Posted In Neighborhood patrol nigeria The Importance of Neighborhood Patrol in Nigeria
about 3 Years, 1 Week, 5 Days, 23 Hours, 19 Minutes and 25 Secondsago
The Importance of Neighborhood Patrol in Nigeria
In Nigeria, the presence of gangs and other criminal elements is a major problem. In order to combat this issue, many communities have formed vigilante groups which serve as neighborhood patrols. These patrols are very effective at protecting their communities from crime and violence, but they can also be quite dangerous themselves. Here's why it's important for these groups to take precautions when patrolling their neighborhoods.
In the United States, those who choose to patrol their neighborhoods often do so because they're concerned about security or law enforcement in their area being inadequate or understaffed. In some cases, this means that citizens may form citizen action teams that conduct foot patrols of local businesses or public areas during particular hours of the day (e.g., night).
See JUMP's different security solutions for your home in Nigeria
Section 1: Why Neighborhood Patrols Are Important
According to an article by Quintan Wiktorowicz at Huffington Post, people who regularly patrol their communities in Nigeria often do so to help others, in this case, their neighbors. So, what makes the presence of neighborhood patrols so important?
In some cases, this type of neighborhood watch serves as an additional line of defense for crime victims. While many people tend to rely on the police to protect them from violence, sometimes it can be difficult to seek police assistance if you don't know your neighbors well enough. Additionally, neighborhood patrol volunteers can help prevent crime by reporting suspicious activity to the authorities and perhaps even instigating other self-defense measures.
How Neighborhood Patrols Work in Nigeria
In Nigeria, street-level patrols have little to do with law enforcement. Instead, they're often used to make one's neighborhood more peaceful and safe by physically confronting gang members or other criminals who attempt to rob, attack or assault individuals or damage property within a neighborhood.
This can have the unintended consequence of turning neighborhood patrols into what's known as "mob justice." The result is often that neighborhoods become no-go areas for the communities' residents.
How to Avoid a Neighborhood Watch Group in Nigeria
Sometimes, groups of young men or teenagers will organize to patrol certain parts of a neighborhood and may choose to do so during specified hours of the day.
The Role of the Community in Neighborhood Patrols
While community members certainly play a role in vigilante patrols, many communities also host neighborhood watch programs that encourage community members to get involved in crime prevention and patrolling efforts. This means that the citizens themselves are key to the success of neighborhood watch programs. There are a number of reasons why this is so.
• You'll Get to Know Your Neighbors Better. A neighborhood watch program can connect local citizens to each other as well as with the police. After all, you might be the person who is most likely to see something suspicious happening. A neighborhood watch program can be a great way to connect with those in your area.
• It'll Help With Crime Prevention.
Posted In Current Status of Nigerian's Entry to UK
about 3 Years, 2 Weeks, 2 Days, 10 Minutes and 18 Secondsago
Current Status of Nigerian's Entry to UK
Nigerians are currently not able to enter the UK without a visa. The process of obtaining a visa is lengthy and expensive, taking up to 12 months to complete the application process. This has had an effect on Nigerian students who wish to study in the UK, as well as Nigerians employed by international organisations or companies based in London. There have been numerous protests across Nigeria over this issue that have led to violence and even death threats against Nigerian politicians for their perceived inaction on this matter.
The British government has recently announced plans for changes that would allow Nigerians with dual nationality or residency status from another country access into Britain without needing a visa at all times whilst making it harder for those with no other citizenship options available. Whilst this change will
Section 1: Nigerian's Entry to UK
Section 2: Dual Nationality/Residency
Currently, the ability for Nigerians to enter the UK has a number of checkpoints, beginning at the Nigerian embassy in London, extending up to the point of getting your visa, and then you can travel throughout the country visa free for a period of time until you have completed the entire application process.
Whilst many of these measures are supposed to be for Nigerian government officials, international organisations and other types of diplomats, there are a number of obvious loopholes that have allowed visa fraud to flourish in recent years. In March this year, the National Crime Agency (NCA) announced that they have identified numerous attempts by fraudsters to exploit the visa application process for financial gain.
The UK Visa Process
needfully help Nigerians to come and study and work in Britain more easily, it does not solve the basic problems of the immigration system in Britain. Nigerians who enter Britain with a UK visa to stay more than 6 months will be required to apply for an onward visa from the UK government's immigration department. An overseas resident from another country who has the UK visa will not be required to have the same visa as the person who applied for it. It is for this reason that many Nigerians with dual nationality enter Britain with the intention of making a life for themselves and their families in Britain but can't in light of these rules.
An example of the difference between Nigerians living in the UK and those who have decided to make the UK their home is the need for a British spouse.
The UK Tourist Visa
Past Pakistani people have noted that there are no real checks on entering the UK as any Pakistani person can simply fly to the UK and be issued a tourist visa. This makes it easy for Pakistani people to enter the UK without ever having to prove that they intend to live in the country. Some Pakistani people have commented on how easy it is for a British person to obtain a tourist visa, as there are many individuals who make it their mission to "solicit" for Pakistani people to obtain tourist visas. The process of obtaining a UK visa can be exhausting and quite
Past Pakistani people have noted that there are no real checks on entering the UK as any Pakistani person can simply fly to the UK and be issued a tourist visa.
Conclusion
There is still so much we can do to help Nigerian migrants in need and others who have been affected by the economic and political changes we are experiencing. The actions we take today can have a direct effect on how the lives of the country's poorest citizens are changed in the future. We hope that through increased awareness of how they can access healthcare, financial support, and move safely in their new environment, the lives of many Nigerians who have been trapped in the throes of a corrupt and incompetent government will be improved.
Doleu Ayo is a Humanitarian who works for Global Poverty Projects, a charity that supports vulnerable people in Nigeria. When not working, she enjoys reading, travelling and spending time with her family.
Posted In Can I Travel to the US? Your Rights as a Nigerian Traveller
about 3 Years, 2 Weeks, 2 Days and 20 Minutesago
What You Need to Know About Visiting the US
Section 1 of the Visa Waiver Program states:
For states, the purpose of the application is to meet conditions set forth in section 2 for permanent residents seeking nonimmigrant travel. For states that do not meet conditions specified in section 2, the purpose of the application is to meet conditions set forth in section 1.
Section 1 of the Visa Waiver Program requires:
the applicant to be in possession of a valid United States passport valid for the purpose of travel or, if the applicant is a stateless person, a national identity document issued by a recognized country that has an Interpol member country as its country of issue or a document issued by an unrecognized country that has an Interpol member country as its country of issue.
Visa Requirements
Single Entry Entry Visa
Up to 30 days in one calendar year
From Niger Republic for single entry visitors and Gambia for two entry or one entry for transit purposes.
For Business or Political visas, you need at least 6 months. You can not apply for a Business/Political Visa or a Single entry visa in one day.
Entry Permit
Business permit
Be on Business permit for a period of 6 months or 2 months, whichever is longer. You can apply for a six months or a two months or a six month or three months or one month, whichever is longer. Business Permit applicant must be able to provide essential documents for approval. The applicant must include a letter of invitation from business place or organisation if relevant.
Other Important Things To Know
If you decide to travel, make sure you have all the visa requirements complete and filled up in front of you because you will be faced with many questions at immigration.
Can I take carry a small pruniture or sharp object?
No sharp objects except those used for personal care like razors, tweezers, scissors etc.
What if my body becomes poisonous?
It is best to flush any liquid poison out at the airport, but you may still apply a clean cloth over your face, wait for it to dry and then wash it off.
Why can't I carry water?
In Nigeria, you will not be allowed to carry water out of your duty free shops on international travels, but there are a lot of companies that sell over-the-counter products such as hand sanitizer, mist spray, and anti-bite gel.
Conclusion
What You Can Do
is the sixth leading cause of death among Nigerian youth. It is also responsible for some of the most preventable injury and death in the country. From traffic collisions, to train derailments, and falling from windows, to falls from height, falls are the leading cause of death for those under 50 years of age. Falls are also one of the leading causes of serious injuries and accidents among the Nigerian population.
The consequences of falls in Nigeria are dire. Even slight injuries could be fatal and have major implications on quality of life. However, it is not just the immediate results of a fall that is of concern to patients and families, but the aftermath of a fall as well.
Posted In Are Doctors in Nigeria Still on Strike?
about 3 Years, 2 Weeks, 2 Days, 22 Minutes and 6 Secondsago
Why are Doctors in Nigeria on Strike?
THANK YOU for being part of our struggle. We would like to update you on the ongoing strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
The Academic Staff Union of Universities commenced their nationwide strike on November 4, 2018, following the failure of the Federal Government to implement the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement. After almost three weeks of incessant meetings of ASUU and the Federal Government, ASUU and the Federal Government on Friday, November 30, 2018, resolved to resume the strike on December 5, 2018. However, the University Docters have already commenced the strike action and the strike entered the 9th day today (December 5, 2018).
I am a Doctor, but I am not on Strike.
I will not be on Strike if the codeine crisis is corrected.
Though, If I am on Strike, I will be on strike for only one reason and that is to prove to my countrymen and other Nigerians in diaspora, especially those in USA that Doctors are human and not devils like the government and media often portray us to be.
I cannot go on strike if there are bills to pay
I cannot go on strike if I have lives to save.
I cannot go on strike if I don't have patients to see.
I cannot go on strike, if I am not ready for mockery.
I cannot go on strike, if the patients are not ready.
I cannot go on strike, if the hospital administrators and all the other professionals are not ready.
Let's be practical and realistic here.
What is the Nigerian Government Doing to Resolve the Issue?
Posted In Is Nigeria in the World Cup?: The Current Status of the Nigerian National Soccer Team
about 3 Years, 2 Weeks, 2 Days, 33 Minutes and 30 Secondsago
History of Nigeria's National Soccer Team
The Nigerian national soccer team is presently ranked 90 out of 207 nations in the FIFA World Rankings. The Nigerian team hasn't appeared in a World Cup since 2002. Only 1,032 men, from 144 nations, have played for their country in the World Cup since 1930. They are not being recognised or paid for their participation.
Joseph Yobo captained the Nigeria national soccer team.
How the Nigeria National Team is Chosen:
Since the Nigerian national team is not being recognised and not paid for the services of its players, they are not represented by a recognised football association. It is at the discretion of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to select a team for an international tournament.
Current Status of the Nigerian National Soccer Team
The present regime of the NFF has stated their lack of confidence in Ibrahim Shehu Chari, the current NFF president and technical adviser of the national team. This became apparent when he was removed from both positions recently and replaced with former Super Eagles captain Gernot Rohr.
The next set of potential national team managers in Nigeria include Ogenyi Onazi, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Rashidi Yekini, Austin Eguavoen, Samson Siasia, Solomon Ogbeide, Tijani Babangida, Godfrey Akpeyi and Vincent Enyeama.
Interestingly, both Samson Siasia and Vincent Enyeama are seeking a return to the national team.
Nigeria is the first African nation to qualify for the World Cup.
What Needs to Happen for Nigeria to Qualify for the World Cup
How Nigeria got into the World Cup
Player Salah is dangerous in front of goal and could not defend when he did not have to. If he is judged for his behavior it will show up in his records. He’s not taking that chance with an “out of competition” suspension. He has to make the penalty count against Nigeria and the tryouts for “defense” will be ended. But my heart goes out to him.
He didn’t use poor judgment. He was yelling at his teammates for a reason. He is a professional and knows the value of sportsmanship. He was not going to let the game get out of hand. This isn’t like basketball, where there are few calls to give and little place to get into the fray. If he continues to be a true leader, I think the rest of the group will follow his lead and keep their composure.
Conclusion
5 In the Name of Jesus Christ the God that Sees Me
I am a Nigerian by the name of Paul Chukwuma Ajisafe. I live in the United States. I am 25 years old, born into a Muslim family, raised in Nigeria and educated at the University of Maiduguri. This is my personal life story.I love soccer. This is not an opinion, nor is this something to use to get attention.This is an experience that I have had with soccer, one that I believe will be of value to you if you believe that God truly exists, and he sees you.This story takes place in a country where soccer is very popular. I was actually going to a sporting goods store to buy a soccer ball when I saw my first "Muslim" girl.Her eyes are green and she wears the hijab, but she didn't cover her face.
Posted In $200 Billion: Amazon's Jeff Bezos Now World's Richest Man
about 4 Years, 2 Weeks, 4 Days, 5 Hours, 25 Minutes and 39 Seconds ago
Jeff Bezos, already the world's richest man broke his own record after hitting an estimated $202 billion dollar fortune. As of last month, his wealth was pegged at $172 billion.
This increase in wealth is as a result of his holdings in Amazon stock (AMZN) increasing by .25%.
Also billionaires along with Bezos are Mark Zuckerburg, Facebook (FB) CEO, a "centibillionaire," who is worth over $100 billion. On the verge of achieving this feat is Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk, with a net worth of $96 billion. Microsoft (MSFT) founder Bill Gates has already made it.
And Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook also became a billionaire recently as shares of his company — now the world's most valuable — have soared. Cook is a rare example of an executive who didn't help found the company breaking into the ranks of the super rich.
What are your thoughts on so much wealth being concentrated in the hands of so few?
Posted In #EndSARS protest: Experts see problem in adequacy of coverage for some insured
about 4 Years, 2 Weeks, 5 Days, 4 Hours, 9 Minutes and 40 Secondsago
As victims of #EndSARS protest file for claims with insurance companies for compensation on losses, experts are concerned that some clients may have problem of adequacy in coverage. According to experts, it is a common problem in this part of the world for clients to want to pay lower amount of premium (underinsurance) in coverage…
Posted In Apply for a Buy to Let mortgage in Ghana
about 4 Years, 9 Months, 2 Weeks, 4 Days, 1 Hour, 8 Minutes and 13 Secondsago
Posted In Read The Entire Constitution And Laws Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria part 2
about 4 Years, 11 Months, 1 Week, 3 Days, 18 Hours, 13 Minutes and 42 Seconds ago
Posted In Read the entire Constitution and Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
about 4 Years, 11 Months, 1 Week, 3 Days, 18 Hours, 58 Minutes and 11 Seconds ago
Posted In Teodorin Nguema Obiang's Seized Supercars Sold For ₦10 Billion
about 5 Years, 1 Month, 1 Week, 17 Hours, 9 Minutes and 32 Secondsago
An auction house in Switzerland has sold 25 luxury cars including Ferraris, Rolls-Royces and Lamborghinis that Geneva authorities seized from the son of Equatorial Guinea's president in a money-laundering probe.
Swiss authorities say the sale Sunday by auctioneer Bonhams fetched £21.9 million, with the proceeds going to a charity to benefit the people of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.
The sale took place at the Bonmont Golf & Country Club in Cheserex near Geneva, Switzerland.
When Swiss authorities seized the cars, they also ordered the sequestration of a yacht.
However, it was later released in an arrangement under which Equatorial Guinea agreed to pay Geneva authorities £1.1 million 'notably to cover procedural costs'.
Pictured(1&2).
A white-and-cream Lamborghini Veneno roadster, one of only nine such versions produced, was the star of the auction.
Having been driven only 325 kilometers (201 miles).
It was expected to fetch at least £4.3 million.
Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue (pictured), the son of the Equatorial Guinea's four-decade president, Teodoro Obiang, was probed over money laundering and mismanagement of public assets, which led to the seizure of the luxury fleet of cars.
Equatorial Guinea president's son, who is also a vice president, has been ensnared in legal trouble elsewhere.
Last year, Brazilian officials said $16 million (£13 million) in undeclared cash and luxury watches that were seized from a delegation he led may have been part of an effort to launder money embezzled from the country's government.
Posted In FG Seeks Senate Permission To Pay Kogi State N10.69 Billion
about 5 Years, 1 Month, 1 Week, 17 Hours, 22 Minutes and 12 Secondsago
The Kogi State Government has requested the sum of N10.69 billion from the Federal Government for the settlement of debts incurred locally and refund for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government.
President Buhari, in a letter written to Senate President Ahmed Lawan, which was read during Tuesday’s plenary, requested for the resolution of the Senate for the approval of the sum to be issued to the Kogi State Government.
President Buhari noted in the letter that the federal projects were duly verified by the Federal Government.
The letter read in parts:
“Dear distinguished Senate President,
Request for the resolutions of the National Assembly for the issuance of 10.69 Billion promissory Million Naira Promissory notes to Kogi State Government under the promissory notes programme and a bond issuance to certain inherited local debts and contractual obligations of the Federal Government to refund to states for project executed on behalf of the Federal Government.
“The distinguished Senate President will recall that based on my request for the resolution of the National Assembly approving the establishment of a promissory note programme and a bond issuance for certain inherited local debts and contractual obligations of the Federal Government, the 8th national assembly passed resolutions approving the issuance of promissory notes to refund state Governments for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government.”
The Senate President further President Mandated the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts to handle the request and report back within two Weeks.
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/kogi-state-seeks-n10-69-billion-from-federal-government/
Posted In Chinedu Echeruo, Nigerian Billionaire who sold his company for 1 billion dollars to Apple
about 5 Years, 1 Month, 3 Weeks, 5 Days, 15 Hours, 19 Minutes and 35 Secondsago
Echeruo is an Igbo Nigerian Billionaire Tech entrepreneur and founder of HopStop.com which he reportedly sold to Apple for over a billion dollars. HopStop.com is a mobile and online application that provides mass transit directions door-to-door mass transit, taxi, walking, biking and hourly car rental directions in major metropolitan markets throughout the U.S., Canada, U.K, France, Australia, New Zealand and Russia.
Billionaire Echeruo said that he is happy that all the hard work put into the app is worthwhile.
In 2001, HopStop was named one of the 100 fastest growing companies in the US by Inc. magazine.The Nigerian billionaire Chinedu also founded Tripology.com, an interactive travel referral service focused on connecting travelers with travel specialists which was later acquired by USA Today Travel Media Group.
The Nigerian Billionaire and Tech genius holds an MBA from the prestigious Harvard Bussiness School and a B.S from Syracuse University.He is presently investing in West African food companies.Chinedu is Igbo and an African to be proud of.
Conclusively, the young Nigeiran billionaire will keep our flag flying.
Posted In Tinubu Fingered In Anti-Osinbajo Plot By Cabal - Daily Independent
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 18 Hours, 37 Minutes and 10 Secondsago
That all is not well with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is not news, but the new development is the connection of his godfather and political benefactor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to the whole crisis.
Osinbajo, who is reportedly having a running battle with the Aso Villa cabal is also said not to be in the good book of Tinubu over his presidential ambition.
It was gathered that Tinubu had once approached the Vice President to ask if he was nursing any presidential ambition to which the latter replied in the negative.
Tinubu was said to have come across a video recording of a directive by Osinbajo to his political associates on his plan to start his campaign for his presidential ambition almost two years into the tenure of his boss.
The development was said to have angered Tinubu who noted that the Vice President cannot be trusted.
It was due to the disagreement that the vice president’s nominee for the commissionership slot in Lagos State, Mr. Obafemi George, was rejected by the State House of Assembly.
Besides, information gathered by Sunday Independent further revealed that some associates of the Vice President had sought information on certain dealings of Tinubu while working abroad, with the intention of using it against his benefactor during the presidential election.
Already, President Muhammadu Buhari reportedly met recently with Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande, former Interim National Chairman of the APC, during which he complained about certain actions of the Vice President, and allegedly asked the duo to prevail on Osinbajo to resign his appointment from the cabinet.
While Akande was said to have opposed such action, Tinubu allegedly supported the President and claimed that nothing was wrong with Osinbajo quitting if found to be culpable in some actions taken behind the president and which Buhari was not happy about.
Already, several actions to further humble the Vice President out of office are in the pipeline. These include the sack of his associates from government and the plan not to renew the tenure of the present Chairman of the Federal Internal Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Babtunde Fowler.
The recent query issued to Fowler by the Chief of Staff (CoS) to the president, Abba Kyari, on the agency’s inability to meet revenue projection target, is said to have a link with the political orchestra being planned against the Vice President.
Fowler’s query was part of the underground moves by Buhari and the cabal in the presidency to systematically undo Osinbajo in government, especially when the query meant to be an official document was leaked to the press.
“What should have been ‘a top government secret’ was leaked to bring down the FIRS boss, who was a member of the Economic Management Team (EMT), and to actually spite Osinbajo,” said a source.
It was further gathered that the retention of former Director General of Department of State Service (DSS), Lawal Daura, in the Presidency as adviser to the president, had strengthen the opposition against the Vice President.
Daura allegedly wrote reports which the cabal wanted to use to nail the Vice President. Daura despite his sack has continued to retain his official quarters in the Villa and working directly with the President.
Besides, the plan to deal with Osinbajo informed the decision not to give him any ministerial slot and the refusal of the president to retain his nominee and former Minister of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, said to be a close associate of the Vice President.
But, while the anti-Osinbajo action was being implemented by the presidency, sources close to the Vice President said he was unperturbed and believe he still enjoys the confidence of the president.
Although, there are fears that the ongoing hostility could affect the implementation of the economic programmes of the Federal Government, sources said the cabal is not yet done until it punishes Osinbajo for actions taken while he stood in for his boss as Acting President.
However, the Media Adviser to Tinubu, Mr. Tunde Rahman, rose stoutly in defence of his principal, saying he cannot undo the Vice President.
While speaking with Sunday INDEPENDENT on Saturday, Rahman said all speculations on the alleged rift between Tinubu and Osinbajo remained in the realms of conjecture.
“There is no truth in the allegation that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is against the Vice President. There is nothing stopping the Vice President from nursing a presidential ambition. If he wants to run, let him run. We are all watching and waiting. It is all a bundle of lies that Asiwaju Tinubu is unhappy about that. People are just politicising the situation. Tinubu cannot muscle his own boy in any way”, he said.
Osinbajo’s travail with the presidency cabal started when he sacked Daura, unarguably one of the ‘untouchables’ in the presidency, while Buhari was receiving medical treatment abroad.
Presidency sources noted that the Vice President was not forgiven for daring to move so decisively against Daura. Osinbajo also committed another unthinkable ‘sin’ when he forwarded the name of Walter Onoghen to the Senate to be confirmed when it was clear his role in acting capacity would expire without confirmation.
It was said to be a mischief from the presidency in the first place to have appointed Onoghen in acting capacity, the first of such strange appointment that showed he was no favourite of the cabal to be made Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
The first sign of trouble arising from those incidents was the budget being sent all the way to London for Buhari to sign into law on his hospital bed while Osinbajo was acting.
Last week, President Buhari announced a crack team of economists, led by Prof. Doyin Salami, as members of his Economic Advisory Council (EAC). The team replaces the EMT headed by Osinbajo.
Aside from Salami, a respected Professor of Economics at the Lagos Business School, who sits on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s monetary policy board, the team also includes Dr. Mohammed Sagagi as vice chairman, a former presidential chief economic adviser, Prof. Ode Ojowu, a former IMF Country Representative for Sierra Leone, Dr. Iyabo Masha, and a former CBN governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo. Others are Mr. Bismark Rewane, Dr. Shehu Yahaya and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Development Policy, Dr. Mohammed Adaya Salisu, who doubles as the team’s Secretary.
The new team, which reports directly to the president, is to advise on economic policy matters, including fiscal analysis, economic growth and a range of internal and global economic issues, working with the relevant cabinet members and heads of monetary and fiscal agencies.
While many Nigerians highlight the positives of the action, there had been greater measure of dissents, who believe that the President’s action, in the same fell swoop, was sheer propaganda aimed at further cutting down on Osinbajo’s already lean powers.
The deduction is that the latest move is part of a salvo aimed at whittling the importance of the office of the Vice President and indeed, the occupant of the office, all as part of the game-plan ahead of the next political dispensation in 2023.
Posted In Alhaji Attahiru Ahmed, Emir of Anka in Zamfara, has cautioned low income earners against marrying more than one wife
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 18 Hours, 40 Minutes and 39 Secondsago
Alhaji Attahiru Ahmed, Emir of Anka in Zamfara, has cautioned low income earners against marrying more than one wife.
Ahmed, who gave the warning on Sunday in Anka, said that multiple marriages was worsening the economic situation of the poor and making them even poorer.
He spoke during the distribution of some women empowerment items donated by Hajia Aisha Bello-Matawalle, wife of the state governor.
The items were distributed to women from Anka, Bakura, Bukuyyum, Gummi, Maradun and Talata-Mafara local governments areas in Zamfara West Senatorial District.
“Civil servants on a salary of N15,000 a month marry more than one wife and end up raising families they cannot catter for.
“It is this attitude that is responsible for increasing out-of-school children because the parents cannot shoulder the responsibility.
“People should marry in accordance with their earnings to ensure that their children have sound education and good moral background,” he counseled.
The emir advised beneficiaries of the gesture to make good use of their packages in order to be economically-self reliant and support their families.
The Nigeria News Agency , reports that various speakers, in their remarks at the occasion, commended the governor’s wife for the gesture and expressed optimism that it would aid the war against poverty and improve living standards in the rural settlements.
They also urged people to plan their lives in accordance with their means.
Posted In Port Harcourt serial killer, Gracious David West makes more confessions, exposes more names
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 18 Hours, 42 Minutes and 44 Seconds ago
Gracious David West Reveals More, Police To Expose Names
Hassan Aliyu gives an update, reports from the Police headquaters Rivers State:
In days to come more information about the killers saga and the names he mentioned shall be made known to the public by CP Dandaura Rivers State.
IN HIS WORDS HE STATED: "I was a committed member of the Deygbam Confranternity which I later denounced and joined the OPM Rehabilitation home before I left for Salvation ministries who refused to give me an accommodation."
"I have made lots of money from robbing my victims of their valuables, such as phones, jewellery which I sell them after killing the ladies, few times they had raw cash on them, I make them give me their ATM pin, with which I withdraw cash from after killing them."
"Whenever I need blood I enter the road looking for girls willing to accept cash for short time with me, I offer 100k to 200k to persuade them.
Sometimes I call them much later to try my luck some will accept to follow me."
CP Dan Daura:
"It was easier to trap him because of the repeated cloths, he pays the hotels to launder it for him, when it is returned, he proceeds to kill the girls while tying towel, before changing to his clothes and leaving.
In the case of the girl found in the wardrobe, he killed her before his clothes were returned, that is why he hid her body in the wardrobe for fear of room service seeing the corpse. The one he hid under the bed at Owerri, he hid her under the bed because room service was due for cleanup any minute.
His homelessness frustrated him alot so he lives from hotel to hotel, state to state.
He has given us names, the names which will be trail from today, releasing such sensitive information will not help the investigation.
He made use of the pillow cases as he threatens the girls with the knife to cooperate, that he wants to tie them up, rob them and leave. They comply, and allows them tie them up, their hands, legs and mouth, while the TV volume is high. After restraining them and getting their pin, he proceeds to kill them by using the 4th torn bedsheet to stangle them.
Actually he killed all the girls and described in details how he killed each of them. He will be taken round town to confirm the hotels he stayed in as he has forgotten most of the names.
The other suspects in custody were arrested before they arrested him, and he confessed.
The various hotels that dumped bodies of the victims far away from their hotels such as Odili road and Waterlines, will be brought to book.
Henceforth the police has mandated hotel owners to instal CCTV cameras and carefully do a thorough checks of room because in some of the hotels he lodged, he confessed to the receptionists not asking for identification, and instead money to process the lease of the room.
He was caught with the phone of the last victim on him as well as her money. He was running to Uyo and was accosted in an AKTC vehicle along East West road, when the CP sent out an SOS based on the CCTV footage released by the hotel. And he was wearing the same outfit he wore on the CCTV camera"
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2r0N-LJi7E/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Posted In Check out Larry Gaaga and Wizkid’s latest music video Larry Gaaga - Low ft. Wizkid
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 2 Weeks, 5 Days, 14 Hours, 2 Minutes and 59 Secondsago
Posted In Wigmore Wholesale the leading wholesale distribution company in Nigeria
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 2 Weeks, 5 Days, 14 Hours, 12 Minutes and 44 Secondsago
Posted In Former President Sani Abacha
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 2 Weeks, 5 Days, 14 Hours, 43 Minutes and 7 Secondsago
Posted In Top 10 fastest growing industries in Nigeria
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Posted In Elon Musk on why Tesla is not in South Africa
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 2 Weeks, 6 Days, 11 Hours, 14 Minutes and 55 Seconds ago
South African motorists may have to wait a while for the official launch of Tesla vehicles in the country.
Responding to a tweet on Thursday (29 August), Musk indicated that the country’s high tariffs are currently impacting the launch of the cars in the county.
Musk said that he ‘would love to’ bring Tesla to the country but that ‘import duties are extremely high, even for electric vehicles’.
Responding in a recent parliamentary Q&A session, minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel said that the country does not currently subsidise the import or production of electric vehicles, but was working on plans to change this.
Support for the importation and production of motor vehicles, under which electric vehicles would ordinarily fall, is covered under the Automotive Production and Development Program (APDP), he said.
“Under the APDP, light motor vehicles including electric vehicles can be imported into the country with the use of rebate credit certificates earned.
“Such certificates allow the importer to offset import duties, where the importer assembles vehicles locally. This incentivises the development and expansion of vehicle production in South Africa.”
Patel added that fewer than 1, 000 electric vehicles have been imported to date; and no auto manufacturer currently assembles electric or hybrid vehicles in South Africa.
“I am in discussion with the automobile sector in South Africa regarding the production of electric or hybrid vehicles locally.
“We are keen to ensure that South Africa develops production capacity in what is anticipated to be a growing part of the car market. On conclusion of the discussions, a formal statement will be made.”
Posted In Lauded Nigerian Entrepreneur may be a BEC Yahoo Boy
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 2 Weeks, 6 Days, 13 Hours, 51 Minutes and 2 Secondsago
Obinwanne Okeke: The Entrepreneur
Obinwanne Okeke, 31 year old CEO and Founder of Invictus Group, is frequently lauded as a success story. At age 28, Forbes Africa featured him in their June 2016 issue under the title “Africa’s Most Promising Entrepreneurs: Forbes Africa’s 30 Under 30 for 2016”.
Although the 30 are “in no particular order”, Obinwanne was one of the two selected to appear on the cover of that month’s Forbes Africa:
The Forbes profile described Okeke like this:
Okeke could not fail his mother. A promise meant hard work and dreaming big. He was raised in Ukpor village, 790 kilometers from Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, as the 17th child of a polygamous father. He went to boarding school aged 10, lost his father at 16 and moved from one relative to another. He named his company Invictus after one of Nelson Mandela’s favorite a poems, by William Ernest Henley, about the undefeated and unconquerable soul of a hard worker, from an impoverished background, who will not give up.
Invictus is in construction, agriculture, oil and gas, telecoms and real estate. He has 28 permanent and 100 part-time employees across nine companies.
He was also selected to speak at the Lagos TEDx Yaba conference, where his topic was “DNA of the Nigerian Entrepreneur … The Resilience Needed” (photo from his company website – invictus.com.ng):
 |
| Invictus.com.ng |
Obinwanne also was featured on Forbes’ “YoungMoney” … and the BBC’s “Rising Star” …
 |
| Full interview at BBC Africa’s Facebook page |
The BBC interview gave some of Obi’s background. He says that he started an IT company at age 16 while still in the village, printing business cards and making websites. With this money he bought the finest bicycle in the village. Later, he was accepted to study at Monash University, where he studied International Business and Counter-Terrorism. He says that he was fascinated with Criminology, which is interesting in hindsight.
Obinwanne Okeke: The BEC Criminal / Yahoo Boy
According to court records available on PACER, Okeke was arrested in Dulles, Virginia on August 6, 2019. Let’s just walk through the Criminal Complaint that was used to justify the arrest warrant:
Okeke was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Computer Fraud and Wire Fraud. (18 USC section 1030 and 1349.)
In June 2018, Unatrac Holding Limited, the export sales office for Caterpillar heavy industrial and farm equipment, headquartered in the UK, contacted the FBI, reporting that Unatrac ad been scammed out of $11 Million USD. Unatrac’s Chief Financial Officer fell for a phishing email that contained a login link to a fake Microsoft Office365 website. When the CFO entered his userid and password, it was sent to the criminals. Between April 6 and April 20, 2018, the CFO’s account was logged into from IP addresses mostly in Nigeria on 464 different occasions.
One key behavior of recent BEC scams was also present in this one. On seven different occasions, someone modified Outlook Office365 rules to intercept legitimate emails to and from employees on the financial teams, mark them as “read” and move them to another folder outside the in box. The complaint says “These rules appeared to have been created in an attempt to hide from the CFO any responses from the individuals to whom the intruder was sending fabricated emails.”
With full access to the CFO’s accounts, the intruders stole invoices, invoice templates, and logos, and used them to create fraudulent invoices, sent from external addresses to the CFO, and then forwarded “by the CFO” to the financial team for payment. One such example email was received on April 19, 2018 from pakfei.trade@gmail.com. The email was forwarded two minutes later to the finance team with instructions to pay.
From April 11 through April 19th, they paid 15 fraudulent payments, included three invoices for “Pak Fei Trade Limited” in the amounts of $278,270.66, $898,461.17, and $1,957,100.00. Altogether, $11 million USD was sent out of the company.
Documents related to the CFO’s travel schedule and the companies tax filings were also stolen, forwarded to the email address “iconoclast1960@gmail.com.” WHOIS queries run by the FBI indicated that the email address was used to create fraudulent “clones” of real companies websites. One example they give is of “emmarlndustries.com” — where the “I” in Industries is actually a lowercase “L”. The real company is a domain owned by ASM International Trading in Dubai. Other domains, not mentioned in the affidavit, but also registered by this address, include “hmlsho-group.com” and “western-chem.net” and “.com”.
Search warrants for the email addresses of iconoclast1960 revealed additional frauds, including a $108,470.55 payment received by the Red Wing Shoe Company in Minnesota. They were victimized in a very similar way. More than 600 additional phished userids and passwords were recovered in the gmail, along with photos of passports and driver’s licenses.
Chats between iconoclast1960 and others dating from December 2017 to November 2018 reveal the scammer interacting with people who are making his phishing sites for him, including a Docusign phishing site. The iconoclast1960 email account also sent and received emails containing phishing kits, such as one called “microsoft.zip” where the file “verify.php” contained code to email stolen credentials to a redacted email address.
The iconoclast1960 gmail account used a recovery email address of “alibabaobi@gmail.com”. This address shared a login session cookie with several additional accounts, including “obinwannem@gmail.com”. This means that the person who logged in to Gmail as “alibabaobi” had also logged in to Gmail, from the same computer, using the Gmail account “obinwannem”.
The Obinwannem gmail account also belongs to the Nairaland.com user “InvictusObi” and to the Twitter user “@invictusobi.” The Twitter page provides repeated links to an Instagram account for InvictusObi as well. Both the Twitter and Instagram page provide many proofs that these accounts belong to Obinwanne Okeke, the CEO of Invictus Group.
Gmail, Twitter, and Instagram all log the IP addresses from which users access their accounts. When Okeke posted on Instagram that he was visiting Seychelles, Google’s logs showed that iconoclast1960@gmail was logging in from 197.157.125.89, in Seychelles. When Okeke was posting on Instagram that he was visiting London on April 20, 2018, the iconoclast1960@gmail account was logging in from 167.98.28.227. When Okeke said he was visiting the United States, specifically Washington, DC, the iconoclast1960@gmail account was logging in from 68.33.78.173, a ComCast IP address in Washington, DC.
For further evidence, Okeke posted information that he had been hospitalized following a recovery from surgery. The FBI agents searched the Google chat logs for Iconoclast1960 and found that he was mentioning in the chats “ive been in hospital. im back in nigeria but still resting.
The FBI agent also found multiple instances where the iconoclast1960 gmail account forwarded emails with attachments to the invictusobi@icloud.com account. Search warrants were also conducted for that account, as well as obinwannem@gmail and alibabaobi@gmail.
Searches through older FBI case files show additional previous frauds conducted in the same manner using the same email addresses, dating all the way back to 2015.
The FBI agent ended his affidavit by showing that Obinwanne Okeke has a Nigerian Passport A50254005 and uses a Visa for entry to the United States “once or twice a year.” He was currently in the country, scheduled to depart on August 6, 2019.
Presumably that is how they knew where to find him at Dulles Airport in Virginia to arrest him as he attempted to leave the country. That must have been a nice collar for the FBI agent who had spent all that time investigating to be able to pick him up in person!
*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from CyberCrime & Doing Time authored by Gary Warner, UAB. Read the original post at: http://garwarner.blogspot.com/2019/08/lauded-nigerian-entrepreneur-may-be-bec.html
Posted In SEC Begins Close Monitoring, Supervision of Capital Market Operators
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 2 Weeks, 6 Days, 14 Hours, 20 Minutes and 43 Secondsago
Posted In South Africa and Nigeria are hurting the rest of Africa
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 2 Weeks, 6 Days, 14 Hours, 27 Minutes and 10 Secondsago
The two nations that account for almost half of sub-Saharan Africa’s gross domestic product are proving to be a damper on the region’s economic expansion.
Nigeria and South Africa, which vie with each other to be the continent’s biggest economy, both release second-quarter growth data on Tuesday.
While the figures will probably show South Africa dodged a recession and Nigeria’s growth quickened, according to two separate Bloomberg surveys, both are expected to show they expanded at a limp pace.
The publication of the data comes as political and business leaders from at least 28 African countries prepare to meet in Cape Town on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum on Africa.
The discussions will focus on how Africa, which has some of the world’s fastest-growing economies in Ghana and Ethiopia, can expand its potential.
‘Major Drag’
“It is obviously going to be a major drag on the continent’s growth if the two largest economies are not performing,” said Ronak Gopaldas, a director at the Cape Town-based consultancy Signal Risk.
The data is expected to show the South African economy grew an annualized 2.5% from the first quarter, and Nigeria’s expanded by the same margin year-on-year.
While the slowing global expansion is contributing to South Africa and Nigeria’s tepid growth, the two nations’ economic woes are largely of their own doing.
The African National Congress-led government in South Africa has failed to decisively deal with the finances of debt-laden power utility Eskom, which is straining the nation’s budget and caused a contraction in GDP in the first quarter.
Nigeria’s failure to diversify its economy, which relies on oil for 90% of its foreign exchange, leaves it vulnerable to international price movements.
“Investor confidence and sentiment toward both of these economies is weak at the moment and that’s largely self-inflicted,” said Gopaldas.
“Both countries, through their policy-making own goals, have made bad situations worse than they needed to be.”
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing criticism from business and investors for the slow implementation of reforms, while proposals published by the National Treasury last week to revive the economy have been shot down by the country’s biggest labour-union federation.
Similarly, a lack of policy progress since Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was re-elected in February has frustrated investors in Nigeria and the recent blurring of lines between monetary and fiscal policy to stabilize the naira added to that, said Celeste Fauconnier, an analyst at Johannesburg-based Rand Merchant Bank, a unit of FirstRand.
Among the solutions likely to be touted at the WEF as a panacea for accelerated growth is the African Continental Free Trade Area.
An accord on the area, signed in July, will cover the entire continent and will be the world’s largest free-trade zone once it’s fully operational.
“South Africa stands to benefit far more from the African Continental Free Trade Area,” Finance Minister Tito Mboweni told reporters on Monday. “We stand to gain tremendously from this because of our industrial base.”
What Bloomberg’s Economist Says:
“Nigeria and South Africa will likely struggle to revamp their traditional leadership roles on the continent, due to the weakness of their domestic economies and policies focused on supporting national rather than regional development.
“The WEF is a discussion meeting rather than a decision-making one, like the African Union.
“The outlined topics, such as innovation, digitization, sustainable development and leadership, are more relevant for the more developed countries on the continent, such as South Africa.”
– Mark Bohlund, economist
Posted In Davido, Chris Brown - Blow My Mind video featuring Marie Duponcy
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Posted In Yemi Alade's Brilliant New Album, 'Woman Of Steel'
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Posted In 7 MUST TRY RESTAURANTS IN ACCRA
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 2 Weeks, 6 Days, 15 Hours, 15 Minutes and 45 Secondsago
When a friend introduced me to BlackFoodie, I knew by the name alone, I would love it! When you look at food eaten by black people around the world, you can find a lot of similarity in what we eat. Coincidence? I think not!
Paying tribute to the various black culinary experiences, the list below is aimed to please every BlackFoodie who is in or who comes to Accra. Not only are you bound to enjoy the food you know and love, you’ll also be able to try something new!
1. Jamrock Restaurant
Rice and peas, jerk chicken and dumplings. Curried goat and Jamaican patties. Drooling yet?
In high school I used to love going to visit my Jamaican friend for her mom’s food, I just couldn’t get enough! Jamrock serves all the Jamaican food I know and love, and then some.
Photo Cred: @yaw_pare (Instagram)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BD-aHvoG9G8/
2. The Chop Bar
Eating the Ghanaian comfort food you love without the Ghanaian sun beating down your back, and best of all, inside a nicely chilled air-conditioned restaurant. What more can a girl ask for?
3. Chez Clarisse
Even after all these years, Clarisse is still winning with her Ivorian dishes. Nuff said!
Photo Cred: @beingyvetteingh
Instagram
4. Azmera
Azmera is known for having possibly one of the most diverse buffet restaurants for Ghanaian cuisine in Accra. Whenever I find myself here for lunch, my curiosity will have me trying something new!
Photo of d’den: @balodden instagram
5. Simret Ethiopian Restaurant
Fun fact! Injera, a mildly sour-tasting flatbread, is high in iron.
Having grown up with Eritrean friends, I was able to enjoy this unique meal, originally from Ethiopia and Eritrea, but also eaten in some other East African countries.
6. D-den
https://www.instagram.com/p/ssKdTZm9CE/
As the most populous African country, it’s no surprise that you can find Nigerians, and their food, everywhere. Their food is as diverse as their ethnic groups!
7. Champion Dishes
Since we all know Ghanaian jollof is AWESOME, you have to try Champion dishes. Before we got a caterer in the office, one colleague used to eat their jollof every. single. day. I kid you not!
If you are in Accra or end up coming here, give me a shout so we can go for a meal together and share our Black Foodie stories!
With love from Accra,
Lydia
Find and follow me on social media:
Instagram: @lydialgf
Twitter: @ElimAma
Snapchat: lydialgf
source: http://blackfoodie.co/7-must-try-restaurants-in-accra
Posted In 2019 BBNaija: Don’t be discouraged, Jidenna tells housemates
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Posted In Military panel probes Wadume’s confession, invites police
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 4 Weeks, 1 Day, 16 Hours, 27 Minutes and 29 Secondsago
The Joint Investigative Panel set up by the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, to probe the killing of three police in Ibi, Taraba State, has opened an investigation into the video showing arrested kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Wadume, indicting soldiers over his escape.
This is just as the DHQ on Wednesday invited the police, air force, Department of State Services and other security agencies for a joint meeting to look into the “security challenges facing the country”.
Police on Tuesday confirmed they arrested Wadume from his hideout in the Layin Mai Allo Hotoro area of Kano State on Monday.
In the video released by police on their Twitter handle, Wadume said in Hausa, “My name is Hamisu Bala Wadume. Police came to arrest me. When they arrested me, the army (soldiers) chased them and opened fire. From there, they (soldiers) took me to their headquarters and cut off my handcuffs and released me.
“I went back to my house, but the police came to re-arrest me.”
A source in the DHQ panel said on Wednesday they were disturbed by Wadume’s confession in the video and were looking into it.
He said, “The arrest of Wadume by the police is commendable. It was a joint effort between the police and the military. The video confession is very disturbing and we cannot ignore it. We are investigating the confession and we want to ensure a smooth relationship with the police.
“The panel was given one week initially but we now have an extension to tidy up the investigation. We are rounding off as soon as possible.”
The panel headed by Rear Admiral Ibikunle Olaiya has top officers drawn from the police, army, navy, air force, DSS and the Defence Intelligence Agency.
On the invitation sent to the police and other security agencies, the acting Director, Defence Information, Col Onyema Nwachukwu, said, “The special meeting is sequel to a decision reached at the meeting of the Chief of Defence Staff with service chiefs and heads of security and intelligence agencies.
“It is based on the need for their spokespersons and directors of information to hold regular meetings and address joint conferences to inform the public about the efforts the security agencies are making towards addressing the security challenges facing the country and other relevant issues.”
Posted In Amazon rainforest fires: global leaders urged to divert Brazil from 'suicide' path
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 4 Weeks, 1 Day, 16 Hours, 34 Minutes and 9 Secondsago
International pressure may be the only way to stop the Brazilian government from taking a “suicide” path in the Amazon, one of the country’s most respected scientists has said, as the world’s biggest rainforest continues to be ravaged by thousands of deliberate fires.
The large number of conflagrations – set illegally to clear and prepare land for crops, cattle and property speculation – has prompted the state of Amazonas to declare an emergency, created giant smoke clouds that have drifted hundreds of miles, and sparked international concerns about the destruction of an essential carbon sink.
“Our house is burning,” tweeted the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who called for emergency talks on the subject at this week’s G7 summit. But the response to the crisis has been mixed: while Norway and Germany have halted donations to the Brazilian government’s Amazon fund, the EU has recently signed a trade deal with South America, and the UK spent this week focusing on post-Brexit business with Brazil.
On Wednesday, the UK trade minister Conor Burns was shaking hands with his counterparts in Brasilia and declaring a desire to “deepen relations”. Asked about the fires, he declined to comment but reportedly said Bolsonaro’s government had “legitimate ambitions to bring prosperity to its people”.
Scientists say the ongoing destruction will have dire consequences for Brazil and the world.
Carlos Nobre, a senior researcher with the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of São Paulo, said the surge in deforestation was taking the rainforest closer to a tipping point beyond which swaths of the usually humid forest would become a dry savannah, with dire consequences for the climate, wildlife and forest dwellers.
Nobre said deforestation was on course to rise by 20-30% this year and was “very likely” to pass 10,000 sq km for the first time in more than 10 years. The trend has been worsening for several years, but it has accelerated under Bolsonaro, who has weakened the environment agency and expressed support for miners, farmers and loggers.
“The situation is very bad. It will be terrible,” Nobre told the Guardian. “A very large number of these fires are due to the cultural push that ministers are giving. They are pushing deforestation because it is good for the economy. Those who do illegal deforestation are feeling empowered.”
Nobre co-authored a study last year that predicted the southern, eastern and central regions of the Amazon would reach an irreversible stage of degradation once 20%-25% of the forest was cleared. This was not expected for 20-25 years, but Nobre said the tipping point was likely to be brought forward by about five years if this year’s rate of forest destruction continued.
In the five days to Wednesday, there were 7,746 fires in Brazil, according to data from the country’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE). This follows a 278% rise in deforestation last month. The figures are preliminary, but a rising trend has been observed by other satellite monitoring systems.
Brazil has recorded more than 72,000 fires this year, an 84% increase on the same period in 2018, according to the INPE. Not all were forest fires, but more than half were in the Amazon.
In one of the worst affected municipalities, Porto Velho, environmental activists said there were fires around the city and the streets were filled with smoke.
“People are scared. The hospitals are full of people with respiratory diseases. In 60 years, this is the first time I feel difficulty breathing,” said Ivaneide Bandeira Cardozo, the coordinator of the environmental organisation Kanindé. “It’s a thousand times worse than in other years.
“Bad farmers think they can commit all kinds of illegality because they will suffer no punishment … It seems Brazil has no law, that all the laws are in tatters.”
In the soya frontier state of Mato Grosso, which has had more fires than anywhere else in Brazil this year, burning has been detected inside indigenous lands and nature reserves.
The vast majority of Brazilians want to protect the forest, according to opinion polls, but the government has prioritised business interests. Bolsonaro announced this week that he would resume mega-hydro projects in the Amazon that were halted on environmental grounds. His son has proposed a bill in Congress that would further weaken protections around indigenous territory and nature reserves.
Nobre said one of the few remaining ways to prevent a dangerous loss of forest was through external protests and consumer actions.
“Politicians in Brazil pay more attention to international pressure than the voice of Brazilians,” he said. “I think international pressure is essential to reverse this tragic pathway. The agriculture sector in Brazil is very concerned that European consumers won’t buy Brazil produce. This may be the ultimate way to stop the Brazilian government from a suicide of the Amazon, which will have terrible consequences for the climate and for Brazil.”
These concerns were echoed by Thomas Lovejoy, a co-author of the tipping point study. In more than 50 years working in the Brazilian rainforest, he said this was one of its darkest moments, he said.
“There have always been some ups and downs, but the overall trajectory has been towards improvement. Now, Brazil is headed in the other direction.
“Under normal circumstances, the outside world would endeavour to help, but this Brazilian government is not interested in help.”
The scientists said there were already signs the tipping point was drawing closer. The dry season in the southern and eastern Amazon was more than 20 days longer than it was 30 years ago, droughts were more common, and plants that relied on high humidity were declining. In deforested areas, these trends were more pronounced.
Nobre said: “If the dry season extends two to three weeks more we will reach a critical moment. If it lasts longer than four months, this is the climate envelope of a savannah.”
Global heating is a major factor. As in Siberia, Alaska and California, climate breakdown is expected to make fires more frequent and more widely spread. Some of the biggest fires this week have been in the Bolivian Amazon, where deforestation has also been accelerating. According to Europe’s Copernicus satellite monitoring agency, this was the origin of the smoke that darkened the sky in São Paulo, thousands of miles away, on Monday.
There have been more large fires in Colombia and eastern Brazil this week than in the Amazon, where many agricultural burn-offs are in deforested areas.
In the Brazilian Amazon, only Amazonas state has registered a record for fires so far in August. Globally, huge fires in the Arctic have been even further from the norm, but Brazil remains the centre of concern because the problem is more immediately manmade.
Bolsonaro has tried to deflect blame. He sacked the head of the space agency and said the satellite data was a lie. His chief of staff claimed European environmental concerns were a plot to constrain Brazil’s economic growth. His foreign minister tweeted that it was a tactic by the international left. This week, he suggested, entirely without evidence, that environmental groups might have started the fires to embarrass his government.
This last allegation was condemned on Thursday in a letter signed by 118 civil society organisations. “The president doesn’t need NGOs to burn the image of Brazil in the world,” they wrote.
Concerns about the deteriorating situation have prompted protests at Brazil’s embassies. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, has also urged Brazil to take action. “In the midst of the global climate crisis, we cannot afford more damage to a major source of oxygen and biodiversity. The Amazon must be protected,” he tweeted.
Macron said he would put the matter on the agenda of the G7 summit in France this weekend, while celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Madonna and Cristiano Ronaldo have also raised the alarm.
In Brazil, a petition by the campaign group Avaaz asking the government to halt illegal deforestation has received 1.1m signatures. Federal prosecutors in Pará state are investigating why environmental inspections have declined and military police are absent from inspection operations, where they used to provide protection.
Some foreign governments and conservation groups are trying to deal directly with Brazilian state governments and NGOs rather than going through the national authorities.
The UK, however, has been more focused on building post-Brexit business relations. Brazil’s international trade minister, Marcos Troyjo, said that along with ongoing negotiations with the US, Burns’s visit was a sign that Brazil continued to have the trust of the outside world.
“I think there can be no more concrete proof that not only is Brazil open for business but the international community is willing to do business with Brazil,” he said.
The UK’s stance was condemned by Friends of the Earth. The campaigner Guy Shrubsole said: “If this is what we are prepared to do to line up trade deals, rather than take a world-stage opportunity to protect the obviously irreplaceable Amazon, you have to wonder where our priorities lie. The UK government shouldn’t trade with any countries who are ignoring their Paris climate change commitments, least of all Bolsonaro’s Brazil when they’re burning their forests down to sell us and the world soya and beef.”
Posted In Former Ghana international and 'fan favorite' Junior Agogo dies at 40
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 4 Weeks, 1 Day, 16 Hours, 41 Minutes and 41 Secondsago
A former international footballer for Ghana and a number of English football clubs has died at the age of 40.
Junior Agogo, played 27 times for Ghana's national team, scoring 11 goals. In 2008 he scored the winning goal as Ghana beat Nigeria in the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations, though the Black Stars were then beaten in the semifinals by Cameroon.
However, in the tournament's third place match Agogo also scored in Ghana's 4-2 win over the Ivory Coast.
The striker's career was dominated by spells in England -- notably with Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol Rovers -- but he also played football in Cyprus, Scotland and the US.
Agogo reportedly suffered a stroke in 2015 and struggled with his speech afterwards.
He began his career at Sheffield Wednesday but only made two Premier League appearances for the Owls.
Agogo went on to join and flourish at Bristol Rovers in 2003, where he scored 41 goals in 126 appearances.
His former clubs turned to social media to show their respect.
Agogo joined Nottingham Forest in 2006 and quickly won over the hearts of fans at the City Ground.
He played a leading role in the club's 2007-2008 league campaign, helping Forest win promotion to the Championship -- English football's second tier -- according to one fan.
His partnership with "Nathan Tyson fired Forest back to the Championship in some of the club's darkest days," added Cunliffe.
Nottingham Forest said their thoughts were with Junior's friends and family at this "sad time."
Posted In FBI, EFCC Arrest 16 Fraudsters As Magu Says Nigeria's 'Yahoo Boys' Relocating To Ghana
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 4 Weeks, 1 Day, 16 Hours, 44 Minutes and 11 Secondsago
Posted In $11 Million Fraud: Obinwanne Okeke hires Nigerian lawyer to lead trial
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 4 Weeks, 1 Day, 16 Hours, 45 Minutes and 53 Secondsago
Obinwanne Okeke, the Abuja-based businessman arrested earlier this month for Internet fraud in the United States, has hired a new lawyer to help fight off the criminal charges levelled against him by American authorities.
Mr Okeke hired John Iweanoge, a Washington D.C.-based attorney of Nigerian origin, to take over from Rahul Sharma, a public defender, PREMIUM TIMES learnt from court documents.
Mr Sharma was appointed by a judge to stand as counsel to Mr Okeke because the suspect did not appear with a defence lawyer at his initial hearing on August 9.
Mr Iweanoge notified the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia later in the day on August 9 that he was stepping in to replace Mr Sharma as Mr Okeke’s lead counsel. He also said he had the suspect’s consent to represent him in the trial.
Mr Iweanoge, lead attorney at The Iweanoges Firm, has been practicing law the U.S. since 1993, according to the firm’s website. He has been running the law firm apparently with his family members.
In 2007, he was publicly reprimanded by the disciplinary board of Maryland Bar for misconduct. He protested the sanction in court and lost.
Mr Okeke, known widely in Nigeria as Invictus Obi, was remanded in custody of the U.S. Marshall Service indefinitely after his initial appearance before Theresa Buchanan, a magistrate. He had been arrested days before on August 6 in Dulles, Virginia, based on a criminal complaint filed against him by the F.B.I.
The foremost American law enforcement body had in June 2018 received complaints from Unatrac, an international subsidiary of heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar, that Mr Okeke gained unauthorised access to the e-mail account of its chief financial officer and authorised a series of fictitious invoices to the tune of $11 million.
The F.B.I. also found that Mr Okeke had duped an American shower manufacturer as part of a business email compromise (BEC) schemes that Mr Okeke and other accomplices had coordinated.
The grim options
Mr Okeke did not enter a plea at his initial arraignment on August 9, but he was remanded in custody indefinitely in accordance with the U.S. federal laws on the nature of the criminal complaints against him, according to Joshua Stueve, a spokesperson for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Mr Stueve told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Okeke had been presented with some options that would be decided in the coming days, even though no judge had been appointed to try the case proper.
“Since he was arrested on a criminal complaint, it means he could be held in custody pending trial,” Mr Stueve said by telephone Thursday night. “At this point, he will either plead guilty or the U.S. will present the matter to a grand jury.”
“The jury will decide whether to return indictment or not. If they decide to return indictment, he will be presented before a judge to enter a plea. If he pleads guilty, he would be sentenced. If he pleads not guilty, then a trial date will be set,” the official added.
He also told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Okeke had been moved from Alexandria to Norfolk, Virginia, where he would likely make his next appearance in court upon determination of a date.
“His initial appearance was in Alexandria, but his next appearance will be in Norfolk,” Mr Stueve said.
Posted In PDP unmoved as tribunal sacks Dino Melaye
about 5 Years, 2 Months, 4 Weeks, 1 Day, 16 Hours, 49 Minutes and 49 Secondsago
The Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja on Friday nullified Dino Melaye’s election as the winner of the February 23 Kogi West senatorial poll.
In a unanimous judgment on the petition filed by Smart Adeyemi and his party, the All Progressives Congress, the three-man panel led by Justice A.O. Chijioke ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh election within 90 days.
Adeyemi, who represented Kogi West at the Senate in the past, and the APC claimed in the petition that the election won by Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party was marred by overvoting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
However, while the APC hailed the judgment, the PDP said it was not bothered about it, saying Melaye would remain the representative of Kogi West at the Senate.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja said they would get victory at the Appeal Court.
He said, “We are not worried about the nullification because we still have the opportunity of going to the Court of Appeal. However, Kogi West where Dino comes from is the home of the PDP in Kogi State. So if elections are held there over and over the PDP will always win. So we do not have any issue.
“We are also confident of victory at the Appeal Court because Adeyemi lost that election roundly. His party is the ruling party in the state, but the people of Kogi West voted against him. He knows that he lost that election including in his ward and local government area. So if the election is held 100 times, the PDP will win.”
The APC chairman in the state, Abdullahi Bello, said Melaye’s sacking was a welcome development.
In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, Bello said the ruling had confirmed that there was hope for the common man in the country.
He commended the judiciary for standing on the part of truth in delivering the judgement.
Melaye described the ruling “as a total miscarriage of justice.”
However, Melaye who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, said in a statement he had instructed his legal team to appeal the judgment.
Posted In Profiles of Nigeria’s new health ministers Osagie Ehanire and Olorunnimbe Mamora
about 5 Years, 3 Months, 1 Day, 21 Hours, 52 Minutes and 34 Secondsago
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday inaugurated the new ministers who would be working with him in the next four years.
He appointed two ministers to run the Ministry of Health. Osagie Ehanire is the senior minister while Olorunnimbe Mamora is the minister of state.
Here are the profiles of the two new ministers.
Mr Ehanire is not new to the ministry as he served as the minister of state for health in the first term of President Buhari from 2015 to 2019.
Not new to the running of the current administration and the happenings at the ministry of health, the new minister is expected to continue the agenda he pursued with his predecessor, Isaac Adewole, which is the revitalisation of facilities in the sector.
Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire born November 1946. He is from Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. Mr Ehanire is a medical doctor.
He attended Government College, Ibadan, for his West African School Certificate as well as Higher School Certificate (HSC). He passed the latter with distinction.
He is a graduate of Medicine from the University of Munich. In 1976, Mr Ehanire attended the Royal College of Surgeon in Ireland, Dublin where he obtained a post-graduate diploma in Anaesthetics as well as a certificate in General Surgery and Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery.
Mr Ehanire worked extensively in Germany as resident Anesthesiologist, resident Vascular Surgeon and resident general surgeon in Thoracic Surgery at various hospitals.
He came back to work in Nigeria in 1982 and became a fellow of the West African College of Surgeons (FWACS) in 1984.
He worked at the Department of Surgery (Orthopaedic Surgery) University of Benin Teaching Hospital up till 1985 when he joined Shell Development Company (SPDC) Hospital, Warri from 1985 to 1990.
He also served at various times as a member of the Boards of Edo State Health Management Board and T.Y Danjuma Foundation among others.
He is also a seasoned politician as he was the leader of CPC in Edo State and a member of the Buhari Campaign Organisation after the emergence of APC.
Mamora
The new Minister of State for Health, Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora, is a medical doctor and a politician representing Lagos State.
Mr Mamora was born February 16, 1953. He obtained a B.Sc Health Sciences, Bachelor of Medicine, and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Ife, Ile Ife. He is a general practitioner.
Mr Mamora was a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who represented Lagos East constituency of Lagos State in 2007 as a member of Action Congress (AC).
He was a National Delegate for the National Republican Convention( NRC) in 1990 and Secretary Lagos East of the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) in 1998.
He was elected to the Lagos State House of Assembly in 1999 and was elected Speaker.
Mr Mamora was chairman of the Conference of Speakers (2000-2001). He was elected to the Senate in April 2003 and reelected in 2007. He was also a member of the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS) Parliament (2003-2006).
In 2003, he was appointed the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and public petition.
Mr Mamora is an APC member.
Posted In Full list of ministers and their portfolios
about 5 Years, 3 Months, 1 Day, 21 Hours, 55 Minutes and 4 Secondsago
Posted In Ekweremadu: National Assembly To Protect Politicians From Attack While Abroad
about 5 Years, 3 Months, 5 Days, 15 Hours, 13 Minutes and 48 Secondsago
The House of Representatives has moved to enact a law that would protect Nigerian politicians whenever they travel abroad, Igbere TV reports.
This comes on the heels of the attack on Senator Ike Ekweremadu in Germany, by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
Igbere TV had reported that the immediate past Deputy Senate President was petted with eggs by aggrieved members of IPOB at an event in Nuremberg, on Saturday.
In a statement made available to Igbere on Sunday, Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, said the attack on Ekweremadu was rather unfortunate.
The lawmaker said that there were other civilized ways within a democratic setting to show grievances by any individual or group.
He said the House upon resumption from recess in September would thoroughly investigate the case, while calling on the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Yusuf Tugger to probe the attack and bring the perpetrators to book.
Full Statement,
“I, like most concerned Nigerians and others across the globe, have followed with utmost concern and worry about the treatment that was meted out on Sen. (Dr.) Ike Ekweremadu yesterday in far away Nuremberg, Germany, where he had, on the invitation of his people, gone to attend the Second Igbo Cultural Festival of Iri Ji in that part of Europe as a Distinguished Guest of Honour.
“Sen. Ekweremadu, an accomplished scholar in the legal profession and political leader of high standing in society, is one of our longest-serving Senators, who had also in the last twelve years until June this year held sway as the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate. Before joining the Senate, he was also Secretary to the Enugu State Government and had before then served in various capacities in that State.
“Given the high personality profile and the public service record which Sen. Ekweremadu parades, it is unthinkable that any individual or group anywhere in the world, let alone his very own people in the Diaspora, who ought to know better, should contemplate and carry out the despicable public act of shame that was brought upon a well-respected national leader of Sen. Ekweremadu’s stature before the glare of the entire global community in Germany.
“I, therefore, in very strong terms, condemn in its entirety the action of the group of Igbo people, alleged to be members of the outlawed IPOB, that had attacked Sen.Ike Ekweremadu in Nuremberg, Germany on Saturday, August 17. I also wish to join other Nigerians and leaders to call on the Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, H/E Amb.Yusuf Maitama Tugger to make good his promise to investigate and bring to book everyone who was part of that dastardly assault on a serving national leader.
“On my part, I promise to lead the House Committee on Foreign Affairs which I currently chair, and, indeed, other Members of the House, who have since yesterday continued to call in to express their indignation against and condemnation of the act, to move a Motion on the floor of the House and to call for broader investigations on the matter with a view to decisively dealing with all those involved and seeking protection for the politically-exposed persons on foreign trips and assignments in foreign jurisdictions. Sanwo-Olu to inaugurate cabinet this week
“While conceding that it is the right of any group or individual to protest against a perceived wrong done to them in every democratic set-up, like ours, but it goes without saying that there is a limit to the extent any protest can go. It ceases to be a protest, for instance, when those involved in such a protest begin to make attempts on life or endanger the rights of others to peaceful and lawful assembly as we saw in the case at Nuremberg, Germany. As law-abiding people, we must have recourse to civility and proper ways of doing things at all times.”
http://igberetvnews.com/909190/ekweremadu-nass-to-seek-protection-for-politicians-while-abroad/
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