The Senator representing the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State, Senator Eteng Jonah Williams, has expressed satisfaction with the huge success recorded at his maiden medical outreach and its significant impact on constituents across the six Local Government Areas of his senatorial district.

The lawmaker, who made this known while speaking to newsmen recently in Ikom, noted with a sense of fulfillment the positive outcomes produced by the outreach, where scores of residents and constituents of the Central Senatorial District received attention for their varying healthcare needs.

The former Speaker of the Cross River House of Assembly further revealed that with the success of the medical outreach's maiden edition, he and his team are going to look into broadening the program to include eye care services and provision of corrective glasses, additional pediatric surgeons for children, as well as frequent health education on drug control and disease prevention.

The unprecedented medical outreach sponsored a whopping over 10,000 beneficiaries, out of which 1,028 were children. The program also successfully carried out 235 surgeries ranging from hernia, appendicitis, lipoma, ganglion cyst.

Other prominent features of the outreach included free drugs, kidney function tests, liver function tests, lipid profile blood sugar checks, blood pressure checks, typhoid tests, malaria tests, hepatitis screening, RVD Screening, and Health Education.

The outreach, which had earned Senator Williams glowing plaudits from beneficiaries, community leaders, the religious community, the political class, and other leaders of thought, underscores the lawmaker's avowed commitment to the well-being, as well as the yearnings and aspirations of constituents of the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State.

Loyal brother

A foremost pressure and support group associated with the People's Democratic Party (PDP), has stated her resolve to help the PDP win the 2023 elections convincingly. This was stated during the inauguration of her state and chapter executives in Calabar. The event witnessed a massive turnout of dignitaries from in and around the state. In her welcome address the State Cordinator of the group, Barr. Nella Andem-Ewa said that politics is local, grassroot based and about connecting with the people. She mentioned that the PDP NEW GENERATION has setup needed structures across all local governments in Nigeria and is ready to help the party win elections come 2023.

Inaugurating the Cross River State chapter of the group the Director General of the PDP NEW GENERATION support group Mr. Audu Mamoud charged the new excos to be steadfast in propagating the Atiku/Okowa ticket saying that their aim is to deliver more than 5million votes for the party come 2023. He stated that the PDP New Generation shall work hard to reclaim the mandate back from Gov. Ayade in Cross River State.

The PDP Chairman, Cross River State, Mr. Venatius Ikem Esq. was present, but due to pressing party obligations had to leave, and was ably represented by the State Youth Leader, Comrade Boniface Odey who said that the new generation support group is highly regarded by the party. Adding, that the support group must work hard to make sure PDP emerges victorious from presidency to counsellorship come 2023. He also advised the New Generation group to counter any opposition that may attempt to consume the party's victory.

The PDP publicity secretary, Cross River State chapter, Prince Mike Osiji charged the group to work more in the hinterlands, creating impact that will lead to success at the polls. Also speaking, Mr. Attah Ochinke Esq. PDP candidate for Boki/Ikom federal constituency and former attorney general, Cross River State remarked that PDP must reclaim Cross River State and make sure the state is back to us. The Deputy Governorship Candidate of the PDP for the 2023 gubernatorial elections, Lady, Emana Duke Ambrose - Emawhe represented by Ms. Queensley Bassey, PDP chapter women leader, Calabar South highlighted the importance of the group as a grassroot organization who understands the terrain and so have a lot of contributions to make as regards the 2023 elections. Adding that Cross River State has lost it's place as a tourist destination and all hands must be on deck to take the state back to her enviable height.

Amazing song, WizLion great talent.

He deserves the promotion, but I think it is a little bit absurd and may cause disobedience.

Rape: A True Perspective
By Ubong Usoro
RAPE: A TRUE PERSPECTIVE
Rape is any type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person who is incapable of giving valid consent, such as one who is unconscious, incapacitated, has an intellectual disability or is below the legal age of consent. The term rape is sometimes used interchangeably with the term sexual assault. There is an alarming increase in the number of people raped in Africa, especially SOUTH AFRICA, but NIGERIA is also witnessing a wave of rape especially in the NORTHEAST region of the country.
My Stand: personally, I do not encourage rape and sexual immorality in any form. Acts of sexuality should be consented to by the individuals involved. Rape is a way of taking decision and making choices for people.
WHY RAPE HAPPEN
1. LACK OF SELF CONTROL: A lot of individuals, lack this basic element of morality. They cannot control their emotions and are carried away my what they see and feel.
2. LACK OF PROPER SENSITIZATION: Many people do not know about rape, they are either not informed or misinformed. They do not recognize the danger signs leading to rape.
3. PARTIAL CONSENT: Some rape victims, give partial consent to the predator, they allow french kissing, fingering of their private parts, sometimes even MouthAction, only to disallowed penetration, at this point the predator may be out of self control and goes on to rape the victim.
4. PAY BACK: A lot of guys see rape as a way of getting back at girls who have wronged them, this is very sad and disheartening.
SEDUCTION: A lot of girls are dressed to kill. They dress as harlot but expect courtesy. They seduce these guys through their mannerisms, display etc. Infact 50% of rape victims may be guilty of this, as the saying goes men are moved by what the see.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RAPE: Some rape offenders have come out to attribute their acts to psychological imbalance just as homosexual attribute their perversion to some hormonal disturbance, this to me is far from truth.
THE GOVERNMENT: Rape, should be involved in our school curriculum and students, taught to avoid such, awareness and massive SENSITIZATION, should be carried out across the country.
THE FAMILY: Some parents today dress their kids in very seductive clothing, claiming it's fashion, decency is throwback, from early age the are already exposed to becoming rape victims.
RELIGIOUS CENTRES: Our Churches and Mosques are not doing enough to rid this menace out of our society.
RAPE VICTIMS: Although, some maybe victims of circumstances, many are catalyst of their rape, they hang out late hours, meet untrusted people at odd hours, wear rape inviting clothes thereby aiding their rape.
TRUTH: Rape kills the dignity and respect of the individuals involved, rehabilitation centers for rape victims should be established across the country, rape offenders should be duly prosecuted, no matter who is involved.
ATTENTION: NOT ALL CLAIMED RAPE VICTIMS WERE RAPED, SOME LIE IN ORDER TO GET BACK AT MEN, WHO REJECTED THEM, LET'S BE CAREFUL TO CRUCIFY ALLEGED RAPE OFFENDERS.
Ubong USORO writes for TheNigerianvoice.com he lives in Uyo ubongusoro4@gmail.com

THE HUMILIATION OF A NIGERIAN YOUTH
Ubong Usoro
Senator Elisha Aboo of the People Democratic Party (PDP), representing Adamawa North in the National Assembly, is currently trending on social media platforms, as a result of an allege assault on a nursing mother who had interfered in his altercation with an Abuja intimacy gadget shop attendant. This man is said to be the youngest Senator in Nigeria. A young person, we could recall that last year President President Muhammadu Buhari has berated Nigerian youths for being 'uneducated' and 'not ready to work'.
President Buhari, while speaking during a panel discussion at the Commonwealth business forum in Westminster, London, expressed displeasure with youths in Nigeria because they were dependent on revenue from oil to survive.
He said the youths, who make up 60 percent of the population, were waiting to get social amenities free without doing anything. Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State is rated by a large number of the country as being the worst performing GOVERNOR in the country, a youth, what is wrong with our young people?
Last year, President Buhari signed the Not too young to run bill which would reduces the age qualification for the office of the President from 40 years to 30 years; House of Representatives from 30 to 25; and State House of Assembly from 30 to 25. This was see as a great advancement by me, but am seriously in doubt about the capabilities of Nigerian youths.

Most of our youths lack the Moral Fibre and Political will to affect the polity, they are not focused and sagacious they are not refined ideological, the lack the foresight to pursue their dreams, they are pushed around by their godfathers, not allowed to think for themselves. But, am glad that we have a few breed of young people standing strong, people like Fela Duroteye, Inibehe Effiong, Omoyele Sowere, Deji Adeyanju, etc. This ones have fought for the liberation of their country, using advocacy and pressure methods, but the majority of
our youths are intellectually lazy, dull and push over, they are only present on social medias, posting nude and promiscuous stuffs, with no contributions to nation building, they are quick to castigate Pastor Biodun, but will not protest the herdsmen killings, with the current crop of youths we have Nigeria is on a part to destruction, although, all hope is not lost, we need to arise from a period of soul searching, and wakeup to face reality, we need to hold our leaders accountable, and not be use for elections only.
We need to prove we are capable of running the business of nation building.
NIGERIAN YOUTHS WAKE UP.

Ubong Usoro writes for the NigerianVoice, he lives in Uyo.
http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/279548/the-humiliation-of-a-nigerian-youth.html

Unilorin, a terrorist organisation. Olufemi Atoyebi, Ibadan The Academic Staff Union of Universities has described the University of Ilorin as a terrorist organisation after the institution reportedly sacked the ASUU chairman in the school, Dr. Kayode Afolayan, for allegedly exposing corrupt practices of the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali. In a letter signed on behalf of the union by the chairman of the University of Ibadan chapter of ASUU, Dr. Ayodeji Omole, and the Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Ibadan Zone, Dr. Ade Adejumo, the lecturers said that Unilorin under Ambali devised all means to suppress legitimate industrial activities in order to avoid exposure of his misdeeds. http://punchng.com/unilorin-a-terrorist-organisation-says-ASUU/

ARE WE STILL UNDER COLONIZATION? The heading of this article will most definitely seem absurd to many. Because, the average Nigerian knows that Britain handed over power to Nigeria in 1960, that is about 57years ago, so how can we still be under colonization? Truth be told, Nigerians are still colonized in a variety of ways, which this article will expose. When Britian left Nigeria in 1960, it was suppose to usher in an era of National dependent and culture, but unfortunately, this vision is yet to be achieved. Colonialism is a policy of a nation seeking to extend or retain it's authority over other people or territories. It involves unequal relationship between the colonial power and the colony (Indigenous people). FORMS OF COLONIALISM IN NIGERIA Colonization usually occurs in different ways, from the normal craze for Italian shoes to massive investment in infrastructure abroad. 1. INTELLECTUAL COLONIZATION: This is widespread in Nigeria, intellectual colonization refers to over dependent on ideologies and philosophies of other sovereign states. We are easily influenced by western ideologies, criticism and sociology. We rarely carry out surveys but accept whatever survey is being carry out by the likes of Amnesty International and the rest, we readily accept western projections and assertions. We feel proud to study foreign languages and neglect our native dialects. In as much, as we know that the world is a "global parlor" and I encourage dynamism in all spheres of life, am not against the of studying foreign languages, it aids easy communication and international relations but a situation where our indigenous languages become second class is absurd, a situation where parents are proud to teach their children foreign languages neglecting their mother tongue amounts to intellectual colonialism. Remember, You can never be more British than the Britons, let us uncover this veil of intellectual colonialism covering us. 2. MEDICAL COLONIALISM: Our over dependent on foreign medical care, is a form of colonialism that occurs even in our highest level of governance, where Billions of Naira will be spent to renovate our hospitals, yet, we still place more value on having medical care abroad, wasting our hard earned taxpayers monies, why can't we build medical facilities of international standard? Is it that our doctors are can not render proper medical treatments? Truth be told, we are still colonized by other countries medically and review should be immediate, even the pharmaceutical companies, how many of them are located in Nigeria? Almost all our drugs are made in China, US, etc. We must decolonize ourselves medically. PROPERTY COLONIZATION: This refers to our love for foreign products and underrating our homemade materials, we will easily overpay for foreign drinks, shoes, bags etc. To an average Nigerian anything foreign is of better quality to our locally made products, but how true is that? Am glad that states like Akwa Ibom is leading the call of industrializati on, more still need to be done in this aspects, we can't we produce good and quality materials? This is a questions, we need to answer, our over dependence on foreign materials is one of the reason we are facing reccesion now, as a country! lets rise up and grow beyond all forms of colonization. Almost all Nigerians encourage and aid 21st century colonialism in one way or the other, we need a serious campaign to recreate our mentality from the highest to the lowest, from the leaders to the followers, a well planed program on how to lead us out of colonization, A strong political will, to free the masses from the shackles of colonization, as we hope for a better NIGERIA. Comrd Ubong Usoro Ubongusoro4@gmail.com

It will take only divine intervention to stop corruption

Nigerians are a very funny and jovial people and most times I am amazed by our way of getting over things. But, one problem that Nigerians have been battling for a very long time is CORRUPTION. Even before our independence the corrupt tendencies were already in Nigerians. Mind you, it is not like a default setting, but, we've been enclosed by corrupt practices. Corruption is a form of dishonest or unethical conduct by a person entrusted with a position of authority, often to acquire personal benefits, corruption may include bribe and embezzlement. SCALES OF CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA Corruption can occur in different ways from the normal checkpoint (Police/Petty) corruption to the massive looting that is being carried out by those in positions of power (Grand), corruption. 1. PETTY CORRUPTION: Occurs at regular intervals here in Nigeria, it is basically carried out by officials of both government and private establishments, the take undue advantage of their offices to exhort money from the poor masses before rendering services that are demanded of them, examples are the police force, nurses/doctors, teachers and officers at various ports, many other Nigerians are engaged in this act of corruption. 2. Grand Corruption: This refers to corruption that occurs in the highest levels of governance, form the Local Government Secretariat to our Presidential abode, usually, it comes with the subversion of the political, legal and economic system in a state, this is also very common in Nigeria, from the Power sector scandals to the NNPC palaver, and the most recent Dasukigate, etc. 3. SYSTEMIC CORRUPTION: This corruption is primarily due to weakness of organizations, for example, the weakness of our Police force, road safety, Immigration and other agencies, these weakness over the years has lead to a corrupt infection that infects almost all who are employed by these agencies. 4. POLITICAL CORRUPTION: This is the abuse of public power, office or resources by elected or appointed political office holders, for personal gains, by extortion, soliciting or offering bribes in other to have their way, unfortunately, this is a very common phenomenon in Nigeria. The are also other scales of corruption but we shall consider the following. Political corruption is a persistent practice in Nigeria, according to president Buhari, Corruption is the greatest form of human rights violation, since the creation of modern public administration in the country, there have been several cases of misuse of funds and resources by political office holders. The rise of public administration and the discovery of oil are seen as the events that has lead to increase in corrupt practices in the country. It is estimated the we've lost about $400 billion to corruption since independence. DYNAMICS Theories and philosophies abound for the possible causes of the seemingly insurmountable corruption in Nigeria. Some blame greed and ostentatious lifestyle as potential root cause of corruption. To some, our society is the main cause of corruption, our love for materialism and flamboyant living is not also helping and I see this as a driving force of corruption, for instance in Nigeria we tend to celebrate the rich not minding the source of his wealth, people can acquire properties at will without having to state their source of endings. The "make it by all means" mentality has contributed wholesomely to this menace, I postulated that we are the cause of corruption in Nigeria, yes you! Because leaders are chosen from citizens and the kind of citizens you have reflect in the leaders you have. If we cannot be honest in our little corners but will crucify public office holders are we not the same, Market women, who will even swear while telling a lie to convince buyers are you not corrupt, students who will always shout our leaders are corrupt but engage in various forms of malpractice are you not also corrupt? Almost all Nigerians encourage or aid corruption in one way or the order and we need a very serious overhaul of our systems form the highest to the lowest, form The leaders to the lead, a massive program that will discourage all forms of corruption, a task force that seeks to change the people's mentality while providing opportunities, massive rehabilitation of all corrupt culprits, a house to house sensitization that the country has never seen, and hope for a better country. ARE YOU CORRUPT? Comrd Ubong Usoro Ubongusoro4@gmail.com

Check this out, this is great. laugh today laugh laugh laugh www.youtube.com

oky

President Muhammadu Buhari, the alleged anti corruption hero, where is he? The President left the country on Sunday May 7th 2017, for a medical leave, as humans I known we we prone to sickness and affiliations of life, it spares neither Presidents or citizens, but the way, this situation is being managed is what I cry foul. First Improper Information Circulation: We are aware of the fact that information is power and.misinformation can lead to grave dangers, in a country as large as Nigeria information plays a crucial role but in binding the people and breaking the people, for Gods sake why are the information managers of President Buhari, not giving us the right information, we are qualified to know, what kind of ailment is the President suffering from? We should be given a week to week update on the Presidents state of health, devoid of lies and political coating, we the citizens demand this and should be given same, it is not a right reserved for a few special fellows, the day, President Buhari, took the oath of office to become the President of the federal Republic of Nigeria, he gave up the right of being only Aishas husband and Yusufs father, but he became the father of all Nigerians irrespective of political affiliation,religious beliefs or creed, we need proper information as regards our Presidents well-being. 2: #WhereIsBuhari I have seen the love and concern of Nigerians to know where the President is, if you check round social media of will see the hastag, it is not just about love it is also about the frustration and pains in the hearts of Nigerians, upon the bank of promises that President Buhari came with, Nigerians needs him to fulfill those promises, the last time I checked, poor power supply, massive corruption and low standard of education is still around, so where is President Buhari to tackle these problems, Nigerians need President Buhari. Comrd Ubong Usoro Ubongusoro4@gmail.com

Another Clarion Call for Your Support We are writing to request and or appeal that One thousand naira from seventeen thousand people will help Udemeh King go through chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant in India. He is critically ill and being supported by a walking stick and with much pains. Bro. Udeme King is a minister of the Gospel of Christ requesting for our help. Much had been spent to sustain him till date while he is expected to arrive India on the 20th of December, 2016 for the treatment. Try and pay at least N1,000 into Udeme’s Account and it will go a long way to helping for it all. You are one of the 17,000 persons needed to help Udeme live a better life again. Account details Udemeh King, Zenith bank: 2175834826 A small sacrifice to help a needy brother today is a great seed sown in the right direction. Because our God is alive, Udeme will live to serve Him with more years in sound health, pray with us for Udeme King. God bless you.

Usen Inyangmme Another Clarion Call for Your Support We are writing to request and or appeal that One thousand naira from seventeen thousand people will help Udemeh King go through chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant in India. He is critically ill and being supported by a walking stick and with much pains. Bro. Udeme King is a minister of the Gospel of Christ requesting for our help. Much had been spent to sustain him till date while he is expected to arrive India on the 20th of December, 2016 for the treatment. Try and pay at least N1,000 into Udeme’s Account and it will go a long way to helping for it all. You are one of the 17,000 persons needed to help Udeme live a better life again. Account details Udemeh King, Zenith bank: 2175834826 A small sacrifice to help a needy brother today is a great seed sown in the right direction. Because our God is alive, Udeme will live to serve Him with more years in sound health, pray with us for Udeme King. God bless you.

please I need your contributions were can a chemical engineer work.

Happy Lords Day to all of Gods Children out there who will be worshipping him in spirit and in truth. Were are you worshipping God today? For me its Church of Christ #5 Ndoki road, Aba

The UK may have voted on 23 June to leave the European Union but it is not yet clear what the country's path to Brexit will actually mean. Here we highlight the latest developments following the vote. Economy Many economists prior to the referendum had been predicting an immediate and significant impact on the UK economy and consumer confidence should the country vote to leave the EU. But so far these predictions have not come to pass. The UK services sector grew 0.4% in July, much more strongly than expected in the wake of June's vote to leave the European Union, showing that consumers carried on spending as normal after the Brexit vote. Other figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show economic growth accelerated faster than thought in the run-up to the referendum. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 0.7% in the three months to the end of June, up from the 0.6% first estimated. However, there does seem to have been a decline in confidence in the small business sector. The first survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) since the Brexit vote showed more small and medium-sized businesses were pessimistic about the future than positive for the first time in four years. Meanwhile, international body the OECD has gone back on its warning that the UK would suffer immediately from a Brexit vote and has revised its 2016 GDP growth forecasts for the UK slightly upwards from 1.7% to 1.8%. However, it has cut the forecast for next year from 2% to 1%, saying: "Uncertainty about the future path of policy and the reaction of the economy remains very high and risks remain to the downside." And the heads of two major Wall Street companies have warned that the UK financial services industry could be damaged by Brexit. Rob Kapito, head of one of the world's largest investment houses Blackrock, said there was "a lot of concern" in the financial community, while the president of investment bank Morgan Stanley, Colm Kelleher, said is bank's immediate concern was over whether to invest further in the UK. Consumer confidence has returned to pre- referendum levels in September with shoppers shrugging off concerns and continuing to spend. They have been helped by higher wages, low inflation, and the Bank of England's record low interest rates, according to GfK. Its consumer confidence index is back to its pre- Brexit vote levels in September, jumping six points in its biggest monthly rise since June 2015. This continued consumer spending is also borne out by UK retail sales figures. Sales have generally been rising for the past three years, and in August they were up 6.2% from the same month last year. "Overall the figures do not suggest any major fall in post-referendum consumer confidence," the ONS said. Inflation has gone up, with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rising to 0.6% in July, a rate unchanged in August . Raw material prices have risen, partly as a result of the falling pound, but the ONS said there was "little sign of this feeding through to consumer prices yet". New prime minister David Cameron - who had campaigned for Remain - announced his resignation the day after the referendum. He was replaced by Theresa May, who won the shorter-than- expected leadership contest when rival Andrea Leadsom pulled out. Boris Johnson, who led the campaign to leave the EU, was made foreign secretary with his own leadership ambitions having been thwarted by his former Vote Leave ally Michael Gove. Mrs May's new cabinet also includes a Secretary of State for Brexit, David Davis, and an International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox. Mr Davis, Mr Fox and Mr Johnson all campaigned for Brexit and have roles focusing on it, but are reported to have clashed over the extent of their new responsibilities. Interest rates Since the vote the Bank of England has taken a number of steps to boost the UK economy. It cut interest rates from 0.5% to 0.25% in August - the first reduction in the cost of borrowing since 2009 and taking UK rates to a new record low. The Bank left its main interest rate at 0.25% in September but said another cut is still a possibility. The Bank has also announced a huge extension of its quantitative easing programme by an extra £70bn, and a £100bn scheme to force banks to pass on the low interest rate to households and businesses. One effect of the interest rate cut is that it has exacerbated the growing pension funds deficit because of falling bond yields. As yields fall it reduces the incomes pension funds get from their investments. Currency The pound plunged dramatically on 24 June, the day after the referendum. Since then it has remained at significantly lower levels because of uncertainty about the economic outlook and the UK's relationship with the EU, hitting a three- year low of $1.2869 on 15 August. The pound did bounce back slightly against the dollar in September after the US central bank held interest rates and signalled a less aggressive path for rate hikes in coming years. But sterling is currently trading against the dollar at $1.29 - a year ago it was worth $1.57. The pound has also fallen significantly against the euro . It is currently worth about €1.15. A year ago it was worth €1.35. The currency's continuing weakness has been accentuated by the cut in interest rates and the Bank of England's economic stimulus measures. One of the most immediate consequences of this was that it made foreign holidays more expensive for British tourists, while it has also increased import costs for manufacturers (see Trade below). However, one beneficiary of cheaper sterling has been the UK's own tourism sector, as a weaker pound makes Britain a cheaper destination for overseas tourists. The travel analytics firm ForwardKeys says flight bookings to the UK rose 7.1% after the vote. Caissa Touristic, a tour operator specialising in Chinese travel to Europe, says it's seen a 20% increase in enquiries and bookings for the UK this summer compared with the same period last year, while Irish no-frills airline Ryanair says it has seen a rise in overseas visitors travelling to London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Scotland. Negotiations Mrs May has met some other EU leaders including Germany's Angela Merkel and French president Francois Hollande, but formal negotiations on the UK's departure from, and its future relationship with, the EU have yet to start. EU leaders have said Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - which sets in place a two-year exit process - must be triggered before negotiations can begin. The government has not yet set out in detail what it wants from the talks, with reported differences between key figures on the balance between free trade and immigration curbs. Mrs May has said she will not trigger Article 50 before the start of 2017 at the earliest. Hate crime There's clear evidence of a spike in hate crime since the 23 June ballot. Reported hate crime rose by 57% in the four days after the referendum, police say. Some 3,219 hate crimes and incidents - alleged to have taken place between 16-30 June - were reported to police forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, according to revised figures published by the National Police Chiefs' Council. This represented a 37% increase compared with the same period in 2015. The next reporting period, from 1-14, July, saw 3,235 reports of hate crimes and incidents. This was up only 0.5% on the previous fortnight but it was still a 29% increase on the same period in 2015. And 15-28 July saw 3,236 reports - virtually unchanged on the previous fortnight and up 40% on the same period the previous year. Police Scotland, however, has said this rise in reports has not been witnessed north of the border. It's impossible to tell to what extent the spike was about a rise in reporting and to what extent it was about a rise in actual incidents. What we do know is that most hate crimes typically go unreported. The government has announced a plan to tackle hate crime in England and Wales and police handling of such incidents will be reviewed.

OPEC, the oil producers' group is back in the driving seat. Well perhaps it is. It certainly took the commodities markets (and me) rather by surprise when it agreed to cut production at a meeting in Algiers. In fact the group has a lot of work to do before it has a real and sustained impact on the price. But that decision was not what the market expected. Traders thought the result would be more disarray, as there was at a meeting of OPEC and some other oil exporters in Doha back in April. Economic pressure This time they did manage to make progress. The context for the Algiers decision - and the unsuccessful attempts to agree action before - is crude oil prices are less than half what they were in June 2014. That hurts OPEC member countries. Government finances and economic performance have taken a substantial hit. In Saudi Arabia for example, the government's finances were in surplus to the tune of 12% of annual income (GDP) in 2012. Last year there was a deficit of 16%. Angola's economy grew 7% in 2013. Last year it was 3%. Venezuela's figures are much worse, though it's far from being entirely due to the lower price of oil. That has however severely aggravated the economic damage done by the country's political crisis. OPEC member countries have felt this financial pain with increasing intensity for almost two years now. OPEC doesn't account for the whole market by a long way. There are very large oil producers that are not members, notably the United States, Russia, China and Canada. But the group, which currently has about 40% of the global market can move it by cutting production - and it does have a history of responding to low oil prices, by cutting production. The Iran factor In the past Saudi Arabia, the group's biggest player, has often led the effort. This time the situation was complicated by Iran's emergence earlier this year from international sanctions over its nuclear programme. Tehran was determined to take advantage and sought to recover its share of the market. For OPEC, the trouble was that Saudi Arabia was unwilling to curb production without Iran doing likewise, a position also underpinned by the longstanding geopolitical tension between the two countries which are the leading powers in the Gulf. That tension was the reason for the failure in Doha in April. Things seem to have changed. Iran has boosted oil production already. It could go higher, but not as easily as was the case in the immediate aftermath of the lifting of sanctions. Saudi Arabia has softened its position. The oil minister Khalid al-Falih, who was appointed after the Doha meeting, is reported to have said in Algiers that Iran, as well Nigeria and Libya would be allowed to produce "at maximum levels that make sense". The secretary general of the group, Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, told the BBC that those three countries "have lost a considerable volume of their production due to unfortunate circumstances". He said "they will be treated differently." Shale oil competitors It also appeared to be the case for some time after the price fall began in 2014 that Saudi Arabia was willing to tolerate the situation because of the pressure it put on competitors, especially shale oil producers in the United States. The rise of this sector over the last decade or so is seen as a key factor behind the plentiful supply of oil that partly drove the price fall. Some shale operators have cut back, but overall oil production in the US in 2015 was higher despite the lower prices. If the Saudi aim was to squeeze the American industry, they have not had anything like the success they hoped for. It does look as though the Saudis have decided they need a new strategy. So OPEC agrees they want to take action to push prices up. The detail will be difficult to negotiate. How will they allocate the production cuts between members? How differently will Iran, Nigeria and Libya be treated? And what baseline level of production will they use in calculating new production ceilings? It's also likely they will want some non-members to cooperate. The US and Canada won't. They don't believe in the kind of market management that OPEC is trying to achieve and in any case oil production is done in those countries by private businesses which will not take orders from energy ministers. Russia, however, might be willing to come on board and did discuss the possibility at the Doha meeting. And then with OPEC there is always the question of whether member countries will comply with any agreed limits on their own production. The reaction of the oil market to the Algiers agreement is telling. The price of crude oil rose and then fell back. It remains very much within the range that it has been trading in for the last six months. In short it looks like the market view is that something has changed at OPEC, but traders will need to see OPEC filling in all the details of an agreement before they are convinced that prices really

May God help us.

Blue3k:
It's the fault of out ministries of works and state assembly. Instead of overseasing these issues they are wasting time and resources. Maintenance culture has always been issue. The roads need to become flooded rivers before they do something.

you are right instead of our reps to pass bills that will help the masses the are busy padding our budget

sarrki:
A good write up

Having said that you shouldn't have limited it to SS &SE

Alone, The whole of southern part of the country is

A death trap .

The big question is who is responsible for this ?

We are all guilty. We play tribalism & ethnic card on all

Issues affecting us .

but the condition in the south east and south south is worst ofcourse our government is responsible state/federal government

INFRASTRUCTURAL DECAY IN THE SOUTH
For sometimes now I have been reluctant in writing articles with political undertone, because I have been busy trying to teach the youth about leadership which is definitely lacking in our country, I congratulate people like Iniebehe Effiong who have decided to be the voice of the voiceless in our struggle for a better Nigeria.
All being said back to our subject matter.
Travelling between South-South and South-Eastern States in Nigeria by road have definitely become a dead trap. And every successful trip calls for a testimony, during my recent travel from Akwa Ibom to Abia State on a ministerial assignment I shaded tears at the deplorable state of this very important road, of course we know that Abia State is the commercial hub of the south and as a result all roads linking to Abia should be, in best condition but the reverse is the case.
It doesn't matter if the road belongs to the federal government or not the state government should' rise up and repair this roads knowing very well that it is their people that ply this roads on a daily basis.
Almost all major highways in the South are in a bad state right now, Akwa Ibom - Cross River (bad), Akwa Ibom - Abia (worst), Abia-Rivers State (bad), etc
Why should this be?
#we#need#good#roads#in#the#South.
Comrd Ubong Usoro

North Korea has carried out what appears to be its largest ever nuclear test, sparking global indignation. This is the country's fifth test. Why are the North Koreans doing it, and why is it important? Why now? Well, there have been some reasons given by the North Koreans themselves - and then there are some that need to be read between the lines: Officially, it was a demonstration of the "toughest will" of the Korean people to show they can retaliate to an attack by enemies. It was also a show against the "racket of threat and sanctions" that the nation has suffered at the hands of the global community via the UN Then came the technical reasons - to hone the ability to put nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles (although many experts still doubt this has been effectively achieved) And finally it was a show of national "dignity", an important concept in North Korea backed up by the fact it came on National Day, a traditional time to show off military muscle Unstated, but clearly obvious, was anger at US and South Korean plans to install an anti-missile defence system in the South, along with the traditional lambasting of the annual US-South Korea joint military exercises. Why does it matter? North Korea is an isolated communist nation run by an unpredictable 32-year-old "supreme leader" with his hands on an unspecified nuclear arsenal and seemingly immune to any global pressure to give it up. Kim Jong-un's aggression and invective show no sign of abating. If anything they are getting worse. The North's southern neighbour- still technically at war with the North because the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a treaty - and Japan are particularly nervous. The North has also often stated its aim of targeting the US. What next? The US and Russia have already indicated that there will be more discussions at the UN. A resolution of condemnation is one course of action, given that no nation on the Security Council is likely to block it. There have already been five sets of UN sanctions and more may well be on the agenda, such as blocking the export of fuel oil to North Korea, but how effective they would be is unclear. China's response will be the most important. It has to balance opposition to the North's nuclear actions with a desire not to destabilise its volatile neighbour.bbcnews.com

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says she is "feeling great" after leaving a 9/11 ceremony early. Footage appeared to capture Mrs Clinton stumbling as she was helped into a car. Her campaign said earlier she had left the event in New York because she had "felt overheated" and had gone to her daughter's apartment. bbcnews.com