Workers’ Salaries: NLC Gives Benue State Government 7-Day Ultimatum

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Benue State Chapter has given the state government a seven days ultimatum to pay all outstanding salaries in arrears owed to all categories of core public servants in the state.

In a letter signed by the state NLC chairman, Comrade Simon Anchaver and secretary, Comrade Jumpa Emmanuel, the Labour body also warned that if the government fails to address the perennial issues of nonpayment of all salaries in arrears, it will have no other option than to declare a trade dispute with the Governor Gabriel Suswam’s led administration.

But in a swift reaction, the state government said it was yet to receive any letter of ultimatum from the NLC in the state.

Speaking in a telephone chat with our Correspondent, Director on Media and Public Affairs, to Governor Suswam, James Uloko said government was yet to receive any such letter indicating the seven days ultimatum for the government to accede to NLC demand.

“As I speak to you now, the state executives council are in a meeting but we don't have knowledge of the letter yet. We have not received any such letter from NLC.”

Anchaver, in the letter made available to Daily Sun, noted that labour leadership in the state took the decision in consultation with its national secretariat which directed that the ultimatum commencing April 14 and to expire on April 21 be served on the state government.

He lamented the undulated and irregular salary payment which had characterized the workforce in the state for over eight months now, a development which has left most ministries and parastatals several months in arrears ranging between four and six months.

The Labour body argued that such manner and mode of salary payment have exposed the working class to a lot of untold hardship and difficulties which adverse effect pauperize workers, leading to some individuals early death as well as other forms of diseases.

According to the letter, “all outstanding salaries in arrears owed to all categories of core public servants including primary school teachers, local government staff as well as pensioners be paid forthwith within the time frame of the ultimatum.”

“That the salary for the month of March, 2015 shall be the payment of the full negotiated national minimum wage agreed and implemented in the state having exhausted the concessionary period of levy, donation and contribution,” the letter read in part.

Ajimobi Warns Ladoja Over Violence Threat, As Alaafin Leads Obas To Congratulate Him

The Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has warned that his administration would not tolerate any form of violence from any politician who lost in the last election in the state.

He gave the warning today (Wednesday) in Ibadan while briefing the press on the reported plan of some politicians to instigate violence in the state.

In the same vein, prominent traditional rulers from Oyo, Ibarapa, Ogbomoso and Oke Ogun areas of the state, on Wednesday, joined the list of visitors to the Oluyole residence of Ajimobi to felicitate with him on his re-election as the governor of the state.

The traditional rulers were led to the Oluyole residence of Governor Ajimobi by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi who stated that the governor’s performance in his first term won last Saturday’s election for him.

While warning against violence, Governor Ajimobi said “surprisingly, the Accord Party has been complaining that it would go to court. No problem. If you look at the results of the election and the conduct, it was the freest and fairest election ever held.

Everybody said it, all his agents signed at the polling units. It is only at the final collation center that they did not sign. Let him go to court,” he said.

At a meeting with his party members on Tuesday, Senator Rashidi Ladoja was quoted to have threatened to let his party members loose if assaulted by fellow politicians.

“We brought peace and security to Oyo State. We established that in the state and we will not fold our arms and allow any individual to destroy it. Senator Ladoja’s administration was replete with violence. Some people are sore losers, some are very sportsmanly.

“If he says he will resort to violence as reported, we will not tolerate it. Oyo state is a state where nobody is above the law.

“If he has complaints, let him go to the police to complain. But if he says he wants to lead some people to resort to violence in the state, we will deal with him. We don’t want violence in Oyo State again. Nobody is too big for the law in Oyo State. Anyone who is so desperate that even when defeated, he is crying about his intention to cause problems, he should follow due process and should obey the law of the land. He is not too big to obey the law.

“I guarantee you, should anybody lead any group to cause violence, the law will take its full weight to deal with them, I assure them,” he said.

Going into the details of the election, the governor affirmed that the APC won fair and square.

“If you look at the results of the election, APC had 25% in 29 local governments. Other parties did not meet the statutory requirement of 25%. Accord Party had only 17%. We won across six political zones out of seven. Accord and Labour won one each. Where is the spread of Accord Party? He did not win in Oyo, Ogbomoso, Oke Ogun I & II, and Ibadan city zones. He did not even meet the statutory requirement. Let him go to court, we are waiting,” he said.

During the visit of the monarchs, Oba Adeyemi, in his comment, described the victory of Senator Ajimobi as a well deserved victory if the achievement of the governor in the last four years were to be considered.

The Oyo monarch said the contributions of Ajimobi to the development of Oyo state surpassed those of his predecessors in office.

Oba Adeyemi said all royal fathers from the four zones that visited the Governor contributed immensely to the election that produced victory for Governor Ajimobi.

The Alaafin observed that only the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo ruled for eight years while the successive rulers ruled for four years. He however said since the inception of Governor Ajimobi, good governance, peace and security had returned to the state.

The traditional ruler, who described Ajimobi as a man of history, said that he was not surprised that he became the first governor who would rule the State for eight years.

In their separate contributions, the Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Adegbola, the Olugbon of Orile Igbon Oba Samuel Osunbade , Iba of Kisi Oba Moshood Aweda Lawal and the Olokaka of Okaka, Oba Abdul Azeez Olatunji, called the Governor-elect to work in line with the manifesto of his party.

The royal fathers also called on the candidates of the opposition parties to rally round Governor Ajimobi to move the state forward instead of engaging in court cases.

In his response, Governor Ajimobi expressed appreciation to the royal fathers for the support given to him and his party.

He expressed willingness to work with some of the candidates that contested along with him stressing that the trio of Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala , Engr Seyi Makinde and Senator Teslim Folarin had called to congratulate him.

Similarly ,traditional rulers from Ido local Government council have also extended a courtesy call to a Governor Ajimobi,

The Ido traditional council was led by the Ekerin Olubadan, High Chief Tajudeen Ajibola.

Court Okays Release Of Obasanjo’s Book, My Watch

A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja, has okayed the release of former President Obasanjo’s book: My Watch, for release.

Justice Valentine Ashi ordered ‎on the release of the book, which had been in the custody of the Nigerian Customs Service following an injunction he slammed late last year following a complaint by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Buruji Kashamu.

However, the judge set aside the order of injunction on Monday upon an application by Obasanjo’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN).

‎In doing so, the court barred the Nigerian Customs Service from collecting demurrage on the books for the period they had been in its custody.

The court upheld Agabi’s argument that the applicant, a Peoples Democratic Party chief in Ogun State, Buruji Kashamu, who is currently pursuing a N20bn libel suit against Obasanjo in the same court, suppressed vital facts to obtain the order.

Kashamu‎, had on December 10, 2014, obtained the injunction from the court through an ex parte application which he filed in his N20bn libel suit against Obasanjo.

Kashamu had predicated his prayer on the argument that part of the book related to the subject matter of the libel suit – a letter dated December 2, 2013 written by Obasanjo to President Goodluck Jonathan.

Kashamu had instituted the libel suit against Obasanjo having been dissatisfied with his being described by the former President in the letter which was widely published in the electronic and print media as a fugitive wanted for drug offences in the United States of America.

On December 8, 2014, Justice Ashi granted an ex parte application restraining Obasanjo from publishing the book pending the determination of the libel suit.

But Obasanjo went ahead to present the book to the public in Lagos, an act which the court held on December 10, 2014, as contemptuous.

Following the development the court ordered security and law enforcement agencies including ‎customs to confiscate the book anywhere it was found.

‎The judge in his ruling on Obasanjo’s application on Monday upheld Agabi’s argument that the order of injunction was wrongly made.

Agabi had maintained that the court made the order without jurisdiction.

He said, “The single ground of this application is that, in a case of libel, an interlocutory injunction does not lie to restrain publication in the face of a defendant pleading justification.

“The defendant (Obasanjo) is pleading justification. In paragraph 24 of our counter-affidavit, the defendant said his claim about the plaintiff is correct, true and justified from records available in the federal court of the United States.”

He said the court had “issued without jurisdiction” adding, “The moment an interlocutory is granted, the issue is prejudiced, fair hearing is prejudiced.”

He also argued that the court could only validly bar publication in a libel suit after the case of libel was proven against the defendant.

‎

The case has been adjourned to May 25.

Kylie Jenner Addresses Her Lips: "I've Never Been Under The Knife"

After months and months of speculation regarding Kylie Jenner's lips, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star is clearing the air.

In an interview with Grazia magazine, the reality star sets the record straight with zero room for misinterpretation. "I'm like, 'Stop talking about my lips,'" she says.

"I haven't had plastic surgery. I've never been under the knife. People flashback to pictures of me when I was 12 and say 'Kylie's so different' but how can I look the same from 12 -18?" she asks.

Kylie, 17, has addressed the rumors before, insisting that it's simply a makeup trick that has contributed to her larger pout over the years. She told E! News, "I love lip liner and over lining my lips. But I don't even care anymore. I'm like whatever, just say whatever you want."

PHOTO: Tonto Dikeh Shows Off Her Pets In New Instagram Snap

Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh took to Instagram to show off her cute dogs. She shared the picture of herself chilling with the dogs and tagged it “Dogs of the poko mansion". The Dogs are lovely.

OLX Responds To Orekoya Boys Abduction

The parents of the three boys who were kidnapped from their home in Surulere by a nanny said they'd found the woman on OLX after she responded to an ad they placed on the site. The boys have since been found. OLX is now responding to the claim. Read below...

This is an unfortunate situation and our sympathies go out to the victim and their family.  OLX is an online classifieds site that brings buyers and sellers together to promote trade.  We take steps to moderate and review all ads but we do not participate in the negotiations between buyers and sellers. Transactions are performed directly between both parties. In all our marketing campaign, we continuously urge our users to take necessary precautionary checks when using OLX.

We continue to innovate and improve our review process with tighter measures that would help to minimize future occurrence of negative incidents. We also need our users to help us kick out bad players and ask them to report any dubious activity or user on the site for immediate action.  Our customer support team can be reached at 0700-CALL-OLX (0700-22-55-659) or at support-ng@olx.com.

We sincerely hope that the 3 kids are returned safely to their loved ones. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and we will provide all help within our capacity to facilitate the quick reunion of the 3 children with their family.

Lola Masha

Country Manager

OLX Nigeria

Gov Fashola Rewards Female Police Officer Who Disarmed Two Robbers That Tried To Steal From Her

Lagos state Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday rewarded Sergeant Mercy John pictured above for bravery. The female police officer single-handedly disarmed two robbers who attempted to dispose her of her belongings at Egbeda-Shasha by Tawakalitu Close, Orisunmibare Road, Lagos on 10th February, 2015.

Sergeant Mercy, a native of Ikori in Cross River State was on her way to work when armed robbers attacked her. She fought back and was able to recover a locally made pistol with two live cartridges from them. At a ceremony which held at the Lagos House, Ikeja, Governor Fashola encouraged the brave female officer not to relent in her efforts in keeping the state safe...

 "Let me say very clearly that I value the work that you do, people of Lagos value what you do and where ever you come from, this is your home and I think it is right to say that it was because you take this as home, you did the right thing, you took two robbers out of commission so that the people of Lagos can sleep well’’ he said

Amaechi Comes For Obanikoro On Twitter, Says "Read EU Report Before You Spew Rubbish"

Senator Obanikoro took to twitter to  advise Governor Rotimi Amaechi to accept the outcome of the Rivers state Governorship election and call to congratulate the winner just as he called Lagos state governor-elect, Akinwunmi Ambode even though he was not his choice.

Governor Rotimi Amaechi some hours ago came for him with the following tweets.

INEC To Hold Fresh Polls In Taraba On April 25

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to hold fresh governorship elections in Taraba state on April 25.

This was disclosed on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, by the INEC Head of Public Affairs, Fabian Yame, in Jalingo the state capital.

Earlier elections held in  the state on April 11 were declared inconclusive after the number of cancelled votes amounted to more than the difference in votes between the two major candidates; Aisha Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

127,125 votes were cancelled while Ishaku polled 317,198 and Alhassan came second with 262,386 votes.

Fresh elections will be held in the Donga Local Government and in some polling units in Bali, Karim Lamido, Takum, Ussa, Wukari, Yorro and Zing.

73-Year-Old Man Stabs Younger Wife 8 Times For Having An Affair

A 73-year-old councillor stabbed his wife eight times with a seven-inch kitchen knife after discovering she was having an affair with the postman, a court heard.

Joseph O’Riordan was sitting on Polegate Town Council in East Sussex when he grew suspicious his wife, Amanda, 47, was having an alleged affair and hired a private investigator to follow her.

The couple had been married for ten years when O’Riordan, who was also the president of his local Royal British Legion and had attended the Queen’s garden party in 2013 for his work on the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, discovered his wife was in a relationship with a man named in court as Nicholas Gunn.

Mr Gunn had been the postman in the couple’s neighbourhood before moving away from the area.

After becoming suspicious of Mrs O’Riordan, a jealous O’Riordan used a GPS tracking device to monitor her car journeys and hired a private investigator to follow her.

On the day of the attack, in October last year, the couple were at Mrs O’Riordan’s mother’s house to help with the shopping when the councillor received a call, believed to be from Mr Gunn.

Giving evidence in a pre-recorded interview, Mrs O’Riordan said: ‘After the phone call he came back into the room and I could see a shift in his mood.

Joseph and Amanda

‘We left my mother’s to get some food at KFC, and in the car Joe said to me, “you can probably tell there is something wrong”.

‘He then told me he had hired a private investigator and told me I had lied to him about previous phone calls I had received.’

On the journey home Mrs O’Riordan tried to get out of the car, but was dragged back in and held down by her husband so she could not escape.

When they got home she went straight to the bedroom to dump her handbag and O’Riordan asked why she had not removed her coat.

She replied: ‘I'm not sure if I am going to stay here, I might go back to mum’s for a cup of coffee.’

O’Riordan then left the room before returning with the seven inch knife and allegedly cried out: ‘You have made me do this. This is all your fault.’

He stabbed his wife violently before calling her an ambulance and admitting to the call handler what he had done.

The court heard an audio clip of the 999 phone call in which O’Riordan can be heard saying: ‘My wife’s been stabbed in the stomach. She’s bleeding really badly, she could be dying.

‘It was me who stabbed her. She’s lost quite a lot of blood. I want to look after her, it’s me who’s done this to her.’

In the tape Mrs O’Riordan can be heard groaning in pain in the background before sirens sound and police arrive.

She suffered life-threatening injuries including a collapsed lung in the vicious attack.

Dale Sullivan, prosecuting, said: ‘In the evening of that night, Joseph O’Riordan went from his bedroom to the kitchen and selected a knife before returning to the bedroom to stab his wife multiple times. ‘The issue in this case is a narrow one, but it is simply this-on October 22 did Joseph intend to kill Amanda?’.

Sussex police constable Steven Wilson said: ‘Mr O’Riordan’s demeanor struck me as unusual under the circumstances.

‘He was compliant and co-operative and had a distinctive bored air about him.’

O’Riordan pleaded guilty to wounding with intent but denied a charge of attempted murder.

The trial continues.

Gov. Ajimobi Replaces Transformer Removed From Sabo Community

Yesterday, we heard that a PDP Gubernatorial candidate removed a transformer he'd given to a community after he lost in the Oyo Gubernatorial race. The man, Teslim Folarin, released a statement denying that he was the one who removed the transformer.

According to new reports, Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi heard about the incident and bought a bigger transformer for the community which was delivered to them yesterday

The New Transformer Ajimobi Gave Them

Disturbing Images Of 15-Year-Old Girl Who Has Undergone Extreme Plastic Surgery Cause An Online Furore… As Creepy Fans Claim She Is 'Too Beautiful To Look At'

Disturbing images of a 15-year-old girl who is said to have undergone major cosmetic surgery are being circulated on Chinese social media.

The teenager from the Henan province in central China has been labelled 'too beautiful too look at'.

Going by the name Lee Hee Danae, she has a shocking 400,000 followers on her Weibo account - a Chinese social media platform - which states her birthday is May, 1999.

One of the comments about the underage girl has over 24,000 likes on Chinese internet portal Tencent, according to the Shangaiist.

The girl reportedly underwent the procedures to win over an ex boyfriend, according to Chinese website cbg.cn.

Others have hinted the photographs may not be real or are digitally enhanced.

She is also referred to as 'snake spirit', relating to a Chinese folk tale, because of her pale skin. 

However, plastic surgery - particularly operations such as double eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty - are increasingly popular in China.

Many women undergo surgery to give the jawline a more narrow heart-shape and make their faces look more like the shape of a V, seen as a sign of beauty in China.

The most popular procedures give women wide eyes and narrow faces with pointed chins. To achieve this many women undergo facial contouring - a highly invasive procedure that involves changing the shape of the face by shaving off bone from the cheeks, jaw and chin. Others adopt for double jaw realignment surgery.

Plastic surgery has become increasingly popular in China in recent years, with many women seeing it as an opportunity to enhance their professional prospects.

Last year Chinese women were reported to be entering South Korea in droves to seek plastic surgery because of the number of surgeons there and the popularity of South Korean celebrities.

The practice was so widespread that some women were rendered almost unrecognisable and hospitals resorted to handing out plastic surgery certificates, which included their name and passport number, so they could re-enter China.

Plastic surgery is a huge business in South Korea and the popularity in China only helps to increase the profile of surgeons.

However the amount of money that can be made by the industry has led to a number of illegal clinics springing up in South Korea.

Earlier this year a 50-year-old Chinese woman was declared brain dead after she visited a small clinic in Seoul, which had previously been warned about carrying out activities against the country's health regulations. 

Operations to slim faces and increase the size of noses are common in China, while women also seek to have excess skin on their eyelids removed to make their eyes appear larger.

China is renowned for its extreme cosmetic procedures. Last year a man reportedly had several procedures to look like Lei Feng, a Chinese soldier who became the face of communist party propaganda in the 1960s. More photos after the cut.

 Source: Dailymail

Man Who Calls Himself The King Of Inkland And Keeps His Nipples 'Next To My Sprouts In The Freezer' Claims Workplace Discrimination Has Stopped Him From Getting A Job

He has spent more than £40,000 on tattoos and body modifications in a bid to 'be the person I want to be' but Matthew Whelan, 35, from Birmingham, says his unusual looks have made it difficult to find work.

Thanks to workplace discrimination, he claims, he has been forced to go it alone and is now planning to set up his own business.

Mr Whelan, who officially changed his name to King of Inkland King Body Art The Extreme Ink-ite but goes by Body Art for short, has covered every inch of his body in elaborate inkings.

'I've got my face covered in tattoos, I've got various animals and I've got a giant snake on top of my head,' he explains.

'My eyeballs are stained, it's also known as an eyeball tattoo. I've got pirates on me, aliens on me and I've got a blue penis. My penis is blue.'

He also had his nipples cut off six months ago in a bid to provide himself with a smoother canvas and keeps the discarded body parts in his freezer 'next to my sprouts'.

For all that though, Mr Body Art says employers should take him seriously and look beyond his personal appearance to what's inside.

'I personally find it really difficult to get my head around it because there are companies out there that employ people on merit,' he fumes.

'There are [body] modified friendly companies. But the majority are like: "Look at these people! You look different from everyone in our office. You're different. You don't fit our criteria. We're not employing you." That's frustrating.'

Now Mr Body Art is planning to solve the problem by striking out on his own and has begun making preparations for his new career by attending business seminars in his home city.

His spare time is being spent helping the local branch of the Liberal Democrats campaign ahead of the election, although he admits that people often wish to talk about his body modifications rather than Lib Dem policies.

'Dealing with people shouldn't be a challenge,' he adds. 'Is that right? No, it's not. It's a blatant form of discrimination.

'I'm not after sympathy of any kind. Most modified people aren't. I'd just like to be given a chance.'

Mr Body Art, who appears on a Channel 5 documentary entitled 2,000 Tattoos, 40 Piercings and a Pickled Ear tonight, hasn't always had the acceptance he craves - even within his own family.

His father Patrick has found his son's penchant for inking particularly hard to come to terms with and worries it might frustrate his plans for business success.

'I've never understood it and he knows I've never understood it,' he says. 'I can't come to terms with it. But I've accepted it.

'I'm not happy with it. I'd love him to be the son that I knew but he has chosen his own way of life.'

Mr Whelan Sr says he finds his son's name change particularly hard to accept and wants to continue calling him Matthew as he always has.

Mr Body Art, however, has different ideas. 'I legally changed [my name], I abandoned [the old one] and I've got a new name so call me by that,' he insists.

'We don't really talk about my tattoos but when it does crop up, it can get passionate,' adds Mr Body Art. 'But I believe in my tattoos. I am who I am.'

More pictures

  

Source:Dailymail

                       

Missouri Inmate Put To Death For Killing Man In Rage Over Child Support Payments In 1998

A Missouri inmate was executed Tuesday night for killing a man in a fit of rage over child support payments 16 years ago.

Andre Cole, 52, became the third convicted killer put to death this year in Missouri. His fate was sealed after the U.S. Supreme Court turned down several appeals, including one claiming Cole was mentally ill and unfit for execution.

Also Tuesday, Gov. Jay Nixon refused a clemency petition that raised concerns about the fact that Cole, who was black, was convicted and sentenced by an all-white jury.

Mike O'Connell, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Corrections, said Cole was executed by lethal injection at 10:15 p.m. and pronounced dead nine minutes later.

In the execution chamber, Cole nodded as relatives blew kisses his way. He chose not to make a final statement. He breathed deeply a few times as the drug was administered.

Cole declined any sedatives prior to the execution. He also declined to order a last meal and instead received the day's inmate tray, O'Connell said.

Attorney General Chris Koster said in a statement he hoped "that the sentence carried out tonight brings those forever impacted by this tragedy a sense of justice and a measure of closure."

Cole and his wife, Terri, were married for 11 years and had two children before divorcing in 1995. The couple fought about visitation and he was upset about child support payments, authorities said.

By 1998, Cole was $3,000 behind in child support. Koster said Cole became angry when he learned that a payroll withholding order was issued to his employer, taking the money out of his check.

"Before I give her another dime, I'll kill (her)," Cole told co-workers, according to Koster.

The first deduction appeared on his Aug. 21, 1998, pay cheque. Hours later, Cole forced his way into his ex-wife's home by throwing a tire jack through a glass door, Koster said. He was confronted by Anthony Curtis, a friend who was visiting. Andre Cole used a kitchen knife to repeatedly stab Curtis, then Terri Cole. Curtis died but Terri Cole survived.

Cole fled the state but surrendered 33 days later. He claimed at trial that he did not bring a weapon into Terri Cole's house and that Curtis initiated the attack with a knife.

No relatives of Terri Cole or Anthony Curtis attended the execution.

Andre Cole's brother, DeAngelo Cole, 38, of Las Vegas, said the attack was out of character for his sibling. He called it a crime of passion.

"It was a one-time thing," DeAngelo Cole said. "He didn't have a history of that kind of behaviour."

Cole's attorney, Joseph Luby, said Cole's mental health deteriorated during the more than a decade he spent in prison. He said Cole was plagued by psychosis and constantly heard voices in his head.

The courts were not convinced.

Both the Missouri Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to halt the execution based on mental health concerns. The U.S. Supreme Court also turned away appeals based on Missouri's secretive method of obtaining the execution drug pentobarbital and over how instructions were given to the jury.

The jury itself was the source of the clemency request to Nixon. Advocates for Cole, including the NAACP, a leading civil rights group, the American Civil Liberties Union and others, said his case was among many in which St. Louis County prosecutors unfairly prohibited black jurors from hearing a death penalty case involving a black suspect.

All 12 jurors in Cole's case were white.

Missouri tied Texas for the most executions in 2014 with 10. Missouri has now executed 15 men since November 2013.

Get Rid Of Parasites Or Bed Bugs From Your Sleeping Mattress Easily

We are all familiar with the fact that we need to sleep at least 8 hours a day in order to have a healthy life. One of the most important factors for a good sleep is the mattress we sleep on.

Various kinds of mattresses ranging from expensive to cheap are advertised daily, but whatever the quality or type, we need to know how to take care of it in order to last longer. We are giving you some advice on how to clean and maintain your mattress!

One excellent trick will thoroughly clean your mattress and at the same time will protect you from dust and getting allergies. The first step is to prepare a mixture for cleaning and disinfection

Only a few ingredients ,which we assume you already have at home, are necessary for the preparation of this mix:

• A jar
• Several lavender drops
• A small cup of baking soda
• A vacuum cleaner and a sieve

Preparation:

Put all the ingredients in a jar. Then shake the jar for a minute until you get a homogeneous mass. Spread the mixture you get all over the entire mattress using the sieve.

Leave it for about an hour so that the ingredients can act and remove all impurities and parasites from the mattress. Next, clean the content using the vacuum cleaner.

However this trick is usually used on newer mattresses to make disinfection once in a while. If you have a mattress that is older than 7-8 years you should get a new one. It is recommended for the mattresses to have all the hygienic, anti-allergenic and anti-bacterial certificates.

Source: Healthylifetricks

It’s A Lie, I Did Not Take Back My Transformer – Teslim Folarin Speaks On What Really Happened

The PDP governorship candidate of Oyo state, Teslim Folarin, has denied widespread media reports that he took back a transformer he donated to Sabo community after losing the election.

Folarin says that he was not aware that the transformer had been removed till on Tuesday morning when he saw reports stating that he did.

According to the PDP aspirant, the transformer’s absence from the community was as a result of the conflict between youths of the area and some leaders.

Below is a statement released to state his case:

“It is with sadness that I learnt of a particular incident which purportedly took place in the Sabo area of Ibadan on Sunday. I understand that a transformer which I had donated to the community was the subject of controversy between the youths of the area and some leaders with either side accusing the other of trying to sell the transformer.”

“The PDP youths in the area subsequently took the transformer to a safe place within Sabo area itself pending an amicable resolution which I understand was resolved by the leaders of the community.”

“Fact; I was not aware of this incident until this morning when I was woken up with headlines all over the internet that I had taken back the transformer because I had lost an election. It is instructive to note that no media house had even contacted me to find out the truth. I have since contacted members of Sabo community and they confirmed that the matter has been resolved.”

“Which brings me to the worrying conclusion that a well orchestrated and sophisticated campaign of calumny has begun against my person as a precursor to the 2019 elections. I would advise my supporters to take heart and remain peaceful as this is only one in a long line of attacks that I will expect from enemies of my progress. For now it is a time for healing and introspection, we have had a long campaign and everyone needs to rest and thank God for his or her life before asking God to prolong our lives to the said 2019.”

Drogba Dismisses Retirement Talk

Chelsea veteran Didier Drogba insisted Monday he intended to play for at least one more season.

The 37-year-old Ivory Coast forward is out of contract with the Premier League leaders at the end of the current campaign, having returned to Stamford Bridge after two seasons abroad.

Drogba, asked if he had decided on his future, said: “Yes I have and it’s not going to be my last season.”

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said last week he had still to speak to Drogba regarding his future.

“We have a lot of talks to do,” Mourinho said. “I don't know what he wants, so many years puts him in a great position.”

Mourinho, then in his first spell as Chelsea manager, signed Drogba from Marseille in 2004.

The powerful forward scored 157 goals in his initial eight-year stint with Chelsea, including the winning penalty in the 2012 Champions League final shoot-out victory.

However, Drogba has been largely a squad player this season and made just his fourth league start of the season in Sunday’s 1-0 west London derby away to Queens Park Rangers after injuries to Diego Costa and Loic Remy.

Drogba could start against Manchester United this Saturday as Chelsea look to move one step closer to clinching the English top-flight title.

“It’s difficult when you don’t play and then have to go into these kinds of games,” he said. “But I always try to give my best.

“I tried to give the best of my physical capacity against QPR, so if the manager needs me against United and Arsenal, I’m ready.”

PDP Chieftain Abandons Agbada, Jumps Fence Evading Arrest

A chieftain of   Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Kano State (names withheld) allegedly abandoned his agbada and jumped a fence, while evading arrest over electoral offences.

Kano State Police Command has declared him and four others wanted for electoral offences during the governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

Addressing reporters in Kano, the Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Idris, said suspect, a close associate of a minister, was implicated by 14 suspects arrested by security agents for the destruction of sensitive electoral materials at Kauran Mata, Madobi Local Government Area of the state.

He disclosed that when security agents stormed the suspect’s residence to effect his arrest, he jumped a fence and escaped into the bush, abandoning his flowing gown, agbada.

Mr. Idris further said the command recorded 26 electoral offences, in which 76 suspects were arrested and 78 sticks, 16 knives, 32 cutlasses, four swords, two catapults, 15 arrows, one axe, wraps of Indian hemp, among other exhibits, recovered.

He also disclosed that it arrested an INEC ad hoc staff at Bankamawa polling unit 003 in Shanono council for thumb-printing 53 ballot papers for a governorship candidate and 16 House of Assembly ballot papers, in a hospital room.

He commended journalist and other stakeholders for the successful completion of the elections in the state, noting that no single life was lost during and after the exercise.

CBN Limits Overseas Usage Of Debit Cards To $50,000

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday reduced the limit for usage of naira debit cards for transactions overseas to $50,000 from $150,000 per person, per annum.

The reduction was announced by the Director, Trade and Exchange Department, CBN, Mr. Olakanni Gbadamosi via a circular titled “Usage of Naira Denominated Cards Overseas.

The circular stated, “All authorised dealers and the general public are hereby informed that with effect from the date of this circular (13th April 2015) the existing limit on the usage of the naira denominated cards for transactions overseas has been reviewed downward.

“Accordingly, the limit has been reduced from $150,000 to $50,000 per person, per annum. In addition, authorised dealers are to ensure that the daily cash withdrawal limit embedded in the cards per person, per day is pegged at $300. Authorised dealers are to ensure strict compliance with this new limit and render monthly returns of the transactions.”

The decision to reduce the limit was taken at the meeting of the Bankers Committee held last week.

Managing Director/Chief Executive, Union Bank Mr. Emeka Emuwa, at the post Bankers Committee press briefing said, “We realise that people were using the cards in a manner they were not expected to use them. There were some arbitrage going on, and in order to continue to support the stability in the foreign exchange market.

”So it was agreed at the committee that the limit would be reduced for the use of the naira debit cards. You will still have, as a customer, unfettered access to your dollar account (cards) but the naira cards the limit will be reduced to a judicious level.”

Also speaking, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Mrs Adebola Adesola, explained that, “This specifically applies to the use of these cards abroad. When they used abroad, the merchants have to be settled, even if it is ATMs, the provider, which may be Visa or Mastercard, we will have to be settled in foreign exchange. We found that they put a drain on the foreign exchange resources available to finance industries. And so there would be a reduction in the annual allowable drawdown using naira debit cards abroad”

Buhari To Move Against Pension For Ex-Governors

President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), is to lead a campaign to repeal the pension laws for governors enacted by many states of the federation, Vanguard has learnt.

The proposal by the incoming president is based on what sources close to him affirm as the incongruity of the laws under the country’s socio-economic environment and also, as a way of demonstrating moral leadership from the top.

Majority of the nation’s 36 state Houses of Assembly have enacted generous pension entitlements for governors that in many cases provide 100 per cent pay for the incumbent governors buildings, generous medical allowances for them and their family members and annual holiday provisions, all of which are to last for life. Provisions in the pension allowances are also made for staff, security and vehicles that are renewable every three or four years.

Buhari’s inclination towards a review of the pension for former governors was first publicly declared few days to the presidential election at the All Progressives Congress, APC, retreat in Owerri, Imo State.

A source conversant with the development disclosed that Buhari told the governors that there was no way Nigeria could survive under the financial weight of the pensions that had been earmarked for governors. He was said to have described the pension laws as enacted by states controlled by APC and PDP governors as scandalous. According to the source, “he was very blunt about it and said that it was something that was going to be done immediately, especially because it is not something that can be sustained. “The feeling was that not only was it wrong and morally unconscionable, but that it was not something that should be encouraged and he was appealing to them that it should be changed.” However, the response of the governors, who were present at the retreat, was not immediately given.

It’s a welcome proposal —Keyamo

The development was, yesterday, welcomed by leading Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, who described it as a fantastic proposal but disclosed that it was something that could, however, only be accomplished through moral suasion. “Fantastic, fantastic. It is a very welcome proposal,” the Lagos lawyer, who backed General Buhari against President Goodluck Jonathan in last month’s presidential election said. He, however, said the proposal was something that Buhari could only effect through moral suasion as the pension acts were enacted by state Houses of Assembly.

The crave for financial safety out of office was recently also extended to the legislature after the Lagos State House of Assembly passed pension laws to guarantee generous pension entitlements with proposals for former presiding officers of the house.

States that have passed the law

Many states of the federation had steadily been passing the law since return to civil rule. States like Lagos, Edo, Gombe, Oyo, and Rivers have passed the law, through which several former governors are already drawing applicable benefits, which in some cases are 100 per cent of what the incumbent is earning, while in others, some benefits in the pension laws are as high as 300 per cent of what obtains in some states.

The Lagos State Governor and Deputy Governor Pensions Law of 2007 provides that “a former governor and family (spouse and children both married and unmarried) are entitled to free medical treatment which is not capped. Another highlight is that the ex-governor is entitled to a cook, steward, gardener and other domestic staff who are pensionable.

The benefits:

Annual Basic Salary: 100% of annual basic salaries of the incumbent governor and deputy.

Accommodation: One residential house in Lagos and another in FCT for the former governor; one residential house in Lagos for the deputy.

Transport: Three cars, two backup cars and one pilot car for the ex-governor every three years; two cars, two backup cars and one pilot car for the deputy governor every three years.

Furniture: 300 per cent of annual basic salary every two years.

House maintenance: 10 per cent of annual basic salary.

Domestic staff: Cook, steward, gardener and other domestic staff (no limit) who shall be pensionable.

Medical: Free medical treatment for ex-governor and deputy and members of their families (not just spouses).

Security: Two DSS operatives, one female officer, eight policemen (four each for house and personal security) for the ex-governor; one SSS operative and two policemen (one each for house and personal security) for the deputy. PA: 25% of annual basic salary.

Car maintenance: 30% of annual basic salary.

Entertainment: 10% of annual basic salary.

Utility: 20% of annual basic salary.

Drivers: Pensionable (no limit to number of drivers).

Severance gratuity: Not specified.

The law stipulated in Kwara that qualified former governors and their deputies be paid pension for life, without other perks like accommodation, cars, etc.

The law was reviewed in 2010 by Bukola Saraki, a former governor of the state and a serving senator, who with the support of the state House of Assembly imposed outrageous raises on all the benefits.

The 2010 law gives a former governor two cars and a security car, replaceable every three years. The governor is also entitled to a “well-furnished 5-bedroom duplex,” furniture allowance of 300 per cent of his salary (which totals over N6 million).

The law also gives the governor five personal staff paid for by the state, eight policemen, three DSS operatives (of which one must be a female), free medicals for the governor and the deputy.

Other entitlements are 30 per cent of salary for car maintenance, 20 per cent for utility, 10 per cent for entertainment, 10 per cent for house maintenance.

100% of basic salary in Rivers

The Rivers pension law was first approved in 2003 by former governor, Peter Odili, having been passed by a state assembly headed by the present governor, Chibuike Amaechi as speaker.

The 2003 pension law provides pension for life for governors and deputies, defining “pension” as embodying annual terminal basic salary, annual transport allowance, annual rent subsidy, annual utility allowance, entertainment allowance, domestic staff of not more than four.

Like Lagos, the new law gives the former governor a house in Rivers State and anywhere in Nigeria. The former governor is also entitled to pension for life at the rate of the governor’s basic salary, 300 per cent of salary for furniture paid every four years, three cars every four years, free medical and 10 per cent for house maintenance.

The law gives the former governor a security detail comprising two DSS operatives, four police officers, 30 per cent for car maintenance, 10 per cent entertainment, 20 per cent utility and several domestic staff.

The Edo State House of Assembly on May 16, 2007 passed a law entitled ‘Provision for the Pension of Rights of the Governor and Deputy Governor of the state.’

This law was passed few weeks before Governor Lucky Igbinedion left office as Governor of Edo State.

It provides for 100 per cent pension for the governor at a rate similar to the salary of the incumbent office holder and for domestic staff among others for the former governor.

300% of annual salary in Oyo

The Oyo State Pension Law 2004 provides that the Governor and Deputy Governor after leaving office shall be entitled to Pension for life at a rate equivalent to the annual salary of the incumbent Governor or Deputy Governor.

Furniture Allowance of 300 per cent of the annual basic salary, Leave Allowance of 10 per cent of annual basic salary and severance allowance of 300 per cent of the annual basic salary.

How We Will Stop Boko Haram, By Muhammadu Buhari

When Boko Haram attacked a school in the town of Chibok, in northeastern Nigeria, kidnapping more than 200 girls, on the night of April 14, 2014, the people of my country were aghast. Across the world, millions of people joined them in asking: How was it possible for this terrorist group to act with such impunity? It took nearly two weeks before the government even commented on the crime.

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari (L) waves in Abuja on April 1, 2015. Nigeria's new president-elect Muhammadu Buhari hailed polls that will lead to the first democratic change of power in Africa's most populous nation as "historic" hours after he secured a decisive victory. 

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari (L) waves in Abuja on April 1, 2015. Nigeria’s new president-elect Muhammadu Buhari hailed polls that will lead to the first democratic change of power in Africa’s most populous nation as “historic” hours after he secured a decisive victory. 

This lack of reaction was symptomatic of why the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was swept aside last month – the first time an incumbent president has been successfully voted out of office in the history of our nation. For too long they ruled, not governed, and in doing so had become so focused on their own self-interest and embroiled in corruption that the duty to react to the anguish suffered by their citizens had become alien to them.

My administration, which will take office on May 29, will act differently – indeed it is the very reason we have been elected. This must begin with honesty as to whether the Chibok girls can be rescued. Currently their whereabouts remain unknown. We do not know the state of their health or welfare, or whether they are even still together or alive. As much as I wish to, I cannot promise that we can find them: to do so would be to offer unfounded hope, only to compound the grief if, later, we find we cannot match such expectation. But I say to every parent, family member and friend of the children that my government will do everything in its power to bring them home.

What I can pledge, with absolute certainty, is that from the first day of my administration, Boko Haram will know the strength of our collective will and commitment to rid this nation of terror, and bring back peace and normalcy to all the affected areas. Until now, Nigeria has been wanting in its response to their threat: With our neighbours fighting hard to push the terrorists south and out of their countries, our military was not sufficiently supported or equipped to push north. As a consequence, the outgoing government’s lack of determination was an accidental enabler of the group, allowing them to operate with impunity in Nigerian territory.

That is why the answer to defeating Boko Haram begins and ends with Nigeria. That is not to say that allies cannot help us. My administration would welcome the resumption of a military training agreement with the United States, which was halted during the previous administration. We must, of course, have better coordination with the military campaigns our African allies, like Chad and Niger, are waging in the struggle against Boko Haram. But, in the end, the answer to this threat must come from within Nigeria.

We must start by deploying more troops to the front and away from civilian areas in central and southern Nigeria where for too long they have been used by successive governments to quell dissent. We must work closer with our neighbors in coordinating our military efforts so an offensive by one army does not see their country’s lands rid of Boko Haram only to push it across the border onto their neighbors’ territory.

But as our military pushes Boko Haram back, as it will, we must be ready to focus on what else must be done to counter the terrorists. We must address why it is that young people join Boko Haram. There are many reasons why vulnerable young people join militant groups, but among them are poverty and ignorance. Indeed Boko Haram – which translates in English, roughly, as “Western Education Is Sinful” – preys on the perverted belief that the opportunities that education brings are sinful.

If you are starving and young, and in search of answers as to why your life is so difficult, fundamentalism can be alluring. We know this for a fact because former members of Boko Haram have admitted it: They offer impressionable young people money and the promise of food, while the group’s mentors twist their minds with fanaticism. So we must be ready to offer the parts of our country affected by this group an alternative.

Boosting education will be a direct counterbalance to Boko Haram’s appeal. In particular we must educate more young girls, ensuring they will grow up to be empowered through learning to play their full part as citizens of Nigeria and pull themselves up and out of poverty. Indeed, we owe it to the schoolgirls of Chibok to provide as best an education as possible for their fellow young citizens.

Boko Haram feeds off despair. It feeds off a lack of hope that things can improve. By attacking a site of learning, and kidnapping more than 200 schoolgirls, it sought to strike at the very place where hope for the future is nurtured, and the promise of a better Nigeria. It is our intention to show Boko Haram that it will not succeed. My government will first act to defeat it militarily and then ensure that we provide the very education it despises to help our people help themselves. Boko Haram will soon learn that, as Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

 Source: New York Times

My Husband Committed Suicide, Says Arrested Widow Of Award-Winning Pharmacist

Mrs Busayo Olafare, the widow of Paul Olafare, who allegedly committed suicide, weekend, in his Oworonsoki home in Lagos, has denied culpability in his husband’s death, saying he took poison.

News of the death of the father of two filtered in Sunday. But there were different accounts on the circumstance that led to his demise.

A version of the account had it that he poisoned himself, following an unpaid loan he took to set up his own pharmacy.

It was also reported that late Olafare, who was awarded Lagos State Pharmacist of the Year 2013, had on several occasions attempted to take his life before Sunday. One of the foiled attempts, as gathered, was his intention to jump into the lagoon from the Third Mainland Bridge.

Also, a close friend of late Olafare (names withheld) reportedly disclosed that the deceased had, last Thursday, sent a text message to his wife advising her to remarry and take care of their two children should any harm befall him.

Dissatisfied with claims that their son committed suicide, the bereaved parents were said to have lodged a complaint to the Police at Oworoshoki, following which Mrs Olafare was arrested.

However, in her statement to the Police, she maintained that her husband committed suicide.

Police sources hinted that she claimed to have come out of the bathroom that fateful day, when she met her husband with a liquid substance in a plastic bottle, suspected to be pesticide.

She stated that she wanted to take the bottle from him, and in the process he informed her that there was no need to struggle with him as he had already drank the substance.

She further claimed to have rushed to the kitchen and brought palm oil, which she forced into her husband’s mouth. But by then it was too late as he reportedly began to writhe in pain before he breathed his last.

Police sources hinted that the remaining content inside the plastic had been taken for forensic examination to determine what it was. Also, an autopsy report, as gathered, would be carried out on the deceased to ascertain the exact cause of his death.

The Police source said: “It is the outcome of the result that will determine our next line of investigation. We cannot say for now if the woman killed her husband as alleged.”

Late Olafare, who was in his 30s, was a graduate of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos.

He was also a leader of the Celestial Church of Christ, Somolu Youth group, and also founded a gospel tract ministry known as The Harvesters.