WELCOME TO AOP'S BLOG

Posts

Showing posts from April, 2019

World Malaria Day: Zero Malaria Starts With Me

By Joshua Nicholas Today the whole world commemorates the " World Malaria Day". April 25th is a day set outside every year all over the world to sensitize, educate and enlighten people about this deadly disease. Globally, 3.3 billion people in 106 countries are at risk of malaria as seen in the latest world Malaria report released by WHO (World Health Organization). After more than a decade of steady advances in fighting malaria, progress has levelled off. According to the report, no significant gains were made in reducing malaria cases in the period 2015 to 2017. The estimated number of malaria deaths in 2017, at 435 000, remained virtually unchanged over the previous year. Urgent action is needed to get the global response to malaria back on track – and ownership of the challenge lies in the hands of countries most affected by malaria. On World Malaria Day 2019, WHO joins the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, the African Union Commission and other partner organiza

The New Media As A Tool In Enhancing Democracy In Nigeria

By Joshua Nicholas The origin of democracy is traceable to ancient Greek. The word 'Demo' in Greek means people and 'Kratia' means government. These two words metamorphosed into the word Democracy. As earlier stated Abraham Lincoln defined Democracy as " Government of the people by the people and for the people." These definition could be broken down into three parts with relevant explanations. a. Government by the people refers to Government on behalf of the people. b. Government by the people refers to representative government. c. Government for the people means that government should be carried on by people of high principle, that is, those trusted with the affairs of government should not be politicians who seek to make themselves rich or powerful at the expense of those whom they are expected to serve. Dibie (2012). Democracy as a form of government has long suffered to disguised authoritarian government especially in developing nations; a

What Else Is Cultism?

By: Joshua Nicholas Confraternity means a group of people with a common interest. As a matter of urgency in the spirit, this article is meant to reclaim the lost identity and set Babylon on rampage. The mount of Esau is exalting itself against Zion and something needs to be done swiftly. The enemy has rode on us for so long; where one small boy can come and harass an entire church with one small gun proclaiming boldly that he is a cultist. Forgetting we are greater cultists, more dreaded, fearful and extremely Militia. Some artilleries in our arsenal are listed below: 1. Significance of the Gun: This type of gun ehnn if you shoot it, it doesn't just destroy mortal bodies. It has the capacity and potential to penetrate into realms and cause havoc. It can also pierce the soul and spirit, kill it or quicken it alive. That's why you need to fear this gun. Heb 4:12, Psm 29:7, 2Tim 1:7. 2. Significance of the Blood: It is in our tradition and part of our sacred activ

PSG Retains Ligue 1 Title

Paris Saint Germain have won the Ligue 1 title for the second successive season after second-place Lille failed to beat Toulouse. PSG’s closest challengers failed to follow up on the 5-1 hammering they dished out when the two sides met last Sunday on what had been all set up to be a title celebration. Instead, the team crumbled to their biggest defeat since their Qatari owners took over the club, and were beaten again away at Nantes on Wednesday. But the celebrations were only delayed a matter of days, as Lille’s goalless draw at Toulouse meant they are now unable to catch their illustrious rivals, and the title has returned to the capital. The team had only dropped nine points all season prior to last Sunday’s collapse at Lille, but with the finishing line in sight they were beaten twice in a matter of days to open up the faintest of possibilities that their title success could be in jeopardy.

Juventus Clinches 8th Straight Serie A Title

Juventus beat Fiorentina 2-1 to clinch a record-extending 8th straight Serie A title. It's the first time in Europe's five major leagues has a club has won 8 straight titles. Juventus (87 points from 33 games) moved 20 points ahead of second-place Napoli.

Adekunle Gold Celebrates Simi As She Turns A Year Older

Adekunle Gold has taken to social media to celebrate his wife Simi, as she marks her first birthday as a married woman. I am definitely not going to talk about family with the media. You won’t hear that from me. If there are other questions, I will love to speak about them but not about family or marriage. It’s a no! Just like Simi did on his birthday, the Nigerian singer took to his Instagram page to celebrate his wife who turned 31 today. He wrote; “First birthday as Mars Kosovo.Older by a year but you are sexier than ever.Happy birthday Omo Charlie Champagne.Love you forever” The musical couple got married in January 2019 after several years of dating. Simi had recently said in an interview that she won’t talk about her marriage to Adekunle Gold publicly. She said; Please don’t let us talk about that (the marriage). I won’t talk about that matter. So just drop the question. I am definitely not going to talk about family with the media. You won’t hear that from me.

NLC Demands New Minimum Wage Implementation Immediately

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has praised President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the new 30,000 Naira Minimum Wage Bill into law. The union commended the President’s decision in a statement by its General Secretary, Dr Peter Ozo-Eson. It, however, demanded that the law be implemented immediately, noting that the process had lingered for almost two years. The NLC also appealed to employers, especially the federal and state governments to commence further actions with a view to implementing the law on time. The statement read, “We at the Nigeria Labour Congress wish to express our appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for signing into law the new national minimum wage bill of N30,000. “We commend Mr President for doing the needful. However, we would use this opportunity to call for immediate implementation of the law, given the fact that this process has dragged on for nearly two years.” “In furtherance of this, we urge employers, particularly fe

Saraki Calls For ‘Selfless Service’ From Nigerians In Easter Message

Senate President, Bukola Saraki has called on Nigerians to commit themselves to selfless service and make sacrifices in the interest of the country. Saraki made the call in an Easter message to Christians on Thursday signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu. The President of the Senate stated that the Easter period was again a reminder that Jesus Christ whose birth, life, passion, death and resurrection brought salvation to mankind. “I believe that our country will become better if we all commit ourselves to selfless service and making sacrifices, both at the individual and collective level. I also believe that Christians, like their counterparts in other faiths, have spent the Lenten Season to stand in the gap for Nigeria and humanity in general.” He urged Nigerians not to relent and; “The prayers and fasting of Nigerians have been the bulwark against all the centrifugal and centripetal forces threatening to pull our nation down. We must not re

Provide Evidence That You Defeated Me In Presidential Election - Buhari Tells Atiku

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and winner of the February 2019 election, Muhammadu Buhari, has faulted claim by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar that they won the election. President Buhari told the Presidential Election Tribunal that, by the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, he (Buhari) and his party, were victorious in the last election. The APC candidate also told the Tribunal that the claim by Atiku and the PDP that the tradermoni policy of the government was a vote-buying measure was not true. According to Buhari, the policy formed one of the many social intervention policies his government had put in place, directed at alleviating the suffering of the masses. Buhari asked the Tribunal to ignore the claim by the petitioners that they won by results they obtained from a purported INEC server because it lacked legal basis. Buhari further challenged

President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 Easter Message, Speaks On Love

I rejoice with all Nigerians, especially our Christian brethren on the glorious occasion of the celebration of Easter 2019. Easter is the most important feast in the Christian calendar and represents God’s redemptive mission over humanity, the triumph of light over darkness, hope over despair and good over evil. The Christian festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ is also a time to emulate the virtues of love, sacrifice, forgiveness, humility, courage and endurance, which Christ embodied and remarkably demonstrated during His earthly ministry. Let us use this auspicious season to show love to our neighbours, and cater to the needs of the less-privileged in our midst. Our nation is currently gripped with gloom over unfortunate killings, kidnappings and violence, as seen in the recent tragic incidents in some states of the federation. This should not be. We must reinforce the bond of brotherhood and good neighbourliness that citizens of a cohesive country mu

Buhari Signs N30,000 Minimum Wage Bill Into Law

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the new 30,000 minimum wage bill into law. Buhari signed the new bill into law at the State House in Abuja. The National Assembly passed the National Minimum Wage Bill, approving N30,000 minimum monthly wage for Federal and State workers. The proposed new National Minimum Wage was presented to the National Council of State on Jan. 22 after which it was sent to the National Assembly. The Federal Executive Council meeting also deliberated and approved the minimum wage after which it was transmitted to the National Assembly and subsequently passed by both chambers of the legislative arm. Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters(Senate) told State House correspondents that the Senate had on March 19, approved N30, 000 as the new national minimum wage with an appeal to the Federal Government to expedite action on assent and implementation. “This makes it compulsory for all employers of labo

THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THE NEW MEDIA (INTERNET) IN THE NIGERIA'S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

BY JOSHUA NICHOLAS Despite all the interesting features of the New Media ( Internet) to our educational system, it has also contributed to its increasing decline in a number of ways. The purpose of this article is not to spell the new media as “bad”, but to suggest for little restrictions and control over the excessive use of the new media technologies especially amongst the Nigerian youths. One of the negative consequences of the new media is the increase in social vices. There were some practices that were not welcomed in the society, but the new media has socialized vices and made it very common in the society, that moral values are not regarded as children and youth learn so many immoral things online, get bullied and bully others. Some of these vices are internet fraudsters, hacking to people’s account, hacking to organization’s account, hacking to examination websites, sell things online, sex predators and evil offline relationships that emanates from online friendship.

THE ‘EDUCAGEGEON’ OF THE AFRICAN WOMAN Vs THE EDUCATION OF THE AFRICAN WOMAN

BY JOSHUA NICHOLAS The story of Mrs Chinwe Obiagu is a representation of the plight of the traditional African woman in a traditional African society. Mrs. Chinwe who is from the south eastern part of Nigeria, is a petty trader, a mother of two kids and a beautiful bride. Her husband who is a farmer, Mr. Emeka is a loving and caring man, and also hardworking and well respected in the community. On one occasion, after coming back from his farm, he sat down at the chair in front of his house, dozed off and never returned again. At first, Chinwe and their two children thought their husband and father was just having a rest, little did they know that he was gone into eternity. It was at the point, she called her husband to have dinner that was when she knew that something was wrong. She called and called and never got a response; only for her to come and meet him lifeless. She started shouting and shouting and did all she could to have him back with the help of some neigbours,

What Happened The Day I Was Born By Joshua Nicholas

As I write this article, I just keep looking at my life if really the events before my birth have been tackled in any way by me. At every point in time, the earth recognizes a need, a need for improvement. Let me bring to our notice as we continue this journey that everyone alive on earth's planet, has been given an appointment from Heaven. What really happened the day you were born? You were given an appointment letter from your creator to work in Earth's PLC. Your job description is also given by your employer at a later time in your new organization when you request for it. Take note, the joy of every employer is to see his/her employees make continuous progress in achieving the set goals of the organization. During interview (your foetus days), He didn't looked for the ones with the best CV, but the one He loved; He didn't also looked for the extra qualities that every employer will want, but He crested them Himself. That was how you scaled through and f

GAME OF THRONES SEASON 8 EPISODE 1: THE TWELVE BEST LINES

Game of Thrones returned for its eighth and final season with an episode filled with lines of dialogue to relish. The episode marked the reunion of several main characters , including Jon Snow and Arya Stark, and did a good job of doling out screen time to each member of its crowded ensemble. Elsewhere, it featured a hilarious reference to last season’s controversial Ed Sheeran cameo as well as a terrifying death at the hands of the Night King, an explainer of which you can find here. Below are the 10 best lines from the premiere, titled “The Contest”. Sansa: [snarkily] "What exactly do dragons eat?" Daenerys: "Whatever they want." Tyrion: [about Joffrey’s wedding] “it was a miserable affair.” Sansa: “It had its moments.” Jon: [about Arya’s sword, Needle] “Have you ever used it?” Arya: “Once or twice.” Qyburn: ”I’m afraid I bring terrible news: the dead have broken through the wall”. Cersei: “Good.” Cersei: [to Euron] “You want a whore, buy he

GAME OF THRONES SEASON EIGHT EPISODE ONE. THE SIX FUNNIEST LINES

Sure, Westeros is packed with death and destruction, but there are also a few good laughs. Game of Thrones is back, and so are the witty lines that help make the HBO fantasy hit such a deliciously quotable show. Here are some spoiler-filled show recap , but if you just want the best lines, read on. Oh Tyrion, we've missed you and your one-liners. (Spoilers, of course.) 1. That took cojones Varys: You take great offense at dwarf jokes, but love telling eunuch jokes. Why is that? Tyrion: Because I have balls, and you don't. 2. Something borrowed, something bloody Tyrion: Last time we spoke was at Joffrey's wedding. Miserable affair. Sansa: It had its moments. 3. Order more Purina Dragon Chow Sansa: What do dragons eat, anyway? Daenerys: Whatever they want. 4. Rolling snake eyes Euron, explaining why some soldiers died in transit: They cheated at dice. Or maybe I cheated. Someone cheated. 5. A certain a-peel Varys: The Karstarks. Tyrion: One of the be

Champions League: Barca Breeze Past Man Utd; Ajax Stun Juventus

Barcelona dumped Manchester United out of the Champions League in splendid style as they romped to a 3-0 win which saw them go through to the semifinals with a 4-0 aggregate scoreline. Lionel Messi scored a first half brace before Philippe Coutinho added a stunning third with a long-ranger that beat David De Gea all ends up. Barcelona will now face the winner of the clash between Liverpool and FC Porto in the semi. In the other quarter-final, Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus were dealt the knockout blow by Ajax who won 2-1 in Turin to record a 3-2 aggregate win. Ronaldo had given Juve the lead on the night with a trademark header, but Donny van de Beek and Mathijs de Ligt ensured Ajax had the last laugh and continued their miraculous run in the Champions League. Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur await Ajax in the final four now.

Tiger Woods End Major Title Drought With Fifth Augusta Masters

Golf legend, Tiger Woods with 13 under, on Sunday ended his 11-year major title drought by winning Augusta Masters, his fifth green jacket and 15th major title. The 43 year-old American is now three titles away from Jack Nicklaus, who holds a record 18 major titles. To win with one stroke, Woods seized the top of the leaderboard at Augusta National Golf Club from Italy’s Francesco Molinari, who was overnight leader on Saturday. Molinari, the reigning British Open champion had seized the 54-hole lead on 13-under par 203 with Woods and Finau two strokes behind. Brooks Koepka, last year’s US Open and PGA Championship winner, began three adrift with fellow American Webb Simpson, the 2012 US Open, and England’s Ian Poulter four off the pace. But as he did in the past, Woods held his nerve as the blustery field blew the other players away. Despite making a bogey in the last hole, Woods ended up with 2 under. Molinari, along with Finau, Webb Simpson and Jason Day ended up with 11

GAME OF THRONES: FANS REACT TO HUGE JON SNOW REVELATION IN SEASON 8 EPISODE 1

Game of Thrones season eight has finally arrived and with the premiere came a moment that’s essentially been almost a decade in the making. Although fans only officially learned about Jon Snow’s true heritage when the L the+ R = J theory was confirmed last season, this new installment - the HBO show’s first in 595 days – saw Snow himself discover the news. For those who don’t recall, Snow ( Kit Harington ) is the son of Ned Stark’s sister, Lyanna, and Rhaegar Targaryen, the older brother of Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), making Jon (real name: Aegon) the true heir to the Iron Throne. The news is revealed to him by his friend Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) who is ordered to do so by Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead-Wright). The unexpected twist to the tale is that Sam does this after learning that Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) murdered his father and brother when they refused to pledge their allegiance to her last season. Sam’s revelation will no doubt plant a seed of doubt in Snow’s mind rega

GAME OF THRONES SEASON EIGHT: IS ARYA BEEN SET UP TO KILL THE NIGHT KING?

Arya's reunion with Gendry in episode one of the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones was one of the undeniable highlights. Not only did fans enjoy seeing some light flirtation between the two, but they also caught a glimpse at a mysterious weapon Arya wants the blacksmith to make for her. The weapon, which is to be made from rare substances that are known to kill White Walkers, is comprised of two parts and looks as though it will function as a javelin-crossbow hybrid. Many fans are now wondering if Arya will be the one to kill the Night King, rather than Jon Snow , with the logic being that the Night King represents death itself, a theme that has been most closely tied with Arya's story and her training with the Faceless Men. Others are more sceptical and believe that Jon or Daenerys will be the ones who have to face the Night King, and have therefore wondered if Arya will instead take down the ice dragon. A deliberately drawn-out shot showed Arya staring u

No Plan To Remove Fuel Subsidy Now - FG

The Federal Government has again clarified its stance on the removal of fuel subsidy, saying it had no plan to do so in the immediate future. The Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, said this on Sunday at the briefing by the Nigerian delegation on the outcome of their meetings with investors and institutions at the IMF/World Bank meetings in Washington DC. Ahmed spoke in reaction to IMF’s advice to federal government to remove fuel subsidy, which might have led to panic buying in the country. “There is no imminent plan to remove subsidy. IMF said that fuel subsidy is better removed so that we can use the resources for other important sectors. “In principle, It’s a good suggestion, but in Nigeria we don’t have any plans to remove fuel subsidy at this time because we have not yet designed buffers that will enable us remove the subsidy and provide cushions for our people. “So there is no plan to remove fuel subsidy. “We will be working with various groups to find an altern

Atiku Spreading Fake 2019 Election Results – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, fabricated the votes he claimed to have scored. Atiku, in his petition before the presidential election tribunal, had claimed he defeated President Muhammadu Buhari by 1,615,302 votes. He said data from INEC server showed that he polled a total of 18,356,732 votes to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he said had 16,741,430 votes. However, INEC’s polling figures from the 36 states and the FCT gave Buhari 15,191,847 votes, while Atiku came second with 11,262,978 votes. In its response as the first respondent in the case, INEC disowned the figures from Atiku. On page eight of its 80-page reply seen by TheCable, INEC said: “Further to the foregoing, the website described as www.factsdontlieng.com was neither created nor owned by the 1st Respondent (INEC). It is a site not known to the 1st Re

Buhari Renews Vow To Secure Release Of Leah Sharibu, Chibok Girls

President Muhammadu Buhari has renewed his vow to ensure the release of Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok girls in Boko Haram’s enclave. In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, the President promised the parents of the kidnapped girls that he would ensure their daughters are returned home. The President’s statement was in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok girls. He said he is aware that the promise to rescue the girls is the main reason the people of Chibok voted overwhelmingly for him in the February election. President Buhari noted that although his government has so far succeeded in bringing back 107 of the girls, he will not rest until the remaining are reunited with their families. He assured the parents that his administration is still on the matter. “Diverse efforts are being intensified to secure the release of the Chibok Girls, along with all hostages in Boko

Blogger Elsie Godwin Thanks Everyone On Her Birthday, Shares Stunning Pictures

Elsie Godwin is a Nigerian relationship, literature and lifestyle blogger, social media manager, radio and TV talk show host has taken to the social media to appreciate everyone who wished her happy birthday. It reads thus: ''My phone has been hot and mentions be very confused at the moment. But I appreciate you all, the wishes, the bants. Elsie Godwin appreciates all. i am definitely not able to like or retweet all tweets but I love them. Thank you for making my day.'' See Photos:

EFCC Releases Detained Lawyer Ubani From Custody

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today released the former 2nd Vice President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Monday Ubani who had been detained by the Commission. Ubani was arrested and detained on March 19, along with Senator Christopher Enai, for failing to produce the former Managing Director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Mrs Ngozi Olejeme, who they both stood for as sureties. Olojeme is facing a N6.4billion fraud charge preferred against her by the EFCC. Ubani had maintained his innocence over Olejeme’s disappearance, insisting that she absconded after the EFCC raided her home He also stated that his decision to stand surety for Olejeme was because he compelled her to return to Nigeria to face the charges against her and all effort to secure her bail was frustrated by the EFCC. Ubani was released at about 11am.