Stephanie Otobo charged to court for blackmail

Stephanie Otobo, the 23 year-old lady who
claimed that Apostle Johnson Suleman had a
romantic affair with her, was docked on Monday
in Lagos.
She was docked at a Tinubu Chief Magistrates’
Court, and accused of conspiracy, blackmail,
threat to life and an intent to steal.
She was charged along with a 43 year-old, man
identified as Wisdom Godstime.
The prosecutor, M. A Animashaun, informed the
court that the defendants and others at large
committed the alleged offence on February 14,
2017, at about 10:30am, at Police College, Ikeja
Lagos.
Credit: Daily post

**ISADORA(SEASON1)**

Episode 3
.
Isadora’s side of the story continues
.
We got to Enugu city later that evening and after
his last passenger dropped, Obiora took me to his
house, a neatly furnished one bedroom self
contained apartment.
.
‘’this is where I manage for now. Please feel free
here’’ he breathed pleasantly as he led me into the
room, making me feel very much relaxed. Yes at
first I was a little nervous following him to his
house but his behavior and calmness made me
feel relaxed. I looked up at him with great
gratitude.
.
‘’Thanks so much for helping me. I never expected
this kind of help from a guy’’ I muttered pleasantly
while he blushed.
.
‘’I’m going out to buy food from the woman down
the street. You can use the opportunity to bath and
change your clothes. There is water in the
bathroom’’ he added, smiled and left the room
while I softly sat down on the bed and cried for a
while.
.
No one had shown me such kindness before and I
prayed for him not have any ulterior motive. Slowly
I got hold of my emotions, took my bath and
freshened up before he returned with the food he
bought.
Together we ate like young lovers or should I say
siblings. He cracked lots of jokes that made me
feel totally at home but unknown to me he was
only trying to work his way to my pant and it
wasn’t long before I discovered the reason behind
his kindness.
.
Not soon after we settled down to sleep, he began
touching me. Yes of course I had opted to sleep on
the floor which I was very much used to but he
objected, begging me to sleep on the bed. I
hesitantly accepted and had barely settled down
before he softly began touching and caressing me,
totally unsettling me.
.
It really was one of the most difficult moments of
my life. I was under his roof in a strange city. The
last thing I wanted was upsetting him and I also
couldn’t afford giving myself to him. I only saw
him as a friend, as an angel sent to save me.
Moreover it was too early to develop sexual
feelings for him. I battled with myself as I tried to
figure out the most appropriate way to stop his
action. Tears slowly filled up my eyes.
.
Perhaps pushed by my silence, he slowly reached
for my brea.sts, slowly reaching for the nearest
one like a snake. I couldn’t take it anymore and
gently pushed his hand away. He reached forward
again and I dodged his hand. He tried over and
over and I objected, getting him pissed off. He
sighed, jumped out of the bed and switched on the
light.
.
‘’my dear why can’t you allow me?’’ he asked
curiously, a frown showing on his face.
.
‘’because I don’t love you yet. We just met today. I
hardly know you’’ I breathed softly, praying for him
to understand. He scoffed with disbelief.
.
‘’seriously?’’ he asked.
.
‘’yes please. I beg you in the name of God, just let
me be tonight. I will leave your house early
tomorrow. I’m grateful for all you did for me
today’’ I begged, sitting up at the same time.
.
‘’we barely know each other right?, but I assisted
you, I brought you to my house. I gave you food. I
saved you from being embarrassed and humiliated
at the motor park. Come on’’ he urged, drew close
and sat beside me. I shook my head and stood up.
.
‘I’m sorry but I can’t sleep with you. It’s not
right’’ I begged.
.
‘’is there anything I can do to change your mind?,
I’m a guy. I have needs’’ he pleaded.
.
‘’nothing you can do. Please let me tonight’’ I
begged.
.
‘’very well then you will have to leave my house
now’’ he hissed, shocking me with his words.
.
‘’This night?’’ I asked with great fear.
.
‘’Yes, I can’t sleep in the same room with you and
not do anything. I just can’t’’ he murmured,
looking down.
.
‘’but Sleep with me and have the chance of a
relationship plus a roof over your head or you can
leave now and most definitely get raped by street
boys who will discard you after the act, which do
you prefer?’’ he asked, looking up to meet my
gaze. I swallowed hard as I bit my lips. Yes I was
desperate to leave home at all cost but I never
thought or bargained of something like this. It
never came to my mind. I was totally troubled and
indecisive. Moreover I was a virgin and couldn’t
just give out my virginity in a platter. It was
something I had to give out with love, pure love
and willingness.
.
——————————-
Val’s side of the story continues from the same
evening
.
I returned home after a very fruitless search of my
Cinderella to meet my fiancée Jane and my mother
waiting for me in the sitting room. I couldn’t look
any of them in the eye. I kind of felt embarrassed
over the fruitless journey I just had.
.
‘’where went you Val and why haven’t you been
picking your calls?, don’t tell me you are trying to
avoid Jane or getting cold feet all of a sudden?’’
mum asked while I forced out a smile.
.
‘’I’m so sorry mum, I’m so sorry Jane. It’s just
my new book. My head is just not there anymore’’
I lied.
.
‘’then you have to take a break. You are self
employed and so you can take a break anytime
you want’’ Jane quickly chipped in, standing and
walking up to me. I smiled and hugged her. There
wasn’t any doubt she loved me and yes I kind of
felt very guilty over abandoning everything in
search of a village girl I knew nothing about.
.
However no matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t
get back to my old self and my performance In bed
that same night was so dull and poor that Jane
easily noticed.
.
‘’my love you are really not yourself. Just look at
your performance. You weren’t just into it. You
used to share everything with me before I travelled
and I know this isn’t because of the new book you
are writing. I was there when the last one was
published and you were never like this. Are you in
some kind of trouble or are you tired of me?’’ she
asked with fear like a woman in love and I kind of
felt bad over the direction my mind was heading.
The last thing I wanted was breaking her noble
heart but with the way my mind was running I
wasn’t even sure of myself.
.
‘’this isn’t right’’ I breathed to myself over and
over.
.
To be continued

**ISADORA(SEASON 1)**

Episode 2
.
Isadora’s side of the story continues from the last
scene of the previous episode
.
Leaving the house was one thing, having where to
go, a much more difficult issue. As I stepped out
of the house that night I knew my life was never
ever going to be the same again. I just couldn’t
help but pray for everything to turn out good for
me. In my short life I had experienced lots of
horrible things that could only be seen in movies.
.
I trekked all night to a popular motor park in the
neighboring town. I had no money on me and my
prayer was just to meet a Good Samaritan who
could assist me to at least get to Enugu city. I
believed I could survive in the city as a maid, a
housekeeper, a salesgirl or any decent feminine
job that could at least offer a roof over my head as
I reshaped my life.
.
Yes it really wasn’t easy leaving the house I spent
all my young life to the unknown but I felt it was
much better to die trying to get a better life than
live a life of damnation.
I managed to find an empty abandoned bus at the
motor park, where I stayed and rested for the rest
of the night and early the next morning I stepped
out and wandered round the park searching for a
Good Samaritan to assist me. I equally was scared
of getting recognized and caught since I wasn’t
really very much far from home. Yes i was scared
of stepping into the wrong hands.
.
‘’dear lord help’’ I prayed earnestly.
.
Soon the Catholic Church bell close to the motor
park rang, notifying everyone that the time was 12
o clock, time for angelus. I looked up at the sky
and wondered if anyone would really assist me.
The few people I managed to talk to only shrugged
and walked away after listening to my pleas. I was
helpless, I was hopeless. I was overly scared.
.
‘’hey young lady are you okay?’’ I soon heard a
male voice ask from behind. I turned to see a
middle aged young man smiling down at me as he
chewed a long stick of sugar cane. He very much
looked like a bus driver because he wasn’t neatly
dressed as a traveler or rough as a tout.
.
‘’good afternoon’’ I stammered, looking up at him
hopefully.
.
‘’you have been wandering round this park since
morning. Are you searching for something?’’ he
asked in vernacular.
.
‘’no sir, I need help. I’m looking for someone that
will assist me get to Enugu town’’ I stammered,
watching his reaction. He chewed on his sugar
cane for a little while as he studied me
.
‘’hmmm where exactly in Enugu city are you
heading to?’’ he asked curiously while I dropped
my eyes. A part of me felt like lying, another part
of me kicked against it.
.
‘’I don’t have anyone there. I just want to go and
see if I can better my life. I can’t continue living
like a slave down here’’ I poured out softly.
.
‘’hmmmm you know what. You look hungry, let’s
go to this small kiosk and eat. We can talk more
there. I like helping people’’ he suddenly offered,
lifting up my spirit. I smiled gratefully even though
deep down I was equally a bit scared, because not
only did he appear to be willing to assist me, he
equally offered to buy me food which really was
more than the help I expected. However I had no
choice than to follow him.
.
We soon got to the small food kiosk where he
ordered a plate of rice for me and a bottle of beer
for himself, then watched me as I ate hungrily. I
used the opportunity to tell him my story and he
kind of appeared touched.
.
‘’anyway my name is Obiora. I’m a driver and I’m
heading to Enugu city today, but the problem now
is that time for my bus to load is a bit far. Six
other buses will load before my turn but if you can
have patience I can take you to Enugu and equally
allow you stay in my house till you get a life for
yourself’’ he offered, totally stunning me with his
offer. I couldn’t believe it. I never expected him to
help in such a way.
.
‘’thank you sir, thank you very much sir’’ I thanked
him happily while he smiled with satisfaction and
ordered another bottle of beer for himself. I
couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to his
generosity.
.
———————————–
.
Val’s side of the story continues
I was restless all through the night as I thought of
the young girl I almost knocked down the previous
day. I just couldn’t sleep. Her image kept
appearing in my head as if I owed her something. I
tried very much to get my thoughts off her but just
couldn’t. I even tried focusing my thoughts on my
fiancée Jane who was coming down to the country
the next day but my efforts were fruitless.
Prior to that day, I was living my dream life. I
came from a very wealthy home, I had the best
education anyone could dream of and equally was
enjoying a very thriving writing career. I equally
was engaged to the first daughter of a business
tycoon. In fact had everything I could ever wish for
but my life suddenly felt empty after seeing that
young girl. It was just as if I was missing
something. Yes something and it looked so very
strange, very, very strange.
.
Early the next morning, without talking to anyone, I
jumped into my car, left Enugu city and headed
back to Nsukka in search of the young girl but
unfortunately I drove round the town without
seeing her. I didn’t even know her name and so
looked a bit silly asking the villagers I met about
her..
.
—————————
.
Meanwhile unknown to Val, the young girl was
already on her way to Enugu city with a stranger .
.
To be continued

**ISADORA(SEASON1)**

Episode 1
.
Story based on true life experience.
.
2nd February 2012
.
Scene 1 begins with Val’s side of the story’’’’’’’
.
Driving down the lonely hills of Nsukka after a very
extensive research work for my new book, I was
very tired and a bit restless as I planned my
schedules for the weekend without concentrating
much on my driving. Walking down
absentmindedly on the middle of the same road
was this young girl with an empty tray on her
head. I never saw her on time and almost knocked
her down if not for my powerful brakes which
screeched the car to stop just hairs breathe away
from her. Out of shock, the tray on the young
lady’s head fell and rolled over to the gutter while I
rushed out of the car to see if she was alright. She
turned to look at me that moment and it was as if
the world came to a stop as our eyes met.
.
Before me was the most beautiful girl I have ever
seen. She wore no makeup, she was sweating, her
clothes were far from elegant but yet her beauty
overshadowed it all. It was as if I was standing
before the Nigerian version of Cinderella.
.
‘’I’m sorry I wasn’t paying much attention but you
were equally walking in the middle of the road.
Hope you are okay?’’ I nervously asked as I
headed to the gutter to pick up her tray. She
nodded with eyes filled with tears, quickly collected
the tray for me and drew backwards.
.
‘’I’m sorry for almost putting you in trouble.
Forgive me’’ she breathed fluently, surprising me
with her English. But before I could say anything
further she was already walking down the road.
.
‘’my name is valentine, can I, can I drop you where
ever you are going?’’ I stammered. I couldn’t even
believe myself. It was my first time of offering a lift
to a stranger. But unfortunately she gave me no
reply, neither did she stop for a second. Hesitantly
I headed back to my car and drove away,
wondering if I would ever see her again in my life.
.
——————————-
.
Isadora’s side of the story
.
One hundred, two hundred, three hundred, I
counted the money with me for the umpteenth
time. It was money I made from the sales of Udara
(African apple) I sold at the Afor market close by. I
was very lucky to sell the apples on time and was
rushing home to prepare lunch for my adoptive
family who derived pleasure in abusing me, in
finding faults in everything I did.
.
I wasn’t brought up with happiness like other
village girls. I was brought up with daily abuses,
stigmatization and curses. I was told that I was an
evil child that brought misfortunes to my biological
parent’s right from when my mother was carrying
me in her womb. I was equally told that six
months after I was born, my parents burnt to death
in their house with every single property in it and I
was found untouched by the fire, laughing
hysterically on my baby bed. It was a story I was
told a hundred times over and I really had no way
of verifying the authenticity.
.
Yes my head was filled with my childhood
memories that I never knew when I started walking
in the middle of the road only to get myself when
the noise from a screeching tire brought me back
to reality.
.
I soon found myself facing a very handsome
gentleman who never scolded me for being in the
middle of the road, for almost putting him in
trouble. Instead he asked if I was alright. My heart,
my soul, my entire body just quivered before him.
At first I thought I shivered out of fear but then
inside of me I felt something I had never felt before
and had to walk away to avoid disgracing myself
further.
.
Valentine was the name he called to me and It kept
ringing back in my head over and over. Deep down
I felt like chatting endlessly with him, sharing my
problems with him but all I could do was to walk
away without looking back. I soon saw his car
speed away and I couldn’t help but wonder if I was
ever going to see him again.
.
———————————————–
.
On getting home I ran into my mother who instead
of welcoming me back happily for making a quick
sale, began scolding me for not sweeping the
compound and fetching water before heading to
the market, forgetting she was the one that asked
me to abandon everything and head to the market
to sell her Udara fruit.
I tried to remind her but it only landed me three
dirty slaps on my cheek. I was hungry, angry and
tired of life. I was nineteen and saw no future
before me. I knew all my adoptive parents were
planning was to marry me off to the highest
bidder. Yes by God’s grace I already managed to
finish my secondary school with the help of church
scholarship but that was the end. Since then my
parents had virtually refused allowing me to go
learn a trade or even do something that would
help me in future and I couldn’t help but realize
that the more I stayed with them the more I was
ruining my life. i made up my mind that very day
to leave the house, to run away, to run to my
future. A very daring decision, a very risky
adventure. I had no money with me, no destination
in mind, only God and fear in my heart.
.
I sneaked out of the house later that night and
stepped into the unknown.
.
To be continued

10-year old boy makes N5,000 cutting people's hair.

@chygoz101 shared the boy's story.
..
He wrote:
..
"Meet OLAKEKAN the wonder kid barber
responsible for my cut.
..
"He's 10 years old, in JSS1 and he earns at
least 5,000 naira daily from barbing.
..
"Parents please stop training your children like
toys. Those little kids you see at home have
more in them than you can imagine. Help
their future, give them a chance."
#NewsroomNG "

What this Nigeria does for a living

Ebiminor Preye is one of the most inspiring
young Nigerian ladies you'll ever meet. She
thrives in a male-dominated occupation -
painting/POP jobs, she knows no bounds,
very hardworking, and is very determined to
succeed.
Whilst many still believe there's NO JOB,
Ebiminor Preye found a way out and has this
message for us all:
I want to address some ladies. I know I don't
have a bunch on my list, but if you are a lady
then this is for you.
It's not pride, I was telling a friend few days
ago that I pity those who are not our friends
now, because very soon they will struggle to
get a glimpse of us.
Now, if you are a lady, girl and you are not
doing anything. You just sit Changing DPs and
PM, chatting with guys and you are above 20,
please know that time is running out.
If you didn't go to school, that's a little bit
worse but it's not the end of life, Colonel
Sanders was 62 when he founded KFC that
shook the world.
Who is that guy wasting your life? What have
you placed value on? If you don't place value
on yourself, very soon that guy will dump you.
The only way to know you value yourself is
not by wearing the most expensive pancakes
with the money that a guy gave to you. It's by
taking responsibility and being responsible.
The truth of the matter is that, guys have
become wiser over the years and will not want
to spend the rest of their lives with a liability.
You are not doing anything, you have no skill.
You say you are a sexy girl. Are there not
sexy girls with brains? Or are you the only
girl?
Take a decision right now, go out there and
learn a skill, you can learn tailoring, hair-
dressing, mechanic, make-up or learn what
am doing now P.O.P.
Don't let any guy intimidate you with his car.
Develop yourself and very soon you will
employ him as your driver.. Stop seeing cars,
start seeing stars.

Viral genocide video: Avoid Libya or get killed, Abike Dabiri tells intending Nigerian migrants.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, senior special assistant to
the president on foreign affairs and diaspora,
has warned Nigerian migrants against
travelling to Libya, saying the penalty, when
caught, is death. .
.
Dabiri-Erewa made the warning in a statement
she issued on Monday, following the
emergence of videos and photographs of
Nigerians being killed in the North African
country. .
.
“The attention of the office of the Senior
Special Assistant to the President on Foreign
Affairs and Diaspora has been drawn to a
video and pictures being circulated on the
purported killing of black immigrants in Libya,”
she said. .
.
“While the authenticity of the pictures and
tapes in question cannot be verified, it is a
known fact that Libya has been executing
alleged black illegal immigrants for years.
.
.
“As the Chairman Committee on Diaspora in
the House of Representatives in the Seventh
Assembly, we intervened in the case of 24
Nigerians about to be killed in Libya.” .
.
As at two months ago, NEMA, alongside the
Nigerian Embassy in Libya, evacuated over
2000 Nigerians from Libya,” she said. .
.
“The Nigerian embassy in Libya, working with
NEMA, has relentlessly intervened in cases
involving Nigerians in trouble in Libya and will
continue to do so. Libyans are dealing with
their own struggles as there is no recognised
government in place.
.
.
The office of the Senior Special Assistant to
the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora
hereby appeals again to Nigerian migrants to
avoid Libya as penalty for illegal migration to
Libya, when caught, is usually a death
sentence.”

Lauritta Onye, Olympic gold medalist: I love sex and my man must be tall and have swagger.

She made the revelation in an exclusive
interview with The Sun. Speaking about her
past relationship, she said: "When I came to
Lagos, I decided to have one boyfriend.
Fortunately or unfortunately, he broke my
heart by looking for another girl. He did it
twice.
.
.
He is a normal person. He should be over five
feet. He was the person who deflowered me."
.
.
When asked if she enjoys making love, she
said "yes." On the kind of man she would like
to marry, she said: "I want a God-fearing man,
a man that cares, a man that looks cute, a
man that dresses well and has swagger. .
.
I don’t like men that wear earrings or funny
hairstyles. I need a man that is dark in
complexion. I like tall men, men over five feet.
My father was a tall man; I want a man like
him. The man should be faithful. My kind of
man should be romantic."

Pro-Trump Rally:45 Pro-Biafran agitators arraigned for treason, remanded in prison.

The Rivers State Police Command yesterday
arraigned 45 Biafran agitators before two Chief
Magistrate Courts sitting in Port Harcourt for
treason over their alleged involvement in the
Friday agitation in Rivers State. .
.
The members of the IPOB and the MASSOB
had on Friday, organised a solidarity rally to
commemorate the swearing in of Donald
Trump as the new American president. .
.
.
But the security operatives in the state
arrested over 65 of them and disrupted the
rally, claiming that the Pro-Biafran agitators
did not obtain permit before commencing the
peaceful protest. .
.
The Commissioner of Police in the state,
Francis Odesanya charged them to court on
two counts of conspiracy to felony and
treasonable felony. The matter was adjourned
till January 30 and the suspects were ordered
to be remanded them in prison.

Lost but found, please pass till it gets to the owner.

O.A.U certificate found on the
premises of high court, Ring road Ibadan, Oyo
State, owner advised to go and reclaim it at
the court

FFK commends Buhari

Femi Fani Kayode commends
Pres. Buhari for suspending the law that made
Pastor Adeboye step down as RCCG's leader
in Nigeria.

14- year old boy flees his parent's home in Jos, gets caught in Lagos.

Israel Solomon, who fled his parent’s home in
Jos was yesterday evening intercepted and
rescued by operatives of Rapid Response
Squad (RRS) of the Lagos Police Command at
Ojota, Lagos.
.
.
Solomon was seen wandering Ojota Bus Stop,
when the operatives decided to call him for
questioning. He said that his parents live in
Mango Junction, Opposite Gada Biyu, Jos.
.
.
He could not give reasons why he ran away
from home. All entreaties to make him give
reasons for his actions proved abortive. .
.
Solomon said the bus conveying from Jos got
to Lagos late at Sunday evening, adding that
he passed the night sleeping under the foot
bridge at the Ojodu Berger Bus Stop.
.
.
He said he knew no one in Lagos before
embarking on the journey. Source said checks
on his body did not betray any evidence of
physical abuse. He also couldn’t give the
phone contact of his parents or any of his
relatives based in Jos, Plateau.
.
Solomon has been taken to Olusosun Police
Station, behind Phillip, Ojota by the RRS
Team. The source disclosed that he would be
taken from there to a station where radio
signal would be raised to the closest police
station to his house in Jos.

Ugandan man allegedly buried with N17m to bribe God.

Charles Obong, 52, who worked as a senior
personnel officer in the ministry of Public
Service from 2006 to 2016, reportedly wanted
to use the cash to redeem his soul before
God, Daily Monitor reports.
.
.
Obong reportedly saved more than Shs200
million (about N17m) to bribe the Almighty
Father on Judgement Day so He could forgive
his earthly sins. He died on December 17,
2016, after a long illness and was buried on
Christmas Eve.
.
.
He was buried in a metallic coffin estimated to
have cost Shs20m. The Aromo Sub-county
chairman, Mr David Elic, said his brother-in-
law had left behind a Will, dictating that upon
his death, his wife Ms Margaret Obong should
deposit huge sums of money in his coffin. .
.
He planned to convey the money to God as an
offertory so that the Almighty Father could
forgive his sins and save him from hellfire. He
reportedly also instructed his brother Justin
Ngole and sister Hellen Aber to bear witness
to ensure his wife follows his testament to the
letter and secure the money in his coffin.

Chris Brown & Ex lover, Karruche Tran Exchange vicious

Chris Brown and Soulja Boy’s social media
war over Karrueche Tran is getting out of
hand…and she wants nothing to do with it.
After hours of back and forth between the
singers, Kae reportedly put her two cents in,
and completely dissed her ex, Chris, for
saying he likes to leave comments on her
Instagram photos to make her feel ‘poppin.’ .
.
Karrueche Tran did not ask to be part of this
narrative! Chris Brown, 27, and Soulja Boy’s
feud began when the latter commented on a
pic of Karrueche on Instagram, and Breezy
called him to let him know he was NOT happy
about it. Things escalated quickly, and Soulja
Boy slammed his nemesis for constantly
commenting on Kae’s pics when she wants
nothing to do with him. .
.
Well, Chris had something to say about that! “I
commented on her pics for this fact only: SO
THAT NO MATTER HOW STUPID I LOOKED,
SHE WOULD FEEL POPPIN,” Chris explained on
Instagram. “I HAVE THE MEANS AND
CONNECTIONS TO CONTACT HER.” .
.
Karrueche probably wasn’t planning on getting
involved…but this comment really set her off.
So she dissed him big time…. Chris brown
however has replied her in a more savage way

Twins Born in separate days and years, No thanks to new year.

Twin brothers Sawyer and Everett shared the
same womb for nine months. But they won't
share the same birthday, or even the same
year of birth.
.
.
The pair were born to parents Holly and
Brandon Shay in separate years thanks to an
unexpected arrival on New Year's Eve.
.
.
Holly, from Glendale, Arizona, had been in an
exhausting labour for six hours when her first
son Sawyer arrived at 11.51pm.
.
.
"I wanted to make sure he was OK, and they
had to keep reminding me that I had to push,"
she told ABC.
.
.
Everett was born one minute after midnight on
January 1, 2017. .
.
This won’t be happening for the first time. At
least three other sets of twins in Georgia, Utah,
and California, were born a year.

FG commences payment N5,000 monthly to 1 million poorest citizens.

In a statement released, Monday, by Laolu
Akande, Senior Special Assistant on Media and
Publicity to Vice president Yemi Osinbajo, the
government stated that the payment was
effected through the Conditional Cash Transfer,
CCT, of the government’s Social Investment
Programmes, SIP. .
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One million Nigerians would receive N5,000
monthly payments under the CCT as a form of
social safety net for the poorest and most
vulnerable as budgeted for in the 2016
Budget.
.
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Akande added that many of the beneficiaries
have already reported receiving their first
payments in the first batch that commenced
last week. “In the first batch that commenced
last week, nine states would be covered.”
.
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The statement listed Borno, Kwara, Bauchi,
Cross Rivers, Niger, Kogi, Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti
states as states in the first batch to commence
the CCT payment.
.
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It however said that the states were selected
because they had a social register that
identified the vulnerable and poorest
Nigerians. According to the statement, the FG,
with the support of the World Bank, has
adopted the Community Based Targeting (CBT)
for developing the social register in the other
states for transparency, objectivity and
credibility.
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Other states listed to have complied with the
social register include Plateau, Jigawa,
Adamawa, Anambra, Benue, Enugu, Katsina,
Taraba, Delta, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Imo and
Ogun States. .
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Akande said the N-Power Volunteer Corps
designed to hire half a million unemployed
graduates has now engaged 200,000, and the
National Homegrown School Feeding
Programme now runs in 3 states.
.
.
He said the FG has also kicked-off the
Government Enterprise and Empowerment
Programme, GEEP. “Under GEEP, soft loans
ranging from N10,000 to 100,000 have been
designed for artisans, traders, market women
among others. .
.
Commenting on the 200,000 beneficiaries of
the N-power programme, Akande said about
100,000 graduates have been physically
verified and have started receiving their
N30,000 stipends.
.
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The FG reiterated its commitment to touching
the lives of vulnerable Nigerians, in fulfilment
of its Change agenda.

Janet Jackson, 50, gives birth to a boy, Eissa Al Mana.

Singer Janet Jackson has at the age of 50
given birth to her first child, a baby boy, her
publicist has confirmed. A statement said the
musician and her Qatari businessman
husband, Wissam Al Mana, were "thrilled" to
welcome the infant, Eissa Al Mana. "Janet had
a stress-free healthy delivery and is resting
comfortably," the publicist added.