Buhari, Jonathan emerge Vanguard Personalities of the Year, 2015

inubu, Jega, heroes of democracy

*Ekwueme, Danjuma, Dafinone, Akande others win life time awards

*Oshiomhole, Amosun, Dankwambo, Shetimma emerge Governors of the Year

Muhammadu Buhari was focused in his persistent pursuit of the presidency. Having attained the maximum political office as a military head of state 32 years earlier at the age of 41, Buhari seemed determined to regain political office as president.

He submitted himself to a democratic process that in its course projected the re-engineering of the political landscape. In the end and for the first time in the nation’s political history, an incumbent president was defeated in an election.

In the run-up to the election, the Buhari persona became a major issue, but Buhari as candidate took the inquisition with remarkable aplomb. To the credit of the Buhari personality, many of those who contested on the platform of his party won on the coattails of his remarkable victory.

His dogged pursuit, his incomparable victory and his so far unwavering efforts in sanitising the polity, Muhammadu Buhari is by the unanimous decision of Vanguard editors, VanguardPersonality of the Year, 2015.

Jonathan urges Nigerians to work, pray for good of nation

Abuja—Former President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday enjoined Nigerians to pray and work for the good of the country, stressing that God would see the nation through its period of hardship.

Jonathan stated this yesterday while addressing the congregation at the Word Illumination Ministry in Gwarimpa, Abuja, where the former President, his wife and well wishers had gone to dedicate and thank God for his first grandchild.

Jonathan noted that every country has its high and low periods, adding that with dedication and hardwork, nations overcome their problems. The former President also advised Nigerians to endeavor to protect and give their best to their country at all times.

He said further: “I will just thank God for all he has been doing for our country and I also thank you all for the prayers for the good of our country. Whenever I am talking to Christians and other believers depending on their faith, I always urge them to pray for the country. Every nation go through two periods; period of adversity and period of joy.

A modular refinery strategy needed

THE euphoria following the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime seven months ago .appears dampened by a plethora of economic problems, one of which is the savage return of fuel scarcity, which has been on for two months.

Fuel shortage is a manifestation of multi-dimensional challenges facing the petroleum industry: deregulation of the downstream sector, removal of the petroleum product subsidy, product supply challenges arising from non-functional refineries, illegal artisanal refining business in the Niger Delta, crude oil theft and poor maintenance/management of the more than 5,000km oil pipelines in Nigeria. Corruption is a central player in all these.

The Nigerian public to whom the new government owes accountability does not need to be bothered with this long list of challenges. All they want is to get the petroleum products to run their lives.

Removal of fuel subsidy as indicated by the federal government is a step in the right direction only if it goes with the complement of local refining and supply of the products.

Naira exchange rate, CBN “don” miss road

The Central Bank of Nigeria is obviously, currently losing the battle to arrest inflation and the unyielding slide in the Naira’s exchange rate. Regrettably, with inflation persistently closer to 10%, all static incomes have lost over 40% of purchasing values since 2010; thus, the laborer’s N18,000 minimum wage may just be worth less than N10,800 today. Instructively, however, spiraling inflation is, usually, primarily triggered by uncontrolled and liberal money supply. Consequently, monetary authorities in successful economies everywhere, endeavor to keep inflation below 2% by managing money supply!

Unfortunately, prevailing near double digit inflation rates were compounded by over 25% Naira devaluation this year. Alarmingly, the Naira has plummeted from N197 to below N270=$1 in the parallel market, while the huge margin between both rates has encouraged financial malfeasance and resulted in significant market distortions, which invariably promote rent seeking while discouraging any serious commitment to grow the real sector, and create more jobs.

Historically, Nigeria’s rising rate of unemployment and deepening poverty correlates loyally with Naira’s steady depreciation from 50kobo to N197=$1; consequently, in order to earn the same purchasing value that 50kobo commanded before 1980, Nigerians must now perform the impossible task of working almost 400 times harder today.

Inevitably, therefore, the consequences of high inflation rates and a sliding Naira exchange rate have ultimately propelled us amongst the World’s poorest nations.

Why Buhari is trusted in Yorubaland — Gen Diya

Nigeria may have problems producing Buhari’s successor

Lieutenant General Donaldson Oladipo Diya (Retd) was Chief of General Staff, CGS, during the military regime of late General Sani Abacha (1993 – 1997).

Earlier he served under the military regime of General Muhammadu Buhari as Military Governor of Ogun State between January 1984 and August 1985. Born on April 3, 1944 at Odogbolu,Ogun State, Diya was educated at the Methodist Primary School, Lagos, Odogbolu Grammar School, and then at the Nigerian Defence Academy,  NDA, Kaduna.

He later attended the United States of America Army School of Infantry; the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State (1980–1981) and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State. While serving in the military, Diya studied Law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained an LLB degree, and subsequently the Nigerian Law School after which he was called to bar as Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

General Diya was Commander, 31 Airborne Brigade before he was appointed by General Buhari as Military Governor of Ogun State after which he moved to become the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82nd Division, Nigeria Army, in 1985 following the ouster of the Buhari government by General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.

FG probes Aero’s use of ladder in Bauchi

The Minister of State for  Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika yesterday gave a direction to an immediate investigation into the use of ladder by Aero Contractors Airlines on its chartered flight at the Bauchi Airport which went viral on Saturday.

He said: “Several reports received by the Minister have indicated the airline used a ladder to disembark passengers from a Boeing 737 aircraft at the Bauchi airport on Saturday December 19th 2015.

Steve Harvey apologizes again on Twitter for Miss Universe winner blunder

So...earlier during the Miss Universe pageant, host, comedian Steve Harvey announced Miss Colombia as the Miss Universe winner then realized his mistake and corrected the announcement to Miss Philippines as the winner. He took to Twitter to apologize for the blunder and Twitter responded by being both mean and sympathetic. Read more tweets after the cut..

‘The Rock’ shares adorable first photo of daughter Jasmine

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson who welcomed a baby girl with his girlfriend, Lauren Hashian, only four days ago shared a photo of his daughter, Jasmine on Instagram. He wrote:

Christmas came early! Within minutes of being born she was laying on daddy's chest. And being a grateful man takes on a whole new meaning... Thank you guys so much for the awesome congratulatory wishes and love you've been sending @laurenhashianofficial and myself. We're extremely grateful. Kinda crazy but in this cool and powerful skin to skin bonding moment with my newborn baby Jasmine, I had just one wish I asked the universe... Give me the strength to be a better man today than I was yesterday. If I can accomplish that, then I'd have a good shot at being a great father. 

GEJ had no confidence in the 2015 budget- Dogara

Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara says Former President Goodluck Jonathan had no confidence in the 2015 budget he sent to the National Assembly before leaving office in May. According to him, Buhari cannot work with the Jonathan-administration budget because the budget was about Jonathan's vision and not Buhari's vision. See more of his tweets.

Coco Austin shows before and after pregnancy photos with daughter Chanel

On Sunday, Coco Austin, shared a side-by-side photo while pregnant with daughter Chanel, three weeks, and after her daughter's birth. 

The new mother nestled her infant daughter over her stomach, where, just a few weeks ago, the little one was inside. She wrote:

Cameroonian soldier fighting Boko Haram commits suicide

Sad news! A Cameroonian soldier fighting the Boko Haram sect in Bargaram, a border town with Nigeria, committed suicide yesterday December 20th. May his soul rest in peace.

Former US President Jimmy Carter announces unexpected death of grandson

Former President Jimmy Carter announced the unexpected death of his grandson Jeremy to a church class Sunday, just two weeks after he had announced to the same group by revealing he had beaten cancer.

Carter arrived about 25 minutes late to his weekly class at the Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., and told the congregation his grandson had died just hours earlier, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Disaster on Miss Universe 2015 as Steve Harvey announces the wrong winner on live TV

Miss Colombia wiped away tears of joy as the $30,000 blue diamond and topaz crown was placed upon her head and she was named Miss Universe 2015, winning the title for her country for the second year in a row. But her glory only lasted for two minutes.
Just as Ariadna Gutierrez was blowing kisses and waving to her adoring fans she was informed, on live television, that it was actually Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo who was meant to be wearing the crown.

El-Rufai sees us as enemies -Shi’ite group says

Members of the Shiite group have released a statement accusing Kaduna state governor Nasir El Rufai as seeing them as enemies of the state. El Rufai had in a state broadcast last Thursday condemned the seeming lawlessness of the group in the state. Read the statement the Shiite group released after the ,
“It is clear that the governor is more like an extremist anti-Shi’ite governor and not a state governor. Going by the concept and tone of the state broadcast on the extra-judicial killing of thousands of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria by the Nigerian Army, delivered by the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai, it is clear that the governor is more like an extremist anti-Shi’ite governor and not a state governor. Although the governor took his time in his speech to elaborate on rights to religion and social association, but he chose to deny only the Shi’ites such rights who he sees as his enemies. Clearly, he spent considerable time collecting propaganda details indicting the movement,

Photos: Bus carrying tourists plunges off a cliff in Thailand, killing people

A bus carrying Chinese tourists collided with another vehicle and plunged off a cliff in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Sunday, December 20. Number of fatalities is unknown at the moment. More photos after the cut...

G12 Bar at Oniru Beach hosts Beach Boom today

Your premiere and evergreen seaside hangout G12Bar which is symbolic with events of such magnitude would be hosting a mega carnival themed "Beach Boom" - a festival to remember 

This Sunday promises a different feel as we would be hosting whole lots of activities including welcome parties to all Nigerians in diaspora and diverse cultures in Nigeria, Lagos, first Private Beach @G12 lounge.


Super Host would be star Boi WIZKID
Also a special welcome back for FMV RECORDS' CEO.

Mikel Obi, Kanu Nwankwo & Okocha make Africa's top 10 richest footballers of all time

Nigeria's Mikel Obi alongside retired players Jay Jay Okocha and Kanu Nwankwo are among the top 10 highest earning African players of all time according to a study conducted & published by French publication, Footendirect. With a cumulative take-home of $50 million, John Mikel Obi is now the best paid among the current generation of Nigerian players.

According to Footendirect, Mikel who earns about £75,000 per week at Chelsea has a total earnings estimate of $50m while Kanu Nwankwo and Jay Jay Okocha who have since retired made $100m and $150m respectively from their career. See the full list after the jump.

Trey Songz, Wizkid, Cecil Hammond at Club 57 last night (photos)

A day after his appearance on Rhythm Unplugged, Trey Songz hung with Wizkid, Bizzle, Cecil Hammond, the organizer of the show, Bizzle, Segun Demuren and others at Club 57. More pics after the cut...

Photo of the day!

Lol. Somebody better go give him that money...