7 Awesome French Beauty Tips to Try

Every woman always wants to look beautiful and each morning she spends hours in front of the mirror perfecting her look. French women of all ages are well-known for their natural beauty and they don’t have complicated beauty routines. I’m not telling that American women, African women, Russian women or Asian women are not beautiful. We are all beautiful, but we spend too much time (and beauty products!) trying to improve our natural beauty and often end up overdoing it. You don’t have to visit France to find out their beauty tips, though. I’ve got some of the most awesome French beauty tips that you may want to incorporate into your beauty routine.

 

1. Use facial masks every week

French women love to pamper themselves and they always have time to do a facial mask. Sometimes we can be so busy that we don’t have time to get enough sleep, not to mention a facial mask. But you won’t enhance your natural beauty, if you don’t have time to relax and pamper yourself. A high quality facial mask can make your skin more smooth and radiant. Plus, it can help keep you looking fresh and young without piling on the makeup each day.

 

2. Eat healthy food

When it comes to a healthy skin, your diet can go a long way. We all know that it’s important to eat healthy regularly to stay healthy and give the body the energy it needs. However, there are certain healthy foods that you can eat to have the perfect skin. Most French women eat right: they don’t skip meals, they eat mindfully and they always make healthy snack choices. No wonder they look slim and healthy. If you want to have a radiant skin, a healthy body and a high energy level, be sure to stick to a healthy diet.

 

 

3. Don’t wash your hair each day

French ladies have a bit tousled, beautiful hair since they don’t wash it daily and they try to keep their hairstyle simple and chic. They don’t load the hair with different hair styling products as many of us do. If you wash your hair every day (as I did), try to break this habit. Your hair will be healthier and prettier. Also, avoid using too much hair styling products.

 

4. Forget about your heavy makeup

The heavy makeup is always a bad idea. It clogs your pores, which can lead to acne. Most French ladies don’t use foundations. They love a bare skin with a touch of mascara, lipstick, and sometimes blush. Sometimes you don’t need to wear a lot of makeup to look beautiful. You can look beautiful without makeup at all!

 

5. Wear perfume or body splash every day

This tip may sound obvious, but nowadays lots of women don’t wear perfume or body spray every day. They put on makeup in order to look more beautiful, but they forget to use perfume that helps keep them smelling great all day long. There are many fantastic perfumeries in France as well as incredible perfumes. French women love perfumes and they believe every woman should spritz on a bit of scent daily.

 

6. Don’t show more than necessary

French women wear beautiful clothing but they never show too much, especially at work. Sure, it doesn’t mean that you should always wrap yourself up in pants and sweaters, or long skirts and long sleeve tops. Just learn how to dress so that you don’t show more than necessary. For instance, if you want to wear a short skirt, make sure you pair it with a top or anything you like that doesn’t show too much skin.

 

7. Wear minimal jewelry

Huge and chunky jewelry may look beautiful, but not on every woman. If you want to look like a French woman, make sure you wear minimal jewelry. Opt for small earrings and bracelets and avoid wearing statement necklaces each day. You can also pair your smaller accessories with the statement pieces for a bolder look.

 

French women are not ideal, but they look beautiful and they are so ladylike. You don’t have to follow all of the French beauty tips, but I’m sure that you’ve already chosen a few tips that you’d like to incorporate into your beauty routine. What French beauty tips do you like? Do you know any other tips?

 

WOMANITELY

Ex-militants back Buhari, flay Jonathan

Some South-South ex-militant generals and commanders in Edo State on Wednesday announced their support for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the February 14 presidential poll, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari ( retd.).

 

They also commended the leadership of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta for endorsing Buhari, insisting that the group’s (MEND’s) action should be treated with seriousness.

 

The ex-militants told journalists in Benin, the Edo State capital, that their position was in line with the expectations and hope of Nigerians for positive change and development, particularly, the development of the Niger Delta region.

 

The spokesperson for the group, Mr. Godwin Ogidigba, explained that the ex-agitators had implicit confidence in the ability of Buhari, whom he said, was capable of addressing the major challenges affecting various communities in the region, which were yet to be addressed by the present administration.

 

He said, “In recent publications in the dailies, you see MEND endorsing Buhari. People thought it was a joke. It is not. The fact remains that we need somebody that can address the salient issues that affect the Niger Delta region.

 

“Our brother has failed in those issues; our brother has failed to take us away from poverty, our brother has failed to bring development to the Niger Delta region.

 

“Just take a look at most of the Niger Delta communities. They still remain where they are, in spite of the fact that we have one of our own at the top, at the helm of affairs, nothing positive has changed in the region.”

 

Ogidigba argued that their choice of Buhari had nothing to do with religion or ethnicity but centred on their desire for unity in the country.

He noted that although the amnesty programme had brought some relief to youths in the region, some of the terms of the agreement had yet to be implemented.

 

Ogidigba said, “Somebody who can stand and develop our region, that should be our interest and that is our interest. It is true that President Goodluck Jonathan is from the South-South region; he is our brother. But the problem is this: he came to meet the amnesty programme and since then he has not been able to improve on it, which means that the amnesty programme stopped when the late (President) Musa Yar’Adua died.”

 

PUNCH

One person dies as PDP, APC supporters clash in Kano

Spokesman of Kano Police Command, ASP Magaji Musa Majia has confirmed the death of one person and burning of five vehicles when political thugs loyal to the All Progressive Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, clashed at Hotoro quarters on Wednesday.

 

The incident reportedly occurred at noon when President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s campaign rally was on at Polo Ground and General Muhammad Buhari was addressing a World Press Conference on the issue bordering on his WASCE certificate at Government House.

 

Although the Hotoro Quarters is located far away from the venue of the PDP rally, the political thugs just couldn’t stand each other.

 

Musa Majia says the police are investigating the incident to ascertain the remote and immediate cause.

YNAIJA

5 Things to Do Today to Make This World a Happier Place

Everyone wants to be happy and live a better life, but we are so focused on our own goals that we often forget about things we should do to make the world a happier place. Regardless of your age, sex and nationality, you can make our planet a better place to live. While you can’t do it alone, you can set a good example and inspire others to help you. Don’t think that your small attempts and efforts will do nothing. The truth is, many people think this way and that’s the major reason why we live in a cruel modern world full of selfish people and those who lack confidence to change something. Don’t be afraid to express yourself and don’t be afraid to follow your own rules. Help your children grow up in a happy society. Here are some of the best things you can do today to make this world a happier place.

1. Be nice

It’s so tempting to be rude to people you hate, but don’t let anger and hatred divide people into good and bad. You don’t know the whole story so you can’t judge anyone. You don’t know their thoughts and feelings. After all, there are people who may think that you are a bad person. Be nice to people and they will be nicer to you. Even if they are not nice to you, then let it be. You don’t need to be perfect and make everyone loves you. Get rid of the feelings of hatred and you will feel much happier.

2. Help

Let’s be honest, it’s not easy to help someone for free. You should be a really kind person to volunteer. Helping people in need, animals in need and the nature is one of the best things you can do each day to make the world a better and happier place to live. Feed stray animals and birds each day, help your neighbors, volunteer at shelters at least once a month, plant flowers and trees, make donations if you can afford, and do anything you can to help make this world better. You don’t have to be rich to help others. I know many poor people who do more good deeds than my rich friends. I’m not a rich woman as well, and I don’t make lots of money, but I do my best to help others (especially animals) to live a happier life.

3. Compliment someone

As I mentioned above, you don’t have to be rich to make this world happier. Just smile at a stranger and compliment your mom or friend today, and you will move closer to your goal. When you compliment someone, however, make sure you are honest and sincere. If you don’t like your friend’s haircut, it’s better to say nothing at all. You can say something like ‘You look amazing today’ or ‘I love your fantastic smile.’ You will make their day without noticing it.

4. Keep the nature clean

The world will never be a better place to live, if we don’t take care of the nature. If you plant flowers and trees, it’s great. But, if you toss your junk onto the street, you do a lot of harm to the nature. Don’t leave rubbish in the park and forest and don’t toss it into the water. Moreover, don’t bury or burn it. Inspire others to keep the nature clean and teach your children to take care of the nature. Whenever you can, recycle things and try to buy products made from recycled materials.

5. Stop competing

Many people spend their lives striving to be better than their friends, coworkers or neighbors. They work hard and run into debt to buy a better car, a bigger house, a more expensive phone, or a more expensive piece of clothing, and it’s all because they want to be better than others. If you are one of them, try to break a habit of competing with your friends and coworkers. It’s hard to feel happy and live your life to the fullest when you always think of being better than others. We are all humans and we all make mistakes. If someone is more successful than you, it’s not the end of the world. Be happy for them, genuinely happy. You will definitely become successful, but you will do it for yourself. There’s no need in showing others that you are better, even if they are trying to compete with you. Set a good example and chances are many people will follow it.

I know I can’t change the whole world, but I know that even the smallest contribution can go a long way. I try to inspire people to be kinder and happier, and to believe in themselves. Believe in your strength, and remember you can make this world a better place. What useful things do you do daily?

WOMANITELY

Gucci Picks Alessandro Michele as Its Next Creative Director

Alessandro Michele, the newly promoted creative director at Gucci, on Monday in Milan for Fashion Week events.

ANTONIO CALANNI / ASSOCIATED PRESS

By NICOLA CLARK and VANESSA FRIEDMAN

PARIS — Hoping to reverse a prolonged sales slump at Gucci, its marquee brand, the French luxury group Kering said on Wednesday that it had promoted Alessandro Michele, Gucci’s head of accessories, to creative director.

Mr. Michele, 42, replaces his former boss, Frida Giannini, who, along with the chief executive Patrizio di Marco, was asked to leave the Italian fashion house at the end of last year.

Though the appointment has been widely rumored within the industry in recent weeks, the choice of Mr. Michele, who is virtually unknown outside of Gucci and the accessories field, represents a gamble for Kering, which is betting that future sales will be driven by the power of the Gucci brand and accessories, as opposed to the drawing power of a star designer.

Luca Solca, a luxury analyst at Exane BNP Paribas in London, said Gucci had a lot of potential in the competitive luxury goods market. Leather goods, particularly shoes and handbags, have emerged as one of the fastest-growing categories in luxury.

“What Gucci needs is to inject the brand with new ideas and create a new buzz around it,” Mr. Solca said. “Handbags and leather goods are going to be very important to bring novelty to the market and to give consumers new reasons to come back to Gucci stores.”

In a statement, Kering said on Wednesday that Mr. Michele would be given total creative responsibility for all of Gucci’s collections and its brand image.

Marco Bizzarri, who took over this month as Gucci’s new chief executive, said the selection of Mr. Michele was “based upon the contemporary vision he has articulated for the brand.”

Kering is the world’s third-largest luxury group, after LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton of France and Richemont of Switzerland. Besides Gucci, Kering’s brands include Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent.

While many of Kering’s smaller labels have borne up well against an industrywide slowdown, sales at Gucci, which accounts for nearly a third of the group’s annual revenue, have stalled in recent years.

Luxury consumers, particularly in China, have turned away from flashy, logo-emblazoned goods — long Gucci’s cachet — in favor of subtler statements.

Recognizing those trends, as well as rising competition from smaller, more affordable brands like Michael Kors and Tory Burch, Gucci’s previous chief executive, Mr. di Marco, had already begun a strategic push into higher-end luxury, especially accessories like handbags. Leather goods represented almost 60 percent of Gucci sales in its 2013 fiscal year.

The appointment of a widely respected accessories designer like Mr. Michele suggests that Mr. di Marco’s successor, Mr. Bizzarri, intends to stick with that strategy.

Accessories are one of the largest segments of the luxury market, representing close to one-third of the $250 billion spent on high-end goods globally each year, said Claudia D’Arpizio, a luxury goods specialist with the Bain & Company consulting firm in Milan.

In difficult economic environments, she said, accessories and small leather goods tend to be more resilient than fashion and apparel because of their relatively accessible prices.

“Even if they are trading down,” she said of cost-conscious consumers, “they are not exiting the luxury market.”

Analysts said Mr. Michele’s appointment signaled a certain internal continuity. But Mr. Michele and the Gucci design team presented an autumn men’s wear show in Milan on Monday that fashion critics said brought a notable aesthetic departure from Ms. Giannini’s work and seemed directed at a younger and more sartorially adventurous consumer.

The new men’s wear collection — reportedly prepared under Mr. Michele’s direction in less than a week after Ms. Giannini’s abrupt departure — featured androgynous looks, including ruffled silk blouses, lace and cropped fur jackets.

While some analysts have suggested that Gucci might have done better to pick a more established ready-to-wear designer for the top job, others stressed that the brand was wise to play to its strengths.

“Gucci is primarily a leather goods brand, and where you need new ideas is leather goods,” Mr. Solca said. “I think that is the area that is becoming far more crowded with new entrants and putting brands like Gucci on their toes.”

NYTIMES

How the Brain Stores Trivial Memories, Just in Case

By BENEDICT CAREY

The surge of emotion that makes memories of embarrassment, triumph and disappointment so vivid can also reach back in time, strengthening recall of seemingly mundane things that happened just beforehand and that, in retrospect, are relevant, a new study has found.

The report, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, suggests that the television detective’s standard query — “Do you remember any unusual behavior in the days before the murder?” — is based on solid brain science, at least in some circumstances.

The findings fit into the predominant theory of memory: that it is an adaptive process, continually updating itself according to what knowledge may be important in the future.

The new study suggests that human memory has, in effect, a just-in-case file, keeping seemingly trivial sights, sounds and observations in cold storage for a time in case they become useful later.

But the experiment said nothing about the effect of trauma, which shapes memory in unpredictable ways. Rather, it aimed to mimic the arousals of daily life: The study used mild electric shocks to create apprehension and measured how the emotion affected memory of previously seen photographs.

In earlier work, researchers had found plenty of evidence in animals and humans of this memory effect, called retroactive consolidation. The new study shows that the effect applies selectively to related, relevant information.

“The study provides strong evidence for a specific kind of retroactive enhancement,” said Daniel L. Schacter, a professor of psychology at Harvard who was not involved in the research. “The findings go beyond what we’ve found previously in humans.”

He and other experts cautioned that the details of retroactive consolidation were still far from clear. No one knows which past memories an emotional experience flags, how far back in time it reaches or, indeed, whether it also suppresses some details. Memories are not fixed when encoded, experts said, and can be weakened by later events, as well as strengthened.

The study, done at New York University, had several stages. In the first one, the 119 participants sat in front of a computer watching photographs scroll by, and categorized each one as a tool (hammer, saw, ladder) or an animal (horse, eagle, kangaroo). They saw 30 tools and 30 animals, in no particular order.

Five minutes later, the men and women again sat in front of the computer, only this time with electrode wires attached to one wrist. The research team, led by Joseph Dunsmoor, a postdoctoral fellow in cognitive neuroscience, calibrated a shock level for each person that was uncomfortable but not painful. The participants then categorized a new set of 60 photographs, 30 tools and 30 animals, in random order. Half of the group received a shock most times they saw an animal, and half received one most times they saw a tool.

The research team then gave the participants a surprise test, measuring how well they remembered all the photographs, particularly the first set. The results varied depending on when people took the test.

Those who took it right away remembered as many tools as they did animals; the shocks had no apparent effect. But those who took the test six hours or a day later recalled about 7 percent more items from the “shocked” category. For example, they remembered more tools if they had been zapped seeing tools.

“The emotional experience of the shocks strengthened or preserved the memories of things that, at the time they were encoded, seemed mundane,” Dr. Dunsmoor said in an interview. “At least when it’s tested hours or a day later.”

Dr. Dunsmoor’s co-authors on the study were Vishnu Murty, Lila Davachi and Elizabeth Phelps.

The fact that the retroactive strengthening took time to happen — none was evident in people tested immediately — leaves the timing unclear.

“That’s the most surprising finding to me, that the enhancement depends on some consolidation process we don’t yet understand,” Dr. Schacter said.

This finding raises at least as many questions as it answers. How long are items stored in the “just in case” mode? Are some too weak to be consolidated? Are others, which are not very relevant, also somewhat strengthened — or weakened? And do rewarding experiences enhance past details in the same way?

The TV detective would want to know, and so do the scientists. “All questions for further research,” Dr. Dunsmoor said.

NYTIMES

Nigeria’s Plea for Support

To the Editor:

Re “In Nigeria, the Terror Continues” (editorial, Jan. 18):

Terrorism is a global threat, and its defeat requires a global effort. And while the Nigerian government appreciates the help we have received from our allies, our efforts to procure arms commensurate with this high-stakes battle (including a shipment of Cobra helicopters from Israel) have been thwarted.

You suggest that we lack the will to fight this war. But all the will in the world won’t suffice without the firepower to back it up.

Yet despite the setbacks, our armed forces are making marked progress against Boko Haram, including repelling a major attack just days ago on the strategic town of Biu. But we cannot win this fight alone, just as Western powers cannot win against the Islamic State and Al Qaeda alone.

We must work together to equip our security forces to defeat these depraved terrorists and bring to an end the suffering caused by this conflict.

In the meantime, the Nigerian government will continue providing comprehensive humanitarian relief to the families displaced by Boko Haram in the northeast and securing safe schools for our children.

We do not need an abrupt leadership change when we are in the middle of a war. What we need, in our time of need, is backing from our friends in the international community for whom Nigeria (and its peacekeeping forces) has provided loyal, ample support over the years and decades.

MIKE OMERI

Chief Coordinating Spokesman

National Information Center

Abuja, Nigeria, Jan. 18, 2015

NYTIMES

PDP, APC Condemn Attack on Jonathan’s Convoy in Katsina

Asari-Dokubo: We’ll retaliate attack on the president

By Chuks Okocha and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation (PCO), wednesday condemned the attack on the convoy of President Goodluck Jonathan in Katsina State by suspected members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that the PDP would hold both the APC and its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, responsible should any harm come to the president.

Addressing a press conference wednesday, the PDP PCO Director of Media and Publicity, Femi Fani-Kayode, said a group of broom-wielding vandals, chanting “sai Buhari”, hurled stones at the convoy of the president, who is the presidential candidate of the PDP in the February 14 election.

Also, the PDP added its voice to the condemnation of the attack on President Jonathan’s convoy by supporters of the APC and Buhari in Katsina.

According to  Fani-Kayode, “We consider that action despicable, barbaric, shameful and highly reprehensible. It shows very clearly the violent nature, disposition and character of those individuals that were involved and the presidential candidate that they support.

“The Katsina show of shame was the first case of violence unleashed on our candidate by supporters of Buhari, after the signing of the historic Abuja Accord by the presidential candidates of all the parties participating in the election. The purpose of that accord was to discourage violence before, during and after the election.”

Further expressing disgust over the incident, Fani-Kayode said, “The laudable intention of the Peace Accord has now been irresponsibly violated by a group of miscreants and vandals whose leader has proved to be wholly incapable of keeping them in check and restraining them from indulging in violence.  It is worrisome that this kind of violent reaction would manifest when the election has not held and their candidate has not yet lost.

Also, the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, however commended Nigerians, especially the huge crowd that attended the party’s rallies in  Zamfara State and other states in the northern part of the country.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, in a statement yesterday, said “the attack is a clear indication that the

APC is not ready to shift from its desire to attain power through violence despite signing a peace pact a week ago in Abuja”, stating that the PDP would “no longer tolerate such acts of violence on any of its members.”

“This brazen attack on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and our presidential candidate clearly shows that the APC was never committed to the spirit and letters of the Abuja peace accord which they signed in the presence of prominent Nigerians and international personalities.

“It is unfortunate that while the PDP and other parties are busy ensuring that their members and supporters remain committed to a  peaceful electioneering, the APC has been hatching plots to unleash violence on our candidates and members.

In the same vein, the National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Muazu, said that despite the propaganda against the president, the important thing is that Nigerians have used the turn out in to the party’s rallies in the northern part of Nigeria as a sign of appreciation to President Jonathan’s administration.

On its part, APC has strongly condemned the reported stoning of the campaign convoy of President Goodluck Jonathan in Katsina State on Tuesday, saying violence of any kind is totally unacceptable to the party.

In a statement issued yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said President Jonathan should be free to campaign anywhere in the country without hinderance.

It said even though the attack on the President’s convoy took place a day after the provocative death-wish-for-Buhari newspaper advertorial that was put out in the name of the President, nothing justifies the stoning of the President’s comvoy anywhere in the country.

APC restated its commitment to a continuous enlightenment of its members and supporters to eschew violence before, during and after next month’s general election, and urged other parties to follow suit.

‘’We consider election as a celebration of democracy, not a do-or-die affair. Whether or not one agrees with the campaign message of any party, engaging in violence negates the very essence of democracy and should be condemned by all,’’ the party said.

However, the leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteers Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, has threatened that the people of the South-south would  retaliate the reported attack on the convoy of the president.

Asari-Dokubo criticised  President Jonathan for signing a non-violence pact with Buhari, and alerted non- indegenes living in the far North, especially Igbo traders to be weary of the antics of those that are preparing the stage for post election violence.

Asari-Dokubo, who addressed journalists yesterday in Abuja said the attack on the person of the president was a premeditated act by the supporters of the APC.

The NDPVF leader said the attack and probably other subsequents ones are meant to serve as a prelude  to a full-scale post-election violence by the opposition party if it loses the February 14 presidential election.

He accused the opposition of preparing ground for violence if they loose the election in concert with some foreign posers and when they do that we are going to respond proportionally.

He dismissed Buhari recant on violence when indeed those who alway stone or burn party vehicles and main people normally shout praise of his name.

“The people in Katsina who did not hold their children from wrecking havoc on the President’s convoy  should also know that we will not hold our own kids.

“For every action, there would be an opposite and equal reaction. I knew that the signing of the accord was useless and  the President subjected himself to signing such an accord, for me, it was out of place. The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of a country, but the president is a humble person, he does things that even surprise some of us and make us sometimes to be very angry.

“To be very frank, on that day they were signing the accord, I was very angry, signing with who? The president has sworn to protect the lives of every Nigerians, so why would he after taking a constitutional oath, subjected himself to another oath that would be stronger than the oath he took when he took office after being elected voluntarily by the people of Nigeria”

“There is an establishment pattern of pre and post election violence in the North. In the 50s when Awolowo was campaigning in the North he went with helicopter and he was mobbed. People said he was flying over there houses and peeping on their wives. That has continued and everywhere in the country people say leave them alone, we don’t want any trouble but the rule of the game has changed.

He said Buhari’s statements concerning the peace accord was meant to deceive Nigerians, saying Nigerians should not believe him.

“What happened in Katsina is not a surprise and we are putting the world on notice over the stoning of President Jonathan in Katsina because we are going to respond. If you slice our throat, we will slice your throat, they stoned the President, you will hear from us.

According to Dokubo, groups in Niger Delta will respond proportionately as it would  not fold its arms and allow the President be killed.

He advised  all Igbo people who are still doing business in the far north to take heed now and move back home, so as to avoid the likely violence that may follow the defeat of Buhari in the February election.

“Nothing will happen anywhere in the country if they do not initiate it. Why did they stone the president? Do you expect us to keep quiet so that they will kill President Jonathan. Because they believe that they have devine right to rule over us and we will be slave, but we reject it in its entirety because they are never our masters.

“We will ensure a balance of terror, no one person should have the monopoly to unleash terror. Violence begets violence,” he said.

Speaking on great strides made by Jonathan, he said the president initiated the idea of taking all the Almajiris from the streets and putting them back into the schools through the Almagiri Schools System.

He said a vote for Buhari is a vote for retrogression. He said the Ijaw people have gone under water to campaign for Jonathan’s re-election and I can assure you that he will win Buhari with a landslide. Jonathan will win and win convincingly.

On insecurity, he said, there is an open support for Boko Haram by the northern establishment, adding that the reason the dreaded sect has continued their heinous actions is due to the support they get from some northern leaders.

He said there is no way things will be happening in a neighbourhood and people living there will not know.

He insisted that under a situation where the people aid and abet the terrorists, it will be difficult to end the insurgency.

The insecurity problem in the northeast can only be solved if the people are ready to cooperate with the armed forces.

This man committed the worst offences, this man who never passed any exams went and overthrew the democratically elected government of President Shehu Shagari.

On whether he supports the postponement of the election, he said the argument for such proposal should not be because of the threat of violence but due the non readiness of INEC.

He however said his group is not calling for the postponement of the general election because “we are very sure of winning. But if the election is organised with the PVCs,  then I can tell you that INEC is not ready.

Dokubo who rejected the appellation, Militant, said he has never been one but remains a royalty from the Kalabari Kingdom in Rivers State.

Speaking on what he thinks can bring about peace before and after the election, Dokubo said nothing will happen if the northerners do not engineer violence, adding that anything contrary, he and his people will not fold their arms.

“The question is not for me, it for Buhari, Shakau and others who can not stop their people from stoning Jonathan when he visited Kastina.”

THISDAY

Why we cleared Buhari – Onu, Chairman, APC Presidential Screening C’ttee

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA — Chairman of the defunct Presidential Screening Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu has said that the party’s presidential candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari was cleared for primary election strictly on the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Besides, he said that the affidavit produced by Buhari during the screening exercise provided every conviction needed to clear him.

Onu also added that the person of Buhari who had hitherto attended many military institutions both at home and abroad before rising to the pinnacle of his career in the Nigeria Army could not have done so without passing his examinations at primary  and secondary school levels.

He wondered why the certificate has suddenly been made an issue even when Buhari had contested previous elections without hitches.

He said: “Really that issue shouldn’t create the kind of problem that we are seeing today in the polity. When this matter came before us in the presidential screening committee, we had to rely on the constitution of our great country to qualify anybody to be president of Nigeria.

“You have to be a Nigerian by birth. He has to be 40 years of age. He has to be a member of a political party and that political party must sponsor you and finally should obtain education at least up to secondary school level or equivalent.

“And our presidential candidate had attended military schools, in Nigeria, in India, in the United Kingdom, UK, and in the United states of America, USA. He attended the US army war college. So, there isn’t any reason whatsoever to create this type of problems that we now have in the polity.”

Asked if the committee demanded a copy of the school certificate during the screening, Onu said the affidavit gave them the needed proof.

“No, we demanded for that, but there was an affidavit and you know once you swear to an affidavit, that definitely gives you whatever protection in any matter not just in this case.

“But the thing is that we were not doing this for the PDP, we were doing it for Nigeria. This is a man who will be president of Nigeria and there is a supreme law, the constitution that guides us and the issue of qualifications is at least a school certificate.

“So if there is evidence that somebody has attended military schools that are tertiary institutions up to the war college of the USA, I mean why should you really go into school certificate and so on?

“But the Army has shown that he applied in Form 6. Many young people don’t know we used to have Form 6. I attended Form 6. I attended higher school that is what it is called then and you spend 2 years at the lower and the upper. You can’t go to Form 6 unless you completed your Form 5 and he got all the credits in the relevant subjects. So all those are in his file.”

The APC chieftain while dismissing the issue however said that Nigeria had other issues such as insecurity and unemployment yearning for urgent attention now than Buhari’s certificate.

VANGUARD

Jonathan Visits Emir of Kano, Excited over Crowd at Rally

Without Buhari APC is nothing, says Lamido

One killed, five vehicles destroyed in APC, PDP supporters’ clash

Ibrahim Garba in Kano, Jaiyeola Andrews and Yajubu Abdullahi in Dutse

 

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s campaign train wednesday berthed in the populous city of Kano, where he paid a courtesy call on the Emir of Kano and former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi (II).

 

Jonathan, who immediately after his arrival at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport proceeded to the emir’s place, expressed gratitude for the warm reception accorded him and his entourage.

 

He also condoled the emir on the death of the late emir, Alhaji Ado Bayero, saying, “I am condoling you and the emirate over the death of the late emir. I am also congratulating you for this position as the Emir of Kano, being my first time to visit Kano since you assumed the throne.”

 

Also soliciting the support of the emir with whom he had a fractious relationship when he was in charge of the CBN and later fired, Jonathan added, “I am here to seek your royal blessing and to reassure the people of Kano that PDP is totally committed to developing the country.”

 

In his response, Sanusi said the emirate has no political affiliation with any of the parties, stressing that its major concern was sustainable peace and the security of lives and property in the state.

 

Sanusi said the emirate was praying for the peaceful conduct of next month’s general election and appealed to the electorate to eschew any form of violence, while also urging the government to redouble its efforts at overcoming the security challenges facing the country.

 

He called on politicians to conduct their business in peace and avoid bloodshed, noting that democracy was all about choice.

Sanusi appealed to the electorate to accept the verdict of the election and rally round whoever emerges the winner.

 

He expressed delight that government was doing all that was necessary to provide permanent voters’ cards (PVC) so that all eligible Nigerians could exercise their franchise.

 

During the campaign rally held at the Kano polo ground, the president could not hide his feelings at the mammoth crowd that received him and promised to boost economic growth in Kano through intervention programmes in education, agriculture, commerce and industry.

 

Addressing the people at the rally, Jonathan expressed his appreciation for the warm reception by the people of Kano, saying, “This crowd that has come to receive us just before prayer time is overwhelming.

 

“Let me use this occasion to appreciate the northern youths for donating N2 million personally and on behalf of the vice-president to our nomination forms. The donation was made in Kano and we have to use this opportunity to thank all of you for that.

 

“Let us use this opportunity to also express our condolences to you for the death of our former emir, Ado Bayero, and also to congratulate you for successfully crowning the next emir of this great city and this emirate. “At this occasion, let us remember some of our great sons and daughters that worked very hard to lead this country. One is the great Murtala Muhammad, Malam Aminu Kano and other great leaders who worked tirelessly for Nigeria.”

 

Jonathan informed the crowd that the cornerstone of his campaign in Kano was the basic empowerment of the youths and women in the commercial nerve centre of the North.

 

He also acknowledged the role being played by Kano in commerce and industry, assuring that his administration would work with the people of the state to enhance agriculture value chain to give more priority to processing and export.

 

“When you are in Kano, you remember what people want. Kano is known for education, it is known for agriculture, it is known for commerce and industry, and that is why this present administration will work with you, work with the governor that is coming to make sure that we don’t just produce food, but we process the food and export and that is why we are working very hard.

 

“You would remember that owing to our agricultural programme, we are producing rice and we will soon export rice from Kano.”

He also spoke of the efforts of his administration to eradicate polio in Kano, promising that it will be sustained to ensure that the virus does not resurface.

“I promised that within this administration’s period, Nigeria will surely eradicate polio and as I am telling you now, in 2014, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared India free of Polio, they declared Bangladesh free of polio

 

“We would also have been declared free last year but because of our challenges this was postponed. But let me reassure you that Insha Allah, this year, the World Health Organisation will declare Nigeria Polio-free.”

 

Jonathan promised to work with the people of Kano in order to encourage micro and small medium scale enterprises that would make young people to follow in the footsteps of the Aliko Dangotes of this world.

 

While speaking at the rally, Vice-President Namadi Sambo debunked claims that the Jonathan administration was anti-North, insisting that most important appointments in the presidency and the security agencies favoured the North, just as he appealed to Kano residents and other states in the region to cast their votes for the president.

 

The PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu, also presented the PDP governorship candidate Salihu Sagiir Takai and his running mate Abba Risqua Murtala to the people.

 

Among those on the campaign train were Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio; Director-General of the Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Senator Ahmadu Ali; Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Wali; Minister of Special Duties, Taminu Turaki; wife of the Vice-President, Amina Sambo; and Senate Chief Whip, Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo, among others.

 

After the Kano rally, the PDP campaign train proceeded to Dutse, the capital of Jigawa State, where the president said the crowd was not about intimidation as it was being projected by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

Jonathan, who spoke at Aminu Kano Square, said the philosophy of great Nigerian leaders like Amino Kano, Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa, kicked against intimidation.

 

According to Jonathan, the PDP is a party that promotes unity and will never allow the country to disintegrate.

He stressed that all the states airports were built by PDP-led governments, adding, “The federal government has also established 14 universities and one international airport within this period.”

 

He urged Nigerians to ignore those who accuse the PDP of doing nothing.

“Leadership is not about intimidating people, it is not about threatening people. One thing about democracy is that people should be free. Freedom is the hallmark of democracy – a democracy where you are not free, a democracy where you live in bondage that is no democracy. Nigerians will never be in bondage, this country must be united,” he stressed.

 

He assured the people of Jigawa that his government will crush terrorism in the country.

“We have challenges of terrorism just like other countries have. But surely, we will crush this terrorism, as nobody can separate us, nobody can disintegrate this country. This country must continue to be united and nobody will allow anybody to do otherwise.”

 

On development initiatives for the state, he said: “What we want to do as the central government is to work with your incoming government just like we worked with Sule Lamido to make sure that we encourage our farmers to get fertilisers and soft loans to enable them fend for themselves and train their children.

 

“What we will do with incoming government is to create an environment for micro and medium scale enterprises for our young people to become the next set of millionaires in this country, for our young ones to create jobs for themselves, for our young people to create wealth.

 

“We don’t want a situation where our children will be beggers, where our children will be at home. We want to make sure that all Nigerian children have the opportunity which most of us had.

 

“We must give that opportunity to every Nigerian child and that is why we came up with the concept of Almajari education.”

He thanked the crowd for supporting PDP and asked them to vote for the party so it will continue working with the government of Jigawa State and see it from strength to strength.

 

In his remarks, the Governor of Jigawa, Sule Lamido, welcomed Jonathan to the state, saying PDP is a family of Nigerians that believe in unity and cares for the Nigerian people.

 

He decried a situation where those who do not support Buhari in the North are being vilified, noting that the only thing the APC has going for it in the North is Buhari’s popularity, saying that is not democracy.

 

“This is the arena of liberty and freedom where the people were freed by Aminu Kano with the philosophy of knowledge, not ignorance. We are today going through our political life where If you don’t say Buhari in the North you are called pagan, a pastor.

 

“The North that was liberated, today they are insulting us. Call me anything you want I will stand by my beliefs. I am a Fulani man and we don’t fear anybody.

 

“Today in the North, if you say anything against Buhari you are vilified. My worry is that the fear of Buhari is the beginning of wisdom, as today the fear of Buhari is the failure of Buhari. You must be a human being before you are an Ijaw or Northerner.

 

“So humanity is our concern. Hunger does not respect ethnicity or religion, so Nigerians deserve good leadership,” Lamido said.

The governor urged Nigerians to stand up against blackmail and intimidation, stressing, “There will be Nigeria after Jonathan and Buhari.”

 

He advised the president to create a team of “first 11”, not a captain of first 11, adding that democracy was about freedom of choice, and “if you can’t choose then there is no democracy”.

 

Meanwhile, one person was killed and five vehicles destroyed yesterday in the Hotoro area of Kano city following a clash between supporters of the PDP and APC.

 

The clashed started when the PDP supporters were travelling from Rano Local Government Area to attend the president’s campaign rally in the state capital.

 

There were said to have clashed with some APC supporters leading to the death of one person.

 

The violent encounter also resulted in the burning of five vehicles belonging to the PDP supporters in Hotoro.

 

Police spokesman in the state, Assistant Superintendent of police (ASP) Musa Magaji Majia, confirmed the incident, saying the command had commenced investigations to unravel the cause of the incident.

 

Majia urged politicians to warn their supporters against taking laws into their hands in order to ensure peace in the state.

 

THISDAY gathered that the quick intervention of the security agents saved the situation from spreading to other parts of the city.

 

THISDAY