A lady said to trace her origin to Brazil and Syria has captured the hearts of many Nigerian folks.
The lady believed to be in her mid-twenties or early thirties speaks Yoruba fluently and also possesses a Nigerian accent.
In a video on Instagram, the said lady and a young man engage social media users. The young man tells the lady she is not Nigerian but the young spirited woman believes others.
She was born and raised in Nigeria, the young man who, is Nigerian and Lebanese and comes from Yoruba admitted. However, he, Mr Olu, believes she cannot claim to be fully Nigerian, something even he does not do.
The lady thinks otherwise of herself.
“Let me tell you why I claim Nigeria. I was born here, yes. I was raised here, yes,” she said.
She however said, ” I don’t know my country.”
Nonetheless, she later admitted that Nigeria “literally brought her up” and hence can claim it as her country.
“At least I am proud, I am part of the people. I can stand with the people and I don’t think I can continue arguing with you.”
Reacting to their conversation, some Instagram users wrote: “Bro she sounds more Nigerian than you sef. Love how she acknowledged and gave accolades to the country that brought her up.”
Another wrote: “Babe got a Yoruba accent even before speaking.”
If she was born in Nigeria, by naturalisation, she is Nigerian.
Lebanese soldiers have apprehended a man who opened fire on theUS embassy in Beirut on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s military.
Local media reported that the assailant, identified only as a Syrian national, engaged in a gunfight with authorities for approximately 30 minutes before being captured.
The US embassy confirmed that security forces responded swiftly to the incident, ensuring that none of its staff members were harmed.
This event occurs amid escalating regional tensions, marked by cross-border attacks between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, a Lebanese group involved in the Gaza conflict.
The ongoing violence along the Israeli-Lebanese border has displaced thousands on both sides. During a visit to the border on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning of “very strong action” against Hezbollah.
The assailant shot by the Lebanese military was wearing a bloodied black vest with the words “Islamic State” written in Arabic and the English initials “I” and “S”, according to local media.
The reason behind the attack on the heavily fortified building remains shrouded in mystery. The Lebanese military has acknowledged only one individual involved, who sustained injuries and was taken to the hospital.
However, there have been reports indicating the presence of multiple suspects, including a driver and three assailants who opened fire.
The office of Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has confirmed that the Prime Minister has been briefed on the incident. They assured that the situation is under control and investigations are ongoing.
The Lebanese military has deployed troops in and around the embassy premises as a precautionary measure.
This incident comes amid heightened tensions following the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Notably, the US embassy in Lebanon was relocated from central Beirut to Aukar, a northern suburb, after a devastating bombing in 1983 claimed the lives of 63 people.
In recent times, there have been protests around the embassy, reflecting public outrage over the escalating death toll in Gaza.
In October, clashes erupted between protesters and Lebanese security forces in the vicinity of the embassy.
The Investigation Unit of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has detained seven people in an ongoing VAT compliance action for allegedly neglecting to produce VAT receipts to clients who use their goods and services.
The accused persons include four Lebanese business owners and three Ghanaian business managers operating at North Industrial area and North Kaneshie in Accra.
The seven business operators, MS Thakkar Overseas Limited, Sika Kobrea, Best Five Company Limited and City Appliances, dealers in the wholesale of beverages, rice and home appliances were picked up by the VAT Investigation Taskforce of the Ghana Revenue Authority for non-issuance of VAT receipts to customers who purchase their products.
The rest are Ad Pharmacy, Panacea Pharmacy as well as BB Laud Plumbing Limited located at North Kaneshie.
The exercise was however not without apprehension from the accused business operators who were unwilling to cooperate with the authorities.
Joseph Annan, the Accra Central Area Enforcement Officer at GRA and Coordinator for the exercise, says the non-issuance of the approved Commissioner-General VAT receipts is an infraction contrary to the VAT Act and the law must be applied.
Meanwhile, over 90 business operators have been arrested and are to be prosecuted for non-issuance and selective issuance of VAT invoices for goods sold to customers.
The nationwide VAT invigilation exercise is to ensure tax compliance and retrieve taxes due the State.
Investigators probing the deadly blast that ripped across Beirut focused Wednesday on possible negligence in the storage of tons of a highly explosive fertiliser in a waterfront warehouse, while the government ordered the house arrest of several port officials.
Public anger mounted against the ruling elite that is being blamed for the chronic mismanagement and carelessness that led to the disaster that the health ministry said killed 137 people and injured more than 5,000. The port of Beirut and customs office is notorious for being one of the most corrupt and lucrative institutions in Lebanon where various factions and politicians, including Hezbollah, hold sway.
The investigation is focusing on how 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive chemical used in fertilisers, came to be stored at the facility for six years, and why nothing was done about it.
Lebanon already was on the brink of collapse amid a severe economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic before the blast. Many have lost their jobs and seen their savings evaporate because of a currency crisis. Food security is a worry, since the country imports nearly all its vital goods and its main port is now devastated. The government is strapped for cash.
A senior US Defence Department official and member of the US intelligence community said there were no indications the explosion was the result of an attack by either a nation state or proxy forces. Both spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss intelligence briefings publicly. They told AP that at the moment, the explosion seems to have been caused by improper storage of explosives.
Fueling speculation that negligence was to blame for the accident, an official letter circulating online showed the head of the customs department had warned repeatedly over the years that the huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate stored in the port was a danger and had asked judicial officials for a ruling on a way to remove it.
Ammonium nitrate is a component of fertiliser that is potentially explosive. The 2,750-tonne cargo had been stored at the port since it was confiscated from a ship in 2013, and on Tuesday it is believed to have detonated after a fire broke out nearby.
Requests for guidance
The 2017 letter from the customs chief to a judge could not be immediately confirmed, but state prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat ordered security agencies to start an immediate investigation into all letters related to the materials stored at the port, as well as lists of those in charge of maintenance, storage and protection of the hangar.
In the letter, the customs chief warned of the “dangers if the materials remain where they are, affecting the safety of (port) employees†and asked the judge for guidance. He said five similar letters were sent in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The letter proposes the material be exported or sold to a Lebanese explosives company. It is not known if there was a response.
Badri Daher, the head of the customs department, confirmed to the local LBC TV channel that there were five or six such letters to the judiciary. He said his predecessor also pleaded with the judiciary to issue orders to export the explosive materials “because of how dangerous they are†to the port and staff there.
Daher said it was his duty to “alert†authorities of the dangers but that is the most he could do. “I am not a technical expert.â€
President Michel Aoun vowed before a cabinet meeting that the investigation would be transparent and that those responsible will be punished.
“There are no words to describe the catastrophe that hit Beirut,†he said.
After the meeting, the cabinet ordered an unspecified number of Beirut port officials put under house arrest pending the investigation.
A large blast in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, has killed at least 70 people and injured more than 4,000 others, the health minister says.
Videos show smoke billowing from a fire, then a mushroom cloud following the blast at the city’s port.
Officials are blaming highly explosive materials stored in a warehouse for six years.
President Michel Aoun tweeted it was “unacceptable” that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was stored unsafely.
An investigation is under way to find the exact trigger for the explosion. Lebanon’s Supreme Defence Council said those responsible would face the “maximum punishment” possible.
Hospitals are said to be overwhelmed and many buildings have been destroyed.
President Aoun declared a three-day mourning period, and said the government would release 100 billion lira (£50.5m; $66m) of emergency funds.
A BBC journalist at the scene reported dead bodies and severe damage, enough to put the port of Beirut out of action.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab called it a catastrophe and said those responsible must be held to account.
He spoke of a “dangerous warehouse” which had been there since 2014, but said he would not pre-empt the investigation.
Local media showed people trapped beneath rubble. A witness described the first explosion as deafening, and video footage showed wrecked cars and blast-damaged buildings.
“All the buildings around here have collapsed. I’m walking through glass and debris everywhere, in the dark,” one witness near the port told AFP news agency.
The blast was heard 240km (150 miles) away on the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean.
The explosion comes at a sensitive time for Lebanon, with an economic crisis reigniting old divisions. Tensions are also high ahead of Friday’s verdict in a trial over the killing of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005.
Lebanese Ambassador to Ghana, Maher Kheir has pledged his unflinching support for education in Ghana.
In a schorlaship presentation ceremony at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) on Wednesday, the Lebanese envoy pointed out that his outfit and the Lebanese Community consistent support for tertiary institutions attest to their commitment to education in Ghana.
He told the awardees “Since my arrival to Ghana a year ago, I pledged to follow up on the scholarship initiative of the Lebanese Community of my predecessor.
“I was looking forward to launch a new initiative based on my vision to open a window of cultural exchange between Lebanon and Ghana. I started to commit all my efforts to launch the
Lebanese Literature Prize and Research Awards at the School of Languages in the University of Ghana.
“Today, I am glad to announce that two weeks ago, we launched the Lebanese Literature Prize and Research Awards at this School to promote Lebanese and Ghanaian literature
He satated that the Embassy and the Lebanese Community believe believe that language and culture can build the
shortest bridge between all people and strengthen human relations saying, “You also, through your journalism studies can add to this cultural and human interaction.
Dear students, let me mention that we are in the process of forming a Lebanese Scholarship Alumni Group. We encourage all of you to be members of this important group because it will
create a network between all beneficiaries, the Lebanese community and the Embassy of Lebanon.â€
He added “In my previous speech, I challenged you to “go for the truth with all your heartâ€. Today, I would also like to add that you go for cultural exposure. When you possess all these values, you will be the masters of yourselves, masters of the pulpit and you will certainly be the brightest journalists. Then, we will be truly proud of you.â€
Rector of GIJ, Professor Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo challenged the students mentioned “This event is becoming important on our calendar. To the students, this gesture, undoubtedly takes off financial burden from you and I will urge you to make good use of this opportunity.â€
A beneficiary of the scheme, Nancy Asante said “We will take this opportunity as a challenge and strive for excellence.â€
The ambasor and the Lebanese Community has provided schorlarships for students at the University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science ans Technology (KNUST) on annual bassis.
