₦airaland Forum

https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN1572JL

By Ellen Wulfhorst
NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday reinstated a global gag rule that bans U.S.-funded groups around the world from discussing abortion, a move that was widely expected but nonetheless dismayed women's rights advocates.

The rule, which affects American non-governmental organizations working abroad, is one that incoming presidents have used to signal their positions on abortion rights. It was created under U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1984.

Trump, an abortion opponent, signed the reinstatement directive at a ceremony in the White House on his fourth day in office. Former President Barack Obama had lifted the gag rule in 2009 when he took office.

"Women's health and rights are now one of the first casualties of the Trump administration," said Serra Sippel, president of the Center for Health and Gender Equity in Washington.

"The global gag rule has been associated with an increase in unsafe abortions and we expect that Trump's global gag rule will cost women their lives," she said.

Reinstatement of the gag rule, formally the Mexico City policy, comes just two days after crowds of people marched in cities around the world in a show of unity for women's rights, among them abortion access.

While no official estimates were available, organizers said nearly five million people participated.

The far-reaching gag rule affects groups getting funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, even if they use separate money for abortion services, counseling or referrals, advocates note.

"It is appalling to dictate to civil society groups and health care providers how they can spend their own money and force them to withhold from women critical information about and access to the full range of reproductive health care," said Nancy Northup, president of the U.S.-based Center for Reproductive Rights.

The policy puts groups that provide women's health care in an "untenable position," said Brian Dixon of Population Connection Action Fund.

Good job by Trump!

Even though I may not support the rally by IPOB, the killings were senseless. Many notable media houses reported that 11 members of ipob were killed by Nigeria armed forces.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/01/20/world/africa/ap-af-nigeria-trump-demonstration.html?_r=0&referer=http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=11+killed+in+pro+trump+rally+in+nigeria+

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38688798

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/group-11-killed-nigeria-pro-trump-rally-police-44918624

He that lives by the sword shall die by sword. Violence doesn't pay

Sometimes I wonder how laws are made in Nigeria. So the president can wake up and ban something that benefits common Nigeria to boost so called government revenues which ends up being misused or laundered?

In a democratic setting, things like this should pass through national assembly

Oyibo takes care of their own whether sick, healthy or mentally sick. Here, the lowest in the society are trampled under our footh. How do you think we will progress if we continue to oppress the poor??

We will miss Dora Akunyili.

This development needs as much publicity as possible.

This is real, my mother received this. She's owed about 38 months, Imo state govt sends document, downgrading it to 12 months. Not withstanding, they still went ahead to say they can only pay 40% of the 12 months! And they want to absolve themselves from further liabilities! My mother earns about 14K as pension, less than minimum wage. How can a government be so wicked. Truth is my mother has not been relying on her pension for survival, but some Pensioners do rely on it to survive. This is pure wickedness. My father in law and many other retirees in Imo State received this document.

Mods, for the sake of helpless Pensioners in Imo State, please post this..

Rochas owes Imo state pensioners 36 months of their money. Their money. Money comes now. Money to clear the 36 months debt. Debt owed people who gave 35 years of their lives to state service. Money comes to clear it 100%.
Rochas calls these pensioners, tells them he will be paying them for 13 months. What can they do? Fight Rochas? No. He's way stronger than all the pensioners put together, and multiplied by their relatives all. What can they do? Cry out to Buhari? No. That one doesn't have any ears for any cries from Nigerians. Cries especially from people who didn't see him as worthy of their vote. What can they do? Nothing? Really? Nothing. So they began to adjust and caliberate their minds. Rather than die waiting for the full debt clearance maybe they should just accept the 13 months. They were considering taking the 13 months. Rochas then tells them that he is actually going to pay them 40% of that 13 months. And that they will all be signing against their names that they have all received 100% of the owed 36 months.
Rochas government owes Imo state pensioners for 36 months. Wants to pay them 40% of 13 months. Wants them to sign that they have received 100% of the owed 36 months....Kamalu is on its way to visit someone soon......Will my crying get to Rochas? I doubt. But I will cry nonetheless. The fowl that cries when a hawk swoops down and takes off with her chick said she doesn't cry for the chick to get saved but she cries so that all will hear and know. But growing up I saw some of those cries rousing up enough attention and efforts that end up saving some chicks from the thieving claws of the hawks. I even saw some hawks lose their lives in the mix.
These pensioners, why can't they cry? One wonders. Why can't they cry out and cry ceaselessly? I'd tell you why. Hunger. Theirs has got so bad that they are now gaping and gasping for any breath, any breath at all. Even 1% of 1 month out of 100% of their duly owed 36 months pension money. They are gasping for any breath. Any breath. Any at all....God na ur hand our Fathers,Mothers,Uncles,Aunts who have dedicated dia 35yrs of service dey...
Copied: Emeka Josiah Vicenzo Onumonu

Cc lalasticlala, mynd44, seun

donblade85555:
and what will you be doing with an hundred tab?

lol

With chrome, I can open more than a hundred tabs on mobile.

fiizznation:
And at the end of the day, the soldiers will gracefully walk away with murder. So just because your female friend wrongfully/rightfully accused someone of stealing her phone, you as her male friend organised your fellow colleagues and tortured the man to dead. Talk about stupidity at it's zenith. This is wrong and shouldn't be accepted in any sane society. Khaki or whatever uniform(s) the various security agents wore shouldn't be a cloth used in intimidating, harassing or bullying innocent people with.

Security agents are supposed to protect people from harm and not the other way round. I hope the soldiers will be brought to book ASAP. But then again, this kind of brutality happen so often in nigeria without anybody doing anything about it.

Your man is now C-i-C. Take your cries to him.

Who's more important, small operators or 2 million Nigerians?

So our adversaries are no longer telecom operators but our elected politicians? Nigeria is in a mess, instead of the polithiefians protecting interest of the electorate, it's now the other way round? They want more money to feed their stealing and lavish lifestyles, intimidating others on the road? Government is just too powerful, power needs to be returned to the people. Silly Nigerians would still open their dirty mouth to support this tyrant administration.

The Chinua Achebe Center for Leadership and Development (CACLD) has advised the World Bank not to grant the $29.9 billion loan being requested by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

It warned against granting the loan request in a letter addressed to Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) in Washington-DC. The letter was signed by Ugochukwu Nwachukwu, Executive Director (Operations), Matthew Mbanaja, Public Relations Officer, and Samuel Ejiofor Esq., Legal Adviser.

The Centre said it was in pursuit of its commitment to the protection of human rights and good governance in Nigeria and beyond, that it appealed to the body to reject the $29.9 billion loan request.

It stated that the Achebe Center is a not-for-profit organisation based in the US and established for the promotion of Human Rights and the advancement of good Governance and Democracy around the world. “Our current focus is on Nigeria. Our choice of Nigeria is based on our understanding of its history and the need to help the Nigerian people to forge a united country based on justice and equity and to peacefully reinstate true federalism in line with their terms of nationhood as enshrined in the nation’s Independence Constitution of 1960 and Republican Constitution of 1963,” the letter said.

The group also said the appeal to the bank not to accede to the Nigerian request for a $29.9 Billion facility is based on the grounds that the Government has not demonstrated reasonable level of accountability with the peoples of Nigeria as to guarantee that any loans received on their behalf will be judiciously applied to the purposes for which the loan was granted.

“You may recall,” the Centre emphasised, “that earlier this year, the subsidy on petroleum products was removed by this government, leading to high cost of petroleum products and increased suffering and poverty among the people. It was argued by the government that moneys saved from the subsidy removal will be applied to the development of infrastructure. At this point in time, the people of Nigeria have neither received accountability on the revenues accrued from oil subsidy removal nor seen infrastructure developed as a consequence. It is ridiculous that the same government would turn around to seek a facility for the same purpose for which it removed the oil subsidies earlier this year.

“It might interest you to know that Nigerian news media are awash with news of billions of looted dollars recovered from former politicians. While we support every effort at checkmating corruption in the public service, we are of the view that such efforts must of necessity be transparent and in keeping with the rule of law and that funds so recovered be made public and applied to public good. So far, the Government of President Buhari has not accounted for these billions of dollars allegedly recovered from former public office holders. We find it queer and unacceptable that a government that has not demonstrated probity and accountability would be seeking a loan to be managed on behalf of the same people that it has never been accountable to.

“It is our firm belief that the work of the World Bank cannot be divorced from the overall commitment of building just and free societies anchored on basic rights and freedoms and the rule of law. The Present Government of Nigeria under President Buhari has demonstrated a lack of commitment to the basic principles of democracy and the rule of law. The Continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and several opposition politicians in flagrant disregard of court orders granting them bail or freedom is a testament to the authoritarian and undemocratic character of this government. The climax of this lawlessness was the recent midnight Gestapo style arrest of seven Nigerian Judges and the vandalisation of their residences by agents of the Government without a court warrant or an order sanctioning such arrest.

“Since the Biafran civil war, Nigerians have not witnessed this level of insecurity and extra-judicial killings in which the state and its agents are either being directly or indirectly accused of involvement. Any loan granted to this government by the World Bank or any international body would be seen as an endorsement of this authoritarian regime and an effort to strengthen its oppressive grip on the Nigerian people.

“Furthermore, except where endless indebtedness of a country means more profit to the lender, the principles of modern investment would require that the borrower show evidence of prudence/skill in financial management as well as reasonable institutional credibility before a lender could advance a loan. So far, this government has not shown any economic blueprint or policy aimed at promoting stability in the management of Nigerian economy. It would be unimaginable that a bank as reputable as the World Bank will offer a loan facility to Nigeria in its present state of political and economic dysfunction. Any loan given in this present circumstance would not be seen as help to the oppressed people of Nigeria but an attempt to mortgage economic survival of the future generation of the people of Nigeria.”

The Centre also stated: “Already, many ordinary Nigerians and institutions have rejected the loan. While many view the intended use of the loan as lacking in national spread, others see it as simply an anti-democratic and hegemonic agenda clothed in economic language. Many are rightly of the view that a loan of this magnitude, taken on behalf of Nigeria as a whole should be used for projects evenly spread among the various zones of Nigeria and that the purported planned use of the loan is not inclusive but designed to isolate South Eastern Nigeria because of the region's dominance by an opposition party.

Hence, any loan granted to this regime could be interpreted by many as an alliance between the World Bank and an oppressive and discriminatory regime that has neither respect for democratic norms and the rule of law nor inclination to subscribe to modern approaches in national economic management.”

The Centre, however, commended the World Bank for its efforts in fighting poverty and improving the standards of living of people around the world. It said: “In contrast to your historically validated acts in this regard, this particular loan being sought will impoverish the people of Nigeria as there is no credible institutional structure to guarantee that it will be judiciously applied for the common good of the people. The widely reported cases of high level corruption and incompetence among cabinet members of President Buhari’s Government and the concomitant widespread poverty among Nigerians give credence to this assertion.

“In view of the above stated reasons, we once more appeal to you and the World Bank to reject any requests for Loan from the Nigerian Government under President Buhari until there is a demonstrable commitment to accountability, modern economic stabilisation policies, rule of law and the protection of the freedom and rights of the citizens of Nigeria. Your adherence to the principle that genuine development requires partnership not only with governments and companies, but also with civil society gives us the confidence that you will give appropriate consideration to the issues raised in this letter and save the future generation of Nigerians.”

http://www.newsexpressngr.com/news/30913


•Photo shows IBRD President, Dr. Jim Yong Kim.
Source News Express

My colleague just showed me this list from his younger relative. This is real, no joking. How far can our younger generation go in scamming even their parents and Guardians??

mfm04622:
What he is really advocating is for Govt to dash him and his friends $2B! Is he not a rich man? He should set up his refinery like Dangote without waiting for govt to fund his business

Uba didn't ask to be included. Buhari can't do it with his cronies

mfm04622:
Less than a year? Haba!!! How long will it take to build refinery that will meet all our demand? How easy do you think it is to scale up our rice production and processing? A year?

10 X Modular refineries. Not conventional refineries

Uba is right. What he said is absolutely right. Fix petrol importation, fix rice importation (not by banning but increasing local production), naira will appreciate. This can be done in less than a year.

Pls how much is Topfeed starter and finisher formulations per 25kg bags ? Thanks

Nigeria has never been accountable

The guy is right. We treat white guys like kings, with sirens, run one way, etc.

SW is waking up slowly. If North needs help, they should ask nicely. Northern elites have subtly subjugated the southern Nigeria. Bickering among southern nations is keeping this going on for long. Lagos produces ~60% of vat, yet has no special status. NE will rake 3% of this vat made from selling Haram products. NDDC has northern observers but NEDC doesn't have southern observers.

By Yinka Odumakin

I HAVE given up on some Lagos folks who can’t understand that this nation,country is founded in iniquity and sustained by injustice.We have been locked in this argument over the years on whether Lagos should be pleading for some special status in a land of systemic inequality or press for what is due to her in a properly federated Nigeria.

For those Lagosians who think their fate would be well served by begging and pleading for what they should have as a right in a country founded on equity and justice,they need to read a paper presented by Mr. Solomon Asemota(SAN) titled “Lagos, the original Southern lady of means” to commemorate 50 years of the state recently.

Let me take some excerpts from the presentation:

“The title of my presentation is derived from the speech at a Colonial Service Dinner in 1913 by Lord Harcourt the then Secretary of State of the Colonies, (after whom Port Harcourt was named). He summarised in a humorous metaphor, the dependence of Northern Nigeria on the British Treasury for sustenance, when he said:

Alliance with Southern lady of Means

“we have released Northern Nigeria from the leading strings of the Treasury. The promising and well-conducted youth is now on an allowance “on his own” and is about to effect an alliance with a Southern Lady of means. I have issued the special license and Sir Frederick Lugard will perform the ceremony. May the union be fruitful and the couple constant! The Nigerians are not designed to be a great “Trust” but a great “Federation”.1 The marriage between the “well conducted Youth of the North and the Southern Lady of means” became necessary for two reasons (1) the well conducted Youth relied on the British Treasury for subsistence and (2) the affection the British colonialists had for the Fulani people (the Negroids) at a time when racism was an important factor in human history. The British knew that sooner than later, the British Treasury would stop augmenting the finances of Northern Nigeria.

“The Negro South or Southern Lady of means, on the other hand, had surplus as a result of import duties collected at Lagos Port especially import duty on liquor which grew from 3s to 3/6p per gallon in 1901 – 5/6d in 1912 and, by 1913, the revenue from Gin was £138,000. The grant of British tax payers to the well conducted Youth averaged £314,500 for 11 years ending March 1912.”7 Southern Nigeria on the other hand, helped to complete Northern railways from Baro to Kano, thus the need to have one treasury for the two countries Southern and Northern Nigerias became apparent. A common railway policy was preferred to two. These were the main factors responsible for amalgamation. To this day, the “South” based on arbitrary latitude, remains the Lady of means as an oil producing Region with Lagos as the original”

In 2014 alone the Nigerian Ports Authority that should be under the control of Lagos state generated N162b.60 % of the total Value Added Tax in Nigeria comes from Lagos which shares only a pittance from the federation account.Those who send Sharia police to destroy beer in their territories smile to the banks from proceeds of beer consumption in Lagos!

Special status for Lagos

On October 5, 2016,a Bill for an Act to make provisions for Federal Grants to Lagos State in recognition of its strategic socio-economic significance and other connected purposes, was sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu, All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos Central. The said Bill was first presented to the Upper chamber in the 7th Senate, but the lawmakers turned it down at the committee stage. Specifically, on June 5, 2013, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu-led Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review, in its report, ruled out special status for Lagos. It said: “On Special Status for Lagos, while the Committee appreciates the peculiar needs and challenges of Lagos, it is our considered opinion that according such special status should be a matter of political decision, which should be kept out of the Constitution.”

In a very rowdy session,the Tinubu bill was unanimously thrown away by the Senate with many remarks by the Senators rubbing pepper on the injury against the original lady of means.May be Lagos would now realise after the session that if we practiced federalism the way it should be done,the pleading would be the other way round.

But by some strange twist, the same Senate a few days afterwards approved the allocation of three per cent of Value Added Tax (VAT) accruable to the Federal Government in the next 10 years for the rebuilding of the North-East. This was sequel to the adoption of the recommendation of the Ad hoc Committee on North-East Development Commission Bill, which also proposed that the commission be domiciled in Borno state.

The North East would now rake 3% from VAT accurable to the Federal Government for the next 10 years and this was sanctioned by the same body that ruled that the state that is generating 60% of the fund from which this money would be taken does not deserve a special status.

Composition of NEDC

And that is not all, the North East Development Commission has revealed. A look at the composition of the board of the commission and that of Niger Delta Development Commission shows clearly all that is wrong with Nigeria .The composition of NEDC is as follows : ”
2.-( 1) There is established for the Commission, a body to be known as the Commission Governing Board (in this Bill referred to as “the Board”).
(2) The Board shall consist of- (a) Chairman; (b) one person each who shall be an indigene to represent the State listed below – (i) Adamawa (ii) Bauchi (iii) Borno (iv) Gombe (v) Taraba (vi) Yobe (c) three persons to represent the following Security Organisation- (i) the Army who shall not be below the rank of a Colonel; (ii) the Police who shall not be below the rank of Superintendant of Police; (iii) the Civil Defence Corp who shall not be below the rank of Deputy Commandant. (d) One representative of Solid minerals extracting and Mining producing companies in the North East States nominated by those companies; (e) one person to represent the- (i) Federal Ministry of Finance; (ii) Federal Ministry of Education; (iii) Federal Ministry of Environment; and
(3)(d) the Managing Director of the Commission.”

Federal funds would be used to maintain this commission and yet members are only drawn from the zone .It should also be noted that the devastation they would be dealing with are caused by the children of the region who are revolting against Western education and who are still at the job.

Now compare with the NDDC Board:

“Establishment of Governing Board of the Commission 2.- (1) There is hereby established for the Commission a governing Board ( in this Act referred to as (“the Board”), which shall consist of: (a) a Chairman; (b) one person who shall be an indigene of an oil producing area to represent each of the following member States, that is, (i) Abia (ii) Akwa-Ibom State; (iii) Bayelsa State; (iv) Cross River State; (v) Delta State; (vi) Edo State; (vii) Imo State; (viii) Ondo State; and (ix) Rivers State; (c) three persons to represent non-Oil mineral producing States provided that such membership should be drawn from the remaining geo-political zones which are not represented in the Commission; (d) One representative of Oil producing companies in the Niger- Delta nominated by the Oil producing companies; (e) one person to represent the Federal Ministry of Finance; (f) one person to represent Federal Ministry of Environment; (g) the Managing Director of the Commission; and (h) two executive Directors; ”

When the Senate on 10th October 2016 approved the NDDC board,it refused to approve Olatokunbo Ajasin and three others from Southern states whom it said were not from oil producing communities in their states but approved members from North West,North East and North Central where they are still searching for oil. Nigeria is a joke,only it is not funny!

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/lagos-nddc-north-east-commission-injustice-nigeriana/

What's really happening in this country?

See opportunity for Buhari. Sell these drugs and you are out of recession

This Reno of a man is good. He's a smart chap

We should not be discussing these irrelevant issues. Ikwerre has decided that they no longer want to be associated with Igbo. Please let's leave them alone. Did we lose or gain anything by their denial, did it make them fare better than the Igbos? No!

Jazz no dey work. These idiots should stop killing people unnecessarily. I wish all offenders are killed of ASAP. We don't need such people roaming around.

These don't look like Nigerians. They look more like India, Pakistani people. Only one is actually black. Is this their pictures?

7-14 days, twice yearly. Please keep that offer, it's not worth it