Pastor Kumuyi Warns Deeper Life Members To Desist From Celebrating Christmas

The General Overseer of The Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor W.F Kumuyi warned his church members during their annual National December Convention which held on Saturday Dec 21st, against celebrating Christmas, because according to him it is idolatrous and unscriptural. Kumuyi said; “We don’t celebrate Christmas. It actually came from idolatrous background. That is why you don’t hear us sing what they call Christmas carol, Never! We always say it is the December retreat. We are only gathering together because it is the holiday period and love the lord more, and rededicate ourselves more. “When you find anybody coming in, or any leader, trying to introduce the idolatry of mystery Babylon, that they call Christmas and you want to bring all the Christmas carol saying that is the day that Jesus was born, and you don’t find that in the Acts of the Apostles or in the early church, then you don’t find that in the church either. If you don’t know that before, now you know. Well, let's all try to respect other people's beliefs. Meanwhile, other Christian leaders have replied Kumuyi, saying Christmas is not idolatrous but biblical. A Catholic priest, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, said “I don’t know what he means by saying the practice of celebrating Christmas is wrong. Is he saying that Christ wasn’t born? That he didn’t come to die for us? Does he not celebrate his own birthday? Do Kumuyi’s pastors not celebrate him? It is not everything I react to; some people just seek attention. If Kumuyi is a Christian, then he must believe in Christ. “The celebration of Christmas didn’t just start today; it is too public an event for anyone to say that they don’t know what it is about. “If Kumuyi is condemning the commercialisation of Christmas, I can understand that. Christ came to redeem us from our lost state; this was actualised through his coming, his birth; that is why we celebrate Christmas. It is the fulfilment of God’s promise.” "Kumuyi is just saying what he feels; he is not making any doctrinal statement.”

Glitz Africa Magazine List Top 20 Most Beautiful Women In Africa [See Who Made It] Who do you think should be on or off?

Six Nigerians were listed among the top 20 beauties from Africa according to Glitz Africa Magazine. Genevieve Nnaji, Tiwa Savage, Oluchi Orlandi and Agbani Darego among others were listed in the magazine’s 2013 Fashionista issue. See the full list of the “20 Most Beautiful Women in Africa” below: Leila Lopes (Angola) Vimbai Mutinhiri (Zimbabwe) Oluchi Orlandi (Nigeria) Yvonne Nelson (Ghana) Dillish Mathews (Namibia) Agbani Darego (Nigeria) Tiwa Savage (Nigeria) Stephanie Linus (Nigeria) Genevieve Nnaji (Nigeria) Joselyn Dumas (Ghana) Yvonne Okoro (Ghana) Jackie Appiah (Ghana) Millen Magese (Tanzania) Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde(Nigeria) Zainab Sheriff (Sierra Leone) Naa Okailey Shooter (Ghana) Nadia Buari (Ghana) Lerato “Lira” Molapo (South Africa) Babalwa “Barbz” Mneno (South Africa) Elham Wagdi (Egypt)

Candidates Record Mass Failure in Nov/Dec 2013 WASSCE Examinations

29% scored 5 credits, including English, Maths ** Like in two previous examinations, candidates who sat for the November/ December 2013 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) recorded mass failure, as only 86, 612 candidates, representing 29.17 per cent, out of 308,217 that wrote the exam, obtained five credits, including English Language and Mathematics. Announcing the release of the private candidate examination yesterday, the Nigeria Head of National Office (HNO), Mr. Charles Eguridu, along side his management team, which included Director of Administration, Mr. Stephen Taiwo; Director of Computer Services, Mr. Joseph Oke; Head of Test Development Division, Mrs. Olayinka Ajibade and Head of Test Administration Division, Mr. K. E. Ekekwe, admitted a decline in the performance of candidates in the exam compared to 2011 and 2012. The HNO also disclosed at the briefing, held at the Yaba Headquarters of WAEC, that 38, 260 candidates’ results, representing 12.88 per cent, were being withheld in connection with various cases of examination malpractice. His words: “86, 612 candidates, representing 29.17 per cent, obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics. Based on this, when compared to the November/December 2011 and 2012 WASSCE (private), there is a marked decline in candidates’ performance.” In comparison with the November/ December 2013 WASSCE results, Eguridu said in 2011, only 139, 827 candidates, representing 36.07 per cent and in 2012, 150,615 candidates, representing 37.97 per cent, obtained five credits, including English Language and Mathematics. According to him, 82 blind candidates registered and sat for the examination, noting that only 17 candidates, representing 20.73 per cent obtained credits in five subjects, including English Language. He however explained that blind candidates did not take Mathematics and Science practicals in the WASSCE. Giving a breakdown of candidates’ performance, Eguridu, said 308, 217 candidates registered for the examination, out of which 296, 827 candidates, consisting of 163,659 male and 133,168 female candidates, sat for the examination, stressing that out of the number of candidates, 299,784 (including absentees) candidates, representing 97. 26 per cent had their results fully released. The WAEC boss further noted that 8, 433 candidates, representing 2.74 per cent had a few of their subjects still being processed due to some errors mainly traceable to them and cyber cafes in the course of registration or writing the examination. Eguridu said such errors were being corrected by the council to enable the affected candidates get their results. He revealed that out of the number of candidates that sat for the examination, 120, 115candidates representing 40.46 per cent, obtained six credits and above, 161,721 candidates, representing 54.48 per cent got five credits and above. In addition, the HNO said 198, 832 candidates, representing 66.98 per cent, secured credits and above in four subjects and 230, 325 candidates, representing 77.59 per cent obtained credits and above in three subjects. He added that 256, 500 candidates, representing 86.41 per cent obtained credits and above in two subjects. Eguridu advised candidates who sat for the November/December 2013 WASSCE (private) to check the details of their performance on the council’s results website within the next 36 hours. He paid glowing tributes to staff of the WAEC for the successes recorded during the conduct, marking and processing of the results. The HNO revealed that from next year, candidates would not be allowed to enter the exam hall with mobile phones, as the council would introduce a metal detector to screen candidates. According to him, this had become necessary as candidates use mobile phones to scan question papers and send it out to people to provide answers and send back. He said WAEC could not be held responsible for the poor performance of candidates, noting that the council set questions based on the approved government syllabus, even as he disclosed that from 2014, WAEC would partner with state governments to run a clinic on how to improve results. On exam fraud, Eguridu said beginning with the May/June 2014 WASSCE, the council would deploy cutting-edge technology in the conduct of its examinations, by using contact lens Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) smart card, for easy and accurate identification, automated attendance register, instant malpractice reporting and effective post- examination management. He stated: “The council has continued the quest of improving its service delivery systems, particularly through the deployment of Information and Communication Technology. The council, as of today, has fully migrated from paper-based registration to electronic registration of candidates for its examinations in addition to the online checking of results and the embossment of passport photographs of candidates on their certificates. “The council also deployed biometric technology in the registration of candidates for the November/December 2013 WASSCE. The data captured during registration formed the basis for the identification of candidates and the taking of attendance during the examination. Reports from the field indicated a drastic reduction in impersonation by candidates during the conduct of the November/December 2013 WASSCE, largely due, we believe, to the deployment of the biometric technology in the registration for the examination.”

Suarez deal cements Liverpool's return to the elite

Regardless of the intricacies of the deal, the small print or how much faith you place in the platitudes he has offered the club’s fans, Luis Suarez’s decision to sign a new contract confirms Liverpool’s status as an elite Premier League force once again. Not even the most optimistic of Liverpool fans could have imagined that when Ian Ayre jetted off for talks with the Uruguayan’s agent Pere Guariola earlier this week that such a swift, decisive and uplifting resolution would be reached. While their rivals down the East Lancs Road struggle to convince their two remaining genuine world class talents, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney, that the David Moyes regime is worth committing the remainder of their peak years to, Liverpool have cemented the services of the Premier League’s box office draw without the need for a very public and prolonged game of cat and mouse. Whether Real Madrid, who had already been readying a weighty offer for the mercurial striker in January, will return after the World Cup with a “too good to turn down” offer of Gareth Bale-esque proportions in the summer matters little at this stage – that is tomorrow’s potential headache. As of now, Liverpool are two points off the summit and will lead the table at Christmas should results fall their way and they continue to do what they have done for the majority of the season - brush aside the league’s makeweights with the minimum of fuss and no small measure of style. That the club can now head into the festive period without doubts hovering over their star attraction’s immediate, if not long- term, future represents a victory for Suarez’s team-mates, his manager and the Fenway Sports Group who fought so admirably in the summer to ignore his desire to quit Anfield, burning any bridge that stood in his way . At the very least, five more months of Suarez will calcify Liverpool’s challenge for what would be a first top four finish in the Premier League since 2009 and the galvanising effect for a club already riding the crest of a wave prompted by their most authoritative away performance in years – the 5-0 win at White Hart Lane last weekend - could even prompt the most unlikely of title challenges. Fanciful perhaps, but seasons and indeed titles have been swung on lesser events. Brendan Rodgers’ penchant for self-praise might grate on some, but there is no doubting he deserves immense credit for fielding the various Suarez-induced storms he has dealt with during his relatively short time on Anfield. Aside from apparently mastering the delicate balancing act that is managing Suarez the person, something that proved so spectacularly beyond Kenny Dalglish’s dwindling powers, Rodgers has overseen the former Ajax star’s development from spellbinding but erratic striker to the most captivating and deadly assassin in the Premier League. That Liverpool can now boast the considerable talents of Suarez and a manager who has transformed the side from a rag-taggle collection of directionless players into an eminently watchable, cohesive and potent unit, suggests brighter times are on the horizon.

The Dossier: Why Wenger has never beaten Mourinho

Time is a healer. Arsene Wenger has forgiven Jose Mourinho for calling him a "voyeur" but there is a guarantee that the Special One's run of results against the Frenchman rankle worse than any words spoken against him. Wenger has been forced to watch on impotently as Chelsea assembled squads of ready-made talent - sometimes at the expense of his own beloved enterprise. The Chelsea way, flying in the face of Financial Fair Play, is anathema to what Wenger and Arsenal represents - namely fiscal responsibility and nurturing talent from underage levels to the first-team. But such things do not decide football matches or titles and, in that respect, the Chelsea way has trumped Wenger's prudent, long- term sustainability. If ever a game typified the contrasting approaches of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal and Jose Mourinho's Chelsea it was the 2007 League Cup final. On one side was a team, largely forged in-house, with the outfield players averaging under 21 years of age. On the other, a formidable unit of full- international talent. Big-money buys like Ricardo Carvalho, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Michael Essien, Andrei Shevchenko and Didier Drogba competed against Justin Hoyte, Armand Traore, Philippe Senderos, Abou Diaby and Jeremie Aliadiere. Inevitably it was the Ivorian Drogba who decided the match in Chelsea's favour on a simmering afternoon which brought three red cards and a mass brawl at the final whistle. "For long periods we were the better team but the regrets we have are that we should have put that game beyond Chelsea," Wenger said in what was to become a familiar refrain. "They had a bit more experience and Drogba made the difference." In the end, it boils down to the question of philosophy. Arsene Wenger, has until now, refused to waver on his. And his poison, which so long held English football in thrall, met the antidote in Chelsea. A vital psychological hurdle was overcome in the Champions League quarter-finals in 2004 when Wayne Bridge's late winner saw the Gunners off to end Chelsea's long streak without winning against Arsenal. That result, Roman Abramovich's cash and the subsequent appointment of Jose Mourinho meant Arsenal's star was falling as Chelsea's was rising. Under Mourinho, both clubs continued on that trajectory. Chelsea, through rampant investment and Mourinho, became one of Europe's strongest clubs - swaggering through and dominating the English football landscape. Arsenal were no longer the primary rivals of Manchester United. It was now Chelsea. Arsenal became also-rans, a feeder club at times, and not contenders for the serious trophies. Their inadequacies were played out on the field and were pronounced in the matches against Chelsea. Arsenal were exploited by Mourinho. Their deficiencies magnified. They were bullied, harassed, beaten. While Arsenal were blooding new players - best exemplified in that League Cup final defeat in 2007 - Mourinho was packing his side with huge signings and had even more in reserve. Often, Chelsea played a very simple game against Arsenal - tackle hard, defend deep, cede possession and hit on the break. Their competitive record against Arsenal under Mourinho in his first spell in charge was very impressive: Four wins and four draws. It was a template that they strayed from when Luiz Felipe Scolari, Carlo Ancelotti and Andre Villas-Boas were in charge and they were punished with defeats. Crucially for Villas-Boas in his 3-5 home defeat he could not count on Didier Drogba, who was suspended. Because, more often than not it was Drogba who had his say against Arsenal, scoring 13 times in 14 matches overall. If Chelsea could coax a performance from Drogba in these fixtures, they generally came out on top. "I don’t know how much Chelsea miss him but we don't miss him. He did a lot of damage against us in every game," Wenger said after Drogba scored last summer in the Emirates Cup in London. Arsenal and their vulnerability from dead- ball situations were exploited right from the off by Chelsea under Mourinho. A 2-2 draw at Highbury kept Chelsea five points clear of their title rivals in December 2004. "We suffered from set pieces," Wenger said on the night. "But we had some young players out there and we were too small as a unit." Their next clash, in April 2005, was a 0-0 draw which delayed Chelsea's title-winning party. Chelsea set out to frustrate their guests, defending in numbers, absorbing pressure and keeping their structures intact. It typified Chelsea's season - the football was not electrifying but a 23rd clean sheet of the season set them on course for thr title. Enter Drogba. After a subdued first season with the Blues, Drogba was about to embark on his quest to become one of the world's most feared strikers. The Community Shield, 2005, Drogba's double downed Arsenal. Direct passes to Drogba unsettled Arsenal. Claude Makelele was exceptional, smothering Arsenal's attacks and protecting what was a deep blanket defence. "Chelsea were dangerous with the long ball. They do it very well," Wenger said. "It's a fact that Drogba likes the high balls and they gave us a hard time." It was Drogba again who was the thorn in the Arsenal side later in August 2005. An uninspiring contest with a lack of clear-cut chances saw Chelsea grind out another win, bringing their undefeated streak to 31 matches. It was their first Premier League win over Arsenal in 10 years. A lucky goal from Drogba, on as a substitute, was the difference between the side on the day. Wenger said: "We had enough possession to score goals but we just missed something; we need to be more efficient." Same old story. On December 18, 2005, Chelsea restored a nine-point lead in the table and all but ended Arsenal's title hopes. The Gunners lost their third game in succession, failed to score in four running, and were left in ninth at the close of play, 20 points behind Chelsea. It was an elbow on Lauren by Michael Essien that was the talking point of this 2-0 victory courtesy of Joe Cole and an increasingly influential Arjen Robben. "Essien was a straight red in my opinion," said Wenger. "He did not play the ball, he played the player." Ashley Cole's transfer to Chelsea from Arsenal brought another element of acrimony to an already tempestuous fixture and he made his first appearance against the Gunners in a 1-1 draw in December 2006. Arsenal played all the football in this one but familiar failings as they could not convert their possession to goals. Mathieu Flamini gave them a late lead before Michael Essien drove home a terrific strike to equalise. The game was memorable due to chief protagonist Didier Drogba's set-to with Jens Lehmann. "Because of the way they controlled the game in the first half, I am happy to settle for a draw," Mourinho said after. "In the first half, they controlled possession and played with more quality and confidence but I don't remember a single shot." A stop-start, disjointed game, then decided the fate of the Premier League title in the favour of Manchester United for the first time since 2003. Gilberto Silva scored a penalty after Khalid Boulahrouz was sent off for a foul on Julio Baptista but it was Michael Essien who scored the leveller in the second half. The last time the teams met it was a routine victory for Jose Mourinho, suggesting that his dominance over Wenger will continue. Spaniards Cesar Azpilicueta and Juan Mata struck once each to comdemn Arsenal to an early League Cup exit in October of this year. Where once there was rancour there is now geniality. "Wenger is a nice guy, Mourinho said upon his return to England. "I respect him a lot. I believe that he feels the same in relation to me. I would bet there is not one single problem between us." No problem other than Wenger cannot win against him.

Enugu Healing River Is A Disaster Waiting To Happen – Experts

It is a disaster waiting to happen - experts warn... In any case, medical experts are unanimous in their opinion that epidemics looms in the country if urgent measures were not taken. In a chat with DailyPost, a medical expert, Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti called on the Enugu State Ministry of Health to intervene before dooms day comes. “I don’t know what you mean by Miracle Water, although as a Christian, I will not say people should not get miracle from wherever they want. “However, from the health perspective, what is happening in Nachi is not the right thing to do. People take their bath in the water; people defecate there, people urinate there, all kinds of sicknesses are brought into that water, yet people fetch and drink the same water. I can tell you that the Nachi Water is a ground work for disaster waiting to happen. “I know that in this environment we have the community health workers, they have the ministry of health; they should take a look at that water; it is not hygienic at all; it is not a good thing to do; it is a stagnant water; it does not flow and in there, you come with your won illness, put it there, somebody else comes, puts his own there. It is really what we call disaster waiting to happen, and when the health implications will come, they may have forgotten their encounter with that dirty water”, Dr. Fasoranti warned. Also from the Christian perspective, clerics have continued to call for caution, noting that it could be a way of operation by some River goddess. An evangelist, Ogechukwu Uzuagu described it as part of the signs of end time, as Jesus had warned of a time when people will be running from one place to the other in search of miracles. “Jesus said that He is the living water, that He is the bread of life, that He is the good shepherd; so we don’t need to run to any other object in search of miracle, all we need to do is to mention the name of Jesus Christ with faith and we will get our healing. So, if you are in need of any water that heals, Jesus is the Water and not to run to Nachi. “So, I urge Christians to be cautious of the life they live, even in the Acts of the Apostles, where Paul used handkerchief, it is just a personal thing, it is not a general doctrine, we don’t have to go and start forming a handkerchief ministry. “As Christians, let us remember that the just shall live by faith in Christ Jesus not on mysterious water. We should know what we drink, especially when it has to do with a River, many forces are involved”, he cautioned.

I Will Not Deny My Letter - Iyabo Obasanjo Tells Family Members

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo's first daughter, Iyabo, has refused entreaties by family members, friends and political leaders to withdraw her statement disparaging her father. In her statement exclusively obtained by the Vanguard newspapers, Iyabo Obasanjo described her father as a liar, manipulator, megalomaniac, narcissistic, two-faced hypocrite determined to foist on President Goodluck Jonathan what no one would contemplate with him as president. She also ruled out further communication with her father till death. And to dismiss insinuations and other reports in the social media that she was not the author of the statement, Iyabo insisted that she did not tell anybody to deny the statement on her behalf. “Nobody can say that I told him that I didn’t write it. I am not a liar. I will not back away from what I wrote and there is nothing that is there that is a lie,” Iyabo told the paper. She disclosed that she decided to break away from her father after realising that he cannot change from his manipulative person she had known all along, adding that throughout last year she did not speak with her father. She started speaking with him recently. “The last time I spoke to him was three days ago and I decided that I was not going to speak to him again after that. That was the communication through which I realised that this man would never change from manipulations for himself,” Iyabo told the paper. P.M.NEWS gathered that Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, who is in the United States, refused various entreaties by friends and family members to deny the statement by refusing to carry her telephone calls. Iyabo is not the only Obansanjo child that has denounced him. Gbenga, his first son, had sometime ago expressed his frustration in a 50- paragraph affidavit before a court in Lagos detailing how his father slept with his estranged wife, Mojisola. Gbenga was seeking to divorce his wife who he got married to on 29 April, 2000. In the 10th paragraph of the affidavit signed by Emankhu Addeh, of Addeh and Associates, legal practitioner for the petitioner, the petitioner averred “that he knows for a fact that the respondent, his wife, committed adultery with and had an intimate, sexual relationship with his own father, General Olusegun Obasanjo, due to her greed to curry favours and contracts from him in his capacity as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” He said Mojisola also got rewarded for her adulterous acts with several oil contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, from his father, among which was the NNPC consultancy training in supply chain management and project management awarded to her company, Bowen and Brown. In Bitter-Sweet, My Life With Obasanjo, Oluremi, the wife of Chief Obasanjo, also emphasised the former President’s hatred for his family when she said: he told me to wait for him. When he emerged, he was in shorts and a short sleeve shirt. He slapped me twice and ran after me as I fled down the stairs…Throughout his tenure as Head of State, Obasanjo also ensured that I was not given any allowance as his wife. What he gave with one hand, he retrieved with the other. It rained cats and dogs the day Obasanjo handed over to Shagari at the Race Course, Onikan, Lagos, October 1, 1979. He asked me to move to Abeokuta with him but I declined because of his extra- marital indiscipline. When he was being drawn out of the Army, I was in the same car with him. When we went for thanksgiving at Owu Baptist Church, Abeokuta, I was also in the same car. At the church, I sat with him on the front pew. During the reception I was in control of events and sat his mistresses with other guests as their importance demanded. I made Stella take one of the middle seats with her friend, Julie Coker. After the ceremony, I told my husband that I had risen to the top with him by the grace of God. Now, I was giving him a free rein to misbehave with his mistresses as I would not stay with him at Abeokuta. He begged me earnestly not to leave him alone. He said he had not finished his house at Victoria Island, Lagos, wondering where I would stay. I still kept my flat on Lawrence Road, Ikoyi. Obasanjo did not forgive me that I did not live with him in Abeokuta. He stopped taking care of the children, probably thinking I had a lot of money. He only sent N400 a month. Iyabo and Busola were at Queen’s College, Lagos; Segun was at King’s College. I was now torn between raising my children and running the farm. Sometime in 1981, Gbenga and Enitan were due to return to school at Corona after the long break. When the school fees were not forthcoming from their father, I went to the late Simbiat Abiola for assistance. She prayed that God would help. I later sold off my gold bangles to Alhaja Abdulraq, a jeweller, to raise the fees. My topsy-turvy relationship with Obasanjo continued. He would drive past Oduduwa Crescent without checking on his children, who were progressing in education. Iyabo, Busola and Segun were making excellent grades at school. I was struggling to make ends meet.”

Mountain of Fire begins crusade to close all beer parlors in Lagos

Dr Daniel Olukoya-led Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries church, MFM, will today Dec. 19th begin a crusade to close down all beer parlor outlets in Lagos and turn them into their praying centres. Well, that's their plan, they can only try. Lol The church says it took the decision to close down beer parlors because alcohol consumption & crime go hand in hand. They say the action would ultimately help depopulate the kingdom of darkness. Ogba, Ikeja is their kickoff base, so all you beer drinkers in that area, make una get ready. Hehe. Speaking on the strategy to be adopted, Pastor Aderemi Oseni, Regional Pastor for Region 32 MFM Ogba, Lagos, he said; "We want to convert beer parlours into our praying centres. At the end of the crusade, the kingdom of darkness would be depopulated completely. I am aware that powers of darkness have converted major roads to shines in this environment. We want to pull down all shrines". The crusade, tagged 'Overcoming The Storm' will begin today 19 December

Beyonce Reveals Why She Featured Chimamanda Adichie In Her New Album

Multiple award-winning American singer, Beyonce Knowles has explained why she featured Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie in her new album. Explaining why she featured the Half of a Yellow Sun author in one of her songs entitled: Flawless, Beyonce in a chat with UK Mirror said, “I was going through videos on feminity on Youtube, when I came across this video of this incredible Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie. “Everything she said is exactly how I feel. My message in this album was finding the beauty in imperfection,” Bey continues. “I had this image of this trophy and me accepting these awards and kind of training myself to be a champion and at the end of the day when you go through all of these things, is it worth it? I mean, you get this trophy and you’re like, ‘I basically starved, I have neglected all the people that I love, I’ve conformed to what everybody else thinks I should be and I have this trophy. What does that mean? “The trophy represents all of the sacrifices I made as a kid, all the time I lost being on the road in the studios as a child and I just want to throw that s**t up!” The star also spoke about her daughter, Blue Ivy and hubby Jay Z, and what she’s up to lately. Hear her, “I have a lot of awards and I have a lot of these things that are amazing and I worked my ass off, I worked harder than probably everybody I know to get those things, but nothing feels like my child singing ‘mummy’.” The megastar mum-of-one then goes on to say she’s striving for for love, happiness and fun. “No, nothing feels like when I look my husband in the eyes, nothing feels like when I’m respected, when I get on the stage and I see I’m changing peoples lives. Those are the things that matter and at this point in my life that’s what I’m striving for – growth, love, happiness, fun.” She also gave one final piece of advice to her fans, “Enjoy your life – its short. That’s the message!” she added.

Actor Jim Iyke Gets Into A Fight In Ghana And Pulled Out A GUN?

According to The Ghanaian Times; Nigerian movie star Jim Iyke was involved in a brawl yesterday, at the Crave Café at Adjiringanor, East legon in Accra. According to an eyewitness account, some people were eating at the café, at about 5pm when a stout-looking gentleman in a black Range Rover with a Nigerian number plate, came to the café. Jim Iyke also arrived about 20 minutes later in his Sports Chevy with a Nigerian number plate, and engaged the man in a heated argument over $10,000 which later turned into a nasty brawl on the street. The eyewitness further explained that it became difficult for those around to separate the two, and at a point, Jim Iyke wanted to get into his car to pull out something which was suspected to be a gun, but he was prevented by those at the café. The other man left but returned shortly with two policemen, one in mufti and other in uniform who arrested Jim Iyke and took him away. But the eyewitness told The Ghanaian Times newspaper that barely 20 minutes later, the actor resurfaced at the venue, which created the impression the case had been ‘settled’ by the two policemen. The Legon Police Commander in a telephone conversation, with The Ghanaian Times said, the men he dispatched to the venue had information of the scuffle, but those at the scene were reluctant to give the police in depth account of what actually transpired, and so they were unable to bring the two men to the police station.

Tiwa Savage Shows Off Sexy Body

212 Breaking News: Photo: Tiwa Savage Shows Off Sexy Body

: Jim Iyke & Nadia Buari At Ovation Red Carol In Ghana

212 Breaking News: Pic: Jim Iyke & Nadia Buari At Ovation Red Carol In Ghana

ASUU finally calls off strike

After 169 days Nigerian public Universities are open to academic activities as the National Executive Council (NEC) of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) suspends its action. The national President of the Union, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge announced the suspension of the action at the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna after a 17 hour of council meeting. Announcing the council decision Fagge said, “NEC resolved to suspend the strike embarked upon on the 1st July 2013, with effect from Tuesday December 17th, 2013 and directs its branches to resume work forthwith”.

South Africa Unveils Giant Nelson Mandela Unity Statue In Pretoria

212 Breaking News: South Africa Unveils Giant Nelson Mandela Unity Statue In Pretoria

The Ivorian was thrilled to get the opportunity to play at Stamford Bridge once again when his Galatasaray side face Chelsea in the last 16 Didier Drogba has branded himself the "luckiest man" in the Champions League after Galatasaray were drawn against Chelsea in the last 16. The Cote d'Ivoire international - who played more than 340 games for Chelsea in a stellar career for the London club - admitted he was relishing the prospect of returning to Stamford Bridge for Roberto Mancini's men when the sides lock horns in the new year. Jose Mourinho admitted prior to Monday's draw that Drogba deserved the chance to receive a warm ovation from the Blues faithful and Drogba suggested that both legs of the tie would have the feel of a home game. "What a draw... I'm the luckiest man in this competition," he wrote on his official Instagram account. "In both games I'll be playing home! See you in few months." Drogba left Chelsea in the summer of 2012 a club hero having scored in the Champions League final to take the game to spot-kicks before subsequently burying the winning penalty for the Blues against Bayern Munich. After spending a short time in China, the Ivorian returned to Europe with a transfer to the Turk Telekom Arena at the start of 2013. Drogba has been linked in some quarters with a possible move back to Chelsea during the January transfer window, though the striker himself claimed there was "no way" he would leave the Istanbul giants next month following the crucial win over Juventus.

9 Things You Should Never Say To Your Child

Being a parent is difficult and so is coming off as a proud child. It's only human to give vent to your rage by using harsh words. However, when the recipient of your outrage is your own child, it might have uncertain and unmanageable repercussions. We list 9 insensitive things that you should avoid saying to your child. 1. I was much more responsible when I was your age Comparing your child and giving him an example of what all you were capable of when you were a kid is the first big mistake parents make. Their irritation stems from 'expectations' - expectations of bringing up the 'perfect' kid. Try and recall your shortcomings as a child and what all troubles you bothered your parents with. You are the elder one in the relationship hence you ought to know more. A statement such as this will break your child's confidence. 2. You always end up taking wrong decisions Don't penalise your kid for being immature. Everyone is allowed to make mistakes and it is in fact a part of the learning process. He might have taken up a field of study that doesn't interest you or perhaps working with a company that you're not very proud of, but that doesn't mean you accuse him of the decisions. Your job as a parent is to guide him, not force him to obey your opinions. 3. Why can't you be more like your brother/sister? This is once again an unreasonable comparison and a common one at that. Avoid seeding in animosity between your children by comparing their abilities. Doing so may create a fissure between the siblings. You don't want your kid to harbour negative feelings for you, hence avoid assessing your kids. 4. Leave me alone! Adults have huge responsibilities to take care of, responsibilities that children are innocently oblivious of. And there are times when we want to be left alone too. Kids are incapable of understanding the gravity of such situations. An impatient outburst of 'Leave me alone!' can make your child feel neglected, unwanted and depressed at the same time. Show some patience and avoid saying something bad to him. 5. You should be ashamed of yourself This statement is outright harsh and saying such an awful thing to any child is simply 'bad'. Yes, there are mischievous kids who go about pestering people with a devil-may-care attitude but that does not mean you reprimand him like this. There are better and milder ways to make the child understand the difference between good and bad. 6. You're just like your father/mother Not all married couples are happy living together and the bitterness in their relationship often translates into exchange of unkind words against each other. Some relationships end in separation too. Either ways, kids are a witness to this mutual hostility and criticism. So when you shower your partner's animosity on your kid, that's when he begins to lose respect. 7. You always find ways to hurt me There are times when children hurt their parents' sentiments by going against their wishes. Most times it is unintentional but there are kids who do so on purpose. However, saying something like the above statement would make your child feel guilty about his/her decision. He might comply with your demands to make you happy but you'd be taking away his right to happiness in the long run. Let your children take their own decisions and let them live a guilt-free life. 8. It's better to be childless than have a kid like you The above statement is mostly an extreme emotional outburst but can have grave consequences on the kid. Unquestionably, it is the most hurtful thing you can ever say to your child. No matter what the crisis is, saying something like this could make you regret for life. 9. Get rid of the bad company of your friends We (read adults) don't think before making friends. Neither do children. The only difference is that we know how to stay away from bad company and children don't. Their friends mean the world to them and therefore you cannot just order them to get a new set of 'good' friends.

Mourinho: Every player vital

"Now is an important period for all of the squad - everyone has a role to play and a contribution to give," Mourinho said. "Every player will be important when we have so many games and competitions to play." On his plans for Sunderland, he added: "Azpilicueta can go on the right, Ashley Cole on the left, with David Luiz as a central defender. "If Cahill recovers, I will play him, if he does not recover, then I will go again with John, but I would like to John a rest for that match." Mourinho has been impressed with the efforts of the Blues skipper, who has made 23 appearances since returning to the first-team this season. "John is very solid, very focused with the ball he makes the right choice, and without the ball he is also very focused," said Mourinho. "I think he is having a very good season, let's see if he can keep going this way because he has been fantastic." Chelsea closed the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League over the weekend, and Terry has called on his side to maintain their momentum heading into the new year. "We go to Sunderland again on Tuesday night in the Capital One Cup and then we have a really busy spell of league games over Christmas, starting with Arsenal away on Monday week," the Blues captain said. "With the games coming so regularly, it is up to us to build some momentum and push on in the league and the cups." Chelsea could leapfrog Arsenal with victory at the Emirates Stadium next week, but Mourinho insists league positions count for little in January. "I like the fact we will go there with this distance (between the teams), because it brings even more ingredients to the game," he told Chelsea TV. "However, I don't think in this league it will become a crucial game, if we leave Arsenal with five points difference or top of the league. "I don't think it will make a big difference in terms of what is going to happen in the future because the league (this season) is like this." Watch Sunderland v Chelsea live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 19.30 on Tuesday Sunderland v Chelsea Sunderland 5/1 Draw 3/1 Chelsea 8/15 Football Betting £30 Free Matched Bet v Live Capital One Cup Football Sunderland vs Chelsea December 17, 2013 , 7:30pm Remote Record Sky Sports 1 HD Get a Sky Sports Day Pass Upgrade to Sky Sports "If Cahill recovers, I will play him, if he does not recover, then I will go again with John, but I would like to John a rest for that match." Jose Mourinho

130,000 New Jobs Created Under Sure-P

Deputy Chairman of the Subsidy Re- investment Programme, SURE-P Fund, Gen. Martin Agwai (Rtd) has said that the Federal Government has created 130, 000 new jobs under the programme since its inauguration in February 2012. Speaking in Kaduna today at a workshop organised by the National Planning Commisssion (NPC), with the theme “Developing Performance Management Plan for SURE-P Project Implementation Units,” Agwai, represented by the Fund’s Operations coordinator, Alhaji Ali Fatoma explained that 111, 000 jobs were created under the community service scheme and another 6, 000 under the maternal and child healthcare programme. He added that 10,000 unskilled workers and 2,400 skilled workers were employed under the Public Works/FERMA programme, while 700 primary healthcare centres were rehabilitated across the country. Agwai disclosed that the Sure-P fund was used to rehabilitate the western railway line linking Lagos-Kano route, and the 87 kilometre East-West road connecting Warri-Kaiama. “Others that are ongoing include the 338 km Ahoada – Port Harcourt – Eket, terminating at Oron in Akwa Ibom, 296 km Benin-Shagamu road, 204 km Onitsha – Enugu, the 200 km Abuja – Lokoja and the 510 km Kano- Maiduguri road.” He said the workshop was aimed at ensuring better performance in the utilisation of the SURE-P fund by the beneficiaries. “Today’s gathering is just to monitor and evaluate what has been done so far. “And with all this, a target has been set and deliverables are been identified and without monitoring and evaluation that cannot be achieved.” According to him, no new road project had been awarded, stressing that the emphasis was on the completion of existing ongoing road projects. “The money is constant, everybody knows, the contractor knows and the public knows what comes to SURE-P, money is now waiting for contractors, unlike before, when contractors will work and wait for money. “So the challenge is for the contractors to perform and increase their capacity to really access the funds in order to deliver the roads.” Agwai also spoke on the funds allegedly missing in running the programme. “The 41 per cent, which comes to the federal government is managed by SURE-P committee. “Our system is that every month, N15 billion comes to SURE-P, and in 12 months if you multiply that by N15 billion, is N180 billion. “So since inception to date that is what we have been managing, we appropriate this, and manage the funds and also give out to the stakeholders and we have four or five ministries that we are dealing with,” he said.

Nigerian Senator Yerima Divorces 17year old Egyptian Wife, Marries Another 15Year Old

Three years after marrying a 14 year old Egyptian girl named Marian, which was widely protested in Nigeria, former Zamfara state governor and serving senator of the federal republic of Nigeria, Sen. Ahmed Yerima, has reportedly divorced her to marry a new wife, City People reports. According to the magazine, Yerima and four men, said to be members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly were in Egypt a few weeks ago for the wedding fathia of a new bride said to be 15 years old. Marian who is now 17 and a mother of one, is believed to be the daughter of the former governor's driver whenever he visits Egypt. The reason he divorced her is to enable him take a new wife as he's not allowed more than four wives. The Senator is alleged to have married and divorced a few women in the last few years but has never changed his first three wives, only the fourth ones. Sen. Ahmed Yerima this year was strongly against the deletion of the section of the 1999 constitution which pegged the official marriage age in Nigeria as 18 years, saying it was anti-Islam.

Access Bank Sacks 200 Staff, Labished N200m On Mariah Carey

The managing director of Access Bank, Aig Imokhuede is sure in a party mood, the banking whizkid who just laid off about 200 top staff for no reasons has just lavished close to a N200m (Two hundred million Naira) to bring one of the hottest R &B/ Soul songstress, Mariah Carey from the U.S. This much National Enquirer can reveal. According to sources, the bank’s management yesterday had a weird end of the year bash at the 3rd floor of the prestigious Intercontinental hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos and those who attended confided in us that, the fun was unlimited as bottles of champagnes were popped like water. This office gathered reliably that, the Access Bank MD, Aig had been dreaming of hosting this one in town party where Mariah Carey will host few of his very close friends and confidants, even not all Access Bank’s staff were opportune to attend, yet the party was tagged “Access Bank End Of Year Bash”. National Enquirer gathered exclusively that, in the front burner of the logistics of bringing Mariah Carey is Aig’s deputy, Herbert Wigwe who’s believed to be stepping in as the new MD, once Aig leaves next year.“I can’t imagine why a whole bank, an institution entrusted in keeping public fund will embark on such a monumental waste of spending such a stupendous amount on bringing a musician from the U.S for just a party, what kind of party are you doing that can’t pay a Nigerian artiste, we knew that was why he sacked almost 200 staff last month to be able to accommodate the wasteful party and launder some funds, the MD is too randy, that was how they’re using people’s money to acquire private jet, this is somebody that’s lobbying to become governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, his days are definitely numbered, we’re compiling documents of some of his financial atrocities to give to the press soon, we must expose them” one of the aggrieved staff told us. The stupendously rich MD of Access Bank, Aig was the host of honour yesterday at the grade A party where he was seen feeling cool and having fun at the Mariah Carey party where Champagne and other assortment of quality wines and much to munch were “ACCESS-ibly’ in excess. Efforts to speak to any of the bank’s corporate communication staff were abortive as their phones rang endlessly without response; we guess they’re still recovering from hangover from the party but we later got to know that, the wild lavish party was meant to send-forth the bank’s MD who’s said to be retiring but at then, spending such money on a send- forth gig is rather too much comparing what our society is saying.

ASUU Finally Calls Off 6- Months Old Strike

Report reaching Noisygists.blogspot.com from Minna, Niger State capital, indicates that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has called off its five months strike. The Union arrived at the latest decision to suspends its strike after a marathon meeting held at the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger State on Monday. After a protracted debate, the Federal Government and ASUU reached a compromise during a negotiation brokered by the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar few days ago.

EuropaLeague last-32 draw:

Dnipro v Tottenham Real Betis v Rubin Kazan Swansea v Napoli Juventus v Trabzonspor Maribor v Sevilla Plzen v Shakhtar Donetsk Chornomorets Odessa v Lyon Lazio v Ludogorets Esbjerg v Fiorentina Ajax v Salzburg Maccabi Tel Aviv v Basel Porto v Eintracht Frankfurt Anzhi v Genk Dynamo Kiev v Valencia PAOK v Benfica Slovan Liberec v AZ First legs to be played 20th February, 2014. Second legs to be played 27th February, 2014

The Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, on Saturday said political office holders steal state funds because Nigerians do not stone them. Amaechi, who said this in Lagos at an event organised to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela, challenged Nigerians to hold their leaders accountable. He said, “If you see a thief and you allow him to be stealing, what have you done? You have stoned nobody; that is why we are stealing. Who have you stoned? They came out and started dancing oil subsidy, oil subsidy. They told you that they stole N2.3trn, what did you do? “Instead you are protesting ‘bring more oil subsidy’; the oil subsidy that is not reaching the poor. A few individuals are going away with the money and you have done nothing. You are mourning Madiba, who lived up to 95, and he was very angry with Nigeria when he died. “You’ve heard that $50bn is missing and you have done nothing about it. In some countries people will go on the street until they return that money. It is N8trn, it can change Nigeria. “Me I want to steal only $1bn, let them bring it. You read Obasanjo’s letter and you are asking why is he writing the letter, is he a South-South man? In fact, when he was there what did he do? You, what have you done? If you don’t take your destiny in your hands, we will go and other leaders will come and continue stealing.”

Being a parent is difficult and so is coming off as a proud child. It's only human to give vent to your rage by using harsh words. However, when the recipient of your outrage is your own child, it might have uncertain and unmanageable repercussions. We list 9 insensitive things that you should avoid saying to your child. 1. I was much more responsible when I was your age Comparing your child and giving him an example of what all you were capable of when you were a kid is the first big mistake parents make. Their irritation stems from 'expectations' - expectations of bringing up the 'perfect' kid. Try and recall your shortcomings as a child and what all troubles you bothered your parents with. You are the elder one in the relationship hence you ought to know more. A statement such as this will break your child's confidence. 2. You always end up taking wrong decisions Don't penalise your kid for being immature. Everyone is allowed to make mistakes and it is in fact a part of the learning process. He might have taken up a field of study that doesn't interest you or perhaps working with a company that you're not very proud of, but that doesn't mean you accuse him of the decisions. Your job as a parent is to guide him, not force him to obey your opinions. 3. Why can't you be more like your brother/sister? This is once again an unreasonable comparison and a common one at that. Avoid seeding in animosity between your children by comparing their abilities. Doing so may create a fissure between the siblings. You don't want your kid to harbour negative feelings for you, hence avoid assessing your kids. 4. Leave me alone! Adults have huge responsibilities to take care of, responsibilities that children are innocently oblivious of. And there are times when we want to be left alone too. Kids are incapable of understanding the gravity of such situations. An impatient outburst of 'Leave me alone!' can make your child feel neglected, unwanted and depressed at the same time. Show some patience and avoid saying something bad to him. 5. You should be ashamed of yourself This statement is outright harsh and saying such an awful thing to any child is simply 'bad'. Yes, there are mischievous kids who go about pestering people with a devil-may-care attitude but that does not mean you reprimand him like this. There are better and milder ways to make the child understand the difference between good and bad. 6. You're just like your father/mother Not all married couples are happy living together and the bitterness in their relationship often translates into exchange of unkind words against each other. Some relationships end in separation too. Either ways, kids are a witness to this mutual hostility and criticism. So when you shower your partner's animosity on your kid, that's when he begins to lose respect. 7. You always find ways to hurt me There are times when children hurt their parents' sentiments by going against their wishes. Most times it is unintentional but there are kids who do so on purpose. However, saying something like the above statement would make your child feel guilty about his/her decision. He might comply with your demands to make you happy but you'd be taking away his right to happiness in the long run. Let your children take their own decisions and let them live a guilt-free life. 8. It's better to be childless than have a kid like you The above statement is mostly an extreme emotional outburst but can have grave consequences on the kid. Unquestionably, it is the most hurtful thing you can ever say to your child. No matter what the crisis is, saying something like this could make you regret for life. 9. Get rid of the bad company of your friends We (read adults) don't think before making friends. Neither do children. The only difference is that we know how to stay away from bad company and children don't. Their friends mean the world to them and therefore you cannot just order them to get a new set of 'good' friends.

212 Breaking News: Paul Walker’s Brother Cody Asked To Replace Paul In 'Fast & Furious 7' Remaining Scenes

212 Breaking News: Paul Walker’s Brother Cody Asked To Replace Paul In 'Fast & Furious 7' Remaining Scenes

212 Breaking News: Pictures From Nelson Mandela's Funeral

212 Breaking News: Pictures From Nelson Mandela's Funeral

The Ivorian was thrilled to get the opportunity to play at Stamford Bridge once again when his Galatasaray side face Chelsea in the last 16 Didier Drogba has branded himself the "luckiest man" in the Champions League after Galatasaray were drawn against Chelsea in the last 16. The Cote d'Ivoire international - who played more than 340 games for Chelsea in a stellar career for the London club - admitted he was relishing the prospect of returning to Stamford Bridge for Roberto Mancini's men when the sides lock horns in the new year. Jose Mourinho admitted prior to Monday's draw that Drogba deserved the chance to receive a warm ovation from the Blues faithful and Drogba suggested that both legs of the tie would have the feel of a home game. "What a draw... I'm the luckiest man in this competition," he wrote on his official Instagram account. "In both games I'll be playing home! See you in few months." Drogba left Chelsea in the summer of 2012 a club hero having scored in the Champions League final to take the game to spot-kicks before subsequently burying the winning penalty for the Blues against Bayern Munich. After spending a short time in China, the Ivorian returned to Europe with a transfer to the Turk Telekom Arena at the start of 2013. Drogba has been linked in some quarters with a possible move back to Chelsea during the January transfer window, though the striker himself claimed there was "no way" he would leave the Istanbul giants next month following the crucial win over Juventus.

'It could've been easier than Arsenal' - Rummenigge

The Bavarians edged past the Gunners in the knockout stages last campaign and the Allianz Arena boss is worried about the threat the English side could pose Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has admitted he was hoping for "easier" Champions League last-16 opponents than Arsenal . The Bavarians drew 3-3 on aggregate with the Gunners last season at the same stage en route to winning the European title, edging through on away goals, but Arsene Wenger's side have looked a better outfit in 2013-14. Pep Guardiola will be hoping he can imitate Jupp Heynckes' navigation of the round of 16 at the north London club's expense, but Rummenigge is under no illusions as to the quality of Arsenal. "There were more convenient and easier opponents in that pot," the former West Germany star told reporters after Monday's draw in Nyon. "I'd rather have played Zenit than Arsenal. "But we are not wishing against the draw either. We know we will meet an opponent that deserves lots of respect. We have to perform well twice. "With their three Germans [Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski] in tow, they are seeing more stability and are experiencing a good season." Bayern are currently preparing to play in the Club World Cup, with a semi-final against Guangzhou Evergrande on Tuesday.

The Ivorian was thrilled to get the opportunity to play at Stamford Bridge once again when his Galatasaray side face Chelsea in the last 16 Didier Drogba has branded himself the "luckiest man" in the Champions League after Galatasaray were drawn against Chelsea in the last 16. The Cote d'Ivoire international - who played more than 340 games for Chelsea in a stellar career for the London club - admitted he was relishing the prospect of returning to Stamford Bridge for Roberto Mancini's men when the sides lock horns in the new year. Jose Mourinho admitted prior to Monday's draw that Drogba deserved the chance to receive a warm ovation from the Blues faithful and Drogba suggested that both legs of the tie would have the feel of a home game. "What a draw... I'm the luckiest man in this competition," he wrote on his official Instagram account. "In both games I'll be playing home! See you in few months." Drogba left Chelsea in the summer of 2012 a club hero having scored in the Champions League final to take the game to spot-kicks before subsequently burying the winning penalty for the Blues against Bayern Munich. After spending a short time in China, the Ivorian returned to Europe with a transfer to the Turk Telekom Arena at the start of 2013. Drogba has been linked in some quarters with a possible move back to Chelsea during the January transfer window, though the striker himself claimed there was "no way" he would leave the Istanbul giants next month following the crucial win over Juventus.

Champions League draw: Barcelona take on Manchester City as Arsenal face Bayern Munich again

Manchester City against Barcelona is the pick of the ties to emerge from Monday's Champions League Round of 16 draw in Nyon. The Spanish champions will face Manuel Pellegrini's free-scoring side after being drawn first out of the pot in the proceedings. Jose Mourinho faces another reunion with former striker Didier Drogba after his Chelsea side were drawn against Galatasaray, who edged out Juventus on matchday six of the group phase. Arsenal will face Bayern Munich, meanwhile, in a repeat of their encounter from last season, while fellow Bundesliga outfit Schalke face the daunting task of nine-time champions Real Madrid. Elsewhere, Manchester United will face Greek champions Olympiakos, while Paris Saint-Germain take on Bundesliga high- flyers Bayer Leverkusen. AC Milan's reward for edging into the last 16 is Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid. Finally, Borussia Dortmund - beaten finalists last season - face Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg. The sides who finished as group runners- up will host the first leg encounters on the February 18/19 and 25/26, while the second legs take place on March 11/12 and 18/19.

Villas-Boas sacked by Tottenham

Tottenham have confirmed that manager Andre Villas-Boas has been sacked following Sunday’s 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool at White Hart Lane. The defeat leaves Spurs in seventh place in the Premier League table, eight points behind leaders Arsenal and comes less than a month after they were thrashed 6-0 by Manchester City. Goal reported last week that the relationship between Villas-Boas and Daniel Levy had deteriorated to the point where he was no longer expected to remain at White Hart Lane beyond this season . But following Sunday's humiliation Levy, who looked less than impressed watching from the executive box, has decided to take immediate action. "The club can announce that agreement has been reached with Head Coach, Andre Villas-Boas, for the termination of his services," a statement read. "The decision was by mutual consent and in the interests of all parties." In a poll conducted by Goal on Sunday, 54.8 per cent of readers said Villas-Boas should be sacked following the defeat.

King Kanye upset over receiving only two Grammy nominations

21-time Grammy award winner Kanye West received only two Grammy nominations this year and he's pretty upset over it. At a concert this week, Kanye let loose on the Recording Academy, ranting 'Yeezus' is the top one or two album on every single list. But only gets two nominations from the Grammys. What are they trying to say? Do they think that I wouldn't notice? Do they think that, someway, I don't have the power to completely diminish all of their credibility at this moment?" "And people come to me and congratulate me on those two nominations. f**k those nominations!" Lol @power to diminish Grammy credibility. This guy is sometimes so delusional. See the full rant after the cut...

Beyonce features author Chimamanda Adichie in her new album

Queen Bey surprised her fans by secretly dropping a new album on iTunes last night December 12th. The self titled album is Beyonce's 5th solo album and features 31 tracks, 14 of which are new songs. In the new album, Beyonce collaborated with Jay Z, Drake, Justin Timberlake, Kelly Rowland....and featured our very Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on a track titled Flawless. Beyonce put a portion of the award winning author's speech about feminism and roles women play in the society in the song. Pop meets Literature! Amazing stuff. Meanwhile Beyonce has filmed 17 new music videos, one of which she released on Facebook last night. You have to be really big to release an album without any promos or prior warning to fans.

And she's done it! Khloe Kardashian files for divorce from Lamar

After months of 'will she?' 'won't she?', Khloe Kardashian has finally filed for divorce from husband of four years, Lamar Odom. She also filed court documents to restore her name, TMZ reports. In the legal docs, filed by disso- queen Laura Wasser, Khloe cites "irreconcilable differences." And Khloe is asking the judge to take Odom out of her name, so she is once again simply Khloe Kardashian ... eliminating Odom from her life in every way. And, Khloe is not asking for spousal support and wants the judge to reject any bid by Lamar for the same, TMZ reports. Remember their fragrance Unbreakable by Khloe and Lamar? Guess they are breakable after all. Sad to see these two end their marriage. Khloe is reportedly now secretly dating Rihanna's ex, Matt Kemp

Roma offered Chelsea striker Ba

Chelsea striker Demba Ba has been offered to Roma despite Arsenal 's ongoing interest in signing the player in January, Goal understands. Ba joined Chelsea from Newcastle last January but has failed to cement a regular first-team place under either Rafa Benitez or Jose Mourinho. Representatives of the Senegal international have been in touch with the Serie A club, who made an enquiry for the 28-year-old in the summer. The Blues want €15 million for Ba, just less than double what they paid for him almost a year ago, but Roma are unlikely to be interested at that price. Arsenal, meanwhile, maintain an interest in Ba but as was the case in the summer, when Mourinho blocked his potential move to the Emirates and instead sent Romelu Lukaku on loan to Everton, Chelsea are unwilling to sell to a direct rival for the Premier League title. Ba has scored three times in 12 appearances this season, including the winner in Wednesday’s Champions League victory over Steaua Bucharest, but has started only two Premier League games this season. Roma began the season with a record 10 consecutive victories but have drawn four of their last five matches and have slipped to second in the Seria A standings, three points behind leaders Juventus. De Bruyne set for talks over Chelsea future Chelsea legend Drogba deserves Champions League reunion - Mourinho Chelsea 1-0 Steaua Bucharest: Blues secure top spot with easy win Player Ratings: Chelsea 1-0 Steaua Bucharest Why do strikers get ruined after coming to Chelsea?Torres,Ba,Quaresma.....No disrespect to CFC,but,really...!Torres was a GOD before coming to Chelsea.Ba was very very good at Newcastle.And,now,what? Another made-up story. Even if it were true, Roma need to doing better than Ba. Arsenal should go for Chicharito, Ba to Inter :) 1 reply nah I think real madrid should get him he is just as good as benzema What's wrong with Ba? It's Chelsea's system that is wrong, Ba killed it at Newcastle now he gets offered more than a pros.titute lol. Premier League fans are little ffags who get stabbed in continental Europe. You're not welcome in Germany, Italy, France and Spain. Watch your favourite English club on TV, if you don't want to get hurt. 1 reply stupid and coward fans post....., i don't like it...... for 15million? pls roma don be stupid ask maurinho to go fly kite Test Check Teast #One Goat.com Mourinho already confirmed all his strikers will stay till the end of the year, Ba is the most reliable striker Chelsea has right now. Not going anywhere. for 28 year old and unproven? pls roma don be stupid an offer from chelsea maurinho?? pls roma don be stupid ALL THE BEST BAAAAAAAAAAAAA. what?,why?...i was expecting Roma to sign attacker with REAL quality or immense potential,Iheanacho from Nigeria fits the bills,imo The distribution of quality strikers around teams is kind of weird. Some teams (e.g. Man U, Man City and Chelsea) have so many that they can't use them all. Some teams (e.g. Arsenal and Real Madrid) have strikers who do not seem to be of the same quality as the rest of the team, but still manage to score goals thanks to the system in which the operate. Some teams (e.g. Barcelona and Bayern at times) simply decide to operate without a real striker at all. In addition, we see fewer and fewer teams using systems that utilize more than one true forward at a time. The 4-4-2 system seems largely to be a thing of the past, except at Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, where it's proving pretty effective. Even teams like Man U and PSG who utilize two true strikers, choose to use one of them in a quite distinct position - so Rooney plays behind RVP, and Cavani plays wide of Ibrahimovic. Meanwhile, Barcelona is one of the few teams that plays consistently with three men on the forward line, yet none of them is a traditional striker. I don't think it's a coincidence that this is occurring in a period where players like Messi, Ronaldo, Bale, Ribery and Robben are being so dominant, while playing from wider or deeper positions. What isn't clear, though, is the causation. Maybe the phenomenal goal-scoring feats of Messi and Ronaldo have initiated a trend away from using strikers in traditional ways. Or maybe Messi's and Ronaldo's success is due to changes in defensive techniques or tactics, and now these are being exploited by many other teams. It's strange to think that so many people complain about the lack of great defenders in the modern game, but those same defenders might be so effective at containing strikers in the box that managers around the world have been forced to adapt completely new approaches to securing goals. 3 replies Modern day football: 1) Favours attackers completely especially those who can run with the ball. Why? I slight mistake by defender = Red card + penalty + fine from manager. 2) Defending now is mainly about containing the opposition without tackling, cos tackling is heavily penalized. 3) As more attacking midfielders learn to exploit the above mentioned advantage ie running with ball. they convert their skills to that set rather than learning to cross the ball from wide areas to feed the striker. So nowadays virtually no wide players can service the main striker with crosses, whereas in the past this used to be the main way to service striker. 4) The Modern day Ball is light and bouncy , thus making it a lot more difficult to cross. Also this results in midfielders taking a lot more shots from distance and in and around the box. The keepers have little chance against the Joke Ball they use. I speak specifically about the ball they use in the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE and Euros and World Cup. This also restricts passes for Strikers. Just look at Ronaldo at Madrid as prime example. How many times he look for Benzema? Hope this help with some of your questions Sersh 1 reply same goes for you you shouldn't post such intelligent comments in a shyt site like this No point in overpaying. Give Destro that playing time! 2 replies sometimes we are too smart that we start becoming foolish 1 reply maurinho does that a lot of times. lol 15 million ...shouldnt pay more than 6 million 1 reply 3 million Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool once Suarez leaves....All these good clubs need a striker and Ba is proven int he PL. he is not the typical garcia attacker, and he is expensive for that price. Chelsea no deal buy now. Send Christmas gift. I sell the club soccer jerseys, as well as the brand of clothes and shoes, hats, glasses, bags and so on. High-quality products, all products 20% discount, good service, fast sending product, the same day send production can reach 5-7 days to your home. If interested you can look into my website. My website is: www.orderes.com I sell Adidas. NIKE. GUCCI.Abercrombie Fitch.Armani.boss. Burberry. Dolce & Gabbana. Lacoste. Louis Vuitton. ralph lauren. Calvin Klein and other brands. My website: www.orderes.com No thanks. We have Destro!! Stopped reading at Goal understands. for a soon to be 29 year old that has huge wages for 15million? Roma is not Man City, they will never pay that much for such a player. "Roma offered Chelsea striker Ba"..what a brain dead English 1 reply You're right that's barely a sentence. Ba is not that bad would be good signing for roma though I would rather go for pato. besides we should concentrate more on getting a trequartista, a really young and talented one, who would succeed Totti in 2016, something like a new Kaka or cassano 5 replies you do realize trequartista is out of date, right?Only a few teams still use that and the top teams prefer total football 4 replies trequartistas still exist though, there are several players who can play in that role-- aguero, mertens, boateng 3 replies didn't I write that it was outdated and top teams prefer total football?It still exists though, with teams desperate enough to play Boateng as a trequartista. Mertens does play that role, he is a supporting striker or winger.Aguero is a supporting striker or winger, not a trequartista. Snejder or Erikson are but now teams know it's useless to get easily blocked by using a trequartista.Football has already evolved from that 2 replies Mata and Oscar Teams now play more with wingers and attacking from wide areas hence why teams using 4-2-3-1 are the most successful nowadays ie bayern, Real Madrid, Dortmund ba? underrated striker..why not we shud launch a bid lure G.Rossi..is likely more interesting... Show more comments Copyright © 2013 Goal.com All rights reserved. The information contained in Goal.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Goal.com Register / Login Edition : International HOME NEWS COMPETITIONS CLUBS LIVE MORE Getty Images 81 Share 0 Tweet 144 122 Like

Di Maria: Mourinho made me the player I am today

Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria says former boss and current Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho has helped him become the player he is today. Di Maria left Benfica to join Mourinho at Madrid in a deal worth €25 million in 2010 and has made over 100 appearances for los Blancos. The Argentina international insists his development into one of the leading stars at the Bernabeu is thanks to the guidance and tutelage of his former coach. “Mourinho made me a better player. He showed me many things, and made me grow as a footballer. He helped me to move into a different position, to sacrifice myself more for the team," Di Maria told Diario Ole. "I’m very grateful to him. He told me that at Real I was a forward that could also defend, and that I couldn’t rest when they were on the attack. "As I was performing under him for the three years he was at Madrid he put me in the starting line-up. The Di Maria playing down the middle compared to the one now is a different player, both technically and tactically.” The 25-year-old now playing in his fourth season in the Spanish capital says he no longer feels overawed by lining up alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and at international level Lionel Messi. “My friends ask me, and make me realise that I’m playing alongside them," he continued. "But as time goes on I’m getting used to it, and appearing alongside them is something natural for me. I don’t say ‘wow, I’m here and playing with so-and-so’ any more." Di Maria has been linked with a move away from Madrid in recent weeks, with a number of clubs interested in his signature, including Ligue 1 side Monaco and Premier League sides Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. However, despite the arrival of Gareth Bale for a world-record fee at the Bernabeu, which has curbed he amount of appearances Di Maria has made, coach Carlo Ancelotti insists he still wants the Argentine at the club.

‘Niger Bridge can collapse sooner than envisaged’

He made the observation when he spoke in Onitsha, Anambra. Anosike said that the bridge was being overburdened by the daily traffic gridlocks and had to carry tens of trucks with goods of thousands tonnage each day. He said that the commencement of the second Niger Bridge was overdue considering the increase in vehicular movement on the bridge in the past five years. “This chamber will never cease crying to the Federal Government until the construction of the second Niger Bridge is achieved. “Without this project, the entire life and economic activities of the people in this part of our country are hanging on the balance as the existing bridge can collapse sooner than envisaged. “We have thought that the critical nature of the project is not something to toy with. “But very sadly, it has become a strategic weapon for political campaign in the hands of our politicians since time immemorial,’’ he said. The Federal Government had awarded the construction of the bridge to Julius Berger, but work is yet to start. (NAN)

First lady of Nigeria patience changes name

The First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan on Friday inaugurated the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme Maternal and Child Health otherwise known as MAMA Project with a declaration that henceforth she should no longer be called Patience but “Mama Peace.” According to her, the peace evangelism was what she would be preaching to bring an end to insurgency and terrorism including the menace of Boko Haram islamic sect in the country. Speaking at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, venue of the event, she also stated that her non-governmental organisation, Women for Change Initiative, had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with some international health agencies and hospitals to build, equip and manage the best hospital for women and children in Africa. The SURE-P MCH is a direct intervention by the Federal Government using the savings from the fuel subsidy removal, to reduce the incidence of maternal and child mortality. The First Lady said, “My name is no more Patience but now Mama Peace because I believe that without peace, there will be no more women, no more children and no more health sector. Without peace, the international community will be afraid to come and invest in our country. “Peace is from the heart and not from the tongue or lips; not what you say but what is in you. We pray for genuine peace because peace is the key to our arriving at our desired destination as a nation. “We are approaching the new year which is a year of peace, progress and so many good things to come. 2014 is going to be a year of no militancy and no Boko Haram because God will shower peace and make us take a U-turn from disaster.” She also stated that her primary constituency is women and children, adding that it was her concern and interest in their well-being that made her go in search of help from international partners and agencies to establish the best women and children hospital in Africa.

Van Persie out for a month with thigh strain

Manchester United manager David Moyes has confirmed Robin van Persie will be sidelined for a month with a thigh strain. The Netherlands international missed four matches with a groin problem before making his return to action in the 1-0 loss to Newcastle United, playing the full 90 minutes. Van Persie also featured on Tuesday night against Shakhtar Donetsk, coming off the bench to assist Phil Jones' winner, and it was in the process of taking that corner that he sustained the injury. "Robin has picked up a thigh strain and will be out for a month," Moyes told reporters. "He took the corner we scored the goal from against Shakhtar and felt his thigh. "So we're going to lose Robin, it looks like, for a month, with a thigh strain." The injury means last season's Premier League top scorer will miss the busy Christmas period, though United do not face a top-10 side until Tottenham visit Old Trafford on January 1. Moyes will have to make do without the Dutch forward for Sunday's trip to Aston Villa, where he hopes to get back to winning ways and end the club's four-game winless run. "We want to play well," the Scot added. "We've not done as well in the league as we should have. We want to put it right. "We've got a lot of games coming up and can pick up points. But we need to do it, not talk about it."

Oprah Winfrey Finally Reveals Why She Never Had Children

In the latest issue of the Hollywood Reporter, Oprah opened up on why she doesn't have kids and it has nothing to do with being unable to conceive as some claimed but her ambition to be a powerful woman. "If I had kids, my kids would hate me. "They would have ended up on the equivalent of the Oprah show talking about me; because something in my life would have had to suffer and it would've probably been them. Gayle [King, Winfrey's best friend and now a mother of two] was the kind of kid who, in seventh grade Home Ec class, was writing down her name and the names of her children.While she was having those kind of daydreams, I was having daydreams about how I could be Martin Luther King."

José Mourinho wants Galatasaray for Didier Drogba- Chelsea reunion

José Mourinho is hoping Monday's Champions League knockout draw pairs Chelsea with Galatasaray to offer Didier Drogba a return to the club with whom he enjoyed a glittering eight-year spell. The Ivorian's last involvement as a Chelsea player was to slide the decisive penalty beyond Manuel Neuer in the Bayern Munich goal to seal the club's first European Cup in 2012. The veteran forward scored against Mourinho's Real Madrid in Istanbul last season and set up Wesley Sneijder's winner against Juventus to progress into the knockout stage at the Italians' expense on Wednesday, qualification which opens up the possibility of the 35-year-old returning to Stamford Bridge. "He [Drogba] deserves to come here," said Mourinho when asked whether he would welcome facing a forward he admitted had almost given him "a heart attack" last season. "He deserves a reception here even better [than mine], because he deserves much more than me. He deserves to come here and get the reception I got against Hull City [on the opening weekend], but for Didier double or three times better and bigger than I had. I know what I felt. I think he deserves that. So, yes, Galatasaray is difficult. Very difficult. But I'd like Didier to be back here and feel what I felt." Chelsea won their group – they beat Steaua Bucharest on Wednesday – and will therefore be paired with either Galatasaray, Milan, Olympiakos, Zenit St Petersburg or Bayer Leverkusen in the next round. "Of course we look to the top ones that won the groups, and you see there the main candidates to win the competition, the favourites to win the competition," said Mourinho. "But in the second position we have difficult teams. We have champions. "You have the Russian champions, the Greek champions. A German team, Leverkusen, is always very difficult. The Turkish champions with King Didier, and Milan are Milan. They only won it seven times … so it's hard. When we go to the knockout phase, things become very tactical one way, and very emotional in another way. It will be always difficult. The fact the second game is at home means nothing. "But, as I said before, there are teams in this moment in better condition to win the competition, or at least to be considered favourites. It's easy to understand that Bayern Munich is a champion – they have the same team, they played three Champions League finals in four years. You have Barcelona, champions three times in the last five or six years. Real Madrid have the same players plus Gareth Bale, and reached three semi-finals in three years. So it's easy to understand where the favourites are. "We have to grow up, step by step. We go into new matches now for some of my players. Some of them haven't played any games in the knockout stage of the Champions League before – they played in the group and the Europa League – so it will be a different scenario for some of them. Let's go for the last 16. If we win, we go into the quarter-final and, with only eight teams, we can think a different way. I do not have targets, but we did have one: not to win the Europa League again. That target is done. Now we have to do the best we can in the Champions League."

Who are the last 16 in the Champions League?

The last 16 teams left in the Champions League this season are now known ahead of Monday's knockout stage draw in Nyon. Manchester United topped Group A unbeaten to banish their recent domestic woes, while Bayer Leverkusen edged through in second on Tuesday with a tight victory over bottom-placed Real Sociedad. Group B contained the biggest shock in the tournament so far as Galatasaray snatched second spot from Juventus' jaws to qualify behind runaway winners Real Madrid. Paris Saint-Germain waltzed to first place in Group C, with Olympiakos winning the scrap for the runners-up slot ahead of Benfica thanks to their superior head-to- head record. A stunning comeback from Manchester City in their final game against Bayern Munich was not enough to allow them to finish above the reigning champions in Group D. Two defeats were unable to prevent 2011-12 tournament winners Chelsea from claiming top spot, with Schalke sneaking second thanks to their triumph at the Veltins Arena over Basel on Wednesday. The group of death truly lived up to its name for once: Napoli were eliminated despite beating Arsenal in their final fixture due to an inferior head-to-head goal difference behind the Gunners and Borussia Dortmund in Group F, who were all sat on 12 points. Atletico Madrid comfortably qualified for the last 16 on their return to the elite European stage, but Zenit St Petersburg can count their lucky stars that they went through after losing their final game of Group G to bottom-placed Austria Vienna. And finally, Barcelona carved their name in first place in Group H thanks to a Neymar-inspired victory over Celtic on Wednesday, while AC Milan scraped through with 10 men in their last game of the stage at home to a dominant Ajax, after a 0-0 draw between the sides. Interestingly, the last 16 this season contains 10 sides which also made the knockout stage in the 2012-13 campaign.

ASUU suspends strike next week – Fagge

Union signs MoU with FG The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will suspend the five months strike next week after the union signed a Memorandum of Understanding to that effect with Federal Government on Wednesday ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Fagge, who signed the agreement on behalf of the union, confirmed to journalists that the strike would be called off next week following agreement signed by both parties. Fagge said the MoU contained all the demands presented by the union.

Rooney rejects new Manchester United contract talks

Wayne Rooney has rejected Manchester United 's latest attempts to open talks over a new contract. The striker and his representatives are refusing to even discuss an extension, with the England international's existing terms set to expire at the end of next season. Goal revealed in October that Rooney had rejected United's first approach to discuss a contract renewal as he continues to explore the possibility of leaving the club. The 28-year-old and his camp have declined further offers from the club in recent weeks to start negotiating, with United willl to give him a four-year deal. Rooney has begun the season in outstanding form, scoring eight goals in 13 Premier League appearances for the side during a difficult start for new boss David Moyes that has left the reigning champions ninth in the table. Publicly, Moyes insisted last week that a new deal for the England international "will be done in good course" but Rooney is understood to remain keen to seek a fresh challenge at another Champions League club. "Wayne is resisting any and all attempts from the club to talk about his contract situation," a source told Goal . "He knows, more than anything, that with his contract running down and in the form that he is in, he holds all the aces." Rooney and his agent, Paul Stretford, are well aware that they are in a strong position to engineer a transfer in the summer, when the player will have just one year remaining on his contract. Indeed, sources close to the situation have told Goal that Rooney is increasingly aware of the renewed interest in him from leading clubs both abroad and domestically. Chelsea made two bids for Rooney in the summer after being told that the former Everton man wanted to move to Stamford Bridge and there was also strong interest from Arsenal up until the final week of the window. United refused to sell Rooney to Chelsea, a club whom they regard as a principal title rival but the league champions could be backed into a corner if the forward pushes hard for a transfer either in January or next summer while refusing to extend his weekly salaray of £250,000 (€300,000).

Galatasaray 1-0 Juventus: Sneijder sends Mancini's men into the knockouts

The Dutchman latched on to Didier Drogba's flick to fire low past Gianluigi Buffon in the closing minutes as Roberto Mancini's side battled past the Bianconeri in treacherous conditions in Istanbul. The fixture was halted after 31 minutes on Tuesday due to freak snow storms, with play resuming on Wednesday afternoon. On a heavy, muddy pitch, both sides were largely limited to direct passages of play when the game restarted, with Juventus coach Antonio Conte appearing very unhappy with the match officials at the break, presumably due to the condition of the playing surface. Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez had both been recalled to a Juve side missing injured forward Mirko Vucinic (knee), while Sneijder made his first start since November 1 for Galatasaray after shaking off a recurring thigh problem. The visitors had carved out the only clear- cut chance prior to Tuesday's suspension in play, Llorente going close after good work from Arturo Vidal, but it was Galatasaray who started stronger when play got back under way in Turkey. Drogba and Sneijder both probed well for the hosts, without threatening the goal, before Llorente and Tevez linked impressively, only for the former to lose his footing as both sides struggled with the conditions. Referee Pedro Proenca drew the half to a close after 14 minutes of play, and it was Juve who attacked first following the interval as Leonardo Bonucci fired over with an effort from distance early in the second period. Drogba did well to shield the ball in an advanced position at the other end, allowing Sneijder to fire wide, with the Ivorian then forcing a smart right-handed save from Gianluigi Buffon following a vicous effort. Claudio Marchisio saw an attempt on goal saved after a rare flowing move down the left in the 79th minute before Juve's defence, which boasts seven consecutive clean sheets in serie A, was finally breached with five minutes left. Drogba headed a long ball into Sneijder 's path, with the Netherlands international cooly firing past Buffon. The hosts almost made it 2-0 late on but Burak Yilmaz was denied by a goalline intervention from Giorgio Chiellini, with the final whistle prompting joyous scenes a matter of seconds later. Galatasaray's three points moves them into second behind Real Madrid and into the last 16 draw, with two-time winners Juventus now in the Europa League.

Miley Cyrus Is MTV's Best Artist Of 2013

More than Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Lady Gaga or Lorde, it was Miley Cyrus who owned 2013. After stealing the spotlight at not one but two MTV awards shows, starring in an MTV documentary and taking over the network on her 21st birthday, MTV has crowned Cyrus as its best artist of the year. It's not like the pop star hasn't worked for it. (Or twerked for it -- we had to!) Her October release, "Bangerz," bowed at No.1 and features two other chart- topping tracks, "We Can't Stop" and "Wrecking Ball." Both singles were accompanied by music videos that became cultural touchstones and almost broke the Internet. (According to Vevo.com, Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" is its most-viewed video of 2013, followed by the clip for "We Can't Stop.") The former Disney star also nailed her appearance on "Saturday Night Live" in the fall, when she both hosted and performed. Barbara Walters considers Cyrus one of the most fascinating people of the year, and she somehow managed to end up on Time magazine's best- and worst-dressed lists of 2013. Given that, it's not too surprising that MTV's news and music teams -- having noticed that Cyrus' MTV artist page is the most-visited of the year, with her VMAs performance being the most-watched video -- have given her another No. 1. Cyrus is the third star to take the title, following Katy Perry and One Direction. Neither of those music acts should feel too badly about losing to Cyrus -- they're both still on MTV's list of the top 10 best artists of 2013:

"Lots of cheques that people donated bounced" OJB says in new interview

During a recent interview with HipHop World magazine, OJB said that many cheques given to him towards his kidney transplant, bounced. There are well meaning and bitter people in Naija. Most people were just complaining and these people didn’t even donate. All the figures flying in the air then were just fake and make-belief from different angles because if we had the money we wouldn’t have the governor donate N16million. Lots of cheques that some people donated bounced. I don’t want to mention names and when we called them to come for their cheques they didn’t come for it. We didn’t want to talk about it in the media because it was about saving a life. He also talks about his gratitude to his wife for donating her kidney to him, and about the man who gave him N6m to renovate his house, $10,000 for medical expenses and bought him a 2010 Land Rover. See that after the cut... About his wife, he says: I will say she is a wonderful person because it is one thing if God is telling you to do something but another to do it. It takes a lot of courage to actually do it. Just as Jesus had made the water for Peter to walk on, Peter needed a lot of courage to take that step and that was what she did at that dying minute. Even when the doctors came to tell her that they would have to cut her all the way to the back and would have to remove a rib so they could have access to the kidney and if after that you still go ahead to do it then that is serious courage. About the man who gave him a lot, OJB tells Encomium magazine A man named Felix Edebor who lives in Abuja has been very helpful. The first day he came he dropped N6million cheque, and it really encouraged us to start the building. When we were India he visited us and gave us $10,000. He later started talking about my mobility and days after he bought me a Land Rover LR 3 2010 model for me. And I didn't know the guy from Adam. I just feel what happened was not human.

FG cancels resumption ultimatum, pays N200b requested by ASUU

With the apparent stance of the Academic Staff Union of Universities on non resumption until the agreement between them and the Federal government has been honored, the Federal Government in a re-conciliatory move removed the ultimatum earlier placed on lecturers to resume otherwise their appointments would be terminated. FG has also provided proof of disbursement of N200billion to the educational trust account which was one of the criteria earlier given by lecturers for resumption. Addressing newsmen yesterday, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, showed a letter with reference number GVD/DGO/ GEN/MP/05/151 which was addressed to the Auditor-General of the Federation and titled: “Confirmation of the Execution of your Mandate for the Credit of Account No…Revitalization of Universities Infrastructure Account.” Continue... The letter stated: “I write to confirm the execution of the following mandates by the Central Bank of Nigeria for funding of the above mentioned account as follows: Mandate FD/LP2013/40/1/30/DF – 129,300,000,000.00 Mandate FD/F124/Vol XII/120/DF – 20,700,000,000.00 Mandate FD/LP2013/40/1/DF – 50,000,000,000.0 “I wish to further confirm that the available balance in the aforementioned account is N200,000,000,000.00 (Two Hundred Billion Naira Only). “Please, accept the assurances of my best regards.” As regards cancellation of the ultimatum, Doyin Okupe said about 90% of the lecturers had resumed nationwide so the talk of deadline resumption has dropped.

2014 Grammy Awards Nominations Revealed [See Full List]

On Friday December 6th, the Recording Academy revealed the full list of nominees for the 2014 Grammy Awards, which will take place January 26th 2014. The full list below... Album Of The Year : The Blessed Unrest — Sara Bareilles Random Access Memories — Daft Punk Good Kid, M.A.A.D City — Kendrick Lamar The Heist — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Red — Taylor Swift Record Of The Year : “Get Lucky” — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams “Radioactive” — Imagine Dragons “Royals” — Lorde “Locked Out Of Heaven” — Bruno Mars “Blurred Lines” — Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams Song Of The Year : “Just Give Me A Reason” — Pink Featuring Nate Ruess (songwriters: Jeff Bhasker, Pink & Nate Ruess) “Locked Out Of Heaven” — Bruno Mars (songwriters: Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine & Bruno Mars) “Roar” — Katy Perry (songwriters: Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Katy Perry & Henry Walter) “Royals” — Lorde (songwriters: Joel Little & Ella Yelich O’Connor) “Same Love” — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert (songwriters: Ben Haggerty, Mary Lambert & Ryan Lewis) Best New Artist : James Blake Kendrick Lamar Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Kacey Musgraves Ed Sheeran Producer Of The Year: Rob Cavallo Dr. Luke Ariel Rechtshaid Jeff Tweedy Pharrell Williams Best Pop Solo Performance: “Brave” — Sara Bareilles “Royals” — Lorde “When I Was Your Man” — Bruno Mars “Roar” — Katy Perry “Mirrors” — Justin Timberlake Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Get Lucky” — Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams “Just Give Me A Reason” — Pink Featuring Nate Ruess “Stay” — Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko “Blurred Lines” — Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams “Suit & Tie” — Justin Timberlake & Jay Z Best Pop Vocal Album: Paradise - Lana Del Rey Pure Heroine - Lorde Unorthodox Jukebox - Bruno Mars Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke The 20/20 Experience - Justin Timberlake Best Rap Song: “F***in’ Problems” – ASAP Rocky Featuring Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar “Holy Grail” – Jay Z featuring Justin Timberlake “New Slaves” – Kanye West “Started From the Bottom” – Drake “Thrift Shop” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz Best Rap Performance: “Started From The Bottom” — Drake “Berzerk” — Eminem “Tom Ford” — Jay Z “Swimming Pools (Drank)” — Kendrick Lamar “Thrift Shop” — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz Best Rap/Sung Collaboration : “Power Trip” — J.Cole Featuring Miguel “Part II (On The Run)” — Jay Z Featuring Beyoncé “Holy Grail” — Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake “Now Or Never” — Kendrick Lamar Featuring Mary J. Blige “Remember You” — Wiz Khalifa Featuring The Weeknd Best Rap Album : Nothing Was The Same — Drake Magna Carta…Holy Grail — Jay Z Good Kid, M.A.A.D City — Kendrick Lamar The Heist — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Yeezus — Kanye West Best Country Solo Performance : “I Drive Your Truck” — Lee Brice “I Want Crazy” — Hunter Hayes “Mama’s Broken Heart” — Miranda Lambert “Wagon Wheel” — Darius Rucker “Mine Would Be You” — Blake Shelton Best Country Album : Night Train — Jason Aldean Two Lanes Of Freedom — Tim McGraw Same Trailer Different Park — Kacey Musgraves Based On A True Story — Blake Shelton Red — Taylor Swift Best Country Duo/Group Performance: “From This Valley” – The Civil Wars “Don’t Rush” – Kelly Clarkson featuring Vince Gill “Your Side of the Bed” – Little Big Town “Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift & Keith Urban “You Can’t Make Old Friends” – Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton Best Country Song: “Begin Again” – Taylor Swift “I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice “Mama’s Broken Heart” – Miranda Lambert “Merry Go ‘Round” – Kacey Musgraves “Mine Would Be You” – Blake Shelton Best Rock Performance: “Always Alright” — Alabama Shakes “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” — David Bowie “Radioactive” — Imagine Dragons “Kashmir” (Live) — Led Zeppelin “My God Is The Sun” — Queens Of The Stone Age “I’m Shakin’” — Jack White Best Rock Song: “Ain’t Messin ‘Round” – Gary Clark Jr. “Cut Me Some Slack” – Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear “Doom And Gloom” – The Rolling Stones “God Is Dead” – Black Sabbath “Panic Station” – Muse Best Rock Album : 13 — Black Sabbath The Next Day — David Bowie Mechanical Bull — Kings Of Leon Celebration Day — Led Zeppelin …Like Clockwork — Queens Of The Stone Age Psychedelic Pill — Neil Young With Crazy Horse Best Alternative Music Album : The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You — Neko Case Trouble Will Find Me — The National Hesitation Marks — Nine Inch Nails Lonerism — Tame Impala Modern Vampires Of The City — Vampire Weekend Best Dance/Electronica Album: Random Access Memories — Daft Punk Settle — Disclosure 18 Months — Calvin Harris Atmosphere — Kaskade A Color Map Of The Sun — Pretty Lights Best R&B Performance : “Love And War” — Tamar Braxton “Best Of Me” — Anthony Hamilton “Nakamarra” — Hiatus Kaiyote Featuring Q-Tip “How Many Drinks?” — Miguel Featuring Kendrick Lamar “Something” — Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway Best R&B Album : R&B Divas — Faith Evans Girl On Fire — Alicia Keys Love In The Future — John Legend Better — Chrisette Michele Three Kings — TGT Best Urban Contemporary Album : Love And War — Tamar Braxton Side Effects Of You — Fantasia One: In The Chamber — Salaam Remi Unapologetic — Rihanna New York: A Love Story — Mack Wilds Best Americana Album : Old Yellow Moon — Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell Love Has Come For You — Steve Martin & Edie Brickell Buddy And Jim — Buddy Miller And Jim Lauderdale One True Vine — Mavis Staples Songbook — Allen Toussaint Best Comedy Album : Calm Down Gurrl — Kathy Griffin I’m Here To Help — Craig Ferguson A Little Unprofessional — Ron White Live — Tig Notaro That’s What I’m Talkin’ About — Bob Saget Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: Django Unchained The Great Gatsby Les Misérables Muscle Shoals Sound City: Real To Reel Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media: Argo (Alexandre Desplat, composer) The Great Gatsby (Craig Armstrong, composer) Life Of Pi (Mychael Danna, composer) Lincoln (John Williams, composer) Skyfall (Thomas Newman, composer) Zero Dark Thirty (Alexandre Desplat, composer) Best Song Written For Visual Media: “Atlas” – Coldplay (From The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)“Silver Lining” – Jessie J (From Silver Linings Playbook) “Skyfall” – Adele (From Skyfall) “We Both Know” – Colbie Caillat & Gavin DeGraw (From Safe Haven ) “Young And Beautiful” – Lana Del Rey (From The Great Gatsby) “You’ve Got Time” – Regina Spektor (From Orange Is The New Black) Best Musical Theater Album: Kinky Boots Matilda: The Musical Motown The Musical Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Viva Duets - Tony Bennett & Various Artists To Be Loved - Michael Buble The Standards - Gloria Estefan Cee Lo’s Magic Moment - Cee Lo Green Now - Dionne Warwick Best Jazz Instrumental Album : Guided Tour — The New Gary Burton Quartet Money Jungle: Provocative In Blue — Terri Lyne Carrington Life Forum — Gerald Clayton Pushing The World Away — Kenny Garrett Out Here — Christian McBride Trio Best Gospel Album: Grace (Live) — Tasha Cobbs Best For Last: 20 Year Celebration Vol. 1 — Donald Lawrence Best Days Yet — Bishop Paul S. Morton God Chaser (Live) — William Murphy Greater Than (Live) — Tye Tribbett Best Music Video: “Safe And Sound” – Capital Cities “Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film” – Jay Z “Can’t Hold Us” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray Dalton “Suit & TIe” – Justin Timberlake featuring Jay Z “I’m Shakin’” – Jack White Best Recording Package: Automatic Music Can Be Fun – Geneseo Long Night Moon – Reckless Kelly Magna Carta…Holy Grail – Jay Z Metallica Through The Never (Music From The Motion Picture) – Metallica The Next Day – David Bowie Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: The Brussels Affair – The Rolling Stones How Do You Do (Limited Edition Box Set) – Mayer Hawthorne The Road to Red Rocks (Special Edition ) – Mumford & Sons The Smith Tapes – Various Artists Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition) – Paul McCartney And Wings