Diplomats are expected to defend their home countries both in word and deed. But Lulu Mnguni, the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, needed more than the finesse of diplomacy to talk his country out of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in his home country. Personal conviction was required.”Mob attacks defile South African values for respect for human life, human dignity”, Mnguni said last Wednesday. “We condemn the violence in the strongest possible terms. Our struggle against apartheid was a struggle against dehumanization of people; it was a struggle for human rights. And given the basis of our Constitution, our foreign policies revolve around human rights,” he added.

The increasing level of widows’ maltreatment in Nigeria is frightening. According to the last data released, Nigeria has over 8 million widows with an estimated 21 million children. Mr. Felix King, Founder, Felix King Foundation who spoke to our correspondent said that the challenges will be best tackled by engages custodians of customs in the communities rather than sponsoring a bill. Excerpts

Pneumonia can be fatal in up to 30 per cent of severe cases that are managed in the intensive-care setting. Complications of pneumonia include sepsis, pleural effusion, and empyema

Davido’s Davido Music Worldwide music protege, Rachel Akosua Funmilola Garton, professionally known as Lola Rae is a class act music beauty who will shake any room full of men.

After 53 years of painstaking research and documentation, poet, cultural icon and writer, Pa Frank Aig-Imoukhuede, last week unveiled his two new books. The presentation of the books titled A Calendar of Traditional Nigerian Festivals and Between God and Man: Meaning and Essence in Traditional Nigeria Festivals was attended by eminent personalities and literary giants.

The ongoing Big Brother Naija reality TV show in South Africa has continued to gather storm. Just as it has won friends there are many foes as well, too disgusted with conduct of the housemates.

It is very unfortunate that President Buhari’s health condition has provided another strong arsenal for his critics who argue that the APC federal government thrives on deceit, lies and asinine propaganda. Sometime ago, top officials of government told Nigerians that Mr. President was “hale and hearty,” and since then, to support their claim photographs of Buhari with Alhaji Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande on one hand, and with leaders of the National Assembly, on the other, were emblazoned on the pages of newspapers.

In the last 23 years, no fewer than 200 foreign nationals have been killed or maimed in xenophobic attacks in South Africa, an investigation by Sunday Vanguard revealed.The attacks, which mostly resulted in the death of immigrants, first occurred in 1994, the year South Africa had its first multi-racial election, which ended apartheid rule.

Appeal Grace Assembly International (APGA INT’L),Lagos has held the 2016 edition of her Night of 1,000 Dancers, tagged Praise Up Chop Up, with Felix Obamo winning the star prize of N250,000. Jacob Princess and Da Blazin Rockaz took the second and third prizes respectively and got N50,000 cash each. The competition held on December 26, 2016 but the winners only got their prizes at an elaborate occasion held at APGA headquarters, located at Onikanga, Ayobo, Lagos last Sunday. Jacob Princess broke record by becoming the first member of the church to win a prize since the inception of the competition six years ago. Observers attributed this to transparency of the process to select the winners.

Member representing Epe Constituency II in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Olusegun Olulade has called on the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to reconsider the implications of allowing the Big Brother Naija Show on the Nigerian culture and youths.