EGYPTIAN SOCCER STAR SALAH MAY QUIT TEAM IF ISRAELI PLAYER JOINS

The Egyptian soccer player refused to shake hands with Israeli players in the past, despite being a favorite of former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

 Mohamed Salah has allegedly threatened to leave Premier League football club Liverpool if Arab-Israeli soccer player Moanes Dabour joins the team, Israeli media reported.

According the report, Salah said that he will leave Liverpool should Dabour be signed.

However, people close to the Egyptian athlete said he needs to be left alone to focus on playing soccer and that he is a professional, and it is not his concern with whom Liverpool is discussing a possible contract.

In the past Salah, refused to shake hands with Israeli players with the pretext of tying his shoes during a game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and FC Basel, his team at the time.

Former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman tweeted in April, in jest, that he would recruit Salah to the Israeli army after seeing how he led Liverpool to a 5-2 victory over Roma. 

WE AT BLIMP CONSULT AND BLIMP INFO FELICITATE WITH CHRISTIANS ON THE OCCASION OF XMAS CELEBRATION.

On this auspicious Christmas Day, We sends our kindest and best wishes to our friends, associates, colleagues and all Christians.

Christmas, is a reminder to us of God's mercies, favour, goodwill and peace to mankind.

On Christmas Day, Love came down, because God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten son Jesus, whose birth is the Christmas we celebrate.

The essence of the day as demonstrated by God, is to give, and not to count the cost. To give, not for what one can get, but for what the other can receive. That’s what love is. God so loved the world, that he gave.

It is therefore, speaker's prayer that as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, may people have reasons and cause to celebrate with you. May this joyous season bring you new tidings, let his holy birthday bring you happiness, blessings, peace and comfort in your life.

Most importantly, as we rejoice and celebrate this wonderful season of Christmas, let us not forget to thank baby Jesus for coming into our lives. Let us together prepare ourselves to welcome him into the homes of our hearts.

It's about time you download your house plan

It's about time you download your house plan and start construction. 
Shop you favorite home design and get started!
Don't let your dreams. be dreams...

Building codes

Building codes specify minimum standards for the construction of buildings. The codes themselves are not legally binding. They serve, rather, as "models" for legal jurisdictions to utilize when developing statutes and regulations.

The main purpose of building codes are to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the construction and occupancy of buildings and structures.

The building code becomes law of a particular jurisdiction when formally enacted by the appropriate governmental or private.

        Building Codes and Standards

• International Code Council (ICC)
  

  Dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.
• State & Local Building Codes
  

  Provides links to detailed information on building codes for all 50 states, major cities, and some counties.
• International Green Construction Code
  

  Establishes minimum green requirements for buildings with the goal to make buildings more efficient, reduce waste, and have a positive impact on health, safety and community welfare.

OFFICIAL: LMC reveal 2018/19 NPFL season kick-off date, schedule

The League Management Company of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) has affirmed the kick-off date of 2018/19 season of the league.

In a letter to all the participating NPFL clubs, the company noted that the first matchday of the season is scheduled for January 13, 2019 while the end of regular season will be observed on May 12. Play-offs will be held thereafter between May 13 – 25.

The season’s Aiteo Cup competition will begin with the state finals scheduled for February 23. The showdown of the competition will be staged on May 26.

The clubs are to observe a mid-seaon break between February 28 and March 8.

In the meantime, the eight Nigeria National League (NNL) sides that have qualified for the Super 8 play-offs are expected to get prepared for the qualification fixtures which will get underway before January 3.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has advised the League Management Company (LMC)

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has advised the League Management Company (LMC) to ensure the commencement of the 2018/2019 season not later than 13th January 2019. This was contained in a statement the NFF Emergency Committee released on Friday, in reaction to letters received from clubs that qualified for the Super 8 Tournament of the Nigeria National League (NNL) that their teams are depleted and therefore, they do not have enough personnel to prosecute the Super 8 as earlier scheduled, which would have enabled the NPFL to commence on 30th December 2018. The three clubs that showed up in Aba as directed would each receive a compensation of the sum of N2,000,000 each, while the matter of the five that failed to show up would be referred to the relevant NFF committee to deal with. The full statement: Following the directive to the eight clubs qualified for the Super 8 Tournament of the Nigeria National League to proceed to Aba for the tournament, we received letters from clubs to the effect that they presently do not have enough players to prosecute the tournament. Apparently, most clubs in the country’s leagues sign a good number of their players for only one season. These personnel appear to have floated to other clubs in search of greener pastures. In view of the above, and the contrite tone of their letters, the Emergency Committee has opted to allow the affected clubs two (2) weeks to recruit players to beef up their playing personnel, after which they will then prosecute the Super 8. The NNL should therefore pick new dates not later than 3rd January for the tournament. In the meantime, the matter relating to the five (5) affected clubs will be referred to the relevant NFF committee to deal with while the three (3) clubs that showed up in Aba as directed will each be paid compensation of the sum of N2,000,000 (Two Million Naira Only). The League Management Company (LMC) is hereby advised to ensure the commence of the NPFL 2018/2019 season, not later that 13th January 2019.

CONGRATS ANTHONY JOSHUA

Nigerian-born World heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua representing Britain was honoured at Buckingham Palace as he received an OBE for his outstanding services to boxing.

Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace presented the award as reward for AJ's services and success to the sport.

AJ holds the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles as he may meet Deontay Wilder in the nearest future for the WBC crown.

A big congratulations to Anthony Joshua.

Minimum Wage: NLC kicks as Buhari suggests review of N30,000 minimum wage proposal

Budget Proposal

Earlier in his presentation, President Buhari said government proposed an estimated expenditure of N8.83 trillion for 2019, including grants and donor funds of N209.92 billion.

He said as part of the recurrent expenditure, personnel costs would gulp an estimated N2.29 trillion, nearly about 40 per cent of projected revenues.

He said substantial savings is expected from wider use of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform. He said ministries, department, and agencies (MDAs) have been directed to implement the IPPIS latest by March 2019.

According to the president, provisions have been made for staff promotion arrears and recruitments by the armed forces, police and para-military agencies during the year.

Besides, he said, the government has equally provided for the settlement of inherited outstanding pension liabilities, while one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (N51.22 billion) has been earmarked for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and other related commitments.

A breakdown of the proposal shows about N4.04 trillion will go for recurrent costs; debt service (N2.14 trillion); statutory transfers (N492.36 billion); Sinking Fund (N120 billion) to be used to retire maturing bond to local contractors; and Capital Expenditure of N2.031 trillion.

The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos shortly after watching the budget presentation by President Buhari that his group would not be party to any technical committee to review the N30,000 minimum wage.

“We cannot accept the use of any technical committee to look into the already agreed N30,000 minimum wage,” Mr Ayuba said.

“The president promised to pass the report to lawmakers a week after it was presented to him. Once the tripartite committee has met and agreed on an amount, no other committee can meet on the same issue,’’ Mr Wabba said.

He said with organised labour scheduled to meet next week to take a final decision on the issue, there was no going back on the agreement.

On his part, the president of the United Labour Congress (ULC), Joe Ajaero, also kicked against the proposed technical committee. He said the tripartite committee had considered the ability of governments to pay the N30,000 before agreeing on it.

“We (Labour) have resolved to fight for the new minimum wage even after the upcoming general election. There would be no retreat or surrender until workers receive the wage,” Mr Ajaero said.

Nigeria announces new national building code

Nigeria has announced new national building code which will monitor construction works to safeguard lives and property across the country

Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works and housing, announced the new building code during the inauguration of members of Architect Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON).

As there are some incidents where wrong construction plans led to deaths in the country, the Nigerian government is adopting conscious measures to protect the citizens and loss of life and property, said Fashola.

According to the minister, the new code will determine the standard of educational qualification of members and regulate the activities of architects in Nigeria’s construction industry.

He further added that the Federal government of Nigeria is committed to the infrastructural development and ensuring safety of the workers. According to him, buildings will now be designed in such a way that public safety cannot be compromised.

The industry experts also lauded the government’s initiative in revising the existing national building code, saying that the government took a right direction and synergy for effective housing delivery.

The experts further encouraged stakeholders in Nigeria to have positive attitude for the adoption of the new building code, to ensure well-regulated and effective operations of a large number of construction activities in the country.

ShelterTech accelerator programme debuts in Kenya

This programme aims to better tailor housing markets to the needs of low-income households and to identify, promote and accelerate Kenyan start-ups and high-growth companies that offer low-income housing products and services.

Access to adequate housing for low-income households is a critical development problem in many countries around the world. Kenya, where housing is recognised in the constitution as a basic human right, is no exception.

About 61 per cent of Kenyans live in a temporary shelter or extremely low-quality housing, affecting the overall well-being of households.

The programme will bring together entrepreneurs, government, corporations and development partners to identify and present innovation to improve access to shelter.

With more than 94 applications from across Kenya, 30 start-ups and scale-ups will be selected to undergo a six-month acceleration programme, giving them access to expertise, networks and the opportunity to win up to US$50,000 in investment in their business.

The programme runs from November 2018 to May 2019.

Jane Otima, Habitat for Humanity’s associate director for Market Systems and Entrepreneurship, said, “The ShelterTech Accelerator Kenya will contribute to the government of Kenya’s affordable housing pillar that aims to have at least 500,000 affordable homes in all major cities while ensuring 350,000 people get jobs in the housing sector by 2022.”

BDO’s CEO Sandeep Khapre noted that the ShelterTech Accelerator programme is an innovative initiative, which will help build and expand inclusive housing markets.

Pangea’s CEO Jonas Tesfu stated that the startup ecosystem continent-wide, if given the right tools and means to invest is as vibrant as any other industry across the globe. Jonas notes that Africa remains very attractive as a new startup frontier, “Africans and non-Africans alike are looking to be part of its rapid development and are seeking ways to make this happen.”

BREAKING NEWS BADEH DEAD!

Retired Air Marshal Alex Subundu Badeh, former Chief of Defence Staff under former president Goodluck Jonathan reported shot dead with his driver along Keffi - Akwanga Expressway around 9pm today.

DONE DEAL, CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB TO SPEND £70M ON PULISIC

Chelsea have reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund to sign £70million rated star, Christian Pulisic.
The Blues beat off competition from Liverpool and Tottenham and look set to sign Pulisic when the January window opens, according to Daily Mail.
The US international shone for his country against England on Thursday night.
He will be out of contract in 18 months and is being chased by a host of Premier League clubs.

Daily Mail reports that Chelsea are hopeful of wrapping up a deal for a player who could command a £70million fee.
Chelsea are pushing to conclude the deal in January while the threat of a transfer ban looms over them.
The player had also spoken about moving to England before, saying, “The Premier League, is where lots of kids dream of playing so there is no reason why one day I won’t play here.
“We are having a great year at Dortmund and I am enjoying every moment of that. Then when the time comes for me to talk in the breaks about my future, that’s when those things will happen.”

Happy CHRISTMAS Konshisha

I felicitate with all Nigerians, especially my Konshisha brothers and sisters, on the joyous occasion of this year’s Christmas. On this occasion of the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, let us all rededicate ourselves to the virtues of peace, love, honesty, justice, equity, piety, humility and service to others which he taught.

There can be no doubt that a greater manifestation of these virtues and ideals in our lives will immensely help us to become a more united, peaceful, secure and progressive Benue and the nation at large.

We must never again allow any group to hold the nation to ransom under whatever guise. Let us also not allow current socio-economic and security challenges to dampen our expectations for a better Nigeria.

Our change slogan is not a campaign gimmick but a promise that must be kept. We are determined to bring about tangible changes in the lives of our people if elected. 

In this regard, efforts will be intensified to enact laws that will lead to recovery of  stolen funds, block revenue leakages and enthrone due process, transparency and accountability.

Public office is a public trust that must be held to the highest ethical standards. I wish all Nigerians a Merry Christmas in advance. 

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

Building construction, the techniques and industry involved in the assembly and erection of structures, primarily those used to provide shelter.

Building construction is an ancient human activity. It began with the purely functional need for a controlled environment to moderate the effects of climate. Constructed shelters were one means by which human beings were able to adapt themselves to a wide variety of climates and become a global species.

Human shelters were at first very simple and perhaps lasted only a few days or months. Over time, however, even temporary structures evolved into such highly refined forms as the igloo. Gradually more durable structures began to appear, particularly after the advent of agriculture, when people began to stay in one place for long periods. The first shelters were dwellings, but later other functions, such as food storage and ceremony, were housed in separate buildings. Some structures began to have symbolic as well as functional value, marking the beginning of the distinction between architecture and building.

The history of building is marked by a number of trends. One is the increasing durability of the materials used. Early building materials were perishable, such as leaves, branches, and animal hides. Later, more durable natural materials—such as clay, stone, and timber—and, finally, syntheticmaterials—such as brick, concrete, metals, and plastics—were used. Another is a quest for buildings of ever greater height and span; this was made possible by the development of stronger materials and by knowledge of how materials behave and how to exploit them to greater advantage. A third major trend involves the degree of control exercised over the interior environment of buildings: increasingly precise regulation of air temperature, light and sound levels, humidity, odours, air speed, and other factors that affect human comfort has been possible. Yet another trend is the change in energy available to the construction process, starting with human muscle power and developing toward the powerful machinery used today.

The present state of building construction is complex. There is a wide range of building products and systems which are aimed primarily at groups of building types or markets. The design process for buildings is highly organized and draws upon research establishments that study material properties and performance, code officials who adopt and enforce safety standards, and design professionals who determine user needs and design a building to meet those needs. The construction process is also highly organized; it includes the manufacturers of building products and systems, the craftsmen who assemble them on the building site, the contractors who employ and coordinate the work of the craftsmen, and consultants who specialize in such aspects as construction management, quality control, and insurance.

Building construction today is a significant part of industrial culture, a manifestation of its diversityand complexity and a measure of its mastery of natural forces, which can produce a widely varied built environment to serve the diverse needs of society. This article first traces the history of building construction, then surveys its development at the present time. For treatment of the aestheticconsiderations of building design, see architecture. For further treatment of historical development,see art and architecture, Anatolian; art and architecture, Arabian; art and architecture, Egyptian; art and architecture, Iranian; art and architecture, Mesopotamian; art and architecture, Syro-Palestinian;architecture, African; art and architecture, Oceanic; architecture, Western; arts, Central Asian; arts, East Asian; arts, Islamic; arts, Native American; arts, South Asian; arts, Southeast Asian.

The History Of Building Construction

Primitive building: the Stone Age

The hunter-gatherers of the late Stone Age, who moved about a wide area in search of food, built the earliest temporary shelters that appear in the archaeological record. Excavations at a number of sites in Europe dated to before 12,000 BCE show circular rings of stones that are believed to have formed part of such shelters. They may have braced crude huts made of wooden poles or have weighted down the walls of tents made of animal skins, presumably supported by central poles.

A tent illustrates the basic elements of environmental control that are the concern of building construction. The tent creates a membrane to shed rain and snow; cold water on the human skinabsorbs body heat. The membrane reduces wind speed as well; air over the human skin also promotes heat loss. It controls heat transfer by keeping out the hot rays of the sun and confining heated air in cold weather. It also blocks out light and provides visual privacy. The membrane must be supported against the forces of gravity and wind; a structure is necessary. Membranes of hides are strong in tension (stresses imposed by stretching forces), but poles must be added to take compression (stresses imposed by compacting forces). Indeed, much of the history of building construction is the search for more sophisticated solutions to the same basic problems that the tent was set out to solve. The tent has continued in use to the present. The Saudi Arabian goats’ hair tent, the Mongolian yurt with its collapsible wooden frame and felt coverings, and the American Indiantepee with its multiple pole supports and double membrane are more refined and elegant descendants of the crude shelters of the early hunter-gatherers.

The agricultural revolution, dated to about 10,000 BCE, gave a major impetus to building construction. People no longer traveled in search of game or followed their herds but stayed in one place to tend their fields. Dwellings began to be more permanent. Archaeological records are scanty, but in theMiddle East are found the remains of whole villages of round dwellings called tholoi, whose walls are made of packed clay; all traces of roofs have disappeared. In Europe tholoi were built of dry-laid stone with domed roofs; there are still surviving examples (of more recent construction) of these beehive structures in the Alps. In later Middle Eastern tholoi a rectangular antechamber or entrance hall appeared, attached to the main circular chamber—the first examples of the rectangular plan form in building. Still later the circular form was dropped in favour of the rectangle as dwellings were divided into more rooms and more dwellings were placed together in settlements. The tholoi marked an important step in the search for durability; they were the beginning of masonry construction.

Evidence of composite building construction of clay and wood, the so-called wattle-and-daubmethod, is also found in Europe and the Middle East. The walls were made of small saplings or reeds, which were easy to cut with stone tools. They were driven into the ground, tied together laterally with vegetable fibres, and then plastered over with wet clay to give added rigidity and weatherproofing. The roofs have not survived, but the structures were probably covered with crude thatch or bundled reeds. Both round and rectangular forms are found, usually with central hearths.

Heavier timber buildings also appeared in Neolithic (New Stone Age) cultures, although the difficulties of cutting large trees with stone tools limited the use of sizable timbers to frames. Theseframes were usually rectangular in plan, with a central row of columns to support a ridgepole and matching rows of columns along the long walls; rafters were run from the ridgepole to the wall beams. The lateral stability of the frame was achieved by burying the columns deep in the ground; the ridgepole and rafters were then tied to the columns with vegetable fibres. The usual roofing material was thatch: dried grasses or reeds tied together in small bundles, which in turn were tied in an overlapping pattern to the light wooden poles that spanned between the rafters. Horizontal thatched roofs leak rain badly, but, if they are placed at the proper angle, the rainwater runs off before it has time to soak through. Primitive builders soon determined the roof pitch that would shed the water but not the thatch. Many types of infill were used in the walls of these frame houses, including clay, wattle and daub, tree bark (favoured by American Woodland Indians), and thatch. InPolynesia and Indonesia, where such houses are still built, they are raised above the ground on stilts for security and dryness; the roofing is often made of leaves and the walls are largely open to allow air movement for natural cooling. Another variation of the frame was found in Egypt and the Middle East, where timbers were substituted for bundles of reeds.

TOP 10 MOST LUCRATIVE JOBS IN NIGERIA AS OF DECEMBER 2018

Starting a business in Nigeria may be a bit difficult, especially if you are a bit confused about what business to venture into.

Here is a list of top 10 most lucrative businesses in Nigeria from wealthresult.com. You may wish to consider some

1. Agriculture

This is the next revolutionary industry in Nigeria where millionaires are currently being made. Nigerians both home and overseas are beginning to wake up to the huge potentials in Agribusiness, a sector we have been neglecting over the years due to the discovery of oil. Now that the oil is drying up, people are beginning to look into other sectors of the economy to create wealth. Below are some of the farming in Nigeria that are serious making profit for people now.

2. Poultry Farming

This business is making average Nigerians rich. It is so lucrative that even outsiders are coming in to invest in poultry farming the business in Nigeria. And why not, In a country of more than 150 million people, what would you expect? If you start with 1,000 birds and manage your poultry farm properly, when the turnover on investment begins to come, you will be making millions annually.

3. Cassava Production

People are beginning to turn their attention to this aspect of farming in Nigeria that has been neglected for years. Cassava derived foods are some of the most consumed in Nigeria. If you can invest in cultivating 50 – 100 Acre in a fertile area like Ondo State, your harvest will be great.

4. Snail Rearing

Snail farming is one of the choice Animal farming for many reasons. It is a low capital investment with high yield and the market is big. There are few people currently doing this – and most of them are doing it in a very low scale. If someone invest heavily in Snail farming, he is sure to make good money in Millions within a year.

5. Rice Farming

Rice remains the most consumed food staple in Nigeria and Billions of dollars goes into importation of this product yearly from China and Thailand because the local farmer are unable to meet up the demand due to poor funding and limited knowledge. Anyone who have a million dollar to invest should get in touch and partner with me with 100% return. $1,000,000 = $2,000,000 guaranteed.

6. Sale of Furniture

Buying and selling of Locally make furniture is a goldmine. You don’t need to be a carpenter to do this, just arrange for regular supply from reliable Carpenters while you display and sale in your showroom. It is a very big business in Nigeria as only few can afford the imported designers.

7. Making of Fruit Juice

Nigerians drink fruit juice more than any other people. That’s why companies like La Carcella and Chivita who came into the country as nobody are today making billions of naira annually. This business in capital intensive but if you can afford it, it’s well worth it.

8. Pure Water Production

You know how popular this is in Nigeria and how many that are dispensed daily. Though this business is capital intensive but well worth investing into, especially if you can manage it properly with professionalism.

9. Oil and Gas Business

We are blessed and cursed with huge deposit of oil in our land which presents some of the finest business opportunity for Nigerians and Foreigners. Owning a Petrol Filling Station, Supplying of Diesel, and Distribution of Kerosene are some the areas you can invest easily and make good money for yourself. Petroleum product marketing have been making millions for people and creating millionaires in Nigeria for years.

10. Haulage Services

The cost of taking a truck from one place to the other in Nigeria is between N20,000 to N200,000 per trip. Due to poor rail transport system, most of the Nigerian goods are transported through the road, making haulage business in Nigeria a viable one. Petroleum products haulage and movement of goods from manufacturers and importers are the aspect of haulage in Nigeria that is very lucrative now