₦airaland Forum

On July 7, former French soccer star Jean-Pierre Adams reached an unwanted milestone, when he became the person in the 3rd-longest coma in recorded history. He is also the male who has spent the most time comatose.

After a botched routine knee operation at the age of 34, the athlete was left in a persistent vegetative state. That was in 1982. As decades have passed his wife Bernadette Adams has dedicated her life to caring for her husband, in the hope medicine will advance and doctors might one day wake him up.

Jean-Pierre was born on 10 March 1948 in the former French colony of Senegal, to a devout Catholic family. Aged 10, his grandmother enrolled him in a school in France during a religious pilgrimage, before a couple from an area to the south of the capital Paris adopted him.

"I was like a little lost puppy without a collar," Jean-Pierre later said of being left in France.

The boy brought a love of soccer with him to his new home, which he likely partly caught from his uncle Alexandre Diadhiou, who played for the Jeanne d'Arc in Mali. After playing for an under-13s squad, he joined the French Military team during conscription.
Jean-Pierre Adams, football, Nimes Olympique,
French soccer player from Nimes Olympique Jean-Pierre Adams pictured on 19 September, 1972. Getty

In 1968, Jean-Pierre met a girl named Bernadette at a dance in the town of Montargis. Bernadette, the daughter of a builder from central France, loved dances. She told British newspaper The Times in 2014 the 5ft 10in 20-year-old was a "mountain of muscle" who had an easy-going, "joyous" attitude towards life.

The pair soon moved in together. At first, her parents were unsure: a white woman and a black man was a controversial pairing in France at the time. But their initial prejudice was no match for Bernadette's feelings. Recalling a conversation with her mother at the time, Bernadette told The Times in 2014: "I left home. I told her: 'It will be him and no one else'. When I've decided something, I don't waver".

Bernadette's perseverance paid off, and her parents quickly fell in love with the then-amateur association footballer who was completing his military service. The pair got married in 1969, and would go on to have two sons: Laurent and Frédéric.

Aged 22, Jean-Pierre went professional: his talent spotted by the first division team in Nîmes, southern France. Drawing on the reptilian nickname of the club, legendary Nîmes trainer Kader Firoud told the young player: "You already have all the qualities of a young wolf, and if you are not afraid to work you will become a true crocodile."

Half a season later, France Football magazine lauded Jean-Pierre in its pages for his ability to act out "dramatic fantasy" on the pitch. Jean-Pierre's talents saw him regularly playing for the French national team in the 1970s, earning 22 caps. He left Nîmes for bigger teams, eventually playing for both Paris Saint-Germain and Nice.

As well as his impressive athleticism, his personality shone through. Bernadette told CNN of her husband in 2016 he "was the 'joie de vivre' embodied in human form" and "loved the good life." Jean-Pierre was always smiling, she said, and loved by everyone.

By 1982, Jean-Pierre was getting old—for an athlete at least—and he moved into coaching. Jean-Pierre juggled his new commitments with running a sports shop with Bernadette in the center of the city of Chalon-sur-Saône.

While training to be a coach in Dijon that March, he hurt his tendon. At Édouard Herriot Hospital in Lyon, a doctor booked Jean-Pierre in for surgery on Wednesday, March 17: a date that coincided with a strike at the hospital.

When Jean-Pierre had his surgery for his relatively minor injury, the facility was running on empty: staff were stretched and providing care they weren't qualified to give.
Jean-Pierre Adams, france, Baptista Tamagnini Nene,
Jean-Pierre Adams (left) from France and Baptista Tamagnini Nene pictured on 26 April, 1975 during a friendly international match between France and Portugal. Getty

Still, Jean-Pierre was unfazed. "It's all fine, I'm in great shape," he told his family on the morning of the operation. But during what should have been a routine procedure, staff failed to put Jean Pierre under correctly. Oxygen wasn't sent around his body, causing a cardiac arrest.

After three weeks, he woke up. But the accident had left him with catastrophic brain damage and without his bodily functions. Jean-Pierre spent the next 15 months in hospital. Declining the advice of the authorities, Bernadette took her husband home instead of putting him in an old people's home. Now, Adams can only open and close his eyes, and digest blended food, according to CNN.

The couple live in their home in the village of Caissargues, near Nîmes in southern France. Every day, Bernadette blends and feeds Jean-Pierre his breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And with the help of nurses and physiotherapists who visit multiple times a day, she provides round-the-clock care. Sometimes she stays up all night tending to her partner. Bernadette is able to pay for her husband's care after she won a 12-year-long battle with an annuity court.

"There is an activity in his mind, but it is not the right sort of activity because there was so much destruction of his brain," Bernadette told The Times.

Despite not having a conversation with her husband for decades, Bernadette is certain Jean-Pierre has some semblance of awareness.

"I think he feels things," she told CNN in 2018. "He must recognize the sound of my voice as well. I talk to him all the time—about TV, what's in the mail, anything! There is always movement around him. He is always next to us."

Her devotion partly lies in the hope that one day medicine will advance enough to break her husband from his coma.

"The more time that passes, the more bothered I get," she told CNN. "His condition does not get any worse, so who knows? If one day, medical science evolves, then why not? Will there be a day when they'll know how to do something for him? I don't know."

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.newsweek.com/jean-pierre-adams-french-soccer-coma-longest-ever-1447727

The Nigerian Army on Sunday 29 September arrested a suspected Boko Haram insurgents’ logistic supplier and seized a car stacked with motorcycle used tyres in Borno. Brig.-Gen. AK Ibrahim, the Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, made the disclosure while parading the suspect at the Gubio Super Camp in Maiduguri.

Ibrahim disclosed that the suspect, Samuel Chukwudon, was arrested on Sept. 27, by a joint team of troops of Operation Lafiya Dole (OPLD) and personnel of the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS), while travelling along Baga-Monguno Road. He said that the troops seized items which included a car, 136 used motorcycle tyres, 200 new tubes and a number of rubber gum.

“The arrest is based on the subsisting ban on motorcycle in the theater of operation due to the security challenges. We know that the insurgents use motorcycles in their operations; nobody is allowed to ride motorcycle. The suspect was arrested with the banned items heading toward Lake Chad basin. Boko Haram insurgents are around the area and we felt that something was fishy. He made several attempts to bribe our men at the time of the arrest and during interrogation,“ Ibrahim said.

The officer said that the seized car and items would be destroyed and warned people in the area against trading in motorcycles and motorcycle spare parts.

The suspect, however, told newsmen that he sells used motorcycle tyres to cart pushers such as water vendors and firewood sellers in Monguno.

“I reside in Monguno since 1990; I have a shop and everybody in the town knows me, I engaged in the used tyres trade because they told us not to sell new tyres,“ the suspect said.

SOURCE: https://t.guardian.ng/news/army-arrests-suspected-insurgents-logistics-supplier-in-borno/

The Kogi State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria has endorsed the reelection bid of Governor Yahaya Bello in the November governorship poll. The National Organising Secretary of the association, Alhaji Aliyu Saleh, made the disclosure of the endorsement at a meeting in Lokoja on Saturday.

Saleh identified improved security for its over 30,000 members, who have over the years been under constant attack from kidnappers and cattle rustlers, and the free vaccination of their cattle as part of the reasons for the endorsement.

According to him, the association and it members have witnessed a new lease of life under the present administration.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/kogi-2019-miyetti-allah-endorses-bello/

Dr Gloria Okoekhian is the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Optometric Association, Lagos State chapter and an optometrist at Vista Eye Centre. She tells ALEXANDER OKERE about the risk factors, prevention and management of computer vision syndrome

WHAT IS COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME?
Computer vision syndrome is a group of vision-related problems experienced from prolonged exposure of the eyes to light rays or radiation from computers and other digital devices. Computer vision syndrome can cause great discomfort to persons who use computers, laptops, phones and other similar devices, irrespective of their age or race.

HOW DO COMPUTERS OR OTHER SIMILAR DEVICES AFFECT VISION?
Many people spend long hours in front of a computer screen every day. Staring at a computer for long periods of time requires the eye muscles to focus at near range and this may result in headache, blurred vision, eye fatigue and others.

Recent studies and research have also revealed that digital devices emit light which contains harmful blue light. Blue light, as a component of sunlight, boosts our memory, attention and energy levels. However, there is also a part of this blue light which is harmful to the eyes. Blue light exposure may increase risk of macular degeneration, an eye disease that causes vision loss. This is because the wavelength of blue light enables it to penetrate to the retina (the inner lining of the back of the eyes) and too much exposure to blue light can damage light sensitive cells in that area.

HOW PREVALENT IS CVS IN NIGERIA?
Globally, research has shown that 50 to 90% of people who work in front of a computer screen have at least one or more of the symptoms. We may not be able to put a figure to this. But there is no gainsaying that the prevalence or incidence rate of computer vision syndrome in Nigeria today will be high and the reason is not strange. Use of computers and digital devices has increased astronomically, more so with the advent of smart phone technology and prolonged hours of Internet browsing and social media addiction. Many people may be experiencing these vision-related symptoms but are not aware that it could be related to prolonged use of digital devices, since most people do not feel the need to have their eyes properly examined.

WHICH CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE ARE THE MOST AFFECTED AND HOW ARE THEY EXPOSED TO IT?
Workers who use computers for prolonged uninterrupted hours are most likely to experience the syndrome. Same also applies to students (young adults or teenagers) who study with the computer and similar devices as well as those glued to social media sites on their phones.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CVS?
Anyone with CVS may experience one or more of the common symptoms which include eyestrain, blurred vision, headache, eye fatigue (a feeling of tiredness around and within the eyes), dry eyes, peppery or burning sensation, teary eyes and neck and shoulder pain.

HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED?
Diagnosis of CVS is made after comprehensive eye examination that reveals symptoms and signs of CVS in the person that is also matched with the results of various tests conducted.

CAN CVS LEAD TO LONG-TERM EYE CONDITIONS?
Although there is no proof that it leads to any serious damage in the short term, it is worthy to note that continuous exposure of the eyes to the harmful blue light puts a person at risk of developing macular degeneration which, if not detected and managed early enough, can impair vision.

CAN IT AFFECT SLEEP?
Yes, it can affect sleep. Studies have shown blue light can disrupt natural sleep patterns, invariably reducing the quality of sleep.

HOW CAN COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME BE TREATED OR MANAGED?
CVS is treated and managed both with optical devices and workplace ergonomics. It is highly recommended that you wear glasses with anti-reflective (especially the anti-blue) coating, to protect the eyes from effects of harmful blue light.

WHAT ARE HEALTHY HABITS OR TIPS THAT CAN HELP PREVENT THE CONDITION?
Individuals who spent time working on computers or electronic devices with light-emitting screens should get a comprehensive eye examination. This cannot be overemphasised because through this, the doctor can go through the complaints and match them with the test results to conclude that it is a case of computer vision syndrome.

It is important you get that diagnosis from a professional as the symptoms of CVS can also be found in some other conditions. Get your kids eyes checked too. Make sure any computer they use is set up in the right height and in the best light. Encourage them to take frequent breaks from the screen to give their eyes some rest. It is important to use proper lighting; make sure the lighting in the room is comfortable to the eyes and that you are not staring into the glare of the monitor. You can also add a glare filter to your monitor. Also, make sure your seat is comfortable; a comfortable chair with support for your neck and back will help you avoid neck and shoulder pain.

Rearrange your desk. The best position for your monitor should be slightly below eye level, about 20 to 28 inches away from your face. Put a stand next to your monitor and place the printed materials you are working on it. That way, you won’t have to look up at the screen and back down to the desk when you type. Adjust your computer display settings – position the digital display so that your head is in a natural comfortable position of gaze.

Eye experts advise individuals to blink more often. You should consciously blink more while using the computer or other similar devices to spread the tear film which lubricates the eyes. Continuous blinking keeps the eyes moist if they feel dry. However, if there’s no relief, it is advisable you contact your doctor to recommend tear supplements for you. It is very important to take frequent breaks. A few minutes away from the computer can go a long way to give you comfort.

Frequent users of computers should observe the 20-20-20 rule. This rule simply means that you should look away 20 feet from the computer after 20 minutes on your device for 20 seconds. This will help to relax the eyes.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/office-workers-most-vulnerable-to-computer-vision-syndrome-expert/

It is no longer news that paternity fraud in Nigeria is second highest in the world, with 3 out of 10 children said to have non-biological fathers. But most worrisome is that there is typically little possibility to verify biological fatherhood, due to dearth of laboratory facilities in the country for testing; and where it exists, only the few rich Nigerians can afford it. This has caused many Nigerians to take the medical process for granted, except only when a medical emergency is required.

But in changing the narrative, the Chief Executive Officer, DiagnoseMe Africa, Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong, said with good laboratory facilities in place and the right information, paternity fraud will be a thing of the past in the country. Stating this at a stakeholders meeting for Stacks Diagnostics in Lagos recently, he frowned at the lackadaisical attitude Nigerians have toward paternity verification, arguing that the lack of funds for the purported high cost of laboratory tests was not responsible for this, but rather lack of information.

“Paternity fraud is like 30% high in Nigeria, in that 3 out of every 10 children have the wrong father or are fathered by the wrong fathers. Now a lot of Nigerians do not even know where to get paternity test done, so it is not about price, but because they don’t know where to go to. I think the first thing is access – it is to know where to go to and then the next is price. So I wouldn’t say paternity fraud is high because we cannot afford the cost of paternity test. Most of us spend the value for paternity test in a restaurant each night and paternity tests lead to something that saves life,” he said.

He said paternity tests should be taken seriously in the country, adding that in as much as he does not have any plan of breaking homes, it was good to know paternity status just in case a medical emergency occurs.

“So you don’t want to start discovering something when there is an emergency, otherwise it will be too late to save a life. So be prepared, know your family and don’t take chances because Nigerians many times like to take chances. But I would want to believe that many people don’t know because they haven’t checked and they don’t even know where to go and check. So, we are telling them to come to our facility and buy a test, and it is easy to find out. We are discreet about everything we do. We won’t tell anybody.”

Ene-Obong, who is not a medical doctor per se but holds a PhD, said: “ I have spent many years in the medical field researching for cures for diseases. I contributed significantly to the field of Gastro Anthropology, where I am published in the number one international journal in that field. I was a researcher in some of the leading institutions the UK. After that I got a business degree and worked as a business consultant in the United States for renowned health companies, as a result I come in contact with a lot of known brands in the health space.”

He said for many years, he has embarked on a study of complex diseases of humans in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world and that recently, he concluded that he has come full circle to a point where he can provide services to solving complex diseases presently experienced in Nigeria; a reason he recently launched an online platform DiagnoseMe.Africa.

Powered by Stacks Diagnostics, DiagnoseMe.Africa is Nigeria’s first premium molecular diagnostics and personalised medicine company on its way to becoming the leading service provider in Africa. He said the company’s goal was to provide access to affordable, accessible and quality diagnostics for Nigerians thereby suppressing the increasing need for oversees diagnostics.

“All the diagnostic tools needed in the medical space are being brought to Nigeria and we are making it easy to access for Nigerians. There is something for everyone and we have a portal where doctors can access more than 300 tests that span from cancer to fertility issues and to even pre-natal tests infectious diseases and many other leading tests in the world”, he noted.

DiagnoseMe.Africa according to the CEO provides genetics testing and other hard-to-access diagnostic tests services in Africa through its online platform.

“When we say hard-to-access tests, we mean tests that you don’t typically find in your laboratories around you but which are life-saving tests. The reason of course is that our labs still have infrastructural challenges and so many of the tests required for today’s crops of diseases are not available in Nigeria. So we have created this online platform to make it possible for people to have these tests from their homes and in the case of doctors, from their hospitals”, he added.

Some of the tests one might find on DiagnoseMe.Africa for consumers, he revealed further are, “tests for pregnant women to test for Sickle Cell and Down Syndrome in their foetus from as early as 10 weeks without having to go through vigorous synthesis procedures, but just from a normal simple blood drop.

“We also have tests that people could use to see their risk of developing breast, cervical, ovarian and prostate cancers. And then doctors can log into a secured portal and order over 300 tests which span from infectious diseases, STDs, to a whole range of testes.”

Expatiating on DiagnoseMe.Africa procedures and the convenience they offer, he said: “One of the things we are proud to do is to make it convenient for everyone. We believe you can get tested in a convenient manner. So one of the ways we do this is that for some of our tests, we just send you a kit.

“Some of our tests like, our genetic tests, all you need do is to spit into a tube which was sent to you and so you don’t need to go to a hospital or a lab to do this. And for some tests we need blood samples and for those tests, there are two ways we try to add convenience to that process. We would send you one of our health work team members who are certified nurses and scientist who come to your house and take your blood sample.

“Or if you prefer, you can go to one of our partners’ locations which are highly curated good quality hospitals and laboratories and all you need to do is to show them that you are from DiagnoseMe and they would take your blood and you don’t have to wait because we take it from there. Most men are afraid of going to test for prostate cancer because it is not a palatable experience for them but now, it is as simple as analysing saliva, and can tell you what your risk factor is for certain diseases.”

He said although it all sounded so interesting, one would wonder if all these procedures are what Nigerians can afford. “I keep telling people that affordability is not the same thing as cheap. And when you consider the fact that you don’t have to travel abroad to do these tests or even send your samples abroad, you will see that it is more cost effective”, he stressed.

Speaking on the motive behind the establishment, Ene-Obong recalled how the journey started. “It is sort of a long story because my first project while in Nigeria just before I left the country more than a decade ago was on Hepatitis. So I studied Hepatitis amongst healthcare workers in the country. And I noticed it was significant even amongst the healthcare workers.

“Now the question you ask yourself is, if a surgeon has Hepatitis and he is treating you, or performing surgery on you, what is the chance that you might contact the same disease? And so I realised that for diseases like Hepatitis, in Nigeria, they are actually passed across in hospitals because we still do not use universal percussion.

“So our hospitals are the hubs for transmission of Hepatitis B and C, which as we all know is the leading cause of liver cancer now, which in Nigeria is death sentence. And then, also having worked in a complex disease space, researching cancer, mental health disorder and other forms of diseases, I came back to Nigeria and I noticed that the major problem was not so much in the treatment but was in actually in the identification of the disease.

“How can you treat a patient adequately when you don’t even know what disease you are treating or you don’t know sub types of disease you are treating? How many doctors in Nigeria look for sub types of disease? They can’t because prior to now, there has been no place for them to look for sub types and so our healthcare system has been heavily dependent on chance.

Although officially launched to the public a couple of days back, DiagnoseMe.Africa, he revealed, has been in existence behind the scenes since July 2018. Ene-Obong is certainly optimistic about its acceptability and impact in the health space. “We are hoping Nigerians, patients and doctors alike, will welcome and appreciate innovation and a chance for better healthcare,” he said.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/11/08/why-paternity-fraud-in-nigeria-is-second-highest-globally/

A 27-year-old man, Ebuka Everest, reportedly went berserk, tied his former employer’s legs, stabbed and robbed her for sacking him. The suspect allegedly inflicted injuries on Theresa Nnamdi, who resides in the Mowe area of Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State. It was gathered that Ebuka, who worked in Nnamdi’s fish farm, forced his former boss to transfer the sum of N40,000 to his account and took away some valuables to avenge his dismissal.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed these in a statement on Thursday. Oyeyemi said the suspect had earlier attacked the manager of the farm before proceeding to his former employer’s residence to attack her. He explained that Ebuka was sacked after the manager allegedly caught him stealing from the fish farm.

The PPRO added that Ebuka’s dismissal prompted him to pounce on Nnamdi and the farm manager.

He stated, “The arrest of the suspect followed a distress call received by policemen at the Mowe Division around 4.30pm that armed robbers had invaded the house of Mrs Theresa Nnamdi on Association Estate, opposite the Jehovah’s Witness Church in Mowe, and held the occupants of the house hostage. On receiving the distress call, the DPO Mowe Division, SP Marvis Jayeola, mobilised his anti-robbery team and moved to the scene, cordoned off the house and subsequently arrested one Ebuka Everest, who had stabbed the woman in her right hand before tying her legs with a rope and covered her mouth with her bedspread.

“The suspect, who worked in the fish farm of the victim before he was sacked due to his shady character, first went to the farm, where he stabbed the manager multiple times, before coming to attack the woman in her house, and forced her to transfer the sum of N40,000 to his account. He equally ransacked the woman’s room and stole her laptop, the sum of N5,000, phones and other valuables before he was arrested by the police with the help of members of the public.

“On interrogation, the suspect claimed to have worked for Nnamdi for four months and that he lived with the family throughout that period. He further stated that his problem started when he was duped of his four months’ salary by an online scammer, who promised to facilitate his travel abroad, but ended up collecting his four months’ salary and thereafter blocked him.”

Oyeyemi said the suspect claimed that in order to raise money, he went to the farm to steal some items, but was caught by the manager, who reported him to their boss, and he was instantly fired.

“It was that annoyance that made the suspect to first attack the farm manager before coming for the madam,” the PPRO added.

He said the police recovered from the suspect some items, including a knife, broken bottle, the rope he used to tie the victim’s legs, phones, laptop and other things he stole from Nnamdi’s house.

Oyeyemi said the state Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, had ordered the transfer of the suspect to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation and rosecution.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/man-stabs-ties-ex-employers-legs-for-sacking-him/

Nigeria’s agricultural export rose to N152.3 billion in the first six months of 2019 (January – June). This is reflected in the foreign trade reports released by the National Bureau Statistics (NBS) covering the first and second quarter of 2019.

According to the reports, Nigeria’s major agricultural exports so far in 2019 include Sesamum seeds (whether broken or not), Cashew nuts, fermented Cocoa Beans, Superior quality raw cocoa beans, Other Frozen shrimps and prawns, Ginger and Natural Cocoa butter, ginger and agro-foods.

THE NUMBERS
Analysis of reports gathered from NBS reports showed that agricultural goods exported from Nigeria rose by 18% between H2-2018 (July – December) and H1-2019. Specifically, in H2-2018, agricultural export was estimated at N128.5 bn, compared to N152.3 bn in H1-2019.

Similarly, comparing Nigeria’s agricultural export performance in H1-2019 with H1-2018 (N148.1 bn), shows that agricultural export rose by 3%.

THE TOP 10 EXPORTS
Sesamum seeds remain Nigeria’s agricultural export biggest earner in the past years. The trend continued in H1-2019 as N60.6 bn worth of Sesamum seeds were exported from Nigeria. On the other hand, Sesame oil and its fraction also made the top 10 agricultural export with N928.1 mn. A further look into the various reports showed that Japan, Turkey, China, Belgium, South Korea and Germany are Nigeria’s biggest markets for Sesamum seeds.

The second most exported agricultural good from Nigeria is fermented cocoa beans. In H1-2019, Nigeria’s cocoa beans export was estimated at N31 bn. Other cocoa related products that made the top ten list include raw cocoa beans (N17.15 billion) and Natural cocoa butter (N2.26 bn). Export destinations for Nigeria’s cocoa include the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Similarly, Cashew nuts are Nigeria’s 3rd-biggest agricultural export. An estimated sum of N8 bn was generated from cashew nut exported from Nigeria. Vietnam Sr OF, India, Tanzania, Russia and Netherlands were Nigeria’s biggest markets for Cashew nuts in half-year 2019.

Other goods on the list of Nigeria’s major agricultural exports chain include Ginger (N2.26 bn) and Agro-food items (N1.8 bn).

SECTOR'S SLOW GROWTH
It should be noted that the agricultural sector posted a slow growth of 1.79% in Q2-2019, from 3.17% recorded in Q1. Despite this drop, agricultural exports still recorded a significant increase.

Although, industry experts opined that the planting season that characterised Q2-2019 affected the sector’s growth, and this may be responsible for the drop in export recorded in some of the major agricultural goods between the Q2-2018 and HQ-2019.

While top major agricultural exports rose significantly in half of 2019, this should not flatter the government as Nigeria still largely imports several agricultural products. A quick check into Nigeria’s agriculture trade balance (Import minus export) stood at N176.4 bn (deficit). Specifically, Nigeria imported N249.9 bn agricultural products in Q2-2019, while export was just N73.4 bn.

This suggests that despite huge potential in the sector, little has been achieved so far as Nigeria imports almost everything, worse still, agricultural goods. To corroborate this, the Nigeria Export-Import Bank recently disclosed that Nigeria lost N3.6 trn, an estimate of $10 bn for failing to export cash crops like cocoa, oil palm, cotton and groundnut.

While the government has implemented a plethora of policies, the agricultural sector failed to show much-needed growth in recent times. In this light, critics of government continue to point out that billions of naira spent on policies like Anchor Borrowers Programme (a policy targeted at creating linkage between anchor companies involved in processing and smallholder farmers of the required key agricultural commodities) is not yielding the much needed positive results.

SOURCE (abridged): https://nairametrics.com/2019/09/25/nigerias-top-10-agricultural-exports-hit-n152-billion-in-half-year-2019/

Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Fredrick Oladeinde, has said the December deadline set for completion of the Kara-Berger reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is possible. He urged motorists to be patient, adding that agencies of government were working round the clock to ease traffic in the area.

Oladeinde spoke on Tuesday during a visit to the construction area. He explained that the state government was interested in the project because it affected people living in the state.

He said, “This is a border area between Lagos and Ogun states. Our concern is to see how the agencies are working together; the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps. It is important that they work harmoniously to ensure there is free flow of traffic. All hands are on deck; the December deadline is quite realistic. We will do our best to ensure that by December, it is completed.”

According to Oladehinde, the issue of transport affects every member of society. He explained that the state government believed that if everyone did business with ease, the economy of the state would be positively impacted.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/kara-berger-lasg-says-december-deadline-possible/

Uber has picked Melbourne as the first city outside the United States to debut its flying taxis. Test flights in the Australian city will begin by next year, and the ride-hailing company is aiming to offer a commercial service from 2023.

"We will see other Australian cities following soon after," Susan Anderson, Uber's regional manager for Australia, said at the company's annual flying car conference in Washington, D.C.

Melbourne will be the third city to host trials of Uber's flying taxis, after Dallas, Texas, and Los Angeles, California. The electric taxis will be flown by a pilot. Uber has partnered with NASA on its flying taxi program, which it calls Elevate, and is one of several companies racing to make aerial vehicles a reality. Other big names in the business include Rolls Royce (RYCEF) and Boeing (BA).

Safety will be a key concern for Uber in Australia, where it currently has nearly 4 million customers of its regular ride-hailing service.

"We will continue to work with communities and governments to ensure that we create an urban aviation rideshare network that is safe, quiet [and] environmentally conscious," Anderson said.

SOURCE (abridged): https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/12/tech/uber-melbourne-flying-taxis/index.html

Over 7,000 teachers in public primary and junior secondary schools in Kogi State have appealed to Gov. Yahaya Bello to look into the issue of non-payment of their salary for the past 8 to 39 months. The appeal was contained in a communique issued at the end an emergency meeting of the Basic Education Staff Association of Nigeria (BESAN) held in Lokoja on Monday.

The group traced the teachers' plight to the staff screening exercise the government embarked upon since 2016, lamenting that the affected teachers had been begging to feed themselves and family members. The communique signed by Mr Onotu Yahaya and Mr Mohammed Sule, Acting Chairman and Secretary of the Kogi State chapter of BASAN also bemoaned refusal of the state government to fully implement the N18,000 minimum wage to teachers in the basic education sector.

Onotu and Sule stated that their counterparts in the senior secondary school cadre and other state government staff had started enjoying the N18,000 minimum wage since December 2011, wondering why teaching and teaching staff at the basic education sector were not being fully paid. The communique urged the government to put a stop to the payment of 35 -50% salary to its members, insisting that they deserve full payment of salary like other workers in the state.

“Several of the basic education staff retirees are yet to access their monthly pensions besides non-payment of their gratuity,” the statement said. They expressed worry over what incessant movement of payment of their salary among the State Universal Basic Education Board, local government councils and sometimes, Consultant, saying that this had been militating against efforts to ascertain actual staff strength in the sector.

It also raised concern over the poor state of basic education infrastructure in schools across the state, warning that the development was an impediment in meeting the desired productive curriculum delivery.

“We are passionately appealing to Gov. Bello for intervention on the above inflammatory issues for the change mantra of the next level and change of narration of this critical sector of education,” the communique added.

The affected teachers were among over 23,000 teachers in the basic education sector in Kogi State.

SOURCE: http://kogireports.com/look-into-non-payment-of-our-39-months-salary-arrears-teachers-beg-kogi-gov/

Is he still there? Somebody should please confirm. What is the enfant terrible doing in Lugard House? Has he no ears to hear the cries of humanity? Why is he engaging his conscience in an endless conflict?

We have advised him severally to tow the right socioeconomic and political paths but he rebuffed. We have also suggested that those who lose their fellows' trust end up in isolation; hence, Bello should at least retain his political image by tendering unreserved apologies to Kogites and peacefully return home, but it was given deaf ears. Instead, those who stood for the right thing even to his face draw battle lines with him. And be you who, as long as you don’t take part in the mission to deform Kogi state, you are Bello’s political adversary.

I can never reconcile with the fact that his own deputy, Elder Simon Achuba now seeks for his entitlements in court. And looking at the manner in which the court is going about the case and those who have testified so far, do you think the judiciary will protect and uphold the expectations of Achuba, being the last hope of a common man? Only time shall tell.

Who imposed Yahaya Bello on us? How did they come about him? Did the relevant stakeholders truly took cognizant of the people? Well, I pretend his first tenure was a catastrophe perhaps, a delineation of humans' unpredictability. But what about the second term that the National stakeholders now help to abate? It is pathetic that governance is no longer about the people’s welfare, it’s no longer the ultimate quest for good legacies. It’s now all about me, myself and I syndrome - everyone seeks the avenue to loot.

When Bello was coronated, we weighed all options and concluded the young lad will deepen our quest for generational power shift. We were greeted with a congratulatory handshake that a younger person was taking over the affairs - an unprecedented instance in Nigeria’s political terrain. But little did we know that it was an ordeal of yam when transferred from frying pan to fire.

Well, I earlier changed my topic and hope to greet my fellow Kogites in the nearest future when Bello leaves the office. At least they came, they saw and they conquered his untold hardship. But as it is, things may not go the obvious way because, my incompetent governor is still grandstanding.

Oh yes! The wind of change won’t come so easily. Bello may be a colossal failure but he is a sound political strategist. Have you heard about the latest restructuring? Have you traveled home lately to see how he is also deceiving the people for his second term? From 2016-2019, there was nothing to hold unto about his government, but as we speak, he runs his mouth via social media platforms about projects he has either completed, ongoing, or should have done earlier.

I heard he shamefully lamented the deplorable state of roads in Okene recently and also boasted to have carried out renovation between 2017-2018. You see, Bello can never get tired of disgracing Kogites. For the people who are known for truthfulness and firm-stands to have produced him as ‘head of liars affairs’ is appalling.

To all Kogites aiding and abating his second term, I want to ask: are we truly ready for this, and considering what the first term has delivered in Kogi state? Are we ready for more blood shed? Are we ready for these sycophants and party loyalists the second time? The answer is lying in your conscience and the duty you owe posterity both as individuals or as a collective body.

Governance is a collective effort in suggestions and actions. But when suggestions are rebuffed and actions are in the opposite, then there is an inverse of democracy- that will not happen in Kogi state. For those who feel the incumbent is too sophisticated to be removed, let us not make the mistake of a silently dying man that had chosen not to involve others in his predicament. Kogi is for all of us. And since Bello has failed, he doesn’t deserve any second term.

Ponder on this: we have seen serving civil servants and retirees die painful deaths as a result of Bello’s refusal to give them their entitlements. Many were on one illness or the other while others became suicidal as a result of mental and psychological trauma. Is it not better we put an end to this even if it will take the last breath, so the generations unborn can have a place instead of watching helplessly while the oppressors thrive?

God Bless Kogi state.

SOURCE (abridged): http://kogireports.com/what-is-yahaya-bello-still-doing-in-lugard-house/

Over 10 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) better known as petrol is now being saved due to the ongoing partial border closure ordered by the Federal Government codenamed “Exercise Swift Response.” Apart from the tremendous success the restriction of free movement across Nigerian borders has recorded, as well as curtailing disorderly acts, it has also come with equal measure of agony to citizens, just as it poses serious threats to other genuine businesses.

Also, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says the border restriction has achieved a lot, in addition to the borders now being fully secured, while smuggling has been reduced to the barest minimum.According to the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), prior to the closure of the borders, the country’s daily consumption of petrol was approximately 61 million litres, which has now reduced to 51.7 million as indicated in its latest figures, which was obtained between September 9 and 15.

Spokesman of the agency, Kimchi Apollo, who disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, said, “according to statistics, figures recorded from various depots nationwide for 5 to 11 August 2019 was about 61 million litres, representing the average volume trucked out before the border closure.”

Apollo, who is also the General Manager, Corporate Services of PPPRA, added that the agency observed that between August 12 and 18, 2019, a drop of about 35% in volume trucked out from the previous week was noticed, which could be attributed to reduction in activities of various facilities during the Sallah holiday. However, from August 19 to 25, 2019, which falls within the period the borders were partially closed, the agency recorded an average daily truck out figure of about 57m litres, which fell below the daily average figure for the week 5 to 11 August 2019.

“Similarly, from August 26 to September 1, 2019, 371.82m litres of petrol was trucked out, averaging a daily figure of 53 m litres. This represents a decline of about 4m litres when compared to the previous week. Available data from the Agency indicates that the downward trend continued from September 2 to 8. The daily average truck out figure for that week was 50.22m litres, indicating further reduction of 2.9m litres.

However, there was a slight increment to 51.7m from September 9 to 15, 2019,” he explained.Apollos said the high truck-out volume recorded before the partial closure of the borders could be attributed to the seepage of petroleum products across the borders, coupled with widening fuel price arbitrage with neighbouring West African countries.

Said he: “While the downward trend in the consumption pattern is a welcome development, the agency assures stakeholders that efforts are being made not only to curb smuggling of products, but also to ensure that petroleum products are available in the country.”

Landing cost of petrol in Nigeria reportedly stands at N180 per litre, that is N35 higher than the pump price of N145 per litre. When put in context of the landing cost, Nigeria may be saving as much as N1.98b (approximately N2b) daily on account of the PMS which would have been smuggled out. Similarly, the development translates to about N385m worth of subsidy, which is being lost to neighbouring West African countries daily.

While Nigeria was about two years ago consuming about 35m litres of petrol per day, the figure jumped up and soon hit 65m litres per day. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation blamed smugglers for the high consumption, stressing that the product was being smuggled to as far as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Cote d’Ivoire because of the price differences.

SPOKESPERSON of the NCS, Assistant Controller-General (ACG) Joseph Attah, informed The Guardian, yesterday, that the Exercise Swift Response has achieved “a significant increase in patronage of local rice and that indigenous farmers and millers are now smiling to the bank. Actions, movement and smuggling of illicit items that could easily compromise national security and economy have been nipped in the bud,” he added.

On why the exercise, which was meant to last for about 4 weeks was yet to be called off, Attah said: “We have never set a timeline from the beginning. As the spokesperson for the team, I cannot remember giving anybody a timeline for the action.”

Denying that operatives were undergoing dire challenges as a result of the extension of the joint exercise, the spokesperson said, “for now, the operatives are not experiencing any technical challenge at their stations as they carry out the enforcement order successfully. Earlier, there were mixed feelings among Nigerians. Now, we are experiencing better support from border community dwellers, and Nigerians are beginning to appreciate why we are doing the exercise. Things are getting better, for instance, we have so far arrested 289 illegal migrants and you can just imagine the consequences of this. Imagine if only 80 from the 289 people were coming to Nigeria to cause havoc. We have also intercepted bags of fertiliser, and hundreds of bags of rice, among others.

The Guardian learnt that smugglers have resorted to using the waterways for their nefarious acts as a source said smugglers now use the Isashi Jetty, Ijanikin water route, Agbara area, and Vespa to smuggle in contraband in the dead of the night. “Come to Ishashi Jetty or Ijanikin Jetty behind Customs Check Point Agbara bridge by 5am, then you will realise that we are deceiving ourselves. Some officers are being enriched by the restriction. My neighbour at Vespa market told me how they are being escorted by the same security agencies after they have been settled,” the source said.

But the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Western Marine Command, Comptroller Boyiliya Binga, said his men were determined to deal ruthlessly with smugglers. He said, because of the closure of the border, some of the smugglers have taken bar beach as their new route to smuggle in contraband items.Binga, however, noted that since the smugglers are now using the high sea, his men would take the battle to them down there.

Stakeholders, including former President, Nigerian Association for Energy Economics (NAEE), Wunmi Iledare are insisting that the partial border closure would not bring an end to smuggling of petroleum products out of the country, adding that there was need for effective management of petroleum flow. Iledare said: “Of course, the solution is enforcing the rule of law. Petroleum is an intergenerational asset. Stop the making of millionaires through product allocations to celebrated traders with no risked dollar investment.”

With such development, Iledare noted that traders would stop dispensing products across the borders as, according to him, access to markets outside Nigeria is prompted by the high price differential. “Once this is corrected the border can be as porous as a sponge, petroleum product would not flow out there.”

A professor of law with expertise in petroleum, energy and environmental law, Damilola Olawuyi equally insisted that the border closure may not achieve significant long-term results in terms of addressing smuggling of petrol and other goods. According to him, without cautious move, the government may end up stifling and hindering legitimate businesses that go through the borders doing genuine economic activities. Olawuyi noted that a holistic reform was required to achieve greater transparency and digital surveillance in the country’s petroleum products exportation system.

“Rather than closing the borders, countries such as Ghana and Kenya that had the same problem in the past have made significant progress over the last years through a mix of increased coordinated security surveillance at border points, as well as robust policy guidelines aimed at curbing illegal activities of unscrupulous individuals and companies. Some of the guidelines include the designation of one exit border for all petroleum product exports; having designated days for export loading; establishing compulsory export licensing and customs clearance process to formalise and regulate the export of petroleum products, and ensuring that oil exports and bunkering are only carried out by companies licensed by the DPR.

“Furthermore, verification and registration of documentation on vessels, bunkering companies, and point of delivery, through robust digital linkages to DPR, and other revenue agencies can significantly reduce illegality and leakages,” the don said.

The former Director General of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), Professor Akpan Ekpo corroborated Olawuyi’s claim that the partial border closure would only bring short-term relief.“Border closure helps, but the best approach is appropriate pricing of the products to discourage smuggling,” he noted.

In his own reaction, the ex-president of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Prof. Segun Ajibola corroborated other stakeholders noting that the more fundamental issue revolves around the compromises by those manning the borders.

Meanwhile, a former President of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN), Peter Esele has urged the Federal Government to adopt a “gradual upscale” of petroleum price to stabilise the economy. Esele said: “I think Nigeria should adopt a gradual upscale of petroleum price. Government must tell Nigerians how it intends to spend the money that will accrue from stoppage of subsidy payment. That is what is making most Nigerians uncomfortable, especially the labour movement. Labour has not gotten a template for that. How will Nigerians feel when they see lawmakers collecting about N13m a month as salary, or see 10 cars in the convoy of ministers and governors terrorising motorists on the road? Government will have to come up with a template on how it intends to check the extravagant lifestyles of its officials. They cannot tell us to tighten our belts while they have theirs loosened.”

SOURCE: https://t.guardian.ng/news/border-closure-nigeria-saves-n2b-daily-from-smuggled-10-million-litres-of-petrol/

• Contains 36 Times More Tar, 15 Times More Carbon Monoxide, 70% More Nicotine — Kikelomo Sowemimo
• Risk Of Spreading Of Oral Infections Very High — Ronald Ikpe

Penultimate Tuesday, the former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, declared his foundation’s desire to spend $160m to battle youth vaping, while American President, Donald Trump equally made public plans to ban flavoured cigarettes in order to protect “innocent children.”

Trump’s announcement was sequel to the death of six persons who had used vape pens and e-cigarettes in a country where, according to Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, almost 2, 500 children under 18 years of age try their first cigarette every day, and where more than 400 end up becoming daily smokers.

Last Tuesday, the death toll in the United States rose to 7, and at least a further 450 people are being treated for vaping-induced lung diseases, many of which are presenting with chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing, fevers vomiting and fatigue. In announcing the death of the seventh victim of vaping, a 40-year-old man from California, who battled a “severe” lung disease for several weeks, Dr. Karen Haught, the Tulare County public health officer, said: “With sadness, we report that there has been a death of a Tulare County resident suspected to be related to severe pulmonary injury associated with vaping.”

Since the first vaping-linked death was announced last month in Illinois, after a patient suffered a “severe respiratory illness” after vaping, the spike in the number of deaths has steadily risen, with states banning the life-threatening pastime one after the other.

Vape pens and e-cigarettes may be rare in Nigeria, but their equally dangerous cousin, shisha is burrowing its way deeper into the country and by that token, emerging a prevalent public health challenge in some major cities in the country. Unfortunately, as with many other lesser evils that steal into the country and grow strong enough to seize it by the jugular, health authorities appear to be attacking it with kid gloves. In fact, more than one year ago, specifically in June 2018, the Federal Government called on the police and all other government agencies to enforce the ban on flavoured tobacco products including shisha.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, while addressing a press conference in Abuja to mark the 2018 world No Tobacco Day said: “Let me stress that the ban on tobacco products with characterising flavours is still in place and the ban includes shisha because it has flavour. I therefore urge the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and the law enforcement agencies to intensify arrest of defaulters.”

The Director-General of the CPC, Mr. Babatunde Irukera, who was also at the briefing said a committee had been set up to look into the issue of Shisha and other matters and further recommendations would be made soon.He said, “Recently, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, which is responsible for creating the national industrial standard, convened a technical committee meeting with respect to the tobacco standard and the subject of shisha was discussed like any other tobacco products. And the new industry standards are undergoing the process now so it is not an illegal product now, but soon the SON will come up with what the final standard will be,” he added.

Shisha smoking is basically the use of pipes to smoke tobacco and other substances by ancient Africans and Asians. Over the past 4 centuries, this habit has migrated to different parts of the world, taking up different names in the process. For instance, it is called “narghile” in East Mediterranean countries, including Turkey and Syria; “shisha” and “goza” in Egypt, and some North African countries. In India, it is called “hookah.”

Even though North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean and South East Asian regions play host to traditional water pipe smokers, discotheques, nightclubs and sundry places where youths and adolescents gather, have become veritable catchment areas for new shisha smoking converts.

However, since the Federal Government called on the police and other government agencies to enforce the ban on Shisha and other flavoured tobacco, not much has been achieved in the area of enforcing the ban, or curtailing its use in public places. Right now, shisha smoking is not only appealing to many more people, it is also becoming popular in major cities.

Findings reveal that factors responsible for the rising use of the toxic pastime include smoking to experience its stimulating effect or for experimentation, smoking for pleasure, or the perceived safety of shisha when compared with cigarette smoking.

Internationally, the annual mortality from tobacco use is estimated to be about 5 million, and it accounts for one in every five male deaths and one in 20 female deaths of those over the age of 30. But with the this emerging trend, it is projected that by 2030, the annual tobacco deaths will rise to 10 million if the current smoking patterns is sustained, especially in most low-income countries. It is in the light of this that there is a very strong need for an immediate response from policy providers towards curtailing the spread of this killer diet.

The President/Medical Director of Barn Medical Doctors Mission, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) Dr. Barnabas Herbert is particularly dusturbed over the gross misconception by most people that the use of shisha is less harmful to the body. He insists nothing could be farther from the truth: “I have encountered very popular arguments that shisha smoking is not as harmful, if at all, when compared to other smoke types. However, the fact remains that shisha exposes any user to the potential harmful effects of tobacco smoke, as they contain basically the same components, such as carbon monoxide, and therefore, has similar health risks known to be associated with cigarette smoking.

“The water in shisha does not filter out these components as many pro users have suggested. Now, regardless of the claims surrounding its use, the tobacco smoke in shisha still delivers nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Considering the length of exposure users usually experience during each smoking cycle, it is certainly not out of place to say that people who use shisha are exposed to the toxins in the smoke longer than if they smoked cigarettes,” the medical practitioner said.

Herbert added: “Therefore, while some individuals believe that smoking shisha is safe, and presents a better alternative to social (tobacco) smoking, it is expedient at this point to make it clear that believers of the myth are prisoners of wrong ideas as shisha does not have any health benefit and poses significant health risks to not just the primary users, but also victims of second hand smoke. Finally, in order to reduce the risks of destroying the organs of respiration (lungs) and other vital organs of the body, it is best if people avoid smoking tobacco products generally, and that includes shisha.”

Kikelomo Sowemimo, a pharmacist with Anchor University, Lagos State, who describes shisha or hookah is an instrument for vapourising flavored tobacco, cannabis or opium, whose vapour or smoke is passed through a water basin before inhalation, explained that “shisha contains 36 times more tar, 15 times more carbon monoxide, 70% more nicotine and other harmful chemicals than cigarettes.

She added that shisha, according a to research published in the journal of the Royal College of Physicians is identified as a “potential public health threat.” “Shisha smoke contains high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (known to be carcinogenic), volatile aldehydes (which have been found to cause various respiratory disorders and leukemia). Elevated blood levels of carbon monoxide have been found in shisha smokers. The carbon monoxide binds to haem in the blood, thereby reducing supply of oxygen to the body. This may cause loss of consciousness, headaches, shortness of breath etc.

Sowemimo continued: “Shisha smoking increases risks of hepatitis, herpes and tuberculosis from sharing of shisha mouth piece. There is also the risk of lung, bladder and oral cancers. Shisha smoking has also been found to cause weight gain, which is a risk factor for many diseases, such as type two diabetes mellitus. Shisha smoking can be addictive. It is worthy to note that water is not a filter for the toxic chemicals found in shisha. In fact, the presence of water will encourage the growth of microorganisms as microorganisms grow better in moist environment.

“Cleanliness of shisha pipes is usually called to question as the inside of the pipes are usually difficult to clean. There is no safety even in tobacco-free shisha. Sometimes, the so-called tobacco free shisha contain even more toxins than the tobacco containing shisha. Shisha may smell fruity, making it look like the proverbial gold-less glitter,” she concluded.

Also of great concern to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MRI Medic Consulting Ltd, Dr. Ronald Kelechi Ikpe, is the capacity of the pipes to spread oral infections effectively. “People who smoke shisha typically share the same mouthpieces and this predisposes them to the risk of spreading oral infections like oral herpes. Shisha smokers are exposed to a lot of harmful chemicals that can even lead to cancer, heart diseases, lung disease, amongst others. This is largely due to the fact that shisha is primarily tobacco.”

While also corroborating Sowemimo that shisha increases carbon monoxide levels to more than 8 times the normal and this keeps them at same risk as smokers of cigarettes, he added that increased carbon monoxide levels can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. He listed long-term health effects of shisha to include chronic bronchitis, heart disease, coronary artery disease, and periodontal disease. There is also the danger of addiction, in this case, nicotine addiction because shisha delivers nicotine at even higher levels than a regular cigarette.

For those willing to keep off smoking, Ikpe said: “There is what we call nicotine replacement therapy, where the individual is given prescription nicotine and it is gradually tapered down. There are nicotine patches and gums, which one can use and gradually reduce the dose. In addition to this, there are also prescription non-nicotine stop-smoking medications. Generally, smoking is not to be encouraged as it predisposes one to diseases like lung cancer, oral cancers, gastric cancers, esophageal cancers, especially smoking of tobacco.”

For those contemplating taking up the habit, a medical officer at the Fich Medical Centre, Benin City, Edo State, Dr. Udomoh Esemokha warned that, “shisha or hookah is not a replacement for cigarette; it has no health benefits and is not better than cigarettes. In fact, it is worse, and the fruity flavor in hookah is not Vit C, but something that can cause impotence. Shisha can cause heart attacks, lung infections, miscarriages, strokes and can also weaken the smoker’s immune system.

“In addition to all these, it can cause the smoker’s skin to age rapidly, in addition to having heavy metals, such as arsenic and lead in their systems. It is also difficult to say exactly how much smoke or toxic substances that smokers are exposed to in a typical shisha session because people smoke it for much longer periods of time than they smoke a cigarette, and in one puff of shisha, smokers inhale the same amount of smoke as they would get from smoking a whole pack of cigarette,” Esemokha said.He added: “The average shisha-smoking session lasts an hour and research has shown that in this time you can inhale the same amount of smoke as from more than 100 cigarettes.”

SOURCE: https://t.guardian.ng/features/health/shisha-lethal-killer-wrapped-in-flavours/

Months after the 2019 general elections, ex-governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State and partymen believed to be loyal to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu have yet to even the score, Eniola Akinkuotu reports. This time last year, former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State probably would have thought he would still be the chief executive of the nation’s economic nerve centre and most populated city.

He would have pictured himself superintending the affairs of over 200 ministries and parastatals, controlling more funds than the Presidents of some African nations. Unfortunately for the chartered accountant however, the power brokers of Lagos State deemed him unworthy of a second term in office and ensured that he was defeated at the All Progressives Congress governorship primary in October 2019.

The controversial primary led to the emergence of Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the ruling party’s standard bearer and eventually the governor of the state in the February 2019 general elections. Having left office and stripped of his immunity with no political cover, the erstwhile governor has begun fighting the biggest battle of his life, failure of which could land him in prison.

As governor, Ambode had been accused of being aloof and stingy. Not only that, he failed to satisfy party leaders, allegedly embarked on political vendetta against his perceived enemies within the party and went ahead to modify lucrative contracts of some party leaders like the refuse disposal scheme in the state otherwise known as Private Sector Partnership or PSP. He had explained that there was a need for the issue of waste to be properly addressed which would also entail waste processing, recycling and an engineered landfill to ensure the entire value chain was exploited.

A foreign firm, Visionscape Sanitation Solutions, was given the exclusive rights to domestic waste at a rate of N85bn which would last for 10 years but the opportunity cost was too high as it translated to the PSP contractors (mostly party leaders) getting the less lucrative industrial waste.

According to insiders, Ambode’s trouble worsened late last year when he refused to peacefully step aside and support Sanwo-Olu as the party’s choice based on the directive of the Governor’s Advisory Council; instead, he decided to hold a press conference wherein he described his would-be successor as one with questionable mental health.

It was further alleged that after Sanwo-Olu had been chosen as the APC standard bearer, Ambode failed to fund the party, refused to support the governorship candidate’s campaign and also starved the Lagos State House of Assembly of the needed funds in a crucial election year. Rumours began to spread that the Assembly was planning to impeach the governor and pave way for his deputy, Oluranti Adebule, to take over amid allegations Ambode had failed to release funds for constituency projects.

The tension was, however, doused by the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who summoned a meeting of stakeholders. He informed the press that plans to impeach Ambode had been called off. According to Lagos APC leaders, even after that meeting, rather than support the party in the state, Ambode preferred to accompany President Muhammadu Buhari on a nationwide campaign with the hope he would be compensated with a ministerial appointment.

Ambode became less visible in state campaigns and the party continued the electioneering without him. However, after the elections had been won, there was no longer any need for the facade of unity. The gloves could now be taken off without any political implication.

First, Ambode began rushing to complete most of his projects with a view to inaugurating them ahead of the May 29, 2019 handover date. He invited President Buhari to inaugurate some of the projects which included- a maternal and child health centre at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, a bus terminal interchange at Oshodi, a 10-lane road leading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and the Lagos Theatre House at Oregun, Ikeja.

Some of the projects inaugurated had yet to be completed. For instance, the 10-lane Oshodi- Murtala Muhammed International Airport was not close to completion and far from being ready for public use. Analysts believe that Ambode did not want his successor to take the glory for the completion of the projects hence his decision to hastily inaugurate them.

Interestingly, many of the party chieftains in Lagos refused to attend the event despite the President’s presence at the programme. In what could be described as an attempt to spite the governor, the Lagos State House of Assembly also refused to submit the budget to him for signing. The legislative arm allegedly increased the budget proposal submitted by Ambode by N21bn but held on to the budget for over a month until the governor left the office. The amended budget proposal was subsequently submitted to Sanwo-Olu for immediate signing into law.

Ambode, who had become anathema to the party in the state, also did not attend the inauguration ceremony of his successor as is customary but decided to travel out of the country immediately while also lobbying for a ministerial position in the President’s cabinet. However, Tinubu’s men allegedly had other things planned for the former governor.

A month after leaving office, it was alleged by Ambode’s camp that the Tinubu-led APC in the state had been giving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission information with a view to probing him so that he would not be considered for a federal appointment. Soon after, the anti-graft agency began investigating the former governor in a highly publicised manner. The EFCC stated in court documents that it was investigating Adewale Adesanya, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Chief of Staff to the former governor.

In an affidavit deposed to by Kunmi Daniel, an operative of the commission, it stated that there was “a huge inflow of N9,927,714,443.29” from the state accounts into an FCMB bank account opened on September 17, 2018, during the administration of Ambode and operated by Adesanya. Unconfirmed findings by Sunday PUNCH, however, revealed that Adesanya was never the permanent secretary as claimed by the EFCC. Rather, Mr Sewedo Whenu has held that position since January 2017. The EFCC subsequently asked the court to freeze the account.

However, the EFCC later stated in a press release that the funds itself were directly linked to Ambode. Interestingly, this information was not expressly stated in the court papers. Two weeks later, the EFCC conducted a search of Ambode’s houses in Ikoyi and Epe. While the search on the Ikoyi home was without incident, that of Epe – Ambode’s strongest political base – was a direct opposite.

Men of the EFCC led by one of its prosecutors, Rotimi Oyedepo, attempted to search the house but escaped being lynched by irate youths that believed that the former governor was being persecuted by the APC leadership. The youth vandalised the EFCC vehicles and accused the operatives of being used by Tinubu to settle a political score. The former governor, who was said to be out of the country, however, denied involvement in the attack on the EFCC men. He lamented that the commission had neither invited nor contacted him for any clarification since the highly publicised investigation.

Before the dust could settle, the Lagos Assembly, which is known to be loyal to Tinubu, announced plans to probe Ambode over N45bn spent on the procurement of buses. The fund, it was learnt, was obtained from the Paris Club refund disbursed by the Federal Government in 2017. The fund was said to have been used for construction of modern bus parks and purchase of buses without the express approval of the Lagos State House of Assembly, an allegation which Ambode’s media team has denied.

The Assembly subsequently set up a committee to investigate the purchase of 820 out of the 5,000 buses. In a motion, Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti Osa 2), noted that at an executive/legislative parley at Golden Tulip in FESTAC in September 2017, Ambode informed the lawmakers that 5,000 buses would be bought by the state government. The lawmaker stated that the executive proposed to spend N17bn to purchase the buses in the 2017 budget, but that this was not approved by the Assembly.

“In the 2018 and 2019 budgets, the state government proposed N24 billion and N7 billion respectively, but these were not approved. The state government still went ahead to import 820 buses at N7bn, and out of that, 520 are still awaiting clearance at the ports,” he said.

A company headed by Fola Tinubu, Primero Transport Services Limited, was said to have been hard hit by Ambode’s decision to purchase the buses and make the transport market more competitive. Primero, which is said to enjoy a monopoly of sorts, operates BRT buses that ply the TBS- Ikorodu route; the company would have been affected by Ambode’s decision to open up the market.

However, a former aide to Ambode told our correspondent that the allegations against the former governor were baseless. He said, “In December 2017, when the 2018 budget was submitted, N24bn was earmarked for the proposed transport reform and purchase of buses. It was part of the total budget of N1.46tn passed in January 2018 by the House. That budget included N24bn appropriated for bus reform and it was passed. However, there was a clause from the House that the executive should revert to the legislative for special approval before utilising the fund. This was hitherto unknown to law and the executive considered it unconstitutional.

“So, between May 2018 and May 2019, funds were utilised for the purchase of forex and transferred offshore to bus suppliers. The reason why more was spent in 2019 without approval from the House was that the budget was delayed. And the constitution allows the governor to spend 25 per cent of a previous year’s budget every quarter and that is what was done.”

The source said it was true that 520 buses had not yet been cleared but Ambode had approached the Federal Government for a waiver. He said the buses were in Coscharis’ bonded warehouse. He noted that 35 out of the 300 buses cleared so far had been handed over to civil servants by Sanwo-Olu in June while the rest had been integrated into the BRT scheme.

The Executive Director, Centre for Anti-corruption and Open Leadership, Mr Debo Adeniran, described the probe of Ambode as politically motivated. Adeniran said the former governor’s only error was his refusal to put the powerful politicians in Lagos State ahead of the people.

He said, “The probe, I think, is an attempt to give a good dog a bad name in order to hang it. I know that Ambode could have meant well for Lagosians but the politicians did not hide their disdain for his disinterest for politicising developmental efforts in Lagos State. He could have refused to give contracts to politicians rather than experts who could actually do the work but he refused to do so. The buses in question were supplied and are not meant for the governor’s use but for the good people of Lagos.

“The effort by his detractors to run him down was to dissuade the President from giving him a federal appointment. I think this is unfair.”

Also speaking, the Publicity Secretary of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Taofik Gani, stated that everything was being done to smear Ambode’s name. Gani said the entire probe was being orchestrated by the APC in the state led by Tinubu and it was unfortunate that it was not done in the interest of Lagosians but to settle a score.

The EFCC, however, claimed that Ambode’s case was not a political witch-hunt but one based on intelligence even as it maintained that the former governor no longer had immunity and thus should be open to a probe. A chieftain of the APC in the state who was a spokesperson for the ruling party in the state, Joe Igbokwe, however, refused to comment on the probe.

As the former governor continues to fight to untangle himself from an alleged web of conspiracy and corruption, it remains to be seen if he would come out unscathed or in chains.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/ambode-between-efccs-noose-and-lagos-assemblys-dagger/

In the last few days, Ridwan Adebola has been stuck in a conundrum. He is unsettled at home and workplace each time he remembers that the new owner of his rented apartment on Demurin Street, Ketu, Lagos State, could suddenly surface and send him and his family packing. A clearing agent at the Apapa port, the six-month notice to quit he was served had elapsed in August, making him to fear that the current landlord could take possession any time soon.

As a responsible father of two, Adebola prepared for the next accommodation to relocate his family immediately he received the notice. Towards that, he worked very hard to increase his savings and by April, he had successfully raised N150,000. He was happy, believing he would not be caught napping when his tenancy expired.

On his way to work on a Monday morning mid-April, he saw a notice advertising a 15-apartment building for rent at No 1 Karimu Street – about 2 kilometres away from his residence. Swiftly, he called the number on the ad and hooked up with one Akin who identified himself as an Agent. Adebola later met with the developer in charge of the building, Teslim Alabi. He inspected the house which was almost completed then, and agreed to rent a bed-roomed flat.

Mindful of losing the apartment to other house seekers whom he was told had also indicated interest, he paid N150,000 into Alabi’s bank account and few days later, he paid another N165,000 to complete the payment for the rent, agreement and commission fees. That day in early May, he arrived home with a receipt to the embrace of his wife and his two kids who were happy they had got another home. But few hours before June 23 when he was supposed to get the keys to his supposedly new apartment, it turned out that he had fallen victim to a fraudulent syndicate.

“We were about to sleep around 11 pm on June 22 when my wife’s friend alerted us that there was a crowd in front of a newly rented apartment on Karimu Street, lamenting that they had been defrauded,” Adebola recalled, sounding dejected.

He said, “I rushed down there and met a lot of people protesting. The 15 apartments were already occupied whereas over 200 people paid rent to the developer. I paid N315,000 in two instalments. Rent was N220,000 and N100,000 for commission and agreement fees. I begged them before they removed N5,000 from the total sum. Unfortunately, the agent that took me to the house is nowhere to be found and his line is not going through.

“My landlord has sold the building I live in since February and he gave us 6 months’ notice which ended in August. The owner can send us out any time from now. I have been running around, looking for means to rent another apartment. Where will I take my wife and two children to when they send us out?”

Saturday PUNCH learnt that Adebola was one of the 279 intending tenants Alabi and his accomplices allegedly swindled out of about N65m rent. The middle-aged developer was arrested by the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Police in Ikoyi following a petition by the victims. His cohorts are still at large.

Our correspondent gathered that the police also invited a suspect who leased the land to Alabi for 20 years. While police investigation continues, tales of regrets and frustrations have taken the better part of the unsuspecting victims. Many of them had taken loans to pay the rent, thereby leaving them with a double burden.

A hotel worker, Akeem Mohammed, is another victim whose plight dwarfed Ademola’s. He had anticipated Sunday, June 23 with bated breath. Before the deal went awry, the 38-year-old man was supposed to move into one of the flats within the building having paid a rent of N400,000, including commission and agreement fees.

“I received a six-month notice to quit from my landlord and it expired in June,” the father of three said as he began to narrate the chain of events leading to his tribulation to Saturday PUNCH. He went on, “I got a loan from my employer to pay for the rent. It was a friend who informed me that the building was open for rent. I made a series of inspections before I paid in January when the building was under construction. I paid directly to Mr Teslim Alabi.

“He and his agents told me to come for inspection anytime I like. I went there and saw the progress of the work. They told me and some people I met in the course of my inspection to come on June 23 for our keys. On getting there, I met an angry crowd. About 20 people paid for one apartment! In my own flat, we were over 30 persons that met there. It was a woman lawyer who arrived first that got the key.”

After being thrown out by his landlord upon the expiration of the notice, Mohammed, his wife and their three children had turned squatters. “My wife and our three children are with my sister-in-law while I squat with a friend. I have been struggling, by all means, to raise money to get another apartment while I am still repaying the loan I collected from my employer. School fees of my children are also there, but I am not thinking of that now. I want to get an apartment first,” he remarked, his eyes red with tears.

“At least, 279 people were affected. The building contains ‘five room-and-parlour apartments’ (five units of one-bedroomed flat) while the remaining 10 are self-contained apartments. Mr Alabi collected N400,000 from me. By the time all of us came together and calculated the money, it was about N65m,” Mohammed, who coordinates a platform comprising all the victims, added.

Saturday, September 14, 2019, was a landmark in the life of Regina Onyeke, a Public Administration graduate and fashion designer, as it was the day she turned 30. In lieu of fun, merry and excitement that should characterise the historic day, the single mother was soaked in sorrow.

Five months ago, the native of Benue State relocated to Lagos upon securing employment at a logistics company in the Ogudu area of Lagos metropolis. Cheerful and expectant of better days ahead, she arrived at Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre with her five-year-old son.

Onyeke pleaded with her married cousin to allow her and her son stay with the family for two weeks while she searched for an apartment to rent.

“My cousin recommended an agent who took me to the house on Kareem Street,” she intoned. “I sold my machines to raise the money and pay for the rent. I was supposed to pay N350,000 for a year and six months’ rent. I had paid N250, 000. I was awaiting my June salary to complete the payment when I knew about the fraud. I paid into the man’s (Alabi’s) account on May 15 and he said the house would be ready in June.”

As if the woe was not enough, Onyeke while shuttling between rights groups offices and police formations in search of justice, she got relieved of her hard-fought appointment. “My boss said I was not regular on duty and he sacked me. I had to take my son back home. My plan was to enrol him in a school here in Lagos in September (this month) when the school resumes,” she disclosed emotively.

A civil servant, who gave her name only as Yetunde, is still struggling to reconcile her memory with the drama that played out at the disputed house on June 23. That day, in the morning, she bid her neighbours in Ikorodu farewell as she crammed her belongings into a pick-up van, heading for her newly-rented apartment.

“I met a large crowd as I arrived at the house,” she exclaimed. “I have yet to come out of the trauma. I paid N250,000 into the man’s account. He assured me that I would move in on June 23. My aim was just to collect the key and move in that Sunday.”

Similar to Yetunde’s unpleasant condition was that of Maria Adegbenle, a mother of two, whose husband also lost N250, 000 to the fraud. “We had already moved out of our former place. My two children and I now live with my mother-in-law while my husband is squatting with his friend,” she said.

At 32, it is time Stanley Nwankwo, a pharmacist, tied the nuptial knot and plans were in the pipeline. First on the preparation list was to get an apartment relatively befitting of a new couple. He stated, “I saw the notice at Tipper Garage (Ketu) and called the phone number. It was a lady who picked the call. She directed me to an agent called Joseph who took me to the house, where I met with Teslim (Alabi). I paid N350,000 for a room and parlour with two toilets. The rent was N250,000 while the remaining N100,000 was for agreement and commission fees. I had gone there on June 23 to collect the key only to find out that it was a fraud.

“I planned to marry this year but the incident has shattered my plan. It was a huge setback but I believe God has a reason for everything. I borrowed money to pay for the house. I am still repaying the loan. Except there is no God, those people (who defrauded me) won’t go free.”

Emeka Chukwura from Delta State had been visiting “the megacity” on and off since 2012. In May 2018 when he secured employment at an IT company on Victoria Island, he relocated permanently. As he saved part of his salary, he put up with his relation in Surulere pending when he would have enough money to rent an apartment.

Like most of the victims, he came across an agent, one Prince, in March through a contact number he saw on a notice pasted by the roadside. “Prince took me round the compound and he told me that once I paid, he would give me the key,” Chukwura disclosed. “I paid N230,000 directly into Alabi’s account in April 2019 for a self-contained apartment and he gave me a receipt. The rent was N150,000; N80,000 was for the agreement and commission fees as well as the caution fee."

He explained that when he wanted to move into the apartment in April as it was initially agreed, the fraudsters told him they had some issues with the Lagos State Government which delayed the completion of the house. He stated, “They begged me to come back in May. I went but they asked me to come back on June 22. They said that was when they would give everybody key. I was there to get the key so that I could move in the following day which was a Sunday. Surprisingly, I saw many people who also rented the same apartments.

“I was looking for an apartment I could afford and the house was perfect for me when I saw it. It was within the range I could afford; that was why I quickly paid not knowing I was dealing with fraudsters. I was supposed to leave my cousin’s house 6 months ago, and now I have overstayed. I just had to beg him. Unfortunately, he is packing out by the end of the year. I have to struggle to raise money by December and get an apartment. He married recently and it is like I inconvenience the new couple because the original plan was for me to leave in March. Though the apartment is a 2-bedroom flat, we have so many loads there and everywhere is filled up.”

Chukwura commended the Lagos State Government for taking up the matter, urging it to follow through the case and ensure that their money was refunded. He added, “We went to a human rights lawyer. Unfortunately, the money she charged us was so much. She requested about N1m to begin the case. We just lost money and you are asking us to bring such an amount of money. That is why we are happy that the state government is getting involved in the issue. We hope that the case will be followed through. What we want is a refund of our money.”

An official of a second generation bank in the Anthony area of Lagos, Theresa Amadi, also shared her sad encounter with the conmen with Saturday PUNCH. She had paid rent for a self-contained apartment to Alabi so she could relocate from the one-room apartment she resides in. Part of her plans was that her two children who are based in Ibadan, Oyo State, would move to Lagos.

She explained, “I go to Ibadan every two weeks which is not very convenient for me. I wanted my daughters to be living with me here in Lagos so that I can properly look after them. I paid N175,000 for a self-contained apartment, remaining N25,000 balance which I promised to pay on the day I get the key. I got the apartment through an agent called Akeem. His number has not been going through since the developer was arrested. I saw his (Akeem) number in front of the office of an estate agent in Ikosi-Ketu, but I later found out he was not the owner of the office.”

Alabi has been charged and remanded in Ikoyi prison just as the office of the Attorney General of Lagos State is taking up the prosecution. While the judicial process lasts, hundreds of families affected by the fraud continue to bewail their losses. For how long they will wait to get justice, is unknown to them. For now, they are still bemoaning, crying that they get a refund speedily.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/thirty-victims-one-apartment-lagos-developer-agents-defraud-279-house-seekers-of-n65m/

The family of Dr Smc Maduagwu, the Chief Accountant of an oil servicing firm in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, ran from pillar to post few months ago, searching for how to raise a ransom of N20m reportedly demanded by his captors. They had no faintest of hints that the company driver, Uchechukwu Ibekwe, was behind their ordeal.

Ibekwe had reportedly connived with a kidnap gang to abduct his boss for a ransom in February 2018. His grievance was that his boss, the accounts officer of Plantgeria Company Limited, refused to approve a loan he wanted to collect from the company.

City Round learnt that after the release of the victim, a petition was sent to the office of the Inspector-General of Police and the IGP Intelligence Response Team led by DCP Abba Kyari was directed to go after the suspects. It was gathered that the team, in the course of tracking the gang, established a link between the group and Ibekwe, leading to his arrest.

He was said to have confessed to the crime and led detectives to arrest some of his members including, one Tony Rafael, Nnaji Romanus and Nwobodo Uche who were apprehended in their hideouts in Rivers and Imo states. The leader of the gang, Christian Kenjika aka Schoolboy, who was also a cult member, was said to have been killed by a rival cult group.

Ibekwe explained that he had requested a loan from the company which he woul repay with his next salary. The 37-year-old native of Omodeme Community in the Ikwere Local Government Area of Rivers State, said he went to Maduagwu’s office to get the loan approved but the accountant turned down his request.

He said, “I am a driver at Plantgeria Company Limited and I was employed in 2007. I was transferred to Shell to work as a driver in 2017. I was recalled and posted to the head office of our company to work as a driver of an expatriate. In 2018, I applied for a loan from our company, requesting that my salary should be paid in advance. I met the Chief Accountant of our company to perfect the loan.

“He shouted at me and sent me out of his office. I left his office angrily and was thinking of how to deal with him. I got a call from a friend of mine known as Stanley, who is also from my community but was into armed robbery and kidnapping. I related what happened between the Chief Accountant and he suggested we should kidnap him (Maduagwu) or any of the expatriates. I chose the accountant and gave him information about the man.”

Ibekwe, a father of three, said Maduagwu was returning home from office when he alerted Stanley and Uche who kidnapped him. He said he was given N800,000 as his share of the ransom, the sum of which he claimed he didn’t know, adding that he bought a Nissan Primera with the money.

“I was with my wife at home when the police came and arrested me. I have told the police all I knew about the kidnapping and I also told them that I have never gone out with the gang to carry out any form of kidnapping or armed robbery,” he stated.

Uche, 38, said he was a farmer but he went broke at a time his wife was down with an ailment. He said he joined the gang to raise N200,000 for the treatment of his wife. He stated that he approached Schoolboy, who gave him N100,000 and asked him to monitor the accountant’s movement in exchange for the gesture.

“I monitored the man for one month. On the day we wanted to kidnap the man, I followed him when he left his office on a motorbike and when he got to Oil Mill junction, Schoolboy and his other gang members in police and military uniforms, fully armed, accosted him with their Toyota Hilux and took him away,” Uche revealed.

The father of five said Maduagwu was taken to his farm where he was kept while the ransom negotiation went on. He explained that two weeks later, the ringleader told him that a ransom of N10m was paid and he gave him another N100,000 to pay his wife’s medical bill.

Uche stated, “He took me and others that took part in the operation to the home of a native doctor known as Romanus Nnaji and he started sharing the money. He gave me N1.5m to give Ibekwe and Stanley. He also gave me N500,000 as my own share. Few months after, I got a call that my brother has been arrested by the police over the kidnapping of the accountant and that the actual amount that was paid as ransom was N20m. I felt bad that Schoolboy cheated every one of us by declaring N10m.

“I didn’t say anything at that time because the police were looking for me. I went to a church in Akwa Ibom to ask God for forgiveness. The policemen trailed me to the church but luckily for me I was in the church toilet when I saw the police van and I fled into the bush.”

He said he later met with Schoolboy, asking him for part of the undeclared N10m so he could use it to process a visa and travel out of the country. Uche claimed that the gang leader declined, which prompted him to set him up for members of a rival cult, De-Gbam, who beheaded him. “I was later arrested in June 2019 by the operatives in Orlu, Imo State,” he added.

Romanus, the 50-year-old native doctor from Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, said he was paid N200,000 to administer oaths on members of the gang, adding that he got N50,000 from the ransom.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/driver-masterminds-boss-kidnap-over-failure-to-get-loan/

In an era when fuel is sold for N145 per litre, previously sold for N86.50, you might want to save some money fuelling your car. The following 10 tips will help you save some money on fuel and you’ll be able to free up cash for other things. These tips also work if your car runs on diesel:

1. DON'T DRIVE DURING RUSH HOUR
Getting stuck in a traffic jam is not only energy-zapping, it is also cash-zapping. Every time you stop and start in traffic, your car needs first gear and a huge amount of fuel to get moving again. Second gear is not much better. The best solution is to not drive during rush hour. You can also save some fuel by trying to understand what the traffic is doing in front of you, and travelling steadily at a slow speed, rather than accelerating and braking. In a busy city like Lagos, there are now some mobile traffic information apps and radio stations which update you of traffic in almost every area in the city. You could also call a friend who plies same route like you if they have some information about traffic on the route.

2. MAKE FEWER TRIPS
Did you know that when you drive a car that has been parked for a few hours, the engine is cold and it uses much more fuel for the first five miles or so? Ideally, you should combine all your daily errands into one big trip. However, this may not be possible all the time, especially if you have to pop out during the day to take your kids from school, but you could try to do shopping when bringing them from school rather than going to the store at a different time.

3. CLOSE THE WINDOWS AND/OR SUNROOF
It’s not so much of a problem when you’re driving in town, but when you’re out of town or on the expressway and moving more quickly, the shape of your car is very important. Car designers call it aerodynamics and make lots of effort to reduce the ‘drag’ and make the car as sleek as possible. Anything that makes wind noise as your car goes along is actually making your car more expensive to run. You can’t do much about the design of your car, but you can avoid making it worse by not leaving the windows and sunroof open. It’s better to use the air vents for most of the year and the air conditioner when it gets too hot.

4. REMOVE THE ROOF RACK OR SKI BOX
This is just like leaving the windows open, but worse. Even if the roof rack is empty, it increases drag and makes your car use more fuel, while a big ski box is like having another car strapped to your roof. The latest roof racks and ski boxes are quick and easy to fit and remove, so make the effort to stow them away when you’re not using them.

5. DON'T CARRY UNNECESSARY WEIGHT
Your car is just like your body; it needs more fuel to move more weight around. So, just as you won’t wear a heavy rucksack unless you have to, don’t cart stuff around in the boot of your car unless you need it. Ironically, the heavier the item (the usual culprits are golf clubs and trolleys), the less likely you are to bother taking it out of the boot and the greater the effect it will have on your fuel consumption.

6. ACCELERATE SMOOTHLY
The perfect way to travel is at a constant speed, ideally around 50 miles (or 80 Km) per hour, and in the highest gear (five or six). So if you’re a patient driver, you’ll have lower fuel bills — it is as simple as that. It’s unrealistic to avoid overtaking, but there’s little point accelerating past a car to simply be in front of it and then finding yourself at the next set of traffic lights. Any instant gratification will appear on your fuel bill the next time you fill up.

7. DON'T PUSH THE ACCELERATOR DOWN TOO FAR
This one always surprises people. It’s not just to do with what gear you’re in. You may be in a high gear and travelling at a sensible speed, but if you’re pushing the accelerator down a long way to avoid changing into a lower gear (into third from fourth, for example), then you’re actually using more fuel not less. Obviously, if your car has an automatic gearbox (you’ll know if it does), then it will probably do a better job than you of choosing which gear to be in, so it’s not a problem.

8. ONLY USE AIR CONDITIONER WHEN HOT
It’s tempting to leave the AC on the whole year round. It stops the windows misting up in the winter and you don’t ever need to think about the temperature inside the car, but it uses quite a bit of fuel. Agreed, it’ll be miserly of you to be sweating when you have AC in your car, but when it’s not hot, it’s advisable to turn it off.

9. STICK TO THE SPEED LIMIT
Although not all Nigerian highways have speed limit signs, there are still some which have. If you ignore the speed limit law, you could shave a bit of time off your journey by travelling above the speed limit, particularly on long trips. Even though you might arrive about 20 minutes early on a 200-mile trip by travelling at 80mph instead of 70mph, it’s also a false economy. While the car is running for 20 minutes less, it uses much more fuel when it is travelling. That 20 minutes could cost you thousands of naira in fuel.

10. CHECK TYRE PRESSURE REGULARLY
The lower the tyre pressure, the more fuel the car needs to move it down the road. It is recommendable that you take five minutes fortnightly to check the tyres. If you’re not sure what the pressure should be, you can find the figures near the lock inside the driver’s door.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/10-fuel-saving-tips-every-car-owner-should-know/

For the record, this article is not intended to serve as a campaign against loans. Without a doubt, loans have many benefits that have stood the test of time.

As a funding option, one can rely on loans to finance a new business idea for instance. You can also carefully use loans to take advantage of short-term investment opportunities. Some parents even use loans to finance their children’s school fees; after all, educating a child is an important investment. Likewise, loans can be used as the financial option of last resort in any given situation, provided that all other appropriate options have been completely exhausted.

Note that the holy grail of wise personal finance management is never to spend beyond your means. Unfortunately, reckless borrowing can encourage reckless spending. This article is, therefore, intended as advice. Below are some of the things you should never borrow money to do. Feel free to consult your financial expert, if you have a need for further clarification.

1. DO NOT BORROW TO FURNISH YOUR APARTMENT
While the likes of Stanbic IBTC Bank do offer rental loans, it is absolutely not advisable to borrow money for the purpose of furnishing your apartment. Generally, it is unwise to borrow money for the sake of expenditure. Therefore, unless you are borrowing for the purpose of generating further income or meeting a pressing need, then you have no business borrowing at all.

If you cannot afford the money at the moment, then your apartment can be furnished some other time. The most important thing is to have a place you can rest your head at night. Imagine all the interest that will accrue on the loan and the likelihood that you may not even be able to repay as at when due.

2. DO NOT BORROW TO BUY A CAR
This may come across as controversial, seeing as many Nigerians like the idea of owning their own. Most high-salaried individuals are also known to borrow money to finance their car purchases. So, you may be thinking of doing the same. After all, Cheki is known to offer some of the best car loans for Nigerians.

However, sound personal finance management requires that you desist from living a life of luxury based on credit. A car is not a basic need. Therefore, unless you are buying the car to start an Uber business, save up until you can afford to buy one without a loan.

3. DO NOT BORROW TO SPONSOR A LEISURE TRIP
In April this year, Kwikmoney sponsored an advertorial encouraging people to borrow money to travel for Easter holiday. The fact that some people actually bought into the idea couldn’t be more surprising! Holiday loans are financial traps you should do everything possible to avoid. You shouldn't accumulate debt just to travel to a destination for a few days or weeks. Once again, unless you can afford it now by paying for it, leave that holiday to Ibiza in your bucket list for the meantime. Your time will come.

4. DO NOT BORROW TO UPGRADE YOUR WARDROBE
Without a doubt, it is important to look nice. After all, first impressions matter a lot, as the saying goes. Moreover, the fact that we live in a superficial world means that we get to be constantly accessed based on what designer label me are wearing. But then who do you think are you deceiving when you borrow money to buy those expensive clothes? What would you gain if you wear Gucci suits while your account balance is wearing “zeros”? Let’s be financially wise!

5. FELLOW MEN, DO NOT BORROW TO BUY HER THE MOST EXPENSIVE DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING!
If your woman loves you for who you are, she wouldn’t care if you go to Katankowa Market to buy her an engagement ring. Love is all that matters, according to Diana Ross. I mean, think about it – why be fake just to impress your potential spouse? If she won’t accept the kind of ring you can afford to buy without borrowing, then that should tell you a lot about the long-long journey you’re planning to start with her.

6. DO NOT BORROW TO ORGANISE AN EXPENSIVE WEDDING
In a desperate bid to organise a wedding that will trend on Bellanaija Weddings, some couples go the extra mile by incurring serious debts. And the question that I keep asking myself is this why would anybody even do that? Who are you trying to impress? Do you realise that very soon there will be kids to take care of? It is not cheap to birth a child in Lagos, by the way. Let’s not even start talking about school fees yet… Please, do not borrow any money to host any wedding. Thank you.

You should always concern yourself with how to properly manage your personal finances. Borrowing to spend isn’t a good way to manage your finances. As Chu Achara (a banker) rightly noted, “it is never advisable to borrow money for any purpose other than an investment or a business.”

SOURCE (abridged): https://nairametrics.com/2019/09/02/a-list-of-things-you-should-never-borrow-money-to-do/

How to think yourself into living longer: DR MICHAEL MOSLEY's guide to transforming yourself from a pessimist to an optimist and adding SEVEN years to your lifespan as a result

Dr Michael Mosley says everyone's brain can be manipulated to have a transformative effect on our bodies. We've all, at some point or another, put our faith in a new-fangled lotion, potion or lifestyle regime that promises to turn back the body clock. After all, anti-ageing is big business – a global industry said to be worth about £70 billion a year.

Biotech firm Juvenescence, for example, recently ploughed £130 million into the ultimate biological challenge – prolonging life for at least 50 years.

Its long-term goal is to develop drugs and therapies to help us have healthier and longer lifespans. It’s tremendously ambitious but even if it succeeds, it probably won’t benefit my generation or even my children’s. But the good news is there is a great deal we can all do right now to increase our chances of living longer – beyond the tried-and-tested lifestyle advice of exercising regularly, not smoking, and not eating or drinking too much.

The secret lies within the 3 lb bundle of fibres that sit inside your skull. Far from giving us a pre-programmed lifespan, our brains can actually be profoundly manipulated to have a transformative effect on our bodies and our health. Astoundingly, all it takes are some simple exercises to alter your patterns of thinking. Here, I showcase the scientific evidence that shifting your psychological state can radically extend the time you have left, and outline the easy mental exercises that can benefit your brain and body.

The key to staying young? As trite as it sounds, it really is all in the mind. Optimism will add years to your life. Optimism has long been known to protect against a host of age-related conditions. A recent Harvard University study of more than 70,000 people found a sunny outlook helps people live up to 15 per cent longer than pessimists.

It came as bad news for me, a self-confessed Eeyore. My naturally pessimistic disposition means I’ve always taken a special interest in the health-boosting effects I may be missing out on.

One study that stands out began in 1975 and involved more than 1,000 people aged over 50 who were followed for several decades. The results revealed that those most optimistic about the future lived, on average, about seven-and-a-half years longer than those who were more pessimistic. Intriguingly, mental attitude was more important for longevity than almost any other factor. To put this in context, curing cancer adds only about four years to average life expectancy.

I witnessed these transformative effects a few years ago while making a film. I’d always wanted to understand why I was so much more pessimistic than my wife or children. I’d had a happy childhood, and am lucky enough to have a lovely family and an interesting job that I love. But at some point in my life, I stopped believing that tomorrow would be a better day, and began to think it probably wouldn’t.

So I decided to explore the science of personality and attempt to make myself more optimistic. But not in a superficial, ‘pull- yourself-together’ type of way – rather, this was about rewiring my brain in a way that was both measurable and scientific. Naturally, I expected to fail. But I practised some mental exercises recommended by neurologists from Oxford University and I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

When I returned for a second round of tests months later, not only did I feel far less gloomy, my brain activity showed remarkable changes too. It was exhibiting patterns associated with optimism. I’ve detailed some of the exercises I now swear by below, so you can reap the benefits too.

But first of all, to appreciate the true impact of pessimism on our health, we must understand why it exists in the first place.

A GLOOMY OUTLOOK COULD BE DEADLY
While it might not be beneficial to modern humans, pessimism is deep-rooted in our biology. Like any other animal, when our primate ancestors were in the wild and at risk from predators, being wary brought clear survival advantages. But they still needed to be a bit optimistic or else they would never have headed out into the unknown in search of a mate or food.

In the modern world, however, being constantly on the lookout for things that could possibly go wrong is more likely to lead to anxiety, insomnia and mental health problems.

But does being cheery lengthen your life? That’s a pretty remarkable claim. Scientists aren’t yet sure exactly why a sunny disposition increases lifespan but research shows it is probably to do with how we cope with stress – a known risk factor for heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Stress also compromises our immune system, dampening the body’s ability to cope with infections.

When the brain registers stress, it sends out signals that activate the ‘fight or flight’ reaction. A flurry of hormones is released, preparing the body to attack or run away – blood pressure rockets and heart rate increases. Blood is directed away from the brain, immune and digestive systems and towards the big muscle groups instead. When we’re locked in a chronic state of stress, arteries get worn down from the heart constantly beating harder and faster, putting us at risk of heart disease.

Studies show this also increases the risk of serious infections and digestive conditions, due to the diversion of blood supply. One large study from Harvard found pessimists were more likely than optimists to die from cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory diseases and infections. So a positive mental attitude really is worth adopting.

But, as I learnt when I had my brain scanned, this is far easier for some than it is for others. The esteemed pessimism expert I visited was Elaine Fox, a professor of psychology at Oxford University and author of the book Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain. For years, Elaine, who is also a neuroscientist, has studied how health, wealth and wellbeing are shaped by how we view the world, and whether differences in outlook relate to specific patterns of brain activity. In her lab, she asked me to don a cap fitted with numerous electroencephalographic (EEG) leads, which measure electrical activity in the brain.

EXERCISE TO BANISH NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
Elaine, the neuroscientist from Oxford who studied the effect of pessimism on my brain, introduced me to mindfulness. There are several ways to practise this form of meditation – which aims to train the mind to be non-judgmental about passing, negative thoughts. I use a guided meditation smartphone app called Headspace.

First thing in the morning, I sit in a quiet place for 20 minutes and try to focus on physical sensations, such as my breath or the weight of my body on the chair. I count inhalations and exhalations, allowing thoughts to drift in and out without judging them. It sounds simple but it is surprisingly hard not to fall back into ruminations.

‘We’re going to see whether your brain naturally tunes in to positive stuff or negative stuff,’ Elaine explained. For the first part of the test, electrical activity was measured on two sides of my brain while I was resting. This was to measure something called cerebral asymmetry. It relates to the well-known fact that people who are prone to pessimism tend to have greater activity on the right side of their frontal cortex than the left. The same pattern is seen in infants who are anxious and cry a lot.

So what about me? My results were concerning – I had three times more activity in my right frontal cortex than in my left side. Then I did another test where either happy or sad faces flashed up on a computer screen, as well as dots displayed behind them. I was asked to focus on the dots only and press a button as soon as they appeared. The point of the exercise was to see if my brain’s response time was influenced by seeing either an angry or a happy face.

In true pessimist form, my brain subconsciously reacted far more rapidly to angry faces. So, it was concluded, I am indeed a biological pessimist. Great. But all was not lost – Elaine then showed me various forms of mental training to recalibrate my brain.

Practising mindfulness and something called cognitive bias modification – training the brain to look for positive aspects in life – could, she said, actually change my brain’s electrical activity. I did both most nights for seven weeks and I did feel a little more optimistic. But did it alter my brain? Elaine measured my cerebral asymmetry and, astonishingly, there was far less difference in activity between the right frontal cortex of my brain and the left.

Next I repeated the test with the faces to see if my reaction times had changed. I was still too quick to react to the angry faces but much less so than the first time round. Overall, my score was bang on average – a marked improvement from my previous result.

Clearly, I am never going to be a raging optimist but with the help of pioneering psychologists, I now know can teach myself to become at least moderately positive. And for that, I give thanks.

STEPS TO A MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDE

1. MAKE A LIST OF YOUR DAY’S GREAT EVENTS
One easy way to force yourself to focus on the positive is to write down three brilliant things that happened that day. I do this every evening. I am blessed to have a wonderfully optimistic wife, so she often features in my list. It doesn’t have to be something seismic – perhaps someone at work congratulated you on an achievement, or maybe you saw a particularly beautiful bird. If you force yourself to pick out nuggets of positivity, after a while, it will begin to come naturally.

2. PUT A POSITIVE SPIN ON BAD SITUATIONS
We've all automatically assumed a friend or colleague hates us, simply because they didn’t telephone or email us back. But continually jumping to the worst conclusions could be detrimental to our health. Instead, force yourself to put a positive spin on the situation. Think: ‘They are probably very busy. I must make more effort with friends and colleagues that I enjoy spending time with.’

3. USE A COMPUTER TO TRAIN YOUR BRAIN
Another activity that helped my brain adopt a more optimistic nature was a computerised exercise called cognitive bias modification. Psychologists often use it to combat the negative thinking patterns that can lead to anxiety. I looked at a screen that displayed 15 blank or angry faces and one smiley face, flashing intermittently, for ten minutes. My task was to spot the smiley face and click on it. This supposedly trains the brain to search for positive images – a skill that can be generalised to everyday life. I haven’t yet found a phone app that does this, but you could quite easily replicate it using printout images of smiley and snarly faces.

4. GOOD FRIENDS ADD YEARS TO YOUR LIFE
One powerful predictor of overall positivity, as well as longevity, is the strength and quality of your relationships. If you want proof, look to the longest human study in recent history. In the 1940s, scientists at Harvard University followed more than 700 teenage boys throughout their lives to see what impact wealth and education had on life expectancy. Some were rich and privileged, others were from Boston’s poorest neighbourhoods.

Every two years they asked the men questions about their health and their overall lives, including about their mental and emotional wellbeing. It wasn’t cholesterol levels, education or wealth that predicted whether or not they made it to a happy, healthy 80 years old. Rather, it was how satisfied they were in their relationships around the age of 50.

It was those who had strong connections with their family, friends and community who were less likely to succumb to diseases, had better mental health and stayed sharper. Being lonely, on the other hand, was toxic for mental health and led to more rapid cognitive decline. And although having a committed, loving partner did seem to be protective, the director of the study – psychiatrist Dr Robert Waldinger – noted that it needn’t be romantic.

Anyone – be it a close friend or relative who the men could count on in times of need – provided health-boosting benefits. Dr Waldinger says this is especially important when approaching retirement age, when work friends may fall by the wayside.

5. TAKE UP SINGING, DANCING, VOLUNTEERING OR JOIN A SOCIAL CLUB
I am now a loyal member of a men’s reading group, which I really treasure.


SOURCE: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7464135/DR-MICHAEL-MOSLEY-think-living-longer.html

The survey, which was undertaken by economics professors, Andrew Francis-Tan and Hugo M Mialon, found that spending more than $20,000 on a wedding and between $2,000 to $4,000 on an engagement ring increases the risk of that marriage ending in an early divorce.

Scientists quizzed 3,151 heterosexual people in America and asked them questions about their education level, household income, children, marital status and how expensive their wedding and engagement rings were. They also asked respondents how long their marriage lasted if it ended in divorce, the study says, and how important their partner's appearance and wealth were to them.

"Specifically, in the sample of men, spending between $2,000 and $4,000 on an engagement ring is associated with a 1.3 times greater hazard of divorce as compared to spending between $500 and $2,000," the study authors wrote.

An expensive wedding comes with risks, too. A man whose wedding costs under $1,000 has half the risk of getting divorced as a man whose wedding was priced between $5,000 to $10,000, the study found. And a woman with a wedding cost of over $20,000 experiences a 1.6 times likelier chance of a divorce.

The reason you are marrying a person can also determine the chance of an early split, according to the research. “Reporting that one’s partner’s looks were important in the decision to marry is significantly associated with shorter marriage duration,” research Hugo Mialon told The Independent.

That doesn't mean you should skip out on celebrating the marriage at all, however. The study found that a honeymoon — regardless of cost — and a large audience for a wedding actually increases the chance of having a longer marriage.

Sharing a child with your partner and "regularly" going to religious services also lowers your chance of divorce, the study says.

Even if you avoid all the potential pitfalls, don't think that married life will be a piece of cake. Research published in the journal Social Networks and the Life Course found that marriage can actually increase the happiness of partners — but it takes 20 years of being together to get there.

Before that, the researchers wrote, "happiness declined gradually during the first 20 years of marriage."

SOURCES (abridged/spliced):
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article214550500.html

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/bazaar-brides/a22085716/couples-who-have-expensive-weddings-are-more-likely-to-get-divorced/

Article by Mollie Goodfellow...

If your boyfriend arranges for friends to hijack your car before he gets down on one knee, it’s best to demur

In June, a marriage proposal took place in Russia that went viral. The video showed a woman being dragged from her car by numerous masked “gunmen”, slammed on the bonnet and generally terrorised, before her boyfriend, who was in the car – and also in on the act, got down on one knee and proposed. The woman said yes. She should have most definitely said no.

Imagine. You are sobbing as they slam you on the car. You look up to see that they have taken something off your boyfriend and are pulling out suspect packages. You start screaming. Then, suddenly, your boyfriend is down on one knee. It is meant to be the most important question you will answer in your life, but your fight or flight response is so heightened you could punch a tiger. Of course you might say yes.

If you do ever find yourself about to be kidnapped, dunked underwater or pushed from a cliff, and your boyfriend suddenly proposes marriage, you really should say no. If you’re being proposed to in a way that endangers your safety or intends to make you feel vulnerable, then red flags should be waving.

In 2017, a man called Anthony uploaded a video of his proposal in a small aircraft. He took his flying-phobic fiancee up in the air and pretended he had lost control of the plane before initiating the proposal and safely landing. Without wanting to get too deep about it, I would probably say it demonstrates a weird facet of the male ego where men want to be the protector and thus, by saving their fiance, however falsely, they win their affection. It is not about the woman at all but more about how the man can manipulate a situation to their favour and win points for going over the top for attention.

I panic at the coffee shop when the barista asks for my name. I struggle to come up with a response when my boyfriend asks what I want for dinner. The confidence to think that it is appropriate to ask a life-changing question while engineering a terrifying experience is something I can only aspire to.

SOURCE: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2019/jul/03/if-your-boyfired-proposes-to-you-at-gunpoint-just-say-no

Some tips to save money after payday...

1. WRITE-OUT YOUR GOALS
After the credit alert comes from the bank, there’s no better time to spell out your saving goals for the month. In other words, what you intend to do with your salary is just as important as the salary itself.

2. TRACK YOUR EXPENSES
Whatever happens, you have to keep track of your expenses. One easy way to do that is to come up with a rating system e.g. if you earn N100K monthly and plan to save 40% of that, draw up a rating system. Say, at the end of the month, if you end up saving only 10% of your income, be honest to scold yourself with marks like ‘FAIL’ and vice versa.

3. CREATE A BUDGET AND MONITOR IT
If you are planning to save a percentage of your earnings, you should have a budget. Bear in mind your budget should include everything you spend money on monthly, even airtime for your mobile device and money for charity. This is not the kind of budget you carry around in your head - you have to write it out or have it typed out in a document where you can look through it as frequently as you need to.

Write out how much your disposable income is on a monthly basis and how much you intend to save. Also, write out every single item or service that you pay for, right from the salon to the restaurant and others. In other words, ensure everything is accounted for. At the same time, ensure you monitor your budget. In situations where you record expenses not initially included in the budget, include them under review, and make plans for such recurrence.

4. CHANGE YOUR ROUTE
If you find yourself indulging in impulsive shopping, especially on your way from work, you may need to change your route. Where you shop is just as vital as what you are buying. A man once bought a portable wardrobe at a shop close to his work place for N11,400 and after a few months, it began to fall apart, mainly because he overloaded it. He later bought another one at N5,000 at a shop very close to his house.

5. DON'T TAKE YOUR DEBIT CARD OUT EVERY DAY
Your debit card can actually save you from being stranded, but having cards for all your accounts could tempt you to go beyond your monthly spending limit. Without caution and discipline, you will keep spending what you have saved. Instead of having debit cards for all your accounts, which may force you to leave far less than you planned to save at the end of the month, get a debit card for your operational account. The less your access to your main account, the safer your savings will be.

6. BUY WHAT YOU NEED, NOT WHAT YOU WANT
If someone offers to sell you a new pair of shoes or a really nice wristwatch, wait for a clear 48 hours before you make a decision on whether to buy or not. This gives you sufficient time to decide if this is something you need or something you want. If you work with this strategy, you’ll end up not buying quite a number of things you originally wanted to buy.

7. PRIORITIZE SAVINGS OVER SPENDING
One of the wrong ways to go about saving from your monthly earning is to save what is left after your spending. That is suicidal. If you truly desire to see the account balance of your savings account go up on a monthly basis, you have to save first, then spend what is left. If you insist on spending and then saving what is left, the chances of having anything left are quite slim.

SOURCE (abridged): https://nairametrics.com/2019/09/19/7-ways-to-save-money-after-payday/

Organised Labour under the auspices of the Trade Union Side of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council has announced that it will give no further notice to the Federal Government before millions of its members at the federal and 36 states public services commence strike over non-implementation of the new National Minimum Wage and appropriate consequential adjustment.

In a statement made available to our correspondent on Tuesday, the TUS Acting Chairman, Anchaver Simon, and the Secretary, Alade Lawal, said that it had become imperative to alert the general public that all efforts by the trade unions to persuade the government to implement the new N30,000 monthly national minimum wage signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on April 18, with appropriate consequential adjustment, had been frustrated by the government.

The union stated that what had become clear was that the Government Side was not serious about paying millions of workers a new national minimum wage and adequate consequential adjustment but preferred taking the trade unions for a ride. It stressed that as a responsible trade union, the TUS had given government enough time to come to terms with workers’ demand but it appeared that the only language necessary for government to act was a strike action.

The union recalled that initially, it recommended 66.6% across board so as to maintain existing relativity in emoluments of public servants, but the Government Side argued that the wage bill would be too high.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/strike-looms-over-minimum-wage-failed-talks/

Kogi State Government has completed plans to launch a rice mill factory worth N4 billion. The factory is expected to produce 50 tonnes of rice per day. This was made public by the Governor of the State, Yahaya Bello, during an inspection tour of the facility situated in Omi Dam in Ejiba, Yagba West LGA of Kogi.

THE DETAILS
The Governor, during a visit to the factory, said the establishment of the factory was a fulfilment of a promise he made to his people. He said the factory was built through the assistance of the Minister for Water Resources who granted them the use of the Dam for the factory’s construction.

“We approached the Federal Government through the Minister for Water Resources to allow us to use this Dam for the benefit of our people. Today, we are here to inspect a brown new rice factory that is second to none as far as northern Nigeria is concerned.”

5000 JOBS TO BE CREATED
The factory has the capability to produce over 1000 bags of 50 kg high-quality rice every day. This translates into employment for more than 5000 people in direct jobs, as well as indirect employment opportunities. Bello said that Kogi’s State IGR would witness a monthly boost up to N120 million in revenue following the establishment of the factory, which he hoped would inject N300 million into the economy of Kogi State also on a monthly basis.

The rice mill is expected to also bring about an increase in the production of fish and poultry meals based on the proximity of the factory to the source of water in the dam. “The rice mill will also be producing fish and poultry meals because we are presently having over 500 fish ponds in this Omi Dam. We have the capacity to produce cassava and all agro-allied products in this particular location,” the Governor hinted.

He added that the factory had an independent power generation plant, powered through biomass gasification technology.

THE CAPACITY OF THE PLANT
The plant capacity stands at 500 kWh and the rice milling plant capacity at every processing line (shift) is 200kwh. The remaining excess of 300kwh which would be used to power strategic locations in neighbouring communities.

The Governor, however, solicited the help of the Federal Government to help in expanding the factory. He also stated that the factory would pull several people out of poverty. The factory is to be commissioned by the President before the November 16th Governorship Election.

SOURCE: https://nairametrics.com/2019/09/18/kogi-launches-n4-billion-rice-factory-eyes-5000-new-jobs/

Dear NL friends,

I started this thread for two reasons:

A. To raise awareness of a nascent trend primarily occurring in the Western countries.
B. To start a healthy debate.

These aims have basically been achieved, and your contributions are very much appreciated.

However, regardless where you stand on MGTOW, it is important to keep in mind that it is a reactionary movement, and that the conditions which led to its creation do not currently/greatly apply to the majority of non-western countries.

If you are interested in reading up some more articles giving various perspectives on MGTOW/related topics, here are some links:
1. CURRENT STATUS OF MARRIAGE IN WESTERN COUNTRIES
https://weddedabyss./

2. PAYING CHILD SUPPORT FOR ANOTHER MAN'S CHILD
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/magazine/22Paternity-t.html?pagewanted=all

3. RESEARCH: ABOUT 50% OF RAPE ACCUSATIONS ARE FALSE
http://www.mediaradar.org/research_on_false_rape_allegations.php

4. HOW FEMINISM IS DRIVING THE GROWING TREND OF ANTI-WOMEN SUBCULTURES
https://www.eviemagazine.com/post/how-feminism-is-driving-the-growing-trend-of-anti-women-subcultures/

5. HAPPINESS ACCORDING TO THE MGTOW MANOSPHERE
https://www.mgtow.com/manosphere/

6. FOR CHRISTIANS: IS MGTOW A BIBLICAL PHILOSOPHY?
https://biblicalgenderroles.com/2018/11/27/why-mgtow-is-an-unbiblical-philosophy/

7. PRINCIPLES OF TFAs (TRADITIONAL FAMILY ACTIVISTS)
https://secularpatriarchy./tfas/

8. EFFECTS OF MILITANT FEMINISM & THE MISANDRY BUBBLE
https://www.singularity2050.com/2010/01/the-misandry-bubble.html

No fewer than 197 housing units out of the 410 owned by Kwara State were allegedly sold to politicians unlawfully by the previous governments that ruled the state between 2003 and 2018, Sunday PUNCH investigations have shown.

Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq had set up a committee, headed by Senator Sulaiman Ajadi, to probe the handling of public assets since 1999. He noted that over 90 properties built with public funds were unlawfully appropriated by some officials of past administrations.

Lamenting during a breakfast meeting with journalists penultimate Thursday, Abdulrazaq said, “Senator Ajadi’s committee did a very good job; they submitted two reports and we’re waiting for the final report. It is unfortunate that from my little reading of it so far, people just shared government properties as if they were their fiefdom; they did not even think for one second that it was government property.”

Meanwhile, a copy of report submitted by the Ajadi-led committee obtained by our correspondent showed how 168 government quarters, made up of three-bedroomed flats with boys’ quarters in the Government Reserved Area were sold to politicians at a rock-bottom price of N5m each while those without boys’ quarters were sold for N4m each.

“Private individuals have also encroached on the land of the government chalets and erected buildings on it,” one of the sources said.

It was learnt that the 29 units of three-bedroomed detached bungalow at the Kwara State Parliamentary Village, meant to house the members of the state House of Assembly, were sold at N2,303,540 each. The sum was said to be 50% of the market value of the property while the Speaker’s lodge was given out at N4.206m representing 50% of market value.

Another property was a five-bedroomed bungalow at Catchment Road, GRA, which served as the official residence of a director of Harmony Properties, a state-owned commercial venture. The property, which was valued at N33m, was sold to a director at N15m, less than 50% of the market value of the property. The sale was said to have been without the approval of the board of the company.

Our correspondent reliably gathered that although all the properties were sold at very cheap prices, the buyers did not pay for them. The report further read in part, “Though the property at Catchment Road in GRA was sold to a director of Harmony Properties Limited at N15m, the buyer only paid N1.5m and started demolishing the building. Since then, nothing else was paid.”

On the quarters at the Parliamentary Village sold to members of the 7th state Assembly, the source noted that even though the approved sales value was ridiculous, beneficiaries did not pay for the quarters. The report stated, “The sale was not transparent and it was counter-productive; therefore, government should adopt the recommendation in the first valuation report, which indicated the open market value. Beneficiaries should be given 6 months to pay the outstanding balance including the difference recommended. “And if the beneficiaries default after the 6 months, sale of the property should be revoked and offered to interested buyers.”

The source noted the report also recommended that the 5-bedroomed bungalow at Catchment Road, GRA, which was sold to a director at N15m, should be retrieved immediately from the director that bought it. The report said, “That all members of the board that approved the sale in contravention of section 282(2) of Company and Allied Matters Act be prosecuted for negligence.”

According to the report, another property that irked the governor was the Amusement Park, a government recreation centre in Ilorin, the state capital, which was sold to a company for N100m. The committee recommended that the government should refund the money to the buyer and remodel it for its primary purpose “as it remains the only all encompassing recreation centre the state can boast of.”

The report also cited the Shonga Farm Holdings, which was initiated in 2004 by the administration of Dr Bukola Saraki as the governor of the state. The state was said to have brought in 13 Zimbabwean farmers, acquired 17,000 hectares of land compulsorily from 33 villages and spent “a lot of money on the farmers”, including provision of houses and take-off grants in foreign currency for them, among other welfare packages.

The state was also said to have guaranteed loan of N650m for them with the Nigerian Agricultural and Cooperative and Rural Development Bank. However, when the farm could not repay the loan, the sum of N1,184,369,818.48 was said to have been deducted from the state’s allocation to repay the loan.

The report also cited Oke Oyi Poultry Farm, established by the state Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, but was mismanaged, leased and sold to a private establishment at a give-away price. Also, the Herald Newspaper; Radio Kwara and Kwara Television whose management were allegedly taken over by a ‘sole administrator’ in the immediate past administration, were other government property said to have been mismanaged.

The report noted further that the state’s landed property in choice areas of Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna and Ilorin had allegedly been shared by politicians and public office holders who served the state in the last two administrations.

When contacted to react to the allegations, Dr Muyideen Akorede, who was the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the immediate past governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, said he had no comment on the issue. Akorede, who did not answer his calls, wrote in his response to a message sent to him on WhatsApp, “No comment my brother.”

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/report-how-civil-servants-politicians-collude-to-loot-kwara-properties/

Seven-year-old 2019 World Robot Olympiad joint champion Brendon Ikem has said that he aims to be the best Artifical Intelligent developer in the world. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ikem emerged champion alongside his pair Christian Peter-Jesse at the just-concluded 2019 World Robot Olympiad held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island on Saturday.

The 2019 WRO Nigeria serves as the qualification stage to the upcoming WRO in Gyor, Hungary from November 8 to November 10, the qualifiers may have about 22,000 participants according to the organisers. The theme for the 2019 WRO is “Smart Cities”, had over 120 students drawn from the public and private schools in attendance.

The 2019 WRO Nigeria was put together by Arc Lights Foundation, the national organiser of the programme since 2011. The 2019 WRO Nigeria serves as the qualification stage to the upcoming WRO in Gyor, Hungary and the qualifiers may have about 22,000 participants according to the organisers.

Ikem, a pupil of Children’s International School, Lekki, Lagos, said that the robotic education means a lot to him, adding that he would love to be the world-renowned AI.

“I am excited and happy to be the winner of 2019 WRO, I did not win last year but I came second, so, I am more determined to be the champion this year. I practised and worked hard for this because robotics means a lot to me. I want to be the best in the world. I will work hard to become the world champion,” he said.

Ikem’s father, Obed, an Engineer, said many preparations had gone into the preparation of his child before he became champion.

“So, many preparations had gone into his winning. We have been preparing for this for a long time. We had to teach him coding and build an application for him. I am a researcher and I gave him a lot of support towards realising his dreams. Nigeria can be a great nation through Artificial Intelligence,” he said.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/seven-year-old-nigerian-robotic-wonderkid-aims-to-be-world-best/

Sample from an American message board.

Woman preparing for her wedding seeks advice on how to get her fiance to do her bidding. Nicely illustrates part of the reason some men are "going their own way"....

MGTOW Decision Matrix:

1. Get married
2. Don't get married
VS
A. Not all women are evil
B. All women are evil

See the matrix attached...

Another MGTOW meme...

Thousands of men are so fed up with women that they're cutting them out of their lives completely. These disgruntled dudes, united in their hatred of the opposite sex, are known as MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way) - and there are tens of thousands of them from all over the world lurking in the loneliest corners of the internet.

Members of MGTOW (pronounced mig-tau) communicate almost entirely online. Sex is off the cards, relationships are banned, marriage is the ultimate no-no - and if you reach the top level of the MGTOW hierarchy you're expected to quit your job and move off-grid so you don't even have to look at women.

Ask these men why and they'll tell you it's because women can't be trusted, they're "manipulative" they'll "suck the joy out of your life" and "rinse you for every penny you have" in the process. Browse their men-only forums and you'll also read the argument that society has become stacked in women's favour - with unequal divorce settlements, higher male suicide rates and false rape accusations cited as proof that fellas are being screwed over.

Men going their own way, like MGTOW YouTuber Big John, say women are impossible to be with.

THE 5 LEVELS OF MGTOW
There is reportedly an unofficial hierarchy within MGTOW groups based on how committed men are to ejecting all women from their lives. It has been reported that members can achieve different levels within the MGTOW community based on how committed they are to abandoning women.

Level zero, at the bottom of the ladder, involves swallowing the "red pill" - terminology from sci-fi classic The Matrix which means understanding how things really are. As you work your way up through levels one, two and three, you gradually scale back contact with women until you reach level four: the extreme point when you up sticks and leave the matriarchy behind by moving to a cabin in the woods.

Level 0: Embrace the idea that gender equality is a lie and propoganda.
level 1: Reject all long-term relationships.
Level 2: Reject all short-term relationships and stop having sex.
Level 3: Only interact with wider society where you have to.
Level 4: Disengage completely from society.

MEN 'GOING MONK'
It all sounds like a bit of a joke, but 60,000 very serious men are subscribed to the anonymous MGTOW message board on Reddit, while thousands more belong to similar forums elsewhere on the web, including mgtow.com. Virginity is a common topic on the Reddit, and many say they have proudly chosen to never have sex - describing their devotion to celibacy as "going monk."

A deep fear of false rape accusations is one of the driving forces behind this, while other men are wary of women using sex as a way to get to their wallets. "I want to die a virgin," writes one unnamed poster, saying that the #MeToo movement has made sex too risky to be worthwhile. Many of the men who agree with the MGTOW movement, like YouTuber LFA, say giving up women will make you richer and happier

MEN ON REDDIT TALK ABOUT THEIR DESIRE TO DIE WITHOUT EVER SLEEPING WITH WOMEN
Sex is dangerous and addictive, according to some men on the Reddit. "Nothing wrong with not having sex," one man replies. "It's addicting and potentially dangerous."

"I would much rather be a virgin my whole life than be a slave," another agrees, but bizarrely others see no problem with paying for sex.

"Most prostitutes are honest women and most women are dishonest prostitutes," as one man puts it, and many more say a combination of prostitution and sex dolls has allowed them to end all other relationships with women.

MGTOW say the idea of detaching from all female relationships is age old. The philosophy has been thriving since the early Noughties, with a website, Facebook group and a popular Reddit page dedicated to discussing the MGTOW way.

It's not a movement in a conventional sense, bound by an official members list, but many that subscribe to its school of thought use the MGTOW logo. "There is no MGTOW movement," one unnamed forum user tells Sun Online. "There are individuals realising that the deck is stacked against those that choose to try to engage in traditional relationships, and are opting out."

Another explains: "We're just a bunch of men who've decided to live our lives alone peacefully without outside interference or validation."

YouTube videos about MGTOW include a clip by a man called The Enlightened Kiwi where he talks about marriage being a waste of time and resources.

'WOMEN ARE PROGRAMMED TO RUIN LIVES'
While the buzz around MGTOW mostly exists online, the movement has been known to occasionally creep into the real world. A smattering of men going their own way - including a man in a hazard-tape dress with MGTOW emblazoned on the front - were filmed at a feminist rally in Edmonton, Canada, a couple of years ago.

One man holding a sign saying "Feminism is a refuge for woman's sexual failure" told a reporter: "Men have decided to no longer participate in relationships with women as a result of the issues with family courts, false rape allegations and slander coming from feminists."

"...blah blah, woman's sexual failure, wah wah..." says Don Juan here, dressed fetchingly in his #mgtow Hefty trash bag and crime scene tape pic.twitter.com/0Zz8smq69V
— Ryan Adams �️�️‍� (@filmystic) September 23, 2017

YOUTUBER 'BIG JOHN' CLAIMS WOMEN ARE A 'NUISANCE' WHICH MEN DON'T NEED
Meanwhile, in a YouTube clip with 150,000 views, a man calling himself Big John explains over a glass of scotch why the MGTOW philosophy is proving so popular. "There is a concept that men need a woman," he says, swilling his whiskey. "But I find women to be a nuisance. I've tried to have them as girlfriends and they've been terrible. When you talk about getting a woman, are you willing to pay the price?"

A YouTuber called LFA says in a video with 35,000 views: "You are running backwards if you chase after a woman. Hopefully you're so focused on your money that you aren't even paying attention to women."

"Marriage is a waste of time, money, energy and resources," agrees a man called The Enlightened Kiwi, in another video with over 160,000 views.

And another MGTOW YouTuber, True Grit Productions, has racked up 50,000 views on a video about how terrible LA women are.

Elsewhere on the anonymous message boards, threads are dedicated to discussing how much they all hate "White Knights" - men who unquestioningly jump to women's defence in hope of hooking up with them. The only kinds of people they hate more (other than women, of course) are "manginas" - male feminists - and "Chads" - attractive jocks.

In other posts, MGTOW members share anecdotes about their messy divorces, post memes they've made or talk about cuting off female family members who disagreed with them. "Most mothers are terrible people," one post rages. "How can a sane person hang out with a woman? What a waste of life."

The MGTOW banner is broad, and has some overlap with online alt-right communities in their rejection of feminism and gender equality. But while you'd think that MGTOW and Men's Rights Activists (MRAs) would have a lot in common, the two groups frequently clash online. They both despise feminism, but where MRAs want to change the law to get rid of the perceived imbalance against men, MGTOW want to remove themselves from society entirely.

MGTOW are also distinctly different from "Incels" (involuntary celibates) - the group which the Toronto van attacker belonged to. Both groups revolve around celibacy, but this is supposedly a conscious choice for MGTOW, while Incels want to have sex.
'Thanks to MGTOW, I can live in peace'

The MGTOW school of thought is fairly new, having sprung up online in the 2000s when two men calling themselves Solaris and Ragnar published a MGTOW manifesto claiming that feminism is anti-men and that men should escape from it. However, the idea of men packing it all in to abandon womankind is as old as the hills, with the MGTOW website claiming that Jesus Christ himself was one of the first men to go his own way.

MEN WHO GO THEIR OWN WAY SAY THEY ARE MAKING A RATIONAL CHOICE TO ESCAPE THE ILLS OF WOMANKIND.
On the MGTOW website, men share testimonies about how much their lives have improved since cutting out women. One reads: "Thank you MGTOW for teaching me young and preventing me from the lies women and marriage bring. I can now live in peace."

"Was engaged for a year and just blew it off," another man writes. "Screw that death sentence!"

You can't help but imagine that the women who used to be in their lives might be that much better off as well.

SOURCE (abridged): https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6462838/mgtow-community-men-hate-women/

Dear friends,

One of Nigeria's neighbouring countries, Benin Republic, has an estimated current population of 12.1 million (https://countrymeters.info/en/Benin), which is far less than Lagos state's.

Its tiny population notwithstanding, Benin is currently the world's 6th largest importer of rice! How come? Guess where all that rice was going?

If you guessed Nigeria, you get full marks. Most of it was being SMUGGLED into Nigeria! Should our neighbour's quest for survival lead to the destruction of our economy and agriculture?

See below the 10 Largest Rice Importers In The World (SOURCE: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-largest-rice-importers-in-the-world.html)

Rank Country Rice Imported (US$ '000)
1st China 1,599,660
2nd Iran 1,628,522
3rd Saudi Arabia 1,314,680
4th Indonesia 1,037,128
5th United States 966,569
6th Benin 936,122
7th Philippines 736,649
8th United Arab Emirates 700,209
9th Cote d'Ivoire 688,422
10th Iraq 676,422