Primary School Pupil, 9 Others Dead In Lokoja Tanker Explosion (Viewers Discretion Advised)
A primary school pupil died on Wednesday alongside nine persons after a petrol tanker exploded at Felele area of Lokoja, Kogi State capital, Igbere TV reports.
It was gathered that the tanker lost control and rammed into oncoming vehicles before going up in flames around 8am.
Some of the victims are Kogi State Polytechnic students.
Igbere TV also learnt that emergency responders failed to attend to the fire for over one hour.
Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello in a statement by his spokesperson Onogwu Muhammed commiserated with the bereaved families.
“It is very sad to learn of the tragic loss of lives, many vehicles, property and other valuables in the petrol tanker fire,” he said.
He also urged students of the polytechnic to maintain peace.
Igbere TV reports that Nollywood veteran Jimoh Aliu popularly known as Baba Aworo has passed on.
Actress Foluke Daramola-Salako also confirmed the news in an Instagram post.
“We have lost another veteran again o ����Baba aworo is dead,” she wrote.
“We thank God that he was one of the old veterans we celebrated last year, but for covid we haven’t been able to do much this year, but we thank God when baba was alive we did our little quota, may God grant him eternal peace in Jesus name.”
The playwright and dramatist was born in November 1939 at Oke-Imesi, Ekiti State, Igbere TV reports.
He began acting in 1959 when the late Akin Ogungbe visited his hometown, the same year he joined the Akin Ogungbe theatre group where he gained some experience in drama.
Baba Aworo had a stint with the Nigerian Army between 1967 and 1975.
His television drama series include Iku Jare Eda Yanpan Yanrin and Fopomoyo that featured King Sunny Ade.
A naval officer on Wednesday clashed with Lagos task force operatives by Ikeja along for using the BRT lane, Igbere TV reports.
The governor’s chief press secretary Gboyega Akosile shared a video of the incident on Twitter.
The unnamed naval officer was, according to Mr Akosile, warned to desist from using the BRT lane but he insisted a car behind him driven by a woman be allowed to follow him.
Igbere TV reports that the officer allegedly punctured his own tyre in a scuffle with the taskforce operatives who refused to allow the other car follow him.
“They told they could only allow him-they were fair enough. The next thing the Naval officer did was to bring out a dagger, threatened our men, created a scene by puncturing his own tyre to make the lane impassable for the BRT buses. He was arrested with the 2 vehicles,” Akosile said.
More than 11,000 persons have signed a petition requesting the United Kingdom and the European Union to place visa restrictions on Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Igbere TV reports.
The governor is reportedly among those on the list of Nigerians banned recently by the US for stoking violence during the Kogi and Bayelsa governorship polls.
The petition initiated by a former presidential aide Reno Omokri on Tuesday was addressed to the UK Parliament, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Council of the European Union and the European Parliament.
Igbere TV can confirm that more than 11,000 have signed the petition as of 4pm Wednesday.
Mr Omokri accused El-Rufai of being a threat to the peace and security of Nigeria for many reasons.
According to him, on December 3, 2016, the governor admitted that he paid herdsmen who had been accused of killing several persons.
“Since that admission, there has been an intense escalation of the killings of mostly Christians in Kaduna, and on August 25, 2020, suspected herdsmen abducted seven schoolchildren and their teacher from Prince Academy, in Kaduna. They have not been seen or heard of since then,” Omokri said.
...Igbokwe was the first Black woman to run a major TV studio ...Longtime TV executive Bonnie Hammer takes on advisory role
NBCUniversal named Pearlena Igbokwe to lead its global television studio business, elevating a Black woman to a key management role at Comcast Corp.’s entertainment division.
As the new chairman of Universal Studio Group, Igbokwe replaces Bonnie Hammer, a longtime cable-TV executive who will take on an advisory role at the company.
The promotion helps NBCUniversal diversify its top management ranks. Igbokwe, who emigrated from Nigeria as a child, became the first Black woman to run a major TV studio when she was named head of Universal Television in 2016. In that role, she oversaw shows like “The Good Place,” “Superstore” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” She previously worked at Showtime.
The move marks the latest leadership change at the Comcast’s entertainment division under NBCUniversal Chief Executive Officer Jeff Shell, who was promoted to his post in January.
It’s also the latest major shake-up at a TV studio this week. On Tuesday, Netflix Inc. named Bela Bajaria the head of a new global television division, promoting her over 18-year veteran Cindy Holland.
FG Lauds Pearlena Igbokwe's Appointment As Head Of NBCU’s Global TV Studios
The Federal Government has congratulated Nigerian-born Pearlena Igbokwe on her recent promotion as chairman of the Universal Studio Group, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies, Igbere TV reports.
Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed in a statement made available to Igbere TV on Monday said the Federal Government is very delighted at the news of the promotion which is the latest in a string of successes recorded by Igbokwe.
“The fact that, in her new role, Igbokwe will lead the American company’s growing global television studio business, which includes Universal Television, Universal Content Productions (UCP) and NBCUniversal International Studios, is a pointer to the huge responsibility that comes with the promotion and a testimony to her capability,” Mohammed said.
“Igbokwe is an inspiration to millions of youths around the world and, in particular, those in our country’s burgeoning Creative Industry. We wish her success in her new role.”
The promotion makes her one of the most senior black women in the entertainment business.
The longtime TV executive joined NBC Entertainment in 2012 as executive vice president for drama development after working for 20 years as a programming executive for CBS Corp’s Showtime Networks.
There, she helped develop hit series, including Dexter and Nurse Jackie.
Jubilation As Zamfara Cleric Detained In Saudi Arabia Arrives Home
Gusau-based cleric Ibrahim Ibrahim, who was detained in Saudi Arabia over drug trafficking charges, has regained freedom and arrived home amidst jubilation by his family and well -wishers.
Alaramma Ibrahim Ibrahim spent more than three years in detention in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after he was framed up that he trafficked drugs to the holy land.
The Qur’anic memorizer was discharged and acquitted by two Saudi courts. Governor Bello Matawalle had earlier intervened in the matter by hiring competent defence counsels for the cleric.
Ibrahim Ibrahim arrived Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos at 12:30 am on Tuesday and was received by the visibly happy Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle at government house in Gusau, the state capital.
At the government house, Ibrahim Ibrahim said he could not use words to express his gratefulness and happiness over his release by Saudi authorities.
Speaking shortly afterwards, Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle warned those travelling to Saudi Arabia to always be very careful and vigilant with their luggage as agents of the devil are within the corner to plant drugs on unsuspecting travellers.
He later appointed the freed cleric Senior Special Assistant.
“It is on record that most Nigerians accused of drug peddling in Saudi Arabia in recent times were victims of such circumstances”
“You may recall that Hafiz Ibrahim has been incarcerated by the authorities of Saudi Arabia a long time ago, following false accusation of illegal drug peddling levelled against him”
“However, after discrete investigation that was conducted to verify the truth of the matter, Malam Ibrahim has been found innocent of all the legal charges against him. He was therefore acquitted and discharged”
“I wish to humbly state that this achievement was made with the active diplomatic engagements on the matter between the Government of Zamfara State and Saudi Arabian authorities”
“I wish to, at this juncture, express warm, appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Saudi Arabian authorities for their diplomatic understanding to us. The officials of Nigerian embassy in Saudi Arabia must also be appreciated for facilitating our efforts towards safe release and return of the accused,” Matawalle added.
Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has appealed to the All Progressives Congress (APC), National Executive Council (NEC) to extend the tenure of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker Committee to March 2021.
The former Governor of Abia State made the appeal in a statement signed by Kunle Oyewumi and made available to IGBERE TV on Monday.
“There is no need for fire brigade approach on the December proposed convention adding that winning Edo state election is paramount to the party at the moment,” the Senator representing Abia-North Senatorial District said.
He expressed his worry about the caretaker committee not offering their best due to time constraints adding that majority of the participants would be very busy with their national tasks during the December proposed period .
Kalu noted that National Assembly lawmakers and ministers will be on the budget preparation and defense and will not be in better position to offer their best to the party.
The statement partly reads: “It is with deep Patriotic concerns and the future growth of our great party that I am appealing to the National Executive Council to consider extending the tenure of Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker Committee to March 2021 against the December proposed period. This is to give the caretaker committee members the needed time to put things in order and hand over properly to a new leadership in the end.
”i don’t see any need of fire brigade approach for them to hand over to a new leadership by December. The committee is expected to focus their attention on Edo State because the Edo State election will determine the strength of any new leadership.
Further Speaking, the Chief Whip disclosed that holding the convention in December would also not give the party the desired results needed.
This according to him was “because National Assembly will soon enter budget presentation and defense and Ministers will begin to make appearances in the National Assembly from October until November. Some of the Ministers would also need to travel to their wards and make adequate preparations for the Congress.” the former Governor said.
The All Progressives Congress has accused the Peoples Democratic party, PDP and Candidate of the party in the September 19, 2020 Governorship election in Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki of violating the electoral law in the conduct of its primaries.
Former Spokesman of Edo Chapter of APC, Comrade Godwin Erhahon disclosed this in a Press release on Sunday in Benin City.
He argued that: “Whereas the Electoral Act requires any political party that wishes to reschedule its primary to give INEC seven days notice, PDP gave only five days and thereby runs foul of the guidelines”.
Recall that the National Working Committee,/NWC of PDP had rescheduled its Governorship primary election which was earlier slated for June 19 and 20, was on Thursday postponed to June 25, 2020 via a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan.
Erhahon, former Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change, CPC in Edo State in a Press release made available to BLITZPAPER, predicted that PDP will not feature on INEC ballot paper in the forthcoming poll due to the alleged infraction on the electoral Act.
He alleged that all the PDP Governorship aspirants who crashed out of the primaries knew the game plan hence they stepped down.
He also alleged that the PDP sold an expired gubernatorial ticket to Mr Godwin Obaseki for the money.
“All other aspirants stepped down for him as they realized that the PDP have lost its chance of fielding a Candidate for the September 19 2020 governorship election”.
According to him, “Whereas the Electoral Act requires any political party that wishes to reschedule its primary to give INEC seven days notice, PDP gave only five days and thereby ran foul of the guidelines”.
“Outgoing Governor Obaseki will end up wasting billions of naira on an expired nomination ticket from PDP probably as God’s punishment for his ingratitude to APC which gave him the ticket freely in 2016 even when he was just a new entrant into the party”.
According to him, the outgoing governor obtained his nomination form three weeks behind approved time. Shocker awaits outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki as he is about to realize that the Governorship election Candidature which he spent over N10 billion (Ten billion Naira) to buy from PDP, is useless to him after all”.
The State Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr Chris Nehikhare however did not respond to the inquiry made by our Correspondent.
But, a public Affairs commentator, Mr Alaba Momodu, said: “the allegation is something for the PDP to worry about if it turns out to be true.”
Edo State High court judge (name withheld) narrowly escaped been crushed to death by a massive tree that crashed on his residence at Okada Avenue, Government Reservation road in Benin City.
The big tree which is about 3 feet wide, destroyed the security post completely during a windstorm that did not give any warning sign on Friday night.
Our Correspondent could not verify if there was any casualty as at the time of filing this report.
As at the time our Correspondent visited the nail-biting scene, the occupants have deserted the house.
But a resident living in the neighborhood, described the disaster as the “handiwork of forces of darkness”.
“It sounded like the gods of thunder were coming down on us last night”, he said a tree surgeon had been contacted to use a chainsaw to cut down the large trunk of the tree.
Recall that in fulfilment of his promise to meet the going deficit of Edo State High court judges, governor Godwin Obaseki, built and handed over judges quarters in Aiguobasimwin Street in GRA, Benin City to the immediate past Chief of the State, Justice Esohe Ikpomwen, a monument that has become a reference point to most residents of the State.
Mr Igbineweka Osamuede has emerged Candidate of Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) in the September 19, 2020 Governorship election in Edo State.
He was elected at the 2020 Governorship Primary election of the party held on Saturday in Benin City, the State Capital.
Chairman of the Governorship Primary election/Credentials Screening Committee, Alhaji Yusuf M. Dantelle who reeled out the guidelines for primaries, revealed that Mr Igbineweka Osamuede was the only aspirant of the party.
Dantelle who was represented by the National Youth Leader of APM, Mr Felix Tolorunju Idowu, said indirect primary mode was adopted in the conduct of the party’s primaries.
The APM Candidate was thereafter unveiled after a unanimous voice affirmation by the delegates who led by the State, Wards, and Local Government officers of the party in the State.
He also said that 92 delegates were accredited for the rancour-free exercise which was monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In his acceptance speech, the All Peoples Movement (APM), Mr Igbineweka Osamuede, promised to make poverty and insecurity history if elected as Governor of the State.
He stated that the party will continue to put people and the nation first, adding that he will not to betray the confidence reposed in him.
Addressing delegates to the election, Edo State Chairman of APM, Dr Samson Isibor, recalled the sterling qualities of the Candidate and assured that he will bring his wealth of experience to bear in his assignment to lead the party to victory ahead of the election.
He stated that his party is determined to make poverty history and urged electorate to shun financial inducement by maverick politicians that have mortgaged resources of the State and impoverished them.
According to him, “APC which represents hope, justice and salvation, will deliver on its manifesto and provide basic amenities if given the mandate.
“Our people will not accept stipends in exchange for their votes. We will provide amenities which had subjugated their rights in the past.
“They should resist any form of inducement and support APM in order to move forward”, he said.
BlitzPaper reports that the APM Candidate seems to have exceeded expectations, but he faces a daunting path in search for answer to an important question of who succeeds the incumbent Governor of the State, Mr Godwin Obaseki on September 19, 2020.
It was a dramatic moment when a some physically challenged beggars held four Nigerian Governors convoy hostage behind the exit routes of Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin City.
Governors of Oyo, Seyi Makinde, Mohammed Bala (Bauchi), Mr Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and Bello Matawalle (Yobe) caught napping in a gridlock that temporarily paralysed traffic operations in the area.
A witness told BlitzPaper that Governor Matawalle was in front of other Governors who were all heading to Edo State Government house in order to catch up with their flights at dawn when they ran into group numbering seven at the early hours of Friday.
The blockade of the convoy by the physically challenged persons who kept vigil during the Edo 2020 gubernatorial primary election of the Peoples Democratic party in chief Governor Godwin Obaseki emerged the Candidate of the party,
The witness hinted that one of the attention-seeking beggars who mounted their skateboards who ignored the blaring horn, cling unto the motor guard of the SUV, which left the occupants including Governor Matawalle who haven lost empathy, was confused, became the Achilles hills of the so-called “downtrodden”.
Peeved by their bravery, a security personnel attached to one of the Governors’ convoy who strapped their riffles on their shoulders, jumped down from the vehicle and slammed the physically challenged man with his skateboard on the concrete floor and dispersed the crowd, while the beggars retreated disappointingly before the Governors continued their journey.
Some of the PDP delegates to the election and journalists who were caught in the melee, scampered to safety to avert a ricochet following the volleys that were fired into the air by security aides which dispersed the crowd to utter dismay of the sleepy neighborhood.
A Benin based media practitioner who also witnessed the incident, condemned the act of lawlessness by the physically challenged persons, wondering why they have to “prioritize safety for money” by putting their lives on the jaws of death.
The sacking of Adams Oshiomhole All Progressives Congress led-National Working Committee (NWC) has sparked jubilation in Edo State.
A loud ovation rented the air when the news on the dissolution of the NWC broke at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin City, venue of Edo 2020 Governorship primary election, BlitzPaper learnt.
But, for his kinsmen, the news is nothing to cheer about except for the affirmation of report of APC Governorship primary election for Edo State in which Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu emerged Candidate of the party.
Our Correspondent reports that the acting National Chairman of the APC, Mr Victor Giadom on Thursday announced the development at the national executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party at the state house in Abuja.
NEC also, named Mai-Mala Buni, governor of Yobe State as the Chairman of the Caretaker/extra-ordinary Convention Committee.
He was immediately sworn in by Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the Federation (AGF).
Sources at Edo State Government house hinted that the Governor was still awaited at the venue for the primaries as at the time of filing this report.
The Edo House of Assembly on Thursday moved its sitting venue to the old legislative chamber inside the State Government house in Benin over impeachment scare against the Principal Officers of the house, BlitzPaper reports.
But the Clerk of the of house, Yahaya Omogbai on Wednesday in a statement, said: “Following the ongoing fumigation exercise, repairs/renovation including the lighting system as well as the computerization project of the Hallowed Chambers and adjoining offices of the Edo State House of Assembly,
“The Leadership of the House has decided that its plenary session shall resume on Monday 29th June 2020 at 10.00am at the Old Legislative Chambers at Dennis Osadebey Avenue, G.R.A, Benin City, pending the completion of these projects.
“Therefore, all correspondence should be channelled to the aforementioned address until further notice.
“The entire staff of Edo State House of Assembly and the general public should take note please,” Omogbai said in the statement.
Last week Wednesday, the State Government in a statement by Mr Crusoe Osagie, Governor Godwin Obaseki media aid, announced that the Assembly complex will be shutdown for two weeks to pave the way for fumigation and contamination to prevent the spread of the novel Coronavirus.
On the same say, the Speaker of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Assembly, declared that the power to recall the two members of the house and 12 APC members-elect that are loyal to the suspended national Chairman of the APC has been suspended indefinitely.
Okiye disclosed this while speaking on the sideline to mark the One year Anniversary of the Seventh Assembly which was nocturnally proclaimed on June 17, 2019.
In December 2019, the Speaker of the 24-member Assembly, Okiye in accordance with Section 109, sub-section 1(F) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),” declared the 14 Lawmakers’ seats vacant for failing to meet the mandatory 180 sitting days as enshrined in the Constitution.
The affected members-elect who have being seeking refuge in Abuja are Vincent Uwadiae, Ovia North-East II; Ugiagbe Dumez, Ovia North-East I; Washington Osifo, Uhunmwode; Victor Edoror, Esan Central; Kingsley Ugabi, Etsako East and Michael Ohio-Ezomo, Owan West.
Others are Sunday Aghedo, Ovia South-West; Chris Okaeben, Oredo West; Crosby Eribo, Egor; Aliyu Oshiomhole, Etsako West II; Oshomah Ahmed, Etsako Central and Ganiyu Audu, Etsako West I.
Okiye, while declaring the seats vacant, said that the 12 members-elect ‘defiantly refused’ to come forward to do necessary documentation as part of the conditions for their inauguration as members of the Assembly.
Speaking during the Anniversary, Mr Okiye, stated that the decision to reverse the proclamation order was impossible, adding that the matter the members-elect are already in court.
According to Okiye who denied any plan to defect from PDP to APC, “We have always reflected on the need to be recalled and inaugurated each time we talks with them.
Recall that Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic party, had approached the court, seeking an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to conduct a fresh election into the seats of the 12 members-elect and two others.
But, with the defection of Governor Godwin Obaseki from APC to the PDP, now puts the opposition party in the State in majority by default.
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has barred Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki from participating in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship primary election slated for Thursday, June 25.
One of PDP governorship aspirants, Mr Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, filed the suit on Monday after, vowing not to step down for Obaseki.
Hon. Justice E.A Obile, granted the order, allowed the defendant to serve the parties through substituted means in two national dailies.
The court has fixed before June 24 for hearing of the summon.
BREAKING!!! Media Aide to Senate Chief Whip, Orji Kalu, Involved In Ghastly Accident (Photos)
Kenneth Udeh, the Special Assistant (Media) to Chief Whip of the Senate and the senator representing Abia North senatorial district, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has been been involved in a ghastly car accident, Igbere TV reports.
It was gathered that Mr. Udeh's car somersaulted severally before it stopped—while on his way back work.
It was also learnt that the terrible incident happened on Wednesday evening in Abuja.
Speaking to IGBERE TV via chat on Thursday, Udeh said he was on the way home from his National Assembly office when the bad incident occurred.
“I am doing fine, I have gone to the hospital for a medical checkup,” he told our reporter while speaking on his health condition.
BREAKING!!! Jubilation as Senate Chief Whip, Kalu Arrives to Resume Duties (Photos)
The Nigerian Senate, Tuesday, was on stand still as Chief Whip of the Senate , Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and former Governor of Abia State resumed for his Senatorial duties at the Red Chambers, IGBERE TV reports.
Orji Kalu’s resumption could be described as a “triumphal” entry as he was greeted with thunderous cheers from hundreds of staff , security personnels , lawmakers and other well wishers who gathered to catch a glimpse and welcome the Chief Whip after his 6 months absence.
The NigerianDaily reports that the Chief Whip arrived the Senator building at exactly 9:00AM , spent minutes acknowledging greetings and cheers from people.
When asked by Journalists to comment on his experience at the Kuje correctional centre , he responded “Keep Hope Alive”.
Recall that, Senator Kalu was released after over 6 months of incarceration at the Kuje Custodial Centre. Kalu was convicted in December 2019 for allegedly misappropriating N7.65b belonging to Abia state.
His conviction was, however, nullified by the Supreme Court on May 8th . A seven-member panel of the apex court, in a unanimous verdict delivered by Justice Ejembi Eko, invalidated the conviction.
Justice Eko declared that Justice Mohammed Idris, who convicted the duo was already a justice of the Court of Appeal when he ruled and sentenced Mr Kalu and his co-defendant.
He held that a Justice of the Court of Appeal cannot operate as a judge of the Federal High Court, and ordered the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to reassign the case for trial, the report said.
Following the nullification of his conviction by the Supreme Court, the former governor filed an application at the federal court seeking an order for his release from the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), Kuje, Abuja.
Justice Mohammed Liman of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on Tuesday ordered the immediate release of Orji Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, from the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
The judge delivered his ruling following an application by Lateef Fagbemi, Mr Kalu’s lawyer, seeking his release from custody.
Children experience the world through actions, representing things with words, thinking logically, and using reasoning. Cognitive development is how children perceive, feel, and gain an understanding of their world through the relations of genetic and learning factors.
There are four stages to cognitive development information development, reasoning, intelligence, language, and memory.
These stages start when the baby is about 18 months old, they play with toys, listen to their parents speak, and they watch TV, anything that catches their attention helps build their cognitive development.
Children construct an understanding of the world around them, experience discrepancies between what they already know and what they discover in their environment, and then adjust their ideas accordingly.
The ten most important things a child should learn before the age of 10
Teach your Child Honesty Honesty, in itself, is a virtue. One of the best ways to encourage truthfulness in your child is to be a truthful person yourself. Consider this story: Joyce decided to limit the number of playmates between her 3-year-old son, Chris, and his friend Paul. The boys had been fighting a lot recently, and Joyce thought they should spend some time apart. So when Paul’s mother called one afternoon to arrange a get-together, Joyce told her that Chris was sick.
Meanwhile, Chris was eavesdropping. Later that day, her son asked, “Am I sick, mommy? What’s wrong with me?” Joyce, taken aback by her son’s frightened look, told him she had only said he was sick because she didn’t want to hurt Paul’s mother’s feelings.
Joyce then launched into a complicated explanation of the distinctions between the various types of lies, and Chris was confused. All he understood was that fibbing is sometimes okay-and that it’s what people do.
Children often learn from authority figures, so you must try to avoid any kind of deception, even a seemingly innocuous one. (Never, for instance, say something like “let’s not tell daddy we got candy this afternoon.”) Let your child hear you being truthful with other adults. Joyce would have been better off, saying, “this isn’t a good day for a playmate. I’m concerned that the boys were fighting so much last week. I think they need a break.
Honesty is not just about telling the truth. It’s about being real with yourself and others about who you are, what you want, and what you need to live your most authentic life. Honesty promotes openness, empowers us, and enables us to develop consistency in how we present the facts. So the earlier you teach your child this, the better for you.
Teach Your Child Determination Encourage them to take on challenges; determination is a value that you can encourage from a very young age. The easiest way to do so is by avoiding excessive praise and by providing children with honest feedback, delivered in a gentle, supportive fashion.
Another powerful way to help kids develop determination is to encourage them to do things that don’t come easily-and to praise them for their initiative. If your son is shy, for instance, quietly help him to approach kids on the playground, even if it makes him feel nervous and scared.
If your daughter is quick to blow a fuse, teach her strategies (such as counting to ten or taking a deep breath) for holding back a temper tantrum.
Congratulate kids when they manage to do things that are difficult for them. The child who hears “good for you, I know that was adamant!” is bolstered by the recognition and becomes even more determined to keep trying.
Determination is the ability to continue trying to do something. Although it is challenging giving a child this mentality from an early stage will prepare that child for a victorious mind that never sees defeat.
Teach Your Child Justice Insist that children make amends. At a recent family gathering, Amy and Marcus, 4-year-old cousins, were building castles out of wooden blocks. Suddenly, Amy knocked over Marcus’s palace, and he started to cry. Witnessing the scene, Amy’s father chided his daughter and ordered her to apologize. Amy dutifully said, “I’m sorry.”
The father’s reaction was similar to that of many psychologically savvy parents. In essence, he wanted his daughter to identify and express her feelings and to understand why she behaved as she did. That’s okay, but it isn’t enough. To help children internalize a real sense of justice, parents need to encourage them to take some action to remedy a wrong. For example, Amy’s dad might have suggested that she help Marcus rebuild his castle or that she bring him some cookies as a gesture of apology.
Saying “I’m sorry” is pretty easy for a child, and it lets her off the hook without forcing her to think. Having a child make amends in a proactive way, conveys a much stronger message. If you’re aware that your child has misbehaved toward someone, help him think of a way to compensate. Maybe he can give one of his trucks to a playmate whose toy he has damaged.
Perhaps he could draw a picture for his sister after teasing her all day. By encouraging your child to make such gestures, you emphasize the importance of treating people fairly-an an essential value that will one day help him negotiate the complicated world of peer group relations.
Teach Your Child The Art of Consideration Teach them to think about other people’s feelings. Careful, though: the act of thinking carefully about something you will decide about and considering the opinions of others. Anne was frustrated because of her daughters, ages 3 and 4. They always ended up whining and fighting every time she took them grocery shopping. “I finally told them that we needed to figure out how to do our shopping without everyone, including me, feeling upset,” Anne says. Their mom asked the girls for suggestions on how to make the trip to the grocery store a better experience for all.
The 4-year-old suggested that they bring snacks from home so they wouldn’t nag for cookies. The 3-year-old said she would sing quietly to herself so she would feel happy.
The girls remembered their promises, and the next trip to the supermarket went much more smoothly. Leaving the store, the younger girl asked, “do you feel upset now, mommy?” the mother assured her that she felt just fine and remarked how nice it was that nobody got into an argument.
Do these small problem-solving exercises help a child learn the value of consideration? You bet. Over time, even a young child sees that words or actions can make another person smile or feel better and that when she’s kind to someone else, that person is nice to her. This feedback encourages other genuine acts of consideration.
LOVE BE GENEROUS WITH YOUR AFFECTION TEACHING YOUR CHILD LOVE AT AN EARLY AGE IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR THAT CHILD. Parents tend to think that children are naturally loving and generous with their affection. This is true, but for loving sentiments to last, they need to be reciprocated. It’s chilling to realize that over a typical busy day, the phrase “I love you” is probably the one that a child is least likely to hear.
Teach your child Respect
Respect is one of the most important values in human life. A person must be respectful to other’s life even if he/she doesn’t approve. You need to teach your child to criticize others; however, you need to teach him/her to respect the differences in society as well! Do not forget to make your child respect all living creatures, including animals and plants!
The concept of respect is shaped in your child’s mind with the communication between the family members at home. The use of kind regards and requests by you will make your child learn to respect others, which will eventually lead to the formation of healthy relationships in his/her future.
Teach Your Child How to be Generosity Generosity is sharing what is dear to you, who can be both material and emotional. The point is giving what is valuable to you without expecting any reward and sharing only for the sake of feeling good.
There is a strong relationship between generosity and empathy, as both of them depend on your ability to care for others. Being generous in the times aside from special days has a nourishing effect for the individuals while making the world a better place to live life with happiness and positivity!
Life is not easy stuff to handle, but handling it is also about our perception. We all will face lots of problems during our lives, but when it happens, we can never give up on trying!
That is why we need to be happy with little things, and we should teach our kids to be satisfied anytime! They don’t need more toys to feel good, they just need your love as a parent, and they need to feel safe while they are living with you.
Teach your Child the Act of Helping Others The ability to share is one of the most important values which are based on empathy and generosity, but it doesn’t come automatically. Babies are naturally focused on their own needs; during the first year, they start to playfully hand objects to mom and dad, basking in their parents’ pleased reactions.
Teach Your Child How to Be at Peace with everyone It is inevitable to encounter conflicts in our communications as adults. Teaching your child how to keep calm in the face of disputes is vital for their development.
You can teach your child how to look at the problems from different perspectives calmly. For that, your child will learn how to question the reasons behind the issues and the possible solutions for them. As a result, instead of getting angry with the other side of the disagreement, he/she can defeat negative feelings.
Teach Your Child How to Speak Up Even if you are with your child in their every failure and success; you also stick out for them and help protect their rights whenever the need arises. However, you should consider that they will be adults one day and you won’t be with them all their life. Thus, you need to teach them how to speak for their rights, whatever the circumstance.
Teach your Child That Knowledge is more critical than Grades Parents waste their time scolding children for any score that doesn’t fit their expectations. Although the rating is not necessarily an indicator of knowledge. Perhaps your child is cheating. As a kid, the belief that experience is more relevant than qualification is Paramount.
A Nigerian lady identified as Shantel has taken to popular micro-blogging platform, Twitter to call out a doctor working at Inland Specialist Hospital in Lagos State for sexually abusing her.
The lady, in her accusations against the doctor identified as Gbenga Fadero said that he inserted his finger inside her vagina without her consent with the claim that he is just trying to examine her.
She wrote; “On Wednesday, the 13th of March 2019, I left my house around 10.30 am with the intention of going to the hospital to see a doctor and register my HMO because I wasn’t feeling well (I had fever and stomach pain).
“I went to Peachcare hospital at Ogudu but I was told that they didn’t cover my insurance plan. I called my Admin officer, who directed me to a hospital in Ikeja (mother and child hospital) but because of the heavy traffic that day, I couldn’t go.
“I had a list of hospitals that were given to me by my office, so checked for the one closest to Alapere and Thats where I found INLAND SPECIALIST HOSPITAL. I took an Uber from Ogudu and got there some minutes past 12.
“I was told to register with my full name, address, phone number and work details which I did. I waited for nearly two hours before I finally saw the doctor. The doctor introduced himself as “Dr Gbenga” and asked what my name was.
“I told him my name but he didn’t seem to find it on his system. He asked me to write my number down on a paper, which I did, thinking he wanted to use it to search on his system for my profile, based on my Registration. Then he asked me for my surname.
“I spelt it out for him and he searched and got my profile. He asked me why I came and I told him that I had food poisoning from what I ate two days before (which was on Monday) and that I had serious stomach pain and fever coupled with the fact that I’ve been unable to visit the toilet for three days. He asked me some pregnancy related questions like when last menstruation was, etc. I assured him that I wasn’t pregnant and told him I saw my period last month end.
“He stood up from his seat to my seat and slightly pressed my tummy down in different parts and asked me if I was feeling any pain. I said yes. He went back to his seat and told me that he would send the types of test to be conducted for me to the laboratory and that once I finish the test, I should come back to his office.
“After the tests, I went back to him as instructed. He started asking me where I work and if I stay around. He asked where my office was and I said VI. He said “so you go from here to VI everyday?”
“And I said we have a staff bus. He told me that I had traces of malaria, typhoid and food poisoning and that he would give me drugs for that. He explained that he would give me a syrup for the stomach pain. He looked at his computer for some few seconds and asked me to lie down and the he wants to examine me.
“I went to lie down and to my surprise, he raised my dress up and stuck his finger deep inside my vagina. He did that for about 10 seconds and started simultaneously pressing my boobs one at a time in a very quick motion. He also grabbed my left Butt cheek. I groaned in pain and asked him what he was checking for. He said he’s checking for “hardness”.
“This happened for about a minute and then he asked me to come down. He went to seat down and when I came down from the bed, I noticed that the chair I was seated on initially was used as a barrier for the door to prevent anyone from coming in.
“At that point, I was furious. I felt very dirty and very betrayed. I wanted him to pay for what he did and I figured I would need some form of evidence. He told me to go and take my drugs from the pharmacist at the reception and said he will call me.
“I told myself that I would record our conversation when he calls. I called my boss and told him everything that happened. He told me to make sure I gather evidence. Not long after I left the hospital, Dr Gbenga called me. I was on a bike to my house so I couldn’t pick up.
“When I got home, I used my android phone to call him and turned on my call recorder. I asked him why he did what he did and his explanation was just senseless. He said I didn’t understand why he was doing what he did and that he’s sorry it hurt me.
“He said he wanted to attend to another patient that he would call me back. He called me back some few minutes later asking me if the number I called him back with was my number. I said yes and he hung up
“I started talking to a lawyer and that was when I discovered that a male doctor wasn’t supposed to examine a patient without the presence of a nurse. Imagine how many women are ignorant of that fact!!! Imagine how many women this same thing has happened to!!!.
“She advised me to gather more evidences like call records and all. I remember going to sitter office to ask for it and I was told that only my dialed and received calls could be provided, not missed calls.
“I thought about the psychological stress and the stress of police and legal system in the country. It was too much for me, so I backed out. I think I’m ready now. I am ready to create awareness and expose all the doctors that take advantage of innocent women.”
The doctor has received knocks from several social media users for not following due medical procedure by making sure of the presence of a nursing assistant before the physical examinations, if necessary.
Social media has went agog following the video of the United States president, Donald Trump where he was seen giving the latest shaking style (elbow shaking) which is also known as the Elbow Bump.
In the 6 seconds video, Trump, instead of shaking hands — gave Bruce Greenstein, the CEO of LHC Group home health care services company, elbow-bump.
This is coming amidst the global pandemic of coronavirus, which was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan and is currently ravaging the world.
In similar development, recently, the Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari and his vice-president, Yemi Osinbajo were also seen doing the elbow bump at a dinner with High Level CBN Round Table for Growth on Wednesday night.
Something that had been merely suggested before has now been blown wide into the open in China.
A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, Zhao Lijian, tweeted yesterday that “it might be the US army” that brought the coronavirus to China, giving an official boost to a conspiracy theory that had been allowed to circulate on Chinese social media for weeks. The conspiracy posits that 300 athletes from the US military who in October attended the 7th Military World Games in Wuhan, where the epidemic first broke out, were infected with the virus, thereby spreading it in China.
Zhao’s comment accompanied a video from a US congressional hearing this week on the country’s response to the epidemic. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in the video that some patients who were previously diagnosed to have died from the flu were found to have actually died from the coronavirus. The video began trending on Chinese social network Weibo, with many commenting that they now believe firmly that the US had covered up facts related to the epidemic.
Zhao, who was recently elevated to the spokesperson position at the foreign ministry after building a reputation as a firebrand diplomat who frequently attacks the US, blocked a number of Twitter users who called him out for embarrassing the Chinese government and spreading conspiracy theories on the platform, which remains banned in China. Today, he doubled down on his claims, and shared two articles from Global Research—which claims to be an independent research and media organization based in Montreal—that say there is further proof that the coronavirus originated in the US. “This article is very much important to each and every one of us. Please read and retweet it,” wrote Zhao. The founder of Global Research is a Canadian economist who has espoused conspiracy theories linked to the H1N1 swine flu epidemic and 9/11 in the past.
Before his debut as foreign ministry spokesperson last month, Zhao served as the deputy chief of mission in Pakistan. He, together with several dozens of other Chinese foreign ministry officials and diplomats, represent a more vocal, much more confrontational style in China’s public relations offensive.
“A major motivation for Chinese diplomats to join Twitter is to tell the ‘China story,'” said Lokman Tsui, a communications professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He added that he didn’t think diplomats needed approval for every tweet they send as Chinese officials don’t get into positions of power without already knowing what the boundaries are.
At a briefing for journalists today, another foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, said he would not comment directly on Zhao’s tweets but said that “the international community has different opinions” as to the origins of the virus.
As the coronavirus started to spread in the US, China’s reaction at the apparent bungling by the White House in its response has been a mixture of surprise, pride, and even glee, fueled in no small part by state media outlets. Conspiracy theories that seek to shift the narrative away from one that pins China as the source of the virus are also growing in popularity, helped along by Chinese authorities. Zhao’s latest comments have only further legitimized these claims.
The hashtag #Zhao Lijian published five tweets to question the US# has been viewed almost 4 million times on Weibo. “I think this move is reasonable. Whether Zhao has evidence for the claim or not, why should we only see Western politicians attack China with made-up theories, and not see Chinese officials question whether the virus originated in the US? All we ask for is transparency [from the US],” said a user (link in Chinese). The comment is likely a reference to comments made earlier by Arkansas senator Tom Cotton that a virology lab in Wuhan could be the origin of the virus, a claim that has been rejected by scientists globally.
The origins of the coronavirus is also an issue that politicians in the US are increasing capitalizing on as the epidemic spreads in the country. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo, for example, has insisted on using the term “Wuhan virus” when referring to the epidemic, while California congressman Kevin McCarthy was criticized for using “the Chinese coronavirus” in a tweet
The Federal Government, on Friday, said the second confirmed case of coronavirus in the country no longer had the virus in his system and would be discharged from the treatment centre in Lagos.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said this while giving an update on the virus in Abuja.
He said the person, who had contact with the index case, had no symptoms of the COVID 19, adding that he had not been sick while in isolation.
He also said the index case, an Italian who is receiving treatment in Lagos, would also be discharged next week.
He said, “Between January 7 and March 12, 2020, a total of 42 people who met our case definition have been screened for COVID 19 in Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Yobe, Rivers and Kano states, and the Federal Capital Territory.
“40 tested negative and two were confirmed positive. These two are the index case and a contact with the index case. No death has been recorded.”
Spain’s equality minister has tested positive for coronavirus and has been quarantined with her deputy and Podemos leader, Pablo Iglesias.
A government statement on Thursday said all members of the cabinet would undergo tests and that the results would be published later in the day.
“The minister (Irene Montero) is in a good condition and second deputy prime minister Pablo Iglesias is also in quarantine due to the situation,” the statement read.
The announcement came two hours before the government was to convene a special cabinet meeting to discuss an emergency plan of action to respond to the coronavirus crisis.
The statement said the meeting would go ahead but would only include ministers whose presence is needed.
It also said all of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s upcoming appointments would be conducted by videoconference.
Spain has recorded over 2,000 infections and 48 deaths, with Madrid the worst-hit area accounting for more than half of the cases.
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday said four children of the same family and their teacher who came from the United States have been quarantined for Coronavirus.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi at a news conference in Alausa, Lagos on Wednesday disclosed that another man from the United Kingdom was also quarantined.
Abayomi disclosed that the four children and their teacher were quarantined because they had contact with a Coronavirus patient.
The commissioner said the four children and their teacher were admitted into the isolation centre in Yaba two days ago to see if they would develop symptom of Coronavirus after they had contact with a patient.
He said the first test had been conducted on them and that they tested negative, but added another test would be conducted within 48 hours for a final confirmation.
Abayomi also said a man from the United Kingdom who had been quarantined would have test conducted on him today to ascertain his status.
He said the state government was carrying out regular tests on people to ascertain their coronavirus status almost on daily basis.
The commissioner also disclosed that the government had established contact with the two people declared wanted, who were in the Turkish Airline with the index case, an Italian.
He said immediately the media announced the two people declared wanted, people gave out their contacts immediately and that they had been reached.
On the index case, Abayomi said the Italian was feeling very okay, but said he was still secreting the virus, adding that once he tested negative, another test would be conducted within two days for a second negative confirmation and that once that had been done, he would be released.
“The Index case is very well, no symptom, but test shows he is still secreting the virus, but going down, the virus has to go to zero point before he can be released,” he said.
Abayomi added that there was no specific treatment for coronavirus, saying that most of the drugs being used were HIV drugs to reduce the virus from growing fast.
“There are some drugs recommended for coronavirus. What we are waiting for is for the immune system of the Italian to clear the virus. He is actually better, he can’t leave until the virus is completely clear and zero. While he is better, he is not better for community yet; we cannot release him because he may affect others. The day he is negative, we will wait for two more days and if he gets a second negative, we will release him,” he said.
“We are satisfied with the second coronavirus patient, we will repeat his test tomorrow and based on the test, we will know the way forward,” he added.
On hand sanitisers, the commissioner frowned at those hoarding it, saying that the Ministry of Health would soon roll out its sanitisers into the market.
“We frown against those hoarding hand sanitisers, we are actually making it right now and we are going to push it into the market right now. We have started already and we are going to push it out,” he said.
As the Acting National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Victor Giadom, formally takes over the administration and running of the ruling party with the approval of President Mohammadu Buhari, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) has described the Rivers born politician as a fantastic and intelligent strategist on a divine mission, to rediscover the visions and mission of the founding fathers of the party which are currently under severe threat following the maladministration and crass ineptitude displayed by Comr. Adams Oshiomole.
In a statement made available to media houses, the party chief said, one neither needs a soothsayer, a fortuneteller nor a necromancer to discern that Chief Giadom, an administrator with sterling and scarce qualities, whose imprints in the road constriction revolution of Rivers State when he held sway as one of the best Commissioners of Works ever in Rivers State during the golden regime of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, will drive the party to higher grounds within the period he will man it’s affairs.
According to Chief Eze, It was Chief ‘Giadom, who stood against all the Unwholesome plots of Governor Nyesom Wike during the 2015 general elections in Rivers State, as the Director General of the Campaign Organisation of the then Rivers APC Governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Petetside.
It surprises me when some fellows who do not know the political background of this respected and feared political strategist from Rivers State, make unguarded comments on his person, especially his capacity to administer a party as large as APC.
Haven taken firm control of the structure of the APC at the national level, I wish to remind him of the huge responsibility laid on his shoulder and encourage him to do everything humanly possible to reposition the party to withstand the deadly plots of PDP to take over power come 2023.
“I challenge Giadom to do his best and work with staffers of the party, relevant organs and particularly, President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the ultimate leader and father of the party; the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee, Governors Forum of the party including the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, to rediscover the rationale behind our taking over of power from the PDP in 2015”, Eze stressed.
He further counselled Giadom to avoid the unfortunate mistakes of Adams Oshiomhole, who thought that a political party is a labour union, where noisemaking is a norm.
Eze went further to state that Giadom should should that his coming at this point in time of APC’s History is crucial and urgent.
1, He should set the enabling Environment for healing of frayed nerves in the party.
2, He should also Take inventory of Those shortcomings that tended to diminish internal democracy in The running of The party.
3, He should reach out to aggrieved party men and document their grievances for necessary action.
4, He should itemise The essential ingredients of change, Which were The founding principles of APC.
As a type of John The baptist He has been positioned by situation and circumstances to clear The way for a new national chairman that would guide The party with honesty, humility and inclusion.
Eze cautioned Adams Oshiomhole to warn his boys who are threatening to sabotage the 17th March scheduled NEC Meeting, because the period of madness and bravado in politics is gone with his ouster as the national chairman of our great party.
In the same vein, Chief Eze, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for respecting the general opinion of the greater number of members of the APC, by approving and sanctioning the 17th March NEC meeting. This, he described as a wonderful development which will usher in a new Ag. National Chairman for the party pending the convocation of a National Congress where a Substantive National Chairman will be duly elected to reconcile and unite the members so as to allow for brainstorming on how to recover the States that Oshiomhole’s chairmanship freely gave to the opposition People’s Democratic Party.
Eze warned that on no account should Adams be retained as Chairman of the APC if the party must survive beyond 2023.
Following ongoing reports that the Kano State Government was behind the banishment of deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, the attorney-general of Kano State, Ibrahim Muktar has denied the report circulating in the media.
This was disclosed by the attorney general of Kano state on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television ‘Sunrise Daily’ programme.
Muktar said that the banishment of Sanusi was not part of the decision of the Kano State Government.
He also stated that Sanusi was not removed because of the corruption probe but strictly because of insubordination.
He said, “If you listen to the Secretary to the State Government when he was addressing the press on the issue of the removal of the emir from office, there was nowhere he stated that the emir was banished from Kano State.
“So, the decision of the government when the emir was removed on Monday was that he was removed from office and a new one appointed. The issue of banishment was not part of the decision of the Kano State Government.
“We have been hearing from the media that he has been banished but what I know is that he was taken out of Kano State but banishment was not part of our decision. There is no such decision to the best of my knowledge.”
He said, “The state government has not taken the law into its hands. Let me explain that the decision to remove the emir from office is administrative and was not based on the issues pending before the court. All the issues pending before the court have not to do with the removal of the emir or the dethronement.”
“No decision on that actually. I cannot pre-empt the position of the government on whether investigation will stop or will continue. I cannot say as of now.”
I woke up this morning and after my morning exercise, devotion and my morning meeting with my staff, I heard the sad and the good news of your removal by the Executive Council of the Kano State Government.
“It is sad because it was underserved. It is good because you have paid the price. My prayer is that God should give you the fortitude and the courage to continue on the path that you have chosen for yourself in the best interest of our country and humanity.
Please accept, Your Royal Highness, the assurances of my highest consideration.
A photo of the incumbent governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha crying following the Supreme Court Judgement today, has emerged online.
The Supreme Court declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Hope Uzodimma as governor of Imo State.
Recall that Action Alliance’s governorship candidate in the March 9, 2019 governorship election in Imo State, Mr Uche Nwosu had earlier today withdrawn the appeal he filed against the election of Governor Emeka Ihedioha.
The seven-man panel of the Supreme Court in a unanimous decision held that Ihedioha did not win the majority of votes cast at the March 9 governorship election.
In the Judgment delivered by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Ihedioha and issued a fresh Certificate of Return to the candidate of the APC having won the majority of lawful votes cast at the election.
The court held that the lower courts erred in law when it were rejected evidence tendered before them to the extent that votes from 388 polling units were not credited to the APC and Hope Uzodinma.
Libyans are severely suffering since the removal of the former leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi by an allied force led by Britain under David Cameron, and the United States of America under Barack Obama.
Five years after the invasion that dethroned him, life in Libya has become that of pain, anguish, and regrets. The majority of the populace says that life is better under the late leader. Currently, the people are living under anarchy and ISIS threat with normalcy far from being restored.
Today, the once-prosperous African county is crippled by power black-out, inflation and lack of payment of Salary by west backed Government.
Many people who took up arms against the Former leader after the propaganda war waged against the dictator. Most of them are now wishing that the clock can be unwound back. The current state of Libya makes it impossible for citizens to come out at night because of insecurity which is caused by many arms groups created by power vacuum left after the removal and execution of Muammar Gaddafi.
One of those who fought against him confessed and said,“I joined the revolution in the first days and fought against Gaddafi,” former revolutionary fighter Mohammed, 31, said from the southern city of Murzuq.
Libyans today confirmed to the politicians’ as UK House of Common condemned former UK Prime Minister David Cameron and his Labour party. They accused him of an obsession for regime change in Libya. Today Libyans are battling to survive as findings show.”
Ordinary people now face daily electricity cuts of up to nine hours, a serious cash crisis, which prevents them from accessing their salaries, sky-high prices for essential goods and shortages of medical supplies. Unlike what is obtainable during the Gaddafi era.Currently, there is widespread corruption prompted the black-market rate for foreign corruption which has triple against the increasingly worthless Libyan dinar.
Another Libyan businessman named Nuri, 34, who hails from Tripoli added, “It’s not so much about being pro-Gaddafi because he was a crazy leader who was actually quite embarrassing internationally.
“It’s just that people’s lives are so difficult now compared to under Gaddafi. It has become so bad that some Libyans, who were among the richest in the Arab World are considering fleeing to Europe on migrant boats with the aim of starting a new life in Europe”.
Another young Libyan, a Medical student Salem who is 26, from Tripoli, said, “We thought things would be better after the revolution, but they just keep getting worse and worse.
“Far more people have been killed since 2011 than during the revolution or under 42 years of Gaddafi’s rule combined. We never had these problems under Gaddafi.
“There was always money and electricity and, although people did not have large salaries, everything was cheap, so life was simple.
“Some of my friends have even taken the boat to Europe with the migrants because they feel there is no future for them here. “I would like to escape this mess and study abroad but I have been waiting a year for a new passport and, even when I do get one, it will be hard to get a visa because all the embassies left in 2014.
“So now I feel like a prisoner in my own country. And I have started to hate my own country,” he concluded.
According to an ex-pat British housewife, who moved to Libya with her Libyan husband 20 years ago, says it is no longer safe to go out at night.
Another, Sara, 50, a mother-of-one said, “I used to walk home alone at midnight with no fear.“But now I don’t like to go outside alone after dark. I don’t feel safe.”
As well as a lack of security, the very fabric of Libyan society has broken down with provinces, towns, and tribes retreating into themselves.
Tebu Mohammed said, “Libya died with Gaddafi. We are not a nation anymore. We have become just warring groups of tribes, towns and cities.
“Before there was just one Gaddafi but now we have six million little Gaddafis.”
Successive post-revolutionary governments, parliaments, and leaders have all failed to provide ordinary Libyans with basic security, let alone address their daily struggles.
“We have had seven governments since 2011 and what have they achieved?” asked Mahmoud.
“The only thing we can see is new dustbins because one of the early governments installed these new large bins across Tripoli. We still point to them and laugh, saying it’s the only achievement of the revolution.”
With two rival governments, a democratically-elected one now operating beyond its mandate in eastern Libya, and the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, some say Libya is already on the verge of partition.
“The country is already divided. We have two governments, two parliaments, two Central banks, and two National Oil Companies,” said former Libyan diplomat Abdusalem, 48.
“The so-called revolution was lies, all lies. We Libyans did not even know what the word revolution meant. We had been sheltered under Gaddafi for 42 years.
“It was not Libya’s revolution, it was NATO’s revolution because they wanted to get rid of Gaddafi.
Riots have broken out at banks as people are forced to queue for hours in the stifling heat at banks to withdraw a restricted amount of money. Bank security guards shot and killed three people in a bank queue in May this year.
The price of basic goods, including imports, have gone through the roof as shipping company insurers have classified Libya as a war zone.And food subsidies have been cut.
Fadiel, from Ras Lanuf, said, “(Under the Gaddafi regime) You could buy 20 loaves with one dinar but now you can only buy five, and they are smaller. Cooking oil was subsidised under Gaddafi and cost 1,75 dinar per 1 liter but because of shortages, some businessmen buy it from warehouses and resell it for 5 Libyan dinar. Bread and oil are the most basic commodities.”
“Hospitals are running out of basic medicines, for epilepsy and diabetes, and people are now buying them from private pharmacies at double their previous prices. And we are struggling to get our children vaccinated because of shortages, particularly in rural areas”, he added.
As their dreams of a prosperous post-Gaddafi Libya lay in the dust, most people say now they only want peace.
One said, “I cannot see how there will be peace in this country for another 10 years, but peace and stability is all that ordinary Libyans want.”
Years on from Britain’s ‘ill-conceived’ military intervention to dispose of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, ordinary people in Libya say life was better under the European labeled despot than the anarchy and threat of ISIS in the country today. Crippled by power black-outs, a five-fold increase in the cost of food, salaries unpaid for months and the threat of terror, citizens who took up arms against Gaddafi now say their quality of life was better under the feared dictator.
Many who fought against Gaddafi are today regretting.
“I joined the revolution when it started and fought against Gaddafi,” former revolutionary fighter Mohammed, 31, said from the southern city of Murzuq.
Another Libyan said “Before 2011, I hated Gaddafi more than anyone. But now, life is much, much harder, and I have become his biggest fan.”
Taxi driver Mahmoud added, “Before Libya was much better.”
41 years old Oil worker Haroun, said, “Getting rid of Gaddafi was clearly a mistake because we weren’t ready for democracy and we needed support from the international community, which just wasn’t there.”
A Libyan activist Fadiel added, “It should be better than Gaddafi’s time now but, because of the chaos and everyone fighting each other, it’s just a mess.”
They claim his execution has led to a power vacuum that has created ‘six million little Gaddafis’ and they no longer feel safe to leave their homes after dark.
Amidst the chaos and lack of security, 8000 African migrants a day cross the border into Libya and live along its coastline waiting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
Their comments echo the findings of influential British politicians who have condemned former Prime Minister David Cameron’s ‘chaotic’ 2011 intervention in Libya.
In a devastating verdict, the House of Commons foreign affairs committee this week savaged former prime minister David Cameron’s judgment in rushing to war – and said the intervention was based on ‘erroneous assumptions’.
The United Nations special envoy to Libya warned that there are some 235,000 migrants on the country’s shore’s preparing to make the dangerous Mediterranean Sea crossing to Italy. “We have on our lists 235,000 migrants who are just waiting for a good opportunity to depart for Italy, and they will do it.”
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Chevron branch has called for the removal of the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Chevron Mr Jeff Ewing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there is an ongoing protest in all Chevron facilities across the country.
They said that the protest was to express their lack of no confidence with the leadership of the CMD.
According to them, he should be removed and never be reassigned to another office for his lack of integrity.
Nairaland / General / Lokoja Tanker Explosion: Pupil, 9 Others Dead (Viewers Discretion) by Babtech001: 12:21pm On Sep 23, 2020