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 Kano State Government on Sunday donated food items worth N2.5 million to enable prison inmates in the state celebrate Eid el-Kabir.
The items comprised three cows, 14 rams, 40 bags of rice, 16 jerry- cans of vegetable oil and other food items.
The Secretary to Kano State Government (SSG), Alhaji Usman Alhaji, told officials of Kano Central Prisons, Kurmawa, at the presentation ceremony, that the gesture was to assist the inmates celebrate Eid-el-Kabir with ease.
"It has been a tradition of Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje to assist the inmates during such special occasions,” he said.
He called on well to do individuals in the state to complement government's efforts by donating food items and other materials to support the inmates to celebrate.
"The state government welcomes and encourages people who are willing to support the inmates in whatever way possible provided they will follow the agreed channels," he said.
The Deputy Controller of Prison, Mr Auwalu Diso, thanked the government for the kind gesture and gave an assurance that the items would be judiciously used for the benefit of the inmates.
He commended Ganduje for donating rubber mats and mattresses in addition to awarding contract for the construction of drains in the prison recently.
The SSG was accompanied by some members of the State Committee on Prerogative of Mercy during the visit.
The state government had during the Ramadan secured the release of no fewer than 500 inmates from prisons in the state
The shortlist of three entries has been approved by the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited. This announcement follows an initial shortlist of eleven which was released in July. The three shortlisted entries, in alphabetic order, are Born on a Tuesday (Elnathan John), NightDancer (Chika Unigwe) and Season of Crimson Blossoms (Abubakar Adam Ibrahim).
According to the Chairman of the Advisory Board, Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo, the eventual winner of the competition will be announced at a World Press Conference in October, 2016.
Born on a Tuesday, published by Parresia Books, is a story about contemporary northern Nigeria which has over the years experienced religious violence and carnage as seen through the eyes of a young man. Born on a Tuesday is Elnathan John's first novel. John is a writer, lawyer anda Civitella Ranieri Fellow. He has also been shortlisted twice by the Caine Prize for African Writing.
Chika Unigwe's Night Dancer, published by Jonathan Cape, focuses on the young protagonist's search for identity and her consequent reappraisal of her mother's values. Chika Unigwe is a writer and the 2012 winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literature, with her novel On Black Sisters Street.
Season of Crimson Blossoms is a novel set in conservative northern Nigeria. It focuses on unusual love affairs between characters, as well as ambiguities in religion and politics. Published by Cassava Republic Press, Season of Crimson Blossoms is Ibrahim's debut novel. Ibrahim has won the BBC African Performance Prize and the Amatu Braide Prize for Prose.
The Chairman of the Panel of Judges is Prof. Dan Izevbaye, awell-respected literary critic and professor of Literature in English.
Other judges are Asabe Usman Kabir, professor of Oral and African Literatures at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and Isidore Diala, first winner of The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism and professor of African literature in the Department of English, Imo State University, Owerri.
President Muhammadu Buhari has saluted Nigerians for their steadfastness in spite of the difficult economic times confronting the country.
Buhari, in his Eid-el-Kabir message to Nigerians released in Abuja on Sunday, gave the assurance that his administration would get the economy right.
According to him, the Federal Government is "working round the clock" to address the current hardship the country is going through.
He attributed the economic recession to cumulative effects of worldwide economic downturn and failure in the past to plan and save for difficult times.
"It is impossible to separate the present from the past to appreciate the extent to which mistakes of the past are affecting everyday life today.
"I assure you that this administration is working round the clock to remove the hardships the country is going through."
He said development programmes had been designed to reinvigorate the economy and enhance living standards of ordinary people.
These, according to the President, include rail and road constructions, housing sector projects, support for farmers in small and medium scale industries, youth and women empowerment programmes and support for revival of industries.
"We are getting security right. We are stopping corruption in its tracks and we will get the economy right by the grace of God.''
Buhari enjoined Muslims to live by the dictates of Islam by maintaining good relationships with their Christian brothers and sisters.
He further charged them to maintain the spirit of the Nigerian nation as patriots.
"The lessons of the Eid are piety and sacrifice and, my dear brothers and sisters, you have exhibited these in equal measure. I wish everyone happy holidays,'' he said.
Whenever there is a problem in the economy, like the recession in the country, the first casualty is always the visual art sector as people will always concentrate on things to eat. Periods like this come with their challenges as many people will be frustrated, confused and anger will fill the land and in such a situation what people need is something that will soothe their nerves.
Black Out by Diseye Tantua
As a way of responding to the ugly situation, a body of artists known as the Guild of Professional Fine Artists of Nigeria, GFA, made up of people who have been in the business and who understand how the people feel, last week brought art connoisseurs, patrons, lovers and artists to an exhibition tagged Catharsis.
The group which can be described as a middle generation of Nigerian masters, parades about 24 seasoned artists who have been in the business for years and exhibited widely.
The exhibition which opened at Lagos Culture House, TerraKulture on 3rd September and will end on the 11th featured about 40 works that vary from the socio-political to the philosophical, esoteric to the poetic, but in all, the works speak from the heart of the artists with passion.
At the opening, the ambiance that radiated through the paintings and sculptures confirmed the status of the exhibiting artists as among the leading signatures of Nigeria's generation .
The entire exhibiting hall was filled with works that speak for themselves and the viewers had a field day going through the works. And in line with the theme of the exhibition, some of the works really aroused strong feelings about how the populace can be relieved of their anger, sufferings and emotions at least momentarily.
Some of the works include, Reflection by Abraham Uyovbisere, Evening Mood by Bimbo Adenuaga, Bad money and Black out by Diseye Tantua, Evening Blues by Duke Asidere,Focal Point by Edosa Ogiugo, Onyeoma na Makua 11 by George Edozie, Love Garden by Gerry Nnubia, Rhythm on Strings by Norbert Okpu, Dialogue, Past& Present by Tola Wewe, Expression Earths Reception by Segun Adejumo and many others.
Some of the works actually point the way forward in times like this, for example a piece by Segun Adejumo entitled Expressions that depict images of people dancing, on occasions like this people need to dance their sorrows away. Norbert Okpu's Ryhthm on Strings and Hope also speak about relaxation with hope. Duke Asidere's Evening Blues according to him is a sleep activator.
Rhythm on Strings by Norbert Okpu
” I did it over 8 years ago and it has worked me. A lot of people have issues with sleep, it is something I put by my bed side that sedates me to sleep, it is just a sleep activator, so I have enjoyed it for years and want others to enjoy it too,” Asidere explained.
For Gerry Nnubia's Love Garden, which he termed Co-existence that shows different flowers under some trees, Nnubia said that flowers are symbols of love and every piece of flower radiates love and there are different colours of flowers living in harmony. The piece took a root from the North, precisely Jos where there are lots of natural flowers, but incidentally, there is crisis in the area. The work borders on unity, so he is therefore urging the people of all tribes, colours to live in harmony .
Speaking about the exhibition, Segun Adejumo, the president of the group, who described the present period as a period of questioning said that “the purpose is to bring new insights into the creative studio activities of the members of GFA, their experiments, works and how these works might affect the existential disposition of the audience, art collectors and enthusiasts.”
England goalkeeper Joe Hart conceded twice on his Torino debut as Atalanta secured a 2-1 win in Bergamo amid a dramatic afternoon of Serie A action on Sunday.
Hart, deemed surplus to requirements by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, completed his move to unfashionable Torino on a season-long loan deal two weeks ago.
Yet hopes of a first Serie A win for the England shot-stopper were dealt a significant blow when ‘Granata’ striker Andrea Belotti, who hit a hat-trick a fortnight ago, was sidelined for three weeks after suffering a thigh injury with Italy on what was his maiden call-up.
Despite also missing Venezuelan striker Josef Martinez, Torino made light of the absences to take a 54th minute lead through Iago Falque.
But Atalanta were given a half-chance to pull level only two minutes later when Hart came off his line to palm a corner away with one hand, and Andrea Masiello punished the move by deftly volleying the loose ball into the net.
Torino’s hopes of taking a share of the spoils dipped when Alejandro Gomez was hauled down by Lorenzo Di Silvestri inside the penalty area with only eight minutes on the clock.
Ivorian striker Frank Kessie stepped up to coolly send Hart the wrong way to seal the winner as Torino suffered their second defeat in three games to sit below mid-table.
As heavy rain at several venues played havoc with the league programme, AC Milan would have been forgiven for wishing their match — like the Genoa v Fiorentina fixture — had also been postponed.
The Serie A giants had Carlos Bacca’s hat-trick to thank for their 3-2 win over Torino on the opening day of the campaign.
But two days after Bacca returned from international duty with Colombia, the Rossoneri striker was ineffective on his way to a 1-0 defeat to Udinese following Stipe Perica’s 88th minute strike for the visitors.
To add insult to injury, Milan lost influential defender Luca Antonelli to a suspected serious head/neck injury when he was stretchered off before the hour following an awkward mid-air clash with teammate Gabriel Paletta.
As he lay on the ground, a teammate reached inside his mouth to make sure he did not swallow his tongue.
Torrential rain in Genoa and Rome, meanwhile, caused havoc for fans and players.
Serie A officials were forced to postpone the Genoa v Fiorentina fixture at half-time after the pitch became unplayable following a first-half deluge.
There were similar scenes at the Stadio Olimpico, although surprisingly officials decided not to postpone the game.
Sampdoria held a 2-1 lead after goals from Fabio Quagliarella and Luis Muriel cancelled out Mohamed Salah’s opener for the hosts.
But by then the pitch was sporting a thick layer of hailstones and at the start of the second half huge puddles were apparent on the pitch.
Instead of postponing, officials waited for the rain to stop and the match resumed with a delay of over 30 minutes after the pitch had been cleared of the puddles
If Nigeria fails to start producing rice, by December 2016, the price of a bag of rice could be N40,000, says the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.
Lokpobiri, who made this known at a town hall meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Saturday, said that Nigeria spends about $22bn a year on importation of food into the country.
He said, "For your information, we spend about $22bn a year importing food into Nigeria. We know how many more dollars they bought and that is why you see the price of rice going up.
"Price of rice was may be N12,000 some months ago, but it is now about N26,000 and if we don't start producing, by December it could be N40,000.
"Rice matures in three months. So, this is a wake up call for Bayelsa people to take the four farms we have seriously. The federal government has four farms in the state in our records. The average land you see in Bayelsa can grow rice, so the colonial masters were not wrong in their assessment when they said Niger Delta could feed not only Nigerian but also the entire West Africa sub-region.
"Unfortunately, agriculture till today, is not a priority of the Niger Delta as far as the state governments are concerned because of oil."
He said the states in the Niger Delta had yet to give priority to agriculture the way the North-West states such as Kebbi, Jigawa, Kano as well as other states like Lagos, Ebonyi, Anambra, prioritised it.
He said Anambra State for instance, was not owing salaries despite the fact that it does not have oil but raking in money by merely exporting vegetables.
AC Milan defender Luca Antonelli has been taken to hospital with a suspected serious head injury after a clash in the Serie A giant’s league game with Udinese on Sunday.
Antonelli, an Italy international, was carried off on a stretcher before the hour mark after falling awkwardly during the league fixture at Milan’s shared San Siro stadium.
As he lay on the ground, a teammate reached inside his mouth to make sure he did not swallow his tongue. Luca Antonelli Milan have yet to publish a statement although conflicting reports said Antonelli was in hospital after suffering either a head or neck injury.
It was deep into injury time and Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal side were facing the ignominy of being booed from their Emirates pitch for the second time in this nascent Premier League season.
And then up popped Santi Cazorla to score a controversial spot-kick in the fourth minute of added-on time after referee Bobby Madley judged Jose Fonte to have pulled down Olivier Giroud — a decision that left Southampton boss Claude Puel fuming.
In contrast his fellow Frenchman Wenger said Arsenal can go into their Champions League tie against Paris Saint Germain with renewed confidence thanks to a 2-1 win on Saturday — crisis averted for now.
Arsenal won at Watford before the international break, having previously taken only one point from their first two games of the season, and Wenger said: “Two wins together is a big help, it gives players more confidence to get to where we want to be.”
Laurent Koscielny had acrobatically cancelled out an own goal conceded by Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech in attempting to save a Dusan Tadic free-kick.
And the row over the penalty might not have been so long and bitter had Shane Long converted either of the two second-half chances south coast club Southampton created in north London.
Wenger said he had not seen television replays of the incident, but his players had told him it was “100 percent a penalty”.
He added: “We could earlier maybe have had one or two penalties at corners.”
“I am angry for my players,” countered Puel, who is yet to win a competitive game after taking over as the Saints manager in pre-season.
“We played fantastic. We had the best situations to score and win the game against a very good team,” added Puel, who spent several seasons as a player under Wenger when they were at Monaco.
Madley’s stoppage-time decision was a third penalty — all successfully converted — given against Southampton this season and Puel said: “I don't like to speak of decisions of the referee but three penalties in four games is a bit much.
“After 90 minutes of good work it is a big frustration.”
– ‘Nervous’ –
Koscielny suffered a nasty kick to the face in the build-up to the penalty but should play against PSG.
Arsenal's other centre-halves, Gabriel and Per Mertesacker, are injured, Rob Holding is inexperienced and new signing Shkodran Mustafi is short of sharpness, according to Wenger.
The German international and Lucas Perez made their debuts following transfer window arrivals from Spain and Wenger said they both needed more matches.
“The boys are short of competition and were surprised by the pace and commitment of the Premier League. They were also nervous in the first half. They adapted more in the second half,” he said.
The long-serving Wenger, who is under pressure from Arsenal fans to deliver a league title again, was pleased with his side’s response to going behind.
“In the second half we dominated but couldn't score. Southampton had many threats on the counter-attack, but in the end we got the penalty.
“When you lose the first home game (as Arsenal did against Liverpool at home) you cannot afford not to win the second.”
While Arsenal are now sixth in the table, Southampton are in the relegation zone with just two points from four games, but Puel refused to be downbeat.
“It is disappointing as in all of our games I think ‘we can win’. It is now important to get a result.”
Southampton’s next match is the first of their Europa League campaign, at home to Sparta Prague on Thursday.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho singled out some of his players for stinging criticism following their 2-1 loss to derby rivals Manchester City.
The United manager hauled off Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard at half-time and said it was only because he did not want to “destroy them” that he did not substitute them earlier.
But he saved his most trenchant remarks for centre-backs Daley Blind and, in particular, Eric Bailly, saying some players had shown signs they did not possess the requisite big-game temperament.
“We had problems with poor performances,” Mourinho told reporters at Old Trafford on Saturday.
“We lost the ball very, very easy. Even our central defenders, that were really top class until today, they lost easy balls.
“Back-passes, first-station passes, from Bailly to (Marouane) Fellaini, from Blind to (Paul) Pogba.
“We lost the ball in these kinds of positions. So it was not (just) Mickey (Mkhitaryan) and Jesse, it was much more than Mickey and Jesse.”
Pep Guardiola’s City took a deserved 15th-minute lead when Kevin De Bruyne beat Blind to Kelechi Iheanacho’s flick-on before steering a shot past David de Gea.
The same pair combined to double City’s lead, Iheanacho tapping in after De Bruyne’s low shot came back off the post.
An error from City’s debutant goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who flapped at a deep free-kick from Wayne Rooney, allowed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to pull a goal back.
But although United improved following the half-time introductions of 18-year-old Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera, they could not find an equaliser.Gaurdiola-vs-Mourinho
– ‘I respect him’ –
“What I told them at half-time was that for some of you, it looks like you are trying to do what I told you not to do,” said Mourinho.
“I told Bailly 20 times, never play a first-station ball. Never. Because this is where they want to press. Never do that. He did it 20 times during the game.
“I think really some of the boys, they felt the dimension of the game. Everything around the game — the derby, the big game, Man United-Man City, the focus, the attention — some of the guys felt it.
“It has nothing to do with inexperience or age because you have the kid (Rashford) then in the second half and the kid looks like he was playing in the Under-18s against Salford City.
“So it’s about the individual and every individual reacts to the dimension of the occasion in different ways. It’s difficult to predict.
“It only gets easier when you know the players very, very well. So probably in the next big game in the Premier League, I know who can accept the dimension of the game, which is very important.”
Mourinho blamed referee Mark Clattenburg for not awarding a penalty after a rash challenge on Rooney by Bravo.
Guardiola said he had not seen the incident, but revealed that Aleksandar Kolarov had lost a tooth during the game.
The left-back appeared to be struck in the face by Fellaini at one point, but Guardiola said he did not know what had happened.
The match had been billed as a showdown between Mourinho and Guardiola, who fought a ferocious running battle during their time as coaches of Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
The pair embraced before the match and Guardiola said he hoped future contests between the teams would not be discussed in terms of their personal relationship.
“I don’t know if he respects me, but I respect him a lot,” said the former Bayern Munich coach.
“We are fathers. I am a father, he’s a father, so I didn’t come here to see about the rivalry. He wants to win, I want to win.
“I beat him, he beats me. In the future I beat him, he beats me. It’s simple like that. We are adult people. When we see each other, sometimes we don’t agree about our opinions.
“Hopefully next time we play against United, people start to forget.”
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has broken his silence on their derby fixture defeat to Pep Guardiola’s Man City.
Paul Pogba insists Manchester United will learn from their derby defeat to City at Old Trafford, reports Manchester Evening News.
Pogba
The Premier League leaders schooled United in the first-half but United rallied after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s brilliant strike and should have been awarded a second-half penalty for Claudio Bravo’s lunge on Wayne Rooney.
Pogba was one of a number of United players who badly under-performed and, having told journalists in the mixed zone he ‘doesn’t speak’, he gave his Instagram followers an update.
Pogba posted: “The season is just starting, we don’t lose, we learn. United we stand.”
Mourinho felt individual performances affected United’s approach against Pep Guardiola’s side.
“I’m clearly disappointed with the the first-half,” Mourinho stressed. “Disappointed with some really poor individual performances that affected the level of the team.
“It was not just about them [Mkhitaryan and Lingard]. Other players were also not playing really well and obviously, as well as my decision, I don’t like to go in the direction of singling out players. Let’s say our team didn’t play well in the first-half and their responsibilities are my responsibilities.
“We didn’t have a tactical problem, we had problems with poor performances, we lost the ball very, very easy. Even now our central defenders today they lost easy balls, bad passes, first station passes from Bailly to Fellaini and Blind to Pogba. We lost the ball in these kind of positions, so it was not Mikhi and Jesse it was much more than Mikhi and Jesse.
“I made a couple of decisions that I thought individual qualities of certain players would give me what I know that I I want and I didn’t get it,” he added.
“And at the same time because we were losing the ball so easily under the pressing we were making, we were never able to bring the defensive line up, so we stayed with the defensive line in our half.
“I didn’t change after 20 minutes because I don’t want to destroy the players, I didn’t want to make three changes at half-time because I was afraid in a long 45 minutes something might happen, but if it was a sport in free number of changes and with changes during the first-half is normal, like basketball, I would do after 20 minutes.
“But I did at half-time, we changed the direction of the game but we didn’t get the compensation I think we deserved in the second half.”
ABUJA- AS Nigerians continue to groan and reel under economic recession some agric experts speak on quick recovery measures to rescue the situation.
A foremost member of Federation of Agricultural Commodity Association of Nigeria, FACAN, Abuja Chapter, Joshua
Anajome, said the government should urgently take intervention measures by embarking on short, medium and long term agric policies and programmes to reduce the recession impact on Nigerians.
Anajome said: "Nigeria was not founded on oil revenue but agriculture, and today we have deviated from our roots and for us to come back to the roots we have to work together because one section of the economy cannot do it alone.
"We need good land tenure system where people will have easy access to land for agricultural activities, including farm inputs and government policy interventions at all tiers of government.
"The government should fashion out policy that would make secondary and tertiary schools' students to focus on agriculture.
"With the current recession the government should come up with deliberate intervention policies and programmes which will be on short, medium and long term basis.
"On the short term government should see how farmers can be helped with subsidised inputs to farm all round the year with farm inputs, like improved seedlings, extension services, registration of cooperatives so that farmers can have impact on obtaining loans from banks because peasant farmers can't assess loans.
"The farmers should be provided with basic enabling environment by all tiers of government, and they should also integrate their policies and programmes, and not state government policies going a variance with federal government policies.
"On the medium term after sorting out the basics at the short term we should add value to what we are doing. Value addition will mean importing simple primary machinery or fabricating some locally because we have the iron ore industry in
Nigerian now, and such industry should be supported because with the fabrication of the machines we can add value to the commodities before we export.
"The long term should be the improvement of the short and medium term reviews, and projection into the future and help farmers by buying their products, which we as a country did in the past through the commodity boards."
He also added that the urgent measures to be taken by the government should be by subsidising high prices of staple food like rice, cassava, yam, all grains, beans, and also farm inputs to encourage farmers multiply production.
In his assertion, Interim Chairman of Federation of Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, Garba Ibrahim, urged
President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a think-tank that would in a short term proffer sustainable economic solution to tackle the recession the country has been plunged into.
"Nobody is comfortable with the word recession and is a great concern, because for a country to be in recession that country has to sit down and look at some economic fundamentals, why are we in recession, what lead us to recession and now we are in recession and if we are in recession we need to sit down and come out with viable issues, virtual plans, economic principles that will be able to reverse this trend.
"What we need now is decision and action which should be done quickly. What the government should do now is to get Nigerian experts involved in agriculture, and put them in a quiet place.
"The best brains should be brought from the universities, polytechnics and also economists, and let Mr President tell them to get solution for the challenge of the economy. The various research institutes should also be involved and carried along because most of them have done researches on positive economic growth", he stated.
As part of activities to mark the 2016 New Legal year, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Oluwafunmi Atilade, will on September 27 visit the Ikoyi Prisons.
According to the Director of Admin and Human Resources on behalf of the Legal Year Committee, M.O Shasanya, the programme for the week long event would include a Church Service at the Christ Cathedral Church, Marina on September 26.
Thereafter a Muslim prayer at the central Mosque, Nnamdi Azikiwe Road, before a parade and lunch at the High Court Premises, Igbosere Road, Lagos.
The Director of Admin and Human Resources on behalf of the Legal Year Committee noted that on September 27, there would be a Bar/Bench Forum titled “Restorative Justice” at the Foyer, High Court of Lagos.
“On day 3, September 28, there shall be a Summit titled ‘Mental Health Issues and the Law’ at the Foyer, High Court, Lagos and Novelty Football March at Onikan Stadium at the next day,” he added.
Shasanya explained that to ensure that Lagos judges are healthy for the task in the new legal year, Staff of the state’s judiciary would undergo Health check on September 30.
The Governor of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Sunday called on Muslims in Nigeria to imbibe the values of sacrifice and endurance as they join their counterparts worldwide to celebrate this year's Eid-el-Kabir.
In his Sallah message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Habib Aruna, Governor Ambode said the period of the celebration is one that calls for every Muslim and other Nigerians to embrace the tenets of sacrifice, patience, humility and brotherly love.
He explained that the significance of the season should be beyond the festivities, adding that it should be a moment to reflect on why God has united everyone with a common humanity of blood, food and water as these should constitute what binds the people.Ambode
He, therefore, called on Nigerians to rededicate themselves to a greater acceptance and internalization of the lessons of piety, faithfulness, dedication, fortitude, obedience, sacrifice and selfless service which are for the benefit of mankind.
"As we celebrate this auspicious occasion, let us renew our faith in our nation and implore the Almighty God to restore to us those values that place high premium on human life, love of neighbour and sharing even as we ventilate our faith in the unity of our dear country and the possibility of her taking her place in the comity of nations", the Governor said.
He said the prevailing economic recession currently taking its toll on Nigerians was only a phase that will pave way for a new dawn in the country, saying the Federal Government is making steady efforts to salvage the situation.
"This period requires more patience, fortitude, tolerance, endurance, patriotism and a greater willingness to make personal sacrifices for the good of all. The President Muhammadu Buhari administration remains committed to lead the nation in overcoming its current economic and developmental challenges".
While wishing all Muslim brothers and sisters in the State a happy Eid-el-Kabir celebration, Governor Ambode expressed appreciation for the support given to his administration, urging all Lagosians to continue to embrace peaceful co-existence.
Hillary Clinton said Saturday she regretted saying that half of Donald Trump’s supporters belong in a “basket of deplorables” – a remark the billionaire Republican slammed as her “worst mistake of the political season.”
The Democratic presidential candidate came under fire for remarks made at a New York fundraiser late Friday – remarks that unleashed a wave of derision and mockery on social media.
“To be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables,” Clinton told a crowd at the “LGBT for Hillary” gala.
“The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic – you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.”
She added that those people are “irredeemable, but thankfully they are not America.”
“Basket of Deplorables” quickly became a trending hashtag on Twitter, with users venting their fury at the former secretary of state.
There was even a mock account called “Hillary’s Basket,” with the handle @TheDeplorables, deriding the former first lady and US senator. Hillary With less than two months to go before Election Day, and the race still tight, Clinton walked back her remark on Saturday.
“Last night I was ‘grossly generalistic,’ and that’s never a good idea. I regret saying ‘half’ — that was wrong,” she said in a statement released by her campaign.
Clinton then listed a number of “deplorable” things about the Republican presidential candidate.
“It’s deplorable that Trump has built his campaign largely on prejudice and paranoia and given a national platform to hateful views and voices, including by retweeting fringe bigots with a few dozen followers and spreading their message to 11 million people,” she said.
“It’s deplorable that he’s attacked a federal judge for his ‘Mexican heritage,’ bullied a Gold Star family because of their Muslim faith, and promoted the lie that our first black president is not a true American.
“So I won’t stop calling out bigotry and racist rhetoric in this campaign,” she said.
– ‘Disgraceful’ –
Trump, 70, fired back by calling her comments “INSULTING” on Twitter, then issuing an angry statement.
“Isn’t it disgraceful that Hillary Clinton makes the worst mistake of the political season and instead of owning up to this grotesque attack on American voters, she tries to turn it around with a pathetic rehash of the words and insults used in her failing campaign?” Trump wrote.
“For the first time in a long while, her true feelings came out, showing bigotry and hatred for millions of Americans,” he added in a statement, calling Clinton “unfit” to be president.
He later compared Clinton’s statement to Republican Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign gaffe, when he said that 47 percent of the people would vote for Barack Obama’s re-election because they are “dependent upon government,” and “believe that they are victims.”
“Hillary Clinton just had her 47% moment,” Trump tweeted. “What a terrible thing she said about so many great Americans!”
– ‘Not a basket of anything’ –
Clinton, 68, also told the fundraiser crowd that other Trump supporters feel let down by the government and the economy, and are “desperate for change.”
She reiterated that point Saturday, saying many Trump supporters are “hard-working Americans” who feel marginalized.
“I’m determined to bring our country together and make our economy work for everyone, not just those at the top,” Clinton said.
Trump’s running mate Mike Pence said Clinton had disrespected voters.
“Hillary, they are not a basket of anything, they are Americans, and they deserve your respect,” Pence told activists at the Values Voters Summit in Washington.
Trump’s son Eric posted a photo on Twitter of his father’s supporters packed into a sports arena for a late Friday rally.
“Look at the #BasketOfDeplorables in Pensacola Florida last night! What a horrible statement. #CrookedHillary,” he wrote, using one of his father’s favorite insults.
Trump told the crowd he believes that Clinton – under fire for using a private email server when she was secretary of state – is so immune from prosecution she could get away with murder.
“She could walk into this arena right now and shoot somebody with 20,000 people watching, right smack in the middle of the heart and she wouldn’t be prosecuted,” he declared.
An FBI investigation found that Clinton sent unsecured emails with classified material through the server, but ultimately recommended that she not be prosecuted.
Trump’s remark was reminiscent of a comment he made in January, when he said he could “stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody” but still not lose any support.
The annual hajj pilgrimage reached its climax on Sunday when the Muslims from across the world swarmed a stoney hill in western Saudi Arabia to pray and recite from the Koran.
More than 1.8 million gathered from sunrise at the hill and a vast surrounding plain known as Mount Arafat, about 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Mecca.
Against a backdrop of distant, higher peaks, they squatted, stood, or climbed steps built into the hill while reciting ritual incantations.
From a distance, the hill appeared a snowy white, as male pilgrims wear a seamless two-piece white garment, ihram.
It symbolises a state of purity and emphasises their unity regardless of social status or nationality.
Women wear a loose dress, typically also white, but some like Soumaya, 30, of Mali are in traditional attire, in her case an orange robe.
“We feel at ease and are totally benefiting from our pilgrimage,” she said, giving only one name.
“Everything is very well organised,” added her friend, Khadija Bechir, 23.
Pilgrims come from every corner of the globe, but Indonesia — the most populous Muslim nation — has the largest quota.
Official figures issued late Saturday said the total number of pilgrims exceeds 1.8 million, with more than 1.3 million arrived from outside the kingdom.
Three women were killed while staging a knife and firebomb attack on the main police station in the Kenyan city of Mombasa on Sunday in what officers said was “an apparent terror attack.”
Mombasa County police chief Peterson Maelo said the three women had entered the city’s busiest police station in mid-morning saying they wanted to report a stolen phone.
“In the process one hurled a petrol bomb at the report office as the others confronted two officers and stabbed them,” Maelo told journalists at the scene.
“All the three attackers have been killed and the two police officers have been rushed to hospital,” he said, terming it “an apparent terror attack.”
The fire was put out and the station sealed off by heavily armed police officers as the probe gets under way.
A senior police officer in Mombasa who asked not to be identified said earlier that the three were in Muslim dress.
“This is terrorism, they were definitely on a mission,” he said.
A witness named Saumu said “the women were shouting saying God Is Great, Allahu Akbar … then one of them threw something at the cops and that’s when I ran away.”
Kenya has been regularly targeted by the Somalia-based Shabaab, East Africa’s long-time Al-Qaeda branch, which is fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government in Mogadishu, protected by 22,000 African Union troops, including Kenyan soldiers.
The Somali-led insurgents have staged repeated attacks in Kenya, including the killing of at least 67 people at Nairobi’s Westgate Mall in 2013 and the massacre of 148 people at a university in Garissa in April 2015.
In keeping with its earlier pledge, Kwara State government has released the sum of N250m augmentation approved by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to the 16 Local Government Councils in the state to enable them pay workers’ salary.
This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Finance, Mr Demola Banu, during a meeting with the Local Government Chairmen.
The Commissioner urged the Chairmen to put all necessary machinery in place to ensure that workers are paid ahead of Sallah celebrations, noting that the state government has fulfilled its pledge to help LGs pay their workers for the month of August.
Mr Banu stated that the Chairmen should notify him immediately if they face any challenges accessing the fund so he can intervene.
The Benue state Police Command has beefed up security across the state to forestall any break down of law and order ahead of the forthcoming Eid celebrations in the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bashir Makama told Vanguard yesterday in Makurdi that the his men would ensure a 24 hour patrols of all the 23 local government areas of the state under his direct supervision.
Makama who said, he had also put several other measures in place to ensure that the Eid festivities went on in the state without any form of security breach explained that “it will however be unprofessional and unethical for me to divulge the measures we have put in place in that regard.
“I can assure you that the very low crime rate we have been enjoying in the state in the last two months will be sustained and we will go the extra mile to ensure that there is absolute peace in Benue state during the celebration.
“Our men are on daily patrols of the entire 23 local government areas of the state since I resumed here in the state and we are presently on 24 hours standby in the entire state to respond to distress calls in all the localities.
“I can assure you that the tempo will also be sustained all through the year because we know that this period of the year is peculiar and therefore requires the special attention of the Police and other sister security agencies.”
The Police Commissioner who cautioned criminally minded individuals to stay away from the state assured that officers and men of the command were fully prepared to safeguard the lives and property of the people of the state.
In ancient biblical times, the populace of the City of Babel decided they were invincible, indestructible, immortal and omnipotent. all culminating into masochist ego and arrogance at its peak! So they decided to build a monument to themselves that would reach the heavens, to let God know there was competition! What gumption! What audacity? And God responded by sowing confusion in their midst. He just easily gave them different languages and they could no longer ommunicate.. and presto! they dispersed! Can we see similarities between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the City of Babel?
PDP had all the opportunities to both steer Nigeria towards the promised land and make history, but they derailed and abused the God given priviledge and mandate (no one can rule without Gods permission). We started hearing statements like: "PDP is the greatest party in Africa", "PDP is ultimate power", "PDP will be in power for 60 years" etc... armed with this toga, they proceeded in an unprecedented manner especially in the last six years to plunder the commonwealth of Nigeria to the detriment of the masses. They were sated, sleek, and fat and it couldn't get any better. The new measurement for wealth became Private Jets, Rolls Royces, Ferraris et al. unknown to them their cup had run over.. their case was like the biblical proverb of the rich man with a full barn that that said he lacked nothing in the world that it can only get better … and God said you fool you will die tonight!
In came APC, out went PDP. APC had a rocky start with a lot of in fighting, lack of trust and I wonder why it surprised a lot of people? It was to be expected especially considering the matrix of APC, diverse groups rom diverse backgrounds will always struggle to build consensus or a common ground..this scenario and the Executive/National Assembly imbroglio was a gilt-edged opportunity for PDP to rally and become a credible opposition party and work to wrest power back A few governors led by Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who I greatly admire and who I recommend Governor Ayo Fayose to take tutorials and lessons in mature, objective and dignified opposition, and quit is tactless and rabid rants against the Federal government of Nigeria. Anyway, Mimiko and other forward thinking governors sensed the opportunity and also knew that PDP needed a new type of hybrid leader - who should be stupendously wealthy, gutsy, gritty, audacious, confident, resolute, plucky and a fearless leader - in came Alhaji Ali Modu-Sheriff. Say ill or good of him, he is a man we all know possesses all the above mentioned attributes who left APC because he had those attributes.
I was perturbed, apprehensive, and concerned because I realised the danger this man posed to my party APC for whom I worked unremittingly to contribute my quota to actualize change in the last elections..It seemed to one else saw it! I wanted to climb mountains and roof tops and scream to the APC leadership DANGER! I wanted to dial 911 EMERGENCY! A menace to APC was about to be unleashed! And just when they were gaining traction... there was a divine intervention! Like the city and populace of Babel, God changed their language and sowed discord. All of a sudden, the party prevailed on the Mimiko and his cohorts to withdraw their support for Sheriff and endorse Ahmed Makarfi as Chairman. Confusion and chaos ensued, sounding almost a death knell for PDP, hence ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo's observation that PDP was in its death throes and Ali Modu Sheriff may be the undertaker... The fact that Ali Modu Sheriff is still standing albeit on one leg… testifies to his bullishness, doggedness and tenacity.I want to thank PDP for going against Sheriff and I pray he is successfully neutralized so my party APC can continue solving its internal issues, building bridges, getting stronger and proffering solutions under quiet diplomatic vibrant leadership of the likes of the President Buhari, Vice President Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki, APC's National Secretary, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, et al…… once again I am beholden to PDP and will struggle for front row seats to watch the in coming cataclysm…
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.
