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Sunday 28 June 2020

Airports are about 90% ready for reopening- Minsiter of Aviation, Hadi Sirika















The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, says airports in Nigeria are 90% ready for reopening.



He said this today Saturday, June 27, 2020 after he and other government officials partook in the dry run simulation exercises held at the domestic terminals of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos respectively.







The exercise, which was aimed at assessing the readiness of the airports for reopening post Covid-19 was witnessed by the Honourable Ministers of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, State for Health, Dr Olorunnibe Mamora, Minister of State for Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, the National Coordinator, Presidential Task Force, Dr. Aliyu Sanni, the Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Musa Nuhu, the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, Chairman, Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema, amongst several other stakeholders.



The simulation exercise began in Abuja as passengers were taken through the Post Covid-19 departure protocols enroute Lagos on a Boeing 737 Aerocontractors flight. The team from Abuja arrived at the General Aviation Terminal, Lagos at about 1200hours. Passengers onboard the flight were facilitated in line with the normal procedural order of arrival facilitation.



In his remarks, the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika expressed his delight at the level of facilities on ground. He added that going by the measures that have been put in place, the airports are about 90% ready to reopen.



According to Senator Sirika, domestic passengers will now have to get to the airports like three hours before departure, while international passengers would be expected to get to the airports about five hours before their flight. This is to ensure that all protocols, including safety markings, social distancing, hand sanitizing, baggage decontamination, scanning of personal items, etc. are complied with forthwith.



Other Ministers on ground and the National Coordinator of PTF also took their turn to comment on their impression of the preparedness of the airports for reopening. They also expressed satisfaction at the measures on ground and optimism that the airports are ready for reopening.



The team from Abuja also went through the departure protocols, signalling the end of the exercise.

Police uncover six assault rifles inside a church building in Delta state












The police in Delta state have uncovered six assault rifles in a church building located in Okwe community in Asaba, the state capital.



The state Commissioner for Health, Hafiz Inuwa, who disclosed this today June 27, said Freeman Eze, a community vigilante and the pastor of the church, Christ Holy Church International, claimed the weapons were procured for the protection of the church.



Inuwa explained that the police raided the church following a tipoff.




“When we got our intelligence on June 23, we just swoop into the area where Christ Holy Church campground is situated in Okwe. We swoop into that place and got one vigilante by name Freeman Eze arrested. Eze is not from Delta State.

However during the course of our interrogation and investigation at the scene, we were able to recover six assault rifles because pump-action rifles are now a prohibited firearm” he said

Three new Coronavirus symptoms including diarrhea and runny nose added to official list












The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has added a runny nose or congestion, nausea, and diarrhoea to the growing list of Coronavirus symptoms.



The new symptoms are likely to appear between two to 14 days after exposure to the virus.



The CDC reports that anyone with the following symptoms may have COVID-19:


Fever or chills
A cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhoea



"This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19," the website states.



The US federal department also warned: "Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness."



This comes as almost 10million people have been infected by the disease worldwide with nearly 500,000 deaths.

Tinubu finally speaks on APC crisis, responds to insinuations regarding 2023 political ambition












































Former governor and All Progressive Congress chieftain, Bola Tinubu has commented on the dissolution of the APC National Working Committee, suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the party's national chairman and contesting in the 2023 Presidential election.










Tinubu who disclosed that he is yet to decide on contesting in the 2023 presidential election, described claims of death of his alleged political ambition as "distasteful".










He also stated that Adams Oshiomhole made mistakes as the national chairman of the party and must own up to them. The former Governor also commended President Buhari for dissolving APC's NWC, a decision he said must be accepted.










The APC national leader went on to describe the NWC as a fight club who didn't exhibit the behavior of a progressive political party.










His statement reads in full;













I wish to begin my remarks by commending members of the National Working Committee. Under their collective stewardship, the party earned great and important victories, not least the vital second mandate handed to President Buhari. President Buhari’s victory, and the overall electoral success of APC speak highly of them. Our task as a party is to build upon the progress thus made so that both nation and party may advance to their better future.




Yet, we must acknowledge that something important has gone off track. For some months we have experienced growing disagreement within the leadership of the party. This unfortunate competition had grown so intense as to impair the performance of the NWC, thus undermining the internal cohesion and discipline vital to success.




Some people have gone so far as to predict the total disintegration of our party. Most such dire predictions were from critics whose forecasts said more about their ill will than they revealed about our party’s objective condition. Predictions of the APC’s imminent demise are premature and mostly mean-spirited. However, an honest person must admit the party had entered a space where it had no good reason to be.




The trouble is not that we would forfeit our collective existence but whether we were in danger of losing our collective purpose. In some ways, this possibility is of greater concern. A political party that has lost sight of the reason for its existence becomes but the vehicle of blind and clashing ambitions. This is not what drove the APC’s creation.




Those who believe Nigeria can be forged into a better nation and deserves good governance must harken back to the establishment of our party. Those who were there and contributed the most to the party’s genesis embraced a common vision. Not only did we believe the venal, purblind PDP was leading the nation into a pit, we sincerely held a common vision of progressive good governance. This was the overriding reason for the APC.




Those most intimately involved in founding the party remain faithful to this benign, timely assignment. Sadly, many members have lost their balance. Their personal ambition apparently came to greatly outweigh the obvious national imperatives.




Even in the best of times, Nigeria is beset by myriad challenges. Poverty and economic inequality, insecurity, lack of infrastructure are longstanding obstacles that have blocked our access to national greatness for too long.




Through no fault of our own, we now live in a moment of heightened difficulty. We did not ask for COVID-19 but it has found us. We must deal with it and navigate its rude economic consequences. At the same time we must grapple with the violent insecurity caused by increasingly desperate terrorists and criminals. People need concrete help from us. We must focus on building roads and creating jobs. For the average man, watching politicians wrestle for position is a poor substitute to seeing politicians working for the benefit of all.




Yet, such intramural fighting has come to occupy the attention of many high ranking party officials and members.




The National Working Committee, itself, became riven by unnecessary conflict. Those who disagreed with one another stopped trying to find common ground. Attempts were made to use the power of executive authority to bury each other. I must be blunt here. This is the behaviour of a fight club not the culture of a progressive political party.




Some members went against their chairman in a bid to forcefully oust him. In hindsight, his fence-mending attempts were perhaps too little too late. I believed and continue to believe that Comrade Oshiomhole tried his best. Mistakes were made and he must own them. Yet, we must remember also that he was an able and enthusiastic campaigner during the 2019 election. He is a man of considerable ability as are the rest of you who constituted the NWC.




It had been my hope that the disagreements could be resolved. After all, a political solution should not be beyond the ken of leaders of a major political party. But such resolution has failed to materialise. It was as if some unseen but strong force continued to stoke the embers. Instead of calling a prudent ceasefire, too many people sought more destructive weapons against one another.




Order, party discipline and mutual respect went out of the window. Members instituted all manner of court cases, most of them destructive, some of them frivolous, none of them necessary. In the process, a dense fog fell upon our party.




When this matter first came to a boil a few months ago, I issued a statement against this litigious tendency. President Buhari and former interim chairman Akande published strong words against this misuse of the courts as being contrary to the spirit of the party and the letter of its constitution. Each of us knew nothing good would come of such conduct. Instead of listening to this counsel, party members increased their trips to the courts. While busy providing ample livelihood for a gaggle of lawyers, these actions cast the good of the party to the wind.




After the fusillade of lawsuits and countersuits, two NWC members laid competing claims to the chairmanship. One legitimately elected at our national convention; the latter whose claim was based on the questionable suspension of the former.




With lawsuits so numerous one needed a spread sheet to keep track, President Buhari has reasonably decided that he has seen enough.




I do not lament his intervention or its outcome. I lament that the situation degenerated to the point where he felt compelled to intervene.




President Buhari is much more than a mere beneficiary of the party. He is one of its founding fathers. The APC does not exist in its current form without his singular contributions. That is not opinion; it is undisputed fact.




Given these antecedents, he cares about the condition of the party as any parent would care for its offspring.President Buhari has done what any parent in his position and with his authority would do. The more troubling consideration is that so many trusted people acted in such a way as to force the president to put aside the issues of statecraft in order to address these problems.




The President has spoken and his decision has been accepted. It is now beholden on all of us, as members of the APC, to recommit ourselves to the ideals and principles on which our party was founded. While we recognize that people have personal ambitions, those ambitions are secondary, not sacrosanct. Members must subordinate their ambitions to health and well-being of the party. Never should our party be defined by one person’s interests or even the amalgam of all members’ individual interests. A successful party must be greater than the sum of its parts.




In this vein, I appeal to all former members of the National Working Committee and all members of our party to sheathe their swords and look to the larger picture.




We have governorship elections around the corner in Edo and a primary and elections in Ondo. On these important events we must concentrate our immediate energies. In the longer run, we must restore the collegial nature to the party so that it should be in the practice of coming to support the President instead of him having to rescue the party from itself.




In Edo, we must rally round our candidate Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu. In this, Comrade Oshiomhole has a crucial role to play. I congratulate him for his equanimity and loyalty to the party and our President in accepting the dissolution of the NWC. I encourage him, now, to return to Edo State to energise the campaign for the election of Pastor Ize-Iyamu.




In Ondo, we must set the procedures for primaries and conduct that exercise in a fair, transparent manner that shows the Nigerian people the party has left turmoil behind.




In addition to the daily operation of the party, the Caretaker Committee has the mandate to prepare for a mini national convention within six months. We must give the committee the support needed to fulfil this assignment in an impartial manner.




As I understand it, no one has been precluded from seeking any party office to which he is otherwise eligible. Former NWC members are free to seek re-election to the NWC. Provided they have the support of party members, they will have an opportunity to return to serve the party in a leadership capacity. This reflects our overriding desire to restore and maintain internal democracy not subvert it.




To those who have been actively bleating how the President’s actions and the NEC meeting have ended my purported 2023 ambitions, I seek your pity. I am but a mere mortal who does not enjoy the length of foresight or political wisdom you profess to have. Already, you have assigned colourful epitaphs to the 2023 death of an alleged political ambition that is not yet even born.




At this extenuating moment with COVID-19 and its economic fallout hounding us, I cannot see as far into the distance as you. I have made no decision regarding 2023 for the concerns of this hour are momentous enough.




During this period, I have not busied myself with politicking regarding 2023. I find that a bit distasteful and somewhat uncaring particularly when so many of our people have been unbalanced by the twin public health and economic crises we face. I have devoted these last few months to thinking of policies that may help the nation in the here and now. What I may or may not do 3 years hence seems too remote given present exigencies.




Those who seek to cast themselves as political Nostradamus’ are free to so engage their energies. I trust the discerning public will give the views of such eager seers the scant weight such divinations warrant.




Personally, I find greater merit trying to help in the present by offering policy ideas, both privately and publicly, where I think they might help. I will continue in this same mode for the immediate future. 2023 will answer its own questions in due time.




I have toiled for this party as much as any other person and perhaps more than most. Despite this investment or perhaps due to it, I have no problem with making personal sacrifices (and none of us should have such a problem) as long as the party remains true to its progressive, democratic creed. Politics is but a vehicle to arrive at governance. Good politics promotes good governance. Yet, politics is also an uncertain venture. No one gets all they want all the time. In even a tightly-woven family, differences and competing interests must be balanced and accommodated.




My fellow party members who now feel aggrieved by the NEC meeting I urge you to accept the sacrifice you have been asked to make so that the air can be cleared, the party can assume its proper role of helping this government lead the nation toward enlightened improvement, and the party itself can grow and firmly establish itself as the best, most democratic party in the land.







Buhari and Tinubu are not at war - Presidency












The Presidency has reacted to speculation of President Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), having a strained relationship following the dissolution of the party's national working committee.



Presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu in a statement released on Saturday June 27, described report of Buhari and Tinubu having a frosty relationship as "political vulturism". He also accused the opposition party of spearheading the rumour.



The statement read;




”The very essence of the requests put to the Emergency National Executive Committee meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by President Muhammadu Buhari, which were unanimously approved aim to pull back the party, faced with an existential crisis from the brink of collapse, follow the constitution and take everyone along,” he said.

”While this action has been widely accepted with great relief by lovers of democracy and the rank and file of the membership, we are concerned that political vulturism masquerading as “smart analysis” is selling the commentary that this is a Buhari-Tinubu “showdown.” Nothing can be farther from the truth.

"To put the records straight: In the formation of this great party and giving it leadership, President Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who are reckoned as the founding fathers of the APC are both inspired by democratic norms, national interest and not at all by partisan motivations. These are the qualities that have made them move past cynical distractions.

”They are in touch with one another. Their relationship remains as strong as ever and between the two of them, only they know how they manage their enviable relationship. Try as hard as they could, the opposition parties have used all their intellectuals and their supporters in the media to break this relationship and have failed. And they won’t.

”For President Buhari who has received much of the cynical commentary, Nigerians know him as someone who will not do anything with bad intentions. Neither will he do anything out of partisan motivations or for himself.

”This whole exercise, that should lead to massive reform and overhaul of the leadership of the party, as he said in that brilliant speech, was ”to save the APC from the imminent self-destruction. We have to move ahead. We have to take everyone with us and ensure that the party is run in accordance with democratic norms and with consensus. We have to work for the benefit of the country.”

”The leaders of the party, who have received two successive massive mandates to govern the country and a majority of the states should be judged by how this exercise turns out in achieving these objectives, not cursed at the mere commencement of the process.”

Saturday 27 June 2020

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"Nobody in my family should ever ask me for money " Suki Hana goes off on her family members after they refused to babysit her kids so she could work












Suki Hana, a rapper and social media personality who rose to fame for her viral songs, has called out her family after they refused to help her.



The 28-year-old has three kids from previous relationships. She had her first child at 18.



As her career is taking off after the release of her songs "Blame Trina", "5 Foot Freestyle", "All in your Throat" and "Drug Dealer" featuring Cuban Doll, it appears she's having difficulties combining it with her role as a mother and she expected her family to step in and help her.



When they didn't, she took to Twitter to blast them, writing: "Nobody in my family should ever ask me for money if y’all didn’t help me babysit my kids when I had to do a show. If you ain’t help me with my dreams I can’t buy you no house. Y’all ain’t even congratulate me when I made it to tv. Kiss my ass."







Her words, "when I made it to TV" references her new deal with the Love & Hip Hop Franchise. She joins the cast of Love & Hip Hop Miami in season three, which chronicles her struggles to be taken seriously as an artist.



She later found someone to watch her kids and she took to Instagram to write: "I finally got a babysitter now we back in business, lol."



Nigerians condemn FBI for focusing on 6 Nigerians on the wanted list when there are more numbers of suspects from other nationality












Nigerians have taken to Twitter to blast the FBI for a tweet where the bureau focused on the 6 Nigerians wanted for scam on a list where there are more numbers of suspects from other nationalities.



The FBI shared photos of the 6 Nigerian fugitives on their wanted list and tweeted on Friday: "Help the #FBI find ?six Nigerian nationals wanted for their involvement in ?business? email ?compromise (BEC) schemes resulting in over $6 ?million in losses. Read more about each defendant and submit tips at http://tips.fbi.gov. #FugitiveFriday."







However, on the full wanted list, there are 20 Asians, 39 Arabs, 16 Russians and more. The FBI did not mention the other scammers and their nationality, even though they have a larger number, instead they focused on the 6 Nigerian scammers and this angered people.





Nigerians took to Twitter to blast the FBI for continuing to further the stereotype that only Nigerians are fraudsters, whereas people from other nationalities do worse.







Some pointed out that people wouldn't even know that there are fraudsters from other nationalities involved if they do not click the link to read further.



Meanwhile, people who didn't click the link to see the full list are already calling out Nigerians for fraud. As a result, 6 Nigerians is currently trending on Twitter.







Below are tweets from Nigerians blasting the FBI.













Lagos state government threatens to impose new lockdown over increasing COVID-19 cases







The Lagos state government has warned that it could issue another lockdown as Coronavirus cases in the state continue to escalate.



Lagos state, Nigeria's commercial capital has recorded over 9,741 cases with 1,475 recovered and 126 deaths and the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, has revealed that the local government areas with the highest number of cases were Eti-Osa, Alimosho, Kosofe, Ikeja, Oshodi, Surulere and Lagos Mainland.



Speaking to journalists at a media briefing, Prof Akin Abayomi, said the government would not hesitate to impose another lockdown if the COVID-19 cases continue to sky rocket.


“We believe we are managing a delicate balance between the public health crisis and the economic livelihood of Lagosians. If things are getting out of hand, we will certainly consider another lockdown,” he said.

“We are in the middle of the outbreak and we have not even peaked yet, and so the cases are still rising. We still expect to see a lot more cases in the next one month or two. I would use this platform to remind Lagosians that we have not yet peaked and Lagos is still going through the active community transmission of COVID-19.


“I think what may be giving you a false sense of security or confidence is that we say most people have mild to moderate disease. While that may be so, between three and five per cent of Lagosians that catch this infection have an extremely severe to critical form of COVID-19 and the risk of dying in that percentage is extremely high.

“Two to five per cent may seem like a small percentage, but even one per cent of 25 million people is a lot of Lagosians. We are not prepared to lose 250,000 Lagosians and we certainly will not even like to contemplate that number.


“So I appeal to Lagosians, particularly people who we believe are in the vulnerable category; anybody over the age of 50 or 55 with underlying medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity or any other medical condition that interferes with their immune system, they are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19.

“And the young people may be going out there with mild to moderate disease but they certainly go home in the evening and expose their parents and grandparents to the vulnerabilities.

“So I appeal to Lagosians, keep practising the social distancing measures and I hope these practices will help to flatten the curve and protect certain vulnerable members of the community.”

Monday 22 June 2020

Rapper Fabolous and his partner, Emily Bustamante expecting their third child









American rapper, Fabolous, and his longtime partner Emily Bustamante are expecting their third child together, a baby girl.


The 42-year-old Brooklyn rapper took to Instagram on Monday morning , June 22, to share the happy news with his fans.


He posted the baby's sonogram and wrote: 'Got the best gift ever for Father’s Day! #GirlDad.'

Vulcaniser arrested for stealing his customer's panties for ritual purposes in Ogun



































A 22-year-old vulcanizer, Dele Ope, has been arrested for allegedly stealing an underwear belonging to a female customer at her home in Ogun state.










A statement released by the Ogun state police command spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the lady had called Ope to help fix her car’s deflated tyre in her house. However after Ope had fixed the tyre and left, she discovered that her panties spread on a rope within the compound was missing.










It was gathered that a search for the vulcanizer began immediately, being the only one who came into the compound at the time.







“Since the vulcanizer was the only person, who came into the compound, she went round in search of him, but he was nowhere to be found,” the PPRO stated.










The police spokesperson said the lady immediately reported the matter at the Warewa Police Division. The Divisional Police Officer, SP Folake Afeniforo, detailed some officers to go in search of the vulcanizer. His house was searched and the lady's panties was recovered there.










"On interrogation, the suspect confessed to stealing the underwear with the intention of taking it to a herbalist for a money-making ritual,” Oyeyemi said.










Ogun Commissioner of Police, CP Kenneth Ebrimson, has directed that the suspect be charged to court immediately investigation is concluded.

Maids dumped outside Beirut embassy

















Some Ethiopian maids have been dumped outside the country's embassy in Beirut by their employers who can no longer afford to pay their salaries, following the collapse of the Lebanese economy.



The maids were left to sleep on the pavement of the country's embassy following the ongoing economic crisis in Lebanon heightened by the Coronavirus pandemic, which also led to Lebanese's currency losing 70% of its value in the past six months.



DPA news agency reported that there are about 250,000 migrant workers in Lebanon, many of whom are employed by many middle-class households as domestic staff. Telegraph reported that a large proportion of the domestic staff employed by the middle-class households are from Ethiopia, the rest are from other African and Asian countries.



The first group of 34 women who were dumped by employers outside the embassy were taken into a shelter last week.



Huson Sayyah, the head of foreign workers at the Beirut charity Caritas said;




"All 34 Ethiopian domestic workers who are stuck in front of their embassy will be taken later Thursday to the Caritas shelter."



A footage obtained by BBC correspondent Martin Patience, also captured moment three Ethiopian maids were abandoned at the embassy in one hour. Farah Salka, Director of Lebanon's Anti-Racism Movement told the BBC that the workers exist outside the labor laws and had zero employment rights or protection.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa tackles APC for "sidelining" women in Edo primary committee












Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has tackled the All Progressives Congress (APC) for shutting out women in the committee it constituted for the party's primary election Edo state.



Abike's tweet was in reaction to a tweet by the Edo chapter of the APC, in which it announced the arrival of a seven-man committee for the primary election scheduled to hold on Monday June 22.



The tweet read;




“Members of the Edo State Primary Election Committee led by Hope Uzodimma have arrived Benin City ahead of tomorrow’s exercise."







The NIDCOM boss tweeted in response;




“Na wa o. APC. Not a single woman ? Haba !!!”





'Democrats are almost as bad and somewhat equivalent to Trump'- John Bolton explains why he never testified during Trump's impeachment












Ex-National Security Adviser, John Bolton John Bolton slammed US Democrats for conducting a partisan impeachment, saying they were 'almost as bad and somewhat equivalent to' President Trump.







Bolton, a lifelong Republican who has served in the White House for three GOP administrations, is promoting his new memoir, The Room Where It Happened, which tells of his time as Trump's national security adviser.



Bolton, set to release his bombshell book this week after a court rejected the White House's plans to ban the book's publication over sensitive 'national security' information, also said he won't be voting for Trump or Biden in the presidential elections come November .


The House Intelligence Committee wanted to bring Bolton in for testimony during its 2019 impeachment probe into Trump's conduct toward Ukraine, but he didn't participate, leading angry Democrats to suggest he was saving material for his new book.



In an interview with ABC News, Bolton defended his decision not to testify before Congress during the impeachment proceedings.



When asked why he didn't testify, Bolton said the process in the House was too partisan.

'I was fully prepared [to testify] - if I got a subpoena like everybody else who testified got a subpoena,' Bolton said in a late Sunday night ABC news interview.

'I think the way the House advocates of impeachment proceeded was badly wrong.

'I think it was impeachment malpractice. I think they were determined because of their own political objectives to conduct an impeachment proceeding that was very narrowly focused on Ukraine, and that went very, very quickly.'



Bolton accused Democrats of managing the impeachment so as not to 'mess up the Democratic presidential nomination.'

'Now, I find that conduct almost as bad and somewhat equivalent to Trump,' Bolton said.

'That they're torqueing one of the gravest constitutional responsibilities the House of Representatives has, the power of impeachment, around their presidential nomination schedule.'

Bolton added: 'And they failed utterly to accomplish what they wanted. In fact, they made things worse.

'Because their strategy fitted with the Trump political strategy.

'Keep it narrow, and move it fast. So what did they do? The House advocates said, 'We have proven Trump is impeached forever, and that he'd learn a lesson from it.'


When asked if Trump learned his lesson after impeachment, Bolton said: 'It's absolutely 180 degrees the opposite of the truth

'Because he was acquitted in the Senate. He didn't learn lessons from it, other than that he could get away with it, which leaves only the last guardrail - is the election this November.

'I think the House Democrats built a cliff, they threw themselves off of it. And halfway down, they looked up and saw me, and said, 'Hey, why don't you come along?''



Bolton, who was fired last year as Trump's national security adviser, gave a scathing assessment of the president in his new memoir, The Room Where It Happened.

'I don't think he's fit for office,' Bolton told ABC News on Sunday.

'I don't think he has the competence to carry out the job.'

'I don't think he's a conservative Republican. I'm not gonna vote for him in November,' Bolton said.

'Certainly not gonna vote for Joe Biden either.

'I'm gonna figure out a conservative Republican to write in.

'But this comes back to the point of why I wrote the book.'

Rapists to get life imprisonment in Akwa Ibom












Governor Emmaneul Udom has signed the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law , VAPPL, 2020, which empowers judges to hand down life imprisonment to anyone convicted of rape in Akwa Ibom state.



The state's commissioner for agriculture and women affairs, Glory Edet who spoke after the Governor assented the bill, said it is aimed at discouraging the spate of violence in the society.



Edet said;




“I think this is one of the best things that has happened to protect the female gender and as the commissioner overseeing women matters , I believe the women of Akwa Ibom, the children and even our men are happy because this law will really teach defaulters a lesson.

“This law allows for the implementation of a lot of things we were praying for and prescribes stiffer punishment for violators of the Child’s Right Act , perpetrators of violence against citizens of both gender. Before now violators of the female gender had some years to spend in prison but VAPPL recommends life imprisonment to really deal with the offenders and discourage the spate of violence in our society.”



The commissioner also disclosed that sensitisation and awareness campaign on the new law will soon be initiated.



Uwemedimo Nwoko, the state attorney-general and commissioner for justice further revealed that the law also provides 14 years imprisonment for perpetrators of gender-based violence and any kind of sexual offence other than rape.

His song is not for a campaign of hate - Tom Petty's family says as it issues cease and desist order to Trump campaign












President Donald Trump's campaign has suffered another setback after being served a cease-and-desist letter by the family of the late American rock legend Tom Petty for playing "I Won't Back Down" at his rally in Tulsa, Okla.



The family in a statement released over the weekend, said the use of the song was "in no way authorized." The statement issued by Adria, Annakim, Dana and Jane Petty, the musician's children, widow and first wife partly read;




"Both the late Tom Petty and his family firmly stand against racism and discrimination of any kind. Tom Petty would never want a song of his used for a campaign of hate. He liked to bring people together."







Benmont Tench III, a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers also shared same sentiment. He wrote in an Instagram post;




"I in no way approve of Trump even whistling any piece of music associated with our band. I hope that's clear enough."







Petty who died of an accidental drug overdose at age 66 in 2017, said "I Won't Back Down" had the most powerful impact on his fans. The song, which was released in 1989 on Petty's solo album Full Moon Fever, inspired listeners to send him messages about how it helped them through tough times.



Politicians and campaigns in the U.S. are typically free to use any music they choose for rallies as long as they pay for the rights. But numerous artists have asked Trump not to use their music, including Neil Young, Adele, Guns N' Roses, Pharrell, Earth, Wind & Fire, Queen, REM's Michael Stipe, The Rolling Stones, Rihanna and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler.



Sunday 21 June 2020

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, reacts as Nigerian Embassy staff quarters is demolished in Ghana












A section of the staff quarters of the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana has been demolished in Ghana.



A bulldozer was brought in to pull down the building late Friday, June 19. A source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a businessman had previously laid claim of ownership of the piece of land where the Nigerian High Commission’s staff quarters was erected. The man reportedly showed up last week with some papers to support his claim and began to knock down the fence surrounding the building.



According to the source, the man's action was not opposed by authorities, as the Nigerian High Commission had petitioned the Ghanaian Government about it, but there was no response.



Days later, the businessman returned to the property with a bulldozer and began to pull down the building, however some Nigerian officials contacted the Ghanaian police who showed up when the building was almost being pulled down.



In a tweet posted this morning, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, strongly condemned the incident. The Minister demanded that urgent action be made by the Ghanaian government to find the perpetrators as well as provide protection for Nigerians and their property in Ghana.


''We strongly condemn two outrageous criminal attacks in Accra, #Ghana, on a residential building in our diplomatic premises by unknown persons in which a bulldozer was used to demolish the building.

We are engaging the Ghanaian Government and demand urgent action to find the perpetrators and provide adequate protection for Nigerians and their property in Ghana. #StayHomeSaveLives #COVID19 @NigeriaGov

@DigiCommsNG @GhanaMFA'' Onyeama tweeted



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Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, reacts as Nigerian Embassy staff quarters is demolished in Ghana. . . A section of the staff quarters of the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana has been demolished in Ghana. . . A bulldozer was brought in to pull down the building late Friday, June 19. A source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a businessman had previously laid claim of ownership of the piece of land where the Nigerian High Commission’s staff quarters was erected. The man reportedly showed up last week with some papers to support his claim and began to knock down the fence surrounding the building. . . According to the source, the man's action was not opposed by authorities, as the Nigerian High Commission had petitioned the Ghanaian Government about it, but there was no response. . . Days later, the businessman returned to the property with a bulldozer and began to pull down the building, however some Nigerian officials contacted the Ghanaian police who showed up when the building was almost being pulled down. . . In a tweet posted this morning, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, strongly condemned the incident. The Minister demanded that urgent action be made by the Ghanaian government to find the perpetrators as well as provide protection for Nigerians and their properties in Ghana.

Un post condiviso da Lindaikejiblog (@lindaikejiblogofficial) in data:

Man commits suicide after losing boss' N150k to gambling in Bayelsa












An employee reportedly committed suicide in Bayelsa last week, after losing his boss' N150k to gambling in Bayelsa.



The Nation reported that the deceased staked the money on a virtual game which lasts less than two minutes and is controlled by computers. The man who was identified simply as Suga used the money realized on the day of the incident to play the virtual game.



An eyewitness said;




“Suga, not knowing how to explain the situation to his boss, made him to take his own life.”



This increases the number of people who have died from betting and gambling since last year in the state to three.



Bayelsa police spokesperson Asinim Butswat said though the police is aware of the incident, it has not been reported officially.



Butswat said;




“The Divisional Police Officer of Bassambri Nembe said the incident was not reported officially to the police. He, however, said they heard about the incident."

Some APC governors are supporting me - Governor Obaseki












Governor Godwin Obaseki who was screened at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja on Saturday June 20, has disclosed that he still enjoys the support of some All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors.



He said the same certificates which he was disqualified for by the APC, were the ones he presented to the PDP screening committee without any issue.



Obaseki said;




“I still thank God that I enjoy national support; not just support from my colleagues from the APC. I think the support is national.

“There are elder statesmen who are apolitical, there are traditional rulers. I have people from different spectra of the society who come around in solidarity with me and they support me because I think Nigerians are generally fair minded people.

“They are people who do not accept injustice. From what I have seen over the past several weeks and months, the support is across board. It is not just from APC governors alone.”



While one of the three PDP aspirants for the primary election, Kenneth Imansuangbon has kicked against Obaseki’s participation in the exercise and insisted that he would not trade away his aspiration, the two other aspirants, Gideon Ikhine and Omorege Ogbeide-Ihama have not raised any objection to the inclusion of the governor in the exercise.



Commenting on the development, Obaseki said he has initiated discussions with them as he never joined the PDP to divide the party.



He added;




“I am not a dividing candidate. I am speaking with all the aspirants. My hope and purpose for the PDP is to have a united and very strong party.

“Party primary should not be divisive because we as a party are focused on the same objective, and because we are separate individuals, our approach may be different.

“So, party primary, in my view, should not be acrimonious and destructive. And there are common grounds, common interest and I am very hopeful that I will get it (ticket) even as there are quite a number of delegates for the exercise.”



Speaking on his defection from the APC to PDP, Obaseki averred that there has never been any ideological difference between the two parties.



He said;




My experience is that having served four years as a governor, I don’t see that ideological divide. It doesn’t exist. I think the focus for me is development.

“Whether you are a conservative or a progressive, it is expected that the outcome should be development.

“And unfortunately, I got a bit confused in the APC. At some point, I was being accused of not sharing the money.

“When we were campaigning against PDP, we said that the problem there was that they were sharing the money. So for me, it cannot be about ideology.

“At this point in time, it is important that I will provide strong and correct leadership, provide a direction for the country and for our people, provide the basic amenities that they need – education, health care, good infrastructure.

“These are the things that our people are yearning for. These are the things that we are doing in Edo State today.

“So as a progressive or as a conservative, my ideology is about the people: getting the people to enjoy the benefits of democracy.”



Abuja pharmacist shot dead by car thieves












An Abuja pharmacist identified as Sunday Ike, has been shot dead by unidentified gunmen who stole his light blue Toyota Camry.



The deceased was shot in the head by gunmen who attacked his shop located on 3rd Avenue in Gwarimpa at about 11pm on Friday June 19.



FCT police spokesman, DSP Anjuguri Manzah said operatives who responded to a distress call, took the victim to the Federal Medical Centre in Jabi, where he was certified dead by doctors.



Manzah said;




“Police operatives, who responded to a distress call on the incident, rushed the victim for medical attention at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, where he was later certified dead.

“While commiserating with the family and friends of the deceased, the Commissioner of Police in Charge of FCT, Mr Bala Ciroma, assured that the perpetrators will be arrested and brought to justice."



He urged those with useful information to contact the FCT Police Command Control Room on 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, or 08028940883.

Saturday 20 June 2020

Chad requests electricity supply from Nigeria

















The government of Chad Republic has made a formal request to the federal government to to connect the country to the Nigerian electricity grid.



of getting connected to the Nigerian electricity grid to the federal government.



Chadian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abakar Saleh Chachaimi made the request during a visit to the Minister of Power, Engr. Sale Mamman in Abuja.



While the ambassador stressed the historical and economic value of connecting Chad to Nigeria’s electricity grid, the Minister of Power on his own part said it would help in enhancing the long existing relations between the two countries.



Mamman who approved the request to host his counterpart from the Republic of Chad for a technical analysis of the request, said Nigeria would evaluate it within the various projects under the Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme (TREP) for possible integration.



The Minister said;




“I, therefore, direct the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) whose representatives are part of this meeting, to come up with a business case and implementation modalities. Based on that, we will write to the Presidency to secure all the necessary approvals."



Mamman disclosed that under the framework of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) objective of promoting power exchange among ECOWAS member states, the Republics of Benin, Burkina-Faso, Niger and Nigeria are building an 875 kilometre 330 kilovolt power transmission line, the “North Core Transmission line”.



Mamman also informed the Chadian delegation that currently, Nigeria has bilateral contracts for supplying electricity to Niger Republic and Benin Republic which has been ongoing for decades.

I'm the acting national chairman of APC — Victor Giadom writes INEC

















Victor Giadom who secured a court order which backed his resumption as the Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has written the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) introducing himself as the ruling party's acting chairman.



Though another high court in Rivers state has restrained Giadom from parading himself as chairman of the APC, he told INEC in a letter dated June 18 to serve all processes and documents concerning APC elections as well as other correspondences to him.



It read;




“I want to respectfully through this medium bring it to your attention that I have been appointed as the acting National Chairman of the APC. A copy of the order of the FCT High Court, Abuja affirming my authority as the acting national chairman of the APC is herewith attached.

“Please note that the earlier of the FCT High Court suspending Comrade Adams Oshiomhole from office on March 4, 2020 as affirmed by the Court of Appeal, Abuja on June 16, 2020. Mr. Oshiomhole’s appeals were dismissed on that date. Copies of the orders of the court in the tow cases are herewith attached for your perusal.

“As the acting national chairman of the party, all processes, documents, and communications including those concerning the conduct of elections meant for the APC are to be served on me.”

A Strong Voice in Women Leadership in Africa: Meet Ghanaian Young Politician Gifty Oware-Aboagye





In a male-dominated society, brave women are taking a stand against popular stereotypes and are becoming role models in today’s world. Since the dawn of man, women’s social status has relied on their ability to take care of the kids, do house chores, and make dinner for the family.

However, amid the cultural expectancy came anger and intolerance, with obstacles to women’s suffrage, unequal pay of women in the workforce, and the lack of female politicians provoking change in a woman’s role in society. As these women take a stand, the impact of their actions becomes more evident in changing times.

One of such women is Gifty Oware-Aboagye, a true definition of a model global citizen, Ghanaian-born educationist and transformational speaker, the Deputy Executive Director of Ghana’s National Service Scheme, a governmental agency, where she has responsibility for General Services, helping to manage an annual personnel pool of about 100,000 annually. Gifty serves as one of the best examples of a female role model, one who relies on education as her escape in everyday life.

A determined scholar and an innately results-oriented political leader, Gifty came from a hard-working, middle-class family, she excelled in school, attending her secondary education at the Ghana Secondary School before proceeding to KNUST where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History. Gifty also holds a postgraduate certificate in Management of Democratic Elections in Africa (MDeA) from the University of South Africa. She also holds an MSc in Defense and International Politics at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) Executive Development Certificate, Women in Leadership from Stellenbosch University, Executive Education in Digital Marketing from Yale University, Executive Certificate, Globalization from Oxford University, Business Management / Global Governance / Project Management | International Business Management Institute, Project Management | Swiss School of Business and Management.







Gifty is the Deputy Executive Director of the Ghana’s National Service Scheme, a governmental agency

Gifty’s humble beginnings were also an indication of her tremendous ability to gain power through her strong personality. A native of Kwahu-Pepease in the Eastern Region of Ghana, the daughter of Isaac Oware, a Development Worker and Kate Donkor a textile trader. Her combination of family values and personal perseverance may have led to her principle belief that economic and individual freedom are dependent on each other.

Gifty began her career as the Events and Marketing Manager for Reflects Marketing Plus in Accra from 2011 to 2014. In 2014 she joined the Danquah Institute, a political think-tank named after one of Ghana’s founding fathers, Dr. Joseph Boakye Danquah, focused on making a courageous, imaginative and constructive contribution to nation-building and development, to enhance the life of every individual citizen.

Prior to her appointment as the Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Scheme, she was the Director of Research and Media Relations at the Institute. Gifty with the passion of Agriculture has made a tremendous impact in that sector both in service to the nation and in her individual capacity. As part of the mandate as Deputy Executive Director in charge of General Services at NSS, she had to look for sponsorships to revamp the defunct NSS Farms to internally generate funds. Through such relentless efforts, the NSS has put all major farms back on track and acquired new farmlands for cultivation. There is the Nungua Farms, the Papao Farms which deals with the animal husbandry, the Brenam cultivation, Dawhenya Cultivation, the Ejura mechanized Cultivation. The gestation period of Agriculture yields in the future and as part of the innovative plans being examined, the National Service is taking steps to add value to such cultivated items.

Gifty consults for the Oware Fruit Juice Company as a financial and investment analyst. A Fruit Juice Processing company established ten years ago with a production capacity of 12,000 bottles a day from a sucker out-grower cultivation farm. She was at the forefront of student leadership at KNUST and rose from Line President of the Independence Hall to become the first female to contest for the Presidency of the Social Science Faculty. In March 2010, she was appointed as the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the First Session of Ghana International Model of The United Nations.



“In a world of “firsts”, Gifty Oware Aboagye has truly shattered the glass ceiling and broken the mold for female leadership for generations to come.”

In an interview with Pleasures Magazine, she shared her experience and advice for women in leadership positions, stating that it is imperative to make space for other women.

“Make sure that it’s not just about you, that there are other young women that are also coming up the ranks,” she said, adding that “the day when you stop, they are there to also take space.”

When asked what are the essential qualities that must be embedded in a leader, she responded, “confidence, energy, generosity.”

From female empowerment and gender parity to advocating for climate change and sustainability, Gifty’s extensive and noteworthy career has been fueled on taking targeted actions, as a global citizen.

For Gifty, who is a recipient of an honorary PhD in Sociology and Social Work by the DaySpring Christian University College Lauredale Florida for her dedication to social activism and efforts aimed at changing society for the better, her mother was a very driven woman who always expects everyone to put their best foot forward in all they do. “There was a high moral tone at home”, she said in the interview.

It took a lot of perseverance and self-motivation to get Gifty where she is. She admits to her parents, teachers and community were also instrumental in her success.

On becoming a role model for young people across Africa, especially young girls. Gifty did not want to feed into stereotypes. She believed that a person’s skin colour or gender shouldn’t be a hindrance to them achieving their goals.
Gifty who was named as a member of the Ghana Football Association’s management committee for the Black Maidens (Under 17 female football team) this year, believes that philanthropy is more than just giving money away.

Most people think about philanthropy as a stepping stone to fame. Gifty says philanthropy is about “engaging rather than signing cheques”. To her, it is a means to bridge the gap between the disadvantaged and “the elite.”
Gifty ascertains the fact that there are still some good people out there who just want to see others thrive.



In the scope of #GirlBoss culture, Gifty has become a global force; not just for what she says about women, but because she acts on it.

Gifty has championed a global approach in all aspects of her career, noting that “there is no nobler goal than to be united by a common desire to make the world a better place in today’s interconnected world.” A global force for good, Gifty has continuously paved the way to a more united and forward-thinking future, focusing her work on three key policy areas: education, employment, and family.

The mother of one has been an avid supporter of education, addressing hundreds of thousands of students from different schools across Africa on its importance for global progression. Oware Aboakye describes education as the bridge between peoples and generations. “It is the best investment we can make in our children, no matter where we live, as it provides them with a passport to this new world.”

Recalling her address to the NSS National Orientation graduating class a year ago, Gifty enforced that with the world becoming a global family, “we now have a core responsibility to be good global citizens, to watch out for each other, to be sensitive to how our actions affect one another — no matter where we live. But it will be impossible, unless we all stand together, thinking and acting like true global citizens.”

Looking back, the founder of Berry Foundation told Pleasures Magazine that she always remembered the words of one of her first instructors: “Gifty, you can’t let them run you out of here.” After that, she said, “It was pretty much like, bring it on. Never let them see you cry and never let them see you sweat.”

Friday 19 June 2020

Rape is evil, if you did it in the past it will hunt your future - Lagbaja reacts to recent rape saga in Nigeria



































Nigerian musician, Lagbaja has weighed in on the ongoing rape saga in the country.










Taking to his Instagram page this morning, the 60-year-old afrobeat veteran condemned rape and also noted that there are consequences for those who have committed the act in the past.










He shared a post, which read: 'MY SILENCE IS NO, MY NO IS NO, MY BODY IS MINE, MY LIFE IS MINE' and then wrote: 'Hmmmm, I can't believe in this 2020 people still do evil things like this. It is wrong, it is WRONG. If you did it in the past it would hunt your future, smh!.'

Don’t judge Nigerians succeeding abroad – Abike Dabiri-Erewa reacts to Hushpuppi's arrest









Chairman of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa has reacted to the arrest of Ramoni Igbalode a.k.a Ray Hushpuppi on charges bordering on internet fraud and other related activities.



In a tweet she shared, the NIDCOM boss stated that the allegations against Hushpuppi is not a yardstick to judge Nigerians excelling abroad.



Abike who urged Nigerians abroad to be law-abiding citizens, good ambassadors and not tarnish the image of the country, also asked Nigerians to await EFCC's thorough investigation as well as further updates on the case.



She tweeted;




RE- RAY HUSHPUPPI (Ramoni Igbalode) HAS A CASE TO ANSWER WITH EFCC. The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission notes with displeasure, the cyber crime and money laundering network/transaction running into millions of dollars allegedly exhibited by Ramoni Igbalode aka Ray Hushpuppi.

We await @officialEFCC’s further and thorough investigation as well as further updates on the case. We advise and urge Nigerians abroad to be law-abiding citizens, be good ambassadors and not tarnish the image of the country.

However, while a few Nigerians get involved in acts such as this, millions of others are excelling world over. One bad apple should not spoil the whole bunch!.



This is the most sincere government Nigeria has ever had – Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire tells striking resident Doctors









Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Nigeria's Minister of Health, has called on the members of the National Association of Resident Doctors in Ngeria, to call off their strike action and return to work.



According to him, the striking doctors should believe the promises made so far by the Buhari-led government as this is the most sincere and serious government Nigeria has even had.



Speaking when he appeared on Channels TV Friday morning, June 19, Ehanire said




“We have made it clear to them (doctors) that this government is the most sincere and serious government this country has ever had. His (Buhari) word is his bond.

This government has a record of being sympathetic to people, of meeting its obligations and keeping to its promises.”



He recalled that the present government paid the Nigerian Airways pension arrears as well as kept to other promises it made to Nigerians. He called on the striking doctors to reconsider their action for the interest of the country, assuring them that the government will keep to its end of the bargain.


“This government does things differently. This is a government that says its word and keeps to its words. We would not do anything to hurt you. We work in your (doctors) interest.

We are going through a very difficult time with other countries and this is quite clearly not the time to add more to our problems by deciding to go on strike. I am worried that we are probably the first and only country where doctors have decided to go on strike.” he said



Members of the National Association of Resident Doctors began a nationwide strike on Monday, June 15 over the failure of the government to pay them their COVID-19 allowances among other issues.

"Leave that Yahoo Yahoo boyfriend before he brings you Yahoo Yahoo disgrace" - Ifu Ennada tells women dating fraudsters











Ifu Ennada has issued a warning to women dating fraudsters to quit the relationship in order not to attract disgrace upon themselves.



Posting on her Instagram page, the Big Brother Naija star wrote: "Leave that YahooYahoo boyfriend before he brings you Yahoo Yahoo disgrace. Go and hustle clean and make your own money, God will bless the work of your hands."