Ooni of Ife and his new wife visit Sultan of Sokoto (photos)

Buhari addresses Biafra issue in a new interview

President Muhammadu Buhari during his last visit to Qatar has given the interview to Al Jazeera. The Nigerian president has been speaking about the challenges the country is facing now, comprising the naira devaluation, the Boko Haram, anti-corruption crusade, the Biafra issue. Buhari is seeking support for his fight against corruption and to promote much-needed investment in his country’s ailing economy. Qatar is the actual president of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer. The low oil prices have a destroying influence on the Nigerian economy, which has long depended on the export of oil.

President Buhari said: “We were unable to diversify our economy, hence we are much more disadvantaged by the lower oil prices.” He tells the journalist that he values the institution of OPEC and that “Nigeria will make the necessary sacrifice to remain in OPEC.” On naira devaluation, the Nigerian leader of the nation said he would not reconsider his insistence on freezing the currency. President Buhari said as Nigeria “virtually imports everything, from rice to toothpicks”, it cannot afford to devalue its currency. “If it is against our national interest, why can’t we go against the IMF advice?” Buhari asks. Two major Buhari’s promises during the election campaign last year were to eradicate corruption and end the Boko Haram insurgency. Speaking on the Boko Haram, the president restated that none of local government areas has been occupied by the insurgents, adding that he hasn’t failed against the insurgents.

However, the Boko Haram remains active in many areas of Nigeria, seemingly able to strike at will. “I have not failed. When we came in Boko Haram was effectively in 14 local governments. Nigeria has 774 local governments. They hoist their flags and they said they had a certain caliphate but today they no longer to hold any local government. They have reverted to improvised explosive devices blowing soft targets, and that will be a kind of terrorism which will be difficult to eliminate because it is technological, but they cannot hold any local government again. They are using technology but they cannot carry out organised attacks, overrun police post, attack military installations, they cannot do that now,” the president stated. President Buhari recalled that over two million lives were lost during the Nigeria civil war between 1967 to 1970 on the demand of a Biafran state. “At least two millions Nigerians were killed in the Biafra war. And for somebody to wake up may be they weren’t born. Looking for Biafra after two millions people were killed, they are joking with the security and Nigeria won’t tolerate Biafra,” he said. Buhari said Nigeria has enlisted in the Saudi Arabia Islamic coalition fighting terrorism, clarifying that such step would help the country tackle extremism. “We are part of the Islamic coalition because we have got terrorists in Nigeria, which everybody knows and the terrorists claim to be Islamic,” he said. “So, if there is an Islamic coalition to fight terrorism, we will be part of it because we are casualties of Islamic terrorism. “Boko Haram has declared loyalty to ISIS and ISIS is based in Islamic countries, and if there is a coalition to fight them why shouldn’t we be part of it, particularly when those fighting the country claim to be Muslims, although what they are doing is against Islam.” When asked if non-Muslims would not feel that he is attempting to change the religious identity of the country, Buhari said: “Why can’t those Christians that complain fight terrorism in Nigeria or fight the militants in the south? It’s Nigeria that matters, not the opinion of the religious bigots.” The declaration of the Independent Republic of Biafra in 1967 caused a civil war that resulted in the death of millions and the re-annexation of the republic to Nigeria in 1970. The administration of President Buhari has always maintained that Nigeria’s unity is a priority for the country and that while peaceful pro-Biafran protests are welcome, demanding the separation of the Biafran territories is against the constitution.

Osinbajo stays home due to conflicting schedules with president

Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s trip to India was cancelled at the last moment
– It was reasoned by the president’s trip to Equatorial Guinea and Senate President Bukola Saraki’s current trial for corruption.

The vice president of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, has cancelled his trip to India due to protocol errors by the Protocol Department of the Presidency and awkward situation it puts the government in, as Senate President Bukola Saraki would have to perform the functions of the president.

A presidency official commented on the situation: “When the President and VP are out of town, the running of the country will fall automatically into the hands of the Senate President. We did not want the awkwardness that would come with that scenario.”

A 27-member delegation, including Yemi Osinbajo and two ministers, were to travel to India for a conference but due to conflicting schedules of vice president and president it was decided to cancel it.
However, by the moment of the trip cancellation $250,000 have been already spent on hotels booking and arrangements for ground transportation. President Buhari is to travel to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, for a two-day visit that starts on Monday, March 14.

If both Osinbajo and Buhari leave Nigeria, the country would stay for more than two days without its first two citizens, meaning Senate President Bukola Saraki would have to act as acting president.

Mr Saraki is currently facing criminal proceedings at the Code of Conduct Tribunal over allegations of corruption and false assets declaration.

P-Square Break Up: Nigerians Not Feeling Peter Okoye’s New

Paul Okoye, one half of the Nigerian RnB act, has lamented the group’s break-up, saying that if their parents were alive, things would not have degenerated to such a point.

Paul expressed the sentiment in a one minute, 45 seconds single he dropped on Tuesday, barely 24 hours after Peter ‘Mr.P’ Okoye, announced a new management for his solo career.

Paul’s song, Call Heaven , is coming about two weeks after Peter released his own single, titled Look Into My Eyes on March 3.

In the song that was rendered entirely in Pidgin English, the reserved half of the duo begged that someone should call the duo’s late parents from ‘heaven’ to report the break-up to them.

“Make I tell my mama say e don happen,” Paul sang tearfully to the rhythm of a piano.
“Oh Papa na that level wey I promised you say e no go happen.
“If to say una dey for everything wey dey happen today, e for be say we no go misbehave… wherever you are, we no be who we were… cos if to say una dey for everything wey dey happen today, e for be say una go intervene..
right now everything na pain, see your children dey misbehave.”

Rice will become very affordable by April – FG

Workers unload 42,494 tonnes of Thai rice at the Tanjung Priok harbour in Jakarta January 25, 2011. Indonesia’s state procurement agency Bulog is looking for at least 170,000 tonnes of Thai rice for delivery from January to March, a trader said early this month. The government has allowed Bulog to import rice this year to shore up falling stocks. REUTERS/Crack Palinggi (INDONESIA – Tags: BUSINESS FOOD)

The Federal Government said on Saturday that it would stabilise the price of rice from April to make it affordable to everybody in the country.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, made this known while declaring open the 2016 National wheat farmers field day in Alkamawa village in Bunkure Local Government of Kano state.
Ogbeh said that the stability of price would be very viable due to its demand and affordability to the people as from April.

He said the boosting of wheat production and other cereals had become necessary to reduce over dependence on importation.
The minister added that over 300, 000 hectares of land in wheat producing states would be dedicated to boost wheat production.

“The government will continue to support farmers to encourage agricultural activity, enhance food security and employment generation in the country,’’ he said.
According to him, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will diversify the economy with greater emphasis on agriculture.

21-year-old man caught

Cemetery attendants at Monchegorsk graveyard in Russia has caught a 21-year-old man who allegedly exhumed the corpse of a newly buried woman and raped her repeatedly.

Mirror.co.uk reports that when police arrived the scene, the remains of the 39-year-old woman had been sexually brutalized and this is the second case of a sexual attack on a dead woman in the north of Russia this year.

Reports also reveal that the first of such incidence happened in the Komi Republic when two men were jailed for raping the dead body of a young woman in February, 2015.
According to the report, police sources in Monchegorsk, Russia, in the far north region of Murmansk, said the man opened the coffin of the deceased and started his ill-sexual escapade.

As the story goes, a criminal case has been opened under an article of the Russian criminal code on desecration of the dead and their burial places and maximum punishment under the law would be 3 months in prison, or a fine of up to £400.

The accused, as at the time of the report, had not been identified but is believed he is from the neighbouring Arkhangelsk region.

16-year-old suspected

A 16-year-old secondary school dropout, Ifechukwu Atunanya, has been arrested by policemen from the Anambra State Police Command while allegedly having sex with over 52 young men inside a bush in what looked like an initiation ceremony.

According to reports, the suspects were all rounded up in the bush in Awka and are reportedly members of the Supreme Vikings Confraternity, during the initiation of new members.

Ifechukwu, on her arrest, claimed she was forced to sleep with every male member of the cult during her initiation.
According to the state Commissioner of Police, Hosea Karma, the police acted on an intelligence tip-off that the cult members and their new entrants were in a bush performing some rituals, explaining that some items including guns, machetes and several wraps of Indian hemp, were recovered from them.

On apprehension, the Police said the suspects confirmed that as part of their ritual, every male member of the cult will sleep with every prospective female member.

“This they did in order to secure their oath of secrecy and it was during the raid we arrested ifechukwu,” Hosea stated.
At the police station, Ifechukwu claimed that she had to travel to Anambra from Abuja just to witness the initiation of new members.

In her statement, she said:
“I joined them three months ago and during my initiation; I was forced to have sex with every registered male member of the cult present that night. I was given sedatives so as not to feel what they were doing. It was not easy, but I bore the pain,” she said.

“The day we were initiated, I was the only girl in their midst. I was determined to be a successful member. I was further convinced to stay because I discovered that they were more honorable men than the other cult groups.

“I am sorry for myself and would love to be given the opportunity to go back to school,” she sobbed.
She went further to say she never knew that it was crime to be a cult member.
“I am so sorry,” Ifechukwu begged.

Another member, Ugochukwu Agbazuo, also said they are all undergraduates of various institutions in Anambra.
“Apart from some of our national leaders, we are all students. I was initiated into the cult while I was still in my first year. I had no choice but to join them because of the harassment in school. I discovered that most of the Engineering students in my school were members of different cult groups.”

Speaking further, Ugochukwu added: “If you identify with a known cult in school, the lecturers will respect you. You don’t have to buy handouts. This was why I joined them.”
“We did not steal or harass innocent people. The guns that were found with us were bought in case there was a clash in school. It is our leaders who are all graduates and working across the country that normally assists us to secure the arms. It is strictly for protection and one of the rules of our group is that you must read and pass your exams on merit,” he added.

On the issue of rape, Ugochukwu admitted that it only happened with female members.
“A female intending member cannot undergo the rigorous process during the initiation. So, our leaders suggested that the best way to get them under oath is for every registered member to have sex with her during initiation.

“She would be given sedatives during the process so that she will not physically feel the pain. Ifechukwu’s case was better because we were only 52 registered males present on the day of her initiation. All of our female members were raped,” he noted.
As the story goes, Ifechukuw’s parents, who hail from Anambra State, are still alive. However, she said that they were not aware of her secret cult activities.

“I am from a poor family and I wanted to be the light that will change the situation in my family. I got to know about the cult activity through a friend. She assured me that all the connections that I needed in life will be made if I joined the group,” Ifechukwu stated.

PSG hammer Troyes 9-0 to win Ligue 1 title

Paris Saint-Germain have clinched the Ligue 1 title with eight games to spare, after thrashing Troyes 9-0 on Sunday.

This is coming four days after the club eliminated Chelsea to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League as it wrapped up the club’s sixth French title and their fourth consecutive Ligue 1 crown.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic helped himself to four goals, Edinson Cavani scored twice, while Javier Pastore and Adrien Rabiot also got on the scoresheet.

Laurent Blanc’s team have now broken the record for the quickest league triumph. Lyon won it in 2007 under Gerard Houllier with five games to go.

Omotola Jalade is ill

– Omotola Jalade is hospitalized
– She shared a photo of herself on the hospital bed
– The Nollywood actress recently launched her event centre on Valentine’s Day

Omotola Jolade on hospital bed
Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde is ill.

Omotola tipped off her fans when she shared a picture of herself and her husband Captain Matthew Ekeinde in a hospital  her Instagram page.

In the picture shared, Omotola showered praises on her hubby for leaving all he has to do just to be by her bedside.

“When you not feeling well but he moves everything to be by your side.#thecaptain and I,” she wrote.
Get well soon Omotola!

At least four die in US floods

Several people were killed in the US after drenching thunderstorms moved through Louisiana and Mississippi at the weekend, triggering flooding across the lower Mississippi valley, authorities said.
Rainfall killed three people in Louisiana and one in Oklahoma. Two fishermen were missing in Mississippi on Sunday, according to emergency management officials.

President Barack Obama declared flooding in Louisiana a major disaster on Sunday, providing aid for victims.
Louisiana's emergency management office warned in a statement "the crisis is not over." It said 5,000 homes had already been damaged.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned on Sunday night of a tornado threat and potential for hail and damaging winds across eastern Arkansas and northern Louisiana.
Portions of the lower Mississippi Valley were at risk for severe thunderstorms through Monday morning, the NWS said, which could trigger flash flooding. River levels were expected to remain high in the region as excessive rain water drains, it said.

The Louisiana National Guard, working around the clock for several days, said it had rescued more than 3,200 citizens and 300 pets.

Authorities and meteorologists described the flooding as historic and the worst seen in the region apart from that spawned by hurricanes.

Scores of roads and bridges were closed throughout the region at the weekend. In Mississippi, almost 400 homes suffered damage from the rainfall and flooding, the state emergency agency said.

Spacecraft to look for life on Mars

Russian rocket to search for life on Mars
World  

AAP

Spacecraft to look for life on Mars

Europe and Russia launched a spacecraft in a joint mission on Monday to sniff out signs of life on Mars and bring humans a step closer to flying to the red planet themselves.

The craft, part of the ExoMars programme, blasted off from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan on board a Proton rocket, starting a seven-month journey through space.

It carries an atmospheric probe that is to study trace gases such as methane - a chemical that on Earth is strongly tied to life - that previous Mars missions have detected in the planet's atmosphere.

Also, it will deploy a lander that will test technologies needed for a rover due to follow in 2018.

The cost of the ExoMars mission to the European Space Agency, including the second part due in 2018, is expected to be about 1.3 billion euros ($A1.92 billion).

HIV treatment may have other benefits

HIV treatment may have other benefits

An HIV treatment could bring experts "one step closer" to preventing skin cancer from becoming drug resistant, a study suggests.
Cancer cells transform themselves to withstand drugs, researchers found, but the anti-HIV drug nelfinavir blocks the transformation.

The study carried out on mice shows that when used in combination with standard cancer treatments it can delay the effects of drug resistance, making available treatment effective for a longer period of time.
Professor Claudia Wellbrock, who led the study from the University of Manchester, said cancer cells become stronger and more robust against treatment during the first few weeks.

"But if we can target skin cancer cells before they become fully resistant, we would have a much better chance of blocking their escape," she said.
"And we think this research has brought us one step closer to making this a reality."

Professor Nic Jones, Director of Cancer Research UK's Manchester Institute, said the findings could a step toward being able to fight back against resistance.
"Drug resistance in late stage skin cancer is still a big problem and something we need to tackle," he said.
"We've seen big steps forward recently with the development of immunotherapies, but this exciting approach could stop skin cancer developing resistance at an earlier point."
The study is funded by Cancer Research UK and the results are expected in August 2016.

Britain to test driverless cars on motorways from next year

A researcher fromm the Intelligent Vehicle IT Research Center at Seoul National University shows the smartphone application for the driverless car called Snuber with a fixture on its roof with devices that scan road conditions at Seoul National University’s campus in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016. The South Korean university is testing the sedan that can pick up and transport passengers without a human driver, giving a glimpse into the future of autonomous public transport. | AP
"Naturally we need to ensure safety, and that's what the trials we are introducing will test," Mr. Osborne said in a statement ahead of his annual budget presentation.

Britain said it will begin trialling driverless cars on motorways for the first time in 2017, as it moves towards its goal of allowing autonomous cars to take to the streets by 2020.
The government said last year there were no legal barriers to the technology being tested and gave the go-ahead for vehicle trials to start on some local roads.

Finance Minister George Osborne will announce plans on Wednesday to test vehicles on motorways and say the government will bring forward proposals to remove regulatory barriers to the technology, the Treasury said.
"Naturally we need to ensure safety, and that's what the trials we are introducing will test," Mr. Osborne said in a statement ahead of his annual budget presentation.
"If successful, we could see driverless cars available for sale and on Britain's roads, boosting UK jobs and productivity."
The market for autonomous driving is worth 900 billion pounds ($1.29 trillion) worldwide, according to the government, but needs to overcome legal obstacles including determining who would be responsible in the event of an accident.
Driverless car testing will be restricted to vehicles with a person present and able to take control should the need arise, Britain's Department for Transport has previously said.
On Friday, the top U.S. safety agency said there were still significant legal hurdles to be cleared before self-driving cars without steering wheels and gas pedals could be sold in the United States.
Alphabet Inc unit Google wants to eventually be able to deploy fully autonomous vehicles without human controls, and major automakers are racing to develop vehicles that can drive themselves at least part of the time.

Nigerians are reacting furiously to Saraki cars scandal

– The Nigerian public cannot get enough of the Saraki cars scandal.
– Senate president Bukola Saraki has received luxury cars with N330 million.
– Nigerians across the country are reacting furiously on social media.
Nigerians across the country are reacting to the massive controversy surrounding the Senate President Bukola Saraki’s purchase of luxury vehicles.

Earlier today, Premium Times reported that members of the Senate and House of Representatives will receive a fleet of 400 top of the line cars, with Saraki set to receive 10 cars worth N330 million.
The fancy cars include Mercedes and Toyotas, and given that Saraki’s personal car budget is now bigger than that of most government schools, the grant shocked many Nigerians.
Saraki’s office swiftly released a statement to react to the media storm, explaining that the cars are necessary as his current fleet is old and falling apart, condemning the media for breaking the story.
Two of the exotic cars the senators will receive
“The press should avoid deliberately inciting members of the public against public officials,” the statement said.
“The Senate president and his colleagues are conscious of the economic situation in the country and will continue to act responsibly and responsively.”

Saraki’s comments have not calmed the media furore and Nigerians are venting their feelings online and on social media sites.
Many members of the public are furious at the lavish purchases at a time when many ordinary Nigerians are struggling to make ends meet, and some really did not mince their words!
Some compatriots took to the internet to call out the politicians’ hypocrisy amid the calls for Nigerians to buy locally made goods.

Several Nigerians made their anger at Saraki and other politicians easy for everyone to see.
The Senate president is not without his supporters though, apparently his point about the press hit home.
One thing is for sure, this media firestorm doesn’t look likely to end anytime soon!

My memory can't remember the charges against me - Saraki

Map pNi No– Senator Bukola Saraki said he has lost his memory
– The Senate president said he is finding it difficult to remember all the charges brought against him by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT)
– Nigeria’s number three citizen will be at the CCT for the continuation of the hearing of the alleged corrupt case against him on Friday, March 18

Bukola Saraki said his memory is failing him, as he can not specifically recollect all the number of charges of false assets declaration leveled against him by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Dr Bukola Saraki, the Senate president during his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal

The Senate president stated he could not take count of the charges, which he was alleged to have committed between five and more than 13 years ago, while he was the governor of Kwara state.

The challenges the embattled leader of the upper chambers is facing, was written in an affidavit, which he himself attested to, in a fresh application, urging that all charges against him by the CCT, should be rendered null and avoid. Ditto, he said he should be discharged of all the alleged offenses against him.

As written in the affidavit, Saraki states: “The facts relating to these matters are no longer fresh in my memory quite apart from the fact that I have lost many of my records pertaining to them.”

Saraki’s affidavit was dated Friday, March 4. The fresh application tried to stop the Supreme Court judgement of Saturday, March 5, which directed the CCT to continue his trials.

The Senate president was initially arraigned on Tuesday, September 22, 2015 for a 13-count charge of false asset declaration .
Senator Saraki, who said he declared his assets twice, while he served as Kwara state governor between 2003 and 2007, as well as 2007 and 2011, said: “I am not aware of any petitions challenging my declarations, and the bureau (CCB) has never drawn my attention to any.

I would promptly have corrected or explained (the reason for) any alleged discrepancies or inconsistencies in my asset declaration had my attention been drawn to them.”

The are calls from some quarters that, the Senate president should save his face now, by resigning, in order to imprint his name on the minds of Nigerians as a credible political leader.

New snake species discovered in Gujarat

The new snake genus, Wallaceophis is named after Alfred Russel Wallace for his pioneering work on biogeography, and for co-discovering the theory of natural selection. The species has been named gujaratensis.
The find is one of the rarest of moments in the recent reptile history of India.
Nine years after they first saw it in a photograph, two researchers from Mumbai and three others from Gujarat have confirmed the discovery of a new snake species. The find is one of the rarest of moments in the recent reptile history of India.
The new snake genus,
Wallaceophis is named after Alfred Russel Wallace for his pioneering work on biogeography, and for co-discovering the theory of natural selection. The species has been named gujaratensis. The findings were published in the journal Plos One .
Mumbaikar researchers Zeeshan A. Mirza and Rajesh Sanap, along with three wildlife enthusiasts from Gujarat; Raju Vyas; Harshil Patel and Jaydeep Maheta were instrumental in the discovery.
Mr. Mirza, a herpetologist from National Centre for Biological Science, Bangalore, and the lead author of the study, came across an image of this snake in a paper published by Mr. Vyas back in 2007.
‘Odd-looking’
“The snake was odd-looking, and I called Mr. Vyas to seek his opinion on the identity of the snake, but he just had an image,” said Mr. Mirza. “Seven years later, Harshil Patel, a researcher from Gujarat studying reptiles and amphibians of southern Gujarat, informed me that the snake has been found by snake rescuer Jaydeep Maheta.”
Rajesh Sanap, a research associate with the National Centre for Biological Sciences, aided with the lab work. While Mr. Patel compared specimens from the collection of the Bombay Natural History Society, Mr. Mirza studied the snake with literature available.
In the meantime, Mr. Vyas collected data on 12 individuals of the same species from several locations in Gujarat.
Based on scalation, tooth number, bone morphology and DNA, the snake was identified as belonging to a group of colubrid snakes that include racers, royal snakes and whip snakes. “A paper jointly written by us was submitted last year July to Plos One , which finally got accepted later this January,” said Mr. Sanap.
Colubrid snakes (Family Colubridae) are represented across the world with more than 1,800 species, and it is likely this number will grow with advanced techniques in species delimitation.
Wallaceophis gujaratensis has until now been found in seven locations

Pyongyang warns of pre-emptive strike to ‘liberate’ South Korea

U.S. and South Korean Marines take positions during a military exercise in Pohang, South Korea on Saturday. | AP
If U.S.,
S. Korean troops participating in military drills attempt invasion
North Korea said on Saturday its military is ready to pre-emptively attack and “liberate” the South in its latest outburst against the annual joint military drills by the United States and South Korea.
In a statement carried through state media, the General Staff of the North’s Korean People’s Army said its frontline units are prepared to strike first if they see signs that American and South Korean troops involved in the drills were attempting to invade the North.
The KPA said it will counter the drills by the United States and South Korea it says are aimed at advancing into Pyongyang with plans to “liberate the whole of South Korea including Seoul” and also that it is capable of executing “ultra-precision blitzkrieg” strikes against enemy targets.
At the start of the drills on Monday, the North warned of an indiscriminate “pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice” on Washington and Seoul.
In response to North’s statement, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff called for North Korea to stop its threats and “rash behaviour” and warned that a provocation from the North would result in the destruction of its highest leadership.
North Korea has condemned the annual military drills staged by Seoul and Washington in South Korea, calling them preparations for an invasion.
The allies say the drills, which this year are described as the biggest ever and follow the North’s recent nuclear test and long—range rocket launch, are defensive and routine.
From Around The Web

Russia to disarm world's largest nuclear ballistic missile submarine

A Typhoon-class Russian nuclear missile submarine prepares to dock at the military port in the Kola peninsula, northern Russia © Dmitry Barinov / AFP

In 2016 Russia is set to disarm the missile system of the Typhoon-class Arkhangelsk submarine, the largest in the world. The disarmament will be carried out in accordance with the New START agreement between Moscow and Washington.

Working in accordance with the New START treaty between Russia and US, the country’s leading Zvezdochka shipyard in the northern Russian city of Severodvinsk will disarm the missile system of the Arkhangelsk submarine, the shipyard’s press service told TASS news agency on Friday.

“We will remove the covers of the submarine’s missile launchers and seal them, thus making it impossible to use the vessel’s missile weapons, ” the press service said. “We are not talking yet about dismantling the submarine itself. The tender for this procedure has not yet been announced.”

According to the data published by the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom, the sub’s disarmament is estimated to cost some 28 million rubles (about US$ 400,000).

See what Nigerians opinions are concerning Buhari’s administration :'Buhari’s Honeymoon With Nigerians May Not Last Long

Editor’s note: Ben Murray-Bruce, the Chairman of Silverbird Group, advises Muhammadu Buhari how to move the country forward, stressing that the president-elect must think of what is best for Nigeria rather than what is best for his party and its chieftains.

Murray-Bruce warns Buhari that he will soon wish he didn’t win the presidential elections if he does not take serious measures to improve Nigeria’s economy.

Story highlights:
– Politics is war, therefore, many of the rules of war and peace apply to politics.
– Nigerians people voted for Muhammadu Buhari, not his party and he should serve the people the dish they are angling for.
– Buhari’s honeymoon period with Nigerians may not last very long.
– Nigeria and other nations should look to China for oil markets.
– Austerity measures must start from Aso Rock.
Ben Murray-Bruce
(This day) – Now that Major General Muhammadu Buhari has been chosen by the Nigerian people, it is my duty as a patriotic Nigerian to help him succeed even though my candidate was President Goodluck Jonathan, a man to whom I will always be loyal and appreciative.
General Buhari is about to mount the saddle and I for one am in a very good position to tell him some home truths because as a senator-elect, I have a very fulfilling job awaiting me and I do not need a job or favours from Buhari so I do not have to play nice.
Looking at the personalities he has appointed to his transition council, I am convinced  to believe that General Buhari needs to expand his circle of friends and advisers.
As a military strategist, the president-elect must be familiar with the principle that the people you use in subduing an opponent are not necessarily the same persons you will need in rebuilding the territories you took. I may be using military terms, but I am sure General Buhari is aware that politics is war by other means and therefore many of the rules of war and peace apply to politics.

The General will be best served if he thinks of what is best for Nigeria rather than what is best for his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), and its chieftains. He must remember that in Nigeria’s subjective politics, it was his person that the people voted for not his party and he should therefore serve the people the dish they are angling for.
And what are the expectations of Nigerians from General Buhari? Definitely not business as usual. The president-elect ran on a promise of change and while that change was not really defined by its chanters, Nigerians defined it as a change in their situation. To borrow from the famously potent prayers of Mountain of Fire and Miracle members, the Nigerian masses defined change as a situation where wealth and power must change hands from the elite to the masses by fire by force and they see General Buhari as the enforcer angel that will bring about this change.
With this type of expectation, Buhari’s honeymoon period with Nigerians will not last very long if he does not take drastic steps to adjust Nigeria’s economy to the realities of falling oil prices and a dearth of buyers for the Bonny Light Sweet Crude.
To put things into perspective, when the United States started buying less and less of Nigeria’s oil, we looked to China as an alternative buyer of oil but it has since come to light that whereas America spent $101 billion on clean energy between 2012-13, China spent $125 billion within the same time frame.

Buhari may wish he did not win the 2015 elections when the reality of our economic situation sets in. In his December 2014 Channels Television interview, Buhari said he was going to “stabilise the oil market”. The General will learn soon enough that today’s oil market is a buyers’ market. And the General’s choices are limited because he cannot (unless he is extraordinarily brave and politically callous) do the obvious and sack civil servants. Yes, he will eventually have to reduce the over bloated federal civil service, but before he can do that, he has to build up political capital by reducing the overhead of the Executive and persuade the Legislature to follow suit.
We need an absolute change not impostures

Nigerians blame Buhari for current state of nation

– Buhari’s popularity drops for 30% since last year
– The president scored low on jobs, economy, and power
– According to the poll Ibe Kachikwu remains the best minister
– Nigerians stop blaming the previous government for all nations’ problems
President Buhari during the swearing-in ceremony on May 29, 2015.

Many Nigerians have scored President Muhammadu Buhari low on jobs, economy, and power for the first time in months according to Governance Advancement Initiative for Nigeria (GAIN).

It’s the first time since December last year that a monthly poll that track the performance of governments at all levels in Nigeria, has recorded main approval rating slide.

Earlier the survey found that majority of Nigerians did not accuse President Buhari of Nigeria’s ongoing economic troubles. They blamed ex-president Goodluck Jonathan instead.

Meanwhile, the trend changed significantly in February as country’s economic crisis bit harder, in what the poll coordinators suggested that Buhari’s “honeymoon” is over.
Malcolm Fabiyi, one of the poll’s coordinators said: “The survey was administered using electronic media between February 22nd and 29th, 2016. A total of 757 complete responses were received. The survey results have a 4% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.”

Lai Mohammed says economy gone out of Buhari's control

– President Buhari travels a lot to stabilise the prices of crude oil
– Lai Mohammed claims that incumbent government don’t control economy

Lai Mohammed, the minister of information, has said on March 12, that the Nigerian economy has gone totally out of President Muhammadu Buhari’s control.
The minister clarified that this was so because Nigeria cannot regulate the price of crude or gas.
Answering to the critics of the incumbent government Mr. Mohammed said President Buhari’s frequent trips abroad, particularly to the oil-producing nations, became imperative because of the urgent need to encourage support for the stability of the global oil prices and also to draw Foreign Direct Investment into Nigeria.
He noted that stabilizing the prices of crude oil will assist in propping up the naira. The minister added that Buhari has been spending countless times outside the country to find solution to the crash in oil prices.
“Then why Answering to the critics of the incumbent government Mr. Mohammed said President Buhari’s frequent trips abroad, particularly to the oil-producing nations, became imperative because of the urgent need to encourage support for the stability of the global oil prices and also to draw Foreign Direct Investment into Nigeria.
He noted that stabilizing the prices of crude oil will assist in propping up the naira. The minister added that Buhari has been spending countless times outside the country to find solution to the crash in oil prices.
“Then why the president cannot stay here. Staying here in Nigeria is like an army general who in the face of war remains in the bunker, ” Mohammed said.

The minister, who made these comments while answering on questions from a radio station in Abuja, said the fact that the incumbent government led by Buhari is still managing to drive the economy is a credit on its side. 
The minister, who made these comments while answering on questions from a radio station in Abuja, said the fact that the incumbent government led by Buhari is still managing to drive the economy is a credit on its side.

“Hunger Drives Me” Jane Michael Ekanem shares her inspiring story with CNN African Voices

CNN’s African Voices features celebrity stylist and fashion designer.

Jane Michael Ekanem in its latest edition.
The stylist talked about her life and career as a stylist plus her journey so far in the industry. From humble beginnings in the Surulere suburbs of Lagos, Jane Michael Ekanem had a brush
with poverty in her childhood.

After turning her passion for clothes into a booming business, the celebrity stylist and designer tells CNN the story of how she made it to the top of her industry in Nigeria and what keeps her going every morning.

EPL: Man City suffer blow to title hopes with Norwich stalemate

Manchester City’s hopes of regaining the Premier League title suffered a potentially grievous blow on Saturday as they were held to a goalless draw by struggling Norwich City at Carrow Road.

The unpredictable 2014 champions dominated possession and territory but still did not have the urgency nor invention to pierce a well-organised Canaries’ rearguard.

Sergio Aguero’s first half snapshot, well saved by John Ruddy at full stretch was the nearest they came to scoring as they had to settle frustratingly for remaining fourth in the title race, still nine points behind leaders Leicester City.

Norwich came closest to breaking the stalemate with Patrick Bamford, on his Norwich debut, hammering a brilliant half-volley against the crossbar just before halftime, reports Reuters.
The point, though crucial to Norwich’s fight against relegation, still leaves them in the bottom three.