Basketmouth paid Senate President a courtesy visit at home

Senate President, Bukola Saraki meets top comedian, Basketmouth.

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Sabotage and theft undermining power supply- Buhari, says Fashola to begin work on Lagos-Ibadan expressway next week

Read the press statement from the presidency below;

President Muhammadu Buhari has identified sabotage and theft of gas as factors undermining the efforts of the government to increase power supply in the country. To tackle the problem, the President announced that existing Military Task-Forces will be reorganized to ensure a successful protection of the network of gas pipelines.

The President, who said this Tuesday in a question-and-answer interaction with the Nigerian community in Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran, noted that "although some improvement in power had been recorded in the recent period," sabotage of pipeline installations continued to be a problem. He told his audience that Nigeria had everything it takes to generate enough power. "Power is a running battle because the saboteurs are still there. We have the potential. We have gas, we have qualified people but we are contending with a lot of saboteurs who go and blow up installations. When gas is pumped to Egbin and such other power stations, thieves and saboteurs such as the militants cut those supplies," President Buhari said.

 He also cited another factor as the reduced role of the government in the sector due to the privatization of the institutions under the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, in the process of which, he said, the facilities "have been sold to a number of interest groups." He assured that the Military Task-Forces with representation from the Army, Navy, Air Force, the Police and other security agencies will be reconstituted to secure the pipelines. "Supplies will become steady; there will be less sabotage as we secure the pipelines," he stressed. President Buhari also updated the Nigerians in Tehran on the efforts of his administration towards ending the Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism in the country, explaining that a lot had been achieved following the reorganization of the military top command, followed by increased equipment supply and training.

In a response to a question on the need to improve healthcare delivery, the President said that efforts had been intensified towards ridding the country of fake drugs and fake doctors, and also what he called "the disgraceful aspects" manifested by "baby factories." He also enumerated several steps being taken towards the revival of education from primary school level to university. On the creation of jobs, he placed the prevailing joblessness in the country at the door-step of the last administration which he blamed for giving "a devastating blow to the economy through corruption and incompetence."

The President said that something urgent will be done about the bad condition of roads, citing the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as one to be addressed from next week by the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who sat next to him at the meeting. Speaking on the issue of corruption, one of the three issues he identified as the priorities of his administration, President Buhari said that the necessity for compliance with due process of the law was responsible for the delay in the prosecution of the looters of the country's economy. He noted however, that the "the day of reckoning is gradually coming." He also revealed that a number of past officials had begun the voluntary return of stolen funds but expressed the view that his government was not satisfied with tokens."We want to have everything back – all that they took by force in 16 years," the President concluded.

GARBA SHEHU Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) November 24, 2015.

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U.S Based Nigerian Bus Driver Gets Honored For Saving 30 Lives

Yesterday, the board of Spring Branch Independent School District, Houston, honored Samuel Agunbiade for keeping 30 students safe on Friday when their bus caught fire.

The sounds of cheering and clapping filled the air. Agunbiade said he heard a loud pop and saw smoke coming from the bus's tailpipe.

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He immediately pulled off and within a few minutes the bus caught fire but he got all the students off the bus unharmed.

Video taken by a witness shows the terrifying moment when the bus exploded. While reacting to the honor, Agunbiade who has been a bus driver for 21 years, said:

"They're calling me a hero. I said hero? I just did what I was supposed to do. You guys are mine. I'm supposed to take care of you."

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An array of ex beauty queens

In the picture is Ezinne Akudo, Erica Okundaye, Omowunmi Akinnifesi, Munachi Abii, Osas Ighodalo-Ajibade and Sylvia Nduka. Beautiful ladies!

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Kogi APC governorship candidate Prince Audu Abubakar dies

Prince Audu Abubakar, the APC candidate in the state's governorship election which held yesterday November 21st, reportedly slumped and died this afternoon. He is pictured above just yesterday as he casted his vote. According to Sahara Reporters, Audu died of undisclosed medical reasons shortly after INEC declared his victory at the elections inconclusive. Cause of death is unknown. Details later.

Meanwhile, former Minister FFK has expressed his sadness over his death.

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New photos of Diezani Alison-Madueke in The Boss Newspaper

Nigeria's former Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke in Ovation Magazine publisher - Dele Momodu's The Boss Newspaper. She insists that she didn't steal the alleged billions they claimed she stole. More photos below;

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Pictures from African waterhole shows how a predator repeatedly misses killing its prey

Australian amateur photographer Jenny Andersen captured the moment a jackal missed it's dinner. The jackal was lying in wait for the flocks of birds that fly into a watering hole in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, on the border of South Africa and Botswana. The jackal leaped into the watering hole in hot pursuit of the birds but wasn't quick enough and was forced to retire, wet and hungry, to await another chance.

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Lai Mohammed meet heads of NTA, NOA, FRCN, others, blast them over inefficiency

Newly appointed Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed today met with various heads of parastatals in the Ministry of Information. At the meeting, Lai Mohammed blasted them over what he said was their lack of efficiency in their discharge of duties. He said politicizing of issues by the government agencies in the ministry has led to their unprofessional practice in recent times. More pics and what he said below;

"Let me start with the Federal Government-owned media organizations, the NTA, FRCN and NAN. Why have you all chosen to play second fiddle in the country's media landscape? I ask because the NTA and FRCN of yesterday is not the same as what we have today. Whereas most broadcast journalists of note in our country today passed through the NTA and the FRCN, there is no denying the fact that the private radio and TV stations are doing much better, at least going by the fact that most Nigerians prefer them to the public broadcasters. Indeed, most Nigerians find the private broadcasters more credible. The reason for this is not farfetched. First, the public broadcasters have thrown professionalism to the wind while also showing total disregard for editorial independence. They have mortgaged their credibility on the altar of political correctness. Yet, these Federal Government-owned media establishments are endowed with highly-trained and well-qualified personnel, better infrastructure and a wide reach. It is interesting to note that these government-owned media organizations complain of financial woes, forgetting that there is a link between credibility and profitability.

Advertisers will surely flock to more credible media organizations, and of course it is also true that content drives advertisement. The same law of diminishing returns also apply to NAN, which was once the leading national news agency in the whole of Africa, boasting of the best professionals in the news business. Today, the agency is punching far below its weight, despite its presence in all the states of the Federation. We intend to provide leadership for the Federal Government-owned media organizations in a manner that will make them to become the first source of information, so that they can more effectively function as a vehicle for the change mantra of the Buhari Administration, and also regain their lost glory. The combined reach of the NTA, FRCN and NAN, if effectively utilized, will facilitate the success of the change campaign.

But they must first enhance their own credibility, because no credibility-deficient news organization can successfully propagate the message of change. At this juncture, ladies and gentlemen, let me assure Nigerians that under this Administration, no Federal Government-owned media organization will deny the opposition the opportunity to air their views. It is true that while we were in opposition, we were treated as outcasts by these public broadcasters. They denied us the use of their platforms, they rejected our adverts and even made themselves available for the most abhorrent hate campaign ever in the history of electioneering campaign in our country. But in an era of change, which is our mantra, that cannot and will not continue. Opposition members are Nigerians, just like members of the ruling party. Even the ruling party will benefit when the opposition is allowed to air their views freely, because you learn more from people who disagree with you. Therefore, let the ruling party and the opposition air their ideas and let the people, who wield the ultimate power, decide at the end of the day"he said.

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World second largest diamond in over a century discovered in Botswana

A high quality diamond said to be the biggest discovery in more than a century has been discovered at a mine in Botswana, said mine company, Lucara Diamond Corp.

"The magnificent stone, which originated from the south lobe of Lucara's Karowe Mine, is the world second largest gem quality diamond ever recovered and largest ever to be recovered through a modern processing facility," the company said a statement.

Shares in Lucara shot up 34 percent to 14.2 kronor in morning Thursday trading in Stockholm after news of the 1,111 carat gem was made public. Botswana is the world's second biggest diamond producer, and Lucara said the gem was the largest ever to be recovered in the country.

"The significance of the recovery of a gem quality stone larger than 1,000 carats, the largest for more than a century....cannot be overstated," said William Lamb, the President and chief executive of Lucara. The stone is yet to be evaluated, but commodities and mining analyst Kieron Hodgson, said it has "the potential to be one very expensive diamond." Valuation will depend on potential inclusions, how it would behave in cutting, optimal shape as well as final colour," he told AFP. "All these things will need to be evaluated prior to bidding." he added.

The biggest diamond discovered is the 3,106-carat Cullinan, found near Pretoria in South Africa in 1905.

Lucara indicated on its website that the Karowe Mine had also this week turned up further finds -- an 813 carat stone and a 374 carat stone, prompting Lamb to laud "an amazing week" for the company.

Source: Lucara Diamond Corps/AFP

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Buhari receives Peugeot car executives in Nigeria, inspects latest brands of Peugeot

Press statement from the presidency below;

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja reaffirmed his Administration's commitment to the Federal Government's privatisation and commercialisation policy. Speaking at an audience with Peugeot's Executive Vice President for Africa and the Middle-East, Mr. Jean-Christophe Quemard, President Buhari stressed, however, that greater consideration will now be given to the technical and managerial competence of prospective buyers of government-owned companies.

The President said that a higher premium will be placed on the technical competence and financial clout of bidders in future privatisation exercises to avoid the running aground of privatized companies by ill-equipped and incapable investors. President Buhari who spoke after being briefed on plans by Peugeot to stage a comeback to Nigeria after the collapse of the privatization of Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited, noted that privatization could only succeed and yield desired benefits if buyers of government-owned companies possess essential skills and resources. Mr. Quemard assured President Buhari that Peugeot was ready to reinvest in vehicle assembly in Nigeria, provided that the right indigenous partners are found.

The Peugeot Chief Executive for Africa and the Middle-East briefed the President on the company's three-phased plan to resume vehicle assembly in Nigeria with 4,000 cars next year, rising up to 10,000 cars by 2021. He said that the plan, which he urged the Federal Government to support with appropriate policies and actions, will entail higher local content in the assembly of Peugeot cars in Nigeria and the exportation of locally assembled Peugeot cars from Nigeria to neighbouring African countries. Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited which was privatized some years ago has technically reverted to government ownership with up to 85 per cent of its shares now held by the Federal Government and the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

Garba Shehu SSA to the President (Media & Publicity) November 19, 2015.

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