'Don’t relent, continue farming' - President Buhari tell Nigerians

President Buhari has urged Nigerians not to relent in their support for the Federal Government’s drive to move away from over-dependence on oil to agriculture.

The president made the call while addressing supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during his presidential campaign in Birnin Kebbi saying, ”I was in Kebbi in 2015, during my campaigns and I made three promises: To transform the economy, boost security, as well as fight corruption head long".

He continued to say, “on security, the people of Borno have, yesterday, confirmed that Boko Haram have been fully decimated. On agriculture, the last two rainy seasons had recorded bumper harvests, as such , food security is highly guaranteed in the country as we have reduced the importation of rice by 90 per cent, and we have also provided subsidised fertilisers to our teeming farmers. While hoping that similar bumper harvests would be recorded this year, I am appealing to Nigerians to go back to farm for subsistence and for sale and they should not relent in efforts to achieve that”.

Angola decriminalizes same-sex conduct and introduces jail term for anyone who discriminates against individuals for their sexual orientation...SHAME! ALWAYS KNEW THEY WERE NEXT

Angola has decriminalized same-sex activity and banned discrimination against individuals based on their sexual orientation.

The change came on Wednesday, January 23, as Angola's parliament adopted the new first penal code since independence from Portugal in 1975 and removed the “vices against nature” provision in its law, which was inherited from its Portuguese colonizers and was widely interpreted to be a ban on homosexual conduct.

This is the latest in reforms under the administration of President Joao Lourenco, a former defense minister who took office in 2017 after the long rule of Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

Taking things one step further, the government has also prohibited discrimination against people on the basis of sexual orientation. Anyone refusing to employ or provide services to individuals based on their sexual orientation may face up to two years in prison.  

Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi joins championship club Middlesbrough until end of season

Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, 31,  has signed for Championship club Middlesbrough on a short term deal until the end of the season. 

The former Chelsea midfielder who became a free agent in November after a two-year spell with Tianjin Teda in China passed his medical with Tony Pulis' side without a hitch after agreeing on personal terms.

Mikel who won both the Champions League and Europa League with Chelsea told the club's website: 'For me, it's looking at the project.

MI accuses US rapper J. Cole of stealing his style for his new song "Middle Child'

Nigerian rapper, MI has accused American rapper J.Cole of stealing his style for his new song "Middle Child" which dropped few days ago.

While replying a Twitter user who brought it to his attention, comparing it to his 'Head of the family' in his 'Illegal Music 2' mixtape, the Nigerian rapper wrote: 'SMH.. n***as been biting my style for years.'

Cristiano Ronaldo criticized for posting private jet selfie while plane carrying Emiliano Sala is still missing

Christiano Ronaldo has been strongly criticized for posting a smiling photo of himself taken in a private jet while footballer Emiliano Sala is still missing after the plane he was in vanished.

As the search for Sala was called off for the night, fellow footballer Cristiano Ronaldo tweeted a photo of himself taking a selfie in a private jet. In another photo, he can be seen wearing a wide grin and giving a thumbs up in the aircraft as he left Madrid where he was given a suspended jail sentence for tax fraud.

Fans, sports lovers, and pundits thought Ronaldo's photo was insensitive and they called him out for it. 

BBC pundit Gary Lineker retweeted Ronaldo's photo and wrote:

Not the day for this tweet. It really isn’t.

Other Twitter users told him it was wrong and disrespectful for him to share such a photo at a time like this while some asked him if he had read the news about Sala at all.

See tweets below.

'I'm impressed with INEC's readiness for the 2019 elections - President Buhari tells EU election observers

President Buhari today in Abuja told the European Union Observer Mission (EOM) to Nigeria’s elections starting in February, that he was impressed by the preparations made by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and was optimistic that the electoral body would deliver on its mandate of a credible poll.

Receiving the EOM, led by the Chief Observer and member of the European Parliament, Maria Arena, at the State House, the President said he had listened earlier in the day, to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, when he briefed the National Council of State.

According to President Buhari, “I am happy and impressed with the briefing he gave. I hope that the confidence he exuded and the intellect he brought to bear on the Report will be justified at the end of the day.”

The President told the EU delegation that Nigeria had grown its electoral system incrementally, getting better year after year. “Having participated in elections four times in the past, I would say that since 2015, technology has helped the credibility of our elections,” he said.

President Buhari said that Nigeria with over 250 cultural groups across religions and ethnic groups, with each group canvassing for identity and primacy in the affairs of the nation, “patriotism demands that we identify the nation’s best interest and go with it.”

He stressed that the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, administration had the good sense of identifying the national interest to include security, peace and stability, improved economy, jobs creation and the campaign against corruption, noting that the party was not wrong in 2015, and is not wrong going into the election this year with the same issues in its campaigns.

The President thanked the delegation for taking interest in Nigeria’s elections, and in the affairs of the nation generally.

The EOM team, accompanied by Ambassador Ketil Karlsen, Head, European Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said that the EU had observed every election in Nigeria since 1999, and had come here again for the next one, following an invitation by INEC.

The delegation promised impartiality and neutrality in the monitoring of the elections.

'If I could speak to President Trump directly, I would tell him to "resign" - Former Secretary of State, John Kerry

Former Secretary of State John Kerry has said that if he could speak to President Donald Trump directly, he would tell him to "resign."

He was asked by CNBC's Tania Bryer during a World Economic Forum panel in Davos, Switzerland, what he would convey to Trump and Kerry replied, "I can't play that because he doesn't take any of this seriously. He doesn't have an ability to have that kind of conversation." When pressed on what his message to the President would be, Kerry responded, "Resign".

Buhari plans to use police, soldiers to rig elections- TY Danjuma alleges

Former Minister of Defence, Theophilus Danjuma, has accused the Buhari-led administration of planning to use police and soldiers to rig the coming elections. The presidential and National Assembly elections is slated for February 16th while the governorship/state Assembly/Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections will hold on Saturday, 2nd March, 2019.

The retired army general made the allegation when he spoke at the inauguration of a medical laboratory at the Rufkatu Danjuma Maternity Hospital in Takum, his hometown in Taraba state yesterday January 22nd.

Describing Nigeria’s democracy as primitive, he said there is a plan to cause unrest that would make some states ungovernable in order to manipulate the 2019 elections.

“We must work hard for peace in addition to just registering and obtaining our permanent voter cards. There is no need to fight one another because they will use the police and soldiers to destabilise us and rig the elections. It is in our best interest to ensure there is peace. Those behind this plot know that they will not win elections if there is peace. I want to call on you not to sell your votes because you will be selling your birthright if you do so.” he said