$10M Governors pay diverted by Texas based girlfriend

A Texas based girlfriend of a Nigerian State Governor has diverted $10 million of stash funds. The funds said to be bailout funds for the State was hijacked by the girlfriend according to a report published in the Vanguard.

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source: VanguardNG

New Wave of Suicides broadcast Live on Facebook

An aspiring Hollywood actor facing sexual assault allegations put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger while broadcasting on Facebook Live early Monday morning. Frederick Jay Bowdy, 33, went on Facebook at around 5.30am and announced to his followers that he was going to end his life.

A family member from out of state saw Bowdy's livestream and called the Los Angeles Police asking them to perform a welfare check. Bowdy shot himself in the head and was pronounced dead at around 6.30am. As news of Bowdy's grisly death spread, his friends took to social media expressing shock and dismay at the tragic incident, among them a few who watched the 33-year-old up-and-coming actor end his life. Facebook user Meco Harden described in graphic detail Jay Bowdy's final moments.

In another related incidence, a 14-year-old girl broadcast to a social media platform from her Miami area foster home as she hanged herself in the bathroom. The Florida Department of Children and Families offered few details Tuesday about the weekend death-by-suicide of Nakia Venant, whom police found hanging from the door frame in the bathroom.

One of the girl's friends told the Miami Herald she saw some of Venant's two-hour livestream on Sunday and called Miami-Dade police, who responded to her house. 

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Source: Dailymail

2017 USA INAUGURATION

President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America will pass the baton of leadership to President Elect Donald Trump at the on the US Capitol in Washington, DC.

PRESIDENT TRUMP INAUGURAL SPEECH

Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world:  thank you.  (Applause.)

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people.  Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come.  We will face challenges.  We will confront hardships.  But we will get the job done. 

Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition.  They have been magnificent.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

Today's ceremony, however, has very special meaning --  because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the people.  (Applause.)

For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.  Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth.  Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed.  The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.  Their victories have not been your victories.  Their triumphs have not been your triumphs.  And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

That all changes -- starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment.  It belongs to you.  (Applause.)  It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. 

This is your day.  This is your celebration.  And this, the United States of America, is your country.  (Applause.)  What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.  (Applause.)  January 20th, 2017 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.  (Applause.)  The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.  (Applause.)  Everyone is listening to you now.  You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before.  (Applause.) 

At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens.  Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves.  These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public.

But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists:  Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flushed with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.  This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.  (Applause.) 

We are one nation, and their pain is our pain.  Their dreams are our dreams.  And their success will be our success.  We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.

The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.  (Applause.) 

For many decades, we've enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military.  We've defended other nation's borders while refusing to defend our own -- (applause) -- and spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.

We've made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon.

One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind.  The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world.  But that is the past.  And now we are looking only to the future.  (Applause.) 

We, assembled here today, are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power.  From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land.  From this day forward, it's going to be only America first -- America first.  (Applause.)  Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families.  We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs.  (Applause.) 

Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.  I will fight for you with every breath in my body, and I will never, ever let you down.  (Applause.)  America will start winning again, winning like never before.  (Applause.)

     We will bring back our jobs.  We will bring back our borders.  We will bring back our wealth.  And we will bring back our dreams.  (Applause.)

We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.

We will get our people off of welfare and back to work, rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.  (Applause.)

We will follow two simple rules:  Buy American and Hire American.  (Applause.)

We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world, but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.  We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example -- we will shine -- for everyone to follow.  (Applause.)

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones, and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.  (Applause.)

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.  When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.  (Applause.)

The Bible tells us, "How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity."  We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.  When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.  (Applause.)

     There should be no fear.  We are protected, and we will always be protected.  We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement.  (Applause.)  And, most importantly, we will be protected by God.  (Applause.)

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger.  In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving.  We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.  (Applause.)

The time for empty talk is over.  Now arrives the hour of action.  (Applause.)  Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done.  No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America.  We will not fail.  Our country will thrive and prosper again.

We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries, and technologies of tomorrow.  A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.

It's time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget:  that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots.  (Applause.)  We all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American Flag.  (Applause.)  And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same Almighty Creator.  (Applause.) 

So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words:  You will never be ignored again.  (Applause.)  Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams will define our American destiny.  And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together, we will make America strong again.  We will make America wealthy again.  We will make America proud again.  We will make America safe again.  And, yes, together, we will make America great again. 

Thank you.  God bless you.  And God bless America.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  God bless America.

Obama’s last Strike

Reminiscence of a departing gift, President Barack Obama authorized a strike that obliterated ISIS training camps in Libya. The Pentagon made the highly unusual decision to conduct the air strikes with a pair of B-2 stealth bombers that flew to North Africa on a 34-hour mission from their base in Missouri in America's Midwest. Wednesday's massive strike saw the B-2s and Reaper drones unleash about 100 bombs on the IS training camps -- equating to more than one bomb per jihadi that was killed. The camps were located about 45 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of the coastal city of Sirte, Kadhafi's former home town that IS for a time turned into a stronghold as it attempted to expand its presence in Libya. More than 80 Islamic State jihadists are reported to have been killed.

The pair of B-2s flew for 34 hours at an operating cost of approximately $130,000 per flight hour. That comes out to roughly $4.4 million or $8.8 million for the duo. Additionally, there were roughly 15 aerial refueling aircraft involved in the mission, not to mention the cost of 100 JDAMs. The B-2's last combat deployment was in March 2011 when three aircraft were used in Operation Odyssey Dawn over Libya. Currently, there are 20 B-2's in the US Air Force's inventory.

Nigeria Takes Responsibility in West Africa; deploys Airforce to Gambia

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has been deployed to Senegal in case of the need to enforce Gambia's election mandate, it said on Wednesday. "The NAF today moved a contingent of 200 men and air assets comprising fighter jets, transport aircraft, light utility helicopter as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to Dakar from where it is expected to operate into Gambia," it said in a statement. As part of a regional response, Senegal's forces are at the Gambian border and will enter the country if veteran Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who lost a Dec. 1 election, does not step down when his official mandate ends at midnight.

Source: Reuters

Dangote invests $100M in Ikeja Truck Plant

Dangote Industries, the conglomerate controlled by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, is establishing a $100 million truck assembly plant in Lagos in a move that is expected to create about 3,000 jobs. In a press statement on Sunday, the Head of Corporate Communications for Dangote Group, said that the plant was floated by the group in partnership with National Heavy Duty Truck Group Company Limited, (SINOTRUK), a Chinese company.

ALIKO DANGOTE

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source: Forbes

What Oyedepo Said

The founder and presiding Bishop of the megachurch, Living Faith Church Worldwide International, Bishop David Oyedepo has invoked God’s curses on those fueling Southern Kaduna killings.

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Lagos Experience Better than Envisaged (Nigeria Could Teach the West a Few Things)

A trip is often defined by its surprises, so here are my biggest revelations from six days in Lagos, Nigeria. Most of all, I found Lagos to be much safer than advertised. It is frequently described as one of the most dangerous cities on earth. Many people told me I was crazy to go there, and some Nigerian expats warned me I might not get out of the airport alive.

The reality is that I walked around freely and in many parts of town. I didn’t try to go everywhere or at all hours, and I may have been lucky. Yet not once did I feel threatened, and I strongly suspect that a trip to Lagos is safer than a trip to Rio de Janeiro, a major tourist destination. (In my first trip to Rio I was attacked by children with pointed sticks. In my second I found myself caught in a gunfight between drug lords). Many Lagos residents credit the advent of closed-circuit television cameras for their safety improvements.

So if you’re an experienced traveler, and tempted to visit Africa’s largest and arguably most dynamic city, don’t let safety concerns be a deal killer. The surprises mount. For all the negative publicity, many parts of Nigeria, especially Lagos, could and should serve as exemplars for religious tolerance.

The reports of Boko Haram and terror killings are well known, and they reflect the interlocking and sometimes deadly combinations of regional, religious, sectarian and ethnic identities in the country, not to mention extreme inequalities of income and opportunity. Yet Nigeria has about 180 million people and is larger than Texas. The violence is the most frequently reported story in the West, but the underlying reality is far more complex and shows positive features.

For instance, the city of Lagos is in many regards a marvel of religious tolerance. Nigeria is about 50 percent Muslim and 40 percent Christian, and the area surrounding Lagos is also highly mixed in terms of religion. That may sound like a recipe for trouble, but in matters of religion Lagos is almost entirely peaceful. Religious intermarriage is common and usually not problematic, as is the case in many (not all) other parts of Nigeria as well. Many top Nigerian politicians have married outside their religion, kept two separate religions in the family and enjoyed continued political success.

Consider the scale and speed of this achievement. Lagos, with a population of about 20 million, is larger than many countries. It is the most commercially oriented part of Nigeria, and it grew so large only in the last few decades, as it attracted entrepreneurially minded people from many parts of Nigeria and other African countries. By one estimate, 85 new residents arrive every hour. That may sound chaotic, but in essence Nigeria has in a few decades created an almost entirely new, country-sized city built on the ideals and practice of religious tolerance. 

The current president, Muhammadu Buhari, is a Muslim who was supported in his election by many Christian leaders, on the grounds that he would fight corruption more effectively. His running mate served as a Pentecostal pastor.  The recent history of Nigeria, Lagos in particular, is also a counterweight to some recent Western political trends. Many Westerners today fear resurgent nationalism, as illustrated by the U.K.'s vote to leave the European Union and the election of Donald Trump.

In Nigeria, nationalism is largely a progressive force, bringing the country together and allowing nation-building and infrastructure development. However imperfect or backward these processes might be -- Nigeria has at least 270 distinct ethnic groups and 370 languages -- in Nigeria one is rooting for nationalism to succeed. And it’s in Lagos, the country’s largest and most important window to the outside world, where the understanding of the importance of a common and stable national identity has made such progress.

Many Westerners used to consider much of Africa backward in this regard, but we Westerners are learning again that national cohesion isn’t always so easy. Perhaps the political spectrum in many Western countries can realign itself in a direction analogous to some features of Nigeria, to ally liberalism and nationalism once again.

By Tyler Cowen: tcowen2@bloomberg.net – Bloomberg