Contrary to the widely held notions in the polity that to deliver a baby in the United States, a pregnant woman has to conceal her pregnancy during her visa interview and while entering the US, or she has to travel before her pregnancy starts to show, the US Embassy has clarified that it is okay to decide to have a baby in the country.
This is against the backdrop of the practise where some Nigerians deliberately lie during visa interviews in their bid to secure automatic US citizenship for their children.
The Embassy outlined some conditions which have to be met before such a visa which falls under medical tourism category is issued.
This it said, is necessary to encourage applicants to be truthful during visa interviews.
One: The applicant has to show proof of available funds of at least $140,000 (about N22 million) to pay medical fees, and secondly, the applicant has to show proof of the need for medical attention in the US such as high risk pregnancy and the likes.
US Embassy Chief of Consular Section, Ms. Carol Cox, in an interview with select journalists in Abuja, yesterday disclosed that it would cost at least $60,000 to have a baby in the US.
In instances where complications arise from the delivery, the medical bills may go as high as $140,000.
Availability of the funds, Cox said is very important as it is necessary to ensure that American taxpayers do not have to pay such bills.
“We owe the American public who pay taxes to make sure that those who seek medical services in the US pay for such services. This is essential because there are those who have the money and are not willing to pay.
“It is very frustrating when you see a woman who is obviously pregnant, sometimes seven months gone, tell you during a visa interview that she is just going to the US for a vacation,” she said.
Commenting on the fate of those who have incurred bans in the process of visa applications, Cox said while they are allowed to appeal, the outcome would be determined by the gravity of what incurred the ban in the first instance.
She added that it would be difficult for such appeals to come through in instances of fraud.
“It is important for applicants to be truthful because if there is any discrepancy in what you say and what you have written in your form, your credibility is gone,” she said.
Speaking on visa wait times, the embassy has reduced the wait times from six weeks to 30 days for applicants in Abuja, and to 21 days for applicants in Lagos, she disclosed.
Public Affairs Officer of the Embassy, Ms. Debra MacLean reiterated that the visa is not a guarantee that an applicant would enter the US.
“If the applicant is found to have materially misrepresented his purpose of visit, the immigration officer at the airport may refuse him or her entry. This officer is the one who really determines who enters the US,” she clarified.
(Culled from ThisDay)
Friday, February 15, 2013
You Want To Give Birth In USA? The Official Price is N22 million For Nigerians.
Contrary to the widely held notions in the polity that to deliver a baby in the United States, a pregnant woman has to conceal her pregnancy during her visa interview and while entering the US, or she has to travel before her pregnancy starts to show, the US Embassy has clarified that it is okay to decide to have a baby in the country.
This is against the backdrop of the practise where some Nigerians deliberately lie during visa interviews in their bid to secure automatic US citizenship for their children.
The Embassy outlined some conditions which have to be met before such a visa which falls under medical tourism category is issued.
This it said, is necessary to encourage applicants to be truthful during visa interviews.
One: The applicant has to show proof of available funds of at least $140,000 (about N22 million) to pay medical fees, and secondly, the applicant has to show proof of the need for medical attention in the US such as high risk pregnancy and the likes.
US Embassy Chief of Consular Section, Ms. Carol Cox, in an interview with select journalists in Abuja, yesterday disclosed that it would cost at least $60,000 to have a baby in the US.
In instances where complications arise from the delivery, the medical bills may go as high as $140,000.
Availability of the funds, Cox said is very important as it is necessary to ensure that American taxpayers do not have to pay such bills.
“We owe the American public who pay taxes to make sure that those who seek medical services in the US pay for such services. This is essential because there are those who have the money and are not willing to pay.
“It is very frustrating when you see a woman who is obviously pregnant, sometimes seven months gone, tell you during a visa interview that she is just going to the US for a vacation,” she said.
Commenting on the fate of those who have incurred bans in the process of visa applications, Cox said while they are allowed to appeal, the outcome would be determined by the gravity of what incurred the ban in the first instance.
She added that it would be difficult for such appeals to come through in instances of fraud.
“It is important for applicants to be truthful because if there is any discrepancy in what you say and what you have written in your form, your credibility is gone,” she said.
Speaking on visa wait times, the embassy has reduced the wait times from six weeks to 30 days for applicants in Abuja, and to 21 days for applicants in Lagos, she disclosed.
Public Affairs Officer of the Embassy, Ms. Debra MacLean reiterated that the visa is not a guarantee that an applicant would enter the US.
“If the applicant is found to have materially misrepresented his purpose of visit, the immigration officer at the airport may refuse him or her entry. This officer is the one who really determines who enters the US,” she clarified.
(Culled from ThisDay)
Now That Goldie is dead, This Is What's Gonna Happen In Days To Come....
The 31 year old singer who represented Nigeria last year at the popular TV reality show Big Brother Africa (BBA) last year died recently at Reddington Hospital in Victoria Island after landing from the USA where she attended the Grammy Awards which held on Sunday along with duo of Kennis Music Kenny Ogungbe and Dayo Adeneye. Maverick TV presenter, Denrele Edun, is very prominent to be among those that were with the deceased in her last moments.
While the wait for the autopsy result expected to be carried out to ascertain the cause of death lingers on, so many writers, bloggers and journalists have turned to speculating what the cause of death might be; I have written one and suggested it may be Thrombosis, a condition leading to the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel thereby obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system.
That is not the only suspicion for the cause of death; sources from Reddington hospital where Goldie died last night postulated Pulmonary Embolism while what would be regarded a “negative” revelation made headlines in the publication, PM News, which claimed she may have died as a result of doping complications. Well, the good development is that an autopsy will be carried out as it is necessary as contained in the laws guiding Lagos State where she passed on but whether the result will be made public will be another issue to be dealt with. With the kind of influence being wielded by some music labels over the entertainment writers’ leaves one to be afraid that should the autopsy report prove otherwise, chances that it would be reported credible are slim; there is bound to be conflicting reports.
Traditionally, as no evil is not supposed to be said about the dead, the media show do what is right; you decide that.
Goldie is dead and she will be remembered in the coming weeks, months and maybe the rest of the year by some friends, fans, colleagues and all sorts but be sure that the government will in no way be among those that would be visible in this category.
First among what you will start noticing and which has started is that Goldie’s twitter account would have more followers; her Facebook page would witness more likes to the extent you will start asking; where the hell were all these people? As of the time of penning this piece, it stood at 86, 610 and still counting.
Many will post some ugly tweets and make reference to her BBA moments and also try to measure her career in the negative but, she will have fighters that would attack every silly comment; trust artistes, they protect their own.
If Google could be kind enough to furnish us with the frequency of downloads and searches done on Goldie since the announcement of her death, then you will see that Goldie became more popular in death than she was when she was in the Big Brother House.
Her picture has since replaced those of many as display pictures (dp) on Blackberry Smartphone’s BBM app and her songs and interviews have hit the highest since she came on stage as an artiste in both print and electronic media including the internet not to talk of ringtones across Nigeria.
Her albums will start selling and Alaba marketers may have started mass-producing the albums including the present three singles from her forthcoming African Invasion album entitled Skibo, Miliki and Got to Have it; the pirates are already seeing a gold mine in Goldie’s work and they will surely smile to the bank and rob her of her royalties.
The regulatory bodies for copyright infringements will send their investigators and collectors out to all hotels, joints and relaxation spots with calculators and all to start tabulating the amount accruing from the airplay of her songs which has risen astronomically since her Valentine Day demise.
Fellow artistes are already trying to get their voices heard with tributes for her and they would be calling themselves and planning on a splendid way to have a befitting burial ceremony; a committee will be formed, Nollywood stars of course will be involved and they may toy with the idea of visiting the Ekiti State governor to donate some fund towards what they may call A Golden Farewell to Goldie.
The artistes are all going to start recounting their relationships with Goldie and then, you will see some collabo videos staring Goldie that may have been dropped some years back on your entertainment channels. Also, tribute songs especially in the form of singles will soon start hitting the airwaves and the lyrics will speak so much of what an Angel Goldie was; the kind of praises always reserved for the dead never for those living.
The media is already digging and will keep nosing. Soon stories about Goldie’s escapades in the BBA would dominate the stage and the main focus will be Prezzo who she was romantically attracted to and said officially that she was in love with. Then, more stories will come out; soft sells will be digging and they would be asking a question nobody ever asked; who is Leo Harvey? A brother, a husband? I rather not go there.
Then would be some music video collaboration by artistes in tribute to Goldie; it may be haphazardly done and presented and some of the stars would sing about their love for Goldie and all she did not do for them while alive.
The burial will be a celebrity show; whether in Lagos or her home state of Ekiti State. It will sure be a show for the best of the best in the industries. All class of artistes will be there whether A,B,or C-List and wannabes will not be left out. Goldie might have a golden casket and be sure to see some ladies that would dress up like her; blonde hairs, extra long eye lashes and tight fitting diva apparels, just to immortalize Goldie.
Tears will flow definitely, Denrenle would cry, Omawumi too; Don Jazzy would be too moody to show his emotion while Banky-W will appear on black with his EME crew. Don’t be surprised if you see Kenny Keke Ogungbe and Dayo D1 Adeneye shed tears; she was signed to their record label and they were together at the 55th Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles some days before her death. Posters of Goldie will fly across Nigeria and some parts of Africa and her blonde hairstyle will be immortalized with her name; Goldie.
Many music award organizing bodies will give her post-humous awards and maybe some corporate bodies may try to do a movie about her and her diva nature; I am lost for a title but something like The Golden Diva will sure be considered.
The reality show she was planning to roll out next month called, Tru Friendship alongside Denrele and Kenyan housemate Prezzo, who have since departed Nairobi to Nigeria, might still stand a chance to see the daylight; somebody gotta have a mind to keep the dream alive. She wanted to launch it next month.
Goldie will remain in the hearts of Nigerians as one young lady who came and did her thing; she may not have been the best but she did give her best. In any way you may have perceived her, take a moment of silence and celebrate her life. She was indeed golden.
Rest in Peace Susan.
Goldie may have died of Thrombosis. Autopsy to be carried out.
As more entertainment lovers are waking up to the sad news of the death on Valentine day of
Nigerian musical artiste Oluwabimpe Susan Harvey, popularly known as Goldie, thousands of tributes have been pouring in for the 31 year old singer who represented Nigeria last year at the popular TV reality show Big Brother Africa (BBA). Goldie died at Reddington Hospital in Victoria Island after returning from the USA where she attended the Grammy Awards which held on Sunday along with duo of Kenny Ogungbe and Dayo Adeneye.
Her Facebook page and twitter account has witnessed tremendous outpouring of emotions from her fans and fellow musicians even as her picture is trending in social media platforms with many using her pictures on display on their blackberry BBM images.
Though no detail has been given as cause of death, medical experts are not ruling out Thrombosis, a condition leading to the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel thereby obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system.
This is going by the reports made public on the late singer's activities over the past 24 hours. According to the president of Kennis Music,Mr. Kenny Ogungbe, in a statement last night has confirming the death of the singer, said she died Thursday after complaining of a severe headache shortly after her arrival from the United States where she went to witness the Grammy Award.
"She was rushed from her Park View, Ikoyi, Lagos residence to her official hospital, Reddington, Victoria Island, Lagos, where doctors pronounced her dead on arrival at exactly 7:30pm in the evening," Ogungbe said.
A doctor who National Daily spoke to explained that flights come with all sorts of exposures to health challenges for some people and it is advised that after embarking on long distance flights, one must rest for at least 12 hours before moving around.
"I remember being on a flight from Manchester to Amsterdam once in 2009 and suddenly I had this severe tightening pain on my forehead, I didn't want to draw attention to myself and kept praying to God to make it go. Thank God it was a short flight of about 40 mins. Later when I got to Nigeria, I felt the pain for a whole week. Another family friend, in her fifties died of Thombosis: blood cloth in the veins, on a USA - Canada bound flight. Sometimes, there are blood cloths in our vessels which we are not aware of. They may travel upwards to the lungs and this could cause death. Some doctors also advise that as adults, we take a tablet of aspirin at least once in a week just to thin out the blood in our system," said Lawrence, a regular traveller that has experienced the condition.
But National Daily just learnt that an autopsy is underway. A call placed to a source at the LASUTH morgue, where her remains have been deposited, disclosed that an autopsy would be carried out so the real cause of her sudden death would be ascertained.
Goldie who hails from Ekiti State represented Nigeria at the Big Brother Star Game in 2012 and presently has what she describes as three nawti singles from her forthcoming African Invasion album; the songs are entitled “Skibo”. “Miliki” and ” Got To Have It.”
Goldie will surly be missed in the Nigeria entertainment industry for her diva attitude which placed her on a level in the highly competitive Nigeria music entertainment industry.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Oscar Pistorius charged with murder 'after shooting girlfriend'
PARALYMPIC star Oscar Pistorius has been charged with murder after reportedly shooting his girlfriend dead having mistakenly thought she was a burglar.
According to reports, the South African hero, 26, shot Reeva Steenkamp, 30, in the head and arm at 4am this morning.
There was speculation the shooting may have been a Valentine’s Day surprise gone wrong at the property in the Silver Woods Country Estate in Pretoria.
Cops now have 48 hours to question him and continue investigations before he is brought before the court.
Talk Radio 702 host Kribani Pillay in Johannesburg said Pistorius told police that he thought the woman was an intruder.
Miss Pillay said the area around Pistorius’ home was “teeming” with emergency services, media and onlookers.
A police spokesperson said Pistorius was "traumatised after losing someone close to him".
Yesterday, Miss Steenkamp fatefully posted a tweet about Valentine's Day, writing: "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow???"
The last tweet she posted on her Twitter account read "I'm there like a bear!!! Yayyyy!!!! X" after a friend invited her round for afternoon tea and cupcakes.
A 9mm pistol was recovered. According to unconfirmed reports four shots were fired.
A spokeswoman said: “I can confirm that a woman has been fatally wounded in a shooting at Oscar Pistorius’s house.
“A 26-year-old man has been taken into custody.”
Police spokesman Katlego Mogale said: “At this stage we are still conducting a preliminary inquiry. Statements are conducted with neighbours and people who were at the scene. A case of murder was being investigated.”
He added: “Paramedics declared the woman dead on the scene and police proceeded with their investigation.
“The woman sustained wounds to her head and the upper body.”
Mogale said police were called following a shooting at a townhouse complex in the Silverlakes district.
“When police arrived they found the paramedics attending to the woman. The paramedics declared the woman dead on the scene and police proceeded with their investigation of the scene,” he said.
He said a 26-year-old man was expected to appear at Pretoria Magistrate’s Court later today.
Entertainment show Tropika Island of Treasure, which stars Miss Steenkamp and was due to be broadcast this weekend, has posted a tribute to her on its website.
It said: “We are deeply saddened and extend our condolences to Reeva’s family and friends.”
Miss Steenkamp grew up in Port Elizabeth, where she studied law, but later moved to Johannesburg after signing a deal with cosmetics company Avon. She went on to model for FHM and feature in various advertising campaigns.
The Cape Town-born model described herself as someone who has "a passion for cars and cooking and prefers to read a book on her off days and spend quality time with friends and family".
Pistorius is known as the Blade Runner because of the ground-breaking prosthetics he uses for racing.
He made history at London 2012 when he became the first amputee sprinter to compete in the Olympics, running in the 400m and 4x400m relay.
The Johannesburg-born athlete was born without fibulas in his legs and had the limbs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old.
He had to win a legal battle over his blades with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 2008 for the right to compete in able-bodied competition.
South Africa has some of the highest rates for violent crime in the world, with an average of nearly 50 people murdered each day. There are also high levels of assault, rape, robbery and carjackings.
According to United Nations research, South Africa has one of the highest firearm-related homicide rates in the world, four times higher than the US and second only to Colombia at the time.
According to statistics, the country is awash with almost six million civilian firearms, with 12.7 out of 100 people in South Africa owning a gun.
In 2008-2009, there were 18,148 murders in South Africa, compared with 662 murders in the UK.
Champ ... Pistorius after winning the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability
Miss Steenkamp's publicist Sarit Tomlinson said the family was "shocked" and "devastated" by the news.
She described Miss Steenkamp as "the sweetest human being" and "a talented and bright young girl", adding that the couple had a "healthy, fabulous relationship".
She was from a family of horse trainers, who she said she was very proud of. Her father was Barry Steenkamp, well-known horse trainer related to famous South African trainers the Amos brothers.
The International Paralympic Committee said in a statement: "Following the news of the alleged shooting incident involving South African athlete Oscar Pistorius this morning, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will not be passing any comment on the case at this time.
"This is a police matter, with a formal investigation currently underway. Therefore it would be inappropriate for the IPC to comment on this incident until the official police process has concluded.
"The IPC would like to offer its deepest sympathy and condolences to all families involved in this case."
Olympian Jessica Ennis spoke of her shock on Twitter, describing the “the horrendous news” as “an awful tragedy”.
Athelete legend Denise Lewis added: “Not a good morning athletics fans - News reports on Oscar Pistorius are unbelievable”.
Just three days ago, Pistorius tweeted about his excitement regarding his first race of 2013, accompanied by a photograph of him in action.
He said: “1 month till my first race of 2013.. Can’t wait to burn it up!”
On Pistorius’s website, a quote from Lord Coe before London 2012 hails him as a “real inspiration to people around the world” with a Nike spokesman describes time with Pistorius as “some of the most inspirational time we’ve ever spent around an athlete”.
Lord Coe said: “Oscar is an extraordinary athlete who has made a significant impact in international sport.
“It will be fantastic to see him compete in London this summer – spectators can expect a real treat!
“He’s been a real inspiration to people around the world so we were thrilled when he decided to join our International Inspiration programme as an ambassador, helping us to inspire young people worldwide.”
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Saudi Islamic Cleric Who Beat 5 Year Old to Death Over Virginity Doubt Gets Light Sentence.
Califronia School Were 4-5 Year Olds Were Having Sex To Be Closed Down.
Why FG Is Not Negotiating With Boko Haram
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