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In the new issue of Nature, the neuroscientist Larry Young offers a grand unified theory of love. After analyzing the brain chemistry of mammalian pair bonding and, not incidentally, explaining humans’ peculiar erotic fascination with breasts Dr. Young predicts that it won’t be long before an unscrupulous suitor could sneak a pharmaceutical love potion into your drink. That’s the bad news. The not-so-bad news is that you may enjoy this potion if you took it knowingly with the right person. But the really good news, as I see it, is that we might reverse-engineer an anti-love potion, a vaccine preventing you from making an infatuated ass of yourself. Although this love vaccine isn’t mentioned in Dr. Young’s essay, when I raised the prospect he agreed it could also be in the offing. Could any discovery be more welcome? This is what humans have sought ever since Odysseus ordered his crew to tie him to the mast while sailing past the Sirens. Long before scientists identified neuroreceptors, long before Britney Spears’ quickie Vegas wedding or any of Larry King’s seven marriages, it was clear that love was a dangerous disease. Love was correctly identified as a potentially fatal chemical imbalance in the medieval tale of Tristan and Isolde, who accidentally consumed a love potion and turned into hopeless addicts. Even though they realized that her husband, the king, would punish adultery with death, they had to have their love fix. They couldn’t guess what was in the potion, but then, they didn’t have the benefit of Dr. Young’s research with prairie voles at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University. These mouselike creatures are among the small minority of mammals less than 5 percent who share humans’ propensity for monogamy. When a female prairie vole’s brain is artificially infused with oxytocin, a hormone that produces some of the same neural rewards as nicotine and cocaine, she’ll quickly become attached to the nearest male. A related hormone, vasopressin, creates urges for bonding and nesting when it is injected in male voles (or naturally activated by sex). After Dr. Young found that male voles with a genetically limited vasopressin response were less likely to find mates, Swedish researchers reported that men with a similar genetic tendency were less likely to get married. In his Nature essay, Dr. Young speculates that human love is set off by a “biochemical chain of events” that originally evolved in ancient brain circuits involving mother-child bonding, which is stimulated in mammals by the release of oxytocin during labor, delivery and nursing. “Some of our sexuality has evolved to stimulate that same oxytocin system to create female-male bonds,” Dr. Young said, noting that sexual foreplay and intercourse stimulate the same parts of a woman’s body that are involved in giving birth and nursing. This hormonal hypothesis, which is by no means proven fact, would help explain a couple of differences between humans and less monogamous mammals: females’ desire to have sex even when they are not fertile, and males’ erotic fascination with breasts. More frequent sex and more attention to breasts, Dr. Young said, could help build long-term bonds through a “cocktail of ancient neuropeptides,” like the oxytocin released during foreplay or orgasm. Researchers have achieved similar results by squirting oxytocin into people’s nostrils not terribly sexy, but it seems to enhance feelings of trust and empathy. Although Dr. Young is not concocting any love potions (he’s looking for drugs to improve the social skills of people with autism and schizophrenia), he said there could soon be drugs that increase people’s urge to fall in love. “It would be completely unethical to give the drug to someone else,” he said, “but if you’re in a marriage and want to maintain that relationship, you might take a little booster shot yourself every now and then. Even now it’s not such a far-out possibility that you could use drugs in conjunction with marital therapy.” I see some potential here, but also big problems. Suppose you took that potion and then suddenly felt an urge to run off with the next person you spent any time with, like your dentist? What if you went to a business convention and then, like an artificially stimulated prairie vole, bonded with the nearest stranger? What if, like Tristan, you developed an overwhelming emotional connection to your boss’s spouse? Even if the effects could somehow be targeted to the right partner, would you want to start building a long-term relationship with a short-term drug? What happens when it wears off? A love vaccine seems simpler and more practical, and already there are some drugs that seem to inhibit people’s romantic impulses (see TierneyLab, at www.nytimes.com/tierneylab). Such a vaccine has already been demonstrated in prairie voles. “If we give an oxytocin blocker to female voles, they become like 95 percent of other mammal species,” Dr. Young said. “They will not bond no matter how many times they mate with a male or hard how he tries to bond. They mate, it feels really good and they move on if another male comes along. If love is similarly biochemically based, you should in theory be able to suppress it in a similar way.” I doubt many people would want to permanently suppress love, but a temporary vaccine could come in handy. Spouses going through midlife crises would not be so quick to elope with their personal trainers; elderly widowers might consult their lawyers before marrying someone resembling Anna Nicole Smith. Love is indeed a many-splendored thing, but sometimes we all need to tie ourselves to the mast.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/science/13tier.html?_r=1&em

Romance

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We once watched as this physically challenged man struggled in a motorized wheel chair to get himself into Western Union office in order to send money to relatives in East Africa. He could not be a rich man, probably sharing his little disability payments with someone he considered less fortunate. Everyone paid attention to him without focusing or glaring. He wriggled some money out because one of his hands was not as effective as the other. Done; he left smiling. You can double the official foreign remittance sent to West Africa since equal or more number of Africans pay hard currencies to acquaintances that have money equivalent in their countries. Most of these guys sending money home are not as rich as our politicians smiling to the banks. Yes, some are Engineers or physicians making reasonable income, but many work at 2 or more places, after professional jobs to afford extras instead of living from one pay check to another. While some middleclass in African countries also work even harder to make ends meet, their generosity to extended family, relatives and friends are limited by surplus cash inflation created by looters. The two categories of those caring for relatives at home and sending money from Diaspora could have had their burden reduced if our politicians take care of those they govern. Indeed, our foreign exchange allocation is abused by a few powerful people with unrestrained access, most of whom do round tripping. If you have ever wondered where those Bureau Du Change traders got so much local currency no matter how much hard currency you give, they are supplied by the mighty oppressors that got it as entitlements and fake contracts. They then turn around and buy dollars and pounds in naira at Central Bank rate. Easy way to profit, err! Cash changers do not have to sweat, think deep or create wealth. All they have to do is employ some trusted talikawa to do the exchange on the streets. Well, these days there are some risks posed by street urchins. But for a long time nobody dared challenge or steal from those dagger carrying fierce looking malams. Something changed as hungry people got desperate and started waylaying them. They claim they would rather die quickly from guns than die slowly of hunger. Foreign currencies gulpers invaded world candy stores and knocked Africans out at the expense of oil in Niger Delta, raw diamond in Sierra Leone, gold in Ghana, earned income of dedicated folks sending money home to families, friends and to workers building their houses. Oppressors cannot stop; their salaries and entitlements cannot be cut to reflect dwindling foreign reserves. If they want foreign currencies so bad, they must create manmade goods or finished products, other than live on our sweat and on natural resources they sell cheap to foreign countries. If they cannot work for dollars and pounds, what makes them think they have right to yearn for hard currency? Our threat or noise about progress only when Katanga is separated from Congo, only when oil-rich Abyei is separated from Sudan; Kono or Kenema diamond rich are separated from Sierra Leone, Ashanti region is separated from Ghana or Niger Delta from Nigeria is grossly misplaced and highly exaggerated. We can learn from our local communities or immediate past. Politicians are too busy converting local cash into foreign currencies and paying one another legally or illegally outrageous benefits. They are pen robbers; not different from armed robbers. When sharing loot, if they disagreed they blackmail us with violence, even without any resource in their backyards. The areas they represent may not generate or contribute to national purse. Yet they creates so many local councils, states and regions within the same country based singly on a commodity income from only one region. Commonwealth is good for the benefit of all; but common sense is not shared out of common effort. Even a state or a region within a country can prove its superiority by being creative, in its efficient use of resources, not only to benefit its region but for other regions or states to compete for the betterment of the country. Natural resources, no matter how precious, can be hot today and cold tomorrow. Imagine what Nkrumah could have done if he had the resources of South Africa, or Lumumba could have done if he had the resources of Ashanti region or what Azikiwe could have done if he could rule Sierra Leone diamond mine or what Mugabe could have done if he had the oil in Sudan. The point here is that each of these leaders could have done more but for the selfish greed and blind ambition of their fellow countrymen ready to take people to war at any cost. There is nothing stopping us from working from our regions by establishing selfless and efficient system of governance worthy of emulation the same way we sing the praises of countries more advanced than African countries. These people were not created or born before us. Indeed, it is an insult to our intelligence to keep on wallowing in some self-acclaimed young democracy or that Rome was not built in a day. African Empires were born in days when they were Barbarian. The old Western Region in Nigeria accomplished many firsts in Africa with meager income from cocoa. The efficient use of resources benefited Nigerians beyond its region by competition and every Nigerian within its region. We must stop lamenting what we could do only if, when in fact we are still fooling our people while African countries burn. Western Region of Nigeria that accomplished so much, almost lost everything when it joined the rat race at the Federal level. Stay in whatever region you are and be creative there to lift your people out of poverty. If you are worthy of any miracle, prove it wherever you are. The greatest mistake the Western Region of Nigeria leader made as an efficient manager was to abandon his base for the Federal level while a self-possessed opportunist replaced him and watched every progress made melt away. Dansukigate is a classic example of how money is share between our looters and their cronies regardless of region or political parties. He was able to withdraw enormous amount of money and distribute it with impunity like Father Christmas satisfying the wants of children in stores full of toys. Nobody remember the talikawa, the children and their families waiting for salaries to be paid. Do our countries need to be sanitized by another Nzeogwu, Rawlings or old Buhari? What do you do with a country where you belong, the only village they know your name, can claim rights and privileges? As soon as you leave, miss the place, cannot wait to get back. No matter how much you hated and rejected that country, only to be asked if you are from there!

http://www.modernghana.com/news/667324/cash-and-carry-bureaucrats-guzzled-foreign-income-dry.html#

Politics

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File: Results from the latest NOI Poll showed that 9 in 10 Nigerians believe the highest abusers of drugs and substance are teenagers and young adults aged between 15 and 29 years old.It has also emerged true from this poll that the most abused substance in Nigeria is marijuana. By Sola Ogundipe New research suggests a strong link between long-term daily marijuana use and head and neck cancers. A recent study analyzing millions of medical records found that individuals with cannabis use disorder—characterized by symptoms such as cravings, tolerance, and withdrawal—are three to five times more likely to develop these cancers compared to non-users. Cannabis use disorder is diagnosed when a person exhibits two or more symptoms as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including intense cravings, reduced effects over time, excessive use, continued use despite negative consequences, and difficulty quitting. According to Dr Niels Kokot, a professor of clinical otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, research shows that people who use cannabis, particularly those with a cannabis use disorder, are significantly more likely to develop head and neck cancers compared to those who do not use cannabis. “While our study did not differentiate between methods of cannabis consumption, cannabis is most commonly consumed by smoking, The association we found likely pertains mainly to smoked cannabis.” Some 69 percent of people with a diagnosis of oral or throat cancer will survive five years or longer after their diagnosis, according to the National Cancer Institute. If the cancer metastasizes, however, that rate drops to 14 percent. About 61 percent of people diagnosed with cancer of the larynx will be alive five years later – a rate that drops to 16 percent if the cancer spreads. The study used insurance data to look at the association of cannabis use disorder with head and neck cancers, said Dr. Joseph Califano, the Iris and Matthew Strauss Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California, San Diego. “The researchers used a huge, huge dataset, which is really extraordinary, and there is enormous power in looking at numbers this large when we typically only see small studies,” said Califano, also the director of University of Californ8a, San Diego’s Hanna and Mark Gleiberman Head and Neck Cancer Center. “On average, people with cannabis use disorder smoke about a joint a day and do so for at least a couple years, if not longer,” said Califano, who coauthored an editorial published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery in conjunction with the new study. However, he added, the study does not find an association between “the occasional recreational use of marijuana and head and neck cancer.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/08/marijuana-smokers-prone-to-head-neck-cancers-study/

Health

en

While several young Nigerians are busy complaining their country has not done anything for them, 35- year- old US- based Nigerian born researcher, Yemi Adesokan, has put his country’s name on the map of nations of innovation. Adesokan’s discovery which has potential to change the way mankind responds to disease pathogens, according to experts, may bring an end the era of increased burden of drug resistance in the world particularly, in sub Saharan Africa. When he moved to United States in 1996, little did the young innovator have realise that he was going to rub shoulders with some of the greatest names in scientific technology. But today, Adesokan who has been listed by Technology Review, an independent media company owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, (MIT) USA. as one of the TR35 Award of the 2011 World top innovators. Past recipients have included Sergey Brin (Google), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), and Konstantin Novoselev (later a Nobel Laureate in Physics). Adesokan is being so specially honoured for his work in the application of next generation sequencing to clinical diagnostics. Adesokan, who is also the founder of Pathogenica Inc., was selected as a member of the TR35 class of 2011 by a panel of expert judges and the editorial staff of Technology Review, who evaluated more than 300 nominations. By this recognition, he will be joining other TR35 honorees in discussing their achievements at the Emtech MIT 2011 conference, taking place at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, October 18 to 19, 2011. In this chat with Chioma Obinna, he speaks on the award and the benefits of his innovation in the diagnostics world. What it is all about This work is being carried out by a biotechnology startup that I founded with Prof George Church of Harvard Medical School DNA technology. The Pathogenica’s test kits are able to identify the presence, allowing for physicians to screen for multiple diseases with accurate results and a rapid turnaround. I founded pathogenica with genomics pioneer and Harvard Prof George Church in 2009 in order to commercilaise applications of pathogen sequencing. Sequencing technologies have improved a million – fold in the past seven years, bringing scientists a wealth of individual genomics and the key now is to employ the data to improve clinical practice. The DNA sequence of each individual or organism is unique, and is the most detailed signature for identification. This year marks one decade since the completion of the Human Genome Project, a three billion-dollar effort to sequence a human genome. A major issue in Nigeria today, is that some sterilised water may contain harmful pathogens. The technology is useful in screening a range of pathogens in water, livestock (poultry, etc.), and in food manufacturing. The key point for this technology is its high multiple. As it scales up, we actually see a reduction in price. With the innovation, the cost of DNA sequencing has dropped more than 40,000_fold since that time to just $5,000 today. The price continues to drop. We are applying this fast, inexpensive technology in a unique way to improve routine clinical diagnostics. Impact on clinical practice The utility of the innovation in clinical practice lies in the low error rate, thereby reducing the number of inaccurate diagnoses due to false positives or the emergence of drug resistance mutations undetected by current methods. This reduces the occurrence of patient mortality (death) due to misdiagnosed infections. In addition, the technology does not require cultures as samples. Tuberculosis (TB) samples can take over one week to culture. We can demonstrate diagnostic results in a single day. This would reduce the spread of Tuberculosis In the case of HPV, which causes cervical cancer and other types of cancers, this technology can be used for detection with a very low occurrence of error. The error rate is very low. Plans to bring it to Nigeria We are very interested in finding partners in the Nigerian private and public sectors, particularly as TB is not an issue in the US market. We plan to visit Nigeria around November to give some presentations on the utility of our technology, particularly in the case of drug-resistant infections. The TR35 award is presented each year to 35 innovators under the age of 35 whose “accomplishments are poised to have a dramatic impact on the world. The TR35 recognises the world’s top innovators, spanning energy, medicine, computing, communications, nanotechnology, and other emerging fields. It is given by MIT’s Technology Review Magazine. Needless to say, Technology Review has an excellent track record in predicting innovative technologies. Pathogenica, Inc., was selected for this award based on my work on the development of fast DNA sequencing technologies for clinical diagnostics. Nigerian government and Research I think more can be done, especially in encouraging young innovators. The establishment of technology incubators to nurture and fund young companies would be a good starting point. There is need for the government to send science and technology representatives to scout out new innovations worldwide, and encourage private sector venture capitalists to invest in local technology innovation. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/09/adesokan-scientist-wins-mit%E2%80%99s-world-top-young-innovators-award-2/

Culture

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Gender equality is not just about placing both the male and female sexes on the same level biologically or in terms physical strength or religious doctrines but is also achieved both women and men enjoy the same rights and opportunities across all sectors of life. It embodies placing the needs of women and men as equally valuable and such equally favoured. The very first bill that was proposed on gender equality in Nigeria was struck out by the Senate due to some clauses which they found too demanding and has since not been re-visited. However, a newly modified bill sponsored by Senator Biodun Olujinmi of Ekiti South region recently scaled through the second reading. Section 4 of the new bill, therefore, prohibits all forms of discrimination against any person on account of gender, age and disability through spoken words, acts, rules, customs and practices by any person or institution in Nigeria. It will be a great success in the history of Nigeria as well as a breakthrough for the Nigerian people most especially the female gender if Section 4 of the modified bill is passed into law portraying the real essence of gender equality. Gender equality goes deeper than just equal rights for men and women to own and drive cars, we still live in a country where women are turned away from certain places they go to alone such as leisure venues based on ridiculous and frivolous reasons which all boil down to the fact that they are women. Why is it acceptable for a man to show up at a certain expensive restaurant or lounge alone to have a nice meal but unacceptable for a woman to do the same? Does that mean that a woman must be accompanied by a man to be entertained and accepted at certain places which are meant to be open for both sexes? Gender equality should not be limited to certain areas of life and must be taken more seriously. Let’s take a look at five major areas that will benefit from the Gender equality bill being passed into law in Nigeria: - The labour sector: There are still certain jobs in Nigeria which are still tailored to the male or female gender. This is made more apparent by employers who specifically request male or female persons for a specific position. Take for instance, why is it still the notion in the country that a nurse should be a woman? Meanwhile, many developed countries are equally having more male nurses as there are female ones today. With the Gender equality law, both genders can equally and freely feel comfortable to undertake any job position that suits them. - The area of child inheritance: In Nigeria, it is not just still a notion but also a tradition in many tribes that the male children are entitled to all or more of their father’s inheritances than the female children. Clearly, Section 4 of the modified bill is not being fairly applied when it comes to this area. - Education and better opportunity for the girl child: Many Nigerian families still believe that it is right to train their male children and leave the female children behind in terms of education. Nigeria has gone a long way in expanding education around the country but still needs to do more to ensure that families understand that both male and female children should be educated on the same level and afford both better opportunities without holding one back over the other. - Prevention of juvenile marriage and sexual abuse: Everyday young girls between the age of 10 to 16 are being married off in Nigeria in the name of religion or tribe. So many young girls are subjected to early marriage and end up with various forms of diseases such as the Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) due to pre-mature canal knowledge or childbirth from an underdeveloped pelvic region, which is very rampant in the Northern part of Nigeria. This is one of the barbaric practices that must be put to a stop through placing serious emphasis on the importance of gender equality. - The area of finance: Today so many women are single-handedly raising and providing for their children in the absence of their male partners. So we ask again why it is still the notion that a woman’s place is in the kitchen? Many Nigerian communities still raise their female children to believe that their place of success is at home and not at the head of a successful company or business. More emphasis needs to be placed on the fact that a woman has the right to pursue a successful career and attain financial independence as much as a man. The Olatorera Consultancy brand has grown from an ambitious solo-preneur to a team of over 50 people highly assertive on providing the seal and stamp of “Africa’s Best” to great businesses in Africa and beyond. Chief Executive Consultant, Olatorera Oniru is very passionate about seeing businesses succeed and operate optimally. She is also notably passionate about witnessing Africa transformed into one of the world’s greatest continents. Olatorera Consultancy has an annual outline of businesses we work with. We currently do not accept unsolicited applications. To network with the team at Olatorera Consultancy Limited, please add your company to the reviews page here. An Olatorera Consultancy company representative may be in touch with you shortly after reviewing your company’s readiness for business consultation services.

https://olatorera.com/top-5-reasons-why-the-nigerian-senate-must-pass-the-gender-equality-bill-into-law/

Family

en

ON New Year’s Day, in my ancestral hometown of Abba in Anambra State in eastern Nigeria, my family and I woke up to unbelievable news: the price of petrol had doubled. Overnight, the government had removed what it called the subsidy on fuel, and almost immediately, transport fares exploded and food prices rose astronomically. It used to cost 4,000 naira — about $25 — to fill my petrol tank. Then it cost 10,000 naira. When I stopped to buy okpa, a steam-cooked bean dish, from a street hawker, she said it was no longer 50 naira; it was now 100. “Why?” I asked. “Because of fuel subsidy.” A relative who had traveled to her village for the holidays called me to say that she was stranded there, unable to return to her job in Lagos; she could not afford the bus fare, which had doubled in price. Nigeria, one of the world’s biggest exporters of crude oil, does not have adequate refineries and so it imports most of its petrol. The government claims that it pays a subsidy to importers to keep the prices low, and that these companies defraud the government by inflating their costs. Perhaps that is true, but it is a strange reason for raising prices, as though the government is incapable of policing fraud. Politicians have long discussed ending the subsidy, but no one expected it to happen when and how it did. There was something frightening about the abruptness of such a dramatic change, a sense of lurching, a violent uncertainty that captured the general mood in Nigeria. Nigerians, particularly in the heavily Muslim north, live in fear of violence from the Islamist group Boko Haram. More than a hundred people have been shot to death or killed in bombings in recent weeks. My uncle, who lived most of his adult life in the northern town of Maiduguri, recently moved back east after a Boko Haram bomb exploded mere feet from his bookshop. Now he is struggling to start over, a man past middle age, grasping for hope. I saw him on New Year’s Day. He said he had only barely been able to afford the rent for a new shop in Awka, our state capital, and now he had to deal with the new price of petrol — he will have to spend much more on transportation and, since there is hardly ever any electricity, on the generator to power his shop. “How will I cope?” he asked.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/opinion/nigerias-latest-frustration.html?_r=3&hpI

Politics

en

Yes, Jesus died for the sins of the people who lived before he was crucified. If he did not, then none of the Old Testament saints could be saved and go to heaven. 1 Peter 2:24 says that Jesus bore our sins in his body on the cross. This means that he bore our sins even though we were in the distant future compared to the time of his crucifixion. If he can bear the sins of people hundreds of years after him, why can’t he also bear the sins of people hundreds of years before him? Of course, he can. Furthermore, we know from the Old Testament as well as the New Testament, that the shedding of blood is what brings the forgiveness of sins. - Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” - Hebrews 9:22, “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” It is the same way for both groups of people before and after Jesus’ crucifixion. Furthermore, we know that the Old Testament saints were justified the same way that we are, by faith. - Romans 4:3, “For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” - Romans 4:5, “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” The Old Testament saints looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, and they participated in the sacrificial system that God gave to Israel. Though they did not have a complete understanding of who the Messiah was or that he was to be God in flesh (John 1:1, 14 Colossians 2:9), they did trust God and sought to obey him with a revelation he had provided for them via the sacrifice of animals. However, we know from the New Testament in Hebrews 10:4 that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away our sins. Only the blood of Christ does that. So, if anyone is to be forgiven, it has to be through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Therefore, all of the Old Testament saints who are saved will have to be saved by the same sacrifice of Christ on the cross that saves us. He bore their sins as well as ours.

https://carm.org/did-jesus-die-for-the-sins-of-people-who-lived-before-he-was-crucified

Religion

en

ABUJA, Nigeria – The World Bank has recommended that for more Nigerians to travel by air at affordable fares and for airlines to operate profitably, the average number of domestic carriers should be 25. For these airlines to operate profitably, it is expected that the Federal Government should assist in reducing the charges and other taxes; check the high prices of aviation fuel and continue with modernisation of airport facilities. This is part of World Bank’s report to the Federal Government after the audit of Nigerian airlines, which was made available to the press. According to a source in the Ministry of Aviation, “This operational audit has shown that the aviation industry in Nigeria needs on average 25 domestic airline operators to serve the growing passenger numbers, which at 2010 stood at 14million serving the major airports: Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt.” World Bank noted that the recommended number of airlines is in tandem with the population of the country, which would soon over strip 200 million and as at now less than 10 per cent of the citizens travel by air but with more airlines, more competition and government support, fares would crash to a rate that could be afforded by average Nigerian, which would triple the number of air travelers. Ideally, with the growth of Nigeria’s economy, the working population and growing number of youths, it is expected that at least 40 percent of Nigerians should travel by air, especially as there is limited alternative transport system. Besides roads, there is no other well developed means of transport, as the rail system is yet to emerge as dependable alternative and only those who live in riverine areas travel by sea, so with over 25 airports located largely at state capitals, it is expected that more people should travel by air if the air fares are relatively low. It is therefore projected that about 70 million citizens should travel by air but as at today the existing capacity of domestic carriers is grossly low and the fares are outrageously high; that a one- hour flight which is about $80.00 (about N13,500) in other parts of the world could rise to over $300 (N35,000) at peak periods. The high fares may be described as conspiracy of government policies and the airlines because while the airlines say that government is not giving the domestic carriers the needed incentive, the airlines have refused to carry out measures that would enhance better operating environment, which include the unwillingness to cooperate through interlining and other code sharing measures. The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of MedView Airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole recently attributed high fares to high cost of aviation fuel, known as JET A1, noting that high fuel cost “eats up the revenue of airlines, taking over 40 per cent of operational cost of putting aircraft in the air.” The airlines have also complained about high charges by aviation agencies, including the five per cent tax on ticket by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which it shares with two other agencies; the charges paid to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and that of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). Bankole said that these charges stifle the growth of indigenous airlines and this explained why no domestic airline exists for a long time and also why Nigerian operators have limited capacity, lamenting that a country of over 170 million has barely six operating airlines, many of them with few aircraft in their fleet. “The challenge in running an airline in Nigeria is enormous. It is just the matter of doing something for a long time that made us go into the business,” Bankole said.

http://www.eturbonews.com/41333/world-bank-nigeria-should-have-25-domestic-carriers

Politics

en

Why private schools pay peanuts The minimum wage may be N19,000, but teachers, especially those working in low-cost private schools earn far less. The result: high staff turnover. KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE reports on how teachers struggle to make ends meet, while proprietors fight to keep them. Last session, Ebunoluwa Marvins (not real name), a widow and mother of three, taught at a private school in Agege, Lagos State, where she was paid N15,000 monthly – about N4,000 shy of the Federal Government’s minimum wage. It was not easy to make ends meet with that amount of money. She participated in the extra lessons organised by the school to earn extra income. However, the little she earned did not make much difference. Before her husband’s death, less than two years ago, the extra income was used to pay tuition fees of her two older sons (they enjoyed 50 per cent scholarship). After his death, though they were placed on full scholarship, the money was grossly inadequate. Mrs Marvins thought relocating to an accommodation closer to the school would help; she sought help from a friend on the matter. The friend was shocked to learn that she earns a measly N15,000 compared to her own salary of N100,000, which she thought was insufficient. She advised the teacher to change schools instead, which she was able to do before the start of the 2015/2016 academic session. Her new school now pays her close to N100,000 for salary and extra lessons. “I am so happy. I was afraid to change school because of the scholarship my children enjoy. But the money was not keeping us. We had to depend on the goodwill of people to give us food and money,” she said. Mrs Marvins is one of thousands of teachers working in low-cost private schools and earning far less than the minimum wage. Developing Effective Private Education in Nigeria (DEEPEN), an initiative of the Department for International Development (DFID), classifies low-cost private schools as schools that charge between N1,000 to N25,000 per session. Many teachers in such schools, especially those in rural or slum areas of Lagos State, do not earn up to N15,000. Investigations revealed that salaries in the schools range from N7,000 to N30,000 in extreme cases for head teachers and principals. Ms Melody Isaac teaches in Cas Marybon School, which is around Agbado-Ijaiye, a suburb of Lagos. Though she declined to say exactly what she earns, she told The Nation it is less than N15,000. “Teachers get paid between N10,000 and N20,000. I don’t earn up to N15,000,” she said. Raheem Ayomide, who teaches at Praise Way College at Oke Odo, Lagos, has negotiated a new salary with his boss, so he may earn up to N18,000 if the proprietor keeps to his promise. “In my school, I don’t think any teacher is paid up to N20,000. I took a break from the school to complete my education at the university, some months ago. But when I was working my boss was paying me N15,000 and you know in a private secondary school you take more than two classes and subjects. When I came back there were space for me. I was expecting more than N15,000. But we discussed and he told me that the highest paid teachers get N20,000 so he said he would increase my pay but not up to N20,000. He said he would pay me N18,000 and I will take three subjects. The grace I have is that the school is not far from my house. It is just on the next street so, no extra transport fares for me; just a five-minute walk,” said Ayomide. According to a research by DEEPEN, the poor salaries paid by low-cost private schools make teachers seek greener pasture elsewhere, resulting in high teacher turnover in the schools. Many proprietors confirmed this problem, saying they are forced to run around looking for teachers at the beginning of each term. However, they attributed the poor salaries they pay to the nature of the schools they run, which cater for the educational needs of low income families seeking better quality education than public schools offer. Mrs Esther Dada, president, Association for Formidable Education Development (AFED), said high teacher attrition is a cross low-cost private schools owners have to bear because of the low salaries they pay. “We have exodus of teachers from time to time, and mostly we low-cost schools because of the salary we are paying. When we train our teachers, because when they come in newly, they don’t know anything; they are raw. Hence, we give them in-service training and we train them from time to time to fulfill our purpose. But the moment they begin to get the drift of teaching and learning, they look for greener pastures,” she said. Mrs Sola Ogunfowora, proprietor of Prescal Montessori School, Matogun, could not attract a new head teacher to her school because of poor pay. “I had promised to pay N12,000 and she told me she would come. But I did not see her. Challenge of teachers leaving is too much. They want to collect money without working. Once you employ them within two to three months, they are getting ready to leave and if you ask why they say the money is not enough even if the amount was decided before employment,” she said in frustration. Her experience is not really different from that of Deacon Abiodun Owolana, who runs Funbi Secondary School, Ajangbadi. He accused teachers of not being patient to reap the fruit of long service award. He said: “As we are talking now, we are short of teachers. Some of the teachers likely don’t understand what they are doing. If you are in a school a year, two years, there are some benefits you should have if you are a long time staff in my school. In my school, I told them if you are up to three years and you want to go in good condition, you are entitled to N50,000 when you are going. But if I am paying you N10,000 and a neighbouring school offers N12,000, you forget about all those things and jump out because of N12,000.” Mrs Dada, who runs Peacock School, in Ikorodu and Amuwo Odofin, however, noted that low- cost proprietors pay poorly because they charge low fees. “In AFED schools, the minimum school fees is N5,000 – except for Epe – where they charge N3,000. Even at that, they are even begging them to come to school,” she said. In line with those charges, Mrs Dada said she pays between N8,000 and N30,000 to her teachers. “Some of the teachers, depending on the environment, earn N8,000; some earn N10,000. In my school in Amuwo, I have a graduate who is the head teacher and I was giving her N25,000. Now, she is asking for N30,000 and the number of children has dropped. The same thing with Ikorodu. I have a graduate there who majored in English. She is asking for N25,000. We were paying her N20,000 before,” she said. Mrs Ogunfowora said she charges between N5,000 (for nursery) and N7,500 (for upper primary) as fees; while she pays teachers between N7,000 and N12,000. At Deacon Owolana’s school, the minimum tuition fee is N4,000 for nursery; while his secondary school charges N15,000. He said he pays teachers between N15,000 and N25,000. Their responses mirror teachers’ salaries among most low-cost private schools. Regularity of the meagre salary is another issue in these schools. Ayomide said it is not unusual to experience delay in payment. He added that some schools even owe teachers. “A lot of schools, 80 percent of schools, don’t normally pay on time. They owe teachers two to three months salary and they start giving different excuses,” he said. Melody also said non-payment of the meagre salaries contributes to why teachers leave schools. Explaining why some proprietors may delay salaries, Mrs Temitope Osibosi, National Treasurer, AFED, and proprietor of Santoi Nursery and Primary School, Ogudu, said many parents do not pay fees on time. Her claim was confirmed by other proprietors who put the percentage of parents that pay school fees in full at between 45 and 50 per cent. “About 50 per cent of my parents pay in full. Some carry over; even I have first-term carry over from last session in my school. Those children are still in my school. Their father lost his job but I cannot send them away – hoping that the man will get a job,” she said. Deacon Owolana said with only 45 per cent fee compliance, paying salaries on time is sometimes difficult, though he tries to avoid delays. “At times, we pay through our nose. It has not been easy. There was a term, after I paid salaries I was left with N50.00 as the school owner. There are a lot of challenges we face. “I pay salaries in full. If the money is not enough to pay all the staff at a time, maybe I will the pay the primary section first, then the secondary section,” he said. To augment their poor salaries, many teachers organise extra lessons for pupils and bill parents for it. Ayomide said lesson fees provide teachers in low-cost private schools a critical amount which boosts their incomes. He said: “In my school we have extra lesson from 4-6pm. Parents who really want their children to participate will pay so the school does not really interfere. Although we have school lesson from 2 -4pm, which are paid with the school fees, we do our own from 4 to 6pm. If I am to take a student for two hours they will pay N2,000 at the least. For the lesson outside, I pick Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays which is three days in a week. If at all they pay it will be N5,000 per month. One thing I know is that the parent will see the impact of my teaching on the children. Adding all the money it probably gets to N30,000 or N40,000 which really increases our income before the main salary comes in.” Mrs Marvins agreed with him. “Before my husband’s death, I used to take a young girl for extra lesson and earned N15,000 monthly. It really used to help me,” she said. Melody said she augments her N15,000 salary in this way. “If you have about 20 students in a class, we urge the parents to allow them do extra lesson. They pay N700 per month and the proprietress gets nothing from it. It is between the teacher and the students,” she said. Despite paying low salaries, some low-cost private schools are able to retain teachers better than others. The Nation gathered that proprietors that gave teachers free hand to earn extra income through extra lessons were more likely to retain their teachers. Mrs Dada, who said her head teacher has stayed for about 15 years, said she allows teachers to use the school for extra lessons. “Most of the time, we allow them to go for lesson money. Like I did in my place, evening lessons 4-6pm, I give them free hand to operate. They use the school. I don’t bother about that one. I want them to take care of themselves. That would augment whatever I pay them,” she said. Mr Bawo Ayeseteminikan, Ken Ade Private School, Makoko, Yaba, said he last employed a teacher three years ago because of his favourable policies. “My school has been in existence for 25 years and I am proud to say I do not owe any of my teachers and they have no reason to look elsewhere for work. Rather, we have more teachers looking for work but I told them no. The last teacher I employed was three years ago and I have teachers who have been with me for the past 17 years. The teachers offer lesson and I don’t collect money from them and it enhances their decision not to leave my school because I discovered those earning “N15,000 or N25,000 and adds it to their salary. And where we have more than 25 students doing lesson, they pay at least N1,000 per week. Teachers leave other schools because most of the proprietors don’t have a way of paying them on time to retain them,” he said.

http://thenationonlineng.net/why-private-schools-pay-peanuts/

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*For slavery, inhuman, degrading treatments, exploitation of Africans, African resources By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South A Nigerian policymaker, Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, has demanded $5 trillion as reparations from Britain, and other colonial masters for slavery, inhuman, degrading treatment, and exploitation of Africans and African resources. Nwoko, representing Delta North senatorial district, Delta State, also demanded an apology to African people by the colonial powers. He said: “I call for reparations of at least $5 trillion dollars, not as an act of vengeance, but a pathway to healing and restoration. We must establish a comprehensive framework for reparations to assess the damages inflicted by centuries of injustice.” “I call upon former colonial masters and the International Community to acknowledge the grave consequences of these historical injustices on African nations, especially Nigeria, and expressly apologize to the countries and peoples of the continent.” “Britain and other colonial powers must eventually address the specific wrongdoings and blatant rape of Africa’s peoples and exploitation of their resources. “It is not enough to issue blanket statements as tokens to assuage their conscience (s). It would entail addressing the specific atrocities visited on the diverse peoples of the continent and implementing the regimes of reparations commensurate with the damage done to each African territory and its people. “It would be imperative for the colonial powers to rethink and adjust the dynamics of their relationship with African territories that still struggle with the aftereffects of their atrocities. “I beseech former colonial masters to invest in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic empowerment within African nations, especially those that have endured exploitation. “I also urge the reparation of culturally significant artifacts taken from the African continent during the colonial period. In recent years, there have been a few instances of selective return of stolen artifacts to the Benin Kingdom. However, what justice demands is a wholesome restoration of these items to the peoples and places from which they forcefully and illegally removed them. “I also challenge the terminology that simplifies the rich tapestry of Africa into a simple label ‘blacks’. Especially when used in a derogatory and abusive manner. If they refer to people from the Asia continent as Asians, Europe–Europeans, America- Americans, then they should refer to people from Africa as Africans, not blacks,” he added. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/08/ned-nwoko-demands-5-trillion-reparations-apology-from-colonial-masters/

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Cattle grazing and the consequences thereof Why should it get to killing of innocent Ghanaian farmers, raping of farmers’ wives and children and wanton destruction of people's livelihoods, all in the name of finding pasture? Nomads are persons who have no settlements and move from place to place, usually alongside their livestock in search of good pasture and water. In prehistoric times, such persons roamed the whole world until various civilisations put up rules and regulations governing the keeping of livestock. In many jurisdictions, if you do not own land, you do not keep animals. It meant that pasture was produced on the land for the livestock to feed in enclosures. One of my best sights in the United Kingdom was seeing cattle, sheep and goats on grazing land with low wooden fences or hedges demarcating paddocks. Maybe because where I came from, we cohabited with big and small animals and got frightened when a cow was in motion. Literally, a cow on the run was referred to as a mad cow and everybody took cover. It meant that anybody without land did not keep animals or you made arrangements with a landowner and kept your animals on his/her land. Since necessity has always been the mother of invention and weather conditions are such that the animals cannot be outside eating pasture all year round, fodder is grown, bailed and stored in bans for the winter months. To see the British countryside all green from pasture cultivation, the drying of the fodder and the bailing were impressive. It really was a sight to behold and many a summer days, I spent time visiting farms and watching the processes to ensure that animals were kept in enclosures and duly fed. In Ghana, those who keep animals in enclosures are either in rooms in houses cohabiting with humans or are along the Nima highway in Accra or in obscure areas around the various big gutters that traverse Accra's geography or wherever it is in Ghana that the animals are kept. This excludes those that are kept in enclosures awaiting slaughter at the various slaughter houses or abattoirs. As a result of the decision to allow only persons with land to hold livestock, a potentially serious problem has been averted in those countries. A similar law can be instituted in Ghana. Land banks can be generated in every district through collaboration among landowners, traditional authorities and district assemblies. Boreholes can be sunk and wooden fences provided. Pasture can be grown, cut and brought in to supplement what is within the enclosure. All cattle and ruminant owners can pay a holding fee which will cater for land rental and feeding. This way, we will not need persons to be accompanying cattle and traversing land in search of pasture and water. The only reason why Fulani people are used to look after cattle is because as nomads, they are used to trekking long distances. It is not because they can speak the language of the cows. That is a fallacy we have all been made to believe. After all, there are no Fulanis looking after cattle in Britain or in anyplace where the proper structures have been put in place. Interestingly in those areas, animal right activists will not countenance walking cattle for hours on end in search of food. Is it any wonder our cattle are thin and feeble compared to those in areas where they conserve their energy? One has only to look at local cow foot and ox tail compared to the imported variety. Do lives matter? We have brought the present hardships in Agogo, Kwahu, Begoro and other places on ourselves, of course, with the complicity of men in political power, traditional authority and the security agencies. They either have their cattle among those causing the mess and do not know where to keep them or are looked after by the Fulanis. They have a ready penchant to bribe their way through every difficulty and with willing hands, get away with anything. Do Ghanaian lives matter? I dare to ask. If so, then why will Ghanaians be arrested when cows are killed but no one gets arrested when Ghanaians are killed or farms are destroyed. There will be no need for Fulanis if all cattle are kept in enclosures. Ghana has pasture throughout the year. We could trade in it and send truck loads of fodder to Sankasi (Togo), Burkina, Niger and Mali, but then the problem of water for the livestock may be an issue. The solution is fenced land for keeping livestock backed by law and enforced. It will make the Ghanaian countryside picturesque. In the first republic, Fulanis who brought cattle were identified and the number of cows noted. Very few individual Ghanaians had cattle like today, other than families in the North which took care of their own. Each Fulani on arrival was given a specific period of sojourn, after which you went back but sold half of your cattle to the Government of Ghana. It was the meat used for the Zuarungu meat factory. Cattle in Ghana, because of good pasture have calves every year. In the landlocked countries, it may be two or three years before cattle bring forth. There was, therefore, the need for Ghana to benefit from its benevolence. Can we do that now? Why not! Let us act now and stop pussyfooting with what can potentially boil over and make some districts no-go areas. Some communities have already become ghost towns. A stitch in time saves nine.

https://www.graphic.com.gh/features/opinion/cattle-grazing-and-the-consequences-thereof.html

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The World Health Organisation has identified Nigeria as the country with the highest figure of poliomyelitis cases. The World Health Organisation Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. David Okello, disclosed this in Lagos on Saturday, at the installation ceremony of the new District Governor of Rotary International District 9110, Dr. Kamoru Omotosho, for 2012-2013. Okello, who noted that Nigeria was ranked alongside two other countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, which are still grappling with the problem. According to him, “Indeed Nigeria is now the largest contributor of global polio burden -nearly 60 per cent. Nigeria is also the only country in the world to have all three types of polio virus — Type 1, Type 3, and circulating vaccine-derived Type 2 viruses.” He explained that the transmission of the disease in Nigeria poses a real threat to the global polio eradication effort. Giving further statistics, he stated that of the 49 cases reported in the country currently, “two-thirds are from four particular sanctuaries — the northern states of Borno, Kano, Sokoto and Zamfara.” He, however, commended the concerted efforts of Rotarians worldwide at eradicating the disease as well as committing their expertise and resources to improving the welfare of communities.

http://www.channelstv.com/home/2012/07/08/nigeria-is-the-worst-hit-polio-nation-who/

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Says 47m Nigeria currently into practice As African Water Ministers move to provide direction open defecationBy Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja With barely five years ahead as a target to end Open Defecation, ODF, in Nigeria, the Federal Government has made it clear that it is not its responsibility to build toilets. This was disclosed by the representative of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Emmanuel Awe, at the recent African Sanitation Policy Guidelines, ASPG, Country Stakeholder Consultation Meeting, held in Abuja. Awe explained building toilets in public places like markets, schools, and primary health care centre remain a constitutional responsibility of the local government. He also said the Federal Government can only intervene when and where necessary. He added that households and other privately owned property including schools and malls should be provided with toilets by their owners, but the government can only intervene and demonstrate what the state and local governments, and private sector should do in toilet construction. He said: “Federal Government does not have communities, but all these communities are in the States and local governments. For building toilets in public places the federal government can only intervene, the responsibility of building toilets solely lies with the local governments. “All we are doing is to intervene and demonstrate that it is doable, and the states are to ensure that all their local governments are empowered enough to build public toilets, build toilets in their schools, primary health centres, and it is not our responsibility to build toilets. “Equally important is the fact that Federal Government has decided that it will not build toilets for householders; what that means is if you have your house the family should be able to build toilets for the occupants, except in a critical situation where the head of the household seems not be able to avoid it there can be other assistance coming from the private sector or their neighbours, community raising funds to assist such a household. “But by principle or policy, the government will not go to households or each house to build toilets. The government can only build toilets in public places, like schools but government schools and not private schools, also build for health places, markets, car parks, and others. “Government can build and transfer to the private sector to manage. It is not entirely true that the government will not build toilets. We expect in the next five years all these people, householders and government will build not less than 10 million toilets.” According to him (Awe) there are sanitation policies that exist presently which the government targets and prioritises, and very soon all the policies that exist in different ministries will be harmonized into a single document that will enable all development partners and agencies to have access in order for them to know where exactly to intervene in the water, sanitation and health sub-sector. However, he made it known that 47 million Nigerians are practicing Open Defecation, and it gives the government serious concern about it, but efforts are made to eradicate the practice by 2025. “Presently 26 states have keyed into the PEWASH programme and we believe the rest states will key in. “Federal government also recently encouraged State governments to have their own roadmap to address the issue of open defecation in their states. “We have a national roadmap for ending open defecation in Nigeria by 2025 and if we are to work with that means we have just five years to address the issue of open defecation in Nigeria, and time is fast running. “Presently we have 47 million people in the practice, but we are encouraged by the fact that India removed 550 million people within five years. So we believe it is possible to remove 47 million people from open defecation within the next five years.” Meanwhile, leaving no stone unturned, the African Ministers’ Conference on Water, AMCOW, have waded into action to ensure African countries have their water, sanitation and hygiene challenges tackled through the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, and to intervene where necessary. This was made known by the Executive Secretary, AMCOW, Dr. Canisius Kanangire, while explaining the vision of the organization, at the consultation meeting. Kanangire said: “African Ministers Council of Water, AMCOW, has been mandated by the African Union, AU, to provide leadership, policy directions and advocacy on the management and development of water resources and provision of sanitation services. “And that mandate was given mainly with the target of reaching good and sustainable services by the horizon 2025. That was the Africa Water Vision 2025. But meanwhile, there were also other high-level commitments that came in like the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, which put the horizon 2030 and which aims now at providing those services to all, and we have other commitments, the African continent, and I can cite the African wants, then African Agenda 2063. We are contributing to all those high-level commitments. “Now, when we look at sanitation landscape one of the first issues we noticed in that more so, African countries are still working on policies, which are guided by Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, objectives, and targets, and yet the MDGs was ended, the horizon was completely evaluated in 2015 and we moved to the SDGs. “The SDGs are targeting halfing the services, the number of people who are not accessing those different basic services and here the SDGs are more ambitious we target everyone and should leave no one behind. “So the policies we are promoting today should be the one with the right target with the right objectives and because of that they should develop the factors to make ensure they succeed, and those factors would be on the right institutions, mechanisms, financing, capacity, and others”, he stated. According to the AMCOW boss changing the strategy and developing a guideline will provide directions to all the countries in the same time would be the right way because many countries can follow the guidelines and adopt, whereby move from the guideline to their individual policies, and in five years or less AMCOW will reach out to all the countries and transform the policy landscape of the whole Africa. “And if we do that we will manage to have in each country of this continent a policy which put together and expand to other core elements aligned to the SDG period and that will be something which will certainly transform the way we address key challenges that we have, the way we put together the means and respond to the political will and many cries from the communities”, he said. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/03/open-defecation-not-our-responsibility-to-build-toilets-fg/

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Paul-Henri Nargeolet Has Made More Than 35 Titanic Site Trips Mr. Nargeolet, a French maritime expert, is one of the five people aboard the missing submersible. He works for RMS Titanic, which owns the salvage rights to the wreck. Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French maritime expert who has been on over 35 dives to the Titanic wreck site, is one of the five people aboard the submersible that has been missing since Sunday, according to his literary representative, Mathieu Johann. Mr. Nargeolet, 77, is the director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, Inc., an American company that owns the salvage rights to the famous wreck and displays many of the artifacts at Titanic exhibitions. The company conducted eight research and recovery expeditions between 1987 and 2010, according to its website. The dozens of dives Mr. Nargeolet has made to the wreck site include previous OceanGate expeditions on the Titan, the missing submersible. In 2022, he enabled the discovery of an “extraordinarily biodiverse abyssal ecosystem on a previously unknown basalt formation near the Titanic,” according to the company. Mr. Nargeolet’s company, RMS Titanic, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Sunday, in a statement on Twitter, it expressed “heartfelt support to the Boston Coast Guard during their search and rescue mission” but made no mention of Mr. Nargeolet. While Mr. Nargeolet was born in Chamonix, in the French Alps, he has devoted his career to the ocean. He was an amateur diver in his youth before joining the French Navy in 1964, according to a biography published on the website of the Cité de la Mer, an oceanography museum in Cherbourg, France, that has hosted exhibitions of objects salvaged from the wreck and that has collaborated with Mr. Nargeolet. During two decades in the Navy, he was a mine-clearing diver, a deep-sea diver, and a submarine pilot. That experience led him to work for IFREMER, a publicly funded French maritime research institute, where he was in charge of its submarine exploration crafts during early expeditions to the Titanic wreck. His first dive to the Titanic was in July 1987, about two years after the wreck was discovered.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/20/us/nargeolet-titanic-submarine.html

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(WIAT) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expanding the requirement for a negative COVID-19 test to all air passengers entering the United States effective January 26. Testing before and after travel is a critical layer to slow the introduction and spread of COVID-19, the CDC reports. This strategy is consistent with the current phase of the pandemic and more efficiently protects the health of Americans. Variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus continue to emerge in countries around the world, and there is evidence of increased transmissibility of some of these variants. With the US already in surge status, the testing requirement for air passengers will help slow the spread of the virus as the US work to vaccinate the American public, the CDC says. How it works Before departure to the United States, a required test, combined with the CDC recommendations to get tested again 3-5 days after arrival and stay home for 7 days post-travel, will help slow the spread of COVID-19 within US communities from travel-related infections. Pre-departure testing with results known and acted upon before travel begins will help identify infected travelers before they board airplanes. Air passengers are required to get a viral test (a test for current infection) within the three days before their flight to the U.S. departs, and provide written documentation of their laboratory test result (paper or electronic copy) to the airline or provide documentation of having recovered from COVID-19. Airlines must confirm the negative test result for all passengers or documentation of recovery before they board. If a passenger does not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery or chooses not to take a test, the airline must deny boarding to the passenger. “Testing does not eliminate all risk,” says CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, MD, “but when combined with a period of staying at home and everyday precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, it can make travel safer, healthier, and more responsible by reducing spread on planes, in airports, and at destinations.” When it begins This order was signed by the CDC Director on Jan. 12, 2021, and will become effective on Jan. 26, 2021. - 5 possible October surprises that could roil the Trump-Harris race - Republicans eager to keep House control are open to Trump’s SALT reversal - Rite Aid employees schedule strike authorization vote amid contract dispute - What to know about the Padres Wild Card Series at Petco Park - Watch: MLB legend Pete Rose talks career and controversy in his final interview

https://fox5sandiego.com/news/coronavirus/cdc-negative-covid-19-test-required-to-enter-us-by-air/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&fbclid=IwAR3gfIe2T-8h6Ze5hfoCd9lbMiSFxM5RdMwVfq4mD_lfh6cxuuJHyb9-pzQ

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The first human trial to evaluate a candidate vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 has begun in Seattle, US health officials said Monday. “The open-label trial will enroll 45 healthy adult volunteers ages 18 to 55 years over approximately 6 weeks,” the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) said in a statement. “The first participant received the investigational vaccine today.” But the candidate would still need to progress through various more stages, known as phases, to prove it works and is safe. US officials have estimated it may take another year to 18 months before it becomes available — if everything goes to plan. The vaccine is called mRNA-1273 and was developed by NIH scientists and collaborators at biotechnology company Moderna, which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Funding was also provided by the Oslo-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). READ ALSO: Global Airlines Slash Almost All Flights As Coronavirus Spreads “Finding a safe and effective vaccine to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2 is an urgent public health priority,” said Anthony Fauci, head of infectious diseases at the NIH. “This Phase 1 study, launched in record speed, is an important first step toward achieving that goal.” Coronaviruses are spherical and have spikes protruding from their surface, giving them a crown-like appearance. The spike binds to human cells, allowing the virus to gain entry. The Moderna candidate vaccine carries the genetic information of this spike in a substance called “messenger RNA.” Injecting human tissue with the spike’s messenger RNA makes it grow inside the body, thereby eliciting an immune response without having actually infected a person with the full-blown virus.

https://www.channelstv.com/2020/03/16/us-begins-first-human-trial-of-coronavirus-vaccine/

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Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian author and towering man of letters whose internationally acclaimed fiction helped to revive African literature and to rewrite the story of a continent that had long been told by Western voices, died on Thursday in Boston. He was 82. His agent in London said he had died after a brief illness. Mr. Achebe had used a wheelchair since a car accident in Nigeria in 1990 left him paralyzed from the waist down. Chinua Achebe (pronounced CHIN-you-ah Ah-CHAY-bay) caught the world’s attention with his first novel, “Things Fall Apart.” Published in 1958, when he was 28, the book would become a classic of world literature and required reading for students, selling more than 10 million copies in 45 languages. The story, a brisk 215 pages, was inspired by the history of his own family, part of the Ibo nation of southeastern Nigeria, a people victimized by the racism of British colonial administrators and then by the brutality of military dictators from other Nigerian ethnic groups. “Things Fall Apart” gave expression to Mr. Achebe’s first stirrings of anti-colonialism and a desire to use literature as a weapon against Western biases. As if to sharpen it with irony, he borrowed from the Western canon itself in using as its title a line from Yeats’s apocalyptic poem “The Second Coming.” “In the end, I began to understand,” Mr. Achebe later wrote. “There is such a thing as absolute power over narrative. Those who secure this privilege for themselves can arrange stories about others pretty much where, and as, they like.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/23/world/africa/chinua-achebe-nigerian-writer-dies-at-82.html?smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0

Politics

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It matters if Jesus died for us because it is only through the sacrificial death of Christ that we can be saved from the righteous judgment of God the Father. Our sin is rebellion against God. It is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). The consequence of sin is separation from God (Isaiah 59:2) and death (Romans 6:23). This means we are in trouble on the Day of Judgment, but God is merciful and provided a way for us to escape His judgment. Jesus died for us on the cross and bore our sins in his body (1 Pet. 2:24). He bore the penalty of sin, which is death, and removed its consequence from us (but only if you believe and receive it by faith). Therefore, without the sacrifice of Christ, we have no hope of escaping the judgment from God. It is of the utmost importance that Jesus died for us– because without it, we are damned. Finally, you must receive Christ (John 1:12) and be saved by faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8-9). The reason it is by faith is that our good works are not good enough to please an infinitely holy God (Isaiah 64:6).

https://carm.org/answers-for-seekers/what-does-it-matter-if-jesus-died-for-me-or-not/

Religion

en

We tend to associate natural with good. A natural lifestyle, eating natural food, and natural remedies are all presented as superior to anything processed and artificial. After all, the word natural comes from nature, and nature is good, isn’t it? “Natural” and “Transmutation of Species” There is a term, widely used in biology, that also contains the adjective natural and that for many people is also a good thing. It is natural selection. Natural selection relates to the “struggle for existence” coming from observed differences in survival and reproduction, with organisms best adapted to their environment producing more descendants. Life is seen as a constant competition in which natural selection ensures that only the “fittest” win, while the weak and the clumsy fall by the wayside. If the qualities responsible for the survival or demise of certain individuals come from the genes they possess, natural selection results in the best genes remaining in the population while the deficient genes are eliminated. Thus, some would say, even if the means are a bit harsh, the end is the improvement of the species, and therefore the unflinching, unfeeling elimination of unfit organisms by natural selection is justified, a kind of natural good. We find many evidences of how the creation was and how it should be. This was the view of Charles Darwin, the scientist most associated with the concept of natural selection. Although he was neither the first nor the only one to propose the idea, Darwin spread it throughout the academic community of the nineteenth century via his famous 1859 book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. One of the main tenets of this book was to establish natural selection as the agent responsible of the “transmutation of species,” the slow and progressive change that turned one species into a different one by accumulation of adaptive variations over time. Although not mentioned in the title, Darwin’s second goal was to argue in favor of common ancestry for all organisms. He connected common ancestry and natural selection together by assuming that natural selection could accumulate small beneficial changes over millions of years into large evolutionary changes. His concluding paragraph clearly shows Darwin’s conviction that natural selection and its effects on earth were something absolutely good: “There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.”1 In the second edition of The Origin, published in 1860 only a few months after the original, Darwin added a short phrase to the paragraph, which then read: “There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one . . .”2 Natural Selection and “by the Creator” According to historians and the testimony of Darwin himself,3 this addition does not reflect Darwin’s regret at presenting a purely materialistic theory that left out the Creator, but was rather an attempt to placate the enormous criticisms that the first edition had received from different religious sectors. That was not unexpected. Long before publishing his book, Darwin was fully convinced that the diverse forms of life were not God’s designed creation but the product of a blind, undirected natural process. His core ideas were already formulated in the notebooks he wrote in the 1830s based on his observations during the voyage of the Beagle. However, when he shared his ideas with his deeply religious wife, Emma, along with some of his scientific colleagues, Darwin soon realized how difficult the acceptance of his theory would be in a Christian society. That is one reason On the Origin of Species took a long time to write and ended up as a thick and ponderous book: Darwin spent more than two decades compiling supporting evidence and forging alliances with respected scientists of his time. The book launch went more or less as expected. All copies were sold in a single day and generated a great deal of controversy. Along with scientific critiques, his religious materialism drew serious criticism. Darwin decided to make some rhetorical concessions for the second edition, but the materialistic essence remained unchanged. Natural selection was the mechanism responsible for accumulating changes; it endured as the true creator making endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful, while God was relegated to a secondary role, if any. Darwin defined himself as an agnostic,4 explicitly rejecting the Bible’s divine inspiration, so his ideas were consistent with his stance toward religion. Today, however, there are Christians who claim to be Bible believers and state that Darwin’s materialistic theory is completely compatible with biblical teachings. According to them, God used natural selection to create and thus, because natural selection was God’s means of creation, it is both natural and good. But this is not what is written in the Bible. It is true that the Bible describes nature as good. In Genesis 1 God Himself evaluates different components of His creation and certifies six times that they are good. Then in verse 31, when His work is complete, He reaffirms his verdict by assessing the creation as very good. So, yes, nature was good . . . before Genesis 3. After that, not so much. At the very moment of the Fall, when Adam and Eve decided to disobey God, they condemned the rest of creation to suffer the curse along with humanity; nature’s goodness was tarnished by the consequences of sin. One of the first consequences, readily apparent when reading the text, is a shift in priorities within the human mind. In Patriarchs and Prophets Ellen White states that Adam ate the forbidden fruit out of love for Eve, but a short time after the bite, he was blaming her, and God Himself, for the transgression.5 This same transformation from selflessness to selfishness soon spread to the rest of nature, and that was the very moment natural selection entered the world. Obviously the Bible does not specifically mention the term, but the description of subsequent events perfectly fits our current understanding of the process. Natural selection has to do with resource shortages, a fight for survival, and with death. That is the norm in nature today, but it was not the case before Genesis 3. Food was plentiful (Gen. 1:29, 30), and nothing in the text suggests any struggle, violence, or fear in the original plan. All of that came later, for it was only after sin that the earth had to be forced to bear its crops (Gen. 3:17), plants developed defenses to avoid overgrazing (verse 18), and enmity arose between humans and animals (verse 15). Natural Selection: A Christian’s View What then should a Christian’s view of natural selection be? Is it an invention? Is it nature’s great creative force? Is it good? Is it natural? There is no doubt that natural selection exists and acts in nature. Charles Darwin devoted a large part of his book to revealing it, and we can easily see it in action in any nature documentary on the African savannah, or just looking around in a forest. Animals fight; some die. Some of them survive to reproduce. Sometimes it is because of features that help camouflage them, or help them run faster, or be more attractive. Survivors end up parenting the next generation, and their features increase in the population. Darwin got that part right. As an expert himself in pigeon breeding, Darwin compared the changes made by artificial selection in some animals with those observed in nature between similar species. He used his observations of the Galapagos mockingbirds and other groups of similar species to propose that geographical isolation could cause a species to adapt differently in different environments, resulting in variations of the same organism. He proposed that natural selection may cause a species to split into two or more similar species. And he was right. That idea may have surprised some people in Darwin’s time who believed in the Platonic fixity of species. But today change driven by natural selection is widely accepted by scientists, evolutionists, and creationists alike. We call it speciation, and there is nothing in the Bible against it. Indeed, the very changes that Genesis 3 announces as consequences of sin could well be considered as a biblical reference to this process. But that’s all natural selection can do. It works only on available variations among organisms within the groups God created. It can turn one population of finches into two populations of finches with slightly different characteristics, such as beak size or feather color, but it can’t turn a finch into an eagle, because finches lack characteristics of eagles for natural selection to select. How much more impossible to turn a bacterium into a human being! Darwin extrapolated the role of natural selection to advocate for a godless nature. But it makes no sense for a Bible believer to embrace materialistic arguments that do not hold up either scientifically or theologically. According to our current understanding in biology,6 the changes necessary to turn one kind of organism into a different one—a bacterium into a giraffe or seaweed into oak trees—cannot happen by natural selection or by any other unguided process. In addition, those who claim that God used natural selection to make them directly contradict both the biblical record of Genesis 1 and the central message of the entire Bible. The very concept of natural selection goes against everything the Bible tells us about God. It implies competition, struggle, selfishness, destruction of the weak, and death—all things that go against God’s loving character and His selflessness. In summary, natural selection exists and acts in nature. It can cause changes in the frequency of already-existing traits within populations and even the formation of new species within the same kind of organisms—such as wolves, dingoes, and domestic dogs, all of which are different species, yet happily interbreed. However, as a process that involves predation, suffering, and death, it should not be considered essentially good, or God’s method of creation. What the Bible calls good, an environment of abundance and peaceful relationships, is exactly the opposite of a world ruled by natural selection. Natural selection was not present in the two first chapters of Genesis, and thus it was not part of God’s original plan for our planet: God is love (1 John 4:16). There is only one question left: Is natural selection natural? The obvious answer would be yes, because it is found in nature. Natural selection entered the world with sin and is now part of nature, but fortunately it is only a small part of it. If we contemplate the natural world carefully, we find many evidences of how the creation was and how it should be. Ecosystems function because many different organisms collaborate with each other, plants and animals help each other, and animals living in social groups show empathic and even altruistic behaviors. God created the world out of love and with love, and that is something that not even several thousand years of sin and natural selection can erase. - Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species: A Variorum Peckham (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1959). - E. Janet Browne, The Power of Place, vol. 2 (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2003), p. 200. - http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/what-did-darwin-believe-article, accessed April 2021. - Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1890, 1908), p. 57. - Ariel A. Roth, “Chance or Design? The Long Search for an Evolutionary Mechanism,” Dialogue 12, no. 1 (2000): 9-12, 29, available at https://dialogue.adventist.org/645/chance-or-design-the-long-search-for-an-evolutionary-mechanism; Leonard Brand and Arthur Chadwick, Faith, Reason, and Earth History, 3rd ed. (Berrien Springs, Mich.: Andrews University Press, 2016); Michael J. Behe, Darwin Devolves (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2019). Research scientist Noemí Durán directs the Inter-European Division branch office of the Geoscience Research Institute, Sagunto, Spain.

https://adventistreview.org/magazine-article/2105-28/

Religion

en

A ferocious hail and rainstorm hit the city of Harbin, the capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on June 12, 2016, wreaking havoc on the streets and disrupting traffic. The sudden onslaught congested sewers and turned roads into rivers, forcing drivers and passengers to abandon their vehicles in a bid to escape rising flood waters. Coin-sized hailstone pellets pelted Harbin for some 10 minutes before a heavy rainstorm moved in. There have been no reports of casualties. The Watchers team and our contributors bring the latest on extreme weather, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, space weather, and all things science. We're all about making sense of the natural world and keeping you informed on what’s happening. Got a tip or a question? Hit us up using the form at newstips! Commenting rules and guidelines We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.

https://watchers.news/2019/11/04/storm-amelie-france-november-2019/Ferocious

Health

en

Are Rats Getting Into Your Car? Rodents are everywhere, and they can do considerable damage when they invade your vehicle. They might decide your car is a safe place to make a nest and a handy site to store food. If you can discourage them, you may win the battle. There are dozens of techniques used to prevent mayhem by the destructive critters, and they work especially well in combination. Multiple lines of defense seem to work best. How to Keep Rats Out of a Car Engine - Leave the hood up. Rodents are looking for a dark place to nest. This idea could help discourage nesting but may not be the ultimate solution. - Hide your dog food, cat food, and birdseed. Dog food is the gold standard of rat society. Rats will stuff pounds and pounds of it into the air cleaner, glove compartment, or other empty spaces in your car. - Remove or seal off rat hiding places near the car. Cut down nearby thick shrubbery and vines where they can hide. If you have a garage, block rat-sized entrances to the building, or spray openings with substances that rats hate (see below). - Block small entrances to the vehicle engine compartment. Some car owners place traps around the vehicle or on top of the wheels, since rats climb wheels to get into the engine. Some block engine openings with wire screen. - Use electronic deterrent devices. Rodents can hear ultrasounds that we cannot, and it annoys them. Some learn to ignore it. Those with strobe lights like MouseBlocker or Rid-a-Rat may work for longer periods, as they disrupt the darkness that rats prefer. - Make your engine and its entrances smell bad, at least to rats. Motorists have had success with peppermint oil, powdered fox urine, used cat litter, cat hair, dog hair, Pine-Sol, Irish Spring soap, red pepper, and laundry dryer sheets. The people who make Rataway tell you to spray it on all the wires in the engine. - Do not let the car sit unused. Drive it once in a while to discourage rats from doing mechanical or electrical work. - Finally, use traps to remove the rats who get through. The old-fashioned snap traps still work. Glue traps work too but may torture the rat. Humane cage traps may work, but relocating the varmints can be a temporary fix. Toxic baits do kill rats eventually but are likely to also poison predators, including domestic animals and pets. Some Techniques Work (For Some People, Some of the Time) It is a myth that small autos are powered by hamsters running on exercise wheels, but it is an unfortunate fact that rodents can live and create mayhem in engine compartments. In fact, the damage done to vehicles by mice, rats, and their many cousins can be considerable. Gnawing wires, ripping out insulation for nesting materials, or squirreling away caches of nuts and trash in car and truck engines can destroy some of man's most sophisticated transportation technology and cause significant financial loss. This is especially true if you live in a rural area. You need your car to get to your job or to go shopping, but wood rats and other critters want it for their homes. Rodents Can Move in Quickly Rural people know that a seldom-used old car may be taken over by rodents, but the critters can also get excited about brand new cars. In less than 24 hours, they can destroy much of the wiring. Some plastic insulating material now being used in cars seems especially tasty to the tiny invaders. When mice chew the insulation off wires that connect batteries, alternators, or anything electric to anything else, they cause short circuits that result in costly restoration. After the repairs, mice may go back to work and cause the same problem again, unless you take steps to prevent them. Mechanics See Engines Destroyed by Rodents "Apparently they have nothing but time," says Rick LeDuc of Rick's Automotive Service in Mariposa, California. He has found elaborate nests in intake manifolds and even litters of tiny pink mice inside air cleaners stuffed with bedding material. In one of the more ambitious nests, he found part of a broom handle that had been dragged into the inner workings, as well as "a couple of pounds of dog food." In another instance, he said that only the wires coated with blue plastic insulation had been gnawed. "They are supposedly color-blind, but sometimes they pick out one certain color of wire to chew," he says. "Probably there's something about the taste or texture." Several auto repair businesses report multiple incidents of rodent damage each month. The time of year doesn't seem to matter. Hoarding, nest building, and wire gnawing are year-round occupations. Repair costs can be as high as $500 and sometimes much more. In at least one case, so much wiring damage was done that the car was not worth fixing. City Mouse, Country Mouse Rural car owners sometimes come into a repair shop complaining that they "smell something burning.” Such an odor may come from smoldering grass or pine needles tightly packed into a carefully fabricated nest, or from burning droppings, stashed food, pack-ratted items, or the deceased bodies of the actual culprits. A lot of people are surprised to discover the source of their problems. Why are so many furry occupants living where they are not welcome? This is not their natural habitat. Are they planning to take over the planet by disabling our vehicles? The real reason rodents seek a home under a hood is that it provides a dark, warm, secure place to hide . . . at least until the ignition key is turned. The start-up of the car’s machinery can be deadly for the critters, and sometimes can cause serious consequences for the drivers as well. An acorn rolling into a crevice after a driver stepped on the gas pedal can keep the throttle open. The driver of a late model Ford truck was taken for a wild ride on a winding country road, and severely damaged his brakes before he could shut off the power. The wood rat culprit apparently abandoned ship before the adventure, but his hoard of nuts almost caused a real disaster. The truck required towing and lots of professional attention. Collecting and Nesting Behavior of Wood Rats John Muir, the famous Yosemite naturalist, called the wood rat (or pack rat) "a handsome, interesting animal." In his detailed descriptions of Sierra flora and fauna, Muir also opined that "no rat or squirrel has so innocent a look, is so easily approached, or expresses such confidence in one's good intentions." The comments of today's vehicle owners plagued by rodent motor damage are much less complimentary—and are often unprintable. It may have been easier for the poetic naturalist to appreciate the animal, since he usually traveled on foot, rather than by SUV. Wood rats are notorious for accessorizing their nests with things they collect, ranging from natural curiosities like bones, cones, and stones, to the tools, trash and treasures furnished by humans. Muir recorded incidents of rats stealing combs, nails, tin cups, eating utensils, and spectacles, which he supposed were used to strengthen rat nests. Once inside an engine compartment, the rats see a mother lode of wonderful man-made objects, with wires and hoses and tubes connected to a spectacular variety of shiny metal and plastic components. To this assemblage, they will add their acorns, pine needles, hardware items, bottle caps, and whatever ornaments suit their eclectic decorating style. Even before the era of motorized vehicles, settlers contended with these tiny terrors, doing their best to keep rats and mice out of their houses and barns. Hard rock miners, however, actually encouraged rats to inhabit the mine tunnels, by saving crusts and crumbs of bread for them. The rats acted as a low-tech safety system. Being ultra-sensitive to tremors or quakes, they provided early warning of impending collapses or cave-ins. If rats suddenly went running for the exit, the mine workers were right behind them. This may give us a clue that a deterrent that causes vibration or sound waves could be a good choice. One deterrent that is often reported to be effective, is the use of an electronic rodent repeller such as MouseBlocker. The low-voltage devices run on your car battery and are easy to install. They emit an ultrasonic frequency heard by rodents, not people. Some of them also activate flashing lights. Another advantage of such products is that you do not have to deal with poisons or messy cleanup of traps. Tape It Up One of the newest products addressing the wire-chewing problem is Honda Motor Tape. It is infused with pepper and perhaps some other deterrent and is used to wrap the wire harness. Early reports say it works well. It is not cheap, but it costs much less than replacing an entire electrical system in your vehicle. Some Less Serious Ways to Discourage Them So are there other ways that pesky little wire nibblers and insulation grabbers be discouraged? Could a car be disguised with animal pelts, to make it look like a rat-eating predator? Would a ground squirrel be tricked into thinking your car was a mountain lion or a giant badger with the help of a spectacular paint job? Or perhaps one of those big plastic owls could be stuck under the hood and wired it up with a speaker playing annoying rap music. Some people park their car over a bucket of mothballs, which is apparently repugnant to rat olfactory receptors. The family dog or cat may help to keep mouselike pests away, though if the cat gets into an engine, it's bad for everyone—usually worst for the cat. There are also little buzzer things that are supposed to keep pets off the furniture. They might work. The problem is not going away, so drivers might be wise to pay a little extra attention next time they notice an unfamiliar squeak in their vehicle. They are out there. Some of them know where you park your car. Anecdotal Results of Dozens of Strategies Realistically, getting rid of rats may be a lengthy project, requiring multiple strategies. Every situation is different. I have hundreds of anecdotes in over 270 comments sprinkled with suggestions, and you can read them all, or you can read my article on keeping mice and rats out of your car, which summarizes them. This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters. © 2008 Rochelle Frank Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on June 03, 2020: Thank you for your comment. It confirms the experience of many others. Matt39 on June 03, 2020: We too have been using the Mouse Blocker PRO model that our dealer installed and it has been a lifesaver, will never own a vehicle without one. The repairs are too costly on these newer vehicles to even risk not being protected. We also have one on our lawn tractor as well. When you have mice on your property, you have mouse problems. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on June 02, 2020: Glad to hear of your positive experiences. Arial.D.Bitch ( Yes thats my name ) on May 31, 2020: I saw that some people mentioned their concern about using the electronic devices around their dogs and other pets. We have been using the Mouse blocker device our mechanic suggested for years with great success. Our dog rides in the truck with us all the time without problem. The sounds this unit emits stay inside the engine area our mechanic said and that we should not be concerned. The device has been a life saver for us as the repair bills were getting ridiculous and the constant question "is the truck going to start" was haunting Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on May 13, 2020: That's a hard situation to deal with. For some reason critters seem to be especially attracted to Honda. Some people think it ight be the soy-based covering they use on the wiring. Others think that the design of the car has certain openings underneath that allow animals to get in. Raccoons are usually pretty big. I'm surprised that one managed to get into your car. Phillip Benedict on May 13, 2020: I am presently waiting for Honda to finish rewiring my CRV. A raccoon got into it and so far has caused $3000.00 worth of damage. The main harness under the hood clear back to the wiring at my taillights. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on February 26, 2020: Thanks for adding your suggestion. Anything that hints at regular activity in and around your car--even if it is a device rather than a person--can often be helpful. Certainly worth trying since it worked for you. Congratulations! DeviceGuru on February 26, 2020: An LED light bulb (standard style but just 7W consumption) at the end of an extension cord, controlled by a timer, in the engine compartment with the hood raised about 10 inches by a plastic cylinder, has eliminated the rat incursions in our Chevy Bolt EV. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on December 17, 2019: Some people have reported good results with peppermint oil, however you must remember to apply it frequently since the smell dissipates after a day or two. If you can't smell it, the rodents can't either. Greg on December 16, 2019: I’ve heard peppermint oil works in a spray bottle diluted works? Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on October 30, 2019: It depends on the construction of the car. If there are holes or gaps large enough for a rodent’s head,it can squeeze through. If you see openings, it might be a good idea to block them safely. Rahul on October 30, 2019: Can rat enter into A-Pillar and chew the wires? Jocelyn on August 21, 2019: my car. The stereo syetem along with rhe radio and cd player isnt working. They came through the trunk to the back seat and left a huge hole in my back seat. Chewed the harness on my Grandsons.carseat...the brakes and steering are not right. I am scared to see what the mechanic might see. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on April 17, 2019: Some people think the soap works, others have seen no effect. Again, it seems that no one thing works for everyone. Multiple defenses are always recommended. guest on April 15, 2019: Just spoke to a guy in line behind me at the grocery store, he said he puts bars of Irish Spring all along the baseboards of his garage to keep them out. I am doing both mothballs in a nylon sock under the hood (till I know for sure they are not coming back) I also have bars of Irish Spring soap in strategic locations. Maria W Ferrell on April 11, 2019: The engine light is on in my car and the check coolant light keeps coming on. After it was checked, my friend who is a mechanic said that he noticed that mice had been chewing the wires in under the hood and that may also be why the engine light is still own. He advised me to park the benz outside the house until we can clean out the garage. I hate to see this car which has been in the garage a long time, parked out side, gathering pollen. What can I do? Marilynn Fuller on April 04, 2019: My 2011 Hyundai Accent was running roughly, and then the "check engine" light came on. Two out of the 4 cylinders were misfiring because a rat had chewed the wires and shorted out 2 ignition coils. It cost $400 to fix the damage. Today I bought moth balls and pepper spray, and tomorrow I'm buying PineSol and Irish Spring Soap. I also plan to leave the hood up during good weather. I refuse to let those little pea-brained critters win this war! Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on February 24, 2019: Yes, you have to be a little obsessive if you have already had the damage. I think you will find that you can obsess a little less as time goes by, but keep up the good work. You may eventually find that the electronic devices are worth the cost, which is minimal compared to repairs. Ally on February 22, 2019: I just spent $1,000 on replacing motor on my steering as the mice, we assume, chewed through wires and other wires near by. I have obsessively placed mothballs under car, in a sock over night inside engine, peppermint oil on tires and rubber snakes. I can not afford another chew through. It's exhausting always trying to remember to go out and set up the car at night. I believe so far so good. KJ on February 07, 2019: I stuffed a stiff piece of a vinyl mattress cover in the engine compartment overnight for several nights, tucking the edges into the space between the engine and the compartment walls. The critter could not reach his favorite place on the intake manifold and has apparently found another spot to eat his dog poop and acorns. guest on February 03, 2019: The mothballs work but they are disgusting. Remove them before you start your car. Replace by nightfall. I also put them in my shed (in a nylon sock) and have seen no mice activity this year. I asked the mechanic at the dealer I go to for maintenance about electronic devices and he advised against. In his experience they don't work. I'm hoping I can lighten up on the mothballs this spring, and just use Irish Spring soap. We'll see. Ellie on January 25, 2019: Tonight, I was ysing the wifi of a store while in my car. The windows were down about 7 inches. I heard a noise in the backseat near the passenger window, but I thought it was the wind. A few minutes later I heard it again. About ten minutes later, there was crunching coming from the vicinity of the glove box. I turned off any noise in the car and listened again. It was definitely a rodent! The darnrd thing came in the car while I was sitting right there!!! I checked the glove box with trepidation and sure enough, in the empty and just cleaned recepticle were 2 small rodent poops. I got my cane, 2 flashlights, and turned the car on with the heat on high. I ran it while I checked under the hood and banged my cane around. No sign of damage or feces. I took everything out of the front seat, banged the cane around some more under the dash and in the glove box. No leaping guests. After about 20 minutes of this, I turned the car off and sat quietly to listen. No more crunching in the dash. Tomorrow, the peppermint oil, mothballs, etc., are going under the hood, in my glove box and the reaches behind it. I just replaced my cabin filter 3 days ago and I will be mad as heck if that beastie chewed it up! Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on November 26, 2018: It's good that you are taking precautions with the mothballs. Some people have reported success with them. If you are still seeing evidence of rodents, you might consider the advantages of the electronic devices. guest on November 08, 2018: I am back to putting the moth balls in a nylon sock under the hood when the car is not in use (mostly overnight). I remove the mothballs and put them is a safe place when the car is being used. I don't want the mothballs to get into the wrong hands, such as children or pets. I think they are a good deterrent and I believe wildlife knows not to eat them (I hope). Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on November 05, 2018: Thanks for the suggestions. Sounds like it could be effective. Please keep us updated. guest on November 05, 2018: On second thought, I have decided to just put the coffee can with the mothballs under the front of the car at night. Cover the can during the day. Wish me luck! guest on November 05, 2018: "Has anyone had success with peppermint oil... i'm reluctant to try mothballs as one can imagine the source of heat / air in your cabin is directly related to the engine during use". The peppermint and all the other natural stuff may work as a deterrent, however, you have to reapply it at least once a month and it is pricey. So far I am having good results with the mothballs. I now have them in a coffee can under the hood. Before I start the car I remove them and put the cover on, then a brick on top so it won't blow away. When I park the car for the night the mothball can goes back under the hood with cover off. It's a bit of an inconvenience but at about $3 a month it's better than $2000 at the dealers. If I don't return with an update that means this method is still working for me. Matt39 on November 04, 2018: I saw that some people mentioned their concern about using the electronic devices around their dogs and other pets. We have been using the Mouse blocker device our mechanic suggested for years with great success. Our dog rides in the truck with us all the time without problem. The sounds this unit emits stay inside the engine area our mechanic said and that we should not be concerned. The device has been a life saver for us as the repair bills were getting ridiculous and the constant question "is the truck going to start" was haunting. Here is a link to what we are using. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQn3ICb6OhwbN6Ljk... jeff on November 03, 2018: I created my own problem, I went with step one leave the hood up. The Porsche under the porch and its acorn stuffed crevices were the haven of choice until i exposed it to the elements. These actions caused the migrant caravan of dwellers to seek shelter in the warmth of the Pontiac Grand Am, my daily driver. Its a non permanent residence but they've stopped to chew and redecorate, on what looks like several weekend getaways. Adorning my engine compartment with dryer sheets, to me seems like i'm adding additional bedding components like blankets for them to use. Has anyone had success with peppermint oil... i'm reluctant to try mothballs as one can imagine the source of heat / air in your cabin is directly related to the engine during use. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on November 03, 2018: I would contact the people who make the electronic gadgets and ask them about the affect on pets. I know some of them use flashing lights, light static charges and/or vibration. Others may use high frequency sonics, but those may be brief or localized. It is work investigating. Mothballs can be toxic to pets as well. I agree that they are unpleasant. guest on November 03, 2018: I forgot to mention that I cannot do the electronic repellants. I have dogs, surely it would bother their ears. guest on November 03, 2018: I found a ginormous mouse nest under the hood of my car about a month ago. I tore out the hood insulation where the primary nest was and a mechanic helped me with the rest. He charged me a fortune and did not do a thorough job. Anyway, the dead mouse smell is fading, I have air fresheners in the car and mothballs in a nylon sock taped under the hood. The mothball smell makes me sick it is prominent when the car heats up. How long do I have to keep the mothballs there? I drive the car everyday and keep a clean car, no food/clutter. I don't understand why this happened. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on November 01, 2018: I am hearing from more people who are finding the electronic rodent deterrents are working best. Maybe you need to try another approach. At least the mouse nests smell better. CDV on November 01, 2018: I put dryer sheets in the engine and the rats used them to make a nest. Ashish Bamania on October 17, 2018: I show a rat in trunk of my car and hour and I'm furious.I can't stop thinking about what it can do to my car. I think I have to get it check tomorrow. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on August 30, 2018: Check out some of the suggestions. I hope you will find some good ways to help you keep them away. Christel Jurgensen on August 30, 2018: New Evoque. Two weeks ago battery wires eaten, now brake system gone. Live in the Country in Spain and am desperate because obviously not on guarantee. Sharon on August 22, 2018: Bought a new 2018 soul kia..n just discovered nest under hood!! 4400 worth of damages! Only have car 6 weeks and so upset over this!!.i guess i will have to try some of these ideas to prevent it from hsppening again n check under my hood daily!! Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on April 16, 2018: Very glad to hear your success story. I hope others will have a similar outcome. Matt39 on April 16, 2018: This has been an ongoing problem for us and that is when we found this Hub. So much great information. We chose the Mouse Blocker PRO, one for my truck and the other for my wifes car. Just wanted to share that it has been over a year now and we have not had any mice return to these vehicles. Reading through all the comments there are so many people frustrated with the problem, I figured I would help a bit with the solution we found to work. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on April 16, 2018: Yes, it can happen anywhere. You need to do some preventive work or they will return. Steve M on April 16, 2018: I don't live in the country (Liverpool) but have just found my 2018 skoda octavia has been home to rodents. they chewed the loom and the plastic casings off the battery. i use the car every day. the cra was fine Saturday but the errors showed on Sunday. the damage was discovered today (Monday). fast workers. there is bread and dropping all in the nooks and crannies. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on April 04, 2018: I hope someone else will answer this from their own experience. I think spraying in on the hood insulation, and in the interior might be the best places. That being said, I ‘m not sure peppermint is the best deterrent. It might help,but it will need to be reapplied regularly. Bellisima on April 04, 2018: So if I am to try the peppermint oil approach, where do I place the oil? Directly on the engine? I have a new Kia Optima Hybrid and certainly do not want any problems. I live in the country and due to lots of work being done in the area, the rats are out of control. Thanks for your help.. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on March 25, 2018: @Ed. Buying a different vehicle may not solve your rodent problem. Yo probably should put some deterrents in place. The electronic devices might cost you between $60 and $80 or so, but its far less than the repair bills you could have. Ed on March 25, 2018: My new 4runner, that I drove every day, had the wiring harness and the filter eaten by rodents. I had Toyota buy the vehicle back... Esther M on March 12, 2018: We were proud to purchase a Mercedes SUV for a very good price. Sadly, not even a month after we ended up spending a total of $4000 in repairs due to rat damage. We are fighting those things to the core! vic on March 09, 2018: So the possums and mice started to get in my car , I fixed that I rigged wires around areas that they were getting into , the wires are hooked to and electric fence ticker , the possums don't go anywhere near my car anymore , surprise wonder why ? Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on January 25, 2018: We are both Californians, so I understand. Kenna McHugh from Northern California on January 25, 2018: LOL! I meant proximity of the river. I wasn't thinking about the other rats close by. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on January 25, 2018: Thank you Kenna. Were you referring to the proximity of the river or of the State Capitol politicos? Kenna McHugh from Northern California on January 25, 2018: What an informative article. It caught my attention because I had a friend who was out $1500 because rat or rats were sleeping under his Toyota's hood at night. That was the first time I heard about it. He lives near the Sacramento River, which explains the rats being nearby. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on January 25, 2018: They are tricky little critters. If that was the extent of the damage, you got off lucky. You should probably use some of the suggested deterrents to be safe. Dawn on January 11, 2018: I have a 2013 Ford Explorer Sport that suddenly started raining washer fluid on me through the front dome light when I used the rear wiper with washer. Brought it in, they looked inside the headliner pulled out a bunch of the insulation the mouse used to make a nest. Somehow it got in through the engine and crawled up inside the window frame. First time they saw this happen. Derrick on December 21, 2017: I've got rats chewing on all hard plastic surfaces under the bonnet of my Toyota Prado, but so far not the wiring. They have destroyed the windscreen wash bottle and left teeth marks everywhere. The vehicle is parked in my drive. I often leave it in the bush (I'm in Australia) and thought that bush rats were the culprits. No longer, I think it is rattus rattus. I'm trying a motion-activated light. Edward on December 07, 2017: I took my 2016 Toyota Prius in for the routine 30,000 mile service and they found rodent damage in the AC system. They are repairing it at a cost of $5,300. Some mice carry the Hantavirus which can be deadly to humans. So I was apparently breathing their feces and urine. This is an important health issue and should be addressed by removing soy and cornstarch from "plastic" including wiring insulation. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on November 30, 2017: Poisons are also very dangerous to other animals that eat rodents, including domestic pets - dogs and cats. Improper handling or storage of them can endanger humans too. L Tanner on November 30, 2017: As I have read through comments I see lots of mention of "poisons". Please do not do this. When you feed a rodent poison, they get thirsty and go for water. Birds of prey and snakes then feed on poisoned rodents and die. Please do not use baits and poisons. Set mechanical traps with peanut butter. Please. L Tanner on November 30, 2017: I have battled mice in my engine and air ventilation system for over a year in my two vehicles, a Honda and a Nissan. I wasted money on two ultrasound devices; I may as well have piled up my money and set a match to it. I used Bounce dryer sheets and peppermint oil. After every new fix the next mouse nest was more robust than ever. I have read that mice travel in pairs, so a single trap will not suffice. I bought the traps where the door shuts and they are very effective, but expensive since you throw the device anyway. The only upside to these traps is you don't see the mouse. I believe that I may have solved my problem, at least for the time being. I purchased several sets of the Tomcat white plastic reusable traps with the large white teeth. You bait the well with peanut butter, set the trap, and place it inside the car engine compartments. If you can find room, set two as close together as possible since mice travel in pairs. Be sure to put a sticky warning label on your steering wheel so no one drives the car without removing the traps first. The first couple of nights I put traps on top of the front car tires and caught mice in each. Disposal is easy, put on plastic gloves, throw the mouse away and wash the trap in hot, soapy water with a drop of clorox, and rinse well. The other thing I discovered was that the mice were getting in the insulation on the underside of the car hood. They were transporting this insulation into the ventilation fan area behind the glove compartment, mixed with leaves and other junk. I replaced the insulation and then sealed the cover with duct tape. The thing that I can't stress enough is the importance of cleaning the ventilation system as much as possible. The filters are really expensive, even online. But if you find that your in-cabin air filter has been contaminated with rodent droppings and urine, you must replace the filter. Mice carry Hantavirus and other serious disease organisms. When you are removing mice nests and doing the cleanup, wear a mask and plastic gloves. Be prepared to completely clean your vacuum cleaner if you use that to vacuum out the ventilation system. There are commercial disinfectants to spray in your car's air intake, but Lysol spray works as well. I have been dismayed by the flippant attitude shown at my Honda dealer's service department. I get the feeling that they don't care in the least. The money they are raking in on car repairs caused by rodents is substantial. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on November 19, 2017: More and more people are blaming those soy- based wire coverings and it does seem that vehicles using those are hit the hardest, even though other cars suffer the same fate. It sounds as if you are doing your best by using a multi-faced strategy. When they replace the wiring do they use the same materials? It is terrible to have so much damage done. Hope the lights work, but I wouldn't stop the other strategies. aj burg on November 19, 2017: Had a rodent get into my 2014 Hyundai Sonata about a year ago doing considerable damage to the electrical harness under the firewall and up and around the steering column. Also, considerable damage was done to the rear back seat, trunk covers and a hard piece of plastic. I took it to the Hyundai dealer where I bought the car to have the damage repaired at a cost of over five thousands Well guess what!! Something got into the car again last week and again overnight today digging holes throughout the trunk and back set-three times in four days. After the first attack last week I went to Home Depot to get the large RAT TRAP stick pads ,poison pellets and heavy duty rat traps ,traps that can break a finger or worse. I placed the pads inside the car on the floor in front of the front and rears seats .I also placed the heavy traps in the front and rear .I placed moth balls stuffed socks in the hole in the top rear seat hole they made last week. As far as the trunk I placed a moth ball stuffed sock into the hole , arranged a large number of the adhesive traps , spread poison pelts across the entire trunk floor and set the heavy duty rat traps. WELL GUESS WHAT. THEY GOT IN AGAIN OVER NIGHT. DOING MORE DAMAGE. One auto body shop indicate after viewing the damage indicate that it was getting into the vehicle from behind the rear wheels, but not fully sure. I was told that the soy based cable coverings are the cause for attracting the rodents, This environmental BS, if the cause, must and should be covered by covered by Hyundai. Note: all of my other cars -older Chevys, Oldsmobile, rental cars,for years were parked in the same area with no problems. I had a 1977 Chevy Nova Classic parked in the same area for years with no problems. Only this Hyundai. I will place some large lights into the car tonight that are motion activated.- one under the hood, one in the trunk and another in the front and back seats at a cost $ 160.00. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on September 19, 2017: I can understand your frustration. They do not give up easily. Have you tried the electronic devices? Let us know if you find something that works for you. Lyle on September 19, 2017: Just got an estimate for over $1,000 for our Honda S2000 with rat damage. Have Irish Spring, Pepper Spray, Pinesol, Moth Balls, Ridarat lights in addition to a special drop light running from our electrical outlet and they still got to it. Nothing really works, but might be a deterrent in some areas. Good luck everyone! Lynn on September 10, 2017: They took the cotton balls filled with peppermint oil into the spare tire area where they were building a very large nest. I don't know where they got some of the stuff I found in there. Under the hood they ate on the Irish Spring soap, 1 small piece remained with chew marks on it. I hope it made them sick I can't figure out how they got inside the car. I was using Rodent Sheriff under the hood on the hood insulation regularly about every 2 weeks for about 9 months and they never bothered it even through the winter. But I let it go for a few months and now it it has been chewed all over it. about half of the cover is completely missing. Now I'm using Cab Fresh inside the car and in the trunk, 2 in the trunk & 2 inside. They need to be replaced about every 2 months. I'm not sure if they are still visiting because I'm not leaving anything they liked before like tissues and paper. But, I think I'll put a tissue in just to see if it's shredded. They chewed a hand-towel I had in the car once, it was shredded. They haven't bothered a map on the backseat. The gas line to our van was chewed 8 times over the last few years and had to be completely replaced. The mechanic couldn't tell if it was a mouse or squirrel. Living in the woods is no fun. I also have a few squirrels that are driving me crazy. When I see one playing mechanic I hit the horn from inside the house. He runs and stays away for awhile, the other one doesn't budge. We tried to trap them with peanut butter and peanuts, but they won't go anywhere near the trap, they look at it but walk way around it. I don't think it helps that the neighbors have horses. I have come to the conclusion that it's time to move. I guess they win. Steam on August 14, 2017: I thought I would have this issue licked before it got started. Living on farmland and having a large carport/ open shed away from our house where we occasionally park a vehicle. I knew the presence of field mice. It has always been a concern as once they did make a nest inside a garden tractor. No damage so I just cleaned it out. Put my trust in our shed night watchmen, the black snakes who love mice. And just as an added precaution I always spread rodent poison pellets behind the walls and around to keep em in check. Parked our Audi A4 there for a couple months and then began to drive it when we got a check engine light and then a foul smell, something like mouse p and something dead. Long story short, mechanic found poison pellets inside the air pump, air filter, and cabin air filter, along with a dead mouse. I remember a story a guy told me about his travel trailer where the mice gathered the poison he had spread around to eliminate them and they carried off and distributed the stuff to other hiding places in the unit. I guess a more tasty, lethal poison may do the trick if something like that is available. katrina on June 27, 2017: i drove my car yesterday and everything was fine. I jumped in my car this morning and it stunk so mad and noticed they chewed a shit load of interior, back seat belts, my daughters car seat belt and many other random items. they had a full buffet for diner last night and my daughters toys for dessert all in one night. oh and also chewed my back seat sooo not happy. I live right next to a creek. little fudgers are gona die tonight Whatever works on May 16, 2017: Cover the engine with fitted a sheet of metal mesh so they can not get to the insulation under the hood and tear it up for nesting material. It is safe to drive with it in there. Use glue traps and snap traps with peanut butter. Check under your hood every single day. Check all shrubbery to look for nests in your yard. If you cant see light coming thru thru the bush/tree etc, because of a nest -it could very well be a be a rat's nest. Rat nests can be found on the ground as well as up in the trees. Destroy them completely. Dogs/cats are an excellent deterrent to rats. Bob Tanem -the gardener-has a recipe to kill rats suing plaster of paris. Look for entry holes into your house, especially on the roof. Tim Delaney on April 28, 2017: Wow! I've had rodent issues on 4 cars, including my new, 2017 Forester, where a little bugger was chewing at the insulation on the firewall, and recently had a check engine light on my 2005 Mercedes C240. I had it in the shop today and a critter got into an area near the gas tank, made a nest which jammed a solenoid open, tripping a trouble code on the computer. This can be real trouble: dead or damaged vehicle, including a real chance of a fire. Thank you for your article – as you point out, it isn't a panacea, but it's a great place to start. Debbie Back on April 28, 2017: I had this happen about a month ago. $150 to repair my 2012 Dodge Ram truck. We live in the country and just about all of the suggestions above are not possible. The mechanic advised us to spray peppermint oil mix all of the inside of the engine. We did that. Last week my engine light came on again. Took it in today and again rat damage. Paul Chippendale on April 20, 2017: I just had the same problem as one of your contributors. A rat had eaten a large proportion of the rubber tube of the windscreen washer, replaced it yesterday, the rat has now eaten through further down where I can't reach it. I need to get to the washer bottle,thank you Nissan for putting it in such an inaccessible place, I've only got to take the front wing off! Bob Mayo on April 19, 2017: I tried many things. Unfortunately (for the critters), the only thing that really works, and that I now continue to use, is a pellet rifle I bought for less than $100 -- a lot less than the $500 I spent to fix the cables the last time. Penny Garzarek on April 04, 2017: Some sort of critter is wreaking havoc on my truck tires. ONLY my 3/4 T truck - not my SUV or a smaller truck. Seem to particularly love the right passenger tire. Have spent about $2K in replacement tires - another one ripped this AM on the outside so cannot be fixed! It appears that whatever is doing this extremely costly and maddening damage has a sharp, probably pointed tooth that it stuck into the tire and then pulled across and leaves about an inch or so long tear that resembles a pencil line. Usually more than one place. WHAT is doing this and what can we do? We've tried wolf urine, critter repellant spray for vehicles, have built wooden covers that they can apparently get under. I'm broke and so upset at this point. We have a camera to use if I can get it set up - not very technical, but have called a friend for assistance. Anyone???? Thanks --pls email email@example.com. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on March 26, 2017: Some people have reported that Irish Spring soap or peppermint oil is helpful as a deterrent. Others have said they didn't help much. I have not heard of using peppermint candy. It doesn't seem that it would be a strong enough mint smell, but if it works for you, go with it. Since you have some proven success with the traps, I would keep using those as well. crickett on March 25, 2017: last 2 days i have caught 2 mice in the trunk of my car, with tomcat mouse ytraps. just started seeing mice droppings n my car. since i use peppermint candy in my house in my kitchen drawers 3 months ago ,i have not seen any mice droppings at all, so i am gonna put in my car. i have heard of irish spring soap working, just might add that also. Howard Alameda on February 09, 2017: Just wanted to know if any one knows where the hole or if they had this problem I guess I have to lift car up and look under 2002 pt Palsekar on January 31, 2017: When I started my new car which was parked for three weeks, it displayed indicators along with a message 'Check Brake System' on the dashboard monitor. Car has to be towed to the service center because it didn't let me release the hand brake! Reason: Rat/Rodent bit of wires inside the hood costing me hundreds of dollars :( Janiebtrue on January 16, 2017: Ok, the mechanic found a mouse nest under the hood of my car. (didn't even know mice made nests) I live on 5 acres. My car is parked under a carport. This may sound like a ridiculous question but can can you strategically place the dryer sheets under the hood so you can drive the car with the dryer sheets under the hood? And replace them once a week? ...or are all these methods for when you are storing a car. I drive my car almost everyday and can't imagine I'll have to open and close the hood every time I leave or come home to remove and replace dryer sheets! Help??? Elimann81 on January 14, 2017: When our son was living with us(on 80 acres) he drove in after work but the next day his car would not start. Popped the hood and there was a mouse nest. What to do Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on January 02, 2017: Sounds like a lot of work. I have heard of people making these kinds of fences,and making sure their vehicle is always properly enclosed. If it works, it is certainly worth the effort. Thanks for your suggestion! Help. on January 02, 2017: I took a roll of 18in roof flashing and stood it on its edge,with stakes, and went around a vehicle to stop these pests. It is too high and too slick for them to get over. If they dig under just make a trench to set the flashing in. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on June 24, 2016: Yes , I think it is still an ongoing problem for many people. I'm happy you found something that works for you. Matt39 on June 24, 2016: It crazy how this thread keeps going. Wanted to update everyone that the Mouse Blocker we had installed 2 years ago is still protecting us today. We thank our mechanic every time our vehicle is in for service he and tells us he has saved 100's of cars with this unit. What an amazing device this has proven to be. Just wanted to share our success story and hopefully help others with this same issue. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on April 25, 2016: Sounds like a good idea, If it is working for you, others may want to try it. hemanth Kumar G on April 22, 2016: best solution i have found successful is used coil springs wound on the electrical wires. Yesterday i found fuel pipe is chewed, again i used the same technique and found it is safe. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on April 12, 2016: It's amazing what they can do. Parking in another place may help, but using some of the other suggestions might be wise as well. Traps, Peppermint oil, even electronic devices cost much less than $200. Good luck. Ruthie1225 on April 11, 2016: We found a fresh nest as big as a person's head on the motor of my Ford Escape. Built out of a pile of clean white fluffy pillow stuffing with a top layer of fresh yellow straw. Don't know where the pillow stuffing came from, but the straw had probably covered spring flowers someone planted too early. Don't see any nearby, though. The critter - whatever it was - also shredded the hood liner and added that to the mess, and it's going to cost me almost $200 to replace. I have to park outside, but I'm parking about 150 feet away for now, to my great inconvenience! Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on March 26, 2016: I think you are right. Auto design is not the main problem, yet it does make you wonder why certain makes seem to this problem more often than others. Thanks for your comment. Infinitro on March 22, 2016: I've been working in the auto industry for 30+ years and I've repaired cars with this problem. They just cleared out the field across from me and my wife's GMC had wiring damage yesterday morning. They chased the rodents out of their home to look elsewhere. I AM going to try the mouse blocker and a few other ideas I have read here. I am NOT going to blame the auto industry and blame poor design. We have a rodent problem, not a car problem. Do defective, poorly designed forks make you fat? Do defective, poorly designed pencils misspell words? Come on, you have got to be kidding me with that stuff! Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on January 28, 2016: It looks like the rodents caused a very expensive problem for you. If the repairs are done with the same soy materials won't that set up the same situation? I hope you can find some good deterrents. I have another hub that summarizes the reader suggestions posted here. Mike Russo from Placentia California on January 23, 2016: Rochelle: Thanks for posting your article. Here is my story: Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on January 04, 2016: It is very frustrating since you rarely see the culprits before the damage is done. Maybe you can get your mechanic to go to bat for you to help bolster your insurance claim for the additional damage. In the meantime, I hope you can find a way to prevent further damage. Condolences. Julie on January 04, 2016: I just had to have all my engine wires replaced in my car from a Rat eating through all of them. Now that the wires are replaced it seems like I have a blown head gasket. My car was in the garage from Thursday evening through Monday morning when I went to work. Oddly my emergency brake light was on. I worked all day and drove home Monday evening and went out to start the car Tuesday morning and it wouldn't start that's when we found all the rat damage . My insurance paid to repair the wiring and now they look like they are gonna deny the blown head gasket. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on May 25, 2015: Thank you, Please do update with your results-- there are a lot of people who are interested. firstname.lastname@example.org on May 25, 2015: I will surely try all of this to get rid of the pest in my engine....I will update you if it worked!!! Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on May 02, 2015: I can't help -- maybe someone else has a suggestion. Chances are you'll need a mechanic, make sure he knows the details. Jim Greaves on May 02, 2015: I just found a mouse nest on the intake manifold side of the air filter in my diesel van (E350), MEANING it must have come through the tail pipe - I guess. The van was running rough, and not accelerating to over 40 without a downhill to help. I removed the nest with 4 "pinkies" in it and the shredded tissue. No sign of mom - I suspect she was sucked in and has clogged the fuel-air injection area... ANY SUGGESTIONS (other than expensive repairs)? Thanks in advance! Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on April 26, 2015: Glad to hear you found a solution. GeorgeJohn243 on April 24, 2015: I had rodent accessing my truck when left in the garage while in Arizona. First winter my truck was damaged, next year I tried the home remedies on the Lexus, nothing but gnawing results. The past three years I installed an item called the Rodent Diverter System or R.D.S. for short. Best $49.95 plus shipping & handling I ever spent. Bought it direct from the inventor, he only needs the vehicle tire size. Works on all vehicle axle configurations including aircraft. Rochelle Frank (author) from California Gold Country on April 24, 2015: Thanks for the comment, Saharian. It sounds lie you got off pretty easy. Hope the suggestions help prevent additional damage. Saharian from Wyoming on April 23, 2015: My mechanic told me that making sure I run my car once a week during the harsh Wyoming winters should solve the problem. I just had to get 6" of wire replaced. I was lucky that the damage wasn't worse. Thanks for the additional ideas to prevent this from happening again!

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THE DALLES, Ore., June 8 — On the banks of the windswept Columbia River, Google is working on a secret weapon in its quest to dominate the next generation of Internet computing. But it is hard to keep a secret when it is a computing center as big as two football fields, with twin cooling plants protruding four stories into the sky. The complex, sprawling like an information-age factory, heralds a substantial expansion of a worldwide computing network handling billions of search queries a day and a growing repertory of other Internet services. And odd as it may seem, the barren desert land surrounding the Columbia along the Oregon-Washington border — at the intersection of cheap electricity and readily accessible data networking — is the backdrop for a multibillion-dollar face-off among Google, Microsoft and Yahoo that will determine dominance in the online world in the years ahead. Microsoft and Yahoo have announced that they are building big data centers upstream in Wenatchee and Quincy, Wash., 130 miles to the north. But it is a race in which they are playing catch-up. Google remains far ahead in the global data-center race, and the scale of its complex here is evidence of its extraordinary ambition. Even before the Oregon center comes online, Google has lashed together a global network of computers — known in the industry as the Googleplex — that is a singular achievement. "Google has constructed the biggest computer in the world, and it's a hidden asset," said Danny Hillis, a supercomputing pioneer and a founder of Applied Minds, a technology consulting firm, referring to the Googleplex. The design and even the nature of the Google center in this industrial and agricultural outpost 80 miles east of Portland has been a closely guarded corporate secret. "Companies are historically sensitive about where their operational infrastructure is," acknowledged Urs Holzle, Google's senior vice president for operations. Behind the curtain of secrecy, the two buildings here — and a third that Google has a permit to build — will probably house tens of thousands of inexpensive processors and disks, held together with Velcro tape in a Google practice that makes for easy swapping of components. The cooling plants are essential because of the searing heat produced by so much computing power. The complex will tap into the region's large surplus of fiber optic networking, a legacy of the dot-com boom. The fact that Google is behind the data center, referred to locally as Project 02, has been reported in the local press. But many officials in The Dalles, including the city attorney and the city manager, said they could not comment on the project because they signed confidentiality agreements with Google last year. "No one says the 'G' word," said Diane Sherwood, executive director of the Port of Klickitat, Wash., directly across the river from The Dalles, who is not bound by such agreements. "It's a little bit like He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in Harry Potter." Local residents are at once enthusiastic and puzzled about their affluent but secretive new neighbor, a successor to the aluminum manufacturers that once came seeking the cheap power that flows from the dams holding back the powerful Columbia. The project has created hundreds of construction jobs, caused local real estate prices to jump 40 percent and is expected to create 60 to 200 permanent jobs in a town of 12,000 people when the center opens later this year. "We're trying to organize our chamber ambassadors to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and they're trying to keep us all away," said Susan Huntington, executive director of The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce. "Our two cultures aren't matching very well." Culture clashes may be an inevitable byproduct of the urgency with which the search engine war is being waged. Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are spending vast sums of capital to build out their computing capabilities to run both search engines and a variety of Web services that encompass e-mail, video and music downloads and online commerce. Microsoft stunned analysts last quarter when it announced that it would spend an unanticipated $2 billion next year, much of it in an effort to catch up with Google. Google said its own capital expenditures would run to at least $1.5 billion. Its center here, whose cost is undisclosed, shows what that money is meant to buy. Google is known to the world as a search engine, but in many ways it is foremost an effort to build a network of supercomputers, using the latest academic research, that can process more data — faster and cheaper — than its rivals. "Google wants to raise the barriers to entry by competitors by making the baseline service very expensive," said Brian Reid, a former Google executive who is now director of engineering at the Internet Systems Consortium in Redwood City, Calif. The rate at which the Google computing system has grown is as remarkable as its size. In March 2001, when the company was serving about 70 million Web pages daily, it had 8,000 computers, according to a Microsoft researcher granted anonymity to talk about a detailed tour he was given at one of Google's Silicon Valley computing centers. By 2003 the number had grown to 100,000. Today even the closest Google watchers have lost precise count of how big the system is. The best guess is that Google now has more than 450,000 servers spread over at least 25 locations around the world. The company has major operations in Ireland, and a big computing center has recently been completed in Atlanta. Connecting these centers is a high-capacity fiber optic network that the company has assembled over the last few years. Google has found that for search engines, every millisecond longer it takes to give users their results leads to lower satisfaction. So the speed of light ends up being a constraint, and the company wants to put significant processing power close to all of its users. Microsoft's Internet computing effort is currently based on 200,000 servers, and the company expects that number to grow to 800,000 by 2011 under its most aggressive forecast, according to a company document. Computer scientists and computer networking experts caution that it is impossible to compare the two companies' efforts directly. Yet it is the way in which Google has built its globally distributed network that illustrates the daunting task of its competitors in catching up. "Google is like the Borg," said Milo Medin, a computer networking expert who was a founder of the 1990's online service @Home, referring to the robotic species on "Star Trek" that was forcibly assembled from millions of species and computer components. "I know of no other carrier or enterprise that distributes applications on top of their computing resource as effectively as Google." Google's inclination to secrecy began in its days as a private company in an effort to keep its rivals from determining the profits it was making from Web search advertising. But its culture of secrecy has grown to pervade virtually all of its dealings with the news media and even its business partners. In the end, of course, corporate secrets have a short shelf life in a search engine age. Entering "Dalles Google" as a Google query turns up plenty of revealing results. But Google Earth, the satellite mapping service, like its rivals, so far shows the 30-acre parcel here quite undeveloped.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/14/technology/14search.html?ex=1307937600&en=d96a72b3c5f91c47&ei=5090More

Business

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Story at a glance - While the number of coronavirus cases has surpassed 205,000, more than 82,000 people have recovered. - The World Health Organization says those who become infected generally experience mild illness and recover in about two weeks. - The virus is an increased risk to people over the age of 60, and those with underlying health issues. As the rate of new cases of the coronavirus continues to climb in the United States, new data shows that more than 82,000 people have recovered from the infection since the outbreak kicked off in late December. A coronavirus tracker put up by Johns Hopkins University of Medicine shows there have been more than more than 205,000 confirmed cases worldwide. The disease can cause varying degrees of illness and death, as more than 8,200 people have died, and is especially threatening for older adults with underlying health conditions. But for the majority of people who become infected, the coronavirus brings only mild symptoms, such as cough and fever. Think fast! Follow Changing America on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest news and smartest insights. The World Health Organization (WHO) says those that experience mild illness typically recover from the illness in about two weeks, while those who experience a more severe illness could take up to six weeks to recover. “The most commonly reported symptoms included fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath, and most patients (80%) experienced mild illness,” WHO said. “Approximately 14 percent experienced severe disease and 5 percent were critically ill.” WHO officials say early reports suggest illness severity is associated with those over the age of 60. READ MORE OF OUR BREAKING NEWS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS In the Hubei Province of China, where the outbreak began and where most of the cases occurred, more than 56,000 infected have recovered from the virus. In Italy, which currently has more than 31,500 cases, there have been about 2,900 people who have recovered. More than 2500 deaths have been reported in the country. “We need to remember that with decisive, early action, we can slow down the virus and prevent infections. Among those who are infected, most will recover,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this week. In the U.S., more than 6500 cases have been reported with 115 deaths. SEE MORE ABOUT THE CURRENT CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/487280-nearly-70000-people-have-recovered-from

Health

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Johannesburg - South Africa's tax revenues jumped by 10.6% in the 2013/2014 fiscal year, helped by more people paying income tax due in part to tax changes, data showed on Tuesday. Revenue from value-added tax rose more slowly, by 8.7%, curbed by the effects of a sluggish economy. "Growth in domestic VAT (value-added tax) payments remains constrained by high consumer debt, modest job creation, low consumer confidence and little real growth in disposable income," South Africa's Revenue Services (Sars) said in a statement. Tax revenues as a whole totalled R900bn ($82bn) for the year ending March 2014, up R86.2bn on the year and with personal income tax accounting for 34.5% of that increase. The government increased tax rebates for lower-income brackets in 2013 to encourage more people to pay tax. Prepare to be taxed to save deficit - expert Tough tax measures to hit salary earners The number of individuals registered for income tax as of March 31 2014 had increased by 1.4 million from a year earlier to 16.8 million, the data from Sars showed. South Africa is considered a middle-income economy and the continent's most advanced, but has cut its growth forecasts consistently this year after avoiding a technical recession in the second quarter. It now expects economic growth of 1.4% for 2014, well below its desired medium-term growth levels of 5%. Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said on October 22 that the Treasury would look to raise tax revenues over the next two years in order to narrow the country's budget deficit, which it forecasts at 4.1% of gross domestic product for 2014/15.

http://m.news24.com/fin24/Economy/Tax-coffers-swell-to-R900bn-20141104

Business

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WASHINGTON — A HISTORIC change of roles is at the heart of the clamor and turmoil over the collapse of oil prices, which have plummeted by 50 percent since September. For decades, Saudi Arabia, backed by the Persian Gulf emirates, was described as the “swing producer.” With its immense production capacity, it could raise or lower its output to help the global market adjust to shortages or surpluses. But on Nov. 27, at the OPEC meeting in Vienna, Saudi Arabia effectively resigned from that role and OPEC handed over all responsibility for oil prices to the market, which the Saudi oil minister, Ali Al-Naimi, predicted would “stabilize itself eventually.” OPEC’s decision was hardly unanimous. Venezuela and Iran, their economies in deep trouble, lobbied hard for production cutbacks, to no avail. Afterward, Iran accused Saudi Arabia of waging an “oil war” and being part of a “plot” against it. By leaving oil prices to the market, Saudi Arabia and the emirates also passed the responsibility as de facto swing producer to a country that hardly expected it — the United States. This approach is expected to continue with the accession of the new Saudi king, Salman, following the death on Friday of King Abdullah. And it means that changes in American production will now, along with that of Persian Gulf producers, also have a major influence on global oil prices. America was once, by far, the world’s largest oil producer and exporter, and its swing producer. The Texas Railroad Commission determined “allowable” levels of production for Texas, the Saudi Arabia of the day. But by 1970, United States oil production had reached its high point of 9.6 million barrels per day and began to decline. The United States began to import more and more oil. By 2008, its own oil production was down almost 50 percent from the high point. Oil prices reached $147 a barrel, and fears that the world’s oil production had peaked and that we were beginning to run out of oil had become pervasive. Quietly, though, an unconventional oil and gas revolution was beginning to pick up speed in the United States. It yoked together two technologies: hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. The impact was measured first in the rapidly growing production of shale gas, which now makes up about half of total American gas. This “shale gale” catapulted the United States ahead of Russia to become the world’s No. 1 gas producer.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/opinion/sunday/what-happened-to-the-price-of-oil.html?smid=li-share&_r=0

Politics

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About 9.5 per cent of all deaths at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) were as a result of sudden death, according to a study conducted at the institution from 2010 2016. Dr Francis Faduyile, a consultant anatomist and pathologist at LASUTH, who disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos, said that the figure was for those Brought In Dead (BID). Faduyile, who spoke on the side lines of the 33rd Annual General Assembly and Awards 2017 of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), said hypertension was the major cause of sudden death. Faduyile said: “This is a high percentage; it is about one out of 10 and represents 9.5 per cent of all deaths received over a six year period in LASUTH, Ikeja. “This study goes to show that sudden death is very common in Nigeria and there is an urgent need to curb it. “The males are more affected than females with a ratio of between 1.3 and 1.8:1; it also peaks at the fifth and sixth decades of life.’’ “Statistics have also shown that hypertension is the main cause of all these sudden deaths, accounting for about 44 per cent of all Brought In Dead (BIDs) in LASUTH. “Though it is also found in people as young as 14 years of age, the fifth and sixth decades of life are the commonest age group of death among the male and female gender respectively.” He added that the other causes were cardiovascular causes, respiratory causes and others. “However, it is important for us to emphasis on sudden deaths because it is common and as the name implies, it happens without notice,’’ he said. Faduyile described sudden death as an unexpected death from natural causes such as heart attack, brain haemorrhage and cot deaths. “ Sudden death also includes deaths from suicide, homicide, war, terrorism, crashes, falls, drowning and fire disasters. “It can also be from serious illnesses that are known, though death is not expected from an illness such as epilepsy, “ Faduyile said. He said there was need for people to be aware of other causes such as cardiovascular causes, which can be as result of thrombosis, gastrointestinal disease and in some cases, diarrhoea and vomiting. “ Asphyxia and gastrointestinal causes can also lead to sudden deaths.’’ He advised people to check their blood pressure regularly and advised those who were hypertensive to take their drugs regularly. “Those who believe they are living well and are not hypertensive must have their Blood Pressure (BP) checked regularly, this is very important. “If not, it may lead to stroke or cause the heart to stop suddenly of which we call heart attack; it can happen to anyone irrespective of the age. “So, there is need to be careful about one’s health because prevention is better than cure,” the associate professor said. He encouraged people to keep a healthy lifestyle, do regular exercises, have regular blood pressure checks, eat healthy and regularly and avoid sedentary lifestyle. “People should guard against obesity as well as maintain good personal and environmental hygiene; for pregnant women, there should be improved ante-natal and maternal care,’’ Faduyile said. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/06/24/to-be-led-by-the-blind/one

Politics

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By Eddie Mbadiwe For one to appreciate the present and plan for the future, it is necessary that we understand the past. Let us look at Nigeria in silhouette pre 1 October 1960. Flora Shaw who later became wife to Lord Lugard gave the name. Nigeria is pure and simple a creation of the British colonial administration. To a very large extent, the actions of one man called at different times Major, Sir and lastly Lord Fredrick Lugard pre-determined what happened and continues to shape Nigeria. The calculated and documented actions of Lord Lugard as contained in various despatches could give a sneak preview to Nigeria’s apparently intractable and unending problems. It will also not be wrong to say he was working on directives from London. Major Lugard had arrived as an employee of the Royal Niger Company principally to trade. He later transferred to the colonial administration. The British conquered the Benin Kingdom in 1896. Two years later Major Lugard formed the West Africa Frontier Force with 2,000 soldiers drawn mainly from the North and predominantly Middle Belt. With the defeat of Benin, creation of the Southern Protectorate became possible on 1 January 1900. Victory by the British in the Anglo-Aro war 1901-1902 removed the last vestiges of opposition and opened up the Niger hinterland to British rule. The Sokoto Caliphate was conquered in 1903 and the Northern Protectorate was created. Both Southern and Northern Protectorates were governed independently until they were amalgamated in 1914. This amalgamation was for commercial reasons – the colonial administration wanted a railway passage to the sea for export of agricultural produce. Though the protectorates were amalgamated, their diverse peoples were not integrated. This was a deliberate ‘Divide and Rule Policy’. Lord Lugard’s despatches to the Colonial Office emphasised the need ‘TO SHIELD’ the people of the North from the ‘CORRUPTING mobile and fast advancing people of the South. This was to deny the North the education the South wanted. The first Yoruba lawyer was called to the bar in 1888. This in my view is the genesis of the crisis of confidence that has plagued Nigeria ever since. The South continued to make progress in what became known as the quest for ‘THE GOLDEN FLEECE’. These products of Western education on return stoked the embers of nationalist flames demanding self-rule and independence as Lord Lugard had predicted. In the forefront was Herbert Macauley – an engineer who organised series of meetings with workers to demand basic human rights. With the return of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe from the United States via the Gold Coast, the independence movement received a tremendous awakening. Zik’s weekly column in the West African Pilot mobilised the youth and his writings became topics for weekend political catechism. Many young men suffered deprivation of freedom and sometimes incarceration. A few among these were Mokwugo Okoye, Anthony Enahoro, Adegoke Adelabu, Tanko Yakassi, Osita Agwuna, Michael Imodu and Harry Nwana. The National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons was formed in 1944. The Action Group born in 1950 was led by the much disciplined, single-minded Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The Northern Peoples Congress was formed in 1951 under the leadership of Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello. The only other major political party of this period was Mallam Aminu Kano’s Northern Elements Progressive Union. Observers have noted that while the southern parties operated on the basis of a unified country, the northern ones concentrated on the north as reflected in their names. In spite of what looked like petty chauvinism within the parties, it is a fact that Umaru Altine a fine Hausa gentleman was elected Mayor of Enugu. Mazi Mbonu Ojike served as Deputy Mayor of Lagos. This was the Nigeria that people of my generation saw growing up. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. A country where your domiciliary status entitles you to full expression of your potential as happens in most of the civilised world was the model we had. This political phase was long and tortuous but was essentially bloodless as against what was happening in the southern parts of the continent. The wind of change, which British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan had predicted in Rhodesia, was now a hurricane blowing off British rule and granting independence to British colonies. In Nigeria, there was Enugu Miners strike followed with Police killings, various constitutional conferences, regional self-government and finally independence. We were in class five at Government College that year and I know there were many expectations of our new nation. How has Nigeria fared after 50 years? Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah had written and spoken so eloquently about the place of the black man in the new world order and that image was embedded in our psyche. Are we remotely close to that? No. Before and immediately after independence, the Nigerian economy relied on agriculture- palm oil and kernel, cocoa, groundnuts, ginger, rubber and cotton. There was limited mining of coal, bauxite, tin and gold. Oil had been found at Oloibiri but commercial production was small. Yes there was corruption but it was miniscule compared with the brazen effrontery recklessly displayed by our current leaders. Dr Michael Okpara finished as Premier of Eastern Nigeria with only one unfinished building at Ogui Road, Enugu to his name. He had no house in his native Ohuhu until his return from exile after the civil war. His successors (supposedly better educated) assigned whole streets to themselves at Independence Layout. Musa Yar’Adua, father of the late President was Minister for Lagos Affairs when Victoria Island was reclaimed. He had one plot of land. With large scale discovery and commercialisation of oil production, the political equation in Nigeria changed forever The Federal Government which controlled all the oil revenue became extremely powerful. The talk all centred on ‘sharing the national cake’. Nobody was interested in baking the cake. Agriculture which had been the life wire died. The Sardauna was not interested in anything outside the North and sent his lieutenants Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Muhammadu Ribadu to Lagos. Balewa became Prime Minister and Ribadu Minister for Defence The Rt. Hon Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe had gone to the centre as Governor General and later when Nigeria became a Republic President of the Senate That gave Dr. Okpara a free hand to run Eastern Nigeria In Western Nigeria, it was different, Chief Obafemi former Premier was Leader of the opposition in Lagos but had little or no power but the Western Premier Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola had the government machinery and all the paraphernalia of power. Ideological differences about alignments erupted between them and led to riots of unprecedented proportions As students at Ibadan, we saw first hand these charred ‘wetie’ bodies, buses, houses, anything belonging to the opposing camp was set ablaze Shivers still run down my spine just recounting this. The anarchy that started in the West threatened to engulf the rest of the country. A series of events, fracas in the House of Assembly, state of emergency, electoral irregularities culminated in the young majors’ coup of 15 January 1966. This created mistrust in the military and was followed with a series of counter coups and mass slaughter especially of Ndigbo The thoughts and feeling among a majority of Ndigbo who saw those headless and disembowelled bodies arrive Enugu railway station were encapsulated in one of the addresses by Sir Winston Churchill during the last war which closing sentence was, “If we must die, let us die like men not like chicken with their necks wrung”. Anyone in a position of leadership in such macabre circumstances had very little room for manoeuvre. It was therefore not surprising that on 30 May 1967 Lt Col Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu declared The Republic of Biafra. This was rebuffed by Nigeria and a bitter 30-month fratricidal war ensued. It is estimated that about one million people lost their lives. War in itself is terrible as anyone who survived Biafra will confirm. It is important that the nation learns useful lessons from any conflict. The United States- the strongest nation in the history – was forged from the furnaces of two bitter wars the war of independence from Britain and the Civil War. American patriotism, ruggedness and resilience are by products of conflicts. It is still not late for Nigeria to harvest the gains from the civil war. It is hazardous to predict the future of Nigeria. All the ingredients for greatness are abundant in the land. The economy of Nigeria is among the fastest growing according to the International Monetary Fund, which projected a growth rate of 9% for 2009. Nigeria is the third largest economy in Africa with a population a fifth of the entire continent. It is any serious entrepreneur’s paradise. Other Africans say they are waiting for Nigeria to lead. They cannot wait indefinite Nigerians in Diaspora, most of who are extremely talented and competent, must challenge themselves out of their comfort zone. Perhaps the Indian module is worthy of serious study. As Professor Chinua Achebe told me in a recent telephone conversation, “America and Europe were made and kept as good as they are by Americans and Europeans”. My take is that only Nigerians can make Nigeria great. For some the time is now Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/09/nigeria50-lugard-keeps-shaping-nigeria/

Politics

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High transportation cost responsible for inflation, says FG By Nduka Chiejina (Assistant Editor) The Federal Government has attributed the recent spike in inflation to the rising costs of moving goods across the country. Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, made this disclosure on Friday at a virtual event titled Finance Bill 2020 public consultations. The Minister said the current “inflation is driven by the cost of transport”. According to her: “If you look at the rate at which our inflation is going, and you disaggregate the components, you will find that inflation is largely driven by transport cost”. Government’s resolve, she said, “is to reduce transportation cost so that businesses will have ease and pass benefits to eventual consumers.” The draft Finance bill 2020, she assured, will address measures to reduce the cost of transportation. According to her, the bill will have some “interesting new proposals that will look into fiscal relief for mass transit”. She explained it will be “designed to provide support for mass transit by reviewing the duties regime”. This, she said, is because government recognises transportation as one of the major cost drivers in the economy.

https://thenationonlineng.net/high-transportation-cost-responsible-for-inflation-says-fg/

Politics

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‘90 % of teachers do not know about dyslexia’ By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie With a prevalence rate of 20 per cent of any population dyslexic, an expert, Dr Adrienne Tikolo, has expressed concern that up to 90- 95 per cent of Nigerian teachers do not know about dyslexia – a neurological condition that makes it difficult for children to learn to read and spell. As a result, she said many dyslexic children, whose condition makes them struggle to read, comprehend and following instructions, underachieve in school and are labelled lazy, stubborn or dullards by teachers who do not know about the condition or how to manage them. In an interview, Tikolo, who runs Dyslexia Nigeria, a firm that deals with assessment and management of dyslexia, said: “I would say about 95 per cent of teachers are unaware of what Dyslexia is and the signs of dyslexia. If you ask them to give you one sign of Dyslexia, they say ‘I don’t know if it is a mental problem.’” Tikolo said Dyslexic children can be creative as the condition has nothing to do with intelligence. If they are supported, she said they can become successful professionals like renowned physicist, Albert Einstein; and top rate actors like Will Smith, Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, all of whom are Dyslexic. On the other hand, if not supported, Tikolo said they may suffer mental health issues, drop out of school or get involved in crime. She said: “The first danger is that the person cannot achieve his goal and you have different mental health issues that come with that – like depression, anxiety, frustration. There are lots of students that have dropped out of school that had Dyslexia. If you look at abroad, where they have done research, in the U.S., 60 or more percent of those in prison are Dyslexic. I know a number of students that have fallen out of university because they have gone that far but cannot go further, and then they fall into drugs.” Since its establishment two years ago, Tikolo said Dyslexia Nigeria has made efforts to increase awareness of the condition in Nigeria. She said the awareness level was so low – rating it a minus five on the scale of 1-10, when she started. She said with support, this class of learners can learn to overcome their challenges. However, she lamented that schools were unwilling to train teachers even when training cost is subsidized. Underscoring the importance of early detection in Dyslexia management, Tikolo said screening should take place before the child turns six to get the most of interventions. To address the problem of low awareness and late detection, Mrs Tikolo said government should include detection of special needs a part of teacher training curriculum and make it compulsory for schools to conduct regular screening for all pupils. “One of the things the government can say for a teacher to be promoted, for instance, you need eight hours of training in Dyslexia intervention, awareness, and teaching programmes. You need X number of CPD hours in a term in a year, that is one. The government can insist that schools must do the universal screening for students, find out those that are struggling with dyslexia and that policy would work,” she said. In commemoration of the Dyslexia awareness month, Tikolo said Dyslexia Nigeria was creating awareness about the condition. The organisation would follow up with a summit tagged “Unmasking Dyslexia” scheduled for November 21, this year at Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja.

https://thenationonlineng.net/90-of-teachers-do-not-know-about-dyslexia/

Education

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Why are so many people in their 20s taking so long to grow up? This question pops up everywhere, underlying concerns about “failure to launch” and “boomerang kids.” Two new sitcoms feature grown children moving back in with their parents — “$#*! My Dad Says,” starring William Shatner as a divorced curmudgeon whose 20-something son can’t make it on his own as a blogger, and “Big Lake,” in which a financial whiz kid loses his Wall Street job and moves back home to rural Pennsylvania. A cover of The New Yorker last spring picked up on the zeitgeist: a young man hangs up his new Ph.D. in his boyhood bedroom, the cardboard box at his feet signaling his plans to move back home now that he’s officially overqualified for a job. In the doorway stand his parents, their expressions a mix of resignation, worry, annoyance and perplexity: how exactly did this happen? It’s happening all over, in all sorts of families, not just young people moving back home but also young people taking longer to reach adulthood overall. It’s a development that predates the current economic doldrums, and no one knows yet what the impact will be — on the prospects of the young men and women; on the parents on whom so many of them depend; on society, built on the expectation of an orderly progression in which kids finish school, grow up, start careers, make a family and eventually retire to live on pensions supported by the next crop of kids who finish school, grow up, start careers, make a family and on and on. The traditional cycle seems to have gone off course, as young people remain untethered to romantic partners or to permanent homes, going back to school for lack of better options, traveling, avoiding commitments, competing ferociously for unpaid internships or temporary (and often grueling) Teach for America jobs, forestalling the beginning of adult life. The 20s are a black box, and there is a lot of churning in there. One-third of people in their 20s move to a new residence every year. Forty percent move back home with their parents at least once. They go through an average of seven jobs in their 20s, more job changes than in any other stretch. Two-thirds spend at least some time living with a romantic partner without being married. And marriage occurs later than ever. The median age at first marriage in the early 1970s, when the baby boomers were young, was 21 for women and 23 for men; by 2009 it had climbed to 26 for women and 28 for men, five years in a little more than a generation. We’re in the thick of what one sociologist calls “the changing timetable for adulthood.” Sociologists traditionally define the “transition to adulthood” as marked by five milestones: completing school, leaving home, becoming financially independent, marrying and having a child. In 1960, 77 percent of women and 65 percent of men had, by the time they reached 30, passed all five milestones. Among 30-year-olds in 2000, according to data from the United States Census Bureau, fewer than half of the women and one-third of the men had done so. A Canadian study reported that a typical 30-year-old in 2001 had completed the same number of milestones as a 25-year-old in the early ’70s. The whole idea of milestones, of course, is something of an anachronism; it implies a lockstep march toward adulthood that is rare these days. Kids don’t shuffle along in unison on the road to maturity. They slouch toward adulthood at an uneven, highly individual pace. Some never achieve all five milestones, including those who are single or childless by choice, or unable to marry even if they wanted to because they’re gay. Others reach the milestones completely out of order, advancing professionally before committing to a monogamous relationship, having children young and marrying later, leaving school to go to work and returning to school long after becoming financially secure. Even if some traditional milestones are never reached, one thing is clear: Getting to what we would generally call adulthood is happening later than ever. But why? That’s the subject of lively debate among policy makers and academics. To some, what we’re seeing is a transient epiphenomenon, the byproduct of cultural and economic forces. To others, the longer road to adulthood signifies something deep, durable and maybe better-suited to our neurological hard-wiring. What we’re seeing, they insist, is the dawning of a new life stage — a stage that all of us need to adjust to.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/magazine/22Adulthood-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&ref=general&src=meOne

Family

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It’s one of the most famous chapters in evolution, so familiar that it regularly inspires New Yorker cartoons: Some 375 million years ago, our ancestors emerged from the sea, evolving from swimming fish to vertebrates that walked on land. Scientists still puzzle over exactly how the transition from sea to land took place. For the most part, they’ve had to rely on information gleaned from fossils of some of the intermediate species. But now a team of researchers has found a remarkable parallel to one of evolution’s signature events. In a cave in Thailand, they’ve discovered that a blind fish walks the way land vertebrates do. The waterfall-climbing cave fish, Cryptotora thamicola, has even evolved many of the skeletal features that our ancestors did for walking, including a full-blown pelvis. “It’s really weird,” said John R. Hutchinson, a biologist at the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London who was not involved in the new study. “It’s a good example of how much fish diversity there’s left to be discovered.” Drop an ordinary fish on the ground, and it will flop around helplessly: Its fins are adapted for pushing against water, not fighting gravity.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/science/researchers-find-fish-that-walks-the-way-land-vertebrates-do.html

Religion

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Here is a version of my lecture “Misquoting Jesus.” Some of you have seen a different version of the lecture (I’m sure I’ve posted one!); I’m particularly fond of this particular one, both because of its setting in the Washington National Cathedral and because, well, I just think I was on better form than usual. The lecture was given on Feb. 6, 2007. What a treat this Sunday morning. Good ole bart lol standing for what he believes in. I support you brother I just listened to the entire talk…and very much enjoyed it and was enlightened by it. Thank you Bart! How did the books and letters, written thousands of years ago by numerous people from wide ranging backgrounds and beliefs and socioeconomic lifestyles, that exalt jesus (that we call the n.t.) become the most widely read, most trusted, most influential, life changing, revolutionary and controversial documents of all time, including this generation? How do people speak in tongues today? I was wondering if you have created any sort of timeline for the “events” of the creation of the Bible. That is, have you detailed what you consider would be the approximate time that the first full version of the Gospel of John was done, when the Bible was completely completed, etc. etc.? No, I never have. The problem is that we simply don’t know when some of the books were written, let alone edited, either in absolute terms (when was Ephesians written) or in relative ones (is James before or after 1 Peter), etc…. So then these are just guesses, or is there some merit to these dates? No, this is a fundamentalist site. Notice that it indicates that the world (as in, our universe) came into existence in 4004 BC!!! (not, like, 13.8 billion years earlier than that….) Is there any recent tendency among leading scholars today to “move” the traditional dates assigned to the various New Testament writings? For instance many NT Introductions (including yours) give a date for Acts to the 80’ties and some possibly as late as about 100 CE. The Acts Seminar of Westar suggested not long ago the early decades of the 2. century. Is this still a fringe opinion? Yes, the big move these days is about the book of Acts, putting it up to 120 CE or so. I was initially skeptical, but so many people seem to be getting on board, that I’ve decided that I need to read the arguments more thoroughly. It’s on my agenda for the fall. Wouldn’t that also involve moving Luke? Yes, I think so! Wow! Such brains (yours), and beauty (the Cathedral), all in one place! It just doesn’t get better than this. But of course, this isn’t to say that you aren’t beautiful too, Bart. ‘-) I do my best….

https://ehrmanblog.org/the-messages-of-jesus-and-paul-basically-the-same-or-fundamentally-different/Na

Religion

en

WEDNESDAY, March 8, 2023 was celebrated all over the world as the International Women’s Day, IWD. Some romantically refer to the female gender as “the better half” of mankind. This is mere flatter because in practice, most cultures abnegate the position of women in society. From human antiquity, societies grew on the primitive concept of “might is right” and the “survival of the fittest”. Because the males with their superior physical might fought wars and led expeditions and forded out the world as we know it, men took over control of families and kingdoms. They made the laws and rules, and always put themselves first while in many cases relegating the female folk, who are their mothers, wives, sisters, aunts, and lovers. With modern advancements, especially in education and the improvements in the inclusion of women in education, our female folk have come to demonstrate that whatever the men can do, they can also do, sometimes even better than some men. This truth upsets some men who feel their special privilege is under threat. But it needs not be so. Inclusion is always best. It is impossible to clap with one hand. The two hands must be fully activated for the clap to be resounding. This is what informs the theme for this year’s IWD as defined by the United Nations: DIGITALL – Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality. It is an established fact that 37 per cent of the world’s females do not have internet access. They are also behind the men in digital knowledge, but not for any fault of theirs. Most traditional societies have not prioritised female education. In Nigeria, the girl-child takes the lion’s share of our over 20 million “Out of School Children”, especially in the North. Pubescent girls are either married off due to cultural demands or sent out to hawk. Unfortunately, it is the children of the downtrodden that this affects most. The elite never discriminate in educating their children. We affirm that it is the duty of the leadership at all levels and every sector to recalibrate governance to give every citizen the right to education irrespective of gender or social class. All sectors of the country must be equally liberated to enhance the growth of our country and society. In this digital age, mental abilities, not gender, should dictate the choice of leadership in all spheres. Might is no longer right, except the might of the intellect. We must moderate our cultural fashions to accommodate full gender inclusion while not upsetting the traditional roles of the genders which make for stable and healthy families and societies. In this digital age, nobody should be left behind. The place of women, as equal partners with the men for the advancement of society, has come to stay. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/avengers-strikes-agip-crude-pipeline-bayelsa/Their

Politics

en

Muslims routinely claim that the Bible has been corrupted. They try and provide contradictions in God’s word to weaken its truth so that they can justify their support of the Quran. These ‘contradictions’ are usually differences in the numbers of populations, or ages, with occasional citations of differences in the biblical narrative when referring to an event. They ignore my responses when I answer the alleged contradictions and move to another challenge. Yet, they won’t face the Quran’s problems. For example, Surah 4:82 says there can be no discrepancies in the Quran. Otherwise, it is not from Allah. Then when I show them that the Quran says a man’s seed forms in his chest (Surah 86:5-7), they argue it away and then turn to attack the Bible. Dear Muslims, which sayings of Jesus are true and false? Of course, providing a list of the sayings of Jesus that are true and false would be a monumental undertaking, and I believe no Muslim would ever try. So, to make it easier, I’ve asked them to supply a list of things that Jesus said in the four Gospels that are authentic or not. I’ve had no takers. In fact, no Muslim has, as far as I know, ever tried to do it – yet they say the Bible is corrupted. Okay, then show us which verses are corrupted and which are not. For any Muslim to present such a list would be problematic. I could compare their list to different historical manuscripts to see if there are any variances related to particular verses that they might cite. If there aren’t any variants, what justifies their proclamation that any specific thing Jesus said in the Bible is authentic? Are all the thousands of different manuscripts corrupted in all the same places? It would make no sense. Second, Muslims will submit the Bible to the Quran. They will proclaim that whatever Bible verses contradict the Quran, then that is proof of corruption. But that’s a problem. Here’s why. Internal and external critiques “An internal critique examines the merits of an idea based on the internal consistency of the idea. Essentially it assumes the position being discussed and examines it for contradiction. By contrast, an external critique seeks to falsify an idea using criteria outside the idea being examined. So, for example, an internal critique of Christianity’s theology would require an examination of it to see if it is consistent within itself. An external critique of Christianity’s theology would be to examine it based on something like Islam or atheism. This is problematic because the reverse can be applied. Islam and atheism would be false based on Christian theology. So, external critiques are weak.” https://carm.org/apologetics/what-is-the-difference-between-an-internal-and-external-critique As the quote above shows, an external critique means that just as Muslims consider the Bible is false because the Quran says so, the Christians could also say that the Quran is wrong because the Bible says so. It gets us nowhere – for the most part. But, the Quran does not say the Bible is corrupted. If anything, it supports the Bible. - Surah 3:3, “It is He Who has sent down the Book (the Qur’an) to you (Muhammad) with truth, confirming what came before it. And he sent down the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel).” - Surah 10:94, “So if you (O Muhammad) are in doubt concerning that which We have revealed unto you, [i.e. that your name is written in the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] then ask those who are reading the Book [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before you. Verily, the truth has come to you from your Lord. So be not of those who doubt (it).” - Surah 6:34, “Verily, (many) Messengers were denied before you (O Muhammad), but with patience, they bore the denial, and they were hurt, till Our Help reached them, and none can alter the Words (Decisions) of Allah. Surely there has reached you the information (news) about the Messengers (before you).” - Surah 18:27, “And recite what has been revealed to you (O Muhammad) of the Book (the Qur’an) of your Lord (i.e. recite it, understand and follow its teachings and act on its orders and preach it to men). None can change His Words, and none will you find as a refuge other than Him.” A partial list of Jesus’ sayings that are true and false So again, I ask the Muslims to provide a list, even a partial list, of five statements of Jesus, as recorded in the gospels, that are true and five that are false. Will it happen? I doubt it. They don’t wish their accusations, compilations, and dissertations about Jesus’ words cross-examined. Nevertheless, I hope that at least some Muslims might try and provide a list of true and false verses regarding Jesus’ teachings. But I won’t be holding my breath.

http://ow.ly/IJAS50MhW61

Religion

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By Shina Abubakar OSOGBO—THE National Communications Commission, NCC, yesterday, pledged to establish mechanisms to control the use of internet to protect the nation’s cyberspace against attack. The commission said the move is aimed at protecting children against dangerous online contents, ensure consumer privacy and data protection. This was disclosed by the commission’s Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Alhaji Ismail Adedigba, at the 109th edition of Consumer Outreach Programme in Osogbo, Osun State. Adedigba said: “Realising that liberalisation of the telecoms industry has led to an unprecedented increase in the usage of internet-based solutions and services, the Nigerian Communications Commission has initiated a process to establish an internet industry code of practice for internet service providers in the country. “The internet code is a regulatory intervention expected to secure the country’s cyberspace against threats from cyber attackers and addressing issues such as online child protection, privacy and data protection among others.” He added that while the commission is working on regulatory interventions to sanitize the cyberspace, telecoms play their role by reporting shortcomings to appropriate quarters. In her opening remarks, the Director of Consumer Bureau, Mrs. Felicia Onwuegbuchulam urged consumers to note that as there is increase in the number “It is noteworthy that as the commission embarks on various initiatives to increase access to the internet for Nigerians for positive engagements, we are, nonetheless, conscious of dishonest individuals, who are bent on using the internet for illegal activities,” she said. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/09/cybercrime-ncc-to-regulate-use-of-internet/

Phones

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Astonishing figures that show the true scale of our online activity have been revealed. The new study, by chipmaker Intel, found that more than 204 million emails are sent every minute, while 47,000 apps are downloaded and retail giant Amazon rings up around $83,000 in sales. Around 20 million photos and 6 million Facebook pages are viewed, while we also watch 1.3 million video clips on YouTube. Nearly 640,00 Gb of global IP data is transferred in just one Internet minute, the researchers found. ‘Computing is transforming and touching more people in a wider range of devices,’ said Intel’s Krystal Temple. ‘But while it’s hard to miss the proliferation of portable devices, it’s what we don’t see that’s the bigger issue. ‘What many don’t see is that the increase in mobile devices has had a tremendous impact on the amount of data traffic crossing the network. ‘It’s a little easier to comprehend once we think about all that’s done on a connected device like a smartphone. ‘Listening to music, watching videos, downloading photos, playing online games, refreshing Twitter feeds and status updates – all of those activities generate network traffic.’ The study also looked at how the data could expand dramatically in the future. It predicted that by 2015, the number of networked devices is expected to be double the world’s population. It would take five years to view all the video content crossing IP networks each second by then. The chip giant also revealed it is developing new networking equipment to deal with the increase in traffic. Codenamed ‘Crystal Forest,’ that will boost performance and beef up network security to handle the increasing network traffic. ‘By enabling equipment manufacturers and services providers to deliver platforms that grow along with the network, Intel is also enabling consumers to stay connected on intelligent devices every Internet minute of the day,’ Intel said. Culled from Dailymail.co.uk

https://www.channelstv.com/2023/02/28/apc-national-assembly-candidates-in-rivers-east-demand-election-cancellation/Guess

Politics

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Who are we and where did we come from? With different kinds of people, languages, customs, cultures etc, many questions about creation remain unanswered. What about death? That is more complicated than creation because many have different theories and opinions about death. Some say that the soul goes back to God after death while others believe in reincarnation, that is the soul, upon the death of the body, comes back to earth in another body or form. However, the Bible says: "For the living know they will die but the dead do not know anything nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. Indeed, their love, their hate, and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun..." The book of Genesis says: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Initially, that was what we were thought of at school. Years after this Biblical account, the man now faces the most difficult challenge in believing this Biblical account about creation. Worldwide, hundreds of people, including so-called creationists, anti-Christ forces, and fundamentalists, continue to change the Bible's account of creation into numerous tales that deviate from what the Bible really says. The belief that there is no God and Darwin's theory which rejects the account of creation in Genesis, has caused many people to dismiss the Bible account as mythical allegory. It's not surprising to see big churches throughout Europe virtually empty on Sundays, reserved only for the dead to receive his or her last respect before burial. It's clear that a number of people have accepted Darwin's theory that the Biblical account as many churches are being converted to drinking pubs, restaurants, and library. Even though many still are confused over where man originally came from, some continue to play God by taking someone's life by euthanasia, when he can't bring the dead back to life. Since God has given the man the opportunity to choose, thus; let those that lean on Darwin's theory continue to do so and others that believe in the Genesis creation account also continue supporting the Scriptures. But one question which many find it hard to answer is: Where do we go after death? Different religions have different opinions about death, yet another part of the Bible reveals: "For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion." Both creations of the human being and death will always remain a mystery because it's something that takes us by surprise. One may cheat death, yet death is inevitable. When it strikes, like the fall of both fresh and dry leaves, it takes away the young and the old. Doctors struggle to save lives and incubators save babies, but why no one has brought a dead man back to life? Is it true that there is life after death? Where does the soul go after death? Is there reincarnation after death? Are we going to see our loved ones already dead when we also die? Even though I have no answers to those questions, I can't depend on Darwin's theory, because it has no roots. Since the Scripture says: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." I will depend on and believe in the account of creation in the book of Genesis.

https://www.modernghana.com/news/880926/the-mystery-surrounding-creation-and-life-after-death.html

Religion

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NPC puts Nigeria’s life expectancy at 52 years The National Population Commission (NPC) has said that the current overall life expectancy of Nigeria stands at 52.2 years. The Acting Chairman of NPC, Alhaji Hassan Bashir, stated this in New York while delivering Nigeria’s statement at the 52nd Session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development. According to the World Health Organisation, life expectancy refers to the average number of years that a newborn is expected to live if current mortality rates continue to apply. The population chief said Nigerians “60 years and over currently represents less than five per cent of the entire population, while overall life expectancy is 55.2 years”. Bashir added: “As you may be aware, Nigeria estimated population is currently at over 198 million with an annual growth rate of 3.2 per cent. “The total Fertility Rate remains at 5.5 per woman; 63 per cent of the entire population is under the age of 25; 42 per cent is under the age of 15 years. “Fifty per cent of the female population is in the reproductive years, while 54.8 per cent of the population constitutes the working age,” the Nigerian population chief said. According to him, Nigeria recently concluded the field work of its national demography and health survey in 2018 and while it awaits the outcome of that survey, early and child marriage still persists. He said data available indicated that unintended and unwanted pregnancies were common as 23 per cent of the adolescent girl age 15 to 19 years have commenced reproduction. Bashir said the situation had put women, especially young girls, at risk of maternal death which stands at 576 deaths per 100,000 live births. He added that 61 per cent of women of reproductive age who had live births within this period received antenatal care from skilled providers. However, only 36 per cent of them had their deliveries in health facilities and 38 percent of the deliveries were attended to by skilled birth assistants, he said. He explained that the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) had been conducted regularly with plans to conduct a census during the 2020 round of census. Bashir, however, bemoaned the major challenge of unavailability of timely information and robust disaggregated data for tracking progress aimed at achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “Some of our critical concerns include addressing the needs of over 66 million adolescents and young people, aged 10 to 24 years (half of whom are girls) to gain access to comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health information and age-appropriate services. “There is also the need to address the contraceptive needs of 14 million internally displaced persons affected by increasing insecurity, as well as the needs of over 13.2 million out-of-school children including school-drop-outs due to unintended pregnancies.” Nigeria’s Ambassador to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande, while delivering a statement on behalf of African Group, said Africa recognised the urgent need to unleash the creative initiative and energy of its large youth population. Bande, Chairman, African Group, UN, said Africa remained committed to cooperating internationally to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration involving full respect for human rights and the humane treatment of all migrants. “To this effect, the African Group supports the free movement of people and goods within countries as it foster rural-urban inter-linkages, and regional integration,” he said. According to him, African Group emphasised the need for developed countries to promote policies that foster the integration and reintegration of migrants and returning migrants. (NAN)

http://thenationonlineng.net/npc-puts-nigerias-life-expectancy-at-52-years/

Politics

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Twenty-five years ago Abdullahi Tijjani had a vision for Kuki, a village in the north of Nigeria he became chief of at age 14: "Hunger will become a thing of the past once we marry modern technologies and traditional farming," he told reporter David Hecht when they met in 1984 in the mud-brick structure he called his palace. Tijjani had reason to feel inspired. Nigeria's oil-rich military government had just completed a new dam nearby and a local oil tycoon was setting up a 3,000-acre industrial irrigation farm. But that industrial farm now lies abandoned and farmers of Kuki never got access to water from the dam. "The marriage failed," Tijjani told Hecht 25 years later. Locals became so disheartened many gave up farming and moved to cities. "Now we're even losing our ability to subsist," he said. A growing number of people in what is Africa's most populous nation of 140 million are going hungry. And as poorer neighboring countries export more food to Nigeria in exchange for petrodollars, people there also go hungry. In 2005 thousands of children in neighboring Niger died of malnutrition not because the country had had a particularly bad harvest but because there was a food shortage in Nigeria and people in Niger could not afford the ensuing higher prices. Experts say that even though Nigeria faces a serious food security threat they also recognize the country's potential. Nigeria has enough fertile land to feed itself and much of the region, if only its oil wealth were invested more wisely.

http://pulitzercenter.org/projects/africa/nigeria-oil-rich-hungry

Politics

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Embrace Yoruba Itutu philosophy for inner peace by cultivating mindfulness and gratitude, and connecting with Orishas for divine guidance, focusing on composure, silence, and vitality. Engage in meditation and tapo chanting to enhance mental health and spiritual growth. - Core Philosophy: Itutu, translating to coolness in Yoruba, emphasizes composure, silence, vitality, healing, and purification. It's a holistic approach combining physical beauty with a calm, collected demeanor, deeply rooted in Yoruba culture and aesthetics. - Thompson's Theory: Highlights how "cool" in Yoruba "Itutu" links demeanor and art to a tranquil, humble aesthetic, influencing cultural perceptions across the globe. - Yale University Research: Thompson's 1973 article "An Aesthetic of the Cool" delves into Itutu's impact on African-derived cultures, connecting cultural aesthetics with inner peace and tranquility. Practical Steps to Embrace Itutu - Cultivate Mindfulness and Gratitude: Enhance Itutu by fostering presence in the moment and shifting focus to positive aspects of life, as mindfulness and gratitude are key to cultivating Itutu's peace and joy. - Slow Down: Embrace slowing down in life as essential for savoring moments and finding joy, a crucial step in Itutu practice for achieving composure and patience. - Embrace Life's Uncertainties with Àṣẹ (Destiny): Itutu cultivation involves embracing life's uncertainties and recognizing Àṣẹ, or destiny, as an achievable philosophy through Yoruba cultural principles. - Meditation for Mental Health: Incorporate meditation into your daily routine to reduce depression and anxiety, a fundamental aspect of Itutu practice for maintaining mental health and inner peace. - Tapo Chanting: Engage in tapo chanting to calm the mind, reduce stress, and promote inner peace, leveraging mantras for spiritual growth and serenity. Embracing Yoruba Spiritual Practices - Connect with Orishas: Recognize the role of Orishas as key intermediaries in Yoruba spirituality, teaching success on Earth by conveying divine guidance. Each Orisha represents vital aspects of life and nature, guiding adherents towards harmony and fulfillment. - Divine Energy (Ase): Understand and honor Ase as the divine energy for life, sourced from Olodumare via Olorun, foundational in Yoruba practices for spiritual connection and inner peace. - Yoruba Divination: Engage with Yoruba divination practices, including Ifa, interpreted by Babalawo for guidance, to maintain heaven-earth balance and foster understanding of individual destinies. Ittuutu: A West African Philosophy of Calm A Yoruba Priestess Powerful Word to a Christian Minister Was this article helpful?

https://eightify.app/summary/personal-development-and-mindset/west-african-philosophy-of-calm-discover-inner-peace#:~:text=%F0%9F%98%8C-

Culture

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Many atheists and scientists assert that morality is derived from our genetic makeup. In other words, morality is a product of genetic encoding. They sometimes reason that individuals who behave in a way that aids survival will pass on their genes. For example, if a person were to kill another person, the natural reaction by others is to punish the killer, possibly by killing him. This would mean that his genetic information would not be passed down to further generations (unless he had offspring before the killing). Likewise, thieves would incur the wrath of other people, and their survivability would be reduced, further lessening the chance of genetic information being passed on. As a result, morality is developed that is based on survivability. This way, those people who behave in a more “moral” way than others would have a better chance of surviving and passing their genes on to offspring. Morality, then, would be woven into the genetic structure by producing individuals who behave in a manner consistent with the morals of society and end up with better survivability. If this is how morality is defined, then the preceding paragraph proves morality is genetically based. But, this “proof” is achieved by defining morality in such a way that it is true by definition. In actuality, this is not how an idea is proved. If genetics is what determines morality, then we must conclude that nothing is inherently morally right or wrong. There is only survivability and non-survivability, and morality is whatever aids in surviving. But this has problems. Rape, for example, which is considered morally reprehensible by societies, would potentially result in an increase in offspring. So if that which is moral assists in survivability, then rape would necessarily be moral by the genetic-survivability definition given above. Also, what about theft where a person has higher intelligence and is more capable of stealing without getting caught and punished? This would result in an increase in “morality” by his theft, aiding his survivability and passing on his genes to offspring. See the problem? But if we are to say that murder, rape, and theft are morally wrong, then we are saying that there’s something inherently wrong with actions. Such an assertion cannot be based on genetics because actions, genetically speaking, are neither good nor bad. They are just actions. For an action to be wrong by nature, there must be a standard by which we judge such actions. Since it cannot be that morality is genetically based, there must be something other than genetics that provides moral objectivity. Of course, as a Christian, I would assert that God is the ultimate objective standard by which morality is measured.

http://carm.org/can-morality-be-genetically-based

Religion

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VATICAN CITY (AFP) – The Vatican on Monday said late popes John Paul II and John XXIII would be made saints at an unprecedented joint ceremony on April 27, 2014 in a bid to unite Catholic conservatives and liberals. Pope Francis made the historic announcement at a meeting of cardinals known as a consistory. The canonisation of the two popes is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Rome. The popular Polish pope John Paul and his Italian predecessor known as “Good Pope John”, are two of modern-day Catholicism’s most influential figures. The double sainthood is seen by Vatican watchers as an attempt to breach a traditional left-right divide in the Church. “John XXIII is generally a hero to the church’s progressive wing while John Paul II is typically lionized by Catholic conservatives,” said John Allen, from the National Catholic Reporter, a US weekly. Allen said the decision could be interpreted as “a statement that any attempt to set them at odds is artificial, and that what they had in common is more fundamental than any perceived differences”. Sainthood normally requires two “confirmed” miracles, though Francis has approved the canonisation of John XXIII (1958-1963) — with whom he shares a common touch and reformist views — based on just one. John Paul II, who served as pontiff from 1978 to 2005, was credited with his first miracle just six months after his death, when a French nun said she had been cured, through prayer, of Parkinson’s — a disease he had also suffered from. His second miracle was reportedly carried out on a woman in Costa Rica, who said she was healed from a serious brain condition by praying for John Paul’s intercession on the same day he was beatified in 2011. The Polish pope was popular throughout his 27-year papacy and helped topple Communism — although he alienated many with his conservative views and was blamed for hushing up paedophile priest scandals. At his funeral in 2005, crowds of mourners cried “Santo Subito!” — “Sainthood Now!” — prompting the Vatican to speed up the path to sainthood, which normally begins five years after death. John XXIII made his name by calling the historic Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) which overhauled the Church’s rituals and doctrines and reached out to other faiths. Many compare the Italian pope, who died in 1963, with the current head of the Roman Catholic Church for their similar pastoral attitudes, humble, open manner and sense of humour. The reportedly miraculous healing of an Italian nun who had severe internal hemorrhages was attributed to John XXIII when he was beatified in 2000. Francis is believed to have waived the need for a second miracle because his canonisation had been called for by the participants of the Second Vatican Council in 1965, who wanted to pay homage to the man who ushered the Church into modern times. Francis also promises to be a reformist pope, planning an overhaul of the Vatican bureaucracy and finances and promising a “poor Church for the poor”. On Tuesday, he will begin three days of talks with an advisory board of eight cardinals he has appointed to help him clean up the troubled Roman Curia — the intrigue-filled administration — and improve communication between the Vatican and local churches. Vatican experts say it is not clear whether details from the meetings will be made public, but liberal Catholics hope that the conciliatory tone adopted by Francis on many issues will translate into action. Topics may include the role of women in the Church, whether priests should be able to marry, if Catholics who remarry should receive the Eucharist and the Church’s position on homosexuality and gay clergy. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/vatican-sets-make-late-popes-john-paul-ii-john-xxiii-saints/

Religion

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By Sunny Ikhioya WHO would have imagined that, in less than six years, people will be slaughtered like rams in the South east region of Nigeria, the way Boko Haram terrorists and “bandits” operate in the North? Who would have imagined this? What is this telling us? Every human being or society has the natural propensity to be wicked and violent, if the enablements for peace and stability are not in place, but is the recourse to violence the answer to these challenges? Will this be the answer to the much marginalised situation that the Igbos of the South east have faced since the end of the civil war in 1970? When the Russian communist revolution took place in 1917, ending centuries of imperial rule and setting into motion political and social changes that led to the formation of the Soviet Union, the world took notice. What Karl Marx, the philosopher predicted in 1848, had come to pass. His thesis was that capitalism would inevitably self-destruct, and would be replaced by socialism and ultimately communism. According to Ernest W Adams, “Britain, like the United States, was never quite as oppressive towards its peasants and industrial working classes as some of the other nations of Europe were. “It was bad, make no mistake, but it wasn’t anywhere near as bad to be a British peasant, as it was to be a Russian peasant under the czars. And, Britain made a number of important reforms that took the wind off the sails of the most extreme revolutionaries. The UK offered universal male suffrage in 1918, undoubtedly in part to recognise the sacrifices of so many men in the first world war, but, also in response to the Russian Revolution.” In other words, in places where peasants were well treated, there was the least likelihood of a people’s revolution and vice-versa. When you look at the regions and countries with the highest rate of terrorism in the world today, they are places where the peasants, the ordinary folks have been left on their own; no food, no proper education and other basic needs. They include Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan, Syria, Palestine, Libya, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, northern Nigeria, among others. The common trend is of a people who have been abandoned by their governments and so, they fall easy prey to religion and ideological doctrines. They see themselves as those with nothing to lose. In the French revolution, at least four of the top ten leaders (Jacques Pierre Briscot, Maximilien Robespierre, Louis Antoine and Georfes Danton), all were executed through the guillotine, the same instrument that they had used to eliminate so many of their rivals. What does this tell us? We must learn from history and never allow past mistakes to be repeated. Happenings in the South east are not ideal for development and progress of the people in that section of the country. The leadership in that region must put heads together and pull their people, from the trap that their youths are presently encircling them in. It is a no win situation for them, especially if people from other parts of the country are not keying into their methodology. The whole world knows that by all standards of fairness, the Igbo of the South east deserves to be President of the country, come 2023, but how this will materialise depends on the Igbos. Every Igbo man is pan Nigerian, and has his kith and kin cut across the length and breadth of the country, which gives him a networking advantage. They have the resources to make this happen but need to do this in humility and with respect for their fellow Nigerians. That hubris, that pride and arrogance must be subdued, that feeling of ‘I am the best,’ must be totally expunged from their mindset. The spirit of ‘I’, instead of the ‘we’ must be cleared, while the feeling of force over dialogue must also not come into play. That is why they must reexamine their strategies. Politics is a game, if you do not play it right, you will continue to end up on the losing side. I am not a fan of Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, director of publicity and advocacy of the Northern Elders Forum, but I totally agree with him that bringing the presidency to the South will not be by force. If you are to go by force, it will no longer be a democracy. We must decide on what we wish to practice. It is also noteworthy that, while the Igbos are flexing muscles, they have not really narrowed down on the list they want to pick their presidential candidate from. While they continue with their belligerence against themselves and the world, supporters of Bola Ahmed Tinubu are already doing underground work, lobbying and campaigning to make their candidate become the next president. You do not sow yam and expect to reap corn, you must work hard, plan and adopt the right strategies. Identify the weak areas and collectively agree on what path to follow. As it is now, it will seem as if Igbo leaders are waiting to ride on the notoriety of IPOB, to become popular candidates. The ones that have been bold enough to tell the truth are being hunted down and threatened, others are keeping quiet, including governors of the region. They are not able to come out with a working security outfit, like the South west have done. We must try to build a united country that is free from unnecessary ethnic and religious sentiments. History has shown that the Azikiwe-Awolowo division/betrayal was inspired by the British. If you have listened to the testimony of Mr. Smith, a Briton who witnessed it all in Nigeria, Azikiwe was blackmailed by the British into that alliance with the Northern Peoples Congress, NPC, not withstanding the fact that Zik by nature was a pan Nigerian. Ordinary folks have been made to fight this imaginary war over the years. The achilles heel of the Igbos is the tendency to assert their superiority through bullying in whatever form, the same way some of the Fulanis are doing now that they are in control of leadership of Nigeria. We must all remember the fact that, no empire lasts forever. No matter how good, everything is dependent on time, circumstances and chance. This is the chance for the South east but will they take it? Some have said that, even if the presidency is zoned to the South east on a platter of gold, they will not be able to produce a candidate, because it will be impossible for them to agree on one among themselves. The South had only come this far in the pursuit of the 2023 ticket, because of the strong leadership that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has provided for the southern governors forum. Even within this forum, you can see the South east governors dragging their feet. Let us see if they will prove us wrong. Ikhioya wrote via www.southsouthecho.com Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/10/2023-challenges-of-the-south-east/

Politics

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The warrior is noble and strong. His resolve is firm and his commitment is total. His is to kill, to shed blood and to be killed. His is to die for his king and for a worthy cause. His is to protect and lay down his life for his faith, his nation, his people and his loved ones. What manner of men are these whose spirit speak of such valour and nobility? Consider the ancient Spartans and the Roman warriors of old. Consider the fearsome Vikings who believed that it was a curse to die a peaceful death and that the only way to heaven was to die violently and heroically in fearsome battle. Consider the greatest of all warriors that ever lived, the noble and gallant Achilles. Consider Alexander the Great who conquered the world with his sword. Consider King David, the greatest of all the kings of Israel, who was a man of blood and war and yet whom God so loved and who loved God more than any other. Consider David’s “strongmen” who stood with him through thick and thin and who fought for and protected him to the very end. Consider their gallant captain, the mighty Joab and the others, Abishai, Asahel, Eleazer, the Tachomonite, Shammah, Benaiah, Eliam, Igal and Uriah the Hittite. These were David’s ”strongmen”: all great and valiant men of war whose courage was legendary and whose loyalty to their God and their King was unflinching and unquestionable. Consider Shaka the Zulu, Beowulf the Nordic king and William Wallace the liberator of Scotland. Consider King Henry V of England who routed the French at the battle of Agincourt even though he was outnumbered by three men to one. Consider Julius Caesar who came, who saw and who conquered. Consider the great Heracles who was a descendant of the mighty Hercules himself. Consider Spartacus, who turned slaves into men. Consider Samson, who slew a troop with the jaw bone of an ass and yet who fell at the touch of a woman. Consider Gideon who slew the Midianites, Jeptha who sacrificed his own daughter, Joshua who brought down the walls of Jericho and Jehu, who drove his chariot like a madman, who slew the witch-Queen Jezebel and who fulfilled prophesy by ensuring that the dogs ate her flesh and licked her blood in the valley of Jezreel. Consider those that laid down their lives for our great and noble faith: Paul of Tarsus, the greatest of all the apostles, who brought the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the gentiles and to the wider world. Peter the disciple, who became the rock on whom the Church of God was built. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, Stephen, Isaiah, Elijah, Daniel, John and all the other disciples and prophets of old. For martyrs and heroes that lived and died for God are also gallant warriors who feared not death and who stood firm to the end in defense of their faith. Consider George Washington who led his troops into battle and whose war cry was “victory or death”. Consider the charge of the Light Brigade, the courage of the 600, at the battle of Balaclava in the fields of the Crimea. Consider the Ikemba, Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu who resisted genocide and who established Biafra. Consider Isaac Boro, the champion of the Delta, who rejected tyranny and who fought for his people. Consider Ken Saro-Wiwa whose prose moved mountains and who refused to bow to a dictator. Consider Moshood Abiola, who defied the oppressor and who died a martyr. Consider Patrice Lumumba who died for his country, John Jerry Rawlings who liberated a generation, Thomas Sankara who stood for Africa and Malcom X who brought dignity to his people. Consider Robespierre, Marat and the heroes of the French revolution who defied kings and queens and who watered the tree of liberty with blood. Consider Muammar Ghaddafi, who empowered his people, Gamal Abdel Nasser, who gave hope to the Arab, Fidel Castro, who broke the yoke of bondage and Nelson Mandela who brought joy to millions. Consider Toussaint L’Ouverture who freed the slaves of Haiti and who established a proud black nation. Consider General Lee at the battle of Gettysburg, Oliver Cromwell at the battle of Nasby, Horatio Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar and King Leonidas, with his gallant ”300”, at the battle of Thermopylae. Consider Generals Marshal, Patton, Eisenhower, Rommel and MacArthur in the great battles of the Second World war. Consider the ”Black Scorpion”, General Benjamin Adekunle, with his 3rd Marine Commando at the Battle of Ore. Consider Zhukov at the siege of Leningrad and his courageous exploits at the battle of Moscow. Consider Bernard Montgomery, with his fearless ”Desert Rats”, at the battle of Alamein, Charles De Gaulle at the siege of Paris and Chang Kai-Shek in the war against Japan. Consider Attila the Hun, Ghengis Khan, Peter the Great, Richard the Lion-heart, Salahudeen the Compassionate, Katsumoto the Samurai, Hannibal of Carthage and Hector of Troy. Consider our gallant amazons and female warriors of old- Boadicea of East Anglia, Joan D’Arc of France, Elizabeth 1 of England, Amina of Zaria, Moremi of Ife, Golda Meir of Israel, Margret Thatcher of Great Britain, Indira Ghandi of India, Queen Idia of Benin, Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, Queen Esther of the Medes and Persians, Cleopatra of the Blue Nile and Egypt and Yaa Asantewaa of the Ashanti Kingdom. Consider Generals Foche and Hague at the battle of the Somme. Consider George Armstrong Custer at the battle of the Little Big Horn, the Duke of Wellington at the battle of Waterloo and Napoleon Bonaparte, in his full glory and power, at the battle of Marengo. Had these great men and women all not stood their ground and had they all not played their role in our collective history, where would the world be today? They sacrificed their today so that we may have our tomorrow. They lived and died for the sake of others and asked for only one thing in return: that their names should live forever and that we should never forget their noble deeds and their worthy sacrifices. And we must not forget, nay we dare not forget, for as Martin Luther King once said “if a man is not ready to die for something, then he is not worthy of living for anything”. The warrior is prepared to die for his cause. That is what makes him so noble and that is why he will always have a special place in our hearts. May the spirit of the warrior and selfless courage fill us all and, like the true warriors that we are meant to be, when the angel of death comes may the Lord give us the strength and boldness to look at him fearlessly in the face and treat him with the contempt and disdain that he deserves- knowing that he has lost his sting and that, by the power of Christ Jesus, he has been conquered and crushed. When the dark angel comes, as come he must for us all, let us be men and let us die a good death, not cringing and crying like puppies, but like true warriors, fighting to the bitter end. For it is never for the warrior to ask the why: it is only for the warrior to do or die. The warrior does not vanish into the night. The warrior will not go down without a fight. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/10/of-warriors-and-heroes-by-fani-kayode/

Politics

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that a developing nation in possession of a large population must be in want of a robust transport system. (Forgive me Jane Austen). THERE is at least one concerted-effort activity that every free, hale and hearty Nigerian does every day and that is, move. From home to school, to the market, to the office; from neighbourhood to neighbourhood; from one state to another; from city to village and vice versa; from one country to another, and so on. We are always on the move and the largest chunk of this movement is by road, whether on foot, bicycle, tricycle, “okada”, by car, bus, “molue”, you name it. Not surprisingly, the roads are usually congested. Given that many destinations are land-locked, the road appears to be the most convenient and economical way for the majority of people to complete their journey. But there has to be a more efficient, land-based, affordable mode for mass transit and there is: rail. The railway is a somewhat unexpected solution provider for seemingly unrelated social and economic issues, and it could well be instrumental in fomenting a much needed industrial revolution here, as it has done in other countries. A fully-functioning railway network is not only useful for moving an assemblage of people from Point A to Point B, it’s also effective for transporting cargo, improving distribution logistics, decongesting traffic, boosting trade nationally and internationally, enhancing tourism and even improving inter-tribal understanding. When compared to the bulk goods movement capacity of road vehicles, rail ranks higher in safety, speed, size of cargo hold, scalability (extra train carriages can be added to a locomotive manned by one driver with one attendant), and strength in terms of durability. One way to improve the competitiveness of our exports is to have a full-bodied nationwide railway system that can be efficiently operated on lean margins. An intercontinental rail network would be even better. It doesn’t hurt to dream, but let’s walk before we run. According to the 2016 Economic Outlook published by Economic Associates, approximately 58% of our non-oil income is generated from four industries: trade, crop production, real estate and telecoms & info services. The revenue generated by these sectors could grow exponentially if we had a robust railway system. (Assuming there is stable power supply that would complement production efforts rather than a convulsive one that frustrates the best of intentions). While new rail tracks are laid and existing ones are expanded, gas pipes and cabling for telecoms or electricity transmission, can be laid at the same time. Yes, such infrastructural undertakings are expensive, but then so are the mental, physical, social, economic and environmental costs of sitting in traffic for 12 hours because of an overturned trailer. And besides, such mammoth infrastructural projects are excellent opportunities to attract irreversible capital input from abroad. Since the first construction of a railway in Nigeria just before the 1900s, we have built rail lines that go from Lagos to Kano; Port Harcourt to Kano; Port Harcourt to Aba; Abuja to Kaduna, and so on. Lagos also has an intra-state rail system. Unfortunately not enough attention was given to rail transport from the mid-1960s till recent years. Now however, there is a move to modernise existing railroads and build new ones to international standards, so much so that we are likely to have standard gauge rail, at least, from Lagos to Kano; Lagos to Calabar; Kaduna to Abuja; and Itape to Ajaokuta to Port Harcourt. But ideally, we should have railway service to every city, town, or hamlet with a population in excess of 500 people. Allowing the private sector to take over the railways will help achieve this goal. Privatising the railways will raise the much-needed revenue for governance, improve our time to market and increase the fiscal competitiveness of our locally made goods. It makes one wonder why the 1957 Railway Act, slated for amendment since 1999 has not been attended to by members of the National Assembly. On the website, corridorsofcommerce.com, the US-based transport network, BNSF Railway, highlights the economic, social and environmental benefits of using trains to move “agriculture, raw materials and finished goods”, over a distance of 3,422 route miles within an area covering parts of the USA and Canada, which it refers to as the Great Northern corridor. “In 2009, the Great Northern moved over 124 million tons of freight. It would take over 4.9 million long-haul trucks on highways to move that much freight. The Great Northern saved over 570 million gallons of fuel and over 6 million tons of greenhouse gases.” Now fast forward to Nigeria and imagine what it would mean for our GDP if we could do the same here. Currently, Lafarge uses the railways to move cement from Ogun State to other parts of the country. As our national rail infrastructure is built up, other companies will be able to embark on a similar modal shift away from transporting industrial-capacity or wholesale goods by roads, to moving those same items by rail instead. When trains become the primary method for moving cattle, tomatoes, coal, petrol, sand, boulders and other such bulk inputs, confrontations between bovine drovers and agrarian homesteaders can perhaps be minimised, less agricultural produce would perish on the way to market, there would likely be fewer car crashes, and the roads would be a lot less crammed. Developers would benefit from an increase in the value of the land around the rail stations; entrepreneurs would benefit from a drop in the cost of doing business; young adults would benefit from an increase in employment opportunities; and government would benefit from an increase in the number of people able to pay tax, amongst other things. As a developing nation with a large population, we are in a sincere need of a robust, nationwide transport system. Perpetuating the delay in reviewing the 1957 Railway Act is ultimately self-defeating. As part of our strategy for sustainable economic growth, we need to give active, urgent, methodological attention to building up our railways. Ms. Olubunmi Aboderin is a member of the Institute of Directors. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/05/nigeria-rail-lines-commerce/

Politics

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Church where Oba of Benin is General Overseer On Akpakpava Road in the heart of Benin City, the Edo State capital, is a church founded over 500 years ago. The architectural design of the building tells its story. It does not advertise itself; yet has a large following. The Oba of Benin is its spiritual head, reports Osagie Otabor. The Holy Aruosa Cathedral is to the Bini people what the Church of England is to the English people; no wonder it is referred to as the Church of Benin. Welcome to the Holy Aruosa (the eye of God) Cathedral. Members of the Holy Arousa are different from flocks of other religious bodies: they are seldom seen sharing pamphlets to convert members or inviting people to the church. The church leaders do not hold crusades or revival services to convert ‘souls’, neither do they invite people to experience miracles. Legend has it that the church was located at the place because it was the spot the Bini had direct contact with Osanobua (God) long before the coming of the European explorers and missionaries. According to the folklore, a powerful spiritual leader known as Okhuaihe was said to have offered to personally take the peoples’ plea to God as a result of drought and pestilence that had infected the land. He gave up his life during one of the prayer sessions. He was expected to return and bring succour to the people. As the story goes, the people continued their prayers waiting for Okhuaihe’s return but rather than his return, they got a huge fireball that descended from the sky. At the point where the ball of fire dropped, a huge black stone was found and a place of worship was built there. During the British invasion of Benin Kingdom, the church was destroyed and the black stone was carted away along with other artifacts from the ancient city at about 1897. The invaders came with their own God, mode of worship and forbade the people from worshipping Osanobua at Holy Arousa. It was Oba Akenzua II (father of the present monarch) who rebuilt the current cathedral, not only in Benin City, but in Onitsha, Umuahia and other areas. The Oba of Benin is the spiritual head (general overseer) of the Church. His deputy is the Benin Crown Prince. The presiding head of the church is known as ‘Ohen Osa’ (God’s servant). A special seat is reserved for the Oba at the church. The priests dress like the Roman Catholic priests and usually wear red caps. Service at the church is conducted in Bini language. The Holy Bible is not used in the church; much of the preaching revolves around reminding the congregation that the Oba is God’s representative on earth and on the need to be good while on earth. Baptism of new converts is done with the white chalk (Orhue) in what is regarded as ‘Igborhe’. Does miracle happen in the church? Ohen Osa Harrison Okao said people received miracles and God’s blessings directly from God without any intermediary. He said: “Those who seek God come here. We don’t beg people to come. If you attend and discover that your contact with God is cordial, you will remain. If you beg God for promotion and you come here and got it, you will remain here.” Harrison said the church was founded during the reign of Oba Esigie and to worship God without praying through any intermediary. He said: “We use our local language to communicate with our God. We are aware of other diverse ways of reaching God. If you are a good Muslim, God will accept you. If you are a good Christian, God will accept you. “We don’t use the Bible here. We have our own book. We use the book of Holy Arousa according to the sayings of the ancient belief written by the wise men. The church is still in existence till today, it is an entity that will last forever. Nothing can stop it.” “A professional doctor does not need sign board. Oba is a special human being. He is God’s representative on earth. The seat that concerns Omon N’ Oba, nobody can sit on it. That seat is exclusively preserved for him.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/church-where-oba-of-benin-is-general-overseer/

Religion

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The New World Translation (the Bible version produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses) has a number of problems. Among these is the fact that they frequently insert the name “Jehovah” into the New Testament where the original authors used the word “Lord.” This matters, in part, because it often obscures or even alters the otherwise plain meaning of the passage. The Jehovah’s Witnesses defend this practice by claiming that all the New Testament manuscripts are corrupted and that the original actually did have the name Jehovah in it in all the places they insert it. They claim, thus, to be restoring the original text that has been entirely lost to history. They defend this thesis by appealing to scholars who supposedly agree with them: “Some Bible scholars acknowledge that it seems likely that the divine name appeared in Hebrew Scripture quotations found in the Christian Greek Scriptures. Under the heading ‘Tetragrammaton in the New Testament,’ The Anchor Bible Dictionary states: ‘There is some evidence that the Tetragrammaton, the Divine Name, Yahweh, appeared in some or all of the O[ld] T[estament] quotations in the N[ew] T[estament] when the NT documents were first penned.’ Scholar George Howard says: ‘Since the Tetragram was still written in the copies of the Greek Bible [the Septuagint] which made up the Scriptures of the early church, it is reasonable to believe that the N[ew] T[estament] writers, when quoting from Scripture, preserved the Tetragram within the biblical text.'”1 There are several important things to note here: - The Jehovah’s Witnesses do not actually cite more than one scholar here. While they cite two sources, The Anchor Bible Dictionary and Dr. George Howard, what they don’t mention is that George Howard wrote the section of the Anchor Bible Dictionary that they are citing. So, in fact, they simply provide two quotes from the same man. - Dr. George Howard, former associate professor of religion at the University of Georgia, is an intelligent man, but he is hardly a grand authority on the original text of the New Testament. He is most famous for his claims regarding the origins of the book of Matthew. He asserts that Matthew was originally written in Hebrew and only later translated into Greek. Others have speculated things like that before, but Howard goes further. He claims that a medieval Spanish Jew named Shem Tov, who wrote against Christianity in the 14th Century and frequently quoted from the gospel of Matthew in Hebrew, was actually using a copy of the lost Hebrew original of Matthew, albeit a copy that was somewhat corrupted by scribal errors through the centuries.2 Thus, Howard tends to reconstruct the text of the New Testament based on somewhat sensational theories. Scholars more directly involved in the study of New Testament manuscripts and textual history do not share his conclusions. - The quotes the Jehovah’s Witnesses give from Dr. Howard are much more guarded than their own claims. These quotes from Howard only say that there is “some evidence” and that it is “reasonable to believe” that the name YHWH might have been in the original New Testament specifically when it is directly quoting from the Old Testament. Even that claim is beyond the actual evidence, but it is a far cry from establishing the wide use of “Jehovah” throughout the NWT New Testament or the dogmatic certainty Jehovah’s Witnesses claim. Howard’s words do not justify the Jehovah’s Witness teaching or practice. - The scholar they quote says that the Divine Name would have been used in Old Testament quotations from the Septuagint, but the Jehovah’s Witnesses only selectively follow this practice when it suits their agenda. For example: Hebrews 1:10-12 (NWT), “At the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; and just like a garment, they will all wear out, and you will wrap them up just as a cloak, as a garment, and they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never come to an end.” The author of Hebrews is quoting from Psalm 102:25-27. The Psalm is definitely about Jehovah God and uses His name throughout. Further, the author of Hebrews is directly quoting from the Septuagint. Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that, in the time of the New Testament, the Septuagint used the divine name and not the word “Lord” when referring to God. They insist that the practice of using the word “Lord” in place of God’s name only came later. So why leave this reference to Psalm 102 as “Lord” and not Jehovah? The reason is obvious. The author of Hebrews is applying this verse to Jesus. It is saying that Jesus is the “Lord” referred to in Psalm 102. To translate it as Jehovah would be to admit the obvious truth that the book of Hebrews is claiming Jesus to be Jehovah God. If they were consistent in their practice, they would have to admit that this passage teaches the full deity of Christ and points to the doctrine of the Trinity. But that is exactly what they are trying to deny, so they selectively leave the word as “Lord” here, even though their own textual theory would insist that it should be “Jehovah.” Thus, it becomes clear that the real reason for selectively changing the word “Lord” into “Jehovah” is a doctrinal agenda rather than an actual concern for the original form of the text. Taken together, we see that the Jehovah’s Witnesses are not at all on the side of modern scholarship. Even the one scholar they could find doesn’t actually support their selective and idiosyncratic approach to the divine name. At any rate, their appeal to “Bible scholars” to substantiate their re-writing of the New Testament and their radical revisionist history of its transmission falls completely flat. Scholars do not support their conclusions. 1↑ | New World Translation: 2013 Revision, Appendix A5 | 2↑ | This claim was published in the original edition of his work, “The Hebrew Gospel of Matthew.” In Subsequent editions, he scaled back his claim, merely insisting that Shem Tov’s Hebrew Text comes from an early Hebrew version of Matthew, but not necessarily an original that predates the Greek. |

http://ow.ly/ypJF50MjGao

Religion

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BY EMEKA MAMAH A Professor of Biotechnology, James Ogbonna has said “the future of man on earth depends to a great extent on Biotechnology because it potentially has solutions to all our problems,’’ including creating “human spare parts’’. Ogbonna spoke while delivering the 61 annual lecture of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, yesterday. He also said Biotechnology has been helping to ensure increase in crop and farm animal productivity as it has the potential of causing the production of enough food to feed the world. He said although the ‘’use of human embryonic stem cell is controversial but adult stem cells are now isolated from the brain, intestine, hair, skin, pancreas, bone marrow, fat, teeth, muscle and blood,’’ pointing out that ‘’these adult stem cells are used to produce vital organs and less controversial. His words: ‘’Can we now imagine a world with sufficient quality food for all, where there is no energy scarcity; with very clean and safe environment and ready cure for all diseases threatening human existence now? ‘’A world where human beings can decide to design and “produce” the type of human he needs on earth? A world where man will be living for 150 years or even longer? ‘’Biotechnology is saying that it is possible and has demonstrated some of these. “It is now possible to produce crops that are resistant to various diseases and pests; that can mature much faster and produce higher yields even on poor soils; crops that are more nutritious with much longer shelf-life, bio-fortified food crops, diet food stuff for diabetic patients and people that require special diets, edible vaccines from plant sources; farm animals that grow faster, produce better quality meat, cow and other animals that produce large quantities of good quality milk, birds that lay more than two eggs every day, sheep that produce more and better quality wool. ‘’The application of Biotechnology has already led to several-folds yield increases in many plant species. ‘’Some of these crops/plant products have been commercialized, others are being tested in experimental farms while others are at various stages of development. It has been applied to crops like potato, rose, cotton, corn, tomato, rape seed, rice, wheat, barley, yam and tobacco”. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/07/biotech-can-create-human-spare-parts-%E2%80%94-don/

Health

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By Adefokun Tomiwa Michael Open Source Software (OSS) has played very important roles in the growth of software technologies. Nigeria being a developing country that faces various socio-economic challenges; access to freely distributed solutions that have no restriction on selling the software as a component of an aggregated solution is invaluable. Using OSS generally helps in saving cost, notably as a result of reduced development time and other expenses. More so, OSS licenses allow modification of the original source code; enabling developers to customize these solutions to suite their particular requirements. It should be noted, though, to avoid misinformation that users of OSS may be restricted from distributing the software in modified form, except as patches included in the original distribution. In Nigeria, the initiative is being challenged by various factors; from both the consuming and producing ends. The volume of OSS being distributed around the world is so enormous that it would be tasking to choose from this array of solutions, particularly without a well informed medium that provides the user community with guided information about the software and respective evaluations. Coupling this with the presumption of inferiority for indigenous products make the idea of local OSS not very attractive. The reliability that has been garnered by proprietary software corporations from the western world over time is overwhelming and would hardly give local OSS developers the chance of expression. It has also built a formidable courtship between our market and these foreign vendors. Really, critical businesses need critical solutions and reasonably, we cannot blame those who turn to the westerners for such. This does not apply to the case of OSS only. And unfortunately, we are yet to have that very strong voice that would pierce through software consumers’ heart that a world class solution can emerge from our local community. The idea is not to compete with our foreign counterparts, even if we had to – we first, must have products that can convincingly compete globally. Building applications for the world is different from building applications that sell. A lot of passion is required to have a product that would win millions of hearts around the world. Our current system does not really provide the needed support and platform to enhance this thinking. Software development business is about making profits, and companies invest a lot in the protection of their key ideas and business logics. To create a solution that is distributed freely and can be modified and integrated into other systems would not be a saleable idea. Our economic situation would not encourage developers to conceive and invest in ideas that might not guarantee some level of profit. Really, the foremost software development companies in Nigeria who has some of the best of Nigerian programmers on their payroll may not buy the OSS idea. They are able to pay their employees through proprietary software sales, in the first place. Smaller organizations, freelancers and young talents that could attempt to make some difference in our open source community are facing enormous challenges in getting a standard source of comfortable livelihood. Power supply is critical and other development enabling infrastructures are either poor or unavailable. Developing an application that would compete on the global scene might be too expensive for our folks in this class, and when they are able and come up with something tangible – they surely hope it is their golden pathway to fortune. OSS model would be some risk that they may not be very comfortable of taking. Collaboration has not started working properly in our software development society. The main idea behind OSS is to create a platform where ideas and knowledge are shared productively, hence creating a broader base for development and innovations. It is still rooted in our attitude to maintain total ownership and control over whatever is ours. Sharing our original ideas such that others can contribute to it and thus be a part of its improved version is a thinking that is naturally alien to us. We need a system that would facilitate open sharing of ideas and collaboration where innovations are supported, nurtured and protected. The only way we can come about this is if we believed that we should be proud of advances made in our local software terrain, whether little or massive. We need a true beginning. lAdefokun is The Creator, PHP Freedom (Web Application Development) Framework. He can be reached at: [email protected] Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/01/19/challenges-for-open-source-software-in-nigeria/

Programming

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Paris - Fifty years ago, the Igbo people of southeast Nigeria seceded, declaring an independent Republic of Biafra and sparking a brutal civil war that left about one million people dead. On May 30, 1967, the military head of Nigeria's eastern region, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, declares "the independent Republic of Biafra". His move comes two days after the head of Nigeria's military government, General Yakubu Gowon, divided the federation into 12 states, including three in the east. Biafra, accounting for less than 10% of Nigerian territory, at the time had a population of 14 million out of 55 million nationwide. Its mainly Christian population was two-thirds Igbo. Since independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria had managed to stay a single entity despite historic enmity between the mainly Muslim north and the largely Christian south. But the Igbos felt discriminated against by the two other main ethnic groupings, the northern Hausa-Fulani and the Yoruba in the southwest. In January 1966, Nigeria suffered its first military coup, led by the Igbo General Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi. A counter-coup launched in the north in July kills Ironsi and many of his senior Igbo officers. Thousands of Igbo civilians are killed in reprisals, especially in the north, and millions of survivors flee back to the southeast. The government rejects the secession of the southeast, which is rich in agricultural and mineral resources, especially oil. Gowon announces a general mobilisation and denounces the independence declaration as "an act of rebellion", saying it will be "crushed". The military imposes a blockade on eastern Nigeria. On July 6 the army unleashes a general offensive with its first air bombardments. In October federal troops take Biafra's capital, Enugu, then the port of Calabar. Onitsha and Port Harcourt are recaptured in the first months of 1968. Britain, the Soviet Union and the Organisation of African Unity (the forerunner to the African Union) side with the federal government. Only a few African countries and France back Biafra. On July 3, 1968 the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says that eight to 12 million people are affected by the conflict and that 200 people a day are dying of starvation in Biafra. "One would think we were seeing ghosts marching past, thin and silent, wrapped in grey rags," an AFP special correspondent reports in August. "Nearly all are women of all ages and old people... there are no longer many children in Biafra. "The refugees travel, their stomachs empty, fleeing the noise of federal cannon. The noose is tightening." In late August he writes of a million new refugees in 15 days as the army advances. "One person dies every 15 minutes... refugees are dying from starvation and exhaustion," he reports. The Biafra famine caused by the blockade makes headlines around the world, with heartrending photographs of children, stomachs bloated by malnutrition, their legs bent with rickets. A handful of French doctors working for the ICRC, including the future French government minister Bernard Kouchner, brush aside convention and political borders to launch an aid effort. In 1971, they go on to found Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders). From August to September 1968 the army retakes several towns after a major offensive. In March-April 1969, the new Biafran capital, Umuahia, falls. After raids by secessionists on oil wells, Nigerian troops reinforce their blockade, and in June start preventing international Red Cross aid flights. Only Christian churches and the French Red Cross continue their aid flights in ever more dangerous conditions. In early January 1970 the army begins its final assault, and on January 15, Biafra ceases to exist. Ojukwu flees on January 11 to Ivory Coast, leaving his deputy, Philip Effiong, to officially surrender to Gowon in Lagos, the federal government's capital at the time. The east resumes its place in a united Nigeria. Gowon vows "No victor, no vanquished", and pledges to work for national reconciliation. But resentment lingers and deepens over the decades, as the Igbo complain of a lack of investment in the southeast, which many view as a punishment for Biafra. The war invests considerable power in the army, with military coups becoming a feature of Nigerian political life for decades.

http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/biafra-a-painful-chapter-in-nigerias-history-20170528

Politics

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‘To stop Ebola, we must end the virus called fear’ Dr. Marc Siegel, a practising internist, joined FOX News Channel (FNC) as a contributor in 2008. In this piece on the international news medium’s website, Siegel says the fear of Ebola is a bigger problem, which should be given more attention if the disease is to be stopped The Ebola virus has been infecting and killing people in Central Africa since at least 1976, and the current “worst Ebola epidemic in history” has been going on in West Africa since March. But it is only in the past few weeks that a second deadly “virus” has emerged, as the news media has caught on to this story and has broadcast it around the world, infecting everyone with another contagious virus: fear. Don’t get me wrong; Ebola is a bad bug, and well worth being concerned about. This particular Zaire strain kills up to 90 percent of its human victims. It often fools the immune system of a host into not recognizing it, and many victims end up in kidney and liver failure without even a fight. On top of this, Ebola is difficult to recognize, appearing first like any other flu with fatigue, fever, headache, muscle aches. Then you can start to have vomiting and diarrhea, and caretakers and close contacts of afflicted patients can catch Ebola even as they try to help contain it. But fear and ignorance are spreading in West Africa along with Ebola, as natives mistrust the very humanitarian aid that is being brought in to help them. Physicians in the Ebola trenches are heroes, not sources of contagion, but not everyone sees them that way. Dr. Sheik Humarr Khan, whose work in Sierra Leone against several viruses — including Ebola — is legendary, died this week of the dreaded virus. His work should be celebrated. But with this Ebola outbreak already killing close to 700 in West Africa, the best way to combat it is with solid science, and the biggest threat to this proven strategy is fear. Ebola isn’t spread by coughing and sneezing. Isolating sick patients and their contacts has worked in stopping previous Ebola outbreaks. The same kind of infection-control precautions are used that have also worked successfully with HIV/AIDS (gloves, gowns, masks). Unfortunately, when people are afraid, they take fewer infectious precautions, and spread more virus. This is why regional quarantines haven’t always worked historically. It is probably prudent for Liberia to close most of its borders and to have Ebola testing centers at the ones that remain open, as long as this doesn’t spread panic. While it is also reasonable to issue travel advisories and screen patients for viral symptoms coming in and out of West Africa, and the CDC is wise to issue Level 2 travel precautions (avoid direct contact with Ebola patients), anything beyond this at this point would be counterproductive. It is very unlikely that someone will contract Ebola from casual contact on a plane. It is even more unlikely that if Ebola does appear in the U.S., that it will lead to a sustained outbreak here, because of our public health system. The challenge to provide supportive care while properly isolating patients is much greater in Liberia, Sierra Leone, or Guinea than it would be here. Living close together, being unaware of how viruses spread, and even burial rituals have helped to spread Ebola in West Africa. This epidemic will still likely be contained and not spread to other countries. If it does spread, it will likely not be sustained, in part because Ebola is so deadly it usually kills the host before he/she has a chance to spread it. Several vaccines and anti-viral drugs have showed promising results in animals, and human testing is under way, though no treatment or vaccine will be ready for market soon. In the meantime, the best treatment for both Ebola and the spreading fear of Ebola is to offer the world information and perspective, and for those afflicted in Africa — careful isolation. When it comes to a health scare, the news media has never been great at providing this kind of calm, rational perspective. The time to start is now.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/to-stop-ebola-we-must-end-the-virus-called-fear/

Politics

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- A Cape Town history teacher will undergo sensitivity training after giving Grade 7 pupils the "fun" task of making a poster to advertise slaves. - "We regret what has happened," says principal of Parklands College secondary faculty Sylvia Steyn. - The assignment reads: "Fun Activity - Advertisements were placed in newspapers to advertise the slave auction that would be taking place." Parklands College in Cape Town has apologised after Grade 7 pupils were asked to make a poster advertising a slave auction in the 1800s as a "fun activity" in history class. According to the assignment - titled "Fun Activity" - pupils were given the following instructions: "You will create an advertisement regarding a slave trade auction that will be taking place on Friday, 24 April 1835. You will have 30 minutes to create the advert and have it posted in the assignment link shared on Google class today. "The person with the best advertisement will get a Cadbury slab of chocolate when we get back to school. "This is a fun activity and it will not count for marks. Be creative and have some fun." An outraged mother drew attention to the project, and also posted a picture containing two sample advertisements the children were given. READ HERE | Gauteng teacher, who allegedly threatened to put knee on pupils' necks, to face hearing this week Midstream College in Gauteng also had a similar assignment. Prinicipal Carel Kriek told News24 that the assignment, in which grade 7 pupils were asked to create a poster for an upcoming slaverly auction in 1614, was withdrawn by the school after parents raised concerns. Kriek said the school had launched an internal investigations into the matter. "The assignment was issued before lockdown and pupils were expected to hand it last week. We have explained to many people and apologised to those who are offended. I don’t think the intention of CAPS for slavery topic is to put anyone in a bad light to play one race against the other. "It is something that we are supposed to do as a primary school. We removed it three years ago and Umalusi forced us to put it back in our curriculum,” said Kriek. Gauteng Department of Education Steve Mabona said they are aware of the matter and have also launched an investigation. Grade 7 “fun activity” for no marks at a Cape Town school. Design an ad for a slave auction. Via Sindisiwe Lulamile on Facebook. ?????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/ZpHpdw3UAO — Bessie’s Head (@lebomashile) June 9, 2020 'We regret what happened' In Cape Town, the principal of the college's secondary faculty, Sylvia Steyn, explained that the "young and inexperienced" 31-year-old teacher explained afterwards that he wanted to consolidate the lesson about the trans-Atlantic slave trade. READ HERE | Cape Town schoolteacher gives Grade 7 learners ‘slave trade auction’ activity – parents outraged "We regret what has happened," said Steyn. "I acknowledge that it was an error in judgment and he should never have called it a fun activity, which is what it says at the end of the presentation," said Steyn. "If he wanted them to make a poster he should have said [they should] focus on the injustices of slave trade. I understand that no excuse is good enough. I understand that hurt was caused and I acknowledge that. We are dealing with it the best way that we can." Steyn said the teacher will be undergoing sensitivity training, and so will all of the staff at the upmarket independent school when the rest of the classes resume. "It was never intended... he didn't think it through properly," said Steyn. "I understand that it has caused a lot of hurt." She said that, in her first statement on the matter, her inexperience with social media meant that she focused on being concise, instead of dealing with the injustice of the slave trade. So, she issued a second statement acknowledging it was unacceptable. READ | Anxious pupils return to school The teacher began last September at the school. "He's young and inexperienced. And he's horrified because his intention wasn't to cause hurt." Steyn said the teacher merely wanted to keep the pupils' attention while teaching remotely during lockdown. The assignment was in April, and Steyn understands that the chocolate bar was awarded. She said the backlash has been "horrendous", with phone calls at 02:00, but she welcomes the discussion. "We are all learning valuable lessons during this time," said Steyn. "I am the first one to acknowledge that I come from white privilege and that we have made mistakes in the past, but we are trying to rectify it as we go along and we are open to discussion," said Steyn. "We want to do the right thing. We are proud of our school and our past learners who have done very well. And I'm willing to answer questions and to have discussions, and to see what we can do to rectify mistakes that we have made in the past." ALSO READ | Children kept out of school won't be deregistered - Motshekga She said she could not reveal the teacher's name, on the advice of the labour lawyer advising the school on the issue. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) said it could not comment on independent schools' content. "The WCED has limited oversight on particular matters, e.g. [SA Council for Educators] compliance of teachers. We cannot comment on behalf of independent schools regarding their classroom activity content." Elijah Mhlanga, spokesperson for the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, did not have any immediate comment, but might comment later. The Independent Examinations Board (IEB) said the school is not registered with it, so it cannot comment. "Parklands College is not an IEB registered school. I suspect the WCED would be in a position to answer this question," said Anne Oberholzer, the CEO of the IEB.

https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/cape-town-school-apologises-after-grade-7s-asked-to-make-slave-auction-poster-as-fun-activity-20200609

Education

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A supporter of Liberian opposition presidential candidate Winston Tubman shows her Tubman’s CDC party tattoo AFP PHOTO What is tattoo? Tattoo, according to Wikipedia, is a form of body modification made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. The word “tattoo’’ reportedly has two major derivations. The first is from the Polynesian word “ta’’, which means striking something and the Tahitian word “tatau’’, which means marking something. The tattoo tradition began over 5,000 years ago and the patterns are as diverse as the people who wear tattoos. Tattoos are created by inserting coloured materials beneath the skins surface. However, there are some reports that the first tattoos were created by accident. “Someone had a small wound and rubbed it with a hand that was soiled with soap and ashes; when the wound healed, it left a permanent mark on the skin,’’ says one of the reports. In spite of the growing interest of social scientists in the study of tattoo traditions, there have been scanty historical records of the age-old practice. All the same, tattoos come in various forms and designs and they have been used as ornaments and religious symbols by humans for thousands of years, with examples found on numerous preserved prehistoric specimens. Its prevalence notwithstanding, experts insist that modern tattoos are not a cheap tradition, as tattoo artists usually charge good fees for their services. “Most tattoo artworks are charged by the hour. This is always the case with large pieces which take multiple sessions to finish or anything that requires freehand,’’ says Mike Paul, a London-based artist. “The hourly rate is, however, determined by factors such as operation costs, artists’ time, type and quality of the design, among other things. “Some shops charge as little as 50 U.S. dollars (about N8, 000) per hour, while other fees may be as much as $250 (about N40, 000),’’ Paul adds. However, Mr Ononiwu George, an Abuja-based artist, says that tattoos are permanent body marks which people choose to wear tattoos for various reasons. “Some people wear tattoo because they want to remember somebody or an event. Others wear it because they want to express themselves artistically. “Such people want to communicate some messages via the artwork on their bodies; particularly those messages which they may not be able to convey in words. “However, some people wear tattoo for rebellious purposes; they just want to be different,’’ he adds. Obi, who is into body arts, including tattoo art, says that tattoos are permanent body arts. “We, however, do temporary body arts, face paintings and glamour arts; we call them celebration arts. “Celebration arts are those kinds of designs you wear during birthdays or fashion shows. Besides, you may just want to take some photographs with the body arts, looking different. “What makes the difference is the duration of the artwork on the body. “Tattoos are more expensive because, they are permanent; the price ranges from N5, 000 to N40, 000, depending on your location,’’ Obi says. Miss Rose Edobor, a trader, says that wearing tattoo has increasingly become fashionable among the youth. “Young people have a liking for tattoo; tattoo may not appeal to you when you are old because by that time, your skin would have become wrinkly and saggy. “So, when I become old, it is not going to make any difference if my skin has been tattooed or not. I just love tattoo because it beautifies my skin,’’ she says. Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Osas Igbinosa, a barber, says that he likes the tattoo on his body because it gives him a sense of self-satisfaction. “I like the tattoo on my body because it has a special meaning to me; anyway, it looks quite good on me. “ I do not care what people think about tattoo, it is my body and I see the tattoo on my body as quite trendy. “The tattoo designs are a mere decoration of my body and I love art; I love to wear art,’’ he says. However, many people seem to have different conceptions or misconceptions about tattoo. For instance, Mr Paul Phipps, an evangelist, insists that God has warned people to refrain from wearing tattoo because tattoo inscriptions are forbidden. “God in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy specifically warned the children of Israel not to tattoo their body because any form of body inscriptions is forbidden. “Tattoos even have some spiritual connotations, as they may be occultist in nature and whoever engraves such marks in his or her body can never enter the kingdom of God. “So, it is not advisable for anyone who is a child of God to put on tattoo because it has to do with body inscriptions. “Body inscriptions, no matter how they are done — whether manually or mechanically — involve blood and they are, therefore, not pleasing in the sight of God. “Tattoos, whether permanent or temporary, are considered as some of things which God detests so much. Expressing similar viewpoints, Alhaji Fuad Adeyemi, the Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyyah Mosque, Abuja, says that tattoos are forbidden in Islam, adding that Islam is an all-encompassing religion that touches all aspects of human endeavour. “In Islam, tattooing is a forbidden area. Prophet Muhammad says the curse of Allah is upon those who those who wear tattoo and those who make tattoo inscriptions. “Based on the teachings of the Hadith, it becomes a prohibited thing for a Muslim to wear tattoo. “The main reason why tattoo is prohibited is that it mutilates the human body and changes the creation of Almighty Allah. “When you try to reconstruct your body, it is, therefore, Haram (proscribed by Islam). It is also a sort of deceit to pretend to be what you are not,’’ Adeyemi adds. The different viewpoints notwithstanding, anthropologists insist that tattoo is an ancient tradition in all cultures which has definitely come to stay. (NANFeatures) By Dorcas Jonah Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/people-wear-tattoo/

Culture

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MOST of us, including those too young to have lived a single day through it, associate the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) of the 1980s with the darkest period in Nigeria’s economic history. The popular narrative generally considers SAP to have both caused the problems and failed to fix them, laying the blame squarely at IBB’s feet. It’s not quite that simple. SAP reforms were introduced in mid-1986 as a precondition for Nigeria’s borrowing from the World Bank/IMF. We didn’t have much choice. So what lessons did we learn/should we have learnt from our economic history in the 1980s? First, The Dynamics Of The Nigerian Economy Pre-SAP Are Very Similar To Those Playing Out Today - Oil prices crashed by 70% to below $10 per barrel between 1980 and 1986, and government revenues fell 75% in the same period. We ran consistent deficits to fund the civil service and sustain government spending, and eventually had to borrow heavily after depleting foreign exchange reserves. - The Naira was clearly overvalued. The official rate was being artificially held at just under 1 Naira to the Dollar, despite the sustained fall in oil prices. The spread between the official and parallel markets widened over time, reaching over 300% by 1985, when 4 Naira traded for 1 Dollar in the parallel market. The divergence was fueled in some part by FX rationing which drove people to the black market. - Successive governments resisted calls to devalue the Naira, fearing inflation. Instead, they implemented austerity measures, including FX rationing and import licensing restrictions. By 1984, inflation had risen to around 40%, from roughly 10% four years earlier. - Non-oil sector growth collapsed. Manufacturers struggled under import restrictions and the overall economy slowed to negative growth. People lost their jobs. We recorded a 2–3% per annum decline in the economy on average between 1980 and 1986, and incomes dropped to roughly $240 per capita from around $870. 1986 was a particularly tough year for us. Most of the falls in oil prices and household incomes happened in that year alone. It was the same year of course that we were required to implement SAP, with the result that people tend to blame SAP for the outcome of a series of actions and events that happened in its run-up. Second, SAP Was Far From An Unqualified Failure The economic policies SAP advocated were more proactive and coherent than any that had come before it. And, at least initially, SAP achieved what it set out to do — that is, to drive growth in sectors outside oil. - Exchange rate policy was at the core of the SAP strategy; the idea was to allow market forces greater influence to do their work. The currency would depreciate towards fair value, import demand would restrain itself as a consequence, domestic production and non-oil exports demand would be stimulated as Nigerian goods would price more competitively at home and abroad, and black market activity would fall with the rate spread in the parallel market. - Other priorities were tariff/export policy reform, privatisation of state-owned enterprises and a general reduction in the running costs of government. - Inflation risk was real and acknowledged, but not unmanageable. The government needed to maintain tight monetary and fiscal policy in order to keep it reigned in. - In the first two years, the results of SAP were a return to positive economic growth, a resurgence of agriculture, higher exports and lower import demand. GDP growth averaged 5% per annum between 1986 and 1992 and agricultural output grew by 4% a year. The textile and agro-processing industries did particularly well. For example, within one year of SAP, the production of Nigerian cotton textiles increased by more than 3x, and synthetic fabric production by more than 6x. 5.But growth was skewed towards the farmers and rural classes. Middle class Nigerians and civil servants felt a significant drop in their living standards, driven by slower wage growth and reduced government spending on social infrastructure, as it tried to maintain the required tight fiscal policy stance to keep inflation in check. - Between 1986 and 1992, the Naira depreciated roughly 80% against the Dollar in real terms. Most of this depreciation happened at the first SFEM (Second Tier Foreign Exchange Market) window in September 1986. Despite a 70% devaluation that year, inflation increased by a relatively modest 10 percentage points. Third, SAP’s Biggest Issues Were Political, Not Economic - SAP turned the economy around, but not quickly enough for Nigerians to overlook the corruption of IBB’s government. With just 5% aggregate growth and 3% population growth, per capita incomes were rising only 2% a year, and would have taken roughly 30 years to recover to peak levels seen in 1980, just 6 years earlier. - IBB did not have the people’s support. The perception was that belt-tightening was being unfairly meted out to the non-political classes, while IBB and his cronies enriched themselves at the cost of public infrastructure. The typically more vocal middle classes were particularly unhappy and the first protests were led by students in 1989. - Implementation eventually began to suffer as IBB’s government tried to hold on. They loosened the reigns on fiscal and monetary policy in a bid to turn the political tide. Flip-flopping monetary policies and extra-budgetary spending became the norm, and inflation was predictably erratic. Between 1987 and 1988, accelerated government spending drove inflation from 16% to 55% and by 1990, inflation fell drastically again to below 7%. It was back up to around 50% by the end of 1992. We cannot afford to simply relegate the past to the distant memory, or to allow incomplete or inaccurate narratives about its events to sustain. SAP was not a catalyst for the decline in Nigeria’s economy. That’s a myth. We were at the verge of a crisis when SAP was introduced. The issues started six years before SAP, with oil prices as a catalyst. Successively poor economic management (including resistance to the economic logic of devaluation) exacerbated the challenges SAP was intended to address. Two of those decline years were spent under President Buhari’s government and 1983/4’s tightening of austerity measures, which included further FX rationing, were his government’s actions. These measures contributed to the collapse of the manufacturing sector, and similar actions are being repeated 30 years later. SAP itself had its successes and its failures, no doubt. But its failures cannot be categorically attributed to the policies themselves. The greater culprits were the IBB government’s failure of leadership and the resulting weak implementation. Where Does That Leave Us In 2016? A major personal challenge President Buhari will face is resisting the urge to repeat his actions of the 1980s, in view of similar economic conditions in 2016; to do things differently would be to admit past mistakes. But, he owes it to this generation of Nigerians, we who have taken an extraordinary leap of faith in a former military dictator, to take empirical approaches, listen to experts and let go of the emotional. The task of economic diversification will be long and probably painful, but ironically, the early wins of ‘IBB’s SAP’ prove that it is imminently achievable, if wealth creation could be spread faster and more evenly this time. Its failures also tell us that political support and policy consistency will be critical if President Buhari’s leadership will succeed. Murdering the Naira Devaluation is equivocally not equivalent to “murdering the Naira”. My colleagues and I would be very happy to “convince” Mr. President of this in any forum he chooses. Inflation risk is not unmanageable if our monetary and fiscal agencies rise to the challenge of actively engaging the same policy instruments used successfully by many governments across the world. But, the real task is in driving a sufficient level of growth, not holding inflation at bay. Like it did in the 1980s, the fear of inflation must not be allowed to drive Mr. President to shun legitimate strategies for growth, particularly if he is to create those 3 million jobs a year. The first step on the path to growth is devaluation. But in the context of a holistic strategy for economic reform and management, including coherent and consistent fiscal, monetary and trade policies to stimulate investment by the private sector. The private sector needs to be given the means and confidence to fly. “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein (allegedly). * Eloho Omame is a finance professional with fifteen years’ experience across the fields of investment banking and private equity. She holds a BSc. (Hons) in Economics from the London School of Economics and an MBA from the London Business School. Eloho writes at medium.com/@Eloho and tweets as @ElohoOmame. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/03/theres-a-lot-more-to-learn-from-ibbs-sap-than-meets-the-eye/

Politics

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An organisation, Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP-Nigeria), has urged Nigerians to take deliberate actions to reduce the impact of cancer on individuals and communities. The organisation made this call in a statement made available through email on Saturday by its Executive Secretary, Dr Abia Nzelu. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the statement was to commemorate the Feb. 4, 2016 World Cancer Day tagged “We Can, I Can’’. The statement said that the World Cancer Day was an opportunity for nations to collectively examine cancer control strategies and identify winning formulas that would accelerate progress. “The goal for all of us is to ensure that fewer people develop cancer, more people are successfully treated and that there is a better quality of life for people during treatment and beyond. “World Cancer Day 2016 to 2018 explores how everyone collectively or individually can do their part to reduce the global burden of cancer in the world. “Just as cancer affects everyone in different ways, all people have the power to take various actions to reduce the impact that cancer has on individuals, families and communities,’’ it said. According to the statement, this year’s World Cancer Day is a chance to reflect on what actions one can take to make a difference in the fight against cancer. “There is the need for us to examine the current cancer situation both globally and in our nation, Nigeria; and to determine how we can all take action,’’ the statement said. It said that, World Health Organisation (WHO) data shows that about 70 per cent of cancer deaths occurred in developing nations like Nigeria. It said that while over 100,000 Nigerians are diagnosed with cancer annually, about 80,000 of such persons die, giving a dismal survival rate of one to five. According to WHO, Nigeria has had a significant increase in the incidence of deaths from the common cancers within four years. “Cancer kills about thrice the number of people who die of tuberculosis, HIV and malaria combined,’’ it said. The statement said that to address the problem of cancer, CECP has adopted the Big War against Cancer as its current focal cause. “The BIG WAR against cancer is designed to establish the infrastructure for efficient and effective cancer prevention and treatment in Nigeria. “The short-term goal of the BIG WAR is to acquire and deploy 37 Mobile Cancer Centres, one for each state and FCT Abuja. “A single Mobile Cancer Centres in a state of Nigeria could make a huge positive difference in the fight against cancer,’’ it said. It said that a Mobile Cancer Centre was a clinic on wheels with state of the art facilities for screening, follow-up and treatment including surgeries for pre-cancer and early cancer cases. It urged all Nigerians to give their treasure and talent to help in the war against cancer. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/world-cancer-day-group-calls-for-deliberate-action-to-reduce-burden/

Health

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For Tom Kiefer, they were symbols of humanity. Half-used bars of soap. Bibles with pages earmarked and worn from prayer. Wallets with credit cards and driver’s licenses. And lots of unopened cans of tuna. For more than a decade, Mr. Kiefer worked as a janitor at the Customs and Border Protection center in Why, Ariz., before leaving in 2014. There, he collected tens of thousands of items that were confiscated and thrown in the trash by Border Patrol agents from undocumented migrants crossing the border from Mexico into the United States. He began photographing the items in 2007. “I couldn’t leave them,” he said. The result was “El Sueño Americano” (The American Dream), a series of 600 photographs that has been exhibited at museums and galleries and has drawn considerable media attention. In October, more than 100 of those photographs will go on view at Michigan’s Saugatuck Center for the Arts. Mr. Kiefer began working with Customs and Border Protection in 2003, during the George W. Bush administration, and left late in Barack Obama's second term. When migrants are apprehended, Daniel Hernandez, a Border Patrol spokesman, said agents confiscate items migrants carry with them, much like when a person is admitted to jail. Even as the immigration debate has reignited under President Trump, Mr. Hernandez said that little has changed with regard to what undocumented migrants are allowed to keep when stopped by agents.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/07/02/arts/immigrant-belongings-border-photos.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=curLalasticlalaDominique

Travel

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ONE week from today, the United Nations estimates, the world’s population will reach seven billion. Because censuses are infrequent and incomplete, no one knows the precise date — the Census Bureau puts it somewhere next March — but there can be no doubt that humanity is approaching a milestone. The first billion people accumulated over a leisurely interval, from the origins of humans hundreds of thousands of years ago to the early 1800s. Adding the second took another 120 or so years. Then, in the last 50 years, humanity more than doubled, surging from three billion in 1959 to four billion in 1974, five billion in 1987 and six billion in 1998. This rate of population increase has no historical precedent. Can the earth support seven billion now, and the three billion people who are expected to be added by the end of this century? Are the enormous increases in households, cities, material consumption and waste compatible with dignity, health, environmental quality and freedom from poverty? For some in the West, the greatest challenge — because it is the least visible — is to shake off, at last, the view that large and growing numbers of people represent power and prosperity. This view was fostered over millenniums, by the pronatalism of the Hebrew Bible, the Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church and Arab thinkers like Ibn Khaldun. Mercantilists of the 16th through the 18th centuries saw a growing population as increasing national wealth: more workers, more consumers, more soldiers. Enlarging the workforce depressed wages, increasing the economic surplus available to the king. “The number of the people makes the wealth of states,” said Frederick the Great. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, pronatalism acquired a specious scientific aura from social Darwinism and eugenics. Even today, some economists argue, incorrectly, that population growth is required for economic growth and that Africa is underpopulated. This view made some sense for societies subject to catastrophic mortality from famines, plagues and wars. But it has outlived its usefulness now that human consumption, and pollution, loom large across the earth. Today, while many people reject the equation of human numbers with power, it remains unpalatable, if not suicidal, for political leaders to admit that the United States and Europe do not need growing populations to prosper and be influential and that rich countries should reduce their rates of unintended pregnancy and help poor countries do likewise. With the globalization of work, the incentive for owners of capital today to ignore or not address rapid growth in the numbers of poor people remains as it was for the kings of yore: lower wages for workers at any level of skill offer a bigger economic surplus to be captured. But just as pronatalism is unjustified, so are the dire — and discredited — prophecies of Thomas Malthus and his followers, who believed that soaring populations must lead to mass starvation. In fact, the world is physically capable of feeding, sheltering and enriching many more people in the short term. Between 1820, at the dawn of the industrial age, and 2008, when the world economy entered recession, economic output per person increased elevenfold. Life expectancy tripled in the last few thousand years, to a global average of nearly 70 years. The average number of children per woman fell worldwide to about 2.5 now from 5 in 1950. The world’s population is growing at 1.1 percent per year, half the peak rate in the 1960s. The slowing growth rate enables families and societies to focus on the well-being of their children rather than the quantity. Nearly two-thirds of women under 50 who are married or in a union use some form of contraception, which saves the lives of mothers who would otherwise die in childbirth and avoids millions of abortions each year — an achievement that people who oppose and people who support the availability of legal abortions can both celebrate. But there is plenty of bad news, too. Nearly half the world lives on $2 a day, or less. In China, the figure is 36 percent; in India, 76 percent. More than 800 million people live in slums. A similar number, mostly women, are illiterate. Some 850 million to 925 million people experience food insecurity or chronic undernourishment. In much of Africa and South Asia, more than half the children are stunted (of low height for their age) as a result of chronic hunger. While the world produced 2.3 billion metric tons of cereal grains in 2009-10 — enough calories to sustain 9 to 11 billion people — only 46 percent of the grain went into human mouths. Domestic animals got 34 percent of the crop, and 19 percent went to industrial uses like biofuels, starches and plastics. Of the 208 million pregnancies in 2008, about 86 million were unintended, and they resulted in 33 million unplanned births. And unintended births are not the whole problem. Contraceptives have been free since 2002 in Niger, where the total fertility rate — more than seven children per woman in mid-2010 — was the world’s highest. Women in Niger marry at a median age of 15.5, and married women and men reported in 2006 that they wanted an average of 8.8 and 12.6 children, respectively. Human demands on the earth have grown enormously, though the atmosphere, the oceans and the continents are no bigger now than they were when humans evolved. Already, more than a billion people live without an adequate, renewable supply of fresh water. About two-thirds of fresh water is used for agriculture. Over the coming half century, as incomes rise, people will try to buy agricultural products that require more water. Cities and industries will demand more than three times as much water in developing countries. Watershed managers will increasingly want to limit water diversion from rivers to maintain flood plains, permit fish to migrate, recycle organic matter and maintain water quality. Water shortages are projected to be significant in northern Africa, India, China, parts of Europe, eastern Australia, the western United States and elsewhere. Climate changes will increase the water available for agriculture in North America and Asia but decrease it in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Similar stories could be told about land, overfishing and carbon and nitrogen emissions to the atmosphere. Where is this taking us? The coming half century will see huge shifts in the geopolitical balance of numbers, further declines in the number of children per woman, smaller but more numerous households, an increasingly elderly population, and growing and more numerous cities. The United Nations Population Division anticipates 8 billion people by 2025, 9 billion by 2043 and 10 billion by 2083. India will have more people than China shortly after 2020, and sub-Saharan Africa will have more people than India before 2040. In 1950, there were nearly three times as many Europeans as sub-Saharan Africans. By 2010, there were 16 percent more sub-Saharan Africans than Europeans. By 2100, according to the Population Division, there will be nearly five sub-Saharan Africans for every European. In some ways, the growth in the numbers of people matters less than the growth in the numbers of households. If each household has its own refrigerator, air-conditioner, TV and car, the average energy demand for a given number of people goes up as the average number of people in a household goes down. The urban population of developing countries is expected to grow by a million people every five days through at least 2030, while the rural population falls. Many cities will eat into prime agricultural land unless they grow in density, not extent. And nearly half of urban population growth by 2015 will occur in cities of fewer than half a million people. The coming revolution in aging is well under way in the more developed countries. It will go global in the next half century. In 1950, for each person 65 and older, there were more than six children under 15. By 2070, elderly people will outnumber children under 15, and there will be only three people of working age (15 to 64) for every two people under 15 or 65 and older. Pressures to extend the “working age” beyond 65 will grow more intense. Is economic development the best contraception? Or is voluntary contraception the best form of development? Does the world need a bigger pie (more productive technologies) or fewer forks (slower population growth through voluntary contraception) or better manners (fewer inequities, less violence and corruption, freer trade and mobility, more rule of law, less material-intensive consumption)? Or is education of better quality and greater availability a key ingredient of all other strategies? All these approaches have value. However much we would like one, there is no panacea, though some priorities are clear: voluntary contraception and support services, universal primary and secondary education, and food for pregnant and lactating mothers and children under 5. These priorities are mutually reinforcing, and they are affordable. Providing modern family planning methods to all people with unmet needs would cost about $6.7 billion a year, slightly less than the $6.9 billion Americans are expected to spend for Halloween this year. By one estimate, achieving universal primary and secondary education by 2015 would cost anywhere from $35 billion to $70 billion in additional spending per year. IF we spend our wealth — our material, environmental, human and financial capital — faster than we increase it by savings and investment, we will shift the costs of the prosperity that some enjoy today onto future generations. The mismatch between the short-term incentives that guide our political and economic institutions and even our families, on one hand, and our long-term aspirations, on the other, is severe. We must increase the probability that every child born will be wanted and well cared for and have decent prospects for a good life. We must conserve more, and more wisely use, the energy, water, land, materials and biological diversity with which we are blessed. Henceforth we need to measure our growth in prosperity: not by the sheer number of people who inhabit the earth, and not by flawed measurements like G.D.P., but by how well we satisfy basic human needs; by how well we foster dignity, creativity, community and cooperation; by how well we care for our biological and physical environment, our only home.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/opinion/seven-billion.html

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A sign warning of the dangers of ebola outside a government hospital in Freetown on August 13, 2014. The World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that the latest death toll from the Ebola virus in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria had claimed more than1000 lives. Health Organisations are looking into the possible use of experimental drugs to combat the latest outbreak in West Africa which is also the largest ebola outbreak in history. AFP PHOTO Liberia’s armed forces have reportedly been given orders to shoot people trying to illegally cross the border from neighbouring Sierra Leone, which was closed to stem the spread of ebola. Soldiers stationed in Bomi and Grand Cape Mount counties, which border Sierra Leone, were to “shoot on sight” any person trying to cross the border, said deputy chief of staff, Colonel Eric Dennis. The order came after border officials reported that people have continued to cross the porous border illegally. Previously, Grand Cape Mount county had 35 known “illegal entry points,” according to immigration commander Colonel Samuel Mulbah. Illegal crossings were a major health threat, said Mulbah, “because we don’t know the health status of those who cross at night.” Like war: The Ebola crisis Liberia closed its borders with Sierra Leone weeks ago in an attempt to contain the ebola outbreak, which has killed more than 1100 people in West Africa so far. Meanwhile, Liberian officials are continuing to search for 17 ebola patients who fled an attack on a quarantine centre in Monrovia, raising fears they could spread the deadly disease. “We have not yet found them,” Information Minister Lewis Brown said, yesterday, adding that those who looted the place took away mattresses and bedding that were soaked with fluids from the patients.” On Saturday, youths wielding clubs and knives raided the medical facility set up in a high school in the densely-populated West Point, some shouting “there’s no ebola”, echoing wild rumours that the epidemic has been made up by the West to oppress Africans. Authorities are now considering sealing off the area, home to around 75,000 people, although some reports suggest the infected patients may have already fled West Point. WHO urges detention of suspect patients Meantime, the World Health Organization, WHO, yesterday, urged the authorities in countries affected by the ebola outbreak to screen people departing international airports, seaports and major border crossings and stop those with symptoms of the virus from leaving. “Affected countries are requested to conduct exit screening of all persons at international airports, seaports and major land crossings, for unexplained febrile illness consistent with potential Ebola infection. Any person with an illness consistent with Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, should not be allowed to travel unless the travel is part of an appropriate medical evacuation,” the UN health agency said. Our meat has no Ebola – Oyo State Bushmeat Sellers Association On the flip side, scores of bush meat sellers, yesterday, marched peacefully to Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s office at the Oyo State Secretariat, Ibadan, complaining of low patronage due to the outbreak of ebola disease. The women under the aegis of Bushmeat Sellers Association lamented that since the announcement that the deadly disease could be caused by eating bush meat, their sales had suffered a lull. Speaking on behalf of the association, Alhaja Risikat Odeyemi, Iyalode, Bushmeat Association, Oyo, said that it was strange that bush meat which had hitherto been taken as a special delicacy should now be seen as a poison. Her words: “Our meats do not have any Ebola virus. We don’t know why people should just be peddling rumour that would be injurious to other people. This is not good at all. They have spoilt our business without any good reason. What we heard is that the disease was contacted through the river. Why should they be so unfair?” They said before the announcement, a grass cutter was being sold between N2,000 and N4,000 and the same thing goes for antelope and other animals. But, now they regretted that there are no sales again. “We normally stand by the roadside to invite prospective buyers. But, now when we call them to buy bush meats they always reply us saying, “Ebola”. It is the same meat we have been eating and nothing has happened to us”, Odeyemi said. Their visit to the governor’s office, she added, was to appeal to him to help dispel the rumour that bush meat causes Ebola. At the time our correspondent left the governor’s office, the governor was yet to attend to them. Many of the bush meat sellers sat clumsily at the entrance of the gate because the security men at the gate did not allow them to move closer to the governor’s office. US to deploy 100 medical personnel to West Africa The United States Government has announced the deployment of 100 medical personnel to help in the fight against the Ebola Virus outbreak in some parts of West Africa. U.S. Ambassador to the African Union, AU, Mr Reuben Brigety stated this in Addis Ababa at an information-sharing session on Ebola at the AU Permanent Representatives Committee, PRC. Brigety said the U.S will deploy 25 medical doctors and 75 nurses to the four countries affected by the virus, including Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria. He, however, said the deployment to the ebola-affected countries was subject to AU approval, as the U.S government was ready to assist. The envoy advised African countries to also send doctors and medical personnel to provide the services needed to tackle the disease in the affected countries. At the session, Japan announced that it had donated $1.5 million dollars to the World Health Organization fund toward fighting the virus. Why we rejected Nanosilver —Chukwu In Abuja, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, explained, yesterday, that the Ebola drug, Nanosilver was rejected for failing to meet required standards. Chukwu who spoke while receiving the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, in audience, said the drug did not meet basic research requirements of the National Health Research Ethics Code. In his remarks, the ambassador disclosed that the U.S experimental drug on ebola was not sufficient to be given to Nigeria and, therefore, urged the nation to focus on isolation, screening and prevention, adding, “You have all seen the headlines over the weekend, this is an issue that we have to keep working hard on, it may be with us for a while but there are some encouraging sign. “Your government is doing a good job on contact tracing, I noticed when I flew back here on Thursday night into the country, and before I left the plane I filled the questionnaire. I was very impressed because I had to put in my seat number which is a very good idea, so that if you have to trace the guy who was seating next to me you will know where I am. I have been very impressed by this thing so I encourage the government of Nigeria to keep at it, which I know they will.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/liberia-issues-shoot-sight-order-sierra-leonean-immigrants/

Health

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Brittany is a licensed attorney who specializes in criminal law, legal writing, and appellate practice and procedure. Did you know that the state and federal government can take your stuff without charging you with a crime? Through a legal process called civil forfeiture, the government can seize your personal property if they suspect that the property has been involved in a crime or if the private property represents proceeds of a crime. This means that police officers or law enforcement agents from other government agencies (like the FBI or the DEA) can take your money, your personal possessions, and even your house without ever charging you with a crime. Proponents of the practice of civil forfeiture argue that taking the 'tools of the trade' out of the criminals' hands enhances public safety by disrupting dangerous criminal operations, like drug trafficking rings. For example, the police suspect that Tony Trafficker uses his speedboat in a drug trafficking operation. They also know that Tony keeps a large amount of cash on hand so that he can pay his suppliers. The police know that if they simply arrest Tony, Tony's confederates will continue to operate the drug trafficking business without him. Thanks to civil forfeiture laws, the officers can seize Tony's speedboat and cash with the hopes that the drug ring can no longer operate without those key assets. The practice is very controversial, and the laws tend to work against the property owner. Let's discuss the history of civil forfeiture laws and how the practice works today. The practice of civil forfeiture actually started a very long time ago. In the mid-1600s, a set of laws known as the British Navigation Acts permitted the seizure of any ship that refused to sail under the British flag. Later, during the colonial period, Congress based certain laws on the Navigation Acts to help in tax collection. While these early colonial practices helped the government generate revenue, they also angered the colonists. Civil forfeiture laws were used in the 1920s during the Prohibition era when alcohol sales and production were illegal in the United States. Anyone found buying or selling alcohol would be subject to the seizure of the product and their cash. The practice of civil forfeiture made a booming comeback in the 1980s. It was during this decade that the illegal drug trade become a big problem for law enforcement agencies, and lawmakers were eager to find a solution. The Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984 overhauled the federal criminal code, allowing federal and state agencies to share the proceeds of seized assets. This means that when the local police department seizes Tony's speedboat, the federal government assumes ownership of the boat and, in turn, shares the value of it with the local police. This process is administered through the Department of Justice's Equitable Sharing Program. The legal procedure behind civil forfeiture is different from the typical criminal case. Criminal cases are prosecuted in personam, which means 'against a person' in Latin. That's why criminal cases are styled: 'The People v. Tony Trafficker' or 'The United States v. Tony Trafficker.' On the other hand, civil forfeiture requires what is called an in rem action. In rem means 'against property,' so a civil forfeiture action will look like this: 'The United States v. Speedboat.' So, how can Tony Trafficker get his beloved speedboat back? In a criminal action, the burden of proof-- that is, the responsibility to prove guilt-- lies with the government. If property is seized through civil forfeiture, it is the owner's responsibility to prove that the property was not involved in any criminal activity. Therefore, if Tony wants his speedboat back, he has to prove that it wasn't used to traffic drugs. In most states, the owner has to make his or her case by a preponderance of the evidence, which generally means 'more likely than not.' Civil forfeiture in the modern era is intended to achieve three general goals: disrupt criminal operations, deter future criminal conduct, and raise money for law enforcement agencies. In the years since the 2008 financial collapse, cash-strapped agencies have employed civil forfeiture as a means of generating significant revenue. Because the drug trade is a primary target of civil forfeiture operations, traffic stops are a frequent method used by officers to seize assets, like cash. Roadways in border states, such as Texas and New Mexico, are popular seizure spots. In 2005, a motorist was stopped in Texas, 90 miles from the Mexico border, by a local sheriff's deputy. The motorist was given a document to sign and told that if he didn't agree to handing over all of his cash, he would be charged with money laundering. The deputies seized roughly $10,000 in cash. The motorist sued the country, and won-- he was awarded his approximate $10,000 plus an additional $110,000 in damages as well as attorney fees. Civil forfeiture is also a tool of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS seized over $100,000 from a convenient store owner in North Carolina on the suspicion of tax evasion. The store owner fought the forfeiture, and the case was eventually dismissed. In 2014, the Washington Post uncovered remarkable examples of abuse of federal asset forfeiture programs. Reporters searched through thousands of reports submitted by state and local law enforcement agencies to the Justice Department's Equitable Sharing Program and found $2.5 billion in annual spending of 'forfeiture dollars.' Approximately eighty percent of the cash from the asset proceeds were from cases where no criminal charge was ever filed. As part of the Justice Department's Equitable Sharing Program, proceeds were to be used for law enforcement purposes or operations only. However, the article detailed how police departments tended to spend their forfeiture cash, and the reports uncovered that many departments purchased high-tech gear or military vehicles. More unconventional examples of spending were also found, such as the hiring of a clown to improve 'community relations' and the purchase of a $600 coffee maker. In early 2015, the Department of Justice announced that it would no longer permit cash and property seizures under the Equitable Sharing Program. The decision carved out some exceptions for public safety-- for example, law enforcement agencies may still seize illegal firearms, ammunition, explosives, and property associated with child pornography. Law enforcement agencies may continue to seize cash and property under state laws, but they no longer have the option of sharing forfeiture proceeds with the federal government. Civil forfeiture is a procedure used by the federal and state governments to seize assets without filing a criminal charge. The process is intended to disrupt complex criminal operations, like drug trafficking rings. Civil forfeiture procedures originated in 1600s British Navigation laws and experienced a rebirth in the 1980s. Since then, civil forfeiture procedures have been abused in many cases in which law enforcement agencies have used the assets seized for unwarranted or unnecessary purchases. Register to view this lesson Unlock Your Education See for yourself why 30 million people use Study.com Become a Study.com member and start learning now. Become a MemberAlready a member? Log In Resources created by teachers for teachers I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.

https://study.com/academy/lesson/civil-forfeiture-definition-laws-abuse.html

Politics

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People often dismiss the Bible out of hand by saying that it is full of contradictions. I typically reply with, “Really. Do you know of any? Could you quote me one or two?” Usually, they come up short. What they think is a contradiction is not really a contradiction. Let me illustrate. Let’s say that you and I are across the street at an intersection. A black and a white car have a fender bender inside the intersection. We both saw what happened. The police interview us as witnesses. You tell the police that three people got out of the white car. I tell the police that two people got out of the white car. Is that a contradiction? No, it is not. It is not a contradiction because your statement and my statements are not mutually exclusive. If there were three people in the white car then there are also at least two people in the white car. However, if I were to say that only two people got out of the white car, then it could not also be that three people got out of the white car. Because “only two” means it is restricted to two, no more. That would be a contradiction. Does that make sense? Not having an exactly identical statement about an event from two different people does not mean there’s a contradiction. It simply means that there is a different perspective. Sometimes in the Bible, people will leave a comment out, insert a comment, review things from a perspective different from others. This is not a contradiction it simply a difference in perspective. Logically speaking, few people understand what a contradiction is and so they impose them on the Bible when it doesn’t exist. So let’s say that someone cites what he believes to be a contradiction in the Bible. The first thing is you look at the context of both statements. If you cannot come up with a competent answer, simply tell the person that you will research it and get back to him. And, make sure you do. There are areas of Scripture that are difficult to understand, but this does not mean that the Bible is “full of contradictions” and certainly doesn’t mean that the Bible is untrustworthy. A very good book to have is the Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties by Gleason Archer, Zondervan Publishing House, (Grand Rapids, Michigan). Also, CARM has a section on Bible Difficulties

https://carm.org/answers-for-seekers/the-bible-is-full-of-contradictions/

Religion

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File: Children affected by poverty European states warned the United Nations that more than 800,000 people are cut off from aid and may be starving in northeast Nigeria, contradicting government assertions that a crisis has abated and rebuking the world body for failing to secure access. Nigeria’s government has said this year that an emergency in the northeast caused by a decade-long conflict with Islamist fighters was easing, and efforts should shift from humanitarian relief to longer term development aid. But in a letter to directors of emergency programmes at U.N. and other aid agencies, the EU, Britain, France and Germany said the United Nations was failing to press home the urgency of a disaster which had put children at risk of starvation. “We are very concerned about urgent and unmet humanitarian and protection needs in North-East Nigeria,” they wrote. The U.N. mission in Nigeria must push the government to allow “the rapid, unimpeded and unfettered humanitarian access to people in need of life-saving assistance.” The letter said 823,000 people were in areas inaccessible to aid in Nigeria’s Borno state, the area worst affected by the decade-long insurgency by the Boko Haram Islamist group and its offshoot, Islamic State in West Africa. Children who have left the area over the past 11 months had shown critical levels of malnutrition, said the letter, reviewed by Reuters. The European countries, all major donors to the relief effort, called for “stronger, strategic and consistent advocacy with the Government of Nigeria to uphold their responsibility to protect and assist their citizens.” The letter was sent to directors of emergency programmes through a body called the U.N. Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC). The IASC referred queries about the letter to the U.N. office in Nigeria. A spokeswoman there said on Monday she was preparing a response, but she had not provided one by Tuesday evening. Representatives of the Nigerian presidency did not respond to a request for comment. Nigeria’s call for a change in emphasis in the northeast away from emergency aid and towards long-term development assistance fits a narrative long expressed by President Muhammadu Buhari that the conflict is waning. Buhari won election in 2015 on a vow to defeat Boko Haram and restore stability and security to the northeast, and is now seeking a second-term campaigning on his government’s success in achieving it. As part of that effort to portray the northeast as safer, thousands of people have been ordered back to dangerous areas that aid agencies say are inaccessible, and where the condition of hundreds of thousands of people is unknown. A person familiar with the drafting of the letter said the countries that signed it were trying to express “a lack of confidence in U.N. leadership in Nigeria.” “People are nearing starvation and there is little help for those being returned to inaccessible areas. And the humanitarian situation is escalating not getting better.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/09/nigerians-at-risk-of-starvation-european-states-say/

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Excess Crude Account…and the controversy lingers It was created to save funds for the rainy day. But, the Excess Crude Account (ECA) has been a conduit pipe to siphon cash by ECA’s managers, writes Assistant Editor Nduka Chiejina. Those who created the Excess Crude Account (ECA) in 2004 meant well. It was opened during the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo presidency to save oil revenues above the established benchmark at the beginning of every fiscal year. The primary objective is to shield budget estimates against shortfalls that may arise from volatility in crude oil prices at the international market. By separating government expenditures from oil revenues, the ECA was designed “to insulate the economy from external shocks”, a modern threat known to many countries in the 30s and 40s. In four years after its creation, savings in the ECA had risen almost four-fold. It rose from $5.1 billion in 2005 to more than $20 billion in November 2008. The surging crude oil prices accounted for the rise. The savings at the ECA as at 2008, accounted for one-third of the country’s external reserves. But, by June 2010, the account had been depleted to below $4 billion due to budget deficits at all levels of government and the steep drop in oil prices. Before the turn of 2010, the National Economic Council (NEC), comprising of state governors, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, and headed by the vice president, had approved the creation of the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) Account. The long-term plan was to erase the ECA and strengthen the SWF Account, which was established principally to create wealth for the common good. At the expiration of the Chief Obasanjo administration on May 29, 2007, the country’s gross reserves stood at $43.13 billion, comprising the CBN’s external reserves of $31.5 billion, $9.43 billion of which was in the ECA and $2.18 billion in the Federal Government’s savings. These figures were contained in the CBN records. Not a few Nigerians believe that the country’s reserves should remain unchanged, or maintain a steady increase. But, since May 2007, the reality is that the reserves have fluctuated in reaction to developments in the international oil market, rising from $43.13 billion at that time and peaking at $62 billion in September 2008, during the Yar’Adua/Jonathan administration when a barrel of oil peaked at $147 before it subsequently fell to an all time low of $31.7 billion in September 2011. The fall in reserves was due to the volatilities of the global economy and oil market which caused the CBN to intervene, using some of the reserves to defend the naira value. The ECA savings, a component of the reserves, was used to cushion the economy at the height of the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. It is on record that Nigeria was one of the few countries that did not seek assistance from international financial institutions for the period the global financial meltdown lasted. The NEC approved the withdrawal of funds from the ECA as fiscal stimulus to shore up the economy by the three-tiers of government. Besides, the savings in the ECA were also used to pay for fuel subsidies for the nation and the sharing continued after the crisis. Following allegations of mismanagement of funds in the account, any money drawn from the ECA has been published since 2012. Some governors, who felt the ECA was unknown to the constitution kicked against the continuous building up of the ECA when Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was in the saddle.They were always pushing that monies be shared from the account to the three tiers of government. It got to a point that the 36 states’ governors dragged the Federal Government to court on the matter. The case has not been decided by the Supreme Court till date. The Federal Government and the state governors reached a consensus in 2009 to withdraw about $5.5 billion from the ECA. The withdrawal was invested in Independent Power Projects with the states as shareholders. They (state governments) have share certificates as proofs of their stake in the projects. The reserves are also used to settle both public and private sector foreign currency obligations, including the importation of goods and equipment for the power sector. In January last year, the erstwhile Financial Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the economy was under threat. She expressed concern over the continuous depletion of savings in the ECA. The minister, who spoke on the sideline of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, warned that the depletion of the ECA to about $2.5 billion had made the country more vulnerable than it was in the past, thereby putting the economy at great risk. As a cushion against the depletion, she said: “We have tried to set the country’s main parameters in a very modest way. We have made our budget at a very reasonable benchmark price for oil. This is to shield us and to ensure we are not subjected to any volatility that may be in the oil markets.” The ECA was depleted from $8.65 billion at the end of 2012 to $2.5 billion, while external reserves dropped 11 per cent from the previous year’s peak of $48.85 billion. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the CBN, had after its bi-monthly meeting, expressed concerns over the depletion of the ECA, saying that “the absence of such fiscal buffers increases our reliance on portfolio flows thus, constituting the principal risk to exchange rate stability, especially with uncertainties around capital flows and oil prices.” Also, the former CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, decried the continuous fall in oil revenue despite stable price and production in 2013. He added that although the MPC acknowledged output losses due to theft and vandalism, that could not wholly explain the magnitude of the shortfall in revenue. Sanusi said: “As a consequence, accretion to external reserves remained low while much of the previous savings have been depleted, thereby undermining the ability of the apex bank to sustain exchange rate stability.” The CBN, therefore, urged the fiscal authorities to block revenue leakages and rebuild fiscal savings needed to sustain confidence and preserve the value of the naira. In December 2014, the Federal Government withdrew $1 billion from the ECA to cushion the effect of the cash crunch occasioned by the acute shortage of funds due to declining global oil prices. The ECA, which previously had $4.1 billion, was drawn down to $3.1 billion. Most politicised account Prof Tam David-West, a former petroleum minister, told a Lagos-based national newspaper in a May 2013 that “they (stakeholders) have been talking about ECA, but there is nothing like ECA. What we have is extra crude account. “There is a difference between excess and extra. When you talk about excess crude account, that means you have done everything and there is still more money. If you based your budget on $40 for example, and if later on, oil price went up to $50 per barrel, the $10 difference is not excess. It is extra. There is nothing called excess crude account. “It’s a lie. It is intellectually fraudulent. And they would say our foreign reserves have gone to several billions, I’m not impressed. What do we want to do with that? Have you taken care of the country? It’s like somebody saying he has N10 million in his bank account and that person is not able to feed himself and his children.” $5 billion missing In November 2013, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi alleged that $5 billion had disappeared from the ECA. He demanded for explanations from relevant government agencies. He spoke in his capacity as the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) at a retreat organised by the governors’ umbrella body in Sokoto. Amaechi urged Nigerians to rise up and ask questions on how the nation’s resources were being managed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). According to him, such explanation would prevent the Federal Government from shortchanging the other tiers in the sharing of national resources. Amaechi said it was shocking to discover that the ECA, which had a balance of $9 billion in January of that year, had inexplicably dwindled to $4 billion without explanation by the Federal Government. Hec said: “The ECA in January was N9 billion. That account belongs to the federal, states and local governments. Today, it is N4 billion. We don’t know who took the N5 billion. Nigerians need to ask where the money has gone and why their money is being used as private funds.” Amaechi also condemned the finance minister’s refusal to sign a loan agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to free $200 million for the provision of water in Rivers State because of the alleged disagreement between him and the the former president. Also at the same event, the breakaway faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, challenged the Federal Government to account for the $5 billion, which allegedly disappeared from the ECA. The National Publicity Secretary of the Baraje faction, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, said in a statement that they “consider the development too weighty to be swept under the carpet in view of the stature of the person making the allegation and the realities on ground. For all intents and purposes, Governor Amaechi is not a frivolous person and he is not known for making frivolous claims.” Reacting to the controversial $5 billion purportedly missing from the ECA, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said: “the $5 billion which Governor Amaechi referred to in his statement had been shared to the three tiers of government to make up for the revenue shortfalls during the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting. “Part of this fund also went for the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) payments and the balance for subsidy payments to oil marketers.” $1 billion missing At the budget breakdown on December 18, 2014, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, said no money was missing from the ECA as reported in some national dailies. According to her, “$1 billion from the ECA has been used to pay oil marketers and we published this on December 2, showing that we put N154.6 billion to pay oil marketers. “This is why you now have about $3.1 billion in the ECA and I will implore that if people need information on what is happening, we are available to answer their questions.” $30 billion disappears A few days later, Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole alleged that the inability of the Federal Government to share money from the ECA in the last 18 months has distorted the developmental plans of state governments. He raised the alarm over massive stealing of public funds. Speaking when the Association of Enigies from Edo South visited him at the Government House, Benin, Oshiomhole said: “Over the past 18 months, we have not shared money from the ECA and yet, the account is empty. Sometimes, we are told they have taken money from it to fund subsidies, including subsidy on kerosene. But, your royal highnesses, there is nowhere in your various domains where kerosene is sold for N50. So, in the name of subsidy, large sums of money are being stolen.” He explained that the country ought to be saving $36 per barrel and 2.3 million barrel a day over the past three years, which would have amounted to over $30 billion, yet, the country could barely save $3 billion in the ECA. In her response, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala dismissed Oshiomhole’s claim on the missing $30 billion. Her defence: “The widely published comment by Governor Adams Oshiomhole alleging that $30 billion is missing from the ECA is shocking and totally untrue. The comments reflect, once again, the unfortunate tendency of some political players to politicise the management of the economy on the basis of half-truths and sundry distortions. This is not good for the country. “ Oshiomhole’s comments made it look as if the Federal Government gives out whatever it wished to the states from the Federation Account. Anyone who is familiar with the FAAC process would know that it does not work that way. “The meetings are held every month and commissioners of finance and other officials represent their states and agreements are reached on issues including the distribution of proceeds from the account. “There is no $30 billion missing from the ECA as alleged by Governor Oshiomhole,’’ she said. $20 billion grows wings Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was once again put to task when another allegation that $20 billion was missing from the ECA was made. An exasperated Okonjo-Iweala said it was strange for the NGF to allege that $20 billion was missing from the ECA. She said there was no basis for the forum to demand that she should account for such money from June 2013 to April 2015. Her words: “The statement by the governors is totally strange because FAAC meets every month and the ECA is discussed at every session with all the state commissioners of finance present. “So, governors who want any information about the ECA should ask for details from their commissioners, who should have the records of what was discussed and agreed upon.” According to her, details of the ECA were also published every month along with the allocations to the three tiers of government. It added that the reference to June 2013 was immaterial as FAAC meetings during which the ECA and similar issues were discussed held every month. She said Amaechi, who was reported to have read the communique on behalf of the governors, made a similar unsubstantiated allegation in November 2013. “He alleged in November 2013 that $5 billion was missing from the ECA. We subsequently showed with facts that not only was the amount not missing, Rivers received N257.6 billion from the Federation Account between January and October 2013,”Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said. She assured that the Finance ministry, would, in a couple of days and in the interest of transparency and accountability, publish the details of the ECA for the last four years. The finance ministry later released details of how it shared N6.21 trillion from the ECA to the three tiers of government between 2011 and 2014. She gave the breakdown in response to a demand by the NGF that she should explain how the over $20 billion in the ECA between June 2013 and April 2015 was managed. The minister said she needed to make public the details in order to “clarify issues thrown up by recent claims made by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State on behalf of some governors”. According to the details as published by the former minister, the Federal Government got N3.29 trillion and the 36 states shared N2.92 trillion from the ECA between 2011 and last year. It showed that the 36 states received N966.6 billion in 2011; N816.3 billion in 2012; N859.4 billion in 2013 and N282.8 billion in 2014. The low figure shared in 2014 was attributed to a sharp drop in revenues due to the impact of the crash in global oil prices, which began by mid last year. A further breakdown indicated that Akwa Ibom State received the highest allocation of N265 billion from the ECA. Rivers and Delta states trailed with N230.4 billion and N216.7 billion respectively. Allocations to other states were Bayelsa (N176.3 billion); Kano (N106.5 billion); Lagos (N82.9 billion) and Kwara (N52.8 billion). The six states that got the least allocations were: Enugu (N51.6 billion); Gombe (N47.7 billion); Nasarawa (N46.9 billion); Ekiti (N46.8 billion) and Ebonyi (N44.3 billion). $2.1 billion spent without The former minister denied the latest allegation that she unilaterally withdrew and spent $2.1 billion from the ECA “without authorisation”. The allegation was made last Monday after the reconstitution of the NEC by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s spokesman, Paul Nwabuikwu, stated that “the allegation by some governors that her former principal, spent $2.1 billion from the ECA without authorisation is false, malicious and totally without foundation.” In a statement, Nwabuikwu said there was “no time unauthorised expenditure was made from the ECA under Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala’s watch in the finance ministry. Decisions on such expenditure were discussed at FAAC meetings and such meetings are attended by finance commissioners from the 36 states. Against this background, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala maintained that the idea that she “spent $2.1 billion ‘without authorisation’ is simply not credible given that details of government receipts and expenditure are public knowledge.” The former minister wondered how “some governors, who fought the Federal Government’s efforts to leave robust savings in the ECA and even took the Federal Government to court over the matter, could turn around to make such unfounded allegations?” The statement described as “curious that in their desperation to use the esteemed NEC for political and personal vendetta, the persons behind these allegations acted as if the constitutionally recognised FAAC, a potent expression of the country’s fiscal federalism, does not exist. “Nigerians know that collective revenues, allocations and expenditures of the three tiers of government are the concern of the monthly FAAC meetings.” In the statement, Nwabuikwu said Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala acknowledged “the efforts of governors who are working hard to overcome the current revenue challenges facing their states without resorting to character assassination and blame games. “The former minister is ready and willing to respond to legitimate enquiries about issues under her purview as finance minister. But it is clear that this is the latest chapter of a political witch-hunt by elements who are attempting to use the respected NEC for ignoble purposes, having failed abysmally in their previous attempts to tar Okonjo-Iweala’s name.” Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala also lamented in the statement that “one of such attempts took place in May, when some of these governors, hiding under the auspices of the NGF asked the former minister to explain $20 billion alleged to be missing from the same ECA.” The finance ministry, she said, subsequently issued a statement and published an advertorial in national newspapers on May 25, 2015, in which it gave details of what the Federal Government and states received from the ECA in the last four years. It also provided details of the use of the funds for payment of petrol subsidies and SURE-P allocations to all tiers of government for development purposes. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala recounted how she “pioneered the practice of publishing monthly updates of all allocations to different tiers of government in order to empower Nigerians with information and knowledge of government revenues and expenditure. “This enabled the public to ask questions about the utilisation of these resources. Of course, many elected and appointed public officials were not happy with this development.” She claimed to have continued the practice when she returned in 2011 and even added periodic updates on the ECA, subsidy payments for verified claims by oil marketers for fuel imports as well as SURE-P payments. In the heat of electioneering campaigns in November last year, the former minister spoke of a plan to draw about $2 billion from the balance of $4 billion in the ECA. She, however, did not say what the money would be used for and none of the governors raised an eyebrow on the missing $2 billion until President Buhari cried out that he met a virtually empty treasury. The state governments in November 2014 also proposed to the former President that $2 billion be shared from the foreign Excess Crude Account (ECA) to complete on-going projects and to the March 28 and April 11 general elections. Erstwhile chairman of the Commissioners of Finance Forum, Timothy Odaah, from Ebonyi State, noted that security matters and the approaching elections required enormous resources to execute and that the state governments were optimistic that Dr Jonathan, being an understanding president, would favourably consider the proposal. Since 2011, both warring parties over the ECA have failed to convince the ordinary Nigerian evne as they engaged in trading blames. Both camps have been giving watered-down excuses. The governor’s who are the most vociferous on the claim of missing funds from the ECA have never come out with documents to substantiate their claims. Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala had always stuck to her gun by insisting that the decision to draw from the ECA was done with the knowledge of the governors through their finance commissioners. The fact that cannot be denied is that it would have been better if there was enough savings in the ECA as conceived by those who established it, especially at a time like this, when the country’s earnings from crude oil export have declined by 50 per cent and against the backdrop of President Muhammadu’s claim that his administration inherited a treasury that is virtually empty. Three options are open to the incumbent administration. It can go after those who squandered the fortunes of the ECA and recover misappropriated funds, or devise creative ways of boosting the ECA. The third is a combination of the first two options.

http://thenationonlineng.net/excess-crude-account-and-the-controversy-lingers/

Politics

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WASHINGTON — THE indictment last week of the N.F.L. player Adrian Peterson by a Texas grand jury for reckless or negligent injury to a child has set into relief the harmful disciplinary practices of some black families. Mr. Peterson used a “switch,” a slim, leafless tree branch, to beat his 4-year-old son, raising welts on the youngster’s legs, buttocks and scrotum. This is child abuse dressed up as acceptable punishment. While 70 percent of Americans approve of corporal punishment, black Americans have a distinct history with the subject. Beating children has been a depressingly familiar habit in black families since our arrival in the New World. As the black psychiatrists William H. Grier and Price M. Cobbs wrote in “Black Rage,” their 1968 examination of psychological black life: “Beating in child-rearing actually has its psychological roots in slavery and even yet black parents will feel that, just as they have suffered beatings as children, so it is right that their children be so treated.” The lash of the plantation overseer fell heavily on children to whip them into fear of white authority. Terror in the field often gave way to parents beating black children in the shack, or at times in the presence of the slave owner in forced cooperation to break a rebellious child’s spirit. Black parents beat their children to keep them from misbehaving in the eyes of whites who had the power to send black youth to their deaths for the slightest offense. Today, many black parents fear that a loose tongue or flash of temper could get their child killed by a trigger-happy cop. They would rather beat their offspring than bury them. If beating children began, paradoxically, as a violent preventive of even greater violence, it was enthusiastically embraced in black culture, especially when God was recruited. As an ordained Baptist minister with a doctorate in religion, I have heard all sorts of religious excuses for whippings. And I have borne the physical and psychic scars of beatings myself. I can’t forget the feeling, as a 16-year-old, of my body being lifted from the floor in my father’s muscular grip as he cocked back his fist to hammer me until my mother’s cry called him off. I loved my father, but his aggressive brand of reproof left in me a trail of un-cried tears. Like many biblical literalists, lots of black believers are fond of quoting Scriptures to justify corporal punishment, particularly the verse in Proverbs 13:24 that says, “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.” But in Hebrew, the word translated as “rod” is the same word used in Psalms 23:4, “thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” The shepherd’s rod was used to guide the sheep, not to beat them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/18/opinion/punishment-or-child-abuse.html?_r=0

Family

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By Amaka Abayomi & Laju Arenyeka As Nigerian children celebrate 2012 Children’s Day on Sunday, it is sad to note that over 40 per cent of them will celebrate on the street; without access to basic education as economic and socio-cultural factors keep over 10.1 million of the 35.6 million children aged between six and 14, out of schools. According to a report on out-of-school-children (OOSC) jointly anchored by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Institute of Statistics (UIS) and the Federal Ministry of Education for the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) which was presented in 2011, there is an increase in the number of OOSC. While 12,531,414 boys and 12,130,673 girls aged six to 11 ought to be in primary schools, 3,366,138 (26.9 per cent) and 3,932,679 (32.4 per cent) of the boys and girls respectively, are not in school. This meant that of 24,662,087 children, 7,298,817 were not receiving formal education in the country three years ago. Also, 200,630 and 168,795 of the total boys and girls respectively, dropped out of school. The report noted further that as at that date, 2,834,903 out of 10,912,131 boys and girls aged 12 to 14 who ought to be in junior secondary school (JSS), were not. A total of 625,993 dropped out of school. A breakdown of these figures showed that 5,543,223 boys were supposed to be in junior schools but 1,308,779 were not while 324,576 dropped out. Of 5,368,908 girls, 1,526,124 were not in school while 301,417 had dropped out. Drop-out rate was higher in junior secondary school than in the primary school category. Of those children currently in primary school, less than one third will attend junior secondary school and even fewer will proceed to senior secondary. The report noted that the problem of OOSC in both primary and junior secondary schools was more severe in all states of the three geo-political zones in the north than in the south. The factors that kept the children out of schools were grouped into economic, socio-cultural and supply side barriers and bottlenecks. Government and political influence, especially in the capacity of government to implement education policies as well as politicisation of basic education, equally affected the magnitude of the problem. Proffering solutions to the scourge, government was tasked to scale up existing conditional cash transfer to alleviate poverty in families linked to their enrolling children in schools; revive the school feeding programme or institute commodity voucher scheme for extremely poor families, enhance tax relief for low income earners, and adoption of child-friendly school initiatives must be undertaken. Vanguard Learning sought the opinions of education experts on how the OOSC menace can be curbed. Listing poverty, cultural and religious barriers in the north, poor quality of education leading to dissatisfaction from parents, and opportunity cost as parents would rather have their children make extra money through hawking than going to school as factors responsible for the high rate of OOSC, an Education Management Consultant, Mr. Wale Samuel, said this can be reduced with the re-introduction of the one meal per day scheme in schools; more sensitisation in the north and quality teacher training and remuneration. Urging government to ensure that funds allocated for OOSC are used for the stated purpose, a teacher, Mrs. Mercy Anthony tasked government to provide job opportunities for their parents as education starts from the family. For Mr. Paul Akinyemi, another teacher, “government can help get such children off the street by creating more opportunities for schooling and accommodation for such children. The vision for 2015 is possible only if the government starts early.” Mr. Joshua Babayejo said “Nigerians should imbibe the culture of other countries that provide for children who are not financially strong. Many of these children have resources within them that can facilitate a better Nigeria some day.” In the same vein, Pharmacist Ugochinyere Ogudu, a facilitator at the 2012 Children’s Day Youth Forum/Career Exhibition organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Education, urged parents to ensure that their children are planned for so as to make it easier for them to be properly cared for. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/05/childrens-day-10m-children-out-of-school-nationwide/

Education

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The quest for every scientific endeavour is to collect data and make sense out of it. Engineering was born from understanding the behaviour of systems and materials through analyzing data and mapping patterns from it. Civil engineering is a branch of engineering, with its principles always relying on empirical methods, where data collection is paramount for understanding materials behaviour and predicting structural response. With the recent advancement in Artificial intelligence and machine learning, where computer systems can understand patterns from data, interest from researchers in civil engineering is growing exponentially. Some of the areas researchers are actively utilizing machine learning in civil engineering are as follows. 1. construction management: For every civil engineering project to be successfully executed, cost, quality and time must be the governing direction that all stakeholders will follow. Cost is the most significant factor for deciding project success. Many researchers are utilizing artificial neural networks to come up with models that will predict the cost of capital intensive projects like bridges, highways, sports fields and cement plants at the initial phase of projects when design data is not available. These models are trained using past projects data, using design parameters as the features and the cost as the label. 2. Structural engineering: The efficiency and precision of how some things in nature carry their weight and distribute it to the ground have been a concern for structural engineers for centuries. Many iconic structural designs we see today were inspired by nature. Examples include the Beijing national stadium, inspired by a birds nest. Structural engineers are now able to design better structures thanks to generative design. Machine-learning has also been applied in structural health monitoring where large vibration data are analysed by either a support vector machine or a neural network and classify whether a structure is damaged or not. 3. Geotechnical engineering Since most civil engineering structures are anchored to the ground, the issue of understanding the behaviour of soil under different stress conditions has been the interest of a subfield in civil engineering, called geotechnical engineering. Understanding soil behaviour under different stress conditions requires an engineer to collect huge soil samples, conduct laboratory experiment and analyzes the data, which is on most occasions, time labour intensive and time-consuming. Machine learning is becoming more applied in areas of geotechnics like the prediction of optimum moisture content and maximum dry density from using simple index properties like liquid limit, plastic limit, shrinkage and particle size distribution. Such models are designed using artificial neural networks and they have the potential of reducing labour intensive and time-consuming experiments like proctor compaction tests. 4. water resources and environmental engineering: There is a saying that water is life. That means in its absence comes the end of all life that exists on earth. Despite water sustaining life to most of the earth species, it has also a dark side of creating destruction through events like flooding. Machine learning applications to water resources have increased in recent years, allowing researchers to offer novel solutions to challenging problems with excess rainfall which induces flooding. Many researchers have reported promising outcomes of deep learning models on radar rainfall nowcasting or high-resolution forecasting of precipitation. The use of deep learning models (ConvLSTM) in radar rainfall nowcasting and flood forecasting has been studied. The deep learning model employs a blend of convolutional neural networks, which are extensively used in computer vision tasks like face recognition and image classification, and recurrent neural networks, which are commonly used in language translation. To anticipate future water levels at 5 places in Singapore's Bedok Catchment, deep learning models were trained using past observed radar data from Meteorological Service Singapore. The result of such studies could be beneficial to tropical countries with changing weather patterns. There are no comments for this story Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

https://vocal.media/education/areas-machine-learning-is-utilized-in-the-field-of-civil-engineering-research

Education

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Who did Moses see when he saw the backside of God? He was seeing the pre-incarnate Christ. Let’s take a look. “Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen,” (Exodus 33:23). Jesus said in John 6:46, “Not that any man has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.” Jesus had stated that no one had seen the Father. This is also what Paul says in 1 Tim. 6:16, “who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.” The Holy Spirit appears as a flame or wind but never in any human form. Therefore, when we realize that God was seen in the Old Testament, it was not the Father or the Holy Spirit. It would have been the pre-incarnate Christ. Consider these verses: - Ex. 6:2-3, “God spoke further to Moses and said to him, ‘I am the LORD; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I did not make myself known to them.'” - Exodus 24:9-11, “Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they beheld God, and they ate and drank.” The Bible tells us that God was seen, yet we have in John 1:18, “No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” In the gospel of John, four verses earlier in verse 14, it said that the word (which was God, John 1:1) became flesh and dwelt among us. From then on, whenever John the apostle refers to “God” he is referring to the father–because the Word had become incarnate in the man Jesus. Therefore, we can see that whenever God is seen in the Old Testament, it is the pre-incarnate Christ. Moses was seeing the Word before it was made flesh or became flesh in the Old Testament.

https://carm.org/verses-examined-ot/who-did-moses-see-in-exodus-3323/#who

Religion

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Avoid using your smartphone any how… By Sola Ogundipe A bra may not be the safest place to keep your smartphone. Neither is a pants or trousers pocket. As a woman, there is a very good reason why you should never put your smartphone in your bra. There is increasing evidence linking radiation from smartphones and breast cancer. As a man, it should interest you to know that your smartphone should never be kept in your the pockets of your pants or trousers. The reason for this caution has to do with the growing evidence showing that radiation from smartphones can have an adverse effect on sperm production in the testes. Almost everyone owns a smartphones today in what is considered a “normal” social life. It has become an accepted addiction. But is it a healthy addiction? What does the evidence show about long-term exposure to cellphone radiation and the risk of cancer or other health problems? It’s a mixed bag, really, however, there is growing scientific evidence that improper usage of smartphones could be potentially hazardous to health. Cellphones emit Radio Frequency energy—or non-ionizing radiation that is absorbed by tissues nearest to where the phone is held. Several developed countries have already enacted safety ordinances warning of potential hazards. Lately, there are convincing arguments about the need to give recommendations of the minimum separation distance that a cellphone should be held from the body in order to limit radio frequency exposure to safe levels. Further, there are established links between cellphones and sperm quality as shown by the International Union against Cancer, IUCC. Breast cancer risk A February 2015 study, looked at the effects of mobile phone and Wi-Fi radiation on existing breast cancer cells and found the closer in distance the RF exposure was to the skin, the greater the damage to the underlying cells. Specifically, it found radiation increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), which impairs the ability of cells to repair them, which has been proven to contribute to cancer development. In 2011, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified radio frequency like that emitted by cellphones as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” The safe recommendation is that anyone concerned about cancer risk, should simply try to limit their exposure. A particular American study of four women who had been diagnosed with multifocal invasive breast cancer under the age of 40 after routinely storing their cellphones in their bras. None of the patients had a family history of breast cancer, and they all tested negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, which are linked to about 10 percent of breast cancer cases. Sperm cell reduction risk Numerous studies show that mobile phones carried in pockets of pants and/or worn on belts could result in loss of quantity and quality of active sperm cells by men. There have been established link between cellphones and sperm quality which shows that heavy mobile phone users (over four hours per day) have significantly less viable sperm. This is corroborated by a prospective study of normal men who found that significantly increasing their mobile phone use (over six hours each day for five days) caused a marked short-term reduction of sperm quality. The bottom line is that men, who use mobile phones on a regular basis are believed to lose about 30 per cent of their active sperm cells. Persons who carry their mobile phones in pockets of their pants are putting their potency at great danger. Scientists say that even in sleep mode, the mobile phone is as harmful as when switched on. Tips on safe use of smartphones By carrying or using your phone in your pants or shirt pocket or tucked into a bra when the phone is switched on and connected to a wireless network, you may unwittingly exceed the recommended guidelines for exposure to radio frequency radiation. * While talking on your smart phone, try to keep the phone away from your body as much as possible. Whenever possible, use the speaker-phone mode or a wired headset (not a Bluetooth). * Avoid using your smartphone when the signal is weak or when moving at high speed, such as in a car or train, as this automatically increases power to a maximum as the phone repeatedly attempts to connect to a new relay antenna. * Avoid carrying your smartphone on your body at all times. Do not keep it near your body at night such as under the pillow or on a bedside table, particularly if pregnant. You can also put it on “flight” or “off-line” mode, which stops electromagnetic emissions. * If you must carry your smartphone on you, make sure that the keypad is positioned toward your body and the back is positioned toward the outside so that the transmitted electromagnetic fields move away from you rather than through you. * Only use your smartphone to establish contact or for conversations lasting a few minutes. * Switch sides regularly while communicating on your smartphone to spread out your exposure. Before putting your smartphone to the ear, wait until your correspondent has picked up. This limits the power of the electromagnetic field emitted near your ear and the duration of your exposure. * When possible, communicate via text messaging rather than making a call, to limit the duration of exposure and the proximity to the body. * Avoid using your smartphone in places like a bus, church, school or market where you can passively expose others to your phone’s electromagnetic fields. * Choose a device with the lowest Specific Absorption Rate, SAR, which is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field absorbed by the body. SAR ratings of your smartphone and indeed most contemporary phones by different manufacturers can be checked here http://sarvalues.com/ Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/06/s-not-smart-put-smartphone-bra-trousers/

Phones

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There are African countries breeding more hungry and angry Youths than any other Continent in the world. We already know they are the face of poverty that has moved from Asia to Africa and sadly increasing. What is obvious in most African countries is the impunity, indifference, and arrogance of the minority Nouveau riche that are spiteful to the majority of poor people under them. Though most call themselves civil servants. When masses are fed up, it only takes the last straw to break the camel's back as we saw in Morocco where one unemployed graduate sparked revolt. Recovery becomes hard and long resulting in the rich eating one another as the poverty stricken cold hands reach into privileged class and grip those that refuse to listen to the voices of reasonable masses. It happened in Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan before it got to Libya (made worse by imperialist opportunists). Yet, greed for loot and power, blind Nigeria’s stubborn Vagabonds in Power. The sheer complacency that hunger, anger and spite can be suppressed by brutal force of the Police and the Army, is unsustainable to prop up civil peace, law and order. Maybe for a while, until it erupts out of the bottle when enough numbers of the Armed Forces revolt against the same people they are supposed to protect from the masses. You can never pay the Police or Army enough to kill large numbers of people before they put their own lives and that of their families at risk. We witness the difference between Police that have lost the support of their communities and People that surrounded the Queen, Oba's Palace or Traditional sites. They are like the Supreme Court without the Army or Police to enforce its order. Authority from the People is broader, more durable and cannot be violated with impunity because nobody would dare provoke the ire of their Culture. Africans call it Abomination. However, poorly paid police living in African slum barracks are more dangerous than the rogues. People are not sure who to fear more. Instead of equating Police functions in Western to African countries, politicians and “Oga at the Top” must stop looting Police funds that are supposed to take care of our Police Force before they would stop extorting money from the community. How can police maintain their vehicles and uniforms with meager salary, who cheerfully does that? Every community needs the enforcement of law and order. The Police also need the cooperation of the community in solving and preventing crimes. When cooperation and trust between Police and the communities they serve breaks down, the lives of the people are in danger. If you cannot report crimes to the Police, nobody is safe, not even the Police themselves. Each time you use Police to collect taxes by issuing tickets in Ferguson Missouri USA or by extortion in Nigeria, Liberia or Ghana, you are encouraging gun violence. Moreover, African Police are underpaid which explains the reason for extorting their communities for bribes as if they are collecting taxes. Some of the Police are worse than Armed robbers and sometimes lend their assistance. By supplying or renting arms to Armed Robbers, informing armed burglars of potential rich sources and sharing the loot with them. Compared to Police in Western countries that have the support of the majority to put their minorities in their place, African Police do not have the same support and respect in our communities. Our Police are used to repress the majority and protect the politicians, leaders and the rich that never make up or come from the majority as in Europe and America. Promises, Police Reform and Commissions are slogans to buy time not a cure. Do not be fooled, the majority of people in the Western communities support their Police Force. Police are used to enforce old conservative traditional values. Until lately, most of their recruits come from old organizations of militia that kept their culture, forced the poor and minorities to accept the privilege of the white population. They are the enforcers of the old Southern "good old days" many of whom still worship the Confederate Flag in the United States. Police and some of their courts of law are used to enforce voters' suppression. Police could kill and go simply by claiming some subjective threats to their lives in court of laws. This is why it is still difficult for minorities to get hired into the Police Force abroad. Once hired, they get punished and discriminated against more than their white colleagues; despite more Black Police Chiefs today. African Police are all Black making it difficult to shoot maliciously based on color of the skin. Mourning over and over again. Police Reform and Promises without actions and results are empty. When we send our Police abroad for training, it is enacting Foreign Police movies: "COPS" where minorities are abused in real life. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/10/cops-tv-reality-cancel/ The same way our politicians turned their thugs into warlords against their opponents as they learned how to gain political offices. If thugs can help politicians into positions of power, they might as well go straight for the power themselves. This was how the Army, without any idea or training of how to govern, seized Power in many countries. You can only arrest so many people and put them in jails before they overwhelm their guards, break into your properties and invade your homes where you think there is comfort. Even Slavery, the worst form of human subjugation, became too dangerous and risky as commerce of European "necessary evil". Revolts on the seas and in plantations made it hazardous. Yet people refused to learn thinking danger could be avoided with promises, by divide and rule tactics or offering piecemeal relief. Unfortunately, innocent people that are closer to the masses without the security or bodyguards of the filthy rich politicians, bear the anger first. Politicians turned blind eye to police harassment on the streets so that their lives would not be threatened. This is a trend that turns opponents and activists warning of impending danger, into political prisoners. But the punishment inflicted on the masses fighting for just cause can only strengthen their resolve. Remember, the prisoners of yesterday became leaders of today. The problem with Revolts is that the guilty and the innocent pay the price. Nigerians in high places that claim they are not worried about foreign visa bans may be worried if they are located by angry masses in their hiding places in their communities. Even then, Africans Youths are everywhere so the perpetrators of poverty in African countries can only run but leaders cannot hide for long. There was a period, they got visas to foreign universities to celebrate the graduation of their children and as guest speakers, donating stolen hard currencies in order to collect Awards. These days, Africans are waiting overseas to disgrace and beat them up.

https://www.modernghana.com/news/1039427/hungry-angry-youths-can-only-be-temporarily-subd.html

Politics

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LAGOS, Nigeria — Forty-six years ago this month, Nigeria’s civil war came to an end with the surrender of the secessionist Republic of Biafra. The two and a half years of fighting took some two million lives, but when the bitter conflict ended the triumphant Nigerian government proclaimed, “No Victor, No Vanquished.” Nevertheless, the discontent of the ethnic Igbo people of southeast Nigeria lingers on. In 1999, a group known as the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra emerged, seeking through protests and political agitation to re-establish an independent nation. In recent years it has been overshadowed by another group, the Indigenous People of Biafra, which also calls for independence, by violence if necessary. Led by Nnamdi Kanu, a Nigerian who was living in Britain until last October, it has demonstrated greater sophistication than Massob. Its main publicity tool is Radio Biafra, an online station that spreads the call for “liberation” and “self-emancipation” from the “zoo” called Nigeria. These activities have annoyed President Muhammadu Buhari, who has publicly backed Mr. Kanu’s ongoing trial for treason. When the Biafran War broke out in 1967 in the wake of widespread communal violence, Lieut. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu, a leading Igbo officer, declared that “eastern Nigerians are no longer wanted as equal partners in the Federation of Nigeria.” That feeling is still widely shared among the Igbo. But the frustrations of today’s would-be Biafrans are no different from those of their neighbors in the Niger Delta, whose oil keeps Nigeria going but gets them little in return, apart from gas fires and oil spills. Nor do they differ from the grievances of their fellow countrymen in the north, who continue to wallow in levels of illiteracy and poverty that make the south seem prosperous in comparison. The reality is that no part of Nigeria has a monopoly on victimhood. The impulse to protest suffering and to seek to determine one’s destiny is not wrongheaded; the problem lies in seeking change in a manner that incites ethnic hatred and violence. It would be better for Biafran separatists to drop their calls for independence and push instead for constitutional change that would strengthen the federal system Nigeria purports to practice. Our current Constitution, like the others that followed independence from Britain in 1960, is the product of military leaders whose agenda has rarely coincided with the public good. Though it opens with the requisite words (“We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ... ”), it was crafted by a handpicked committee and not made public until the military transferred power to the civilian government on May 29, 1999. Igbo separatists would also do better to follow the example of Scotland and push for a referendum to decide the future of the region. Admittedly, the central government would be unlikely to endorse such a call for fear that it might trigger an avalanche of referendum requests in this country of more than 250 ethnic groups. But were one to take place, my guess is that it would turn out overwhelmingly in favor of preserving union with Nigeria.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/27/opinion/nigerians-are-better-together.html#click=https:///AhmGSGevWh

Politics

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By Kunle Ajibade Bill Clinton, in an article he wrote for TIME magazine in 1999 titled “Captain Courageous,” described one of the best American presidents, F.D. Roosevelt, as an architect of grand political designs. Obafemi Awolowo could also be described as an architect of grand political designs. He was a great political builder among great political builders. If he remains a commanding intelligence in modern Yoruba and Nigerian history, it is because he worked tirelessly to shape some significant events of his time. He chose courage over cowardice. He chose competence over mediocrity. His legacy teaches us diligence, it teaches us hard work, integrity, fortitude, honesty, self sacrifice, responsible leadership and accountability. We are taught by his inspiring example that true leaders must work for the common good. We are taught by him that genuine leaders ought to have purposes greater than themselves. Obafemi Awolowo was a moral force who taught us to live a life that meets the ideals we profess. In Yoruba Elites and Ethnic Politics in Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo and Corporate Agency, Wale Adebanwi renders the significance, the prestige, the influence and the messianic drama of Obafemi Awolowo’s life in incisive, brilliant, elegant and engaging narrative. He combined his skills as a trained journalist, a political scientist and anthropologist to conduct a research which ranges across important territories and domains. This book, in its first formulation, was his Ph.D thesis at the University of Cambridge. Adebanwi displays in it fireworks of theories especially in the introductory parts which may overwhelm the lay readers but will gladden the hearts of his academic peers immensely. He interrogates some received theories in order to propound his own. The theories, if you take time to crack their nuts, will yield useful insights. Theories that explain and describe Obafemi Awolowo as a peerless leader who kept the political promises he made. Theories that help to deepen our understanding of the Awolowo’s mystique, his phenomenon and charisma. Theories of a leader who remained focussed and kept expanding the magnitude of his mind and the frontiers of his vision till the very end. And theories of friends who betray their friends and principles. Adebanwi tells us that Awolowo’s education policy, his investment in Agriculture, his social welfare programmes and a vibrant, productive economy in Western Region brought into being a vast middle class that had enough energy, buoyant optimism and supreme confidence to engage the rest of the world. He was s game-changer who really made politics admirable and respectable. The author shows that, compared to his contemporaries, Awolowo was the most articulate advocate of the rights of the minorities and a clear-headed defender of federalism. By the time he died in 1987, he had not only been justly monumentalised, he had been variously mythologised. In the words of Adebanwi: “Years after Awolowo’s death, and more than half a century after he left office as the premier of Western Region of Nigeria, the Yoruba elites continue to regard him as the very symbol of their ethnic nationalism and a shining example of the benefits of self-governance, not only in Nigeria but in all of Africa.” Adebanwi agrees with Banji Akintoye and Toyin Falola and other scholars who argue that if Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba, founded the Yoruba nation, Awolowo came to modernise it. He observes that at the start of his political career, Awolowo knew that the Yoruba were a highly progressive but badly disunited group, that they paid lip service to a spiritual union and affinity in a common ancestor – Oduduwa. They waged war against one another. The Yoruba, in the course of the British and Portuguese slave trade, had conducted violent and merciless slave raids on one another. And when the inter-tribal wars and slave raids were brought to an end by the British, mutual hatreds among the Yoruba continued. Given the propaganda of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the younger elements in Yorubaland saw themselves as inferior to the Igbo. According to Adebanwi: “Awolowo’s declared resolve in the early 1940s was to save the Yoruba from ‘the state of impotence, into which they were fast degenerating’. Awolowo further resolved ‘to infuse solidarity into the disjointed tribes that constitute the Yoruba ethnic group, to raise their morale, to rehabilitate their self-respect, and to imbue them with the confidence that they are an important factor in the forging of the federal unity of Nigeria’”. Egbe Omo Oduduwa and the Action Group took on these cultural and political projects. This mission of what Adebanwi describes as “the construction of a pan-Yoruba identity,” was resisted by Awolowo’s political adversaries like Dr. Azikiwe and Adegoke Adelabu, the feisty Ibadan politician who wrote Africa in Ebullition. The formation of Egbe Omo Oduduwa was not his only political achievement at this time when he was studying law in England, he also wrote Path to Nigerian Freedom in which he shared his ideas of how independent Nigeria should be governed. With his ideas and politics, Adebanwi argues, Awolowo “became both a symbol of the Yoruba nation and its ethnic nationalism, as well as a symbol of the struggle towards a ‘more perfect’ Nigerian nation; a concept that included the federalist ethos, good governance, egalitarian rule, enlightenment, modernity, bureaucratic rationality and welfarism.” Adebanwi observes that while some among Awolowo’s followers are able to embrace their Yoruba identity as well as the acceptance of a Nigerian identity, other ardent followers embrace the first and not the other. The Yoruba identity and Nigerian identity is a paradox which Awolowo’s political enemies have capitalised on. But to Awolowo, there is nothing wrong in combining Yoruba nationalism with a progressive, federalist, egalitarian, democratic nationalist politics. It is important to note that, in concrete terms, Egbe Omo Oduduwa set out “to study fully the political problems of Yorubaland, combat the disintegrating forces of tribalism, stamp out discrimination within the group and against minorities and generally infuse the idea of a single nationality throughout the region; to study its economic resources, ascertain its potentialities, and advise as to the wisest utilisation of its wealth as to ensure abundance and prosperity for its people; to plan for the improvement of educational facilities both in content and extent; to explore the means of introducing mass education promptly and efficiently and to foster the study of Yoruba language, culture and history; to promote the social welfare of Yorubaland, combat the cankerworm of superstition and ignorance, spread the knowledge of medical relief and stimulate the provision of hospitals, maternity homes and suchlike amenities.” The Egbe Omo Oduduwa also aimed to co-operate in the fullest measure with other regions to see that its aims are applied to the whole country. One of its objectives was to aid and encourage similar groups in the other regions in every way possible to achieve their ideals. Ire ti won fe fun ara won, won tun fe fun gbogbo Nigeria. What could be more egalitarian than that? Those objectives formulated in the 40s are still relevant today, and they show the excellent organisational capacity of Obafemi Awolowo. Shortly before the Action Group was launched on 21 March, 1951, Awolowo said that any new party under which he was prepared to work and serve must place a premium on action rather than words. Awolowo was never mealy-mouthed about truth. He told The Guardian in May 1987: “I do not rank myself with great leaders, but those I am trying to emulate – Churchill, Nehru, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Gandhi – provoke extremity of hatred and affection.” In 1979 when many ardent followers of him insisted that they saw him in the moon smiling and waving at them, Awolowo must have been very amused by that extremity of affection. Relying on the incontrovertible evidence of Ganiyu Dawodu and Odia ofeimun, Adebanwi shows, for instance, that the extremity of Chinua Achebe’s hatred for Awolowo was based on big lies of history. No one can rob Awolowo of his achievements. Awolowo struggled against Nnamdi Azikiwe and his NCNC and against the ultra conservative northern political elite in NPC just so that Nigeria could become a better place. If the country had listened to him, we won’t be singing songs of lamentation today. In the dominant progressive Yoruba politics, he remains a hero which is why even before he died, in 1987, some of his associates, specifically Bola Ige and Lateef Jakande, had started scheming to take over the mantle of Awo. The narratives of Awolowo and the Awoist movement have been subjects of rigorous and vigorous scholarships. What Adebanwi has done here is to deepen our knowledge with new perspectives. In Yoruba Elites and ethnic Politics in Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo and Corporate Agency, he writes lucidly about the crises that the physical absence of Awolowo brought about and the appropriation of his symbolic presence in Yorubaland. He recounts the long history of internal wranglings in Afenifere culminating in the assassination of Bola Ige on whom other elders wanted to foist the mantle of Samuel Akintola but who in death wore the mantle of Awolowo. For about a decade, Adebanwi spoke to all the parties involved, he spoke to their camp followers, he attended some of their meetings, he read minutes of their meetings, he read many of the abusive interviews in newspapers and magazines, he read reports of all the reconciliatory efforts that failed woefully. The conflicts, he believes, were driven by animosities bordering, not strictly on ideological matters, but largely on towering ego and pettiness. As Yoruba would say, ija ilara kii tan boro. The elders in the Awo Movement from AG through UPN down to APC have been engaging in what Margaret S. Archer describes as a “competitive contradiction” which “prompts attempts at mutual elimination.” This part of Adebanwi’s book will make not just every proud Yoruba man and woman uncomfortable but will make every progressive Nigerian sad. The Awo Movement should not have come to this sorry pass. In the course of their deep personal rivalries, Olusegun Obasanjo, who hates Awolowo with passion, has always moved in to establish himself as the new patriarch of Yoruba politics. But the masses of Yoruba people have always said: Give us Awo! Give us Awo! Give us Awo! But who becomes the new leader of the progressive movement? Or who steps into the big shoes of Awolowo? Adebanwi, in the light of other contenders for the throne, thinks the cap fits Bola Tinubu, who has “pursued the ambition to become both the leader in Yoruba politics and the leader of the progressive movement in Nigeria.” He observes that while Awolowo believed that one ought to mobilise for power on the basis of ideological interests, Tinubu has demonstrated that it is only by accessing power that one can mobilise one’s interests and make one’s vision of society practical. Let me end with the Obafemi Awolowo’s preamble to the speech he gave in Ondo Town Hall in July 1974 at the presentation of Gani Fawehinmi’s book, People’s Rights to Free Education At All Levels. In that preamble, he praised the brilliance, the diligence and hard work of Fawehinmi. He said that “the trouble with many Nigerian youths is that they sleep too much, play too much; and indulge too much in idle chatter and gossip.” He then advised them to “take each day as a sacred unit which must not be misused or dissipated.” Out of 24 hours available to them, he said, at least eight concentrated hours should be spent on work, eight should be spent on serious study, creative leisure and self-development. He then concluded that eight hours are enough for feeding, relaxation and sleep. If Obafemi Awolowo were to be in this hall at this moment, he would praise Adebanwi’s brilliance, diligence and hard work. —Mr. Kunle Ajibade, Executive Editor of TheNEWS/P.M.NEWS, read this review at Agip Recital Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos on April 17, 2014. …Published in TheNEWS magazine

https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2014/04/24/the-

Romance

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Too big to fail or too big to succeed? It is not clear why Rwandan President Paul Kagame thinks Nigeria is too big to fail, or whether in fact that was the idea he sought to convey when he surveyed Nigeria’s problems and proffered solutions. At any rate, a newspaper gave that headline to the Kagame prognosis on Nigeria when the Rwandan visited the country as a guest of African Personality Forum to speak to young Nigerian professionals in Lagos. The headline, if not Kagame himself, was inspired perhaps by the world financial crisis of 2008 which triggered massive economic collapse and business failures around the world. Kagame’s actual words were: “Nigeria is too big, too resourceful to allow these things (corruption and underdevelopment) to continue. If there is a problem in Nigeria it would spread, even to as far as Rwanda. That is why we as Rwandans are ready to work together with Nigeria to solve our problems together and learn from one another.” The term itself came into prominence when certain mavericks coined the phrase to inspire government bailout of distressed companies, among which were banks, insurers and auto companies. Some of these companies, investigators found out, augmented their profitability by creating and disposing complicated derivatives. By trading in risky loans, currencies and stocks, among other things, they became so big that if they failed, as indeed many of them did, it would have ripple effects on other smaller companies and create an unmanageable chain of damaging effects for the economy. One of these companies that inspired the ‘Too big to fail’ slogan was AIG, a leading insurance company that specialised in traditional insurance until greed pushed it into credit default swaps (insuring assets that supported corporate debt and mortgages). Lehman Brothers, which made the largest bankruptcy filing in United States history in 2008, also inspired the phrase. But sometime last year, G. Pascal Zachary, a former foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, author of Married to Africa and professor of practice at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University, wrote an interesting article for the prestigious The Atlantic magazine on Nigeria’s shaky battle with underdevelopment. The title of the essay was Nigeria: Too Big to Fail. A little like Kagame, and referring also to Karl Maier’s book, This House has Fallen, published in 2000, Zachary lists a potpourri of factors ranging from ineptitude, corruption, ethnicity and in particular religion as factors predisposing Nigeria to disaster. If the West did not help Nigeria to avoid apocalypse, he warned, it would have grave repercussions for Africa. There is, however, no doubt that Kagame’s analysis suggests he feared Nigeria’s collapse could affect everyone everywhere, even as far away as Rwanda. He admonishes Nigerians to work out their differences and not surrender to unproductive pessimism or even fatalism. This large country of resourceful people, he says, has a large pool of talented young people to turn the country around. But while his admonition was doubtless sound, especially coming from a tested war and peace leader like himself, there is little to suggest that Nigeria is taking any step to avoid state failure. Absolutely nothing. Indeed, while the world appears anxious about Nigeria’s stability and future, many Nigerian leaders seem convinced, as former military head of state, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar said on Saturday, that Nigeria was not going to disintegrate. The bad news Hardball regrets to give all of them is that many Nigerians actually don’t think their country is too big to fail. They in fact think it is too big to succeed. These are the people the optimists mouthing platitudinous words need to address and reassure. In any case, believing something is too big to fail neither precludes failure nor guarantees success. Everything depends on what is done to avoid the worst-case scenario.

https://thenationonlineng.net/breaking-fg-declares-tuesday-wednesday-public-holidays/Too

Politics

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Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has revealed how Russia helped Nigeria defeat the Biafra warlords during the nation’s civil war between 1967 and 1970. Buhari spoke in his speech at the Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, Russia on Thursday. Buhari said Nigeria’s relationship with Russia began in 1960 with the old Soviet Union, saying that Russia helped Nigeria with military assistance during the civil war against the Biafran forces. “Nigeria’s relations with Russia just like the rest of Africa began during the Soviet era when diplomatic relations were first established in 1960. That relationship covered areas such as education, healthcare, solid minerals development and military assistance, especially during Nigeria’s civil war. “More recently, our partnership has extended to the oil and gas sector as well as military and technical assistance in support of our fight against Boko Haram insurgency. At this point, I would once again like to thank His Excellency, President Putin for his support, especially in the area of security. “It is my hope that through this forum, Russia and Africa will revitalize their time-tested relationship by exploring new opportunities for the collective benefit of our peoples,” he said. Buhari said since the collapse of the USSR in 1991, relations between Russia and African nations had lagged a historical levels, saying that the former Soviet Union had been a key partner of Africa, while recalling the strong support received from the former Soviet Union in Africa’s anti-colonial struggles, stressing that Africa would continue to remember this, and many other significant gestures of solidarity and support that shaped history as a continent. He added that in an increasingly changing world driven by trade, technology and innovation, the time had come to inject new energy and pragmatism in Africa-Russia relations for the mutual benefit of both Africa and Russia, emphasising that this mutually beneficial relationship must go beyond trade and business. “Our re-energised partnership must also address challenges such as counter-terrorism, poverty eradication, human and drug trafficking, illicit financial flows, climate change and migration to mention some of the many contemporary challenges facing our peoples. “Our continent is rich in human and natural but is lagging behind in capital and technology. This is why we see increased conflict, migration and instability that is also impacting many nations outside Africa. On our part, we in Africa have continued to view Regional Integration as a key development priority. Our integration is one that seeks to address our infrastructure deficit, conflicts and terrorism, climate change, human trafficking and of vitality, trade. “Our integration process also takes into account our diversity as a continent and our unique challenges at the national and sub-national levels. This is why progress has been slow but steady. With a population of over 1.2 billion people, for us in Africa, getting our socio-economic integration right presents enormous opportunities as we stand to promote robust, equitable and inclusive growth that will minimize conflict and enhance economic development. “Today, these aspirations are captured in the Agenda 2063 of the African Union. We are confident that with strong partners like Russia, our goal of having a peaceful and prosperous continent is achievable. Nigeria is the largest economy and most populous country in Africa. Today, our population is almost over 200 million people. It is expected to grow to approximately 400 million by 2050. This will make Nigeria the third most populous nation in the world behind China and India. “Our economy is heavily dependent for its foreign exchange on oil. With the result that our high Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is not as a result of domestic sector productivity. In the circumstances, although we still remain an oil dependent nation, our government in the last four years has focused on diversifying our economy by supporting key job creating sectors such as agriculture, mining and ICT,” he stated. To achieve this, Buhari explained that the nation invested aggressively in infrastructure development and introduced policies and programmes that enhanced ease of doing business, reduce corruption in the public sector and enforce the rule of law. “It is this inclusive economic diversification agenda that we want to forge a new Nigeria-Russia cooperation. Already, we are seeing progress in areas of power generation, solid minerals development and rail transportation and I hope this will be expanded to Agriculture, Manufacturing and other means of Transportation. “We already have over 200 Nigerian university students in Russia benefitting from Russian Government scholarships which have been on-going since 1960. Earlier this year, Nigeria signed a Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) with Russia which will expand the human capital development support we are already receiving,” he said.

https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/10/24/how-russia-helped-nigeria-defeat-biafra-during-civil-war-buhari/

Politics

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The passionate, sometimes rhythmic, language-like patter that pours forth from religious people who “speak in tongues” reflects a state of mental possession, many of them say. Now they have some neuroscience to back them up. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania took brain images of five women while they spoke in tongues and found that their frontal lobes — the thinking, willful part of the brain through which people control what they do — were relatively quiet, as were the language centers. The regions involved in maintaining self-consciousness were active. The women were not in blind trances, and it was unclear which region was driving the behavior. The images, appearing in the current issue of the journal Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, pinpoint the most active areas of the brain. The images are the first of their kind taken during this spoken religious practice, which has roots in the Old and New Testaments and in Pentecostal churches established in the early 1900s. The women in the study were healthy, active churchgoers. “The amazing thing was how the images supported people’s interpretation of what was happening,” said Dr. Andrew B. Newberg, leader of the study team, which included Donna Morgan, Nancy Wintering and Mark Waldman. “The way they describe it, and what they believe, is that God is talking through them,” he said. Dr. Newberg is also a co-author of “Why We Believe What We Believe.” In the study, the researchers used imaging techniques to track changes in blood flow in each woman’s brain in two conditions, once as she sang a gospel song and again while speaking in tongues. By comparing the patterns created by these two emotional, devotional activities, the researchers could pinpoint blood-flow peaks and valleys unique to speaking in tongues. Ms. Morgan, a co-author of the study, was also a research subject. She is a born-again Christian who says she considers the ability to speak in tongues a gift. “You’re aware of your surroundings,” she said. “You’re not really out of control. But you have no control over what’s happening. You’re just flowing. You’re in a realm of peace and comfort, and it’s a fantastic feeling.” Contrary to what may be a common perception, studies suggest that people who speak in tongues rarely suffer from mental problems. A recent study of nearly 1,000 evangelical Christians in England found that those who engaged in the practice were more emotionally stable than those who did not. Researchers have identified at least two forms of the practice, one ecstatic and frenzied, the other subdued and nearly silent. The new findings contrasted sharply with images taken of other spiritually inspired mental states like meditation, which is often a highly focused mental exercise, activating the frontal lobes. The scans also showed a dip in the activity of a region called the left caudate. “The findings from the frontal lobes are very clear, and make sense, but the caudate is usually active when you have positive affect, pleasure, positive emotions,” said Dr. James A. Coan, a psychologist at the University of Virginia. “So it’s not so clear what that finding says” about speaking in tongues. The caudate area is also involved in motor and emotional control, Dr. Newberg said, so it may be that practitioners, while mindful of their circumstances, nonetheless cede some control over their bodies and emotions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/07/health/07brain.html?_r=0By

Religion

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The Nigerian scam may seem like a scourge of the Internet age, but it actually predates email. Before we started getting all-caps proposals in our inboxes, con men in West Africa plied their trade by fax and paper letter. Some of the first scams to make their way to Western Europe arrived by telex in 1989 and 1990, when businessmen in Britain started hearing that a wayward tanker of Nigerian crude could have its cargo claimed for bargain prices — in exchange, of course, for some cash upfront. Before then, Nigerian fraudsters aimed their grifts at locals. One scheme was the “wash-wash,” a literal money-laundering in which the mark is shown a valise of supposed bills blackened with Vaseline and iodine and promised a cut if he pays for an expensive cleaning agent. Advance-fee or 419 scams, known by the section of the Nigerian criminal code that outlaws fraud, took on a global character when oil prices crashed along with the national economy. A newly installed military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida, cut salaries for civil servants and the military and ended price supports for the local currency. Within three years, the country’s inflation rate was greater than 38 percent. The English-speaking, entrepreneurial class found itself with little buying power and in need of foreign money. “Some of these guys came out and started perpetrating fraud,” says Andrew Apter, an Africa historian at U.C.L.A. “They used the language and insignias and letterhead of financial offices to lure people in.” Apter has traced this sort of misuse of official iconography as far back as a century. When Nigeria was established as a colony under British rule in 1914, its first governor cracked down on scammers in fake uniforms who claimed to be collecting taxes on behalf of the empire. The advance-fee scam itself — whereby payments are extracted from a sucker who hopes to gain an enormous treasure — seems to have originated elsewhere. According to Robert Whitaker, a historian at the University of Texas, an earlier version of the con, known as the Spanish Swindle or the Spanish Prisoner trick, plagued Britain throughout the 19th century. These days, an address in Lagos would seem to be a red flag for prospective dupes, but it may be helpful for some scammers. In 2012, a researcher with Microsoft named Cormac Herley tried to model the con artist’s behavior and concluded that a clear tip-off — an email address in Nigeria, for example — could, by scaring off the savvier or more suspicious sorts, enable them to focus on the most gullible victims. SCAMMING THE SCAMMERS In 2003, Mike Berry was a 41-year-old computer engineer in Manchester, England, when he started replying to Nigerian scammers over email for fun. His website, 419eater.com, provides a forum for likeminded “scam-baiters” and an archive of their most outrageous achievements.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/01/05/magazine/who-made-that-nigerian-scam.html?smid=tw-nytimesBy

Politics

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By Femi Aribisala If God were to inspire me to write a book, the words in my book would still be my words. They would not be the word of God. Ask a Christian a question about Jesus, and he might answer with a quotation from Paul. But who tells us Paul speaks for Jesus? Why do we need Paul to speak for Jesus when Jesus speaks for himself? Why do we need Paul to speak for Jesus when Jesus himself warns us: “Be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time?” (Mark 13:23). If Jesus has told us all we need to know, why do we need someone else to add to, or subtract from, what he said? Limitations of scripture The word of God is, and will forever be, with God. (John 1:1). God created all things with his word. He spoke his word to the patriarchs and the prophets of Israel. Then he sent his word to the world in the person of Jesus, his Son. The word of God now sits at the right hand of God from where he speaks into the hearts and minds of sons of God and judges all things. There is no scriptural basis whatsoever for concluding that this word of God is the same as the word of Paul. Daniel says: “I, Daniel, understood from the scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.” (Daniel 9:2). This shows that the scriptures are separate and distinct from the word of God. The scriptures are given by men. The word of God is given by God. The scriptures are written by men. The word of God is spoken by God. Accordingly, Jesus points out that the word of God gives life: scriptures do not. He says to the Jews: “You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of me. But you are not willing to come to me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40). Paul says: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16). But this does not make the scriptures the word of God. There is a difference between what God says and what God inspires. If God were to inspire me to write a book, the words in my book would still be my words. They would not be the word of God. All that can be said is that my words were written by the inspiration of God. If God were to inspire me to do a painting, it would not thereby be the painting of God? It would still be my painting. Contrary to popular perception, the writer of 2 Peter does Paul no favours. He says: “No prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21). However, Paul is not a prophet. 2 Peter does not classify Paul’s writing as prophecy but as “scripture.” Christians need to understand that the law and the prophets are the highest form of inspired Jewish writings. Other “writings” are considered of lower cadre. 2 Peter does not even acknowledge Paul as an apostle of Christ. Instead, it pointedly refers to him as “Brother Paul.” It does not say Paul writes by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Instead, it says Paul writes: “according to the wisdom that God gave him.” (2 Peter 3:15). That is certainly not a high commendation. It actually means 2 Peter does not accept Paul’s writings as the word of God. At best, they are words of wisdom. I also write according to the wisdom God gave me. But that does not make my writings the word of God. Moreover, the major concern of 2 Peter is that Paul’s letters are inclined to lead unstable believers astray. I share that concern. However, there is no danger in the word of God leading anybody astray. Nowhere in the scriptures are we counseled to be careful that the word of God might lead us astray. 2 Peter says some of Paul’s writings are “hard to understand.” Again, this immediately shows they cannot be the word of God. The word of God is not hard to understand. On the contrary, it “gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130). Word of Paul When Paul wrote his letter to Timothy declaring the scriptures to be the inspiration of God, the New Testament bible was non-existent. Therefore, Paul’s epistles can surely not be included in his classification of the scriptures. In any case, Paul’s view of the Old Testament contradicts that of Jeremiah. Jeremiah insists the scribes tampered with the bible. He asks: “How can you say, ‘We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD,’ when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?” (Jeremiah 8:8). Paul is the only writer in the bible who says his word is the word of God. He says to the Thessalonians: “When you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). This is one of the most deceitful things Paul ever said. In the bible, Paul mostly speaks for himself and about himself. Time and again, he presents himself as his own authority, ensuring that his words should not be mistaken for the word of God. The word of God can only come from God. It cannot come from man. Paul is a man; therefore, he cannot speak the word of God. John the Baptist, whose heavenly calling Jesus authenticates, never claims he speaks the word of God. Instead he says: “He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.” (John 3:31). “He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.” (John 3:34). John is talking here about Jesus and no one else. Only Jesus and the Holy Spirit are divinely authorised to speak the word of God on earth. They are the only two people who come from heaven. They also never speak their own words. They only speak God’s words. Jesus says: “I have not spoken on my own authority; but the Father who sent me gave me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that his command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told me, so I speak.” (John 12:49-50). The same principle applies to the Holy Spirit. Jesus says: “He will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak.” (John 16:13). These principles have no applicability to Paul. Even by his own admission, Paul speaks his own words. He says: “What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly.” (2 Corinthians 11:17). But God does not speak foolishly. (Continued). Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/08/the-word-of-paul-is-not-the-word-of-god-1/

Religion

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The World Bank data on ease of doing business released this year ranked Nigeria 169 out of 190 countries. Ten sub-indices were used for this ranking such as starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. One sub-indices that many Nigerians can relate with is electricity. Although all Nigerians are feeling the effects, businesses are feeling it more. Jumia Travel identifies 5 ways power shortage is affecting Nigerian businesses. Huge amounts are budgeted for diesel and generator There is no way any business can run smoothly without having a generator notwithstanding if it is a startup or an established business. The budget for generators, diesel as well as servicing these generators is humongous. These monies, if there is no power interruption, can be deployed to other aspects of the businesses. Startups are likely to fail Many young Nigerians have ventured into the uncertain world of entrepreneurship despite the recession. They have satisfied all the constitutional requirements for setting up a business but they have to still a factor in how to provide electricity. Over time, you will observe that some of these great startups are likely to fail due to power shortage. They can only do as much. Businesses cannot employ If electricity can be tackled in Nigeria, the monies companies spend on providing power can be used to employ more Nigerians. This is a part reason why some companies prefer to use contract staff. No room for growth or expansion Growth and expansion are essential to any business. The more businesses spend on electricity, the more they cut back on growth. Combining power shortage with the economic recession, some companies have no choice than to lay off some of their workers. Businesses are moving out Nigeria is the biggest market in Africa. At the same time, it has the biggest challenges. Some of them have decided to continue running their businesses in the country, others have made the decision to move their operations to other countries while maintaining a little presence in the Nigeria. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/01/5-ways-power-shortage-affecting-nigerian-businesses/

Business

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By Afe Babalola The 1999 Constitution: It is beyond comprehension that 20 years after Nigeria returned to democratic governance in 1999, we have retained the 1999 military Constitution as our supreme law. The 1999 constitution continues to limit the capabilities of states and local governments to sustain developmental initiatives and projects. The current situation whereby state governments have to go to Abuja every month with the begging bowl for federal allocations is an aberration that explains the poor state of Nigeria’s federalism today. We have gradually replaced the derivation formula and the tenets of true federalism, with an allocation formula that is only imaginable under a unitary state. The Western region is the worst victim of the Unitary Constitution which has affected education, health and economic development. Virtually all the educational, economic and agricultural programmes put in place by Chief Awolowo had collapsed. Equitable sharing of expenditure In a truly federal constitution, provinces or states have constitutional authority to control resources derived from their territories. Fiscal federalism as a tenet of federalism dictates equitable sharing of expenditure and fiscal instrument among the central, states and local tiers of government. Under a truly federalist state, fiscal autonomy and responsibility is granted to subnational governments, with state and local governments having adequate resources to perform their functions autonomously, such that no tier is subservient to the other. In Canada for example, oil and gas resources are owned and controlled by the provinces. Section 109 of Canada’s Constitution Act, 1867 explicitly vests ownership rights to all lands, mines, minerals and royalties for oil and gas resources to the provinces in which they are derived. The oil rich province of Alberta for example, retains its oil wealth and pays a predetermined amount of contribution to the federal government. This is in far contrast to the current situation in Nigeria where the federal government exercises ownership rights and control over oil and gas resources found in different states, and in the reverse pays allocation to oil and gas owning states. This warped model of federalism serves as disincentives to states and local governments to develop other forms of resources in their territories. For example, under Chief Awolowo, the Western region had a functional economy based primarily on cocoa farming and exports. Recognizing the fiscal autonomy of states and local governments will go a long way to boost innovation and spur investment in other key sectors such as agriculture. The uneven allocation of powers and responsibility between federal, state and local governments is at the heart of the ongoing agitation for a restructuring of the Nigerian federation. Although federalism has no universally applicable template, as it is a context specific notion that must be driven by the political and structural realities of every country. However, there are few common characteristics that are basic and fundamental to a true federation, the most important of which is: an equal distribution or allocation of powers, such that each unit has ultimate sovereignty, with none preeminent over or subordinate to the other. While the federal government is to have power over matters that are of general interest to the nation, states and local governments in a federalist nation ought to have powers over matters that are peculiar to their local communities. In their exercise of their powers, all tiers must retain substantial autonomy on a wide range of subjects, to enable them run their governments and manage their affairs. As summed up by Eso JSC in Nkwocha V Governor of Anambra State “the bedrock of federalism lies in each tier of government being a master in its own domain.” This is the kind of reform and restructuring that we need in Nigeria. Our current claim to being a federation is not only comical and deceitful, it indeed requires urgent surgical operation. Restructuring is not a call for disunity or conflict, it is a well-informed call for a speedy return to the confederation principles contained in the independence Constitution which our regional leaders negotiated with the British between 1957 and 1959. The earlier we restructure the country to revert to true federalism, the sooner we can begin to witness economic recovery. Fiscal federalism and financial autonomy will go a long way to address some of the perennial agitations and crises, such as the Niger-Delta crises and threats of secession by various ethnic groups, that have remained insurmountable for decades. Without urgent and true restructuring, Nigeria’s search for peace, security and progress may remain elusive. - Economic ideology of Awoism Awoism as an economic ideology envisions a progressive welfare state, centred around the empowerment, social welfare and freedom of the people. Chief Awolowo pioneered Africa’s brand of the British philosopher, John Locke’s liberal political philosophy, that is based on liberty, equality and in which the welfare of the people is the supreme law (Salus populi suprema lex). Awoism doggedly recognizes the welfare of the people as the very essence of government and governance. An Awoist state is one in which everyone acquires primary and secondary education for free; where citizens would enjoy free health care; access to world class state-led infrastructure; have gainful employment; and in which basic needs are met by a functional and efficient public service. At considerable expense, Chief Awolowo introduced free primary education for all, which in its first year alone in 1954, registered 394,000 pupils. He established the first television service in Africa, constructed the Liberty stadium amongst other social welfare projects that in no time transformed the Southwest into an infrastructural paradise. Employment: The best cure for poverty Chief Awolowo’s investment in agriculture also provided gainful employment for the citizens. Prior to the commercial discovery of oil in 1956, Nigeria was renowned for its prowess in agriculture ranging from the towering groundnut pyramids in Kano in Northern Nigeria, to palm oil in the Eastern parts and the cocoa revolution in Chief Awolowo’s Western Region. Chief Awolowo launched farm settlement schemes under the Economic Project Performance Unit, EPPU, the forerunner of Odua Investment Company Limited, which provided finance and land for large scale agricultural projects in the region. The Apoje and Lomiro oil palm, as well as rubber and cocoa plantations in Ilushin and Ikenne, among other agricultural projects provided significant revenue for the government, cheaper food commodities and gainful employment for citizens, as well as raw materials for manufacturers. They also served as laboratories for students in agricultural courses and institutions to acquire practical skills. Awoism recognizes the importance of agriculture and economic diversification as an essential pillar for providing a decent standard of living food, and freedom from poverty to the citizens. It is propelled by the simple Yoruba adage that ‘if hunger is removed from poverty, then poverty becomes insignificant.’ Also, the Yoruba adage that ‘employment is the best cure for poverty’ is a crucial foundation of Awoism. Awoism reckons that all human beings need a certain amount of economic power for them to be patriotic and honourable. As the leading scholar Rhonda Howard once propounded: a man’s belly must be full before he can indulge in the luxury of worrying about his political rights and freedom. Also, Mahatma Ghandi, the father of the Indian independence movement also famously remarked: there are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread. Generally, one cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not eaten well. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/05/awoism-and-the-unending-search-for-transformational-leadership-in-nigeria-challenges-2/

Politics

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A new report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that access to relevant malaria prevention and treatment interventions has increased significantly, leading to a 33% decline in malaria-related deaths in Africa. In the 2011 World Malaria Report, which the world body released in Geneva and New York, it stated that there is a continued progress in efforts to reverse the course of the disease, with mortality related to the disease having decreased significantly since 2000. According to the report, there were 655,000 malaria-related deaths in 2010, less than the previous year. Still, these promising figures leave much to be desired, a United Nations representative said. “With malaria deaths in Africa having fallen significantly since 2000, the return on our investment to end malaria deaths has been greater than any I have experienced in the business world. But one child still dies every minute from malaria – and that is one child and one minute too many,” says Raymond G. Chambers, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Malaria. “The toll taken by the current economic crisis must not result in our gains being reversed, or progress slowed. With Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s charge for near zero deaths by end of 2015, turning back now is not an option,” Mr Chambers adds. He anticipates even more significant results in the coming years, “with 175 million mosquito nets having been delivered since data were collected for the report, along with intensified efforts to deliver diagnosis and treatment”. Speaking at the United Nations Noon Briefing, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership’s Executive Director, together with WHO’s Director of the Global Malaria Program, highlighted the progress noted and discussed necessary steps to ensure continued success. “Since the Secretary-General inspired the world to end malaria deaths by 2015, years of hard work and resource mobilization leading to the distribution of hundreds of millions of nets, treatments and testing is firmly manifesting itself in the form of lives saved,”said Ray Chambers, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria. The vision requires more funds in order to become a reality, however. According to the report, International funds for malaria control reached US$ 1.7 billion in 2010 and US$ 2 billion in 2011, but remained significantly below the US$ 5-6 billion that would be needed annually to achieve global malaria targets. “We need a fully-resourced Global Fund, new donors, and endemic countries to join forces and address the vast challenges that lie ahead. Millions of bed nets will need replacement in the coming years, and the goal of universal access to diagnostic testing and effective treatment must be realized,” says Dr Robert Newman, Director of WHO’s Global Malaria Programme. “We need to act with urgency and resolve to ensure that no-one dies from malaria for lack of a 5 dollar bed net, 1 dollar antimalarial drug and a 50 cent diagnostic test.”

http://www.channelstv.com/home/2012/06/12/i-reported-otedolas-bribe-to-police-and-efcc-in-april-farouk-lawan/Who

Politics

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By Taye Obateru Jos — A health centre in Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State is almost turning into a snake bite treatment centre, recording over 300 cases of snake bites monthly. According to statistics from Comprehensive Health Centre Zamko owned by the Jos University Teaching Hospital, over half of patients on admission are victims of snake bites. An official of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Nandul Dofa, who is involved in the management of snake bite cases at the centre said about 236 cases of snake bites were treated in April, 345 in May while over 300 had so far been treated this month. He said only one death arising from the delay in getting the victim to hospital was recorded, assuring of the centre’s ability to take care of victims once they are taken there before the venom does much damage to their system. Dr. Dofa was, however, against any measure to wipe out snakes from the area, arguing that despite the danger they posed, they were useful to the environment. “It’s not fair to reduce the number of snakes within the environment because the snakes stabilize the ecology. They eat rodents, they eat frogs, they eat cockroaches. If you remove them, you’ll give room to these to multiply,†he said. He said the danger associated with their high number of snakes in the area could be lessened by wearing cover shoes and getting prompt medical care when bitten. Other officers at the centre complained of shortage of personnel, noting that they could do with more hands considering the volume of patients who also come from Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Taraba and Nasarawa states. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/06/30/plateau-lg-records-300-snake-bites-monthly/

Politics

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UPDATE: 29-6-2016 10:00 EDT: Facebook responded to the fake status on Wednesday, saying: “You may have seen a post telling you to copy and paste a notice to retain control over things you share on Facebook. Don’t believe it. You own your content and can control how it is shared through your privacy settings.” Facebook is not making all your posts public, so publishing any kind of legal notice on your Facebook page or profile is totally baseless. The only way to change your privacy settings is to adjust them yourself in the account settings on Facebook and practice caution when you post to the Web. The below message posted by many on Facebook is fake, so copying and publishing such claims is not going to save you or anyone else. Facebook message hoax This not the first time users are posting such hoax or fake notices. According to Snopes, messages about protecting your copyright or privacy rights on Facebook by posting a particular legal notice to your wall are all variants of an item circulated several years ago. The item posited that posting a similar notice on a website would protect that site’s operators from prosecution for piracy. In both cases, the claims are erroneous, an expression of the mistaken belief that using some simple legal talisman — knowing enough to ask the right question or post a pertinent disclaimer — will immunize one from some undesirable legal consequence. The law just doesn’t work that way. Here is the full text of Facebook’s data usage policy “We collect the content and other information you provide when you use our Services, including when you sign up for an account, create or share, and message or communicate with others. This can include information in or about the content you provide, such as the location of a photo or the date a file was created. We also collect information about how you use our Services, such as the types of content you view or engage with or the frequency and duration of your activities. “

http://www.valuewalk.com/2016/06/facebook-posts-public-note/

Phones

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When was the first time you saw that bumper sticker: Spending My Children Inheritance? It was supposed to be a joke on flashy expensive sport cars. Nowhere can that be real than in African countries, the richest Continent potentially, in the world. It is not the number of millionaires; as Africa deserves to have ours. It is the number of children and orphans that became desperate, homeless, hungry and locked in misery by manmade and natural disasters on African Continent. These children are not only becoming orphans because they lost their parents to manmade and natural disasters, many African children forsake homes to risk lives crossing the deserts. They have become economic and material orphans from the countries they fled. They have been pushed to the point where they felt they had nothing to lose but lives that are useless at home. The one situation we do not want to be in, is where see our children suffer while we are totally helpless to reach out and make a difference. There are those that could and can make that difference but only to spoil their own children and families with the resources of Africa. They give it away as gold in exchange for toys, mansions, outside taxes and mirrors like their ancient forefathers. Others want to, even strive to reach out but fall short or their fingers get burnt. Africans are generally hospitable to orphans since it takes a whole village to raise a child. These cases are different. Most extended families that would have taken children into their care are afraid of ingrates or Ebola infecting their own families. It is farfetched to expect families from other countries or continents to take in children rejected in their own countries in the face of stigma on Africans. But for our civil conflicts, preventable diseases would not have taken hold. Orphans estimated by UNICEF and other international bodies are staggering and unbearable. As Ebola victims increase exponentially, orphans without families explode with it. There is no good time or later time to think about orphans, as we think about these disasters and how to stop or prevent them, we must brainstorm on solutions. These problems are not insurmountable, they are preventable if politicians can only think, plan and stop wasting our children inheritance. This Ebola disaster is a reminder for Africans of what civil wars have reduced us to. Once you are befallen by wars, little misfortunes turn into disaster preying on your fallen bodies. While most of us stand by our brothers and sisters, some Liberians are running away from one another, some Africans are running away from Liberians and some folks are running away from Africans. Civil wars in Africa are the hidden templates that have given Ebola the upper hand. This is not the time to succumb to self-pity. Africans must be strong in the face of adversities. Ebola has been conquered before and diseases will be conquered again. We must start thinking and planning for our children that have been the weakest victims of disasters. While many died with their parents, survivals are shunned with nowhere to go. It has turned into survival of self before thinking of others. If our destiny is in doubt, there is no time to reach out to others. There is no more time to cry, we have cried. It is time to plan our future. Our immediate goal is to defeat manmade and natural calamities whenever they reappear since our future remains with our children. African refugees have no other continent to go. We must find ways to make Africa suitable as our place of first and last resort. The debate in other countries is how to keep us out. Our debate must be how to make Africa comfortable for ourselves and our children. Children have suffered from all natural and manmade disasters through no fault of theirs, yet they are the least able to provide for themselves. Diseased orphans are in addition to growing numbers of children left to cater for themselves not only in Liberia but all over Africa. Some are recruited as child soldiers, into militias, beggars and paid to lookout for armed robbers. We are losing a whole generation, the consequences are coming back to haunt us sooner than later. Africans must have turned on one another otherwise we would not have country as Equatorial Guinea or Nigeria where we steal one another blind with impunity legally and illegally. Nigeria has the highest paid politicians in the world and no amount of pressure, cries, Boko Haram or disasters have been able to change that. Indeed, the politicians have their supporters within, trying to justify what is indefensible. But that is only looting the Country legally. Illegally, treasury is looted by planeload cash or paper transactions. Nigeria has groups of ethnic champions that are ready to condemn others vehemently as long as the looter does not belong to their ethnic group. Surprisingly, the logic in their arguments clearly contradicts their stated positions when condemning other ethnic groups. The funds that could be used to alleviate and prevent suffering of children and orphans, not only at home but in Africa are looted individually. Clergy and judicial systems have been compromised. Indeed courts outside Nigeria are more trusted with evidence smuggled out to convict our looters. Nigeria has gone as far as requesting prisoners exchange so that embezzlers convicted outside can come back home to enjoy their loot. They know Nigerian jails are in deprived conditions, no poor Nigerian convict would want to be repatriated home. Yet, they used unfortunate and poor criminals to negotiate for kingpins. What shall we children do? Nigeria is the country the whole world looked upon to be a regional power, rich and capable enough to lift Africa out of its sorry situation. Today even decent Nigerians watch in amazement how all the money made from oil, cocoa, groundnuts and many other natural resources have been wasted on frivolities without being used as a takeoff for a durable sustainable, reliable and economic independence. As Nigerians conquered Ebola as shining example to the world, Tom Duncan fell to Ebola in USA. Health Insurance: Testimonies Trail Free Medical And Surgica Visit Markets On The Street To Properly Understand Nigerians Nafdac Seizes Fake Cosmetics Products Worth ₦37 Million In A Release Nnamdi Kanu To Celebrate Nigeria’s Independence Day— Iran Fires Over 200 Ballistic Missiles At Israel Emirates Airline Resumes Flight Operations To Nigeria Usaid State2state Wants Dialogue In Building Resilient Team Analysing Verydarman's Defence To His Alleged Defamation Of No Matter How Powerful You're, We'll Not Surrender To Barefa At 64 Years, Nigeria Stands Out As Nation In Decline— Peter All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. 2005-2024, © Copyright thenigerianvoice.com

http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/159292/50/orphans-inheritance-looted-despite-man-made-natura.html

Politics

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Harare - Zimbabwean government critics on Thursday slammed a decision to award the Chinese equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize to the southern African country’s controversial leader of 35 years, Robert Mugabe. The decision is “an attack on the people of Zimbabwe,” said Luke Tamborinyoka, spokesman for the main opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The Confucius Peace Prize was established in 2010 in response to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo winning the Nobel Peace Prize the same year. Mugabe was chosen for having “worked hard to bring political and economic order into the country and to improve the welfare” of Zimbabweans, the prize committee said. Tamborinyoka said the award was “an attack on the people of Zimbabwe who bore the brunt of state-sponsored violence” when hundreds of opposition supporters were allegedly attacked to ensure Mugabe’s victory in the 2008 elections. Kumbirai Mafunda from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said it was “perplexing that any serious organisation would consider President Mugabe for any honour.” Several human rights or pro-democracy activists have disappeared in Zimbabwe recently, Mafunda pointed out. Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba declined to comment on the award, saying he was still to be briefed on it. It was not known if Mugabe, whose health is said to be failing, will travel to China to collect 500 000 yuan (nearly 79 000 dollars) in prize money. Zimbabwe developed strong relations with China after its ties with the West chilled over the expulsion of white farmers - sometimes violently – and human rights abuses more than a decade ago. Mugabe’s critics accuse him of trying to gag the opposition and of wrecking the country’s economy. His defensors say he has improved the educational system and empowered black people by redistributing the land of 6 000 white farmers to more than 200 000 blacks.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/mugabe-awarded-confucius-peace-prize-1.1934537#.Vin7quGevIUWonders

Politics

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China must close down ‘wet markets’ now As the world gets smaller and populations travel with speed around the world, it is time that the world focus on the domestic food laws in countries like China and others that are not up to the standards of health, safety and welfare — for their own populations and those beyond their borders. The current COVID-19 crisis was born out of people who worked and shopped at a “wet market” in Wuhan, China. A wet market sells live and dead animals —including fish, birds, badgers, bats, pangolins (scaly anteaters), and turtles — for human consumption. These markets are wet. Water splashes over the sides of open tubs filled with live sea animals that will inevitably be killed; countertops and floors are streaked red with the insides of gutted fish and the blood of slaughtered animals. China is notorious for lack of hygiene and government oversight of their domestic wet markets. There are separate rules in China for food commodities for export and those for local consumption. The only problem with this duplicity is that it keeps neither their people safe nor those beyond their borders. In recent years we have seen an alarming uptick in deadly viruses emerging from human contact with live animals. The deadliest viruses emerged from human contact with live animals: - Asian Flu in 1957-1958 from a mutation in wild ducks — at least 1.1 million dead - H5N1 Bird Flu in 1997 from Chinese geese — at least 455 dead - SARS in 2002-2003 from wild animals (perhaps bats, civet cats) — at least 774 dead - H7N9 Bird Flu in 2013 from poultry at live bird market — about 610 dead - Novel Coronavirus/COVID-19 in 2019-present from wild animals (perhaps bats) in a wet market in Wuhan — 40,000 dead, and counting China’s domestic demand and customs for exotic and live food are a direct threat to the health, safety and welfare of the world. We can no longer allow China’s domestic actions — and inaction — to threaten the world health and economy. National Geographic reports that the Chinese government allows 54 wild species to be bred on farms and sold for consumption, including minks, ostriches, hamsters, snapping turtles, and Siamese crocodiles. Many wild animals, such as snakes and birds of prey, are poached and brought to state-licensed farms, says Zhou Jinfeng, secretary-general of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, an NGO in Beijing that helped with the bird rescue in September. Zhou said some farmers claim that their animals were bred legally in captivity for conservation but then sell them to markets or collectors. It’s unknown how many live wildlife markets exist in China, but experts estimate they could number in the hundreds. Some department and big-box stores also sell wild meat and live amphibians for consumption. For market buyers, frogs are a common and inexpensive wildlife dish, says Peter Li, China policy specialist at Humane Society International and professor in East Asian politics at the University of Houston-Downtown. On the high end, Li says, only the rich can afford soup made with palm civet (a cat-size mammal native to jungles throughout Southeast Asia), fried cobra, or braised bear paw. Such food was not part of Li’s experience growing up. “My parents never cooked wild animals, and [we’ve] never eaten them. I’ve never had snake — much less cobra.” China is a dictatorship. They could end wet markets tomorrow if they wanted. The fact they allow them to exist is unconscionable. China has no regard for the individual. It is all about the perpetuation of the State. When China’s domestic governance threatens the world, that’s when the world needs to change China’s domestic policies. The United States — the country now most affected by COVID-19 — must demand China make institutional changes in their domestic food safety policies to help eliminate the threat of pandemic. How many more animal-born viruses must we fall victim to before we demand that China and others stop the behavior that most often causes them? China cannot be trusted. We must form an international coalition to investigate China’s food safety and health protocols, reporting and prevention. And, we must also call for the immediate closures of all “wet markets” and enforce severe penalties for those who deal with the sale of wild animals that are known to spread illness. Bradley A. Blakeman was a deputy assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2004. A principal of the 1600 Group, a strategic communications firm, he is an adjunct professor of public policy and international affairs at Georgetown University and a frequent guest on Fox News and Fox Business. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

https://thehill.com/opinion/international/490528-china-must-close-down-wet-markets-now

Health

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A rally to mark HIV/Aids Day. By Ebele Orakpo, with Agency Reports Scientists have discovered that apart from pollinating crops, producing honey, beeswax , propolis, pollen and royal jelly, bees could also be the solution to the deadly Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and cancer. Recently, a team of scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine, USA, used nanoparticles carrying a toxin found in bee venom to destroy HIV without harming nearby cells. The report was contained in the current issue of Antiviral Therapy. Explaining the modus operandi, Dr. Samuel A. Wickline, one of the researchers said; “Bee venom contains a potent toxin called melittin that can poke holes in the protective envelope that surrounds HIV and other viruses. It has even shown melittin-loaded nanoparticles to be effective in killing tumor cells.” In an interview with Vanguard in Ibadan recently, Mr. Ayodele Salako, an apiculturist (beekeeper), corroborated the assertion of the researchers. “The bee sting is very medicinal. A bee keeper who is stung by a bee every now and then, will not complain of any ailment because the bees have taken those things away from you by enhancing your immunity. That is one of the best works of bee venom.” He demonstrated this by administering bee venom therapy on some people with pains in various parts of the body like the waist, hands and knees. All recipients said the pains stopped after a few minutes. Comparing the bee venom and other anti-HIV drugs, Joshua L. Hood, another researcher said “most anti-HIV drugs inhibit the virus’s ability to replicate. But this anti-replication strategy does nothing to stop initial infection, and some strains of the virus have found ways around these drugs and reproduce anyway. The bee venom toxin is different because it attacks an essential part of the virus’ structure. The melittin forms little pore-like attack complexes and ruptures the envelope, stripping it off the virus. “We are attacking an inherent physical property of HIV,” said Hood, “and there isn’t any way for the virus to adapt to that. The virus has to have a protective coat, a double-layered membrane that covers it,” so if the covering is destroyed, the virus is destroyed. “Because the bee venom toxin has been engineered not to attack healthy cells, a vaginal gel loaded with bee venom particles, could be ideal for couples where one partner has HIV and they want to have a baby,” the report said, adding; “It’s also theoretically possible that intravenous injections of the nanoparticles would be able to clear HIV from the blood stream, a virtual miracle for those who have tested positive.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/04/hiv-cancer-bee-venom-to-the-rescue/

Health

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Review the 'Possible Causes' mentioned above and visually examine the corresponding wiring harness and connectors. Ensure to check for any damaged components and inspect the connector pins for signs of being broken, bent, pushed out, or corroded. To diagnose the P1157 Honda code, it typically requires 1.0 hour of labor. The specific diagnosis time and labor rates at auto repair shops can vary based on factors such as location, vehicle make and model, and engine type. Most auto repair shops commonly charge between $80 and $150 per hour; however, rates in metropolitan areas or at dealerships may be higher, while independent shops often charge less. It's advisable to check local rates for a more precise estimate. If the element is not activated or the Engine Control Module (ECM) terminal voltage is a set value or less for at least a set time period when the power is drawn to the A/F sensor (sensor 1) heater, a malfunction is detected and the code is stored. The Air/Fuel Ratio (A/F) sensor 1 is installed in the exhaust system and detects oxygen content in the exhaust gas. The A/F sensor transmits output voltage to the Engine Control Module (ECM). A heater for the sensor element is embedded in the A/F sensor (sensor 1). It is activated and heats the sensor to stabilize and speed the detection of oxygen content by controlling current flowing through the heater. An increase in the current levels off as the applied voltage to the element electrode reaches a certain range because the amount of oxygen which is led through the diffusion layer is limited. The current amperage is proportional to oxygen content in the exhaust gas, so the air/fuel ratio is detected by the measurement of the current amperage. The ECM compares a set target air/fuel ratio with the detected air/fuel ratio and controls the fuel injection timing. If the A/F sensor (sensor 1) voltage is low, the air/fuel ratio is lean, and the ECM uses A/F feedback control to issue a Rich command. If the A/F sensor (sensor 1) voltage is high, the air/fuel ratio is rich, and the ECM uses A/F feedback control to issue a Lean command. Need more information on how to fix the P1157 Honda code? Get Access to Factory Service Manuals Get the P1157 Honda code diagnosed by a professional: Find a repair shop in your area Have not replaced any parts yet but was having this issuebut as long as I kept my rpm's at 1000 or above , the car ran great ..My boot leading from the air intake going to the air filter box was in really poor shape , had it all taped up because it was all crack and was def creating vaccum, leaks so I had bought A cold air intake figuring that would omit this issue but now I start the car and she will start but immediately stalls so not sure where to go , had just unplugged the fuel and air ratio sensor and reconnected so will try the sensor again and then will have to remove cold air intake to see which one actually helps Reply to Comment

https://www.autocodes.com/p1157_honda.html

Car Talk

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By Sola Ogundipe Castrated men tend to live much longer than fully endowed men, according to a new study published in Current Biology, that could offer clues on how to extend the male lifespan. Experts say possible negative consequences of castration include “decreased libido,depression and loss of physical strength. Researchers say eunuchs lived 14 to 19 years longer than other men did. Three even lived to 100 or more, a feat of longevity that remains relatively rare among men even today. Castration allegedly extends lifespan by reducing male sex hormones – testosterone is known to increase the incidence of coronary heart disease and reduce immune function in males. Due to this immune function suppression, eunuchs could be better able to resist infections and are less prone to physically dangerous situations that could put them at risk. The researchers plan to examine the lifespan of eunuchs in other cultures, but few expect young men to willingly undergo castration in order to have lengthier lives. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/11/castrated-men-live-longer/

Health

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Scientists discover cure for diabetes There is good news for diabetic patients. They will no longer need to inject insulin – thanks to a treatment involving the use of insulin-producing cells which Harvard University scientists discovered how to make. The cure could, therefore, be imminent as the scientists have produced large volumes of laboratory-grown pancreatic cells required for one-off transplantation in patients. The breakthrough has been hailed and compared to the invention of antibiotics. It involved identifying how to efficiently turn both stem cell types into beta cells. The cells, millions of which were manufactured, produced insulin, responded to glucose, worked on mice for many months and will soon be used to treat humans. The discovery is the result of 23 years of research by Harvard Professor Doug Melton, whose study of type 1 diabetes was prompted by his son having the condition as a six-month-old. His daughter received the same diagnoses. The cells could be used to treat all patients rather than each person needing their own genetically matched treatment. The cells tested on mice were placed in a porous capsule to protect them from attacks by the body’s immune system, while allowing the insulin to diffuse out. This means the cells could be produced on an industrial scale and used on patients without possible immune rejection, while the capsule could be replaced if it stopped working. A report on the work is published in the October 10 edition of the journal Cell. Online reports quoted Prof Melton as saying: “It was gratifying to know that we could do something that we always thought was possible, but many people felt it wouldn’t work. We are now just one pre-clinical step away from the finish line.” Asked about his children’s reaction he said: “I think like all kids, they always assumed that if I said I’d do this, I’d do it.” Prof Melton said the stem cell-derived beta cells are presently undergoing trials in animal models, including non-human primates, where they are still producing insulin after several months,. The team at Harvard used embryonic stem cells to produce human insulin-producing cells equivalent in almost every way to normally functioning cells. The Telegraph quoted Professor of Regenerative Medicine, University College London Chris Mason as saying the discovery was “potentially a major medical breakthrough”. “If this scalable technology is proven to work in both the clinic and in the manufacturing facility, the impact on the treatment of diabetes will be a medical game-changer on a par with antibiotics and bacterial infections,” he said. Head of Institute of Integrative Biology at the University of Liverpool, Prof Anthony Hollander, added: “This is very exciting fundamental research that solves a major roadblock in the development of a stem cell treatment for diabetes. “The study provides a very elegant and convincing method for generating functional insulin-producing cells in large numbers.” Prof Mark Dunne of Manchester University said: “Overall this is an important advance for the field of diabetes and people with Type 1 diabetes.” Prof Elaine Fuchs of Rockefeller University described the findings as “one of the most important advances to date in the stem cell field”, adding: “For decades, researchers have tried to generate human pancreatic beta cells that could be cultured and passaged long term under conditions where they produce insulin.” Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to stop producing insulin – the hormone that regulates blood glucose levels. If the amount of glucose in the blood is too high it can seriously damage the body’s organs over time. While diabetics can keep their glucose levels under general control by injecting insulin, that does not provide the fine tuning necessary to properly control metabolism, which can lead to devastating complications such as blindness or loss of limbs.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/scientists-discover-cure-for-diabetes/

Health

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Around the globe, people will be coming together to mark World Kidney Day. How will you be celebrating? Let us know by posting information about your activity on our activity map! Take our quick fun-quiz and test your kidney health knowledge! While kidney disease can affect people of all ages and races, women tend to face more specific challenges linked to kidney disease. The risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is at least as high in women as in men and may even be higher. Most organs of our body have strong links and interdependency. Heart and kidneys are not an exception. There is a strong connection between kidney disease and cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels) disease. Being overweight may increase the risk of developing a number of health issues, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, kidney disease, and, many more. By 2025, obesity will affect 18% of men and 21% of women worldwide. Organ donation refers to when a person allows his/her organ(s) to be removed, legally, with their consent while they are alive or with the consent of their next of kin if the donor is deceased. Transplantation is the transfer (engraftment) of cells, tissues or organs from one part of the body to another or from a donor to a recipient with the aim of restoring function(s) in the body. A selection of some of the best pictures of World Kidney Day throughout the years. See your activity, our team and all the ways you got involved during one of our many World Kidney Days. Stay informed about World Kidney Day by subscribing to our newsletter. You’ll receive just one or two communications per month, and we guarantee your information will remain private. Thank you for your support!

http://www.worldkidneyday.org

Health

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Why Nigerians hate Igbo, by Chinua Achebe Nigeria’s foremost novelist Chinua Achebe has claimed that Nigerians, especially of the Hausa/Fulani and the Yoruba stocks, do not like his Igbo ethnic group because of the southeast’s cultural advantage. He made this claim in his new book, There was a Country, which has generated controversy for his onslaught on the role of Obafemi Awolowo as the federal commissioner of finance during the Nigeria civil war. He accused Awolowo of genocide and imposition of food blockade on Biafra, a claim that has drawn rebuttals and contradictions of emotional intensity from some southwest leaders and commentators. “I have written in my small book entitled The Trouble with Nigeria that Nigerians will probably achieve consensus on no other matter than their common resentment of the Igbo,” he wrote under the heading, A History of Ethnic Tension and Resentment. He traced the origin of “the national resentment of the Igbo” to its culture that “gave the Igbo man an unquestioned advantage over his compatriots in securing credentials for advancement in Nigerian colonial society.” He observed that the Igbo culture’s emphasis on change, individualism and competitiveness gave his ethnic group an edge over the Hausa/Fulani man who was hindered by a “wary religion” and the Yoruba man who was hampered by” traditional hierarchies.” He therefore described the Igbo, who are predominantly Catholic, as “fearing no god or man, was “custom-made to grasp the opportunities, such as they were, of the white man’s dispensations. And the Igbo did so with both hands.” He delved into history with his claim, asserting that the Igbo overcame the earlier Yoruba advantage within two decades earlier in the twentieth century. “Although the Yoruba had a huge historical and geographical head start, the Igbo wiped out their handicap in one fantastic burst of energy in the twenty years between 1930 and 1950.” He narrated the earlier advantage of Yoruba as contingent on their location on the coastline, but once the missionaries crossed the Niger, the Igbo took advantage of the opportunity and overtook the Yoruba. ‘The increase was so exponential in such a short time that within three short decades the Igbos had closed the gap and quickly moved ahead as the group with the highest literacy rate, the highest standard of living, and the greatest of citizens with postsecondary education in Nigeria,” he contended. He said Nigerian leadership should have taken advantage of the gbo talent and this failure was partly responsible for the failure of the Nigerian state, explaining further that competitive individualism and the adventurous spirit of the Igbo was a boon Nigerian leaders failed to recognize and harness for modernization. “Nigeria’s pathetic attempt to crush these idiosyncrasies rather than celebrate them is one of the fundamental reasons the country has not developed as it should and has emerged as a laughingstock,” he claimed. He noted that the ousting of prominent Igbos from top offices was a ploy to achieve a simple and crude goal. He said what the Nigerians wanted was to “get the achievers out and replace them with less qualified individuals from the desired ethnic background so as to gain access to the resources of the state.” Achebe, however, saved some criticisms for his kinsmen. He criticised them for what he described as “hubris, overweening pride and thoughtlessness, which invite envy and hatred or even worse that can obsess the mind with material success and dispose it to all kinds of crude showiness.” He added that “contemporary Igbo behavior(that) cab offend by its noisy exhibitionism and disregard for humility and quietness.

https://thenationonlineng.net/why-nigerians-hate-igbo-by-chinua-achebe/

Politics

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Could a swing state halt the vote count? If the certification of votes is blocked, our next president could be selected by the next U.S. House of Representatives. - By Megan Bellamy and Natalie Crawford Yet again, the outcome of our presidential election this November may come down to one swing state where the vote is close – and where partisan officials unhappy with the outcome may try to cast doubt on the results. That’s why it’s so concerning that last month in Georgia – a state that former President Donald Trump lost by a narrow margin in 2020 and where prosecutors have criminally charged him over his efforts to overturn his loss – the State Election Board voted 3-2 to impose new rules that require local officials to conduct an undefined “reasonable inquiry” before certifying the results of an election. Championed by three state board officials who have supported Trump’s false claim that he won Georgia in 2020, the new rules pave the way for partisan officials to delay certification of presidential results past the strict deadline of Nov. 12 at 5 p.m. ET. Last week, the state and national Democratic parties sued to block the new Georgia rules on the grounds that they violate a state law that makes certification a mandatory duty. Consider this worst-case scenario: If partisans in one key state were to halt the certification of votes, blocking either candidate from reaching the 270 Electoral College votes required to win, our next president could be selected by the next U.S. House of Representatives. However remote that chance, any interference with certifying votes threatens safe and secure elections – and our democracy as a whole. Let’s start by defining exactly what election certifiers can – and cannot – do. Some partisans would like you to believe otherwise, but election certifiers do not have the authority to challenge the accuracy of the vote count or any of the processes used to administer an election. Before certification, election systems in every state follow a meticulous series of checks and balances to ensure that only lawful votes are counted and all lawful votes are counted. This happens in three main stages: Verification: First, a team of trained, often nonpartisan election officials takes steps prescribed by law to verify the eligibility of each vote cast, whether in person or by mail. For in-person voters, that often means showing some form of ID or signing in with poll workers. For mail voters, the majority of states verify voters by checking their signatures – though some require voters to write out an ID number instead. Counting: After polls close, verified ballots are counted. Workers conducting the count, often representing both major parties, complete paperwork and secure voting materials for transmission to a local election authority. Opening, handling, counting and transporting ballots and other election materials is usually conducted by bipartisan teams in the presence of bipartisan election observers. Canvassing: Finally, a different set of election professionals review the ballot count and verify all procedures were followed. This process is known as canvassing an election (not to be confused with canvassing for votes, which means knocking on doors or phone-banking for candidates). Critically, election certification – the straightforward process by which winners are declared – occurs only after election officials have completed these rigorous verification, counting and canvassing procedures. Before 2020, local election officials rarely voted against certifying results. Since then, however, election officials in a growing list of states – including Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania – have tried to block certification of votes, without any proof of irregularities or justification for challenging the results. These efforts ultimately failed, but they have shaken Americans’ trust in our electoral system. With the financial backing of partisan groups such as the America First Policy Institute, founded in 2021 to support Trump’s policy agenda, Trump supporters in Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina and Georgia have challenged the 2020 electoral results without providing evidence to verify their claims, and they are likely to try again this year. In Georgia, for example, a member of the Fulton County Board of Elections refused to certify this year’s primary vote and filed a lawsuit in state court, asking the court to redefine certification rules, to expand her powers and to grant her access to a wide range of election records, including digital images of specific ballots. Should the court agree with the plaintiff’s claims, it could put voter privacy at risk, allow one individual to delay certification and erode trust in our election systems. Certification challenges also have the potential to disrupt countless local and state races, up and down the ballot. The stakes could not be higher. This November, we must defend our elections from partisan interference and ensure our election certifiers uphold the will of the American people. *Megan Bellamy is vice president of law and policy at the Voting Rights Lab, a nonpartisan organization based in Washington, D.C. that promotes free and fair elections. *Natalie Crawford, a Republican, is a former two-term commissioner of Habersham County, Georgia, and executive director of Georgia First, a nonprofit organization that works on election access and security.

http://thenationonlineng.net/2019-plan-for-consensus-candidate-unsettles-pdp/Could

Politics

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By Sola Ogundipe , Chioma Obinna & Ebele Onuorah LAGOS – Nigeria will be the first African country to access the benefit of a new protective vaccine that will stop people from developing the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, AIDS as indication yesterday emerged that Cornell Micheal Nelson, one of the scientists who discovered the vaccine will be in Nigeria next month. In a telephone chat with Vanguard, Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, Professor John Idoko disclosed that Cornell Micheal Nelson, will be in Nigeria by October 12, to attend a symposium, where he would be presenting a keynote addrees on the newly discovered vaccine. The choice of Nigeria for this landmark event, is not unconnected with the country’s large population and notable contribution to the fight against the HIV virus. With the discovery of the vaccine, the world may be on the verge of finally overcoming the threat posed by HIV and AIDS. However, indications from the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, revealed that Nigerian Scientists are excited over the vaccine which shows great potential to reduce the burden of HIV across the world. According to former Director General of NIMR, Prof. Oni Idigbe, all is set for the symposium which would address other areas of the discovery. Before now, various type of vaccines have been discovered in the past but none has shown great potential like the present vaccine discovered in Thailand. According to the researchers, the AIDS vaccine could cut down the risk of developing the disease by a third. Already, scientists across the world have hailed the breakthrough, saying it could be the first step to even better protection. The new vaccine which works by stimulating the immune system — is a combination of two previous treatments which had proved ineffective when used alone. It was tested on 8,000 HIV negative male and female volunteers aged 18 to 30 in Thailand. They were checked for infection every six months. The results found that the chances of catching HIV were almost 32 per cent lower if a person had been given the vaccine rather than a dummy injection. The breakthrough — funded by the US Military HIV Research Program and the Thai Ministry of Public Health — is regarded as a first step towards an effective vaccine against AIDS, which hits two million people a year. Prof Aine McKnight, a viral expert from the University of London, said: For a quarter of a century the scientific community has been divided on whether a vaccine against HIV could be produced. “Today that question is settled. This is exciting news, but the battle is far from won.” A spokesman from the World Health Organisation said: “The results are the first demonstration that a vaccine can prevent infection and are of great importance. “These results have instilled new hope in the HIV vaccine research field and promise that a safe and highly effective HIV vaccine may become available for populations throughout the world.” The scientists, however advised that for now, the best protection remains having sex with a condom. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/09/nigeria-to-benefit-from-new-hivaids-vaccine/

Health

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SEOUL (AFP) – An Iranian-born mathematician has become the first woman to win a prestigious Fields Medal, widely viewed as the Nobel Prize of mathematics. Maryam Mirzakhani, a Harvard-educated mathematician and professor at Stanford University in California, was one of four winners announced by the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) at its conference in Seoul on Wednesday. “This is a great honour. I will be happy if it encourages young female scientists and mathematicians,” Mirzakhani said in a press release from Stanford University where she is a professor. “I am sure there will be many more women winning this kind of award in coming years,” she added. The award recognised Mirzakhani’s sophisticated and highly original contributions to the fields of geometry and dynamical systems, particularly in understanding the symmetry of curved surfaces such as spheres. Although her work is considered “pure mathematics” and is mostly theoretical, it has implications for physics and quantum field theory, as well as for the study of prime numbers and cryptography. “Fluent in a remarkably diverse range of mathematical techniques and disparate mathematical cultures, she embodies a rare combination of superb technical ability, bold ambition, far-reaching vision, and deep curiosity,” the ICM said in a statement. Mirzakhani was born in Tehran in 1977 and earned her PhD in 2004 from Harvard University. She has previously won the 2009 Blumenthal Award for the Advancement of Research in Pure Mathematics and the 2013 Satter Prize of the American Mathematical Society. The Fields Medal is given out every four years, often to multiple winners who should not be aged over 40. The other three winners this year were Artur Avila of France, Manjul Bhargava of Princeton University in New Jersey, and Martin Hairer of the University of Warwick in Britain. With no Nobel prize awarded for mathematics, the Fields Medal is seen as the top global award for the discipline. The medals were presented by South Korea’s first woman president, Park Geun-Hye. “I congratulate all the winners, with special applause for Maryam Mirzakhani, whose drive and passion have made her the first woman to win a Fields Medal,” Park said. Before Wednesday’s ceremony all 52 previous recipients had been men. Born and raised in Tehran, Mirzakhani initially dreamed of becoming a writer, but by the time she started high school her affinity for solving mathematical problems and working on proofs had shifted her sights. “It is fun — it’s like solving a puzzle or connecting the dots in a detective case,” she said. “I felt that this was something I could do, and I wanted to pursue this path.” Although it usually involves abstract concepts of nature that might not have an immediately obvious application, Mirzakhani said she enjoyed pure mathematics because of the elegance and longevity of the questions she studies. “It is like being lost in a jungle and trying to use all the knowledge that you can gather to come up with some new tricks, and with some luck you might find a way out,” she said. Mirzakhani became known on the international mathematics scene as a teenager, winning gold medals at both the 1994 and 1995 International Math Olympiads — finishing with a perfect score in the latter competition. In 2008 she became a professor of mathematics at Stanford, where she lives with her husband and three-year-old daughter. “On behalf of the entire Stanford community, I congratulate Maryam on this incredible recognition, the highest honour in her discipline, the first ever granted to a woman,” said university president John Hennessy. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/iranian-first-woman-win-nobel-prize-maths/

Education

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Patient Zero in the Ebola outbreak, researchers suspect, was a 2-year-old boy who died on Dec. 6, just a few days after falling ill in a village in Guéckédou, in southeastern Guinea. Bordering Sierra Leone and Liberia, Guéckédou is at the intersection of three nations, where the disease found an easy entry point to the region. A week later, it killed the boy’s mother, then his 3-year-old sister, then his grandmother. All had fever, vomiting and diarrhea, but no one knew what had sickened them. Two mourners at the grandmother’s funeral took the virus home to their village. A health worker carried it to still another, where he died, as did his doctor. They both infected relatives from other towns. By the time Ebola was recognized, in March, dozens of people had died in eight Guinean communities, and suspected cases were popping up in Liberia and Sierra Leone — three of the world’s poorest countries, recovering from years of political dysfunction and civil war. In Guéckédou, where it all began, “the feeling was fright,” said Dr. Kalissa N’fansoumane, the hospital director. He had to persuade his employees to come to work. On March 31, Doctors Without Borders, which has intervened in many Ebola outbreaks, called this one “unprecedented,” and warned that the disease had erupted in so many locations that fighting it would be enormously difficult. Now, with 1,779 cases, including 961 deaths and a small cluster in Nigeria, the outbreak is out of control and still getting worse. Not only is it the largest ever, but it also seems likely to surpass all two dozen previous known Ebola outbreaks combined. Epidemiologists predict it will take months to control, perhaps many months, and a spokesman for the World Health Organization said thousands more health workers were needed to fight it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/world/africa/tracing-ebolas-breakout-to-an-african-2-year-old.html?_r=0

Health

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Maturing is a characteristic cycle that everybody encounters, except specific propensities can either speed up or decelerate the indications of untimely maturing. While many individuals know about way of life decisions that assist with keeping up with energetic skin, for example, wearing sunscreen and eating a decent eating regimen, there are normal propensities that, in spite of prevalent thinking, don't really forestall untimely maturing. Understanding these propensities is urgent for settling on better decisions that really benefit skin wellbeing and generally speaking health. 1. Depending Exclusively on Costly Skincare Items Fantasy: Expensive skincare items alone can forestall maturing. Reality: While a few charge items contain gainful fixings, they are not a substitute for an extensive skincare schedule that incorporates sun security, hydration, and a sound eating regimen. Excessive cost labels don't ensure adequacy, and in some cases more affordable items can be comparably compelling. 2. Skipping Sunscreen on Overcast Days Legend: Sunscreen is just vital on radiant days. Reality: Bright (UV) beams enter through mists and can cause skin harm even on cloudy days. Steady utilization of sunscreen with basically SPF 30, no matter what the climate, is fundamental to safeguard against untimely maturing brought about by UV openness. 3. Involving Cosmetics with SPF as the Main Sun Insurance Fantasy: Cosmetics with SPF gives adequate sun assurance. Reality: While cosmetics with SPF offers some security, it is much of the time adequately not to safeguard your skin from hurtful UV beams. A devoted sunscreen ought to be applied as a base layer, trailed by cosmetics for sufficient insurance. Fantasy: Incessant peeling keeps skin energetic by eliminating dead cells. Reality: Over-shedding can strip the skin of its regular oils, prompting bothering, dryness, and sped up maturing. It's essential to shed something like 2-3 times each week, utilizing delicate items appropriate for your skin type. 5. Dozing on Your Stomach or Side Legend: Rest position doesn't influence skin maturing. Reality: Reliably dozing on your stomach or side can cause "rest lines" or kinks because of the strain applied on the face. Resting on your back forestalls these lines and keeps your skin looking more youthful longer. 6. Overlooking Pressure The board Fantasy: Stress no affects skin maturing. Reality: Constant pressure increments cortisol levels, which can prompt irritation and breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin. Consolidating pressure the executives strategies like contemplation, yoga, or standard activity can altogether add to keeping up with energetic skin. 7. It is Sufficient to Expect a Sound Eating routine Fantasy: Eating a solid eating regimen alone can forestall skin maturing. Reality: While a nutritious eating routine plentiful in cell reinforcements, nutrients, and minerals upholds skin wellbeing, it should be supplemented by different practices like legitimate skincare, hydration, and sun security. Smart dieting is vital however not adequate all alone to forestall untimely maturing. 8. Smoking With some restraint Fantasy: Intermittent smoking doesn't influence skin maturing. Reality: Even moderate smoking speeds up the maturing system by diminishing blood stream and draining oxygen and fundamental supplements from the skin. It additionally harms collagen and elastin, prompting wrinkles and listing skin. 9. Liquor Utilization Legend: Moderate liquor utilization doesn't influence skin maturing. Reality: Liquor gets dried out the skin, diminishes its versatility, and can prompt the arrangement of kinks. It likewise expands veins, which can cause redness and puffiness. Lessening liquor admission and guaranteeing legitimate hydration can assist with alleviating these impacts. 10. Utilizing Just Night Creams for Hostile to Maturing Fantasy: Night creams alone are adequate for against maturing. Reality: Night creams can be valuable, yet they should be essential for an exhaustive skincare schedule that incorporates daytime lotions with SPF, cell reinforcements, and customary hydration. Predictable, balanced skincare is critical to fighting untimely maturing. 11. Accepting Hereditary qualities Alone Decide Maturing Fantasy: Hereditary qualities are the sole consider how your skin ages. Reality: While hereditary qualities assume a huge part, way of life decisions and natural factors significantly impact skin maturing. Safeguarding your skin from the sun, abstaining from smoking, overseeing pressure, and following a decent skincare routine are basic in forestalling untimely maturing. 12. Over the top Sugar Admission Legend: Sugar consumption meaningfully affects skin maturing. Reality: High sugar utilization can prompt the development of cutting edge glycation final results (AGEs) that harm collagen and elastin, causing kinks and loss of skin solidness. Decreasing sugar admission is helpful for both by and large wellbeing and skin maturing. Forestalling untimely maturing requires something other than a couple of propensities or items; it includes an all encompassing way to deal with skincare and way of life. Misguided judgments about what adds to young skin can prompt insufficient practices. By getting it and keeping away from these propensities that don't forestall untimely maturing, and on second thought taking on a reasonable daily practice of sun insurance, solid eating routine, stress the executives, legitimate hydration, and powerful skincare, you can fundamentally work on your possibilities keeping up with energetic, brilliant skin. 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https://vocal.media/lifehack/habits-that-do-not-prevent-premature-aging

Phones

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Women need men. Society and culture has been telling us for the longest time. A fairly new concept is that women can be independent, but there seems to be conflicting views. The idea of dependence versus independence can cause internal conflict, according to Colette Dowling's book, ''The Cinderella Complex: Women's Hidden Fear of Independence." Dowling suggests in her novel that women who worked are especially affected by this dependency especially during the 80s and in previous years. Psychological effects of this dependency and conflict are lack of self esteem, lack of confidence, anxiety and inability to function in the work place according to Dowling. She talks about how girls are not weaned as soon as boys are from dependent behaviors and are treated differently (seen as more fragile). Although some aspects of Dowling’s discussion may have changed in this new era, there are many remnants today. For example, society tells us still that women should want to be in relationships because healthy relationships are essential for happiness and women will regret being alone. Not all of this is a conscious message, but in many cases it is implied. There is also the push to be feminine, to work in feminine jobs, to have children and start a family and to be a housewife. There is the idea that both the husband and wife should share roles, but the man should still be more in charge of earning money and the woman’s main role is with the house and family. Look at magazines, books, movies and TV. What do they say? “Learn to please your man” or “how to get a man” are popular articles in magazines. There are also books, like “Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough,” by Lori Gottlieb. Look at movies and books like the Twilight series, where the relationship depends solely on what the man wants and the woman is left as an empty shell and always fearful of abandonment. There are even blogs and articles devoted to how women’s dependence on men still exists today. Not surprisingly, the two I found are written by men. This isn’t to say that all women are afraid of admitting dependence or talking about it, as Dowling certainly wasn’t but some don’t even see it as an issue. Regardless, one article by Nick Neave, an evolutionary psychologist, brings up relevant points. He explains that women are biologically made to be dependent on men which explains why women want a socially dominant man and are so afraid of being abandoned and will do almost anything to retain even a cheating significant other. Even more interesting, he points out that women don’t really need this mindset anymore. This is not relevant to all women, but I think most women have at least dealt with these issues at some point in their lives. The main point of concern now is changing our way of thinking if you want to be fully independent. There is some evidence of women’s change in a study from Australia, which says that age, education, feminist attitudes and the level of focus on a career can decrease the amount of emotional dependence women have on men. There also needs to be a focus on increasing women’s wages and opportunities for higher-paying and full-time jobs. Women with children seem to be more dependent. For example, if they have to take time off work or work a part-time job instead of a full-time job in order to take care of their children, there is always the issue of dependency on men if they are in a relationship. Many women will rely on the man for help instead of keeping the full-time job and using daycare or other options. Add a Comment23 Comments Women (not unlike men) can easily fall into economic dependency due to lack of economic opportunities. Unless we talk about how we have created a society with increasingly few opportunities for everyone who isn't rich, most other talk is futile. July 30, 2018 - 7:17amThis Comment Female dependency automatically relegates women to second-class citizenship. Their "need" to have a man do every little thing for them - whether it is driving them out shopping, voting for the both of them (it was not that long ago when American women were forbidden to vote, own a credit card in their own name, drive a car, or even have their own bank account), supporting her, rendering her back into childhood when only little girls needed to be taken care of (Betty Friedan). Do women in the 21st century need to be dependent upon men like that? No. Do they need to do their own thinking and openly challenge the whole concept of female second-class citizenship? Yes, they do. July 25, 2015 - 10:10amThis Comment Because most men (American men at least) seem to prefer marrying financially dependent women. So if a woman wants to get married, she better act dependent, like "oh I need you so". December 14, 2014 - 10:39amOf course I may see things this way because I'm one of those cynical financially dependent women who are in great shape and great job but can't seem to find a fitting dude. Seriously, many (not all, of course) dudes complain about women taking their money but they go for the ones who do take their money and leave the financially proud ones in the dust. Does that make sense? Oh and, please stop bitching about feminists taking your money. Real feminists are for equality, you are bitching about gold diggers. know the damn difference! I think it's interesting to see it from a bible standpoint. Even an atheist can appreciate the point made at Genesis 2:18 when god said that it is not good for a man to be alone, and so he made the woman as a 'compliment' for him! To add to that verse 24 says "That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and he will stick to his wife, and they will become one flesh;" thus in a way placing the man and the woman on an equal level. Not to say being independent isn't a bad idea but if like in the passage you find yourself juggling work, possibly with school, while being a single parent, it'd be nice to have a companion to help out. However, if you're worried about becoming single again just work at your relationship with Colossians 3:18,19 in mind when it says "wives... be in subjection to your husbands, as it is becoming in the lord. (19) You husbands, keep loving your wives and do not be bitterly angry with them." There is a mutual respect that must be had, and so if a woman doesn't want to a house wife the bible is perfectly ok with it! Women back then had more rights than women today even, as long as they followed God's counsel to love and honor their husbands. For more information on the bible's viewpoint on marriage and having a happy family life go to jw.org. perhaps even go to 'contact us' on the bottom and request a free home bible study. Again it's free and harmless, just as long as you don't mind inviting well dressed people into your home. October 30, 2014 - 10:35amThis Comment Historically, women have been socialized into being thoroughly dependent upon a man for everything: money, a house, rides everywhere (women were not allowed to drive at one time) and to wipe them after bathroom duty. Women were not even allowed to go out in public here in America without a male relative, either. Women were not even allowed to keep their own last names when they married, either. Instead, they became a man's personal property for the husband to treat them any way they wish, which included beating. Women still need to get out of male dependency and expecting a man to do every little thing for them. No wonder men despise the female gender. July 6, 2013 - 12:32pmThis Comment I dunno about any of the men here but I don't wanna woman who depends on me for everything. That just makes me feel as if I have to carry the whole world on my shoulders and creates intense pressure. It'd help for women to adopt a sense of agency along with the man so the two can work as a better team and grow in their relationships. October 2, 2012 - 2:02pmThis Comment Women are only dependent on men when they allow themselves to be. We don't have to be. Right now, my lifestyle (household expenses, etc.) are shared with husband and are dependent on his income. However, I was single for close to twenty years before we met and married and merged households. Personally, I prefer to be financially independent and am working toward that goal. We are both in our 60s and I feel it is important to our long range security to be able to maintain our lifestyle without the other's income. On an emotional level, it is important to have close relationships that offer companionship, respect and trust and that could be male or female. On a physical level, I question whether it is dependency as much as a matter of choice that determines our level of need for sensual/sexual gratification. In child-bearing years, there is a higher need/dependency. September 23, 2010 - 6:16pmThere are times when I appreciate the "muscle mass" of men and putting that to good use but I have known quite a few women who are capable of performing equal tasks. My Mom was only 4'11" and 110 lbs. and a woman of true grit as far as performing labor-intensive tasks around the house. Why wait to be financially independent at 60? Why not just divorce him and take his money and the house like most of your feminist sisters? November 10, 2014 - 7:37pmThis Comment I'm not sure what to make of this. Are you secretly Stephenie Meyer? That's the only thing that makes sense to me. Writing useless articles about empowerment that have no real direction aimed at the misguided to promote your awful books that degrade their grasp of self esteem and self image of the female gender even more? I know the internet is full of fallacy's but seriously think before you spew garbage on the naive. Women aren't dependent on men. Women are dependent on RELATIONSHIPS. The media markets only focus on men because the majority of females are straight. If the market shifts Cosmo will have articles on the best lubes to scissor with your partner and best positions with certain sex toys. Sexism is like racism. You keep making a point of nothing future generations will lack on to you ignorance. Although, thanks to people like you "Go make me a sandwich" and women/kitchen jokes will never die. July 3, 2010 - 8:02amThis Comment The trouble with stereotypes is that sometimes there is a kernel of truth in them. People often have a lot of ideas about how the world should work only to have reality bring them up short with, figuratively speaking, a sharp slap to the head. What works works so that's what people do however much it violates some idealistic concept. Most women at one time or another want to have children and for a woman to have a baby means she is, at least for a time, physically, economically, and perhaps emotionally, vulnerable. In addition, to be a good mother is usually considered a vitally important occupation and requires a degree of focus and dedication at least equal to what is needed in a regular job and often more. In my experience it's possible to do several jobs simultaneously in an acceptable manner but if you want excellence you have to focus on just one thing at a time. Raising a child is hard, tiring, draining, and wonderful, and having children will change you in ways you can't anticipate, but unquestionably the effort required can make the option of also holding a job outside the home unattractive. My wife and I both worked when our kids were little but it was very often a strain and 'we' would have preferred it if she could have stayed at home (her choice). This is blatantly unfair to her, severely impacting her earning ability without any compensating rewards of any kind (sarcasm), but a little baby is a fragile and precious thing and we would both have given our lives to keep them safe and well. There are men who don't do what a man is supposed to do, who don't take care of their families the way they should. Men who even enjoy being mean to their wives, cheating them of the money, fidelity, and devotion that should be shared equally between them. I don't know how often this happens and certainly a woman needs to take care that she isn't left destitute for any reason. I can only say that that isn't how I was raised, and while some may see it as belittling, I was taught to have a special regard for a woman and that behaving badly towards a lady would was a shameful thing. In general I've found life to be very hard and often cruel. For what it's worth I believe that if you can find someone to love and who loves you back you need to grab hold of them and hold them tight for as long as you can. You should do what works for the two of you whatever anyone else might say. A woman needs to take care of herself, as should anyone, but don't say all women should do this, all men should do that, all people are this way or that way. Don't say all of society does this or causes that or makes girls do the other, etc. People are more complex than that, and life is more flexible and fluid than that. People do what works and if you really want to know why someone does something then ask why that worked for them. If you can do that you will have something worth knowing. June 30, 2010 - 3:06pmThis Comment

http://www.empowher.com/mental-health/content/why-are-women-still-dependent-men?page=0

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Grace and Sunday Otoide’s house is the last one standing on Bata Road in Benin City, southern Nigeria. All the neighbours have left and the retired couple hope to do the same. With the money their two children send from Italy, they want to build a new house. Dozens of lorries used to pass along the road to get to the local shoe factory, once one of Benin City’s industrial jewels. But it’s now no more than a track swallowed by swamps. At the turn of the century, the leading shoe manufacturer that gave the road its name relocated its factory to Ghana, frustrated by constant power cuts. About 3,000 employees, most of them young people, lost their jobs. Since then, the flood barriers surrounding the area have fallen into disrepair and the water has reclaimed the earth, flooding every dwelling and the factory. “We have no nothing. No chop (food), not’in,” says Grace in pidgin English from a large sofa that has seen better days. Her husband’s pension has also been hurt by the devaluation of Nigeria’s naira currency. Two of the couple’s six children were smuggled into Italy several years ago. They send back what they can, when they can, to help their parents build a new home. The current one threatens to fall down at any moment. “I don’t know what kind of job she do. But she dey work, she dey abroad, she’s the one who must worry for me. If I dey young again, I go travel overseas,” says Grace. – Money transfers – More than 37,500 Nigerians arrived on the Italian coast by boat in 2016, according to the International Organization for Migration. Most of them came from Benin City. The city is riddled with human trafficking networks. Often the Nigerian women who end up in Italy become sex workers, while men are pushed into Italian mafia networks around the trade. The phenomenon can be traced back to the time of the region’s industrial collapse in the late 1980s, military rule and the structural adjustment programmes that killed the economy. For nearly 30 years, Edo state, of which Benin City is the capital, has survived on the money sent back from across the Mediterranean. Even small sums represent a real monthly salary for families — as long as the money is sent in foreign currency. On the outskirts of the city, there are no roads, electricity or drainage, yet brick houses are mushrooming in the largely abandoned fields. Emmanuel Otoide is building a large house for a client who left for Italy 10 years ago and has not come back. On the walls, the owner’s mother has stuck a notice from her Pentecostal church: “2017 My Year of Greater Light”. “The mother of the owner is (a) pure water seller, she is a street vendor,” the construction engineer says, adding that without the money from overseas, building the house would be impossible. Behind him, workers dig the foundations of another house by hand, sweating in the suffocating heat, 10 hours a day, for 3,000 naira ($9.5/8.5 euros). – ‘Non-sustainable’ – The appearance of economic development because of migrants from Edo state is “fake and non-sustainable”, according to Kokunre Eghafona-Agbontaen, from the University of Benin City. The money sent to often very poor and uneducated families is not invested in viable enterprises or to buy arable land to farm. “The remittances are utilised on a personal and family basis, and there are no visible contributions to the development and transformation of the community,” she says. What’s worse is that illegal migration has led to a fall in the level of education in Edo state, Eghafona-Agbontaen says. Young people, convinced that their professional future will not be in Nigeria, now look to leave rather than continue their studies. The deputy governor of Edo state, Philip Shaibu, agrees, saying parents would look for the “best agent to transfer them to Europe” in the same way they might look for a good school. “Now children want to go on their own. That trend we want to stop.” After years of political inaction, the new Edo state governor has promised to eradicate the “dangerous cartels” involved in human trafficking, and wants to reinvigorate industry and create 200,000 jobs. It’s a huge challenge and unlikely to be achieved in a country where energy problems are a major brake on development. But since 2016 the European Union has put pressure on source countries of illegal migrants — “soft diplomacy” according to Shaibu, who wants politicians to recognise the problem. “We prefer to have our young ones being celebrated outside for skills that they learn in Nigeria” rather than drowning off the coast of Libya, he says. “That we don’t want.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/06/edo-state-surviving-on-money-sent-from-europe/

Politics

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A Chinese company says it has developed the country’s first facial recognition technology that can identify people when they are wearing a mask, as most are these days because of the coronavirus, and help in the fight against the disease. China employs some of the world’s most sophisticated systems of electronic surveillance, including facial recognition. But the coronavirus, which emerged in Hubei province late last year, has resulted in almost everyone wearing a surgical mask outdoors in the hope of warding off the virus – posing a particular problem for surveillance. Now Hanwang Technology Ltd, which also goes by the English name Hanvon, said it has come up with technology that can successfully recognize people even when they are wearing masks. “If connected to a temperature sensor, it can measure body temperature while identifying the person’s name, and then the system would process the result, say, if it detects a temperature over 38 degrees,” Hanwang Vice President Huang Lei told Reuters in an interview. The Beijing-based firm said a team of 20 staff used core technology developed over the past 10 years, a sample database of about 6 million unmasked faces and a much smaller database of masked faces, to develop the technology, The team began work on the system in January, as the coronavirus outbreak gathered pace, and began rolling it out to the market after just a month. It sells two main types of products that use the technology. One performs “single-channel” recognition that is best used at, for example, entrances to office buildings. The other, more powerful, the product is a “multi-channel” recognition system that uses “multiple surveillance cameras”. It can identify everyone in a crowd of up to 30 people “within a second”, Huang says. “When wearing a mask, the recognition rate can reach about 95%, which can ensure that most people can be identified,” Huang said, adding the success rate for people without a mask is about 99.5%. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/03/china-firm-develops-system-to-recognize-faces-behind-coronavirus-masks/

Politics

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By Efosa Taiwo Famous phrases of Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary. The two coaches are considered two of the greatest managers to have graced English football. In the latest addition to the Oxford English Dictionary, Ferguson’s ‘squeaky bum time’ and Mourinho’s ‘park the bus’ made it among 15 new words and phrases in the dictionary quarterly update. Ferguson first said ‘squeaky bum time’ in a press conference in 2003 when referring to Arsenal’s end to the season. The phrase means “A particularly tense period of time, esp. one leading up to the climax of a competition or event.” Mourinho’s famous ‘park the bus’ got a first mention from the Portuguese gaffer in the 2004-05 season when he was criticizing Spurs for adopting a defensive style against his side. The phrase means “To play in a very defensive way, typically by having the majority of outfield players close to their own goal and showing little attacking intent.” Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/10/mourinho-ferguson-phrases-added-to-oxford-english-dictionary/

Sports

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By Prince Osuagwu Nigeria recently kicked off a quest to replace the plastic identity cards it issued to citizens from 2013 with a digital identity. Although the process of obtaining the identity is froth with several inconsistencies and has elicited criticisms, the digital identity is expected to save the country some foreign exchange, address national security, encourage access to financial services as well as build investors’ confidence in Nigeria’s recessive economy. The identity will be issued to all Nigerians who have attained the age of 16. According to Mckinsey, Nigeria is second when compared with six other countries in emerging economies. Digital ID coverage could unlock economic value equivalent to seven percent of GDP in 2030 in the adoption and its usage. This would in turn positively impact the Gross National Product (GNP) which is the value of what Nigerians earn here and abroad because there is reliable data to drive economic decisions. However, experts are not losing sight of the failure of the previous national identity card adventure. After nearly four years of enrolling millions of Nigerians, less than 10 percent of enrolled were actually issued a national ID card. It could happen again, they say. The transition to digital ID is expected to be concluded by 2022. There are also high expectations that the government is ready to invest massively in enabling technology to drive the project. READ ALSO: Optimising the Cloud journey In that regard, cloud computing may well be the primary infrastructure that it may need to prioritise. At the basic, digital identity includes attributes such as a unique identity number, social security number, name, place, and date of birth, citizenship, biometrics, and more, as defined by national law. The United Nations (UN) and World Bank ID4D initiatives set a goal of providing everyone on the planet with a legal identity by 2030. So far numerous new national e-ID programmes (including card and mobile-based schemes and unrelated to ID2020) have been launched or initiated. Examples of such projects are in Algeria, Belgium (mobile ID), Cameroon, Ecuador, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Thailand, Turkey, Afghanistan, Denmark, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, and the Maldives. The growing push for digital identities also means that countries are positioning themselves to benefit from investments in cloud computing. “Building a national identity architecture that does not depend on cloud technology will not service a modernising nation,” said Busola Komolafe, Head, Cloud advisory at Signal Alliance. Founded in 1996, Signal Alliance has over two decades of gold partnership status with global cloud services provider, Microsoft. A report by Canalys released in October showed that the worldwide cloud market grew 33 percent this quarter to $36.5 billion. AWS has 32 percent of the market and generated more revenue than the next three largest combined: Azure is at 19 percent of the market, Google Cloud at seven percent, Alibaba Cloud close behind at six percent, and other clouds with 37 percent. Also, the IDC projects that worldwide spending on public cloud services and infrastructure will double over the next five years, growing from a $229 billion run rate in 2019 to almost $500 billion by 2023. This is driven by a five-year compound annual rate. Opportunities and challenges for Nigeria Apart from companies, cloud adoption by countries has picked up in recent times. Countries’ cloud spending rates are projected to rise by 2.8 and 3.2 percentage points from 2019 to 2022, respectively. While the US leads the rest of the world in cloud spending, countries like the UK and the Netherlands are catching up. Countries in Africa have little or no share in the cloud computing market. The continent’s stake in the cloud market has mostly been driven by private organisations. Although top-line annual cloud services revenue is expected to double in the 2018-20123 period to hit $3.8 billion, currently, only about 30 percent of the revenue generated is through the public cloud, according to a Xalam Analytics “State of Cloud 2019” report on Africa. Barriers to cloud adoption, which could also affect the success of the digital identity system, are the poor state of infrastructure such as electricity, fast internet connectivity, backbone networks, etc. Although the country has seen the building of data centres, inadequate electricity is mostly why their number is yet to rise and they are not penetrative across the country most consumers and third-party vendors prefer to partner with data centres outside the country with guaranteed infrastructure than with one within the country or at least have a backup with data centres abroad. Nigeria has an opportunity with its electronic digital identity push to not only scale its adoption of cloud services but also reap immense benefits by creating a policy environment for cloud investments to come into the country. Deepening cloud adoption could also help the government address issues like empowering small businesses with digital technology. Also going for national ID card is experts’ views that a rich environment in the cloud will force an interplay of competition and cooperation in the technology industry, thereby enabling cloud providers to produce services catering to specialized needs. “National security is a multi-dimensional endeavour, and cloud technology enables the right architecture to build systems that the different security agencies in the country can depend on to secure from internal to external threats,” Busola said. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/12/how-nigeria-can-leverage-500bn-cloud-market-to-push-national-e-id-card/

Politics

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By Sebastine Obasi Nigeria and other countries of the Sub-Sahara African region have the world’s worst access to electricity, the International Energy Agency, IEA, said in its latest report. The report said that the sub-region has 13 percent of the world’s population, but 48 percent of the share of the global population without access to electricity. The only other region with a similar imbalance is South Asia, with 23 percent of the world’s population and 34 percent of the people without access to electricity. This means that almost 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity. Only seven countries—Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa, have electricity access rates exceeding 50 percent. The rest of the region has an average grid access rate of just 20 percent. Moreover, even when there is access to electricity, there may not be enough to go around, the report said. Nigeria is the most populous country in Sub-Sahara Africa. It explained that as regards consumption, Africa’s rates are far below other emerging markets. Average electricity consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa, is only about 150 kilowatt-hours per capita. This is a fraction of consumption rates in Brazil, India, and South Africa. According to the report, sub-Saharan Africa has an extraordinary opportunity but will have to do a lot of work to take advantage of it. The report noted that Sub-Saharan Africa is starved for electricity, as the region’s power sector is significantly underdeveloped, from the point of view of energy access, installed capacity, or overall consumption. “The fact that Sub-Saharan Africa’s residential and industrial sectors suffer electricity shortages means that countries struggle to sustain GDP growth. The stakes are enormous. Indeed, fulfilling the economic and social promise of the region, and Africa in general depends on the ability of government and investors to develop the continent’s huge electricity capacity,” it said. “Countries with electrification rates of less than 80 percent of the population consistently suffer from reduced GDP per capita. The only countries that have electrification rates of less than 80 percent with GDP per capita greater than $3,500 are those with significant wealth in natural resources, such as Angola, Botswana, and Gabon. But even they fall well short of economic prosperity. Whether people can obtain electricity (access), and if so, how much they are able to consume (consumption) are the two most important metrics that can indicate the degree to which the power sector is supporting national development,” the report said. It also projected that Sub-Saharan Africa will consume nearly 1,600 terawatt hours by 2040, four times what was used in 2010. “The forecast is based on a number of important factors, including a fivefold increase in GDP, a doubling of population, electricity-access levels reaching more than 70 percent by 2040, and increased urbanisation. Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/nigeria-others-have-worlds-worst-energy-access-report/

Politics

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