Innov8 M3dia

News: Fuel scarcity in Abuja enters day two

2012-08-17T06:46:00.001-07:00

The lingering fuel scarcity is biting harder in the Federal Capital Territory with the queues at petrol station, increasing overnight and some residents spending the night at the stations.

Major petrol stations are still not dispensing fuel though some of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega stations across the city have started selling.

The situation has caused major traffic and chaos around petrol stations as car owners scramble to stay in line.

Transport fares have also skyrocketed affecting movement of people and workers in the nation’s capital.

This is coming at a very difficult time, for a number of residents in the city are planning to travel for forthcoming Sallah holiday’s.

Management of petrol stations visited by Channels Television, lamented that trucks are still not allowed into Abuja to dispense fuel.

According to the oil marketers, the federal government has failed to pay them for fuel imports.

Our correspondent Doris Okenwa reports that transport fares in Abuja have trippled, and it’s even more difficult to get public transport since most vehicles are queuing up at fuel stations.

The cost of petrol has also been affected with some vehicle owners purchasing the product between N120 – N150 per litre at the black market.

Ahead of the Sallah celebration, major motors parks in the FCT are experiencing low turnout of passengers.

Motorist who spoke with Channels Television attributed the decline to the insufficient supply of petroleum products to the federal capital.

Meanwhile, transport fares from the FCT to other parts of the country still remain at the same price.

Few passengers who showed up at the motor parks are glad that transport fares have not been increased despite the insufficient supply of petrol to the federal capital.

News:Another T.B Joshua prophesy

2012-08-15T07:42:00.003-07:00

It was reported that on Sunday July 15th, 2012, TB Joshua enjoined us to be prepared and expect a plane crash that will take Nigeria by storm.

According to him, if this plane crash is not averted, around 9-12 top Nigerian politicians will die.

He further revealed that the crash will happen on their way back from a conference or meeting.

They will be from nine to twelve in number and they’ll all perish.

He said the devil plans to strike them if they are all together on one flight.

According to his prediction, the solution to this looming tragedy is that all the officials should never board one flight.

Nigerians should be in prayers to avert this coming disaster. What do you think of this prophesy?

News:PRISONER SERVING 32 YEARS IN PRISON IMPREGNATES WIFE AFTER SENDING SPERMS TO HER

2012-08-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

A baby boy was born by Caesarian section on Monday, the product of a successful smuggling attempt by a Palestinian prisoner who managed to sneak out a sperm sample to his wife.

Baby Muhannad was born in a Nablus hospital to Dallal Ziben, a 32-year-old mother-of-two from a village in the northern West Bank, whose hus

band Ammar is currently serving 32 life sentences in an Israeli prison. Palestinians are not permitted to receive conjugal visits, and although Dallal Ziben has not set eyes on her husband for 15 years, she says she fell pregnant after being artificially inseminated by sperm her 37-year-old husband managed to sneak out of Hadarim prison in central Israel.

"Praise be to Allah who has blessed us after a long absence with my husband in prison. My husband and I, our two girls and the family have been waiting for this for such a long time," Ziben told AFP shortly before going in for an elective Caesarean.

Ziben, who comes from Meithalun village between Nablus and Jenin, already had an 18-month-old daughter called Basha'er when her husband, who belongs to the Islamist Hamas movement, was arrested. At the time, she was also five months pregnant with their second daughter, Bissan.

"I am very happy. This is the first genuine happiness in our house for more than 15 years. When my mother told us she was going to get inseminated and give us a baby brother, we couldn't believe it. We have always wanted a brother and now the dream has come true," smiles Basha'er, now 16.

After the expectant mother was wheeled into the operating theatre, a group of women from the family gathered outside to wait, breaking into celebratory ululation at the first sound of a baby crying.

Standing outside the operating theatre, the proud grandmother said her son-in-law had named the baby after one of his friends "who was a martyr." Asked if the family objected to the way her daughter fell pregnant, she responded angrily.

"We are honourable people who are known for our good reputation and everyone supports us," she snapped.

For her son-in-law, who no longer has any immediate family living in the Palestinian territories, having a boy gives him a way of prolonging his line, she said, explaining that his mother, father and brother had died, and that a second brother was living overseas.

Details of how the sperm was smuggled out of the prison was kept a closely guarded secret, with the family refusing to give the slightest information.

A spokeswoman for the Israel Prisons Service said she was not aware of the pregnancy, and that security prisoners were not allowed conjugal visits, with the Palestinian Prisoners' Club confirming the same information.

"Visits by prisoners' wives are closely supervised by prison guards and there is no way a prisoner could get time alone with his wife," said a Nablus-based spokesman.

Dr Saalem Abu al-Kheizaran, head of the Razan fertility clinic in Nablus which carried out the insemination procedure, said the sperm had been subjected to a gender separation process to ensure the couple would have a son.

"We received a sample of sperm from the husband in a reliable and clinically secure way. The couple wanted a baby boy, so we carried out a gender separation procedure. We tried the insemination process three times from the same sample, but the first two attempts failed," he told AFP, without going into details.

Abu al-Kheizaran said the right to have a baby was a universal human right.

"For us it is a humanitarian issue – everyone has the right to be a parent. Prison must not stand in the way of this right," he told AFP.

Samer Samaro from the Nablus branch of the prisoners' ministry agrees.

"Having the child is a prisoner's right. We hope to someday reach an agreement with the Israeli side about this issue," he said.

Samaro said that even Israelis were allowed that right, including Yigal Amir, the right-wing extremist who gunned down prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in November 1995.

Amir, who was caught trying to smuggle sperm out of prison in 2006, was later given permission to artificially inseminate his wife, who gave birth to a son in 2007.

Says Samaro: "Even Rabin's murderer had a baby while he was in prison, so why should Palestinians be deprived of that right?"

News: 88 babies born during Redeemed's 60th convention

2012-08-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

Sports:International football friendlies take centre stage

2012-08-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

Football returns to the fore after the Olympics with August's traditional round of international friendlies to herald the start of the new season.

Around 40 games are scheduled this week, with several high-profile match-ups including England’s bid for revenge against Italy, and Sweden’s encounter with Olympic silver-medalists Brazil. With many first-team regulars missing the fixtures, coaches will have the chance to experiment with young and untested players.

The Grudge match
Germany-Argentina, Commerzbank Arena (formerly the Waldstadion), Frankfurt
Although Germany will be without several first-choice players, this still promises to be an intriguing encounter between two attack-minded sides. Coach Joachim Low will rest Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski, as well as Mario Gomez, who recently underwent surgery. The Germany squad retains a solid look nonetheless, with five players from Borussia Dortmund and four from Bayern Munich in the group.

Low’s Argentinian counterpart, Alejandro Sabella, travels to Frankfurt looking for further encouraging results from his system that sees Lionel Messi lead the line alongside Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero. The Albiceleste coach’s attacking options are such that Carlos Tevez is not even named in the squad.

Other matches include:

Spain-Puerto Rico
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has chosen to rest a number of his senior stars for the long trip to Puerto Rico. Xavi Hernandez, Jordi Alba, Juan Mata, Carles Puyol, Alvaro Negredo and Javi Martinez are the players who will not be making the journey.

England-Italy
England face a rematch with Italy, to whom they suffered a penalty shoot-out defeat in the quarter-finals of UEFA EURO 2012. Coach Roy Hodgson has decided to ring the changes, overlooking Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney and calling up Steven Caulker, Jake Livermore and goalkeepers Jack Butland and John Ruddy. Midfielder Michael Carrick also returns to the squad.

The Italians have also made wholesale changes, with coach Cesare Prandelli unable to call upon his large Juventus contingent after their exertions in their recent 4-2 Italian Super Cup victory over Napoli. This gives Prandelli the chance to take a closer look at youngsters Manolo Gabbiadini, Mattia Destro, Stephan El Shaarawy and Marco Verratti, all of whom are tipped for bright futures with Gli Azzurri.

France-Uruguay
One FIFA World Cup™ winner replaced another as head coach of the French national team, with outgoing incumbent Laurent Blanc handing the reins to his former international team-mate and captain, Didier Deschamps.

The experienced Deschamps has brought a new look to Les Bleus’ midfield for the friendly against Uruguay, with Etienne Capoue, Maxime Gonalons, Marvin Martin, Blaise Matuidi and Lille captain Rio Mavuba all in the squad. There are no places, however, for Hatem Ben Arfa, Philippe Mexes, Adil Rami, Yohan Cabaye, Alou Diarra, Florent Malouda and Yann Mvila. Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez, for his part, will rest his star attacking duo of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.

Mexico-USA
USA will travel to the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to take on their eternal rivals from south of the border. Mexico have never lost to USA at their fabled home ground, and the last time the two teams met, a year ago in Philadelphia, the result was an even draw.

Elsewhere, the head-to-head between in-form Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Brazil’s Neymar promises to be fascinating. So, too, does the Low Countries derby involving Belgium and the Netherlands, with the latter hoping to bounce back after a dismal showing at the EURO earlier this year.

Star players
Neymar, the spearhead of a young crop of Brazilian talents hoping to flourish in time for the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, failed to make an impression in his side’s 2-1 defeat by Mexico in the final of the Men’s Olympic Football tournament. A Seleçao, whose fans are hungry for renewed success, will be looking to him for inspiration once more against Ibrahimovic’s Sweden.

The statistics
3 – The number of debutants in the France squad named by new coach Deschamps. The trio in question are Christophe Jallet (Paris Saint-Germain), Capoue (Toulouse) and promising defensive prospect Raphael Varane (Real Madrid).

Sports: Djokovic at it again!!!

2012-08-15T06:34:00.000-07:00

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic kicked off his North American hard court season with a clinical 6-3 6-2 win over Frenchman Richard Gasquet to clinch the Toronto Masters on Sunday, marking the second consecutive year he has won the Canadian event.

The top-seeded Serbian, who won 12 months ago when the tournament was held in Montreal, made quick work of Gasquet, holding serve throughout a 61-minute match, during which he overwhelmed his opponent with an impressive arsenal of shots.

The win capped a wild week for Djokovic and a number of other players, who had little time to recover after competing at the London Olympics and then were forced to battle numerous rain delays that wreaked havoc on the playing schedule.

"It's been a long week, a tough week, especially for the players coming from the Olympics but I am very glad that I came here," said Djokovic, who lost in the bronze medal match at the Olympics three days before his opening match here.

When the 14th-seeded Frenchman sent a return shot long in the final game, Djokovic raised both arms skyward and let out a loud roar in front of a capacity crowd that included Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

World number two Djokovic broke Gasquet three times and won an astonishing 84 percent of his first service points en route to his 12th career ATP Masters title and third in Canada in the past five years.

Djokovic, who held serve in 50 of 51 games this week, also sent a warning shot to his rivals ahead of the August 27-September 9 U.S. Open in New York, where he will also be looking to repeat as champion following his win over Roger Federer last year.

Playing in a tournament that was without Federer and Rafa Nadal and lost Olympic champion Andy Murray early to a knee injury, Djokovic was the clear favourite and he proved he was up to the task the whole way.

Even after rain washed out an entire day of play, Djokovic showed barely any sign of fatigue when he was forced to play his quarter-final match only four hours after winning his last-16 encounter.

But despite showing his dominance on hard courts, Djokovic did not want to discuss when he expects to reclaim the world number one ranking he lost earlier this year.

"I was just thinking about winning this tournament for the moment," said Djokovic, who will now move onto the Cincinnati Masters.

"Rankings are going to follow up with the success you, as a player, have so I will try to perform my best next week and prepare as best as I can for the U.S. Open."

News: PHCN's planned strike action

2012-08-15T06:20:00.002-07:00

Plans by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the electricity workers’ retirement benefits may face a setback following the criticisms from a body, Northern Union (NU), which yesterday described the action as baseless.
Meanwhile, the controversy trailing the payment of electricity workers’ benefits will today be discussed at a meeting between the electricity unions and the Federal Government.
The meeting is taking place as the seven-day ultimatum given to the Federal Government expires today, amid concerns of possible job losses over the privatisation programme in the power sector.
The union, through its youth wing yesterday in Ilorin said: “Any strike at this moment for selfish interest of personal emolument no matter how genuine it may look like, does not enjoy public support and sympathy as their action is reactionary and belated.”
The group also expressed support for the Federal Government over the deployment of security agents to all major installations and facilities of the PHCN to avert further sabotage and blackmail as witnessed in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
It equally hailed the Federal Government’s resolve to sanitise PHCN, noting, “as in the last one month, the public are increasingly enjoying a more stable power supply.”
The NU, however, urged government to within the context of the law resolve the entitlements of the affected PHCN workers.
The statement signed by the national coordinator and publicity secretary, youth wing of NU, Kolo Jerry and Muhammed Katum respectively, noted that, “it is our unanimous position and resolve that the strike is not welcomed and we very strongly kick against it.”
The electricity workers under the aegis of Senior Staff of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSEAC) and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) in collaboration with the NLC had threatened to embark on indefinite strike from today if the Federal Government fails to meet their demands.
The President SSEAC, Mr. Bede Opara, yesterday told The Guardian that the management of PHCN was responsible for the mis-management of the superannuation fund expected to take care of the workers’ pension after retirement, disclosing that the 25 per cent of workers’ superannuation fund was under funded.
The statement reiterated the position of the Government of Osun State, which debunked claims by Oyinlola that the centre does not belong to the state and, therefore, the state cannot alter the composition of the board governing its affairs or even amend the law setting it up.
“Much more ridiculous is the desperate attempts by Oyinlola and his cohorts to hide under the cover of a global organisation with its own integrity to subvert the people’s will. The UNESCO known the world over to be a credible organisation, which follows procedures and can never be associated with the plot by Oyinlola to appropriate a public property as his own.
“If they have failed woefully to deny the fact that Osun’s tax payers’ money was used to procure the artifacts at the centre and the same tax payers’ money was used to build the edifice, which houses the centre, and the law setting the centre up was passed in Osun, on what moral pedestal do Oyinlola and his co-travellers stand to challenge the decision to appropriately reconstitute the board of the Governing Board?” The statement added.
The statement further advised the former governor to toe the path of honour by apologising to the people of the state over his attempt to convert what was glaringly a public property to a private one.

Entertainment: Nigerian singer, Flavour, accused of 'stealing' by Ghanian music duo

2012-08-13T05:28:00.000-07:00

Flavour

Defunct music duo Wutah may sue Nigerian music artiste, Chinedu Okoli popularly known as Flavour N'abania for stealing their intellectual property.

According to a source close to the duo, made up of Wutah Kobby and Wutah PV, management of the artistes is not pleased with theKwarikwa song released by the Nigerian which bears stark resemblance with their smash hit Kotosa.

The source accused Flavour of ‘stealing’ the chorus, rhythm, rhyme and the opening saxophone beat used in their song with total disregard for their right as the only legitimate owners of the song.

Kotosa, produced by Appietus, hit the Ghanaian music scene in 2008 before the two parted ways in 2010, while Kwarikwa was released mid 2011 – three years after.

This will not be the first time the Nigerian artiste is being accused of stealing the intellectual property of a Ghanaian musician. It was reported that his hit song Ashawo which gained massive recognition across Africa and Ghana, was culled from an old Ghanaian hi-life song.

Interestingly, the Nigerian went ahead to record a remix version of theAshawo track with some Ghanaian artistes, Stone of music duo Bradez, and Asem.

To listen and to Kotoso by the Ghanian duo click here. Also, to listen to Flavor's kwarikwa, click here

Attempts to reach the management of Flavour for their side of the story proved futile.

Sports: Man City comeback inks Chelsea in Community Shield

2012-08-13T04:39:00.001-07:00

MANCHESTER CITY sent a warning to the rest of the Premier League by defeating Chelsea to lift the Community Shield.

Roberto Mancini sent his City troops into battle at Villa Park buoyed by the news that Everton had accepted an undisclosed offer for midfielder Jack Rodwell.

The league champions did not have everyhing their own way in the first half and found themselves trailing to a 40th-minute Fernando Torres strike.

But they were handed an advantage three minutes before the break when Branislav Ivanovic was shown a straight red by referee Kevin Friend.

And City stormed back into the game with second-half goals from Yaya Toure, Carlos Tevez and Samir Nasri to move closer to their first Shield triumph since 1972.

Subsititute Ryan Bertrand pulled one back for the Blues 10 minutes from time but there was to be no denying Mancini his first silverware of the season.

The community aspect of this game was missing from the first whistle as friends struggled to keep control.

Stefan Savic was booked after 10 minutes, which set the scene for a niggly opening period in which both sides were guilty of going too far at times.

Ivanovic was the worst offender. Forced to challenge for a stray John Terry pass, the Serbian slid straight into countryman Aleksandar Kolarov with studs raised.

It was not two-footed, but it was dangerous.

News: Church decries decrease in attendance

2012-08-13T04:32:00.001-07:00

The Kaduna Diocese of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) said on Friday that worshippers’ attendance in churches in the volatile state has dropped by 30 per cent.

In Lagos, the state government is adopting fresh measures to further enhance of lives and property. One of such measure is the plan to take over abandoned property within the metropolis which are believed serve as hideout for criminals. Aside this, the state has also unfolded plans to sanitise motor parks and regulate the operations of motorcycle (okada) and commercial buses restricting them to specific identifiable routes.

Kayode Opeifa, Lagos State commissioner for Transportation, says apart from re-registration of the yellow commercial buses, and restricting them to assigned routes, the drivers and conductors may also be required under the new regime to wear uniforms for easy identification. There have been several reported cases of robbery with okada and commercial buses in what is known to the residents as “one chance”.

Josiah Fearon, the diocesan bishop of Anglican Communion in Kaduan, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the first session of the 19th Synod which held in the north central state that churches are now characterised by poor attendance, a development he attributed to the current national security challenge.

Fearon said the drop in attendance has also led to a corresponding drop in financial support to the churches through the offerings, tithes and fund raising for the development of projects. He specifically attributed the decline in churches’ fortunes to the spate of attacks on Christians during services by the deadly Islamic sect- Boko Haram.

“A significant number of our members now prefer to stay within the safety of their homes rather than go to church and be bombed to death,” the cleric said, adding that the security challenge has adversely affected the entire northern region economically, socially and politically. Fearon flayed the incessant killings in some of the northern states, in spite of pleas from religious leaders, individuals and national and international organisations.

He however called on the Federal Government to urgently assist the northern state governments to implement the recommendations of the Sheikh Ahmed Lemu panel aimed at restoring peace. The Bishop said the panel had recommended that some form of financial assistance be given to all victims of the April general elections violence.

“This will enable them start all over again, even if on a small scale, it would convince Nigerians that this government is interested in their well-being.” The clergy man decried the indiscriminate display of wealth amidst hunger and recklessness in the spending of money meant for development projects and cautioned that “all these happenings in the face of poverty must stop.

News: Governor falls victim of Internet Fraud

2012-08-13T04:28:00.000-07:00

Niger State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu at the weekend said he had fallen a victim of e-fraud.

He raised the alarm that his e-mail account had been hacked into by unidentified persons.

A statement yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Danladi Ndayebo, said Aliyu’s e-mail account had been hacked by unknown persons who used it to send messages to many of his contacts soliciting assistance from them.

According to Ndayebo, the message sent out by the hackers to Aliyu’s contacts had the subject: ‘Urgent assistance’, and it reads: “I didn’t tell you about our travel to Spain for a short vacation, but unfortunately we were robbed at the hotel where we lodged along with other folks. We didn’t bring our phones here and the hotel telephone lines were disconnected during the incident. So I have access to only e-mail.

“Please I’m going to need some sort of loan from you for us to relocate to another hotel close to the embassy and that to get us another flight ticket…Please, let me know if you can help us out. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.”

Describing the hackers as unscrupulous, Aliyu said he neither sent nor authorised anyone to send out such messages on his behalf.

The governor asked those who have received the ludicrous solicitation to ignore it. He thanked Nigerians who brought the issue to his attention.

News: Permanent voters card to be distributed before end of 2012 - Prof. Jega

2012-08-13T04:17:00.001-07:00

INEC Chairman- Prof. Attahiru Jega

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Abuja, on Sunday, said it would soon start issuing permanent voter cards to Nigerians.

Its chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, gave the assurance when he fielded questions at an interview session of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said that distribution of the proposed voter cards would begin before the end of 2012, adding that the objective was to improve the credibility and transparency of the electoral process in the country, including the use of technology in elections.

“As you know, we did biometric data registration; before the end of this year, we will start issuing the permanent voter cards and these permanent cards that we are going to issue are chip-based, just like many of our own bank cards.

“So they carry all the information on a microchip, which is embedded in the card of the voter. What we believe we can achieve at the minimum by 2015 is that, we can achieve 100 per cent authentication at the polling units,” he said.

The INEC helmsman added that “if a voter comes to the polling unit and brings out his or her card, we will be able to determine 100 per cent whether he is the legitimate holder of the card.”

He explained further that card readers would be available in all the polling units to ascertain the legitimacy of the holder, adding that the process of identifying valid owners of the card would go a long way to improve the credibility and transparency of the electoral process.

On the proposed electronic voting in 2015 and its feasibility, he said “technically, there is no proposal by INEC that it should be adopted in 2015.”

He said INEC, instead, made a recommendation to the National Assembly that the provision of the constitution, which prohibited electronic voting, should be removed due to its limitation.

“Right now, if we are to introduce electronic voting in this country, we have to do a lot of piloting. We have to do a lot of sampling of existing machines. Right now because of that prohibition, we can’t even attempt to do it,” he said, adding that INEC would explore the possibility of electronic voting if the said provision was deleted from the constitution.

Meanwhile, INEC has started restructuring and reorganising its workforce for efficient and effective delivery on the electoral process.

Professor Jega also disclosed this, adding that the commission also planned to put in place a workforce that could keep on giving its best and making sacrifices both for INEC and for the country.

He said in the next two months, the exercise would be completed, leading to the actualisation of the vision of having the best election management body in Africa.

Jega said that the exercise was being handled by some of the best management consulting firms, adding that the exercise had nothing to do with retrenchment.

“The problem is that in Nigeria, anytime you talk about restructuring and reorganisation, people think you are talking about retrenchment; it needs not be so.

“In INEC, our restructuring and reorganisation is not synonymous with retrenchment. We are doing everything possible to bring efficiency and effectiveness and it can be done without the kind of massive retrenchment that people fear and expect,” he said.

Jega said his 23 months in office had been very challenging, adding that he was fully determined to take INEC to a greater height.

The INEC boss further stated that the enormity of the challenges could not be underestimated, as a lot still needed to be done, mostly with the ways elections were conducted, which made many Nigerians disappointed in whatever INEC did.

Jega noted that some politicians were still unhappy with the conduct of 2011 elections, in spite of the improvements recorded in the electoral system, adding that such politicians expected 100 per cent perfection in the conduct of the exercise.

“We believe we have done quite a lot to lift the bar in terms of transparency and credibility of the electoral process. The challenge for us as we move toward 2015 is to learn the lessons of all the elections which we have conducted and to continue to plan and improve upon the conduct of subsequent elections,” he said.

Sports: Olympics closing ceremony

2012-08-13T03:59:00.004-07:00

Spice Girls spicing up the closing ceremony

"Girl power" reigned over the Olympic Stadium as the Spice Girls performed

The London 2012 Olympics have ended with a spectacular musical closing ceremony and the official handover to the next host city, Rio de Janeiro.

The three-hour show featured some of the biggest names of British pop from decades past, including the Spice Girls, George Michael and Elbow.

Games chief Lord Coe said: "When our time came - Britain, we did it right."

The official Games flag was handed to the mayor of Rio before the flame at the Olympic Stadium was extinguished.

President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, who declared the Games of the 30th Olympiad closed just before midnight, said: "We will never forget the smiles, the kindness and the support of the wonderful volunteers, the much-needed heroes of these Games.

Olympic closing ceremony stadium

"You, the spectators and the public, provided the soundtrack for these Games.

"Your enthusiastic cheers energised its competitors and brought a festive spirit to every Olympic venue."

Best of British

At the close of the ceremony, watched in the stadium by the 10,000 athletes and 80,000 spectators, the flame was extinguished in dramatic fashion. Each nation will receive one of the cauldron's 204 petals.

In other developments:

London airports expect to handle the departure of about 200,000 people a day this week as visitors leave following the Games. Some 120,000 are expected to leave Heathrow each day, with a further 70,000 set to fly from Gatwick

Private security firm G4S has donated £2.5m to the armed forces after troops had to stand in for its absent staff during the Olympics

Commentators from around the world have begun to reflect on the success of the Games, as have British observers.

On Sunday, at the closing ceremony, fireworks went off above the east London stadium, the Who performed My Generation and the venue was transformed into a sea of red, white and blue confetti.

The finale, which began with Big Ben chiming, paid tribute to UK music, fashion and culture.

Prince Harry represented the Queen at the ceremony, which took place on top of a stage in the shape of a union jack and saw a volunteer cast of 3,500.

The show saw the Spice Girls re-form to sing Spice Up Your Life from the top of five London taxis, and a surprise performance from Take That, who sang their hit Rule the World. It had been thought they would not appear because Gary Barlow was mourning the loss of his daughter who was delivered stillborn last Saturday.

Artistic Director Kim Gavin also brought together household names, including George Michael, Jessie J, Emeli Sande, Madness, the Pet Shop Boys, One Direction, Ray Davies and Liam Gallagher, as the best of British music went on show to the world.

During the ceremonial part of the show, the Olympic flag was waved aloft by London Mayor Boris Johnson and passed by Mr Rogge into the hands of the Mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes.

The Brazilian national anthem rang out and the stadium was transformed into the green and yellow colours of Brazil's flag.

'Lit up the world'

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe told the audience: "Today sees the closing of a wonderful Games in a wonderful city.

"We lit the flame and lit up the world."

The official handover also saw a celebration of Rio's mix of cultures, music and dance, bringing a carnival atmosphere to the proceedings.

Earlier, there was a riot of colour as the athletes entered the stadium, with four-time Olympic gold medallist sailor Ben Ainslie carrying the British flag and leading out Team GB.

The smiling athletes filled each section of the floor of the stadium, to the sound of Elbow playing their atmospheric hit, One Day Like This.

As is traditional during the closing ceremony, the final medals of the 2012 Olympics were handed out. On this occasion they went to the athletes in the men's marathon, which was won by Uganda's Stephen Kiprotich.

The 70,000 Games Maker volunteers were also thanked for their hard work during the 16 days of competition.

Home-grown fashion was celebrated with appearances from models Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, both wearing the creations of the late Alexander McQueen, while British eccentricity also featured, with comedian Russell Brand singing the Beatles' I am the Walrus from the top of a psychedelic bus.

Comedian Eric Idle drew much laughter when he performed a typically quirky version of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, and Muse rocked the stadium with the official anthem of the Games, Survival.

The Games ended with the US topping the final medal table with 46 golds, followed by China with 38 golds. GB came third with 29 golds - their best tally since 1908.

The Queen earlier said Team GB's "outstanding" performance had "inspired" the country.

The last day saw a final - and 29th gold - for Team GB, with boxer Anthony Joshua winning his super-heavyweight bout.

In all, 44 world records have been set during London 2012, and 117 Olympic records broken.

Among those to have set new world bests included Kenyan David Rudisha in the men's 800m and the Jamaican sprint relay team, which included 100m and 200m gold medallist Usain Bolt.

US swimmer Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian in history while cyclist Sir Chris Hoy's two gold medals meant he became the most successful British Olympian of all time.

Earlier, US President Barack Obama telephoned Prime Minister David Cameron to offer his congratulations for a "brilliant" London Olympics, Downing Street said.

On Sunday, crowds also packed London's Hyde Park to watch the sporting action on big screens and enjoy a farewell concert headlined by Blur.

The Paralympics is set to start on 29 August, with the revamped 560-acre (227-hectare) Olympic Park site - to be known as the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - then set to reopen from the first anniversary of the opening of the Games, on 27 July 2013.

News: Airline fined for hosting mid-air Bikini show!!!

2012-08-13T03:30:00.000-07:00

Airline fined for inflight bikini show

A Vietnamese airline has been fined for hosting a mid-flight dance by bikini-clad beauty pageant contestants without first gaining permission, state media said on Thursday.
Low-cost carrier VietJet Air was fined $1,000 by the nation's aviation authorities for organising the Hawaiian-themed dance to celebrate its maiden flight between Ho Chi Minh City and the tourist hub of Nha Trang, the Tuoi Tre newspaper said.
Five women, all candidates in a local beauty contest, performed the three-minute dance on the August 3 flight while passengers recorded the show on camera phones and later posted clips online, the paper added.The airline "violated local aviation regulations" by organising "an unapproved show on a flight," Nguyen Trong Thang, chief inspector of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, was quoted as saying in the report.
Thang added the pictures were taken while mobile phones were in flight-safe mode and did not pose any risk.
The incident has stirred public debate in conservative Vietnam after photographs and video clips of the sultry performance spread on the Internet.
Click Here to for live recorded video clips of the Bikini show

Sports: Juan Mata - Chelsea can win more silverware this season

2012-08-09T06:44:00.001-07:00

Juan Mata targets more silverware in second season at Chelsea

Juan Mata is hopeful Chelsea can challenge for trophies next season after his return to training this week

Juan Mata signed for Chelsea from Valencia last August

The Blues fell out of contention for the English title mid-way though the last campaign under André Villas-Boas, before Roberto Di Matteo was able to lead the Londoners to an FA Cup and Champions League double.

Mata, who was one of Chelsea’s stand-out performers after joining from Valencia last summer, says the Blues are desperate for more silverware as they look to become the first team to retain the Champions League title.

“I think it will be a good season for us,” Mata told Chelsea TV. “Personally, I will try to play more games than last season.

“For sure, our desire is to win another trophy, either the Premier League or Champions League. These competitions are very important for us and we will try to do our best.

“We have Eden Hazard, Marko Marin and Oscar. We’ve bought some quality players which is good for the team.”

Looking ahead to the new campaign, Mata added: “I feel really good and confident for the new season. Myself and Oriol [Romeu] have been looking forward to coming back and I’m happy to be here.

“The Euros were the best moment of the summer for me. Another European Championship for Spain, I had the opportunity to play in the final, I scored the last goal and it was amazing.

“The Olympics was a good experience as a sportsman, but we were so unlucky. We deserved more but we didn’t score so it was impossible to go through.”

Chelsea take on Premier League champions Manchester City in the Community Shield at Villa Park on Sunday.

Entertainment: Project fame West Africa

2012-08-09T06:43:00.002-07:00

Project Fame West Africa Season 5: Meet your contestants

: Hosts – Joseph Benjamin and Adora Oleh

The fifth season of the MTN Project Fame West Africa has kicked off with contestants already in the academy.

A total of 15 contestants were picked at the recently held opening gala on Saturday, August 4, 2012. Side attractions from the gala included performances from Project Fame season 4 winner Monica and Chuddy K.

A final contestant will however be chosen through a ‘Wild Card Contest‘ which will see the academy accommodate 16 contestants in total.

A few changes have been made from last year’s show – Most notably, Nigezie boss Femi ‘Kwame’ Aderigbigbe who has served as a judge since inception has been replaced with Nigerian-German musician, producer Ade Bantu.

The duo Joseph Benjamin and Adora Oleh will continue as hosts.

Check out your contestants and pick a favourite!

: Adetoun

The ever-smiley Adetoun is a bubbly 26 year-old woman whose confidence exudes in leaps and bounds. She is a studio-rat as far as she’s concerned, and has done a lot of back-up work for established artistes.

Adetoun is a graduate of Mass-Communication from Olabisi Onabanjo University. She caters for a living and has a very outgoing and friendly personality and believes in people. She is highly competitive in nature and is aiming for the Top.

: Ayo

Ayobami Ayoola Ayolola is the 25 year old personal assistant to renowned saxophonist Mike Aremu. Apart from his involvement in this saxophonist’s band, Ayo’s father is also a pastor and was a choir director for many years.

In Ayo’s own words, ‘my father discovered the music in me’ – and for this he is grateful to his dad whom he speaks of with pride. Ayo is also an actor and has had a few stints on television. He says he cannot run away from acting but music is his first love and seeing as this is his fifth stab at Project Fame West Africa, he intends to milk the opportunity for all it is worth.

: Brenda

Brenda Adigwe is a 16 year old go-getter. She is a third-year mass communication undergraduate of the Littoral University, Porto-Novo, Benin Republic. Brenda tends to come across as older than her age and even though the competition is open to only people eighteen years and above, she returned for another season of auditions to give it another shot and convinced the academy to let her in.

Brenda is very close to her mother and hopes to make her proud by going far in the competition and possibly emerge as the winner.

: Chinyere

She’s 23 years old, studies Linguistics and African Languages at University of Benin, Edo State – Nigeria, and is in love with a young man who she calls her best friend. He’s a base guitarist and her number one fan apart from her family.

Chinyere is the last-born child and she receives a lot of support from her older siblings who are all married. She tends to be a bit shy and taciturn but she does express herself well enough and her biggest asset is her crystal-clear voice.

: Christian

Dark-skinned and very expressive Christian is of mixed Nigerian heritage. His father is Yoruba and his mother is from Benue state. Christian has lived in Markudi for most of his life and is a fourth year Computer-Science student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Markudi, in Benue state, Nigeria.

Even though he has lived in the middle belt for most of his life, Christian emphasises that he is a Yoruba boy through and through and nothing can change that. Christian loves television, movies, and travelling. A very jovial sort, Christian does not fail to point out that he is only jovial and happy-go-lucky when he wants to be. He takes his music seriously and intends to win this competition, bringing the first prize back to Benue like Monica Ogah did in Season four.

: Didi

Dimipre Kosu likes to be known as ‘Diddy’. He is 20 years old and an Engineering fourth-year undergrad at Niger Delta University. Diddy Kosu is playful and has his own style which he believes tends to stand him out from the crowd. He loves rock jazz and soul music and really loves to dance.

At the slightest opportunity, Didi is likely to break into ‘Azonto’ – the now famous dance of Ghanaian origin which the young man seems to have mastered and given his own unique twist.

: Edward

Edward is a 26 year-old and has being doing music and song-writing for a living since his college days. He has a little daughter and a girlfriend both of whom he loves very much. He says he’s a good guy but doesn’t smile much because his eyes have seen ‘too many things’ during the savage war years that besieged Sierra-Leone.

Edward says he isn’t religious but is quite spiritual and is very connected to God. He certainly doesn’t see himself as a ladies’ man but is not averse to making new friends along the way, if they can accept him for who he is.

: Grace

Grace Mark is a smallish twenty-four year old. Pretty-faced and with a chirpy speaking voice, she comes alive when she’s singing. Grace is from a large family – she has nine siblings and apparently, almost everyone in her home has a flair for music.

She has come a long way since last year, when she reached the semi-final stage of the auditions, so she is determined to make this opportunity in the Project Fame Academy count.

: Joshua

Joshua Owusu Effriyie is 20 years old, dark skinned, quite charming, and has a personality that draws you in. The young Ghanaian singer says he loves to eat, and therefore, loves to cook.

He spends a lot of time in the kitchen but when he isn’t cooking up a delicious dish, he is really into video games and his music. Joshua plays the saxophone, the guitar and the keyboard and is a staunch Arsenal Football Club fan.

: Kemi

Kemi is a 20 year-old ND-1 student of Federal Polytechnic, Offa – Kwara State. She grew up with her mother who is a fashion designer. Kemi is also a talented seamstress but unlike her mother, is yet to master the art of cutting design-patterns.

Kemi loves singing and wants to take it to the highest height. She believes she picked up the talent from her father who used to sing and play several instruments during his lifetime. She knows she has a lot to learn and wants to lap up as much as possible from all the faculty members.

Marvellous

Marvellous Odiete is 33 years old. He is a graduate of the University of Ibadan. His father is a pastor and Marvellous sometimes works in the church’s music department. Marvellous has a very strong voice which he wants to learn to use better.

Having done some studio gigs to earn a living, he believes it is time for him to take the bold step and do something really big with his talent, hence his participation in the competition. Marvellous says that despite his desire to win, he only sees himself as a competitive person, but not a desperate one and so he intends to do the best he can, take advantage of the platform which MTN Project Fame West Africa presents, and see where this takes him.

: Musulyn

Musulyn Myers is a 19 year-old Liberian girl who likes to laugh a lot. Bubbly-spirited and sweet, Musulyn says she is kind-hearted and likes to put a smile on people’s faces. Musulyn is best friends with her mother but points out that it hasn’t always been that way. As a result of the war, she and her mum had to move to the United States of America when the young Musulyn was two years old and only returned three years ago in Musulyn’s mid-teens.

Musulyn says that having grown into a young adult, she finds that she and her mother understand each other a lot more and so their relationship is tighter now than it ever was. She loves singing and dancing and also plays the keyboard. She hopes that the Academy will give her insights about how to develop her music career and significantly improve her abilities and wants to learn.

: Oyinkansade Akande

Oyinkansade Akande, is a dark-skinned handsome young man with a calm demeanour and an air of wisdom around him. Oyinkansade knows what he wants and this isn’t a new trait of his. Always hoping to have formal knowledge of music, Oyinkansade felt that the stars shined on him when he finally got the opportunity to study music in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. He now has a diploma in Music and is happy to have made the choice to go for it when he did.

He however feels that he doesn’t know enough about music to make a successful career of it and for this reason he hopes to go far in the Project Fame West Africa competition. Oyinkansade is south-pawed and plays the left-handed guitar.

: Sonia Obi

Sonia Obi is a 22 year old student of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution at the National Open University. She is social and likes to talk. She however tends to be pretty sensitive and emotional especially concerning her late mother whose ring she still wears as a keepsake.

She loves to sing and gives it her best. While she admits her emotions are close to the surface she wants to do well in the Academy to make her mother proud.

: Tega Apochie

Tega Apochie is a 22 year-old Delta State babe who has a non-identical twin brother Tejire. Tega loves singing but if she wasn’t following the path of music, she would like to try her hands at fish-farming. She has her own style fashion-wise and readily admits to liking attention.

She has a distinct voice which she hopes can be trained to be outstanding. She is looking forward to the Academy as a growth experience in music, style and performance too.

News: Dana Aircrash victims Bodies just to be released!!!!

2012-08-09T06:36:00.004-07:00

Lagos State Government releases DNA results and bodies of Dana aircrash victims

The Lagos State Government has disclosed that the Deoxyribonucleic acid result for victims of the Dana plane crash done in the United Kingdom has arrived at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

According to the Commissioner for Health, Dr.Jide Idris, 132 bodies have been identified while 16 unrecognisable bodies are still being processed.

Idris, who spoke at a meeting with the relatives at LASUTH on Wednesday, said the bodies would be released in batches of 20 to authorised family members daily starting from today.

Among the identifiable bodies is the body of the Spokesperson, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Levi Ajunoma. Others are Ehime Aikhomu, Li Rui, Way Yu and Hope Okeke.

Idris said, “We are going to be releasing another 132 bodies that have been identified over the next few days. We have gotten some of the results of the DNA analysis from the United Kingdom. We felt it necessary to brief the relatives on the processes and documentation needed to claim the bodies.

The Chief Pathologist of the hospital and the Chief Medical Examiner, Prof. John Obafunwa, explained that the 16 corpses still being processed could not be identified due to the burns they sustained, and because samples collected did not match with the charred bodies.

Obafunwa said corpses and death certificates would only be released to next of kins who present necessary documents needed to claim the bodies.

Obafunwa said, “It is only the next of kin that we are to release the bodies to by law; but in cases where they cannot come, we will release to the spouse, parents and siblings in that order.

“But they must come with modes of identification such as international passports, driving license which have been authorised by a referree.”

News: Ghanian President, John Atta Mills', Funeral

2012-08-09T06:19:00.001-07:00

Befitting Burial For a Befitting President


John Atta Mills 68years

In the midst of what can best be described as an unprecedented funeral mood in the country, tributes point to one thing and that is, Ghana first. Indeed, the unprecedented death of Prof. John Atta Mills has brought to the fore one crucial and yet often hidden attribute of Ghanaians, which is love. Unfortunately this has long been relegated to the background, perhaps, due to political expediency. A critical assessment of tributes that poured in from the length and breadth of the country Ghana clearly portrayed Ghanaians as people who see the interest of their nation above all other considerations. In fact, after showering praises on, Prof. Mills, his political opponent, former President J. A. Kufour proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is indeed a true statesman who knows what to do and say in moments like this. At a point Mr. Kufour acknowledged that he is an NPP man but Ghana first. He also indicated his willingness to provide assistance to President Mahama anytime he is called upon. This and other like-minded comments reveal the truth that Ghana can survive with love minus dirty politicking.

Interestingly politicians cannot do without Ghana. Prof. Mills with all the accolade is gone but Ghana lives on. With barely five months to elections, the Mahama administration must work hard to provide the basic necessities for Ghanaians by opening up to cross fertilize ideas from all angels after all, no single hand can embrace a baobab tree. Praising Ghana as a shining example in the sub-region is meaningless until our people in deprived communities stop competing with animals for drinking water which is a basic necessity. The statement by former UN General Secretary Kofi Annan that good governance is perhaps the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development should not be glossed over by the current administration. The new era must ensure that enforcement and investigation are not only effective and efficient but should as a matter of necessity eschew selective treatment, lawlessness and political persecution of perceived enemies. Other burning issues of global significance are the challenges of a peaceful election come December which was dear to the heart of the late President Mills. If the Mahama administration is able to show some semblance of commitment to drastic reduction of poverty, free expression of divergent views and accommodation of wild criticism, it will be certain that even nursed violent agitation will become less attractive and possibly aborted.

Levine and Perkins said it all when they wrote in 1997 that to understand a tree it is necessary to study both the forest of which is a part as well as the cells and issues that are part of the tree. Prof. Mills proved that he came from God, was nurtured in a disciplined family and perhaps led his nation in a democratic manner. It will therefore be untoward to do anything that could disturb the peace of the nation as we mourn and prepare to go to the polls. The questions to ask ourselves are what have we done or can do for our nation before we die? What will be said of us when we die? And most importantly how will we account to God our deeds on earth on judgement day. Prof Atta Mills, good bye till we meet again hopefully at the right hand side of God our creator.

Nokia Pureview promo

2012-08-09T06:12:00.001-07:00

Nokia PureView promo: Over 50% discount on the world's best camera phone!!!

Hey Guys! Nokia is bringing to you over 50% discount on its newly launched 41 Megapixel Nokia 808 PureView. Guess what? The phone also comes a FREE magnetic Joby Gorilla Pod Tripod Stand to make your photo and video shooting experience very comfortable.

Participating Stores include:

SLOT CITY MALL, AWOLOWO WAY, ALAUSA, IKEJA, LAGOS

SLOT 1 MEDICAL ROAD, COMPUTER VILLAGE, IKEJA, LAGOS

SLOT C16/17 NEW BANEX PLAZA, AMINU KANO WAY, WUSE 2, ABUJA

CALLUS MILLER, 14 ABA ROAD BY ARTILLERY B/STOP, PORT HARCOURT

GLOSHOP AT THE PALMS SHOPPING MALL LEKKI

...will have the opportunity of buying the phone for N41,000 as against the retail price of N100,000.

Now what are you waiting for? Get ready and be among the 1st 41 people to get to any of the listed stores. If you live in Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt, lucky you! If you don’t, make sure you are on the next bus/flight to your nearest location.

Remember, only the 1st 41 people will be considered.

Baby Number 7 for 2face

2012-08-07T06:35:00.001-07:00

Baby Number 7 On the Way for 2Face

2face and Annie Macauley

Gist coming from the grapevine has it that wife of Africa’s music superstar, 2Face Idibia, Annie Macaulay is pregnant. Those who claimed to be in the know revealed to gistpage.com that Annie is presently undergoing a nine month course.

An industry source, who also claimed to be in the know of the beautiful former The Next Movie Star contestant, said that the mother of one has developed more growth at some strategic areas of her body, which is associated with expectant mothers.

The Ifiki, Akwa-Ibom State-born role interpreter has now cut down on her activities on popular social media site, Twitter for some time now. We learnt that Annie is planning to keep the news close to her chest as she does not want any unnecessary media attention over her present state.

You will recall that on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, Annie and 2Face had a secret marriage in Lagos only attended by some selected family and friends. This happened shortly after the African Queen crooner performed at his album launch concert at Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos on April 30, 2012, which was only few hours before their secret wedding.

On February 14, 2012, 2Face finally proposed to Annie after one of his babymamas, Pero Adeniyi was then pregnant with his sixth child. Annie presently has a daughter named Isabella for 2Face.

Education: Nigerian makes landmark achievement abroad.

2012-08-07T03:44:00.002-07:00

Nigerian emerges first PhD pharmacy graduate in 49-year-old UK varsity

A 27-year-old Nigerian, Dr. Bahijja Raimi-Abraham, made history by becoming the first graduate of Pharmacy from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom, to be awarded a PhD in Pharmacy. She shares her experience with Olabisi Deji-Folutile in this online interview.

Were you born in the UK?

I was born in Lagos, Nigeria in April 1985 and left Nigeria at the age of six when my family returned to the UK – my parents had lived and studied in the UK previous to that.After completing my primary school education in London, I attended secondary school in North Wales, Penrhos College – where my mother and her sisters also were educated; and following my GCSEs I returned to London for sixth form when I studied and passed the Advanced Level examinations (A – levels) in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Drama.

From where did you obtain your first degree?

I was accepted to read Pharmacy at the University of East Anglia – the University had just opened its School of Pharmacy and I was among the first intake of Pharmacy students.The course was of four years in duration and led to the award of the MPharm degree. Following this, I applied to, and was accepted by Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospital in central London to undergo my Pharmacy Pre-registration year. After passing my Pre-registration exams and attaining full status as a Pharmacist, I was invited by my alma mater, University of East Anglia, to apply and study for a Doctorate in Pharmaceutics.

How many students registered for the PhD programme?

To the best of my knowledge, there were seven of us in the School of Pharmacy at the University of East Anglia (UEA) when I started my PhD course in October 2008.

Were you also among the first set of students to register for PhD in the university?

No. UEA has been in existence for almost 50 years – it was established in 1963 and has produced PhD graduates for a number of years. The School of Pharmacy at UEA was opened to accept its first intake of Pharmacy undergraduates in 2003. I was among the first cohort of Pharmacy undergraduates to be admitted to the university that year. Approximately 90 of us were accepted for Pharmacy, and approximately 50 of us graduated with the award of MPharm (Masters Degree in Pharmacy) in 2007. I am however, the first graduate of The School of Pharmacy at UEA to be awarded a PhD.I consider this an achievement for myself no doubt, as well as for my family, the School of Pharmacy at UEA, as well as an achievement for Nigeria – the land of my birth!

What are your experiences in the course of your study?

Overall my experiences have been positive. Of course, studying Pharmacy and then pursuing a PhD has not been easy, both with their own challenges and different learning outcomes. I have always tried to study areas that I have had a natural interest in. For example, during my A-Level studies I thoroughly enjoyed Chemistry and on advice from my mother, I decided to study Pharmacy at university level. At the start of the second year of my undergraduate degree I decided I wanted to pursue the highest form of education and had a meeting with the then head of school and another member of the faculty (both later became my PhD supervisors) to discuss the requirement to study a PhD. Although my experiences have been positive, there have also been some challenges. But through it all, I’ve had the support of my lecturers and my family which motivated me to achieve. My study of Pharmacy instilled discipline in me as a professional – this discipline gained as a result of becoming a Pharmacist stood me in good stead as I embarked on my PhD course.

What are some of the challenges that blacks encounter in the UK?

Challenges encountered by blacks in the UK are as wide and as varied as you can imagine – because as with all other individual experiences, one must try to refrain from generalising. For me, my life in the UK has generally been positive. However one of the major challenges is the issue of stereotyping…a problem that, I suppose, can be faced anywhere in the world. Stereotyping leads to presumptions which often take a while to deconstruct.For example, working as a locum Pharmacist I have had experiences when patients come into the pharmacy and speak to my white health care assistant first – somewhat assuming that perhaps I’m the health care assistant while the white member of staff is the pharmacist (and overall manager of the pharmacy on a given day!). I have had to be assertive – perhaps more than I would have had to be if I wasn’t black; assertive in ensuring that I am considered and respected in the workplace.

What are your personal experiences?

As I’ve said previously, my personal experiences have generally been positive. I attended primary school in London from the age of six and then for secondary school I attended a fee-paying boarding school in North Wales where I was athlete of the year for three consecutive years. I was also a member of the school netball and swimming teams; then sixth-form college in London for my A levels before attending University of East Anglia to study Pharmacy.I also played netball for my university. Prior to starting my PhD I worked at Guy’s and St Thomas’Hospital in London for my Pharmacy Pre-registration year. During my entire educational life I would say that I’ve been fortunate to have met some extremely supportive people. In general, I’ve learnt life is what you make it – always do something that is natural to you and that you enjoy because if applied correctly, you will excel in it.

What is the population of blacks to whites in your school?

In my PhD group I was the only black student in a group of seven white people of mixed nationality.

Are there cases of lecturers victimising students there?

To the best of my knowledge there was no serious case of victimisation from lecturers. UEA has a robust complaints/grievance procedure which all students are made aware of.

What words of encouragement do you have for young people in your shoes either at home or abroad?

I would say to young people both at home and abroad that education is indeed the key to a myriad of life-changing opportunities. It is important to get a first degree so that you always have something to fall back on.The choice of whether or not to progress to Masters degree level or indeed to Doctorate level can be made once the first hurdle is in sight or indeed after it has been achieved. Stay positive about life in general. Good things come to those who wait – don’t try and “grow old” before your time.

What are your plans for the future? Do you intend to return to Nigeria?

I plan to pursue a career in academia. I also plan to explore and avail myself of all the opportunities that are put before me. Included in this plan is my wish to make a contribution towards the development of pharmaceutical research and practice in Nigeria.

The University of East Anglia is a publicly-owned university. What is the rating of the university in the UK?

According to the Complete University Guide University League Table for 2012 and 2013, the University of East Anglia is the 27th best university in the UK. The School of Pharmacy at the University of East Anglia is ranked as No.1 in the UK!

Entertainment: kokomaster - past and present

2012-08-07T03:36:00.003-07:00

Centre is Dbanj back in the day as a student of LASU before he found fame. Right is the global phenomenon today. He has really come a long way.

Sports: Nigeria vs Niger friendly - Eagles begin preparations.

2012-08-07T03:33:00.000-07:00

22 Eagles begin preparation for Niger friendly

The Super Eagles had their first training Monday evening since returning to camp at the Practice Pitch of the National Stadium with Head Coach, Stephen Keshi complaining bitterly about the state of the pitch.

As a result, the team will relocate to the FIFA Goal Project artificial turf in the same vicinity despite the fact that the friendly against Niger Republic will be played on natural grass.

In all 22 players trained on Monday evening with Sunshine Stars players still being awaited. The players from the Akure based side are four in all and they were expected to join the team by Monday night on time for Tuesday morning training.

Addressing the old and the new invitees, Keshi again told them to stand firm against any inferiority complex, as they have equal opportunities to nick shirts like the players who are based abroad for the September 8, Nations Cup qualifier against the Lone Star of Liberia.

“Just show me what you can do on the pitch and leave the rest for us to do when time for selection of players for the games come”, he said.

Keshi also announced that Heartland winger, Obinna Nwachukwu, who is injured has been replaced by Crown FC Femi Ajani, who is already in camp and showed flashes of a player hungry for greatness in the round-leather game. The 22 Players that trained On Monday Evening

Sport: Usain Bolt to Man Utd?

2012-08-07T03:28:00.005-07:00

Sprint king Usain Bolt yesterday begged Sir Alex Ferguson for the chance to play for Manchester United - but warned he would have to be quick.

Games: New Nokia Danfo Driver game

2012-08-07T03:07:00.002-07:00

Nokia Danfo Competition

''Remember how we all used to play “Bus Driver and Conductor” as children? Which route did you prefer – “Ketu/Ojota!” or “Mushin Olosha!”? For those of you who have lived abroad all your lives or have never been lucky enough to take rides in Lagos buses, you missed big time!

Guess what – the time has come to experience this childhood fantasy!

Nokia introduces the new Game “Danfo Reloaded” on mobile phones. Danfo is a common slang for commercial buses in Lagos. In the game, the player plays as a “Danfo driver” and he also earns money as he proceeds.

Players with the two highest scores each week will win N100,000 cash from Nokia. The competition runs for 5 weeks. Your score has to be uploaded on Nokia facebook page www.facebook.com/NokiaNigeria for it to count.

So quit your day jobs, get yourself a Nokia Asha 200, 201, 303 or 302 (available in different colours) and start playing.

Make sure you visit the Nokia Facebook page {facebook/NokiaNigeria.com} for all the updates about ‘Danfo Reloaded” and also check the scoreboard to keep track of how much better you have to play to beat the highest score.''