Funmi Iyanda makes history, becomes first African woman to receive honorary fellowship from UK varsity

For her immense contributions to human rights and sustainability, award-winning
Nigerian broadcaster and columnist, Funmi Iyanda, will become the first African
woman to be conferred with a honorary fellowship from the University of Cumbria.
The award will be bestowed to her at a graduation ceremony in the historic
Carlisle Cathedral in Cumbria, North West England.
Reacting to the honour, the media mogul said, “I am truly
honoured to have my work and career recognized by such a historic institution
and thankful for a great space to contribute to a diverse body of knowledge.”
IFLAS Founder and Professor of Sustainability Leadership, Jem Bendell,
affirmed that, “She
demonstrates how celebrity and media can be used to raise the level of debate
about what kind of society, politics and economy we want.
“Given
the gossip and squabbling in much mainstream media, it is important that our
cultural leaders call us to consider what really matters in life, like poverty,
equality, and the environment.  We look forward to working further with
Funmi on a range of our activities in both the UK and Africa.”

A graduate of University Of Ibadan, the talk show host produced Nigeria’s
popular talk show New Dawn with Funmi, which aired on the national network
for over eight years. Funmi is the CEO of Ignite Media, a content-driven media organization
operating out of Lagos and is also a Director at Creation Television, a film
production company in the United Kingdom, acquiring classic African literary
content for film adaptation to a global audience. She was recently named one of
Forbes 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa and recognized by the World Economic
Forum making her a Young Global Leader (YGL). 

Carlo Ancelloti discusses Messi’s return to Barca squad.

Former Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelloti has countered insinuations emanating
from some circles that the duo of Neymar and Suarez will take the back seat
after Barcelona forward, Messi returns to the squad.
The Argentine made his long-awaited comeback last weekend after
suffering a knee injury in a Liga game against Las Palmas on September 26.  The duo have kept the throne clean in his
absence scoring 11 goals in 11 games.
Speaking to Goal ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash against Roma.
Ancelotti pointed out that: “Messi’s return is not good news for Roma. It’s
true that Suarez and Neymar are doing very well but clearly Barca with Messi
are something else. Messi brings goals, quality. He brings everything!
“He brings enthusiasm to his team-mates, who know that they have
by their side a player capable of unlocking any game at any moment.
“It’s obviously better to play a Barca without him. Messi’s presence will
only relegate Neymar and Suarez to the background in terms of media coverage,
because on the field they do certainly not reside in the background.”

Ancelotti also mentioned that the on and off field bond between the trio played a major
role in last season’s victory for the Blaugrana. The trident ended their last
campaign with a combined total of 122 goals, making them the highest scoring
attacking threesome in Spanish football history.

Angel Di Maria's post hinting that Cristiano Ronaldo is moving to PSG deleted

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PSG’s Angel Di maria’s Facebook post hinting that he would reunite with former teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo in France has caused ripples online. The facebook user posted a picture of him and Ronaldo with the caption ” Soon my friend. Cristiano Ronaldo”. It was later taken down after it was discovered that the page albeit verified is fake.
The ex Manchester United player’s wife, Jorgelina Cardoso also made clarifications on the issue.

“Angel does NOT use Facebook, he does NOT use Twitter”. She wrote in her bio.

Celebrity photographer and singer, TY Bello spots new look.

Celebrity photographer and singer, TY Bello’s trademark Afro hair is gone (perhaps on break). She showed off her new look on her instagram page with a note on why she decided to take it off. Her full lush eyebrows have taken a permanent seat tho’. 
THE BARBERS SEAT:The first time I cut my hair was when I was nine. I had been giving my mum hell on sunday evenings when it was time to get it woven for school. She just decided to put an end to my nonsense and took me to Baba Barber in Obalende.
I remember being strapped to his squeaky old ,reclined metal and torn brown leatherchair … It must have taken four adults to hold me down .
I can never forget.. How can I ? Baba gave me the full treatment . He was determined to impress my mother . He not only shaved off all my hair .. He took off every strand that lined my face and replaced it with a sharp concave line from ear to ear with his manual rusty clippers .. I was devastated . I walked into class the next day greeted with what sounded like a silent but long eeeeeeew from every one.
The experience marred me.. I’ve seen baba in a few nightmares attempting to dispossess me of my Afro . So imagine my horror when my hair started dramatically falling out two months after my boys were born.
I was deluded by someone who told me I was lucky to be carrying boys as ‘boys don’t take you hair away ‘ they give you even more .. She was right.. Initially at least ..Never had better hair than when I was pregnant .. So slowly but surely Baba barber was beckoning another visit .. But I decided that this time around ..it was going to be on my own terms .. I was going to love my scalp back to a happy place and then cut hair myself when the time was right … Just to start over.
Today was that day ..a shoot didn’t happen so I had a lil time in my hands I chopped it all off.. ?Not with old rusty clippers but my own scissors ..It makes me look even more like my mum..
So will I be missing my big fro?Absolutely!!But then again ..I’m a Nigerian woman in 2015 and I watch YouTube ?I know a thousand ways to get that baby bouncing in air again ..In a heartbeat .. I’ll just have fun with this in the mean time.I think I did better than baba barber tho. #bigchop #freshstart photographed by @riasolanke at the studio.

Man wanted by EFCC for withdrawing N45m mistakenly credited into his account

Jerry Ogbonna Obike Phillip has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for withdrawing large sums of money wrongly credited into his account.

 “The public is hereby notified that Jerry Ogbonna Obike Phillip, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a case of stealing. Phillip allegedly withdrew the sum of N45, 000,000.00 (Forty Five million naira) which was mistakenly credited into his account in a new generation bank by the Central Bank of Nigeria before the money could be reversed to its rightful owner” A statement from EFCC reads.

Nigeria unveil final U-23 AFCON Squad

The final 21-man squad for the 2015 U-23 AFCON has been unveiled. Featured
in the Samson Siasia-led team include FSV Frankfurt’s Taiwo Awoniyi, Junior
Ajayi and a host of others. The championship kicks off on Saturday in Dakar,
Senegal, but Nigeria will kick off their campaign on Sunday November 29, against
Mali in Mbour, They will also face Egypt on December 2 and play their final
group B match against Algeria in Dakar on December 5. The top 3 teams will
qualify for next year Rio Olympics.

Full Squad:

Goalkeepers: Emmanuel Daniel (Enugu Rangers), Yusuf Mohammed (Kano
Pillars), Emmanuel Iwu (Heartland)

Defenders: Sincere Seth (Supreme Court FC), Seun Oduduwa (Nath Boys), Zaharadeen
Bello (Kano Pillars), Seun Olubayo (Sunshine Stars), Chizoba
Amaefule(Dolphins), Ebuka Iroha (Diamond Football Academy)

Midfielders: Ndifreke Effiong (Abia Warriors), Usman Mohammed (FC Taraba),Tiongoli
Tobara (Bayelsa United), Bature Yaro (Nasarawa United), Oghenekaro Etebo
(Warri Wolves), Azubuike Okechukwu (Yeni Matalatyaspor/Turkey), Godspower
Aniefiok (Kano Pillars), Stanley Dimgba (Warri Wolves)

Forward: Kufre Ebong (Warri Wolves),Junior Ajayi (CS Sfaxien/Tunisia), Taiwo
Awoniyi (FSV Frankfurt/Germany),Isaac Success (Granada CF/Spain) 

What sack? Rafa Benitez receives Florentino Perez's full backing.

Even Ancelotti didn’t enjoy such level of grace. In what has been described as a shocking move by football fans worldwide, under-fire Real Madrid coach, Rafa Benitez has received the full backing of the club’s President, Florentino Perez. The future of the ex Liverpool manager had been in doubt following the club’s humiliating defeat to rival, Barcelona on Saturday.
In a Press conference today, Perez told reporters that Benitez was chosen because of his wealth of experience and professionalism and should Working to achieve his objective.
 “We have had a board meeting and analysed the sporting situation at Real Madrid and Rafa has all our support and all our confidence.

“Rafa Benitez has all the ability and has only just started his job here. Let him keep working and he will achieve his objectives.

“The players did not lack attitude. The team played badly but we cannot question their attitude in such an important game.

“Rafael Benitez is the chosen one to bring success to this squad that since January has struggled and now more than ever he needs the support of all of our followers.

“We offer full support for our coach who will be capable of turning this situation around. The team has suffered a deterioration since January.

“I understand the unhappiness and the anger of the fanbase with what happened on Saturday, but I ask them that they support the team.

“I am talking about this moment we are in now, I cannot say what will happen in the future – nobody knows what could happen in six months,” said Perez.

“We are convinced that we have a great squad that will give much happiness to a fanbase that deserves everything.

“We chose Rafa with confidence he could turn it around.


“I did not back Ancelotti, I said that it was not true that if he lost he was out. This is different, the board supports Benitez completely and has complete confidence in him.”

Iyanya named Cross River State ambassador

.
Nigerian music artiste, Iyanya Onoyom Mbuk widely called Iyanya, has been appointed
ambassador of Cross River state. His appointment which was revealed yesterday
November 22 at the unveiling of the 2015 edition of the annual Calabar Carnival
comes with an official car and a monthly salary.

Enyimba FC get N30m for winning the Nigerian league

Enyimba confederation cup

Enyimba FC of Aba received the sum of 30 million naira for
winning the 2015 edition of the Nigeria Professional Football league. The money
is reportedly the highest amount ever paid to a Ni­geria league champion. A
dummy cheque of the prize money was presented to Chinedu Udoji by the Chairman of the League Management Company
Limited (LMC) at the Teslim
Balogun Stadium.

The People’s Elephant as fondly called recorded 70 points
from 38 matches. They won their 7th league title two weeks ago with
a victory against Warri Wolves will represent Nigeria in next year’s CAF
Champions League. 

Legal Implications Of Audu's Death | By Barrister Festus Keyamo

The reported death on Sunday, November 22nd, 2015, of the APC candidate in the Kogi State Governorship elections, Prince Abubakar Audu, is extremely shocking and sad. I would like to express my condolences to the entire family of Audu and to the people of Kogi State. However, the real question agitating the minds of everybody is the legal implication regarding the inconclusive Governorship elections at the time of his demise.

To state it correctly he was said to have died AFTER the announcement of the results by INEC and after INEC had declared the elections inconclusive. Admittedly, this is a strange and novel constitutional scenario. It has never happened in our constitutional history to the extent that when an election has been partially conducted (and not before or after the elections) a candidate dies. What then happens? This is a hybrid situation between what happened in the case of Atiku Abubakar/Boni Haruna in 1999 and the provision of section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2010.

In the case of Atiku Abubakar/Boni Haruna [which is now a clear constitutional provision of section 181(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)] the Supreme Court held, in effect, that “if a person duly elected as Governor dies before taking and subscribing the Oath of Allegiance and oath of office, or is unable for any reason whatsoever to be sworn in, the person elected with him as Deputy governor shall be sworn in as Governor and he shall nominate a new Deputy-Governor who shall be appointed by the Governor with the approval of a simple majority of the house of Assembly of the State”.

In the case of section 33 of the Electoral Act 2010 it provides, in effect, that if a person has been duly nominated as a candidate of his party and he dies before the election then the political party has the right to replace him with another candidate and not necessarily the Deputy Governorship candidate. Now, does the Kogi situation fit into section 181(1) of the Constitution as quoted above or section 33 of the Electoral Act mentioned above?

Photo published for Kogi gov poll: APC’s candidate, Abubakar Audu, dies – Daily Times Nigerian Newspaper
My simple position is that the Kogi situation fits more into section 181(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and as such James Abiodun Faleke automatically becomes the governorship candidate of the APC. This is because even though the election in inconclusive, votes have been counted and allocated to Parties and candidates. As a result the joint ticket of Audu/Faleke has acquired some votes already. James Abiodun Faleke is as much entitled to those votes already counted as much as the late Abubakar Audu. He has a right to cling to those votes going into the supplementary election. There is only one problem, though. Who nominates Faleke’s Deputy? Unlike section 181(1) of the 1999 Constitution, he cannot approach the House of Assembly of the State to approve a nomination by him of a Deputy. This is because, in reality, he is not duly elected yet.

Therefore it is only reasonable to conclude that it is APC (Faleke’s political party) that should submit the name of a fresh Deputy Governorship candidate to INEC for the supplementary election. This is the only position in this situation that accords with reason and good sense.

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