FG Has Spent N1 Billion on Ekwueme’s Burial – Chris Ngige

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, yesterday said the Federal Government has spent over N1 Billion on Ekwueme’s burial.
This is even as all the roads leading to Oko community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State have been given facelifts in readiness for the burial of the late Second Republic Vice President, Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme on Friday. The roads are Amansea-Amawbia; Nise –Agulu; Umunze-Ajali; Nnewi-Igboukwu-Ekwulobia; and Akokwa (Imo State) –Uga Ekwueme died in a London hospital last year and programmes for his burial started on January 19, 2018. The Minister of Labour and Employment and member of the national burial committee, Dr. Chris Ngige, after visiting Oko to inspect preparations for the burial, expressed satisfaction with the level of work already done. He said: “I am reasonably satisfied with the preparations. I was here last week for inspection and between then and now, work has progressed. The contractors have assured us that all the roads leading into Oko will be very motorable before the burial ceremonies start on February 1 at Oko.

Rachel Morrison Becomes First Female Cinematographer to Receive an Oscar Nod

The 2018 Oscars are set to be a historic occasion: Rachel Morrison has received the first nomination for a female cinematographer for her work in Mudbound. Morrison's inclusion in the best cinematography category is the first time a woman has been nominated in the award show's 90-year span.
Just a few weeks ago, she received a nomination in the feature-film category at the American Society of Cinematographer Awards for her work on the Netflix film.
Morrison's work will next be seen on screen in Black Panther.
She will compete against British cinematographer Roger Deakins, who received his 14th nod for his work on Blade Runner 2049. He has never won the award.

Herdsmen Destroy N6.8m Farm, Injure One in Ogun

Herdsmen have invaded another four hectres of land in Likosi-Alabata village in Papalanto in Obafemi-Owode local government area of Ogun State and destroyed farm produce worth N6.8million. 

The herdsmen also reportedly inflicted matchet cut on one of the workers who has been hospitalised. The farm owner, Mrs. Roseline Ogege while speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta ,Wednesday, narrated her ordeal in the hands of the herdsmen, declared that the herdsmen were Fulani who had a camp close to her farmland.

Herdsmen have invaded another four hectres of land in Likosi-Alabata village in Papalanto in Obafemi-Owode local government area of Ogun State and destroyed farm produce worth N6.8million. Olu Falae’s farm burnt by herdsmen The herdsmen also reportedly inflicted matchet cut on one of the workers who has been hospitalised. The farm owner, Mrs. Roseline Ogege while speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta ,Wednesday, narrated her ordeal in the hands of the herdsmen, declared that the herdsmen were Fulani who had a camp close to her farmland.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/01/herdsmen-destroy-n6-8m-farm-injure-one-ogun/

Herdsmen have invaded another four hectres of land in Likosi-Alabata village in Papalanto in Obafemi-Owode local government area of Ogun State and destroyed farm produce worth N6.8million. Olu Falae’s farm burnt by herdsmen The herdsmen also reportedly inflicted matchet cut on one of the workers who has been hospitalised. The farm owner, Mrs. Roseline Ogege while speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta ,Wednesday, narrated her ordeal in the hands of the herdsmen, declared that the herdsmen were Fulani who had a camp close to her farmland.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/01/herdsmen-destroy-n6-8m-farm-injure-one-ogun/

Tell Pres. Buhari to Avoid Hitting His Head on The Rock – Gov Fayose

The Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has advised the All Progressive Congress APC to tell President Muhammadu Buhari to avoid hitting his head on the rock. 

Fayose on his Twitter handle said: ‘My name is Peter, The Rock, the wise people in APC should tell Buhari to avoid hitting his head on the rock’

Germany Now Has The World's Most Powerful Passport

Germany has the world's most powerful passport, according to the 2018 Henley Passport Index. It's the fifth year in a row in which the European country has topped Henley's list, which takes into account the number of countries a passport holder can visit without a visa.
The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association, which maintains the world's largest and most comprehensive database of travel information.
German citizens can now visit 177 countries, up one from last year, according to the report.
In October, a separate list, the Global Passport Power Rank, produced by the advisory firm Arton Capital, named Singapore as having the most powerful passport in the world. But Germany has since reclaimed the top spot in that ranking also, solidifying its standing.

Here are the 15 most powerful tiers of passports, based on the number of countries their holders can visit visa-free, according to Henley:

1. Germany 177
2. Singapore 176
3. Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, UK 175
4. Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland 174
5. Ireland, South Korea, Portugal, US 173
6. Canada 172
7. Australia, Greece, New Zealand 171
8. Czech Republic, Iceland 170
9. Malta 169
10. Hungary 168
11. Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Slovenia 167
12. Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia 166
13. Estonia 165
14. Poland 163
15. Monaco 162

Protests In Jerusalem Over President Trump's Decision

Protesters took to the streets of Jerusalem, several cities in the West Bank, and Jordan on Friday 15th Dec 2017, as anger reignited over US President Donald Trump's controversial decision last week to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli security forces in the West Bank city of Bethlehem as hundreds demonstrated outside the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Thousands gathered in downtown Amman, and Jordanian television aired live footage of smaller protests elsewhere in the country.
Metal security barriers were erected around the Damascus Gate entrance to Jerusalem's Old City, which has often become a flashpoint for protests, and extra police officers have been deployed to control crowds.

Jordan's King Abdullah has also been critical of Trump's announcement, saying last week that there was "no alternative to a two-state solution, and Jerusalem is key to any peace agreement." Abdullah is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem.

As Tourism Grows, so Does Stress on Most Popular Destinations - STUDY

The booming travel sector puts in-demand destinations in peril, according to a new report on overtourism from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)."Some places capture a significant share of the travel and tourism pie, and may be threatened by their own popularity in environmental, social or aesthetic terms," said Gloria Guevara, WTTC's CEO.
The report, "Coping with success: Managing overcrowding in tourism destinations", looks at ways that destinations can identify and prevent overcrowding as well as tools to control where it is already a problem.
Noting that the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) predicts that international tourist arrivals will grow to more than 1.8 billion by 2030, the report says that those arrivals are very concentrated in certain destinations.

"If travelers spread out evenly across the planet, this influx would be relatively easy to absorb," the report said. "Of course, that is not the case."
It notes that France, the most visited country in the world, drew 82 million international arrivals in 2016, while neighboring Germany got less than half that, and Portugal a quarter. Tourism is also uneven within countries, with Paris welcoming triple the number of visitors per capita as the Champagne region.

CARNIVAL ALERT!!! Okwelle Carnival 2017 "28 - 30" Dec

Fun loving and merry people of Okwelle community, Onu-Imo LGA in Imo state Nigeria.
They are welcoming everybody from all parts of the world to come and experience never ever seen fun and entertainment in their forth coming 3 days carnival from the 28th-30th December 2017.

It is promised to be very colorful and fun packed, as there are going to be exciting programs, interesting and beautiful highlights, comedy, music and many more.

 

Nigeria Culture & Tourism Ministry Generated only 500 Thousand Naira in 2017

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the Culture and Tourism Sectors have recorded gross shortfall in revenue generation in 2017. The minister said only N500, 000 was generated in 2017 as against the N620, 000 generated in 2016. This was revealed yesterday during the 2018 Budget defense of the ministry before the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism. Mohammed said: “In 2016 fiscal year, the culture sector generated N620, 000 which has since been remitted to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, Mohammed said.”
The Minister said in the financial performance of the 2017 budget, the sector generated N500, 000 through its agencies which accrued from tender fee only which had been remitted to the Consolidate Revenue Fund. He said for the 2018 Appropriation Bill, the sum of N3, 180,947, 378 was provided for personnel emoluments in 2018 for both culture and information sector.
“For overhead, the sum of N880, 507,008 was provided under overhead expenses in 2018 for both culture and information sector.
“For Capital. A total sum of N810, 510,582 has been proposed in 2018 as capital expenditure under the culture sector while the sum of N496, 678,615 was proposed for both information and culture out of the total budgeted sum of N2, 606,551,260.
“Under 2017 Appropriation Act, the ministry was allocated the sum of N50 million for the equipping of the centres. In this regard contract has been awarded for the equipping of the newly completed centre in Badagry.
“In order to enhance the image of Nigeria abroad, aid cultural diplomacy efforts as well as increase foreign allies the sum of N35 million was appropriated in 2017 for the operation and maintenance of the cultural centres abroad,” Mohammed stated.

PresidentTrump's Travel Ban Can Stay for Now - Supreme Court (USA)

In a victory for President Donald Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to allow his latest travel ban to remain in force while the legal fight continues in the lower courts. Seven of the justices ruled in favor of the administration while two - Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor - said the partial stay on the ban should continue.
The court did not give a reason for its decision.
The travel ban - the third one Trump has issued - bars most travelers from eight countries - Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. Six are Muslim-majority nations.

Lower court judges in Maryland and Hawaii had blocked the ban from being enforced.

Ruaha National Park in Tanzania: Named One of the Best Place to Visit in the World

Tanzania's largest park, Ruaha has been named as one of 21 best places to visit in the world in 2018 by National Geographic. Ruaha, which is located in the southern part of the count is home to about one-tenth of the world's endangered African lions.
According to National geographic sustainable tourism initiatives help visitors see the big cats--some grouped in prides of 30 or more--and support wildlife preservation in and around the park.

Other best trip destination in Africa, which were named by National Geographic are Madagascar, the world's fourth-largest island and Harar, Ethiopia.

Kenya Voted World's Top Safari Destination 2017

Kenya has again been voted as the world's leading safari destination by the World Travel Awards. Kenya scooped the prestigious award during a grand ceremony that took place at JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Hotel in Vietnam on December 10.

It is the fourth time that Kenya has won the global accolade. Kenya bagged the award last year, in 2015 and 2013.

President Buhari Tasks Shoprite to Embrace Organic Foods

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, tasked the management of Shoprite to embrace the local content policy of his administration, with a view to promoting made-in-Nigeria goods, stem capital flight and conserve the most needed foreign exchange. The President, who also lamented that Nigeria could not afford to continue as a dumping ground for foreign goods, especially of such products where it has been abundantly blessed, stated this during the grand opening of the Novare Gateway Mall in Abuja.
According to him, Nigeria’s vegetables and fruits are rated among the best in the world. You would be demonstrating a very great act of patriotism to promote the cultivation of such crops at home as you would wish to shelf on your shops.
President Buhari, whose message was delivered by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, said the Mall, beyond its commercial potentials, represented a practical expression of Abuja’s openness for business, saying it was also a reminder to investors, who were still waiting on the wings, that time, was running out on them.

We’ll Re-launch ‘Tour Nigeria’ by involving All stakeholders – Lai Mohammed

Nigeria Minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has praised the idea of the ‘Tour Nigeria’ project, as conceived by the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC). However, the Minister expressed his dissatisfaction with the way the ‘Tour Nigeria’ project was launched, and as is currently organized.
Speaking during the just concluded 9th National Council on Tourism, Culture and National Orientation that held in Dutse, Jigawa State, from November 22nd to 24th 2017; Alhaji Mohammed said the ‘Tour Nigeria’ project is a brilliant idea, but was not launched with the full support and participation of other tourism and culture stakeholders in Nigeria.

Wizkid, Davido, Stormzy, Others Win Big at the MOBO Awards

Two of Nigeria's finest music exports, Wizkid and Davido, won big at the just concluded 2017 MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards held at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, UK. While Davido edged out Wizkid, Mr Eazi, Tiwa Savage, Wande Coal, Maleek Berry, others to pitch the "Best African Act" award, Wizkid won the highly coveted "Best International Artist" award beating music giants; Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B, DJ Khaled, Drake, Migos, SZA, Solange Knowles and Travis Scott.
On the international scene, English grime and Hip Hop artist, Stormzy, was the biggest winner of the night winning in three prestigious categories - "Best Male Artist", "Best Grime Act" and "Best Album". His debut album "Gang Signs & Prayers" released in February 2017 became the first grime album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart.
On the other hand, Dave emerged as the "Best Newcomer" edging out Jorja Smith, Kojo Funds, Stefflon Don, Yxng Bane, and others while "Best Song" went to J Hus for his chart-topping song titled "Did You See."

Check out the full list of winners here:

Best Male Act

Maleek Berry

J Hus

Giggs

Sampha

Stormzy - Winner

Dave

Chip

Bugzy Malone

Skepta

Mostack

Best Female

Emeli Sandé

Lagos Carnival Starts in December with More Street Displays

The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it would hold a 12-hours street carnival on the popular Oba Akran Avenue, Ikeja, on Dec.3, ahead of the Yuletide. The Special Adviser to Gov.Akinwunmi Ambode on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Adebimpe Akinsola, at a news conference in Alausa, said that the overall aim of the carnival was to boost the economy of the state.

Akinsola said that the event, formerly known as Lagos Street party, had metamorphosed into a carnival which would take place on the whole stretch of Oba Akran Road from noon till midnight.

She assured that arrangements were in place to ensure maximum security and traffic control.
Akinsola said that alternative routes would be provided to motorists so that they do not experience pains as a result of the closure.