Access Point Network Blog: January 2014

Tuesday, 28 January 2014

Anti-gay bill: US threatens to sanction Nigeria

The US has threatened to sanction Nigeria
following President Jonathan’s signing of the
Same-Sex Prohibition Act 2014. The world power
is threatening to scale down its support for HIV/
AIDS and anti-malaria programmes in Nigeria.
This was made known yesterday Jan. 20th by
James Entwistle, the US Ambassador to Nigeria.
Mr Entwistle said he was worried about "the
implications of the anti-same sex marriage law
which seems to restrict the fundamental rights of a
section of the Nigerian population.”
"The issue of same-sex marriage was very
controversial all over the world, including
within the United States where 17 states out
of 50 had endorsed it, but others still reject
its legality. The issue that we see and I am
speaking as a friend of Nigeria is that as I
read the bill, it looks to me that it puts
significant restrictions on the freedoms of
assembly and expression; in my opinion
which applies especially in advanced
democracies, once government begins to
say something in these areas, freedom no
longer applies. It seems to me that this is a
very worrisome precedent.”

Lagos State Government seek to ban smoking in public places

The Lagos State House of Assembly on
January 20th passed a bill seeking to make
smoking in public places illegal in the state, with
first offenders having options of paying a fine of
N10,000, three months in jail or both. The bill
which is waiting the approval of Gov. Fashola to be
signed into law prohibits residents from smoking
in places such as libraries, museum, public toilets,
schools, hospital, day-care centres, public
transportation, restaurants among others.
Lagos residents who break this new law
repeatedly would either be sent to prison for 6
months or pay a fine of N50,000, while owners of
public places who encourage the breaking of this
law would pay a fine of N100,000 or be sent to jail
for six months.
The bill also seeks to punish anyone who smokes
in front of a child with a fine of N15,000 or six
months imprisonment. The bill also directs
corporate organizations to place the 'No Smoking'
sign in their premises. Companies who default
would pay a fine of N250,000.
The Bill when passed into law would be
supervised by the Lagos Environmental Protection
Agency.

Geneveive Nnaji signs N100million deal with Etisalat

She's the new face of Easy Flex, one of the
packages from telecoms giant, Etisalat. She was
unveiled this evening at Wheat baker Hotel in Ikoyi.
She joins actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim as one of the
Easy Flex ambassadors. New Easy Flex campaigns
will feature her.Reports claim that the deal is worth
N100million.

"Nigeria will start exporting cars soon" - President Jonathan

President Jonathan said with the new National
Automotive Industry Policy introduced by his
administration, the country will soon be exporting
cars to other countries. He said this while
speaking with a delegation of business owners
from Anambra State led by the State governor,
Peter Obi, who paid him a courtesy visit at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja.
"If any country will be great, we must
industrialise. If Nigeria must be a great
country, we must industrialise. To this end,
we will continue to encourage industrialists
in Anambra. We are totally committed to
creating jobs. Nigeria is a country with huge
population of youths. If jobs are not created,
there will be crisis. The housing, agriculture
and power sectors are also receiving
attention. In the next few years, Nigeria will
begin to export cars to other countries. We
are encouraging government to support local
manufacturers”President Jonathan said.
The National Automotive Policy seeks to address
the issue of low-grade cars being dumped in
Nigeria as well as create mass employment and
increase human capacity in automotive
technology.

Former soccer star David Beckham has reportedly
gifted his two-year-old daughter Harper a 600,000
pounds heart for her room.
The painting which was done by the 38-year-old
star’s artist friend Damien Hirst, will be hung in
Harper’s nursery at the family’s new 40 million
pounds mansion in west London.
“The removal firm was extra careful with the
Damien Hirst painting. It was packaged up, but no
one wanted to drop it and but a hole in such a
valuable work of art. Harper is a lucky girl having
such an expensive painting hanging in her room,” a
source said.

It’s no secret that popular musician, Davido’s
father is a wealthy man and this could be the
reason he calls himself the ‘Omo Baba Olowo.
One of Nigeria’s famous musician, D’banj was
spotted hanging out with Davido’s super rich dad,
Chief Adeleke.
Alsopictured is Davido and his manager, Kamal.

Portugal international, Cristiano Ronaldo, CR7 has
won the 2013 World Footballer of the Year Award.
Ronaldo, who was emotional while receiving the
award, said it was a very difficult feat to achieve.
Ronaldo said:
“First of all I have to say a great thanks to all of my
team-mates with the club and the national team.
Without all of their efforts this would not have been
possible. I am very happy, it is very difficult to win
this award.
“Everybody that has been involved with me on a
personal level I have to thank. My wife, my friends,
my son. It is a tremendously emotional moment. All
I can say is thank you to everybody that has been
involved.”

Omotola Reveals the Origin of Her Nickname, ‘Omosexy’

Gorgeous Omotola has been widely known with the
name for a number of years now.
The actress, who was listed as 1 of the 100
powerful persons in the world by The TIME
magazine, revealed in her latest interview to CNN
that it was her husband, Capt Mathew Ekeinde, not
her fans, who gave her that popular nickname.
“Funnily, it was my husband that gave me the
name. That name is the pet name he calls
me at home,” she said.
Omotola is one of the sexiest stars in Nollywood.
She has four grown up children. Many budding
stars see her as their role model.

Iyanya Mbuk has revealed why Nigerian
entertainers love living fake lives, living beyond
what they can actually afford.
In a recent interview with Encomium magazine, the
kukere crooner said “Music is very expensive.
Most of them make money and it’s hard to put it
back in the same thing. Your next money is not
guaranteed because there are lots of artistes.
If you say you wouldn’t do show A, they can take
artiste B for that show. It doesn’t mean that
because you have a hit song, you would be
performing at all shows. It doesn’t work like that.
So, some of these guys, it’s hard for them. It’s
hard for them to follow up. Follow up is the hardest
thing to do. Many artistes make a hit but the
money they make from that hit is not even enough
for them to support or sponsor the next video. So
don’t blame them’.
Speaking further on the issue, he said “yes, let me
give you an instance. I had a show here in Lagos, I
was in Dubai. They made a mistake and booked
my flight for Monday and the show was on Sunday.
We rushed to the Airport; they said no that my
ticket was for the next day. After much pleading
and explaining that I had a show that night in
Lagos, they said alright, I could board but not
business class since it wasn’t my flight. I had to
fly economy class with my business class ticket.
Sitting down there, people around were staring at
me like “what are you doing here”. A woman even
walked up to me and said “Iyanya, you no suppose
dey here now, na the other side you suppose dey”.
What came to my mind next was that I can’t just
decide to fly economy today, it will become a gist. I
have to work hard, I have to make money, to live
up to your expectations. It’s not like I’ m living my
life for you, but it’s the life I chose. So, I have to
follow it.”

Experts seek standards in health care delivery

Managing Director of Pathcare Laboratories, Dr.
Pamela Ajayi, has said that efficient and reliable
laboratory services and networks are fundamental
components of effective health care systems.
Delivering a paper entitled, “Meeting International
Standards in Laboratory Services” at a symposium
of the Health Writers Association of Nigeria held in
Lagos, Ajayi said high-quality laboratory testing
was critical for patient care, prevention, disease
surveillance and outbreak investigations.
She noted that few laboratories in Africa (only 340)
are currently accredited, lamenting that the
majority of the accredited laboratories are in South
Africa, while only 28(8.2 per cent) are in sub-
Saharan Africa.
“In Nigeria, Pathcare remains the only laboratory
with ISO 15189 accreditation, in addition to SANAS
accreditation,” Ajayi said.
In her speech, the Project Director of Colostrum
International, Dr. Bunmi Ogundimu, called on the
Federal Government to establish a breast milk
bank, so that working mothers could bank their
breast milk and at intervals, visit the place to get
milk for their babies.
She also advised the government to establish
crèches at work places so that working mothers
could visit the crèches and breastfeed their babies
during office hours.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees of HEWAN, Dr.
Emmanuel Enabulele, noted that the time for
Nigeria to meet international standards in health
care delivery is now in order “to reduce mortality
and morbidity, improve our health indices and
achieve the Millenium Development Goals.”

Chelsea confirms Matic signing

Chelsea confirmed Wednesday it has re-acquired
midfielder Nemanja Matic from Benfica.
The Blues were on the brink of agreeing a deal
worth €25m for the Serb on Monday after holding
talks with the Portuguese giants in Lisbon. Matic
travelled to London on Tuesday to undergo a
medical, and has now signed a five-and-a-half-
year contract at Stamford Bridge according to
Goal.com .
“I am very happy for this opportunity to be back at
this club,” Matic told the club’s official website. “I
feel very good because of that and just want to say
I will give my best to help the team and make the
Chelsea fans happy.”
The 26-year-old joined Chelsea for just €1.8m in
2009 but left two years later as part of the deal that
brought David Luiz to west London in January
2011.
Jose Mourinho has long considered a top-class
defensive midfielder his most urgent transfer
target, and with his physique, technical ability and
athleticism, Matic is believed to fit the bill perfectly.

Medical innovations to expect in 2014

expectations in 2014, BUKOLA ADEBAYO writes
Many breakthroughs in medicine occurred across
the world in 2013. It is therefore not out of place to
expect more in 2014. Indeed, scientists look
forward to providing more cures to the numerous
diseases and health challenges facing humanity.
The world is not just hopeful, it is also expectant.
As if to affirm this, already 2014 has been dubbed
the year of ‘discoveries’.
In fact, in 2013, scientists worked tirelessly to
seek cures to such diseases as cancer, HIV/AIDS,
malaria, diabetes, sickle cell anaemia and
tuberculosis.
While some clinical trials failed, many recorded
successes and progress. For example, last June
the world, especially Africans, jubilated when a
team of scientists at the Vaccine Research Centre,
National Institutes of Health, Maryland, United
States, found a vaccine, PfSPZ, to be effective in
preventing malaria – a disease that is endemic in
Africa.
According to the scientists, the vaccine could
protect 12 out of every 15 persons from getting
infected with malaria. The larger clinical trial for
this vaccine will begin this year.
No doubt, this finding is good news for Nigerians.
Should this vaccine see the light as promised, it
will result in the saving of more than 400,000 lives
in Nigeria. Statistics indicate that malaria affects
more than 3.3 million Nigerians and kills more than
300,000 children under the age of five yearly.
Again, no fewer than 7,000 pregnant Nigerian
women are at the mercy of the scourge annually.
Besides, other researchers have developed over
20 vaccines, which are still undergoing trial.
They are working hard to find a solution to this
disease that is ravaging Africans —the world is
waiting patiently for a malaria vaccine.
A cure for Leukemia (blood cancer)
Cancer is one killer disease that many people wish
never existed. However, the disease is here with
us. It is not a respecter of persons or age, having
killed and still killing thousands of people annually.
The December 2013 report by the World Health
Organisation states that the number of people
diagnosed with cancer each year has leaped to
more than 14 million.
The global body, which notes that the number of
people dying from cancer has increased from 7.6
million to 8.2 million, also predicts that cancer
cases will soar to more than 19 million by 2025.
Just as this record sent shivers down the spines
of many people, it also fired up scientists to
declare war against this disease that has evaded
cure and even management in many cases.
The report states, “There is an ‘urgent need’ for
progress to be made in the detection, diagnoses
and treatment of cancer to save many from dying,
especially those in developing nations.”
Blazing the trail this year, according to the New
England Journal of Medicine , are professors at the
University of Pennsylvania, who are at present
exploring a clinical trial for cure of leukaemia
(cancer of the blood).
The scientists say their findings may change the
treatment of cancer forever. They call the
treatment gene therapy. It allows a patient to turn
his/her blood cells into assassins that track and
destroy cancer cells in the body.
Although the treatment has been tested in three
patients, the study author and professor of
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the
University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Carl June, says the
treatment is highly effective.
June says, “We were surprised it worked as well
as it did. Two patients that were given the
treatment appeared to be cancer-free a year after
treatment, and the third patient still has some
cancer but is improved more than 80 per cent. It
worked great. We hope it will be effective as we
try on more cancer patients this year.”
June and his colleagues are taking the treatment
beyond three patients this year. For now, the only
treatment for leukemia is still bone marrow or
stem cell transplants. This treatment, when
approved, will bring succour to all who are at
present battling cancer of the blood or other forms
of this disease.
HIV/AIDS: Infant cure
Last year, a Nigerian scientist, Prof. Isaiah Ibeh,
and a team of Chinese scientists announced
controversial cures for Human Immunodeficiency
Virus infection / Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome, infections that have evaded cure in the
last three decades.
The Dean, School of Basic Medical Sciences,
University of Benin, who initially claimed that he
had found herbal cure for the virus later, recanted
his claims after much pressure from both the
university and other regulatory bodies in the
country.
However, doctors at the University of Mississippi
Medical Centre made history when they found a
functional cure for infant HIV in a three-year-old
baby last year.
The doctors gave the baby born from an affected
mother aggressive treatment to ensure that the
virus was cured.
Till date, the child popularly called Mississippi baby
is still HIV free.
This treatment, according to scientists at the clinic,
is going to be replicated in many infected mothers
and babies across the globe this year. The
researchers hope that the duplication of the clinical
trial in many countries, including Nigeria, will put
an end to infant HIV.
The outcome of the trial is of greater importance to
the country, as Nigeria leads the world in the
number of children contracting HIV.
The bionic eye
Also, scientists are working on a robotic
replacement for the eyes. They are exploring the
use of a retinal implant called bionic eyes in the
treatment of Retinitis pigmentosa, a group of
inherited eye diseases, that affects more than one
million people. The disease often results in
blindness by the age of 40.
Though the testing has been ongoing for 20 years,
the Food and Drugs Administration agency has
approved this surgical cure as an optional
treatment for the disease.
The treatment will help to restore partial vision to
people previously declared blind.
Many clinical trials on drugs and other treatments
that can cure or improve the management of
diseases, including sickle cell anaemia, diabetes,
hypertension, tuberculosis and infertility, which
were in the offing last year, are expected to
become successes this year.
However, whether some of these breakthroughs
will come from Africa or Nigeria is what remains to
be seen.
Stakeholders are calling on the Federal
Government to increase funding of its research
institutions to ensure that Nigerian scientists join
the train of medical breakthroughs this year.

Watch it, genotype is rocking many relationships

Many people who make hard choices in spite of
genotype are not finding things easy, JAYNE
AUGOYE writes
Chibudem and Nneoma Okafor (not real names)
were childhood sweethearts. Their love affair could
be described as one that was consummated in
heaven and only waiting to be dramatised on earth.
After a whirlwind romance that lasted nearly 22
years, the lovebirds decided it was time to take
things to the next level.
That decision would bring them to face their
biggest challenge yet:Results from their genotype
tests showed that they were both carriers of the
sickle cell type popularly known as AS.
Fully aware that their child had a 25 per cent
chance of being born with sickle cell anaemia,
since they are both AS, the lovers realised that
they might be headed for a quagmire.
Now faced with this heart-wrenching discovery,
they had to take a decision fast. With friends and
family mounting pressure on them by the day, they
were haunted by scary pictures of what might
befall them in future if they decided to get married.
By the way, the lovebirds live in Lagos, with one of
them being a top legal practitioner.
“My in-laws would narrate scary stories like that
of a close family friend of theirs who had seven
children but lost six of them to sickle cell disorder,
leaving them with just one child,” Okafor says.
“They gave us several other practical experiences
and examples, which they believe were more than
enough reasons why we should end the
relationship. But we kept seeing each other. When
we eventually insisted on getting married they had
no choice but to allow us to wed.”
Dashed hopes
The couple say they were encouraged by the fact
that the Sickle Cell Foundation, Lagos, had told
them that the non governmental organisation was
about to bring in an equipment that would enable
them diagnose the genotype of a foetus before
birth. The test is called prenatal diagnosis. As
cheering as the news sounded, they were
confronted with moral and religious burden of
aborting a foetus.
“We were told that we could terminate the
pregnancy if the baby turned out to be a ‘sickler’
and then keep trying till we get the desired choice.
We were quite encouraged that such technology
was coming in at that time.
“Sadly, we did not even try that option at the end of
the day because the centre did not bring in the
equipment. What they resorted to do was to take
the blood samples and then send them abroad. But
this was very expensive back then.”
A game of chance
Faced with the dampening news, they decided to
take their fate into their own hands. Good news:
the Okafors had their first child —a boy — within
the first year of marriage. He is an AS, as the term
goes.
The couple heaved a sigh of relief and then tried a
second time. This time around, they were in high
heavens, with the birth of their second child, also a
boy. It was joy unspeakable after the news was
broken to them.
“We did a test on the baby and were told he was
AA. We were very happy and even gave a
testimony in church. We considered ourselves
very lucky. But he took ill when he was about two
years and we took him to the hospital.
“Within six months after he was discharged, he
was ill again. Most times, he was always having
this reoccurring temperature. A doctor friend, who
suspected that my son must be SS, advised that
we take him to a federal hospital to do a genotype
test,” the man notes.
And then, their greatest nightmare was confirmed.
He is, indeed, a sickler, meaning that the poor boy
had been initially wrongly diagnosed. He says it
was then it dawned on them that we were in for a
challenge. Thankfully, their son never suffered any
crisis up until 2013, when he was about six years
old.
At this point, Okafor fights hard to stop the tears
flowing endlessly, as he narrates his rather painful
experience to our correspondent.
“His mom woke him up to urinate and he did that
freely, but when he tried on his own some minutes
later, he could not. We had to rush him to the
hospital because he could neither defecate nor
urinate. He stayed in the hospital for one month,”
he recalls.
But as emotional as his narration might read,
Okafor says he has no regrets, as he looks on the
sunny side of life.
Wrong diagnosis
If you consider Okafor’s story as being very tough,
wait till you read Soji’s. His is akin to suffering due
to no fault of his. As a young chap, he says, he had
always been aware of the complexities of genotype
and how it affects the future of any individual.
Armed with such useful information, coupled with
the fact that he was a sickle cell carrier, (AS), he
throd carefully when it came to matters of the
heart.
It was with a joyful heart that Soji spared no
thought in taking Tricia as his wife; after all, she
was AA.
It was an enviable union which was blessed with a
beautiful daughter in no time. But after they
welcomed their second daughter, things fell apart.
“My daughter was always falling ill when she was
less than six months. As first, we thought it was
just childhood fever. But we were in for a shock
after the doctor asked us to carry out a genotype
test.
“It turned out that my innocent daughter was SS. I
went mad and had reasons to doubt the paternity
of the child since my wife was supposed to be AA,”
he says.
After a lot of investigations, the couple discovered
that his wife had been wrongly diagnosed to be AA
when she was, in fact, AS.
“My wife was told that she was AA at a lab where
she had carried out a genotype test shortly before
we got married. She was made to repeat the test
three times at three different reputable hospitals
and the results still read AS. Then, it dawned on us
that she is, indeed, a carrier of the sickle cell
gene.”
While Soji has since accepted the situation as his
fate, he says the price that the wrong diagnosis
has cost his marriage is one he would have to pay
all the days of his life.
Hear him, “Any time I look at my daughter in crisis,
my heart breaks, because I feel it could have been
avoided if not for sheer negligence on the part of
someone. Sometimes, I blame myself because I
was too aware of the challenges of raising an SS to
have fallen victim myself.”
His daughter turned 10 last year. For now, Soji
notes, he is learning to come to terms with the
reality at hand by the day.
“This scenario is quite common,” says Ebenezer
Adeleye, who is the programme co-coordinator at
the Sickle Cell Foundation, Nigeria. According to
him, the centre always meets with couples or
individuals with such predicament every week.
“Wrong diagnosis of genotype is very rampant in
Nigeria because most of the
laboratories ,especially the roadside ones, are not
well equipped to carry out this test.We see
instances such as this all the time. The only way
out is to train the laboratory staff,” he reveals.
Thwarted by nature
“I have dated a guy for almost seven years. We
were lovers back in the university but the thing is
we cannot get married. At the same time, we have
refused to let go of each other.”
Jacqueline’s predicament, as captured above, is
one that many lovers with a similar fate can relate
to. The lines on her face say it all. They move in
accordance with her mouth as she speaks.
She is, without a doubt an unhappy lady. Although
she turns 37 this year, the dark-skinned lady tells
our correspondent that her experiences with men
can rival that of a 45-year-old.
“I think I am simply unlucky. All the guys I could
have considered dating are also AS while the un-
serious ones are AA. I have decided to stick with
Shola, even though I know there is almost no
future between the two of us. After all, the devil
you know is better than the friend you don’t know.”
She currently lives a life of uncertainty—unsure of
what the future holds. But before this
correspondent could sermonise that hers is not a
helpless condition, she interjects, “What difference
does it make whether or not I am an SS?
“What sort of condition gives a human being
stringent conditions that cost him or her happiness.
My sister, I am not happy at all.”
She narrates her experience, continually struggling
to try to conceal a stream of tears. Yet, in the
attempt, her voice betrays her. Hers is the typical
love story that has been thwarted by incompatible
genotype.
Narrow escape
Susan had to call off her wedding exactly three
days to the set date. With invitations already sent
out and preparations in full-swing, the investment
banker says as tough as the decision was for her
at the time, it is worth it, at the end of the day.
Though now married with a child, Susan says she
suffered a lot of humiliation from close friends and
family.
“Some people thought I was mad to have called off
‘the long awaited marriage’ since I wasn’t getting
any younger. She was in her late 30s at the time.
But when I explained to them that I couldn’t stand
to raise a sickler as a child, they were
unconvinced.
I couldn’t afford to make such a grave mistake
after losing a close friend to sickle cell disorder,”
she explains.
She adds that though she regrets not carrying out
the genotype test early enough owing to a myriad
of issues, it remains a wise decision.
“My fiancée and I were really in love back then,
but we never took the genotype issue seriously.
After our church asked us to do the tests, I wasn’t
bothered because I was AS and my lover said he
was sure he was AA. He said all his siblings were
AA. But when the results came out, he turned out
to be AS. I almost went ahead with the marriage,
but when I remembered my friend who passed
away at 27 and never got to live a beautiful life, I
took the decision, maybe in her honour,” she
narrates.
Although she has since moved on with her life, she
adds that her ex-lover is still single.
What clerics say
Based on what some clerics say, the Islamic faith
believes in the efficacy of prayers in any given
situation. As a result, imams do not dabble much in
medical compartibility of the partners involved.
One of them, Malam Mustapha Abdur-Rahman,
says “The Imam who would conduct the Nikkai has
no business with the genotype of the couple. He
will join them as man and wife, but the couple will
need spiritual prayers to guard against any
problem in the future.
In the recent past, many couples who planned to
wed but were not genetically compatible chose not
to wed in their places of worship for fear that their
requests might be turned down.
This trend appears to be a thing of the past, as a
number of religious bodies do not have stringent
rules in this regard. In fact, religious leaders who
spoke with this correspondent say the couples
have the final say, as all they do is to simply
counsel them on the challenges ahead.
Rev. Chidube O.P, of Dominican House, Mafoluku,
Lagos, says, “AS or SS is not one of the factors
that can determine a marriage valid or invalid. It is
about people understanding the challenge before
them.
“It is only when they do not know, perhaps due to
the fact that either of them conceals his or her
status, that there may be a problem. The Catholic
Church marries them as long as they know what it
entails.”
Adeleye of the Sickle Cell Foundation, also thinks in
the same line. “When people decide to fall in love
or get married, the issue of genotype is always the
last thing on their mind. There are other
considerations that go into it. So, when they get to
know their genotype, it is very difficult to call it off
and that is why that test is important. But, we
believe that such discovery should not break a
beautiful relationship.”
In the Anglican Church of Nigerian, the stance is
not any different. The Diocesan Adviser on Public
Relations, Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican Church,
Mr. Tunji Oguntuase, explains that the church does
not dwell so much on the medical condition of
couples-to-be.
He says, “We do not ask them to bring any medical
certificates or anything like that. If God has called
the two of them together, they can come for
counseling and then fix a wedding date.
“At the same time, we advise the couple to check
out their status, if they choose, but it is not
mandatory for us in the Anglican Church. Although
not a rule, they are advised to go for it during
counseling. And if they realise that they are not
compatible, we advise them and if their faith can
carry them, we go ahead and wed them.”
Pastor Femi Dada-Richards, a zonal pastor in the
Redeemed Christian Church of God, adds that the
men of God often advise the affected couple to call
off the relationship before they fall neck-deep in
love.
He explains, “In a situation where they have gone
far in the affair and there is nothing you can do, all
we do is have faith and pray for them. But the
major thing we advise is for them to part ways
once they discover instead of binding and loosing.”
Having learnt the hard way, Okafor talks tough. “I
advise people whose genotype is incompatible not
to get married. I feel sickle cell anaemia is an
unnecessary burden that can be eradicated with
proper enlightenment. In fact, the government
should give penalties for such couples who go
ahead to tie the knot so as to discourage others
from taking the terrible risk.”
Sickle cell disorder
The World Health Organisation lists Nigeria as the
country with one of the highest numbers of children
with the sickle cell disorder. It states that 150,000
children are born with sickle cell anaemia each
year.
Of 1,000 live births in the country, 20 infants have
the disease, while more than 40 million Nigerians
are healthy carriers of the sickle cell gene. There
are three major types of genotype namely AA
(normal), SS (sickler) and AS (carrier). Others are
SC and CC.
According to experts, if only one of the partners
has sickle cell trait (AS), their child cannot be born
with sickle cell anaemia (SS). But there is a 50 per
cent chance that the child will be born with sickle
cell trait (AS).If one parent has the sickle cell
disease (SS) and one parent has sickle cell trait
(AS), there is a 50 per cent chance that their
children will be born with sickle cell disorder (SS).
Doctors therefore advise intending couples to
know their genotypes and forgo relationships that
can lead to the birth of a child with this painful
disorder.
Again Adeleye says, “People call off marriage
because they are not well informed. A lot of them
are scared and not well-informed so they can’t
make informed decision. We (Sickle Cell Centre)
don’t try to steer them into any direction we only
inform them of the likely things they may face and
the best ways to ameliorate the future problems.”
While very little or no information is publicly known
about the sex with the highest prevalence in
Nigeria, Dr. Rotimi Adesanya, a child and public
health physician with St. Ives Specialist Hospital,
Ikeja, Lagos, says the male folk appear to be more
affected.
“Several studies conducted in the different
centres, mostly the teaching hospitals, in the
country, have shown a prevalence of HBSS male —
female.The ratio is averagely 1.2 to 1.This means
that for every six male with HBSS, there are five
female with the disease.
Folic acid for life
Having a child with the sickle cell disorder involves
significant sacrifices physically, emotionally and
financially. It remains a daunting task to the
parents, irrespective of their financial standing.
Okafor corroborates this assertion, saying, “We
run a mini pharmacy in my house and I spend as
much as N25, 000 to N30,000 on drugs alone in a
month. One of the major drugs, NICOSAN, whose
production was stopped in 2008 after the company,
Xechem International, was declared bankrupt, used
to sell for about N20, 000.”
Dr. Adesanya also lists recurrent pain caused by
sickle cell disorder, low blood level, persistent
fever, as well as the hand and foot syndrome as
some of the conditions associated with sickle cell.
According to him, children with sickle cell anaemia
may begin taking the antibiotic penicillin when they
are about two months of age and continue taking it
daily until they are five years old. They should be
given anti-malaria drugs from time to time to avoid
crises for life. The child must also take folic acid
daily for life.
Ray of hope
The good news is that there is actually a cure for
sickle cell, after all. It is called the Bone Marrow
Transplant. According to Dr. Adesanya , through
the process, the genotype will change from HBSS
to HBAA or simply put from SS to AA.
On September 29, 2011, the University of Benin
Teaching Hospital, Benin, Edo State, recorded the
first successful bone marrow transplant in Nigeria
by transmuting young Matthew Ndik, from HBSS
genotype to HBAA genotype, using stem cells
donated by his 14-year-old elder brother.
The feat was also repeated on yet another patient
at the institution in 2013.
Okafor, who says he is considering the option
abroad, argues that it is still rather expensive.
He says, “There is a facility in Italy where you can
do the bone marrow transplant for about N15m.
There is an institution over there in Italy that also
gives discount to children. The hospital pays half of
the price of the procedure, while the parents or
patient bear the other half of the cost. However,
you have to use the marrow of a sibling of the
carrier and it has to be a younger person.”

Nigeria invites UN secretary to centenary celebration

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on
Thursday received a letter of invitation from
President Goodluck Jonathan to attend activities
marking the nation’s centenary scheduled for
February 27.
The UN Correspondent of the News Agency of
Nigeria reports that the UN Deputy Secretary-
General, Jan Eliasson, received the invitation on
behalf of Ban who was in Kuwait for a fund raising
conference to support the Syrian people.
However, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Amb. Martin Uhomoibhi, delivered
the invitation also accompanied by Nigeria’s
Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Joy
Ogwu and the Deputy Permanent Representative to
the UN, Amb. Usman Sarki.
Speaking with reporters, Uhomoibhi described the
letter as “a very special letter from Mr. President,
inviting the UN Secretary-General to do all he can
to be present at the centenary celebration.
“There is a role for the Secretary-General’s office
to deliver a goodwill message for Nigerians.
“The letter also contained a concept paper
describing in very meticulous detail the importance
which Nigeria ascribes to the celebration and the
need for the UN to reinforce this commitment and
the belief of Nigeria that our great country is
committed to peace, democracy and good
government.
“It also stresses the need to remain a united,
strong and indivisible country for many, many
years to come.”
Uhomoibhi added that “the reception was warm,
the reception was very cordial and we have it on
good record that they will give it very serious
consideration, based on this personal delivery of
this message to the Secretary-General”.
Responding to questions on whether the passage of
anti-homosexuality law by government would not
discourage the UN Secretary-General from
honouring the invitation, the Permanent Secretary
said there was no linkage between anti-gay
legislation and the celebration.
“Absolutely not and I do not see any reason
whatsoever why a nation such as ours that has
played an important role in the development of the
human race can be summarised negatively in
terms of one piece of legislation, a legislation which
an independent country such as Nigeria has
decided to effect because it considered it to be in
its own interest.”
Also on what difference the centenary celebration
would make in the political structure of Nigeria in
view of speculations regarding the likely
consequences, Uhomoibhi said he believed this
was the problem of the elite.
According to him, such imaginations are the
problems of the elite, saying “we should not
deceive ourselves on how the average Nigerian
feels about his country”.
“The tragedy is that these elite are so blinded in
their views, yet they know that they know they are
nothing without Nigeria; yet they exploit Nigeria to
their own selfish advantage.
“The average Nigerian is committed to Nigeria and
does not conceive of such illusions or delusions of
the fragmentation of the nation.
“You recalled that six years after independence as
a nation, Nigeria fought a war of unity not a war to
break but a war to unite and it has not changed.
“There are very many things that bind our country
together than what the elite who are fighting for
their own selfish reasons would want to claim. But
the truth is Nigeria will remain strong; Nigeria will
remain united
“Nigeria will be a lesson and will present a lesson
to the rest of humanity on how to build a complex
society such as ours into one strong united polity.
“A nation is a dynamic entity, Nigeria is changing
and evolving and getting better in forging the pillar
of unity.
“No country, not even the U.S., including those
countries that have been around for 200 and more
years, that have experienced full development
without issues confronting them as a people;
nations all round the world are still growing.
“Nigeria is also developing and growing.
“What I am telling you is that Nigeria does it better
than most nations in the way that we confront
issues that bind us together and the nation
engages in dialogue and communication as we
seek to forge unity among ourselves.
“That is what we are doing in Nigeria and we are
doing it very, very well.”

Michael Jackson’s doctor, Murray, loses appeal

A US court has rejected Conrad Murray’s bid to
have his conviction for the involuntary
manslaughter of Michael Jackson overturned.
The Los Angeles appeal court ruled there was
substantial evidence of guilt laid out at his trial in
2011.
Murray was sentenced to four years in jail, but was
released last October after serving two years of
his term.
The ex-medic was convicted of administering a
lethal dose of an anaesthetic drug to Jackson in
2009.
In a ruling amounting to 68 pages, the court said
the pop star “was a vulnerable victim and that
[Murray] was in a position of trust, and violated the
trust relationship by breaching standards of
professional conduct in numerous respects.”"
The court also said imposing the maximum
sentence of four years at the original trial was
right, as the evidence revealed a “callous
disregard” for the singer’s health and safety.
They added that it was clear that Murray
“administered a number of dangerous drugs to Mr.
Jackson without the appropriate medical
equipment, precautions or personnel in place”.
Their ruling also concluded that Murray had been
wrong to leave Jackson unattended at the time.
Murray’s appeal argued that the trial judge had
excluded jurors from hearing evidence.
It was also argued that the judge quashed attempts
by Murray’s lawyers to introduce arguments about
other doctors who had treated Jackson.
His legal representative Valerie Wass said that
Murray’s intention is to take the matter to a higher
court.
In a separate development, the insurers of
Jackson’s This Is It tour have settled with the late
singer’s estate over a policy amounting to $17.5m
(£10.1m).
The wrangle over the matter was due to go to trial
next month.
The policy was taken out to insure against
postponement or cancellation of the series of
London concerts. Jackson died of a drugs
overdose while preparing for the shows.
Lloyd’s of London had asked for the policy to be
declared null and void, saying they were not told
that the star was taking powerful medication.
Details of the settlement have not been disclosed.
A series of legal cases have taken place since
Jackson’s death more than four years ago.
Earlier this week, his family’s bid to launch a
second wrongful death trial against concert
promoters AEG Live was turned down.
The company were responsible for hiring Murray
as Jackson’s personal physician.
In the first trial in October, the jury concluded that
the former doctor had been fit for the job when he
was originally employed.

Three villages to relocate for Ashaka cement expansion

No fewer than three villages will be relocated to
protect residents from environmental hazards, as
a result of the expansion of the Ashaka Cement
Company in Gombe State.
Mr Tony Okpara, the company’s General Manager,
Projects, disclosed this in Ladde-Bage village of
Funakaye Local Government Area of the state on
Thursday during the foundation-laying ceremony of
some projects.
He named the three communities as Lariski,
Darumpa and Malari, and said the company was
preparing to spend N262m on the relocation.
The General Manager said the amount would be
spent on the construction of 55 houses, three
blocks of classrooms, clinic, mosque and three
boreholes for the affected communities.
“They (villages) will be relocated to Ladde-Bage
village to facilitate the excavation of the affected
environment.
“This will follow the excavation of limestone in the
area for the purpose of cement production,’’ he
said.
Okpara said the construction work was awarded to
13 indigenous contractors, who were expected to
complete the job within three months.
He said the company had earlier acquired 40
hectares of land in order to relocate the affected
communities.
Mr Lionard Volger, the company’s Managing
Director, expressed their appreciation for the
communities’ co-operation, assuring the residents
that Ashakacem would not toy with its corporate
social responsibility.
He expressed optimism that the contractors would
deliver the jobs according to specification and on
schedule.
Also speaking, Alhaji Umar Kwairanga, Chairman of
the company’s Board of Directors, said the
projects were just about one per cent of what the
firm planned for the host communities.
Kwairanga also assured the communities that the
company would sustain its corporate social
responsibility efforts.
He said the company made a careful selection of
the contractors before the contracts were
awarded.

Jonathan sacks service chiefs, appoints new ones

President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked all the
service chiefs, who are statutorily the heads of the
nation’s military apparatus.
This was contained in a Facebook post by the
Special Adviser to the President on Media and
Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, on Thursday.
No reason was given for the changes.
The post read, “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by
the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
approved the following changes in the nation’s
Military High Command:
“Air Marshal Alex Badeh takes over from Admiral
Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim as Chief of Defence Staff.
“Major-General Kenneth Tobiah Minimah takes
over from Lt.-General Azubike Ihejirika as Chief of
Army Staff.
“Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin takes over from Vice
Admiral Dele Ezeoba as Chief of Naval Staff; and
Air Vice Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu takes
over from Air Marshal Badeh as Chief of Air Staff.
“All the changes are with immediate effect.”
The new Chief of Defence Staff and former Chief of
Air Staff, Air Marshal Badeh was born on January
10, 1957 and joined the Air Force as a member of
the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 21 Regular
Course while the new Chief of Army Staff, Major-
General Minimah was born on July 27, 1959 and
joined the Army as a member of the Nigerian
Defence Academy’s 25 Regular Course. Until his
new appointment, Major-General Minimah was the
Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps,
Jaji.
The new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman
Jibrin was born on September 16, 1959 and joined
the Navy as a member of the Nigerian Defence
Academy’s 24 Regular Course. Until his
appointment as Chief of Naval Staff, he was
Director of Training at Defence Headquarters.
The new Chief of Air Staff and immediate past
Commander of the Presidential Air Fleet, Air Vice
Marshal Amosu was born on August 1, 1958 and
joined the Air Force as a member of the Nigerian
Defence Academy’s 25 Regular Course. Until his
new appointment, Air Vice Marshal Amosu was the
Air Officer Commanding, Tactical Air Command,
Makurdi.
Jonathan has briefed the leadership of the National
Assembly on the appointment of the new service
chiefs and will, in keeping with the provisions of
the law, request the National Assembly to formally
confirm the appointments when it reconvenes.

Maiduguri bombing: Death toll rises to 43

Death toll in Tuesday’s bomb attack on Maiduguri,
the Borno State capital, has risen from 30 to 43.
Also, about three hours after the Maiduguri
incident, gunmen suspected to be members of the
Boko Haram sect invaded another village in the
state and killed five people.
A mortuary attendant at the Borno State
Specialists Hospital, Maiduguri where the corpses
were deposited, who pleaded anonymity because
he was not allowed to talk to the press on the
incident, said he counted 43 corpses brought to the
hospital’s morgue after the explosion on Tuesday.
The attendant said, “Please, do not mention my
name but let me tell you that 43 mangled and burnt
corpses were brought in at different times on
Tuesday.”
Efforts by journalists to enter the hospital’s
mortuary were frustrated by security men and the
management of the health institution.
The hospital was heavily guided and visitors and
relations of the victims were not given easy
access to the mortuary.
It was however observed that many injured
victims were receiving treatment at various wards
in the State Specialists Hospital and the University
of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Security men have also cordoned off the scene of
the blast thereby restricting human and vehicular
movements in the area.
The state Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, who
was not in the state when the explosion happened
on Tuesday, visited the scene on Wednesday.
Shettima could not however control his emotion as
he shed tears.
The governor, who was consoled by his aides,
was silent all through the visit. He could not even
utter a word to journalists.
Shettima, who had earlier planned a state- wide
broadcast, had to postpone it to go to Abuja to brief
President Goodluck Jonathan about the incident.
It was learnt that the broadcast might hold on
Thursday (today).
At Tuba village of Ladin Buta ward of Mafa Local
Government Area of the state, four members of a
vigilance group including a civilian JTF who had
been assisting the security operatives in the fight
against Boko Haram, were reportedly killed.
Another civilian, who was shot in the stomach by
the gunmen, reportedly died while receiving
treatment at a hospital in Maiduguri on Wednesday.
Mafa is about 40 kilometres north of Maiduguri, the
state capital, which had experienced series of
attacks and killings in recent past.
An eyewitness, Tijjani Mohammed, in a telephone
chat with our correspondent said the incident took
place at about 5.30pm on Tuesday when some
gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members
riding on motorcycles opened fire on residents
who were relaxing under a tree.
“We were sitting in front of our house when we
saw a motorcyclist with one person at the back,
initially we thought he was an Okada Rider , (a
commercial motorcycle operator) but all of a
sudden, on reaching their target, they started
shooting. We ran away for our dear lives, but by
the time we came back we met the victims dead in
the pool of their blood as a result of the gunshot
injuries. We alerted security operatives who later
came to our rescue,” Mohammed said.
When contacted, the Spokesman of the 7 Division
of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Mohammed Dole,
said he was not aware of the Tuba incident.

Nigeria anti-gay law ’ll fuel violence –UN Secretary General

United Nations’ Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
expressed deep concern on Wednesday at a new
Nigerian law that criminalises same-sex
relationships, which he fears could fuel prejudice
and violence and risks obstructing an effective
HIV/AIDS response.
The bill, which contains penalties of up to 14 years
in prison and bans gay marriage, same-sex
“amorous relationships” and membership of gay
rights groups, was passed by the National
Assembly last May and signed into law by
President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday.
“The Secretary-General fears that the law may
fuel prejudice and violence, and notes with alarm
reports that police in northern Nigeria have
arrested individuals believed by the authorities to
be homosexuals, and may even have tortured
them,” Ban’s press office said in a statement
quoted by Reuters.
As in much of sub-Saharan Africa, anti-gay
sentiment and persecution of homosexuals is rife
in Nigeria, so the new legislation is likely to be
popular. Many African countries are seeking to
tighten laws against homosexuality.
Under existing Nigerian federal law, sodomy is
punishable by jail, but this bill legislates for a much
broader crackdown on homosexuals and lesbians,
who already live a largely underground existence.
“As UNAIDS and the Global Fund noted in a
statement yesterday, the law also risks
obstructing effective responses to HIV/AIDS,” Ban
said.

Man kills barber during argument over generator

The Lagos State Police Command has commenced
investigation into the murder of a 39-year-old
barber, Azeez Solanke, who was allegedly stabbed
to death by one Segun Daniel in the Ojo area of
Lagos State, on Thursday last week.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the deceased was
stabbed to death following an argument over his
generator.
Our correspondent, who visited the area, learnt
that the incident occurred around 10pm beside a
jetty at the Ebute area of Ojo.
The elder brother of the deceased, Razaq Solanke,
told PUNCH Metro that Daniel stabbed his brother
to death for no just cause.
He said, “On January 9, 2014, I had just come out
of the hotel, where I went to watch the GLO/CAF
Awards, when I saw a huge crowd. I was told
someone was stabbed to death, but I did not go
close to the scene. I just walked away.
“A few minutes later, someone informed me that it
was my younger brother that had been involved in
a fight with Segun (Daniel) and he had been
stabbed. I raced down to the scene and was told
that my brother’s killer had fled. I put my brother
into my car and drove to a hospital where he was
confirmed dead.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that irate youths marched
down to the family home of the suspect and laid
the corpse of the deceased at the entrance.
Our correspondent learnt that Daniel’s mother, who
is said to be the Iyaloja of the area, begged the
youths to let the law take its course.
It was learnt that the corpse was later deposited at
the Badagry General Hospital mortuary ,while the
matter was reported at the Ojo Police Division
which is located a street away from the scene of
the crime.
Narrating what transpired on the fateful day, Razaq
said, “My brother owns a barber’s shop in the
area. I was told that he had turned on his generator
for his customers and when it was late, he decided
to turn it off as he wanted to leave.
“However, Segun (Daniel) challenged him and told
him not to turn off the generator as he wanted to
still enjoy the electricity. This led to an argument
and subsequently, he stabbed my brother to
death.”
Residents told our correspondent that the suspect,
who is still at large, was known for harassing
residents as he was the leader of a faction of touts
at the Ojo Motor Park.
It was learnt that the suspect’s mother had been
arrested by the police with a view to making the
suspect come out of hiding.
A relative of the deceased, who did not identify
himself, described the incident as a great loss to
the family.
“Razaq was very talented. He was a footballer, a
professional boxer, an artist and also a barber. He
was due to travel to Europe this month where he
would start work. He was not married and we have
lost an illustrious son.
“Razaq did not fight with his killer because if he
did, he would have won. He was stabbed in the
neck from behind which means he was caught
unawares. We want the police to fish out his killer,”
he said.
When contacted on the telephone, Police Public
Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said she could not
get the DPO for details of the matter.

CULLED FROM PUNCH

Police investigate murder of girl, 17, in Gombe

Jet crash in Germany kills four

A 21-year-old man, Mansur Tanko, on Friday, burnt himself to death in Jalingo, after a disagreement with his father, Tanko Mijinyawa, over marriage.

Beyonce and Solange threw a masquerade party for their mum

Members of the Rabboni Centre Ministries in Pretoria, South Africa, under instruction from their pastor, Lesego Daniel, dropped to the floor to eat grass after the 'man of God' told them it will 'bring them closer to God.'

The Rivers Police Command has denied allegations that its personnel shot and wounded Sen. Magnus Abe while trying to stop a political rally from holding in Port Harcourt today.

Rihanna gets a new tattoo

The 25 year old singer seems to have added another tattoo to the 20 she already has. She was spotted entering her favorite

Evelyn Ohikhena is the mother of the stowaway boy, Daniel, who hid in the wheels compartment of a Lagos-bound plane belonging to Arik Air from Benin City last year. In this interview with JAMES AZANIA, she narrates the ordeal of the family after her son’s uncommon adventure

What is the situation now after your son hid in the wheels compartment of a Lagos-bound plane from Benin City last year?

The Edo State Government enrolled him in Edo College. The government put him in a boarding school. After his enrolment in a boarding school, the state Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, promised that he would assist me because my shop got burnt before the incident. Because I was managing the little resources I had
then,

Kenyan authorities have launched an investigation into how a man declared dead in a hospital woke up alive in its morgue the next day.

Shocked mortuary workers at Naivasha hospital ran away when the body stirred and was seen to be breathing.

Paul Mutora, who had tried to kill himself by swallowing insecticide, was pronounced dead on Wednesday night.

The chief medic said the drug used to treat him slowed the heart beat, which may have led to the

’TANA AIYEJINA takes a look at some new players, who if given a chance, or want to play for Nigeria, could bring more quality into the Super Eagles as coach Stephen Keshi prepares his side for the 2014 World Cup

Hot Photos Of Meet Mikel Obi And His Russian girlfriend

Chelsea footballer, John Obi Mikel appears to be off the market as he has been swept off his feet by a Russian beauty. Her name is Olga Diyachenko and she living with the Nigerian footballer in the UK. Pictures have emerged of the loved up pair.More photos after the cut...

Sixty per cent of the work force of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria got letters disengaging them from the services of the organisation, following the final process of its privatisation.

But for each of those individuals who lost their jobs after the new owners of PHCN took over on

Children at the counter to deposit money

A group of street children in India have opened their own bank.

The bank, known as the Children’s Development Khazana, was set up and is now run by children in the Fatehpuri neighbourhood of Old Delhi, India.

What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander goes a popular idiom. But this saying does not apply to every situation. Places of worship for Nigerian Christians and Muslims in Europe, Latin America, Canada, Australia and the United States are ubiquitous. But where do Nigerian traditional

Nigerians in Cote d’Ivoire wants FG’s scholarship awards

Some Nigerians resident in Cote d’Ivoire on Friday in Abidjan appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to extend scholarship awards to Nigerians living abroad.

They spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria when they turned out en masse to welcome Jonathan at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Airport.

The President is attending a meeting of ECOWAS Heads of Government with the Japanese Prime Minister.

Glo/CAF award: I’m disappointed Mikel didn’t win, says Minister

Sports Minister Bolaji Abdulahi on Friday expressed disappointment that Mikel Obi failed to clinch the Glo/CAF African Footballer of the Year Awards.
Abdulahi, made the remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
He said that Yaya Toure of Cote d’Ivoire considered all the nominees in the category as worthy contenders in spite of the fact that he beat Obi to the second position.

US approves new drug for treatment of type 2 diabetes

This illustration shows how a torn blood vessel could be sealed back together with a bit of the new glue.

In one episode of the TV show “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Captain Jean-Luc Picard is stabbed in the chest but survives thanks to a device that stitches up wounds in his heart. Now, real researchers have invented an adhesive that can also repair heart wounds.

The glue bonds to heart tissue, and is as strong as stitches or staples, sealing wounds while avoiding complications, say its inventors, Jeffrey M. Karp, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRKuG4xXCZ9QZ5IYj8YO__zBmIlZaYzIM7mnMtIDaaaRrm5cz64Hr0cd9XT

A 58-year-old Utah woman is set to give birth in a few weeks — to her first grandchild.

Julia Navarro is serving as a gestational surrogate

Seventy-six-year old Mrs. Eno Edet Traore, younger sister to former Inspector-General of Police, Louis Edet, tells ‘Nonye Ben-Nwankwo about her life and career

Mawlud celebration, not compulsory for Muslims- Sheik

Ukraine ex-minister hurt in clashes in Kiev

Several people have been injured in clashes between protesters and riot police in the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

Gunmen kill Brazil church’s pastor

Police in Brazil say two gunmen have fatally wounded an evangelical pastor at his church in the city of Belo Horizonte.
The gunmen reportedly entered the city’s Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, and shot him in the head before fleeing by car.

US diplomat to leave Delhi embassy

An expatriate manager at Caverton Helicopters, has reportedly resigned from the company over the unfair treatment of his Nigerian colleagues during the yuletide season, PM News reports

The twin brothers will marry their women same day sometime this year, but according to a source

Just in case you haven't heard Facade Thai Restaurant and Lounge is one of the Islands new "turn up" spots.

The bashing on the internet is sometimes unbelievable. Photos that are supposed to be described as cute and loving is being highly criticized. Doyin Richards,

Gabby's boyfriend of many years Dwyane Wade got his side chick pregnant while on a 'break' with the actress...and she kinda blames herself.

The newly engaged 41 year old beauty tells Glamour magazine

When Dwyane and I broke up briefly in 2013, it was because of distance and scheduling. I finished filming Being Mary Jane, then I flew to Vegas right away to start shooting Think Like a Man Too. I couldn't take time off, and I missed some quality togetherness we desperately needed. Over the summer, I reassessed priorities. I'd always wanted an awesome career with back-to-back projects, but I realized I wasn't willing to sacrifice my relationship for it. Moving forward, I decided my work schedule has to make sense for our family. Bottom line: If an issue's a deal breaker, it's a deal breaker. If your relationship isn't something you're willing to give up and you can compromise, do so.

She also gives relationship advice. See that after the cut...

The remains of the second daughter of Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, Iyetade Soyinka was laid to rest yesterday

Months after ending his endorsement deal with telecoms giant

Russia’s southern Stavropol region on alert afterbodies found

Russian investigators are trying to determine who
killed six men whose bodies were found in four cars
abandoned in an area of southern Russia close to
the volatile Caucasus mountains.
Three of the cars had been rigged with explosive
devices, but only one of the bombs went off and no
one was hurt.

Some years back, the name, Benson Okonkwo,
wouldn’t have meant anything to quite a number of
people, but not now, when the gangling actor is one
of the fastest rising stars in the movie industry.

Top draw movies on DVDs (1)

Since few movies are trending right now it would
not be out of place to visit those that have made
their tour of cinemas and now testing the waters of
the DVD market. Though there isn’t a set pattern, a
movie is expected to hit the DVD market after
staying between a month to three in the cinemas.

Super Falcons qualify for Namibia 2014

Abuja – The Super Falcons on Thursday reached
the final round of qualifying series for the African
Women Championship2014, after Sierra Leone, their
next opponent, announced their withdrawal.
The Sierra Leonians cited lack of funds as the

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