Is Timaya Back With Empress?

No doubt, it is not easy getting over an old, burning flame of love. If you doubt this, take another look at ace, award winning artiste, Timaya.

The self styled Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa State, seems can’t just break the apron strings of love for his old flame, Empress Njama. According to close pals, the act has dedicated yet another track to her in Dem Mama Soldiers, his new album, due for release early next year.

Sources revealed that in the track, he reminisces on the times he spent with the actress and how his association with her has upped his career. In his award winning album, Gift & Grace, he had dedicated a track to her as well. It would be recalled that the pair broke up months ago amidst allegations of infidelity and distrust.

Day 2face, Francis Duru, Among Others Held Benue Ablaze

There is something about having some of the best-of-the-best in the entertain ment industry on same stage doing what they know how to do best, you get maximum and unadulterated entertainment.

These guys; 2face, Basket Mouth, Francis Duru, J Martins and the local stars, were simply extraordinary. This was the statement of one of the participants at the first Benue Music Festival which was held at the Aminu Isah Kontagora Open Air Theatre in Makurdi over the weekend.

The event would go down in history as one of the most unforgettable moments in Benue State . It was event brought about by Dream Pointers International and supported by the state government. It had everything that makes events thick, comedy, music, dance power and so much more.

The event which started late on Saturday, witnessed the largest crowd ever witnessed in the history of the state. The mobile policemen and security personnel had a hell of time controlling the youths.

Local stars mounted the stage and mesmerised the crowd. Starlets like Battyboy, AJ, Doshai and others set the tune for what to come. The good or bad crooner, J Martins, took the tempo several notches higher when he mounted the stage with his brand of hip hop and highlife. He was on stage for over 30 minutes to the delights of the massive crowd.

Francis Duru, the Nollywood star who was the compere, then mounted the stage to introduce one of Nigeria ’s most talented comedians, Basket Mouth. Basket Mouth was simply in a class of his own. The comedian disclosed that he had not been to Benue in six years and as a result, compensated the crowd with unbelievable jokes. Was he funny? Yes and surprisingly vulgar, and to the surprise of mature audiences around, everybody appreciated him. The dreadlocks-wearing comedian left the stage to a thunderous applause.

Niger Delta Youths Blow Up Oil Pipelines AGAIN! - To Protest Killing Of 3 In Delta

The relative post-amnesty peace in Warri, Delta State, was disrupted on Friday as some youths blew up oil pipelines at Otumara and Makaraba flow stations in Warri South West Local Government Area.

The action was in protest of the killing of three contractors at the multi-billion naira Chevron’s Escravos-Gas-To-Liquid (EGTL) plant by soldiers “over a minor issue.”

Saturday Tribune learnt that angry youths visited the flow stations between 4.00 a.m. and 5.00 a.m. and blew them up with explosives.

The attack reportedly met no resistance from operatives of the Joint Task Force (JTF), code-named Operation Restore Hope, stationed in the areas.

Security sources alleged that the soldiers, from the army and the navy, were at that time busy with businesses that were of personal economic interest to them.

It was gathered that the delivery line from Abiteye to Escravos was affected by the attack.

The Niger Delta Re-Orientation Project has condemned the action of the youth, saying that everything must be done to sustain the peace currently being enjoyed in Delta State.

Its national coordinator, Mr. Sheriff Mulade, in a statement, said the action did not represent the position of the majority of the youth of the area.

He advised the youth to shun taking laws into their own hands in the event of any misunderstanding, adding: “For every problem we encounter now, we should be able to explore dialogue in resolving such.”

Meanwhile, the state government has promised to take responsibility for the children of those killed during the Monday crisis at the EGTL plant at Escravos.

Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Okowa, disclosed during an on-the-spot assessment of Chevron at Escravos.

Okowa also promised that the government would get to the root of the matter.

He commended the management of Chevron for effectively bringing the matter under control and assured that the government would continue to provide enabling environment for local and foreign investors.

Federal Govt. Too Weak To Act, Say Northern Politicians

Prominent northern politicians have expressed worries that the Federal Government is too weak to initiate appropriate response to the recent classification of the country as a terrorist haven by the United States of America (USA), following the botched attempt by Farouk Abdulmuttallab to bomb an airliner over its territory.

Former governor of defunct Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa; former Speaker of the state House of Assembly under the Balarabe Musa administration, Alhaji Abubakar Mamman Danmusa and the Director General of The Buhari Organisation (TBO), Alhaji Sule Hamman, agreed in separate interviews with Saturday Tribune that government had been timid in its reaction to the US action.

The US government recently announced that it had placed Nigeria on the list of nations with terrorist link, following Farouk Abdulmuttab, the 23-year-old son of immediate past chairman of First Bank Plc, Alhaji Umar Muttallab’s failed attempt to detonate explosives strapped to his body on board North West Airlines plane on Christmas Day.

Alhaji Musa observed that the Federal Government had failed to assert itself over the development which he noted was a ploy for the US to attack Nigeria in future.

According to him, “It should be made quite clear to the US that what has happened can happen even in the US itself. It can happen in Britain because this is a situation caused by international situation. It can happen in the US, Britain, Germany, anywhere. This time, it has happened in Nigeria. Tomorrow, it can happen in New York, London, Paris or anywhere in the world.”

He added that though it was an unfortunate incident because of the involvement of a Nigerian, the country needed not be ashamed because it could have happened anywhere else.

“Now that America has gone further to declare Nigeria as one of the areas where al-Qaeda has base, Nigeria should now, first of all, protest vehemently to the United States for her inclusion in the so-called axis of evil,”he said.

The former governor, who is also the factional national chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), warned Nigerians to brace up for a possible attack by the US under the pretext of ridding the country of terrorists.

Similarly, Alhaji Mamman Danmusa noted that the situation of the country in the past few weeks, especially the absence of clearly defined leadership, hasd rendered the government very weak and therefore not well constituted to take bold initiatives.

According to him, “our position is very weak. If you are following what the Americans have been doing, they no longer have regard for Nigeria as much as they had in the years before.

“During the (Shehu) Shagari administration, Nigeria was able to nationalise British oil companies because of the problem in Zimbabwe. We don’t have that clout now. I don’t think Nigeria is really in a position to react in that manner,” Mamman Danmusa, who was a Senator in the Second Republic, asserted.

On his part, Alhaji Sule Hamman told Saturday Tribune that the Federal Government’s slow response to the US action was a clear demonstration of the discharge of its responsibility to the citizens.

He said “The government of Nigeria is in a very weak position today. The response of the Nigerian government has been feeble and less contemplative than one would have thought. But I think this is understandable because since the incident, when the international community was speaking about the problem of insecurity and strengthening border security in their countries, the Nigerian government was mute.

What will Senate President David Mark be remembered for?

The Evan Enwerem Senate is remembered for being a rubber stamp of the executive. The Chuba Okadigbo Senate is hailed for among others, its sound articulation of legislative procedures, flamboyant ventilation of parliamentary cadence, but also, for the contract scandal that eclipsed it.
The Anyim Senate is positioned in history for its political intrigues and infighting which engulfed it for most of the time. Anyim became the first politician to cut the famous political maverick, Francis Arthur Nzeribe to size having instigated his indefinite suspension from the fourth Senate.
The Wabara Senate is etched in memory for the scams and scandals that collapsed that leadership while the Ken Nnamani Senate is recorded in history for its landmark rejection of third term and adherence to the rules.
Senator David Mark who made significant imprints as an ordinary Senator in all the Senates of the fourth republic is now etched at the point of defining himself for history.
What will the nation remember about the Mark Senate?
As the Senate enters its last full working calendar year it is easily tempting to reckon the stability that has trailed the Mark Senate as its greatest achievement. But cast against its constitutional responsibility of making laws for the good governance of the country such ascription could be easily described as wishy-washy. What is stability in the face of rudderless leadership in the executive arm and popular disenchantment among the populace?
Besides, Mark is yet to overtake the 34 months recorded by Senator Anyim Pius Anyim as Senate President between August 2000 and June 2003.
As such as the Senate reconvenes after the yuletide break next Tuesday Senator Mark is faced with the crucial and really personal task of defining himself and his Senate for history.
Interestingly, he has been largely helped by a national agitation for constitutional and electoral reform, two issues he has readily lapped up.
It is thus understandable that Senator Mark rarely makes a pronouncement or issues a statement without the promise of guiding the Senate towards constitution review and electoral reform.
His prospects despite steadfast reassurances, however, are increasingly dim.
The possibility of amending the constitution this year is clouded by the persisting animosity between both chambers of the National Assembly which has so far frustrated the harmonization of all but one of the several bills separately passed by the two chambers.
All but one of the bills passed into law by the National Assembly since 2007 are all money bills dealing with the budget.
How Senator Mark expects to navigate the river of acrimony that openly flows between the Senate and the House of Representatives to define his place in history will be no easy task.
Besides the lack of concord with the House of Representatives, the Mark Senate will also be distracted as many Senators increasingly focus on their re-election strategies in 2010. Attacks from home will indeed be an increasing distraction for many Senators.
Some Senators in desperation may indeed bite more than they can chew as they confront political alliances weaved against them at home.
Nevertheless many are wondering if the Senate as a body really did not bite more than it can chew when it took a “patriotic” position against the United States enlistment of Nigerians for advanced screening at its ports of entry.
Senate spokesman, Senator Ayogu Eze was in his bombastic elements last Tuesday as he conveyed the dismay of the Senate President on the action by the United States arising from the wayward actions of Umar Abdulmutallab.
The failed Christmas Day bombing of the Northwest Airliner Senator Eze said, will not be allowed to negatively rub against other well groomed Nigerians.
But asked on the failure of this and past governments in Nigeria to conclusively deal with perceived terrorist actions taken against other Nigerians in the country in the name of religion and other vices, Senator Eze flared up as he called for patriotism from the press.
Senator Eze was to give the United States a one week ultimatum to retract its steps failing which he said that the Senate would take up the issue when it reconvenes next Tuesday.
Given the increasing difficulties facing Senator David Mark in carving out a legacy for himself through constitution and electoral reforms his willingness to stand up for the country against the United States could well be a memory that he would be well remembered for. It would be the small David standing up against the giant Uncle Sam!