TOBI'S DESK

IPOB shuts down Nnewi for Kanu • Says Ohanaeze leaders are saboteurs From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi and Dom Ekpunobi, Onitsha Thousands of members  of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), yesterday, shut down Nnewi, Anambra State in a solidarity protest for the release of Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu. He has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since November. Members of IPOB mobilised from Onitsha, Asaba, Awka, Ekwulobia, Awka-Etiti, Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi and Abia States and converged on Nnewi for the protest. One of the commanders, Emeka Onwane said the protest was a warning signal to the Federal Government to make sure that Kanu, who is scheduled to appear in court today, is released without further delay. Onwane vowed there would be no market today in the South East to further press home the demand for Kalu’s release. “IPOB is looking up to the international community, including the United States, Russia, France and every other c...

Two refineries estimated to cost about $16 billion with a combined refining capacity of 290,000 barrels per day are to be built in Ondo and Lagos States respectively. Director of Ode Oya Refineries Ltd, Prince Bayo Otulana, who disclosed this to Daily Sun at the weekend, said the licence for the two refineries were obtained in 2005 but modalities were only recently finalised with the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR). Otulana, who was in company with two foreign technical partners of the refineries, Mr. Felix Kadam and Hugh Neto, director and vice president technical respectively of Cospower Engineering Pvt Ltd, as well Mr Saviour Inyang of Savjane World Trade Ltd, financial guarantors of the project, explained that the refineries would come in two types; modular and greenfield. According to him, the modular, which would come in three units, is semi-prefabricated version of the refinery which installation would be completed within a year for it to start operation by Dec...

I’m ready to abdicate throne for Biafra – Eze Kanu, Nnamdi Kanu’s father 1 BY OUR REPORTER ON DECEMBER 1, 2015NATIONAL From Okey Sampson, Aba As the River Nile runs from Victoria in Uganda to Egypt, so activism runs in the family of the traditional ruler of Afaraukwu in Umuahia, the Abia State capital. From the monarch himself, His Royal Majesty, Eze Sir I. O. Kanu, Eze Ikputu of Afara Ukwu Ibeku in Umuahia, to the least of his children, it’s all the same blue blood of activism permanently glued in their veins. In the early 1990s, Nnamdi Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel, spearheaded the agitation for the reduction of school fees. Now Nnamdi, is leading a group to demand the freedom of Biafra. In this interview, their father, HRH Eze Kanu, who said it was activism that made him represent his area three times as Councillor, said he was ready to abdicate his throne over the course for which his son is being detained.   How do you feel concerning your son appearing in ...

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Charles R. Swindoll Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough. Og Mandino Never complain and never explain. Benjamin Disraeli What you do today can improve all your tomorrows. Ralph Marston In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can. Nikos Kazantzakis A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others. Ayn Rand The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence. Confucius Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going. Sam Levenson Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later. Og Mandino It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. Confucius If you can dream it, you can do it. Walt Disney With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts...

Man has hernia bigger than a football removed from his scrotum after 12 years An unidentified 65-year-old man underwent surgery in Rabat, Morocco to have a hernia bigger than a football removed. It reached down to the midpoint of his thigh causing him to suffer difficulties with walking, urinating or having sex. Such a case had not been recorded in the medical literature before, said doctors describing his case in the Journal of Medical Reports. Medics reported the swelling was 30cm in length – longer than a football, which is typically 23cm in diameter. The man had the growth for more than 12 years but had previously refused surgery to treat it. He finally went for treatment after the growth significantly affected his quality of life causing him difficulties walking and having sex, the man was placed under a general anaesthetic and the operation to remove the huge swelling went smoothly. After six months, doctors were pleased to see the hernia had not returned.

Pope Francis has left the Central African Republic (CAR) for Rome, ending a three-nation visit to Africa, the AFP news agency reports. It was his first visit to Africa as pontiff. Earlier today, huge crowds welcomed the pontiff when he travelled in his trademark vehicle to the main mosque in CAR's capital, Bangui, to call for an end to Christian-Muslim conflict.

Mugabe hits out at developed nations French President Francois Hollande greets Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (C) upon his arrival at the summit Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has strongly criticised developed nations at the UN climate summit in Paris, accusing them of trying to shift the burden for curbing carbon emissions onto poor countries, the AFP news agency reports. Mr Mugabe said developed nations were historically responsible for the "precarious climate environment we currently live in." "It is unconscionable that not only are developed countries miserly in providing the means" for developing countries, "but also want inordinately to burden us with cleaning up the mess they themselves have created," he told the gathering, AFP reports.

Nigeria's stocks fell to their lowest level in almost three years as foreigners exited the market amid fading hopes that President Muhammadu Buhari's government can revive the Africa's largest economy, Bloomberg news agency reports. All Share Index dropped 0.8% to 27,385.69 at close in the commercial capital of Lagos, the lowest since December 2012. The gauge declined on all but three trading days in November for a monthly drop of 6.2%. Nigeria's currency is also suffering because of falling oil prices "The government has not come up with a definitive policy for the economy," Pabina Yinkere, an analyst at Vetiva Capital Management Ltd, told Bloomberg. "The continued lack of clarity is affecting the stock market," he added. Some analysts say Mr Buhari, who came to office in May, has prioritized stamping out corruption while the West African nation's economy is growing at its slowest pace this century.

Burkina Faso's former Prime Minister Roch Marc Kabore appeared to have a strong lead as results came in from Sunday's presidential election, the first election since long-serving ruler Blaise Compaore's forced resignation last year, Reuters news agency reports. Mr Kabore was once allied with Mr Compaore Provisional results from around 41% of the West African nation's communes showed that Mr Kabore had 54% of the vote against 29% for Zephirin Diabre, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission, it reports. Mr Kabore was prime minister and president of the National Assembly during Mr Compaore's rule, while Mr Diabre was minister of finance in the 1990s. Mr Compaore was toppled by an uprising in October 2014 after 27 years in power.

Violence erupted outside the APC headquarters in Abuja this afternoon over the inconclusive election in Kogi state. Some thugs numbering over a thousand attempted to attack the party's choice in the December 5th supplementary election, Yahaya Bello as he arrived the secretariat this afternoon to attend a meeting with top party leaders. The thugs engaged the supporters of Yahaya in a free for all fight. Police and other security agents are working to restore law and order. Yahaya was the lost to Audu in the party's primary. Falake was Audu’s running mate, it might interest you to know that Falake picked Audu’s son as his running mate. More pix after the cut.....

The contenders for this year’s FIFA Ballon d’Or Award for the best player of 2015 and for the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year 2015 Award have been announced today on FIFA.com, francefootball.fr and on FIFA’s YouTube channel in a show hosted by Kate Abdo (Sky Sports) with expert analysis from Nadine Kessler (German national team player and FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year 2014) and Edgar Davids (former Dutch national team player and winner of the UEFA Champions League 1994-1995). The nominees for the FIFA Ballon d’Or are, in alphabetical order: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Argentina/ FC Barcelona) and Neymar (Brazil/FC Barcelona). Meanwhile, Carli Lloyd (USA/Houston Dash), Aya Miyama (Japan/Okayama Yunogo Belle), and Célia Šašić (Germany/1. FFC Frankfurt) are in the running for the women’s award. The candidates for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football a...

A wife suspected d husband of having sex wit their maid,then she set a trap for d husband by sending d maid 2 d village for d wkend witout teling d husband. At night, the husband told his usual story "darling i want to go n wtch wrestling in d sitting room" he left. The wife silently went 2 d maid's room lying down on d bed naked without any light, he open d door and join her on d bed without wasting time n without a word, he had sex with her. After d fifth round she said, it's enough, i have caught u, so this is how u use to have sex with her, u will do two round n u wil tel me u are tired; fifth round now n u are still demanding for more...The gateman replied"AM SORI MADAM I DIDNT KNW U WERE D ONE" EWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! She shouted,then d husband rushed in n caught them, if u are d man or woman, what wil u do?..

Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, the immediate past minister of National Planning on Sunday, November 29, disclosed why former president Goodluck Jonathan decided to hand over power to President Muhammadu Buhari. Abubakar Sulaiman Sulaiman said Jonathan took the decision in order to save the lives of many Nigerians. The former minister explained further that Jonathan had enough evidence to remove former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega but decided not to take such action. Sulaiman made this disclosure when he delivered a paper on 2015 power transition in Nigeria at the annual Zink dinner lecture/award in Abuja. He noted that contrary to what most people think, there were cases of compromise by INEC, Vanguard reports. Sulaiman said: “ Few months to the general elections, there were calls from some quarters for the sack of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attairu Jega. “There were sufficient grounds for such calls but ...

Former Head of State, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), has said he did not have a hand in the death of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, acclaimed winner of the June 12 1993 election. The former military head said he received the news of MKO’s death with shock, but without regret. Contrary to believe that the late philanthropist was served poisoned tea, IBB said he did not play a role if ever the rumour was medically affirmed. The revelation was made in an interview with ex-boss of The Punch, Azu Ishiekwene. IBB further spoke on his relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari, Mamman Vasta, his childhood friend executed on his orders as well as Sani Abacha, former military ruler. According to Ishiekwene’s interview, IBB revealed how former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, arranged a meeting between him and Buhari in 2006. The ex-Commander-In-Chief spoke on the two ‘most traumatic’ coups during his eight-year regime – the Mamma...

President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived France to join other world leaders for the Conference of Parties 21 (COP21) on climate change in Paris, the capital of France. The president will present Nigeria’s statement at the opening session when the conference officially opened on Monday, November 30, before participants in the launching of the International Solar Alliance, an initiative of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The Nigerian leader will on Tuesday, December 1, participate in the summit of Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin Republic where issues on security challenges of the region will be discussed and also attend another event of the African Union, tagged ‘Conference on Climate Change and Africa Solutions. Buhari will be accompanied to the these meetings by the minister of foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, his environment counterpart, Amina Mohammed and the National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Mo...

Sarah sat by the bank of the river, lost in thoughts... sorrow, secrets, fear clouded her mind. She had come thus far to give up, to throw all she had worked for away. Back at home, her parents had been making out time together. She loved her family, just as they loved her; but nobody ever seemed to understand. She bubbled with exuberance wherever she went, gaining the admiration of the crowd. Yet amidst all, there seemed to be a small piece missing from her heart, she felt it, she knew it, she tries to fill it but it remains in that imperfect shape and contour. She had made a deadly mistake that she was going to forever regret, when she needed direction, she was just too short to reach it. Her actions spoke in loud volumes, neither her family nor friends could listen. She yearned for solace, ever trying to find the missing piece. Deep within,  her souls cries out to be understood. "Please listen to me, stay with me and understand me" that she cried out to who...

Three people have been killed in a rocket attack on a UN peacekeepers' base in northern Mali, the UN says. Two UN peacekeepers from Guinea and a civilian contractor were killed in the attack in Kidal, officials said. Eight days ago, gunmen attacked a hotel in the capital, Bamako, taking scores hostage. Twenty-two people were killed. The peacekeeping mission in Mali was approved in 2014 after France led a military campaign to drive out Islamist militants from the north. The Minusma force comprises some 10,000 soldiers from dozens of different contributor countries - the majority from Mali's west African neighbours. World's most dangerous peacekeeping mission The UN mission - criticised by some at the time of its approval because there is no peace deal to support - has suffered more casualties than any other in recent years, with 56 troops killed. Islamist militants are suspected of being behind Saturday's attack, in which 14 people were injured, several ...

Jamie Vardy breaks record for goals in consecutive games Jamie Vardy broke Ruud van Nistelrooy's record as he became the first player to score in 11 consecutive Premier League matches. The Leicester striker netted in the first half of his side's 1-1 draw against Manchester United. Dutchman Van Nistelrooy achieved his feat for Manchester United across two seasons in 2003. Vardy's run has included 13 goals, making him the league's top scorer with 14 goals in total so far this season. 'The record wasn't in my mind Vardy, who four years ago was playing for Fleetwood in the Conference in front of 768 people, said he was "taking each match as it comes". He added: "The record was not in my mind, it would have affected my performance and the team's, and that's the last thing I wanted to do. "I can think about it when I am home but as soon as I cross the white line all I should be concentrating on is my football. "...

Britain's Tyson Fury pulled off one of the great boxing upsets as he outpointed Wladimir Klitschko to become heavyweight champion of the world. It was a dour and often messy fight but Fury, courtesy of his superior boxing skills, fully deserved to be awarded a unanimous decision. Klitschko, whose nine-year reign as champion was brought to an end, simply could not work the challenger out and did not do enough to win.

Apple has overthrown Google to reclaim its title as the world’s most valuable brand for the year 2015. The company had a great surge in 2015 thanks to the huge success of its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, beating Google with a growth of over $70 billion. Microsoft came 3rd in the annual rankings made by Millard Brown, with just a little separating them from 4th-ranked IBM.

Apple has overthrown Google to reclaim its title as the world’s most valuable brand for the year 2015. The company had a great surge in 2015 thanks to the huge success of its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, beating Google with a growth of over $70 billion. Microsoft came 3rd in the annual rankings made by Millard Brown, with just a little separating them from 4th-ranked IBM.

A married 45-year-old Sri-Lankan woman who has worked in Saudi Arabia as a maid since 2013 has been sentenced to death by stoning for committing adultery with a fellow Sri-Lankan migrant, the man meanwhile gets just 100 lashes because he was single at the time. Sri Lanka is calling for a pardon. Upul Deshapriya, spokesman for the country's Foreign Employment Bureau, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that the bureau has hired lawyers to file an appeal in the shocking case. 'She has accepted the crime four times in the courts,' Deshapriya said. 'But the Foreign Employment Bureau has hired lawyers and have appealed against the case. 'The appeal is going on. Also from the foreign ministry side, they are in negotiation with the Saudi government on a diplomatic level.' In Saudi Arabia, adultery, smuggling and witchcraft carry the death penalty. Ironically, Saudi Arabia is the current chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council Panel, the nation ...

Olivia Culpo, the 2012 Miss USA and Miss Universe, reportedly dumped former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow because of his unwillingness to have sex with her, according to New York Daily News. Tebow is a devout Christian and has made it no secret that he is remaining chaste until marriage. Reports claimed the couple started dating early last month. “She had to break up with him because she just couldn’t handle it,” a source close to the model told NY Daily News. “He was sending her love letters and cute notes and professing his love for her. He still hits her up, but she just can’t deal with the sex thing. He’s pretty adamant about it, I guess.” The source said Tebow was in love with Culpo. “He was really into her. He was sending her love letters and cute notes and professing his love for her,” the source told the Daily News. In 2009, the former University of Florida Heisman-winning quarterback said he was saving himself for marriage.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday handed over series of security equipment and vehicles to the State Police Command and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), just as he charged them to ensure that the equipment are deployed effectively to tackle criminal activities as residents will no longer accept excuses. The Governor who spoke at the official handing over of 100 4-Door Salon Cars, 55 Ford Ranger Pick-Ups, 10 Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-Ups, 15 BMW Power Bikes, 100 Power Bikes, Isuzu Trucks, three (3) Helicopters, two(2) Gun Boats, 15 Armoured Personnel Carriers, Revolving Lights, Siren and Public Address System, Vehicular Radio Communicators, Security Gadgets including Bullet Proof Vests, Helmets, Handcuffs, etc, Uniforms, Kits and Improved Insurance and Death Benefit Schemes for officers, put the total cost of acquiring the equipment to N4.765bn. He said with the new development, the Lagos State Police Command has been repositioned to compare to similar outfits in...

FFK vents out is anger over PMB 's methods on twitter.  Read tweets below

At just 8 years old, Chrissy Turner is battling a rare form of childhood breast cancer. A few weeks ago, the little girl who loves Legos and dragons approached her mother and asked, "Mommy, what is this?" Her mother, Annette, felt a lump in Chrissy's right breast and called the doctor the next morning, according to a Facebook page set up by the Centerville, Utah, family. She was diagnosed with secretory breast carcinoma. The medical journal Pediatric Surgery International reports that this type of cancer accounts for fewer than 1% of all breast cancers and fewer than 0.1% of all tumors in children. Expert reviews of the literature report just 34 cases total. Generally, the prognosis is favorable; a mastectomy is required as the treatment of choice. She will then need multiple PET scans each year for five years. Chrissy recently underwent surgery at Primary Children's Hospital in Riverton, Utah, to have the lump removed. She faces additional surgery in Dec...

The father of actor Paul Walker, who was killed as a passenger in a 2013 crash of a Porsche Carrera GT, is suing the automaker and charging the car was unsafe. The suit alleges that Porsche advertised the vehicle as "a racing car licensed for use on the road." But in fact the car "lacked safety features that are found on well-designed racing cars or even Porsche's least expensive road cars -- features that could have prevented the accident or, at a minimum, allowed Paul Walker to survive the crash," the suit continues. "" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;"> Walker's father, Paul William Walker III, argues the car should have had electronic stability control, a common feature in many cars today. It also charges the side door reinforcement was made of weaker materials than what is found in mass-market cars such as the Honda Civic. According to the suit, the seat belt ...

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba says he has an agreement to return to the club once he finishes playing and wants it to be as manager. Drogba, who now plays in Canada, scored 164 goals in two spells with the Blues. "I want to give back to the club which has given so much to me. I have agreed that with the club directors," the 37-year-old told BBC Africa. "Why not manager? Why not sporting director, trainer at the academy or maybe an advising role for strikers?" Drogba's Chelsea medal tally Premier League (4): 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2014-15 Champions League (1): 2011-12 FA Cup (4): 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12 League Cup (3): 2004-05, 2006-07, 2014-15 Drogba scored the penalty that won the Champions League for Chelsea in 2012 and won his fourth Premier League title on returning to the club last season before he joined Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer. However, the champions have struggled this season, losing seven of thei...

The pope is one his first official visit to Africa. He arrived Kenya already,  these are some of the pictures from his visit 

This picture above is that of an Android Geminoid F, an eerily lifelike humanoid which stole the show at the World Robot Exhibition in Beijing this week. Created by Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratory at Osaka University, Geminoid F was the star attraction as people crowded round her to have their picture taken and speak to the android. Some people have even remarked that they found Geminoid F "sexy". She previously found fame after becoming the first android film star - she co-starred in Japanese movie Sayonara, about the fall-out from a nuclear power plant meltdown. With her realistic appearance, good looks and acting talent, you might think Geminoid F had it all - but some people, in particular her creators, are picky. Kohei Ogawa, assistant professor at Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratory said there was still work to do on their living doll. "Our final goal is creating some artificial intelligence by using this robot. "Most voice recognition systems do not work, ...

The NNPC in a statement to the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream in Abuja, said that the Senate had given it a two-week ultimatum to end the fuel scarcity. The Senate Committee, Managing Director of the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company, PPMC, a subsidiary of the NNPC, Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, stated that  Nigeria has lost a total of 531 million litres of petrol valued at over N50 billion to pipeline vandals between January and September, 2015, at the System 2B Pipeline network which covers from the Atlas Cove in Lagos to Ilorin. Nnamdi-Ogbue said that the continuous vandalization of pipeline at the Arepo to Mosimi axis of the pipeline artery, have made the supply of petroleum products to retail outlets difficult. She said PPMC is doing everything they can to make sure they supply truck-out from depots in Lagos, Oghara and recently Calabar. She, however, noted that the efforts to supply enough fuel across the country are being hampered by the activities of ...