Demolition of Kaduna ‘sex house’ has sent sufficient signals to other deviants and their sponsors - NCAC DG, Olusegun Runsewe

 

Olusegun Runsewe, the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) has stated that the demolition of a house alleged to be the venue for a sex party in Kaduna state is in order. 

 

In a statement released on Sunday January 3, Runsewe insisted that organising a sex party is a total disrespect for the Nigerian culture. He averred that Governor Nasir El-Rufai deserve commendation for his prompt response to the plan which he said will serve as warning to others who could be planning such immorality.

 

The statement read; 

 

“But for this intervention by the governor, Kaduna State possibly would become the new capital and destination for sex tourism in Nigeria.

“This will lead to social disconnect and dislocations with drug peddling in tow and our children destroyed in the process.

“In 1992, Senegal and Uganda, experienced massive influx of sex tourists and immediately took hard measures to curb it because if left unchecked, sex tourism will damage the spiritual, moral and cultural values of any society.

“And there is no sentiments about dealing with it as. El-Rufai has done."

 

Runsewe who called on other governors to support the full restoration and enthronement of Nigerian cultural values to rid the nation of strange characters and lifestyles, urged parents to monitor their children closely and nip untoward attitude in the bud as the NCAC would be doing more in 2021 to ensure that Nigerian cultures remained respected and upheld.

 

The statement added; 

 

“Certainly, Governor El-Rufai has vindicated our position on the need to stop and arrest the unfortunate presence and foreign behavioural influence threatening our cultures and traditions.

“Am sure with the pulling down of the house planned for the sex party, sufficient signals have been sent to other deviants, their sponsors and publics.

“The law of this country must be applied to the fullest to stop this rage from the pit of darkness.

“This is how Boko Haram and “Yahoo-Yahoo’’ started and before we knew it, our society and young persons were left to drink from the polluted waters of social vices leaving us to struggle on all fronts.

“So let those who are angry at the response of Gov. El-Rufai go to check out various campaigns mounted against sex tourism by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation  and the Universal Federation of Travel Agencies.

“Our culture no doubt is under threat from all sides, but with what Gov. El Rufai has done in Kaduna State, I am convinced that we shall battle the demons of immoral living and enemies of our cultures and traditions to a standstill."

Nancy Pelosi narrowly wins re-election as US house speaker

 

Nancy Pelosi has been narrowly re-elected as speaker of the United States House of Representatives as the 117th Congress took office on Sunday Sunday January 3.

 

After serving for 17 years in charge of the House Democrats, Pelosi ran unopposed in her election, winning the election with 216 votes to secure a fourth - and likely final term leading the House.

 

The California Democrat is the first woman to be speaker, leading the House from 2006 to 2011, and since the Democrats took back the House in 2018.

 

Pelosi, 80, is the third speaker in the last 25 years to win with less than 218 votes, after former Republican Speakers Newt Gingrich and Paul Ryan. 

 

“I am enormously grateful for the trust that Members have placed in me, I am confident that the Speaker's election today will show a united Democratic Caucus ready to meet the challenges ahead, "she wrote in a letter to her Democratic caucus after her re-election win.

 

“As we are sworn in today, we accept responsibility as daunting and demanding as any that previous generations of leadership have faced. We begin the new Congress during a time of extraordinary difficulty,” Pelosi said in a floor speech that noted the deaths of more than 350,000 Americans from the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

“Now is a time for our nation to heal. Our most urgent priority will continue to be defeating the coronavirus. And defeat it, we will,” the 80-year-old California Democrat added, pledging that further aid would follow the latest $892bn package that Congress passed in December.

 

In the Senate, Vice President Mike Pence swore in 32 senators on Sunday, administering the oath of office in pairs due to COVID-19 restrictions.

 

“To say the new Congress convenes at a challenging time would be an understatement,” Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said as the chamber opened.

 

“From political division to a deadly pandemic to adversaries around the world, the hurdles before us are many and they are serious … But there is also plenty of reason for hope,” the Kentucky Republican added, citing the ongoing roll out of coronavirus vaccine.

 

“I’d say 2021 looks bright already.”

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Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first person in the world to reach 250 million followers on Instagram

Superstar footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo reached an impressive milestone by becoming the most followed person on Instagram with over 250 million followers.

 

The Juventus and Portuguese striker is also the most followed person on Facebook and the most followed sportsperson on Twitter.

 

In 2020, Ronaldo had also reached the milestone of having the most-liked photo on Instagram. His tribute post to Argentine legend Diego Maradona, following his death, received 19.7 million likes

 

With his new Instagram achievement , Ronaldo is followed behind by popular celebrities, including singer Ariana Grande (214 million followers) and actor and wrestling icon Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (209 million), who are second and third respectively in terms of followers on Instagram.

 

Ronaldo’s arch-rival and Argentina footballer, Lionel Messi is said to be ranked second among sportspersons on Instagram with 174 million followers.

 

The Portuguese footballer is also the highest earner on Instagram through sponsored posts. As per reports, Ronaldo earns between USD 466,000 and USD 777,000 for each post on the platform. The 35-year-old reportedly earned USD 47.8 million from paid posts on Instagram in 2020.

 

Visually impaired couple weds in Anambra

 

A visually impaired couple Clementina Nwamaka Obidike and Christopher Nnamdi Mbogu got married at a modest wedding in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra state at the weekend. 

 

Clementina works with the Anambra State Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship while her new husband, Christopher is a staff of the Ministry of Basic Education. 

 

The couple were joined in a Holy Matrimony at Christ Holy Church International in Enugwu-Ukwu on Saturday, January 2, 2021.


Traditional marriage ceremony later took place at the bride's hometown in Agu-Ukwu Nri, Anambra. 

 

Actor Seun Ajayi and wife expecting second child (photo)

 

Actor Seun Ajayi and his wife, Dami, are expecting their second child. They welcomed their first child, a boy, in 2019.

 

The couple got married in September 2017. Congrats to them!

 

 

 

Israeli teenager on military service scoops 'Most beautiful face of on the planet' title for 2020

  

A 19-year-old model has been crowned the most beautiful woman on the planet after securing the top spot of an annual beauty contest.

 

Yael Shelbia has won the prestigious TC Candler "100 Most Beautiful Faces of the Year" gong after contesting for 4 years.

 

The Israeli teen, who is currently carrying out mandatory military service with the air force, told local media: "I’ve never come first at anything, it’s very nice."

 

 

This is not the first time Shelbia has rated highly in the competition.

 

She has shot up the rankings in recent years, placing 14th in 2017, 3rd in 2018 and 2nd last year, before taking the top spot in 2020.

 

The up-and-coming actress is reportedly dating 35-year-old Brandon Korff, the grandson of billionaire honcho Sumner Redstone.

 

Shelbia has modelled for Israeli fashion company Renuar, KM earbuds and Kim Kardashian’s KKW Beauty makeup line. She is also popular on Instagram with nearly 1 million followers.

 

She told her followers after winning the coveted title: "Thank you @tccandler and all the voters. I appreciate it with all my heart!!"

Execution of only woman on US federal death row to take place on January 12.

 

A US appeals court has cleared the way for the only woman on federal death row to be executed before president-elect Joe Biden takes office on January 20. 

 

The ruling, handed down on Friday by a three-judge panel on the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, concluded that a lower court judge erred when he vacated Lisa Montgomery’s execution date in an order last week.

 

US district court judge Randolph Moss had ruled the justice department unlawfully rescheduled Montgomery’s execution and he vacated an order from the director of the bureau of prisons scheduling her death for 12 January.

 

Montgomery was initially been scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection at the federal correctional complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, in December, but Moss delayed the execution after her attorneys contracted coronavirus and asked him to extend the time to file a clemency petition.

 

She was found guilty of federal kidnapping resulting in death and sentenced to death in 2007 for the slaying of mother-to-be Stinnett. She strangled her to death and cut her baby from her womb using a kitchen knife.  

 

Montgomery was convicted of killing 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the north-west Missouri town of Skidmore in December 2004.

 

 

She used a rope to strangle Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and then cut the baby girl from the womb with a kitchen knife, authorities said. Montgomery took the child with her and attempted to pass the girl off as her own, prosecutors said. read previous report here.

 

Her legal team are expected to file an appeal by Saturday, according to Fox News.  

 

Meaghan VerGow, an attorney for Montgomery, said her legal team would ask for the full appeals court to review the case and said Montgomery should not be executed on January 12.

 

Her lawyers have argued that their client suffers from serious mental illnesses. 

 

One of her lawyers, Sandra Babcock said in an earlier statement: “Given the severity of Mrs Montgomery’s mental illness, the sexual and physical torture she endured throughout her life, and the connection between her trauma and the facts of her crime, we appeal to President Trump to grant her mercy and commute her sentence to life imprisonment.”