Buhari-The Time To Unburden Our Burdens Is Almost Here | By: Joe Onwukeme










One thing is certain, there will be a new government in Nigeria come May 29th, 2015. It is an inevitable and well deserved change. Everyone is already going Havard and Cambridge on the kind of magic GMB would perfom to rescue our hemorrhaging economy.

That was why when the in coming government said they can’t perform magic, they need time to put things in order, some attack dogs especially in the out going government began to express their concerns about the in coming administration, they are yet to break out from their self serving histrionics and have consciously and unconsciously written off the in coming government.

Stupidity is voting against change and when change eventually emerged winner you suddenly expect the change you voted against to fulfill promises you reiterated are not possible over night.
Reminding Nigerians that GMB promised if elected will make 1naira equal 1dollar is not only myopically funny but shamelessly hypocritical. Why make a mountain out of a molehill?
Our leaders understand that majority of nigerians are gullible, if not, commonsensical procedures would have dictated the quoted statement, check the context on which such is based, if it exists or not and evaluate for its plausibility before jumping to conclusions.
If only you know what a reduction in the executives’ and legislatures’ salaries can do for Nigeria, what the money used to induce our obas and our religious leaders before the general elections can do and what money stolen from our government’s coffers in the name of “SUBSIDY” scam can do.
If only you realize how much can be saved, if we decide to plug just 80% of all “leakages and looted funds” in our economy, you will now understand in practical and not theoritical terms that a stabilized economy is possible.
Majority Nigerians are willing and ready to sacrifice to see that the incoming government succeeds in rescuing Nigeria from it’s decrepit state but some unrepentant critics have started off on the wrong foot, they have been criticizing every actions of GMB. To them there’s no difference between the GMB of 1983 to that of 2015. As we await the inauguration ceremony come May 29th, many are already sharpening their criticism tools. They would want to dare the incoming president to know if he is truly a repentant democrat or an unrepentant dictator clothed in democratic linings. That’s a wrong way to play opposition politics and with such an attitude, armchair critics, hired critics and pull him down critics will take the place of fair, balanced and constructive criticism.
The time to unburden our burdens is almost here, but it won’t come without a price, toes will be stepped on. When the prosecution of corrupt officials whose perfidious acts impoverished our nation will commence, let no man say GMB is being vindictive as speculated.
As GMB is about inheriting an empty treasury, if he settles for an alternative source to his would be predecessor’s foot steps in borrowing money to pay civil servants’ salaries and it results in delays in payments of workers’ salaries for about 2 to 3 months, let not the rabble-rousers open up their lose canon mouths in protest.
Let me drop this quote that has been credited to many authors to our unrepentant critics; “it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than open one’s mouth and remove all doubt”.
Nigerian electorates have reached the destination where the right to choose who governs them remains the exclusive preserve of the people regardless of the millions of dollars shared or how many endorsements one gets prior to election. Hence the reason why “we” collectively chose a tested and trusted candidate that will certainly unburden our burdens by initiating radical changes, policies, institutions and structures on assumption of office.
As we await our burdens to be unburdened, Nigeria could be likened to a faulty car that the owner had to sell off unwillingly because of the car’s constant break down and GMB is the new buyer, he must drive the car to decode it’s faults before bringing it for repairs. That’s the situation we are about entering right now, GMB will become president first before he would be able to know how depleted our economy is. As we await the inevitable change come May 29th, 2015, I will advise Nigerians not to be in a hurry in criticizing GMB, he needs time to test run his newly acquired “tokunbo car” called Nigeria before fixing it’s faults.


Credit: 247nigerianewsupdate

Sergio Aguero wins Golden Boot Award

Manchester City striker, Sergio Aguero has been named winner of the 2015 Barclays Golden Boot Award. The Argentine beat who netted a total of 26 goals this season beat the‎ likes of Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Chelsea’s Diego Costa who have 21 and 20 goals respectively to claim the prize.

Photos: Stephanie Okereke-Linus' TV show, 'Make Me Fabulous' premieres

Actress and producer, Stephanie Linus’ premiered her Reality TV show, Make Me Fabulous on DSTV Africa Magic few days back and it was a blast! In the first episode, a married couple – Ifeoma and Tunde Asolo, had the transformation of their lives with a chance to bond and resolve their marital challenges like never before.
For a chance to be on this show, couples had to talk about their challenges on Stephanie’s blog www.stephaniedaily.com. This was Ifeoma’s challenge as she narrated it: 

“I got married march last year. Had miscarriage in June and Nov last year! Stop my job, hubby is complaining that am getting fatter and also that I worry much about getting pregnant soon without caring about him! It’s really affecting my marriage!! I think I need this to take away some stress off us!”
Stephanie felt so touched by her story that her team contacted Ifeoma and her husband, Tunde for a fabulous treat. The couple was picked up from their home in style with a Porsche car, lodged at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel, taken for shopping separately at the Mango store and TM Lewin, and had a joint spa session at BNatural Spa. Ifeoma herself got a style and makeover transformation from stylist Bubu and celebrity Make Up Artist Bimpe Onakoya  that made her look so stunning, her husband Tunde could hardly recognise her. They also got gifts from LG, Swatch and Mango.
Some days after her fabulous experience, Ifeoma had this to say: “Make me Fabulous help improved my marriage in such a way that my hubby hardly complains anytime I have a mood swing, rather he will say ‘do youu need fabulous treat! And believe me, if I say yes, the rest of the day will be wow! It made us to realise that two of us are the most important persons in this marriage. Any other thing is an added blessing and he’s never stopped giving me fabulous treats!”

Carlo Ancelotti thanks Madrid and players after sack

‎After two seasons at the Bernabeu Santiago, Carlo Ancelotti has been relieved of his job as Real Madrid manager. The reason for his sack isn’t far-fetched. The club has had a disappointing season, losing out on all competitions.
The announcement was made by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez today:

“I want to tell you that we have decided to relieve Carlo Ancelotti of his duties as Real Madrid coach. It’s been a very difficult decision for the board but as I always say, we haven’t come here to take the easy decisions but the best decisions for the institution.

“Carlo Ancelotti in these two years, has won the affection of the board and my personal affection and that of the fans. Carlo is part of our history. But as we all know, in Madrid the demands are great. We think it’s time for a new impulse which can allow us to win new titles and achieve our maximal level of competitiveness.
“With our great team, talent and hard work we can give satisfaction and success to our fans. I want to thank Carlo for his hard work in the last two years and tell him this is still is house and home. Next week we will know the name of the new coach of Real Madrid.”‎

The Italian however took to his official twitter page to appreciate the club, fans and players for their support all through the years.
‎”I’d like to keep in mind this two fantastic years at Real Madrid. Thanks to the club, the supporters and my players. #HalaMadridYNadaMas
He becomes the 9th Manager to be sacked by the club in 12 years. He won 4 trophies during his spell at the club; Champions League,‎
Super Cup, ‎FIFA Club World Cup and ‎Copa del Rey‎

Ifeanyi Uba Please Keep Your Fuel | By: Joseph Edgar

Look, me and some very reasonable people are not being carried away by this Andy UBA’s hemlock. His decision to release 13 million liters of fuel is nothing but crass betrayal and a childish attempt at populism in the face of imminent disgrace by the incoming government.
We are tired of this kind of symbolism, this is what has put us in this place of global mockery and national helplessness. How many filling stations does Uba have, what is the national fuel usage, he releases 15 days worth of fuel to the Nation and after that what next, we are still faced with the same issues that led to the strike in the first place.
Has he resolved his wahala with AMCON? Has he cleared himself of the fuel subsidy mess? Has he paid back Coscharis and other investors he has been owing. Abeg he is part of this problem and should go sit down with the union to engage government in a bid to finding lasting solution to the issue of subsidy and fuel supply in the country.
What Uba is doing can lead to the inevitable destruction of the country. If unions decide to go on strike to bring to the fore the underlying and covered up issues of corruption, back handling, favoritism that has bedeviled not only the subsidy regiment but the whole gamut of the demystification of the petroleum industry and one person decides to break ranks and moves fuel, he should be arrested because he knows that by the time the country is on complete lockdown all the underground schemes would come up in the open.
To me, Uba’s move is aimed at scuttling the cleansing process this strike would have thrown up. He wants us to continue to be held to ransom by his ilk hence his decision to break rank so that the strike will collapse. This we must fight. We must reject his poisonous fuel. Let the strike continue. Let companies shut down, let there be no light, let there be no fuel, let schools, hospitals, radio stations all shut down. We are ready for the sacrifice, we will not die if the aim is to clean up the system and throw people like UBA who have held us in contempt by their nefarious activities in the downstream sector into the dustbin.
The incoming Government should immediately engage the unions and assure them of their genuine desire to look critically into all the issues with a view to bringing lasting solutions to this matter. The outgoing Government have given themselves the last disgrace with this show of shame. They have prefabricated and run into their holes, we no longer are interested in them. Let the probes start, let Uba come out and tell us how he got his 13 million liters.
We are tired. We are tired. I don’t want his fuel. He should go and dump them in the Lagoon.
  

Oil marketers reportedly agree to call off strike.

According to a report sent in few minutes ago, Oil marketers in Nigeria have reportedly agreed to call-off their strike with immediate effect. They have also agreed to commence the immediate lifting of petroleum products across Nigeria in the next six hours.

This was contained in an agreement brokered by the Nigerian Senate after a meeting between the oil marketers and the Federal Government.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Downstream, Senator Magnus Abe announced this at the end of the meeting at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Monday. 
The agreement also states that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) should immediately revoke the license of any oil marketer that refuses to lift petroleum products across Nigeria. With this development, PENGASSAN, NUPENG, MOMAN, IPMAN and all other officials also addressed the press where they affirmed the resolutions and agreement.
The Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was present at the hearing and endorsed the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government. 

Teenage sprinter becomes the fastest British woman in history.

A 19 year-old teenage sprinter, Dina Asher-Smith yesterday became the fastest British woman in history after setting a British 100m record of 11.02 seconds at the World Challenge Meeting in the Netherlands.
The Londoner disclosed that she was initially disappointed in herself because she thought her efforts were poor.‎

I wasn’t completely happy with it because my start was only alright and at the end I felt like I tightened up and lost my form. ‎So at first I was a bit annoyed. I looked at Dafne’s time and I thought it was amazing but I didn’t think I was anywhere near her so I’d wasted the opportunity.

“But then my time flashed up and I was absolutely over the moon. I really wasn’t expecting to run that time with the kind of race that I ran. So I was really, really happy. I’ve got a few things to work on so I think that points to me being able to replicate and do a bit better later in the season.”She said.

Juan Mata pays tribute to Gerrard, Drogba , Lampard,others in new blog post

Manchester United player and blogger, Juan Mata has paid tribute to Premier League legends, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, some of whom bade farewell to their clubs after their gamed. He titled his blog post, ‘It’s over now… but we’ll be back stronger!’. Read below.

Hi everyone,

This is my last blog’s entry of the season and I say goodbye until the next one. I hope you have enjoyed this weekly encounter as much as I have. You know, in the good times… and in the bad ones too. 

This is the end of a season with mixed feelings. In some stages we played very good football, being very competitive especially against our main rivals, and we enjoyed some important wins; on the other hand, there were periods when we were not consistent enough to fight for the title, or suffered some painful defeats. 

In general terms, we reached the main goal of the club this season: to have the chance to play the Champions League (we still have to earn it in the play-off round), but this team has to fight for trophies, and we will put all our efforts to that after summer. That’s what you deserve.

We finished the season with a draw at Hull that also meant the local team was relegated. It’s not nice to experience something like that on-site, unfortunately this is not the first time I see it. As I said, we approached this game in the most professional way, trying to win. At the end, our draw, plus Newcastle’s victory, leave Hull in the relegation zone. 

My support to their fans, we hope to see you back in the Premier League soon. By the way, Jonás goal for Newcastle tells a lot about life and the way to overcome the real problems.

In our game, my friend Víctor Valdés appeared in United’s starting XI for the first time. It was a great experience for him and also a reward to his good job at the training ground every week. On top of that, he completed a great game with a few big saves.

From a personal point of view, according to the stats I have played 2,420 minutes, scoring 10 goals and giving 4 assists. They are good numbers but, as always, I’ll try to get better year after year ;-). I hope to keep contributing goals and assists to achieve big things with the team.

Being the last week of the Premier League, we have seen a few farewells and some of them very significant. Like Steven Gerrard’s, for instance. I mentioned him a week ago for his relevance and contribution to the history of football. 

The same thing can be said, of course, about Frank Lampard, one of the best team-mates I have ever had and someone I have learnt a lot from. A true legend in both English and world football. I wish him all the best in his new stage in the United States and I thank him for his treatment to me at all times. And I don’t forget another great player and former team-mate, Didier Drogba, one of the best strikers the Premier League has ever seen and a phenomenal guy in every sense. 

With so many legends leaving, a good part of football’s history in England is leaving too.

Since we played on Sunday, I had time on Saturday to watch the games in la Liga, where the last minutes were absolutely thrilling. All of us who have played there followed the end of the championship with a lot of interest. 

At the Camp Nou, Xavi, a fantastic player, said goodbye to la Liga in Spain. He still has to play the Cup final at the same stadium against Athletic, and that will be Iraola’s farewell too. The last game brought joy to Valencia and Granada. 

I’m happy especially for my friends from Valencia –you guys deserve to be in the Champions League always– and for Paco Alcácer in particular, a gem of their football academy, a great striker and a great guy. 

On the other hand, I feel sorry for Eibar’s relegation, a modest club but also an exemplary one. I hope they can enjoy good times soon.

And, of course, I hope Real Oviedo can certify their promotion to the Second Division against Cádiz the next weekend, after a draw in the first leg. 

The atmosphere in the Carlos Tartiere was simply amazing. The stadium was absolutely full of fans committed to make the dream come true. I hope we can make it this year.

I’m starting to say goodbye… Now it’s time to switch off, to rest and get our strength back with a view to the exciting next season. I’ll see you soon in the tour of the United States. We had a fantastic experience there last summer and we hope to repeat in a few months.

 Thank you very much for your support in each and every game, you make this sport big and make us feel very proud. We are looking forward to achieve big things all together. Have a great summer!

Hugs!

Juan

Real Madrid boss, Ancelotti knows fate today

Real Madrid boss, Carlo Ancelotti’s chances of managing the club next season are 50-50. Although the Italian hasn’t confirmed his departure but he’s decided to take a year out to focus on his health.
His second spell at the Spanish club has been quite disappointing and there are reports that would be replaced by Adriano Galliani or Raphael Benitez.
The former Chelsea handler who knows fate today disclosed that if he is shown the exit door at the Bernabeu, he won’t be taking any managerial role from any club for now.
“I said it in the press conference and I repeat: I will stop for a year. Also because I have a very serious reason for stopping. I have to have an operation because of my cervical stenosis. For some time, it has been affecting my hands and if I lose any more time, it could pass into legs, so I have an appointment for surgery. And, frankly, I do not know how long I have to be physically stopped, in terms of the post-operative phase and the subsequent rehabilitation.

He continued,”It will be a pleasure to host Galliani for dinner, but I cannot change my programme. I will have the operation in Vancouver, Canada, where I have already got a house with my wife. I will rest, between Madrid and Canada. Because the two years at Real have been very tough, believe me.

“Nobody can imagine how much training Real takes out of you, in terms of physical and nervous energy. Then, I will return home for another event: in a month, my grandson will be born. That’s something that I cannot and do not want to miss.” He stated.

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