FG monetises N280m cars for Obasanjo, Gowon, Jonathan, others

The Federal Government approved N280.1m cash payments to former Presidents and Heads of State in 2017 to buy cars.
Out of the money, N40m had already been released, but final releases would tally at “100 per cent.”
There is an outstanding balance of N240.1m to be paid to the former leaders.
Vehicles worth N120m were also approved to be purchased for former Vice-Presidents in 2017.
The 2017 budget will still be in operation till May.
In the case of the former Presidents, the vehicles worth N280.1m, were to be purchased for them directly by the government.

Prime Witness ~ Change and Policy Challenges In Buhari's Nigeria,

 By Izu J. Okoye 

Recently, a trending analysis attributed to the Economist magazine, categorized President Muhammadu Buhari's  leadership and tenure as being " plagued with failures across every single sector in the economy, the like as has never been seen before."  This synoptic evaluation its veracity notwitwstanding, correlates with the extensive chronicle and exposé by Oseloka H.  Obaze in his just released  book, titled: 'Prime Witness – Change and Policy Challenges in Buhari’s Nigeria’ .

Assaulted Journalist Recounts Ordeal in F/SARS Net

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Following the recent arrest of a United Kingdom based lawyer and online journalist Daniel Elombah by men of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad SARS, the victim berates the Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

He lamented that the reasons for his arrest and that of his brother is yet to be made known to them, he is however seeking justice over the alleged maltreatment.

Read Oprah Winfrey’s powerful Golden Globes speech

Actress and TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey poses with the Cecil B. DeMille Award during the 75th Golden Globe Awards on January 7, 2018, in Beverly Hills, California. / AFP PHOTO / Frederic J. BROWN
In 1964, I was a little girl sitting on the linoleum floor of my mother’s house in Milwaukee watching Anne Bancroft present the Oscar for best actor at the 36th Academy Awards. She opened the envelope and said five words that literally made history: “The winner is Sidney Poitier.” Up to the stage came the most elegant man I had ever seen. I remember his tie was white, and of course his skin was black, and I had never seen a black man being celebrated like that. I tried many, many times to explain what a moment like that means to a little girl, a kid watching from the cheap seats as my mom came through the door bone tired from cleaning other people’s houses. But all I can do is quote and say that the explanation in Sidney’s performance in “Lilies of the Field”:
“Amen, amen, amen, amen.”

Nigeria to supply US 1,440 tonnes of yams in 2018

The Technical Committee on Nigeria Yam Export Programme says it is targeting the export of about 480 tonnes of yams per month in 2018.
According to the committee, the United States has already requested for the supply of five containers monthly, which amounted to 120 tonnes of yams monthly and 1,440 tonnes of yams in a year.
The Chairman of the committee, Prof. Simon Irtwange, on Monday in Abuja said that the target would be achieved if all the challenges, which yam exporters experienced in 2017, were surmounted.
He said, “If everything works out well, the U.S. authorities say they will need about five containers every month and one container contains 24 tonnes of yams.

BREAKING: ‘Three Billboards’ wins Golden Globe for best drama movie

Martin McDonagh, Sam Rockwell, Frances McDormand, Graham Broadbent and Peter Czernin pose with the award for Best Motion Picture Drama for 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' during the 75th Golden Globe Awards. Photo: AFP
Martin McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” won the big prize of the night at Sunday’s Golden Globes — best drama motion picture.

Man overdoses on Viagra in airport, strips naked, hurls poo at everyone

A man swallowed too many Viagra and rampaged naked through an airport, screaming nonsense at people – before hurling lumps of his own poo at passers-by.
Steve Cho, 27, from New York, had to be subdued by six airport security guards in Phuket airport, Thailand, after smashing through shops destroying goods.
Witness Wannee Ming, 28, said: “This was the scariest and most disgusting thing I ever saw at an airport.

PDP will transform Nigeria – Atiku

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has assured Nigerians that the Peoples Democratic Party is the only party that will transform the country and take its economy back to its prosperity.
Atiku expressed this in Kaduna at the weekend, when one of his supporters, Miss Zainab Musa Pindar, organised a reception for him at the Arewa House, welcoming him back to the PDP.
A statement signed by Jacob Onjewu Dickson, spokesman for the Chairman of Atiku Care Foundation, Ambassador Aliyu Ibn Abbas, made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Monday, said the Wazirin Adamawa further told his supporters to spread the gospel of the PDP’s good plans to the people at the grassroots.

Man gets £85,000 fine for live-streaming Anthony Joshua’s fight

A man was hit with an £85,000 bill from Sky after his iPad was used to stream Anthony Joshua’s championship fight on Facebook Live by a ‘drunk friend.’
Dad-of-one Craig Foster, 34, was watching Joshua’s fight against Wladimir Kiltschko on his TV in April and had shelled out £19.95 to Sky for the pleasure.
But as the sell-out Wembley fixture started, one of his friends picked up Craig’s iPad, started recording over Facebook Live and pointed it at his TV.

New minimum wage ready this year, says Ngige

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has said President Muhammadu Buhari is desirous to give Nigerian workers an enhanced pay package this year.
He said the thinking of the Federal Government was to approve a minimum wage that would be acceptable to all stakeholders.
Ngige stated this in a chat with journalists at Ifitedunu, Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State on Sunday.
He said a National Tripartite Committee set up by President Buhari on minimum wage had commenced work and would likely conclude the exercise in the third quarter of this year.
Ngige said the committee was very dear to Buhari, who had given close supervision.