Aisha Buhari Closes Down Beauty Salon In Kaduna

Soft-spoken but extremely eloquent, there are many things that make Aisha Buhari, wife of Nigeria’s new president thick. 

Blessed with an infectious smile; many, often as a result of her warm disposition, underrate the power that lies in her. 

Though, only soaring in popularity in recent months especially in the build up to the March 28 presidential elections where her husband, Muhammadu, a retired military general and former Head of State, coasted to an overwhelming victory, Aisha has always been a known face especially among people who seek to pamper their bodies. 

The First Lady, until recently, owned one of the biggest spas and beauty institute in the country. Situated along Camp Road, a high brow area of Ungwan-Rimi Government Residential Area in Kaduna State, Hanzy Spa and Hanzy Beauty Institute was always a beehive of activities all week long. It is the first beauty institute in Northern Nigeria and is a National Board of Technical Education accredited vocational training centre and registered by the Ministry of Education with the aim of exploring the untapped wealth in the emerging beauty industry. 

However, since the victory of her husband in late March before his swearing-in in Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Friday, Aisha has since closed down the beauty parlour to take up the new role of Nigeria’s First Lady. 

The spa and beauty institute patronised by individuals across class, was sighted close to the private residence of the immediate past Vice President, Namadi Sambo. 

The institute was consulted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation/Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company to help train individuals under its Youth Empowerment and Skill Acquisition Programme. 

But as popular and strategically-placed as the spa and beauty institute was, not many knew Aisha was the brains behind it.

Like her more popular husband who is famed for shying away from limelight and prefers to stay at the background most of the time, she operated the business only as a professional and not as wife of a former Head of State at the time. 

Many clients, who visited the place and also came across her, attested to how simple and impressive at customers’ relations she was. 

But Aisha didn’t just venture into the business of pampering people’s skin and bodies – she worked very hard to learn the tricks of the business and how to succeed in it. 

A trained esthetician who obtained a diploma in Beauty Therapy from the Carlton Institute of Beauty Therapy, Windsor, United Kingdom and a certificate course from the French Beauty School, Esthetique Academie Dubai, she is a member of the United Kingdom’s Vocational Training and Charitable Trust and the International Health and Beauty Council. 

In an interview she granted Thisday Style last year, the beautiful Adamawa State-born mother of five said: “I’m a very busy person who does her things quietly. I keep to my profession as an esthetician, managing my spa and beauty institute both in Kaduna and Abuja. I also personally perform some advanced facial treatments like mesotherapy, gold facial and application of TCA etc. 

I have a number of documentations on my experience in this area including writing a book titled “The Essentials of Beauty Therapy.” 

Though, now saddled with the bigger responsibility of giving her ageing husband the needed moral and emotional support required to bring massive transformation in a country craving for change, Aisha’s training and experience as a beauty expert could come to bear in the colouration of things within her control in the coming weeks.

For neighbours close to the First Lady’s now closed beauty institute, they would miss the atmosphere she brought to the area. 

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Jonathan Dissolved Cabinet At Midnight

 

Former President Goodluck, a few minutes before midnight of May 28, dissolved his cabinet, the Federal Executive Council .

Proceeding directly from the inaugural dinner, Mr. Jonathan held a brief session with the ministers, where a female and male spoke on behalf of the others, paying tribute to him.

He directed his Spokesperson, Reuben Abati, to issue a statement to that effect.

The statement never came.

Mr. Jonathan proceeded from the Eagle Square venue of the Presidential inauguration, where he handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari, to his home state Bayelsa.

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Super Falcons Coach Releases final World Cup List

 

Coach Edwin Okon has released his list of 23 players for the 7th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals starting in Canada next week.

The list published on the Nigeria Football Federation’s official website included regulars like the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year Asisat Oshoala, team captain, Evelyn Nwabuoku and veteran goalkeeper, Precious Dede.

Top Scorer at the 2014 African Women Championship, Desire Oparanozie, defenders Onome Ebi, Josephine Chukwunonye and Ngozi Ebere, midfielder, Halimatu Ayinde, veteran striker, Perpetua Nkwocha and England-based Ini-Abasi Umotong as well as US –based forward Francisca Ordega were also included.

There was no place for goalkeeper Sandra Chiichi and 2012 FIFA U-17 World Cup top scorer Chinwendu Ihezuo.

Nigeria plays Sweden, Australia and USA in Group D at the 7th FIFA Women’s World Cup, with their first match against Sweden in Winnipeg on Monday, 8th June.

THE FULL LIST

Goalkeepers: Precious Dede (Ibom Queens); Christy Ohiaeriaku (Rivers Angels); Ibubeleye Whyte (Rivers Angels)

Defenders: Blessing Edoho (Pelican Stars); Osinachi Ohale (Rivers Angels); Onome Ebi (FC Minsk, Belarus); Josephine Chukwunonye (Rivers Angels); Ugo Njoku (Rivers Angels); Ngozi Ebere (Rivers Angels); Sarah Nnodim (Nasarawa Amazons)

Midfielders: Evelyn Nwabuoku (BIIK Kazygurt, Kazakhstan); Halimatu Ayinde (Delta Queens); Martina Ohadugha (Rivers Angels); Cecilia Nku (Rivers Angels)

Forwards: Perpetua Nkwocha (Clemensnas IF, Sweden); Esther Sunday (FC Minsk, Belarus); Asisat Oshoala (Liverpool Ladies, England); Desire Oparanozie (En Avant Guingamp, France); Ngozi Okobi (Delta Queens); Francisca Ordega (Washington Spirit, USA); Loveth Ayila (Rivers Angels); Courtney Dike (Oklahoma State University, USA); Ini-Abasi Umotong (Portsmouth Ladies, England)

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/sports/183741-super-falcons-coach-releases-final-world-cup-list.html

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FIFA Urges Nigerian Referees To Forget World Cup Officiating

 

 
Carlos Henriques, FIFA Referee Development Officer, has called on Nigerian referees to forget about World Cup officiating ambition for now.

Mr. Henriques gave the advice in an interview in Abuja on Friday.

He advised them to concentrate more on how to secure the Africa Cup of Nations slots.

Mr. Henriques said that the Nigerian referees needed all the support they could get to earn a World Cup slot.

“I think before you start thinking of the World Cup, you have to start thinking of the Africa Cup of Nations.

“Let’s start working, thinking to produce referees to represent Nigeria at the continental competitions; that is our main goal.

“After they start, and be part of the continental of referees, definitely the chances are there for the World Cup.

“They have to wake up like everyone else; everybody has a chance, provided they work hard. They have to work hard, and working hard is not just going out there and work hard.

“They have to work hard in all fields, especially in achieving a high level of fitness as well as the way they manage and approach players.

“So, this is all part of training that the referee has to be subjected to; it’s not easy to be a referee”.

He said there are no much challenges that will stop Nigerian referees from achieving this target since they have a very good team of referees’ instructors in the country.

He said that the calibre of CAF and NFA referee instructor like Linus Mba, could give the referees all they needed to excel in the job.

Mr. Henriques, Lim Kee-Chong from Mauritius, a former FIFA referee, and Mark Nzengo from Malawi, are the FIFA instructors at the ongoing “FIFA Member Association Elite Referees Course”.

The course, which began on May 25 in Abuja, and ended on May 29. (NAN)

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/sports/183976-fifa-urges-nigerian-referees-to-forget-world-cup-officiating.html

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All Hail Sepp Blatter

 

Sepp Blatter has succeeded in extending his 17-year reign as FIFA President as he again secured a fresh mandate to run the world football governing body for another four years following his victory at Friday’s polls in Zurich.

 

Blatter was unable to secure the traditional two-thirds in the first round of voting but still saw off the stiff challenge from his opponent Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein defeating him 133-73 votes.
Though a second round of voting was required, Prince Ali pulled off from the race and wished Blatter good luck

Blatter, 79, has been working with FIFA since 1975 before rising to become the President in 1998. He was re-elected as president in 2002, 2007, 2011 and now in 2015.

Blatter started out first as technical director in FIFA , then General Secretary for 17 years from 1981 and then as FIFA president for the past 17 years, having first been elected in 1998

Going into Friday’s polls, Blatter’s unrivalled hegemony looked threatened following the renewed corruption charges against the world football body.

On Wednesday, top ranking officials of FIFA, including one of the body’s Vice Presidents, were arrested by Swiss Police who are working in collaboration with the United States who claim to have damming evidences of shady dealings.

 Blatter did not claim ignorance of the supposed corruption eating deep into the fabrics of FIFA but he advocated evolution rather than revolution in cleaning up the mess that has grown worse in his  two decades of leadership.

 Addressing the 65th FIFA World Congress ahead of the vote, Blatter said he took responsibility for the current crisis — but that the organization was too big for him to monitor everyone in it.

 “I’m willing to accept that the President of FIFA is responsible for everything, but I would like to share that responsibility with you,” he said. “We cannot possibly supervise everybody that’s in football.”

 “There are 209 member associations, and altogether some 1.6 billion people are touched by the game worldwide, he said.

 “We can’t let the reputation of soccer and of FIFA be dragged through the mud, we can’t accept that. Because those who (are) behind this, who are truly at fault, especially if they are convicted — they are individuals, not the entire organization.”

 “We don’t need a revolution,” Blatter added claiming “football needs a strong (and) experienced leader.” “But we still need, and always need, evolution.”

 Though Blatter has again been able to see off his challengers, many fear the worse for the future of football  as influential blocs like UEFA are now openly entertaining the possibility of a boycott of future World Cups if Blatter stays on.

 The prospect of a World Cup without Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, England, etal, would attract few fans, and fewer sponsors analyst predict.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/sports/184012-breaking-blatter-secures-fifth-term-as-fifa-president.html

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Breaking News: Google Drops A Bombshell

What Google just announced at its IO conference is a bombshell for the future of the company. For years the search giant has witnessed the chipping away of its core product — search — due to the rise of mobile applications and their siloed-off experiences.

Users are engaging more and more with programs that have no attachment or often need for search on the broad web, and as a result Google's position as the owner of our habits, interests, and needs on the internet has looked increasingly at risk.

Google might have just changed its trajectory.

The company demoed a new feature of its Android OS which allows its Now service (a dashboard of notifications focused on your life and interests) to plug in as a layer that essentially hovers above any app running on your phone or tablet.

Activated by the home button, it's always there.

This means that you can get contextual search information around almost anything you're doing, provided there is text and data that Google can pull from the app itself.

And the best part is that developers won't have to make any changes to their existing software to allow the new service — dubbed Now on Tap — to bring search and context into the user's view.

For instance, while listening to music in Spotify you can search for more info on an artist, or if you're talking about a restaurant in WhatsApp, Google can pull up data on the place and even help you make reservations.

And this is not a feature of the app itself, rather a helper that lives inside of the entire operating system.

This is a major move for two reasons.

The first is that it really brings Google back to a place of dominance as the glue that holds your digital life together.

The web has thrived and grown in no small part because of Google's ability to track, organize, and understand all of its disparate pieces.

Now it's able to do the same thing with every app running on your phone.

It allows Google to get back into the search game by speaking the common language of apps.

It gives the company a second life with access to user behavior and needs.

But secondly, it starts to show how Google can be an interconnecting layer between the apps themselves — a kind of neutral staging ground between one action and another.

This is a sea-change for how we use our mobile devices and how mobile apps interact with one another.

Currently, we use OS-defined tools which let apps interact with each other (with rules defined by the OS-makers, not developers). 

But imagine if developers didn't have to think about how their work connects to the rest of your world?

Imagine if Now on Tap is aware enough of the core functions of those apps that it can predict what you'd most likely want to do with them, and then execute on those needs?

 
 That's the ultimate promise of Now on Tap — and it's a game changing one.

However, the technology has its limits.

There's no chance a service like this will ever make its way to Apple's iOS given the closed nature of the operating system (and the fact that Apple will undoubtedly take a stab at the same concept).

And Google also has to prove that this kind of natural language processing can work effectively enough to live up to the company's promise of a seamless experience.

But if the service is as impressive as what Google just showed off on stage in San Francisco, there's a whole new world ahead of us for our devices. One that's more connected than ever.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-28/what-google-just-announced-is-a-bombshell

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