Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has announced increased benefits for his citizens, as he heads home after months abroad getting medical treatment.

There will be extra funds for housing, studying abroad and social security, according to state television.
King Abdullah has been away from the country for three months, during which time mass protests have changed the political landscape of the Middle East.
The BBC understands that there have been few demonstrations in Saudi Arabia.
The streets in Riyadh have been decorated with national flags for the return of the king.
The 86-year-old left for New York on November 22 and had two operations in New York to repair spinal vertebrae and a herniated disc.
After a period of convalescence at his New York home, the king flew to Morocco on January 22 and has been recuperating there ever since.
By that time, Tunisia's president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali had become the first leader in the region to be ousted after weeks of mass protests - and he had fled to Saudi Arabia.

 News,     Wednesday, February 23, 2011

By DAYO BENSON, CLIFFORD NDUJIHE, DAPO AKINREFON & IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

LAGOS-THE Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, yesterday constituted a 13-man committee, comprising 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, to probe allegations of corruption levelled against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami.

By Wole Shadare

TWENTY-SEVEN Nigerians were yesterday deported to the country from South Africa.

The deportees were brought into the country in a chartered plane marked ZS-GAT with flight number GBB130, which touched down at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport at noon.

According to Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) sources, the 27 deportees - 26 males and one female - were expelled from South Africa back into the country based on immigrations-related offences.

South African law enforcement agents accompanied the deportees on the flight back home.

They were handed over to NIS officials and other Nigerian law enforcement agents who were on ground to receive the deportees.

Yesterday deportation brought the number of Nigerians deported to the country in the last one week to about 200.

Daily deportation of Nigerians from across the globe has become a recurrent decimal at the Lagos airport, a situation that has been giving Immigration officials tough time.

Nigerians have also been deported recently from a number of African and European countries, including Spain and Libya.

Governorship election may not hold in five states this April following a ruling by a federal high court in Abuja, yesterday, extending the tenure of the incumbent governors. Presiding judge, Adamu Bello, said any such election in Kogi, Sokoto, Adamawa, Cross River and Bayelsa states will have to wait till next year.

The ruling also set new dates for the termination of the tenures of the governors. Ibrahim Idris, Kogi, will stay on till April 5,2012; Aliyu Wammakko, Sokoto, remains till May 28,2012; Timipre Sylva, Bayelsa, leaves the next day on May 29, 2012; Liyel Imoke's tenure in Cross River terminates on August 28, 2012; and Murtala Nyako, Adamawa, gets his tenure elongated till April 30th, 2012.

The five governors had gone to court to challenge the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct governorship elections in their states this year. They said their tenure only began after they won the run off in their states and so should not be terminated in April 2011. They named INEC and the Peoples Democratic Party as first and second defendants respectively..

Electoral commission waits

When contacted last night, the electoral chairman's spokesperson, Kayode Idowu, said the commission will not be rushed into taking any decision until it has made further consultations on the judgment. "When we receive the judgment, we will have to sit down with our lawyers to study the decision. Taking a decision now will be too sudden." Mr. Idowu said.

The counsel to the five governors: Lateef Fagbemi, Kanu Agabi, Sunday Ameh, Ladi Rotimi Williams and Paul Erokoro had asked the court to stop INEC and the PDP from conducting elections in the five states, citing Section 180 (2) of the 1999 Constitution. They said the law that the four-year tenure of office for a governor begins from the day the person takes an oath of office and oath of allegiance is a sacrosanct provision and cannot be abridged or ignored.

In opposing the governors' request, the government urged the court to dismiss the case for lack of merit.

Mr Bello however held that since the 2007 elections were nullified and set aside by competent courts, the oath of office and allegiance subscribed to by the five governors have all been nullified and set aside along with the elections. He said, "the tenure of governors start counting from the day they took their oath of office and oath of allegiance." The judge further said that in line with section 180 of the 1999 Constitution, the tenure of the governors legally commenced in 2008 when they were sworn in after their first elections were annulled and rerun ordered.

According to Mr Bello, the 2007 elections used by INEC to determine the tenure of governors were legally declared null and void by competent courts of law.

Differing views

Adeniyi Akintola, who stood in for the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, argued that no tenure elongation should be granted to any of the governors since the amended 1999 Constitution was opposed to such a move.

But the PDP, represented by its national legal adviser, Olusola Oke, said the tenure of any governor in Nigeria today legally begins from the date the governor takes the oath of office and oath of allegiance.

The party claimed that the 2007 elections that brought the five governors to office in the first instance were voided and set aside for fresh ones by courts. The party therefore insisted that the oath of office taken by the affected governors have been voided along with the elections and were of no effect whatsoever in law.

INEC had announced that the tenures of governors who were re-elected after their 2007 elections were cut short by tribunals would end on May 29, 2011, like those of other governors.

What the law states

In the recently amended 1999 Constitution, Section 135 of the Principal Act, which deals with the issue of governors' tenure, has been altered in subsection (2) with the insertion of a new paragraph which states that: "in the determination of the four-year term, where a re-run election has taken place and the person earlier sworn in wins the re-run election, the time spent in the office before the date the election was annulled, shall be taken into account."

However, in justifying the ruling by Mr Bello, Jiti Ogunye, a Lagos-based lawyer said the new amendments cannot have an effect on incidents before it. According to him, "That amendment does not cover this kind of case, because any law cannot be applied retroactively."

Victory for the rule of law

Reacting to the judgment, Doifie Ola, spokesperson for the Bayelsa State governor, described the court ruling as a victory for the state and the rule of law in the country. He said, "The extension will give the administration more time to deepen development and democracy in the state." In Cross River, the PDP lauded the judgment while the opposition parties under its umbrella body, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties [CNPP] said the court ruling was a setback to the quest for a change in the governance of the state.

Cross River State Commissioner for Information, Patrick Ugbe, described the judgment as the best thing that has happened to the administration and commended the judiciary for righting the wrong caused by the Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar on July 14, 2008.

‘'We are happy with this judgment. It has strengthened our faith in the judiciary and our position that INEC was wrong in interpreting our tenure. The first oath of office taken had become a nullity. Therefore the second oath suffices, meaning Governor Liyel Imoke commenced his first term on August 26, 2010. The law cannot take retroactive effect'', he said.


Bill Gates’ visa application for Nigeria was rejected by its government initially. They wanted Gates to show proof that he would not reside in Nigeria indefinitely and cause a strain on Government’s services.

WikiLeaks Cables: - Guardian, UK

 

Aisha Gaddafi

Seif Al-Islam Al-Qadhafi

Safiya Gaddafi (nee Farkash)

Muatassim Gaddafi

Moamar Gaddafi

Mohammed Gaddafi

By Wikileaks/Guardian, UK

US embassy cables shed light on Gaddafi family – including son Saif al-Islam, who vowed in TV address to eradicate enemies.

Muammar Gaddafi presides over a 'dysfunctional' family of eight offspring, WikiLeaks cables reveal. 

The leader of the Libyan revolution presides over a "famously fractious" family that is powerful, wealthy, dysfunctional and marked by internecine struggles, according to US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks. The documents shed light on how his eight children – among whom rivalries have sharpened in recent years – his wife and Gaddafi himself lead their lives.

Muammar Gaddafi

The patriarch, now 68, was described by US ambassador to Tripoli, Gene Cretz, in 2009 as a "mercurial and eccentric figure who suffers from severe phobias, enjoys flamenco dancing and horseracing, acts on whims and irritates friends and enemies alike." Gaddafi has an intense dislike or fear of staying on upper floors, and prefers not to fly over water, the cables add.

Safiya (nee Farkash)

Gaddafi's second wife travels by chartered jet in Libya, with a motorcade of Mercedes vehicles waiting to pick her up at the airport to take her to her destination, but her movements are limited and discreet. Hosted a banquet in the Bab al-Azizia compound on the occasion of the anniversary of the revolution that was festive but not extravagant. Hails from Benghazi, the centre of the rebellion in eastern Libya.

Saif al-Islam
Second-eldest son. Presumed heir-apparent in recent years who warned of civil war when he addressed the nation on Sunday night. A trained engineer who promotes political and economic reform and backed NGOs under the aegis of the International Charitable Gaddafi Foundation. Has PhD from the London School of Economics.

"Saif al-Islam's high-profile role as the public face of the regime to the west has been a mixed blessing for him. Has bolstered his image but many Libyans view him as self-aggrandising and too eager to please foreigners," the US embassy said.

Escorted the convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi home to die in August 2009 "and persisted in his hard-partying, womanising ways, a source of concern in a socially conservative country like Libya". Cables claim at odds with siblings Muatassim, Aisha, Hannibal, and Sa'adi.

Sa'adi

Third-eldest son. "Notoriously ill-behaved Sa'adi has a troubled past, including scuffles with police in Europe (especially Italy), abuse of drugs and alcohol, excessive partying, travel abroad in contravention of his father's wishes Former professional footballer (a single season with Perugia in Italy's Serie A league, he owns a significant share of al-Ahli, one of the two biggest soccer teams in Libya, and has run Libya's football federation). An engineer by training, Sa'adi was briefly an officer in a special forces unit.

Used troops under his control to affect the outcome of business deals. Owns a film production company. Reported to have been involved in crushing the protests in Benghazi.

Muatassim

Fourth-eldest son. Father's national security adviser and until recently a rising star. In 2008 he asked for $1.2bn (£739m) to establish a military or security unit akin to that of his younger brother, Khamis. Lost control of many of his personal business interests between 2001 and 2005 when his brothers took advantage of his absence to put in place their own partnerships. Described as "not very bright" by Serbian ambassador. Gets on badly with Saif al-Islam.

Hannibal

Chequered history of unseemly behavior and public scuffles with authorities in Europe and elsewhere. Arrest in Geneva over alleged beating his servants led to bilateral spat with Switzerland, in which Swiss were forced to back down under threat of withdrawal of Libyan investments.

In December 2009, police were called to Claridge's hotel in London after staff heard a scream from Hannibal's room. Aline Skaf, now his wife, was found to have suffered facial injuries but charges were not brought after she maintained she had sustained the injuries in a fall. Fifth eldest son.

Khamis

Gaddafi's sixth son and the "well-respected" commander of a special forces unit – 32nd battalion or Khamis brigade that effectively serves as a regime protection unit and was reportedly involved in suppressing unrest in Benghazi. Trained in Russia.

Aisha
Daughter who mediates in family disputes ands runs NGO. Reported to have financial interests in a private clinic in Tripoli, one of two trustworthy facilities that supplement the unreliable healthcare available through public facilities. Lionel Richie was flown to Libya several years ago to sing at her birthday celebration. A younger adopted daughter, Hanna, was killed in the US bombing of Tripoli in 1986.

Muhammad
The eldest son, but by Gaddafi's first wife. Heads the Libyan Olympic committee that now owns 40% of the Libyan Beverage Company, currently the Libyan joint venture Coca-Cola franchisee. Also runs general post and telecommunications committee.

Saif al-Arab
Least publicly known of the eight children. Reportedly lives in Munich, where it is claimed he pursues ill-defined business interests and spends much time partying.

Like all the Gaddafi children and favourites is supposed to have income streams from the national oil company and oil services subsidiaries. A seventh son, Milad Abuztaia, is an adopted nephew.

NaturesPlatform- Man, like his fellow primates, has always used the squatting position for elimination. Infants of every culture instinctively adopt this posture to relieve themselves. Although it may seem strange to someone who has spent his entire life deprived of the experience, this is the way the human body was designed to function..

And this is the way our ancestors performed their bodily functions until the middle of the 19th century. Before that time, chair-like toilets had only been used by royalty and the disabled. But with the advent of indoor plumbing in the 1800’s, the throne-like water closet was invented 22 to give ordinary people the same “dignity” previously reserved for kings and queens. The plumber and cabinet maker who designed it had no knowledge of human physiology – and sincerely believed that they were improving people’s lives..

Seven Advantages of Squatting

The new device symbolized the “progress” and “creativity” of western civilization. It showed that Man could “improve” on Nature and transcend the primitive cultural practices followed by the poor “benighted” natives in the colonies. The “White Man’s Burden” typified the condescending Victorian attitude toward other races and cultures.

Squat appendages to home toilets are being reintroduced on recommendation of medical personnel.

The British plumbing industry moved quickly to install indoor plumbing and water closets throughout the country. The great benefits of improved sanitation caused people to overlook a major ergonomic blunder: The sitting position makes elimination difficult and incomplete, and forces one to strain.

Those who could not overlook this drawback had to keep silent, because the subject was considered unmentionable. Furthermore, how could they criticize the “necessary” used by Queen Victoria herself? (Hers was gold-plated, befitting the self-styled “Empress of India.”)

Sitting vs squatting {naturesplatform}

So, like the Emperor’s New Clothes, the water closet was tacitly accepted. It was a grudging acceptance, as evidenced by the popularity of “squatting stools” sold in the famous department store, Harrods of London. As shown below on the left, these footstools merely elevated one’s feet in a crude attempt to imitate squatting.

The rest of Western Europe, as well as Australia and North America, did not want to appear less civilized than Great Britain, whose vast empire at the time made it the most powerful country on Earth. So, within a few decades, most of the industrialized world had adopted “The Emperor’s New Throne.”

150 years ago, no one could have predicted how this change would affect the health of the population. But today, many physicians blame the modern toilet for the high incidence of a number of serious ailments. Westernized countries have much higher rates of colon and pelvic disease, as illustrated by this report in the Israel Journal of Medical Science:

The prevalences of bowel diseases (hemorrhoids, appendicitis, polyps, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticular disease, and colon cancer) are similar in South African whites and in populations of prosperous western countries. Among rural South African blacks with a traditional life style, these diseases are very uncommon or almost unknown.

IS THE CHRISTCHURCH EARTHQUAKE A SIGNAL TO CHRIST'S CHURCH?

2010–2011 earthquakes

[edit]September 2010

Main article: 2010 Canterbury earthquake

An earthquake with magnitude 7.1 occurred in the South Island, New Zealand at Saturday 04:35 am local time, 4 September 2010 (16:35 UTC, 3 September 2010).^[10] The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.0 miles), and there were no fatalities.

The epicentre was located 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Christchurch; 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south-east of Darfield;^[11] 190 kilometres (120 mi) south-southeast of Westport; 295 kilometres (183 mi) south-west of Wellington; and 320 kilometres (200 mi) north-northeast of Dunedin.

Building damage in Worcester Street, corner Manchester Street, with ChristChurch Cathedral in the background.

Sewers were damaged,^[12] gas and water lines were broken, and power to up to 75% of the city was disrupted.^[13] Among the facilities impacted by lack of power was the Christchurch Hospital, which was forced to use emergency generators in the immediate aftermath of the quake.^[13]

A state of emergency was declared at 10:16 am on 4 September for the city, and evacuations of parts were planned to begin later in the day.^[14] People inside the Christchurch city centre were evacuated, and the city's central business district remained closed until 5 September .^[15] A curfew from 7 pm on 4 to 7 September am on 5 September was put in place.^[16] The New Zealand Army was also deployed to assist police and enforce the curfew. All schools were closed until 8 September so they could be checked.

Christchurch International Airport was closed following the earthquake and flights in and out of it cancelled. It reopened at 1:30 pm following inspection of the main runway.^[17]

The earthquake was reported to have caused widespread damage and power outages. 63 aftershocks were also reported in the first 48 hours with three registering 5.2 magnitude. Christchurch residents reported chimneys falling in through roofs, cracked ceilings and collapsed brick walls.^[18] Total Earthquake Commission, insurance and individual costs may reach as high as NZ$4 billion according to the New Zealand Treasury.^[19][20]

[edit]February 2011

Main article: 2011 Christchurch earthquake

A store damaged in the February 2011 earthquake.

An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 occurred on 22 February 2011. It was centred on Lyttelton 10 kilometers south of Christchurch and at a depth of 5 km.^[21]

In contrast to the September 2010 quake, the 6.3-magnitude quake struck on a busy weekday afternoon. At least 75 people were killed,^[22] and hundreds injured.

Many buildings were severely damaged, including the iconic ChristChurch Cathedral.

Ist Quake:  

Everyone knows the basic mechanics of earthquakes and that they occur due to slippage of faults, at fault lines.

So it is well realized that earthquakes originate from the sudden movements of the earth's tectonic plates, close to the earth's surface, along zones of pre-existing weakness called faults.

As such, great earthquakes are associated with major faults (cracks) in the crust. When the faults are locked tightly together, the strain accumulates without producing earthquakes. When the faults relax, the rocks slip and shake the earth.

Incredible as it is, there was NO fault at or near Christchurch, New Zealand, prior to the recent massive 7.0 quake!! 

Instead, it is widely reported that this huge quake actually"ripped a new fault line in the Earth's surface".
  

 

"New Zealand Quake Rips New Fault." 

"The powerful earthquake that smashed buildings, cracked roads and twisted rail lines around the New Zealand city of Christchurch also ripped a new fault line in the Earth's surface, a geologist said Sunday".

"Earth's surface 'lurches 11ft to the right' as New Zealand earthquake rips new fault line".

"The earthquake that devastated a city in New Zealand tore open a new 11ft fault line in the Earth’s surface."

"The 7.1-magnitude quake which hit Christchurch, the country’s second-largest city, destroyed about 500 buildings and caused an estimated £930million of damage."

"Miraculous"

  
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, "who visited earthquake-stricken parts of the country's South Island over the weekend, said 430 houses and another 70 buildings had already been earmarked for demolition by assessment teams."

  

"About 100,000 of the 160,000 homes in the Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri areas had sustained some damage, he added."

"I was awe-struck by the power of the earthquake and the damage it has caused in the city," he told reporters. "It was miraculous that nobody was killed."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11191105

 The scientific awareness of normal plate tectonics as the cause of earthquakes, gives deeper meaning to the supernatural significance of this recent 7.0 quake in Christchurch, New Zealand. 

As reported, the earth's surface just "lurched" and ripped a new fault line. 

 

This event is surely phenomenal and shows the handprint of God as the crust just ripped open, while sparing the lives of the entire populace of the city.

 As the Prime Minister stated "It was "miraculous that nobody was killed".

 

Even though there were more than 100,000 buildings suffering damage and more than 500 structures so severely damaged that they are slated for demolition, there were no casualties.

 

This is another factor that is surely confounding the experts. What are the chances that out of more than 500 buildings being destroyed at 4:35 am when most residents would be at home,sleeping, that no lives would be lost?

 

Only two people out of the city's 348,400 residents sustained serious injuries even though "When the earthquake finally ended the city looked like a scene from a horror film".

 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/world-news/when-the-earthquake-finally-ended-the-city-looked-like-a-scene-from-a-horror-film-1.1052928

 

Matthew 14:1“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.^a If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?^b 3When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

 

Thus, it can easily be seen how this feast day represents the Rapture, as the Bride of Christ, we are caught up in the air to be with the Lord and to attend the marriage supper of the Lamb.

The title, Yom Teruah, means Day of Trumpets in Hebrew. There is the blowing of 100 shofar blasts towards the very end of the celebration of this feast. 

 

The one hundredth and last blast is called "THE LAST TRUMP".  

 

Just as Jesus was Jewish speaking to a Jewish audience so was Paul, as a Jew, relating the well known Jewish name for the last shofar blast blown ending the Feast of Trumpets/Yom Teruah.

 

1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Rosh Hashanah is also known as Yom HaKeseh (Day of the Hiding or Hidden Day) which one may translate into the raptured Bride of Christ being "hidden" in Heaven during the cataclysmic events of the 7 year Tribulation (correlating with the 7 days of Awe).

One of the reasons for blowing the shofar is to proclaim the resurrection of the dead. Jewish thought is that the resurrection of the dead will take place on a Rosh Hashanah. 

In addition, this feast  is also known as the Day of the Awakening Blast or The Day of the Awakening Shout.

http://quake.crowe.co.nz/

We all know that a positive tone and language are highly important when it comes to good customer service, but many retailers still use phrases that may give the wrong image and negatively impact our customers’ shopping experience.

The following phrases used in a customer service setting can kill a sale and possibly lose a customer. Here are some sayings retailers should avoid.

1. I Don’t Know
Customers don’t expect retailers to know everything, but when it comes to answering a product question or other inquiry, they do expect the salesperson to be confident enough in their knowledge of the business to provide an answer.

Better: “That’s a good question. Let me find out for you.”

2. Calm Down
There may not be a more infuriating phrase in customer service than this one. If a customer has reached a boiling point and is ranting away, the best thing to say is nothing. Let the customer finish. Once he or she has gotten everything out, they will begin to feel better and may be more receptive to a solution.

Better: “I apologize.”

3. Did You See Any?
If a customer asks for a particular item you carry, chances are he/she already looked for it and didn’t see it. This could mean it’s out of stock or possibly still in the stock room. Even if they haven’t looked for it yet, the best customer service would be to either take them to the product or go get it for them.

Better: “Yes, we stock that. I’ll go see if we have any.”

4. We’re Closed
At the end of the day, the last thing a closing-shift employee wants to do is allow a shopper in after hours. Before turning away a potential sale, keep in mind that either the customer doesn’t know the store hours or possibly the customer’s doesn’t know what time it is. Neither is a reason to be abrupt.

Better: “We close at __ o’clock and reopen at _ o’clock. Is there something I can quickly help you with now?”

5. Will That Be All?
Not many customers would find anything negative about this phrase. However, not only is it overused but the retailer is passing up a sales opportunity.

Better: “Did you see our __ that goes with this?” or “Have you tried __?”

6. It’s Over There
We’ve all heard this bad customer service phrase used by the busy or indifferent sales clerk. Sometimes they may point in the general direction. Other times they don’t even lift their head to acknowledge the shopper. Make sure all store staff knows using this phrase is a big no-no.

Better: “Follow me, I’ll show you right where it is.”

7. I Can’t Do That
This is another negative customer service phrase that should be banned from all store staff. Either empower the employees or train them to take issues to a supervisor or store management.

Better: “What I can do is ___.”

8. That’s Not My Department
It may be true, but it is also definitely something a customer doesn’t want to hear. Retailers should train their staff to be familiar with all areas of the store operations or at least understand who to contact for help in various departments.

Better: “I’ll be happy to get you to the person who knows more about that department.”

9. It’s Against Our Policy
In today’s competitive market, retailers can’t afford to be inflexible. It is important to have store policies but it’s more important to keep a customer satisfied. Use this phrase only when you feel a policy is being abused.

Better: “Our policy is __ but we want to make this right. This is what I can do…”

10. I’m New Here
For some reason, many new staff members think this customer service phrase let’s them off the hook. The customer doesn’t care if you’re new. He/she only wants to deal with someone who knows what they’re doing and can get the result they want.

Better: “Please bear with me and I’ll get you the help you need.”

11. Hold On
This customer service phrase, and all of its variations, should be non-existent. There is a much softer way to say essentially the same thing without infuriating the customer.

Better: “Are you able to hold for a moment?”

12. I’m Busy Right Now
Have you ever said, or heard, the following? “If it weren’t for customers, I could get some work done.” If you are in retail, chances are you’ve at least thought it. The truth is, without customers retailers wouldn’t have a job.

Better: “I’d be happy to help you.”

13. You’re Wrong
No, customers are not always right but retailers should never tell them they are wrong. Never. The best course of action is to simply assume the blame.

Better: “I think there has been a misunderstanding.”

By Osagie Alonge

As R&B star, Darey gears up to release his double disc album in a matter of days,NET has exclusive news that the popular R&B singer-songwriter has collaborated with Nigerian-American rapper Chamillionaire to record a remix to one of his singles.

Sources say Darey, who’s enjoying massive on-air support for his singles ‘The way you are’, ‘Sisi eko’ and ‘Ba ni kdi’, has recorded a remix of ‘The way you are’, with the Grammy award-winning rapper Chamillionaire who even spiced up his lyrics with Yoruba language.

‘They hooked up on the internet’ an insider tells NET. And it is believed it was Cham that contacted Darey.

Born to a Nigerian father, 31 year-old Chamillionaire (real name Hakeem Seriki) is an American rapper mostly known for his monster hit ‘Ridin’’ (featuring Krayzie Boneof Bone Thugs n Harmony) which earned him the MTV Video Music Awards in 2006, and a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2007.

Critics say the remix with Chamillionaire might very well see Darey who is an ambitious singer, launch his career and presence into the global scene as he has already announced plans for a 2011 UK release, followed by a US project.

‘The Chamillionaire collabo was not planned at all, it came as a surprise. The ones we were really planning are still in the pipeline. Once these come through, and we have a go-ahead, we’ll definitely let you know…’, one of his associates tells us.

Ugandan president to release rap album

watch Rap Here  Rap

http://www.9jamovies.com/play.php?vid=1104

"Museveni:You want another Rap ? Crowd: Yes Sevo ! "

President Yoweri Museveni says he might release an album after a rap he performed became a smash hit on Uganda’s radio stations and in its nightclubs. “I was very happy with the reaction of the youth because that means they are very thirsty for the music of their ancestors,” the 67-year-old told a news conference before elections on Friday.

“So after the election you may get quite a big album of the classics.” The leader, nicknamed ‘M7’, performed two children’s folk chants from his birthplace in Western Uganda at several election rallies over the last few months -- ‘Naatema akati’ (I cut a stick) and ‘Mp’enkoni’ (Give me the stick).Record producers then mixed the performances with hip-hop beats.

“Those poems which I gave to the youth are classical poems from the colonial times” Museveni told reporters. “There are quite a number of other songs and recitals which I will make available to them.”

• simply transilated as follows:

  Verse 1: The stick I cut strayed into Igara where Ntambiko reigns. Ntambiko gave me a knife which I gave to millet harvesters, who gave me millet, that I gave to a hen, which gave me an egg, that I gave to children who gave me a monkey that I gave to the king, who gave me a cow that I used to marry my wife.

  She gave me a child I called Mugarura who raided back what belonged to me and my fathers.

  
  

• Verse 2:

  Give me my stick! Invaders from Ngarama have arrived, shaking their bums like Rutendegyere. May thunder strike Rutendegyere from above where there is abundance that helps the rhinoceros to thrive. The rhinoceros feeds but reamins ready for a buffalo attack. The buffalo, whose meat is salty. The salt that comes from Nsharira deep inside the kingdom.

Glo ‘Naija Sings’ Winner out with single

Casey Ed , winner of the Glo sponsored show ‘Naija Sings’ is out with a new single titled ‘Sweetness’. The song produced by Nigerian producer TY-Mix is laced with a lot of moving Hip Hop beats. The 27 year old Warri, Delta state indigene won the coveted $100, 000, a Toyota Rav4 SUV and he’s now a Glo Ambassador after beating other finalists Rasine and Da brodas to the trophy at the grand finale which took place at the MNET Studios in Lagos December last year.

J’odie drops new video

Nigerian Singer, J’odie has released her first video, for her newest single titled ‘Kuchi Kuchi’ (Oh Baby). The video was shot on location in Lagos and directed by Toka McBaror.. Singer and Jewellery designer, J’odie hit the limelight as a contestant on West African Idols in 2007, alongside Timi Dakolo and Omawumi.

J’odie who has worked with the likes of Timi Dakolo and producers, Cobhams and TY Mix has also performed at various events including the House on the Rock carol service 2010, This Present House (The Dome, Lekki), and La Vita Nuova 2010

Ty Bello is back with ‘The Future’

Nigerian singer and photographer Ty Bello is back with two new singles titled ‘The Future’ and ‘The Future remix’ featuring Mr Fischer. Speaking about the inspiration behind the tracks, the singer said, ‘‘I committed myself to writing a jubilee song for Nigeria , what reinforced my passion was the Abuja bomb blast on December 31,2010. The inhumanity of the perpetrators moved me in writing the song , in my view, the bomb blast was a metaphor of the hopelessness and impending tragedy that might be ahead if we do not become more engaged in building the country we desire. I realize that the crisis in the nation is beyond the political. My hope is that as you listen to this song, you will be stirred and realise that the future that we dream of is not way ahead of us’’.

The video for ‘The Future’ was shot on Sunday, February 27 by Kemi Adetiba..

The 2011 Liveabililty Ranking and Overview has rated Lagos city as the fourth worst city to live in. Last year, the city ranked fifth after an assessment of living conditions in 140 cities around the world using 30 indicators across five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.

This was revealed in the latest summary of the EIU Liveability survey for the year 2010 where the state depreciated further from the fifth worst city it was ranked in 2009. With sub-indicators for each of factors such as the availability and quality of both private and public health care coupled with general health indicators, while prevalence of petty/violent crimes with threat of civil unrest/militancy are evaluated for the stability indicator.

The incessant rush-hour traffic congestion on major roads of the metropolis; insufficient low-cost housing, and its attendant impact on the housing needs of the rapidly growing population are glaring examples of the strained infrastructure needs of the city under the infrastructure indicators.

Lagos was ranked 137 in the list of 140 countries surveyed. The city with a population of 18million people had an overall rating of 39.0. The state also earned the score of 25 in stability, 33.3 in both education and health care and an above average score of 52.3 for culture and environment. The recent huge investments by the state government in infrastructure earned the state a score of 48.2.

However the deputy state governor, Sarah Sosan, who oversees the Ministry of Education disagreed with last year’s ranking stating that, “I don’t think the standard of education is low.” She said this during a press briefing held to mark the third anniversary of the current administration. “We need to improve on factors and we’ve been doing that through the rehabilitation of science laboratories, provision of libraries, putting of furniture in place, and so on. We are also aggressively putting structures in place to reduce congestion in our schools.”

On the first position of the worst city to live in the world is the Zimbabwean capital; Harare which was closely followed by Dhaka-the Bangladeshi capital which is currently hosting the cricket world cup and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. Other cities on the bottom of the table are Algiers, Karachi, Tehran, Dakar and Colombo. The bottom list was populated mainly by African and Asian cities.

Vancouver again

Vancouver in Canada remained at the top of the ranking, as it did last year and according to the EIU; the position was maintained by the “successful hosting of the 2010 winter Olympics and Paralympics, which provided a boost to the infrastructure and culture and environment categories.”

The Australian city of Melbourne rises to become the second highest ranked city with Vienna; the Austrian capital coming third.

Two other Canadian cities; Toronto and Calgary completed the top five cities most suitable to live in the world according to the EIU liveability survey.

NEXT called up the senior special assistant to the Lagos state government on media; Hakeem Bello but he declined comment saying he will have to get across to the Ministry of Economic Planning which will be privy to such statements before the state government can adequately react to it.

Respondents who reacted to the previous ranking of Lagos were unanimous that the city has enjoyed a fairly stable atmosphere despite its peculiar characteristic as a meeting point for diverse ethnic groups. Yoruba residents in the state are particularly known for their goodwill and cheer, which gives rise to the numerous parties that dot the metropolis during weekends, and even, on some cases, work days. “Lagos is like a house of everything; a mix of everything,” said Justyna Kita, a Polish citizen from Krakow who was an intern at the Murtala Muhammed Foundation

“There is the traffic, the generators, and so much noise. But the people are very friendly and open. They shake my hands in the streets, and are always singing and dancing. I have made so many friends here, and I don’t miss my home for now.” A sociologist, Uwadiegwu Otisi, attributed the city’s stability as a factor responsible for its massive population growth. “Despite the aggression displayed by most Lagos residents, the city has won accolades as a peaceful city,” he said. “And I think it has been a major form of attraction to so many people who decided to relocate to Lagos. A lot of southerners have relocated to Lagos due to the incessant religious skirmishes in the north.”..

The governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda yesterday at the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) North-East women rally, made a promise to deliver the zone to the incumbent president at the April polls. Mr Yuguda in his address at the event said the party is working hard to ensure that women are adequately mobilised to participate in the elections.

The governor said, “We will give Jonathan 100 per cent votes in the north east zone, even our votes during the recent PDP Presidential primary is a proof. Jonathan has a humble background, he is well educated and he is a man of experience having been a deputy governor, a governor and now a president.” Speaking at the event which took place at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Square, Bauchi, the First lady, Patience Goodluck Jonathan, called on women in the zone to come out en mass and vote for the Goodluck Jonathan/Sambo ticket at the April elections. The rally, which attracted women from the geo-political zone had the wives of the PDP candidates in the six north eastern states; Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Adamawa, Gombe, and Bauchi, as well as the wife of the Senate President, Mrs Helen Mark, the wife of the Vice President, Amina Sambo and several women leaders in attendance.

The president’s wife appealed to women in the north east to ensure that they vote for PDP as it had promised 35 per cent women participation in political appointments. “The president has also promised to carry us along in every appointment if we vote the government into power,” she told the women. “PDP has the highest number of candidates who have promised better deal for Nigerian women.” “I want to also appeal to you women in the north-east to go from house to house, street to street and community to community and appeal to your husbands and other women to come out and vote for President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo at the forthcoming April elections,” she added..

The highlight of the event was the official decamping of 1,000 women from other political parties to the ruling party ,they were received by the PDP National Women leader, Hajia Inna Ciroma who promised to work tirelessly to see to the victory of the Jonathan/Sambo team.