APGA Confirm Labaran Maku As Nasarawa Governorship Candidate

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has said that the
controversy surrounding the party's governorship candidate in Nasarawa
State has been resolved as the name of immediate past Information
Minister, Labaran Maku, has been submitted and accepted by INEC.

The party's National Chairman, Mr Victor Umeh, confirmed this to our
correspondent on the phone.

He stated categorically, "Mr Labaran Maku is our governorship
candidate in Nasarawa State. We have submitted his name and same has
been accepted by INEC.

"There is no question about the party's governorship candidate in
Nasarawa State, Maku's name has been accepted by the party and INEC."

There was some drama a week before, over who would fly the party's
flag in Nasarawa State, when news of Mr Maku emerging as APGA
candidate broke.

The controversy stemmed from the claim by Mr Matthew Unbugaku who
reportedly claimed the ticket.

The coast seems clear for Mr Labaran Maku to run for governor on the
platform of APGA, after failing to secure the ticketof the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), where he had been very visible in confronting
opposition parties.
--ChannelsTV

We Are Not With Buhari's Original Copies Of Certificates --Army

Few days after the former Head of State and Presidential candidate of
the All Progressives Congress, APC, Major General Muhammadu Buhari,
retd, explained in an affidavit submitted to the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, that all his academic credentials were
with the Military Board, the Army have stated that they do not keep
the certificates of any serving or retired officer or soldier.

General Buhari is contesting the presidential election for the fourth
time under different political parties including the defunct All
Nigeria People's Party, ANPP and the Congress for Progressive Change,
CPC, but the issue of his qualifications had never been controversial
until the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, recently described him
as a ''semi- illiterate.''

However, against the backdrop of Buhari's affidavit in court, a
military source said ''that the Army can not keep anybody's original
certificate because it is the personal property of the owner,'' adding
that such original certificates were only needed at the point of entry
into the service.

According to the source, the Military only kept photocopies of
credentials of officers and soldiers in their personal files that were
in the military secretary's office.

"The original certificate of any officer or soldier is only needed at
the point of entry into the service either as a cadet officer entering
the Nigerian Defence Academy, or the recruitment officers when
interviewing recruits to be sent to the depot for training. That is
so, because they are needed to verify what were in the photocopies
supplied by them or from the necessary examining bodies."

The source further stated that anybody claiming that his original
certificates were with the Military Secretary (Army), had ''ulterior
motive(s) or something he or she cannot explain.''

He further added, "Let me tell you now, in the Navy, the Navy
Secretary, NAVSEC, keep the documents of all Naval officers and
ratings and not their original certificates which are their personal
property.
--Vanguard

Steven Gerrard To Leave Liverpool At End Of Season

Steven Gerrard has played for Liverpool since making his debut in November 1998

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says being told he will start fewer
games is the main reason he has decided to leave Anfield for America
in the summer.

Gerrard will join a Major League Soccer (MLS) club at the end of the season.

The midfielder, 34, told Liverpool's website:"The key conversation
was when the manager sat me down and said it was time to manage my
games.

"It was a very difficult conversation to have. I'm bright enough to
realise it is the right thing. I accept it."

Gerrard has started 17 of Liverpool's 20 league games this season.
Only Raheem Sterling and Jordan Henderson have started more.

But the former England skipper had to deny rumours of a rift with
boss Brendan Rodgersafter being omitted from the Reds' side which beat
Stoke in November - on the 16th anniversary of his debut for the club.

Gerrard added: "When you've been a starter and a mainstay in the team
for such a long time... I had an idea the conversation was going to
come at some time, but it was a painful conversation."

Gerrard in 'turmoil' over Liverpool exit

MLS club Los Angeles Galaxy have been mooted as a possible destination
for the former England skipper, but Gerrard said he is yet to agree
terms with a club.

"I'm not over the line with any team yet. I'm close and as soon as I
know, I'll make the announcement," he said.

A clearly emotional Gerrard said he had been "blown away" by the
reaction to the news that he is to end his long association with
Liverpool.

"I can't read much of the reaction at the moment. I keep switching the
TV over," he said.

"I didn't realise it would be as big as this. It's very flattering and
I'm very humbled by it. "

He also expressed regret that his association with Rodgers had not
begun earlier.

"I wish I'd met Brendan when I was 24 because I think I'd be sitting
here talking about a lot of titles that we'd won together," he said.

"Brendan came into this club when I was 32 years of age and it's a
shame that relationship didn't start 10 years ago."

Gerrard could join his former England team-mate Frank Lampard in the MLS.

Lampard, 36, left Chelsea last year to join New York City FC,but has
been playing for their co-owners Manchester City, where he will stay
until the end of this season.

Gerrard stressed that he is fully focused on doing his best for
Liverpool for the remainder of the season.

Gerrard's best Premier League goals

"These next six months are a very important period for myself and the
team," he said. "I'd love to leave this team with a top-four finish."

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has said the club should
have made more of an effort to keep Gerrard.

"Steven is not someone who would be comfortable just sitting on the
bench and, in that sense, he has made the right decision," Carragher
wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.

"Still, I cannot help feeling Liverpool's hierarchy should have done
more to ensure he remained at Anfield."

Rodgers said he had wanted Gerrard to stay, and that the midfielder
wanted to carry on playing and was not ready to move into coaching.

Meanwhile, Reds midfielder Henderson says the club should aim to win
the FA Cup this season to give Gerrard a fitting send-off.

The 24-year-old told BBC Football Focus: "That'd be nice for him
because he deserves something like that for how good he's been over so
many years for Liverpool.

"That's what we hope to achieve and it would be brilliant for us as a
team and for him personally to get something in his last year."

Gerrard's 35th birthday falls on the day of the final at Wembley.
--BBC

My Quotes

"I just won my 600th game out of 1000, that means I won 60 percent of
the games and after 18 years" -- Arsene Wenger

My Quotes

"We made defensive errors. Wasn't easy for us to cope with an amazing
Kane. It wasn't also easy for them to cope with Hazard and Costa."
--Mourinho speaking on Chelsea's 3-5 defeat.

4 Silent Signs You May Have Clogged Arteries And The Best Foods To Eat To Prevent It

Preventing heart disease in patients is the main goal, but early
detection is the next best thing. This can lead to changes in
lifestyle and medical therapies that can delay or deny the onset of a
heart attack; almost 80 percent of heart disease is preventable with
lifestyle changes. Many of my patients are shocked to learn about the
following clues to underlying heart disease.

1. Erectile dysfunction (ED) could mean clogged arteries.

Men have a built-in warning system for silent CHD. When achieving an
erection is difficult or impossible, it can be a sign of clogged
arteries in the pelvis that presents before a heart attack hits. There
are, on average, three to five years between the onset of ED and the
finding of CHD, which is plenty of time to detect and to work on
preventing heart issues. If you and your partner are worried about
s*xual performance, look for and treat root causes of diseased
arteries before just popping a blue pill.

2. Baldness could indicate clogged arteries.

In a comprehensive new study of almost 37,000 men, severe baldness at
the crown of the head strongly predicted the presence of silent CHD at
any age. In a separate study of more than 7,000 people (including over
4,000 women), moderate to severe baldness doubled the risk of dying
from heart disease in both sexes.

3. Ear crease might indicate clogged arteries.

One of the stranger markers, a crease in your earlobe (specifically,
an angled crease in the ear that runs diagonally from the canal to the
lower edge of the earlobe) has been mentioned in medical research
reports as a sign of silent CHD for decades. The ear crease may result
from poor circulation, including in arteries in the heart. Although
some medical professionals have argued that a crease is just a general
sign of aging, researchers last year used the most sophisticated CT
scan method to measure silent CHD and found that ear crease predicted
heart disease even after the authors accounted for other risk factors,
such as age and smoking.

4. Calf pain when you walk might mean clogged arteries.

This is known as claudication (from the Latin for "to limp").
Atherosclerosis can block leg arteries, particularly in smokers,
before CHD is diagnosed. This symptom requires an evaluation without
delay. Your doctor will examine the pulses in your legs and perform
simple measurements of leg blood pressure and blood flow to confirm a
diagnosis of poor circulation. It is critical that heart disease be
diagnosed as early as possible because there are many dietary and
medical treatments that can help reverse the issue. Some of my
patients took these early clues to heart. I advised them to eat more
plant-based foods and fewer animal products and to start a walking
program. Their calf pain completely resolved within weeks and has not
recurred for years. Anyone with any of the above signs of silent CHD
should know his or her numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting
glucose). Ask your doctor if you should be checked for heart disease
with an EKG, a coronary calcium CT imaging, or an exercise stress
testing. To borrow from Ben Franklin, an ounce of prevention (plus a
bowl of kale) is worth a pound of cure.
--healthdigezt.com

North Korea's Kim Jong Un Offers Talks With South In New Year's Message

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said in a New Year's speech on
Thursday that he is open to more talks or even a summit with his South
Korean counterpart, a statement that is welcomed by Seoul, which in
turn urged the North to take concrete steps toward normalization of
relations.report:

Kim's call for improving inter-Korea relations comes as Pyongyang is
facing heightened criticism over its human rights record and souring
ties with Washington over allegations it was involved in the massive
hacking attack on Sony Pictures linked to "The Interview," a dark
comedy that portrayed an assassination attempt on Kim.

North Korea has denied involvement, but said the hack was a "righteous
deed" and suggested it might have been carried out by sympathizers or
supporters abroad.

"We believe we can resume suspended senior-level talks and hold other
talks on specific issues if South Korea sincerely has a position that
it wants to improve North-South relations through a dialogue," Kim
said in the nationally televised address. "And there is no reason not
to hold the highest-level talks if the atmosphere and conditions are
met."

Meeting such conditions has proven to be virtually impossible in the
past. The two countries have not held a summit since 2007 and, despite
Kim's remarks, the likelihood of one happening again soon is very low
given the deep distrust that remains between the two countries.

2015: Jonathan To Inaugurate Presidential Campaign Team Monday

Ahead of the February 14 presidential election, President Goodluck
Jonathan will inaugurate his campaign team on Monday in Abuja.

A press release by the Special Adviser on Political Matters to the
President, Prof. Rufai Alkali, on Thursday, said the inauguration will
take place at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign
office at Legacy House, in the Maitama District of Abuja by 2p.m.

According to Alkali, the Chairman of the Board of trustees of the PDP,
Chief Tony Anenih, has been appointed the national campaign adviser,
while a former National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, will
serve as the Director-General of the campaign organisation.

A former minister, Tunde Adeniran, will serve as deputy director
general of the campaign's head office, while the duo of Special Duties
Minister, Kabiru Turaki and ex-Anambra governor, Peter Obi, will serve
as Deputy Directors-General for North and South respectively.

Quite surprisingly, former All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain
and ex-Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, made the cut as Director
of Media and Publicity, while former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry
Gana, heads the campaign's contact and mobilization unit.

Other members of the campaign team include a former Minister of
Information, Aliyu Umar, who will head the directorate of
administration and logistics, while ex-Finance Minister and Senator,
Nenadi usman, will head the finance directorate.

Former Senator Nimi Amange will head the directorate of Planning,
Research and Statistics, the directorate of security and intelligence
will be headed by Emmanuel Imohe, and Youth Mobilisation by PDP's
National Youth leader, Abdullahi Maibasira.

The release also indicates that Nick Eze will head the directorate on
Civil Society and Support groups, while Becky Igwe will head that of
Women Mobilization.

Obama Rings In New Year With Friends, Family

President Barack Obama -- still on vacation in Hawaii -- spent New
Year's eve with loved ones at home, the White House said.

"The president plans to stay at home tonight and ring in the New Year
with family and friends," the White House said in a brief statement
released late Wednesday.

The White House shortly after midnight tweeted a picture of the
president planting a kiss on the cheek of a beaming First Lady
Michelle Obama, beneath a garland of mistletoe.

"Happy New Year!" read the photo caption.

Obama has been on holiday in Hawaii, his birth state, for a two-week
break. He returns to Washington on Sunday.

West Brom Confirm Pulis As Head Coach

West Bromwich Albion have officially named Tony Pulis as their new manager.

Pulis, 56, succeeds Alan Irvine, who was sacked after Albion's defeat
at Stoke City last year.

Pulis has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract to manage the Midland
club and will resume duty for the Baggies's FA Cup third round home
clash with Gateshead after today's Premier League trip to West Ham
United.

Tony Pulis Named New West Brom Manager. Image: Getty.

The Welsh coach had been out of management since living Crystal Palace
"by mutual consent" shortly before the start of the season.

He guided Palace to an 11th-place finish in the 2013-14 season and was
named Premier League manager of the year.

West Brom are a point above the relegation zone, with the league right
a the halfway stage.

Female Suicide Bomber Killed In Kano

A female suicide bomber wearing an explosives belt was killed in Kano
as she tried to enter a military barracks December 31.

AFP reports with reference to eyewitnesses that the soldiers opened
fire on the woman wearing hijab after she had refused to be searched
upon approaching the barracks in Bolari. The shots were said to have
immediately detonated the explosives belt wrapped around her.

The woman died on the spot. One of the witnesses, Shuaibu Nasir, narrated:

"The woman refused to stop and continued to advance towards the
military guards at the gates despite repeated orders from them to stop
at a distance.

"The soldiers opened fire on the woman who quickened her pace towards
them and as they fired shots at her she exploded with a loud sound
that shook our buildings."

According to another local, Ahmed Baballe, the bomber was "blown to
pieces" by the impact of the explosion.

"The soldiers didn't take chances with the woman and opened fire when
she showed no sign of stopping to be searched."

It would be recalled that Nigeria's security have recently arrested
Zaharau Babangida, a 13-year-old Kano could-be suicide bomber. The
girl narrated how her own father had introduced her into insurgency
and what had happened on the fateful day of the attack at Kwari
market.

Why We Have Not Reclaimed All Towns Captured By Boko Haram --Army

The Nigerian Army has been criticized in several quarters for
allegedly being lackadaisical in its fight against insurgency in
Nigeria's north east. The army however said on Wednesday that the need
to reduce collateral damage had delayed the recapture of some towns
seized by Boko Haram.

Brig.-Gen. Olajide Laleye, the Director, Army Public Relations gave
the explanation while responding to questions from journalists.

"We are not interested in collateral damage," he said.

"The Nigeria Army is very careful about collateral damage, to that
extent our operations are carefully planned to make sure that
collateral damage is reduced to the barest minimum.

"If certain areas have not been recaptured it is because the Nigerian
army is giving such areas very careful plans, the plans are ongoing.

"At the right time you will see the outcome; we will not tell you, of
course, before hand, of what we intend to do; but you will see the
outcome," Laleye said.

He however said Nigerians will be pleased at the end of the operations
going on to dislodge the terrorists, such that collateral damage is
reduced to the barest minimum.

"The Nigerian Army wishes to restate its determination to bring this
counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations to a speedy and
decisive end.

"Equally, the Nigerian Army seizes this opportunity to reassure
Nigerians of its preparedness to support relevant agencies in the
successful conduct of the 2015 general elections,'' he said.

Finally Tonto Dikeh Shows Off Her Man

Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh has finally decided to show off her man
but did not mention his name.

Initially she called him her manager but subsequent captions in other
photos she shared were beyond ordinary but very romantic.
--infonaija

President Jonathan’s New Year Broadcast Speech

Dear Great People of our nation,

1. I greet and felicitate with you all as we enter the New Year today.
As we mark the beginning of this New Year, 2015, a new nation is being
born. A new nation is being born because of the foundations we have
all laid, working together for the good and progress of our dear
fatherland.

2. I join you all in thanking God Almighty who has brought us this
far, for continually bestowing His Grace upon us and for guiding our
great nation safely through all the challenges of the past year.

3. This year, as in the year past, I reaffirm my commitment to work to
ensure a secure future for our dear country and the generations yet
unborn.

4. Last year, we celebrated our hundredth year of nationhood. The year
brought us further progress, challenges and fresh opportunities.

5. We have contended with the normal challenges of nation-building
and the unusual challenges of terrorism.

6. But we have continued to vigorously confront those who seek to
destroy the bonds of unity that hold us together.

7. On this first day of the New Year, I want to pay special tribute to
the gallant officers, men and women of our Armed Forces and other
security agencies who have been in the forefront of the war against
terrorism and violent extremism in our country and sub-region.

8. I also commend all Nigerians who have remained vigilant and
cooperative with our security agencies in the fight against the common
enemy.

9. We are re-equipping and re-positioning our armed forces to enhance
their capacity to win the ongoing war against terror and insurgency.

10. Regrettably, terrorists have unleashed much pain and agony on our
land. They have made widows of our mothers and sisters and orphans of
our children. They have shut down businesses, desecrated places of
worship and brought untold hardship to both men and women. They have
violated the culture and peaceful way of life in our country, which
took generations to build.

11. They have destroyed countless schools and displaced people from
their communities, driving them into exile.

12. I want to assure you that the terrorists will not get away with
their atrocities: they will not win; they will be routed. As
President, I feel the pain of all affected communities and families. I
hear their cries and share their sorrow and pain.

13. We will not forget; we will not look the other way. We have done a
lot of painstaking planning and work to resolve the current security
challenge. We will bring justice to the savage terrorists known as
Boko Haram. They will be defeated.

14. That is the solemn commitment I make today as President of the
Federal Republic, and Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces.

15. By the Special Grace of God, the Federal Government, under my
leadership, has continued, in the past four years to lead our country
forward, even under the most trying circumstances.

16. The progress we have made in priority areas bears us testimony.

17. Amongst other achievements, we have rehabilitated and expanded our
rail transportation network, successfully privatized power generation
and distribution, significantly reformed and increased local
participation in our oil and gas industry, and improved nationwide
access to potable water from 57% in 2010, to 70% at present.

18. We have also made significant progress in improving access to
primary, secondary and tertiary education by building and equipping
more schools, including special Almajiri schools, and establishing
additional universities to ensure that each state of the nation now
has at least one Federal University.

19. Our national economy maintained a steady growth rate of close to
seven per cent in the past four years and millions of fresh employment
opportunities were created for our people as a direct consequence.

20. Recently, we launched the Youth Employment in Agriculture
Programme (YEAP) and the $100 million dollars Government and Donor
Fund for Agriculture Finance in Nigeria (FAFIN) to fast-track the
positive transformation of our agricultural sector.

Read more here:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/476665029132874?view=permalink&id=608300995969276&refid=7&_ft_=qid.6099396510680808525%3Amf_story_key.5027304050159854412&__tn__=%2As

Suicide Bombing Injures Many In Gombe Church

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside an evangelist church in Gombe
on Thursday injuring several people, witnesses and a rescue worker
said.

"There was an explosion outside the ECWA church this morning. A
suicide bomber who was restrained from getting into the church blew
himself up," said Abubakar Yakubu, who heads the Nigeria Red Cross in
Gombe. "Luckily no one was killed but some people were mildly
injured," he added.
--V anguard