Big Brother Niaja: Why Efe must not invest all his money in music – Rapper, Ycee

Nigerian singer, Ycee, has advised winner of the just concluded Big Brother Naija reality television show, Efe Ejeba against investing all his prize money in music.
Efe, an up and coming rapper, prior to his emergence as winner of the reality show was unknown and his songs yet to receive reviews from fans and critics.

Against this backdrop, Ycee advised Efe to be patient, stressing that breakthrough in music takes time.
The rapper urged the reality star to leverage on the fame he got from the Big Brother Naija to work on his craft.
Speaking with Buzztop Television, Ycee said, “Regarding what he wants to go into. I haven’t listened to any of his song. But a lot of people are saying he shouldn’t do music.

“But If music is something he’s really passionate about. With the amount of money and popularity, he’s been able to get from Big Brother, he should work on his craft.
“It’s not just about having passion for music but also taking that time to create good music that people actually enjoy.
“He’s already got the fame so that takes away like 90% of having to be patient and releasing music from time to time.

“All I’m going to say to him is don’t put all your money into music. It is not a venture that yields return ASAP. All the people that you see making it today, they actually started out from time. It takes a long, long process.”

Bisi Alimi blast Nigerians for welcoming, celebrating CNN gay reporter, Richard Quest

Nigerian gay activist, Bisi Alimi has called Nigerians ‘hypocrites’ for welcoming gay CNN reporter, Richard Quest while throwing hate comments at him for being gay.
Bisi Alimi expressed displeasure at how he gets discriminatory comments and threats from Nigerians for being gay but Richard Quest who is currently in Nigeria was being celebrated.

According to him, what makes Quest homosexuality acceptable and his homosexuality threatening?
On his Instagram page @BisiAlimi, he wrote: “So I heard Richard Quest is in Nigeria and as usual, my people are drooling over him.
“These are the same Nigerians that will not allow an openly gay person on their screen, or even give one a job.

“What is different about Richard Quest that makes his homosexuality harmless but my homosexuality as a Nigeria scary and threatening?
“Is it that my people think my homosexuality is in some way earth destroying but that is Richard comforting or as a people we just lack pure emotional intelligence to appreciate our own?
“ My heart bleeds for Nigeria, it does make me cry for my LGBT brothers and sisters.”

Tinubu did not assist me into becoming APC National Chairman – Oyegun

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, John Oyegun has said a National Leader of the party, Bola Tinubu was not responsible for his emergence as the ruling party’s National Chairman.
Oyegun made the remark in an interview with Vanguard while responding to a question that some people are alleging that he has not been fair to those who assisted him to emerge National Chairman of the party, especially, Bola Tinubu.

The APC Chairman insisted that everybody in the party and not a particular individual aided his emergence.
According to Oyegun, “Everybody assisted me to this position and I am grateful to all of them. The only thing is my personality and integrity; I don’t joke with these two things because they are the only currency that I have and I will defend them at any time.
“I don’t believe one particular person solely assisted me to this position, everybody assisted me and someday, the story of how I became chairman of APC will be told.

“You will then see that everybody did assist me to become National Chairman. This means that I am there for everybody. I don’t belong to any camp in the APC. I belong to all members of APC high and below.”

APC tells Buhari to leave Jonathan alone, says his government losing direction

The Arewa Peace Coalition, APC, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to stop blaming his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan and focus on his government which is “losing direction.”
A statement by its Coordinator, Abdulkadir Mohammed said the President should pay more attention to the prevalent national issues among which are lopsided appointments and the economic hardship facing the country.

The group urged Buhari to discourage the “current negative campaign” against Jonathan and focus on improving the quality of lives of millions of Nigerians.
It also advised Buhari to acknowledge some of the successes of his predecessor and consolidate on them.
The statement reads,“Nigerians didn’t vote Buhari to come and give excuses on why he cannot perform… they believed he was capable and particularly fit for the job of president.

“Since you won the 2015 election, we have been waking up almost every day to hear stories about how Jonathan did this and Jonathan did that. We have become tired and fed up.
“When will we begin to hear what Baba Buhari has done? When will we begin to hear of what our Baba has done to salvage Nigeria?
“Bashing Jonathan at every opportunity has not solved any of the problems you met as president. Nigerians have already voted Jonathan out. They are disappointed that years after Jonathan has left, there is no day that the Buhari presidency does not attempt to feast on Jonathan. Why then did we vote for you?

“Mr President, there were quite a few successes of the Jonathan presidency. Acknowledge those successes and use them to your advantage.
“And then work to correct and avoid the mistakes that dogged the Jonathan presidency. That is how successful nations work.
“Please leave Jonathan alone. Go around the country and ascertain things for yourself. Two years into your presidency, you are yet to visit more than 30 states in Nigeria.”
The group also the president not to leave out any section of the country in his appointments.
“Appoint a competent team to assist you in the onerous task of fixing Nigeria. Appoint people in every nook and cranny of Nigeria.
“The Buhari presidency must not be over-saturated by people from the northern part of the country or people who share a peculiar history with you.
“You are now a Nigerian president NOT a Northern, Daura or CPC president. You are president over Muslims the same way you are president over Christians.
“It is with great discomfort that we write you this piece. In 2015, many of us came out in large numbers to vote for you because we believed that things would change for the better if you became president of Nigeria.
“When you ascended to the position of President of Nigeria. We rejoiced across the streets of northern Nigeria. Some of our kinsmen trekked hundreds of kilometers to celebrate your win in the 2015 elections.
“Two years into your administration, everything has turned on its head. The price of food has skyrocketed across Nigeria. The quality of education has nosedived. Access to affordable health care has become a problem. Farmers are no longer encouraged to go to their farms. Nothing seems to be working.”

2017 budget: Why NASS leadership met with Osinbajo – Spokesman

The leadership of the National Assembly has revealed why it met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during the Easter recess.
Abdulrazak Namdas, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs who made the revelation on Monday said the purpose of the parley was to put both the Legislature and the Executive on the same page concerning the 2017 budget.

The lawmaker said that since the National Assembly and the presidency had agreed on key aspects of the Budget, it will ensure speedy passage of the budget.
He said: “The topmost priority will be the passage of the budget. We want to ensure that within a few weeks, the budget will be passed.
“I can tell you that during the Easter break, the leadership of the National Assembly met with the Executive over the budget so that budget will be streamlined in a manner that it tallies with priority areas of the Federal Government and I can tell you that if this budget is passed, there will no little or no issues with the Executive implementing it”.

He said important legislations which both chambers have to harmonize are the amendment of the Electoral Act 2010 as passed by Senate on Thursday, March 30 where in the Senate version passed include the use of electronic voting in future elections and electronically transmission of results to collation centers.
“Any bill that is passed by the Senate must be given concurrence by the House and vice-versa. But you also have to understand that concurrence by either House of the National Assembly is not automatic, neither is the rule that the bill be passed the exact manner it was sent to either house.
“But what is important is that we will work hard to pass bills that will enhance good governance on time,” he stated.

Namdas also said that the House has been serious with carrying its constitutional responsibility of investigations, adding that in spite of the dissolution of ad hoc committees by the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, inquiries into issues by the House would not be truncated. According to him such probes would also be done in a “timely manner,” he said.
“The Speaker dissolved ad hoc committees but my understanding is that next action on investigations undertaken by these committees will either be taken over by standing committees or be reassigned as decided by the leadership of the House.”

Use your energy to attract projects to Kogi – APC chieftain mocks Dino Melaye

A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kogi State, Hon. Attayi Okolo Musa, has advised the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye to stop his constant attacks on Governor Yahaya Bello.
He advised Melaye to use his vibrancy to attract federal projects to his home state.

Addressing newsmen in his office on Monday, the APC stalwart and amember of the administrative team of Omala Local Government Area of the state, expressed disappointment with Senator Melaye’s recent actions and outbursts.
“Instead of attracting federal presence to the state to complement the good works of the governor, Senator Melaye is busy distracting Governor Bello from delivering the needed democratic dividends to the people of Kogi”, he said
He advised the Senator to play his own role instead of demonising the state government.

Reacting to the assasination attempt on Melaye and his accusation that Governor Bello was the mastermind, Musa advised the Senator to look in another direction.
“The governor of the Kogi state is too ethical and level-headed to be linked to
such an inglorious act”, he said.
He advised other members of the National Assembly from the state not to lock horns with the governor, but join hands with him to drive the ‘New Direction’ policy of the stategovernment.

Recall that Bello in his reaction to Melaye’s accusation, said he was unaware of the incident since the lawmaker never informed him.

Rivers APC congratulates Peterside on his election

Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said​ t​he election of Dr Dakuku Peterside, Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), as the new Chairman and President of the Association of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) is well deserved.
​APC in a statement issued on Monday in Port Harcourt,​ describ​ed​ ​the election as​ a testimony to ​Peterside’s ​exceptional leadership qualities.

“Dr. Peterside, who was the APC governorship candidate during the 2015 polls, is an astute and seasoned administrator with a Midas touch who has repositioned and turned around the fortunes of NIMASA within one year of his appointment as the DG of the Agency​.​
​”​We are, therefore, not surprised that Maritime Administrators from 32 countries in Africa have found him worthy of piloting the affairs of AAMA for the next one year,” Rivers APC said in a statement signed by the State Chairman, Davies Ikanya.
“He has in so short a time made NIMASA an institutionalised institution with the right structure, the right work ethics; an institution which Nigerians are proud of.

“Today, NIMASA is a model of reference on the continent of Africa, an agency that understands that it is set up to serve the Nigerian people”​, he added.
It further noted that Peterside had within one year ensured the full implementation and enforcement of the International Ships and Ports Facility Security (ISPS) code in the nation’s ports, and shut three jetties and port facilities for non-compliance with the provisions of the ISPS Code.
“NIMASA under Peterside’s watch has commenced the full implementation of the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act 2003, also known as the Cabotage Act, and forged strategic partnerships with the Nigerian Air Force as well as other naval assets to patrol and monitor the country’s waterways with a view to enhancing maritime security by decisively tackling piracy and criminality on the high seas”​, he said.​

​APC added that​ President Muhammadu Buhari captured the mood and minds of Nigerians in his congratulatory message​.​
​”​We stand with our beloved President that given NIMASA’s encouraging performance under Dr. Peterside especially in the fight against sea piracy through inter-agency cooperation,​ his new position provides him with even bigger platform to forge ahead in doing the nation proud by meeting the objectives of AAMA.
“We thank President Buahri and Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi the Minister of Transportation for their support to this gem and revolutionary leader that have made us all proud by becoming the first Nigerian to head such an international organisation”, the party stated.