₦airaland Forum

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the globe, Bill and Melinda Gates have been on the forefront of coordinating the search for effective prevention and treatment of the disease.

The couple, who has spent years fighting against infectious diseases like polio, is critical of the U.S. response to Covid-19–its testing and contact-tracing efforts lag behind countries like Germany.

During the ninth annual and first virtual Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy last Thursday, Bill Gates said, “Usually the United States plays a role in global problem-solving, so rather than withdrawing from WHO, they’d be involved, collaborating with other countries, not just trying to cast blame. It’s a tricky situation, where the U.S. sort of turned inward on this one,” Bill Gates said.

“We’re trying to stitch the efforts of different countries together. The European leaders are trying to fill that vacuum,” the Microsoft co-founder told the 200-plus philanthropists gathered online for his talk. “[U.S. inaction] erodes the kind of relationship and admiration and self-confidence that people have had in us as a country,” added Gates, who brought up the WHO’s key role in the fight against smallpox and polio. Gates said that “rationality will reappear from someone at some point,” and hoped that the U.S. will work with other countries and step up the way it did with smallpox, malaria, polio and HIV.

Gates says, the virus will remain a threat until the majority of the globe is inoculated but he is optimistic about the initial results from three coronavirus vaccine candidates (made by Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson).

But the real test will be in the manufacturing and distribution of the eventual product, because the world needs more than 10 billion doses to vaccinate 80% of the population (the current estimate of percentage needed to achieve herd immunity) with a two-dose vaccine.

The tech visionary estimated that it’s a doable task over two years if both AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson’s candidates are successful, but the prolonged manufacturing process means there needs to be coordination in how the vaccine is distributed.

“One of the reasons we are so involved in this is that you don’t want the first vaccines to go to the highest-bidding countries,” Melinda Gates explained.

“There are 60 million healthcare workers [around the world]. They deserve to get the vaccine first, they’re the ones dealing with this on the front lines, trying to keep us all safe. And then you have to start to tier from there, based on the countries and the populations. Here in the United States, it’s going to be Black people who really should get it first and many

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https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/bill-gates-fires-trump-over-refusal-to-fight-covid-19-insists-black-people-should-be-inoculated-with-vaccines-first/

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed serious concern over the activities of bandits and insurgents in parts of the country, saying that the efforts of the security chiefs toward addressing the menace are not good enough.

The National Security Adviser to the President, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Thursday after a closed-door security meeting with the President at the State House, Abuja.

Monguno also disclosed that the President frowned at the lack of synergy among the security agencies saddled with the responsibility of fighting insurgency and banditry in the country.

“A meeting was just concluded between Mr President and the heads of the security agencies – that is the operational heads consisting of Minister of Defence, the service chiefs, and on the other hand, the intelligence components consisting of myself and intelligence heads.

“Today’s meeting basically focused on recent developments. Mr President has expressed great concern over the declining security situation in the country.

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https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/if-that-is-your-best-its-not-good-enough-for-me-buhari-tells-service-chiefs/

There are speculations that by July 10 this year, Nigeria may lose 24 local councils, including that of the former vice president, Mr. Atiku Abubakar by way of ceding, to a new country to be known as United Nations Organisation (UNO) State of Cameroon at its borders with la Republique du Cameroun, the United Nations said.

The 24 Local Government Areas that Nigeria may loose are five in Borno State, twelve in Adamawa State and seven in Taraba State.

The Local Government Areas to be taken from Nigeria include Bama, Gwoza, Ngala, Kala/Balge, Dikwa. Others include Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Mubi South, Mayo/Belwa, Toungo, Ganye, Serti, Hong, Jada, Maiha and Jada councils.

While conceiving the new state, the former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan invited former President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and Biya of Cameroon to sign

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https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/breaking-atiku-may-contest-2023-presidential-election-in-another-country/

Amongst the prime victims of rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence is Kelly, a 21-year-old damaged teenager who was found on the streets of Skid Row, a neighbourhood in Los Angeles, California, by a good samaritan.

The 11-year-old narrated scarring experiences of her flawed childhood, ill-treatment by her foster parents, her early exposure to sexual abuse and human trafficking and how these circumstances have affected her as an individual.

"I started prostituting at the age of 11. I've been raped on the blade. I've had a gun put up to my head on the blade. He tried to kill...and abuse me if I didn't want to go. I've been abused, I've been raped. I've been molested, I've been tortured..."

"My first time ever being raped, I was five. I was raped by my foster father and my foster mom was aware but she didn't care."


"I know exactly what he did to me, I remember him coming in the door, I remember everything. Me and my foster mom were just watching a movie, he walked in drunk he had a cup of alcohol in his hand and he pretty much asked me to come into the room or whatever." She said. Read more and watch video here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/ive-been-raped-on-the-blade-suicidal-teen-speaks-up/

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Amongst the prime victims of rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence is Kelly, a 21-year-old damaged teenager who was found on the streets of Skid Row, a neighbourhood in Los Angeles, California, by a good samaritan.

The 11-year-old narrated scarring experiences of her flawed childhood, ill-treatment by her foster parents, her early exposure to sexual abuse and human trafficking and how these circumstances have affected her as an individual.

“I started prostituting at the age of 11. I’ve been raped on the blade. I’ve had a gun put up to my head on the blade. He tried to kill…and abuse me if I didn’t want to go. I’ve been abused, I’ve been raped. I’ve been molested, I’ve been tortured…”

“My first time ever being raped, I was five. I was raped by my foster father and my foster mom was aware but she didn’t care.”

“I know exactly what he did to me, I remember him coming in the door, I remember everything.

Me and my foster mom were just watching a movie ,he walked in drunk he had a cup of alcohol in his hand and he pretty much asked me to come into the room or whatever.” She said.

“With me being five years old you know, I wasn’t expecting this or whatever, so like he just grabbed me up and like covered my face and told me to be quiet and just did it and there was just like blood everywhere, I was screaming, she came in and this is how the police was called.”

“My foster mom came in and she was...

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https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/ive-been-raped-on-the-blade-suicidal-teen-speaks-up/

The ‘JusticeForUwa campaign’ for the rape and murder of 22-year-old Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, popularly known as Uwa, has taken a new turn as there are now speculations that she was reportedly pregnant for the pastor of the parish in Benin where she worshipped.

According to the report, the suspect, Chibuzor who was arrested confessed to the DSS that it was the RCCG pastor that paid them 1.5 million Naira to kill the student after she refused to terminate the pregnancy.

Read more: https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/benin-rape-saga-lady-killed-pregnant-for-her-pastor/

In the wake of outcries of Nigerians against rape, three suspects have been arrested by the Police Command in Akwa Ibom State for different cases of defiling minors, including a 55-year-old man who allegedly raped his stepdaughter.

CSP Nnudam Fredrick, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, disclosed this in a statement issued in Uyo on Tuesday.

Frederick said that the 55-year-old man forcefully slept with his 15-year-old stepdaughter.

He said that the suspect, an indigene of Odot 1 village in Nsit Atai Local Government Area of the state, was said to have chased Glory out of the house when he discovered that she was pregnant after raping her.

The police further said that a 38-year-old cultist, one Ekemini Asuquo, confessed that he lured a 14-year-old girl with N1,500 to a hotel where he forcefully raped her.

Asuquo reportedly later snatched the money from his victim and threatened to kill her if she reported the incident to the Police.
Read here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/man-arrested-for-raing-step-daughter-in-akwa-ibom/

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A 38-year-old man, Simon Emeka, has been reprimanded in a correctional centre by a chief magistrate’s court in Makurdi, Benue, after he was charged with raping his seven-month-old daughter.

Police prosecuting officer Sergeant Friday Kanshio told the court at the weekend that one Josephine Habba reported the incident at Police Force ‘D’ Division, Makurdi.

Kanshio quoted Habba as saying that on June 1 she went to a hospital with her daughter where she heard one Mrs Favour Emeka crying and telling a nurse that her seven-month-old baby girl was raped by her husband Simon Emeka.

The suspect’s plea was not taken for want of jurisdiction, though he pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The magistrate, Mr Isaac...

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https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/amid-nations-outcry-father-rapes-his-7-month-old-baby/

The Bayelsa state governorship election tribunal over certificate forgery has taken an unexpected turn as the Liberation Movement gubernatorial candidate of 2019 Bayelsa elections, Vijah Opuamah who dragged the Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewrudjakpor to court over an alleged Certificate forgery has admitted to having discrepancies in his own educational certificate.

On Tuesday, June 9, at a court sitting at the tribunal, the lawyer representing Gov. Duoye Diri (Bayelsa State Governor), Mr Chris Uche (SAN) alleged that Mr. Vijah had unidentical names on his First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) and his West African Examination Council (WAEC) Certificate. The 3rd respondent’s lawyer pointed out that the names on both certificates were contradictory.

Under cross-exemination by Mr. Chris, the Petitioner who was a subpoenaed witness however mentioned that the names on the certificate were different as a result of a change of name. He claims that he has a change of name certificate purportedly issued by the court of law to show for it.

He also alleged that the Deputy Governor’s names were not identical on all his school certificates, also pointing out that Mr. Lawrence was due to graduate in 1994/1995, four years after he gained admission but according to his certificate, he graduated on 2nd February, 1998. Three years after his expected year of graduation. He therefore insinuated that the document was “false and contradictory”.

In a short ruling, the chairman of the three man panel, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo held that there were unidentical names on both certificates. He said “I hope players are not turning into preachers.”

Justice Sirajo, discharged the...

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https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/bayelsa-certificate-scandal-we-are-not-the-only-ones-guilty-of-certificate-forgery-pdp/

Egypt has requested for the disqualification of the candidate of Nigeria for the post of director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Nigeria is expected to square it out with Egypt and Benin Republic in the election for the seat of Director-General of WTO for the term 2021-2025 at the election scheduled to hold in Geneva, Switzerland in 2021.

Ambassador Yonov Frederick Agah, Nigeria’s permanent representative to WTO had earlier been endorsed alongside Mr Eloi Laourou of the Republic of Benin and Mr Abdulhameed Mamdouh of the Arab Republic of Egypt by the African Union Commission as Africa’s shortlist for the position.

However, in a five-page document dated June 4, 2020, addressed to all embassies and permanent missions in Addis Ababa, the federal government informed the AU commission of its decision to withdrew the candidacy of Yonov Frederick Agah, Nigeria’s permanent representative to WTO, for the position. Read more here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/wto-dg-seat-egypt-battles-nigeria-seeks-okonjo-iwealas-disqualification/

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A legal practitioner, Manzuma Issa, says lack of diligent prosecution of rape cases is responsible for the recent upsurge in the country. Issa, the immediate past Chairman of the Ilorin branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), told newsmen on Friday that the rising cases of rape exposed the ineffectiveness of security agencies in diligently prosecuting accused persons.

He also called for intensive advocacy and diligent prosecution to curb the incessant cases of rape. “I think I will suggest there should be intensive awareness and advocacy to sensitise on the dangers of rape and the consequences. “What we need is advocacy, proper prosecution of offenders because I know that some cases that are taken to recognisable institutions and authorities are settled.

“This encourages others to commit the offences. “We need to address the issue of social justice. We need to address issue of corruption. People will commit crimes and get away with it. “People have blamed the court of law, but the court acts on the materials put before it to deliver justice. ” So if there are insufficient materials, the judge, whatever may be the sentiment about the rampancy of a particular crime, cannot convict the defendant unless there is sufficient evidence before the court.

“The punishment for rape is 21 years imprisonment and I doubt if anybody has been convicted for offences of rape and incest in recent times,” he said.

On the burden of proof in such cases, the legal practitioner explained that the proof of commission of rape is not too stringent. “What the prosecution needs to prove is that there was a penetration and the victim never gave consent. It is as simple as that,” the lawyer said. He urged victims of rape and their families to always come out to report so that culprits could be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
Read here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/the-reason-why-rape-cases-are-increasing-nba-chairman/

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The candidate of the Liberation Movement (LM) in the November 16, 2019 Bayelsa State governorship election, Vijah Opuama has apologised to Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo over error in a subpoena to testify over alleged certificate forgery.

On Thursday, June 4, during a court sitting at the tribunal, the petitioner’s lawyer, Mr C.D Pius, asked that the application made to the court for the deputy governor, Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo to appear as a witness of the fourth respondent should be withdrawn.
Mr. Pius expressed that there was a mistake with the subpoena issued and apologized to the court.

The Street Journal had earlier reported that the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja had granted Opuama’s request to subpoena Ewhrudjakpo to appear and present an original copy of his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

But at the resumed hearing on Thursday, the three-member panel of the tribunal led by Justice Ibrahim Sirajo scolded counsel to Opuama, Pius Pius Esq for filing a fresh subpoena on Wednesday night after realising an error in the initial subpoena to the deputy governor.

The initial subpoena had directed the deputy governor to appear before the tribunal and tender original of the certificate, but in the new subpoena, LM intended to make him a proper witness to testify from the dock.

Details to come

Source: The Street Journal
https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/bayelsa-certificate-scandal-we-dont-want-ewrujakpor-to-testify-lm-petitioner/

On Wednesday, the Ekiti State Police Command confirmed the killing of a 78-year-old widow by persons suspected to be ritualists in Ikere Ekiti, Ikere Local Government Area.

The incident was confirmed  by the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Sunday Abutu, who described it as “unfortunate and mysterious.”

Abutu said investigation had begun into the case and that the Criminal Investigation Department had been directed to take over the matter.

He added that the corpse of the woman had been recovered and deposited in the morgue of the State Specialist Hospital in Ikere Ekiti.

Sources in the locality had earlier told newsmen that the woman, Mrs Sabianah Aranilewa, was not only killed, her blood was drained and vital organs removed by the ritual killers.

Also confirming the reports, the deceased’s son, Mr Eyitope Aranilewa, said his mother had earlier gone missing on Friday, May 29, around 6: 45 a.m while washing clothes at her residence along Moshood road, Odo-Oja area of Ikere-Ekiti.

He said his mother’s friend referred to as Mrs Ojolo first raised the alarm and organised a search party, but efforts to find her proved abortive until 4.00 p.m. when her corpse was found inside a stream with her throat slit and other vital organs removed.

“On that fateful day, I got a distress call that my mother was missing. It was my mother’s friend, Mrs Ojolo who resides within a short distance from her shop that raised the alarm when she did not see her in the shop

“The matter was immediately reported at the police station, but it was not long that information came that her body had been located at a place not far from the home.

“She was slaughtered like a goat and the corpse dumped in a shallow stream, flowing through the back of her home," he said.
READ HERE==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/ritualists/

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Alliance for Surviv­ing COVID-19 and Beyond, (ASCAB), a group led by prominent Nigerian human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s claim that late dictator, Sani Abacha, stole $1 billion con­tradicts the figures earlier released by his own officials.

The group described as inconsistent the President’s statement contained in an ar­ticle he wrote for interna­tional magazine, Newsweek, adding that the $1bn quoted by Buhari is barely one fifth of the total amount top officials of the same government claimed to have recovered from the late military henchman.

In a statement signed by ASCAB Secretary for Pub­licity, Adewale Adeoye and made available to newsmen on Monday, the group said that the President’s article falls short of reflecting the stark realities of corruption at the home front and had ridiculed the image of the country as forebears of truth.

“There is a wide gap be­tween the $1b President Bu­hari claimed Abacha had sto­len and the $5b earlier admitted by the same government.

This raises fundamental questions about the whole gamut of the campaign against corruption which is one of the focal points of Buhari’s regime.”

The group insisted that the inconsistency has raised fresh dusts that suggest the Federal Government is con­cealing its knowledge about the extent the country was gang-raped by an outstand­ing rogue regime that ruled the country for five years.

“Buhari’s views were pub­lished in last week’s edition of Newsweek magazine. Pres­ident Buhari, in the article, wrote that “close to $1bn of funds stolen from the people of Nigeria under a previous, undemocratic junta in the 1990s that have now been re­turned to our country from the US, UK and Switzerland,”

Transparency International, (TI) said the FG recovered not less than $3.6 billion from the Abacha loot from 1998-2020.

ASCAB, established by la­bour and over 70 civil societies spread across Nigeria came in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic to ensure tiers of government are pinned down to the highest levels of fiscal responsibility in the face of economic meltdown associat­ed with COVID-19.

How Buhari emboldened Abacha's family to 'reclaim oil block - Former Attorney General

Meanwhile, Mohammed Adoke, a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari's administration of sympathizing with the Sani Abacha’s family.

The former Head of State who ruled Nigeria between 1993 and 1998, is alleged to have looted millions of dollars from the treasury.

Adoke stated that when Abacha’s family decided to go to court and make claims on the OPL 245, otherwise known as Malabu, under the Buhari government confirms his belief.

According to the former minister, the development had shown the Abachas found the present political environment conducive.

Adoke stated this in his book, ‘Burden of Service Reminiscences of Nigeria’s Former Attorney-General’ expected to be on sale in Nigeria from Monday.

He stated that President Buhari was misled into thinking that he was not fair to the Abachas in the Malabu transaction.

He added that the confidence of Mohammed, Abacha’s son grew under the Buhari’s administration and decided to file a case in court.

Adoke insisted that the Abachas couldn’t have done that under previous administrations.

He said someone must have given Mohammed the confidence that the courts could be used to get the oil block back.

He said, “Obviously, for the Abacha’s to dare raise their heads to make claims on their loot, today’s political environment is conducive to them. Clearly, they have sympathisers in the Buhari government.”

“For the eight years that President Obasanjo was in power, the Abachas never came out to make a claim to OPL 245. They never tried it under President Yar’Adua either.”

“Under President Jonathan, they never came out boldly to assert any claim. But under the Buhari government, they feel so comfortable to make such an audacious claim, even going on to file a suit.”

“The Abacha’s have become sure-footed enough to step forward to go after OPL 245!”

Adoke stated that he gave Mohammed a tough time to recover the public funds looted by the Abacha family.

He claimed he made the Abacha’s to forfeit money hidden away in several jurisdictions across the country, hence “he (Mohammed) hates me to no end”.

Adoke also spoke on the issues that led to the defeat of the Peoples Demicratic Party in 2015.
He said other people should have been allowed to participate in the presidential primary election of the party.

He said, “Another mistake made by the PDP was attempting to adopt the American model where a sitting President from the ruling party does not get challenged. Aspirants were not allowed to participate in the 2015 presidential primary.”

“They should have realised that Nigerian democracy had not advanced to that level of maturity.”

“In hindsight, it would have been better to have had a contentious primary. It would have created a moral burden for any aspirant who considered leaving afterwards.”

“In my view, that would have accorded people the opportunity to ventilate their views by participating in the process to get a sense of accomplishment, even if they didn’t win. That would have given the party’s primary more credibility.”

“As soon as only one nomination form was printed for the presidential race, more upheaval was engendered. Many more people exited the party. Even those who remained were not there for the love of the party but for the benefit they stood to reap: campaign funds and more.”
READ HERE==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/femi-falana-others-accuse-president-buhari-of-lying-about-abachas-loot/

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Speculations making rounds that The Chief Nursing Officer of Central Hospital, Agbor, Delta State, Mr Michael Mordi was forcefully removed from the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Asaba by seven of his relatives, has been debunked.

On Monday evening, Mr. Mordi, 53, opened up, saying he was not suffering from COVID-19 and that he also was not forcefully removed from the treatment centre as being speculated by the State Ministry of Health.

According to Vanguard, Mordi maintained that he was hale and hearty when they picked him to the FMC treatment centre in Asaba on 24th May, adding that he was not exhibiting any symptom of COVID-19 or symptom any ailment for that matter.

Lamenting that he was being given 10 different drugs including antibiotics twice daily (morning and evening), he decried that “those drugs were capable of destroying my system.

I was not sick of anything before they picked me up. “I thank God that I am still alive even with those drugs they administered on me twice daily. They conducted...

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From time immemorial, people have been accustomed to treating health issues with local herbs or over-the-counter medications without seeking a doctor’s prescription first. The most popular being painkillers. How convenient is it to pop a pill just to relieve yourself of the splitting headache or back pain right? While these seem to be very effective in curing minor health issues therefore causing people to be more reliant on them, they certainly come with their own side effects, especially for women.

A Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dr Abosede Lewu, has urged young women to stop abuse or consistent use of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), also known as painkillers to prevent infertility. The ‘Keep All Mothers Alive (KAMA)’ convener mentioned that the consistent use of NSAIDs had negative effects on women’s menstrual cycle and ovulation.

She described NSAIDs or painkillers, as members of a drug class that reduces pain, decreases fever, prevents blood clots and in higher doses, decreases inflammation.

“Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) have also been implicated in infertility. The consistent use or abuse of these drugs prevent ovulation and lower progesterone levels in young women.

“It prevents follicle from breaking to release egg, and when egg is not released, there is nothing to fertilise by the sperm.

“Painkillers work mostly by blocking a particular pathway. This pathway is needed to achieve ovulation if blocked, a ripe follicle may not ovulate leading to Luteinised Unruptured Follicle (LUF) or other mild dysfunction,’’ she said.

Lewu said consistent use of NSAIDs or painkillers should be discouraged among women trying to get pregnant.

She urged young women to consult a physician for proper prescription, timing and restrictions before using painkillers.

“For those using painkillers for few days for menstrual pain, you have already ovulated before the period, so except your cycle is very short. NSAIDs should not affect your menses, ovulation and fertility.

“For those using NSAIDs consistently for other medical conditions, they are more at risk treating underlying cause. They need to find an alternative drug or therapy.

“There are other groups of analgesics that can be used in place of NSAIDs. If NSAID are to be used, it should be prescribed, timed and restricted. So, stop NSAIDs abuse,” she warned.

The gynaecologist also urged women to visit a doctor when they experienced ovulation or menstrual disorders and fertility issues, saying that there are other causes aside painkillers.

“Pls note, if you have ovulation or menstrual disorders and fertility issues, you cannot assume it is only NSAIDs, consult a specialist,’’ she advised.



Do Painkillers Really Cause Infertility In Women?

Recent studies have found that the use of long term non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), commonly known as over-the-counter pain medications, have been known to cause infertility in women.

Almost all of the NSAIDs present in the market are known to inhibit the pr...

Continue reading: https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/painkillers-a-major-cause-of-infertility-pregnancy-complications-in-women-experts/

Veteran Nigerian Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist, Majekodunmi Fasheke popularly known as Majek Fashek has died.

Details surrounding the death of the legendary singer still remain sketchy, however, The Street Journal has learnt that he died in the late hours of Monday, June 1, 2020, in a hospital in New York.

The news of his death was announced by Music Manager, Joy Tongo on Instagram.

She wrote:

Legendary musician, Mr. Majek Fashek has passed on today in New York City. Majek Fashek was a talented man from my home town Benin City, Edo State. RIP

Majek Fashek's Manager, Omenka Uzoma also confirmed the report of his death in a short video which he posted on Instagram. He further called on Nigerians and the late Musician's fans to celebrate the legend's achievements.

Majek Fashek, an Edo State indigene is best known for the 1988 Prisoner of Conscience album, which comprised of the multiple award-winning song "Send Down the Rain".

During his lifetime, he worked with various artists worldwide, including Tracy Chapman, Jimmy Cliff, Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg and Beyoncé.

It would be recalled that in the tail-end of 2018 and 2019, Majek Fashek took ill and has been in and out of the hospital.

Details about his burial arrangements will be announced by his family.
READ HERE==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/veteran-nigerian-singer-majek-fashek-is-dead/

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The deficit financing of the revised N10.509trn 2020 budget proposal has been placed at N4.563trn, the Debt Management Office has said.

As at December 2019, the subsisting 2020 Appropriation Actbhad a total expenditure of N10.594trn and a deficit of N2.175trn.

This coming after the National Assembly committees began the consideration of revised 2020 budget.

Currently, the revised budget proposal before the National Assembly has a deficit increased by N2.736trn to N4.563trn.

DMO Director-General, Patience Oniha, disclosed this during a meeting of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt on the external borrowing in the revised 2020 budget.

Oniha also said in the revised budget, the deficit would be part-financed through domestic borrowing of N2.188trn and external borrowing of N1.984trn.

“The proposed New Domestic Borrowing of N2,188.83trn will be raised from the domestic market through the issuance of Federal Government of Nigeria Bonds, FGN Savings Bonds, Sukuk, Nigerian Treasury Bills and possibly, a Green Bond.

“As of May 29 2020, a total of N1.319.99trn had been raised. “There’s also an on-going Offer for Sukuk of N150bn.” She said.

Recalled the Executive and the Legislature last year agreed on reversing the national appropriation to start in January and end in December.

Although formalities in respect of the 2020 budget were concluded before the end of 2019, the outbreak of the COVID-19 coupled with dwindling oil revenue for the government changed the whole ambitious projections of the 2020 Appropriation Act of the federal government.
Read here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/nigerias-budget-deficit-increases-to-n4-5trn/

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It's a lucky coincidence that May 29 celebrated as the 21st anniversary of our civilian democracy was also the birthday of a man many have come to see as the embodiment of the hopes and dreams of millions of Akwa Ibom people for transformational change.

Obong Nsima Ekere, popularly referred to as ONE, businessman and politician, former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the last general election, turned 55.

As he has done since year 2000, the day went unmarked consistent with his position that Nigerians should rather focus on how to make democracy to serve the greatest good of the most people.

Doing good to the greatest number of people was the major undertone of his campaign for governor under the APC. Friday would have been his first year in office as Governor if he had won the elections in which he showed a formidable presence, mustered massive bipartisan support and fearlessly challenged the state’s seeming religious attachment to the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP and the political status quo.

Because he didn’t win, it is needless imagining what he would have done in one year. So I’d rather look at the beautiful life that he has lived these past 55 years and the indelible marks he has imprinted in areas providence thrusted his feet upon.

Ekere embraced entrepreneurship very early in life, using his professional background in real estate to launch into diverse fields such as construction, power and alternative energy, oil and gas, finance and investments and technology.

While you are more likely to associate him with the Real Estate firm that bears his name, Ekere and Associates, his extensive national and international network and partnerships have ensured his active play in many high yielding fields.

While his public service role dates back to the early days of Akwa Ibom State where he served in various asset management and distribution roles, the first major stage for his executive leadership came with his appointment as Executive Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Investment and Industrial Promotion Council, AKIIPOC, (the precursor to today’s Akwa Ibom Investment Corporation, AKICORP). There, he conceived and implemented some remarkable ventures including the first private sector driven gas-to-power projects in Nigeria.

His position paper on how states should play in the power generation and distribution space was a major highlight of final decisions by the National Council on Power headed by then Vice President, Arc. Namadi Sambo.

As Deputy Governor, and Acting Governor for a month, he showed remarkable courage, loyalty, sound judgement and innovation in service delivery.

While he was Managing Director of the NDDC, he challenged long established statutes and took the Commission on a long road to redemption. It is instructive that since he left in January 2019, NDDC has had four managing directors with plenty of motion but little movement.

As Managing Director, Nsima Ekere was a member of a 16-man board headed by a diligent, successful and development-oriented leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba. Less than 2 months into his tenure, he launched his roadmap, called the 4R Strategy to firstly, restore the balance sheet of the commission; secondly, reform governance protocols; thirdly, restore the commission to its core mandates and lastly, reaffirm the commitment for operatives of the commission to do what is right and proper. That roadmap was the product of extensive interaction with stakeholders across the region.

Nsima found the 4R Strategy expedient as the situation he met on assuming office was to say the least despicable. Abandoned jobs littered everywhere in the region; the funds of the commission was at its least ebb; staff and contractors morale was low and the core mandate of the commission was completely ignored. Working on changing the template at the commission was very challenging. Without noise, he carried out an audit of projects. In one fell swoop, he cancelled over 600 non-performing projects; and threatened to cancel more, especially those that had 0 to 5 percent completion status.

Seeing that he meant business, contractors who had abandoned projects went back to site. By the next assessment, over a 100 abandoned jobs were at over 50 percent completion status. He restructured the governance system at the place, especially the financial aspect. Contractors who finished their work were paid promptly after passing through stages of project auditing and verification, over 11 stages in all.

To fund his plans for the region, Nsima Ekere knew he had to find the resources. When he arrived, NDDC was reeling under the pressure of more than N2 trillion in liabilities. He knew from the books that both the federal government and the international oil companies, IOCs, were grossly under-funding the commission.

So in April 2017, Ekere petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Senate seeking intervention for the payment of over N1.8 trillion unpaid statutory allocations and ecological funds accruing to the Commission for the years 2000 to 2015. Of this amount, the sum of N1,797,713,966,652.29 was for unpaid statutory allocations while N45,091,075,401.66 was for unpaid ecological funds.

Ekere who signed the letter urged President Buhari to prevail upon then Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun to commence full implementation of the funding provisions of the NDDC Act 2000 section 14(2)(a) & (c). This resulted in Mr President’s directive to the Ministries of Finance and Budget & Planning to sit with NDDC, reconcile their books and agree and acceptable payment plan. Unfortunately successive managements have not followed through this initiative.

Working with members of the National Assembly for the region, a review of the
Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Act was accomplished, ensuring for the first time in 19 years, that the NLNG contributed to the development of the region through the Commission. His principled stance, completely devoid of needless publicity reminds me of what Obong Victor Attah and Senator Udo Udoma did with the political solution to the onshore-offshore oil dichotomy.

The success of this fight can only be quantified when you recall that on resigning to contest the Akwa Ibom Governorship, he left a more than N150 billion in the NDDC account.

NDDC runs on conventions that allocates it’s resources to member states on the basis of their oil production quota. Akwa Ibom being the number one oil producing state should naturally receive the highest value of projects every budget year. That’s not what Ekere met on ground. Akwa Ibom was a distant third, after Rivers and Delta.

He quickly engaged his colleagues on the Board and pushed for an agreement to correct the injustice. That explains the flurry of jobs that came to Akwa Ibom. They weren’t political. Nsima Ekere was simply righting a wrong that robbed our state of its benefit as the number one oil producing state in the country. Akwa Ibom people who fought him and stopped those jobs from being executed are not different from those who for years fed the state with meat crumbs.

While he led for less than 3 years at the Commission, more than 100 roads were constructed or rehabilitated including life touching ones like the Hospital Road in Abak which had cut a community into two; school blocks in all the 31 local government areas were renovated; water projects; flood control; maintenance and dredging creeks and shore protection works were also on the cards .

Overall, in the area of projects, Obong Nsima Ekere created two main focal points: The quick fixes like roads, (rehabilitation and construction), school rehabilitation, water projects, etc and the strategic long term initiatives like the Niger Delta Power Pool, the Niger Delta Development Bank, Digital Learning Project,The Niger Delta Broadband Project, Modular Refinery, the Coastal Road Project, Rice Milling and Manpower Development. Most of these projects were at the embryonic stages when he left the Commission to contest the governorship. We challenge the current management to key into some of these lofty projects for the good of the region.

Early in life, Obong Nsima Ekere had known that politics provides a platform for service to humanity. Since contesting and winning election into the State House of Assembly in 1998 under the Grassroots Democratic Movement, GDM, for the still bird Third Republic, he has been consistent in service to community and humanity through politics. His formidable presence in the 2007 race for Governorship of Akwa Ibom State, provided some buffer and boost for the eventual emergence of Senator Godswill Akpabio as Governor through financial and material commitment and provision of some extra leeway to national political patronage.

In the run up to the 2019 election, Obong Ekere joined the race for Governorship on the strength of his popularity and positive impact through public service. He became the face of the APC in Akwa Ibom State. The APC then, as it is today, was, visibly divided along the camp of its leaders. Nsima Ekere’s ability to put aside differences enabled him to bridge the enormous philosophical and political divides at play, and reach decisions for the best interest of the party. He shared friendship that went beyond disagreements with other leaders and members of the party. Party members trusted him. Party leaders looked up to him.

The elections brought out the best in his capacity for high level leadership. He maintained the poise of a calm, collected and highly prepared (for that level of leadership) contestant throughout the elections.

His manifesto was one in a million, highlighting a “New Vision for Our Collective Prosperity.” The vision, predicated on what he termed ‘Five Pillars of Change;’ highlighted great templates for interventions in the areas of Economic Prosperity; Infrastructural and Rural Development; Education; Health and Social Protection; Security; and Governance and Institutional Reforms. Key features under these broad themes included a N25,000 yearly bursary for all students of Akwa Ibom origin in higher institutions; full autonomy for Local Government Councils; N20 billion fund for entrepreneurial development and complete overhaul of the education sector. He also listed some must-do projects in his first 180 days in office, to include massive public works to create employment for artisans and get the state’s dilapidated infrastructure fixed, payment of all outstanding pensions and domestication of federal government’s economic programmes like the Anchor Borrowers Scheme.

One year has gone by and these are now in the realm of wishes and the missed impact it would have had on the people of the state.

For Nsima Ekere, it’s been a year of break from public service; a year to reflect on the grace of God for him in the past 55 years and a year to look forward to exploring further opportunities in public service and successful runs in business. Indeed, for him, life goes on.

This Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers; member of the Institution of Revenue, Ratings and Valuation, Minnesota, USA, is big-hearted. His extensive social investments in such areas as education, healthcare, capacity building, etc are largely unreported. You won’t find his names emboldened on it, but next time you visit the Accident and Emergency Ward/Trauma Centre to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, you will be at a place he helped to put up.

So here’s to ONE at 55; here’s to ONE highly principled and religious humanist. Here’s to a Knight of John Wesley, a leader in the Methodist Church. Here’s to ONE good man, Obong Nsima Ekere. The future, they say, is an opportunity. I know you will grab it when it comes for the benefit of all who look up to you to lead. (Ibom Telegraph)
https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/i-left-over-n150-billion-in-nddc-account-nsima-ekere/

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The issue of insecurity has remained a scourge in the Nigerian society for decades and has continued to blossom irrespective of the government in power.

This menace has continued to drag more victims into its hive leaving them battered, mentally and psychologically damaged people who May never understand freedom again.

One of such victims who survived to tell the story narrates an encounter her family had with these terrorists on the road;

“It took me a long time of reflections to put this piece together. First, let me thank my husband for the emotional support, the counselling and for his belief in the creator of heaven and earth which we call God or Allah.”

The journey began in Auchi. We had travelled to Akure on a Monday, stayed with my husband’s relations in the outskirt of this ancient town.

In the evening of Monday, we visited the palace for dinner, my husband being a close friend to son of the King.

On Tuesday, we left for Ibadan, via the Akure-Ilesa road. Our plan was that after attending the wedding in Auchi, I and my husband will travel to Lagos and stay for a few weeks before returning abroad where I had lived with my husband and children for more than a decade. We were in the car of a close family friend, an accountant who gave his time and energy for our comfort.

We were five in the car, myself, my husband, our daughter, and my husband’s niece who had joined us in Akure with the hope of travelling with us to Lagos.

The driver accountant maintained a normal speed. He drove professionally. That gave me a lot of comfort and I felt I could find time to sleep a bit. My daughter was next to me, just 9. She was coming to Nigeria with me for the second time.

Shortly after the Ijare junction, the driver felt the wagon’s tires ruptured and decided to pack the car with the hope of changing the tires.

It was like a film. In a jiffy, motley crowd of armed men in military uniform came out of the bush. They fired at the boot of the car. Ahead of us, five of them came out of the bush, another two came from the rear. My daughter screamed: “Mummy, daddy, what’s going on”.

There was no time to say a word. They marched us through into the bush, firing into the sky. They hit me on my chest and hit my daughter on her head, blood oozed.

At this time, it was better to kill me. I shouted at one of the armed men. His response was hell. He went straight for my private part, tore my dress with his gun. The others ripped my dresses. I was left with my undies. My husband and my daughter started crying. Two of them dug their teeth into my breasts.

While attending a secondary school in Adamawa, I had lived with some Fulani, so I understand a few Fulani words. I started pleading, at least for my daughter.

To my shock, at gun point, they removed the dress of my little girl, one of them carried her on his head as my baby struggled, shouting “Daddy, mummy, what’s going on. Help me.”

I could not help myself. We were marched for 9 hours. I was half naked. My daughter was totally naked. I felt her tears like a stream of blood on her cheek. Our phones had been seized. We ended up in an ungoverned region in the thick of the forest.

We met a well organized group.
There were some kidnapped victims, I saw two women, two ladies and three men.

There were some people with their legs chained to trees. They were as if half dead. We were separated. I was separated from my husband. My daughter was taken away. I only heard her scream intermittently. I did not know what they were doing to her.

These men, now about two dozen had a full kitchen, they had a huge camp and a traditional medical team. But the camps appeared isolated from each other.

We heard noises afar indicating it might be nuclear settlements of camps. Right in my presence, I saw them pack the remains of a woman. They took her and buried her few meters away from us. She had tribal marks.

I cannot describe the agony of 6 days in captivity in this little piece. I cannot talk about how they asked my husband to choose between myself being raped or that his daughter be raped.

My husband broke down in uncontrollable tears. One of them hit him saying “Yoruba bastard, you dey cry. Idiot.”

They now gave him the option that he should be raped by one homosexual among them. My husband is a devout Muslim. He told them homosexual and rape of any kind was against Islam.

They hit him with the butt of AK 47: “What do you know about Islam?”

You can imagine, you are being asked to choose between being raped by a homosexual, your daughter, just nine years old, or your wife being raped?

They gave the fourth option, if you fail to choose, they would rape my daughter, rape my husband and rape me.

I made myself the sacrificial lamb. My husband begged, saying they...

Read more: https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/the-agony-of-a-nigerian-family-kidnapped-by-bi-sexual-terrorists/

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, says the anti-graft agency is winning the fight against corruption, recalling how a lawyer “defeated” 34 Senior Advocates Nigeria (SAN) in a corruption case.

Magu accused some senior lawyers, who benefitted from the federal government’s scholarship opportunities, of turning round to work against the country by defending corrupt individuals.

He also said some corrupt persons were in the habit of hiring journalists to write against the EFCC, but said the commission would remain relentless in its quest to restore sanity to the country.

He was speaking to a coalition of civil society groups who visited the headquarters of the commission in Abuja on Tuesday.

“One of the big challenges we have in the effective prosecution of the war on corruption is that of very senior lawyers who Nigeria has been very kind to: Those who went to good schools here, when Nigeria was good, many of them, on government scholarship; those who Nigeria has given so much opportunity,” he said.

“When we have corruption cases, cases of people who have stolen food from the mouths of our children; when we have cases of people who have stolen money meant to build hospitals and buy drugs; when we have cases of people who have stolen all the money meant to buy guns for our soldiers to fight Boko Haram, when we have all these cases of wicked people who have stolen Nigeria’s money, they run to these same senior lawyers, give them part of the stolen money and mobilise them to fight us, to delay us in court and to deny Nigerians of justice. These are the people who do not want justice for the common man.

“The other day, 34 Senior Advocates of Nigeria fought against only one small EFCC lawyer in court and he defeated all of them! What we are doing today is not by our power, it is the power of the Nigerian people and the power of God behind us!

“Corrupt people hire journalists to abuse us every day, they say we are not doing the work according to the law. But, that is not true. There is no agency that follows the law more than EFCC. None.

Before we arrest you, or seize your property or do anything to you, we check the law, we go to court and get court order. That is why we are winning; that is why we are defeating them everyday.”

He urged the public to continue supporting EFCC’s “just cause”, saying all the stolen wealth recovered by the agency had been returned to the government.
“We want the Nigerian people to continue to support us, continue to support Mr. president’s war on corruption,” he said.
“We have many corruption cases in court. We are getting them every day from everywhere and we are recovering stolen money and taking corrupt people to court.

“The money we have recovered and the money we are going to get back from them – billions and billions of naira – is being paid back to government and will be used to do what it was originally meant for – to build hospitals, send our children to school, build roads and railways, create employment and defend our country.

“We have no other country than Nigeria. This war is the war of the people. Apart from the fear of God, we have no other fear. Apart from the interest of Nigeria, we have no other interest. And apart from the Rule of Law, we have no other rule guiding the work we are doing today. The days of impunity are over. “

Victory is certain for the common man
READ HERE==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/how-corrupt-politicians-hire-senior-lawyers-journalists-to-frustrate-efcc-magu/

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Major Hamza al-Mustapha, the Chief Security Officer to former Nigeria Head of State, military dictator General Sani Abacha is a man known for many things, including talking tough.
He is a favourite for the no-holds-barred interview, where he is not afraid to open a can of worms.
He opened a can of worms when he spoke on how former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
General Abubakar is a military general who served as the de facto President of Nigeria from 1998 to 1999.
He was also Chief of Defence Staff between 1993 to 1998. He succeeded General Sani Abacha upon his death.
“When General Abdulsalami came to power, he exhibited an accumulated and accentuated thirst for money. I stumbled on some documents and video cassettes even while in retirement,” al-Mustapha noted of the former leader.
He detailed how Abdulsalami was involved in some shoddy deals.
$40 million Abacha’s transmutation funds
“There was the case of $40 million contributed by multinationals for General Sani Abacha’s transmutation to civilian president. I gave the cassette of his disclosure to help him clean the system not knowing that he would use it to clean me out of the system because three days later I was arrested. I urge the commission to investigate this money contributed by multinational towards Abacha’s self-succession.
NMA’s N5 billion
“There was also the case of Engineer Buba Galadima, Director of NMA whom General Abdulsalami Abubakar directed to release N5 billion from the NMA to the minister through Chief Hope Ozodinma. But Galadima refused saying it was beyond his power to do so. That same afternoon, a lorry load of soldiers invaded his house managed him and took him to an unknown destination. He was ordered to put in his letter of resignation so as to look as if he resigned voluntarily but he refused and asked General Abubakar to fire him. He was fired and he was given two hours to vacate his official quarters.
“The N5 billion was to be shared like this: “1.35 to be given to the minister, Chief Hope would be given N265 million and $18 million would be given to General Abubakar. I have documents to prove this (He then tendered the documents).
Printing of new naira denominations
“There is the issue of the printing of new naira denominations, of 100, 200 and 500. I shared Mustapha’s opinions on this which he explained in his testimony that it was a booby trap for President Olusegun Obasanjo to fail. I have 13 documents to prove this which I shall tender, before this commission.
“When General Abacha was alive the idea of the printing of new naira denominations was mooted. Three companies bided for the contract – J.B. of Munich; Thomas & Co. Of London, and Bodous of Germany. They all submitted their quotations. They all agreed on $30 per one thousand pieces but General Abacha said it was too much. The agreement was not sealed before his death. When General Abdulsalami came on board, he said it should be printed at $45 per thousand. G & D was given the contract of printing and here was the company reputed for tax evasion. The company has offices in Germany, Greece, Spain, Belgium, Argentina and other places, but only has a liaison office in Nigeria. The company evaded tax to the tune of 2 million Dutch marks in Germany. This is the same company given the job to print the money I commenced investigations into the activities of this company but General Abubakar ordered me to stop it. All these were known to him.
“The NTA in its news at 7 and 9 p.m. on January 11, 2001, reported that a container load of fake naira notes was discovered in Jos and Maiduguri. This is what I am talking about.
“During Abdulsalami’s time, our soldiers in ECOMOG were not treated well at all. General Victor Malu then ECOMOG Commander once had cause to complain of adulterated fuel sent to them. When the contract for the supply of food to our soldiers was changed, it was given to one lady, I will mention her name later.
“When General Abacha was alive 45 dollars was approved a day for each of our soldiers but when Gen. Abubakar came to power he increased it. But instead of giving them the money, they were given the old rate, where is the balance?
“There is the issue of parting gift to each PRC member. N1 million was agreed as parting gift for each PRC member or 500,000 dollars. I inquired from two PRC members later differently. I asked them jokingly that I learnt you were all given ½ a million dollars as parting gift. Where is my own share now? But they told me it was only 50,000 dollars. So what happened to the remaining 450,000 dollars per each PRC member times the total PRC members?
$9.7bn Foreign Reserve
Before General Abacha died, he left a foreign reserve of 9.7 billion dollars. There are papers to show this. But Abubakar claimed that only 7.17 billion dollars was left in the reserve what happened to the balance? This reserve that Abacha accumulated in five years, Abdulsalami depleted if in nine months.
“Eagle Square here in Abuja was being renovated yearly when General Oseni was FCT Minister. Consultants were appointed for the renovation at N230 million. But General Abdulsalami rejected this and opted for upward review of N2.3 billion as against N230m.
“Also through 59 million dollars he siphoned from government coffers he bought a house in London at 5 million pounds renovated it at 1 million pounds.
“Before General Abacha died he approved 66 million Dutch marks for the maintenance of Alpha jets and other aircraft. When Abubakar took over he wrote another memo for the sum of 44,275,000 dollars for the same maintenance. I would have wished he was here to cross-check if this signature on these documents were his.
“There was also another memo from the CGS dated March 17 1999 at the injury time of the administration. There was request for the purchase of boats at 45 million dollars, purchase of amphibious plane at 21,747,660 dollars; and 5,000 raincoats jacket to cost 14,500,00 dollars. The normal cost of one raincoat to pocket were from rain is 45 dollar per piece and the total cost for the 5,000 raincoats should be 2,9000 dollars. It was signed by General Abdulsalami Abubakar to be purchased on ECOMOG issue, apart from the naval personnel that used to transport the food items, it was later given to merchant ships.
“There is the issue of Engineer Ibrahim Ali, MD of NPA. General Abubakar called him one day and told him since General Abacha did not give you free hand to do your duties, bring your quotation and I will give you the wherewithal to execute it. He brought it to Abdulsalami. He met Alhaji Gidado Idris, former Secretary to the Federation there. Abdulsalami approved it for execution but when Ali left Abdulsalami ordered Gidado Idris to fire Ali when Gidado wanted to refuse, he told him that if he didn’t do it somebody else would do it and that was how he was fired”.
• Al-Mustapha made the disclosure during the Oputa Panel

Source: https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/abachas-cso-major-al-mustapha-exposes-how-ex-head-of-state-abdulsalami-stole-over-2b-nigerias-tax-payers-money/

Kylie Jenner appeared on the cover of Forbes magazine in July 2018, ranking 27th on the listing of the richest self-made women. At age 20, she was worth $900 million, Kylie who owned a cosmetic company, had become the first female her age, to become a billionaire. This announcement got a lot of tongues wagging, put a lot of pressure on young females around the world and also motivated some to improve their hustle.

However, early this year, Kylie sold half of her cosmetics company in one of the greatest celebrity cash outs of all time. But the deal’s fine print reveals that she has been inflating the size and success of her business for years.

More than a decade into their fame, the Kardashian-Jenners tend to induce eye-rolls and sighs among jaded media consumers. But when it comes to their wealth, even critics of reality TV’s first family are intrigued; the Kardashian-Jenner machine—and the cash it generates—has been the subject of articles, podcasts, even books. But no one cares more about the topic than the family itself, which has spent years fighting Forbes for higher spots on our annual wealth and celebrity earnings lists.


So when the youngest of the clan, Kylie Jenner, sold 51% of her Kylie Cosmetics to beauty giant Coty in a deal valued at $1.2 billion this January, it was a watershed moment for the family. One of the greatest celebrity cashouts of all time, the transaction seemed to confirm what Kylie had been saying all along and what Forbes had declared in March 2019: that Kylie Jenner was, indeed, a billionaire—at least before the coronavirus.

“Kylie is a modern-day icon, with an incredible sense of the beauty consumer,” Coty chairman Peter Harf gushed when announcing the acquisition in November.

But in the deal’s fine print, a less flattering truth emerged. Filings released by publicly traded Coty over the past six months lay bare one of the family’s best-kept secrets: Kylie’s business is significantly smaller, and less profitable, than the family has spent years leading the cosmetics industry and media outlets, including Forbes, to believe.

Of course white lies, omissions and outright fabrications are to be expected from the family that perfected—then monetized—the concept of “famous for being famous.” But, similar to Donald Trump’s decades-long obsession with his net worth, the unusual lengths to which the Jenners have been willing to go—including inviting Forbes into their mansions and CPA’s offices, and even creating tax returns that were likely forged—reveals just how desperate some of the ultra-rich are to look even richer.

“It’s fair to say that everything the Kardashian-Jenner family does is oversized,” says Stephanie Wissink, an equity analyst covering consumer products at Jefferies. “To stay on-brand, it needs to be bigger than it is.”
Based on this new information—plus the impact of COVID-19 on beauty stocks and consumer spending—Forbes now thinks that Kylie Jenner, even after pocketing an estimated $340 million after tax from the sale, is not a billionaire.



As with other Kardashian ventures, Kylie’s business began as a way to cash in on a minor scandal. The youngest of the family, she spent more than a year denying tabloid speculation that she was using lip filler injections before eventually finally fessing up to it in May 2015. Far from embarrassed about being caught in a lie, she—and her shrewd mother, Kris—seized it as a marketing opportunity.

With $250,000 of her earnings from modeling, endorsements and Keeping Up With The Kardashians appearances, Kylie launched her first batch of 15,000 lip kits, consisting of a lip liner and matching lipstick, in November 2015. Thanks to clever Instagram marketing, the $29 kits were gone in less than a minute. “Before I even refreshed the page, everything was sold out,” she later told Forbes.

By the end of 2016, Kylie had dozens of new products and a reputation as a skyrocketing new entrant in the cosmetics industry. A few months after her sister Kim Kardashian West scored...

Read more:

https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/forbes-inside-kylie-jenners-web-of-lies-and-why-shes-no-longer-a-billionaire/

During a virtual meeting the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) held with stakeholders on Thursday, May 28, the agency confirmed that alleged cases of fraud in the management of COVID-19 funds are currently being investigated.

ICPC’s Director of Operations, Akeem Lawal, who disclosed this also mentioned that government institutions in charge of the release and distribution of grains from the reserve, were involved in some of the cases.

The theme was “COVID-19 Funds Management and Monitoring: Preventing Slide into Old Habits.”

According to Lawal, there is also a case where emergency funds were diverted into a private bank account.

“In all cases of infraction, culprits will be investigated and prosecuted.'' He said.

ICPC Chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye, had earlier said the commission has set up a committee to monitor the use of COVID-19 funds “because this period could trigger a high level of corruption,” Lawal said. Read here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/govt-institutions-were-involved-in-diversion-of-covid-19-funds-icpc-reveals/

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The Senate President, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan has appointed Hon. Sani Fema as his Special Assistant on Sports Development.
In an appointment letter signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori on May 14, 2020 is to take effect from the date of resumption.
The CNA congratulated Hon. Fema stating that his appointment is at the pleasure of the Senate President.
“Please accept my congratulations and best wishes on your appointment which is a testimony of the President of the Senate’s confidence and trust in you”, Sani-Omolori stated.
Hon. Sani Fema was formerly the Vice Chairman of Yobe Deserts Football Club. He was also the Executive...

Read more: https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/ahmed-lawan-appoints-sa-sports-orders-immediate-resumption/

The Chairman of Asari Toru Local Government Area in Rivers State, Odiari Princewill has died from COVID-19 complications.

The Street Journal learnt that Odiari was very loyal to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

He succumbed to the viral disease on Wednesday night, May 27, while his burial was conducted today, May 28, by Officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, at the Port Harcourt cemetery. Read here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/gov-wike-loyalist-and-lg-chairman-dies-from-covid-19-in-rivers/

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Reports reaching The Street Journal say that the Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ibanga Bassey has passed away.

The cause of his death was not ascertained as at the time of filing this report. Read more here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/breaking-nddc-executive-d/


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An Indian man has been arrested for murdering his wife using a cobra weeks after an unsuccessful attempt with a viper.

According to Police in the southern state of Kerala, India, the man identified as Sooraj, 27, first planted a Russell’s viper in his wife Uthra’s room in March. She got bit by the viper and was left hospitalized for almost two months.

After she was discharged to recuperate at her parents’ house, Sooraj then got a cobra from a local snake handler and threw it at his 25-year-old wife as she slept, police official Ashok Kumar told Agence France-Presse.

“Sooraj stayed in the same room as Uthra as if nothing had happened,” police said, with Sooraj acting surprised when “alerted by Uthra’s mother’s screams” as she found the body on May 7.

“They took her to the hospital where the doctor said she had died,” police said in a statement obtained by AFP.

The dead woman’s parents became suspicious because Sooraj had been present both times — and then tried to quickly take possession of all of his wealthy wife’s property.

Uthra’s father was an affluent businessman and mother a school teacher who retired two months ago while Sooraj, who worked in private financial institution, came from lower middle-class family.

They alerted police, who discovered he had been in contact with serpent handlers — and had also watched snake videos online, AFP says.

Sooraj was arrested Sunday and confessed during police interviews, according to Malayala Manorama.

He was motivated by their huge wedding comprising nearly 100 gold coins, a new car and at least $20,000 in cash, AFP said.

“Sooraj feared that divorcing Uthra would mean giving back all the dowry. That’s when he decided to kill her,” the police statement said.

The couple had a one-year-old child.

The man accused of selling him at least one of the snakes was also arrested, the reports said.

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Reports reaching The Street Journal say that a section of the popular Ogbeogonogo Market, Off Nnebisi Road in Asaba, Delta State has been razed by Fire.

The fire which broke out on Tuesday, March 26, resulted in the loss of several properties valued at millions of naira, leaving market men and women devastated.

The cause of the fire was not ascertained as at the time of filing this report.

However, the Delta State Fire Service were on ground fighting to put off the fire while affected traders are trying to salvage what is left their properties.

VIDEO: https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/breaking-ogbeogonogo-market-razed-by-fire-in-delta/

Following the controversy surrounding the mode of primaries to be adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state, Governor Godwin Obaseki will on Tuesday, May 26, meet with President Muhammadu Buhari.

It was earlier reported that the Edo APC led by Anselm Ojezua said it was adopting the indirect pri­mary method, which involves only accredited delegates, while the National Working Committee (NWC), led by National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole said it had adopted the direct pri­mary option, which involves all card-carrying members of the party.

However, Governor Obaseki said as the Chief Secu­rity Officer of the state, he was opposed to the idea of direct primary now because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

The governor, who spoke through Crusoe Osagie, his Special Adviser on Media and Communi­cation Strategy, said as an extremely popular candi­date, he was not afraid of any mode of primary and would defeat any aspirant who slugged it out with him for the APC ticket.

According to him, gath­ering together over 500,000 party members in the name of primary may trigger the number of COVID-19 cases already in the state, a situa­tion he said would put more lives at risk.

“The Governor of Edo State and leader of the APC in the state, Governor God­win Obaseki, is an extreme­ly popular candidate who will defeat any aspirant that contests the party’s ticket in whatever means of primary that is used.

“The question we should ask is, ‘Is direct primary the better alternative now in the midst of this COVID-19 pan­demic?

“Governor Obaseki, as a responsible citizen and Chief Security Officer of Edo State, will not take any action that will put the health and safety of the good people of the state at risk. That is why we are op­posed to the idea of direct primary at this period.”

Hon. Paul Ohonbamu, the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation who also spoke on the matter, said it is erroneous for some people to claim that Governor Obaseki is unpopular which explains why he was opposed to the direct primary method.

According to him, it is unfair for Oshiomhole to preside over the selection of the party’s governorship candidate, having publicly shown that he is desperate for Governor Obaseki not to be reelected.

“The governor of Edo state is not afraid of direct primary. He is ready for any form of the primary. The constitution allows for either direct, indirect or consensus which was used to bring Oshiomhole back for his second term.

“But this time, they are saying consensus is undemocratic but when it was used for Oshiomhole, it was not undemocratic. Now that it is Obaseki’s turn, it becomes undemocratic. You can see how they are propagating two moralities

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A former Director-General of the Imo Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), Mr Theophilus Okere, allegedly stabbed his wife to death early on Monday at Imerinwe community in the Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area of Imo.

Okere’s wife, whose name was not given, was described as a retiree of the Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo. The couple had been married for 50 years.

A source in Imerienwe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the 85-year-old former IBC boss had been suffering from dementia.

According to the source, Okere most times is not aware of his actions.

The sources, who pleaded not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak on behalf of Okere’s family, disclosed that the family had been managing Okere’s dementia for some time.

”Okere has been down with dementia and the family has been managing the problem.

”Even today that he stabbed his wife to death, when he was asked why he did it, he responded that his wife was still sleeping.

”The other Sunday, Okere went to church and said that his car was missing when in fact the car was parked in his compound,” the source said.

The Spokesman of the Imo State Police Command, Mr Orlando Ikeokwu, who confirmed the incident, told NAN that the police had commenced investigation into the matter.

“It is true that the former director-general of the state-owned broadcasting corporation, Mr T.C. Okere, about 85-years allegedly stabbed his wife to death this morning.

”The command has commenced investigation into the matter,” Ikeokwu said.

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The United States Department of Treasury has called for an independent probe of allegations levelled against the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina.

The Street Journal has learnt that the U.S Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin rejected the proposed plans by AfDB's board to end an investigation into its President, Akinwunmi Adeshina.

In a letter dated May 22 and addressed to Niale Kaba, Chairwoman of the bank’s board of Governors, Mnuchin said the Treasury disagrees with findings that “totally exonerated” Adesina.

The letter as seen by The Street Journal read in part:

"The United States received your letter of May 5, in which you share your view that the board of governors of the African Development Bank should adopt the conclusions of the bank’s ethics committee and declare that the president is “totally exonerated of all the allegations made against him.

Continue reading here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/u-s-calls-for-independent-probe-of-afdb-president-akinwunmi-adesina/

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