A Nigerian newspaper and Online version of the Vanguard, a daily publication in Nigeria covering Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion,lifestyle human interest stories, etc
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and GovernorNasir el- Rufai of Kaduna State are special guests expected at the maiden edition of the International MSME Expedition hosted by the Cross River State Governor, Sen. (Prof). Ben Ayade in his commitment to help small businesses access capital and create jobs.
Osinbajo resumes in office
The event tagged TINAPA MSME 2016 will take place in the Cross Rivers State capital on the 5th and 6th of August, 2016 and will feature discussions that border on lending for SME, a capacity building conference where initiatives to shore up lending for small businesses will be addressed, an investors' dinner and award night where financial institutions will receive awards for their efforts to promote entrepreneurship in the country.
According to the National Coordinator, International MSME Expedition (IME), Mr Godfrey Sunday, using the model of the Calabar carnival which draws million of people to Cross Rivers state every year, the event which is the first of its kind for SMEs will also attract over 5000 people to Cross Rivers State yearly to what will soon be known as the MSME festival in Nigeria.
Sunday said: ”Small businesses are the backbone of any economy. Unfortunately they are also the ones most hit during any economic meltdown which is why in addition to ensuring international networking and partnerships opportunities for the MSMEs, this conference will solve the myriads of problems faced by MSMEs as a result of capacity deficiency, lack of access to finance and unfriendly business environment in the continent, and will effectively promote international training for SMEs using the state of art facilities at the international convention center at Tinapa."
Sunday noted that in his attempt to help small businesses access funds, the Governor Ayade had joined the efforts of the World Bank and CBN in the development of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria within the next five years.
Recall that the CBN launched the MSME Development Fund on August 15, 2013 with a share capital of N220 billion.
The Fund was established in recognition of the significant contributions of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sub-sector to the economy and the existing huge financing gap.
Highlights of the event will be the launch of a N500bn MSME Impact bond and the constitution of the team that will ensure proper disbursement of it to deserving MSMEs.
Argentina’s new coach Edgardo Bauza said Tuesday he is “optimistic” he can convince Lionel Messi to come out of early international retirement.
Bauza’s number one task in his new job is to convince the 29-year-old Barcelona star and five-time World Player of the Year to reconsider his abrupt decision to quit the national team.Messi.
“I’m optimistic about Messi,” Bauza told Fox Sports, a day after being appointed.
“I hope that the chat I’d like to have with him will help convince him to stay with the team. I want to explain my idea to Messi. His position on the pitch is the least of my worries.”
Bauza, 58, was speaking from Brazil, where he previously coached Sao Paulo. He joins Argentina fresh from coaching the club to the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores.
Bauza has won two Copa Libertadores — one in 2014 with San Lorenzo, the other in 2008 with Ecuadoran side LDU Quito.
He takes over an Argentina outfit smarting from Messi’s abrupt retirement announcement, the departure of coach Gerardo Martino and a series of disappointing losses in big tournaments — most recently in the Copa America final, the catalyst for Messi’s exit.
Messi left the pitch in tears after that loss to Chile, saying: “For me, the national team is over.”
Bauza said he has not been in touch with Messi yet, but plans to travel to Barcelona to meet with him.
“I don’t have to convince him of anything. The idea is just to chat about football,” he added.
While in men the function is clear — to transfer sperm — scientists and philosophers have puzzled for more than 2,000 years over the biological point of the female climax, which is not required for conception.
This week researchers came up with a new theory: an ancient ancestor needed orgasms to induce ovulation, thus releasing eggs for fertilisation.
“Female orgasm seems to be a happy afterthought of our evolutionary past,” said a statement from Yale University, which took part in the study published this week in the Journal of Experimental Zoology.
“Human female orgasm is an evolutionary holdover from induced ovulation,” study co-author and Yale biologist Gunter Wagner told AFP.
The team used published research to create an evolutionary model of ovulation in animals.
In many mammals, they found, release of the hormones prolactin and oxytocin is linked with ovulation, while in humans it accompanies the female orgasm.
“We interpret this evidence to suggest that the physiological changes caused by human female orgasm are homologous (similar) to those that cause ovulation in other species,” they concluded.
Whether or not other animals have orgasms remains largely a mystery, though it is known that males induce ovulation in some mammal species, including rabbits and cats.
The model showed that in an ancient common mammalian forebear, which lived some 60-65 million years ago, females needed male stimulation to induce ovulation.
This trait was later replaced in some species by cyclical, or spontaneous, ovulation as exists humans today.
This likely happened around the dawn of the primates — the group of animals we humans belong to.
“Female orgasm did not evolve in the human lineage, but may have acquired additional roles” after it was no longer required for ovulation, such as pair bonding, said the study.
As ovulation became spontaneous, the layout of the female genitalia also changed, it added.
The clitoris “relocated from its ancestral position inside the copulatory canal,” where it remains in many animals today, but not in humans or monkeys.
“This may help explain why many women do not have orgasm during intercourse but are able to reach orgasm during masturbation or during clitoral stimulation during intercourse,” said a statement.
In a blunt and virtually unprecedented presidential rebuke, Barack Obama on Tuesday described Donald Trump as “unfit” to be president and called on Republicans to disown him.
Standing alongside the prime minister of Singapore, Obama cast aside any pretense of domestic unity and described Trump as “woefully unprepared” and “unfit to serve as president.”
“He keeps proving it,” Obama added.Obama and Trump
“This isn’t a situation where you have an episodic gaffe,” Obama said as the 70-year-old mogul was embroiled in multiple controversies over his comments about Muslims, babies, firefighters and the military.
Obama turned up the heat on Republican leaders who have backed Trump, but continue to denounce some of his comments.
“This is daily and weekly where they are distancing themselves from statements he’s making,” Obama said.
“There has to be a point in which you say: ‘This is not somebody I can support for president of the United States, even if he purports to be a member of my party.'”
Obama has endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 White House race and has repeatedly pilloried Trump’s populism.
But his comments in the East Room of the White House — where Abraham Lincoln lay in state and Theodore Roosevelt today casts a painted gaze — are a significant and highly personal escalation of presidential rhetoric.
“There have been Republican presidents with whom I’ve disagreed with, but I didn’t have a doubt that they could function as president,” Obama said.
Turning to his 2012 and 2008 election opponents, Obama said “Mitt Romney and John McCain were wrong on certain policy issues, but I never thought that they couldn’t do the job.”
Obama’s comments came amid a roiling war of words between Trump and the father of a slain US soldier who rebuked the Republican nominee as having “sacrificed nothing.”
Trump also has come under fire for remarks in a television interview in which he appeared not to be aware of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea after its takeover from Ukraine.
Obama said: “The notion that he would attack a Gold Star family that made extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of our country, the fact that he doesn’t appear to have basic knowledge around critical issues in Europe, in the Middle East, in Asia means that he’s woefully unprepared to do this job.”
“There has to come a point in which you say ‘enough’,” he said, in a comment directed at Republicans.
“The alternative is the entire party and the Republican party effectively endorses and validates the positions being articulated by Mr Trump. As I said in my speech last week, I don’t think that represents the views of a whole lot of Republicans out there.”
Obama last week addressed the Democratic convention in Philadelphia and painted this election as a choice not between a Democrat and Republican, but a Democrat and a demagogue who threatens democracy.
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye is trending on the social media after giving remarks at the ongoing 64th RCCG convention on the expected lifestyles members of the church are to adopt.
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Restricts ministers of gospel growing beards in the name of fashion..see here
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"I don't want to see any of my pastors looking like fellows from the training camps of Al-Qaeda,"
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"Anybody who brings tribalism into the church should either leave the church immediately or will soon die like Annanais and Sapphira."
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"No pastor has the church's blessing to impose Yoruba songs as part of the church sevice in other parts of the country, emphasising the need for pastors in other parts of the country to encourage the locals to sing and rejoice in their local dialects"
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The 74-year General Overseer also enjoined all pastors in the church to regularly do a medical check up to avoid unnecessary and sudden deaths that can be avoided if the proper thing is done.
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He also decreed that no RCCG pastor should be seen to be involved in arranging marriages among brethren in the church.
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Pastor Adeboye's advise to youths "don't ever marry outside the church and you have no reason to marry outside RCCG.
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“The reason is that if you are both from the same church even when trouble comes it is easier for the pastors to handle it!”
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"Don't marry a girl who is lazy! Don't marry a girl who cannot cook, she needs to know how to do chores and cook because you cannot afford to be eating out all the time.”
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He announced the establishment of an Investigation Committee to assist the mission on issues bordering on security.
President Muhammadu Buhari receives his Togolese Counterpart, President Mr Faure Gnassingbe on a courtesy visit at the State House in AbujaPresident Muhammadu Buhari receives his Togolese Counterpart, President Mr Faure Gnassingbe on a courtesy visit at the State House in AbujaR-L; President Muhammadu Buhari present a gift to the Togolese President, Mr Faure Gnassingbe with him is President Dangote Group of Company, Alhaji Aliko Dangote during a courtesy visit at the State House in AbujaLagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode (right), welcoming President of Togo, Mr. Faure Gnassingbe (left) during the arrival of the Togolese President at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, LagosL-R; President Dangote Group of Company, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Togolese President, Mr Faure Gnassingbe, President Muhammadu Buhari and Chief of Staff to the President Mallam Abba Kyari during a courtesy visit at the State House in AbujaPresident Muhammadu Buhari receives his Togolese Counterpart, President Mr Faure Gnassingbe on a courtesy visit at the State House in AbujaL-R: Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd left), with Minister of Trade, Investment & Industry, Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah; President of Togo, Mr. Faure Gnassingbe and President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote during the visit of the Togolese President to the Dangote Refinery at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lekki, LagosR-L: Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, with President of Togo, Mr. Faure Gnassingbe and President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote during the visit of the Togolese President to the Dangote Refinery at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lekki, LagosLagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd right), in a handshake with Minister of Trade, Investment & Industry, Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah (left) during the visit of the Togolese President to the Dangote Refinery at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lekki, Lagos, on Tuesday, August 2, 2016. With them are President of Togo, Mr. Faure Gnassingbe (middle); President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (2nd left) and Chairman, Zenon Petroleum & Gas Limited, Mr. Femi Otedola
The United Nations has raised alarm over the illicit proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in Nigeria with over 350 million or 70 per cent of an estimated 500 million of such weapons said to be circulating in West Africa be in the country.
The director of United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC), Olatokunbo Ige, gave this statistics at the ongoing National Consultation on Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) in Abuja, organised by the Agency and Presidential Committee on Smalls Arms and Light Weapons (PRESCOM).
Arms
Ms. Ige said the country is awash with illicit weapons, which have found its way into unauthorised hands on non-state actors that are threatening the existence of the country, as well lives and properties of the people.
"The illicit proliferation of SALW has had a dramatic impact on peace and security in Africa, threatening not only the existence of the state, but also the livelihoods of millions of people across the continent," she said.
"Nigerian is one of the countries that is experiencing some of the most devastating effects of the proliferation of SALW as a result of spillover effect of the recent crises in Libya, and Mali as well as unresolved internal conflicts in different parts of the country especially in the North East, Niger Delta and Southern regions.
"While reliable data on the numbers of these weapons circulating freely in the country is unavailable, analysts have in recent times estimated that of the about 500 million weapons that may be circulating in West Africa in 2010, some 70 per cent of these could be found in Nigeria," she added.
She warned that "as alarming as these figures seem, it is very clear that if left unchecked, this scourge will not only jeopardise the developmental gains achieved over the last 50 years, but will also impede the nation's capacity to achieve its developmental targets and therefore, negatively impact on the future generations".
According to Ms. Ige, this has highlighted, more than ever before the critical need not only to control the flow of arms in the non-state sector, but also the state owned actors through the effective management of the armoury and weapon stockpiles.
"It is widely acknowledged that one of the major factors contributing to the illicit proliferation of arms is the ineffective stockpile management," she noted.
The UNREC boss stressed that unsecured stocks and ineffectively managed stockpiles are a major contributing factor to the trafficking and diversion of arms into the illicit market and their subsequent flow to the terrorists and other criminal groups like Boko Haram and Niger Delta militants.
She said that part of the activities programmed under the PSSM in the Sahel project in the context of the UN and European Union (EU) is to support security and stability in the region.
Ms. Ige explained that the project, which is funded by the EU, has been developed jointly by the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) for the benefit of the six Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Nigeria.
"This project aims to support states in the region to prevent diversion and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition, by improving the PSSM of national stockpiles," she stated.
Also speaking, the Chairman of PRESCOM, Emmanuel Imohe, said Nigeria's Firearms law was obsolete and ineffective in the face of the 21st century security challenges.
Imohe said that PRESCOM has to generate a new document in collaboration with relevant agencies for over six months to come out with a repeal of the firearms bill that is yet to be attended at the National Assembly.
He said: "The 1959 Firearms Act is obsolete and using the 1959 law to tackle the 21st century security challenges is ineffective.”
In attempting to clarify his actual name, the Chelsea veteran has just made everyone very, very confused.
Jon Obi Mikel has been called many things by Chelsea fans during his decade at Stamford Bridge. many of which are far too rude, reports UK Mirror.
Mikel
However, while he may have got used to the abusive slurs hurled his way by a section of the Stamford Bridge support, it seems the Nigerian midfielder has finally had enough of people getting his actual name wrong.
That is why the Chelsea stalwart who was was born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna (the son of Michael Obi) in 1987, but a mistake in 2003 changed things for the midfielder. has just officially changed his name. to Mikel John Obi.
For starters, it turns out that he was never actually called ‘Mikel’.
The Guus Hiddink favourite was born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna – ‘Mikel’ only became a thing when the Nigerian FA mistakenly used Mikel instead of Michael on his submission form during the registration process for the 2003 Fifa Under-17 World Championships.
So much so, that despite the fact it’s not actually his name, he’s been happy to be called John Obi Mikel ever since he joined Chelsea in 2006.
It seems, he has now officially changed his name to. Mikel John Obi.
The USA, gunning for their third straight Olympic basketball gold medal, wrapped up their pre-Summer Games exhibition series with a dominating 110-66 win over world number 25 Nigeria on Monday night.
The Americans’ buildup to the Rio de Janeiro Games included five straight exhibition wins, but just one came against an opponent ranked in the top 10 in the world. They easily beat No. 4 Argentina, No. 14 China twice and rolled over No. 22 Venezuela by 35 points.
“We played good defense and it led to some fast breaks,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Our team is very deep. The most versatile team we have had.”
Despite the absence of NBA stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry, Krzyzewski’s squad is favored to win a third consecutive gold.
A half-dozen Americans finished in double figures Monday, including Carmelo Anthony, who tallied a team high 19 points.
Klay Thompson (17), Kevin Durant (14), DeMar DeRozan (13), DeMarcus Cousins (10) and DeAndre Jordan (10) also finished in double figures. Kyle Lowry had 11 assists and Jordan grabbed nine rebounds in the victory at the Toyota Center arena in Houston, Texas.
“It was good way to close it out. Now the big show starts and we got to lock in,” Anthony said.
He also complained Monday about the basketball they are going to using during the Rio Games, saying he prefers the heavier NBA ball.
“It is lighter and more slippery,” Anthony said. “When it gets wet it is harder to control. That’s a ball you really have to get used to.”
Point guard Kyrie Irving (bruised left thigh) and Paul George (left calf) sat out with injuries on Monday. Irving injured his thigh when he collided with a Venezuela player during Friday’s contest in Chicago.
Venezuela is in the first-round group with the USA, China, Australia, France and Serbia.
The Americans play the Chinese again to open the Rio Olympics on August 6 and also meet Venezuela again.
MIKEL Obi has admitted that his Olympic adventure with Nigeria could ruin his first-team chances at Chelsea. The midfielder is in Brazil with the Olympic Eagles ahead of the Rio 2016 Games.Mikel
He could miss Chelsea’s first two matches of the season if Nigeria reach the gold medal match on August 20. He could also tumble behind £30m new boy N’Golo Kante in Antonio Conte’s plans.
But he says playing for his country in Brazil was too big an opportunity to resist. “It is difficult to leave Chelsea at this time," he told the Evening Standard. "But I explained to the club why I wanted to go and I thank them for their understanding and allowing me to be a part of this.
"The coach also gave me his blessing. He told me to make sure I do well and bring back the gold “Obviously, it is hard to be away because I want to impress the new coach.
“I had one week of pre-season training and you need more than that if you want to prove yourself to a new manager who wants to change everything around.
"It is a risk that I have taken but I am willing to stand by that. I hope after the Olympics I can go back and prove myself. “I know what the coach wants, I know what's at stake.
“As soon as the Olympics is done, I will go back knowing I can do something [for Chelsea]."
Obi is Chelsea’s second-longest current serving player, behind skipper John Terry.
He’s been at Stamford Bridge since a 2006 switch from Lyn.
Owerri – The Heartland FC of Owerri has threatened to appeal the sanctions imposed on the club recently by the League Management Company (LMC) for fan violence.
The Executive Chairman of the club, Mr Goodfaith Etuemena, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri on Tuesday that the order to pay N4,750,000 fine was not acceptable to the club.
Etuemena said that the fine did not go well with the club, saying, however, that the club was not interested in any legal battle with the LMC but to set the records straight.
“We are not going to engage the LMC in any legal battle, but we want people who already believe the violence story to hear our own side," he said.
The LMC last week fined the club a total of N4,750,000 after finding it guilty of six offences and ordered that its next three home games be played behind closed doors.
It had alleged serious violence at the Dan Anyiam Stadium on July 23 when Heartland FC took on FC Ifeanyi Ubah in a week 28 fixture.
Some of the players of the visiting club were attacked by unidentified fans as a crowd trooped into the pitch after the game ended goalless.
However, the Media Officer of Heartland FC, Mr Solomon Onu, denied the allegation of fan violence during and after the match.
Onu said that if there was any violence, it did not happen during the match or anywhere around the stadium.
“We challenge anybody to come and prove to us that there was violence at the stadium during and after the game," he said.
Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday, congratulated the newly elected President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Mahmoud Abubakar, SAN, and other national officials of the association.
Abubakar-Mahmoud
Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, said the election of Abubakar could not have come at a better time in the life of the NBA and the nation's legal system, considering his reputation and wealth of experience.
He specifically noted the use of electronic voting in the conduct of the NBA's 2016 election which produced the new national officers of the Bar, describing it as a clear milestone which points the way to go, at the national level, in this era of digital revolution.
The Senate President called on the new national executive of the NBA to build on the legacies of his predecessors, work for the unity of the Bar and ensure that the principle of fairness, equity and justice comes to play in all their actions.
He reiterated his pledge that the National Assembly would continue to welcome the input from the Bar in its efforts to review the nation's obsolete laws as well as the introduction of other progressive legislations that will help to improve the socio-political and economic development of the country.
He specifically commended the outgoing NBA executive, led by Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN), for its engagement with the Senate, through the Nigeria Bar Association's Section on Business Law, to review laws which affect the ease of doing business in the country, an effort which has began to yield tangible results.
Saraki said: "The recent passage of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Bill, by the Senate is a testament to the many advantages that can accrue to the nation's economy when the legislature and critical associations like the NBA collaborate.
"I sincerely congratulate the new NBA executive under the leadership of Mr. Mahmoud Abubakar. As a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, in Kano State, and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), I have no doubt that Mahmoud has all it takes to take the elite body of lawyers in the country to the next level.
"I also believe the NBA will continue to strive for excellence as an association comprising ministers in the temple of justice by ensuring that both plaintiffs and defendants are accorded all rights and legal privileges due them before, during and after cases are dispensed with by the courts," he said.
Nigeria's online marketplace, Konga has said its business development strategy remains the underlying cause of reducing its workforce every six months.
Konga stated this after disengaging another set of employees penultimate week.
Recall that in January this year, Konga sacked 80 employees, about 10 per cent of its workforce. At the time, the company blamed it on the prevailing tough economic situation. It stated that the decision to let some employees go was not 'taken lightly.'
"The decision to restructure and realign our company's focus to be more agile in the prevailing local economic conditions is not one that was taken lightly," Konga had said. It added: "With this restructuring and by taking advantage of new innovations and upcoming retail opportunities in the market space, we are optimistic that we are on the path to grow an even healthier and more sustainable business, whilst delivering best-in-class service to our customers."
However, six months down the lane, Konga disengaged another undisclosed number of employees, but this time, it did not blame the economy but instead said it had been the marketplace's business strategy over the past two years. According to the company, this strategy had worked very well for the company over the past two years. It added that “even the sacked workers usually move to other companies to accomplish great things.”
"Nigeria's largest online mall, Konga.com, will lay off some of its employees, as part of its business development strategy whereby it reviews staff strength every six months. Konga has been doing this consistently over the last two years and usually let go of staff that still go on and do great things elsewhere."
In the statement, Konga's Chief Executive Officer, Shola Adekoya stated that, "The restructuring which also entails workforce reduction is a prudent and necessary step for the long term success of the company. The reorganizing will also impact the business model as we continue to do retail but only focus on the products that customers really like with high throughput in the warehouse and that will leave other products to strategic merchants that will take over some of the products in a marketplace fashion.”
Abuja – For Nigeria to address the challenge of shortage of teachers in its Basic Education sector, it would need over 1.3 million teachers in 6 years.
Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, stated this on Tuesday, at the flag-off ceremony of the 2015 Teacher Professional Development, TPD, programme, in Abuja, organised by Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC.
Malam Adamu Adamu
He said it is a full knowledge that no nation can develop without capacity building of its teachers.
According to the Minister, “And, in addition to government’s concern for quality teachers, quantity is also of the essence. There is a wide gap between the number of teachers required and the current number of available in the basic education sector.
“That is why, in addition to its existing intervention through the agency of UBEC, the Federal Government is working to recruit 500,000 teachers into basic education sector across the country.
?”In Nigeria we need about 1.3 million teachers in the next 6 years. We are in no doubt, that without professional and qualitative teachers, the dream of building a globally competitive and development -oriented education system that instils and imbues the requisite skills and knowhow to our terming younger generation would continue to be a pipe-dream.
“The availability of qualified and competent t?eachers, their continuous training and retraining would have to be emphasised to complement other inputs in order to come up with quality basic education achievements”.
On inability of some states government to access the matching grant, Adamu said the federal government is doing everything possible to reduce or do ?away with the requirement of matching grant.
In his goodwill message, Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha,? said there is need for government to develop capacity of teachers.
“We need to emphasis more on training and development of teachers. We tend to emphasis more on infrastructure and neglect the development of our teachers .
“Most schools in Nigeria lack enough teachers, especially in the rural areas. Insensitive should be given to teachers in the rural areas”, he said.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Alhaji Dikko Suleiman, in his welcome address said research has shown that most teachers in the country don’t have access to trainings to update their knowledge, but the government through UBEC has been carrying out regular teacher professional development programmes for teachers and education managers.
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Plateau state chapter, Hon. Damishi Sango, has said that the national chairmanship hopeful of the party, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi is being persecuted by the All Progressives Congress, APC, because of his unflinching support for the PDP.
Dokpesi
In the same vein, the chairman of PDP, Benue state, John Ngbede said the days of imposition of candidates will no longer be tolerated in the party.
Sango, who spoke yesterday, when Dokpesi led his campaign organisation to the state, said the harassment and intimidation of Dokpesi is a plot by the APC to destroy him and the PDP.
He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari used same tactic after the military overthrew the democratically elected government of the second republic.
“For those of us that were old enough when the military took over power in 1983, this harassment is not new to us. We warned the younger ones of what is happening now. High Chief, I knew they will pick you up when you make that popular statement that a leopard will not change his skin. You hit them hard and they came for you. You said the truth and we are living witness to it that a leopard will not change his skin,” Sango said.
He reiterated that Dokpesi has contributed greatly to the PDP and is seen as a threat by the APC. He assured the chairmanship hopeful that the Plateau State chapter of the PDP knows its friends and at the convention will do the right thing.
The Deputy Speaker of Plateau House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, said PDP needs a man of integrity and experience to restore its glory.
Dokpesi thanked the Plataeu delegates for waiting for him till as late as 10:30pm, noting that it is a show of their love for the party and a confirmation that the state remains PDP, adding that the first convention of the party was held in Jos.
Days of imposition over
In the same vein, the chairman of PDP in Benue said the days of imposition of candidate is over in the party as power must return to the people.
“If anyone sits in the comfort of his room and expect to be made chairman, we will shock them at the convention. The days of imposition is over. High Chief Dokpesi has set the pace and any other persons interested in this position must tour the states and meet the delegates,” he said.
By Chioma Obinna The Chief Medical Director of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Professor Wale Oke, yesterday announced the 2nd successful kidney transplants performed by a team of indigenous medical experts in the hospital.
Oke who explained that the feat was the second successful kidney transplant by the hospital said the institution has perfected plans to make the it a routine.
At a press conference, he stated that the kidney transplant birthed following the state government’s determination to stem medical tourism.
According to him, “60 percent of patients seen on wheel chair at international airport here in Lagos have to do with kidney issues, and most of them are going to India or the US for transplant. A lot of foreign exchange are also involved.
“One thing unique about this exercise is that the experts were all Nigerians and from LASUTH apart from one”
The elated Chief Medical Director who explained that a total of two successful transplants were carried out at an affordable cost.
He disclosed that the surgery was not free but at minimal cost of about N4.5 million compare to N8 million charged elsewhere.
Warning that LASUTH would not accept commercial donors for organ transplant, said right now the cost of the surgery covers cost of drugs for a period of six months.
“What we are doing now is family donation. We are also looking at going into heart transplant. We encourage Nigerians to come to the hospital for their kidney transplant at an affordable cost.,” he added.
Speaking, the leader of the team, an Associate Professor of Medicine and Consultant Nephrologist, Dr Olugbenga. Awobusuyi said the team is not limiting services to kidney transplant but expanding to heart and other organ transplants.
He said the two transplants which involved four patients lasted for about seven hours.
Awobusuyi said the patients are recuperating in the ward and would be discharge by next week.
He regretted that many transplant patients are on the waiting list for donors while those with ready donors have no money to perform the surgery.
“Our challenge is lack of donors. Right now, we are using only family donor. We don’t accept commercial donors. Unfortunately many of these patients are on dialysis due to lack of donors and some of them are dying,” he stated.
By Levinus Nwabughiogu ABUJA – President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that the epileptic power situation in Nigeria would soon give way for stable power supply.
He said his administration was committed to realizing the objective, stressing that the resources were available.Press Briefing; President Muhammadu Buhari and his Togolese Counterpart, President Mr Faure Gnassingbe on a courtesy visit at the State House in Abuja.
The president spoke at a joint press conference with visiting president of Togo, Faure Gnassingbe at the presidential villa, Abuja on Tuesday.
Togolese president was in Nigeria to inspect the ongoing refinery project by Dangote group in Lagos.
President Buhari who revealed that the same power problem was bedeviling Republic of Benin stated that productivity would be competitive when the situation improved.
He said: “They say seeing is believing. You can see the efforts private investors are making. We are also building pipelines but it is not as formidable as what Dangote is doing. We are improving on it. We also have the NLNG that is helping is to liquefy the gas and then turn it into gas with modern technology and modern technology is making it flexible.
“And If you will recall, I made mention to President of Benin. We have power problem and Benin has power problem because they depend on us and we are working very hard to stabilise the situation. The resources are available, the technology is available we are trying to stabilise the situation.
“If ?we improve power which means our productivity can be competitive and God willing, we are going to achieve our objectives.
“We also discuss the unfortunate incidents in South Sudan, Burundi. It is an agonising situation. Several citizens are living under primitive conditions. We hope at the AU meeting, we will be able to stabilise? the situation in South Sudan and Burundi with the efforts being made.”
Also speaking, the visiting Togolese president said he was impressed by Dangote’s string of investment in Africa.
“I’m impressed by the investment of Dangote because we have been talking of Socio-economic integration and promoting trade among African countries
“If you want to promote trade, you have investors that are very competitive and will contribute to reduce import from non-african countries.
“I was told the gas pipeline that will be built will be buried under the sea? to make it. It means if you want to promote blue economy, our ocean needs to be very safe. We need security”, he said.
Gnassingbe also invited president Buhari to attend the maritime summit holding in Togo in October this year.
By Braimoh Bello It was the morning of yesterday and I felt like having boiled yam and fried egg for breakfast at the hotel restaurant I was staying in Benin City.
As I entered, I noticed that the usually-warm waitress was a little pensive and borderline unhappy. I tried to cheer her up, asking her what the problem was. Before she could answer, her identical twin sister passed bye, making me wonder if I was talking to the right person. I have always loved twins. My family is full of them - my father is a twin, I have siblings who are twins, my father's twin sister has twins, my father's elder brother had twins, I could go on. So I chatted with these adorable twins and took a picture with them.
I have always loved twins, but my fascination with them stems more from my work in science. Research designs like clinical trials and impact evaluations are rigorous scientific tools used to test whether a new drug (or any kind of intervention for that matter) can live up to its promise. At the heart of these trials is a concept called 'counterfactual'. Philosophers, lawyers, psychologists and other professionals use the same concept in their work too. In brief, counterfactual is the philosophical thinking of what would have been if circumstances were different or reversed. "If we did not give the patient a particular treatment, what would have been the outcome?" "If John had not married Mary, would he have been rich?" We may never know since one person cannot exist at the same time in two different contexts.
Therefore, scientists, in testing interventions, try to create two 'identical' groups of people, of which one gets the intervention and the other doesn't. These groups act as counterfactuals to each other - telling us what would have been without the intervention. This is because without a comparison, attribution which is the central theme in all experiments, is difficult to make.
Identical twins are the best counterfactuals because they are like one person occurring at the same time in two different places. They are identical in every known way - every cell in their different bodies carrying exactly the same DNA, the genetic code. Take for example the story of James Arthur Springer and James Edward Lewis, identical twins reunited at age 39 years after being separated at birth. Upon being reunited, remarkable discoveries were made about them:
"Both had childhood dogs they named Toy. Both were married twice - first to women named Linda, and then to women named Betty. Both had children - including sons named James Allen. Both lived in the only house on their block. Both were chain-smokers, enjoyed beer, had woodworking shops in their garages
Both drove Chevrolets and served as sheriffs in separate Ohio counties." Such similarities make identical twins the best specimens for studying the age-long debate of what makes a person successful - nature (the individual) or nurture (their context). However, despite many of such remarkable stories highlighting the similarities between identical twins, there are amazing differences between them as well, especially when they live in different contexts.
In fact, empirical data show that the stark similarities between James Arthur Springer and James Edward Lewis were outliers, that context is extremely important in determining who we become. It is estimated that when grown apart, identical twins would have no more than 50% similarity. This is what makes them extremely valuable for human behaviour and development studies. They have shown us that environment matters as much as genes. Take the case of two sets of identical twins swopped in error at birth, in Columbia.
According to a New York Times article, when they were reunited last year, one set of mixed twins who lived in the city had professional jobs with university degrees while the other set of mixed twins who grew up in the village worked in the butchery without higher education. Although the looks and personality of the mixed twins were different, their outcomes were more or less the same. On the contrary, their outcomes were very different from their identical twins who grew up in a different context. Indeed, environment matters in who we become.
Bill Gates would not have been the person we know today had he not gone to Lakeside High School at the time he went in the 1960s. He later said of the school in 2005, "Lakeside was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Of course, computers were totally new to everyone here - faculty as well as students. In one early development, one of the teachers burned up 200 dollars of computer time in a few minutes by accidentally running an infinite loop. That made computers seem pretty scary to some people here-especially when 13-year-old kids were eager to try their luck next. The school could have shut down the terminal, or they could have tightly regulated who got to use it.
Instead, they opened it up. One reason I’m so grateful to Lakeside is that I can directly trace the founding of Microsoft back to my earliest days here." Now assume that Bill Gates had an identical twin who grew up somewhere in Africa in a context where he did not have the opportunity of going to school, talk less of having access to a computer at the time that many universities did not have one. That twin would be Bill Gates counterfactual, showing us the importance of growing up in a good setting. There is a concept psychologists call the Fundamental Attribution Error. It is "the tendency for people to place an undue emphasis on internal characteristics of the agent (character or intention), rather than external factors, in explaining another person’s behaviour in a given situation." Many of us often make this error.
We almost always think that someone is not successful because they didn't try enough, not knowing the context surrounding that person. We think that a driver skipped a traffic light because they are reckless, without knowing if that person was rushing to get a sick person to the hospital. The Fundamental Attribution Error is not an attempt to excuse poor outcomes; rather, it seeks to help us understand how changing environment can modify outcomes.
Some of the people that make this error the most are motivational speakers and pastors who understandably teach that a strong will can achieve anything even in the desert. While it is absolutely important to have a strong will and do your best, scientific evidence has shown that the outcomes of your effort also depends on the context of his existence. Even identical twins when reared in different contexts often have different outcomes.
The best evidence from the study of twins over 50 years show that genetics contribute more or less 50% to who we become. You probably would not have been a graduate if there were no primary and secondary schools in your city or state. This for me is where African leaders have missed it. We have not built an enabling environment for Africans to flourish. We have not eliminated hunger and wars, neither have we provided the environment for productivity and innovations.
I once told a friend that despite being a motivational speaker who inspires people to give their all and do their best, I also fight for social justice and development of our educational system and economy because I understand that motivation alone is not enough; when we look at the overall data, motivation only explains half of many success stories. There are many hard working and motivated people in penury in Africa because the odds against them are so much. I am convinced that ONE good leader would improve Nigeria faster than 5,000 preachers.
In the same way that many churches can do little to douse lies, corruption, stealing and other economic sins if there is hardship due to corruption and ineptitude leadership. Nigeria is where it is today because it has undermined the power of context. Time and again, we hear of Nigerians doing amazing things all over the world, while those same Nigerians left in Nigeria would most likely not have done as much, highlighting the power of context.
Nigerians have over the years built their spirit and willpower but without going beyond individualism, and the selfishness that sometimes goes with it, Nigeria will not see the light of day. Until we understand the power of context and herd immunity, and stop amassing personal wealth at the expense of community development, Nigeria may not know growth and lasting development. Ditto for all African countries. Bill Gates said of Lakeside that they could "have shut down the terminal, or they could have tightly regulated who got to use it. Instead, they opened it up." For many Africans, the reality is that the terminal has been shut down for many years, some from birth, by poor leadership and defective social norms.
The critical question then is: how do we change the perspective of African leaders to see the value of context; to understand that a man working eight hours in a Scandinavian country will most likely have a better quality of life than one working 16 hours under the tough African Sun.
How do we help people to understand the message of Jesus that we should love our neighbours as ourselves? How do we make selfish leaders see that building better roads, quality schools and other infrastructure will be better and safer for them and their children in the long run? How do we inspire ourselves to contribute to a collective vision and give our best at work? And how do we select the best people with these perspectives into power for a better continent?
As ordinary citizens, often, the best we can do to contribute to building a better context is to do our job well. If every politician avoids corruption and show contentment for the reward of their sweat, we would build a better continent. If every teacher, policeman, doctor and all government workers show up at work and do their work diligently, we will build an inspiring context. And soon, we will have the best people in leadership to build better systems.
Braimoh Bello is a Senior Medical Scientist at the Centre for Statistical Analysis and Research (CESAR) and an Honorary Lecturer at two South African Universities – The University of the Witwatersrand and Walter Sisulu University. He works as an International Health Consultant in a number of countries across the world and has been recognised by the Mail and Guardian as one Top 200 Young South Africans.
Besides medical research and teaching, Braimoh Bello is also the president of Beyond Tomorrow, a human development organisation which is dedicated to promoting Africa's development through inspiration, education and excellence. He the author of the best-selling book, Beyond Tomorrow: Fundamental Principles for Achieving Academic Excellence.
Seven out of eight ships waiting to berth in Lagos ports would discharge Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, base oil, diesel and bulk gas, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the document noted that the remaining one ship would berth with bulk fertiliser.
Thirty ships laden with petroleum products, food items and other goods are expected to arrive Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports in Lagos from Aug. 2 to Aug. 20.
NPA explained that the expected ships contained buck wheat, bulk sugar, containers, base oil, bulk salt, steel products, ethanol, bulk fertiliser, diesel and petrol.
NAN reports that 17 ships are at the ports discharging general cargoes, buck wheat, fertiliser, bulk charcoal, empty containers, bulk soya beans, bulk salt, aviation fuel, containers and petrol.
Senator Buruji Kashamu, Senator representing Ogun East senatorial district, on Tuesday, said that the proposed national convention slated for August 17 will not resolve the leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, appealing with elders in the party to find ways of uniting the Caretaker Committee headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi with the Ali Modu Sheriff faction.
Kashamu
Senator Kashamu in a statement in Abuja, affirmed that it would be better for the party to unite the two factions before going ahead with the proposed convention, warning that doing otherwise could worsen the crisis situation.
The Makarfi committee, backed by the key organs of the party, including the PDP Governors, has resolved to go ahead with the convention in spite of the various conflicting court judgments and orders against both factions.
Makarfi and Sheriff have continued to lay claim to the leadership of the party shortly after the botched May 21 Port Harcourt convention where Sheriff was replaced with Makarfi.
Kashamu further warned that unless issues of the various conflicting court injunctions are fully addressed with the two factions in agreement, the outcome of the proposed convention may also become a subject of fresh litigation.
He said, "Going to Port Harcourt for another national convention on August 17, without addressing the issues that have stuck out like a sore thumb might turn out to be an exercise in futility.
"I appeal to all our leaders to wade into the crisis and resolve the issues. If we gloss over the issues and facts and go ahead to hold the proposed convention without resolving them, the perception of PDP as a lawless organisation will sink deeper and ultimately public opinion will be against us.
"An air of palpable confusion pervades our party and the land, with one division of the court saying Makarfi's appointment is right while another division of the same court says Sheriff is the authentic national chairman of our party.
"We cannot continue like this. Already, the nomination (governorship) processes in Edo and Ondo States are being endangered by the current crisis.
"It is incumbent on all well-meaning leaders and elders of the party to court Senators Sheriff and Makarfi and look for a political solution to this crisis and resolve it, once and for all. Nothing is too much to give, if we truly love the party".
Kashamu noted that although there was no court injunction stopping the proposed August 17 convention, the reality of a pronouncement by a court in Abuja to the effect that the Makarfi committee cannot lawfully take actions on behalf of the PDP remained a source of grave worry.
Besides the resources that might be wasted on the exercise, Kashamu said going ahead with the convention could also constitute contempt of some of the court injunctions on the part of the organisers.
The lawmaker said these loopholes could easily be exploited by groups and individuals who are bent on frustration the efforts of the party to their own advantage.
"They wait on the sidelines to analyse situations and then go to court when you least expected to procure orders and judgments that they use to exploit the system,” he said.
Stressing the need for the party to guard against such pitfalls, Kashamu appealed to the party leaders to help put an end to the culture of impunity which has continued to plague the PDP.
He stated that for peace to reign, party leaders and members should stop seeing themselves to be above the law
He added that "Thus, it is crucial for us to find a political solution to the leadership crisis, unite our people and resolve the issues so that the various court cases can be withdrawn. An assortment of court orders, rulings and judgments will only deepen the crisis and make it intractable.”
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