Who is the funniest among these actors?

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Young O. C. ukeje

Actor O.C. Ukeje posted this photo on Facebook and states: "#‎ThrowBack‬ ‪#‎Surulere‬ I was a cool guy mehn ‪#‎EarlyUniDays‬"

FULL TRANSCRIPT OF BUHARI'S SPEECH EARLIER TODAY AT THE CHATHAM HOUSE.

PROSPECTS FOR DEMOCRACY CONSOLIDATION IN AFRICA: NIGERIA'S TRANSITION - BY GENERAL MOHAMMADU BUHARI (CHATHAM HOUSE LONDON 26TH FEBRUARY 2015)

Permit me to start by thanking Chatham House for the invitation to talk about this important topic at this crucial time. The 2015 general election in Nigeria is generating a lot of interests within and outside the country. This is understandable. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and largest economy, is at a defining moment, a moment that has great implications beyond the democratic project and beyond the borders of my dear country.

So let me say upfront that the global interest in Nigeria’s landmark election is not misplaced at all and indeed should be commended, for this is an election that has serious import for the world. I urge the international community to continue to focus on Nigeria at this very critical moment. Given increasing global linkages, it is in our collective interests that the postponed elections should hold on the rescheduled dates, that they should be free and fair, that their outcomes should be respected by all parties, and that any form of extension, under whichever guise, is unconstitutional and would not be tolerated.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War, democracy became the dominant and most preferred system of government across the globe. That global transition has been aptly captured as the triumph of democracy and the ‘most pre-eminent political idea of our time.’ On a personal note, the phased end of the USSR was a turning point for me. If you will, that was my own road to Damascus experience. It convinced me that change can be brought about without firing a single shot. As you all know, I had been a military head of state in Nigeria for twenty months. We intervened because we were unhappy with the state of affairs in our country.

We wanted to arrest the drift. Driven by patriotism, influenced by the prevalence and popularity of such drastic measures all over Africa and elsewhere, we fought our way to power. But the global triumph of democracy has shown that another, and a preferable, path to change is possible. It is an important lesson I have carried with me since, and a lesson that is not lost on the African continent.

In the last two decades, democracy has grown strong roots in Africa. Elections, once so rare, are now so commonplace. As at the time I was a military head of state between 1983 and 1985, only four African countries held regular multi-party elections. But the number of electoral democracies in Africa, according to Freedom House, jumped to 10 in 1992/1993 then to 18 in 1994/1995 and to 24 in 2005/2006.

According to the New York Times, 42 of the 48 countries in Sub-Sahara Africa conducted multi-party elections between 1990 and 2002. The newspaper also reported that between 2000 and 2002, ruling parties in four African countries (Senegal, Mauritius, Ghana and Mali) peacefully handed over power to victorious opposition parties. In addition, the proportion of African countries categorized as not free by Freedom House declined from 59% in 1983 to 35% in 2003. Without doubt, Africa has been part of the current global wave of democratisation.

But the growth of democracy on the continent has been uneven. According to Freedom House, the number of electoral democracies in Africa slipped from 24 in 2007/2008 to 19 in 2011/2012; while the percentage of countries categorised as ‘not free’ increased from 35% in 2003 to 41% in 2013. Also, there have been some reversals at different times in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania and Togo.

While we can choose to look at the glass of democracy in Africa as either half full or half empty. While you can’t have representative democracy without elections, it is equally important to look at the quality of the elections and to remember that mere elections do not democracy make. It is globally agreed that democracy is not an event, but a journey. And that the destination of that journey is democratic consolidation—that state where democracy has become so rooted and so routine and widely accepted by all actors.

With this important destination in mind, it is clear that though many African countries now hold regular elections, very few of them have consolidated the practice of democracy. It is important to also state at this point that just as with elections, a consolidated democracy cannot be an end by itself. I will argue that it is not enough to hold series of elections or even to peacefully alternate power among parties.

It is much more important that the promise of democracy goes beyond just allowing people to freely choose their leaders. It is much more important that democracy should deliver on the promise of choice, of freedoms, of security of lives and property, of transparency and accountability, of rule of law, of good governance and of shared prosperity. It is very important that the promise embedded in the concept of democracy, the promise of a better life for the generality of the people, is not delivered in the breach.

Now, let me quickly turn to Nigeria. As you all know, Nigeria’s fourth republic is in its 16th year and this general election will be the fifth in a row. This is a major sign of progress for us, given that our first republic lasted five years and three months, the second republic ended after four years and two months and the third republic was a still-birth. However, longevity is not the only reason why everyone is so interested in this election.

The major difference this time around is that for the very first time since transition to civil rule in 1999, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing its stiffest opposition so far from our party the All Progressives Congress (APC). We once had about 50 political parties, but with no real competition. Now Nigeria is transiting from a dominant party system to a competitive electoral polity, which is a major marker on the road to democratic consolidation. As you know, peaceful alternation of power through competitive elections have happened in Ghana, Senegal, Malawi and Mauritius in recent times.

The prospects of democratic consolidation in Africa will be further brightened when that eventually happens in Nigeria.

But there are other reasons why Nigerians and the whole world are intensely focussed on this year’s elections, chief of which is that the elections are holding in the shadow of huge security, economic and social uncertainties in Africa’s most populous country and largest economy.

On insecurity, there is a genuine cause for worry, both within and outside Nigeria. Apart from the civil war era, at no other time in our history has Nigeria been this insecure. Boko Haram has sadly put Nigeria on the terrorism map, killing more than 13,000 of our nationals, displacing millions internally and externally, and at a time holding on to portions of our territory the size of Belgium. What has been consistently lacking is the required leadership in our battle against insurgency.

I, as a retired general and a former head of state, have always known about our soldiers: they are capable, well trained, patriotic, brave and always ready to do their duty in the service of our country. You all can bear witness to the gallant role of our military in Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Darfur and in many other peacekeeping operations in several parts of the world. But in the matter of this insurgency, our soldiers have neither received the necessary support nor the required incentives to tackle this problem. The government has also failed in any effort towards a multi-dimensional response to this problem leading to a situation in which we have now become dependent on our neighbours coming to our rescue.

Let me assure you that if I am elected president, the world will have no cause to worry about Nigeria as it has had to recently, that Nigeria will return to its stabilising role in West Africa, and that no inch of Nigerian territory will ever be lost to the enemy because we will pay special attention to the welfare of our soldiers in and out of service, we will give them adequate and modern arms and ammunitions to work with, we will improve intelligence gathering to choke Boko Haram's financial and equipment channels, we will be tough on terrorism and tough on its root causes by initiating a comprehensive economic development plan promoting infrastructural development, job creation, agriculture and industry in the affected areas.

We will always act on time and not allow problems to irresponsibly fester, and I, General Muhammadu Buhari, will always lead from the front and return Nigeria to its leadership role in regional and international efforts to combat terrorism.

On the economy, the fall in prices of oil has brought our economic and social stress into full relief. After the rebasing exercise in April 2014, Nigeria overtook South Africa as Africa’s largest economy. Our GDP is now valued at $510 billion and our economy rated 26th in the world. Also on the bright side, inflation has been kept at single digit for a while and our economy has grown at an average of 7% for about a decade. But it is more of paper growth, a growth that, on account of mismanagement, profligacy and corruption, has not translated to human development or shared prosperity. A development economist once said three questions should be asked about a country’s development: one, what is happening to poverty? Two, what is happening to unemployment? And three, what is happening to inequality?

The answers to these questions in Nigeria show that the current administration has created two economies in one country, a sorry tale of two nations: one economy for a few who have so much in their tiny island of prosperity; and the other economy for the many who have so little in their vast ocean of misery. Even by official figures, 33.1% of Nigerians live in extreme poverty. That’s at almost 60 million, almost the population of the United Kingdom. There is also the unemployment crisis simmering beneath the surface, ready to explode at the slightest stress, with officially 23.9% of our adult population and almost 60% of our youth unemployed. We also have one of the highest rates of inequalities in the world. With all these, it is not surprising that our performance on most governance and development indicators (like Mo Ibrahim Index on African Governance and UNDP’s Human Development Index.) are unflattering. With fall in the prices of oil, which accounts for more than 70% of government revenues, and lack of savings from more than a decade of oil boom, the poor will be disproportionately impacted.

In the face of dwindling revenues, a good place to start the repositioning of Nigeria's economy is to swiftly tackle two ills that have ballooned under the present administration: waste and corruption. And in doing this, I will, if elected, lead the way, with the force of personal example.

On corruption, there will be no confusion as to where I stand. Corruption will have no place and the corrupt will not be appointed into my administration. First and foremost, we will plug the holes in the budgetary process. Revenue producing entities such as NNPC and Customs and Excise will have one set of books only. Their revenues will be publicly disclosed and regularly audited. The institutions of state dedicated to fighting corruption will be given independence and prosecutorial authority without political interference. But I must emphasise that any war waged on corruption should not be misconstrued as settling old scores or a witch-hunt. I'm running for President to lead Nigeria to prosperity and not adversity.

In reforming the economy, we will use savings that arise from blocking these leakages and the proceeds recovered from corruption to fund our party’s social investments programmes in education, health, and safety nets such as free school meals for children, emergency public works for unemployed youth and pensions for the elderly. As a progressive party, we must reform our political economy to unleash the pent-up ingenuity and productivity of the Nigerian people thus freeing them from the indignities of poverty.

We will run a private sector-led economy but maintain an active role for government through strong regulatory oversight and deliberate interventions and incentives to diversify the base of our economy, strengthen productive sectors, improve the productive capacities of our people and create jobs for our teeming youths. In short, we will run a functional economy driven by a worldview that sees growth not as an end by itself, but as a tool to create a society that works for all, rich and poor alike. On March 28, Nigeria has a decision to make. To vote for the continuity of failure or to elect progressive change. I believe the people will choose wisely.

In sum, I think that given its strategic importance, Nigeria can trigger a wave of democratic consolidation in Africa. But as a starting point we need to get this critical election right by ensuring that they go ahead and depriving those who want to scuttle it the benefit of derailing our fledgling democracy. That way, we will all see democracy and democratic consolidation as tools for solving pressing problems in a sustainable way, not as ends in themselves.

Permit me to close this discussion on a personal note. I have heard and read references to me as a former dictator in many respected British newspapers including the well regarded Economist. Let me say without sounding defensive that dictatorship goes with military rule, though some might be less dictatorial than others.

I take responsibility for whatever happened under my watch. I cannot change the past. But I can change the present and the future. So before you is a former military ruler and a converted democrat who is ready to operate under democratic norms and is subjecting himself to the rigours of democratic elections for the fourth time.

You may ask: why is he doing this? This is a question I ask myself all the time too. And here is my humble answer: because the work of making Nigeria great is not yet done, because I still believe that change is possible, this time through the ballot, and most importantly, because I still have the capacity and the passion to dream and work for a Nigeria that will be respected again in the comity of nations and that all Nigerians will be proud of.

I thank you for listening.........GMB

Girl, 30, hangs self

Breaking News: Girl Hangs In Limbe Over Misunderstanding with Boyfriend
Valerie Ndomo, 30, an indigene of Etone* in the Centre region took away her own life, Monday 23rd February around 8:30 am in Alpha Club- Towe', Limbe after alleged phone call misunderstanding with her BIR boyfriend.
On the field report indicated that Valerie was seen as early as 7am healthy and hearty transferring credit around her house. Neighbours attested she was involved in a quarrel on the phone with a caller suspected to be her boyfriend (an element of the Rapid intervention Batallion, BIR) presently securing the high seas around Kribi. Few minutes later, a young pupil from a nearby primary school raised an alarm that Valerie had hanged herself behind the house. It is alleged she was pregnant as she died.
The divisional officer of Limbe I, Epale Seraphin, State Counsel for Limbe, Doctors and other municipal authorities were present in the scene to take on the spot information. Meanwhile, her corpse has been deposited at the Mortuary in Limbe while pending burial.
RIP Beautiful Valerie (Image Choquante)

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JOSEPHINE AGWU returns N12 million found at airport

JOSEPHINE AGWU does cleaning job at our airport in Lagos, Nigeria at N8k per month, found a lost N12m and returned it.

Kwame Nkrumah received the news of the coup d'etat on 24.February 1966

How Kwame Nkrumah received the news of the coup d'etat on 24.Feb 1966 at Peking on his Hanoi trip. ‪

A bus lost control and fell off the Queen Elizabeth bridge in Joburg.

What do you think of this, SunLand? A bus lost control and fell off the Queen Elizabeth bridge in Joburg. Luckily the driver was the only one in the bus. He is currently in hospital and emergency services are working to clear the area.

See full story in tomorrow's #DailySun

Nigerian military arrest Boko Haram member dressed like a woman

A top commander of Boko Haram dressed like a woman  while trying to escape was recently arrested by the Nigerian military during a massive assault in Borno State.

"ASIRI ILE" coming out soon!

Fidelis Duker posted this picture on Facebook and wrote:
Coming Soon.....Another BLOCKBUSTER film "ASIRI ILE" (family secret) from FAD Productions .......delving into indigenous films......I AM STILL A FILMMAKER so politics na my contribution to improving the polity. We must be involved irrespective of the political party as it will deepen the polity.

 

Chinedu Flavour Okoli with his dogs

Chinedu Flavour Okoli with his dogs

Radio DJ Alex Simmons and his bride Amy Ewing tie the knot with 130 bridesmaids and 100 grooms

Radio DJ Alex Simmons and his bride Amy Ewing broke two world records after tying the knot with 130 bridesmaids and 100 grooms men at Rudding Park in, Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

The British celebrity tied the knot with 230 friends in attendance, the couple's marriage was a Double Guinness World Record, beating 'Most grooms men to one groom', (previously at 47), and 'Most bridesmaids to one bride', (which was 126 before). The ceremony was held on February 22, 2015.

Photo of the day: Former President Shehu Shagari marks his 90th birthday today

President Jonathan and former Heads of State, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Gen. Babangida, Gen. Gowon and
Gen. Abdulsalami, celebrating with former President Shehu Shagari as he marked his 90th birthday at
Sokoto today. Obasanjo and Buhari were absent.

PHOTOS FROM DR (MRS) SALLY MBANEFO'S 50TH BIRTHDAY YESTERDAY

PHOTOS FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL NIGERIA TOURISM DEVELOPMENT, CORPORATION (NTDC) DR (MRS) SALLY MBANEFO'S 50TH BIRTHDAY   HELD AT CIVIC CENTRE VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS ON SUNDAY 22ND FEBRUARY 2015.

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Nigerian Entertainment Conference holds APRIL 22, 2015

The umbrella conference for the Nigerian entertainment sector which debuted in 2013 will see everyone come together again at Eko Hotels in Lagos, for a full day of deliberations, workshops, exhibitions and master-classes.

With the theme: ‘Buying And Selling Nigerian Entertainment And Everything In-Between,’ this year’s conference, according to NEC founder Ayeni Adekunle, will be more about what practitioners have done in the past years, using case studies to deliver presentations everyone can learn from. 
“We’re moving the conversation beyond rhetoric this year, and actually providing a platform for individuals and companies doing great stuff to come and show the world what we’re about.
“All sessions and exhibits will also be accompanied by master-classes by the visionaries plotting the future of the industry.
The conference will hold at Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos on Wednesday April 22.
Speakers and facilitators for this year include acclaimed Nigerian actress and trainer Joke Silva, BET and MTV award winning pop star Davido, Afrinolly’s Chike Maduegbuna, founder and CEO of Ebony Life TV Mo Abudu, IT entrepreneur Chika Nwobi, rapper and business executive M.I Abaga, iROKO TV founder Jason Njoku, music distributor Uba Pacific, media administrator Deji Awokoya, marketing icon George Thorpe, entrepreneur Ayo Makun, founder of NotJustOk Demola Ogundele and Quilox chairman Shina Peller.
Session moderators include Bukky Sawyerr-Izeogu (Classic FM), Zainab Balogun (Ebony Life), Osagie Alonge (Pulse), Oreka Godis, Dayo Odulaja (NET), Olamide Adedeji (Soundcity), Ehiz Okoeguale (MTV Base) and others. The event will be hosted by Tee A for the third year running.

Past editions have featured renowned celebs including 2face Idibia, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Amaka Igwe, Kenny Ogungbe, Jimmy JATT, Basketmouth, M.I, Don Jazzy, Kunle Afolayan, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Lagbaja, Tony Okoroji, Audu Maikori, D’banj and Ali Baba; as well as respected executives like Aina Kushoro, Emeka Mba, Chris Ubosi, Ayo Animashaun, Olisa Adibua, Colette Otusheso, Steve Babaeko, Ifeoma Williams, Efe Omorogbe, Frank Nweke, Gab Okoye and Prof. Pat Utomi.

Ayeni also said that this year’s conference will mark the fifth anniversary of the debut of Nigerian Entertainment Today (NET) newspaper.

Confirmed partners for this year, according to him, include MTV Base, Beat FM, Classic FM, Hip TV, Ebony Life, AV Edge, TNS, ID Africa, EDS, Top Radio, X3M Ideas, and F316.

Tosin Martins releases new album "I’m a M.E.S"

An inspirational singer, Tosin Martins burst onto the music scene in 2004 with the venerable first album, ‘Happy Day,’

which spawned such nostalgia-inducing hits as Olo Mi, Happy Day, and
Made in Nigeria.

On a streak from his successful debut, he followed up
with a double sophomore LP entitled ‘Higher: The Expression and the
Confession.’ Uniquely divergent to Happy Day, Higher featured special
guest appearances that ranged from Ego (of Lagbaja fame) on the single
‘Kosigi’ to Naeto C in ‘Still Made in Nigeria.’ One of the three
singles, Ololufe further elevated the album to a classic and Mr.
Martins, to a higher echelon in the industry.
Now, after a ten-year sabbatical and a renewed positive view on life
and love, Tosin Martins blesses his fans and followers with a brand
new album called I’m a M.E.S (Minister, Entertainer, Statesman.) With
a no-holds-barred approach, the album straddles the spectrum of both
contemporary and legendary features namely: Waje, Tiwa Savage, Vector,
Cobhams Asuquo, Ebenezer Obey and Brandon Camphor of Fourways – The
Grammy Award winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.
‘Letter Days’ with guest vocals from Waje, is the first single off the masterpiece and a taste of things to come. As will be more evident upon release, ‘I’m a
Minister. Entertainer. Statesman’ is for every man, woman and child.