Lol ..see what a lawmaker wore to the National Assembly (photos)

Honorable Omoregie Ogbeide -Ihama who represents Oredo federal constituency turned out in his full traditional attire to the House of Representatives on Tuesday May 3rd. He dressed this way because he had to inform the house of the passing of the Oba of Benin, Omo N'Oba N'Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa.

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Charly Boy: Jiggy with Suicide

With the seemingly growing number of Nigerians suffering from depression, Charly Boy touches on a very relevant topic in his new article.

***
It was like any other day.

I was in the studio listening to the sound I tried to put together the previous night. The security personnel came to announce the arrival of my cousin Jimmy (not his real name).
Jimmy was one bubbly guy who was always ready to have a party. Always fun to be with; but on this very day, something was seriously amiss.

There was this faraway look in his eyes, obviously troubled by something. I instructed my studio engineer to excuse us so I could have a one on one with Jimmy. No sooner had he left, Jimmy turned to me and said, “Charly, tonight am ending it all, I can’t go on like this, am going to kill myself.”

Abegi stop talking nonsense, was all I could utter. I decided to probe further to figure out what was really troubling Jimmy.
He had lost a lot of money in the various business ventures he got involved with, his woman had left him and that really devastated him; but in my head that wasn’t enough justification for anybody to want to kill himself! Of course, I didn’t take him serious, I just tried to talk to him sharing my own problems with him in the hope of calming him down.

Three days later, I received the sad news that Jimmy had hung himself from his ceiling fan in his sitting room.

My heart was broken with the news, above all I felt so very guilty for a long long time. Perhaps I should have spent more time listening to him that day, who knows I might have been able to get him to see things differently.

Since then I’ve learnt to listen a lot more and counsel with a lot more sensitivity.

No one can ever truly phantom what goes on in one’s mind that will lead them to activate their own death.
Recently on the Internet, I came across the trending news about a 31 year old Danielle Saul who committed suicide because all her friends were married and she wasn’t.

The increasing wave of suicide cases in the country is taking a fearsome proportion and to say the least worryingly disturbing especially when you consider the age bracket.

People commit suicide for various reasons. Stress factors, like how they deal with their relationship issues, or how broken their spirit feels, poverty, even their mental state are the things that trigger suicide for some of us who can’t deal with the reality of living. As a result, in an attempt to desperately escape suffering or a troubling situation, they commit suicide.

Suicide is a growing trend in our country but hardly anybody seems to be paying attention, perhaps because of the stigma the society attaches to the challenge, largely associated with mental health.” Suicide didn’t just start to happen today but it is often considered a taboo for anyone to broadcast information about it. The implication of this is that it is under-reported and even the police do not get to hear about it because of the stigma attached to it.”

We all go through varying degrees of pain, of stress, disappointment, especially with the prevalent economic situation in the country; how on earth do we survive such situations?
Sometimes I wonder how much despair one needs to feel to get to that state of mind.

Therefore before we start to get judgmental, to say that people who go that route are cowards, let’s know that we all don’t have the same kind of strength or the same inbuilt shock absorber to deal with everyday issues that trouble us.

Let’s remember that some of us are dying in silence, depressed, perhaps already contemplating suicide.

Above all, let love lead in the way we interact with other people in their time of despair, let us be more concerned about the wellbeing of the next person. My advice however is that no matter whatever you are going through, there is always a rainbow after the storms. It will get better just as long as you hold on and believe. I am a living testimony to that. Your life is too precious! Na so I see de matter.

You Nko?

Senate moves to amend CCB Act to remove Office from the SGF

A Bill to amend the Act establishing the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) passed the first reading at the Senate on Tuesday as the National Assembly resumed plenary after the Easter recess.

The senate also passed for the first reading, seven other bills, including a bill seeking to amend the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) which was passed by the 7th National Assembly.

Speaking to newsmen after plenary, sponsor of the CCB Act amendment Bill, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North, PDP) said that it had become necessary to amend the Act establishing the CCB and its Tribunal.

He said that the main aim of the amendment was to move the bureau and the tribunal away from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

“The Code of Conduct Tribunal and the Code of Conduct Bureau now are under the office of the Secretary to the Government (SGF).

The secretary to the government is a politician and can use it against political opponents or perceived political opponents. He oversees the CCB and the CCT; they report to his office.

Since the Supreme Court in their judgment has said that they are a court of some sort, they must be seen to be neutral in nature and not to report to a politician.

We want to make it completely neutral, either move it to the judiciary or move it to the National Assembly that has the power to remove the chairman and members of the tribunal.

Otherwise, one day like we are seeing now, if you are an enemy to the SGF, he will use the CCB to put you into trouble, charge you there like we are seeing now.

The intent is not because of what is happening; you cannot put a quasi judicial arm under the control of the SGF who is a politician, appointed by the President,” he said.

The senator added that the amendment to the Act would include stipulating a time line within which the bureau should investigate assets declared by a political office holder.

He said that it was out of place for the CCB to prescribe that a political office holder should declare assets at the beginning and end of his tenure “while the bureau decides when to investigate.”

“Within the time you came to office and the time you are leaving office they must have investigated your assets; what is left is to investigate the assets declared when leaving office.

You do not just leave it for so many years, and then all of a sudden, someone wakes up and says `56 years ago you did not declare your asset’; that should not be so.

You have been given a time frame to declare at the beginning and at the end, but within the four years, the CCB does not conduct its investigations immediately.

Who says that someone cannot stand up tomorrow when President Buhari leaves office and says that he did not declare his asset at a particular time?

The court has said that it made a mistake in Tinubu’s case which means another political party can come up tomorrow and pick up Tinubu.

There should be a time frame, not when you wake up any day you just slam anybody, and do you now see the patriotism in what I am doing?” he said.

On the perception that the Bill was informed because of the current trial of President of the Senate by the CCB, Nwaoboshi said that perception would not deter him.

He said that he would not shy away from doing something that was right and patriotic because of what Nigerians would say.

“My duty is to the Nigerian people; we should not leave a sensitive organ like that under the whims and caprices of a politician who is the SGF. It should be left in the hands of the judiciary or the legislature,” he said.

The other bills passed for first reading were In-Vitro Fertilisation Bill 2016, Criminal Injuries Compensation Bill and National Sports Commission Establishment Bill.

Others included Nigeria Football Federation Establishment Bill and Environmental Health Officers Registration Amendment Bill.

Nikki Laoye & Banky W are Bride & Groom in the Video for their Duet – ‘Onyewuoma’ | See BTS Photos & Teaser

Soul Singer Nikki Laoye has shot the video for her love song duet, ‘Onyeuwaoma’ featuring R&B Maestro, Banky W. The fun-filled romantic video was shot on location at the Lekki Conservation Centre in Lagos, Nigeria.

Nikki’s mum, Yetunde Laoye, makes a cameo appearance and she has been such a huge support to her only daughter and has featured in some of her other videos like “Taka Sufe”, “African Dance” and “123”.

The video was directed by award winning video director, Frizzle and Bizzle Films and is slated for release this Thursday 14th of April, 2016.

Meanwhile, here’s a sneak peek at the highly anticipated video from a short teaser and Behind-The-Scenes Photos

FG denies Involvement in Defamatory Reports on Switzerland Ambassador’s Alleged Gay Partner in Nigeria

Last Monday, it was alleged that the Head of Swiss Mission to Nigeria Ambassador Eric Mayooraz came to Nigeria with his gay partner. The report also said that the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Akinremi Bolaji disclosed that the Federal government has commenced investigation into the matter. Click here for the story.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama in a statement has come out to say that the Federal Government is not aware of the issue at hand and could not have authorised anyone to speak on its behalf.

The Government has learned with shock and dismay of a defamatory article in a Nigerian newspaper against the Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to Nigeria,

I wish to state categorically that the Government has no knowledge whatsoever of any of the matters discussed in the article and could therefore not have authorized anyone to speak on its behalf in respect of them.

With regard to the defamatory article, the Government has ordered an investigation and appropriate measures will be taken for any wrongdoing.

It is to be emphasized that Nigeria and Switzerland enjoy very cordial relations.

Port Harcourt to Host the World at African Movie Academy Awards – AMAA 2016 in June

Juliet Ibrahim & OC Ukeje at AMAA 2015

The African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) would be would be returning to Nigeria for the 2016 edition! This time it’s taking place in the garden city of Port Harcourt in Rivers state! AMAA serves as a pan-African reward system for motion picture practitioners and held nine successfully consecutive editions in Bayelsa State, one in Abuja, Lagos and Port Elizabeth, South Africa respectively.(Click here for a recap of AMAA 2015).

In a statement jointly signed by the state Commissioner of Culture & Tourism, Tonye Briggs Oniyide, on behalf of the state Governor, and the founder of the awards organization, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, this year’s awards ceremony will be the beginning of a partnership that will add immense value to the people of the state and the host city in particular as the government is determined to position Port Harcourt as a destination of choice in Nigeria and West Africa.

Tonye Briggs said,

“We are repositioning Rivers State as a state ready for business to Nigerians and the rest of the world and our partnership with AMAA will become a veritable platform to attract tourists, global and Nigeria icons in business and the entertainment industry.

We want to showcase Rivers State as a peaceful place where socio-economic activities thrive and also the hospitality of our people. There is a huge economy around entertainment and show business in Port Harcourt.

While our state is known for her hydrocarbon resources His Excellency, Governor Wike’s administration through the Ministry of Culture & Tourism through initiatives like AMAA wants the world to know and take advantage of the business opportunities that abound in Rivers State,”

The commissioner also added that the state will soon unveil a calendar of entertainment and tourist activities that will create job opportunities for the youths of the state.

The awards founder, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe also added that it indeed marks the beginning of a new phase in the journey of the continental awards that started 12 years ago, “We are very happy with this development and express our gratitude to Governor Wike and the good people of Rivers State. We value this partnership and we promise that it will be a rewarding one for the government and people of this great state.”

This year’s awards will now take place on Saturday 11th of June, 2016 and the nomination night where nominees into the 28 categories will be announced will hold on Wednesday 11th of May, 2016. Previous nomination nights took place in Accra, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Banjul, Lilongwe, Ouagadougou and Los Angeles.

As part of the pre-AMAA activities, Rivers state will host a sponsorship night in conjunction with the Africa Film Academy to mobilize corporate sponsors for the awards while the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) has been signed on as the major broadcast partner for the awards night with a Live Telecast to over 100 million people across the globe.  Other media partners include Africa Magic, OHTV UK, SABC South Africa and ONTV.