SHOCKER! Ex-Jonathan's Aide Okupe Seeks Supports For Buhari, Says Nigeria Needs...[A MUST READ]

Dr. Okupe

The Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe has enjoined Nigeriams to support President Muhammadu Buhari administration and discard partisanship to resolve the current recession plaguing the Nation.

Okupe made this known through his Facebook page, Monday, in a post titled ‘National Economic Emergency’ also said that the economic recession which Nigeria is facing ‘calls for an end to extreme partisanship’ and that wailing, howling or even cursing from the citizens will not help the situation.

Okupe enjoined Nigerians to ‘put all hands on deck’, begging that the likes of that Dr, Mrs, Okonjo Iweala must have a rethink and that we must bring all our ace economists – Dr Kalu Idika Kalu , Charles Chukwuma Soludo, Rewani, Tunde Lemo, Patrick Utomi, Shamsuddeen Usman, Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano, and a host of others – on board as the problems facing Nigeria was not about Buhari or the APC.

Read below Doyin Okupe post

”National Economic Emergency"

It is a fact that Nigeria as a country is in dire straits in terms of its economy. It is not too important how we got here or who or what brought us here. We need an exit plan
desperately. Sadly, there is too much politicking in Nigeria. Our Partisanship is obscenely unhealthy for our nation. A few of our people are still behaving as if elections are yet to take place. But the truth is elections have come and obviously they have
also gone.
Unfortunately our economy, has slipped into a recession and that is crippling everybody and everything. No matter what government and those opposed to government are saying, there is no easy way out of a recession.
When President Obama came in, in his first term, the US was in recession. He was young, brilliant, and smoking hot, it took nearly 2yrs to see the tips of the mountain, and almost the same length of time before the flood of recession started to recede. At that time the opposition threw diatribes and invectives similar to what is being thrown at President Buhari now, at him.
But he remained focussed and steadfast. Eventually he succeeded. ‘While wailing, howling or even cursing from the
populace will certainly not help our situation, pretence, conceit or sheer optimism from government quarters also is no panacea for the economic infirmity bedevilling our Nation.

‘This situation calls for an end to extreme partisanship in the face of a major threatening national emergency.
‘We need to, and we must put all hands on deck. May be President Buhari’s famous quote”….We have no other country that we can call our own” is more apt now than “the change begins with me
” mantra, which may not be as bad as it is being presented, except that the cliche was coming almost 18months late. It would have been better received if it was part of the inaugural speech of the president.
Dr,mrs, Okonjo Iweala must have a rethink. This is not about Buhari or Apc, it is about the survival of over 20% of black population in the world. It is about the continued existence of the most populous nation in Africa. It is about Nigeria, the only nation where black history and heritage can be redefined.
We must bring in all our aces, Kalu Ndika Kalu, Soludo, Rewani, Tunde Lemo, Utomi, shanmsudeen, our revered Emir of Kano and a host of others.
Recession is a word, I agree, but a very challenging word describing a critical problem. But it is a challenge. Nations have gone in and out of recessions before now, we can jointly,
working together , find answer to this thorny all encompassing national malaise. Does the President need emergency powers to
deal with this situation ? I answer YES in the
affirmative even though I have reservations . But truth is sacrosanct . Monies must be spent that cannot wait for the normal process of legislative approvals. Actions must be taking by the President and his executives that cannot wait
for the usual debates in our hallowed legislative
chambers. But alas, there are fears, genuine fears of abuse
of such powers, especially against political opponents. Perhaps this is what we need to debate and work on and ensure that all such possibilities are eliminated with legislative craftiness and deftness that cannot be wanting amongst the robust body of our legislators .
But if the president must lead this struggle against Recession such legal framework will assist him greatly.’

ARSENAL FANS BE WARNED! Bendtner Gives Warning Signal, Says He...

Nicklas Bendtner will celebrate if he scores for Nottingham Forest against former club Arsenal on Tuesday but insists he won't "go crazy". Bendtner signed a two-year deal with the Championship outfit earlier this month after being released by Wolfsburg and has made substitute appearances against Rotherham United and Norwich City as he looks to build up
his fitness after a seven-month period of inactivity.
He may get his first start against Arsenal, with whom he made 171 appearances over a 10-year spell, when the Gunners visit the City Ground in the EFL Cup.
He told a news conference: "I'm really looking forward to a great match in a sold-out stadium. I'm sure there's going to be a great atmosphere. "It'll be a tough game against a strong Arsenal side but we are very confident. "I will celebrate if I score tomorrow night but I won't go crazy. I have a lot of love and respect for Arsenal as a club.
"We are underdogs tomorrow and we have to be at our best to stand a chance. But we are ready and we know anything can happen. "We've seen we can play some good football but we have to be stronger. We have conceded too many easy goals in recent games."
Denmark international Bendtner is renowned for being high on self-confidence but the 28-year- old conceded his career had not gone the way he had hoped.
"Physically and mentally I've got no problems and I'm almost close to being 100 per cent match-fit. I feel fit and raring to go," he added.
"I want to look to the future and not the past. I know I haven't yet fulfilled my potential but now is the time to move forward.
"I've enjoyed playing for [Forest boss] Philippe Montanier. He's one of the reasons I wanted to sign here and it's been very enjoyable so far."

Claudio Bravo Makes Shocking Revelation Why He Left Barcelona For Manchester City

New Manchester city goalie Claudio Bravo has revealed that prospect of sitting on the bench at Barcelona persuaded him to join Premier League leaders Manchester City.
The Chile international Bravo ended a trophy laden two years at Camp Nou by signing for Pep Guardiola's side last month. Despite an error-strewn debut in the 2-1 derby win over Manchester United, the 33-year-old kept back-to-back clean sheets in last week's 4-0 home wins over Borussia Monchengladbach and Bournemouth.

Bravo was Luis Enrique's first-choice goalkeeper for LaLiga matches over the past two seasons, with Germany international Marc-Andre ter Stegen stepping in for cup games.
However, Bravo told Cadena SER that, with Ter Stegen set to take his place as Barca's number one this time around, he felt it was time to move on.
"It was not me that was [first] at Barca, it was Ter Stegen," he said, having started the season in the Barcelona side as Ter Stegen returned from injury.
"The club made me an offer to renew but, seeing their plans, I also made them understand my position.
"I was very sincere, I did not want to sit on the bench. It's not my thing. And they understood. "In Barcelona I always devoted myself to doing my best, I always felt the support."
Bravo insists that the competition between the pair did not lead to a difficult relationship between himself and Ter Stegen.
"What appeared in the press – that we had a bad relationship and things were uncomfortable at the end – was not true," he added. "It was never a problem, indeed, we both always
benefitted from the competition."

Ex-EFCC Boss Ribadu Explains Why Nigeria Is Having Challenge Fighting...

Malls. Nuhu Ribadu

AS Nigeria struggles over the way out of recession, pioneer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has warned that corruption must first be stamped out, if government must succeed in its bid to revitalise the ailing economy.


The ex-EFCC boss made this known  while delivering a lecture, entitled “Minimizing Corruption in Public Life” at the Annual Conference of the Nigerian Institute of Management in Abuja, yesterday.
The former ACN Presidential candidate insisted that Nigeria must take urgent but painful steps to eradicate corruption and pave the way for sustainable development and good governance like other progressive nations of the world.
Among the urgent but painful steps that must be taken, according to him, are the stoppage of subsidy in any form by the government, prevention of corrupt persons from being elected into public office and refusal to celebrate criminals as heroes on account of their wealth instead of sending them to prison.
He also suggested that cash transactions be replaced with electronic transfers for easy monitoring of cash movement, while the use of security votes being utilized by top government
officials should be phased out. Ribadu said: “Leadership at all levels should be beyond reproach to provide the needed example. There should also be the will to apply the
sanctions. As I have pointed out several times, lack of will by the political leadership to prosecute the war against corruption takes us nowhere. The political leadership should be determined and it should be seen to be serious about it.
“Honesty has to be lifted to the position of a prized and rewarding national value. Criminals should not be celebrated as heroes on account of their wealth.
“All government expenditures should be budgeted. Extra-budgetary spending should be criminalised and security votes should be completely phased out.

“Transparency should be the keyword in all government businesses; from budgeting to award of contracts and even employment. Lack of transparency is the first thing that sows the seed of corruption.
“Smart technology should be deployed in procurement process to give room for transparent and accountable system of doing business.
“Cash transactions should be completely abolished or minimized as much as possible. With electronic movements of cash everything could be within watch and can be tracked.”

How 40-Year-Old Nigerian Footballer Claiming To Be 23 Was Exposed In Europe[Photo]

Victor Emenayo 

The sporting press in Azerbaijan is awashed with the  revelation that shows a Nigerian striker Victor Emenayo who was recently signed by Azerbaijani top division side Shahdagh Qusar FK, is 17 times older than the age (23) that is on his international passport.

According to his international passport the forward who has already made his debut for his new side was born in 1993. But search on the internet about the striker who has played in Uganda for the best part of his career shows, he should be 28 years old judging by his official age before his move to Shahdagh Qusar. Emenayo has already become the subject of
ridicule by social media users in Azerbaijan with the media also joining in the discrepancies documents about the age of the Nigerian, stating that he indeed looks well above 40 years old. They claim the fact that he shaved five years off the official age he has been using, means he has more than one international passport in his possession and his looks suggest he is well above 40.

The former SC Villa of Uganda striker is reportedly older in appearance than the coach of the team Adil Mahmudov according to the media in Azerbaijan. The Nigerian or his club are yet to respond to the allegations.
His case is similar to Lazio youth team prospect Joseph Minala who was recently cleared off any wrong doing regarding his age by the Italian FA, had same issue with the Nigerian but his was
traced down to a disease. 20 year old Minala was at a point in time said to be 42 years old while he was 17 going by his
looks but the Italian FA after investigations and medical checks found out that he is indeed 17 but suffering from the effect of Lorde Disease. Which made him to look older than his original
age.

EFCC Confiscates Ex-Kaduna Governor Shema's Properties [ See Photos]

Former Kaduna Governor, Ibrahim Schema.

Properties belonging to the former Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema have been reportedly seized by the EFCC over allegations of money laundering.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has reportedly seized houses belonging to the former Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema. Shema was recently declared wanted by the
EFCC before he willingly turned himself in for allegedly diverting N18billion of the state government’s fund to his private account.
He turned himself in at the EFCC office in Abuja around 9:30 a.m. last Friday.

His spokesperson, Oluwabusola Olawale said the ex-governor turned himself in because “he is a law abiding citizen who has absolutely nothing to fear.”
He added that Shema “went to submit himself to the EFCC even though the agency has not been fair to him in handling his case.”

UNBELIEVABLE! Community In Total Shock As 3-Month-Old Baby Begins To Speak

An illustrative baby.

Residents of Bilaa B village in Tongaren constituency, Bungoma county, Kenya have been throroughly shocked after a three-month-old baby girl began to speak.
According to Tuko, family and residents were stunned after the three-month-old baby started to actually say words.
The incident has seen villagers flocking the home to witness the baby speak. The baby’s parents, Patrick Wasike and Salome Wangila, have asked village elders to investigate what is happening to their child as the incident has never occurred in the village.
”My child just says words… When she wants to eat something she asks for it. If you refuse to give it to her she begins to cry,” the baby’s mother said.
The baby’s grandmother said the child first started to speak on August 2, 2016. “The mother wanted to breastfeed her but she
demanded for porridge, “She spoke again while I was digging for
potatoes for lunch. A neighbour came and asked for the potatoes and the child told her not to eat anything from this home,” she said.

Finally! See Reasons Why Married Men Do Not Wear Their Wedding Ring

THE age-long argument over the reasons why most married men usually do not wear their wedding ring seems to have been settled as some married men in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have said that not wearing wedding rings is not to disrespect the marriage bond.

In an exclusive interview by PM News on the streets of Abuja on Monday, some married men in the nation's Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have revealed that not wearing their wedding
rings is not to disrespect the marriage bond, and descibed the wearing of marriage rings as a mere symbol.

An Abuja-based businessman, Ikenna Ibegbu, said that he disliked the idea of wearing any kind of jewellery.
“Personally, I don’t appreciate the idea of wearing jewellery on my body because they make me uncomfortable.

"I prefer to leave my hands bare and that does not mean I don’t respect the sacredness of marriage. Women are the ones that are
conscious of wearing jewellery and the ring is just a symbol,” he said. According to him, wearing the marriage ring can be discomforting but some men do so to respect their spouse, adding that respecting the concept of marriage fell more on the individual than a mere symbol.

Meanwhile a banker identified as George Edem, disclosed that most men do not wear their marriage ring due to the nature of their jobs. “There are men who will hardly wear their marriage rings because of the kind of jobs they do; it can be discomforting to them while working.n“You will hardly find a doctor that constantly wears his marriage ring because their job requires pulling it at intervals to wash hands and do other things.

“For that kind of person, he will rather keep the ring in a safe place than removing it at intervals which can make him lose it,” he said. He said there were some men who would prefer
to use the ring as a pendant for a necklace than misplace it, adding that jewellery were generally perceived to be a feminine thing. He revealed further that most men who rarely
wore their marriage rings had gained weight over the years, hence the ring no longer fits.

A Computer Engineer, Henry Okpala, said he oftentimes forget to put on his marriage ring. “I don’t forget that I am married because I live with the consciousness always. So slipping a metal band on my left hand to signify the obvious is not a huge priority for me. If I am making my marriage a priority, the ring does not
matter," he said. Mrs Evangeline Udoka, a fashion designer, said
“80 per cent of men have put on weight after marriage, so the wedding ring no longer fit them.
“When they were single, they ate food occasionally and their fingers were slimmer compared to when they got married and eat regularly. The constant feeding contributed to their weight gain and their fingers outgrow the
size of the ring.

“Besides, men always want to present themselves as single to cheat on their spouse while others don’t regard the ring as a show of marriage,” she said.

She said that women were keener in buying a new one to replace the old rings when their finger outgrows it, adding that there were honest men who do not cheat on their spouse, but viewwearing of rings abnormal.

How Thugs Beat 2 Brothers To Stupor Over Market Levy In Edo [Photos]

Thugs in a market in Benin city, Edo state descended heavully on two brothers following disagreement on market levy imposed by one Bright Kokoma in Edo State.
One of the brothers took to Facebook to recount his ideal .

"See what one Bright Kokoma who parades himself as the chairman of Ibviotor community did to my Brothers Maximus Okpere and Paulinus Okpere today as he led over 20 thugs to our office complex along dumez road today to beat and stab my brothers for resisting the exploitation that the poor helpless traders in Ibviotor community are going through. As we speak now one of my brothers is in a life threatening condition in the emergency unit of the hospital. This is the Edo state that we live in.

"How it all started, last week Bright Kokoma asked the petty traders in the community to start paying 12.000 naira to him every month, most of the women protested and refused and in the process, Bright Kokoma went to the shops, many of which are wooden shops and shanty containers, destroyed them and throw away their food items, My brother went to one of the shops and did a video in the shop, to draw attention to the plight of these poor helpless traders, and for doing that video Bright kokoma came today to unleash mayhem on our building.

"This is what Edo state has been turned into by thugs and agberos, this is the level of impunity we face everyday......."

Photo credit: Pharez Okpere/facebook

4 Undisputed Reasons Why Jose Mourinho Is Currently Struggling At Manchester United

It is really surprising that the Special One or is it the only One now? is finding it difficult replicating his coaching prowess. Following his woeful performance with Chelsea last season and now again, he s struggling with Manchester United.

 Despite top-notch arrivals in Frenchman Paul Pogba, old war-horse, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan  and Eric Bailly
Though Mourinho and the Red Devils posted three premiership victories on the bounce, but losing three competitive games back to back is simply not good enough for the pedigree of the Portuguese and Manchester united.

But almost every football pundits around the planet believe are in consonance regarding why  their recent dismal performances are not far-fetched.

1. The Rooney Conundrum

Yes, we all know Wayne Rooney is the captain of Manchester united and the poster boy of the Three Lions, but it is high time Manchester united and Mourinho told themselves the truth, that Wayne Rooney is no longer the young Evertonian that busted on to the scene in mid 2000s. He is now in his 30s and can no longer carry his legs. Mourinho should muster the courage to put him on the bench when the need arises and damn the expected outburst from Manchester United's supporters and the ever loquacious English Press.
And it should also be decided on his role on the pitch whenever he is featured . Is it the striking role or the attacking midfield role.

2. Juan Mata should not be a  bit-part(Bench warmer) player

There is no doubling the genuine quality of Spaniard Juan Mata despite Mourinho's seemingly perceive lack of confidence in the lad. Recall Mourinho off-loaded him when he arrived on his second stint at Chelsea and his attitude towards the diminutive midfielder presently remain the same. I think Mata should be used more frequently and given the free-role in midfield since he is the best passer of the ball United currently possess.

3. Over-reliance on the Big Swede, Zlatan.

His goal scoring ratio is almost compared to known. He is regarded as one if the best forwards of all - time and of course he is Sweden's all time leading goal scorer. But the truth is, Ibrahimovic's best days are far beyond him particularly when the Swede Is already 34 and approaching the exit door of football. And this is the man Mourinho and Manchester United are tying their goal scoring hope on. It is a no-brainer. It is a given Zlatan would give United at least 25 goals this season, but resting their hope on him as the solution to their title- winning jigsaw is a long shot. The earlier The Special one realised this the better for them.

4. Paul Pogba's role is undefined

There is no gain saying that being the most expensive footballer in the world comes with huge pressure and expectations. And if you see from his games so far, the Frenchman wants to do everything ranging from shooting, dribbling and scoring at least to mark his enormous price tag on his head.
Is his position that of a central midfielder, defensive midfielder or an attacking midfielder? Expecting Pogba to bust the premiership with his box to box performances week in week just like he did while at Juventus will be is a tough ask. If he is deployed as a defensive midfielder, the pressure of goal scoring would be removed and this would make him settle down quickly.
In conclusion, if Jose Mourinho settles these aforementioned points Manchester united should be fine.

Clement Ogbemudia is a journalist and a football Enthusiast.. Follow him twitter @Clem_ogbemudia

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