At last! Nigeria is to have an indigenous Airline

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika made an announcement that Nigeria will have a very strong and viable national airline before the end of 2017.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Sirika said the project would be private sector driven given that the federal government may own only three percent of the airline.

"When we came in, we were very clear on our targets and goals and what we set out to achieve, and we did say that Nigeria does need a national airline. The national airline will be one that the government will have no hand in; normally it can have three percent.
It will be private sector-led, private sector driven. Except with the Ethiopian airline it has been proven that government doesn’t do well with this kind of venture. 

We are going to have a national carrier; it is on course and because it is a PPP thing it has to go through IC and C, and also has to follow all the due process. So it is time-consuming but I hope very soon before the end of the year we will have a very strong viable national airline.

For me, if any airline will have the capacity to deploy several aircraft with seamless operation, non disruptive, provide the service, go the long haul, take advantage and give other international airlines a run for their money, we don’t need to get involved; it is because there is none.
The Nigerian Airways used to do all of these but in the wisdom of the then government they liberalised the sector, because of the absence of Nigeria’s capacity most of these airlines will come and leave as fast as they came in. But we are addressing all of these.
We are going to establish this national carrier and it will give good service. This is the solution because Nigeria has the market, we are 180 million, we are sitting in West Africa and in the West African market we are 450 million and Nigeria is the major player.
If you add the Central Africa, which is the Central belt, we are 600 million people, which is equivalent to the US market and also equal to the European market."

Nigeria’s previous national carrier was the Nigeria Airways. It was wholly owned by the Federal government and founded in 1958 after the dissolution of West African Airways Corporation, but it folded up in 2003.

Don Jazzy claims to be shy to talk to ladies

Celebrity music producer, Mavin Records boss aka Don Jazzy made a confession that he is too shy to talk to ladies. He made the confession after actor Blossom Chukwujekwu’s wife revealed how she and her husband met. Blossom’s wife had confessed that she made the first move on her man by sliding into his dm two years ago when she suspected that he was too shy to ask her out.

This prompted Don Jazzy to encourage his ‘bae’ to slide into his dm too as he was also too shy to ask her out. It should be noted that Don Jazzy is one of the most eligible bachelors in the entertainment industry with fans asking him when he would get married year in, year out.

Blossom’s wife shared her first chat with her husband where she made the first move, explaining that she noticed that he had liked almost all her pictures but had never made the move. See her post below:

Female Stanbic bank worker absconds with customers' money

A 33-year-old outsourced worker of Stanbic Bank in Ghana has been declared wanted by the Ghana Police Service for allegedly defrauding scores of customers of the bank of more than GH¢900,000.

The suspect identified as Martha Amakye, who is said to be an outsourced worker from Noswall Management Service, a recruitment agency, absconded after the Financial Crime Control Unit of the bank found out she was involved in some fraudulent transactions.
Amakye, a personal solution consultant or sales officer at the Tema Community One branch of Stanbic Bank, is said to have collected various sums of money from customers of the bank between 2015 and 2016 on the pretext of investing it in fixed deposits.

After that, she promised the customers interest rate of between 18 and 20 per cent per month, all this she did without the consent of the management of the bank. The victims and many other customers were lured with the promise of high interest rate on their investment.
Preliminary investigations conducted by the Commercial Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service and the Financial Crime Control Unit of the bank, according to the sources, had revealed that most of the victims paid their funds meant for the investment to Amakye in the banking hall, while others gave the money to her outside the bank.

After collecting the money, Amakye is said to have issued the victims with copies of suspected fake deposit slips.

At a point, the sources said, she allegedly paid what she claimed to be interest accrued from the fixed deposit investment to some of the initial investors but retained the principal amounts, with the explanation that the amount would be reinvested.

Subsequently, more customers from other branches of the bank trooped to the Tema Community One branch of the bank on hearing about the juicy package.

The sources said the bank had so far received a number of complaints from victims whose money had been collected by Amakye.

Amakye’s pictures have been posted on Stanbic Bank’s Facebook timeline, with a message that urged anyone with information on her whereabouts to call the police.

Customers have also been encouraged to always make payments directly to tellers and demand receipts or stamped payment slips for all payments.

Nollywood actress Toyin Majekodunmi is dead

Veteran actress, Toyin Majekodunmi also known as Iya Kike, married to actor ‘Baba Kekere’ has passed on.  The actress is said to have died today January 2nd, 2017 due to health-related issues.

The news of her death was shared by actress/movie producer, Bimbo Success. The actual cause of her death is still unknown. The late actress featured in several Yoruba movies alongside her husband Solomon Majekodunmi whose stage name is ‘Baba Kekere.’

Before joining the movie industry full time, she worked with the Lagos state Government under the Ministry of Information several years ago. 

She has been described by her colleagues as a very jovial woman who accommodated everyone irrespective of their religious background.

Read Richard Mofe-Damijo RMD's testimony on 2016

Richard Mofe-Damijo, aka RMD, has been sharing beautiful pieces of writing for a while now. Sometime ago, he wrote a heart-melting birthday letter to his Son, later he wrote a father-figure open letter to his daughter and then a husband-of-the-decade contender piece to his wife. He has been leaving us swooning with admiration for a kind of love expression that is not so common in this part of the world.

While people are celebrating the beginning of a new year, the award winning actor has chosen to inspire us again with another write up. 

Read what he wrote below:

“2016 was NOT all glitz, glam and glorious living for me. Early 2016 I activated major projects, made plans, had dreams, set goals, put on my boots ready to hit the ground running but when I hit the ground I DID-NOT-RUN… I did not even jog. For some reason I had disappointments and I let my project gradually fade into the background. I was angry, worked 19 hours a day on occasion, ate too much, became lazy and lethargic, stopped eating healthy, abandoned my gym membership(s), put on weight, okay, put on so much weight.
Terrible, abi? but NO! in the midst of all that God opened doors and made highways. From HUSH to THE WEDDING PARTY, DINNER, GRUDGE, THE THREE WISE MEN and OLOIBIRI God showed me that His ways are NOT my ways. 
Maybe like me you did not see that BIG DREAM, IDEA and/or PROJECT you activated in your mind in 2016 come to fruition but if you’re reading this YOU WON, if you’re alive, YOU WON, if you have 2017 to try again, YOU WON. So fellow winners let’s step into 2017 with the attitude of a winner and let us not just finish but LET US FINISH STRONG!!!
Cheers to the New Year. HAPPY NEW YEAR ”

See what Tonto Dikeh says about woman beaten by her husband

Nigerian actress, singer and philanthropist, Tonto Dikeh-Churchill has given her opinion on the case of Ifeoma Okeke Orjiakor the woman beaten by her 37 year old husband, Victor Orjiakor on Christmas day.

Few minutes ago, the Nollywood actress took to her Instagram page and wrote "a man that hits a woman has watched it happen before". She has a lot to say about the matter.

Read her full comments below:

Woman battered and stabbed in private part by her husband

A woman named Ifeoma Okeke Orjiakor has been beaten and stabbed with a broken bottle in her private part by her husband. He did this because he suspected that she was cheating on him with his sales representative.

The woman has brought the incident to the open while still on her hospital bed. On her Facebook wall, she recounted what she has been going through in the hands of her 37 year old husband, Victor Orjiakor.

Read below:

Below is a picture of how she looked before the incident:

Below is a picture of how she looks after the incident: 

Another Corper dies

Njelita Martins Okechukwu another member of the National Youth Service Corps has been laid to rest by his colleagues.

Martins was serving his fatherland as a corp member but died after a brief illness.

He was buried yesterday, December 31st, 2016 and his friends took to social media to mourn him.

Photos…

Tiwa Savage and Teebillz will soon start living together

Numerous fans of controversial couple, Tiwa Savage and her husband, Teebillz, who have been urging the pair to reconcile and get back together would definitely get their wish this year as the estranged couple would soon move in together.

For a while now, the couple have been making moves to get back together. They have been going for marriage counseling sessions,despite their separation.

Note that, their marriage collapsed in 2016 with a dramatic breakup when  Teebillz took to his Instagram page to accuse his wife of having sexual relations with music stars including Dr. Sid, Don Jazzy and 2face Idibia. He also l attempted to commit suicide along the Ikoyi/Lekki bridge the same day.

Tiwa Savage then retaliated with a video interview which she granted Pulse TV. She lodged scandalous counter accusations against her husband as she alleged that he was a cheat and a cocaine addict who was reliant on her cash among other worms that escaped from the stinking can she opened.

Now, the couple are back in good terms and are in the process of making peace with friends, family and associates that they had dragged into the mess.

They made their first appearance (since the break up) yesterday, Saturday, December 31, 2016.

Ubi Franklin gives us a hint of what affected his marriage

Lilian Esoro's estranged husband, Ubi Franklin has finally given is a hint of what affected his marriage. He released an open letter to his son and in it acknowledged that having his son has helped him to manage anger problems. Note that the couple has been silent on what led to the separation. Lilian recently removed "Franklin" from her social media account. 

Despite the seeming disagreement,  he wrote that his wife, Lilian Esoro is strong and he admires her deeply. 


Read his open letter below:

Letter To My Son @jaydenubifranklin

Son, witnessing your birth was not just an experience; it was a miracle (the beauty of a child being born is nothing but pure joy).

You came and melted my heart, taught me to love, taught me to forgive and see things differently. My past experiences made me one who was easily provoked but God always uses something, or someone to change people, to break them, and for me; my SON and some self discipline did.

You have also thought me to admit my mistakes and apologize for them, even when I
think I’m not wrong but may have upset someone, apologize! It takes NOTHING from you but gives you EVERYTHING!!!

Son, your magical smile is what I love – Dad Loves you dearly – and will do all to make you happy for my days are better because of you. I have a whole new perspective to life and have experienced another side of life all because of you. (Thank God).

Life doesn’t always serve us happy cards but I truly wish I could change every bad situation for your sake and the peace of the family.
This is a letter to you my Son.

This December will be our first Christmas together and your very first Christmas here on Earth…. (Praise God).

Tomorrow is a New Year too.You’re the hero of this story and a new life with you is all because of your Mum (super Mum)….9months carrying and protecting you has led our paths to meet. Growing so fast and big now (you even make efforts to grab my phone and take selfies lol) WOW!!! 

To your Mum; “You are strong, doing an excellent job, and I continue to admire you deeply.”

Oh Jayden, I am so excited to see the plan that God has for your life. I already feel the magic that you will be a great son. You woke up a love in me that I didn’t realize existed.

I am Proud to be your father….I have loved you since i found out about you, I loved you more when I met you on your birthday, i have loved you more each day during this past 5 months, and i will love you more for the next four months, four years, four decades, and every day after that. I will always, always love you. My heart just aches and trembles with all my love for you.

Forever and always… Your Daddy.
Welcome to 2017