Akwa Ibom unity choir breaks Guinness world record

The Akwa Ibom State choral group has broken the world record for the largest number of Christmas carol singers in the world. The unity choir, a 25,272 man-choral group broke the record during a concert in the Uyo Township Stadium on Saturday, December 13, 2014 with Guinness World Records representatives in attendance.

Making the announcement, Guinness World Records adjudicator, Liz Smith,congratulated the choir and said

“It is now time to reveal the report of the official attempt to break the Guinness World Record of the largest group of carol singers.

Our team of highly trained record specialists have reached a decision. The record to beat was 15,674. I can now confirm that your attempt to break the record has been successful. Congratulations on receiving a new Guinness World Records Title. The title of the largest group of carol singers has been achieved by Godswill Akpabio Unity Choir. You are officially amazing.”

 The former record was held by a group called CENTI in Bogota, Columbia. They had 15,674 carol singers in (December 15, 2013),

See Photos: Photos:The Italy Bound 'Ghost ship" with 796 migrants abandoned onboard

Herded like cattle into the rusty hull of an ageing merchant vessel, these are the desperate migrants abandoned by people traffickers to drift helplessly at sea.

The grainy photo – taken on board freighter Blue Sky M – reveals how 796 migrants including women and children were packed together in squalor on the freezing metal floor.

It was taken by a 35-year-old Syrian, who claims he paid almost £11,000 for himself and his pregnant wife to make the journey.

And on board a second so-called ghost ship, authorities this week found 359 people shivering and starving who had been crammed into freezing livestock holds on a 50-year-old freighter called Ezadeen.

With nowhere to sit or sleep, the migrants were forced to squeeze between metal bars designed to contain cattle and sheep and huddle together in the filthy pens.

The passengers, including 54 women – several of whom were pregnant – and 74 children, eight of whom were unaccompanied, endured a miserable ten-day voyage before they were rescued on Friday night.

They ran out of food, drink and fuel after five days, when the smugglers apparently locked them in the decaying vessel and escaped on a lifeboat.

Police believe the traffickers made almost £2million from the ‘socially well-off’ illegal migrants, believed to be from war-torn Syria, who would have each paid between £2,000 and £5,000 for their place on the perilous journey.

The migrants will now be taken to immigration centres and assessed to see if they have a valid claim for asylum. 

Before they can be granted asylum they must persuade authorities that they are fleeing persecution and would face harm or death if sent back to their country of origin.

Okonjo-Iweala sued over refusal to reveal salaries of political office-holders

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been dragged before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, over her alleged refusal to grant access to details of salaries and emoluments that political office holders receive from the federal budget per annum.....

A non-governmental organisation, Centre for Social Justice, through its lawyer, Mr. Nnajiaka Kingsley, is praying the court to issue an order of mandamus, compelling the minister to disclose the details of salaries and emoluments of civil servants as distinct from that of political office holders.

According to Vanguard, the plaintiff,  further prayed the court to declare that the action of the Minister in denying it access to the information, by ignoring an application that was made to her since February 3, 2014, without explanation as to why such details could not be made public, amounted to an infringement of the applicant’s right guaranteed and protected by section 1(1) of the FOI Act, 2011.

Consequently, it urged the court to award N500, 000 as damages against the Finance Minister over her continued refusal to disclose the information sought from her office.

The plaintiff contended that section 48(1) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act stipulated that the Federal Government should ensure that its fiscal and financial affairs are conducted in a transparent manner and accordingly, ensure full and timely disclosure and wide publication of all transactions and decisions involving revenues, expenditures and their implications for its finances.

Davido aqquires the latest craze in town

Davido is the latest to join the new selfie craze in town. It's the selfie stick..instead of the traditional taking of selfies, the stick helps you take perfect selfies...

Do you think it's necessary..I don't see myself with one though.. Too much trouble just for a pic lol

UK Govt have yawared lol. See what they are proposing for toddlers

How weird is this? Nursery staff and childminders have been given 'duty' by the UK government to report toddlers they suspect of being at risk of becoming terrorists under new Home Office measures. They will now start spying and labeling toddlers from black and ethnic minorities.

From Telegraph UK

Nursery school staff and registered childminders must report toddlers at risk of becoming terrorists, under counter-terrorism measures proposed by the Government. The directive is contained in a 39-page consultation document issued by the Home Office in a bid to bolster its Prevent anti-terrorism plan.

Critics said the idea was “unworkable” and “heavy-handed”, and accused the Government of treating teachers and carers as “spies”.

The document accompanies the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill, currently before parliament. It identifies nurseries and early years childcare providers, along with schools and universities, as having a duty “to prevent people being drawn into terrorism”.

The consultation paper adds: “Senior management and governors should make sure that staff have training that gives them the knowledge and confidence to identify children at risk of being drawn into terrorism and challenge extremist ideas which can be used to legitimise terrorism and are shared by terrorist groups.

"They should know where and how to refer children and young people for further help.”
But concern was raised over the practicalities of making it a legal requirement for staff to inform on toddlers.

David Davis, the Conservative MP and former shadow home secretary, said: “It is hard to see how this can be implemented. It is unworkable. I have to say I cannot understand what they [nursery staff] are expected to do.
“Are they supposed to report some toddler who comes in praising a preacher deemed to be extreme? I don’t think so.
“It is heavy-handed.”

Mr Davis also accused the Home Office of pushing the legislation too quickly.
Isabella Sankey, the policy director at human rights body Liberty, said: “Turning our teachers and childminders into an army of involuntary spies will not stop the terrorist threat.

Throwback photo of Mallam El Rufai when he was a lecturer

Here's a pic of former FCT Minister and Kaduna Governorship candidate, Mallam Nasir El Rufai when he was a lecturer of Quantity Surveying at the Ahmadu Bello University in 1988. Another pic after the cut..

Arrest of suspected armed robbers/cultists

Read the police statement below...

The Rivers State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that in its increased onslaughts on criminals to usher in year 2015, has on a tip-off raided a suspected criminals' hide out.

On 03/01/2015 at about 01:00AM a team of Policemen raided Prana Hotel along Oboburu road in Akabuka of ONELGA and arrested fifteen suspected armed robbers/cultists who were already about to go out and carry out their nefarious act.

The suspects are Vincent Odum, Odinaka Amaechi Ogbugo, Chisa Peter, Emenike Ayodele, John James, Vincent Ikeguru, Atumatu Isaac . Others are Oliver Odum, Gift Odika, Collins Georgewill, John Daniel, Uchechukwu Dimkpa, Emmanuel Solomon, Ogechi Okorobia and Obi Eze Okwu.

Item recovered from them include seven firearms made up of three Pump Action, one English-made Double barrel, one Locally-made Pistol double barrel and two Dane guns. Other items recovered are seventy nine cartridges, four objects suspected to be explosives, two cutlasses, one military camouflage trouser, a walkie talkie radio set and assorted charms.

The Commissioner of Police while wishing the people of Rivers State a Happy and Prosperous Year 2015 also expresses his profound appreciation to them for their uncommon support to the Police particularly their efforts of volunteering credible and timely information

DSP. Ahmad Kidaya Muhammad
Police Public Relations Officer,
Rivers State Police Command.

When I heard IK mention Idris name as winner, I thought he was joking- BBA Tayo

Nigeria's rep at the just concluded Big Brother Africa, Tayo Faniran says he was shocked and thought the shows host, IK Osakioduwa was pulling a fast one on him when he heard his fellow competitor, Idris announced as the winner of the reality show

"You see, when we were all in school, we all knew who the best students in the class were, and when someone who was the best student scored 70, we would say, haba, this person should score like 90.  Idris himself knows I won, but he only got the money. When we got on stage and were shown the highlights, I saw myself and I was laughing. In fact, everybody was entertained. The way people cheered when they heard my name assured me that I was winning already, so when Idris’s name was mentioned, I was shocked. For a while, I thought IK, the show’s host, was joking with me" he told the Nation

Asked if he feels cheated, Tayo said yes

"Well, yes. But I don’t feel it anymore because people are not allowing me to feel it. It got to a point that the show became regional. Getting on the internet, a lady had commented on a Facebook page commending Lilian’s picture, but she added that she would never vote for West Africa again, so it wasn’t against Nigeria, it was against West Africa. While in the house, Ella of Uganda and Franklin from Rwanda used to plead to East Africa to vote for them, and they would tell me to forget the game, since West Africa has won before, so I started fighting against it. I started campaigning during my diary sessions with Big Brother, telling people to vote for facts and not region. I said this at a press conference in South Africa that when we are abroad, we say we are all Africans, but when we are in Africa, we start to say we are East Africans or Southern Africans; we should all be united. It means people are not loyal to the game, they were just voting for their citizens and not for who entertained them the most" he said.

Tayo says acting and being a television personalty is now his dream

"Television has always been my home. I will love to stay around and still be able to entertain people, Africa and the world. I would say I am an element of entertainment and I want to give the best of my ability to the world. I will like to thank every Nigerian that has supported me and shown me love, I really appreciate it" he said.

Ex CBN Gov & Emir of Kano, Sanusi set to marry a 17 year old girl?

There are unconfirmed reports that former CBN governor and current Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II is getting ready to marry a 17 year old girl as his 4th wife. The teenage bride is said to be one of the daughter's of the Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa.

Sanusi already has three wives...and this upcoming marriage between the Emir of Kano and the daughter of the Lamido of Adamawa, who is a princess, will reportedly deepen royal bond between Adamawa and Kano. The wedding is expected to happen soon. 

The Gutzler family release pic of the 7yr old girl who survived plane crash

This is the 7yr old girl who proved to the world recently that miracles still do happen. She survived a plane crash on Friday evening January 2nd that killed her parents, sister and cousin. The plane the family was flying in, a Piper PA-34 went down in Western Kentucky and by some miracle, Sailor Gutzler survived, trekked three-quarters of a mile in the dark barefoot until she found a house and knocked on their door, telling them what had just happened to her family.

"She told me that her mom and dad were dead. And that she had been in a plane crash." The man whose home Sailor knocked on told CNN

Wilkins said he got the little girl on his couch and called the police who later found the wreckage of the plane. Sailor was also taken to the hospital but not for any life threatening injuries. The people who died were her dad Marty Gutzler, 48; her mum Kimberly Gutzler, 46, her sister, 9-year-old Piper Gutzler (pictured right) and Sailor's cousin,14-year-old Sierra Wilder. FAA investigators in Kentucky are trying to find out what caused the crash.

Sailor's parents

Photos: Gen Buhari attends Lagos state annual thanksgiving

APC Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari joined Governor of Lagos state Babatunde Fashola, RCCG General Overseer Pastor Adeboye and his wife and other Lagosians to offer praise to God for 2015 at the state house arena in Ikeja today January 4th. Other dignitaries present at the thanksgiving included APC National Chairman John Oyegun, Gov Rotimi Amaechi, APC VP Candidate Prof Yemi Osinbajo. More photos after the cut...

Photo: Baby, 5 others die in fatal multiple accident in Abeokuta

A baby girl and five adults died this evening January 4th in an accident that occurred along the Koba stretch of the Abeokuta – Siun expressway. The accident involved a Space wagon, a Toyota car and a Hilux Van. According to eye witnesses, the driver of the Toyota car who was heading into Abeokuta  veered off his lane and swerved into the track of those leaving Abeokuta for either Lagos or Sagamu and crashed into the Space Wagon headlong. 3 passengers in the Space Wagon, including the little girl died. (Photo credit: The Nation)