Baloogg's Blog : 2014

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Most Read- How Ebola Started: Two-Year-Old Boy Playing With Infected Bats Spread Ebola In West Africa

Bat colony

The most likely cause of the deadly outbreak of Ebola in West Africa was a young boy playing near a colony of virus-infected bats, scientists said today.

The two-year-old boy - described as the index case, or patient zero - became infected and was the first to die in his village in Meliandou, Guinea in December last year.

It is thought 'patient zero' was was Emile Ouamouno, described as a playful toddler by his father Etienne.

Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale has dismissed speculation linking him with Manchester United by hinting that he could stay at Real Madrid beyond the end of his contract in 2019.

The Welsh winger signed in a world record €100 million transfer from Tottenham in the summer of 2013 but has faced pressure for his place from Isco and James Rodriguez this season.

Reports in Spain and the UK suggested Bale was considering a switch back to the Premier League with Manchester United his most likely destination.

The Interview

Sony Picture's film The Interview earned 15 million dollars in online sales over the holiday weekend, making the controversial comedy the studio's number one online movie of all time.

The Interview was rented or streamed through platforms such as GooglePlay, Microsoft’s Xbox Video and YouTube Movies more than 2 million times in four days, Sony said in a statement late Sunday.

After earlier saying it would not host the movie, Apple changed course Sunday and announced it would make it available on iTunes.

Boko Haram has recently killed fifteen people in an attack on a remote village near chibok, Borno state. Sources said the heavily armed insurgents, numbering about 20, raided Kautikari, some 10 kilometres from Chibok town on Monday at about 8pm.

“The terrorists drove into town in a Toyota Hilux vehicle and some motorcycles, shouting and shooting sporadically into houses. They opened on residents who were running for their lives and many were killed”, a source said.

Yvonne Nelson

Nollywood and Ghallywood actress, Yvonne Nelson has come out to clear the air over lesbianism allegations warped against her some time ago by a Ghanaian news website.

She revealed this in an interview with Nigerian Vanguard Magazine where she claims she is heterosexual and would remain one till the end. She believes the “hatched job” done by the Ghanaian website was an attempt to discredit her reputation and personality.

Yvonne in the interview also addressed the misconception people have about her and her bad girl roles in movies

Read excerpts:

NDLEA Logo

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Tuesday said it had arrested 14 suspected drug traffickers with 33.65kg of narcotic drugs valued at N300 million.

This was disclosed by the agency's spokesman, Mr Mitchel Ofoyeju, in a statement in Lagos.

Ofoyeju said the suspects, who were between the age of between 25 and 48, were arrested at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

“On land transportation, the investment friendly environment created by the Jonathan administration has resulted in increased participation of private individuals and companies in road mass transit, including those funded through SURE-P and other financing windows, thereby reducing the land transport challenges faced by Nigerians”, the statement said.

Giving an overview of the achievements in the water transport sector, the PDP noted that “the dredging of the River Escavos and the Niger from Warri to Baro in Niger State and the inland city ports in Onitsha have since been completed to create the much desired inland water channel for movement of personnel and goods.

A group of disaffected soldiers launched a foiled coup bid in Gambia on Tuesday while the president was abroad, military and diplomatic sources said.

Forces loyal to President Yahha Jammeh, who has ruled the small west African nation for 20 years, killed three suspects including the alleged ringleader - an army deserter, a military officer said.

The officer, speaking to AFP from Bissau, said the deserter named as Lamin Sanneh led a heavily-armed attack with another six men on the presidential palace in the capital Banjul.

Mr Akinwumi Ambode, Lagos APC Governorship Candidate

Mr Akinwumi Ambode, APC governorship candidate in Lagos state, on Tuesday said he would raise the performance bar of Gov. Babatunde Fashola, if elected into office.

Ambode made the pledge while speaking at a meeting with artisans and tradesmen at Ikeja.
The meeting was facilitated by the state government.

He said his long-standing experience in the state’s civil service had equipped him with the wherewithal to take the state to the next level.

Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Jelili Adesiyan
Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Jelili Adesiyan, has threatened to arrest and prosecute anyone regardless of his or her standing in the society that makes any inciting statement in a bid to heat the polity in the nation.

He made this known on Monday as a guest speaker during the launch of a book written by civil rights activist Mr. Yinka Odumakin in Lagos State, titled "Watch the Watcher".

No fewer than 11, 500 wheat farmers in Kano State will benefit from the Federal Government’s fertilisers and other farm inputs during the current dry season farming.

Alhaji Adamu Shehu, the Acting Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the state, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Kano on Tuesday.

Shehu said the federal government had started distributing the commodity under its Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) to the registered farmers in five designated centres across the state.

FG To Sponsor 100 First Class Graduates For Further Studies Abroad

             The Federal Government is set to sponsor 100 first class graduates for further studies abroad, Minister for Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau has revealed.
                 Shekarau who spoke on Sunday in Kano during a media interaction and an awards ceremony said the100 first class materials would be sponsored under the Special Presidential Scholarship Programme.
                 According to him, President Goodluck Jonathan has instructed the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) to select the best graduates and secure admissions for them to study up to doctorate level in universities abroad.Shekarau said the first batch had been screened and would soon leave the country to study in the best 25 universities in the world.

Yemi Alade and Davido

Popular Nigerian female vocalist, Yemi ALade, revealed she has signed a new endorsement deal with Close-up.

This follows the earlier announcement by Davido via Instagram just a day ago that he just inked a deal to become the ambassador of Close-Up.

As part of the deal, the two artistes have shot a TV commercial for the Close-up brand, which will go public from January 2015.

Rescue workers searching for the doomed AirAsia flight 8501 have recovered at least 40 bodies from the Java Sea, the Indonesian Navy has confirmed.

Scores of bodies were discovered alongside luggage, a plane door and an emergency slide in the water 100 miles off the coast of Borneo Island earlier today, following three days of searching.

Officials have confirmed that the bodies and debris found in the Java Sea off Indonesia are from flight 8501, and a naval spokesman said the rescuers remain 'very busy' retrieving the victims.

A 13-year-old boy, Bashir Auwalu, was on Sunday electrocuted at Na’ibawa Tsakia quarters in Kano metropolis.

The incident, triggered protests as some youths took to the streets, after Bashir Auwalu, was electrocuted.

The unfortunate incident occurred at No. 842, Naibawa Tsakia Quarters of Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state around 5.30 a.m. on Sunday.

A young woman who killed her baby daughter appeared at Kwamhlanga Magistrates Court, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
The 27-year-old woman, whose name is not disclosed, appeared in court charged with the murder of a five-months-old baby. Trying to justify her actions a young mother claimed that her daughter repeatedly turned into a python trying to swallow her alive.
These alleged transformations made the woman threw her own baby into a pit toilet, where the innocent girl died. Later the woman confessed that she had heard voices telling her “to take the baby back to the waters she had come from”.

We are sure the Lady Gaga fans everywhere would be glad to hear that she has landed a beauty deal with Japanese beauty brand Shiseido as their new face.
She will cover their 2015 New Year campaign in Japan in an unconventional way (Is there any other way with Lady Gaga?). She has taken 50 Selfies for the brand, 46 of which will be distributed in different newspapers across Japan on Thursday 1st January 2015; and the remaining 4 will be printed 4 days later on Monday 5th January 2015.
The ads are set to be distributed solely in Japan.
We are sure the combination of Lady Gaga and the Japanese creators will be nothing short of interesting.

The Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yemi Osinbajo, is doing everything to prove that he can not only take part in running a country but also have fun and relate to the youth.
Osinbajo was spotted at the “Olamide in Concert” show (OLIC) which was held on December 28, at the Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos.

                     A mother of 2 died at the age of 38 after her long-term unsuccessful battle with alcohol addiction.

                     Vicky White was drinking 330 units of alcohol weekly, including five bottles of wine a day and vodka for breakfast, Daily Mail reports.
                     Vicky’s partner Steven Hough devastated over the loss said she had tried hard to stop, but was always subdued by the addiction. The two children, aged 7 and 17, are spending their first Christmas without mother who died in July from liver failure.

A mechanic, Olajide Olaniran, has stabbed a 34-year-old man, Julius Joseph, for allegedly pinging on the road while driving in the Ijaiye area of Lagos State.
Our correspondent gathered that Joseph was returning from a bank in the area to withdraw money when Olaniran, who was in a Toyota Corolla, blocked the road and accused him of pinging and driving.
It was, however, learnt that Joseph was checking an alert he received on his phone when the incident occured.

Good bye jooor

LAGOS PORT

On Monday, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said nine ships laden with petrol had arrived Lagos ports, waiting to discharge.

The NPA stated this in ‘Shipping Position’ it’s daily publication, usually made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

According to the ‘Shipping Position’ the nine ships sailed in with 283,300 tonnes of fuel while another ship arrived with Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO).

Torres Can Return To His Best With Atletico says Milinko Pantic

torres

The Spanish striker is coming off the back of disastrous spells at Chelsea and AC Milan but the Serbian thinks that going home could pay off for the 30-year-old

Fernando Torres’ return to Atletico Madrid could lead to the misfiring forward regaining his very best form, according to Milinko Pantic.

Torres is due to sign an 18-month loan deal with Atleti on January 5, after the completion of his permanent switch to AC Milan from Chelsea.

The police has arrested 12 suspected ritualists in Akwukwu Igbo near Asaba, Delta State.

The arrest of the suspects was confirmed by DSP Celestina Kalu who is Police Public Relations Officer in the state. He said that the suspects were arrested based on a tip- off, following their illicit activities inside the thick forest, especially as some corpses were alleged to have been exhumed in the last few weeks by unknown persons.

Proud winner of MTN's N50million house, Omotola Akinsola, displays the dummy key to her house, at the end of the 'Who Deserves To Be Surprised' TV game show, held at Ultima Studios, Lekki.

A corps member has won a house worth N50 million after playing the weekly TV game show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire sponsored by telecoms company, MTN.

Buhari

Former head of state and the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2015 general elections, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), did not present his academic qualifications to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, even as he prepares for the 2015 presidential contest.

Journalists, who were at the headquarters of INEC in Abuja, could not find Buhari’s academic qualifications unlike those of other presidential candidates, including President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano

The wife of Anambra State governor, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, during the Christmas visited some prisons in the state and urged the inmates there to change their ways.

She visited Onitsha, Aguata, Amawbia prisons, as well as the Daughters of Charity Orphanage at Fegge in Onitsha.

“I came to celebrate with you because as the wife of the governor, I am privileged to be the mother of all in the state; I see you as an important set of the one big family. The fact that you are in here does not mean that you cannot come out reformed and better than others and be able to contribute to the service and progress of our state,” she said.

The Lagos State Government on Monday said that 440 Mathematics teachers drawn from the six educational districts of the state have undergone a clinic to improve the performance of students in Mathematics in the state’s public secondary schools.

The state commissioner for education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, who disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos, explained that the objective of the training was to update the knowledge of Mathematics teachers in the state’s public secondary schools and also improve the methods of teaching and learning of the subject in schools.

Vice President, Namadi Sambo

The Lagos State Government has replied Nigeria’s Vice President Namadi Sambo over his accusation that people were leaving Lagos in droves as a result of heavy taxation imposed by the State Government.

In his recent visit to Lagos, Sambo had declared that people were leaving Lagos in droves as a consequence of heavy taxation imposed by the State Government.

The Scottish nurse who contracted Ebola volunteering in west Africa is being transferred by military-style aircraft to a specialist unit in London from hospital in Glasgow.

The patient, who has not yet been named but is in a stable condition, was taken on board the aircraft within a specialist quarantine tent from Glasgow airport earlier on Tuesday morning, surrounded by medical staff in protection suits.

Former Director of National Planning Commission (NPC), Alhaji Nazifi Abdullahi Darma, has revealed that the Federal Government requires over five trillion naira (N5trn) to complete over 8,000 abandoned projects across the country.

Darma, who made the revelation while speaking at a workshop on “Entrepreneurship in Tertiary Education Curriculum” organised by the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU) Lapai in Minna, Niger State, said a recent survey of teams from the commission on some projects executed by the FG showed that states and local governments were not even aware of existence of such projects in their areas.

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maya

Even more than 1,000 years after their disappearance, it’s clear the Mayans had a good thing going.

This was a civilization with hieroglypics, mathematics and art. This was a civilization with pyramids, agriculture and a complex economy. Even though the Mayans enjoyed the occasional human sacrifice, and their calendar incorrectly predicted the world would end in 2012. But centered in what is now Guatemala, this civilization rivaled its contemporaries springing up in drafty castles in Europe.

Then, sometime around 900 A.D., Mayan society collapsed. No one is sure why. But, after years of speculation, a new study provides further evidence for a oft-named cause: drought.

The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Ondo State Chapter, has said it would resist any attempt to sweep the case of Dr. David Akintayo Oguntuase, who died in an inferno that razed his Universal Medical Clinic, Akure, on Christmas day, under the carpet. You can read the story Mystery Fire Guts Hospital, Burns Doctor To Death here

The Association, through its state chairman, Bamidele Betiku, made the disclosure on Monday, in Akure while addressing journalists on its position over the death of their late colleague.

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has thrown its weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan on his warning to leaders of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and some former office holders to desist from sowing seeds of discord among the people with their incendiary utterances.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Saturday described Mr. President's statement as a "perfect act in nationalism, the mark of true leader who is committed to the interest and welfare of the nation and her citizens” and urged the opposition to heed this caution, show decency, patriotism and shun do or die quest for power.

CR7

Cristiano Ronaldo has ended 2014 in style by collecting the Best Player of the Year accolade at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai.

Ronaldo has enjoyed arguably the greatest year of his career, breaking the record for the number of goals in a single Champions League season as he led Real Madrid to their 10th title, while maintaining his better than a goal-per-game ratio across five prolific years in Spain.

The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan

The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, on Monday faulted the call in some quarters that the office First Ladies be scraped, arguing that ”First Ladies have made profound contributions to the development of Nigeria.”

She made her opinion known in Umuahia, the Abia state capital, southeast Nigeria while speaking at the grand civic reception in her honour by her maternal kinsmen of the Ohuhu clan.

Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the PDP-led Federal Government of trying to suppress the audit report on the missing $20 billion oil money, saying the deadline for the release of the report, which was set by the government itself, has come and gone.

In a statement issued in Ilorin on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala herself had said, at the Financial Times Africa Summit 2014 in London in October, that the report would be ready in November 2014.

DSS Spokeswoman. Ms. Marilyn Ogar

The Department of State Services (DSS) has warned political office holders not to hide under the privileges of their offices to make utterances that were against the general interest of the nation.

In a statement issued by the Director, Public Relations of the service, Ms Marilyn Ogar on Monday in Abuja, the Service warned that such utterances would no longer be tolerated.

Ebola Wokers

Doctors in Scotland are treating a health-care worker infected with the Ebola virus after she returned from working with Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, authorities said.

The patient was admitted to a specialist unit in a Glasgow hospital early Monday, hours after arriving in the country, the government said.

“Infectious diseases procedures have been put into effect and the patient has been isolated,” a government statement said.

Alan Pardew

Newcastle United can confirm that Crystal Palace have made a formal approach requesting permission to speak to Alan Pardew in relation to their vacant managerial position.

Crystal Palace have offered compensation at a level whereby Alan has now been permitted to speak to them.

As a result of this development today (Monday), Alan will not be at training on Tuesday. Training will be the responsibility of assistant manager John Carver.

West Bromwich Albion FC

Premier League club West Bromwich Albion fired head coach Alan Irvine on Monday after winning just one of its last nine games, saying a change is necessary to boost its hopes of avoiding relegation.

The club said in a statement late Monday that "Irvine leaves the club with immediate effect," and that assistant head coach Rob Kelly will take charge of the team for Thursday's game against West Ham. West Brom said it hopes to name a permanent successor this weekend, with former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood tipped by British media to be among the leading candidates.

A cross-section of Internally Displaced Persons In Nigeria

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Monday, distributed relief materials worth millions of naira to about 100 persons displaced by insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country, camped in Abuja.

Distributing the items at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in the FCT, the Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Sidi, said the gesture was to alleviate their hardship.

The Federal Government and the European Union (EU) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate monitoring of the 2015 general elections in Nigeria.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Danjuma Sheni, while signing the documents on behalf of the Nigerian government yesterday said Nigeria welcomes the European Union as observers of its elections.

Calabar Carnival Still Remains Greatest Street Party And Greatest Show In Africa – Gov. Imoke

Gov. Liyel Imoke

Cross River State governor, Mr. Liyel Imoke, has said that after 10 years of remarkable outings, the Carnival Calabar remains the greatest show ever in Africa.

He stated this weekend at the Millennium Park while declaring open the 2014 adult Carnival Calabar in Cross River State. He also said that the annual event has come to stay.

“This is 10 years of the Calabar Carnival, the greatest street party ever and the greatest show in Africa.” He said.

A fire broke out at a mosque in Sweden early on Monday, in what authorities believe to be the second arson attack targeting a Muslim center in the country in less than a week.

“We are working under the assumption it is arson,” a Swedish police officer told TT News agency.

The incident took place in the southern town of Eslov, Reuters reported citing local media, adding that fire-fighters extinguished the blaze, and no one was injured. An earlier Christmas Day attack on another mosque in Eskilstuna city, 86 miles west of the Swedish capital Stockholm, had injured five people, raising concerns over threats by arsonists.

In an interview with NPR.com, Nigerian Gay rights activist, Bisi Alimi, who was the first person to come out as gay on Nigerian TV, talked about the challenges of living as a gay Nigerian man, living with the HIV virus, his relationship with his immediate family members and also about the Nigerian anti-gay law.

Below are excerpts from the revealing interview...

Men of the Nigeria Police Force, Ogun State Command, have arrested nine suspects and recovered arms in connection with the recent disturbance in Ijoko, Ado Odo local government area of the state over Obaship tussle.

A statement released yesterday by the command’s spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the command arrested the suspects in their bid to unravel those behind the crisis that engulfed the town, recently.

Pandemonium broke out at Ijoko town on Christmas Eve when some hoodlums invaded the palace of one of the two traditional rulers, Oba Lasisi Ogunseye, who is the Onijoko of Ijoko of Egbaland, and set it ablaze. Aside setting the palace on fire, the hoodlums also burnt properties worth several millions of naira, while several people were injured.

Kanye West

More than a year after spazzing on Sway about his place in the fashion world, Kanye West is named the "Most Stylish Man of the Year" by GQ, beating out actor Idris Elba for the title in a reader-submitted poll.

"The disciples have spoken, and Kanye West is the people's champion of swag in the year of our lord Yeezus two thousand and fourteen," writes the mag.

"Since he burst onto the scene in pink polo shirts and Louis Vuitton backpacks over a decade ago, West has shifted the landscape of men's fashion with his forward-thinking style. 2014 was no different.”

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