APC group suggest Ribadu to fight Buhari's antigraft war

President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to bring in people like former anti-corruption czar and Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, to help pursue his agenda of probity, fight corruption and ensure that those who feast on the common wealth are made to return it.

President of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Coalition for Peace and Mobilisation (NACOPEM), Comrade Ahmed Saleh made the call on Tuesday in Abuja. Speaking at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the association, Comrade Saleh also voiced the readiness of the group to reach out to some important members of the APC, who either left the party in anger or were misled into leaving in the run up to the 2015 general elections. Saleh however, insisted that “We need the likes of Nuhu Ribadu and many others to rejoin the party and support this government to fight corruption and help Mr President address the multifaceted problems we have been facing since independence”. The group said as part of its assigned mandate, as members of the peace and mobilisation of the APC, its investigations revealed that what the government needs at this critical point in time to fight corruption is for President Buhari to call on credible Nigerians, who it said possess the know-how, intelligence, ability and the strategy to fight corruption. “I mention people like Ribadu because I remember when $15 million was brought to him in an attempt to bribe him. How many people can resist such temptation at this present day? Today, former Governor James Ibori is in jail partly due to his efforts,” he said.

Chelsea agree £33million fee for Michy Batshuayi

– Chelsea have reportedly agreed a fee worth £33million for Marseille strike Michy Batshuayi

– Batshuayi’s representatives have already outlined a five-year contract with Chelsea

– The Belgian 22-year-old striker scored  21 goals last season

Chelsea have agreed a £33million transfer fee with Marseille for Michy Batshuayi, Daily Mail reports.

According to the report, Batshuayi’s representatives have already outlined a five-year contract with Chelsea and his move will be ratified once he has undertaken a medical and gone over finer details.

It was gathered that Batshuayi is undergoing his medical in a clinic in Bordeaux with Chelsea staff at the moment.

Should Chelsea complete his signing, Marseille will pay Batshuayi’s former team Standard Liege £11.5m as part of their 35% sell-on agreement.

Marseille had to raise £21m by July 5 to pay of French football finance regulator DNCG for Batshuayi’s service.

The 22-year-old scored 21 goals last season and was on the score sheet in his country’s 4-0 win over Hungary on Sunday, when he came off the bench to replace Romelu Lukaku.

With Chelsea sending Radamel Falcao back to Monaco, Loic Remy a target for clubs in Turkey and Atletico Madrid keen on a return for Diego Costa, Batshuayi will fancy his chances at first team football at Chelsea.

The Belgium striker has been the subject of fevered bidding in recent days with West Ham, Crystal Palace and Tottenham all speaking to Marseille.

Militants vow to attack Imo state govt, oil companies

– Niger Delta Red Squad has threatened to attack some government and oil facilities in Imo state

– The militants fumed that oil producing communities have nothing to show for the many years of oil exploration and exploitation

– The group equally promised an imminent attack on the facilities of Waltersmith Petroleum Oil Limited

Militants have promised an imminent attack on the government and oil facilities in Imo state.
A new militant group, the Niger Delta Red Squad (NDRS), which has carried out attacks on oil facilities in Imo state, has threatened to unleash more attacks in the future.

In the current threat by the group, signed by one General Don Wannie, the militants threatened to attack some government and oil facilities in Imo state.

According to Vanguard, the group fumed that oil producing communities have nothing to show for the many years of oil exploration and exploitation.

“Oil companies started operation in our community since 1957, but up till date, we have nothing to show as benefit. For Imo State government, we will make sure you make no further gains from Ohaji/Egbema.

“Since God’s creation, neither Imo State government nor oil companies have remembered us. We have been neglected and abandoned. No electricity. No tarred roads. No drinking water. No hospital. No youth employment or empowerment.  We shall destroy everything in Imo State that was built with our oil money,” NDRS stated.

The group which claimed responsibility for an attack on a facility operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company in Awarra, Ohaji/Egbema local council area of the state promised to inflict maximum damage to oil facilities, if Ohaji/Egbema communities are not given due benefits from their oil resource.

The militants equally promised an imminent attack on the facilities of Waltersmith Petroleum Oil Limited.

NDRS said: “We will let them know that the security which they claim to have is insufficient. So, they should go and hire more because we are coming to attack them any moment from now.”

Meanwhile, the Members of the Delta Waterways Security Committee (DWSC) have warned the Niger Delta Avengers to stop bombing of pipelines or risk confrontation with Itsekiri people.

Vanguard reports that Comrade Omolubi Newuwum who is an ex-Itsekiri warlord said the bombing of pipelines in the region by the Avengers was provoking the Itsekiri people.

He said the reason why the people are not taking up arms against the government was because they were peaceful.

Khloe Kardashian seen leaving her birthday party with Trey Songz after flirting with him

Khloe Kardashian who celebrated her 32nd birthday party at Dave & Buster's in Hollywood was spotted flirting a lot with singer, Trey Songz on Monday. She was also seen leaving with him after the party.

Clumsy street robber who stole a phone and left his own phone at the scene jailed for over three years

A 30 year old street robber, Mark Mick of Highbury New Park, Islington, who stole a phone, but left his own phone at the scene has been jailed. Mick was sentenced to three years and four months imprisonment at Wood Green Crown Court on Monday, June 27.
The court heard how at 11:50pm on 21 December 2015, the victim, a 30 year-old woman, was walking along Clissold Crescent N16 while using her mobile phone when she was approached from behind by Mick riding a pedal cycle.

Mick grabbed her phone by snatching it out of her hands and put the phone into the hooded top that he was wearing. However, she grabbed hold of the robber in an attempt to get her mobile phone back.

Mick then punched the victim on the side of the head. The punch knocked her backwards, but during the struggle the suspect dropped his own personal mobile phone. He made off leaving his own phone behind. The victim was not seriously injured, but was left in pain from the blow she had received.

Officers attended the scene and they began immediate enquiries on the mobile phone dropped by the suspect. As a result of their work, enquires began to find Mick. On 3 March 2016, he was arrested in Colindale.

An identity parade was conducted and the victim picked out Mark Mick as being the person who had robbed her. Mick was subsequently charged with the robbery and pleaded guilty. xxxDetective Constable Scott Johnson of Hackney CID, said:
"Mick robbed a lone woman and used violence to carry out the theft. Thankfully he left his own phone at the scene and we were able to indentify him as a suspect and arrest him. With the assistance of the victim we were able gather all the necessary evidence to charge him and I would like to thank her for her support and courage in bringing this man to justice.

Source: Metropolitan Police

Blac Chyna parties with the Kardashian-Jenner clan on Khloe Kardashian's birthday

Seems the Kardashian/Jenner clan have finally accepted Blac Chyna as part of the family after attending Khloe Kardashian's 32nd birthday party on Monday. She sang and danced with Kylie Jenner and Kim K, took photos with Kris Jenner, her fiancé Rob K, Kim K, Kylie Jenner and Khloe Kardashian.

Photo credit: Blac Chyna's IG, Kim K's IG and TSR

Blac Chyna puts her curves in a tight dress

She seemed to have had a nice time as she partied with her future-in-laws she stepped out in West Hollywood on Tuesday. The pregnant 28-year-old showed off her growing bump - and her derriere - in a skintight aquamarine dress.

Kim K shows what North West looks like with make up on Snapchat

No, 3 year old North West isn't wearing make up. Her mum, Kim Kardashian, used some Snapchat filters to glam her up. She shared the video on snapshot where she called Nori a ''Diva in training!'' She said:
" Diva in training! My girl is as fierce as can be, right Northi?' North nodded her head in the affirmative.

Olajumoke Orisaguna rocks her natural hair in lovely new photo

Fine fine lady

Woman puts her toddler in burning SUV then climbs in and they both burn to death

Witnesses called 911 on Thursday night when they saw an SUV engulfed in flames in the unincorporated Athens area south of downtown Los Angeles. What baffled everyone was that they saw a woman get in and out of the SUV while it was burning. They said the woman placed a toddler that was about 3 to 4 years old in the burning car then climbed in, and both died in the fire, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Friday.
After the fire was extinguished, authorities found the two bodies.

They also told police that people in a nearby park yelled at the woman to stay outside the vehicle, but she ignored them and still went in.

The woman and child died at the scene.

Homicide investigators are looking into what drove the woman to want to kill herself and her baby. They are also trying to determine how the fire started and identify the woman and child.

Source:CBS12.com

Fleeing Boko Haram terrorists now disguise as vigilantes and hunters - DHQ

Defence Headquarters on Monday said it has discovered that Boko Haram terrorists fleeing from Sambisa Forest now disguise as vigilantes and hunters in order to evade arrest. Below is the statement issued by the Director of Defence Information, Bri.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, in Abuja:

"Following the coordinated military offensive against the remnants of Boko Haram Terrorists in Sambisa forest, the fleeing terrorists now disguise as vigilantes or hunters to evade easy detection. The terrorists, after being smoked out of Sambisa forest, in their desperation to wreak havoc on innocent Nigerians and to remain relevant, devised a new tactics of dressing like vigilantes or hunters to deceive unsuspecting members of the public of their true identity.
The case of Kuda-Kaya village in Madadali community of Adamawa State where a group of Boko Haram terrorists, dressed like vigilantes, opened fire on elated people during a ceremony readily come to mind.
The general public is hereby advised to be wary of unsubscribed services or presence of vigilantes or hunters in their neighbourhood in order not to ignorantly harbour killer gang in their midst. Members of the public are also advised to be security conscious, at all times, and report promptly to security agencies of any suspicious persons or group of persons in their community or raise alarm, where necessary"

Gospel Singer Sinach & her husband, Joe Egbu celebrate their wedding anniversary

Singer Sinach and her hubby, Joe are celebrating their wedding anniversary today, June 28. She took to IG early this morning to share a loving message to him. She wrote:
'Happy anniversary sweet. Happy 😍😂💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽. You are so much fun to be with @joe_egbu ❤️💕😍❤️' See more photos of the couple after the cut....

Lionel Messi calls it quits with international football

– Chile are Copa America 2016 champions

– Lionel Messi  has now lost four finals with Argentina

– The player will reportedly retire after the defeat

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has called it quits with international football after Argentina’s Copa America 2016 final defeat.

Chile have won the 2016 Copa America centenario, defending the title they won in Santiago in 2015.

La Roja held Lionel Messi’s Argentina to a goalless draw for 120 minutes and after extra-time, penalties decided the game with Lucas Biglia and Lionel Messi missing for Argentina.

In the penalty shoot-out, Arturo Vidal missed the first spot-kick and the Argentina captain followed suit.

Lionel Messi
Lucas Biglia missed his side’s fourth penalty leaving Francisco Silva to score the winner as Chile celebrated only their second ever senior international title.

After the defeat, a frustrated Barcelona star said:  “The national team is over for me. That’s four finals (lost,) it’s not for me. It’s a made decision, I think.”

He added: “I feel a great sadness right now that this is happening again. I missed my penalty, which was super important. That’s it”

Niger Delta Sea Commandos (NDSC) warn President Buhari

– The Niger Delta Sea Commandos (NDSC) have asked President Buhari to quit begging and begin dialogue

– NDSC says the presidents plea is pretentious, a ploy to have militants cease bombing

– The militant group says if a perfect agreement is not reach soon, then there will be disaster

Major Osama Blatter, spokesperson for the NDSC said in a statement that: “As members of Sea Commandos, we cannot take Buhari’s plea serious and we are running out of patience. The issue is when he will start his dialogue.”

President Muhammadu Buhari must come out to dialogue says Niger Delta Commandos.
Vanguard reports that this came as Niger Delta activist, Chief Bello Oboko, threw his weight behind the call on President Buhari to emulate the Prime Minister of Britain, David Cameron, by ordering a referendum to find out what Nigerians want.

The Sea Commandos asked: “When will Nigeria grant Niger Delta autonomous state? Buhari should not play politics with Niger Delta’s demands. If he plays with us, we will ground his government. Delay is dangerous. We are not interested in any plea.

“Who told Buhari that Nigerians do not have other country than Nigeria? Niger Deltans are not part of Nigeria he is referring to because we belong to Niger Delta Republic.

“Buhari should lead the negotiation team, we want him in the creeks, Buhari should not expect our oil to stabilize Nigerians economy, that is a thing of the past. Since he came back, we have not heard anything from him about the expired two-week ceasefire, he has not announced any extension, which is why we say that he is pretending. We are warning that we can no longer wait, we will commence attack any moment from now,” it added.

Oboko backs referendum Meanwhile, Ijaw leader, Dr Oboko, in a statement, said: “This is to appreciate Buhari on his commendation to the British Prime Minister David Cameron on the occasion of United Kingdom, voting to leave European Union, democratically without necessarily applying British Jumbo fighter jets last seen put to use in Libya.

“Referendum to peacefully re-make Nigeria like EU is most attractive, recommendable to redressing the Niger Delta national challenge.

“This is, therefore, to appeal to President Buhari to replicate the British example against military option by adopting the in-out voting democracy to peacefully fix the Niger Delta national challenge at last,” Oboko said.

In a related development, the Amananaowei of Meinbutus, King Jerry Prebor, has asked President Buhari to, as matter of necessity, “roll out the bulldozers and caterpillars to start construction of riverine road and train network in the Niger Delta region.

“He should also commence implementation of the 2014 National Confab report. Mr. President should see himself as President of Nigeria and as such, do what is right to put Nigeria on the world map,” Prebor added.

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he will personally meet with leaders of the Niger Delta region to foster a way of ending the crisis in the region.

This is coming after the Nigerian president had asked the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to help him beg the militants over their renewed attacks.

He had said: “No insurance company will want to insure installations that will end up being blown up and no banks will want to finance such installations.

“Those of you who have friends among the leadership or even the militants themselves should plead with them in the name of God Almighty to take it easy.”

BREAKING: Niger Delta militant leader, Charles Okah, escapes prison?

– Charles Okah who has been in detention for the 2010 independence day bombing reportedly escape

– He allegedly escaped from from Kuje prison by scaling the prison walls

– The Nigerian Prison Service has however denied the escape and insists he is still in detention

According to Sahara Reporters, Charles Okah who is a member of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) has escaped from Kuje prison.

Okah who is the brother of Henry Okah who was the leader of the group  escaped on Friday, June 25 by scaling the high fence of the prison walls.

Okah has been on trial for the 2010 Independence Day bombing that killed 27 people during the country’s 50th independence anniversary.

The escape happened around 7:30 pm and he reportedly jumped the prison walls with another inmate.

Security operatives have begun a massive manhunt to apprehend him.

Henry who is the senior Okah has since been convicted by a court in South Africa.

MEND which used to be a notorious militancy group eventually accepted the federal government’s amnesty and stopped the destruction of pipelines and kidnap of oil workers.

However, Daily Trust has reported that the news of Okah’s escape from Kuje prison is not true.

Francis Enobore who is the public relations officer of the Nigerian Prisons Service claimed he was in touch with security operatives on ground and that Okah was still in detention.

The prison wall
He said: “It is not true, Charlse Okah is still in custody. I have been in touch with our men in the prison facility and there is nothing like that [Okah escaping].”

He however admitted that there was an incident at the prison on Friday.

“Yes there was an incident yesterday, but Henry Okah was not involved.”

Okah infamously tried to commit suicide in court in 2015 after he addressed Justice Gabriel Kolawole and claimed that former president, Goodluck Jonathan was responsible for his travails.

He had said: “I have been incarcerated for about five years now, and I have a family to cater for.‎

“My children would grow up without feeling the warmth of their father. ‎I am tired of this endless trial.”

Earlier this year, Okah  embarked on a hunger strike to protest against harassment by officials of the Kuje prison.

The prison wall
In a letter through Timi Okponipere, his counsel, Okah had addressed the minister of interior, Abdulraman Dambazau informing him of the danger his death will pose to the whole country.
“At the time of writing this letter, our client is as emaciated as a bean pole on account of the hunger strike he has embarked upon, to draw global attention to his plight.”
“Literally and figuratively speaking, our client is virtually a dead man. If our client dies in prison custody, the entire world, particularly the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta where our client hails from, shall rise in unison against President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, even as we concede the fact that, our client’s ordeal began during the tenure of former president Goodluck Jonathan, a fellow Ijaw,”
More details soon.

If u have been attending this universities, you are on your own

– University coordinator insists they have been registered under the Corporate Affairs Commission

– NUC says ten school owners are presently being investigated

– Reveals that scholarship and empowerment schemes of the closed school are fake

An unregistered university in Delta state has been sealed off by the Nigeria University Commission (NUC) for illegal operation.

Nigerian Tribune reports that this recent act was carried out by the NUC in collaboration with officers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday, June 23.

The coordinator of the institution, World Mission University, as well as the support staff were also arrested by the agency during the operation on the institution which is located along the Old Sapele road Abraka, just a distance from the Delta State University (DELSU).

Courses such as Nursing, Public health, Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Management Administration, Mass Communication, Political Science, among many others are being studied in the university which is a satellite campus of a United States-based institution.

The unnamed American university which has its African Zonal headquarters in South Africa, runs scholarship admission for a 2-year degree and 6-month Diploma courses in various disciplines with 84 students already attending and the first graduation earlier scheduled for August, 2016.

Moses Awe, head of NUC legal department, informed that they had monitored activities of the institution for the past six months after a student had inquired about the university’s genuineness.

The legal practitioner informed further, that the institution was neither affiliated to a foreign institution, nor was it offering genuine empowerment and scholarship programmes, as they were mere cover ups.

While owners of ten unregistered universities are being prosecuted by the commission, it also informed that six unregistered schools have been closed down in the past one year.

Mrs Lucky, the school’s coordinator, before her arrest, insisted that university started operations in 2010, having being registered by Corporate Affairs Commission.

She said: “Our objective is to provide scholarship and run international degree programme as well as create employment,” adding that the school management was working out details to enable it register with NUC.

Meanwhile, a recent report by Daily Sun has detailed how some universities have tactfully ignored the directive of the federal government as regards the recent cancellation of Post UME fees.

According to the report, the universities have devised other means to test applicants and charge administrative fees in the process.

The universities were said to have invited applicants for admission for the 2016/2017 academic session, ask them to pay certain amount and also sit for a screening test before being considered for admission.

Revealed! Buhari's worst mistakes

Note: Terka Jam in this piece focuses on the President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption. Jam also writes on the worst mistakes, including the appointment of Ibrahim Magu as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu
Nigeria is indeed a powerful country. A country where things happen like it’s a movie. For a long time, I have watched the revelations from the arms purchase scandal and the role of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

I have had my reservations for inexplicable reasons. But the recent revelations have confirmed my suspicion. Who can be trusted to work in tandem with President Muhammadu Buhari to rid this country of corruption?

Leading an agency as sensitive as the EFCC requires two things mainly. You have to be strategic and dead to sentiments in whatever form or guise. But recent events in the EFCC and the Office of the National Security Adviser have made a mockery of the fight against corruption. You can’t go to war without a strategy.

It is beyond the media hullabaloo and social media hysteria. The Office of the National Security Adviser is as important as the air we breathe. But I have been really disappointed and pained and decided to put this piece together.

In truth, Nigeria has made considerable inroads in the fight against corruption, but with tiny input from the EFCC. I won’t hesitate to give credit to the Department of State Security Service for very obvious reasons. Make no mistakes; I think one of the best decisions President Buhari has taken since coming into office was the choice of the director general of the DSS and the attendant re-organisation witnessed.

And one of the worst mistakes he has made also was the selection of the head of the EFCC and the choice of the National Security Adviser.

I will explain why. How can someone come out in the open to say some of his relatives are using his name to exploit people, and it ended there? That was what Mr. Magu said on the pages of newspapers.

There was no account anywhere of him bringing those relatives to account for their despicable conduct. How can the National Security Adviser not be aware of that members of a highly sensitive committee under his watch are busy cutting corners and enriching themselves? What manner of anti-corruption war are we fighting? Your guess is as good as mine.

I will use a not so perfect example. President Buhari once fired his chief security officer for acts unbecoming of him because no individual is bigger than the country. The interest of the country should surpass all other interests, whether personal, ethnic or religious as the case may be. And it is ordinarily expected that President has to wield the big stick on the EFCC and the NSA in this case.

The EFCC chair, Mr. Magu is busy pointing accusing fingers. And that is the problem we have in this country. As a fact, I was so disgusted when I read in one of the online newspapers how the Chief of Staff to President Buhari is plotting to remove from office the EFCC chair.

It was that bad. And I knew almost immediately that it was a sponsored campaign. Then I asked myself. Isn’t this a mockery of the efforts of Mr. President?

I am also disappointed in the NSA major general Mungono, who is supposed to be one of the trusted allies of President Buhari. It was not possible that air commodore Umar Muhammed (rtd) who was arrested by the DSS for alleged fraudulent deals involving top government officials could have acted without Monguno’s involvement or knowledge as the national security adviser?

And if the NSA so feign ignorance then does it not translates to incompetence? The ONSA had earlier issued a statement

How Nigerians spend N1.4bn daily on sports betting

Casinos and endless entertainment are primarily what Las Vegas in the US is known for.

But back home in Nigeria, those involved in casino and sports betting are discriminated against by the larger society. In an interview, Yahaya Maikori, the president of the Nigeria Gaming Association (NGA), speaks on the success and challenges of the industry back home in Nigeria. Excerpt.

Betting is becoming very popular in Nigeria with the likes of Naija Bet, 1960 Bet amongst others.What is fueling this revolution as far sports betting is concerned in Nigeria?

Yes. It may seem revolutionary but it is not entirely a new thing. It started with pools betting which has been around even from when we were children. However the revolution you talk about is now fueled by several things which include access to media, technology and the internet, which have now brought sports even to our mobile phones. Also, the emergence of big brands like the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, etc.

Some of these companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars have in the process of building their brands embarked on some form of evangelization attracting massive followership across the globe. The  passion sports evokes has contributed immensely to the popularity of sports betting. Sports betting means to bet on a sporting event. Since Nigerians are sports loving people, getting people from just enjoying a game to staking cash on what they are passionate about is really easy.

Tell our readers what they might not know about the Nigeria Gaming Association (NGA).

The association started about five years ago when we started having issues with some of the government regulatory bodies. First we started as Association of Casino Operators of Nigeria (ACON), and as time went on, we started to notice the growth of other areas like sports betting, online, etc.

So, we decided to broaden the association to cover the whole gaming industry. Currently, our trustees represent different sectors of the industry. The idea is to create a platform for the advancement of our common interest as well as liaise with relevant institutions particularly government to build an economically viable industry for all stakeholders.

The manner in which you talk about ‘gaming industry’ suggests to me that we have an industry here in Nigeria. In actual sense, do we really have gaming industry yet?

Oh we have a very big gaming industry, probably bigger than what you imagine. In an interview some time back I stated that sports betting were a N40 billion industry annually. But with the information currently available to me now, I know sport betting in Nigeria is much bigger than that and that is only one side of the story. We have casino, we have lottery, promos, poker, video games and apps, etc.

The Nigerian Lottery Act defines lottery to include “any game of chance or game of skill”. If you use that definition, you will find out that the issue is gone beyond your traditional perception of the industry. It also means that promos sponsored by corporate organizations fall into this space; these include those by telcos, banks, FMCGs, etc.

Traditionally, when we talk about the gaming industry, we tend to limit it to only when people stake money but it goes way beyond that. When you text for the purpose of winning something or when you play Candy Crush or Angry Birds on your phone or laptop it means you are actively engaged at some level in the industry.

Yahaya Maikori
In terms of size, sports betting alone is conveniently over N100 billion in revenues annually. There is a report that says Nigerians stake N1.4 billion every day on sports betting, although I don’t know the basis of that report. But that begins to give you an insight into how big the industry possibly is. Even looking at some of the information I am privy to reinforce those projections. We haven’t even talked about lottery is surprisingly still bigger than sport betting
How, in your view, can government create or increase its own revenue in this huge industry as you are saying?

First of all, the government needs to understand the industry especially the value chain. Government should not wear the ‘we don’t want to get involved in it’ attitude. This industry is a critical part of the entertainment industry because that is the first service it provides.

What you decide to do is entirely your own choice. Some people play video games without staking anything; while some play and stake something. Some people watch football and stake cash while others watch and don’t. The industry is totally ICT driven; a report says Nigeria loses over $5 billion to foreign companies on software per annum. So you can imagine the revenue and employment opportunities that government can tap into if they encourage Nigerian software developers. So primarily, any gaming company is an ICT company.

Ninety per cent of what they do is based on ICT. Tourism is another opportunity for government to tap into and that is why people go to Las Vegas and you will be amazed at how many Nigerians travel to Vegas, Macau, etc. Lottery has traditionally been seen as form of taxation and I believe you are going to see many state governments start to run their lottery as an alternative revenue stream.
Shouldn’t we be thinking about adequate legislative framework now as a step towards unleashing the industry’s huge economic potential in order to increase government’s revenue in the sector?

At the moment, there is nothing deliberate in terms of legislation as far as the gaming industry is concerned. What we have is haphazard. You know in 1977, I think it was Obasanjo’s government that banned the importation of slot machines. Whatever the intention was then the purpose has been defeated and the law is obsolete because things have totally changed. With the benefit of technology people simply download slots apps on their phones while using their credit cards to pay.

There is a need for us to have national policy on gaming for the purpose of integrating it into our developmental plan. In fact, a new research shows that with the continued automation of businesses will result in massive unemployment, the millennial will depend on the gaming industry for livelihood potentially making it the biggest industry in the next 10-15 years.

For most investors they consider our market a grey market because of the lack of proper legislation in most of the states. Government needs to know that the gaming industry is part of popular culture and technology has made it ubiquitous and the only way you can get a grip is to be proactive in legislating for the sector.

Now, there has been this talk of diversifying the Nigerian economy by successive governments since only God knows when, without any deliberate policy and action to back it up. Using the same terminology (diversification), how can government benefit in the industry in terms of taxes?

The gaming industry is being taxed at the moment but without an understanding of the uniqueness of the industry and I think this was one of the reasons why our association was formed. The uniform application of taxes without regard to the peculiarity of the industry has discouraged a lot of local operators and potential foreign investors to the Nigerian market.

But if the tax regime is properly aligned with what obtains internationally, it will definitely be a huge revenue stream for Nigeria. So, taxes for lottery and sports betting are totally different; in short all the subsectors are taxed differently taking into account their uniqueness. Improper taxation will simply discourage investments while making operators go underground which can become detrimental to the economy. So, engaging the Federal Inland Revenue is top on our agenda.
That now takes us to job creation. In what way can government partner with the gaming industry key stakeholders including the gaming association to create employment for the teeming youths in the country? Also, since government maybe naïve of this opportunity, what is your organization doing to bring government up to speed about this huge potential?

Part of what we intend to do soon is to hold a media briefing with some of our trustees and members in attendance. This briefing I believe will help lift the mystery surrounding the industry. We need the media to understand in order to help push our agenda of ‘economic development through gaming’.

At this briefing data from other jurisdictions would be showcased to disprove some of the misconceptions about the industry. For example, the word ‘casino’ evokes memories of the 60s where all manner of crime converged but casinos are now legitimate establishments you can go to without fear. Besides, the government has several mechanisms in place to check even money laundering which they were hitherto known for. In any case, today’s casino has changed and can also be experienced online or with your phone. We hosted an event last year (Big Africa Summit) in Lagos, where we had key government officials in attendance.

We are planning another one this year. We intend to interact with some of the key government agencies we think are important to the development of the industry. This kind of engagement will be the first step towards being able to profile the value chain and how to leverage on the potentials. In the ICT world, companies have been valued in billions of dollars without grossing any revenue.

If for example, the gaming companies were using local  software, you can only imagine how much of the $5 billion being lost annually on software will be saved by Nigeria! That amount represents a huge leakage to our economy. So, gaming companies are essentially software companies with huge potentials for exports and I believe we have enough local talent to build software that can become dominant in powering the industry world wide.

But is there any country you can sight as example where gaming industry is hugely adding to its economic value?

Let us not go too far. Let us look at the UK and the US. What drives the economy of Las Vegas, Macau? Some will call it tourism while some call it entertainment and this is part of the reason for poor data because it touches different sectors. Some call it gambling but elsewhere they are known as the software or tech industry. The gaming industry contributes hugely to the economy of these countries. Even in Nigeria, the problem is that we have just not been able to look at it for what it is, and that is why we have not been able to figure its exact contribution to Nigeria’s GDP.

Edo PDP governorship candidate uses strong word on APC

– The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate at the Saturday, September 10 Edo state governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, used a strong word on the All Progressives Congress (APC) based on the APC’s antics towards him

– Ize-Iyamu, who decamped from the APC to the PDP, criticised the ruling party in Edo state for using diversionary moves

The man of God turned politician, whose campaign organisation, Osagie Ize-Iyamu Compaign Organisa­tion dismissed the allegations leveled against the PDP flag bearer, that he is working secretly with Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Arthor Okowa, at hiring 40 political thugs who would be registered as voters at the border areas of Edo state and will then be used as agents of destruction, de­stabilisation, electoral malpractice and violence during the September 10, 2016 governorship election.

The Campaign Organisation stated that there is no iota of truth in what the APC said.

Ize-Iyamu winner of the PDP Edo state governorship primary election of Monday, June 20, is still having some issues within his party, as the embattled factional national chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff said the PDP governorship primaries was null and void.

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Edo state PDP governorship candidate
In a statement issued by the PDP group, it reads: “In rather acerbic language, the APC-controlled state government accused the Edo state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in their pattern of crying wolf where none existed.

“We wish to place the security agencies on notice of these untoward intention of the neigh­bouring state government with their Edo PDP col­laborators to cause a breach of security in Edo state.

“The APC and its leader have seen the clear writing of victory on the wall and are bent on doing everything imaginable to whip up undue sentiments against the PDP and its wave-mak­ing governorship candidate.”

Mrs Muturu calls for the release of her husband

– Mrs Muturu  has called on the president to help release her husband

– She claimed he was abducted by soldiers from his hotel

– She asked that her husband be charged to court if he committed any crime

Mrs Beauty Muturu has sent a passionate appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to facilitate the release of her husband who was allegedly abducted by soldiers.

Vanguard reports that Mrs Muturu who was in tears narrated how her husband, Mr Francis Muturu was abducted by soldiers two weeks ago.

READ ALSO: Boko Haram: Nigerian military reels out achievements

Mr Muturu is the chief executive officer of Framut Hotel which is located in Bomadi in Bomadi local government area of Delta State.

His wife said soldier stormed the hotel and dragged him away.

“On the 8th of June, 2016, some groups of soldiers stormed the hotel about 2am and forcefully took away my husband, leaving the family in sorrow including our two month old baby.”

She begged the president to help her as she had visited the military station in the area but the visits had yielded no result

Mrs. Muturu therefore tasked the military to disclose the whereabouts of Mr Francis Muturu and give reasons for the abduction

She also said if possible, he should be charged to court for any offence he might have committed.

Kanye West's 'Famous' video features nude Taylor Swift, Donald Trump

Kanye West has dropped the music video for “Famous,” the controversial first single off his February album The Life of Pablo. The NSFW video features the likenesses of 12 famous people — including Taylor Swift and Donald Trump — sleeping nude together in an enormous bed.

It’s unclear which of the celebrities participated in the video, and which are the result of prosthetics and visual effects wizardry, but in the video’s credits, West offers “special thanks” to Bill Cosby, Caitlyn Jenner, Amber Rose, Ray J, Kim Kardashian West, Taylor Swift, Chris Brown, Rihanna, Donald Trump, Anna Wintour, and George Bush — “for being famous.”

A representative for former President Bush confirmed that he did not participate in the “Famous” video. Representatives for the other celebrities referenced in the video did not immediately respond to EW’s requests for comment.

West has famously feuded with several of the stars featured in the video, including Bush, Taylor Swift, and Amber Rose. The rapper told Vanity Fair, “It’s not in support or anti any of [the people in the video]. It’s a comment on fame.”

West also told the magazine that although the video features nudity, it isn’t meant to be erotic. “We were very careful with shots that had [something] sexual to take them out,” he said. Judge for yourself in the NSFW screen grab below.

Image Credit: Tidal
The “Famous” video, which West debuted at The Forum in Inglewood, California and can be seen below, will be available for Tidal subscribers exclusively for a week. A 30-second preview will be available to non-subscribers.

“Famous” was immediately, well, infamous upon its February release during a similarly epic worldwide event at New York’s Madison Square Garden. West references Swift in the second line: “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b—- famous.” Swift’s camp has maintained that the singer did not approve of the lyric, but West and his wife have claimed Swift cleared the line ahead of time.

Angels fall to last place in the division with loss

The double-digit deficit in the division is daunting, the injuries seem insurmountable, but Angels Manager Mike Scioscia remains undeterred. As long as his team is mathematically alive and he can find enough healthy players to field a squad, he will not raise the white flag.

“No way will we ever give up on this year,” Scioscia said, though the front office may feel different in late July. “We have more in us, with even this group of guys. Where we are in the standings doesn’t matter. We still have confidence we’re going to turn this thing around and get things going in the right direction.”

Nothing turned for the Angels on Friday night. Reliever Fernando Salas, with two on in the eighth inning, tried to elevate a two-strike fastball to Khris Davis, who belted it over the left-center field wall for a three-run home run to lift the Oakland Athletics to a 7-4 victory in Angel Stadium.

The Angels lost their fifth straight game to fall to 7-15 in June. They have not gained ground on first-place Texas since May 27. They also fell into last place in the American League West, a half-game behind the A’s and 16 games behind the Rangers.

“You just try not to think that everything is over,” said pitcher Jered Weaver, who gave up four runs and eight hits in 42/3 innings. “You have to stay upbeat, positive, try to uplift everybody. It’s a tough thing to do when you’re not winning.”

The teams were tied, 4-4, when Salas, who retired the side in order in a six-pitch seventh, gave up a single to Stephen Vogt and a ground-rule double to Danny Valencia to open the eighth.

Salas jumped ahead of Davis with an 0-and-2 count, but his next pitch was too close to the zone for Davis, whose decisive blast gave him a team-leading 18 homers and 49 runs batted in for the season.

“He was trying to get it up and out to the corner of the plate,” Scioscia said of the home run pitch to Davis, “and he didn’t get enough of either.”

A’s relievers Fernando Rodriguez, Ryan Dull, John Axford and Ryan Madson combined for 51/3 scoreless innings.

Weaver flummoxed the A’s in Oakland last Sunday, using his (not-so) fastball and vast array of off- and way-off-speed pitches to twirl a three-hit, 95-pitch shutout in which he struck out one and walked one.

There would be no repeat performance Friday night. Three batters into the game, Vogt launched an 84-mph fastball over the high wall in right-center field for a solo home run.

The Angels took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first when Mike Trout walked and Albert Pujols crushed a two-run homer an estimated 443 feet to left field. It was the 13th homer of the season for Pujols and 573rd of his career, tying him with Harmon Killebrew for 11th place on baseball’s all-time list.

In the spirit of the silly “Christmas in June” celebration in the stadium, the A’s gift-wrapped a run for the Angels in the bottom of the second.

Andrelton Simmons led off with a single and took third on Johnny Giavotella’s one-out single. Oakland starter Eric Surkamp struck out Kole Calhoun and got Trout to hit a chopper back to the mound.

Surkamp took a few steps toward first and made a long underhand toss that bounced past first baseman Yonder Alonso for an error that allowed Simmons to score for a 3-1 lead.

Consecutive singles by Marcus Semien, Max Muncy and Billy Burns (RBI) to open the third pulled the A’s to within 3-2.

The Angels took advantage of a Semien error to score an unearned run on Trout’s RBI single for a 4-2 lead in the fourth.

The A’s tied it, 4-4, in the fifth when Alonso walked, Semien doubled, Muncy hit an RBI groundout, and Burns hit a sacrifice fly.

The Angels threatened in the ninth when Giavotella singled with one out and Trout singled with two outs, but Pujols grounded out to short to end the game.

Scioscia still thinks the effort is there, even if the results aren’t.

“If there’s any message to be sent, it’s done in a meeting,” he said. “That would happen if guys weren’t playing hard, if their heads weren’t focused on what they need to do. We have some guys who are trying too hard. The message they need now is one of support, and understanding that those guys are giving everything they have in every situation.”

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

General Overseer of Deeper Life Bible Ministry, Pastor W. Kumuyi pays a courtesy visit to VP Osinbajo (Photos)

General Overseer of Deeper Life Bible Ministry, Pastor W. Kumuyi, his wife and an entourage paid a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, yesterday June 24. They met with Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

Khloe Kardashian stuns on the cover of Glamour Mexico

Khloe Kardashian looked stunning on the cover of Glamour Mexico's July 2016 cover with an undeniable glimmer in her eye.
She shared the photo above on her IG page and wrote:
So excited to be @glamourmexico cover girl!! Out on stands next week! Thanks to my team @monicarosestyle @jenatkinhair @joycebonelli for always making me smile and have fun when we are technically working. My queens of PR @misscarrieg @shaaak! I adore the both of you! I love my team of beautiful souls!!

President Buhari hosts APC leaders to dinner to break his Ramadan fast

Former Vice president, Atiku Abubakar, APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun were part of the APC leaders that attended President Buhari's break of Ramadan dinner at the state house Abuja yesterday.

Chris Brown reacts to his image used by Kanye West on his Famous video premiere (18+)

As he shared on his IG page..