Mase calls out Diddy, says he preaches black excellence but keeps his own artists "enslaved'

Mase, one of Diddy's Bad Boy Records stars, has called the mogul out over his Grammy speech.

At the Clive Davis' pre-Grammys gala last weekend, Diddy called out the Recording Academy for overlooking rap and R&B musicians in major categories.

"Every year y'all be killing us man," Diddy said. "The amount of time it takes to make these records, to pour your heart into it, and you just want an even playing field.."

Despite getting praised for the criticisms of the Grammys, Mase has come out to put Diddy on blast for being a hypocrite and doing bad business with artistes

In a lengthy Instagram post, the "Mo Money, Mo Problems" rapper whose real name is Mason Durell Betha claimed that Diddy keeps his own artists "enslaved," purposely starves them and subjects them to his "horrendous business model."

Mase also went on to say that he offered Diddy 2 million dollars in cash to buy back his publishing, and Diddy refused, unless he matched another price.

Writing on his page alongside a picture of Meek Mill and his tweet on slave contracts, the 42-year-old wrote:

@diddy I heard your #Grammy speech about how u are now for the artist and about how the artist must take back control. So I will be the first to take that initiative. Also, before we ask of other ethnicities to do us right we should do us as black people better. Especially the creators. I heard u loud and clear when u said that u are now for the artist and to that my response is if u want to see change you can make a change today by starting with yourself.

Your past business practices knowingly has continued purposely starved your artist and been extremely unfair to the very same artist that helped u obtain that Icon Award on the iconic Badboy label. For example, u still got my publishing from 24 years ago in which u gave me $20k. Which makes me never want to work w/ u as any artist wouldn’t after u know someone is robbing you & tarnishing your name when u don’t want to comply w/ his horrendous business model.

However, people would always ask what’s up w/ Mase? So I would be forced to still perform to not look crazy when I was getting peanuts and the robbery would continue. So many great moments and people lives in music were lost. But again, I rode with u in the face of death without flinching & u still wouldn’t do right. I never said anything because I wanted to wait until I was financially great so I can ensured that I was addressing this from a pure place and not out of spite.

To add insult, u keep screaming black excellence and love but I know love isn’t free.So I offered u 2m in cash just a few days ago to sell me back my publishing(as his biggest artist alive) that always show u respect for u giving me an opportunity at 19 yrs old.

Your response was if I can match what the EUROPEAN GUY OFFER him that would be the only way I can get it back. Or else I can wait until I’m 50 years old and it will revert back to me from when I was 19 years old. You bought it for about 20k & I offered you 2m in cash. This is not black excellence at all.

When our own race is enslaving us. If it’s about us owning, it can’t be about us owning each other. No More Hiding Behind “Love”. U CHANGED? GIVE THE ARTIST BACK THEIR $$$. So they can take care of their famili

Woman gives birth to conjoined twins in Kaduna

A house wife in Tudun Wada, Soba Local Government in Kaduna State, has given birth to conjoined twins.

Anas Soba, an aide to the Kaduna State Commissioner of Finance, who visited the family on Thursday, January 30th, simply identified the mother as wife of one Malam Gambo.

More photos below...

'Him don buy new laptop for the Babalawo wey help am' - Twitter Users react to reports of Man U. signing Odion Ighalo.

According to Sky Sports, Manchester United have agreed a deal with Shanghai Shenhua of China to sign Nigeria forward Odion Ighalo just hours before transfer deadline approaches.

According to multiple reports in England, Ighalo has been signed on a six months loan deal and will fly into Manchester on Saturday morning to finalize his signing with the club.

Twitter users however expressed mixed emotions regarding the news. Some feel he truly deserves such a big move in his career and feel Man United run no risk with the deal while some feel Manchester United shouldn't have waited till the last hour to sign a striker when they had a month to make signings.

See some reactions below.

                 

Singer, Kelis claims she was exploited by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo when she released her first two albums.

American singer-songwriter, Kelis, has claimed she was exploited by The Neptunes’ Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo when she released her first two albums.

The 40-year-old singer was helped by the duo when they produced her debut album Kaleidoscope, which was released in 1999. They also produced her second studio album, Wanderland released in 2001, but she is claiming she made “nothing” from the releases after being “blatantly lied to and tricked”.

Speaking in a recent interview with The Guardian, the ex-wife of Legendary rapper, Nas, said she first worked with The Neptunes and initially believed them to have provided a “pure” and “creative safe space” to produce her first album.

Narrating her experience at the age of 19, Kelis said: “It ended up not being that at all. I was told we were going to split the whole thing [by 33%], which we didn’t do.”

The hitmaker added she isn’t “angry” over the situation but decided to work with other producers for her third album Tasty (2003) which “offended” The Neptunes.


When asked if she’d work with Pharrell or Chad again, she quipped: “There’s having faith and there is also just stupidity.”

''We were continuously beaten with hammers, planks, knieves'' - One of 'Ikokwu 4’ narrates ordeal in police cell, says Chima was tortured to death

The four men arrested and detained in the cell of the Eagle Crack, (E-Crack) Squad of the Rivers State Police have been narrating their ordeal following their release from detention.

Recall that Victor Ogbonna, Osaze Friday, Ifeanyi Osuji, Ifeanyi Onyekwere and late Chima Ikwunado, were arrested on December 19, 2019. They were allegedly tortured in detention to admit that they stole one of the cars they were repairing. However, the owners of the cars, Eradiri Erepamo and Chinedu Ezenwaliri later said that their vehicles were not stolen but given to the arrested men for repair.

While Chima died in detention, police allegedly continued to torture the men to force them to confess to theft of the cars and later arraigned them on spurious charges of robbery.



The men known as 'Ikokwu 4' regained their freedom on Wednesday after the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, made “a no case submission” at the magistrate court. Read details  here

Speaking during a phone-in programme on Nigeriainfo FM radio, Port Harcourt on Thursday, one of the men Victor Ogbonna, said that one of the leaders of the police ‘torture team’ is a woman.

Ogbonna, in the live interactive programme, claimed that the female police officer was always hitting the private part of the late Chima, threatening to cut off his Penis if he refused to confess that the vehicle they were arrested in was stolen. According to Ogbonna, the female police officer threatened the late Chima Ikwunado saying:
“If you refuse to confess that you are an armed robber and a cultist, I will cut off your penis so that you would not be able to impregnate any woman again (touching his Penis).

Ogbonna further alleged that before the late Ikwunado died, he was bleeding through his nose and ears from the severe beatings he received from the police officers.
“When Chima died, the Policemen asked us to carry out his dead body, which they covered and hid from the public. We don’t know where his corpse was dumped.”



Describing further how they were allegedly tortured, he said: “We were handcuffed and hanged face down on an iron poles behind the E-Crack Cell. There were times they hanged us and left for the day’s patrol until they came back. We were 95 persons in a cell. Due to the severe beatings, we even told them to take all the monies the seized from us. But they refused. I can’t even use my two hands now.”

He also lamented that there are still some people still detained at the E-Crack Cell who are pleading guilty to crimes they are not guilty of.

Victor said among the detainees still in the E-Crack cell was a man who was dressed up to travel to his village for Christmas in December, but was arrested in front of his house.



On the nature of torture, Ogbonna claimed the Policemen used all manners of weapons, including hammers, planks, knives, unknown chemicals on them.

On the allegations that they were armed robbers and cultists, Ogbonna said the claims were lies cooked up by the Police.
“The Policemen were the ones that wrote our statements for us and forced us to agree we committed the crimes after unbearable tortures.”

Coronavirus: No kissing or hugging - Watchdog tells Russians

Russians were on Friday January 31, advised by the country's consumer health watchdog to refrain from greeting each other with handshakes, kisses or hugs and to wear medical masks in crowded public places.

Though Russia has imposed border restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus from China which is its southeastern neighbor and is also yet to confirm any coronavirus case, Rospotrebnadzor which is also a state watchdog, told Russian businesses that employ Chinese nationals to extend their holidays until further notice if the employees are already on leave in China.

Russians were further advised to tie back long hair, avoid touching door knobs and banisters in public places and to avoid close contact with people with flu symptoms.

Amid Russia's announcement of closing its land borders with China to pedestrians and vehicles, the Asian country said on Friday that the death toll from the new virus has reached 213.

LIB reported earlier that the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the flu-like virus a global health emergency.

Dramatic scenes of celebration in London as the UK formally exits EU after 47 years.

There were scenes of celebration in London at 12am on Saturday morning as the United Kingdom officially left the European Union, finally giving effect to the result of the referendum on EU membership held in June 2016.

The UK has been a member of the EU bloc for 47 years, therefore British citizens couldn't hide their excitement as thousands of people waved British flags in London's Parliament Square to mark Brexit.
                      

After 31 January 2020, there will be a transition period until the end of 2020, while the UK and EU negotiate additional arrangements. The current rules on trade, travel, and business for the UK and EU will continue to apply during the transition period although the UK will no longer be represented in the bloc's institutions.
           
          


British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday morning promised to unite the UK in a new era of prosperity, predicting a "new era of friendly cooperation" with the EU while Britain takes a greater role globally.

                         
"The most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning," he said in a televised address.
The European Commission resulting to the UK's withdrawal from the bloc said;
"We want to have the best possible relationship with the United Kingdom, but it will never be as good as membership," European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday  morning in Brussels.
The EU’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, said:
The United Kingdom will remain a key partner for the European Union. I look forward to what I hope will be a very close cooperation with our British friends on our common challenges at the regional and global level.
The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, reacting to the withdraw said:

'I am pleased the UK and EU have agreed on a Brexit deal that honours the will of the British people. We will continue building upon our strong, productive, and prosperous relationship with the UK as they enter this next chapter.'

She promised to show me the power of a woman - LASEMA boss says as he drags ex-lover to court over N45m property

The Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Oke-Osanyintolu has dragged his ex-lover Ms Olaide Ibraheem to court over ownership of a property located at No.1 Baba Yusuf Close in Alausa, Lagos.

Ibraheem was first arraigned before the Igbosere High Court on May 22, 2017 on three-count charge of forgery, forcible entry and criminal damage of the property which allegedly belongs to Oke-Osanyintolu.

During the trial, the LASEMA boss' personal assistant and a signature expert testified before the court.

Ibraheem who is the Director,  Admin and Human Resources in the Lagos State Office of Civic Engagement on her own part called in 6 witnesses which included a surveyor and a police officer.

According to Oke-Sanyitolu, he paid for the N45m property by installment through his personal assistant Luqman Salami, after Ibraheem negotiated the purchase of the property on his behalf from its former owner, Baba Yusuf who lives in Kano.

He alleged that days after the Deed of Assignment were signed after the final installment, Ibraheem took over the property with hoodlums she allegedly brought in. The LASEMA boss said when he reported his ex-lover's action to relevant authorities, she promised to show him the "power of a woman".

On her own part, Ibraheem insisted that she is the owner of the property as Oke-Sanyitolu only accompanied her to visit Baba Musa, the former owner of the property who said he can't sell the property to a woman unless she came with her spouse.

She disclosed that she signed the Deed of Assignment alongside the owner of the property, his son and Oke-Sanyitolu while Salami, Oke-Sanyitolu’s personal assistant was a witness.

Ibraheem denied taking over the property illegally and also accused Oke-Sanyitolu of procuring another Deed of Assignment for the property and trying to register it with the Lagos State Ministry of Land after their relationship ended.


Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye who presided over the case, fixed February 7 for the adoption of final written addresses after listening to the submissions from the Defence Counsel, Mr Adeoye Asaolu and Mr Akin George, the lead state prosecutor.

Nigerians in Chinese city affected by coronavirus unwilling to return home - Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has disclosed that Nigerians living in Chinese city of Wuhan where coronavirus was first noticed, have expressed unwillingness to return home.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday January 31, Lai Mohammed who noted that the federal government cannot stop Nigerians from travelling to China, stated that they are already in contact with 16 Nigerians living in Wuhan.

He said;

“We know it is a bit difficult to ban people from travelling.
“Another thing is that this is not a basis to stigmatise people who come from there.
“Even if we have Nigerians who are there, unless they indicate interest that they want to come home, we can’t force them.
“I know we have Nigerians in Wuhan; our Embassy in China has confirmed that we have about 16 Nigerians in Wuhan and they are in touch with them.
“They have, however, not indicated their interest to come home. They will, however, contact our embassy if they like to come home.
“We need a lot of public enlightenment. We need to let people who travel know that there is the need for absolute transparency and absolute honesty when they are filling out forms.”

This is coming after the Nigerian government issued a travel advisory to Nigerians, telling them not to travel to China over the flu-like virus ravaging the Asian country.

PDP writes UK, US and EU over Ihedioha's loss at the Supreme Court

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) has written a petition to the United Kingdom, United States and the European Union after its chairman, Uche Secondus led a protest to the US embassy and the UK high commission in Abuja on Friday January 31, over Emeka Ihedioha's loss at the Supreme Court to Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress.

Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe; former President of the Senate, Adolphus Wabara; former Imo State governor, Chief Achike Udenwa, as well as members of the National Working Committee (NWC) participated in the protest against the judgement of the apex court which sacked the Emeka Ihedioha as governor of Imo State.

In its petition titled ‘Perversion of Justice: Deliberate Efforts At Truncating Democracy in Nigeria,’ the PDP alleged that Nigeria's democracy is in danger as the judiciary has been compromised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to pervert justice in its favour.

The PDP who called for a review of the court judgement, accused the Supreme Court of declaring additional votes (beyond the official number of accredited voters) from 388 polling units which was not certified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The petition reads in part;

“You may recall that our party, the PDP, the leading opposition party in Nigeria, has been raising issues regarding the continuous interference and arm-twisting of the judiciary by the executive arm and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to influence the outcome of election petitions in various courts, annul elections won by our party and transfer victory to the APC.
“Your Excellency, it may have come to your notice that there have been serious protests in various states of our nation threatening the stability of our nation over a recent judgment of the Supreme Court.
“It is instructive to inform you that this perversion of justice has already sparked off protests in various parts of our country and has become a clear threat to peace, unity and stability of our nation and the survival of our democracy.
“We rejected the judgment with clear call for a judicial review and ultimate reversal of the judgment by the Supreme Court.
“Nigerians had been at a shock over the voiding of the lawful election of Ihedioha, who scored 276,404 votes and awarding fictitious votes to declare Hope Uzodimma of the APC, who scored 96, 458 votes as governor of Imo State that the Supreme Court voided.
"The Supreme Court declared additional votes (beyond the official number of accredited voters) from 388 polling units, not certified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and donated same to the APC and its candidate to declare them winners. It added that the action of the Justice Tanko-led Supreme Court raises very serious issues about miscarriage of justice against the party and democratic order.
"The same Supreme Court in the most celebrated case of Atiku V Buhari & Ors, decided that for a petitioner to succeed in an allegation of infraction of any provision of the Electoral Act especially one complaining about malpractice, such as wrongful exclusion of votes, the petitioner must call witnesses polling unit by polling unit.
“However in this case, the same Supreme Court was not presented any witness from Uzodinma/APC from the fictitious 388 polling units from where the court allocated votes to him. Does the Supreme Court have powers to formulate and allocate votes as election results?
“The so-called results from the 388 polling units were rightfully rejected, in line with several decisions of the Supreme Court, by the tribunal and Court of Appeal as it was merely dumped on the tribunal in a bag, by a policeman who had no mandate of the police to testify at the tribunal.
“The tribunal did not even open the bag as there was no basis to do so. It is one of the great wonders of the world how the Supreme Court opened the bag, counted the results and added them to only the APC candidate.
“What is more perplexing is the fact that INEC produced a schedule of reasons why results were not produced from the 388 units.
“Indeed, election did not even take place in most of the units for one reason or another, like violence among others and so no result could possibly be obtained from those units. The results were not merely rejected or cancelled by INEC.
“Moreover, your Excellency, nobody is aware of the number of votes scored by each party from the said 388 polling units. The tribunal or Court of Appeal did not mention or ascribe any figure from the units to any party in their decisions.
“In fact, during the cross examination of the APC candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, he could not read any figure from the said results. He said that the figures were not clear. lt therefore beats the imagination where the Supreme Court conjured and manufactured the figures it used in declaring Uzodinma/ APC as duly elected?” the party stated.
“It drew the countries attention to the Supreme Court decision in Buhari v. INEC (2008); which says that “weight can hardly be attached to a document tendered in evidence by a witness who cannot or is not in a position to answer questions on the document. “One of such persons the law identifies is the one who did not make the document. Such a person is adjudged in the eyes of the law as ignorant of the content of the document.
“The question is; can the Supreme Court sit in Abuja on January 14, 2020, to increase the total number of accredited votes in election held in Imo State on March 9, 2019? “Is there any law, which permits the Supreme Court or anyone else for that matter, to unilaterally increase the total accredited votes by any margin after the accreditation and or the election? “Where did the Supreme Court get the numbers to declare Uzodinma/APC from a paltry 96,456 votes over Ihedioha/ PDP votes of 276,404? “Even if all the excess accredited votes of 127,209 manufactured by the Supreme Court were added to Uzodinma/APC it will be 223, 657 votes, still less than Ihedioha’s votes of 276,494 by 42,747 votes,” the party said. According to the PDP, the Supreme Court, as presently constituted under Justice Mohammed Tanko, has lost its credibility and no longer commands the respect and confidence of Nigerians, adding that if the people no longer repose confidence in the Supreme Court, the nation’s democracy, national cohesion and stability were at great risk. It called on the United States of America and the international community to take more than a passing glance to this issue in order to avoid an imminent breakdown of law and order.
“Our demand is that Justice Tanko Mohammed immediately steps down as CJN and chairman of the National Judicial Council as Nigerians have lost confidence in him and a Supreme Court under his leadership.
“Anything short than this is a direct invitation to anarchy chaos and a huge threat to our democracy and the corporate existence of our nation."

PDP's national chairman, Uche secondus also called for the resignation of President Buhari, while being led into the US embassy by PDP foreign liaison officer. He stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has lost control of security situation in the country.

He said;

“Our nation is in danger. We are in pain and we are in trouble. We back our minority leader asking and demanding that Buhari should resign because he has lost control absolutely.
“It is not time for propaganda and it is not time for the Presidency to respond to issues that are very sensitive and germane for the foundation of our country.
“When we speak, you see one of them responding but they have left the main issue. The issue is that our people are dying and are in hunger. You cannot travel from Abuja to Kaduna, you cannot go to Minna. You cannot go on road. All over the country, insecurity and killings are too much and overwhelming.
“We believe that the president has lost control. The international community should come quickly to the aid of Nigeria. We have the highest IDP in Africa today, and yet we are not at war. That is the mission why we are here.” 

I’m hopeful Supreme Court will not overturn its judgement against Ihedioha – Governor Uzodinma

Hope Uzodinma has expressed hope of the Supreme Court not overturning the judgement which brought him in as Governor of Imo State and sacked Emeka Ihedioha of the People's Democratic Party from the position.

Speaking to newsmen after being presented to President Muhammadu Buhari by APC Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, Hope Uzodinma alleged that Ihedioha's reasons for seeking a review and reversal of the supreme court judgement are based on falsehood. He also insisted that the time for election petitions are over.

He said;

“I am not disturbed by the PDP’s move to seek a review of the judgment. I am not concerned because I believe they are going back to the Supreme Court based on falsehood because the number of accredited votes outside the excluded votes is what they are talking about.
“But, if you are going to court, you must go to court to discuss or talk about the number of accredited votes including the excluded polling units. If you compute the number of accredited votes inclusive of the excluded voters, the figures are correct.
“We went to court with an issue of exclusion; we didn’t go to court complaining about election malpractices, violence and all of that. So, it is a peculiar case.
“My case can be likened to that of Jim Nwobodo vs Onoh and Omoboriowo vs Ajasin – It is the position of the Supreme Court that where an election has been announced at a polling unit, INEC is bound to collect the result and enter the results into the Form EC 8B.
“So, let INEC tell us what happened; I’m a lawmaker and I participated in the amendment of the Electoral Act. Election petitions are timed.
“As far as I’m concerned, the 60 days left for Supreme Court to look into that matter has expired. I’m not a lawyer but with my little knowledge of law making, I understand what is in the Electoral Act."

Republicans looking happy while Democrats look dejected as senate trial ends without witnesses, clearing path for Trump's acquittal (photos)

Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnel alongside his Republican senate colleagues were seen on Friday night looking joyful while the Senate Democrats looked dejected after senators voted 51-49 to not call witnesses on Friday.

The narrow vote came after Republican senators said they did not need to hear more evidence, and pressed toward acquitting President Trump next week.

Donald Trump's impeachment trial at the senate will now surely end next week Wednesday just after Trump delivers his State of the Union speech to congress on Tuesday.

Two Republicans, Mitt Romney and Susan Collins, joined Democrats in their push for witnesses – but it was not enough as Republicans had majority votes of 51 and voted against calling witnesses while 49 other senators (majority Democrats) voted in favour of witnesses.

The witnesses, like John Bolton are needed by Democrats to corroborate House of Reps allegations that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress by withholding military aid to Ukraine in exchange for investigations into his political rival, Joe Biden.

Democrats like Senate Majority  leader Chuck Schumer could be seen fuming while calling the vote 'a tragedy on a very large scale.' While Republican senators eventually had the last laugh.

More photos below
                   

Man bags 12 years in prison for illegal dealing in petroleum business without a licence, vessel forfeited to FG

ustice J. K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Friday, January 31, 2020 convicted and sentenced Olaniyi Oluwasayo Oladele to 12 years in prison with N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) option of fine for illegal dealing in petroleum products without appropriate licence.

The EFCC in a statement released said the offence is contrary to Section 1 (17) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) Act 2007 and punishable under Section 1 (18) (a) (i) of the same Act.

The convict was prosecuted alongside Sule Ezra and MV Idoma River by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Port Harcourt Zonal office on a three-count charge to which he pleaded guilty. He got seven years on count two and five on count three, which run concurrently.

The second defendant, Sule Ezra was discharged and acquitted, while the third, M.V Idoma River 101 was ordered to be forfeited to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The defendant’s journey to prison started in February 5, 2017 when he was arrested alongside six others by officers of the Nigerian Navy at Akpos Jetty, Aboloma in Port Harcourt with the vessel, MV Idoma River 101, laden with about 140,000 liters of adulterated substance, suspected to be illegally refined automotive gas oil, diverted from its approved destination in a mother vessel, Silver Point. T


The vessel and crew members were handed over to EFCC for further investigation and possible prosecution