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The Discovery television network on Friday said it has cancelled plans to air a reenactment of the autopsy on Michael Jackson’s body, citing an upcoming court hearing and concern by the late pop star’s estate.The show, ‘Michael Jackson’s Autopsy: What Really Killed Michael Jackson’, had been set to air in several countries of western Europe and in the United Kingdom on January 13...“Given the commencement of legal proceedings beginning next week, and at the request of Michael Jackson’s estate, the scheduled broadcast of the medical documentary related to Michael Jackson’s official autopsy has been postponed indefinitely,” Discovery Networks International said in a statement.A Discovery spokesman declined comment beyond the statement. Co-executors of the estate responded in their own statement saying they were “pleased” with the decision.The ‘Thriller’ singer died suddenly of a prescription drug overdose on June 25, 2009, age 50, only weeks before beginning a series of comeback concerts. An autopsy by Los Angeles officials showed Jackson died chiefly of an overdose of the powerful anesthetic, propofol, that he used as a sleep aid.Discovery’s show, which was not scheduled to air in the United States, was an unofficial, fictional account of what the autopsy must have been like and its results.But Jackson fans worldwide protested in an online petition launched earlier this month, and the co-executors of his estate sent a letter this week to Discovery Networks calling the programme “insensitive” and “in shockingly bad taste.”A print advertisement for the programme shows a body covered by a sheet, with one hand poking out wearing the singer’s well-known sequined glove.Jackson’s physician at the time of his death, Dr. Conrad Murray, has admitted giving the singer propofol, which is often used in surgery, and Murray has been charged by authorities with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson’s death.Murray has pleaded not guilty, and a preliminary hearing to determine if enough evidence exists to make him stand trial begins in Los Angeles on January 4...Oprah aims for “mindful TV” in OWN network gambleShe is already the most influential woman on television, publishes a magazine, has starred in movies, opened a school in South Africa, and is one of America’s biggest celebrity philanthropists.So why is Oprah Winfrey taking perhaps the biggest gamble in her life and launching a cable TV network this weekend? Because she believes people are hungry for shows that entertain, inspire, and offer what she calls “mindful television.”“What I want to do is build a channel that is a respite for your mind, an oasis of stimulation that you come away from with little pieces of light.“I’m aiming for a moment where somebody could say, ‘I never thought of it that way before.’ I just love that,” Winfrey 56, told Parade magazine in an interview this week.Three years in the making, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) kicked off on January 1 with a weekend of “sneak peeks” into the array of largely female-oriented original series, lifestyle, and advice shows that viewers can expect in the first year.OWN, a venture between Winfrey’s Harpo Inc. and Discovery Communications, will be available in some 80 million homes.The OWN launch has brought with it some uncharacteristic anxiety for Winfrey, who will end her popular U.S. daytime chat programme, ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ - which airs in some 140 countries - in May after 25 years.She told her magazine ‘O’ that she has “never felt such fear in all my life” than she has in launching OWN in a crowded TV market packed with hundreds of cable channels.Winfrey will appear in only 70 hours of programmes in 2011, but the OWN schedule has the unmistakable flavour of uplifting tales, self-improvement, and struggles in the face of adversity that has come to be known as ‘Oprahfication’. The lineup includes a four-part special bringing together health, wealth, and relationship experts Dr. Phil McGraw, Suze Orman, and Dr. Mehmet Oz. There are two reality shows about the fractious relationships between movie stars Tatum O’Neal and her father, Ryan O’Neal; and country singers, Wynonna Judd and her mother Naomi Judd.There will be frank sex and relationship therapy from Dr. Laura Berman and another reality series called ‘Kidnapped by the Kids’ in which children force their parents to ditch work for family time.Two shows were Oprah’s ideas. ‘Oprah Presents Master Class’ features eight famous people including rapper, Jay-Z; poet, Maya Angelou; actor, Sidney Poitier; and TV entrepreneur, Simon Cowell, talking about their lives’ lessons, triumphs, and setbacks.‘Finding Sarah’, featuring disgraced British royal, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was inspired by a confessional TV interview between the two women earlier this year.‘I AM intelligent’, says Paula AbdulPaula Abdul, former ‘American Idol’ judge, said that being perceived as stupid was one of the most annoying misperceptions people have about her.Abdul, 48, who returns to television next week with her own dance reality competition show, also insisted that she was naturally goofy and that her sometimes volatile public behaviour was not the result of drugs or alcohol.“I AM intelligent, I AM,” Abdul told Julie Chen in an interview to be broadcast on ‘CBS Sunday Morning’.“But people don’t give you enough credit for having a brain,” Chen replied, according to a transcript released on Thursday.“Having a brain, that’s a concept, yes, with Paula Abdul. I have a brain,” Abdul said.Abdul was an ‘American Idol’ judge for eight years before quitting the TV singing contest in 2009 in a contract dispute. Her often odd behavior on the show sparked rumours about drug taking.But the dancer and singer told Chen; “I’ve never had a drinking problem. Even though I’ve been in this business for quite some time, I’ve never physically been drunk in my life. I’ve never been drunk in my life. I don’t use recreational drugs. But, I am goofy.“It’s Paula. It is Paula. And even the people on ‘Idol’ know that none of that existed, ever,” she said.Abdul’s ‘Live to Dance’ TV show starts on CBS on January 4.
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Naija Dog show in Photos

This little boy and his dogs stole the show. The kid is barely taller than the dogs but he exercised perfect control over them. They obeyed his every command and even when walking them a little tug on their chains was all it took to stop them straying. Those are perfectly trained dogs, imagine some fool trying to harm or kidnap the boy with those dogs around. The dogs are South African Boerboels. Notice the eyes of the dog on the left of the picture, thats a sign of albinism...
Find more photos like this on 9jabook.com Re-braining 9geria
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Shina Peters US show closed by Police

Afro Juju creator, Sir Shina Peters was close to tears over the weekend as Prince Georges County police officers shut down his show at the Royal Prestige Hall, Largo in the state of Maryland, USA.

Trouble started at around 2am, an hour after he had started performing, when large numbers of PG police officers stormed the venue requesting from the organizers the liquor license for the event.

The organizers who had already started selling alcoholic beverages at the time could not produce the license claiming they didn’t know they needed one.

Following the inability to produce the liquor license, the police said they had no option other than to shut down the venue..

They dispersed everyone in the Hall, and within minutes the hall became empty. SSP's fans were outraged at the turn of events threatening to sue the organizers of the show.

However, Sir shina Peters is expected to stage more shows before he departs the state of Maryland. African Examiner gathered that the show that was shut down was a sold out.
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* It gives you access and opportunity to network with other Nigerian Singles Worldwide on Facebook.

* The event will provides singles a way to get out and join a wide variety of fun, interesting and exciting activities as a way to experience things they may not ordinarily do on their own, while meeting new friends and developing new relationships online via facebook. An inspiring atmosphere to meet new friends, network,mingle and get connected in real life.

*We know it's not easy to find someone you can really connect with online, we are here to offer you a little help by saving you time and money,searching and setting up a great day out for you.

* FB S3 Party is an event where you can have as much fun as you may want to, network, socialize and expand your professional horizons.

THE FACEBOOK SINGLES & STILL SEARCHING PARTY (FB S3 Party) is a classy blind date and singles networking event garnished with a unique packaging with the intent of reaching out to the numerous Singles in Nigeria that have profiles on Facebook.

The event was borne out of the need to create a networking party that will bring together all Singles from all works of life via a grand style interactive event. The event is in the class of its own, the innovative packaging approach given to the event will make it an event that will be talked about for a long time.

The event was been packaged by Le Blonde Entertainment and Mega Points International.
"The programme seeks to connect all Nigerian Singles on Facebook via a classic event and to inculcate the core values of blind date spirit, self confidence and networking of Singles on facebook".

The FB S3 Party (Lagos Edition) is rapidly approaching if you haven't decided whether or not you want to come remember tickets are being sold in advance and reservation is require to attend.

This is an event you will not want to miss this is your chance to witness and be part of history,Join us at the first ever FACEBOOK SINGLES & STILL SEARCHING PARTY in Nigeria, the Lagos Edition.

To reserve and purchase tickets log on to www.kilonshele.com or call any of these numbers for TICKET RESERVATION ENQUIRY: 080FBS3PARTY, 070FBS3PARTY, 08038272700,07031611402,08036468301,08038619690.
Email:fbs3party@live.com
www.facebook.com/fbs3party
www.facebooks3partynaija.socialgo.com
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Do you know you can get 50% sponsored discount on the event ticket thisweek, if you can be among the first 100 people to reserve and purchasetheir ticket this week.

Meaning you can get the Regular Ticket for N2,500 instead of the NormalN5,000 and the VIP ticket for N5,000 instead of the Normal N10,000.

All you need do to get the discount is to call to reserve your ticketnow and mention Naija Love Magazine Sponsored Discount. Hurry Now Causethe discount is for 1st 100 reserved & purchase tickets every weektill 15th October 2010.
Don't be told about the event.



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Come 16th of October, The FACEBOOK SINGLES & STILL SEARCHING PARTY (Lagos Edition) holds @ Tobol Banquet Hall,Behind Total Filling Station Toyin Str.Ikeja,Lagos Events starts BLUE CARPET starts at 12:30pm -1:30pm and event proper starts by 2:00pm Prompt- 7:30pm.

Come meet will other Nigerian mature and serious Singles.
Please note advance reservation is required. No ticket sales at the venue.

To reserve and purchase tickets log on to www.kilonshele.com or call any of these numbers for TICKET RESERVATION ENQUIRY: 080FBS3PARTY, 070FBS3PARTY, 08038272700,07031611402,08036468301,08038619690.
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"Change grindeth slowly...as slow as the oil that drips dry" One way thinking .


Divisions have emerged within the influential religious establishment, including the religious police body itself, over long-held restrictions that have been enforced in the world's leading oil producing country and key U.S. ally.

An official at the Jeddah court confirmed the filing of the lawsuit for the crime of "openly declaring sin" and said it would take at least one week for the Islamic sharia court to decide whether to proceed with a trial or dismiss the case.

The Saudi judiciary system, based on an austere reading of Islamic sharia law, reserves harsh punishments for such offences that could involve lashes with whip and years of imprisonment.

Aired last month, MTV's "True Life - Resist the Power, Saudi Arabia" followed how three Saudi youths and a heavy metal band cope with the strictures they encounter in their daily life in Jeddah, seen as the kingdom's most liberal city (here).

The kingdom is ruled by the Al Saud family in alliance with clerics from the austere Wahhabi school of Islam who oversee mosques, the judiciary and education, as well as run their own coercive apparatus, the religious police.

Interior ministry police and the religious police work together to make sure unrelated men and women are kept apart, women are covered from head to toe and that sharia law is implemented, including a ban on alcohol.

"We are not free to live as we like," said Aziz, one of the youths who appeared on the MTV show. The episode showed how he tries to meet his girlfriend for a date, a risky endeavor in the kingdom. "I feel great solace when I talk to her."

Fatima, a young Saudi woman, seeks to start a business selling the traditional abaya cloak that women must wear in Saudi Arabia, but in colors other than the standard black.

The show also followed the struggle of a heavy metal band to find venues to play. They explain that when they pray they turn their heavy metal T-shirts inside out to show respect for God.

Saudi rulers have wrestled with whether to moderate Wahhabism since the September 11 attacks in 2001 on U.S. landmarks, carried out by mostly Saudi nationals, and the emergence of al Qaeda militancy against the Saudi government in 2003.

King Abdullah is seen as favoring reforms that water down some of Wahhabism's more controversial tenets. Analysts and diplomats say he is opposed by other senior princes who are closely allied to the powerful religious establishment.

Lawyers following the case fear the first instance court in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah -- where the lawsuit was filed on Monday -- would take the case.

"It will be very difficult to stop the religious clockwork once this gets to court. They may face harsh sanctions like those dealt to Abdul-Jawad," one of the lawyers said.

It is the second time in a year that Saudis got into hot water for appearing on foreign television.

Mazen Abdul-Jawad was sentenced last year to five years in jail, 1,000 lashes and a five-year travel ban after he bragged about his sexual exploits on a TV show aired by Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC).

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There are some secrets that are secrets but for those who are always In the news, their secrets are sometime, open secrets. Amongst those who fall in this category is the current Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director of United Bank of Africa Plc, Tony Elumelu whose tenure as the CEO/MD expires in June, as he was said to have enmeshed himself in a sex scandals that resulted to him having a beautiful baby girl outside matrimony with a lady named Carol. The 7 year old girl, according to information, was born in January, 2003 and christened Helen but nicknamed Chuchu.

Carol is a Christian but grew up in Jos. Her mother is from Kogi State. Carol is a seamstress and contractor on the side. Tall and fair in complexion, she has a prominent scar on her arm from an auto accident. We gathered that the ‘Banking Cowboy’, as the boss of one of the best financial institutions in Africais being referred, offered Carol some millions of Naira to get rid of the foetus when the news of the pregnancy was regaled to him by her. When Carol seemed to be stubborn about considering abortion, inside source informed yours truly that, he offered another N1.5m with all expenses paid-trip to Germany for the abortion procedure, an offer Carol was said to have deliberately refused.

Thereafter, Tony, we learnt, cut her off and they don’t communicate but see each other at functions and look the other way. Carol lives at Lekki where she’s coping with single motherhood syndrome with her baby. Although, life, according to findings, is not too posh for them, however, she’s able to send the split-image of the banking guru, Tony Elumelu, Helen to one of the best schools on the Island with the little profit she makes from her this and that businesses.

Though, Carol herself has her own dark sides as she was said to have romanced one of Tony’s cousin shortly after she got delivered of the baby. We shall bring to you other secrets of the big boy Tony, how he was said to have sent some thugs to eliminate them and the other deeds that ensured between Carol and the out-going CEO/MD of UBA next week. Keep a date with your soar-away magazine website, nfc.
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A new pan African styled reality show to be hosted by the first ever black Miss World and Face of L'Oreal Agbani Darego titled Stylogenic is set to debut on TV.

Shedding light on the concept of the programme at the launch in Lagos recently, Ms. Darego said "Firstly, I must say that the show is quite unique, in the sense that unlike other reality TV shows, it won't be focused on a particular individual, or one aspect of fashion. It's going to be focused on the whole aspects of fashion. In essence, it will be focused on a group of people involved in fashion such as the designer, the model, the make-up artist, the stylist, the hair stylist and the photographer. What this means is that at the end of every edition when there is an eviction, not one person will be evicted, but the whole team."

A sense of style

She also explained that Stylogenic "is trying to portray a sense of style that everyone has," she said. "For example, in Nigeria there are so many ethnic groups, and each one of them has its own different attire; that's stylish, that is being fashionable; that's style, and that's what we are trying to promote. Everyone has a sense of style that they are proud of, and we are not trying to change it."..

The model, who has been busy studying for a Psychology degree at the New York University, said she won't try to force her sense of style on any of the contestants because "The show is about people being aware of style. My own preferences or choice of style is quite different from that of everyone, because we are all different types of people."

Style teams

Speaking further, she added that the contestants will comprise of a team of six people, and there are going to be several teams while the show will be broadcast with a total of 13 episodes.

Quite unlike most shows which are based on the search for a top model or designer or stylist, Stylogenic will revolve around the concept of a style team. Begining immediately after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, entries for contestants will open to all Africans with casting calls held in Lagos, Johannesburg, Nairobi, London and New York.

Each team will be competing against one another for mouth-watering prizes, which include a showing at Fashion and Design Weeks in London and Cape Town, said Solomon Ikhioda, Head, Sponsorship, Insight Communications Ltd, one of the show's executive co-producers.

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We used to think Abacha and IBB both evil intheir own way but now whoever is in charge of Yaradua's movements has revealed a wickedness unprecedented.

Article:


Ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua failed to appear at the Friday Jumat service in Abuja today, dousing tension in the political and security quarters of the federal capital that he will be ending his four months absence from public space by praying at the National Mosque.

Wide claims that Mr. Yar’Adua will be at the Jumat service caused anxiety among Politicians of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) last night who heard that loyalists of the President planned to bring him to the Friday service today.

A presidency source who wanted to remain anonymous said the plan triggered an urgent security meeting that went into deep hours of the night, the resolution of which was a stern warning to elements of the Yar’Adua inner circle to tread carefully and restrain from plunging the nation into a crisis.

“Ï think a riot act was basically read out to the Yar’Adua team with a cautionary note that they will be held responsible for any security breach in the city and in the country” said the source who refused to read any meaning to the sudden news that the president and his inner team had prepared to appear in public today.

Last night party officials described it as disturbing that the president’s planned re-entry into public life was coming three days before the Senate begins the screening of ministerial nominees on Monday, and a day after the 2010 budget was passed. They also questioned the choice of a religious occasion for Mr. Yar’Adua’s re-emergence in public.

One source said, “if the President would be coming out four months after his absence, it ought not to be at a religious event because that will send the wrong signal.” Mr. Yar’Adua, a Muslim from Kastina State participated in the weekly Jumat service at the National Mosque located at the Central business district in Abuja until his illness kept him from public view.

The ailing President was flown out of the country on the 23rd of November 2009 to Saudi Arabia for a heart condition and has since been out of public view. The issue of Mr. Ya Adua’s appearance became subject of interest last week when two national dailies claimed that plans were afoot for the ailing president to make a public outing this week.

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Another reality game show debuts

A NEW reality game show, which offers handsome rewards ranging from N100,000 to N300,000 and above, to "people living in filthy and dirtybedrooms"..


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The Filthy Rooms game show is being organised by Nice Dreams Properties Ltd, a leading estate development firm based in Lagos State.

Explaining the rationale behind the reality game show, chief executive of the estate company Mr. Richard Uwagie said that the intention was to "create a platform where thousands of people could interact freely on the internet, have fun and at the same time earn some money".

According to him, every participant in the game show stands a chance of deriving one form of benefit or another in the activities lined up for the show.

To be a part of the show each participant are encouraged to log on to www.nicedreamsproperties.com to follow the promptings.

To win cash prizes, Uwagie explained, the participant could either upload via a mobile phone, or a flash drive or a digital camera, the photo shot of their "Wacky," "Ugly," or "Dirty" bedroom or living room.

The "Wackiest" of such photo shots, he said, would win a cash award, or any of the moneymaking opportunities available.

Alternatively, Uwagie explained, a participant can join those who would cast their votes to determine which of the photo shot entries deserve to win the award.

The first 20 voters to log on to the site, he said, would earn cash rewards of up to N3,000.

A selection of the most unkempt or sloppiest apartments, he said, would be done every week, following which an overall winner will emerge at the end of three months.

The star winner will receive a renovation package worth N300,000 with additional cash sum of N150.000.

Similarly, the second "Worst" apartment will earn a cash sum of N100.000, while the third place winner will cart away a Hi-fi Home Theatre equipment.

Consolation prizes are equally lined up for other categories of internet surfers on the bsite.

The reality game show is billed to run every quarter with higher cash bonanzas to be attached to subsequent entries.
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Grammys 2010 : Jackson kids steal show

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The most memorable moment of the 52nd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday may be the onstage appearance of Michael Jackson's two eldest children to accept their father's lifetime achievement award."To all his songs, his message was simple, love," 12-year-old Prince Michael said. "We will continue to spread his message and help the world."With a voice that sounded more mature than his age, he then thanked "God for watching over us these last seven months and our grandma and grandpa for their love and support."Paris, 11, then spoke: "Daddy was supposed to be here. Daddy was going to perform last year. Thank you. We love you Daddy."Prince Michael and Paris, along with several cousins, wore black suits with red stripes on their pants, and red armbands.The children appeared after a rousing performance of Michael Jackson's "Earth Song," with a recording of Jackson accompanied by live performances from Celine Dion, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Smokey Robinson and Jennifer Hudson.Grammy producers used the head-to-head competition between Beyonce and Taylor Swift to lure viewers to stay tuned through the three-and-a-half hour telecast.List: Major Grammy winnersSwift got the biggest Grammy of the night, album of the year, for "Fearless.""I just hope that you know how much this means to me," she said in her acceptance speech. "Our families are freaking out in their living rooms."Swift also won best country album. She won four Grammys overall.Beyonce won a pair of Grammys over Swift, including for best female pop vocal performance.Beyonce carried home six Grammys, including one in the major category of song of the year. That honor, a songwriters' award, was given to Beyonce for co-writing "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)."For the best female pop honor, won for "Halo," the nervous singer thanked her family, "including my husband -- I love you." Beyonce is married to hip-hop star Jay-Z.Gallery: Red-carpet arrivalsAlternative rock band Kings of Leon upset favorites Beyonce and Swift to win the record of the year Grammy for "Use Somebody."The win gave the Kings of Leon three Grammys out of four nominations this year, all thanks to last year's "Only by the Night" album. The same album gave them three nominations last year, one of which they won."Use Somebody" lost out earlier in the show to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" for song of the year."The best thing about winning Grammys is really it's the first time our family gets to see the success we're having," Kings lead singer Caleb Followill said backstage. "We're getting my mom wasted."Other triple Grammy winners were The Black Eyed Peas and Jay-Z.Winners also included Stephen Colbert, the Zac Brown Band and Green Day.The Zac Brown Band won best new artist. Lady Gaga, considered by many to be this year's biggest breakout act, was ruled ineligible because she had a song released and nominated last year.Behind-the-scenes: Our Marquee blogStephen Colbert won best comedy album for "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!" Rap/sung collaboration went to Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West.Green Day won best rock album."Now I'm going to do shots with Kings of Leon," Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong said.Lady Gaga, whose performance opened the show, won two Grammys presented in the pre-telecast. Her single "Poker Face" beat out songs by the Black Eyed Peas, Madonna and Britney Spears in the best dance recording category. Her CD "The Fame" also won a Grammy for best electronic/dance.
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Contrary to all the hype that Lagos is being transformed into a world class city, a recent survey on global cities has shown that Lagos is the fifth worst city to live in the world.
In the annual survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Lagos was only surpassed by Harare (Zimbabwe), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Algiers (Algeria) and Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) as greater hell holes on earth.

In the opposite end of the spectrum, Vancouver (Canada) for another successive year topped a list of the top ten most liveable cities in the world, giving the Canadian west coast city an extra boost as it opened the 2010 Winter Olympics yesterday.

Vancouver scored 98 percent on a combination of stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure – a score unchanged from last year. The city has also topped the index since at least 2007.

In the 2010 ranking, there was little change in the top positions with Vienna, Melbourne and Toronto still taking the second, third and fourth positions and the top ten dominated by Canadian and Australian cities which took seven of the ten slots.

Johannesburg, which is hosting the soccer World Cup finals in June, came in 92nd place, the highest score in sub-Saharan Africa.

"Vancouver scores well across all categories in the survey and the on going Winter Games contribute to a strong score in the cultural and sporting events category,” said Jon Copestake, editor of the report, in a statement.
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“Johannesburg has had well-documented crime problems, but performs better in other categories, with the highest overall livability rating in sub-Saharan Africa."

The EIU survey ranked 140 cities on 30 factors such as healthcare, culture and environment, and education and personal safety, using research involving resident experts and its own analysts.

It said in a statement that these rankings were used by employers assigning hardship allowances as part of expatriate relocation packages.

New York was ranked 56th, two slots behind London which was at number 54, while Los Angeles ranked at number 47.

Zimbabwe's capital Harare scored the least, making it the list's worst city, with a rating of 37.5.

Following is a list of the top 10 most liveable cities as ranked by The Economist: 1. Vancouver, Canada, 2. Vie-nna, Austria, 3. Melbourne, Australia, 4. Toronto, Canada, 5. Calgary, Canada, 6. Hel-sinki, Finland, 7. Sydney, Australia, 8. Perth, Australia, 9. Adelaide, Australia, 10. Auckland, New Zealand.

The bottom 10 cities were: 1. Harare, Zimbabwe, 2. Dhaka, Bangladesh, 3. Algiers, Algeria, 4. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 5. Lagos, Nigeria, 6. Karachi, Pakistan, 7. Douala, Cameroon, 8. Kathmandu, Nepal, 9. Colombo, Sri Lanka, 10. Dakar, Senegal
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Nneka appears on letterman show ! WOW !

Nigerian born hip hop and soul singer and songwriter, Nneka became one of the first break-out artistes to perform on The Late Show with David Letterman.Nneka Egbuna, 28, appeared on the show yesterday as part of her ConcreteJungle Tour which began on January 27-it will also see her perform in 14 cities across the United States. The Late Show with David Letterman is an award winning American late night talk show, anchored by David Letterman, which features celebrity interviews and live band performances. The likes of Oprah Winfrey, Barrack Obama, Bruce Willis, Jay Z and Madonna have all made appearances on the show.The deceptively petite Nneka’s career has risen since her 2005 debut album titled Victim of Truth-listed as one of the records of the year by Timesonline.co.uk in 2006. She won the Best African Act award at the 2009, The Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards. A remix of her single “Kangpe” was also featured in the popular EA Sports video game, FIFA10.Born and raised in Warri, Delta State to a Nigerian father and a half German mother, she first gained public attention as a young singer in 2004 while performing as an opening act for dancehall reggae star Sean Paul at Hamburg Stadtpark, Germany. Since moving to Germany in 2000, her music always explored various themes of Nigerians functioning under the effects of tribalism, exploitation, injustice, social and environmental issues, oppression, pollution, poor infrastructure, and lack of electricity.Nneka is a graduate of Archaeology and Anthropology of the Hamburg University, Germany. Some of her hits include ‘The Uncomfortable Truth’, ‘Kangpe and Heart Beat’ which earned her three nominations in the best female video category, Best Female Video Best Newcomer and Best African West category at the 2009 Channel Music Video Awards.
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ABUJA- FOR three hours and three minutes yesterday, thousands of aggrieved Nigerians led by the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, took to the streets in Abuja, the nation’s capital, to protest the French leave embarked upon by the ailing President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua since November 23, last year. Affordable A.d.ve.r.ti.sing LET THE WEB WORK 4 U ! http://www.9jabook.com call or email: info@systemini.net twitter:systemini linkedin:systemini tel +234-0806 495 0565,234-07083793511,234-07058888394 44-7894214683, They demanded, in unison, that he must either show up and live up to expectations, if indeed he is still alive and fit to continue in office as he is making Nigerians to believe or transfer powers without further delay to his Vice, Jonathan Goodluck, to avert total collapse of the Nigerian nation. They also registered their displeasure with members of the National Assembly over their reluctance to act even as they dismissed the cabinet members of President Yar’Adua as a bunch of liars, pseudo-colonialists and terrorists. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, who came out to address the angry protesters, yesterday, was not only booed but also disallowed from making any statement either in support or against the subject-matter of protest. Unlike what used to be the case during the dark days of the military, there was no single firing of gun or canister to disperse protesting Nigerians. In fact, dozens of mobile policemen carried in their lorries were seen dancing to the popular music of Idris Abdulkarim of ‘Nigeria jaga jaga, everything scatter scatter,’ and hailing the protesters. All through the period that the protest lasted, a combined team of men of the Nigeria Civil Defence and the Nigeria Mobile Police maintained security without allowing the hoodlums to hijack it. Although a dozen of hired pro-Yar’Adua government protesters carried placards bearing “we support Yar’Adua government,” their voices were drowned in the din of the noisy call for the resignation of President Yar’Adua. The mass rally which kicked off from the Unity Fountain opposite the popular Millenium Park close to Transcorp Hilton Hotels at about 9:45 a.m, had mobile security men taking their positions in and around the National Assembly and the road to NICON as early as 6:00 a.m. But they did not harass anyone. They seemed confused At exactly 9:45 am, the protesters had gathered in their thousands at the rendezvous waiting for a marching order from the convener of the rally. They did not move until Prof Wole Soyinka who was conceded to be the most important person addressed the aggrieved Nigerians on why the mass rally was holding. The septuagenarian, Prof Wole Soyinka, trekked alongside other leaders of the mass rally while radical Lagos lawyer Femi Falana was seen addressing and singing. Although they got to the open ground of the National Assembly where lawmakers and their visitors park cars at exactly 11:53am, the proper address did not start until 12:04pm when they recited the old national anthem. Leaders of the mass rally took turns to address the rally for just 44 minutes during which Speaker Bankole was booed and disallowed from addressing the aggrieved Nigerians. At 12:16 pm, Soyinka took to the podium. But there was so much noise that he threatened to walk out of the rally ground if they did not behave themselves. He said he expected them to be orderly and organized. The way he spoke angered some of the protesters who asked him to go if he wanted to go. When he eventually picked the microphone and blew air into it, there was a thunderous applause followed by graveyard silence. He said: “It seems to me that we have finally woken up from our long harmattan sleep and you are now getting into the spring of rebirth. I have a little information I have been asked to pass on to you as one of you. This is what they told me. I do not guarantee the veracity of it as it is supposed to have come from the Senate. And you all know what Senate is. The information I was given is that the Senate has now taken this matter to court. The matter of the President’s absence “I am passing that information to you so that we, here, are not accused of holding back information from those following us. That is the only reason why I am passing it on. You can weigh it for what it is worth. But if these people are caught in yet another lie, then the next demonstration will be bigger. The nation has been taken to ransom. The nation has been despised and treated with contempt. We have been treated as colonials, colonized all over again. This is what we call internal colonialism. We are all dignified beings. We deserve to know the truth, at all times about our method of governance. “We are also qualified to say when we believe that those ‘elected leaders’ of this nation are deliberately dragging their feet over critical issues that concern us. Then the people must stop and then take to the street. This is normal in any democracy. A lot of you have followed some recent lectures of mine: one in Lagos; one in Abeokuta, and the third one here in Abuja on the occasion of the National Merit Award. Each time, I have observed the ritual ending. And that ending was enough of talking, let us march. Now today, you have shown me that you have been listening. And your leaders here obviously have been listening and they themselves have been using exactly the same language over a long period. So we are not talking here about certain individual efforts but certain issues must be addressed urgently. And if by miracle and believe me, I do pray and wish this might happen, if by miracle the missing president were to appear amongst us, hale and hearty, he will be confronted with the same charges that we are leveling against the government.” Hon Farouk Aliyu Adamu In his contribution, Adamu, said: “We are all Nigerians. Nobody should hoodwink you with where you come from. We are not ruled rightly. We are ruled by liars. We demand leadership that will come out and tell us the truth. In the last 50 days, one minister after the other will come out and lie. They said President Yar’Adua spoke on BBC. Do you know why we do not believe them? It is because PDP government said we shall get 6000 megawatts of electricity by December but we didn’t. Now, who will believe them? We will only believe them when we see President Yar’Adua here live. If you do not want Jonathan to lead, do not take the fuel and petroleum from the Ijaw people. If my brothers want to continue using the fuel, the diesel from the South South, then Jonathan should take over governance,” to which they shouted another deafening yes. Uche Onyegocha “Few years ago, when Obasanjo tried to impose himself on this country using his third term agenda, we fought him and we won. Today we have a criminal cabal that is holding this country to ransom. I want to remind you that it was the same criminal cabal that supported third term. As we defeated them that time, we will defeat them again. They are saying we are not a terrorist nation and I agreed with them. They have been holding us to ransom but that must end today and we must take a decision on the issue of a missing president. I thank you very much.” Buba Galadima “Today is christened a new birth for a new nation, that Nigerians of all works of life, that Nigerians of all tribes, that Nigerians of all religions have come together to discuss our country, this is how it should be and when we leave here, no body should wink you on the basis of religion or the basis of where you come from, the minimum we demand of those who said we voted them into power is transparency, constitutionalism, institutionalism and accountability.” Najatu Muhammed “The issue at stake is not that Yar’Adua has spoken on the BBC, the issue is that he has abdicated without leave, without permission, so this calls for his impeachment, the people at the National Assembly have no moral justification to be where they are today. Yar’Adua is paid by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he is accountable to you and I, so he has no business staying for over fifty days without permission. Nigerians will also want to get the kind of medical treatment that Yar’Adua is getting, this is their money, so Nigerians, come out and say no to this rubbish enough is enough.” Pastor Tunde Bakare “Every one, east, north and south of our country should take these words home. The Presidency is not a birth right. The presidency is not a hereditary stool. The presidency is a constitutional office. President Yar’Adua is not fit to occupy that office. Therefore, Umaru Yar’Adua go home. Time has come for you to park your load, leave Nigeria alone and go home. This solemn assembly is not for the sake of Jonathan Goodluck, it is for the sake of good governance. The constitution that is imposed upon you stipulates in section 145 that if any one in the office of the president is leaving even for his leave not for sickness, he must transmit authority of that office to the vice president. It is that we have come to demand this afternoon, that the imposed constitution must be obeyed. Power vacuum is the latest affliction they have imposed on this nation and the entirety of the rest of us say no to power vacuum. Enough is enough! We would not allow them to handle the affairs of this country in a lopsided manner or as they like. We demand accurate governance, good governance, and what do I mean by that? Femi Falana “This is the beginning of our struggle. By next week we are going to inform you of the date when we are going to march all over Nigeria. On Friday, Nigerians in America, Nigerians in the United Kingdom are marching. We understand that the Senate met this morning and took a decision; as usual because this is a leadership built on lies. The Senate claimed that because some of us exercised our fundamental human rights, to go to court, they didn’t go to court, they said because some of us are in court because of their inaction, they are now exploiting our cases in court to abdicate their responsibility. Since they claim to be representing us in our different constituencies we must go and begin a process of making them to be accountable, of making them to be responsible, of making them to be responsive to the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian people.” It was at this point that Speaker Bankole came. The Speaker had emerged from an executive session of the Reps around 12:30 pm, made his way to the platform on the porch of the dome of the National Assembly amidst tight security. But his presence was not acknowledged, as the protesters who arrived the venue at 12.05 kept booing him as soon as they sighted him until Professor Soyinka took the microphone from Mrs. Naja’atu Mohammed – a foremost female activist from Kano State – who was addressing them, and announced that, “fellow compatriots, I understand that we have some visitors here among us We want to give him some few minutes to address us, fellow compatriots.” But the protesters in one chorus, thundered “Nooooooo!!!!!!” Again Soyinka asked that the Speaker be allowed to speak and he was visited with the same response. He now said, “We are democrats here. I am going to ask for the last time after which I will take a voice count”, he said. “Do we allow the Speaker to address us?” he asked and the answer was reverberating “Noooooooo!!!!!” “The ‘Nos’ (nays) have it” he said. Yar’Adua supporters hold counter-rally in Abuja Also yesterday, groups comprising mostly youths, converged at the Eagle Square, Abuja, with banners and posters of President Umaru Yar’Adua, chanting solidarity to his administration despite the mounting agitation from some quarters for his immediate resignation. Besides adorning the major roads along the federal secretariat with posters that read, “We support Yar’Adua” the group further strapped large banners in various strategic places, denouncing those that are calling for his removal and subsequent replacement as “anarchists.”
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His ebony skin stood out in sharp contrast to the white crowd pressing to get a better view. The young African boy bared his teeth at the men and women staring at him through the bars. They were sharpened into dagger-like points, making him appear all the more barbaric to the ignorant hordes. Above the cage hung a sign proclaiming: 'The Missing Link.' A baby chimp sat disconsolately at the bottom of the enclosure, a single companion to the boy. Exploited: Pygmy Ota Benga on display with monkeys at Bronx Zoo in 1906 The year was 1906. This was a pygmy, brought to America as a novelty to be put on display in the monkey house. The New York Times reported: 'There were 40,000 visitors to the park on Sunday. Nearly every man, woman and child of this crowd made for the monkey house to see the star attraction in the park - the wild man from Africa. 'They chased him about the grounds all day, howling, jeering, and yelling. Some of them poked him in the ribs, others tripped him up, all laughed at him.' Suddenly, the boy turned. Taking the bow and arrow given to him as an ethnic accessory, he shot at the gawpers. His arrow did no harm, but he did scare the life out of the onlookers. This was Ota Benga, a pygmy, brought from the Congo and put on display in a zoo as an example of what scientists at the time proclaimed to be an evolutionary inferior race. His story would divide a nation, and is now told for the first time in a new documentary, The Human Zoo. The programme lifts the lid on a dark period in history, where 'natives' were paraded as exhibits, fuelling the spread of white supremacism and even contributing to the rise of Nazism. Tragically, Benga became the victim of one of the most awful acts of exploitation ever seen and died a shadow of the proud young tribesman who arrived in America. So just who was he, and how did this grotesque experiment help shape the 20th century view of race? A hundred years ago, before television and mass tourism, a handful of enterprising adventurers, anthropologists and businessman decided to bring the far-flung glories of the world to life in one place. Huge fairs were held in Paris, London and America, exhibiting everything from Italian gondolas to African elephants. Having promised the world, there was pressure to deliver: people were the next quarry. In 1904, the showman anthropologist William McGee conceived the idea of a human zoo, to be held in St Louis in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was designed to be one of the largest scientific experiments ever undertaken and would be spectacular public entertainment. McGee wanted the tallest people in the world, veritable giants from Patagonia, at the tip of South America. He wanted the Ainu, who lived on an island north of Japan and were supposedly the hairiest humans. He placed an order for 300 Filipinos - there is no record of why he wanted so many. His grandson, Phillips Verner Bradford, says: 'If you told him that a place was dangerous, he'd say: "I want to go there!" He was that sort of guy.' Verner took a boat from New York to London, down the European coast and around Africa to the Congo River. Bradford says: 'He made his way up the Congo River with steamers as far as they would go. Once he arrived at the great waterfalls, he had to hire a crew of natives.' They encountered crocodiles and hippopotamuses, and deadly whirlpools that could sink a boat. Eventually, Verner made it into the jungle. He blithely walked into a village of cannibals, and found that they had captured a rival tribe who were being held in cages, ready to be eaten. More... The final proof? Memoirs that may show Hitler DID order the 'final solution' to be published after his right-hand man dies To his delight, the prisoners were pygmies, or Mbuti - just what he was looking for. He began negotiating. Talking to the pygmies in their native Chiluba, he established that they would rather be taken to America than eaten. He bought six pygmies from their captors for a roll of brass wire and some salt. One pygmy stood out. He was Ota. Photos of him taken in the Congo show a playful, chubby young man, a broad smile revealing his sharpened teeth, which were filed in his youth. He looks healthy, spirited and full of life, standing around 4ft 8in tall. He had never seen a white man before. Verner realised that he had a hugely marketable proposition on his hands, and made the return trip across the Atlantic with his human treasure. For their part, the pygmies were intrigued by everything they saw and were full of questions: how did the boat work? Was there a cage of hippopotamuses down beneath pedalling it along? Verner showed them how the steam engine functioned. Docking at New Orleans in June 1904, the Africans caught their first glimpse of America. They were stunned by the tall buildings and wide streets. The six pygmies were sent to St Louis by rail. There, they became McGee's most important exhibits, the centerpiece of the St Louis World Fair, feted by society and academics alike. Adverts proclaimed: 'They live in forests, they are extremely shy. They eat the flesh of wild animals killed with poisoned arrows. They are cruel, finding delight in torturing animals. 'They have long heads, long narrow faces and little red eyes, set close together like those of ferrets. Their bodies are exceptionally hairy. 'A pygmy has been known to eat 60 bananas at one meal, in addition to other food, and then ask for more. 'They seem to be controlled by an impulse that makes them delight in wickedness. If caught young, they are said to make excellent servants.' Scientific racism: Ota Benga's Bronx Zoo captors had an admirer in Hitler He wanted what he considered the most primitive American Indian tribe, the Cocopah in Mexico. He asked for Eskimos. But most of all, he wanted the smallest people in the world. He needed pygmies. He had heard that they were very short and very black, and he had to have one. Explorer Samuel Phillips Verner was dispatched by McGee to the Belgian Congo with a shopping list. It read: 'One pygmy patriarch or chief. One adult woman, preferably his wife. One adult man, preferably his son. One adult woman, the wife of the last or daughter of the first. One female youth unmarried. Two infants. A priestess and a priest, or medicine doctors, preferably old. All of the above to be pygmies.' Duly detailed, Verner set off for deepest Africa. He knew that this operation could be the making of him, putting him in the same league as Henry Stanley and Dr David Livingstone. As the sales pitch shows, the human zoo played into the hands of white supremacists, teaching the public that there was a hierarchy of races, with the white man at the top and all others beneath. McGee himself, in his book The Trend Of Human Progress, published in 1899, wrote: 'Those who know the races realise that the average white man is stronger of limb, fleeter of foot, clearer of eye, than the average yellow or red or black.' Bastardising Darwin's theory of evolution, McGee saw each race as a stage in human evolution - with pygmies the least evolved of the species. With his rudimentary Victorian understanding of science, he believed they were the living missing link between apes and humans. The human zoo was a fantastic success - and widely copied. Dr Sadiah Qureshi, a historian at the University of Cambridge, says: 'Millions of people went to see these shows at their peak. Originally you would get a show in a local theatre. By the late 19th century you would see hundreds, if not a couple of thousand people living on site, eating and on constant display.' Indeed, some years later, in 1924, King George V and Queen Mary inspected the live exhibits at the British Empire Exhibition, at Wembley. Some Europeans' curiosity knew no bounds, however. Qureshi says: 'The 1899 exhibition Savage South Africa held at Earl's Court in London caused quite a stir. At one point women were banned from going inside because they had supposedly been touching the natives.' For almost a year, Ota and the other pygmies lived in America as human exhibits. They were made to build native houses, perform traditional dance ceremonies, live partially naked and cook authentic food. Ota was described in the press as 'a dwarfy, black specimen of sad-eyed humanity'. With his filed tribal teeth, he was the most celebrated pygmy and dubbed 'Lord of the savage world'. He posed for photographs for 25 cents. In 1905, after they had been viewed by a total of 20 million people, Verner took the pygmies home to the Congo. Ota had planned to rejoin his tribe - but discovered that they had been entirely wiped out by Belgian soldiers. He married a girl from the nearby Batwa tribe, and appeared to settle back into life in Africa. Then his wife was bitten by a poisonous snake and died. The Batwa rejected him, believing he was cursed and responsible for the young woman's death. Ota was cast adrift, a stranger in his own land. He begged his friend Verner to take him back to America. Verner was reluctant, but eventually acquiesced, taking him to New York. The pair shared the 3,000-mile sea voyage with crates of live animals, parrots, monkeys, snakes and other exotic booty, which Verner planned to sell in America. On the ship, Ota discovered cigarettes and drink. Arriving in New York, Verner - who had business to do - bade him farewell, arranging accommodation in a spare room - this time he was not on show - at the American Museum of Natural History. There, he thought Ota would be safe. Soon, however, he came to the attention of William Hornaday, a conservationist and director of the Bronx Zoo. Collaborating with one of America's most notorious racists, Madison Grant, he conceived a plan. Grant wanted to promote 'scientific racism', talking in terms of 'purity of type', and the survival of the white master race. In 1930, after his work The Passing Of The Great Race was translated into German, Grant received a letter from an aspiring politician, saying 'your book is my bible'. The man was Adolf Hitler. He would indeed use 'scientific racism' as the foundation for the Third Reich, giving academic grounding to the Holocaust. Together, Hornaday and Grant offered to take charge of Ota Benga, who initially believed he would be looking after the Bronx Zoo's elephants. In fact, he was going to be put on public display as a living example of 'racial inferiority'. Immediately, the exhibition prompted criticism. The New York Times reported on September 9, 1906: 'The exhibition was that of a human being in a monkey cage. A human being. In a monkey cage. 'The human being happened to be a Bushman, one of a race that scientists do not rate high in the human scale, but to the average nonscientific person in the crowd of sightseers there was something about the display that was unpleasant. 'It is probably a good thing that Benga doesn't think very deeply. If he did it isn't likely that he was very proud of himself when he woke in the morning and found himself under the same roof with the orang-utans and monkeys, for that is where he really is.' The exhibition was a sensation. On a single day, 40,000 people arrived to see Ota and his chimp. The show lasted only two weeks, however, due to a public outcry, and human zoos as a phenomenon died out by the Forties. So what became of Ota Benga? After he was removed from the Bronx Zoo, there was great debate regarding his fate. African-American church ministers insisted he be released - not for his comfort, but because they wanted to convert the pygmy to Christianity. He was eventually placed in an orphanage for black children, the Howard Colored Orphan Asylum, to be 'civilised'. He was dressed in Western clothes and taught how to eat, talk and behave like an American. He had his pointed teeth capped and attended a Baptist seminary, where he started to study English. He was kept out of the public eye for four years. Eventually, he moved from New York to the backwater town of Lynchburg, Virginia, where he became a local curiosity and was known as Otto Bingo. Forevermore haunted by his time in the monkey cage, he would repeatedly slap his chest, declaring: 'I am a man. I am a man.' He began to save money to return to the Congo, working in a tobacco factory. With the outbreak of World War I, this became impossible and Ota sunk into depression. He never did make it home. One evening, he went into a barn behind the village general store. He chipped off the caps hiding his teeth, restoring them to their filed-down glory, lit a small ceremonial campfire, and shot himself in the head, dying ten years after being put on display at the Bronx zoo. He was 32 years old. His story now bears testament to the ignorance of those who believed themselves superior to him. He was buried in an unmarked grave, but he left his mark on the world, exposing as moral pygmies the lesser men who would cage a human.
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Nigerian television ‘Centage Superstar’, the music talent show, is here. The reality television show, themed around the search for a fresh Nigerian music superstar who will represent the Nigerian music scene and Nigeria as a whole inside and outside the country, is being put together by Centage Savings and Loans Limited (Mortgage bankers) with Kennis Music, Nigeria’s big music label.advertisement Ask9ja ClassifiedsNaija for London then click here !utube4naija Nollywood videos and moviesThe finance bank whose strong point includes a dynamic board comprising some ex- directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria has teamed up with Kennis Music to discover the best artiste in the country through a chain of nation- wide auditions.Keke and D1The eventual winner is expected to go home with a brand new Toyota Prado Jeep worth N7m, N2m cash and a N10m deal with Kennis.“What can we say? Our interest is making the Nigerian music industry boom. So when the responsibility is vested in us to see to it that we groom and nurture new acts, it actually means that we are recognised in and outside the industry as one of a pathfinder and credible actor in the Nigerian music scene,” Kenny Ogungbe said.Kennis Music founded by Kenny Ogungbe since inception signed acts like The Remedies, KSB, Lagbaja, OJB, 2face, Marvelous Benjy, Azadus, Sound Sultan, Baba Dee to mention a few.The basic objective of the Centage superstar is said to be to discover and promote young music Nigerian superstars. Every winner that emerges from each region goes back home with N1m, and an opportunity to represent his/her region in the grand finale in March 2010.The second prize is a Toyota Corolla and N1m, while the third position goes home with N500, 000 and a yet-to-be announced consolation prize. “It is the first time in the history of Nigeria that this will be happening,” the organisers told news men in Lagos on Friday.Also at stake for the contestants and member of the public is a house located in Abuja.Meanwhile, the official launch for the show held on Friday, June 12, 2008 at the Civic centre, and the forms are being sold in all UBA, Intercontental and Centage branches across the country for N3, 000.The launch event was hosted by Basorge Tariah Junior
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