The Nigerian trio of Stanley Omah Didia alias Omah Lay, Temilade Openyi alias Tems and Muyiwa Awomiyi have been charged to court in Makindye on charges of Negligently doing acts likely to spread an infectious diseases C/S 171 of the Penal Code Act.
The earlier plans of releasing them on police bond, were suspended after their casefile was sanctioned by the Office of the DPP. They were jointly charged with four other Ugandans. All remanded till Wednesday 16.12.2020.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) South West Zonal Caretaker Committee has suspended its Chairman, Dayo Ogungbenro, for negligence of duty, saying he has failed to call any meeting since he was appointed.
Seven out of the 12 members in the Caretaker Committee, who suspended the chairman, also called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to appoint another chairman, who will be alive to his duties to pilot the affairs of the party in the zone pending the conduct of the zonal congress.
Rising from its meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State today, the seven members; Zonal Secretary, Hon. Daisi Akintan, Mrs Funmilayo Ogun, Hon. Ayobola Fadeyi- Awolowo, Prince Nekan Olateru- Olagbegi, Hon Wahab Owokoniran, Alhaji Mustapha Sikiru and Hon. Martins Olu- Abiloye, insisted that on no account will they sit in any meeting with the suspended chairman.
The meeting was also attended by Engr Adedeji Doherty, Hon Sikirulai Ogundele, Hon. Sunday Bisi and Chief Bisi Kolawole, Chairmen of Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Ekiti States respectively.
They said; “The Chairman, Dayo Ogungbenro, had abdicated his responsibilities. He has not called any meeting since the Caretaker Committee was appointed, thus making the party to lack direction.
“Even when we had elections in Ondo and Lagos States, the Chairman did not call any meeting to plan for the elections, hence the abysmal performance of the party.
Also, in its bid for the party to have effective media and publicity, the meeting appointed Mr. Lere Olayinka as spokesperson for the PDP in the South West zone.
They said the party, being in the opposition in the zone needed a vibrant media and Olayinka, fits the bill.
On the reconciliation embarked upon by former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the the meeting said no such reconciliation committee was known to the party.
“To the best of our knowledge, Prince Oyinlola only accepted to run political errand for Governor Seyi Makinde, being a contractor in Oyo State. His so-called reconciliation committee is not only self-serving, but represents personal interest and dead on arrival.
“As far as we are concerned, the former governor, being a decampee from the APC, is on his own because no one can be a judge in his own case.
The meeting called on PDP members in the zone to shun any meeting called by Prince Oyinlola and cautioned him to be mindful of bringing APC divide and rule culture to the PDP.
They said the committee set up for the purpose of reconciliation and settlement of all other sundry issues in the party in the zone is led by Engr Femi Babalola, with Chief Kolapo Ogunjobi, Barrister Ahmed Okandeji Mustapha, Chief Idowu Odeyemi and Chief Tunde Akindehin as members, while the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prince Diran Odeyemi, is the Secretary.
The zone has mandate the Babalola led reconciliation committee to work in collaboration with the National Reconciliation Committee set up by the National Working Committee of the party.
Finally, the Caretaker Committee condemned strongly, the killing of a chieftain of the PDP and former member of the House of Representatives, Fatai Aborode, in Oyo State and call for full investigation.
he Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Rauf Olaniyan, has cried out over what he described as unfair treatment by his boss, Governor Seyi Makinde.
Olaniyan complained bitterly of not being carried along in the government.
The deputy governor, in a PDP Elders Steering Committee report submitted to the governor, a copy of which was made available to SaharaReporters, said the governor had completely forgotten about the promises he made to him during the election.
The Oke-Ogun born deputy governor lamented that the governor only gave him few portfolios since he assumed office.
He wondered why a former senator, Agboola Halleluyah, is more relevant in the government than himself who is constitutionally number two citizen of the state.
The report partly reads, "Olaniyan complained bitterly about being oblivious about the running of the government. He said the governor has completely forgotten about the promises he made to him during the election.
"He said that the governor had treated him in the most unfair, unjust and the most unkind manner. He complained that the governor only gave him a few portfolios and he has not given him more since then. He also feels that Senator Agboola Halleluyah is more relevant than him in the government."
Started reading newspapers as a pretend news anchor when I was just a little girl. All I wanted to do with my life was to be the next Christiane Amanpour or Anas Aremeyaw.
The International Criminal Court says it will not take action against the UK, despite finding evidence British troops committed war crimes in Iraq.
A 180-page report says hundreds of Iraqi detainees were abused by British soldiers between 2003 and 2009.
But the ICC could not determine whether the UK had acted to shield soldiers from prosecution.
The MoD said the ICC report "vindicates our efforts to pursue justice where allegations have been founded".
The ICC told the BBC: "It is without dispute there is evidence war crimes were committed."
Its report said there was a reasonable basis to conclude that at least seven Iraqis were illegally killed while in British custody between April and September 2003
Government and military 'covered up war crimes' War crimes court considers probe into UK army The ICC report refers to evidence of a pattern of war crimes carried out across a number of years by soldiers from several British regiments. Some detainees were raped or subjected to sexual violence. Others were beaten so badly they died from their injuries.
The Iraqi individuals, many of them civilians, were unarmed and in British custody at the time.
The UK government has repeatedly accused human rights lawyers of bringing vexatious claims, but the ICC says it is "disingenuous to describe the entire body of claims, involving hundreds of claimants, as baseless or spurious".
A BBC Panorama investigation last year revealed that British detectives had also found credible evidence of war crimes committed in Iraq.
But the programme discovered that despite this, not one of the cases was taken forward by the army's prosecution service.
The ICC said it took Panorama's findings very seriously, and that on the whole the information it received was consistent with the reports in the programme.
It could "not rule out" that there had been a cover up on the part of the British authorities.
'Inadequate' Its report concluded that investigations by the Royal Military Police had been "inadequate" and were "marred by a lack of independence and impartiality".
However, it could not make a determination as to whether the UK had acted to shield soldiers from prosecution.
The ICC said it will reopen its examination of the UK's conduct in Iraq "should new facts or evidence" come to light.
The UK government is currently seeking to introduce a controversial new law which will make it harder to prosecute British soldiers.
It says the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill, if passed, "delivers on the government's manifesto commitment to tackle vexatious claims and end the cycle of re-investigations against our brave Armed Forces".
After scrutinising the proposed legislation, Parliament's Joint Human Rights Committee has said: "We found that the real problem is that investigations into incidents have been inadequate, insufficiently resourced, insufficiently independent and not done in a timely manner.
"The government is effectively using the existence of inadequate investigations as a reason to legislate to bring in further barriers to bringing prosecutions or to providing justice for victims".
One of the investigations by the Royal Military Police, featured in last year's Panorama, was into the death of Radhi Nama in British custody.
The Royal Military Police concluded he had died of a heart attack - even though his body and face showed signs he had been beaten.
To date, no one has been prosecuted in connection with Radhi Nama's death.
His daughter, Afaf Radhi Nama, told Panorama: "I saw torture signs on his body.
"They covered his head and tied his hands, he could not defend himself, and they killed him. It is my wish to see the soldiers who committed this crime put on trial and facing justice.
"If I was a British citizen my rights would be respected, but because I am an Iraqi citizen, it seems I have no rights."
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the ICC review "confirms that the UK is willing and able to investigate and prosecute claims of wrongdoing by armed forces personnel".
He said it had brought to light "no new evidence" and the ICC statement "vindicates our efforts to pursue justice where allegations have been founded".
"I am pleased that work we have done, and continue to do, in improving the quality and assurances around investigations has been recognised by the ICC," he said.
"The Service Justice System Review and the appointment of Sir Richard Henriques to provide assurance of our investigative processes are all steps towards making sure we have one of the best service justice systems in the world."
The House of Representative lawmaker representing Ona-Ara/Egbeda Federal Constituency of Oyo State, Honourable Akin Alabi has bagged the award as the Federal Legislator of the year.
Honourable Alabi received the Award from the Nigerian Students Merit Awards 2020.
While expressing his gratitude for the award, the lawmaker promised to perform even better by efficiently repr denying his constituency and attracting greater development to them. According to him, "Proud to have received the Award for "Federal Legislator of the Year" from the Nigerian Students Merit Awards 2020. I appreciate this award and promise to do even more next year to ensure efficient representation for the People of Egbeda/Ona Ara."
The Egbeda/OnaAra community has seen developments brought by the lawmaker in areas such as Welfare programs, community support, infrastructure, And Human capital development. Some of the programs include the 250m women empowerment scheme, the community support program that builds roads and purchase transformers for communities. The infrastructure program involves the construction of schools and Primary Health Care centers and skill acquisition programs for young people.
Akin Alabi has also proposed important bills and motions like the amendment of the administration of Criminal Justice Act, the motion restraining APCON from harassing online businesses, constitution ammendment on the transfer of citizenship by female Nigerian citizens, the amendment of the FRSC act to stop road marshals from carrying guns, Motion to compel INEC to make the continuous voter registration really continuous so as not to disenfranchise Nigerians and so on.
Football enthusiasts in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State will be treated to days of entertaining matches as the Oke Umurhohwo Football Cup kicks off.
The competition, which is organised by Mr. Oke Umurhohwo, a communications expert, is a way of giving back to society and helping showcase the talent of young people in Ughelli to the world.
According to the organiser, football clubs within the LGA are encouraged to register for the competition at no cost and have the opportunity to contest for prizes lined up for teams who emerged winner to the third position.
The winner of the competition will receive ₦120,000 cash and a set of jerseys, while the runner-up team will go home with ₦60,000 and a set of jerseys. The team that comes third will get ₦30,000.
On his part, the initiator of the competition, Mr. Umurhohwo said he is organising the competition to motivate young people in getting serious with their talent, saying “I do not doubt that this competition will provide a great platform for a lot of people to showcase their talent and possibly, go on to achieve their dreams.”
“As a youth myself, my vision is to always do what will help young people to discover themselves and be able to pursue that dream they have to succeed. I’m sure this competition will serve that purpose and promises to do more in the future.”
Registration for the competition has begun and interested football clubs are advised to reach Coach Israel of Ughelli for detailed information on how they can participate.
Mr Bala Ali of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has won the bye-election for Dass Constituency in the Bauchi State House of Assembly.
His victory followed the conclusion of voting and counting of ballots in the election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the seat which had been declared vacant.
INEC’s Returning Officer for the election, Professor Ahmed Mohammed of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University announced Ali as the winner of the poll on Saturday at the collation centre in the state.
According to him, the APC candidate polled a total of 12,299 votes to defeat Lawal Umar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 11,062 votes.
The result was announced in a rowdy and tensed atmosphere after the agent of the PDP raised an objection to the results announced.
While the PDP agent claimed that the exercise was disrupted and people left the premises, the agent of the APC insisted that nobody left the area.
In his response, the returning officer insisted on reading the results and asked the agents to put their complaints in writing.
Channels Television monitored the election during which an incident of an alleged attempt to buy votes was reported.
The incident involved a former Head of Service in Bauchi State who was arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Although the suspect’s name was not revealed, the government official was said to be making an attempt to commit the crime and not caught in the act.
He was, however, released on bail after fulfilling the conditions of the EFCC and asked to report to the zonal office of the anti-graft agency in Gombe State at a later date.
In his reaction, the counsel to the government official, Barrister Muktar, stressed that his client was arrested based on a suspicion that he had money in his car on the day of an election.
So, yesterday was my birthday. Birthdays for me are days of deep and sober reflection, and reflect I did. It’s getting clearer that I’m getting older and with such realization comes the need to re-evaluate ones priorities and goals. While I can boast of a few successes, failures have been many too. Well, such is life. The general goal is to have more successes or at least focus on succeeding at key areas while doing ones best to limit the failures. One cannot accomplish this without identifying what’s not working and hence putting an end to such.
After much soul searching, I’ve come to the conclusion that an end has to be put to the one thing that got most of you acquainted with me in the first place: SCRABBLE.
I can guess that you’re shocked but I’m sure you’d agree with me at the end of the day.
Professional Scrabble for me started almost 20 years ago in 2002. Since that time, I’ve sacrificed almost everything else to ensure that I succeed at this one area I chose to channel my energies towards. I sacrificed good grades in the University because I’d always prioritize scrabble over my academic pursuits. I sacrificed stable amorous relationships as there just wasn’t enough time left to devote to making such work. I sacrificed auspicious and profitable endeavors for the same reasons of having insufficient time to devote towards thriving at much else. If you know my story, it’s easy to say “at least you succeeded at your chief aim!” But the nagging question is: Was it all worth it?
Yes, I won National Championships, twelve of those actually, but was it all worth it? Yes, I won several International Championships notably two African Championships and one World Championship, but was it all worth it?
Yes, I gained much popularity and the government of my country, Nigeria, recognized my feats severally but was it all worth it? Now, I know a lot of you must be saying “What’s this guy talking about?” “How can it not have been worth it?” Just wait till I reveal another angle to all this so that we can all answer this burning question together.
You see, I live in an environment where it almost all boils down to how fat your bank account is. And boy, is my bank account lean!
Remuneration from scrabble in the first place is nothing to write home about. Add the fact that such earnings are heavily “taxed” by the Nigerian Scrabble Federation and a lean purse becomes leaner. Add the fact that most of these winnings are left unpaid by the powers that be and a leaner purse becomes leanest.
Talking about unpaid prizes, two notable ones come to mind: 1) African Scrabble Championship, Accra 2010: $5,000 (five thousand US Dollars) left unpaid after ten years.
2) Godswill Akpabio International Scrabble Classics 2017: Another $5,000 (five thousand US Dollars) left unpaid three years and counting.
A friend of mine, Femi Iyanda, popularly called GM Femix, once referred to me as the poorest World Champion alive! Laugh all you want but he might be correct. If you consider that I was penniless, homeless, hungry and without something befitting to clad my unclothedness as at when this jibe was made then he might be doubly correct. Subtract the bane of unpaid prizes and the story might probably not be the same.
So, yes! I am the poorest World Champion alive living in one of the poorest countries in the world. In my country, someone like me has one of two viable options: become a criminal like those who are responsible for my unpaid prizes or run away to an environment where you can actually make a decent living by engaging in an honest day’s job. It is not in my DNA to consider option one (although I’d be excellent at it). So, I guess I’m left with a singular option: relocate!
But then, I don’t have any money to do that at the moment, which brings me to yet another singular option: extract my money from the grip of these jackals!
Over the years, it has become abundantly clear that these people cannot be reasoned with so I guess the only way out is to go to war!
Over the next couple of days/weeks, I will be stopping at nothing to recover my moneys. The last time I embarked on a similar crusade was in December 2010 and I ended up being banned from Scrabble. I remained in exile for three whole years before returning to the fold. Needless to say, I won the World Championship two years afterwards. Now, since the worst that these people in high places can do is to take my career away from me, I’ve decided to save them the stress and retire to start with. It’d be nice for these folks to face someone with nothing to lose.
Mind you, I’m fighting for my very sanity here because it drives me crazy each time I think of having accomplished so much in my chosen career yet I have little to nothing to show for it.
In the last few days, there has been a staccato of discordant voices about the CNN report on the Nigerian #EndSARS protests. As a newspaper with an avowed mission statement to raise our pen in the defence of the interests of the country, we have watched with considerable alarm, certain positions taken by many of the actors in this saga.
CNN International is a global news platform, well respected with a reach that commands admiration and fear even by its competitors. But every news medium is as good as the people who work there and the work of the employee would willy-nilly be taken as the work of the organisation. CNN has done some very good global interest stories in the past especially those specifically conducted by its slew of chief correspondents – who are actually good in what they do – but they have also goofed and even fooled up big time especially when in the pursuit of some funny agenda. Unfortunately, some of these blunders have led to deaths of so many innocent lives including children, the elderly and women. And that is not good
CNN was late in coming to the #EndSARS story. In fact, it was completely absent unlike, for instance, the BBC, another global news media outfit, which had a reporter live on ground. There is nothing professionally wrong about that. It is what you do in the circumstance that is important. For a media house like CNN, having entered late, everyone would expect a thorough job, an original and seminal investigation with an untainted edge that people would at once accept as the gospel truth. Nothing less was expected.
But when CNN came in, it recruited Nima Elbagir, a senior correspondent to do the job. Elbagir now relied on biased third parties and reported the story as if it was original. She told the side of the story of people who were desperate to give a narrative that was destructive, but whose story could not stand scrutiny. Worse, she presented it as her employer’s position. CNN disgracefully started the story from the middle and not from the beginning because its reporting was premeditated to cause maximum damage to the Nigerian state. Had it started from the beginning, it would have narrated how the #EndSARS protests began and how even the government considered it a legitimate protest and moved swiftly to disband SARS and also meet other demands.
Or CNN didn’t hear that one? That was supposed to be a victory for everyone. Instead of the protesters to delight in that victory, they unreasonably started dishing out fresh demands.
Soothing words and pleas directed to the protesters from the principal officers of state, including the President, Vice President, leaders of the national assembly, Lagos state governor and other notable leaders of thought only served to encourage the youths to dig in. That was clearly a thoughtless path to tread. No country, including the ones CNN defends, will accept that. That was the beginning of the anarchy that culminated in the avoidable deaths seen later.
And while on that, a faction of the protesters blocked the Lekki expressway. That was a consequential artery in Lagos that has a life and death implication for many people who live there. This action would be akin to protesters blocking the Lincoln Tunnel in New York. And while that was going on, another faction started burning the facilities of banks and other private businesses and vehicles of innocent Nigerians
Another group started breaking open the gates of prisons and releasing prisoners. There is nowhere this will happen that the government would not be obliged to enforce order to save the lives of innocent and law-abiding people. CNN didn’t see all that? What quality of reporting is that?
But what we think should be the ultimate disgrace for CNN, is that a major television station, the TVC was attacked and burnt down and their “seminal” report pretended that didn’t happen . All over the world, media houses always err on the side of fellow media houses in times of such adversities. TVC is a television house just like CNN but that was not at issue for them because they were too consumed with the premeditated desire to bring down Nigeria in the eye of the international community.
Then a few days ago, the CNN spokesperson released a statement indicating that the network stood by its story. But there was no story to stand by. The report was planted – it was a medley of implausible opinions from social media sources and an amalgam of discredited and dubious origins and fake news. In this newspaper, planted stories earn immediate dismissal for the culprit. Nima Elbagir would have been fired if she were to be on our staff. We have done that several times in the past.
CNN also did not report that when the protests were going on, Nnamdi Kanu, (the rogue who has been scamming some innocent people of the South East collecting money in the name of resurrecting biafra) was ordering people in real time to commit murder and arson. Their sources didn’t tell them that?
This newspaper is worried about the motives of CNN because of its antecedents. The same CNN has helped fifth columnists in other climes to destroy their countries. It supported and promoted the lie that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction in order to justify the illegal invasion and total destruction of Iraq. Today Iraq is a failed state and fertile ground for terrorism which would not have happened under former President Saddam Hussein. No weapon of mass destruction has been found, but the deed has been done. Ditto for Libya that used to be one of the most prosperous countries in the world in spite of their crackpot leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Libya had one of the highest literacy rates in the world and was a country where every adult owned a home. With the help of CNN, the West has destroyed Libya and the country is today a totally failed state and the effect is spilling into Nigeria.
The most recent one was the open encouragement that CNN gave the youthful and exuberant protesters in Hong Kong over several months to disobey their own government and vandalise their infrastructure. CNN and the West waited expectantly to see a repeat of the June 4 Tiananmen incident in which the Chinese government cracked down similar protests in 1989 that led to the death of thousands of students. The youths in Hong Kong were encouraged to destroy their beautiful city that depended substantially on tourism as a source of revenue. The Chinese government disappointed the West by refusing to come in. As a strategic position, they just watched the youths destroy themselves. Now, the protesters have destroyed their beautiful city and nobody wants to go to Hong Kong anymore. Hong Kong has lost what makes it attractive in the first place, thanks in large part to the CNN.
But we wish to ask: why do some Nigerians, many of them supposedly enlightened, quickly join others to bring down their country? This is especially seen in the knee-jerk reaction of some people towards the country’s military that keep us safe. No civilised society does that. All those happy about the CNN report, which had no reporter on ground when the incident at Lekki took place, have completely ignored the BBC that had a reporter on ground.
What scandalous double standard is that? This mindset even extends to instances when Nigeria’s interests are threatened by other smaller African countries. The immediate reflex of every Nigerian should be to side with the country when there are altercations with other countries, just as in soccer competitions. The reaction of some Nigerians who openly criticised “the way” Nigerian officials strongly responded to the impudence and insolence from Ghana and South Africa recently was, to put it mildly, demeaning and disconcerting. Every reasonable Nigerian should have taken sides with their country in the face-off with CNN.
That does not in any way mean that the authorities are always right. Criticisms are good nourishment for every smart government, whether well-meaning or not. After leading them off, we can then face ourselves, taking note of the complicated nature and nuances of the entire #EndSARS saga. Does anyone still remember that northern state governors were, and still are, against the disbandment of SARS? It is because their experiences with SARS have been different, which should explain why the protests were more pronounced in Lagos than in the northern states. Statecraft has never been a straightforward vocation.
If Nima Elbagir and her CNN want Nigerian youths to destroy their country the way they encouraged the youths of Hong Kong to do, why should any Nigerian help them to achieve this? Or worse still, does the CNN wish the fate of Iraq, Libya and Syria on Nigeria? In that case, we cannot fold our arms and watch them have their way. Even as we expect a better relationship with the more civilised and better brought-up Joe Biden, the in-coming President of the United States, we cannot pretend not to have noticed the serial enemy actions of the United States against the interests of Nigeria with the way they have openly and unashamedly blocked Nigeria’s candidacy in global organisations like the African Development Bank and the World Trade Organisation just for the heck of it.
Nigeria is currently in the throes of so many challenges: terrorism in the North East, sheer banditry in the North West and parts of the North Central, mass kidnappings all over the 36 states of the country, and lots more. This is happening in the face of dwindling national revenues from oil amidst the government’s relentlessness of heavy investments in infrastructure and an avowal to create 100million jobs within a given finite period. Our military are overstretched but are daily pushing ahead, neutralizing thousands of these criminals daily. The last thing the country needs now is for CNN to open another front of avoidable crisis for the country.
If the CNN continues on these paths, the country must fight back. As a first step, the so many Nigerian businesses, banks and blue-chip companies that pay millions of dollars to CNN every year for all sorts of advertising should be encouraged to stop funding the enemy. The last time we checked, Nigerian businesses alone provided CNN International with a consequential chunk of its revenues yearly. Many of these companies get one form of waiver or the other from the government, and they need Nigeria to thrive. If CNN continues this way, these advertisers should be compelled to act in their own enlightened self-interest.
People must know that Nigeria has a fundamental cultural and ethical difference with CNN. For instance, CNN has made itself the greatest advocate of homosexualism and gay marriage in the world. In Nigeria, homosexualism and homosexual marriages are documented crimes abhorred by 95% of Nigerians. But the fact that the law is overwhelmingly accepted by Nigerians because of who we are, CNN is unhappy about that and wants to force Nigeria and the whole of Africa to adopt its own way of life. Why should CNN force its own way on us when we, who find our own ways superior, do not force ours on them? The network obviously has a jaundiced definition of the will of the people as a critical plank of democracy.
The Nigerian elite class must define and know what is in their collective best interest and must know when to smell a rat from a distance. The stench from CNN rabbit is too galling for anyone not to smell.
CNN must be advised not to mess with Nigeria. We have our problems but we will get over them. Nigeria remains the largest economy in Africa, its intellectual hub with by far the largest population. All these must count for something.
This is the 13 Inch HP Spectre x360 compact laptop running on one of Intel's latest 10th gen. Core i7 processors. In this video, I firstly share the details of the Intel 10th gen. processor and what its capabilities are, I then further move on to share the highlights of the HP Spectre x360 Laptop.
From my experience, this HP laptop, powered by the 10th Gen Intel®️ Core™️ Processor has been an interesting device to use. It comes with some features like Intel®️ Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), Thunderbolt™️ 3 Port, and Intel Optane memory which I share in this video as well as some of the downsides.
This convertible laptop allows you to enjoy desktop performance combined with the feeling of using a tab, 4K touch display, new Iris Plus integrated graphics, and of course portability, allowing you to work on the go. What are your thoughts about this laptop?
Felicitations as Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha marks birthday reaching out to the needy
Nigerians, including those in the Diaspora, have extended their felicitations to one of Nigeria's ranking lawmaker, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha who represents Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State, as she marks her 51st birthday, reaching out to the needy and motherless homes in the country.
The well-wishers, comprising, the Diaspora Friends; Democratic Young Patriots; Friends of Onyejeocha; Abians and many other Nigerians, in a birthday message, described the lawmaker who is also the Deputy Chief Whip, Nigerian House of Representatives, as a woman of substance and a politician of courage and great repute. They also described Hon. Onyejeocha as a woman of candour and charisma.
The message read thus:
“We reckon that Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has chosen to celebrate her birthday in a prayerful and quiet mood, visiting motherless homes in the country and reaching out to the needy.
“We commend her sense of affection for the needy and respect for the the difficult and solemn situation we have found ourselves as nation, but we will always cherish her leadership and legislative duties.
"We celebrate a delectable Woman of Substance, Candour and Charisma and a Politician of Repute and Courage; Here is wishing a worthy Nigerian Lawmaker, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Deputy Chief Whip, House of Representatives, Happy Birthday. May GOD bless your days on earth. Congratulations!"
The United Kingdom Trade Envoy to Nigeria, Helen Grant, on Saturday said that Nigeria was the fastest growing economy in Africa.
Ms Grant said this at the two-day Nigerian Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS) organised by Nigerian in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), in collaboration with Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative (NDSI).
The activity, which is the third edition, began on November 20 and will end on Saturday.
It has the theme: “Post-COVID-19 Economic Resurgence: Targeting Diaspora Investment”.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent covering the activity quotes Ms Grant as saying that it will strengthen UK, Nigeria relations.
PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday reported how Nigeria entered its second economic recession in five years, also its worst economic decline in four decades.
But the UK official appeared optimistic of the nation’s prospects.
She said that her government was ready to educate, and also learn from, Nigeria by enhancing the bilateral trade between both countries.
She added that UK and Nigeria had so much that unite them, especially in the areas of culture and language, and stressed the need to build on such existing relations to bring about economic growth.
Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) Limited has faulted Federal Government’s plan to reduce import duties and taxes for tractors, buses, and passenger vehicles, noting that it would serve as a disincentive to Nigerian automobile plants and increase unemployment.
Chairman of PAN Nigeria, Hon. Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, who stated this in Kaduna on Thursday, urged the Federal Government to quickly reverse the plan, which aimed at boosting the economy in the wake of Covid-19 and other economic challenges, noting that such a policy would create unemployment problems.
He warned that such policy would further harm the ailing automobile industry and the companies involved in accessories, as well as debilitate the local contents and the steel and petrochemical industries, which are to serve the local automobile plants, that President Muhammadu Buhari is doing everything to revive.
He added, “We got very disturbing information by the media aide to the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that Federal Government is slashing down import duties and other taxes on tractors, buses, and passenger vehicles. This is of concern to us on behalf of other automobile plants, as the leading automobile plant in Nigeria.
“Federal Government should take a look at the policy and reverse it for the betterment of Nigerians. Such policy somersault is injurious to the survival and development of the automobile industry, instead of creating employment opportunities, it would create employment problems due to lower activities by automobile plants.
“What informed the position of the government is to cushion the socio-economic problems of Nigeria but it should not be addressed on ad-hoc basis measure. Tackling the socio-economic problem of Nigeria should be better done in a more sustainable and permanent way. If you create employment opportunities for the citizenry it is a more effective and better way of dealing with it.
“Nesbitt Investment Nigeria Limited recently acquired PAN with a plan to inject $150 million within three years. But with such a policy in place how will PAN survive? And what will be the encouragement for Nesbitt Investment to inject such money when the corridor of importation is wide open and the automobile companies will not be able to compete.
“We are calling on the Federal Government to reverse the policy. The government should resuscitate the steel and petrochemical industries which it has been struggling to do. We are doing our best to migrate from assembling plant to a manufacturing company, which is all-encompassing. But if you open the corridor of importation that would serve as a disincentive to the automobile industry.
“No automobile plant does CKD (Complete Knockdown) because of the policy on the ground, but our plan is to migrate from SKD (Semi Knockdown) to CKD. What encouraged Nesbitt Investment to acquire PAN from AMCON (Asset Management Company of Nigeria) is the business environment, the policy of President Buhari administration which before now was encouraging.”
OPPO Mobile Nigeria has launched the A93 in Nigeria as a successor to the A92. OPPO A93 is a major upgrade to all other mid-range smartphones, starting with the AI-powered features, a 6.43inches Dual Punch-Hole Super AMOLED Display, to the sleekest design and it boasts to run on ColorOS 7.2, based on Android 10. It is also the first time OPPO uses the shiny matte colours, luxurious fingerprint resistant on its products.
It comes in Magic Blue and Matte Black with 8GB RAM.
Here are the full details of the new OPPO A93
• Dimension: 160.14mm X 73.77mm X 7.48mm
• Display: 6.43 inches Dual Punch-Hole Super AMOLED Display with FHD+ 2400 x 1080 pixel high resolution screen.
• Camera: A 6 AI Portrait Cameras with studio-like photography with rear of 48MP & 8MP & 2MP & 2MP cameras and front cameras of 16MP & 2MP.
• OS: ColorOS 7.2, based on Android 10.
• Processor: Powered by the MediaTek Helio P95 processor.
• Memory and RAM: 128GB internal storage (expandable up to 512GB) with 8GB RAM.
• Battery: 4000mAh battery + 18W Fast Charge.
• Others: OPPO A93 adopts AI Night Charging, Anti-Lag Algorithm, Air Gestures, In-Display Fingerprint 3.0, Type-C USB interface, and 3.5mm Jack Earphone.
(CNN)The Moderna vaccine is 94.5% effective against coronavirus, according to early data released Monday by the company, making it the second vaccine in the United States to have a stunningly high success rate.
"These are obviously very exciting results," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease doctor. "It's just as good as it gets -- 94.5% is truly outstanding."
Moderna heard its results on a call Sunday afternoon with members of the Data Safety and Monitoring Board, an independent panel analyzing Moderna's clinical trial data.
"It was one of the greatest moments in my life and my career. It is absolutely amazing to be able to develop this vaccine and see the ability to prevent symptomatic disease with such high efficacy," said Dr. Tal Zacks, Moderna's chief medical officer.
Vaccinations could begin in the second half of December, Fauci said. Vaccinations are expected to begin with high-risk groups and to be available for the rest of the population next spring. Unexpectedly high efficacy rates Last week, Pfizer announced that early data show its vaccine is more than 90% effective against the disease.
In Moderna's trial, 15,000 study participants were given a placebo, which is a shot of saline that has no effect. Over several months, 90 of them developed Covid-19, with 11 developing severe forms of the disease.
Another 15,000 participants were given the vaccine, and only five of them developed Covid-19. None of the five became severely ill.
The company says its vaccine did not have any serious side effects. A small percentage of those who received it experienced symptoms such as body aches and headaches.
Moderna plans to apply to the US Food and Drug Administration for authorization of its vaccine soon after it accumulates more safety data later this month.
Fauci says he expects the first Covid-19 vaccinations to begin "towards the latter part of December, rather than the early part of December."
Initially, there won't be enough vaccine for everyone. The highest priority groups, which include health care workers, the elderly, and people with underlying medical conditions, will get the vaccine first.
"I think that everybody else will start to get vaccinated towards the end of April," Fauci said. "And that will go into May, June, July. It will take a couple of months to do."
The vaccines deliver messenger RNA, or mRNA, which is a genetic recipe for making the spikes that sit atop the coronavirus. Once injected, the body's immune system makes antibodies to the spikes. If a vaccinated person is later exposed to the coronavirus, those antibodies should stand at the ready to attack the virus.
No vaccine currently on the market uses mRNA.
"There has always been skepticism about mRNA -- it's brand new and would it work?" Fauci said. "What we saw in the trials is there was no real safety concern, and the efficacy is quite impressive. We saw nearly identical results [with Pfizer and Moderna] and it almost really validates the mRNA platform."
Research on mRNA began many years before the current pandemic. Fauci's agency, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has collaborated with Moderna on the development of its vaccine.
Both vaccines are given in two doses several weeks apart.
Practical advantages of Moderna's vaccine While the two vaccines appear to have very similar safety and efficacy profiles, Moderna's vaccine has a significant practical advantage over Pfizer's.
Pfizer's vaccine has to be kept at minus 75 degrees Celsius. No other vaccine in the US needs to be kept that cold, and doctors' offices and pharmacies do not have freezers that go that low.
Moderna's vaccine can be kept at minus 20 degrees Celsius. Other vaccines, such as the one against chickenpox, need to be kept at that temperature.
That means Moderna's vaccine can be kept in "a readily available freezer that is available in most doctors' offices and pharmacies," Zacks said. "We leverage infrastructure that already exists for other marketed vaccines."
Another advantage of Moderna's vaccine is that it can be kept for 30 days in the refrigerator, the company announced Monday. Pfizer's vaccine can last only five days in the refrigerator.
UNSTOPPABLE! Our journey towards a GREATER LAGOS: Construction Works on Agege Pen-Cinema Flyover is steadily on going at over 90% completion. We remain focused. We remain resolute.
..urges petitioners on truthfulness, honesty, factuality
The State of Osun Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality, Human Rights Violations and Related Extra Judicial Killings on Thursday commenced hearing on the various petitions and submissions brought before it by members of the public.
The panel began the hearing with five different petitions submitted by victims of police brutality and other human rights violations.
It will be recalled that Governor Adegboyega Oyetola had on Thursday 22nd of October, 2020, inaugurated a 13-man panel with a mandate to unravel all matters related to police brutality, disbanded officers and men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) among other related cases.
According to the Government, the panel has six months to entertain and complete all the findings, investigations and cases filed before it.
Delivering his inaugural sitting speech at the Council of Obas' Chamber, Finance Building, Government Secretariat, Osogbo, the Chairman of the Panel, Justice Akin Oladimeji (retired), said the panel had since its inauguration received five petitions and submissions from members of the public.
He noted that the panel was fully prepared to deliver the statutory mandate conferred on it to ensure justice, fairness and equity in all the cases before it.
The retired High Court Judge who said the mandate of the panel was to investigate the brutality of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) against some members of the public, said the panel would not act as a regular court of law where law is strictly applied to cases but rather, function as a fact finding panel.
"This panel is not a regular court of law where law is strictly applied to cases but rather, a fact finding panel. Therefore, it is the duty of every petitioner and in fact all parties who present petitions and defence before this panel to bring all facts and evidence in support of their cases before the panel.
"We are neither prophets nor seers that can see what the ordinary eyes cannot perceive. Every petitioner who has suffered injury or loss wants damages or compensation to be paid to him. This panel is empowered to make recommendation on award of such damages or compensation but we cannot do so unless you come and demonstrate to us how and where you sustained injury or loss.
"It is the fact and evidence that you place before us that we must use to assess the injury victims have suffered in the hands of SARS in each of the cases, and the damages claimed by the petitioners or any other parties as the case may be.
"These are the things that will assist us in our duties, so that we will not therefore appear to be awarding arbitrarily low or high damages or compensation in the eye of the reasonable man", he added.
The Chairman of the panel urged the petitioners to be truthful and honest in whatever they bring before the panel, noting that the panel could only work on emperical facts.
"In presenting your cases before this panel, we urge the parties and their witnesses to be truthful and honest, as righteousness exalts not only the individual but also the nation and the world at large.
"We are your fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and children and friends; do not be afraid to come and tell us your stories. If you do not want to be heard in public, we shall make arrangement to hear you without the public.
"We are here to protect the interest of every party who has suffered injury in the hands of SARS, including the dead on whose behalf petitions were filed by their legal or personal representatives.
"We are prepared to visit locus in cuo, i.e places of incidents including mortuaries, graves and graveyards or suspected ones, if need be", he stated.
In this Syinix 55 Inch TVs comparison video. I cover 2 of their newest TVs in line. The 55F1S and the 55A1S. .They are both 4K "HDR" TVs. Both come with support for Dolby ATMOS, they have Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube pre-installed. In this video. I’ll be doing an overview, sharing my experience, the pros and cons starting with the higher end 55F1S and the 55A1S series which is a more affordable option. They are both similar in picture quality, while not being the sharpest or most colour-accurate TVs out there, they do offer some value for the price. They are also similar in software quality, Android 9, but not in build quality and some other ways which I cover in this video.
Screen size: 55 Inch IPS LCD 60 Hertz Display OS: Android 9 for TV Frameless Design RAM (Both): 1.5 GB / Storage: 8GB PORTS (Both): - 3 HDMI Ports - 2 USB 2.0 Ports - LAN Port - AV IN Ports - Digital Audio Port *Comes with Dolby Audio
* The F20 series TV is way louder than the A20 version.
I come from a very troubled generation. A generation troubled by the same system that ought to pacify it. The recurring tradition of abysmal governance and failed political leadership in Nigeria driven by self-interest and other primordial considerations, which take priority over that of young people is deeply troubling. Beyond the immediate demands to #EndSARS and #EndPoliceBrutality by youths is a stronger burden to END a system that suffocates young dreams and brings to naught every attempt to attain the ideal Nigeria.
But the notion that protests alone can bring about that ideal Nigeria, is illusory.
Hence, I am proffering my unsolicited advice (backed by historical lessons) on how we can make the #EndSARS become an efficient tool for rescuing our generation from this unending choke position.
Firstly, campaigns that succeed should be flexible and less predictable. For the #EndSARS campaign to become more resourceful, more innovative tactics besides long marches, graffiti inscriptions, and hoisting of placards need to be inculcated to help the cause. The movement needs to (re)invent new maneuvers capable of incapacitating the system through shock and disruption
Secondly, the campaign must show unity and resilience in the face of inevitable repression and other hydra-headed challenges. This can only be achieved with a solid organizational and leadership structure that imbibes and maintains discipline through and through. If resilience is lost in the movement, it definitely will be at risk of being paralyzed by inaction or fractured by differences.
Thirdly, the campaign needs a wider and diverse reach that is sustainable over a long period. For it to be taken very seriously and inferred some legitimacy, It must gain the support of all age brackets, class distribution, ethnicity, and religious orientations of the country. Sadly enough, with the #EndSARS movement, there seem to be very strong lines of distrust between young people from the southern and northern extracts of the country.
Lastly, a non-violent campaign cannot do well without flipping the support of those who serve the status quo. What this means is that for the movement to work, it must pull the unwavering support of the pillars that help sustain the old system. The strategy of the campaign must be worked in such a way that the religious gatekeepers, the military, business moguls, civil society, bureaucrats must declare and act in allegiance to the movement.
To finish this piece, I’ll use an anonymous quote “Victory is more dangerous than defeat“. Voicing our grievances and aspirations is no longer enough. Voting out an ineffective government is also no longer enough. Young people need to start getting fixated on the wisdom of entrenching democratic institutions and restoring confidence in Nigeria, which to me are much harder tasks. We saw in 2003 the devasting foray of the US and Britain in Iraq. There has to be a plan for what comes after.
It is upon these Sacrosanct that the #EndSARS movement must work its talk or else it will just be another series of futile exercises proceeding in endless, disorienting loops.
Says Political parties and the security are not personal properties of party leaders and chieftain.
A civil society group, under the aegis of the APC Democracy Vanguard has extoled the Judiciary for their courage and deliberate effort at sanitizing the chaotic Nigerian internal Democratic Practices of political parties.
The group in a statement signed by the leader Comrade Ayibadoubra Jacobs, made particular reference to the Judge, Federal High Court Yenagoa, Hon. Justice J. E. Inyang for her far reaching decision, stressing that it was a monumental development in the jurispondence of pre-election matters.
In his words, ‘The far reaching decision of Hon. Justice J.E. Inyang, Judge, Federal High Court, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, is a landmark development in the jurispondence of pre-election matters especially as it relates to the adherence of political actors to the constitution and guidelines of the party in the conduct of internal party affairs and this decision deserves immense commendations and support.’
The group through its spokesperson further emphasized that support for her decision at the recent judgement in Yenagoa, Bayelsa, nullifying the Senatorial bye-election primaries conducted by the APC on grounds of non compliance with the party guidelines and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, had the capacity to sanitize the chaotic and oppressive Nigerian Internal democratic practices in all political parties.
The group equally commended her courage despite blackmails, intimidation and unfounded petitions, quoting from her judgement in the case filed by aggrieved APC members, seeking the nullification of the APC senatorial bye election primaries, where she held as follows: ‘The time has come for the chieftains of political parties in this country to desist from their acts of lawlessness and impunity and abide by the constitution and guidelines of their political parties so that democratic norms and principles which will advance good governance, will thrive’.
The Honourable Judge further held that ‘The registered members have rights as well in the electoral process that will not be trammeled upon by party leaders and chieftains.’
The group supported the position that the time had come for Judges, the superior and trial courts to stand and defend the oppressed members of political parties who are victims of arbitrariness and impunity by Godfathers, chieftains and political leaders.
Comrade Jacobs stressed that political parties anywhere including those in our dear country Nigeria, are public national institutions and not personal properties of political leaders as it is the case.
Jacobs in his statement conveyed the gross displeasure of the group at the unconstitutional and unethical actions of party leaders and chieftains aimed at intimidating judges, condemning it in its entirety. He said, legal matters must be resolved through legal means and not the use of ‘Federal might’ and the security apparatus to intimation, blackmail and harass judges as observed in the APC, Bayelsa
‘We hereby stand in solidarity and urge the Judiciary to remain firm and courageous in the jurispondence of political matters and continue to compel political parties, leaders and chieftains to respect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the electoral act and guidelines of the political parties’ he said.
Celebrities › Omah Lay And Tems Charged To Court In Uganda For Violating COVID-19 Protocols by AnonPoet(op): 3:27pm On Dec 14, 2020
