Jonathan splashes over N300m on athletes, officials

Abuja -President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday splashed over N300 million on athletes and their officials who made the country proud at different international competitions in 2014.

Jonathan announced the cash rewards at a reception in honour of the 351 sports men and women at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Among the athletes were those who participated in the African Senior Athletics Championships in Marrakech, Morocco, and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Others were participants in the African Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana; the World Junior Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA, and the 2014 FIFA Female U-20 Football World Cup in Montreal, Canada.

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Ebola Virus Disease and America’s funny hypocrisy

On September 30, 2014 America recorded its first case of Ebola Virus Disease. The source of this unwanted guest to the American soil was himself a guest to America from one of the countries at the centre of the disease. He was Liberia’s Thomas Eric Duncan who was visiting Texas.

Like Nigeria’s index case, Patrick Sawyer, America’s index case was also a Liberian. Like Sawyer, Duncan also tried to conceal the fact that he might have been infected with the disease from medical authorities who sought information on this from him. Asked if he had had any contact with an infected person, Duncan promptly answered in the negative.

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Nigeria threatens South Africa over frozen weapons

Nigeria on Wednesday accused South Africa of blocking a legal arms purchase and threatened retaliation against major South African companies, including telecom giant MTN, if the spat is not resolved.

A top official in the office of Nigeria’s National Security Advisor (NSA) told AFP that the country had an agreement to buy $5.7 million (4.5 million euros) worth of military hardware in a deal brokered by a South African firm.

*Dasuki

The official, who asked that his name be withheld, said Pretoria had frozen cash that had been wired to the South African firm’s account.

South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority made no immediate comment, but the asset freeze has been widely reported in both Nigerian and South African media.

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See What These Girls Are Doing To Iyanya’s Body

Iyanya has just stared the hornet of controversy this Monday morning by posting a picture of ladies touching his body.

He had captioned the picture: "They came for the body, not the money”. Instead of getting praises from fans, the reverse is the case.

One angry fan lashed at him : “Look at the UGLY CHEAP ONES throwing themselves at him, that depicts his level and looks, he thinks having dated Yvonne Nelson who sleeps with anything, he has arrived…

“ I remember when this timid midget came to abuja in November 2012 to perform at the Central Bank party at the Golf Course IBB, he was so timid and dirty looking.

“ I was just wondering how unkempt he looked and when he started singing all most everyone left, trust the Abuja crowd and class.

Another fan said: “Iyanya needs to chill with this rubbish.What is he feeling like @ These girls are so classless and ugly to be using them to form Usher.

“ Besides he is always thrusting his body in their hands not the other way round

Zimbabwe: Miss Curvy Dinner Flops

The Miss Curvy fund-raising dinner held on Friday at Elcombe's Restaurant failed to live up to its billing after attracting a poor attendance.
The dinner was meant to raise funds for the Miss Curvy grand finale to be held on August 9 at Caribbea Bay Hotel in Kariba.
Event organiser Mercy "Catwalk" Mushaninga said she was disappointed by the poor turnout.
"We were not happy with the turnout although we are grateful for the support we got from the people that attended the dinner.
"This was partly because we did not advertise the dinner and we planned it in a short space of time. We were offered free tables by the restaurant but we didn't get much because of the poor turnout," she said.
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Drake and Kris back in the studio again!

Two years ago, Drake and Chris Brown's rivalry over Rihanna came to a head with a fight at a night club in New York. Fast forward to now and they are in the studio together. A friend of Chris who tweeted the pic said the former rivals are making a song together. 

After the pic, which was taken last night, was released online, Team Breezy, The Rihanna Navy and whatever Drake's fan call themselves went into meltdown. Should Rihanna be concerned? 

'Big Brother': Julie Chen on first evictions of the season and game changes

      

Big Brother recap: Promises made, promises broken

Each week after every eviction, host Julie Chen will answer a few questions about the latest episode of ‘Big Brother’. 

EW: Two evictions in, do you think the game changes have been effective?
JULIE CHEN: I absolutely think the game changes are effective. With two less people, it’s only going to get tougher to decide who the two HOHs nominate. It almost forces people to play hard or be eliminated. Plus you are going to have a lot of upset people every week with 4 nominees. Even if you win battle of the block, you are going to be mad you were nominated and then you’re going to want payback! This game just gets more intense.

You’ve seen hundreds of people play this game. What’s your opinion about Devtopia/Devin’s way of playing the game so far?Can someone please give Devin some directions? This guy is all over the map! He is overplaying and just talking too much. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. The sad part is, he thinks he’s doing a great job and thinks he’s a standup guy. I hope he watches the tapes when he leaves and learns from watching his own behavior. I think he has good intentions but he just doesn’t know how to play this game well.

You’ve had Big Brother all star editions and past contestants return to the show. But Frankie has a little following—and of course, his sister is even more famous and noteworthy. Were you worried at all about that, connection and how it would play out in the game?
I was excited that Frankie is the brother of Ariana Grande. I think she’s a huge talent and so I figured Frankie was coming from a good gene pool. He exceeded my dreams. He is hilarious and smart and a talented guy. Did you see his ballet leaps?! Impressive. The fact that Frankie has a following of his own and his sister also has a following is only good for the show. People who may have never checked out big brother were bound to and that’s a good thing!

Global Shapers! Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Japheth Omojuwa & Lala Akindoju Cover Y! Magazine [LOOK]

As Nigeria hosts the 25th World Economic Forum on Africa, on 7 – 9 May, 2014 Y! Africa has partnered with the Global Shapers Hub in Abuja to present a special issue. The special issue focuses on SHAPE Africa, which holds on 5 – 6 May in Abuja, just before the Forum.

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BET Awards Honor Pharrell, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, August Alsina And Others

[AP]

R&B star Pharrell, rapper Nicki Minaj and newcomer August Alsina led the winners at the Black Entertainment Television (BET) awards on Sunday, which also honored veteran soul singer Lionel Richie.

Pharrell kicked off the show with “Come Get It Bae” and won two awards, including best male R&B/pop artist. Beyonce was named best female R&B/pop singer, and closed the show with a sultry performance of “Partition” with husband Jay Z. The couple also won best collaboration for “Drunk In Love.”

Richie, 65, received the lifetime achievement award for his prolific career as part of Motown group The Commodores and as a solo artist.

“Soul is a feeling, not a color. Talent is a god given gift and not a category, and out of the box is the magical place where true talent goes to thrive and breathe,” Richie said as he accepted the award.

John Legend, Ledisi and Yolanda performed Richie’s classic love songs “Hello”, “Still” and The Commodores’ “Brick House” and “Jesus is Love”. Richie sang “Easy” and “All Night Long”.

The BET awards, held in Los Angeles, celebrates black musicians, actors and athletes. It is hosted by cable TV network Black Entertainment Television, part of Viacom Inc., and the show was preceded by violence at unofficial parties ahead of the show in which one person was killed.

New Orleans singer Alsina was named best new artist and Lil Wayne’s rap collective Young Money scored best group.

Drake won best male hip hop artist, but was not available to collect his award. Minaj was named best female hip hop artist and threw a little dig at other rappers by saying: “When you hear Nicki Minaj spit, Nicki Minaj wrote it.”

Comedian Chris Rock hosted the show, throwing jokes and jibes and handing out chicken and waffles to the audience. The almost four-hour ceremony toplined high-profile performances from some of the music world’s biggest names.

Usher referenced his 20-year career with a medley of his hits, Minaj performed “Pills N’ Potions” on a stage with giant psychedelic mushrooms and R&B star Chris Brown joined Lil Wayne to perform “Loyal”.

Australian newcomer Iggy Azalea joined rapper T.I. to perform “No Mediocre” and her hit single “Fancy”. The show also served up 1990s nostalgia with R&B groups Troop, Color Me Badd and Silk singing a medley of classic hits.

Oscar-winning historical drama “12 Years A Slave” swept the film categories with Oscar-winning newcomer Lupita Nyong’o named best actress and Chiwetel Ejiofor named best actor. Neither were on hand to accept their awards.

Civil rights activist Myrlie Evers-Williams accepted the humanitarian award commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act signed into law in 1964. Sportswoman and sportsman of the year went to tennis star Serena Williams and basketball player Kevin Durant respectively.

Kandra Wilkinson Threw Wedding Ring in Toilet When She Discovered Hank Baskett’s Affair With Transgender Model

ust five weeks after giving birth to daughter Alijah, Kendra Wilkinson was forced to face a bitter, shocking truth: As rumored, husband Hank Baskett had indeed cheated with a transgender YouTube model named Ava Sabrina London. As revealed in the new issue of Us Weekly, out now, former Playboy model Wilkinson, 29, first laughed off reports of Baskett’s April tryst with London, 25.

But when NFL pro Baskett, 31, didn’t rush to clear his name in the press, his wife grew suspicious and “started snooping,” a source explains to Us. Once Wilkinson discovered an unexplained—and damning—charge on his credit card, she “flipped out,” the source says. In a rage, she punched walls in their Calabasas, Calif. home, threw their 2009 wedding photos into the pool, and even pulled off her wedding ring, flushing it down the toilet, the source tell USweeklymagazine.

Dr Sid Weds Fiancee Simi Osomo July 27th

                            

                             

Nigeria’s singer, and a member of label, Mavin records, Dr Sid has revealed on his instagram page that he and his fiancee Simi Osomo will be getting married on July 27th.

How Weird!! Charly Boy Appearance At Justice Oputa’s Funeral

Seen Charly boy without the locks before? Well the Igbo tradition demands you shave your hair to pay respect to loved ones especially the demise of a parent warrants that.. Charly boy is the late Justice Oputa’s first son and that’s how he appeared at the memorial mass in honor of his dad..

You can imagine what Bishop Kukah standing beside him will be thinking.. He has always been crazy, so we don’t forget to inform our readers, it was the same day he embarrassed the Imo State governor for lying that he donated N20million for the burial..

Kim Kardashian displays famous backside and cleavage in skintight grey frock for family lunch

 Share The Kardashians coordinated their looks for a family lunch in The Hamptons on Wednesday, all opting for neutral colors. But Kim made sure she was still going to stand out beside her sisters

New Deputy Speaker has Emerged in Edo State House of Assembly

Hon. Edoro Taking the oath of office as the new Deputy Speaker Edo State House of Assembly.... Congratulations to the new Deputy Speaker

Queen Nwokoye, Eniola Badmus Fight Dirty on set

This is definitely the battle of the titans as Nollywood actresses, Eniola Badmus and Queen Nwokoye are bust slugging it out.

This shot was got from the set of a new movie both actresses are taking part in and guess what…Queen Nwokoye seems to be having the upper hand when it comes to using the fist…and that old school hair and makeup, one in town!

As you can see. Queen is not scared of Eniola Badmus’ size as she overpowered the plus-size actress in the fight.

Jonathan, Sambo, Gowon, Atiku, Mark, others mourn Dikko,

SECOND Republic Transport Minister, Alhaji Umaru Dikko died yesterday in a London hospital. Dikko, who died at the age of 78 was said to have suffered three strokes in a row and had been ill before now.

He was a prominent member of the defunct National Party of Nigeria, NPN, in the administration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. As member of the kitchen cabinet of that administration, he was regarded as the most powerful minister.

Late Dr. Umaru Dikko signing the condolence register during his condolence visit to the family of the late Alex Ibru, at their Ikoyi residence, on Tuesday.

The October 31, 1993 military coup which ousted Shagari from power, resulted to Dikko’s escape to London having been accused of corrupt practices by the regime of Gen Mohammadu Buhar (rtd).

Efforts to get him back to Nigeria resulted to his kidnapping in London on the alleged orders of Buhari. The arrest of his abductors while he was being shipped to the country in a ‘Diplomatic Crate’ at Stansed Airport in London, resulted to diplomatic row between Nigeria and Britain.

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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West take North to museum for birthday

bangshowbiz.com

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West took their daughter to the museum in celebration of her first birthday yesterday (15.06.14).

The couple, who got married last month in Florence, Italy, spent the day at the Children's Museum of Manhattan in New York, exploring five floors of literature, science, media and art to mark the tiny tot's first milestone and to celebrate Father's Day.

However, it seems the educational visit was too much for the baby as Kim later shared a photograph on her Instagram account of North and Kanye, 37, fast asleep in bed, wearing matching outfits.

She accompanied the adorable snap with the caption: "This is what life is about! Our baby girl turned 1 today! We played so hard they passed out while we were watching the game! Happy Father's Day to the best daddy in the world! The way you love our daughter and protect her makes me filled with so much love! #BestDayEver #Twins #HappyFathersDay #HappyBirthday (sic)."

Meanwhile, Kim and Kanye have decided to postpone North's birthday party until next weekend, so that both of their families can fly to Los Angeles for the lavish event.

A source said last week: "They are throwing her a big party next weekend and Kourtney [Kardashian], Khloé Kardashian and [Kourtney's] kids are coming home for it."

Nigerian Shoppers Killed In Explosion

       
View of the explosion  that rocked a shopping mall in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, on Wednesday last week and police say more than 20 people were killed.

Maheeda Shares badt Photos To Support The Super Eagles

Naija baddest girl Maheeda has not forgotten her motherland and is obviously getting ready for the start of 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

The controversial Netherlands-based actress and singer took her twitter account to share this pictures below…

Photos: Scene of today's bomb blast in Maiduguri market

Here are some pics from the scene of today's early morning bombing that happened at a busy local market in Maiduguri, Borno state. Continue to see more photos...

Photo credit: Sahara Reporters

Why we’re opposed to state for S-East – Northern delegates

ABUJA — The Northern delegates to the ongoing National Conference have given reasons why they are opposed to the creation of an additional state for the South East.

Spokesman of the delegates, Mr Anthony Sani, who made this known, said “the issue of an additional state for South-East purely on the basis of equality ignores the fact that equality is not one and the same thing with equity.’’

Quoting Aristotle, Sani said: “Injustice is not only when equals are treated unequally but also when unequals are treated equally.”

In a statement yesterday, he further said: “States are created to take care of human beings. And when it comes to population and land mass, it is morally preposterous to regard South-East and North-West as equals. People forget the fact that former Eastern Nigeria is today nine states while former Western region is today eight states.
’’The North with more population than the South is just 19 states. People should not redefine the truth and justice. So if states are to be created, it should not be on the basis of equality alone but all other factors must be considered.”

Delegates at the on-going national conference

On derivation
On derivation, he said: “While not opposed to derivation principles in order to compensate for degradation of environment and reward for efforts, derivation should not make some parts of the country live on cutting edge while some others live on the knife edge of survival.

“We must take the concept of nationhood into account in our agitations for what we consider due and payable to us. This is because we cannot afford to live as if we are in different continents instead of in one country. Bridging the gab in incomes to reduce inequality is not just good politics but good economics as well”

On single tenure for president, govs

Sani further opposed single tenure for president and governors, saying that it would remove the motivation and incentives for working hard.

He said: “If all good and feckless leaders are corralled into the same group without any reward for performing ones, the only incentives left would be pillage of commonwealth by leaders. That is why most nations  practise multiple tenure so that performing president and governors would be rewarded with re-election.

’’And if the clamour is to remove abuse of power of incumbency, it is to be noted that many countries device their own means on how to reduce the tendency to abuse power of incumbency.”

For example Chile allows multiple tenure that are not consecutive by preventing a president to conduct an election in which he is a candidate.And that was why President Michell of Chile could not contest as an incumbent despite her immense popularity,and came back to contest when she was not the president. She won.’’

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/opposed-state-s-east-northern-delegates/#sthash.ieTP0Ebv.dpuf

Edo: You failed Edo people, Oshiomhole blasts Ize-Iyamu

               
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has challenged Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, former Secretary to the State Government during the administration of Mr. Lucky Igbinedion, to render his account of stewardship as SSG which made positive impact on the people of the state, saying he failed to use his office to impact on the people.

He threw the challenge today, when he received over 2,000 Market Women from across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state who paid him a solidarity visit at the Government House, Benin City.

Oshiomhole said “I defeated the Peoples Democratic Party in all the Wards and Local Governments in the last election conducted and that was due to the massive support from you Market Women. After the defeat, a man who claims to be a Pastor, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, insisted on being imposed on Edo People as the Governor. I refused because I said, as former Chief of Staff to the State Government, what did you do?

“What effort did you make in bringing development to Edo People? Did you give your people electricity? Did you give them water? Did you give them good roads? How did you influence the government in bringing development to even your constituencies? Did you bring hospital to the people?

Oshiomhole added. “Even as Secretary to the State Government, I requested to know from him how he impacted on the government. All the money that came from Abuja during his tenure as SSG, he was first to receive, what did he do with it? How many markets did he build with it? Which erosion did he assist in controlling even at a time when erosion was a threat to the people of the state?

“Everywhere I go, people begin to ask me, why did you always allow this man to go with you? Like you the Market Women have said, in the morning, you see some of them as PDP, at night they become APC, and how can you commit the resources of the State to such people? Oshiomhole asked.

The Governor continued, “For me, I cannot bring such a man because a gateman that cannot watch over the house cannot be seen as a good security man. A woman who is given money for home upkeep and instead decides to hide it for her own selfish interest cannot be entrusted with money again. Hence I told Pastor, Edo People are not fools.”

Oshiomhole regretted that some are in politics and parade themselves as Servants of God to deceive many.

According to him, “When some people know they have bad names already, they claim to now be Pastors. That is why these days, though there are so many genuine pastors, but there are some that call themselves pastors for political reasons to perpetrate evil.”

Oshiomhole assured the people of Edo State that he will not allow those that looted the state to now take over the helms of affair of the people saying that Edo people will decide who lead them when the time comes.

He assured the women of his administration’s unflinching support for them, stressing that his relationship with them can be likened to a Catholic marriage that can never be broken. He promised to use the resources of the State to continually develop the state so as to ensure that development gets to all the 192 Wards of the state.

The market women Coordinators from all the local governments who spoke during the solidarity visit castigated four lawmakers in the state house of Assembly for selling the mandate freely given to them to the opposition party.

They praised the Governor’s effort in the provision of employments to youths in the state, provision of infrastructural facilities and providing the right environment for businesses to thrive.

Leader of the market women, Madam Blacky Omoregie said the state cannot afford to go back to the dark days when the state was backward.

According to her, “The People's Democracy Party is shouting war when there is no war. By the time the war will start, they will have no other option but to save their own various heads. We market women are the people that vote, so we are waiting for them in the field”, she concluded.

Asari Dokubo still maintains Chibok girls were not kidnapped

             
Despite the faces and names of kidnapped Chibok girls being released, ex-Niger Delta militant Asari Dokubo is still maintaining that no girls are missing. See what he wrote on his Facebook page above.

Keshi, Yobo quit Super Eagles

Super Eagles coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has resigned his appointment after leading the team to the second round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking after the Eagles were eliminated by France in the round of 16 match in Brasilia, Monday, the Delta State-born tactician said it was time to move on after leading his country’s national team to the Africa Nations Cup trophy last year and the ongoing World Cup in Brazil.

Nigeria’s coach Stephen Keshi gives a press conference at the Baixada Arena in Curitiba on June 15, 2014, on the eve of their Group F 2014 FIFA World Cup football match against Iran. AFP PHOTO

“I have to go back to my family and face fresh challenges,” Keshi said.

Similarly, Super Eagles Captain, Yobo Joseph said he has had enough and can go no further as national team player. “I think I should give the younger ones the opportunity to forge ahead. I have nothing new to offer.”

You m

Chibok girls: Why I have had to remain quiet – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has reiterated his determination to bring back the more than 200 Chibok school girls saying that his silence in the past was to avoid compromising investigations on the abductions.

In a 514 word opinion piece article published in Friday’a edition of the Washington Post, President Jonathan regretted that his silence on the issue has been misconstrued by critics as a sign of weakness as he confesed that being a father, he is touched by the feelings of the parents of the abducted girls.

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Police avert bloodbath in Kano

The Police in Kano State said it had discovered 13 high calibre Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, at Sauna-Fafunga in Dakata area of Kano metropolis.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Aderenle Shinaba, displayed the devices to newsmen in Kano yesterday.
Shinaba said the explosives were discovered at about 1.30p.m. in a rickety car parked near a Friday Mosque.
A 10 year old boy was said to have alerted the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of the area when he notice some strange objects in the car..

“When we got the information, we quickly moved in to the place and in the course of screening the vehicle, our anti-bomb squad discovered the explosives.
”We are simply lucky; what we have here now has the capacity of destroying a whole village and  the  Abuja incident would have been a child’s play.

“The explosives were primed to explode when the Juma’at prayer is going on and they can destroy a whole neighbourhood because they are of high calibre,”he said.
He further said the police had to detonate one of them but the Anti-bomb Squad advised that they should be removed from the area.

“The cylinders discovered are of high calibre as they can ruin and destroy a whole village”, the commissioner said.
Shinaba commended the people of Kano for the timely information they gave to the police which saved the situation

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/06/police-avert-bloodbath-kano/#sthash.652X01PA.dpuf

N20m controversy: Charly Boy disgraces Okorocha at Oputa’s burial

Arequiem mass organised for the late Socrates of the Supreme Court, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa at his country home in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State was disrupted yesterday, when the first son of the former erudite judge, Charles Oputa, a.k.a Charley Boy prevented Governor Rochas Okorocha from paying tribute to his father.

Eye witnesses said that the mass which was conducted by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rt Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Oguta, went on smoothly until Okorocha was permitted by the Bishop to pay his tribute to the fallen judge.

However, Chief Okorocha, was stopped midway into his speech, by Charley Boy who was visibly infruiated with Kukah for granting the governor the permission to speak. He walked up angrily to the altar and snatched the micro-phone from the governor, to the embarrassment of all the dignitaries present. It was a disgrace to the governor.

Among eminent Nigerians present at the church service included representative of President Goodluck Jonathan, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Governors Willie Obiano (Anambra), Theodore Orji (Abia); the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha and former governors of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige and Mr Peter Obi respectively.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/06/n20m-controversy-charly-boy-disgraces-okorocha-oputas-burial/#sthash.3r1idAvn.dpuf

Unceasing bloodshed: Should Nigeria remain united or part peacefully?

SINCE 1953, exactly seven years before independence, which was consummated on October 1, 1960, Nigeria has been a haven for flurry of political and ethno-religious mayhem, which have claimed about 3.5million lives.

After the Kano riots of 1953 that claimed many lives, violence has become a recurring decimal in the country. If two or three of the estimated 400 ethnic groups are not on one another’s throats, members of the two dominant religions – Christians and Moslems would be slaying each other.

The first and perhaps the biggest threat to Nigeria’s unity came less than six years after independence following political crisis in the the then Western region. The crisis led to the first military coup, which later degenerated to a full-blown 30-month war between Nigeria and the Eastern region, which seceded and declared itself Republic of Biafra. The East lost the war after an estimated three million lives were lost on both sides and Nigeria as a united country was preserved.

Thereafter, the country did not cease to be a killing field. Self-determination pursui

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/06/unceasing-bloodshed-nigeria-remain-united-part-peacefully/#sthash.pXDWrMLX.dpuf