Award-Winning R&B Singer Jameso Ingram Dies At 66

Two-time Grammy winner James Ingram, whose signature timbre instantly evokes the classic R&B sound of the 1980s, has died. He was 66.

Ingram's passing was announced on Twitter by the actress Debbie Allen. "I have lost my dearest friend and creative partner James Ingram to the Celestial Choir," she wrote. "He will always be cherished, loved and remembered for his genius, his love of family and his humanity. I am blessed to have been so close." When he was 18, Ingram joined a band called Revelation Funk and tried to make it in Los Angeles, the Chicago Tribune reported in a 2012 profile. Comparing himself to his bandmates, Ingram underestimated his own vocal abilities. "I knew I couldn't sing," he said. "I wasn't trying. I was just doing background." After the band broke up, Ingram stayed in L.A. and got great backup gigs, working with Ray Charles and Marvin Gaye. He would sing and write demos at a studio on Sunset Boulevard for $50 per song. The studio had a relationship with veteran producer Quincy Jones, who heard Ingram's recording of "Just Once." Jones, impressed, called Ingram. "I hung up on Quincy," he told the Tribune. "I was never no singer. I never shopped a deal, none of that. My wife said, 'James, that was Quincy.' He called back, and we started talking. I said, 'Yeah, that's me.' He put that on his album." That was the moment Ingram was saved from "side-gig obscurity," writes the New York Times. Ingram ended up singing that song and "One Hundred Ways" on Jones's 1981 album, "The Dude." Both songs ended up on the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. Ingram's performance of "One Hundred Ways" won him the Grammy in 1981 for best male R&B performance. In 1984 he won his second Grammy, for "Yah Mo B There" with singer Michael McDonald. He also had two number one hits: "Baby Come to Me" in 1983, which he sang with Patti Austin; and "I Don't Have the Heart" in 1990. Throughout his career, Ingram was nominated for 14 Grammys. Ingram was especially in demand as a collaborator, co-writing the Michael Jackson hit "P.Y.T." and enjoying cross-over appeal with Linda Ronstadt. With Ronstadt, he added his soulful rendition of "Somewhere Out There" to the ending credits of the movie "An American Tail." While Ingram's cause of death has not been formally announced, the entertainment news outlet TMZ reports the singer died after a long battle with brain cancer. "There are no words to convey how much my heart aches with the news of the passing of my baby brother," Jones wrote on Twitter. "With that soulful, whisky sounding voice, James was simply magical. He was, & always will be, beyond compare. Rest In Peace my baby bro...You'll be in my heart forever."

Earth's core is LEAKING: Scientists don't know why it's been doing so for 2.5billion years

Earth's core is leaking: Material from the scorching core is moving into the mantle 

EARTH’S scorching core of molten metal has been leaking into the planet’s mantle for at least 2.5 billion years and scientists cannot quite explain why this is happening.

The Earth’s core at the dead centre of the planet burns at an incredible 7,952F to 11,012F (4,400C to 6,100C). This nightmarish hellscape of molten iron and nickel is located more than 3,728miles (6,000km) down. Because of the core’s metal composition, the core is the primary driving force behind the planet’s natural magnetic field. But the core has been leaking into the Earth’s various layers for almost half the age of the planet a study has found, and some of the material could even breach to the surface.

minimum wage: National Council of state approves N27,000

The National Council of State has approved N27,000 as the minimum wage for the country. The council approved the amount at its meeting in Abuja on Tuesday. President Muhammadu Buhari and former heads of state at the National Council of State meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. Following the Council’s approval, a minimum wage bill is expected to be sent to the National Assembly on Wednesday. ALSO READ: We’re not opposed to new minimum wage, say govs According to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, the Federal Government is topping the approved amount by N3,000 to 30,000 for its workers. He said the states are at liberty to augment the new agreement as they see fit. The amount approved by the Council of State is N3,000 short of the N30,000 that the Tripartite Committee on Review of National Minimum Wage recommended. The committee, chaired by a former Head of Service of the Federation, Ms Ama Pepple, had submitted the report, which contained the recommended figure, to President Muhammadu Buhari on November 6, 2018, after many months of deliberations, Channels said.

LASEMA ad hoc staff complain bitterly as they've not been paid salary since November

LASEMA ad hoc staff are reportedly experiencing untold hardship having been owed their salaries since November 2018. To make matters worse, they are reportedly lacking the basics needed to carry out their jobs effectively.

LASEMA has a consulting firm called Avantgarde Management Services (AMS) - the same agency that managed Vision Scape. AMS manages the facilities and the staff who are not directly under the payroll of Lagos State Civil Service. The staff managed by AMS include; the ad hoc staff employed by LASEMA and the staff directly employed by AMS (some LASEMA drivers and call centre agents).

These LASEMA /LRU operation staff who are on the payroll of AMS have been owed salary for two months, a source close to the situation told LIB. The staff were not paid their October salary until late December. The salaries for November and December are still pending and staff are finding it hard to meet their needs.  

According to our source, due to the lack of remuneration, the ad hoc staff, who make up almost half of the entire Operation staff of LASEMA, do not even have money for transportation and sometimes they are loaned money by the General Manager, LASEMA.

Our source said these staff are "undergoing untold hardships", especially as it's a new year and the beginning of school. So many cannot pay their children's school fees and this is affecting their morale. A lot of them have to borrow money to be able to come to work and fulfil their responsibilities. Our source added that one of their staff became mentally ill due to the pressure. 

The source said:

Most of the Adhoc Staff have wives and children.

Do you know one of the Adhoc Staff even ran mad some weeks ago?  But really, who would not run mad when you can't pay your children school fees before exams last term and now this new term the kids are either at home or the parent doesnt know how to pay both last terms fee and the new term's.

Imagine going for emergency opertations where you would stay for hours without food in your stomach. These guys have to borrow money from family and friends for transportaion and feeding at work.

Asides not being paid, the staff are reportedly lacking the basics in their bases; such as drinking water and soaps to wash their hands in the toilets. The meal tickets they used to receive was also stopped last year.

While responding to the scene of an emergency, LRU operation staff witness incidents that leave them traumatized, yet there is no provision for therapy or counselling for them.

To make matters worse, the General Manager has not addressed the issue with the affected staff, our source said. 

As for the staff who are directly on the payroll of the Lagos State Civil Service, some of them are paid N17,000 (excluding hazards allowance) as salary for one whole month. This is not even up to the minimum wage. 

LIB reached out to LASEMA PRO, Mr Kehinde Adebayo, but he says he cannot comment on the matter. He added that it is the acting GM Tiamiyu Adeshina who comments on such issues but he is not around at the moment.

Walter Onnoghen: Gov. Wike talks tough, reveals what Buhari will do if he loses election

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has revealed that the President Muhammadu Buhari was planning to do to Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Walter Onnoghen what he (Buhari) did to former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

In a strong worded statement he shared on Twitter, Sunday evening, Wike alleged that Buhari was doing anything to muscle power by all means.

Wike said that President Buhari will not handover power if he loses the presidential election.

Reacting to the plan by the presidency to arraign the CJN before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT on Monday, Wike said the Nigerian Government was waging war against the Niger Delta.

Wike wrote, “Charges concocted by the Buhari administration against the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) are aimed at frightening the Judiciary, ahead of the planned manipulation of the polls.

“The concocted charges against the Chief Justice Of Nigeria are targeted at the Niger Delta, same way they muzzled former President Goodluck Jonathan.

“Since 1960 when Nigeria gained independence, for the first time in 2011, a Niger Delta person became the President. The entire country ganged up against him. They gave excuses and denied us a second term.

“We did not fight. We did not shed blood. He said his ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian and they called him a weak man.

“Since 1960, no Niger Delta person has been the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

“When it came to his own time to be appointed the Chief Justice of Nigeria politics came in. They were not willing to appoint him. It was God that created the circumstances.

“The President was sick and was flown out. That was how Onoghen became the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

“Now, because they believe that the Niger Delta is not part of this country, they have come again with all kinds of stories.

“They think they are talking to small children. Fabricated stories and said he did not declare his assets in 2011.

“Step aside for who take over? We must know whether or not we belong to this country. Enough is enough. I have never seen people who are so desperate to cling to power.

“When they came before to attack the judiciary, I raised alarm. I told them what they were doing is part of their future plan. Unfortunately, NBA did not realise it. They chickened out and gave out their judges, not knowing that the lion is still waiting somewhere to complete the assignment.

“They have INEC and the security agencies. They have plotted how to rig the elections. But they have not been able to gag the judiciary.

“In order for them to consolidate in their rigging machinery, they want to gag the judiciary . The only that they want to do is to intimidate the judiciary.

“They know and the law is clear. You cannot try any judge except the National Judicial Council approves.

“They know they cannot try the CJN. But all they are doing is to cause embarassment. Put fear in all the judges.

“An Attorney General who calls himself an Attorney General will sit and file such charges against the Chief Justice of Nigeria one month to the general election.

“What kind of crisis are they setting up. They want to cause crisis in the judiciary and they think everyone should keep quiet?

“The extreme manipulation of the system and the enthronement of a culture of impunity by the Buhari administration will not augur well for the country.

“Nigeria will resist any attempt to truncate this democracy. With what I am seeing with this present government, because they are smelling defeat, they are not likely to hand over if they lose. Mark it today.

“If they lose, they will prefer something funny to happen. Anybody that does that will face the consequences. Now they are pushing people to the wall. Be careful how you deny people their mandate. Allow people’s votes to count.

“We are no longer in a democracy. This system is worse than the military. Even under the military, opinions of the people count.

“Any security personnel plotting evil against Rivers State will face God’s judgment and punishment.”

Salaries of workers above new minimum wage'll be renegotiated- Buhari

ABUJA—PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari said, yesterday, that the salaries of workers earning above the new minimum wage will be renegotiated.

President Buhari
He also appointed Bismarck Rewane as head of newly inaugurated Technical Advisory Committee on the implementation of a national minimum wage.

President Buhari, who stated this at the inauguration of the technical committee at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa Abuja, said after the new minimum wage had been passed into law, government will go into negotiations for salary review for all the workers already earning above the new minimum wage.

He said it was important to properly prepare the minds of those involved so that they will not be taken unawares when the time comes.

Noting that the last time Nigeria’s national minimum wage was reviewed was in 2011, it was evident that a review was necessary, despite the prevailing fiscal challenges.

He said: “This is why I constituted the Tripartite Committee of Government, Organized Private Sector and Labour to consider the National Minimum Wage and make recommendations to Government for its upward review.

“That committee has since submitted its report with some recommendations. We are currently working on the final steps that will lead to the submission of a National Minimum Wage Amendment Bill to the National Assembly.

“I want to make it clear that there is no question about whether the national minimum wage will be reviewed upwards. I am committed to a review of the minimum wage.

Meeting with state govts

“Also, it is important to explain that even though the subject of a national minimum wage is in the Exclusive Legislative List, we have been meeting with the state governors because it is imperative that the Federal Government carries the state governments along in determining any upward review of the minimum wage for workers.

“This is especially necessary considering the prevailing public sector revenue challenges, which have made it extremely difficult for some of the governments to pay workers as and when due.

“As you know we, at the federal level, have made adequate provision for the increase in the minimum wage in our 2019 budget proposals, which we submitted to the National Assembly. Therefore, we will be able to meet the additional costs that will be incurred in moving up all personnel who are currently earning below the new minimum wage.

Those earning above new minimum wage

“However, we anticipate that after the new minimum wage has been passed into law we will be going into negotiations for salary review for all the workers who are already earning above the new minimum wage. It is, therefore, important that we are properly prepared to meet these demands.

Avoiding adverse effects

“We must therefore look at ways of implementing these consequential wage adjustments in a manner that does not have adverse effects on our national development plans, as laid out in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP). The ERGP sets appropriate targets for levels of Capital Expenditure, Public Debt, Inflation, Employment, etc. It is absolutely important that the implementation of a new minimum wage does not adversely affect these targets, and thereby erode the envisaged gains for the workers.

“It is against this background that I have set up a Technical Committee to advise Government on how best to fund, in a sustained manner, the additional costs that will arise from the implementation of the consequential increases in salaries and allowances for workers currently earning above the new minimum wage.”

He explained that the inaugurated technical committee will be chaired by an economist and financial expert, Mr. Bismarck Rewane with other experienced members who are experienced economists and administrators from the private sector working together with all the relevant officials of government.

The President enumerated terms of reference for the committee which include to develop, and advise government on how to successfully bring about a smooth implementation of impending wage increases and identify new revenue sources, as well as areas of existing expenditure from where some savings could be made in order to fund the wage increases without adversely impacting the nation’s development goals as set out in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

Others are to “propose a work plan and modalities for the implementation of the salary increases, any other suggestions that will assist in the implementation of this, and future wage increases.

“Given the urgency of this exercise, the committee is expected to complete its deliberations and submit its report and recommendations within one month today.

“It is now my pleasure to formally inaugurate the Technical Advisory Committee on the Implementation of an Increase in the National Minimum Wage.”

Fresh audio leaks: Amaechi ‘indicts’ APC, Tinubu, Fashola as failures

nother audio clip of Rotimi Amaechi, Director-General of President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign organisation, has leaked with the embattled Minister of Transport heard describing Lagos as a ‘glorified village’.

The audio tape was released by Phrank Shaibu, an aide of Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the trending audio clip, Amaechi said there was very little infrastructure in Lagos, especially water and roads, while lamenting the spate of traffic jams in the state.

The Minister’s purported rants subtly indicts the All Progressives Congress (APC) which has controlled Lagos for 20 years through AD, AC, and ACN; the Co-chair of President Buhari’s Campaign Council, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; fellow cabinet minister, Babatunde Fashola; both of who governed the state for 16 years combined.

Amaechi “I live in Abuja, tell me where else we have infrastructure. Lagos is a glorified village. The only difference between Lagos and other cities is the fact that business is in Lagos, everybody is there doing business, so you can at least have food,” he said in the New audio clip.

“If not, tell me what else you have in Lagos? 1,000 plus megawatts. That’s all. That’s what you have. What else do you have? No water, there are no roads. The reason why you meet traffic jams in Lagos is because there are no roads.”

New minimum wage: What FG discussed with NLC, TUC

The Federal Government has said it will continue negotiation with the Organise Labour on Monday to prevent the threat of strike over non transmission of the New National Minimum Wage bill to the National Assembly.
Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment said this after meeting with the labour leaders on Friday in Abuja.

DAILY POST had reported that the National Executive Council of the NLC had threatened to embark on a nationwide protest on Jan. 8 to make government transmit the tripartite committee report on the N30,000 minimum wage to the National Assembly.

The labour ultimatum followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that a “high powered technical committee” would be set up to study the report before transmitting to the legislatures.

But speaking during the meeting Ngige said: “we are continuing the meeting on Monday and we are making progress. We have made substantial progress. That is progress in terms of transmission of the new national minimum wage.
“So, we are discussing on ways to fast track and we are taking appropriate steps as required by us by law.

“Mr President is more committed to this as he was the one that set of the Tripartite Committee on the minimum wage and even inaugurated them and also put in all the resources,” he said.

According to NAN, Ngige had earlier said the meeting was called as a result of the communique issued by the joint Labour Centres in Lagos.
“That is when you informed government that you are not happy with the implementation processes of the report of the tripartite committee. So government decided to meet with you today and brief you fully on all we have been doing.

“If you have questions, you ask us so that we can be on the same page because Mr President is determined to give a minimum wage to Nigerian workers. But in doing so, he has to do a minimum wage that can be sustainable.

“In doing that, it means that we have to do a proper process in what we have to do. The national minimum wage is an existing act that need amendment. So, it is not a question of only money.

“There are things that we need to do before sending the bill to the National Assembly and do it in a way to maintain the sustainable status of the minimum wage. This why we have called you and for you to suggest to us.

“Also we will like to hear your own views or what we should add so that we can fast track the process,” he said.

He added that: “we are aware that when the bill get to the National Assembly, it becomes the business of all of us, including the public.”

Remi Owadokun: ‘I am passionate about equipping people to make healthier, happier and better decisions’

Remi Owadokun is a Life Coach and four- time Amazon bestselling author for the books- How I Lost 40kg, The Journey That Changed My Life, Why You Are Still Fat, Total Makeover – You Deserve To Live Your Best Life and Mentorless? Attract, Retain and Make The Best Out of Mentoring Relationships.

Motivated by her win over fat, she wrote her first book ‘How I lost 40kg’ which became an international bestseller eight hours after she uploaded it on Amazon. She coaches women on weight loss through the ‘Total Makeover Program’, an online lifestyle platform. She is also the creator of a mobile game ‘Phat Girl’ which helps women lose weight and educates them on how to make proper food choices and by extension, lead a healthy lifestyle. In this deeply insightful interview, Remi shares on her weight loss journey, some life defining decisions she made and how mentoring has shaped her into the woman she has become today.

How in your own words would you introduce Remi Owadokun to the world?
I am a girl who is addicted to self-improvement. I believe that by constantly working towards bettering myself and challenging myself, I am better positioned to accomplish more, aspire for more and be motivated to do and be more thereby granting those around me psychological permission to live their best lives.

I strongly believe that the best gift I can give the world is my gift of self, the privilege of being me- authentic and if people can see that, then they are also inspired to live their own authentic lives however it is expressed. Professionally speaking, I am a Certified Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition; I am also a Certified Life Coach and Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. I am the Founder of Total Makeover Program and a couple of other small businesses that are still at their hatching stages.

Wonderful! What was growing up like and how did your childhood experiences, impact on the woman you have become today? 
I loved my childhood to no end. My parents put in a lot of efforts to give me and my brothers the most fun and memorable childhood we could ask for. Growing up we were exposed to different people and different cultures. We grew up in two distinct neighbourhoods and I had my education in private and government-owned facilities in secondary school. In my government school, education was not great but my private school experience was amazing. Some of the best opportunities I have had today, personally and professionally came out of my experiences and relationships from that era.

I grew up multilingual, as my mother is not Nigerian. Which contributed greatly to me translating my book to Portuguese and launching the book in Brazil last year.
I lost my father as a young teen, which contributed to me becoming independent faster than I would have liked. I also did not get the chance to go to the University. This contributed to me working 10 times as hard just so I could level up and bring as much value as someone who did, especially if I wanted to make a living for myself at the standard that I desired.

Can you share some experiences that you consider really life-defining for you?
Losing my father was one of them. When my father was alive we had a maid, a nanny per child, a wash-man, two drivers, two cars, a holiday every year. As you can tell, I was officially a spoilt brat. When he passed on, we moved from living on two salaries to living on one salary that had to well-managed to accommodate the future of three kids. Emotionally, I was very close to my dad, he was very present and we have a lot of fond memories. He left a huge vacuum in my heart.

Accepting that I was overweight was also another life defining moment. You know I was my biggest and I somehow did not think I was as fat as I was. I just thought I was chubby, big-boned but not obese. When confronted with that truth, it tore me to pieces, I lost weight and never looked back. And it is that experience that has led me to this moment; author, coach, founder etcetera.

You struggled with your weight for a long time, what would you say was the breaking point for you? That point you decided you had to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Like I mentioned above, I was confronted with the truth. I could no longer hide or pretend, for the first time in my life someone told me I was fat in the most descriptive form ever and I went home crying and looked in the mirror and saw myself. I know it sounds ridiculous, I am sure you wonder “didn’t she have a mirror at home?” believe me when I say that denial can distort reality. Before, I would look in the mirror and focus on what I liked most about my body at the time, for me it was my face. I would look in the mirror and only see my face; I would only look at my body when I was fully dressed.

So when I was shown how I looked in comparison to others, it was as though the scales fell from my eyes and I could finally see. I did not know that I looked like the same people I would secretly mock. So I was filled with guilt, shame, disappointment, shock and it forced me to take matters in my hands even though at the time I had no idea what steps to take. I lost 40kg in 10 months. That taught me that when a person is willing, he or she would find a way through a rock just to find water.

Your book ‘How I lost 40 kg: The Journey That Changed My Life’, chronicled your weight loss journey. Did you ever think it would make International bestseller? Can you share some of the fears you had to overcome during the writing process?
Well, I was indecisive about publishing, I was not sure anyone really wanted to read my story. I felt it was too ordinary and way too familiar, but I had gotten a few requests from people who were interested in reading my book if I wrote it and so I started writing and stopped on Chapter 3 or 4. I had never written a book and wasn’t sure what I was I doing.

My mentor found out about my book and he served as an accountability partner until it was completed. I was not thinking of the bestseller status at all at the time, just writing the book and holding it in my hand was such a big deal that I did not realise that they were much bigger things to aspire to. So once I published my hard copy, I put up a new goal. I wanted it to be a bestseller.

You run Total Makeover Program, a health and wellness consultancy; you also have a book on weight loss and a mobile game to help people lose weight. Do you consider fitness a passion?
No I don’t consider fitness a passion; I have a passion for wholesome, holistic healthy lifestyle. I am passionate about equipping people to make healthier, happier and better decisions. I am passionate about emotional, mental, physical, financial, environmental and relational wellbeing. At Total Makeover Program we like to look at all the areas of your life and not just your body. Everyone, no matter the level of exposure or education, has some idea on what they need to do to lose weight but even with this basic knowledge, we still have people who can’t get themselves to do it.

So it is ignorant in my opinion to focus on what people eat and how they exercise alone, what is the point when they can’t get themselves to work out? Or control their eating? What is the point of losing weight when after two weeks, they are back where they started? So we need to explore the other areas of their lives, like what triggers them to over eat? What demoralises them from working out? When we ask better questions, we get better answers. So fitness is too small to cover what I am passionate about. It is just one of the expressions.

You run the ‘Too Late To Be Nobody’ Movement. Can you share the inspiration behind it?
The movement is my personal mantra that caught on in my community. I believe that everyone has at least one legitimate reason to give up, give in, throw in the towel, stop trying and just live below average. We all sincerely do but just by virtue that we are still alive, that we are still breathing, then we have been automatically disqualified from giving up or resulting to mediocrity. It would be dishonouring life itself.

It is too late to live below average. It is too late to not try again, to not try harder, to not try one more time, to not want more, to not push more, hope more, pray more, achieve more, read more, it is too late and if we can come to that realisation then we will reach a resolve, we will find that strength we did not think we had to push for what we have finally accepted that we deserve.

You are really keen on mentoring and your book Mentorless focuses on how to find and keep a mentor. Can you share three things you look out for before mentoring women?
Does she know exactly what she wants? If she doesn’t then my presence in her life is useless. You don’t get in a taxi and not know where you are headed. If you are confused about where you need to go, I recommend getting a coach for clarity and then take your clarity to a mentor.

Does she know what she wants from me being present in her life? If you are asking me to give up my time, energy, resources to maintain a relationship with you, do both of us a favour and let me know what exactly you want me to do for you. That way we can set up a plan, a structure, and work towards it. That way we can record milestones and know that we are working towards something. Or maybe we will both save time and energy if it is something I can’t help you with then I can recommend someone who is more capable.

What have they been able to achieve on their own? Resourcefulness in my estimation is one of the sexiest qualities a human can have. If with everything available to you, you have not been able to do anything for yourself, all you produce are excuses then I can’t make time for you.

How has mentoring shaped the woman you are? Can you mention some women you consider mentor figures?
I am where I am today because I have had the most amazing mentors. I don’t have female mentors, but only because I believe that if I call someone my mentor then I know the person personally and she has taken me under her wings. Anything outside these specifics would be my role model. Michelle Obama, Oprah and Ibukun Awosika are my Top 3 women.

Do you believe a mentee can outgrow a mentor? Can you share some exit strategies?
I believe that we all have different goals and aspirations, none of my mentors are Amazon bestselling authors but none of them are interested in that. Does that mean I have outgrown them?
Our goal should be to outgrow our former selves and be better and not to compete with anyone who is on a different path. If for instance, you happen to be in the same industry and chasing the same things as the person who mentors you, it is possible to move at a faster pace than your mentor. I believe the whole point of being a teacher is so your student can be better than you and that is one of the perks of mentorship.

When under mentorship, you are saving time by avoiding the mistakes your mentor made, you have access to your mentors network and resources, which he or she may not have had.

If your mentor is from a different generation then you might have access and better understanding of the tools of this age like the Internet and social media that your mentor did not have, which will obviously give you an edge and make you more appealing to today’s audience. My mentors are still my mentors, I may not be as dependent on them as I once was (they taught me well) I may not reach out to them as much as I use to when I was starting out but I still have the same respect, if not more respect for them now than I did many years ago.

What does success and fulfilment mean to you?
Continuous self-improvement.

Mention three things you would say to your 24-year-old younger self
You are doing just fine, celebrate your wins, think more of me (your older self).

What has influenced your thinking the most?
The love of God.

What is your greatest pet peeve?
Poor personal hygiene.

What do you have to say to that young woman who has dreams but is crippled with doubts and self-limiting beliefs?
Stop the pity party; it is too late to be nobody.

Nigeria Drop To 14th In Africa Countries

An analysis by Forbes has rated Nigeria as the 110th best country for business in the world in 2019. Nigeria is also ranked 14th in Africa on the list. A total of 161 countries were graded in the report.

Previously, Nigeria was ranked as 115th best country to do business in the world and 3rd in Africa in a total of 153 countries that were surveyed in September 2018.

The latest ranking means that while Nigeria’s ranking improved globally, at least 11 other African countries have leapt ahead of Nigeria in being “hospitable to capital investment.”

Forbes is an American family-controlled business magazine. It features original articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. Forbes also reports on related subjects such as technology, communications, science, politics, and law. The magazine is well known for its lists and rankings, including of the richest Americans (the Forbes 400), of the world’s top companies (the Forbes Global 2000), and the world’s billionaires. The motto of Forbes magazine is “The Capitalist Tool”!

According to the latest release by Forbes on December 19, 2018, United Kingdom is rated 1st, Sweden is 2nd, Hong Kong is rated 3rd, Netherlands rated 4th, New Zealand is rated 5th and Canada is 6th.

The United States of America is rated 17th.

South Africa, according to the list released by Forbes, came first in Africa while Nigeria is rated 14th in Africa with a population of 203 million people, a Gross Domestic Product growth of 0.8 per cent and GDP per capita of $2,000

This put Nigeria behind South Africa, rated 59th globally. Morocco is 62nd, Seychelles rated 66th and Tunisia is rated 82nd.

Botswana came 83rd on the list globally, Rwanda is 90th, Kenya rated 93rd, Ghana is 94th, Egypt is 95th, Namibia rated 96th, Senegal rated 100th, Zambia is rated 103rd and Cape Verde 104th before Nigeria rated 110th globally.

Explaining how they derived at the rating, Forbes said: “We gauged the best countries for business by rating nations on 15 different factors, including property rights, innovation, taxes, technology, corruption, freedom (personal, trade and monetary), red tape and investor protection. Other metrics included were workforce, infrastructure, market size, quality of life and risk. Each category was equally weighted.

“The data is based on published reports from Freedom House, Heritage Foundation, Property Rights Alliance, United Nations, Transparency International, World Bank Group, Marsh and McLennan and World Economic Forum” Previously, Nigeria was ranked as 115th best country to do business in the world and 3rd in Africa in a total of 153 countries that were surveyed in September 2018.

Oshiomhole Reveals Consequences Obasanjo Risks By Supporting PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku

 

Adams Oshiomhole

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, has warned former President Olusegun Obasanjo of the consequences of supporting Atiku Abubakar to be president

The APC chairman, reminded Obasanjo that he swore that God’s punishment will come upon him if he ever supported Atiku.

Oshiomhole spoke after receiving APC women leaders from Edo State and Abuja, who paid him a solidarity visit in his office in Aso Drive, Abuja.

He said the country could not afford to return to the era where owners of private jets had business addresses but just because they had connections with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation or the likes.

“We know there are people across the divide who are fighting back. There is a gang up by those who are used to sucking the system without adding any value but Nigerians will not allow that,” he said.

Oshiomhole boasted that the 2019 election would be a smooth sail for President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC because ethnic and religious sentiments that characterised the 2015 election lost by former president Goodluck Jonathan would have no place this time around.

“The two candidates are from the North and they are both Muslims. People are now going to look at the character. Nobody has ever say Buhari is a thief. But who said the other person is a thief? it was his boss.

“When you are working with me and I said you are a thief, God will punish me if I support you. And when you are confused because your supply line has been chopped off, you now turned around to support the same person. That God that you called with your name to punish you if you supported the person is about to go to work. And HE will go to work in February and HE will punish him thoroughly and the person he is supporting, in favour of Nigeria.”

Fact-Check: Has Buhari Died And Been Replaced With A Lookalike From Sudan?

 

Several high-profile figures in Nigeria, including a former government minister, have claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari has died and been replaced by a lookalike from Sudan.

Tweets, Facebook posts and YouTube videos repeating claims that the leader of Africa’s most populous nation is an imposter called “Jubril” have been shared and viewed over 500,000 times.

But there is no evidence to back up the claim and the government has not commented.

– What are we verifying? –

Former military ruler Buhari, 75, has made several trips to London for medical treatment since mid-2016. Initially, the presidency claimed he had a “persistent ear infection”.

But concern mounted from early last year about his prolonged absences, prompting speculation the condition was more serious and might affect his ability to stay in power.

A lack of information about the exact nature of his illness, his gaunt features and a reduction in public appearances have fed speculation about his well-being.

Claims about Buhari’s identity emerged a month after Buhari returned from another lengthy medical trip to the British capital.

The earliest online mention of the claim found by AFP was in a video posted by Twitter user @sam_ezeh on September 3, 2017.

The video has since been shared more than 5,000 times on Facebook and Twitter.

In it, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement, Nnamdi Kanu, speaks to his supporters and says Buhari had actually died.

“The man you are looking at in the television is not Buhari… His name is Jubril, he’s from Sudan. After extensive surgery they brought him back,” he says.

In separate broadcasts on the outlawed pirate radio station Radio Biafra, Kanu has called Buhari “Jubril Al-Sudani”.

But on each occasion, he gave no evidence for the claim.

The IPOB leader is a fervent critic of Buhari and the Nigerian government. His movement wants a separate independent state for the Igbo people who dominate southeast Nigeria.

Despite the lack of evidence, the claim has been picked up by other opponents of Buhari, who in February next year is seeking a second, four-year term of office.

On April 5, 2018, Femi Fani-Kayode, a former government special advisor and minister under president Olusegun Obasanjo, repeated the claim on Twitter (1).

A similar post on his Facebook page was shared more than 400 times. Press releases and statements by IPOB and its sympathisers have repeated the claim (2).

The rumour appears to have been fuelled further by a real-life event in May this year, when a Nigerian diplomat — Habibu Almu — was found dead in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

Nigeria’s foreign ministry said on May 14 that Almu had been “stabbed to death” and that a Sudanese woman of Nigerian origin had been arrested.

Sudanese police said the killing did not appear to be politically motivated but Kanu and others have claimed the death was linked to an apparent cover-up of Buhari’s death (3).

Buhari’s appearance has come under scrutiny in many posts. One post compares Buhari apparently writing with his right hand in one photograph and his left in another.

But analysis indicates the image of the right-handed Buhari had been reversed.

One video even speculates on how a dead Buhari could have been operated on to transfer his appearance to “Jubril from Sudan”, showing a scene from the 1997 film “Face/Off” (4).

– What conclusion can we draw? –

The rumour has been stoked by Buhari’s illness, which saw him receive treatment abroad for a large part of 2017, and the killing of a Nigerian diplomat in Khartoum earlier this year.

Those pushing the claim are known critics of Buhari and his government but have provided no concrete evidence to back up their assertion.

North Korea starting to respect USA – Donald Trump

President of the United States of America, USA, Donald Trump, has declared that North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un is beginning to respect the country. Trump made the remarks at a rally in Phoenix, hours after Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson said talks with the nuclear-armed North over its banned weapons programmes might be possible “in the near future.” Trump said at the rally that his aggressive rhetoric was starting to bear fruit. He told thousands of his supporters, “Some people said it was too strong. It’s not strong enough. But Kim Jong-Un, I respect the fact that I believe he is starting to respect us. I respect that fact very much. “And maybe, probably not, but maybe something positive can come about.” Earlier, Tillerson acknowledged Pyongyang’s recent “restraint” in not carrying out fresh nuclear or missile tests in response to tough new United Nations sanctions, the seventh set imposed on it. Tillerson told press conference, “I am pleased to see that the regime in Pyongyang has certainly demonstrated some level of restraint that we’ve not seen in the past.” The Secretary of state added that talks may be possible, “in the near future.” Tensions between the two countries soared last month after North Korea tested two missiles that appeared to bring most of the US mainland within range.