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SOURCE: Symantec

Outrage As FG Pampers Repentant Terrorists While IDPs Suffer

The recent graduation of about 600 repentant Boko Haram terrorists and their planned reintegration into society by the Federal Government has again triggered debate on the appropriateness or otherwise of that move by the government. In this piece, TUNDE AJAJA examines the implications of this for the Nigerian state

The warm reception the Nigerian government accorded repentant Boko Haram terrorists, who have over the years killed thousands of Nigerians, wreaked havoc on the Nigerian state and fought brazenly to shred the sovereignty of this country, is again a matter of serious concern to many Nigerians. This perhaps, is one issue that won’t go away quickly, especially as their co-fighters are still in the North-East, especially Borno State, killing unarmed civilians and Nigerian soldiers alike in droves.

The carnage caused by this dreaded group is (to say the least) terrifying; a situation pushing many Nigerians, including security experts to ask questions about the controversial move by the government.

“It (the rehabilitation and planned reintegration) is a mistake and a very unfortunate circumstance because reality is being stood on its head,” said Ona Ekhomu, a seasoned security expert and analyst. “The perpetrators are getting a soft landing; they are living on government largesse, all in some unproven claims that they have been deradicalised, which we know is not true.

“When somebody commits murder, you keep them in jail for life or you even hang them, yet these people who are beheading others, bombing people and killing thousands are being given a soft landing. Part of the problem we have is that we don’t have our priorities right.”

Ekhomu, who is the chairman of Trans-World Security Systems Ltd., added, “I totally oppose it and think it’s very inhuman of whoever the policymaker is that came up with the idea they should be rehabilitating those fighters.”

The terrorists, who on their part have shown no mercy on the Nigerian state and its citizens, have not only kidnapped and violated many, including young schoolgirls (turning them to sex slaves and suicide bombers), they have murdered many, beheaded some, executed some openly, burnt some to ashes and turned many children to orphans, wives to widows and men to widowers.

Victims of their virulent attacks have fled for cover in different parts of the country, many are constrained to live a day at a time in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) while some do not even know if their loved ones are still alive or merely missing, due to the attacks.

For example, on 23 March 2020, the insurgents, some of whom are now being welcomed back into the society they have desecrated, laid ambush for some Nigerian soldiers and killed about 70 of them in one fell swoop. This is in addition to overrunning military bases and killing troops in several other attacks.

Of the torrent of attacks, the most recent was the attack on the convoy of Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State and the multiple bombings that killed six persons and left about 27 persons injured few days ago. Since the insurgency started in 2009, about 100,000 Nigerians are said to have been killed – the number is still rising – while about 2.3 million persons have been displaced.

Meanwhile, with all these, many people have expressed worry that government is carrying on with the said rehabilitation of the ex-terrorists, in an operation tagged ‘Operation Safe Corridor’. For example, the Chairman, Senate Committee on the Army, Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday, said terrorists never repent. He described the initiative as unacceptable to the people and that government should stop the programme forthwith.

He added, “Not that they even apologised to you, they only apologised to the government with the thinking that government has failed and that is why they are being pampered. They (terrorists) are like Kharijites. Many among those released have since run away. They will never repent.” He pointed out that one of the repentant terrorists had disappeared after killing and robbing his father.

Meanwhile, speaking further on the ills of the initiative, Ekhomu, who earned the Certified Protection Officer Instructor from the United States-based International Foundation for Protection Officers, stated that the programme was a reflection of misplaced priorities, noting that the country should have learnt from what happened to the late leader of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Ibrahim al-Baghdadi.

He added, “They (the terrorists) have been a great threat to society and they ought to be held. The point is that Operation Safe Corridor is a mistake. It’s a mistake and a bad strategy because they cannot guarantee the outcome or that it would meet the policy objectives. I keep telling them the famous story of (Abu Bakr) al-Baghdadi, who was released in a similar manner by the US military in Iraq. They didn’t know at that time they were releasing a guy who would go on to behead many Americans, Europeans and cause the death of many people.

“Even though al-Baghdadi is in his grave, his hands are still here in the North-East of Nigeria, causing havoc for us. So, what they are doing is recycling the fighters and soldiers would wonder why government is bringing in these people to fight them again. It’s a nation that fights a war, not the army and that is why we have other institutions. Why can’t the criminal justice system work? You keep them in a place for 6 months and then you turn back and say they are graduating them. What graduation?”

Ekhomu described the programme as indefensible, noting that it must have been an initiative of the Boko Haram sympathisers. “Many of the sympathisers have departed from it because they have seen the dangers in this, yet we are still defending it,” he said. “The other day, I saw one very laughable and ridiculous statement that the repentant terrorists have sworn allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria; I laughed and asked if people could be so funny.

“You mean a Jihadi guy swore allegiance to Nigeria, how does that work? They don’t care about you or your authorities; they don’t care about your government, neither do they have any regard for them. This is a very bad policy that should never have been brought in. As of Friday, the war had been on for 11 years and 4 days and here we are. It started July 26, 2009 in Bauchi State; is it not enough already? Killing their leader, Mohammed Yusuf, extrajudicially in July 2009 in Maiduguri is the silliest thing they (police) have ever done.

“You never kill the head of an insurgency; you take him alive so he can talk to his guys. We killed Yusuf but we are faced with Abubakar Shekau. Look at where we are.”

Similarly, a security consultant and fellow, Institute of Security, Nigeria, Mr Chigozie Ubani, said even though he wasn’t privy to what informed the decision to pardon the ex-fighters, they should be serving different jail terms considering what they were reported to have committed. He explained that intelligence should have been extracted from them to strengthen the war against insurgency. “But I doubt, going by what we have, if that was done effectively or convincingly,” he said.

He added, “The decision to rehabilitate and reintegrate them into society is flawed, in my own view, but I wouldn’t know what informed it and I wouldn’t have advised that such measure be taken because these guys would hardly repent. They were indoctrinated and most would still believe in whatever led them into fighting the state. So, they couldn’t have been baptised overnight. It is a big risk and that is not good for the nation.”

Speaking on how this affects the soldiers at the front, he said, “When you look at what is going on, the soldiers are fatigued and demoralised. These people (pardoned insurgents) have in the past unleashed a lot of mayhem on these soldiers and you want them to watch you rehabililtate them and reintegrate them into society. So, what were they fighting for in the first place?

“I have said before that it is wrong for these young men to be in the theatre of war continuously for a period of 9 months, and some of them have overstayed there. The whole thing has taken its toll on the Nigerian defence system. They need some measure of therapy to be sane again.”

In the view of Prof Oni Fagboungbe, a psychologist, reintegrating ex-terrorists into the society is like condoning absurdity, as he noted that when people have fought against the country, killed many people and are reintegrated, it could only serve as motivation to do worse things, knowing they could always come back to enjoy amnesty. He stressed that such rehabilitation and reintegration would be better done when the war is over.

He said, “We are fighting insurgents, the war is raging and every day they are getting sophisticated, and at the same time, you are giving the terrorists reinforcement, motivating them to continue. If rehabilitation will be done, it’s usually when war has ended and the enemy has been defeated; that is when you think of things like that. What it implies is that in this country, our major decisions are influenced by ethnic considerations.

“If somebody is doing something obnoxious to the country, and at the same time you are motivating him, how would they stop that behaviour? They won’t. In fact, it becomes a double source of motivation for them. The problem is that the system pampers people who do things that are not in the interest of the country. When you are motivating them, they would continue with that behaviour.”

He described as inhuman the move to bring back into the society those who have killed thousands of people and committed serious atrocities. “What the government is saying invariably is that it lacks capacity and willpower to deal with the situation,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Coordinator, OPSC, Major General Bamidele Shaffa, had said in February that the aim of the OPSC was to de-radicalise, rehabilitate and reintegrate repentant Boko Haram members. As of February, Shaffa said since the programme kicked off in 2016, 280 ex-fighters had so far graduated and been transferred to their respective states for reintegration into the society. And at another graduation a week ago, about 600 ex-fighters were said to have been rehabilitated, bringing the total so far to about 880 graduates.

At the recent graduation, where many of them were clad in attire with the colours of the Nigerian flag – green and white – the government promised them N20,000 each, equipment to carry out their vocations and a promise to pay the rent of their shops.

Last week, Borno State Commissioner for Information, Babakura Jatau, told Sunday PUNCH that the funds and the starter packs were given to the repentant terrorists by the North East Development Commission, noting that only about 10% of the 601 repentant terrorists were actually Boko Haram members while the rest were those who were abducted and became accomplices.

Prior to the controversial granting of amnesty for these ex-terrorists, however, the National Assembly in February 2020 considered a bill which sought to give the repentant terrorists free foreign education, ostensibly at the expense of the stressed Nigerians they had tormented for years.

Section 5(m) of the bill, sponsored by Senator Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe East, read in part, “(The agency shall) implement programmes geared towards rehabilitation of beneficiaries, engage the services of offshore and Nigerian institutions in the pursuit of the educational needs of ex-agitators.”

While the senator defended the bill that attracted severe public criticism, it is worthy of note that there has not been any such robust package for the thousands of victims of the attacks. In the various camps, the displaced persons, mostly malnourished, live in very harsh conditions, while the families of some soldiers who died at the battlefield have at several times complained of neglect by the government.

Apart from the entitlement due the next-of-kin of slain soldiers, the wives of the fallen heroes thereafter relied on the Defence and Police Officers Wives Association, which is merely an association that largely draws its financial strength from members’ contributions.

Meanwhile, Ndume had also pointed out in his interview that instead of spending money on the former fighters, such should be used to train the victims. He stated, “If there is sincerity of purpose in this, those in the IDPs’ camps should be trained in various trades and vocations so that they could start life again.”

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/outrage-as-fg-pampers-repentant-terrorists-while-idps-suffer/

Children in IDPs’ camp (left); Ex-Boko Haram members

The 2020 Annual Convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) starts Monday 03 August 2020. But rather than drawing millions of people from around the world at the Redemption Camp on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (as in previous years), this Convention will be held virtually, in line with the Federal Government’s COVID-19 protocols.

The Convention is one of the 3 main annual events that bring millions of people together at the Redemption Camp from different parts of the world. These are the:
-- March Special Holy Ghost Service,
-- August Annual Convention, and
-- December Holy Ghost Congress.

Theme of this year's Convention had been announced about a year ago by the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, and it appeared nothing was going to stop it, not even the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 67th Convention of the church at the Redemption Camp last year, he said the theme for the 2020 convention is: ‘Wonderful.’

However, this year, the Redemption Camp will be unusually quiet, devoid of the huge crowds around the premises and the sea of heads in the auditoriums. Attention has shifted to the church’s television and radio stations, to reach the millions of participants of the Convention.

Praying at the Ministers’ Conference of the church last week, which precedes the Convention, Pastor Adeboye said, “I give glory to the Almighty God for technology, and particularly for Dove Media. I’m sure the Almighty God who knows the end from the beginning, saw what was coming, and He has prepared us for it.”

The Dove Media Group Inc, a comprehensive media network, was established in February 2011 to enable the church play a more active role in the propagation of the gospel of Christ worldwide. The Group operates in 4 major areas: Television; Short Wave Radio/Internet Radio, webcasting, and Global Vision, an international Christian magazine which is the print arm of the Group.

The platforms enable the Church reach the over 198 countries and territories, where it is physically present, with programmes from the Redemption Camp.

“The Convention is going to be a virtual one but indeed, apart from the physical feeling in the auditoriums nothing would be missing,” an official of the church said. “There are programmes in the mornings, afternoons and evenings, as in previous Conventions, all live on the various electronic platforms.”

On the expectations from the Convention, he said simple, “Wonderful, as the theme implies. It is going to be unique.”

For people who expect miracles during the Convention, its virtual nature is not likely to be a hindrance in a church where miracles are transmitted without laying of hands. And without travelling to and from the Camp, “people are likely to have quality time for praying at home,” the official said.

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/virtual-rccg-2020-annual-convention-starts-on-monday

7. L-citrulline

This is an amino acid naturally produced by the body. Here is how it works: your body helps convert L-citrulline to L-arginine which consequently improves blood flow by producing nitric oxide required to dilate your body vessels.

In addition to the above, foods that are rich in zinc such as oysters can help enhance sex drive. Such foods include crab, lobster, red meat, fortified breakfast cereal, and pine nuts.

Similarly, foods that are rich in flavonoids (powerful antioxidants with anti-inflammatory and immune system benefits) could help fight low libido and enhance sexual drive.

Some foods that are rich in flavonoids are:

berries
citrus fruits
grapes
apples
hot peppers
cocoa products
red wine
tea (green, white, and black).


SOURCE: https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/eat-me-foods-supplements-boost-sex-drive/

6. Gingko Biloba

This is a common herbal supplement in traditional Chinese medicine. It is touted to increase nitric oxide in men. More studies are, however, needed to establish consistency in the results of its effectiveness.

5. Saffron

This is a delicious spice gotten from the Crocus sativus flower. Aside from helping in reducing stress, it also acts as an aphrodisiac — food or drug that arouses sexual instinct brings on desire or increases sexual pleasure or performance.

However, studies showed it is most effective among those on antidepressants — medications that can help relieve symptoms of depression and social anxiety disorder.

4. Fenugreek

Fenugreek is another herb that could help enhance sexual performance. It contains several compounds needed by the body to produce sex hormones including estrogen and testosterone. However, more studies are still needed to further establish the effectiveness of fenugreek in boosting libido.

3. Ginseng

Ginseng — a root of plant in the genus Panax — is another supplement that could help fight low libido and generally enhance your sexual function, particularly the red ones.

Red ginseng is considered effective in boosting nitric oxide — a compound that facilitates blood circulation and helps muscles in the penis relax. However, opinions remain divided among researchers as to the extent to which red ginseng can improve sexual drive. This means there is a need for more studies.

2. Maca

Maca is a root vegetable renowned for its ability to enhance fertility and sex drive. Maca exists in different forms for users ranging from powders, capsules, and liquid extracts.

Are you having nightmares over low libido? Then Maca might be the solution to your problem. Several studies have established that it boosts libido and can also help treat mild erectile dysfunction in men.

1. Tribulus Terrestris

This is a small leafy plant common in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. While there are no conclusive studies yet to determine if it boosts testosterone — a hormone produced by the human body — there are indications it could enhance sex drive in both men and women.

Good sex is an integral part of every marriage. Therefore, it is not surprising that in many relationships experiencing sex-related issues, partners often endure endless nightmares, and in extreme cases, even settle for a divorce.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) in men is real and it is at the heart of most sex-related problems in relationships. It is usually caused by several factors. These include problems with blood flowing into and staying in the penis, damage to nerve centers in the penis, side effects of medication as well as stress-related issues. But here is the good news. You can enhance your sex drive and fight ED by taking certain natural foods and supplements without resorting to other substances that could have side effects.

Ready to learn? Here we go!

Dr Modupe Ajibawo is a locum consultant family physician at the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, Lagos. She tells ALEXANDER OKERE about hepatitis, its management and treatment

Q. What is hepatitis?
A. Hepatitis means inflammation or swelling of the liver. This impairs the functions of the liver and, in turn, affects the well-being of the affected individual. The liver is a very important organ occupying the right upper part of the abdomen. It produces important proteins that maintain pressure in the blood and help transport fats, hormones and drugs around the body. It also produces factors responsible for blood clotting. It filters the blood and helps in the breakdown of drugs, toxins, bacteria and other wastes and their removal from the body. The liver produces bile that helps digestion.

Q. What are the general causes of hepatitis?
A. Many things can cause injury to the liver, leading to inflammation. Hepatitis viruses are the most common causes of hepatitis in the world. Other viral causes of hepatitis include Epstein-Barr virus and yellow fever virus. Hepatitis can also be caused by non-viral infections like toxoplasma, certain drugs, alcohol, poisons like aflatoxins and other medical conditions. Aflatoxins are a group of poisons produced by certain fungi found on agricultural produce, like groundnuts and grain that have been stored improperly.

Q. What are the different types of hepatitis and their major causes?
A. Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses are the five main types of hepatitis viruses. They cause a major burden of illness and death, with the potential for outbreaks around the world. Hepatitis B and C are of particular interest because they lead to chronic infection and, together, are a major cause of complications such as liver cirrhosis, cancer and viral hepatitis-related deaths. The World Health Organisation estimates that 325 million people globally live with Hepatitis B and or C.

Hepatitis A and E viruses are transmitted by consumption of contaminated food or water. Overcrowding and poor sanitation facilitate their spread and they often occur in epidemics. Hepatitis A and E viruses are completely cleared from the body following an illness and do not progress to chronic disease. Hepatitis A is the most common type of viral hepatitis, affecting mainly children and young adults.

Q. How are they transmitted?
A. Hepatitis A is contracted by ingesting faecal matter from food, drinks and objects that have been contaminated by stool from an infected individual. Safe and effective vaccines are available to prevent Hepatitis A virus but not yet widely available for Hepatitis E virus. Hepatitis B virus is transmitted through exposure to infected blood, semen and other body fluids. This can be through transfusions of Hepatitis B virus-infected blood and blood products; or contaminated needles during medical procedures, tattooing or use by intravenous drug addicts. Vertical transmission from infected mothers to their infants during or following delivery is a major form of transmission.

Transmission also occurs between family members, especially during childhood. Healthcare workers stand a high risk of infection with Hepatitis B virus from accidental needle stick injuries during the care of Hepatitis B virus-infected patients. Hepatitis D virus infection can only occur along with Hepatitis B virus-infection. It is found mostly in intravenous drug abusers but can be transmitted in much the same way as hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B virus vaccines give protection from hepatitis D virus infection. Hepatitis C virus infection is transmitted through exposure to infected blood, mainly and less so through sexual intercourse. It is more common among people that require frequent blood transmission and intravenous drug abusers. There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C virus.

Q. Which among the types are the most common in Nigeria?
A. Hepatitis B virus infection is the most common in Nigeria, with a prevalence of 8.1 per cent, with Hepatitis C virus at 1.1 per cent. In the USA, Hepatitis C virus is the most common cause of chronic viral hepatitis infection, with a prevalence of 0.93 per cent, with Hepatitis B virus infection at 0.4 per cent. The high prevalence of Hepatitis B virus infections in Nigeria can be attributed to some mode of transmission particularly relevant in our context — mother-to-child transmission; healthcare-related transmission due to poor infection prevention and control; and traditional, or cultural practices, which include scarification, female genital mutilation, male circumcision and uvulectomy- amputation of the uvula by traditional healers for minor throat infections.

Q. Are there certain categories of people more prone to the inflammatory condition?
A. Travellers who do not have access to properly cooked foods and people living in overcrowded and poor sanitary conditions such as prisons are prone to the faeco-orally transmitted viral hepatitis. Hepatitis A virus infection is common in children. Healthcare workers, patients who regularly require blood transfusion or dialysis and people who practise unprotected sex with multiple sexual partners are more at risk of Hepatitis B and C infections. These people would also benefit from vaccination to prevent infection.

Q. Can Hepatitis B and C be transmitted through saliva?
A. Hepatitis B virus can be found in saliva but transmission has not been absolutely documented after exposure to infected saliva. Hepatitis B or C viruses are not thought to be spread through kissing or sharing of utensils. However, since Hepatitis B virus is present in saliva, the risk of spread through deep kissing cannot be eliminated, especially if one partner has open cuts or sores in the mouth, wears dental braces or there is a bite. Babies may not get Hepatitis B or C infection through mouth-to-mouth contact with their caregivers, based on the above reasons. However, mouth-to-mouth kissing of infants should be discouraged because there is risk of transmission of cold viruses and other bacteria, which may cause severe infection in these babies whose immunities are not yet mature.

Q. What are the signs that show a person has any of the types of hepatitis?
A. Many people with hepatitis do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected. In acute infections, symptoms may develop within a week to six months and may include feeling unwell with nausea, poor appetite, fever and fatigue. The illness is usually mild and many will recover after these. Some may develop yellowness of the eyes (called jaundice), dark urine, pale stools, joint or abdominal pains. Persons with chronic viral hepatitis can be without symptoms for decades until the complications set in, at which time the natural pathway is deterioration of liver function. This is the reason why we screen for chronic Hepatitis and institute preventive measures. As many as two-thirds of people infected with hepatitis B virus and half of those with Hepatitis C virus infection in Nigeria are unaware of the infection.

Q. What are the different complications that may result from hepatitis?
A. Majority of patients recover completely from acute hepatitis. Very few may develop fulminant liver failure. Other complications that may occur in patients with Hepatitis B, D and C virus infection are chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, chronic liver disease and, in some, liver cancer.

Q. Can hepatitis be cured?
A. Acute infections with the hepatitis viruses do not have a specific cure and treatment is mainly supportive for symptoms. Hepatitis A and E do not require a cure as they are mostly self-limiting. Chronic Hepatitis B and D are not curable. Some medications are available to treat chronic Hepatitis C over a period of eight to 12 weeks and cure is achieved in about 90 per cent of people.

Q. In what ways can treatment be done?
A. Treatment of acute hepatitis is mainly supportive and may involve fluid replacement either orally or as an infusion, control of fever and pain, and nutrition. This does not usually require hospital admission. The management of chronic hepatitis such as Hepatitis B, C and D requires regular monitoring of signs of liver disease progression. This involves regular assessment of liver enzymes, viral markers, viral load (how much of the virus is in the blood) and scan. If the disease is found to be progressive, some patients with chronic Hepatitis B will be treated with antiviral drugs.

Q. What can people with hepatitis do to avoid worsening their condition?
A. People with hepatitis should avoid self-prescription, including the frequently used paracetamol, as a lot of medication is metabolised in the liver. People with hepatitis may have reduced capacity to process some medication, further afflicting the liver. They are to also avoid alcohol use and aflatoxin-infested groundnuts as these may accelerate liver damage.

Q. What healthy habits can one adopt to prevent hepatitis?
A. Hepatitis B infection and its complications, including liver cancer, is vaccine preventable. Since 2004, all infants born in Nigeria are required to get scheduled doses of the vaccination from birth and through the first year of life. This will eliminate the high transmission among children in families that used to be common. High-risk individuals that are exposed, such as spouses of persons infected with Hepatitis B virus; healthcare professionals, such as medical and nursing students, doctors, nurses, lab scientists, hospital attendants, etc., should also be given a three-course vaccine over two months or six months to prevent occupational risk of Hepatitis B infection.

Pregnant women should register for antenatal care at accredited healthcare facilities, where they can be screened for Hepatitis B and C. If she is found to be infected, passive immunisation is given to prevent transmission to the unborn child. Hepatitis A virus is also vaccine preventable and the vaccine may be given to infants and teenagers, in whom it is more common, and travellers. When eating out, make sure the food is piping hot and avoid salads except you are sure of its source. Avoid sharing sharp instruments. Ladies should also not use sewing needles that have been previously used to fix hair extensions on one another.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/hepatitis-b-may-be-contracted-through-deep-kissing-expert/

Toblerone, a Swiss chocolate firm, has joined calls to secure the release of Leah Sharibu, one of the schoolgirls kidnapped in Dapchi, a local government area (LGA) in Yobe state, more than two years ago.

Sharibu and 109 other female students, most of whom were later released, had been abducted in their school in February 2018 after Boko Haram insurgents struck and whisked them away from their hostels. As government efforts to secure their release yielded results, the insurgents had thereafter held back Sharibu, who was 14 years old at the time, for refusing to renounce her Christian faith.

On Friday, Reno Omokri, an ex-aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, took to his Twitter page to share a picture of the custom made chocolate by Toblerone while charging Nigerians to retweet amid efforts to intensify advocacy for her release.

In July 2019, Sharibu was alleged to have been killed, with Grace, a kidnapped aid worker, pleading from Boko Haram custody that she does not want similar fate with previous victims — referencing Sharibu and Hauwa Liman — “who were killed because no one came to their rescue.”

But the federal government had refuted the claim, maintaining she was alive and that it was doing all it could to secure her release. In January, she was reported to have given birth while in captivity.

“I wonder, do we pretend that leaving Leah behind won’t result in pregnancy?” Ahmad Salkida, a journalist with access to the insurgents, had said while speaking on her state of wellbeing. Since the terror group announced condemning her to slavery, is there any step or collective focus on preventing similar occurrences? She’s a mother, but I don’t know about the gender of the baby.”

SOURCE: https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/switzerland-firm-joins-call-for-leah-sharibu-release-with-chocolate-brand/

Andrew Ogbeche, a former worker of the slain former Commissioner for Youths and Sports in Edo State, Mr Egbe Ediagbonya, has owned up on the role he played in the kidnap of his boss. Ogbeche, who worked as a labourer on Ediagbonya’s palm tree farm at Utese village, Okada area of the state, explained that he got N100,000 out of the N1m ransom paid for the victim’s release.

The ex-commissioner was reportedly kidnapped on May 16 and his decomposing body found 19 days later at a bush close to his farm. Following his murder, men of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team launched a manhunt for the perpetrators, leading to Ogbeche’s arrest early July. City Round learnt Ogbeche conspired with one Paul and other accomplices at large to perpetrate the crime.

Police investigation revealed that the kidnappers had on May 3, sent a threat message to the deceased, announcing their intention to abduct him and daring him to involve security agencies. They made good their threat 13 days after when they ambushed him on his farm and demanded a ransom. After collecting N1m, they were said to have informed his family to pick up his corpse at a location.

“The kidnappers used the deceased’s mobile to demand a ransom and collected N1m. They later sent a text message to the family, asking them to pick his corpse somewhere. It took the family few days to locate the corpse in the bush.

“Through intelligence-led investigation, Andrew Ogbeche was arrested. He is the deceased’s former worker on his palm tree farm at Utese. The phone he used in sending threat messages to the deceased was recovered from him. Investigation is ongoing to arrest other suspects involved in the kidnapping and murder,” a police source said.

35 year old Ogbeche, who hails from Bewarre village in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State, told City Round during the week that he was aware of his ex-boss’ kidnap but did not know about his murder. He stated that after the news of Ediagbonya’s death broke in the community, he tried to reach Paul on the phone to no avail.

Andrew said, “Since I graduated from the university, I have been having financial constraints. I used to work with the commissioner as a labourer on his palm tree farm and he paid me N10,000 per month. I used to clear the bush and help to pluck palm fruits. I worked with him for 2 months but he paid me only for one month. He promised to pay me later. While I was working for him, I had no plan to kidnap him. It was my friend, Paul, who visited me on the farm that brought the idea of kidnapping him.

“He told me my boss had a lot of money. I warned him not to try it. He kept visiting and threatened to kill me if I expose his secret. While he was visiting me on the farm, Paul had told my boss that he wanted to work with him. He became close to him and he trusted him.”

Ogbeche, who claimed to be the only child of his mother, said he consented to the crime for fear of throwing his mum into mourning. He added, “The day they kidnapped the man, Paul told me and I was scared. He gave me N100,000 but that time, I never knew they had killed him. It was later I saw one of my friends who told me that my boss is dead. I was devastated. I felt bad and I regret collecting the money.”

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/i-got-n100000-from-ransom-paid-for-my-boss-release-former-worker-of-ex-edo-commissioner-killed-by-kidnappers/

At least 8 former footballers are battling to survive in the wake of health-care shortages in the country, which have amplifed the challenges posed by COVID-19.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control announced 404 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria, shooting total number of infections to 42,208. The new cases announced on NCDC’s official Twitter page on Wednesday evening, according to the ex-footballers, have affected non-COVID-19 patients in recieving proper medical care from hospitals in the country.

Paul Obiakor, a former national team goalkeeper, who is recovering from a heart surgery, told The PUNCH that despite the successful surgery he had on Tuesday, he was still owing the hospital where he underwent the surgery N2,000,050.

“COVID-19 has made it pretty difficult to offset my outstanding bills at the hospital. I’m still in my ward but hopefully I will be discharged on Friday (today), Obiakor told The PUNCH. “I would be in an isolated place in Abuja where I’d be visiting the hospital for treatment.”

Chukwuma Nwoha, a member of the Golden Eaglets that won the maiden U-17 World Cup in China in 1985, is currently bedridden as a result of leg problems that has proven difficult to heal after medication and surgeries. Recently, Nwoha went through the surgeon’s knife at the Federal Medical Centre.

“It’s been tough but I have undergone surgery thanks to Chikelue Iloenyosi and Nwankwo Kanu, who helped me with funds for the operation,” Nwoha told The PUNCH on Thursday. “I just hope COVID-19 ends soon as it affects my daily survival.”

Kadiri Ikhana, a member of the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations winning squad also revealed that after 2 major surgeries to fix his badly distorted hip bones, he is struggling to keep up with his recovery plans in a private hospital in Abeokuta. “I’m coping but it has not been easy but we have to be grateful for life,” Ikhana said.

Charles Bassey, another member of the 1980 squad, has been struggling for 2 years with debilitating arthritis that has rendered him immobile. He survives on expensive painkillers and drugs he can hardly afford. “I’ve received help from some quarters, but I’m getting better. We all know what’s going on now globally, that has made it difficult for me,” Bassey told The PUNCH.

Ex-Eagles goalkeeper Emmanuel Okala, has been battling with poor sight, diabetes and debilitating arthritis for several years. Ex-international Segun Odegbami also disclosed that his former teammate Shafiu Mohamed lives in total neglect, poverty and deteriorating health in Taraba State.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/ex-internationals-recount-ordeals-as-covid-19-persists/

Updated...

12. SHAYO
Refers to alcoholic drinks e.g. "Make we go shayo" means “Let’s go grab a drink”.

13. ABEG
Means please e.g. "abeg make I pass" means "please make way".

14. BAFF UP
Means to dress nicely.

15. YAWA
Implies trouble or problem e.g. "Yawa done cast" means "there is problem".

16. SHAKARA
Means to pose or to show off e.g. "she dey do shakara" means she is posing.

17. APROKO
Someone who interferes in other people's affairs.

18. ABOKI
Being foolish or ignorant about things.

19. AGBERO
A street urchin, tout or anyone characterised by waywardness.

20. KASALA
Means trouble, problem or any difficult situation e.g. "kasala don burst" means "there is a big problem".

21. AJEPAKO
Someone who wasn't born with a silver spoon or who had a very tough childhood; Opposite of "Ajebo".

22. BABA IJEBU
A betting shop or daily lottery.

23. ASHY
A wayward girl or woman.

24. AWOOF
Free stuff or something given as charity e.g. "awoof dey run belle" means "love of free things can get you into trouble".

25. ANYWHERE BELLE FACE
Someone without principles thus ready to do anything for material gain.

12. SHAYO
Refers to alcoholic drinks e.g. "Make we go shayo" means “Let’s go grab a drink”.

13. ABEG
Means please e.g. "abeg make I pass" means "please make way".

14. BAFF UP
Means to dress nicely.

15. YAWA
Implies trouble or problem e.g. "Yawa done cast" means "there is problem".

FrieslandCampina WAMCO started its Dairy Development Programme(DDP) in Nigeria in 2010. It was targeted at setting up backward integration projects to source raw milk locally and upscale the country’s dairy industry. 10 years down the line, the DDP has been a humongous success, extending from Oyo to 4 other states and impacting the lives of 7,000 farmers and their families.

Ben Langat, managing director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria plc, spoke with Odinaka Anudu, Industry Editor, on the achievements of the DDP and how it has helped to grow the Nigerian economy.


Q. Your Dairy Development Programme (DDP) is going on in 5 states. Tell us how it started.
A. In 2010, we started with Shonga Farms in Kwara State by supporting the farm to meet our quality standards. Then we began offtake of milk from them. We then moved to Oyo state, putting infrastructure in place for our pilot Dairy Development Programme (DDP). We built milk collection centres in several communities in Oyo. The first milk collection centre was built in Fashola in 2011. We started from scratch. Today, we have a total of 16 milk collection centres and 10 new ones are being constructed as we speak, with one bulking centre in Iseyin, where the raw milk goes into big cooling trucks and are moved to Lagos.

Q. What quantity raw milk are you currently getting per day?
A. We are collecting about 40,000 litres a day. Our actual storage capacity is 85,000 litres, which means there is still a lot of room for increase. Presently, we are in Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara and we just launched into northern Nigeria with a large project in Niger state at Bobi Grazing Reserve. We have a milk collection centre there with plans to engage a third party processor. We are doing full backward integration with the DDP, which is also supported by government through the Central Bank of Nigeria and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Q. How do you utilise the raw milk sourced through your DDP?
A. In 2019, we built a new factory and the bulk of fresh milk that is collected is what we use in producing our Peak yoghurt range. It is a brand new factory which was commissioned last year. So, you see, we are not only collecting some raw milk, it’s a full business strategy. It is adequate to run a full production and manufacturing process. We also use some of the fresh milk in manufacturing evaporated milk.

Q. How has the DDP engaged local dairy farmers?
A. We work with 7,000 farmers presently; 950 of them are women and we are targeting to work with a lot more. We have established dairy cooperatives for a sustainable dairy value chain.

Q. What are the most consistent challenges confronting the dairy programme?
A. We have faced a lot of challenges, having started from scratch. We don’t have quality dairy breeds in the country and have to build stock from very low mother stock. A key part of the DDP effort is the crossbreeding programme to ensure we build enough dairy stock for farmers. There is the challenge of poor infrastructure. There are also normal challenges of cow diseases, water supply to farms and nomadic lifestyle of pastoralists, among others. So there was a need to educate the farmers on how to improve their feeds, get veterinary support for the cows, all in a bid to improve the milk yield. The challenge around animal husbandry is really getting the right animal that can give the right yield. The cows that are in Nigeria are largely beef cattle. Overtime, they have to be improved. Progress is slow and that is one big challenge.

Q. Are there areas government can help the dairy sector?
A. There is a lot more that needs to be done to improve infrastructure – road networks, power and water supply in rural locations. Security is also a challenge. Each community comes with its own challenges, like communal clashes over land resources, among others. The biggest challenge dairy development will face in the north is security in addition to low quality pasture. We are focused on getting the yield per cow up to the right level. We have the traditional beef cows that produce one to two litres per day. But with artificial insemination and crossbreeding, we can get more than 10 litres per cow over time, and that would be a lot better.

Q. At your 47th AGM, your company announced N161.8b turnover. How much has the DDP contributed to that?
A. The DDP is still at infancy. It was difficult to call out DDP’s percentage in the turnover reported because the yoghurt factory built for that was done mid-year 2019. Perhaps at the next AGM, it would be easier to call out its impact on turnover. I am sure it would be disclosed in the financial report. Right now, it is still at infancy stage. We have accelerated quite a great deal, but it will still be a long time before the expected returns on investment start to come in.

Q. Are SMEs benefitting from the DDP?
A. Yes. To produce a litre of milk from any cow, a lot of processes are involved. In all our DDP locations, there are a lot of small and medium businesses that have developed different things around those areas. They sell feeds and animal nutrition boosters to the farmers; they offer veterinary and consultancy services, even pasture cultivation, fertilizers, herbicides, and drugs, among others. Others offer logistics – trucks, farm equipment, tools. At every DDP location, we have a laboratory that requires suppliers of lab equipment, chemicals and disposables.

Even the motorcycle riders transporting milk from farmers to the milk collection centres are part of the value chain. We also have institutional partners – organisations, universities and government ministries. It is an ecosystem that is developing just like in other countries where we have DDP. Farmers are giving up their nomadic lifestyle and they are settling around FrieslandCampina WAMCO DDP locations, where their wives have also set up cooperatives and established various businesses. The women have more time for themselves now because of having an income source. They don’t have to walk long distances to hawk items or fetch water anymore.

Q. In 2016, you set a target of 10% local input sourcing. So with 85,000-litre storage facilities, how soon do you think you would outgrow that facility?
A. We have achieved and surpassed the target we set in 2016 on dairy development. We have even moved beyond just surpassing our target to setting up a complete business line with the Peak Yoghurt. We are committed to helping to grow the economy as the clear leader in the dairy sector. We are training dairy farmers in line with international best practices, improving their livelihood and quality of life, and improving quality of livestock and pasture for better milk yield.

We are building and sustaining new ecosystems. The DDP model has proven to be sustainable. We have a factory that is producing yoghurt and is going to need a lot of fresh milk. We still need more and that is why we are building more capacity. Perhaps over the next 12 months, the factory can run at full capacity.

Q. What measures are you putting in place as a company to mitigate challenges of COVID-19 and enhance productivity / continued growth?
A. Every day you plan to do something different, and the following day something new comes up. We review all that we do daily and weekly, and we are ahead of the game. What we try to do is to make sure our people stay safe because at the end of the day, it’s about lives. Within our premises, we have very strict guidelines to follow in terms of social distancing, wearing face masks, using sanitisers, and washing of hands, among others. If you come, it is strict protocol to get in here. We have had to let some people work from home. For those who need to work in the office, we have protocol for that.

We have also provided for our staff to access medical services when necessary. So far, we have been lucky. We don’t pray for it, but the effects of the pandemic will be here for a long time. Business continuity is key. In terms of workplace psychology, we have built around our people, we have designed protocols for different kinds of journeys and have tried very hard to secure partnerships that ensure business continuity in areas like raw materials and packaging, among others.

While, the pandemic has an effect on logistics and the like, the cows still continue to produce milk daily. So the challenge is how to get the milk down here. The cows and the farmers are in fairly isolated locations, so milk production is not impacted. It’s just the little disruption we see in the movement of milk. All things considered, we have a stable business and we remain committed to Nigeria and to making quality dairy nutrition available and affordable for all Nigerians.

Q. To what extent do you think COVID-19 would affect your 2020 financial projection?
A. COVID-19 brought about a lot of changes and challenges. We have felt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the same manner every other company has felt it. From the safety point of view, having to take precautions, have people work from home. We have felt all that like everybody else. But we provide essential services being in the business of nutrition. So we have been allowed to operate throughout this period.

Our factories have been running, we’ve been working very closely with government to ensure movement of raw materials coming in and finished products around the country. We have been working together with industries that have similar products, food and pharmaceuticals, and other key essentials. Our production has been steady; consumers are focusing on real essentials; they are not buying luxury items. Dairy is important to a healthy nutrition and lifestyle, more so at this time when a strong immune system is important.

Q. Since CBN restrictions on foreign exchange (FX) to dairy import were announced, how has it been accessing FX?
A. We have felt the impact of COVID-19 on global oil prices. This has significantly affected sourcing of foreign currency locally to bring in equipment and materials that we need. We are one of the 6 companies that have been granted access to FX and it is because of our steady investment in the dairy development programme, which we have been doing for the past 10 years. The fact that we are expanding and scaling fast in the north doesn’t mean that there is enough raw milk. We need a lot more for production and it will take many more years of committed dairy development.

Q. In terms of local milk production, what other policy direction do you expect from government?
A. I can’t tell what government policies would be, going forward. But I think the intention behind backward integration in any country is always good, and policies are best formulated in a manner that is consultative and allows input from stakeholders so they do not create more pain or difficulty in the country. There is a big difference between backward integration that affects crops that can be grown in a fairly short period of time, like perennial crops that take 3 to 6 months to grow, and one that involves life, which needs to be developed like dairy. It takes a long time and it’s a lot more sensitive. Dairy cows need constant attention; you must treat, clean and feed them properly. It takes time.

Q. How well-positioned is FrieslandCampina WAMCO in supporting policy-making in the dairy sector?
A. Backward integration policy-making will continue and we are committed to it. We want to be part of the consultation process because our company is a big knowledge base for dairy development, not only in Nigeria but globally. This can be leveraged because there is so much we believe that still needs to be done to boost the sector. To accelerate backward Integration, the big challenges that must be tackled head on are insecurity and infrastructure. To get products out of the ports is a night mare, and the cost of clearing goods is going up by two to three times more. It has been like this over the last year or two because of port congestion and poor infrastructure.

In terms of power supply, we have been here for many decades, but still trying to get into the national grid. Supporting companies to bring down the cost of doing business is a very essential thing for government to do. When you ask farmers to go and produce milk, cereal, rice, wheat or whatever, they need to know that once the process of farming starts, all the required infrastructure will be put in place and will work all the way to the point of sale and they will get value for what is produced. That way, the cycle remains sustainable and profitable.

Q. With COVID-19 lockdown challenges, how did you transport raw milk daily?
A. We experienced some delays and difficulties with enforcement agencies, but we were able to resolve them being categorised among essential services that were granted access. Our capacity to move was reduced by half; our trucks could only move during the day. Security officials required a lot of paperwork. We experienced all of those, but at the end, we resolved it all. There was a lot of consultation with government, so we had places to reach out to and they eventually allowed the trucks to move.

SOURCE (abridged): https://businessday.ng/interview/article/we-collect-40000-litres-of-milk-a-day-from-local-farmers-frieslandcampina-md/

With over 520 languages including dialects, Nigeria is a country of many tongues. While English is regarded as the first language due to the influence of British colonial rule, there are several other derivatives of it including pidgin (also known as broken English or slang). Here’s your need-to-know guide...

1. AMEBO
This is used to refer to a person who likes to gossip or likes spreading gossip e.g. ‘you too like amebo’ means ‘you love gossip’, whereas ‘she’s an amebo’ means ‘she’s a gossip’.

2. AJEBUTTER
In Nigeria this term is used to refer to people who are well off or brought up with a silver spoon. It can also be simply termed ‘butter’ for short.

3. CONTROL (Ctrl) P
A recent slang in the Nigerian slang lexicon, ‘control P’ is a term used when someone is taking a situation too personally. For example, ‘na control P dey worry am’ means the person is taking things too personally.

4. FALL MY HAND
This is another popular slang that is used when someone is disappointed by a person or something that happened. For example, ‘no fall my hand’ means ‘don’t disappoint me’, while ‘na so dem fall my hand for there’ means ‘that’s how I was disappointed over there’.

5. GBOSA
This slang is an action word which means to punch or slap, but can be as well used to refer to the sound made when someone or something is being punched. For example, ‘I go give you gbosa for head!’ means ‘I will punch/slap your head!’ The word can also be used when describing the sound of a punch, as in ‘Pow!’.

6. JACK
This slang is commonly used by students and shouldn’t be confused with the English name of the same spelling. To ‘jack’ means to study or revise effectively. ‘I dey go jack for my exam’ means ‘I’m going to study for my exam’.

7. SOJI
This word is an abbreviation of the Yoruba name Adesoji, which means ‘the crown is revived’. However, when used in everyday vernacular, it means to be knowledgeable about something or street smart. For example, ‘she too soji’ means ‘she’s very smart’.

8. JARA
Jara is derived from the Yoruba language and it means to add extra or give a freebie after something has already been bought or paid for. For example, when serving a dish at a restaurant, customers can usually be found asking for ‘jara’, at which point the seller might add an extra piece of meat or scoop of rice at his or her discretion.

9. KOLO
This means to go crazy or mad. This can mean literally or metaphorically depending on the context.

10. MAGA/MUGU
This is used to describe someone regarded as a fool or someone who is very gullible or being conned e.g. ‘you be maga’ means ‘you’re a fool’. But in this context – ‘my maga promise me hundred thousand Naira’, it shows that the person who’s being referred to as the maga is being conned.

11. YAB
This is another slang mostly used by younger people, as it’s usually in a playful yet insulting manner. It means to diss or make fun of someone. For example, ‘he loves to yab people’ means ‘he loves to diss people’.

SOURCE: https://theculturetrip.com/africa/nigeria/articles/11-untranslatable-nigerian-slang-words-we-need-in-english/

Do you know any other Naija slangs that deserve formal entry into the English lexicon? Do post it here, for discussion...

Bama Mayonnaise, leading mayonnaise brand from the portfolio of global culinary leaders, GBfoods has recently completed its state-of-the-art production factory in Sango, Ogun State. The factory, which will support local manufacturing of Bama mayonnaise with its original recipe, successfully rolled out its first batch of products to the Nigerian market recently.

This investment is an added assurance of GBfoods’ commitment to continually contribute to Nigeria’s economic and social development through the localization of its products. The factory draws from a blend of GBfoods rich global practices and regional experiences to support consumers growing needs, whilst highlighting the opportunity for their communities to be a part of the long-standing heritage. This will, in turn, make Nigeria a key export hub for Africa and will further lead to the creation of jobs and the development of human capital in the country.

CEO of GBfoods Africa, Mr. Vicenç Bosch reiterated Bama’s commitment to maintaining its original recipe developed over 80 years ago in the USA while being produced in Nigeria. He said, “The tradition and origin of American recipes is what makes Bama unique and superior in comparison with our competitors”.

Mr. Vicenç Bosch further went on to state “Our priority when building this international standard production facility in Nigeria was to make sure we are able to meet the demands of our customers, not only in Nigeria but also other African countries”.

In addition to the new factory, the company has also unveiled a new packaging design, featuring a quality stamp to reiterate the product’s category-leading position, and to emphasize its superior quality and taste to consumers. With the quality stamp feature, customers are now able to identify and purchase original Bama products. The new design stays true to the corporate colors, brand characters, and label art that is synonymous with Bama Mayonnaise while making the shelf presence and overall impact much stronger. Bama’s superior formula and product have been uniquely put to the test, delivering a smooth texture and mouthwatering creamy experience to deliver the taste which spreads moments of love to all its consumers.

ABOUT GBFOODS NIGERIA
GBfoods has a wide range of quality well-established brands in Nigeria such as Gino, Bama and Jago, under which they manufacture a wide range of quality products. Products include Gino Tomatoes Mix; Gino Pepper Onion, Gino Thyme; Gino Curry; Gino Chicken and Beef Cubes; Bama Mayonnaise as well as Jago Mayonnaise. GBfoods investments aim to satisfy local culinary habits and preferences whilst offering the healthiest and best ingredients for Nigerian cuisine.

ABOUT BAMA MAYONNAISE
The Bama mayonnaise recipe was developed in the US over 80 years ago and has continued to expand across Africa. On 20th April, 2020, the first batch of locally produced Bama mayonnaise was rolled out in its new state-of-the-art mayonnaise factory located in Ogun state.

Core to the Bama brand is the improved taste it brings to meals, the act of spreading love and bonding it brings to mealtimes and the rich heritage and history it upholds, thus bringing premium quality mayonnaise to Nigerian and African homes.

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/gbfoods-relaunches-its-bama-product-with-state-of-the-art-factory-in-nigeria/

Stock Recommendations for the week ending 31July2020:

https://www.nairaland.com/6017043/nigerian-stock-exchange-stock-recommendations

See the attached for your info / possible use.

SOURCE: MorganCapital Research

CAVEAT (by me): This is NOT a solicitation for purchase of shares. Public securities are not risk-free and you are advised to exercise caution / due diligence before making any investment decision.

The COVID-19 coronavirus has infected more than 16 million people around the world and claimed the lives of over 650,000. Scientists have rushed to meticulously study the virus and its methods of transmission in attempt to find treatments and ultimately a cure and a vaccine. New info about the virus is discovered everyday.

Here are 5 strange facts we know about the coronavirus:

1. SURVIVES HEAT UP TO A POINT
The coronavirus can survive long exposure to high temperatures, according to a French study. While high temperatures significantly reduced effectiveness of the coronavirus, it was still able to replicate, i.e. capable of starting another round of infection in its host. Only when the scientists heated the virus at a temperature of 92 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes was COVID-19 completely deactivated.

2. SURVIVES COLD FOR LONG
It can survive up to 2 years below freezing temperatures, according to a medical expert from the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in the UAE. “Research into similar coronavirus strains has shown that, in general, coronaviruses are stable in freezing temperatures and have been shown to survive for up to 2 years at minus 20 degrees Celsius,” explained Dr. Mohamad Mooty, Department Chair, Infectious Diseases, Medical Subspecialty Institute, at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

3. CAN LIVE IN THE HUMAN EYE
The coronavirus can live in a patient’s eye for days after it is no longer detected in the nose, according to a Chinese study.

4. TALKING LOUDLY SPREADS COVID-19 DROPLETS IN AIR
Fluid droplets ejected from people’s mouths when talking loudly in confined spaces could result in the virus remaining in the air for up to 14 minutes, according to a US study. Researchers found that loud speech can emit thousands of oral fluid droplets per second.

5. SURVIVES ON CERTAIN SURFACES
The virus can survive from 3 hours up to several days on some surfaces, depending on the material, according to Cleveland clinic:

Glass: 5 days
Wood: 4 days
Plastic and stainless-steel: 3 days
Cardboard: 24 hours
Copper: 4 hours

SOURCE (abridged/updated): https://english.alarabiya.net/en/coronavirus/2020/05/15/Strange-coronavirus-facts-Survives-heat-cold-lives-in-eyes-lasts-long-on-surfaces

A drunk 34 year old woman set fire to her boyfriend's house, after an argument in the street during the coronavirus lockdown. Ms Kelly Barraclough was spotted shouting and strangely moving bins around outside the house around 12.20am on April 16, in The Poplars area of Hull, a port city in East Yorkshire, England, UK.

A neighbour heard Barraclough's boyfriend tell her to leave during the drunken quarrel, Hull Crown Court heard. The woman did so but returned a short while later. Prosecuting lawyer Jeremy Evans told the court that the neighbour then heard a "smashing sound" and saw that the living room window of Barraclough's boyfriend's home had been smashed, before hearing him accuse her of doing so.

Ms Barraclough was "erratic" after the neighbour went and told them to calm down, at first apologising and then adopting a "threatening demeanour". Her boyfriend left the scene 5 minutes later, Mr Evans said, and Barraclough was heard shouting: "I swear I'm going to burn this house down." Shortly afterwards, a fire alarm sounded and an "orange glow" and smoke were seen coming from the house.

Ms Barraclough then appeared in an upstairs bedroom window crying for help, the court heard, and the "brave" neighbours were able to put a ladder up to the window, while others pointed a fire extinguisher through the letterbox in an attempt to put out the flames. Barraclough managed to break the window but was too scared to climb down the ladder, so a neighbour stayed with her and was able to keep her calm until emergency services arrived and got her down.

Including damage from the flames and smashed windows, total cost of damage to the property was £2,750 (equal to N1.58 million). Lawyer Evans said initially investigators could not figure out where the fire had started, and believed Barraclough could not have been responsible because the front door was locked and she was trapped upstairs. So her boyfriend was arrested nearby and interviewed under caution – an "unfortunate feature of the case," Mr Evans said. CCTV footage later recovered showed it could not have been him because he had left before the fire started.

The boyfriend told police that Ms Barraclough had been threatening towards the property and herself, at one point picking up a knife and threatening to harm herself with it. After her arrest, Ms Barraclough initially said she could not remember what happened, but later pleaded guilty to arson while reckless as to whether life would be endangered. Mr Evans said she had caused significant risk of physical harm but "thankfully, neighbours were already aware of a situation developing in their otherwise peaceful street in the early hours of that morning."

Pleading for Barraclough, Lawyer Mark Savage said she could "blame no one but herself", but Judge David Tremberg was sceptical of exactly when and how much of the blame she had taken, after initially denying committing the crime. The court heard that Barraclough had suffered a "troubled" upbringing which left her struggling with her self esteem. She had been expelled from school as a child and struggled with binge drinking and cocaine use as she got older.

Sentencing her, Judge David Tremberg said Ms Kelly Barraclough had committed a "vindictive" act - even using an accelerant to encourage the fire to take hold. He sentenced Barraclough to 30 months in jail. She must serve at least half of that before being released to serve the rest of the sentence on licence.

SOURCES (abridged/expatiated):
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/drunk-woman-set-fire-boyfriends-22414934

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/kelly-barraclough-hull-court-crime-4362044

About 10 persons sustained wounds from gunshots at a rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benin, Edo state. The rally, which was held on Saturday, was to kick off campaign activities for Godwin Obaseki, governor of the state and candidate of the PDP in the September 19 governorship election.

The governor had led Uche Secondus, national chairman of the party, and other chieftains of the party to the palace and were returning to Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium for the campaign when the incident happened. Sources said the PDP campaign train had clashed with some supporters of the opposing All Progressives Congress (APC) while making their way to the stadium.

“We were by the palace gate, and when the governor’s entourage was coming, we still stood there and suddenly we started hearing sporadic gunshots,” one of the sources said. “People started running, falling over each other, and about 10 people have sustained injuries.”

Chris Nehikaira, PDP spokesperson in Edo state, also told TheCable that the campaign was peaceful but “some elements loyal to the APC tried to disrupt the visit of the governor to the palace”.

When contacted, Chidi Nwabuzor, police spokesperson in Edo, said he is yet to get details of how it happened. “I wasn’t there, so I am trying to speak with those on the ground so that we can give an accurate account,” he said.

The governorship race is between Obaseki and Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the APC.

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/10-wounded-as-gunshots-rock-pdp-campaign-train-in-edo

Katsina State Police Command has arrested a housewife, Fatima Bishir, 22, for allegedly arranging the kidnap of her 5 year old daughter to implicate her husband’s ex-wife. She was said to have sent an SMS to her husband demanding N2m ransom before the daughter would be released. This happened in Mashi LGA of the state.

Police spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, made the disclosure on Thursday in Katsina during a press briefing. “On July 5, 2020, at 0800 hours, the suspect falsely reported at Mashi Police Division that her little daughter was missing and strongly suspected the ex-wife of her husband,” he said.

Isah added that the suspect further claimed that the said ex-wife once threatened her that she would avenge the death of her daughter who died under her care. He revealed that the suspect took pants and canvas shoes of the daughter to the house of the ex-wife to implicate her, where the police recovered them.

“After thorough investigation, the suspect confessed to being the writer of the text message sent to her husband, Bishir Isyaku, 40, threatening him to either pay N2 million ransom or risk his daughter being killed by the kidnappers,” he said.

He further revealed that the suspect confessed to have taken away the daughter from their residence in Mashi to Kano, where she hid her with the help of her housemaid, Faiza. According to him, luck ran out on the suspect when she took the girl away from Kano to Dutsi trying to abandon her near the house of the ex-wife’s mother.

He said an investigation was ongoing and the suspects would be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others.

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2020/07/23/mother-allegedly-kidnaps-daughter-demands-n2-million-ransom/

President Muhammadu Buhari has emerged the most followed Sub-Saharan African leader on Twitter during the Covid-19 pandemic, reveals leading global communications agency Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW) on Tuesday, July 21.

The newly released BCW Twiplomacy study 2020, which focuses on how world leaders have tweeted during the coronavirus pandemic and how Twitter has tried to keep the chatter clean from disinformation reveals that President Buhari recorded 3.1 million followers ahead of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda’s 1.9m followers.
PMB’s Twitter followership grew 51% within the period when Coronavirus emerged in Mid-March until June.

Commenting on the outcome of the research, Chief Innovation Officer, BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), Chad Latz said “It is therefore vital for world leaders to use channels like Twitter to reach out to their followers to spread critical health warnings and keep their followers abreast of the latest COVID-19-related information. As the pandemic abates in some countries, world leaders will find themselves with an expanded audience for future engagement.”

Group Managing Director CMC Connect BCW (affiliate company of BCW in Nigeria); Yomi Badejo-Okusanya commended the BCW global network for the professionalism that culminated in timely release of the study. “This report will encourage leaders who have been lagging behind to tap into opportunities provided by social media to communicate rightly by increasing their activities on the platforms to educate and inform their people.
COVID 19 has changed many around the globe, and in Africa the need to communicate what the government is doing and saying shows some level of transparency”

The 2020 Twiplomacy edition reveals that governments and leaders of 189 countries had an official presence on the social network, representing 98% of the 193 UN member states. The leaders use Twitter to share critical coronavirus information and encourage their citizens to “stay home” and “stay safe.”

Many leaders have been leading by example and updating their Twitter profiles, wearing a face mask and participating in the #SafeHands challenge. World leaders and diplomats also had to adapt to working from home and have been thrust into video conferences, making diplomacy truly digital.

Globally, US President Donald Trump is still the most followed world leader with more than 81m followers and counting, while the governments of 4 countries namely Laos, North Korea, Sao Tome and Principe and Turkmenistan do not have a Twitter presence.

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2020/07/23/buhari-most-followed-sub-saharan-african-leader-on-twitter-bcw-study-reveals/

ncpat:
Are you saying the disorder is what made him wanted to contest for president of America? Just asking.

Yes, it quite possible. During an episode, a person suffering from bipolar disorder can say and do things that seem illogical, ill-thought or even silly. Let's take some examples of Kanye's recent utterances and actions that indicate a possible bipolar episode:

-- On 04July2020, announced via Twitter his intention to run for President of the USA.
-- On 07July2020, did a rambling interview with Forbes, during which he (among other strange statements) slammed Planned Parenthood as an organization run by "white supremacists to do the Devil's work".
-- Revealed he'll run for POTUS through a new political party called the "Birthday Party".
-- Declared he would run the White House based on "the framework of Wakanda" (the fictional country in the Black Panther movie).
--Claimed a potential Coronavirus vaccine is "the mark of the Beast".
-- On 15July2020, was reported to have withdrawn from the US presidential race.
-- On 19July2020, broke down in tears at his first presidential campaign rally.
-- On 21July2020, tweeted that he has been trying to divorce Kim Kardashian for the past 2 years, and accused his mother-in-law (Kris Jenner) of being a "white supremacist".

Note: It has been reported that Kanye usually has a serious bipolar episode about once every year. Also, in October 2018, Kanye came on "TMZ Live" and said he was not taking his bipolar medication. He had previously stated he doesn't take his medication because it "stifles his creativity."

In conclusion, Kanye West is a great guy with a heart of gold, and he deserves all our compassion as he deals with this very difficult health condition. Let's pray for him and his family during this trying period. Cheers!

This is an original article, drawn from various sources on the Internet...

A. INTRODUCTION
Kanye Omari West is a popular American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, composer, and fashion designer, with net worth of $1.3 billion. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016, and recently manifested symptoms of a bipolar episode. Overall, an estimated 4.4% (i.e. 9.2 million) of U.S. adults experience bipolar disorder at some time in their lives. So, what exactly is bipolar disorder, how is it treated and how do I know if I have it?

B. WHAT IS BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Bipolar disorder (sometimes referred to as manic-depressive disorder) is a mental health condition that causes extreme shifts in mood and energy level. While every human being experiences some psychological ups and down from time to time, those suffering from bipolar disorder experience severe shifts in mood and behavior that can seriously impact their lives.

A person with bipolar disorder may experience periods of extremely elevated or highly irritable moods, called manic episodes. They may also experience periods of depression, called depressive episodes. Both the manic and depressive periods can be brief (from just a few hours to a few days), or much longer (lasting up to several weeks or even months).

C.TYPES OF BIPOLAR DISORDER
According to the American Psychiatric Association, these are the 4 major categories of bipolar disorder: bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, cyclothymic disorder, and bipolar disorder due to other medical or substance abuse disorder. Each type is identified by the pattern of manic and depressive episodes. Best treatment for the sufferer depends on diagnosed type of bipolar disorder.

1. BIPOLAR I DISORDER
Manic episodes will last at least 7 days plus psychotic (disconnection from reality) symptoms, or manic symptoms are severe enough to require immediate hospitalization (to prevent harm to oneself or others). Depressive episodes, typically lasting at least 2 weeks, also often occur. A person may have manic episodes with some depressive features or depressive episodes with some manic features.

2. BIPOLAR II DISORDER
Mania is not involved, but there are recurring episodes of major depression and hypomania (milder form of mania). For bipolar II disorder diagnosis, you must have experienced at least one hypomanic episode plus one major depressive episode in your lifetime.

In bipolar I disorder one or more major depressive episodes usually occur but not compulsorily; Bipolar II disorder compulsorily involves one or more major depressive episodes. Common symptoms in a major depressive episode include:
-- Insomnia (difficulty falling / staying asleep) or hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness).
-- Unexplained or uncontrollable crying.
-- Severe fatigue.
-- Loss of interest in things typically enjoyed.
-- Recurring thoughts of death or suicide.

3. CYCLOTHYMIC DISORDER
Milder form. Like bipolar disorder, cyclothymia consists of cyclical mood swings; however, the highs/lows are not severe enough to qualify as either mania or major depression. Usually develops in adolescence. People having it often appear to function normally, though they may appear “moody” or “difficult” to others. People will often not seek treatment because the mood swings do not seem severe. If untreated, cyclothymia can increase the risk of developing bipolar disorder.

4. BIPOLAR DISORDER DUE TO OTHER MEDICAL OR SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDER
No specific pattern, and also don’t match symptoms of the other 3 disorders. Yet, they still have to meet criteria for abnormal mood changes e.g. a person may experience mild depressive or hypomanic symptoms lasting less than 2 years specified for cyclothymia. Another example is if a person has depressive episodes but symptoms of mood elevation are too mild or brief to be diagnosed as mania or hypomania.

D. GENERAL / TREATMENT
Like any other sick or infirm person, those suffering from bipolar disorder deserve to be treated with compassion, consideration and kindness. With treatment and through their own efforts, people with bipolar disorder can live rich, rewarding lives. Treatment includes variety of strategies to manage it over the long term. Because it is a chronic illness, treatment must be ongoing.

Medications are typically an important part of treatment. These may include mood stabilizers, anti-psychotic medications, or antidepressants. Such medications usually need to be taken daily and regularly to be effective.

Psychotherapy, too, is often an important part of treatment.
-- Cognitive behavioral therapy helps change negative thinking and behavior associated with depression. Goal of this therapy is to recognize negative thoughts and teach coping strategies.
-- Family-focused therapy helps those with bipolar disorder learn about it and carry out a treatment plan.
-- Psychotherapy (focused on self-care and stress regulation) helps a person improve self-care, recognize patterns of the onset of symptoms and manage stress.

E. HOW CAN I KNOW IF I HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Bipolar disorder can only be properly diagnosed by a trained health professional. However, there are indicative symptoms and behaviours that can point to a need for you see a qualified health practitioner.

Below link is for a free online test that can assist with this:

https://www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar-screening.html

Cairo Ojougboh, executive director of projects at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), says in the past, getting a contract at the agency was like winning a lottery. The agency is currently in the eye of the storm over series of corruption allegations being investigated by the national assembly.

In an interview with Arise Television, Ojougboh accused past management of the commission of being responsible for deep-seated corruption in NDDC. He said the agency could award a project of N700 million to a contractor and it would be executed with just N10 million.

“Between 2016 and 2019, emergency contracts of over N2 trillion were awarded under the supervision of the chairmen of both committees,” Ojugboh said in the interview he granted in May. The chairman of senate committee collected one thousand of those jobs and said he was going to give it to the senate. The records are there. The 1,000 contracts were collected by a man called Nelson Agbamuche on behalf of the senate.

“The immediate crisis that came was a result of the budget. How did the budget run into a problem? It was in 2016. The bureaucracy told us when we came in that there was no budget from 2016 to 2018. Budget for 2019 was just passed some few days ago. What led to it? A chairman of senate in 2015 called the bureaucracy that they need to include for him a N15b project in the budget. The bureaucracy said it was fair enough, went behind and worked it out. When they came back, the chairman said I didn’t say N15b. I said N150b.

“The bureaucracy went back and they couldn’t comply because there was no way they could do that. The chairman went back to the bureaucracy asking them to award emergency contracts without due process. That was how the emergency procedures were breached and the commission now has a commitment of over N3 trillion. How can this continue?

“We were not paying as they used to. So, the contractors are very angry. Normally, once you have a contract in NDDC, it is like you won a lottery. A contract that they will award for you in NDDC for N700 million, you can use N10 or N20 million to do it.”

Speaking before the house of representatives committee probing the commission on Monday, Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta affairs, said most of the contracts awarded by the NDDC are given to national assembly members.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.thecable.ng/cairo-ojougboh-in-the-past-getting-nddc-contracts-was-like-winning-lottery-n700m-project-could-be-executed-with-n10m