Why would Goodluck Jonathan even approve this .It is almost like awarding the head of PHCN a national award .What do you think ?

Ogbonaya Onovo, the Inspector General of Police, was among 186 Nigerians from different strata of the society who were honoured with the 2009 National Award by President Goodluck Jonathan.

But Mr. Onovo, who said he was quite happy at the honour done him, was not impressed with the question from NEXT about whether he thought it was justified for him to get such an award in the face of the rising crime and insecurity in the country.

The police boss, who refused to answer the query, said it was a stupid question meant to provoke him, rather than one “borne out of genuine journalistic curiosity.” He said members of the public should decide if he deserved the award or not.

“Answer it for yourself,” he said. “You are a member of the public. If I don’t deserve it, say so.

"I can’t answer stupid questions, because insecurity is all over the world. There is no society where there is no crime. You can’t tell me of any society, if you know one, tell me. So, I think it is not a proper question and I will not answer it..

“You have come to provoke. You haven’t come to ask questions as journalists who want to know and who want to disseminate information,” adding, “Your question had spoilt my happy mood.”

However, the questions that so infuriated the usually amiable Mr. Onovo were the sort that reporters had asked all the other awardees.

The 186 recipients included Mike Akhigbe; Aloysius Katsina-Alu; and Joseph Wayas, who received the award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger,(GCON).

Others were the chief of staff to the president, Mike Oghiadomhe; the head of service of the federation, Stephen Oronsaye; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Niki Tobi; the emir of Gwandu, Mohammadu Ilyasu Bashar; the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi; Ghali Umar Na’Abba; and Patricia Etteh, who all received the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) award.

Critical observations

Speaking at the four-hour ceremony, which was attended by families and well wishers of the awardees, Mr Jonathan said overcoming the challenges facing the country can only be achieved with the collective dedication and participation of all patriotic Nigerians.

“We must make honour-inspiring acts part of our national culture. The times call for men and women who are willing to live above primordial loyalties and commit their all to the general good,” he said.

“By reason of your decoration today, you have become national ambassadors of hope and agents of change. You have an abiding duty to this generation of Nigerians and our common posterity to always live up to the high standards to which you will be held,” he told the recipients.

Noting that the national honours are part of Nigeria’s national heritage which must be preserved, Mr. Jonathan promised that his administration will work to “raise the bar” so as to challenge Nigerians to strive harder for greater excellence in all fields of human endeavour.

The award had however come under criticisms, and a number of people have wondered if some recipients had not bought the awards, considering their antecedents.

Mr. Jonathan said at the occasion that the federal government noted the critical observations and will put such observations to good use in strengthening the prestige and integrity of the awards.

The Nigerian National Honours are a set of orders and decorations conferred upon Nigerians and friends of Nigeria every year. The awards were instituted by the National Honours Act No. 5 of 1964, during the First Republic, to honour people who have rendered service to the benefit of the nation.

Predators of the press

Mr. Onovo had undoubtedly led in the search and release of the four journalists who were kidnapped in the south-eastern part of the country recently, and for which the police was widely commended but also vilified for allowing kidnapping to thrive in the country.

Indeed, Mr. Onovo, who received the honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), was on May 2010, listed as one of the “40 predators of the press in the world” by the international rights group, Reporters without Borders, during its World Press Day celebration.

According to the group, the names on the list are “powerful, dangerous, violent, and above the law,” thus the nomenclature, “Predators of Press Freedom.”

The group had further blamed the Nigeria Police Force, led by Mr. Onovo, for making the country “one of the world’s most violent countries for journalists.”

A Nigerian, Alache Ode, who is an aide to the Minister of

National Planning, has been awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE), by Queen Elizabeth. The OBE is an equivalent of Nigeria’s Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).

Minister of State for Information and Communications, Labaran Maku, who spoke to pressmen at the presidential villa after the weekly federal executive council meeting, said Ms. Ode was honoured because of her humanitarian services to the UK communities. “She committed nearly 18 years building the capacity of over 50 organisations to become effective,” he said. “She also developed a programme that attracted three million pounds sterling to send to over 600 skilled UK Diaspora professionals to work in about 18 countries of Africa and Asia.” He also said Ms. Ode developed the capacity for “funding and building framework for an 18 million pounds (DFID) grant to small and Diaspora organisations, and that she has been advocating at over 30 international conferences perspective and approach to development to become mainstream.”

The minister said the federal government is touched by the woman’s passion for service and urged other Nigerians to emulate her spirit. He added that the intriguing thing about Ms. Ode’s work was that it was done for free as inspired by her passion for service for global inclusion of disadvantaged personsl; and that she dedicated it to all the unsung heroes of Nigeria, her native Benue State, the people of the Middle Belt, and to God Almighty...

Speech on The Diaspora Option

The Diaspora option to support job creation

Next is to develop artificial soldiers ! dis oyinbo people na wonder dem dey betta.

Article:

American scientists have developed 'artificial' blood that could soon be used to treat wounded soldiers in battle..

The genetically-engineered blood is created by taking cells from umbilical cords and using a machine to mimic the way bone marrow works to produce mass quantities of usable units of red blood cells.

Known as 'blood pharming' the programme was launched in 2008 by the Pentagon's experimental arm, Darpa, to create blood to treat soldiers in far-flung battlefields.

The firm Arteriocyte, which received $1.95 million for the project, has now sent off its first shipment of O-negative blood to the food and drugs watchdog in the US, the FDA.

U.S. soldiers carry a wounded soldier in Iraq. The breakthrough could help provide enough blood for battlefield transfusions

The blood is made by using hematopoietic cells taken from umbilical cords in a process called ‘pharming’ – using genetically engineered plants or animals to create mass quantities of useful substances.

One umbilical cord can be turned into around 20 units of usable blood. A wounded soldier in the field will require an average of six units during treatment.

Blood cells produced using this method are 'functionally indistinguishable from red blood cells in healthy circulation', the company claims.

‘We’re basically mimicking bone marrow in a lab environment,' Arteriocyte boss Don Brown told Wired magazine.

‘Our model works, but we need to extrapolate our production abilities to make scale.’

If approved it could revolutionise battlefields where a shortage of blood donors can hamper treatment of wounded soldiers.

The process of giving transfusions in war zones is also made more difficult because donated blood has to be transported long distance before it reaches the field hospitals where it is urgently needed.

Enlarge

Darpa launched a search for a renewable blood supply in 2008

Some blood is already 21 days old before it reaches patients, meaning it only has around a week-long shelf-life before it must be discarded. There are increased risks of infection or organ failure if blood is too old.

Mr Brown said: ‘Until now, the military’s strategy has mainly been contained to basically using stale blood,’

‘And they’ll set up mobile blood banks in a war zone, but even every troop rolling up their sleeve might not be enough when you’ve got a crisis with dozens or more injuries.’

Human trials are not likely until 2013, but the firm predicts the ‘pharmed’ blood could be used by the military within five years if the Pentagon calls for it sooner.

A unit of blood is around a pint and the human body contains between eight and ten pints of blood in total.

Currently, each unit made by Arteriocyte costs $5,000 to produce. If approved, the firm expects to bring this down to around $1,000 per unit by scaling up the production process.

As well as being needed by the military, 'pharmed' blood could also be used in hospitals to make up for shortfalls in blood donations if it is approved.

The 'pharmed' blood is type O negative which is the most sought after variation because it can be used with any patient, regardless of their own blood type.

Last month the US Red Cross issued an urgent appeal for blood donors to come forward after it said that its supply of O Negative blood was hitting 'critically low levels.

Fans around the world honor Michael Jackson

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY (AP) – 1 hour ago

A year after Michael Jackson's death caused a worldwide outpouring of shock, tears and tributes, the anniversary of his passing was being marked Friday on a quieter scale, as fans remembered their fallen King of Pop with vigils, prayer and, http://www.9jabook.com/group/michaeljacksonmemorialgroup

of course, music.....

Some radio stations woke up listeners to Jackson's music; on U.S. television, all the major networks devoted a portion of their morning news programs to Jackson and more coverage was expected during prime-time hours. Events were planned across the globe, from Tokyo to New York..

Jackson's burial place at Forest Lawn in Glendale. Calif., was expected to draw not only a throng of fans, but family as well.

Jackson died on June 25, 2009, at age 50 as he was preparing for a series of comeback concerts in London. Dr. Conrad Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death for administering the powerful anesthetic propofol to Jackson to help the pop star sleep.

Pictures of Jackson hung on a wall outside New York's Apollo Theater in Harlem, where Jackson and his brothers won amateur night in the late 1960s. A sidewalk plaque memorialized the singer alongside such other legends as James Brown and Smokey Robinson.

Since the Apollo helped launch the Jackson 5, it has had a strong connection to the late pop star. After Jackson's death, it became the de facto gathering place for New York fans. It was an emotional though more low-key scene on Friday morning, as Jackson's music blared from boomboxes and passing cars.

"We are really honored to have played a part in launching Michael's musical career and to serve as a gathering place for people to come and celebrate his lifetime of achievement," said Jonelle Procope, Apollo president and CEO.

Procope placed Jackson's black hat and sequin glove, both from the theater's collection, beside his plaque.

Elsewhere in Harlem, the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 movie theater screened "This Is It," the documentary about Jackson's preparation for his London concerts, throughout the day. And the Rev. Al Sharpton was to lead a moment of silence in the afternoon.

In Gary, Ind., Jackson's hometown, there was to be a tribute at the family home; city officials said they expected Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, and his niece, Genevieve Jackson, to show up, along with thousands of others. Katherine Jackson also lent her support to a "Forever Michael" fan event in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Saturday.

But his brother Randy Jackson was hoping to make the official family commemoration at Forest Lawn on Friday morning.

In Japan, hundreds of fans met at Tokyo Tower to honor Jackson with a candlelight vigil, a gospel concert and more. Some got a chance to see a collection of his possessions, including costumes from his tours and even a 1967 Rolls-Royce Phantom that he used to drive around Los Angeles.

"I don't know what to say. Seeing all his things makes it all come back to me," said Yumiko Sasaki, a 48-year-old Tokyo officer worker who has been a Jackson fan since she was 12. "It makes me so sad to think that he is gone. He was wonderful."

About 50 guests paid $1,100 each to sleep overnight at the Tokyo landmark, where they had catered food, watched a gospel choir, looked at Jackson memorabilia and danced to Michael Jackson's music before observing a period of silence as the sun rose.

Fans started gathering at Forest Lawn on Thursday night. Five large wreaths of flowers and dozens of bouquets, drawings and photos of Jackson had been placed outside his private mausoleum.

Evdokia Sofianou, 46, and her 9-year-old daughter, Rebecca, traveled from Athens, Greece, to pay their respects.

"I came because I love Michael very much," Sofianou said Thursday night. "I came to grieve."

But not every memorial for Jackson was to be somber. In France, weekend celebration plans included a concert and tribute show, and clubs across the globe planned parties for the man who embodied dance music.

"They want to celebrate his life and music," DJ Jon Quick said of the expected partygoers at club Taj on Friday, where he would play Jackson tunes. "His albums are like timelines in your life. You can remember what you were doing ... when 'Thriller' came out."

AP Entertainment Writers Jake Coyle in New York and Anthony McCartney in Los Angeles, and Associated Press Writer Eric Talmadge in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Germany's oracle octopus Paul picked Spain to beat the Netherlands in the World Cup final on Sunday in a live television broadcast watched across Europe.

The two-year-old celebrity octopus, who has accurately picked the outcome of all six of Germany's World Cup matches so far, quickly tipped Spain to beat the Netherlands. It took him only three minutes to make up his mind.

"That was fast -- it looks like a clear-cut victory for Spain," said Tanja Munzig, spokeswoman for Sea Life in Oberhausen. She was surprised by his speed in picking Spain. For some matches it took Paul 70 minutes to decide.

The octopus, considered by some to be the most intelligent of all invertebrates, got the choice of picking food from two different transparent containers lowered into his tank -- one with a Dutch flag on it and one with Spain's flag.

Reaction in Spain was swift, with the country's biggest selling sports daily website Marca.com running the headline: "The octopus Paul makes us champions".

The container Paul opens first is regarded as his pick. On Friday he wasted no time in diving for the container on the right side with the Spanish flag on it.

Two German television networks interrupted their programming for live coverage of the two-year-old celebrity octopus's picks. Networks in Spain, the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe also broadcast Paul's decision live.

Earlier on Friday, Germans heaved a sigh of relief when Paul tipped Germany to beat Uruguay in the World Cup match for third place. There were cheers in offices across Germany after crowds of viewers tuned in to watch Paul live.

Normally he only picks Germany matches. But for the final Sea Life made an exception.

The octopus in Oberhausen turned into a global celebrity for correctly picking the winners of all six of Germany's World Cup matches -- including their two defeats to Serbia and Spain.

On Friday Paul first settled on top of the Germany container but after a few minutes shifted to the Uruguay container. Then after about 15 minutes he went back to Germany container, quickly opened the lid and ate the morsel of food inside.

Not an ordinarily superstitious people, Germans have become believers in Paul's possible psychic powers. The country was shocked and distraught when he picked Spain to beat Germany after tipping German wins over Argentina, England, Ghana and Australia.

Paul's selections have become top news across Germany and around the world. Some commentators even wondered aloud whether his improbable winning streak might have begun to influence some of the more superstitious players.

But after Paul accurately picked Spain to beat Germany in the semi-final, some Germans called for a public roasting of the oracle octopus. Newspapers and websites were filled with suggestions on how to cook and eat him.

Officials at Sea Life in Oberhausen have installed extra security to protect their octopus.

"Paul is in safe hands with us," said Munzig.

Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was quoted in Spanish media reports saying -- in jest -- he was concerned about Paul's safety.

"I am concerned for the octopus...I am thinking of sending him a protective team," Zapatero said.

Spain's Environment and Fisheries Minister Elena Espinosa also said: "On Monday I shall be at the European Council of Ministers and I shall be asking for a (fishing) ban on Paul the octopus so Germans do not eat him."

REUTERS

Pauls Predictions so far :

Stigma is the roof under which most parents build shelter in our society when it comes to cases as delicate as child molestation and defilement. The steady increase in the rate of child defilement is alarming as it is fast becoming a kind of tradition for some

citizens who accept it as a norm in parts of the country. In some of these cases, children as young as nine months to four years are victims of these indecent and inhuman acts by adults who sometimes are related to them and should normally be their guardian. With some of the very few cases reported to the Police being handled with kids gloves on the part of the law enforcement agents who on most times, release the perpetrators of this crime back into the society with justice truncated, one begins to wonder if the future of the Nigerian child is not jeopardized and endangered when basic rights as essential as fundamental as protection and care are hard to come by.

This is the story of a four- year- old girl; defiled, deflowered and infected by an alleged 45-year-old man and supposed uncle. At the age of two this child could recite her country’s National Anthem and express herself, she was bright and without a care in the world. Her family was her pride and her parents, aunties and uncles were her heroes.

But she may never understand why one of her heroes will choose to put her through the path of brutality, wickedness and an unholy experience sexually when she is just too young to be sexually exploited..

She is a victim of child defilement; severally raped by her 45 year Uncle who did it over and over and over again. Now she is infected with about four different sexually transmitted diseases and may soon join the millions of cases of Vesico-Vaginal-Fistula (VVF) victims left rejected across the country for a fault that is not theirs. Doctors cannot tell if she has contracted the dreaded HIV/AIDS which requires a window period to really show up in tests conducted. She was somebody’s daughter; a child that looked up to the society for guidance and now, she has become a victim to the many ills and challenges she was supposed to face later in life as an adult.

She lived with her grandparents, an auntie and uncles in Maraba, a suburb between Abuja and Nassarawa State and an area where child defilement is fast becoming a daily occurrence with no justice ever recorded. She came from a broken home as her parents were separated; her father is based in Port-Harcourt while the mother is working and living in Abuja.

Due to the many challenges facing single parents, her mother designed a visitation schedule where she would be with her child every weekend with her four -year-old daughter at the paternal family house. On one of her regular visits, her daughter in her limited, shy and withdrawn attitude typical of an innocent child told her mother how her uncle always ‘touches’ her.

A little inquiry into how ‘Uncle’ touches her revealed more than she could bear. she first of all did what any sane thinking person should do; she reported the matter to her ex-father-in-law and daughter’s grandfather under who’s roof the abominable act was perpetuated.

If the revelation from her daughter dazzled her, the response she got from an elder shocked the living day lights out of her.

“Don’t worry, things are under control and the issue has been taken care of,” the grandfather said. The mother gave in to second thoughts and decided not to press the issue any further.

Alarmed and devastated and with little money in her pocket, she decided to take the girl to the hospital for an examination and almost fainted when the doctor, after examining the little child, gave her a bombshell; “Madam, I’m afraid to tell you that your four-year-old baby is no longer a virgin.”

She was experiencing a situation that was even very hard to imagine; when she was shown the vagina of her little child, she needed no telling to understand what the doctor’s report was showing; “When the doctor showed her to me, she was open...she was open. My precious daughter has been used and who knows how long this has been going on,” she said. t became clear to this mother of a sullied girl that she was alone in her battle to bring her child’s molester to pay for what he did to her daughter.

Her confrontation with her ex-husband’s family took a turn for the worse and she was seen as a troublemaker who wanted to bring shame to the family by involving the police and the law. The family sadly, owns an educational facility with even the alleged perpetuator of the sinful act owning and operating a Nursery and Primary School.

This is sadly one out of many childhood molestation cases that occur within Maraba and other suburbs around. While investigating this story, various cases of child molestation were reported to the police and redirected on domestic grounds. Even the Nigeria Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ojukwu attested to the fact that many of the families that reports this kind of case always want to label it a family affair and always settle out of the corridor’s of justice and the Nigeria Police will be so blinded to release a dangerous pedophiles back to the society where, maybe, they continue with their nefarious abuses on children and minors.

Another problem that helps the increment recorded in some of these defilement cases is the connivance of elements of the Police who get a report of these crimes and succumb to the bribery from, most times, families of either the girl or the perpetrator. In one of such cases, a 65-year-old man was arrested on the grounds of molesting a nine-year-old girl who was brought to the station, bleeding. The nine-year-old girl was asked to write a statement and put her thumbprint on it, which she did. She was then taken to the hospital for treatment. By evening, the child’s father was recalled to the station by the supposed investigating police officer and told to bring his daughter to make another statement. The father explained that his daughter was traumatized and could not make it to the station to write another statement. For this, the 65-year-old was released from custody on the grounds that there was no indicting statement against him. Even at the time of this investigation, there are fears that the case file involving this four-year old girl has been tampered with and indicting documents like the doctor’s report removed so that when the perpetrator is arraigned in the court, there would not be any evidence to keep in custody and go further with the case. The family has boasted that they have the funds and everything is under control.

“We will solve it our own way; not the police way or in court,” the brother to the perpetrator said.

Most times, only very few cases make it to the court and the number of convictions gotten is criminally poor when compared to the daily occurrence of this dastardly act across the country as in the case of a 32-year-old man who molested a nine-year-old girl. He was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison. Maybe the failure of law and order to such cases gives the needed boost to the upsurge of such pathetic crimes.

Further investigation at the Nyanya General Hospital revealed that the hospital actually was no stranger to cases such as these and certain staff of the hospital who spoke off-camera said there were cases of molestation of children aged as low as nine months. Swept under the rug of “domestic and private issue”, these cases are abandoned along the way and the only victims left to suffer are the children who then grow into troubled and unstable adults. Crime is expected as no society is perfect, but the failure of law and order can be more damaging than crime itself.

The story is far from over and the culture of silence if allowed to continue will result in far reaching and disastrous results whose effects generations to come will be overwhelmed by. A documentary detailing the story of the four-year-old molested by her uncle is underway and will be released after the court proceedings of the case are concluded. This is a call to everyone to stand for what is healthy and right. We are our children and our children are we. The time to act is now.

Click the link below to view the child`s narrative.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1395380896579&ref=mf

By Amaka Awogu

Disses Home Team :Cavaliers

Disses good Friend:Jay Z part owner of Nets

Disses money:Chicago Bulls was reputed to have made him a Don Corleone offer he couldnt refuse but he did !

The former king and chosen one GOES FOR FAME & GLORY with Dwyane Wade (The flash) & Chris Bosh (CB4 )

Perhaps the most hysterically-hyped free agent in sports history, James announced Thursday night on national TV that he plans to leave Cleveland to join the Miami Heat for a chance to play with Olympic teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Photos: lebron,bosh & wade

It's a power trio that could rock the league for years to come.

"I can't say it was always in my plans, because I never thought it was possible," said James, who wrestled with his decision for weeks. "But the things that the Miami Heat franchise have done, to free up cap space and be able to put themselves in a position this summer to have all three of us, it was hard to turn down.

"Those are two great players, two of the greatest players that we have in this game today."

Add in James, and Miami has a three-headed monster.

Ending weeks of round-the-clock speculation, the two-time MVP said he was uncertain until the eleventh hour before deciding that the only way he could fulfill his dreams of winning multiple championships was to leave his home state and a city that hasn't sprayed championship champagne in 46 years.

See ya, Cleveland.

Sorry, New York, Chicago, New Jersey, Los Angeles and all you other NBA cities who came calling.

Hello, South Beach.

"It's going to give me the best opportunity to win," James said. "We're going to be a real good team."

That's not what Cleveland wanted to hear.

Fans poured out of the same downtown bars and restaurants that have thrived with James around in frustration moments after the announcement. A few set fire to his No. 23 jersey while others threw rocks at the 10-story-tall billboard featuring James with his head tossed back and arms pointing skyward.

"We Are All Witnesses," the mural says.

This was something Cleveland never thought it would see.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert posted an open letter to fans on the team's website ripping James and told The Associated Press he believes James did not play up to his abilities in Cleveland's second-round loss to Boston.

"He quit," Gilbert said. "Not just in Game 5, but in Games 2, 4 and 6. Watch the tape. The Boston series was unlike anything in the history of sports for a superstar. ... People have covered up for him for way too long."

Not Gilbert, not anymore.

"As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier," Gilbert wrote. "This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his 'decision' unlike anything ever 'witnessed' in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment. Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

"The self-declared former 'King' will be taking the 'curse' with him down south. And until he does 'right' by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

"Just watch."

Olympic teammates four years ago in Beijing, James, Bosh and Wade all helped deliver gold medals while playing for the U.S.

This time, the superstars will pursue another gold prize — an NBA trophy — the one Wade got in 2006, the one that James and Bosh have yet to touch.

"Winning is a huge thing for me," said James, who left more than $30 million on the table by not signing with Cleveland.

It's a huge victory for the Heat, which got Wade and Bosh, a five-time All-Star with the Toronto Raptors, to agree to take less money on Wednesday so James could join them. Heat president Pat Riley was able to corral the top three stars in an unprecedented free-agent class.

So while Miami is building a dynasty, Cleveland is devastated.

In a city scorned for generations by some of sports' biggest letdowns, James' long-awaited words that he is leaving represented a defeat perhaps unlike any other.

"The Decision," the name of the prime-time, hour-long special James and his team of advisers brokered with ESPN, now joins "The Drive," ''The Shot," ''The Fumble," and "The Move" in Cleveland's sports hall of shame.

Cleveland fans, so accustomed to disappointment, have been let down again — this time, by one of their owns sons.

Not long after James' decision was announced, one of his jerseys was shown being burned in the city's streets.

"I can't get involved in that," James said. "I wanted to do what was best for LeBron James ... At the end of the day, I feel awful. I feel even worse that I wasn't able to bring an NBA championship to that city. I never wanted to leave Cleveland. My heart will always be around that area. But I also felt like this is the greatest challenge for me, is to move on."

James' decision ends nearly two years of posturing and positioning by teams hoping to add the 6-foot-8, 260-pound physical force of nature to their roster. He famously announced at New York's Madison Square Garden in November of 2008 that "July 1, 2010, is going to be a big day."

He wasn't kidding. When the clock struck 12:01 a.m. last Thursday, a free-agent frenzy unlike any before it — in any professional sport — got under way with the enough speculation, rumor and second-by-second intrigue to last a lifetime.

March may be madness, but this was a year's drama crammed into eight days.

James, Wade and Bosh were wined and dined by suitors who spared no expense to make them feel special. It was billionaires chasing millionaires, and depending on your view, it was either a shining moment for the NBA or a travesty.

Commissioner David Stern probably didn't mind any of it. The league stayed front and center in newspapers, on the Internet and in the blogosphere, leaving the World Cup, Wimbledon, Major League Baseball and other goings on fighting for scraps.

Last week, the Heat, Cavaliers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls converged on Cleveland to make their sales pitch to the league's most wanted man. The Cavs only had to drive across town to meet with in the business offices of the local superstar, who grew up in a single-parent home in the Akron projects and has known no other pro basketball home.

The Cavs appealed to James' loyalty, his Buckeye roots and the fact that this is where he is raising his two young sons, to keep him. They hired Byron Scott as their new coach last week.

None of it worked.

"We believe in this team, this organization, this community, and what we will do to compete at the highest level," Cavs general manager Chris Grant said in a statement that did not mention James. "We believe in the new coach and leader we have in Byron Scott, and the world class basketball organization and positive and strong culture we've established."

New York devoted two years to trying to snare James.

"We are disappointed that LeBron James did not pick the New York Knicks, but we respect his decision," Knicks president Donnie Walsh said.

New Jersey couldn't land him despite having rapper Jay-Z, a good friend of James, as a part owner.

"We have a vision of a championship team and need to invest wisely and for the long term," Nets billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov said. "Fortunately, we have more than one plan to reach success, and, as I have found in all areas of my business, that is key to achieving it."

And Bulls general manager Gar Forman said he was convinced his organization "made the strongest of bids to acquire LeBron James during this free agency period."

Wade has shared the spotlight in the Heat locker room before, doing so when O'Neal was there for the 2006 title run. James said that if not for Wade being willing to make this megadeal happen, the trio wouldn't be together.

"D-Wade, he's the unselfish guy here," James said. "To be able to have Chris Bosh and LeBron James, to welcome us to his team, it's not about an individual here.

"It's about a team."

sorry lebron money & fame is not everything what about family ? Remember the fab 5

DANCER Ife Kuku last night became the fifth person to be kicked out of the Big Brother house.

The 25-year-old dancer was the bookies' hot tip to be booted off the reality TV show as she faced the public vote against Mario and Jordan lookalike Corin.

Leaving the house in a short grey dress, Ife was met with a mixture of boos and cheers from the noisy crowd.

She left after gaining 56.5% in the public vote.

Before leaving, the former Cheryl Cole backing dancer reassured other housemates: "I feel alright."

The skin-headed groover from Milton Keynes gained a reputation as a cry baby and fell out with several housemates including Caoimhe and Shabby.

But she put on a brave face and laughed while speaking with host Davina McCall.

When asked about her long list of spats, she said: "I have always been honest. There was no point making up with people after what I had said about them in the Diary room."

Ife Kuku Biography

The earliest vivid memory I have from my childhood, was sitting in my room watching Pop School the Musical. I remember rushing home to watch Sister Sister and Moesha, as I grew my musical taste changed. I started listening to Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and India Arie.

One of the first tapes I brought was the Spice Girls. When I was fourteen a Lauryn Hill album found its way into my collection I have been a fan ever since. I grew up in Milton Keynes, and was part of a very large family “not the conventional kind “ Performing has always been a huge part of my life. School plays, to debating society, choirs, dance shows any chance to stand in front of an audience..

The thrill of being in the moment was scary but a wonderful feeling that would go away once I was off stage. My parents built a conservatory at the back of the house that I used it as my studio to practice and practice I would make up songs and routines and ask friends and family to come in and watch. I was never the strongest singer or dancer however I knew it was something that I wanted to do forever and that the only way to make that possible would be to practice and get better each day.

I moved to London when I was sixteen and trained at a performing arts school, it was so much fun I felt really grown up so many other people to work with who all shared the same love for singing and dancing. When I graduated I threw myself out there and began auditioning for shows, video adverts, Dance Company’s anything and everything. I had a job in a theatre, bar, café and telemarketer, I applied for anything that was flexible and that would fit around my auditions.

Seven years passed and I accomplished so much more than I could of expected and got to travel the world. In 2008 I made the decision to move in a different direction and focus on singing and writing my own songs, and I hope to continue and push forward and someday perform my songs in front of a large audience.

The male dominated media loves to promote the image of irrational, emotional, drama queens who are at constant odds with each other. Reality television shows keep us inundated with the “cat-fights” and foolishness of these so-called ’real’ women, who thrive on negative energy and attention. Yet no one ever talks about ‘Divos’ the drama kings of this world who equally have a flare for the dramatic. I dated a man who loved to argue; he would say anything to get a rise out of me. I should have known that something was up when he said “if I wanted to, I could get with your sister.” When I looked at him like he was crazy, then he tried to shrug it off, as a ‘just a joke.’

It is not as socially accepted for men to behave in such a way, like Jay-Z said “males shouldn’t be jealous that’s a female trait,” which I completely disagree with because there are plenty of men who are just as guilty of bringing on the drama. Here are a couple of tips to let you know if your new guy is a Divo:

1. Every time you talk to him he has an elaborate story: Who knows why he does this or maybe his mom never gave him enough attention so he has to have your undivided attention– always. These stories will get grander and grander over time but dealing with his fantasy life can be a huge task, so just be ready to put in the work.

2. He tries to pull you in on act: He needs this fix so bad that he decides to pick a fight with you. He will say anything to push your buttons. Or he may pair himself up with a drama queen, when I was in college, there was this guy who seemed really laid back and nice. he would purposely talk to other girls on campus so that his girlfriend would want to fight him, while he just sat back and laughed under his breath as she created a huge scene on the yard. Who knows, maybe it was his time of the month so he needed to transfer that negative energy to her. That’s an extreme case but if this happens on a smaller level even once it will happen again..

Veteran Nigerian actress, dancer, and vocalist, Toun Oni is dead. The actress passed away Wednesday morningwhile being rushed to the hospital.

“She complained about not feeling too well last night and thenthis morning she felt very weak so we had to rush her to the St Paul’sHospital, Ebute-Metta, but she passed away before we arrived there,”said her son, Toyin Oni. “We were rushing her to the hospital from ourAjah home.” The body of the late actress has been deposited at St Paul’sHospital, while funeral arrangements are currently being finalised atthe family house at 66a Brick Field Street, Ebute Metta, Lagos.

Fondly called Mama T, Toun Oni was one of Nigeria’s most successful cross-over actresses. She was also arecipient of the prestigious Order of Niger (OON), conferred in 2006. Astaunch Jehovah Witness, she will be remembered for her many movieroles. Her most memorably roles were undoubtedly on television, withparts in one of Nigeria’s longest running soap opera, ‘Checkmate,’ andthe popular ‘Fuji House of Commotion,’ where she played Mama Moji.

Equally at home in movies and television, she tended to feature more in soap operas, and it is forthese that she will be remembered by most fans. Amaka Igwe, who produced‘Fuji House of Commotion,’ could not be reached for her reaction on thelate actress’ death as at press time. Toun Oni’s career dated back tothe 70s. She was aged 67..

Facebook’s co-founders Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moscovitz have both expressed some measure of disapproval where the highly anticipated film The Social Network is concerned..

Moscovitz published a frank assessment of the upcoming movie tonight on a Q&A site, saying the trailers seemed “a lot more exciting” than the actual goings-on during Facebook’s earlier days.

(Interesting side note: The Q&A site linked above is Quora, a startup made by several former Facebook employees. It’s a small world after all — especially in Silicon Valley.)

Zuckerberg, currently Facebook’s CEO, had some negative comments about the film when he took the stage at the D conference last month, saying he wished the movie had not been made. Moscovitz wasn’t completely down on the movie; however, his mostly sarcastic comments did belabor the point that the film is anything but historically accurate — at least from his perspective.

“It is interesting to see my past rewritten in a way that emphasizes things that didn’t matter,” he wrote — “things that didn’t matter” referring to a breach of contract/IP theft lawsuit brought by fellow Harvard students Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss in 2004.

Calling the movie a “dramatization of history,” Moscovitz continued to write, “A lot of exciting things happened in 2004, but mostly we just worked a lot and stressed out about things; the version in the trailer seems a lot more exciting, so I’m just going to choose to remember that we drank ourselves silly and had a lot of sex with coeds.”

When it comes to the film’s portrayal of Zuckerberg, Moscovitz is at once cautiously pessimistic and fawning.

“The plot of the book/script unabashedly attack him, but I actually felt like a lot of his positive qualities come out truthfully in the trailer (soundtrack aside). At the end of the day, they cannot help but portray him as the driven, forward-thinking genius that he is.”

Moscovitz currently heads up Asana, a Silicon Valley startup who counts a few Facebook and Google heavy-hitters among its staff. When not drinking and carousing with coeds, they build project management software.

What do you think of the trailers so far? How would you feel if someone made a movie about you and your company? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

From the Lab to World Stage, Future Awards 2010 Young Person of the Year, Ify Aniebo is making a real impact

By Wana Udobang

Police gun found at Ondo robbery scene