Saudi Arabia Announces A New $500 Billion Smart City Along The Red Sea

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has made a few statements that have captured the attention of the media. He ended the long-standing ban on women driving, which met a mixed reaction from people across the country. He just made one of his rare appearances when he announced plans to build a new city on the Red Sea coast, promising a lifestyle not available in today’s Saudi Arabia as he seeks to remake the kingdom in a time of dwindling resources.

The prince said the city project, to be called “NEOM,” will operate independently from the “existing governmental framework” with investors consulted at every step during development. The project will be backed by more than $500 billion from the Saudi government, its sovereign wealth fund, local and international investors, according to a statement released on Tuesday at an international business conference in Riyadh.

The prince made it clear to the bankers and economic policymakers that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is moving towards a new generation of cities, which will be completely powered by clean renewable energy. These cities will not be conforming to the norms already established in the kingdom and will have no room “for anything traditional.”

The zone specified for the city of NEOM will be adjacent to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, and near maritime trade routes that use the Suez Canal. The land mass will extend into Egypt and Jordan, making it the first private zone to cover three countries.

Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s top sovereign fund stated that the city will be powered completely by wind and solar energy. This area will also serve as a gateway to the proposed King Salman Bridge connecting Egypt to Saudi Arabia.“Neom is situated on one of the world’s most prominent economic arteries,” PIF said. “Its strategic location will also facilitate the zone’s rapid emergence as a global hub that connects Asia, Europe, and Africa.”

Klaus Kleinfeld, the former chairman and chief executive officer of Siemens AG and Alcoa Inc., was appointed to lead the development of NEOM. According to Steffen Hertog, a professor at the London School of Economics and longtime Saudi-watcher, The project “seems to be broadly modeled on the ‘free zone’ concept pioneered in Dubai, where such zones are not only exempt from tariffs but also have their own regulations and laws, hence operating separately from the rest of government,”

The vision behind the project is to minimize the dependency on oil exports for the kingdom. With the dwindling oil prices, the prince understands it’s easier said than done. He said “Dreaming is easy, achieving it is difficult,” 

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Former Ooni Of Ife’s Wife, Olori Wuraola signs Partnership Deal With UAE

Since her movement from the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the former wife of the monarch has been on an all-time high! 

After her shine at the last United Nations Week in New York where she was endowed with the “Humanitarian of the Year”, her Highness, Queen Zaynab met with United Arab Emirate’s Minister of Economy, His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori to formalize the beginning of international relations with the UAE Economic sector to improve economic and cultural relations between the United Arab Emirates and several African nations.
The Bridge, under the patronage of Her Highness, Queen Zaynab is an African Arab organization formed to promote & improve cultural and international relations between Arab countries in the Middle East & Africa.
His Excellency, Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori pledged his co-operation with Her Highness and relevant ministries to aid in (social and economic) developments of international and regional activities that will enhance and improve trade exchange and dealings between the Arab world and Africa. 
“Although there has been insufficient progress on a global scale to merge both worlds, we are optimistic for the future of relations. It is with peace that The Bridge, in partnership with various Heads of States and governments in the Middle East will create economic and cultural sustainable platforms to improve social enterprise and social stigmas on both sides. 
“Unity is a powerful engine of progress & I intend to bridge that gap to create a union of cultural understanding, peace, and advancement of economic opportunities across Africa and The middle east,” says Queen Zaynab.

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Chidinma Ekile Shares New Photos Of Herself And Her King (Photos)

Singer Chidinma has shared new photo of herself and her self claimed king,  Ademola Adedoyin. In some quarters it is believed that she and the actor are in a relationship.

The duo have been spotted on set of a new movie and they both posted same scene on their respective Instagram pages. 

She posted a makeupless photo chilling with her 'king', Ademola Adedoyin, who is a known Nollywood actor.

The 26-year-old beautiful singer was rumored to be in a relationship with Flavour after a collaboration, however, that didn't seem to be true as she revealed the new identity of her king sometime around September or before..

Chidinma Ekile was born on the 2nd of May, 1991. She is popularly known by her stage name Chidinma and is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. In 2010, she rose to stardom after winning the third season of Project Fame West Africa.

Chidinma won Best Female West African Act at the 2012 Kora Awards and performed her first hit track "Kedike" at the ceremony.

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Boko Haram: Open Letter To Finance Minister

Dear Mrs. Kemi Adeosun,
Compliments of the day! I am still grieving severely over the unfortunate incident of Boko Haram terrorists attacks on the 233 Battalion, at the Sassawa Military Forwarding Base in Damaturu, Yobe state. We lost some of our best soldiers to this attack, which I believe was avertable had we allowed conscience and exigency to shadow our actions and decisions.

First, I am not convinced that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) failed to do the needful as accentuated by the reports on social media space, whilst taking off our eyes from the real underlying issues. I am prompted to write this open epistle to you because our people say, there can never be smoke without fire.

Madam, you may not understand exactly how I feel, but as a retired officer of the Nigerian Air Force(NAF), it is disheartening to see colleagues in other arms of the military wasted carelessly because of the insensitive disposition to matters of warfare. There are claims that the Federal Ministry of Finance, which you head failed to remit money for the funding of NAF, which is a critical component of the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.

Hon. Minister, as you may have been informed or gleaned from media publications, NAF failed to respond on the intelligence report from the Army Forward Base at Sassawa by conducting air strikes because of lack of aviation fuel to propel fighter jets to the location to dislodge Boko Haram insurgents.

I am also intimated that the Air Force component of the counter-insurgency operations had their personnel at battlefront grumbling over unpaid two months salaries and allowances, which you know could dampen their morale.

Honourable Minister, this posturing is very sadistic and has either dramatized to Nigerians your insensitivity in the handling of Defence budgets as national emergencies or lack of understanding of the operations of our military in such special engagements.

I consider this as extreme official negligence, steeped in callous and condemnable tactlessness. It seems to me, you don’t believe or want to understand the cardinal objectives of safeguarding and protecting the lives and property of Nigerians, which is the responsibility of government the world over. But it is the reason our troops have spent months and years in trenches of the north-east.

Hon. Minister, the failure of troops to overrun insurgents plotting an attack on Nigerian people and the military in the Sassawa incident is not as a result of paucity of funds, but your laxity and wrong perception of defence budgets as just “another item of expenditure.” The voted funds are within reach, but you contemptuously holed it in the vaults of the finance ministry for reasons best known to you and your surrogates.

I dare say, this is the height of indifference to President Buhari’s anti-terrorism campaigns; it exposes the revival of sabotaging instincts of some demigods in the system. And it is everything about the insensitivity and haughtiness of key civilian players in the counter-insurgency war, who have relinquished their roles in supporting the Nigerian military in effectively combating terrorism.

I wish to remind you that winning the war against terror in Nigeria is not the sole responsibility of the military alone. It is the responsibility of everyone and everybody, including you, to actively play your part. Your deliberate refusal to perform a simple official duty as elementary as release of funds to NAF at this auspicious time has caused us sorrows and grief. The consequences of your sadistic neglect is the defeat we suffered in that encounter.

I do not want to believe the backdoor campaigns of the presence of unyielding saboteurs in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. I have never trusted in the theory of that there are virile and poisonous bugs in the system ever willing to thwart every effort at progress in Nigeria.

By my reckoning, your failure to release funds to the military for counter-insurgency operations has portrayed you as a masked member of this cabal, exploiting every avenue to truncate the progress of the Buhari regime on security.

Are you not touched that the Nigerian military is starved of funding in the battlefield to the extent it cannot even pay NAF personnel on the battlefield salaries and allowances, leading to loud murmurs? Is it not a shame to you that NAF could not fund operational logistics in the battlefield, because you withheld their budgetary votes? Do you know your action placed Nigerians and Nigerian troops at the mercy of terrorists for butchering and indeed, responsible for the blood of patriots spilled at the Forward Base at Sassawa?

It’s difficult to understand that at a time like this, a focal official of government in your mould has failed to appreciate that Nigeria is at war with terrorists. And that it is a war the country should spare nothing to win? I want to believe as Finance minister and member of FEC, you know winning or losing the terrorism war would define the future of Nigeria, yet you ignored all.

Hon. Minister, truly, do you want us believe you are ignorant of the reality that in war situations, efforts to salvage the burning house is uppermost and every other public expenditure is secondary?

Therefore, your indifference to the Nigerian military which is fighting insurgency and other local armed conflicts, by withholding funding has demonstrated to me very forcefully, clearly and fearfully that you, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun is not interested in the future of Nigeria.

What this reprehensible conduct has caused is beyond the instant devastation of the terrorists’ attacks on the Military Base. It is also an attempt to shatter the coherence and synergy of the three major arms of the military in co-ordinating the war against terrorism in Nigeria. What you cannot wish away is that every arm of the military is not only important, but indispensable in winning the counter-insurgency war in Nigeria.

But the failure of NAF to respond to a signal for assistance from the Forwarding Base in Sassawa and the subsequent terrorists attacks, much as the casualties has created wrong insinuations and impressions to the Nigerian public. Mischief makers and critics would likely grab the incident to drum the unwillingness of NAF in assisting the Army surmount terrorism in Nigeria.

But we all know this as false and far from reality. In any case, those who are not privileged to know that it is you who frustrated NAF would freely peddle this obnoxious lie against its personnel. These are potent weapons of spewing disaffection, bad blood and hatred among the various arms of the military. It is capable of speedily eroding the gains so far recorded in the counter-insurgency operations.

Kemi Adeosun, this is an unpatriotic decision and a disservice to your country, a nation you serve at a very high capacity. Therefore, Madam Minister, I see no urgency or any cogent reason, so compelling for you to ignore this national emergency by your continued withholding of funding for our Military. You have no moral or official grounds to constitute a major setback in the war against terrorism in Nigeria.

This is really unfortunate, to say the least! It beats my imagination as to whether you are pricked by the gravity of what has happened. Are you even aware of the seriousness of the insurgency? Are you this oblivious of the fact that Nigeria is in a state of emergency with terrorism? Do you know that virtually every day, a soldier is either killed or wounded and innocent civilians are killed or pushed into pains and sorrows from suicide bombings?

But before you bite what you cannot chew, let me remind you quietly that it is the sacred obligation of every Nigerian to support the counter-terrorism war, especially those in leadership positions. No one is an exemption here. It means all arms of government; party or religious affiliations are at war with Boko Haram. People like you who erroneously think that the military or any particular arm of the security service is in isolated war with terrorists are on a wild goose chase.

Madam, you have no justification or basis to politicize, regionalize or treat with levity defence and security matters, much more, something as serious as the Boko Haram insurgency. Or are you confessing your credentials to Nigerians as part of the gang hell-bent on destabilizing President Buhari’s government?

Lastly, Madam, it must not escape your sight that you have contributed immensely in shedding the blood of the innocent, because the victory of every adventure on earth is decided by the policies and actions of those who stay in the comfort of their homes to sustain it. Please stop shedding the blood of these innocent patriots, by releasing the funds.

It’s needless to repeat that your action has severely demoralized troops in the battle line. And you must urgently revisit your decision on the withholding of funding for the counter-insurgency operations. But inevitably, yourself and the veiled turncoats must make haste to perform the necessary acts of contrition before the blood of the innocent, killed in that terrorist attack at Sassawabegins begin to haunt you! Thank you Ma!

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What Tinubu said after secret meeting with Buhari in Aso Rock

Bola Tinubu, on Monday refused to comment on the current clamour for President Muhammadu Buhari to seek reelection in 2019.

The former Lagos State Governor told journalists not to discuss the issue of Buhari’s 2019 anticipatory reelection bid with him.

Tinubu said this while addressing State House Correspondents after meeting behind closed doors with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

When asked whether he agrees with different groups and individuals calling on Buhari to seek re-election in 2019, Tinubu responded, “Don’t discuss that one with me.”

Related Topics:Asiwaju Bola TinubuAso Rockbuhari

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OAU’s student’s death: poor grades, depression, murder ?

Depression is a mental state, patterned by pessimism, inadequacy and despondency.

Over times, I have read of many people who have taken their own lives because they were depressed. But nobody cares to look beyond what the media tells us. Nobody cares to know what happens beyond the scene.

There are two sides to life – left and right. In the left side, there is nothing right and in the right side, there is nothing left.

Mercy Olamide Afolaranmi, a 100 level student of Obafemi Awolowo University studying microbiology was announced dead on Friday. She was just sixteen years old and it was alleged  that she committed a suicide because of low grades.

I took a look through her Facebook account and it suddenly struck me that there might be more to the cause of her death. And indeed, there was more.

I wouldn’t want to dig into what was seen and proved. I just have to say there are more things probably bothering the dead than a poor grade, to the extent of opting for a suicide.

It’s not about the age of getting into higher institution. It doesn’t count as much as being able to manage emotions. But when emotional management fails, isn’t it necessary to be in the right place with the right set of people at the right time ?

Life might sometimes be bitter, but suicide is not the easiest option. It might not necessarily be an heartbreak or being jilted by a lover, this girl might just be one of those haunted by relationship with family, friends (her roommates and course mates, included).

Every act needs a trigger, every decision needs a push. The poor grades might just have made her contemplate suicide.

The reason given is an assumption not a fact. Strength differs. Just yesterday, I was counselling someone suffering from inferiority complex. What if there was no one she could speak with ? What if she was ignored ? Some can battle out their nightmares, but is it not  scary when you don’t know your nightmare ?

Africans don’t usually recon with depression, instead we blame those depressed for being moody and strange. We blame them for keeping to themselves and even mock them as a lone ranger.

We seem to have forgotten about parents who impose academics on their children as if their lives depends on it. I have seen a situation where a man beat his daughter to coma because she had poor grades. I have seen parents disowning their children because of poor grades.

Not everyone that has a carry over is a dunce. We have hungry lecturers who fail female students as a payback for not getting under her skirts. But all these are propositions. The poor grades was a trigger. It wasn’t the major reason.

On October 10, the late Mercy  made a post on Facebook :

“Above all other things, I just wanna see God, see what he looks like, speak with him face to face. I don’t wanna miss heaven. LORD HELP ME”.

Whatever that might imply or whatever prompted her, no one cared to know. Some responded with a laughter reaction on the post, some commented ” Lmao..looll”. No one looked beyond that, no one saw the pains in her laughter, the “I’m hurt” in her “I’m fine”.

On July 22, she had made a post : “It’s good to be in a box”.

No one cared about that, no one reasoned the depth behind that statement. It looks like a joke. As per that time, it implies she has been bothered by some things and not just poor grades that came up as of late.

Perhaps, if she had gotten a virtual attention from a concerned fellow, she would have opened up and probably be alive. I knew her after her death,  but I wished I had known her earlier.

Truth is never complete. There are things we know and there are we don’t .

While we mourn and weep, some people would still blame her because they didn’t  see the writings on the wall. And while I weep, who says it can’t be a murder disguised as suicide ?

Let me weep, solemnly.

Good night, Miss Mercy Olamide Afolaranmi.

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“Send Your Bank Details Let me Send You the $5k… ” – Tonto Dikeh Stands For Hushpuppi In Fight With Mompha

Tonto Dikeh has shown the side she’s on, following Instagram big boy Hushpuppi’s banter with an ex-friend Mompha. Recall that there’s been defense and anti-defense posts against him.

In a post Instagram user and blogger @Cutie_Juls made defending Hushpuppi, we couldn’t help but notice how Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh, who unfollowed and refollowed the ‘gucci’ master, stood up for him.

The post reads;

“After deliberating on everything that happened, I can confidently say without fear that Mompha was never Hushpuppi’s friend. Hush mistakenly thought he had a friend and a brother in Mompha but Mompha never saw him as one.

Nigga was still dining and snap chatting with Hush but there he was speaking ill of him to his wife via text messages as he himself posted online. Men usually do not do this. When their friends move in with you, they will say anything to cover up for them. .

For Mompha to even go and look for “Hush’s daddy’s cab” to snap a picture of it and use it to shame him means he is really petty and a bitter person. They both called out each other on social media but Mompha’s level of “bitchness” beats my imagination. .

Boi, nigga be posting his family house and all to prove he is the son of Bill Gate.. boi! .

But who am I to give my opinions on billionaires fight? Oya lemme kukuma go and chop some sleep. .

Lessons learnt-: 1- Becareful whom you let into your life as a friend. Some people only come into your life because they envy you and the only way to bring you down is to get close, know your flaws and use it against you. .

2- To @hushpuppi [hopefully you get to see this].. Never accept this Mompha back into your life. He has never been a friend to you. A friend who will even keep traces of things you told him in confidence and use it against you when you have issues, has been a traitor from day one. Run from such people. .

@mompha [hopefully you get to read this].. send your bank details via dm, comments, email, text or whatsapp and let me credit your account with the $5k that you claim your friend owes you. Billionaire sons don’t spend so much time, energy and data on $5k debt so I have decided to save the situation… boi! Both of you should stay away from each other. That friendship isn’t healthy. #cutiesthoughts”

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You will regret calling me a nobody’ – Hushpuppi’s babymama tells him, also slams Mompha

Instagram big boy, Hushpuppi has got lots of fight coming for him as his baby mama has joined the list of those drawing the battle line against him.

Hushpuppi’s babymama, Miss Sho, who claimed he called her a ‘nobody’ wrote;

“This was sent to me and as you can see @hushpuppi has said iv given him a son in 2013 and has mentioned our son’s name on his snapchat. He has refused to meet his son and have a relationship with his him. My husband and I have not stopped @hushpuppi from being a father but up till now he has not seen his son and does not contribute to his son’s upkeep. it sickens me as the mother of his child to see how he spends on fashion #Gucci #versace and never on his son. Just because im married does not mean the biological father should not take care of his responsibilties, especially when we have kept the door open for him to be apart of his son’s life.

@hushpuppi you called me a nobody yesterday on the phone for speaking the truth. You will regret that statement. As for @mompha you didnt need to send our private conversation and involve us in your beef. I saw you as his friend, who i thought you could talk sense to him to be a Dad to his son. If I wanted social media to know @hushpuppi does not provide for his son, I would have put it up years ago. You could have at least hidden my snap ID and not have put our son picture up.

To all the single mothers with a deadbeat dad there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just as God blessed me with a wonderful husband he can do the same for you.”

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“God, If this life is fake, I don’t want a real life” — Hushpuppi says as Tonto Dikeh follows him back on Instagram

Hushpuppi earlier today, dropped a shade to his former best friend, Mompha, after the latter claimed he is broke, and living a fake life. His beef with Mompha has been one of the trending topics on social media lately. Recall in series of posts, Mompha claims Hushpuppi, real name Ramoni Abass, was a guy he housed when he was dead broke. He even shared pictures of the taxi he claims his father drives while he is always on Instagram showing off a fake life. Since the revelations from Mompha, social media has been awashed with a lot of shades and clap backs from both men. The latest coming from Hush who begged God to to continue giving him a fake life if that’s all it will take to make him continue enjoying the way he is.

His quote below;

“For somebody who is broke, I spend quite a lot of money. For someone who’s living a fake life, I think I have an amazing life. God if this life is fake, please continue to grant it for me, I don’t want real life.”

He accompanied the above quote with a picture showing him about to board a jet while dressed in his beloved Gucci. It is also worthy to note, that his recent post was liked by Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, and a quick check on her Instagram shows Tonto has followed Hush back, few days after they both unfollowed themselves on Instagram, but Hushpuppi hasn’t followed her back.

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See The Wedding Photos Of Short Man Who Married His Tall Lover That Has People Talking (Photos)

The wedding photos of a couple with contrasting heights has got a lot of Social media users stunned.

The wedding pictures of the duo have gone viral on social media with hilarious comments trailing them. The identities of the couple as well as the location of the incident have remained unknown.

See more photos;

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Nigerians Roast Ex-England Footballer Joey Barton for Calling Wizkid's Ojuelegba Song 'Crap'

Nigerians have invaded the Twitter page of former England footballer, Joey Barton to attack him for making a controversial statement on Wizkid's song 'Ojuelegba'.

Joey Barton made disparaging comment on Wizkid's song 'Ojuelegba'

Nigerians on Twitter taught ex-England footballer, Joey Barton a bitter lesson after he made a disparaging comment on Wizkid's 'Ojuelegba song' which Anthony Joshua played while entering the ring in Saturday's fight where he defeated Carlos Takam to retain his world heavyweight titles.

Barton had written: "Love @anthonyfjoshua but ring walk music is crap. Needs to get a decent DJ sharpish. 70,000 in Cardiff. Get @stereophonics or @Manics on."

Nigerians didn't take the comment kindly as they attacked him for calling a song he didn't relate with crap. Many were of the opinion that such a statement was disrespectful and racist.

Read comments below:

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Back To The Zanga! Wizkid Takes Fans by Surprise As He Visits His Surulere ‘Hood

It’s a season of surprises for Wizzy’s fans as the Star Boy himself took some minutes out of his busy schedule to catch up with his fans in the neighbourhood where he grew up; Surulere.

Trust his fans, they came out en masse to catch a glimpse
Watch the video above to see how it went down.

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Oritsefemi and wife Nabila release their pre-wedding photos

Singer Oritsefemi and his wife, Nabila have released pre-wedding photos for their white wedding slated for November 25th.

Oritsefemi Majemite Ekele (born January 5, 1985) popularly known by his first nameOritse Femi, is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and performer. He is best known for his remake of Fela Kuti's "Double Wahala" song. His rendition of the song earned him two nominations at the 2014 City People Entertainment Awards, winning the award for Most Popular Song of the Year. He also won the Indigenous Artist of the Year award at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. In 2014, he released the remix for his version of the song featuring D'banj.

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Member of Deadly Ondo Robbery Gang that killed 3 Police officers arrested

Police authorities in Ondo state have arrested one of the suspected armed robbers that raided a new generation bank in Ifon, in Ose local government area of the state.

The suspect was arrested in Sabe in Edo state where he was receiving treatment from the gunshot injury he sustained during the operation.

A gang of armed robbers on Thursday raided a new generation bank in Ifon, carting away an undisclosed amount of money.

The state commissioner of police, Gbenga Adeyanju who disclosed this when he visited the town for the second time after the robbery attack also visited the families of the three slain police officers

He said the slain officers will be compensated.

The police commissioner also visited the palace of Olufon of Ifon where he had a closed door meeting with the monarch.

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I Am Now A Scapegoat For Representing The Street – Terry G - Stunt FM 97.3

Stunt FM 97.3  - Gabriel Oche Amanyi, aka Terry G, since hitting the spotlight has swam in his fair share of controversies. In a new chat with Sunday Scoop, the singer said all the mistakes made were during his younger years and he has greatly learnt from them.News Credibility Score:

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These are the three Chelsea players who've let Conte down the most

Chelsea fans here in the Transfer Tavern are looking to get their title challenge back on track after a good win at in-form Watford.

Following a winless three matches in all competitions Chelsea hosted the Hornets in a match that was going to be difficult following their terrific form of late. Having been pushed out of the top four and things not looking too rosy at Stamford Bridge, some media outlets were looking at how Antonio Conte had been letting down the Chelsea board.

Still, rather than blaming Conte, many of our punters have been discussing which PLAYERS had been letting the Italian down. With major injuries to his midfield, Conte had to make do with what he’s got at the moment after a frustrating window.

With the team taking a bit of a battering of late, our landlord looks at the three players he thinks have let Antonio Conte down the most in a tough period for the Blues.

The Brazilian is a marmite player, he splits opinion even amongst the Chelsea fans he can either score a worldy or make a huge mistake to cost them the game.

You never really know what you’ll get on match day out of him, much to the frustration of the Blues in our bar. This inconsistency has aided Chelsea’s tough spell in all competitions, robbing Conte of a top class central defender.

A player of his experience should know how to work a game by now, sometimes reckless in a challenge, sometimes he just goes missing out of position.

The Belgian scored the two goals to turn the Watford game around but, previous to that, and in Alvaro Morata’s absence, he should have stepped up to the plate a lot more.

He has one of the best goals to minutes ratio in the league and but he doesn’t do it on a consistent level and you cant ever see him being a Chelsea regular starter, more of a cup match and super-sub type of player.

Seemingly unable to hold the ball up when deployed as a lone central striker, it doesn’t seem like he’ll ever truly be trusted.

A lot of Chelsea fans seem to be of the opinion that Willian has gone severely off the boil in recent months, he’s not really in the team much and when he is he doesn’t make a massive difference.

With Conte’s current injury list in the midfield area, Willian should be pulling out all the stops to fight for his place and make the Italian turn his head in his direction.

The best player in the club’s last season of turmoil, the Brazilian certainly has dipped in form.

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Popular Canada-based Nigerian Writer Blasts Davido's Family After an Ugly Encounter at the Lagos Fashion Week

A popular Nigerian writer has called Davido's family after an ugly encounter he had at the Lagos fashion week some days ago.

A Nigerian writer based in Canada, Jude Idada has left harsh and troubling words for a member of Davido's family after an ugly encounter he had at the Heineken sponsored Lagos fashion week which held at the Eko Atlantic days ago.

It is not clear if Davido was the one he referred to as a 'tenacious delinquent', however, it is certain that the incident happened between him and a member of Adeleke's family.

Jude narrated how a bodyguard working for the Adelekes refused to take a sit while obstructing their view of people at the event. Nigerians didn't waste time in lambasting Davido whom they believe was the one who made such foolish display. However, some others are pointing accusing fingers at Bred. 

In the photos shared by Jude, Davido's manager, Asa Asika could be seen sitting while the bodyguard stands close to him.

Jude wrote: "Money truly does not begat a man.

Sometimes it arrests the development of a child.

Creating the grotesque persona known as a man-child.

This condition is psychologically known as infantilism.

The inexorable display of childishness.

So it was that yesterday night at the Heineken sponsored Lagos Fashion and Design Week at Eko Atlantic, a certain 'celebrity' or 'superstar' of a pernicious pedigree of 'family wealth' and unfailing predilection for scandals displayed his seemingly incurable case of infantilism.

In a hall filled with the bold and the beautiful, the haves and the have mores, the achieved and the celebrated, the talented and the financially blessed, this man-child thought it 'wise' for him to have his BODYGUARD stand behind him, blocking the view of others, as the models catwalked down the runway.

There were other celebrity musicians of his kind and even a couple of people with generational wealth in the hall but none of them thought it cool or wise to be so concerned about their safety that they will so blatantly inconvenience others to selfishly advance their fame and feed their bloated ego.

Narcissistic callousness.

First it was actually his bodyguard and 'bag, wallet and cell phone carrier' who stood behind him crowding the aisle and obstructing our view.

We pleaded for them to move.

They didn't.

I spoke to the grown man, who is the 'bag, wallet and cell phone carrier," to the celebrity man-child.

"Please you are blocking our view, can you go sit in the back row so we can watch the show."

He totally ignored me and kept his gaze pointed at the crown of the head of his benefactor.

The ladies and the gentleman beside me raised their voices in complaint to no avail.
This man-child was sitting right in front of us and could hear the ruckus going on but pretended to be oblivious to it.

As he sat there chatting and giggling with the two guys and girl that were sitting beside him.

I reached out to tap him on the shoulder and tell him to call his 'entourage' or 'posse' to order, but my friend held my hand and said...

"The guy is wild, he will cause a scene here, ignore him."

So I steeled my disquiet and instead spoke even louder to the bodyguard and 'bag, wallet and cell phone carrier."

"Guys please we can't see. Go to the back. This is so not fair."

My voice was loud enough to be heard by the man-child and the crew that sat beside him.

The guy beside him turned around, established eye contact with me, and said nothing.

I amped up my complaints alongside the others by my side.

The man-child went quiet but didn't turn back, instead the same guy by his side turned back and spoke to the bodyguard and the 'bag, wallet and cell phone carrier."

"Go to the back."

The muscled bodyguard was taciturn and the "bag, wallet and cell phone carrier' retorted.

"Ignore them."

Davido's bodyguard standing and obstructing people's view 

Imagine the nerve.

The guy beside the man-child turned back to chat with the celebrity man-child and promptly ignored us.

We continued our complaints to the rising discomfort of the 'bag, wallet and cell phone carrier."

So much so that he plugged his earphone on to drown us.

And when that didn't work, with a scowl on his face, and muttering inaudibly, he turned around and shuffled to the back row of the hall where there were some empty seats waiting for him.

One down, one to go.

We continued our vocal complaints.

And finally...

The man-child himself turned around and beckoned to the burly bodyguard.

He dissolved from the statue he was, shuffled across our legs and leaned down towards the man-child, who whispered into his ear.

Right there before me, his muscles bulged into my face, and I had to pull back my head.

I could smell his sweaty servitude.

Then he straightened up and scurried away to the back row where the 'bag, wallet, and cell phone carrier' sat.

The man-child neither apologised for the inconvenience or established eye contact, he simply returned to chatting with the guys and girl.

We, on the other hand, were relieved.

Our view was now unobstructed, and we could enjoy the show.

Ummph.

Not so fast.

The burly bodyguard returned.

Cell phone in hand.

He leaned back down towards the man-child and handed him the phone, then straightened back up and stiffened back to the statue he had been.

We stared at them in disbelief.

The arrogance!!!

So shocked were we that our words instantly dried up and we sat there in dazed silence, watching as the man-child typed on his phone and his bodyguard obstructed our view.

The show continued.

Until abruptly as another designer was about to have her models strut down the runway, the man-child stood up and sashayed out of the hall, his entourage in tow.

All of them, hurrying to another infamous imbroglio, without learning anything from the tutelage of life.

It is a wonder that a musically gifted and financially blessed child, who was born into a family that boasts of a billionaire university owner, two senators (one late, the other dancing), two governors (both late), can end up as a tenacious delinquent.

It goes to show that money is not everything.

'Good breeding' is.

Even the poor and the miserable have nurtured better children.

May we also be blessed with wealth.

And when we are.

May it come with class."

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Saudi Arabia is building a $500bn megacity where women can wear crop tops and work alongside men

"This place is not for conventional people or conventional companies," Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said.

Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince has announced plans to build a futuristic city run entirely on alternative sources of energy and said the ultraconservative kingdom must return to "moderate Islam".

The $500bn (£381bn) "Neom" project , envisioned as a hub for technological innovation, will be funded by the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, which the prince oversees, as well as the Saudi government and a range of private and international investors.

"This place is not for conventional people or conventional companies," Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told an audience of investors from around the world gathered in the capital, Riyadh, on Tuesday. "This will be a place for the dreamers of the world."

It's the latest surprise move by Saudi Arabia, a country that for decades was characterized by slow, cautious reforms, bureaucratic red tape and promises that fell short of target. The kingdom was forced to spring into action nearly three years ago after global energy prices fell by more than half, threatening to deplete Saudi foreign reserves and spending power by 2020.

Now, the kingdom is on a mission to build the world's largest sovereign wealth fund to invest in projects like Neom. The aim is diversify revenue away from oil exports and create more jobs under a plan spearheaded by the crown prince known as Vision 2030 .

No reform, however, was more disruptive to the old order than last month's decision tolift the ban on women driving next summer. Saudi Arabia is also expected to bring back cinemas soon as it opens the ultraconservative country to more entertainment.

Prince Mohammed defended these reforms at the conference on 24 October , saying "we were not like this in the past."

"We want to go back to what we were: Moderate Islam," the prince said during his rare public appearance. The heir to the throne said the kingdom will work to defeat extremist ideas and ensure that young Saudis live in harmony with the rest of the world.

A promotional video on Neom, shared on social media, features women jogging as they wear crop tops and working alongside men in laboratories. The footage suggests the new city-state could be a place for Saudi women to gain more freedom in the conservative kingdom, where they are currently subjected to several restrictions.

Among other limits, Saudi women are banned from wearing revealing clothes while in public. As per the country's strict dress code, they must wear a loose garment called abaya – usually black – and a headscarf.

Furthermore, interaction between men and women who are not related is strictly forbidden in the country.

Prince Mohammed was speaking on a panel that included business titans Stephen Schwarzman of U.S. private equity firm Blackstone and Masayoshi Son of Japan's technology conglomerate SoftBank.

As panelist after panelist lavished praise on the 32-year-old prince for his "passion," ''vision" and "enthusiasm," he interjected, saying: "I'm one of 20 million people. I am nothing without them."

For many middle and lower-income Saudi families, the prince's reform blueprint is long overdue.

Most Saudis hold jobs with the government, where wages for many can average just a few hundred dollars a month. Still, the public sector wage bill eats up about half of the government's total expenditure. As part of Vision 2030, the government plans to trim the public sector workforce by about 20 percent while ensuring there are enough jobs in the private sector to keep up with demand.

Over the next decade, an estimated 5 million young Saudis will enter the workforce, creating an urgent need for rapid job creation.

Projects like Neom are focused on creating some of those jobs. The independent economic zone in the northwestern region of the country, near Egypt and Jordan, sits on 26,500 square kilometers (10,230 square miles) of untouched land along the Red Sea.

The crown prince envisions it as a hub for innovation, where scientists would develop new technologies and investors would make healthy returns. It's a place, he said, where drones, driverless cars and robotics might all work together to ensure there's no traffic, for example.

Prince Mohammed chose to unveil the project at the Future Investment Initiative conference being organized by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.

The kingdom plans to transform the fund into the world's largest by listing less than 5 percent of state-owned oil giant Aramco on the Saudi stock exchange and an international exchange, and transferring ownership of Aramco to the Public Investment Fund, also known as PIF.

Saudi Arabia says this could put some $2 trillion under PIF's control— double that of Norway's sovereign wealth fund, which is currently the world's largest.

Speaking to Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the conference, PIF Managing Director Yasir al-Rumayyan said the fund currently manages about $230bn in assets.

Recently, reports emerged that Saudi Arabia was considering holding off on the international portion of the Aramco IPO in favor of a private offering from a key investor like China. Saudi officials, however, insist Aramco is on track for listings as early as next year.

Al-Rumayyan, who is also on the board of Aramco, addressed those concerns at the forum in Riyadh, saying: "Everything is on track, 2018 is our target."

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Getting married before Don Jazzy is not a big deal – D’Prince

Don Jazzy’s younger brother, Charles Enebeli, aka, D’Prince, has said it’s no big deal if he gets married before Don Jazzy.

31 year old D’Prince welcomed his first child, a son who is named Uriel, with his girlfriend in 2015.

D’Prince told PUNCH’s OLUSHOLA RICKETTS in a new interview:

Do you think it is ideal to get married before Don Jazzy?

I don’t think it matters; marriage has nothing to do with age. I’ve seen many situations where the last child got married before any other person in the family.

Even if Don Jazzy had been married, people would still not know. We want a private life, but when it comes to music, we like to have fun together. Involving your private life in music sometimes mixes up things, and doing so is setting up oneself to get hurt.

What has changed about you since you became a father two years ago?

My child and the mother are in America, so I travel often to see them. Being a father has been an amazing experience for me. My mother normally says when you get to a bridge, you will cross it. I saw the bridge and it was easy for me to cross over.

Do you plan to marry secretly too, like D’banj did?

It is not about having a secret wedding; it is about living a private life. I am who I am today because of my music and talent, not because of my relationship or family.

How about if my partner doesn’t want to be in the limelight? So, we need to respect the other person’s decision too. I have seen a situation where the lady got so much attention and she was not prepared for them. I don’t even fancy putting my personal life on social media.

Why have you yet to get married or are you afraid you will lose your female fans?

We all know Kevin Hart is married, yet women still chase him. Diamond Platnumz from Tanzania is married but still impregnated another lady. So, it is not about marriage. The fans love you for your music and they don’t care about your marital status.

I am born to the world for music and I have always believed that your handwork should speak for you. As a journalist, if you are not doing your work well, it will tell. I want my work to speak for me, rather than speaking about it. That is how we were raised in my family. That’s how my brother, Don Jazzy, is. We are not boastful; we just focus on our work.

Last night, I was in the studio with Tiwa Savage all through. She will be here very soon again and we plan to work all through the night as well.

At the time Mo’Hit Records collapsed, how were you able to stay friendly with D’banj and Wande Coal without betraying Don Jazzy?

The people who had a clash were the two at the top, D’banj and Don Jazzy. I didn’t have any problem with either D’banj or Wande Coal; so, our relationship has never changed a bit till date. And the same goes for other members too. I don’t think it will ever change unless I have personal issues with them. They are still my brothers.

How have you managed to stay away from scandals?

My father and mother are very much in touch with what we do. I talk to them every day and they give us parental counsel. And right from the outset, we’ve been God-fearing. We are not just regular artistes who don’t have principles.

I also stay away from negative places, things that are negative and interviews that all they have to say borders on negativity. But I understand that sometimes when you stay away from trouble, it still comes.

Source: PUNCH

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