiar with the matter.

A representative for O'Neill, who tours on the public speaking
circuit, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The military has been trying to stop current and former special
operators from discussing their secretive profession. And some members
of the Special Operations community have strongly criticized
Bissonnette and O'Neill as attempting to profit off the successful bin
Laden raid, for which they say no one can claim sole credit.

In October, the head of Naval Special Warfare Command reminded SEALs
in a letter that they had signed non-disclosure agreements and pledged
not to reveal properly classified information. But some special
operators have argued that Bissonnette and O'Neill are only discussing
details that were already leaked to journalists by White House and
military officials, including in the days after the bin Laden raid.

The leaks were so voluminous, according to a book byNew York
Timesreporter David Sanger, that then-secretary of Defense Robert
Gates told the White House that officials should "shut the fuck up"
about the raid.

"In normal circumstances, the Navy would be right to pursue an
investigation but there's still no evidence that a disclosure of any
type occurred," said Joe Kasper, the chief of staff for Rep. Duncan
Hunter, a California Republican and Marine reservist who knows
O'Neill. "Regardless of whether you think Rob O'Neill should have
identified himself or not, an investigation will need turn up credible
evidence that disclosures were made--and on that front, at least so
far, there's no compelling evidence that occurred."

My Sayings

"Carve your name on hearts, not stone. What you have done for yourself
alone, dies with you. That done for others remains"

2015: Okorocha Begins Share-The-Money Syndrome Vows To Match PDP Cash For Cash

Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has vowed to consolidate
power in 2015.
Addressing Party Local Government Chairmen and stakeholders at the
International Conference Centre along Bank Road, Owerri during the
meeting he held with APC officials yesterday, the state Governor
Owelle Rochas Okorocha disclosed that he will dole out billons of
naira for his guber campaign next month. The governor hinted that
campaign money will be given to the LGA Chairmen to distribute to the
officials.

He further announced that booth and LGA campaign will commence
immediately. He therefore advised party faithfuls to pay for the APC
kits which is now on sale as anybody who did not appear in the right
attire will not be allowed to join in subsequent APC meetings.

He also announced that new registration will commence immediately
adding that every member of state APC should re-register and pay for
his or her form in order to identify with the party leaders.

The governor revealed that he has set up a 40-man committee to monitor
the affairs in the LGAs and report anybody who misbehaved. He warned
that anybody caught misbehaving will be disciplined.

Youths Must Work Gainers Besiege State Secretariat For Payments

Over 20,000 youths on Tuesday, December 22nd, stormed the Imo State
Secretariat Complex to demand for their unpaid allowances.

A visit to the secretariat complex along Port Harcourt road Owerri
showed that the offices were locked as most of the youths demanding
for their money could not gain entrance while others managed to fight
for their money.

One of the aggrieved youth who spoke to newsmen revealed that the
state government have not been taking good care of them since they
were recruited.

According to the beneficiary, the state government has not paid them
for more than four months now.

Investigations revealed that Imo State government planned to pay the
youths completely before the end of the month.

Meanwhile Governor Rochas Okorocha is said to have directed the head
of service and Accountant General of the state to commence payment
without delay.

The governor has since promised to treat them better next year.
Further information from the government house disclosed that more
youths will be employed by next year.

But concerned citizens of Imo State have advised the governor to make
sure that he makes permanent, the employment of the youths in the
Youth Must Work programme.
--Trumpeta

Anyone Who Comes Between A Married Couple Should Be Jailed --Omotola

Award winning actress, Omotola Jalde Ekeinde, in an interview with
Encomium magazine, said that anyone who comes between a married couple
deserve to be jailed because that person is robbing the couple of
their joy.

"I think it should be a crime for anyone to come in between a couple.
I feel anybody that comes between a married couple be a man or woman
should go to jail. Such a person is robbing the family of their joy.
To me, it is a crime that is worse than stealing another person's
property" she said.

Speaking about what has kept her marriage going for 8 years, Omotola said

"I would say first it is the fear of God. Then the fact that the
reason we do all we do or the person we are all answerable to is God.
He is the one guiding us. I would not lie to you that there was no
time we almost gave up on both sides but at the end of the day you
know you are answerable to God for whatever you do. There fore take
your worry to him. And the reason you don't do anything stupid is
because this person is not you are answerable to ultimately but God.
So when God knows you depend on him that much, i think alone that
helps you. Second is patience. You have to be very patient in every
relationship, not just marriage. I feel very sad that a lot of people
put so much pressure these days on marriages succeeding or not as if
it is an alien relationship. The truth of the matter is that people
fight their fathers, you fight your best friends. So why is it that
you feel that you and your spouse can't fight or quarrel?"Speaking
about her husband, Omotola said he's been of great support to her

"He has been supportive. He has been an angel. He is my rock of
Gibraltar. I would say my husband is my fan so also my critic. Most
important he has been my pillar of support. If you are doing this job,
you feel like you always want to fear what somebody would feel about
you. When I am talking of somebody, I mean your parent or husband,
somebody that means something to you, that limits you as a creative
mind. God is my witness, my husband has never for once felt anything
negative about me being an actress. In 2016, we are going to celebrate
20 years of marriage. I can't remember anytime I wanted to do anything
and he kicked against it violently. I have had to travel out of the
country sometimes, it may be the same day he would know. You are also
aware of the sensitivity of our job, we are very disorganized often
times. You know how it feels for you to tell your husband that one
thing you have been pursuing for the past three months, all of a
sudden, you just got a call that they have bought flight ticket for
you and you are going for maybe one week. So naturally that's just
something you would say no, you can't. But I would go and tell him and
he would be like wow! He would even encourage me to go. He is very
understanding and very supportive" she saidOmotola says featuring in
the movie, The Prostitute and the controversies that surrounded the
movie was the only time she felt her profession threaten her marriage.

"The only time I would say I worried was when the movie, The
Prostitute came out and that was the first major shaking I had. It was
like a kind controversy. From the movie poster to the sex scenes,
whatever in that movie that was shot after I left there was shot as if
I was the one who did it. And you know Nigeria was not ready for that
so there was a lot of controversy around that. So that was the only
time I really worried about my marriage and to be frank and candid,
until my husband told me he wasn't bothered, then I had peace".
--LIB

United's Umpteenth Formation Change Due To Injury --Van Gaal

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says he has not been able to
exploit his team setup in recent Premier League matches because his
hands have been tied by injuries.

Last weekend at Aston Villa, the Dutch boss resorted to the same 3-5-2
formation as was the case in the home win over Liverpool. Ashley Young
and Antonio Valencia have been employed in wing-back roles in the
absence of Rafael, who is yet to make his first start since the 1-1
draw with Chelsea, and Luke Shaw, sidelined with an ankle ligament
damage sustained during the win at Arsenal.

"I have to select what I want but now I am forced to select," Van Gaal
told MUTV. "For a manager, that is not good."

Young and Valencia have been reliable in United's attacking arsenal;
the former providing an assist for Radamel Falcao's leveler at Villa
Park last weekend and the latter also setting up a goal in the
emphatic win over Liverpool.

United Has Enjoyed Backing from Manchester United Hierarchy Since
Taking Over the Reins at Old Trafford. Image: Man Utd via Getty.

The 63-year-old admitted that the two wingers have done well for the
team but cannot wait to have his full-backs back.

Asked how pleased he has been with Young and Valencia, Van Gaal
replied: "Yeah, but as wing-backs and not as full-backs. Now I am more
or less obliged to play with wing-backs because the real full-backs,
Shaw and Rafael da Silva, were not fit enough and that is not good."

Midfielder, Angel Di Maria, has also been forced to play in wider
positions on the attack in recent matches and the Dutch boss says that
is also as a result of his limited options in the midfield, with Daley
Blind and Maroaune Fellaini presently sidelined.
Newcastle's visit to Old Trafford on Boxing Day presents another
opportunity for the 'Red Devils' to return to winning ways after
watching their six-game winning run end with a draw in midland. United
are third in the table into the busy Christmas schedule, in which they
will face three different opponents in the space of seven days.

Aside the opening day loss to Swansea, Van Gaal's side have won all
their home matches this season.

The manager has been backed by many of the club's hierarchy to excel,
most recently by former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who presently
serves in a director's role following his retirement.

The Scot believes United will re-emerge stronger when the injury
situations are over with, telling BT Sport "he (Van Gaal) is a great
coach, he'll do well."

Van Gaal added: "It is fantastic when you come to Manchester United.
You hope, because I know Sir Alex, that he shall support you. When he
is supporting you, because he is doing that not only this week but
also other conferences he gave, he shows a lot of confidence in belief
in me; that I need as a trainer coach, as a manager of Manchester
United.

"You need the belief and support of managers such as Sir Alex, but
also from Sir Bobby Charlton and David Gill. I have the belief, so I'm
very happy with that because then you can work in a more easy way.
It's also a pressure because he believes in you, and it gives you that
pressure that you have to give results. It is not so easy to win the
Premier League matches."

Nigeria Military Jail Lt. Col., 15 Others Over Chibok Girls Abduction

A Lieutenant Colonel, a Captain, a Second lieutenant and 12 other
soldiers were sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Nigerian
Military Court Martial which sat in Kaduna state yesterday Dec. 23rd
over the abduction of over 200 female students of the Government Girls
Secondary School Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents on
April 14th.

According to Punch, the soldiers, Col. A. O. Ojo who was in charge of
Chibok when the abduction took place, Capt. O. O. Ogunrinde, and 2nd
Lieutenant V.I. Godknows were all handed two years imprisonment for
what the General Court Martial panel termed failure to perform. Col.
Ojo was reportedly found guilty of passing out unverified information
about the return of the abducted girls as well as not reinforcing the
military personnel the night the abduction happened. In his response,
Col. Ojo said he got information about the attack at about 1am at his
station in Biu which was already late as the sect members stormed the
school at about 11pm.
2nd Lieut. Godknows was charged with cowardly behaviour during the
night of the attack. Counsel to Col. Ojo, Mr. Shuaibu Isah has however
said his client would be appealing the verdict of the court martial
through the office of the confirming authority which is the Chief of
Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah.
--PUNCH

Academician Insisits That Jesus Was Born In Family House

Someone is going to rewrite the whole Nativity story, so it seems.
Minister and academician, Reverend Ian Paul insists Jesus Christ was
not born in a stable, but in a family home.

According to a scholar, a common misconception was caused by a wrong
ranslation of the original Greek text. He argues that Jesus' birth did
not take place amid farm animals in a barn or stable, but actually in
a family house full of relatives.

He claims that the snag is in the Greek word 'kataluma' which was
wrongly translated as 'inn' instead of 'private room' or 'lodging'.
Such version of translation fundamentally changes the whole story.

The Reverend wrote on his blog:"What does it mean for the kataluma to
have "no space"? It means that many, like Joseph and Mary, have
travelled to Bethlehem, and the family guest room is already full,
probably with other relatives who arrived earlier.

So Joseph and Mary must stay with the family itself, in the main room
of the house, and there Mary gives birth. The most natural place to
lay the baby is in the straw-filled depressions at the lower end of
the house where the animals are fed.

The idea that they were in a stable, away from others, alone and
outcast, is grammatically and culturally implausible. In fact, it is
hard to be alone at all in such contexts. In the Christmas story,
Jesus is not sad and lonely, some distance away in the stable, needing
our sympathy.

He is in the midst of the family, and all the visiting relations,
right in the thick of it and demanding our attention. This should
fundamentally change our approach to enacting and preaching on the
nativity."

Sony Hack: North Korea Back Online After Internet Outage

Internet services have been restored back in North Korea after an
almost unprecedented internet outage following a cyber security row
with the United States. BBCreports:

Though there has been no comment from the authorities in Pyongyang,
South Korean officials and US experts reported the restoration.

Some analysts say the country's web access was cut entirely for a time.

China meanwhile has denounced reports suggesting it was responsible
for the North Korean online shutdown.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that such reports were
"speculative" and had "no basis in reality".

"These reports themselves are extremely irresponsible, unprofessional
and misleading," she added.

China's permanent representative to the United Nations has called for
all sides to avoid an escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula
after the UN Security Council put the North's human rights record on
its agenda.

Baby Falls Off Mum's Back On Okada, Crushed By Truck

A heavy duty truck, conveying crates of soft drinks, yesterday, at the
Okorodafe Roundabout in Ughelli, Delta State, crushed a four-month-old
baby girl, who had fallen off the back of her mother travelling on a
commercial motorcycle, popularly known asOkada.

According to witnesses, the mother of the baby, who is in her 30s and
simply identified as Ese, was said to have been struggling to adjust
the wrapper with which she strapped the baby to her back, while
theOkadawas in motion.

One of the witnesses, identified as Efemena Okiemute, told Vanguard
that the baby fell on the middle of the road and was immediately
crushed by the truck, which was directly behind theOkada.

When Vanguard visited the scene, officials of Ughelli Command of the
Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, were seen clearing the remains
of the dead baby from the road.
--Vanguard

Christmas: Okorocha Provides Free Transportation For Imo Indigenes In Lagos, Oyo

If you are an Imo State citizen and you stay in Lagos or Oyo state, do
not worry about your transport fare home, your governor has provided
buses that will convey you free of charge to Owerri, the state capital
on Wednesday, December 24, 2014.

Rochas Okorocha's administration is doing this to encourage Imo State
indigenes in the two southwest states to return home for the Christmas
celebration.

This was contained in a statement by the Imo State Liaison Officer,
Lagos State, Mr. Alfred Ononugbo.

Those interested in the offer in Lagos State are to assemble at the
National Stadium Surulere, Lagos tomorrow by 8am, while those in Oyo
State are to assemble at Saint Gabriel Catholic Church, Mokola, in
Ibadan at 8am tomorrow for the journey.

Ononugbo assured Imo indigenes that adequate security had been
provided in all communities in the state.

The homecoming, according to him, would afford them the opportunity to
see the dividends of democracy delivered by the present administration
in the state.
--infonaija

Instagram Queen: Kim Kardashian Is The Most Followed Person On IG Despite Losing 1.3M Followers

Kim Kardashian is the queen of instagram despite losing 1.3 million
followers to the Instagram crackdown on spam accounts..She still has
over 22 million.

.Previously Justin Beiber was leading but he lost a whooping 3.5
million fake followers, making his follower count drop from 23 to 21
million.

Rihanna lost 1 million of her over 14 million followers.

Beyonce lost more than 800,000 of 22 million.
Nicki Minaj,500k of 12.5 million
Ariana Grande,lost 1.5 million of her 21 million;
Lady Gaga lost 15 million fake followers.
Akon lost over 3.7 million fake followers.

Mase embarrassingly dropped from over 2 million followers to 200k
,causing him to delete his account ..

Kim also has the most liked instagram pic of all time..She stays
winning on social media.

Synagogue Building Collapse Caused By Infrasonic Weapon --Witness

Several witnesses have dismissed Pastor T.B. Joshua's theory of
sabotage in the building collapse at his Synagogue Church of All
Nations (SCOAN) in September. However, an expert in explosives and
weapons, Mr Biedomo Iguniwei, has laide credence to Joshua's claim as
he yesterday, told the coroner's inquest that the collapse was caused
by a high energy infrasonic weapon.

Iguniwei, a former research scientist in weapons production with the
Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, Kaduna, said he was
contracted by the church to carry out scientific analysis of the
materials from the scene, to ascertain the possibility of the collapse
being caused by deployment of infrasonic weapon.

He explained that an infrasonic weapon was a low sonic radiation used
as a weapon to cause structural damage and destruction to objects.

His conclusion, he said, was reached, after he interviewed two of the
survivors and also analysed the CCTV footage of the incident.

Iguniwei said that the "plane-like object" that flew over the church
fired an infrasonic weapon that made the building crumble.

"An infrasonic weapon can be fired or deployed from any flying object
or from a location within a distance of between one hundred metres and
1,000 metres away from the intended target.

"This infrasonic weapon employs vibration to induce high density
destructive resonance in the building leading to a near perfect
vertical crumbling experience.

"I bring to bear my experience in arriving at this conclusion that the
building collapsed as a result of uniform destruction due to the
infrasonic pulse fired unto the building," Iguniwei said.

To support his claim, the expert cited the destruction of the Tacoma
Narrows Bridge in Washington in 1940 as one of the cases where an
infrasonic weapon was deployed. He however explained that the
technology was not visible to human eyes. This, he said, was because
radiation does not generate heat or lead to burning as in the case of
bombs.

"The bomb expert who is looking for chemical residue will not see
anything like a by-product," he explained.

"Of course, there is no charring because all that the radiation does
is to cause a vibration of the atoms from their position resulting in
the emission of electrons.

"Engineers generally believe that a structure would fail due to bad
foundation and materials, but if you go there now, the foundation
pillars are still very intact.

"My position is that the building weakened from the top," the expert said.

Iguniwei's testimony therefore brought up a new twist to the
proceedings in the inquest into how the building where 116 persons
were killed on September 12, collapsed.

The Coroner, Oyetade Komolafe, directed Iguniwei to submit his
research on the incident to the court on January 5, 2015.

Comical Stuffs

An inspirational speaker said: "The Best years of my life were spent
in the arms of a woman, who wasn't my wife." Audience were in
shock and silent. He added: "She was my mother" A big round of
applause & laughter followed!

Akpos decided to crack this at home.

After dinner, he said loudly to his
wife in the kitchen: "The Best years of my life were spent in the arms
of a woman,
who wasn't my wife"

Standing for a moment, Akpos
tried to recall the second line of that inspirational speaker. By the
time he gained his senses, he was on a hospital bed, recovering from
burns of boiling water.

One word for Akpos ... lol

Culled

Another Nollywood Actress' Marriage Crashes

Report has it that the one year old marriage of Nollywood actress,
Lola Alao with her American based Nigerian husband, Olawale Ajibola
has crashed.

News had gone viral over the weekend that her husband had left her for
another woman named Becky, who appears to be her best friend.

According to the report, Becky had always referred to Olawale as her
uncle which made relationship with Lola very strong. They were like
sisters.

Things took a turn when Becky called the police on her husband, Kola,
after an alleged domestic dispute at their home in Canada. While he
was in jail, Becky and Lola's husband decided to make their affair
public.

Wale was said to have left Lola and moved to Canada meet Becky and the
both of them are allegedly not hiding their relationship as they are
already attending events together.

When Ynaija reached out to the actress who arrived Nigeria for a movie
shoot some days back, she refused to speak the matter.

However, when she was pressed further, she responded: "I have nothing
to say about it please, I'm busy.

"Deny what? I have nothing to deny. Let everyone say what they like, I
don't care, it is my life, please leave me alone."

Lola Alao's love life has been a matter of public debate, from
controversial divorce infidelity scandal.

She secretly tied the knot with Olawale last year August at a civil
ceremony in Atlanta.

This is Lola's second attempt in marriage. Her first marriage was to a
US based car dealer, Dare whom she married in 2002. They separated
after few years. They both had a daughter, Omowunmi who is now 10.
--infonaija

Elton John Weds Long-Time Gay Civil Partner

Popular English singer, Sir Elton John and David Furnish were
officially married, exactly nine years after they entered into a civil
partnership.

They tied the knot in a romantic ceremony in front of family, friends,
and numerous celebrities and of course, their sons Zachary, three and
Elijah, 23 months.

Sir Elton John and David Furnish are saying their vows.

David and Victoria Beckham, musician Ed Sheeran and actor David
Walliams were among the guests.

The couple was so keen for the whole world to share in their happiness
they posted pictures to their Instagram pages throughout the ceremony
alongside the hash tag #ShareTheLove.

They held a civil partnership ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall on
December 21st, 2005.

In March, the law was changed in England and Wales to allow same-s*x marriage.

Sir Elton said at the time he was "very proud" of Britain for changing the law.

Israel Indicts Palestinians Over Facebook Posts

Eight Palestinians from occupied east Jerusalem have been indicted for
inciting anti-Jewish violence and supporting "terror" in postings on
Facebook, an Israeli justice ministry spokeswoman has said.

The eight men, aged 18-45, were charged at Jerusalem Magistrate's
Court on Monday with "incitement to violence or terror and supporting
a terrorist group" on Facebook, a ministry statement read.

The incriminating posts were allegedly put online in recent months as
a wave of violence rocked the city during which several Palestinians
staged lone wolf attacks killing nine people.

The defendants "directly called for violence and terror against
(Jewish) citizens and security forces and praised, encouraged and
supported these deeds and their perpetrators" on the Internet, the
statement read.

Among the remarks posted online were "It is good to kidnap soldiers",
"Zionists flee because you'll soon be killed by a car" and words
expressing hope that a rightwing Jewish activist, who survived an
assassination attempt in October, would die a painful death, the
indictment said.

All eight were arrested earlier this month in what police said was
their biggest operation yet aimed at halting incitement to violence on
social networks.

Tensions in Jerusalem have since abated although clashes still erupt
sporadically in the Arab eastern sector of the city which was occupied
and annexed by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War.

Kim K, Oprah, Rihanna And Tons Of Celebs Lose Millions Of Followers After Instagram's Latest Purge

Some of you might have gotten a message lately from Instagram, saying
they were going to conduct a fix on your page to remove spam followers
and shrugged; but for some celebs like Kim Kardashian-West, Rihanna,
Katy Perry and even Oprah, this can be very damaging to their rep.

Following Instagram's latest purge, stars lost a huge amount of
followers suggesting that they may not be as popular as we think.

Many celebs have their social media accounts handled by a team of
experts who usually buy followers for as low as $30 for 2,500
followers. And on Thursday accounts like Kim K lost 1.3 million
followers, Rihanna lost about 1.2 million, Katy Perry lost 300,000 and
Oprah said goodbye to 100,000 followers.

According to Michael Heller, CEO of Talent Resources via PageSix-
"It's bad for a celeb for many reasons". "It's embarrassing," "they
also could lose lots of money".

We wonder how many followers would go if they did a Twitter purge next.

Graduates Of Medicine To Be Mobilised After Housemanship --NYSC

The National Youth Service Corps will no longer mobilise graduates of
medicine who have not completed their housemanship and registered with
appropriate authorities.

The NYSC Director of Press, Mrs Bose Aderibigbe, made the announcement
in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Aderibigbe said that the decision was taken at the end of the NYSC
2014 Pre-Mobilisation Workshop, held in Abuja.

"Graduates of medicine who are yet to complete their housemanship and
have not fully registered with the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council
of Nigeria will not be mobilised for service any more.

"Receipt of payment for registration would no longer be accepted in
lieu of certificate of registration".

She advised parent institutions to carry along affiliated institutions
and ensure that names of graduates were not expunged from
Senate/Academic Board Approved result lists submitted to the NYSC.

The director said the decision was taken to ease the problem
associated with exclusion of graduates of affiliated institutions from
mobilisation for service.

"Also, all matriculation numbers that were assigned to graduates, but
found to be invalid should be brought to the attention of the
registrar, JAMB for verification.

"To guard against the bottlenecks associated with the delivery of
exemption certificates to corps producing institutions, the old system
of delivering simultaneously the call-up letters and exemption
certificates has been restored", she said.

Aderibigbe acknowledged the lapses observed in the computerisation of
the NYSC mobilisation and registration process.

She advised student affairs officers of institutions to educate their
students on the implication of registering online by proxy, stressing
that anyone caught henceforth would not be registered in the camps.
--(NAN)

5 Point Guide To Get Noticed At Work

Forget spouting the 'right phrases' and walking the boss's dog. There
are more solid ways to be noticed at work. And no, you don't have to
stoop to sycophancy and late hours. If you really want to stand out at
work, here are the things you should do:

1. Don't wait to be asked: Take the initiative and do little things
that impact the team, without being asked. Preparing progress reports,
putting back-ups in place or setting up reminders -- it's a sure way to
be noticed in a hurry. Very often, we only do as we are told and this
turns the boss into a task-master. You are acting like an adult,
paying attention and displaying foresight.

2. Don't shut up: Meetings are black holes that gulp time, attention
and energy. First off, don't sit in a corner or near the door which
indicates you are anxious to buzz off or remain unseen. Ask questions
and voice opinions -- but not too much. You don't want to be the person
that extends meetings pointlessly. Don't be afraid to disagree, just
do it in a way that address the issue and does not make it personal.

3. Jot it down: It's a boring job, but the rewards make up for it. The
reputation for being reliable is slowly built and start with small
steps. Keeping all the visiting cards you collect handy, phone numbers
in a file, pens in a stand, a calendar on your desk -- and you become
the goto guy for everything. Jot down every little deliverable, task,
errand so that you can remember or bring it up when everyone else has
forgotten.

4. Keep books around: Sure, you can find everything on the Internet,
but books give you an air of intellect. They also indicate that you
keep yourself updated, cross-check your knowledge and believe in
reference. Keep reference books, dictionary, thesaurus and journals
pertaining to your profession at hand in your cubicle or desk. People
may laugh at first, but then they'll head your way to look-up a thing
or two; then you can laugh back.

5. Know the staff: Be kind and respectful to the staff you don't have
to 'work' with -- janitors, liftman, peons and watchmen. But don't be
condescending. Know their names like you would your colleagues' and
address them by it. Treating people, from whom you have nothing to
gain materialistically, with respect immediately gives you exemplary
character traits. While you are at it, also know the names and a
little information about your colleagues' spouses and children.
--timesofindia

Wizkid Spotted Inside Public Bus (Danfo) In Lagos

Wizkid was seen by the paparazzi in Lagos inside the popular Lagos
public van, popularly called Danfo. The 24 year old music star tried
to keep his cool as he sits inside the Danfo...

Wizkid was shooting a video for one of the many songs on his album
Ayo... Words are that the video is for Ojuelegba...

He captioned "sitting in this bus shooting my video thinking about
when i used to move around in the bus like this praying for a better
life! i'm thankful to god nd my fans! big things coming 2015!!"

We look forward to the video.
--infonaija

Explosion Rocks Bauchi Market

An explosion shook a busy market in the north Nigerian city of Bauchi
on Monday, engulfing it in flames and causing an unknown numbers of
casualties, a Reuters witness said.

Large sections of the central market area were on fire, sending plumes
of smoke into the air, he said. Medics were driving some wounded away
in ambulances.

The explosion hit hours after a double bomb attack in the main city of
neighbouring Gombe state killed at least 20 people and wounded twice
as many.

The Spokesman for the Gombe State Police Command, Mr Fwaji Atajiri,
however confirmed that 19 people were killed in the bomb blast that
rocked Dukku Motor Park located in the heart of Gombe town.

Mr Atajiri also said 25 others are currently receiving treatment at
the two government hospitals in Gombe town in north-east Nigeria.

On how the injured are currently being treated in view of the present
nationwide strike by health workers in the country, the spokesman said
"the senior staff at the two hospitals are doing a great job" in the
rescue mission.

Mr Atajiri revealed that the bomb was concealed and brought into the
park by a suspected terrorist.
--ChannelsTV

Eko Atlantic Lights Up Victoria Island Landscape

The new Eko Atlantic cityscape off the coast of Lagos, has begun to
take shape. The first residential and commercial tower blocks under
construction can now be seen clearly in the light of day from Ahmadu
Bello Way on Victoria Island and the Marina on Lagos Island.

Beside this development, there is something new. A section of new
roads in the emerging city has been illuminated with street lights
which are very visible at night.

The Managing Director of South Energyx Nigeria Limited, the developers
and planners of the emerging city disclosed these facts to newmen last
week.

"Eko Atlantic's road system is rolling out more and more each day but
it is the first time any of the internal city routes has been lit. We
are very satisfied that the street lighting has come on as this
represents another important step in the successful development of Eko
Atlantic," Frame said. The first row of lights along Eko Boulevard, a
paved eight-lane thoroughfare that is over a mile long and is the
spine of the Business District, will be extended in the New Year as
the developers forge ahead with infrastructure development.

Concrete block paved roads, spacious side walks and kerbs are also
being built in the first and second phases of developing Eko Atlantic.

'The project development area is now so large and progressing so
quickly that it won't be long before we need internal road signs to
drive around," Frame said.

"To date, 10 per cent of Eko Atlantic's roads in Phase 1 and 2 are
paved while 32 per cent have stone-base in place providing access to
motor vehicles. Furthermore 25 per cent of the roads are defined with
kerb lines. 56 per cent of storm water drainage has been installed
along with 34 per cent of state-of-the-art communications, 50 per cent
of the sewage distribution network and 36 per cent of the water supply
network have also been completed," he said.

Pastor Tunde Bakare On Surprising Revelations About Buhari

The Pastor and Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly Church, Pastor
Tunde Bakare has set the record straight about APC's presidential
candidate, Muhammad Buhari!

The controversial pastor in an exclusive interview with SaharaTV, has
debunked insinuations and impressions that the social media has
circulated that he is against General Muhammad Buhari. It would be
recalled that Bakare ran with Buhari in 2011 on the presidential
ticket of the Congress For Progressive Change.

In the new video, Pastor Bakare explained that the audio tape being
circulated was a talk he gave immediately after the last governorship
election in Ondo state in 2012, saying he made it clear for those who
cared to listen that he supports Buhari's ambition come rain, come
shine.

In the new video, Bakare pledged his utmost loyalty to Buhari, making
it known that he knows what he is doing and when he supports someone,
he does so fully. The pastor, who had just arrived from a trip to the
United States, told Sahara Reporters that he was knowledgeable about
the behind-the-scenes political horse-trading that produced Yemi
Osinbajo as Buhari's VP candidate.

The interview was conducted at the Latter Rain Assembly church in
Lagos, and Pastor Bakare spoke on a variety of topics.
--infonaija

Pastor Drops Dead On Pulpit After Singing Pharrell's 'Happy' Song

Pastor Gordon A. Humphrey of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church of
Chicago dropped dead on the pulpit after singing the well-loved song,
Happy by Pharrell Williams. Paramedics were called as church members
that are in the medical field tried to revive their 60-year-old
pastor.

Pastor Gordon A. Humphrey of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church of
Chicago dropped dead in the pulpit after singing the well-loved song,
Happy by Pharrell Williams. Paramedics were called as church members
that are in the medical field tried to revive their 60-year-old
pastor. He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. Pastor
Humphrey had three churches under his wing at his time of death; two
in California and one in Chicago. Humphrey's mentee, Pastor Greg
Hunter, said his pastor died doing what he loved. This is where the
church is putting the emphasis surrounding his untimely passing. He
enjoyed preaching and singing and always gave his all when doing so.
Hunter added: He brought all people together. For years he walked the
streets and met with drug addicts and gangbangers that had been
enemies and made them begin to love.

He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. Pastor Humphrey had
three churches under his wing at his time of death; two in California
and one in Chicago.

Humphrey's mentee, Pastor Greg Hunter, said his pastor died doing what
he loved. This is where the church is putting the emphasis
surrounding his untimely passing.
He enjoyed preaching and singing and always gave his all when doing
so. Hunter added: He brought all people together. For years he
walked the streets and met with drug addicts and gangbangers that had
been enemies and made them begin to love.

Pastor Gordon A. Humphrey of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church of
Chicago dropped dead in the pulpit after singing the well-loved song,
Happy by Pharrell Williams. Paramedics were called as church members
that are in the medical field tried to revive their 60-year-old
pastor. He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. Pastor
Humphrey had three churches under his wing at his time of death; two
in California and one in Chicago. Humphrey's mentee, Pastor Greg
Hunter, said his pastor died doing what he loved. This is where the
church is putting the emphasis surrounding his untimely passing. He
enjoyed preaching and singing and always gave his all when doing so.
Hunter added: He brought all people together. For years he walked the
streets and met with drug addicts and gangbangers that had been
enemies and made them begin to love.

China To Arraign Jackie Chan's Son Over Drugs

Chinese prosecutors have indicted the son of Hong Kong film star
Jackie Chan on drug offences, more than four months after he was first
detained.

The announcement on Monday did not mention when a trial would be held
but if convicted, singer-actor Jaycee Chan could face up to three
years in jail.

Beijing police detained the younger Chan at his Beijing apartment in
August along with Taiwanese movie star Ko Kai. Police said Chan and Ko
both tested positive for marijuana and admitted using the drug.

Jaycee Chan's detention has been particularly embarrassing for his
father, who was named by Beijing as an anti-drug ambassador in 2009.

Chan has never publicly contested the charge, and his father has
openly apologised over his detention.

"Regarding this issue with my son Jaycee, I feel very angry and very
shocked," Jackie Chan wrote on his microblog in August. "As a public
figure, I'm very ashamed. As a father, I'm heartbroken."

In June, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that illegal drugs
should be wiped out and that offenders should be severely punished.
The crackdown has snared more than 7,800 people in Beijing alone,
according to police, and celebrities were targeted because of their
influence over the public.
--PUNCH

Kourtney Kardashian Shares First Photo Of New Baby Boy, Reveals Name

Excited mother-of-three, Kourtney Kardashian shared first photo of her
newly born third child on Instagram on Saturday...

Kourt shared a cute moment on Instagram , revealing his name for the first time.

The reality star captioned the adorable photo of her baby boy's tiny
fingers... captioning "Madly in love with my little Reign Aston Disick"

Transitional Electricity Market Begins Jan 1

The Federal Government has announced that the effective date for the
beginning of all contractual obligations in the Nigerian electricity
market has been fixed for January 1, 2015.

It said January 1, 2015 is also the date for the declaration of the
long awaited Transition Electricity Market.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, who disclosed this at a
stakeholders forum on Monday in Abuja, said the main focus of TEM
would be the consummation of all contractual obligations as stipulated
in the market rules.

He said TEM declaration was not the start of the transition, but an
attempt to make the market more mature and robust.

Nebo, in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Power, called on all
players to fulfill their obligations, stressing that the Federal
Government would not accept any excuse as to why they were unable to
provide Nigerians with uninterrupted power supply.

The minister disclosed that the Central Bank of Nigeria was ready,
hence all market participants should perfect their papers in order to
access cheap funds under the government's intervention initiative.

Nebo also disclosed that government was determined to radically
address the lingering metering-gap existing in the power sector.

This, he said, would help block leakages in revenue, thereby making
more resources available for investment.
--PUNCH

Mikel Makes 250th Start For Chelsea

Nigeria midfielder John Mikel Obi will make his 250thstart for Chelsea
tonight as he partners Nemanja Matic in midfield against Stoke City.

Mikel joined Chelsea in the summer of 2006. He has won every major
honour at club level with the Blues.

Thibaut Courtois returns in goal and Diego Costa, rested at Derby,
leads the attack.

Cesc Fabregas is expected to again play in a more forward midfield
position ahead of Nemanja Matic and John Mikel Obi, as in last
Tuesday's cup win. It is Mikel's 250th start for Chelsea.

Cesar Azpilicueta is the left-back with Gary Cahill returning as John
Terry's partner.

For Stoke City, there are two changes from their draw against Palace.
Marc Muniesa comes into defence in place of Marc Wilson and Marko
Arnautovic is preferred to Mame Diouf on the left wing.

WizKid Responds To Sex Allegation

Yesterday , the wizKid story virtually broke the Nigerian Internet.

An anonymous lady girl sent Bellanaija photos and a mail about her
seeing the "In My Bed" crooner. And she wanted his girlfriend, Tania
Omotayo to know about the external relationship.

Wizkid replied through his Manager that "No comment, I have nothing to
say about it... I'm letting this slide."

Well, what do you think?
Is silence acceptance of guilt? Or?
--GistReel

Checkout The Massive Bulge On Cristiano Ronaldo's New Statue

Portuguese born current world footballer of the year Cristiano
Ronaldo's new statue was unveiled in his hometown of Funchal, on the
island of Madeira recently.

Something interesting about it was the massive bulge on his lower part.

Ronaldo is not known to be well endowed in that are so, so did he
specifically ask for that?