VIDEO: Reducing Tobacco Usage In Nigeria

According to the World Health Organization, the devastating impact of smoking is enormous and experts are now advocating stiffer penalties and ban on advertising and sponsorship as a way of reducing tobacco consumption in Nigeria. In this special report, Channels TV correspondent Doris Okenwa examines the health risk of tobacco use and the emergence of electronic smoking in Nigeria. Watch Video: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=3NXMMAhZ-IQ

How challenging it is to date a celebrity- Lola Omotayo [Peter Okoye's Baby Mama]

Lola Omotayo, the heartthrob of Peter Okoye, one half of the P-Square music stars, talks on how her relationship with the musician started and her plan of being an actress. Excerpts: Many people got to know you when your relationship with Peter Okoye started. Who really is Lola Omotayo? Simply put, what you see is what you get. I can't really define who I am per se, but I'm humble, caring, loving and a professional in the oil and gas profession. I take my work and family very seriously because they are very important to me, my family in particular. Your heartthrob, Peter is quite successful, but you seem not to depend on his wealth. What's your driving force? I believe that as a lady, you have to support your partner. You can't put everything on your partner; it is important to add value as well. Even though I'm not bringing as much as he brings to the table, at least, I'm adding value and making things a lot easier. Honestly, that's the way I was brought up; I can't rely on someone for everything. I have to be independent. I should be able to buy something for my kids without asking their father for money. I feel good as a person knowing that I can do things for myself, not that I want to feel above him in anyway, but I just feel it is important for me to add some value to his life as much as he adds to mine. What advice do you have for Nigerian ladies who put all their financial burdens on their partner? I think that is the core of our problems in this society because we put so much pressure on the man to take care of us, pay our bills…we put so much pressure on them, and that tempts some men to start doing some shady businesses. Women put too much pressure on men in this part of the world. Also, a lot of women are greedy and lazy, so they just want to get married and stop working. It doesn't mean women should go all out and work for the men, but somehow, you just have to make things easy for him. I see a lot of young ladies out there; it is not as if there are no jobs for them to do, the problem is that they don't want to do certain type of jobs, they want everything to come easy. I started the very hard way, I didn't start the easy way like people assume. I had to work myself up there because I had a vision. A lot of young ladies in Nigeria see people driving fancy cars; carrying fancy bags and assume that a man is supposed to do all of that for them, so they sell themselves in order to get it. But you don't have to do that. You can always find ways to make money legally. Ironically, some Nigeria men don't like ladies who don't depend on them. How has that been between you and Peter? I love Peter because he was never intimidated. When I met him, he was just trying to build himself and I was very proud of him. I have a lot of respect for him, his talent and I saw that he had a vision. Peter doesn't get intimidated by anything; in fact, he supports and encourages me all the time. I think he's happy that he doesn't have to do everything; he can rely on me that I will take care of our kids. What actually attracted you to Peter? Peter has drive. He has vision and pursues it. He doesn't let anybody distract him from that vision and that I saw in him, which a lot of people didn't see. Some people were like, 'what are you doing with a musician? Are you crazy?' but I saw something very different and unique about Peter. I saw the goals he set for himself and how he accomplished those goals step by step, and I was very impressed with that. I also saw that he wasn't a selfish person. He was a generous person from the outset, even though he didn't have much then, he was always generous. I like a man who is generous, not for the financial reason, but also to see how he can add value to other people's lives; that is very important to me. He is also a good listener; he listens to people, listens to me…those are the things that attracted me to Peter. He's an amazing guy. How romantic is he? Peter is very romantic as well. He does things that an average Nigerian guy will not do. There was a Valentine's Day that he came to my house with a guitar and played some love ballads for me. That was really cool and I loved it. Those are the little things that he does that really touched me. How challenging is it to date a celebrity? Having a relationship with a musician is one of the most challenging situations to be in. There are things you have to deal with; a lot of women, intruders, fans. You have to appreciate and respect the fans, but you also have some of them who are thinking of other things. I think it's one of the most challenging relationships one can have. You won't even spend much time with your partner because he's on the road most of the time doing shows and concerts; even during holidays like Christmas, Easter and New Year, they are not around. So I'm not really enjoying that part. But I thank God that we are managing it very well. With your background in theatre arts, should we expect you in Nollywood soon? No. it's not my thing anymore. Maybe I had the interest 10 years ago, but not now. But if I have to make films, it will be Yoruba movies.

Justin Bieber's neighbours up in arms as they threaten to 'withhold service charges over his bad behaviour'

He's proved to be an unpopular neighbour since moving into a gated community in Calabasas, Los Angeles last year. However, it appears Justin Bieber's alleged bad behaviour could now hit the private estate's owners in the pocket as some locals are refusing to pay their monthly service charges. Residents in the upmarket neighbourhood pay $1,000 a month for residential services, such as security and street cleaning. However, many home owners believe the Homeowner Association (HOA) have failed to do enough over Justin's reckless behaviour. The 19-year-old has reportedly frequently upset neighbours with noisy house parties and speeding in recent months. In March, he was reported to have spat in a neighbour's face after he was confronted over speeding in his Ferrari. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department are said to be investigating the incident, during which Justin was alleged to have said: 'I'm going to f**king kill you.' With Justin clashing with former American football player Keyshawn Jackson as recently as last week over speeding, residents are planning to withhold their monthy fees until something is done, according to TMZ. Around 500 residents pay the $1,000 monthly charge, so the HOA could lose a lot of money over the issue. The locals want the HOA to give Justin a stern reminder about the neighbourhood rules, which include noise from parties, his friends parking on the street overnight and speeding. Last Monday, former NFL player Keyshawn, who lives on the community with his four children, confronted Justin after he zoomed past him at high speed. Keyshawn was reported to have jumped in his Prius and chased the singer and blocked his Ferrari in the driveway. However, Justin rushed into his $6.5milion, seven-bedroomed mansion without speaking to him. L.A. County Sheriff spokesman Steve Whitmore confirmed to TMZ they have received two seperate calls regarding the singer's driving. Keyshawn's agent Jerome Stanley said his client was 'very, very, very livid', adding: 'Keyshawn is taking the situation very seriously. He wants Justin to slow down and be a responsible neighbour.' Former American football player Eric Dickerson, who also lives in the area, has tweeted his disdain about Justin's reckless driving. He tweeted last Tuesday: 'I live in Calabasas too and @justinbieber needs to slow his a*s down. 'Hey @justinbieber I use to have a white Ferrari too, but I knew the speed limit in neighborhoods where kids played. 'Just to be clear, I think @justinbieber is a talented young man. But as a parent of young kids the reckless driving concerns me.'

Denilson contract cancelled

Denilson will leave Arsenal this summer after the Brazilian’s contract was cancelled. The 25-year old, who has made over 150 appearances for the North London club, has spent the last two seasons on loan at Sao Paulo. Denilson has one year left to run on his Arsenal deal, but according to the player’s agent his time with Arsene Wenger’s side is over. ‘I can confirm Denilson and Arsenal have agreed to terminate his contract at the end of this month,’ Alexandre Soares said. ‘Denilson is free to move to another club and a number of clubs are interested in him. ‘I do not want to name teams, but there is interest from Brazil as well as Russia, Italy, Germany and Turkey and I am talking to them. ‘No decision has been made and we will assess all offers that come our way. ‘If Denilson does stay in Brazil, Sao Paulo has the priority, but I do not rule out him moving to another Brazilian club as well.’ Denilson was shown a straight red card for a deliberate handball in Sao Paulo’s match with Atletico Mineiro.

Sign up or move on! Van Nistelrooy says Rooney MUST commit to United... or leave

Ruud van Nistelrooy has urged Wayne Rooney to pledge his future to Manchester United or find another club. Last month, departing manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed he had rejected a transfer request from the England international. Sorting the 27-year-old's future is one of the key things for new boss David Moyes to address but former United striker Van Nistelrooy - who left Old Trafford for Real Madrid in 2006 - expects it will ultimately be the player's decision. 'It is a matter of how he feels. If he feels he is committed to the club I think there is an opening,' said the Dutchman. 'If he says there isn't I don't think there is a future for him but it is up to him. 'I think the fans would love him to stay but it depends on the commitment. 'If he is fully here everyone loves him but when he is not fully committed it is probably better to move on.' Former Red Devils defender Henning Berg also thinks Rooney will have final say on the matter, although he does not expect United to give in easily. 'It is up to Wayne Rooney. If he is 100 per cent committed and wants to play and that is everything he has to go for he has the talent and the qualities to play a big part at this club,' he said after a United v Real Madrid legends game in aid of the Manchester United Foundation. 'I think David Moyes and Rooney have to talk about that and if Rooney feels it is not 100 per cent for him then maybe things will change. 'I don't know too much about the history (of Rooney's transfer requests) but with David Moyes coming in they have to sit down and talk about it - but ultimately Wayne has to see what he feels. 'He is still under contract so I think the club is still in a good position.'

REVEALED: How Nigerian Filling Stations Cheat Customers

Sharp practices in the downstream sector of the Nigerian petroleum industry have continued to have a heavy toll on end users as many fillings stations selling Premium Motor Spirit also known as petrol in the country have resorted to under-dispensing of the product. The nefarious activity perpetrated by petroleum marketers has gone unnoticed by many motorists as they drive into the filling stations to fill their tanks. For every ten liters sold to a motorist, it is not unlikely that he drives away with less than seven litres due to the adjusted meters by the filling stations. The implication is that the petroleum marketer gains additional three liters. According to findings, petroleum marketers make about N4 per litre on a truck load of 33,000 liters as they buy around N93 per liter (depot price plus transportation cost) to bring the cost of purchase to N3.069.000. When sold at the regulated price of N97 per liter, actual profit will amount to N132, 000. But to hike their profit margin, investigations revealed that the marketers adjust their fuel pump meters. For instance, ten liters of fuel will cost N970 at the rate of N97 per liter. But with the adjusted meter, motorists pay the actual price (N970) but drives away with about six liters which amounts to N582. So there is a difference of N388 which has fraudulently gone to the purse of oil marketers. To magnify the marketers smooth operation, multiply N388 by the average of 10 million under-dispensed litres out of the 30 million litres of petrol consumed daily in the country and what you get is N3.8 billion loss to motorists. Nigeria's petroleum regulator, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR,saddled with the responsibility of regulating, monitoring and enforcing the laws in the sector, used the Seraphin Can to expose filling stations involved in the nefarious act in Lagos recently. The ten-liter Seraphin Can is used by the DPR to ascertain the exact dispensing meter measurement of filling stations. When filled to the level of ten liters, dispensing meters that have been adjusted will show above ten liters on the display board. When this occurs, the filling station is shut by DPR officials. DPR said over 500 filling stations had been shut for under-dispensing and other related offences. According to the regulatory body, other offences committed by filling stations include compromise of safety standards and lack of proper storage facilities. The DPR Manager, Downstream, Lagos Zone, Mr. Kunle Soyebo, said the purpose of the recent monitoring which yielded the filling stations under-dispensing was to ensure strict adherence to rules and regulations in the downstream sector. "The exercise, which you have just witnessed, is carried out by our men twice every week. Any filling station operator that fails to comply with rules and regulation will have his licence revoked," Soyebo said. "For the affected stations, we have issued them letters to report to our office and, if they fail to show up, their licences will be revoked. So far, we have been able to shut over 500 filling stations across the country. These stations will remain shut until they comply with our rules and regulations." During the exercise, it was, however, discovered that there are some good guys in the business who adhere to the rules on the dispensing of petroleum products. Major oil marketers were not found wanting as they maintained a clean sheet in their operations while their names were engraved in the good books of the DPR.

Who would turn Wayne down? Arsene Wenger drops hint over move for Rooney and claims Fabregas is unsettled at Barca

Arsene Wenger has admitted that he would not turn down the chance to sign unsettled Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney. The England striker, who scored a brilliant solo effort against Brazil on Sunday night, has signalled his desire to leave Manchester United in the summer. Last month, Sportsmail broke the news that Arsenal are growing increasingly confident they are able to finance a record-breaking move for Rooney. And Wenger has dropped the biggest hint yet that he is ready to make a move for the 27-year-old. ‘Rooney could be an interesting player for everybody in the world, who would turn him down?’ Wenger told Al Jazeera. ‘David Moyes' first challenge is to go in to Manchester and bridge the gap between him and Rooney. ‘If that is feasible or not depends on his personality and if Rooney bears a grudge or not, we will see. It will be interesting to see how that will be handled.’ Wenger is also interested in bringing former captain Cesc Fabregas back to the Emirates and believes the midfielder is suffering from a lack of first-team action at Barcelona. Under the terms of his move to the Nou Camp back in 2011, the Gunners could be offered the chance of re-signing the Spaniard for as little as £20million should Manchester United, who are keen on signing the former Arsenal captain, formalise their interest. 'I think at the moment he's lacking the confidence of being a regular player,' added Wenger. 'Recently he has not been that. 'Cesc is such a passionate player, a player of such quality, that it must hurt him not to play in every single game. That's what he misses. When you come in and out you never play with full confidence.'