Niger State Police Arrest Man in Possession of Baby’s Head

The renewed efforts of the Niger State police command to rid the state of criminal elements may have started yielding results, following the discovery of a severed head of a few months old baby girl in a polythene in possession of a young man suspected to be one of the arrow-heads of a syndicate that specializes in using human parts for ritual purposes in parts of the state.

The discovery of the strange object with the suspect (names withheld) occurred early last week, during a stop and search duty by a team of policemen on the highway at Erena, in Shiroro Local Government area of the state .

Teens used CNN computers for FacebookAldayne Fearon and Francis Mutemwa's mugshots, respectively.

Atlanta police said they arrested two teenagers accused of breaking into the CNN newsroom and using computers to check their Facebook pages.

Aldayne Fearon and Francis Mutemwa's mugshots, respectively.

Atlanta police spokeswoman Kim Jones said CNN security contacted police around 3:30 a.m. Friday to report there was "someone in their secure area newsroom" on the fifth floor of CNN Center, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Jones said Aldayne Fearon, 18, and Francis Mutemwa, 17, were arrested and charged with criminal trespass. The spokeswoman said the teenagers gained access to the newsroom by climbing over a ledge from the Omni Hotel.

Jones said the teenagers "started working on two computers."

"At the time of their arrest, they were checking their Facebook pages on those computers," she said.

Your Daily Horoscope

Today is Sunday, January 29, 2012

TODAY'S ASTROLOGICAL TIMETABLE

Positions of the planets and luminaries today at noon GMT (7 a.m. EST):

Sun 9th degree Aquarius

Moon 21st degree Aries

Mercury 3rd degree Aquarius

Venus 19th degree Pisces

Mars 23rd degree Virgo, retrograde

Ceres 4th degree Aries

Jupiter 3rd degree Taurus

Saturn 30th degree Libra

Uranus 2nd degree Aries

Neptune 30th degree Aquarius, retrograde

Pluto 9th degree Capricorn

Eris 22nd degree Aries

Lunar Node 13th degree Sagittarius, retrograde

ZODIACAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You want to get ahead quickly but you need to wait for the right time. Don't try to push someone aside but make a good impression by coming to the attention of someone who's important.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Value your friends and make no enemies. You don't know who will be in an important niche in your life in the future, so don't leave a bad memory of yourself in anyone.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You're ambitious today but don't try to undermine the competition -- nor co-workers. You're served by trying to build up positive assets of all kinds now. Some working relationships can become intense now.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You need to feel protected by authorities today. Many want to abdicate personal responsibility and blindly follow rules, which themselves may be bad or insufficient. Look alive and think things through for yourself.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You like to discuss idea with people and explore options. Make it clear this is what you're doing. Someone might miss this point and think you're definitely making plans, making unnecessary trouble.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You feel that someone else can provide you with something you don't have or have lost. You must look inside for your own power. When you want someone to come to your rescue, call on your own strength and motivation first.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You're feeling angry today. Let loose steam by engaging in physical activities, such as sports. It may be that the only way to maintain a generally positive relationship is by not expressing yourself openly.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You tend to think ill of someone today. Instead of assuming the worst, try to imagine that someone has good reasons. Let it be unless and until you know the whole story.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You are comfortable in situations in which you emotionally dominate the relationship. You need to make room for others as well and to be prepared to operate by a more egalitarian set of rules.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Strong resentments dominate your thoughts today. It's important to let them go, and not let them loop through your mind. Let go and live the life you want, instead.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): What seems like a simple conversation could turn into an argument if you're not careful. Imparting information is what you're doing but can seem like an arguing point to another. Try not to antagonize unnecessarily.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The prospect of losing something or someone of great importance is keenly felt. For some, there may be the need to drop one thing to gain something better but for most it's a fight to keep what's good and not drop a notch.

These interpretations are based on the aspects and positions of the planets in relation to each sun-sign. They indicate the general mood and issues of the day as you experience them. Be creative in applying your forecast to the actual circumstances of your life.

Cocaine Worth £1m Sent To UN 'By Mistake'

Two fake UN diplomatic pouches containing the drugs, which experts said had a street value of more than $2m (£1.3m), sparked an alert when they were delivered to the HQ by accident.

The bags, which were printed with the UN symbol, were shipped from Mexico through DHL's shipping company centre in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Somebody in Mexico is probably in trouble now, having let a significant amount of cocaine out of their possession. Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne, NYPD 

Fried food not a direct cause of heart risk, new research finds

A new study has found that there is no direct correlation between the amount of fried food people eat and their risk of heart disease. Instead, the research found that long-term heart risk depended more on what kind of oil was used in the cooking process — olive oil and sunflower oil are considered the healthiest.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, studied the eating and cooking habits of 40,000 people in Spain for nearly 15 years. The Mediterranean diet favored by most individuals in the study leans heavily on fried foods, particularly fried fish, but also the healthier olive and sunflower oils for the frying.

The Telegraph reports that study participants were then broken into four different groups, based on how often they ate fried foods. Over the course of the study there were 606 medical cases linked to heart disease, but those results were fairly evenly split between the four subsets. More from the study:

"In a Mediterranean country where olive and sunflower oils are the most commonly used fats for frying, and where large amounts of fried foods are consumed both at and away from home, no association was observed between fried food consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease or death."

Professor Michael Leitzmann from Germany's University of Regensburg said in the study that two similar research projects found comparable results showing no direct correlation between fried foods and heart disease.

"Taken together, the myth that frying food is generally bad for the heart is not supported by available evidence," Leitzmann wrote."However, this does not mean that frequent meals of fish and chips will have no health consequences," noting that the fried foods have higher calorie counts and are linked to obesity and high blood pressure.

Now, before you throw caution to the wind and sign a Jumbaco petition, bear in mind that not only do those fatty foods contain more sodium and calories, most Nigerians use less healthy oils to fry their foods. And even more damaging, re-used cooking oils reportedly contain higher levels of saturated fats, which are linked to poor heart health.

As Victoria Taylor, senior heart health dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, told the Telegraph, "We currently recommend swapping saturated fats like butter, lard or palm oil for unsaturated fats as a way of keeping your cholesterol down and this study gives further cause to make that switch... Regardless of the cooking methods used, consuming foods with high fat content means a high calorie intake. This can lead to weight gain and obesity, which is a risk factor for heart disease."

Healthy, six-legged lamb born in Georgia

A six-legged lamb was born recently in a small village in the eastern European nation Georgia. The lamb was also reportedly born with both male and female sexual organs.

Shephard Albert Abadzhanov said that in his 25 years of shepharding that he's never seen such a case.

"I have been asking the other shepherds, but none of them remember such [a] case. There were three-legged lambs, one-eyed, but not [a] six legged, bisexual one. The lamb eats well, but moves with difficulty." Abadzhanov said.

The lamb was born with four front legs and two back legs. It appears to have at least partial control of all six limbs.

Veterinarian Otto Zardiashvili also said that the six-legged baby lamb is an anomaly. "Most probably there were twins, but then the embryos were united, and we've got a strange lamb," Zardiashvili said.

There have been some similarly unusual cases reported in recent years. In 2006, another lamb with sex legs was born in Belgium.

Former President John Tyler’s (1790-1862) grandchildren still alive

Former President John Tyler, born 221 years ago, still has two living grandchildren. The one-term president isn't a well-known historical figure; he's probably best remembered for helping to push through the annexation of Texas in 1845, shortly before leaving office.

President John Tyler

So, how is it possible that a former president who died 150 years ago would still have direct descendents alive today? As it turns out, the Tyler men were known for fathering children late in life. And that math is pretty outstanding when added up:

John Tyler was born in 1790. He became the 10th president of the United States in 1841 after William Henry Harrison died in office. Tyler fathered Lyon Gardiner Tyler in 1853, at age 63. Then, at the age of 71, Lyon Gardiner Tyler fathered Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. in 1924 and four years later at age 75, Harrison Ruffin Tyler. Both men are still alive today.

That means just three generations of the Tyler family are spread out over more than 200 years. President Tyler was also a prolific father, having 15 children (8 boys and 7 girls) with two wives.

He even allegedly fathered a child, John Dunjee, with one of his slaves.

Some context on Tyler's progeny: Jane Garfield (granddaughter of James Garfield) is 99, making her the oldest living grandchild of a former president, even though Garfield took office 40 years after Tyler.

Former Ambassador John Eisenhower is the oldest living presidential child, turning 89 this past August.

A few other Tyler tidbits:

• He joined the South's secession efforts shortly before his death and was even elected to the Confederate House of Representatives.
• Because of his Confederate ties, Tyler's is the only presidential death not officially mourned.
• Tyler ascended to the presidency in 1841. Other things that happened that year: Canada became a nation; the United States Senate has its first filibuster, lasting nearly a month; the city of Dallas, Texas was founded.
• Tyler was the first person to ascend to the presidency through succession as vice president.

Ogunsanya quadruplets simultaneously graduate with Masters degrees on the same day

Graduating from university is normally an occasion for a family get-together. And this was certainly a big celebration for the Ogunsanya quadruplets who were handed their well-deserved degrees from the same university on the same day.

The 23-year-old quads, identical sisters and the oldest by four minutes, Toks and Temi Ogunsanya, and identical brothers, Tobi and Tolu, graduated from Warwick University with Master Degrees. And there was not a jot of sibling rivalry as all four have landed jobs in the City already.

Toks graduated with an MEng in manufacturing and engineering and Temi, Tobi and Tolu all gained an MSC in management from Warwick Business School.

'The fact we all chose to study at the University of Warwick was a natural decision,' says Tobi, who thinks a bit of sibling rivalry is essential for success. 'We are a close-knit family and were all attracted by the strength of the courses on offer.

'We all gravitated to similar courses because we've always been interested in business and management and our father is a successful businessman in Nigeria.'

The quads, originally from Lagos, Nigeria, have been living in the UK since the age of seven when they began boarding schools. Since leaving university they have all landed top city jobs.

Toks is due to start working for RBS in London later this year, Temi, who interned at Santander over the summer, has been offered a permanent position with the bank, and Tolu is due to start working for one of the 'Big 4' accountancy firms in the City.

'Our parents are four times as proud of us,' added Tobi, who is mulling over two offers from two major City firms. 

'They've supported us financially and have encouraged us all the way - without their help we wouldn't be here today.'

Barça forced to settle at Villarreal

Barcelona lost further ground on La Liga title rivals Real Madrid as another away draw, this time a goalless encounter at relegation-threatened Villarreal, cost them dearly at El Madrigal.

The gap between the leaders and Barça now stands at an imposing seven points following Real's victory over Real Zaragoza. Barcelona were particularly sluggish in the first half, during which Villarreal could have even taken the lead, while the second period saw them denied by a stout defensive performance and some good saves from Diego Lopez.

Dani Alves worked Lopez for the first time after only three minutes, before Ruben Cani returned fire for the hosts by forcing Victor Valdes into action five minutes later. Barça were seeing plenty of the ball and Lionel Messi thought he had opened the scoring in the 17th minute when he went one on one with the charging Lopez and produced a delicate chip. The ball hung in the air for what seemed like an age until it squirmed just wide.

Villarreal enjoyed a good period thereafter, almost taking the lead themselves when Valdes flapped at a free-kick and Gerard Pique's defensive header looped towards the Barca goalline. Luckily for them, Javier Mascherano was on hand to head clear and Eric Abidal was able to block Jose Luis Joselu's resulting shot.

Alves drilled a low free-kick just wide for Barcelona after 31 minutes, but the visitors were struggling for their usual rhythm. Marcos Senna's superb first-time effort four minutes later was curling towards goal and needed an athletic save from Valdes to keep the stalemate.

The corner that followed was headed in by Gonzalo Rodriguez, but he was adjudged to have been in an offside position. Villarreal saw a penalty claim against Sergio Busquets turned down two minutes into the second half but, that aside, Barça were the dominant force in the second period.

They pushed the hosts deeper as the game progressed, but struggled to apply the killer touch. A superb reverse pass from Messi unlocked the Villarreal defence only for Cesc Fabregas' heavy touch to allow Lopez to meet the ball and gather safely.

Alexis Sanchez shot over from the edge of the area and substitute Cristian Tello set up the waiting Fabregas in the 78th minute. Tello ran to the byline and cut back smartly for Fabregas, who took a touch to get the ball out of his feet and then saw his low shot deflected on its way to goal.

The deviation looked enough to beat Lopez, but he managed to get a hand to it and pushed the ball firmly against the bar.

With five minutes to go a neat one-two between Sanchez and Messi handed the Argentinian a one-on-one chance against Lopez, but the goalkeeper blocked with his legs at the near post. The rebound spilled to Fabregas, but this time his shot was woefully off target and there were no further chances.

Nigeria’s Attorney General Adoke In Web Of Corruption; Admits Ownership Of Bank Accounts

More details are emerging about the corrupt deals of Nigeria’s Attorney General and Justice Minister Mohammed Bello Adoke – as well as the man’s mind-boggling deposits in numerous bank accounts.

Some 24-hours after an online news website, ireports-ng.com, published details of Mr. Adoke’s multi-million dollars in secret bank accounts, Nigeria's controversial attorney general admitted to another website that he in fact owns accounts in the banks reported by the website.

Mr. Adoke told Pointblanknews that he indeed owns the accounts, but claimed the deposits in the said accounts were not up to the amounts published by Ireports-ng.

“I have accounts with FCMB and Diamond Banks. I have a salary account with Intercontinental Bank and these are the only accounts I have been operating since I was appointed Attorney-General,” he told Pointblanknews.com. Then he added: “But the accounts in the said banks are far, far lower than the figures they are peddling.”

Meeting Between Nigerian Government And Labour Reps End In A Deadlock Again

The meeting between the NLC, TUC and the FG has once again ended in deadlock. This means that the strike and protest actions resume on monday.

Labour leaders refused to back down from its earlier position that President Jonathan revert back to N65 price for petrol.

Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed reports, that President Jonathan is out of the country.

GHANA AND NIGERIA, SLEEP AND DEATH by Dele Momodu

I live partly in Ghana and can confirm to these government apologists that they are wrong.

1. The price of oil in Ghana includes huge taxes. And the quality of petro in Ghana is superior to what we buy in Nigeria. These are facts.
2. Ghana is not yet an oil-rich nation like Nigeria.
3. Ghana enjoys a better infrastructure than Nigeria. I don’t have a generator in my house. My water does not come from a borehole. The roads are far better and regularly maintained. The level of corruption is lower even if it exists.
4. Ghanaian politicians are better disciplined than our own. They are not able to steal in arrears and in advance like people do in Nigeria. There is crime and punishment to a large extent in Ghana. The President of Ghana cannot live like an Emperor.

President John Agyekum Kufuor lived in his own home for the eight years he governed. We lived, and still live on the same street, and never was our road ever blocked to human or vehicular traffic.

The incumbent President of Ghana, Professor John Atta-Mills lives in his own house till this day. The house is even located in a popular housing estate. We should never compare sleep to death.

Dele Momodu.

HOW JONATHAN IS CUTTING WASTE IN GOVERNMENTHow can we run a country like this?

How can we run a country like this?

1. It cost us N20 million/day for the upkeep of our able president and his vice.
2. Local travels for Namadi and Goodluck cost us N2 million everyday
3. International travels for Namadi and Goodluck cost us N3 million everyday
4. Both of these performing leaders Namadi and Goodluck have N600 million in the budget for “welfare”
5. Anyim’s office will spend N65 million on trees when FCT spent less than N50 million on same for over 4 years. If you can take it, I can’t! I will engage all within and without to make this right
6. What kind of public address system cost N150million? Will Michael Jackson be performing inside Aso Rock?
7. What kind of desk top costs N300,000. Has Steve Jobs sent one from heaven?
8. Tell me a consumer laptop brand that cost N314,000. Was it patented in Heaven?
9. Scanners of N190,000 and aunty @NOIweala said she was satisfied with her budget. I am disappointed!
10. N161 million for buses in the presidency. Are they starting a presidential palliative transport company?
11. N1.8 billion to maintain existing furniture, offices and quarters? Are we hosting Barak and Michelle everyday?
12. Acquisition of computer software N2.5 billion. Are we starting a computer company called CabalSoft?
13. Stationery, magazines, newspapers N4.5 billion. Why not buy the printing press
14. N295 million for new furniture. Are we moving the Federal Capital again?
15. Maintenance of vehicles and furniture N17billion. Can we just buy shares in Toyota instead?
16. Research and Development N27 billion. Is Aso Rock now a research company? Lord have mercy!

We can save hundreds of billions of Naira from wasteful spending in the 50 ministries, agencies and departments this year.

Now you know this is beyond a fight about petrol taxes/subsidy, it’s a fight for the soul of our country. Will you back out?

We hereby declare war against corruption, mismanagement and lawlessness of our leaders.

Is this not enough to ask and demand for change? Is this not enough reason to #OccupyNigeria?

We will not tire, we will not falter, we will not fail

Culled from omojuwa.com

FIRE GUTS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

There was outbreak of fire today at the National Assembly but no major damage was done by the fire due to the timely intervention of the fire service men.

Smoke emanating from one office inside the complex caught the attention an officer who quickley raised an alarm and the fire service was contacted as fire engines raced in one after the other.. 

The fire fighters promptly rushed to the scene of the outbreak and struggled to put it out before serious damage could be done. 

Although the major cause of the fire outbreak could not be immediately ascertained, it was suspected that the incident resulted from electrical cause. 

The Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Mr. Olusegun Okebiorun, said the fire which torched some offices almost became an inferno as the design of the building made it difficult for fire fighters to put off the fire.

The entrance to the National Assembly complex was blocked by stern looking mobile policemen who prevented people and journalists from going into the complex.

No official from the National Assembly spoke on the matter.

Mr. Olusegun said none of the two chambers in the complex were affected by the fire.

GENE HACKMAN Airlifted to Hospital

Gene Hackman was airlifted to a trauma hospital in Florida today .. after the actor was hit by a car while riding his bike in the Florida Keys ... TMZ has learned. 

The Florida Highway Patrol tells TMZ ... the 81-year-old Academy Award winner suffered injuries to his head and body.

We're told the accident took place around 3:00 PM local time. 

The Florida Highway Patrol is conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash. 

We're told Hackman is currently in stable condition. 

UPDATE:

2:40 PM PST -- Hackman's rep tells TMZ the actor has been released from the hospital and insists he is "fine."

The rep says Gene "suffered bumps and bruises after a woman bumped him from behind in her vehicle." 

Culled from TMZ

Arithmetic of Fuel Subsidy by Wale Majaro

The Nigerian government claims that Nigerians consume 34million litres of petrol per day. Most experts disagree and give a figure between 20ML and 25ML per day. For this write up, I will use the government figure. The government has also said that N141/L is the unsubsidized pump price of petrol imported into Nigeria, with N131.7 the landing price and N9.3 as profit.

Now, the government has made claims of the refineries working between 30% and 60%, depending on whom you listen to. For the sake of argument, I will assume that our refineries don’t work at all (i.e. 0% Production). Thus, my calculation is based on 100% of petrol used in Nigeria being imported, the worst case scenario. If the refineries actually work at 60% as the government claims, they should be processing 270,000 bbl/day of crude. Each barrel of crude produces 75L of petrol. So, if the government is to be believed, the refineries produce 19.5 million litres of petrol a day and we should therefore only import 14.5million litres a day. My analysis will ignore this completely.

So here is the arithmetic, using the government’s own figures:

CONSCIOUS NIGERIAN CHILDREN WRITE NIGERIANS AND GOVERNMENT ON #OccupyNigeria

Fellow compatriots, the last time a letter went out in our name it had over 2.5 million hits. In essence, we have become a voice that cannot be ignored, we have become the people’s voice hence this new letter. We know you will see this.

First we have to say we are proud of those of you who defied the age long history of the Nigerian adaptability spirit. From Ghana to London, from Brussels to New York, from the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Lagos to Freedom Square in Kano, From Ibadan to Benin to Ikoyi, to Abuja and Kaduna and indeed all the parts of the world Nigerians are domiciled we have seen you all come out to march, to protest and to defend your dignity. We are proud of you. You are the reason a new surge of pride welled in us this past few days. This letter is not about praises because that can wait, it is about the way forward. If you still think this is not the time to demand justice and real transformation in Nigeria it is time to stop reading this…

2012 BUDGET: NIGERIA’S WORST BUDGET EVER!!! SEE THE WASTE

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's office is responsible for the budget

These are critical times. Nigeria has never been in a situation like this in my life time. Apart from the period of the civil war, this is the most critical time to be a Nigerian. Our resources have been mismanaged and now we are broke! Our people are being killed not just by extremists but also by the very government that swore to protect lives and property. This piece is about the 2012 budget and its sad realities.

The Basics:

1. The budget of N4.749 trillion assumes an oil price benchmark of $70 a barrel, oil production of 2.45 million barrels per day and zero deduction from Federation Revenues for the fuel subsidy.

2. Despite the above assumptions, the budget contains a deficit of 2.77% of GDP. (The nominal GDP has been estimated by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to be about N36 trillion in 2011), so essentially about N1 trillion of the budget is to be borrowed, or relies on exceptional income like privatization proceeds, loans and grants-in-aid.

Multi-Million Dollars Hidden Bank Accounts Of Jonathan’s Minister Of Justice, Bello Adoke Exposed-iReports-ng.com

By iReports-ng.com

Barely 48 hours after an online publication exposed the sordid details of a N1.2 billion mansion just purchased by President Goodluck Jonathan’s Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,in Maitama area of Abuja, ireports-ng.com has uncovered four secret bank accounts where billions of naira, millions of US dollars and GB pounds are hidden by current Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke.

Adoke was appointed as Justice Minister by President Jonathan on April 6, 2010 and has since then been enmeshed in various allegations of corruption and providing cover for the corrupt who are facing court trial by withdrawing corruption charges against them.

#Occupy Nigeria Protests A Divine Deal To End Corruption, Says Ribadu

The anti-corruption activist says ongoing street protests offer a divine opportunity for citizens to insist on a corruption-free Nigeria.

The Occupy Nigeria movement which has expanded into demanding for social justice and end to corruption in governance is a divine deal, Nuhu Ribadu, presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria in the last general election, has said.

He said the movement and protests present an opportunity for Nigerians to renew their fight to eliminate corruption from their country.

“This is a truly divine deal and as I pray for peace and justice in my distressed homeland I hope we don’t miss it,” Mr. Ribadu said in a statement Thursday.

“My months of work in war-torn Afghanistan, seeing how corruption can strip a country from honor to horror, to the depths of the ravages of war,” he said “reinforces my reading that the ongoing massive street votes from Lagos through Yenegoa to Kano, and to all parts of the country today has opened another window of opportunity for us, as a people, to connect back to the purpose of a renewed anti-corruption agenda.”

Mr. Ribadu said he remains fully in prayers for the expeditious resolution of this difficult situation.

“As many have commented openly, and others through their heroic street protest, the work to make our nation work ultimately resides in a strong anti-corruption commitment,” he added.

Mr. Ribadu was the pioneer chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and currently on a United Nation’s anti-corruption team assessing the corruption status of Afghanistan.

He argued that only a zero tolerant Nigerian government model will find the resources to deliver the fruits of Nigeria’s investments in democracy.

NLC Declares Weekend Break For Strikes, Rallies And Protests

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Action Front (JAF) commend the Nigerian people for turning out in their millions since Monday January 9, 2012, to protest the astronomical increase in the price of PMS (Petrol). We commend them for their resolute stand and insistence in struggling for a better country.

The Labour Movement and its civil society allies after nationwide consultations has decided that this weekend, Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th January, 2012, will be observed as strike, protest and rally-free days.

We ask Nigerians to utilize these days to rest, restock and get re-energized for the continuation of the strikes, rallies and protests from Monday 16th January, 2012.

Discussions with Government

The NLC, TUC and their allies in the Civil Society Movement on Thursday 12th January 2012 met with the Senate leadership, Nigeria Governors Forum and the Executive Arm.

At the meeting, Labour asked the Presidency to suspend the new petrol (PMS) price increases announced on January 1, 2012. In return, we offered to suspend forthwith, the strikes, mass rallies and street protests. We also suggested that an expanded committee be set up which would discuss the fuel subsidy issue and pricing for petrol.

The Government side presented a counter proposal asking Labour to negotiate new fuel prices. Since we had no such mandate, Labour declined and decided to return to its National Executive Council meetings, which will be held on Saturday 14th January 2012 for a possible expanded mandate.

Labour commends the National Assembly for its intervention and further urges the Presidency to be more reconciliatory towards the people and show more understanding and sensitivity to their feelings and collective interests.

Owei Lakemfa                                                                  John Kolawole

NLC Acting General Secretary                                         TUC Secretary General

Occupy Nigeria Protest - Goodluck Jonathan (Parody) Stoned With Egg In New York City Protest

Angered Nigerians gathered in Nigeria House in New York city January 10, 2012 to protest against fuel subsidy and ongoing religious crisis in Nigeria. SAHARA REPORTERS brought in an imitator to mimic Goodluck Jonathan. Eggs were thrown at the imitator in a way to express anger and disappointment in the current crisis.

THE POPULAR WILL By NASIR EL-RUFAI

Any discerning reader that is familiar with this column will have by now been able to see a common thread that runs through this column in the past 30 weeks or so. This week’s column must of necessity be on a subject of popular will with respect to the political turmoil with which the country is currently bedeviled. Let me first commend and salute the people of Nigeria – young, old, middle aged, labour, civil society, employed, unemployed, market women, and youths for summoning the courage to do that which is perhaps unprecedented in the struggle to make Nigeria better and greater during our lifetime.

It was only a few weeks ago that President Jonathan dared Nigerians by publicly boasting that he was ready to confront mass revolt rather than defer the removal of subsidy on petrol. It is self evident that no well meaning government would affront us all that way when the foundation for the legitimacy for governance derives from the people. It was George Bernard Shaw that aptly stated that “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Most people only know this much about this popular quotation but for those who are able to dig deeper, the above represents, at best, only half of the full quotation which ends with “Except for those who learn from lessons of history” and is read in conjunction with the first part of the quotation.

BLOWN SECRET: The KPMG Report Nigeria’s Government Prefers Hidden

More than a handshake

On Thursday December 1, 2011 the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, cringed when the senate joint committee investigating the management of funds set aside for petroleum subsidy handed her a seven-day ultimatum to produce a secret forensic report on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in her custody.

The audit Consolidated Detailed Findings-v1, done for her ministry by renowned audit and advisory consultancy, KPMG, which exposed the massive financial malfeasance and monumental corruption in the NNPC, is one document the federal government, the petroleum ministry and the NNPC have worked hard to conceal for a little over a year now.

Tyga Arrested in Las Vegas

The Young Money rapper was detained because of outstanding warrants.

Young Money's "Rack City" rapper Tyga has been racking up some driving violations that landed him in trouble over the weekend.

The 22-year-old artist was arrested in Las Vegas after a routine stop for a traffic violation turned into the discovery of a warrant out for his arrest due to four other traffic-related incidents. 

Previous charges include driving without a license, registration violation and unlawful acts of financial responsibility. 

Tyga, real name Michael Stevenson, was taken to Clark County Detention Center and released the following day. 

Stevenson was in Vegas for a tour show in support of his upcoming album Careless World: the Rise of the Last King, expected in stores January 24.

Tyga has yet to make a formal statement on the arrest.

Seven Drinks That Are Making You Fat

Booze, for all its faults, means escape, relaxation and the shedding of inhibitions (ideally by women in skirts). Still, it’s worth remembering that some drinks are more of a hazard than others. And we’re not talking about long-term liver damage or injuries sustained while attempting to jump over your buddy’s dining room table after six shots of whiskey. We’re talking about your waistline, because some of those beverages are conspiring to make you fatter than, ah, let’s go with Steven Seagal. So before you head out tonight, take note of these seven pitfalls and their streamlined alternatives. Otherwise, your belt buckle will be under siege, your barstool marked for death, your ability to chat up uninhibited women in skirts half past dead and your writing style weighed down with bad action movie puns.

1. Anything and Tonic

“Yes, I’d like a gin and tonic with extra plants, please.”

We all love a good vodka tonic, and a G&T is a bona fide classic, but the clear colour belies the caloric load. Tonic water alone boasts over 90 calories per serving and 22 grams of sugar. Add vodka, and three vodka tonics quickly hit you with close to 550 calories. The solution? If you’re going to be drinking a lot, swap out tonic water for club soda and garnish it with a wedge of lime to get that citrus taste. Alternatively, drink all the tonic water you want, opt out of a ride home and go on foot, preferably at a medium to high jogging pace. This option is commonly referred to as “drunk cardio” and is highly effective. At least it seems that way when you’re drunk.

2. Jack and Coke

Do you really want to drink what these guys are drinking, anyway?

First of all, unless you’re a college freshman downing stolen whiskey out of an Aquafina bottle before stumbling into the all-campus mixer, there is no reason for you to be drinking Jack and Coke. Second of all, Coke—whether mixed with alcohol or not—is never a good option if you’re hoping to keep your gut in check. At nearly 100 calories and 30 grams of sugar per 8-ounce serving, the stuff is basically liquid people-fattener. If you want to drink whiskey (which you should), man up and order it neat, or with a splash of club soda or water. It’s healthier, and it’ll get you much closer to achieving Don Draper-esque cool than that silly fedora.

3. Dark Beers

 

Carry on.

We won’t drink anything lighter than high-gravity IPA, so it pains us to write this, but frequent consumption of dark beer is a recipe for fatassery. Guinness Stout—the mainstream poster child for dark beers around the world—brings a hefty 170 calories per pint. Step it up a notch to IPA, and you’re easily topping 200 calories per pint. The most obvious way to avoid this calorie buildup is to switch over to a lighter variety of brew, as in the stuff that says “light” right on the bottle. Of course, taste-wise, light beers tend to be roughly on par with carbonated water at best and roughly on par with carbonated horse piss at worst. So what do you do? Moderation, friends. Drink the good stuff, but pace yourself—at least while you’re still sober enough to care.

4. Energy Drinks

See what happened to Steven Seagal? He had an unlimited supply of his very own energy drink, and now he is Mama Cass. Let this be a warning to you.

We’re looking at you, Mr. Vodka Red Bull. Sure, mixing your booze with an energy drink is a hip, surefire way to kick-start your night and keep you powered up through all manner of drunken antics, but “energy” literally means “calories.” Red Bull packs over 100 calories and 27 grams of sugar per 8-ounce serving. With vodka, you’ll be hitting 600 calories before long. That’s about the equivalent of a Big Mac. A Big Mac that makes you spill your life story to people you’ve never met while simultaneously making plans to launch a start-up social network with a guy named Stephan. Those things just don’t work out.

5. Malt-Liquor Energy Blends

 

Did you know? Four Loko was among the first companies to successfully tap into the coveted “brain-dead asshole” demographic.

Even worse than energy drinks is this new strand of sketchy beverages with names like Four Loko, Sparks and Joose. Never mind the fact that you’re basically purchasing a three-hour blackout when you pick one up at 7-11, the only place that seems morally flexibly enough to carry them. What you should really be concerned about is the 650 calories of sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and mystery chemicals. Do your body a favor and upgrade to a drink that doesn’t come in a can, especially one that looks like it was designed by Ed Hardy’s even douchier younger brother.

6. Margarita

“I came, I saw, I got hammered and threw up in the back of my friend’s Corolla.”

It’s not the manliest of drinks, but damn if a margarita isn’t the perfect addition to a hot day by the beach. Or a cold night at a Mexican restaurant. Let’s not be picky. Thing is, a man-sized margarita (you know, the kind in those ridiculous fish bowl glasses) typically calls for at least three ounces of tequila and three ounces of triple sec, which translates to a hefty 500 calories, not to mention all the sugar you’re consuming. (Editors note: Do NOT mention this to your girlfriend. She WILL take it the wrong way.) Alternative? Skip the sweet stuff and go for straight tequila shots. Before long you’ll be evicting any excess calories anyway.

7. Long Island Iced Tea

None of this is tea.

Do people actually drink these in real life? If so, they’re consuming perhaps the single most fattening alcoholic beverage you’ll find this side of a Mississippi Mudslide. Composed of equal parts rum, vodka, tequila, triple sec and gin, along with a splash of Coke and a couple ounces of sweet and sour mix, a single one of these suckers can deliver over 700 calories. That’s more than a third of the average non-active-man’s recommended daily intake. All things considered, you’re better off eating a cheeseburger soaked in Jose Cuervo. Which we totally just patented, by the way, so don’t go stealing it.