Police disrupt ASUU protest

Over 1,000 anti-riot policemen yesterday in Calabar disrupted a protest march by the University of Calabar branch of Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, ASUU. This is even as the union said only justice to the 2009 agreement signed with the Federal Government can guarantee peace in public universities.

The police barricaded the university’s gate to prevent ASUU members from kick-starting the demonstration, which the union claimed would have been peaceful. Addressing ASUU members at the school gate while speaking on the theme, “Save university education in Nigeria,” ASUU branch Chairman, UNICAL, Dr. James Okpileye, charged members to remain steadfast in the struggle of winning the war against oppressive tendencies by the Federal Government.

Okpileye noted that recently ASUU wrote a letter to the police informing them of the union’s plan to embark on a peaceful road walk but to his greatest chagrin, police came and barricaded the institution’s gate, preventing his members from conducting it.

“Why would market women and students be allowed to carry out demonstrations but ASUU’s peaceful rally is being disrupted?” he asked. Also speaking, a former National ASUU President, Festus Iyayi, berated the Federal Government for employing savage strategy of ‘no-work-no-pay’ to cause starvation to lecturers, stressing that the teachers would not be intimidated by such “a theory of cascading mediocrity.” Iyayi said the introduction of no-work-no-pay was not new to the union, adding that when ASUU returned from the trenches, they would implement their own theory of ‘no-work, no-pay.’

The ASUU branch Chairman, Cross River University of Technology, CRUTECH, Dr. Nsim Ogar, urged the police to be cautious in discharging their duties. He stressed that it was ASUU’s turn today, it could come to when the police too would be aggrieved with government’s poor funding of public institutions and might decide to fight for their right.

In Osogbo and Ile-Ife in Osun State, vehicular and human activities were paralysed for hours as angry lecturers of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, and Osun State University, UNIOSUN, staged rallies to force the Federal Government to implement the agreement reached with the union in 2009.

The lecturers held their rally at the Freedom Square in Osogbo while those at Ile- Ife went round the ancient town to register their grievances against the government on the matter. Addressing the crowd, the OAU Chairman of ASUU, Dr. Adegbola Akinola, said: “The Federal Government is yet to fulfil the agreement reached with the leadership of the union and the sensitisation rally was in compliance with the directive from the national secretariat of the union since the government has not worked in line with the agreement reached with the union. “The government is not transparent over the ASUU’s demands and that is why the union’s position is to sanitise the tertiary education sector.”

Dr. Amos Idowu of the Department of Public Law said that “the enlightenment rally was to ensure that tertiary institutions in the country are funded the way it should be. We are saying no to bastardization of tertiary educational system as was done to primary and secondary education system.

“We are covered by the law which gives every Nigerian the right to express their mind. We are out to claim civil and political rights by educating members of the public why ASUU is on nationwide strike so that the government will be proactive in taking care of education in the country.”

The Chairman, UNIOSUN branch of ASUU, Dr. Abiona Joseph, said that the rally was to educate the people on what was actually happening and correct the impression by the people that ASUU rejected the offers of government.

Policemen were stationed to monitor the peaceful rally so as not to be hijacked by hoodlums. The Chairman of the University of Ibadan chapter of the union, Dr. Olusegun Ajiboye, while speaking at the town hall meeting and presentation of NEEDS assessment report to clergymen, civil society, labour and students, said the appeal by President Goodluck Jonathan to be patriotic was not needed but the implementation of the agreement reached with the union.

He said that it was sad that a President that claimed that corruption was not Nigeria’s problem could watch while a minister bought bullet-proof vehicles for N255m, and claimed there was no money to fund education. Ajiboye called on President Jonathan to teach youths in the country the virtue of fulfilling agreement and not play politics with lives of children of the masses.

He berated the President for speaking out publicly on the ongoing strike close to four months after it began, maintaining that he had not been patriotic and sensitive enough to the needs of Nigerians.

He said: “Will it have been possible for Mr. President to be quiet if his children are in one of our public institutions and be at home for four months? Does the President care about the future of the country while the children of the masses in public institutions have been asking their President to be more sensitive and patriotic enough to public institutions?.

“How many years of appeal will make Mr. President implement a four-yearold agreement? The truth is we are tired of appeal. We need action.” The ASUU boss added that the union had shown enough patriotism by suspending previous strikes after the Federal Government failed to fulfil the agreement in phases, stating that the 2012 strike was suspended as a patriotic compromise to allow government implement other components of the agree-ment but the government deceived the union.

“We believe in ASUU that if the future will be better, today must be good. We cannot live on appeal while children of the rich use public monies abroad and even use Federal Government scholarship scheme to school abroad,” he said. The Chairman UI Strike Information and Propaganda Committee, Prof. Dele Layiwola, said Nigeria is the biggest and most disappointing black nation where leaders do not love their citizens.

The Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Remi Raji-Oyelade, who presented the NEEDS report, described it as a ‘’thesis of rot in Nigeria Public Education’’, adding that the report means that “Now excellence in education deserves serious attention”.

Present at the town hall meeting include the Oyo State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Bashir Olanrewaju; the Leader of Herbal Medicine, Dr. Esalaye Aarunoyemi; the Chaplain of the Chapel of Resurrection, Rev. Olatunji, students and members of the civil society. Meanwhile, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, said she was not responsible for prolonged industrial action by university lecturers in the country contrary to rumours being peddled by faceless people about her roles in the crisis.

The Minister, in a statement by her media aide, Paul Nwabuikwu, said contrary to some recent media reports, the Federal Government had not adopted a take-it-or-leave-it approach in its negotiations with ASUU. Rather, she explained that the approach was focused on positive engagement and achieving sustainable solutions to the challenges facing higher education in the country, adding that that is why President Jonathan recently appealed to ASUU to respond to government’s positive steps by calling off its strike in the interest of suffering students and parents.

Okonjo-Iweala lamented that despite the appeal, some elements in ASUU had been distributing pamphlets and flyers with abusive and inflammatory messages against her in mosques and other places, pointing out that the ugly development is taking academic unionism to a new low and infusing it with unnecessary politics.

Kidnappers of Osun Speaker’s wife jailed 27 years

The Osun State High Court sitting in Iwo yesterday sentenced the five persons standing trial for kidnapping the wife of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Alhaja Muibat Salaam, to 27 years imprisonment.

In his over one hour judgement, the presiding judge, Justice Moshood Adeigbe, sentenced the five persons to seven years for conspiracy, 10 years for kidnapping and 10 years for unlawful possession of fire arms.

While stating that each term of the sentence would run concurrently, Justice Adeigbe said the five convicts deserved the full punishments because the offence they committed was callous, heartless and condemnable.

The judge said: “The prosecution have been able to establish their case against the defendants and the confessional statements were clear that the accused persons met at Royal Hotel in Agbor, Delta State, where they planned the kidnap, perfected it in Lagos and carried it out in Ejigbo.

“The exhibits also showed that the five accused persons kidnapped the PW2 (Mrs. Salaam), forced her into a trailer and dragged her into the bush on their way to Lagos before the Ogun State Police Command arrested them. “I hold that the prosecution have established their case and therefore found the five accused persons guilty of conspiracy, kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms”.
The five convicts, Chukwudi Okereke (40), Ogbole Ochijile Elijah (25), Okonkwo Lucky (33), Kaikine Mahah (35) and Nwadinnor Philip (30) were said to have conspired and armed with AK 47, kidnapped Mrs. Salaam, who was returning from her shop in her Honda Accord car marked OSHA02 at about 8pm around Oke-Oyo Road in Ejigbo, Osun State on October 9, 2012
.
The prosecution, led by the Osun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adewale Afolabi, claimed that the convicts had confessed to the kidnapping of the Speaker’s wife in their individual statements to the police during investigations.

However, the defence counsel, Messrs. Sam George and Fredrick Komolafe, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, saying the convicts were married and they have children.

Good riddance to bad rubbish!

Rihanna asked to leave Abu Dhabi mosque over photo shoot

Rihanna was asked to leave before she entered the mosque building

Pop star Rihanna was asked to leave a famous Abu Dhabi mosque complex after posing outside the building for an unauthorised photo shoot.

The singer tweeted pictures of herself in a black jumpsuit and headscarf on photo-sharing site Instagram.

A statement from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, said she was asked to leave after "inappropriate pictures" were taken
.
The photos "did not comply with terms and conditions" of organised visits.

Rihanna performed live in the capital of the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.

The mosque said Rihanna, 25, first arrived "at an entrance that was not designated for visitors".

Tourist attraction

"She was confronted by the mosque officials and directed to the appropriate entrance to the mosque, to carry out a visit under the normal conditions."

She was asked to leave after striking a series of poses for the photo shoot.

The statement claimed Rihanna turned up at the mosque "without any previous co-ordination with the administration".

Several of the photos could be construed as suggestive, with one showing the pop star lying on her back in the mosque's courtyard.

The mosque is a major tourist attraction which welcomes non-Muslims - it had more than three million visitors last year.

Rihanna's publicity team is yet to make a comment...

ASUU vows to continue strike till agreement is honoured

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday vowed to continue on their 114-day-old strike unless the government honoured the 2009 agreement it entered with the union.

The Chairman of ASUU at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Prof. Adegbola Akinola, and his University of Ibadan chapter counterpart, Dr. Olusegun Ajiboye, said President Goodluck Jonathan did not need to plead with the lecturers to end the strike.

Akinola told journalists during a rally staged by members of the union in Ile-Ife on Monday, that  'ASUU does not need any plea from Mr. President. We are not asking for impossible things. The Federal Government reached an agreement with us and we are asking them to honour it. It is so simple.'

'Government should be honourable. Is it honourable not to honour an agreement? Certainly no. The Federal Government should not allow the public universities to continue to degenerate. Posterity will not forgive us if we allow public universities to totally collapse.

'Our country has the resources to honour the agreement but education is not given priority.

'We won't allow public universities to be destroyed. That is why they are establishing private universities all over the country with the nation's money. Except those owned by the missionaries, tell me which of the private universities was not established with the nation's resources?'

Akinola said that infrastructure were decaying in public  universities because of the   neglect they had suffered.

He explained that the strike was not about members of the union but a means to force the government to do the right things.

The ASUU chief warned that  children from poor  homes  might no longer have access to university education if the union  should succumb to the blackmail being employed against it by the government.

Also Ajiboye said at a town hall meeting and presentation of the  National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy assessment report to clerics , civil society,  labour and students at the Trenchard Hall, UI on Monday, that  Jonathan's plea  would not make ASUU end the strike.

He  said, 'Will the President be quiet if his children are in one of our public institutions and be at home for four months? Does he care about the future of the country while the children of the masses in public institutions have been asking their leader to be more sensitive and patriotic enough to public institutions?

'How many years of appeal will make the President implement a four-year-old agreement? The truth is that  we are tired of appeals. We need action .

'In ASUU, our belief is that today's event will shape the future. We cannot live on appeal while the  children of the rich use public funds to study abroad and even make use of government scholarship scheme.'

However, about 200 heavily armed policemen on Monday stopped members of ASUU from carrying out an enlightenment walk on the   strike in Calabar,  Cross River State.

The walk  was organised by the University of Calabar and Cross River  State University of Technology branches of ASUU.

It  was to take off from the UNICAL gate at 7am through some streets of Calabar, but the policemen ensured the union members  did not leave the gate of the institution.

They  said they were acting on 'orders from above.'

The Chairman ASUU, UNICAL branch, Dr. James Okpiliya, said, 'Our union is law- abiding. We wrote to the police and other security agencies on our intention of walking the streets in pursuance of our cause to put the records straight.

'Many groups have been walking the streets giving people the wrong impression about the situation. We just want to put the records straight. The police are telling us that they have orders from above not let us walk the streets of Calabar. It is a shame. You can all see the hypocrisy of government.

'They allowed youths and market women but they would not let us   do the same. We would remain resolute. No amount of provocation would stop us.

'We are not on strike because of our salaries. We are fighting for our students and the terrible conditions of our universities. Most of our science students do not know the difference between a Bunsen burner and a stove. They don't even know the chemicals.

'The Tertiary Education Trust Fund today has become a main funding source of our universities, but this is not to be so. TETFUND is only an intervention agency. Government has bailed out banks and even Nollywood, but not our universities.

'The strike would continue as long as the government remains adamant. The President said after all, the strike in Ghana lasted two years; so that means this one could  continue even up to five years.'

The Chairman of ASUU, CRUTECH branch, Dr Nsing Ogar, said the Federal Government must honour the 2009 agreement.

But  university administrators in the country on Monday expressed concern over the  strike and appealed   to both ASUU and the Federal Government to urgently reach a compromise on the issue.

The National President of the Association of Nigerian University Professional Administrators, Mr. Samuel Mwansat,  made this appeal at the ongoing annual retreat of the National Council Members of the association   at the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun in  Ogun State.

He stressed that the current disagreement between ASUU and the government required 'understanding.'

In Abuja,   Okonjo-Iweala,  accused  ASUU of taking unionism to an all time low with its   latest approach to  the strike.

She   accused  the union of   introducing    politics  to  the strike  through the  distribution of 'flyers riddled with lies in mosques in the North.'

The minister, in a  statement by her Special Adviser, Paul Nwabuikwu,   said contrary to the position being  spread by ASUU, she had  not taken a 'take-it-or-leave-it approach' to the face-off between the union and government.

She claimed that  it was ASUU that had taken  such an approach,  saying   no government had  been as responsive to the demands of the striking lecturers as that of Jonathan.

The statement reads in part,  'Contrary to some recent media reports, the Federal Government has not adopted a take-it-or-leave-it approach in its negotiations with ASUU. Rather, the approach is focused on positive engagement and achieving sustainable solutions to the challenges facing higher education in the country.

'That is why President  Jonathan recently appealed to ASUU to respond to government's positive steps by calling off its strike in the interest of suffering students and parents.

'Despite this, for several days now, some elements in ASUU have been distributing pamphlets and flyers with abusive and inflammatory messages against  Dr. Okonjo-Iweala in mosques and other places. This is taking academic unionism to a new low and infusing it with unnecessary politics. I am sure majority of ASUU members are not in support of this.'

She said the  government  was  working hard   to seek practical and sustainable solutions to the challenges facing higher education in the country.

According to her, ' The President has made available N100bn  a year in the first instance to repair hostels, laboratories and classrooms and other facilities in the universities.

'An offer  of N30bn has also been made to ASUU   towards the  earned allowances of its members.'

#God's intervention we seek#

INEC uncovers 93,526 multiple registrations in Anambra

The National Commissioner, Election Monitoring, Independent National Electoral Commission, Dr Ishmael Igbani, said on Monday in Abuja that the commission hads commenced cleaning up of voter's register and data consolidation.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria that the exercise was part of the activities lined up by INEC to ensure a hitch-free 2015 general elections.

Igbani expressed optimism that the exercise would eliminate duplication or multiple registration.

The national commissioner added that detection and elimination of multiple registrations was made possible by the new technology deployed by the commission.

He said, 'Through the exercise the commission had detected 93,526 multiple registration cases in Anambra State ahead of the November 16 governorship election.

'This represents five per cent of the registered voters in Anambra and they have been removed from the voter's register.'

Igbani explained that to ensure the best ever conducted election in the country, chip-based permanent voter cards would soon be issued to all voters.

Female suicide bomber attacks Russian bus, kills six

A female suicide bomber attacked a bus in southern Russia yesterday, authorities said, killing at least six people in the deadliest such blast outside the volatile North Caucasus region in nearly three years.

The bombing in Volgograd was likely to raise fears of further attacks by Islamist militants as Russia prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in February in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, not far from the mainly Muslim North Caucasus.

The attack, which investigators blamed on a 30-year-old woman from Dagestan, the North Caucasus province at the centre of an insurgency, also wounded 32 people, of whom eight were in critical condition, the federal Investigative Committee said. State television showed footage, taken from a camera mounted on a driver’s dashboard, of an explosion ripping through the bus as it travelled along a tree-lined road, sending shards of metal and glass flying. Passengers scrambled out of doors and windows after the bus had stopped.

“There was a blast – a bang – all the glass flew out of the windows,” an eyewitness named Ivan, who had been driving behind the bus, told state-run Rossiya-24 television. “The cloud of smoke quickly dissipated and then I saw people start to fall out and run out to escape the bus,” he said.

“It was a horrible sight.” Citing a regional investigative source, the Interfax news agency said identity documents belonging to the suspected bomber were found near the site, and that she was believed to have been the wife of an Islamist militant. The federal Investigative Committee named the suspect as Naida Asiyalova, 30, of Dagestan. “This woman got on the bus at one of the stops and the explosion occurred almost immediately afterwards.

This was confirmed by the surviving passengers,” Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said. “The blast was big, it was huge,” Vladimir, a man who said his daughter survived the bombing, told Ekho Moskvy radio.

“When I came to pick her up, half the bus was simply not there. It was scary. Very scary,” he said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Volgograd is a city of around 1 million people that lies 900 km (560 miles) southeast of Moscow and a few hundred kilometres north of the North Caucasus and Sochi, at the western end of the Caucasus range, where Russia will hold the Winter Olympics.

President Vladimir Putin has staked his reputation on the Games and ordered authorities to boost security in the North Caucasus, where the Islamist insurgency is rooted in two post-Soviet wars pitting Chechen separatists against the Kremlin.

One woman's mission to save Nigeria's palms

One of Nigeria's former first ladies, Ajoke Muhammed, now devotes her time to saving indigenous plants, including the West African nation's many species of palm tree.

She has the largest private collection of plants in Nigeria, with more than 2,000 trees and shrubs, and 400 types of palm growing in her garden, built up over eight years in the capital, Abuja.

The 72-year-old imports many of Nigeria's endangered plants as seeds - her aim is to conserve, propagate and disseminate forgotten indigenous plants.

She often stops her car and disembarks to conduct a search whenever she drives past an area with dense foliage; she also organises plant expeditions to remote villages around Nigeria.

"There are plants everywhere but palms have a special aura," she says.

"They have the ability to transform an environment in a way that no other plant can."

For some people in temperate parts of the world, the palm tree symbolises a tropical, relaxing holiday, but for those who live in places where they grow, such as Nigeria, they are a vital economic resource.

Products as diverse as oil, sponges, brooms, wine and raffia are all made from the trees.

Palm products also form the raw material for other essential items, such as soap, salt, food and medicine.

However, Nigeria's reliance on crude oil means the palm has long been neglected, and many local species are in danger of becoming extinct.

There are currently more than 2,000 species of palm around the world but, nowadays, only about three to five are common in Nigeria.

"Half of the world's palms originate in Madagascar, but Africans are not interested," Mrs Muhammed says.

"It's the Westerners who go there in search of plants that are going into extinction, which they then take back to their own countries."
'Bewitched' plants

Nigeria was the world's leading producer of palm oil during the period of British rule, while West Africa was the centre of the palm industry.

In the 1870s, colonial administrators took palm seedlings from West Africa to Malaysia. Today, Malaysia is the global leader in oil palm plantations, production and export of palm oil products.

Its output, combined with that of Indonesia, far exceeds the quantity of palm oil produced by the entire continent of Africa.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24443919

It’s Official-Kim Kardashian & Kanye West are engaged

Kim Kardashian got the birthday surprise of a lifetime tonight.The Reality star is engaged to longtime love Kanye West, the rapper popping the question in front of theirfriends and family at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

       Oops! less i forget, those are diamonds and its 15-carat diamond ring designed Jeweler, Lorraine Schwartz.

It has long been expected!

'No Man Bought My Chrysler Convertible For Me’ – Halima Abubakar

Nollywood actress, Halima Abubakar has opened up on rumors that she got her new ride, Chrysler Convertible from a man as a gift.

Here’s what she told ENCOMIUM Weekly on Saturday, October 19, 2013:
“I don’t like talking about any issue like this again. Everybody knows I am very hard working, and anything I am able to achieve is through my hard work. And I thank God for blessing my career. So, the issue of whether a man is responsible for this and that is rubbish and baseless.”

Asked if she has started cruising in the new object of comfort, she said:
“Yes, I have started driving the car after my father blessed it last week. It’s very comfortable. I thank God for everything".

But must a man buy car fro her before she rides one of such? People sha!

Best Kiss In A Movie, BON Awards 2013

As the next BON Awards 2013 draws near, kindly vote for your best kiss scene in a movie. WATCH VIDEO HERE>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avmf4QCjgtQ
Nominees

Beverly Naya and Bobby Obodo (weekend getaway)
Rita Dominic and Blossom Chukwujekwu (Finding Mercy)
Ibironke Ashaolu and Walw Akanbi (Unforgiveable)
Ik Ogbonna Nad Martha Anknmah (Playing Safe)

To vote, SMS;
BONKISS (space) Nominees name(s) (space) Movie  to 33140

Please note that each of the keywords is to be sent before a subscriber’s chosen nominee according to the category;
e.g BONKISS Patience and Goodluck  In NIGERIA to the short code, each SMS costs N50.00

All voting closes on the 2nd of November 2013 start voting now
BON AWARDS 09/11/2013 live in Asaba!

Kim K & Amber Rose mark birthday with baby pics

Kim & Amber not only share the same history of dating Kanye but the same birthday. Kim turned 33& Amber 25 yesterday October 22.

Khloe shared a cute baby pic of she & Kim while Amber shared a pic of her at 5 and now 25..




They were both lovely kids but even as a kid, Kim was a beauty( Khloe looks mischevious.. lol)

Kanye West Suffers Wardrobe Malfunction After Mocking Jesus Christ

Kanye West will go down in history as the first ever rapper in the world to meet ‘Jesus Christ’ on a stage! But he will also be remembered for jumping on stage half naked after that historic meeting.

Kanye’s fashion designing skills went under doubt when his own made leather pants ripped into two, between his thighs, as he performed at the Yeesus Tour in Seattle on Saturday October 19.
According to TMZ, the eye witnesses confirmed that the rip-off took place when Kanye grabbed his crotch on stage while wearing one of the many all-encompassing masks for the theatrical show. Ironically, his wardrobe malfunction comes after his epic declaration of his struggle in the fashion industry in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel – after the late night host mocked him on West’s BBC Radio 1 with Zane Lowe.

‘I go out and make my own T-shirt or something and call it “Kanye”, everyone’s gonna think about when I just called myself a creative genius and say what’s so genius about this? Currently in fashion, there’s no black guy at the end of the runway in Paris.’ the rapper explained.

“Who do you know who’s known more for clothes than me? And to not be able to do and produce at the highest level? And to have a meeting with everyone… And everyone just kind of looks at you like you’re crazy and you don’t crash the internet, and you’re just like, How can you get a shot?”

Maybe he is forgetting about Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Sean John Clothing Line. Too bad your trousers also had doubts about your strength in the ‘fashion industry’ Kanye. Try harder next time or couldn’t you ask your jesus to perform a miracle for your pants?

HILARIOUS VIDEO: KAREN IGHO ASKED TO REVEAL HER IDENTITY AT AN EVENT

2011 BBA winner, Karen Igho decides to attend an event with her friend, only to be denied access by the bouncer who asked her to identify herself.

In this hilarious skit produced and directed by Yomi and his Video Hit Show team (VHS), the bouncer does not recognize the reality star and ask for some form identification.

See video below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtSOp53hTiM

Wizkid performs for nearly empty seats in Abuja as fans refuse to show up

The quietly publicized, Wizkid Live Abuja Invasion held Last Night.

Folks in attendance were stunned with the number of people who showed up at the concert with Wizkid the headliner with guest appearances from label mates Skales, Niyola, Shaydee.

Apparently, the show was meant to kick off at 5pm but was found empty as at 9:30pm.












Wizkid took to Twitter, saying he isn't worried:






Other tweets:



 
This is heart breaking joor!

Meet Yvonne Nelson’s Mum

She is so pretty.

Genevieve Nnaji vs Khloe Kardashian in $425 Theory Daranda jumpsuit

Who rocked it better?

Landlady allegedly dupes 109 prospective tenants of N14m

A 34-year-old landlady, Taibat Aruna, has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ikeja for allegedly obtaining N14 million by false pretence from 109 prospective tenants.

The defendant, who resides at Ojo area of Lagos State, is facing a thirty-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining, false pretense and stealing preferred against her by the police.  The defendant, standing trial before Magistrate Margaret Dan-Oni, committed the alleged offences between June 5 and August 28 this year. 

The police prosecutor, Inspector Edet Okoi, said that the defendant stole the money from her victims with a promise to give them a self-contain accommodation located at Ojo area of Lagos, which she knew was false.  Some of the people the defendant defrauded are Chinedu Emmanuel, N132,000; Happiness Etumni, N240,000; Casmir Ezenwa, N230,000, and Adeniyi Bamilosin, N175, 000. Others are Agbudom Obum, N440,000; Nnaji Chinedu, N230,000; Olanrewaju Saheed, N215, among others.  Okoi said that the defendant and others at large stole the said sum belonging to one Chinedu Emmanuel and 108 others. 

According to the prosecutor, the offence committed is contrary to section 409 and punishable under section 312 (1) (a) (b),312 (3) and 275 (1) (a) (b) of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.  However, when the charge was read to the defendant, she pleaded not guilty to the charges. Magistrate Dan-Oni granted the defendant bail in the sum of N2 million with two responsible sureties in like sum, one of the sureties must be a community leader, or a pastor. 

The matter was adjourned to November 11 for mention.  Meanwhile, the defendant was remanded in Kirikiri female prison, pending when she is able to perfect her bails conditions.

Phew!!!

16-yr-old mother of 2 stabs husband to death

A 16-year-old mother of two, Ebere Ogu, has allegedly stabbed her 35-year-old husband, Patrick, to death in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during a fight, and has fled with her children. 

Detectives from the criminal Investigation Division of the state Police Command are presently looking for her. It was gathered that the crime was committed last Thursday at their residence ;no. 70 Ijapo extension, Akure at 5a.m. 

A co-tenant, who gave his name as Kelechi, said: “Ebere and Patrick frequently engage in fights but on Thursday, October 17, at 5a.m., the couple began to fight.  “Most times they engage in such fights, I go there to settle it. But on this fateful morning, when I got into their room I saw Ebere holding a knife against her husband so I pleaded with her to drop the knife and pleaded with Patrick not to beat his wife.  “At the first attempt I succeeded in separating them. So Ebere dropped the knife. But as soon as Patrick saw that his wife had dropped the knife, he seized the opportunity to pounce on her and gave her another beating. 

How he died:

“I told Patrick to stop, but I noticed that when he tried to move away he slumped and that was when I screamed for help and called other members of the house.  “When we entered the apartment we realised that Patrick was already on the floor.

So people began to urge Ebere to lift her husband up. She eventually did and we saw that the father of two was already bleeding.  “We were all shocked and most of the people took to their heels. Ebere escaped with her two kids to an unknown destination.”  Police image-maker, Wole Ogodo, confirmed the ugly incident.  Ogodo said: “One Mr. Tuyi, who is the landlord of the house the couple lived in, reported the incident to the Police Station on Thursday 17, at 6.45a.m.  Ogodo said that policemen are searching for the suspected killer, while the corpse of the deceased had been deposited at the Akure State Specialist Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Domestic violence.. so sad.

Wike faults critics of First Lady’s honorary degree award

Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, yesterday, faulted critics of Nigeria’s first lady, Patience Jonathan over the honorary doctorate degree conferred on her by a university in South Korea. 

The minister, who spoke in Ado-Ekiti, said that the criticism was “not only out of place, but also bereft of common sense.”  Wike was in Ado-Ekiti for the inauguration of the College of Technology building in Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, named after President Goodluck Jonathan. 

It will be recalled that some Nigerians, including the opposition party, All Progressives Congress, APC, had condemned the decision by Mrs. Jonathan to receive the award.  The critics had said that it was ill-timed for the first lady to receive the award, when universities in the country were shut down because of ASUU strike.  Wike said that there was nothing wrong with the action of the first lady as long as it was the university that decided to extend such rewarding gesture to her.

Tricycle operator commits suicide in lover’s home

A tricycle opera-tor in Warri allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in the residence of his lover at Okpokiti Street, Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State. 

It was understood that the deceased committed suicide because his lover left him in her house to sleep somewhere else.  When Vanguard correspondent arrived the scene, neighbours were seen discussing the incident, while homicide detectives from the ‘A’ Police Division, Warri, came to remove the dangling remains to the morgue of the CentralHospital, Warri. 

The policemen, who declined comments later took the girlfriend away for questioning.  A tenant, who pleaded anonymity, said, “it all started last night (Saturday), when we heard the deceased and his girlfriend arguing.  “I was sleeping in my room when I heard them arguing. It is like the young man wanted to spend the night with the girl, but the girl refused.  “The argument got to a point and the girl told the boy that if he was going to spend the night in her house, she will not sleep in the same house with him.  “The boy told the girl that if she leaves, he would kill himself. The girl, thinking that the boy was joking, told him to go ahead and kill himself, left the boy in the room and went to go and sleep in another place.”  It was gathered that when the girl returned in the morning (yesterday), she discovered that the door was locked. She alerted her neighbours, who helped her to force the door open, only to see the lifeless body of her boyfriend dangling from a rope. 

The community people took the girl to the police station. A senior police officer at the ‘A’ Police Division stopped Vanguard from speaking with the girl, saying she was undergoing interrogation.

Oh dear! Love is suicidal..

A tricycle opera-tor, weekend, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in the residence of his lover at Okpokiti Street, Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State.
Vanguard understood that the deceased committed suicide because his lover left him in her house to sleep somewhere else.
When Vanguard correspondent arrived the scene, neighbours were seen discussing the incident, while homicide detectives from the ‘A’ Police Division, Warri, came to remove the dangling remains to the morgue of the CentralHospital, Warri.
The policemen, who declined comments later took the girlfriend away for questioning.
A tenant, who pleaded anonymity, told Vanguard, “it all started last night (Saturday), when we heard the deceased and his girlfriend arguing.
“I was sleeping in my room when I heard them arguing. It is like the young man wanted to spend the night with the girl, but the girl refused.
“The argument got to a point and the girl told the boy that if he was going to spend the night in her house, she will not sleep in the same house with him.
“The boy told the girl that if she leaves, he would kill himself. The girl, thinking that the boy was joking, told him to go ahead and kill himself, left the boy in the room and went to go and sleep in another place.”
It was gathered that when the girl returned in the morning (yesterday), she discovered that the door was locked. She alerted her neighbours, who helped her to force the door open, only to see the lifeless body of her boyfriend dangling from a rope.
The community people took the girl to the police station. A senior police officer at the ‘A’ Police Division stopped Vanguard from speaking with the girl, saying she was undergoing interrogation.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/10/tricycle-operator-commits-suicide-lovers-home/#sthash.wSv395yZ.dpufA tricycle opera-tor, weekend, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in the residence of his lover at Okpokiti Street, Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State.  Vanguard understood that the deceased committed suicide because his lover left him in her house to sleep somewhere else.  When Vanguard corr

Why I wear 2wristwatches -Dbanj

When asked during an interview with HipOnTv why he wears two wristwatches, Dbanj said..

“No time to check time. Actually, it’s cos I’m too busy. You know, always on the move, you know one time is on Nigeria, the other is on New York. So that Kanye West is not calling me and I’m like ‘yo, who’s this?’, you know, I’m always on check!So I leave it at 2 time zones, that what’s up! They are gold anyway.

Priding tinz.. Balling tinz.. Thumbsup#

Mercy Johnson’s Daughter, Purity Storms Movie Set

Purity will soon feature in a Nollywood movie (don't say i told you). This is because she recently took her beautiful daughter to a movie set, where she was working with top artistes like Ngozi Ezeonu, Jnr Pope and others.















Lovely smile.. Baby girls fall in love quickly with the opposite sex. See her smiling ear to ear while carried by a man..lol

Nollywood Actor, Jide Kosoko Beaten And Assaulted By Video club owners

Veteran actor, Jide Kosoko, last Friday morning, October 11th, 2013, confirmed to Nollywood Insider that he was actually assaulted and injured in the fracas involving members of the Video Rental Operators of Nigeria (VROAN) and some Yoruba movie makers and marketers. The ace thespian said, “I was injured in the debacle but I would not like to comment further on it on the telephone.”

Meanwhile the President of VROAN, Kassim Olatunbosun aka Boe, has been declared wanted by his members and the police. He is accused of wanton embezzlement of public funds at his disposal. Kassim is said to have mismanaged the royalties for marketers and film producers that his members paid into the coffers of VROAN over the last two years.

They also claimed that he refused to call for elections after staying in office for more than 10 years.According to information made known to NOLLYWOOD INSIDER, after a long meeting at the Cultural Center, Alausa, Ikeja, on Thursday October 10th, 2013, by his members and other concerned stakeholders, the enraged crowd besieged his Onipanu office calling on him to render account of his stewardship as VROAN’s henchman. However, on sighting the crowd while he was having his weekly meeting with executives of the association, Kassim managed to scale over a high fence into oblivion. This was after Jide Kosoko and a few others had sustained injuries during a fight to apprehend Kassim.

Jide Kosoko spoke further on the incident, “Actually, I am a member of the Board of Trustees of VROAN, and we had been getting several reports that the president of the association, Kassim aka Boe, has been in the office for close to 10 years. We have received several complaints that his tenure has since lapsed, and that there should have been an election, but he insisted on staying. This is coupled with other atrocities of his, so the BOT had to invite him, but he refused to come to any of the meetings on several occasions. He goes about with thugs with dangerous weapons, most of whom are not owners of video clubs.

”When his members wanted to make trouble with him, we said no that they should leave the matter to us, the BOT. I advised him personally, but he refused to yield to advice. He then wrote a letter saying he will hold elections in December which angered his members. The BOT then took some policemen to his office, only for us to get there and find thugs all over the place. They thereafter got violent with us, and one of them threw a bottle of water at me; using charms to threaten us.”

Meanwhile, JideKosoko disclosed that the matter is now with the Nigerian Police Zone 2, Lagos.

Teenage orphan in dire need of a family to call his own

 

A 15-year-old Florida boy Davion Navar Henry who's been in foster care his entire life is so desperate for a family to call his own, that he recently took matters into his own hands. 

Outside St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church,his case worker ( Connie Going)straightened his tie. Like his too-big black suit, the white tie had been donated. It zipped up around the neck, which helped. No one had ever taught Davion, 15, how to tie one.

"Are you ready?" Going asked. Hanging his head, he followed her into the sanctuary.

This had been his idea. He'd heard something about God helping people who help themselves. So here he was, on a Sunday in September, surrounded by strangers, taking his future into his sweaty hands.

Davion Navar Henry Only loves all of his names. He has memorized the meaning of each one: beloved, brown, ruler of the home, the one and only.
But he has never had a home or felt beloved. His name is the last thing his parents gave him.

He was born while his mom was in jail. He can't count all of the places he has lived.
In June, Davion sat at a library computer, unfolded his birth certificate and, for the first time, searched for his mother's name. Up came her mug shot: 6-foot-1, 270 pounds — tall, big and dark, like him. Petty theft, cocaine.
Next he saw the obituary: La-Dwina Ilene "Big Dust" McCloud, 55, of Clearwater, died June 5, 2013. Just a few weeks before.


In church, Davion scanned the crowd. More than 300 people packed the pews. Men in bright suits, grandmoms in sequined hats, moms hugging toddlers on their laps. Everyone seemed to have a family except him.

Davion sat beside Going, his caseworker from  Eckerd, and struggled to follow the sermon: something about a letter Paul wrote. "He was in prison," said the Rev. Brian Brown. "Awaiting an uncertain future..."

Davion wants to play football, but there's no one to drive him to practice. He wants to use the bathroom without having to ask someone to unlock the door.
More than anything, he wants someone to tell him he matters. To understand when he begs to leave the light on.

 
"You may be in a dark place," said the preacher. "But look for the joyful moments when you can praise God."
Picking at his fingers, Davion wondered what to say. And whether anyone would hear him.



"I'll take anyone," Davion said. "Old or young, dad or mom, black, white, purple. I don't care. And I would be really appreciative. The best I could be."

All summer, he worked on swallowing his rage, dropping his defenses. He lost 40 pounds. So far in 10th grade, he has earned A's — except in geometry.
"He's come a long way," said Floyd Watkins, program manager at Davion's group home. "He's starting to put himself out there, which is hard when you've been rejected so many times."

Davion decided he couldn't wait for someone to find him. In three years, he'll be on his own.
"I know they're out there," he told his caseworker. Though he is shy, he said he wanted to talk at a church. "Maybe if someone hears my story..."

After learning that his biological mother, who gave birth to him while she was in prison, had passed away, he asked his caseworker, Connie Going, to take him to church so that he could make his request. She agreed.


The preacher spoke about orphans, how Jesus lifted them up. He described an epidemic, "alarming numbers of African-American children who need us."
Then he introduced Davion, who shuffled to the pulpit.

Davion Navar Henry Only gathered his courage and stepped up to the pulpit at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in St. Petersberg, Florida, asking, directly, if anyone there might want to adopt him. Without looking up, Davion wiped his palms on his pants, cleared his throat, and told the parishioners:

"My name is Davion and I've been in foster care since I was born. I know God hasn't given up on me. So I'm not giving up either."

Sources: the Daily Mail, ABC News,Australian media, People magazine

He needs a wife; a faithful man

Never to have any reason to cheat on his spouse. He says he doesn't cheat. I guess his name is "Di oma".. Lol

Dangote loses brother

Billionaire businessman , Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has lost his elder brother, Alhaji Garba Dangote.

The elder Dangote died Thursday after a brief illness.

Dangote was quoted to have confirmed the death of his brother, which he said came very suddenly.

The deceased suffered a massive stroke on Wednesday, and gave up the ghost some hours later.

The late Garba, 80, was a businessman and the first son in the family. Dangote confirmed that his brother was buried in accordance with Muslim rites yesterday in Kano.

The elder Dangote is survived by a wife and children.

May his soul rest in peace. God give them the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss..

Meet the Nigerian woman who runs “Havard school of management & technology” from a flat in the UK

The United Kingdom’s (UK) Milton Keynes Trading Standards department has commenced investigations into the controversy surrounding a Nigerian national, Dr. Tina Beloveth Powerful.

Below is an excerpt of the report:

A spokesman for Trading Standards confirmed that the Nigerian is under investigation but refused to give details.
“As it is an ongoing investigation we cannot comment in detail about it,” he said.

Media reports, however, suggest the trading standards investigation may involve false claims on Havard’s website that the school is affiliated to the Institute of Administrative Management. The wording on the school’s website has been changed to read “is to be accredited to.”

However, Dr. Beloveth Powerful insists she has not done anything wrong, adding that she was on a “mission from God to help people study.”
“I have six degrees myself, two of them from Nigeria where I came from,” she said in a report. “I transformed my life and God has given me power to transform others’.”

The Nigerian claimed she is not aware of the trading standards investigations into Havard.

Dr. Powerful, whose school is named Havard School of Management and Technology UK, is also being sued by Harvard University of the US. The American university, which name differs from Dr. Powerful’s institution by just a letter, is suing for alleged trademark infringement.
But Dr Powerful is counter-claiming for £2 million – the money, she says, she has spent so far on setting up her school.

“A good name is better than silver and gold,” she said. “Having said that, we are telling them we want to step aside but we have spent money in advertising, marketing and productions.”
The 46-year-old Nigerian also denied claims she caused academic confusion by calling her school Havard, explaining that the name ‘Havard’ was from her grandfather.

“My paternal grandfather’s first name was Havard. I chose to immortalise his name. I never thought about Harvard,” she said.

Man splashes photos of his mansion online to attract ladies for marriage

Don Milisav Juan Gonzales Brzi, a wealthy Serbian bachelor who says he is 39, has been posting pictures of himself in his mansion in the hope that his wealth will lure in a lady.

 

In a note attached to the photos, Don Milisav Juan Gonzales Brzi, wrote:

‘To all unmarried ones who would like to spend their life by my side and within all the beauties of my home.
‘Please look below at all the magic of my home that I have decorated with taste, perhaps just for YOU.’

The bizarre snaps have been circulating on Croatian, Bosnian and Serbian websites and have since gone viral.

In them the grey-haired singleton is seen standing awkwardly in his bathroom, ‘relaxing’ on a bed and kneeling in what appears to be a hallway.

Mr Brzi is looking for a much younger 16-20-year-old for a relationship and marriage.

See photos after the cut...

This is so funny.. Oya girls!!

Deportation saga: Lagos State Government set for court case

The Lagos State government confirmed yesterday that it would defend the N1 billion suit instituted against it over the deportation of 76 destitute to Anambra State on July 24, 2013.

The state's Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, noted that the state would definitely file papers in response.

He stated that the state government had made it clear since the crisis started that there was no deportation whatsoever and the claim that the figure of the repatriated destitute was up to 70 is fallacious. He disclosed that Lagos government will file papers in response, of course, insisting that it is now a bizarre fiction.

According to him, Lagos government had made it clear enough that there were not 70 destitute and there was no deportation. I look forward to seeing what case they will bring forward”, he said.

The suit was filed at a Federal High Court in Lagos by seven of the deportees: Nnenna Ogbonna, Joseph Aniebonam, Osondu Mbuto, Osondu Agwu, Emily Okoroariri, Friday Ndukwe and Onyeka Ugwu on behalf of the 76 others.

Hennessy Artistry Finale

The Hennessy Artistry finale will take place this Saturday, October 19th at The Federal Palace Hotel in VI, Lagos and Dbanj, who is this year’s headliner will do a mix tape with some of the past Hennessy Artistry headliners.

Dbanj has been in the news lately for either hilarious videos, talking about Genevieve or getting customized designer shoes from international label designers. This Saturday, he has promised to blow the minds of guests who will attend the final lap of this year’s Artistry project.

The mixtape might be a collection of all the Hennessy Artistry theme songs from “Like A Bottle” featuring music icon, Sir Shina Peters, Kas, Nnneka and others to this year’s “Raise Your Glasses” by Dbanj.

Other performers include supporting acts, Olamide, Phyno, Kay Switch, Chidinma, Seyi Shay, Pucado, Vector, Sean Tizzle and Show Dem Camp.

EbonyLife TV And Disney To Co-Produce Desperate Housewives

Disney Media Distribution EMEA has disclosed plans to produce the African version of popular Disney series Desperate Housewives.

To be filmed in Nigeria, NET has gathered the series will be jointly produced by Mo’ Abudu’s EbonyLife TV and Disney.

According to general manager, Disney Media Distribution, Emerging Markets, Giovanni Mastrangelo, the purpose for bringing Desperate Housewives to Africa is ‘to engage African audiences through locally relevant and entertaining storytelling.’

The cast for the Nigerian series which will be filmed on location in Lagos, will include actors from across Africa, and producers say production will follow the format and storylines of the original US version, but with a Nigerian flavour.

The Desperate Housewives series already have five different versions produced for EMEA and Latin American audiences, including: a Turkish version,’Umutsuz Ev Kadinlari’, the Argentinean version, ‘Amas de Casa Desesperadas’, the Colombian/Ecuadorian version, the U.S. Hispanic version, ‘Donas de Casa Desesperadas‘, and the Brazilian version.

Ekiti State - Fayemi Signs 4 Bills Into Law

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has signed the Land use Act, Ekiti State Safety Commission bill, Ekiti public works amendment bill, and the State Local Government appropriation bill into law; saying that the laws would help provide the  platform to move the State to the next level of growing its economy.

Signing the laws in Ado Ekiti, the Governor said the was need for people to embrace the laws in order to create the modern State that the people had desired.

Dr Fayemi assured that Government will put in place mechanism for the implementation of the Land Use Act though it might not be immediate as government is doing the geographic gps of the state so that property put in place could have value.

The Governor who disclosed that the state government would be establishing a safety commission in order to coordinate emergency services and teach the people about safety, said the Commission would among others look into sanitary issues as they affect buildings without toilet facilities, fire extinguishers, and other safety matters.

Speaking on the efforts of the State House of Assembly since its inauguration in 2011, Dr Fayemi described the Assembly as second to known as it has passed 54 bills which are as well signed into Law.

He added that the cooperation between the two arms of government is responsible for the development recorded in the State by his administration.

Earlier in his remarks, the Speaker of the Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirin said the hardworking attitude of the Assembly is informed by its commitment to the development of the State.

He opined that the various laws which the Governor had assented to have been practically translated into the physical development and transformation witnessed by the State.

The event was witnessed by members of the State House of Assembly and  members of the State executive council.

Kia launches flexible payment promo

The sole distributor of KIA Motors in Nigeria, Dana Motors Ltd has announced the commencement of a new promotion tagged ‘Buy Now, Pay in 2014.’

The auto company said that the promotion is in collaboration with Access Bank. The company said that interested clients could drive away in their new dream KIA products and not worry about financing until after the holidays.

The Chief Operating Officer, Dana Motors Ltd., Mr. Sandeep Malhotra stated, “As per the scheme, a moratorium period of up to 90 days exists wherein customers have to begin paying the 1st instalment only in 2014. Customers seeking auto loans are supported with fast approvals, low interest rates and easy documentation”.

Malhotra says clients could own the chic, compact and colourful ‘All in Small’ Picanto or the new Rio that boasts a bold and distinctive personality. In SUV segment, the statement said clients have the big size SUV Mohave or the Sorento to choose from.

Great deal!

APC slams Fed Govt for blackmailing ASUU

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as a cheap and ludicrous strategy’s decision by the Federal Government to use market women, religious leaders and even students to put pressure on the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off its strike without resolving the issues that caused the action in the first instance.

In a statement in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the strike, which is now in its fourth month, would have ended by now if the Federal Government had pursued its negotiations with ASUU with half the energy it has been using to rally various groups to protest against the union.

It described as particularly ridiculous the crowd-for-hire protest in Abuja on Monday by the so-called National Market Women Association, in which their leader vowed to chase lecturers out of Nigeria and replace them with ‘’jobless Nigerians’’.

‘’This infantile statement by the leader of the apparently misguided market women is the most irresponsible statement that anyone has made on the long-drawn ASUU strike, and it is a shame that the government is the instigator of such nonsense.

‘’While indeed there are millions of jobless Nigerians, is it just any jobless Nigerian who can be a university teacher? How does President Goodluck Jonathan, himself a former university teacher, feel about those apparently hired by his administration treating university teachers with so much disrespect? Even if the government succeeds in forcing the lecturers back to the classroom, can it force them to teach effectively?

‘’Why are these groups, including students who have sold their souls to the devil, not mounting the same pressure on the Federal Government to intensify its efforts to end the strike? Why didn’t these groups protest when the First Lady embarked on a junket to receive a spurious award even as Nigerian public universities remain shut? After all, a government that said it will go broke if it honours its agreement with ASUU had no compunction shelling out huge tax payers money to fund the First Lady’s jamboree to South Korea.’’

The party reminded those who are blaming ASUU for the strike that all the teachers are demanding are better infrastructure for the universities, a favourable condition for teaching and research as well as an enhanced pay that will stem the tide of brain drain, which has left the country’s public tertiary institutions struggling to get high-qualify faculties.

‘’How are these demands anti-students, as some thoughtless students and misled market women have alleged?’’ it queried.

APC reiterated its earlier call on the Federal Government to respect the agreement it signed with ASUU, saying if the government would cut waste, adequately tackle corruption and show more prudence, there will be more than enough resources to spend on the education of the nation’s youth, without which there will be no development.

The party asked President Jonathan to tender an unreserved apology to ASUU for the antics of his administration in using public funds to induce fake and easy-to-manipulate individuals and groups to launch scurrilous attacks on the striking teachers.

Prince William Steps Up to His 1st Knighting Ceremony

Prince William hosted his first ever investiture ceremony this morning at the queen's request, a move regarded as a step toward his becoming a full-time royal.

The Duke of Cambridge, 31, presented various awards to nearly 90 people from across the United Kingdom, recognizing their accomplishments in fields including charity work and, in the case of 2012 U.S. Open tennis champion Andy Murray, sporting success.

Murray was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) by the duke, who has, along with wife Kate Middleton, who is known to be a huge tennis fan, watched Murray play on several occasions.

Although Prince Charles and, on occasion, his sister, Princess Anne, have conducted some of the 25 or so investitures that take place each year, the Daily Mirror's Royal Reporter Victoria Murphy told ABC News that hosting this senior duty is a big moment for William.

"It's incredibly significant because it reflects the fact that now that he has left the military, he is focusing on royal duties and he is learning the ropes and learning about everything he is going to have to do when he becomes king," she said.

Having left his role in the military last month, new dad William is undergoing a "transitional year," according to palace officials, as he prepares to take on more royal responsibilities. But his taking on more royal tasks does not necessarily mean he will go full-time just yet, Murphy stressed.

"While he is taking on this investiture, and it is a significant step, it doesn't mean we're going to see him do 400 engagements this year," Murphy said, adding that William will concentrate on his charity work this year and, in particular, his work in conservation.

William was named last month as president of a newly created partnership, "United for Wildlife," that will "tackle the global challenges to the world's natural resources," according to the palace.

He and Kate made their first, official public appearance together after the birth of Prince George at a charity dinner to benefit Tusk Trust, a British charity that funds conservation projects in Africa.

As part of the investiture ceremony that took place today in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace, William pinned medals on the various award winners and, for the couple of people who received a knighthood, he tapped them on the shoulder with a sword.

Aside from wanting to give William more royal responsibility, Murphy believes, grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, now 87, is looking to share some of the more physically demanding royal engagements. Investitures, which require standing for more than an hour at a time, fall under that category, Murphy said.

"Perhaps she is starting to realize that it's something she is not going to be able to do as often from now on," she said, "and so she's looking at the younger, senior members of the royal family to step in and take some of that strain from her."

1.8M-year-old skull gives glimpse of our evolution

DMANISI, Georgia (AP) — The discovery of a 1.8-million-year-old skull of a human ancestor buried under a medieval Georgian village provides a vivid picture of early evolution and indicates our family tree may have fewer branches than some believe, scientists say.

The fossil is the most complete pre-human skull uncovered. With other partial remains previously found at the rural site, it gives researchers the earliest evidence of human ancestors moving out of Africa and spreading north to the rest of the world, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.

The skull and other remains offer a glimpse of a population of pre-humans of various sizes living at the same time — something that scientists had not seen before for such an ancient era. This diversity bolsters one of two competing theories about the way our early ancestors evolved, spreading out more like a tree than a bush.

Nearly all of the previous pre-human discoveries have been fragmented bones, scattered over time and locations — like a smattering of random tweets of our evolutionary history. The findings at Dmanisi are more complete, weaving more of a short story. Before the site was found, the movement from Africa was put at about 1 million years ago.

When examined with the earlier Georgian finds, the skull "shows that this special immigration out of Africa happened much earlier than we thought and a much more primitive group did it," said study lead author David Lordkipanidze, director of the Georgia National Museum. "This is important to understanding human evolution."

 

This photo taken Oct. 2, 2013, in Tbilisi, Georgia, shows a pre-human skull, that was found in 2005  …

 

For years, some scientists have said humans evolved from only one or two species, much like a tree branches out from a trunk, while others say the process was more like a bush with several offshoots that went nowhere.

Even bush-favoring scientists say these findings show one single species nearly 2 million years ago at the former Soviet republic site. But they disagree that the same conclusion can be said for bones found elsewhere, such as Africa. However, Lordkipanidze and colleagues point out that the skulls found in Georgia are different sizes but are considered to be the same species. So, they reason, it's likely the various skulls found in different places and times in Africa may not be different species, but variations in one species.

To see how a species can vary, just look in the mirror, they said.
"Danny DeVito, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal are the same species," Lordkipanidze said.

The adult male skull found wasn't from our species, Homo sapiens. It was from an ancestral species — in the same genus or class called Homo — that led to modern humans. Scientists say the Dmanisi population is likely an early part of our long-lived primary ancestral species, Homo erectus.

Tim White of the University of California, Berkeley, wasn't part of the study but praised it as "the first good evidence of what these expanding hominids looked like and what they were doing."
Fred Spoor at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, a competitor and proponent of a busy family tree with many species disagreed with the study's overall conclusion, but he lauded the Georgia skull discovery as critical and even beautiful.

"It really shows the process of evolution in action," he said.
Spoor said it seems to have captured a crucial point in the evolutionary process where our ancestors transitioned from Homo habilis to Homo erectus — although the study authors said that depiction is going a bit too far.

The researchers found the first part of the skull, a large jaw, below a medieval fortress in 2000. Five years later — on Lordkipanidze's 42nd birthday — they unearthed the well-preserved skull, gingerly extracted it, putting it into a cloth-lined case and popped champagne. It matched the jaw perfectly. They were probably separated when our ancestor lost a fight with a hungry carnivore, which pulled apart his skull and jaw bones, Lordkipanidze said.

The skull was from an adult male just shy of 5 feet (1.5 meters) with a massive jaw and big teeth, but a small brain, implying limited thinking capability, said study co-author Marcia Ponce de Leon of the University of Zurich. It also seems to be the point where legs are getting longer, for walking upright, and smaller hips, she said.

"This is a strange combination of features that we didn't know before in early Homo," Ponce de Leon said.