Omotola opens "Double doors
Events place" with valentine party
Award winning actress Omotola officially opened her event place
"Double doors " on the 14th of February hosting close friends
and fans to an Old school loving valentine party. Guests were
pleasantly surprised as the Entrepreneur actress handed Roses
to ladies as they came in. Double doors Event place is situated at
8, Mobolaji bank anthony way , unity b.stop, Ikeja .
Kim K shares photos of how she tapes her
chest for red carpet events
New mum Kim K revealed how she creates the perfect cleavage
at red carpet events over the past few years. She showed off
her chest that has nothing but straps of tape on her. More
photos after the cut..
Gov Ambode inspects communities
in Ikorodu LCDA, orders security forces to
clampdown on criminals.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has ordered
security agencies to apply appropriate force to clampdown on
criminals, pipeline vandals, miscreants and cultists disturbing the
peace of residents in the state.
The Governor who spoke on Tuesday, February 16, during a
security inspection tour of Owutu, Ishawo, Oke Oko and other
adjoining communities in Ikorodu West Local Council Development
Area (LCDA) of the state, also warned criminals to stay off the
streets of Lagos, saying that his government will stop at nothing
to ensure the restoration of peace in the area, which had
hitherto being disturbed by the activities of vandals and
miscreants.
It would be recalled that the abduction of seven Department of
State Security (DSS) operatives in the area sometime in October
last year and other criminal activities of vandals necessitated
Governor Ambode to request for a military/security operation in
the area code named ‘Operation Awatse’
The Governor not only requested for the operation, but also
briefed the President Muhammadu Buhari as well as the Chief of
Defence Staff on the criminality going on in the area, after
which they approved the military operation.
Thus, the visit by the Governor, who supported the military
operation monetarily, was a follow up to boost the morale of the
security forces and then see the possibility of opening up the
road as a permanent solution to dislodging all criminal activities
in that axis.
The Governor, who made a brief stop at the Little Palace Hotel,
where vandals once used to plan and execute their criminal
activities before it was taken over by a combined force of the
Nigeria Army, Navy, Airforce, the DSS and the Police under the
code name, ‘Operation Awatse’, expressed deep regret over the
loss of three officers of the operation, assuring that his
administration will give the force the necessary support to wage
war against the vandals.
"I also want to commiserate with our security agencies
most especially the Nigerian Navy for the loss of three
men last week. I like to use this as a platform to give a
very strong warning to vandals and even cultists that are
parading themselves on the street of Lagos.
"Just recently, we heard that the fingers of some of our
men in the Task Force were chopped off by some
hoodlums so to speak. I'm using this platform also to direct
our security forces that they should go ahead to use
appropriate force in mitigating against such incidences
next time and this is in the overall interest of all of us.
While we make sure that we are upholding the rule of law.
We would not fold our arms and allow some miscreants to
disturb the peace of Lagos.
"If we sit down in our office, we would not be able to
appreciate the extent of the problem here. People here
have been living in fear in the past. We want permanent
peace in the area and that is why we are coming after
the vandals and criminals. Let me use this opportunity to
warn criminals to get off the streets of Lagos and get off
the creeks," he said.
The Governor while appreciating the officers whose presence in
the area had reduced the activities of the vandals and hoodlums
terrorising residents, said he will ensure that all necessary
apparatus and welfare for the officers is made available to
boost their morale in the line of duty.
"I have come here personally with the heads of security
agencies in Lagos State and the Security Council
members to firstly appreciate the work of security
agencies that have been posted here since last October
and to also commend you for the improvement we have
made since the time that you commenced operation here.
“We like to reiterate once again our full commitment to
support security agencies in eradicating vandalism and all
sorts of vices from the street of Lagos. Beyond the fact
that we are supporting the Nigerian Police, we are also
now more than ever committed to support all the other
security agencies in ensuring that they carry out their
work more efficiently. So, my presence today
underscores that fact that we all have to join hands
together to ensure that the ugly scenes like this will not
repeat itself," he said.
Earlier, Lt Col. Julius Ogbobe, Commanding Officer of the
Operation Awatse, who briefed the Governor and his entourage
on the operational base of his squad, said they dislodged the
vandals from the Little Palace Hotel on October 10, 2015, which
has since led to the recovery of over 2000 by 50 litres gallon of
illegal products, 36 vehicles while 15 suspects were also arrested
and handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps
(NSCDC) for prosecution.
"Your Excellency, seeing you here in our midst will further
serve as a boost to our moral and also give us hope that
government will give us all that it takes and the support to
go after the vandals in and within Arepo and the general
areas of the Operation Awatse", Ogbobe said.
The Governor who also drove several kilometres to inspect the
state of the road, said the plan of government is to link up the
community with Arepo and Kara, expressing optimism that if the
road network is accessible, it would go a long way to reduce the
activities of vandals in the area.
He therefore promised to champion collaboration for the
construction of a link bridge among Lagos, Ogun and the Nigeria
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to ensure that Ishawo,
Oke Oko communities is linked to Kara and Arepo via the creek.
Addressing community leaders and residents at a brief town hall
meeting, said although his visit to the area was to access the
security situation, he also took note of the need to open up the
community so as to curtail the activities of pipeline vandals to the
bearest minimum.
The Governor was also concerned about the complains of the
residents on the lack of schools, healthcare centres and public
infrastructure in the community and promised to build a new
primary and secondary school in the area as well as provide a
well equipped primary healthcare centre.
Aww, Sage The Gemini begs his ex gf Jordin
Sparks, says he wants her back
Singer Jordin Spark and rapper Sage The Gemini who had been
dating, recently broke up. He has apparently been calling her so
they could make up but according to him, she has refused to pick
his call so he took to his IG account to beg her to answer his call
or call him back so they could talk things over because he misses
her. Read what he wrote:
Can't sit here and act industry Iike this shit don't hurt me.
You the only girl I can call at 3 in the morning and you'll
answer no problem. You the only girl that can wake up
out of a dead sleep and get me some water because I was
coughing in my sleep the only girl that loves me the way
you were supposed to. I miss you to much to watch you
look so amazing at the Clyde Davis party and not be able
to call you and express how much I appreciated the look
because you won't answer nor text back the feeling is
horrible. You see this picture?...... That's the picture of me
lookin at niggas lookin at you and givin them the eye like
"wassup nigga" and you like it's ok babe and you makin me
smile and feel just Alittle more secure about it. Lol it kinda
reminds me of the picture of the little lady standing in
front of the hulk and being the only one that can calm
him down that's you ya know? But yea this shit is crazy i
just wanna tell you I'm still being a good boy just incase
you come to your senses. Valentine's Day was supposed
to be a special day I wanted that to be our anniversary
because it's your grandparents and maybe we could've
double dated remember? Please call me back I just want
like a hug and a kiss or something. Sincerely Dominic
Wynn Woods
Lady Gaga,Taylor Swift, Ciara and others
rock the red carpet for the Grammys
The Grammys happened a few hours ago and here are the red
carpet pictures. They all looked beautiful. More pictures after
the cut.
Ndigbo are ‘incurably
money-minded’ -Soyinka
Igbos vote based on their stomach, they suffer
from incurable money mindedness- Wole Soyinka
The Igbo ethnic group does seem to be getting a lot
of bashing these days from their countrymen. This
time it was Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka who said
they are probably the only set of Nigerians who
are predictable when it comes to voting.
That may not be a bad thing, but then he went on
to say, they vote in the direction of their stomachs.
In his words, the Igbo are “suffering as it were,
from incurable money-mindedness, as they would
stop at nothing in their quest for personal financial
gain”.
Soyinka said this while delivering a lecture titled,
‘Predicting Nigeria, Electoral Ironies’ at the
Harvard University Hutchins Centre for African
and African American Research in the United
States, according to a gazette by the institution.
He reportedly said: “Igbos remained unrepentant
and resolute towards their strategic objective of
secession at worst; or a Nigerian president of Igbo
extraction at best.
“The climax of MASSOB’s war against the Nigerian
state was the call for sit-ins and civil disobedience
that shut down markets and public services, as
Igbos stayed at home in a symbolic gesture to
assert Biafran independence. The call was
honoured by governors in the two principal Ibo
states, though without fanfare.
“The Igbos are probably the only group of
Nigerians that you can predict with great accuracy
whom they will vote for in an election, because
they tend to put their votes where their stomachs
take them; suffering as it were, from incurable
money-mindedness, as they would stop at nothing
in their quest for personal financial gain.
“Muhammadu Buhari was the better of the two
evils as the incumbent president Goodluck
Jonathan had been an unmitigated disaster and
failure. It was a painful decision to tell people to
vote Buhari, but the country needed a new
beginning. I was more against Jonathan, than I was
pro-Buhari.
“Nothing is more unworthy of leadership than to
degrade a system by which one attains fulfillment,
and this is what the nation witnessed time and time
again under Jonathan, who was increasingly
becoming intolerant of opposition in an escalating
streak of impunity and authoritarian madness,
which was most blatant and unconscionable.
“The ‘militricians’ – soldiers turned politicians in
power – aren’t looking for excellence; their civilian
cohorts are worse. Short cuts and how to
circumvent the system for the profit of a few are
the norm of governance. Those who do honest
work are derided as lacking the skill to fit it.
Ironically, things haven’t quite changed a bit after
16 years of democracy in the country.” he said
Review… Five issues which
show that APC is in trouble
in Politics
In from Ripples Nigeria . . .
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has
been in power for almost a year and there are
signs that all is not well within the party which
made history last March when it became the first
opposition party in Nigeria’s history to defeat a
ruling party at the presidential level. From internal
wranglings, to lack of funding, to discontent in the
land, below are five issues which show that the
APC is in trouble.
1. It’s all about the money
The APC is broke. That’s one of the biggest
challenges. Unlike the former ruling party that was
always awash with cash, the leadership of the APC
has been unable to find a sustainable formula to
fund its activities and run its operations. This is due
to President Muhammadu Buhari’s politics which is
averse to footing the party’s bills from government
funds.
Even the national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun,
admitted last month that the party was broke. He
said they were working on plans which will be
launched in a month or two to raise money from
members. A meeting held between the leadership of
the ruling party and the president in January
ended with the president advising the party to think
of ways to fund itself. Buhari does not want the
APC to fall into the same ditch which ensnared the
PDP when it began to use resources of the nation
to fund its activities. But if the party is unable to
find a way to raise money soon, it won’t be long
before party members begin rumbling in public.
The APC is broke. That’s one
of the biggest challenges.
Unlike the former ruling party
that was always awash with
cash, the leadership of the
APC has been unable to find
a sustainable formula to fund
its activities and run its
operations.
2. Faster, faster, Mr. President
Another source of disquiet within the ruling party
is that Buhari has continued with his snail-like pace
in making crucial appointments. Everything about
the Buhari administration takes time and the party
faithful are getting impatient. The president (in)
famously waited six months before inaugurating a
cabinet, which then led to the bungling of the
budget proposal for 2016, as ministers did not have
enough time to settle in and get their priorities
right before the budget presentation deadline
loomed. It did not take long for Nigerians to begin
to dissect the shoddy work done in the budget. The
embarrassment which the administration has
suffered is a direct effect.
Now, Buhari is continuing to delay in appointing
heads of boards of parastatals and federal
agencies. Interestingly, the president’s
sluggishness seems to be affecting APC state
governors as well. Most of them waited until Buhari
forwarded his own list to the senate before they
sent names of commissioner-nominees to the state
assembly. Just like the president, many governors
have still not appointed heads of boards and even
special advisers. This is a big source of concern for
party members. The ‘spoils’ of their March 2015
victory needs to be shared and quickly too.
During the meeting of members of the Rivers APC
with the National leadership of the party, they
lamented over the fact that board members
appointed by former president Goodluck Jonathan
still held sway and were using the offices to
”victimise” APC members. Supporters of the party
who worked for the party’s victory last year
expect to be rewarded, and so far that is not
happening. A key point to note is that a presidential
committee on the reconstitution of federal
government boards headed by the Secretary to
the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr.
Babachir David Lawal, is yet to submit its report.
There are some who argue that the delay by Baba
Go Slow (as Buhari is often called) in making the
board appointments is because of the infighting
within state chapters of the party. However that
argument holds little water, as ultimately
appointments are discretionary and President
Buhari has the final say. If there is one thing he
has shown in the last eight months, it is that he is
not beholden to anyone.
The president’s sluggishness
seems to be affecting APC
state governors as well. Most
of them waited until Buhari
forwarded his own list to the
senate before they sent
names of commissioner-
nominees to the state
assembly
3. There’s a rumble in the jungle
Another challenge facing the APC is the internal
war among its leading chieftains. All has not been
well ever since Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara
emerged as senate president and Speaker of the
House of Representatives respectively. The two
men were not the popular choice of the party
leadership, President Buhari, and APC national
leader, Bola Tinubu. However with deft politicking,
romance with the PDP and the support of former
vice president Atiku Abubakar and some state
governors, they pulled off an upset win.
Read also: Buhari building a sectional economy -
Fayose
It was thought initially that Atiku would be
announced as the chairman of the party’s board
of trustees, but his candidacy has suffered a
setback due to his support for Saraki and Dogara.
There is now mutual suspicion between the
different power centres in the party. The Bola
Tinubu camp is believed to favour former interim
national chairman of the party, to be named as
BOT chairman. As a result of the stalemate, the
party has no BOT.
In January, APC chairman, Odigie-Oyegun, was
asked why the BOT has still not been constituted,
he said, “There is no issue surrounding that. It’s
just that there has been so much to do and the
president wants to personally participate in it. A
date has been scheduled for all organs of the
party to meet.”
4. Where’s the common ground?
Another challenge for the party, which is similar to
the above is the fact that since July 3, 2015, the
APC National Executive Committee (NEC) has not
met. At that last meeting, Bola Tinubu, Bisi Akande,
and even Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, were
absent. They were believed at the time to have
stayed away in protest against the election of
Saraki and Dogara, who both attended the meeting.
Buhari frittered away a lot of
goodwill initially by failing to
take some early tough
decisions and the government
has not shown that it has
enough imagination to rescue
the economy from the
doldrums.
The NEC is supposed to meet every quarter,
according to the APC constitution. However no
other meeting has held, two quarters later. There
are speculations that a meeting of the NEC will hold
by the end of the month. It is believed that the
stalemate within the party will be resolved at that
meeting but it will take a mighty effort from all
stakeholders involved to meet at a common ground,
or else the party leadership must be ready to pass
off one of the warring factions. We await.
5. There is fire on the mountain
The final – and biggest – challenge facing the APC
is that the stars do not seem to be aligned in their
favour. These are hard economic times: oil prices
have crashed, the naira is exchanging in the
parallel market at about N330 to a dollar at this
moment, and the government has been unable to
ramp up quick wins to assure citizens that it
understands what it is doing. Buhari frittered away
a lot of goodwill initially by failing to take some
early tough decisions and the government has not
shown that it has enough imagination to rescue the
economy from the doldrums.
Of all the challenges the APC faces, this more than
any others will determine its fate as a ruling party.
If the party has all the money in the world to run
its activities, and is at peace with itself, all that will
mean nothing, if Nigerians are not happy with it.
They will do well to remember that.
RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears
