Photos: Beauty queen rescued from kidnappers who posed as Aliko Dangote on Facebook

The Lagos state Police command has rescued the current Miss Nigeria International 2014 & daughter of an aide to Kwara state Governor, Miss Sa'adat Bibire, who was abducted two weeks ago by a gang of kidnappers who deceived her to come to Warri, Delta state from Lagos after they promised to make her the ambassador of the Aliko Dangote brand. The gang, made up of students of the Delta state Polytechnic Ozoro, had opened a Facebook account disguising as Aliko Dangote and contacted Sa'adat. They invited her to Warri with the promise to make her Dangote brand ambassador. On getting to Warri, Sa'adat was kidnapped and taken to a place on the outskirts of Ozoro town in Isoko Local Government Area in Delta state. The kidnappers then contacted her family and asked for N20m ransom, which was supposed to be paid into a Malaysian account. Parading one of the suspects before newsmen, the Lagos state Police commissioner said a manhunt for the kidnappers was immediately launched after they contacted the girls family but only one of them was arrested while the others are currently on the run. When interrogated, one of her abductors, 23 year old Patrick Ifada (pictured above), said he was lured into the kidnap gang because of the money offered "I accepted to join the gang because of the money involved. We opened a fake Facebook account pretending to be Alhaji Aliko Dangote and we convinced her to come over to Delta State to meet the businessman. At first, our ransom was N20 million. When they were not forthcoming with the money, we brought it down to N15 million and then N10 million. I was the one staying with the victim in our hideout. We were using the quarters of one of our members, Destiny. We are five in number and I was promised a huge sum. Other gang members are Destiny, Marcus Omajuwa, Ugada and Chuka. We are all students of Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, ND 1. I was studying Computer Science. She was in our hideout for about two weeks. We asked the Special Adviser to pay the ransom into a Malaysian account that one Fred helped us to set up. None of us raped her. Destiny told us we were only going to make money from her family, and not to assault her" he told Vanguard The wife of one of the kidnappers was arrested alongside Patrick.

Dangote slashes cement price to N1000 per bag

LEADING cement manufacturer, Dangote Cement Plc, weekend, announced drastic reduction of the prices of its cement. The new price regime announced by the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, GMD/CEO, of Dangote Cement, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, pegged the Dangote 32.5 cement grade at N1,000 per 50 kg bag, while the higher 42.5 grade would sell for N1,150 per bag. A statement by the company at the end of a management meeting said, however, that the new prices were exclusive of the Value Added Tax, VAT, representing about 40 per cent discount on the prevailing market price of the product currently sold for N1,700 irrespective of the grade, across the country. Edwin said the move was in line with the company’s commitment to the nation’s dire need for the development of infrastructure and to boost the federal and state government’s ongoing effort to reduce the near 20 million housing deficit in Africa’s largest economy. He said, “we recognize the need for an increased rapid response to the huge infrastructure and housing deficit in the country, and one of the ways of addressing the issue is bringing the price of building materials down to much more affordable levels especially cement which is within our control as part of our contribution to the transformation agenda of the Goodluck Jonathan administration and the attainment of key milestones in the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs. “Since the commencement of the implementation of the backward integration policy for cement in the country over 12 years ago, the local production capacity of the product rose from less than three million metric tonnes per annum to about 38 million metric tonnes per annum. During the more than 12-year period of the backward integration policy, nearly $20 billion has been directly and indirectly injected into the Nigerian cement industry with Dangote Cement Plc accounting for 60 per cent of that spend.” The GMD/CEO added that Dangote Cement Plc would continue to ensure alignment of its corporate social responsibility with its strategic business initiatives and will continue to evaluate its pricing regime in Nigeria’s best interest. Meanwhile, the timing of the initiative has confounded industry watchers, who say that from experience, the cement market is on the verge of entering the accelerated demand phase as the raining season is tapering and the dry season which provides the opportunity for increased construction and building activities is setting in. Source: Vanguard news

The successful entrepreneur

A successful business man has a mindset that is willing to take risks and tread on places people would not ordinarily want to tread. He would not chicken out at the slightest threat, so if you intend to start and own your business, you must have a die-hard mentality, otherwise you would quit before you even get started. It is also very important to consider the risks involved and your ability to handle them properly, since every business involves risks. Most business people are very comfortable with modest risk but quite uncomfortable with big risks. Although they are unwilling to gamble on long shots, they are more willing to take chances if their individual skills can affect the probability of success. Then will they have the courage to step out into the unknown and pursue their personal dreams. Goal getter A successful business man has the mindset of not just setting goals but also achieving the desired result. He does not settle for less but always has his eyes on the prize. To him there are no impossibilities and failure is just part of the game. He does not believe in half measures but believes that he can go all the way and this mentality inspires a lot of confidence in clients and customers and will keep them coming. A high level of energy also keeps the businessman trudging through road blocks because he has his eyes fixed on long term goals. It is important you are very energetic and vibrant as it will ensure that your business is up and running. You need to have a motivation from within and from those around you. The man who invented electricity, tried ninety-nine times and failed; he got it right the 100th time! I dare say, that is the spirit you must possess, no matter how many times you fail, you keep trying it out until you get it right….bottom line you must delete the word IMPOSSIBLE from your dictionary. Period! It’s very important you move with the right people and read books and materials that will prepare your mind and reposition your mindset towards positivity, because “if you can think it then you can be it”. Never forget “you are a product of your thoughts.” This reminds me of a Nigerian drama series that aired on the Nigerian national television network (NTA) in the early 90s, BASSEY& COMPANY. The lead act was fond of saying “if you want to be a millionaire, think like a millionaire”! As funny as it sounded then, it is still very true and applies to business. So permit me to say if you want to be a successful business man, then think like one! If you are going to run a business of your own, you should find something that makes you really happy. This should be at the core of why you are even looking at going into business of your own, because if you try and make something work and you have no passion for it, it probably won’t work out. If you have passion for the industry that you are working in, you will have a good chance of making it work out. What make a business great are the people that run it and the passion that they have for it. Keep this in mind when you are thinking of starting a business of your own. From experience, many just jump into business because they are excited about an idea and haven’t really thought about the ‘whys and wherefores’. Taking a moment to reflect on your motivations and defining your purpose will be time well spent. A lot of people go into business for the sole reason of making money; this is not a good idea. It’s not a good idea because the main ingredient for success is missing. The main ingredient for success is passion, and it’s virtually impossible to maintain high-levels of energy when you’re doing something you don’t love. There will always be challenges in owning a business. Your love and passion is what takes you through those challenges. Without that passion, you probably won’t make it.

Revealed!!!! Ways to overcome severe hangover

These are healthy and scientifically proved ways to overcome hangover (severe headache due to excess intake of alcohol) 1. one drink - one glasss of water Everybody know that drinking water prevent you from the morning headache. alcohol leads to dehydration. so you should better drink more water throughout the party. remember and try to match. one alcoholic drink, then a glass of mineral water that will ease the possible pain the next day. 2. Don't forget to eat when you are drinking on empty stomach, alcohol is absorbed faster. so try to have a nice meal before the party starts , and remember the fact that beer has a lot of calories it does not count as meal. 3.Red is bad Drinks that are darker (red wine, whiskey, rum etc.) contain some congeners (elements produced during fermentation), which can cause your hangover. So picking lighter drinks can reduce your chances of having an awful headache in the morning. 4. Grab some vitamins Drinking washes out some nutrients from your body. So pop some multivitamins to refill the loss. 5. Forget about buubbles Avoid beverages that have ‘bubbles’ like champagne or other carbonated drinks. These evil bubbles help alcohol to get absorbed faster. 6. Healthy breakfast To gain some lost electrolytes in the morning try to eat some bananas. The other great variant for a hangover breakfast – scrambled eggs with spinach. Eggs contain taurine, which helps your liver to recover after a party night. For an upset stomach try to have some ginger tea. It will fix a discomfort in your tummy. Or you can also have a glass of orange juice – it will boost your blood sugar up to the normal. 7. Fresh air Oxygen helps to get rid of alcohol toxins faster. If you are able to – try to do some exercises. They can produce some endorphins to fight your bad post hangover mood. 8. The most secret and the difficult rule You can just not drink. Skipping drinking is the only way to avoid a hangover completely. It can be difficult, but having fun does not necessary mean being involved in heavy drinking.

Top most valuable companies in Nigeria.

Discover the 20 most valuable companies in Nigeria. When it comes to how valuable a company is, the market value of the company’s stocks on the Stock Exchange is what is considered. These companies’ stocks are the Blue chip stocks as they are called by stock brokers and analysts. Here are the 20 most valuable companies in Nigeria according to their market values on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. 20. CADBURY NIGERIA PLC – Market Value: 150.3 billion NGN First from the rear of the 20 most valuable companies in Nigeria is Cadbury Nigeria Plc, one of the largest food beverage and confectionery producers in Nigeria. Cadbury are the producers of Bournvita, Tom-Tom, Buttermint etc. 19. UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC – Market Value: 168.9 billion NGN Union Bank is one of the oldest financial institutions in Nigeria. A full-service commercial bank, UBN provides services in business banking, personal banking, treasury services, and commercial lending. Although many think Union Bank is one of the old fashioned banks in Nigeria, however they still found their way in the 20 most valuable companies in Nigeria by market value. 18. FLOUR MILLS OF NIGERIA PLC – Market Value: 186.1 billion NGN The 54 year old company is a forerunner in wheat milling in Nigeria. Popularly known for its brand, Golden Penny remains one of the most preferred brands among bakers, confectioneries and consumers in Nigeria. Flour Mills has a milling capacity of over 8000 metric tons per day, which is one of the largest single site mills in the world. 17. TRANSCORP NIG PLC– Market Value: 195.5 billion NGN Transcorp is a leading diversified conglomerate in Nigeria. The company focuses on acquiring and managing strategic businesses for long term shareholder returns and socio-economic impact. Transcorp operates on four strategic sectors: Power, Oil and Gas, Hospitality and Agriculture. 16. UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC – Market Value: 204.3 billion NGN Originally known as Lever Brothers Plc, the eighty-year old Unilever has been quoted as a public liability company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange since 1973. The long term success of Unilever Plc is a product of consumer based deep roots in the local culture and markets. Unilever produces food and beverages as well as home and personal care products. 15. ACCESS BANK PLC – Market Value: 218.5 billion NGN Access Bank Plc, a full service commercial bank operates through a network of about 366 branches across Nigeria and beyond. Access Bank organizes its main business activities along four customer segments namely: Corporate and Investment Banking, Commercial Banking, Business Banking and Personal and Private Banking. 14. FORTE OIL – Market Value: 222.9 billion NGN Forte is a foremost indigenous major marketer of refined petroleum products. They are spread across the thirty-six states of Nigeria including the FCT. Forte Oil has over 500 retail outlets in Nigeria and operates majorly in the midstream sector of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. They also offer a wide range of consumer products from the oil value chain; PMS, diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, gas and lubricant. Femi Otedola is the chairman of Forte Oil. 13. UBA GROUP – Market Value: 253.9 billion NGN UBA is one of the foremost financial institutions in Nigeria. The bank is spread extensively across Nigeria and the continent of Africa. UBA is poised to facilitating inter and intra African trade and also be the pivot for inflow of investment capital into Africa. The bank is led by Tony Elumelu who is the current Chairman and Philips Oduoza, GMD/CEO. 12. OANDO – Market Value: 259.4 billion NGN OANDO PLC is one of Africa’s largest integrated solution providers. The OANDO Group comprises six companies providing quality services in Exploration and Production, Energy Services, Gas and Power and Downstream supplies. OANDO Plc is led by Wale Tinubu, the Group Chief Executive. 11. STANBIC IBTCS HOLDINGS PLC– Market Value: 260 billion NGN Stanbic IBTC Bank is one of the leading financial institutions in Nigeria with a wide range of personal and commercial banking products offered in over 180 branches nationwide. Stanbic is a financial service group which operates with a clear focus on three main business pillars – Corporate and Investment Banking, Personal and Business Banking and Wealth Management. 10. ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED– Market Value: 269.4 billion NGN Ecobank Transnational Incorporated is an independent regional banking company in West Africa. ETI provides wholesale, retail, investment and transaction banking products and services to government agencies, multinationals, corporate organizations, SMEs and individuals. 9. GUINNESS NIGERIA– Market Value: 301.8 billion NGN GUINNESS NIGERIA is an iconic African company renowned internationally for its brands of unmatched quality. Guinness has been on the Nigerian Stock Exchange since 1965. They produce beverages such as Foreign Extra Stout, Malta Guinness, Harp, Smirnoff etc. 8. LAFARGE WAPCO– Market Value: 333.2 billion NGN LAFARGE is a global figure in the production of building materials. Owned by the Lafarge Group, Lafarge extracts resources from the earth to make materials. Lafarge is committed to making the best cement and concrete solution available in all parts of Nigeria. Lafarge group are also the owners of AshakaCem Plc and UNICEM Calabar. 7. SEPLAT Petroleum– Market Value: 387.3 billion NGN SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company is an indigenous company which is leading many other companies in Nigeria in oil and gas exploration and development. SEPLAT is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and Nigerian Stock Exchange. SEPLAT was formed in 2009 by two Nigerian E & P companies (Shebah E & P and Platform Petroleum Limited). 6. First Bank Plc– Market Value: 509.1 billion NGN First Bank as the name implies is the very first in Nigeria. The Bank is still one of the leading financial institutions in Nigeria. First Bank has been ranked among the top 500 most valuable banking brand in the world. Their success is attributed to dynamism, introduction of new products and excellent customer service delivery. 5. Zenith Bank– Market Value: 786.5 billion NGN Founded by Jim Ovia in 1990, Zenith Bank is one of the leading financial institutions in Africa. The bank has thrived over the years on its cultures of strong values, brand equity, professionalism and service excellence which have distinguished the bank among its peers. 4. Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.– Market Value: 852 billion NGN GT Bank is no doubt one of the financial institutions in Nigeria with the highest customer base. GTB has over 10,000 people in its workforce in Nigeria and other African countries. The corporate banking bias and strong service culture of GTB have been the key factor in the consistent growth of the company. 3. Nestle Plc.– Market Value: 911.6 billion NGN Nestle Plc are makers of food and beverage products including Maggi®, Milo®, Golden Morn®, Cerelac® etc. Nestle has two main factories in Nigeria and six others in other West African countries. Beyond West Africa, Nestle is also found in several parts of the world. 2. Nigerian Breweries– Market Value: 1,300.7 billion NGN Nigerian Breweries Plc is the pioneer and largest brewing company in Nigeria. Nigeria Breweries has eight operational breweries in different parts of Nigeria where its beverages are produced and distributed to all parts of the country. 1. Dangote Cement – Market Value: 4,089.7 billion NGN Dangote cement is the most valuable company in Nigeria. It is a fully integrated cement company, operating in Nigeria and 14 other African countries. Dangote cement is said to be the only Nigerian company on the Forbes Global 2000 companies. Dangote Cement is owned by Dangote Group.