EXPOSED: Diezani - The Pretty Face in an Ugly Oily Business

Minister of Petroleum Resources and current President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke’s name will be featuring prominently in public discussions in the days ahead. Having presided over the nation’s economic engine for a stretch of five years, the various publics, local and international, may find it hard to resist the temptation to ex-ray her controversy-dogged tenure.

Born December 6, 1960, the pretty holder of Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture (Howard University, USA) and Master’s in Business Administration, MBA (Cambridge University, UK) is not new to the petrol-dollar spinning industry. She had worked briefly in the United States before returning to Nigeria to join the Shell Petroleum Development Corporation. She rose to become the first female Executive Director, Nigeria, in 2006. Her sojourn in the public sector started a year after when she was appointed Minister of Transport in 2007. She was moved to the Ministry of Mines and Steele Development in 2008. She mounted the saddle as Petroleum Minister in 2010, again, as the first female to preside over that ministry in the country’s oily history.

Photos from the launch of Africa Magic Igbo in Enugu >>>>>

This is the scene at the Africa Magic Igbo launch in Enugu tonight! Here are first photos from the event. Keep checking here for more updates.

Ik Ogbonna & Nkem Owoh show off football skills [Photos]

Nkem Owoh and IK Ogbonna who are filming in Ghana showed off their football skills.

19 Nigerians saved from another Asia deah penalty

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has said it saved 20 people from the death penalty in Asia by preventing them from smuggling drugs out of Nigeria.

In a statement released on Thursday, the agency said since January 2014, 19 Nigerians and a Ghanaian have been arrested in Nigerian airports attempting to smuggle 106,914 kilogrammes of narcotics. Ahmadu Giade, NDLEA’s Chairman said:

“Sixteen of the suspects were apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos while four others including a Ghanaian were caught at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu.
Their final destinations are Malaysia, China and Thailand where drug trafficking is punishable by death.” On Tuesday, four Nigerians were among eight people executed by Indonesian authorities over drug-related offenses.

WHAT A MAN CAN DO . . . Pretty Lady spotted driving Big Dangote Truck on Highway [Photos]

A pretty and slim female truck driver caused traffic in Ibadan when people stopped their cars just to take pictures of her.

The Twitter user who shared the images said the lady drove so well, she even left other drivers in the traffic after she had wriggled her truck out of the gridlock and drove off.

The Dangote group has graduated from hiring graduates and masters degree holders as drivers to now giving women trucks to drive.

President Jonathan, Sambo & Others to get N3.24bn Severance Pay

President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice-president Namadi Sambo, non-returning federal lawmakers, ministers and presidential aides will collect N3.24bn as severance allowances, investigation by The PUNCH has shown.

The severance allowances are contained in the Remuneration Package put together by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

According to the package, Jonathan, who will hand over to the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on May 29, is entitled to 300 per cent of his annual basic salary. The President’s annual basic salary is put at N3, 514,705 and therefore his severance allowance will be N10, 544,115 after May 29.

Rafa Benitez can stay 5 years at Napoli, says Aurelio DeLaurentiis

Rafael Benitez can stay on as Napoli coach "for the next five years" if club president Aurelio De Laurentiis gets his way.

The former Liverpool boss is out of contract in the summer and official negotiations over a new deal had been put on ice.

With a dip in results earlier this year, it looked certain that Benitez would be leaving Napoli in the summer, but thanks to a resurgence in recent weeks that has seen the Azzurri climb back up Serie A and to within touching distance of the Europa League final, Benitez's stock has risen.

"I've told him he can stay for one year or he can stay for the next five," De Laurentiis told Radio Kiss Kiss after meeting with Benitez on Monday. "He can build a Napoli the way he did with Liverpool.

BREAKING: Troops Rescue 200 Girls, 93 Women from Sambisa Forest

In a daring and precise operation, the Nigerian troops have reportedly stormed the Sambisa Forest and rescued about 300 women and girls. Three major terrorists camps have been destroyed in the well-coordinated attacks that included the destruction of the notorious Tokumbere camp in the Sambisa Forest.

While confirming the operation, the Director Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade said he could not confirm the identity of the freed victims and their origins and he could not state if any of them was from Chibok until after thorough screening and proper investigations.

He said:

“I can only confirm the rescued this afternoon of 200 girls and 93 women in different camps in the forest. We are yet to determine their origin as all the freed persons are now being screened and profiled. Please don’t misquote me on their origin. We will provide more details later.”

Coffins bearing the dead bodies of Indonesian Drug Convicts get buried [Photos]

Indonesia brushed aside last-minute appeals yesterday and executed eight people including 4 Nigerians convicted of drug smuggling in their country. Photos of the dead being buried and details from their last minutes on earth have now been revealed.

According to the pastors who were with them in their final hours, reformed Bali Nine ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran and their six fellow death row prisoners refused to wear blindfolds and were singing as they were executed by a 13-member firing squad in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

RIP! Condemned drug traffickers finally executed in Indonesia [PHOTO]

According to breaking news reports condemned convicts including four Nigerians have been taken from their prison cells to the execution site on Nusakambangan.

According to the UK Guardian, Indonesian television is also reporting that the executions of eight prisoners – all men – have taken place, but that the Filipina woman, Mary Jane Veloso, was spared at the last minute, after a woman accused of tricking her into carrying drugs turned herself into police in the Philippines on Tuesday.

There are reports that the executions took place at around 00.25 local time.At nearby Cilacap port, anti-death penalty protesters began playing the song Hallelujah.

NNPC Audit reveals double payment of subsidy, N3.65Trn spent without approval

The just released audit report by PricewaterHouse Coopers PWC on the financial management of the NNPC has revealed that there were many cases of duplicated subsidy payment by the NNPC to many oil marketers between 2012 and 2013.

According to the report, payment of subsidies for petrol (PMS) and kerosene (DPK) between January 2012 and July 2013 when investigated had a difference of $980 million (about N195 billion) due to duplicated payments.

“Our review of the subsidy documentation revealed that the subsidy due to NNPC between January 2012 and July 2013 on PMS and DPK import was $8.99billion compared to the $9.97 billion stated by the Reconciliation Committee.

Igbo People; Things You Should Know About Nigerian Politics

I have taken conscious steps to understand the way our democratic system works and have been kept abreast of every political situation that is of national interest in Nigeria. And my findings in comparison with the political history of Nigeria show that the game of politics in Nigeria is best played and won by those who have “Dynamic and flexible political philosophy” than those who believe in “Static and rigid political philosophy”. This is where the Igbos get it wrong.

I consider myself as being a part of Igbo since one of my uncles got married to an Igbo woman from Imo State. Besides, 20% of my best friends are Igbos so I have a bond with the Igbo people and whatever affects them worries me too and I hope they get it right from this political dispensation.

Angel of Death erupts from Chile's volcano [Photos]

What do you see? This is actually a column of smoke from Calbuco volcano Chile. Strangely, It has produced a strange form of pareidolia that appears to be a humanoid form with blazzing eye. Locals has called the strange occurrence an angel of death! This is really creepy!

See the man trekking from Yola to Abuja [Photos]

A Buhari supporter Mr. Abubakar Duduwale has left Yola in Adamawa state on foot. He is on a mission to get to Abuja on foot to witness Buhari's May 29th inauguration.