Swimmer attempts to board flight in his trunks at Malawi airport

Well, there's something you don't expect to see at an airport check-in desk.

Greig Bannatyne at the airport check in desk.

The man in the Speedos is Greig Bannatyne, and these photos were taken at an airport in Malawi where he was attempting to board a South African Airways flight.

He'd been taking part in a charity swim across nearby Lake Malawi - and, as he later told reporters, he'd forgotten to bring along a suitable change of clothes to travel home in.

Checking in.

His swimming teammates could, presumably, have lent him something more suitable to wear - but instead, they dared him to fly home in his swimming costume, and pledged to donate money to charity if he went through with it.

"It really spiralled from there with more and more of the swimmers and support crew pledging money if I attempted to fly home in my Speedos," he said.

Bannatyne took the four-hour journey to the airport, still dressed from his sponsored swim.

"Immediately we had a security guard inform us that I could not enter like this," he said. "After explaining that it was for charity he let us go past.

"We went through the first security point and checked in without much of an issue.

"There were lots of smiles and shaking of heads in laughter, the staff behind the check in counter were almost in tears and insisted that I needed an aisle seat so that everyone could see me on the plane.

However, he didn't get as far as boarding the plane in his trunks.

Grieg meets the authorities.

"It was on my way to passport control that I was asked by the police a couple of questions.

'They were very friendly and we went to a room where they were trying to understand what I was doing. Unfortunately as we didn't have any official papers validating this they requested that I put my top and shorts on."

However, his teammates nevertheless stumped up the money for charity, raising close to £2,000.

Culled from www.telegraph.co.uk
Photo credit: Caters News Agency

MultiChoice celebrates KSA at 70

MultiChoice Nigeria, has concluded plans to broadcast live the Sunny on Sunday concert on DStv Channel 198 and GOtv Channel 29 on Sunday, December 11. In September, President Buhari also congratulated King Sunny Ade at 70

Chief Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye, popularly known as King Sunny Ade.

The world-class concert which will hold at Federal Palace Hotel and Casino, Victoria Island, Lagos, marks the grand finale of the 70th  birthday celebration of one of Nigeria’s music maestros, Chief Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye, popularly known as King Sunny Ade.

After decades of superlative performances as a Juju exponent, King Sunny Ade, who is understandably one of Nigeria’s music greats, turned 70 on September 22, 2016.  For those that do not know, the Grammy-award nominee has been performing on stage for upwards of 50 years. He has under his kitty over 70 albums, including collaborations with artistes such as Steve Wonder, Many Dibango, Youssou N’Dour, Salif Keia, among many others.

Martin Mabutho, General Manager, Marketing and Sales, MultiChoice Nigeria, speaking on the collaboration, said:

“We are proud to celebrate Nigeria’s foremost Juju exponent who, for over 50 years, has consistently made great music, videos, and art that have become legendary. As an undisputed authority in the Nigerian music industry, King Sunny Ade, has continued to earn more respect from his increasing and wider audience home and abroad. 

We are aware of his contribution to the growth of the industry and that is why we are partnering with Temple Management Company to bring this historic celebration to our subscribers through a live broadcast.”

Culled from www.vanguardngr.com

18 dead as herdsmen, farmers clash

At least 18 people were killed and dozens wounded in clashes in Niger between cattle herders and farmers, officials said, adding that women and children were among the dead.

Fulani Herdsmen.

The violence kicked off on Tuesday morning after a herd of cattle wandered into a farmer’s field and damaged the cereal crop, a local official said, asking not to be named.

Such clashes are not unusual in drought-hit Niger, where food shortages and scarce water supplies inflame tensions, especially during the harvest, which coincides with cattle being moved to pasture.

“The clashes were unusually violent, it was very barbaric,” the official told AFP. “It was the death of the owner of the field, in the first altercation, that set things off,” he added.

He said a significant number of women and children were killed, without providing a precise toll.

The interior ministry said 18 people were killed and another 43 wounded in the clashes, which happened in the western Tahoua region, adding that homes were also set on fire.

It said in a statement that security forces had restored order and an investigation was under way, while calling for calm.

The clashes come nearly two years after 10 people were killed in the same region in similar clashes between cattle herders and farmers.

Culled from www.guardian.ng

Don Jazzy welcomes Iyanya into the Mavin Records Family

Super music star, Donjazzy has signed former Made Men Music R&B star, Iyanya to his Mavin records.

Don Jazzy with Iyanya.

Mavin records is currently at home to Tiwa Savage, D’Prince, Dr Sid, Korede Bello, Rekado Banks and Dija.

Donjazzy made the announcement via his Twitter and Instagram account early Monday morning as he welcomed the former Project Fame winner said both of them are up to something.

SMD is pleased to welcome @Iyanya to the Mavin Family. Pls join us to welcome him & let the world know that we #Up2Sumting. #MavinActivated pic.twitter.com/I2lnIeo8Sf

— DON JAZZY (@DONJAZZY) October 31, 2016

Both Iyanya and Donjazzy had worked before on a song titled “Gift”.

Iyanya quit the Ubi Franklin led MMMG after he released his 3rd studio album which failed to make desired impact in the Nigerian music scene.

Culled from www.naij.com

Obafemi Martins acquires 2017 Bentley Bentayga worth N127,832,350

The Nigeria international has got himself a Bentley SUV which is claimed to be the fastest in the world with a top speed of 301 km/hr.

Shanghai Shenhua forward Obafemi Martins.

Shanghai Shenhua forward Obafemi Martins apparently needs to maintain his yard of pace as he approaches the peak of his career with a sassy 301 kilometre per hour new ride, the 2017 Bentley Bentayga which is worth $281,170.

Martins has netted nine times in 17 appearances for the Shanghai club since joining them from MLS side Seattle Sounders in February, making him the second top scorer for the Hongkou stadium outfit after Sengalese Demba Ba this year.

 The 31-year-old's latest ride complements his speed on the ball with acceleration from 0-60m in 4secs.

2017 Bentley Bentayga.

Bentley Bentayga is also the first to receive Bentley's new twin-turbo W12 engine with a 8-speed automatic transmission that drives all four-wheels.

Culled from www.goal.com

Dangote sacks 36 expatriate and 12 Nigerian workers

Nigeria’s biggest employers of labour aside the government, Dangote Group has fired 48 members of staff.

Africa and Nigeria’s richest man, Aliko Dangote.

The sack of the workers was not unconnected with the current high cost of running business in the country occasioned by the unavailability of foreign exchange and the unprecedented hike in the naira to dollar exchange rate.

Recession is biting hard as Nigeria’s biggest employers of labour aside the government, Dangote Group has fired 48 members of staff.

The group which is owned by Africa and Nigeria’s richest man, Aliko Dangote sacked 36 expatriate and 12 Nigerian workers from the group’s headquarters and one of the subsidiaries, Dangote Cement Plc.

According to a report by Punch newspaper, the sack of the workers was not unconnected with the current high cost of running business in the country occasioned by the unavailability of foreign exchange and the unprecedented hike in the naira to dollar exchange rate.

It was reported that  the huge amounts in foreign currencies being paid to the expatriate workers had become a burden on Dangote due to the steady depreciation in the value of the naira and the difficulties of raising enough dollars.

Consequently, the firm decided to replace the expatriates with Nigerians who have acquired the requisite experience on the job, as paying them in naira will be less problematic.

The sacked Nigerian workers were however fired for disciplinary issues.

In a letter signed by the President/Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, dated Thursday, October 20, 2016, and seen by Punch, Dangote said it was constrained to take the “tough” decision as economic factors had affected the cost of production.

The letter, which was titled: ‘Recent Retirement Exercise’ read in part, “This year has been a very challenging year for us as a business. The unavailability of foreign exchange coupled with an unprecedented hike in the exchange rate has resulted in increased costs across the organisation.

“This called for a proper review and adjustment of our costs across board to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the deployment of our factors of production in a bid to eliminate redundancies that we know exist, which resulted in some tough decisions, which means losing staff, including some of our colleagues.

“On Friday, October 14, 2016, we began the process of staff cutbacks as it is imperative to review our human capital deployment for the required cutbacks that would ensure efficiency and eliminate redundancies in the allocation of human resources.

“This first phase of this exercise involved the cutback of 36 expatriate staff across the Dangote Cement Plc and Dangote Industries Limited, and 12 local staff members in Dangote Industries Limited.”

As an organisation with international operations, the group promised that it would continue to review and restructure its human capital deployment to ensure “optimal allocation of skill sets and size of the workforce each function requires.”

In a related development, Dansa Foods Nigeria Limited, which claims to be a member of the Dangote Group, has reportedly been unable to pay its workers for the past six months.

The company, which produces Dansa Juice and other goods, had laid off more than half of the workforce following dwindling sales and high cost of production caused by high exchange rate of the naira.

The company had suspended the production of Dansa Juice and other products, and was only producing Mowa Bottle Water.

Culled from www.naij.com

Former Norwich player Kei Kamara gets a yellow card for TWERKING!!!

While New England Revolution missed out on the MLS playoffs, striker Kei Kamara gave fans something to celebrate on Sunday.

Kei Kamara.

Kamara scored in New England's 3-0 win over Montreal Impact in the final round of the regular season - dubbed 'Decision Day' - but was penalised for his typical twerking celebration.

The enigmatic striker completed the scoring in the 71st minute, prompting a twerk - for the uninitiated, twerking is a popular dance move involving thrusting hip movements and a low squatting stance.

But the referee was not impressed, showing a yellow card to the 32-year-old, whose dance moves would have made Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown proud.

Brown received a $6,076 fine for his end-zone celebration in Pittsburgh's season-opening NFL win over the Washington Redskins last month. For what it is worth, Kamara's goal was impressive from a tight angle!

Culled from www.goal.com
Video credit: Youtube

Eto’o bets N34.4m on club’s relegation survival

Cameroon striker, Samuel Eto’o has placed a bet of 100,000 euro(about N34.4m) that his club Antalyaspor will not only beat relegation, but will finish in the top ten.

Samuel Eto’o.

Antalyaspor are stuck to the bottom of the Turkish Super Lig table and discontent is rife among fans. On Monday they were seconds away from winning their first league game of the season at the seventh attempt, but Rizespor scored in stoppage time to secure a 1-1 draw.

Eto’o went out to meet with many of the angered supporters after the match and didn’t just promise they’d finish in the top 10 despite their shocking start – he put €100,000 of his money where his mouth is.

One fan, named in Turkish press as Mehmet Akdeniz, asked Eto’o:

“We have Besiktas next, what will the state of the team be and when will we win?”

Eto, who answered through an interpreter, told him:

“We will finish in the top 10 of the Super Lig, I stand by what I said and my promise. “Believe me, I will give you €100,000 if we don’t finish in the top 10.”

Culled from www.vanguardngr.com

Transfer news: Chelsea legend Didier Drogba lined up for shock switch to Serie A side Napoli

Napoli are preparing a shock move for Chelsea legend Didier Drogba.

Didier Drogba in action for the MLS All-Stars.

The Italian club are in need of a new striker after Arkadiusz Milik damaged his knee ligaments while on international duty last week.

Napoli are hoping to sign someone on loan in January to cover the loss and they have been linked with a move for West Ham's Simone Zaza.

However, according to Calciomercato, Drogba is another target that the Serie A side are also considering.

The 38-year-old, who previously spent nine seasons with Chelsea, is currently plying his trade with Montreal Impact.

Between January to March the MLS is on a winter break and as such Napoli are hopeful they can sign Drogba on loan for those months.

Culled from www.talksport.com

Presidency confirms release of 21 Chibok girls

Twenty-one of the 219 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in 2014 have been freed by the sect, Sahara Reporters and the British Broadcasting Corperation have reported.

Video grab image created on August 14, 2016 taken from a video released on youtube purportedly by Islamist group Boko Haram showing what is claimed to be one of the groups fighters at an undisclosed location standing in front of girls allegedly kidnapped from Chibok in April 2014.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed this in a statement made available to journalists.

Shehu said the released girls were currently in the custody of the Department of State Services.

He said the Director-General of the DSS, Lawal Daura, briefed President Muhammadu Buhari of the development shortly before the President left for Germany.

The presidential aide added that Daura wanted the girls, who were very tired, to rest before he would hand them over to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

He attributed the release of the 21 girls to negotiations between the government and the Boko Haram sect brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss government.

He said,

“The release of the girls, in a limited number is the outcome of negotiations between the administration and the the Boko Haram brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss government. The negotiations will continue. 

“The President welcomes the release of the girls but cautioned Nigerians to be mindful of the fact that more than 30,000 fellow citizens were killed via terrorism. 

“Lawal wants the girls to have some rest, with all of them very tired coming out of the process before he hands them over to the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo. 

“The President takes off shortly on a trip to Germany for a state visit. The names of the released girls follows shortly.”

This is still not the kind of news I would have wanted. How many of the 219 kidnapped Chibok girls have been returned to their families?

Culled from www.punchng.com
Photo credit: AFP

South African television actress flaunts banging body in G-string

Khanyisile Mbau known professionally as Khanyi Mbau is a South African television host, actress and radio personality is more than ready for summer! Taking to Instagram, Khanyi posted saucy snaps of herself.

Khanyi Mbau.

Wearing a black G-string and crop top, Khanyi simply captioned the picture "Season up".

TV and radio personality, Khanyi Mbau, loves to show off her curves and we're not complaining. Nope, not one bit.

In the racy selfie Khanyi is wearing some lacy black undies and a long sleeve crop top.

We're not sure what the crop top is covering though?

Here are the pics:

Tis the season!! #💡

A photo posted by Khanyi Mbau METANOIA (@mbaureloaded) on Oct 9, 2016 at 4:21am PDT

Season up!! #💡

A photo posted by Khanyi Mbau METANOIA (@mbaureloaded) on Oct 9, 2016 at 1:52am PDT

Literature fetches writer N31m in time of recession

The Advisory Board of the Nigeria Prize for Literature has announced writer and journalist, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, as the winner of the 2016 edition of the prize after a nine-month long process of adjudication.

Abubakar Adam Ibrahim.

Chairman of the board, Emeritus Prof. Ayo Banjo, made the announcement at a meeting with journalists in Lagos on Wednesday.

Ibrahim’s novel, Season of Crimson Blossoms, beat 172 other entries, including the works of close contenders, El-Nathan John and Belgium-based Chika Unigwe, to emerge winner of this year’s competition in the prose fiction category.

In his report, Banjo said, “It was a strong field this year. The shortlisted entries were very strong and the board had no difficulty in accepting the recommendation of the panel of judges, considering the subject matter and competent manner in which the winner demonstrated the execution of his work.”

He described the winning novel as “a skillful and sympathetic narrative handling of a most psychologically and emotionally painful” encounter between an aging widow, who seeks release from her culturally imposed sexual repression, and the young leader of a group of dealers in hard drugs.

Still on the summary of the novel, Banjo continued, “In the background, the violent history of ethnic hatred and conflicts in Jos is placed within the larger context of contemporary Nigerian history with its complex and sometimes violent intertwining of politics, religion and culture.

“The novel moves from its evocative and passionate first sentence through a web of anxious moments to a tragic and painful conclusion with hardly a moment of respite.  All through it projects the implications of certain social issues for a younger audience – key issues such as early marriage, drug abuse and the impact of relationships on human action. It is a novel whose narrow domestic action has a wider universal relevance beyond its immediate setting.”

Reacting to the verdict, the General Manager, External Relations at the Nigeria Liquefied and Natural Gas Company Limited, sponsors of the literature prize, Kudo Eresia-Eke, noted that the quality of entries in the 2016 competition had said a lot for the development and progression of Nigerian writing. “We are very proud of the quality of the entries received. Let me reiterate very clearly that we will continue to support the integrity and excellence, which are some of the pillars that we have built the NLNG’s success as a company on,” he said.

The Nigeria Prize for Literature is awarded with a cash prize of $100, 000 (N31m at the official exchange rate). Ibrahim’s maiden short story collection, The Whispering Trees, was longlisted for the inaugural Etisalat Prize for Literature in 2014 and the title story was shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing.

Culled from www.punchng.com

Ghana begins petroleum products exports to Nigeria, others

Ghana has started exporting fuel and gas oil to the landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali from the Bolgatanga Petroleum Depot.

The state-owned Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) Limited, is also supplying petroleum products from the same depot to Benin Republic and Nigeria.

Ghana’s Minister of Petroleum, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who made this known at the meet-the-press series in Accra, said there were plans to extend the exports to Liberia in the coming months.

The minister said the vision of the government was to make Ghana the hub for the distribution of petroleum products in the West African sub-region.

The Bolgatanga Petroleum Depot, with a capacity of 46 million litres of refined gasoline and gas oil, was re-inaugurated in August 2015. Buah said Ghana had been ushered into a new gas era that would guarantee its energy security for the next two decades.

Culled from www.vanguardngr.com

Atiku hits gym in preparation for Arsenal transfer....LOL (photos)

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar thrilled Nigerians on Wednesday after he posted photos of himself in a private gym on social media, which he described as a step he is taking ahead of his transfer to Arsenal in January.

He wrote on his Facebook timeline:

“Warming up for my medicals, so I can complete my transfer to Arsenal in January.”

Culled from www.vanguardngr.com

Ghollywood actor, Majid Michel turns pastor (photos)

Top Nollywood and Ghollywood actor Majid Michel is now a minister of God. Not only is he constantly sharing the word of God on his IG page, he now goes from church to church to minister.

Nollywood and Ghollywood actor Majid Michel.

On October 4, the Ghanaian actor was seen ministering at a Church - Zoe Sanctuary where he performed deliverance.

There is a distinction between the FRUiT of the Spirit and the GiFTS of the Spirit. We need also to understand this as it relates to the evangelist, the Pastor, the Bishop, the Musician, the Actor, the Apostle etc. Quite often we become charmed and captivated with gifted people. And we often assume that because they are gifted, that they are also spiritual. We say, “Wow, that sister can really sing gospel songs. She’s a great woman of God!” But the fact that she can sing gospel or motivational songs does not make her a woman of God. We say, “Boy, that brother can preach!” He is not a man of God because he can preach. The Bible says God gives gifts as he pleases. I am gifted to preach. But i recognize it is a gift from God. It has nothing to do with me. If you judge my spirituality by my preaching, i will disappoint you, because there is no relationship between my gift to preach and my spirituality. If you want to find out whether i am a spiritual person, if you want to find out whether i am filled with the Spirit, you have to wait until i finish preaching and hang out with me. The fullness of the Spirit is not a state of perfection. it is a state of surrender. It is not a state of sinlessness. it is a state of abandonment to Jesus Christ. When a person simply says, “i renounce all rights to myself and i give Jesus the right to do with me whatever he pleases.” #LEADERSHiP

A photo posted by @majidmichelmm on Sep 26, 2016 at 10:10am PDT

Culled from www.vanguardngr.com

Yoruba couple set to divorce after 22 years of marriage

A woman named Idayat A. has asked for a divorce from her husband, Wasiu after 22 years of marriage. Though the Yoruba couple have seven children, Idayat says she can no longer tolerate his abuse.

File photo.

She said:

“My lord, Wasiu derives pleasure in beating the hell out of me not minding any circumstance. In fact, he is sounding it as a note of warning to me that he would soon put an end to my life.” 

“Aside from that, he does not have any regard for my relatives. I have seven children and I want to reap the fruits of my labour.”

The couple live in Aremo, Ibandan and the case was taken to a Mapo Customary Court there. Wasiu had a lot to say and claimed his abuse was due her recent pregnancy he feels he is not accountable for.

He said:

“My lord, it is true that Idayat and I have been having running battle over the past 10 days over a pregnancy she could not explain. For over three months now, Idayat has been starving me of sexual intercourse.” 

“Sometimes, she may stay away from the farm for two to three months and I will be the one looking after the children. So, when Idayat returned home 10 days ago, I observed that her stomach was already protruding and she has started showing most of the symptoms she usually exhibits during pregnancy.” 

“When I asked her, she laughed and I told her to return the pregnancy to whoever owned it. I reported the matter to her elder sister and parents, they all fought me.”

The case is yet to be resolved. What do you guys think? Should Wasiu stay with his wife and find out how far along she is rather than physically abuse her to get answers?

Culled from www.naij.com

Cameroonian legend out of coma

The 40-year-old former Cameroonian legend, Rigobert Song  went into coma after suffering a stroke at the weekend but reports claim he has woken up and the current Chad national team boss will now undergo further treatment in France.

Former Liverpool defender Rigobert Song.

Former Liverpool defender Song was rushed to hospital in his home town Yaounde, Cameroon after suffering a brain aneurysm and was in critical condition but the hospital director has confirmed the patient is now breathing fine on his own without an oxygen ventilator.

Song joined Liverpool for £2.7 million in January 1999 and made 35 appearances for the Reds before signing for West Ham United.

He was capped 137 by the Cameroonian national team over the course of his international career after making his debut at 17, winning the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics.

Culled from www.allsoccerplanet.com

Adeosun seeks interest rate reduction as MPC meets today

The minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun, has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to lower benchmark interest rates in order to lower debt servicing costs for the government, which plans to increase local borrowing to boost the economy.

The minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun.

Adeosun disclosed this at a meeting of business leaders in Abuja yesterday.

The minister had last week announced the planned injection of N350 billion into the economy to pull it out of recession.

Speaking with CNBC Africa yesterday, the minister said she wanted the CBN to reconsider its decision at the July Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting which saw a hike in benchmark interest rate from 12 per cent to 14 per cent.

She also disclosed that the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Pension Commission had approved plans to enable the investment of as much as $20 billion of pension fund in the development of the country’s infrastructure.

She said,

“A new instrument that will allow pension funds to invest in infrastructure bonds; that’s what will drive, for example, our social housing and our roads programme outside the budget.”

The Monetary Policy Committee of the CBN commenced its meeting in Abuja yesterday and would hold a press briefing at the end of the meeting today, to announce its decisions.

Analysts are optimistic that the MPC would hold rates as a hike in rates would further put more pressure on the ailing economy and a cut will send negative signal to investors.

Adeosun said the Finance Ministry was working with the Debt Management Office, Nigeria’s sovereign wealth fund and the pension industry to issue an infrastructure bond to raise money for road and housing projects, although she did not elaborate.

“We need lower interest rates because when we are borrowing and interest rates go up, it increases our cost of debt service and it reduces the amount of money that is available to spend on capital projects. 

“The attempt was to manage inflation and the trade-off for the economy right now is, what is a bigger problem: Is it growth or inflation? For me it is growth. I would rather seek growth. We can manage inflation. I think for us, at the moment in the Nigerian economy, growth is the most important thing,” Adeosun told CNBC.

Culled from www.leadership.com

Osinbajo blames Niger Delta militants for recession

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has attributed the current economic recession to the activities of militants in the Niger Delta.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

Osinbajo said there was no way Nigeria would not be affected given the fact that “the nation now loses over one million barrels of crude oil on a daily basis.”

The Vice-President said this on Monday at the maiden meeting of the Presidential Quarterly Business Forum with members of the organised private sector and other stakeholders at the State House Conference Centre, Aso Villa, Abuja.

The meeting is part of the Federal Government’s effort to continually engage regularly with different segments of the Nigerian public on its economic policies and direction.

Osinbajo said,

“Perhaps it is important for us to understand the nature of this recession in which we have found ourselves. In discussing this issue of recession, there is the tendency for people to generalise. A lot depends on what sort of recession and how we got here.” 

“If we did not have vandalism in the Niger Delta as we are currently suffering, we will not have this recession today. Moreover, in looking at the solutions, we should try to focus on the type of problem we have and what instigated it then we can begin to come up with better solutions.”

Osinbajo, who is the head of the Economic Management Team, said the Federal Government was ready to address challenges in the power sector.

The members of the organised private sector, who were present, listed 13 challenges they were facing.

Top on the list are access to finance which  got 32ý per cent vote, access to foreign exchange (23 per cent), high interest rates – (18 per cent) and high energy cost (18 per cent).

Other challenges listed are: transport and infrastructural deficit (nine per cent), weak export support, inconsistent government policies, and absence of clear investment policies.

Culled from www.punchng.com

3 times Aisha Buhari has shown off her wealth

The Nigerian first lady, Aisha Buhari has shown that when it comes to her dressing she spares no expense. The first sign of this was about a year ago when, she wore a very expensive watch to the presidential inauguration ceremony.

Investigations by Breaking Times said that the wife of the Nigerian President appeared on the official portrait with a Cartier Baignoire Folle 18-Carat white gold and diamond ladies watch that cost £34,500.

According to the CBN foreign exchange rate as at that time the wristwatch costs N10, 453, 000 (Ten Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Three Thousand Naira).

Below are some of the times, she showed that she could clearly afford the best of the best, recession or not:

1. Presidential Inauguration, May 29, 2015
Aisha Buhari wearing a Cartier watch at the 2015 inauguration caused an uproar
Cartier Watch

Aisha Buhari wearing a Cartier watch at the 2015 inauguration caused an uproar.

As stated above, this was the first time Nigerians understood, that she loved the wealthy life, as she flaunted a Cartier Baignoire Folle 18-Carat white gold and diamond ladies.

Cartier Watch.

Nigerians cried out with many claiming the watch cost more than N10 million. The outrage that ensued was mainly because their were earlier indications that the Buharis were a modest family. Especially after the President said he was a pastoral farmer with 150 cows, and that he had barely raised the money to pay for his presidential nomination form.

So a £34,500 Cartier watch was the last thing Nigerians were expecting, even at the exchange rate of N303 to £1 in 2015.

2. Visiting the US, Thursday August 4, 2016
Aisha Buhari’s Hermes bag made front page news

Aisha Buhari’s Hermes bag made front page news.

When the first lady visited the US, the Nigerian social media was agog with news, first about her way of dressing which many Muslims decried as disgraceful.

Then, when Mrs. Buhari was spotted carrying a Hermes Birkin 35cm Porosus Crocodile Gold Hardware Bag worth $105, 000 (N40, 950,000) at the then, $1 to N390 current conversion rate, the outcry was much louder.

According to Signal, the exact pink version of Aisha Buhari’s Hermes handbag was auctioned in 2015 for $222,912 (N86, 935, 680) at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong.

3. UN General Assembly, US, September 19, 2016
Aisha Buhari wearing a Chopard watch raised some

Aisha Buhari wearing a Chopard watch raised some eyebrows.

Today, September 19, 2016 the first lady is billed to attend the United Nations General Assembly with the President and his delegation.

Happy Sport 36 MM Watch.

And once again she has a very expensive timepiece on her wrist. She was spotted rocking a 36mm Happy Sport watch. The Chopard diamond wristwatch reportedly costs about £15,000 (N8, 250,000).

And once again Nigerians have cried out. The first lady however seems unperturbed, time and again she has shown that she is not one to shrink back at the sight of luxuries.

Culled from www.naij.com