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Sunday, May 31, 2020
FG Bans Sales & Use Of COVID19 Rapid Test Kits In Nigeria
Buhari Mourns As He Loses Second Relation In 23 Days
Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson, in a statement on Saturday, said Dauda died in Daura, Katsina State, after a prolonged illness.
In a condolence message, Buhari said the death had robbed the family and the Daura community of one of its finest gentlemen.
He said, “I am deeply touched and devastated by the passing of yet another family member, a man who had demonstrated amazing kindness and honesty in all his dealings.”
The deceased is survived by a number of children including Ibrahim, a chief administrative officer in State House, Abuja.
Governor declares state of emergency in Los Angeles County amid protests
The California National Guard is being deployed to Los Angeles in response to large protests being held in the city, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti.
The California National Guard will be used to assist local response to the protests being held, and to maintain peace and safety on the streets.
Garcetti imposed a curfew for the city’s downtown section, saying everyone must be off the streets between 8 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.
Several police cars were torched Saturday as some protesters in the city ignored authorities’ call for peaceful demonstrations after a night of violence that saw windows smashed, stores robbed and fires set.
The mostly peaceful gathering near a popular outdoor mall devolved Saturday afternoon.The California National Guard is being deployed to Los Angeles overnight to support our local response to maintain peace and safety on the streets of our city.— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) May 31, 2020
Protesters set fire to Los Angeles Police Department cars, broke windows and climbed on top of a bus. Police used flash-bang grenades to disperse protesters.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/governor-declares-state-of-emergency-in.html
Missing phone: Family of murdered hotel guard demand justice
The late Ezra was a staff of a private security company known as Executive Guard. He was reportedly wrongly beaten to death last Monday by persons suspected to be his co-workers and some customers in the hotel. The incident took place when an old mobile phone got missing within the premises of the hotel and the deceased was suspected to have stolen it. But he vehemently pleaded his innocence, to no avail. They descended on him and beat him until he became unconscious.
The deceased’s grandmother, Saratu Fidelis Limga, told Daily Trust Saturday that the family was devastated and only justice would comfort them.
“We want the government to take action. We demand justice for our son who was unjustly killed.
“You know how it feels to lose a loved one. I feel very bad. I could not sleep on Monday because the condition I saw him was sympathetic. I learnt that the owner of the hotel was the first person that started beating him and subsequently ordered his boys to deal with him. This is inhuman. They said it was a small tecno phone that does not worth more than N1,000,’’ she said.
She described her grandson as very honest, trustworthy and jovial.
Also speaking, Ezra’s grandfather, Fidelis Limga, said he couldn’t believe that his grandson was dead. “What we want is justice for my grandson. It was after he was killed that someone returned the phone, saying my grandson didn’t steal it. I want the police to do their job as expected and ensure that justice prevails over those who committed this crime,’’ he said.
A relative of the deceased, Nathaniel Kiki, who was the first from the family to visit the scene of the incident, told Daily Trust on Sunday that after beating him, his assailants covered his body with grass while he was still alive. They also stripped him naked.
“When I arrived at the hotel with our grandmother, we saw him on the floor, covered with grasses. There was no cloth on his body. I removed the grasses and called him and he answered. I asked if he stole the phone and he answered, “I have never stolen anything from anyone. You know me very well. What am I going to do with a stolen phone? He asked me to take him to the hospital because of the pains he was going through?’’ Kiki said.
“What is more painful to us is that after the wicked attack, a corps member found the said phone and returned it to the police. And the phone is not up to N1,000,’’ he added.
Also, the manager of Bauchi office of Executive Guard, Musa Silas, said the deceased joined the services of the security company a month ago, adding that one of their criteria for employment is that the applicant must be have proven integrity.
“We depend on personal information and findings within the environment of the applicant before employment. During our findings, as well as relationship with the deceased, we discovered that he was a good young man. He was also a member of the vigilante group in his community, which encouraged us to offer him our job since he had experience in maintaining peace and order.
“I feel very sad at what happened to him because I was part of the people that took him to the hospital. I saw the extent of brutality meted out to him. It is very unfortunate that we lost a hard-working young man,’’ Silas said.
A friend of the deceased, who is also a security man at the Lutheran Church of Christ (LCC), Yelwa, Yohana John, said Ezra was a very religious and honest person who didn’t even argue or fight with anybody. ‘Sometimes, out of trust I would leave my duty post for him, and nothing ever happened or got lost in my absence. There’s no history of immorality, theft or drug abuse concerning my friend. He wouldn’t have stolen any mobile phone. Many people will miss him, especially friends and colleagues,’’ John said.
When contacted, the police public relations officer, Bauchi State command, DSP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, confirmed the incident, saying five suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident. He added that investigation into the incident had commenced.
He said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Efforts to speak with the late Ezra’s co-workers at New Tripod Hotel were not successful because the hotel was under lock and key.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/missing-phone-family-of-murdered-hotel.html
Teenager performing ablution shot by police in Abuja
On May 18, Sadiq, a teenage son of Engr Abubakar Yaro Ibrahim, a former Sole Administrator of the National Iron Mining Company, Itakpe, was allegedly shot in the hand by an operative of the police force with Special Tactical Squad (STS) of the Office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The yet-to-be-identified operative would later be quoted to have allegedly told the semi-conscious Sadiq to count himself lucky that the bullet missed him on the head where it was targeted.
In a chat with Daily Trust on Sunday, Sadiq’s father, Engr Ibrahim, said his son was lucky to be alive.
“He is getting better. But he is still in the hospital. Two surgeons – a plastic surgeon and an orthopaedic, operated on him for almost eight hours.
Engr. Ibrahim, who is currently a visiting lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, said his son, a student of School of Basic & Remedial Studies (ABU) Funtua, was shot in his right hand. “They cracked one of the bones around his wrist,” he added.
In an earlier interview he granted PRNigeria, Ibrahim, narrated the incidents leading to the shooting of his son.
He said on the day of the incident, he was preparing to join other members of his family to perform the afternoon prayer (Salatul Zuhr) at about 12.45pm, when the personnel of the STS, who he initially thought were armed robbers, stormed his house.
“I heard several gunshots, and some strange people shouting at the top of their voices at members of my family, while some other people were banging doors, trying to forcibly gain entrance into the house through other doors.
“I rushed downstairs to the main living room of the house to know exactly what was happening and to my greatest dismay I found members of my family laying down on the floor of the living room with their faces down and several armed men were standing keeping watch over them, threatening to shoot anyone that may attempt to run away.”
He said: “They did not enter my house through the main door, in spite of the fact that it was not locked. They instead jumped over the fence between my house and that of my immediate next-door neighbour.
“My son, Sadiq, was performing ablution when they entered the home by jumping over the fence between my house and that of my neighbour; this very manner of entering the house greatly frightened him.
“More so, that one of the operatives pointed a gun at him and pursued him trying to kill him. Sadiq actually assumed they were armed robbers when he saw them. The particular person that shot him had a hairstyle that is not befitting responsible people, making the boy believe they were armed robbers. None of the officers wore protective gear which they normally wear when they are on such operation.
“This cast doubt on the motive of the mission of the STS team.
“The same officer who shot Sadiq told my wife, who at that time they entered our compound was in the kitchen preparing food for children, to open the kitchen door or be shot. One of the children advised her to open for him and she did. But for that invention by the child it could have been a different story. The shock and trauma we were subjected to caused another son of mine to collapse at the interrogation venue. The STS operatives had disgraced us as a family by treating us like criminals without the slightest justification for that.”
On the reason for the raid, Eng. Ibrahim said he later found out at the STS Office at Guzape, Abuja, where they were taken for interrogation that it was connected to a case of kidnapping.
“At the venue of interrogation, we were each asked to make a statement, and it was while we were doing so, that it became evident that they were trying to link us up with a kidnap case. According to them, a Nigerian Army major and one or two other people were recently kidnapped in Kogi State, and the kidnappers demanded a huge ransom before they could be released.
“According to them, they were trying to track the kidnappers when they arrived at a spot (near my house, but on the road which passes in front of it) as the location of the kidnappers when they were last contacted.
“They claimed that the kidnappers asked them to take the ransom to that spot which they automatically assumed to be part of my house,” he said.
On whether the police, who he said abandoned Sadiq in the hospital, had made any contact with him since the incident, Ibrahim told Daily Trust on Sunday that they called one of his sons, who in the heat of the moment, told them not to bother.
He, however, said mobile phones and a laptop collected from his family members, his driver and neighbours by the police since the incident have not been returned. He said he has briefed his lawyer and they are considering a lawsuit against the police.
Efforts to get an update from a spokesman of the police, DCP Frank Mba, was unsuccessful. Several calls to his phone did not connect; however, a text message to him was marked delivered but not responded to.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/teenager-performing-ablution-shot-by.html
How 72 children were recovered from Taraba’s suspected child trafficker
Mary, a native of Maraban Baissa in Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State, was at the time of her arrest a teacher in one of the primary schools in Bali town.She wasarrested following a tip off by some people in the town who saw her with the innocent children and knowing very well they were not her biological children.
She was brought to Police command headquarters in Jalingo where she confessed that she took the children from their parents under the guise of enrolling them into primary school.
Mary Yakubu,when she was paraded before newsmen,said it was the parents of the children that gave her the children willingly to enrol into school.
She told police during interrogation that there were more children in her custody.
The suspect according to the spokesperson of the command, DSP David Misal, had claimed that it was the parents of the 23 children – 8 girls and 14 boys, that gave the children to her to give to any person willing to take care of them.
Daily Trust further gathered that this is not the first time the suspect was taking children from the area without the knowledge of the security or local government officials in the area.
She told police and officials of the state ministry of women affairs and child care that she had earlier taken 10 children.
A source in the state ministry of Women Affairs told Daily Trust that the suspect had earlier taken 10 children from another village in the same local government area to a school in Maraban Baissa before her arrest. She said 9 out of the 10 children she took away were later brought back.
Police spokesperson DSP David Misal told Daily Trust that the suspect was taken to court and later it was discovered that there were more children in her custody.
According to him, apart from the 23 recovered earlier, an additional 49 children were rescued from her bringing the number to 72.
Our finding revealed that Mary Yakubu usually go to remote areas and take the children from their parents under the guise of enrolling them into school.
The areas the suspect visits do not have roads and schools and she will bring the children to Bali town where she resides before taking them to a location in Maraban Baissa town in Donga Local Government Area of the state.
Daily Trust learnt that it is in Maraban Baissa that the suspect distributes the children to some individuals in different towns to work as house helps.
The state government, it was gathered, has taken over the matter. The government has also taken custody of the children who are lodged at Jalingo Motel.
The state ministry of women affairs and child welfare now provides security,feeding, medication and other needs.
A source at the ministry told our reporter that Governor Darius Ishaku had set up a committee to identify all the villages where the suspect took the children from as well as to identify parents of the children.
The governor has also directed that schools, clinics, market stalls and access road be provided in the areas.
The source said work on infrastructure in the areas has reached an advanced stage and the project will be commission next month when all the children rescued will be officially handed over to their parents.
The state government according to our findings will soon embark on sensitization tour of all the local government areas of the state to educate parents against given out their children to unknown persons.
It was learnt that there are similar cases of child trafficking across the state and many of such cases are not reported.
The first case of this nature was the arrest of a man who claimed to be the pastor of a church in Plateau State who was arrested with 17 children while trying to cross the River Benue at Ibbi town in Ibbi Local Government Area in July2015.
All the 17 children the pastor took were from the Bali Local Government Area where Mary Yakubu took the 72 children who were rescued by the police from.
It is not known if the pastor was charged to court.
On August 24,2019, a lady name Ruth Okoronkwo was also arrested at a military check point in Sabon Gidan town in Gassol Local Government Area with three children she allegedly abducted from Numan, Adamawa State, Jalingo and Iware towns in Taraba State.
Daily Trust gathered that Ruth Okoronkwo was arrested when the parents of one of the abducted children alerted the soldiers at the check point.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/how-72-children-were-recovered-from.html
COVID-19: Saudi Arabia approves re-opening of Madinah mosque
According to the approved guidelines, the permitted access of Masjid Al Nabawi, Madinah will be in the courtyards and the King Fahad Expansion of the mosque.
It stated that men will be allowed to enter Masjid Al Nabawi through Al-Hijrah Gate No. 4, Quba Gate No. 5, King Saud Gate No 8, Imam Al-Bukhari Gate No. 10, King Fahd Gate No. 21, King Abdulaziz Gate No 34, and Makkah Gate No. 37 while the Salam Gate will remain closed.
It added that women will be allowed to enter through gates 13, 17, 25, 29 all from today.
“The Old Mosque and Ziyarah (visitation) to the Rawdah (resting place of Prophet Muhammad) and Riyadh Al Jannah will remain suspended.
“The mosque will be closed as soon as it reaches 40 percent of capacity.
“Prayers will be performed on marble floors all carpets have been removed,” it added.
On precautionary measures for public entry in Masjid al Nabawi, Madinah from today, it stated that everyone is required to wear masks, children are not allowed, maintain a gap on a row from each worshiper.
It added: “Supply of Zamzam water will remain suspended, mosque will be closed at 40 percent capacity, iftar service remains suspended, and visitation to Rawdah and Riyadh al Jannah remains suspended.”
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/covid-19-saudi-arabia-approves-re.html
Chevron To Fire 6,750 Staff In A Major Sack
The mass sack, the company with third biggest Joint ventures in Nigeria said, represents a cut of between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of its worldwide workforce as part of an ongoing restructuring at the second-largest U.S. oil producer.
Spokeswoman for Chevron, Veronica Flores-Paniagua, confirmed this, while maintaining that Chevron, which has 45,000 employees, expects to remove about 10 to 15 per cent of its global staff to “match projected activity levels.”
The oil producer previously disclosed a 30 per cent reduction in its 2020 spending and some voluntary job cuts amid this year’s sharp drop in oil prices and lower demand for oil and gas due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chevron has been widely seen as the standard bearer of financial discipline in the oil industry and was among the first to make significant budget cuts as oil demand plummeted. Last year, it abandoned a takeover bid for Anadarko Petroleum Corp rather than get into a bidding war with Occidental Petroleum Corp.
Chevron pocketed a $1 billion break fee while Occidental has faced investor wrath for its ill-timed deal. U.S. crude oil prices have nearly halved this year to about $33 a barrel as the COVID- 19 pandemic slashed travel and led to stay-athome orders that have cut oil demand by as much as two million barrels per day. Chevron this month said it would reduce planned U.S. shale output by about 125,000 bpd.
The about 4,500 to 6,750 job cuts envisioned are to “address current market conditions,” with varying impact on each business unit and region, said Flores- Paniagua. Most reductions will take place this year. “This is a difficult decision and we do not take it lightly,” she added. At its annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, No. 1 U.S. oil producer Exxon- Mobil Corp said it had not yet taken steps to reduce its workforce.”
Father and son sentenced to over 15 years in jail each for gang-raping 28-year-old woman
Molo Resident Magistrate Emmanuel Soita ruled that the Prosecution, led by John Limo, had proven beyond any reasonable doubt that John Chirchir and his son, Vincent Lang’at, on 27 June, 2018 gang-raped their 28-year-old neighbour at Telowa Village in Kuresoi North Constituency in Nakuru County.
Five witnesses, who testified, confirmed that Chirchir and Lang’at subdued their victim and sexually abused her in their house.
In another case, Magistrate Soita sentenced one Samuel Kiprono to 13 years in jail for defiling a 9-year-old girl in Keringet area, Molo Constituency in Nakuru County.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/father-and-son-sentenced-to-over-15.html
Federer surpasses Ronaldo, Messi as top-earning athlete
That eye-watering figure puts the 20-time grand slam winner ahead of football stars Ronaldo ($105m), Messi ($104m) and Neymar ($95.5m). NBA icon LeBron James rounds out the top five, raking in $88.2m in a period when some sportspeople took wage cuts amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Endorsements account for most of Federer’s income, but he also undertook a tour of North and South America late last year to further boost his earnings.
“The coronavirus pandemic triggered salary cuts for soccer stars Messi and Ronaldo, clearing the way for a tennis player to rank as the world’s highest-paid athlete for the first time,” said Kurt Badenhausen, senior editor at Forbes.
“Roger Federer is the perfect pitchman for companies, resulting in an unparalleled endorsement portfolio of blue-chip brands worth $100million a year for the tennis great.”
Federer’s rise to the summit comes after fellow tennis player Naomi Osaka was announced as the highest paid female athlete, her $37.4m putting the Japanese 29th overall.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/federer-surpasses-ronaldo-messi-as-top.html
Man and wife stab, kill neighbour who had gone to separate them during fight
Kennedy Nyukuri was stabbed in the chest and back by the couple on Wednesday night, when he went to their home to break up a fight.
It remains unclear what the man-and-wife were fighting over.
“Yesterday night, I heard screams emanating from our neighbour’s house. It appears that the couple was fighting. Nyukuri, I understand, had gone to break up the fight.
When I woke up today morning and stepped out, I found his (Nyukuri’s) body lying in a ditch. He was bleeding from the chest and back,” said a neighbour.
Tuwani Ward MCA, Bernard Wabwa, urged police to arrest the couple and charge them with causing Nyukuri’s death.
The deceased was taken to Kitale Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary. Investigations into the matter have commenced.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/man-and-wife-stab-kill-neighbour-who.html
100 level UNIBEN student r.a.p.e.d, killed inside Church in Edo state
The victim was said to have been r.a.p.e.d on Friday 29th May near Ikpoba Hill in Benin City, at her church, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
Reports gathered that the deceased had gone to the church to read ahead possible school resumption after months of staying at home as a result of the lockdown order.
The perpetrators were said to have attacked her at the RCCG Ohovbe road branch, r.a.p.e.d and smashed her head with a fire extinguisher, leaving her dead.
Miss Vera was rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), where she battled for her dear life at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
She, however, gave up the ghost Saturday midnight, May 30, following excess loss of blood and deep cuts sustained from the attack.
A family source, who confirmed the development, described the deceased as “an easy-going somebody (sic).” Her remains had been deposited at the morgue.
Nigerians have since taken to Twitter, using #JusticeForUwa, to demand for justice for the fallen student and one of the numerous victims of rape in the country.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/100-level-uniben-student-raped-killed.html
Beyonce and Rihanna demand justice for George Floyd
George Floyd, who is an African-American man, died on May 25, 2020, when Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer, knelt on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds; 2 minutes and 53 seconds of which occurred after Floyd became unresponsive, according to the criminal complaint filed against Chauvin. Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down on the road, while Chauvin had his knee on his neck.
Beyonce in a video shared on Instagram appealed to her fans not to ‘normalise’ what happened, and hold people accountable for their actions.
“We need justice for George Floyd. We all witnessed his murder in broad daylight. We’re broken and we’re disgusted. We cannot normalise this pain. I’m not only speaking to people of colour. If you’re white, black, brown, or anything in between, I’m sure you feel hopeless by the racism going on in America right now.”
She continued:
“No more senseless killings of human beings. No more seeing people of colour as less than human. We can no longer look away. George is all of our family in humanity. He’s family because he’s a fellow American. There have been too many times that we’ve seen these violent killings and no consequences. Yes, someone has been charged but justice is far from being achieved.”
Rihanna in a lengthy post shared on her Instagram page along with a George Floyd said that she had stayed away from social media just to avoid the “blood-curdling” cry of George Floyd begging for his life when he died:
“For the last few days, the magnitude of devastation, anger, sadness I’ve felt has been overwhelming to say the least! Watching my people get murdered and lynched day after day pushed me to a heavy place in my heart! To the point of staying away from socials, just to avoid hearing the blood curdling agony in George Floyd’s voice again, begging over and over for his life!!! The look of enticement, the pure joy and climax on the face of this bigot, murderer, thug, pig, bum, Derek Chauvin, haunts me!! I can’t shake this! I can’t get over an ambulance pulling up to an arrest, a paramedic checking a pulse without removing the very thing that’s hindering it! Is this that fucking normal??? If intentional MURDER is the fit consequence for “drugs” or “resisting arrest”….then what’s the fit consequence for MURDER???! #GeorgeFloyd #AhmaudArbery #BreonnaTaylor”
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/beyonce-and-rihanna-demand-justice-for.html
Joshua, Antetokounmpo make Forbes’ highest-paid athletes list
Antetokounmpo, who plays for Greece is 18th on the list with $47.6m in earnings from basketball and endorsements, while Joshua is 19th on the list with earnings worth $47m.
Roger Federer takes the top spot for the first time, with $106m of pre-tax earnings, edging past Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have swapped the No. 1 spot in three of the past four years.
The two soccer icons earned a combined $209m during the past 12 months, a $28m drop from 2019, due to salary reductions at many European soccer clubs when league play was halted in March.
The 100 highest-paid athletes earned a combined $3.6bn this year, which is 9 percent below 2019 and the first decline since 2016, when boxers Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao skewed the results with a $400m payout from their May 2015 “Fight of the Century” pay-per-view bout.
Athletes from 21 countries and 10 sports make the final cut this year, as do two women — Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams – the first time more than one woman has made the ranks since 2016, when Williams appeared with Maria Sharapova.
Osaka, who earned $3.4m in tournament pay, is another dream endorser, collecting $34m from brands including Nike, Nissan Motor and Procter & Gamble. No female athlete from any other sport besides tennis has ever made this elite rank.
US President Donald Trump said Saturday he will delay the G7 summit scheduled to take place in June and invite other countries — including Russia — to join the meeting.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/joshua-antetokounmpo-make-forbes.html
My predecessor spent N50m for a single trip to Abuja — Bauchi gov
He said this during a media chat to mark his first year in office held at the Command Guest House, Bauchi.
He reacted to a question on allegations by the opposition All Progressives Congress in the state which alleged that the present government does not follow due process in awarding contracts.
He said, “I don’t go to Abuja very often. In the past, the former occupant (former governor Mohammed Abubakar) spent N50m to go to Abuja, just to go to Abuja, and to them, that is due process.
“N50m just to go to Abuja, it is there on record, I don’t even take it. My protocol, yes, as a governor, will take N3m to N5m to go with me. We are not saying this to beguile anybody but it is there. If you take N50m times four, that is N20m, you cannot do anything, you need projects.”
“We know we are being prudent and we will continue to be prudent and we are not looking for anything, God has given us everything. I am the most beguiled, investigated and denigrated person, yet the people have faith in me.
Reacting, an aide to the former Bauchi State governor, Ali M. Ali, described the allegations as “diversionary”.
He said, “They should stop giving out misguided and misleading information to the public.
“They said we should refund N1tn, it’s just to divert attention because they’ve seen heat from the people that helped them into power.
“Now, they are bringing the issue of taking N50 million to travel to Abuja every trip, how can that N50 million be spent because anytime he went to Abuja, he usually stays in his house. How is that possible? On who and who would N50 million be spent on? This is unthinkable.”
“I have faced opposition from the Federal Government, even my traducers, I don’t take issues with them, I know some of them in person based on political permutations. Even now, I am suffering from a gang-up, gang-up from even people I have worked with to come to this level, it is coming but we ignore it.”
Answering a question on the whereabouts of the aircraft belonging to the Bauchi State Government, the governor said that over $3 million was needed to repair it.
The aircraft is there parked, that was how I found it, right now, it has no value because it has no insurance. It was repaired in Morocco sometimes back and it was brought back to Nigeria and its engine started leaking, so we left it.
“The repairs of the aircraft have gulped about $3 million, now it has no value but maybe if it is repaired. Since it is a 50-seater, the value maybe $7 or $8 million if we are to sell it and it can be useful since it is a new aircraft.
“Our problem is that we don’t have that kind of money. We’ll have to use wisdom to see how we can repair it because it is a big loss to the state.”
Meanwhile, the governor said he has released N250 million to the Ministry of power for the electrification of rural areas across the state.
“We have sent N450 million to the Ministry of Education to renovate two schools, the Special School in Kafin Madaki and that of Zaki, the roofs were blown off and I am going to renovate it 100 perc ent with about N380 million,” he said.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/my-predecessor-spent-n50m-for-single.html
Expect 11,000 MW of electricity by 2023 —Lai Mohammed
According to him, it will first grow to 7,000MW by the end of next year from the present 3,400 megawatts.
The minister spoke at a press conference in Abuja as part of activities marking the first year anniversary of the second term of the Buhari Administration.
He said: “Following an agreement with German company Siemens in July 2019 to boost power supply in Nigeria, the stage is set for the perennial power problem to become a thing of the past.
“Under the three-phase agreement, Nigerians will enjoy 7,000 megawatts of reliable power supply by the end of 2021 (phase 1), 11,000 megawatts by the end of 2023 (phase 2) and 25,000 megawatts in the third phase.
“To put things in perspective, Nigeria’s current power generation capacity is more than 13,000 megawatts, but only an average of 3,400 megawatts reliably reach consumers. In essence, the current amount of power that reaches consumers will more than double by the end of next year.
“In addition, this will create thousands of jobs and will leapfrog the country into the next level of industrial and social development.”
He said that based on the performance of the last five years,it was clear that President Muhammadu Buhari was taking Nigeria to the next level of irreversible change.
On the fight against corruption, Mohammed said the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered cash and assets in excess of N118 billion in the last one year.
He said the ICPC recovered N81 billion while the EFCC confiscated N32 billion
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/expect-11000-mw-of-electricity-by-2023.html
Trump says he will delay G7 summit and invite other countries
“I don’t feel that as a G7 it properly represents what’s going on in the world. It’s a very outdated group of countries,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
He said he would like to invite Russia, South Korea, Australia and India to join an expanded summit in the fall.
It could happen in September, either before or after the UN General Assembly, Trump said, adding that “maybe I’ll do it after the election.”
Americans head to the polls in early November to choose a new president, with Trump keen for a return to normalcy from the coronavirus pandemic and a healthy economy as voters cast their ballots.
Describing the event as a “G-10 or G-11,” Trump said he had “roughly” broached the topic with leaders of the four other countries.
Leaders from the Group of Seven, which the United States heads this year, had been scheduled to meet by videoconference in late June after COVID-19 scuttled plans to gather in-person at Camp David, the US presidential retreat outside Washington.
Trump created suspense on the G7 summit just over a week ago, however, when he announced that he might hold the huge gathering in-person after all, “primarily at the White House” but also potentially parts of it at Camp David.
– ‘Cannot agree’ to trip –
German Chancellor Angela Merkel became the first leader to decline the in-person invitation outright.
“Considering the overall pandemic situation, she cannot agree to her personal participation, to a journey to Washington,” her spokesman said Saturday.
Her response followed ambivalent to vaguely positive reactions to the invitation from Britain, Canada and France.
The 65-year-old chancellor is the oldest G7 leader after Trump, who is 73. Japan’s Shinzo Abe, also 65, is several months younger than Merkel. Their age puts them at higher risk from the coronavirus.
The G7 major advanced countries — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — hold annual meetings to discuss international economic coordination.
Russia was thrown out of what was the G8 in 2014 after it seized Ukraine’s Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, an annexation never recognized by the international community.
The work of the G7 is now more important than ever as countries struggle to repair coronavirus-inflicted damage.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/trump-says-he-will-delay-g7-summit-and.html
President Muhammadu Buhari loses nephew, Ibrahim Dauda,
Disclosing this in a statement signed by Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari said the death has robbed the family and the Daura community one of its finest gentlemen.
“I am deeply touched and devastated by the passing of yet another family member, a man who had demonstrated amazing kindness and honesty in all his dealings,” the President said.
He prayed God to forgive the soul of the deceased and reward his great and noble deeds with paradise. The deceased is survived by a number of children, including Dauda Ibrahim, a Chief Administrative Officer in State House, Abuja.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/president-muhammadu-buhari-loses-nephew.html
Why many think my marriage won’t last – Anita Joseph
The seasoned actress, in a fresh interview, spoke at length about her new marriage, attesting that marriage for her is indeed a worthwhile journey.
“For me, marriage has been a marital bliss and will always be. My husband is my friend, so with God on our side, we plan to remain that way. As a newly married actress, I manage my time better. I create more time for my family,” he stated.
Reacting to the social media prediction that her marriage would not survive the test of time, just like some of her colleagues, the actress said it’s up to God with personal efforts to keep things working.
“It’s up to God and man for marriages to end. It takes more personal effort, and that’s what makes marriage to last. My parents were married until death and I intend to leave that example for my kids, with God as my helper.
“However, if I am to counsel a heartbroken single lady right now, the most important thing she needs to know is that there is life before (meeting) a man and there will be life after the man. The one who left you will make room for another to come. That’s life.”
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/why-many-think-my-marriage-wont-last.html
Nigeria posts highest ever coronavirus cases in single day
The NCDC made the announcement Saturday night, with the new figure taking Nigeria’s virus caseload to 9,855.
The national death toll increased from 261 to 273, with 2,856 discharged. Lagos remains the hot spot of the virus with 378 cases, also a new daily record.
On Friday, Lagos recorded 254 new infections and 111 on Thursday.
The state now has 4,755 cases, almost 50 percent of the national total.
Here are the cases announced by the NCDC for 14 states and the FCT:
Lagos-378
FCT-52
Delta-23
Edo-22
Rivers-14
Ogun-13
Kaduna-12
Kano-9
Borno-7
Katsina-6
Jigawa-5
Oyo-5
Yobe-3
Plateau-3
Osun-1
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/nigeria-posts-highest-ever-coronavirus.html
4-month-old COVID-19 patient discharged in Kaduna
The government, however, said there are still 76 active cases in the state as at Friday.
In an update by the Commissioner of Health, Dr Amina Mohammed-Baloni, out of the 232 cases reported, 149 have been discharged, while seven deaths have been recorded.
She said that the state had tested almost 2, 000 samples, warning that “case numbers are likely to rise further as more tests are conducted in more places.”
“COVID-19 cases have been recorded in 33 wards in nine local government areas of the state: Chikun, Giwa, Igabi, Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Makarfi, Sabon-Gari, Soba and Zaria. The data showed that 80 per cent of the infected persons are male.’’
According to her, most of the cases either have a history of interstate travel or are contacts of infected persons.
“In addition to public health warnings to avoid interstate travel, state health officials have been engaged in vigorous contact tracing to contain the spread of the infections.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/4-month-old-covid-19-patient-discharged.html
Microsoft sacks 50 journalists to replace them with robots
Staff who maintain the news homepages on Microsoft’s MSN website and its Edge browser – used by millions of Britons every day – have been told that they will be no longer be required because robots can now do their jobs.
Around 27 individuals employed by PA Media – formerly the Press Association – were told on Thursday that they would lose their jobs in a month’s time after Microsoft decided to stop employing humans to select, edit and curate news articles on its homepages.
Employees were told Microsoft’s decision to end the contract with PA Media was taken at short notice as part of a global shift away from humans in favour of automated updates for news.
One staff member who worked on the team said: “I spend all my time reading about how automation and AI is going to take all our jobs, and here I am – AI has taken my job.”
The individual added that the decision to replace humans with software was risky, as the existing staff were careful to stick to “very strict editorial guidelines” which ensured that users were not presented with violent or inappropriate content when opening their browser, of particular importance for younger users.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/microsoft-sacks-50-journalists-to.html
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Buhari’s Problem Is Incompetent & Selfish Aides - Ango Abdullahi
In this interview with Daily Trust, he has, among others, blamed what he called incompetent and selfish appointees/associates for the “failure” of Buhari’s administration.
Nigeria is celebrating 21 years since the return of democracy, what is your take on that?
I did not believe 29th of May is the Democracy Day for Nigeria. Democracy Day is 1st of October, because that is the day that Nigeria became politically independent from colonial masters. If the interpretation of Democracy Day means Nigeria has moved from military to another form of administration, I wouldn’t say that we have moved from military administration to democracy. What we have done was to move from military administration to civilian administration.
There is difference between civilian administration and democratic administration. As far as I am concerned we have not enjoyed democratic administration in the last 21 years, including the current period that we are in now. In fact, we have suffered more in terms of less democracy in the last four to five years than any other time in the last 21 years.
How then do you view the leadership style of the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari?
Well, it is difficult to give straight answer to this question. From a distance, I would say that he delegates power to other people who probably have no qualification and competence to execute the duties of their offices. They may also have no mandate to execute those powers delegated to them.
The presidential powers that are enshrined in the constitution are entailing the responsibilities of a person who offered himself for election, as Buhari did. Eventually, he emerged as the president and therefore those powers are exclusively his own powers. All he needs to do is to ensure that those powers are executed in the expectation of the people of the country. Yes, he can’t do everything all alone; we concede. He has to find people or assistants, associates and colleagues who would be assigned various roles and responsibilities to carry out those functions that are his own.
I once postulated few months after he emerged as president for second term that we trust his honesty, but unfortunately he has failed to gather the necessary materials with which to execute the duties and functions of the office of the president by the poor quality of people that he gathered around either as ministers or any other role they play.
As a teacher, if you asked to grade the performance of Buhari in comparison to the previous presidents since the return of democracy, what would be your score for him?
I have worked with only one of the presidents. I worked with Obasanjo for three years. Of course, Obasanjo was a better president. I ranked Obasanjo far better president than Buhari. This is because of his ability to take on the duties of president whether sometimes right or wrong. The critical job of the president is to take decision. Some of the decisions may be right, while others may be wrong. The most important thing is that there must be somebody who takes decisions and take responsibility. This is where Obasanjo excelled. He took decision and took responsibility. This is the major difference between Obasanjo’s presidency and that of Buhari.
I have never personally been close to him, but from afar I would say lack of firmness. Firmness means that he should come out as president to ensure that his decisions are executed to the latter. However, we notice that he did not exhibit that firmness.
For example, when somebody is alleged to have done something wrong and you requested for evidence and ample of them were provided; the president should take decisive action to serve as deterrent. The reverse is however the case. We have instances of people close to him that engaged in one wrong doing or the other, but went scot free after a lot of evidences have been adduced directly and indirectly. These were in terms of both moral and material corruption.
Update On Policeman Charged For The Murder Of George Floyd
Derek Chauvin is one of four officers who were fired shortly after an explosive video emerged showing a handcuffed Floyd lying on the street as an officer identified as Chauvin pinned his knee to Floyd’s neck for at least five minutes on Monday.
The death of the 46-year-old Floyd has sparked days of peaceful and violent demonstrations in Minneapolis and other US cities over police brutality against African-Americans.
So far, hundreds of shops have been damaged and a police station set on fire.“Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is in custody,” Hennepin County prosecutor Mike Freeman told reporters.
“Chauvin has been charged… with murder and with manslaughter,” he added, specifying to reporters that the charge was third-degree murder.
US Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota applauded Chauvin’s arrest, calling it “the first step towards justice.”
– Racism cannot be ‘normal’ –
In the graphic video footage, Floyd is seen saying that he can not breathe. Eventually, he went silent and limp, and he was later declared dead.
Protests swelled after federal authorities said Thursday that they were making the case a top priority but announced no arrests at that time.
Overnight, demonstrators broke through law enforcement barriers to overtake the Minneapolis police station where the four officers blamed for Floyd’s death were based.A fire broke out and soon became an inferno that engulfed the structure.
Minnesota’s national guard announced that 500 troops were being deployed Friday for peacekeeping amid signs that the anger was nowhere near dissipating.
President Donald Trump blasted local officials and labelled the protesters “thugs,” threatening a harsh crackdown. “These THUGS are dishonouring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen,” Trump tweeted.
“Just spoke to (Minnesota) Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” Twitter concealed that tweet, saying it violated its policy on glorifying violence.
“It can’t be ‘normal',” Obama, the first black US president, said in a statement.“If we want our children to grow up in a nation that lives up to its highest ideals, we can and must do better.”
India police arrest pigeon on suspicion of being a Pakistan spy
Indian officials said that the pink painted bird carrying a “coded message,” attached to its foot was alleged to have flown from across the border that separates Indian and Pakistan-controlled parts of Kashmir, according to reports.
Villagers living close to the border in Manyari turned the pigeon over to authorities after catching it along the border, Sky News reported.
Geeta Devi, a resident of the Kathua district of Indian-administered Kashmir, reported that the bird flew into her home Sunday night. Police logged the animal as a “Pak Suspected Spy” and launched an investigation to decipher the message, the outlet reported.
“We don’t know where the bird has come from. Locals on our side captured it near our fence,” Kathua police’s senior superintendent Shailendra Mishra told the Times of India.
“The pigeon, suspected to be trained in Pakistan for spying, has a ring with letters and numbers written on it,” a police source said.
“Though birds have no boundaries and many fly across international borders during migration, a coded ring tagged to the captured pigeon’s body is a cause of concern as migratory birds have no such rings,” the source added.
However, in an update, a Pakistani villager has urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to return his pigeon, currently being held in India on charges of spying.
The man identified as Habibullah, who lives just 4km (2.5 miles) from the border, said he flew his pigeons to celebrate Eid festival.
This is not the first time birds have reportedly been used for espionage in the disputed territory in the past.
In 2016, the Indian police arrested a pigeon that was found carrying a warning note to Prime Minister Narendra Modi near the nation’s heavily militarized border with Pakistan.
In 2013, Indian security forces found a dead falcon fitted with a small camera, and in 2010 another pigeon was detained over spying fears.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/india-police-arrest-pigeon-on-suspicion.html
Former NNPC boss Maikanti Baru is dead
Baru died of an undisclosed ailment on Friday night. He was aged 60.
Mele Kyari, who succeeded Baru at NNPC, announced the death on Saturday morning.
“My brother, my friend and my mentor, Dr Maikanti Kachalla Baru, immediate past GMD of NNPC died late last night,” Kyari said on Twitter. “He was of exemplary character and disposition. May Allah forgive him and have mercy upon him.”
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/former-nnpc-boss-maikanti-baru-is-dead.html
Former President Obama issues statement on George Floyd
"This shouldn't be 'normal' in 2020 America," he wrote. "It can't be 'normal.' If we want our children to grow up in a nation that lives up to its highest ideals, we can and must be better."
Obama said this in reference to the point that many people in America would like life to go back to "normal" in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. But, he wrote, "being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly 'normal'" for millions of Americans.
This difference, he wrote, comes "whether it's while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or just watching birds in the park." Those last two points seemingly reference Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man who was shot and killed by two white men while on a jog in Georgia in February, and an incident in New York City's Central Park this week in which a white woman called the police on a black man who asked her to leash her dog.
My statement on the death of George Floyd: pic.twitter.com/Hg1k9JHT6R— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 29, 2020
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/former-president-obama-issues-statement.html
High school wrestling coach fired For mocking George Floyd's death (photos)
The post shows Hollenbeck lying on the ground giving a thumbs up gesture with a smile on his face as someone has their knee pressed against his neck, similar to the position that Floyd was held in by a white officer before losing consciousness, and dying soon after.
"Not dead yet I’m doing this for Are police officers the media is a race baiting machine and I’m tired of it I’m going to speak out every time if you don’t like that I’m sorry but I love All people..Wake up America," he wrote in the first caption of his post.
Hollenbeck later posted a poorly-written revision, stating, "This is for all the race baiters and people that don’t What they’re talking about when they’re saying this could kill you."
Hollenbeck told KOMO News that he eventually realized his post was "insensitive," explaining that he was trying to defend the Minneapolis police officer’s violence. His apology started the same way as Amy Cooper’s earlier this week following her Central Park exchange with Christian Cooper, with the proclamation that he’s not racist.“Not dead yet”: @BethelSD says it’s investigating this social media post of a first-year wrestling coach at Bethel High School who’s pictured with a knee pressed into his neck. #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/sOcVCoSjoJ— Michael Spears (@MichaelKIRO7) May 27, 2020
"I'm not a racist man," Hollenbeck said. "I don’t have that in me, my children don’t have that in them, I didn’t instill that in them. I’m sorry that I offended anybody, that was not my point. I was trying to show something."
People seem to think otherwise about his "I'm not a racist" stance.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/high-school-wrestling-coach-fired-for.html
'Nigerians will now pay N50 stamp duty on electronic receipts'
This includes SMS and messages on any electronic platform such as emails and Whatsapp messages.
This is according to a circular that was signed by FIRS’ Executive Chairman, Muhammad Nami, as seen on the tax agency’s website. Part of the circular said:
“Any electronic receipt for, or electronic transfer of, money deposited with any bank or with any banker in any type of account of an amount from N10,000 upwards shall attract a singular or one-off duty of the sum of N50.
“Stamp duty upon receipt (written, printed or in electronic form) for transactions between corporate bodies or between a corporate body and an individual, group or body of individuals, which amounts to N10,000 and above, shall be denoted by payment of N50 per receipt to the service.”
The FIRS circular also stated that stamp duties will be paid on “POS receipts, fiscalised device receipts, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) print-outs.”
The circular went further to categorically state that all receipts, either printed or electronically generated, or any form of electronic acknowledgement of money transactions, will attract the stamp duty of N50.
The agency also clarified that it is the only body authorised to collect such duties because “the Federal Inland Revenue Service is the only competent authority to impose, charge, and collect duties upon instruments specified in the schedule to this act if such instrument relates to matters executed between a company and an individual, group or body of individuals.”
The instruments subject to charge, as listed in the circular, include; fixed duty instruments such as Power of Attorney, Certificate of Attorney, Proxy forms, Appointment of receivers, Memorandum of Understanding, Joint Venture Agreements, Guarantors form, Ordinary agreements and Receipts; and Ad-valorem instruments such as Tenancy or lease agreements, legal mortgage or debentures, Sales agreements and Deed of assignments.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/nigerians-will-now-pay-n50-stamp-duty.html
Kylie Jenner could face criminal investigation and even JAIL over 'web of lies' surrounding her company's value
The cosmetics entrepreneur was kicked off the coveted Forbes Billionaire list by the wealth magazine on Friday in a shock move, after the outlet said financial filings with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) show she may have been lying about the success of her cosmetics company.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, internationally renowned lawyer Jan Handzlik, who served five years as a federal prosecutor in LA and now defends celebrities and big companies in financial fraud cases, said the alleged exaggerations could land Jenner in a world of legal trouble.
'My guess is that at a minimum the SEC will begin what they call an informal inquiry and then perhaps elevate that to a formal investigation, which gives them subpoena power,' Handzlik said.
He added: 'In this matter you've got a mixture of things that may lead to both civil and criminal scrutiny early on: obviously the celebrity aspect, the large amount of the alleged exaggeration, and the highly public nature.
'All of this is like catnip to a prosecutor or the SEC, because it will lead to very heavy coverage of what takes place.'
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/kylie-jenner-could-face-criminal.html
Tax fraud: Diego Costa could face up to 6 months in prison
According to reports in Spain, via Cadena Ser, the Atletico Madrid striker has defrauded the Spanish state of over 1 million euros for not declaring payments regarding his move from Spain to Chelsea in 2014 and for image rights.
The report says that the prosecution want the 31-year-old to face six months in prison as well as a fine of 507,208 euros.
However, as has been the case with other footballer’s tax misdemeanours in Spain, the Atletico Madrid striker is unlikely to serve any time behind bars.
The laws in Spain allow sentences under two years for non-violent crimes to be exchanged for a fine and Costa will only have to pay 36,500 euros, on top of his over half a million fine, to avoid time in prison.
Lionel Messi, and his dad Jorge, were found guilty of defrauding Spain in 2017, and the Barcelona star was initially given a 21 month sentence.
The six time Ballon d’Or winner eventually had to pay a €252,000 fine and speaking recently he admitted the situation nearly caused him to quit Barca. “At that time, with the mess of the treasury, I wanted to leave, not for wanting to leave Barca but wanting to leave Spain,” the Argentina star said.
“I felt that I was being very mistreated and I didn’t want to stay here. I never had an official offer because everyone knew my idea to stay here.”
In January 2019 Messi’s rival Cristiano Ronaldo was also on the receiving end of a fine for defrauding Spain. The Juventus forward, who flew in from Turin for the trial at the time, also had to pay a big fine to avoid 23 months in jail.
It’s not just the players who have suffered with Barca also being fined in 2014 for the signing of Neymar and having to spend £11.2 million to Spanish authorities, though they denied any wrongdoing, “The aim is to cover eventual interpretations that could be given to the contracts drawn up in the operation to sign Neymar,” the club said at the time.
Costa, who has been linked with another move away from the Spanish capital, has scored just two goals in La Liga this season, from eight starts.
Plenty of fans would love the thought of Costa behind bars, especially Arsenal fans, but it looks quite unlikely.
source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/05/tax-fraud-diego-costa-could-face-up-to.html
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