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The failure of some commercial banks, privately-owned higher institution of learning and other business concern to pay taxes due to the state government has caused tax authorities of the Osun state government to shut-down those organisations.
Speaking on Monday after a series of enforcement, Chairman of the Osun Internal Revenue Service, OIRS, Mr. Bicci Alli revealed that the organizations in question have rebuffed entreaties from the service to clear their outstanding tax for too long a time.
"We wrote several letters to them as required by the law, but they failed to respond. Months after letter of notice was sent to them, we also sent final demand notices but they were all ignored.
"In fact, before OIRS obtained the court orders to seal the various organisations, a letter of intention to distrain was also issued to them, but was ignored, so we were left with no choice than to seal those organisations who had evaded tax for long."
The organisations sealed include Wema Bank, Unity Bank, Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU) situated at Ikeji Arakeji among others. Mr. Bicci revealed that various organisations owe the state N30bn in taxes.
Speaking on the essence of tax payment, Mr. Bicci revealed that revenue generated helps the state government deliver public goods and services to the residents. Subsequently, he stated that the distraining exercise will be continuous and would be extended to other banks and some other recalcitrant tax corporate and non-corporate payers found guilty of owing the state government until all what is due to the state is recovered.
He noted that Governor Aregbesola has zero tolerance for tax evasion as he intends to complete all outstanding projects, adding that OIRS is set to begin criminal prosecution of all tax defaulters in the State so as to ensure that culprits are made to face the full wrath of the law.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, says the functions of the Federal Government as currently constituted is too big and should be adjusted.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu
He made this assertion in Abuja on Monday during an interview with newsmen.
Ekweremadu said that the Federal Government as currently constituted was too large and difficult to operate.
According to him, the states have little roles to perform whereas the Federal Government is over burdened with responsibilities.
"We believe that the Federal Government as presently constituted is too big and we need to adjust it.
"In a situation where you have in the concurrent list only about 16 items, most of the other things are in the exclusive list.
"It doesn't make sense, so we need to find a way of trimming the Federal Government to the benefit of the component states.
"So that some of these issues don't become federal issues and that is the idea of federalism.
"We are looking at things like arbitration, agriculture, environment and such issues. Some of these things should go to the concurrent list and even the Police," he said.
The deputy president of the senate noted that the solution to Nigeria's security situation was the decentralisation of the Police and allowing state governments to have their police.
He pointed out that each state varied in the kind of security challenges and the kind of policing required.
On the fear that state government could hijack the force in their states, he said that there should be a commission to oversee the state police just like the National Judicial Council (NJC) oversees the judiciary.
"We cannot decentralise the police now because some people are still opposed to it.
"But I think it is beginning to make sense that you cannot be able to deal with our security situation in Nigeria except we change our security architecture.
"There is no place in this world where a federal system has a unitary type of policing which we have now.
"This is why we will continue to get it wrong in solving our security problems.
"It is not going to work until we change the architecture of our policing: a federal state as big as Nigeria must have to adopt a decentralised police.
"But we need to first take Nigerians to the level where they will understand this,'' he said.
Also, Ekwerenmadu said that local governments should also be given some level of autonomy so that they too could perform their functions.
He said the reason for scrapping local governments' account and merging it with state governments was that the states could contribute some money to what the local governments receive from federation accounts.
"We need to create some level of independence for the local governments, especially in the area of funding.
"We can look at section 162 of the constitution where the issue of withdrawing the local government account was created.
"So I believe that if that is abrogated, local government can now get their funds directly. It is not as if we are trying to create something new.
"I was a Local Government Chairman in 1997 and we were getting our funds directly from the Federal Government.
"So, we want to give the local government that level of autonomy so that they are able to perform their constitutional responsibilities," Ekweremadu said.
By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA – In what might sound as a heartbreaking news to thousands of unemployed Nigerians who are frantically applying for the recently-advertised vacancies in the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS, the federal government has declared that only 1, 112 vacancies currently exist in the service.
Minister of Interior, Abdulrahaman Dambazau, who stated this on Monday in Abuja, after presenting a handbook on the operations of the Presidential Executive Order at the Nigeria Immigration Service headquarters, said the vacant slots were the only ones approved by the president.
“There were two aborted Immigration recruitments that were done. The first one led to fatality and casualties. The second one was dispersed following discovery of so many abnormalities I which 2, 000 of them were sent home.
“When we came in November 2015, we looked at the whole thing and we discovered for the second one that it was not all the fault of the candidates as such, but it was the process that was followed that was flawed.
“So, we wrote a memo to Mr President that we should recall those candidates, 2000 of them, so that we can reassess them and the President graciously approved that and we advertised in papers and I think about 1,500 or so reported and out of this number 888 qualified for that recruitment. Now the balance of 1, 112 is what we are working on; that is the reason of the recent advertisement by the Nigerian Immigration Service to recruit that balance of 1,112 and this is the process we are in now”, he said.
He, however, assured of transparency in the recruitment process.
Vanguard checks revealed that no fewer than 80, 000 Nigerians have since applied for the jobs, with many others still unable to access the portal due to technica hitches from its back-end.
In the 2014 botched recruitment, over a hundred thousand Nigerians had applied for less than 4, 000 slots.
On his part, Comptroller General of the service, Muhammed Babandede, said; “We are going to recruit young officers with priority to those who speak foreign languages such as French, Chinese, Arabic; with priority to those who have ICT skills. We are complying with the national level to train quality and not just number.”
…Blocks govt House roundabout By Chinonso Alozie, Owerri Human and vehicular activities, Monday, came to a halt following the heavy downpour which blocked the major streets within the state capital especially the road leading to Imo government House.Front of Imo government House photo: by Chinonso Alozie
The rains which started about 3pm stopped about 17: 04pm.
Vanguard monitored the development and discovered that some streets, Douglas, Wetheral, Assumpta avenue, IMSU junction, Sam Mbakwe road, MCC and Egbu road were no go areas for motorists and pedestrians.
A bus driver, who introduced himself as Chinedu said that he could not continue his journey because the roads have been completely covered by water.
He said: “I can continue driving but I am afraid that the water can carry me and my car into the gutter.”
It was gathered that commuters who their buses were trapped by the rains had no choice than to alight from the vehicles and walked through the waters.
Some spirited citizens were also seen directing people on the ways to pass to avoid them falling into a ditch.
One of them who chooses to be called Okechukwu, said that the drainages in the state capital have been completely blocked by debris, just as residents at the affected areas could not find a way into their houses.
He said: “This situation is very bad for us. Anytime it rains we cannot come into our houses because of the amount of rains in our compounds.”
BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO LOKOJA – The moves to recall Senator Dino Melaye of Kogi West from the National Assembly, Monday, thickened as the pro- Dino’s recall group said they have gathered 188,588 signatures out of the 360,098 registered voters in Kogi West representing 52% percent required for his removal.
This is coming on the heel of a Pro-Dino’s group describing the recall process as a ‘comedy’.
The Special Adviser to the state governor on political affairs, Mr. Pius Kolawole announced this on Monday in Lokoja while addressing party members from the district.
He said that the collation of signatures of voters to that effect was carried out successfully on June 17.
Kolawole commended voters in the district for turning out en mass for the exercise, saying that Section 69 of the 1999 constitution backed their action.
"In 2015, we voted for Dino and now we are using the same method to return him home," he said.
Announcing the result of the collation, the Returning Officer, Mr. Adamu Yusuf said that 188, 588 out of the 360,098 in the senatorial district endowed Melaye's recall.
While giving the breakdown of the result per the seven local governments in the district, Yusuf said 18, 374 of the total number of 35,331 registered voters in Yagba East approved the recall.
Others are 9, 186, out of 18,356 voters in Mopa-Muro local government, 24, 703 out of 46, 810 voters in Yagba West, 63,736 out of 116,296 in Lokoja Local Government and 24,283 out of 46,819 in Ijumu Local Government.
In Kabba/Bunu Local Government, 28,277 out of 60, 520 voters endorsed the recall, while 24,703 out of 46,810 voters in Kogi Local Government voted for move to recall Melaye.
According to Yusuf, with this, the next move is to submit the document to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the next action.
…SEN. DINO’S RECALL A “COMEDY” – PRO DINO
But the Pro Dino’s group under the aegis of Coalition of Enlightened Voters, non-partisan group of electorate in Yagba Federal constituency distanced itself from the recall, describing it as a ‘comedy”.
The group, in a statement titled “Yagba people not part of Senator Dino Melaiye recall farce” signed by Kehinde Abayomi (Yagba East), Temitope Olajide (Yagba West) and Adebayo Michael (Mopamuro), said, “We dissociate Yagba people in the three local government areas of Yagba West, Yagba East and Mopamuro, and the 34 electoral wards in Yagba Federal Constituency, from the farce tagged recall process.
“We note that the comedy falls short of the expectations of the drafters of the relevant law on the recall of a parliamentarian. It is not in our character as Yagba people to orchestrate the recall of elected representatives especially when such a project is not founded on proven allegations of misrepresentation or non-performance.
“Our findings showed that the recall process did not emanate from the electorate, but is a sponsored enterprise based on political malice, initiated by interests outside Kogi West Senatorial District and anchored by state and local government appointees.
“To make things worse, through inducement involving cash and materials, gullible electorate were lured into the submission of their Permanent Voters’ Cards, after being deceived that the collection of the cards was for the purpose of population census.
“The Forum views the foregoing as farcical, ludicrous, absurd and criminal, capable of creating confusion and further divisions among Okun brothers. We condemn the act in its entirety and cal on the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, to commence full investigations into the activities of the purveyors of the farcical recall process.”
The number of graduate applicants in the N-Power job recruitment scheme as at June 18, is a record 753,307, which has exceeded by 2307, the number of both graduate and non-graduate applicants in 2016.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job creation, Mr Afolabi Imoukhuede, disclosed this to journalists in Asaba, Delta, on Sunday describing the figure, as a landmark.
He said that the figure for 2017 was generated barely five days after the application was opened on June 14, while the applications for the previous year were got during the two and half months it was opened.
According to the SSA, N-Teach, the teacher volunteer aspect of the scheme, got the highest applications so far with 470,456 while N-Agro the Agriculture extension section of the scheme followed with 127,315.
N-Power: record 750,000 graduates apply
He said that N-Health generated 85,691 applications while the latest component, the N-Tax, generated 69,842 applications in five days.
Imoukhuede said that in 2016 the total graduate applicants were 350,000 being less than 50 per cent of the applications already received in less than one week of entries for 2017.
He said the reason for the large number of applications might be because "a lot of graduates now have faith in the scheme unlike last year when many were a bit skeptical and refused to apply.''
He said that in spite of the number, the Federal Government would restrict itself to the recruitment of 300,000 graduates in the current scheme in order not to exceed the programme's budget for the period.
Imoukhuede hinted that the selection process would maintain same transparency as in 2016 and expressed gratitude that the hiccup in 2016 registration was completely absent in 2017.
He added that everyone to be engaged this year must satisfy the recruitment requirements outlined in the advertisement such as age and academic qualification as well as completion of the NYSC scheme.
The SSA noted that the N-Power was a lifeline provided by Muhammadu Buhari administration to curb the high rate unemployment rate in the country as promised during his presidential election campaign in 2015.
According to him, volunteerism is a global scheme performed free by those working in other countries but Buhari has promised N30,000 monthly stipend to each graduate volunteer in the country.
He advised the youth to take advantage of the scheme to improve their employability skills and also add value to the society especially in the rural areas.
He said the N-Power had received a lot of commendations from the public since its inception.
He showed pressmen a particular commendation by one Lucky Odiase who also begged the" leaders to let N-power be the hub for employment to all federal jobs'' because "it is so transparent.''
Other commendations had come from Olajide Abiola, Cyril Onyeama, and Umar Mohammed who hailed the engagement of N-power with the youth on timely responses to queries and concluded that it showed that "the country can get things right''.
One Gabriel Atume simply wrote "God Almighty will bless PMB (Buhari) and Osinbajo a thousand folds for bringing dividends of democracy to the grassroots''.
Newsmen report that the applications for 2017 will last from June 14 through July 13.
By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA – The federal government has challenged the Federal Inland Revenue Service FIRS and the Nigerian Customs Service NCS to rev up their efforts at increased revenue generation if major projections in the 2017 budget are to be met.
Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, who was speaking at the 2017 breakdown session said although certain developments affected the realization of projected government revenue last year, the administration is working hard to ensure increase in revenues to fund the 2017 budget.Recovered Money
"In terms of implementation of the Budget, we are making strenuous efforts to find the resources required. We are challenging our revenue generating agencies, particularly the (Federal Inland Revenue Service) FIRS and Customs, to improve their efficiencies and broaden their reach so as to achieve the targets set for them in the 2017 Budget", he explained.
Udoma also said in spite of criticisms about government borrowings, the country's fiscal deficit is still well within the three per cent (3%) limit and government is keeping very tight control on the size of the budget to make sure the fiscal deficit remains within the 3% threshold.
He said; "we are also engaging more extensively with the communities and people of the Niger Delta to minimize disruptions to oil production".
Reviewing the 2016 Budget performance, Senator Udoma said there was reasonable progress on implementation and achievement of set targets even though aggregate revenues was less than projections, mainly due to disruptions in oil production in the Niger Delta region. "As at year-end, FGN's 2016 actual revenue was N2.95 trillion (76.4% of the N3.85 trillion budgeted). Oil revenue was N697.8 billion (97.2% of budget); Company Income Tax (CIT) and Value Added Tax (VAT) collections were N457.91 billion and 108.72 billion respectively, representing 52.8% and 54.8% of amounts budgeted; while Customs collections of N247.42 billion implied a 63.6% performance”, he explained.
The Minister explained that in designing the 2017 Budget, certain critical international factors that affect Nigeria as a country were considered, including the protracted period of lower oil prices, major macroeconomic realignments in China, increasing divergence in monetary policy in major economies, uncertain economic, political and institutional implications of BREXIT, weak demand in advanced economies and its spill-over effects; and geopolitical tensions in several countries. On the domestic front also, the budget had to be designed at a critical time when the economy was experiencing contraction in growth (-2.06% in Q1 2016, now -0.52% in Q1 2017), insurgency and Insecurity parts of the North East, crude oil theft and pipeline vandalisation, foreign Exchange (FX) scarcity and Exchange rate tension.
External reserves were down to US$26.59 billion in May 2016 but now about US$30.28 billion, high Unemployment rate (from 13.9% as at Q3 2016 to 14.2% in Q4 2016), and inflation (18.55% as at December 2016, 16.25% as at May 2017), he added. He explained that the 2017 Budget reflects "our fiscal plan to restore the economy to the path of sustainable and inclusive growth, the specific goals and targets of which are set out in the 2017 – 2020 Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP)". The Minister said the 2017 Budget is an infrastructure Budget and government takes transportation very seriously, which is why so much has been voted for roads and railways.
On the late passage of the last two national budgets, the Minister said in the months ahead, the Executive will work with the National Assembly to ensure that Nigeria returns to a predictable January – December fiscal year, with the budget signed into law ahead of the commencement of the fiscal year in the near future.
Also speaking at the event, the Director General of the Budget Office, Mr Ben Akabueze, said government is determined to bridge the gap between citizens and government by the measures being taken to promote greater transparency and accountability in the entire budget framework. "Our membership of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) has strengthened our resolve to enhance stronger citizen engagement and improved public service delivery".
Miss Nigeria, Chioma Obiadi, has advised future beauty queens to work more on showcasing their talents and intellect rather than physical beauty during the various stages of selection and their tenure in office.
The reigning queen, Obiadi, told newsmen during a visit by the Miss Nigeria Organisation that her unique selling point that eventually won her the coveted position was her analytical ways of issues affecting the country when she appeared before the various panels.
Miss Nigeria Chioma Obiadi: urges future queens to showcase talent
"I will like to advise up-and-coming Miss Nigerians or futuristic Nigerians to work more on showcasing their talents and intellects rather than beauty, which got me into this position.
" This is because the position of Miss Nigeria is achallenging ambassadorial office which requires tasking the occupants to proffer solutions to many contemporary issues affecting the society.
"Any Miss Nigeria must be 80 per cent of brain and intellectual know-how and 20 per cent of beauty because every girl is beautiful.
"This is not me showcasing my body, this is me building myself and working for my country.
" You want to be the most confident and feel amazing about yourself.
"I have never been more aware of social issues or more sensitive to how people feel about their environments more than now that I am occupying the driver's seat.
" You should focus more on substance than the physical look.
" If you feel you have to be dressed in a certain way or a certain piece of luxury for you to be someone, it means you are not worthy of it.
"It means you do not have the substances required of you to occupy the post of Miss Nigeria,'' she said.
Miss Nigeria said that she belief that any reigning beauty queen's priority should be how she could impact positively on the society by initiating and implementing enduring projects that could stand the test of time.
Her tenure should not be about showcasing designers' wears and branded accessories such as shoes and bags, Obiadi said.
She also advised girls to look up to women of good standing and substance in the society as their role models.
" Oprah Winfrey is my role model because of how she struggled in life to become great despite various challenges that she confronted.
"My role model had her life very tough; she had a lot of challenging times in her life.
"After reading through her life story; how she became pregnant at a tender age and losing the child afterward, I felt, that was the worst thing that would ever happen to anybody.
"If she could go through all of that and still made it to where she is now, then I don't know what my excuse is, I don't know what your excuse is.
"I say if you dream it, you can live it. Keep pushing, keep striving, pray to God, believe in God and do not do to others what you would not want them to do to you. Everything will be fine, "she said.
She was grateful to various corporate organisations and private individuals that had assisted the Miss Nigeria Organization in funding her projects.
"We need more assistance from other corporate organisations and private individuals.
" We have written letters to some state governments, various parastatal agencies and some private organisations who have agreed with what we are doing.
"We have been going to schools for this same sensitisation programme on how o keep our environments tidy.
"We have got feedbacks from parents who said their wards had been able to differentiate between recyclables and non-recyclables.
"This will make the children grow to understand that they are obligated to take care of their environment, " she said.
Whether they're spoken about openly, or talked about in hushed tones, there are corners of almost every major city where the sex trade is thriving.
From Nevada to Amsterdam, Paris, and Bangkok, red-light districts have occupied a place in the minds of artists, writers, self-professed bohemians, moralists, ethicists, and travellers for centuries.
Of course, a tangle of thorny dilemmas needs to be untied before you consider adding the world's most notorious red-light districts to your itinerary.
First and foremost, you'll want to consider what it means to partake in a spectacle that quite often exploits already marginalised communities of women, LGBTQ people, the economically disadvantaged, and people of colour.
Red-light district: sex trading
It's important to keep in mind that many of those who participate in the sex trade are not doing so consensually.
There's also the question of legality. While cities like Amsterdam have notoriously liberal laws that, ostensibly, make entering the sex trade a choice that's regulated (and therefore sanitised and de-stigmatised), in other parts of the world, it's an outright crime.
This is to say nothing of the involvement of sex work in exacerbating already existing cycles of poverty and violence in regions where tourism has already contributed to single-sector economies.
Now, with all that in mind, here are a few of the world's most infamous red-light districts, ranging from outright sexual free-for-alls to sanitised tolerance zones and violent neighbourhoods where tourists should never be seen.
Consider yourself warned.
PATPONG MARKET, BANGKOK, THAILAND
With its sky-high temperatures and fast pace of life, Bangkok is essentially primed for all things steamy and sordid. So it's not surprising that the city's notoriously laid-back attitudes toward sex work — it's not exactly legal, but not illegal either — have made Bangkok a hub for the trade in Southeast Asia.
And while those facts certainly means that you're in for an experience walking the streets around Patpong Market, Soi Nana, and Soi Cowboy, it can feel more than a little insidious, and concerns about human trafficking should not be underestimated.
A tour of Patpong Market, past the mouth-watering street food stands and tables full of cheap T-shirts, is an assault on senses and sensibilities. You'll hear hawkers selling everything from ping-pong shows to live sex, and most — if not all — of the participants can be had for a price. However, if you talk to most people who've witnessed these escapades, the effect is far from arousing.
For those who do choose to step into the bars and clubs in these parts of town — particularly in Patpong — expect strictly enforced (and exorbitantly priced) drink minimums, aggressive management, and high-pressure sales tactics.
DEWALLEN, AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam's red-light district is one of the most famous in the world.Source:Supplied
Amsterdam may conjure many images in the minds of travellers: charming canals, bright orange Olympic speed-skating outfits, quaint row houses, the smell of weed, and Dutch pancakes all come to mind.
Of course, it also has one of the world's most well-known red-light districts — and it's a major draw on the city's tourist circuit.
In Amsterdam, sex workers occupy windowed cabins along the streets of the De Wallen, a gentrifying part of town that's home to students, tourists, and sex workers alike.
Laws since 2000 have cleaned up what was once a part of town that was plagued by social ills. These days, pimping is illegal, brothels must be licensed, and everyone involved — from the client to the worker — pay taxes. The city even has a union for sex workers.
Additionally, organisations like the Prostitution Information Center offer pro-sex and pro-legalisation platforms for sex workers in the city (as well as tours of the De Wallen with former sex workers). The aim is to destigmatise those in the industry while empowering workers who choose to engage in this line of employment.
Even so, this isn't to say that it's all rosy in Amsterdam's sex trade, despite the hazy pink glow cast over the De Wallen from its iconic red lights. While the window-bound form of sex work is heavily regulated, ethical concerns still flourish about other forms of street-based sex work, and despite numerous arrests and crackdowns, human trafficking continues to be present in the city.
PIGALLE, PARIS, FRANCE
Ah, Paris — it's a city for romance and love. All around, doe-eyed couples ogle sights like the Eiffel Tower, the gilt halls of Versailles, and the collection at the Louvre.
Perhaps it makes sense that the sexier side of life can be found here as well — and even though sex work is illegal in Paris, officials generally turn a blind eye to the industry. In fact, if you're heading up to the stunning Basilica of Sacre Coeur, or snapping a selfie with the Moulin Rouge, you'll be traipsing through what is still Paris' most active red-light district.
Sex shops, porn stores, strip clubs, and peep shows are abundant throughout Pigalle, and street workers ply the busier areas as well. You should note that petty crime isn't unheard of in this part of town, and soliciting sex workers is illegal in France.
Pigalle is also home to lots of rowdy bars and clubs, and when alcohol-fuelled belligerence gets added to the mix, the vibe can escalate quickly. However, like any good metropolis worth its weight in capitalist salt, the area is rapidly gentrifying, particular in what's known as South Pigalle — a haven for the hipster elite to spend their money of bespoke cocktails, one-off hoodies, and tiny plates of food.
KABUKICHO, TOKYO, JAPAN
The host and hostess clubs of Kabukicho are the stuff of legend. Right smack in the middle of one of the busiest tourist quarters of Tokyo — the Shinjuku district — sits this sex-packed part of town.
Here, bars staffed exclusively by pretty young men and women host visitors, and rates coincide with the club's reputation. In most of these establishments, the men and women are paid to dote on customers, but services remain fairly tame (conversation and flirting).
However, bars where sex is for sale are certainly on nearly every block in this part of Tokyo as well. It's also worth noting that management can get extremely aggressive about how much a customer owes for drinks during any visit — and that sometimes doesn't match the price quoted upon entering the establishment.
Foreigners are sometimes excluded from these venues. And in case you thought that well-mannered Japan would have a spick-and-span sex trade, think again. Sex work is technically illegal (though there are ways around these laws), and organised crime plays a major part in the daily goings on in Kabukicho.
Britain accepted the European Union’s timetable for Brexit talks on Monday, in an apparent climbdown on the first day of formal negotiations in Brussels.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the talks with Brexit minister David Davis, which are starting a full year after Britain’s seismic vote to leave, had started “on the right foot”.
In carefully choreographed talks that even saw the two men exchange mountaineering gifts, they agreed to discuss divorce issues before negotiations on a future trade deal can start.
These include the thorny issues of Britain’s estimated 100-billion-euro ($112 billion) exit bill, the rights of EU citizens living in Britain, and the fate of the border in Northern Ireland.
But the agreement appeared at odds with British Prime Minister Theresa May’s earlier insistence that the divorce and the future relationship should be discussed in parallel.
A woman walks past a house where “Vote Leave” boards are displayed in Redcar, north east England on June 27, 2016
Frenchman Barnier struck a firm tone as he said the timetable for Britain’s divorce after four troubled decades of membership made sense.
“If you ask me are we going to make concessions, I must tell you that it is the UK that is leaving the EU, the single market, the customs union and not the other way around,” the former European commissioner and French foreign minister told a joint press conference with Davis.
– ‘Position hasn’t changed’ –
Davis said the talks were off to a “promising start” and denied that Britain had caved in on the sequencing of the talks.
“That position hasn’t changed, it’s the same as it was before,” said Davis, a tough-talking figure in the “Leave” campaign in last year’s Brexit referendum.
He also confirmed that Britain would opt for a “hard Brexit” that involves quitting the EU’s single market and customs union, rejecting suggestions that after a poor election performance by May the line might be softened.
“We need back control of our borders, we will leave the single market and the customs union.” he said.
Worried by immigration and loss of sovereignty, Britons voted last June to become the first nation ever to leave the 28-nation EU.
The vote came as a profound shock to Brussels against a backdrop of rising anti-EU sentiment, with many — including now US President Donald Trump — predicting the bloc’s eventual break-up.
But May’s mandate for a hard Brexit has since eroded after her Conservative party lost its parliamentary majority in the June 8 general election.
Britain’s political instability has caused concerns in European capitals hoping to get the negotiations over with quickly and cleanly, as has May’s oft-repeated threat to walk away from the talks without a deal if necessary.
Barnier however said that “a fair deal is possible and is far better than no deal — that is what I said to David today. That is why we will work all the time with the UK, and never against the UK.”
– ‘Rebuild trust’ –
The two sides will hold four further monthly rounds of talks, with the next on July 17, with the aim of getting the remaining 27 EU countries to agree this autumn to move on to the trade talks phase.
The talks will be in English and French, they said in a joint statement.
Davis said Prime Minister May will also set out at an EU summit on Thursday her proposals for the rights of the three million EU nationals living in Britain, and one million Britons in the EU, with the British government to publish a detailed offer next Monday.
EU officials had earlier warned May not to make that offer so early in the talks.
“The best way we can spend this week is to rebuild trust,” rather than tackle the big difficult issues right at the start, a European source said.
In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasised the unity of the remaining 27 EU countries, who have been alarmed in recent weeks by May’s threats to walk out of the talks.
“I would like us to get a good agreement that is in both sides' interests. But the 27 of us will formulate our interests very clearly and hopefully, together,” Merkel said.
– 2019 deadline –
After the initial shock of last year’s Brexit vote, the bloc at 27 appears to have steadied in recent months and got a real morale boost with the election of French President Emmanuel Macron in May
Macron, a committed pro-EU leader and ally of Merkel, also easily won French legislative elections on Sunday, cementing his power base.
But many in Brussels fear that London has no real strategy, with May under pressure at home and still trying to close a deal with a conservative Northern Ireland party to stay in power, and facing criticism for her handling of the aftermath of a devastating tower block fire.
Barnier has warned that the negotiations must be wrapped up by October 2018 to allow time for all parties to ratify a final accord by March 2019.
Three teenage boys appeared in court on Monday on rape charges after a video emerged showing a trio of youths sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the South African city of Bloemfontein, the prosecution said.
The boys aged 15, 16 and 17 years were arrested after the video was posted on social media last week.
It showed two youths in school uniform fondling and trying to forcibly kiss the girl on school premises, local media said.
“The three are facing charges of rape,” national prosecution authority spokesman in the central Free State province, Phaladi Shuping told AFP.
One of the boys is facing an additional charge of distributing pornographic material.
They did not enter pleas and are expected to return to court on June 27.
South Africa has some of the highest number of rape cases in the world, with small children and elderly women among the victims.
In Tunisia, young women are expected to be virgins when they marry, leading to a growing trade in hymen reconstruction surgery.
Yasmine (not her real name) looks nervous. She's biting her nails and checks her mobile phone constantly.
"I consider this to be deception and I'm really worried," she says.
Women in Tunisia want to be virgins again
We're on the fourth floor of a private clinic in Tunis – the gynaecology service. Around us in the pink waiting room, other women wait patiently to be seen.
Yasmine confides in me that she is having a hymenoplasty, a short procedure that promises to reconstruct her virginity surgically.
We claim to live in a modern society… but there's not much modernity when it comes to women's sexuality and freedom
Samia Elloumi, Sociologist
Her wedding is due to take place in two months' time and the 28-year-old is worried that her husband will find out she is not a virgin.
She has come here to turn back the clock but is concerned that at some point in the future the truth may come out.
"I might one day inadvertently betray myself in a conversation with my husband," she says. "Or my husband may have… suspicions."
Pressure
There have been some reports of young women here being divorced shortly after marrying because their husbands suspected they were not virgins.
"I had an affair once with a man," she says. "At that time, I couldn't imagine how huge the pressure was in my society and what the consequences could be.
The doctor who will carry out the procedure for Yasmine is a gynaecologist, whom we will call Rachid. He does two hymenoplasties a week, on average.
Rachid says 99% of his patients are motivated by the fear that they might otherwise bring shame to their family and relatives.
Many, like Yasmine, are seeking to disguise the fact that they are not virgins.
But hymens can tear for other reasons too, such as tampon use, leaving women worried that they may be accused, falsely, of having had sex before marriage.
"Gynaecologists do hymen repair. This is nothing exceptional," Rachid says. "But here some doctors refuse to do it. I personally do it because I disagree with those who make virginity a sort of sacred thing.
"It really annoys me. This is a manifestation of a male-dominated society covered up in some religious principles. I mean it when I say it's male dominance and I'll continue to wage an all-out war against it."
'Hypocritical'
Tunisia is regarded as a leader in women's rights in North Africa but religion and tradition here dictate that young women have to remain virgins until they are married.
There is also provision in Tunisian law for divorce in cases where women are discovered not to be virgins.
Sociologist Samia Elloumi says: "In this Tunisian society, which is an open society, we are becoming hypocritical.
"There is a sort of predominant social conservatism which is hard to justify because we claim to live in a modern society. But there's not much modernity when it comes to women's sexuality and freedom."
"If I find out that she's not a virgin after the wedding, I'll never trust her again. I'll consider it a betrayal. And I don't believe in hymenoplasty operations. I don't think it works."
Sitting next to him is Radhouam, another student. He says that Tunisian tradition is too harsh on women.
"For me, this is pure hypocrisy," he says. "Young men can freely have sex before marriage, so why do we blame young girls when they do so?"
A tight-knit Muslim community in the suburbs of Washington was in shock Monday after a 17-year-old girl was apparently beaten to death and dumped in a pond following late-night prayers at the local mosque.
Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, have charged a 22-year-old local man, Darwin Martinez Torres, with the teenager’s killing, and said on Twitter they were “NOT investigating this murder as a hate crime.”
But social media lit up with expressions of anger over the crime, which follows a series of deadly incidents targeting Muslims in North America, and condolence over the sudden, seemingly random death of a young girl.
While the teen has yet to be officially named by police, friends and worshippers at the mosque in Sterling, known as the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, identified her as Nabra Hassanen, from the nearby town of Reston.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday as a group of young Muslims were walking back from the town center plaza after midnight prayers at the mosque, according to accounts by police and worshippers.
“A man who appeared to be drunk got out of his car with a bat,” one of the youths, Tasneem Khan, wrote on social media.
All of the youths with the exception of Hassanen managed to run back to the mosque upon seeing the assailant.
Arsalan Iftikhar, an international human rights lawyer and commentator who attended the prayer service, said the teen was “apparently beaten to death by this man.”
Fairfax County police spokesman Don Gotthardt told AFP the assault is not being treated as a hate crime at this stage because “there is no information connecting the victim’s faith or religion to the crime.”
Still, on Twitter, many people expressed incredulity.
“Anyone want to explain to me why this isn’t being investigated as a hate crime? I am disgusted and so very saddened by this,” wrote someone with the handle @MaisieRae.
“We need strong leaders in this country condemning hate crimes or we need new leaders who will,” added @paulshread.
– Last days of Ramadan –
A vigil for the slain girl has been scheduled for Wednesday evening in her home town of Reston.
The attack occurred during the waning days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when observant Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. In North America, Ramadan is due to end with Eid al-Fitr celebrations starting Saturday.
The teens had apparently gone out to eat at a restaurant before starting their fast at sunrise. Hassanen was reported missing around 4:00 am and the remains were found at a nearby pond around 3:00 pm.
Police would not immediately confirm the nature of the assault and the exact manner of her death, pending a review by the chief medical examiner.
A widely distributed Snapchat photographic montage showed Hassanen, who wore a Muslim veil, smiling and sporting a golden nose ring.
Last month, two men were fatally stabbed in Portland, Oregon as they intervened to stop a man hurling anti-Muslim slurs at two teenage girls, one of whom was wearing a hijab. Another man who tried to halt the attack was also wounded.
In Quebec, six worshippers were shot dead in an attack on a mosque in January.
No fewer than 200 youths in Anambra will benefit from the second edition of Anambra Skills Acquisition Training.
Newsmen, report that the training would be conducted at the Federal Youth Development Centre, Mgbakwu, Awka North Local Government Area.
Chief Willie Obiano
Speaking at its inaguration in Awka, the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Entrepreneurship, Mrs Uju Nwogu, said the training was in line with the efforts of Gov. Willie Obiano to empower the youths. She added that the training was also to make the youths self-reliant and self-confident by equipping them with contemporary skills to combat unemployment.
"You may recall that last year at the Centre in Mgbakwu, 200 youths of Anambra origin were trained in various self-sustaining skills.
"Now less than a year, another batch of 200 will commence the training.
"This is a demonstration of our believe that developing entrepreneurial mind-set in the youths is panacea to economic growth.
"We are sure that the enormous resources being committed for the success of this programme will be justified.
"Thank God for the governor who has made this possible because he believes in the youth as the future of our state," she said. The commissioner said the beneficiaries would be trained on various skills such as shoe making, confectionery, decorations, phone repairs, solar power and interlocking. She added that they would also be trained on landscaping, tiling, wall screeding, Plasta of Paris (POP), fish hatchery, hair-making and other entrepreneurial skills.
Declaring the training open, Gov Obiano, represented by Mr Harry Uduh, the state Head of Service, urged the youths to bear good fruit and justify the investment on them.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudy weather conditions over the central states of the country on Tuesday morning, with chances of localised thunderstorms over Yola, Lafia, Abuja, Jos and Mambilla Plateau.
NiMet's Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office (CFO) on Monday in Abuja also predicted day and Night temperatures of 27 to 32 and 16 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.
It added that there were prospects of localised thunderstorms over Abuja, Minna, Kaduna, Ilorin and Bida later in the day.
The agency predicted that southern states would experience cloudy morning over the inland cities and rains over Eket, Ikom and Obudu, as well as rains over the coastal areas throughout the day.
It also predicted localised thunderstorm over Enugu, Akure, Owerri and Ibadan in the afternoon and evening, with day and night temperatures of 29 to 32 and 21 to 23 degrees celsius respectively.
According to NiMet, northern states would experience cloudy morning, with prospects of isolated thunderstorm over Sokoto, Yelwa and Kebbi.
"There are prospects of isolated thunderstorm over Damaturu, Potiskum, Gombe and Maiduguri during the afternoon and evening hours, with day and night temperatures of 29 to 38 and 21 to 26 degrees celsius respectively.
"There are chances of isolated thunderstorm in most places across the country, especially in the afternoon and evening periods in the next 24 hours'', NiMet predicted.
FIFA’s ethics team had been investigating the role played by the organisation’s president, Gianni Infantino, in the Confederation of African Football’s presidential elections before being removed from office, sources said on Monday.
Fifa President, Gianni Infantino
Swiss prosecutor Cornel Borbely, who was chairman of the ethics committee’s investigatory chamber, had opened an invstigation into suggestions Infantino might have sought to influence the election of Madagascar’s Ahmad Ahmad as president of CAF in March.
He and Hans-Joachim Eckert, the German former judge, were removed from their posts in May.
Contacted on Monday, FIFA did not provide any reaction.
The investigation stemmed from evidence provided by African representatives, a source close to FIFA said.
Several African witnesses had been set to travel to FIFA headquarters in the Swiss city of Zurich but at least one of them had their summons cancelled after Borbely was removed from his post, the same source said.
British newspaper The Guardian reported on Sunday that Infantino was being investigated for claims he had promised, along with FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura, to accelerate payments of development money to national football associations if the presidents voted for Ahmad.
“It is an open secret that president Gianni Infantino and general secretary Fatma Samoura did everything to get the Malagasy Ahmad Ahmad elected,” another source close to FIFA said.
The same source indicated that Infantino wanted rid of previous CAF chief Issa Hayatou, who had not backed the Swiss-Italian when he stood for the FIFA presidency in February 2016.
Cameroon’s Hayatou, 70, had been in the post for 29 years and had been censured by the International Olympic Committee in 2011 for receiving money from ISL — the Swiss marketing firm was in charge of rights for FIFA before going bust in 2001.
“The work in support of Ahmad was carried out by the Congolese Veron Monsengo, Infantino’s Mister Africa,” said the same source, adding that “it was prepared during a visit by Gianni Infantino to Zimbabwe.”
That visit took place just before the CAF election.
FIFA announced their decision to remove Borbely and Eckert during the organisation’s congress in Bahrain last month.
Borbely said the decision was “a setback in the fight against corruption” as there were “several hundred cases” of corruption pending.
The duo were replaced by Colombian magistrate Maria Claudia Rojas and Vassilios Skouris of Greece, a former president of the European Court of Justice.
An economist and financial expert, Catherine Enaohwo, has unveiled a literature book with the title ‘ THRIVE ‘, to engage the youth generation in a success-inspiring context garnished with entertainment style.
While the launch of the complete work is to hold in July, Catherine has wetted the appetite of her prospective readers across several socio-economic classes and age brackets with the recent unveiling of the book cover at her 40th birthday celebration in held at the prestigious Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The unveiling of 'THRIVE' cover follows the success of her earlier book: 'Cracking the Code to Success' which she co-authored with Brain Tracy and is currently one of the best-sellers on Amazon.com.
Thrive
Structurally, THRIVE contains 12 chapters talking about the various principles that should guide man in achieving the ultimate life goals.
Some of the chapters of the book, which are as follows: Detest Mediocrity, Seek to add Value first, and not just money; look before you ‘Lip’; Integrity is key; Resilience; Be productive and not just active; Be focused and Prepared,” she highlighted adding that this is to make the present and future youth generations realize that there is no limit to how much they can achieve and how far they can go.
Catherine, a professional, mother and author, revealed the philosophy behind the writing of the book and the choice of its title as the quest to move from the known to the unknown.
"The known meaning of the word ‘thrive’ is to grow and increase stature; or to grow vigorously and luxuriantly; or to flourish, increase in wealth, prosper, and be profitable," said Enaohwo, who is an alumna of Wits Business School (South Africa) and the New York Institute of Finance (USA).
Popularly nicknamed Catherine 'de' Great by her friends and associates, Catherine has attained the status of 'Fellow' in notable institutes such as the Institute of Chartered Economists of Nigeria (ICEN), the Chartered Institute of Professional Financial Managers (USA) and the Institute of Professional Financial Consultants (Nigeria).
Catherine is a council member of the Chartered Institute of Professional Financial Managers (CIPFM), West Africa.
Meanwhile, she says beyond the dictionary meaning of her new book, "you will find that, in my book, I’m almost impatient with the popular view of success, which, for most people, is equivalent to just getting by."
According to her, “If there is one message in my book, it is that success is certainly not about just getting by neither it is all about discovering and harnessing your talents.
"That is sure better than nothing, but, to thrive, you will need to be doing the best thing you were created to do, which will be your biggest contribution to humanity.”
She further explained that to make significant contributions to the humanity may require that one learn some skills, hire some skills, or partner with people, who have certain skills or resources, or advantages not available in "your comfort zone."
On how she chose the title for the book, she said: “I wanted a one-word title and decided that the best word that captures the essence of my message is that six-letter word — THRIVE,”
Speaking further on the motivative impetus behind the book, she explained: “In everything I do, except by compulsion, I am driven by my quest to enhance myself and enrich society. The motivation to write and publish this book emanated from these two basic principles.”
She continued: “The book is about my perspective on sustainable success, what it really means, and how it can be achieved.
“I look around me today and find people content with mediocrity; not striving to be more or to achieve more. They seem content with being in ‘survival mode’. They do not seek Excellence. But I believe everyone of us must seek to be better, even at our perceived best.”
A mother to beautiful Uvie, fondly known as Mimmi, Catherine said the book is focused on unleashing the inner genius in all and sundry, arming them to achieve sustainable success.
Asked how she has managed to combine her career as a professional economist with writing, Catherine said that the two are related, adding, “My writing reflects the principles that guide my activities as an economist and investment banker for almost 20 years.”
Written and Edited by the Education editor, Mr. Dayo
For Nigerian economy to adequately grow and deliver desired results, experts, stakeholders, industry practitioners are clamouring for a total clamp down on counterfeit products either produced or imported into the country, without which legitimate jobs will continue to be at risk.
At the World Anti Counterfeit day held in Lagos, stakeholders in both private and public sectors agreed that until government and other players in the Nigerian business environment push hard against the inflow of counterfeiting, the economy would remain under threat.
According to the chairman, Anti Counterfeit Collaboration Nigeria (ACC), Mr Desmond Opeyemi Adeola, "we align with other stakeholders and collaborate with BASCAP, INTA, GACG, INTERPOL, WCO, US Chamber of Commerce, NIROPHARM to oppose and condemn the notorious transnational trade in counterfeiting that has become a global menace. "A recent report by ICC and BASCAP indicated that counterfeiting is projected to drain $4.2T from global economy and put over 5.4 million legitimate jobs at risk by 2022. The report also revealed that Nigeria is one of those countries increasingly become a target destination and significant transit route for counterfeit and pirated products."
Adeola said that the consequences of this is that the Nigerian economy is at risk if proper measures are not taken on time as trade in counterfeits creates an underground economy that deprives government of revenue for vital public services, forces higher burdens on tax payers, dislocates hundreds of thousands of legitimate jobs and exposes consumers to dangerous and ineffective products that ultimately threatens to damage the equity and consumer confidence in the legitimate brands being counterfeited.
"It is important to also point out that an effective policy for intellectual right protection including anti-counterfeiting measures is strongly required to achieve a better ranking in the ease of doing business in Nigeria. ACC today, lends his voice to that of our partners in calling for closer government attention and improved government support towards combating the menace of counterfeiting. We call for a speedy drive towards legal reforms and strengthening of the legal frame work as the current laws has virtually no deterrence value and offers little as a barrier against counterfeiting hence the legislative arm of government have a key role to play. We also commend the ongoing efforts of SON, NAFDAC and CPC in driving enforcements and we use this opportunity to call for improved training, capacity building and inter agency cooperating.
"The Anti Counterfeiting Collaboration, Nigeria a non-political, non-governmental, non-profit making coalition which was conceived in 2006 aimed at bringing brand owners, enforcement agencies and interested parties together to form an effective 'opposition party' against counterfeiters, infringers and pirates in Nigeria", Adeola said.
"We must play our part in making Nigeria an enabling environment for talent development and expression, a very attractive destination for investment and above all a successful nation".
Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu has said that the federal Government and its functions must be trimmed if the country is to be administered effectively.
This is even as he stated clearly that the solution to Nigeria's security situation was the decentralisation of the Police and allowing state police to operate.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen, he said that the federal government as currently constitution was too large and difficult to operate.
The DSP noted that the states had little roles to perform whearas the the federal government is over burdened with responsibility.
"We believe that the Federal Governemnt as presently constituted is too big and we need to adjust it. In a situation where you have in the concurrent list only about 16 items, most of the other things are in the exclusive list.
"It doesn't make sense: so we need to find a way of trimming the Federal Government to the benefit of the component states so that some of these issues don't become federal issues and that is the idea of federalism.
"We are looking at that: things like arbitration, agriculture, environment and such issues. Some of these things should go to the concurrent list and even Police," he said.
Speaking particularly about the police, the Deputy President of the Senate pointed out that each state varied in the kind of security challenges and the kind of policing required.
On the fear that state government could hijack the force in their states, he said that there should be a commission to oversee the state police just like the NJC over sees the judiciary.
"We cannot decentralise the police now because some people are still opposed to it but i think it is beginning to make sense that you cannot be able to deal with our security situation in Nigeria except we change our security architecture.
"There is no place in this world where there is a federal system, has a unitary tyoe of policing which we have now and that is why we will continue to get it wrong in solving our security problems.
Ekweremadu
"It is not going to work until we change the architecture of our policing: a federal state as big as Nigeria must have to adopt a decentralised police.
"This means that in Sokoto they will create their kind of Police, in Kano they will create their own: the kind of Police that will work in Kano may not necessarily work in Enugu.
"But we need to first take Nigerians to the level where they will understand this.
"He said that the fear of abuse by state government can be dealth with by creating a commission that can monitor the police like the NJC monitors the judiciary." he said.
Ekwerenmadu went on to stress that Local Government should also be given some level of autonomy so that they too can perform their functions.
He said that the reason for scrapping LGA account and merging with state government account was that the states could contribute some money to what the LGAs receive from the FG.
"We need to create some level of independence for the local government especially in the area of funding.
Look at section 162 of the constitution where the issue of withdrawing the LG account was created.
"So I believe that if that is abrogated, local government can now get their funds directly. It is not as if we are trying to create something new.
"I was a local government chairman in 1997 and we were getting our funds directly from the Federal Government.
"So we want to guve the loca government that level of autonomy so that they are able to perform their constitutional responsibilities.
The Acting chairman of the Osun Internal Revenue Service, OIRS, Mr. Bicci Alli has appealed to the unemployed graduates in Osun state to seize the opportunity and apply for tax liaison officers in the social empowerment programme of the federal government known as N-Power which commenced recruitment process of graduates across the country last week.
Mr. Bicci revealed that hundreds of graduates will be employed as Community Tax Liason Officers (CTLOs) across the state.
N-Power
The N-Power programme which is expected to reduce unemployment rate in the country will engage a fresh 300,000 graduates in teaching, agriculture, healthcare and tax collection.
A statement by the Secretary, JTB, M L Abubakar, said the programme is available for people within the age of 18-35 years and will cover a period of two years.
The desire to diversify the nation's economy warranted the introduction of Community Tax Liaison Officers (CTLOs) for the Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), a new field of the programme meant to optimize government revenue at all level.
He however urged qualify graduates to visit the N-Power portal at http://portal.npower.gov.ng for prompt registration before it closes.
