smellgist.com: 2016-12-04

Friday 9 December 2016

Àmazing: British teenager makes wedding dress from toilet roll

When 16-year-old Rachel Fleur set out to work on her art project from school, even she couldn’t have thought the result would be this remarkable.

Rachel was 15 in October 2015, when she took on the project at her former school, Moor House School in Oxted, Surrey.

The project ended in a beautiful success earlier in 2016 when the teenager was 16.

A constitutional amendment has become desirous so as to give the traditional rulers key roles in governance. They are the last link with our past, unless we want to assume that we don’t have a past.

One of the defects of both the 1979 and 1999 constitutions, is the deliberate denial of any role whatsoever for traditional rulers. It was not so before.

Section 34(ii) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1963 stated that (2) The Senators representing the Federal territory shall be:

Poverty, conflict and climate change will leave 15 million people across Africa’s Sahel belt in need of life-saving aid next year, the UN said as it launched a record $2.7 billion humanitarian appeal for the region in 2017.
Around 40 per cent of the money (about $1 billion) will be used to help some seven million people in Nigeria affected by the jihadist group Boko Haram’s seven-year insurgency, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The UN’s statement of about 7 million Nigerians needing help in the aftermath of the Boko Haram insurgency comes days after the Nigerian government accused the global body and other international organisations working in the north-east of exaggerating the crisis for financial reasons.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted an order of mandamus seeking the immediate arrest of Minister for Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

According to a report by Guardian Newspaper, Justice Ahmed Mohammed granted the order of mandamus, which was sought by the Human Rights Foundation International, following Justices Inyang Okoro and Sylvester N. Ngwuta's petition to ex-Chief Justice, Mahmud Mohammed.

There are so many issues and they all require attention. However, we still need to prioritise the issues. We talk of infrastructure, unemployment and insecurity, under which we have the insurgency in the North-East and militant activities in the South-South. In terms of priority, a good government would address the issues in the South-South rapidly. Unfortunately, subsequent governments have failed to address the injustices of 30 years of military misadventure which resulted in some sections of the country being genuinely aggrieved and that is why we are facing the present challenge in the oil sector. In the short run, oil is a veritable source of revenue capable of bringing the country out of recession. The government should reconcile with the genuine South-South militants.

Justice Hakeem Oshodi of a Lagos High Court Ikeja on Thursday varied a bail condition granted Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Godwin Obla, who are facing corruption charges.

The duo were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Nov. 21, on 30 counts.

They both pleaded not guilty to the charges, and were each granted a N20 million bail on self recognisance.

Regardless of the festering economic crisis in the country, regardless of the hordes of unemployed youngsters in the country, regardless of the thinning hope and burgeoning despair in the land—some people have figured that the most sensible thing to do is stage contests for the most gaudy, expensive and spectacular funeral.

I have said this before: one of the hardest tasks is to predict how Nigerians would react in any given situation. We are a perplexing bunch, able to defy the most skilled pontificator.

The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to carry out its own investigation regarding the death of Ifedolapo Oladepo, a Corps member who died at the Kano orientation camp.

This information was given by Solomon Dalung, the Minister of Youths and Sports on Thursday, December 8, 2016.

There is fire on the mountain and these ladies won’t leave Abuja until they get paid. Like I rightly said, so many of them are the bread winners of their families and that has just been confirmed to. Remi Tinubu is already speaking for them in the house and many women should do same too. PAY THEM THEIR MONEY, THEY WORKED FOR IT. IT IS THEIR RIGHT TO GET PAID AFTER WORK. DON’T TURN THEM TO BEGGARS.

Fidel Castro: The Burden of a Name, By Dele Agekameh

For many of my generation and those who admire him, Castro will retain a special place in our collective psyche, no matter what others might say. His legacies will outlive him.

It is not only those who attended Castro’s funeral last Sunday that are mourning him. There are lots of other mourners all over the globe. One of them is yours truly. My obsession with Fidel Castro’s persona dates back to 1972. That was my second year as a student at Saint John’s Grammar School, Ile-Ife, present day Osun State. Saint John’s was founded in 1962 by the late Reverend Father Fabian Cloutier. He was a Christian missionary of the Roman Catholic faith who came all the way from Canada to Nigeria for pastoral duties and settled in Ile-Ife where he lived until he retired and relocated to Canada. He died a few years ago.

Which kin Mumu thinking be that. Only Prayers Can Save Nigeria?

Our Docility is Killing our Humanity; Our indifference is Enabling Corruption in Governance and our Silence is Creating Political Monsters with the Audacity for Impunity and Criminality.

SIR: Corruption has been with us for long so we need to be diplomatic in solving it. In fact we need a 20-year plan to reduce corruption from 75% in the public sphere to less than 30%. It will never be an overnight battle and corruption can never be totally eliminated anywhere in the world.

Without believing in the country, any money that is budgeted for development will be diverted. Fact is that over 70% of leaders in Nigeria don’t believe in Nigeria, so we need to work on our belief system. Pensioners are not paid; graduates cannot get jobs even after waiting for 10 years. Minimum wage goes nowhere, naira is facing serious trial. One should not be deceived; corruption will thrive in this environment.

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El Rufai, raised some dust when he confessed that he spent government money to pay Fulani herdsmen to stop violence in southern Kaduna. The assertion was made by the government to justify his position that the recent wave of violence on the citizens of southern Kaduna did not come from the Fulani herdsmen but that they were perpetrated by mere bands of hoodlums.

To make that confession shows that the governor does not know the limits of his gubernatorial powers. Although he can argue that he used the state funds from the security votes – but he has not said that – to keep peace in the state, he ought to understand that his powers are limited to actions within Kaduna state.

The deaths of three corps members, in three different National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps, in Bayelsa, Kano, and Zamfara states, have reignited the debate as to the utility value of the programme started in 1973 as a way to enhance national unity. With the programme designed in such a way that corps members are sent to serve in far-flung parts of the country, away from their familiar habitats, legitimate worries arise when any of them suffer untowardly. Such is the case with the deaths of Chinyerum Nwenenda Elechi, Ifedolapo Oladepo and Monday Asuquo Ukeme.

South Korean lawmakers on Friday passed an impeachment motion against President Park Geun-Hye

President Park was stripped off her sweeping executive powers over a corruption scandal that paralysed her administration and triggered massive street protests.

The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it was ready to roll out Lake Rice on Dec. 15 to Lagosians at N13,000 per 50 kg towards the Yuletide celebrations.

Mr Sanni Okanlawan, Special Adviser on Food Security to Gov. Akinwumi Ambode, made the disclosure in Lagos during the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) National Agriculture Stakeholders Summit.

‎The Governing Council, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, has approved 50 percent rebate on all fees payable for its staff undergoing courses in the institution.

‎According to the university’s official bulletin, the council took the decision at its meeting held on Nov.15 where the requests by some members of staff for an encompassing education rebate were considered.

‎The council said that other sundry fees such as acceptance fee, medical fee, Identity Card, among others were included in the fees payable for academic programmes at the university.‎

Obasanjo To Youths: How You Can Be Good Leaders

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday tutored the nation’s youths on the salient qualities they should imbibe, if they aspire to become good and successful leaders tomorrow.

Obasanjo said a good leader should not only be courageous, but must also do the right thing at the right time for the people.

He gave the advice at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during a youth empowerment programme organised by Centre for Human Security, an arm of OOPL.

Jonathan’s Wife Petitions House of Reps | TheNation

Former First Lady Patience Jonathan has petitioned the House of Representatives, alleging harassment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The petition, submitted to the House by a member, Lovette Idisi, said she has been “incessantly harassed” by the anti-graft agency.

Dame Jonathan also alleged that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) are threatening her life.

OBJ Praises Ooni For Preserving Yoruba Culture | Tribune

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has commended the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, for preserving the custom and culture of Yorubaland, noting that within his one year on the throne, he had done a lot in enhancing peace and cooperation among the traditional rulers in the South-West.

Speaking during the one year coronation anniversary of Oba Ogunwusi, on Wednesday, held inside the Ile Oodua, where the monarch’s palace is located, he said: “I have been watching the Ooni with his transformation moves since his ascendancy on the throne. I have been studying his zeal for unification of all interests in Yoruba land with keen interest, and I commend him for that. I wish him long life on the throne and continuity of his good works.”

HANNAH PRAISES GOD

Seek Daily (NBC)

Friday, December 9

1 Samuel 2:1-10

HANNAH PRAISES GOD

“My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high... “1 Samuel 2:1, NIV

Hannah’s childlessness was probably the reason why her husband married the second wife, Peninnah who had no respect whatsoever for Hannah rather, she “provoked her severely and make her miserable (1 Samuel 1: 6-7). Are you in a similar

A FRESHLY-HATCHED baby bedbug was cozy beside its mother between the laces of a mat as they sucked the blood of the owners of the house who were fast asleep. When the sun was up, in order to kill the stubborn bedbugs, the humans took the mat and spread it outside. As the heat of the sun intensified, the baby bedbug became uncomfortable and cried out to its mother: “Mother, the heat is getting too much. We may soon die”. The mother replied: “My baby, bear it.

Whatever is hot will surely cool down. No condition is permanent”.

You must have seen this legend plastered on the boards of lorries (Gwongworo in Igbo, Bolekaja in Yoruba, fill in the gap in your language), commercial buses, tricycles, commercial motorcycles and even wheel barrows.

Echoes of Modern Primitivity By Josef Omorotionmwan

WHEN certain things happen, we just wonder whether we have not yet arrived at the 21st century. Nigeria, like every other country, is supposed to be mutually inclusive – excessive gains on one side would be deprivation on another. Did former President Olusegun Obasanjo say he had deliberately set out to create 50 billionaires during his presidency? What a hopeless height of indiscretion!

It is still worse if he did not realise that in a country of 170 million citizens, he had, by that singular declaration, also set out to create more than 169.99 million paupers.

Judge Earns N24m Annually, Spent N500m In 10 Months – AGF By Ade Adesomoju

The Federal Government on Wednesday said investigations had shown that a Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, spent over N500m between January and October 2016 despite his total annual legitimate earnings, including his allowances being N24m.

This was disclosed in a document prepared by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Charles Adeogun-Philips, summarising the case of the prosecution against the Justice of the Supreme Court, who was on November 21, 2016, arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

US Power Will Decline Under Trump, Says Futurist Who Predicted Soviet Collapse

Johan Galtung, a Nobel Peace Prize-nominated sociologist who predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union, warned that US global power will collapse under the Donald Trump administration.

The Norwegian professor at the University of Hawaii and Transcend Peace University is recognized as the ‘founding father’ of peace and conflict studies as a scientific discipline. He has made numerous accurate predictions of major world events, most notably the collapse of the Soviet Empire.

In the hands of the doctor, baby Ibrahim’s head seems impossibly small. He cradles the child gently, conscious of his fragility. Everything around him seems improbably large.

The nappies Ibrahim wears are the smallest available but are still too big. With his large eyes and hollowed out face, with ribs which press against his skin, the baby looks as if he is shrinking back into himself.

It seems perverse to describe a child in this state of as “lucky”. But Ibrahim has survived 21 days and doctors are hopeful he will endure. His twin brother died soon after he was born.

hen it debuted in 1989, the MicroTAC was hailed as a “game-changer”, one that Motorola argued would bring mobile phones out of the hands of top execs and into the hands of senior mid-level execs. Competively price at $2,995, the size of a Dutch brick rather than the preceding concrete breezeblock, it had an amazing half-hour’s talk time with only 10 hours of charging.

The price has dropped a bit, but at £100 on eBay, the likes of the MicroTAC still hold value for collectors. New research by Talkmobile highlights how the market for vintage phones has become increasingly lively as collectors aim to snap up a brick of tech history.

It is not uncommon to hear expressions that link certain names with certain traits.

All the time people say stuff like "Men namedSegun are usually troublesome, men named Ayo are often promiscuous.

"Women named Cynthia are often slutty as well as those named Sandra and Jessica."

President Barack Obama on Tuesday defended his approach to fighting the Islamic State and al-Qaeda in a speech that appeared to feature several tips for his successor, Donald Trump.

Obama used what was likely his final national security address to press for continuing his policy of avoiding resource-draining U.S. ground operations in the Middle East. He argued the use of armed drones, elite warriors and local troops has decimated al-Qaeda and has begun to substantially weaken the Islamic State. Trump has suggested some major changes to Obama’s strategy, including working with Russia, tightening Muslims’ access to the U.S., and teaming with any country that promises to fight “radical Islam.”

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF) Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita has assured that federal civil servants would get 1000 house units within six months under the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) programme.

She gave the assurance yesterday in Abuja while hosting a delegation of Brains and Hammers Estate developers in her office.

She said that housing for Nigerians is a priority of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and that the civil servants that implement government policies deserve lion share of policies at achieving that.

Donald Trump should not worry about insulting China and if Beijing objects to him speaking to Taiwan, “screw ’em”, an economic adviser to the US president-elect has said.

Stephen Moore, chief economist of The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, said Mr Trump was right to risk China’s displeasure by speaking on the phone with the president of Taiwan, which the Chinese regard as a breakaway province.

For anyone whose heart aches for the twists and turns of the 2016 presidential campaign can rejoice, speculation has already begun about the 2020 race.

On Monday, current vice-president, former senator and one-man meme machine Joe Biden said he would run for president in 2020 – maybe.

The departing vice president, who will be 78 at the time of the next election, said it with a slight smile on his face. Given a chance to walk it back, he did – but only a little bit.

Prime minister Mark Rutte has called for migrant boats intercepted off the coast of Italy to be towed back to safe countries in northern Africa. Speaking at a conference of European Liberal parties in Warsaw on Saturday, Rutte said: ‘European ships currently pick up migrants and bring them to Italy.

When Aisha Buhari, the First Lady, gave a BBC interview in October in which she complained that a few persons around President Muhammadu Buhari had hijacked his government and were misleading him, many people in and outside government were shocked. Although many public officials and top politicians felt that she had spoken their mind, nobody dared corroborate what she said. The only exception was the Senate President, who, through Bamikole Omisore, his Special Assistant on New Media, expressed happiness and held that what Aisha said vindicated him. “It has become clear that there is a government within the government of President Buhari who have (sic) seized apparatus of executive powers to pursue their nefarious agenda”, Omisore said in a tweet.

Banks have come under more pressure while the European Central Bank also faces a test. In fact, some say the whole Eurozone concept is looking a bit wobbly, following Italy’s referendum result.

The situation could add some nervousness into the negotiating position of the EU ahead of its talks with the UK.
It won’t stop the EU being miffed with the UK starting off the populist craze though — Italy’s minister for European affairs has said Brexit started the disintegration of the EU.

A town in eastern France has been ordered to remove a statue of the Virgin Mary to comply with secular rules banning religious symbols in public.

An administrative court ordered the commune of Publier, in the Haute-Savoie region to take down the offending statue which overlooks Lake Geneva and has been in place in a public park since 2011.

The town has three months to comply with the ruling on pain of receiving a fine of €100 (£85) per day, the November 24 judgement stipulates.

Gaston Lacroix, the town’s mayor has pledged to find a new home for the religious icon “on private land”.

Everyone loves a study that turns one of our favourite vices into a health benefit. This week, the news headlines tell us “eating chocolate improves brain function” and that it “could help protect against normal age-related decline”.

The study, published this month in the peer-reviewed journal Appetite, found that memory and abstract thinking improved in those reporting more chocolate consumption. These effects were reported not to be influenced by factors such as age, weight and general health measures.

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