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AY is going to block you on social media if you insult him and he isn’t bothered of you think that makes him a proud person. AY has come out to say that when celebrities block people on social media, it doesn’t mean that they are proud.The multi-talented comedian made this known on his Instagram page on Wednesday, August 15, 2018. According to him, the reward for insulting someone on his Instagram page is to get blocked.”Abi them no dey know say you fit block them? I don’t like blocking. I don’t like shutting down avenues of communication. But if you’ve gone out of your way to insult me or my family over the things you cannot proof or defend, I will not give you the room to make me consider jumping into 3rd Mainland Bridge as an option in life.  “Blocking you only ensures I won’t have to accommodate any form of depression coming from someone who doesn’t care about how I feel. It’s as simple as getting up from your bed at night to put off the AC when you realise that you are beginning to catch cold. This has nothing to do with being a proud celebrity. it’s more about you knowing that I am equally human too,” he wrote. AY might be making a lot of sense and at the same time, some people might be of the opinion that as celebrities and public figures, you should be ready to take anything. Apart from blocking people on social media some celebrities have lately complained about some fans begging for financial assistance.ALSO READ: See celebrities who have helped kids back to school in 2018″Stop begging me for money, it is beginning to piss me” -Annie Idibia warns Less than 24 hours ago, Annie Idibia sent a warning to those fans and followers who keep begging her for money on social media as it is beginning to piss her off.The actress made this known on her Instagram stories on Thursday, August 16, 2018. According to her, in a series of post on her Instagram stories, she said she also has her own issues and struggles and is fed up with followers sending her messages asking for financial assistance.”Please, I beg you stop asking me for money! It is beginning to really piss me off…n, worse are the people who constantly insult me if I don’t respond or say I don’t have.”This is to every single person sending me account numbers, begging for money every sec of the day!!! Me sef I be human being oooo!!! I have my own issues and struggles!!! We are all fighting the same battle ooo I have my own issues and problems,” she said.Uti says Instagram wasn’t created for begging Uti Nwachukwu who was a former winner of Big Brother Africa has a message for those who use Instagram as a platform to beg, saying it wasn’t created for that purpose.The actor and model took his frustrations to his Instagram page on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, where he blasted those who take every single opportunity to beg and request for things.

The Financial Reporting Council has the powers to ensure good corporate governance practices in organisations. Every Nigerian should be interested in what they do. Not much is known about the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and what they do–especially among the burgeoning crop of smartphone wielding and social media savvy Nigerians.In the piece that follows, financial analyst Chinedu Ekeke explains what the FRC is all about and why everyone should follow their activities with more than a passing interest. _________SMEs should learn about FRC codesWhen will more Nigerians start paying attention to the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the institution that regulates auditors, accountants and sets Nigeria’s Corporate Governance and Stewardship Codes? At the moment, only a few people bother with FRC’s guidelines: practicing accountants, auditors, and a handful of management and board members of formal and properly-structured businesses. Yet more people should show interest, especially for a country in dire need of foreign investments. No investor takes a dime to a jurisdiction where utmost transparency and integrity in business is not promoted, where they are not sure that institutional regulations will guarantee safety to their dollars and returns on their investments. Now, 96% of all businesses in Nigeria are Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), compared to 53% in the United States and 65% in Europe. Still, this huge number contributes only 1% to Nigeria’s GDP while the smaller numbers in United States contribute a staggering 50% to that country’s GDP. We can argue that the United States is not at the same level of development with Nigeria, hence the huge gap in contribution of SMEs to GDP, yet when weighed against countries on the same level of development, Nigeria is still light years behind with respect to tapping into the huge benefits of SMEs. A key challenge facing small businesses in Nigeria is poor credit environment; the inability to access funding. Yet one known aid to funding of small businesses is a country’s sound Corporate Governance Code. Investors consider matters of transparent reporting seriously when allocating investment funds, and Nigerian SMEs can attract these funds by first appreciating, and then applying the principles set out in the FRC’s Code. Code of corporate governanceConsider this as Nigeria being in competition with other countries of the world for investment capital. And investors look carefully at laws and regulations that guarantee safety of investments before moving in their money. Even donors (for non-profit organisations) also want to be sure that there are institutional regulations that ensure transparency in the use of funds they give to non-profit organisations within a country. This means that with sound Corporate Governance Code, and all other factors being equal, there’s a chance we will attract huge investment capital into our economy. It is this understanding that the FRC assumes as it invites members of public to take a look at its draft of the Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance 2018. The Code is the product of a 15-member committee set up in January to review an initial one issued in October 2016, but which was suspended by the Federal Government just eleven days after. The plan now is to replace it with a new one. Code of Corporate Governance is a set of rules that set standards of good practice in issues like composition of boards of organisations – both private and public, their remuneration, accountability, relation with shareholders, as well as overall governance of the firm. The FRC is responsible for setting and promoting compliance with these standards for accounting, financial reporting and auditing in Nigeria. It has the powers to ensure good corporate governance practices in organisations. This proposed new Code of Corporate Governance is resting on 28 principles and 230 practices. The principles are the ideals which corporate organisations should strive for in their governance journey. These principles are like the objectives to which organisations should aspire. The practices are the ‘hows’ of implementing the principles. During implementation, the new code is designed to allow organisations focus more on its ‘spirit’, rather than its ‘letters’. The spirit is the intent – what FRC had in mind while a particular principle was being crafted. This focus on intent, rather than the letters, is captured in the philosophy of this new code which the regulatory body described as ‘APPLY and EXPLAIN’. This philosophy was favoured because it is believed to be scalable. It assumes application and simply requires entities to explain how the principles were applied with regards to the business and the nature of its operations. Scalability suggests that the ‘APPLY and EXPLAIN’ philosophy can be applied to meet the individual needs of the organisations while, at the core, the spirit behind the principles is borne in mind.  It is in contrast with the former one whose philosophy was ‘COMPLY or ELSE’. Seen by many experts as rigid, the ‘COMPLY or ELSE’ philosophy is one-size-fits-all, and does not recognize the differences in business types and their operations. It gives no room for flexibility. It has also been jettisoned in other jurisdictions and replaced with the ‘Apply and Explain’ philosophyEveryone should get involvedOne fear comes to mind at this point: with this seemingly lax philosophy, will there ever be penalties for any breach? Of course, there will.  FRC, through the Securities and Exchange Commission, will monitor the adoption of this code and will impose appropriate sanctions to entities that deviateIt’s important to note that there are also sectoral regulators whose own governance codes are already in place and have been running for years in their sectors. For instance, the Central Bank of Nigeria has its code for banks and discount houses; the Nigerian Communications Commission has for the country’s Telecommunications sector while the Securities and Exchange Commission has for publicly quoted companies. These sectoral regulators are also empowered to impose appropriate sanctions on companies that deviate from the code. For instance, if a bank deviates, the Central Bank will impose appropriate sanction on it based on the specific deviation. FRC thinks it has done a good job with the new Corporate Governance Code, but still expects inputs from members of the public before releasing the final version. But the only members of the public who can make inputs are those who have shown interest in the draft copy currently in public domain. This is why more Nigerians need to follow the activities of the Financial Reporting Council._____*Chinedu Ekeke, a writer, public affairs analyst and accountant, contributed this piece from Lagos, Nigeria.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that an “excruciating” year has taken a toll and that he sometimes has had to take Ambien, a prescription drug that helps induce sleep.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that an “excruciating” year has taken a toll on him.
He sometimes has had to take Ambien, a prescription drug that helps induce sleep.
Musk described an intense 120-hour work week as both chairman and chief executive of Tesla, a company that has been hit with challenging press coverage in recent weeks.
Musk says he has not taken a break from work for more than a week since he contracted malaria in 2001.
A person familiar with Tesla board of directors who was cited by The New York Times said some people on the board of directors suggested that Musk’s Ambien use may not be effective, and instead, played a role in his social media outbursts.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that an “excruciating” year has taken a toll and that he sometimes has had to take Ambien, a prescription drug that assists in inducing sleep.
“It is often a choice of no sleep or Ambien,” Musk said in a New York Times report published Thursday night.
Musk described an intense 120-hour work week as both chairman and chief executive of Tesla, a company that has been hit with challenging press coverage in recent weeks. During his interview with The Times, Musk reportedly grew emotional as he described his turbulent year.
“This past year has been the most difficult and painful year of my career,” Musk said. “It was excruciating.”
“There were times when I didn’t leave the factory for three or four days — days when I didn’t go outside,” Musk added. “This has really come at the expense of seeing my kids. And seeing friends.”
In June, he said he spent the entire day — his 47th birthday — at work. He flew to Catalonia for his brother’s wedding two days later, flying from his factory and arriving just two hours before the ceremony, according to The Times.
Additionally, Musk says he has not taken a break from work for more than a week since he contracted malaria in 2001.
“All night — no friends, nothing,” Musk said to The Times.
“It’s not been great, actually,” Musk said. “I’ve had friends come by who are really concerned.”
Musk has been criticized for his occasional outbursts on social media — which include likening a British cave diver who took part in rescue efforts to a pedophile — and some of Tesla’s board members have reportedly taken notice.
According to two people familiar with the board, some members were concerned about his Ambien intake, according to The Times. Some of the members also suggested that the drug may not be effective, and instead, played a part in his social media flares.
Musk later apologized for his comments and said his “words were spoken in anger” after a dispute with the cave diver.
“I thought the worst of it was over — I thought it was,” Musk said. “The worst is over from a Tesla operational standpoint … But from a personal pain standpoint, the worst is yet to come.

Adeleke Akinyemi will continue his development in Norway with IK Start after signing from FK Ventspils. Nigerian striker Adeleke Akinyemi has completed a move to Norwegian Eliteserien top side IK Start on a four year deal from Latvian side FK Ventspils.The 20-year-old completed the deal on Thursday, August 16 as confirmed on the club’s official website after negotiation was concluded.Akinyemi who is highly rated in Europe is expected to stay at IK Start until December 2021 and joins compatriots Flying Eagles midfielder Afeez Aremu and Michael Ogungbaro.In a statement on the clubs website,  stated that he is delighted to have completed the move to IK Start. He said, “I’m very happy to come here. I look forward to getting started and hoping to score many goals for Start.”Sporting leader for IK Start Tor-Kristian Karlsen stated that he was pleased to have completed the signing of Akinyemi as he hailed his qualities.He said, “This is a player we have been following for a long time, and for which we have been working for a long time. There are several who have helped to make this happen, and we have probably had some luck.”Adeleke is a powerful, breakthrough and dynamic player, who likes to run on all the time. He is also good in the air.”He was in the middle of the season in Latvia and is in top shape so we hope he can come in to contribute once. At the same time, we must remember that he is only 20 years old, so we must be patient.” Akinyemi was handed the number 77 jersey for the new season, and is expected to be available for their next league fixture against Strømsgodset in Drammen on Sunday, August 19.Akinyemi met with Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr which prompted discussions that he could be invited for the upcoming 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Seychelles as he hinted that some star players will be dropped.

Gustavo Poyet threatened to quit as Bordeaux coach on Thursday after claiming the club sold key striker Gaetan Laborde to French Ligue 1 rivals Montpellier without his permission.
Continue reading Angry Poyet considers Bordeaux future after star player sold at Vanguard News.

Nigeria’s Falconets have crashed out FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in France, after losing 1-2 to Spain in the quarter-finals at Concarneau.
Continue reading How Falconets lost to Spain in Q-Finals at Vanguard News.

GunmanThere was pandemonium in the Amarata end of the Mbiama-Yenagoa area of Bayelsa State, as four armed gunmen attacked and robbed two businessmen of N3.5 million yesterday.
The development caused panic in the area as residents fled for their lives while shop owners locked up their shops, resulting in a gridlock along the Amarata-Onopa axis of the Mbiama-Yenagoa Road for several hours.
It was gathered that the businessmen, Mohammed Garuba and his brother, Abubakar, were attacked by the robbers at about 11a.m. near one of the commercial banks in the area.
The businessmen were driving in their Lexus SUV when few meters away from the bank, the dare-devil armed robbers, blocked them with a Toyota Corolla car they were operating with and collected the N3.5 million at gunpoint.
Mohammed said at the scene that the criminals had parked their car in front of a supermarket where they apparently waited for them.
He said three of the gang members with AK-47 rifles, menacingly approached his passenger side of the SUV and broke the window glass, asking him to give them the money or they would shoot.
The distraught Mohammed, whose clothes were stained with blood, said: “Just as we came out of the bank, they (the armed robbers) blocked us.
They are four in number with a driver. Three of them carried AK-47 guns.
“They shot me but their bullet did not enter my body; then they slapped me in the face and went to my brother’s side who was driving and shot him in his right thigh.
He said I should give them the money and I gave them the money and they sped off. My brother has been taken to hospital.”
The driver’s seat where the hoodlums shot Abubakar was reportedly stained with his blood while Mohammed’s side had broken glasses on the seat and on the ground, with patches of blood.
When asked what they wanted to do with the stolen money, Mohammed said it was for a business transaction with their business partner, who insisted on receiving payment in cash rather than through bank’s transfer.
He also said he suspected that there was an informant in the bank who was in touch with the robbers, adding that he and his wounded brother spent about two hours in the bank.
Mohammed said that he and Abubakar did not park their Jeep in front of the bank like other customers, but in the bank’s premises after they were allowed in through the special gate for bullion vans and high-profile customers.

Senator Isa Hamma MisauChairman, Senate Committee on Navy, Isa Hamma Misau and his counterpart in Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Rafiu Ibrahim, yesterday said they would jointly sponsor a motion to urge the Federal Government to immediately set up a judicial commission of enquiry to probe the recent invasion of the National Assembly Complex by masked operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The duo, in a joint statement in Abuja, said an open enquiry would enable Nigerians know what led to the siege and those behind the plot to illegally take over the National Assembly.
They stated that one of the priority assignments of the Senate on resumption would be a motion on the floor in which the siege and the rape on democracy would be debated and appropriate resolutions taken on how to redress the situation.
“Is it not curious that the Federal Government has not deemed it necessary to constitute a judicial panel to conduct an impartial and public enquiry into the recent siege on the National Assembly which amounted to a coup against democracy in the country?” the senator said.
Also, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has berated the siege.
The ACF said this yesterday in a communiqué signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim Biu, after its National Executive Council (NEC) quarterly meeting held in Kaduna presided by the Acting Chairman, Alhaji Musa Liman Kwande, and attended by NEC members from the 19 northern states and FCT.
The Forum, which lauded the actions taken so far by the Federal Government, urged it to thoroughly investigate the immediate and remote causes of the invasion by DSS personnel to unveil the truth and sanction all those found culpable, no matter their status.
It noted that because punitive measure was never taken against those involved in similar episodes in the past, it has encouraged the DSS to do what it recently did.”
The apex socio-political group from the North, which expressed serious concern over the lingering crisis between the Executive and the Legislature on issues of good governance, appealed to both to sheath their swords and put the interest of the nation above all other pecuniary considerations.
The forum also paid glowing tributes to the late Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmadu Coomassie, who died on July 19, 2018 in Katsina, saying: “His career in the Nigeria Police Force from Cadet Officer to the top as Inspector-General of Police for 36 years was eventful and fulfilling.”
In another development, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called on the National Assembly to objectively scrutinise the budget proposal for the 2019 elections to eliminate duplication and wasteful provisions, and as well expedite actions on the virement and supplementary appropriation.
Its Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, who spoke in Abuja yesterday, said the Centre considered the proposed budget size of N242 billion for election curiously high, coming from a government that professes prudence in spending and cutting the cost of governance.
The CISLAC, therefore, called on the National Assembly to refocus and carry out its legislative responsibilities with a sense of patriotism and prioritising the provision of good governance in line with its constitutional mandate.

[File] Imohimi EdgalThe Stakeholders Forum On Police Accountability (SFOPA) has applauded the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, over his accountability policy in policing.
The group stated that the policy has largely accounted for improved public perception of the police in Lagos since his assumption of office.
National Coordinator of Network On Police Reform In Nigeria (NOPRIN), Okechukwu Nwanguma, made this known at the inauguration of the forum in Lagos yesterday.
The forum, formed with the purpose of providing a platform for regular engagement with the police on issues of police accountability, was inaugurated by Imohimi at the command’s headquarters, Ikeja.
While reeling out the achievement of the police boss, Nwanguma noted that Edgal has broke new grounds in the area of crime control, community engagement, and increased police presence in strategic locations across the state.
According to him, these and other innovative crime fighting strategies have resulted to drastic reduction of crime in the state.

The suspect, Isaiah Ezekiel, who was employed barely a month before he committed the crime, was sent to distribute 150 bags of sachet water to retailers within Lekki.A driver attached to Ramlac company in Lekki area of Lagos State, who absconded with the company’s truck three months ago, has been arrested by men of the Federal Anti Robbery Squad, Lagos police command, in his home town in Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa-Ibom State.
The suspect, Isaiah Ezekiel, who was employed barely a month before he committed the crime, was sent to distribute 150 bags of sachet water to retailers within Lekki.
Apprehension, however, set in after frantic efforts to reach him on his mobile phone when he did not report back failed, as the phone was switched off.
Also, a visit to his apartment at Jakande First Gate, Lekki, revealed that he had left the house with members of his family, as the door was under lock and keys.
The suspect confessed that he sold the truck for N250,000, out of which he only got N100,000.
He said: “I did it because I needed money to buy baby milk for my six-month-old baby.
I was employed as a driver without salary but on commission basis.
For every trip, I got N500. I manage to make a trip a day, which is not enough to transport myself and eat, let alone feed my family.
Sometimes, I used the N500, which ought to be my commission to buy fuel because we were not given money for fuel.
“On May 20,2018, I took some bags of sachet water to sell as usual, but I dropped the bags at my place and took the truck to a mechanic who took me to Ladipo market, where he sold it for N250,000.
The buyer paid N200,000 with a promise to pay the balance when I bring the affidavit for the document.
The mechanic collected N140,000 and I took the rest.
I immediately went home and told my wife that we were leaving for the village because Lagos was too hard for me.
I was in the village when the police arrested me.

Nigerian Television AuthorityRetirees of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) yesterday said the Federal Government owed them 15 months gratuity and pension arrears as a result of which they are dying of hunger.
The retirees, under the aegis of Nigerian Television Authority Contributory Pensioners Association (NTACOPAN), at a press conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, stated that the situation is almost turning them into beggars as they could no longer feed their families and take care of their medical bills.
The placard-carrying retirees, who had earlier protested at the premises of the state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said government was yet to pay them the approved thirty-three and half per cent and 15 per cent upward salary review which they are entitled to.
National President of the association, Kayode da-Silva, who addressed journalists, said their action had become necessary because all their efforts, including series of letters they had written to the government to meet their demands, had not yielded any positive result.
Da-Silva, who urged the National Assembly and other prominent Nigerians to prevail on the government to give them their rights, said they had not considered any legal action but had decided to use dialogue to resolve the issue.

Two kids found dead inside septic tank in KwaraResidents of Gure community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State were on Wednesday evening enraged with anger as bodies of two kids were found in an uncompleted building’s septic tank half-filled with water.
The two kids, a girl and a boy, were found dead in the pit a day after they were said to be missing.
Their discovery in the pit said to be far from the homes of their parents was reportedly suspicious to residents because while the boy was still crawling the girl was only tottering.
Before locating the bodies in the pit, people were said to have combed many places in search of the kids whose disappearances happened in separate locations with one said to have taken place at home and the other at the market.
Though parents of the two kids live in the community, the parents of one are Nigerians while the other are foreigners. Gure is a border town between Nigeria and Benin Republic.
A source in the community said the residents suspected that the toddlers were killed for ritual purposes.
No suspect is yet to be apprehended. He said the suspicion of ritual connection was widespread in the community because another boy had earlier been found recently in the pit, though he was rescued.
The source explained that the people however restrained themselves from a violent protest but only called on the police to douse the situation.
Spokesman of the state police command, Ajayi Okasanmi, who confirmed the incident, gave the name of the female kid as Aisha Michael and the male victim as Ibrahim Bernand.
Okasanmi said bodies of the kids were recovered from the pit without any mark of violence.
He, however, said the police were still investigating to unravel how the kids got missing and died.
Meanwhile, a female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving in Lagos State, one Morenikeji, who was knocked down by a reckless commercial bus driver on Wednesday, reportedly died yesterday.
The incident happened at Igbo Efon, on the Lekki-Epe expressway.
The deceased was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on Wednesday after being knocked down while she was on her way to her Place of Primary Assignment.
Morenikeji was confirmed dead in LUTH yesterday.
The corps member was left unconscious after the accident on Wednesday morning, but was later rushed to the hospital for treatment while the reckless driver, who was reportedly drunk, was arrested after motorists chased him down.