TOBI'S DESK

The price of tomato has crashed from N25,000 to N800 a basket. Few months ago, the price of the essential commodity skyrocketed following the spread of tuta absoluta also known as ‘tomato ebola’ in most of the states that plant and harvest Tomatoes in large quantities. As of this morning, a basket of Tomato in Kaduna sold for as low as N800.

Iran's briny Lake Urmia recently appeared in satellite images with blood-red waters resembling the aftermath of a particularly gruesome crime scene — and the perpetrators are likely microorganisms that thrive on salt and light. As water levels in the lake have receded over the summer months, salt concentration in the water has gone up, according to NASA. Lake Urmia's deep-red tones, captured on July 18 by the agency's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on the Aqua satellite, are thought to be a byproduct of certain bacteria and algae in the lake that thrive in high-salt conditions.   The lake, which lies near the border Iran shares with Turkey, held a green tint when photographed by MODIS on April 23. Just a few months later, it looks more like a puddle of spilled red wine — or blood.  This color shift has been observed in Lake Urmia before, triggered by seasonal changes. Snowmelt and rainfall in the spring infuse the lake with fresh wa...

Hello Sly, It's been a while since I wrote you. Today, I want to give you some short tips on the reasons why many people are still struggling and not yet millionaires. Here are the reasons I came up with. 1. Too Afraid To Take Calculated Risks Not giving opportunity a chance. Many people are risk averse, and not willing to take up opportunities because of fear of losing money. It's always a better choice to seek out opportunities in whatever form and take it up. Instead of allowing the fear of losing money hold you down from moving ahead financially, I would advise you to have this mentality... "Take Risks, if you win and become successful in the process, you will be happy; if you lose, you will have learnt one way not to lose again" Learn from your mistakes in opportunities, and you will win the next time. If you don't take risks, you won't be able to learn these success secrets hidden in failure. 2. Not Knowing How To Sell ...

Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, has dropped out of the list of top 100 richest people in the world. This is largely due to the devaluation of the Naira. Dangote who owns the second largest sugar-refinery in the world, remains richer than American billionaires, Donald Trump, and Oprah Winfrey who ranks as the second richest black woman in the world. Dangote is now worth $11.1 billion, while Trump and Oprah are estimated at $4.5 billion and $3.1 billion, respectively. The devaluation of the Naira against the dollar from about 198 to about 300, has eroded about a quarter of Dangote’s wealth as he continues to invest heavily in Nigeria. At the launch of the new foreign exchange regime on June 23rd, Dangote fell from number 46 on the world billionaire list to 71 and has continued to drop as the Naira continues to crash. According to Bloomberg billionaires, Dangote, who was worth $15.4 billion (N3.05 trillion) in March, is now worth $11.1 billion (N3.3 trillion) - richer in...

As I lay on my bed, a flash back of the events of the the evening ruminated my mind. He just couldn't take his eyes off me, although I stole some glances at him... he kept on staring and at some point I had to change my position but that didn’t help the situation. My bestie, Precious invited me to her birthday party at her place at upper Sakponba. As usual, the whole place was filled with the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful ones. My red Peplon top with my white trousers didn't help matters as it drew a lot of attention to me. Towards the end of the party, he walked towards me just as I expected. It was when he came close that I noticed he wore a designer's shirt with a matching trouser, he smelt good and looked good... he was handsome with full lips and blue eyes, Infact he was gorgeous. He spoke fluently, introduced himself as Tony and asked for my name, I told him mine. After much exchange of pleasantries, he asked for my number which I gave him without ...

China has completed what it describes as the world's largest seaplane. The amphibious AG600 is about the size of a Boeing 737 and will be used to fight forest fires and perform marine rescue operations, state-run news agency Xinhua said. With a maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tons, the AG600 is the largest seaplane in the world, Xinhua said. It has a reported flight range of 4,500 kilometers and can collect 12 tons of water in only 20 seconds. Military Earlier this month, China unveiled its first homegrown large military transport aircraft, as the country pushes to greatly expand its air power. The Y-20, with a maximum takeoff weight of about 200 tons, officially joined the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in a ceremony Wednesday in the southwestern city of Chengdu, according to China's Defense Ministry. Designed to transport cargo and people over long distances in challenging weather, the Y-20 -- powered by four turbofan engines -- is reportedly capable of fly...

By Kate Ashford Sam Barnes was a consultant at a digital marketing agency for two years before he started to feel that he wasn’t making quite enough money. “I wasn’t being badly paid, but I felt a little bit undervalued,” said Barnes, 26, who lives in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the UK. I’d reached a turning point and it was time to make the move. He felt he needed a higher salary that reflected his skills, experience and this new life phase. But when he tried to negotiate a pay rise, Barnes realised his employer wasn't willing to budge, so he started looking elsewhere. “The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I’d reached a turning point and it was time to make the move,” he said. Earlier this year, Barnes got a job at a new firm as an in-house digital marketing manager. “I needed a position I felt like I could grow into and progress my career,” he said. “I was lucky enough to find an open position in a great company that gave me the kind of salary I was hoping ...

Adaka Boro Avengers called on Igbos and south south people to return home – It promised to declare an independent republic on August 1 – The group also ordered Yoruba and Hausa people out of the region A group, Adaka Boro Avengers has warned south east and south south people to return back to the region as a date has been set for the declaration of the Niger Delta Republic. A lot of militant groups have sprung-up in the Niger Delta region vandalising oil and gas pipelines with the Niger Delta Avengers being the most notorious as it has claimed responsibility for bombing of vandalism. According to Independent, the group specifically called on former president, Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Edwin Clark; King Alfred Diete Spiff; Ankio Briggs; Joseph Eva; Patrick Fufein, Pastor Good, past and present military personnel from the Niger Delta region, present senators and members of the Houses of Representatives to come to Kaiama for the official declaration of the independent repub...

– Mrs Elizabeth Ativie, the Speaker of Edo state House of Assembly, has stepped down after two months Mrs Elizabeth Ativie, the Speaker of Edo state House of Assembly, has stepped down from as Speaker after barely two months in office. Mrs Ativie who was sworn in on May ‎3 after her predecessor Victor Edoror was impeached, was replaced by the Deputy Speaker, Dr. Justin Okonoboh. She stepped down after so short a time after a motion was moved by the Majority Leader, Folly Ogedengbe, under matters of urgent public importance, for a change in the leadership of the House. According to Punch, ‎Ogedengbe explained that the change was necessary to ensure fairness in the political system, so that all three senatorial districts would be adequately represented. Since, Adams Oshiomhole the state governor hails from Edo North senatorial district while his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu, and Ativie hail from Edo South. Therefore they needed someone from Edo Central senatorial district...

A jealous female student of the University of Benin has allegedly poisoned to death her crush’s girlfriend and the crush himself. According to the report, the two lovers who died, Joel and Precious, were served food separately by the jealous friend at a dinner party. The jealous friend who was part of the team serving the food saw that as a lifetime opportunity to penetrate, hence, the poisoning of Precious’ food. But Joel who is a romantic guy poured both foods together so that they both can eat from same plate. Chai, see how people can be so wicked!!!

Most Nigerian men make the mistake of thinking their women are totally satisfied when they buy her good clothes, cars, give her enough money, and provide for her and the kids. But sorry to burst your bubbles, it doesn’t stop there. In fact what I am about to reveal to YOU is very important to your wife/partner so much that the rest might hardly mean much to her if its missing. My name is Mrs. Jenny Anthony, just like most Nigerian men, my husband Jerry for a long time made the mistake of assuming everything I needed ends when he does all the above mentioned things. But being a woman, I know that there is still one thing that he neglects and fails woefully at…and that is being able to rock my world in bed. Yes, I said it! Most men fail woefully at satisfying their women sexually and most don’t even know it or know but ignore it. It’s exactly what most married women cannot tell their husbands and as a result, there’s a lot of infidelity, broken homes and divorces. No wonder the r...

President Obama's half brother, Malik Obama told the NY Post that he's disappointed in Barack's administration and that he'll be casting his vote for Donald Trump in the November presidential elections in the US. Malik Obama, who was a longtime Democrat, says he won't vote for Hillary Clinton for several reasons which include her email scandal, Beghazi incident, same sex marriage and the killing of former Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi. Malik blames Hillary Clinton and his brother, Barack Obama, for killing the Libyan dictator, whom he said was his close friend. He said, in regards to the email scandal, Clinton should have known better than to use her personal email for classified material, adding that he feels like he's more Republican now because he doesn't support same sex marriage. Malik Obama currently lives in Kenya but says he used to live and work as an accountant in Maryland, and says he's still registered to vote there. 

– An airport in Cristiano Ronaldo’s native island of Madeira will be named after him – City mayor says the airport will be renamed because of Portugal’s Euro 2016 success Cristiano Ronaldo’s Euro 2016 success with Portugal will see an airport named after him on his native island of Madeira. Cristiano Ronaldo According to the Mirror UK, the Real Madrid star already has a bronze statue, a museum and a hotel bearing his name in the island’s capital city of Funchal. He is now set to be honoured again as the Island’s main airport will be rechristened the ‘Madeira Cristiano Ronaldo airport’.

The popular Sabon-Gari market has been gutted by fire again following a similar occurrence a few months ago. According to Daily trust, the fire started at the France road’s section of the market where furniture and other household items are sold. The fire began on Friday night, July 22 and could not be put off even as at the time the news is being reported. Members of the army, civil defence and vigilante were deployed to the market while fire-fighters and market owners tried to put an end to the fire. The incidence is similar to the one that occurred in the same market as both started at night when traders had closed. About 5000 shops were destroyed in the fire while goods worth millions of naira were consumed in the inferno. This is ghastly! SOURCE: NAIJ.COM

Senator Iyiola Omisore has agreed to refund the N1.3 billion he received from Sambo Dasuki to EFCC – The money would be paid in installment and he has made an initial payment of N300 million – The PDP chieftain first denied that he collected money but his lawyer was unable to secure bail for him Senator Iyiola Omisore has finally confessed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he received N1.3 billion from Sambo Dasuki, the former national security adviser. Dasuki served as a security adviser during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan and has been in detention following investigation from the EFCC that revealed he had misappropriated fund meant for the purchase of arms to combat Boko Haram insurgency. Omisore who was apprehended by operatives of the EFCC on July 3 has been in detention where he has vehemently denied that he collected money from Dasuki. However, his lawyer has been unable to secure a release for the chieftain of the Peoples Democr...

President Muhammadu Buhari has faced serious criticism following what a lot of people termed a lopsided method of appointment in his administration. In this opinion by Majeed Dahiru, he points out that this method of appointment will likely stir corruption and make people perceive him as a sectional leader. A more divided Nigeria Nigeria has never been more divided than it is today. The various fault lines of our geo-political space have been deepened and become more manifest in the various agitations from different segments of our society. The collective hope and euphoria that greeted the change in leadership from Goodluck Jonathan of PDP to Muhammadu Buhari of APC may have given way to hopelessness and possibly, regret. The continuous existence of the Nigerian state has never been this threatened, as a result of deep feelings of mutual suspicion between the various groups that make up Nigeria. The leadership class appears never to learn much from history – even that of the re...

The management of Madonna university Nigeria, a university with a difference, well know for its high level of disciple and second to none in it ranks in morales and education  recently reviewed the school  fees of the following faculties :  faculty of medicine   faculty of law  faculty of pharmacy The increment which will take effect from the next academic section is as follows   faculty of medcine N1.5 only,  faculty of law N1.2 only   faculty of pharmacy N 980k only .  the sum of 5,000 naira only been added to other faculties.  For  further inquiries, the school can be reached via these emails: admissions@madonnauniversity.edu.ng and info@madonnauniversity.edu.ng  or call 09035055624 or 08137180957.

7 Better Ways To Answer, "So What Do You Do? When you are meeting someone new, at some point, they'll probably ask, "So what do you do?". The quickest way to bungle that opportunity is to state your job title and the name of your company and leave it at that, especially if you are proud of the status associated with your job. But if you want to make a good first impression, you might want to reconsider the way you answer that question. Here are 7 better ways to do that: TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEM YOU SOLVE When someone asks what you do, they’re really asking, "How does what you do affect me?" Never forget that in business contexts, people are primarily concerned with themselves and their companies. That's just the reality. So the best way to be relatable is to solve a problem they have.That problem might be the overall focus of your business or one just one aspect. It doesn’t matter. You want to zero in on the problem your listener is most likely t...

Platypi have always been our favorite example of the weirdness of evolution. And while we laugh, it's easy to forget that nature makes us the way we are for reasons we can't always gauge. Humans specifically have changed their habits so quickly that our bodies haven't quite had time to compensate.  That's why agency Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and Australia's Transport Accident Commission (TAC)—alongside artist Patricia Piccinini—created Graham, a human designed to withstand crash forces.  "Cars have evolved a lot faster than we have. Our bodies are just not equipped to handle the forces in common crash scenarios," says Dr. David Logan, a senior research fellow and safety engineer at Monash University, who briefed Piccinini on the project. Graham looks so weird that we'll never be able to laugh at platypi again. At first glance, you'll notice a few major differences—his head is wide and flat, with a protruding forehead ... and he's got a...

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian girls have the right to wear the hijab headscarf to school, an appeals court has ruled in a country where suicide bombers have abused Islamic dress to hide their deadly weapons. The ruling by the Lagos division of Nigeria's Court of Appeal "has restored hope in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man," said the director of the Muslim Rights Concern group, Ishaq Akintola. The unanimous decision, overturning a 2013 ruling which banned hijabs in Lagos government schools, has added authority since three of the five judges are not Muslim, Akintola said. The headscarf issue has ignited passions in a country suffering from Boko Haram's Islamic uprising in the northeast. Some suicide bombers, including men disguised as women wearing full hijab, have hidden explosives under their robes. Africa's most populous nation of about 170 million people is almost equally divided between a mainly Muslim north and a predomina...