₦airaland Forum

Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, has ordered that no transport union should transport any National Youth Service Corps member as from 6pm during the Yuletide. Boboye said this during the FRSC end-of-the-year meeting with transport union stakeholders as one of their programmes in preparation for the end of the year activities on Tuesday in Abuja.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that NYSC orientation camp, Batch C, Stream 2 resumed November 28 and would end December 19. Boboye said the need for transport leaders to jointly fight against road crashes in -ember months and beyond called for concern.

“No transport union should convey any corp member and those leaving the orientation camp on Thursday, December 19, 2019 from 6pm. Any vehicle that violates this order will be dealt with seriously, as the FRSC is committed to the safety of lives and properties.

“I want to urge the state coordinators of different NYSC orientation camps to send signals to the corps members to be aware of the information. This has become necessary to address road accidents and crashes that occur during the festive periods across the country. The safety of the youths, goods and Nigerians’ lives at large is our major concern,” he said.

The Corps Marshal, however, urged the NYSC members to use legal parks and avoid roadside vehicles to ensure their safety while traveling for Christmas and New Year.

The Director-General, NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, also appealed to the transport union workers to give discount to corps members traveling for Christmas and New Year. Ibrahim warned corps members against unauthorised journeys, boarding vehicles at the roadside and late night travels. He said the high rate of transport money during Yuletide was a concern, noting it could affect corps members.

“This is the main reason why you see corps members boarding vehicles at night and, sometimes, on the roadside. The belief is that price of transportation would reduce at night by boarding at the roadside. This is not safe at all,” he said.

Responding, the National Secretary, Road Transport Employer’s Association of Nigeria, Mr. Yusuf Adeniyi, assured that the instructions would be passed across nationwide to ensure transport fare is slashed for corps members travelling.

“We will direct all the offices nationwide to bring down the prices and provide good vehicles for their safety,” he said.

(NAN)

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/dont-transport-corpers-as-from-6pm-frsc-boss-tells-drivers/

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TAKE AN ALCOHOLIC DRINK? How you drink matters!

The effects of drinks containing alcohol on your body depend on
-- who you are,
-- how you drink,
-- how much you drink,
-- how often you drink, and
-- what you drink.

There are many factors that influence how alcohol affects you.

1. ABSORPTION
When you drink an alcohol beverage, it immediately begins to be absorbed into your bloodstream, partly from your stomach and more actively from your small intestine. When drinking alcohol beverages, adding water or other drinks without alcohol will dilute the alcohol in your stomach and will slow absorption. Eating food will also slow alcohol absorption.

Concentration of blood alcohol (Blood Alcohol Concentration or BAC) can be measured with a blood test. Blood alcohol can also be approximated with a breath test, since some of the alcohol from the blood passing through your lungs is released when you breathe out. A small amount of the alcohol is also released in urine.

While rate of absorption may change depending on what you eat and what else you drink, you cannot stop the alcohol from entering your system. Once the alcohol hits your bloodstream it affects every organ and part of your body, including the brain where the alcohol produces intoxication. The more you drink and the faster you drink, the more alcohol enters your bloodstream. BAC increases much faster when drinking on an empty stomach. Eating food before as well as while drinking will slow absorption and moderate BAC.

Concentration of alcohol in your body depends not only on how much you drink, but also on your body.
First, your weight matters: Larger people have a larger body to absorb the alcohol, so they may have a lower BAC, and smaller people a higher BAC from same amount of alcohol. Second, your gender matters. Compared to men, women have less water in their bodies and their BAC rises more quickly from the same amount of alcohol.

So, when women consume the same amount of alcohol at the same rate as men, it takes less time for them to reach a peak BAC. In general, women will feel the effects sooner than men drinking same amount. Their bodies will also be affected more than men’s bodies.

2. METABOLISM
Your body breaks down alcohol into other substances, some of which can be used for energy. This breakdown process is called metabolism, and occurs with everything you ingest. But the way your body processes alcohol is unique because most of the metabolism occurs in your liver.

Here is the short story: In your liver, alcohol is converted first into a number of different compounds. One of these compounds is called acetaldehyde. This organic compound occurs naturally in coffee, bread, and ripe fruit, but is unhealthy when consumed in larger quantities., acetaldehyde is further converted to non-harmful acetate (or acetic acid), which is eventually turned into carbon dioxide and water and eliminated from the body.

This breakdown happens primarily in the liver through the action of enzymes. On average, a person metabolizes 10-12g of alcohol (i.e. one 35cl beer, 15cl table wine or 4.4cl of spirits) per hour.

The concentration of the enzymes and their ability to metabolize alcohol vary among individuals. For example, in some people, certain genes may reduce activity of these enzymes. Also, women generally have lower levels of the enzymes that metabolize alcohol than men. This is one reason women generally reach a higher concentration of alcohol in the blood and can become more impaired than men after drinking same amount of alcohol. Finally, there are other considerations, such as age and health, that also can affect how quickly you process alcohol.

Since your body can absorb alcohol faster than it can metabolize it, alcohol can build up in your bloodstream. If you drink faster than you metabolize your drinks, you build up acetaldehyde in the liver, your BAC level rises more quickly, and the effects of alcohol increase. The more you drink, the more time it will take for the alcohol to be eliminated from your system.

Alcohol acts as a “diuretic,” meaning that when your body breaks down alcohol, it removes water from your blood through your urine. That is why it is a good idea to drink water and other non-alcohol drinks along with your alcohol beverage to avoid dehydration. Dehydration contributes to the unpleasant effects of excessive drinking that are associated with a “hangover.” To decrease the risk of a hangover, make sure you get in the habit of drinking some water with every drink of an alcohol beverage

Excessive drinking also results in more acetaldehyde in your body. Those who drink excessively have higher risks of dangerous health effects.

BAC levels are important, but do not tell the whole story of how alcohol affects you. Your age, gender and health status, mood and any medications or drugs that you may be taking are all factors. Your reaction also depends upon the situation you are in and even your expectations about how alcohol is likely to affect you.

3. DRINKING PATTERNS AND RISK.
Most people who drink do so in a way that enhances their enjoyment of life, but there are others who drink irresponsibly – occasionally or regularly – and create health and social problems for themselves and others. That’s why risk is not just a result of how much you drink, but also of when and how you drink. It is quite different to have one drink with dinner every day of a week than to quickly down 7 drinks in a single evening. Health experts call this excessive consumption “binge drinking,” which is potentially dangerous. A repeated pattern of binge drinking is especially bad for your health.

Because people are different, what is “excessive” may vary by individual. Many countries have established drinking guidelines that help people avoid risks associated with excessive drinking. Health experts have also developed various tests that you also may use to assess if your drinking may be a problem. There are two commonly used screening tools,

(A). The CAGE (attached below). Developed at the University of North Carolina, CAGE is a commonly used international assessment tool consisting of only 4 questions.

(B). The AUDIT (also attached). The AUDIT questionnaire is part of a larger

(C). Comprehensive evaluation (also attached) available from the World Health Organization.

SOURCE (abridged): http://www.responsibledrinking.org/what-happens-when-you-drink/how-you-drink-matters/

To get a more scientific view of what to expect:

1. Contact Innoson and ask for the list of all their direct/affiliated service centres (this might also be available on their website). This will give you an idea of the availability and spread of their after-sales services.
2. Go to Ladipo market in Lagos and ask the parts traders about the availability/cost of Innoson bus parts. Also confirm if Innoson buses use Toyota engine.
3. Privately contact those Nairalanders that claim to have experience with Innoson buses, and cross-check/validate their claims.
4. Go to several of the major inter-state motor parks in Lagos. Check for those companies that have Innoson buses in their fleet. Make polite enquiries from drivers of the buses about their experience driving the Innoson buses (engine reliability/durability, rate of breakdowns, availability/cost of parts, availability of mechanics, strength of suspension etc).

Wishing you success in your logistics endeavour.

dude:
Hello everyone,
We are looking at commencing a new transportation/ logistics outfit. The proposed transportation outfit is intended for Lagos- Abuja route, and a few parts of the east. We are also strongly considering purchases of Innoson buses. We kindly solicit advise on the use of Innoson buses as it concerns easy to source spare parts, durability, fuel consumption, functionality and other details. Thanks my people

Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has established Emergency Communication Centres (ECC) across 18 States of the country including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).The ECCs are operational in
Benue, Kwara, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Imo, Enugu, Anambra and Adamawa.

This was disclosed at the weekend by NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Engr. Umar Garba Danbatta, at the maiden Security and Emergency Management Awards (SAEMA) in Abuja, while delivering a speech on: ‘Leveraging on Emergency Communication Centre for National Security’.

The commission said the toll-free emergency telephone shortcode (112) is for Nigerians to seek for help in times of distress and emergency.

Other reasons include: “To provide a one-stop-shop for receiving distress calls from the public and dispatching same to appropriate Response Agencies (“First Responders”) who will respond to the needs of the callers. To provide easy, effective and coordinated access by members of the public to Response Agencies (Police, FRSC, Fire Service, Ambulance Service etc.) in times of emergency/distress.”

Danbatta, who bagged Goodwill Ambassador on Crisis Communication at the event, said that there are only three numbers to remember in an emergency 1-1-2, which he noted, eliminates the need to determine which emergency agency to call.

Represented by Chukwuma Azikiwe, Head of ECC, Professor Danbatta said: “There is no gainsaying that the discourse on security situation is a topical issue and of national concern, which every citizen of this country is conscious of, as its affects our well‐being and tranquillity.

“In the year 2005, the then Honourable Minister of Communication set up a committee drawn from relevant key stakeholders (Public and Private Sectors) to develop a framework to facilitate the establishment of a well-coordinated nationwide public protection and disaster relief communication system for the country.”

Speaking, Executive Secretary of the Centre for Crisis Communications (CCC), Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd), said the body was willing to partner with NCC to ensure that the Emergency Centres function effectively. “With our pool of experts in crisis communication and media management, we are sure to complement the efforts of NCC in this regard,” he said.

Chairman, Panel of Jury for SAEMA 2019, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Mohammed Audu-Bida, commended the NCC efforts in the management of crisis communication. Audu-Bida, who was represented by Mr. Mohammed Usman Shuwa, said. “Establishment of Emergency Communication Centres is one project that has always been dear to my heart. As the DG of NEMA I conceptualized the idea of having emergency communication centres in the country.

“I will urge the EVC of NCC to go all the way in making sure that these centres function effectively as it will complement the efforts of the security and response agencies. Now that NCC has put up the facilities, it should seek the partnership of experts and professional crisis managers to give life to the centres.”

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2019/12/08/dial-112-ncc-finally-sets-up-emergency-communication-centres-in-fct-17-states-see-list/

Chukwuka Utazi, senator representing Enugu north, says there are 60 police checkpoints between Lagos and Onitsha, Anambra state. Utazi, moving a motion on the floor of the senate, on Thursday, lamented that the checkpoints were being used to oppress motorists and cause them hardship.

The senator said the situation should be checked by Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police (IGP), before Yuletide.

“60 checkpoints is what a traveller and the motoring public will have to confront in order to move from Lagos to Onitsha,” he said. You know what that means especially this Christmas period. [The senate] will not renege on our responsibilities when the masses of this country complain that government police meant to protect them has been turned into oppressive conduct by those concerned and which the IGP and people of his ilk may not be aware.”

Thereafter, the Senator asked the IGP to reduce the number of checkpoints on federal highways across the country to reduce the gridlock on the roads. The lawmaker also urged Adamu to direct his officers to eschew all forms of extortion on motorists while carrying out their checks. The legislator said while roadblocks are necessary to curb criminal activities, its abuse is reprehensible.

All the resolutions were adopted by the senators after a voice vote by Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/there-are-60-checkpoints-between-lagos-and-onitsha-says-senator

The NFF has officially accepted the proposal of Belgian born striker Cyriel Dessers to the Super Eagles after he declared himself available to play for Nigeria. This comes days after the Dutch Eredivisie top scorer who plays as a striker for Heracles Almelo in Holland, made his intention clear to play for Nigeria.

The 24-year-old born to a Belgian dad and Nigerian mother who has 11 goals and 5 assists in 15 appearances for his club this season, said: “I have never been to Nigeria because of the political situation there. It was slightly better last year so I’ll be twice as happy if I can get an invite, even if it’s friendly against Madagascar or Mauritius.”

After his public cry to Coach Gernot Rohr to invite him to play for Nigeria, the NFF made an official announcement on their official Twitter account, welcoming Cyriel Dessers.

It said: “@CyrielDessers Eredivisie player of the month says he is open for @NGSuperEagles selection. #SoarSuperEagles #Team9jaStrong”.

Cyriel Dessers replied saying: “After a series of discussions with the NFF President Amaju Pinnick, I have decided to fully commit myself to Nigeria and the Super Eagles and I’m going to work to be part of the team and fight for more success for the country. I am a proud Nigerian and I can’t wait to fulfill my dream of wearing the green-white-green,” the striker said in the statement.

SOURCE: https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2019/12/nff-welcomes-belgian-born-striker.html

The kidneys are fist-sized organs located at the bottom of the rib cage on both sides of your spine. They perform several functions, including filtering waste products, excess water and other impurities from the blood. These waste products are then stored in the bladder and later expelled through urine.

In addition, the kidneys regulate the pH, salt and potassium levels in the body. They also produce hormones that regulate blood pressure and control the production of red blood cells. The kidneys are also responsible for activating a form of vitamin D that helps the body absorb calcium for building bones and regulating muscle function.

Sadly, kidney disease is one of the world’s major public health problems and more than 100,000 new cases are recorded annually in Nigeria, according to data from the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan. Also, statistics from the Nigerian Association of Nephrology showed that 25 million Nigerians are suffering from kidney failure, meaning a condition where the kidney can no longer work without dialysis or transplant.

Therefore, maintaining kidney health is important to your overall health and general well-being. By keeping your kidneys healthy, the body will filter and expel waste properly and produce hormones to help your body function properly.

Here are some tips to keep your kidneys healthy.

1. BE ACTIVE AND FIT
Regular exercise is good for more than just your waistline. It can lower the risk of chronic kidney disease. It can also reduce your blood pressure and boost your heart health, which are both important in preventing kidney damage. You don’t have to run marathons to reap the reward of exercise. Walking, running, cycling and even dancing are great for your health. Find any activity that keeps you busy and have fun. It will be easier to stick to it and have great results.

2. CONTROL YOUR BLOOD SUGAR
People with diabetes or a condition that causes high blood sugar may develop kidney damage. When your body’s cells can’t use the glucose (sugar) in your blood, your kidneys are forced to work extra hard to filter your blood. Over years of exertion, this can lead to life-threatening damage. However, if you can control your blood sugar, you reduce the risk of damage. Also, if the damage is caught early, your doctor can take steps to reduce or prevent additional damage.

3. MONITOR BLOOD PRESSURE
High blood pressure can cause kidney damage. If high blood pressure occurs with other health issues like diabetes, heart disease or high cholesterol, the impact on your body can be significant. A healthy blood pressure reading is 120/80. Pre-hypertension is between that point and 139/89. Lifestyle and dietary changes may help lower your blood pressure at this point.

If your blood pressure readings are consistently above 140/90, you may have high blood pressure. You should talk with your doctor about monitoring your blood pressure regularly, making changes to your lifestyle and possibly taking medication.

4. MONITOR YOUR WEIGHT AND EAT A HEALTHY DIET
People who are overweight or obese are at risk for a number of health conditions that can damage the kidneys. These include diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. A healthy diet that’s low in sodium, processed meats, and other kidney-damaging foods may help reduce risk of kidney damage. Focus on eating fresh ingredients that are naturally low-sodium, such as cauliflower, blueberries, fish, whole grains, and more.

5. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS
There’s no magic behind the cliché advice to drink 8 glasses of water a day, but it’s a good goal precisely because it encourages you to stay hydrated. Regular, consistent water intake is healthy for your kidneys. Water helps clear sodium and toxins from your kidneys. It also lowers your risk of chronic kidney disease.

Aim to drink at least 1.5 to 2 litres of water in a day. Exactly how much water you need depends largely on your health and lifestyle. Factors like climate, exercise, gender, overall health and whether or not you’re pregnant or breastfeeding are important to consider when planning your daily water intake.

People who have previously had kidney stones should drink a bit more water to help prevent stone deposits in the future.

6. DON'T SMOKE
Smoking damages your body’s blood vessels. This leads to slower blood flow throughout your body and to your kidneys. Smoking also puts your kidneys at an increased risk of cancer. If you stop smoking, your risk will drop. However, it will take many years to return to the risk level of a person who has never smoked.

7. BE CAREFUL OF EXCESSIVE INTAKE OF CERTAIN DRUGS
If you regularly take over-the-counter pain medications, you may be causing damage to your kidneys gradually. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen can damage your kidneys if you take them regularly for chronic pain, headache or arthritis. People with no kidney issues who take the medicine occasionally are likely safe. However, talk with your doctor about kidney-safe treatments if you feel pain regularly.

Also, remember to have regular kidney tests, especially if you are obese; over 60 years old, or if your family has a history of high blood pressure.

Source: https://punchng.com/seven-tips-to-keep-the-kidney-healthy/

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) Sokoto Zonal office has arrested one Amina Kabo (a.k.a Firdausi Kabo), a manager at Olive Micro Finance Bank located at No. 26 Dubabe Plaza for alleged conspiracy, forgery and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N897,500.00.

Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesman, in a statement on Friday, said the suspect was arrested on December 4, 2019 at No. 26 Dubabe Plaza, Opposite Asibiti, Eastern By-Pass, Tamaje, Sokoto following a tip-off. The suspect was arrested alongside 3 others whom she recruited as staff –Mariam Usman, Abdulrahman Lawali, and Shehu Ibrahim.

The suspects were alleged to have been collecting monies ranging between N5,000 to N10,000 from unsuspecting victims under the guise of opening accounts for them with a view to granting them loans in the following categories: N5,000 for N50,000 Loan; N7,000 for N100,000 Loan; N8,000 for N200,000 Loan; N9,000 for N300,000 Loan and N10,000 for N400,000 Loan.

EFCC added: “A search on the premises led to the recovery of several incriminating items including separate cash sums of N533,805.00 and N49,505.00. Preliminary investigation reveals that Amina has so far collected the total sum of eight hundred and ninety-seven thousand five hundred naira (N897,500.00) from 108 victims.

“Investigation further reveals that the suspected runs similar fraudulent business at Jega and Gwandu in Kebbi State in the name Olive Microfinance Bank and Easy Loan Microfinance Bank,” it said.

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2019/12/06/efcc-nabs-fake-bank-operator-amina-kabo/

If true, this is truly terrible, unaffordable and wicked.

Kindly post the source of the info, for reference purposes.

Mr. Bigg’s, one-time most sought-after fast food restaurant, has launched a new model restaurant across different states of the country to improve customer service experience.

According to The Nation, the Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) run by the United Africa Company (UAC), at the grand event at Northwest Filling Station, Victoria Garden City disclosed through the Marketing Manager, UAC Restaurants, Mrs. Ethel Mba, that the new outlets depict excellence and offer a wide variety of meals ranging from local to continental dishes.

The new outlets house both Mr Bigg’s and Debonair’s Pizza counters, and includes a kids play area that offers a fun experience for children. The new initiatives were put in place to boost the brand’s competitiveness in the Quick Service Restaurant market

Meanwhile, with the new model conveying a strong desire to offer a high level of class and comfort to customers, Mr Biggs is trying to play catch up to the likes of Tasty Fried Chicken, The Place, Chicken Republic, Sweet Sensation and some other Nigerian-owned fast-food restaurants who now dominate the market. The entry and evolution of these other brands has led to intense competition within the sector and the loss of market share by the likes of Mr Biggs.

Mrs Mba stated that many customers who had visited the new restaurants were impressed and happy with the excellent service experience which largely addressed their eating needs. The new initiative is expected to be experienced in their over 75 outlets across the country and maybe help boost the company’s competitive prowess.

However, Mr Biggs disclosed that while its customers are happy about the new outlet design, it hopes to passionately drive growth, sustainability, a positive image for the brand and consumer loyalty.

After several failed attempts to revamp Mr Biggs, there is hope that the brand would once again bounce back to high level of competitiveness and increased market share with its new model restaurants.

SOURCE (abridged): https://nairametrics.com/2019/12/05/mr-biggs-rebrands-launches-new-model-restaurants-across-nigeria/

The grave of Sergeant George Ebiega of the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos State, was still fresh when the police authorities ordered his wife of 10 years, Mary, out of the barracks. PUNCH Metro learnt that the mother of three had been given till the weekend to vacate their room and parlour apartment.

Our correspondent gathered that 40-year-old George took ill for about a week and was taken to a hospital in the Ikeja area, where he died in late August. His remains were subsequently taken to his hometown in Benue State and interred. Upon the wife’s return after the burial in September, George’s immediate boss was reported to have given the family two years to find another accommodation, including a new school for the children.

However, one Dominic, a policeman, came knocking a few days later, saying he had been allotted the apartment. After learning that the family had two more years to spend in it, he was said to have left without any incident. On Tuesday, things took a dramatic turn when Mary was told that some personnel from the Police House and Barracks Department were looking for her.

The 31-year-old, who spoke to PUNCH Metro while fighting back tears, said when she got to the department, she was told to vacate the apartment by the weekend. She stated, “I explained to them that I was given two years, but they said there was nothing that they could do about it. Later, we went to meet the commandant in his office. The commandant said the three months I had stayed after my husband’s death was enough and since my husband was already deceased, that was the end and work must continue. He said I should leave by the weekend.”

The widow lamented that aside from not receiving the arrears of her husband’s salaries since his death, she had no money to rent an apartment. She noted that her job as a cleaner could not fetch her enough money to rent another apartment at such a short notice. PUNCH Metro was also told that the couple’s three children were attending a primary school in the Ikeja area; an eviction would mean a setback for their education.

Mary wondered why Dominic, whom she claimed knew her husband and hails from the same Benue community with him, would accept to take the apartment and throw the family out in the cold.

“We have been staying here since December 2014. My husband was a hardworking man. He served this nation to the best of his strength and ability. I have not received his death benefits or anything and they want to treat us like this? Where will I go with my children? I don’t have any money; please help us,” she said.

The Commandant, Police College, Ikeja, CP Olasupo Ajani, insisted that the barracks was a government property and because work must continue, Mary and her children must leave. He, however, said the family was given till January 2020, adding that instead of making preparations to quit the apartment, the widow had been crying around and seeking help from people.

Ajani stated, “What we are saying is that since her husband died in August, the rule is that they should be given three months’ grace so that they can pack out. You know it is police job; work continues. You cannot donate the house to the woman.

“When the three months elapsed and they came to my office that she did not leave, I asked her why she was behaving that way.. Three months are enough for her to either relocate to her husband’s hometown or get another apartment, because this is a government house. When somebody dies on the job, they don’t give the house to the widow; the job continues and another person takes the position.”

Ajani said the police needed apartments for its officers and the widow’s cries would not help her condition. Asked of the entitlements of the deceased, the police boss said there was a procedure to follow and Mary should be advised to start doing the right things to process George’s benefits.

“She is just particular about retaining that apartment, which is not possible. Even as the commandant, I cannot tell her that I will give her the apartment. This is a government job and the work will continue,” he added.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/police-order-widows-eviction-after-husbands-death/

The Integrated Personnel Payroll Integrated System says the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Federal Inland Revenue Service and a few other agencies are not on their platform because they are revenue-generating entities. IPPIS further stated that these agencies do not draw their funding from the consolidated revenue account but may be enrolled in the platform later.

The Director of IPPIS, Olufehinti Olusegun, said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday. Olusegun said this while reacting to complaints by the Academic Staff Union of Universities that the Federal Government was partial in its implementation of the IPPIS initiative by exempting the CBN, NNPC and other government agencies.

ASUU, which has rejected the initiative outright, had argued that if staff members of CBN, NNPC and others could be exempted from IPPIS, then it should not be made compulsory for university staff.

Responding to a question, Olusegun said, “The President’s directive was that all Ministries, Departments, Agencies or institutions drawing their salaries from the consolidated revenue fund, which is a Federal Government account, are to key into IPPIS.

“The government knows that all agencies cannot be brought on board at the same time. But for those who draw their salaries and personnel costs from the consolidate revenue account of the Federal Government, they must come on board.

“For the CBN, FIRS and NNPC, they are revenue agencies and they live on the cost of collection. They are revenue-generating agencies and they don’t draw from the consolidated revenue fund. So, it is left to the government on what to do next but it is a journey that just started.”

He said so far, over 937,000 federal employees including the military are on IPPIS. The director said the initiative had been able to save billions of naira belonging to the government which had hitherto been entering private pockets.

However, the President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, argue that universities cannot be categorised as a ministry, department or agency. Ogunyemi said in the IPPIS blueprint, universities were not supposed to be captured in the scheme. The ASUU President said IPPIS, if implemented, would affect the ability of universities to attract visiting professors.

He said, “Just 3 weeks ago we were at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa where scholars in the Diaspora came together to think of how best they could help revitalise higher education in Africa and a lot of case studies were presented. The case of our late friend, Prof. Pius Adesanmi, who was until his death, the Director of African Studies in Carlton, Canada, came up for mention. This professor was a visiting professor at more than three universities in Africa.

“In fact, the Director of African Studies in Legon, Ghana, recalled that Adesanmi was on their payroll as a visiting scholar and he would be visiting for at least three months and he would go back and he did that for more than five years. He did the same for two other universities in South Africa.

“In Nigeria, going by IPPIS arrangement, there would have no room for that. Even if a scholar in the Diaspora is coming to Nigeria for one-year sabbatical bringing a lot of experience, IPPIS arrangement would not accommodate such.”

Responding to allegations by the National Universities Commission that over 100 fake professors were recently exposed, the Vice-Chancellor, Kano State University of Technology, Prof. Shehu Musa, said it was very possible that the fake professors worked for fake universities.

He noted that the NUC had in recent time alerted the public to the existence of many fake universities and so it was not out of place to also have fake professors as well.

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/why-cbn-nnpc-are-not-on-our-platform-ippis/

The late afternoon rain in Lagos on Monday saw motorists and other road users confront the daunting task of wading through the fierce flood.

In the photograph, a commercial tricycle and other vehicles literally swim through the flooded railway crossing area of PWD, Ikeja GRA in Lagos State.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/photo-lagos-motorists-swim-through-floods-in-ikeja/

The ministry of education says implementation of the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS) will expose financial atrocities and irregularities among universities on the federal government’s payroll. TheCable earlier reported that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) “mobilized for a nationwide strike” over the federal government’s refusal to negotiate its enrolment on the compulsory payment scheme.

According to ThisDay, Ben Bem Goong, a spokesperson of the ministry of education, said ASUU’s opposition to the scheme is due to the financial irregularities and corruption being perpetrated in the system which IPPIS would expose. While accusing government-owned institutions of manipulating their costs, Ben added that there’s no basis for anyone to resist payment through IPPIS if such a stance is not targeted at “hiding something.”

“There’s no basis for anyone to resist payment through IPPIS. Even on the issue of double appointments in different institutions, which will be discovered by the scheme, the ministry of finance promised to take care of all that. Going on strike is unnecessary. If tomorrow technology evolves in such a way that we will have to move from IPPIS to a more refined system of payment, the government will do that. But ASUU is saying the nation has reached the final bus stop and so the system of payment should not be refined.

“FG says ‘let’s pay everyone from the centre,’ and ASUU is jittery. That means there is something that is fishy. What is it they are doing that they don’t want to be on IPPIS, which will solve many things? ASUU has no issue at all. You don’t tell your paymaster how to be paid, but you can negotiate with your paymaster how much he will pay you.

“They claim it will disparage their autonomy, but they have never been specific to which part of the autonomy. If you know, tell me. There is something some persons are trying to hide. When you send the bulk cost to some institutions, they manipulate it, and people are not talking about that. It is what ASUU is trying to hide. ASUU wants to draw the nation back to the 1960s when salaries were paid by hand and pay envelopes. Wait and see, at the end of this enrollment, the government will expose some level of atrocities being committed in some of these institutions. ASUU should accept it in good fate and they should also be happy.”

ASUU had accused the government of designing IPPIS to suppress the masses in the guise of anti-corruption and threatened “no pay no work” — a move which was later suspended over further meetings with the government.

Ahmed Idris, the accountant-general of the federation (AGF), had described the union’s opposition as an “open endorsement of corruption,” stating that the FG remains unwavering on the deadline for all MDAs to enroll on the platform.

SOURCE: https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/fg-ASUU-is-jittery-they-know-ippis-will-uncover-atrocities-in-varsities/

Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, swore in two more female commissioners on Monday 02 December, bringing the number of women in his cabinet to six. The governor, who is known for giving opportunity to women, appointed Hadiza Bala Usman, current managing director of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), as his chief of staff, in his first tenure.

El-Rufai is the only governor in the northern region with a female deputy, Hadiza Balarabe. Balarabe was picked to replace Bala Bantex, former deputy governor, who ran for Kaduna south senate seat but lost. Among his 11 current special advisers, five are women.

In a tweet on Monday, Kadarai Ahmed, media personality, commented on the governor and his “female army”.

@GovKaduna and his female 'army'! In addition to @DrHadiza the Deputy Governor, Kaduna has a female Accountant General, Attorney General &Commissioner of Justice, plus 5 other female Commissioners. #genderequity pic.twitter.com/ChcjC6wTXh

— Kadaria Ahmed (@KadariaAhmed) December 2, 2019

Below are photos of some female appointees of el-Rufai.

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/photos-el-rufai-and-his-female-army

OPay has been making the rounds in and outside Nigeria’s tech echo chamber. From providing mobile payment to offering bike-, tricycle- and bus-hailing services, quick loans, and food delivery, OPay has become a super app in Nigeria.

Most people became aware of OPay in June 2019, when its bike-hailing service was launched with an outlandish ₦100 promo. But the company's story didn’t start then, neither did it begin in 2019. OPay has been operating since 2010 in the pouch of PayCom Nigeria Limited—a mobile money platform incubated by Telnet (Nigeria) Limited.

After operating for 7 years, Opera indicated interest in acquiring PayCom in 2017. They put pen to paper in 2018 and OPay was birthed in August of the same year. So, the company that has been blitzing every startup and sector in Nigeria is barely a year old. OPay, a portmanteau of "Opera" and "Payment", is also fit to be interpreted as Opera and PayCom.

MEET OPAY’S PARENTS: OPERA GROUP
The parent company of OPay, Opera Group, also owns Opera AS Norway—developer of Opera web browser, Opera News and Opera Ads. To properly understand OPay, it is necessary to examine the vision of Opera Group, especially in Africa.

Opera ventured into Africa with the launch of its Opera Mini mobile browser in 2006. As of August 2019, it has the largest market share of mobile browser in Nigeria with 48.29%, and second-largest in Africa.

Opera’s vision for an open, connected world through technology propels it to build products that eliminate the barriers for people to go online. The company boasts of facilitating the process of bringing half of Africa’s internet population online. Out of the 464,923,169 internet users in Africa, Opera says up to 120 million people use its browsers and mobile applications.

Golden Brick Capital Private Equity Fund—a Chinese consortium—acquired Opera AS Norway from Opera Software ASA (now Otello) in 2016 for $600 million. The Consortium included Beijing Kunlun Tech and Qihoo 360—a leading Chinese internet company that owns a web browser, antivirus, mobile app store and search engine.

In 2017, Opera earmarked $100 million (~ ₦36 billion) to invest in Africa’s internet ecosystem. This has led to the launch of some value-added services, including web and mobile payment (OPay) in Kenya and Nigeria, Opera News standalone app, and Opera Ads.

Opera, in simple terms, is positioning itself to be the internet for the next generation of Africans that will be online, just as Facebook and Google are pivotal platforms to the present generation of digital natives. It is good to note that Opera is managed by Chinese because its interplay fits into the love affair between Africa and China.

THE MAKING OF NIGERIAN SUPER APP: OPAY, ORIDE, OFOOD, OTRIKE, OBUS
The mission of OPay is financial inclusion, all other business verticals are additions. The company focused on the first part of its operations—agent business—for 11 months before launching ORide in June 2019.

"To appreciate the phenomenal growth of ORide, you must recognize the fact that Opera had succeeded in building a brand with OPay in the agent market", Iniabasi Akpan, Country Manager for OPay in Nigeria, told benjamindada.com. “But if you want to engage the consumers, you must provide solutions people can explore. It is good to have a payment system, but people need to have things they can pay for.”

Hence, the goal of other OPay services is to provide solutions that the financially excluded and people in the informal sector can pay for. So, there is ORide providing fast transportation via motorbike, OTrike providing three-wheel transportation (in Aba and Kano), OBus is another transportation service via bus, and OFood offering food delivery service. There is also OKash and OWealth, which offer quick loans and investment options for users. All these services can be accessed and paid for with the OPay app.

While OKash, Owealth and OBus are still in beta phase, ORide, OFood, OTrike are already in full operations. Akpan explains that OPay provides people who are interested in doing bike-riding business with government-approved bikes, trains them, and provides insurance for both the drivers and riders.

Since 2012, Lagos state government has banned motorcycles with engines below 200CC (Cubic Centimeter of combustion Cylinder) from operating within the state metropolis. Therefore, OPay has ORide Green, which uses 200CC motorbikes to service long-distance trip requests, and ORide Street, a lighter offering to cater for shorter trips.

Speaking on why the company is expanding to other parts of the country, namely Abeokuta, Ibadan, Aba and Kano, Akpan, who was also the executive director at Telnet Limited that incubated PayCom, said: “Lagos is a saturated market. And because our aim is to drive financial inclusion, we need to expand to other parts of the country. Moreover, our agent business is already across the country.”

A survey carried out by benjamindada.com revealed that ORide drivers are given the bikes on a hire purchase arrangement. They are to remit ₦3,000 daily for 12 months before the bikes can become theirs. The Country Manager of OPay confirms this, he said: “Anything they make atop the ₦3,000 is theirs during the 12 months. Once the bike becomes theirs, they are to remit only a small percentage of their earnings.”

WHAT IS OPAY'S NEXT MOVE?
"I think the market will decide where we go [next]. But one thing you can count on is that wherever we see opportunity, we will play. We are constantly taking feedback from our customers and innovating" Iniabasi Akpan, Country Manager of OPay in Nigeria, said

According to a report released by Enhancing Financial Innovation & Acess (EFInA), 36.6 million Nigerian adults are financially excluded—lack access to financial services. In addition, the PoS mid-year analysis done by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) shows that the use of PoS is concentrated in urban areas, and Lagos accounts for the highest volume of transactions.

In view of this, OPay's mission of driving financial inclusion and supporting the informal sector provides ample opportunity for growth. With the $50 million (~ ₦18 billion) raised in July, OPay can finance its two-pronged approach, which is to provide a payment platform and the services people can pay for, in achieving its mission.

SOURCE: https://www.benjamindada.com/opera-opay-super-app/

Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, says he has no regret that the transportation university was established in Daura, the hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari. He said this during the groundbreaking of the university in Katsina state on Monday 02 December 2019.

Amaechi said he did not make the decision for personal gains, adding that the location could be compared to other parts of the country.

“When we sited the factory at Kajola, there was no noise, nobody debated about it, nobody abused us for it unlike the site for the University. Daura is in Nigeria, it is not in any other part of the world. It is not in Niger Republic, Biafra or Mali, it is in Nigeria. So, what is wrong in siting the University of transportation in Daura? I have no regret siting this university where I have sited it, it is not because I want to get any gain.”

The minister said the N18 billion project is financed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd (CCECC) and China Railway Construction Company (CRCC) as part of a deal he made before signing a railway contract project. He said the university is an attempt at responding to the question of how Nigeria will maintain the infrastructure within the country.

“It is my attempt at responding to the question of how to maintain and manage all the infrastructure we are building and realised that education is key. I engaged the companies, the first engagement was when they were constructing Lagos-Ibadan,” he said.

“They were not so keen at spending their funds to build a university for Nigeria until I refused to sign the contract for the Lagos to Ibadan railway. I insisted that I will only sign if three things were done. The first thing is to take our children to China and train them by giving them first degree in railway technology. Today as I speak, 60 of our children are in their second year and we thank CCECC and 90 are on their way to China this week, making it 150.

“The second is that, if we must sign the purchase of locomotives in China, they must build a factory were we can construct for coaches, locomotives and wagon and today at Kajola that factory is being constructed. Finally, I insisted on the University of transportation and today we are here for the groundbreaking of the University and for all we are grateful to CCECC and the Chinese government.”

Amaechi commended Aminu Masari, governor of Katsina, for donating about 413 hectares of land for the construction of the university. On the completion of the project, Fidet Okhiria, managing director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, said the university should be ready by the time of completing the Ibadan-Kano rail.

“We hope that by the time we get the rail from Ibadan to Kano the University should be in place,” he said.

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/amaechi-why-we-established-transportation-university-in-buharis-hometown

A policeman in Uso, Owo local government area of Ondo state, allegedly opened fire on a haulage driver over his “refusal to part with bribe”. TheCable gathered that the yet-to-be identified driver was shot around 2pm while moving some items to Abuja.

A witness said policemen at a checkpoint in Uso stopped the driver and made their request known but the driver failed to comply, insisting that his documents were complete. “The policemen flagged him down and he complied. After they demanded money from him but he refused, insisting that all his papers were intact. It later generated a lot of argument. The argument led to the shooting of the driver at close range,” the witness said.

Femi Joseph, spokesman of the Ondo police command, described the action of the officer who shot the victim as barbaric. He said the commissioner of police in the state had ordered a thorough investigation of the incident.

“The Ondo State Police Command regrets the unfortunate incident leading to the death of a truck driver whose identity is not yet known today 2/12/2019,” he said in a statement.

“The deceased was allegedly shot and killed by one of our Men who was on duty with others at about 1 p.m. at a point in USO via Owo.

“The Command Condemns this barbaric and gruesome murder in its entirety. While we Commiserate with the family of the deceased, we want to say that the action of this erring officer does not represent what the Nigerian police or the Command stands for.

“The Nigerian Police and by extension the Ondo State Command respects the sanctity of life and dignity of human person as enshrined in the Nigerian constitutions. Consequently, the Commissioner of Police Ondo State has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident while the defaulting officer will be made to face the full Wrath of the law.

“Once again, we apologise profusely for any inconvenience or embarrassment this isolated action must have caused anyone.”

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/driver-who-refused-to-part-with-bribe-shot-dead-at-police-checkpoint-in-ondo

Following closure of Nigeria’s borders by the Federal Government, JESUSEGUN ALAGBE writes about the activities of rice farmers at Ofada, a sleepy community in Ogun State, famous for Ofada rice

This is definitely a good time for Mr Adio Afolabi, a rice farmer who resides in Asaya Baala, Ofada, a town known for Ofada rice cultivation in Ogun State. He said every year, he usually planted Ofada rice on 4 acres of farmland, harvesting several tonnes at the end of the planting season. However, he had never sold as much quantity of rice as he had in 2019 so far.

Disclosing the reason for the increased sales, he said it was due to the border closure by the Federal Government. “Sales have been on the upward side since the borders were closed. The situation this time round is different from last year’s,” said Afolabi, who has been into rice farming for 19 years.

POLITICS OF BORDER CLOSURE
One of the commodities most smuggled into Nigeria is rice, which is a staple in many homes in the country. According to data from the Customs, between August and October 30, 2019, the agency seized items worth over N2.3tn, including 32,814 bags of rice in 50kg packages. Between January and November 2018, spokesperson for the Customs, Mr Joseph Attah, said the service seized 238,094 50kg bags of smuggled rice across the country. The goods were reportedly worth over N4bn.

Between 2015 and 2017, the Customs also said it seized 497,279 bags of rice, with a duty paid value of N3.8bn. Despite these efforts at curbing rice smuggling, experts said the figures only represented a fraction of smuggled rice into the country within the periods under review. According to statistics, the high rate of rice smuggling into the country is directly related to the rate of consumption of the commodity, with World Bank data stating that Nigerians consume about 7 million tonnes of rice every year.

Hence, in August 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered closure of Nigeria’s border with Benin Republic, to check the smuggling of goods, especially rice. The exercise, code-named, ‘Ex-Swift Response,’ is being jointly conducted by the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Police and the military. The joint action is coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

The border was initially planned to reopen in October 2019, but the President extended it to January 31, 2020 and also extended the action to other neighbouring countries such as Niger. Apart from rice smuggling, the closure is also aimed at preventing weapons and drugs from entering the country, the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, said recently at the International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Washington DC, the United States.

In a statement, the President’s spokesperson, Mr Femi Adesina, said government was particularly worried about rice smuggling as it threatens agricultural policies on food sufficiency. With closure of the borders, the government said it had been able to curb rice smuggling at the borders to some extent while simultaneously boosting the sale of local rice.

RENEWED ENERGY FOR OFADA RICE FARMERS
Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association at Asaya Baala, Ofada, Mr Michael Thomson, says he started rice farming in 1985; he stated that after the border closure, rice farmers in the area had been witnessing increased sales and laughing all the way to the bank. A one-time official of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria from 1999 to 2012, Thomson said he was however sad because he could not cultivate enough rice this year to sell due to ill health.

He said, “Rice farmers are making money right now. It’s unfortunate I couldn’t plant much rice this year because of sickness – unlike last year when I planted rice on 15 hectares of land. My friends who planted this year are smiling, they are living well, I can tell you that. They are prosperous this year. They are making good money. I harvested 150 tonnes of rice last year but the price was low compared to this year.

“If I had a storage facility and kept the rice I harvested in 2018 till this year, I would be happy right now. The market price of Ofada rice has increased. For instance, a 5kg bag which cost around N4,000 last year is now up to N8,000. The border closure is a blessing to us.”

On her part, Mrs Aina Bariki, said she had also been making better sales as an Ofada rice grower since August 2019 and hoped the situation would continue. “I have my own rice farm and my husband has his. We plant rice every year, but this period is one of the best we had ever witnessed. Some of us have sold all our stocks and anticipating to plant again when the planting season comes around February next year,” she said.

Another rice farmer, simply identified as Mrs Adebugbe, said Ofada rice had been selling like ‘hot cake’ since the borders were closed. “It isn’t that we never used to make sales before. As a matter of fact, many people like Ofada rice, but the situation is different this time round. There are increased sales at higher prices and most of us are out of stock,” she said.

HISTORY OF OFADA RICE
Grown exclusively in Ofada town, the rice is usually a blend of Oryza glaberrima (African rice) as well as the more common Oryza sativa (Asian rice). If yet unmilled, Ofada rice may be brown, red or white.

Because African rice is more difficult to mill and polish, some or all of the rice bran is still left on the grain, strengthening the flavour and making it more nutritious. Whereas brown Ofada rice is often aromatic, white Ofada rice is typically non-aromatic. Red Ofada rice is rare.

Ofada rice is traditionally served in an uma leaf (Thaumatococcus daniellii), with a spicy sauce containing pepper, onion, locust beans, palm oil and pieces of meat. Although there are no official records, the story behind the hugely popular Ofada rice in Ofada town has been spread from generation to generation by word of mouth.

According to an 85-year-old rice farmer in the area, Mr Saka Adenekan, who said he learnt the farming from his father, the cultivation of the rice in the town started when foreign Christian missionaries arrived in Nigeria in the 1840s. When the missionaries arrived Ofada town, they were said to have brought some rice along with them. On seeing the grains, residents of Ofada were said to have marvelled at what the missionaries brought.

Adenekan said, “Our people asked the missionaries if they could plant some of the rice grains and their request was granted. Fortunately, most land areas in Ofada are swampy and this is the kind of land suitable for rice planting. When they planted the rice grains, they sprouted and months later, they harvested the rice in larger quantities. Not quite long after, almost every household in the town had a rice farm. They did not know the name to give the rice, so they started calling it Ofada rice and this is what everybody calls it till today.”

The octogenarian added that the story had been passed down from generation to generation in the community. “It was what my father, from who I learnt Ofada rice farming, also told me,” he said.

GENERATIONS OF RICE FARMERS
Findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that men and women, old and young all grow rice in Ofada town and its environs such as Asaya Baala, Asaya Lopoji, Asaya Elegun, Asaya Olosan and Asaya Lajoku. In a typical family in those areas, the husband has his own rice farm, the wife has hers, while grown-up children also have theirs.

Interestingly, Thomson, said he learnt the vocation from Adenekan, who happened to be his father. Thomson added that his children had also learnt the farming from him. “It is what we are known for and we won’t stop cultivating rice farms. Every household has a rice farm,” he said.

Similarly, Afolabi said he was trained in Ofada rice farming by his father, who also learnt the vocation from his father. He said, “I can’t impose any vocation on my children but I would love them to follow in my footsteps, though I pray they do it in a mechanised manner.”

Musibau Kamilu also said, “I started Ofada rice farming 30 years ago. It’s a vocation we learnt from our forefathers.”

OFADA RICE CULTIVATION
Thomson explained to our correspondent that like any other rice, the cultivation of Ofada rice started by first choosing the right land, which must be swampy. Thereafter, the land is prepared for rice production; the grains are then planted; fertiliser is applied appropriately; weed and pests controlled; and at maturity, the rice is harvested.

Thomson said there were mainly two methods of planting rice, namely “the broadcasting and the row seeding method. The first method is more tedious. You must leave every other thing you are doing when you plant rice grains or else birds could pick them up. If this happens, you have to start again. The planting period requires 100% concentration.

“After planting, rice grains usually sprout within 4 months, then we would leave it for another month to mature on the buds. After that, it is then due for harvest. After harvesting, we mill it and then it is ready to be packaged and sold for consumption.”

Funnily enough, Thomson said even though many people described the rice cultivated at Ofada as Ofada rice, there was nothing like that. “Technically, there is nothing like Ofada rice. Rice is simply rice but has various species. Why people call it Ofada rice is because it is grown in Ofada town. People tend to associate rice with the location where it is grown, just as we have ‘Kebbi rice,’ ‘Mokwa rice,’ ‘Uyo rice,’ ‘Abakaliki rice,’ ’Thailand rice’ and so on.

“There was a time the government gave us rice species from Thailand. When we planted the grains here, our land was suitable for it, so when it grew, people still called it Ofada rice. The rice grain is long and very white but it is very rare.”

CHALLENGES FACING FARMERS
While Ofada rice is typically tasty, challenges involved in cultivating it are enormous. From lack of mechanised facilities to infrastructural problems, farmers said the rice cultivation was definitely not for the lazy or weak. According to the farmers, birds are one of the main challenges facing them. To support this claim, experts have said birds alone could account for between 10 - 15% loss of rice yield.

85-year-old farmer Adenekan, said, “Birds have always disturbed us since I started farming many decades ago. My generation is passing away gradually but I plead with the government to support the young generation of rice farmers by providing facilities to safeguard their farms from birds and pests.”

Also, Kamilu said stress usually started for rice farmers anytime after planting the grains and birds started visiting the farms. “We virtually do 24/7 monitoring when rice grains start sprouting. Birds always disturb us. After planting, we typically stay on the farm between 5 am and 8 pm every day to scare birds away. Even after leaving the farm, we would still leave some of the birds behind. We can’t chase them completely away and we just have to accept our fate.

“The job of chasing the birds away is tedious. A farmer can plant rice on many hectares of farmland but when it comes to chasing the birds away, it becomes a job for many people. Everyone in the house, our wives and children follow us to the farms to scare the birds away.”

Saturday PUNCH observed that some of the farmers had local guns usually used by hunters to scare away birds on their farms. Besides, Sulaimon said he usually stayed on the farm with his family during planting and harvesting periods when birds and pests flocked the farm in large numbers. “Once we start planting, we don’t leave the farms, we sleep there. The job is not an easy one,” he added.

Another main challenge facing the farmers is poor infrastructure, including road networks, and lack of mechanised farming tools. “We don’t have good roads. If our main roads could be bad, imagine how the roads leading to the farms look like,” Thomson said.

Thomson said the last time roads linking farms in the community were graded was during the (ex-Ogun State Governor Olusegun) Osoba administration (1999-2003). The situation has led to the farmers incurring a lot of expenses to bring harvested produce from the farms to the market.

Thomson noted that lack of government support was another major challenge facing them, stating that if the state government could provide certain amenities such as roads and tractors, as well as irrigation, milling and birds control facilities, the production of rice would increase greatly in the area.

He said, “We don’t have the kind of support that states like Kano, Cross River and Kebbi are giving their local rice farmers. Imagine a state where Ofada rice is grown, what stops the state government from giving massive support to us? If I could plant 15 hectares of rice manually, imagine what I could do with mechanised farming. Our state government is not taking farming seriously. If there was support for us, we would do more exploits. If we grow more, the price of rice will come down and more people would have access to food; there would be food security.”

Although the Federal Government has established some agricultural policies such as the CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme, Thomson and other farmers said they had yet to benefit from them. Afolabi said, “What saddens us is that every year, we hear that the federal or state government is releasing so-so funds for farmers, including rice growers, but we only hear of them on the radio.

“Maybe it’s the farmers in air conditioned-fitted offices and not those on farms that the government gives these funds. If not, we have been growing Ofada rice for years, yet nothing has been done to improve on the way we do things. Government should meet with us directly and not go through ministry, state or local government officials next time they are releasing funds. Let them always devise means of physically meeting with farmers on their farms.”

Another farmer, Taiwo, said all they needed was encouragement to improve on their farming. “We believe so much in rice farming, we see it as an inheritance from our forefathers. We would boost production if we had better resources,” he said.

EXPERTS ON BIRD CONTROL, OTHERS
An agronomist based in Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr Pelumi Adeoye, said there were equipment such as guard nets to protect rice farms from birds. He said the nets were specialised nets and could be purchased and installed by experts on rice farms.

He said, “The nets are shaped like parachutes and some spray some type of gas to scare away birds. The length and breadth of each farm dictate the measurement of the net to buy. The nets are pegged at the corners to cover the farm after they have been shot up like parachutes. The nets could be very helpful to the farmers.”

Also, an agricultural economist, Mrs Bola Komolafe, who owns a rice farm in Kebbi State, recommended the use of cassette tape, scarecrows and castanets methods for birds control. She, however, said more needed to be done by the government to support rice farmers in Ofada.

Komolafe added, “If we want to achieve food security such as the government is preaching, then support is needed for all types of farmers, including rice farmers. Rice is a staple food and more should be done to encourage current and potential rice growers.”

An economic analyst, Mr Tunji Andrews, said the government must show more support for rice farmers to grow the commodity, as it is a staple food in the country. Citing statistics by the African Development Bank that about $35bn is spent on food imports annually across the continent, Andrews said the federal and state governments must show committed efforts to boost food security.

“Although the current administration is trying to increase food production, there is still a lot more work to be done,” he added.

WHY SOME OFADA RICE CONTAINS STONES
Some consumers complain about the Ofada rice containing stones despite being nutritious. Thomson said Ofada rice was not allowed to be thoroughly processed as done in some other countries where the country imports rice. He also said some Ofada rice contained pebbles because some farmers were not careful enough to carefully sieve the harvested rice.

He said, “When you process rice too much, you don’t have any nutrients left in it, what is left is starch. When we harvest rice, it is taken straight to the mill to remove the chaff. The milling machine is not set to process it too much, which is why it is usually not as white as imported rice.

“On the reports that stones are usually found in Ofada rice, it is true but it depends on the farmer’s neatness and diligence. Some farmers can make their rice 85% free of impurities while some can only achieve 50%. And sometimes, it is because some farmers quickly want to take the rice to the market, so they hurriedly remove the impurities. If we had the equipment, we could achieve 100% removal of pebbles from stones like imported rice.”

Despite the situation, some Nigerians said their love for Ofada rice would not dwindle. A food vendor at Ojodu, Lagos, Mrs Kemi Bayonle, said her customers usually demanded Ofada rice. “It has a high demand because the rice is delicious. It sells faster than the typical rice these days,” she said.

‘WE'LL SUPPORT THE FARMERS'
Information Officer for the Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Ayo Disu, said the state government would reach out to Ofada rice farmers to provide necessary support for improved farming. He said agriculture, particularly rice farming, was one of the government’s priorities, hence the establishment of the anchor borrowers’ scheme in the state to support farmers.

Apart from the scheme, he said there was the Value Chain Development Programme being supported by the World Bank for farmers in the state. “In fact, we recently did a workshop for rice farmers in particular because rice has priority in the state anchor borrowers scheme. There is also the Value Chain Development Programme of the World Bank being run in the state and they have been supporting rice farmers.

“The state has not abandoned Ofada rice farmers. The government is working assiduously to reduce the stress encountered by farmers,” he said.

Disu said when the state anchor borrowers scheme was inaugurated by the state governor Dapo Abiodun in September, the governor mentioned that his major concern was rehabilitating all rural roads leading to farm settlements. “I can assure you the government has already started working on those roads. The Ofada rice farmers would also experience the same gesture to ease their stress,” he said.

Disu added that the Ministry of Agriculture would reach out to the rice farmers to inform them of how they could benefit from the various initiatives in rice farming in the state.

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/border-closure-ofada-rice-farmers-make-profit-amid-challenges/

Backpack, commonly referred to as school bag in these parts, helps school-bound children carry their school items to school. And if the school bag comes with different compartments, even better. This makes it easier for children to stay organised through their day, with each item snugly stowed away in its compartment and reached for only when needed.

But this backpack business is not all rosy. Sometimes parents are guilty of letting their kids overload them, and persistent carrying of heavy backpacks can affect your child’s overall posture. If you’re to abide by the specifications of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), your child’s backpack should never weigh more than 10 to 20 per cent of their body weight.

According to Jaime Quinn (DPT), Professional Physical Therapy partner and regional clinical director, NYC, there is much available research that points to the effects of carrying heavy backpacks in the long run.

She explains, “Wearing a heavy backpack for prolonged periods may cause excessive strain on one’s neck, back and shoulders. Over time, muscles may fatigue, and the wearer may fall into poor posture, which may lead to muscle imbalances, which, if long-term, may cause an increased risk of injury.”

EFFECTS OF HEAVY BACKPACKS ON THE SPINE
Children are free spirits, so they play with so much energy and without a care in the world. In the course of playing, they can develop back pain, but another thing that is usually responsible for back pain is the heavy backpacks they carry. Below are the effects of these heavy backpacks.

1. Chronic back pain
Over some time, carrying heavy backpacks can bring about chronic back pain for your kids. Not just back pain but neck pain and shoulder discomfort all come from carrying heavy backpacks. Also, there’s a soreness to the muscles on the child’s shoulders, especially if the backpack straps are slim.

2. Bad posture
When children carry heavy backpacks they tend to lean forward to try to compensate for the weight they’re feeling behind. Sometimes it may be to ease the discomfort of backpack straps. So they lean forward to try and give the shoulders some rest. The more serious effect of this is that the child may develop an unnatural alignment, causing severe back pain.

3. Loss of sensation
For easy and free circulation, nerves have to be free. When a child carries a backpack with narrow straps for a long time, the straps dig into the skin, affecting circulation. This can make the child lose sensation in the hands, plus numbness and a tingling sensation.

WHAT SHOULD PARENTS DO?
When buying a backpack, make sure you pick one that has wider straps.
A good backpack should have a padded back so that no object can poke the child’s back.
Buy backpacks that are already light so that the weight isn’t too much when the child puts their items in it.
Encourage the child to use the backpack’s waist belt. This helps with weight distribution.
Before leaving home, make sure the child is wearing both straps.
Encourage the child to relieve themselves of the backpack when they get to school. They should use their lockers instead of moving around with the backpack all day.
Lighten the load. This is very important. No matter how comfortably designed a backpack is, it’s always safer to lighten the load.

CONCLUSION
If your child complains of back pain, numbness of the hands and shoulders, or weakness of arms, please see a physiotherapist.

This article was first published on AfricaParent.com

SOURCE: https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/effects-of-heavy-school-bags-on-your-childrens-spine/

Ibrahim Oredola, a Nigerian entrepreneur, has won $1,000 grant at the Black Friday pitch competition organised by Udo Uudoma and Bello Osagie (UUBO) law firm. The entrepreneur emerged winner at the event which held in Lagos on Friday 29 November 2019.

Oredola is the chief executive officer of SkillNG, a solution based business which helps young people learn global in-demand digital skills by connecting learners to professional skill tutors and critical learning materials through a peer to peer learning network.

As the first prize winner, UUBO will grant Oredola $1,000 as well as 20 h0urs of legal, marketing and HR advice for a duration of six months while Fela Akinse, the second prize winner, will get an equivalent cash prize and 15 hours of legal advice.

Reacting to development, the SkillNG boss said the victory is a big deal adding that he looks forward to utilising the legal service to further promote skills among Nigerian youths.

“We are so excited to have won this competition and this is a big deal for us. Besides the funding, we are more excited about the 20 hours of legal, HR & marketing services we’ll be getting from Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie Law Firm and we can’t wait to fully maximise this opportunity to continue to facilitate sustainable livelihood for African youths through strategic skilling,” he said.

“We dedicate this award to every youth in the country trying to find their place in the job market, we are coming to help you!”

In a tweet, the law firm congratulated the winners, saying it is an achievement of pride.

We are proud to announce that Ibrahim Oredola of SkillNG and Fela Akinse of Salubata have emerged as winners in the UUBO Black Friday Pitch Competition. Congratulations!!! pic.twitter.com/ApAWXLNgv6
--- Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie (@uubolaw) November 29, 2019

Oredola said he looks forward to expanding operations of SkillNG beyond the south-west. According to him, the skill-focused organisation with a database of 500 tutors has trained over 2,000 youths.

“Our goal for 2020 is to extend our operations from southwest Nigeria to the rest of the country by building a community of 50,000 skill tutors and learners while facilitating sustainable jobs for over 5,000 Nigerian youths and we are open to all forms of partnership and support.”

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/nigerian-entrepreneur-wins-1000-black-friday-pitch-competition-grant

A pastor at a Christ Apostolic Church in Lagos, Dr John Awe, has learnt about his new place of duty in a hard way as some officials of the Oshodi-Isolo LGA, made him pay a N25, 000 fine for an alleged traffic offence. Awe, recently posted to Lagos from Kaduna State, was arrested by the officials for allegedly using his vehicle to obstruct traffic.

He told City Round that he was going for a meeting with the district superintendent of the church on October 18, 2019 at the Ajenifuja area, when the officials accosted him at a junction around Mafoluku market. The pastor explained that there was light traffic and one of the four men was on the road controlling the traffic.

He said in the process, the official passed another set of drivers, among whom he was in the middle, noting that no sooner he did than two of them jumped in front of his vehicle. He stated, “It is rather unfortunate that I came across this notorious gang in the service of Oshodi-Isolo LGA all in the name of traffic control. Their medium of operation is mischievous and in fact, it is a crime against humanity for one to be deceived, manipulated and cornered into an offence one has never committed.

“On that day, I was driving towards Mafoluku–Oja. Traffic was moving without any hindrance until I got to a junction, where I met about four people scattered around on the road working against one another in a game of deceit. One was passing the vehicles, the rest spreading their net against innocent citizens.

“As soon as I was passed, two of them crossed my vehicle and forced me to slow down. They opened my door forcefully thinking they were armed robbers. On the contrary, they started asking me why I decided to move when in the real sense of it I was on the move with other vehicles in my back and front. Perhaps they saw me as ‘Johnny Just Come’ in Lagos with Abuja number plate.”

The native of Ijesha in Osun State said all his efforts to convince the men that he had not committed any offence proved abortive. He said the men appeared friendly with him and one of them was assigned to follow him to the council secretariat to confirm if he had not been booked for a traffic offence before on that route.

The pastor stated, “One of them was assigned to me, playing saint, discussing with me as if there was no ulterior motive behind my unwarranted arrest. Lo and behold, I was respectively parked expecting them to check their logbook for confirmation of my previous booking or arrest.

“In a twinkle of an eye, the man that subtly lured me in disappeared into thin air. I was left at the hands of ‘lions and hyenas’ who were ready to puncture my tyres and that of others who were also clandestinely brought to the traffic division of Oshodi-Isolo LGA weeping and crying over the way and manner they were brought in and grounded their vehicles for no just cause.”

The pastor was stunned some minutes later when an official brought a fine of N25,000 for him for obstructing traffic. “Various questions started emanating from my mind, how can a moving vehicle cause an obstruction without turning to the left or right? How can a vehicle that didn’t park on the roadside cause obstruction? How can a vehicle that never broke down on the road cause obstruction? How do you force the citizen to vomit what they did not swallow?” The pastor wondered.

He said when he realised that the official would not listen to his pleas, he asked to be led to the cashier office to pay the fine. The pastor stated that his request was turned down as the man collected the money from him and gave him a receipt.

Awe noted, “I don’t know the names of those officials but I can identify all of them. I was forced to cough up N25,000 for no just cause. Various people arrested were also lamenting their ordeal at the hands of the notorious local government officials extorting gullible masses and failure to pay implies impounding your vehicle. I was wondering who licensed the local government officials to be arresting vehicles. Who are they working for? Do we need to be extorting the masses for an improved revenue drive?”

He urged the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to address “the ugly incident” and prevail on the officials. A copy of the receipt made available to our correspondent indicated that the council partnered a private firm to collect ‘the revenue.’ A check for the name of the firm on the Internet revealed it as an Israeli-based company that specialises in information gathering.

The Chairman, Oshodi-Isolo LGA, Mr Idris Muse-Ariyoh, could not be reached for comments..

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/lagos-council-officials-arrest-pastor-in-traffic-collect-n25000/

Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and CEO of Twitter, an American microblogging platform, says he would be relocating to Africa for a momentary stay in 2020. The business mogul took to his handle to disclose his plans of moving to the continent on Thursday via a farewell after having completed his planned trip to Africa.

Dorsey, who recently left Nigeria, visited 4 nations in the continent — including Ethiopia, Ghana, and South Africa — in November to “spend time with entrepreneurs.” During his visit to Nigeria, Dorsey met with entrepreneurs and young artists, as well as Twitter board member Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (an economist and former managing director of the World Bank).

Although Dorsey didn’t precisely reveal what country he would choose to stay but he confirmed that he would be living in “Africa for about 3 to 6 months in mid 2020”.

"Sad to be leaving the continent…for now. Africa will define the future (especially the bitcoin one!). Not sure where yet, but I’ll be living here for 3-6 months mid 2020. Grateful I was able to experience a small part. �"
-- pic.twitter.com/9VqgbhCXWd
-- jack ��� (@jack) November 27, 2019

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, had similarly visited Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, in 2015 to “listen, learn, and take ideas back to California” on how Facebook can better support tech and entrepreneurship across the continent.

SOURCE: https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/jack-dorsey-twitter-ceo-says-hell-be-relocating-to-africa-in-2020/

Employers are increasingly using Facebook (and other social networking sites) to check up on potential and current employees. People have been disciplined at work, missed out on job positions, or even been dismissed due to comments they’ve left on Facebook and similar sites. Here’s how to make sure your Facebook profile isn’t visible to your boss – and how to clean it up if necessary…

STEP 1: CHECK YOUR PRIVACY SETTINGS
Do you know who might be reading your Facebook profile? Are you really certain it’s only limited to those people who you’ve accepted a Friend request from? Log into your account, click the “Settings” button on the top left: then look at the “Networks” tab. Now click on the “Settings” tab, and on the “manage” link next to “Privacy Controls”, then click “Profile”. This is what mine looks like:

“My Networks and Friends”? Well, I’ve got 300 or so friends on Facebook — but my networks cover 3.5 million people: all of whom are either graduates of the same university (so high on my list of potential networking contacts), or people who live in London (where, if I was looking for another full-time job, I’d be seeking employment).

As you can imagine, giving potential bosses (and your past professors – people who might write you a reference) access to your entire profile could be a no-no. If you pack your profile with rude quotes, if your status update regularly includes how drunk/stoned/lazy you are, and if the photos are those you’d never want to be posted on the office noticeboard … you might want to limit all of the info in your profile to friends only.

Why Should I Bother?
When an employer decides to check you out on Facebook prior to interviewing you, they won’t be able to see your profile, photos of you, and so on. The first impression they get of you will be a professional one from the interview. Leaving your Facebook profile open to them is a bit like inviting them to come and nose around your home (when it’s at its most untidy, with your stack of dodgy magazines left lying around…)

And if you doubt that employers do make these checks, here’s food for thought from an article on “Facebook Can Ruin Your Life” from the Independent (a UK newspaper) – emphasis mine:

At Cambridge, at least one don has admitted “discreetly” scanning applicants’ pages – a practice now widespread in job recruitment. A survey released by Viadeo said that 62% of British employers now check the Facebook, MySpace or Bebo pages of some applicants, and that 25% had rejected candidates as a result. Reasons given by employers included concerns about “excess alcohol abuse”, ethics and job “disrespect”. Do you want to risk missing out on your dream job because of your Facebook profile?

STEP 2: CLEANING UP YOUR PROFILE
Things which seem perfectly innocuous could still cause employers to pass on you. The recruitment site www.onrec.com offers 10 top turn-offs for employers performing discreet background checks.

Top 10 turn-offs for employers on social networking websites:
1. References to drug abuse
2. Extremist / intolerant views, including racism, sexism
3. Criminal activity
4. Evidence of excessive alcohol consumption
5. Inappropriate pictures, including nudity
6. Foul language
7. Links to unsuitable websites
8. Lewd jokes
9. Silly email addresses
10. Membership of pointless / silly groups

So it’s worth cleaning up your profile to get rid of anything not contributing to the impression you want to give to employers, business colleagues and other contacts – anything which undermines or contradicts your personal brand. I’m going to focus on 2 key areas that could be letting you down: “Your Info” and “Your Photos”.

(A). Your Info
Click on “Profile” in the top bar, then on “Info”. Have a good read through what’s listed there. Think about who might read your profile here: if you’re going for a job with a right-wing political or charity body, a long list of slasher/horror movies and death metal music might not go down too well, but it could be just the thing if you’re trying to land a job with a design agency that prides itself on “alternative” styles and creating shocking, engaging concepts.

Some quick tips that might help you are:
-- Get rid of any silly, profane or potentially bigoted (racist/sexist/etc) group memberships
-- Try to list some favorite books, not just films and music. Employers will be impressed if you look well-read.
-- Make your Quotations ones which are funny/profound, not all lewd jokes that your friends made after a few drinks.
-- Check for typos and spelling mistakes.

(B). Your Photos
Click on the “Photos” tab. This will show everything which someone’s tagged with your name. It’s worth going through every single one, and untagging it if it’s not something you want to be associated with! Again, use your own judgement here: an unflattering shot might be a disaster if you’re trying to become a supermodel, but could be an actual asset if you’re aiming for a career in stand-up comedy…

Click on the thumbnail to view a photo full-size, and click the “Remove tag” link next to your name (at the bottom, under the photo) to remove the tag – meaning snoopers can’t find that photo of you.

Why Should I Bother?
Current employers (or your university/school) may check up on your Facebook profile. The Independent article mentioned the unfortunate case of Kevin Colvin, an intern at Anglo Irish Bank, who told his employers he had a family emergency, but whose Facebook page revealed he had, in reality, been cavorting in drag at a Hallowe’en party.

STEP 3: KEEPING YOUR PROFILE CLEAN
Once you’ve limited access to your profile and cleaned it up, you need to keep it safe for work. Some good points to pause for thought are:

-- When setting your status. Do you really want to declare that “John thinks work SUCKS” or that “Jane is thinking of throwing a sickie?”
-- When uploading photos. Is it really something you want your office colleagues to see? Or your mum?
-- When commenting on other people’s photos, wall, etc. Think about what your words might convey to someone who wasn’t in on the joke or the conversation. Would you look bigoted, illiterate or plain nasty?

It’s also unwise to use Facebook while at work – your actions are time-stamped, so if your boss sees that you’ve been updating your account at 11am when you should’ve been hard at work, s/he’s unlikely to be impressed.

Why Should I Bother?
Thoughtless use of Facebook has led to people losing their jobs in the past (though this is usually due to admission of some serious wrong-doing, such as theft from the company). Even if you don’t get sacked, you might have to face up to consequences.

I’ll leave you with the cautionary tale of Kyle Doyle, a call center worker who pulled a sickie … and bragged about it on Facebook:

Kyle Doyle, a 21-year-old resolutions expert for telecommunications firm AAPT, bragged about his day off on the social networking site while telling his employer he was away for “medical reasons”. But he was found out when his boss spotted this Facebook profile update on the day in question, August 21: “Kyle Doyle is not going to work, f*** it I’m still trashed. SICKIE WOO!”

So … head on over to Facebook, and check out the employer-friendliness of your profile.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.dumblittleman.com/make-sure-your-facebook-profile-doesnt/

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Wednesday 27 November 2019, further reduced stop rates of Tbills in the country at the primary market, in a bid to discourage tying down liquidity in government instruments to the detriment of the real sector of the economy, which desperately needs funds for growth.

Since the apex bank announced restricting local investors from participating in the Open Market Operations (OMO), the stop rates of T-bills, which remains open to them, have been on the downtrend. Despite continuous cut in the rates, appetite of investors for the investment tool has not waned, as witnessed at Wednesday’s primary market auction (PMA).

At Wednesday’s exercise, CBN took TBills worth N150.6 bn to the market in 3 tenors, but received subscriptions valued at N533.9 bn from market participants. It auctioned 91-day bills worth N24.37 bn, 182-D bills of N23.16 bn and 364-D bills of N103.07 bn; but when the results came out, investors staked N106.9 bn on the 91-D bills, N107.6 bn on 182-D, and N319.4 bn on the 364-D tenor. For the allotment, CBN sold N20.4 bn of the 91-D bills, N19.2 bn of 182-D and N111.1 bn of 364-D bills.

For the stop rates, the 3-month maturity cleared at 6.5%, lower than 7.8% at previous PMA; 6-month tenor cleared at 7.23% (vs 9.0% at the last exercise); while the 1-year instrument cleared at 8.37% (vs 10.0% at earlier auction two weeks ago). On average, stop rates of TBills issued today depreciated to 7.37% from 8.93%. Previous rates were earlier crashed from 10.48%.

SOURCE (abridged): https://businesspost.ng/economy/cbn-further-slashes-treasury-bills-rate-to-6-5/amp/

Sudan’s cabinet Tuesday scrapped a controversial law that severely curtailed women’s rights during the 30-year tenure of deposed autocrat Omar al-Bashir, state media reported. Thousands of women were flogged, fined and even jailed during Bashir’s rule under the archaic public order law.

“The council of ministers agreed in an extraordinary meeting today to cancel the public order law across all provinces,” the official SUNA news agency reported. The cabinet’s decision is still to be ratified by the ruling sovereign council, which is an 11-member joint civilian-military body.

Bashir seized power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989, severely restricting the role of women in Sudan for decades. During his rule, authorities implemented a strict moral code that activists said primarily targeted women, through harsh interpretations of Islamic sharia law.

Bashir was deposed by the army on April 11 after months of protests against his rule. Women were at the forefront of the demonstrations. In February, Bashir had acknowledged in a briefing with reporters that it was the public order law that had angered younger generations, especially women.

Activists say security forces linked the public order law with Article 152 of the Sudanese penal code, which stipulates punishment for “indecent and immoral acts.” Under the law, those who consumed or brewed alcohol — banned in the northeast African country — were punished, while activists said security forces used the legislation to arrest women for attending private parties or wearing trousers.

Sudan’s new government led by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has assured citizens it will uphold women’s rights. “The government has delivered what it had promised. This is a real win for us, for the feminist movement in Sudan and for women’s rights, Many women were flogged and humiliated because of this shameful law. With this decision, Sudan is now moving toward a new life where women can enjoy dignity.” said prominent Sudanese activist Tahani Abbas.

A senior member of Bashir’s ex-ruling National Congress Party contended that it had been the implementation of the law by individual actors — rather than the law per se — that had created problems. “Some policemen were using this law to harass women. What we need is to precisely define under Article 152 the dress code for women.” said Mohamed al-Amin, who is also a defence lawyer for Bashir.

On Tuesday, the cabinet also decided to “restructure the country’s judicial system in order to prepare it for the new era,” SUNA reported without elaborating. The cabinet also agreed to form a committee to review all appointments made during the Bashir era that are suspected of having been made on the basis of questionable personal connections or favours.

Bashir, who is in prison in Khartoum, is on trial for allegedly illegally acquiring and using foreign funds.

SOURCE (abridged): https://punchng.com/sudan-cabinet-scraps-law-abusing-womens-rights/

Nigeria now has a sex offenders register where cases of sexual assault can be reported and which also has names of those convicted of such offences.

The Nigeria sexual offender and service provider

https://nsod.naptip.gov.ng/

was launched on Monday by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in collaboration with about 15 non-governmental organisations.

NAPTIP and the agencies will, through the platform, monitor reported cases of sexual abuse while giving updates on reported and convicted cases. The violence against persons prohibition act (2015) also provides for the creation of a register for convicted sexual offenders which shall be accessible to the public.

It also mandates NAPTIP to ensure the elimination of violence in private and public life, prohibit all forms of violence against persons to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders and for other related matters.

A message on the sexual offenders register says it is a “one stop solution to reporting and curbing sexual offences”. Victims and survivors are also asked to report their experiences for appropriate measures to be taken. It seeks among other things, the name and address of the alleged assaulter as well as their pictures.

“If you’ve been the victim/survivor of a sexual offence or think you have witnessed one, you should report it to NAPTIP,” a message reads. “Your information could be used to prevent other crimes and help keep other people safe.”

Listed as partners are the Nigeria police, ministry of women affairs and social development, National Centre for Women Development and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

There has been growing concern over the high rate of sexual abuse cases in the country as well as the seeming lack of prosecution of offenders. The senate recently reintroduced an anti-sexual harassment bill that seeks to “promote and protect ethical standards in tertiary institutions” as well as “protect students against sexual harassment”.

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/are-you-a-victim-or-survivor-visit-this-platform-to-report-sex-offenders

Ndidi Nwuneli, founder of LEAP Africa and co-founder of Sahel Consulting, has been appointed to the board of trustees of The Rockefeller Foundation. According to a statement released by the foundation, Nwuneli was appointed on the board alongside Agnes Binagwaho, the vice-chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda.

Their tenures as members of the board began on November 21. Commenting on the appointment, Richard D. Parsons, the board chair said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Agnes and Ndidi to our board of trustees. As the foundation works to lift up the most vulnerable people in communities around the world, their deep global development expertise and longstanding commitment to improving lives will be invaluable to the organization”.

“Agnes and Ndidi have demonstrated and been recognized for their dedication and leadership in global health and agriculture, respectively, which are core areas of the foundation’s work. I know I speak for the entire board in saying we are thrilled to welcome them to The Rockefeller Foundation.”

Rajiv J. Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation said: “I feel extremely fortunate to have Agnes and Ndidi join our Board of Trustees. Agnes has helped change the national health landscape as a member of the government of Rwanda and is an important leader in the field of global health.

“Ndidi has worked with the public and private sectors to champion solutions that have improved the lives of vulnerable people in Nigeria and around the world. Their deep personal commitment and extensive experience will make them invaluable to our efforts to advance The Rockefeller Foundation’s mission to inspire and foster large-scale human impact that promotes the well-being of humanity throughout the world.”

In her words, Nwuneli says it is an honour to join the board to help meet the needs of the most vulnerable communities across the world. “The Rockefeller Foundation’s efforts to scale innovations that help meet the needs of the most vulnerable communities around the world are just as important now as they were when the foundation was founded.

“I am honoured to join the board of trustees to support the foundation as it continues to build on its legacy of leveraging data, technology and innovation to improve the well-being of humanity,” said Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli.

With more than 23 years of experience in international development, Nwuneli was recognized as a young global leader by the World Economic Forum, received a national honour (Member of the Federal Republic) from the Nigerian government and has been listed as one of the 20 Youngest Power African Women by Forbes.

The Rockefeller Foundation was established in 1913 and was ranked the 39th largest foundation by total giving in the United States in 2015.

SOURCE: https://www.thecable.ng/ndidi-nwuneli-appointed-board-member-the-rockefeller-foundation

A Rochester, New York, home invader made a terrible mistake when he tried to rob what the thought was an unsuspecting 82-year-old woman. In reality, that woman was actually bodybuilder Willie Murphy who, despite her age, can still deadlift 225 pounds (102 kg).

While preparing for bed late Thursday evening, Murphy responded to a man knocking at her door claiming he was sick and in need of an ambulance. The 82-year-old left to call the police but was startled mid-call by the sound of the man violently banging on the door, trying to break it down. The man succeeded. But rather than run or hide though, Murphy reportedly grabbed a nearby table.

"I'm alone, and I'm old but guess what? I'm tough," Murphy told WHAM. "I took that table, and I went to working on him. And guess what? The table broke." Murphy didn't stop there. She grabbed a bottle of shampoo and poured it over the face of the injured assailant. Then, after pouring the entire bottle over the intruder's face, Murphy commenced beating him with a broom.

"I got the broom," Murphy told WHAM. "He's pulling the broom. I'm hitting him with the broom." Responding to her earlier call, police arrived on the scene to find the man beaten down, humiliated, and drenched in shampoo. Impressed, the four police officers that arrived on the scene asked to take a selfie with Murphy who they called, "tough as nails."

The home intruder got what he initially asked for and was driven off in an ambulance. Murphy told WHAM she hopes her story can inspire confidence in others, regardless of their age.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.insider.com/82-year-old-body-builder-sends-unlucky-home-invader-hospital-2019-11

The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, has pleaded with all APC state governors to implement the N30,000 minimum wage and the consequential adjustments. Oshiomhole made the plea on Monday in Jos at the Federal Government- Progressives Governors Forum parley in Jos.

“As progressives, let us be the first to pay the new national minimum wage and not just the wage but also the consequential adjustments arising from it. Already, there are some proactive progressive governors that have taken steps to address this.

“I plead that you give this a priority, because when other governors are fighting whether or not to pay, you will say that progressive governors have paid. Where there is will, there will certainly be a way,” he said.

The APC national chairman also called on the APC governors to support border closure by the Federal Government. He said that the nation’s borders should remain closed until neighboring countries follow the protocols of fair trade.

Oshiomole in an interview with journalists, also lent his support to financial autonomy for local governments in the country. He said that local government autonomy was not negotiable. According him, just as the Federal Government does not control a state governor on how to manage his money, so should the state governors allow the local governments to function.

He added that local governments should be allowed to operate the same way states operate with the Federal Government exercising oversight function.

“Local governments should be autonomous, but autonomy doesn’t mean there should not be oversight. The same way the Federal Government goes after a state Governor that breaks the financial rules, the same way state governors should go after a local government that mismanages revenue that accrue to it,” he said.

SOURCE: https://www.pulse.ng/news/local/oshiomhole-pleads-with-apc-governors-to-implement-n30000-minimum-wage/5nmyk1q

I have used both brands. Here is a checklist to help your decision making process. This is strictly based on my personal experience:

CRITERION / MY PREFERENCE
1. Interior design: HONDA
2. Cost of parts: TOYOTA
3. Availability of parts: SAME
4. Fuel efficiency: HONDA
5. Suitability for bad roads: TOYOTA
6. Engine ruggedness: HONDA
7. Body/chassis ruggedness: TOYOTA
8. Speed : HONDA
9. Availability of good mechanics: TOYOTA
10. Safety: HONDA
11. Acquisition cost: TOYOTA
12. Lower likelihood of theft: HONDA
13. Overall reliability: TOYOTA
14. Overall aesthetics: HONDA
15. Availability/cost of standard workshops: TOYOTA
16. Ease of resale: DEPENDS ON MODEL/YOUR LOCALITY

Nigeria's Njideka Akunyili Crosby was visited in her studio by former US First Lady, Michelle Obama.

Njideka is a Nigerian-born visual artist. She is also the daughter of the late Dora Akunyili, who was the Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. Njideka's 2017 botanical painting, titled “Bush Babies”, sold for $3.4 million USD. Since then, there has been a spike in the value of her paintings.

The visit from Michelle Obama was shared on Instagram by Njideka's equally famous sister, Chidiogo Akunyili Parr.

Sharing a photo of Ms Obama hugging Njideka, Chidiogo wrote:

So this just happened! Casual Saturday in the Akunyili Crosby family. When the Michelle Obama pays a visit to your studio! Me to my sister, “if it could come up, make sure to tell her about the book.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5N4bZflQ3F/

Source: https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2019/11/michelle-obama-pays-a-visit-to-njideka-akunyili-crosby-in-her-studio-2.html