Boko Haram 'commander' declares ceasefire

Add caption

A purported commander of Boko Haram, the armed Nigerian group, has declared a unilateral ceasefire with the government.
Sheik Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, a man local security sources say is a Boko Haram member, sent a statement to journalists in the city of Maiduguri on Monday, saying the truce was made "following a series of meetings with government officials".
It said he had "the consent and approval of our leader Abubakar Shekau and I call on all members to stop hostilities".
It is unclear if Abdulazeez really is speaking on behalf of Shekau or whether he represents a rival faction of the group, which says it is fighting Western influence and wants to impose Islamic law in parts of Nigeria.
Abdulazeez twice made statements last year saying the group was ready for peace talks with the government.
Attacks unabated
Boko Haram, whose attacks have left hundreds dead since it launched an uprising in 2009 to try to carve an Islamic state out of Nigeria, has continued its attacks unabated.
The latest statement is likely to be greeted with scepticism.
The statement came through the usual channels Boko Haram have used to deliver messages; through the Borno state journalists union. It was signed by Abdulazeez who also called to confirm it, union members said.
Shekau denied claims by the government that behind-the-scenes peace talks were being held in October last year, but he has remained silent since Abdulazeez made contact with press in November.
"We have adopted this measure as a result of the hardship women and children are subjected to, and I urge all members to abide by this directive," Abdulazeez's statement said.
"I urge law enforcement agencies to reciprocate this good gesture."
Northern Nigeria's conflict has killed around 3,000 people since late 2009, according to Human Rights Watch, the US-based rights group.

A Popular Nollywood Actress R*ped In Asaba

Add caption

This is about an ebony-black actress who recently breezed into Asaba ,the Delta State capital from Lagos for some roles and how she was raped.She was going to act in a flick about to be shot and walked into a party being thrown by a colleague  in the make-believe industry for his birthday.
The popular actress from the South-East,said to have been in and out of several marriages,being a party freak and one addicted to Alcohol and Cigarette gently checked into a hotel,dropped her luggage and quickly hopped into the party arena.
She,as a star,was hailed and welcomed by almost all present as she stepped in with style.No sooner had she come in that she started in her usual style to start “Condemning” bottles of beer and burning cigarettes.
The spirit was high and made higher and higher by the avant-garde music,later vibes issuing out from the mounted speakers.Like one who doesn’t know how to drink but loves drinking,she got drunk and managed to stagger to her hotel room,where she laid sprawled in the bed without remembering to lock her door with the key.
A waka pass up-coming actor who was at the party too canvassing for roles and trying to locate the room allocated to him and 3 other boys mistakenly opened the room and the popular actress was lying spread eagled.What greeted his eyes was something he could not resist.
Gently,it was gathered,he went in locked the door and settled for the actress with inviting voluptuous curves.
The joy of having it off with an actress,super one at that,an actress he never knew if he was even qualified to touch her pants.
The boy,with un-staggering determination went in and had it off roughly with the actress,whom we are told was exquisitely groaning as the rough drivers of an up-coming actor rammed into her groove.She woke up much more later to discover that a great battle had been fought in her”forested groove”,by some unknown soldiers and her door,not locked.
It is now talk of the town,as the boys still basking in the euphoria of catching a big fish.

Mainstreet Bank MD Predicts Stable Money Market Rates

27 Jan 2013

Add caption

Mainstreet Bank MD, Faith Tuedor-Matthews

By Festus Akanbi

A combination of the current liquidity in the system and the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee to retain the Monetary Policy Rate at 12 percent at its last week’s meeting is bound to usher in a regime of stable money market rates, Group Managing Director, Mainstreet Bank, Faith Tuedor-Matthews has said.

Responding to THISDAY enquiries on the implications of the decision of the apex bank to maintain a tight grip on the rates, Tuedor-Matthews said on Friday “Money market rates are expected to remain stable (up until the next MPC meeting of March 18thand 19th when  MPR might likely be reduced) and will continue to reflect system liquidity and trend between a band of +/-250bps around the MPR.”

Similarly, the MBL chief said market rates for 90-365 day deposits are expected to fall in anticipation of March 2013 MPC decisions; a flattening of the yield curve.

She also expected an increase in secondary market activities in the bond market as we approach March 2013 when Barclays will include Nigerian bonds in its Emerging Market Bond Index; with southwards movement in bond yields and northward price movements.

According to her, “Most analysts expect relative stability in the FX markets (WDAS, autonomous, BDCs and parallel) as accretion to Nigeria’s external reserves remains stable at the back of further foreign exchange inflows to buy Nigeria’s fixed income securities and shares.”

Tuedor-Matthews also said a further decline in inflation rate is being envisaged with some analysts predicting a single digit inflation figure by end of Q1, 2013.

Saying banks have every cause to take higher risk by giving audience to the private sector, the MBL chief said, “Ultimately, risk averse banks that invested a large chunk of their liquidity in relatively high yielding, but safe, fixed income securities in 2012 would have to have a rethink in 2013 as the emerging low interest rate scenario would pressurise them to take higher risk by advancing credits to the real sector of the Nigerian economy to sustain, and perhaps improve, on their profitability level.

How The Federal Government, State Governments Shared N8.8 Trillion In 2012

Add caption

It has been revealed that a total of N8.8 trillion accrued to the three tiers of government from the Federation Account between January and December 2012 from the statutory and VAT allocations. This is according to a report by an authoritative online medium, Economic Confidential magazine.

This amount excludes other allocations such as derivation (for oil-producing states), excess crude account, domestic crude account, subsidy reinvestment programme (SURE-P), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation refund and foreign exchange differentials.

The statistics provided by the medium showed that South-South states received the highest allocations, with Akwa-Ibom receiving N217,776,188,886.07, followed by Rivers State which received N177,488,261,117.17. Bayelsa State got N115,743,144,031.67; Delta State got a total of N156,052,071,645.19, while Edo State got N68,169,040,433.24. Cross River State N63,894,575,941.74

In the Southwest, Lagos State got a total of N168,688,367,207.00 (the highest in the region), followed by Oyo State, which received a total of N93,524,683,879.60. Other states in the region: Ondo, got N78,416,358,272.47 (apart from 13 per cent derivation funds); Osun, N72,200,789,928.64; Ogun, N68,975,959,765.69 and Ekiti, N50,303,046,508.

In the North-Central, Niger State got the highest, with a total allocation of N79,747,942,955.64, followed by Benue State, which got N74,603,841,100.92. Plateau got a total of N59,990,295,696.88; Kogi N70,564,808,263.64; Kwara N52,393,463,610.54 and Nassarawa, N49,262,377,875.93; FCT, N19,130,584,542.15.

Allocations to the five South-East states are as follows: Abia, N63,964,695,387.15; Anambra, N71,968,922,762.11; Enugu, N62,548,484,175.02; Ebonyi, N45,335,956,658.49 and Imo N77,410,109,305.85.

In Northwest, Sokoto State received N74,313,032,890.28; Kebbi, N63,796,638,658.10; Kaduna, N81,046,716,051.44; Kano, N130,005,314,633.13; Katsina, N96,823,335,677.90; Zamfara, N58,718,959,085.4 and Jigawa N81,595,023,492.97.

Borno State in the Northeast received N86,937,123,465.06; Taraba State, N64,934,346,702.87; Yobe, N63,558,436,853.11; Adamawa, N69,270,963,933.11; Bauch, N78,754,834,467.25 and Gombe, N48,750,924,392.47.

The Federal Government got a whopping N2,430,374,155,844.59. Although the figures include allocations to the 774 local governments, they were not separated from those of the states because a common practice in almost all the states is the lack of fiscal freedom for the councils. “The states help the local governments to spend their money” was how a financial analyst put it during the week. The online medium also noted that the disparity in the allocations to the states came as a result of the indices developed by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), upon which the monthly disbursements are made by the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) chaired by the Minister of State for Finance. The indices include population, land mass, derivation, equality, internally generated revenue and other social development factors like school enrollment, hospital beds and road networks.Source:Owili Godgift.

Australian Scientists Finds Cure For AIDS

Add caption

Scientists have discovered a breakthrough that could produce a potential cure for AIDS.

Professionals from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Australia have reportedly found a way to modify the protein in HIV that protects against infection instead of replicate it, according to Associate Professor David Harrich.

“I consider that this is fighting fire with fire,” Harrich tells Australia’s ABC News. “What we’ve actually done is taken a normal virus protein that the virus needs to grow, and we’ve changed this protein, so that instead of assisting the virus, it actually impedes virus replication and does it quite strongly.”

He says that it cannot cure the virus but has protected human cells from AIDS in the lab. It would help maintain a healthy immune system in patients that can handle normal infections.

If clinical trials are successful, one round of therapy may be enough to eliminate the other alternative methods in use.

“Drug therapy targets individual enzymes or proteins and they have one drug, one protein,” Associate Professor Harrich said. “They have to take two or three drugs, so this would be a single agent that essentially has the same effect. So in that respect, this is a world-first agent that’s able to stop HIV with a single agent at multiple steps of the virus lifecycle.”

Floods displace 70,000 and kill 36 in Mozambique

By Etertainment world.

Many thousands are in temporary shelters in Mozambique's Gaza province butmany others appear to be without any shelter and aid at all.

At least 36 people have died and nearly 70,000 have been displaced because of flooding in Mozambique, the UN says.

The number of people affected by the flooding could reach 100,000 as flood waters continue to rise in the coastal city of Xai-Xai, the UN added.
The UN said it would appeal to its donors for additional funds to deal with the emergency.
Days of torrential rains across the south-east of Africa have caused sea levels to rise to dangerous levels.
Neighbouring South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana have also been hit by severe flooding.
Eating grasshoppers The United Nations in Mozambique said in a statement that 36 people had died so far across the country - 26 of them in the worst hit province, Gaza, in the south.
Some 65,000 people in Gaza alone had been affected by the floods, with nearly 50,000 seeking refuge in six temporary shelters in the worst-hit districts of Chokwe and Guija.
Overall, nearly 85,000 people have been affected by the floods and 67,995 have been temporarily displaced, the UN said.
"Together with government, we are rushing in clean water, food, shelter, and humanitarian supplies to Gaza Province, and are ready to send more as needs become clearer," Jennifer Topping, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Mozambique, said.
The UN has staff on the ground in the worst-affected areas where food distribution has begun, and is setting up water supply structures, but Ms Topping said that: "We will be appealing to our donors to make additional funds available immediately to help deal with this emergency."
But it appears that aid has not yet reached many of the displaced. An AFP reporter in Gaza saw tens of thousands of people camping out at roadsides, some forced to eat grasshoppers to survive.
And officials are warning of a looming disaster in the city of Xai-Xai, with waters as high as eight metres (26 ft) expected to hit.
Severe flooding in Xai-Xai would sever the main road connection between the north and south of the country, the AFP reports.
Floodwaters in South Africa have claimed several lives and left hundreds stranded after the Limpopo river burst its banks on Monday.
A crocodile farm in the far north of South Africa was forced to open its gates because of the flooding, letting loose some 15,000 crocodiles - only a few thousand of whom have so far been found.please leave a comment.

Technically Speaking:mobility

Dude, you’re getting some money as you expected!  Well, that’s not exactly what the slogan was, and I’m probably dating myself a little here, but I can very well remember the television and print ads that ran in the early part of the new millennium advertising the Dell computer.  It was a huge success for the company that was selling PCs at a slightly higher price point from their competition.  People flocked to the brand because they were known for their quality, and now with their marketing campaign they were cool, something only Apple had enjoyed.

Fast forward 10 – 12 years and it’s all about mobility.  Apple is king in the market of mobility with the iPad, and Amazon in second place with the Kindle, Samsung rounding out the top 3.  Dell has been trying to play catch up for quite some time.  PC makers have been seeing their sales dropping in the consumer market and now in the corporate market.  In an effort to be more competitive Dell has been trying to make their PCs and laptops cheaper to compete with HP and Lenovo.  HP holds the top spot for the laptop market right now, but everyone knows that mobile computing is where it’s at.  Tablets may replace a conventional laptop for some users, and I’ll tell you, the ones to watch are the convertibles with the detachable screen and the pens.  These are laptops that convert to tablets and then back to laptops by detaching the screen.  The ones that have the initiative pen are the ones to really watch because the pen acts like a mouse.  You can write on the screen, drag and drop, and even click with the touch of the pen.  Dell actually has some very nice offerings in this area coming out soon. All of the new convertibles and tablets that look really useful are running Windows 8.  So, what’s the problem?  Well, Dell needs time to market the new devices and to get them to market, what’s a PC maker to do?

Along comes Microsoft like a knight in shining armor.  Because the new devices being offered by Dell (XPS 10 and XPS 12) are running Windows 8, Microsoft has a real vested interest in making sure that Dell does well and that the company is successful.  Now, we’ve talked about the Microsoft Surface here, and yes, that would be competition for Microsoft, but they’re much more concerned that Windows 8 does well than they are about some healthy competition from Dell.  So, the Microsoft rumor mill is turning and there are report that the software giant could be pumping as much as $3 billion into Dell to ensure that it succeeds.  We’ll have to wait and see if Dell can play catch-up in the mobile market.

Ironically, when I was thinking of the title for this article, the “dude you’re getting a Dell” commercials from the 2000 – 2003 years were the first thing I thought of.  The irony came in when I was writing the post, on the news there was an announcement that Ben Curtis, who played the iconic “Dell Dude” in those commercials has actually asked Dell to bring him back to promote the new products.  Some of you may remember that the reason that Dell dropped the “dude” was because he was arrested for attempting to purchase marijuana in New York.  Well, it’s been a long time since then and Dell isn’t what it once was.  Come to think of it, neither is marijuana, Massachusetts has recently legalized the medicinal use of it, and Colorado has legalized all uses of the drug.  I’m sure some marketing genius is already hard at work fitting all of that together.Godgiftpriye@gmail.com

arking your cards: The DNA gun that can invisibly tag criminals for weeks after a rio Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2268038/DNA-gun-invisibly-tag-criminals.

t may look more like a high tech water pistol or something out of a sci-fi film than the latest weapon in the fight against crime.
But an innovative new tagging system using a gun and DNA pellets could make it easier for police to mark the cards of even the most volatile criminal.
Unlike a taser or gun that fires real bullets, the weapon won't hurt a suspect or render them incapacitated so that officers can pounce.
Scroll down for video

Latest gadget: UK-based company Selectamark has unveiled a new weapon in the fight against crime - a gun that fires DNA pellets to mark suspects for identification at a later date during volatile police situations

Instead, it will enable police to stay at a safe distance during trouble and identify criminals and arrest criminals days or even weeks after an incident.
The High Velocity DNA Tagging System, designed for use by police forces and the military by Kent-based firm Selectamark, fires small soft green pellets containing the transparent material at a target from as far away as 40 metres.
Each pellet, which weighs less than a gram and is effectively like a paintball, contains a unique DNA code which could remain on the target for weeks.

Nigerian militant jailed for life for Abuja car bombs

Former Niger Delta militant Edmund Ebiware was jailed for life on Friday after being found guilty of helping to plan two car bombs in Nigeria's capital Abuja in 2010.
The verdict comes four days after the suspected mastermind of the deadly attacks, Henry Okah, was found guilty in a South African court of conspiracy to commit terrorism and detonating explosives.
Ebiware was convicted of treason and terrorism after being accused of communicating with Okoh before the explosions that killed at least 10 people during Independence Day celebrations.
"It is my judgment that the prosecution ... has proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. The accused is hereby found guilty as charged," Justice Gabriel Kolawole told an Abuja court.
Ebiware will be entitled to parole after 32 years, subject to good conduct.
Okah denies he ever led the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). He moved to South Africa after Nigeria issued an amnesty for MEND members in 2009, lifting charges of gun-running and treason against him.
MEND's attacks on oilfields and pipelines across the swampy region that is home to Africa's biggest oil and gas industry cost Nigeria $1 billion a month in lost revenues at its peak, according to the central bank.
(Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Godgift.email:godgiftpriye@gmail.com)

Over 130 hurt in Egypt clashes

                                                                                                                    Protesters clashed with police across Egypt on Friday on the second anniversary of the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak, taking to the streets against the elected Islamist president who they accuse of betraying the revolution.
At least 91 civilians and 42 security personnel were hurt in violence across the country, officials said. Street battles erupted in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and Port Said, where the Muslim Brotherhood's political party offices were torched.
Thousands of opponents of President Mohamed Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood allies massed in Cairo's Tahrir Square — the cradle of the uprising against Mubarak — to revive the demands of a revolution they say has been hijacked by the Islamists.
The anniversary showcased the divide between the Islamists and their secular foes that hinders Morsi's efforts to revive an economy in crisis.

Man Utd Transfer News: Victor Valdes To Replace David De Gea?

Manchester United will replace David De Gea with an experienced international goalkeeper in the summer, and Sir Alex Ferguson has lined up Barcelona’s out of contract Victor Valdes,
Ferguson is becoming increasingly impatient with de Gea after a string of high profile blunders such as failing to deal with Steven Gerrard’s shot in the build-up to Liverpool’s goal at Old Trafford two weeks ago coupled with his inability to deal with the cross which lead to Tottenham’s 90th minute equaliser at the weekend. And the decision by Victor Valdes to reject a new contract at the Nou Camp has alerted Ferguson to the 31-year old experienced shot stopper.

Both Barcelona and Real Madrid are monitoring de Gea’s situation at Old Trafford, due to the persistent rumours suggesting the Spaniard is unhappy with life in Manchester. With his pop star girlfriend Edurne Garcia Almagro living in Madrid, it seems a move to the Spanish capital would appeal to the young keeper.
Both Ferguson and United’s goalkeeping coach, Eric Steele believe de Gea has the potential to be one of the world’s best, but is more likely to thrive in a less physical environment outside of the Premier League, after seeing him flap at a number of crosses recently.
They have also not ruled out the possibility of signing Iker Cassilas of Real Madrid or Stoke City’s Asmir Begovic.
What do you think of this news? Should De Gea be given more chance to prove himself? Would Valdes make a good addition to the squad? Share your thoughts below.

Keshi explains Victor Moses' absence - News - Kick Off

Keshi explains Victor Moses' absence - News - Kick Off

Theo Walcott urges on team-mates as he reveals he only.......

Forward urges Gunners to show more belief and commitment in fight for top four finish

AFTER finally signing a new contract with Arsenal, Theo Walcott has taken on the role of Gunners cheerleader and urged his team-mates to show more commitment and belief as they battle to break into the top four of the Premier League.
The forward has also spoken about the pressure he was under during his contract stand-off with Arsenal, which began when he turned down a new offer from the club in August and only ended when he agreed a new deal, worth £100,000-a-week, last Friday.
He admitted that the speculation about his future took its toll on his friends and family, who were worried about how it would affect him. "I'm so happy it's sorted," he said.

But the episode did not have an adverse affect on his performances. "Walcott actually produced some of the best form of his career amid the uncertainty and, with his 24th birthday soon approaching, he believes that he has demonstrated his growing maturity both as a player and a person," reports the Daily Telegraph.
He could even be developing into the sort of leader that Arsenal lack, if his comments about the team are anything to go by.
"We need to start realising how good we are," said the England international. "We showed some great stuff in the second half at Chelsea but it's time we did that from the start on.
"We've got some very, very good players here," he said. "I think some players don't believe they are good enough at times. But, trust me, I see them every day in training and they should believe that."
The stakes are high for Arsenal, who need to finish in the top four if they are to qualify for the Champions League. "Selling Robin van Persie to Manchester United brought in £24 million, but missing out on Champions League football next season could cost the club £35 million," notes The Times.
And Walcott admitted that one of the reasons he signed a new contract was the prospect of playing in Europe. "I feel we can and should be there," he said.

Banks in Kano Shut down over Bomb Scare , Articles | THISDAY LIVE

Banks in Kano Shut down over Bomb Scare , Articles | THISDAY LIVE

Ferrer, Li Na Advance to Aussie Open Semis, Articles | THISDAY LIVE

Ferrer, Li Na Advance to Aussie Open Semis, Articles | THISDAY LIVE

Entertainment World