Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo has announced plans to construct more than 90 hospitals to beef ’s health system in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

According to the president, the pandemic has exposed the weakness in the country's health system following years of under investment.

But critics have questioned how the government intends to pay for its plans.

In a televised address to the nation, Mr Akufo-Addo said that there will be 88 new district hospitals, six regional hospitals and three infectious disease centres. They will be built in coastal, central and northern Ghana.

The majority of health facilities in the country are poorly resourced and many parts of the Ghana do not have hospitals at all.

According to the World Health Organization, there are currently around nine hospital beds for every 10,000 Ghanaians.

The economy was projected to grow by 6.8% this year, but forecasters have revised that figure downwards, to 1.5%, after the impact of the pandemic was taken into account.

Given the poor economic outlook many have therefore questioned how the government plans to build the health facilities.

Some Ghanaians have also criticised the government for abandoning hospital building projects started under the previous government.

Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has said that the government will in July submit to parliament a proposal for the ambitious building project.

Ghana has now extended the ban on public gatherings by two more weeks. Schools are still closed and the country’s borders remain shut to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Mathematical:


Lalasticlala please let's do this for our country man

Moderators: semid4lyfe, honeric01)

The resumption of Nigeria's domestic league has been postponed indefinitely amid a leadership crisis currently rocking the country's football.

Chris Giwa, founder of a rival faction in the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), armed with a court ruling from 2014, is now claiming to control the governing body.

His assertion comes despite serving a ban imposed by football's world governing body Fifa, who recognise Amaju Pinnick as NFF president.


Domestic football was due to resume on 18 July after taking a break while the World Cup took place.

However the League Management Company (LMC) has postponed the resumption of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) indefinitely.

"The decision is based on the current adverse circumstances in the administration of football in the country as a result of which sponsors, partners and service providers have expressed strong concerns and are reviewing their involvement in the league," the LMC said in a statement.

Officials have announced that "organizing matches of the NPFL under the current circumstances might cause irreversible damage to the League brand".

The current saga, which has led to Fifa president Gianni Infantino warning Nigeria to respect the Fifa recognised board or face suspension, is a story four years in the making.

Giwa has insisted since August 2014 that he was elected NFF president in a disputed vote that was not recognised by Fifa.

Fifa threatened to ban the country from international competition if Giwa did not step down, and at the end of September the NFF elected Amaju Pinnick as its new president.

Yet Giwa has consistently put up a legal challenge against Pinnick, whose NFF board's tenure will expire at the end of September.

semid4lyfe, honeric01
lalasticlala

ABA—OPPOSITION political parties in Abia state have accused the government of deliberately imposing exorbitant fees on installation of political campaign billboards across the seventeen local government areas of the state. They said it is a ploy to discourage campaign activities of opposition in the state. The Abia State government had through the state Signage and Advertisement Agency, ABSAA, imposed the sum of N10 million for Governorship, N6 million for the Senate, N3 million for the House of Representatives and N1.5 million for the State House of Assembly before any political bill board could be placed in any part of the state. Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu But the opposition in the state said the fees were deliberately fixed to exploit them and give undue advantage to the ruling political party which has unhindered access to the placement of adverts and billboards across the state. Mr. James Uba, a media consultant and a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state accused the state government of “exploitation, extortion and deliberate act to whittle the opposition.” But the General Manager of ABSSA, Mr Gan Alozie told Vanguard that the law was not targeted at the opposition, stating that the agency had removed many unlawful advert billboards including that of the ruling PDP . He added that the law was not peculiar to the state alone or targeted anyone or group.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/07/opposition-accuses-abia-govt-of-exploitation-on-billboards/

Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli's notebook reveals tactical work ahead of Nigeria clash... just days after England lineup for Panama is leaked
Jorge Sampaoli has inadvertently revealed Argentina's tactical work on the training ground ahead of their critical World Cup showdown with Nigeria next week.Just days after England assistant Steve Holland seemingly leaked their lineup for Sunday's clash with Panama, the South American side almost followed suit.

But instead of revealing the XI for the must-win clash in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday, Sampaoli's notebook shows detailed plans from their training camp.The scribbles on the notebook show two seven-a-side teams lining up against each other in a knockabout in training, with two players, including Lionel Messi, seemingly on substitute rotation.

Argentine daily sports magazine Ole also published the pictures, which give a possible indication as to Sampaoli's plans for the do-or-die clash with Nigeria.

Having taken just one point from their opening two games, the South American side were on the brink of elimination after a 3-0 loss to Croatia.

Nigeria's win over Iceland on Friday has given them a lifeline, however. If they can beat the African outfit and Croatia avoid defeat by Iceland, Sampaoli's side will make it through to the last-16.

Jorge Sampaoli's notebook shows a seven-a-side match during training session
Argentina coach's tactical plans could be an insight into his starting lineup
South American giants must beat Nigeria if they are to reach the last-16 in Russia
Jorge Sampaoli has inadvertently revealed Argentina's tactical work on the training ground ahead of their critical World Cup showdown with Nigeria next week.

Just days after England assistant Steve Holland seemingly leaked their lineup for Sunday's clash with Panama, the South American side almost followed suit.

But instead of revealing the XI for the must-win clash in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday, Sampaoli's notebook shows detailed plans from their training

The scribbles on the notebook show two seven-a-side teams lining up against each other in a knockabout in training, with two players, including Lionel Messi, seemingly on substitute rotation.

Argentine daily sports magazine Ole also published the pictures, which give a possible indication as to Sampaoli's plans for the do-or-die clash with Nigeria.

Having taken just one point from their opening two games, the South American side were on the brink of elimination after a 3-0 loss to Croatia.

Nigeria's win over Iceland on Friday has given them a lifeline, however. If they can beat the African outfit and Croatia avoid defeat by Iceland, Sampaoli's side will make it through to the last-16.


Sampaoli's side must beat Nigeria in their final group game if they are to make the last-16

The Argentina manager studies his notebook during Saturday's training session in Bronnitsy
Steve Holland's notepad appeared to show England's starting line-up to play Panama
Steve Holland's notepad appeared to show England's starting line-up to play Panama
Marcus Rashford appears to be in line to start ahead of Raheem Sterling against Panama
Marcus Rashford appears to be in line to start ahead of Raheem Sterling against Panama
ARGENTINA SEVEN-A-SIDE TEAMS
TEAM ONE

Cristian Ansaldi

Federico Fazio

Giovani Lo Celso

Maximiliano Meza

Paulo Dybala

Christian Pavon

Sergio Aguero

TEAM TWO

Eduardo Salvio

Marcos Rojo

Nicolas Tagliafico

Javier Mascherano

Angel Di Maria

Gonzalo Higuain

Enzo Perez

This incident comes in the wake of the fallout following England's leaked 'lineup' for their second Group G match with Panama on Sunday.

Gareth Southgate's assistant Holland was pictured at an open training session carrying what appeared to be the starting XI.

Holland apologised to the players for his mistake before training on Friday.

During a training session in Repino on Thursday, which photographers and reporters were permitted to attend, the assistant coach — who is normally the driving force behind trying to keep England's team a secret — was photographed with a notepad that appeared to detail the line-up.

But despite his assistant's blunder, Southgate has rebuked sections of the media for publishing the photographs.

'Obviously any time, if we were to give the opposition the opportunity of having our team it's a disadvantage to us. So of course our media has to decide if they want to help the team or not,' he said.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5877263/Argentina-coach-Jorge-Sampaolis-notebook-reveals-tactical-work-ahead-Nigeria.html?ito=social-facebook

Top officials working for Kenya's government must undergo a lie detector test as part of a corruption crackdown, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.
Mr Kenyatta said the test, which would determine employee "integrity", was just one part of a raft of planned measures to deal with the problem.
He was speaking after it was revealed 8bn Kenyan shillings (£59m; $78m) had gone missing from a government agency.
Some 40 civil servants are facing charges over the alleged theft.
Is Kenya serious about tackling corruption?

The corruption scandal, which was brought to light by suppliers who had not been paid, saw funds allegedly stolen via the National Youth Service (NYS) through fake invoices and multiple payments.
The investigation into the NYS - a key part of Mr Kenyatta's plan to address youth unemployment - is seen as a blow to the president's pledge to stamp out corruption, made when first elected in 2013.
Mr Kenyatta's speech appears to be an attempt to get ahead of the problem.
Journalists wait outside the Director of Criminal Investigation headquarters, following the arrest of the head of the National Youth Service, Richard Ndubai, along with an unspecified number of officials over corruption,

The multi-million dollar scandal was brought to light by suppliers who had not been paid
Speaking to crowds gathered to celebrate 55 years since Kenya attained internal self-rule, he said Kenya had to eliminate "corruption in our country before it fully destroys us and the future of our children".
"Let me now mention just one part of a raft of measures that we intend to implement to tackle corruption," he said.
"As an initial step, all heads of procurement and accounts in government ministries, departments [and] agencies... will undergo fresh vetting, including polygraph testing to determine their integrity and suitability.
"Those who fail the vetting will stand suspended."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-44328943?ocid=socialflow_facebook

The Nike website is showing the home, away and training kits are all sold out
The new Nigeria home kit to be worn at the World Cup 2018 in Russia was sold out minutes after its release on Friday morning as hundreds of fans queued outside London’s NikeTown store in Oxford Street.

The kit, modelled by Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi amongst others, has been hailed as the best kit of all of those to be seen in Russia this summer, with Nike having to push the release date back earlier this week due to such high demand.

Nike had already received three million pre-order for the shirt before it officially went on sale on Friday.

And the demand is so high that the kit sold out in minutes and is now unavailable to buy on the Nike website.

The away kit is also now sold out, along with the training kit, which has a similar design to the home kit, two different types of training jackets and floral joggers.

The shirt alone is priced by Nike at £64.95 and will likely be seen for the first time in action on Saturday evening when Nigeria face England at Wembley in the first of their World Cup qualifiers.
The kit was deliberately one of the last released for the World Cup, with the Nigeria Football Federation attempting to avoid the spread of fake replicas throughout the country. 


https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/nigeria-home-kit-shirt-nike-website-sold-out-away-price-shopping-where-buy-it-a8378711.html

semid4lyfe, honeric01

Nike receive over three million orders for Nigeria's World Cup shirt despite it not being released until next week
Demand for Nigeria's World Cup 2018 kit has dramatically increased Orders are said to have gone over 3,000,000 ahead of the kit going on sale The home and away kit were unveiled at a launch earlier this year in February The Super Eagles' kit is meant to pay homage to their USA 1994 campaign 
Nike have received over 3,000,000 orders for Nigeria's World Cup 2018 shirt despite the jersey not being officially on sale until next week.
Demand for the country's home and away kit increased following its unveiling at a launch in February. 

The kit isn't available to buy for another six days but that hasn't stopped fans wanting to place their order in advance. 
The Super Eagles' new home and away kit is meant to pay homage to their USA 1994 campaign.

The home shirt features a bright green-and-white zig-zag pattern spreading across the torso and the contrasting sleeves.

Nigeria's away shirt for the Russia World Cup is more understated and closer in resemblance to their more recent shirts with an all-over dark green design.

The kit manufacturers Nike said they wanted to 'tap into the attitude of the nation' with the design and aimed to build the kit based on the identities of the players.

Nike's Nigeria shirts are part of a collection which features Fast Fit Vapotknit technology to aide the athlete's performance.


Nigeria's 2018 kit pays homage to the shirt worn at USA 1994 - the west African nation's debut on the World Cup stage.

The shirts were launched with the help of Premier League trio Wilfied Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho as well as ex-Chelsea midfielder Jon Obi Mikel.

'I grew up in England, but Nigeria is my homeland,' Arsenal star Iwobi told Nike's official website. 

'When I scored that goal, the players were dancing, the fans were playing trumpets and bringing drums... there was just so much passion and energy.

'It is always an honour to wear the white and green. To compete this summer is not just our dream, it is also the dream of our fans.

Demand for Nigeria's World Cup 2018 kit has dramatically increased Orders are said to have gone over 3,000,000 ahead of the kit going on sale The home and away kit were unveiled at a launch earlier this year in February The Super Eagles' kit is meant to pay homage to their USA 1994 campaign 
The new kit is meant to pay homage to the one the Super Eagles played in at USA 1994

The home shirt features a bright green-and-white zig-zag pattern spreading across the torso and the contrasting sleeves.

Nigeria's away shirt for the Russia World Cup is more understated and closer in resemblance to their more recent shirts with an all-over dark green design.

The kit manufacturers Nike said they wanted to 'tap into the attitude of the nation' with the design and aimed to build the kit based on the identities of the players.

Nike's Nigeria shirts are part of a collection which features Fast Fit Vapotknit technology to aide the athlete's performance.
Arsenal's Alex Iwobi modelling the home shirt

Ex-Chelsea midfielder Jon Obi Mikel sporting the away shirt

The shirts were launched with the help of Premier League trio Wilfied Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho as well as ex-Chelsea midfielder Jon Obi Mikel.

'I grew up in England, but Nigeria is my homeland,' Arsenal star Iwobi told Nike's official website. 

'When I scored that goal, the players were dancing, the fans were playing trumpets and bringing drums... there was just so much passion and energy.

'It is always an honour to wear the white and green. To compete this summer is not just our dream, it is also the dream of our fans. Together, we all represent Naija.' 

Leicester midfielder Wilfried Ndidi will be one of Nigeria's key players at the 2018 World Cup

The shirt is founded on the concept of 'Naija' - which means future-focused optimism and encourages the new generation of Nigerians to celebrate their country's rich history and culture.

Nigeria have been drawn into Group D at the 2018 World Cup in Russia alongside Argentina, Croatia and Iceland.

The Super Eagles have never advanced past the round of 16 at the World Cup having reached the knockout stages three times in their history - in 1994, 1998 and 2014.

Iwobi scored the only goal of the game against Zambia in October as Nigeria became the first African nation to book their place in Russia.

The Super Eagles are joined by Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia and Egypt in flying the flag for Africa at the 2018 World Cup.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5763533/Nike-receive-three-million-orders-Nigerias-World-Cup-shirt.html

Big question

Who Would you prefer to be Nigeria next president form this candidates that have shown interest come 2019?

The Publisher of the popular news website, Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has thrown his hat into Nigeria’s political ring. He is now gearing up to run in the country’s forthcoming presidential election in 2019. 

In this interview with Editor-in-Chief Musikilu Mojeed, Mr. Sowore explains why he is joining politics, how he will defeat President Muhammadu Buhari, how he will run Nigeria if elected, and what he will do with Sahara Reporters once he becomes president.

PT: You have indicated you might run for president in the 2019 election. Why are you crossing into partisan politics? 

SOWORE: I’ve always been in the forefront of the agitation and struggle to move Nigeria forward – first as a student and youth activist during military regimes. Since 1999, my focus has been on improving and sanitizing the democratic space. This is a natural progression of my commitment to moving Nigeria forward. This will not be politics as usual. I have always been a part of the movement to move Nigeria forward. I have always played a leading role in that movement. 

This is a movement. It will be the largest mobilization of Nigeria’s ignored and dispossessed people. It will be the most direct engagement of a people in their own political future. I’ve always offered Nigerians a platform for amplifying their concerns and dreams for Nigeria. I am continuing that struggle. Yes – we will be part of a coalition of parties. These will all be progressive parties – committed to nothing other than the advancement of the Nigerian nation. It is Nigeria’s moment to see revolutionary politics in action!

PT: Are you not abandoning activism that way?

SOWORE: Activism is simply advancing a pro-people agenda. For too long we have focused on using borrowed voices in the political realm while we’ve focused on creating awareness. That has failed. Since 1999 – the progressive movement has been disappointed by the actions and inactions of those we have left to handle the affairs of Nigeria while we reduced ourselves to election monitors, NGO leaders, and street protesters. 

In the course of doing these, we have inadvertently supported some of the cruelest and mediocre to occupy political power. Sometimes the most revolutionary thing to do is to get into the ring. Obama was an activist who became president. Mandela was an activist who became president. Everyone will agree that their principled commitment to struggle continued even when they were in office. So it is possible to stay committed to an activist agenda even when in office.

PT: Are you saying Buhari has failed and not worthy of being re-elected?

SOWORE: Just a little over a week ago – over 100 young girls were taken by Boko Haram in Dapchi. Buhari’s appeal was supposed to be a tough stance against corruption and an ability to address the security crises posed by Boko Haram. No single major victory has been notched in the anti-corruption fight. Boko Haram is still alive and kicking. And the president’s inaction and lack of leadership are causing the herdsmen-farmers conflicts to take on an even more dangerous dimension. The Nigerian state is in shambles.

PT: Election is less than a year away. Are you still holed up in your base in New York? When are you going to find a party and then mobilize support for your candidacy?

SOWORE: I think it is incontrovertible that in and out of Nigeria, I have been an effective contributor to the struggle for the advancement of good governance in Nigeria. The efforts to mobilize progressives and to form a coalition of progressive parties and organizations is underway. I am using my time in the U.S. to mobilize diaspora Nigerians. This weekend, for instance, I will be holding a town hall in Maryland with Nigerians. I am also spending a great deal of my time meeting with my strategy and policy teams – members of whom include some really accomplished Nigerians. Unknown to many I have been on the ground Nigeria in the last two months.The work goes on. I will certainly be spending more time on the ground in Nigeria.

PT: Prosecuting election in Nigeria is known to cost several billions of naira. Where will you find the resources for this project?

SOWORE: Elections are always expensive – that’s true. However what is also true is that monies spent in Nigerian politics are not mainly focused on political mobilization or electioneering campaigns and organization. As a political movement for true change, we will not be spending money on buying votes or distributing rice to the electorate. Our monetary needs will be greatly reduced. We will be sourcing funds directly from the Nigerian people. Nigerians have demonstrated a capacity to devote their resources to projects that they believe in. The recent team that represented Nigeria in bobsledding at the Winter Olympics raised almost $200,000 – a lot of it from Nigerians. We are already seeing and receiving commitments for support. Our approach will revolutionize the way politics is funded in Nigeria. There is also a lot of support that is coming in the form of goodwill donations. For instance – I’ll be in Maryland this weekend at a town hall. A group of concerned Nigerians are funding that event. We also have something that counts for a lot – an army of technology savvy supporters and media platforms that will amplify our voice to the Nigerian people. 

Barack Obama raised millions of dollars from Nigerians in the US alone in 2008/2009 and subsequently after. 100,000 Nigerian contributing $200 per person can help fund a clean election devoid of dirty money. With that, we can win the presidency and bring them back a lot of change!

PT: You are from the south of Nigeria. There are those saying you should wait until 2023 when Buhari or any other northerner would have completed the North’s turn of leadership rotation? What do you say to that?

SOWORE: Where has our “Turn – by – Turn” politics gotten us? I’m a firm believer that when it comes to the life of a nation – all sentiments must be set aside and only the most capable hands should be employed to manage the affairs of Nigerians. If I believed in Buhari’s ability to lead NIGERIA, I would have supported him. When Jonathan – a Southerner like me was in office, I had a principled opposition to the way he was running Nigeria. It was Albert Einstein that said, “it is madness to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome.” Nigeria has a unique opportunity in 2019 to elevate competence over tribalism, elevate character over dishonesty, principle over indecisiveness. I’m sure when the dust clears there will be candidates from across Nigeria expressing an interest in the presidency. Let Nigerians decide who should lead them.

Our patriots from across Nigeria won’t bother about zoning when they realize the person running the country is completely detribalized and doesn’t treat anyone different because of their tribe, religion, creed, and class. We have had it all. Mediocrity hiding behind zoning and a wicked, selfish sense of entitlement. The only thing zoning does is empower political actors to enrich themselves and plug their friends and cronies in the position of authority to steal, kill and destroy. For the rest of us north or south, we are zoned to misery.

PT: Recently Garba Shehu, a spokesperson to the president, said Buhari’s followership in Kano and across Nigeria is so huge and phenomenal that it has to be studied by political scientists. How can you defeat such a man in 2019?

SOWORE: Buhari’s followership is large – but remember that it took four tries and an alliance with the South-West and with progressive democratic forces before he was able to become president. We are all witnesses to the unprecedented set of circumstances that saw an incumbent president defeated at the polls. If there is anything we have learned in the last few years, it is the fact that the Nigerian electorate has become impatient with purposeless leadership. My candidacy is generating significant interest across Nigeria, especially amongst the youth. The youth demographic is the largest single voting block. The coalition of progressives, youths and previously disenfranchised Nigerians that we are building will be a force to reckon with. I have been in the business of building movements since my time as a student activist in the late 80s and early 90s. I am confident that we will be able to build a broad coalition of Nigerians committed to taking their country back and setting it firmly on a path to prosperity and unprecedented progress.

PT: What will you do differently if elected president of Nigeria?

SOWORE: Nigeria struggles because past presidents have had three major issues. Firstly, there is an abject absence of a clear vision as to where the country should be headed. Where should Nigeria be in the next five, 10 or even 50 years? Where are the national plans that map out the country’s vision and the paths to their actualization aside from the propaganda we see on NTA? Today, we are impressed by China’s sustained growth, but since 1953 China has produced a series of 5-year plans that has guided their growth. Now they are on their 13th five-year plan (2016-2020). With that China became the most powerful and prosperous nation on earth using its populace as its best resource. China solved its housing crisis and even now boast of unoccupied apartments in “ghost cities” built in the last 10 years. China built one of the fastest rail services with an amount of money equivalent to the sums stolen during the oil imports scam. Same goes for the UAE. Dubai was built into the architectural marvel that is now a magnet to Nigeria’s thieving elites. I will be instituting a series of four-year plans to overlap with Nigeria’s political tenure system that will chart our path to growth and progress. Secondly, even where a clear vision might exist, nepotism, tribalism, and favoritism has robbed us of the service of our best people. I am a completely detribalized Nigerian. My antecedents are that of an activist that has worked to build alliances and networks across this nation over the last 30 years. 

I understand first hand the value of having competent and capable people in the right positions. I’ve created a world-class media company in the last 12 years and taught in a private college for eight years helping to mold some of America’s greatest minds.

Thirdly, corruption has crippled us as a nation. Where past presidents have been slow in tackling this issue and sometimes even complicit through their actions or inactions in promoting corruption, I will be decisive in dealing with this cancer that has ravaged the Nigerian nation.

PT: You are a long-term activist and indeed a very popular figure across Nigeria. But Gani Fawehinmi was an activist who served Nigerians all his life. He made to be president in 2003 but the same people he served for almost his entire life abandoned him at the polls. Are you not worried you might get a similar treatment?

SOWORE: Gani was, as you said, a household name across Nigeria. The reality was that in 2003, there was still some hope and expectation by the Nigerian people that the status quo political system would be able to lead Niferia to progress and growth. It is now clear that those largely naive aspirations were ill-founded. After numerous failed governments, Nigerians have demonstrated that they are ready to try new concepts and ideas and to go beyond the status quo in seeking solutions. That led them to pick a south-south Ijaw man as president in 2011 and in electing an opposition candidate who had failed to win the presidency three times before, in 2015. Gani came before his time. Also, there are other factors now present in our current political reality. For example, the power of social media helping young people to engage and interact, the power of technology to help change election outcomes, an accuracy of results, real-time reporting and capture of results. 

It is also important to state that elections in 2003 and beyond under Obasanjo and the Peoples Democratic Party were not worthy to be referred to as credible elections. For instance, just imagine if Nigerians seized the opportunity offered by Gani in 2003 and thus elected him over an Olusegun Obasanjo, just imagine where will be today. Imagine, an Obafemi Awolowo or Aminu Kano over a Shehu Shagari. There is an appetite by the Nigerian people for candidates with character, and a proven and demonstrable track record of being able to drive for real change. The APC has failed Nigerians in this area. The movement we are building will be offering revolutionary change.

PT: On the platform of which political party are you planning to run?

SOWORE: That is something we are working on. We are currently in discussions with progressive groups and parties, the goal is to have a broad coalition of progressive parties that could lend their structures and ideologies to defeat the old order. When the time is right we will be announcing what party platforms that will be utilized.

PT: You have spent over 12 years of your life building SaharaReporters into a formidable news and anti-corruption platform? What becomes of the website now that you are crossing into partisan politics?

SOWORE: Sahara Reporters will continue to speak truth to power. The platform is more than just Sowore. When I win the presidency, I will be turning over all of my assets to a blind trust that will run it. Sahara Reporters will continue to be run by independent-minded citizen activists. Even now, the website is managed by several others who have been groomed and schooled in the founding traditions of the website. That is what Sahara Reporters is and that is how it will remain. SaharaReporters is driven by its ever loyal readers and users!

PT: Thank you very much for speaking to us.

SOWORE: Thank you very much too for interviewing me.

The Federal Government ( FG ) would soon start a one year internship programme for education graduates to improve teaching quality in the country.

Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, Registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria ( TRCN ) disclosed this during a meeting with stakeholders from the North Central zone in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ajiboye said this was part of the proposals put forwards at the special Federal Executive Council meeting on education on Monday.

“Part of the things we are trying to look at in the Federal Ministry of Education, which the minister is proposing, is that we are going to have a one year internship programme for teachers.

“If you can have houseman ship for medical doctors, why not a one year internship programme for would-be teachers.

“So when they finish from the internship programmes they can be registered as professional teachers.

“Also, there is a proposal to reintroduce bursary award for those who are reading education courses in colleges of education and the universities to make sure we are able to attract best brains to teaching profession.

“The minister is also trying to propose that those who have education degree instead of starting them on grade level 8, they should be started on grade level 9 to make the job competitive and make the teachers feel confident about their profession.

Ajiboye said that the national assembly was amending the name of the council to encapsulate its mandate of regulation.

He said the council’s name may be changed to “Teachers Regulatory Council of Nigeria.’’

http://thenationonlineng.net/education-graduates-undergo-one-year-internship-soon-fg/

On 10 November 1977, exactly 40 years ago, Lesley Brown, who with husband John had been trying to conceive for nine years, fell pregnant after undergoing in-vitro fertilisation.

Nine months later, their daughter Louise was born - the first baby in the world born following IVF.


Dr Robert Edwards holds baby Louise Brown and gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe (R)
The first Irish IVF or test-tube baby was born at St James's Hospital in Dublin on 14 January 1986. Listen to a report from RTÉ Archives.

Last month, the Cabinet approved legislation to regulate assisted human reproduction.

It is the first time regulation has been approved in the area of assisted reproduction and will lead to financial aid for couples struggling to afford treatments such as IVF.

An estimated six million babies have been born around the world using IVF.

The technique was pioneered by British scientist Robert Edwards and his obstetrician colleague Patrick Steptoe.

On the 40th anniversary, the world's first "test tube baby" has said she hopes families who undergo cutting-edge fertility treatments - such as "three parent" babies - are not subject to the same harassment her family received after pioneering IVF.

Louise Brown's family received hate mail after she was born.


In an interview with the Press Association, Ms Brown said she is still subject to "cruel and ill-informed" comments online from time to time.

She added that she hopes people who undergo today's pioneering fertility treatments - such as mitochondrial replacement therapy - do not suffer the same barrage of negativity.

The world's first three-parent baby was born last year.

Abrahim Hassan, whose Jordanian mother was treated by a US team in Mexico, was conceived from an egg containing DNA from his mother and father, and a tiny amount of mitochondrial DNA from a third person - a female donor.

They said the aim was to prevent Abrahim inheriting defective mitochondria, rod-like batteries in cells, that could give him Leigh syndrome - a fatal nervous system disorder.

What is IVF?

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is probably the best-known technique for helping people with fertility problems have a baby.

During the process, an egg, or multiple eggs, are removed from a woman's ovary and fertilised with sperm in a laboratory.

The fertilised egg is then returned to the woman's womb to grow and develop.

It is most commonly used with couples who are having fertility problems.

Others who can use the technique include same-sex couples or single women.

Fertility problems can affect either men or women. In one in four cases, it is not possible to determine the cause.

https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2017/1110/918897-ivf-40th-anniversary/

UK is most corrupt country in the world, says mafia expert Roberto Saviano

'It’s not the bureaucracy, it’s not the police, it’s not the politics but what is corrupt is the financial capital'

Britain is the most corrupt country in the world, according to journalist Roberto Saviano, who spent more than a decade exposing the criminal dealings of the Italian Mafia.

Mr Saviano, who wrote the best-selling exposés Gomorrah and ZeroZeroZero, made the comments at the Hay Literary Festival. The 36-year-old has been living under police protection since publishing revelations about members of the Camorra, a powerful Neapolitan branch of the mafia, in 2006.

He told an audience at Hay-on-Wye: “If I asked you what is the most corrupt place on Earth you might tell me well it’s Afghanistan, maybe Greece, Nigeria, the South of Italy and I will tell you it’s the UK.
It’s not the bureaucracy, it’s not the police, it’s not the politics but what is corrupt is the financial capital. 90 per cent of the owners of capital in London have their headquarters offshore.

“Jersey and the Cayman’s are the access gates to criminal capital in Europe and the UK is the country that allows it. That is why it is important why it is so crucial for me to be here today and to talk to you because I want to tell you , this is about you, this is about your life, this is about your government.”
Prime minister David Cameron faced growing calls for the UK to reform the offshore tax havens operating on its own Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, as Britain hosted an Anti-Corruption Summit earlier this month.
The UK ranked 10th in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2015, which measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide.

Mr Saviano also weighed in on the EU referendum debate, arguing a vote to leave would make the UK even more exposed to the organised crime.
He said: “Leaving the EU means allowing this to take place. It means allowing the Qatari societies, the Mexican cartels, the Russian Mafia to gain even more power and HSBC has paid £2 billion Euros in fines to the US government, because it confessed that it had laundered money coming from the cartels and the Iranian companies. We have proof, we have evidence.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/roberto-saviano-britain-corrupt-mafia-hay-festival-a7054851.html

The Interior Minister, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) has warned that Nigeria would no longer tolerate delay in issuance of visa to its nationals from any country.The minister stated this on Monday in Abuja at a meeting with the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, to resolve some of the issues militating against visa issuance.The meeting also had in attendance, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandede.Dambazau said that the delay in the issue of visa to Nigerians was becoming an embarrassment and must be resolved.
“It is embarrassing that one will want visa and will have unnecessary delay from the issuance countries.We as a country needs to take our stand; we should deal with any country the way they deal with us on visa issuance. “They should not think that we need them more than they need us,” he said. Babandede, at the end of the meeting also corroborated Minister of Interior’s stand on the issue. He said: “What we are saying is that we as a country, we would also like to retaliate. “Anybody who delays visa for our nationals, we would also do the same as a country because we have a pride as a nation.” The Comptroller-General, however, said that Nigeria was committed to ensuring that business was done normally with friends of the country. “We are committed to issue visa on time and passport to our nationals wherever they are”. Earlier, Onyeama said that the meeting was to enhance ease of doing business in the country. He, however, noted that the nation was still having challenges regarding consular services. Onyeama said the parley was to see how in conjunction with sister ministries, the nation could find solutions to the challenges. “As part of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, the issue, as you know, some of the deliverables are there and it is for consular services that we also have to work hard together. “So, we have always felt that we should all try and be speaking to each other. “The Ministry of Interior, Immigration Services and ourselves, our embassies and missions and consulates are all working other one roof,” he said.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/10/fg-retaliate-visa-delay-nigerians/

Justice Binta Nyarko, head of the team of judges in charge of the Federal Government's efforts to prosecute suspected Boko Haram terrorists in detention across the country, has assurances that the suspects will enjoy fair hearing and the team's assignment will be speedily executed by the four syndicated courts handling the cases.

This was disclosed in a press statement issued by Mr. Salihu Othman Isah, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami. According to the statement issued on Monday, Justice Nyarko gave the assurances while addressing the maiden sitting of the courts at Wawa Military Cantonment, Kainji, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

She equally stated that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation should have invited the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to witness the proceedings. Justice Nyarko was quoted to have said the four judges to whom the cases have been assigned will exclusively focus on the cases for now and pledged that none of the suspects will face persecution during the trials.

“We are here to ensure that nobody is persecuted. We are here for prosecution and so we have come with open minds. We have been assigned to these cases and we have no other jobs for now.Though, this is not a regular set up of a court, however, we shall make do with what we have. I think the Federal Ministry of Justice should have invited the National Human Rights Commission to witness the proceedings here. I hope it will do so in subsequent ones. We shall be here till whatever time we close, even till 7pm every day until we dispense of the cases. So, let’s hit the ground running,” she
said.
Justice Nyarko, who operated from Court 1, began the sitting at 1.35pm after leading the team of judges, prosecutors from the Federal Ministry of Justice and the defence team from the Legal Aid Council on an inspection tour of the facility at about 12.30pm. After the visit, the judges headed to their respective chambers to prepare for the cases.

Justice Nyarko thanked everyone associated with the process, especially the military, for their contribution in ensuring that the trials take place. Earlier, Mrs. Nkiruka Jones-Nebo, leader of the Federal Government prosecutors and Head of Complex Case Work Group (CCWG) in the Department of Public Prosecution of the Federal Ministry of Justice, said the arraignment of the suspects is a major milestone. She thanked the judiciary for releasing the four judges to handle the trials.
Mrs. Jones-Nebo, who spoke on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mr. Muhammad Umar Etsu, also thanked the military authorities for keeping the detainees in their facilities in good condition.

“I trust that the Legal Aid Council is in tune with the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to see that the cases are not only expeditiously dispensed with, but be seen to be just and fair. We shall do a good job and we shall be seen to prosecute and not to persecute,” she said.

Mr. Achi Joseph Ayok, Director, Civil Justice at the Legal Aid Council, thanked the Attorney-General of the Federation for accommodating the council in the trial of the suspected terrorists. Mr. Ayok spoke on behalf of the Director-General, Legal Aid Council, Mrs. Joy Bob-Manuel.

The Deputy Commander of Giwa Project, Wawa Cantonment, Major E.B. Totoh, gave the total number of suspects in custody at the Giwa Facility as 1,669.

These, he said, include 1,631 adult males, 11 adult females, 26 male minors and one female minor.

The first day of the sitting closed at 7pm with about 13 cases heard.

http://saharareporters.com/2017/10/10/well-not-persecute-suspected-boko-terrorists-says-justice-binta-nyarko

The BlackBerry Motion has no physical keyboard and its battery life is enormous
It's official: The BlackBerry KEYone has a followup. BlackBerry Motion, launched Sunday at the GITEX event in Dubai, is a mid-range, 5.5-inch smartphone with no physical keyboard, a large 4,000mAh battery and IP67 water and dust resistance. 

We've already seen what the phone looks like thanks to a leak last week, and yes, that bottom bezel actually is that huge. 

But the Motion is likely not here to set design trends; it's a business phone and with its black/gunmetal color combo and the "soft-grip" textured back, with a large BlackBerry logo, it definitely looks the part. 
The Motion is powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor and has 4GB of RAM, which isn't on par with top flagships of today but is likely enough for most users' needs. The screen has a full HD resolution, and the rear/front cameras are a 12-megapixel/8-megapixel combo. 
The most interesting feature of the BlackBerry Motion is that beefy battery, which BlackBerry claims will offer more than 32 hours of mixed use. The phone also supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, meaning you can get a 50 percent charge in "roughly 40 minutes." And yes, the Motion comes with the good old 3.5mm headphone jack. 
On the software front, the Motion will run Android 7.1 Nougat and come with BlackBerry's standard security and privacy features as well as the company's array of productivity apps. One new feature will be the Locker, which gives you the ability to protect some documents and photos with a PIN or fingerprint, bypassing any cloud storage.  
The BlackBerry Motion will initially launch in a "limited" capacity, first in the UAE and Saudi Arabia with a price tag of roughly $463. There's no word on availability in the U.S. 

https://www.google.ie/amp/mashable.com/2017/10/09/blackberry-motion-launch.amp

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The Toyota GR HV Sports Concept Is A Hybrid 86 With Both An Automatic And A Stick Shift Together
Well this certainly doesn’t look boring, this Toyota GR HV Sports Concept thing. It looks damn close to a Toyota 86, just with a different front, rear, interior, a hybrid powertrain and a freaky gearbox. I sort of love it.
It has a targa top, reminiscent of the Supra, and is powered by a hybrid system that’s taken cues from Toyota’s Gazoo Racing TS050 Hybrid WEC car. The front is dressed up with LED lights and there’s a cool diffuser in the back. Nowhere in Toyota’s release does it say that it’s based on the 86, but come on, look at it. The platforms are too similar for it to be anything else.

Here, Jason even overlaid the two for you: It gets real weird inside. The car’s an automatic, but there’s also an H-pattern shifter, like you’d find in any manual transmission car. You can shift gears once you put it into manual mode without needing a clutch. Kind of like using paddle shifters, but with a stick.
Power is sent to the rear wheels, the engine’s in the front and the battery is mounted in the middle.
Toyota announced today that its bringing this odd hybrid sports car concept to the Tokyo Motor Show. It’s part of the new Japanese GR performance line that Toyota promised us.
It was unclear if that line would make it to the U.S. market, but here’s to hoping. Because I think this GR HV concept is a neat idea.

https://www.google.ie/amp/s/jalopnik.com/the-toyota-gr-hv-sports-concept-is-a-hybrid-86-with-bot-1819212260/amp

Saudi Arabia is to allow women to drive for the first time, state media say.
King Salman had issued a decree allowing women to be given driving licences, the Saudi Press Agency said.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that has forbidden women from driving.
Rights groups have campaigned for years to allow women in Saudi Arabia to drive. Some Saudi women have been fined and imprisoned for daring to get behind the wheel.
The decree has ordered that a ministerial body be set up to give advice within 30 days and that the order will be implemented by June 2018, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The royal decree will implement the provisions of traffic regulations, including the issuance of driving licences for men and women alike," the report said.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41408195?ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_source=facebook

Wondering why it took this year's to do this

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Students of the of Ghana Medical School for some years now have been faced with a lot of challenges including the deplorable nature of their hostels and difficulty they endure in transporting themselves daily from the main campus to Korle-Bu for their studies.

Today, it’s exciting to know that, the next batch of UG medical school students will not suffer the same fate. Thanks to President John Dramani Mahama, the narrative has changed for our future medical practitioners.
In a few weeks, President John Mahama will commission the new 600-bed capacity University of Ghana Medical College situated on the University of Ghana, Legon campus.
Apart from providing a serene atmosphere for effective teaching and learning,this project will also significantly boost the university’s efforts to develop World-Class Human Resources and Capabilities to meet National Development needs and Global Challenges.
These exciting US medical college photos will make you want to become a medical student.
This project is Timely and a game changer especially for our medical school students and for an improved healthcare delivery in Ghana.

http://www.jbklutse.com/university-of-ghana-medical-college-photos/

Evolution, as humans all know by now, has shaped us. It will continue on shaping people's future. Because of all the new things humans discovered in the past two millennia, it should come as a no-brainer that humans are becoming more intelligent. Otherwise, the human population would not have been over 7 billion strong.
However, it seems that the opposite is true. A study by the genetics firm decode in Reykjavik, Iceland, discovered that people's brains are changing the perception on education. To put it simply, News Australia reported that those who were born in 1910 were more likely to embrace education more than those born in 1975.
The study, which was published by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last month, took note of the decline. CEO Kari Stefansson stressed that as a species, "We are defined by the power of our brains," which meant that education helps train and refine our mental capacities. However, they found it fascinating that genetic factors that linked to more time spent in education is rare in their study that consisted of a genetic database of over 100,000 Icelandic citizens.
While this could have dire implications once proven, this study has actually been already proven, albeit by circumstantial evidence. Previous studies showed that smarter people -- especially those that seek higher education -- tend to have fewer children. This means that the smarter populations in Iceland have actually been contributing less to the collective national gene pool. Still, it seems that the time spent in school itself is not the only thing to blame for the fall of fertility. It has been written in the genes, as those predisposed towards education also already tend to have a predisposition towards rearing children later on in their lives.
Science Alert added that there are more people who are getting access to education. So even if less educated people have more offspring, non-genetic factors could also play a part, like more schools and a vast resource of knowledge could eclipse the said "dumbing down" effect.
"If we continue to improve the availability and quality of educational opportunities, we will presumably continue to improve the educational level of society as a whole," Stefansson said in a statement. "Time will tell whether the decline of the genetic propensity for education will have a notable impact on human society."

http://www.sci-techuniverse.com/2017/01/humans-are-becoming-stupid-study-says.html

Lalasticlala Mynd44 Ishilove

Senate Approves Electronic Voting For ElectionsThe Senate has voted in support of the Local Government Autonomy and areas up for amendment in the 1999 Constitution.



The Senate also voted against devolution of powers, while the Federal lawmakers have voted in favour of immunity in respect of words spoken or written at plenary sessions.

The lawmakers are also voting in favour of the amendments that the President must nominate Ministers within 30 days and attach the portfolios of the Ministers to the Senate when sending for confirmation.

The Senate voted the separation of the office of the Minister and Commissioner of Justice from the Attorney General of the Federation and of states to create an independent office of the Attorney General of the Federation insulated from partisanship.

The clause makes it obligatory for the President to deliver a State of the Nation address in a joint session of the National Assembly.

http://www.channelstv.com/2017/07/26/breaking-senate-okays-autonomy-for-local-governments/

- The Senate has passed the bill which seeks age reduction for elective offices in Nigeria - The Nigerian Senate has reduced the minimum age for the office of president to 35 - The new bill has also reduced the age for the office of governor or senators to 30 The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, July 26, passed a bill which proposes 35-years as the minimum age for the office of the president. Now Nigerian youths can contest for the post of governor or senators at the age of 30, away from the initial 40 and 35 years limit mandated by the 1999 constitution. NAIJ.com gathered that the bill goes on to stipulate that 25-year-olds can now legislate in the national and state assemblies in Nigeria.
Earlier, NAIJ.com reported that on Tuesday, July 25, the Senate received a 33-item report on the fourth alteration of the constitution. The report which calls for huge changes in the constitution was presented by the deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu. One major change being proposed is the alteration bill which seems to be in tandem with the “not too young to run” movement in Nigeria, seeking improved access for the Nigerian youth in government.
NOTE: For the bill to take effect, it needs the endorsement of 24 state assemblies and presidential assent. Senate's approval is just one of the steps required for constitutional amendment. Watch this NAIJ.com video as PDP women speak on the state of the nation:
Read more
https://gist.naija.ng/8425-breaking-senate-agrees-35-years-minimum-age-president.html

- The Senate has voted against devolution of powers to states - The rejection is a huge blow to restructuring agitation in the country - 48 of the 95 Senators present in the Senate today July 26, through an electronic voting system, voted against the proposal The Nigerian Senate has voted against giving more powers to states in what can be termed a set back to the agitation for restructuring in the country. The Senate on Wednesday July 26 rejected the proposal to amend the 1999 Constitution in other to devolve more powers to the states.
Out of the 95 Senators present, 48 of them voted against the proposal to give more powers to the states. NAIJ.com gathered that the voting was carried out through electronic voting system. According to Premium Times, the proposal had been challenged on Tuesday by Adamu Aliero, who argued it should not stand without reviewing the revenue sharing formula to give more money to states.
NAIJ.com had earlier reported that Nigeria's eight Senate voted on 33 major amendments to the Nigerian constitution. They voted to give financial autonomy for local governments. Watch this NAIJ.com video as PDP women speak on the state of the nation: Read more: https://gist.naija.ng/8424-breaking-senate-votes-restructuring-rejects-devolution-powers-states.html

New diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned in the UK from 2040 in a bid to tackle air pollution, the government is set to announce.
Ministers will also unveil a £255m fund to help councils tackle emissions from diesel vehicles, as part of a £3bn package of spending on air quality.
The government will later publish its clean air strategy, favouring electric cars, before a High Court deadline.
Campaigners said the measures were promising, but more detail was needed.
They had wanted government-funded and mandated clean air zones, with charges for the most-polluting vehicles to enter areas with high pollution, included in the plans.
After a protracted legal battle, the government was ordered by the courts to produce new plans to tackle illegal levels of harmful pollutant nitrogen dioxide.
Judges agreed with environmental campaigners that previous plans were insufficient to meet EU pollution limits.
Ministers had to set out their draft clean air strategy plans in May, with the final measures due by 31 July.
Local measures could include altering buses and other transport to make them cleaner, changing road layouts, altering features such as speed humps, and re-programming traffic lights to make vehicle-flow smoother.
It is thought ministers will consult on a scrappage scheme later this year, but there is no firm commitment.
Ministers have been wary of being seen to "punish" drivers of diesel cars, who, they argue, bought the vehicles after being encouraged to by the last Labour government because they produced lower carbon emissions.
The UK announcement comes amid signs of an accelerating shift towards electric cars instead of petrol and diesel ones, both at home and abroad:
The government plan will not contain a vehicle scrappage scheme, although this will be reconsidered in the autumn.
And it won't yet mandate councils to charge dirty vehicles to enter cities, unless they fail to solve pollution by other means - such as better public transport and restrictions barring diesel vehicles at peak times.
Ministers were ordered by the High Court to produce a comprehensive clean air strategy by the end of this month.
Today's plan is not comprehensive - it doesn't address pollution from construction, farming and gas boilers.
But ministers argue it is better to have a scheme for tackling the worst pollution hotspots rather than rushing out a botched comprehensive strategy.
Clean air campaigners say the government is using the 2040 electric cars announcement to distract from failings in its short-term policy.
Read more analysis from Roger
Air pollution is thought to be linked to about 40,000 premature deaths a year in the UK, and transport also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
A government spokesman said poor air quality was "the biggest environmental risk" to public health in the UK.
"This government is determined to take strong action in the shortest time possible," he said.
"Our plan to deal with dirty diesels will help councils clean up emissions hotspots - often a single road - through common sense measures which do not unfairly penalise ordinary working people."
2020s switch-over
The measures are "good" in the long term but "not very effective" in the short, industry expert David Bailey said.
A switch-over to electric cars would likely come in the mid-2020s, he predicted, when electric cars would out-compete petrol and diesel ones on factors like cost.
"This sets a very clear direction of travel, but petrol and diesel cars won't exist by 2040," he said.
But he said more incentives were needed now, otherwise urban air quality would not improve.
Emissions hotspots
Environmental law firm ClientEarth welcomed the measures, but said it wanted to see more detail.
Its chief executive James Thornton said the law said ministers must bring down illegal levels of air pollution as soon as possible, so any measures must focus on that
Labour said the government was only acting after being taken to court.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokeswoman Sue Hayman MP said the government had a "squeamish" attitude to clear air zones, and was shunting the problem on to local authorities.
"With nearly 40 million people living in areas with illegal levels of air pollution, action is needed now, not in 23 years' time," she said.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40723581?ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_source=facebook
Lalasticlala Mynd44 Ishilove Marpol

Jehovah's Witnesses ban comes into force in Russia after Supreme Court dismisses appeal
Court upholds justice ministry's claim religious group is 'extremist' for second time
A ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses is to come into full force in Russia after a court dismissed an appeal against the group’s classification as an “extremist” organisation.

The British and American governments were among those raising human rights concerns over the prohibition, which will liquidate the group’s administrative centre near St Petersburg and 395 local religious organisations.

Russia’s Supreme Court upheld the ruling on Monday, having previously decided in favour of the justice ministry’s characterisation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses as an “extremist organisation” whose members “pose a threat to the rights of the citizens, public order and public security”.
Judges ordered the closure of the group's Russian headquarters, local chapters and the seizure of its property by the state.

“While we were prepared for a negative ruling, it is still very disappointing,” said David Semonian, international spokesman for the Jehovah's Witnesses. “It is very concerning that despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, powerful elements within Russia continue to frame our organisation as extremist.

“We can only hope a fair evaluation of the facts will eventually prevail and our right to worship in Russia will be legally restored.”
The Christian denomination put forward requests to allow experts to testify on whether their beliefs can be considered extremist but the three-judge panel rejected all motions.

In the two months following the initial ruling on 20 April, the Jehovah’s Witnesses international headquarters reported a seven-fold increase in incidents of violence and harassment it said was linked to the case.

Members have raised concern Russia’s ban will “give impetus to further acts of aggression”.“Regardless of what negative consequences this decision brings, Jehovah's Witnesses will continue to act within the law to secure their rights and support their fellow worshippers in Russia who must bear the burden of injustice,” Mr Semonian said.

The case could be taken to the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled a previous attempted ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia unlawful in 2010, but the court has no power to enforce its decisions and Russia could ignore any verdict. The British Government previously said it was “alarmed” by the ban and called on Vladimir Putin to uphold religious freedom.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the minister for human rights, said he was “deeply concerned” by the appeal's rejection in light of Russia's public commitments to freedom of religion.

"This ruling confirms the criminalisation of the peaceful worship of 175,000 Russian citizens and contravenes the right to religious freedom that is enshrined in the Russian constitution,“ he added.

"The British Government continues to call upon the Russian Government to uphold its international commitment to this basic freedom.”

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom denounced the Russian Supreme Court’s latest ruling and said it reflects the government’s “continued equating of peaceful religious freedom practice to extremism”.

“The Witnesses are not an extremist group, and should be able to practice their faith openly and freely and without government repression,” said its chairman, Daniel Mark, following the by-partisan body’s call for Russia to be designated a “country of particular concern” for violations of religious freedom.

“The Russian government is intensifying its crackdown on religious freedom at home while also extending its repressive policies to neighbouring states.”

Jehovah's Witnesses, who are known for door-to-door preaching and handing out literature, reject some of mainstream Christianity's core beliefs and have more than 8.3 million members around the world.
The US-based group has generated controversy for stances including its rejection of blood transfusions and opposition to military service, facing court proceedings in several countries.

Jehovah’s Witnesses first registered as a religious group in Russia in 1991 and registered again in 1999, but have been targeted repeatedly by authorities in a wide-ranging crackdown on religious freedom.

Russia changed its legal definition of extremism in 2006, removing requirements for violence or hatred but stating the “incitement of….religious discord” as criteria, leaving the Jehovah's Witnesses with the same legal status as Isis or Nazis.

The group's international website was blocked in Russia two years ago over alleged extremism, with its Bibles banned the following year, while a local chairman was jailed for two years on charges of possessing “extremist literature” in 2010.

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) was among the international bodies condemning a “state sponsored campaign of harassment and mistreatment of Jehovah’s Witnesses” it said dated back to the 1990s in Russia.

It listed police searches, assaults, arson attacks, vandalism, seizures and raids on worship, as well as the arrest of several members and criminal investigations.

The Russian Orthodox Church, which enjoys close ties with the Kremlin and the patronage of Mr Putin, is the country’s largest religion, with followers representing around 41 per cent of the population.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-jehovahs-witnesses-ban-supreme-court-dismisses-appeal-vladimir-putin-religion-freedom-a7846826.html?cmpid=facebook-post

Lalasticlala Mynd44

Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho is close to making a £25m move to Leicester City.

The 20-year-old Nigerian is in advanced talks with the Foxes and is thought to be keen to make the switch.

Iheanacho has scored 21 goals in 64 games in all competitions since making his debut for Manchester City in 2015.

Last August, he signed a new contract until 2021, but saw his playing time limited by the January arrival of Brazil forward Gabriel Jesus.

http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/40525149?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_match_of_the_day&ns_source=facebook&ns_linkname=sport

Nigerians are all talking about restructuring.

Now, that is funny.

There are two types of Nigerians: those in government and those awaiting their turn in government. Forget all the talk about the size and potential of Nigeria’s economy. Forget all the talk about business, entrepreneurship, innovation, and the rise of a vibrant new demographic of creators defying the odds to crystallize into a 21st-century transnational elite. That is all puff and powder for there is really only one business in Nigeria and it is called government. Everybody is just really waiting for and on government.

Every other sector and sphere of Nigerian life and all the players in all those private spheres and sectors are merely waiting on and for their turn in government. In Nigerian life, there is no creativity, no aspiration, no vision, no mission, no genius, and no dream beyond “joining government”. The sum total of national life is nothing but an endless footsy-playing between those in government and those outside, hoping to cajole them to be let in or scheming to shove them out and take their place. Either by election or appointment, a Nigerian has no greater definition of success and life fulfillment than a political office, no matter how paltry and insignificant.

This atrocious national sociology, of course, has consequences. It is at the center of the Nigerian tragedy. At the personal and national levels, it stifles growth, initiative, and development because the citizen and his nation are defined exclusively by prebend. The citizen destroys all regenerative and innovative possibilities because his creative energy has only one purpose: profit from government prebend (if he is already in government) or aspire to profit from government prebend (if he is awaiting his turn in government).

Nigeria is the only place where the path to building a global business brand, powered by genius, innovation, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and drive can be abandoned midway to serve as a Special Assistant to a Special Adviser on Miscellaneous Matters in the Presidency. The owner of a flourishing innovation hub or a growing e-commerce outlet will drop all that creative energy and suddenly become a Special Assistant to a Governor or a Senator.

In Nigeria, do not be surprised to wake up to news that Dangote is abandoning the Dangote Group to run for even governor. Instead of joining Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos on a panel in Davos, do not be surprised to hear that the owner of Konga.com or Nairaland has accepted an appointment as a Special Assistant on New Media to a state governor.

In essence, any Nigerian great news on the innovation front is only great until government appointment happens to it because every other sphere of agency in Nigeria is tentative and aspirational in a move towards government and mediocrity and corruption.

Take a look at Rochas Okorocha. He has been busy ruining Imo state on the platform on APC and change. His destruction of Imo is a greater tragedy because it is collective and affects our fellow citizens. However, there is also his self-destruction. He had a robust business brand that could have become an Africa brand on its way to the global level had he continued to devote his creative energies to it. The Nigerian thing happened to him and he decided to aim for the sun of Aso Rock Villa before ending up with the consolation moon of Government House in Owerri.

It is true that many of these people abandon potential global brands for life in government because of the belief that they will loot with impunity, and divert public funds and government patronage to their businesses. They forget that all their stealing and looting has never taken any of their businesses to a truly global dimension because no truly global brand can be built on a foundation of such brazen rottenness. The money they steal and infuse into their businesses is only Pyrrhic victory.

Obasanjo Holdings is one of the greatest beneficiaries of loot, corruption, nepotism, and government patronage in Nigeria. Baba stole Nigeria black and blue and poured everything into his business. Obasanjo Holdings is not a recognizable African brand, let alone a global brand. It is a local champion in a local field where Baba is doing gragra and harassing people. When he gallivants the world stage, it is because he ruled the largest concentration of black people for 8 years and not on the basis of his entrepreneurial brand. In Davos, he will have to book an appointment with Zuckerberg and Bezos.

There is also, of course, the story of Orji Uzor Kalu’s Slok – another innovative business brand that government office happened to and destroyed. The business people are not the only class affected by this Nigerian disease. Generations of the country’s brightest minds go to government, when they leave government, they do not return to any worthwhile ventures and activities that could uplift the country because they understand that life in Nigeria is divided into two strict phases: life in government and life spent awaiting life in government.

I leave in a part of the world where people have time for short spells in government appointments before returning to other spheres of nation building. Academia is a very popular destination for people after government office. They come and join us in training the next generation. Look at journalism and mass communication schools in the US and Canada. Very often, people quit influential government spokesperson positions to become Deans or Chairs of such schools or programs. They don’t have to be academics. Universities negotiate with them on the basis of their profile and experience.

You come to Nigeria and you get Reuben Abati – a brilliant first class mind that any school of journalism or mass communication in Nigeria should be privileged to engage and Dean or Chair. What is he doing? He is roaming social media to maintain relevance in preparation for any possibility of returning to government in 2019. One of Nigeria’s best minds now understands that there is only life in government and life spent awaiting a return to government.

The Right Reverend Wendel Simlin, also known as Reno Omokri, falls into this category. Before he discovered the tragic duality of Nigerian life, he was actually a bright mind on the rise in the United States. Now, he too is roaming social media, carefully curating his nuisance value to maintain visibility ahead of the possibility of a return to government in 2019, accompanied by fellow vermin, Femi Fani-Kayode. Think of Abati as Head of Mass Communication in Unilag; think of Omokri in some innovative new program in any of our Universities. No matter what you think of them, they would serve Nigeria’s future excellently in such stations. Sadly, they are like fish out of water, unable to conceptualize agency and nation building outside of the sphere of government crumbs.

I have used Abati and Omokri to illustrate the crematorium of talent and innovation that is Nigeria. Once you leave government, you are pretty much useless to Nigeria because your brain is colonized by the singular desire to return to government. You cannot even sustain a business afterlife in government. Look at Senator Smart Adeyemi, thrashing around like somebody high on paraga because there is no life for him outside of government. He is desperate to return.

I have been preaching that the restructuring of the polity is not something that should be done outside of the restructuring of the psychology and the socializing narratives which frame the Nigerian mind. And we need to revamp civics to achieve this mental rewiring.

You may well get your Biafra Republic. You may well get your Oodua Republic. You may well get your Arewa Republic. However, I pity those three putative Republics for they are going to be peopled by psychologies and mentalities shaped and nurtured by Nigeria. If you must have your three separate Republics, that is fine.

I am a supporter of legitimate claims to self-determination and maybe I have read too many books to subscribe to the silly myth of the indissolubility or indivisibility of any nation-state that Professor Osinbajo and the Nigerian elite are peddling. However, do not go to Biafra, Oodua, and Arewa and continue to believe that life outside of government is life not worth living.

Remember: that tragic sociology destroyed the Nigeria you are fleeing. Restructure your psychology before you leave.

As for me and my household, we shall remain proud Nigerians.


Professor Pius Adesanmi
http://saharareporters.com/2017/06/29/restructuring-pius-adesanmi