Red Carpet moments at ‘Ayamma’ VIP screening

Ayamma; an all new Nollywood movie produced in collaboration with Royal Arts Academy and Bank of Industry was screened recently at  the Intercontinental Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos. The movie features; Majid Michel, Wale Ojo, Adesua Etomi, Theresa Edem, Ime Bishop Umoh and Debbi Francis. Guests at the VIP screening also took time out on the red carpet.

Ayamma is produced by Emem Isong and directed by Chris Eneaji. Film credits include lighting by Christian Epps and Cinematography by Dawid Pietkiewicz. Ayamma will be in cinemas nationwide as from December 23rd. 

Photo credits: T Direction

Oil Pipeline vandals cause $4.8B revenue loss in Nigeria

Nigeria’s state oil company-NNPC lost more than 1.5 trillion naira ($4.8 billion) as a result of attacks on pipelines and facilities by militants in 2016, its managing director said Wednesday. Militants in the Niger Delta—a vast, oil-rich swampland in southern Nigeria—have launched frequent attacks on oil facilities throughout the year.

Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu

READ MORE HERE

MMM Ponzi scheme still popular in Nigeria despite crash

"Even with this minor setback, I still strongly have confidence in MMM. The government and the press will amplify this but we all know that MMM is not going anywhere," Okoro said. Joe Sanya revealed that he had already invested NGN1 million in the scheme.

WHAT IS MMM? MMM gives you a technical platform which helps millions of participants worldwide to connect those who NEED help to those who are ready to PROVIDE help, for FREE. All transferred funds to another participant are your help given by your own good will to another one, absolutely gratis. According to their website, “MMM is not a bank, MMM does not collect your money, MMM is not an online business, HYIP, investment or MLM program. MMM is a community where people help each other”. However, it warns that; “Please note that the use of the words 30% a month cannot be considered as a yield or interest rate since the funds were given away, we are not earning anything anywhere (we are a mutual-aid fund), and nobody promises or guarantees to pay it!” 

READ MORE HERE

Uber, SpaceX, PepsiCo CEO’s join Trump Strategic forum

 (New York, NY) – President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced that three additional members will join the President’s Strategic and Policy Forum: Travis Kalanick, CEO and Co-founder of Uber Technologies; Elon Musk, Chairman and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla; and Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo.

Members of the Forum will be charged with providing their individual views to the President — informed by their unique vantage points in the private sector — on how government policy impacts economic growth, job creation and productivity. The Forum is designed to provide direct input to the President from many of the best and brightest in the business world in a frank, non-bureaucratic and non-partisan manner.

With today’s announcement of three additional members, the individuals on the Forum now include:

Stephen A. Schwarzman (Forum Chairman), Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Blackstone;

Paul Atkins, CEO, Patomak Global Partners, LLC, Former Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission;

Mary Barra, Chairman and CEO, General Motors;

Toby Cosgrove, CEO, Cleveland Clinic;

Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co;

Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO, BlackRock;

Travis Kalanick, CEO and Co-founder, Uber Technologies;

Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company;

Rich Lesser, President and CEO, Boston Consulting Group;

Doug McMillon, President and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.;

Jim McNerney, Former Chairman, President, and CEO, Boeing;

Elon Musk, Chairman and CEO, SpaceX and Tesla

Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo;

Adebayo “Bayo” Ogunlesi, Chairman and Managing Partner, Global Infrastructure Partners;

Ginni Rometty, Chairman, President, and CEO, IBM;

Kevin Warsh, Shepard Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow in Economics, Hoover Institute, Former Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;

Mark Weinberger, Global Chairman and CEO, EY;

Jack Welch, Former Chairman and CEO, General Electric;

Daniel Yergin, Pulitzer Prize-winner, Vice Chairman of IHS Markit.

source: Presidential Transition Team Communications Office

West visits Trump

Multi-millionaire and controversial rapper, Kanye West, visited President Elect Donald Trump at the Trump Plaza recently. Both men who consider themselves friends, discussed on Violence in Chicago, racial matters and others of mutual benefit. They later posed for photos.

Photo credit: TMZ, AFP, AP, Getty images

At least 160 feared dead in Akwa Ibom Church building collapse

At least 160 persons are reported dead while many more injured when an auditorium of the Reigners Bible Church International in Akwa Ibom State Nigeria, collapsed during the ordination ceremony of Pastor Alan Weeks as Bishop. As at press time, the death toll may have surpassed the 200 mark. His Excellency, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, was present at the church service during the incident and thereafter personally supervised rescue operations and evacuation of the injured to the hospital.

READ MORE HERE 

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Nana Akufo-Addo wins Ghana Presidency

72 year old Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party has won the Ghana Presidential elections on his third attempt by defeating President John Mahama in a tightly contested campaign. The president-elect will be sworn in on January 7 after a one-month transition period.

President Elect Nana Akufo-Addo

Mr Akufo-Addo had lost previous elections in 2008 and 2012 but the way he handled those losses resonated with many people. He is credited with preventing possible violence in 2012 by not rejecting the outcome - a loss by 300,000 votes to current President John Mahama - and calling for mass protests. 

Instead, he sought legal redress and accepted defeat after the Supreme Court upheld the result. The 72-year-old son of former chief justice and ceremonial President Edward Akufo-Addo retained his 2012 electoral promise to provide free high-school education.

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Nigerian Female Soccer Team Protest non-Payment of Allowances

Just after winning their 8th African title, the Super Falcons have staged a sit-in at a hotel in the capital city of Abuja. Players also say they have not received any bonuses for their wins. “We are tired of the lies and false promises from the Nigeria Football Federation-NFF,” one player told BBC Sport. READ MORE HERE

Lagos Jolts Compensation for fallen Police officers

The Lagos State Government Monday disclosed that it would pay the families of police officers, who die in the course of service to the state the sum of N10 million as death insurance.

READ MORE HERE

Maduka named Auto Personality of the year 2016

The Nigeria Auto Journalists Association has presented the Auto Personality of the Year award 2016 to, Dr. Cosmas Maduka CON, President of Coscharis Motors, in recognition of his unrivaled commitment, dedication and investment towards driving the auto sector in Nigeria. According to the organizers, the award category celebrates auto dealership owners that have been “visible in virtually all segments of the motoring space in Nigeria”.

L-R: Abiona Babarinde, General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Coscharis Group; Prince Anofi Elegushi, Acting Commissioner for Transportation, Lagos State; Dr Cosmas Maduka, President, Coscharis Group; Frank Kintum, Chairman, Nigerian Auto Journalists Association at the 2016 Nigerian Auto Journalists Awards event where Dr Cosmas Maduka was honored as the Auto Personality of The Year, recently in Lagos.

In his remarks, Dr. Maduka stated, “This award is a testament to our commitment to continually grow the auto industry, provide value for money and bridge the automobile sphere with varieties of premium and low earn automobiles stated . “We see the evident challenge and impact of recession on the auto industry in Nigeria, but situations as this award, encourage us to rise above such threats and confirm my belief that this is the right place to be, it can never be worse than what it is”.

We won’t relent in our brand promise to deliver quality services but will continue to remain focused on strengthening our brand experiences and customer satisfaction, especially by providing customers with access to global best products and services.

About Coscharis Group

Dr Cosmas Maduka is the President / CEO of Coscharis Motors, a subsidiary of Coscharis Group with investments in Automobile, Technology, Foods & Beverages, Medicals, Agriculture and Car leasing in Nigeria. 

Coscharis Motors as one of Nigeria’s leading premium importer has the exclusive franchise for Rolls-Royce, BMW, MINI, Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, MG and Joylong brands and also provides premium aftersales, financial and mobility services. As an indigenous company, Coscharis Motors operates over 9 sales and service networks in more than 8 states in the country.

Election 2016 depends on you

As the polls opens in the 2016 general election, over 40 million Americans have already cast their ballots in 38 States across the country, however that is roughly about a third of the voting population. Many more people are going to cast their ballots today, Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 and if you did not have the opportunity to vote earlier, this is your day.

You should definitely go and vote, this is the price we pay for living in a participatory democracy, your vote is your voice. You are not only electing a President and a Vice President, but your Senators, Congress Men and Women, your local and state representatives, but more importantly, there are several ballot initiatives that affects everyday life in communities all over this country. When you cast your ballot, you get to decide who is on your local school board, if pot should be legal in your state, etc.

USA Presidential candidates; Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton 

This election is different, even though it is equally as important as every other election. The candidates for the office of the President of the United States cannot be more different from each other. This year, the American people have a choice of electing a woman, who has spent her life working towards this moment, an imminently qualified woman; and a man who has never held a public office, a construction magnate who has spent the past 15 months insulting his way across America.

And if anyone is thinking that this is just talk and Trump would not be able to do all the things he’s said. Maybe Mexico won’t pay for the wall, but he can try and build it; even if congress were to stand in his way as they have President Obama’s, he can go around them. He can do more damage in a short time than we can all imagine. He has shown himself to have no knowledge or understanding of how government works, the separation of powers, and the limits of the office of the president. He has shown himself as someone who has no respect for anyone and anything, he is not going to be constrained by ideals, principles and precedents.

The Republican congressional leaders have shown themselves to be unprincipled-power hungry-partisans who lacks the back bone and courage to stand up to candidate Trump, they will not stand up to him or block his hideous agendas as President. In fact, most of them would support him enthusiastically, he has been able to stand because too many Republicans agree with him. They are better politician, therefore they do not give voice to their thoughts.

There are many people in the world who do not have the opportunity to vote and choose their political leaders, there are too many places where the votes of the citizens are not counted, and you have the privilege of being able to participate in a free and fair election. This is your chance to make a choice, this is the time to put partisanship aside and choose patriotism.

Too many people shed their blood and paid the ultimate price to get us to where we are as a country today, it would be a disservice to their sacrifice if we don’t make the right choice. We are all Americans first before being a Democrat, Republican etc., our duties are to the country not the party. 

After all is said and done, it only matters if you vote. So go out and make your voice heard, let us build a big beautiful wall of diverse voters between Trump and the Nuclear Codes. 

Yetunde Adu is a contributing editor to Trendy Africa Magazine and writes from Washington, DC. Email; info@trendyafrica.com 

Nigeria Slams citizens with unexplained wealth

A former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has signed an undertaking to return N480m to the Federal Government, The PUNCH has learnt. Obanikoro has also submitted his United States of America and Nigerian passports to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. In a related development, the EFCC has seized a filling station and a shopping complex from a man who described himself as a building engineer, Abdullahi Rilwan, for failing to explain where he got the money to buy the properties. The EFCC Act Section 71 (b) gives the commission the power to commence investigations into the property of any person if it appears to the EFCC that the person’s lifestyle and extent of properties are not justified by law.

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New Jersey based Videographer in apparent murder suicide

New Jersey based Nigerian videographer; Edward Aghahowa, has been found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound hours after his Wife was found shot dead at their home. Friends of the couple have expressed shock, saying that the pair were both good people who may have had recent marital issues. Julie Matte made a living promoting and selling a wellness product. Edward Aghahowa founded and ran his own company; Stix Productions.

Edward Aghahowa

Edward and Julie Matte

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source: patch.com 

Major cyber attack forces twitter, spotify, others offline

A massive co-ordinated series of cyber attacks has forced hundreds of major websites from Amazon to Twitter offline across the globe - and WikiLeaks believes its supporters were responsible. It urged its backers to 'stop taking down the US internet', saying 'Mr Assange is still alive and WikiLeaks is still publishing'.

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Dailymail features Rich Kids of Nigeria

Nigerian wealthy kids are showing the stuff they got on social media as documented by dailymail. View some of their lavish lifestyle on the link below;

VIEW HERE

10th annual DanceAfrica festival celebrates Culture and Heritage

Dallas, Texas - Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) and AT&T present the 10th Annual DanceAfrica Festival and Performance "In Celebration of our Heritage." The festivities include a Saturday parade and marketplace featuring fun for the entire family, with nightly dance performances in the Dallas Arts District, October 7-8, 2016. The performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Dallas City Performance Hall, 2520 Flora Street, Dallas, Texas 75201. New York based Forces of Nature Dance Theatre will feature as special guests.

Dr. Baba Chuck Davis photograph by Niesha Lanae Graves - NLG Photography

All five Dallas Black Dance Theatre performing companies will be on stage for nightly performances on Friday and Saturday, October 7-8, 2016, including DBDT, DBDT: Encore!, Allegro Performing Ensemble, Senior Performing Ensemble, and Junior Performing Ensemble. Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts' World Ensemble will also perform.

Forces of Nature Dance Theatre photograph by Erin Baiano

The parade kicks off Saturday, October 8, 2016, at 9:30 a.m. at Dallas Black Dance Theatre located at 2700 Ann Williams Way, Dallas, Texas 75201. The parade will conclude at the Annette Strauss Square where the marketplace will be held. The parade will be led by the founder of DanceAfrica festivals across the country Dr. "Baba" Chuck Davis, followed by drummers, dancers from all five DBDT dance companies, special guest artists, and market place participants.

For DanceAfrica performance ticket information, October 7-8, 2016, at 7:30 p.m., visit www.attpac.

Arik Air still profitable despite harsh operating terrain

A recession, combined with a shortage of dollars, high costs and scarce fuel supplies have created the perfect storm for the Nigerian Airline Industry. Major international airlines including United Airlines and Spanish carrier Iberia have halted operations in Africa’s most populous Nation. Arik Air recently temporarily halted operations for a day but have since resumed.

 Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, chairman of Arik Group, told CNNMoney that the shutdown, which left hundreds of passengers stranded, came after the airline's insurance expired. The company had to scramble to get chartered planes for its passengers on Tuesday, and then scheduled additional flights on Wednesday to get operations back to normal. Arumemi-Ikhide dismissed reports that the company was experiencing financial difficulties.

"Arik is profitable. It's not as profitable as the hard work we put in, but we made around $6 million to $7 million [last year]. When you look at our assets, cash and everything, we are positive. The issue of bankruptcy doesn't come to mind at all."

But Arumemi-Ikhide said Nigeria's capital controls, which restrict the flow of U.S. dollars within the country, hurts airlines. Essentially, some sectors have easier, cheaper access to dollars than the airlines. This has forced Arik to buy dollars through unofficial channels at a higher exchange rate.

Profits in the notoriously tough airline industry are "thin" partly due to expensive fuel prices and scarce supplies, said Arumemi-Ikhide. 

Additionally, poor infrastructure is an issue: Many runways are in bad repair, and it can be difficult for passengers to reach airports in the evenings. "There's a need for the government to address some of the issues if they want the industry to survive," he said. "All the airlines are struggling."

Nonetheless, Arumemi-Ikhide said his company had a strong line of credit and was on track for an initial public offering in 15 months. 

Nigeria's oil-dependent economy has been struggling as oil prices have plunged, with GDP falling by more than 2% in the second quarter. This marked the second consecutive quarter of economic contraction, which put the country firmly in a recession.

Source: CNNMoney

Rhumba dance crooner; Mike Okri performs at 'A Taste of Nigeria' Festival

A Taste of Nigeria, an annual carnival showcasing diverse attributes of Nigeria, is set to hold on October 8, 2016, at the Airhog Stadium, 1600 Lone Star Parkway in Grand Prairie, Texas between 12p to 8p. The 3rd edition presented by Arispop will feature famed Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based musician Mike Okri.

Upon releasing the chart-selling albums Rhumba Dance and Cracks, Okri won numerous awards including the Nigerian Music Awards, Fame Music Award, and the Pan-African Music Awards. Okri is one of a host of musical talents who will perform at A Taste of Nigeria. Others include DJ Freaky T and LaWale Victory and The Victorious Band. Other confirmed performers include Ify the Performer, Ndidi Ogbechie, Seye, and Double O Productions. Comedian Naijamericana (Don Manuel) and model and actress Mary Ekene will host the event.

A variety of family-friendly entertainment and activities will showcase the Nigerian culture. Vendors will present Nigerian art, food, and fashion. Spectators can enjoy a soccer game between Leones FC Football Team and Hope United Football Team. A fashion show spotlighting designs by MaE9 Styling and Design Studio, Dumbaka Fashions, and Shalewa Fashions will provide a splash of color to the festivities. Tickets: Adults 5, Children 3. Children 3 and under FREE.

For advanced tickets, visit; www.atasteofnigeria.com.

Nigeria officially in recession

Africa's largest economy, Nigeria, has officially entered a recession following two consecutive quarters of contraction in the nation. GDP shrank by 2.06% in the second quarter of 2016, following on from a 0.36% shrinking in the first quarter of the year, according to data released by the country's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Wednesday. 

Those two consecutive quarters of economic shrinkage mean that the country is now in its first recession in more than 20 years. Recession in Nigeria may be an unwelcome development, but it is not unexpected. Earlier in the year, Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria warned that "recession was imminent".

The big driver of the slump in the Nigerian economy, which was one of Africa's great success stories until recently, has largely been the persistently low price of oil over the past two and a half years. Nigeria relies heavily on oil and is the largest producer of the commodity on the continent, producing roughly 2.4 million barrels per day. Given that oil's price has slumped from more than $100 per barrel in 2014 to roughly $48 now, it is perhaps unsurprising that the country has struggled for economic growth.

The International Monetary Fund has also warned on the state of the country's economy, forecasting that growth will shrink by 1.8% over the course of 2016.

Source: Financial Times reports

Boko Haram strikes again

Kano - Boko Haram Islamists have killed 10 people and abducted 13 others in a raid on a village near the northeast Nigerian town of Chibok where the militants kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls in 2014, locals told AFP Sunday. Armed jihadists on motorcycles invaded Kubrrivu at dawn on Saturday, firing on the residents as they were sleeping and looting and burning homes before fleeing into the bush with 13 women and children seized from the village.

"The Boko Haram attackers rode on four motorcycles, three on each, and opened fire on the village as residents slept," said Luka Damina, a resident of nearby Kautikeri village where Kubrrivu residents fled to safety following the attack. "They burnt down the whole village after looting food supplies and livestock and taking away women and children," Damina said.

Ayuba Alamson, a community elder in Chibok, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) away, confirmed the attack, saying 13 people were abducted in the raid. "After killing 10 people and burning the entire village, the gunmen made away with 13 people, including seven women, five boys and a girl," Alamson said.

source: AFP 

Ooni impacts lives of Widows

The communal war between the Ife and Modakeke people of Osun State, Nigeria left an indelible mark on the community. Most hit were Women who lost their husbands during the conflict thereby destabilizing the ability for family sustenance. To alleviate the problems and empower the widows, the Ooni of Ife His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) hasflagged off five licensed Cooperative societies as part of his Widows Empowerment Program initiated early this year.

The Monarch has deposited a sum of N2.5 million in Olofin Microfinance Bank, Ile-Ife as a take-off grant to enable widows have access to loans to fund their businesses. The monarch said he would also distribute between 50 to 100 bags of rice and some cows to the widows every month as part of his plans to banish hunger among the widows.

“The thought of empowering the widows struck me when I ascended the throne. Some widows came to me and present some gifts. Their kindness, in spite of their poor economic state touched me. I was surprised that they could still think of honouring me. When I informed my chiefs and some elders about my plan, they screamed and said to me that the widows were many but I made them understand that God is always in control.”  Ooni Said.

by Tosan Aduayi for Trendy Africa

Nigerian Pharmacist Shot in Texas

A Nigerian born practicing Pharmacist, Chris Ajayi (Pharm D) has been shot by a gunman who entered his Arlington Texas store and demanded for drugs. Sources revealed that the pharmacist was shot in the neck and stomach and is currently in intensive care after hours of surgery. Please pray for survival and healing.

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Houston Scandal

Three Nigerians have been busted in connection to a large-scale credit card scheme that allegedly used two southwest Houston businesses to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to court records, Shalewa Olayinka, 53, applied for and obtained 116 credit cards from eight different financial institutions in 12 other people's names. He would allegedly apply for the credit card using a victim's information and then steal the card out of his or her mailbox when the card arrived.

Financial crimes investigators say Olayinka had a Square card reader attached to his cell phone under the business name "Sleek Auto Sales" and would run the fraudulent credit cards in his southwest Houston apartment. The money was then deposited into his bank account.

He conspired with two local business owners, Christy Tifase who owns Lagos Island Café on Highway 6 South, a west African food restaurant and  Maxwell Ezenwa  whoowns Lace Warehouse and African Fashions on Bissonnet. They're accused of also running the credit cards for payments at their businesses.

Investigators say the operation stole more than $650,000.All three face a charge of engaging in organized criminal activity, a felony. When Eyewitness News went to Lagos Island Café, Tifase's daughter said she wasn't aware of the allegation against her mother. Tifase is expected to surrender. Olayinka remains in jail on a $30,000 bond. Ezenwa is out of jail on bond.

Source: abc13.com