Jonathan sets aside N1. 9bn to fight Ebola

By Ben Agande, Abuja. President Goodluck Jonathan has declared the control and containment of the Ebola virus in Nigeria, as a National Emergency and has directed the Federal Ministry of Health to work in collaboration with the State Ministries of Health, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant agencies to ensure that all possible steps are taken to effectively contain the threat of the Ebola virus in line with international protocols and best practices.In a statement in Abuja Friday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati said the President Jonathan has also approved a Special Intervention Plan and the immediate release of N1. 9 billion for its implementation, to further strengthen on-going steps to contain the virus such as the establishment of additional isolation centres, case management, contact tracing, deployment of additional personnel, screening at borders, and the procurement of required items and facilities.According to Dr Abati, in order to check the spread of the Virus, the President further called on religious leaders as well as private day care, nursery, primary and secondary schools owners to consider the option of extending the current school holiday until such a time when a national reassessment of the level of the Ebola threat is conducted. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/jonathan-fights-ebola-n1-9bn/#sthash.VCSKDKN2.dpuf

Doctors’ strike: Obembe resigns as NMA president

 By Clifford Ndujihe FOLLOWING the confusion that trailed conflicting statements regarding the suspension of medical doctors’ 40-day strike, Dr Kayode Obembe has resigned as the national president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).Obembe issued a statement on Thursday that the doctors had suspended the strike but he was countered by some officers of the NMA, who insisted that the industrial action was still on.Dr Kayode ObembeReacting to the issue Friday, Obembe, in a statement he entitled: ‘Clarification,’ said: “There has been a request for clarification about the two postings from NMA secretariat on NMA blog. I want to make it categorically clear that I stand by every letter of the document I signed-‘that the strike was suspended.’And since upon my integrity and honour, I cannot continue to drive the doctrine that ‘strike continues,’ I hereby tender my letter of resignation as NMA president. What I have written, I have written.”

Ebola is not an automatic death sentence- Fashola

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola has said contracting Ebola is not an automatic death sentence, stressing that the consequences of death would depend on what is done and what is not done to contain the deadly disease.
Fashola made this statement during an inspection visit to an isolation ward for patients with symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba area of Lagos, today.
The governor furthers “the facility is now ready for use, as the we tackle the outbreak of Ebola disease that has claimed two lives already.
“The State has a health challenge on her hands and the administration is concerned about the people in terms of their well-being and for the people who have taken leadership to help in containing it.
He stressed that there were already reported cases of patients who are recovering in other parts of West Africa and that the issue was about being able to respond to it appropriately and taking precaution.
“We are also taking precaution and that is also why we did not go into where the patients are because there is a very strict protocol for going there, so if you are going there, you must wear a fully protected gown.
In the place where we are expanding to ensure that we are able to cope with anything that comes, you would see the shower there; people have to go through a protocol, one way in, one way out. That is why you cannot go into where patients are now unless you are fully protected appropriately and unless you walk through the mandated process for going in and for coming out”.
“Those who are detoxifying and decontaminating they don’t go in. They are waiting outside and those who go in do so under a very rigorous protocol set up with advise from the centre for disease control and then people who are not critically ill and stuffs, where they go and how we are going to be disposing off their refuse and their waste have been worked out.
Provisions have already been made there so that we can separate very critically ill people from people who are just showing symptoms but who need to be in isolation,” Governor Fashola said.
Fashola said that provisions had also been made to separate critically ill people from people who are just showing symptoms but who need to be in isolation.
The governor pointed out that the first defence against the virus was to prevent it from spreading; stressing that once that is done, then the health authorities are on the way towards coming out of it.
“From what I hear following a long discussion I heard with the leadership of the Centre for Disease Control in Washington yesterday, I was speaking with them comparing what they were doing with what they expected us to be doing. Their personnel are here for clarity working and helping in training people,” the Governor explained.
He urged persons who feel they had had contact with an Ebola victim to ensure they do not make further contact with any member of their family.
The government is making all efforts to ensure that the spread of the virus is contained and the facility is one of the strategies aimed at reducing contact with persons with the virus.
Two new case was reported on Friday morning, increasing fears that the virus was spreading in one of Nigeria’s most populous cities, Lagos with over 20 million peopl

Angry students ground activities at FUPRE

By Egufe Yafugborhi & Akpokona Omafuaire
ACADEMIC activities at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun, FUPRE, were Friday grounded by angry students who shut the school gates following killing of their colleague, Jimoh Lateef Babatunde, a 400 level Computer Science student by gunmen.
Akpomedaye Philip, Governor of the isolated FUPRE Boys Hostel in Ugbomro where the late student  resided told Vanguard that the victim had barely left the hostel at about 8pm on Thursday when two deafening gunshots near the hostel jostled students to the reality of the situation.
”It is another case of robbery. Babatunde should have been graduating in the next four months. We were together discussing sports when he excused us to fetch some items outside. Barely 30 minutes later, he was lying in a pool of his blood, his neck shattered by one of the two gunshots we heard not far from the hostel.
”We have been under ceaseless attacks and molestation from criminals within Ugbomro community. The other day it was another male student who survived a shot to the head.
The insecurity being faced by students in FUPRE has become unbearable and management is hardly concerned. Imagine a student brutally murdered and the CSO who has failed to secure the lives of students is passing blame, accusing harmless Babatunde of being a cultist. We don’t know who the next victim might be,” he said.
Armed soldiers and police men denied our reporters access tothe FUPRE campus as the protesting students took over the school gate calling immediate reinstatement of the suspended Dean of Student Affairs and the sack of the Chief Security Officer for failing to provide adequate security.
A top of official of the university who craved anonymity said, upon reaching the crime scene  he immediately called the Divisional Police Officer of Ebrumede Police Station who came with his men and he made an entry before the corpse was taken to the Warri Central Hospital morgue.
Contacted, the school’s Public Affairs Officer, Boniface Onyedi said it would be hasty for management to make a statement now, adding that the Vice Chancellor and other top officials were busy trying to meet with the angry students and other concerned stakeholders.
At the PTI Conference Centre where the crucial meeting was to hold, leaders of the FUPRE Student Union Government told Vanguard that the meeting failed to hold because the management was too restrictive of students’ participation.
Ominigbo Edafe, immediate past Speaker of the SUG said: “What is important is that we stand by the same demand we have highlighted in previous meetings. Ugbomro community is too hostile for FUPRE students. We cannot live there anymore. The way out is for management to provide us alternative hostels where our safety will be guaranteed. We want school-built hostels right in the heart of FUPRE campus.
”Part of the challenges too is that the host communities say they are not benefiting enough from the school and hey vent their vengeful discontent on students who live around them. The bottom line is that if the critical issues and our demands are not addressed satisfactorily, no form of academic or management activity will be carried out in the school from this moment.”
Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Command, DSP Celestina Kalu (Mrs.) confirmed the death of the student, adding that the matter is under investigation.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/angry-students-ground-activities-fupre/#sthash.peAbeXUC.dpuf

Are Kim Kardashian and Kanye West planning another baby already?

She's been banging on about her weight a hell of a lot recently, but is Kim Kardashian already thinking about getting pregnant a year and a bit after daughter North West was born?
According to reports, Kim and husband Kanye West are planning to expand their family as soon as possible to give little Norrie a sibling who's close in age to her – and Kimye are desperate to move out of Kris Jenner's house to give their growing family some privacy.
Us Magazine reports that the 33-year-old reality star actually started trying for their second child when they went on honeymoon in June – which kind of explains why they picked rainy Ireland over somewhere more tropical.

"Kanye wants a boy," a source told the magazine, adding that Kim has been accompanying Kanye when he records his album for some, erm, 'couple time'.
However, Kim will not be telling the entire world when she conceives again – she wants to keep it quiet for as long as possible.
"Kim won't tell anyone until she's five months along," the insider said. "She doesn’t want people scrutinising her body."
With the Kardashian klan around her, though, we somehow doubt they'll be able to keep it to themselves for too long…
GALLERY: Too cute! All the celebrity babies born in 2013 and 2014 so far - from Simon Cowell's son Eric to Kate and Wills' little prince George

Gallery

 

Kourtney Kardashian shares naked pregnancy picture of her AND mum Kris Jenner: 'I got it from my mama'

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In the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was Kris Jenner, and the song was Kris Jenner, and basically all our puny human lives begin and end with Kris Jenner until infinity the end.
At least, that's the impression we're getting from Kourtney Kardashian's latest Instagram update, which is just a casual side-by-side view of her naked pregnant body next to momager Kris's naked pregnant body.
THERE'S SO MUCH NAKED PREGNANT FLESH WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO COPE.
There we were thinking Demi Moore pioneered the naked pregnancy photo on the cover of Vanity Fair in 1991, but Kris Jenner was at it too waaaay back when.
Kourtney, who is currently expecting her third child with long-term partner Scott Disick, shared the snap of when she was pregnant with four-year-old son Mason.
She hasn't yet revealed whether her baby will be another boy or a little sister to her two=year-old daughter Penelope.
Kourtney's sister Kim Kardashian is said to be planning on expanding her own family with husband Kanye West, and reportedly wants a baby brother or sister to 14-month-old North West.
GALLERY: heat's top 30 best dressed celebrity mums and their stylish offspring

Kristen Stewart explains why she’ll never smile for the paparazzi

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Oval-faced Twilight actress Kristen Stewart has explained why she will never smile for the paparazzi. And it’s not… it’s not because they caught her doing something unsavoury to Rupert Sanders in the backseat of a car once. It’s for reasons outside of that.
Speaking to this month’s Elle — who she posed for in a high-concept supermarket shoot, looking basically like a supermodel if supermodels were really miserable — K-Stew explained why she never pouted and preened for the cameras.

“Now I feel like if I smiled for a paparazzi photo — not that I ever would — that’s exactly what people would be desecrating me for.
“They’d be like, ‘Now you’re going to give it up, now you’re a sellout’. Like, okay. What do you want? What would you like?”

Kristen also explained that she had never sat down and plotted her career trajectory — which is clearly working out pretty well, actually, seeing as she’s currently starring in a film with Jennifer Lawrence’s ex Nicholas Hoult.

“Never at any point have I sat down and plotted how I should proceed from here on,” she K-Stewed.
The single star – who split with boyfriend of four on-again-off-again years Robert Pattinson last year — has been linked to her new co-star, after the two of them were spotted eating sushi together. SUSHI? TOGETHER? THEY ARE DEFINITELY DOING IT

Here’s that naked shower selfie of Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace that you were asking for

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Hiya yeah not much going on apart from Aisleyne ‘ASH-UH-LEANNNNNN!’ Horgan-Wallace of Big Brother and Celebrity Coach Trip fame has this week posted the next level in selfies. Presenting to you: the naked-and-in-the-shower selfie.
Like: selfies aren’t even selfies anymore, are they? If you get Aisleyne a good enough printer and she gets a couple of Jon Ronson columns filed every month, she could put together a pretty decent Playboy competitor just featuring pictures of her own butt. Essentially, you are not taking a selfie anymore unless it is of sufficient quality to feature in a glossy semi-pornographic magazine. That is Aisleyne’s fault.

Dog, boobs and food: the Instagram trifecta

 

To be fair to Aisleyne, she is looking — and there’s no PC, 2014-appropriate, Tumblr-friendly way of saying this — extremely fit in the photo. As the caption explains, she’s showing off the results of months of hard work in the gym, saying: “#progress I wouldn't have dreamed of taking this photo months ago.... #dedication #fitness #gym #strength still not where I want to be but 100% better than what I was! DO IT LADIES.” Yes, ladies! Post naked pictures on the Internet! This cannot be a bad idea in any way at all!

ASH-UH-LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN

 

We think Instagram user ‘hounsex’ said it best, commenting: “I’D SMASH THE F**K OUT OF YOU.” So, you know. There’s always that option, Aisleyne. It’s comments like that that really make all those gains worth it, isn’t it? Thank you, ‘hounsex’. Truly

Strike Continues:Nigerian Doctors Are Not Returning To Work Despite Ebola Crisis

News broke yesterday that the organization had suspended the industrial action because of Ebola

Despite reports to the contrary, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has not suspended its ongoing strike.
Reports had it yesterday that the doctors had stopped the industrial action to handle the incursion of the Ebola disease into Nigeria.
However the Secretary-General of the NMA, Adewumni Alayaki, has stated that the strike is far from over.
He said:
 "The strike continues until the federal government brings back an appropriate proposal to solve the industrial conflict,"
The nation's public sector doctors have been on strike for the past 5 weeks and they have voiced their intention to continue the action until their demands are met.

Nothing To Fear: We Can Handle Ebola, UCH Says

The hospital located in Oyo State has said that it has the capabilities to manage the disease

As many citizens panic over the spread of the Ebola disease in Nigeria, the management of the University Teaching Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, the Oyo capital, have said that they can deal with the disease.
This was disclosed yesterday by the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Professor Temitope Alonge during a news conference.
Alonge, while expantiating on the nature of the virus, said that UCH has the human capacity and facilities to detect and manage Ebola.
This he attributed to the fact that the hospital had set up VHF isolation precautions and taken other necessary steps to prepare for such incidences.
 He also said that the hospital had begun to disseminate information on the disease via pamphlets written in English, Yoruba and Hausa.
The disease has so far claimed 2 lives in Nigeria, one being Liberian-American Patrick Sawyer who imported it and the other being a health worker who

Ebola Update:We Didn't Ban Flights Into Our Country, Ghana Says

Earlier reports indicated that the West African country had banned flights from some of its neighbours

Contrary to recent reports, Ghana has said that it has not banned flights from any West African countries.

This was disclosed by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) which said that the reports were erroneous and misleading.

The news was released after an infected Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, imported the disease into Nigeria.

 The GCAA, in a statement titled "Re- Ebola: Ghana Bans All Flights from Nigeria, others" said:

“The GCAA as the sole Regulator of the Air Transport industry and Provider of Air Navigation Service in the country has not banned any airline from Nigeria and other African Country from operating to Ghana because of suspicion that the flights might be carrying passengers with the Ebola virus.

"We can confirm that flight operations to and from Nigeria and other African countries are normal without any interruption”

The Ebola scourge has called for widespread demands that international travel be stopped to ensure the containment of the disease.

End Of The Road:2 INEC Officials Caught Illegally Transporting Election Materials In Osun

The duo were caught in an attempt to divert sensitive voting materials meant for tomorrow's election

 

The police in Osun have arrested 2 officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after they were caught in illegal possession of voting materials.
The duo were attached to the Obokun Local Government Area of the state and one of them is said to be the Electoral Officer.
Preliminary investigations showed that the latter had been communicating with a chieftain in the area but the suspects are yet to reveal the identity of their sponsor.
The Osun Governorship elections are set to hold tomorrow with the major candidates being the APC's Rauf Aregbesola, the incumbent, and PDP's Iyiola Omisore.

Two Sudan men die after floggings

 KHARTOUM (AFP) – Two Sudanese men have died after being detained and flogged 40 times each, a rights group said on Friday.The cases are the latest to highlight the country’s laws governing morality that took effect after the 1989 Islamist-backed coup by President Omar al-Bashir.Hussein Hadab, 45, and Khamis Koko, 60, were convicted separately on August 3 and 4 after being detained for drinking alcohol and causing a public nuisance, the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) said in a statement.Each was sentenced in the coastal city of Port Sudan to 40 lashes, penalties that were immediately carried out, the group said.Hadab, who had been detained for three days, collapsed and died after going to a police station to collect his belongings following the whipping, it said.Koko, initially jailed for one day, was ordered to serve two months more after his flogging, ACJPS said, but the prison refused to admit him “due to his poor health”.He was sent to hospital where he died on August 5.“Doctors that performed post-mortems on both men indicated that the cause of death was a sudden drop in circulation,” ACJPS said, calling for an investigation into what happened.Conditions of their detention, as well as the flogging, may have contributed to the deaths, the group said.Activists say Sudanese women are regularly lashed under other Public Order provisions which prohibit “indecent” clothing.In May, a Sudanese court convicted a pregnant Christian woman, Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, of apostasy from Islam and sentenced her to hang, according to Islamic sharia law.An appeals court later overturned the ruling after her case drew worldwide attention. She later left Sudan for the United States. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/two-sudan-men-die-floggings/#sthash.pFaeYbR5.dpuf

NNPC shuts down clinic in Lagos over suspected patient with Ebola virus

 BY CHRIS OCHAYIABUJA: The Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, on Friday announced the indefinite shutdown of its clinic in the Muri Okunola area of Victoria Island, Lagos, following a suspected case of Ebola virus on admission at the clinic.It was discovered that the patient visited the First Consultant Medical Centre during the period the first Ebola case was reported at that clinic.The Corporation in a statement by Mr. Ohi Alegbe, its Group General Manager, Group Public affairs Division, explained that the pre-emptive step was taken after the case was duly reported to the Federal Ministry of Health as well as officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Health.He noted that, “in the meantime, all contacts with this case are being traced and adequate precautionary measures instituted to contain the possible spread of the disease.”“The medical team has assured that the patient is in stable condition,” he assured. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/nnpc-shuts-clinic-lagos-suspected-patient-ebola-virus/#sthash.k9vdcgMJ.dpuf

Should the world be scared of Ebola?

 PARIS (AFP) – After AIDS, SARS, avian flu and the coronavirus, now Ebola is in the headlines and sparking panic. AFP asks health historian Patrick Zylberman if the world should fear a pandemic.– To what extent should we worry about the current Ebola outbreak?Zylberman: There is a primeval fear in all of us of a pandemic that kills off humanity but we should be wary of comparing Ebola to the ancient plagues of history, when all our ancestors had to fight them was prayers.During the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918-1919 which killed 50 million people worldwide, there were no antibiotics, we didn’t understand the virus and we had no emergency and resuscitation services.Today, Western countries have efficient health systems that allow us to contain — or even prevent — the spread of viruses, but this is not the case in countries affected by Ebola.Basically, the current crisis is at about the same level as the SARS outbreak but the difference is that Africa is far less developed politically and in terms of health policy than China in 2003.– We seem to have one health crisis after another. Are there more viruses than before and what can we do to reassure people?Zylberman: Since the mid-20th century, we have been finding more and more viruses because there are more viruses out there but also because we’re better at detecting them.There has been an increase in epidemics in southern countries. Just for Ebola, there have been some 20 outbreaks in Africa since 1976 but only in villages, not in towns and cities as is currently the case.It is important to make the local population aware of the risks and how they can become contaminated and not just distribute leaflets when the local population cannot read.But concerns are growing too in other countries that the epidemic could be imported. This is a delicate problem for health authorities because they have to make people aware of the risks in the proper fashion without appearing too concerned, which would itself sow more worry among the people.Gloria Tumwijuke (with microphone), Alice Ngonzi Isoke (folding hands in red dress), Diana Alinaitwe (behind Alice), Mrs Isoke (Alice’s mother), an unidentified health worker(on Gloria’s right) and a granddaughter to Mrs Isoke – all Ebola survivors narrating their ordeal at Kagaadi Hospital during the function to officially declare Uganda Ebola free. Photo courtesy WHO– Why is the current outbreak so serious?Zylberman: Although the Ebola virus does not spread as easily as flu, the current epidemic is spreading quickly in Africa. The death rate is very high, around 50 to 90 percent, if there’s no specific treatment, while it was only around 2.5 percent for Spanish flu.The populations affected don’t know how the virus spreads and so are still carrying out their funeral rites, kissing and embracing the corpses, as our ancestors did during the cholera epidemic that raged through Europe in the 19th century.In addition, they have no faith in the health officials in their own countries so they chase medical staff away with stones or they believe staff are going to kidnap and kill them. Trust is a very important element. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/world-scared-ebola/#sthash.BQ2rIfdt.dpuf PARIS (AFP) – After AIDS, SARS, avian flu and the coronavirus, now Ebola is in the headlines and sparking panic. AFP asks health historian Patrick Zylberman if the world should fear a pandemic.– To what extent should we worry about the current Ebola outbreak?Zylberman: There is a primeval fear in all of us of a pandemic that kills off humanity but we should be wary of comparing Ebola to the ancient plagues of history, when all our ancestors had to fight them was prayers.During the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918-1919 which killed 50 million people worldwide, there were no antibiotics, we didn’t understand the virus and we had no emergency and resuscitation services.Today, Western countries have efficient health systems that allow us to contain — or even prevent — the spread of viruses, but this is not the case in countries affected by Ebola.Basically, the current crisis is at about the same level as the SARS outbreak but the difference is that Africa is far less developed politically and in terms of health policy than China in 2003.– We seem to have one health crisis after another. Are there more viruses than before and what can we do to reassure people?Zylberman: Since the mid-20th century, we have been finding more and more viruses because there are more viruses out there but also because we’re better at detecting them.There has been an increase in epidemics in southern countries. Just for Ebola, there have been some 20 outbreaks in Africa since 1976 but only in villages, not in towns and cities as is currently the case.It is important to make the local population aware of the risks and how they can become contaminated and not just distribute leaflets when the local population cannot read.But concerns are growing too in other countries that the epidemic could be imported. This is a delicate problem for health authorities because they have to make people aware of the risks in the proper fashion without appearing too concerned, which would itself sow more worry among the people.Gloria Tumwijuke (with microphone), Alice Ngonzi Isoke (folding hands in red dress), Diana Alinaitwe (behind Alice), Mrs Isoke (Alice’s mother), an unidentified health worker(on Gloria’s right) and a granddaughter to Mrs Isoke – all Ebola survivors narrating their ordeal at Kagaadi Hospital during the function to officially declare Uganda Ebola free. Photo courtesy WHO– Why is the current outbreak so serious?Zylberman: Although the Ebola virus does not spread as easily as flu, the current epidemic is spreading quickly in Africa. The death rate is very high, around 50 to 90 percent, if there’s no specific treatment, while it was only around 2.5 percent for Spanish flu.The populations affected don’t know how the virus spreads and so are still carrying out their funeral rites, kissing and embracing the corpses, as our ancestors did during the cholera epidemic that raged through Europe in the 19th century.In addition, they have no faith in the health officials in their own countries so they chase medical staff away with stones or they believe staff are going to kidnap and kill them. Trust is a very important element. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/world-scared-ebola/#sthash.BQ2rIfdt.dpuf

Kcee and I may come back together —Presh

NIGERIAN pop star, Precious John, aka Presh of the famed KC Presh duo who seemed to fade into oblivion after his breakup with partner, Kcee is making a big comeback into the music industry.
The back-in-form singer has been asking all the right questions since showing up with two singles “Olegelege” and “International Lady” and look adequately poise to give the best in the trade a run for their money. Riding on the back of a mouth-watering record deal with Eric Manny Records, Presh looks like having path cleared to something great. The Akwa Ibom State-born singer in a chat with Weekend Groove tells of his new-found life, his music and his relationship with the Limpopo crooner, Kcee.  Excerpts
By Anozie Egole
YOU made a comeback to music after being away for sometime, why are you coming back at this time?
Well, it’s not true that I have been quiet for a long time. I dropped a song about a year ago, but I just didn’t stay to promote it. I travelled out of the country for almost one year. I went to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and UK, so when I came back home, I knew that I had to study the market again before pushing out anything and that was exactly what I’ve done. Trust me, there’s a masterplan and it will all start  falling into place systematically.
Let’s talk about your new single “International Lady”, what’s the idea behind it?
Well, the new song was inspired by what I see happening around me on a regular basis. The song “International Lady” simply talks about a professional lady, who really knows her worth and what she wants, the video was shot and directed by Sesan, and we went to different routes with the concept. So far since its release, the response has been awesome.
You recently signed a deal with Eric Manny records, what did they offer you?
Eric Manny is my boss. We have known each other for quite a while. We got talking and he told me we should do business together and make money. And that was how it all started. I am not going to disclose the offer to you, but I can tell you it’s a good, mouthwatering deal. We have a great and cordial relationship. My boss  is a boss that listens and carries people along.
Now that you are back, do you think you have what it takes to stay relevant in the music industry?
Yes, as  a matter of fact it’s a capital yes.
What stands you out?
What stands me out is my vocal ability and my style. What people are listening to right now is just an introduction. I would say it is just the starting of a long journey. By the time you listen to other songs I’ll be dropping in the coming months, you’ll be thrilled. I will be dropping more videos and evergreen songs.
People tend to compare you with Kcee, do you see him as a challenge for you?
Not at all, I’m on my lane and he’s on his lane too, just like every other artiste. It’s a big market so there’s really no reason for competition at all.
What’s your relationship with Kcee at the moment?
Our relationship is still very cordial. I remember I was on a radio show on his birthday recently, and I gave him a shout-out on air; we are still really good.
But what really went wrong, why did you guys part ways?
Nothing went wrong, we just had an agreement to pursue solo careers. But keep your fingers crossed, we just might come back together.
Are you working on something together already?
Not at the moment.
How did music begin for you?
It’s a funny story. It’s actually a girl that steered my way into music. She said I had a frog and toad voice when I was singing for someone. At first, I got angry and wanted to beat her up. So I later joined the church choir and I remember they put me at the back, I just used to make sounds, because what I did back then wasn’t singing compared to what I know now.
So I began to focus and build my vocal strength. Later, I joined a group of six guys called “The Genesis”. One day, Kcee came to join us, and he had this kind of reggae feel to his kind of songs while we were used to the pure gospel and R&B stuff. We thought it was a good mix, we came together and any time we performed in church it was always electrifying.
Do you do any other thing apart from music?
No, all I do is music.
If music had not worked out for you, what else would you have done?
It would have definitely worked out because music is all I know. As a child growing up, I always wanted to do music. Though at some point, I admired accountants because they always look prim and proper in their suits, but I knew deep down that accounting wasn’t for me.
What  was your childhood like?
I grew up in a ghetto in Ajegunle to be precise. My mum was  making Fufu and I used to help her in selling and distributing it. I did more of supplying not hawking.
How did your parents react when you started music?
At first, my dad wasn’t happy with that but when we became popular and money started coming, everything changed.
If you look at your career now, would you say you are fulfilled with what you’ve achieved so far?
No, not yet. There’s a higher place I’m going, it’s been my dream to be one of the people that will nurture new artistes to stardom. When I will be able to sit back and look at over 15  acts doing great and on top of their game through me, then we can start talking of fulfilment. I want to be able to help people and make a positive impact  on other people.
Are you married?
No, I’m not. I’m not even in a relationship. All I see and think about now is my music.
So how would you describe your dream woman?
Well, my dream woman has to be pretty, humble and have a sense of humour. You know she has to be a balance between a good and a bad girl. Not too holy and not too spoilt, so we can both be spontaneous and do crazy things together.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/kcee-may-come-back-together-presh/#sthash.W4Htx2to.dpuf

Gunmen kill four, burn 15 houses in Kaduna

A fresh attack by suspected Fulani gunmen on Gimi Dogara village in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State has claimed four lives with 15 houses burnt.


The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the attack, which was launched around 11pm on Thursday, left the villagers scampering to different directions for safety.

The Chairman of the Local Government, Mr Emmanuel Adamu, who confirmed the incident, expressed sadness over the development and described the attack as “retrogressive”.

Adamu said the frequent attacks were undermining the peace building process initiated by the council.

He reiterated his appeal to the attackers to bury the hatchet and embrace peace as the pathway to progress.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Aminu Lawal, said he had yet to be briefed on the alleged incident.

No fewer than four villages in Sanga Local Government have come under separate gun attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the past two months.
A fresh attack by suspected Fulani gunmen on Gimi Dogara village in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State has claimed four lives with 15 houses burnt.


The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the attack, which was launched around 11pm on Thursday, left the villagers scampering to different directions for safety.

The Chairman of the Local Government, Mr Emmanuel Adamu, who confirmed the incident, expressed sadness over the development and described the attack as “retrogressive”.

Adamu said the frequent attacks were undermining the peace building process initiated by the council.

He reiterated his appeal to the attackers to bury the hatchet and embrace peace as the pathway to progress.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Aminu Lawal, said he had yet to be briefed on the alleged incident.

No fewer than four villages in Sanga Local Government have come under separate gun attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the past two months.

Ebola: WHO declares global emergency

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The World Health Organisation on Friday declared the killer Ebola epidemic ravaging parts of west Africa an international health emergency and appealed for global aid to help afflicted countries.

The decision after a two-day emergency session behind closed doors in Geneva means global travel restrictions may be put in place to halt its spread as the overall death toll nears 1,000.



The WHO move comes as US health authorities admitted on Thursday that Ebola’s spread beyond west Africa was “inevitable”, and after medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned that the deadly virus was now “out of control” with more than 60 outbreak hotspots.

WHO director Dr Margaret Chan appealed for greater international aid for the countries worst hit by the outbreak, which she described as the most serious in four decades, echoing an earlier claim by MSF that the “epidemic is unprecedented in terms of geographical distribution, people infected and deaths”.

States of emergency were in effect across overwhelmed west African nations, including Libera, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Soldiers in Liberia’s Grand Cape Mount province — one of the worst-affected areas — set up road blocks to limit travel to the capital Monrovia, as bodies reportedly lay unburied in the city’s streets.

Two towns in the east of Sierra Leone, Kailahun and Kenema, where put under quarantine on Thursday, as nightclubs and entertainment venues across the country were ordered shut.

Public sector doctors in Nigeria suspended a month-long strike with fears rising that the virus is taking hold in sub-Saharan Africa’s most populous country. The deadly tropical disease has already killed two and infected five others in Lagos.

Ebola has claimed at least 932 lives and infected more than 1,700 people since breaking out in Guinea earlier this year, according to the WHO.

- ‘Africans should get new drug’ -

As African nations struggled with the scale of the epidemic, the scientists who discovered the virus in 1976 have called for an experimental drug being used on two infected Americans to also be made available for African victims.

One of the three, Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said “African countries should have the same opportunity” to use ZMapp, which is made by US company Mapp Pharmaceuticals.

Ebola causes severe fever and, in the worst cases, unstoppable bleeding. It is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, and people who live with or care for patients are most at risk.

Spain flew home a 75-year-old Roman Catholic priest, Miguel Pajares, the first European victim of the epidemic, on Thursday. Officials said his condition was stable.

- Families separated -

In Liberia, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said people should expect certain rights to be suspended as the country imposes “extraordinary measures” necessary for “the very survival of our state”.

In Sierra Leone, which has the most confirmed infections, 800 troops were sent to guard hospitals treating Ebola patients, an army spokesman said.

The outbreak in Nigeria has been minor compared to those in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The densely-packed city of more than 20 million people has a poor healthcare system and officials say that if Lagos sees a rise in infections, public hospitals will need to be operational in order to avert a catastrophe.
Benin said it had placed two patients with Ebola-like symptoms in isolation and was waiting for test results to establish if the pair were infected.

- Americans ‘improving’ -

The two infected Americans, who worked for Christian aid agencies in Liberia, have shown signs of improvement since being flown to a specialist hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. They are being given ZMapp, according to reports.

There is no proven treatment or cure for Ebola and the use of the experimental drug has sparked an ethical debate.

US President Barack Obama said it was too soon to send the experimental drugs to west Africa.
“I think we have to let the science guide us. And I don’t think all the information is in on whether this drug is helpful,” he said Wednesday.

Nigeria’s Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu has asked the US about getting the drug, but Spain has voiced caution about the serum.

US regulators meanwhile loosened restrictions on another experimental drug which may allow it to be tried on infected patients in west Africa.

Canada-based Tekmira said the US Food and Drug Administration changed the classification of its drug TKM-Ebola from full clinical hold to partial hold.

US health authorities also warned Ebola’s spread to the United States was “inevitable” due to the nature of global airline travel, but that any outbreak was not likely to be large.

The worsening outbreak prompted the United States to order the families of embassy staff in Liberia to return home, with the State Department also warning US citizens not to travel to Liberia.

First discovered in 1976 and named after a river in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ebola has killed around two-thirds of those infected, with two outbreaks registering fatality rates approaching 90 percent. The latest outbreak has a fatality rate of around 55 percent.

AFP

 Latest News in Nigeria Boko Haram plans more attacks, recruits many young people

The Nigerian Islamist movement Boko Haram has recruited and trained hundreds of young Cameroonians to carry out attacks in their own country, according to the police and civilians.



As the militant group seeks to gain a foothold in the poor, rural north of Cameroon, experts warn that violence may spread beyond border areas to other parts of the central African country.

“Boko Haram has recruited many young people” from Cameroon’s Far North region, a police officer from the area told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The hardline movement, whose loosely translated name means “Western education is forbidden”, has for years sown terror throughout Nigeria’s northeast, then trained youths “to attack Cameroon”, the officer said.
“They are now asking them to prove themselves on home ground,” he said.

On Wednesday, the Islamists murdered nine passengers on a bus and a soldier in a separate vehicle in a remote northern town, according to Cameroon’s state radio and local paramilitary police.

Precise figures are unavailable on how many young Cameroonians have been recruited by Boko Haram, but security sources estimate the number to be in the hundreds.

In April, a local police inspector said that close to 200 young people — aged 15-19 years — were recruited in just two months in Kolofata, a small border town in the Far North.

- Recruitment drive -
Now, the same inspector says the recruits have completed their training. “Some have recently returned to their villages before going to the front.”

The jihadist recruitment drive coincides with an increase in attacks within Cameroon — including one particularly brazen operation that targeted the country’s deputy prime minister, Amadou Ali.
“At a recent meeting, Amadou Ali said he had ‘a list of 450 young people’ from Kolofata (his hometown) who were recruited by Boko Haram,” according to the police officer.

The warning from Ali, a prominent figure in Cameroon’s fight against Boko Haram, proved to be a prescient one when militants attacked his home and a number of others in Kolofata on July 27.

Ali was absent at the time, but his wife was abducted along with a dozen other people. The sultan of Kolofata, Seiny Boukar Lamine, his wife and their five children were also among the hostages.
At least 15 people, including soldiers and police, were killed. Witnesses said around 200 militants were involved in the raids.

“Children from the village (of Kolofata) and the region were among the attackers,” said an anonymous source close to the deputy prime minister.

“The ease with which the perpetrators were moving in the town, where they controlled the streets, and the precision with which they attacked the homes of the deputy prime minister and the sultan reinforce our belief that some Cameroonians were in their ranks,” the same source said.
The police officer also said there was evidence to suggest the same.
“There were Kolofata guys among them,” he said.
“Several witnesses said the attackers spoke in Kanuri, in English, in Hausa, in Arabic and curiously in French,” he added.

- ‘Drugged and manipulated’ -

French is common in Cameroon, which was once a colony of France. The other languages are spoken on both sides of the border with Nigeria, which was once under British rule.

“Children from Kolofata were conscripted, drugged, manipulated and sent against their own city,” the policeman added.

Boko Haram’s campaign to involve itself in Cameroon has worried officials there and prompted fears that violence may spread.

The police officer warned that the Islamist group has “many supporters” in the Far North region — one of the country’s poorest and least educated areas. Analysts believe attacks could spread beyond the Far North.

Boko Haram has long considered the Kolofata region, close to the Nigerian border, as a haven for its activities, and as a route for smuggling weapons.

In 2012, the group started to launch raids inside northern Cameroon, mainly at Fotokol, Makary and Kousseri Dabanga, but these remained isolated incidents.

After the kidnapping of a French family in February 2013, Boko Haram stepped up attacks on Cameroonian soil, turning the area into a combat zone, though the family was freed two months later.

In response to mounting violence, Cameroon’s President Paul Biya sent his army chief north to beef up the forces. More than 1,000 soldiers have been deployed, including troops of the elite Rapid intervention Battalion.

AFP

 World Update Benin reports 2 possible cases of Ebola, one a Nigerian

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Benin said Thursday that it has placed two patients, one of them a Nigerian, with Ebola-like symptoms in isolation and was waiting for test results to establish if the pair were infected with the deadly tropical disease.

Deputy chief of staff at the health ministry, Moufalilou Aboubakar, told journalists that the two patients were being treated as suspected cases of Ebola and that blood samples had been sent to foreign labs for conclusive results.



“We cannot say today that the virus is in Benin,” Aboubakar told reporters. “The patients are in isolation and under observation pending the results of the ongoing tests.”

If the patients are confirmed to have Ebola, Benin would become the fifth country in the region to be hit by the outbreak.

One patient was identified as a Nigerian man being treated at a hospital in the capital Porto-Novo.
The other is at hospital in the economic capital Cotonou.

Tiny Benin shares a border with Nigeria, which has recorded seven Ebola cases including two deaths in its largest city Lagos.

Cotonou is just a few hours drive from Lagos and there is significant traffic between the two cities each day, especially among traders.

The deadliest ever outbreak of Ebola is spreading quickly across west Africa.

Nearly 1,000 people have died from the virus since the start of the year, mostly in Liberia and Sierra Leone — which have both imposed emergency measures to contain the spread — and Guinea, where the outbreak began

Ebola threat: Jonathan summons emergency meeting with officials

President Goodluck Jonathan has summoned an emergency meeting with officials, in a bid to tackle the Ebola virus threat.


NigerianEye gathered that Jonathan had to cancel a scheduled trip to Owerri, the Imo State capital, to chair the meeting

Nigerians react to 'rumour' of salt-water bath as Ebola cure

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Many Nigerians woke up this morning to phone calls, Twitter, Facebook, Blackberry broadcast messages, informing them that the solution to the Ebola virus is a salt-water bath..

A few weeks back, it was also widely speculated that kolanut can help keep you safe, it also turned out to be false also.

Celebrities, personalities and numerous internet users took to social media to react to the latest report.

Check it out!

There is a rumour spreading that bathing with salt and water prevents Ebola. This is untrue. Find true information on http://t.co/wKwOoQ8JoQ
— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) 

Those bathing with water & salt bcos of Ebola.pls add little maggi and pepper to spice it up, crayfish and onion too. #makefearnokilluna — AY COMEDIAN (@AYCOMEDIAN)
Driver tells me he took bath with warm salt water this morning.Also drank some. Suggestion came by phone,from relatives outside Lagos #Ebola
— tolu ogunlesi (@toluogunlesi) 

Lot's wife is somewhere shaking her head at Nigerians. - @croonboss

Kolanut was the cure, now salt... Tomorrow, we will wake up to see rumour that we should put Atarodo in our eyes...Nigerians!!! - @Cutenaija

If you haven't received any salt calls/messages, really, check yourself, Nobody cares about you! - @Cutenaija

Salt will not save you. Don’t fall for all the #Ebola falsehood circulating out there. http://t.co/VPSTCgiti5 for accurate information. — tolu ogunlesi (@toluogunlesi) 


Dem say we wey dey bleach make we no put salt for our water make we no fold like earth worm . #ebola ” e bora ”
— @soundsultan (@Soundsultan) 

If think bathing with salt & water can prevent you from ebola then you should also bath with palm oil, it’ll prevent you from any bomb blast
— Comedienne Princess (@PrincesComedian) 

And the amount of salt they’ll drink will be more than normal. Your kidneys,arteries,heart will sooner fail before Ebola gets to you. SMH
— Olo Osakioduwa (@O_Osakioduwa) 

Salt baths are therapeutic, helps with insomnia, muscle pain. SEA salt, not mr. Chef. Definitely not for drinking and not a cure for Ebola.
— Olo Osakioduwa (@O_Osakioduwa) 

With all your data plan &access to internet,you people will not research & read.Rub yourself with mr. Chef,lie in the sun to grill.#bbq. Lol — Olo Osakioduwa (@O_Osakioduwa)

Bright side to this is, those co-workers with bad body odour will not do rub and shine today. They will spend time bathing properly. :D— Olo Osakioduwa (@O_Osakioduwa) August 8, 2014

Pls help RT: salt & water does not stop the spread of ebola. Follow the WHO guidelines as regards washing hands with soap & use of sanitizers
— s.h.a.r.e (@sharebuck) 

Gd Mrn Peeps! Bathing with hot water and Salt,now the cure 4 Ebola? Is the Ebola virus now Earthworm? Pls visit http://t.co/zA9GX9BLN8.
— Chioma Akpotha (@Omakpotha)
Another set of my ignorant people doing the Salt and Water thing #Ebola is not airborne people @Ayourb @Gidi_Traffic pic.twitter.com/ACldEaaxUY
— Mr and Mrs Fadoju (@BabajideFadoju) 

If Salt can Heal Ebola, Lots wife will be priceless atm pic.twitter.com/QJN6Y8dPE5 — Oma |HypeCartel (@UmehOma) 
Bathing with salt and warm water, drinking water with salt does NOT cure #Ebola. Facts about what helps treat Ebola http://t.co/Evrm7YlsME
— WHO (@WHO) 

Even the lion, king of the forest, protects himself against flies. ~ Naija Proverb ~ Eno mean say make u bath with salt and water. #Ebola — Ambassador Hakeem (@Bhadoosky) 
Pls mk sure u add salt 2spoonfull of pepper & a little red oil to ur salt water b4 bathin dis morni to prevent EBOLA pic.twitter.com/QhKPaedeL0
— THE SCARM LORD (@clement4jp) 

@RevDrCraig Can salt help stop Ebola? Please reply.
— Eralimad (@EralimadA) 

@EralimadA Ebola is a VIRUS and is unaffected by salt. Bathing, drinking or, applying salt will have no beneficial effect whatsoever
— David (@RevDrCraig)

@EralimadA No!
— David (@RevDrCraig) 

@EralimadA Salt is ‘bacteriostatic’ meaning it will slow the growth of most BACTERIA. Some salts are ‘bactericidal’ meaning it can kill them
— David (@RevDrCraig) 

So did you hear about the rumour? or did you take a salt and warm water bath on Friday morning?
Kindly share with us

PHOTOS: Star Ghanaian Actor Van Vicker Shares Hot New Photos From Globacom Telecommunications Photo Shoot

He went on a photo shot for Globacom Telecommunications and shared photos on his IG page, see more photos below

PHOTO: Rihanna Shares Hot Brilliant Pix Of Herself.

Describe her in one word with reference to the above..hmm not too fast, please don’t tell us it’s what we are thinking, see image below and let us know if she is wearing anything below

PHOTOS: Star Actress Chika Ike Steps Out In A Backless No Under Cover Outfit For A Dinner Date.

Who is this secret lover that is always lavishing money on this lady…It’s either she is Dubia in a One million per night hotel or on shopping with money that can feed a whole village. Don’t worry, our eyes are on you, we will soon reveal the politician behind your extravagant lifestyle.

Now back to the outfit. You have decided not to stress the man, so just at one touch, the clothes are off, #chaidiaisgodoh

Ebola: Two fresh cases confirmed in Lagos

The federal goverment,Friday, has said that two new cases of Ebola infection have been confirmed in Lagos.
This brings to seven new cases of Ebola in Lagos and a second death from the virus.
Also, the federal government warned against bathing with salt water being circulated via SMSs and the social media as a cure for Ebola, saying it will prosecute individuals who spread such false information.
Vanguard gathered that 139 people are under surveillance in Africa’s most populous country as panic over the spread of the diseases heightens.
Details later.

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- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/ebola-two-fresh-cases-confirmed-lagos/#sthash.EBwvnarm.dpuf

Bodies Of Ebola Victims Left On Streets In Liberia.

Relatives of Ebola victims dump dead bodies on the streets of Liberia in a desperate bid to avoid being quarantined.

The deadly virus, which can cause victims to suffer from severe bruising and bleeding from the eyes and mouth, has claimed the lives of nearly 1000 people across West Africa so far.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT (story continues below)

A young man lies dead in the streets of Liberia, left to rot in view of passers-by and local children. Last week, the Liberian government announced a raft of tough measures to contain the disease, including shutting schools, imposing quarantines on victim’s homes and tracking their friends and relatives.
Today, Information Minister, Lewis Brown, said locals had started dragging their loved ones’ bodies onto the streets out of fear that the new government regulations would risk their own health.

On Monday, the Liberian government announced via state radio that all corpses of Ebola victims must be cremated amid fears the incurable disease could overrun healthcare systems in one of the world’s poorest regions.

Arsenal To Play Besiktas In Champions League.

European football governing body, UEFA, has announced the fixtures for this year’s Champions League play-offs holding later this month.

According to the draw held today, 8 August, 2014, in Nyon, France, Arsenal will face Turkish side Beşiktaş while Celtic will confront Slovenian title-holders Maribor.
In other match-ups, Lille will take on 2004 winners FC Porto, Napoli come up against Athletic Bilbao and Bayer Leverkusen play FC Copenhagen.

Arsenal, meanwhile, must over overcome Beşiktaş to seal their 17th consecutive appearance in the Champions League group stages.
Last season the Gunners saw off another Turkish club, Fenerbahce, to go on to make it into the Last 16, where Arsene Wenger’s side, finalists in 2006, came a cropper against Bayern Munich.
The first leg ties are scheduled for 19/20 August, with the second leg matches on 26/27 August.

* Arsenal’s Wilshere

The ten winners will join the 22 teams automatically qualified for the group stage, which gets underway in September.
However, it was gathered that there was drama minutes before Friday’s draw when Polish club Legia Warsaw, who had dished out a 6-1 third qualifying mauling to Celtic, were ruled out.
According to UEFA, Legia were demoted to the Europa League play-offs for fielding an ineligible player.
Below are the full champions league fixtures:
Maribor (SVN) v Celtic (SCO)
Salzburg (AUT) v Malmo (SWE)
Aalborg (DEN) v APOEL (CYP)
Steaua Bucharest (ROM) v Ludogorets (BUL)
Slovan Bratislava (SVK) v BATE (BLR)
Besiktas (TUR) v Arsenal (ENG)
Standard Liege (BEL) v Zenit St Petersburg (RUS)
FC Copenhagen (DEN) v Bayer Leverkusen(GER)
Lille (FRA) v FC Porto(POR)
Napoli (ITA) v Athletic Bilbao (ESP)

Muslims offer special prayers against Ebola

 Tweet Kano -Muslims in Kano State on Friday offered special prayers against the spread of Ebola virus in Nigeria in compliance with a directive from the State Council of Friday Mosques Imams.The Chairman of the organisation, Sheik Falalu Dan’almajir, had requested that the prayers be offered to seek God’s intervention to prevent the disease from spreading in the country.The statement also urged all Imams of other mosques across the state to continue to offer similar prayers against the disease and the current security challenges bedevilling the country.At Al-Furquan Mosque in Kano, the Chief Imama, Dr Bashir Omar, called for continuous prayers against the disease.He urged Muslims to adhere strictly to the preventive measures approved by experts but added that prayers were necessary to check the spread of the disease.The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, announced five cases of Ebola attack in Lagos after an infected Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, died in the country and infected some health workers on July 20.The governments has since then issued guidelines on how to check the spread of the disease. (NAN) - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/muslims-offer-special-prayers-ebola/#sthash.55NyRQYm.dpuf

Comunications Minister Cautions Nigerians On Risk Of Using Mobile Phones.

Mrs Omobola Johnson
Speaking on Thursday, August 7, in Abuja with the News Agency of Nigeria after the inauguration of Etisalat Experience Centre, Mrs Johnson who was represented by Ngozi Ogujiofor, a Deputy Director in the ministry said the mobile phone was one of the most dangerous devices of communications as they could affect health and cause damages to the body.
She advised the public not to bring phones close to their body or use in the rain as it has some radioactive elements which can can cause health and other related problems.
According to her, there were possibilities that radio waves produced by mobile phones could interfere with important electrical equipment, such as telecom masts, monitors, hospitals equipments and electrical systems on airplanes, which is why the ministry made it mandatory for operators to install their masts five kilometres away from residential areas.
She advised mothers not to allow their children who are not of age to play with mobile phones.
Related: FG To Reduce Price Of Internet Enabled Mobile Phones
She also called on telephone companies and operators to carry out sensitisation programmes to enlighten the public on the risks of using mobile phones.
She also spoke against the use of mobile phones while driving which could lead to accident, saying the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has made it an offence punishable under the law for anybody to use a mobile phone while driving.

Salt water does not prevent, cure Ebola – Experts warn

Medical and health experts have continued to dismiss claims that bathing with and drinking salt water would cure or prevent contracting Ebola virus.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that speculations via GSM text messages spread across the country on Thursday night through the early hours of Friday (Aug. 8) promoting the use of salt with hot water as a preventive and curative measure against the dreaded disease.

The information heightened citizens, including elites, apprehension and anxiety over the spread of the scourge.

Mr Matins Igoh, a resident of Karu, a suburb of Abuja, said that he received several messages from relations and friends on the issue, but disregarded such information.

“I was inundated with messages from my friends and relatives in the early of today advising me to bath with salt water I did not do that.

“I am aware that salt can kill some germs but Ebola is different. I advised people to be more circumspect about information they receive,’’ he said.

However, Mrs Fatima Ajayi, a resident of Lugbe, FCT, said that she had the information and complied with the directive.

“I received so many phone calls on the issue and I actually took my bath with water mixed with salt.

“Though I do not know the source of the information, the fear of Ebola is the beginning of wisdom,’’ she said.

Malam Issah Bako, a food stuff seller in Kuban, said that the information led to an increase in the sale of salt in his shop.

“I got the information late last night when people started trooping into my shop asking to buy salt and I also complied with the advice,’’ he said.

But in their separate reactions, the experts told NAN that the claim was not only false but dangerous to individual health.

An Abuja-based medical doctor, Dr Adedayo Shonibare, on Friday said that the claim had no scientific proof that salt water could destroy Ebola virus.

Shonibare, who is a Senior Registrar, Clinical Microbiology at the National Hospital, Abuja, told NAN that though salt was a disinfectant, it was yet to be clinically proven that it works against Ebola.

He advised Nigerians to ignore the rumour, saying: “The message about the efficacy of salt and water against Ebola came from an unknown source and I urge people to disregard it.

“Ebola is a strong and dangerous virus whose vaccine is still being tried and tested in laboratories.

“Salt is only used to treat diseases like diarrhoea and bacterial infections in open wounds.’’

Besides, the expert advised citizens to be more cautious in relating with sick people whose causes of illnesses had not been identified.

“We are not encouraging people not to show concern for sick people, but they should be more cautious,” Shonibare advised.

On his part, Dr Kunle Otuneye, a Paediatrician at the National Hospital Abuja, advised parents  to ignore the rumour of bathing  and giving  their children salted warm water to prevent Ebola.

Otuneye told NAN in Abuja that drinking salted water could lead to dehydration.

Otuneye also explained that bathing and drinking salted water has not been proven to prevent the Ebola virus diseases, saying Nigerians should be careful of wrong information.

“Some adults are already giving their children salted water which is dangerous because they are doing more harm than good.

“Drinking salted water for too long by adults can lead to hypertension.

“There is no proof that salt can cure the diseases, the best thing people can do is to continue to wash their hands and use sanitisers.

“Nigerians should avoid physical contact with infected persons or somebody with the symptoms of the virus,’’ he advised.

Similarly, Dr Jacob Nwachukwu, the President of Blood Pressure Control Foundation, said there was no scientific basis behind bathing and drinking salted water.

“Nigerians should be careful with the people that are within the West African region where the Ebola virus disease is prominent.

“It has not been confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Health that salt can cure or prevent Ebola; people should be careful and wash hands regularly,’’ Nwachukwu said.

Besides, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) described the information as a fallacy.

Mr Marcel Nnoba, Anambra NMA Chairman, told NAN in Awka on Friday that the claim was not medically founded.

The medical expert said that Ebola was a viral infection that could survive when put in raw salt and advised people to disregard it.

He said that the rumour could have been the handy work of business minded people who wanted to make economic gains from the unfortunate Ebola scourge in the country.

“It is not true, it is pure fallacy and not medically correct. How can you expect such solution to cure a viral disease when it can survive when you put it in raw salt?

“People should disregard the fallacy and maintain healthy lifestyles, and avoiding infected patients,” he said.

Nnoba also said that the strike action of the NMA was still ongoing in the state, as there had not been official communication from the national headquarters on its suspension.

He said the current health situation in the country, especially the Ebola virus scare, had now made it more imperative than before for an end to the strike.

The chairman urged the Federal Government to address the demands of the NMA, promising that they would return to work as soon as the agreements were reached between the parties. (NAN)

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/salt-water-prevent-cure-ebola-experts-warn/#sthash.RTf0TLyt.dpuf

PHOTO: CHIDIMA reveals Her Man Crush.

Nigerian female singer, Chidinma, has revealed her man crush in a recent interview at Capital FM’s The Grill.
Chidinma
The ‘Kedike’ star also talked about her life and her favorite Kenyan artiste.
The beautiful and petite singer, Chidinma, has no doubt won the hearts of many since her emergence in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Its no wonder many including celebs have a crush on her. We’ve seen the likes of Nigerian singer, Lynxx, Ruggedman, Nollywood Actor, O.C Ukeje amongst others. She was also rumoured to be dating Soundcity VJ, Adam.
Well it’s time to reveal hers…
Chidinma Ekile who has remained highly sought after in the music industry came to limelight after winning the third season of MTN’s Project Fame West Africa in 2010.
The ‘Emi ni baller’ crooner recently on May 2, 2014 celebrated her 23rd birthday.
Chidinma who is also a brand ambassador for MTN Nigeria became the first female musician to peak at number 1 on the MTV Base Official Naija Top 10 chart, following the release of her the music video “Emi Ni Baller”.
The 2012 Kora Awards Winner for the “Best Female West African Act” category  has hit songs like “Jankoliko”, featuring Sound Sultan which she released in 2011,”Run Dia Mouth” and “Oh Baby (You & I)” featuring Flavour N’abania which was released in 2013 amongst others.