₦airaland Forum

Nigerian singer, Tekno has once again deleted all his Instagram posts leaving behind a cryptic message on his IG stories that simply reads, 'tables will turn'.

It's not clear why he made the move again or what his state of mind is, but this is not the first time he's doing it.

Back in January 2016, he deleted all his pictures on his Instagram page following comments from his Tanzanian fans that he will die soon.

Source:
https://www.denland.site/2019/10/tecno-again-deletes-all-his-instagram.html

Michelle Obama celebrated husband Barack Obama by showering him with encomium as they mark their 27th wedding anniversary.

The former US First Lady took to Twitter to celebrate her husband shortly after he celebrated her on Instagram.

Sharing a photo of them, she wrote: "27 years ago, this guy promised me a life full of adventure. I’d say he’s delivered. Here’s to our next chapter of becoming empty nesters and discovering what’s next—while still feeling the magic that brought us together all those years ago. Happy anniversary, Barack.

Source:
https://www.denland.site/2019/10/michelle-obama-shower-praises-to-her.html

Nigeria’s labour unions on Wednesday threatened to embark on a nationwide strike from Oct. 16, if the Federal Government fails to reconvene the meeting of the committee negotiating the consequential adjustment on the new minimum wage.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at a meeting with the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC)-Trade Union Side) in Abuja, warned that labour would not guarantee industrial peace in the country if their demands were not met by government.

Public sector workers in Nigeria have been contending with frustrations from day to day,
following the inability of the Federal Government and organised labour to reach a deal over a new wage that came into effect more than six months ago.

In a statement jointly signed by NLC the President, Ayuba Wabba, his TUC counterpart, Quadri Olaleye and Simon Anchaver, Acting Chairman of JNPSNC (Trade Union Side), the unionists said that labour had all along demonstrated restraint and patience with government.

They noted that labour had to moderate its initial position of having 66.6 per cent upward salary adjustment for workers on salary grade level 07 to grade level 17 by accepting downward adjustment of 29 per cent for officers on salary levels 07-14 and 24 per cent adjustment for officers on salary grade levels 15-17.

“Despite this patriotic gesture, government has kept insisting that it can only pay 11 per cent for officers on grade levels 07-14 and 6.5 per cent consequential wage increase to public workers for officers on levels 15-17.”

According to them, the naira has suffered devaluation from N150 to $1 in 2011 to N360 to $1 in 2019, a depreciation of 140 per cent.

The unionists said that since the last national minimum wage of N18,000 was put in place, workers had been forced to suffer huge inflation and astronomical hike in the prices of essential goods and services.

They pointed out that petroleum price had been hiked from N87 per litre to N145 per litre which translated to 60 per cent price increase and that electricity tariff increased by about 60 per cent.

“Of recent, the Value Added Tax (VAT) has been reviewed from 5 per cent to 7.2 per cent.

“The non-challant attitude of the government negotiating side has dragged negotiations for consequential wages adjustment unduly.

“The offer by government for salary adjustment of 11 per cent for public workers on salary grade levels 07 – 14 and 6.5 per cent consequential increase for public workers on grade levels 15 – 17 is not acceptable to Nigerian workers.

“We view the position of government as a show of insensitivity to the general plight of workers and an attempt to collect with the left hand what government has offered with the right hand.

“We demand the reconvening of the meeting of the committee negotiating the consequential adjustment with a view to concluding the process that started on May 28 within one week.

“Entering into an agreement with labour to the effect that salary of officers on grade 07-14 should be reviewed upward by 29 per cent while that of officers on grade level 15-17 should be reviewed upwards by 24 per cent.

“We demand immediate implementation of the signed agreement on consequential adjustment of public workers’ salaries with effect from April 18 when the new national minimum wage of N30, 000 per month was signed into law,” they said.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the new minimum wage bill was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on April 18. However, deliberations has continued as the issue of relativity and consequential adjustment of salaries still persist.

On May 14, the Federal Government inaugurated the relativity/consequential adjustment committee, which in turn set up a technical sub-committee, to work out a template for the adjustment of salaries of public service employees.

However, government and labour have failed to reach an agreement over relativity and consequential adjustment for the implementation of the new minimum wage more than six months since Buhari signed the Minimum Wage Bill into law.

Source:
https://www.denland.site/2019/10/nlc-tuc-threatened-to-embark-on.html

The Ogun State Police command has arrested a one-eyed man said to be on its wanted list over the murder of 15 people in Ikenne area of the state and its environ.

The suspect identified as Sunday Paul a.k.a Blade, is reportedly the leader of the dreaded Eiye confraternity in Ikenne and he was arrested on September 21 after a discreet investigation.

His arrest led to a wild jubilation in the community and it was learnt that he has been arrested in the past and charged to court on three different occasions. He also spent some time in prison custody over a murder related case before being released recently.

Confirming the arrest, the state's police spokesperson Abimbola Oyeyemi said the suspect admitted to being the leader of the Eiye cult group in Ikenne and its environ and also confessed to being responsible for the killing of Lagos one Kabiru who he claimed was a member of a rival cult group.

“The suspect Sunday Paul a.k.a Blade who has been on the wanted list of the Command was arrested on the 21st September 2019, following intensive surveillance and technical investigation into his activities,” he said.

“Upon his arrest, it was discovered that he has been arrested and charged to court on three different occasions and that he recently came out of prison over a murder related case. On interrogation, he admitted being the leader of the Eiye cult group in Ikenne and its environ, he equally confessed being responsible for the killing of one Kabiru who he claimed to be a member of a rival cult group. His arrest has elicited wild jubilation in Ikenne and its environs.”

Source:
https://www.denland.site/2019/10/the-ogun-state-police-command-has.html

A 26 year-old Nigerian, Max Chinnah and graduate of the Wartburg College in Iowa, United State has invented a smokeless cookstove that he has patented, along with his Ghanaian partner, Godwin Attigah. The company they founded Terraoak, is set to mass manufacture the stove and launch a global sales.

Here is Chinnah’s story as told to wcfcourier.com :

Max Chinnah knows too well the health hazards of cooking over open fires. It’s a common practice in his homeland of Nigeria and led to respiratory ailments that claimed his grandmother’s life.

But the 26-year-old Wartburg College graduate now hopes his portable and smokeless cookstove will someday help save lives around the planet. Terraoak Inc., a company Chinnah founded with fellow Wartburg alumnus Godwin Attigah, is preparing a sales launch this fall for their stove, which converts heat into electricity and outputs it through a USB jack to charge a phone or other small electronic device.

“We are deeply committed to making this dream a reality because it’s a big problem and something we’ve experienced personally,” Chinnah said. “For us it’s very real and raw and very personal.”

The young entrepreneurs initially are marketing Genesys to camping and outdoor recreation enthusiasts but hope to scale up production internationally. Based on the level of early sales, Terraoak already has an arrangement with the World Wide Fund for Nature to give away 1,000 stoves to farmers in rural Kenya.

Indoor air pollution, heightened by inefficient cooking fuels, is a “monstrous problem” that claims 4.3 million lives every year and contributes to global climate change, Chinnah said. Another 1.1 billion people lack access to reliable electricity.

“I’ve been given so much opportunity just coming here,” he said. “This could be my way of not only solving this problem, but giving back, adding value to other people’s lives.”

Chinnah was raised near the Nigerian capital of Abuja, the son of an electrical engineer, and was fortunate that his family could afford a computer when he was just 10 years old.

“That was fascinating to me,” he recalled.

“Growing up I’d always had a curious mind. Playing out on the street with my friends and I’d see a plane fly by. I wondered, ‘How do they see at night? They don’t have headlights.’”

A scholarship package helped Chinnah get to Wartburg in 2011. His only knowledge about Iowa at the time came from watching the movie “Field of Dreams.”

“It wasn’t so much a culture shock,” he said.

“But it was just an adjustment to the quiet, especially in Waverly. I really appreciated that because it was a break from my norm.”

Chinnah earned a degree in computer science. But it was a trip to a Clinton Global initiative conference in Miami that set him on his current path.

“The thing that really energized me was I found people as young as me, even younger, pursuing ambitious goals and big dreams,” he said. “That helped me snap things in focus and change the course of my life, I think, for the better.”

While Chinnah always felt the urge to be an entrepreneur, the conference let him know he
didn’t have to wait until later in life to pursue that passion.

“I didn’t really want to just create an app that didn’t add value,” he said. “So I started to think about the things that are really important to me. I’ve always been intrigued by the issue of climate change, and how can we push back against that and leave a better planet for our grandkids.”

He would later meet his eventual business partner, Attigah, a Wartburg student from Ghana, and the two would begin the arduous task of seeking funds to secure a utility patent for the stove and prepare it for manufacturing.

The stove won a $10,000 innovation prize at Yale University’s Global Health Innovation Conference in 2016, which funded field tests under harsh conditions in Ghana. Terraoak later got seed funds from Red Cedar, a local organization created to help startups and entrepreneurs connect with resources to get them off the ground.

“That was incredibly instrumental for us to get our sample unit done and also get in touch with a manufacturer,” Chinnah said.

“Before we got that, it was really hard, just excruciatingly hard, to raise funds.

“I literally was building my life, my network, from the ground up, which makes it a lot more challenging when you want to be entrepreneurial. It was really hard for us to get connected, to get that uplink.

“Talent may be universal, but opportunity’s not,” he added. “Part of the reason we’re doing this is so our story can inspire other people. Other people can see this and say, ‘You know what, I’ve got through a similar situation like these guys. Maybe if they can make it then I’ve got a shot.’”

Terraoak has a manufacturer ready to begin production pending completion of a successful Kickstarter launch this fall. The Kickstarter model requires enough units to be ordered before the project is viable and manufacturing begins.

The firm has an online landing page in place now — tomsfinds.com/terraoak/a100-001-i1/ — where potential customers can sign up to be notified when the Kickstarter begins and receive a discount on their order.

Chinnah is hoping for strong local support when the launch takes place.

“Great ideas can spring forth from anywhere,” he said. “Our story started here in Iowa. We could use a lot of local support from people in Iowa.”

The men are optimistic about the product’s success after visiting campgrounds and outdoor recreation stores to get feedback about Genesys.

“They were really excited about our story,” he said. “It ties into a larger goal, a social mission, to get this product out there and so we can sale it internationally and touch lives.”

Source:
https://www.denland.site/2019/10/a-26-year-old-nigerian-max-chinnah-and.html

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday at a dinner organised in commemoration of Nigeria’s 59th Independence Anniversary at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja, thrilled the guests with visual descriptions of attributes that make Nigerians outstanding.

Osinbajo, who spoke on a lighter note, said that one of the distinct attributes of the Nigerian person was the `Nigerian Swag.’

He described `Nigerian swag’ as that uniquely confident way that made Nigerians to stand out everywhere and in everything they did.

Osinbajo, who got the guests laughing and clapping intermittently, cited the sport called Bobsled and presented a power point video of Nigerians girls dancing at the Winter Olympics.

“They thought only white people could do this because it is a winter sport; if you don’t have winter and snow in your country you can’t be a bobsled champion.

“Well, so they thought until the Nigerians came to the Winter Olympics in Pyeong Chang South Korea, three Nigerian girls.

“Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga the first Africans in Bobsled at the Winter Olympics.

“They raced into history in style and they ended it with dance.

“How else would you know that they are Nigerians.’’

He said that the World Cup came in May 2018; but well before the World Cup kicked off, Nigeria had started winning. Osinbajo recalled that when Nike released the design of Nigeria’s jersey called Naija in Feb. 2018, three million people pre-ordered the Jersey for 90 dollar a piece on line.

He said that eventually thousands of people lined up to buy the jersey and it sold out in the stores within hours.

“The jersey was lit; so lit that we won the first prize for the best dressed team, Peru came second and Belgium came third.’’

The vice president listed the quality and prowess of Nigerian boxer, Anthony Joshua, Nigerian wedding, dance and language as some other aspects of Nigerian uniqueness.

“And then there is Anthony Joshua, as far as we are concerned the best boxer in the world not only is he a heavy hitter– he could also pass for a model; so much Swag.

“How about the Nigerian wedding, it has become the toast of the world, among other things, we are teaching the world that every wedding deserves a hashtag.

“#Baad 2017, for BankyW and Adesuwa Etomi, #YemiandDolly 1989 or #Dolyem 1989 , that’s me and my lovely wife, to the dramatic entrance of the bridal party, and see the groom flying and of course, the Aso Ebi.

“And everywhere, they are learning our languages; everywhere, here is a kindergarten class in China; the children are learning Igbo; very soon, everyone is going to be speaking Igbo.

“Our contemporary dances have so much swag from skelewu to sekem to shakiti bobo, sakusaku and the most recent, Zanku, I am sure you all know how to gbe se ..gbe se .to gbe body e.

“It is now gbe se, gbe se, all over the world; nobody dances like us; it doesn’t matter whether you are the distinguished senator representing Kogi west or the distinguished senator representing Osun West.’’

Osinbajo also listed one of the richest men in Africa, Aliko Dangote, President Muhammadu Buhari, former President Olusegun Obasanjo as among those who carry Nigerian swag with their dance steps.

According to him, when it comes to fashion, Nigerians are the masters of style.

“From the geles, and look at what Iya rainbow is wearing, and of course the famous
Madam Kofo’s gele.

“Nigerians brought Ankara to mainstream fashion.

“So Nigerian designers are making waves internationally with the infusion of Ankara in their collections.

“And the likes of Lisa Folawiyo, Mackie O, Andrew Iyamah, Kenneth Ize, Mowa Ogunlesi, have been featured in Vogue and other international fashion magazines and events such as the New York fashion week.

“The Nigerian-American designer Ena Udemba designed Beyoncé’s drop dead gorgeous Ankara outfit; today the whole world is wearing our Ankara; from Michelle Obama, Rihana and Kim Kardashian,‘’he said.

He also displayed Buhari featuring with his `trade mark black kaftan’ describing him as the number one man with the swag. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, thanked those who contributed directly or indirectly toward the success of the 59th Independence celebration.

He said that the administration was determined to build on the foundation for change laid in the last four years.

The dinner featured performances by cultural troupes drawn from different states. It attracted notable Nigerians including Maryam Abacha, Wife of former Head of State, Sani Abacha, a former Chief of General Staff, Lt.-Gen. Oladipo Diya (rtd) and former Vice President, Namadi Sambo.

Also present were Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, service chiefs, members of the Federal Executive Council, members of the diplomatic corps, captains of industries among others.

Source:
https://www.denland.site/2019/10/Osinbajo-narrates-stories-of-nigerian.html

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will on Wednesday unveil his final Brexit offer to the European Union and make clear that if Brussels does not engage with the proposal, Britain will not negotiate further and will leave on Oct. 31.

In his closing speech to his governing Conservatives’ annual conference, Johnson will stick to his hard line on Brexit, offering the party faithful the first details of what he will describe as his “fair and reasonable compromise”.

With less than a month until Britain is due to leave the EU, the future of Brexit, the country’s biggest trade and foreign policy shift in more than 40 years, is uncertain. Britain could leave with a deal, without one or not exit at all.

Johnson, who says Britain will leave the bloc on Oct. 31 no matter what, will tell the conference he will send his proposal to Brussels, an attempt to secure a deal to smooth the country’s departure and avoid a potentially damaging no-deal Brexit.

“My friends, I am afraid that after three-and- a-half years people are beginning to feel that they are being taken for fools. They are beginning to suspect that there are forces invthis country that simply don’t want Brexit delivered at all,” he will say, according to extracts released by his office.

“Let’s get Brexit done on October 31 so in 2020 our country can move on.”

More than three years after Britain voted to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum, Brexit talks are at an impasse.

Johnson has been firm that the Oct. 31 deadline will be met, but parliament has put roadblocks in his way – passing a law that requires the prime minister to request a Brexit delay if he fails to secure an acceptable deal at an EU summit on Oct. 17.

The EU has repeatedly asked Britain to come up with “legal and operational” proposals for the changes Johnson wants to a deal his predecessor negotiated with the bloc last year.

‘NOBODY WILL WORK ON A DELAY’

Following its rejection three times by parliament, Johnson has demanded changes to the Withdrawal Agreement, especially over new arrangements with the bloc for the border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.

But after weeks of talks since Johnson took power that have made little headway to break the Brexit stand-off, the prime minister will make his last gambit – a new proposal which British officials describe as a final offer.

The Telegraph newspaper cited a briefing to European capitals that Britain was suggesting a plan that would leave Northern Ireland in a special relationship with the EU until 2025, after which Belfast would decide whether to remain aligned to the bloc or return to following British rules.

The proposal would be aimed at replacing the so-called backstop — an insurance policy to prevent the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland — that has become the biggest hurdle to securing an agreement with Brussels.

A senior British government official said:
“The government is either going to be negotiating a new deal or working on no deal — nobody will work on delay.”

“We will keep fighting to respect the biggest democratic vote in British history. The EU is obliged by EU law only to negotiate with member state governments, they cannot negotiate with parliament, and this government will not negotiate delay.”

Source:
https://www.denland.site/2019/10/john-boris-unveil-his-final-brexit.html

One North Korean missile, out of two missiles launched today, fell into Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on Wednesday morning, Japan’s top government spokesman said.

He said there were no reports so far of any impact on aircraft or ships in the vicinity.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said that the missile fell at 7:27 a.m. local time, or 2227 GMT, while another one a few minutes earlier fell outside of Japan’s EEZ.

*More to follow

Source:
https://www.denland.site/2019/10/north-korea-launched-two-missiles.html

The Nigerian Presidency has reacted to online gossips and speculations that President Muhammadu Buhari may accept the campaign by a group to go for a third term in office.

Malam Garba Shehu, SSA Media to the president slammed the speculations, saying categorically:” No such attempt will happen under this President”

A group that calls itself Movement for the Approval of Buhari Third Term has been campaigning for constitutional amendment to enable Buhari run for a third term.

Read his full statement: The Presidency wishes to correct internet-based gossip and un-informed media commentary regarding presidential term limits, given credence by so-called support groups, staging street demonstrations asking President Muhammadu Buhari to do a third term.

There are no circumstances – nor set of circumstances – under which President Buhari may seek to amend the Constitution regarding the two-term term limit on holding office as President.

President Buhari intends to serve his full second elected term in office, ending 2023 – and then there shall be a general election in which he will not be a candidate.

There is not even the faintest possibility that this will change.

It is important to note that there was a past attempt to change the Constitution to allow for the-then incumbent president to stand for a third term. That attempt was wrong, unconstitutional – and rightly rebuffed. No such attempt will happen under this President.

President Buhari is a democrat. He respects the Constitution. Any activity aimed at altering the two-term limit will not succeed and shall never have his time nor support.

Source:
https://www.denland.site/2019/10/buhari-not-running-for-3rd-term-in.html

The visit comes against the background of recent xenophobic attacks, the evacuation of hundreds of Nigerians and the exchange of visits by Special Envoys of Presidents Buhari and Ramaphosa.

While in South Africa, the Nigerian leader will hold a town hall meeting with Nigerians living in the country, with a view to sharing in their experiences and reassuring them of Nigerian government’s commitment to working for the protection of their lives and property and promoting peaceful co-existence.

President Buhari and his host will preside over the South Africa/Nigeria Bi-National Commission, during which a progress report will be presented. At the end of the meeting, both leaders will sign a joint communiqué.

The President and his delegation including Nigerian business representatives will also
participate at a South Africa-Nigeria Business Forum with their host counterparts.

President Buhari will be accompanied by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State and Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State.

Others are: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd); Minister of Power, Eng. Saleh Mamman; Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arch. Olamilekan Adegbite; Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi; and Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Mariam Katagum.

Also on the trip are: National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd); Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; and Chairman/CEO Nigeria Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

The President will return to Abuja on Friday.

Source:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/why-buhari-is-visiting-south-africa-presidency/amp/