FG to close MDAs’ accounts in commercial banks

The Federal Government may have decided to withdraw all the funds meant for Ministries, Departments and Agencies lodged with commercial banks nationwide.

This step, it was learnt, is being taken to avert commercial banks colluding with fraudulent government officials to siphon such funds.

A source at the presidency told our correspondent that funds meant for the MDAs would be lodged with the Central Bank of Nigeria as was the case in the past.

According to a source, the move, which would reduce the volume of money in circulation, is a response to the alleged high level of corruption in banks and the complicity of banks in the diversion of public funds.

The source noted for instance that it was the widespread practice among officials of government to lodge huge amounts of public funds with banks by collecting upfront on the accruing interest from the deposit.

It was learnt that the banks, which are always desperate for fund, would accept questionable deposits, pay upfront and roll back the deposit at the expiration of the given period without the fund being used for the purpose for which it was released from the government coffers.

SATURDAY PUNCH investigations showed that the Federal Government, worried by the mind-boggling revelation about the diversion of the billions of pension funds, had taken steps to stop the act in the future

A highly-placed source said on Thursday that it was the belief in government circles that the system in operation in the country is aiding the theft of public funds by unscrupulous civil servants.

One of the measures said to be considered by the government was the introduction of Government Integrated Financial Management Information System.

The application of the system is expected to make it difficult, if not impossible for officials to embark on the diversion of funds as was observed in the raging pension fraud controversy.

It was learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan had asked a former Minister of Education in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, to oversee the new financial system.

The source said the President is keen on engaging Ezekwesili as a special adviser, who would be in charge of the effective implementation and supervision of GIFMIS.

Ezekwesili, a former Senior Special Assistant to Obasanjo on Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence, just concluded her tenure as the vice-president of the Word Bank for Africa.

It was learnt that the President was of the view that Ezekwesili’s background as a chartered accountant and her professional competence and prominence in the Obasanjo administration were among the factors working for her in the new job.

Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Solid Minerals, who worked as an auditor, management and financial services consultant, was said to be a founding director of Transparency International for Africa from 1999 to 2004.

A source, however, added that a former Special Adviser to Obasanjo on Budget, Mr. Bode Augusto, was also being considered for the same position.

It was learnt that GIFMIS was being put in place by the FG as a means of ensuring improved efficiency in public expenditure and receipts.

Further investigations showed that the FG would choose the six biggest ministries as a pilot study for the execution of the new system.

The source said that the ministries are most likely to include Works, Transport, Education, Defence, Interior and Agriculture.

The source said, “Of course, the FG is concerned because these shocking revelations about the management of the pension funds and the huge amount of funds that were traced to the accounts of individuals.

“You know that the government had been implementing the Integrated Personnel Payroll system, yet, people are still stealing so much money. The situation is messy and I think the government wants to clean it up.

“So, they are planning to reintroduce the GIFMIS project to arrest the situation.

“Both the IPPIS and GIFMIS are under the World Bank Economic reform, which was started by the Obasanjo administration.

“The FG has concluded an arrangement to introduce the GIFMIS, which has some implications for the banking sector.

“And they are going to start with six ministries, which they are using as the pilot for the programme.

“The Presidency is reaching out to a former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, as the special adviser to the President, who would oversee the project.

“I learnt that another aide of former President (Olusegun) Obasanjo on Budget, Bode Augusto, is also in the picture.

“With that arrangement, the government would move the accounts of Ministries, Departments and Agencies to the CBN.

“The feeling is that the banks are not helping in this situation; the banks are conniving with these people, who lodge huge sums of money with them, without strictly applying the rules.”

In September 2011, the FG organised a three-week training designed as part of the induction for the planned implementation of the GIFMIS.

Materials from the website of the new programme stated that the induction programme, which was held on Sept 13, 2011, in Abuja, was for 30 support consultants.

The 30 consultants were 18 accountants and 12 information technology support consultants.

Facilitators for the programme were said to have been from the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Budget Office, World Bank, the GIFMIS Project Manager and others.

2 killed, 11 wounded in Chicago shootings Thursday

CHICAGO (AP) -- A nephew of Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade was one of 13 men shot - two fatally - during a violent six-hour stretch in Chicago, another indication that violence is on the rise in the nation's third-largest city.

A spokesperson for Wade confirmed that his nephew was one of those injured in a Thursday shooting at a convenience store. The spokesperson declined to confirm the nephew's name or condition.

Wade, a Chicago native, was playing in a game at Toronto on Friday night.

Wade's nephew was one of six males shot at a store on Chicago's South Side at about 6 p.m. Thursday by hooded men who police said fled the scene in an SUV. One man was dead at the scene and four others - ranging in age from 16 to 24 - were hospitalized in critical condition. The Cook County medical examiner's office identified the slain man as Shawndell Harris, 22.

"I don't have all of the details at this time," Wade said in a written statement released early Friday evening. "My thoughts and prayers are with all involved, including my nephew and sister. Having grown up in the inner-city, I am aware of the difficult realities that exist on the streets. One of the goals of my foundation, the Wade's World Foundation, is to continue to spread the message that the violence needs to stop."

Wade was expected to have further comment in his postgame media availability.

The news of the shooting involving Wade's nephew comes one week after the eight-time NBA All-Star was among the Heat players who spoke out about the shooting of Florida teen Trayvon Martin. A neighborhood watch volunteer fatally shot the 17-year-old, although no arrest has been made because the volunteer has claimed self-defense.

Of the Martin shooting, Wade said that, "as a father, this hits home."

In Chicago, there were three other shootings during Thursday's stretch of violence, police said.

- Shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday, David Gully, 31, was fatally shot in the head across the street from his South Side home, police said. Suspects have been questioned and several weapons have been recovered, police said.

- At about 10:30 p.m. Thursday, four people standing in a parking lot on Chicago's West Side were wounded when a gunman fired at them from a moving vehicle, police said.

- Two other men were wounded in separate shootings on the South Side - one in the leg and one in the buttocks.

The shootings are part of a larger uptick in violence across the city this year. From Jan. 1 to March 29 of this year, there were 474 shootings, 101 of them fatal, according to the Chicago Police Department. During the same time period last year, there were 346 shootings, 55 fatal.

Tio Hardiman, director of the anti-violence group CeaseFire, said he believes clashes are increasing because the city is dealing with violence as a crime problem and not as a public health epidemic.

"You cannot arrest your way out of this problem," Hardiman said. "You have to meet people where they are and change the way they think."

What no bling? Beyoncé takes delivery of a white vintage style cradle for baby Blue Ivy

She is the newborn baby of music royalty, but it seems reports of £1million nursery may have been slightly wide of the mark.

Superstar Beyoncé gave a sneak peek at the furnishings for her much loved daughter Blue, and it looked anything but bling-tastic.

Beyoncé, 30, and her mother Tina Knowles were seen in Manhattan followed by assistants carrying a white wrought iron vintage style cradle.

 Special delivery: Beyonce looked striking in a neon pink long sleeved sweatshirt as she stepped out in Manhattan yesterday

                          Vintage style: Beyonce took delivery of a cradle for baby Blu Ivy

 Handle with care:  The baby bed is delivered to Beyoncé's office building in New York City

One assistant carried the white intricately decorated cradle, while another toted the hanging frame into the singer's New York office.
With Beyoncé for a mother, Blue which no doubt be treated to a chorus of sing lullabies at bedtime as she is rocked to sleep.
The Superstar couple are said to have splashed out on items - to outfit THREE nurseries in their various homes - including a solid gold rocking horse and a diamante-encrusted high chair among a list of extravagant goods for their baby.
With an alleged £240,000 alone dropped on the special bedrooms for the baby.

 Rock-a-bye baby Blue: One of Beyonce's assistants carried the frame of the cradle

A source told Star magazine: 'Together they’ve bought a Swarovski-studded high chair by Carla Monchen for £10,000, and a Fantasy ‘posh tots’ coach carriage crib for £30,000.

'Jay-Z bought Beyonce a solid gold handmade Ginza Tanaka rocking horse for £400,000.

'They’ve even splashed out on a £20,000 magical windmill playhouse for the garden and a mini Bugatti car, too.'

Beyoncé looked stunning in a bright neon pink long sleeved sweater as she stepped out earlier yesterday.

Patchwork: The singer 's colourful maxi skirt was an amalgamation of different colourful patterns
The smiling 30-year-old star teamed her bright top with an eye catching multi-coloured patterned skirt which
she accessorised with a black hat and John Lennon style sunglasses.

Beyonce is clearly already back to her glamorous best after going through the ordeal of giving birth back in January.

Last week the singer revealed she had plans to return to the stage.

She announced her intention to perform three concerts in Atlantic City this coming May.
She will perform as part of the unveiling of the $2.4 billion Revel Resorts over Memorial Day weekend.

 A bright spark: The hit singer showed off a flat stomach, just two and a half months after giving birth to Blue Ivy
Her husband and Blue Ivy's father, Jay-Z, owns the 40/40 club in Atlantic City.

Meanwhile, the star has fallen victim to an apparent swipe from fellow singer Katy Perry.

After singing a cover of a Jay-Z track, Perry appeared to take aim at his wife Beyonce.

The California Gurl singer was talking about her upcoming collaboration with Rihanna - saying she wanted their track to be 'iconic'.

Perry then went on to cite Beyonce and Shakira's 2007 song Beautiful Liar - suggesting it would not stand the test of time.

Hint of brightness: A protective Beyoncé out with Blue earlier in the week

Well that was memorable! Nicki Minaj busts out of a low cut top on American Idol... before cheekily asking J-Lo to 'scoot over' for a place on the judging panel

She regularly wows fans with her eye catching choice of outfits and energetic performances.
And tonight, Nicki Minaj's appearance on American Idol was no less memorable, with the 29-year-old singer flashing the flesh in a multi-coloured low cut crop top, which shows off her curves to the maximum.
Teamed with a rainbow coloured skirt which was slashed at the front, Minaj wowed the audience with an enthusiastic rendition of her new song Starships.

 Flashing the flesh: Nicki Minaj flashes the flesh in her colourful low cut crop top during her performance on American Idol tonight.
A blonde curly long wig and high heeled sandals completed the rainbow coloured look as the songstress pranced around the stage in front of a menagerie of dancers.

But that wasn't the end of the Nicki Minaj show.
The singer went on to plug her new album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, which will be released next Friday, before cheekily pitching for a guest judge spot on the top rated talent show.

Busting out: Minaj flashes the flesh in her colourful low cut crop top during her energetic performance.

Any room? Minaj cheekily pitched in for a spot at the judge's table after performing her song.
'I was hoping maybe I could come back and be a guest judge,' Minaj declared from the stage during an interview with host Ryan Seacrest, before adding: 'J-Lo, can you scoot over a little bit?'

A smiling Lopez retorted: 'I don't know if there's enough room for both of us.'
Later, the star told the Hollywood reporter that she and J-Lo 'were just joking around.'
Minaj said: 'She didn't seem to be having it but she gonna have it! No, actually, I love J-Lo. I love what she's done for pop culture I have nothing but respect for her and we were just joking around.

   Eye popping: The singer showed off her toned legs in a multi-coloured mini skirt slashed at the front 

Queen of the dance floor: The singer performed her new song Starship with gusto with a group of dancers

'I'm sure I'll have lots of fun with them when I'm guest judging.'
However, Lopez may be glad to hear that the singer  wouldn't be able to commit to being on the show every week.
'Something like American Idol, it's iconic and has been around for so long and created so many stars,' said Minaj. 'I would love to (guest judge) but as far as sitting down every week, I can't.'
Tonight's show saw Heejun Han eliminated, leaving eight contestants remaining.

Making her mark: Minaj ensured she plugged the release of her new album  after her high octane show

'People always want what you have, and you want what they have': Rihanna claims she is unhappy with her body

Rihanna has stunned the world with her range of barely-there outfits, from the bizarre to sexy, and if the singer doesn't always get it right, she certainly gets noticed.

And just 24 hours after sizzling on a London hotel roof in a satin dress, the star has revealed an almost bizarre claim: she isn't always full of the confidence she seems to ooze from every pore.

Despite the The Love The Way You Lie singer tweeting pictures of herself half-naked, posing topless and admitting she loves being naked - it turns out it really isn't as easy as it looks.

Scroll down for video link

                                                                                     

Keep walking: Despite the bright sunshine in London today Rihanna kept covered up in a eye-watering jumpsuit.

Kate Garraway was interviewing the sultry star and perhaps due to cutting remarks Rihanna, 24, made to a reporter just the day before, she stuck to safe topics and sprinkled a bucket load of compliments on her.

When asked about if she was as body confident as she appeared onscreen Rihanna said: 'I mean you get comfortable with the fact that that’s your body and that is what it is - that I had to learn.

'After doing that on set, I started doing that in the mirror because it was like, OK, whatever, I feel fat today, but what can you really do about it?'

Heading for bed? Rihanna yesterday faced a gruelling round of interviews but said her plan in the next five years is to make more films and stay in the public eye.

You have to just accept your body. You may not love it all the way, but you just have to be comfortable with it, comfortable with knowing that that’s your body.'

'You just want something else that someone else has, but that doesn’t mean what you have isn’t beautiful, because people always want what you have, and you always want what they have – no one is ever 100 per cent like, ‘Yes, I'm the bomb dot com – from head to toe!’

'God just has a way of working things out the way he wants to and you have no say in that,' she said.

 Stay back! Rihanna's bodyguard makes sure noone gets too close to the singer as she arrives at the Mandarin hotel in London.



And the only hint of asking about the blonde singer's personal life was about friends and the future.

Rihanna said: 'So I don't really know. In the next five years, the only real plan I have is professional. I'm really looking forward to seeing what life brings to me.'

The star said she wanted to make more films even though she found her latest blockbuster Battleship a 'nerve wracking experience.'

But marriage and children wasn't off the radar, a fact she gave to Kate, even though yesterday she bit the head off a reporter who asked.















































Upstaged: Rihanna's demure halterneck dress and bare face failed to impress next to Brooklyn Decker's sexy cut-out dress.

  Happy mood: The girls broke down in giggles as they tried to pose for a photocall promoting their new movie Battleship

One of the reporters asked the star: 'You're so good at connecting with people that I think that we actually feel we know you.

'Things are clearly going brilliantly in your career. I just wondered if you are as happy in your private life, and will we see a certain Mr. Ashton Kutcher perhaps making a trip over here?'

 Is this someone who is body conscious? Rihanna said she has body issues (left, a picture tweeted by the star and right a stage outfit) 

Getting used to it: Rihanna said it took certain photoshoots to stop her feeling body conscious

The Love The Way You Lie singer then responded: 'Wow, how disappointing was that question?'

She then went on to add: 'I'm happy and I'm single, if that's what you're really asking.'

Rihanna appeared at a photocall with her Battleship co-star Brooklyn Decker, who outshone the singer in a sexy cut-out dress.

VIDEO LINK: Rihanna tells Kate Garraway about her body worries on Daybreak 

http://www.itv.com/daybreak/entertainment/music/rihanna-web-exclusive/

Five girls were found dead this  in Ikeja

Five girls were found dead this morning in Ikeja, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, after yesterday’s heavy rains forced them to sleep in a poorly ventilated room in their restaurant where they worked.
They were conveyed in a commuter bus to the Ikeja Police Station, this morning. PHOTO: EMMANUEL OSODI.
The corpses of the four teenage-girls and a baby-girl, aged between three months and 18 years, were discovered this morning inside the stuffy room on Allen Avenue in Ikeja.
Neighbours told P.M.NEWS that the girls may have died of suffocation overnight in the room where they sought refuge after rains wreacked havoc in Lagos yesterday.
Two other girls, who also slept in the same room, were still in critical condition at Bodet Hospital at Alausa in Ikeja, it was gathered. They were said to be responding to treatment.
The five corpses were brought to Area F Police Station in Ikeja early today in a commuter bus.
P.M.NEWS learnt that a mother and her three-month-old girl were among the dead.The victims, it was gathered, were brought sometime ago from neighbouring Benin Republic to work in a restaurant in Lagos. The restaurant owner, who was at the police station this morning, disclosed that she had brought them from Benin Republic to train them.
The two other girls still battling for life at Bodet Hospital, our correspondent gathered, are Nigerians.
The woman, walling at the station, disclosed that she had asked the girls to cook outside their restaurant yesterday and stay in the restaurant until the rains stopped.
“My girls don’t usually sleep in the restaurant,” she said, “I did not know that they slept in the restaurant yesterday. I asked them to cook outside the restaurant when they phoned me and said that water had entered the restaurant.”
“This morning, as I kept calling them, nobody was picking. I was worried and someone picked the call and told me that my girls are dead. I rushed here to confirm it. I can’t believe what I am seeing,” she lamented.
A man, who claimed to be the brother of one of the dead girls, was weeping at the station this morning.
Neighbours and friends who besieged the police station this morning wept and expressed shock. The five corpses were later taken to the Lagos State University Hospital, LASUTH

6,000 young girls 'at any one time are at risk of rape by gangs

Gangs are sexually abusing and raping thousands of young girls every year, it emerged last night.
Up to 6,000 may be victims at any one time, according to the expert in charge of a major inquiry.
Sue Berelowitz, the deputy Children’s Commissioner for England, said victims are often ‘kidnapped, held at gunpoint and threatened with gang rape’.

Abuse: Up to 6,000 girls are at danger of being raped by gangs at any one time

She is leading a major, two-year investigation into the problem of street gangs and their attacks on young women.
She said that girls associated with male gang members ‘would all either be at extremely high risk or actually being sexually exploited in some shape or form’.

Girls associated with male gang members are at extremely high risk of being sexually exploited in some shape or form
‘From the conversations we’ve had with individual girls, some of the stories are quite heart-rending, really, in terms of girls being kidnapped, held at gunpoint, threatened with being what the public would understand as gang raped,’ she told Channel 4 News.

Last year a University of Bedfordshire report into the sexual exploitation of children found three-quarters of child protection boards in England were not recording information on child sexual exploitation – making it hard to measure the true scale of the abuse. 
The academics found children were often groomed or put under pressure by older girls who were also victims of peer pressure.One former gang member, Isha Nembhard, said many girls do not even recognise themselves as victims of abuse. 
She added: ‘They’d rather be called a slag than say that somebody’s assaulting them or sexually abusing them in that sort of way.’ 
Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Petrina Cribb said: ‘We’re talking about sexual exploitation, manipulation, coercion into sexual acts, which they may feel they’ve got no option but to go along with.’
It was also claimed that young girls are advertising themselves to gang members on social networking sites.

Nigerian scientist develops process for producing flammable gases from urine

A NIGERIAN Scientist, Ejikeme P. Nwosu, 29-year-old, may have developed a process for producing flammable gases from urine.
Nwosu, a graduate of Pure and Industrial Chemistry from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (NAU), Anambra State with Masters of Science degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, claims this process could replace fossil fuel in the near future.
 “after years of study, I have successfully developed a process that converts urine into flammable gases. These gases can be used as an alternative to fossil fuel. This process is cheap, easy and very feasible. It requires treating urine with some substances I identified after years of study.
“No external heat is required for this process. The flammable gas is rich in hydrogen and ammonia. Both can be used directly to generate energy or could be further purified upon chemical treatments to get hydrogen of very high purity. Hydrogen is the best fuel for engines because it poses no threat to the environment, it produces water vapour as by product.”
Scientists from Ohio University, United States, were one of the first, in July 2009, to describe the possibility of developing urine-powered cars, homes and personal electronic devices in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Chemistry Communications.
Also, the BBC reported on August 19, 2010, of a research team at Heriot-Watt University, United Kingdom, investigating whether urine could be used as a source of renewable energy.
Nwosu, who says he is the chief executive officer (CEO) and director of Research at Lumos Laboratories and Company Nigeria, Kaduna, further explained, “it is obvious that our crude oil reserves will be exhausted in few decades to come. When this happens we will be forced to use other sources of fuel, but it would be more prudent to start acting prior to such state. Besides these, fossil fuel has a lot of dangers that come with it; chief among them is climatic disorders.
“In order to leave our world better than I met it, I ventured into research on urine and have made some notable successes that can change the world forever.”
Nwosu said the United States government alone has invested billions of dollars into projects that can produce hydrogen from various sources and it is high time the Nigerian government acted on this.
“Trillions of litres of urine are generated yearly globally with an average adult producing about 2.5 litres daily,” he said.
The industrial chemist said contrary to people’s view of urine as a waste, he sees urine as the solution to our highly sought clean, renewable and affordable energy.
“Very soon, urine will be for sale. You are welcome to our laboratory anytime for demo, while coming do so with a bottle or bottles of urine and watch me change it to fire,” Nwosu said.
In a report published 2009 in Discovery News, the Ohio University scientists said they could create large amounts of cheap hydrogen from urine that could be burned or used in fuel cells, using a nickel-based electrode. “One cow can provide enough energy to supply hot water for 19 houses,” said Gerardine Botte, a professor at Ohio University developing the technology. “Soldiers in the field could carry their own fuel.”
Botte’s research, with Bryan Boggs and Rebecca King, was also described in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Chemistry Communications.
Botte explained, “the basic idea here is time-honoured electrolysis. It works like this, a molecule of urea (a big part of urine) has four atoms of hydrogen and two of nitrogen. Messy and smelly as it might be, you can attach a nickel electrode to your basic urine pool and produce hydrogen gas to power the world’s fuel cells. Farms could double as energy generators. Unlike us, cows and pigs don’t move around so much (especially when they’re factory farmed) so the urine is easy to collect.
“It is not that difficult to understand. The direct conversion of urine and urea to pure hydrogen via electrochemical oxidation with an inexpensive nickel catalyst.”
Meanwhile, Heriot-Watt University, United Kingdom, scientists have developed a system to test whether it can be used in fuel cells as an alternative to flammable hydrogen or toxic methanol.
It could offer a non-toxic, low-cost, easily transportable alternative. Dr. Shanwen Tao and his research partner, Dr. Rong Lan have been awarded a £130,000 grant to develop it.
The work has concentrated on urea, or carbamide, a mass-manufactured fertiliser and major component in human and animal urine. Urea solution is already used in heavy goods vehicles to reduce harmful emissions.
The academics see a future for the fuel cells in submarines, the military and power generation in remote areas such as deserts and islands. It could also be used to reprocess wastewater, with electricity as a by-product.
The Carbamide Power System involves far cheaper membrane and catalysts than traditional fuel cells, and can be run on urea (also known as carbamide), a mass manufactured industrial fertiliser and a major component of human and animal urine.
Carbamide Power Systems would thus offer a non-toxic, low cost, easily transportable viable alternative to high pressure, highly flammable hydrogen gas or the toxic methanol currently used in fuel cells. As urea solution is increasingly being used in heavy goods vehicles to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, a global fuelling infrastructure already exists.
Botte told Chemistry World, “during the electrochemical process the urea gets adsorbed on to the nickel electrode surface, which passes the electrons needed to break up the molecule. Pure hydrogen is evolved at the cathode, while nitrogen plus a trace of oxygen and hydrogen were collected at the anode. While carbon dioxide is generated during the reaction, none is found in the collected gasses as it reacts with the potassium hydroxide in the solution to form potassium carbonate.”
culled from guardian

Former Pakistani dancing girl commits suicide 12 years after horrific acid attack which left her looking 'not human'
Fakhra Younus said 'My face is a prison' after attack which melted her nose
She had undergone 39 separate surgeries to repair damage
Leapt to her death from sixth floor Rome building earlier this month
Her ex-husband was charged with attempted murder in 2002 but has since been acquitted

Life-changing: Fakhra Younus, pictured left before the horrific acid attack in May 2000, was left heavily facially disfigured after having acid thrown in her face


A Pakistani former dancing girl left fighting for life by a 'horrific' acid attack has committed suicide a decade after being heavily facially disfigured.
Fakhra Younus, 33, leapt to her death from a sixth floor building in Rome 12 years after the acid attack which she said left her looking 'not human'.
At the time of her attack in May 2000, her ex-husband Bilal Khar was the man accused of entering her mother's house and pouring acid over Younus's face as she slept.


The attack, which took place in front of Younus's then five-year-old son, left her unable to breathe and fighting for life.

Her nose was almost completely melted and she has since undergone 39 separate surgical procedures to repair her disfigured face over the past decade.
The horrific attack also burned off her hair, fused her lips, blinded her in one eye, destroyed her left ear and melted her breasts.

After being rushed to hospital she said, 'My face is a prison to me', while her distraught young son said at the time, 'This is not my mother'.

Disfigured: Younus, left, pictured with supporter Tehmina Durrani, has undergone 39 separate surgical operations to repair the damage done to her face

The mother-of-one moved to Italy after the incident to live in Rome and continue her treatment.

But on March 17 she took her own life, after leaving a message saying she was committing suicide over the silence of law on the atrocities and the insensitivity of Pakistani rulers.

Cleared: Younus's ex-husband Bilal Khar, the son of a wealthy Pakistani governor, was cleared in 2003 of charges relating to the attack

Bilal Khar was arrested in 2002 and charged with attempted murder following the attack, only to be released on bail after five months.

Khar, an ex-parliamentarian and son of a wealthy Pakistani governor, was eventually cleared of the attack, though many believe he could have used his family connections to escape conviction.

After Younus's tragic suicide emerged earlier this month, Khar continued to deny having any part in the attack - claiming in a television interview a different man with the same name had carried out the crime.

Khar claimed his ex-wife killed herself because she didn't have enough money, not because of her horrific injuries.

More than 8,500 acid attacks, forced marriages and other forms of violence against women were reported in Pakistan in 2011, according to The Aurat Foundation, a women's rights organization.

The Pakistani government introduced new laws last year criminalising acid attacks and stating that convicted attacks would serve at least 14 years in jail.

Tehmina Durrani, the ex-wife of Bilal Khar's father, had become an advocate for Younus after the attack, and said the acid attack victim had pledged to bring her attacker to justice when she had recovered.

Mourning: Fakhra Younus's body is carried through Karachi airport in her native Pakistan after her body was returned to the country from Italy

Grief: Family members of Fakhra Younus cannot hide their anguish at Karachi airport as the acid attack victim's body was returned to Pakistan

Durrani said: 'She said, 'When I come back, I will reopen the case, and I'll fight myself," and she was a fighter.'

Durrani said Younus' case should be a reminder that the Pakistani government needs to do much more to prevent acid attacks and other forms of violence against women, and also help the victims.

'I think this whole country should be extremely embarrassed that a foreign country took responsibility for a Pakistani citizen for 13 years because we could give her nothing, not justice, not security,' said Durrani.

Rihanna dons a pair of thigh-high leather boots as she takes a ride on the tube AGAIN

She only took a ride on the tube last month, but it seems Rihanna can't get enough of the London Underground.
The 24-year-old singer was spotted using public transport again last night but she hardly blended in with the crowd.
Instead, she wore a pair of thigh-high leather boots to make her way to the Drake concert at London's O2 Arena.

Are they comfortable? Rihanna wore a pair of thigh-high leather boots to ride the London Underground last night

All dressed up: The singer was heading to London's O2 Arena to see Drake perform

If the Barbadian-born star was trying to go incognito then she certainly failed to do so in her raunchy get up.

Rihanna teamed the PVC-looking boots with a pair of tiny denim cut-off shorts and a flame-print T-shirt.She completed her look with a large leather jacket and black sunglasses - despite being underground

Still not got an Oyster card? The blonde made her way through the barriers with her paper ticket

She wore a chunky gold necklace and matching hoop earrings and completed her make-up with bright red lipstick.

The Umbrella singer was joined by friends as she made her way down the escalators in Waterloo station and couldn't resist posing by the sign on the platform.

Happy to be here: The 24-year-old was in good spirits as she arrived at Waterloo station

It seems the blonde still hasn't purchased herself an Oyster card after declaring last month that she was 'working on it.'

Instead, she used an old-fashioned paper ticket as she strolled through the barriers in her high boots.Her trip on the tube comes after she used the Jubilee line in February to make her way to her BRIT awards rehearsal.

Not alone: Rihanna was joined by a group of friends as she used public transport

Strike a pose: The Umbrella star tried to blend in with the crowd as she leaned against the wall on the platform

'There’s so much traffic. It’s an hour and a half to the O2 but it’s 10-15 minutes on the Tube,' she said at the time.

'Me and my fans went to the concert together. That was the coolest part. I enjoyed it. I’m not afraid of interacting with people.'The superstar was of course referring to her first outing on the Tube last October when she travelled to her own arena show at the O2.

My new hobby: The singer only used the tube last month when she headed to her BRIT awards rehearsal

First time for everything! Rihanna first hopped on the tube last October to make her way to her own concert

STELLA DAMASUS QUITS AGN RACE

Star Nollywood actress, Stella Damasus has confirmed that she will no longer be running for an executive post in the thrice postponed Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN) elections. She was contesting for the post of national Public Relations Officer of the guild.
A statement from her image makers/publicists, Square Image Associates, while confirming the development, failed to state the reasons behind the action.
‘Yes, Stella is no longer contesting for reasons she would like keep to herself. But she is still a member of AGN and will continue to support the guild in her capacity‘.

The statement went on to further give an insight into what the actress had been working on.

‘She recently enrolled some members of the guild for free training at her arts academy, and that will be a continuous effort from her, whether she is an AGN executive or not‘.

An insider source however opined that the actress might have become fed up with the bickering and politicking that has so far marred the credibility of the guild.

The 33 year-old-mother of two recently signed a fashion deal  with ‘SDA Collection‘ as the Brand Ambassador of Amvictorious, a Houston Texas, USA based fashion label company which ‘creates unique, one-of-a kind American-made lifestyle products’.

The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) elections have now been fixed for April 27 and 28 2012, even though many believe it may yet suffer another postponement or a complete scrapping.