Nigerian singer Zara dies at 28!

Nigerian-American artiste who has been battling Multiple Sclerosis for a while now, Zara Gretti is dead.

The 28 year old singer reportedly battled with Multiple Sclerosis ( an inflammatory disease in which the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged) for over a year now.

one of her last tweets read: 

Singer Zara Gretti, real name Margaret Mary Oluwatoyin Ejiro Joseph passed on Friday morning.

She left Nigeria for the United States in 2013, where she has been receiving treatment for her ailment.

She was famous for her hit track “Abokoku’.

RIP Gurl....

Beyoncé Breaks Down in Tears During Final Mrs. Carter Show Concert!

 Beyoncé has performed more than 100 concerts she first took the stage on Apr. 15, 2013 in Belgrade, Serbia. 

The "Drunk in Love" singer finished her long-running Mrs. Carter Show World Tour Thursday. 

In addition to signing throughout Europe, the Bey took her act to North America, South America, Australia and Asia. Her final show took place at the MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal, March 27.

Understandably, Beyoncé got emotional during her final show. "I want a [spotlight]. I want them to see me," she said. 

"If you all don't know, tonight makes 132 shows. Tonight is the last show of the Mrs. Carter Show. We started a year ago and I want to say this has been such a journey. In the past year, we've been through so much together. The Super Bowl, shooting the videos, all of these shows. When I first started the tour, my baby was not even walking yet. I just want you to know that I am so lucky."

Sleeping delegate at the National Conference, Hamma Misau is dead!

Information reaching our desk confirmed that retired Police AIG Hamma Misau, one of the delegates at the ongoing National Conference, whose sleeping pictures at the conference made waves on social media is dead.



It was gathered that he died last night at the National Hospital Abuja of an undisclosed illness, at the age of 67. 

He will be buried Friday 28th, of March. 

May his soul rest in peace, amen.

In the spirit of the National Conference!

The long awaited National Conference is finally here, and well meaning Nigerians pray and hope that only the best comes out of it. 





In the meantime, it seems the issues discussed are either too boring or tiring...



...as some members took time off  to sleep away their boredom and tiredness.....








Peharps when they wake up, they will tell the Congress what the spirits said.....




As expected, some equally seize the opportunity to express grievances......you know, a little scuffle...



..all in the spirit of the 'National Conference'.

Obama's 52-minute meeting with Pope Francis!

U.S President Obama met Pope Francis at the Vatican for nearly an hour Thursday amid a complex backdrop of conflict over contraception, concern for the plight of the poor, and the pontiff's emergence as a powerful persona on the world stage. 

According to reports, Obama arrived amid the pomp and tradition of the Catholic Church, making his way to greet the pope after a long, slow procession. 

"Wonderful meeting you, I'm a great admirer," the president said to Pope Francis when the two met in the Small Throne Room of the papal residence. "Thank you sir, thank you."

The pontiff and the president shook hands before sitting down with their translators at a wooden table in the Papal Library for their meeting.

"I bring greetings from my family," the president said. "The last time I came here to meet your predecessor I was able to bring my wife and children."

 Although the two were scheduled to meet for half an hour, their private discussion reportedly lasted only 52 minutes. Obama seem buoyed by the meeting as they emerged and the pope greeted a handful of Obama's senior advisers. Catholic Secretary of State John Kerry pronounced himself "a great admirer of everything you've been doing, as a Catholic, for the church."

Obama then presented the pope with a seed chest with fruit and vegetable seeds used in the White House Garden, in honor of the pope's announcement earlier this year that he's opening the gardens of the papal summer residence to the public. The chest was custom-made of leather and reclaimed wood from Baltimore's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the oldest Catholic cathedrals in the U.S, and inscribed with the date of their meeting.

Obama is the ninth president to make an official visit to the Vatican. His audience marked a change of pace for the president, who has devoted the past three days of a weeklong, four-country trip to securing European unity against Russia's aggressive posture toward Ukraine.

Source: Fox news

Diezani’s jet scandal: Reps panel under pressure, uncovers third aircraft!

There were indications on Wednesday  that members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts had come under intense pressure to tread softly on their ongoing investigation into  the   alleged  financial excesses of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

It was   also learnt in Abuja that Alison-Madueke   chartered a third jet for her use, besides the two already in the records of the committee.

The Solomon Olamilekan-led committee is  investigating the expenditure of  N10bn on a Challenger 850 chartered and maintained for  the minister’s use.

The PUNCH had reported exclusively on Wednesday that the committee was holding preliminary meetings on the investigation when it stumbled on fresh information that Alison-Madueke also chartered a second jet for her trips.

A source disclosed that a return trip on the Global Express XRS to London for example, gulped €600,000 or N137m.

However,  a lawmaker told our correspondent that  since the House passed the resolution last week to   probe the allegations against the minister, “forces within Nigeria, especially outside the National Assembly,”  had been calling some  of the committee members relentlessly.

He said, “At a point on Tuesday, the pressure became unbearable. I think people are beginning to think that the House is embarking on a witch-hunt. But that is not the idea.

“We are doing our constitutional duty to expose corruption wherever it exists.

“If at the end of the day, the investigation proves that it was justifiable for a minister to spend billions of naira to charter aircraft, so be it.”

Efforts to get key  members of the committee to  comment  on the alleged pressure  hit a brick wall.

Olamilekan  neither answered our correspondent’s calls nor replied text messages on Wednesday.

 When contacted, the spokesman for the House, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, said   it would be inappropriate for the House to speak on a matter it had referred to its committee for investigation.

 “The matter is before the committee”, he said.

Findings by on Wednesday showed that the committee was gathering information on the existence of a third jet chartered by the minister for the same purposes as the first two.

A source close to the   Public Accounts  committee, who confided in  our correspondent, said,  “From available information, “there  are three aircraft the minister charters for her trips within and outside the country. “What they were doing was  to alternate the planes,”

The source, who did not want his name in print,   was however quick to add that the committee’s assignment was only to investigate and not to indict anybody.

“Well, the assignment before the committee is an investigation. Nobody has been accused of any wrongdoing for now, but we have to establish all these allegations,” he said.

It was gathered that as of 4pm on Wednesday that the committee was yet to decide on the date it would summon Alison-Madueke.

 A meeting of the committee, which reportedly started around 1pm, had still in progress as of  4pm.

Top on the agenda were said to be the allegations against the minister.

 Another  source  said, “The members are meeting to discuss the methodology to adopt in the investigation.

“An aviation consultant is assisting with additional information.

“Essentially, the investigation is to establish whether the minister did spend these huge funds on the jets.

“Who approved the funds? Was the money appropriated by the National Assembly?

“What aspect of our laws allows a minister to fly in chartered aircraft overseas for her private or official trips.

“These are the issues and all agencies or officials involved will be invited to state their side of the case.”

Source: PUNCH

FG seeks Abacha $550m loot from US!

The Federal Government on Wednesday said it supported the United States’ seizure of   $550m corruption proceeds of a former Head of State, the late Gen. Sani Abacha and his associates.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, SAN, who stated this in a statement in Abuja said that the Federal Government would ensure the repatriation of the money to Nigeria.

He stated, “As the central authority for the Federal Republic of Nigeria, my office has received requests for Mutual Legal Assistance for the Central Authority of the United States and we are cooperating with the United States in line with the obligations we assumed under the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.

“The overall objective of these efforts is to ensure that Nigeria as the victim state is able to have the forfeited assets (money) repatriated to Nigeria to fund development projects for the benefit of the people in accordance with the dictates of Chapter IV of the United Nations Convention against corruption. Let me assure you that Nigeria as State Party to UNCAC will do all that is required to realise this objective.”

The US government had,  a few days ago,  formally wrote the Federal Government for assistance to serve forfeiture notice on Abacha’s son, Mohammed; and an associate of the late dictator, Atiku Bagudu.

The defendants were given up till March 25, 2014 to file an application before the US District Court for Columbia to either set aside the forfeiture order or vary it

Among others, the defendants forfeited over $550m and £95,910m in 10 accounts and six investment portfolios linked to the Abachas in France, the Britain, British Virgin Island and the United States,  under the US Kleptomaniac Asset Recovery

Adoke, in the statement,  said, “The Federal Government of Nigeria welcomes the forfeiture proceedings initiated by the United States Department of Justice against the property related to the corrupt conduct of late General Sani Abacha, the former head of state of Nigeria, and His Associates and the subsequent laundering of corruption proceeds.

“The proceedings will make it possible for the defendants to forfeit over $550million and £95,910 in 10 accounts and six investment portfolios linked to the Abachas in France, the Britain, British Virgin Islands and the United States.”

The minister said that the Federal Government applauded the American government’s move    to recover the proceeds of corruption for the benefit of the people of Nigeria.

The US government had on March 5, 2014 ordered a freeze of assets stolen by the former dictator and his accomplices.

According to a civil forfeiture complaint unsealed in the US District Court in Washington, the department wants to recover more than $550m in connection with the action.

“This is the largest civil forfeiture action to recover the proceeds of foreign official corruption ever brought by the department,” said Mythili Raman, acting assistant attorney general

The US Justice Department had said the frozen assets, along with additional assets named in the complaint, represented the “proceeds of corruption” during and after the military regime of Abacha, who became Head of State through a military coup on November 17, 1993 and held that office until his death on June 8, 1998.

The complaint had alleged that Abacha; his associate,  Bagudu, and others “embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions from the government of Nigeria and others, then laundered their criminal proceeds through the purchase of bonds backed by the United States using US financial institutions.”

Source: Punch