WAEC to be 100 per cent technology driven in 2018, says head national office
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Saturday 30 December 2017
WAEC to be 100 per cent technology driven in 2018, says head national office
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Tech: California's cannabis market is expected to soar to $5.1 billion — and it's going to be bigger than beer
The market for marijuana in California will hit $3.7 billion in 2018 alone, and that's expected to increase to over $5 billion by 2019.
- California is set to begin sales of recreational marijuana on January 1.
- The market is expected to hit $3.7 billion in 2018 alone, and that number will increase to over $5 billion in 2019.
- Legal marijuana will be a tax windfall for the state.
Recreational cannabis sales are set to begin in California on January 1 — and the market is expected to haul in billions in revenue next year as dispensaries roll out across the state.
A report from the cannabis industry research firm BDS Analytics estimates sales of cannabis to hit $3.7 billion in 2018 alone, and predict that number will increase to $5.1 billion in 2019 as more dispensaries come online.
For comparison, beer sales in California hit $5 billion in 2017, according to industry research group IBIS World.
California — the world's sixth largest economy with a population of close to 40 million — will be a huge chunk of the total market for cannabis in North America. Legal marijuana sales are predicted to hit $9.7 billion across the seven states where recreational marijuana is legal, excluding California, and Canada in 2017 alone, according to BDS. That number is expected to hit $24.5 billion in sales by 2021, despite continued federal prohibition.
But many Californians in some of the state's largest cities will have to wait to buy legal pot. Many cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, haven't yet passed regulations in time for the January 1 date, reports Green State, a cannabis-focused digital outlet. That means that a number of medical dispensaries, who are trying to transition to the adult-use, or recreational market, will not have their licenses in place to open on New Year's Day.
On top of that, the price of pot is expected to increase up to 15% as California applies a new excise tax on recreational sales. According to Green State, the price of an eighth-ounce of marijuana — now around $54 including tax — will increase to approximately $65, though local municipalities may levy different fees.
While it's hard to say how this will affect the market, there is a concern here among some industry analysts that high prices may divert some customers to the black market, where they an avoid the extra fees.
"If there are only 10 regulated dispensaries in the East Bay and I live 45 minutes from one of them, I’m going to call my dealer or my unregulated delivery service like I’ve done for the last five years," Hezekiah Allen, the executive director of the California Growers Association, told Bloomberg.
"What we need to do in California right now is ensure that every Californian that wants to consume cannabis can buy it at an affordable price, conveniently, from a licensed retailer," Allen added.
All that extra tax, however, will likely be a windfall for California. By 2021, BDS Analytics predicts California will rake in up to $1.4 billion from taxes on recreational marijuana purchases.
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January transfer news & rumours: Man Utd to battle Barca for Coutinho
Goal takes a look at the biggest transfer rumours from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and beyond as we head into the winter window
January transfer news & rumours: Man Utd to battle Barca for Coutinho
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Fiorentina 1 AC Milan 1: Calhanoglu earns stuttering Rossoneri a point
AC Milan’s stuttering Serie A form continued in a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Saturday.
Fiorentina 1 AC Milan 1: Calhanoglu earns stuttering Rossoneri a point
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Wife Material: 20 young men list qualities of the perfect girl to marry
Young Nigerian guys tell us the biggest features a woman must have before they can take her home to mama.
What do you understand, or rather what is your definition of wife material?
What does a woman need to be like; what does she need to have; how does she need to affect you; how do you need to view her before you ask for her hand in marriage?
For the purpose of this article, 20 guys got the chance to share their preferences, and here is a list of the features that define their wife materials:
1. A woman who genuinely likes me – Afam, 27.
2. A woman who honestly loves me even with all my imperfections – Jerry, 25.
3. All I need is trustworthiness and respect – Soji, 24.
4. A woman without a record of cheating – Teju, 32.
ALSO READ: Why commitment is the ultimate relationship goal
5. A woman who is intellectual, knowledgeable, and has common sense – Damilare, 26
6. I’ll marry a woman that makes me laugh especially when I’ve had tough, bad days – Chukwuka, 23.
7. A woman who doesn’t lose her cool easily. I like them calm and collected – Henry, 28.
8. A woman with whom I share a powerful sexual connection – Benjamin, 24.
9. A woman who makes good decisions and is honest – Folarin, 30.
10. A woman I can argue with, without it turning into a fight, or affecting our relationship negatively – Eze, 29.
11. A woman who values and respects my opinions – Nonso, 30.
12. A sincerely kind-hearted woman – Onyekachi, 22.
13. A woman I can trust absolutely and completely – Kehinde, 29.
14. A woman who is understanding, clean, sober, smart, and kind – Chibuzor, 28.
ALSO READ: This proposal at Adekunle Gold's concert is romantic AF
15. A woman who shares my values – Timothy, 31.
16. An ambitious woman. I’d really love to marry a go-getter – Feranmi, 25.
17. I cannot marry her if she does not smile a lot – Uche, 26.
18. A woman with high self-confidence – Ameen, 24
19. A woman I can do everything together with, basically a woman who can be my best friend – Ifeanyi, 29.
20. A woman who can admit her mistakes – Michael, 22.
Wife Material: 20 young men list qualities of the perfect girl to marry
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Home Eagles Thrash Abuja League Side In CHAN Friendly
By Johnny Edward:
The home-based Super Eagles (Home Eagles) continued their preparation for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Morocco with a 4-1 win overAbuja League side Capital City FC on Saturday in a practice game.
The win was the Home Eagles’ third straight victory after defeating Water FC 1-0 and Nigeria Nationwide League One club Oyah FC 2-0 respectively.
Goals from Emeka Ogbuchi, Kingsley Eduwo, Okechukwu Gabriel and Sunday Faleye ensured the Home Eagles remained unbeaten in their build-up to CHAN.
Coach Salisu Yusuf is expected to release his final 23-man squad for the bi-ennial competition before the January 3 deadline set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Nigeria will face Rwanda, Libya and Equatorial Guinea in Group C of the tournament.
The competition will start on January 13 and end on February 4.
Home Eagles Thrash Abuja League Side In CHAN Friendly
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Australian Warship Makes Huge Hashish Seizure In The Arabian Sea
An Australian warship has seized almost eight tonnes of hashish in the Arabian Sea, with the defence department Saturday estimating its street value at Aus$415 million (US$325 million).
HMAS Warramunga has also confiscated 69 kilogrammes of heroin during maritime security manoeuvres in the area over the past three days.
“The crew prepared extensively for a task like this and we were able to employ our helicopter and boarding crews to locate and board three suspect vessels,” the ship’s commanding officer Dugald Clelland said.
“A thorough search by the boarding parties uncovered a large quantity of hashish and heroin intended for distribution around the world.”
The drugs will be disposed of at sea.
Major General John Frewen, head of Australian Forces in the Middle East, described the seizure as a big setback for drug traffickers.
“This operation will impact on the flow of narcotics around the world and the use of drug money to fund extremist organisations,” he said.
The officials did not say which country’s shoreline the seized drugs were closest to.
The HMAS Warramunga is part of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) naval partnership in which 30 nations patrol 2.5 million square miles of international waters.
The warship enforces maritime security with a focus on terrorist activity in the Middle East and Indian Ocean regions as part of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, which operates under the CMF.
The post Australian Warship Makes Huge Hashish Seizure In The Arabian Sea appeared first on Independent Nigeria.
Australian Warship Makes Huge Hashish Seizure In The Arabian Sea
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Surprisingly, the Presidency wants to explain reasons ‘dead people’ were given appointments
It is rather ‘amazing’ that the Presidency will want to attempt to explain why it released a controversial list of appointments that has dead men and duplications inherent in it.
- The list also shows duplications and appointments of individuals that are no longer in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) – like loyalists of the now PDP member, Atiku Abubakar.
- According to Premium Times, a Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said, “the list has a history” which explains the controversy around it.
“In 2015, Mr President requested all state chapters of the party to submit names of 50 party members for board appointments,” Shehu said.
- He said the names where compiled by the national secretariat of the APC and forwarded to the then secretary to the government of the federation, Babachir Lawal.
“However, a complaint arose from some governors who felt they were not carried along in the process. To answer this, the president constituted a committee under the vice president to review and reflect the interest of the governors”.
- Shehu, however, said the action was delayed on the report of the committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as President Muhammadu Buhari was indisposed.
“The president’s trips for medical attention slowed down completion of the process,” he said, until when Buhari decided to revisit the matter recently.
“The current SGF was only directed to complete that process by releasing the list which he apparently did without altering it,” Shehu explained.
- Shehu admitted that errors were committed but added that “no human undertaking can be free of mistakes”.
- He said the errors identified with the list were not enough to describe the exercise as scandalous, insisting that “there is no scandal”.
- The spokesperson said all errors in the list would be corrected.
What this means: It is not only surprising that the Presidency will even try to tell Nigerians that an unnecessary cum deliberate error is not scandalous, it is mind-boggling.
The only thing that would have been appropriate was to apologise to Nigerians and immediately correct the error but, saying the SGF released the list without ‘altering it’ goes further to highlight the garden-variety governance structure of the present administration.
One is forgivable but, four dead persons is definitely not an oversight.
Read » Surprisingly, the Presidency wants to explain reasons ‘dead people’ were given appointments on YNaija
Surprisingly, the Presidency wants to explain reasons ‘dead people’ were given appointments
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Politics: One of Trump's biggest highlights of 2017 was rushing to get a ton of judges confirmed — and he's set for more wins in 2018
But one area where Trump's first year in office can be rated as nothing short of a success — nominating and confirming judges to the federal bench.
- One of President Donald Trump's biggest wins in 2017 was his influence on the US judicial system.
- In 2018, it looks like he will be able to get even more judges confirmed.
In reviewing 2017, there were a number of areas in which President Donald Trump did not make the advances he was hoping to make when he campaigned for the Oval Office.
The Affordable Care Act still exists, funding is not secured to build a massive border wall, and little action has been taken against China in the trade realm.
But one area in which Trump's first year in office can be rated as nothing short of a success is nominating and confirming judges to the federal bench.
2017 proved to be an all-out blitz from the administration in nominating judges to the circuit and district courts at a pace not seen in recent presidencies. Meanwhile, the Senate, particularly late in the year, moved at a breakneck pace to confirm those judges, setting a record for the most circuit court judges confirmed in a single year.
In doing so, the Trump administration bypassed traditional vetting mechanisms in the name of rapid-fire nominations — some of whom, as a result, had to be returned after nominees appeared to have conflicts, were unqualified, or simply appeared to be unprepared for what was to come in their Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.
But, for the most part, Senate Republicans stood firmly behind Trump as both were able to make progress on a mutual goal — reshaping the courts in a more conservative image. They also moved to greatly curtail the "blue slip," a longtime process by which no judicial nominee can advance without the approval of both home state senators.
In total, the Senate has been able to confirm 19 judges in 2017, a number that is greater than President Barack Obama's first year in office but fewer than President George W. Bush was able to get through in 2001.
Still, the record-setting number of circuit court confirmations is a point of pride for both Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who touted the record on the South Lawn of the White House as Republicans were taking a victory lap for the passage of their massive tax overhaul earlier this month.
'The Senate will need to increase the confirmation pace in 2018'
Meanwhile, Trump has nominated roughly 75 judges for vacancies on the federal bench, with just a handful having to be returned. He will start 2018 with about 160 vacancies to fill, and a thin majority in the Republican-controlled Senate, and a desire to tout legislative accomplishments, opening up the door for even more time to be spent on the judicial nominees.
"Even with these confirmations, however, there are still about 160 vacancies remaining on the federal courts, almost 50% more than when Trump took office," Carrie Severino, chief counsel for the Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative group that worked to help advance Trump's nominees, told Business Insider in an email. "The Senate will need to increase the confirmation pace in 2018 simply to keep up with the number of retirements."
In an end-of-year call touting the administration's accomplishments, a senior White House official labeled the action on the courts as one of the president's biggest highlights of the year.
"This will continue to be a place where the president's mark will be seen," they said.
Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond professor and expert on judicial nominations, told Business Insider that the year will be remembered for the "record-setting" pace of appellate court confirmations, which the administration, McConnell, and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley should get "substantial credit" for.
He warned, however, that the administration should take note of the nominees who were returned and who did not make it through the confirmation process and act with more "caution" moving forward in vetting nominations.
In 2018, the pace will be "just as breakneck as it has been," he predicted.
"Because of the threat that they might lose the Senate" in 2018, he said. "So I assume they will want to have hearings every two weeks and move people as quickly as they can."
Democrats, for the most part, sought to block Trump's nominees with whatever procedural powers remain after filibusters for lower-court judges were crushed by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in 2013.
It's a trend that Tobias thinks doesn't show signs of stopping soon, even though he added that the administration could benefit by consulting more with Democratic senators before putting forth nominees.
"Unless one party controls the Senate and the White House, this is going to be difficult to get people through," he said, adding there is "plenty of blame to go around" for how Congress got to that point.
Case in point: Senate Republicans moving to greatly curtail the "blue slip," a tradition that leading Republicans had called for the preservation of just a few years ago when Obama was in power.
"Once you start taking apart the blue slip, is there anything left?" Tobias said. "Once you start overloading the hearings, are you inclined to overload them even more? I'm just afraid you're going to get into a dynamic of either tit-for-tat or payback or accelerating already bad processes, which I think would be disastrous."
"I just think they need a way to move forward and use some of the traditions that were helpful and encouraged bipartisanship and cooperation," he continued.
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Putin Calls For ‘Pragmatic Cooperation’ In New Year Wishes To Trump
Russian President Vladimir Putin called for “pragmatic cooperation” in his New Year wishes to US President Donald Trump, the Kremlin said on Saturday.
READ ALSO: Trump’s New Security Strategy Threatens China, Russia – Analysts
In a statement on the Russian president’s New Year wishes to world leaders, the Kremlin said Putin told Trump that “a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world.”
The Russian president also sent messages to other heads of state, including the leaders of former Soviet countries, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Angela Merkel and Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad.
In his wishes to the Syrian leader, with whom he met with during a surprise visit to Russia’s Syrian air base Hmeimim earlier this month, Putin “expressed sincere hope that key changes for the better will continue in Syria in the new year”.
The statement added that V.Putin told Assad “Russia will continue to show all kind of support to the Syrian Arab Republic in order to protect its state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity”.
Russia became involved in the Syrian conflict in September 2015, when it began an aerial campaign in support of Assad’s military. The Russian leader ordered a partial withdrawal of the Russian army from Syria earlier this month.
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Putin Calls For ‘Pragmatic Cooperation’ In New Year Wishes To Trump
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Onyekuru: Time With Family Will Speed Up My Recovery From Knee Injury
By Johnny Edward:
Anderlecht forward Henry Onyekuru is confident the time he will spend with his family in Nigeria while on break will help speed up his recovery froma serious injury, Completesportsnigeria.com reports.
Onyekuru tore his knee ligaments while in action for Anderlecht in their 1-0 Belgian league win against his former club KAS Eupen last weekend.
Afterwards, a statement on the official website of Anderlecht revealed that Onyekuru would undergo surgery and spend several months on the sidelines as a result of the injury.
“Had to come back Home 
to spend time with the family. Family time speeds up the recovery, God willing I’ll be back better and stronger 
#Baby Sis,” the Nigerian international tweeted on Saturday with pictures of himself on crutches, receiving a lech from his sister apparently in the family house.
Onyekuru, 20, joined Everton from Eupen at the beginning of the season but was immediately loaned out to Anderlecht where he has scored nine goals in 19 league games and 10 goals in 28 games in all competitions until his injury.
Onyekuru: Time With Family Will Speed Up My Recovery From Knee Injury
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I-League 2017: Gokulam Kerala v Aizawl FC – TV channel, stream, kick-off time & match preview
Gokulam Kerala host defending I-League champions Aizawl FC on the last day of the year…
I-League 2017: Gokulam Kerala v Aizawl FC – TV channel, stream, kick-off time & match preview
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Super Eagles defender, Omeruo weds today [PHOTOS]
Super Eagles defender, Kenneth Omeruo, will be getting married to his fiancee, Chioma Nnamani, in Enugu state today. Kenneth, who is a Chelsea defender but currently on loan at Turkish club Kasimpasa, proposed to Chioma in September. He shared photos of their engagement on his Instagram page. Goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme, on his post wrote “Congrats […]
Super Eagles defender, Omeruo weds today [PHOTOS]
Super Eagles defender, Omeruo weds today [PHOTOS]
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George Weah: Drogba, Toure, PSG, Monaco react to soccer legend's victory
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George Weah: Drogba, Toure, PSG, Monaco react to soccer legend's victory
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Four killed as Fulani herdsmen, farmers clash in Taraba
Four persons were killed on Thursday in a clash between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Minda, Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State. The Public Relations Officer, Taraba State Police Command, David Misal, confirmed the development. Misal said two persons were killed after the father of the young grazer, whom he identified as a […]
Four killed as Fulani herdsmen, farmers clash in Taraba
Four killed as Fulani herdsmen, farmers clash in Taraba
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Davido: How Pepsi dominated social media with the 30 Billion Concert
Davido's 30 Billion Concert was a night of spectacular performances and unending burst of energy right from takeoff to the end all thanks to Pepsi.
Davido's 30 Billion Concert was a night of spectacular performances and unending burst of energy right from takeoff to the end all thanks to Pepsi.
Top rated celebrities like Wizkid, Olamide, Dbanj Nasty C, Falz, Don Jazzy, CDQ, 2 baba, Wande Coal, D'banj, Mayorkun, Ice Prince, Runtown, Niniola and others delivered electrifying performances of their bite size hits. The audience also couldn’t curtail their excitement as Davido thrilled the crowd with his hit songs like Dami Duro, Fall, If and Fia.
The turnout was nothing short of massive and with those at home beginning to develop a fear of missing out, Pepsi surprised us all by streaming the show live via their Twitter and Facebook pages.
This gesture by Pepsi created a positive social media frenzy among the thousands of fans that keenly followed the event online. See screen shots of some of the social media buzz.
That’s not even all, the buzz by the online community around the live stream saw Pepsi emerge as the most mentioned and talked about brand during and after the event.
The show was not short of surprises as we saw the defunct Mo Hit crew perform together for the first time in years.
All in all, it was a show of superb performance and going by that standard, Pepsi has truly delivered on her promise on a Disembaa like never before.
This is a featured post.
Davido: How Pepsi dominated social media with the 30 Billion Concert
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LIVE: Celtic vs Rangers
Brendan Rodgers’s side can move 11 points clear at the top of the table with a win over their fierce rivals at Parkhead. Follow it LIVE with Goal!
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Int’l Beach Volleyball: Nigeria’s Male, Female Teams Through To The Semis
Nigeria’s male and female Volleyball national teams have qualified for the semi-finals of the International Beach Volleyball (IBV) tournament in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Completesportsnigeria.com reports.
Nigeria’s male team defeated DR Congo 21-9, 21-7 to qualify for the semi-finals while the female team outclassed Central African Republic in their quarter-final match 21-12 and 21-12 to qualify for the semi-finals billed for Saturday (today).
In a media statement made available to Completesportsnigeria.com, the coach of the teams, Imoudu Francis expressed happiness and satisfaction on the results of the teams and equally implored Nigerians to support them in their quest to scale through the semi finals hurdles, to reach the finals.
“It was a great outing so far from the teams and their business-like approach is highly commendable,” Imoudu told the Nigerian Volleyball Federation media department.
Nigeria’s male team will face Cameroon in the semi final later this evening (Saturday), while the women will also battle Cameroon as well also in the semi-finals of the ongoing International Beach Volleyball (IBV) tournament.
Int’l Beach Volleyball: Nigeria’s Male, Female Teams Through To The Semis
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Migrants drink urine to stay alive, Libya returnee recounts ordeal
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Migrants drink urine to stay alive, Libya returnee recounts ordeal
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NNPC’s subsidy fraud, a must probe – ADP
…Urges Senate To Urgently Set Up Probe Team
The Action Democratic Party (ADP) has mandated the National Assembly both the upper and lower chambers to wade into the subsidy controversy and probe it.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday, by the ADP Lagos Spokesman, Prince Adelaja Adeoye, he said that the discrepancies in the subsidy claim has further created tensions, controversies and doubts in the minds of Nigerians. While he explain in details, he called on the Senate President Bukola Saraki to urgently set up a committee to look into the subsidy controversy.
According to ADP, the current fuel scarcity that has left Nigerians in a sorry state, in this festive season, has revealed monumental fraud in the NNPC, through its involvement in secret payments of subsidy. This is of huge significance because, the Buhari’s government had told Nigerians that subsidy was removed in early 2016, the party said.
The party said further that, it could be recalled that in the wake of the present fuel scarcity, the APC government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, had blamed the problem on major oil marketers, whom it alleged were asking for an increase in the pump price of fuel. However, the oil marketers later countered the allegation, maintaining that their problem with the government, was far from the alleged demand for pump price increase; and went on to reveal that they were being owed huge sum by the FG in subsidy payment.
The revelation, immediately prompted an outcry from Nigerians who demanded to known what subsidy, the marketers were talking about, taken into account that the Buhari’s government had told the nation, in early 2016 that fuel subsidy has been removed, a development, which lead to the increase in pump price from N87 to N145.
In their explanation in May 2016, through VP Osinbajo, the FG explained that the fuel subsidy removal as follows;
“First, the real issue is not a removal of subsidy. At $40 a barrel there isn’t much of a subsidy to remove.” Explaining further, VP Osinbajo said;
“We realised that we were left with only one option. This was to allow independent marketers and any Nigerian entity to source their own foreign exchange and import fuel. We expect that foreign exchange will be sourced at an average of about N285 to the dollar, (current interbank rate). They would then be restricted to selling at a price between N135 and N145 per litre.
What this meant was that Marketers were importing fuel and selling as dictated by the market forces, with little government regulation to avoid excessive pricing of the sales of fuel to the Nigerian masses.
Also, Speaking with Nigerians in October 2016, in an interactive session in Berlin, Buhari said, “There are things that are happening, and if such had happened before there would have been major riot, like the removal of subsidy on fuel,” further confirming Osinbajo’s earlier claims.
These are the reasons ADP said its in total disbelief to hear that there was still anything called subsidy, associated with fuel. Hence, in a swift reaction, and to cover this fraud or probably to silence Nigerians who kept demanding for an explanation of this sudden subsidy claim, the party noted that the VP Osinbajo told the nation that NNPC and not the federal government is responsible for the subsidy payment. In his words, “NNPC and not the Federal Government pays for the fuel subsidy that has emerged with the N171 landing cost as against the official retail price of N145.”
ADP said this new claim has further angered Nigerians who couldn’t figure how NNPC became responsible for subsidy payment and not the FG. More so that as an agency of government, NNPC can only spend money within the budget. Meanwhile, there has not been any budget for subsidy for two year running.
Now to avoid the probing questions of Nigerians, NNPC GMD, Baru, while responding to questions at Aso Rock Villa, after the Friday prayers, said that Buhari authorized him to be paying subsidy for fuel.
It is interesting to note that NNPC is a parastatal of the FG, which spends money as budgeted for in the annual national budget. For two year running, there has not been any budget for subsidy, because it has been removed from petroleum product; yet NNPC has been paying subsidy. The fraud here is, NNPC is paying subsidy the government said doesn’t exist anymore, and doing so outside the budget.
The practice has been that every money collected by all FG agencies and parastatals are mandatorily paid into the TSA, from where approval is given for withdrawal, by same agencies in line with their budget. What this means is that NNPC has either not been paying into TSA or has been short paying. We must remember that just recently, a House committee discovered the sum of N50bn in NNPC secret account, outside the TSA. The NNPC GMD Baru, was quick to say, Buhari order him to put the N50bn into such secret account. This is besides the $25bn contract it awarded without due process, which he also claimed, Buhari authorised.
ADP said it is calling on the Nigerian Senate to do the needful by investigating the NNPC’s subsidy fraud, to save Nigeria from the monumental fraud supervised by GMD Maikanti Baru and his team at NNPC happening in the open and to the knowledge of Buhari, the party concluded.
The post NNPC’s subsidy fraud, a must probe – ADP appeared first on Vanguard News.
NNPC’s subsidy fraud, a must probe – ADP
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Soldier, others hijack fuel-laden truck
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Soldier, others hijack fuel-laden truck
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EPL: Betting odds, predictions for Matchday 21
Action resumes this weekend in the English Premier League, EPL. Being a soccer-loving nation, more Nigerians have upped their love for the game by investing in their favourite leagues, teams and players. As you seek to put your money where your mouth is on EPL Matchday 21, DAILY POST has helped you collate odds for […]
EPL: Betting odds, predictions for Matchday 21
EPL: Betting odds, predictions for Matchday 21
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Wenger 811: The numbers behind record-breaking Arsenal tenure
As the Frenchman prepares to break Alex Ferguson’s Premier League longevity record, we look at some of the key data behind his career
Wenger 811: The numbers behind record-breaking Arsenal tenure
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Arsenal and Man City alerted to Evans availability as Pardew ponders sale
The Northern Ireland international defender is as good as Liverpool’s new £75 million man Virgil van Dijk and could be sold, says West Brom manager
Arsenal and Man City alerted to Evans availability as Pardew ponders sale
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Fragrance: 5 fragrances to make a man fall in love
These sultry perfumes will quite literally turn you into a lady-killer
Perfume is one of the most sensual things a woman can wear and just the mere hint of a great fragrance can make her irrestistible. We have put together a list of the 5 perfumes that are guaranteed to make a man faint.
Perfume, since it's creation, has aimed to entice. In a bid to mimic the effect that the pheromones we excrete have on the opposite sex, perfume uses different combinations in order to get heads to turn and keep us smelling our very best.
With the market being saturated with a variety of different perfumes, it's hard to know which ones have the desired effect but here we have brought you the five perfumes, be them new or old, that are a sure fire way to make you seem like you're the only one in the room.
1. Narciso Rodriguez- For Her
This fragrance is unique and sexy. It has prominent rose and orange blossom notes with the musky base notes, it is feminine and sensual and definitely for the women with confidence. It has really luxurious floral scents and really captures the essence of a woman's femininity making it one of the world's most popular scents. The beauty of this perfume is how long it lasts on skin after it has dried down and mixes with ones natural scent to create a unique smell that is irresistible to the opposite sex.
2. Tom Ford- Black Orchid
This unisex fragrance lingers for days and on a night out will definitely turn heads. It has a primal seductive effect on the opposite sex and the typically masculine base notes aren't what you would expect a woman to typically wear. Black Orchid is a wild, deep, and rich scent that unashamedly announces itself to the world when worn, it's not for the subtle woman. It's loaded with a potent combination of florals, spices, citrus, and gourmand notes that radiate wildly in a potion that must be smelled to be believed.
3. Givenchy- Ange ou Demon
This fragrance is the essence of seductive femininity that is effortlessly charming impressive and enticing. It opens with fresh notes then quickly reveals it is a warm feminine scent. It's vanilla base notes makes it sweet but not sickly. It's a ladylike perfume but in a seductive way that's perfect for a modern lady. A mandarin note in the opening blends well with a light and gentle saffron note. The dry down is flowery, with a pleasant orchid impression combining with a lily note. As the name suggests, this scent starts of sweet and innocent but transforms into something infinitely more deadly.
4. Thierry Mugler- Angel
Angel is a classic by any standards. The furore it caused when it first came out still stands till date and makes it one of t he most loved female fragrances of all time. The opening is sweet Vanilla which is balanced by the tart bitterness of Bergamot.
There are subtle notes of caramel and even chocolate. The quality of this perfume is so much so that the scent lingers long after a shower. It's sexy and quite clever in construction with the opening and the heart of the perfume being quite intriguing and most narcotic. This smell will leave men entranced in your wake and intoxicated by you.
5. Le Labo- Santal 33
This scent is the most different to the rest in this list. Rather than being seductive and intoxicating, it is rather crisp and fresh. It is neither woody nor floral, far from leathery or spicy but not exactly like musk but it does manage to smell distinctive and chic. The beauty of this scent is its insane longevity which lasts well into the next day even after a good scrub. This scent would be appreciated by those with a more refined nose who prefer a more natural, subtle and slow releasing method of seduction.
Fragrance: 5 fragrances to make a man fall in love
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Pulse Opinion: Buhari hiring dead folks into boards is national embarrassment
The appointment of dead folks into the federal bureaucracy by Buhari should be seen as a national embarrassment.
President Muhammadu Buhari and the rest of his team, love to say they hate ghost workers. But on Friday, December 29, 2017, the names of dead persons found their way into a long list containing the president’s new hires to fill vacancies in boards and parastatals.
“The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has approved the constitution of the Governing Boards of Agencies and Parastatals, under some Ministries, as well as the appointment of eminently qualified Nigerians to fill the Board positions, numbering 209 Chairmen and 1258 members”, read the statement signed by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.
Except that among the “eminently qualified” were Donald Ugbaja who died this year, Francis Okpozo who passed on in 2016 and Christopher Utov who exited planet earth in March.
It doesn’t get more shoddy and embarrassing than this.
The only plausible explanation is that these late folks (Lord rest their souls) were named as federal board members and chairmen while they were still alive. Buhari, famed for his snail speed and foot-dragging, must have had the board appointments list sitting on his desk forever. So, while he dithered and pondered, some of his potential appointees died and the list was released to the public without as much as a cross checking.
Another rational explanation could be that the former SGF, Babachir Lawal, drew up the list and sat on same. Mustapha who took over from Lawal, would then go on to forward the list to the president for assent without first vetting same.
Inexcusable
It is all shades of ridiculous and totally inexcusable to hire dead people. That the president even dispatched a condolence letter to one of his dead ‘appointees’ back in 2016, brings to the fore the shoddiness and sloppiness that is the Buhari administration.
This just tells you that the president doesn't even have a dossier of most of his hires; that there are no background checks, no vetting, before people get government jobs.
ALSO READ: "Simply address me as SGF please", says Boss
Naming dead persons into boards and parastatals should never have happened if the presidency was up to its job. The truth is that time and again, this presidency has proven that it isn’t up to its job.
This is also a sober reminder that the nation's civil service is brimming with ghosts and more ghosts.
In a serious country, heads should roll over this.
It says a lot when a president who says he despises ghost workers and whose administration has expended huge resources preening ghost workers off the payroll, has to lean on actual ghosts to steer the ship that is the federal bureaucracy.
Cry, the beloved country.
Pulse Opinion: Buhari hiring dead folks into boards is national embarrassment
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Russia Selling Oil To North Korea In Violation Of UN Sanctions, Says Report
Russia, a member of the United Nations Security Council has allegedly violated a UN Security Council resolution on North Korea by allegedly transferring oil products to the Asian country through its vessels out at sea on several occasions, a published report has revealed.
The UN Security Council sanction had barred North Korea from importing natural gas and had also capped its crude oil imports in September, according to two senior Western European security sources.
The news follows President Donald Trump’s criticism of China this week regarding a South Korean report that Chinese ships have illegally supplied oil to North Korean ships at sea dozens of times since October. China denied the reports Friday.
Russian ships conducted ship-to-ship transfers at least three times during October and November, the Reuters report said. In September, there were reports of a number of North Korean ships fueled up directly from Russia and sailed the product back to their country by lying about where the cargo would be delivered.
“Russian vessels have made ship-to-ship transfers of petrochemicals to North Korean vessels on several occasions this year in breach of sanctions,” the first security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
The second source, who also confirmed the illicit activity, said, “there is no evidence that this is backed by the Russian state.”
Both sources referred to naval intelligence and satellite imagery to back up their claims of Russian ships aiding in North Korea’s efforts to secure oil and fuel despite an international crackdown to cut off Pyongyang in hopes of curbing its nuclear missile program.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry and the Russian Customs Service each declined to comment when asked about the ship-to-ship cargo transfer — and the owner of a ship allegedly involved in the illegal activity denied involvement.
“The vessels are smuggling Russian fuel from Russian Far Eastern ports to North Korea,” the first security source said on the condition of anonymity.
Last week the U.N. Security Council passed even stricter sanctions on North Korea, banning roughly 90 percent of oil and refined petroleum imports in response to Kim Jong Un’s latest missile test Nov. 29.
The post Russia Selling Oil To North Korea In Violation Of UN Sanctions, Says Report appeared first on Independent Nigeria.
Russia Selling Oil To North Korea In Violation Of UN Sanctions, Says Report
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George Weah: Atiku, Secondus react to victory
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George Weah: Atiku, Secondus react to victory
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Southern Kaduna killings: lslamic Movement mourns, condemns El-Rufai
Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, has expressed concern and solidarity with the people of Southern Kaduna over the recent spate of killings in the area. In a letter address to the Southern Kaduna people Union, SOKAPU, signed by the President, Media Forum of theIslamic Movement in Nigeria, Ibrahim Musa, said, IMN noted that its solidarity […]
Southern Kaduna killings: lslamic Movement mourns, condemns El-Rufai
Southern Kaduna killings: lslamic Movement mourns, condemns El-Rufai
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Lifestyle: 'Fake news' is officially the 2017 word of the year
Its definition: "false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting."
Every year, we pick up new lingo thanks to newsworthy people and events — but some stand out more than others.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, The Collins Word of the Year 2017 — an annual campaign that gives "a chance to reflect on the words that have defined the last 12 months" — is "fake news."
As defined by Collins, "fake news" means "false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting."
The word saw an "unprecedented usage increase of 365%" since 2016, according to the company.
"It has been derided by the leader of the free world and accused of influencing elections, but 'fake news' is today legitimate news as it is named Collins’ Word of the Year 2017," the site states.
You can watch Collins' hilarious announcement of the Word of the Year here:
It added: "In a year that’s been so unbelievable it’s hard to know what is fact and what is fiction, you can rely on Collins to keep you updated on the words you need to know."
The shortlisted words for 2017 include "unicorn," "echo chamber," "gig economy," and "cuffing season."
The 2016 winner was "Brexit," while "binge-watch" took the title in 2015.
You can see the full list here.
Lifestyle: 'Fake news' is officially the 2017 word of the year
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January transfer news & rumours: Ronaldo sets €100m Real ultimatum
Goal takes a look at the biggest transfer rumours from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and beyond as we head into the winter window
January transfer news & rumours: Ronaldo sets €100m Real ultimatum
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Fayose’s muscling Ekiti people, he has become pharaoh – Adeyeye
A former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has accused the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, of intimidating the people. Adeyeye described Fayose as pharaoh of Ekiti and accused the governor of harassing other members of the party that do not belong to his group. The former minister of […]
Fayose’s muscling Ekiti people, he has become pharaoh – Adeyeye
Fayose’s muscling Ekiti people, he has become pharaoh – Adeyeye
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Fuel scarcity: Senate begs Nigerians, speaks on inviting Petroleum Minister, Buhari
Nigerian Senate has expressed its determination to unravel the mystery behind the incessant fuel crisis occasionally witnessed across the country. Chairman of the Senate Committee on petroleum (downstream), Senator Kabiru Marafa, said this while briefing journalists in Abuja on Friday. He apologised to Nigerians on behalf of the red chamber, assuring that the “Senate is […]
Fuel scarcity: Senate begs Nigerians, speaks on inviting Petroleum Minister, Buhari
Fuel scarcity: Senate begs Nigerians, speaks on inviting Petroleum Minister, Buhari
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Buhari: Nigerians tear president apart for appointing dead folks into boards
Nigerians have been criticising President Buhari for appointing dead people into board and parastatals.
When president Muhammadu Buhari announced the appointment of 209 board chairmen and 1,258 board members late Friday, dead folks also made the cut.
It’s an embarrassment that has since gripped the nation and got everyone on social media talking.
Chief Donald Ugbaja who was appointed member of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), died on the 29th of November, 2017.
Reverend Christopher Utov who was appointed member of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research, died in March of 2017.
But that didn’t stop Utov—once the proprietor of Fidei Polytechnic—from getting a job in the president’s bureaucracy.
Francis Okpovo, a second republic senator and a former member of the BoT (Board of Trustees) of the APC, was appointed board chairman of the Nigerian Press Council.
The problem is that Okpovo died in Benin City on Boxing Day of 2016 from an illness and even got a condolence letter from Buhari.
President Buhari condoled the government and people of Delta State following the death of Okpozo who died at 81, on Wednesday, December 28, 2016.
The statement was issued by Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
'Special kind of incompetence'
“It can be taken for granted that the Muhammadu Buhari administration is incompetent. But it takes a special kind of incompetence to appoint not one, not two but three dead people into boards and agencies. Never done before in our national history”, wrote Twitter user @I_am_Anomeli.
“Just three dead people on the list so far. We thank God. It could have been 6 or 12. Buhari is really trying. Please let me know if you find any more dead people so we can report those names to the nearest mortuary”, wrote @DoubleEph.
“How do you appoint people and not check whether they are alive, well and capable of executing the functions of the office to which they are being appointed? Let's not even talk about checking whether they share core ideologies and abiding principles. Check that they are alive!!!”, added @I_am_Anomeli.
Another twitter user with the handle @marmekus wrote: “Maybe this list was sent to him long time ago but in his usual nature; he delayed to act. Worse, nothing was done to crosscheck the list again before releasing it to the public. This is a new level of low in governance in Nigeria”.
@Samuelngadi wrote: “The cute thing about this is how people think this is a mistake and not a deliberate attempt to loot and go scot free. Dead men don't get probed or arrested by EFCC. Another funny thing is how people think it has never happened before.”
Pulse will fill you when the response from the presidency eventually arrives.
But the presidency has sure got plenty of egg on its face at the moment.
Buhari: Nigerians tear president apart for appointing dead folks into boards
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