Former Oceanic Bank MD Cecilia Ibru lost her son Rode Ibru recently. Rode, a filmmaker, died in June and was buried two days ago.
His brother Obaro Ibru & friends announced his passing on social media, eulogizing the man they called an amazing individual but they didn't say how he died. His father is billionaire businessman Olorogun Michael Ibru.
He's survived by his parents and siblings. May his soul rest in peace, amen.
Rode was Obaro Ibru's younger brother
According to a report by Sahara Reporters, the newly appointed DG of the Department of State Security, DSS, Lawal Musa Daura, has demoted Marilyn Ogar, the agency’s former spokesperson, via a memo.
Apart from demoting Ms. Ogar, the acting DSS director general also directed the demotion of numerous other officers of the agency who were just promoted in March in what was seen as a politically motivated exercise.
Ms. Ogar was seen as a controversial official of the DSS who often made statements that were deemed partisan. Her promotion was viewed as a reward for doing dirty political jobs for former President Goodluck Jonathan and members of the PDP.
Promotions of officers in the DSS are usually done at the end of each year, but Ms. Ogar and 44 others were promoted last March. Even so, their promotion was not made public until May.
SaharaReporters learned that Ms. Ogar is currently on vacation, and is reportedly visiting her children resident in the US. In addition to her premature promotion, Ms. Ogar was was also offered a generous scholarship to do a PhD in the UK, according to one source at the agency.
Mr. Daura also fired Abdulrahman Mani, the chief security officer to President Muhammadu Buhari and immediately replaced him with Bashir Abubakar, an assistant director in the Bayelsa State command of the DSS.
Mr. Mani was then posted to Ebonyi State.
Credit: SaharaReporters
Nollywood actress and video vixen Dior Chidera Adiele showed off her baby bump by posing completely nude in a new photo shoot. See photos after the cut...
A statement by the President's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said that President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday promised that his administration will make sure that all cases of political assassination and kidnapping in the country are thoroughly investigated.
This promise was made while addressing state chairmen of the All Progressives Congress who visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Adesina said, “I can confirm to you that the President did say during the closed-door meeting he had with the APC state chairmen that his administration will ensure that all cases of political assassination, intimidation and kidnapping in the country are thoroughly investigated to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. The President said the cases will be investigated irrespective of the perpetrators’ political affiliations.”
Buhari allegedly told the APC chiefs that he remained committed to providing a level playing field for all Nigerians to get on with their daily lives or participate in electing their leaders, without fear of intimidation.
He also promised that his administration would continuously strengthen Nigeria’s criminal justice system to curb the reign of injustice and impunity in the country.
According to the statement, the President said, “At every point, the law must be supreme and everyone must respect the law, if our democratic system is to survive. Injustice cannot survive for long. Justice will ultimately prevail. We will make sure that those saddled with the responsibility of ensuring justice and equity do not rest on their oars. The only way we can sustain our democracy is to ensure that the law remains supreme at all times. If the law is upheld, people will have confidence that they can vote for who they want to vote for, without intimidation or threats.
“The police and the judiciary must ensure that justice is done in the country. We won’t allow impunity to continue in certain states, where the rights of the people are being violated. I have a personal commitment to fair play and respect of personal rights. This government will do all that is possible to enforce that.”
While recalling his address to the National Executive Council of the APC on Friday, Buhari said now that the APC is the party in government, it must lead by example and consolidate on the gains of a democratic system.
The President urged political leaders in the country to keep to prescribed legal processes for the resolution of political disputes and not resort to violence and other forms of unacceptable behaviour in seeking redress for any perceived injustice.
He also called on them to work with the party’s elected officials to ensure that APC delivers on its promise of better living conditions for all Nigerians.
The leader of the delegation and chairman of the APC in Kano State, Umar Dogowa, reaffirmed their support for Buhari’s administration, assuring him that they would uphold the values of the party, promote peace and unity in the country.
The president made this declaration because some of the chairmen in states controlled by other parties complained to Buhari of political intimidation and harassment in their states.
Dogowa later told State House correspondents that the APC chairmen were in the Presidential Villa to congratulate the President on his election.
He said Buhari promised them that he would continue to be a true party man and that he would not rest on his oars until Nigeria is back on track.
Credit: Punch
On Saturday, President Muhammadu Buhari fired his Chief Security Officer, Abdulrahman Mani, and requested the State Security Service to redeploy him out of the presidential villa, sources in the presidential villa and the State Security Service reported.
It was learnt that Mr. Mani has since been replaced by Bashir Abubakar, who, until his appointment was an assistant director in the Bayelsa state command of the SSS but the presidency has yet to officially announce the development.
It was learnt that Mr. Mani has since been redeployed to the Ebonyi state command of the SSS.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, directed all enquiries on the matter to the State Security Service.
“I don’t speak on security matters, so you may have to ask the SSS,” Mr. Adesina.
Close sources said that the president ordered Mr. Mani removed following repeated complaints that he was blocking people with genuine appointments from having access to the President.
“He was becoming excessively overzealous and overbearing,” one source said.
Mr. Mani first angered Mr. Buhari when he engaged the president’s aide-de-camp, Mohammed Abubakar, in what appeared to be a power struggle.
Mr. Abubakar, a Lieutenant Colonel, had issued a memo ordering personnel of the State Security Service out of inner Aso Rock and restricting them to guarding the “outer perimeter” of the presidential villa, saying personnel of the Armed Forces and the police, trained as Presidential Body Guards (PBGs), are to “provide close/immediate protection for Mr. President henceforth”.
Mr. Abubakar said SSS operatives should steer clear of areas such as “Admin Reception, Service Chiefs Gate, Residence Reception, Rear Resident, Resident Gate, Office Reception, C-In-C Control Office, ACADE Gate, C-IN-C Control Gate and Panama”.
“However, the personnel of the DSS in conjunction with other security forces are to man other duty beats/locations located within the immediate outer perimeter of the Presidential Villa,” he said, without providing reasons for the action.
But in a June 26 response to Mr. Abubakar, Mr. Mani, rejected the directive and gave a counter order asking his colleagues to disregard the spirit, intent and content of Mr. Abubakar’s circular.
Mr. Mani, who pointedly accused the ADC of grandstanding, overzealousness, limited knowledge and outright display of ignorance, insisted that Mr. Abubakar’s circular “grossly misrepresents” President Buhari’s directive.
He however did not say what the President’s exact directive is.
Mr. Mani, a personnel of the SSS, continued, “Though further actions have been initiated in this regard, including routine redeployment of close body guards out of the villa, and deployment of new ones, it is important to state that the duties hitherto performed by the personnel of the DSS (SSS) in the Presidential Villa and/or any other Key Vulnerable Points (KVPs) are backed by relevant Statutes and Gazetted Instruments of the Federal Republic of Nigeria".
“Among others, these roles include close body protection of the President in line with standard operational procedures and international best practices.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Section 2 (1) (ii) of Instrument No. SSS 1 of 23rd May, 1999, made pursuant to Section 6 of the National Security Agencies (NSA) decree of 1986 which has been re-enacted as Section 6 of NSA Act CAP N74 LFN 2004, empowers personnel of the DSS to provide protective security for designated principal government functionaries including, but not limited to the President and Vice President as well as members of their immediate families.
“It also mandates the DSS to provide protective security for sensitive installations such as the Presidential Villa and visiting foreign dignitaries. For this reason, personnel of the DSS who are on this schedule are carefully selected and properly trained both locally and abroad. Furthermore, continued background checks are maintained on them to confirm suitability and loyalty.
“In fact, the issues raised in the aforementioned circular tend to suggest that the author may have ventured into a not-too-familiar terrain. The extant practice, the world over, is that VIP protection, which is a specialised field, is usually handled by the Secret Service, under whatever nomenclature. They usually constitute the inner core security ring around every principal. The police and the military by training and mandate, are often required to provide secondary and tertiary cordons around venues and routes.
“However, all over other security agencies including the army, the police and others have their roles to play. It is on this note that heads of all security agencies currently in the Presidential Villa and their subordinates are enjoined to key into the existing command and control structure. They are to work in harmony with each other in full and strict compliance with the demands of their statutory prescribed responsibilities.
“Meanwhile, joint training programmes and other incentives will be worked out in the days ahead to ensure that all security at the Presidential Villa are properly educated to understand their statutory roles and responsibilities. This is with a view to avoiding obvious grandstanding, overzealousness, limited knowledge or outright display of ignorance in future.”
Credit: PREMIUM TIMES
Former football player, Rashidi Yekini was remembered in Portugal. May his soul rest in peace...Amen.
Credit: LIB
Twin sisters Katie Bowden and Amy Meredith-Davies have done everything together their whole lives but never imagined that they would give birth same day, just hours before their 30th birthday.
"We’ve done everything in our lives at similar times,” said Amy, a health, social care and wellbeing facilitator who lives in Neath. "Our family are used to it. We got married within a year of each other too. Katie got married in June 2012 and I was married in August 2013.I just can’t get over the fact that we fell pregnant at the same time."
The twins welcomed their children on June 10th.
"It was bizarre because I was in labour and had a message from my mother saying Amy was being induced,” said Katie. “But still I thought that would be the next day.
It was really funny because when my mum came to visit she would tell the midwife that she now had to leave to see my twin who was also having a baby. Everyone thought it was amazing.”
Credit: UK Mirror
Sunday Vanguard was reliably informed by Presidency sources, yesterday, that part of the reasons for the seeming prolonged process of resolving the crisis in the All Progressives Congress, APC, may be the slightly differing positions of President Muhammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, regarded as a leader and financier of the party.
Specifically, the sources disclosed that the Friday NEC meeting of the party “brought to the open the seeming centrifugal positions of Mr. President and Asiwaju.”
One of the sources added: “At the meeting between the governors and the warring parties that followed the APC NEC parley, Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, was mandated to chair a committee of three that would come up with possible resolutions to the crisis.
BUHARI’S POSITION
“It was an open discussion at the NEC meeting that whereas Mr. President has consistently expressed his dissatisfaction at the truncation of the party’s procedure for the emergence of the leaders of the National Assembly, the position he has since taken has been one of reconciliation and not outright antagonism to the leadership of the National Assembly.”
Sunday Vanguard was told that Tinubu’s position, which had been misconstrued in many quarters as antagonistic, was merely a reflection of the need to enforce party supremacy at all times.
One of the arrowheads of the Tinubu group told Sunday Vanguard: “Asiwaju is not being rigid. He just believes it is not proper to kick off a government on a note of disobedience to party position by members of the National Assembly. It sends a wrong signal”.
WHAT TINUBU WANTED
Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and President Muhammadu Buhari at the APC NEC Meeting.
Investigations into how the Friday meeting of the APC NEC went the way it did suggest that whereas Tinubu gave some conditions, those opposed to him ensured that his position did not hold.
For instance, it was gathered that one of the conditions put forward by the former governor of Lagos State was that both Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara “should not be invited to the meeting”.
A top APC member privy to the happenings in the ruling party told Sunday Vanguard: “”The second condition he put forward was that in the event that the two leaders of the National Assembly were invited, they should be made to commit to an apology letter to the party.”
That way, it was learnt, it would be on record that both men went against the grain of their political party.
“Unfortunately”, the top party leader said, “none of these could be achieved.
“And you should understand. This is a time when members of the party should engage a cohesive mode rather than one that would alienate more members. It is bad enough that we already have a crisis on our hands. To further entrench positions would not be in the interest of the party.”
BUHARI LOYALISTS TAG WITH ATIKU
Sunday Vanguard was to further learn that already, “there is a groundswell of coalition between some party faithful loyal to President Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar”.
The source went on: “Mind you”, it is not for the love of Atiku. But it is gradually becoming imperative that whoever within the party that would attempt to ring-fence the President with people that would become malleable should be checked”.
Indeed, it was discovered that when APC’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, held talks with the President, last week, the fears of the former were assuaged by the latter on the insinuation that he (Oyegun) could lose his position following his acceptance of the emergence of Saraki and Dogara as Senate President and House Speaker.
“In fact, Mr. President told our party Chairman not to lose sleep; that the rumours about his possible removal from office can never happen”.
Sunday Vanguard was told that that was why the party reposed a vote of confidence in its Chairman at the Friday NEC meeting.
ISSUE OF PARTY SUPREMACY
However, one very thorny issue within the embattled APC remains the definition of the leadership as occasioned by the new mantra of supremacy.
Privately, some of the leaders of the party, who are obviously not on the same page with Tinubu, like Saraki; former Governors Danjuma Goje,Sani Yerima, Kabiru Gaya; and former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh; as well as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, are said not to be comfortable with the connotation that presently exists on the term, PARTY SUPREMACY.
Sunday Vanguard was told by a Tinubu loyalist – and correctly so – that the issue of party supremacy, as espoused by the former Lagos governor and Buhari, is good for the growth of the APC.
Verily, in the event that the APC takes a “position, that position should be binding on all”, the Tinubu loyalist insisted.
However, other leaders of the APC are insisting on the need for the party hierarchy to define the concept of party supremacy.
At the Friday APC NEC meeting, the issue could not be discussed because of what a source described as “some sensibilities that were not to be ruffled”.
The growing consensus among party leaders across the three divides – Buhari, Tinubu and Atiku – is the need for the party to quickly determine “who and what constitute party supremacy which would be codified”.
BOT CHAIRMANSHIP: THE FIRE NEXT TIME
The ruling party may be heading for another round of crisis in the contest for who becomes its Board of Trustees, BoT, Chairman.
Whereas it was a known “fact that Tinubu, while lobbying Atiku to support Senator Ahmed Lawan for the Senate presidency, with a possible pledge to assist Atiku clinch the BoT slot, some loyalists of Tinubu are now proposing that he should become the BoT Chairman”, a party source told Sunday Vanguard, “but that may be a far shot because Oyegun is from the South and appointing another person from the South to be BoT Chair, would not be fair. In fact, that was why Oyegun’s job was in jeopardy because it was part of a grand agenda”.
But this argument may not hold water because Buhari is from the North just as Atiku is also from the North.
Credit: Sunday Vanguard
For love, for hate or for pure envy, Nollywood diva, Cossy Orjiakor is almost always the cynosure of all eyes wherever she finds herself. Trick or treat, she owes this to no other reason than her humongous boobs which tends to herald her presence long before you could even figure out that Cossy is around.
It is almost inconceivable that this Nollywood’s queen of boobs could meet someone whose boobs would make her feel second best. But she did recently and it was on set of a new movie ‘Ara Saraphina’ recently shot in the eastern part of the country.
The movie is a glamour comedy by Pressing Forward Movies and directed by Dandy Chukwuemeka Echefu. In the movie, Cossy Orjiakor and Saraphina Onyekachi Amaechi go head to head in a boobs contest.
“ Yes, there was boobs competition which I won. But I must confess Saraphina is bigger than me. I only won the contest because she failed a question and I was the next best and more enlightened, so, I won” says Cossy when asked what it was like going head to head with Saraphina.
“ A friend, Theodore Anyanji recommended me for the job, so, Saraphina called me up. The movie was shot in Owerri. It was my first time in Owerri, I stayed at Seaview Hotel, a nice hotel. I received extra money, for food particularly because I don’t eat location food. My stay in Owerri was very nice and I enjoyed my self on the set of the film” she added.
Other stars in the film include Ebube Nwagbo, Rita Edochie, Uche Elendu, Zuby Michael, Paschaline Alex and many others.
Credit: Vanguard
Ghanaian actress, Yvonne Nelson has broken her new year resolution she made earlier in the year not she was not going to be caught putting on bikini again.
She had told Ghone TV that people will see a new Yvonne Nelson in 2015 as she will be taking a break from wearing bikinis.
According to her, her mother was never in support of her wearing the beach wear in public.
“I don’t know but my mum is always worried whenever I wear a bikini at the beach and take pictures. So I am no longer going to wear bikinis,” she said when she was asked about her resolution for 2015.
Now, within the space of about six months, the actress could not hold covering her body as she has just returned back to her old way of life.
She was recently having a nice time at Downtown, Santa Monica beach, in the United States of America along with her friends from Burundi and Cameroon.
Knowing that she has offended her mother, the actress, had to beg for forgiveness explaining that she just could not help it anymore.
In her words, “Promised my mum I wasn’t gonna wear a bikini this year, hmm. Sorry mama, couldn’t help it.”
Nollywood stars, Osas Ighodaro and Gbenro Ajibade, had their traditional wedding in Benin City, Edo State, Saturday June 20, 2015 and today, July 4, 2015 finally binds the couple as husband and wife.
The wedding which took place at Christ The King Chuch in New York, had few friends and well wishers in attendance.
Those part of the groomsmen were, Ubi Franklin, Praiz, Kenneth Okolie and few other friends.
What caught the fancy of many was the new look the groom, Gbenro had as he had to take off his dread as a sign of respect for his wife and God.
Happy married life and may the union bring abundant blessings to them.
Where are all the Yoruba Men or rather boys like Afro Candy best describes them as she recently dissed them pertaining their manhood.
The controversial actress and mother of one explained that men from the South have small organisms after she had felt the touch of a man from the region who had come to dance with her.
She stated that the hardness of the man’s organism made her have the a good feeling of it but was not moved because it was so small.
In her words, “Chei! Yoruba Boys with their Small Small organisms and dem go dey think sey dem be all that with Borrow Pose. Na Today? He was grinding my Butt on the Dance Floor the thing was so hard but I could feel they were so Tiny. I did not care about yuh shiny car, am done!”
Could this actually be true? Well it is left for the men and some women to reply her though.
Winner of Big Brother Africa 2011, Karen Igho Rakos, has just put to bed a baby boy.
The actress was looking all happy while she cuddled her new bundle of joy in her hospital bed.
She was so full of happiness as she thanked God for safe delivery.
Recently she wrote a heart felt letter for her baby not knowing he will be motivated to stepinto the world soon.
“A Love Letter To My Unborn Child I write this letter to my unborn child from the depths of my soul. You’ve entered my womb and made my life complete and whole. I never thought I would be chosen for such an awesome task. It is a greater blessing than what I ever could ask. I can almost imagine you in my mind.
Beautiful, Happy, Bouncing, flashing a smile so kind.
Feeling you flutter is a sensation like no other. It does wonders for the joy of this soon-to-be-mother! You create a glow in me I never knew I would see. It is true happiness that sets me on cloud nine manifested deep inside of me! You’re my baby, my child, my heart, and my wonder.
I pray we create a bond that no one can put asunder. You’re a designer’s original! A creation from the King! I can hardly wait for you to enter the world and see the joy you bring”, she penned down
The Nigeria Football Federation on Saturday terminated its contract with Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi.
The sack may not be unconnected with Keshi’s application for a coaching job with the Ivory Coast national team.
The NFF had said the coach would be sacked if it was established that he actually applied for the job, a claim Keshi had consistently denied.
“Having thoroughly reviewed the reports/findings of the NFF disciplinary committee and NFF Technical and Development Committee, as well as having reviewed the actions and inactions of Mr. Stephen Keshi, in the performance of his duties as Super Eagles’ head coach, which we found to lack the required commitment to achieve the ederation’s objectives as set out in the coach’s employment contract,” a statement by the NFF Executive Committee read.
“To this end and pursuant to the provisions of clause 4.3 of the employment contract between Mr. Stephen Keshi and the NFF (the contract) and the various clauses therein, the Nigeria Football Federation has decided to exercise its option to summarily terminate the employment contract of Mr. Stephen Keshi with the Federation with immediate effect.”
“It added that the termination was “without prejudice to the settlement of any existing and due financial obligations between the NFF and Mr. Keshi.
“In the interim, the Super Eagles’ team affairs will be jointly managed by assistant Coach, Salisu Yusuf and the Technical Directorate of the NFF headed by Coach Shuaibu Amodu, until the Federation names in due course a new head coach, who, along with the NFF will chart a new direction for the Super Eagles to ensure credible participation in international competitions and assist in building a sustainable football culture for the country,” it concluded.
Both the NFF spokesman, Ademola Olajire and Keshi’s manager, Emmanuel Ado confirmed the development which took most Nigerians by surprise.
