|
More than 450 Nigerians repatriated from Libya
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Grab top news stories, news headlines from Nigeria & around the world. Find breaking news for sports, entertainment, business, lifestyle and much more
Featured post
Friday, 2 February 2018
More than 450 Nigerians repatriated from Libya
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Sports: The Olympic Village will be stocked with 110,000 condoms, or 37 per athlete — and it could be because of Tinder
The prevalence of dating apps like Tinder could be one reason for the stockpiling of condoms at the Winter Olympics 2018.
- 110,000 condoms will be distributed across the 2018 Winter Olympic grounds.
- This works out at 37 condoms per athlete for a two week period.
- The rise of dating apps like Tinder could be to thank for the increase of sexual activity at the athletes village.
Organisers of the 2018 Winter Olympics are stockpiling condoms in the athletes village.
Athletes at this year's games will be supplied with 110,000 condoms — that's over 37 per athlete for a two week period.
CNN says this year's athletes village includes a fitness centre, a dining area that is accessible 24 hours a day, and a multifaith area for worship. There is also a large selection of shops.
However, it is the sheer volume of condoms that has caught the local media's attention in South Korea, where the games will be held.
According to the Korea Biomedical Review, the condoms have been donated "mostly by domestic developer Convenience" and will be "the biggest amount ever distributed at the Winter Games."
The total cost of Convenience's donation will be $93,370 (£65,649). Organisers will supply each athlete's residence with condoms.
Others will be available in "condom baskets" situated in the athletic towns of Gangneung and PyeongChang, the Main Press Centre and Media Village, as well as the stadia used for events.
Condoms were first publicly distributed at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Since then, the stockpiling has increased. At the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, 100,000 condoms were supplied. This year, an extra 10,000 condoms are available.
Interestingly, the mass stockpiling of condoms could be down to the emergence and availability of dating apps.
Tinder, after all, played a role at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero as usage of the app "skyrocketed" by 129% during the games, according to Tinder spokeswoman Rosette Pambakian.
Even athletes confirmed using it. Marcus Nyman, who competed as a judoka in Rio, said: "A lot of athletes [used] the app."
The Winter Olympics begin on Friday February 9.
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
University of Ibadan: UI ranks first in Nigeria, 1099th in the world
The first University in Nigeria affirms its leading position as it ranks first in the ranking web ratings.
The world universities raking website, Webometrics has rated the University of Ibadan as the best university in Nigeria.
The ranking web in its January 2018 edition of institution ranking also rates the premier university 1099th in the world.
According to the site, the ranking is based on the web presence and impact of the institutions it ranks.
In terms of online presence and impact rank, the University of Ibadan scores 2654 and 627 respectively.
Covenant University, Ota occupies the second position in the ranking and it is the only private Nigerian university in the top 40 bracket.
Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, University of Nigeria and the University of Lagos take the 3rd, 4th and 5th positions respectively.
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH is the first state university on the ranking, occupying 14th position, while Lagos State University, LASU takes the 16th position.
Polytechnics occupy the last three positions on the ranking list
The bottom three institutions are Polytechnic Ife, Polytechnic Imesi Ile and Tower Polytechnic taking 207th, 208th and 209th positions respectively.
ALSO READ: 10 pictures that prove OAU is the most beautiful campus in Nigeria
Webometrics is the largest academic ranking of Higher Education Institutions. The ranking web has been rating education institutions in 2004 using institution's online presence as a major metric for ranking.
University of Ibadan: UI ranks first in Nigeria, 1099th in the world
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Developing youth and turning profits – Pietro Pellegri and Monaco's new mission plan
They’ve embraced their place in European football’s food chain – and made the principality the hottest destination for the continent’s future stars
Developing youth and turning profits – Pietro Pellegri and Monaco's new mission plan
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Lekki Toll Gates: Lagosians are not too pleased with new tariff hike
Lagosians have been expressing their disapproval with the increment which started on February 1.
The Lekki Concession Company (LCC) has implemented an increase in the tariff that vehicle owners will pay to gain access through its Admiralty Circle Toll Plaza and the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge Toll Plaza, and Lagosians are not too pleased with it.
The company's new pricing system was put in place on Thursday, February 1, 2018, and it's already created a mess as many vehicles tried to access alternative routes which led to massive traffic hold up around Lekki till late on Thursday.
According to the company's Managing Director, Mohammed Hassan, the increment is a reaction to the "current business realities and increasing cost of operation."
He said the current economic and business realities in the country means the company has been hit with increased cost of operations and maintenance of its loan obligations.
New rates
According to the new rates at the Admiralty Circle Toll Plaza, motorcycles are now expected to pay N100; saloon cars and tricycles, N200 (eTag: 180); sport utility vehicles, N250 (eTag: 225); light trucks and 2-axle buses, N400 (eTag: 360); heavy duty trucks or buses with two or more heavy axles, N1000 (eTag: 900), and commercial danfo buses will pay N100 (90).
At the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge Toll Plaza, motorcycles will pay N200 (eTag: 180); salon cars, N300 (eTag: 270); mini vans sports utility vehicles and light trucks, N400 (eTag: 360); and light trucks and 2-axle buses will pay N1000 (eTag: 900).
Even though the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has assured commuters that it would not increase transport fare in spite of the tolls review, other vehicle owners have expressed outrage at the increment.
Some of them have taken to social media to air their grievances with the development:
Failed attempt in 2017
The LCC had initially planned to implement the increment in November 2017, but public outrage had prompted the Lagos State government to ask the company to put an hold on it until after the public and critical stakeholders have been consulted on the plan.
The only difference between the rates proposed back then and now is the decrease in the new tariff to be paid by commercial danfo buses which has been reduced from the proposed N150 to N100 in the new rates introduced on Thursday.
Lekki Toll Gates: Lagosians are not too pleased with new tariff hike
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
World: 'My Baby Almost Died': Formula Scandal Sends Shudders Through France
When the French dairy giant Lactalis began recalling baby formula, Ségolène Noviant thought she was safe. The milk she had been feeding her 5-month-old son was not on the list.
Then her son, Noan, was rushed to the emergency room with a fever, diarrhea and internal bleeding. His formula was tainted with salmonella — and a broad range of other Lactalis powdered milk products still on the shelves were at risk, too.
It would take three recalls and many weeks for the scope of the problem to finally become clear, stoking public outrage over what has become known in France as “L’Affaire Lactalis.”
In one of the biggest recalls of its kind, the company has pulled more than 7,000 tons of potentially contaminated baby formula and other powdered milk products across more than 80 countries, mostly in Europe, Africa and Asia. And its chief executive said Thursday that the company’s powdered milk products may have been exposed to salmonella for more than a decade.
The massive recall and the missteps along the way have exposed corporate lapses and regulatory gaps that allowed tainted products to make their way into supermarkets and pharmacies, even weeks after the problems were discovered. The episode at Lactalis, which also makes yogurt, butter and cheese, has highlighted what critics say is lax oversight of industrial food companies and weak reporting standards across the European Union.
In the Lactalis case, the French government initially placed blame squarely on the company. But last week, as complaints about weak regulation intensified, President Emmanuel Macron said his government would “draw lessons” from the crisis.
“There will be zero tolerance on the part of the state,” he said.
European governments generally allow food companies to self-report problems to regulators, rather than require their disclosure. Compliance and enforcement of standards also vary from country to country. But the European Union operates as a single market, meaning that tainted products in one country can make their way through Europe and the rest of the world.
The recall is the latest in a series of food safety scandals that Europe has faced in recent years. Millions of tainted eggs were recalled in 2017 after poultry farms in Belgium and the Netherlands were contaminated with an insecticide. In 2013, horse meat was discovered masquerading as beef in Britain and Ireland.
In the Lactalis case, both the company and regulators missed opportunities to identify the problems before tainted products ended up on the shelf.
Lactalis initially found traces of salmonella at its main factory in August and again in November. But it did not alert regulators either time. Under French law, a company does not have to tell authorities if it determines, through its own internal tests, that the food is not contaminated.
Standard inspections do occur once every two years, but they are not necessarily comprehensive. As part of a routine visit, the government inspected the factory in September, after the company had already discovered salmonella. But officials inspected just part of the factory and not the area that produced baby formula.
Lactalis instituted its first recall in early December. But the company did not go far enough. Reports of salmonella cases kept multiplying.
Those cases prompted the government to inspect the factory, located in the town of Craon, and afterward officials demanded that Lactalis vastly expand the recall. But the government did not discover the full extent of the problems. A couple weeks later, the company found more milk had been tainted and had to recall even more products.
In the meantime, Noviant’s baby, Noan, was hospitalized three more times. Overall, at least 38 children have been sickened by tainted milk. No deaths have been reported.
“My baby almost died,” said Noviant, 29, who quit her job as a restaurant manager in the southwestern city of Toulouse to care for Noan. “The company kept selling for profit and acted with impunity, but the government also failed.”
Lactalis started as a small cheesemaking business in 1933 and grew into a multinational behemoth by acquiring brands like Parmalat and Stonyfield Farm, which make cheese, milk and yogurt. The company now has 75,000 employees across 44 countries, and has become one of the world’s biggest producers of infant formula and cereals under the Picot, Milumel and other brands.
Emmanuel Besnier, the chief executive, took over leadership of the company in 2000 from his father and grandfather. Called “the invisible billionaire” by his employees, he has seldom been photographed or interviewed, and has rarely been seen at the Craon factory.
His relative silence about the scandal drew the ire of parents and consumers in France. Besnier, 47, eventually spoke with two French newspapers, Les Échos on Thursday and Le Journal du Dimanche last month.
A spokeswoman for Lactalis said Besnier was not available for an interview. The company declined to comment further.
On Thursday, Besnier acknowledged in the interview with Les Échos that the bacteria in recent milk products was identical to a strain found in the factory in 2005, under a previous owner. More than 140 babies in France got sick back then.
Lactalis bought that factory in 2006, and claimed when the scandal broke that it had disinfected the facilities. But the Institut Pasteur in Paris, a research center focusing on medicine and public health, announced Thursday that at least 25 other infants had been infected with salmonella traced to the factory between the 2005 outbreak and these newest cases.
The latest problems have been building for months.
In August, the company found traces of salmonella on a broom at the factory, Besnier said in one of the interviews. The bacteria typically thrives in poor sanitation conditions, but Lactalis said it may have been introduced during a factory renovation last February.
Government inspectors visited the factory in September, but they did not review the area where baby formula was produced. They found nothing wrong, and Lactalis did not mention the traces of bacteria found the previous month. Under French law, they did not have to. (A independent laboratory, hired by Lactalis, carried out 16,000 product checks and found no contamination, according to Besnier.)
Lactalis found more salmonella in November. Again it cleaned the site. Again it did not alert the authorities, Besnier said.
Soon, reports emerged of babies being rushed to hospitals after drinking the company’s infant formula.
On Dec. 1, the Agriculture Ministry announced that at least 20 children had been infected by salmonella, and that the problem could have originated at the factory in Craon. The next day, regulators returned and found that one of two drying towers used to make powdered milk was “filled with salmonella.”
This time, Lactalis verified the outbreak. The government ordered Lactalis to conduct a limited recall of baby formula.
A week later, as more reports of illnesses emerged, French officials expanded the recall and accused Lactalis of not moving fast enough to contain the crisis. On Dec. 21, Lactalis announced a third recall, expanding its scope to cover more than 7,000 tons of powdered milk products.
Despite the recall, thousands of the affected products were still being sold by pharmacies, hospitals and at least seven of France’s biggest retailers — including Auchan, Carrefour, Casino and Leclerc — during the busy holiday season. Lactalis blamed the retailers for failing to act fast enough, and the government said it would also hold those companies responsible.
The French government ordered the factory closed for decontamination, and Lactalis has said it will not reopen a major production line where the salmonella was discovered. The debacle is expected to cost the privately held company the equivalent of hundreds of millions of dollars, Besnier said.
The legal fallout is only just emerging.
An organization of families affected by contaminated products filed lawsuits this week against Lactalis for reckless endangerment, and against retailers that it said failed to quickly pull tainted products. One family is suing the French government for inadequate oversight because inspectors gave the plant a clean bill of health in September.
“This is a health scandal of unprecedented scale,” said Quentin Guillemain, who founded the family group.
Guillemain, who has a 3-month-old daughter, said it was unclear how many potentially contaminated Lactalis products remained on the market. The group is pushing for tighter food safety regulation and increased inspections at factories.
Lactalis has offered to compensate victims of the tainted products. Instead, the families say, they will press ahead with their lawsuits.
“Lactalis is a huge multinational,” Guillemain said. “That doesn’t mean it should be allowed to operate above the law.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
World: 'My Baby Almost Died': Formula Scandal Sends Shudders Through France
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
2019: APC Embarks On CVR Grassroots Sensitisation In Ebonyi
The All Progressives Congress (APC), has commenced grassroots sensitisation tour to mobilise the electorate in the 13 local government areas of Ebonyi, to register in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
Mr Eze Nwachukwu, Acting APC Chairman in Ebonyi, led other members of the State Working Committee (SWC) to launch the campaign on Friday in Afikpo, Afikpo North Local Government Area.
Nwachukwu, who addressed the people, said that the sensitisation was in line with the directive from the national headquarters of APC.
According to him, the exercise is aimed at mobilising , educating and sensitising eligible grassroots voters on the need to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration.
He said that as the 2019 general elections draw closer, that it was imperative that rural communities were mobilised to fully participate in the ongoing CVR, stressing that bulk of the voters reside in rural areas.
“Registration and collection of the voter cards is the only qualification to vote in the elections; any eligible voter without his or her voter card will have no business at the polling booths during election, ” Nwachukwu said.
He said that current reforms in the electoral system would make it difficult to rig elections in 2019, assuring the people that their votes must count in the elections.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians of commitment to conduct credible elections in 2019.
“The electronic transmission of election results to be adopted in 2019 will make it difficult to rig in 2019, and this will put election riggers out of business.
“We are here today to appeal to the people of Afikpo North to go to any INEC office nearest to them and register and collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
“It is your civic right and obligation to vote and you must resist anything that will deny you opportunity to exercise this important civic duty.
“We again assure you that your votes will count in 2019. “
Nwachukwu urged party faithful and APC supporters to ensure that they effectively participate in the CVR exercise and other vital electoral processes.
He advised the electorate against selling their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and urged them to resist politicians who would come to demand their PVCs in exchange for employment, empowerment or to give them bank loans.
“It is a criminal offence to engage in selling or buying of voter cards and you must report those found to indulge in such illicit transactions.
“Your voter card is your property and the only right you have as citizens to exercise your voting rights to elect your leaders; selling it means disqualifying yourselves.
“There is no rule in the civil service that requires your voter card for employment or empowerment and no bank will require you to submit your voter card to give you loan.
“You must resist any attempt that will make them disenfranchise you and must report such persons to the Police, ” Nwachukwu said.
He said that the party would constitute local government and ward committees in the 13 local government areas of the state that would be charged with the mandate of door-to-door mobilisation of rural communities to come out and register.
Meanwhile, the chairman has charged APC faithful in the local government to remain supportive of the party and to work hard to ensure that the party emerged victorious in the area in 2019.
He announced that the party would commence membership registration, and urged members who were yet to formally register with the party to avail themselves of the opportunity.
“We have over 18,000 registered members of our great party in Afikpo North and we are opening another window of opportunity to enable members who are yet to formally register to do so.
“It’s only those with our membership registration cards that will be allowed to participate in voting during the party primaries and congresses,” he added.
The post 2019: APC Embarks On CVR Grassroots Sensitisation In Ebonyi appeared first on Independent Newspapers Nigeria.
2019: APC Embarks On CVR Grassroots Sensitisation In Ebonyi
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Nigeria aims to build refinery close to Niger Republic
The Federal Government of Nigeria has reached an agreement with the Niger Republic to build a new refinery in the border town of both countries.
The proposed refinery will be built between a border town in Niger Republic and Kastina State in Nigeria, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources has disclosed.
The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, recently led a delegation to the President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, with the Energy Minister of the country, Foumakoye Gado, also in attendance.
While giving the outcome of the visit to the media on Wednesday, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources said the technical agreement will soon be signed between the two countries.
The agreement, the ministry said, will include “building of crude oil pipeline from Niger to the new refinery.”
The information had earlier been posted on Twitter, where it was said that the visit “to Niger Republic will lead to a definite agreement for the design and construction of a new refinery to be located at a border town between Nigeria and Niger.”
The post Nigeria aims to build refinery close to Niger Republic appeared first on Tribune.
Nigeria aims to build refinery close to Niger Republic
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Court Sentences Businessman To 4 Years In Prison For Rapping Minor
An Upper Area Court III sitting in Kasuwan Nama, Jos North, on Friday sentenced a 31-year-old businessman, Joseph Vongjem to fours years in prison for rapping a 13-year-old girl.
Upper Area Court judge Yahaya Mohammed, did not give the convict any option of fine.
The accused had pleaded guilty to the offence which prosecutors said was contrary to Section 283 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria.
“’ I am very sorry for what I have done to the innocent girl. I will never do it again have mercy on me, ‘’ Vongjem pleaded.
The prosecutor, Sgt. D. A. Edward, had told the court that the case was reported on Sept. 20 2017 by one Musa Sunday, the victim’s grandfather at the Nassarawa Gwom Police Station.
Edward told the court that the accused lured the 13-year-old girl, to his room with N500 and raped her.
The post Court Sentences Businessman To 4 Years In Prison For Rapping Minor appeared first on Independent Newspapers Nigeria.
Court Sentences Businessman To 4 Years In Prison For Rapping Minor
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
It’s painful to see Zidane suffer at Real Madrid – Xavi
The iconic midfielder compared the coach to Lionel Messi as a player who finds favour in every corner of the footballing world
It’s painful to see Zidane suffer at Real Madrid – Xavi
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Transfer news & rumours: Man Utd target Barcelona's Umtiti
Goal takes a look at the biggest transfer news and rumours from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and beyond
Transfer news & rumours: Man Utd target Barcelona's Umtiti
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
NNPC, Fuel Subsidy And Corruption
Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki spoke the mind of many Nigerians the other time when he decried the corruption embedded in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). His concern, coming as the organisation confirmed details of fuel subsidy regime which government had stopped about three years ago, is a reminder that all is not well with the organisation. Until the corporation undergoes a major cleansing of its corruption ailment, the country is unlikely to make any staggering progress.
Interestingly, prominent citizens have in the past lamented perceived high level of graft in the Octopus organisation. Curiously however, no one has been able to muster the political courage to take holistic measures to unravel the assumed corruption. It should agitate the mind of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), investigating subsidy payment to extend its investigation into alleged corruption in the corporation.
A few days ago, NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru told the Senate Committee that the federal government spent a staggering N4,950.80 trillion on fuel subsidy between January 2006 and December 2015. The corporation’s Chief Financial Officer who gave details of the operations, recalled that fuel subsidy regime started in October 2003 when government directed the NNPC to buy domestic crude oil at international price without a corresponding liberalisation of the regulated price of petroleum products.
Sadly, the country has since then been unable to disentangle itself from the corruption web that has been continually woven around fuel subsidy. Shortly after the present administration of General Muhammadu Buhari came into government in 2015, government announced a total removal of subsidy on petroleum products, bringing the price of petrol to N143 – N145 per litre. Paying the price was painful to Nigerians who hoped nonetheless that the action would foreclose the huge financial scam that fuel subsidy has become.
That relief was short-lived by recent admission that government has again been subsidising fuel. Saraki’s quest for “critical reforms” of the downstream oil and gas industry is particularly informed by his observation that despite the stoppage of the fuel subsidy regime, and non-appropriation for the scheme, the “fuel subsidy payments continue to be paid from our commomwealth illegally without appropriation by the National Assembly.”
Besides Saraki, former Governor of Central Bank, and now Emir of kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, regularly decried alleged corruption in the NNPC and the petroleum industry. In 2013, Sanusi wrote to the then President Goodluck Jonathan that NNPC failed to remit $20 billion oil revenue to the federation account, an allegation that the corporation denied.
However, shadows of financial irregularities continue to haunt NNPC since then, as manifested in the fact that many past leaders of the corporation have corrupt charges or investigation hanging over them. In virtually all the cases, Nigerians are yet to be informed of the whole truth surrounding the inquiries.
The aura of lack of transparency on NNPC seems to have aggravated over the past two years following President Buhari’s assumption of the Petroleum Minister portfolio. As Minister, Buhari has not spoken much on matters affecting his ministry; while information coming from the minister of state is limited in authority. As witnessed recently, Kachikwu’s authority was actually questioned by the corporation’s GMD. All these facts tend to portray the NNPC as a fertile organisation for perpetrating corruption.
The executive obviously lacks the political will to sanitize NNPC; but the number 3 citizen (Saraki)’s interest in cleansing the corporation provides a ray of hope for Nigerians angling for such sanitisation. Saraki should live his talk by ensuring that NNPC’s financial accounts are publicly and professionally scrutinised to expose hidden irregularities.
An independent commission of inquiry is ideal for the task of investigating the corporation to unravel not just the suspected fuel subsidy scam, but also the several allegations of missing moneys and fraudulent contracts. The findings of such an investigation should be made public and appropriate action taken against erring personnel. To enable him concentrate on other pressing state matters, President Buhari should divest himself of the onerous responsibility of superintending the petroleum ministry; and appoint one of the many eminently qualified Nigerians to perform the job.
The post NNPC, Fuel Subsidy And Corruption appeared first on Independent Newspapers Nigeria.
NNPC, Fuel Subsidy And Corruption
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Bayelsa introduces free feeding programme in public schools
|
Bayelsa introduces free feeding programme in public schools
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Nigeria’s returnees from Libya recount experience
Faith Oboh, 22, is the third in a family of 12 persons; the first daughter in a polygamous family who lost her mother before he finished her secondary school’s education.
Oboh is among the more than 200 returnees from Libya who had to undergo documentation organised by the Edo Anti-Human Trafficked and Illegal Migration team.
Any perspective observer in the venue of the event would not require a seer to imagine the seriousness of the thought she had in that mood; looking as if her world had collapsed.
Her appearance looked as someone who has been cast out without any chance to succeed in life and deep in her thought was uncertainty and, somewhat, bleak future.
Saying some words unwillingly, she took courage to recall that she was a hair stylist but extreme poverty informed her decision to go through the desert of Libya in December, 2016 to seek “fortune’’ elsewhere.
“From the proceeds I made from hair braiding in Nigeria, I paid N500, 000 to someone who introduced me and facilitated the journey to Libya.
“My ultimate goal was to get to Italy by crossing the Mediterranean Sea but the unexpected event occurred; the engine of the boat conveying us developed fault amid the high sea and we got stranded for more than 12 hours.
“Men and women, including children occupant of the boat, became prayer warriors amid tears with the wave becoming stronger and more dangerous before the captain of the boat called the Libyan police for rescue.
“We later ended up in the camp to face hostility from Libyans; I went through a horrifying experience within the one year I spent in that country.
“As I speak with you, I do not know the whereabouts of my sponsor and I do not know if she is alive or dead,’’ she said.
Stating another bitter experience, Ms Blessing Braimah, a 34-year old mother of four, said she left a thriving petty business and her children for “plum job’’ promise in a foreign country.
Braimah said she borrowed N600, 000 to embark on the journey thinking the trip would turn around the life of her family.
She alleged that her husband estranged her with the children, the condition that tempted her to seek help beyond Nigerian shores.
“It was a horrible experience in Libya because the place is like a war zone where you never can tell what will happen to you in the next minute,’’ she said.
Braima said she and others were put in a prison in Tripoli, saying, “it was a terrible experience; from the journey through the desert, the sound of guns everywhere, to living terrible life at the camp.
“I would have been home before now, but it is not a journey you embark on like that; you just don’t go to the park and say you are coming home to Nigeria.’’
For Osaze Imafidon, another returnee, his life would never remain the same as his journey to Libya has left him with a disability — walking with the support of crutches.
Imafidon said he sustained a gunshot injury that led to the amputation of one of his legs, insisting that, “I was shot at not because I am a criminal, but it’s the normal way of life in Libya where people openly display guns.
“It’s no longer seen as illegal; you can be shot at any time with the slightest of provocation by the locals.
“No life of any black person means anything to them; they come into your apartment at will and cart away your belongings and if you dare raise your voice, you will be lucky to be alive.’’
In the light of this, Mr Solomon Okoduwa, Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Godwin Obaseki on Anti-Human Trafficking and Illegal Migration says the gruesome expressions of the returnees from Libya raise concerns.
Okoduwa regretted that illegal migration to other countries by Nigerians to seek “greener pasture’’ had taken lives of the number of youths, especially from Edo.
He blamed parents and guardians, accusing them of a deliberate encouragement, which in most cases, force their children and wards to undertake such trips.
According to him, this has become a cultural problem in Edo, where it is now a norm that if you don’t have your ward abroad, you are missing out.
“This is why these parents go to the length of even selling their property, in some cases, houses, just to see their children travel to Europe.
“Again, some of these parents seek the support and collaboration of traffickers well known to them to assist their children in travelling out,’’ he observed.
Similarly, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yinka Omoregbe, said the state government had determined to tackle human trafficking and irregular migration in the state.
“We want our people going abroad to do so responsibly and not going there to suffer or go through the horrifying experience.
“The major pre-occupation of the government now is to reintegrate the returnees; 150 of them had already been trained on various skill acquisition programmes.
“The governor has approved the N100 million seed grant and 150 hectares of land as the returnees’ starter’s pack on farming,” he said.
Corroborating her claim, Mr Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser to the governor on Media, alleged that NAPTIP and other agencies charged to cater for victims of human trafficking had not been forthcoming as expected.
He noted that NAPTIP ought to have advised the government on the need to provide transport fare for those being airlifted to the country so that they would not be stranded on arriving in Nigeria.
According to Edo government, the state is developing a new tripartite arrangement with oil companies, the state government and host communities to encourage corporate social responsibility programmes.
He said this would replace the conventional bilateral model and create a better, valuable investor-community relationship and effective service delivery to communities.
Source: NAN
The post Nigeria’s returnees from Libya recount experience appeared first on Tribune.
Nigeria’s returnees from Libya recount experience
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Osinbajo panel to meet Miyetti Allah
|
Osinbajo panel to meet Miyetti Allah
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
World Hijab Day: Stop opposing Muslim women’s right to modest dressing —MMPN
The Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN) has called on those showing opposition to Muslim women’s use of the hijab to exercise restraint and embrace the spirits of tolerance and understanding.
The organisation made the call in a statement by its National President, Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun, in which it felicitated with Muslims and non-Muslims alike on the occasion of the 2018 World Hijab Day.
It said its call became important in view of the subjection of Muslim ladies to “ridicule, intimidation, harassment and frustration” for dressing “modestly” in accordance with the dictate of Islam.
The World Hijab Day, which is celebrated annually on February 1, MMPN emphasised, is designed to convince the world that hijab is not a mere headscarf but an injunction to the believing Muslim women from their Creator.
Reaffirming the basis for the wearing of hijab by Muslim women and girls, the organisation quoted the Qur’an as saying: “And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof. That they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty….”
It said: “We are calling for tolerance and understanding from our non-Muslim brethren who detest Muslim women donning the hijab, which is in compliance with the commandment of Allah, the Creator of all mankind.
“Many Muslim ladies are subjected to various forms of ridicule, intimidation, harassment and frustration by intolerant colleagues, bosses, neighbours and even government offices for dressing in line with their faith.
“Despite the country’s multi-religious status, Section 38, Sub-section 1 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended guarantees that “every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (either alone or in community with others and in public or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance.”
“Our support for Miss Firdaus Amasa and her colleague, Miss Aisha Zubair, over the hijab brouhaha during the December 2017 Nigerian Law School call to bar ceremony is hereby reaffirmed and we insist on justice for them and others who were discriminated against for wearing hijab.
“We also use this opportunity to commend the courage of the House of Representatives in organising a public hearing into the matter on February 6. We implore all stakeholders who believe in equity, justice, fairness and equality to attend and share their experiences.”
The post World Hijab Day: Stop opposing Muslim women’s right to modest dressing —MMPN appeared first on Tribune.
World Hijab Day: Stop opposing Muslim women’s right to modest dressing —MMPN
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Ubong Friday hails Akwa United’s determination in FC Ifeanyi Ubah draw
The Promise Keepers’ attacker has showered encomiums on their determined effort to pick a point against the Anambra Warriors
Ubong Friday hails Akwa United’s determination in FC Ifeanyi Ubah draw
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Plateau United will bounce back from Kano Pillars’ setback – Boboye
The Peace Boys handler has challenged his players to return to winning ways this weekend after their loss to Sai Masu Gida
Plateau United will bounce back from Kano Pillars’ setback – Boboye
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Tech: One chart shows how successful the iPhone X is — and Apple investors love it (AAPL)
Apple stock rose over 3% in after-hours trading.
- Apple announced on Thursday that the average price of an iPhone is nearly $800, or about $100 higher than it was last year.
- The increase is due to the $999 iPhone X, which Apple says is its best-selling iPhone.
- Apple stock rose over 3% in after-hours trading.
Apple set records on Thursday when it reported December quarter earnings, driving the price up 3% in after-hours trading.
It seems odd, at first glance: Apple actually missed Wall Street targets on iPhone shipments over the crucial holiday quarter. So why the exuberance?
One chart gives even Apple's detractors reason to be optimistic about the world's most valuable public company:
This chart shows the average price worldwide that an iPhone is selling for, and it just made a huge jump. The average iPhone now costs nearly $800.
The big jump is because of the $999 super-premium iPhone X, which costs nearly $240 more than the iPhone 7 Plus, which was previously Apple's most expensive phone.
"Honestly speaking, there's no comparison in the revenue, it's hugely different," Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC in a post-earnings interview on Thursday evening. "In a positive way, obviously."
Although some analysts believed that Apple's increased price tag for its nicest phone might drive customers away, that doesn't seem to be the case. Cook told CNBC that the iPhone X has been company's best-selling device every week it's been available, while the less expensive 8 and 8 Plus appeal to those who don't want to pony up $999 for a phone.
Basically, Thursday's earnings proved that Apple has the room to raise prices. Now the question for investors is how much higher they can go.
Tech: One chart shows how successful the iPhone X is — and Apple investors love it (AAPL)
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Politics: There’s been a mysterious change in Trump's demeanor — and no one knows why
President Donald Trump has spent a couple of weeks being relatively subdued — and his poll numbers have spiked in the process.
- President Donald Trump has been much more subdued since the "shithole countries" news cycle.
- He has delivered six speeches in the past couple of weeks without stepping on his intended message.
- On Twitter, he's been much more restrained.
President Donald Trump has been relatively subdued in recent weeks — and his poll numbers have spiked.
The trend can be traced back to the passing of the news cycle about his "shithole countries" remark from the middle of last month. In the weeks that followed, he has only posted a handful of acerbic or unnecessary tweets — virtually unprecedented for such a length of time — and delivered a series of speeches that remained on message.
It's a frequent occurrence for Trump to initiate a days- or weeks-long news cycle on a subject unrelated to the message he and his administration were trying to drive home.
And the trend has been noticed by observers.
"I have noticed," Alex Conant, a Republican strategist and communications director for Sen. Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign, told Business Insider in an email. "The president's shown more message discipline in the last month than he did in all of 2017. It's directly correlated with general improvement in his poll numbers."
Conant is right about the correlation between Trump's weeks of relative calm and the improved polling. On Thursday, Trump's approval rating reached its highest point in months, according to the RealClearPolitics aggregate of polls.
Trump began February with a 41.5% approval rating in RCP. It was his highest rating since he hit 41.7% on September 24, and it was just the second time his average rating was 41.5% or higher since mid-May.
'It's very clear that he's cognizant of not stepping on himself and not stepping on his own news cycle'
The improved rating came on the heels of three polls published following Trump's State of the Union address. Both an Economist/YouGov poll and a Monmouth University survey found Trump's approval rating to be 44%, while a right-leaning Rasmussen poll put Trump's approval rating at 45%.
The State of the Union address itself polled well among an audience that was skewed a bit more conservative than the voting populace at large and featured Trump touting his first-year accomplishments in addition to calling for revitalizing US infrastructure and overhauling the immigration system. In addition to that speech, which saw Trump stay firmly on message, the president has delivered five speeches since mid-January that have all remained on point.
They included remarks on tax cuts and the economy at H&K Equipment outside of Pittsburgh, his speech at the March for Life, the address he delivered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the swearing in of Alex Azar as Health and Human Services secretary, and his Thursday speech to House and Senate Republicans at their retreat in West Virginia.
Each of those addresses were a far cry from what most are accustomed to seeing from Trump along the campaign trail, during rallies, or even during similar speeches he's delivered while occupying the Oval Office.
"I think he has gotten a lot better at driving a message," a former White House official told Business Insider. "He's always been extremely talented at putting a message out there, but I think he's gotten really good at letting something just stay out."
"It's very clear that he's cognizant of not stepping on himself and not stepping on his own news cycle," they added. "I think that's what we've seen recently where he's left a little bit of room for people to breathe. The State of the Union happened and I think after it, a lot of people were expecting some sort of tweet that would step on that news cycle. That didn't happen."
Indeed, that wasn't the only time the president decided to remain a bit calmer on Twitter during this time. Save for a couple of tweets about "Cryin" Chuck Schumer, responding to a comment from music mogul Jay-Z, and commenting on the text messages sent between FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, the president hasn't sparked much — if any — news with his tweets since the middle of last month. He even went three days without tweeting at all, save for one post that was clearly set up by a staffer.
Again, that's virtually unheard of for a stretch of time that long. And it's during a time when plenty is going on in the background.
The Russia investigation is seemingly reaching a climax, with officials such as FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe being shown the door, a potentially explosive Republican memo from the House Intelligence Committee causing tension between the White House and Justice Department, and reports that Trump himself has sought to push out Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein or even special counsel Robert Mueller.
Plus, there was a three-day government shutdown that occurred during this time. But Trump was able come out on top, at least in the short term, by staying on the sidelines.
The former White House official said they did not know if there was a specific triggering event that led to the sudden change in Trump's demeanor, but added that the president is "reaping" the benefits of such a change.
"I think he figured out really quickly that a big important thing in politics is to not step on your own message, to not step on your own good news cycle," the former official said. "I think he's been very effective over the last couple days and weeks at doing that."
Politics: There’s been a mysterious change in Trump's demeanor — and no one knows why
CLICK HERE TO READ FULL CONTENT
Brought to you by: RIDBAY | WEBSITE DESIGN & DIGITAL MARKETING
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)