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
The Women's Wing of the Christian Council of Nigeria (WOWICCN) has called for sex education at homes to reduce cases of rape and violence against women in the society.
National President of the Association, Rev. Omatsola Williams, gave the advice at a rally organised by association tagged: `Say No to Violence against Children' on Saturday in Abuja.
She advocated the teaching of sex education in schools, homes, Churches, and Mosques so that the children would learn through different approved means and not from the wrong people.
"Sex education is not being taught in schools anymore, parents don't even teach children sex education in their homes.
"Nigerians should wake up and have a world free of rape and violence on our children, women or man-to-man.
"It is still violence when young boys now are been kept in hotels for men to go and meet them; violence is not only when you are giving a physical combat.
According to her, `violence on our children is taking a new dimension, which we cannot stand.
"Our children are sexually assaulted be it boy or girl; our under aged children are been sold like goods; our children are used to perform rituals, where are we heading?
"Parents in the name of poverty go to the extent of selling children or encouraging our young girls to be pregnant and produce children to sell to people out there.
"This is not Christian like; women claiming tit for tat, that is not the kind of life we were been brought up with,'' she said.
Williams advised that Nigerians should go back to the drawing board and look into the way of living with each other and everybody should be each other's keeper.
"I want us to have a change of heart, calm ourselves down, think inwards and think of the future of our children, there no reason why we will not harness our thoughts together,'' William said.
Earlier, Mrs Uzoaku Williams, National Secretary, WOWICCN, said that the foundation of every child matters a lot because character formation begins from the home.
Williams noted that the virtue inculcated in children has a lot of role to play in the development of the children.
"The foundation of every child starts from home; mothers have a role to play in the homes.
"We should be agents of change in the virtues we inculcate into our children, to be the what we deserve to be and to be a watch eye to the children.
"In our societies we have seen situations whereby children will not be able to talk, rape of little children of different age groups, rape of women, violence against women, child trafficking and prostitution,'' she said.
She also called on governments to take up their responsibility and come up with solutions that would end the barbaric act of rape and violence against children and women.
The Kwara Government has warned proprietors of schools that were shut down against re-opening them without meeting set standard.
Hajiya Maryam Garba, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, gave the warning while speaking with newsmen on Saturday in Ilorin.
Garba recalled that 10 schools in Baboko, Adebata and Isale Aluko in Ilorin were closed down three months ago for not meeting statutory requirements of the ministry.
"Most of the schools (closed schools) were being run in decrepit structures and unhealthy environment.
"The assessment team from the ministry, who conducted checks round the schools in Ilorin, said there is little to differentiate between some classrooms, living rooms and kitchen.
"Cooking utensils and mattresses were sighted in classrooms during the visit,'' she said.
Garba reiterated that the state would not tolerate proprietors, who failed to comply with statutory requirements of the ministry in setting up schools.
She said that the ministry was determined to rid the state of schools which do not meet standard.
"As soon as we return from Eid el-kabir holiday, our officials will return to those schools to confirm their level of compliance and any erring proprietor would be sanctioned,'' she said.
Garba added that it was unlawful for anyone to re-open shut down schools without approval from the appropriate authority and warned parents against enrolling their children in unaccredited schools.
The permanent secretary said that there would be promotion examination in some schools in the state where the exercise could not hold after the Sallah break.
Nigeria needs 142 million US dollars between now and 2030 to finance its Intended Nationally Determined Commitment (INDC) toward reducing emission and low carbon for improved environment.
This is contained in a statement by the Special Assistant to the Minister of Environment on Communications, Ms Esther Agbarakwe on Saturday, after a stakeholders' Consultation on pilot issuance of Green bonds in Nigeria.
"The resource needed to finance the NDC is put at USD142 million between now and 2030.
"The forum is part of a continuing collaboration between the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Finance to explore and develop a product that can leverage and channel resources towards viable Green projects.
"Also, it can contribute to the achievement of the nation's development objectives,'' Agbarakwe quoted Amina Mohmmed as saying.
She said the issuance of green bonds, which had grown from 3 billion dollars per annum since 2012 to an estimated 00 billion dollars for 2016, presented a viable option.
The special assistant also recalled that in May, the minister was presented with a proposal by the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in Lagos on the issuance of green bonds in Nigeria.
Agbarakwe explained that thereafter several consultations with NSE, SEC and UNEP had been held to critically look into the potential of financing Nigeria's INDC implementation through green bonds and other muti-laterals funding mechanisms.
"Green bonds have been the subject of increasing government, investor and media interest and expectations, driven by the prospect of matching large low-carbon investment requirements with the trillions of dollars in global bond markets held by institutional investors,'' she said.
Agbarakwe said participants at forum were drawn from Federal Ministries of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Trade and Investment, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Debt Management Office (DMO), and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Other, she said were Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), National Assembly, Africa Finance Corporation, World Bank, UNEP, UNDP, McKingsey and Company, Chapel Hill Denham, Stanbic IBTC, DFID/NIAF and other private sector representatives.
Bangladesh fire fighters, Saturday put out the blaze at a packaging factory where an explosion earlier in the day triggered a massive fire, which led to the collapse of its three-story building.
At least 24 workers were killed while scores injured on Saturday in an explosion that triggered a massive fire leading to collapse of a three-story of a packaging factory in Bangladesh
Officials said the incident happened in the Tampaco Foils Ltd at Tongi on the outskirts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Saturday at about 6:00 a.m. ( local time).
Officials said that Bangladesh fire fighters, after hectic efforts of eight hours, managed to put out the blaze, which was spreading to other adjacent buildings Saturday at around 3p.m. local time.
They said the fire triggered by the blast spread quickly because flammable chemicals were stored at the factory building which collapsed like a sandwich just in several minutes.
It is the biggest industrial disaster since 2013 when the Rana Plaza building collapsed.
"We've also come to know that at least 24 people were killed in the devastating fire caused by a boiler explosion," a Tongi police official said.
Scores of the injured people were rushed to different hospitals in Dhaka and Tongi where many were said to be in critical condition.
The official who would not like to be named said the death toll may go up as many people have sustained critical injuries.
Nearly 70 people were injured in the fire triggered by explosion, said the official.
The Bangladesh authorities have already formed a five-member investigation committee which will submit its report in 15 working days.
A worker, who survived the tragedy, said many of them were inside the factory during the explosion because that was the time for morning shift workers to take the charges from their night shift colleagues.
Bangladeshi State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu said families of those killed in the explosion will get 200,000 taka each as compensation.
The tragedy once again revived questions about the commitments of the sector insiders to providing safe working conditions for the workers in the largest export sector in Bangladesh.
The sector comprises about 5,000 factories employing more than 4 million workers, 80 per cent of whom are women.
There have been interesting arguments over Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun's observation that "recession is just a word", and NAN MD, Bayo Onanuga claiming that reports of hardship in the land is exaggerated propaganda. I think we need to break down the subject further from a layman's perspective. Recession is a word, no doubt, but it is more than a word, it is an experience: the experience that the majority of Nigerians is going through. If you are at a significant remove from that experience, it may be difficult to know how it feels, and if you are an economist, you are likely to be conveniently obsessed with textbook ideas.
Reuben Abati
Recession is when Nigerians begin to shift the traditional dates for social parties. You know we love parties a lot. Virtually every weekend, there is one party or the other, very loud celebrations where people wear the famous aso ebi, and the Naira becomes a flying object, being thrown all over the place, at the musician, the celebrant, and her friends and family, with so much joy floating in the air, and plates of jolloff rice, eaten half way and left to waste, area boys having their own share of the fun, and Nigerians showing the world that life is indeed for the living.
Sometimes, these parties make no sense: imagine a man throwing a big party to "turn the back" of his great grandfather who died 50 years ago (!) - a great grandfather he never knew, or a lavish party to celebrate the purchase of a second-hand car. Those things are very rare these days. And when some parties are held, the date on the invitation card is during the week: can you imagine being invited to a wedding on a Monday? I have seen that happen.
The event was over and done with before 5 pm. Smart way to save money in a season of recession. There were guests of course, but not the kind of crowd you'd get at a typical Nigerian party on a Friday or Saturday. The celebrants actually confessed they didn't have the means to feed too many people. That is what recession has done. Nobody boasts anymore about "declaring surplus" – a once-upon-a-time very famous phrase in this country!
When I was much younger, my friends and I used to gate-crash parties. Bored, with not much to do, we would dress up and go from one party to the other. It was called "mo gbo mo ya" - I heard and I came. In those days, all you needed was to go to a party to which you had not been invited, and without knowing anybody, you took a seat and before long, someone would come along and ask if you had eaten.
In a matter of minutes, whatever you wanted would be placed before you. Drinks? Some friends used to boast about "finishing" a carton of beer, and they would have their fill and quietly sneak away. Try that these days and you would know that recession is more than a word. Virtually every party is now strictly by invitation. Even when it is not boldly stated on the invitation card, you'd get to know the truth when you attempt to gate-crash.
Parties are now organized with such strict protocols, it is like trying to access Aso Villa. You would be screened, your bag will be checked, and don't think it is Boko Haram attack they are afraid of, they just want to be sure you are not gate-crashing, and if you don't have an invitation card, you would of course be turned back. There are some exceptions of course, where the protocol is a matter of security: particularly at those parties where there would be many VIPs. Nigerian VIPs don't like to mix with just anybody.
Even if you manage to gatecrash, nobody will attend to you. What operates at parties these days, is a KYG (Know-Your-Guest) system. After sitting down, someone has to identify you as his or her guest. You don't get served food, unless your host or hostess gives specific instructions. And you can't drink a carton of beer anymore at your host's expense! I certainly can't remember when last I saw anyone getting drunk at other people's expense at a party.
Even close friends of celebrants, the ones who are a bit comfortable, go to parties these days with their own small cooler of drinks. The celebrant will offer you one or two bottles. If you want more than that, the ushers could become hostile or they could tell you pointedly: "drinks have finished." I have had on one occasion to give the ushers, money to go and get me the drink of my choice. But once upon a time in this country, drinks don't stop flowing at parties. The host will be so ashamed he or she would order more drinks and apologize to no end.
Where I come from, local women used to go to parties with cellophane bags, hidden away somewhere, and when they are served food, they would pull out the cellophane bag and pour food into it, all of that is done under the table. Next thing: they will start harassing the ushers: "we have not eaten here oh. Nobody has given us drinks: drinks they have moved to their collection cellophane bags! But party organizers have also learnt to be vigilant: they serve table to table; map out the space carefully and monitor the tables.
Before 2019, perhaps a time will come when ushers will take your photograph, or there will be CCTV monitors at social events, just so you don't come back and say you have not been served. That is change. That is recession. If you are a man-about-town, you can't fail to notice this: that something has indeed changed in the social circuit. But there is that one per cent crowd, whose pockets are still so deep, if you get invited to their parties, it is like going to a surplus-declaration event, what Nigerians call "too much money." Even that is changing though, people are learning to be careful, so they don't get invited to come and explain how they came about so much money.
Recession is when you now read in the newspapers virtually every week about people committing suicide. Nigerians are so fun-loving we were once described as the happiest people on earth. Right now, we will fail the test. Suicide used to be so rare in this country. It was considered impossible. Why would anyone want to kill himself? I used to hear people say: "eba is sweet oh, I can't come and die" or "life is for the living", or "e go better".
People are not so sure anymore. In the past month, there have been reports about two foreigners doing business in Nigeria who have also committed suicide. Every reported suicide in recent times, has been tied, one way or the other, to the recession in the country. One man had an argument with his wife over school fees and housekeeping money and he went and ended it all. Another man actually left a note saying he had to kill himself because there is too much hardship in the country. Marriages are collapsing. Domestic violence is on the rise.
Husbands that are out of work can no longer maintain their families, they can't pay school fees, they have become useless in their own homes, they are helpless. Their wives want to leave, even when they are not too sure of the next destination. There are at least two celebrated cases of women who have either slain their husbands or wounded them badly. In both cases, there was that notorious thing about a second woman in the background. Sharing what is not enough for one person with another woman, in a season of recession, could be a crime, but the biggest dysfunction is that of the pocket. One woman, a lawyer oh (!) stabbed her husband in the neck. Another after having sex with her husband, and putting him to sleep, got a machete and butchered him. The man is presently in what Yorubas call,"boya o ma ku, boya o maa ye" condition. Whether he would live or die is uncertain.
Recession is when companies are retrenching everyday or closing shop and SMEs are dying. In the last one year, high unemployment figures have been announced. Banks have had to shed weight; the foreign exchange crisis has forced many companies to downsize or abandon Nigeria, investors are taking their funds out of the country, many states of the Federation are so much in distress, they have stopped paying salaries. Civil servants cannot even afford a bag of rice, because their minimum wage is N18, 000 and a bag of rice is N22, 000 or higher in some places.
Recession is when Nigerians now steal pots of soup and basic food items, and they can't buy rams for Sallah, and they are told "don't worry, change begins with you!" Every worker who has lost his or her job in the last one year is not the only one affected, the knock-on effect has brought anguish to other dependants, who now have a bread-winner behaving like a bread seeker. That is recession. That is hardship.
Recession is when enjoyment spots that used to be filled up every Friday evening are now empty. Nigerians used to celebrate what they call "Thank God it is Friday." In Lagos, Friday evenings used to be the boys' night. Husbands didn't go home early. These days, husbands go home early and Fridays have become slightly boring. Recession is when prostitutes reduce their charges. I have it on good authority, from those who know, that even prostitutes have had to embrace change.
And old girlfriends now demand pension benefits. Recession is when families which used to run the generator 24 hours and boast that their children can't stand heat, have had to adjust, and run the generator only from 12 midnight, or before. Recession is when men come out and complain that their wives no longer allow them to touch them: "Are you mad? With the way things are, all you think of is sex?" Kama Sutra rites are best enjoyed only in happy lands. Recession is when in spite of all this, the breweries in Nigeria are posting unbelievable record profits and smiling to the banks. The men go home and privately drown their sorrow in bottles. Mrs Adeosun, this is the true meaning of recession.
AFP Sport looks at five other memorable Manchester derbies after Manchester City beat United 2-1 on Saturday:
Manchester United 4-3 Manchester City, September 2009
Widely regarded as the most thrilling derby in the Premier League era, City kept chipping away at United’s lead, three times drawing level, twice through Craig Bellamy. However, Michael Owen popped up over five minutes into time added on to give United the honours at the death. United manager Alex Ferguson upset City manager and former United star Mark Hughes further in describing City as ‘noisy neighbours’ — the phrase has stuck ever since.
Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United, December 2012
Almost a mirror image of the 2009 epic although by this stage the ‘noisy neighbours’ had announced themselves as title gatecrashers in winning the 2012 Premier League crown at United’s expense — even more painful for Ferguson it was down to goal difference. United led 2-0 lead but City came back to draw level. However, once again the last kick of the match decided it, United’s close season signing from rivals Arsenal Robin van Persie scoring the winner. “I have not known many more dramatic days than that,” said Ferguson.
Manchester City 3-3 Manchester United, November 1971
Yet another derby where City came from behind, from 2-0 down and then 3-2 to eke out a point. It was not without theatrics as Francis Lee dramatically threw himself to the ground to illustrate to the referee he believed George Best had dived when he tackled him in the centre circle and was booked for it.
Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United, November 1993
This time City were leading 2-0 only to end up losing 3-2. Once again United grabbed the winner in the dying seconds, Roy Keane the match winner this time after the mercurial French genius Eric Cantona had helped himself to a brace. It gave Ferguson his first win at Maine Road to boot and helped United win the title whilst City finished just above the relegation zone.
Manchester City 0-0 Manchester United, March 1974
More thrilling from the point of view that the referee Clive Thomas had to literally call on the long arm of the law to help him officiate the match. He ordered both United’s streetwise Scottish forward Lou Macari and City hardman defender Mike Doyle — a no nonsense defender in the mould of Norman Hunter and Chopper Harris — off for an early bath. Doyle had unceremoniously dumped Macari on the ground and the Scot retaliated by throwing the ball at the defender. Both refused to leave so Thomas, not one for suffering fools gladly, marched both teams from the pitch and until the two players finally accepted their punishment. But as a precaution he put them under police guard in the dressing room in case they decided to return return to the pitch.
Dr Jaf Momoh, the Chief Medical Director of National Hospital, Abuja says the hospital has recorded birth of 500 babies by In-Vitro Fertilisation between 2006 and 2016.
Momoh announced this on Saturday at the end of the 78th regular meeting of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors of Tertiary Hospitals held in Calabar.
IVF is a process by which an egg is fertilised by sperm outside the body.
According to Momoh, the hospital is the first to achieve this feat consistently for a decade in West Africa.
"National Hospital Abuja attended to over 20,000 patients last year and more than 15,000 of them were admitted.
"We have made more than 300 families happy; yet people are still flying to India for IVF which is just 10 per cent of the cost if it was done here in Nigeria'', he observed.
Also speaking, Chairman of Committee of CMD's of Tertiary Hospitals, Dr Thomas Agan, called on journalists to collaborate with the Federal Government to promote the country's health sector.
Agan, who is also the CMD of University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, said that it had become pertinent for all hands to be on deck in ensuring the effectiveness of the change mantra of the present administration.
The Anambra Commissioner of Police, Mr Sam Okaula, has assured the people of the state of a peaceful Eid-El-Kabir celebration.
Okaula made the promise in Awka on Saturday.
He said that adequate measures had been put in place to prevent breakdown down of law and order during the festival.
He described as baseless, speculations of a possible herdsmen attack on the state during the period.
The commissioner of police said that there would not be any of such an attack.
"We have held a meeting with the Fulani leaders in the state, and we all agreed that there is no threat to peace in the state.
"We do not envisage any problem in Anambra during the ceremony and even after the ceremony because we have put measures in place to have peace.
"We have intelligence reports all through the state, and all indices point towards a peaceful celebration,'' Okaula said.
He urged residents of the state to go about their lawful businesses without fear, saying that the police would provide adequate security.
Okaula said that the flash points at Ufuma, Awgbu and Umunze had been guarded.
Meanwhile, the Vice President of the Supreme Council for Islamic in Affairs in Anambra, Alhaji Dauda Ajagu, has called for sober reflection during the festival.
In statement in Awka, Ajagu said that Nigerians should reflect on their lives with a view to finding solutions to Nigeria's challenges, instead of blaming President Muhammadu Buhari for the current economic downturn.
He urged Fulani herdsmen to be careful with their cows to forestall invasion and destruction of peoples' farmlands.
"We have fought a tribal war before; we do not want to fight again. All we need at this point in time is absolute peace", Ajagu said.
The Nigerian Army said on Saturday that it’s troops of 33 Brigade have killed seven kidnappers and destroyed some camps during a patrol of some villages in Bauchi state on Friday.
A statement signed by Col Sani Usman said the troops’ action followed a tip off which brought them in contact with the suspected kidnappers at Lame Burra forest near Dutsen Ganye, Gunduru and Kati Layin villages, Bauchi State.
Usman said, “During a heavy exchange of fire, the troops killed 7 of the kidnappers and destroyed their camps. “They also recovered 2 AK-47 rifles and 3 Dane guns at the camp.
“The troops are still combing the general area to further track down other fleeing members of the criminal gang.
“It is important to state that the Brigade after the initial successes of its Operation FOREST KUNAMA, which was aimed at clearing all livestock rustlers and armed bandits camps in Bauchi and Gombe States general area, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) directed them to maintain continued presence at the Lame-Burra forest.
“This is to prevent the criminal elements that fled from returning. “Subsequently, 2 Forward Operation Bases (FOBs) were established at Lame and Jimi to cover the Lame and Burra axis of the forest respectively. “Troops usually carry out periodic fighting patrols into the forest from the FOBs.
“In a related development, troops on Operation LAFIYA DOLE deployed at Forward Operation Base (FOB), Buratai in conjunction with local vigilante arrested a suspected Boko Haram terrorist named Adamu Damuna.
Mr Leo Jiang, the Managing Director, Devices of Huawei Nigeria, said the new Huawei GR5 Mini Smartphone has been designed with long-lasting battery, up to 32 hours for hard users, to eliminate use of power bank.
Speaking at the launch of the phone in Lagos on Saturday, Jiang said that the phone had been equipped with a 3000mAh battery life, owing to the electricity situation in Nigeria.
mAh means milliamp Hour and is a unit that measures (electric) power over time. It is commonly used to measure the energy capacity of a battery; generally, the more mAh, the longer the battery capacity. "The phone's 3000mAh battery with intelligent power saving technology allows the battery last for as long as two days without charging for light users, and 32 hours for hard users," he said.
According to him, the Smartphone, which features new generation fingerprint technology, has been ?improved 100 per cent over the first generation. He said that GR5 Mini had a sensor that performed in 0.5 seconds and had 360 degree readability, builds on Huawei's success in delivering powerful high end Smartphone with a high level quality.
"Bound to be a delight for photo and self-lovers, the Huawei GR5 Mini has an 8MP front camera, with high chromatic resolution, 4P lens array and a 77 degree wide angle visual range. "It takes sharp looking self and also allows self-lovers to capture more people in the shot.
"The rear-facing 13MP camera features a f/2.0 aperture, 78 degree wide angle visual range, 5P Aspheric lens array with a blue glass filter to improve photo quality. "It also has professional mode for taking photos with parameters comparable to that of a Single-Lens Reflex (SLR?) camera," Jiang said.
He said that the GR5 Mini showed Huawei's cravings for innovations with a 5.2 full High Definition (HD) display screen, which delivered great clarity and pixel density, even in sunlight or low lighting conditions. According to him, the large display ?is also comfortable to handle and perfect for getting work done.
He said that with an exquisite design, ergonomic streamlining and rippled surface treatment, the phone had an elegant look and feel, and a convenient and comfortable form factor that fitted every lifestyle.
Jiang said that Huawei with its ?awaken craftsmanship aimed to be the number one Android Smartphone maker. He? restated Huawei's commitment to its mission of continually providing better Smartphone that phones users could enjoy using every day. Meanwhile, Huawei announced its partnership with Nigerian designer, Adebayo Oke-Lawal of Orange Culture to give customers, who purchase GR5 Mini a designer phone case for free.
"We value our customers' need for mobile technology, which suites their lifestyle and meets their needs, and now we are aligning with customers' strongest passions, one which we have discovered to be fashion," Jiang said. GR5 Mini which provides support for tasks like speech recognition, low-power consumption MP3, sensor hub, Fused Location Provider (FLP) navigation, and more efficient location-based tasks is sold for N85,000.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Saturday in Abuja said it generated over N95.7 billion in August.
The NCS Public Relations Officer, Mr Wale Adeniyi, said in an interview with news men that the revenue had been remitted to the Federal Government coffers.
Adeniyi expressed satisfaction that the NCS generated the amount in spite of the current foreign exchange challenge and low imports.
"Last month, August, 2016, the service recorded the highest revenue in 10 years despite the forex difficulty, low imports and general economic downturn.
"This points to the efficacy of the comptroller-general's policy thrust.
"The strong stance of the comptroller-general on issues of discipline, integrity and strict adherence to customs codes and clearance procedures is yielding positive results,'' he said.
He said that the Comptroller-General, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd), who assumed office in August, 2015, brought a three-point presidential mandate - reform, restructure and revenue rise.
Adeniyi said that the comptroller-general based the policy thrust on honesty, integrity and transparency, for actualization.
He noted that increased revenue generation required cooperation of all stakeholders and customs formations across the country.
He said that the service had embarked on stakeholders' visit to urge them to comply with the new ways of doing business with the service.
Governor Aminu Tambuwal-led Sokoto State Government has disbursed N11 million for the purchase of cows for the provision of meat to 4,205 orphans on the Eid El-Kabir Day. The Chairman of the State Zakkat and Endowment Committee, Alhaji Lawal Maidoki, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Sokoto on Saturday.
Maidoki said, "N130,000 was given to each of the 85 districts in the 23 Local Government Areas of the state. " Each of the districts will buy a cow, slaughter it and distribute it to 50 orphans each. " The gesture is aimed at providing a sense of belonging to the orphans during the sallah festivities," he added.
The chairman averred that the committee has taken measures to ensure the judicious utilization of the funds. Maidoki further promised that the committee will monitor the distribution of the meat to ensure that all the targeted children were adequately covered. He also appealed to the District Heads to ensure the equitable distribution of the meat from their end.
President Barack Obama on Saturday urged Americans to remain united in the face of terrorist attacks, in a barely-veiled jab at Republican White House nominee Donald Trump 15 years after 9/11.
“In the face of terrorism, how we respond matters,” Obama said in his weekly radio and online address, delivered on the eve of the 15th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks in the United States. “We cannot give in to those who would divide us. We cannot react in ways that erode the fabric of our society,” he added.
“Because it’s our diversity, our welcoming of all talent, our treating of everybody fairly-no matter their race, gender, ethnicity, or faith-that’s part of what makes our country great. It’s what makes us resilient,” Obama said. “And if we stay true to those values, we’ll uphold the legacy of those we've lost, and keep our nation strong and free.”
On several occasions Obama has denounced Trump’s bombastic rhetoric towards Muslims. Following the December shooting rampage in San Bernardino, California for example, Trump called for a temporary ban on the entry to the United States of all Muslims. Obama was speaking two months before the presidential election in which real estate magnate Trump will face Democrat Hillary Clinton.
The Al-Qaeda hijackings of September 11, 2001 — the first foreign attack on the US mainland in nearly two centuries — ruptured a sense of safety and plunged the West into wars still being fought today. More than 2,750 people were killed when two passenger jets destroyed the Twin Towers, the symbol of New York’s financial wealth and confidence. Another jet slammed into the Pentagon, and a fourth jet crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after those on board tried to overpower the hijackers.
Evoking “one of the darkest (days) in our nation's history,” Obama noted that much had changed over the past 15 years since the attacks. “We delivered justice to (Al-Qaeda leader) Osama bin Laden. We’ve strengthened our homeland security. We’ve prevented attacks. We’ve saved lives,” Obama said.
But at the same time, he said, referring to attacks in Boston, San Bernardino, and Orlando, Florida, “the terrorist threat has evolved.” “So in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and beyond, we’ll stay relentless against terrorists like Al-Qaeda and [the Islamic State group] ISIL.
“We will destroy them. And we'll keep doing everything in our power to protect our homeland,” Obama said.
No fewer than 30 buildings located in densely populated Works Layout in Amakohia area, Owerri, were submerged by flood following a down pour in the town on Friday evening.
The rain which started at about 6 p.m. and lasted till about 8.30 p.m. on Friday caused flooding that affected property worth millions of naira in some parts of the town.
Cloths, cooking pots, plates, bags, books, and tricycles were seen floating on the flood.
Although no building collapsed, the flooding collapsed the fence of some buildings leading to water flowing into houses.
The areas badly affected within the Works Layout area are Mgbeahuru Street, Road C, and Road B in Amakohia Housing Estate Owerri where almost all the upstairs buildings had the ground floors covered with water.
Mr Kelechi Uzohu, a resident of the area, blamed the flooding on poor road construction by contractors engaged to rehabilitate the road from the Standard Shoe Industry Amakohia to Imo State University Junction.
"The gutter constructed by the construction workers now is narrow and can no longer contain large water suc as the former one built by past government and because of this, we record serious flooding here'', he said.
Another victim, Mr Emma Ugochukwu said but for the prompt intervention of his neighbours his two children and sister in-law would have drowned in the flood.
"I was still on my way back home when the rain started and I stopped somewhere for the rain to subside.
"Unknown to me that flood had already covered my flat with my two children trapped in my flat with my 12-year old sister in-law.
"It was my fellow tenants who noticed that I was not yet back that rushed and forced my door open to rescue them'', he said.
Also speaking, Mr Vitus Nwadikwa, a resident of MCC/Uratta area of Owerri, said: "I cannot count the number of buildings covered by water in the area where I reside this evening.
"The level of damage is enormous and people are running here and there in the rain to move their things out'', he said.
Other areas also affected by flood were Umunguma area, Akwakuma, Orji, Ikenegbu and some part of Ekeukwu Owerri Main Markert on Douglas Road Owerri.
The National Emergency Management Agency office in Owerri had earlier warned people living in flood-prone areas to relocate to safer locations due to imminent flooding expected towards the end of the year.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced growing criticism Saturday after he called the Palestinian refusal to let Jews live in their future state “ethnic cleansing”. In a video released Friday, Netanyahu rejected the notion that West Bank settlements were “an obstacle to peace”, drawing a rebuke from Washington.
Netanyahu noted “Israel’s diversity” which manifests in “the nearly two million Arabs living” in the Jewish state and reflects its “openness and readiness for peace”. “Yet the Palestinian leadership actually demands a Palestinian state with one pre-condition: No Jews,” he said. “There’s a phrase for that: It’s called ethnic cleansing.”
The US State Department called the video “unhelpful” and “inappropriate”. “We obviously strongly disagree with the characterisation that those who oppose settlement activity or view it as an obstacle to peace are somehow calling for ethnic cleansing of Jews from the West Bank,” spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said Friday.
“We believe that using that type of terminology is inappropriate and unhelpful,” she said. “Settlements are a final status issue that must be resolved in negotiations between the parties.” Israeli opposition member Tzipi Livni of the Zionist Union party accused Netanyahu of “trying to make political gains while creating diplomatic damage”.
She said the video had caused the US position to change from accepting settlement blocs to rejecting the entire West Bank enterprise. “After Netanyahu’s video, the US is saying that all the settlements, including the blocs, are an obstacle, whereas in the past they were recognised,” she said in remarks relayed by a spokesman.
Ayman Odeh, who heads the Joint List that groups the main Arab parties in parliament, accused Netanyahu of creating “an imaginary reality” and rejected the comparison between Israeli Arabs and Jewish West Bank settlers, who he said implement a policy of “ethnic cleansing”.
“Netanyahu doesn’t care that it is the settlements that were established precisely in order to cruelly expel Palestinian populaces from the West Bank to limited territories around the major cities,” he wrote on Facebook. Peace efforts have been at a standstill since a US-led initiative collapsed in April 2014, with both Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas saying on Tuesday they were ready to meet to relaunch peace efforts.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been seeking to arrange a meeting between the two in Moscow. International criticism of Israeli settlement building, including from the United States, has intensified in recent months. Netanyahu’s government, considered to be the most right-wing in the country’s history, has nonetheless continued with the policy.
The settlements are considered illegal under international law and major obstacles to peace as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.
For the first time in 35 years Saudi Arabia’s top cleric will not give a traditional hajj sermon to pilgrims from around the world, a newspaper reported on Saturday. Grand Mufti Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh has annually addressed the faithful from the Namira mosque in Mount Arafat for the peak of hajj, which this year falls on Sunday.
Okaz newspaper, citing anonymous sources, said Sheikh, “will step down from delivering the sermon on the day of Arafat, due to health reasons.” He was appointed Grand Mufti in 1999 after the death of his predecessor Sheikh Abdel Aziz bin Baz.
But Okaz said Sheikh had for about two decades prior to that given the annual address to the hajj throng at the site where Prophet Mohammed is said to have delivered his final sermon.
Okaz said the mufti spent about two months preparing for each address. The grey-bearded Sheikh is a descendant of Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Wahhab, the 18th-century fundamentalist preacher who co-founded the Saudi state. In previous Arafat sermons, Sheikh has attacked jihadist extremists and Yemeni rebels who Saudi Arabia accuses of receiving weapons from Iran.
In a report on Tuesday in the Makkah daily newspaper, Sheikh said Iranians are “not Muslims”, after the supreme leader of the Shiite country launched a fresh tirade over the kingdom’s handling of the hajj pilgrimage. The hajj began on Saturday with about 1.5 million pilgrims, most of them from abroad.
Abuja – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has pledged to send a special envoy to the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF) Summit scheduled to take place in New York on Sept. 24.
A statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by Miss Owomilere Obe, Director of Communications of the forum, said that the summit was aimed at preferring solutions to the recession facing the country.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria Charles Soludo and Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun are expected to attend the summit, according to the statement.
"The summit is part of efforts to resolve the present economic crisis in Nigeria and assist with credible projects that could potentially elevate Nigeria from its current status as a third world country.
"The theme of the summit is X-raying the current Nigeria's Economic Challenges and our Foreign Policy, Prospect and Solution.
"We can no longer pretend that Nigeria is not in a recession. This is evident by the dip in government revenues, drop in consumer spending, decline in economic activities, job losses and most importantly Inflation rate.U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gestures during a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland Friday, Dec. 12, 2008. Ban says the latest “very sobering” assessment of the World Bank underscores the world’s economic problems. The world should act with great urgency and compassion to ease economic distress. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
"This is why we have come together as young professionals to address these issues on the way forward for Nigeria,'' Obe said.
She said that the summit would hold concurrently with the United Nations General Assembly and it would feature discussions that border on inclusive growth, food security, economy diversification and foreign direct investment.
Obe said that representatives of International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, African Development Bank, Bill Gates Foundation, EU and Rockefeller Foundation would feature in panel discussions.
NYPF, founded by Mr Moses Siasia, is a non-governmental organisation with more than three million young Nigerian professionals from diverse professions and perspectives.
It recently inaugurated a N500 special seed fund - Young Entrepreneurs and Student Grant Scheme - for young Nigerians as part of efforts to grow more indigenous entrepreneurs and encourage self-reliance.
The Enugu State Deputy Governor, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, on Saturday identified political violence as a major hindrance to women's participation in politics in Nigeria.
Ezeilo made the statement during the inauguration of Women in Politics programme by members of Women Aid Collective in collaboration with the British Department for International Development in Enugu.
"Continuous political violence is the major hurdle faced by women in politics and this has been designed by their perpetrators to scare women away from politics.''
She said such attitude undermined the right of women to participate in public life or get involved in governance. "This present limited participa¬tion of women in political life is fundamentally an ex¬pression of their under¬privileged situation in the society,'' she said.
Ezeilo said that other challenges women faced in politics included cultural barriers, gender discrimination, gender based violence, the lack of financial capacity, among others.
She said there was a need for capacity building to enhance women's skills and knowledge on how to effectively participate in political activities.
She said that Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State had been gender friendly and had ensured mainstreaming of women in all spheres of life.
"Enugu State government has achieved 35 per cent gender inclusion in appointive and decision making positions, such as permanent secretaries and administrative posts in the civil service of the state.
"Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is seriously committed to upholding the principles of gender equality, justice, socio-economic and political inclusion,'' Ezeilo said.
Earlier, the Chairperson, Women Affairs Committee, Enugu State House of Assembly, Mrs Omeje Ogbu, advised women to participate in rural development activities.
Igwe Julius Nnaji, Traditional Ruler, Nike Community in Enugu, urged women to stand up for their rights and encourage their colleagues to measure up to be counted in political development in the state .
Ezeilo made the statement during the inauguration of Women in Politics programme by members of Women Aid Collective in collaboration with the British Department for International Development in Enugu.
"Continuous political violence is the major hurdle faced by women in politics and this has been designed by their perpetrators to scare women away from politics.''
She said such attitude undermined the right of women to participate in public life or get involved in governance.
"This present limited participation of women in political life is fundamentally an expression of their underprivileged situation in the society,'' she said.
Ezeilo said that other challenges women faced in politics included cultural barriers, gender discrimination, gender based violence, the lack of financial capacity, among others.
She said there was a need for capacity building to enhance women's skills and knowledge on how to effectively participate in political activities.
She said that Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State had been gender friendly and had ensured mainstreaming of women in all spheres of life.
"Enugu State government has achieved 35 per cent gender inclusion in appointive and decision making positions, such as permanent secretaries and administrative posts in the civil service of the state.
"Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is seriously committed to upholding the principles of gender equality, justice, socio-economic and political inclusion,'' Ezeilo said.
Earlier, the Chairperson, Women Affairs Committee, Enugu State House of Assembly, Mrs Omeje Ogbu, advised women to participate in rural development activities.
Igwe Julius Nnaji, Traditional Ruler, Nike Community in Enugu, urged women to stand up for their rights and encourage their colleagues to measure up to be counted in political development in the state .
From Asia, Africa and points in between, nearly 1.5 million Muslims began the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia to Islam’s holiest sites Saturday, undeterred by last year’s deadly stampede. The numbers are down because of the absence of tens of thousands of Iranians over tensions between their Shiite nation and the Sunni-dominated Gulf kingdom.
The 2015 stampede magnified those frictions. After preliminary rituals this week in Mecca at the Grand Mosque, pilgrims moved on Saturday, many by bus, to Mina several kilometres (miles) east. In debilitating temperatures exceeding 40 C (100 F), some pilgrims walked under coloured parasols.
They are following in the footsteps of their Prophet Mohammed who performed the same rituals about 1,400 years ago. “It’s an indescribable feeling. You have to live it to understand. This is my sixth hajj and I still cannot express how happy I am to be in Mecca,” said Hassan Mohammed, 60, from Egypt.
The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which capable Muslims must perform at least once, marking the spiritual peak of their lives. “People come from every country of the world, talk every language of the world, and meet here in one place under one banner, the profession of the Muslim faith,” said Ashraf Zalat, 43, also from Egypt.
The first day of hajj was traditionally the chance for pilgrims to let their animals drink and to stock up on water.
– Fireproof tents –
Then they proceed to Mount Arafat, several kilometres further, for the peak of the hajj on Sunday.
Okaz newspaper reported that, for the first time in 35 years, Grand Mufti Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, Saudi Arabia’s top cleric, will not deliver a sermon to the Arafat crowds. The paper cited health reasons. Mina becomes the pilgrims’ base, where an expanse of solidly built white fireproof tents can accommodate 2.6 million people beneath bare mountains.
Last September 24, Mina was the scene of the deadliest disaster in hajj history, when the stampede broke out as pilgrims made their way to the Jamarat Bridge for a stoning ritual. This year’s “Stoning of the Devil” will start on Monday.
Although Riyadh stuck with a stampede death toll of 769, data from foreign officials in more than 30 countries gave a tally almost three times higher — at least 2,297. Saudi Arabia announced an investigation but no results have ever been released, although a number of safety measures have been taken.
Government facilities have been moved out of Mina to free up space, and roads in the Jamarat area expanded, Saudi newspapers reported. Officials have been issuing pilgrims with bracelets that digitally store their personal data, after some foreign officials expressed concern about difficulties in identifying the stampede dead.
Authorities aim to give bracelets to each of the 1.3 million faithful from abroad, who are expected to be joined by more than 100,000 Muslims residing in Saudi Arabia.
– ‘We feel safe’ –
There has been no figure for the number of bracelets distributed so far.
Interior ministry spokesman General Mansour al-Turki spoke of “great efforts being exerted by the kingdom, not only in maintaining the security and safety of the pilgrims, but in facilitating performance” of the rites in comfort.
Pilgrims appeared satisfied on Saturday.
“Everything is well organised,” said Nasser Benfitah, 54, from Morocco.
Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars in hajj infrastructure and safety projects over the years.
This includes expansion of the Grand Mosque whose complex houses a plaza of white stones stretching for hundreds of metres (yards). Just beyond this area, known as the Haram, or sacred site, luxury multi-storey hotels and shopping centres fill the skyline.
The hajj draws rich and poor, whose common humanity is emphasised by the white garment that each man wears. Women wear loose dresses, typically also white. Despite the safety and security measures which Saudi Arabia says it has taken, Iran has questioned the kingdom’s custodianship of Islam’s holiest places.
The two countries do not have diplomatic relations and are at odds over a string of regional issues including the wars in Yemen and Syria. Iran reported the largest number of stampede victims, at 464, and its pilgrims are excluded for the first time in decades after the regional rivals failed to agree on security and logistics.
