Does a recipe require one clove of garlic, but then you end up using four? Then you’ll be out of garlic in no-time. You can then choose to buy new ones each time, or you can grow it yourself!
Season to plant it
Most people are busy with their vegetable garden in the spring. Not surprisingly, most seeds of vegetables and fruits should be in the ground at this time. Garlic, however, is different. It is best grown in the fall, between September and November. Although it is also possible in the spring, the thing is that garlic flowers a little faster then.
Choosing the clove
We already mentioned that you only need one clove to grow your own garlic. You do have to search for a good clove. Although you can get by with a smaller one, it is best to choose a clove that is as large as possible. Logically, these also produce the larger bulbs of garlic. And that, of course, is what we all want!
Supplies
To grow your own garlic, you don’t need that much. Just a clove of garlic (or several, if you want to grow several bulbs), potting soil, water and space to plant. You can do this in a vegetable garden, but you can also do it in a large pot on your balcony.
Wondering how best to proceed? We’ll tell you on the next page!
The narrative that has been spun around the issue cheating for the longest time is that men cheat more than women, but are more hurt and distraught and angry when they find out they’ve been cheated on.
It’s kinda straightforward like that in our collective consciousness. The narrative sees us believe that women somehow ‘expect’ to be cheated on because ‘all men cheat’ and ‘men will always be men.’
So what we have is an unfair situation, a particularly bothersome relationship dynamic which makes it feel OK for women to pardon and forge on when their men cheat; but on the other hand, validates men’s indignation and righteous rage when they get cheated on.
An excellent option to protect yourself from cheating is to use mSpy software. You will see who calls your partner and what messages she gets on Messenger, Whatsapp, and Snapchat. mSpy can provide peace of mind to you.
So let’s talk about reasons why this is so. Why does it bother men so much when a woman cheats on them, and why do more men find cheating absolutely unforgivable compared to women?
1. They know that cheating, for women, is solely for emotional purposes
When women cheat, it is for emotional reasons. Women do not cheat for physical reasons, and for the most part it’s not for sexual gratification. It has been said that the need to bridge an emotional gap, to plug some emotional vacuum is what leads women into affairs.
So, for men, knowing that the woman has detached herself emotionally and that their time is likely over makes cheating an extra-uneasy pill to swallow for them.
2. Ego takes a hit
Whereas women become [inexplicably] ashamed and embarrassed when their partner cheats on them, men see cheating as an affront on their ego. They probably feel that being cheated on is the highest form of disrespect ever, and this makes it even more difficult to stomach it.
Because, you know, men think they deserve respect as a birthright.
3. They never see it coming
The average man, no matter how unkempt, emotionally unavailable, difficult and problematic he is, still feels like he deserves loyalty and may never, for the life of him, imagine that his babe has it in her to either dump him or cheat with another man.
And while this is not entirely a wrong thing to expect, [I mean, if you’re still with someone, it’s only OK for them to expect loyalty from you] it’s still kinda deluded and naïve to think that women, especially the ones with unmet and unsatisfied emotional needs cannot or will not seek to get it from someone else.
4. They feel like cheating is for men
Crazy, right? But, yeah, it’s true. Some men are conditioned to think that only women get cheated on. They think it’s a man’s game to do that. Cheating is something men do. A woman cheating is… just wrong. But when it’s a man, it could be pardonable, explainable, there could be some way to justify it, it could be explained away, put in some perspective that makes it less of an issue.
But a woman cheating… and God safe us… a married woman?! Nah. That’s too scandalous. The greatest sin of all time.
5. They’ve been faithful all along
Like we pointed out above, cheating is painted to look like a man’s game. So when a man chooses to stay faithful to his wife or partner, they think they deserve some medal. Some extra cool points for being the guy who does not cheat, not to be rewarded with cheating.
Conclusion:
The point of this is not to justify women cheating or saying it’s cool for men to get cheated on. Hopefully everyone sees cheating as something that bothers everyone equally. Women get just as hurt as men when they’re played. And anyone can cheat. Anyone can actually get cheated on, and ultimately, everyone owes their partner the duty to be faithful and honest.
Heartbreak is an unfortunately common part of the human experience, and it sucks.
Studies show that your brain registers the emotional pain of heartbreak in the same way as physicalpain, which is why you might feel like your heartbreak is causing actual physical hurt.
While there’s still a lot to discover about how and why we experience love and heartbreak and the effect these have on our bodies, scientific study has provided us with some clues about why heartbreak makes you feel so rubbish.
Did you know that it could truly be happening? In fact, there are many other things that happen to your body when someone breaks your heart. Scroll down to know what truly happens.
Heart slows down
Did you know that when someone breaks your heart, the pain they feel in their chest is actually your heart slowing down? According to research, your heart can actually slow down when it is broken! Your body goes through emotional turmoil so the heart slows and the muscles are weakened. Some people even have a cardiac arrest from a heartbreak so the moment you feel pain in your chest, a checkup is recommended.
Stress
This is a very common emotion when someone breaks your heart. The tension levels and inner pressure build up and you can even feel the knots in those stress spots. When this occurs, you must take care of yourself. The stress can be overwhelming. There is a sense of fear, anxiety and helplessness. Do things that reduce stress. Engage yourself in different activities.
Delayed period
For women, broken hearts can make you suffer not just mentally but physically too and this includes delays in your periods. Your emotions oscillate when you are going through heartbreak and your body picks up on these and messes with your biological clock. When your periods are delayed, it gives you more stress and then the duration is prolonged. So find small ways to destress. Go for a walk or have a warm drink.
Hair loss
People under stress lose a lot of hair. It is actually very true. This happens because your body is reacting to stressful situations. The moment you go under stress, especially after a broken heart, you may lose hair, depending on how your body reacts. So find ways to take care of that stress because not even the most expensive hair fall shampoo or serum will be able to help you.
Entertainment and fashion go hand in hand, hence, Ghanaian musicians are now leading the fashion industry more than any.
The secular musicians are however the ones seen more with the cameras with their high fashion sense.
But some gospel musicians aren’t lying low, they are definitely promoting their music with bold fashion statements.
Gospel musician, Piesie Esther, aside from her touching souls with her powerful songs, she is inspiring us with her elegant fashion sense.
She is the perfect style influencer for young ladies who want to step up their fashion game.
Piesie Esther is among the few female celebrities who dress down stylishly and expresses their high fashion sense through bespoke African prints and other fabrics.
She graces our screens with nothing but simple and classy ensembles.
Thumbs up to her team including the stylist, makeup artists and photographers for promoting her brand.
The super woman always chooses simple but classy hairstyles to match her stunning looks and great personality. Makeup is for enhancing one’s natural beauty and the gospel artist does it perfectly. And she glows when she smiles for the cameras.
We can’t wait to replicate her styles for our star-studded events.
Her flawless makeup and stunning hairstyles are something we always look forward to.
Let’s take a look at some of Piesie Esther ‘s looks that caught our eyes and are worth being added to our wardrobes.
An announcement by the presidency’s office promoting a deceased general has caused some hilarity and confusion in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
People have been tweeting clips of the announcements, with many wondering how the error was made.
General Floribert Kisembo Bahemuka was killed in 2011 during an operation, but his name was on a list of military leaders being retired or promoted by President Felix Tshisekedi on Monday.
President Tshisekedi has appointed Major General Floribert Kisembo Bahemuka (WHO DIED in 2011) head of military operations in the Province of Equateur. pic.twitter.com/NXZIn146nF
A cocktail of factors has sent the global economy into a tailspin in recent years.
Beginning with the Covid-19 crisis in 2020 that saw international trade almost grind to a halt, and the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February this year.
For African economies, trouble had been brewing even before these global crises.
Debt obligations had been on the rise, commodity prices falling and thus eroding foreign exchange earning power in some countries.
And with that, the goose for many African currencies against the US dollar had been cooked.
But most recently, the tale has been two-sided with the best performing as well as the worst performing currencies against the US dollar being from the continent.
Over the course of this year, the Zambian Kwacha has risen to become the best performing currency in the world against the dollar.
It has gained 15% so far into 2022 and was quoted at 15.93 to the dollar in Tuesday trading.
Experts have pegged these gains on President Hakainde Hichilema’s efforts to turn around the economy, mainly by reorganising its foreign debt to make it sustainable.
In September, the southern Africa country inked a crucial deal with the International Monetary Fund for a bail-out loan amounting to $1.3bn (£1.15bn).
The amount will give a lifeline to key social economic programmes such as funding schools and hospitals as the government embarks on renegotiation of expensive debt with China and other creditors.
The move has restored foreign investors’ faith in the copper producer.
This has also seen inflation cool off consistently at a time when even the most developed economies in the world are grappling with runaway inflation.
Zambia’s inflation has fallen from a high of 21% in October last year to 9.9% last month.
Further west in Ghana, the cedi is where the kwacha was in 2015.
On Monday, it was marked the world’s worst performing currency, according to the Bloomberg currency tracker that watches 148 currencies.
In midday trading, Tuesday, the Cedi was quoted at 11.64 to the US dollar. This indicates a 48% loss in value in the last 12 months.
The cedi’s position has been worsened by foreign investors losing confidence in the country and opting to dump Ghanaian dollar-denominated bonds from their portfolios.
According to the country’s Central Securities Depository, the amount of domestic government and corporate bonds in the hands of foreign investors fell to 12.3% in August.
This has seen Ghana fail to access cheap money from the international debt markets, and a Zambia-like deal with the IMF for $3bn in emergency funding is still in the works.
As a result, the cost of living in Ghana has been accelerating for the last 16 months with inflation hitting 37.2% in September.
On Monday, traders in Accra threatened to close down businesses for a second time in two months decrying the high cost of doing business.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been charged by the Football Association following his sending-off during his side’s 1-0 win against Manchester City.
Klopp was dismissed after berating a referee’s assistant when a foul was not given for a challenge on Mohamed Salah.
The incident came on a weekend where Merseyside Youth League games were postponed amid ongoing issues with refereeabuse.
Klopp apologised for his reaction in his post-match comments.
“Something snapped in that situation, I’m not proud of that. I deserved a red card, and the way I looked in this moment is not right,” the German admitted.
Klopp has been charged with a breach of FA rule E3, which covers “comments which are improper, which bring the game into disrepute, which are threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting”.
🟡INSIZA: These are images of some of the victims of yesterday’s violence. Zanu PF thugs beat up our Insiza campaign team. This is a response to our victory in Bulilima. The violence taking place in Matabeleland must be condemned by all progressive Zimbabweans. #NoToViolencepic.twitter.com/BzAtAremfL
The 55-year-old has until Friday to respond to the charge and will be allowed to take his place in the dugout for Liverpool’s home game against West Ham on Wednesday.
Following the win over City, Klopp said he went to see to referee Anthony Taylor and “spoke completely calmly” about how he felt the match unfolded.
He added: “The whole game led to that a little bit. It was a very, very intense gamewith a lot of decisions we didn’t understand on both sides.
Dozens of people, including an opposition MP, were injured and property damaged in south-west Zimbabwefollowing violent clashes between political parties on Monday.
They were allegedly attacked as they campaigned ahead of by-elections this coming weekend.
Thirty people sought medical treatment for a various injuries, a local human rights group told the BBC.
Increasing numbers of incidents of political violence have raised concerns as Zimbabwe prepares for general elections next year.
The group from the opposition party CitizensCoalition for Change say the Monday attack was carried out by ruling party members.
The same group was attacked over the weekend with some pictures showing some women in the group were stripped off their clothes.
🟡INSIZA: These are images of some of the victims of yesterday’s violence. Zanu PF thugs beat up our Insiza campaign team. This is a response to our victory in Bulilima. The violence taking place in Matabeleland must be condemned by all progressive Zimbabweans. #NoToViolencepic.twitter.com/BzAtAremfL
British Gymnastics will name banned coaches as part of plans for “zero tolerance on abuse” and putting athlete welfare ahead of winning medals.
It follows the Whyte Review which detailed “systemic” issues of physical and emotional abuse in gymnastics, as well as some incidents of sexual abuse.
British Gymnastics says it will “break the cycle of poor past practice”.
It will hire an independent expert to monitor reforms and name coaches serving bans in future on its website.
By the end of 2022, the governing body plans to close a rules loophole by broadening the roles that require British Gymnastics membership to include choreographers, physios and masseurs.
Earlier this year, British Gymnastics said it was “monitoring” a gymnastics club in Bristol after a former coach, who is no longer permitted to carry out some roles, was hired to work with children.
The damning £3m Whyte Review outlined in a 306-page report incidents of athletes being made to train on broken bones, punished for needing the toilet and sat on by coaches.
Gymnasts were subjected to excessive weight management – which left some with eating disorders described as the “tyranny of the scales” by Anne Whyte KC.
Athletes were shouted and sworn at and had their bags searched for food.
The report anonymised the hundreds of athlete submissions it received and did not identify individual coaches.
Sarah Powell, chief executive of British Gymnastics, said: “We need everyone in gymnastics, in any role at any level, to commit to collectively doing everything we possibly can to prevent any recurrence of abuseor mistreatment.
“We’ve got things wrong in the past and change must start with us. We’ve already made progress but there’s still much more to do.”
‘This isn’t tough coaching and slight mistreatment’ – reaction to the Whyte Review
What is British Gymnastics planning?
Under its ‘Reform 25’
programme, a 40-point action plans will be introduced, in four phases leading up to 2025:
Reforms focused across four areas – culture and strategy; welfare, safeguarding and complaints; education and development; performance.
Zero tolerance of any abuse – working with clubs, coaches, gymnasts and parents to ensure an “open, transparent, caring, empowered and safe environment”.
Better support for those involved in complaints.
“Move away from prioritising medals” to focus on a positive culture.
Acknowledgement of “poor and outdated practice” within the sport and pledge to create a new generation of coaches.
List of banned coaches will be published on the British Gymnastics website.
Former Olympic rower and Foreign Office diplomat Dr Catherine Bishop, a leadership consultant, to become an expert independent advisor.
Parents and gymnasts to be involved in decisions about development, training loads, and competition age limits.
Progress updates to be published every six months.
How did we get there?
In the 12-year period covered by the Whyte Review to August 2020 – during which British Gymnastics was granted more than £38m in UK Sport funding – the governing body received approximately 3,800 complaints.
The report said the difficulties now facing British Gymnastics, the sport’s national governing body, are “borne of inadequate practice and procedure”, and reflect a culture that was the product of “the way in which people behaved and were allowed to behave”.
There was a sense, it added, that British Gymnastics had “not only failed to prevent or limit such behaviours but had condoned some of them in the pursuit of national and international competitive success”.
Bishop said: “I am glad that British Gymnastics has recognised the importance of bringing in different perspectives specifically to challenge and strengthen their work.”
Claire Heafford, founder of campaign group Gymnasts For Change, welcomed the naming of banned coaches and Bishop’s appointment but said she would like to see greater oversight and an independent ombudsman.
“British Gymnastics doesn’t have a good track record of marking their own homework,” she told BBC Sport.
She said only one of 38 legal claims brought by gymnasts had been resolved and called for the process to be speeded up.
The delays had caused “ongoing unnecessary anxiety and mental health issues”, said Heafford.
A joint statement from UK Sport and Sport England said the response and action plan from British Gymnastics were “important first steps on a long-term journey of change”.
Abuse in gymnastics – timeline & BBC reporting on this story
The Whyte Review report did not mention individual coaches or athletes.
July 2020: Nicole Pavier is among a number of gymnasts to make the first allegations of a “culture of fear” within the “mentally and emotionally abusive” sport of gymnastics.
Olympians Becky and Ellie Downie say abusive behaviour in gymnastics training became “ingrained” and “completely normalised”, and then-British Gymnastics chief executive Jane Allen says she is “appalled and ashamed” by the allegations.
Olympic bronze medallist Amy Tinkler criticises British Gymnastics for the time it has taken to investigate a formal complaint she made in 2019.
A helpline is launched by the NSPCC and British Athletes Commission to support gymnasts. It receives more than 120 calls in its first five weeks.
August 2020: The Whyte Review is formally started.
Pavier’s former coach, Claire Barbieri, is suspended, while British Gymnastics’ head national coach Amanda Reddin steps aside after allegations are made against her. Both denied the allegations made against them.
Olympic bronze medallist Nile Wilson alleges gymnasts are “treated like pieces of meat”.
September 2020: Two further coaches – Helen Potter and Rory Weavers – are temporarily suspended pending investigation. Both denied the allegations made against them. Their temporary suspension has since been lifted.
October 2020: British Gymnastics chief executive Allen announces she will retire in December.
November 2020: British Gymnastics sets up an independent complaints process to oversee allegations of mistreatment by athletes.
February 2021: A group of 17 start legal action against British Gymnastics. A further 20 later join the group claim.
June 2021: Sarah Powell is named British Gymnastics chief executive, and says she is “under no illusions about the scale of change needed” to improve the culture at the organisation.
August 2021: British Gymnastics chair Mike Darcey apologises to the gymnastics community for failing to act on allegations of mistreatment.
April 2022: BBC Sport reveals leading coach Liz Kincaid was pulled from Great Britain’s coaching squad just weeks before the Tokyo Olympics after a serious allegation was made against her. She denied wrongdoing.
May 2022: National head coach Reddin steps down from her position with immediate effect. Previous claims against her were not upheld and her suspension was lifted, but another independent investigation is ongoing into “further historical complaints”.
June 2022: BBC Sport reveals ex-acrobatic gymnast Eloise Jotischky is the first to win a civil case against British Gymnastics for the abuse she experienced in the sport, with the organisation admitting full liability.
The Whyte Review is published.
British Gymnastics said it is “monitoring” a gymnastics club after Jotischky’s former coach Andrew Griffiths was hired to work with children.
October 2022: British Gymnastics issues 40-point action plan as it pledges “zero tolerance” on abuse.
Zimbabwecoach Dave Houghton is wary of a backlash from West Indies when the sides meet in their T20 World Cup first round group game on Wednesday.
The two-time champions were shocked in their opening Group B game by Scotland before Zimbabwe secured a victory over Ireland.
The Africans know a win would put them on the brink of a place in the Super 12 – a result which would effectively eliminate the West Indies.
“I expect the West Indies to come fighting and bouncing back in the next game,” Houghton told BBC Sport Africa.
“They’ve got some very, very good players, they play a lot more T20 cricket than we do and they’ve just come off the Caribbean Premier League as well. They’ve had quite a bit of cricket recently in this format.
“I expect them to be very, very difficult on Wednesday.”
Houghton is well aware the meeting with the West Indies is a “huge game” for Zimbabwe, but he is excited about the encounter in Hobart after Monday’s 31-run win over the Irish.
“We feel that if we play well, we’ll be a real challenge for them,” he said.
“There is a good feeling among the guys. We’ve got a fair amount of our game to improve on and if we bring our ‘A’ game to the table, we’re going to be a challenge for any side.”
Scotland’s stunning 42-run victory over the West Indies has blown open the group, but Houghton is sticking to his own plans for this tournament.
“I never made any secret of the fact that when we came here and arrived, we wanted to play three and win three,” the 65-year-old said.
“We have got to keep our brand of cricket going.
“We looked at the games and thought Scotland would be the weakest side in the section, yet they’ve got on top of the side we thought would be the strongest. So we’re under pressure straightaway.
“It was important for us to get away with the win – it gives us just a little bit of breathing space with two games to play.
“Even though there’s a good feeling among the guys you know, we can get better.”
Meanwhile, Houghton has heaped praise on batter Sikandar Raza who recovered from serious health issues to star in their win over Ireland.
The 36-year-old needed surgery on a bone marrow infection following a cancer scare, and there were fears the Pakistan-born right hander’s career may be over.
Raza’s knock of 82 helped Zimbabwe recover from 37-3 in the sixth over and set them on their way to victory in Hobart.
“I didn’t know a lot about what had gone on with Raza and his cancer,” admitted Houghton.
“He’s been out for a little while and only really been back in action since I took over as coach, so we’ve had him for the last three or four months. He has played some outstanding innings in that period of time.”
Raza was named as the International Cricket Council’s player of the month for August following his two unbeaten one-day international centuries against Bangladesh as well as a bringing up a ton against India.
Houghton, who captained Zimbabwe and was regarded as one of his countries finest batters, says Raza has been in “fantastic form”.
“When he gets in, he can destroy attacks,” he added.
“He genuinely makes maximum contribution, so if we’re batting first he puts us in a great position and if we’re betting second he generally gets us over the line.
“That’s a really good trait to have – an absolute match-winner in your batting department.”
An Enugu State High Court has discharged one of the siblings accused of killing Enugu-based makeup artist, Ijeoma Nneke.
Two siblings, Chiamaka Ifezue and Chukwuemeka Ifezue, are standing trial for allegedly forcing the deceased (Ijeoma Nneke) to drink a poisonous substance that caused her death.
But in discharging Chukwuemeka, the trial judge, Justice K.I Okpe, held that there was no evidence that he actually participated in the Commission of the crime.
A court document SaharaReporters sighted on Tuesday, showed that Chukwuemeka Ifezue was discharged of the crime on July 28, 2022.
At the resumed trial on Tuesday, the case could not go on as the defence counsel, Mr Chuma Oguejiofor, informed the court that he had filed an appeal against the continued trial of the case.
The Prosecution counsel, Mrs C. C. Chigbo, however, told the court that she had not been served the notice of the appeal. Consequently, Justice Okpe adjourned the case till November 30, 2022, for the defence to open their case.
The court in the last two sittings had admitted into evidence police exhibits on the case of the alleged murder of the makeup artist.
The suspects, who are siblings, allegedly dumped her body at the Maryland axis of Enugu metropolis and poured a corrosive substance suspected to be acid on the carcass.
Chigbo led the Prosecution Witness 7 (PW7), Sgt. Udeze Oguguo, a police officer, in evidence to tender the exhibits.
Oguguo, who was attached to the Independence Layout Police Division, Enugu, said that the exhibits were recovered at the scene of the alleged crime.
The exhibits included five pieces of 20 British pounds, an iPhone 7plus with MTN SIM card, another iPhone device and a blackberry phone.
Others are a broken 9Mobile SIM card, itel phone, another black phone (no brand name), MTN SIM pack, makeup tools belonging to the deceased.
Also tendered in evidence was the key of a Toyota Metrix Scan with registration number JJJ410BJ which was allegedly used to move the dead body of the deceased from the scene of the crime to where it was dumped.
The police officer said that the car which had been parked at the Police Anti-kidnap Formation was no longer in good condition to be moved to the court.
He also tendered hard copies of the WhatsApp messages and text messages (SMS) the deceased had with her fiancé and girlfriend respectively while at the scene of the crime.
Oguguo also tendered the non-confessional statements of Chiamaka made on November 18, 2020, November 19, 2020, and January 14, 2021, which were all admitted in evidence.
He also tendered the non-confessional statement of Chukwuemeka made on November 18, 2020.
In Abidjan, Monday, former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo celebrated the first anniversary of his political group African People’s Party – Côte d’Ivoire.
During a conference marking the occasion, the 77-year-old made a first official comment on the detention of 46 Ivorian soldiers in Mali.
They were arrested upon arrival in Bamako on July 10 and were accused of being mercenaries.
“President Assimi Goïta (head of the Malian junta) should be asked to think about his brotherhood of arms with those (Ivorian soldiers) who are in prison there”, Gbagbo said.
The leader of the PPA-CI party called on the Togolese presidentwho mediates the crisis to redouble his efforts to help solve the diplomatic row.
During the conference, eyes were also set on domestic politics and the 2025 presidential race. If Gbagbo has not officially announced his bid, for the executive secretary it’s an obvious fact.
“For the 2025 elections, President Laurent Gbagbo is our natural candidate”, Damanan Pickass.
President Alassane Ouattara has led the country since 2010. In addition to Gbagbo’s party, other Ivorian opposition parties include the (PDCI) by former leader Henri Konan Bédié, and the (MGC) by former First Lady Simone Gbagbo.
Ghana will terminate all unregistered SIM cards before the end of the current month (October 2022).
“All sim cards that have been linked to Ghana cards, but have not completed their second stage registration will be blocked from the end of October…” the communications ministry said.
According to a statement by Ghana’s ministry of communications on Monday, October 17, 2022, this is not an extension, but rather a step to urge everyone to finish the registration process.
All people who have registered more than 10 SIM cards for personal use were advised in the statement to quickly delink the undesired cards or risk being barred by the communication authority.
According to the statement, 28 959 006 sim cards had been linked to the Ghana cards, representing 62 percent of sim cards issued nationally between October 1, 2021, and October 4, 2022.
The statement further states that 18 930 664 sim cards have been fully registered to represent 44.28%.
In July, the communication authority extended the deadline for verification by two months to allow Ghanaians and non-citizens resident in Ghana to link their identity cards to their Sim cards and complete the registration process.
By 4 October, about 19 million Sim cards were fully registered, representing about 45% of all the cards issued.
Sim card owners must link their Ghana national cards to their Sim and then proceed for full registration and biometrics capture with their service providers.
The government says the aim of the Sim registration exercise is to protect users against fraud and ensure digital security.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said Monday (October 17) that his son would no longer tweet about the country’s affairs, after a series of controversial tweets in early October in which he threatened to invade Kenya.
The unfriendly words of General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the 48-year-old eldest son of the head of state, had offended the Kenyan neighbor. He had suggested that it would take him and his army not “two weeks” to take over the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
“He’s going to leave Twitter. We have had this discussion. Twitter is not a problem. The problem is what you tweet,” said the man who has ruled Uganda since 1986, in an interview with a local Ugandan TV station.
“Talking about other countries and Uganda’s politics is something he should not do and will not do,” Museveni added.
Muhoozi Kainerugaba will still be able to express himself on social media, the president said, as long as he limits his comments to sports, for example.
In his series of messages on Twitter on October 3, the Ugandan president’s son also criticized former Kenyan head of state Uhuru Kenyatta for not running for re-election in August, even though the Constitution forbids him to serve more than two terms.
President Museveni, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, apologized to his “Kenyan brothers and sisters” two days later and blamed his son for “interfering in the affairs” of Kenya.
Meanwhile, on October 4, Muhoozi Kainerugaba was removed from his post as commander of the ground forces. On October 13, he apologized. “I never had any problem with Afande Ruto,” he tweeted, referring to the new Kenyan president William Ruto.
Nigeria LNG, a liquefied natural gas-producing company has declared force majeure because of widespread flooding that has disrupted supply, its spokesman said on Monday.
The company said all of its upstream gas suppliers had declared force majeure, forcing it to make the declaration as well.
“The notice by the gas suppliers was a result of high flood water levels in their operational areas, leading to a shut-in of gas production which has caused significant disruption of gas supply to NLNG,” spokesperson Andy Odeh said.
Odeh added that NLNG was “determining the extent of the disruption and would try to mitigate the impact of the force majeure”. Flooding in the west African giant nation has killed more than 600 people, displaced 1.4 million and destroyed roads and farmlands. Officials have warned that the situation could continue into November.
According to Refinitiv data, supply had already been limited due to prolific oil theft that has slashed output from what is typically Africa’s largest exporter. Roughly 18 cargoes had been exported in September.
Ninety per cent of Nigeria’sforeign exchange and about half of the country’s budget are derived from the export of fossil fuels. However, organised theft and infrastructural challenges have for years led to a loss of the majority of its oil revenues, forcing the nation to keep taking out loans to service its hefty budget.
Reacting to the latest development, Portugal’s oil and gas company Galp Energia said on Monday it may face additional sourcing disruptions.
Galp Energia said in a statement it had received a notice from Nigeria LNG (NLNG), its main natural gas supplier, about the force majeure but said “no information was provided to support an assessment of potential impacts”.
Last week, the government had said “it could face gas supply challenges this winter, if Nigeria does not deliver all the liquefied natural gas (LNG) volumes due to its country”.
At Shamas Auto Parts, a spare part shop in Nairobi, Kenya, business is slow these days.
The impact of a strong US dollar is felt. It contributes to making other countries’ imports more expensive and more local currency is needed to convert into dollars.
This is compounding financial distres at a time when the Kenyan shilling is down 6% this year.
“Sometimes you find that there is an increase of about 10-25% in the cost of a spare part within a period of maybe six to twelve months, which people are not expecting”, Michael Gachie, purchasing manager with Shamas Auto Parts says.
“For us, right now we are in wholesale and retail of parts and you find that most of the customersare complaining a lot”, the manager concludes.
Continued losses
According to the benchmark ICE U.S. Dollar Index, the dollar is up 18% this year against a basket of key currencies.
“We are continuing to lose. I used to take my children for holidays. They cannot enjoy those holidays anymore because of the weakening shilling. We don’t have enough cash flows to put it about in the house”, Albert Chege says.
the cost of fuel and imported spare parts is soaring so much that some people are choosing to ditch their cars and take public transportation.
To combat US inflation running at its fastest rate in 40 years, the Federal Reserve has raised its benchmark short-term interest rate five times this year with worldwide consequences.
Kenya’s central bank also raised its benchmark interest rate by the biggest margin in more than seven years last September.
The currency of East Africa’s largest economy has been sliding to record lows against the dollar. As of October 18, 1 U.S dollar sold 121.1706 Shillings when on August 2nd, it sold 119.0118 Shillings.
Yawning is commonly thought to be a sign of sleepiness or boredom, though this is not always the case.
While someone who yawns may be tired, the heart rate quickly rises during a yawn. This increased heart rate suggests yawning can be a sign of alertness rather than sluggishness.
What is yawning?
A yawn is an involuntary reflex where the mouth is opened wide, and the lungs take in a lot of air. The air is then exhaled slowly. During this time, the eardrums stretch, and the eyes may also close tight, causing them to water.
No thought or action has to be taken to produce a yawn, and the process is similar for everyone. Yawning commonly occurs either before or after sleep, which is why it is usually considered a sign of being tired. Yawning also occurs frequently in people who are doing boring or tedious things.
There is also a social aspect to yawning. Yawning appears to be contagious among humans and other animals, and the contagiousness of a yawn is well documented but hardly understood.
The connection between yawning and heart attack
Commonly yawning is a sign of sleeplessness. But if you keep doing it even on days when you have a sound sleep and are not feeling tired at all, then it can be a symptom of a serious health condition.
Yawning is a mystery in the world of medical science. Several efforts have been made to decode it, but scientists have not gained much success. As per some studies yawning helps to promote blood oxygenation and brain cooling.
It is believed that excessive yawning is related to a vagus nerve, which runs from the bottom of the brain down to the heart and stomach. In some cases, people yawn too much when there is bleeding around the heart. This reflex phenomenon is also linked with stroke.
As per studies excessive yawning may happen before or after a stroke. Other symptoms accompanied with it are numbness, dropping lower face, weakness in the arm and difficulty in speaking. As per health experts, those who yawn too much during exercise, especially on hot days may be at risk of a heart attack.
Other signs of excessive yawning
Yawning is not only linked with heart attack and stroke, but with several other health conditions like:
Brain tumour
Epilepsy
Multiple sclerosis
Liver failure
Body’s inability to control its temperature
What you should do
If you notice a sudden increase in yawning, for no apparent reason then consult your doctor. The sooner you seek medical help, the better it will be for your health. The doctor will find out the reason behind it and may prescribe medication accordingly. If it happens due to poor sleep then your doctor will recommend medications or techniques for getting more restful sleep like breathing devices, reducing stress and changing the sleeping routine.
It’s the body part that men arguably value the most, so they owe it to their penis to always keep it clean, healthyand fit for purpose.
Give it the care it deserves and you may not be the only one to benefit – your partner will probably be grateful too.
Gently wash the penis with warm water each day when you’re having a shower or bath. If you have a foreskin, pull it back gently and wash it underneath.
If you don’t wash underneath the foreskin correctly, a cheesy-looking substance called smegma may begin to gather.
Smegma is a natural lubricant that keeps the penis moist. It’s found on the head of the penis and under the foreskin.
If smegma builds up in the foreskin, it can start to smell, stop you from easily pulling your foreskin back and become a breeding ground for bacteria.This can cause redness and swelling of the head of your penis, called balanitis.
‘Off-putting smell’
It’s really surprising how many men don’t clean underneath their foreskin. Not only do they regularly develop complications from poor hygiene, but it’s also very off-putting for a sexual partner.
Don’t try to forcefully pull back the foreskin of a baby or young boy as this could be painful and cause harm. Their foreskin might still be attached to the head of the penis and will therefore not retract fully. At this stage of their development, there’s no need to clean inside the foreskin.
While regular personal hygiene is important, too much washing with soap and shower gels can cause soreness. Gently washing your penis once a day with warm water is sufficient to maintain good hygiene. If you want to use soap, choose a mild or non-perfumed soap to reduce the risk of skin irritation.
It may be tempting to use talc and deodorants on your penis, but these are best avoided because talc will get under the foreskin, where it may cause irritation.
Circumcised men have to be just as careful about cleaning their penis. Gently washing the penis with warm water once a day is sufficient.
Testicles and pubic area
Don’t forget to clean the base of the penis and the testicles, where sweat and hair can combine to produce a strong smell, just as unpleasant as in your armpits.
These areas need frequent washing to stop sweat from accumulating, especially as they are enclosed in underwear for most of the day.
Make sure the area between the base of the testicles and the anus is also clean and odour-free.
While you’re down there, it’s a good idea to check your testicles for lumps once a month after a warm bath or shower.
Look out for any unusual lumps or swellings that were not there before. Find out what testicles should look and feel like.
White and bright eyes are a sign of great health and it is only normal that many people desire to have such.
We all know how important having very beautiful, soulful eyes can be. Eyes don’t need a lot of diet control or heavy workouts.
As we age our eyes change too, and not just regarding how they perform but also how they appear to others. While burst blood vessels are relatively common, yellowing, dullness and discolouration are even more so.
The good thing is that the eyes are actually pretty low-maintenance, generally. Simple upkeep every now and then ensures they’ll remain healthy year after year.
Pulse brings 5 foods that make the eyes whiter.
1. Use Cucumber
Cucumbers are known to have a high water content making them the best alternative for brightening you eyes. They also assist in minimizing dark circles that are gotten from being tired and lack of sleep. If you have been wondering which home remedy would help you on how to get white eyes, then cucumber is the real deal.
2. Cold compresses on your eyes
Putting anything cold in contact with the eye helps reduce puffiness, but it can also help whiten your eyes as well. Soak a washcloth in ice water or wrap it around ice cubes.
Wring it out or lay the washcloth over your eyes for 5-10 minutes. The redness in your eyes should diminish after repeating this a few times over the course of a day
3. Sleep more – get pure white eyes
Getting enough sleep every night for 7 to 8 hours relaxes eye muscles and restores their natural white colour. Have at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. If you are having trouble falling asleep, taking a bath before bed could help to achieve the desired long rest.
4. Tea bags
Whether black tea or green tea, tea bags are the best for relaxing and rejuvenating eyes for a youthful healthier look. Tea bags are great for reducing bacteria and also reducing inflammation that could cause your eyes to become red.
5. Eat more fruits and vegetables
Eating green, leafy foods like spinach and kale also have a great effect on you the eye. These fruits and vegetables will also help to detoxify your liver. A healthy liver will help keep the whites of your eyes bright and white. If your liver is full of toxins, then it may not be able to process foods and vitamins as efficiently as it should.
Eating a balanced diet is especially important when you have breast cancer.
A healthy diet is capable of solving many of our problems, So, it becomes extremely important to take care of your diet when suffering from breast cancer.
Research suggests that some foods may lower your risk of cancer and inhibit cancer growth and progression.
It is important to have a healthy diet for cancer patients and here’s what all you need to include in what you eat.
Beans
Beans are loaded with fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Specifically, their high fibre content may help in managing weight for breast cancer survivors, which is very challenging to do for them. “Breast cancer patients can include kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, and chickpeas in their daily diet.
Fatty fish
Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel, are known for their effective health benefits. Their omega-3 fatty acid, selenium, and antioxidant contents may offer cancer-protective effects.
Leafy green vegetables
Green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, mustard greens and collard greens are some of the many dark leafy greens that can fight breast cancer. They are loaded with antioxidants that can destroy cancer-causing free radicals. In a 2012 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers found that women who ate dark leafy greens had a far lower breast cancer risk than women who didn’t eat these vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables
Experts say that cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli contain phytochemicals known as isothiocyanates and indoles which appear to have a protective effect against some types of cancer including breast cancer. It also inhibits cancer growth and progression.
Allium vegetables
Garlic, onions, and leeks come under allium vegetables that boast an array of nutrients, including organosulfur compounds, flavonoids and antioxidants. Consumption of allium vegetables can help against the development of breast cancer. S-allylcysteine, a compound found in onions, has been suggested to suppress cell proliferation, adhesion and invasion in breast cancer cells. Allicin, a component of garlic, can inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cell lines.
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Reducing childbirth is on the to-do list of Tanzania,
President, Samia Suluhu Hassan has called on citizens to take up birth control measures in order to avoid rapid childbirth in the country.
According to her, one health centre in Buselesele ward in Geita region, produces 1,000 children a month.
A 2020 World Bank report estimates said that Tanzania’s fertility rate was at 4.8 births per woman. The high birth rate was attributed to early marriages and low contraceptive use.
While it has been falling over the last 30 years, it has not declined as fast as other countries in the region such as Kenya and Ethiopia.
President, Samia Suluhu Hassan is worried that the current amenities would not be able to cater for the growing number.
Unlike her predecessor, late John Magufuli, President Suluhu wants families to embrace the use of contraception.
The late John Magufuli, openly encouraged women not to use contraception at a rally in the western of Tanzania in the year 2018.
He described those who use contraception as lazy.
We urge you to keep watching this space for more updates and credible news.. Kindly subscribe to this Channel, and visit us on all our socials at The Independent Africa. My name is Amanda Cartey. Thanks for watching. Source: Pulse.com.gh
Not even Mane, No player was better than Benzema in 2022 – Ballon d’Or, Courtois wins Yashine Trophy
Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has been crowned the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner.
Benzema beat Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne to win football’sultimate individual award.
The 34-year-old Benzema played a pivotal role as Real Madrid won the La Liga and Champions League in the 2021/22 season.
Benzema since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo has been the catalyst for the Real Madrid attack and has finally been rewarded among the greats of the sport.
Last season for Real Madrid and France, Benzema scored 50 goals and contributed 16 assists in a total of 55 games across all competitions.
The French forward was presented with the Ballon d’Or by his former coach at Real Madrid Zinedine Zidane.
Zidane was the last French player before Benzema to win the Ballon d’Or award 24 years ago in 1998.
On receiving the award, Benzema referred to Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Delima as his idol as well as Zidane.
Benzema on Ballon d’ Or
The French word expressed that how he became the oldest player to win the award since 1956.
He said, “It was my mother who believed in my eternal dream of winning the Ballon d’Or.
“There is no age to win the #Ballon d’ Or. Sometimes player get better in their 30’s and this is all down to taking care of yourself.”
“At the age of 30, the ambition entered my head to win this trophy: to work harder, to be more decisive & I am lucky to play for the best club in the world.”
Courtois wins Yachine award
Benzema’s triumph added to Real Madrid’s success at the award ceremony after a comprehensive win against rivals Barcelona in El-Clasico.
Before Benzema’s victory, his Real Madrid teammate Thibaut Courtois won the Yachine Award given to the best goalkeeper.
Courtois a key member of the all-conquering Real Madrid team beat Brazilian goalkeepers Alisson Becker of Liverpool and Ederson of Manchester City to the award.
Michael Essien has congratulated former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema for winning the 2022 Ballon d’Or.
On Monday, the French striker won the prestigious individual award for the first time after helping Real Madrid to emerge champions of Spain and Europe.
The 34-year-old impressively scored 44 goals in 46 matches and was the top scorer in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
For his reward, he was crowned the Ballon d’Or winner ahead of Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
Essien, who played with Benzema at Madrid under Jose Mourinho, took to social media to congratulate the Frenchman on his achievement.
“You deserve the Ballon d’Or. Congratulation Mon Karim Benzema,” the ex-Ghana international wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Benzema said winning the Ballon d’Or makes him proud, insisting he is proud of his career journey.
“This makes me really proud, all the work I did, I never gave up. I had two role models in my life, Zidane and Ronaldo as well,” he said.
“I always had this dream in my mind that everything’s possible. There was a difficult period where I wasn’t in the French team but I worked hard and never gave up, kept my head down and enjoyed playing football.”
The striker added: “I’m really proud of my journey here, it wasn’t easy, it was difficult, for me and my family. Age is just a number for me. People play until their later years now and I still have this burning desire.
“It is this drive that has kept me going and never allowed me to let up. It kept this dream alive and was the fire behind me. I just want to make the most of it.”
Benzema has become the oldest player to win the Ballon d’Or at the age of 34.
2022 3Music Awards rapper of the year, Derrick Sarfo Kantanka, better known within the showbiz space as Amerado is set to publish his debut studio album.
Ever since he made his breakthrough onto the music scene, the talented rap artiste and ‘Yeete Nsem’ honcho has been the center of attraction, churning out back-to-back hits and also delivering classic verses on songs he features on.
It would be recalled that, a few weeks ago, the award-winning Ghanaian rapper and performing artiste took to social media to announce the completion and the official release date for his first ever studio album dubbed, ‘G.I.N.A’.
In an update of events, Amerado has shared the tracklist for the upcoming album. Taking to his verified Facebook page, Amerado posted an artwork that houses songs and featured artists alongside producers on the upcoming project.
‘G.I.N.A’ happens to be an acronym for ‘God Is Never Asleep’ and will be available for purchase and streaming on all digital music stores from Tuesday, October 25, 2022.
Kumasi Academy lost its status as a seeded school to Bishop Herman College.
The first contest at the Saarah-Mensah Auditorium on October 17, 2022, accentuated the Absa Bank Volta-Oti Zonal Champion: Bishop Herman College.
The contest featured Kumasi Academy SHS (KUMACA), Bishop Herman College (BIHECO), and Fiaseman SHS (FIASSEC). At the end of the first round, it seemed like a convincing win for KUMACA.
Remarkably, Bishop Herman College took the lead in the second round. With a two-point difference against Kumasi Academy SHS, the Kpando boys were in a run-up for a win.
BIHECO effortlessly upstaged in the third round earning them the Prudential Life NSMQ star award.
It was a thrilling final round for BIHECO as they sat in a comfortable lead. Fiaseman picked up two riddles in hopes of making the mark but clearly couldn’t.
It was an impressive performance from their side but a late one to see them win.
KUMACA couldn’t impress enough to retain their seed, losing it to BIHECO.
Bishop Herman College has forged ahead to the quarterfinals.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his consistent show of attention to Asanteman, thereby situating the region to a position of prominence and honour in terms of development in the country.
According to the Overlord of the Asante Kingdom, he has followed with keen interest the tenure of President Akufo-Addo since 2017, stressing that issues of key concern to the development of Asanteman have been placed on the front burner of government’s development agenda.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II made this known on Sunday, August 16, 2022, when the President paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace, at the commencement of his 4-day working visit to the Ashanti Region.
“On the occasion of your visit four-day visit here, which has become a regular feature, I am happy you are here to commission and inspect the projects undertaken by your government for all to see that, indeed, under you, Asanteman has benefited,” he said.
Continuing he said, “you have served us well and brought honour to Asanteman in the two terms that you have served as President. Therefore, I can only ask of the blessings of Almighty God and that of the ancestors for continued strength to serve Ghana.”
President Akufo-Addo, on his part, said the visit to the Ashanti region was part of his yearly routine to visit all the regions across the country to acquaint himself and deliver first-hand the development needs of the people.
He said: “at the end of his four-day tour of the region, all will know that indeed Asanteman has benefitted significantly in terms of development.”
President Akufo-Addo indicated that nearly 350 kilometers of Asphaltic Road network have been done in the Ashanti region. This is irrespective of the 100 kilometres being done in the Kumasi Metropolis and the other 100 kilometres being done with regards to urban roads. 32 separate hospital projects have been done in my time in the Ashanti region.
Touching on the galamsey menace, the President stated that “I am also happy that the issue of illegal mining has become topical during my administration. Nobody spoke about it before I came, now I am happy that chiefs, including you, have all joined to see the fight to a good end. We have come to end and with your support, we will indeed succeed at it.”
Presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured the North that he would defeat the rag-tag army of bandits and end insecurity with modern technology if elected president in 2023.
Speaking at the Arewa Joint Committee Interactive session with Presidential Candidates holding at the Arewa House Kaduna on Monday, the former Governor of Lagos State eulogized the late Premier of defunct Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello Sardauna who he described as a reference point, saying together with Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tarawa Balewa, laid the solid foundation of a united Nigeria.
The Presidential hopeful who was accompanied to the event by some APC Governors of Northern extraction promised that his economic policies would among others, leverage Nigeria’s abundant solid mineral deposits and enhance the economic well-being of the nation.
He said he would use his experience in building human capital, industry and institutions which had made Lagos what it is today to make Nigeria a much better and developed country.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says efforts are underway to provide electricity metres for additional six million households in Nigeria.
Osinbajo disclosed this in his presentation at the 3rd Ministerial Performance Review Retreat for Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and top Government Functionaries on Monday at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.
The vice president’s presentation was titled, “The President Muhammadu Buhari Administration: Reflections on the Journey So Far.’’
Osinbajo said that a mass metering scheme would have a huge impact on the electricity supply across the country.
“The National Mass Metering Programme being financed by CBN has created 10,000 jobs and distributed 1 million meters and is establishing a structure to meter an additional 6 million households and sustainably eliminate the metering gap.
“ 41-meter factories are now present in Nigeria; where do we go from here? One grid is unrealistic; we need two others, private sector run.’’
The vice president said that another game-changing achievement of the administration was on the digital economy.
He said that the sector contributed 18.4 per cent to GDP in the second quarter of 2020 — the highest ever in the history of the country and almost three times the contribution of oil and gas to GDP.
“ How have these figures been achieved; first is the rapid expansion of broadband access.
“ This has also been helped by the Ministry of Communication and digital economy directly engaging the states to reduce the rates charged for laying fibre optic cables many have complied with the right of way policy and have as low as N140 per metre, while some states have completely removed the charges.
“In August 2019, the broadband coverage was 33.7 per cent and today it is 44.65 per cent, representing close to 13 million new broadband users.
“There were 13,823 4G base stations and we now have 36,751, representing a 165.86 per cent increase..
“ The percentage 4G coverage across the country also increased from 23 per cent to 77.52 per cent.’’
The vice president said that the deployment of 5G technology would become the biggest contribution of the digital economy to Nigeria’s economic growth.
He said that there was already presidential approval for the 5G policy, and the auctioning of the spectrum.
The vice president said that the deployment of the technology would radically transform the digital technology landscape in Nigeria in the next few years.
“ In terms of density, 4G allows connection to about 1 million devices in 500 square kilometres, while 5G will allow the same number of devices in just 1 square kilometre.
“ There also the very fast data rates of the 5G and more efficient energy usage.
“Additionally, the cost of data has crashed from N1,200 per GB in 2019 to about N360 today, making it easier for Nigerians to connect to the Internet.
“Now, we have embarked on the National Information and Communications Technology Infrastructure Backbone II (NICTIB II) to connect 20 states with fibre optics that had not been connected in NICTIB I.’’
The vice president said that tremendous progress has been made in expanding the digital identity database from less than 40 million people with National Identification Numbers (NINs) in 2020 to 90,268,742 NIN records as at end of September.
He said that digital identity was profoundly important for the entire economy.
“ It assures democratised access to basic services, like health, education, and banking, and enables the inclusion of millions in the digital, economy.
“Another key strand of Nigeria’s digital journey is the stellar performance of our fintech companies the growth of which was supported by the CBN in terms of granting new categories of licences and providing clear regulatory guidelines for payment service providers.
“This has led to an explosion in participation with the value of digital transactions in Nigeria rising to N286 trillion in 2021,’’ he said.
Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has assured the people of Kaduna State that if elected president in 2023, he would end banditry that plagued the state and revive dead industries in the state.
The former Vice President spoke even as chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) who besieged Kaduna on Monday for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign rally, said that the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC) failed Nigerians and they don’t want the PDP to win the 2023 Presidential election and recover the country.
Atiku Abubakar who spoke at the Ranchers Bees stadium in Kaduna, the venue of the PDP Presidential Campaign rally, thanked the people of Kaduna for giving him the highest number of votes in 2019.
“I will take issues concerning Kaduna serious if the people vote en mass and ensure that I win the 2023 election,” he said.
“Let me thank you for your support in 2019. You gave me the highest number of votes in 2019 and I believe you will do so this time around. I have come here on behalf of PDP to tell you If you vote for us, we will end insecurity in Kaduna. We will revive the industries in Kaduna in partnership with the private sector of Kaduna.”
Apparently worried by the activities of political thugs who clashed at the stadium and tried to disrupt the rally, Atiku appealed to President Buhari to call on all parties to call their supporters and members to order and to ensure that campaigns, just as with the elections themselves, are kept free, fair and safe.
In his remarks, the Vice-presidential candidate of the party, Governor Ifenayichukwu Okowa, said the people of Southern Nigeria are ready to vote for PDP and Atiku Abubakar in 2023.
He recalled that the PDP was successful in the recent gubernatorial election in Osun state and the people were ready to vote for the party en masse in 2023
“I thank God for the life of Atiku who has a solution to the problem we have in Nigeria. With Atiku as president, we should not go to bed hungry and He is ready to end insecurity in Northern Nigeria.”
“Those of us in the south-south, southeast, southwest are ready to vote Atiku and the PDP. When we went to Osun, they said we wouldn’t win but we went there and we won in the home state of the APC presidential candidate. I’m happy with what I have seen here and I thank you for your support,” he said.
The Director General of the Atiku’s Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state, alleged that there were moves to stop the PDP from holding a campaign rally in Kaduna.
“They do not want us to continue with our rallies because they are not prepared. They haven’t constituted their campaign council and so, they want to drag us backwards,” he said.
In his remarks, the Director General of the Atiku’s Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state alleged that there were efforts to throw a spanner in PDP’s campaign but it will fail.
“They do not want us to continue with our rallies because they are not prepared. They haven’t constituted their campaign council and so, they want to drag us back but we are moving on with our campaign.
“The people of Kaduna have seen and felt the negative impact of the APC and when Atiku gets into power by Next year, all the factories will return Insha Allah.
“His administration will ensure we invigorate our economy to have jobs and better life. I urge the people of Kaduna to come out in their millions to vote come February 2023.
National Chairman of the PDP, Iyiocha Ayu said despite being denied the proposed venue for the rally, the PDP has shown that if rallies were held even on the road, they will always be successful.
“When they go low, we go high. they wanted to stop this rally, but they can’t. Whether they give us the venue or not, we will do our rally on the road and win. APC has failed. They don’t want us to recover this country and win. Let nobody deceive himself that we are going to lose. We are united and will win all our elections in Kaduna,” he said.
Those at the rally include the Director-General of the campaign Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Former governor of Cross Rivers state Liyel Imoke, Senate Minority Leader Senator Aduda.,former Governor of Osun state Olagunsoye Oyinlola and members of the National Working Committee,
Also at the rally were the National Organizing Secretary of the PDP and Director of field operations of the campaign, Hon. Umar Bature, National Youth Leader, Muhammad Suleiman Kadade, the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Kaduna state, Hon. Isa Ashiru Kudan, former Governor of Adamawa state, Mr Boni Haruna, former Governor of Niger State Muazu Babangida Aliyu, among others.
Meanwhile,. Felix Hassan Hyat, the Kaduna State PDP Chairman and Chairman of the PDP State Chairmen Forum, has said ” it has become very necessary at this point to address our teeming supporters and the entire nation on the sad and unfortunate political situation in our dear country today.”
He said in a statement that “as you are aware, the presidential candidate of our party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Alh. Atiku Abubakar was billed to hold his presidential rally in Kaduna State tomorrow, Monday 17th October 2022 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium.”
” Regrettably, the APC-led federal government through the Minister of Sports denied our party the opportunity to use the facility despite applying for it more than seven days before the date of the rally. It is instructive to note that we received the correspondence withholding approval only yesterday, 15th October 2022 citing renovation work on the facility as an excuse.”
“However, a physical tour of the stadium has revealed that there’s no renovation work ongoing either on the main bowl of the stadium or its adjoining structures. This is even as the same facility was used for the 2022 Eid-el-Moulud prayers just last Monday.”
“Surprisingly, today Sunday 16th October 2022, we received another correspondence dated …. intimating us of approval by the Honourable Minister, less than 24 hours to the commencement of the rally and after the Kaduna State Government had approved Ranchers’ Bees Stadium as an alternative venue for us. Without any doubt, there was simply no initial intention to grant us approval to use the facility by the Minister and thus the late approval was done deliberately as a pretence.”
“We are concerned by this apparent abuse of power by the APC-led federal government which, to say the least, constitutes a serious threat to our nation’s democracy. The Honourable Minister needs to be reminded that public facilities such as the Ahmadu Bello Stadium are our commonwealth and approval for their use should be given to all shades of citizens and groups without discrimination.”
“We, therefore, condemn this grave abuse of power in its entirety and demand a stop to such show of political brigandage,” he alleged.
Mr Hassan Hyet explained that “the people of Kaduna S.tate, as things stand, are with the PDP candidate and no amount of clandestine plots to discourage people from turning out will deter them from coming out en masse to show their support for the PDP candidate at the rally tomorrow and in the elections come February 2022.”
“May I also use this opportunity to express our deepest regrets and apology for any inconvenience the rally might cause commuters, and business owners along the Kaduna Township Stadium (formerly known as Rancher’s Bees) route,” he said.
The familyof George Floyd’s family has disclosed plans to sue Kanye West for suggesting Floyd’s brutal and caught-on-camera death under the knee of a Minnesota cop was really due to a fentanyl overdose.
According to New York Post, during an appearance on the Drink Champs podcast on Sunday, West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, continued his ongoing spree of controversial statements amid his antisemitism and “White Lives Matter” backlash.
Speaking with Drink Champs hosts N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN, West spoke about watching Candace Owens’ new documentary, titled ‘The Greatest Lie Ever Sold’, claimed Floyd died as a result of having taken fentanyl, a synthetic opioid used as a pain medication and noted for its potency.
“They hit Floyd with the fentanyl, If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that, they said he screamed for his mama; mama was his girlfriend. It’s in the documentary” he said.
Reacting to the alleged accusation, civil rights attorney Lee Merritt on his Twitter, confirmed late Sunday that the family of the deceased is considering suiting Kanye for false statements.
He wrote, “Members of the Floyd family contacted me distraught over the reprehensible remarks.”
“While one cannot defame the dead, the family of #GeorgeFloyd is considering suit for Kanye’s false statements about the manner of his death.”
“Claiming Floyd died from fentanyl, not the brutality established criminally and civilly undermines & diminishes the Floyd family’s fight.”
Candace Owens on October 12 finally released her scathing documentary that allegedly reveals some shocking details behind the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020.
The controversial commentator’s new film,’ The Greatest Lie Ever Sold’ shares the story of George Floyd a Black man who died while being restrained by then Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020. His death sparked global protests and debates about racial injustice and police brutality.
The death of Floyd drew nationwide outrage after a video circulated online showing Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes as he gasped for breath.
Monday morning, blocked all entries into the institution, protesting the hike in tuition fee.
The protesting students accused the school management of extortion and illegal fees.
It was gathered that the students had barricaded the main entrance of the institution as early as 6.30 am chanting solidarity songs.
This development affected the ongoing second-semester examination.
Some of the placards carried by the students read: “We no be rich kids, na why we come to MAPOLY,” “#Say No To Unreasonable Increment Now!!!” “Say no to extortion” and “Bring back our 60/40% what is new on the portal,” among others.
The Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun State, Simeon Damilola, while speaking with newsmen called for the reversal of all increased fees.
“Today, we have commenced actions to protest the mismanagement, corruption and inhumane policies in MAPOLY.
“We demand that a reversal should be made on all increased and newly introduced fees.
“We demand that the state governmentset up a panel of enquiry to investigate how funds going into the school are expended.
“We are disheartened to converge here today, not for celebration, but to decry the suffering and panic the management of the MAPOLY has subjected us to as students.
“Our offence as Nigerian students is that we want to be educated and the Dr. Adeoye Odedeji-led management of MAPOLY is saying education is not for the poor”.
“A few months ago in the last academic session, tuition fees for both ND and HND students were increased, including part-time students whose figure is not accurately given”.
“Without considering the economic conditions of parents and guardians, tuition fees were increased outrageously again for two consecutive sessions. This is the highest level of discomfort any management could think of putting the students through.”
In his reaction, the Head, Public Relations and Protocol of the institution, Mr Yemi Ajibola said, MAPOLY charges the least tuition fees in South West.
He said, the management of MAPOLY introduced a registration fee of N20,000 only, payable by all newly admitted applicants, who are to enjoy the launching of the full digital registration process on the institution’s upgraded portal, as against the usual manual routines.
He said, though, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) requested its removal but was reduced by 50 per cent (i.e N10,000) by the Governing Council after wide deliberations with stakeholders.
“Similarly, admission application forms range from N2,000 to N7,500 only, depending on the category of application, either for National Diploma or Higher National Diploma programme with the acceptance fee remaining N35,500 only”.
“Medical screening exercise is compulsory to determine the health status of the newly admitted students. This exercise is being carried out at designated registered medical centres outside the campus at a uniform economic rate”.
“Conclusively, the Polytechnic does not collect money for tax clearance. Students are only expected to present tax receipt/certificates of their parents or guardians as evidence for fulfilment of tax obligation. This is a part of requisites for file arrangement during entry registration”.
Therefore, allegations levied against the management of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta by the NANS are baseless, sentimental and unsubstantiated”.
Ajibola advised parents, guardians, and the general public to visit www.mapoly.edu.ng for general information or contact the institution’s management via the available social media platforms on the website
Nigerians criticised the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo, on Monday, for using the protest in Paris, the capital of France to dissuade Nigerians from relocating abroad.
Protesters in their thousands trooped out in Paris on Sunday in a demonstration of increasing defiance and rage against inflation, three weeks into a refinery strike that caused fuel shortages across France.
The demonstration which was also against the rising cost of living was called by the left-wing political opposition and led by the head of the France Unbowed party, Jean-Luc Melenchon.
In reaction to this, Keyamo, on his Twitter page said there are disturbing economic issues across the globe, and Nigeria is not the only country affected by an economic slump. The minister also said some people are deceiving Nigerian citizens by “playing local politics with global issues.”
“Massive protests on the streets of Paris over soaring prices. Meanwhile, some are still planning to ‘Japa’ abroad, as if Nigeria is in isolation from present global issues. some who know the issues are also deceiving Nigerians and playing local politics with global issues,” Keyamo said.
In reaction to his tweet, some Nigerians on Twitter have slammed the minister for posting a video of people’s protest and commenting on it, saying it was wrong for him to compare the two countries as Nigeria’s problems are enormous.
Here are a few of the tweets below:
@theyomiblaq tweeted, “In your mind now, you’re supposed to be hailed for this tweet, the other day you attacked @JeffreyGuterman for interfering in your local🇳🇬 politics because of course he’s rooting for @PeterObi so what’s your own business with “local business” protests ongoing in France.”
Some Nigerians reacted that while the French government in its respect for democratic principles will allow the people to protest peacefully, the same cannot be said of President Muhammdu Buhari’s government which Keyamo works for.
“They’re protesting and there’s no presence of military shooting at them. I think it’s better to protest in a country where your life will be protected as well,” @itzz_blitz1 said.
In some quarters, netizens argued that Nigerian problems are bigger than that of France and the Western world.
“We have issues bigger than soaring price, issues that your party has plunged us into, yet when we come out to protest, you people shoot us. I’m glad you could make a ridiculous example with a protest in Paris. People Japa due to major issues like zero healthcare and public security,” @FS_Yusuf_
Presidential Candidateof the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has assured the people of Kaduna State that if elected president in 2023, he would end banditry that plagued the state and revive dead industries in the state.
The former Vice President spoke even as chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) who besieged Kaduna on Monday for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign rally, said that the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC) failed Nigerians and they don’t want the PDP to win the 2023 Presidential election and recover the country.
Atiku Abubakar who spoke at the Ranchers Bees stadium in Kaduna, the venue of the PDP Presidential Campaign rally, thanked the people of Kaduna for giving him the highest number of votes in 2019.
“I will take issues concerning Kaduna serious if the people vote en mass and ensure that I win the 2023 election,” he said.
“Let me thank you for your support in 2019. You gave me the highest number of votes in 2019 and I believe you will do so this time around. I have come here on behalf of PDP to tell you If you vote for us, we will end insecurity in Kaduna. We will revive the industries in Kaduna in partnership with the private sector of Kaduna.”
Apparently worried by the activities of political thugs who clashed at the stadium and tried to disrupt the rally, Atiku appealed to President Buhari to call on all parties to call their supporters and members to order and to ensure that campaigns, just as with the elections themselves, are kept free, fair and safe.
In his remarks, the Vice-presidential candidate of the party, Governor Ifenayichukwu Okowa, said the people of Southern Nigeria are ready to vote for PDP and Atiku Abubakar in 2023.
He recalled that the PDP was successful in the recent gubernatorial election in Osun state and the people were ready to vote for the party en masse in 2023
“I thank God for the life of Atiku who has a solution to the problem we have in Nigeria. With Atiku as president, we should not go to bed hungry and He is ready to end insecurity in Northern Nigeria.”
“Those of us in the south-south, southeast, southwest are ready to vote Atiku and the PDP. When we went to Osun, they said we wouldn’t win but we went there and we won in the home state of the APC presidential candidate. I’m happy with what I have seen here and I thank you for your support,” he said.
The Director General of the Atiku’s Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state, alleged that there were moves to stop the PDP from holding a campaign rally in Kaduna.
“They do not want us to continue with our rallies because they are not prepared. They haven’t constituted their campaign council and so, they want to drag us backwards,” he said.
In his remarks, the Director General of the Atiku’s Presidential Campaign Council, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state alleged that there were efforts to throw a spanner in PDP’s campaign but it will fail.
“They do not want us to continue with our rallies because they are not prepared. They haven’t constituted their campaign council and so, they want to drag us back but we are moving on with our campaign.
“The people of Kaduna have seen and felt the negative impact of the APC and when Atiku gets into power by Next year, all the factories will return Insha Allah.
“His administration will ensure we invigorate our economy to have jobs and better life. I urge the people of Kaduna to come out in their millions to vote come February 2023.
National Chairman of the PDP, Iyiocha Ayu said despite being denied the proposed venue for the rally, the PDP has shown that if rallies were held even on the road, they will always be successful.
“When they go low, we go high. they wanted to stop this rally, but they can’t. Whether they give us the venue or not, we will do our rally on the road and win. APC has failed. They don’t want us to recover this country and win. Let nobody deceive himself that we are going to lose. We are united and will win all our elections in Kaduna,” he said.
Those at the rally include the Director-General of the campaign Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Former governor of Cross Rivers state Liyel Imoke, Senate Minority Leader Senator Aduda.,former Governor of Osun state Olagunsoye Oyinlola and members of the National Working Committee,
Also at the rally were the National Organizing Secretary of the PDP and Director of field operations of the campaign, Hon. Umar Bature, National Youth Leader, Muhammad Suleiman Kadade, the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Kaduna state, Hon. Isa Ashiru Kudan, former Governor of Adamawa state, Mr Boni Haruna, former Governor of Niger State Muazu Babangida Aliyu, among others.
Meanwhile,. Felix Hassan Hyat, the Kaduna State PDP Chairman and Chairman of the PDP State Chairmen Forum, has said ” it has become very necessary at this point to address our teeming supporters and the entire nation on the sad and unfortunate political situation in our dear country today.”
He said in a statement that “as you are aware, the presidential candidate of our party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Alh. Atiku Abubakar was billed to hold his presidential rally in Kaduna State tomorrow, Monday 17th October 2022 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium.”
” Regrettably, the APC-led federal government through the Minister of Sports denied our party the opportunity to use the facility despite applying for it more than seven days before the date of the rally. It is instructive to note that we received the correspondence withholding approval only yesterday, 15th October 2022 citing renovation work on the facility as an excuse.”
“However, a physical tour of the stadium has revealed that there’s no renovation work ongoing either on the main bowl of the stadium or its adjoining structures. This is even as the same facility was used for the 2022 Eid-el-Moulud prayers just last Monday.”
“Surprisingly, today Sunday 16th October 2022, we received another correspondence dated …. intimating us of approval by the Honourable Minister, less than 24 hours to the commencement of the rally and after the Kaduna State Government had approved Ranchers’ Bees Stadium as an alternative venue for us. Without any doubt, there was simply no initial intention to grant us approval to use the facility by the Minister and thus the late approval was done deliberately as a pretence.”
“We are concerned by this apparent abuse of power by the APC-led federal government which, to say the least, constitutes a serious threat to our nation’s democracy. The Honourable Minister needs to be reminded that public facilities such as the Ahmadu Bello Stadium are our commonwealth and approval for their use should be given to all shades of citizens and groups without discrimination.”
“We, therefore, condemn this grave abuse of power in its entirety and demand a stop to such show of political brigandage,” he alleged.
Mr Hassan Hyet explained that “the people of Kaduna S.tate, as things stand, are with the PDP candidate and no amount of clandestine plots to discourage people from turning out will deter them from coming out en masse to show their support for the PDP candidate at the rally tomorrow and in the elections come February 2022.”
“May I also use this opportunity to express our deepest regrets and apology for any inconvenience the rally might cause commuters, and business owners along the Kaduna Township Stadium (formerly known as Rancher’s Bees) route,” he said.
“It is not titles that honor men, but men honor the titles.” Nicolò Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy (1531)
At the beginning of August 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari constituted a nine-member National Honours Nominations Committee with a four-year tenure. It is chaired by Alhaji Sidi Muhammad Bage, the senior judge who resigned from Nigeria’s Supreme Court in 2019 to become the Emir of Lafia in Nasarawa State. Minister for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, George Akume, inaugurated the committee on September 16 with the mandate “to screen and select eminent Nigerians and friends of Nigeria, who have contributed to the development of the country”.
In what would have been a record of unprecedented efficiency in the annals of such committees, a list emerged a mere fortnight later of recipients of national honours. Among the recipients, it listed the Emir of Lafia, himself the newly inaugurated chair of the National Honours Committee, for one of the highest honours – Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR.
After initially repudiating that list, government’s “authentic” list, when it finally came out, did not much differ from the repudiated one. However, it appears that government had approved a national honours list at least six months earlier in April 2022 which suffered some last minute tinkering in October.
Indeed, over seven and a half years into his tenure, Muhammadu Buhari as president had only ever conferred national honours once on three Nigerians, two of whom were dead. That was on June 12, 2018 when he honoured Moshood Abiola, the late winner of the presidential election annulled in June 1993; Babagana Kingibe, his running mate; and Gani Fawehinmi, the remarkable lawyer who made a vocation of lawyering in the public interest. No committee took part in that decision.
Prior to the inauguration of the Sidi Bage-led National Honours Committee, there had in fact been no committee in existence. So, how were these decisions made? To answer this, it is necessary to address four questions.
The first is the legal bases for national honours in Nigeria. Part 1(B)(6)(iii) of the third schedule to the 1999 Constitution empowers the National Council of State to “advise the President in the exercise of his powers with respect to the award of national honours.” In force since October 1963, the National Honours Act confers discretion on the President to “by warrant, make provision for the award of titles of honour, decorations and dignities”. As a matter of law, the president’s discretion on the award of national honours appears unlimited. He does not even need any committee to help him do it.
This leads to a second question relating to who should be eligible for the national honours. This is also arguably a matter of law. In the 2022 list, presidential intimates and serving public officers are the leading category among recipients. However, the Code of Conduct provisions in the 5th Schedule of the 1999 Constitution prohibit a serving public officer from accepting “benefits of any kind ….for anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties”. Does conferring national honours on serving public officers violate this constitutional prohibition? President Buhari clearly thinks not.
So, thirdly, what then are the governing criteria? The answer in one word is nothing. Among the things that the president should specify under the National Honours Warrant, the National Honours Act mandates him to provide “for the deprivation of an honour in a case where a recipient conducts himself in a manner which the President considers to be inconsistent with the honour.” This implies that the National Honours system must strive to be credible. It should not, to reprise John Steinbeck, be lavished on “the embezzler, the tramp, the cheat”.
But several previous recipients of Nigeria’s national honours, such as bankers Richard Akingbola and Cecilia Ibru, and former Inspector-General of Police, Tafa Balogun, have kept the awards despite being the subjects of judicial verdicts for criminal malfeasance. To date, no president has made rules for lifting the national honour from those who bring it into disrepute. Like Hotel California, Nigeria’s national honours system seems “programmed to receive…. But you can never leave”.
This is why the issue of criteria on the basis of which people can get honoured matters. The assumption is that certain categories are reserved for people who have held certain positions. So, Heads of State, for instance, enjoy a monopoly of the very highest honour, Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, GCFR. In 1981, President Shehu Shagari made an exception to this and granted that honour to Chief Obafemi Awolowo, leader of the opposition Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, affirming that high office does not itself alone confer honour or merit. His successors have failed to appreciate that point.
This leads naturally to a fourth question as to whether there is a process to ensure that the honours system is not brought into disrepute by being populated with too many undeserving people or by simply being transactionalised. When he chaired the National Honours Nominations Committee at the turn of the millennium, Alhaji Liman Ciroma proposed a set of reforms to make it more credible.
Among other things, he recommended a cap on the maximum number of recipients of the national honour in any year to not more than 100 persons; a gender diversity ratio reviewable every three years to ensure equal recognition of both men and women; a limit on the number of nominations proposed by the Presidency to not more than 25% of the maximum; a prohibition on honours for serving public officers; and a requirement for the publication of nominations for objections or comments at least 90 days before decision.
President Obasanjo did not find these deserving of implementation. Over two decades later, therefore, President Buhari’s national honours list in 2022 reads like a friends and family affair. The recipients include his spokesperson, his two closest nephews, and the closest members of his backroom. Surely, even a president is entitled to his favorites, but being a presidential intimate does not require nor does it import honour.
Even if there were any criteria – there are none – they are not consistently applied. Among the recipients of the honours this time are Nigerians serving in leadership positions in various multilateral agencies, including the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, WTO, and the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. Chile Eboe-Osuji, the Nigerian who led the International Criminal Court, ICC, in The Hague as its president for three years until 2021 is missing.
So, Nigeria’s National Honours system is not exactly national and does not seem to much confer honour. Chinua Achebe rejected it in the past. On this occasion in 2022, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie appears to have done so too; and the family of a late Chief of Army Staff is reported to have boycotted it altogether. Buhari only managed to pin it on Gani Fawehinmi long after he had died.
In response to the question: “what is the worth of a national honour in Nigeria?”, columnist, Reuben Abati guffaws that“it is a nice chieftaincy title which comes with a medal, a certificate and a pin on your chest, to which anyone who has ever served Nigeria feels entitled. It doesn’t matter if you were a houseboy in the corridors of power, the thrill of the recognition is in itself the thing.”
Current Majority Whip of Nigeria’s Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, has for a long time appended the suffix, “MON” after his name. Most people assumed that it denoted that he was a recipient of the National Honour of “Member of the Order of the Niger”. It turns out, however, that he had never in fact been granted any such honour.
According to Kalu, his version of M.O.N. meant ‘Madu Oha Nile’, that is the Igbo interpretation of ‘a man of the people’. Under section 2(c) of the National Honours Act, this is an offence punishable with up to six months in prison. Instead, Orji Uzor Kalu is responsible for party discipline in Nigeria’s Senate. That says all there is to say really about Nigeria’s national honours system.
Presidentialcandidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has asked the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Abubakar Atiku to step down for him (Tinubu) ahead of the February 2023 presidential election.
Tinubu stated this while speaking at an interactive session with some Northern leaders under the auspices of Arewa Joint Committee on Monday.
He said, “I was one of the youngest strategists with Shehu Musa Yar’adua. I started here in the North. Atiku met me with Yar’adua after he left Nigeria Customs freshly. He met me strategizing for Yar’adua… ask him.”
Tinubu asked Atiku to reciprocate the “gesture” he accorded him when he contested for the presidency under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2007.
The APC presidential candidaterecalled that he dropped his ambition and endorse him (Atiku).
The committee, comprising the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation (ABF), Arewa Research and Development Project, and Jamiyyar Matan Arewa had invited some presidential candidates for an interactive session in Kaduna.
The programme, which started on Saturday, was attended by Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Abiola of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and Adewale Adeboye of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Tinubu and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) attended the event in Kaduna today (Monday).
The meeting, according to organizsers, was part of a wider interaction with selected presidential candidates to discuss their plans for the region ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Recall that Atiku, had on Saturday, asked Northerners to vote for him in stead of Igbo or Yoruba candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
He said, “What the average Northerner needs is somebody who’s from the North and also understands that part of the country and has been able to build bridges across the country.
“This is what the Northerner needs. It doesn’t need a Yoruba or Igbo candidate. I stand before you as a pan-Nigerian of northern origin,” Atiku said in a viral video.
Meanwhile, Atiku’s comments had since triggered mixed reactions from many Nigerians and presidential candidates including the ruling Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party.
THE Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Maj. Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu (retd) has urged vendors handling vocational skills training programmes to properly negotiate job placement conditions with relevant institutions to secure guaranteed employment which would offer minimum living income and benefits for the delegates at the end of such trainings.
Maj. Gen. Ndiomu stated this when he visited one of the vendors, Sunup Logistics Ltd, in Port Harcourt where two hundred delegates from the Presidential Amnesty Programme are currently undergoing vocational skills training in maritime and related areas to aquire competencies in swamp buggy, cranes and fork-lifting operations, plumbing, carpentry, tug boat/barges operations.
The Interim Administrator said he was concerned that only 50 per cent of the delegates will be employed for a short period of 30 months after which they might be thrown back to the labour market to start hunting for fresh jobs, saying that such arrangement would not provide guaranteed employment for the delegates.
According to him, “Having listened to you (CEO of Sunup Logistics Ltd), that at the end of the day you are talking of employing just 50% of the trained delegates. You know am asking questions because I would have thought that when you have a training programme like this, the idea is to have them gainfully employed at the end of the training. What we expect of them (delegates) is to be employed because the whole thing to me, is like an uncertainty.
“The intention of the Presidential Amnesty Scheme is to keep these boys (delegates) busy after providing them with the vocational skills, so that they do not go to back to the same thing. From your briefing, I don’t think we are moving in the direction of success. I think we need to find a way to address these issues.
“Go and negotiate and get slots from relevant industries or firms that can engage the delegates and train them to meet the needs of these companies. By now, you should have had job placement slots for these two hundred delegates you have here.
“There are opportunities outside this country. Because these institutions we are talking about require skills. You go and negotiate and get slots for the delegates to be employed after their training here. We need institutions that should absorb them after the training,” Maj. Gen. Ndiomu reiterated.
Earlier, the CEO of Sunup Logistics Ltd, Mr. Frank Ovie had briefed the Interim Administrator about the various vocational skills programmes being offered at the centre, adding that two the hundred amnesty delegates were currently undergoing various vocational skills training and that only 50% of the delegates will be employed for just a period of 30 months.
Mr.Ovie said at the end of the training the graduands will be duly certified by various accrediting international bodies to enable them work anywhere in the world, noting that more delegates could be engaged, pending the improvement in the job supply needs from the oil and gas sector which according to him, was gradually coming back after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Maj. Gen. Barry Tariye Ndiomu (retd) has advised the two hundred delegates undergoing vocational skills training at Sunup Logistics Ltd, Port-Harcourt to take their training serious and conduct themselves well.
He assured them that their requests concerning the welfare, security and provision of study aids will be looked into by the office and proffer possible solutions, pointing out that their earlier demand for extension of the training programme may not be feasible in the present circumstance.
Earlier, the spokesman for the delegates, Bobos Ebizimor had appealed to the Interim Administrator to look into their plight and come to their aid to enable have a hitch free programme.
Critically, job guarantee raises the wage floor by establishing a labor standard for minimum pay and working conditions for all jobs in an economy.
Choosing to work a full-time position can allow employees to experience many employment advantages through the various company benefits and perks offered.
Following attacks on his supporters inZamfara and Kaduna states, which led to the death of one, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Monday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to call all political parties, to caution their supporters as 2023 campaigns intensify.
Disclosing this in a statement on his Twitter handle, Atiku condemned the attack noting that it was an attempt to scuttle the lawful right of Nigerians to assemble peacefully.
His words: “I have received reports of coordinated attacks on members of our great party, the PDP, by thugs in Zamfara State, which reportedly led to the death of one of our members. I condemn these attacks in entirety because it is an attempt to scuttle the lawful right of Nigerians to assemble peacefully and a direct attempt to suppress the legitimate campaigns of the PDP in the state.
“I reassure the Zamfara State PDP of my support, and most importantly, my heart goes out to the PDP family in Zamfara and the friends and loved ones of victims of this attack.
“I urge President Muhammadu Buhari to call on all parties to call their supporters and members to order and to ensure that campaigns, just as with the elections themselves, are kept free, fair and safe.
“I have just received emergency reports of attacks on PDP supporters by thugs sponsored to scuttle the ongoing PDP campaign rally in Kaduna State. This is undemocratic and against the Peace Accord all parties signed up for just a few weeks ago.”
Sierra Leone’s first professional women’s football league launched on Saturday with a match in the northern city of Makeni, kicking off a six-month season in which 12 clubs from across the country will compete.
“We are so proud to make this history as the first ever national women’s premier league,” Asmaa James, chairperson of the Sierra Leone Women’s Premier League Board, told AFP.
The Mena Queens of Makeni battled the Kahunla Queens from Kenema during the opening match on Saturday with Sierra Leone’s first lady, Fatima Bio, in attendance at the crowded Wusum Sports Stadium in Makeni.
“This is the first time women are participating in our local Premier League, it’s an honour that our best footballers are from Bombali District”, Sierra Leone president Julius Maada Bio said on Saturday during the kick-off.
“Football is about peace and cohesion. We want to see beautiful football, all the teams are winners.”
The 12 privately-owned clubs will compete for a cash prize and trophy in April, James said.
She said women’s football has long been neglected in the West African nation of about eight million people, adding that it was now time for women to showcase their potential.
“We have engaged the girls and their parents and also the team managers and other football stakeholders to allow the girls to play football,” she said.
Supporters hope the league will boost the success of the national women’s team, which failed to qualify for the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
But they face several key challenges, including inadequate venues.
The national 45,000-seater stadium in Freetown, opened in the 1980s, is currently being renovated with support from the Chinese government.
Then there are the logistical hurdles of criss-crossing the country — where only about 10 percent of the road network is paved, according to the African Development Bank — for matches.
In a meeting with the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) and the Women’s Premier League Board Wednesday, president Bio said his government takes women’s empowerment very seriously and would work to elevate women’s football in the country to international standards.
SLFA President Thomas Daddy Brima said the new league would boost employment.
The league will help shine a light on the women’s game both locally and internationally, and will put Sierra Leone on the map in the sport, Brima added.
Key challenges to gender equality and women’s empowerment in Sierra Leone include a lack of economic independence, “high illiteracy and entrenched customs and traditions” and an “absence of progressive laws that protect and promote participation for women”, according to a September report by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Sierra Leone the former British colony ranks 182 out of 189 countries on the United Nations’s Human Development Index.
Spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Management Committee, Dino Melaye, has said Nigerians can not afford to gamble with the ruling All Progressives Congress, APCagain.
He stated that Nigerians must severe ties with the APC in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
According to Melaye, APC had plunged Nigerians into mess and caused division across the country without any achievements that were of benefits to the Nigerian masses.
In a statement titled, ‘Our country needs healing- Atiku is the balm’, Melaye said the PDP presidential candidate, Abubakar Atiku was the right man for the job in 2023.
He said, if elected President in 2023, Atiku would instill and enable all Nigerians to have a sense, as well as a feeling, that they are members of the same country.
The Kogi lawmaker described Atiku as the soothing balm for the healing of “the broken trust, the battered economy and the basterdised political fabric of Nigeria.”
He stated, “Our dear country is hemorrhaging on all sides, ranging from social to political and economic. The level of division and distrust between our political geography, economic climate and the social weather are palpable.
“Our country is, therefore, broken along many fault lines, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, because just as our country needs healing, Atiku is available as the balm.
“There’s a rippling expansion of conflicts. The crisis of confidence between the government and the governed manifests as the current APC administration operates an ideology that fails to provide leadership in crisis, hope in despair, assurance in fear and opportunities in scarcity.
“This is why Nigeria must severe any umbilical chord that ties it to the APC under any disguise. The Party and its operators are set in their ways. They claimed to be harbingers of change, but they have become impervious to change. Like the Bourbons, they have learnt nothing, and have forgotten nothing.
“Observers of the Nigerian Political landscape will appreciate that Atiku has stood out as a focused leader, riding the storm of a creative tension with equanimity, temperance and accommodation. This is demonstrable leadership. This is the benefit of cognate experience and the gains of reflection, which dictates the appropriate application of attitude to prevailing circumstances.
“As a consumate political strategist, an engaging listener, a disarming deployer of charm offensive and a beacon of hope, Atiku, who bears the flag of PDP, has commenced his campaign, moving round and dispensing the assurance that the years of the locusts are over.
“As a politician who is at home everywhere in Nigeria, Atiku demonstrated his universal home connection by flagging off his Presidential campaign in Uyo on October 10, 2022. The ceremony did not only attract a huge crowd, it was a rainbow coalition of party enthusiasts, who in their varied but creatively combined colours signified the metaphor of Nigeria as a great country of various shades of diversity, but positioned for greatness when all the shades are turned into substance.
“Atiku can weave the disjointed parts together. He’s at home with all genders, all tribes, all faiths, all strata and all People. This is why he is focused on working for harmony, inclusiveness, integration, cohesion and nationalism.
“Nigeria can not afford to gamble this time; by making a wrong choice. Good enough, a Presidential candidate has already defined his own self-centred philosophy, focusing on himself and his empire. This self-agenda can only be a recipe for further fragmentation and alienation in a country that requires a fast recovery from narrow pursuits.
“A broad minded, broadly connected and broadly accepted candidate like Atiku, who has his ears to the ground everywhere, his nose for good governance and his eyes on socio-economic transformation is what Nigeria needs at this point of its evolution.
“Atiku is the soothing balm for the healing of the broken trust, the battered economy and the basterdised political fabric of Nigeria,” he said.
The production of leather accessories and clothing is common throughout Africa.People in Sudan, in the east of the continent, also produce shoes called merkub from cow, goat, sheep, snake and tiger skins.
Indicator of status and wealth
Merkub, which dates back centuries, is also considered an indicator of social status and wealth.
While the possession of tiger and leopard skin shoes represents the wealthy stratum, snake skin called Asale, crocodile, cow, sheep and goat skins are classified from expensive to cheap.
Considered one of the oldest and most deeply rooted crafts in Sudan, merkub is deemed one of the important elements that reflect Sudanese identity, have been the subject of songs and represent the national dress of Sudan, such as cellabiye (male dress), tob (female dress) and imme (turban).
However, in recent years, interest in traditional leather footwear is waning due to the invasion of manufactured goods in the market and their high prices.
Popular gifts for tourists and Sudanese traveling abroad include merkubs made of calfskin and snakeskin. Velvet merkubs with tiger and leopard designs are also popular with locals and tourists.
An integral part of Sudanese culture
Merkubs, in addition to being light, comfortable and durable, are especially preferred by Sudanese who want to keep their traditions and culture alive.
It is reported that tiger skin merkubs have a lifespan of 20 to 25 years.
In the Darfur region in the west of the country, which is considered the center of merkub production, thousands of people make their living from this trade.
Sudanese wear merkubs with their traditional clothes, cellabiye and imme, especially on festivals and special days. The bride and groom are dressed in merkub with tiger skin patterns to distinguish themselves from others.
This ancient tradition is kept alive in nearly 70 workshops in the leather goods bazaar in the Abu Zayd district of Umdurman city.
The master of Merkub, Mohammed Hamid, in a statement to AA correspondent, said he left behind 45 years in the profession with the Libyan bazaar, where he came after the bazaars of Umdurman and Dubai.
In Senegal, a new offshore gas terminal, located in the Atlantic Ocean about ten kilometres off Saint-Louis, is beginning to upset fishermen who are lamenting the loss of an area rich in fish.
A new danger may be looming on the horizon. At least, that’s what Senegalese fishermen fear. The new offshore gas terminal visible through the morning mist cloaking the Atlantic Ocean, where Senegal meets Mauritania, is the threat.
The launch of gas production is expected to start next year. As it draws closer the Secretary-General of the fishing union braces for the worst; meaning the end of any fishing activity in the area.
“Cohabitation is impossible. Once gas extraction begins, it will mean death for Saint-Louis’s fishing sector’, Moustapha Dieng predicts.
“Saint-Louis is the capital of fishing, if you take into account the number of boats in Saint-Louis, the types of fishing found in Saint-Louis, they exist nowhere else”.
“However, the fishing area is very small, it is practically stuck between the mouth of the river and the border with Mauritania where there are coastguards who’ve already killed 19 fishermen because they forbid access to their waters”, Dieng laments.
Lately, seafarers have seen their catch dwindle. The authorities stepped up their control over the offshore platform and a security perimeter has been set up to the great displeasure of fishermen who say the area is precisely where most fish is found.
The gas project has also drawn criticism from environmental groups.
“No one can deny that resource exploitation has and will continue to have impacts on our environment”, Pape Fara Diallo analyses.
“There will also be social impacts and when you see the communities that live next to where the resources will be exploited, especially here in Nguet Ndar (ed: fishing village of Saint-Louis) “, the chair of the National Publish What You Pay Coalition adds.
“We feel people are concerned, we see the discrepancy between the billions that we are told will come from the extraction of offshore gas and the poverty that you see around you.”
Injustice?
Senegal’s gas discoveries account for 0.5 % of world reserves.
But Energy and Oil Minister Sophie Gladima said “they were important enough to radically change the economy and industrial fabric of the nation and thereby its future prospects.”
She underlined the legal framework needed to bring thousands of Senegalese jobs into the sector, and the setting up of the National Institute of Oil and Gas to turn out a highly qualified workforce.
But fishermen say they are being excluded from the future planned out by the state.
“Not being the greatest polluters since we are not industrialised, it would be unfair in the search for a solution (to global warming) to ban Africa from using the natural resources which are underground,” Sall told visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in May.
Radical change
Greenpeace Africa’s ocean campaign manager Aliou Ba stressed that exploiting fossil fuel deposits will further “exacerbate” the climate crisis, with efforts to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius looking increasingly forlorn.
Francois Gemenne, an expert with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said: “What’s at stake is that these countries can and do choose a decarbonised economy.
“And that requires the transfer of technology and investment in renewables, which is still generally lacking.”
The pre-COP27 talks held in Kinshasa at the start of October heard calls for alternative technologies and major financing to sustain a green transition.
Zamfara state in north-western Nigeriaordered the closure of five media outlets on Sunday after they covered a political rally by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in violation of the state’s ban on political activity.
The order came after Governor Bela Muhammad, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, on October 13 banned political activities, including gatherings at people’s homes, due to the security situation in the state.
The ban includes campaigning for the February 2023 presidential election, which began across the country last month.
Zamfara State, like much of north-western Nigeria, is battling armed “bandit” groups that have kidnapped thousands of people for ransom, killed hundreds and made many roads impassable.
“The Zamfara State Police Commissionerate has been ordered to ensure full compliance and arrest any person of these media organizations … performing any duties in violation of the closure,” the State Security Councilsaid in a statement issued on Sunday.
The statement names five channels Pride FM Radio Gusau, NTA Gusau, Amji TV Gusau, Gamji TV Gusau and Alumma TV Gusau.
Zamfara’s ban on political activity was accompanied by other measures, including restrictions on movement in some areas and the closure of several roads.
The statement ordered security officials to “deal mercilessly” with anyone who disobeys the orders.
The African Union (AU) on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in Tigray, where violence is escalating, with rebels in the northern Ethiopian region saying they were “ready to respect it.
The town of Shire, in northwestern Tigray, has been bombed for several days in a joint offensive by Ethiopianand Eritrean troops against Tigrayan rebels that have resulted in several civilian casualties.
A member of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an NGO providing disaster relief, was killed and another wounded in one of these attacks on Friday, which left two other civilians dead, according to the IRC.
After UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern about the escalating violence, AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat called for “an immediate and unconditional cease-fire.”
“The chairperson urges the parties to reiterate their commitment to dialogue in accordance with their agreement for direct talks to be convened in South Africa,” he added in a statement.
In response, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels said they were “ready to respect” such a pause in the fighting.
“We are ready to respect an immediate cessation of hostilities. We also call on the international community to force the Eritrean army to withdraw from Tigray, to take steps towards an immediate cessation of hostilities and to put pressure on the Ethiopian government to come to the negotiating table,” said the TPLF.
– Negotiations postponed –
Shortly before, the U.S. Department of State’s Africa desk had said on Twitter that “the priority” was to “achieve an immediate cessation of hostilities.
Customs officials in Munich, Germany, confiscated two roasted whole antelopes found inside an air passenger’s luggage from Ghana.
The passenger – a Ghanaian woman claimed she needed them as a ‘snack’ after the officials found the carcass when she was checked through security and customs at the airport.
As her bag was x-rayed, officials were shocked to see two roasted antelope bodies crushed so they would fit inside the bag.
The Mirror reports that Photos taken of the antelopes show one of their legs crushed and twisted, as well as its head pulled back.
The passenger explained to customs that antelopes are considered a delicacy in her country and claimed that she had packed the animals as a snack for the long journey.
But due to the animal health regulations in Germany, custom officers were required to confiscate the antelope for immediate destruction.
A spokesperson for the Customs Headquarters in Munich Thomas Meister said in a statement: “Such a seizure is something extraordinary.”
Antelope meat is highly popular and is served like any other meat dish. Antelope meat can be served as a stew, made into meatballs, or as a kebab. But it is most well known to be hunted and either smoked or dried.
The African Union is still mum on the next course of action after its planned peace talks between Ethiopia’s warring parties were abruptly cancelled, raising questions on the capacity challenges at the continental body.The AU had sponsored peace talks between the Ethiopia government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the rebel group in the northern Tigray region, last week, before they fell through on logistical problems.
They had been scheduled for Sunday, October 9, in South Africa although the AU did not clarify on which city.
A spokesperson for the African Union Commission did not respond to our inquiries even though the AU had said last week before the cancellation that it would communicate on the plans once all parties had been briefed.
In spite of the cancellation, questions emerged on whether the AU had briefed parties, and mediators, on the planned talks.
Ethiopia’s government and TPLF had announced, separately, their readiness to attend the talks in South Africa.
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Redwan Hussein, Ethiopia’s National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister said they were ready to attend as has been their pledge to have local issues resolved through the African Union.
The TPLF also said they would send a delegation but raised conditions including on accommodation and security of the delegates.
And the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, welcomed the avowed commitment of the two parties in the conflict, to the restoration of peace and stability in Ethiopia.
The postponement filtered through diplomatic sources Friday – with officials citing logistical and other issues.
Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, one of the ‘troika of negotiators’ nominated by the AU complained of a “conflict in my schedules” after he told the Commission the planned date was inconvenient to him.
Kenyatta, Kenya’s peace envoy to the Horn of Africa and Great Lakes’ region, said the AU should clearly communicate to him on the structure and modalities of the talks, “including but not limited to the rules of engagement for all the interlocutors invited.”
This clarification, Uhuru said, would greatly help in preparations for his engagement and participation in the Ethiopian peace talks.
“Furthermore, as we discuss the agenda for the talks, it is my hope that among the most urgent issues high on that agenda will be the immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities,” he stated.
“This silencing of the guns is particularly important in order to avail the right conditions for the consultations and negotiations while alleviating human suffering and allowing for continued access to humanitarian assistance,” Uhuru added.
The lack of clarity had been cited by TPLF earlier, even though the group had said they would be ready to attend if the issues surrounding their security and logistics would be resolved.
The TPLF, who have been critical of AU-led efforts to bring peace to Ethiopia said that they were “ready” to send negotiators but asked for clarity on invited participants, observers and guarantors.
“Considering we were not consulted prior to the issuance of this invitation, we need clarification to some of the following to establish an auspicious start for the peace talks,” read a statement signed by TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael.
Ethiopian political analyst Metta-Alem Sinishaw, suggested Kenyatta’s refusal to attend said more about the quality of arrangements than a conflict with his diary.
“His request for details for future engagement signals some level of displeasure,” he told The EastAfrican.
“His invitation to serve as a ‘mediation panellist’ may have fallen short of his ambition to play a mediator role. And his issuance of his statement one day following Kenya’s president Ruto’s official visit to Ethiopia may suggest a national or other strategic motivation than mere conflict of schedule,” he said.
Ruto who appointed Kenyatta peace envoy toured Addis Ababa Thursday, but the trip was more business oriented as he witnessed the launch of Safaricom Ethiopia.
“The failure of the African Union to promptly address the queries and concerns of the Tigray government indicates the AU’s lack of commitment to mediation, and its poor specialist expertise in the mediation process,” argued Million Gebremedhin, a Tigrayan activist, criticising the bloc’s poor communication with the parties.
As the talks were cancelled, the biggest issue for TPLF was how its delegation would travel given a blockade imposed in Tigray region by the Ethiopia government, something the UN has criticised for causing the humanitarian situation there.
There was also fear that talks that had not involved Eritrea and other forces party to the conflict may make TPLF vulnerable.
Previously, AU mediator, former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo has recommended inviting Eritrea to the mediation attracting criticism from Tigrayan activists.
He is accused of taking a partisan position on Tigray over his continued failure to push Eritrea to withdraw its forces from parts of Tigray and silence in the face of deplorable atrocities committed by Eritrean forces.
Eritrea recently launched an offensive on the TPLF areas, but the African Union did not clarify whether Asmara would attend.
The AU invitation sent by Moussa Faki Mahamat to TPLF actually requested Dr Debretsion Gebremichael, leader of the group to participate in the proposed talks.
“AU’s designation of Debretsion to represent TPLF in the proposed talks meeting could proliferate suspension among the Tigray leadership” added Metta-Alem.
He added that, a statement issued from a prominent ex-US diplomat that Ethiopian government could only offer amnesty and safe exit for TPLF leadership may have exacerbated the confusion and urged the postponement of the proposed peace talks.
In a Joint Statement issued Wednesday, Australia, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US expressed their deep concern over the escalation of the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia.
“We call on the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray regional authorities to immediately halt their military offensives, agree to a cessation of hostilities, allow for unhindered and sustained humanitarian access, and pursue a negotiated settlement through peace talks under an AU-led process”
They also condemned the escalating involvement of Eritrean military forces.
After winning $1 million in a global entrepreneurship challenge, a team of Kenyan students is taking up a new task: To establish a company to produce biodegradable sanitary pads to solve period-related problems.
The five third-year communications students of St Paul’s University in Limuru, in Kiambu County, beat more than 10,000 others from across the world to bag the prestigious annual Hult Prize. The award recognizes innovative social enterprises that address the “world’s most pressing issues”.
With their new enterprise called Eco-Bana, Lennox Omondi, Keylie Muthoni, Brian Ndung’u, Shiltone Dullah, and Emmanuel Tony, all aged 20 to 23, say their product can end period poverty and plastic sanitary pad pollution, and reduce youth unemployment.
Their company will make biodegradable sanitary pads from banana fiber, which is often discarded as waste. The raw material reduces their costs, allowing them to avail their product in the market at affordable prices.
Mr. Omondi, the organization’s chief executive, said their main goal is to ensure as many girls as possible can afford sanitary pads. Their product will also solve the decades-long problem of pollution caused by polyvinyl chloride – the plastic used to make most pads that are 90 percent plastic.
“Many leaders often say charity is not enough. That’s why we thought of making affordable sanitary towels so they don’t have to rely on charity,” he said.
Mr. Omondi has been a champion of menstrual health since graduating from high school.
“I first thought of making re-usable pads, but then I felt that would be too demeaning to a person’s dignity and water is also scarce in Kenya,” he said. “Then it struck me that cheap biodegradable pads could solve two serious problems — period poverty and pollution.”
Challenge
Period poverty, the inability to afford menstrual products, is a widespread challenge in the region. Unicef estimates that about 65 percent of women in Kenya and 85 percent in Tanzania cannot afford hygienic sanitary products.
In Uganda, about a quarter of girls, aged 12 – 18, drop out of school once they begin menstruating, also a consequence of period poverty. In Rwanda, 18 percent of women and girls are estimated to miss school and work because of periods.
Ms. Muthoni, who is the company’s chief operations officer, had to drop out of school for some time because her family couldn’t afford sanitary towels.
With $1 million in winnings, Eco-Bana is set to be the world’s first manufacturer of biodegradable pads. They will retail at nearly half the average price ordinary pads cost in the market, with equivalent comfort and quality.
Mr. Dullah, Eco-Bana’s chief financial officer, said they have a well-defined plan on how to use the money to build a multi-million-dollar social enterprise that employs more than 2,000 people, in the next two years.
Their first step is to construct a manufacturing plant, which he says will either be in the counties of Kisii or Meru, the country’s leading producers of bananas.
They also plan to start an environmental campaign to sensitize people to the benefits of shifting to biodegradable sanitary products.
“We know we are venturing into a market that already has several players, and not many people are aware of the plastic pollution problem. So as much as our pads will be cheaper, informing people about their environmental benefit will be crucial,” Mr. Dullah said.
As they are gearing up to set up the company, they are aware of the challenges ahead.
“Since the inception of this idea last year, we have faced multiple challenges, from raising funds for building our prototypes to getting the requisite skills to build a standard product, but we’ve navigated all of them and soared through,” said Mr. Omondi. “We are all young, but I’m certain we have the skills we need to effectively manage this company into a successful enterprise.”
Their goal is to avail their product across the continent, and eventually globally.
Within the next two years, they are confident they will be among the country’s leading employers and will have their product across East Africa, if not the entire continent.
The five third-year communications students of St Paul’s University in Limuru, central Kenya, beat more than 10,000 others from across the globe to bag the prestigious annual Hult Prize, which recognizes innovative social enterprises that address the “world’s most pressing issues.”
With their new enterprise – Eco-Bana – the team, consisting of Lennox Omondi, Keylie Muthoni, Brian Ndung’u, Shiltone Dullah, and Emmanuel Tony, all aged 20 to 23, says it can end the region’s period of poverty and plastic sanitary pad pollution, and help reduce youth unemployment.
Their business model is to make biodegradable sanitary pads from banana fibers, which are often discarded as farmers have no use for them, making their costs cheap, and allowing them to avail their products in the market at affordable prices.
Mr. Omondi, who is the organization’s chief executive, told The EastAfrican that their main goal is to ensure as many girls as possible can afford sanitary pads while at the same time ending the decades-long problem of pollution caused by polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – the plastic used to make most pads currently.
“Many leaders in the charity space often say charity itself is not enough. That’s why we thought of making affordable sanitary towels to enable people to buy them for themselves, so they don’t have to rely on charity,” he said.
Mr. Omondi came up with the idea after ages of brain-racking sessions in a bid to solve any of the world’s endless adversities, especially relating to menstrual health, as he’d been a champion of the same since graduating from high school.
“I first thought of making re-usable pads, but then I felt that would be too demeaning to a person’s dignity and water is also scarce in Kenya,” he recounts, “then it struck me that cheap biodegradable pads could solve two serious problems: period poverty and pollution.”
Period poverty, the inability to afford menstrual products, is a widespread challenge in the region. The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) estimates that about 65 percent of women in Kenya and 85 percent in Tanzania cannot afford hygienic sanitary products.
In Uganda, about a quarter of girls aged 12 – 18 drop out of school once they begin menstruating, a consequence of period poverty. In Rwanda, 18 percent of women and girls are estimated to miss school and work because of periods.
This was the main inspiration for the students to build this enterprise. In fact, Keylie, who is their chief operations officer, had to drop out of school for some time because her family couldn’t afford sanitary towels.
Another problem associated with the existing pads is their plastic pollution. They are about 90 percent plastic and a single pack of sanitary towels is estimated to be equivalent to up to four plastic bags.
And now, with a $1 million capital, Eco-Bana is set to be the world’s first manufacturer of biodegradable pads which will retail at nearly half the average price ordinary pads cost in the market currently, with just as good comfort and quality.
Dullah, Eco-Bana’s chief financial officer, told The EastAfrican that they already have a well-defined plan on how they will utilize the capital to build a multi-million-dollar social enterprise that employs more than 2,000 people in the next two years.
Their first step is to construct a manufacturing plant, which he says will either be in Kisii, western Kenya, or Meru, central Kenya, the country’s leading producers of bananas.
They also plan to embark on a massive environmental campaign to sensitize people in the country on the need to use and benefits of shifting to biodegradable sanitary products in the face of climate change and rising pollution.
“We know we are venturing into a market that already has several players and not so many people are aware of the plastic pollution problem. So as much as our pads will be cheaper, informing people about their environmental benefit will be crucial,” Mr. Dullah said.
As they are gearing up to set up the company that they believe will help many African girls realize their dreams, they aren’t ignorant of the uphill task that lies ahead of them and are well prepared for it.
“Since the inception of this idea last year, we have faced multiple challenges from raising funds for building our prototypes to getting the requisite skills to build a standard product, but we’ve navigated all of them and soared through,” said Mr. Omondi.
“We are all young, but I’m certain we have the skills we need to effectively manage this company into a successful enterprise.”
Within the next two years, they are confident they will be among the country’s leading employers and will have their product across the East African region, if not the entire continent. Their ultimate goal is to avail their product across the globe.
Authorities in Colorado have brought charges against a woman who allegedly stabbed and choked his Tinder date after tying him with duct tape. According to Law & Crime, the suspect, identified as Lauren Marie Dooley, allegedly assaulted her victim after she performed oral sex on him.
An affidavit for probable cause identified the victim as a 21-year-old Black male. Dooley, who was arrested on September 28, faces a slew of charges including second-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault, menacing, and false imprisonment.
Per the affidavit, Colorado Springs Police Department officers were called to a home on the 2500 block of E Cache La Poudre Street after someone contacted authorities for assistance. The individual who made the call was identified as male, and he was heard saying he was “bleeding all over the bed”. A female was also heard talking while the male subject was on the line, the affidavit stated, adding that the victim was later heard telling an individual, “because you cut me” and “you’re going to kill me.”
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“Upon our arrival, residents at the apartment advised there was a naked male in the parking lot that needed help,” the affidavit stated. “Officers located [the victim] who was naked and appeared to be bleeding from a laceration on his left arm. [He] was also actively backing away from the suspect . . . Dooley . . . who appeared to have blood smeared on her arms and hands. [The victim] exclaimed that Lauren tied him up and cut him.”
The victim told investigators that he went to Dooley’s home to meet her after they established contact on the Tinder dating app. When he got there, the male victim said he had a brief conversation with Dooley before she undressed him and gave him oral sex.
“She then used duct tape to bind [the victim’s] wrists together and ankles together,” the affidavit stated. “[The victim] found it odd, but consented to it. However, when Lauren produced a kitchen knife and demanded he get into her bedroom, [the victim] no longer consented to staying at the residence.”
But out of fear that Dooley “would harm him with the knife”, the victim ultimately “obeyed and got into her bed,” per the affidavit.
“Lauren climbed on top of him and proceeded to use the knife to cut his left shoulder,” the document added. “Lauren then used both her hands to apply direct pressure to [the victim’s] throat for approximately 20 seconds, making it difficult to breath. Lauren stopped, but only to procure a belt that she then placed around [the victim’s] neck. She tightened the belt for another 20 seconds, once more making it difficult to breath. When she took it off, she checked [the victim’s] neck for a pulse.
The victim told investigators that Dooley later made him get inside the bathroom after she got angry because he was “bleeding all over her bed”, Law & Crime reported. The female suspect then used the DoorDash app to order food. But when the person who was delivering the food got to her residence, Dooley allegedly told her victim, “If you scream or say anything, I’ll kill you.”
After she was done with her meal, Dooley retired to bed with the victim and fell asleep. And though the victim ultimately managed to free himself with the knife during that time, Dooley woke up after he hit a table. Police said he eventually managed to exit the home and call authorities.
“When officers conducted a cursory sweep of [the] unit . . . to see if there was anyone else that needed medical assistance, they observed a kitchen knife near the bed, several blood soaked rags and blood all over the bathtub,” the affidavit said.
Detectives in Boston are urging the public to come forward with information that could lead to the arrest of a suspect who allegedly stabbed a 91-year-old woman while she was walking a dog at the city’s Franklin Park.
According to WCVB, the incident happened on Tuesday night. The victim, identified as Jean McGuire, is a renowned civil rights pioneer and education activist. The nonagenarian, who was stabbed multiple times, was the first Black woman to serve on the Boston School Committee. She was also a founder of the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO).
In the wake of the attack, McGuire’s friend, Jeriline Brady-McGinnis, said she believes a sexual urge may have been one of the reasons behind the attack. Brady-McGinnis also said the suspect attacked her friend from behind. McGuire was transported to the hospital after the attack, and she expected to pull through.
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“She believes he was trying to rape her,” said Brady-McGinnis. “She said when he knocked her down, he was groping her and touching on her.”
Brady-McGinnis said the male suspect fled after McGuire’s dog chased him.
“Honestly, if you would’ve asked me my name at that point, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. My anger was so high I could hear my heartbeat through my whole body. My anger was that high,” she said.
“Of course, not nice things went through my head. I had to keep myself from going in my own car and doing something stupid. Because it has to be a very, very brave man that can attack a 91-year-old woman in the park.”
Kevin Hayden, who is the Suffolk County District Attorney, also said he went to the hospital to see the victim.
“Ms. McGuire is as spunky and as vibrant as ever and is going to be just fine, praise the Lord. When I walked into the room, she said, ‘Oh, look at you all grown up,’” said Hayden. “This one’s personal for me. She knows my dad. I’ve known her family for a long time.”
The attack was also condemned by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. She said McGuire was “an inspiration in every way.”
“I am disgusted and angry to know that an elder in our community had to fear for her safety going about her daily routine, walking her dog,” Wu added.
McGuire achieved a historic feat in 1981 when she became the first Black woman to be elected as a member of the Boston School Committee, WCVB reported. She was also METCO’s executive director for over 40 decades. The organization, per its website, enrolls “Boston students of color in predominantly white school districts, creating the opportunity for students in those districts to experience the advantages of learning and working in a racially and ethnically diverse setting.”
“It is alarming that this act of violence would happen to Dr. McGuire in her own community,” the METCO Directors Association said in a statement. “Dr. McGuire is a pioneer of the METCO program and an educational leader in Boston. She has been a civil rights activist for over sixty years and an individual who has sacrificed for and given so much of herself to the city of Boston. She is well-known and beloved by the entire community. As an association, we pray for her continued recovery.”
“You hear people say they would give you the shirt off their back, she’d take off her shirt and snatch somebody else’s and give it to you. That’s how her heart is. And to have this happen to her, I’m beyond words. I’m beyond words. My anger is so high right now. If I acted on it, you guys would be talking to me from bars,” said Brady-McGinnis.
Kwasi Kwarteng has been dismissed as chancellor of the UK after just 38 days in office. His dramatic exit makes him the second shortest-serving chancellor in British history.
He was relieved of his post following a crunch meeting with Prime Minister Liz Truss after he cut short his trip to the U.S.
In a letter, Kwarteng said that Truss’s vision for Britain “is the right one” and that “following the status quo was simply not an option”.
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“As I said many times in the past weeks, following the status quo was simply not an option… for too long this country has been dogged by low growth rates and high taxation – that must change if this country is to succeed,” he said.
In a letter, Truss thanked him for his service and said she was “deeply sorry” to lose him from the government. “We share the same vision for our country and the same firm conviction to go for growth,” Ms Truss added.
According to her, Kwarteng became Chancellor in extraordinarily challenging times in the face of severe global headwinds.
Meanwhile, Truss has appointed former Health Minister Jeremy Hunt as the new chancellor of the exchequer. According to her, Hunt is “one of the most experienced and widely respected government ministers and parliamentarians.”
“He shares my convictions and ambitions for our country. He will deliver the medium-term fiscal plan at the end of this month. He will see through the support we are providing to help families and businesses, including our energy price guarantee.”
Here’s Kwarteng’s letter to the PM in full:
Dear Prime Minister,
You have asked me to stand aside as your Chancellor. I have accepted.
When you asked me to serve as your Chancellor, I did so in full knowledge that the situation we faced was incredibly difficult, with rising global interest rates and energy prices. However, your vision of optimism, growth and change was right.
As I have said many times in the past weeks, following the status quo was simply not an option. For too long this country has been dogged by low growth rates and high taxation – that must still change if this country is to succeed.
The economic environment has changed rapidly since we set out the Growth Plan on 23 September. In response, together with the Bank of England and excellent officials at the Treasury we have responded to those events, and I commend my officials for their dedication.
It is important now as we move forward to emphasise your Government’s commitment to fiscal discipline. The Medium-Term Fiscal Plan is crucial to this end, and I look forward to supporting you and my successor to achieve that from the backbenches.
We have been colleagues and friends for many years. In that time, I have seen your dedication and determination. I believe your vision is the right one. It has been an honour to serve as your first Chancellor.
Your success is this country’s success and I wish you well.
Kwasi Kwarteng
Member of Parliament for Spelthorne.
Kwarteng became the first black to become chancellor of the exchequer. Prior to his appointment, he served as the first Black business secretary.
Before becoming business secretary, Kwarteng held a more junior role in the business department and was also a junior minister at the former Department for Exiting the European Union, according to the politico.
According to gov.uk, the Chancellor of the Exchequer “is the government’s chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling public spending.” It adds that the Chancellor’s responsibilities cover:
fiscal policy (including the presenting of the annual Budget);
monetary policy, setting inflation targets;
ministerial arrangements (in his role as Second Lord of the Treasury);
overall responsibility for the Treasury’s response to COVID-19.
Kwarteng is of Ghanaian origin. His parents, father Alfred and mother Charlotte came to the UK as students in the 1960s. His father went on to become an economist while his mom became a barrister. The only child of his parents, Kwarteng was born in Waltham Forest, east London in 1975.
He began his education at a state primary and by age eight, he was sent to the independent prep school Colet Court. At age 13, he won a scholarship to study at Eton College and later read history at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned Bachelor and PhD degrees in British History.
Kwarteng’s first career started as a columnist for the Daily Telegraph and as a financial analyst at banks including JP Morgan. He authored the book “Ghosts of Empire,” about the legacy of the British Empire and also co-authored “Gridlock Nation” with Jonathan Dupont in 2011, on the causes and solutions to traffic congestion in Britain.
In 2012, he co-authored the book Britannia Unchained with some Tory MPs, including Liz Truss. They claimed: “Once they enter the workplace, the British are among the worst idlers in the world.”
According to the BBC, Kwarteng has since distanced himself from this view. The BBC reported him as saying “that the context of the pandemic, huge government spending on measures such as the furlough scheme, climate change challenges and Brexit mean that it is very difficult even to apply comments from five or six years ago today.”
He first got involved in Conservative politics as the chairman of the Bow Group think tank, according to the BBC. By 2005, his sights were set on parliament and he was unsuccessful in his first attempt to represent the people of Brent East. He came in third after winning Liberal Democrat and second place Labour.
His parliamentary journey began in 2010 when he got his next chance and ran for the seat of Spelthorne in Surrey, a seat he won comfortably. He was re-elected as Conservative MP for Spelthorne on May 7, 2015.
Kwarteng has served on some Select Committees since being elected and has served as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Leader of the House of Lords and the Chancellor of the Exchequer as well as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Exiting the European Union.
Kwarteng has been a strong advocate of local enterprise and reforms in the business environment to make the UK business-friendly. He launched an initiative in 2013 dubbed the “Spelthorne Business Plan Competition” to find the local entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The competition has run successfully every year since it was launched.
A new law in Uganda to regulate social media use is a sign of a further regression of digital rights and freedoms in the country, some activists here say.
President Yoweri Museveni signed into law the Computer Misuse Amendment Act on Thursday.
Edrine Wanyama,a legal officer with Cipesa, a regional organisation that promotes ICT use for development, says the legislation will affect access to information as well as accountability. It could also lead to increased persecution and prosecution, she added.
A number of activists are now looking into challenging the law.
The new measure says that anyone who uses social media to publish, distribute or share information prohibited under the country’s laws could face up five years in jail or have to pay a fine of $3,900 (£3,500).
It also introduces hefty fines and jail terms for people found guilty of sending malicious information, hate speech or sharing information about children without the consent of their parents or guardians.
Persons convicted under the act shall not hold office for a period of 10 years while a leader or holder of a public office will be dismissed.
Supporters of the new law say it will help to stop online abuse and protect the right to privacy.
In the recent past, several government critics – among them university lecturer, Dr Stella Nyanzi and satirical novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija have been charged under a similar law.
