Chimamanda Adichie disagrees with Buhari on Nigeria Governance
“He had an opportunity to make real reforms early on, to boldly reshape Nigeria’s path. He wasted it,”
The largest cities in Nigeria: ranked 1 to 10.
List of largest cities in Nigeria is different from the list of most loved cities in Nigeria
Ankara Dresses, Prints, Latest Fashion Trends
It started as a movement in Africa, Ankara, the African prints has become the latest fashion trends in the globe. Ankara Inspired by the locals and designers in Africa has become the next big thing. Osas eye brings you a collection of the best Ankara dresses
Who will bring back Nigeria’s lost girls?
If Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan can free the missing girls, he would have done it before now. He can't. He failed
African Clothing, Traditional Men's Fashion Styles
African wear continues to rock the fashion trend. From Nigeria to South Africa, Osas eye gives you look at some of the jaw dropping traditional wear by African designers for men
Sunday, August 31, 2014
NEA Parties 2014: The Ultimate Guide | Variety
Road to the NEA 2014 | Nigeria Entertainment Academy Awards
About 700 people tuned out at the last NEA Nigerian Entertainment Awards, and a great deal rides on the show's 9 outcome. Yes, winning an NEA is good for the actors and African artist but not really like the golden statuette that vault an actor to stardom.
In its 9th year, the “CELEBRATION OF AFRICA’S FINEST” will feature the top African celebrities who have been nominated for the 2014 NEA as well as other African and American entertainers. The weekend promises to be a big celebration of Africans in America.
The NEA AWARDS is an annual entertainment award show held in the United States, with the sole purpose of celebrating and recognizing the numerous contributions of entertainers to the African entertainment industry, while at the same time promoting the image and rich culture of Nigeria.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Ankara Collection in Vogue: Bikini and Bra
African Men's fashion clothing-Nigeria
Cheers to Nicetrads again this year for another successful summer 2014. Like the fans said #EverydayAfricanFashion #Ankarafashion #AfricanInspired #GQAfrica #allthingsankara #africanfashionway #Blackmenwithstyle #Blackskillingit #AfricanInspiredShow #WeAreROYALS #Summer2014 #SummerCollection
Friday, August 29, 2014
Moo Cow: Latest Kenyan Lesso Designs
Moo Cow produces fashion dresses, linen separates, leather waistcoats and waisted corset belts. Traditional Turkana aprons and beaded fringed belts. They also produce modern African jewelry, beaded sandles, limited addition artist T-shirt prints, recycled material bags and clutches.
The Moo Cow Enashipai collection was to invoke the wild spirit of the masquerade and mysterious things that move in the night. 'Moo cow wears midnight' collection was made for the Naivasha fashion weekend evening show section, entitled 'wild things'. Midnight is the magical hour.. (remember Cinderella) and African tribes invoked their ancestors, who danced behind the masks, to join in celebrations of and music, dance and costume. Like wise the Mexican celebrate the day of the dead with floral masks and the appearance of their master of ceremonies, Baron Samdei. Pictures courtesy of Radek art photography.
Nigeria launches national eID Card
Goodluck Jonathan received the first electronic card which can also be used to make electronic payments.
MasterCard is providing the prepaid payment element and it hopes millions of Nigerians without bank accounts will now gain access to financial services.
An attempt to introduce national ID cards in Nigeria 10 years ago failed. This is about the 3rd attempt. Not a misplaced priority as other Nigerians has suggested. This is welcome development. We are definitely moving in the right direction. Go get your national identity card.
Analysts blame corruption for its failure, and say the same problems may stymie the new e-ID scheme.
"It breaks down one of the most significant barriers to financial inclusion - proof of identity," MasterCard's Daniel Monehin said in a statement.
The new cards show a person's photograph, name, age and unique ID number - and a fingerprints and an eyes are scanned during enrolment. This is an added security in case your card was stolen.
These details are also intended to ensure that there are no duplicates on the system.
During the pilot phase, which began registering names last October, 13 million MasterCard-branded ID cards will be issued.
There are enrolment centres in all 36 states and there is no fee to get the card, though people will be charged in the event that it needs to be replaced.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Sonnie Badu & Ann-Marie Wedding
The wedding ceremony which was officiated by Rev. Dr. Victor Osei of Family Chapel in Kumasi and Pastor Kingsley Appiagyei of the Trinity Baptist Church was attended by few people close to the gospel musician and his wife.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Abuja Fashion designer unleash latest Ankaragowns
Monday, August 25, 2014
Obasanjo: Similarities Between Goodluck Jonathan And Abacha
"I was surprised the day a Colonel in the army came to me complaining that he and his family could not afford to buy a car",Obasanjo continued.
"A friend, Dr. Okoro, was a medical doctor, his wife was also a medical doctor and they have a daughter who is also a medical doctor, but they could not afford a new car, and had to go to Saudi Arabia".
Speaking on the way forward, Obasanjo said, "To be fore-warned is to be fore-armed, if we will get ourselves out of the morals we find ourselves in, it has to be done by each and every one of us. We all have contributions to make and should not leave our responsibilities for others. If we fail to participate in things that are meaningfully positive for this country, we will all become victims".
Addressing the traders on the political journey beyond 2015, Obasanjo said, "As for me, we don’t know where we are going yet, may God show us the way to take this country and make it great. For me, I understand and I see the way, I will tell you, I pray that God will show me the way, may God show you the way".
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Nigerian Politics: Reuben Abati bought at a Price?
Recently in a full depth interview, Abati was faced with the same virus again: Nigerian saying he has changed from being critical of the government before his appointment to being bought at a price.
''This is an old question. I have responded to this question so many times. I don’t owe anybody an apology. It was my decision to take, to work for government, and in particular to work for President Goodluck Jonathan because I believe in him and I admire him. And having taken that decision, I am not going to spend my time apologising to people because as an individual, I have the right to make a choice.''
''It was my choice to work for President Jonathan and to accept the position of his spokesperson and media adviser and I have absolutely no apology and I have seen that for me, it is a positive move because today, I consider myself much better informed, because I have been on both sides. I have lived the life of the outsider looking at government, governance and society from one observatory and I have also been inside and I can see how government functions.''
''I don’t think any form of apprenticeship in terms of exposure to public life can be higher than working with the president of a democratic country, working at the highest level of authority. It puts you in a vantage position to learn so much. If this was a course of study in which a certificate is awarded, I think I should be getting close to getting one, having taken so many course units and learning so much.''
''I am talking about apprenticeship in a serious sense, and the opportunity also to serve one’s country. I don’t think anybody can put that down by saying “you were once a social critic, you shouldn’t be here.” No. In fact, I will encourage so many other journalists and persons in other capacities to come into government and work for government.''
''But of course, since I came here, I have seen many of those who criticised me ferociously - our own colleagues - hanging around and hustling for appointments and many of them have taken this or that position in government, much excitedly too. And when they land on this side, I say to them: ‘Ha, I thought you wrote an article the other day and published articles criticising Reuben Abati. You are on this side now too.’ I welcome them and I congratulate them. So, you see, I have no apologies whatsoever. I have no regrets also.''
Friday, August 22, 2014
Nigerians Still Failing WAEC: Students to Blame
" Because of the poverty level in the country, some of the students must first hawk for their parents before going to school. They have no time to learn. On the part of the teachers, they are no longer committed to their teaching job as some of them have abandoned the core teaching profession for trading in the school. For me, the solution is to restructure the system. The system needs total overhauling."
"We must know what the secondary education is meant for, what the primary is meant for and what kind of students we want in the school. The type of country we are building will determine the type of graduates we will have." Dr Adebowale Adeyemi Suenu said
I believe these Seconday School Students need to take full responsibility for their failures. The failure is as a result of students failure to read their books, do their homework and study for exams. But instead, they rather engage and spend majority of their time in social media. They need to devote more time to studying and stop blaming the Nigerian government.
The results of the Senior School Certificate Examminations by NECO and WAEC have shown that all is not well with the sector at secondary school level.
NECO affirmed that the performances of many candidates fell below the national average of 40.6 per cent "WAEC's results of May/June 2014 put the percentage at 31.28, that is 1.6 million candidates that wrote the examinations."
"Prior to this year's WAEC results, performance has consistently been 38.93 per cent in 2012 and 2013, 42.52 per cent in 2011. 23-26 per cent between 2008-2010. Simply not good enough.
The WAEC results and 31.28 per cent performance recorded by candidates from Nigeria is for both public and private schools. The Nigerian government does not regulate the private schools.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
New York Africa Attire Party This Saturday
The Biggest African Attire Party in the Tri-State: New York is here. "MAMA AFRICA"
African Attire Party this Saturday August 23rd At Club TG,Jamaica,NY will feature classy to wild African attire in America.
Foxy Beach, Simon’s Town, Cape Town is Africa's Miracle
Mafikizolo’s Nhlanhla Nciza’s: A Style Icon?
After a year of some serious hit-making with fellow artist Theo Kgosinkwe under the moniker ‘Mafikizolo’, the singer, songwriter, wife, mother and South African most popular groups, Nhlanlha Nciza is also a certified fashion style icon.
Although the band have always had an air of glamour and sophistication about them dating as far back as their Kwela, Van Toeka Af and Sibongile days, where they channeled Sophiatown and took inspiration from other 20th century fashions, Nciza’s style has never been so bold, with her adoption of beautifully loud colours, and so distinctly representative of parts of the African continent - whether she’s wearing a gele, ankara styles common in West and Central African countries, jewelry inspired by East or Southern African cultures, silhouettes, prints, patterns and textiles from all over Africa.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Nigeria's Floating School Is a huge success for Lagos
The Makoko Lagos Floating School is one of a kind: a minimalist, open-air structure that combines the adaptive insights of the local community with the best principles of sustainable development.
The school is a three-story, frame building that floats on recycled plastic barrels.
Makoko carpenters built the school from locally-sourced wood, bamboo and other eco-friendly materials. It’s also partially self-sustaining, thanks to solar panels on the roof and a rain harvesting system that operates the toilets.
Nigerian architect Kunlé Adeyemi and his Lagos- and Amsterdam-based firm NLÉ designed the school as an innovative, cheap and highly adaptable approach to Makoko’s evolving social and environmental needs. Makoko floating school will not make it into New York Times, Forbes or other popular US magazines but here on Osaseye. The reason is simply that it is a huge success for Lagoa, for Nigeria and Africa.
“There are hundreds if not thousands of Makokos all over Africa,” Adeyemi says. “We cannot simply displace this population; it’s important to think about how to develop them, how to create enabling environments for them to thrive, to improve the sanitation conditions, to provide the infrastructure, schools and hospitals to make it a healthy place.
“My belief is that in developing Africa we need to find solutions that can be developed by the grassroots, through the grassroots, and achieve the same level of significance as we have on the high-end projects.”
Now, in a new documentary project by Al Jazeera that looks at unconventional pioneers in the architecture industry, Adeyemi’s floating school is brought to life in the episode Working On Water, directed by award-winning South African filmmaker Riaan Hendricks, as part of the network’s Rebel Architecture series.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Shameless Fiance faked his own death to avoid Wedding
Alex Lanchester, 23, from the United Kingdom met her ex-fiance Tucker Blandford in August 2012 at a college in Connecticut, USA. The pair hit it off straight away and became quickly besotted with each other.
“He was such a gentleman. He showered me with jewellery,” Ms Lanchester told The Mirror. “We would go out for a posh dinner on the tenth of every month to celebrate the day we got together.”
But Ms Lanchester was studying abroad on a student visa and when her time in America came to an end, she and Mr Blandford said a tearful goodbye at the airport. Her tears soon became smiles though, when he went down on one knee and proposed.
“I said yes straight away,” she said. “I was super happy and smiling like an idiot.”
She still had to return to England, but Mr Blandford promised to visit in a few months and the couple began planning their wedding. Or so she thought.
While Ms Lanchester booked venues, spent over $1000 on invitations and shopped for her dream gown, Mr Blandford cancelled plane tickets and called to apologise. To placate his fiancee, he set the wedding date for August 15, 2014.
“All I ever did was love him,” said heartbroken Alex. “After this I’m not sure I can trust a man ever again.”
“It may be our wedding day but I’m going to spend it making my own awesome memories — without him.”
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Ass-tounding! Corazon Kwamboka in a Dress
Friday, August 15, 2014
Nigeria WAEC Failure: don't blame the Government
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Thursday, blamed the 77 percent failure rate in the recently concluded general WAEC solely on the Nigerian government. I totally disagree with Atiku and other Nigerians who believed the government should bear the brunt of the drop in students’ performance in the May/June 2014 West African Examinations Council.
The Turakin Adamawa in a statement personally signed and made available to journalists in Abuja, said: “The West Africa Examination Council, WAEC, has just released the results of the May/June 2014 Senior School Certificate Examination. As was the case last year, mass failure was recorded by Nigerian students.
“Only 31.28 per cent of the students who sat for the 2014 exam obtained credits in five subjects and above, including Mathematics and English Language.
“No one who has been observing the ongoing attitude towards education in Nigeria will be surprised by this. In the past year alone, industrial actions by teachers have dominated the news headlines. Primary school teachers in Benue State, for example, embarked on an eight-month strike to demand better conditions and allowances.
“Teachers all over Nigeria remain poorly paid, with several jokes being peddled about how parents are reluctant to allow their daughters marry teachers.
“In addition to poor welfare, teachers in the Northeast of Nigeria face a peculiar challenge not common to their colleagues in other parts of the country.
“The National Union of Teachers, NUT, reports that the organisation has so far lost about 173 of their members to Boko Haram terrorist attacks.
“Sadly, with the Nigerian government not yet able to adequately protect citizens from these random attacks, that number could easily increase.
“There is also the issue of competence of Nigerian teachers. Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State recently lost his seat in a re-election bid with poll results that sent shock waves across the nation, notwithstanding his well-publicised record of high performance.
“One of the reasons political analysts have given for his rejection by Ekiti people was his attempt to improve the quality of teachers in the state by putting them through competency tests.
“Teachers in Kwara and Edo states also resisted similar tests.”
Liberian Ankara street style
Fury as Newspapers calls Ebola an African Zombie disease
. A patient infected with the Ebola virus will be in a coma or fainting condition, because the clinical signs and death are very similar, so often think the patient has died. However, a few hours or a few days later, the patient suddenly wakes up and go into a very aggressive state, biting objects all sports, including humans and animals.
Ebola seems to be more deadly than HIV but why call it an African Zombie disease? The people may only become weaker after losing a lot of blood, but they do not attack others.
Xinhua, a Chinese based media, contrary to chatter on the internet, agrees with osaseye that Ebola is not a “zombie disease.”
“An Ebola sufferer may lose consciousness or faint, making him or her appear dead,” Xinhua explains. “But a few hours or even days later the patient may suddenly come to and enter an extremely violent state, tearing at and biting anything that moves, including people and animals.”
Staff with the World Health Organisation battling an Ebola outbreak in West Africa see evidence the numbers of reported cases and deaths vastly underestimates the scale of the outbreak, the U.N. agency said on its website on Thursday.
Reports 'Fifa Re-Instates Maigari as NFF President' Untrue
Vanguard, Dailypost, The Guardian and others all had the headlines: FIFA restores Maigari as Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President. Common sense, that would be FIFA interference.
In a statement titled Situation of the Nigeria Football Federation, which was signed by its Deputy Secretary-General Markus Kattner, FIFA said in the correspondence addressed to NFF Secretary-General Musa Amadu that Maigari's impeachment by some members of the Executive Committee of the NFF did not follow due process and was not ratified by the Congress of the NFF,
"We take note of your explanation with regards to the meeting of the NFF held on 24 July and it would appear that the said meeting didn't comply with some statutory provisions (e.g. deadline for the convocation of the meeting and for the sending of the Agenda). In addition, in a correspondence addressed to FIFA, Mr. Maigari denied the course of events and complained that he had even not been given the possibility to answer the allegations against him.
"We have also been informed that members of the NFF Executive committee decided to sanction two other Executive Committee members for six months and one year. By so doing, it seems the said meeting of the Executive Committee went beyond the prerogative which is limited to suspend provisionally, persons or organs, until the following Congress, during which the sanctions are confirmed or lifted. Finally, we also learnt that some members of the electoral committee and electoral appeal committee duly elected by the Congress in November 2013, were removed from their position by the Executive Committee, which is contrary to the segregation of powers.
"The recent decisions of the Executive Committee are highly questionable with regard to the compliance with the statutes and should anyway be confirmed by the Congress. In the meantime, the different sanctions and suspensions are preventing persons to contest the elections.
"Under these circumstances, we deem that the NFF Congress will exercise its sovereign power through the electoral process, which shall be open to everybody and managed by the electoral committee elected by the Congress in their entirety. The Executive Committee of the NFF shall also be reunified as it was before the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Taking into account the internal divisions in the Executive Committee, it is advisable that major decisions are frozen until the elections of 26 August and that the focus will now be on the program of the candidates and the development of Nigerian football". The statement continued.
Acting President of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) Mike Umeh has debunked claims that Aminu Maigari has been restored as the president of federation.
World football governing body,FIFA wrote a letter to the NFF questioning the legality that ousted Maigari as president,adding that it was devoid of their statutes.
But Umeh maintained that the letter has been misinterpreted,insisting that Maigari has tendered his resignation letter.
“I want to use this opportunity to urge the media to refrain from misinterpreting the letter from FIFA. As a body, the Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation has gone through the letter and noted the contents.
“We have noted, among others, the section in which FIFA talked about restoring the electoral committee and the electoral appeals committee, and the advice that we allow Alhaji Aminu Maigari to preside over the coming elective Congress of 26th August, 2014.
“We will sit down and deliberate on everything and will come out with our position. FIFA officials are themselves aware that Alhaji Maigari has resigned his position and it will be the discretion of the Executive Committee to now invite him to the elective Congress. An elective Congress is never really presided over by anyone.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, Alhaji Maigari tendered his resignation letter on 12th August, 2014.”
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Proposed Constitution for the New states of Nigeria
The draft constitution contains changes approved by the plenary during debates on committee reports in June and July. These include listing of 18 additional states, delisting of the 774 local government areas, creation of state police, independent candidates for elective offices, and limiting the number of ministers to 18.
Apart from scrapping the 774 LGAs, the new constitution gave powers to state authorities to create and run their local government areas.
The 18 new states included in the draft constitution are Aba, Adada, Amana, Anioma, Apa, Edu, Etiti, Ghari, Gurara, Ijebu, Kainji, Katagum, New Oyo, Njaba-Anim, Ogoja, Oil Rivers, Ose and Savannah.
Delegates have now been given until Wednesday to study the distributed documents and reconvene to approve them.
On July 14 the confab adjourned and asked the secretariat to compile the approved recommendations of the 20 standing committees and draft a report.
Mrs Azinge announced to delegates that they would be given documents which they had until Wednesday to study, before she adjourned the session.
"You will receive copies of the main report which is in two volumes-1 and 2, and a bounded draft constitution," she said.
"In that bounded draft constitution is what we call a matrix; it has in it the first column which has the constitution as it exists today, the second column has all the amendments as suggested by you, and the third column is a fusion of both the constitution plus all the amendments that you suggested.
"For easy reading, we have also extracted the third column, that is, the fusion of the existing constitution & the amendments proposed as a draft constitution.
"There is also a draft bill which will introduce the amendments and alterations which will make it the fourth amendment to the constitution."
The idea of drafting a new constitution by the National Conference was first exclusively reported by Daily Trust on June 30, when it reported that deputy chairman Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi was at the time trying to convince Northern delegates to accept the plan. Are you in agreement with the proposed new constitution of Nigeria?
But after a heated debate at plenary session over the issue, it was agreed that no new constitution was to be drafted by the National Conference. Delegates had argued that the confab had no such powers and this was not part of their brief.
President Obama, Celebrities reacts to Robin Williams's death
Williams, 63, was found dead around noon on Monday at his home in Tiburon, California.
The president commemorated Williams for his "immeasurable talent" in the statement:
''Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets. The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin’s family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams.''
Susan Schneider, the actor's wife, released the following statement to the New York Times'
"This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken. On behalf of Robin's family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope that the focus will not be on Robin's death but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions."
So sad. He was one of my all time favorite comedians and actors. He was brilliant and in a league of his own. He will be missed and remembered fondly. RIP
Monday, August 11, 2014
1 million people just failed the WAEC
Addressing reporters yesterday, Head of WAEC National office in Lagos, Mr Charles Eguridu disclosed that a total number of 1,705,976 candidates registered for the examination, out of which 1,692,435 candidates, consisting of 929,075 male and 763,360 female candidates sat for the test.
According to him, out of 1,692,435 candidates who sat for the examination, about 529,425 of them , representing 31.28 per cent obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
“This figure, when compared to the 2012 and 2013 May/June WASSCE diets, shows a marginal decline in the performance of candidates. In May/June 2012 WASSCE, 38.81 per cent of candidates obtained five credits and above including English language and Mathematics. In 2013, the percentage declined to 36.57 per cent; and this year, we have 31.28 per cent.”
He hinted that 1,605,613 candidates, representing 94.87percent have their results fully released, while 86,822 candidates, representing 5.13percent have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors, mainly traceable to laxity on the part of the candidates and the schools in the course of registration or writing the examination.
“Such errors are being corrected by the Council to enable the affected candidates get their results fully processed and released as soon as they are ready.”
Why is minimum age for Nigeria president 40?
The Constitution currently stipulates 40 years as the minimum age for anybody seeking the highest office in the land. Why is minimum age for Nigeria president 40?
But Jonathan said the age limit was a discrimination against Nigerian youths who he said have all the wherewithals to rule the country.
He said if a former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.), could rule the country at the age of 32, there was nothing wrong in giving youths a chance to lead.
While urging the youth, who attended the summit with the theme “Capacity for Change for a New Nigeria” to initiate a bill to the National Assembly for the amendment of the provision, Jonathan promised to support such a step.
The President said, “The youths have no limit in terms of number and capacity to lead this country to greatness. The only limit is that for youths to contest as President, they need to be 40.
“If Gen. Yakubu Gowon was able to rule this country at 32, there is no reason why the youths should not be given the chance.
“I think what the youth should do now is to come together, and I will support you, and take a bill to the National Assembly to amend some discriminatory provisions of the constitution in terms of age.’’
“I always say that whenever you read newspapers, watch television or listen to the radios, those who preach hate, quarrel and try to divide us on the basis of ethnicity and religion are not the young people but grandfathers,” he noted.
The President said experience had shown him that the youths are comfortable living with people of different ethnic groups or religions, unlike the elderly people.
“The youths live with whomever they are comfortable with regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation; they want to marry whomever they love.
“They are not like those old people who are disturbing us, who want to divide us based on religion and all kinds of sentiments,” he said
Friday, August 8, 2014
Fani Kayode is Stupid for "APC Boko Haram" Comments
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode's comments on APC as the political wing of Boko Haram is one talk too many baseless and dump jokes. In his tweet, Wednesday morning, he linked the APC with the Boko Haram insurgents. The not so trustworthy and party pooper Femi Fani-Kayode has become a critic of the APC since he left on the 2nd June, 2014 and returned to the ruling PDP.
Indians angry with 'bus gang rape' photo shoot & tradition
Rape is an everyday phenomenon in India and most parts of the world. But the comments that India's rape is a tradition sparks outrage with its citizens. And Indians are very angry with a new bus gang rape photoshoot
In 2012, a student was gang-raped in a bus and died from his injuries. A fashion photographer Raj Shetye bouncing on the subject of rape added more salt to the open wounds when he draws more attention; offends the public and creates a reflection that glorifies the gruesome crime.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Ange Kagame wows Africa Summit’s red carpet
Finest African first daughter? |
Ange Kagame: African Goddess on U.S 2014 Red Carpet |
British Mother jailed for having sex with her 12-year-old Son
"Your behavior towards your son was contrary to human instincts and basic decency," Judge Michael Longman told her. "It occurred after you met a man who clearly was controlling and over-bearing; a man who, it is also clear, should be prosecuted himself but is outside the jurisdiction and beyond the reach of this investigation.
"Even though he was at a distance from you, he continued to exert that influence, but you continued to behave towards your son in a way which, despite that pressure, your own instincts should have prevented."
It was learned that the boy was just 11 or 12 when the abuse took place. The unsavory incident came to light when his mother made a complaint at Next Link Domestic Abuse Services in Bristol.
Her confession was passed on to Avon and Somerset police and she was taken in for questioning, and the boy was interviewed.
"In a very ordinary voice, he described an incident to the police officers about how his mother had given him a sex lesson in the main bedroom of the family home and this was observed by [the partner] via a webcam and computer link," Prosecutor Mark Hollier said.
The mother, who cried through much of the hearing denied "volunteering" to have sex with her son. She was later charged with engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a boy under 13, which she admitted.
Her two sons were taken into care by social services and are now living with a foster family. The mother's abusive partner is still abroad and police are liaising with authorities in that country, which can't be named for legal reasons to bring him to justice.
Prosecutor Mark Hollier told Monday's hearing: "In a very ordinary voice, he described an incident to the police officers about how his mother had given him a sex lesson in the main bedroom of the family home and this was observed by [the partner] via a webcam and computer link."
The mum - who cried through much of the hearing - denied "volunteering" to have sex with her son.
But she admitted a charge of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a boy under 13.
Her two sons have since been taken into care by social services and are now living with a foster family.
The court heard the mum's abusive partner is still abroad but police are liaising with officials overseas to bring him to justice.
Defence lawyer Fiona Elder said it was an "extremely unusual" case and the mum was acting on instructions from her "highly destructive" partner.
She added: "She's absolutely devastated by the loss of the children and what she has done."
A psychiatric report found the mum had a personality disorder which made her susceptible to being in abusive relationships and becoming dependent on abusive partners.
2014 Photos U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit
The U.S- African summit yielded a handful of high-profile announcements — including new public and private investments in economic, agricultural and health development totaling $37 billion — it also featured the kind of behind-the scenes diplomatic interactions that could produce meaningful benefits later on. Elected U.S. officials and their African counterparts discussed issues ranging from tensions within the Great Lakes region to the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.
In a press conference Wednesday evening, Obama called the meeting “an extraordinary event” that can be “a forcing mechanism for decisions and action, so we agreed that the U.S.-Africa leaders summit will be a recurring event to hold ourselves accountable for our commitments and to sustain our momentum.”
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
New alert over Ebola outbreak in Africa
The World Health Organization announced Monday that the death toll has increased from 729 to 887 deaths in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria.
Nigerian Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said the confirmed second case in his country is a doctor who had helped treat Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American man who died July 25 days after arriving in Nigeria from Liberia.
Test samples are pending for three other people who also treated Sawyer and now have shown symptoms of Ebola, he said. Authorities are trying to trace and quarantine others.
"Hopefully by the end of today we should have the results of their own tests," Chukwu said.
The emergence of a second case raises serious concerns about the infection control practices in Nigeria, and also raises the specter that more cases could emerge. It can take up to 21 days after exposure to the virus for symptoms to appear. They include fever, sore throat, muscle pains and headaches. Often nausea, vomiting and diarrhea follow, along with severe internal and external bleeding in advanced stages of the disease.
"This fits exactly with the pattern that we've seen in the past. Either someone gets sick and infects their relatives, or goes to a hospital and health workers get sick," said Gregory Hartl, World Health Organization spokesman in Geneva. "It's extremely unfortunate but it's not unexpected. This was a sick man getting off a plane and unfortunately, no one knew he had Ebola."
Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2014/08/04/3232387/who-death-toll-from-ebola-in-w.html#storylink=cpy
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Who will bring back Nigeria’s lost girls?
If Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan can free the missing girls, he would have done it before now. He can't. He failed and he can’t do a deal with Boko Haram. What about Nigerian pastors and other political hierarchy? Can anyone bring back Nigerian lost school girls? It has been over one hundred days since the abduction of the Chibok girls. Over one hundred days in which the girls have had to endure pure horror and pain in the hands of terrorists. Over one hundred days of waking up at the mercy of the mood swings of terrorists.
Simple enough, but the question is rather not asked. And as such no answer is expected. The campaign to get the girls released has run into the swamp of Nigerian politics: the worst thing that could possibly happen to it. First, it was the hashtag campaign #BringBackOurGirls, then former president and elder statesman Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and then Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl and education campaigner, arrived in Nigeria on 12 July she thought she had managed to persuade President Jonathan to have his first meeting with the girls’ parents. He did indeed agree but the meeting didn’t take place, because the BBOG campaigners insisted on being there, and persuaded the parents not to go. All effort has led to the release of the kidnapped Chibok girls.
Malala, who is only 17, was reduced to tears, begging the campaigners and the Chibok parents by Skype link to see the president after all. Who will bring back Nigeria's lost girls? Can anyone within the country help. Can other world leaders do better than our current government?
Nigerian election "will be free and fair"
President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday said the days of election manipulation were over in Nigeria. He stated this in Washington DC at the U.S.-African Leaders Summit.
Jonathan says he remains committed to credible elections in the country come 2015.
He said: “The era when a few politicians, acting in concert with their hirelings and thugs to snatch voters cards, ballot papers and other electoral materials, is gone for good in Nigeria.
“I remain fully committed to keeping the promise I made in 2011 that my administration will do everything possible to ensure that the elections in Nigeria become very free, fair and credible.’’
“The issue of credible elections must be institutionalised in Nigeria. Our electoral processes were not very good or credible when we came into office.
“But as I promised, we have been working very hard to change things and ensure that our elections are more credible, that every legitimate vote counts and that result are acceptable to the electorate.
“I promise you that the Osun governorship elections will be very free, fair and credible,” Jonathan said when he responded to questions and comments on topical issues in Nigeria.
“Job creation is a challenge to every government in the world. We are doing all that we can to tackle the problem in Nigerian.
“This is because we know that we have a very youthful population and if we do not create enough jobs to meet their needs, the country will be in trouble.’’
“We expect you to continue to add more value to what we are doing and we will continue to engage your services and expertise when we can.
“This is very crucial because if we do not, the valuable education and skills you have acquired will be of no benefit to the development of our country.’’
Monday, August 4, 2014
Nigeria National Debate: Child Rape vs Husband Murder
A 14-year-old Nigerian girl accused of poisoning the 35-year-old man she was forced to marry is set to go on trial for murder in northern Nigeria on Monday, a case that has thrown the spotlight on the influence of Islamic law in region. The national debate has laid a foundation for child rape or husband murder.
Police say Tasi'u confessed to poisoning Sani and his guests at the wedding party in the village of Unguwar Yansoro village, about 60 kilometres (40 miles) outside Nigeria's second city of Kano.
"She did it because she was forced by her parents to marry a man she did not love," Kano state police spokesman Musa Magaji Majia told AFP.
Her lawyer Hussaina Aliyu rejects claims that her client made a legally valid confession.
"All we are saying is do justice to her. Treat the case as it is. Treat her as a child," Aliyu, who works with International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) said.
Under Islam (Sharia law aka Allah's law), Muslim men are allowed to marry girls as young as babies. Fundamentalist Islam and Sharia Law extremist is of the opinion that she committed murder and should be sentenced to death accordingly.
What happened to doing the right thing? Self defence?