The number of billionaires in Africa – and the size of their fortunes – continues to drop. On this year’s list, FORBES is only including African billionaires living in Africa, instead of featuring Africa’s 50 richest people. There are 21 billionaires on this year’s list, worth a combined $70 billion. On the November 2015 Africa Rich List, there were 23 African billionaires worth a combined $79.8 billion. That in turn was down from 28 African billionaires in 2014.

Nigerian cement tycoon Aliko Dangote remains Africa’s richest person for the sixth year running with a $12.1 billion fortune, despite a nearly $5 billion drop in his net worth for the second year in a row. Dangote is joined by just two other Nigerian billionaires on this year’s list – telecom tycoon Mike Adenuga, who is Africa’s third richest person with an estimated $5.8 billion fortune, and oil billionaire Folorunsho Alakija, who has an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion. Two Nigerians dropped off the Billionaires List this year – oil marketer Femi Otedola, whose net worth dropped from $1.6 billion in November 2015 to just $330 million today, and sugar billionaire Abdulsamad Rabiu, whose net worth dropped below $1 billion in the wake of a weakened Nigerian currency.






South Africa retains its dominance on the Africa List. While the country is tied with Egypt for the largest number of individual billionaires, South Africa’s six billionaires are worth a combined $22.7 billion – $7 billion more than Egypt’s six billionaires. The richest South African billionaire and the continent’s second richest person is diamond magnate Nicky Oppenheimer, who has maintained a low profile since selling his family’s stake in diamond giant De Beers to Anglo American for $5.1 billion in cash in 2012. Luxury goods tycoon Johann Rupert and retail magnate Christoffel Wiese are tied as South Africa’s second richest and Africa’s fourth richest billionaires, each with a $5.5 billion fortune. Wiese’s fortune has dropped $1 billion since the November 2015 Africa list, while Rupert’s net worth is down $800 million.
Egypt’s richest billionaire is Nassef Sawiris, whose $5.3 billion fortune is up $400 million since November 2015. Sawiris runs OCI, one of the world’s largest nitrogen fertilizers. The country’s next richest person is his brother Naguib Sawiris, who was Egypt’s biggest gainer on the list. His net worth increased $700 million to $3.7 billion. In December 2016, Naguib Sawiris announced that he would be stepping down as CEO of his telecom company, Orasom Telecom Media & Technology.

FORBES counts only two female billionaires in Africa: Angola’s Isabel dos Santos – Africa’s richest woman with a $3.2 billion fortune, and Nigeria’s Alakija. Dos Santos is the daughter of Angola’s president, who appointed her as head of Angola’s state oil firm Sonangol in June 2016. Alakija is the vice chair of Nigerian oil exploration company, Famfa Oil.

At 41, Tanzanian Mohammed Dewji is Africa’s youngest billionaire, well below the average age of 63. He is CEO of conglomerate METL, which his father founded in the 1970s. Eighty-six-year-old Onsi Sawiris of Egypt is the continent’s oldest billionaire and the father of two other African billionaires – Nassef and Naguib Sawiris.






Thirteen out of Africa’s 21 billionaires have self-made fortunes, while the other eight inherited their fortunes. The 21 billionaires hail from seven countries: South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco (which has three billionaires), Algeria (one billionaire), Angola (one billionaire) and Tanzania (one billionaire).
Our list tracks the wealth of African billionaires who reside on the continent, thus excluding Sudanese-born billionaire Mo Ibrahim, who is a UK citizen, and billionaire London resident Mohamed Al-Fayed, an Egyptian citizen. This year’s list includes only billionaires, rather than the 50 richest people in Africa. We calculated net worths using stock prices and currency exchange rates from the close of business on Thursday, January 5. To value privately-held businesses, we couple estimates of revenues or profits with prevailing price-to-sales or price-to-earnings ratios for similar public companies.

We have purposely excluded dispersed family fortunes such as the Chandaria family of Kenya and the Madhvanis of Uganda, because the wealth is believed to be held by dozens of family members. We do include wealth belonging to a member’s immediate relatives if the wealth can be traced to one living individual; in that case, you’ll see “& family” on our list as an indication.

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has condemned the recent incidences of violence between South African citizens and non-nationals, his office said on Friday.

Anti-immigrant violence has flared sporadically in South Africa against a background of near-record unemployment, with foreigners being accused of taking jobs from citizens and getting involved in crime.

Reuters reports that South African citizens in Pretoria are set to march against foreigners on Friday, with local media reporting vandalism and acts of violence in the Atteridgeville area west of the capital.




At least 20 stores in Pretoria owned by foreigners were looted on Tuesday, but police could not confirm that the attacks had deliberately targeted foreigners.
“Many citizens of other countries living in South Africa are law abiding and contribute to the economy of the country positively. It is wrong to brandish all non-nationals as drug dealers or human traffickers,” Zuma said in a statement.

“The threats and counter-threats on social media must stop,” he added.

In Nigeria, protesters on Thursday demanded that South African citizens and businesses leave the country and vandalised the head office of mobile phone giant MTN in Abuja, in retaliation for anti-Nigerian violence in South Africa.

Brazil’s Foreign Minister has resigned from his post, citing health problems and upcoming medical treatments as the main reasons.

In a letter to Brazilian President Michel Temer, Foreign Minister Jose Serra said he was “saddened” to be stepping down but said his doctors told him he would need “at least four months” to properly recover.
The letter was handed in personally to Temer on Wednesday, and published by state-run news agency Agencia Brasil.
Serra, 74, a career politician, had been in the job for less than a year.


He took office after former president Dilma Rousseff was suspended in May last year during the investigation that lead to her impeachment. She was ultimately ousted from office in August 2016.
His political career began in 1995, when he served as Planning Minister for former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso. He’s also been senator, governor and mayor of Sao Paulo.
In 2010, he ran for president but lost against Rousseff, who was elected as Brazil’s first female president that year.
Neither Temer’s office, nor the foreign ministry have confirmed who will be replacing Serra.

Police in Lagos have arrested two Chinese, Taolung Shen and Xu Jing Yau, for allegedly running of fake a tyre business worth over N5 billion. .

The police also sealed the warehouse where they had allegedly been cloning different sizes of tyre under such brand names as Powertrac, Aptany, Harmony, Duraturn, Bearway, City Tour, Winda, Glory, Chachland, City Grand, Grandsonte (Tyre Type) and Sunny (for tricycle) among others.

Many of the tyres arrived the country with tyres stuffed into one another, sometimes as much as five stuffed in one, and had been bent and ruptured on several portions and looking weak and slack.

But the Chinese adorned the tyre with new labels and shinning linings to create impression of being new and healthy. The Director-General (DG) and Chief Executive, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Osita Aboloma, described the tyres as dead on arrival.

According to him, allowing such consignments sale amounts to surreptitiously taking away the lives of millions of Nigerians. The DG said stuffing tyres through the long sea journey from China to Lagos had already compromised the quality, not to talk of the crude way the tyres were separated on arrival in Nigeria and the poor storage facility, without sufficient aeration, in the warehouse. .

He said: “You can see the amount of danger that these people are posing to our people and our economy, just because they want to make huge profit at the expense of the lives of Nigerians.”

Aboloma explained that a lot of illegal activities were ongoing on the premises of the company such as re-labelling, high level of stuffing of several tyres into one, tampering with expiry dates and staking the tyres in very adverse conditions.

He added: “It is a clear case of investing millions in illicit business in order to take away the lives of millions of Nigerians.” .

The DG showed tyres in the stock post-dated January as manufactured date but that were already in the country as at the time of the seizure, despite that it would take months for shipments from China to arrive Nigeria.

The Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, has vowed that he will not collect any salary until all the workers in the state’s civil service are paid their salaries.
He appealed to the doctors and nurses who are currently on strike to end their industrial action and embrace dialogue with his government.
Akeredolu stated this in Akure, the Ondo State capital, while formally meeting with the workers in the state civil service, on Monday.
In his maiden address to the workers, the governor said all the issues relating to the payment of their salaries would top the agenda of his administration.
He disclosed that a committee would be set up by the government to address how the backlog of salaries would be paid and how to move the state forward.
He said, “I am aware of your pains and agony. I feel your pains and what you are going through, and I can see your sufferings. I am surprised that you are still able to put up these smiles without seven months’ salaries. No doubt, a labourer deserves his wages.
“A committee will soon be set up to address this salary issue. We are set to move forward and at the end of the day, we will all win. Let us join hands to work together for the development of this state and I can assure you that with God on our side, we shall scale all obstacles to make Ondo great.”

A Federal Capital Territory High Court, sitting in Jabi, Abuja, has ordered that Alhaja Moroophat Obanikoro, the wife of a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, should forfeit her property pending the outcome of investigations into her husband and children.

The court also rejected a prayer asking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to pay her the sum of N200m for violating her fundamental human rights.

Obanikoro’s wife has, however, headed for the Appeal Court to challenge the court judgment.

As part of investigations into the $2.1bn arms scam, involving the Office of the National Security Adviser, the EFCC had traced the transfer of about N4.7bn to the Diamond Bank account of Sylvan McNamara, a company allegedly owned by Obanikoro’s two sons – Gbolahan and Babajide.

Out of the N4.7bn, Obanikoro allegedly gave N3.880bn to Ayodele Fayose and Senator Iyiola Omisore in July 2014, when they were the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidates in Ekiti and Osun states respectively.

Part of the money allegedly given to Fayose was said to have been converted to $5.377m and handed to him at Spotless Hotel, Ado-Ekiti, in the presence of the then Ekiti State PDP Secretary, Tope Aluko, and other party stalwarts.

Obanikoro allegedly kept over N600m to himself.

The EFCC subsequently seized a house in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State allegedly belonging to Obanikoro’s sons – Gbolahan and Babajide – and a property located at 44 Mamman Kotangora Crescent, Katampke Extension, Abuja, belonging to their mother.

However, Obanikoro’s wife argued that she bought the property over seven years before the alleged arms scam took place.

She said the EFCC had no right to punish her for any crime allegedly committed by her husband and urged the court to award her N200m.

Obanikoro’s wife demanded “an order setting aside the sealing of the property; an order directing the EFCC to tender an unreserved public apology for the unlawful and unconditional invasion of the aforesaid property and the sum of N200,000,000 as general damages for the unlawful and unconstitutional invasion of the property.”

In an affidavit, deposed to by one Jackson Edet, the EFCC claimed that Obanikoro’s wife could not claim to be ignorant of her husband’s alleged crime.

The commission said Moroophat’s husband and her sons collected over N600m from the ONSA for a non-existent contract.

The EFCC argued that investigation had shown that, “the property belongs to Musiliu Obanikoro and he paid for the statutory charges for the property.”

The commission added, “That a lawyer, Tejumola Adeboye, who volunteered a statement to the commission, stated that he managed the said property and remits the rent to MON Integrated Services (a company allegedly owned by Obanikoro, which is also under probe).”

In his ruling, the Justice Y. Halilu said he could not stop the EFCC from doing its work, adding that all Nigerians must unite in the fight against corruption.

He added, “I shall refuse the application because it is most unmeritorious and specially packaged to deceive this court. God forbid.”

The ongoing onslaught by the Nigerian Police against the Peace Corps of Nigeria, took a dramatic step on Tuesday, when the Officers of the Police invaded the new National Headquarters of the Corps, taking into custody, the National Commandant, Amb. Dickson Akoh.

The youth based organisation whose Bill was recently passed by the National Assembly, had recently come under serious attack by the Police, which had kicked against the establishment of the Corps, during the public hearing at the National Assembly.

It could be recalled that the Nigerian Police shut down the training orientation camp in Kwara and Abuja, a week ago, thereby, forcing cadet officers to vacate the camps.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Police were seen on Tuesday at the official opening ceremony of the National Headquarters of the Corps, opposite Jabi Lake, Abuja, with the Nigerian Customs Service and other paramilitary and security agencies.

The event was also attended by the Minister of Sports and Youths Development, members of the National Assembly, Traditional Rulers, Religious bodies and youth organisations.

The report DAILY POST showed that the Police in a dramatic way, invaded the premises around 11.30pm on Tuesday, when the event for the official opening of the office had rounded off and the National Commandant was about taking his leave.

“We don’t know where they have taken him to”, a fainty voice from the Corps told our Correspondent.

Investigation, however, revealed that, Dickson Akoh was held by the FCT Command of the Nigerian Police.

As of the time of filing this report, the reason for the arrest was unknown.

Ambode converts Mobil, Oando filling stations to bus terminal

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State yesterday said it would convert the popular Mobil and Oando filling stations at Maryland Bus Stop on Ikorodu road to bus terminal as part of strategies to ease transportation challenges in the state.

The governor, who also vowed to replace the yellow buses otherwise known as “Danfo” buses with Close Circuit Television Camera buses while the new air-conditioned buses will also have charging points for passengers who want to charge their phones and other devices.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting with transporters on Tafawa Balewa Square terminal, Ambode announced plan by his administration to construct bus terminals at Yaba, Maryland and Anthony bus stops. Ambode, who was represented by the Acting Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Anofiu Elegushi, said that the popular filling stations at Maryland would have to give way for the bus terminal.

He said: “We are working on other terminal like Oyingbo, the drawing is almost ready, Yaba Terminal, the drawing of that is almost ready.

We are also working on Anthony, the VIS garden, we are turning to a bus terminal. The two petrol stations at Maryland, we are turning them to bus terminal very soon those are parts of what we have in the pipe line. Very soon we will hit the ground running. “On the yellow buses, what we are planning is to re-fleet with new buses. As you will agree most of the yellow buses are not road worthy. Most of them have been running for over 20 years.

THE Majority leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has been mandated Wednesday by the leadership of the House to lead a delegation of some members to South Africa over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa.
The House in a resolution on Tuesday at the plenary presided by the Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun said the majority leader will be joined by the Chairman House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Nnena Okeje, Rep. Sadiq Ibrahim, Henry Nwawuba, Nasiru Zango Daura, and Shehu Aliyu Musa.
Xenophobic Attack
The House also resolved that the delegation of legislators and officials from the ministry of foreign affairs should engage the parliament of South Africa and Nigerians in South Africa on the xenophobic attacks with a few to stopping the attacks and any further occurrence in future.
Recall that the Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Matters, Rep Rita Orji had recently condemned the alleged lackadaisical attitude of the Federal Government towards the protection of Nigerians outside the country saying that the government paid more interest in remittance from citizens abroad and not their welfare.
Orji said she was not going to be part of the “conspiracy of silence”, adding that Nigerians in Diaspora were only dear to the government of Nigeria because of the funds they remit to the country.
She also accused the government of over-protecting the businesses and interests of South Africa to the detriment of Nigeria. The government, she said, is not “taking a critical look at what Nigerians in Diaspora face in the countries that they are.
She said, “Have we taken any bold steps to make sure that incessant killings of Nigerians abroad unlawfully are being taken care of? These are pertinent questions that any Nigerian that loves life would ask. And why would this conspiracy of silence linger while blood is being shed, while Nigerians are being killed like chicken in various countries, while Nigerians are becoming endangered species.
“Must we protect the foreign interest to the detriment of Nigerians. Now NCC is hellbent on reviewing upwards the price of data and voice calls in Nigeria to the detriment of Nigerians, even with the intervention of National Assembly, NCC is bent on doing that on their own, just to protect the interest of the foreigners.
“The South African Government should bear in mind that Nigerians know that they have interests, they have businesses here, they have South Africans here, they should not put their people in jeopardy.

This is coming as the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha called for adoption of traditional method of oath taking in governance to curb corruption in the country.


The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed noted that the task of developing the economy is the responsibility of all, therefore, Nigerians must be disciplined and patriotic.


Lai Muhammed, who stated this at the quarterly public lecture organized by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), in Abuja, called for synergy among the federal, state and local governments as well as private bodies to promote entrepreneurship in the culture and tourism sector.
The minister stressed the importance of the culture sector to economic diversification, adding that government had launched “Change Begins with Me” campaign to foster national consciousness and appreciation for “Made in Nigeria” goods.

According to him, “there is no gainsaying the fact that, our appetite for foreign goods and services is a major factor in our economic meltdown.

“It is pertinent to state that the task of developing our economy is the responsibility of all Nigerians. The development will need can be through public-private -partnership (PPP) arrangement.

“I am full convinced that if all hands are on deck and government gets the support of all stakeholders, the culture sector will be of strategic importance in the economic diversification agenda of our beloved country.”

Delivering his lecture titled: ‘Promoting Culture, Developing the Economy: A Nigerian Perspective’, Governor Rochas Okorocha explained that it would be difficult for public office holders to syphon public money or abuse their office if they were swore in with their deity, like ‘Ofo’ in Igbo or ‘Ogun’ in Yoruba.


He said people no longer fear Bible and Qur’an that are currently being used, because they knew that God is merciful, and did not kill instantly.


“Our government must begin to adopt our culture in government, if we must succeed. Even in the fight against corruption our (traditional) practices of oath taking should be applied,” he called.

Okorocha also called for the country’s education system to be structured inline with ‘our culture’.


The Governor maintained that instead of celebrating other people’s language and culture, Nigeria should celebrate her major languages to promote its cultural values.

He said conditions given by regulators in the education system with particular reference to the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, were major factors for staying at home by some intelligent students.

“JAMB condition that you must have credit in Mathematics and English Language before getting admission to Nigerian Universities. Who told them? Why are they suffering our children? Why not credit in Igbo or Yoruba or Hausa Language or any Nigerian languages?

“Most of our intelligent children cannot go to school because of the JAMB condition and some of them end up doing nothing.

“We must change our orientation and it must start from that. Our education system should be inline with our culture. I believe there is still hope, but we must go back to our culture.

“God has endowed us with brain but the problem is that we left our culture, which is who we are and we are chasing shadow,” he said.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NICO, Assoc. Prof. Barclays Ayakoroma commended President Muhammadu Bhuari’s strive on economic diversification, pleading for more attention for the culture sector.

“While we commend the attention being paid to the Agriculture and Solid Mineral sectors currently, we make bold to say that the culture sector has better prospects if priority attention is given to it as many countries have done,” he said.

Ayakoroma recommended the establishment of the National Endowment Fund for Arts, in line with the cultural policy of Nigeria to promote the creative industry.

He said: “we recommend that the long awaited national endowment fund for the Arts, n line with the cultural policy of Nigeria should be established as a matter of urgency, to provide the must-needed financial support for our creative industry.

“The will make the sector, which has been seen as the fastest growing globally, respond adequately to our need for a diversified economy.”

Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to speak with him on phone to convince Nigerians that he is hale and hearty.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi yesterday, Fayose disputed reports that Buhari had spoken in one week, first with the king of Morocco and next with the president of the African Union.

According to Fayose, the president should call him instead of speaking with “outsiders to convince Nigerians of his health status.” He said: “I advise the president to speak with me for the purpose of convincing Nigerians that he is hale and hearty instead of looking for people outside the country to convince Nigerians.”

“If their problem is that they are looking for a credible person who can help them convince Nigerians that all is well with our president, Ayo Fayose is their best bet. Let the president speak with me. If I tell Nigerians that the president spoke with me, Nigerians will believe,” he said.

Nigerians, he said, are getting suspicious of all the purported visits to Buhari in London, as well as his orchestrated telephone conversations with international figures who Nigerians cannot trust to give a true and unbiased report about the president’s state of health.

“Since they are eager for the president to speak to people, believing this is the way to convince Nigerians that their President is hale and hearty, let President Buhari talk to me. I can be reached on 08035024994. I am credible and Nigerians will believe me,” he said.

“They said he spoke to President Donald Trump; despite the hype, Nigerians were skeptical. Then they said he spoke to the king of Morocco; again, Nigerians were suspicious. Before we recovered from that, it is now the AU president that they said President Buhari spoke to.

Apostle Johnson Suleiman, the founder of the Auchi-based Omega Fire Ministries, has been accused of dumping his pregnant lover, whom he promised marriage, and is using the police to silence her. The lover, Miss Stephanie Otobo, is a musician based in Ontario, Canada, who goes by the stage name of Kimora. Miss Otobo’s attorneys, Festus Keyamo Chambers, in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, said she was arrested on March 3 at a United Bank of Africa branch by heavily armed policemen from Federal Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Alagbon, at the Anthony Village area of Lagos. She has since been in detention, where she has been denied food and visitation by her lawyers.

Apostle Suleiman and Miss Otobo, according to her lawyers, met in September 2016, when she visited Nigeria from her base in Canada. They began a relationship, with Apostle Suleiman telling her that he had divorced his wife and wanted more male children. The affair grew stronger. Apostle Suleiman made a marriage proposal to Miss Otobo, which she accepted. This was followed by a formal introduction of Apostle Suleiman to her family. On the occasion, the preacher took along drinks and gifts and informed Miss Otobo’s family in Delta state of his desire to marry their daughter.

With the affair gaining in intensity, Miss Otobo abandoned her blossoming musical career in Canada to move over to Nigeria to the delight of Apostle Suleiman, who promised to buy her a house and provide her the standard of living to which she was used in Canada.

So strong was the relationship that Apostle Suleiman made a habit of licking Miss Otobo’s body from her toes to her private part any time they wanted to make love. Miss Otobo also became a member of the Apostle Suleiman’s church, following him around the world, selecting sermon topics for him and choosing songs for his church services. Apostle Suleiman also sent Miss Otobo money on a regular basis.

The pastor’s desire to have more male children, according to Miss Otobo’s lawyers, made him demand that his lover should get pregnant. She subsequently got pregnant. But in September 2016, Miss Otobo visited Nigeria and told the preacher that she was pregnant in a hotel she was lodged in Ikeja, Lagos.

The news of the pregnancy angered Apostle Suleiman, who apparently was afraid of the scandal such could bring. He wanted her to have an abortion and proceeded to give her a concoction, which made Miss Otobo bleed profusely and subsequently abandoned her, calling off the marriage proposal. Miss Otobo later went to Warri, where he met another pastor and told him his story. The pastor recorded her story and started using it to extort money from Apostle Suleiman.

After the disagreement over the pregnancy, Miss Otobo returned to Canada. But Apostle Suleiman got in touch with her and apologized for abandoning her. He subsequently started to persuade her to return to Nigeria. Last week, Miss Otobo returned to Nigeria. Apostle Suleiman, working on a scheme to silence her, paid money into her account and then got the account frozen. It was while Miss Otobo was trying to make a withdrawal from her account, having tried unsuccessfully to use an Automated Teller Machine, that she was arrested on the orders of Apostle Suleiman.

According to Miss Otobo, Apostle Suleiman is a spectacularly dissolute man. He once requested her, she said, to bring her friends along for group sex, a request turned down given that there was a plan to get married.
Miss Otobo, through her lawyers, warned Apostle Suleiman that she has their Unclad pictures together, raunchy text messages, bank statements, and other implicating items.

They lawyers disclosed that Miss Otobo used to send nude pictures to Apostle Suleiman every Sunday, just before he went on the pulpit.

Despite these, Suleiman called off the marriage proposal. However, Miss Otobo is not willing to take it lying down. She is demanding to be paid the sum of N500million as damages for not honoring the promise to marry her. Miss Otobo also wants Apostle Suleiman to stop harassing her and threatening her life. Her lawyers have given the preacher a seven-day ultimatum to meet the demands or get reported to law enforcement agencies for the threat to her life and face trial for breaching the promise to marry her.

The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, has said that the marginalisation of the region by successive administrations necessitated agitation by the youths for a sovereign state of Biafra.

Speaking at the forum of leaders of the South-South and South-East geo-political zones at the weekend, Nwodo noted that he aspired for a country where every part would be fully involved and the future generation would have a better country than the present generation.

“Our children are agitating. Our children do not want to be part of this country anymore because they feel that we are second-class citizens and because they feel that their parents are incapable of standing out for them.
“They want the Republic of Biafra because most of them feel they are discriminated against and are not equal with others,” he said. He, however, noted that the country was better as one, as the impact of war on any country can never be over-emphasised
“We think that in the African continent, our size is our asset. We have built a brotherhood over the years since 1960 and we cannot break. “Consequently, we have to put our heads together and find a better federal structure, a constitutional structure, which gives every part of this country satisfaction. In weeks and few months to come, the socio-cultural organisations will come together to seek an end to this impending catastrophe,” he stated.

Host of the meeting, an elder statesman and Ijaw National Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, canvassed for an egalitarian society where everyone would be equal because the country belongs to everyone.

“We are far away from the kind of country our founding-fathers bequeathed to us. At independence in 1960, the Richard’s Constitution spelt out what Nigeria should be – a Federal Republic with three regions – North, East and West as the components. Each of the regions is equal and each is allowed to develop at its own pace. But today, the reverse is the case,”

The Nigerian Army, through the Operation Delta Safe, says it has raided some creeks in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states and destroyed 80 illegal refineries.

Spokesperson for the operation, Major Abubakar Abdullahi, said on Monday that three suspects were also arrested in Obhoyohan and Ngiri creeks in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

He said, “The troops discovered and destroyed seven illegal refineries containing 150,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil. Three suspects were also arrested in connection with the illegalities, and are currently undergoing investigation.

“While in Delta State, the troops that patrolled the Sara Abileye swamp in Warri South-West Local Government Area discovered a network of six illegal refineries made up of four storage tanks. In all, about 80 illegal refineries were destroyed.

“They were in Ajoloso Creek in Elume community, Warri South-West; Udu, Ughelli-South Local Government Area; Bolo in Bonny Local Government Area and other parts of the states.

“This is in addition to 25 others earlier raided at Ijokiri in Bonny LGA. We appeal to all law-abiding citizens to continue to support Operation Delta Safe activities with valuable information.”

The South-West leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, of causing crisis in the zone.

It said that the purported meeting of the party in the zone in Ado-Ekiti on Monday was held at the instance of the governor, describing the governor as a big shame to the party.

The Chairman of the PDP in the zone, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, stated this in a statement in Abuja.

Ogundipe was reacting to the meeting of some members of the party in the zone, whom he said were not PDP officials but cronies of the governor.

He said, “Ordinarily, any action by a character like Fayose does not deserve a response from a responsible quarter. But, for record purposes, it is important to point out that Fayose is the big shame bedevilling the PDP family, especially in the South-West.

“Fayose’s action of summoning a meeting he lacks the right to call at a time when well-meaning leaders and elders are calling for restraint and reconciliation is most despicable.

“Otherwise, how do we describe his action and utterances under the guise of a non-existent and illegal South-West PDP leaders’ forum? In what capacity did he call the meeting of South-West PDP leaders? Can a governor call a zonal PDP leaders meeting?

“Has he been able to call a full meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum which he purports to lead? We thank God that most of the respectable leaders of our party in the South-West shunned the illegal gathering.”

Ogundipe said that it was most ridiculous that Fayose had become a slave to his inordinate ambition, adding that the governor was bent on destroying an otherwise solid and responsible institution like the PDP.

“He must be reminded that he was the least qualified to be Ekiti governor when he was foisted on the party and the people of the state. Most of those who fell for his trick of being a better and more mature person are now full of regrets,” he added.

He said that Fayose, Eddy Olafeso and others at the meeting were clearly in contempt of the subsisting judgment and orders of the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division and the Federal High Court, Lagos.

While the Court of Appeal sacked the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee and set aside everything that was purportedly done at the botched May 21, 2016 National Convention, the Federal High Court, Lagos in a judgment delivered on May 17, 2016 specifically nullified the purported zonal congress that was said to have produced Olafeso and his team and proclaimed that the tenure of Ogundipe remains till October, 2018.

“Till date, the two judgments are valid and subsisting. No contrary order or judgment has been got. It is trite that an appeal does not operate as a stay of execution and a judgment creditor cannot be stopped from enjoying the benefit of his victory at the court,” Ogundipe added.

Reacting, Fayose described Ogundipe as an agent of the APC.

He also said it was wrong of Ogundipe to describe the zonal meeting of the party which he hosted in Ekiti State as fake.

The governor, who spoke through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, said that it was funny that Ogundipe could describe meetings attended by the likes of Chief Bode George and Chief Ebenezer Babatope as being attended by fake members of the party.

Though Fayose did not dispute the court judgment that validated Ogundipe as the zonal chairman of the party, he, however, said that the judgment had been appealed.

He said, “One day, Nigerians would know that these are the agents of the APC. How can someone describe a meeting attended by the only governor in the zone as being fake?

“These are the agents of the APC and, at the appropriate time, Nigerians would know their intentions.

“We know there was a judgment, but we have appealed, just as Senator Ali Modu Sheriff appealed the judgment of the lower court which sacked him from office.

“When a judgment is appealed, it is believed that that will serve as a stay of execution.”

The meeting organised by the Federal Government between the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and stakeholders in the oil-producing communities in Edo State was on Monday partially disrupted following a protest by angry youths over the alleged neglect of the communities.

The protesters, who waved placards inside the Samuel Ogbemudia Hall of the New Era College, venue of the meeting, accused the Federal Government of sidelining the oil-producing communities located in Orhionmwon, Ikpoba-Okha and Ovia North-East LGAs, in the amnesty programme.

They also threatened to stall oil production if the government failed to visit the host communities in order to see, first-hand, the level of underdevelopment in the affected areas.

The protest lasted for over 30 minutes as security operatives from the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, Nigerian Prison Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps had a hard time trying to control the situation.

It, however, took the intervention of Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, to calm the protesters.

Also present at the meeting were the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu; Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru, and the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire.

Osinbajo had been expected to visit some of the communities during his one-day tour of the state.

But the acting President, who later addressed the youths, explained that the visit was not shelved due to security reasons but to enable him to return to Abuja before the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport for repairs on Tuesday (today).

He said, “Our plan is to ensure that we visit all of the oil-producing communities. Just as was rightly said, we had stationed at the (Benin) airport our helicopters in order to take us there.

“There is no issue of insecurity at all. We have been to other oil-producing communities.”

He described the devastation in oil-producing communities in Edo as a challenge that was prevalent in the Niger Delta region.

Osinbajo, who had earlier paid a courtesy call on the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II, stated that the Gele Gele Seaport and export-free zone in Ovia North-East was an important project to the Federal Government and would be worked on seriously to serve as a supplier to other ports.

While noting that he was not unaware of several projects abandoned in the oil-rich states, Osinbajo said that the Federal Government would prosecute any contractor who had received payment for the execution of projects in the region but abandoned them in the end.

“We have already ordered all of the contractors who had abandoned their projects back to site. We are going to ensure that any contractor who has taken money and has abandoned his project is prosecuted.

“They must be held accountable. Nobody can be allowed to get away with an abandoned project and take away the money. We will make sure that anybody who has taken a contract is held to account and I can assure you that that will be done.”

Osinbajo, also accused the elite of depriving the people of the Niger Delta of the benefits of their natural resources, adding that the host communities must be made the hub for both small and large petrochemical industries.

On his part, Obaseki described the protest by the oil communities as an expression of the feelings of deprivation caused by years of corruption, adding that this had bedevilled government’s effort to develop the region.

He said, “What you have seen today is representative of who we are; we express our feelings. At the end of the day, we are a people who know how to talk to each other.”

“We have issues, just like every other group in Nigeria, but we know how to address such issues and how to resolve our issues.”

The governor urged the acting President to reconsider the various reports on the Niger Delta and visit the affected communities.

Well, opinion is divided as to whether or not it is advisable to have s*x during a woman’s menstrual period.

Of course, most— if not all — religions forbid s*x when a woman is having her period. But even at that, the truth is that couples do have s*x during this period and they simply keep mum thereafter!

In fact, men confess that it’s women who hold back during monthly period and that, otherwise, they do not see anything wrong with s*x when a woman — especially their wife or trusted girlfriend — is having her period.

And contrary to certain myths, menstrual blood does no harm to the penis!

Yes, it is 2017 but there are people who still believe that menstrual blood is impure. But there is no science to prove that menstrual blood harms the penis.

If anything, scientists assure that menstrual blood is a mix of healthy blood and blood that the body no longer needs. So, even if your man’s p3n!s has some of your period blood on it, there is nothing to worry about if you don’t have sexually transmissible disease.

Again, some women avoid period sex, not necessarily because they hate it, but simply because they fear creating a mess!

But wait, isn’t it always messy when men ejaculate? So, why bother about creating a mess that is, er, rather periodic?

Of course, no one should get careless at this time of the month simply because they think that the sperm will wash out with the blood after the s*x act, as physicians warn that the risk of catching or transmitting infection is as real during the menstrual period, as much as it is when a woman isn’t having her Niagara Falls!

Again, be aware that s*x during monthly periods makes you more vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases.

The reason is this: During this time, the cervix is more open than usual and that will put you at a higher risk of infections and diseases. So, whenever you have period sex, make sure that you are safe.

For one, s*x experts say, you don’t need to worry about lubricant, as the blood can serve as a natural lubricant.

For another, they say, having an orgasm at this time is a great way to relieve menstrual cramps.

So, why not, if not!

If therefore you’re ready to give period s*x a go, sexologists suggest a few tips…

Before having sex, spread a dark towel on the bed.
Use a latex condom so that some of the blood that gets on him can be easily rolled off.
Keep a warm, wet washcloth or towel nearby.
Try different positions. Lying on your back or side will be less messy than going at it on top.
Most important, have fun, but stay safe!

Warning: While many couples see period s*x as a great opportunity to forgo using a condom, physicians say you can still get pregnant, as some women ovulate late or within five days of bleeding.

Again, both partners can transmit and contract sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and hepatitis.

The bottom line: No matter what time of the month it is, a condom is your safest bet.