Jerry Douglas' Blog

Nwanchukwu Ozioko, popularly known as Vast from the popular singing group, Bracket, has been diagnosed with Lymphoma, a type of cancer of the blood. The singer was diagnosed in February this year after suffering serious body pains, headaches, non stop coughing, loss of weight and weakness while in Paris for a show. He flew to London where a test conducted determined he had cancer. Vast has been receiving treatment at the Wellington Hospital in the UK since February and there are reports he's responding very well to treatment. He has undergone 4 circles of chemotherapy with each circle costing about N1.4million. He will do a few more before returning to Nigeria next month. According to sources close to the singer, the sad part is that he actually went to a hospital in Nigeria late last year when he started losing weight and feeling weak. They conducted a test on him but it took them forever to come back with the test result. Over three months actually. By then the cance

Manchester United appoints Everton manager David Moyes on a six-year-deal as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor at Old Trafford.

Luis Suarez has escaped punishment from FIFA for his clash with Gonzalo Jara during a World Cup qualifier between Uruguay and Chile in March. Liverpool forward Suarez is currently serving a 10-match domestic ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic. However, the Uruguay Football Association (UFA) confirmed their striker would not be reprimanded for the incident with Chile's Jara, when he appeared to strike his opponent. A statement read: "The officers of the Association's defence of Luis Suarez and the unjustified attempt to subject him to disciplinary action has been successfully completed. "The decision of the FIFA disciplinary committee resolved that 'the matter does not require the intervention of the FIFA disciplinary committee and therefore this procedure is declared closed'." UFA president Sebastian Bauza claimed both the Football Association and FIFA investigations will ultimately be of benefit to the player. "It

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday cut short his ongoing foreign trip to attend to the various security challenges in the country with the latest being the killing of more than 20 policemen in Nassarawa State on Tuesday. Jonathan who was expected to proceed from South Africa where he attended the World Economic Forum on Africa to Namibia today for a state visit had called off the Namibia trip. Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, in his Twitter handle said the President who was initially expected back on Friday was already on his way back to Nigeria. “Due to  security situation at home, President Jonathan cuts short his trip to South Africa. Visit to Namibia also aborted. On his way back home,” Jonathan  tweeted . Source:  Punch Nigeria

The University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, UMTH, was shut-down early today, Thursday, when policemen, who brought corpses of their colleagues that were killed in Bama carnage to the hospital’s morgue went on rampage, shooting a medical Doctor, beating to coma some medical staff, and destroying a number medical laboratories in the hospital. A staff of the hospital who did not want his name in print said the police who brought the corpses from Bama yesterday for deposit were told that the morgue was full of other corpses, but insisted that their own corpses must also be admitted. He said "You know when there is no place to keep corpses sometimes they are kept on the floor pending when a space is created for refrigerating, but when they came this morning, the mobile policemen went on rampage and started shooting. They beat up a professor and other medical staff and also shot a medical Doctor before some Military men in the hospital came to bring the situation under cont

The Emir of Gummi in Zamfara, Alhaji Aliyu Abara, has died at the age of 75. A statement by the Secretary to Zamfara Government, Alhaji Hassan Atto, said Abara died on Wednesday evening at Usmanu Danfodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, after a brief illness. The statement, which was made available in Gusau on Thursday, however did not give details of the late Emir’s ailment. It said the late monarch would be buried on Thursday morning at his Gummi palace by 10.00 a.m. according to Islamic rites. NAN recalls that Abara was appointed the Emir of Gummi on October 20, 2011 after the death of his predecessor, Alhaji Aliyu Isa. He is survived by four wives and 42 children, the statement said. Source:  Vanguard

The paternity imbroglio between Nigerian music star and entertainer, Paul Okoye and the beauty pageant contestant and model, Elshamah Igbanoi, has taken another dimension.  A close relative of Mr. Okoye’s has revealed that the baby born by Ms. Elshamah Igbanoi, a former Miss Plateau State, is in fact the musician-entertainer’s first child. A few weeks ago, P-Square had thrown a party in Atlanta, Georgia to welcome another baby born by a different lover of his. However, Mr. Paul Okoye has kept mum, even though some blogs reported that his public relations claimed that the paternity report was a “hoax” and even an “April Fools’ joke.” A source who regaled of the goings in the household said the music artist was aware of Ms. Igbanoi’s pregnancy for him about the same time another lady, Anita, became pregnant for him. The source disclosed that the baby born in London is in fact Mr. Okoye’s first son, since he was born on April 7, 2013, three days before Anita delivered another baby

Six months after top music producer and entrepreneur, Don Jazzy, opened his hangout, Club PoP, the club has been shut down. A source close to Don Jazzy revealed that he has decided to stop operation at the discotheque section of the watering hole due to huge funds he has sunk into it and the abysmal low return-on- investment . “The club is becoming a drainpipe with some VIP patrons not behaving responsibly by abusing the credit facilities afforded them by the club management,” said the source. It was learnt that during the review of the last six months operation of the club, the music producer discovered that the huge bills owed by some of his friends are too outrageous and the debts were  really affecting his investment. He was said to have been really angry, but didn’t want to embarrass any of the debtors. Thus opted to stop operation of the club, and continue with the restaurant on the ground floor of the hangout. Don Jazzy has so far sunk over N50 million into Club Po

A military plane was on Thursday reported to have crashed at the Air Force Base in Rumuomasi, Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital. The site where the Military aircraft crashed in Port Harcourt Although details of the incident are sketchy, information released to Channels Television by sources from the base, claimed that the plane made an emergency landing. Air force officials are yet to brief journalists as at the time this story was published. Last week, Nigerian Army’s Alpha Jet fighter crashed some 37 miles (60 kilometers) west of Niamey, the capital of Niger republic, killing both pilots on board. More details to come…

Everton boss David Moyes is set to be appointed as the new Manchester United manager, following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. An announcement could be made on Thursday. Ferguson, 71, revealed his decision to step down after nearly 27 years at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Fellow Scot Moyes, 50, who has been in charge at Goodison Park since 2002, held talks with Toffees chairman Bill Kenwright on Wednesday evening. Moyes is expected to tell the Everton players and staff of his decision to join United at a training ground meeting on Thursday morning. He could still lead Everton out at Goodison Park against West Ham on Sunday for what would be his final home game in charge. The former Preston boss was installed as bookmakers’ favourite to become the next United boss following a rush of bets over the weekend, even before speculation mounted about Ferguson’s retirement. “He’s cut from the same cloth,” said former United captain Steve Bruce. “It wouldn’t surprise me if

Nigeria was the elite. These are a privileged band of individuals that have piloted the affairs of this country since the 1980s, either from inside government or from the sidelines. They include career politicians that never seem to leave the political arena, constantly recycling themselves. A typical CV of these politicians would read: ex-Personal Assistant, ex-Minister, ex-Senator, ex-Governor plus a string of other exes and political appointments. For these privileged individuals, being in government is “until death, do us part”. They move from one political office to the other “sharing the money”. Also numbered among Nigeria’s ruling elite are shakers and movers in the civil service, traditional rulers, retired senior military personnel, influential academics and captains of industry who wheel and deal in the corridors of power. For the majority of these individuals, involvement in government in one form or the other, is not about serving the people but about their own in

Wizkid and his pretty girlfriend,Omotani Omotayo attended the Moet & Chandon Fashion event..Superstar singer Wizkid sent out a congratulatory shout out to his girlfriend Omotayo. The two recently stepped out in Lagos when they made a surprise outing at Banky W's concert in Lagos in the heat of an exit rumour trailing  Wizkid. Source:  Daily Post

The share volume of ammunition available to Boko Haram now forces most analyst to conclude that Nigeria is engaged in a full scale war of survival. Extremist attack casualties are expected to rise as fighters now have access to sophisticated weaponry. While Nigeria's military has fought in the past decade with heavily armed militants and criminal gangs operating in the creeks of its oil-rich southern delta, analysts and security official say those groups never had access to anti-aircraft weapons. Nor did these groups launch attacks overrunning military barracks or levelling towns. Where extremists gathered these sophisticated weapons also remains unclear, though they have several means available to them. A propaganda video released in March by Boko Haram, featuring its leader Abubakar Shekau, showed fighters gathered around weapons they said they stole from an attack on an army barracks. Those weapons included what appeared to be heavy machine-guns, rocket-propell

Two weeks after President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated a committee to work out details of a clemency for members of Boko Haram, the militant Islamist sect, the amnesty body has not been able to make any contact with the sect led by Imam Abubakar Shekau. Three sources, two of them members of the amnesty committee, the third an associate of Mr. Jonathan, told SaharaReporters that the committee was not close to establishing contact with the leadership of the Islamist group that has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly bomb attacks in different parts of northern Nigeria, including Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. One of our sources added that the intensification of violence by the sect has left many members of the committee demoralized. “Some of us knew of the psychological difficulties associated with this assignment, but we were hopeful,” said the source. Speaking in a similar vein, another member told SaharaReporters that, unless Boko Haram decided on its own to call off

First Lady Patience Jonathan has refuted reports that she is involved in the crisis in Rivers State. In a statement today, Ayo Osinlu, her Special Assistant on Media, denied reports she summoned and held a meeting with security chiefs last weekend where she instructed them to take firmer action on the political crisis. “We assure all well-meaning Nigerians that this is the handiwork of mischief-makers who are hell bent to drag the person of the First Lady into disrepute,” the statement said. The denial comes amid reports that Mrs. Jonathan has relocated to Yenegoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, to engineer the escalation of the political crisis rocking Rivers state.  Mrs. Jonathan is originally from Rivers, but she also holds office as a Permanent Secretary in the state government in Bayelsa, her husband’s home State. She is currently hosting junior Minister, Nyeson Wike at Government House in  Yenagoa   where she met with the top military and police leaders on Sunday n

Sir Alex Ferguson always said he would carry on as Manchester United manager as long as his health permitted him to do so. So, when the United boss was informed he would require a hip replacement this summer – as exclusively revealed by the Mirror last week – it proved the beginning of the end of his remarkable Old Trafford reign. The procedure will leave Ferguson needing up to three months of recuperation and, with the prospect of missing the start of United’s title defence at the start of next season, the 71-year-old heeded it as a message from his body that it was now time to call it a day. Despite insisting the operation was planned for after United’s pre-season tour of Thailand, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong, the lengthy recovery period meant the Scot being back in the dug-out for the start of the new season was a fanciful notion. United’s willingness to confirm that Ferguson was to undergo hip surgery raised fresh doubts over whether he could feasibly continue in

After months of treatment in the UK, Fuji House of Commotion actress, Ngozi Nwosu, has returned back home. Ngozi returned home on Tuesday night 7th of May from the United Kingdom where she underwent surgery for a kidney-related illness. The veteran actress is said to have left the UK hospital after her doctor confirmed her to be fully okay to return home. Family, friends and colleagues, who have been anxious to see her welcomed the actress on her arrival at the airport. She said to the elated crowd on her arrival: “I’m back and better.” Nwosu thanked her fans, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.

MediaTakeOut.com "confirms" that "God Only Forgives" rapper Rick Ross recently proposed to his girlfriend Shateria L. Moragne-el with a stunning $500,000 diamond engagement ring... and she said yes! Apparently, the longtime power couple is officially engaged! The duo's recently been through some tough times together... Ross' controversial "date rape" inspired lyrics in his new hit single "U.O.E.N.O." led to some dire consequences, including Reebok dropping the Maybach Music Group rapper as their spokesperson. Not to mention that the couple was involved in a scary drive-by shooting in Florida earlier this year. Looks like Ross and Moragne-el are able to make it through the good times and the bad - congrats to the happy couple! Little details surrounding the alleged engagement have been released, but MediaTakeOut claims that Ross secretly popped the big question last weekend. The prank gossip news website MediaMass ran with the

These days, sexy is the new cool. Our favorite female celebs are loving the ideas that "if you got it, flaunt it". Although these controversial celebrities have had their own share of negative comments from their fans, they definitely do not mind showing a little bit more skin. And let's face it, we can't get enough of them. Check out our top 10 pictures for sexy celebs that aren't afraid to show it off; 10: Genevieve Nnaji; 9. Mercy Johnson   8. Susan Peters 7.  Waje 6. Yvonne nelson 5. Rukky Sanda 4. Nadia Buari 3. Tonto Dikeh 2. Cossy Orjiakor 1. Afro Candy So, what do you think? Are they sexy enough to show it off?

National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Victor Umeh, has declined comments over the declaration of the governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha for the yet-to-be-registered All Progressives Congress. When contacted on the telephone on Wednesday, Umeh said, “No comments.” However, a factional leader of APGA, Chief Maxi Okwu, appealed to the governor to have a rethink over his decision to join the APC. He said since Okorocha was elected on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance in April 2011, the party would not want him to abandon the party and declare for another. Okwu’s advice was contained in a statement he signed and issued in Abuja on Wednesday. He said, “We wish to advise him to have a re-think on his decision to join APC, a political association that has not been registered as a political party by the Independent National Electoral Commission and the acronym is being contested by another political association. “APGA gives this ti

Paul and Peter Okoye and Chinedu Ikedieze were part of the presidential delegation to the Nigeria-South Africa Business Forum that took place in Cape Town, South Africa today. The twins pictured above with Nigeria's richest man and woman, billionaires Aliko Dangote and Mrs Folorunsho Alakija.

Business activities at the Allen Avenue office of Dana Airlines came to a halt on Wednesday after the owner of the two-storey building destroyed in the plane crash, Pastor Daniel Omowunmi, locked the main gate of the office and blocked the entrance with his Toyota Sports Utility Vehicle. Omowunmi, who arrived Dana office at 5.30am, brought with him three iron chains and padlock which he used to lock out all employees of the company. The ill-fated Dana flight 992 killed over 153 people on board, as well as approximately 10 other persons and caused injuries to many people on the ground. The plane also crashed into Daniel’s house and factory and destroyed his property, which he said, was worth N500m. Omowunmi told our correspondent that he decided to lock up the place because all attempts to get compensation from Dana had proved abortive. He said, “In some weeks’ time, it will be a year that the plane crash occurred. I have not been working up till now. They destroyed my

As condemnations trail Tuesday’s attack on police, army and prison formations in Bama town, Borno State by Boko Haram terrorists which left 55 people dead, the Nigerian Army said, yesterday, that the attack on the 202 Battalion Barracks, with rocket propelled grenades and anti-aircraft guns was aimed at overrunning the barracks and creating mayhem. Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru, who made the disclosure, however, noted that the attack was successfully repelled. He gave the actual number of casualty recorded during the attack thus: “those killed in action include 21 Boko Haram terrorists, six Police officers, 14 Prison staff, two soldiers and four civilians, including three children and a woman. They were burnt to death by the insurgents”. Attahiru added: “there has been heightened insecurity in the North East recently occasioned by unprovoked attacks by Boko Haram terrorists in Baga, Marte, Bama and Banki being the most recent. The Nig

The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, led by Maxi Okwu has appealed to the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, to re-think his decision to dump the party to join the unregistered All Progressives Congress, APC. APC is the product of the merger talks among four parties, namely Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, and Mr. Okorocha’s faction of APGA. The governor declared formally that he will be joining the yet to be registered political party at a grand ceremony organized on Tuesday in Owerri to mark his administration’s two years in office. But in a statement by Francis Edeh, the Senior Media Assistant to Mr. Okwu, the party asked the governor to save himself from becoming a political orphan because APC has not been registered while its acronym is still being contested. The statement said, “The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) is on notice of Governor Rochas Okorocha’s rally in Owerri as part

Residents of Bama town, Bama local government area of Borno state where about 55 persons were kiiled in a fresh attack said that most of the insurgents that attacked the town were Nigerians and Cameroonians who used local almajiris to locate their targets. A resident, Mallam Kolomi Bama who spoke with DailyPost in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital said, the attackers followed house to house and killed all the prison officials aside those killed at their duty post. They burnt down the whole police barracks where a newly married woman and three children were roasted. Several cars and motorcycles as well as domestic animal were also burnt completely. While four blocks in the Bama Mobile Police unit were razed down, 10 people were also killed including 7 policemen and 3 Boko Haram members. He said, the attackers also attempted to attack the military barracks in Bama but met a brick wall, as the soldiers seriously repelled the attackers killing 10 of the insurgents who were mostl

Sir Alex Ferguson's decision to step down as Manchester United manager has led to plenty speculations regarding his potential successor, with David Moyes and Jose Mourinho featuring highly among the candidates to take over at Old Trafford. Both coaches have been linked with a move away from their respective teams in the summer with Moyes' contract expiring in the summer, and an extension is yet to be signed while Mourinho on the other hand is still locked in a battle of wills at the Bernabeu club: to force an exit from the Spanish giants, but his destination in the summer remains yet unknown. The possible vacancy at Manchester United is likely to impact the ongoing delicate manoeuvring between Mourinho and  Real Madrid  chief Florentino Perez, as both men look to profit from the Portuguese coach's likely exit from the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in the coming weeks, but an Old Trafford arrival for the former Porto and Inter Milan coach may materialize as his agent Jor